1911 "Illustrated History of Rock and Pipestone Counties"


JAY LADUE (1885). For more than a quarter of a century the gentleman whose name heads this sketch has been a resident of Rock county, and there is probably no man in the county who enjoys a larger acquaintanceship in this vicinity and the country at large than he. He has taken a prominent part in many lines of endeavor, and the county of Rock is indebted to him for many things that have tended to its betterment.

Jay LaDue is the sixth child in a family of thirteen children. Eight of the children are still living and their average age is more than seventy-five years. He was born in Chautauqua county, New York, April 7, 1827. He secured his education in the common schools of his native county and in Mayville academy. At the age of fourteen years, in the year 1841, he left his father's home on the farm to begin an apprenticeship of five years at the tailor's trade, with the privilege of attending school three months each year. He completed his apprenticeship and in 1846 went to Fredonia, in Chautauqua county, and for two years worked as a journeyman tailor.

In 1848 Mr. LaDue engaged in business on his own account, forming a partnership with F. P. Isherwood in the merchant tailoring business in Fredonia and was a member of the firm until 1851. That year he located in Sherman, New York, where he conducted a merchant tailoring and gentlemen's furnishing goods store until the spring of 1857. In the spring of 1853, soon after the inauguration of Franklin Pierce as president of the United States, Mr. LaDue was appointed postmaster of Sherman and served a four-year term.

Deciding to take Horace Greeley's advice to "go west and grow up with the country," he resigned the office of postmaster, in the spring of 1857, spent some time arranging his business matters and early in 1858 located in the city of Rochester, in the then territory of Minnesota. He con¬ducted a merchant tailoring establishment in that city until 1862, when, owing to poor health he closed out his business and joined the great army of commercial travelers. During one of his business trips to Luverne, in or about 1876, he contracted with the railroad company for a section of land near Luverne. In 1885, when they began to call him the "old man," he resigned his position on the road, disposed of his property interests in Rochester, and settled on his Rock county farm.

This was a radical change from his heretofore active life. From the tailor, the merchant, the salesman on the road for twenty-five years, to a Rock county farmer! But he soon adapted himself to the changed conditions and made a decided success of his farming, as he had of his other business ventures. He engaged extensively in the breeding of fancy stock and became famous as the owner of the great brood mare "Bell," whose colts brought him at the farm from $600 to $3000 each.

One of the colts became world famous. In two short seasons on the track in different countries in Europe, the colt, "Polly" by name, won $150,000 in purses. After this feat the Russian government, proud of their Orloffs as long distance race horses, and jealous of the American trotter who had won everything in sight, in Germany, Austria and France, offered a thousand rubles, in addition to large purses, for any American-bred horse that would come to Moscow and compete with the famous Orloff in three two-mile heats and the sweepstakes. The owner of "Polly" (the daughter of "Belle" and "Hamdallah") accepted their challenge, and "Polly" met the famous horses in Moscow, won the three straight heats and the sweepstakes and was awarded the large purses that were put up for each. The trainer and driver of "Polly" then presented his claim for the four gold medals offered by the Russian government, one for the winner of each of the three races and one for the horse that won the sweepstakes. But the Russian government said, "No, these medals were awarded by the Russian government to the breeder of the winning horse."

Mr. LaDue was quick to respond with the proof that he was the breeder of "Polly" and the four large gold medals, that weighed out $400, were sent to the proprietor of what was thereafter known as the "Gold Medal" farm in Luverne. These medals were placed on exhibition at the Minnesota state fairs, at many of the county fairs of the state, and in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago. At that exposition "Old Belle" and seven of her kin were entered in the various classes, and nearly $1000 was awarded to this string of horses from the Rock county farm, while "Polly," the queen-bee of the family, was in Europe, resting on the laurels she had won from the czar of all the Russias. There never was a horse which so extensively advertised its owner, its county, its state, the "United States, and the whole continent of Europe, as this great mare "Polly" did. She had a four-mile record to a standing start, hauling 300 pounds weight, of ten minutes and five seconds— the fastest four-mile record in the world at the time it was made, and it may be the record yet.

After locating on his Rock county farm Mr. LaDue became interested in his new line of business and took an active part in the affairs of the county. He was instrumental in forming the non-partisan Farmer's Alliance club of Rock county, and was elected and served as its president three or four years. It was formed as a non-partisan organization strictly, devoted to the interests of the farmers in this great agricultural state, but when its growth had reached great proportions the politicians, against Mr. LaDue's advice and judgment, succeeded in turning the Alliance club into a political party.

In politics Mr. LaDue, in the early days, was prominent and active. In 1890 the farmers alliance and democratic parties nominated him for the office of state senator, the nomination was ratified by the people at the polls, and he represented his district in the senate for the next four years. In 1892 he was appointed by Gov. Merriam one of the six members of the Minnesota State Board of World's Fair Managers, and he served as vice president of the board throughout the fair.

For a number of years Mr. LaDue has not been active in business, having retired to private life and turned over to his sons the management of the business enterprises that he inanugurated in Rock county in the early days. He now enjoys the fruits of a hard-working well-spent life.

Jay LaDue was married in the fall of 1851 to Janette, the third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Buel, of Mayville, New York, the county seat of Chautauqua county. Mr. LaDue has always been prominently identified with church work, and it was largely due to her efforts that the Luverne Episcopal church was organized. Mr. and Mrs. LaDue are the parents of the following named children: C. M. and Lamott LaDue, of Luverne, who carry on the business built up by their father; John J. LaDue, who is engaged in the grain business in Chicago and Kasota, this state; Mabel LaDue, who resides with her parents; and A. D. LaDue, president of the First National Bank of Luverne.

*The date in parentheses following the name of each subject is the year of arrival to Rock county.