History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, Part 99

Author: Warner, George E; Foote, Charles M., joint author; Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota. 1n; Williams, J. Fletcher (John Fletcher), 1834-1895. Outlines of the history of Minnesota
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Minneapolis, North Star Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 684

USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 99

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Thomas Manning, grocer, is a native of Canada, born in 1849. When nine years of age he came to St. Paul, and has here grown to manhood and acquired an education. In 1872 he began busi- ness on a small scale, which has since rapidly in- creased. He was located at 119 Jackson street, until 1874, then removed to his present nicely fitted rooms at 436, 438 and 440, Jackson street. He is doing a thriving business, and has one of the finest retail groceries in the city. His trade in 1880, amounted to $63,554.

John Mark is a native of Chicago, Illinois, born in 1848. His youth, until sixteen years of age, was passed in his native city ; then he removed to Minneapolis, Minnesota. His residence there was of only three months' duration, however, and August 1st, 1872, located in St. Paul. He is engaged in the wholesale cigar trade on Wabasha

street, where prompt attention is given to all orders, from all parts of the North-west.

Thomas Markley, a native of Ireland, was born in 1844. His parents emigrated to America while he was still a babe, and for four years made their home in Sullivan county, New York ; removed to Cattaraugus county in 1850, remaining until 1853, then went to Wisconsin, and lived there until 1857 ; came to St. Paul at that time, and followed rafting and steamboating till 1868. Two years later was elected constable ; was appointed deputy sheriff in 1871, under John Grace, serving until the latter part of 1875. He was appointed driver of hose No. 3, which is his present position. October 23d, 1873, he married Annie E. Hughes. John, Thomas, Mary C. and Margaret A., are their living children. James died.

William R. Marshall was born in Boone county, Missouri, October 17th, 1825. He is descended from Scotch-Irish immigrants, who settled in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. ITis grand- fathers Marshall and Shaw removed to Bourbon county, Kentucky, soon after the close of the Revolutionary war, in which they both served. His father, Joseph Marshall,removed to Missouri in 1823, and in 1830, to Quincy, Illinois. William received a common school education at Quincey. IIis father died in 1831, and from the age of thirteen, he contributed with his brother to the support of their mother and younger sister. When sixteen years old he went to the Galena lead mines where he and his brother spent five years in mining, with considerable success. In 1847, soon after attaining majority, he came to what is now Stillwater, Minnesota, and for two years was in the St. Croix Valley, chiefly at St. Croix Falls. Ile marked out a claim at the Falls of St. An- thony in October, 1847, which he pre-empted in 1849. With his brother Joseph, he established the first store of general merchandise at the Falls of St. Anthony, in the spring of 1849. He sur- veyed that year the town plat of St. Anthony, for Franklin Steele, Pierre Bottineau and the other proprietors. He was also engaged with his brother in surveying United States lands, among others, the Rum river pineries. In 1849, Mr. Marshall was elected from St. Anthony, to the first territorial legislature. In 1851, the Mar- shall brothers removed to St. Paul and estab- lished the first iron and heavy hardware store

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in Minnesota; they sold out to Nicols and Berkey. They also established a banking office in St. Paul, which attained the leading position of its kind in the territory; it however succumbed under the financial revulsion of 1857. In March, 1855, Mr. Marshall presided at the convention which organized the republican party in Minne- sota; in July of that year was nominated by the first republican territorial convention for delegate to congress. Henry M. Rice. the democratic candidate was elected. January 1st, 1861, Mr. Marshall, with J. A. Wheelock, established the St. Paul Daily Press, which he conducted until he entered the volunteer army, August 13th, 1862. He went to the front as a volunteer, mak- ing, with Colonel McPhaill's command, the night march from St. Peter, that relieved the beleag- uered garrison and refugees of Fort Ridgely. August 26th, 1862, he was commissioned lieuten- ant-colonel of the Seventh Regiment Minnesota Volunteers and ordered to take command of the regiment then on the road to Gen. Sibley at Fort Ridgely. He commanded the regiment at the relief of Birch Cooley and the battle of Wood Lake, also in General Sibley's campaign of 1863, against the Sioux. On returning from General Sibley's expedition, the Seventh regiment was ordered south and posted at St. Louis the follow- ing winter. In March, Lieutenant-colonel Mar- shall became colonel of the regiment, which par- ticipated in the battle of Tupelo, Mississippi, July 14th and 15th, 1864, and later in the Oxford raid; was in Arkansas and Missouri in the pur- suit of General Price. He had command of the third brigade, first division of the Sixteenth corps, at the battle of Nashville; he received a commission as brevet brigadier-general and con- tinued in command of the brigade until the close of the war. While taking part in the campaign of Mobile, under General Canby, he received a severe wound in the neck; was mustered out of service with the Seventh regiment, August 16th. 1865. In September he was nominated for gov- ernor and elected over the democratic candidate, Hon. II. M. Rice, who, ten years previous, had beaten him as delegate to congress, IIe was re- elected governor in 1867 and retired in January, 1870. In March, 1874, he was appointed one of a board of three state railroad commissioners, with Gen. A. J. Edgerton and T. J. Randall, and chosen

