Representative Frank Crenshaw Millspaugh

Frank Crenshaw Millspaugh (January 14, 1872 – July 8, 1947) was a United States Representative from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party who served one term in Congress from 1921 to 1923. Over the course of a varied career in business, banking, municipal government, state administration, and county judicial office, he was an active participant in the political and economic life of Missouri in the early twentieth century.

Millspaugh was born on January 14, 1872, in Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois. He attended the public schools of his native community, receiving a basic education that prepared him for a career in commerce and public affairs. There is no record of his attending college or professional school; instead, he entered the workforce as a young man and built his career through practical experience in business and finance.

In 1891 Millspaugh entered the grain commission business in New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the beginning of his long association with the grain trade. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1892, then to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1894, and finally to Canton, Missouri, in 1896, continuing in the grain shipping business at each stop. His work in these major commercial centers exposed him to regional and national markets and helped establish his reputation as a businessman. In 1900 he expanded his activities into banking, a field in which he remained engaged until 1921. His growing prominence in local affairs led to his selection as a delegate to the Republican State convention in 1912, signaling his emergence as a figure in Missouri Republican politics.

Millspaugh’s formal political career began at the municipal level. He served as mayor of Canton, Missouri, from 1915 to 1919, overseeing local governance during the World War I era. His tenure as mayor coincided with a period of economic and social change, and his combined background in business and banking informed his approach to municipal administration. His experience in local government and party politics laid the groundwork for his subsequent bid for national office.

In 1920 Millspaugh was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh Congress, representing Missouri in the United States House of Representatives. He served from March 4, 1921, until his resignation on December 5, 1922. During this single term in office, he participated in the legislative process at a time when the nation was adjusting to the post–World War I environment and the early years of the Harding administration. As a member of the House of Representatives, he represented the interests of his Missouri constituents and contributed to the work of Congress during a significant period in American history. A candidate for reelection in 1922 to the Sixty-eighth Congress, he was unsuccessful and subsequently left the House after his one term.

After leaving Congress, Millspaugh continued his public service at the state level. He served as Missouri’s State commissioner of finance in 1923 and 1924, a position that placed him at the center of state oversight of financial institutions and reflected his long experience in banking and business. In 1925 he moved to Jefferson City, Missouri, the state capital, where he engaged in the real estate business until 1929. That year he entered the brokerage business, further extending his involvement in financial and commercial enterprises.

In the later phase of his career, Millspaugh returned to elective office at the county level. He was elected county judge of Jasper County, Missouri, in 1942 and was reelected in 1944 and 1946. In this capacity he served on the county court, which in Missouri functioned as the principal administrative and governing body of the county, handling matters such as budgets, infrastructure, and local regulations. He held this office until his death, maintaining an active role in public affairs well into his seventies.

Frank Crenshaw Millspaugh died in Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, on July 8, 1947, at the age of 75, while still serving as county judge. He was interred in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Missouri, the community where he had earlier established himself in business and served as mayor. His career reflected a progression from local businessman to municipal leader, United States Representative, state financial official, and county judge, illustrating a lifelong engagement with both public service and the economic life of Missouri.