Frederick M. Currier was born December 30, 1852, in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were natives of Maine who settled in Boston after their marriage. He descended from early New England settlers, including Richard Currier, who settled in Salisbury, Massachusetts, in 1640, and John Bean, who settled in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1660. Members of his family had been prominent in the Revolutionary War.

Educated in the Boston public schools, Mr. Currier entered the wholesale dry goods business in his native city at the age of eighteen. In the spring of 1876, he came west to Blue Earth County, arriving in Mankato on March 5. He first settled on a farm in Decoria Township, where he lived until 1893, when he moved permanently to Mankato.

After a brief involvement in the grain and produce business, Mr. Currier formed a partnership with Ernest Rosenberger in October 1895 in the manufacture and wholesale distribution of confectionery. The enterprise expanded rapidly, eventually requiring the construction of a large factory in 1897. The partnership continued successfully for many years and became an important local industry.

Mr. Currier was deeply involved in public affairs. In 1890, he was elected to the Minnesota Legislature on the Republican ticket. In 1899, he was elected Mayor of Mankato and served a two-year term with distinction. During his administration, the city’s floating debt was reduced by $22,000. When he assumed office, the city treasury contained only $100; by the end of his term, it had grown to $18,000.

He also served as a director of the First National Bank and the Mankato Citizens Telephone Company and was an officer of the Central Minnesota Immigration Land Company. Active in civic life, he was a long-standing member of the First Presbyterian Church, holding various offices, and served as president of the Social Science Club. He was also a member of the Mankato Elks Lodge.

Mr. Currier passed away at the age of eighty-two at St. Joseph’s Hospital in December 1934. Funeral services were held privately, with burial at Glenwood Cemetery. Members of the Mankato Elks Lodge provided an honorary escort.

On January 6, 1878, he married Ellen L. Todd of Decoria Township. She preceded him in death. Surviving him were two children: Dr. Guy R. Currier of Kensington, Kansas, and Mrs. Ethlyn Currier Flemming of Minneapolis; a sister and brother in Boston; and nine grandchildren.

Frederick M. Currier’s life reflected both enterprise and public service. As a businessman, legislator, mayor, and civic leader, he played a significant role in shaping the financial stability and institutional growth of Mankato during a formative period in its history.