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History  of 

St.  Paul  and  Vicinity 

A  Chronicle  of  Progress  and  a  Narrative  Account  of  the 

Industries,  Institutions  and  People  of  the  City 

and  its  Tributary  Territory 


BY 

HENRY  A.  CASTLE 


VOLUME 


ILLUSTRATED 


THE  LEWIS  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

CHICAGO   AND  NEW  YORK 

1912  w 


-^ 


y 

4- 


PREFACE 

Tlic  history  of  St.  Paul  has  been  long  in  the  making.  Some  of  its 
episodes  have  been  written  at  many  periods  and  in  many  forms— -in  the 
upheavals  of  limestone  blocks  visible  beside  railroad  grades ;  in  the 
tumuli  of  Mounds  Park  and  the  hieroglyphics  of  Carver's  Cave;  in  the 
reports  of  army  officers  and  fur  traders  and  missionaries;  in  the  private 
letters  and  the  public  records  and  the  ubiquitous  journals  of  the  later 
days.  It  is  still  in  the  making.  Only  by  periodical  recapitulations  of 
contemporary  episodes  will  we  be  able  to  "catch  the  shadow  ere  the 
substance  fades." 

Published  histories  of  St.  Paul  have  not  been  numerous,  but  have  on 
the  whole,  been  exceptionally  valuable.  All  have  been  based  as  all  here- 
after must  be  based  on  the  researches  and  writings  of  J.  Fletcher  Williams, 
for  many  years  the  careful  and  industrious  Secretary  of  the  Minnesota 
-Historical  'Society.  In  1876,  Mr.  Williams'  "History  of  St.  Paul"  ap- 
peared; in  1881  was  issued  a  history  of  Ramsey  county,  which  was 
largely  his  work;  in  1890,  Mr.  Williams,  together  with  Mr.  R.  I.  Hol- 
comb.  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill,  D.  D.,  and  others  contributed  liberally  to  the  ex- 
cellent history  edited  by  Gen.  C.  C.  Andrews.  In  so  far  as  the  early  an- 
nals of  the  town  were  coincident  with  those  of  the  Territory,  all  the  writ- 
ers have  been  indebted  to  the  works  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Neill.  These  several 
sources,  as  well  as  the  inexhaustible  reservoir  of  St.  Paul's  enterprising 
newspapers,  have  been  freely  drawn  on,  in  preparing  this  publication. 

The  rule  of  arrangement  in  this  history  is  strictly  topical,  with  de- 
partures in  the  earlier  chapters  necessary  to  preserve  a  chronological 
sequence  as  to  events  preceding  the  era  of  Minnesota's  statehood.  The 
"dictionary  of  dates"  is  brought  down  to  1892,  after  which  period  minor 
occurrences  in  the  city,  which  had  then  achieved  metropolitan  proportions, 
lost  their  relative  importance.  The  topical  method  of  treatment  gives 
more  coherence  of  recital,  enabling  readers  to  follow  subjects  consecu- 
tively from  their  beginnings.  It  is  here  employed  for  the  first  time  in 
a  histor/  of  St.  Paul. 

The  biographical  matter,  which  is  of  indispensable  value,  for  present 
reference  and  jiermanent  preservation,  is  presented  separately,  that  it 
may  not  break  the  continuity  of  the  general  history.  Among  the  sub- 
jects we  have  tried  to  fully  cover  in  this  work,  which  have  only  been 
treated  casually  or  not  at  all  in  preceding  histories  of  this  city  are: 
Changes  in  physical  aspects;  comments  of  early  visitors;  functions  as  a 
Capital  City:  politics  and  politicians:  the  call  to  the  homebuilder;  com- 
mercial bodies  of  the  past  and  present:  postal  and  other  federal  head- 
quarters ;  health  conservation ;  woman's  influence ;  notable  conventions ; 
the  State  Fair ;  real  estate  interests ;  libraries  and  literary  societies ;  the 
runestone's  revelations ;  new  departures  in  education ;  the  St.  Paul  In- 
stitute ;  artists  and  architects ;  the  new  Capitol  and  the  new  Cathedral ; 
The  Christian  Associations;  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic;  or- 
ganized charities;  the  national  guard;  musical  development;  the  Mid- 

iii 


iv  PREFACE 

way  district ;  suburban  towns ;  the  Twin  City,  and  a  comprehensive  sur- 
vey of  the  elements  of  St.  Paul's  present  greatness  and  future  supremacy. 
If  we  have  added  to  previous  coni])ilations  of  the  city's  annals  authentic 
information  on  these  important  themes,  in  addition  to  bringing  the  rec- 
ord of  events  as  to  more  familiar  matters  down  to  date,  we  may  per- 
haps look  to  be  credited  with  having  increased  the  fund  of  accessible 
local  narrative,  and  laid  a  broader  foundation  for  future  historical  struc- 
tures. 

During  forty-seven  eventful  years,  .St.  Paul  has  been  the  author's 
chosen  and  cherished  home.  In  the  hope  that  he  has  herein  contributed 
something  to  a  wider  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the  city's  greatness, 
these  pages  are  respectfully  submitted. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

GEOGRAPHICAL  POSITION  AND  PHYSICAL  ASPECTS. 

Tribqtary  to  St.  Paul — Picturesque  Minnesota  and  St.  Paul — 
Geology  of  St.  Paul  and  Vicinity — Artificial  Changes — De- 
funct Lakes.  i 

CHAPTER  II, 

PRE-HISTORIC  ST.  PAUL 

The  Mound  Builders — "The  Real  Indian" — The  Sioux  in  1834 — 
First  Mention  of  St.  Paul  Region — Reckless  Penesha,  the 
Voyageur — Carver,  Advertiser  of  the  Northwest — The  Carver 
Claim  to  St.  Paul,  Etc. — Sioux  vs.  Ojibway — Another  Land 
Owner.  id 

CHAPTER  III 

FOUNDING  OF  FORT   SNELLING 

Pike  and  the  Sioux  Land  Grant — Little  Crow  and  Rising  Moose 
— Nucleus  of  St.  Paul — First  Mill  Erected — Named  Fort  Snel- 
LiN'G  BY  Scott — Commencement  of  Fremont's  Career — Birth 
OF  Minnesota  Agriculture.  21 

CHAPTER  IV 

THE  EARLIEST  PERMANENT  SETTLERS 

Peter  Parraxt  and  Abraham  Perry — Joseph  R.  Brown — Expel- 
ling Squatters — Soldiers  of  "Fortune" — Parrant,  or  "Pig's 
Eye" — A  Mysterious  Death^ — -Permanent  Settlers — Mr.  Lar- 
penteur's  Birthday  Invitation.  32 

CHAPTER  V 

SOCIAL  AND  POLITICAL  BEGINNINGS 

A  PosTOFFicE  Town — School  for  Indians — First  Real  Hotel 
Opened — Cart    Brigade    .and    Steamship    Company — A   Pivotal 

V 


vi  CONTENTS 

Year  (1848) — Minnesota  Territory — St.  Paul  Declared  the 
Capital — "St.  Paul  Pioneer"  Fou.nded — Indians  Investicvte 
Civiliz.\tion — Settlers  of  1838-48.  41 


CHAPTER  \T 

THE  EARLY  TERRITORIAL  ERA 

Population  of  St.  Paul — First  Public  Celebr.\tion — Postoffice  and 
First  Court — Ramsey  County  Created — First  County  Officers 
— St.  Paul  in  1850 — Mail  Service  Improved — The  Northern 
Pacific  Prophesied — Second  Legisl.\ture  Assembles — Meeting 
OF  Third  Legisl.vture — Fourth  Legislature  Convenes — St.  Paul 
IN  1853 — Gorman  Succeeds  Ramsey.  51 

CHAPTER  \U 

THE  CITY  OF  ST.  PAUL  INCORPORATED 

Incorporation  and  First  Election — "Gre.\t  Railroad  Excursion" 
— Immigration  and  Infl.\tion  —  Squelching  of  St.  Peter's 
Ambition — Medary  Succeeds  Gorman — The  "Sunrise  Expedi- 
tion"— Inflation  and  Collapse — AIurders  and  Fir.st  E.xecution. 

63 
CHAPTER  \1H 

MINNESOTA'S  ATTAINMENT  OF  STATEHOOD 

Stormy  First  State  Convention — Constitution  Adopted — Minne- 
sota's Three  Governors — Rice  and  Shields  Elected  Senators — 
Admitted  to  the  Union — Paper  Railways  and  "Wild  Cat" 
Banks — Ramsey's  Republican  Administr.\tion.  73 

CHAPTER   IX 

DICTIONARY  OF  D.ATES  (1820-60) 

Corner  Stone  of  Fort  Snelling  Laid  (1820) — First  Steamer  As- 
cends TO  St.  Paul  (1823) — Indians  Cede  all  Lands  East  of  the 
River  (1837)— First  Marriage  (1839)— First  White  Child 
(1839)— First  Church  (i 841)— Village  Christened  St.  Paul 
(1841)— First  School  (1846)— First  Hotel  (1847)— St.  P-^^'^ 
Designated  Territorial  Capital  (1849)— First  Newspaper 
(1849)— First  Court  (1849)— First  Brick  Store  (1850)— Build- 
ing OF  Court  House  Commenced  (1850)— St.  Paul  Incorporated 
(1854) — First  Daily  Newspapers  (1854)— Board  of  Trade  Or- 
G.^J^IZI■D  (1854)— First  City  Survey  (1855)— Board  of  Educa- 
tion Created  (1855)— St.  Paul  Library  Association  Incorpor- 
ated (1857)— "Sunrise  Expedition"  (1857)— First  State  Elec- 
tion  (1857) Old  Settlers  Society  Organized   (1858).  82 


/ 


CONTENTS  vii 

CHAPTER  X 

DICTIONARY  OF  DATES  (1860-75) 

Great  Fire  on  Third  Street  (i860) — Call  for  Troops  Received 
(April  13,  1861) — First  Regiment  Left  for  Front  (June  22, 
1861)— Capt.  W.  B.  Farrell  Killed  at  Gettysburg  (July  3,  1863) 
— Musical  Society  Formed  (1863) — Explosion  of  the  Steamer 
"John  Rumsey"  (1864) — Return  of  Regiments  (July  5,  August 
II,  1865) — Establishment  of  House  of  Refuge  (Reform  School) 
(1866) — Excavation  for  Opera  House  (1866) — Chamber  of 
Commerce  (Old  Board  of  Trade)  Organized  (1867) — Opera 
House  Dedicated  (1867) — Custom  House  Commenced  (1867)  — 
International  Hotel  Burned  (1869) — Water  Works  Completed 
(1869) — New  Merchants  Hotel  Commenced  (1870) — Street 
Railway  Opened  (1872) — Postoffice  Moved  to  Custom  House 
1873)— West  St.  Paul  Annexed  (1874).  96 

CHAPTER  XI 

DICTIONARY  OF  DATES  (1875-90) 

Standard  Club  Organized  (1875) — John  Ireland  Consecrated  Co- 
adjutor Bishop   (1875) — St.   Paul  Light  Infantry  Organized 

(1876) Paid    Fire    Department   Organized    (1877) — President 

Hayes  Visits  State  Fair  (1878) — Right-of-Way  Granted  to  St. 
Paul   Union    Depot    Company    (1880) — State    Capitol    Burned 

(1881) First    Meeting    of  Water    Reception    Commissioners 

(1881) — Villard  Reception  in  Honor  of  Northern  Pacific  Com- 
pletion (1883) — Minnesota  Commandery  Loyal  Legion  Or- 
ganized (1885) — First  Ice  Palace  Opened  (1886) — Ireland 
Created  an  Archbishop  (1888).  108 

CHAPTER   Xll 

AS  OTHERS  SAW  US 

First  Written  Description  of  St.  Paul — Editor  Goodhue's  Picture 
— On  the  "High-Pressure"  Principle — Land,  Land,  Day  and 
Night — Bancroft  and  Seward  on  St.  Paul — Great  Far  North- 
west Prophesied — Mark  Twain's  Sketch — Villard  Cuts  Away 
from  Wall  Street — Charles  Dudley  Warner's  Enthusiasm — 
Newspaper  Rhapsodies.  120 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ST.  PAUL'S  PART  IN  SUPPRESSING  THE  REBELLION 

Minnesota  Offers  First  Union  Troops — First  Minnesota  at  Fort 
Snelling — Ordered    to    Virginia — Arrives    in     Washington — 


viii  CONTENTS 

First  Ladies'   \'oluxteer  Aid  Society — Minnesota's  Contribu- 
tion OF  Soldiery — St.  Paul's  Special  Participation — Spanish- 
American  War.  1 30 
CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  INDIAN  WAR  OF  1862-3 

St.  PauLj  the  Center  of  Activities — First  Indian  Attacks — "Little 
Crow"  Chose.v  Leader — Fort  Ridgely  Attacked — Irish-Ameri- 
cans Take  the  Field — Fort  Ridgely  Disaster  and  Relief — 
Attack  on  New  Ulm  Repulsed — Terrible  Affair  ..^t  Birch 
Coolie — Indians  Routed  at  Wood  Lake — White  Captives  Re- 
leased AND  Indian  Miscreants  Hung — Outbreak  Quelled — 
Property  Damages  Paid.  141 

CHAPTER  XV 

ST.  PAUL  THE  CAPITAL  CITY 

Imposing  Physique — St.  Paul  Under  Many  Jurisdictions— Terri- 
torial Capitols — New  State  Capitol — State  Officers  and 
Government — Ramsey's  Prophecy  More  Than  Fulfilled.       151 

CHAPTER  XVI 

POLITICS  AND  POLITICIANS 

Early  Issues — Prohibition  and  the  Referendum — Early  Politi- 
cians and  Personal  Contests — Founders  of  Minnesota  Rail- 
roads— Fight  Over  Visit  of  Douglas — Gubernatorial  Personal- 
ities— Donnelly  and  Wheelock — "Young  Republicans"  of  the 
Early  Seventies — Famous  St.  Paul  Men — Judicial  Honors — 
A  CoNvicTio.N  from  Wide  Observation._  162 

CHAPTER  X\TI 

THE  MUNICIPALITY  OF  ST.  PAUL 

First  Town  Corpor.-\tion  and  Election — E.vrly  Ordinances — Blun- 
der in  Street  Grades — St.  Paul  as  a  City — West  St.  Paul  Incor- 
por.'Vted — Total  City  Indebtedness — New  Charter  Granted  and 
Amended  —  Improvements  —  Charter  Amendments  and  Terri- 
torial Extensions — Government  by  Boards — The  Bell  Charter 
— Provisions  for  Quarter  Commission — St.  Paul  "Home  Rule" 
Charter — "Commission"  Form  of  Government — City  a.nd  County 
— Municipal  Debt  and  Property.  173 

CHAPTER  X\III 

GATEWAY  OF  A  NORTHWESTERN  EMPIRE 

St.  Paul's  Tributary  Territory — Water  Power  and  Electric 
Smelting — Agriculture  and  Live  Stock — The  Red  River  \'al- 


CONTENTS  ix 

LEY — The    Dakotas — Montana — Irrigation    and    the    Apples — 
Gateway  to  it  all — Center  of  Out-Door  Charms.  184 

CHAPTER  XIX 

CALL  TO  THE  HOME-BUILDER 

Spencer  on  Racial  Amalgamation — Other  Good  and  Wise  Prophets 
— Land,  the  Only  Solid  Basis  of  Prosperity — Duty  to  Become 
Home  Owner — Nature  of  AIinnesota's  Population — Favorable 
Conditions  for  the  Home-Builder — The  Consolidated  Rural 
School — Electric  Light  and  Power  to  Farmers — Abundant  and 
Practical  Education — Moral  and  Religious  Influences — Min- 
nesota's Grand  Call.  196 

CHAPTER  XX 

EARLY  TRANSPORTATION  AND  NAVIGATION 

Dog-Sledge  Traveling — The  Knowlton  Road — The  Stage  Coach 
Era — Minnesota  Stage  Company — "Pembina  Carts"- — River 
Transportation — Navigation  of  the  Upper  Mississippi — Busi- 
ness at  St.  Paul — Opposition  to  Galena  Packet  Company — 
Northwestern  Union  Packet  Company — Other  Steamboat 
Companies — "Diamond  Jo"  Reynolds — Romance  of  the  Missis- 
sippi— Minnesota  River  Navigation.  207 

CHAPTER  XXI 

RAILROAD   DEVELOPMENT 

Land  Grants  to  Railroads — Railroad  Building,  1865-90 — St.  Paul, 
the  Construction  Center — The  Great  Northern  System — 
Northern  Pacific  R.\ilro.\d — Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis 
&  Omaha  System — The  Minnesota  Central  Railroad — The 
Chicago  Great  Western — Minneapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad — 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad — Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific — 
The  "Soo"  Line — Destined  March  of  St.   Paul.  218 

CHAPTER  XXII 

PASSENGER  AND  FREIGHT  TERMINALS 

By  1888,  Great  Railway  Traffic  Apparent — St.  Paul  Passenger 
Depots — The  "Puget  Sound"  Linei — Creating  New  Traffic — St. 
Paul  Union  Depot — Relief  for  Business  Congestion — Ample 
Freight  Terminals.  229 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

COMMERCIAL  BODIES  OF  THE  PAST 

Chamber  of  Commerce  Incorporated — Its  Grand  Work  Pictured — 
Details   of  Organization — Both    Conservative   and   Aggressive 


X  CONTENTS 

— Wide  Range  of  Topics — Favors  Canadian  Reciprocity — Merged 
Into  St.  Paul  Commercial  Club — Board  of  Trade — The  Jobbers 
Union — The  Industrial  Union- — St.  Paul  Real  Estate  Ex- 
change. 240 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

COMMERCIAL   BODIES  OF  THE   PRESENT 

St.  Paul  Commercial  Club — New,  Broader,  More  Brotherly  Spirit 

— Scientific  Business   Management — St.  Paul  Association  of 

Commerce — Town  Crier's  Club.  250 

CHAPTTR  XXV 

THE  JOBBING  TRADE  OF  ST.  PAUL 

Old-Time  Fur  Trade — The  Retail  Business — Pioneer  Stores  and 
Merchants — Trade  in  1856 — Distinctive  Jobbing  Trade  (1867) 
— Direct  Importation  of  Foreign  Goods — The  Wholesale  Dis- 
trict— Cold  Storage  for  Produce — Climatic  Influences  on 
Trade — "Minnesota,  Know  Thyself!" — A  Few  Jobbing  Lines 
Represented  —  Paper  Manufacturers  —  Printers'  Supplies  — 
Auto  Accessories.  261 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

ST.  PAUL'S  MANUFACTURES 

In  Support  of  Home  Manufactures — Pioneer  Industrial  Plants — 
Statistics — St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis — St.  Paul's  Manufac- 
turing Advantages — As  a  Workingman's  City — Advantages  in 
Epitome — Threatened  Shifting  of  Industrial  Center — St. 
Paul's  Industrial  Gain — Superlative  Local  Industries — \'ast 
Future  of  Water  Power  273 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

BANKS  AND  BANKING 

H.  ii.  Sibley,  First  Banker — "Wild-Cat"  Banks  Discountenanced 
— BoRUP  &  Oakes,  Bankers  and  Brokers — Other  Early  Banks 
— Inflated  Prosperity  of  1857 — Reactionary  Depressions — 
Banking  During  the  Civil  War — Era  of  Financial  Stability — 
The  National  Banks — State  Banks— St.  Paul  Clearing  House 
— Trust  Companies  287 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 

POST  OFFICE  AND  POSTAL  SERVICE 

Dr.  David  Day — Henry  Jackson  and  Early  "Conveniences" — Post 
Offices  and  Revenues — History  of  the  Postal  Service — "Bad 
Medicine"  in  the  Service — "Good  Medicine"  in  St.  Paul  Office 

299 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  HEADQUARTERS  OF  FEDERAL  DEPARTMENTS 

Post  Office  Inspection  Service — Railway  Mail  Service — Inquiry 
Division  ("Nixie  Office") — Other  Government  Headquarters — 
As  A  Military  Center — Broad  Local  Patriotism  308 

CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  BENCH  AND  BAR 

Pioneer  Lawyers  and  Judges — Letter  of  Chief  Justice  Goodrich — 
First  Territorial  District  Court — First  Supreme  Court — 
Earliest  Minnesota  Law  Firms — The  St.  Paul  Bar — Terri- 
torial AND  State  Supreme  Court — District  Court  and  Library 
— -Probate  and  Municipal  Courts — United  States  Circuit 
Courts  and  Judges — Terms  of  the  United  States  Courts — Col- 
lege OF  Law  and  Bar  Associations  316 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

NEWSPAPERS  AND  PUBLISHING  HOUSES 

Newspapers,  Gold  Mines  of  History — "Register,"  First  Minnesota 
Newspaper — Murder  of  Its  Founder — The  "Minnesota  Pioneer" 
Founded — "Chronicle  and  Register" — "Pioneer  and  Demo- 
crat"— Old  "Pioneer"  Editors — "St.  Paul  Daily  Press" — "St. 
Paul  Pioneer  Press" — "Daily  Dispatch" — "Daily  Globe" — 
"Daily  News" — The  "Volkszeitung" — St.  Paul  Newspapers,  in 
Short — The  West  Publishing  Company — R.  L.  Polk  &  Company 

327 
CHAPTER  XXXII 

MEDICAL   PROFESSION   AND   HEALTH   CONSERVATION 

Physicians  Who  Came  Prior  to  1850— Arrivals  During  1850-60 — 
Later  Accessions  to  the  Profession — Medical  Societies — Medi- 
cal Education — Hospitals — Epidemics  and  Public  Hygiene — 
Healthiest  Large  City  in  the  World — Harriet  Island  Park  and 
Baths — Present  Day  Health   Plans — Economic  Importance  of 

339 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 

POLICE  AND  FIRE  PROTECTION  AND  WATER  SUPPLY 

Creditable  Police  Protection — Present  Department — First  Fires 
and  Volunteer  Department — Paid  Fire  Department — St. 
Paul  Water  Company — City  Buys  Water  Works — Sources  of 
Water   Supply — Future  Needs — Changed  Water  Standards 

351 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 

CITY  AND  SUBURBAN   ELECTRIC  RAILWAYS 

First  Street  Railway  in  Operation — Company  Reorganized  and 
Lines  Extended — First  City  Electric  Line — Work  Commenced 
ON  Grand  Avenue  Line — St.  Paul's  Red-Letter  Day — Twin 
City  Rapid  Transit  Company — Closer  Union  Between  the 
Twin  Cities — Beautiful  Points  Reached  by  the  System — Ben- 
eficial Interurban  Lines  360 

CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE  PARK  SYSTEM  OF  ST.  PAUL 

Rice,  Irvine  and  Smith  Parks — Como  Park  Purchased — Board  of 
Park  Commissioners  Creati-x) — System  Sustained  and  Extended 
— Riverside  Boulevard  and  Park — City  Public  Grounds  in  1891 
— Present  P.\rk  System — Fort  Snelling  and  Minnehaha  Falls 
— Cemeteries — The  "Play  Ground"  Movement — Modern  City 
Beautiful  370 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 

STREETS,   AVENUES   AND   HOMES 

Truthful  Rhap.sodv — -"Fathkr  Randall" — Advantages  of  Good 
Streets — Correcting  old  Errors — Organized  Official  Work — 
Steady  Increase  of  Real  Estate  Values — Illustration  of  "En- 
lightened City  Planning" — "The  City  Better" — Beautiful 
AND  Comfortable  Homes  383 

CHAPTER  XXXVII 
THE  INFLUENCE  OF  WOMEN 

P.\TRONS    OF    THE    CiTY    BeAUTU'UL — God's    "CaNYONS    OF    THE    CiTV" 

Women's  Influence  on  the  "Playground  Movement" — The 
Home  Garden  Club — Domestic  Science — Women's  Clubs  and 
THE  "City  Plan" — Work  Through  the  Women's  Clubs         394 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

ST.  PAUL,  THE  CONVENTION  CITY 

Comparative  "Value"  of  Conventions— St.  Paul's  Record  for  the 
Summer  of  191  i— Why  It  Is  a  Convention  City— Thirtieth  Na- 
tional Encampment,  G.  A.  R. — Other  Conventions.  404 


CONTENTS  xiii 

CHAPTER  XXXIX 

HOTELS,  AUDITORIUM  AND  THEATERS 

Always  a  "Good  Hotel  Towx" — Merchants'  Hotel  of  Today — Cen- 
tral, American  and  Other  Old  Hotels — "Moffett's  Castle" — 
International,  Wild  Hunter,  Metropolitan,  Etc. — Predecessor 
OF  "St.  Paul" — Hotel  Ryan — The  "St.  Paul"  and  Other  Hotels 
— The  Auditorium — Other  Assembly  Halls — Amusement  Halls 
AND  Amusements — Improved  IMoving  Picture  Shows.  415 

CHAPTER  XL 

THE  STATE  FAIR 

First  Territorial  Fair — Fairs  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society 
Fair  Grounds  and  Northwestern  Exposition — Agricultural 
Interests  of  Minnesot.\ — Comparative  State  Exhibits — The 
1912  St.\te  Fair — Distribution  of  Premiums — -Special  Features. 

426 

CHAPTER  XLI 

REAL  ESTATE  AND  INSURANCE 

Radical  Land  Hunger — Mission  of  Real  Estate  Dealers — The  Col- 
lapse OF  1857 — From  1857  to  1873 — Real  Estate  in  the  Eighties 
— The  Record  Since — Personnel  of  Real  Estate  Men — Present- 
Day  Values  and  Buildings — Public  Attitude  of  Real  Estate 
Exchanges — Agricultural  Betterment  Through  Education — 
A  Prophecy  \'erified — The  Insurance  Companies.  440 

CHAPTER  XLII 

THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 

St.  Paul's  First  Schools — First  Public  Schoolhouse — Pioneer 
Public  School  Teachers — High  School  and  Board  of  Educa- 
tion— SCHOOLHOUSES  OF  THE  FIFTIES SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  PUB- 
LIC Schools — The  St.  Paul  High  School — Present  Public 
School  System — For  Those  Who  Must  Cut  Their  Schooling — 
Physical  Conservation  and  Safety — "The  Little  Red  School" 
— Private  and  Select  Schools — Public  Schools  as  Social  Cen- 
ters— Another  New  Departure.  453 

CHAPTER  XLIII 

COLLEGES   AND   UNIVERSITIES 

Germ  of  Higher  Education — Development  of  High  and  Pre- 
paratory Schools — The  University  of  Minnesota — The  Agri- 
cultural College — Hamline  University — Macalester  College 
— Field  for  Smaller  Insitutions.  466 


xiv  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XLIV 

LIBARIES  AND  LITERARY  SOCIETIES 

Mercantilk  Lihrary  and  Young  Men's  Christian  Association — 
Consolidated  as  St.  Paul  Library  Association — Made  a  city 
Library — Proposed  Extension  of  Usefulness — Other  Libraries 
— The  Informal  Club — German  Society  of  St.  Paul — Como 
Park  as  a  "Melting  Pot."  478 

CHAPTER  XLV 

THE  MINNESOTA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Incorporation  and  Organiz.\tion — Places  of  Meeting — Building 
Project  Falls — Society  Resuscitated — Broad  Scope  and  Purposes 
— Officers — Removal  to  New  Capitol — Society  Publications — 
Great  Historical  Library  —  Historical  and  Archaeological 
Relics — The  Kensington  Rune  Stone  489 

CHAPTER  XLVI 

ST.  PAUL  ARTISTS  AND  ARCHITECTS 

Origin  of  St.  Paul  Institute — Activities  of  the  Institute — Affilia- 
tion with  Clubs  and  Societies — Alliance  with  Public  Schools 
— Suggested  Expansion — Business  Training — German  Section 
OF  the  Institute — St.  Paul  Artists — Prominent  Architects. 

