Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/776

 674 HISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY Mr. Putnam has been prominently identified. Mr. Putnam has successively been elected to the state legislature since 1903, and has presented and actively advocated many important measures during his term of service. A Republican in politics, Mr. Putnam has served as councilman, as a member of the school board, and for two terms as mayor of the city. He is interested in the ma- jority of the leading manufacturing concerns of Red Wing. He is a member of the Presbyterian church and of Red Wing Lodge No. 8, A. F. & A.M. William Larnard Webster, retired, has engaged successively in several Red Wing business enterprises. Of New England an- cestry, h<' was born at Croydon. N. H., February 19, 1826, his father. William W. (married to Azuba Gale) being of that sturdy type of Yankee blacksmith immortalized by Longfellow in his famous poem, "The Village Blacksmith." The father died in 1867 and the mother in 1874. AVilliam L. received his early edu- cation m Claremont, Sullivan county. New Hampshire, and at Windsor, in the same stale The tailoring trade, which he then Learned, was his occupation at Windsor and Charleston, N. H., until 1856. On his arrival in Red Wing, in that year, he became proprietor of the Kelley bouse, a popular hostelry of the early days. A year later 1 pened a jewelry store, and still another year later he embarked in the livery business. In those days Red Wing had uo railroads, ami the demand for horses was great. Year by year the business grew, the livery, hoarding and sale sialics all being conducted on a successful scale. In 1906, after many years of hard work, he sold out his business and retired. He still makes his horn.- in Red Wing, he and his wife living at 7i».~> Fourth street. Mr. Webster was married at Hartland, Vt., dune 19, 184s. to Susan W. Sturtevant, of that place, daughter of Thomas F. and Rosaline T. (Taylor) Sturtevant. the former of whom was a manufacturer of cloth. The father died in 1876 and the mother in 1890. To Mr. and Mrs. Webster has been born one son. Frank, head clerk and manager of the Willard hotel at St. Paul. W. L. Webster is a Universalist in religion, a Republican in polities and a member of the Odd Fellows. George R. Sterling, a prominent Red Wing manufacturer of Hie early days, now deceased, was a native of Luzern county, Pennsylvania, horn July 14. 1831. When quite young he was taken by his parents to New York state, later to Vernon county, AVisconsin. Thence he moved to Pierce county. "Wisconsin, after- ward to St. Paul. Minn. In June, 1858, he came to Red Wing and started the manufacture of boots and shoes, under the firm name of G. R. Sterling & Co. In this business he remained for about three decades, retiring from active business in 1887. The growth of the Sterling concern was associated with the growth of the