Every
student of Sherburne County History knows the namesake of the county lies with
Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Moses Sherburne. George Loomis Becker, the youngest Mayor of St.
Paul, lawyer and politician, also warrants attention in Sherburne County
history.
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| George Loomis Becker 1829-1904 |
The
namesake of the City of Becker, George was born in Locke, New York in
1829. He arrived In St Paul in
1849. Elected Mayor of St. Paul in 1856
for a one year term. Still later, he twice
ran unsuccessfully for Governor.
Important for the Sherburne County story, he worked for the Saint Paul
and Pacific Railroad. From 1885 to 1901
he served as a member of the state railroad and warehouse commission. His primary interest in those years, he
promoted railroad interests and development throughout the state.
Although
never a major stop on the railroad lines, Becker and area farmers utilized the
rail service to ship produce and goods.
Equally important, the road delivered a multitude of immigrants to the
county. Through the 1870s an Immigrant
House operated in Becker to welcome new arrivals to the community.
There
isn’t any evidence to suggest George Loomis ever set foot in the community, yet
his influence set the direction for the community of Becker into the 1900s.
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