501 

CHAPTER  XLYU 

THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  AND  CATHOLIC  INSTITUTIONS 

Founder  of  First  St.  Paul's  Christian  Church — F.vther  Lucien 
Galtier — First  Native  White  Child.  Bazille  Gervais — F.\ther 
Ravoux  Succeeds  F.\ther  Galtier — First  Bishop  of  St.  Paul — 
Death  of  Bishop  Cretin — First  Cathedral  Opened — Bishop 
Thomas  L.  Grace — Bishop  Ireland  Cre.\ted  Archbishop — St. 
Louis  Church — St.  Mary's  and  Other  Catholic  Churches — Edu- 
cational Institutions — Charitable  Institutions — Diocese  of 
St.  Paul — Latest  Cathedral  of  St.  Paul.  514 

CHAPTER  XLVIII 

PROTESTANT  RELIGIOUS  ORGANIZ.\TIONS 

First  Protf^stant  Church  (Methodist) — In  Minnesota  District, 
Wisconsin  Conference — Jackson  and  Market  Street  Churches 
— Other  Methodist  Churches — Presbyterian  Churches — Ply- 
mouth and  Other  Congregational  Churches — The  Peoples' 
Church — Baptist  Organizations — The  Episcopalians — Lu- 
theran Churches  of  the  City — Swedendorgian,  Unitarian  and 
Universalist — Hebrew  Congregations.  530 


CONTENTS  XV 

CHAPTER  XLIX 

THE  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATIONS 

Original  Organization  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. — Civil  War  and  City 
Missionary  Work — First  Proposed  Great  Building — Plans  at 
Last  Realized — The  Late  John  B.  Sleman — Young  Women's 
Christian  Association — National  Campaign  for  Ciyic  Better- 
ment. 545 

CHAPTER  L 

THE  GRAND  ARMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC 

Organization  and  Objects — Acker  Post — Its  Average  Charter 
Member — Distinguished  Members — Commanders  of  Depart- 
ments— Auxiliaries — Outside  Work— Exultation  for  the 
Future.  555 

CHAPTER  LI 

PATRIOTIC  SOCIETIES 

Soldiers  Descendants,  the  Stanchest  Reformers — Americanizing 
Inferior  Immigrants — Sons  of  the  American  Revolution — 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution — Affiliated  with  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic — Military  Order  of  the  Loyal 
Legion — Order  of  the  Cincinnati — The  Spirit  of  the  Sons — 
Early  Settlers  and  Their  Descendants — Military  Organiza- 
tions OF  Germans.  5^5 

CHAPTER  LII 

CHARITABLE  INSTITUTIONS  AND  ASSOCIATIONS 

The  Protestant  Orphan  Asylum  • —  For  the  Relief  of  the  Un- 
employed— Board  of  Control  of  Public  Charities — The  City 
and  County  Hospital — Societies  and  Homes — Society  for  the 
Relief  of  the  Poor — Prevention  of  Tuberculosis — The  Am- 
herst H.  Wilder  Charity — Modern  Charitable  Methods        577 

CHAPTER  LIII 

SECRET  AND  FRATERNAL  ORDERS 

St.  Paul  Lodge  No.  3,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. — First  Grand  Lodge  of  Masons 
— Formation  of  Grand  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. — First  Grand  Council 
— Commanderies — Pioneer  Odd  Fellows  Lodges — Encampment 
AND  Grand  Lodge — Other  St.  Paul  Odd  Fellows  Lodges — Mutual 
Benefit  Society — Odd  Fellows  Block  and  Home — -United  Order 
of  Druids  —  Knights  of  Pythias  —  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen — Other  Fraternal  Bodies  588 


xvi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  LIV 

MUSICAL  AND  SOCIAL  ORGANIZATIONS 

Old  St.  Paul  Musical  Society — Singing  Societies — St.  Paul  Sym- 
phony Orciiestr.\ — Mrs.  F.  H.  Snyder — The  Schubert  Club — 
Popular  Musical  Education — Social  Clubs — Commercial  Or- 
ga.nizations  597 

CHAPTER  LV 

THE  NATIONAL  GUARD 

First  Military  Organization — Beginnings  of  the  National  Guard 
— The  Permanent  N.ational  Guard — The  St.  Paul  Companies 
— The  National  Guard's  War  Service — Past  Reput.-vtign  Well 
Sustained — The  National  Guard  Armory.  607 

CHAPTER  LVI 

THE  MIDWAY  DISTRICT  IN  ST.  PAUL 

Settlement  of  Reserve  Township — Process  of  City  Absorption — 
Early  Midway  Events — The  Minnesota  Transfer — Great  In- 
dustries— Residential  and  Educational  Center — Proposed  Grand 
Union  Depot — New  Water  Power  Corporation — New  Era  of 
City  Building  Required  618 

CHAPTER  L\"II 

SUBURBAN  TOWNS 

City  and  Suburbs  Closely  Rel.vted — Directly  Tributary  to  St.  Paul 
— South  St.  Paul  and  Other  Dakota  County  Suburbs — North 
St.  Paul — Electricity  a  Distributor — Other  New  Canada  Sub- 
urbs— White  Bear  Lake  Region — Mound's  View  Township — Rose 
Township  as  Suburban  Territory — Ramsey  County's  Fine  Ro.\ds 

626 

CHAPTER  lA'IIT 

THE  TWIN  CITY 

Only  Divided  "Municipally" — The  Two  Cities  Betrothed — Com- 
mercial Union — Hand  of  the  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce — 
Minneapolis  Declines — Reply  of  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce 
— Comparison  with  Other  Great  Cities — The  Future  Twin  City 
— One  Grand  Union  Depot — Development  of  Minneapolis  639 

CHAPTER  LL\ 

ELEMENTS  OF  ST. 'PAUL'S  PRESENT  GRE/VTNESS 

The  Men  of  1848  and  Earlier — Geographical  and  Natural  Ad- 
vantages— National  Civic,  Military  and  Railway  Center — 
Municipal,  Social.  Commercial,  .Artistic  and  Charitable — Wh.vt 


CONTENTS  xvii 

Census  Figures  Show — Climatic  Advantages — Tributary  Acres 
Easily  Cultivated — Statistical  Information  —  Jobbing  and 
Manufacturing — Wholesalers  and  Farmers  Backed  by  Capital 
— Produce  Commission  Business — Telegraph  and  Telephone 
Service — New  York  No  Longer  Western  Standard — The  Greater 
St.  Paul  to  Come  651 

CHAPTER  LX 

ASSURANCE  OF  ST.  PAUL'S  FUTURE  DEVELOPMENT 

St.  Paul's  Start  in  the  Race — Three  Large  Enterprises — Proposed 
Improvements — New  Lines  of  Communication — Tributary  Agri- 
cultural Resources — Minnesota's  Timber  Wealth — Incalcu- 
lably Valuable  Mineral  Deposits — Water  Power  and  Electrical 
Development — National  Considerations — A  Dream  of  the 
Future.  663 

CHAPTER  LXI 
PERSONAL  HISTORY  676 


INDEX 


Aberwald,  Louis  J.,  985. 

Academy  of  St.  Joseph,  522. 

Acker  Post  No.  21,  G.  A.  R.,  103,  556. 

Acker  Relief  Corps,  No.  7,  569. 

Adams,  George,  088. 

Adams,   Louisa,  988. 

Administration  building,  Minnesota 
Soldiers'  Home,  Minnehaha  Falls 
(view),  502. 

Agricultural  College,  469. 

Agricultural  high  schools,  448. 

Agricultural  interests  of  Minnesota,  430. 

Agriculture,  167,  168. 

Ahlquist,  Charles  A.,  7.37. 

Akers,  Charles  N.,  000. 

Akers,  Peter,  530. 

Aldrich,  Cyrus,  333. 

Alexander,  Taylor  A.,  915. 

"All  roads  lead  to  Saint  Paul,"  652. 

"All  Saints,"  GO. 

Allen,  Alvaren,  209,  410. 

Alley,  J.  T.,  341. 

Allis,  Lorenzo,  114. 

Alverdes,  Frank,  807. 

American  House,  416. 

American  National  Bank,  294. 

American  workingmau,  277. 

Americanizing  Inferior  immigrants,  566. 

Ames,  Charles  G.,  692. 

Ames,  Charles  W.,  985. 

Ames,   Helen  F.,   0S9. 

Ames,  William  L.,  4.56,  632,  688. 

Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,   525,   595. 

Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  594. 

Aucker,  Arthur  B.,  181,  339,  344. 

Andrews,  C.  C,  113. 

Anoka  county,  ISO. 

Archaeological  museum,  497. 

Architects,  510. 

Arion  Singing  Society,  598. 

Armory   (view),  616. 

Armstrong,  Joseph  H.,  637,  1038. 

Artists  and  architects — Origin  of  St. 
Paul  Institute,  501 ;  activities  of  the 
institute,  503 ;  affiliation  with  clubs 
and  societies,  .504;  St.  Paul  Institute 
School  of  Art,  .504;  alliance  with 
public  schools,  505 ;  suggested  expans- 
ion, 505  ;  the  latest  development,  505  ; 
business  training,  506 ;  German  sec- 
tion of  the  in.stitute,  507;  St.  Paul 
artists,  508;  St.  Paul  architects,  510. 


Arzt,  Charles  P.,  1012. 

Associated  Charities,  585. 

Attucks   Industrial    School   and   Home, 

585. 
Atwater,  Isaac,  640. 
Auditorium  (view),  405. 
Auerbach,  M.,  103. 
Auger,  Alfred  J.,   821. 
Auger,  William,  821. 
Austin,   Horace,   609,   1189. 
Austin,   J.   C,  954. 
Austin,  Russell  G.,  953. 
"Auto"  accessories,  272. 
Automobile  Club,  603. 
Automobile  fire  engine,  282. 
Averill,  John  T.,  170. 

"Bad  Medicine"  in  postal  service,  305. 

Bailev,  Everett  H.,  881. 

Baker,  D.  A.  J.,  455. 

Baldwin  school,  474. 

Ball.  Charles  R.,  872. 

Ballard,  James  A.,  1100. 

Banks  and  banking — H.  H.  Sibley,  first 
banker,  287;  "Wild  Cat"  banks  dis- 
countenanced, 287  ;  Borup  and  Oakes, 
bankers  and  brokers,  288;  other  early 
banks,  288 ;  inflated  prosperity  of 
1857,  289 ;  reactionai-y  depression, 
290;  banking  during  the  Civil  war, 
292;  era  of  financial  stability,  292; 
the  National  banks,  293  :  State  banks. 
294;  St.  Paul  Clearing  House,  296; 
trust  companies,  296. 

Banning,  W.  L.,  96. 

Baptist  churches,  538. 

Baptist  Hill,  6. 

Barden,  Rowland,  986. 

Barden.  Phebe  G..  987. 

Barnum,  V.  B..  632. 

Barringer,  Paul  E.,  690. 

Bartles,  Joseph,  728. 

Barton,  Henry  C,  758. 

Barton,  Humphrey.  1158. 

Bascom,  Clifford  W.,  980. 

Bass,  Jacob  W.,  43,  998. 

"Bass  Tavern,''  415. 

Baumbach,  Frederick  von,  311. 

Bazille,  Charles,  40. 

Bazille.  Edmund  W.,  323,  865. 

Bean,  E.  S.,  612. 

Beaumont,  J.   I.,  99. 


INDEX 


Becker,  (Jeorge  L.,  55. 

Keek,  J.  II..  3»!S. 

Beer  and  botlling  imlustrips,  284. 

Bell,  Cliarles  N.,  179. 

Bell,  .James  .\..  "GO. 

Beltrami.  Count,  212. 

Beman,   Sam,   108. 

Bemenl.  K.  B.  C,  3.55. 

Bench  and  bar — Pioneer  lawyers  and 
judges.  31t;:  letter  of  Cliiel"  Justice 
Goodrich.  :U7 ;  first  territorial  court, 
319 ;  first  sniireme  court.  319  ;  earliest 
MinnesoUi  law  firms.  319;  the  St. 
Paul  bar,  .320;  territ<irial  and  stale 
supreme  court,  321  ;  district  court 
and  librar.v,  322  ;  probate  and  uiunic-i- 
pal  courts,  3,23 ;  United  States  circuit 
court  and  judges,  323;  terms  of 
United  States  courts,  324;  College  of 
Law   and   Bar  Associations.  325. 

Bend,  William  B..  Oil. 

Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  595. 

Benz,  George,  91. 

Benz,  George  G.,  900. 

Bergnieier,  C.  II..  3.;4. 

Bergnieier.  Clara  II.,   1191. 

Bergmeier,  Frederic  W.,   1194. 

Bergnieier,    Kritz.    1195. 

Bergstedt,  Edward,  879. 

Bergstedt.  Victor,  879. 

Berkev.  Anna   E.  I'..  1040. 

Berkey,  Peter,  102,  1039. 

Berrislord,   lOnoch  F.,  11411. 

Bethel  Acadeniy,  477. 

Bethel  .Mothers'   Club,  583. 

Bethesda    Hospital,   345. 

Bevans,  Henry  T.,  1139. 

Bidw(;ll.   Ira.  28.8. 

Bigelow,  Cliarles  H.,  110,  450,  1138. 

Bircli.  Coolie,  14G. 

Birdseye  view  of  Mississippi  river  and 
whoiosale  district,  211. 

Birdseye  view  of  Seven  Corners;  plan 
of  approaches  to  state  capitol,  400. 

Bisliop,   E.   .7.,  897. 

Bishop,  Harriet  E.,  42,  454. 

Bishop,  ,Judson  W.,  224,  89.5. 

I'.lakeley,  Bu.ssell,  44. 

Blase,  Ernst   E.,  1135. 

Bloom.  E»>nard  P.,  807. 

•'Blueberry  war,"  010. 

Board  of  Park   Conunissionei-s,  372. 

Board  of  Trade,  05,  24.8. 

Boardman.  C.  II.,  .■^42. 

P.obleter.  .losepli,  (!10. 

Bolton,  Adam  L..  592,  1088. 

Itobn.  Gebhard,  720. 

Boody.  Clarendon  B.,  900. 

Borer,   Ursns   V..  918. 

I'.urup.  <".  .\..  700. 

B.irnp.  Charles  W..  288. 

Biirup,  Gustuv  .1.,  ll.">9. 

I'.>irnp.   I.aur.'i   ('..   11.59. 

I!oni|p,  I,co  .1.,  920. 

l!iirn]i,  TlKKidore  C,  759. 

I'.onip  &  Oakes.  28S. 

Bottling  industry.  284. 


Bourne.  W.  R..  247. 

Bourquini,  Theodore  L.,  8.31. 

Boxell.  Eiiward  C.  8S;j. 

Boyeson.  H.  U..  483. 

Braden.  .Mary  E..  9S4. 

Brailcn.  Will'iani  H..  9.84. 

HraiUcy.   I)ennis.   1078. 

nr.ihi.ird,   H.  .T.,  ,580. 

r.rawley.  1).   F..  53. 

Breed.  David  It..  103,  .5.'!.5. 

Brennan.  Edward  .1.,  1004. 

Brennan,  .John  C.  10.50. 

Bridgman,  (ieorge  H.,  471. 

Brill.  Hascal   IJ..  10.5.  .32.'!,  472.  10.34. 

I'.rill.  Kennelh  (i..  1030. 

I'.rindiall.  .John  B.,  912. 

Brisbin,  .1.  B.,  00. 

Brooke.  .John  I{..  485. 

Brooks,  .Tabez,  470. 

Brower,  .1.  V.,  494. 

Blown,  A.  \:uKe,  288. 

Brown,  C.ilvin  I,..  048. 

Brown.  Claude  S.,  8.54. 

Brown,  ,Ioseph  K.,  33,  330. 

Brown.  Le  Boy.  8.59. 

Brown.  KaliihF..  1141. 

Bryant.  .lulian  C,  404. 

Buckley.  Edward  W..    ins7. 

Building.  440. 

Bunn.  Charles   \V..   S(I4. 

Burbank  iV  ComiNiny    (.1.  ('.).  209. 

Burchard.  .lohn  E..  942. 

Bures.  I.ojuard.  709. 

Burkbard,    William    K.,   Companv.   The 

1121. 
I'.urnquist,  Joseph  A.  A.,  835. 
Burns,  John  A.,  988. 
Burns.  Robert  .M.,  947. 
Burr,  W.  T.,  114. 
Burt  Pool  ndne  (view),  1.80. 
Business  training,  500. 

Calamity  bowling.  188. 

Calendar  industry,  283. 

i'alkins,  E.  A.,  .5.57. 

Calrary  Cemetery,  379,  51G,  524. 

Cameron,  George  W..   119,5. 

CVrni]),  Heiu'y  ('..  790. 

Campaign  for  civic  betterment.  .554. 

Campbell.  Edmund  G..  873. 

Campbell,  Eugene  P..  1092. 

Campbell,  I'rank  (',.,  780, 

Campbell.  II.  A..  445. 

Canadian  reciprocity,  24C. 

Cannon,  Charles  .M.,  708. 

Cannon.  Harry.  97.5. 

Capital  removed  to  St.  Peter.  07. 

Carothers,  S.  -M.,  4S3. 

Oirpenter.  C.  W.,  591. 

Carpenter  Park,  373. 

"Oiirver  claim."  l.S. 

Ciirver.  Jonallian.   15. 

Cass.  Lewis.  21',. 

Castle.  Helen.  .50,>^. 

Castle,   Henry   A..    101,  1199, 

Cathcarl,  A.  II.,  0.". 

Cathedral  of  St.  Paul   (latest),  526. 

Catholic  charitable  Institutions,  523. 


INDEX 


XXI 


Catholic  ehurch  aud  Catholic  institu- 
tions— ^FoiuKler  of  First  St.  Paul's 
Christian  ehurch,  512 ;  Father  l^ucien 
Galtier.  515 :  tirst  native  white  child, 
Bazille  Gervais.  51t) ;  Father  Ravoux 
succeeds  Father  Galtier.  516 ;  first 
hishop  of  St.  Paul,  510:  death  of 
Bishoi>  Cretin.  517 ;  first  ratliedral 
opened,  517  ;  Bishop  Thomas  L.  Grace. 
518 :  Bishop  Ireland  created  arch- 
bishop, 518 ;  St.  Louis  church,  519 ; 
St.  Mary's  and  other  Catholic 
churches,  519:  educational  institu- 
tions, 521 :  charitable  institutions. 
52.3:  diocese  of  St.  Paul,  .525;  latest 
cathedral  of  St.  Paul,  520. 

Catliolic  diocese  of  St.  Paul,  525. 

Catlin.  F.  M.,  351. 

Cavender,  A.  H..  50. 

Cayou,  Benjamin,  770. 

Cayou.   Susan,  770. 

Census  figures,  0.55. 

Center  of  education  and  culture,  022. 

central  district   (city  plan).  ?,9d. 

Central  high  school  building,  4.58. 

Central  House,  410. 

•'Central  Park  il.  E,  church,"  531. 

Central  Presbyterian  church  (view), 
533. 

Chamber  of  Commerce,  101.  240. 

Change  in  channel  of  Mississippi  river, 
235. 

Chapin,  George  A,,  1115. 

Charitable  institutions  and  associations 
— The  Protestant  Orphan  Asylum, 
577  :  for  the  relief  of  the  unemployed, 
578:  Board  of  Control  of  Public 
Charities,  580;  the  city  and  county 
hospital,  580;  other  hospitals  and 
sanitariums,  5S1 :  societies  and  homes, 
582;  Society  for  the  Relief  of  the 
Poor,  583 ;  prevention  of  tuberculosis, 
.584 ;  Associated  Charities,  585 ;  the 
Amherst  H.  Wilder  Charity,  585 : 
iwverty  and  suffering  traced  to  their 
sources  and  eliminated,  587. 

Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Company, 
220, 

Chicago  Great  Western  Railroad,  225, 

Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  sys- 
tem, 224. 

Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Rail- 
road, 227, 

Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha 
system,  223. 

Chicago  &  Northwestern  roads,  224. 

Children's  playgrounds,  397. 

Chouteau  and  Company,  287. 

Christ  church,  St.  Paul,  101,  539. 

Christeusen,  Oscar  F.,  838. 

Christian  associations — Origlual  organi- 
zation of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  545;  Civil 
war  and  city  missionary  work,  .540 ; 
fii'st  proposed  great  building,  547 ; 
plans  at  last  realized,  .547  ;  the  late 
.lohn  P.,  Sleman,  .549;  Young  Women's 
Christian    Association,    5.50 ;    plan    of 


Y,  W.   C.  A.   building.  .551 :  national 
campaign  for  civic  betterment,  554. 

"Chronicle  and  Register,"  .329. 

Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  540. 

Church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  540. 

"Citv  beautiful."  394. 

"I'ity  better,"  391. 

City  building,  025. 

City  charter,  03. 

City  engineer,  388. 

Cit.v  hall  and  court  house   (view),  172. 

City  Hospital   (view),  344. 

City  indebtedness,  176. 

City  library,  479, 

City  missionary  work,  546. 

City  planning.  280,  389, 

City  public  grounds,  374, 

Lity  Workhouse.  374. 

City  and  County  Hospital,  ,344,  .580. 

City  and  suburbs  related,  020. 

Civic  spirit,  666. 

Civil  war  (see  St.  Paul's  part  in  sup- 
pressing the  Rebellion). 

Clarendon  Hotel,  420. 

Clark,  Charles  A..  882. 

Clark.  Charles  H..  1137. 

Clark.  Greenleaf,  170, 

tnark,  Kenneth,  294,  725. 

Clark,   JIartha   C„   1138, 

Clarke,  Frank  B„  104. 

Clarke,  Robert  J..  732. 

Clausen,  Oscar,  388. 

"Clean  city''  movement,  398. 

Cleveland,  .T,  R.,  351. 

Climntic  advantages.  656. 

Clinton  Avenue  church,  532. 

Clough,  W.  P„  247, 

Cobb  Hospital,  345, 

Cobb,  Sheridan  G.,  744. 

Cochran.  Thomas,  242,  1049. 

Cohoon.  John  L..  10.55. 

Cold  storage,  208. 

College  of  St,  Catherine,  522, 

Collegeof  St.  Thomas,  522. 

Colleges  and  universities — Germ  of 
higher  education,  466 ;  development 
of  high  and  preparatoi-j'  schools,  406; 
the  University  of  Minnesota.  467 ; 
the  Agricultural  College,  469 :  Ilam- 
line  Universitj',  470";  Macale.ster  Col- 
lege, 473 ;  field  for  smaller  Institu- 
tions, 476, 

Colville,  David  F.,   1033. 

Cohvell,  John  H.,  719. 

Combs,  William  S.,  90S. 

Conuuandery  of  Loyal  Legion,  110. 

Commerce,  655. 

Commerce  building,  251. 

Commercial  bodies  of  the  past — Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  incorporated,  240 ; 
its  grand  work  pictured,  241 ;  details 
of  organization,  242 ;  both  conserv- 
ative and  aggressive,  244;  wide  range 
of  topics  considered,  244 ;  favors 
Canadian  reciprocity,  246;  merged 
into  St.  Paul  Commercial  Club,  248 ; 
Board  of  Trade,  248;  the  Jobber's 
Union,    248;    the    Industrial    Union, 


XXII 


INDEX 


249;  St  Paul  Real  Estate  Exchange, 
249. 

Coiiiinoreial  Iwilies  of  the  present — St. 

Paul     C'oiiiniercial    Chili.    250;    new. 

broader,   more  brotherly   spirit,  252 ; 

scientific  business  management,  253; 

stimulus  of  civic  spirit,  254;  St.  Paul 

Association    of    Commerce,    255 ;    St. 

Paul  Town  Crier's  Club,  258;   district 

and  suburban  commercial  clubs,  258; 

the  march  of  the  cities,  259. 
Commeroial  club,  248,  2,''j0. 
Commercial  State  Bank,  294. 
"Commission"  form  of  government,  181. 
"Commission  How,''  6.")9. 
Como  Commercial  Club,  259. 
Como  Park,  371.  37G,  488. 
Couipanv  "D,"  First  Regiment,  612. 
Couistock,  Alfred  K.,  1099. 
Concordia  College.  477. 
Concordia  (icrnian  Singing  Societ.v,  598. 
Connolly,  A.  P.,  (JOS. 
Consolidated  Publicity  Bureau,  258. 
Consolidated  school,  462. 
Constans.  William.   S97. 
Constitutional  conventions,  69,  74. 
(\)nventions,  404. 
(>)Oi)er,  J.  W..  294. 
Corner  of   Third    and    Robert    Streets, 

1851    (view).  59. 
Corning,  Leavitt,  182. 
Cornish,   W.   D.,   169. 
Cowern,  Ernest  W..  1110. 
Cretin    high  school,  516. 
Cretin,  .Toseph. '516. 
Crocus  hill,  392. 
Cronut.  William  A.,  69.  3.32. 
Crooks.  .John  S..  924. 
Crooks,  William,  94. 
Crow  Indians  irrigation  works,  192. 
Crowell,  R.  1'..  479. 
Curtis.  Orrin,  103, 
Custom  house   (view),  311. 
Cutler,  Edward  H.,  542,  &41. 

Daggett,  Thomas  C,  1071. 

"Dallv  News,'"  forward  edition,  design. 

652". 
•'Daily  Pioneer,"  330. 
"Oaily  Press."  3.32. 
Dairying,  4:{4, 
Diikotas,  189. 

Dalles  of  the  St.  Croix,  217. 
Damascus  Connnandery  No.  1,  Knights 

Templar,  .591, 
Dames  of  the  Round  Table,  487. 
Dan  Patch  line,  ."iGS. 
Dana,  N.  .7.  T,,  288. 
Dania    Singing   Society,  .599. 
Daughter  of  Veterans,  .509. 
Daughters  of  the  .Vnierlean  Revolution, 

568. 
"Daughters  of  Rebeknh,"  593. 
Davidson.  W.  V..  118.  213, 
Davles,  Cliarles  E.,  830. 
Dnvles,  .Tohn  T„  931. 
Davis,  Cushiiiaii   K..  '.I9.   140,   1185. 
Dawson,  William,  292,  1129. 


Day,  David,  54,  299. 

Dayton  Avenue  Presbyterian  church, 
536. 

I>;iyton,  Lyman,  63. 

Dayton's  Bluff  Commercial  club,  258. 

Dean,  William  B.,  154,  939. 

Defunct  lakes,  8. 

Del-ano,  Harriet  C.  1144. 

DeLano.  Rollin  W.,  1144. 

Deming.  Winifred  M.,  1173. 

Domestic  science,  .398. 

Denegre,  James  D.,  920. 

Denominational  colleges  in  St.  Paul, 
470. 

Department  of  Dakota  headquarters, 
312. 

Dewey,  John  J..  339. 

Dickernian,  C.  E.,  765. 

Dickson.  Frederick  N.,  323,  1062. 

Dictionary  of  dates  (1820-60) — Corner- 
stone of  Fort  Snolling  laid  (1820), 
82 ;  first  stciinier  ascends  to  St.  Paul 
(1823),  82;  Indians  cede  all  lands 
east  of  the  river  (18;J7),  83;  first 
marriage  (18.'?J).  8;J ;  first  white 
child  (1839),  S3;  first  church  (1841), 
83;  village  christened  St.  Paul 
(1S41).  S3;  first  school  (1840).  84; 
first  hotel  (1847).  ,S4 ;  St.  Paul  desig- 
nated territorial  capital  (1849),  85; 
first  newspaper  (184!>).  ,85;  first 
court  (1849),  86;  first  brick  store 
(1850),  87;  building  of  court  house 
commenced  (18.50),  87;  St.  Paul  in- 
corporated (1854).  90;  first  daily 
newspaiK?rs  (1854).  !)0 ;  Board  of 
Trade  organized  (1854).  9(i;  first 
city  survey  (1855),  IX);  board  of 
education  created  (1S,55).  91;  St. 
Paul  Library  Association  incorpor- 
ated ( 1857),  92;  "Sunrise  expe<lition" 
(1857).  93;  first  state  election  (1857), 
94;  Old  Settlers  Societv  organized 
1858),  94. 

