^^iograpliy. 



HON. W. W. PENDERGAST. 



HUTCHINSON, MINN. 



(See frontispiece.) 



William Wirt Penderg-ast, who was elected president of this 

 society at the last annual meetingf, was born at Durham, N. H., Jan. 

 31, 1833, in a g-arrison-house built as a protection against Indians by 

 his grandfather's grandfather, in 1713. He was brought up to hard 

 work on his father's farm ; was sent to the district school until he 

 was fourteen; and was fitted for college at Phillips' Exeter Academy, 

 Durham Academy and the Springfield, Mass., high school. 



He entered Bowdoin College in 1850, and now holds the degree of 

 A. M. from that institution. Times were hard and money scarce 

 with farmers while he was in college, so that he was obliged to pay 

 his own way. He taught school winters, studying far into the night 

 to keep lip with hia class. After leaving college he taught in the 

 graded schools of Amesbury and Essex, Mass., gaining the reputa- 

 tion of being a successful teacher. 



In 1856, Mr. Pendergast came to Minnesota and took up a homestead 

 at Hutchinson, where, the following year, he built the first school- 

 house and taught the first school. With eight other young men, he 

 was at Fort Snelling to enlist when the news of the Sioux outbreak 

 was received. All went back to fight the Indians. Mr. Pendergast 

 was placed in command of a squad of the " Home Guards " and took 

 charge of the construction of a fort which was just completed when 

 an attack was made. About 300 Indians surrounded the village, 

 half of which, including Mr. Pendergast's house and academy, they 

 burned. Toward evening, the Indians were driven back, the heroism 

 of eighty "Home Guards" proving too much for the savages. 



For twenty years Mr. Pendergast was in charge of the Hutchinson 

 schools, eight years of which time he was also superintendent of 

 schools for McLeod county. In 1881, he was chosen Assistant 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, a position which he held for 

 seven years, when he became principal of the State School of 

 Agriculture. His labors in this institution the first five years of its 

 existence were crowned with the highest success. 



In 1895, he resigned this pleasing and important work to assume 

 the duties of the office of State Superintendent of Public Schools, 

 which position he has so filled as to make himself one of the best 

 known and most highly respected public men in the state. With the 

 first day of January, 1898, by voluntary act, he gives up this position 

 to retire to his rural home in Hutchinson to pass his ripest years in 

 pursuits most congenial to him. 



In Mr. Pendergast, the horticultural society has a most worthy 

 successor to Ex-President Underwood, whose long term in this 

 position has so endeared him to us, and we are fortunate in enlisting 

 his services in this new field at this juncture. Under his adminis- 

 tration, we may look forward to still larger success in our work. 



At the age of 65, Mr. Pendergast is still apparently in the full 

 vigor of life and will, we hope and believe, have still many years of 

 service with us in the cause he loves. 



