Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Blair, John S. 1832 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 25, 2006, 12:21 am Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) JOHN S. BLAIR, of Minneapolis, made his home in Nobles county from June, 1892, to July, 1899. He was born in Eureka, Woodford county, Ill., April 6, 1869, a son of Leander V. and Martha L. (McGohan) Blair, who were natives of Brown county, Ohio, and who now reside in Clarinda, Iowa. Mr. Blair received his education in the common and graded schools of Eureka, and in 1885 was appointed deputy postmaster of that place, which position he filled until 1889, when he resigned to take a position with a Chicago publishing house. In 1892 Mr. Blair came to Worthington and took employment as traveling salesman in Minnesota and South Dakota for the Worthington Cigar company, which firm he was with until December, 1893. The next month, in company with C. W. Schultz, he began business under the firm name of Blair & Co., dealers in shoes. Two disastrous fires within a year with heavy losses compelled them to abandon the business. In December, 1894, Mr. Blair went to Adrian and joined John E. King in the publication of the Nobles County Democrat. In June of that year he returned to Worthington and took charge of the Worthington Globe, which he published until 1899, when he was appointed deputy state weighmaster by Governor John Lind and removed to Minneapolis. In August, 1901, Mr. Blair accepted a position with the Duluth Elevator company, and is still employed by that company in the capacity of assistant secretary. On Nov. 27, 1895, Mr. Blair was united in marriage to Lillian C. Plotts, daughter of Rezeau B. and Katherine L. (Slavin) Plotts, of Worthington. Two children have been bom to them—Katherine L., born March 14, 1898, and Lee Plotts, born Nov. 10, 1902. Politically Mr. Blair has always been a firm believer in the principles of the democratic party. He has had some preference in a political way. He was deputy postmaster of Eureka, Ill., and for a time was employed in the county recorder's office. In Nobles county he served as chairman of the democratic county central committee four years, was a member of congressional and state committees, and represented the second congressional district in the national convention in 1896, when W. J. Bryan was first nominated for the presidency. Mr. Blair was a candidate for register of deeds of Nobles county in 1896 and was defeated by A. G. Lindgren. Mr. Blair is a member of the Masonic lodge Ark. No. 176, A. F. & A. M., Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of America. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/blair203gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb