Pillsbury Mansion

I have read the Pillsbury family history in the original documents. My former life included lots and lots of looking at land records and I have seen the probate records left by most of the Pillsbury family, at least the really rich members of the Pillsbury family, after their deaths. John S. Pillsbury was a Governor of Minnesota from 1876 to 1882. He was married to Mahala, they had three children, son Alfred and daughters Susan and Sara.

John S. was originally from New Hampshire. After moving to Minnesota he was active in several businesses, notably land and lumber (and because he had acquired lots of timber lands at a fortuitous time, eventually mining), but is most famous for the company he helped found with his brother's son, Charles, the C. A. Pillsbury Company, the flour people. John's own son, Alfred, did not go into business, but instead became an art collector. When he died, the works were donated to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The collection included over nine hundred Asian objects, and it still forms the nucleus of the Institute of Art's ancient Chinese, Islamic pottery and Chinese Qing period (1644-1911) porcelain collections. He was a stamp collector and, bicycle content here, also owned the first high-wheeled bicycle in Minneapolis. Smelly car content here, he also owned one of the first three cars in Minneapolis.

This is Alfred's house, next door to the previously pictured large house owned by his cousin Charles, and across the street from the one owned by his uncle Charles.After Alfred's death the house left the family. It was at one time converted into a series of offices and later a boarding house. It is now in private hands and has been renovated.

My architecture guide says, "Tudor Revival in style and executed in rock faced local limestone, it has a dense, craggy presence that still impresses today."

I tried a walk again today and am required to report some tightness in my calves. Apparently you don't use the calves much in bicycling. After that I went by a local financial institution and acquired some of these.The big one there is what I expect to be using the next time I either encounter a busker in the Paris Metro or the next time I am doing this regardless of whether it is in Paris or somewhere nearer by:Photo by traveling companion who scans (TCWS). That spot is in the archways leading to Place des Vosges, located in the Marais straddling the line between the 3rd and 4th arrondissements.