(1860-75)^-Great  lire  on  Third  street 
(1860),  96;  call  for  troo|)s  received 
(.\pril  13,  18<il).  !)7;  first  regiment 
left  for  front  (June  22,  1861).  !»7 ; 
Capt.  W.  B.  Farrell  killed  at  Gettys- 
burg (July  3.  1863).  !)S;  -Musicjil  So- 
ciety forme<l  ( 1863 ) .  98 ;  explosion 
of  the  steamer  ".lohn  Rmnsey'' 
(1864),  99;  return  of  regiments  (Julv 
5,  August  11,  18a5).  99;  establish- 
ment of  House  of  Refuge  (reform 
school)  (l.siiO),  KMl;  excavalinn  for 
Opera  House  (l.sooi.  KMl;  Cluimber 
of  Commerce  (Old  Board  of  Traile) 
organized  (1867).  101:  Opera  House 
dedicated  (18li7),  101;  custom  house 
connnenced  (1,867).  W\  ;  InternatWm- 
al  Hotel  hurnetl,  (l,S6!l).  102;  water 
works  complete*!  (1,86!)),  lO:!;  New 
Merchants  Hotel  commenceil  (1,870), 
10,".;  street  railway  oixMied  (  1.><72), 
104  :  jiostotlice  moved  to  cu.stoni  house 
(1S7:!),  KI5;  West  St.  Paul  ainiexed 
(  IS7I).   107. 


INDEX 


xxin 


(1875-90) — Standard  Club  organized 
(1875),  109;  John  Ireland  consecra- 
ted coadjutor  bishop  (1875),  109; 
St.  Paul  Light  Infantry  organized 
(1876),  110;  paid  fire  department  or- 
ganized (1877),  111;  President  Hayes 
visits  st;xte  fair  (1878),  112;  right-of- 
wav  granted  to  St.  Paul  Union  Depot 
Comimny  (1880),  113;  state  capitol 
burned  (1881),  113;  first  meeting  of 
Water  Reception  Commissioners 
(1881),  113;  Villard  reception  in  hon- 
or of  Northern  Pacific  completion 
(1883),  114;  Minnesota  Commandery 
of  Loyal  Legion  organized  (1885), 
116;  first  Ice  Palace  opened  (1886), 
116;  Ireland  created  an  archbishop 
(1S8S),  119. 

Dinwoodie,  William,  1043. 

District  court,  322. 

Ditmarsen,  John  E.,  763. 

Dix,  G.  F.,  591. 

Dixon,  W.  II.,  556. 

Dodge,  Ossian  E.,  102. 

Dog-sleighing,  207. 

Dohm,  Arthur  J.,  1014. 

Dominant  American  race.  664. 

Dominant  French  element.  517. 

Donald.  Alexander,  108C. 

Donnelly,  Ignatius,  106,  168. 

Doran,  F.  B.,  171. 

Dornseiff,  John,  857. 

Doty,  Paul,  2.55. 

Douglas,  Stephen  A..  166. 

Dow,  Louis  F.,  861. 

Drainage,  193. 

Drake,  E.  F.,  97,  169. 

Dream  of  the  future,  674. 

Driscoll,  Arthur  B.,  549,  852. 

Driseoll.    Fredericlj,   98,  333,  364.   1177. 

Driscoll,  Walter  J.,  255. 

Drives,  .391. 

Duteher,  Gilbert,  418. 

Duxbury,  William  R.,  878. 

Earl,  Robert  O.,  1064. 

Earliest  permanent  settlers,  32;  Peter 
Parrant  and  Abraham  Perry,  32  ;  Jos- 
eph R.  Brown,  33;  expelling  squat- 
ters, 34  ;  soldiers  of  "fortune,"  35  ; 
Parrant,  or  "Pig's  Eye,"  35;  a  mys- 
terious death,  36 ;  permanent  settlers, 
37 ;  Mr.  Larpenteur's  birthday  invita- 
tion, 40. 

Early  territorial  era,  51 ;  population  of 
St.  Paul,  52 ;  first  public  celebration. 
52 ;  postoffice  and  first  court,  52 : 
Ramsey  county  created,  54;  first 
county  officers,  54 ;  St,  Paul  in  1850, 
55 ;  mail  service  improved,  57 ;  the 
Northern  Pacific  prophesied,  57 ;  Sec- 
ond legislature  assembles,  58;  meeting 
of  Third  territorial  legi-slature.  59 ; 
Fourth  legislature  convenes,  60 ;  St. 
Paul  in  1853,  60 ;  Gorman  succeeds 
Ramsey,  61. 


Bast  entrance  to  Selby  avenue  tunnel, 
(view).  36. 

Edgerton,  Alouzo  J.,  767. 

Edgertou,  E.  S.,  288. 

Edgerton,  George  B.,  768. 

Edier,  John,  1148. 

Edler.  Minnie  T.,  1148. 

Education.  204. 

Edwards,  Benjamin  K.,  841. 

Edwards,  Maurice  D.,  536. 

Edwards,  W.  C,  475. 

Eggleston,  Edward,  479. 

Eisenmenger,  C.  W.,  926. 

Electric  power  introduced,  363. 

Electric  railways  (city  and  suburban)  — 
First  street  railway  in  operation, 
360;  company  reorganized  and  lines 
extended.  361 ;  first  city  electric  line, 
361 ;  work  commenced  on  Grand  Ave- 
nue line.  36:3;  St.  Paul's  red  letter 
day,  363;  Twin  City  Rapid  Transit 
company.  305 ;  Closer  union  bet^\'een 
the  Twin  Cities,  366 ;  beautiful  points 
reached  by  the  system,  366 ;  beneficial 
interurban  lines,  368. 

Electric  smelting,  186. 

Electrical  development,  672. 

Elfelt,  C.  D.,  588. 

Elks  club  house  (view),  603, 

Eller,  Homer  C,  556. 

Elliott,  Howard,  486. 

Emmett,  LaFayette,  176. 

Entrance  and  waiting  room,  Como  Park 
(view),  371. 

Epidemics,  345. 

Episcopalians,  539. 

Erickson,  Carl  O.,  959. 

Espy,  John,  990. 

Estabrook,  Johu  D.,  374. 

Fairclough,  George  H.,  913. 

Fales,  Edward  L.,  820. 

Falls  of  Minnehaha  (view),  3. 

Falls  of  St.  Anthony  (view),  14. 

Faribault.  Alexander,  288. 

Fariev,  John  I.,  869. 

Famham,  William  H.,  183,  748. 

Farnsworth,  Sumner  A.,  723, 

Farrell,  Edward,  Sr.,  840. 

Farrell,  John,  934. 

Farrell,  Patrick  J.,  935. 

Farwell.  George  L.,  249, 

Federal  departments,  headquarters  of — 
Post  office  inspection  service,  308; 
railway  mail  service,  309;  inquiry  di- 
vision" ("Nixie  office"),  310;  other 
government  headquarters,  311 ;  as  a 
military  center,  312 ;  broad  local  pa- 
triotism, 314. 

Ferguson,  James  C.  1020. 

Fifth  legislature,  63. 

Financial  crisis  of  1873,  219. 

Finch.  Georse  R.,  117. 

Finehout,  John  W.,  681. 

Fireproof  construction  in  school  build- 
ings. 461. 

Fire  insurance  patrol,  354. 

First  bishop  of  St.  Paul,  516. 


XXIV 


INDEX 


First  building  burned,  353. 

First  c-able  liue,  301. 

First  case  of  "pigeon  lioles,''  300. 

First  chaiiel  of  St.  I'aul  (view).  38. 

First  Church  of  Clirist  (Scientist),  543. 

First  city  electric  line.  S(il. 

First  civil  movement,  30. 

First  court,  52. 

First  court  house.  .54. 

First  court  house  (view).  4(5. 

First  county  olhccrs.  54. 

First  drug  store,  .339. 

First  election,  63. 

First  execution,  71. 

First  fires.  3."i3. 

First  (Jernian  M.  E.  dnirch.  .").32. 

First  grand  lodge  of  Masons,  5Sli. 

First  hotel,  43. 

First  important  jxjlitical  contest.  ]()4. 

First  Indian  attacks.  142. 

I^rst  Ladies"  Volunteer  .Vid  .Swiety,  1.34. 

First  legislature,  ."i3. 

First  nianul'aetory,  273. 

First  medical  society  in  SI.  I'aul.  .'142. 

First  mill.  27. 

First  Minnesota  rc¥;iment.  131. 

First  National  lianU.  203. 

First  native  while  child,  516. 

First  public  celebration.  52. 

First  public  schoolhouse,  4.54. 

First  i)ublie  school  teachers,  455. 

First  Presbyterian  church.  54. 

First  Protestant  church.  .530. 

First  railroad.  7. 

First  schools,  453. 

First  StJite  Bank  of  North  St.  Paul.  205. 

First  state  convention.  73. 

First  steam  fire  engine.  3.53. 

First  street  railway,  .360. 

First  supreme  <-ourt.  310. 

First  telegraph  line?  or)ened.  04. 

First  territorial  court,  310. 

First  territorial  fair,  426. 

First  tin  shop.  40. 

First  town  election,  17:>. 

First  liiwn  in(i)r|inration.  173. 

First  Universalist   Society  of  St.   Paul, 

542. 
Fish  hatchery,  ICl. 
Fish.  .Tames  L.,  222. 
Fisliel,  .Tohn,  021. 
Fisher.  Klnier  K..  1  im. 
Fisher,  Ix>uis  K..  110.  .332. 
Fitzgerald.  Michael  W.,  &30. 
"Five  .Million  lyoan  liill,"  71. 
Flag,  Samuel  D.,  341. 
Mandrau,  Charles  K.,  GO.  14.3,  740. 
Flandrau.  Kebecca   H.,   754. 
Fletcher,  Paris,  1000. 
Flower,  Mark  D.,  217,  1074. 
Folsoni,  S.  P..  CA. 
Folwell,  \V.   \V..  4C..S. 
For  the  relief  of  the  unenipIoye<l.  57S. 
F<irenian.  Silas  K.,  575. 
Forepaugh,  .1.  L..  102. 
I'ViresIs  (if  norlliern  Wisconsin,  227. 
Fort  Kldgely,  14.5. 
Fort  Snelling,  26. 


Fort  Snelling  (viewl.  111. 

Fort  Snelling  bridge,   ll.'i. 

Fort  Snelling  bridge  iview).  1.32. 

Foster.  Thomas.  75.   116:'.. 

Founder  of  religion  in  .St.  Paul.  514. 

Founding  of  Fort  Snelling.  21  :  Pike 
and  the  Siou.x  I.inil  grant,  22:  Little 
Crow  and  Rising  Moose.  24;  nucleus 
of  St.  Paul.  25;  tirst  mill  erected.  27; 
named  Fort  SnelliMg  by  Scott,  27; 
commeucemeut  of  Fremont's  c-areer, 
28;  birth  of  .Minnesotii  agriculture, 
30. 

Fotmtain  c-ave.  .35. 

Fourth  legislature,  (id. 

Francis,  Simeon  O..  777. 

Frederick  (The).  420. 

Fremont  at  Fort  Snelling.  28. 

Fuller,  .Vlpheus  G.,  417. 

Fuller  House.  67. 

Fulton.  .lames  C.  .S27. 

Fur  trade.  261. 

Fur-trading  rivalries.  164. 

"Garden  City."  life.  :iS2. 

(Jage.  (Jeorge  .M..  457. 

(Jaiena  Packet  Company,  21.3. 

(iall,  Frederick  W..  703. 

(iall.  William  A.,  780. 

(Jaltier.  Lueien,  514. 

Gannett.  W.  C.  .542. 

Garfield  Post  No.  8.  G.  -V.  H..  ^^^■2. 

(Jates.  William  G..  1001. 

(iauger.  .\ugustus  F.,  SOS. 

General  banking  law.  (18.58).  200. 

(Jeneral  industrial  agent,  2.".2. 

(leology.  4. 

(Jeorge,  Harry  E.,  018. 

Geographical  and  natural  advantages, 
653. 

(Jeographical  itositiou  and  iihysical  as- 
pcx-ts.  1  ;  tributary  lo  .St.  I'aul.  2;  pic- 
turesque Jlinnesotn  and  St.  Paul,  3 ; 
geology  of  St.  I'aul  anil  vicinity.  4; 
artificial  changes,  6;  defun<-t  lakes,  8. 

(iermau-.Vmerican  Veteran  Association, 
576. 

German  Catholic  .\id  Society  of  Minnes- 
ota, 525. 

German  .Society  of  St.  Paul,  487. 

Getty.  l>aniel.  6.32. 

Glesen,  Martin.  1076. 

Giesen.  P.  .7..  .508,  ,803. 

(Jilbert.  ("ass.  154. 

(Jillilhin.  Charles  I)..  354. 

Gillillan,  .Tames.  170. 

(Jilfillan.  .T.  S..  .34.3. 

(;illelte,  .\rthur  .1..  747. 

Gillett.  Isaac  W.,  7S6. 

Gilnian.  .Tohn  M.,  111. 

Glacier  National  Park,  10.5. 

Gladstone.  632. 

God's  "Canyons  of  the  Clt.V."  .30.5. 

(;ohlUe.  .Tulius,  7NS. 

Goldsmith,  .Tulius  .\L.  1143. 

(Jollz.  Edward  V.,  ,858. 

"<i<H)d  nie<]lcine"  In  jwstal  service,  30G. 

Goodhue,  James  AL,  48,  320. 


INDEX 


XXV 


Goodrich,  Aaron.  51.  2SS. 

Goodrich.  Karle  S..  !l(l.  .S2S,  .330. 

fionnan.  Willis  A..  01. 

Gosewisch.  Frefl  W..  718. 

Governor's  room,  state  capitol  (view). 
167. 

Grace,  Thomas  L.,  f)."),  .jIS. 

Grand  Army  of  the  Reimblie — Organiza- 
tion and  objects,  ij.'jr) ;  Acker  Post  G. 
A.  R.,  o5G ;  its  average  charter  mem- 
ber, 559 ;  distinguished  members,  500 ; 
commanders  of  departments,  501 ; 
auxiliaries.  562;  exultation  for  the 
future,  563. 

Grand  Marais  state  ditch,  Polk  county 
(view),  203. 

Grand  stairway  and  dome  corridors 
(view),  154. 

Grand  Union  deiwt,  023.  048. 

(iraves.  Albert  L..  830. 

Great  land  grants.  105. 

Great  Northern  system.  220. 

"Great  Railroad  excursion."  64. 

Greater  St.  Paul,  001. 

Greene,  Charles  L.,  050. 

Greenman,  .Jesse  E.,  1131. 

Griffin.  G.  J.,  826. 

Griffin,   .James  H.,  827. 

Griswold,  Charles,  343. 

Ground  plan  of  Seven  Corners ;  ap- 
l)roach  to  capitol  (map),  .390. 

Grover.  JI.  D.,  484. 

Guerin.  Vetal.  35. 

Guild  of  Catholic  Women,  403. 

Guine.v.  Cornelius.  891. 

Gutherz,  Carl.  508. 

Guthrie,  Archibald,  873. 

Haas,  .Jacob  J..  704. 

Habberstad.  Nicholas  M.,  101.3. 

Habighorst.  H.,  593. 

Hackett.  C.  W..  247. 

Hackney,  Joseph  JI..  472,  888. 

Hadlich,  Henry  .J.,  302. 

Halbert  &  Halbert,  1122. 

Hale.  Henry.  440. 

Half-lireed  trails,  202. 

Hall,  II.  P.,  102. 

Hall.  W.  Sprigg,  101. 

Hamlin.  Leonora  A..  397. 

Hamline  University.  470. 

Hamm,  Theodore.  1070. 

Hamm,  William,  375. 

Hand,  D.  W.,  341. 

Handy,  W.  C.  181. 

Hanna,  David,  1077. 

Hannaford,  .Jule  M.,  .847. 

Hanson.  Abel  L.,  1042. 

Harriet  Island  Public  Park,  .347,  370. 

Hartman,  Mary  E.  S.,  779. 

Hartshorn,  William  E.,  39.  263. 

Harvesting   field   of  wheat,    University 

farm  (view),  199. 
Hasenwinkle,  Henry,  501. 
Haskell,   Frank.  ,8.53. 
Hazzard,  George  H.,  249.  575. 
Heard,  I.  I).  V.,  178. 
Healy,  John  A..  1014. 


Hebrew  congregations,  543. 

Ileffron.  P.  R.,  578. 

Henderson.  William  !>..  091. 

Hennig,  William  P.,  901. 

Ilenninger,  Theodor.  733. 

Hesselgrave.  Sherman  S.,  729. 

Hewitt.  Girard.  112,  372. 

Hiawatha  Park.  373. 

Higbee,  Chester  G..  341.  399.  1155. 

Hlg'h  bridge  and  City  Hospital   (view), 

356. 
"High  School  ■R'torld,"  .336. 
Higher  Education  (see  colleges  and  uni- 
versities). 
Ililbert.  Cass,  512. 
Hill,  .James  J.,  128,  813. 
Milscher,  .John  F.,  928. 
Hilton.  Roy  E..  117.5. 
Ilirschman,   Adolph,   1111. 
Hobart,  C,  48.  531. 
Ilodgman.  Thomas  Morev,  474. 
Hodgson,  E.  .J..  297. 
Hoff.  Pedar  A.,  889. 
Hoi.st-and-Derrick  company.  282. 
Holland.  Hjalmar  Rued,  4d9. 
Holmes,  Edgar  A.,  1146. 
Hol.voke.  Thomas  G.,  512. 
Home-builder,  c-all  to  the — Spencer  on 
racial  amalgamation.  197;  other  good 
and  wise  prophets,  107 ;  land,  the  only 
solid  basis  of  prosperity.  108;  duty  to 
become  home  owner.   199 ;  nature  of 
Minnesota's  population.  200  ;  favoralile 
conditions  for  the  home  builders.  201 ; 
the  eonsolidateil   rural   schools.  202 ; 
electric  light  and  power  to  farms,  202 ; 
abundant    and    practical     education, 
204 ;   moral   and  religious  Influences, 
204 ;  Minnesota's  grand  call,  205. 
Home  economics,  398. 
Home  for  the  Frieudless,  101. 
Home  manufactures.  27.3. 
Home  of  Gen.   H.   H.   Sibley,   Meudota, 

508. 
Home  of  the  Friendless  Association,  582. 
"Home  Rule"  charter,"  180. 
Homes.  391,  393. 
Hopkins,  Frank  M.,  1149. 
Hopkins.  Mary  P.,  1149. 
Horn,  Frank.  848. 
"Hor.se  mantua  maker,"  54. 
Hospitals,  344. 
Hotel  Ryan,  116,  418. 
Hotel  Ryan  (view).  419. 
Hotels,    Auditorium    and    theaters,    al- 
ways a   good  hotel   town.  415 ;   Mer- 
chants Hotel  of  toda.v.  416;  Central, 
American  and  other  old  hotels,  416 ; 
"Moft'ett's  Castle,''  417  ;  International, 
Wild  Hunter.  Metropolitan,  etc.,  417; 
predece.ssor  of  "St.  Paul,"  418 ;  Hotel 
Ryan,  418;  the  "St.  Paul''  and  other 
hotels,    418;    the    Auditorium.    422; 
other  assembly  halls,  422 ;  anuisemenf 
halls  and  amusements,  423  ;  improved 
moving  picture  shows,  424. 
Hough,  Sherwood,  567. 
lloupt,  C.  C,  325. 


XXVI 


INDEX 


House  of  the  Good  Slicplipnl.   'iX',. 
House  of  Hope  Presbyterian  church,  OC, 

535. 
Howard,  Thomas,  103,  323. 
Hoyt,  B.  F.,  45. 
Hoyt,  Lorenzo,  6.36. 
Hoyt,  U.  W..  480. 
Huhbanl,  Lucius  F.,  07,  696. 
Hubliell,  Eufjene.  Olij. 
Huma.son.  Cliarles  J.,  74L 
Humphrey,  .Tames  K..  317. 
Hunt,  Charles  J.,  .507. 
Hunter,  David,  29. 
Huntington,  George  L.,  710. 
Hurd,  Warren  W.,  824. 
Hurley,  Dennis  W.,  lO.oL 
Hurley,  Joseph  .7.,  914. 
Ilurlev,  Martin  J.,  880. 
Hushy,  William  10.37. 
Hutchinson,  Henrj-,  341,  705. 
Hutchinson,  Matilda  M.,  705. 

Ice  Palace,  110. 

Illing^vorth,  William,  263. 

Immigration,   C1855),  65. 

Imiiii.i.isl;a,  383. 

ImiKirLat'ion  of  foreign  goods,  260. 

Inciopendent  order  of  Odd  Fellows,  592. 

Indian  Mounds  Park.  373,  'Md. 

Indian  War  of  18C2-3— St.  Paul,  the 
center  of  activities,  141  ;  first  Indian 
attacks,  142 ;  "Little  Crow,"  chosen 
leader.  143 ;  Fort  Uidgely  attacked, 
143 ;  Irish-.\mericans  take  the  field, 
144;  Fort  Uidgely  disaster  and  relief. 
144;  attiick  on  New  I'lm  repnls(Hl. 
145;  terrible  affair  of  Hin-h  C.onlie. 
140;  Indians  routed  at  Wood  Lake. 
148;  white  captives  relt^xsed  and  In- 
dian miscreants  liung,  148;  outbreak 
quelled,  149;  propertv  damages  paid, 
149. 

Indians,  11. 

Industries,  201,  055,  057. 

Industrial  Union,  249. 

Industries  (see  St.  Paul's  niannfaclur- 
les). 

Informal  Club,  483. 

Influence  of  women — Patrons  of  the 
city  beautiful.  .394;  God's  "Canyons 
of  the  City,"  .395;  women's  inlliicnce 
on  the  "Playground  movement,"  '.','.»'>; 
the  Home  (iarden  Club.  398;  domes- 
tic science,  .'iOS;  women's  clubs  and 
the  "city  plan,"  399;  work  through 
the  women's  clubs,  402. 

Ingersoll's  Hiill,  13.5. 

Ingerson.  f^arl  .\..  ](I2!(. 

Inipilry  division.  (St.  Paul  post  olHce), 
310. 

Insurance  companies,  4.50. 

InliTlor  lakes,  3. 

International  Hotel  burmd  In  1SC,;> 
(view),  93. 

Intenirbnn  lines,  ,3(38. 

Invcr  (Jrove,  0.'!0. 

Ireland,  .lohn,  97,  109,  518,  798. 

Ireland,  KIchnrd,  118. 


Irrigation,  191. 
Irvine,  I'Yank  E.,  9i30. 
Irvine,  Horace  II.,  857. 
Irvine,  John  U.,  39. 
Irvine,  Park,  370. 
Iverson,  S.  G..  612. 
Ives,  Gideon  S.,  325. 

Jackson,  Earle  D.,  776. 

Jackson.  Henry.  39,  300. 

Jackson,  John  N.,  t)02. 

Jackson,  William  II.,  1123. 

Jackson  Str(}et  church,  531. 

.laggard,  Edwin  A.,  322,  1174. 

Jefferson,  R.  C,  247. 

Jelinek.  John  P.,  7.30. 

Jennison.  S.  P.,  597. 

Jett,  J.  liailey,  993,  995. 

Jobber's  Union,  248. 

Jobbing  Trade  of  St.  Paul— Old  time 
fur  trade,  201 ;  the  retail  business, 
202 ;  pioneer  stores  and  merchants, 
202;  distinctive  jobbing  trade  (1807), 
200 ;  direct  imiwrtation  of  foreign 
goods,  200 ;  the  wholesale  district, 
207 ;  cold  storage  for  produce,  208 ; 
climatic  influences  on  trade,  2()8; 
"Minnesota  Know  'I'liyself."  20! » ;  a 
few  jobbing  lines  represente<l,  270; 
"auto''  accessories.  272 ;  jMiiier  bag 
manufacture,  271;  in-inters'  supplies, 
271. 

Johnson,  (Jates  A.,  228. 

Johnson,  II.  .Martin,  735. 

Johnson,  .lohn  A.,  1009. 

Johnson,  John.   (Eninegahbow),  5.30. 

.Idbnsun.   .\larrus,  .'111. 

.lohnsliin,  .VIcxander,  }vl4. 

.lohnston,  Clarence  II.,  458,  510,  84.'?. 

.lolinston.  Daniel  .S.  15.,  .'528,  446,  1021. 

Johnston,  .Mrs.  1).  S.  H..  1024. 

Johnston,  .lohn   15..  9.S7. 

Johnston.   Hannah  ('.  S..   1024. 

.rones,  DeWitt  C,  7.85. 

Jones,  E.  .Mendelssohn,  901. 

.lonrney  of  exploration  (I.'!02).  499. 

Junior  Pioneer  Ass(K-iatlon  of  Ujiinsey 
County,  575. 

Jurgensen.  Delbert  F.,  1120. 

Kahlerl,  (Jeorge  P..  922. 

Kane,  Thomas  K..  1S2. 

Kane,  William  II..  '.no. 

Keiim.   Alfred    P..  '.HO. 

Keigher.  Patrick,  989. 

K<-llcr,  Cbarles  E.,  112.". 

Keller.  Herbert  I'..  IM.  .".17.  708. 

Keller.  Oscar  E..  9'.>o. 

Kelliher.   Harriet   A.,  till."). 

Kelllher,  John,  994. 

Kellogg,  FraiUc  I!.,  !t7o. 

Kelly.  William  L.,  .'!2.':. 

Kensington  nnie  stone.  497. 

Kensington  rune  stone  (view),  498. 

Keii.von,  George  .M..  SCrl. 

Keokuk  Northern  Packet  Company,  214. 

Kiefer.  A.  It..  1002. 

King,  James  M.,  808. 


INDEX 


xxvu 


King,  Josias  R.,  131. 

King's  Daughters'  Aid  Society,  582. 

Kingsbury.  David  L.,  1175. 

Kirk,  R.  A.,  21S. 

Kittson,  H.,  510. 

Kittson,  Norman  W.,  39,  210. 

Knapheide,  R.,  CIS. 

Knauft.  F.,  593. 

Kniglits  of  Pytliias,  .j91. 

Knox,  Henry  M.,  474. 

Knox.  .T.  Jay,  291. 

Konantz,  Charles  F.,  801. 

Kregel,  William  C,  737. 

Kretz,  Hermann,  512,  829. 

Ladies  of  the  CJrand  Army  of  the  Re- 
•  public,  569. 

Lakes  and  rivers.  201. 

Lake  Minnetonka.  :i(!G. 

Lake  Phelan  water  introduced.  103. 

Lamm,  Leo  S.,  721. 

Lamprey.  Morris.  479./ 

Land,  the  foundation  of  all  wealth.  198. 

Lang.  Henrv  D..  11.3G. 

Lang,  Peter  J..  1053. 

Langford,  Xathaniel  P.,  291.  1154. 

Lankester,  Howard.  3.39,  754. 

Largest  flour  mills  in  the  world.  G49. 

Largest  stage  in  America,  422. 

Larpenteur,  Auguste  L.,  39,  815. 

Larpenteur,  J.  D..  508. 

Lawler.  Daniel  W..  890. 

Lawler.  John  J.,  805. 

Lawler,  John  L.,  525. 

Lawson.  Andrew  A..  1119. 

LeDuc.  W.  G..  63. 

Ledy,  B.  A.,  877. 

Lee.  William,  103. 

Legislatures — First,  53;  second.  58: 
fhird,  59 :  fourth,  GO ;  fifth,  63. 

Lelp.  William,  632. 

Leitner.  J.  P.,  594. 

Lemon,  Walter  T..  927. 

Lewis.  Robert  P..  420. 

Libraries  and  literary  societies — Mer- 
cantile Library  and  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  478 :  consolida- 
ted as  St.  Paul  Lilirary  As.soeiation, 
479 ;  made  a  city  library,  479 ;  pro- 
posed extension  of  usefulness.  480 ;  a 
new  development.  481 ;  other  libra- 
ries. 482:  the  Informal  Club,  483: 
German  Society  of  St.  Paul.  487 ; 
Como  Park  as  a  "melting  pot."  488. 

Lietlertafel  of  North  St.  Paul,  598. 

Lienau.  Charles  H.,  .334. 

Liggett.  William  M..  G95. 

Lightner,  W.  H..  248. 

Lindeke,  Rosa  B.,  687. 

Lindeke,  William  274,  686. 

Literary  associations,  48.3. 

Little  Canada,  632. 

Little  Crow,  24,  42,  143. 

"Little  Red  School,"  461. 

Live  stock,  187,  434. 

Livingston,  Crawford.  G12. 

Locke,  Frank  Y.,  765. 