president of the board. The law was changed in 1875 to one commissioner, and Mr. Marshall was chosen at the next election and re-elected in 1877 and 779.

George Marti, druggist, was born at Seneca Falls, New York in 1856. Came to Minnesota with his parents in 1860, locating on a farm near New Ulm. IIe was educated first at the schools of New Ulm, then went to the Pharmacy college of Chicago, from which he graduated in 1879. Returning he remained one year in New Ulm, then came to St. Paul and embarked in the drug business for himself. At New Ulm, in 1880 he married Miss E. Schell.

Arthur Martin was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1853. When only four years old he came to St. Paul. He is a coppersmith and followed his trade until receiving his appointment as foreman of Hose No. 4, in June, 1878. He has been con- nected with the department as a volunteer since 1869, and in 1876 was elected foreman by the vol- unteers, which position he held till they disband- ed and the pay department organized. At Jor- dan, Minnesota, in 1875, he married Miss Anna Norton who died in June, 1879. William and Jennie were born to them; Jennie died at the age of nine months.

John Marty, proprietor of the Lake Superior meat market, was born in Canton Glarus, Switz- erland, January 21st, 1849. He went to the vil- lage of Glarus where for five years he was inter- ested in a fur and hide store. In 1870 came to America, arriving in St. Paul May 12th, and has since resided here except a short time in Washı- ington county. He was engaged in the butcher- ing business for other parties until May 13th, 1872, when in company with W. Timme he began the meat business. This firm existed until Mr. Timme's death in December, 1875. Mr. Marty has since carried on one of the most prosperous trades in this line in the city. May 21st, 1875 he married Elizabeth Marty, who has borne him two children; Lillie K. and John J., Jr.

Richard Marvin has been a resident of St. Paul for the last thirty years, having arrived in this city on the steamer Nominee, Captain Orrin Smith commander, on the 4th of April, 1851. He was born in Henckley, Leicestershire, England, May 28th, 1817, and there he spent the first nine- teen years of his life. Of a large family he is the

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only surviving member. His father, Luke Mar- vin, who was born, lived and died in Leicester- shire, was the descendent of several generations of middle class yeomen, each of whom had re- sided in the same county, and were staunch non- comformists and worthy exemplars of English puritanism. The father of the subject of this notice carried on a considerable business for a provincial town, as leather dealer and manufac- turer. His wife, the mother of Mr. Marvin, of pure Highland Scotch and Covenanter descent, was a woman of more than ordinary mental ca- pacity. Mr. M.'s education was what would be termed, in the present day, somewhat limited, though not originally intended to be so. A board- ing school taught by a clergyman, who is still liv- ing at a very advanced age, and with whom he still occasionally corresponds, gave to him the greater part of his education. Owing to a re- verse in his father's circumstances he was taken away from school just as he commenced classical studies and could begin to appreciate the promise of education. The revulsion of feeling conse- quent on this has had its effect on his whole life. Ile was married in 1837, to Hannah, daughter of Mr. Charles Reading of Warwick, England. The union then entered into is still unbroken after a lapse of forty-four years. After marriage Mr. M. lived in Henly, in Arden, Warwickshire for nearly two years, then in Leamington in the same county where he was in business as a leather dealer till the spring of 1845. For several years, with earnest and inherited republican sympathies he had indulged the idea of coming to the United States, and in the spring of 1845 closed his busi- ness and came with his family to Cincinnati. After taking for some time a situation in a leather store, and afterwards engaging in business, want of success and almost uninterupted ill health led him to come to the better climate of Minnesota, which gave him at once a new lease of life. He came here with his family in 1851, and has re- mained here ever since as a resident. An oppor- tunity presenting itself he opened a crockery and glassware business in a store which he erected on the lot where the First National Bank now stands. Later he erected a two story brick block which is still standing, and which he used for several years for the purposes of his business. The business became almost exclusively whole-

