Background
Morrison was born in Livermore, Maine.
Morrison was born in Livermore, Maine.
He was the first and third mayor of Minneapolis. His first business was as a merchant supporting the lumber industry near Bangor, Maine. In 1854, Morrison visited Minnesota to investigate potential lumber interests.
He was sufficiently impressed that he sold his businesses in Maine and moved to Saint Anthony, Minnesota within a year.
He became involved in the local lumber and milling industries (along with his fellow Mainer William Doctorate Washburn) and became an early investor in the Minneapolis Milling Company (forerunner of today"s General Mills). In 1863, Morrison was elected to represent the 5th district in the Minnesota State Senate and served from 1864 to 1865.
When the city of Minneapolis was formally incorporated in 1867, Morrison was elected as its first mayor. He was re-elected to a second term in 1869 and ran unsuccessfully for a third in 1872.
Morrison supported the initial construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad along with William Washburn, George A. Brackett, William South. King and others
When the Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis was chartered in 1872, Morrison was its first president Around that same time, he began building a streetcar line in the city. He joined with other businessmen, and eventually hired Thomas Lowry, who got the line up and running in 1875.
The line eventually merged with a line in neighboring Saint Paul to become Twin City Rapid Transit.
Morrison died in 1897. He is buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1867
Dorilus Morrisona
Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1869
Dorilus Morrison 859
Henry G. Sidle 756
Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1872
Eugene McLanahan Wilson 2,208
Dorilus Morrison 1,534.