A graduate of Bowdoin College, he first studied law in the office of John A. Peters in Bangor, Maine, before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, around 1857.

His business ventures in lumber and flour milling allowed him to amass a large fortune, and by the 1880s, he was among the wealthiest men in Minnesota.

The grounds included an artificial stream leading to a pond, a rustic footbridge, a greenhouse, and a carriage house.

The home was demolished in 1924 to make way for a park, although the region is now part of the Washburn-Fair Oaks Mansion District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Cad eventually became a noted artist and news correspondent who pioneered many new painting techniques in the west.

The arts center at his alma mater, Gallaudet University, is named for Cad Washburn.