Chester Adgate Congdon

On his paternal side, Chester was the sixth in descent from James Congdon, a Quaker from England who settled in Rhode Island in the first half of the 17th century.

On the death of the judge in 1902, the surviving partners resumed their original title and continued thus until 1904, when both retired from active practice.

He became a prominent figure in connection with the development of the iron and copper mining resources of the Lake Superior country, and at the same time, his advice and assistance were sought by many business and financial institutions on the directorate of which his name never appeared.

Named "Glensheen", its construction came with a hefty price tag of $854,000 ($29 million in 2023 dollars) and was finished in February 1908—the family had moved in a few months prior.

The estate featured a turn-of-the-century mansion, hot water, electricity, and grounds irrigated from nearby Tischer Creek.

As the leader in charge of redrawing the state's legislative districts, he attempted to give northeast Minnesota and the Twin Cities more senators.

Congdon also voted against recall elections, against temperance measures, for limitations on workers going on strike, and for free public transport to policemen and firefighters.

[5] In 1916, he was made a member of the Republican National Central Committee, and his opinions carried weight in the councils of the party.

A contemporary biographer has said of him: "Those who really knew Mr. Congdon found in him a man of tender heart and warm, human sympathies.