Thomas R. Potts

Later years and legacy

In 1853 he was one of the founding members of the Minnesota Medical Association, serving as its first president. In 1866 he was elected as City Physician, and as health officer of St. Paul in 1873. It was while serving as health officer that he died suddenly on October 6, 1874. By the time of his death he was the senior practicing physician of the city. His daughter Mary Steele married Crawford Livingston, a successful banker and businessman, on January 28, 1875. His son Henry S. Potts worked as a county surveyor in Ramsey County, led a party up to the Klondike Gold Rush, and returned to continue public service.

During his years in St. Paul, Potts was described as an "institution" and "a man everybody liked and of whom an unkind word was never said." His personality was described as fun, humorous and social, and his practice was termed "kind-hearted". He was considered a strong candidate for any elected position in Ramsey County; however he despised politics and after his brief term as mayor decided to stick to the practice of medicine.