ic) 
* Biosraphy. 
JOHN H. STEVENS. 
(SEE FRONTISPIECE.) 
John H. Stevens was born on the 13th day of June, 1820, which will 
make his age seventy-five years this month. His father and mother 
were natives and citizens of Vermont, but he was born in what was 
then called the Eastern Townships of Lower Canada, which were 
settled by people of New England a few years previous to his birth. 
While yet a minor, he went tothe lead mines near Galena, III, 
After some years there, he moved to Mineral Point, Wis., from which 
place, in 1846, he went to Mexico, returning in 1848, at the close of the 
war, In April, 1849, he came to Fort Snelting and made aclaim that 
year on the west bank of the Mississippi, which included the pri- 
mitive and original site of Minneapolis. This city has heen his 
home ever since. 
Throughout his whole life he has been engaged in and always 
taken a lively interest in agriculture, and especially in horticulture. 
He was an intimate friend of John A. Warder and other prominent 
horticulturists, pomologists and agriculturists. He has been 
called to many offices of trusts and responsibility since his resi- 
dence of forty-six years in Minnesota. 
He became a member of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society 
first in 1868 and was created an honorary life meanber in 1880, being 
one of three gentlemen, as the record stands, who were at that time 
so honored, and the first names placed on the life roll, with the ex- 
ception of that of a lady, Mrs. Wm. Paist. 
He has been a constant attendant at our meetings and an un- 
wearied worker in the cause, though he ever declined to accept the 
honors of office, often tendered him, till at a very late date he finally 
accepted the office of vice-president, which he continues to hold. 
During the years 1893 and 1894, he was president of the State Ag- 
ricultural Society and in that capacity engineered, in the face of 
much discouragement from the adversity of the times, one of the 
best state fairs ever held in Minnesota; certainly the cleanest froma 
moral standpoint, as he refused point blank to countenance any of 
the weaknesses that often disgrace such occasions. 
No man is better known throughout the Northwest as an 
earnest friend of the tiller of the soil than ‘‘Col.”’ Stevens,and 
we hope that many peaceful years may be allotted to him in the 
decline of his life in which to fully realize the gratitude and 
affection of those for whose interests he has ever unselfishly 
labored. 
