George William Maxfield
BIRTH: 10 Oct 1810 in Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA
DEATH: 24 Dec 1893 (aged 83) in Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA
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George Maxfield, Sr., was born in Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia), on October 10, 1810. He was raised on a farm and remained there until 1829, when he removed to Norwich, Ohio, where he learned the wagon-making trade. He followed that occupation for many years, primarily in the village of Etna, Ohio.
In November 1831, he married Miss Sarah Boden, born July 5, 1811, in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. Together they built their family before ultimately joining the westward movement.
On May 16, 1853, Mr. Maxfield came to Mankato, Minnesota, as one of its pioneer settlers. He acquired a claim at the north end of the city, upon which was located one of the most accessible stone quarries and lime kilns in the region. After a brief period engaged in mercantile pursuits, he devoted himself to developing these natural resources. The early establishment and growth of Mankato’s stone and lime industries were due in large measure to his enterprise and perseverance.
He was long engaged in the stone quarry business and was among the first to utilize the wealth underlying the soil in and about Mankato. His work laid important foundations for the city’s industrial development.
Mr. Maxfield held many positions of trust and responsibility. He served as township supervisor, was a member of the first Board of Aldermen and remained on that board for many years until retiring at his own request. He also served two terms as Mayor of Mankato and for many years as City Treasurer. In every office he discharged his duties faithfully and retained the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens.
He was also active in fraternal and religious life. A prominent Mason, he served in 1856 as Senior Warden of the Mankato Lodge while it operated under dispensation, and upon its formal chartering the following year became its first Master, serving two terms. He was a charter member of the Blue Earth Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, organized in 1863. He was likewise a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Maxfield was regarded as one of the sturdy and public-spirited pioneers of the West — a hardworking man who took an intelligent interest in public welfare. He was generous, just, and steadfast in character, a devoted husband and father, and a loyal friend. His fellow citizens repeatedly showed their respect and confidence by entrusting him with public office.
After an illness extending about a year and marked by a gradual decline rather than any specific disease, George Maxfield, Sr., passed away shortly after three o’clock in the afternoon on December 24, 1893, a little past his eighty-third year. His wife had preceded him in death by approximately six months, having died June 13, 1893.
Eight children survived them: Laura E., wife of John R. Beatty; Emily J., widow of Andrew Hanna; Nettie M., widow of B. F. Shafer; Anna M., wife of Henry W. Robinson of Roswell, Idaho; George; Kinsey; and Charles F. Maxfield, the latter two residing in Minneapolis. Their son Wesley was deceased.
His death was widely mourned in Mankato, where he had been identified with the city’s earliest growth and public life for more than forty years.
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