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Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell

1820 – 1890

First Lady of North Carolina

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About Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell

Lived 1820 – 1890 (aged 69).

Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell (July 19, 1820 – June 21, 1890) was an American political hostess who, as the wife of Governor Tod Robinson Caldwell, served as First Lady of North Carolina from 1871 to 1874.

Biography Caldwell was born Minerva Ruffin Cain in 1820. She was the daughter of Mary Ruffin and William Cain of Hillsborough, North Carolina. They had at least four children: Mary Ruffin Caldwell, wife of Dr. Waighstill Collett; John "Jack" Caldwell, killed at Gettysburg; Martha R. Caldwell, wife of Edward W. Ward; and Hannah J. Caldwell, wife of Walter Brem.

She served as second lady and then as first lady of North Carolina during the Reconstruction Period, during her husband's terms as lieutenant governor and governor.

Caldwell died of heart disease in Morganton, North Carolina in 1890.

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Important facts

Born
19 July 1820
Birth century
19th century
Died
21 June 1890

People in Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Portrait of John
John
1881 – 1963
Latin Catholic priest
 Portrait of Tod Robinson Caldwell
Tod Robinson Caldwell
1818 – 1874
Politician
 Portrait of William Cain
William Cain
1862 – 1932
Captain (naval)

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell's

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David Brewster
1781 – 1868
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Joseph Johann Littrow
1781 – 1840
Astronomer
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Siméon Denis Poisson
1781 – 1840
Mathematician
 Portrait of Adam Sedgwick
Adam Sedgwick
1785 – 1873
Geologist
 Portrait of Carl Adolph Agardh
Carl Adolph Agardh
1785 – 1859
Botanist
 Portrait of Jan Evangelista Purkyně
Jan Evangelista Purkyně
1787 – 1869
Physician

Frequently asked questions

Who was Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell?

first Lady of North Carolina (1871–1874)

When was Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell born?

Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell was born on 19 July 1820.

When did Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell die?

Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell died on 21 June 1890.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell

· Wikidata: Q131705384

· DBpedia: Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell. https://biography.guide/minerva-ruffin-cain-caldwell/

MLA: "Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/minerva-ruffin-cain-caldwell/.

Chicago: "Minerva Ruffin Cain Caldwell." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/minerva-ruffin-cain-caldwell/.

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