Curtis H. Pettit

Curtis Hussey Pettit
Born	Template:Birth date Hanover/Hanoverton, Columbiana County, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 11, 1914(1914-05-11) (aged 80) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Banker, businessman, politician
Years active	1850s–early 1900s
Known for	Banking, real estate, lumber, hardware, milling industries; Minnesota state legislator

Curtis Hussey "C. H." Pettit (September 18, 1833 – May 11, 1914) was an influential banker and businessman in Minneapolis, whose ventures spanned banking, real estate, lumber, hardware, milling, and elevator industries.

Biography

Pettit was born in Hanover/Hanoverton, Columbiana County, Ohio, to parents Joseph Pettit and Hannah Grubb Hussey Pettit. His education included attendance at a Friends school in Sandy Springs, Ohio, public schools in Hanoverton, Ohio, and studies at Oberlin College. Early on, he gained experience as a bookkeeper at the Forest City Bank located in Cleveland, Ohio.

Career

Initially employed by C.G. Hussey & Company, an iron and steel enterprise based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pettit relocated to Minneapolis in 1855 following a prospecting trip to Galena, Illinois.

He established a banking and real estate business on Bridge Square and was instrumental in developing the communities of Glencoe, Hutchinson, and Watertown, Minnesota. In 1856, he joined forces with John G. Williams to co-own the Minneapolis Journal and was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 1859. By 1860, Pettit divested his interests in both the newspaper and banking sectors to found the Williams Hardware Company. He withdrew from this enterprise by 1866 to concentrate on flour milling activities.

By 1861, Pettit had become involved in lumber and milling through Ankeny, Robinson & Pettit, operating a sawmill at Saint Anthony Falls. Subsequently, he partnered with Robinson to form Pettit, Robinson & Company, managing the Pettit Flour Mill until it was destroyed during the Great Mill Explosion of 1878.

As a shareholder and treasurer of the Minneapolis Elevator Company, Pettit played a key role in constructing Elevator A. Alongside Jabez M. Robinson, he engaged in timberland development across St. Louis and Lake Counties in Minnesota.

His leadership extended to serving as a director of the Soo Railroad and as President of the Minneapolis Railway Terminal Company. Pettit's commitment to public service included over thirty years on the board of trustees for the Minnesota State Reform School/Minnesota State Training School for Boys and Girls.

Furthermore, he held positions on the board of directors for the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad, acted as trustee for Westminster Presbyterian Church, and was honored as a life member of the Minnesota Historical Society in 1907.

Politician

A member of the Republican Party, Pettit represented Hennepin County (District 5) in the Minnesota Senate from 1869 until 1872. Following this tenure, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives representing Hennepin County (Districts 26 and 29) between 1873–1877 and again from 1886–1889. During his legislative career, he advocated for laws regulating liquor sales. In addition, he contributed as a trustee for the Washburn A Mill Disaster Relief Fund following the 1878 tragedy and acted as assignee for the insolvent N. B. Harwood & Company.

In 1880, Pettit was actively involved with the Republican Party’s county (Hennepin), congressional district (Fifth), and state central committees.

Personal life

Pettit was united in marriage with Deborah McBride Williams, the daughter of Captain Louis Hudson Williams and Tabitha Patterson McKeehan Williams. Together, they raised five children.

Death

Pettit passed away in the city of Minneapolis.

External links

• The Role of Minneapolis Flour Mills in Shaping Minnesota and the Northwest's Economic Growth