Locomotives.  G59. 
Lord,  William  R..  485. 
Lott,  Bushrod  W.,  316. 
Lowry  building  (view).  320. 
Lo^TV,  Thomas.  228.  361. 
Luger.  Edward  E..  832. 
Luger,  Frank  J.,  833. 
Luger,  John,  S.S:^. 
Luger,  John.  1128. 
Luger,  John.   8r..  631. 
Luger.  Joseph  A.,  1129. 
Luger,  Louis  A..  936. 
Luger,  Martin,  1029. 
Lumber  trade,  266. 
L'Union  Francaise,  101. 
Lusk.  J.  W.,  294. 
Luther  Hospital  Association,  345. 
Luther  Seminary,  477. 
Lutheran  churches,  540. 
Lynch,  Fred  B.,  486. 

McAndrews.  Eleanor  B..  848. 

McAndrews,  William.  848. 

McCaine,  Daniel,  542. 

McCalne,  Mrs.  H.  J.,  480,  1167. 

McCardy.  J.  J.,  410. 

MeConville.  Coustautine  J.,  680. 

McDavitt,  Thomas  S..  1012. 

McDonula.   Henry  W..   1197. 

McElrath.  J.  P..  351. 

.McElwee.  Charles  C.  849. 

McGill,  A.  R..  117,  169. 

McGill,  Andrew  R.,  1015. 

McGill,   Charles  H.,   1192. 

Mclntyre,  Abbie  P..  905. 

Mclntyre.  Charles  W.,  905. 

McLain.  J.  S.,  333. 

ilcLaren,  Archibald,  .342,  740. 

McLaren,  R.  N..  117,  738. 

McLean.  Nathaniel,  .329. 

McMasters.  S.  Y.,  98,  493. 

McMillan,  H.  S.,  SG3. 

McMillan,  S.  J.  R..  100. 

McMurchy,  W.  H.,  334. 

McQuillan,  P.  P..  111. 

MeWhinney.  William  J..  781. 

Macalester    College,    473. 

Macalester  College    (view).  474. 

MacKenzie,  Alexander,  980. 

MacKenzie,  Eliza  C,  980. 

Macklett,  Otto  C,  1002. 

Mackubin,  Charles  M..  288. 

Magee,   Elizabeth.  1145. 

Magee.  George  W.,  1145. 

Maggoffin,  Beriah,  178. 

Magraw,  F.  E.,  764. 

JIahtomedi,  634. 

JIail  service,  57. 

Malleable  iron  industr.v,  282. 

Malmros,  Oscar,  168. 

Mann,   Eugene  L..  74G. 

Mann,  Walter.  294. 

Manufactures  (see  industries.) 

Manufacturing  center  moving  westward, 

278. 
JIaps — Ground  plan  of  Seven  Corners, 

300:  Twin  City  street  car  lines,  (>45 
.Market  Street  church,  531. 


XXVIII 


INDEX 


Mill-shall  (Williim  R.)  aud  Rice  (Hen- 
ry M.I   dcliati",  107. 

Murslmll.   William   K..  C^.   OS.   llill. 

Marvin,  K..  C^. 

Mason,  William  R.  .j:!4. 

Masonic  loJf;e,  .">. 

Masqueray,  Kninianui'l  I...  -"il-.   imi;;. 

Mattotks,  Brewer.  .340. 

Mattoclis.  John,  450. 

Maurv.  M.  !•'.,  4!»1. 

Maxlifld,  L.  II.,  0.j9. 

May,  L.  L..  251. 

Mayo,  C.  E..  130. 

Mead.  W.  H..  .OU.!. 

Meal  jKieliinf;  industry.  2S1. 

Medary,  Sanmel,  0!). 

Medical  education,  ::!4:!. 

Metlical  profession  and  lieallh  conserva- 
tion— Physicians  who  came  prior  to 
18.50,  :«!»:  arrivals  during  1S5()-00, 
340;  later  accessions  to  the  profes- 
sion, 'Ml;  medical  societies.  :'A2; 
medical  edunition.  :'A'.':  hos|)itiils. 
.S44;  epidemics  and  public  hygiene, 
345:  healthiest  large  city  in  the 
world.  345:  Harriet  Island  I'ark  and 
Baths,  '.iil ;  i)resent  day  health  plans, 
348:  economic  imiKirtance  of  sani- 
tary precjiutions.  :i4'.i. 

Medical  societies.  ."U^. 

Meelvcr.  Bradley  B.,  317. 

Memorial  exercises  for  Lincoln,  571. 

Merchants  Hotel.  43. 

Merchants'  Nalional  Bank,  204. 

Merriam,  .Tohn  I/..  Wi.  703. 

Merriam  I'ark  Slate  Bank.  295. 

Merriam  Park  Women's  Club.  487. 

Merriam.  Uobert   H..  704. 

Merriam,  William  !{..   110.  107.5. 

Merrick.  William   II..   1  loo. 

Merrill,  H.  I).,  .545. 

Merriman.  ().  C,  4G7. 

AIelroiH)litan  Hotel.  10.3,  418,  42.'!. 

Jleverding.  A.  E.,  804. 

Michael.  .lames  ('..  s:iO. 

Mi<haud.   Desire  II..  1107. 

MlildlctoM,  Albert  E..  771. 

>Iid\vay  Connnercial  Club.  022. 

Midway  district  in  ."-^t.  Paul — Settlement 
of  Iteserve  township,  CIS;  ])roccss  of 
city  absorption.  010;  early  .Midw.-iy 
events.  010;  (he  Miiniesota  Transfer. 
020;  greal  industries.  (;21  ;  residen- 
tial and  ediK-.itlonal  <-enler.  022:  pro- 
lK)se<l  grand  union  de|K)t.  023;  new 
water  power  corporation.  025;  new 
era  of  cily  building  rc<iuireil.  025. 

".Midway  Ncw.s."  isl,  :::;(',.  oio. 

Milirarv  Oriler  of  the  I.oyal  Legion.  571. 

Miller.  Mrs.  Endlv  Hunlington,  .5,82. 
Miller,  Ilenrv  H..  007. 
Miller,  Stephen,   131. 

Mills,  Henry  L..  :!2.3. 

Mineral  deposits,  071. 
Mliniea|Hilis.   Oil, 

Miiinen|K«ls  &  St.  Louis  Kailroad,  220. 
MiiineaiMills,    SI,    Paul    ami    Saull    Sle. 
.Marie  Kallw:iy,  L"jv. 


.Minnehaha,  .'^00. 

.Miniiclialia  I'.alls.  ;!77. 

.Miiini'h;iha  Falls  in  winter  (view), 
12,'!, 

Minnehaha   Park,  :!74. 

.Minnesot.i's  attainment  of  statehood. 
7.'! ;  stormy  lirst  state  convention,  73; 
constitution  adopted,  74;  Minnesota's 
three  governors.  77  ;  Uice  and  Shields 
elected  senators,  77:  admittwl  to  the 
I'nion.  78:  jiaper  railways  and  "Wild 
Cat"  banks.  70;  Kamsey's  Uepublicsm 
ailminislralion,  70. 

.Minnesota  Central   Kailroad.  22.5. 

.Minnesota  Club.  002. 

.Minnesota's  contribution  to  soldiery, 
i;!0. 

.Minnesota  Historical  Society — Incor- 
]ioration  and  organization.  4.80;  places 
of  meeting.  4011;  building  jirojtvt  falls, 
401  ;  society  resuscitated,  4!ll  :  broad 
scope  and  pur|K)ses,  401  ;  officers,  402; 
removal  to  new  nipitol,  403;  society 
publications,  40:; ;  State  Historical 
.Society  Library.  405;  historical  and 
archaeologic;il  relics,  41(0;  the  Ken- 
sington rune  stone,  407. 

.Minnesota  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany. 4.50. 

.Minnesota  Oilil  Fellows  Home.  .504. 

•■.Minnesota   Pioneer,"  .'^20. 

.Minnesota's  population.   200. 

.Miiniesota  river  navigation.  210. 

.Minnesota  Soldiers'    Home.  .51^!. 

.Minnesota   St.age  Company,  20!). 

Minnesota  State  .\gri<-nltural  Socielv. 
420. 

.Minnesota  State  Fair  grounds  (view), 
420. 

.Minnesota   territory.  45,  4(5. 

■■.Minnesota  Slats  Tidniiig,"  '.V.V\. 

.Minnesota's  timber  wealth,  (i70. 

Minnesota  Transfer  Board  of  Trade, 
020. 

.Minnesota  Transfer,  2:W,  G20. 

•Milcbell.  E.lward  C,  542,  f578. 

.Mitchell.  Fieih-rick  .1.,  722. 

.MolTett.   Lot.  7.  .50. 

".MolTett's  Castle."  417. 

.Monfort.  I>.  A.,  00,  2!H. 

.Mon.son.  August  .V.,  0.5.5. 

.Moiit.'ina.  lOii. 

.Moore,  Allien.  l'>.SO. 

.M<Mire.  (ieorge  W.,  ;!."!2. 

.Moose  and  doer.  104. 

.Morgan.    Aniolm'tte    .\l.    P..    Ills. 

.Morg.in,  David.  .51.'!. 

MoruMii,  .Michael    I!..    111.5. 

.Mi.ris-in.  II.  (;.  (>.,  OSO. 

.MorisMii.    Uebecca    .\„  081. 

.Moss.  Mrs,  A.  T..  .5.82. 

.Moss.  Henry  L..  51. 

Mounds  Park   .Sanit.'irinin,  ;t4.5. 

Mound's  view   township,  0.'!.5. 

Moving  picture  shows,  424, 

Moyniban.   Hiiiiiplirey,  480.  .522. 

.Mo/.art   Club.  .50S. 

Mo/.arl    IImII     Is7. 


INDEX 


XXIX 


Mueller,  Charles  H.,  938. 

Municipal  court.  323. 

Municipal  debt,  182. 

Municipality  of  St.  Paul.  173;  first 
town  corporation  and  electiou,  173 ; 
early  ordinances.  17-1;  bluudei-s  in 
street  grades,  174 :  St.  Paul  as  a  city, 
174  ;  Wiest  St.  Paul  incorporated,  17.5 ; 
total  city  indebtedness,  175 ;  new- 
charter  granted  and  amended,  177 ; 
improvements,  177:  charter  amend- 
ments and  territorial  extensions,  177  ; 
government  by  boards,  178;  the  bell 
charter.  179;  provisions  for  charter 
commission,  179;  St.  Paul's  "Home 
Rule"  charter,  180;  "Commission" 
form  of  government,  181 ;  city  and 
county,  181 ;  municipal  debt  and  proj)- 
erty,  182 ;  the  years  1912-13 ;  a  period 
of  transition,  183. 

Municipal  property  valuation,  182. 

Munn.  M.  D..  236. 

Murphv.  J.  H..  .59.  339. 

Murray,  Frederick  H.,  962. 

Murray,  William  P.,  59,   1168. 

Musical  and  sociiil  organizations — Old 
St.  Paul  Musical  Society,  .597 ;  sing- 
ing societies.  59 f;  St.  Paul  Symphony 
Orchestra,  599;  Mrs.  F.  H.  Snyder. 
599 ;  the  Schubert  Club,  GOO ;  popular 
musical  education,  600 ;  social  clubs, 
602 ;  social  features  of  commercial 
clubs,  604, 

Mutual  Benefit  Society,  593. 

Myrick,  Nathan,  45,  143. 

Nason,  Albert  J.,  966. 

National  banking  act,  292. 

National  banks,  293. 

National  Editorial  Association,  414. 

National  German  American  Bank,  294. 

National  Guard — First  militia  organiza- 
tion. 607;  beginnings  of  the  National 
Guard,  608;  the  permanent  Natonal 
Guard,  610 ;  the  St.  Paul  companies, 
611 ;  the  National  Guard's  war  ser- 
vices, 614;  past  reputation  well  sus- 
tained. 615;  the  National  Guard  ar- 
mory. 616. 

National  Live  Stock  Insurance  Com- 
pany, 450. 

"National  Reporter  System,"  3.36. 

Natural  terraces,  2. 

Navigation  of  Minnesota  river,  58. 

Navigation  of  the  Upper  Mississippf, 
212. 

Needlework  Guild,  582. 

Negaard,  Ole  H..  1107. 

Neighborhood  House,  582. 

Neill,  Edward  D..  48,  473. 

Nelson,  Hans,  717, 

Nelson,  Rensselaer  R..  70,  .320. 

Nelson,  Socrates,  574. 

New  Brighton,  035, 

New  cathedral,  now  in  course  of  con- 
stniction  (view-),  527. 

Newel,  Stanford,  170. 

New  England  of  the  future,  184. 


New  era  of  prosperity,  219. 

Newman.  Lewis  B.,  1063. 

Ne\\-inan.  Thomas  J..  907. 

New  Masonic  Temple  (view),  589, 

New  movement  in  China,  667. 

New-  plant  of  St,  Paul  Bread  Company 
( view- ) ,  284, 

New  Ulm.  145. 

Newspapers  and  publishing  houses — 
Newspapers,  gold  mines  of  history, 
327 ;  "Register,"  first  Minnesota  news- 
paper, 328 ;  murder  of  its  founder, 
328 ;  the  "Minnesota  Pioneer"  found- 
ed. 329 ;  "Chronicle  and  Register," 
329;  "Pioneer  and  Democrat,"  .330; 
old  "Pioneer"  editors,  3.30;  "St.  Paul 
Daily  Press,''  3.32;  "St.  Paul  Pioneer 
Press,"  3.33;  "St.  Paul  Daily  Dis- 
patch." 333;  "St.  Paul  Daily  Globe," 
334;  "St.  Paul  Daily  News."  .3.34;  the 
"Volkszeitung."  .3.34 ;  St.  Paul  News- 
pajiers  in  short,  335 ;  The  West  Pub- 
lishing Company,  337 ;  R.  L.  Polk  and 
Company.  338. 

Newixirt,  Mrs.  R.  M..  411. 

Newsboys  Honje.  585. 

Newson,  T.  M.,  .328. 

New  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building   (view),  548. 

New  York  Life  building  (vie-w),  241. 

Nichols,  Charles,  97. 

Nicols.  John  293. 

Nicollet,  .1,  M.,  287. 

Noah,  Jacob  J.,  165. 

Nolan,   .Marv   L..    1142. 

Nolan.  AVilliam  J..  1142. 

Norden  Club,  603. 

North  Central  Commercial  Club,  2.59. 

North  St.  Paul,  242,  630. 

North  St.  Paul  Commercial  Club.  2.59. 

"North  St.  Paul  Sentinel, '  336. 

Northern  Line  Packet  Company,  214. 

Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  57, 

Northrup,  Elwin  A.,  949. 

Northw-est  Development  League,  254. 

■'Northwestern  Chronicle,"  336. 

Xortlnvestern  Exposition,  429. 

Nortliwestern  wonderland,  194. 

Norton,  Henry  G.,  699. 

Noyes.  Daniel  R.,  1046. 

Nussbaumer,  Frederick,  375,  709. 

Oakes,  Charles  H.,  288. 

Oakps,  George  W.,  972. 

Oakes,  T,  F.,  119. 

Oakland  Cemetery,  01,  379. 

O'Brien,  Christopner  D..  106,  115.  104.5. 

O'Brien,  Dillon,  99, 

O'Brien,  Patrick,  .300,  828. 

O'Brien.  Richard  D.,  1140, 

O'Connor,  John  J.,  351,  845, 

O'Connor,  John  P.,  1090. 

O'Connor,  John  V.,  1090. 

O'Connor,  Richard  T.,  803. 

t)dd  Fellow-s  Home,  NorthSeld,  (view), 

593. 
Ohage,  Justus,  376. 
ojiliway,  19, 
"(Jld  Bets,"  105, 


INDEX 


•Old  Bets"  (portrait),  142. 

01(1  Block  House,  Fort  Snelling  (view), 

2(;. 
Old  Settlers'  Association,  1574. 
Olesoii,  Gilbert,  9US. 
Oliver,  .Tohn  1?.,  :!53. 
Olmstetl.  David,  03,  175. 
Olson,  Axel   A.,  837. 
Olson,  Osoir  L.,  916. 
Oppenheini.  Ansel,  247,  446,  1125. 
Order  of  the  Cincinnati,  572. 
Order  of  tlie  Eastern  Star,  591. 
Oriiheuni  Theater,  423. 
Orr,  Orier  .M..  323.  1068. 
Osgood.  Henry  IC,  997. 
Ostergren,  Edward  W..  917. 
Otis,  Charles  E.,  1105. 
Otis,  George  L.,  101. 
Owens.  John  I'..  32S. 

"Pageant  of  the  Twin  City,"  G47. 

Paine,   Parker,  292. 

I'ahner.  E.  C..  70.  322. 

I'anania  canal,  (UiO. 

Panic  of  1!S57.  290. 

Paper  bag  nianufacture.  271. 

Paradls,  Edouard  .V..  019.  943. 

I'ark  Congregational  church,  ."):>7. 

Park  extension,  381. 

Park   Place  Hotel,   102,  417. 

Park  S(iuare  and  wholesale  district 
(view),  207. 

Park  system  of  St.  Paul — Rice,  Irvine 
and  Smith  parks.  370;  Conio  Park 
Iiurchas<'(l,  371  :  Poard  of  Park  Com- 
missioners created.  .372;  system  sus- 
tained and  extended,  372;  Riverside 
boulevard  and  park.  .■'.73;  city  public 
grounds  in  1891,  374:  present  i)ark 
system.  37t> :  Fort  .*>nelling  and  .Min- 
nehaha Falls,  377;  cemeteries.  .377; 
the  "I'lay  Ground  Movement,"  .380; 
Jlodern  city  beautiful,  :j80 ;  a  scheme 
for  linked  laices.  .381. 

Parker.  Frank  D.,  ]0."i4. 

I'.irrant,  PieiTe.  32. 

Pars<jns,  Bertram  W..  84.3. 

I'arty  leaders,    integrity  >>(.   171. 

I'assenger  and  freight  terminals — By 
ISSS  gi'eat  railway  trallic  apparent, 
229;  St.  Paul  i)assenger  deiMils.  23(1; 
the  "Pugct  Sound''  line,  231  ;  creating 
new  trallic,  2:!2 ;  St.  Paul  Union  De- 
jKit,  23..";  a  new  and  splemlid  union 
depot,  2;'>.j ;  relief  for  business  c-«n- 
gestion,  230;  ample  freight  terminals, 
238. 

Patriotic  societies — Soldierly  descen- 
dants, the  stanchest  reformers.  .'"(05: 
.\iiierlcanlzing  inferior  Innnlgrants. 
500;  Sons  of  the  .Vmerlcan  Revolu- 
tion, .')07  ;  Daughters  of  the  .Vmerlcan 
Uevolullon,  ."lOS;  adillated  wllli  the 
(irand  .\rmy  of  the  Republli',  509; 
Alllltary  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion, 
571;  Order  of  the  Cincinnati.  572; 
the  spirit  of  the  sx-ns,  573 ;  early  set- 


tlers and  their  descendants,  574 ;  mili- 
tary organizations  of  Germans.  575. 

Patrol  and  s;ilvage  system.  450. 

Patterson,  Andrew  Bell,  92,  540. 

Pavilion  and  waterfront,  White  Bear 
Lake  (view),  033. 

Pease,  R.  M.  S.,  289. 

"Pembina  carts,"  209. 

Penesha.  15,  23. 

Peoples'  church.  538. 

Pe<ii)les'  theatre.  09. 

Perkins.  Norman.  020. 

I'erry,  .\braham.  .32. 

Perry.  William,  932. 

Peter.  Louis  H..  905. 

Phaleu  creek,  9. 

Phalen  Park,  370. 

Phelps.  William  F.,  249. 

Philipjiine  e.Kjiedition,  615. 

Phillips,  Thomas  .1..  1133. 

Physicians  of  St.  Paul,  .330. 

Pierson.  Carl  O..  975. 

"Pig's  Eye."  (I'arrant),  .30. 

Pike's  Island.  22.  377. 

Pike.  Zebnlon  Montgomery,  22. 

Pillbsury.  John  S.,  407. 

Plllsbury  Hall,  State  University  (view), 
4t:8. 

Pinchon   (see  Penesha). 

Pine,  Oran  S..  1979. 

"Pioneer."  .3.30. 

"Pioneer  and  Democrat."  .3.30. 

"I'ioneer"  building,  corner  Fourth  and 
Robert  streets  (view),  331. 

Pioneer  Guard.  00. 

Pioneer  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  63. 

Pioneer  industries.  273. 

Pioneer  merchants,  2(5.3. 

Pioneer  stores.  203. 

Platting  of  suburban  property,  3S.9. 

"Play  ground"  movement,  380,  397. 

Plondke.  F.  J.,  1037. 

Plymouth  Congregational  church,  537. 

Pocock,  Walter  A..  418. 

Police  and  fire  protection  and  water 
suppl.v — Creditable  police  protection. 
.'{51;  jirosent  department,  .'i."i2 ;  lirst 
tires  and  volunteer  dei)artment.  .''.."i.". ; 
paid  lire  department.  ,353;  St.  Paul 
Water  Company,  354;  city  buys  wa- 
ter works.  .'!55 ;  sources  of  water  su|v 
pl.v.  .'i,") ;  future  needs,  3.57;  changed 
water  standards.  .358. 

Political  self-effacement,  102. 
•  Polllli's  and  politicians — Early  Issues, 
102;  i)rohlbition  and  referendum. 
It!.'!;  early  ]iollticians  and  personal 
contests,  104;  founders  of  .Mlnnesoia 
railroads,  105:  light  over  visit  of 
I>onglas,  100;  gubernatorial  per.sonal- 
llles,  100;  Donnelly  and  Wheclock, 
108;  "Young  Republicans."  of  the 
early  seventies.  KiO;  famous  St.  Paul 
men,  lOii;  judicial  honors.  17(1;  a  ctm- 
vlctlon  from  wide  observation,  171. 

Polk  (R.  L.)  &  Company.  .•!37. 

Polleys.  Thomas  A.,  JW.',. 

Pomeroy,  Benjamin  A.,  1052. 


INDEX 


XXXI 


Pope,  John,  312. 

Pope,  William  C,  103,  540. 

Posdi.  .Tosepli.  1089. 

Postal  Savings  Bank.  301. 

Post  office  (rtew),  298. 

Post  office  and  postal  service— Dr. 
David  Da.v,  299;  Henry  Jackson  and 
early  "conveniences,"'  300 ;  post  of- 
fice and  revenues,  300 ;  History  of  the 
Postal  Service,  302;  "Bad  Medicine," 
in  Postal  Service,  305;  "Good  Medi- 
cine" in  St.  Paul  Office,  30G;  Ameri- 
can people  set  the  most  mail,  30G. 

Potatoes.  189. 

Potter,  Milton  C.  45T. 

Potts.  Thomas  R.,  52.  340. 

Pousette.  Nathaniel  J.,  508. 

Power,  Charles  M.,  1123. 

Powers,  James.  1146. 

Prairie  roads.  210. 

Presbyterian  churches,  533. 

Pre-historie  St.  Paul — ^The  Mound  build- 
ers, 10:  the  real  Indian,  11 ;  the  Sioux 
in  1834.  12 ;  first  mention  of  St.  Paul 
region,  13  ;  reckless  Penesha,  the  voy- 
ageur,  15 :  Cai-ver,  advertiser  of  the 
northwest,  15;  the  Carver  claim  to  St. 
Paul,  etc.,  17 ;  Sioux  vs.  Ojibway,  19 ; 
another  land  owner,  19. 

Presley,  Bartlett.  55,  263. 

Price,  "W.  W.,  613. 

PTiebe,  John  H..  700. 

Prince,  Frances.  1006. 

Prince,  George  H.,  855. 

Prince,  John  S.,  1004. 

Printers'  supplies,  271. 

Pri^'ate  schools,  462. 

Probate  coui't,  323. 

Produce  commission  business,  658. 

Prohibition,  163. 

Protestant  churches  (see  Protestant  Re- 
ligious organizations). 

Protestant  Orpli«iii  Asylum,  99,  577. 

Protestant  religious  organizations — 
First  Protestant  church  (Methodist), 
530;  Jackson  and  Market  street 
<-hurehes,  531 ;  other  Methodist 
churches,  532 ;  Presbyterian  churches, 
533 ;  Plymouth  and  other  Congrega- 
tional churches,  537 ;  the  Peoples' 
church,  538;  Baptist  organizations, 
538;  the  Episcopalians,  539;  Luther- 
an churches  of  the  city,  540 ;  Swedeu- 
borgiau.  Unitarian  and  Universalist, 
541 ;  Hebrew  congregations,  543 ; 
otiier  religious  bodies,  543. 

Province  of  St.  Paul.  526. 

Pruden,  Allen  K.,  686. 

Public  baths.  Harriet  Island  (view), 
348. 

Public  eliarities  of  the  city,  580. 

Public  hygiene,  345. 

Public  men  (in  formative  decades)  of 
Minnesota,  171. 

Public  schools — St.  Paul's  first  schools, 
453 ;  first  public  schoolhouse,  454 ; 
pioneer  public  school  teachers,  455 ; 
high  school  and  board  of  education, 


455 ;   schoolhouses  of  the  fifties,  456 ; 

superintendents  of  public  schools, 
4.56;  the  St.  Paul  high  scliool,  457; 
present  public  school  system,  458; 
tor  those  who  must  cut  their  school- 
ing. 459 ;  ijhysical  conservation  and 
safetj-.  461  ;  "the  little  red  school" 
461 ;  private  and  select  schools,  462 ; 
public  schools  as  social  centers,  463; 
another  new  departure,  463. 

Puget  Sound  line,  231. 

Puritan  strictness,  174. 

Pusey,  Pennock,  169. 

Pyle,  J.  G.,  483. 

Quadriga  in  bronze,  156. 
Quarter-centennial       anniversary       of 

North  St.  Paul.  259. 
Quinn,  J.  A.,  718. 

Radatz.  August,  677. 
Railroad  laud  grants,  218. 
Itailroads — ^Mention.  79.  165 ;  land 
grants  to.  218 ;  railroad  building, 
1865-90.  210;  St.  Paul,  the  construc- 
tion center.  219 ;  the  Great  Northern 
system,  220;  Northern  Pacific  rail- 
road. 222;  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minn- 
eaixilis  and  Omaha  system,  223 ;  the 
Minnesota  Central  Railroad,  225 ;  The 
Ctoieago  Great  Western,  225;  Min- 
neaiK)lis  and  St.  Louis  Railroad,  220 ; 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  227; 
Chicago,  Rock  Island  and  Pacific, 
227;  the  "Soo"  Line,  228;  destined 
March  of  St.  Paul,  228. 

Railway  center,  654. 

Railway  mail  clerks,  310. 

Railway  mail  service.  309. 

Railway  shops,  281. 

Raleigh,  John.  783. 

Raleigh,  William.   784. 

Ramaley,  Florence  W.,  1066. 

Ramaley,  John  D.,  1065. 

Ramaley,  John  E.,  964. 

Ramaley,  Louis,  1196. 

Ramsden,  Thomas  P.,  782. 

Ramsey,  Alexander,  51.  771. 

Ramsey,  Justus  C,  588. 

Ramsey  county,  54. 

Ramsey  County  Bar  Association,  325. 

Ramsey  County  Homeopathic  Society, 
343. 

Ramsey  County  Medical  Society,  342. 

Ramsey  county  poor  farm.  580. 

Ramsey's  Republican  administration. 
70. 

Randall,  Eugene  W.,  1101. 

Randall.  John  H..  385. 

Randall,  William  H.,  42,  384. 

Raw  material,  281. 

"Razoo,"  336. 

Reagan,  John  A.,  1032. 

Real  estate  and  insurance — Radical 
land  hunger,  440 ;  mission  of  real 
estate  dealers,  440 ;  the  Collapse  of 
1S57, 442  ;  from  1857  to  1873, 443  ;  real 
estate  in  the  eighties,  443 ;  the  record 


xxxii 


IXDEX 


since,  444 ;  iM»rsoiinel  of  real  estato 
men.  445 ;  present  day  values  and 
building.  44(> ;  imblic  attitude  of  real 
estiUe  exdianges.  447;  agrieultural 
betterment  tlirough  education.  44S;  a 
prophecy  verified,  44!);  the  in.surance 
companies,  4.50. 

