Notable people · Government · Business · Military
William G. LeDuc
Born in Vinton County, LeDuc settled in Saint Paul, Minnesota, promoted railroads and bridges, served as a Union quartermaster, and was U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture from 1877 to 1881.
At a glance
- Born
- 1823
- Died
- 1917
- Known as
- Government, Business, Military
- Organizations
- US Department of Agriculture
Life story
William Gates LeDuc was born in 1823 and is listed among people from Vinton County. He moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1850 with little money and worked in law, bookselling and land promotion.
He helped build Minnesota railroads and organize the St. Paul Bridge Company. From 1862 he served as a Union quartermaster officer, logistics work that earned him the rank of brevet brigadier general.
President Hayes made him the fourth U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture in 1877. He reorganized the department, created a Division of Forestry and laid the groundwork for the Bureau of Animal Industry, and pushed, with little success, for home production of sugar and tea. He died in Hastings, Minnesota, in 1917; his house there is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Timeline
- 1823: Born (Vinton County, OH) source
- 1850: Moves to Saint Paul, Minnesota (Saint Paul, MN) source
- 1862: Joins Union Quartermaster Corps source
- 1877: Becomes US Commissioner of Agriculture (Washington, DC) source
- 1881: Elected to French Agricultural Society; leaves office source
- 1917: Dies (Hastings, MN) source
What William is known for
- US Commissioner of Agriculture, 1877-1881
- Helped found Minnesota railroads and the St. Paul Bridge Company
Honors and things named for them
- LeDuc Historic Estate in Hastings, Minnesota, on the National Register
Ohio places
Where William G. LeDuc was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Wilkesville, Vinton County ZIP 45695 · Wilkesville · Vinton County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: William G. LeDuc career, death, mansion
- Wikipedia: People from Vinton County listed as from Vinton County