Bio of LORING, Charles M. (b.1833 d.1922), 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 16-20
CHARLES M. LORING
Early merchant, pioneer flour miller, public-spirited citizen, the father of her
park system and the promoter of much of the work of improving and beautifying
Minneapolis, the city gratefully acknowledges her indebtedness to Charles M.
Loring, who passed away at the age of eighty-eight years, after a residence of
more than six decades here, in which his contribution toward the adornment of
the city equalled, if not exceeded, that of any other man. His business affairs
were most capably, forcefully and successfully conducted and as he prospered in
his undertakings his gifts to the city became more liberal and generous year by
year, as he looked forward to that period when her growth would necessitate
breathing spaces for the steadily Increasing population and when her commercial
and industrial activity must be offset by the opportunities of close communion
with nature and the cultural uplift that is brought about as one lives
intimately with trees and birds and flowers. The great sweep of his vision found
tangible expression in efforts to beautify the city through the preservation of
its natural waterways and forests and the enhancement of its beauty through the
development of a boulevard and park system which is scarcely surpassed on the
American continent. All this causes the memory of Charles M. Loring to be
cherished and honored by all who knew him, and those who were his associates
hold as one of their priceless possessions the memory of his friendship and
companionship.
Charles M. Loring was born in Portland, Maine, November 13, 1833, and was
descended from New England ancestry, his line of descent being traced down from
Thomas Loring, who came from England with the early American colonists. His
grandfather was a distinguished teacher of Portland, and was known as "Master
Loring" throughout New England. His parents were Captain Horace and Sarah
(Wiley) Loring. The former became famous as a shipmaster in connection with
trade in the West Indies, and desirous that his son should become his successor,
he took him on many long voyages when Charles M. Loring was in his early teens
and advanced him as years went by to the position of mate on the vessel which
was the pride of the Loring fleet. In 1854 he was in command of a ship on a
cruise in southern waters and put into a Cuban port, where he directed the
trading. But the call of the west lured him from the sea and in 1856 he made his
way to Chicago, then a growing western city but giving little indication of its
future importance. There he embarked in business as a wholesale merchant in
connection with B. P. Hutchinson, afterward a grain trade magnate, and spent
four years in the city by the lake, at the end of which time his physician
advised him to seek a less rigorous climate. Accordingly he disposed of his
interests in Chicago and removed to Minneapolis, where he initiated his business
career as manager of the supply store of Dorilus Morrison, who conducted the
store in connection with his lumber interests. He obtained this position through
the influence of his friend, Loren Fletcher, with whom he afterward embarked in
general merchandising under the firm style of L. Fletcher & Company, which soon
became one of the leading commercial interests of Minneapolis. Seven years later
Mr. Loring became one of the purchasers of the Holly mill in connection with Mr.
Fletcher and W. F. Cahill and this they operated until 1872, when they sold that
mill and became owners of the Galaxy mill, thus continuing in the flour
manufacturing business for a number of years additional. In the meantime Mr.
Loring acquired the Minnetonka mill, near Lake Minnetonka, and gave personal
supervision to his milling interests until 1880, when he turned over the
management of his properties to his son, A. C. Loring. In 1894 he became one of
the organizers of the Morgan Machine Company of Rochester, New York, of which he
was chosen the first president, and in 1885 he became the head of the North
American Telegraph Company, continuing as its chief executive until 1897, when
he resigned. His business affairs were most wisely and carefully conducted. He
readily discriminated between the essential and the non-essential in all of his
commercial activities and his wise investment and capable control of his
interests won him place among the most prosperous residents of the city.
Unlike many men, Mr. Loring never selfishly hoarded his gains for his own
benefit but was most generous in his contributions to activities and projects
for the public good. He was identified with many organized efforts for the
welfare of the city, acted as president of the Minneapolis Board of Trade in
1875 and was president of the Chamber of Commerce from 1886 until 1890.
Mr. Loring was twice married, his first union being with Miss Emily Crosman, who
passed away and left an only son, A. C. Loring, now prominent in milling circles
in Minneapolis. In 1895 Mr. Loring wedded Florence Barton, daughter of A. P.
Barton of Minneapolis, and during the later years of his life she was actively
associated with him in much of the charitable, benevolent and civic work which
claimed his attention.
