ANDREW RYAN MCGILL Tenth Governor of the State of Minnesota, was born in Saegerstown, Pennsylvania, February 19, 1840, and died in St. Paul, October 31, 1905. He was Insurance Commissioner of the State from 1873 to 1887, and a state senator from 1899 to 1905. He was governor of Minnesota from January 5, 1887, to January 9, 1889. ANDREW RYAN MCGILL TENTH GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA January 5, 1887, to January 9, 1889 W ITHIN one week of each other, two unique personalities departed to the impenetrable beyond,— Governors Andrew McGill and Horace Austin. They were the Damon and Pythias of our executives, the Gemini of the gubernatorial constellation. Their departure from this life, so nearly together, recalls the fact that Adams and Jefferson died upon the same day. All their lives they were the most intimate friends. Each had his rise and development in the same city of St. Peter, a city famous for its governors. It has already furnished the state four executives, Swift, Austin; McGill, and Johnson. If Virginia was the mother of presidents, surely St. Peter is the prolific mother of governors. But really there was something dramatic in the lives. of these two governors. Their unexpected departure to the "pale realms of shade," so nearly at the same time, recalls facts in their history, showing how they had traveled life's dusty paths together, in sympathy and cooperation. When Governor McGill was buried, Governor Austin was one of the honorary pall bearers, and was the very last person to remain at the grave, looking where lay his old-time friend; and on the same day only one week later, was himself consigned to mother earth. As they respected and honored each other, so the writer respects and honors both. Andrew Ryan McGill was born in Saegerstown, Crawford county, Pennsylvania, February 19, 1840. He was of Irish ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Patrick McGill, came from near Belfast, Ireland, to the United States in 1774, when twelve years of age. Both the grandfather and an older brother served in the army of the Revolution. After the war, the brothers settled in Pennsylvania in Northumberland county. But in a few years the entire family emigrated to the western part of the state, where Patrick McGill secured a large tract of land in what is now called Crawford county. This land became the "Old Homestead" of the McGill family, and here children and grandchildren were born. Charles Dillon McGill was the youngest son, and the father of Andrew, the future governor. The mother of Andrew was Angeline Martin. She came from Waterford, Pennsylvania. Her father's name was Armand Martin, and he had been a soldier in the war of 1812. Her grandfather, Charles Martin, of English birth, served in the Revolutionary War, and was honored after the struggle with an appointment by George Washington as a lieutenant in the Second United States Infantry. This position he resigned, and was appointed a major general in the state troops of Pennsylvania, a position of much importance at that time. Andrew McGill's mother appears to have been not only an exemplary woman, but a person of strong character and a thorough Christian, and withal a handsome woman. Her family were all Methodists, and she was a devout member of that church till her death. She inculcated lessons of duty and morality which bore their impress during life, though she died when Andrew was but eight years of age. Andrew was reared in what was known as the Venango Valley, a beautiful and picturesque region on the banks of French creek, a stream made historic because of its having formed part of the route taken by Washington in 1753, when acting as a messenger from Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia to the French commandant at Fort Le Boeuf. There were good schools in his native town, and he was a good scholar. At the early age of nineteen, in 1859, he assumed control of his own course in life and determined to strike out in the world for himself, notwithstanding inducements made to him by his father to remain at home on the farm. His first effort for himself was in teaching school not far from his home. Then, like Governor Swift, he turned his footsteps to the South, and going to Kentucky he also there engaged in teaching school, for which pursuit he was well qualified. He met with good success, but in a short period the Civil War occurred, and his pronounced |