Bio of PILLSBURY, Hon. John Sargent (b.1856 d.1917), Hennepin Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Pruden Submitted: June 2003 ========================================================================= Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ======================================================== 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 ======================================================== Vol II, pg 204-207 GEORGE FRANK PIPER George Frank Piper was born in Minneapolis, April 11, 1856. His parents were Jefferson and Mary (McDuffee) Piper, natives of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, who moved to Minneapolis in 1854. When he was one year old his parents located a homestead, to which they moved, a few miles from Mankato, Minnesota, and near the village of Garden City. His boyhood was spent on the farm. His early schooling was limited to the primitive rural schools of that age but being ambitious he supplemented his school work by home studies at night after the arduous farm work was finished. While still a youth, George Frank Piper taught a neighboring rural school, walking several miles every day to live at home so that he could help on the farm. From the meagre compensation received for this teaching, he saved sufficient money to attend the University of Minnesota, which he entered in 1873. At the end of the first year, however, he gave his savings to his father to provide for the payment of a pressing debt. This required his withdrawal from the University, which was the conclusion of his schooling. He then taught school for two years in Mankato, moving into town for that purpose. His commercial activities began about 1876, by his taking a clerical position in a linseed oil mill in Mankato, owned and operated by John A. Wlllard and R. D. Hubbard. Here he worked up through the business, eventually buying out Mr. Hubbard and becoming manager. In 1890 he sold his interests and moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he bought an interest in a local linseed oil mill. Shortly thereafter his health failed, so he sold out and traveled for three years, spending several months in California with his wife, and sons. In the spring of 1894, having recovered, he moved to Minneapolis. From the beginning he became engaged in the linseed oil business, his first venture being the organization of Douglas & Company and the construction of a mill in Minneapolis. A few years later this was absorbed by the American Linseed Company. Mr. Piper then became interested in the terminal elevator business, erecting and operating the Pioneer Steel Elevator in Minneapolis. He soon sold out and again turned his attention to the linseed oil manufacturing business, although not to the same active degree as before. With two associates he organized the Midland Linseed Products Company, with which he served as a director and treasurer until his death. Shortly after the organization of the Midland Company he turned his attention to the opportunities of Western Canada-then practically undeveloped. He organized the Saskatchewan Valley Land Company, which was the first company to succeed in extensive colonization of farm lands in Western Canada, due to obtaining settlers from the United States. This was the inception of the so-called "American invasion" of Canada. The social service performed by him through this company was of inestimable value to Canada, and was repeatedly recognized by the government and the press of Canada. The operations of the land company were* soon completed, but from it developed permanent interests in grain elevators and retail lumberyards which had been installed to take care of the settlers. In these interests Mr. Piper was active until his death. He also had other important commercial connections in" Minneapolis. He was a director of the Security National Bank and later a director of the First National Bank upon the consolidation of the two institutions. He was a director of the Minneapolis Trust Company, as well as other leading enterprises. In 1881, in Mankato, Mr. Piper married Miss Grace Brett, a daughter of Cyrus H. and Mary (Hunter) Brett, who were natives of Maine and became pioneer residents of southern Minnesota, where they located in 1864 at Dover. Mr. and Mrs. Piper became the parents of four sons; Clarence B., Louis H., Harry C., and George F., Jr., all of whom survive; and one daughter, Alice, who died when two years old. Mr. Piper was a republican in politics, although of independent thought and action. He was a member of -the Masonic fraternity, Mystic Shrine, and Knights of Pythias. He was also a member of the Minneapolis Club, Minikahda Club, Wood-hill Country Club, and Lafayette Club, of Minneapolis; Town and Country Club of St. Paul; and the Manitoba Club of Winnipeg. Mr. Piper died December 1, 1917, at the age of sixty-one years. His clear thinking, sound judgment, sterling integrity and courage had earned the respect of his business associates. His interest in young men, his courtesy, his simplicity of manner and speech had endeared him to a large acquaintance. His loss was mourned by a wide circle of friends.