Mr. Loring had been a resident of Minneapolis for but four years when he was
elected to his first political position-that of road supervisor-and in 1872 he
was elected a member of the city council from the fifth ward. From the beginning
of his residence here he seemed to recognize something of what the future had in
store for this great and growing western country and believed that its beauty
spots should be preserved for future generations and that effective organized
effort should advance the welfare and improvement of the city in many ways.
Accordingly he bent his energies in that direction. As early as 1864 he was
instrumental in holding the first flower show in Minneapolis, resulting in the
organization of the first flower association of the city. In 1866 he was elected
secretary of the Atheneum Library and in that year the city received as a
donation from Captain Edward Murphy the first park in Minneapolis, but it
remained in an unimproved condition for several years. In 1868 Mr. Loring
donated trees for this park and induced the city council to devote seventy-five
dollars a month to pay a caretaker, after which with the assistance of the
caretaker Mr. Loring laid out the paths and planted the trees in the park. He
cooperated with every agency which was planning to promote beauty in the city
and in 1872 he was appointed by the State Horticultural Society, of which he was
a member, chairman of the committee to draft the constitution and by-laws of
that society. In 1880 lie became president of the State Forestry Association and
also president of the Lakewood Cemetery Association of Minneapolis. The same
year brought him election to the presidency of the Sons of Maine and to the vice
presidency of the National Board of Trade. Much of his public service, however,
was directed toward the development of parks and in 1882 Minneapolis received as
a donation Franklin Steele Square, given by the daughters of Franklin Steele, on
condition that Mr. Loring take the supervision thereof. In 1883 the park
commission was organized in Minneapolis and Mr. Loring's labors to develop the
park system led to his election in 1886 to the presidency of the National Park
and Outdoor Association. He was also appointed by the governor in the same year
as chair-man of the committee to secure Minnehaha Park, and the trees which were
planted on the streets surrounding Elliot Park were raised from seeds which he
had sown at Minnetonka Mills. To stimulate an interest in tree planting Mr.
Loring offered a premium for the best block of trees to be planted from
Washington avenue to Grant street. In 1906 he erected the children's shelter in
Loring Park and in 1918 he employed M. F. Scotti, a French artist, to construct
the Loring Cascade in Glen-wood Park, which was completed the following year at
a total cost of thirteen thousand six hundred and ninety-two dollars. On the
11th of April, 1919, he placed with the Wells-Dickey Trust Company the sum of
fifty thousand dollars to be called the Loring Tree Trust, the income from this
to be paid to the board of park commissioners for the perpetual care of the
trees on the Victory Memorial Drive, which were planted in honor of the heroes
from Hennepin county who sacrificed their lives for the country during the World
war.
Nor did Mr. Loring confine his activities entirely to Minneapolis. Riverside,
California, benefited greatly by his interest in tree planting and as early as
1880 his love for the woods and the waters led him to undertake in Riverside,
California, a work similar to that which he had promoted in Minneapolis. He was
instrumental in extending Magnolia avenue in that city for twenty-five blocks
and on each side of the street set out pepper and palm trees, personally
defraying all the expenses of the undertaking. Later he advocated the purchase
of a tract of land which under the name of Fairmont Park is today one of the
beauty spots of Riverside. He likewise furnished the money used in the erection
of Loring Theater, one of the finest buildings in southern California, and gave
generously toward the construction of the St. Francis fountain at the entrance
of Riverside. Mrs. Loring, too, took part in promoting the interests of that
city through the construction of the humane shelter for sick and lost animals
and she built as a memorial to her mother a beautiful nurses' home in connection
with the hospital at Riverside. Following Mr. Loring's return to Minneapolis,
when the government located an aviation field ten miles from Riverside, he
insisted that the entire route to the field be lined with trees and sent his
check for one thousand dollars as a contribution to that work.
Charles M. Loring passed away March 18, 1922, his last public act having been in
connection with the Victory Memorial Drive. A member of the park board said on
that occasion: "I feel that Mr. Loring has done more toward beautifying
Minneapolis than any other individual," while another said: "Minneapolis owes a
debt of gratitude to Mr. Loring. It was his active interest in the development
of beauty here that made the creation of a park board possible. No single man in
Minneapolis has done more for its welfare than he." A most fitting tribute to
his memory was given when the Campfire Girls planted a spruce tree on the south
shore of Lake Harriet and dedicated it to Mr. Loring with appropriate
ceremonies. Its green will ever be indicative of the undying memory of his work,
but the entire park system of the city is the tangible evidence of his love for
the beautiful and his love for mankind.