On This Date in Minnesota History: January 3

January 3, 1916 – John Lind, former governor of Minnesota, one of the honorary pallbearers at the funeral of the late Governor Hammond, fell on the icy steps of the Capitol this morning and sustained serious injuries. The former governor insisted on accompanying the funeral procession to the waiting funeral train at the St. Paul Union Depot, but then had to give up the trip to St. James, Minn., where Hammond will be laid to rest.

Governor Hammond’s casket on a gun carriage, under escort of Minnesota National Guardsmen, on the way from the state capitol where it lay in state Saturday and Sunday, to the funeral train that bore it today to its last resting place in the governor’s home city, St. James.¹


An examination showed that Mr. Lind was suffering from two fractured ribs.

Following his fall, General Fred B. Wood advised the former governor to ride in a carriage to the station. Mr. Lind felt that out of respect to the late governor he should march with the rest of the honorary pallbearers. He stepped out of line when the procession reached the station.

Mr. Lind was reported at his residence this evening as being in a favorable condition. The injury is not considered serious.


The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “John Lind Is Hurt by a Fall While at Hammond Funeral. Two Ribs Broken, Result of Slip on Icy Steps of Capitol.”; Jan. 4, 1916; p. 1.

¹The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; Jan. 4, 1916; p. 2.

Death of Gov. Hammond; see Dec. 30, 2014 blog

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