Nathaniel Pitt Langford (Saint Paul, MN)
Nathaniel Pitt Langford (July 9, 1832 – October 18, 1911) was one of the most colorful personalities in early Minnesota banking history. At the age of 22 he moved from his home in New York state to St. Paul, where he began his short career as a banker. By 1862, his wanderlust took him to the West, where he started businesses, was an explorer (a discoverer of Yellowstone), became a vigilante, and served as a public official in several capacities, including the first superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. While traveling the West, he continued to think of St. Paul as his home, returning frequently. By the 1890s, he settled down in St. Paul as a larger-than-life figure, where he wrote books and served the community, until his death in 1911.
Chronology
7/9/1832 Born in Westmoreland, NY
1850 Westmoreland, Oneida, New York; Father George (RE $5100) was a bookkeeper; Nathaniel, Farmer
1854 Moved to St. Paul
1855 Cashier at Marshall and Company
1857 N. Langford, Banker; A. Langford, RE Agent
1858-1859 Cashier at Bank of the State of Minnesota
10/11/1859 Bank parent Sewell failed; Bank of the State failed. Paid 70c/$
1860 Living in St. Paul; Civil Engineer; RE $22000; with brother Gus (Augstine), insurance agent
6/16/1862 Left for Montana Territory; established businesses in Bannack, MT
11/21/1863 Postmaster: Bannack City, Beaver Head County, MT until 12/20/1864
1865 Collector of Internal Revenue; Virginia City, for Montana
1864-1868 Tax Collector; Vigilante
1870 Explored Yellowstone
1870 Living in Helena, MT; Banker; PE $1000, RE $12000; with William Clancy (lawyer), Walter Trumbull (mining speculator)
1870 Gus living in Black Hawk, Colorado. Starts family; Gus died 1885; widow returns to St. Paul with children Nathaniel, William and George.
1872-1877 Yellowstone superintendent
11/1/1876 Married Emma C. Wheaton (principal of Young Ladies’ Seminary, St. Paul); originally from Syracuse NY
1879 Infant died
1880 Living in St. Paul; with Emma W. (keeping house) at 100 Exchange St.; Bank Examiner; no children; female servant from Sweden; boarder school teacher; lived across street (101) from Alexander Ramsey, former gov.
1882 Infant died
5/17/1882 Emma died
1872-1884 NB examiner for Pacific states
9/17/84 Married Clara Wheaton, younger sister of Emma, school teacher from San Francisco, in Lowell, MA
1885 Lived with Clara; a female servant from Sweden, and another female
1890 Published Vigilante Days and Ways
1895 Lived at 291 S. Exchange; with Clara; Amelia and Hilda Thompson of Sweden; Nat. Bk Examiner
1900 Lived at 291 S. Exchange; with Clara; Amelia and Hilda; National Bank Examiner
1905 Lived at 291 S. Exchange; with Clara; Capitalist
1905 Published The Discovery of Yellowstone Park
1910 NPL, Sr.; Lived at 291 S. Exchange; with Clara; Amelia and Hilda; Chairman, Board of Control
10/18/1911 Death; interred at Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, Nathaniel Pitt Langford was involved with the following bank(s):
Marshall & Co., Saint Paul, MN
Bank of the State of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN
