This sculpture of former Minnesota governor John Albert Johnson was created in 1912 by Andrew O’Connor. A statue of Johnson stands on top of a concrete base with two figures on each side representing the industries of Minnesota: a miner, farmer, manufacturer and lumberjack.

A plaque on the sculpture reads:

John Albert Johnson

July 26, 1861 – Sept. 21, 1909

Three Times Governor of Minnesota
A Poor Boy / A Country Editor / A Natural Leader
Cut Down in His Prime
The Nation Mourns His Loss

“His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him, that nature might stand up and say to all the world this was a man.”

This monument is raised to his memory by one hundred thousand of his friends.

After Johnson’s sudden death from cancer, $25,000 was raised to build this monument. No one could contribute more than $1 and nearly 100,000 people contributed, a testament to Johnson’s popularity.