"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



In the memorial annals of Watonwan county and of the second Minnesota Congressional district no name occupies a higher position than that of the late Gov. Winfield Scott Hammond, of St. James, who died while occupying the high position of chief executive of the great state of Minnesota, December 30, 1915. Though not a native of Minnesota, Governor Hammond had spent all the active years of his vigorous manhood in this state, having come here immediately after his graduation from one of the leading colleges of the East, and as educator, lawyer, statesman and, finally, as head of the state government, did well his part in the development of the great Northwest. For years a representative in Congress from the second Minnesota district, his services in behalf of the best interests of this section of the state were of incalculable value to the whole commonwealth, while his active and intimate participation for many years in the general social and cultural life of his home county was productive of results that will have a lasting bearing for good throughout this entire region.

Winfield Scott Hammond was a native of Massachusetts, of Revolutionary ancestry, born in Southborough, Worcester county, that state, November 17, 1863, son and only child of John W. and Ellen (Handing) Hammond died when her only son, the future governor, was but a child, academic training, was proprietor of a jute mill at that place, his home for more than fifty years, or until his death on January 14, 1906. Mrs. Ellen Hammond died when her only son, the future governor, was but a child and the father married Josephine Hastings, to which union two children were born, Milton H., who has been a resident of St. James since 1906, following the death of his father, and who for some years has occupied the responsible position of cashier of the Security State Bank of that place, and Alice W., who married Charles H. Sturtevant and now lives at Detroit, Michigan, Upon completing the course in the high school of his native town in June, 1880, Winfield S. Hammond entered Dartmouth College and was graduated from that excellent old institution in June, 1884. In that same year he came to Minnesota, having been called to serve as principal of the high school at Mankato. His service in that connection attracted the attention of the school authorities of Madelia and the next year he was engaged as superintendent of the Madelia public schools, a position which he held for five years and during which time he did much toward improving the school system there, contributing very largely to the work of elevating the standards of education hereabout. In the meantime Mr. Hammond had been devoting his leisure to the study of law and in 1891 was admitted to the bar. In that same year he entered into a partnership with D. C. Hopkins for the practice of law and was thus engaged, with offices at Madelia, for four years, at the end of which time, in 1895, actuated by business reasons, he moved his office to St. James, the county seat, where he ever after made his residence.

In 1892 Mr. Hammond was the nominee of the Democrats of the second Minnesota Congressional district for a seat in the House of Representatives, but failed of election, this district having been carried by the Republicans in that year. In 1895, the year in which he moved to St. James, he was elected county attorney and was re-elected in 1896. In 1900 he was again elected to that office and was retained incumbent in the same to the end of 1904.

It was in 1898 that Governor Hammond's service in the administration of State affairs began. In that year he was appointed by Governor Lind a member of the board of directors for the state normal schools of Minnesota, in which capacity he rendered such admirable service that he was reappointed by Governor Van Sant and thus served as a normal-school director for eight years. Even after leaving the school room as a superintendent of schools, Mr. Hammond ever retained his interest in educational work and for years was a valued member of the school board at St. James. In 1906 he was again nominated by the Democrats of this district for Congress and in the ensuing election was elected by a good majority. His admirable service in the House of Representatives recommended him so strongly to the people of this district that he was re-elected in 1908, 1910 and 1912, declining to make a further race in order to become a candidate for governor in 1914. He was elected and was inaugurated in the following January. In the winter of that year, 1915, Governor Hammond was enjoying a tour in the South. At Clinton, Louisiana, he was stricken with apoplexy and died, December 30, 1915, in the very prime of his vigorous manhood and at the very height of his useful public career. The loss of this good man fell with particular severity upon his friends at his home in St. James and his memory long will be cherished throughout this section of the state. Governor Hammond never married. He took a deep interest in the social side of things and for years was one of the managers of the Minnesota Society of the Sons of the Revolution, to the promotion of the growth of which society in this state he contributed largely of his time and his energies.



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