sale and he moved again to near his old location, where, after the business had continued from its commencment some twenty-four years, it was fin- ally closed in 1874. In the spring of 1857 Mr. Mar- vin had made a visit to England with the double purpose of revisiting old scenes and friends, and making arrangements for the direct importation of crockery from the Staffordshire potteries. Having purchased a large stock and made ar- rangements for further purchases, he had the goods shipped via New Orleans and the Missis- sippi river. Bonds were given in New Orleans for payment of the duties to the collector of the port in this city on their arrival here. The same arrangement was repeated in subsequent importa- tins, but the war of the rebellion put a bar on the whole matter for the time. Mr. M. claims how- ever, that he was the first direct importer in the territory of Minnesota, except for goods in tran- sit to British America. The cost of freight by that route for that class of goods was so low at that time that he has been surprised at the neg- lect shown by the public to the matter. He has frequently, both orally and in the papers, claimed for it the advantages which the public is now beginning to appreciate. IIe has never doubted that had the matter been agitated by men of energy and enterprise it would have assumed a greater magnitude in the public mind than it does now. Mr. Marvin's life has been one of varied experience, subject to many mutations, and an unusual share of sudden bereavement. His memory is really a storehouse and his impressions are very vivid of persons whom he has met, and the scenes in which he has been a quiet and ap- parently a very unobservant observer. A letter of introduction, when he first came to America, to Professor Stowe, gave him an opportunity of dining and spending a few hours with the profes- sor and his subsequently celebrated wife, and he recalls very minutely as cherished reminiscences, the subjects of conversation and the fact that he accompanied the professor to the exercises of his class in Lane seminary. Mr. Marvin mingles little with society, and is in fact somewhat of a recluse. His social life is kept up chiefly by correspond- ence and in some instances with friends of more than forty years standing. Beyond being an oc- casional newspaper correspondent, once an alder- man of the city, and always an active churchman,

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Mr. M. has had little to do with public matters. He is now secretary and treasurer of Oakland cemetery, an institution in which from its incep- tion he has had a strong personal interest, where he has laid his children, and where he expects to rest when God pleases. Mr. Marvin has four children living, all of whom are married and set- tled in St. Paul.

William Mason was born at Rome, New York, . in 1855. He was reared and educated in his na- tive place, and in October, 1880, came to St. Paul. Ile tended bar till March 27th, 1881, then em- barked in the liquor and cigar trade in company with Mr. Ksycki, at 20 East Seventh street.

Jacob Mathies, one of the first tailors who set- tled in the city, came to St. Paul April 17th, 1852, and for about six years carried on merchant tail- oring on Third street. In 1860 he began working for Campbell as a cutter, continuing five years, and afterward with Griswold, and with Tinney. In 1870, he began his present extensive trade at 82, now 372 Jackson street. The firm is Mathes, Good and Schurmeier, Mr. Mathes being the senior member. They do both jobbing and retail busi- ness.

Oscar Matter, a native of France, was born in 1857. Came to St. Paul in 1876, where he was employed as book-keeper two years. In company with Louis Wespieser, he engaged in wholesale liquor trade under the firm name of Matter and Company. He remained in the business until 1880, then opened a sample room of his own at 327 Wabasha street.

Thomas A. Matthews is a native of Birming- ham, England, born in 1841. Came to the United States in 1862, and for two years was in Milwau- kee in a commission house. Removing to Prairie du Chien he was employed by the Chicago, Mil- waukee and St. Paul Railroad company as clerk in different departments for about ten years. Lo- cated in St. Paul in 1873, and was in the general freight department of the Chicago, St. Paul and Omaha Railroad company. At the establishment of the North-western agency of the Hoosac Tun- nel line, in January, 1879, Mr. Matthews accepted the position of agent, which he still holds.

Joseph Matz was born in Germany, in 1855. Came to America in 1871, locating in Chicago, Illinois, for two years. Ile paid a visit to his na- tive country, returning two years later. Made

his home in Waseca, Minnesota, on a farm, until 1877, then moved to St. Paul. For a short time he was engaged in the musical trade; then opened a saloon and is yet in the business at 23 East Seventh street.

James H. Mayall was born in Gray, Cumber- land county, Maine, April 5th, 1818. His father, Samuel Mayall, a native of England, was born in 1771, and came to this country in 1800; his mother was a native of Maine. In May, 1855, he came west for the benefit of his health, and has since made his home in Minnesota, in Sibley county, three years, and Hennepin county two years. He visited St. Paul first in 1858; is en- gaged in farming and dealing in real estate. His marriage occurred in 1865.

