Bio of LIBBY, Thomas, Hennepin Co., MN
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EXTRACTED FROM: History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; 
Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. 
Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.; Volume I - Shutter (Historical); 
volume II - Biographical; volume III - Biographical
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Vol II, pg 805-806
THOMAS LIBBY
For Thomas Libby, a leading contractor in Minneapolis, it was a case of
beginning at the bottom of the ladder. Coming to this city a young man of
twenty-two, to ply his trade as woodturner, he has worked his way upwards by
successive steps through the building and contracting business until he is now
senior partner of T. & L. U. Libby Company, a well known contracting and
engineering firm. In the fifty years he has been engaged in this business he has
had a part in the building of many important structures in the Flour City.
Thomas Libby was born in Cornwall, England, in 1850, and was brought to the
United States by his parents when he was a boy. At first the family settled in
Middletown, Connecticut, but later they moved west to Wisconsin, where Thomas
Libby learned the trade of a woodturner. Equipped with ambition and the thorough
knowledge of his craft, the young man came to Minneapolis in 1872, where he
worked at his trade for ten years, seven of which were spent in a shop at the
corner of Third street and Third avenue, South. Following this he was the
superintendent of the sash and door factory of Fraser & Sheppard for seven
years. For a time he was associated with Johnson & Hurd. and it was while he was
working with them that he performed the feat of climbing to the top of the spire
of the Church of the Redeemer when no one else could be found to do it, although
the work was entirely foreign to his usual line. In 1888 he formed a partnership
with G. W. Libby, under the name of Libby & Libby, which was continued
successfully for several years. They did a general jobbing and contracting
business, among their jobs being that of furnishing the interior trim for the
old city hall. In this connection Mr. Libby made all the moldings for the
building. The firm of Libby & Nelson was formed in 1897, N. W. Nelson being the
second partner. This company did a tremendous business for the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific railways, so that it is said today that one cannot enter or
leave the city of Minneapolis without going over or under a bridge built by
Libby & Nelson In 1915 this firm was dissolved, giving way to the new company of
T. & L. D. Libby Company, which is doing a large amount of work along
engineering construction lines Associated with Mr. Libby in this work is his
son, Lloyd D. Libby, a civil and mechanical engineer, who has charge of the
engineering part of the business.
Mr. Libby married Miss Abbie Glessner and they have a son, Lloyd D. Libby who is
associated with his father. During the World war he was employed by the United
States government as an engineering expert and was stationed in Michigan, where
he engaged in making gauges for the Liberty motors. He married Miss Jessie Ware.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Libby have three children, Jeannette, Ruth and Thomas.