John Sargent Pillsbury, honored as the father of the University, was instrumental in rejuvenating the school after it closed its doors in the face of the financial panic of 1857 and the Civil War. His story and his contributions to secure the University’s future are well known. What follows is a lesser known tale from the years when Minnesota was barely a territory and the founders and first regents of the University were staking their claims to this rough land.

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