Loren Fletcher

Who was Loren Fletcher?

Loren Fletcher was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota. He was born in Mount Vernon, Kennebec County, Maine and attended the public schools and Maine Wesleyan Seminary, Kents Hill, Maine. Fletcher moved to Bangor in 1853, where he was a stonecutter, clerk in a store, and an employee of a lumber company.

In 1856, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and engaged in manufacturing and mercantile pursuits, largely in the manufacture of lumber and flour. He became a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank upon its establishment in 1864.

Fletcher was elected a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives 1872 – 1886, and served as speaker from 1880 to 1885. Beginning with the 1892 election, he was elected as a Republican to the 53rd, 54th, 55th, 56th, and 57th congresses. Fletcher served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings