Historical 6X6 page boldly signed in old black ink, "S. R. VanSant." Comes with the original transmittal envelope. A terrific example of his signature.(1844-1936) Samuel Rinnah Van Sant was an American politician who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives and as the 15th Governor of Minnesota.After arriving in Winona, Van Sant continued to work in the shipbuilding and lumber rafting industries. By the 1890s, he had become financially successful and his company was responsible for moving more lumber down the Mississippi River than any other.He also became active with local Republican politics. In 1892, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives and served two consecutive terms from 1893 to 1897. In his second term, he served as the Speaker of the House.In 1900, he ran for governor against incumbent John Lind and won, serving two terms, from 1901 to 1905. As governor, Van Sant filed a lawsuit against the Northern Securities Company railroad trust arguing that its formation violated a state law. His case was later taken up at the federal level by President Theodore Roosevelt and, in the 1904 United States Supreme court case Northern Securities Co. v. United States, the company was dissolved. He was also involved in legislation which updated the state's election process and removed restrictions on the state legislature's taxation and spending powers.After serving as Governor Van Sant retired from politics. He was commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic from 1909 to 1910.Comes with a full Letter of Authenticity from Todd Mueller Authentics.