Babcock, Charles Merritt (1871–1936)

As state highway commissioner (1917–1933), Charles Babcock established high standards for funding and building roads throughout the state of Minnesota. His plans for taxation and construction allowed modern roads to reach every corner of the state.

Born August 10, 1871, in Sherburne County to Willard and Serepeta Babcock, Charles Merritt Babcock grew up on a farm. He later worked in his father’s mercantile store, entered the county political scene, and became president of the Bank of Elk River. Ultimately, his professional life evolved to focus on improving methods of transportation as a means to enhance business in rural Minnesota.

Babcock entered the University of Minnesota in 1892 to study engineering. During the economic crisis of 1893, however, he became unable to pay his tuition and dropped out to work in his father’s store in Elk River. While working there, he realized that he could improve business and build relationships with county farmers by providing easy transportation and access to the markets.

With this in mind, Babcock began a political career. In 1908 he ran for county commissioner with a plan to improve local roads and transportation routes. After two years of service, he realized that working for the state government and the state highway commission would better serve his mission.

Babcock joined the Minnesota State Highway Commission in 1910. He served until 1917, when the state disbanded the commission. The legislature replaced it with the Department of Transportation under the direction of Governor Joseph Burnquist, who then appointed Babcock the first Minnesota highway commissioner.

Babcock’s primary achievement during his sixteen-year tenure was an amendment to the state constitution that used tax dollars to fund the building and maintenance of state roads. Known as the Babcock Amendment, it levied taxes first on automobile registration and later on gasoline to fund roads.

During his career, Babcock belonged to the American Road Builders Association, the National Safety Council, and several international transportation associations. Locally, he influenced the directing of the Jefferson Highway through Sherburne County to St Cloud. During his time in the Department of Transportation, work crews paved the road that passed from the Anoka County line north through Elk River and the entire county.

The 1930 election of Governor Floyd Olson, a reform-minded Farmer-Labor advocate, led to public scrutiny of Babcock and his office. In December 1933 Olson asked him to resign from his post as commissioner. Babcock complied, and Olson replaced him with N. W. Elisberg.

Starting in 1933, six taxpayers brought a series of lawsuits against Babcock alleging price fixing and preferential treatment of road construction contractors. One of them, Regan vs. Babcock (1936), reached the Minnesota Supreme Court. The justices ultimately cleared Babcock of fraud-related charges but ordered the contractors to return close to $385,000 in overpayment to the state of Minnesota.

Babcock returned to his job at the Bank of Elk River and continued to work for improved roads and transportation. He died on November 23, 1936.