[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12850-S12851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO THE WASHBURN FAMILY FOR ITS PUBLIC SERVICE AND OTHER 
                      OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary Maine family, distinguished both by its record of public 
service and the accomplishments it has achieved in many other walks of 
life. The Washburn family included three sisters

[[Page S12851]]

and seven brothers who helped guide this country through the Civil War 
and prepare our Nation for the 20th century. I am proud, as all Mainers 
are, that the Washburns hailed from Livermore, Maine, where the 
Norlands Living History Center still honors their memory and provides 
people of all ages with a chance to experience rural life in the late 
1800's.
  Israel and Martha Washburn raised 10 children in Livermore, Maine, 
during the early years of the 19th century. Included among the children 
were seven brothers who made substantial contributions to our Nation. 
The Washburns hold the distinction of being the only family in the 
history of our Nation to have three brothers serve in Congress 
simultaneously. In the 1850's Cadwallader Washburn representing 
Wisconsin, Elihu Washburn representing Illinois, and Israel Washburn, 
Jr., representing Maine were all Members of Congress in the tumultuous 
era leading up to the Civil War. Years later, William Washburn followed 
his brothers to Congress, representing Minnesota for three terms. 
William concluded his time in Washington with a term in the United 
States Senate.
  The Washburns served the public outside of Washington as well. 
Cadwallader Washburn was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1872. His 
brother, Israel, was Governor of Maine from 1861 to 1863 and is ranked 
as one of the great ``war governors'' of the Civil War era for his 
skill and dedication in raising and equipping volunteer regiments for 
the Union cause. Israel was also an early member of the Republican 
Party and is given credit by some for naming the party.
  The Washburns also served their country abroad. Charles Washburn 
served as a Minister to Paraguay in the 1860's. During the War of the 
Triple Alliance, he was forced to flee the country when the dictator of 
Paraguay, General Francisco Solano Lopez, accused Washburn and other 
embassy staffers of conspiring with Paraguay's enemies.
  Elihu Washburne, who added the English ``e'' to his last name, was 
also a diplomat. After 16 years in the House of Representatives, where 
he was known as the ``watchdog of the Treasury'' for his unyielding 
oversight of the ``peoples money,'' he was appointed to a 2-week term 
as President Grant's Secretary of State. Following the courtesy 
appointment, he was selected as our Nation's Ambassador to France. 
Elihu rose to diplomatic greatness during the Franco-Prussian War of 
1870-1871, which resulted in the fall of Napoleon III and the French 
Empire. Throughout the Siege of Paris and the upheaval of the Commune, 
he alone among foreign ambassadors remained at his post and gave refuge 
to hundreds of foreign citizens trapped in the city. His memoirs, 
``Recollections of a Minister to France, 1869-1877,'' provide an 
important historical accounting of the end of France's Empire and his 
service is a model of exemplary diplomatic performance during a crisis.
  The Washburn brothers also served our Nation in the military. Samual 
Washburn spent his life on the sea and served in the U.S. Navy during 
the Civil War as the captain of the gunboat Galena. Cadwallader 
recruited and commanded the Second Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry, which 
served with distinction in the Civil War's southwestern theater. He 
rose to the rank of major-general, serving with Grant at Vicksburg and 
later as military commander of the Memphis District of the Army of the 
Tennessee.
  As remarkable as they were, the achievements of the Washburn Brothers 
were not limited to military and governmental pursuits. Four of the 
brothers, Israel, Elihu, William, and Cadwallader, were lawyers. 
Charles was a writer and journalist who invented a typewriting machine 
that was sold to the Remington Company. Algernon Sydney Washburn was a 
successful banker in Hallowell, Maine. ``Sid,'' as he was known, 
provided loans to his brothers that financed many of their ventures. 
Cadwallader was also a successful businessman and founded a large 
milling operation in Minneapolis that produced Gold Medal flour, which 
can still be found on the shelves of America's grocery stores. Today, 
his company is known as General Mills. William also engaged in milling, 
and his company later merged with the Pillsbury Corporation.
  Though the adventures of the seven brothers Washburn took them all 
over the globe, the Norlands in Livermore, Maine, was always their 
home. In 1973, their descendants donated the property, which included 
the family mansion, surrounding historic buildings, and hundreds of 
acres of land, to the non-profit Washburn-Norlands Foundation. Today, 
the property that was once home to this remarkable family is a living 
history center. Each year, approximately 25,000 visitors have the 
opportunity to sample life in the 1800's through Norland's hands-on 
educational programs. Moreover, the museum and property honors the many 
accomplishments of a family that is nearly without peer in the history 
of public service to this great nation. The Norlands Living History 
Center is significant for both the history it preserves and the 
innovative education it provides, and I commend those associated with 
the center for the important work that they do.
  Mr. President, the legacy of the Washburn family is yet another 
example of why Maine and its people are so special. I am grateful for 
having had this opportunity to share with you the story of this 
remarkable family and to acknowledge the important work being done by 
the dedicated staff and friends of the Norlands Living History Center 
to protect and share this important piece of our heritage.

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