John Sargent Pillsbury was born in Sutton, New Hampshire on July 29, 1827. He was educated in the public schools and was learning the painter's trade when, at the age of sixteen, his natural taste for a commercial life made him abandon his proposed calling.
He was a clerk for bis brother George-Alfred Pillsbury in a country store in Warner, N. H., for six or seven years.
He arrived in Minnesota in 1855 and joined in a hardware business with George F. Cross, forming Cross, Pillsbury & Co.
In 1858 he married Mahala Fisk. He served as a city councilman (1858-1864), state senator (1864-1874), and 8th governor of the State of Minnesota. (1876-1882).
He sold the hardware store in 1875 to Janney, Moles, Brooks & Co. to devote himself to flour milling.
In 1878, his nephew Charles Alfred Pillsbury, son of George-Alfred Pillsbury, came to Minneapolis and with him, John-Sargent Pillsbury established the flour milling firm of C. A. Pillsbury & Company. Pillsbury Company became one of the largest flour milling operations in the world.
In 1875, he was elected as the Governor of the State of Minnesota, a position he would hold for three terms (the first and only instance a Governor of Minnesota was given three terms).
He died in Minneapolis, Minn., 18 Oct. 1901.
Governor John Sargent Pillsbury
