Langdon, Robert Bruce "R.B."
Senate 1873-78 (District 27); Senate 1881-82 (District 27); Senate 1883-86 (District 30)
Party when first elected: Republican
Counties Served:
Hennepin
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
11/24/1826
Birth Place:
New Haven, Vermont
Birth County:
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
7/24/1895
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Episcopalian
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
R.B.
City of Residence (when first elected):
Minneapolis
Occupation (when first elected):
Contractor; Built Buildings, Roads, Bridges, and Railways
EDUCATION
Vermont District Schools; Elementary School;
Academic Education; Secondary;
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Sarah Smith (married in 1859)
Children:
Three children: Cavour S. (son), Mrs. H.C. Truesdale, and Mrs. W.F. Brooks (daughters)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
GENERAL NOTES
His middle initial is listed as B. in all sources except the Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1873 where it is listed as both B. and V.
He was of English ancestry.
He was born on a farm near New Haven, Vermont. In the late 1840s and early 1850s he lived in Ohio and Wisconsin. He came to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1858. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1865 or 1866.
He ran unsuccessfully for the Minnesota Senate in the 1888 election. He was defeated by only a few votes.
"In the days of the Whig party he was an old liner, but when that light went out, he found his affinity in the Republican fold." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 17)
"He was connected with the Republican party all his life." (Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 425)
He was listed as a Republican on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)
He built the first Washburn mill and many other important buildings in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 16)
Langdon, North Dakota and Langdon, Minnesota were named after him.
He was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church.
Religion provided by Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 426.
Body:
Senate
District:
30
Elected:
11/7/1882
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/2/1883 to 1/3/1887
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor
Party:
Not Available
Committees:
-
Deaf, Dumb and Blind (Chair)
-
Elections
-
Railroads
-
Retrenchment and Reform
Body:
Senate
District:
30
Elected:
11/7/1882
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/2/1883 to 1/3/1887
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor
Party:
Not Available
Committees:
-
Deaf, Dumb and Blind (Chair)
-
Elections
-
Railroads
-
Retrenchment and Reform
Body:
Senate
District:
27
Elected:
11/2/1880
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/4/1881 to 1/1/1883
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor
Party:
Not Available
Committees:
-
Deaf, Dumb and Blind (Chair)
-
Elections
-
Railroads
-
State Prison
Body:
Senate
District:
27
Elected:
11/7/1876
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/2/1877 to 1/6/1879
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor
Party:
Republican
Party Notes: "In the days of the Whig party he was an old liner, but when that light went out, he found his affinity in the Republican fold." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 17); He was listed as a Republican on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)
Committees:
-
Immigration (Chair)
-
Railroads
-
Roads and Bridges (Chair)
Body:
Senate
District:
27
Elected:
11/7/1876
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/2/1877 to 1/6/1879
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor; Built Buildings, Roads, Bridges, and Railways/Vice President, Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad/Vice President, National Exchange Bank, Minneapolis
Party:
Republican
Party Notes: "In the days of the Whig party he was an old liner, but when that light went out, he found his affinity in the Republican fold." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 17); He was listed as a Republican on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)
Committees:
-
Joint Taxes and Tax Laws
-
State Prison (Chair)
Body:
Senate
District:
27
Elected:
11/3/1874
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/5/1875 to 1/1/1877
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor
Party:
Republican
Party Notes: "In the days of the Whig party he was an old liner, but when that light went out, he found his affinity in the Republican fold." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 17)
Committees:
-
Corporations
-
Immigration
-
Retrenchment and Reform
-
State Prison (Chair)
Body:
Senate
District:
27
Elected:
11/3/1874
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/5/1875 to 1/1/1877
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor
Party:
Republican
Party Notes: "In the days of the Whig party he was an old liner, but when that light went out, he found his affinity in the Republican fold." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 17)
Committees:
-
Corporations
-
Immigration
-
Retrenchment and Reform
-
State Prison (Chair)
Body:
Senate
District:
27
Elected:
11/5/1872
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/7/1873 to 1/4/1875
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor
Party:
Republican
Party Notes: "In the days of the Whig party he was an old liner, but when that light went out, he found his affinity in the Republican fold." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 17)
Committees:
-
Corporations
-
Immigration
-
Retrenchment
-
State Prison (Chair)
Body:
Senate
District:
27
Elected:
11/5/1872
Residence:
Minneapolis
Term of Office:
1/7/1873 to 1/4/1875
Counties Represented:
Hennepin
Occupation:
Contractor; Built Buildings, Roads, Bridges, and Railways
Party:
Republican
Party Notes: "In the days of the Whig party he was an old liner, but when that light went out, he found his affinity in the Republican fold." (Biographical Sketches of the Officers of the State Government of Minnesota and of the 19th Minnesota State Legislature by C.L. Hall, 1877, p. 17)
Committees:
-
Claims
-
Public Buildings
-
Retrenchment (Chair)
Articles & Books About
-
Shutter, Marion Daniel. "Robert Bruce Langdon." Progressive Men of Minnesota, Minneapolis: The Minneapolis Journal, 1897, p. 424-426.
-
"Hon. R.B. Langdon." Memoirs of the State Officers; and of the Nineteenth Legislature of Minnesota, by C.L. Hall. Minneapolis: Johnson & Smith, p. 16-17.
-
"Langdon, R.B." The Fifteenth Legislature of Minnesota. St. Paul: Press Printing Company, 1873, p. 9.
-
"Washington County - Langdon." Minnesota Place Names (Electronic Resource), St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society.
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.