Bio of John WINTER (b.1816 d.1899) Yellow Medicine 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. Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: LaNaye Hennen Source: "A History of Yellow Medicine County" by Arthur P. Rose Published 1914 JOHN WINTER (1865) Deceased, was the first white man who settled in Yellow Medicine county after the massacre, arriving on the site which he later established as Yellow Medicine City at ten o'clock on the evening of September 17, 1865. From that time until the day of his death, which occurred at Granite Falls on Friday, February 17, 1899, he bore a prominent part in the county's history--one of the strong men who brought the county into being and assisted its onward march in progress and development. John Winter was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1816. When a young man he moved to Chatham, Ontario, Canada, where he later engaged in mercantile trade and lived until past his thirtieth birthday. Then he came to Minnesota and established gristmill and sawmill enterprises in LeSueur county. After the Civil War came to a close he decided to penetrate still further the Minnesota frontier and on September 17, 1865, arrived with his children in Yellow Medicine county, which was destined to be the scene of his life's activity. The first night in the county was spent in a former government building, the same one now owned and occupied by the Olds family. Mr. Winter build a log house, and a short time later he established a hotel in one of the old government brick buildings, turning the log house over to Joseph Fortier for use as a store. This hostelry was very popular with the travelers of the early days, as its genial proprietor was a general information bureau for those in quest of lands or for any other information concerning this section of the frontier. He also engaged in other pursuits besides his hotel and farming operations, such as sawing lumber, getting out timber for buildings, etc., of great benefit to the incoming settlers of those times, as lumber was a luxury that, excepting his little supply, had to be hauled long distances. When Yellow Medicine county was organized in 1872 Mr. Winter was a member of the first Board of County Commissioners, and as such he helped appoint the first county officers. And when the selection of the county seat was made, it was Mr. Winter's influence that caused the selection of Yellow Medicine City. The city had then been platted, several business enterprises put under way, and the outlook for the future greatness of the place was most flattering. But sometimes events happen contrary to desire and expectation. In 1874 the voters of the county sealed the fate of Yellow Medicine City by removing the county seat to Granite Falls. At the time of removal from Yellow Medicine City Mr. Winter was chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, and it was his vote that brought about the removal to Granite Falls. A year or two later he moved to Granite Falls, where he immediately brought his forceful presence to bear in the upbuilding and development of his own home and the county at large. He built a hotel building on the site now occupied by the opera house, where he and his son John were hosts for many years. Later the hotel was moved to Hoit Street, where it has ever since been open for the accommodation of the public. Mr. Winter, in partnership with this son Walter, also conducted a grocery store at Granite Falls many years. A few years before his death he retired from active mercantile life, and is closing days were passed in peace at the home of his son John. Mr. Winter was married three times. His first wife was Priscilla Parr, to whom he was united in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. They had two children-- John W. R. And Frederick. She died in 1855. His second marriage was to Victoria Walker, which event also took place in Canada. To them were born four children--Arthur W.; Herbert W.;W.C. and W.J. She died during their residence in LeSueur county. In 1871, six years after his advent to Yellow Medicine county, Mr. Winter was married to Jane Leonard. There were no children from this union. She died a few years previous to her husband. Four of Mr. Winter's sons are living. Namely, John, Arthur, Bert, and Walter. After removal to Granite Falls, Mr. Winter was many times called upon to serve his city as mayor. He also filled many other places of public trust with credit to himself and to those who placed in him a full and complete confidence. The citizen ship of Yellow Medicine County is the better for the life work and influence of John Winter. Source: "A History of Yellow Medicine County" by Arthur P. Rose Published 1914