Bio of Baldwin, Myron Augustine (b.1832) Wabasha 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: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge ========================================================================= This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884. Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some of the bios on her pages. Baldwin, Myron Augustine, (page 1153), deceased. The demise of this highly-esteemed citizen was to Lake City what the death of President Garfield was to the nation. He was born in Sheldon, Wyoming county, New York, May 21, 1832, and died of cerebra-spinal fever in Lake City, February 23, 1881. His parents, Eleazer and Rachel (Martindale) Baldwin, removed with their family from Sheldon to Varysburg in 1843. The next year the father died and the family returned to their farm in Sheldon, and kept together till 1851. Mr. Baldwin, then in his nineteenth year, engaged as a clerk in the store of Hon. Wolcott J. Humphrey, and in 1854 went to Wallingford, Vermont, to serve in the employ of his uncles, Edwin and William Martindale, the former of whom he in time bought out, and thus commenced business for himself. His mercantile pursuits were continued in Wallingford till 1868, when he sold out, and with a view to recuperating his failing health, removed to Minnesota, permanently locating in Lake City. Here he soon regained his health sufficiently to embark in active business pursuits, and from that time till overtaken by his last illness he was one of Lake City's most active and esteemed citizens. November 1, 1873, he was made a director in the Lake City Bank, and in 1876 transferred his interests to the First National. He was then made one of its directors, and before the close of the same year was made its president. In April, 1880, he was elected mayor of the city as the people's candidate. During his residence in this city his principal vocation was dealing in livestock, and only those who were his intimate friends could form an adequate conception of the magnitude of the business transacted under his personal supervision. With this great strain of mind and body, and with a physical constitution insufficient to endure the labor which his extraordinary brain devised, it was evident to those who best knew him that his work was too great for him. Nevertheless he remained in the business harness till but a few hours before his death. Upon the announcement of his death the flag on the council chamber was placed at half- mast, and a further mark of respect the business-men throughout the city closed their doors on the day of his burial, and formed one of the largest funeral processions ever witnessed in this city. The directors of the First National Bank met and passed the following resolutions: Whereas, our immediate associate and friend, M. A. Baldwin, the president of this bank, was removed by death on the twenty-third of this month from our number; therefore, Resolved, that we recognize in this an agreeable companion and a valued and honored friend, and that we desire in this manner to testify to our high appreciation of his character and worth as a man, and to his ability and integrity in his official trust: Resolved, that while deeply impressed in contemplating the shadow of gloom his absence must bring to the home late so securely happy in his presence, that we hereby extend to the widow and son our most heartfelt sympathy and condolence in this their hour of sorrow. The Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Temple of Honor and Social Temple passed similar resolutions of respect and condolence, making them a matter of record, and at the same time presenting the widow with certified copies. Mr. Baldwin had been twice married; first in 1863, at Wallingford, Vermont, to Miss Marcella Townsend, whom he lost by death about a year thereafter. His second marriage was in 1866 to Mrs. Anna E. Sweet, a daughter of Smith Emery, Esq., of Newport, Vermont, who with their only child, Myron Alpheus, still resides in Lake City.