President Harrison called Mr. Windom into his cabinet as secretary of the treasury, for whose duties his industry, his large training in public affairs and matured judgment fitted him. His life was suddenly ended on January 29, 1890, by a paralytic stroke coming at the close of a speech at a banquet in New York city.
On the evening of November 7, 1884, citizens of St. Paul gave a banquet in honor of General Henry Hastings Sibley, first state governor, celebrating his arrival at Mendota fifty years before. For the long series of honors and compliments bestowed on this first citizen of Minnesota the reader must resort to his biographer. In 1888 the trustees of Princeton College conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, in consideration of “high personal character, scholarly attainments, and eminent public service, civil, military, and educational.” General Sibley’s death did not occur until February 18, 1891.
With the close of Governor Hubbard’s administration, now twenty-one years ago, the connected story of Minnesota may properly end. Only after some lapse of years may the historian presume to view affairs with discrimination, selecting those of permanent significance from the trifling and transitory. He may, however, as a mere annalist, record such facts and events as seem to have more than momentary importance.
--------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------- NAME. | PARTY. | DATES. --------------------+-------------+-------------------------------------- Andrew R. McGill | Republican. | January 5, 1887, to January 9, 1889. William R. Merriam | Republican. | January 9, 1889, to January 4, 1893. Knute Nelson | Republican. | January 4, 1893, to January 31, 1895. David M. Clough | Republican. | January 31, 1895, to January 2, 1899. John Lind | Democrat. | January 2, 1899, to January 7, 1901. Samuel R. Van Sant | Republican. | January 7, 1901, to January 4, 1905. John A. Johnson | Democrat. | January 4, 1905, to --------------------+-------------+--------------------------------------
Mr. Nelson was elected to the United States Senate in the first month of his second term as governor. Mr. Clough, lieutenant-governor, succeeded him, and was elected governor for a second term. Mr. Lind was the first Democratic governor after Governor Sibley, the first state executive. Both he and Mr. Johnson were elected in spite of the fact that Minnesota was and is overwhelmingly Republican.