Frank S. Leffingwell

Frank Seth Leffingwell (November 16, 1868 - August 6, 1945) was a businessman, stone cutter, horse trader, real estate agent, officer of the law, as well as a municipal and provincial politician who was elected to public office in both the United States and Canada.

Early life

Leffingwell was born on November 16, 1868 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. He married his wife Ida May Erdman on December 24, 1890 and they moved to Benton County, Minnesota. In his early years Leffingwell traded horses and cut granite. Leffingwell joined the Benton County police force and became deputy Sheriff in 1898. In 1900 he ran in a 3 way election for the position of Sheriff as the Democrat candidate. He won the hotly contested race by 119 votes to become Benton County's new Sheriff defeating incumbent Democrat Sheriff Andrew LaVoie. While he was Sheriff Leffingwell got into the Hotel business he owned his first Hotel The Hotel Foley in Foley, Minnesota from 1902 to 1906. In November 1906 Leffingwell and his wife moved to Brunton, Alberta Canada known today as Warner, Alberta to take part in the great land rush.

Alberta

Leffingwell arrived in Warner, Alberta to take part in the great land rush, they procured a 150,000 acres (610 km²) of land, selling it all to arriving settlers. Leffingwell used his fortune to found the Warner Hotel in 1906. The Hotel operated from 1906 to 1927 before it was destroyed by fire. He also helped fund the construction of the first church on the town site the Evangelical church in Warner, and established the Warner Cemetery. Leffingwell continued his active role in politics serving as the towns first Mayor. He moved to provincial politics in 1913.^[1]

Provincial politics

Leffingwell ran for the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the 1913 Alberta general election. In that election Warner had become big enough to have its own seat represented in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Leffingwell became the first Member of the Warner winning a hotly contested 3 way race. Leffingwell was re-elected to his 2nd term in office in the 1917 Alberta general election with a comfortable plurality. He would suffer electoral defeat in the 1921 Alberta general election by Maurice Conner, a candidate from the United Farmers of Alberta.^[1]

Leffingwell would run against Conner again in the 1926 Alberta general election, losing half the votes he had during the previous election. After Conner retired in 1935 he attempted to run for office 1 more time in the 1935 Alberta general election. This time he placed a distant 3rd behind Social Credit candidate Solon Earl Low and James Walker.

References

1. "Benton County Minnesota Office of Sheriff History" (PDF). Sheriffs Office of Benton County. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-12.

External links

• Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing