406 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BIOGRAPHY. 



R. J. MENDENHALL. 



A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 



(See Frontispiece.) 



E. J. Mendenhall, a native of North Carolina, came to Minneapolis in 

 1856. Previous to this he joined a surveying party in New York City, 

 came west, and veas on a railroad survey in Iowa almost two years? 

 crossing the state three times. 



On February llth, 1858^ he was married at West Falmouth, Mass., to 

 Abby G. Swift, daugjiter of Capt. Silas Swift, and together they came to 

 this (then) young city, and planted a home and a flower garden. 



From 1857 to 1873 Mr. Mendenhall was engaged in the banking business. 

 From 1862 to 1866 he was president of the old State Bank of Minnesota, 

 afterwards merged into the Slate National Bank of Minneapolis. 

 During the financial panic of 1873, the savings bank with which he was 

 connected "succumbed to the pressure," and the business thus summarily 

 ended took several years to settle up. 



Mr. Mendenhall's natural fondness for flowers led him to engage in 

 floriculture as a pastime and future business, which has developed into 

 the largest of the kind in the Northwest. 



He was president of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society during 

 the years 1871 and 1872. 



He has done much to cultivate the tastes of the people in this direc- 

 tion, and has been a useful citizen in the city of his adoption for more 

 than a third of a century. 