Thomas W. McArdle is a native of Ireland, born August 15th, 1827. When eight years old emigrated to America, with his parents, locating in Philadelphia, where he grew to manhood, and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner, begin- ning at the age of sixteen years. After complet- ing his trade, he worked as a journeyman until coming west to St. Panl, in 1855. He began the contracting business in 1861, his first work being for Dr. Day, who is now postmaster. In 1871, Felix Rivard became his associate in the business. They are now located on the corner of Rice and Iglehart streets. In Philadelphia, in 1854, he married Mary McGeehan, of that city. Eight children have been born to them: Mary A., Thomas, Rosa, Eliza, Frank J., and Ella are the living.

Patrick McCabe was born in Ireland in 1844. His parents came to America in 1849, he follow- ing in 1857 ; located in Toronto, Canada, and there learned the trade of shoemaking. In 1863 he came to the States, and worked in different cities, until mastering his chosen vocation, he was employed by a firm in Rochester, New York, where his present employers, Forepaugh and Tarbox, engaged him. He now occupies the po- sition of foreman of the bottoming department in their manufactory. At Toronto he married Miss Elizabeth Elligette. They have six children, all living.

C. J. McConville, manager and buyer in the domestic department of Auerbach, Finch and Van Slyck, was born in New York city, Decem- ber 18th, 1853. He was educated in the public

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and private colleges of that city, and in 1866, en- tered the office of W. H. Van Slyck, then one of the firm of Brown, Hunt and Winslow, of Chica- go, where he remained five years. After his em- ployer became connected with the firm of Auer- bach, Finch and Scheffer, he came west, and assumed charge of the domestic department, and has since remained with them.

W. McFarland, master mechanic in the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad shops, was born in Hop- kinton, Massachusetts, May 24th, 1829. When only ten years old, he accompanied his parents to Worcester, Massachusetts. IIe partially served his apprenticeship as a machinist at Charleston, completing it in the Boston and Albany railroad shops in 1851. He then spent one year at Charles- ton, New Hampshire, and one year in the railroad shops ; after which was connected with the Che- shire railroad, until 1864; was foreman in the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore railroad shops till 1869. He then came to Duluth, and has been master mechanic in the St. Paul and Duluth railroad shops, except two and one-half years with the St. Paul and Pacific Company. Since the fall of 1870, has resided in St. Paul. At Winchester, New Hampshire, in 1855, he married Miss Charlotte E. Ellis, who has borne him three children.

Joseph McGeehan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 16th, 1844, of Irish parent- age. ITis education was acquired at the schools of Philadelphia. During the spring of 1857 he left his home and located in St. Paul, which has since been his place of residence. He deals in wines and liquors by wholesale. Residence at 332 St. Peter street. February 8th, 1876, he mar- ried Miss Maggie Bowlin, of St. Paul, who has borne him three children.

A. R. McGill, a native of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, was born in 1840. After receiving a common school education he left the home of his youth in 1858 to earn his own livelihood. In 1870 he became a resident of St. Paul. Enlisted as private in Company D, Ninth Minnesota in- fantry, but was discharged on account of sickness after one year's service. He was married iu 1864. He holds the office of state commissioner of in- surance. Residence at 247 Wabasha street.

James P. McGoldrick, of the firm of Church- ill and McGoldrick, was born in Dubuque, Iowa,

December 17th, 1859. Here he lived until 1866, then he came to Stillwater, Minnesota, remaining until the spring of 1880. Locating in St. Paul, he was book-keeper for Eugene Smith and com- pany until November, then became a member of the firm of Churchill and McGoldrick, lumber and wood dealers.

William L. McGrath, merchant tailor, is a na- tive of Ireland. He came to America in 1861, and served his term as a tailor in the house of Samuel Matson, Philadelphia, remaining until 1863, then went to New York and worked at his trade until 1868. Came to St. Paul and spent a year as cutter for G. G. Griswold, and in 1869 began business for himself at 105 East Third street. Beginning with a very small capital he was quite successful, and in 1873 his business re- quired the assistance of thirty men. Two years later he became somewhat involved; notwith- standing the reverses he, in 1876, again began with renewed vigor, and has since carried on a very successful business.

