Lind, John, 1854-1930

John Lind was born in 1854 in Sweden and emigrated to Minnesota in 1868. From a career as a lawyer he went on to become the first Swedish-born American elected to the United States House of Representatives. In 1898 he was elected governor of Minnesota on the Democratic-Populist ticket. In 1913 he was appointed as Woodrow Wilson's personal representative to Mexico, where he served until 1914. Following his return he resumed his law practice and was a supporter of Wilson's foreign policy and later of Progressive and Farmer-Labor party candidates. He died in Minneapolis in 1930.

From the description of Mexican mission papers of John Lind, 1913-1931 (inclusive), [microform]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122549782

• 1854: March 25. Born in Kånna parish, Småland province, Sweden, eldest of five children born to Peter Gustaf Jonasson and Katrina Jonasdatter.
• 1868: Emigrated with family to United States; settled on a farm near Cannon Falls, Goodhue County, Minnesota. Father adopted name of Lind from name of family farm in Sweden, "Lindbacken." Left hand amputated as a result of a hunting accident.
• 1869 - 1870 : Attended public school in Red Wing. Certified to teach 3rd grade.
• 1871: Taught school in Goodhue County.
• 1872: Moved with family to farm near Winthrop, Sibley County, Minnesota.
• 1873: Taught school in Sibley County.
• 1874 - 1875 : Employed in law office of Jonas Newhart in New Ulm, Brown County, Minnesota. Studied law and taught school.
• 1875 - 1876 : Attended University of Minnesota. Taught night school.
• 1876: Returned to New Ulm to assist Newhart in law practice.
• 1877: Admitted to Minnesota bar. Opened own law office in New Ulm. Married Alice A. Shepard, daughter of Richard and Rowena Charity Stratton Shepard.
• 1880: First son, Norman, born.
• 1881: Appointed receiver of United States land office at Tracy, Lyon County, Minnesota, by President James A. Garfield; served until 1885.
• 1884: Legal firm of Lind and Randall dissolved; succeeded by firm of Lind and Carl A. Hagberg. First daughter, Jenny, born.
• 1886: First Swedish-born American to be elected to United States House of Representatives, from 2nd congressional district, Republican ticket, served 1887-1893 in 50th, 51st, and 52nd Congresses. During third term formed lasting friendship with Bryan, then representative from Nebraska. Primarily interested in the tariff, public lands, enforcement of Interstate Commerce Act, Indian affairs, bimetallism, railroads, shipping, postal telegraph, organized labor, and immigration restriction.
• 1890: Second daughter, Winifred, born.
• 1892: Declined to seek re-election to House of Representatives, in part because he did not feel in "full accord" with Republican party on such "vital questions" as free coinage of silver.
• 1893: Resumed law practice in New Ulm. Appointed a regent of University of Minnesota by Governor Knute Nelson; resigned in 1894.
• 1896: Left Republican party over Free Silver issue. Supported candidacy of Bryan, Democratic-People's ticket. Defeated in bid for governorship of Minnesota, Democratic-People's ticket, Free Silver platform.
• 1898: Enlisted for service in Spanish-American War; served with rank of lieutenant as regimental quartermaster of the 12th Minnesota Volunteers in Cuba; however, opposed United States policy of imperialism and retention of Philippine Islands. Elected 14th governor of Minnesota, Democratic-Populist ticket; served 1899-1901. Primarily concerned with trust and railroad regulation, taxation, legal reform, public education, treatment of the insane, and organized labor.
• 1900: Defeated for re-election as governor of Minnesota, Democratic-People's ticket. Campaign stressed trust regulation, imperialism, and militarism as primary national issues and taxation as paramount state issue. Second son, John Shepard, born.
• 1901: Transferred residence from New Ulm to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Formed law partnership with Andreas Ueland that was maintained until 1914.
• 1902: Elected to United States House of Representatives from 5th congressional district, Democratic ticket; served 1903-1905 in 58th Congress. Interested in interstate commerce, public lands, Indian affairs, and the tariff.
• 1904: Declined to seek re-election to House.
• 1908: Campaigned for presidential candidate Bryan, Democratic ticket. Appointed to board of regents of University of Minnesota by Governor John A. Johnson; served as president until 1914. Made Waldron M. Jerome a partner in law firm.
• 1910: Declined Minnesota gubernatorial nomination, Democratic ticket.
• 1912: Worked for nomination of Wilson as Democratic candidate for president. Traveled with family to Europe.
• 1913: Declined to serve as assistant secretary of the interior and as United States minister to Sweden. Appointed by Wilson as his personal representative to Mexico; served until 1914. Supported Wilson's policy of neutrality with respect to World War I.
• 1915: Appointed chairman of Minnesota chapter of League to Enforce Peace by its president, former President William Howard Taft. Accepted invitation to Mexico to meet President Venustiano Carranza.
• 1916: Campaigned for re-election of Wilson.
• 1917: Supported United States entry into World War I. Appointed to Minnesota Commission of Public Safety by Governor Joseph A. A. Burnquist; resigned in 1918.
• 1918: Appointed chairman of Advisory Council to the Secretary of Labor and an umpire on National War Labor Board by Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson. Supported National Nonpartisan League's candidate for governor of Minnesota, Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr., in Republican primary election.
• 1919: Supported Wilson's campaign for United States' entry into League of Nations.
• 1922: Daughter Jenny died.
• 1923: Established Lind Fund for the Aid of Deserving Crippled Children at University of Minnesota. Supported Farmer-Labor party's candidates for Minnesota state and national offices. Also supported them in 1926 and 1928.
• 1928: Opposed presidential candidacy of Alfred E. Smith, Democratic ticket. Supported Republican party's candidate, Herbert C. Hoover. Appointed member of board of trustees of American Institute of Swedish Art, Literature, and Science.
• 1930: September 18. Died in Minneapolis.

Chronology was taken from Deborah K. Neubeck's Guide to a Microfilm Edition of the Mexican Mission Papers of John Lind, St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1971.

• 1882: August 14. Born in New Ulm, Minnesota.
• 1902: Graduated from University of Minnesota.
• 1904: Proprietor in partnership with his father of Norman Lind & Co., brokers and wholesalers of Washington fir, spruce, and red cedar lumber and shingles, Everett, Washington.
• 1905: Secretary-Treasurer, Pacific Timber Company, Everett, Washington.
• 1913: Secretary-Treasurer, Nelson-Neal Lumber Company, Montborne, Washington.
• 1914: January-April. In Veracruz, Mexico with father.
• 1915: Representative for C. A. Smith Lumber Company, Oakland, California.
• 1917: Lumber agent for shipper R. Lawrence Smith, New York. Formation of Lind Navigation Corporation with investments by Norman Lind, R. Lawrence Smith, Joseph Fyfe, E. A. Nelson, John Lind, and John Uno Sebenius.
• 1926: Vice President, Ocean Transport Company, New York and San Francisco.
• 1929: General Manager, Tacoma Oriental Steamship Company, Tacoma, Washington.
• 1932: May 18. Died in Denver, Colorado.

Information taken from the collection.

From the guide to the John and Norman Lind papers., 1870-1933., (Minnesota Historical Society)