Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/1171

 II1STMKY OF tJOOimi I! COUNTS L019 Faribault. After a number of years as bank clerk in Zumbrota and also in the Bank of Pierce, Simmons & ('<».. of Red Wing, lie started in the insurance business, which lie has since continued, naving an office on .Main street. In 1893 he was firsl elected mayor and since thai date has served continuously with the ex- ception of the term 1899-01, when E. II. Blodgett served; and 1901-03, when John II. Rich served. Be was commissioned firsl captain of Company G, Firsl Minnesota National Guards, at the organization of the company and remained in that office until June 13, 1887, when he was pr ted to major. Subsequently he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, resigning in 1894. Later he again entered the local company and served as captain from January 6, 1902. to July 7. 1905, when he retired from the ser- vice. Mayor Pierce was the fourth presidenl of the Commercial Club and in this capacity he has served several years. He has also 'been fleet captain of the yacht club for several years. In addition to these two organizations, he belongs to the Elks. He married Jennie C. Cummings, of Windsor, Vt. This union has been blessed with four children, as follows: George; Kate, now Mrs. Fred Seebach : Marian, now traveling in Europe, and Ray- mond, who attends the public schools. Several years ago. Mr. Pierce was elected secretary of the Red "Wing Building Associa- tion, a position he still retains. The story of the growth and development of Red "Wing under his administration, as well as the account of the beautifying of the Mississippi levee, which was his pet project, is told elsewhere in this history with the records of the municipal government of the city. David Middleton Neill, manager of the Red Wing Telephone Company, was born in Perthshire, Scotland, February 2, 1852, and came to America with his parents, John and Margaret (More- land) Neill, in 1860. They located in Montgomery county, New York, where the father was a contractor for the structural iron works for one year, after which they migrated west and settled in Columbia county, Wisconsin, and engaged in farming. The father died in June, 1879, and the mother in 1903. David M. Neill received his education in the district school and later at- tended the high school at Portage, "Wis. He then entered the drug store of Purely & Merrill at Portage, with whom he re- mained eleven years, after which he went into the same business for himself at Big Stone City, N. D. In 1883 he sold out and engaged in the lumber business at Ortonville, becoming super- intendent of all retail yards for the Charles Betcher Lumber Company of Red Wing. In 1886 he came to Red Wing, where he held a similar position in the same firm. He became manager of the Red Wing Manufacturing Company in 1889, and subse- quently became president of the company. He severed his con-