John De Laittre (March 5, 1832 – September 19, 1912) was a businessman and the 10th mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Early life

De Laittre was born in 1832 to Charles De Laittre and Rosalie Levalle Desisles. As a child he helped with work on the family farm and attended local schools. After turning 18, he worked for several years on fishing boats operating in the

Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is the hi ...

and

Straits of Belle Isle The Strait of Belle Isle (; french: Détroit de Belle Isle ) is a waterway in eastern Canada that separates the Labrador Peninsula from the island of Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Location The strait is the northern o ...

. In 1852, he decided to move to California, arriving in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

later that year and making his way to Murphys, California to prospect for gold with an old friend. While the two were unsuccessful in mining for gold, De Laittre became involved in a profitable mill which supplied lumber to the area's miners and also invested in other local businesses. In May 1860, he returned home to visit his mother who was in poor health. After her death in October 1860, he returned to California after a brief stop in Conway, New Hampshire to deliver some letters on behalf of friends. While visiting there he became engaged to Clara Eastman and promised he would settle his affairs in California and return within 6 months. Soon after he returned to California the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

began, delaying his return until after the war had ended. The two were married in July 1865 at the William K. Eastman House and, after briefly visiting Boston and New York, the two decided to set out for

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

to connect with Clara's brother who had moved there previously.

Minneapolis

After arriving in Minneapolis, De Laittre became involved in the milling industry (with his now brother-in-law William Wallace Eastman) and became a partner in the

North Star Woolen Mill The North Star Woolen Mill, now the North Star Lofts, is a building in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The building, located in the St. Anthony Falls Historic District, was originally a textile mill for the North Star Woolen Compa ...

. He later formed several companies in the lumber industry. In 1877 he ran for mayor of Minneapolis as a Republican, defeating incumbent

A. A. Ames Albert Alonzo "Doc" Ames (January 18, 1842 – November 16, 1911) was an American physician and politician who held four non-consecutive terms as mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota. His fourth term was marked by multiple prosecutions for political ...

. While he was pushed to run for a second term, De Laittre declined as his business interests had suffered from his inattention while he was in office. De Laittre was later named State Prison Inspector from 1879 to 1887. He was involved with the development and construction of Minneapolis City Hall and the Minnesota State Capitol buildings. He also remained part of the local business world, working with the Nicollet National Bank and the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank. De Laittre died in 1912. He is buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Electoral history

*Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1877 **John De Laittre 3,576 **

2,932

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Laittre, John 1832 births 1912 deaths Mayors of Minneapolis People from Ellsworth, Maine Businesspeople from Minnesota Burials at Lakewood Cemetery 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople Minnesota Republicans