Gottfried Magney was born on April 14, 1884 in Hagar City, Wisconsin. He attended public schools in Stillwater, Minnesota and Amery, Wisconsin. In 1905 he earned a degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota. After working for a year as draftsman for the Board of Education in Seattle, he moved to San Francisco and worked as draftsman for Welch & Carey, architects. He moved to Duluth in about 1907 and entered partnership with P.M. Olson, then relocated to Minneapolis in 1908 where he worked for a year in the office of Edwin H. Hewitt. He became a partner of Cecil B. Chapman (Chapman & Magney) from 1912 to 1916 and, after a brief stint in the firm of Tyrie & Chapman, he formed a partnership with Wilbur H. Tusler. Magney retired in 1954.

Wilbur Tusler was born in Miles City, Montana on August 26, 1890. He was trained at the University of Minnesota and received a B.A. in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in 1914. He became a partner of Gottfried Magney in about 1917 and remained in that firm until his retirement in 1960. Tusler died on August 14, 1985 in Ft. Myers, Florida.

In 1939, Donald Setter became a third partner in the firm and in 1952, Stowell Leach, John Lindstrom, and John Magney became principals. The firm is active today as Setter, Leach & Lindstrom.