William Edgar Culkin (October 15, 1860 – June 25, 1949) was an American newspaper editor, historian, and educator. He was raised in New York, and later moved to Minnesota, where he served on the Minnesota Senate between 1895 and 1898 as a Republican.

Early life

William Edgar Culkin was born in Oswego,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, in 1860,''Member Record: Culkin, William Edgar''
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library online; accessed October 2019 where his early schooling took place. He emigrated to Minnesota in 1880, and he taught there for two years while continuing his studies. Culkin

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

and was allowed to practice law from 1882, initially in Waverly, a town in Wright County. He was married in 1886 to Hannah Alice Young, and they soon settled in Buffalo, Minnesota.''The Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota''
1897; Minnesota Secretary of State; p. 608; accessed October 2019 He and his wife had a son and three daughters. One,

Margaret Culkin Banning Margaret Frances Culkin Banning (March 18, 1891 – January 4, 1982) was a best-selling American writer of thirty-six novels and an early advocate of women's rights. Early life Banning was born in Buffalo, Minnesota on March 18, 1891. She ...

, became a best selling author.

Career

Culkin was elected three times as county attorney of Wright County, beginning in 1886. He belonged to the Republican Party. Culkin was elected to

District 38 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

of the state senate representing Sherburne and Wright counties during the 29th and 30th State Legislative Sessions, which ran from January 1895 to January 1898. He defeated the Democratic and Populist party candidate, David Murdock. He served on several committees, and was

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

of the Geological and Natural History Survey committee. In late 1897, he became the Registrar of the United States Land Office, in Duluth.

Later life and death

Culkin was an associate editor of the ''Duluth Herald Newspaper'' early in the twentieth century.''Culkin, William E. (1860-1949) , Archives and Special Collections''
Kathryn A. Martin Library; University of Minnesota, Duluth; accessed October 2019 He became known as a local historian following his government career, and in 1922 was made the first president of the St. Louis County Historical Society. He died at Duluth in 1949 and is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Duluth, Minnesota.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Culkin, William 1860 births 1949 deaths American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers Minnesota lawyers County attorneys in Minnesota Republican Party Minnesota state senators People from Wright County, Minnesota Politicians from Oswego, New York Editors of Minnesota newspapers 20th-century American newspaper editors 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers Local historians Historians of Minnesota American male non-fiction writers Historians from New York (state)