Real  estate  exchanges.  447. 

Real  estate  in  the  eighties.  44.3. 

Real  estate  values,  38!). 

Reardon.  T..  440. 

Recei)tion  of  Ilenrv  Villard  and  guests, 
114. 

Reed,  Charles  A.,  510. 

Reed.  L.  E.,  294. 

Reeves.  Arthur  .T..  740. 

Rel'erendum,  l(i:{. 

Refrigeration,  (see  also  cold  storage), 
28;!. 

Regan.  .7.  .T..  5!)5. 

••Itegister."  :t28. 

Relief  furnished  families  of  volunteers, 
138. 

Remarkable  journey,  207. 

Rene.  Albert  A..  706. 

Red  River  valley,  189. 

Ret.-iil  lnisines.s.  202. 

Reynolds,  "niamond  .To."  21G. 

Rice.  Daniel,  474. 

Rice.  KdnnuHl.  .">4.  ;520. 

Rice,  I'rcdcricU  E..  1009. 

Rice.  Henry  M..  45. 

Rice  Park.  .370. 

Richeson,  William,  341. 

Rider.  Henry  A.,  79G. 

Ries.  Cciirge  .!.,  !)00. 

RilicldalTcr.  .1.  G.,  100.  .54.5. 

Rindal.  Ole  ().,  1121. 

Rising  Moose,  24. 

Ritdiie.  Ilarrv  P.,  1008. 

Ritchie.  Parks.  .•?42.  1007. 

Rilt.  Edward  A.,  911. 

River  and  Harlnir  Connnission.  235. 

Riverside  Pioulcvard  and  Park.  :'.73.  370. 

River  trans|Kirtation,  211. 

Roads,  (!37. 

Robbins,  .Joseph  H.,  II  1 1. 

Robert.  Louis,  40. 

Robert-s  .Tohn  D.,  091. 

Robertson,  D.  A..  00.  ;:2:i. 

Rogers,  Charles  W.,  n.'il. 

Rogers,  Edward  (i..  11.5;!. 

Rogei-s.  Ered  1)..  1028. 

Roletle.  .Toe,  07. 

Roman  Catholic  log  chapel.  48. 

Riimer.  Frederick  11.,  855. 

Rose  township.  030. 

Roselawn  C^Muetery,  379. 

Rosness.  I«ar.s.  704. 

Roth,  Charles  C.  420. 

Rolhrock.  .I.ihn  I,..  111.3. 

Rothsihlld.   Harold  .T..  92.3. 

Ftotliwcll.  W.illcr  Henr.v,  .5!)9. 

Round  stone  tower,  377. 

Rr)inid  tower,  the.  Eort  Snelling  tvicwi. 
37,8. 

Ro.vnl  .\rch  .Masons,  500. 

Ruger,  Thomas  H.,  312. 


Rural  mail  delivery.  201. 
Rural  schools,  202. 
R.van.  Dennis.  418. 
Ryi)ins,  I.  L.,  54.3. 

Saengerfest  of  1912.  598. 

St.  Agatha's  Conservatory  of  Music  and 
Art.  523. 

St.  Anthony  hill.  392. 

St.  .Toscpli  parish.  .520. 

St.  .Tosepb's  Hospital.  ;i44. 

St.  .Toseph's  Uo.'ipital    (view).  .524. 

St.  Louis'  church.  519. 

St.  Luke's  Hospital,  .■{4.5. 

St.  Margaret's  Guild.  582. 

St.  .Mary's  church.  519. 

St.  .Michael's  church.  519. 

St.  Paul  mention,  10.  25.  4l'..  48.  .52.  54, 
.55.  00.  S.'!.  85.  !H>.  130,  141.  1.52,  100, 
174.  lit;!.  212.  219.  .'iOS.  311.  312.  370, 

375,  :w;!.  ;{87,  :i88,  ;!9i.  ;!<);?.  :!!>!•.  404, 

405.  415.  449;  Incorixiration  and  first 
election,  ivi;  great  railroad  excursion, 
04;  immigration  and  inflation.  (i5 ; 
squelching  of  St.  Peter's  ambition, 
(i7 ;  Medary  snccecHls  Gorman.  09; 
the  "Sunrise  ex|K'dition."  09;  infla- 
tion and  collapse.  70;  murders  and 
tirst  execution.  71. 

St.  Paul  .\cademy.  403. 

St.  Paul  -Vnti-Tubcrculosis  Coinniittee, 
.5.84. 

St.  Paul  armory.  Oio. 

."^t.  Paul  Association  of  Commerce.  2.50. 

St.  Paul  .\ssociation  of  Commerce  build- 
ing  (view).  255. 

SI.  P.uil   .\uditorium.  422. 

St.  Paul  Hoard  of  Trade.  24.S. 

St.  Paul  Ciithedral,  front  elevation 
(view).  502. 

St.  Paul  Catholic  Historical  Society.  521. 

.St.  Paul  (,'entral  high  school  (\iew), 
4.52. 

St.  Paid  Chamber  of  Coininerce,  240, 
('►41. 

St.  Paul  the  capital  city,  St.  Paul  the 
convention  city,  see  page  47. 

St.  Paul  Clearing  House.  290. 

St.  Paul  College  of  Law,  ."{25. 

St.  Paul  Commercial  Club.  248,  250,  004. 

St.   Paul  Custom   House,  :{01. 

"St.  Paul  Tiailv  Dispatch."  3X5. 

"SI,  Paul  Dally  Globe,"  :!34. 
■SI.  Paul  Dailv  News,"  :«4. 

"SI.   Paul  Daily  Press."  ,3,32. 

"St.  Paul  Dispatch."  110. 

St.  Paul's  Episcopal  <-hnrch.  .5.39. 

.St.  Paul  Eire  ainl  .Marine  Insurance 
Company,  4.5(i. 

St.  Paul's  fnlnre  development  —  St. 
Paul's  start  in  the  mce.  000;  three 
large  enterprises.  OOS;  projiosed  Im- 
jvroveinents.  009;  new  lines  of  <>om- 
municatioii.  oOit;  tributary  agrlcul- 
lural  resources,  07ii;  .\Ilnnesota^s 
timber  wealth.  070;  Incalculably  val- 
uable mineral  de]ioslt.s.  (571 ;  water 
|H)wers    an<l    electrical    development. 


INDEX 


xxxin 


G71 ;  uatirjual  eousideratious,  G73 ;  a 
dream  of  the  future,  G74. 

St.  Paul  (Juards.  (;12. 

St.  Paul  hitxh  school,  -457. 

"St.  Paul"  Hotel,  418. 

St  Paul  Hotel   (view),  421. 

St. Paul  ic-e  ixilace,  ISSS  (view),  IIG. 

St.  Paul  Institute,  4G4. 

St.  Paul  Institute  of  Science  and  Let- 
ters, 501. 

St.  Paul  Institute  School  of  Art,  504. 

St.  P.-uil  .lol)lier's  Union,  248. 

St.  Paul  Libraiy  Association,  G8,  479. 

St.  Paul  Liederkranz,  5t)7. 

St.  Paul's  manufacturers — In  support  of 
home  manufacturers,  273 ;  pioneer  in- 
dustrial plants,  273  ;  industrial  statis- 
tics, 274 ;  St.  Paul's  niauufaeturing 
advantages,  276 ;  as  a  workingnian's 
cit.v,  277 ;  advantages  in  Epitome, 
278;  threatened  slutting  of  indus- 
trial center,  279 ;  St.  Paul's  indus- 
trial gain,  280;  superlative  local  In- 
dustries, 281 ;  vast  future  of  water 
power,  285 ;  effect  on  "city  planning," 
28G. 

St.  Paul  market  house,  153. 

St.  Paul  JIusical  Societv.  5!)7. 

St.  Paul  National  Bank,  294. 

St.  Paul  Opera  House,  101,  424. 

St  Paul's  part  in  suppressing  the  Re- 
bellion, i:!0 ;  Minnesota  offers  first 
union  troops,  130 ;  First  Minnesota  at 
Fort  Snelling,  131 ;  ordered  to  Vir- 
giuia,  132 ;  arrives  iu  Washington, 
1.34 ;  first  Ladies'  Volunteer  Aid  So- 
cietj%  134  ;  Minnesota  s  contribution 
to  soldiery,  136 ;  St.  Paul's  si^eeial 
participation,  136. 

"St  Paul  Pioneer,"  48. 

"St.  Paul  Pioneer"  Press,  333. 

St.  Paul's  present  greatness — The  men 
of  1848  aud  earlier,  651 ;  geographi- 
cal and  natural  advantages,  653 ;  Na- 
tional civic,  military  and  railway  cen- 
ter, 654 ;  municipal,  social,  commer- 
cial, artistic  and  charitable,  654; 
what  census  figures  show,  655 ;  cli- 
matic advantages,  656 ;  tributary 
acres  easily  cultivated,  6.56;  jobbing 
and  manufacturing,  656 ;  wholesalers 
and  farmers  backed  by  capital,  658 ; 
produce  commission  business,  658 ; 
telegraph  and  telephone  service,  660 ; 
New  York  no  longer  western  stand- 
ard, 6G0 ;  the  greater  St.  Paul  to 
come,  661. 

St.  Paul,  the  capital  city,  151 — Imiwsing 
phyKi(iue,  151 ;  St.  Paul  under  many 
juri.sdictions,  1.52 ;  territorial  capi- 
tols,  152 ;  old  capitol  burned,  153  ;  new 
state  capitol,  154 ;  state  officers  and 
governors,  157 ;  Ramsey's  prophecy 
more  than  fulfilled,  159;  corollaries 
of  St.  Paul's  prominence,  160. 

St.  Paul,  the  convention  city — compara- 
tive value  of  conventions,  404;  St. 
Paul's  record  for  the  summer  of  1911, 


405 ;  why  it  is  a  convention  city, 
■i(Mi ;  Tliirtieth  National  Encamp- 
ment, G.  A.  K.,  410;  other  conven- 
tions, 413. 

St.  I'aul  soldiers'  Monument  563. 

St.  Paul  street  lighting  system,  388. 

St.  Paul  Street  Railway,  114. 

St.  Paul  Symphony  Orchestra,  599. 

St.  Paul  Title  and  Trust  Company,  4.50. 

St.  Paul  Town  Crier's  Club,  258. 

St.  Paul  Turnverein,  487. 

St.  I'aul  Union  De:x)t,  233. 

St.  I'aul  Union  Depot  Company,  230. 

St.  Paul  Union  Stock  Yards,  628. 

St.  Paul  Volunteer  Aid  Society,  135. 

St.  Paul  Water  Company,  354. 

St.  Stanislaus  church,  520. 

Sanborn,  John  B.,  SO,  713. 

Saulwrn,  Walter  H.,  170.  324,  683. 

Sai\--ation  Army,  .543,  58.5. 

Scandinavian  American  Bank,  204. 

Schaefer,  Francis,  J.,  497 

Scliaumburg,  John  H.,  1132. 

Scheffer,  Albert,  118. 

Seheffer,  Herman,  G12. 

Schifl:man,  Rudolph,  372,  593. 

Schmidt,  Carl  B.,  981. 

Schmidt.   Jacob,   1142. 

Schmidt.   Katlierine  II.,   1143. 

Schollert,  Peter  J.,  900. 

Schollert,    Victor,  900. 

School  for  Indian  children,  42. 

Schoonmaker,   James,   1007. 

Schroeder,  Emil  C,  937. 

Schroeder,  Louis  W.,  868. 

Sclmliert  Club,  403.  600. 

Schuldt   F.  C,  1019. 

Schurman,  C.  S.,  352. 

Schurmeier,   C.   H.,  6G. 

Schwyzer,  Arnold,  676. 

"Science  and  Religion"  over  main  door 
new  Catholic  cathedral    (view).  481. 

Sc-ott,  Dred,   30. 

Scott.  L.  N.,  424. 

Seabury,  Chauning,  154,  908. 

Sealiury.    John    E.,   910. 

Searles,  Frank  M.,  930. 

Second  cathedral  of  St.  Paul,  516. 

Second  Legislature.  58. 

Second  National  Bank,  293. 

Secret  and  fraternal  orders — St.  Paul 
Lodge  No.  3,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  588; 
first  grand  lodge  of  Masons,  589 ; 
fomiatiou  of  grand  chapter,  R.  A.  M., 
590 ;  first  grand  council,  590 ;  com- 
manderies.  591 ;  pioneer  Odd  Fel- 
lows lodges,  592 ;  encampment  and 
grand  lodge,  592 ;  other  St.  Paul 
Odd  Fellows  lodges,  593;  Mutual 
Benefit  Society,  593;  Odd  Fellows 
block  and  home,  594 ;  United  Order 
of  Diniids,  594 ;  Knights  of  Pythias, 
594;  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, 594 ;  other  fraternal  bodies, 
595. 

Seeger,  John  A.,  878. 

Seibert.  George,  101,  597. 

Seidel,  Oswald,  935. 


XXXIV 


INDEX 


Selby,  .1.  W..  5:53. 

Selby  Subway,  361). 

Seminary  of  I'nitcd  Norwegian  Luth- 
eran chnrch,  477. 

Senkler,  A.  1'...  S'-i'X 

Seventh  street,  west  from  Robert 
(view),  2915. 

Severance,  Cordenio  A.,  1122. 

Shaw,  .Tolin  ,1.,  li:i. 

Shaw,   Willis  R.,  757. 

Shawe,  Elsie    M.,    (iliO. 

Sbeehan,  'I'.  J.,  142. 

Shepard,  .T,  W.,  445. 

Sbepley,    Louis    K..    S5S. 

Sherburne  t-oiiiity,  ISO. 

Sherman,  Thomas  H..  491. 

Sherman,  W.  T.,  113. 

Shields.  .Tames,   77,   1181. 

Sibley,  flonry  IL.  2.S.  2S7,  :!17,  llf.ii, 

Sibley  House  Association,  403. 

Siems.  I'etor,  S71. 

Silver  lake,  307.  031. 

Sioux,  12,  m. 

Sioux   land  ^'rant,  22. 

Sioux  treatv,  .")!). 

Simons.  Orlando,  GO.  310. 

Simonton,  T.  D..  479. 

Sixth  Ward  Conunercial  Club,  2.")9. 

Skiba.  .7ohn  V.,  800. 

SkoojiUin.    Charles,   830. 

Slawik.  Ivmil,  795. 

Sleeper,  Ozro  A.,  10.50. 

Sleman,  ,7ohn  B.,  Jr.,  .549. 

Sleppv,  William  J..  990. 

Smalley,  E.  V.,  240. 

Smith,  Charles   E.,    343. 

Smith,  E.  K.,  M. 

Smith,  .Tames.  Jr.,  223. 

Smitli,  J.  Stearns,  309. 

Smith.  Leland  TV,  1030. 

Smith.  Lyndon  A.,  707. 

Smith,  Robert  A.,  01.  070. 

Smith,  Samuel  O.,  459. 

Smith,  Truman  M.,  07,  2.S8. 

Smith,  Walter  J..  1108. 

Smitli,  William  W.,  030. 

Smith  I'ark.  G,  .370. 

Snyder,   (Mrs,)   F.  IL.  590. 

Social  and  political  beuinninss,  41;  a 
jiost-ollice  town,  41  :  school  for  In- 
dians, 42;  first  real  hotel  opened,  43; 
•  cart  brigade  and  steamboat  company, 
43;  a  pivotal  year  (1848),  44;  Min- 
nesota territory,  45 ;  St.  I'aul  de<'lared 
the  capital,  4<>;  "Si.  I'aul  I'lonoer" 
founded.  48;  Indians  lijvcs(i;,'ale 
civillzallon,  49;  religious  and  moral 
foundations,  49;  settlers  of  ]8:«-48, 
50. 

Societies  (See  Secret  and  Fraternal 
Orders). 

Society  for  the  Relief  of  the  Poor,  HSii. 

Soldiers  Home  grounds.  .374, 

Soldiers'  monument   (view),  .557. 

Sons  of  the  American   Revolution,  .507. 

Sons  of  Ilernianii,  .595. 

Sons   of   Veterans,   570. 

••Soo"  lino,  228. 


Sources  of  other  river  systems,  2, 

South  St.  Paul,  028. 

Spanish  American  War,  139. 

Special  assessments,  387. 

Spencer,  George  H.,  143. 

Sperrj-,  James  F..  058. 

Spink,  John  H..  822. 

Splittstoesser.  Karl,  780. 

Squires,  George  C,  579. 

Stafford.  John,  471. 

Stage  c-oach  era.  20S. 

Starkey,  Albert  R..  702. 

StarUey,  James,  03. 

Starley,  James,  09. 

State  Bar  Association.  325. 

State  capitol  built  in  1882  (view).  100. 

State  capitol  burned,  113. 

State  caidtol    (view),  150. 

State  drainage  law,  19:!. 

State  Fairs— First  territorial  fair,  426; 
fairs  of  the  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, 420 ;  fair  grounds  and  North- 
western Exixjsition,  428 ;  agricul- 
tural interests  of  Minnesota,  4.30; 
comparative  state  exhibits.  431 ;  the 
1911  State  Fair,  4:C:  distribution  of 
premiums,  4:52  ;  si)ecial  features,  433 ; 
the  State  Fair  of  1012,  433;  live 
stfK-k  and  dairying.  434;  miscel- 
laneous. 4:i4  ;  .sonic  of  the  county  ex- 
hibits, 435;  the  agricultural  fea- 
tures, 437 ;  summing  up  for  1!)12, 
4:iS;  plans  for  the  future.  4.30. 

State  government,  157. 

State  Historical  Society  I>ibrary,  405. 

State  law  library,  322,  4.S2. 

State  supreme  court.  .321. 

Steam  lire  engine.  101. 

Steamlioat  companies,  44,  214,  215. 

Steamboat  landing  and  Union  Station 
(view),  220. 

Steamer  "Argo",  44. 

Stebbins.  Lewis  C.  838. 

Steele,  Franklin,  .52. 

Steele,   John,   :t4(i. 

Stsrner,  Ernest  G.,  017. 

Stevens.  Fre<lerick  C  170,  447,  1001. 

Stevens,   Hiram   F.,   374,   778. 

Stewart,  J.  H.,  99,  340. 

Stickney,  A.  B.,  029.  1112. 

Stobbart,  Arthur  J..  711. 

Slockenstrom.  Herman.  7.55. 

Stockenstrom.   Marv    M.   N..   7.50. 

Stockyards  National  Bank.  294. 

Stone,  Alexander  J.,  117,  'M-. 

Stone,  Cal.  S.,  (105. 

Stone  implements  and  -weapons,  497. 

Stone,  fjine  K.,  247,  445. 

Straiip,  Jeremiah  J..  8:i4. 

Streets,  avenues  and  homes — Truthful 
rhapsody,  ;!.S.3;  "Father  Raiul.ill." 
:!S4  ;  advantages  of  good  striH'ts.  :i.S5  ; 
correcting  old  errors.  :t,SO ;  organized 
olliclal  work,  :iS7  ;  steady  incrciise  of 
rc-al  estate  values,  :i,S!t;  Illustration 
of  enlightened  <'ily  planning.  :!S'.»; 
•The  City  Better,"  :!!•!;  be«iutlful 
and  coinfortid)le  homes,  :!01. 


INDEX 


Street  of  palaces,  127. 

Street  railways  charter,  ITC, 

Stringer,   Edward   S.,   567. 

Strong,  C.   D.,   240. 

Strong,  Freeman  P.,  S3o. 

Suburban  commercial  clubs,  25S. 

Suburban  towns — City  and  suburbs 
closely  related.  626 ;  directly  tribu- 
tai-y  to  St.  Paul,  627 ;  south  St.  Paul 
and  other  Dakota  county  suburbs, 
62S:  North  St.  Paul,  630 ;  electricity 
a  distributor,  631 ;  other  New  Can- 
ada suburbs,  632 ;  White  Bear  Lake 
region,  632;  Mound's  View  township, 
635 ;  Rose  township  as  suburban  ter- 
ritory, 636 ;  Ramsey  county's  fine 
roads,  637. 

Suburbs  of  St.  Paul  (first  mentioned), 
13. 

Suburbs  (See  Suburban  Towns). 

Sullivan,  Patrick  A.,  C22. 

Summer  resorts,  194. 

Summit  avenue,  1,  366. 

Summit  avenue  (view),  386. 

Sundberg,  Victor  C.  933. 

"Sunrise  expedition",  69. 

Superintendents  of  public  schools,  456. 

Swanstrom,  A.  P..  590. 

Swedenborgian  churches,  541. 

Taliaferro,  Lawrence,  26. 

Tallest  building  in  the  world,  Broad- 
way, New  York  (Cass  Gilbert,  of  St. 
Paul,  architect),  511. 

Taylor,  James  Knox,  510. 

Taylor,  James  W.,  .332. 

Taylor,  S.   S.,  547. 

Taylor,  W.  H.  H.,  559. 

Taylor,  Zachaiy,  30. 

Telegraph  service,  600. 

Telephone  service,  660. 

Temperance  speech  to  Indians,  56. 

Ten  soldier  governors,  139. 

Terry,  A.  H.,  115,  312. 

Territorial  supreme  court,  321. 

Territorial  and  state  capltol  (view), 
66. 

Territorial  pioneers  of  Minnesota,  575. 

Thaung,  John  G.,  1044. 

Third  legislature,  59. 

Thirtieth  National  Encampment,  G.  A. 
R..  410. 

Thompson,  Margaret  K.,  Sol. 

Thompson,  S.  A.,  635. 

Thomi>son,  William,  850. 

Thompson,  George,  116,  333. 

Thompson,  Horace.  95,  292. 

Through  rail  connection  with  Boston 
and  New  York,  228. 

Tiglie,  Ambrose,  297. 

Todd,    Kav,   866. 

Toltz,  Max  E.  R.,  736. 

Toner,  Hugh  D.,  955. 

Torinus,  George  E.,  868. 

Torinus.  Nancy,  868. 

Towle,  Patrick  J.,  1057. 

Town  and  Counti-j'  Club,  603. 

Town  pump,  174. 


Trade  with  the  Red  River  settlement, 
43. 

Tran.sportation  and  navigation  (Early) 
— Dog-sledge  traveling,  207 ;  the 
Knowlton  road,  208 ;  the  stage  coach 
era,  208:  Minnesota  Stage  Company, 
209 ;  "Pembina  carts",  209 ;  river 
transportation,  211 ;  navigation  of  the 
Upper  Mississippi,  212 ;  business  at 
St.  Paul,  212 ;  opposition  to  Galena 
Packet  Company,  213  ;  Northwestern 
Union  Packet  Company,  214 ;  other 
steamboat  companies,  214 ;  present 
steamboat  conditions.  216 ;  "Diamond 
Jo"  Reynolds,  216 ;  romance  of  the 
Mississippi,  216 ;  Minnesota  river 
navigation,  216. 

Treaty  of  Septemher  29,  1837,  35. 

Tributary  agricultural  resources,  670. 

Tributary  to  St.  Paul,  185. 

Triumphal  arch  of  the  Great  Northwest 
(view),  231. 

Trout  hrook,   9. 

Trout  brook  grist-mill,  274. 

Trust  companies,  296. 

Twilight  Club,  483. 

Twin  City  Rapid  Transit  Company, 
365. 

Twin  City  street  car  lines  (map),  64.3. 

Twin  City,  The — The  two  cities  be- 
trothed, 640;  commercial  union. 
640;  hand  of  the  St.  Paul  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  642 ;  Miuneaixilis  de- 
clines, 642;  reply  of  St.  Paul  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  643 ;  comparison 
with  other  great  cities,  645 ;  the  fu- 
ture Twin  City,  646;  one  grand 
union  depot,  648 ;  development  of 
MinneaiX)lis.  649. 

Twin  City,  The — St.  Paul  and  Minne- 
ajwlis   (view),  638. 

mine,  C,   S..  99,  557. 

Underwood,  Eugene,  114,  176. 

Union  GJospel  Mission,  .585. 

Union  Veteran  Union,  509. 

Unitarian  church,  542. 

United  Association  of  Commercial 
Travellers,  604. 

United  Order  of  Druids.  594. 

"United  Singers  of  St.  Paul,"  598. 

United  States  Army  recruiting  station, 
312. 

United  States  circuit  court,  324, 

United  States  Civil  Service  Board,  311. 

United  States  collector  of  internal  rev- 
enue, 311. 

United  States  Engineer  Office,  311. 

United  States  Geological  Survey,  311. 

United  States  Navy  recruiting  station, 
312. 

United  States  Secret  Service,  311. 

United  States  Weather  Bureau,  312. 

Unity  church,  542. 

Universalist  church,  542. 

University  Club,  604. 

University  of  Minnesota,  453,  467. 

Upham,  H.  P.,  292. 


X.XXVl 


INDEX 


Uphaiu,  Warren,  1071. 

Vacation  schools,  4(>0. 

Van  Cleve,  Charlotte  O.,  31. 

Van  Diizeo.  C.  \..  (iU. 

Van   Saiit.  Sainuel   K.,  701. 

Van   Slvik.   i;ei(r;;c  l'\,   11(>7. 

Van  Sl.vke,  William  A..  17S.  .■{71. 

Views— Falls  of  .Minnehaha.  :! ;  Falls 
of  St.  Anthony.  14:  old  hlm'k  house, 
Ft.  Snelling,  2G:  tirst  chaiiel  of  SI. 
I'anI,  :iS;  first  conrt  house.  4c;  corner 
of  third  and  Robert  streets,  18.51,  ".0; 
territorial  and  state  cajiitol,  (iC ; 
yachtins;  on  Wliite  He:ir  lake  near  St. 
Paul,  70;  International  Hole]  linrned 
in  ISOO,  !»:i;  state  cai)itol  built  in 
1SS2,  100;  Fort  Snellin?.  Ill;  St. 
rani  Ice  Palace.  ISaS,  IK!;  Slinne- 
hali.i  Falls  in  winter,  123;  new  Ft 
Snellinj:  bridjre.  1.S2;  state  capitol, 
l.'o:  j^rand  stairway  and  dome  cor- 
ridors, l.")4 :  Kovernor's  room,  state 
cajiilol,  1(17;  city  hall  and  conrt 
house,  172;  Hurt  Pool  mine,  ISO; 
harvesting  Held  of  wheat.  Universitj- 
Farm,  190;  Grand  Marais  state 
ditch,  Polk  county.  203;  bird's-eye 
view  of  Mississippi  and  wholesale 
district,  211  ;  steamboat  landing  and 
T'nion  station.  22(1;  triumphal  arch 
of  the  Creal  Nortliwcst.  2.';i  ;  \ew 
York  Lite  bnildinjr.  241  :  St.  Paul  .Vs- 
sociation  of  (Vinnnerce  bnililini.',  2."i."> ; 
Park  Square  and  wholesale  distrid, 
207 ;  ))ew  plant  of  St,  Paul  Br«id 
Company,  2S4 ;  seventh  street,  west 
from  Robert,  20.".;  jjost  ollice,  29,S; 
custom  house,  311  ;  Lowry  building, 
320;  "Pioneer''  building,  corner 
Fourth  and  Robert  streets,  :!:!!  ;  City 
Hospital,  344;  public  b.-iths.  Harriet 
Island.  34.S;  High  bridge  and  City 
hospital,  3.-)i;;  east  entrance  to  Selby 
avenue  tunnel,  307;  entrance  anil 
waiting  room,  Conio  Park,  371;  the 
Roinid  Tower.  Fort  Snelling,  378; 
Suimnit  avenue,  ,'!.S0 ;  bird's-eye  view 
of  Seven  Corners.  4(iO;  .\udiloriiun. 
40.-.;  Hotel  Ryan.  4111;  St.  Paul 
Hotel,  421  ;  Minnesota  Stale  l''alr 
grounds,  420;  Site  of  New  Connnerce 
building  in  1,S,j7,  443;  St.  Paul  Cen- 
tral high  school,  452;  Pillsbury  Hall. 
Slate  University,  408;  .Macalester 
College  474;  Central  High  School, 
4.".2 ;  ■■S<4ence  and  religion"  over 
main  door,  new  Catholic  Cathedral. 
481  ;  I  be  Kenslni;ton  rune  sti.nc.  4'.IS; 
St.  Paul  Catbedr.'il,  front  elevation, 
.'jtC';  tallest  building  in  tin-  world 
Bn.adw.iy,  .New  York  (Cass  (JliI.ert 
of  St.  Paul,  archltiKt),  .-.11;  New 
Cdtliedral.  now  In  course  of  construc- 
tlt.n.  ,-.27;  St.  .losepb's  Hospital,  .".21; 
("(•ntral  Presl.ylerinn  clnn-cb,  .-.3.".; 
.New  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building.  .''.48;  A.l- 
uilnistratioii  building,  .Minnesota  Sol- 


dier.s'  Home.  .Minnehaha  Falls,  5G2; 
Soldiers  monument,  557:  falls  In  the 
SI.  Paul  region,  570;  new  Masonic 
Temple,  ,-.S!l;  Odd  Fell<.ws  Home. 
.Niirtbticld.  .503;  KIks  club  house,  (j(l3; 
llie  .Vrmory.  010;  pavilion  anil  water- 
fri.nt.  White  Rear  lake,  (i.".:; ;  the 
Twill  City — St.  Paul  and  .Miuneaiwlis, 
038;  'ail  roads  lead  to  Saint  Paul," 
(1.52. 

