august march real estate prominent figure early minneapolis minnesota history originally born rhode_island settled minneapolis characterized baron earned fortune developing land city borders residential housing financing enable people buy properties 1870s 1880s developed large areas including area lake developed luxury resort lake built corporate headquarters time city tallest skyscraper costly legal battle real estate deal financial real estate empire collapsed fled country avoid prosecution charges charges eventually dropped key witnesses died hesitant testify spent later portion life working real estate new_york_city area worked minnesota early life born providence rhode_island father descendant french immigrants mother mary descendant passenger family moved massachusetts young high school father died tuberculosis leaving louis brother family business doctor diagnosed weak lungs suggested west avoid falling ill tuberculosis moved minnesota shortly brief time teaching classes minneapolis business school found work business clerk logging camp near real estate empire returned minneapolis entered real estate business partner gradually built empire purchasing farmland fringes city developing property residential neighborhoods financing people purchase homes worked head city system ensure new lines built serve outlying areas developing present day neighborhood areas surrounding developed companies small inclusion title property sold stating revert descendants alcohol sold release exchange small cash payment called clause remained force thousands properties decades cash payments release generated significant income successors passed law clause september married daughter local businessman minneapolis pioneer daughter june opened luxurious near lake city luxury resorts hotel featured multi room luxurious common areas including dining room music hall hotel opening celebrated gala attended city leaders specially arranged guests minneapolis night festivities ended ran legal trouble purchase large plot land south minneapolis known farm owned land placed trust new_york king fallen financial trouble joined later partner advanced king sum money exchange managing land seeing developed sold fair price king declared bankruptcy purchased land king token sum promised honor previous agreement later met devised plan sell king land development telling king negotiated separate deal likely agreed pay profits land fee exchange help keeping king bay proceeded develop land housing king aware scheme retained lawyer sue claimed ignorance agreement king asserted purchased property outright lengthy trial minnesota lost ordered return land king proceeds development land appealed lower court decision upheld total paid king approximately million million time maintained judgment later recalled protracted legal battle subsequent loss threatened bankruptcy ruin founded handle mortgage real estate business members company board important political business figures real estate business handled separate company called cemented place city building commonly known metropolitan building city tallest skyscraper cost million million building home companies offices rooftop restaurant private law library minneapolis center empire owned land property midwest western states including montana galveston texas indiana madison wisconsin philanthropy contributed charitable causes minneapolis donated funds construction building provided temporary home sponsored new bell attended sponsored scientific expedition philippines partnership expedition led primarily collected thousands specimens birds animals philippine slow bleeding heart named honor specimens expedition appear lost discarded remain collections financial collapse later life early 1890s begun purchase land near washington accumulating thousand acres planned develop iron steel mill housing workers finance development sold early form mortgage backed security investors new_england europe occurred investors found properties fraudulent deeds held random names taken minneapolis telephone books properties payments investors bank funds law era shareholders liable losses indicted charges fled guatemala warrant arrest issued assistant tried twice trials ended hung jury letter protested innocence blaming lawsuit hurting finances noting correctly practice note mortgage unknown business world charges dropped key witnesses died appeared reluctant testify accounts present courtroom time suggest returned minneapolis spent rest life living new_jersey working real estate new_york_city area died buried minneapolis
Louis F. Menage