Bio of MAPES, Emery Cordenio (b.1853), 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 278-281
EMERY CORDENIO MAPES
The career of Emery Cordenio Mapes was largely meteoric by reason of his rapid
rise and the brilliance of his attainments. Possessing initiative and
enterprise, he sought out plans new to the business world and carried these
forward to successful completion with results that may well serve to inspire and
encourage others. Life was to him purposeful and he became a dynamic power in
commercial circles, the breadth of his activities continually growing until it
compassed the world.
Emery Cordenio Mapes was born in Aurora, Illinois, September 24, 1853, his
parents being Emery and Laura (Severance) Mapes, who were natives of
Pennsylvania. During his early boyhood they removed to Ripon, Wisconsin, and
there he was reared, acquiring a public school education and later attending
Ripon College, from which he was graduated. About 1874 he removed to Rochester,
Minnesota, where he spent a short time as clerk in a store, and there, in 1875,
he wedded Miss Emma Alien, who was reared by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
Morell Cole. Mr. and Mrs. Mapes became the parents of three children: Frank
Morell of Minneapolis; Elinor, the wife of E. V. Pierce of Brookings, South
Dakota; and Alta, who is the wife of George V. Thomson of Minneapolis. There are
six grandchildren.
After living for a time in Rochester, Mr. Mapes removed with his family to
Austin, Minnesota, where he engaged in merchandising for about five years. He
then went to Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he became connected with the
milling business, acquiring an interest in the North Dakota Milling Company. Up
to this time his career had given no evidence of what he was to accomplish
within an incredibly short period. It is true that he had made steady progress
and was constantly advancing toward the goal of success, but his first decided
step forward was when he inaugurated a new plan of advertising. In 1897 he
removed to Minneapolis and organized the Cream of Wheat Company. He conceived
the plan of making a characteristic picture tell an effective story in
advertising the product and the success of his purpose was readily seen in the
fact that his plan has later been copied extensively. When he began, however, he
was alone in this field of advertising. The product which he handled was first
sold in the eastern states by salesmen of the milling company of Grand Forks,
who used this merely as a "side line." The excellence of the product, however,
created an almost immediate demand therefor and the sales spread until the
business extended throughout the world. It was instituted by Mr. Mapes with
practically no assets and was developed by him to a business now valued at
several millions, this being one of the largest companies of the kind in the
United States. From his original location in Minneapolis, Mr. Mapes removed to
Fifth street, between First and Second avenues North, and later to First avenue
North, and Fifth street. From the beginning he adhered steadfastly to his
original idea of advertising and the Cream of Wheat man is today probably more
familiar to world purchasers than any other advertising figure. Mr. Mapes not
only displayed initiative in this direction but also splendid powers of
organization and administration, meeting every requirement of a growing business
until his interests placed him with the millionaire milling manufacturers of the
country. Death called Mr. Mapes on the 9th of October, 1921, when he was
sixty-eight years of age. He had always given his political allegiance to the
republican party and was never remiss in the duties of citizenship, although his
growing business interests left him comparatively little time for active
participation in public affairs. He belonged to the Minneapolis Club, to the
Minikahda Club and the Lafayette Club and his popularity in club and other
circles was the result of his unfeigned cordiality and kindly interest in his
fellowmen.