John Martin (businessman)
Encyclopedia
John Martin of Peacham, Vermont
was an American
steamboat
captain and businessman
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
involved in lumber
and flour milling
. In 1891, Martin led a merger of six mills to create Northwestern Consolidated Milling Company
, at the time the world's second largest flour
milling company after Pillsbury-Washburn. Later in life he provided primary funding and major impetus(along with his daughter Jean) for the founding of the Children's Home Society of Minnesota.
Martin was married to Miss Jane B. Gilfillan, sister of Representative John Bachop Gilfillan of Minnesota.
They had one child, Jean (Martin) Brown. Jean Martin's son (John Martin's grandson) was Earle Brown, noted Hennepin County Sheriff (1920), founder of the Minnesota State Highway Patrol (1929), and Republican gubernatorial candidate for Minnesota (1932).
John Martin is buried in the Martin-Gilfillan family plot with his wife Jane, daughter Jean, and grandson Earle at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Peacham, Vermont
Peacham is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 665 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 47.7 square miles , of which 46.7 square miles is land and 0.9 square mile is...
was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
captain and businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
involved in lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and flour milling
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
. In 1891, Martin led a merger of six mills to create Northwestern Consolidated Milling Company
Northwestern Consolidated Milling Company
Northwestern Consolidated Milling Company was an American flour milling company that operated about one quarter of the mills in Minneapolis, Minnesota when the city was the flour milling capital of the world. Formed as a business entity, Northwestern produced flour for the half century between 1891...
, at the time the world's second largest flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
milling company after Pillsbury-Washburn. Later in life he provided primary funding and major impetus(along with his daughter Jean) for the founding of the Children's Home Society of Minnesota.
Martin was married to Miss Jane B. Gilfillan, sister of Representative John Bachop Gilfillan of Minnesota.
They had one child, Jean (Martin) Brown. Jean Martin's son (John Martin's grandson) was Earle Brown, noted Hennepin County Sheriff (1920), founder of the Minnesota State Highway Patrol (1929), and Republican gubernatorial candidate for Minnesota (1932).
John Martin is buried in the Martin-Gilfillan family plot with his wife Jane, daughter Jean, and grandson Earle at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.