THE WASHBURNS—A TRULY GREAT FAMILY IN AMERICAN HISTORY

The ten remarkable children of the Washburn family grew up poor on a simple farm in remote Livermore Maine. The brothers were Israel Jr., Sid, Elihu, Cadwallader, Charles, Sam, William, and sisters Martha, Mary and Caroline. Together they left a record of achievement that may never be equaled again by a single generation of any American family. Their record shows four were elected to the U.S. Congress and each from a different state. Two of these would be considered as Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates. They were either trusted allies or bitter enemies of eight U.S. Presidents. History also shows that they harnessed waterfalls, redirected rivers, cut down forests, built railroads, milled wheat, dug coal, and even led a religious movement. At one time the two largest flour mills carried their name. Both of these eventually together became the General Mills Company we know today. On a lesser note one became a ship’s captain, a prominent a banker, a lumberman, a newspaper editor and one even invented an early version of the typewriter.

The most notable of all was Cadwallader (1818—1882). He was an American businessman, politician, and soldier, noted for founding what would later become General Mills and working in government for Wisconsin  The Washburn family had always been strongly opposed to slavery. During the Civil War, Cadwallader Washburn served in the Union Army as commanding officer of the Second Regiment of the Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry. After the conclusion of the war Major General Washburn returned home where he was elected again for two terms in the House of Representatives. In 1871 he was urged to run for Governor of Wisconsin, won the election easily and was inaugurated governor of Wisconsin. He returned to Congress after that for two more terms from in 1867.

This remarkable family has been written about by Kerk Kelsey in his new book “Remarkable Americans—The Washburn Family” in an extraordinary way. The details are colorfully edited and the family, which led many Americans through one of the most difficult time in our history, is well detailed. History is more than just a number of dates and military references, as Kelsey proves, and we Americans are richer for this volume.