Villard.  Henry,  113.  120. 

Villaume.  Kugeiie.    02!). 

Villaume.  .7.,  574. 

Vincent,  (J.   E..  408. 

Voga  Literary  Society,  4.88. 

"Volkszcitnng."   .■{34.    1105. 

Volunteer  tire  department.  .3.->3. 

Wagener.  .John,  0,8:i. 

Walsb,   Richard  A.,   lOl.S. 

"Wanderer"    (Der),   33,-., 

Wann,  ,Iolin.  .'SOd. 

War  of  1S12.  2(1. 

Warner.  Charles  I)..  120. 

Warner,  Henry  A.,  .820, 

Warner.  Reuben,  3,-.4. 

Washburn,   William  D.,   119,  228,   11,50. 

Washington,  Lawrence  G„  870. 

Water  in.wers,    180,  2.85,  071. 

Water  j.ower  cor|K.ration.  025. 

\.  ater  supply.  355. 

Waters.  Kdward  A.,  024. 

Watkins.   \ictor  M..  .-.NO. 

Watson,   .1.   ,1.,    240. 

Weber,   John,   701. 

Webster,  William  B.,  1114, 

Wee<i,  Jam(»s  II.,  204,  802. 

Welz,  F.  R..  420. 

West  Fnd  Commercial  Club,  259. 

W<>st   Publishing   Oinipany.   ,337. 

West   St.  Paul  annexed.  178. 

West  St.  Paul.  I(i7.  175. 

West   St.   Paul  Park,  37,3, 

"West    St.  Paul  Times,"  .3,37, 

West   Side  Liedertafel,  .508, 

Westfall,    William    P.,    10.52. 

Wliart Mfreil,  .'141. 

Wbeatnn,  C.  A„  341, 

Wheeler,   Rush   P..  712. 

WhecN.ck,  ,losei.b  A„  00,  201,  3.32.  11.57. 

White  Hear,  :',r,S. 

White  Pear  lake.  O.'!.'!. 

White  P.ear  township,  0.32. 

While,  Robert,  107.'t. 

Wliite  sandstone.  5. 

While,  Truinan  !<..  97.'!. 

Wbilmore.  Frank  W..  798. 

Whitney.  Arthur  W.,   1041. 

WbilMcy.    ,Ioel    i:..    1177. 

WlK.lcsale  business,  0,58, 

Wiegand,  Charles  H..  824. 

"Wild-Cat"   banks.   70.   2.S7. 

Wild  lluiilcr  Ih.tel.  417. 

Wlble,   Francis   F..  87.5. 

Wihler.  Amherst    H..  05,  .5.80. 

•Wilder  Charily,"  .5.8,5. 

WIldwiKid.  307. 

Wilkin,  Westcolt,  .'122. 


INDEX 


XXXVll 


Wilkinson,  Clarence  R..  1044. 

Wilkinson.  Morton  S..  45,  1G4. 

Wilhu-d  (The),  420. 

Willey,  Samuel,  00. 

Williams,  Henry  L.,  479. 

Williamson,  T.   S..  42. 

Willis.  John  W.,  170. 

Willius,  Ferdinand,  10.5,  204. 

Willins,  (Jiistav.  204. 

Wilkiujihhy  &  Powers'  stage  line,  208, 

Willwersc-heid,  John  A.,  720. 

Wilson.  Thomas.  322. 

Wilson,  Wilford  L.,  169,  535. 

Wilson,   Woodrow.  405. 

Winehell,  N.  H..  494. 

Wind.sor  Hotel,  41S. 

Winslow  House,  416. 

Winter  Carnival  Association,  IIG. 

Winter  E.  W.,  484. 

W'iuter  trip  to  Galena,  65. 

Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  227. 

Withy.    (Mrs.)    George  T.,  757. 

Wolff.  Albert,  334. 

Woman's   campaign,   397. 


Woman's  Civic  League,  402. 

Woman's  Relief  Corps.  5G9. 

Women's  Christian   Home,  58.3. 

W^omen's  Work  E.xchauge,  585. 

Wood,  Frank.  597. 

wood,  Fred  B.,  610,  967. 

Wood,  James  D..  1059. 

Wood  Lake.  148. 

Wright,  .Vmbrose  P.,  761. 

Wright,  B,  F..  102. 

Wright  county  war,  72, 

Wright,  Frederick  P.,  171,  G12,  078. 

Yachting  on  White  Bear  lake  near  St. 

Paul    (view),  76. 
Yanish,   Edward,  ,301,  862. 
Young,  George  B..  170. 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association   St. 

Paul,  478,  545. 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association. 

550. 
"Young  Republicans,"  169. 

Zimmermann,  E.  O.,  411. 


St.  Paul  and  Vicinity 

CHAPTER  I 

GEOGRAPHICAL  POSITION  AND  PHYSICAL  ASPECTS. 

Tributary  to  St.  Paul — Picturesque  Minnesota  and  St.  Paul — 
Geology  of  St.  Paul  and  Vicinity — Artificial  Changes — De- 
funct Lakes. 

The  city  of  St.  Paul,  county-seat  of  the  county  of  Ramsey  and  capital 
of  the  state  of  Minnesota,  is  located  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  being  built  on  both  banks  of  that  stream,  in  latitude  44 
degrees,  53  minutes  north  and  longitude  93  degrees,  5  minutes  west. 

Enthroned  upon  an  amphitheatre  of  circling  terraces,  calmly  presiding 
over  the  Father  of  Waters,  St.  Paul  deserves  the  meter  of  a  majestic  ode. 
But  a  tenderer  muse  entreats  an  audience,  bringing  to  memory's  vision 
suburbs  of  dainty  lakes  and  wooded  shores — nature's  beauty  spots  so 
generously  strewn  around  that  one  must  strive  to  keep  in  mind  that  this 
Arcadia  is  really  Minnesota ! 

Gorgeous  summers,  bracing  autumns,  healthful  winters,  and  most 
tender  springs  glide  panorama-like  in  recollection  until,  with  exhilara- 
tion, one  remembers  that  the  sunny  city,  with  its  pure  invigorating  air, 
has  brought  back  health  to  many  a  worn  and  jaded  traveler  and  given 
new  sparkle  to  weary  eyes,  turned  towards  it,  as  to  their  last  Mecca  of 
earthly  hope. 

St.  Paul  is  famous  throughout  the  country  for  the  beauty  of  her 
residence  streets  and  boulevards. 

Nature  has  been  so  bountiful  here  that  even  critical  Paul  Bourget 
found  only  reverent  language  for  the  loveliness  of  Summit  avenue. 

Winding  along  the  irregular  crest  of  a  high  terrace,  this  charming 
street  overlooks  the  silvery  Mississippi  far  below,  and  from  between 
palatial  residences  affords  glimpses  of  scenery  so  beautiful  and  grand 
as  to  be  comparable  only  to  views  of  the  Hudson  or  the  Rhine. 

And  then,  the  Hill  of  Homes !  Nestled  among  shady  trees  in  spacious 
grounds  of  varied  architecture,  eloquent  of  individual  taste,  these  homes 
speak  with  no  uncertain  voice  of  the  softer  leisure-side  of  the  energetic 
men,  who,  down  in  the  solid  phalanx  of  the  business  section,  have 
wrought  for  the  city.  Involuntarily  we  are  practical,  and  recall  with 
what  quick  acumen  these  men  saw  that  this  central  location,  with  its 
vast  adjacent  territory  at  the  head  of   navigation,  must  grow   to  be  a 

Vol.  I— 1 

1 


2  ST.  PAll,   AXn  \]("1\1TV 

great  metropolis.  J{ver  conservative,  they  resisted  the  riattering  tempta- 
tions of  wild  inflation,  and,  through  the  aftermath  of  reactive  linancial 
strain,  steadily  conducted  their  enterprises  along  safe  channels  to  legi- 
timate conclusions ;  and  St.  Paul  stands  unique  today,  with  solid  banks 
and  great  wholesale  interests  unshaken  by  the  troublous  limes  through 
which  it  has  i:)assed. 

Jts  beautiful  location,  on  these  natural  terraces  is  nut  alone  artistic; 
it  has  rendered  simple  one  of  the  most  perfect  sewerage  systems  in  the 
world.  Statistics  show  St.  Paul  to  be  wonderfully  free  from  disease, 
with  an  exceptionally  low  rate  of  mortality. 

Triuut.vkv  to  St.  Paul 

The  region  which  acknowleges  St.  Paul  as  its  trade  center  now  con- 
tains about  .six  millions  of  people.  This  region  embraces  all  of  the  state 
of  i\Iinnesota,  the  northwestern  .section  of  Wisconsin,  the  northern  ])art 
of  Iowa,  North  Dakota,  South  Dakota.  .Montana,  Idaho,  Washington, 
Utah  and  Oregon,  and,  so  far  as  tariff  laws  will  permit  commercial  in- 
tercourse, the  vast  Northwestern  Provinces  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada. 
All  this  iinmense  territory  is  being  rapidly  tilled  up,  and  its  limit  of  de- 
velopment is  still  far  in  the  future.  No  city  can  possibly  have  a  more 
substantial  basis  of  assured  anfl  continuous  progress. 

St.  Paul  stands  in  the  golden  heart  of  the  North  .\merican  conliiicni. 
Visitors  who  have  traveled  from  Charleston  and  Savannah  have  only 
reached  the  half-way  station.  Lying  farther  away,  in  a  due  northwest 
course,  than  St.  Paul  lies  from  Savannah,  is  the  limit  of  prospective 
settlement,  with  every  intermediate  square  mile  fertile,  and  destined  to 
be  densely  populated  with  the  hardiest  race  of  men  in  America.  Not 
one  acre  in  fifty  of  that  territory  has  ever  felt  a  plowshare,  but  the  tide 
of  colonization  is  rolling  steadily  on.  \'isitors  wlio  have  ascended  the 
royal  Mississippi  for  two  thousand  miles  have  only  reached  in  .Minne- 
sota the  headsprings  of  other  river  systems  flowing  to  the  northern  and 
eastern  seas  from  the  rich  table  land,  which  thus  easily  dominates  all 
the  great  commercial  arteries  of  the  hemisphere. 

It  will  be  demonstrated,  in  subsequent  chapters  of  this  work,  that  the 
resources  of  the  country  tributary  to  St.  Paul  are  as  varied  as  the  loca- 
tion is  eligible — that,  instead  of  being  exclusively  a  prairie  state,  with 
conditions  of  agriculture  limited  to  those  natural  to  the  prairies,  Minne- 
sota has  certain  other  very  notable  advantages.  Fully  one-third  of  her 
area  is  covered  by  belts  of  hardwood  and  extensive  forests  of  pine.  The 
largest  body  of  standing  pine  in  the  United  Slates  is  in  Minnesota.  Its 
frontage  on  Lake  .Superior  gives  an  enormous  lake  commerce,  by  cheap 
water  transportation,  in  wheat.  Hour,  iron  ore  and  lumber,  eastward, 
with  return  cargoes  of  merchandise  and  coal  from  the  lower  lake  ports. 
Furliiermore,  the  state  is  traversed  for  hundreds  of  miles,  and  bordered 
on  its  southeast  boundary  for  a  long  distance,  by  the  great  Mississipjii 
river,  which  is  navigable  in  .Minnesota  for  a  distance  of  more  than  four 
hundred  miles,  and  aft'ords  a  great  central  artery  of  water  transporta- 
tion. The  Minnesota.  St.  Croix.  .St.  Louis  and  Red  Lake  rivers  and  the 
Red  River  of  the  North  are  also  navigable  waterways.  These  and  other 
rivers,  with  their  innumerable  tributaries,  water  every  part  of  the  state 
and  furnish  many  line  i)owcrs.  In  its  northeastern  counties,  Miinie.sota 
possesses  the  most  valuable  deposits  of  iron  ore  in  the  world,  for  the 
reason  that  it  ranks  as  P.esscmcr  in  its  quality  for  steel-making  .-intl  can 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  3 

be  mined  at  a  lower  cost  than  the  deposits  of  any  other  country.  These 
immense  ore  bodies  make  a  special  industry,  which,  like  that  of  the  lum- 
bering operations,  employs  a  large  number  of  working  men  at  good 
wages,  and  affords  an  excellent  home  market  for  all  kinds  of  farm 
products.  Minnesota  has,  besides  its  immense  supplies  of  timber,  large 
quarries  of  granite,  sandstone,  limestone,  jasper  and  slate,  which  form 
the  basis  of  an  important  industry  for  supplying  building  material.  One 
of  the  minor  special  industries  of  ^Minnesota  is  the  fishery  business, 
w'hich  is  carried  on  extensively  on  Lake  Superior  and,  to  a  large  ag- 
gregate extent,  on  the  multitude  of  interior  lakes  which  dot  the  surface 
of  the  state.     --\  number  of  these  lakes  are  large  bodies  of  water.     Red 


"Where    the    Falls    of    Minnehah.i 
Flash   and  gleam  among  the  oak  trees. 
Laugh  and  leap  into  the  valley." 

Lake  covers  an  area  of  160.000  acres;  Alillc  Lacs,  130,000  acres;  Leech 
lake,  114,000  acres;  Vermillion.  64,000  acres;  Winnibigoshish,  56,000 
acres,  and  a  number  of  others  more  than  10,000  acres  each.  The  myraid 
of  lakes  in  the  state  are  generally  deep,  spring-fed  sheets  of  clear  water. 
The  lakes  and  streams  are  full  of  excellent  varieties  of  fish,  and  wild 
game  is  abundant. 


Picturesque  Minnesota  and  St.  Paul 

A  writer  in  one  of  the  city  newspapers  epitomizes  the  bountiful  re- 
sources and  irresistible  attractions  of  this  affluent  commonwealth  in  this 
appreciative  rhapsody:  ^'Minnesota — land  of  the  sky-tinted  waters — 
spreading  thy  expanse  of  fertile,  verdant  beauty  under  the  bluest  skies 


4  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

in  the  world;  reflecting  their  azure  in  ten  thousand  dimpHng  lakes  and 
shattering  their  sunshine  into  diamonds  in  as  many  sparkling  streams. 
Nothing  that  thy  children  can  ask  of  thee  is  asked  in  vain.  Deep  in  the 
foundations  of  thy  rocky  north  the  ancient  fires  melted  and  poured  the 
metals,  more  precious  than  gold  or  silver,  to  be  molded  into  mobile  forms 
wherein  the  modern  fires  have  breathed  the  breath  of  power  and  life,  or 
to  be  spun  by  cunning  hands  into  glistering  gossamer  webs  to  carry  the 
harnessed  lightnings.  Here  Nature  hewed  and  carved  the  pine  shafts  of 
vast  shadowy,  wdiispering  temples  that  thy  sons  and  daughters  might 
have  dwellings.  Thy  ])rairies  were  spread  in  the  young  centuries  of 
the  world  to  await  and  to  reward  the  sowers  who  should  fertilize  the 
granary  of  the  earth.  Thy  southern,  many-watered  pastures,  feed  the 
uncounted  cattle  of  an  empire.  There  is  fruit  upon  thy  hillsides  and 
thy  valleys,  over-poured  with  richness.  Mighty  cities  have  been  born  of 
thee  and  the  smokes  of  unnumbered  happy  hearthstones  rise  like  a  pillar 
of  cloud  to  guide  men  to  the  promised  land.  Thy  boundaries  are  the 
walls  of  a  plenteous  storehouse ;  the  margins  of  a  page  that  is  a  rubric 
in  America's  liturgy  of  praise !" 

The  landscape  now  embraced  within  the  districts  of  St.  Paul  visible 
from  "ATounds  Park"  must  have  been  picturesque  in  the  extreme,  before 
the  hand  of  the  white  man  intervened  to  modify  its  wild,  quiet  beauties. 
Then  the  bluffs  were  crowned  with  majestic  trees  and  the  bottom  lands 
above,  below  and  opposite  the  city,  were  a  dense  grove  where  the  pri- 
meval forests  grew  in  unchecked  luxuriance.  In  1854  Mr.  R.  O.  Swee- 
ney counted  the  rings  on  a  large  tree  that  had  been  cut  down  near  the 
upper  levee  and  found  over  six  hundred  annual  rings,  indicating  an  age 
of  over  six  centuries.  In  these  forests  the  deer,  the  bear  and  the  buffalo 
roamed  freely,  disturbed  occasionally  by  the  wily  Indian,  whose  skin 
tepee  was  frequently  pitched  in  the  bottom  lands  along  the  margin  of  the 
river.  Standing  on  the  edge  of  the  plateau,  or  second  table,  where  the 
Wabasha  street  bridge  now  starts,  the  eye  would  then  have  wandered 
over  a  sea  of  foliage  on  the  bench  below,  through  which  rolled  the  placid 
river,  unvexed  by  anything  more  elaborate  than  the  squaw's  birch  canoe. 

It  is  within  the  recollection  of  many  citizens  that  much  of  the  site 
of  St.  Paul  was  a  tangled  jungle,  a  wilderness  of  trees  and  bushes,  and 
rocks,  and  long  swamp  grass  and  reeds,  a  spot  almost  inaccessible  except 
for  musk-rats  and  aquatic  fowls.  As  late  as  1855  wild  ducks  were  shot  on 
marshes  where  now  stand  some  of  our  most  durable  business  blocks. 
Where  the  musk-rat  built  his  queer  abode  or  the  fox  burrowed  in  the 
rocks,  are  now  the  homes  of  more  than  200,000  people,  many  of  them 
built  in  the  highest  style  of  elegance  and  furnished  with  every  appliance 
of  comfort  that  human  ingenuity  and  taste  can  devise,  or  wealth  pro- 
cure. 

Geology  of  St.  Paui-  .\nd  Vicinity 

The  savants  say  that  our  globe  was  originally  a  mass  of  molten  gran- 
ite. The  cooling  process  was  a  slow  one  and  ages  passed  while  it  was 
a  rough,  ragged  mass,  the  skeleton  of  the  future  earth.  Abrasion  and 
erosion  ground  the  surfaces  of  the  mass  into  powder.  Oceans  swept 
over  it.  Chemical  clianges  operated  on  it.  Next  our  sand-rock  was 
laid  down.  This  singular  formation  underlies  the  old  limestone  of  the 
upper  Mississippi  valley,  from  St.  Peter  to  Rock  Island.  Then  came 
the  magnesian  limestone  of  which  our  bluffs  are  composed.  Here  fossil 
life  begins. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  5 

The  Reptilian  age  came  on.  Huge  monsters  wallowed  and  splashed 
in  the  muddy  water,  which  in  time  hardened  into  splendid  building  stone. 

During  the  ■'Glacial  period"  the  edges  of  the  limestone  strata  along 
Dayton's  Bluff  and  West  St.  Paul,  were  ground  smooth  and  polished  by 
the  sliding  of  the  icebergs  on  their  way  down  from  the  north.  The 
Mississippi  of  that  day  must  have  flowed  from  bluft'  to  bluff.  Baptist 
hill,  a  huge  pile  of  rocks  and  boulders  and  gravel  and  sand,  was  evidently 
deposited,  like  a  great  sand-bar,  by  a  whirl  or  eddy  of  the  wild  waters 
and  icebergs.  Perhaps  the  stream  wore  its  way  through  the  limestone 
rock  for  many  miles,  since  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  have  receded  several 
hundred  yards  even  since  the  white  man  settled  here.  But  the  Glacial 
period  passed.  Its  duration  cannot  be  estimated.  Vegetation  appeared. 
The  earth  rejoiced  in  scenes  of  beauty.  -Man,  rude  and  uncouth,  ap- 
pears on  the  scene.  The  age  of  flint,  then  of  bronze,  the  era  of  the 
mound-builder  and  the  red  man  succeeded — each  an  indefinite  period,  ter- 
minated by  the  advent  of  the  white  explorer.  From  this  period  on,  the 
mile-stones  of  history  are  plainly  visible. 

The  geological  formation  at  and  near  St.  Paul,  with  special  mention 
of  the  soft  white  sandstone,  which  is  so  notable  a  feature,  was  first  of- 
ficially described  in  Professor  Owen's  Geological  Survey  of  Iowa,  Wis- 
consin and  ^Minnesota.  He  said  that  at  Fort  Snelling  the  sandstone  is 
one  hundred  and  fourteen  feet  thick ;  it  is  here  of  a  pure  white  color 
composed  of  loosely  cemented  grains  of  quartz.  Above  this  we  have 
twenty-two  feet  of  fossiliferous  limestone,  with  numerous  organic  re- 
mains, similar  to  those  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  The  fossils  of  the 
upper  beds  are  mostly  casts,  but  the  moulds  often  show  the  structure  of 
the  original  surface.  Many  of  the  fossils  have  a  coating  of  sulphuret 
of  iron,  which  gives  a  bright  metallic  appearance. 

The  best  section  of  these  rocks  observed  in  Minnesota  is  at  a  bluflf 
half  a  mile  below  Fort  Snelling.     The  section  here  is  as  follows: 

(i)     White  sandstone,  without   fossils,  in   thick  beds 92  feet 

(2)  Soft  argillaceous  marlite  of  a  blue  color,  in  which  no  fossils  were  dis- 

covered   5  feet 

(3)  Ash-colored  limestone,  clouded  with  blue,  full  of  fossils.    These  layers 

eflfervesce  freely  with  acids  and  contain  nearly  65  per  cent  of  car- 
bonate of  lime.     They  will  probably  afford  the  best  rock  for  burning 

into  lime  of  any  of  the  beds  in  the  neighborhood.     Thickness 15  feet 

The  composition  of  this  rock  is  as  follows: 

Carbonate  of  lime    64.85 

Carbonate  of  magnesia     I3-7S 

Insoluble    matter    12.40 

Alumina,  oxide  of  iron  and  manganese 7-50 

Water    1.25 

Loss 0J2S 

100.00 

(4)  .^sh-colored.  argillaceous,  hydraulic  limestone,  in  thin  layers  sometimes 

with  a  conchoidal  fracture.     It  effervesces  slightly  with  acids,  and 

disintegrates  rapidly  when  exposed  to  the  weather S  feet 

fs)     Grayish  buff-colored,  highly  magnesian  limestone,  with  numerous  casts  of 
fossils,  etc 

About  half  a  mile  above  St.  Paul,  near  the  entrance  of  a  small  cave, 
the  sandstone  has  an  elevation  of  only  fourteen  feet  above  the  river 
level,  and  on  it  rests  eleven  feet  of  shell  limestone. 

At  St.  Paul,  the  strata  again  rise.  Here  the  cliffs  are  from  seventy 
to  eighty  feet  high,  of  which  the  lower  sixty-five  feet  consists  of  white 


0  ST.  i'.\n.  AM)  \  K  ixnv 

sandstone,  llic  remainder  being  shell  limestone.     .About  tme  mile  below 
this  point  the  hills  recede  from  the  river. 

.Xktu-u  l.\L    C'lIA.\t;liS 

It  is  proudly  claimed  by  residents,  and  freely  conceded  by  visitors, 
that  St.  Paul  possesses,  to  an  exceptional  degree,  a  varied  and  pleasing 
landscape.  IClevations  from  which  can  be  viewed  long  reaches  of  river 
bluft's  on  the  (jne  hand,  and  a  broad  expanse  of  gently  undulating  sur- 
face on  the  other,  are  found  in  many  j)aris  of  the  city.  But  the  contour 
of  several  large  districts  within  its  limits  has  been  so  materially  altered 
by  expensive  grading,  filling,  draining  and  bridging  as  to  bear  little  re- 
semblance to  the  original  aspect. 

A  striking  examjile  of  the  changes  thus  wrought  by  tlie  hand  of  man 
is  found  in  the  business  section  where  are  located  most  of  the  extensive 
jobbing  houses,  as  well  as  the  railroad  general  offices,  the  freight  houses 
and  the  net-work  of  steel  tracks  on  which  the  big  trains  from  all  direc- 
tions roll  into  the  Union  depot.  Nearly  all  the  space  from  Fourth  street 
to  the  river,  from  Sibley  street  to  Dayton's  Bluff,  and  for  some  distance 
beyond  Fourth  street,  up  to  Trout  brook  and  Phalen  creek,  which  at  this 
point  are  in  one  valley,  was  a  bottomless  bog. 

Occujning  the  space  between  Jackson  street  and  1 '.roadway,  from 
Fourth  to  Seventh  streets,  stood  the  high  drift  hill  called  by  various 
names,  as  IMount  Pisgah,  Baptist  hill  and  Burbank's  hill.  It  was  best 
known  as  ISaptist  hill  from  the  fact  that  a  15aptist  church  once  stood 
ui)on  its  summit.  A  sjjur  of  this  hill  followed  the  line  of  F^ifth  street 
to  Neill  street,  or  a  little  below,  and  thence  up  Neill  to  Seventh  street, 
connecting  there  with  one  running  from  Kittson  street  to  Westminster 
avenue,  which  formed  the  left  bluff  of  Trout  brook  for  a  long  distance 
uj)  that  stream. 

.'^ibley  street  was  graded  thnnigh  Maplist  hill  in  1X7(1,  making  a  cut 
of  lifty-one  feel.  That  was  about  the  highest  part  of  the  hill  and  the 
point  from  which  cannon  salutes  were  lired  during  the  Civil  war  in 
honor  of  Union  victories,  and  after  the  war  in  honor  of  political  tri- 
umphs. Fifth  street  was  graded  through  this  hill  in  1877;  Sixth  street, 
the  same  year,  and  W'acouta  street,  in  1878.  When  these  four  streets 
had  been  cut  through  they  left  the  block  hounded  by  them  standing  as  a 
plateau  about  fifty  feet  high.  The  material  of  which  it  was  composed 
was  needed  in  other  places  not  f;ir  distant,  by  reason  of  which  this 
plateau  and  the  remainder  of  the  hill  has  long  since  disappeared,  leav- 
ing scarcely  a  trace  of  its  existence.  .\  large  j^ortion  of  the  material 
was  used  in  making  the  present  railroad  yards,  lifting  them  above  the 
level  of  the  bog.  The  area  bounded  b\  the  fnur  streets  last  n.imed  is 
now  Smith  Park. 

At  one  time  there  was  a  considerable  settlement  of  prominent  citi- 
zens on  Baptist  hill,  l)esides  the  church  which  gave  its  name.  The  I'nr- 
bank  residence,  a  large  two-story  brick  house,  occupied  a  sightly  jtosi- 
tion  on  the  front  of  the  bluff  facing  the  river  and  from  it  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  river  scenery  could  be  had.  On  the  ground  once  occupied 
by  that  hill  now  stand  massive  business  blocks. 

Where  the  Union  de])ot  now  stands,  and  nearly  all  the  space  occupied 
by  those  miles  of  steel  rails  in  the  dei)ot  yards,  forty  years  ago  was  a 
literal  slough  of  despond.  The  original  Union  depot  building  was  on  a 
pile  foundation  and  the  walls  cracked  to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  the 


ST.   PAUL  AXD  \1CIXITY  7 

structure  unsafe.  This  building  was  burned  June  ii,  1884,  the  inside 
being  completely  destroyed.     It  was  immediately  restored  and  improved. 

