McGill, A. R. (Andrew Ryan), 1840-1905

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Andrew Ryan McGill, the son of Angeline (née Martin) and Charles McGill, was born in Saegertown, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 1840. Andrew's father, Charles Dillon McGill (1802-1875) was the youngest son of Patrick (1762-1832) and Anna (née Baird) McGill. Patrick had emigrated from County Antrim, Ireland, about 1774, settling in Northumberland, Pennsylvania. In 1795 Patrick and Anna moved their family to the western part of Pennsylvania, homesteading several hundered acres in Crawford County. Andrew's mother, Angeline Martin (1811-1849), was the eldest of Armand (1785-1861) and Mary (née Ryan) (1789-1866) Martin's nine children. The Martin family also owned land in western Pennsylvania. Armand's brother, Lieutenant General Charles Martin, who commanded troops stationed at Fort le Boeuf (Watertown, Pennsylvania) in the late 1790s, settled in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

In 1859, at the age of nineteen, Andrew Ryan McGill moved from Pennsylvania to Kentucky to become a school teacher. When the Civil War began and teaching work was no longer feasible in Kentucky, McGill left for Minnesota, arriving June 10, 1861. He became principal of St. Peter's public school in August 1862. That same year McGill enlisted in Company D, 9th Regiment, Minnesota Volunteers. In 1863 he was discharged for disability. Soon after his discharge he was elected county superintendent of public schools (Nicollet County, Minnesota), a position he filled for two terms. From 1865 through 1866 McGill was editor and proprietor of the St. Peter Tribune . In 1865 he was also elected clerk of the district court of Nicollet County for a term of four years. McGill took the opportunity to study law under Judge Horace Austin and was admitted to the bar in 1869.

In 1870 Austin was elected Governor of Minnesota and McGill was selected as his private secretary. In 1873 McGill was appointed Minnesota's insurance commissioner, a position he held for thirteen years. In 1886 the Minnesota Republican state convention nominated McGill as their candidate for governor. He won the nomination and the election, serving a single, two-year term as governor (1887-1889). During his term he recommended a revision of the railroad laws pertaining to transportation, storage, and grading of wheat; the watering of railroad stocks; a simplification of the tax laws; regulation of liquor; abolition of contract prison labor; establishment of a soldiers' home; and creation of a Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even though he was not re-elected, McGill remained active in political circles, supporting the presidential candidacy of Cushman K. Davis (1896) and serving as state senator from the 37th District, St. Paul (1899-1905). McGill was appointed St. Paul's postmaster (1900) while concurrently serving as senator.

McGill married Eliza E. Bryant (~1846-1877), daughter of Charles S. Bryant, a lawyer and author from St. Peter, Minnesota. Together they had three children: Charles Herbert (1866-), Robert C. (1869-), and Lida B. (1874-). In 1879, two years after Eliza's death, Andrew married Mary E. Wilson, daughter of Margaret Maleena (née Stone) and Joseph Carlton Wilson, a prominent physician of Edinboro, Pennsylvania. Mary and Andrew had two children: Wilson (1884-) and Thomas (1889-).