J. F. McGuire is a native of New York, born in 1858. He was educated in his native state ; after leaving school followed teaching some three years. To make use of his own phrase he " took the western fever, and on St. Patrick's day in the morning," in 1880, arrived in St. Paul. With very limited means he first engaged in canvassing for books, then tried farming, but soon returned to the city. He finally established himself in the grocery trade, associated with Mr. Marzolf, under the firm name of Marzolf and McGuire.

Charles McIlrath. The name of McIlrath spelled a dozen different ways in the eight hun- dred years, is of Norman origin, the ancestors following the fortunes of William the conquerer in the eleventh century. At that time the name was spelled Le Ruath, and sometimes Le Roth. A few of the conquerer's barons went north into Scotland among whom was Robert De Bruys, grandfather of the famous Robert Bruce. For services rendered by Sir Hugh MacLerath, Bruce granted him and his family some lands in Ayre- shire. On those lands many members of the family remained till persecution drove out the Covenanters. Many of them sealed their devotion to their religious belief with their blood. By the time of the Bruce period in Scottish history, the family had assumed the prefix of Mac, meaning

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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

in Celt, son of. Thus we have Mac Le Rath as the oldest form in which the name is found in Scotland, where the present bearers of the name spelled it McIlwraith. When driven out of Ayre- shire, Scotland, by persecution, the progenitor of the branch of the family which we are now trac- ing settling in the county of Antrim, Ireland, a member of it coming to this country about 1742, and settling near Morristown, New Jersey. From this man sprang a large number, at least of the Mc Ilraths and Mc Elraths in the United States, including our subject. Charles Mc Ilrath once auditor of the state of Minnesota for twelve con- secutive years, is a Buckeye by birth, and was born in Euclid (now Collamar) Cuyahoga county on the 11th of March, 1829, where his father Michael S. Mc Ilrath settled about 1817. The latter was in early life a farmer, and later a mer- chant. The mother of Charles was Sophia Wat- kins, she dying when he was only four years old. His father is still living in his seventy-third year. Young McIlrath farmed some in boy-hood, fin- ished his education at the Shaw academy, Colla- mar, (now East Cleveland) clerked in his father's store at Euclid till of age, became a conductor on the Delaware division of the New York and Erie railroad; continued in that business from 1851, to the spring of 1855, when he came to Minnesota. In August of that year, located at Brownsville, Houston county, where the United States land office then was, and became a real estate dealer and exchange broker. In the spring of the next year followed the land office to Chat- field, Fillmore county, and was engaged in the same business there about three years, having, meanwhile a similar office at Faribault. In May, 1857, he changed his residence to Faribault; in the winter of 1858 '59, changed it to St. Peter, Nicollet county, continuing the same business, there, and withdrawing from Chatfield and Fari- bault. In the autumn of 1860, Mr. McIlrath was elected auditor of the state, and by repeated re- election held the office from January, 1861, to January, 1873. When he assumed its duties, treasury warrants were selling at thirty per cent. discount; he soon brought them up to par; and when he left the office there was a balance in the treasury, and the finances of the state were ill good working condition. No man who ever held that office in Minnesota did a better work for the

state. During the first five years that Mr. Mc- Ilrath was auditor, he was also comptroller of currency under the banking laws of the state, and during the last eight years of his auditor- ship, he was commissioner of the state land office. Under his administration the school fund and state university and agricultural college funds were founded, and the educational work of the state received a grand impetus. In the autumn of 1872, just before leaving the auditor's office, Mr. McIlrath was appointed by the United States circuit court of the district of Minnesota, receiver for the Southern Minnesota railroad, holding that position about four years. In the autumn of 1877, he engaged in business as a grain and commis- sion merchant in company with Luman A. Gil- bert, the firm being MeIlrath and Gilbert, now one of the leading houses of the kind in St. Paul. In politics Mr. MeIlrath was originally an aboli- tionist, and became successively a liberty man, a free soiler and a republican. ITe has always held his politics with the utmost sincerity and sacredness, and not from selfishness. Whatever position of honor and trust he has held, came unsolicited, and he has discharged his duties with the strictest regard for the public weal. Mr. Mc- Ilrath was made a mason at Port Jervis, New York about 1853, a chapter mason at Bingham- ton, same state in the winter of 1854-'55, and was master of the lodge at Chatfield in 1856. His marriage is dated September 23d, 1866, his wife being Lucretia Spalding, a daughter of Judge R. P. Spalding, of Cleveland, Ohio. She is a member of Christ Episcopal church, and quite active in religious and charitable works.

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