The  first  railroad  operated  in  Minnesota  was  the  St.  Paul  &  Pacific, 
now  a  section  of  the  Great  Northern.  Its  first  track  extended  from  St. 
Paul  to  St.  Anthony,  a  distance  of  ten  miles.  Instead  of  attempting  to 
fill  in  a  road  bed  through  the  quagmire  from  Trout  brook  to  the  little 
station  on  Sibley  street,  the  builders  of  this  track  drove  piles,  made  a 
trestle,  and  laid  their  rails  thereon.  The  river  division  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway  also  came  into  the  city  on  piles  over 
that  slough,  for  the  same  reason  that  it  apparently  had  no  bottom.  Both 
roads  gradually  filled  in  a  road  bed.  Now,  all  that  flat  has  been  filled 
until  it  is  from  five  to  ten  feet  above  its  former  level. 

Several  years  ago  the  Union  Depot  Company,  with  the  consent  of  the 
United  States  government,  filled  in  a  portion  of  the  river,  of  the  fol- 
lowing dimensions :  beginning  at  the  Chicago-Great  Western  draw- 
bridge and  extending  4,300  feet  down  the  river  to  Phalen  creek,  with 
an  average  width  of  100  feet  and  a  maximum  width  of  about  190  feet, 
making  a  total  of.  430,000  square  feet,  or  ten  acres.  In  1901  the  "St. 
Paul"  Railway  Company,  also  with  government  authority,  filled  in  a 
strip  in  front  of  a  portion  of  this  area,  beginning  at  Broadway  and  ex- 
tending down  the  river  to  a  point  below  Phalen  creek,  leaving  an  open- 
ing for  that  stream.  The  length  of  the  fill  is  3,000  feet,  with  an  average 
width  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  and  a  maximum  width  of  about  two 
hundred  and  forty  feet.     The  total  area  thus  filled  is  twelve  acres. 

In  making  these  fills,  the  railroads  have  covered  seven  islands  that 
appear  on  early  maps,  six  of  which  bore  the  names  of  pioneers.  On  one 
of  these  islands  once  stood  Prince's  Rotary  Steam  Saw  Mill,  its  loca- 
tion being  nearly  opposite  the  foot  of  John  street.  It  was  destroyed  by 
fire  before  its  site  was  wanted  by  the  railroad  people,  and  thus,  as  an 
old  settler  naively  remarks,  "It  died  respectably." 

The  Chicago-Great  Western  Railway,  some  twenty  years  ago,  ac- 
quired a  strip  of  the  river  on  the  west  side  with  the  following  dimen- 
sions: the  fill  begins  at  South  Wabasha  street  and  extends  to  South 
Robert  street  with  a  width  of  four  hundred  feet,  and  also  includes  two 
blocks  west  of  South  Wabasha  street  and  one  block  east  of  South  Robert 
street,  making  a  total  of  something  over  twenty  acres. 

Starting  at  Third  street,  between  Sibley  and  Jackson  streets,  a  ravine 
existed  in  the  early  days  of  St.  Paul,  running  in  a  west-northwest  direc- 
tion, so  that  it  entered  the  south  line  of  Fourth  street  near  the  middle 
of  the  block,  and,  continuing  in  the  same  direction,  reached  the  west 
line  of  Jackson  street  at  the  northwest  corner  of  that  and  Fourth  street 
and  passed  on  for  some  distance.  The  ravine  was  quite  wide,  and  deep 
enough  to  allow  the  river,  in  times  of  unusally  great  freshets,  to  back  up 
into  the  gulley  as  far  as  Jackson  street  to  a  depth  sufficient  to  float  a  light 
skift'.  The  bottom  of  the  ravine  at  that  point  was  from  thirty  to  thirty- 
five  feet  below  the  present  grade  of  Jackson  and  Fourth  streets  at  their 
junction. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  ravine  Lott  ^Iof¥et  kept  a  tavern  called  the 
Temperance  House.  When  the  street  was  graded  the  house  was  left  in 
the  depression  and  nearly  hidden  from  view,  and  as  the  street  grade 
was  raised  MofTet  would  build  higher.  Finally  he  built  another  edifice 
which  enclosed  the  original  one,  living  in  the  old  house  until  the  new 
one  had  a  roof  on  it,  when  he  took  the  old  house  out  in  pieces.  The 
city  paid  him  several  hundred  dollars  in  bonds  for  damages  on  account 


8  ST.   PAUL  AND  \'ICINITY 

of  this  change  in  street  grading.  He  had  about  three  stories  below  the 
street.  His  new  edifice,  on  account  of  its  pecuhar  and  original  archi- 
tecture, was  called  "Moffet's  Castle."  The  Hackney  building,  formerly 
the  First  National  Bank,  now  occupies  this  site. 

Nearly  all  the  territory  from  Jackson  street  west  to  Wabasha  be- 
tween Fourth  and  Ninth  streets,  tributary  to  the  ravine  just  described, 
has  been  filled  in  from  a  few  inches  to  fifteen  or  more  feet.  There 
are  a  few  spots  where  the  limestone  remains  in  place,  the  principal  one 
being  the  site  of  the  Court  House ;  but  the  northeast  corner  of  that 
building  hangs  over  the  clay  cliff,  both  the  limestone  and  sandstone 
being  absent. 

In  1883  the  wooden  bridge  over  Phalen  creek  on  East  Seventh 
street,  Iniilt  in  1873,  had  become  so  decayed  as  to  be  dangerous  and  it  was 
condemned.  Then  came  the  serious  question  of  what  should  replace  it. 
Finally  it  was  decided  to  make  a  solid  fill  with  stone  arches  over  the 
railroad  tracks  and  the  creek.  It  was  a  very  large  undertaking,  for  the 
valley  was  about  one  hundred  feet  deep  and  several  blocks  in  width,  but 
plenty  of  material  was  at  hand  in  the  deep  cuts  which. would  necessarily 
be  made,  to  produce  a  proper  grade  ascending  eastward  to  the  summit 
of  the  Seventh  street  hill.  The  excavated  earth  would  have  to  be  de- 
posited somewhere — another  instance  of  Nature's  careful  regard  for  the 
law  of  supply  and  demand,  as  frecpiently  illustrated  in  creating  the  pres- 
ent land  surface  of  the  city  of  St.  Paul. 

Oakland  avenue,  a  street  running  upward  along  the  bluff  from  Ram- 
sey street  to  Summit  avenue,  was  opened  in  1885  at  a  cost  of  about 
$51,500.  The  city  contributed  $20,000  in  bonds  toward  its  cost.  The 
assessment  for  the' balance  was  spread  over  a  large  area.  The  especial 
object  for  which  the  street  was  constructed  was  to  afford  an  approach 
by  street  cars  to  the  south  side  of  St,  .Anthony  Hill.  The  Grand  avenue 
line  to  Groveland  Park  traverses  this  incline.  The  tunnel  through  which 
the  Sibley  avenue  cars  climb  the  hill  is  a  recent  construction. 

When  Jackson  street  was  cut  through  a  part  of  the  "Hog-back,"  in 
order  to  open  up  a  direct  route  to  Oakland  cemetery  and  the  district,, 
beyond,  a  very  deep  excavation  was  made.  But  there  were  marshy 
streets  below  waiting  for  a  large  portion  of  the  material  taken  from  the 
south  side  and  dee])  hollows  to  the  northward  for  that  taken  from  that 
side. 

Where  the  stately  white  marble  capilol  now  stands  was  a  hill  forty 
feet  high,  mostly  comi)osed  of  excellent  building  sand,  which  was  carted 
away  and  used. 

When  Dale  street  was  graded  north  from  Laurel  avenue,  it  passed 
through  three  small  lakes  between  Dayton  avenue  and  Carroll  street. 
There  was  a  cut  of  twelve  feet  at  Carroll  street  and  plenty  of  room  on 
Block  25,  or  on  Carroll  street  west  of  Dale,  at  which  to  deposit  the 
material  taken  out. 

Defunct  Lakes 

A  large  number  of  lakes  that  existed  within  the  city  area  only  a  few 
years  ago  have  disappeared  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  only  dry 
land  is  seen  where  they  once  rested.  Forty  years  ago  there  was  a  beauti- 
ful lake  in  the  ravine  that  is  now  occupied  by  Oxford  street.  Its  south 
end  was  somewhere  near  the  part  of  the  ravine  where  Carroll  street 
crosses  and  it  extended  north  one  block  bevond  l'ni\crsitv  avenue.    One 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  9 

of  the  children  of  'Sir.  Lake  who  hved  on  its  shores  was  drowned  in 
sixteen  feet  of  water  near  its  home.  The  lake  has  entirely  disappeared 
and  dw-ellings  cover  the  site.  ,A  chain  of  three  lakes  beginning  near 
Dayton  avenue  on  the  line  of  Dale  street,  had  an  outlet  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  Kent  and  Carroll  streets,  crossing  Kent  street  under  a 
bridge  and  into  a  valley  where  it  was  finally  absorbed. 

In  the  suburb  of  ^lacalester  Park  a  large  but  shallow  lake  was  plat- 
ted. A  beautiful  sheet  of  water  once  reposed  in  a  fine  grove  of  native 
trees  on  Dayton's  bluft',  at  the  junction  of  Hastings  avenue  and  Cypress 
street.  It  has  disappeared  and  can  properly  be  classed  with  the  extinct 
lakes. 

There  are  now  only  two  visible  water  courses  within  the  city  limits, 
if  we  do  not  count  the  many  springs  and  brooklets  of  the  Fish  Hatch- 
ery water  supply.  These  two  remaining  are  Phalen  creek  and  Trout 
brook,  which  enter  the  ^Mississippi  near  Dayton's  bluflf  as  one  stream, 
though  their  sources  are  far  apart.  Trout  brook  has  three  principal 
sources,  Sandy  lake,  McCarron  lake  and  Nigger  lake.  The  outlets  of  the 
first  two  unite  at  some  distance  above  the  points  where  the  overflow 
from  the  last  is  received.  They  all  pick  up  nurtierous  small  tributaries 
along  their  course.  Phalen  creek  is  not  only  the  outlet  of  Lake  Phalen, 
but  it  takes  the  overflow  from  Lakes  Gervais,  Kohlman  and  their  tribu- 
taries ;  also  the  drainage  of  North  St.  Paul  and  Gladstone. 

Every  change  in  the  relationship  of  land  and  water  has  resulted  in 
an  increase  of  land.  In  not  a  single  instance  has  the  water  surface 
within  the  city  limits  been  increased.  Hundreds  of  acres  have  been 
added  to  the  land  area  of  St.  Paul  within  the  past  forty  years  by  the 
drainage  or  filling  up  of  lakes  and  ponds,  besides  the  forty  or  fifty 
acres  reclaimed  from  the  river  by  and  for  the  railroads.  St.  Paul's 
splendid  sew-erage  system  is  responsible  for  draining  many  of  these  shal- 
low ponds  to  the  betterment,  no  doubt,  of  the  salubrity  of  the  atmosphere 
and  health  of  her  citizens. 


CIIAP'J'ER   II, 

I'RF.-irrSTORlC  ST.    PAUT, 

Tiiic  Mound  Huiluurs — ■'Tmc  Rical  Jxdiax" — Tiik  Sioux  ix  1834 — 
First  Mkxtiox  of  St.  Paul  Region — Reckless  Penesha.  the 
VoYAGEUR — Carver,  Advertiser  of  the  Northwest — The  Carver 
Claim  to  St.  P.\ul.  Etc. — Siou.x  vs.  Ojihwav — Another  Land 
Owner. 

It  may  ])roljalil_\-  Ijc  assumed  that  llie  first  Ininian  inhabitant.s  of  the 
present  site  of  St.  Paul  were  of  the  mysterious  race  known  as  the 
Mound  P.uilders.  concerning  whom  and  their  monuments  William  Cul- 
len  Bryant  wrote : 

"A  race  that  long  lias  passed  away. 
Built  them  !     A  disciplined  and  populous  race. 
Heaped,  with  long  toil,  the  earth,  wdiile  yet  the  Greek 
Was  hewing  the   Pentilicus  to  forms 
Of  synmictry,  and  rearing  on  its  rock. 
The  glittering  Parthenon.     These  ample  fields 
Nourished  their  harvests.     Here  their  herds  were  fed 
When  haply  by  their  styles  the  bison  lowed. 
.\nd  how'd  his  maned  shoulder  to  the  yoke. 
.\II  day  this  desert  nuirniurcd  witli  iheir  toils 
Till  twilight  blushed,  and  lovers  walked  and  woo'd 
fn  a  forgotten  language,  and  old  tunes 
I'rom  instruments  of  unremcmbercd  form. 
Gave  the  soft  winds  a  voice." 

As  to  these  people,  imagination  must  he  relied  on  to  furnish  a  pedi- 
gree, a  career  and  a  destiny,  since  authentic  information  is  wholly 
lacking.  But  both  poetry  and  fiction  necessarily  pause  at  the  point 
where  illusions  cease  to  be  illuminating  and  facts  arc  demanded. 

The  Mound  Builders 

Who  and  what  the  Mound  Builders  were,  whence  they  came,  their 
history  and  ultimate  fate,  are  wrajipod  in  an  impenetrable  mystery  that 
will  [)erhai)s  always  baflle  the  most  industrious  student.  Many  plausible 
theories  concerning  them  have  been  advanced.  It  is  generally  agreed 
that  they  were  a  simple  and  somewhat  ingenious  race,  who  subsisted 
partly  by  cultivating  the  earth  and  partly  by  the  chase,  and  were  more 
civilized  than  the  Red  Race  who  subse(|uently  occupied  this  region.  By 
what  means  the\'  disappeared  will  never  be  known,  but  it  is  beyond 
doubt  that  they  vanished  centuries  ago 

Tlie  only  memorials  (jf  their  existence  that  have  survived  are  the 
mounds  that  lie  scattered  about,  generally  but  erroneously  called  Indian 
Mounds.     The   Indians  deny   that   their  race  built   theuL  asserting  that 

10 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  11 

their  fathers  found  them  here  when  they  first  possessed  the  land.  Many 
of  these  mounds  have  been  identified  on  the  site  of  St.  Paul,  notably 
those  of  Dayton's  blufif,  which  form  the  nucleus  of  the  splendid  Mounds 
Park.  A  few  of  them  are  very  large,  showing  that  the  Mound  Builders 
must  have  lived  for  some  time  on  this  spot  and  in  considerable  num- 
bers. They  are  evidently  of  great  age.  Several  have  been  excavated  at 
times  by  antiquarians  and  human  remains,  beads,  pottery  and  (ither 
relics  of  the  pre-historic  races  discovered. 

The  object  of  these  mounds  has  never  been  satisfactorily  explained. 
Some  regard  them  as  memorials,  others  as  sepulchral  and  some  as  re- 
ligious or  sacrificial  altars.  Whatever  they  are,  they  possess  absorbing 
interest  and  carry  back  the  imagination  to  the  period  of  the  people  who 
built  them,  and  to  the  time  when  they  dwelt  on  the  very  spot  occupied  by 
our  hearthstones. 

The  Red  Race,  or  Indians,  came  into  possession  after  the  Mound 
Builders,  of  this  region  and  probably  of  the  entire  American  continent, 
retaining  the  ownership  until  expelled  step  by  step  and  year  after  year  by 
the   advance  of  the  all-conquering  Europeans. 

The  vicinity  of  the  site  where  the  city  of  St.  Paul  is  built  was  a  fre- 
quent halting  place  for  the  Dakotas,  who  were  among  the  Ojibways  or 
Chippewas  known  by  a  word  in  their  dialect  which  means  enemies 
(Nadousscioux)  and,  for  brevity,  called  by  the  French  traders  Scioux 
or  Sioux.  While  war  and  hunting  parties  rested  here,  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  there  was  no  permanent  Indian  village  upon  either  shore 
of  the  Mississippi  between  the  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin  rivers  until 
after  the  treaty  of  peace  with  Great  Britain  in  1783.  Thereafter  the 
Sioux  village  of  Kaposia,  just  below  the  present  site  of  the  stockyards 
at  South  St.  Paul,  was  established  and  maintained  until  after  the  treaty 
of  185 1,  first  on  the  eastern,  then  on  the  western  bank.  The  Sioux 
also  had  settlements  at  Mendota,  Shakopee  and  other  neighboring  points 
west  of  the  ^lississippi. 

The  Real  Indian 

It  would  be  difficult  to  convince  the  Minnesotans  who  suffered  from, 
or  witnessed,  the  horrible  atrocities  committed  by  the  merciless  savages 
of  this  tribe,  during  the  outbreak  of  .\ugust,  1862,  that  these  Indians 
had  any  redeeming  traits.  But  even  the  guiltiest  culprit  is  granted  his 
day  in  court,  and  a  plea  for  the  defense,  in  behalf  of  our  immediate 
predecessors  in  the  possession  of  this  fertile  heritage,  is  entitled  to  ac- 
knowledgment in  impartial  history. 

Dr.  Charles  A.  Eastman,  for  eighteen  years  the  savage  Sioux  Chi- 
yessa  and  for  thirty-five  years  a  i)artaker  of  civilization  in  confessedly 
heroic,  kill-or-cure  doses,  addressed  a  portion  of  St.  Paul's  culture  on  a 
recent  occasion.  His  subject  was  "The  Real  Indian,"  and  his  portrayal 
left  in  the  mind  a  heroic  figure,  honest,  with  a  philosophy  true  and 
simple,  profound  and  subtle ;  a  religion  that  worshipped  the  Giver  of 
all,  whenever  and  wherever  there  was  time  or  place  for  worship ; 
where  "there  was  no  showing  ofif  of  .\pril  hats  and  no  collection  after- 
ward ;"  nothing  but  the  simple  man,  stripped  to  the  G  string,  alone  in 
the  depths  of  the  forest,  face  to  face  with  the  Great  Mystery. 

Dr.  I'lastman  has  the  native  irony  of  the  red  man  and  his  speech  was 
not  without  a  strong  element  of  satire,  hut  it  was  sincere  and  often  elo- 
quent, a  warm  and  loyal  defense  of  his  race.     His  praise  of  the  Indian 


12  ST.  PAUL  AXD  VICINITY 

was  often  dispraise  of  the  white  man,  but  his  attitude  was  never  narrow 
or  his  criticism  carping.  His  sense  of  humor  is  unfailing  and  it  softened 
several  of  the  tomahawk  strokes  of  accusation  in  which  the  Indian  ar- 
raigned the  white  man  without  mincing  his  words. 

Himself  a  handsome,  stalwart  specimen  of  his  race,  Dr.  Eastman 
began  his  story  of  the  Real  Indian  by  asserting  for  him  a  tine  physical 
ideal.  "There  was  no  padding  anywhere  about  him,"  he  said,  "no  false 
teeth,  no  rats.  He  agreed  with  you  only  in  painting  his  skin,  but  in 
every  other  way  he  was  simple  and  unaffected.  There  could  have  been 
no  Hudson  Bay  Company  had  it  not  been  for  him.  His  honesty  was 
absolute  and  unfailing.  Strange  thmg  about  civilization  that  no  one 
can  trust  another.  He  who  kicked  over  the  table  containing  the  silver 
in  the  temple  would  not  get  along  if  He  came  back  today.  One  hundred 
and  thirty  years  ago,  lying  three  times  repeated  won  capital  punishment 
among  the  Sioux.  The  liar  had  to  climb  a  tree  from  which  he  dropped 
dead  like  a  crow.  We  had  bad  Indians ;  we  had  bad  women.  But  we 
had  a  rule  that  was  simple  and  direct  and  nobody  made  any  money  on  it. 
Xo  judges  and  no  lawyers  profited  by  it." 

Dr.  Eastman  retains  the  accent  of  the  Sioux,  but  his  choice  of  words 
could  hardly  be  finer  and  his  style  is  both  forceful  and  bold.  He  told 
many  things  to  the  credit  of  his  race,  notably  of  their  treatment  of  the 
"animal  people"  whom  they  never  killed  for  sport,  nor  wantonly,  nor  for 
traffic;  only  because  of  necessity.  This  was  an  established  rule  of  the 
tribe.  He  told  how  the  Sioux  had  never  been  at  enmity  with  the  Ojib- 
ways  until  the  Lake  Superior  tribe  had  become  corrupted  by  civiliza- 
tion. After  that  they  hated  them.  "Civilization  is  business,"  he  said 
with  much  scorn.  He  spoke  with  intense  admiration  of  Chief  Joseph 
of  the  Walla  Walla  tribes,  who  was  driven  out  of  his  valley :  forced, 
after  counseling  his  men  to  peaceful  methods,  to  defend  himself  and  his 
people.  He  spoke  with  kindly  palmnage  of  the  Puritans  and  what  he 
called  their  inconsistency  in  killing  their  witches,  but  not  permitting  the 
Indians  to  perform  a  like  act.  He  paid  high  tribute  to  the  white  man  for 
his  marvelous  facility  in  engineering  and  all  the  modern  arts,  "but  that," 
he  said,  "is  material.  The  Indian  ideal  does  not  consider  those  things 
of  great  importance.  His  philosophy  transcends  the  material."  He 
identified  with  the  .Sioux  race  all  the  tribes  from  the  Mississippi  river 
westward,  but  declared  that  he  found  in  the  Arctic  Indians  a  distinct 
people  with   no  traces  of   the  mother  tongue. 

The  Sioux  in  1834 

In  \'olumc  XTI  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society  Collections  is 
a  lengthy  and  very  instructive  paper  entitled  "The  Dakotas  or  Sioux 
in  Minnesota  as  They  Were  in  11*^,^4."  It  was  written  by  Rev.  Samuel 
William  Pond,  who,  with  his  brother.  Rev.  Gideon  II.  Pond,  began  their 
missionary  work  in  the  year  mentioned  for  these  peojile  at  Lake  Calhoun. 
As  a  summing  up  of  his  life-long  experience  with  the  .'^ioux,  the  devoted 
missionary  gives  this  estimate  of  their  character :  "The  longer  we  lived 
among  them,  the  more  we  were  made  to  feel  that  Indians  and  squaws  are 
men  and  women,  possessing  many  redeeming  traits  of  character,  and  by 
no  means  sunk  tn  the  lowest  flcpths  of  degradation.  When  these  rude 
barbarians  are  tried  by  a  faultless  standard,  or  arc  compared  with  those 
who  have  attained  to  a  high  degree  of  civilization,  they  appear  to  disad- 
vantage ;   but   they   lose  nothing  by  comparison   with   anv   other  savage 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  13 

people,  ancient  or  modern,  not  excepting  our  own  savage  ancestors.  Com- 
pared with  the  brutal,  lascivious  natives  of  Africa  and  the  islands  of 
the  Pacific,  their  character  was  noble  and  their  manners  decent  and 
becoming. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  even  when  ^Z^Ir.  Pond's  acquaintance  with 
these  Indians  began,  they  had  been  for  more  than  thirty  years  subject 
to  the  contaminating  influences  of  low-grade  whites. 

Pending  our  acceptance  of  the  message  of  the  "Runestone,"  we  must 
still  credit  Grosielliers  (Grosayyay)  and  Radisson  with  being  the  first 
white  men  to  travel  within  the  region  now  called  Minnesota.  By  the 
south  shore  of  Lake  Superior  they  reached  Chequamegon  bay  in  1658, 
built  a  trading  hut  not  far  from  the  site  of  Ashland,  Wisconsin,  and 
then,  guided  by  some  Huron  Indians,  visited  their  retreat  on  the  banks  of 
a  lake  in  \\'isconsin,  four  days  distant.  Here  they  first  saw  some  of  the 
Tetange,  Boeuf  or  Buffalo  band  of  Sioux,  and  subsequently  visited  the 
Sioux  villages  in  the  Alille  Lacs  district  of  Minnesota.  Still  later,  they 
seem  to  have  journeyed  from  the  vicinity  of  Green  Bay,  in  eastern  Wis- 
consin, across  that  state  to  the  Mississippi  somewhere  near  Prairie  du 
Chien.  Thence  they  voyaged  eight  days  up  the  river  to  the  villages  of 
two  tribes,  probably  in  the  vicinity  of  Winona.  Here  they  obtained  meal 
and  corn  which  supplied  their  wants  until  they  "came  to  the  first  landing 
isle." 

This  island  has  been  quite  conclusively  identified  by  Dr.  Warren  LTp- 
ham  in  his  exhaustive  examination  of  the  records,  as  the  large  Isle 
Pelee  (or  Bald  island)  now  called  Prairie  island,  on  the  Minnesota  side 
of  the  main  river  channel  a  few  miles  above  Red  Wing.  This  island  was 
at  that  period  occupied  and  cultivated  by  Hurons  and  Ottawas,  who  had 
fled  from  their  enemies,  the  Iroquois.  These  Frenchmen  thus  penetrated 
to  within  a  few  miles  of  the  present  site  of  St.  Paul.  Their  return  to 
Montreal  in  August.  1660,  with  a  large  collection  of  furs,  and  their 
description  of  the  red-stone  pipes,  peculiar  language  and  customs  of  this 
distant  and  hitherto  unknown  tribe,  created  a  desire  among  the  merchants 
and  public  officers  to  know  more  of  the  country. 

First  Mention  of  St.  P.\ul  Region 

The  first  mention  of  the  suburbs  of  St.  Paul  occurred  in  a  letter  of 
La  Salle,  written  in  1682,  and  in  the  travels  of  the  Dutch  Franciscan, 
Louis  Hennepin,  published  the  next  year  at  Paris.  La  Salle,  in  the  spring 
of  1680,  sent  Michael  Ako,  or  Accault,  on  a  trading  expedition  to  the 
Upper  Mississippi  valley  and  his  companions  were  a  voyageur  and  the 
Priest  Hennepin.  Below  Lake  Pepin  they  were  met  by  a  party  of  Mille 
Lacs  Sioux,  in  thirty-seven  birch  bark  canoes,  going  to  war  with  the 
Miami  tribe ;  but  they  abandoned  their  expedition,  and  went  back  with 
Ako  and  his  friends  to  their  villages.  Hennepin  writes :  "Having  arrived 
on  the  nineteenth  day  of  our  navigation,  five  leagues  below  St.  Antoine's 
Falls,  the  Indians  landed  us  in  a  bay,  broke  our  canoe  to  pieces  and 
secreted  their  own  in  the  reeds."  The  reference  is  to  the  "Grand  ^larais" 
of  the  voyageur,  just  below  the  eastern  boundary  of  St.  Paul,  which 
marsh,  when  the  Mississippi  is  high,  looks  like  a  bay  or  lake. 

Pierre  Le  Sueur,  with  Nicholas  Perrot,  erected  Fort  St.  Antoine. 
about  1688,  at  a  point  six  miles  above  the  outlet  of  Lake  Pepin,  on  the 
Wisconsin  side.  Le  Sueur  had  visited  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  and  in 
a  document  drawn  up  at  his  fort  in  May,  1689,  the  Man-tan-ton  Sioux 


14  ST.   PAUL  AND  ^■ICIXIT^• 

were  said  to  be  living  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Pierre,  and  farther  up  to 
the  northwest  of  the  Mississippi  were  the  Meddaywahkantwan  and 
Sissetoan  Sioux. 

The  first  mention  of  the  Minnesota,  as  the  St.  Pierre  river,  occurs  in 
the  document  referred  to,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  was  suggested  by  the 
bai)tisnial  name  of  Le  Sueur.  The  trading  post  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Wisconsin  was  called,  in  compliment  to  Nicholas  Perrot.  Fort  St.  Nich- 
olas; the  St.  Croix  was  named  after  a  Frenchman,  and  the  Minnesota 
river  would  ajjpropriately  be  called  St.  Pierre,  as  the  Assineboine  was 
subsequently  named  St.  Charles,  in  allusion  to  the  Christian  name  of 
Beauharnois.  governor  of  Canada. 

Upon  Prairie  Island,  above  Red  Wing  and  about  nine  miles  below 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix  river,  Le  Sueur,  in  i6g5,  had  built  another 
trading  post,  and  in  1700  he  erected  an  establishment  near  the  Mankato 


FALLS    OF    ST.    .\NTIIOXY 

or  Blue  Earth  river,  a  tributary  of  the  Minnesota.  In  1703  trade  ceased 
with  the  Indians  on  account  of  their  hostility,  but  it  was  resumed  in  1727 
by  erecting  F'ort  lieauharnois  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Pei)in,  opposite 
Maiden's  Rock,  near  the  ])oint  now  called  Frontenac. 

