Job Roberts

  General Notes:

ROBERTS, William Preston.\emdash Some of the most successful men of the Northwest came to this region in search of health, rather than for business purposes, as its bracing and invigorating climate has a wide reputation.
William P. Roberts, twice the representative from Hennepin county in the lower house of the legislature, is one of the number. He is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Gwynedd township, Montgomery county, in that state, June 16, 1845. His father, Job Roberts, was a farmer in moderate circumstances, and was of Welsh descent. The family came to this country in 1698 from Bala, North Wales, and settled in what is now Gwynedd township\emdash a Welsh name, pronounced as though spelled Gwyneth, with the sound "th" soft, as in "the." His mother was Hannah Pickering. William obtained his early education in the public schools of Pennsylvania, and in Maryland, where he lived three years. The schools of the latter state, at that time, were indifferent, because only partially supported by the state. He afterwards attended the First State Normal School at Millersville, Lancaster county, Pa., from which he graduated in 1867, after the War of the Rebellion, which interrupted his college course. Choosing law for his profession, he entered the law department of the University of Michigan, which has supplied the bar with so many brilliant men of the profession. After a full course in this institution he graduated in 1869, and immediately began the practice which he has continued ever since. He first opened a law office in Nebraska, where he practiced for six years\emdash the first two alone, and then was a member of the firm of Cole & Roberts, which was dissolved when he was compelled to leave for Minnesota in search of better health. He settled in Minneapolis in 1874, and practiced alone until 1878, when he formed a partnership with Col. R. C. Benton and his brother, C. H. Benton, first under the style of Benton & Benton, and later as Benton, Benton & Roberts. In December, 1881, this partnership was dissolved and another formed by Mr. Roberts and Colonel Benton, under the style of Benton & Roberts, which later\emdash when Rome G. Brown became associated\emdash was known as Benton, Roberts & Brown, and so continued until 1895, when, by the death of the senior partner, the partnership terminated. Since that time Mr. Roberts has conducted his law practice without an associate. His practice has been general, but his more important work has been connected with the set l lement of estates, and with trusteeships. He was active in the preparation and trial of the St. Anthony Falls water power litigation, and with the "railroad crossing" cases in Minneapolis. He enlisted as a private soldier when a school boy, June 16, 1863, in the 17th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served as corporal in Company H. Before the end of the year he was commissioned as second lieutenant in the 45th United States Colored Troops, and served with the Army of the Potomac and with the Army of the James a large part of the time. During the draft disturbances of 1863, he was on duty in the coal regions of Pennsylvania and in West Vir ginia, but was with Grant in his last campaign, culminating at Appomattox. In May, 1865, the command was sent to the Rio Grande. During the latter part of this service he was in the brigade staff. He was mustered out as first lieutenant in December, 1865. During all the time he held a commission he had, except about one month, command of his company whenever it was in active campaign, except when, at times he was detailed for duty as adjutant, quartermaster, or aide-de-camp. He is a member of the G. A. R., and past post commander of Geo. N. Morgan Post, No. 4, of Minneapolis. He has been judge advocate of the State Department of the Order and a member of its National Council of Administration. He is also a member of the Loyal Legion, and has been the junior vice commander of the Minnesota Department. He has always been a Republican, and shouted for Fremont, in a slave state when a school boy. Ha had never held office until he was elected to the legislature in 1898. He was re-elected in 1900, and has been one of the active members. He introduced two original bills in his first legislative term which have attained considerable attention\emdash one, to place names of candidates alternately on the official ballot has just become a law; the other, a "primary election law" of general application, gave way to a modified plan now a law. He was president

of the Union League of Minneapolis in 1895. He is also a member of the Fourth Ward Republican Club, and of the Commercial Club, and a prominent Mason, being past master of Hennepin Lodge, No. 4, and is at present the grand orator of the Grand Lodge. He belongs to the Universalist Church. In 1869 he was married to Anna M. Pugh, who died in 1870, leaving no children. He was married to Agnes Doyle Taggart, of St. Clairsville, Ohio, in 1876, who died in 1895, leaving two sons who served in the late Spanish War in the Thirteenth Minnesota Volunteers\emdash Horace W., born July 8, 1877, and Roy G., born January 29, 1880.

Job married Hannah Pickering, daughter of Yeamans Pickering and Rachel Beans, on 19 Sep 1844. (Hannah Pickering was born on 23 Jul 1811 in Solebury, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA and died on 22 Dec 1884 in Hartford, Maryland.)