{{short description|American politician (1815–1900)}} {{use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | spouse = | predecessor = | committees = | term_end = January 7, 1867 | term_start = January 6, 1863 | district = 2nd | state_senate = Minnesota | alt = | image = John McKusick.jpg | children = | education = | name = John McKusick | occupation = Lumberman, politician | party = | resting_place = | death_cause = Liver disease | death_place = Stillwater, Minnesota, U.S.{{sfn|Easton|1909|p=157}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1900|10|26|1815|12|18}} | election_date = | birth_place = Cornish, Maine, U.S.{{sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=68–69}} | birth_date = {{birth date text|December 18, 1815}} | successor = }}
'''John McKusick''' (December 18, 1815 – October 26, 1900<ref name="Messenger obituary">{{Cite news|date=October 27, 1900|title=Death of Hon. John McKusick|volume=XLV|page=5|work=Stillwater Messenger|issue=10|type=obituary|url=https://newspapers.mnhs.org/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=462c092d-c3f2-4d72-a116-d253ad0cdf05%2Fmnhi0031%2F1HMB4Q5A%2F00102701|access-date=January 11, 2022|via=the Minnesota Historical Society}}</ref>) was an American lumberman, politician, and pioneer who served four terms as a Minnesota state senator from 1863 to 1867.{{sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=68–69}} He was the first mayor of Stillwater, Minnesota, and built the city's first lumber mill.<ref name="Messenger obituary"/>
== Early life == Born in Cornish, Maine, in 1815, John McKusick received a common school education before traveling to Illinois in 1839.{{Sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=68–69}} In 1840, he moved to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin Territory, and became a lumberman.{{Sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=68–69}} In 1847, he married Phebe Greely, but she died shortly thereafter. He was soon remarried to Servia Greely in November 1849, with whom he had children Newton, Chester, and Ella.{{Sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=68–69}}<ref name="Messenger obituary"/>
== Political career == McKusick began his political career as Stillwater's postmaster.{{Sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=398}} He later served as the first Mayor of Stillwater in 1854, the year the city was incorporated.{{Sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=398}} From 1863 to 1867, he served four terms as a Minnesota state senator from the 2nd district, representing Chisago, Kanabec, Pine, and Washington County.{{sfn|Folsom|1888|pp=68–69}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?ID=13819|title=McKusick, John|work=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|publisher=Minnesota Legislature|access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref>
== Later life == On February 18, 1887, Servia died, and McKusick once again remarried a few years thereafter, this time to Ella Knapp.<ref name="Messenger obituary"/>
McKusick died of liver disease on October 26, 1900, in Stillwater.<ref name="Messenger obituary"/> Following his death, his estate was estimated to be worth $100,000 – {{Inflation|index=US|value=100,000|start_year=1900|fmt=eq}} – to $150,000, {{Inflation|index=US|value=150,000|start_year=1900|fmt=eq}}.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 1, 1900|title=Stillwater News|volume=XXIII|page=3|work=The St. Paul Globe|issue=305|url=https://newspapers.mnhs.org/jsp/PsImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=749ae28b-361d-49b0-aedc-a79155e2ac30%2Fmnhi0031%2F1HMADF5A%2F00110101|access-date=January 11, 2022|via=the Minnesota Historical Society}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== Bibliography == * {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zg8wAAAAYAAJ|title=History of the Saint Croix Valley|publisher=H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co.|year=1909|editor-last=Easton|editor-first=Augustus B.|volume=I|location=Chicago, IL|access-date=November 7, 2021}} * {{Cite book|last=Folsom|first=W. H. C.|url=https://archive.org/stream/fiftyyearsinnort00folsuoft|title=Fifty Years in the Northwest|publisher=Pioneer Press Company|year=1888|editor-last=Edwards|editor-first=E. E.|location=St. Paul, MN|lccn=rc01001070|author-link=W.H.C. Folsom|access-date=November 7, 2021}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mckusick, John}} Category:1815 births Category:1900 deaths Category:People from Cornish, Maine Category:Businesspeople from Minnesota Category:Minnesota state senators Category:19th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature