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John F. Galvin served two terms as mayor of West St. Paul. He credited his election victories not to political skill but to sleight of hand. Galvin’s skill as a magician drew crowds and votes.
Who: Born in 1866 in Mendota, Galvin had a varied career—railroad worker, conductor, police officer, and salesman.
- He served as the conductor of the first electric street car in St. Paul.
- An entertainer at heart, Galvin was gregarious and described as a “man without an enemy.”
- Galvin was known for his colorful stories. His favorite was being “kidnapped by an Indian” as a boy. As the story goes, his family hired a Native woman to do their family’s wash. One day, Galvin’s goat kicked the woman, enraging her to the point that she grabbed Galvin and ran off. Her tribe lived near St. Paul and Galvin was later found asleep in her teepee.
Magician to Mayor
But Galvin’s claim to fame was as a magician. His skills included ventriloquism, knife swallowing, and sleight of hand. Galvin apparently learned the trade as a scene shifter at the Grand, picking up skills from Alexander Herrmann, Harry Kellar, and other famous magicians.
In 1908, the Pioneer Press claimed that Galvin’s “dexterity as a sleight of hand performer” won him election twice, and his admirers wanted him to run for Dakota County sheriff.
According to the story, Galvin was up against a popular incumbent (likely John Licha) and had no money for a campaign. But he did have magic: “From house to house he journeyed, pulling bull dogs out of stove pipes and unearthing a pot of green backs in the family woodbox.”
“It was all I had against the other fellow’s money and standing. And I used it. I got the young fellows interested and they did the rest. My campaigns have never cost me any money. All I do is go around and show the people a few fancy tricks, and of course I’m always willing to help out on an entertainment.” -John F. Galvin, quoted in the Pioneer Press
Elected in 1907 and 1909, Galvin became the first West St. Paul mayor elected to the office without first serving on City Council.
“West St. Paul is intensely proud of its magic mayor and boasts of being the only municipality in the country whose chief executive can welcome a distinguished guest with one hand and then draw a cook stove out of his hat with the other.” –Pioneer Press, 1908
Died: Galvin died in 1927 at the age of 61 in the home of his son, John G. Galvin, at 999 Seminole Avenue after a three-week illness.
Postcard: See our postcard of John Galvin, created by local artist Ramona Webb.
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(Illustration by Ramona Webb)
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