From the guide to the A. R. McGill and family papers., 1794-1931 (bulk 1870-1900)., (Minnesota Historical Society)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Austin, Horace, 1831-1905. Horace Austin and family papers, 1857-1953. Minnesota Historical Society Library
creatorOf Jackson, James F. (James Frederick), 1861-1927. James F. Jackson papers, 1892-1924. Minnesota Historical Society Library
creatorOf A. R. McGill and family papers., 1794-1931 (bulk 1870-1900). Minnesota Historical Society
creatorOf Larson, Louis E. Louis E. Larson and family papers, 1857-1916. Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts
referencedIn Records of Governor Lucius F. Hubbard, 1882-1891 (bulk 1882-1887). Minnesota Historical Society
referencedIn Stephen R. Riggs and family papers., 1837-1988 (bulk 1837-1869). Minnesota Historical Society
referencedIn Records of Governor John S. Pillsbury, 1875-1891 (bulk 1876-1882). Minnesota Historical Society
referencedIn Records of Governor Andrew R. McGill, 1887-1889. Minnesota Historical Society
referencedIn Papers relating to Carl Gutherz assembled by Joseph S. Czestochowski Archives of American Art
creatorOf Pope, William Cox, 1841-1917. William Cox Pope and family papers, 1858-1976. Minnesota Historical Society Library
creatorOf McGill, A. R. (Andrew Ryan), 1840-1905. A.R. McGill and family papers, 1794-1931 (bulk 1870-1900). Minnesota Historical Society Library
creatorOf Pusey, Pennock, 1825-1903. Pennock Pusey papers, 1856-1883. Minnesota Historical Society Library
creatorOf Riggs, Stephen Return, 1812-1883. Stephen R. Riggs and family papers, 1837-1988 (bulk 1837-1869). Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adams, Elmer E. (Elmer Ellsworth), 1861-1950. person
associatedWith Austin, Horace, 1831-1905. person
associatedWith Castle, Henry A. (Henry Anson), 1841-1916. person
associatedWith Collins, Loren Warren, 1838-1912. person
associatedWith Davis, Cushman Kellogg, 1838-1900. person
associatedWith Donnelly, Ignatius, 1831-1901. person
associatedWith Douglas, John. person
associatedWith Douglas, John. person
associatedWith Fairbanks, Charles W. (Charles Warren), 1852-1918. person
associatedWith Flower, M. D. (Mark Deloss), 1842-1907. person
associatedWith Furness, William Eliot, 1839-1913. person
associatedWith Gutherz, Carl, 1844-1907. person
associatedWith Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901. person
associatedWith Hays, W. M. (Willet Martin), 1859-1916. person
associatedWith Hubbard, Lucius F. (Lucius Frederick), 1836-1913. person
associatedWith Ireland, John, 1838-1918. person
associatedWith Jackson, James F. (James Frederick), 1861-1927. person
associatedWith Johnson, John Albert, 1861-1909. person
associatedWith Larson, Louis E. person
associatedWith Loeb, William, 1866-1937. person
associatedWith Loring, Charles M. (Charles Morgridge), 1832-1922. person
associatedWith Marshall, William Rainey, 1825-1896. person
associatedWith Martin, Armand, 1785-1861. person
associatedWith Martin, Charles, 1753-1818. person
associatedWith Martin, Charles, 1786-1854. person
associatedWith Martin family. family
associatedWith Martin family. family
associatedWith Martin, Mary Ryan, 1789-1866. person
associatedWith McGill, Angeline Martin, 1811-1849. person
associatedWith McGill, Anna Baird. person
associatedWith McGill, Anna Baird. person
associatedWith McGill, Charles Dillon, 1802-1875. person
associatedWith McGill, Eliza E., d. 1877. person
associatedWith McGill family. family
associatedWith McGill family. family
associatedWith McGill, Mary E. person
associatedWith McGill, Mary E. person
associatedWith McGill, Patrick, 1762-1832. person
associatedWith McKinely, William, 1843-1901 person
associatedWith McKinley, William, 1843-1901. person
associatedWith Merriam, William Rush, 1849-1931. person
associatedWith Miller, Stephen, 1816-1881. person
associatedWith Minnesota and Pacific Railroad Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Minnesota. Governor (1876-1882 : Pillsbury). corporateBody
associatedWith Minnesota. Governor (1882-1887 : Hubbard). corporateBody
associatedWith Minnesota. Governor (1887-1889 : McGill). corporateBody
associatedWith Pattee, William Sullivan, 1846-1911. person
associatedWith Phillips, James M. person
associatedWith Phillips, James M. person
associatedWith Polk, Sarah Childress, 1803-1891. person
associatedWith Pope, William Cox, 1841-1917. person
associatedWith Pusey, Pennock, 1825-1903. person
associatedWith Ramsey, Alexander, 1815-1903. person
associatedWith Republican Party (Minn.). corporateBody
associatedWith Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ). corporateBody
associatedWith Riggs, Stephen Return, 1812-1883. person
associatedWith Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. person
associatedWith Scheffer, Albert, 1844-1905. person
associatedWith Shandrew, Charles. person
associatedWith Shandrew, Charles. person
associatedWith Sibley, Henry Hastings, 1811-1891. person
associatedWith Smith, Samuel George, 1852-1915. person
associatedWith St. Paul and Minneapolis Mortgage Loan and Trust Company. corporateBody
associatedWith St. Peter Tribune. corporateBody
associatedWith Swift, Henry A., 1823-1869. person
associatedWith United States Naval Academy. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Minnesota. corporateBody
associatedWith Van Sant, Samuel Rinnah, 1844-1936. person
associatedWith Von Rosenlind, Eric. person
associatedWith Von Rosenlind, Eric. person
associatedWith Wilson, James C., 1827-1905 person
associatedWith Wilson, James C., 1827-1905. person
associatedWith Windom, Ellen Towne Hatch, 1831-1914. person
associatedWith Windom, William, 1827-1891. person
associatedWith World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition (1884-1885 : New Orleans, La.). corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Minnesota--Saint Paul
Minnesota
Saint Peter (Minn.).
Pennsylvania
Nicollet County (Minn.).
Saint Paul (Minn.).
Nicollet County (Minn.)
Saint Peter (Minn.)
Pennsylvania
Fort le Bouef (Pa.)
United States
Saint Paul (Minn.)
Minnesota
Fort le Bouef (Pa.).
Subject
Art, Modern
Art, Modern
Education
Education
African Americans
Insurance
Insurance
Insurance law
Insurance law
Postal service
Postal service
Real property
Real property
Real property
Spanish
World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition (1884-1885 : New Orleans, La.)
Occupation
Governors
Postmasters
Postmasters
Activity

Person

Birth 1840-02-19

Death 1905-10-31

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Ark ID: w61c2pm1

SNAC ID: 19333248