Hugh Galbraith Harrison (April 23, 1822 – August 12, 1891) was a real estate investor and banker who served as the second mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Life and career

Harrison was born in 1822 in

Belleville, Illinois Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is a southeastern suburb of St. Louis. The population was 42,404 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populated city in the Me ...

. While growing up he helped his father and older brothers who were involved in the milling business before attending college at

McKendree University McKendree University (McK), formerly McKendree College, is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1828 as the "Lebanon Seminary", it is the oldest college or university in Illinois. The school was renamed McKendree ...

. In 1847 he married Irene Amelia Robinson. In 1859 he and two of his brothers relocated to

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

where they invested in property as well as businesses including the First National Bank of St. Paul, the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad and the Joseph Dean & Company lumber company. In 1868 Harrison was elected as the second mayor of Minneapolis, serving from 1868 to 1869. There are few details of his term — sources note his administration was "businesslike" and "careful, capable and clean." Harrison's wife Irene died in 1876. He remarried in 1877 to Elizabeth Wood Hunt. That same year Harrison and his brothers took their profits and organized the Security Bank, one of the early city's largest financial institutions. Harrison served as the bank's vice president from 1877 to 1887 and as president from 1887 until his death. Harrison ran for

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...

in the 1888 election as the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movemen ...

's candidate, but came in third place with 6.51% of the vote, losing to Republican

William Rush Merriam William Rush Merriam (July 26, 1849February 18, 1931) was an American politician and banker. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served as the eleventh Governor of Minnesota from 1889 to 1893. Life and career Merriam was born i ...

and Democrat Eugene McLanahan Wilson. Harrison died on August 12, 1891.

Electoral history

*Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1868 **Hugh Galbraith Harrison 974 **Franklin Beebe 734 **Write-Ins and Scattering 2

Notes

:Most sources use "Galbraith" though his gravestone spells his middle name "Gilbraith".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Hugh G. 1822 births 1891 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Minnesota McKendree University alumni Mayors of Minneapolis People from Belleville, Illinois Burials at Lakewood Cemetery Minnesota Republicans Minnesota Prohibitionists