Among  the  last  commanders  of  this  post  were  I'ierre  Paul  .Marin  and 
Legardeur  Uc  Saint  Pierre.  When  the  difficulties  between  l-".ngland  and 
France  led  to  war  among  the  colonists  of  North  .America,  Marin  was  re- 
called from  the  Sioux  country  and  sent  with  a  force  of  French  and  In- 
dians to  build  a  stockade  upon  French  creek,  in  the  northwest  part  of 
Pennsylvania,  where  on  the  29th  of  October,  1753,  he  died,  and  a  few 
days  later  Saint  Pierre,  who  had  just  arrived  frt)m  west  of  Lake  Superior, 
was  ai)poiiUed  his  successor. 

.Mthough  there  was  no  longer  any  regular  b'rench  trading  establish- 
ment in  the  valley  of  the  Upper  Mississii)pi  there  were  irregular  un- 
licensed traders  roaming  among  the  Sioux  not  far  from  the  site  of  the 
city  of  St.  Paul.  They  were  men  who  had  been  trained  as  voyageurs,  the 
canoemen  who  had  acted  as  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  for 
the  old  licensed  traders. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  15 

Reckless  Penesha,  the  Voyageur 

Among  these  reckless  people  was  one  who  had  a  trading  post  not  far 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota,  and  for  a  long  time,  stories  of  his 
hair-breadth  escapes  and  "diablerie"'  were  talked  over  by  the  traders  who 
followed  in  his  footsteps.  His  name  was  Penesha,  sometimes  written 
Pinchon  or  Peneshon.  Snelling,  in  "Tales  of  the  Northwest,"  mentions 
that,  with  another,  this  Penesha  was  once  employed  as  a  voyageur,  and 
the  two  suspecting  that  the  trader  on  the  banks  of  the  Minnesota  river  did 
not  intend  to  pay  them  for  their  services,  owing  to  their  bad  behavior, 
rushed  into  his  presenece  while  he  was  alone,  and  Penesha,  holding  a 
pistol  to  his  breast,  compelled  him  to  write  a  certificate  recommending 
them  as  deserving  the  confidence  of  all  persons  engaged  in  the  Indian 
trade  and  competent  to  take  charge  of  a  trading  post.  Armed  with  these 
papers  and  stealing  a  canoe,  they  hurried  to  Mackinaw,  where  they  showed 
the  superintendent  of  the  fur  trade  their  recommendation,  which  led 
to  Penesha's  employment  as  a  trader  and  his  companion's  engagement 
as  an  interpreter  at  a  good  salary. 

Grignon,  in  his  "Recollections,"  refers  to  him.  Quarreling  with  a 
Sioux.  Penesha  killed  him,  took  his  scalp  and  fled  to  th^Ojibways,  where 
he  was  received  as  a  friend.  But  in  time  he  was  captured  by  the  Sioux, 
who,  full  of  revenge,  prepared  to  burn  him.  Realizing  his  dangerous 
position,  he  asked  as  a  favor  that  they  would  allow  him  the  distance 
of  an  arrow  shot,  then  to  be  chased  by  the  young  men  on  horseback, 
who  could  shoot  him  to  death  with  their  arrows.  The  proposition  was 
accepted,  as  it  would  increase  their  pleasure  as  well  as  justify  their  re- 
venge. But  he  ran  as  men  only  run  when  life  is  in  danger  and  escaped. 
He  never  came  back  to  the  Sioux  country,  being  permeated,  no  doubt, 
with  a  consciousness  of  his  limitations  in  the  line  of  good  fortune. 

Lieutenant  James  Gorell.  on  the  12th  of  October,  1761,  arrived  at 
Green  Bay,  with  the  first  detachment  of  English  troops,  and  at  this 
time  Penesha.  or  Penensha,  was  a  trader  near  the  mouth  of  the  Minne- 
sota river,  which  was  then  within  the  Spanish  dominions,  being  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  Gorell  was  visited  on  the  1st  of  March,  1763,  by 
twelve  Sioux  warriors,  who  bore  a  letter  in  French  from  Penesha.  and 
two  belts  of  wampum  from  their  leading  chief,  who  expressed  a  desire 
to  be  at  peace  and  to  receive  English  traders.  Lieutenant  Gorell,  who 
was  the  first  Englishman  to  describe  the  Sioux,  wrote:  "It  is  certainly 
the  greatest  nation  of  Indians  ever  yet  found.  Not  above  two  thousand 
of  them  were  ever  armed  with  firearms,  the  rest  depending  entirely 
upon  bows  and  arrows.  They  can  shoot  the  wildest  and  largest  beasts 
in  the  woods  at  seventy  and  one  hundred  yards  distant.  They  are  re- 
markable for  their  dancing." 

Carver,  Ad\-ertiser  of  the  Northwest 

The  French  war  ])etween  Canada  and  the  colonies  was  terminated  by 
the  treaty  of  \'ersailles  in  1763,  by  which  all  of  the  territory  now  com- 
prised within  the  limits  of  Wisconsin,  and  of  Minnesota  east  of  the 
Mississippi,  was  ceded  to  Great  Britain.  It  then  only  remained  for  some 
adventurous  spirit  to  call  the  worlds  attention  to  the  vast  empire  of  the 
northwest.     In  Jonathan  Carver,  the  man  appeared. 

Carver  was  born  in  Canterbury,  Connecticut,  about  1730,  and  when 
a  boy  went  to  Northfield,  ^Massachusetts,   near  the  \^ermont  boundary, 


16  ST.  PAUL  AND  MCIXITV 

and  became  a  shoemaker.  In  1755  he  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier,  and 
was  present  in  September  at  the  battle  with  the  French  and  Indians  at 
Lake  George.  Here  John  Stratton,  the  lieutenant  of  his  company,  was 
killed.  In  1757,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  a  company  commanded  by 
Captain  John  Burk,  and  next  year  was  a  lieutenant  under  Captain  Selah 
Barnard.  On  the  12th  of  October,  1759,  he  was  at  Crown  Point  and 
subsequently  was  captain  of  a  provincial  troop. 

After  tlie  peace  of  1763  Carver,  who  was  married,  was  farming  at 
Vernon,  Vermont,  which  adjoined  Northfield,  Massachusetts,  where  he 
had  made  shoes  before  he  had  enlisted  as  a  soldier.  But  learning  that 
a  companion-in-arms.  Rogers,  was  in  a  highly  influential  position  at 
Mackinaw  he  went  there.  Provided  with  a  letter  of  credit  upon  traders, 
in  November,  1766,  he  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  site  of  the  city  of  St. 
Paul.  Carver's  statements  cannot  always  be  depended  upon,  yet  his 
"Travels"  is  a  book  of  some  merit,  probably  prepared  for  the  press  by 
a  literary  person.  He  wrote  of  the  Sioux:  "Near  the  River  St.  Croix 
reside  three  bands  of  the  Nawdowessie  Indians,  called  the  River  Bands. 
The  nation  is  composed  at  present  of  eleven  bands.  They  were  originally 
twelve,  but  the  Assenipoils  some  years  ago  revolting  and  separating 
themselves  from  the  others,  there' remains  only  at  this  time  eleven. 
Those  I  met  here  are  termed  the  River  Bands,  because  they  chiefly  dwell 
near  the  banks  of  this  river." 

A  means  of  verifying  Carver's  claim  to  have  visited  this  region  lies 
in  his  reasonably  accurate  descriptions  of  the  "great  cave"  and  of  the 
falls  of  St.  Anthony.  The  cave,  ever  afterwards  known  as  "Carver's 
Cave,"  was  in  the  face  of  Dayton's  bluff.  It  was,  about  1880,  practically 
obliterated  by  railroad  excavations,  but  has  been  visited  by  hundreds  of 
persons  still  living  in  St.  Paul.  It  was  described  by  Carver  in  these 
words :  "I  arrived  the  tenth  day  after  1  left  Lake  Pepin  at  a  remarkable 
cave  of  an  amazing  depth.  The  Indians  term  it  Wakon-Teebe,  that  is,  the 
dwelling  of  the  Great  Spirit.  The  entrance  into  it  is  about  ten  feet 
wide,  and  the  height  of  it  five  feet;  the  arch  within  it  nearly  fifteen  feet 
high,  and  about  thirty  feet  broad.  The  bottom  of  it  consists  of  fine,  clear 
sand.  About  twenty  feet  from  the  entrance  begins  a  lake,  the  water  of 
which  is  transparent  and  extends  to  an  unsearchable  distance,  for  the 
darkness  of  the  cave  prevents  all  attempts  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of 
it.  I  threw  a  small  pebble  towards  the  interior  part  of  it  with  my 
utmost  strength;  I  could  hear  that  it  fell  into  the  water,  and,  notwith- 
standing it  was  of  so  small  a  size,  it  caused  an  astonishing  and  horrible 
noise  that  reverberated  through  all  those  gloomy  regions.  I  found  m 
this  cave  many  Indian  hieroglyphics  which  'appeared  very  ancient,  for 
time  had  nearlv  covered  them  with  moss,  so  that  it  was  with  difficulty 
I  could  trace  them.  They  were  cut  in  a  rude  manner  upon  the  inside 
of  the  walls,  which  were  composed  of  a  stone  so  extremely  soft  that  it 
might  be  easily  penetrated  with  a  knife,  a  stone  everywhere  to  be  found 
near  the  Mississippi.  The  cave  is  only  accessible  by  ascending  a  narrow 
steep  passage  that  lies  near  the  brink  of  the  river." 

In  November,  1766.  Carver  ascended  the  Minnesota  river  in  his 
canoe,  arriving  at  the  western  limit  nf  his  travels  December  7th.  He 
spent  the  winter  season  of  five  months  with  a  band  of  Sioux  encamped 
near  what  is  now  New  l^lm.  He  says  he  learned  their  language  and  was 
treated  with  hospitality.  Tn  the  latter  part  of  April.  17^7,  he  descended 
the  MiniKCdi.T  ri\iT  .nnd  roturncd  to  his  cave. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY  17 

The  Carver  Claim  to  St.  P.aul,  Etc. 

Some  of  the  Indians  accompanied  Carver  to  the  cave,  where,  he 
states,  it  was  the  custom  to  hold  a  grand  council  of  the  several  bands 
of  the  Sioux  nation,  wherein  they  settled  their  operations  for  the  en- 
suing year — thus  marking  St.  Paul  as  a  predestined  capital.  It  was  dur- 
ing the  council  held  at  the  cave  that  Carver  claims  to  have  been  installed 
and  adopted  as  a  chief  of  the  tribe.  Here  also  he  inade  his  alleged 
treaty  with  the  Indians,  and  here  it  is  claimed  received  from  them  the 
celebrated  deed  of  land,  which  read  as  follows : 

"To  Jonathan  Carver,  a  chief  under  the  most  mighty  and  potent  George  the 
Third,  King  of  the  English  and  other  nations,  the  fame  of  whose  warriors  has 
reached  our  ears,  and  has  now  been  fully  told  us  by  our  good  brother  Jonathan, 
aforesaid,  whom  we  rejoice  to  have  come  among  us,  and  bring  us  good  news  from 
his  country. 

"We,  chiefs  of  the  Nawdowessios,  who  have  hereunto  set  our  seals,  do  by  these 
presents,  for  ourselves  and  heirs  forever,  in  return  for  the  aid  and  other  good  serv- 
ices done  by  the  said  Jonathan  to  ourselves  and  allies,  give,  grant  and  convey  to  him, 
the  said  Jonathan,  and  to  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  the  whole  of  a  certain  tract 
or  territory  of  land,  bounded  as  follows,  viz :  From  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  run- 
ning on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  nearly  southeast,  as  far  as  Lake  Pepin, 
where  the  Chippewa  joins  the  Mississippi,  and  from  thence  eastward  five  days  travel, 
accounting  twenty  English  miles  per  day,  and  from  thence  again  to  the  Falls  of 
St.  .Anthony,  on  a  direct  straight  line.  We  do  for  ourselves,  heirs  and  assigns  for- 
ever, give  unto  the  said  Jonathan,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  with  all  the  trees,  rocks 
and  rivers  therein,  reserving  the  sole  liberty  of  hunting  and  fishing  on  land  not 
platted  or  improved  by  the  said  Jonathan,  his  heirs  or  assigns,  to  which  we  have 
affixed  our  respective  seals  at  the  great  cave,  May  i,  1767. 

'(Signed.)  "H.\wnop.\wjatin, 

Otohtongoomlishe.^w." 

This  deed,  which  may  fairly  be  classed  as  the  first  record  of  a  Alinne- 
sota  real-estate  deal,  was  made  the  foundation  for  a  persistent  but  futile 
claim,  by  Carver's  heirs  and  their  assigns,  to  the  immense  tract  of  land 
described  therein,  which  included  the  larger  part  of  the  present  city  of  St. 
Paul.  Carver  went  to  England  and  published  an  account  of  his  travels. 
He  became  so  poor  that  he  served  as  a  clerk  in  a  lottery  office,  and  in 
the  month  of  January,  1780,  died  in  London  and  was  buried  in  the 
parish  of  Shoreditch.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  a  Tory  preacher,  exiled 
from  Connecticut  with  an  unsavory  record,  visited  him  during  his  last 
sickness.  The  Gentleman's  Magazine  of  London,  has  the  following: 
"We  are  sorry  to  inform  our  readers  that  we  are  well  assured  that 
Captain  Carver  died,  absolutely  and  strictly  starved,  leaving  a  wife  and 
two  small  children,  for  whom  Dr.  Lettson,  with  his  wonted  humanity, 
interests  himself,  and  has  disposed  of  many  copies  of  his  'Travels'  which, 
notwithstanding  their  great  merit,  could  not  procure  him  a  competent 
provision." 

The  woman  he  left  in  England  was  named  Alary,  and  his  child  by 
her  became  a  housemaid  in  London.  In  the  British  Annual  Register  for 
1798  there  is  this  notice:  ".\  young  woman  of  the  name  of  Carver, 
housemaid  to  Captain  Sir  Richard  Pearson  of  Greenwich  Hospital, 
proves  to  be  the  daughter  of  the  late  Captain  Carver  of  great  Transat- 
lantic celebrity,  who  acquired  a  vast  tract  of  country  in  the  back  set- 
tlements of  America.  This  the  Indians  have  faithfully  guaranteed  and 
preserved   for   his   legal   representative,    who   is,   at  length,    indisputably 


18  ST.  PALI.  AXD  \ICIXIT>- 

found  ill  tlie  fortunate  yount;;  uoiuan  al)ove  iiicntionccl.  Jlie  territory  in 
times  of  peace  is  estimated  at    £  100,000  sterling." 

The  heirs  of  Carver's  American  wife,  in  1794,  had  conveyed  their 
interest  in  the  alleged  grant  to  Edward  Houghton  of  \ermont.  and 
the  next  year  William  Coleman,  then  of  \ermont,  subsequently  the 
founder  of  the  newspaper  in  New  York  City  still  called  the  Evening  Post. 
was  the  agent  of  the  Xodawessie  Land  Company,  which  was  subscc|ucmly 
merged  with  the  Mississippi  Land  Company. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  in  1S05.  returned  to  this  country,  and  in 
i<So6  represented  that  he  and  others  had  purchased  the  rights  of  the 
Carver  heirs.  In  1817  he  paid  a  visit  to  the  valley  of  the  I'pper  Mis- 
sissippi and  stopped  at  Prairie  du  Chien  with  J.  B.  Faribault,  a  trader, 
and  his  Sioux  half-breed  wife.  In  1818  Red  \\ing.  the  Sioux  chief, 
came  down  to  Prairie  du  Chien  and,  as  interpreted  by  Duncan  Campbell, 
said  to  a  friend  of  Peters  that  the  chiefs  who  signed  the  Carver  grant 
were  his  uncles,  and  for  this  declaration  he  received  presents.  Joseph 
Renville,  born  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Paul,  whose  mother  belonged  to 
Little  Crow's  band,  was  employed  to  show  the  alleged  deed  to  the  Sioux, 
explain  its  nature  and,  if  possible,  obtain  a  confirmation.  But  he  could 
not  tind  a  single  Indian  who  had  the  least  recollection  or  tradition  re- 
lative to  the  deed.  -All  declared  that  they  never  heard  of  any  chiefs 
with  the  names  attached  to  the  ^ki^d.  Colonel  Leavenworth  on  July 
28,  1821,  wrote  to  the  United  States  land  commissioner  that  "the  In- 
dians do  not  recognize  or  acknowledge  the  grant  to  l)e  valid.  They  sav 
they  have  no  knowledge  of  any  such  chiefs  as  those  who  have  signed 
the  grant;  that  if  he  did  obtain  a  deed  or  grant  it  was  signed  by  .some 
foolish  young  men,  who  were  not  chiefs  and  who  were  not  authorized 
to  make  the  grant.'' 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1825.  the  committee  on  i)rivate  land  claims 
made  a  full  report  to  the  L^nitecl  States  house  of  reiiresentatives  on  the 
petition  and  dncuments  of  Samuel  I'eters  which  were  referred  to  them. 
It  concluded  with  these  words:  "The  ])olicy  which  dictated  the  I  I'.ritish) 
proclamation  of  1763  is  unexce])tionable.  By  that  measure  all  private 
per.sons  were  interdicted  the  liberty  of  purchasing  lands  from  the  In- 
dians. The  indulgence  of  such  a  privilege,  it  had  been  ascertained,  con- 
duced to  serious  difificulties.  The  most  reprehensible  frauds  had  been 
practiced  on  the  natives.  Their  avarice  and  propensity  for  ardent 
spirits  had  been  too  successfully  addressed.  At  the  time  Captain  Carver 
exjilored  the  country  al)out  the  I'alls  of  St.  Anthony,  this  |)roclamation 
was  recent,  and  in  all  iirobability  known  to  him.  With  this  knowledge 
of  the  ])rudencc  and  caution  of  his  country  he  was  among  the  lirst  to 
oflfeiul.  I'ully  impressed  that  it  would  lie  liiglilv  improper  to  confirm 
the  claim  of  the  ])etitioner,  or  that  of  any  other  iicr.son  who  may  :it- 
tempt  to  profit  by  the  grant  to  Carver,  the  committee  recommend  the 
adoption  of  the  following:  Resolved,  That  the  prayer  of  the  jietitioner 
be  not  granted."  Peters  was  eighty  years  of  age  when  he  visited  the 
Upper  Mississip|)i  and  had  a  wonderful  vitality.  The  year  after  llie 
adverse  report  referred  to  above,  on  the  n;th  of  .Xjiril.  182^),  he  died  in 
New  ^'ork  City,  more  tli.in  ninety  years  of  age. 

But  the  "Carver  claim"  did  not  die.  It  has  fre(|uently  been  resus- 
citated as  a  revenue-producer  for  impecunious  agents,  and  will  doubt- 
less continue  to  a])])ear.  ])criodically.  until  the  crop  of  credulous  investors 
is  exhausted. 


ST.  PAUL  A\])   \  ICIXITV  19 

Sioux  vs.  Ojibwav 

After  the  treaty  of  peace  in  1783  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States  the  influence  of  traders  led  to  the  creation  of  Sioux  vil- 
lages on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  below  the  mouth  of  the  Minne- 
sota river.  The  Ojibways,  or  Chippeways,  had  driven  the  eastern  Sioux 
from  Sandy  lake  and  Leech  lake  anrl  had  established  themselves  west  of 
Lake  Superior.  Rival  traders  had  established  posts  above  Prairie  du 
Chien.  During  the  summer  of  1783  there  was  a  fierce  conflict  between 
the  Ojibways  and  the  Sioux  and  Fox  tribes.  Cadotte,  a  trader  at  Sault 
St.  Marie  and  the  Ojibway  chief,  Matchiquivis,  were  sent  by  the  Brit- 
ish, still  quartered  at  Mackinaw,  to  Chequamegon  bay  of  Lake  Superior 
to  sto]~.  the  strife.  This  chief  was  the  Indian  who,  in  1763,  had  surprised 
and  killed  so  many  of  the  garrison  at  Mackinaw. 

During  the  autumn  of  1786  Joseph  Ainse  arrived  from  Mackinaw, 
distributed  presents  and  held  a  council  with  the  Sioux  at  the  mouth  of 
the  ^linnesota  river.  There  were  five  villages  of  the  Sioux  represented, 
who  were  preparing  to  go  to  war  against  the  Ojibways.  During  the 
council  there  was  great  excitement  occasioned  by  a  party  arriving  with 
sixteen  fresh  scalps  and  three  Ojibway  prisoners.  The  women  rushed 
at  and  tore  the  bloody  and  ragged  scalps  from  the  hands  of  the  men  and 
then  taunted  the  prisoners,  who  were  with  difficulty  preserved  from  their 
clutches.  The  next  day  there  was  more  composure  and  at  a  council 
Ainse  was  placed  in  their  midst  on  a  beavef  robe,  presented  with  fifty- 
stalks  of  wild  rice,  and  the  three  Ojibway  ])risoners  were  given  up  to 
be  taken  to  Sir  John  Johnson,  the  liritish  superintendent  of  Indian 
affairs. 

Another  L.xno  Ow.\i-:r 

British  traders  were  well  aware  that  the  Minnesota  valley  was  claimed 
by  S])ain,  but  they  did  not  hesitate  to  intrude,  and  when,  in  1800,  it  was 
ceded  to  France,  they  still  continued  their  trading  posts.  Not  only  James 
and  George  Aird,  but  Archibald  Campbell,  at  the  beginning  of  the  last 
century,  traded  near  St.  Paul,  where  is  now  the  village  of  Mendota.  To 
this  point  tribes  from  the  Missouri  brought  their  furs.  Charles  I..eLaye, 
a  Canadian,  who  had  been  in  the  Yellowstone  valley  in  1803,  came  to 
Mendota  from  the  west,  the  first  white  man  of  whom  we  have  any 
knowledge  who  passed  over  the  region  from  the  Missouri  through  the 
valley  of  the  Minnesota  to  the  Mississippi  river.  He  was  accomjianicd 
by  a  band  of  Teton  Sioux,  and  on  the  15th  day  of  May  reached  the  head 
waters  of  the  Minnesota.  Thence  the  Tetons  were  accompanied  by 
some  Yankton  and  Sisseton  Sioux  to  the  vicinity  of  Mendota,  and  passed 
a  week  in  trading.  In  sight  of  what  is  now  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  in 
December,  1802,  Archibald  Campbell  made  his  will.  He  was  a  native 
of  Londonderry  county,  Ireland,  and  is  prol^ably  the  same  person  who, 
not  long  after,  while  on  a  visit  at  Mackinaw,  fought  a  duel  with  a  trader 
named  Crawford  and  was  killed.  By  a  Sioux  woman  he  had  several 
sons,  identified  with  the  early  history  of  Minnesota. 

The  witnesses  to  Campbell's  will  were  Duncan  Graham,  Francis  M. 
Dease  and  Robert  Dickson,  all  of  whom  became  influential  among  the 
Indians.  Graham  lived  with  the  daughter  of  the  Sioux  chief  Pinchon, 
who  signed  the  agreement  with  Pike  for  the  land  upon  which  Fort 
Snellins:  stands.  The  chief  was  the  half-breed  son  of  the  old  trader  Pene- 
sha  and  a  Sioux  concubine.   In  1814  Graham  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Brit- 


20  ST.  PAUL  AXD  VICINITY 

ish  service  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  was  sent  on  the  27th  of  August  with  a 
detachment  to  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  to  watch  the  Americans.  His  force 
consisted  of  thirty  men,  who  carried  with  them  a  brass  three-pound 
cannon  and  two  swivels.  Forty  Sioux  under  Red  Wing  also  accom- 
panied the  force.  On  the  29th  he  arrived  at  Rock  Island,  and  on  the 
5th  eight  large  boats  of  Americans  appeared  on  their  way  to  Prairie  du 
Chien.  On  the  7th  the  British  opened  fire  on  the  boats.  The  one  in  ad- 
vance was  disabled,  and  the  others  soon  dropped  down  the  river.  The 
action  lasted  about  an  hour  and  one  of  the  swivels  was  served  by  Lieut- 
enant Michael  P.rishois  and  the  other  by  Colin  Campbell.  On  the  13th. 
Graham  and  his  party  safely  returned  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  remained 
on  duty  there  until  jieace  was  concluded.  Thus,  at  least  one  battle  of 
the  War  of  181 2,  in  addition  to  that  of  Xew  Orleans,  was  fought  on  the 
Mississippi. 


CHAPTER  III 

FOUNDING  OF  FORT   SNELLING 

Pike  and  the  Sioux  Land  Grant — Little  Crow  and  Rising  Moose 
— Nucleus  of  St.  Paul — First  Mill  Erected — Named  Fort  Snel- 
LiXG  BY  Scott — Commencement  of  Fremont's  Career — Birth 
of  Minnesota  Agriculture. 

The  liistoric  period  for  St.  Paul  may  fairly  be  said  to  commence  with 
the  establishment  of  a  military  post  by  the  United  States  at  the  junction 
of  the  Minnesota  (then  the  St.  Peter's)  and  the  Mississippi  rivers.  Not 
only  did  this  post  form  the  nucleus  around  which  the  first  settlers  after- 
ward gathered,  but  a  considerable  portion  of  the  present  area  of  the  city 
was  embraced  within  the  original  boundaries  of  the  military  reservation. 
Since  the  reservation,  like  the  site  of  the  future  city,  extended  on  both 
sides  of  the  Mississippi,  it  was  carved  from  both  the  "Northwest  Ter- 
ritory" and  the  "Louisiana  Purchase,"  thus  running  the  chain  of  title 
back  to  the  courts  of  Great  Britain  and  France,  in  addition  to  that  which 
was  gained  by  treaty  with  the  Indian  occupants. 

On  March  i,  1784,  \'irginia  ceded  to  the  United  States  all  the  dis- 
trict which,  under  the  famous  Ordinance  of  1787  enacted  by  congress,  be- 
came the  "Northwest  Territory."  This  vast  domain,  comprising  the 
present  splendid  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois.  Michigan,  Wisconsin 
and  that  portion  of  ^ilinnesota  which  lies  east  of  the  Mississippi,  was 
surpassed  in  fertility  and  resources  by  no  body  of  land  of  equal  extent 
on  the  globe.  Civil  government  was  soon  established  in  the  territory 
and  white  settlers  began  to  penetrate  its  southern  and  eastern  sections. 

On  May  7.  1800,  Indiana  territory  was  created,  embracing  all  of 
the  previous  Northwest  territory  except  the  present  state  of  Ohio.  In 
1805,  Michigan  territory  was  formed,  its  southern  boundary  running 
from  Lake  Erie  westerly  to  the  Mississippi  rivei".  Minnesota,  east  of 
the  Mississippi,  remained  attached  to  Michigan  until  the  formation  of 
Illinois  territory  in  1809,  when  it  was  included  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  latter,  and  so  continued  until  Illinois  became  a  state  in  1819.  This 
re.gion  then  fell  again  into  the  arms  of  Michigan,  and  continued  there 
until  Wisconsin  territory  was  organized  in  1836. 

Meantime,  on  December  20,  1803,  the  province  of  Louisiana  (of 
which  a  large  portion  of  what  is  now  known  as  Minnesota  was  a  part) 
was  transferred  by  the  French,  who  had  just  obtained  it  from  the 
Spaniards,  to  the  L^nited  States,  under  the  purchase  by  President  Jef- 
ferson. 

Early  in  March,  1804,  Captain  Stoddard  of  the  United  States  army 
arrived  at  St.  Louis  to  receive  from  the  Spanish  authorities  still  there, 
the  country  which  had  been  transferred.     It  now  became  of  great  im- 

21 


22  ST.  PALI.   .\.\I)   \  JLIXITV 

portancc  that  llic  liulian  iriljcs  in  tlic  upper  Mississip))!  \alley  should 
be  visited,  in  order  that  the  liritish  traders  should  be  notified  to  retire 
and  that  the  site  for  an  army  post  that  would  dominate  this  frontier 
should  be  secured  for  future  occupancy.  A  young  lieutenant.  Zchulon 
-Montgomery  Tike,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  the  son  of  a  captain  in  the 
War  for  independence,  was  appointed  by  General  Wilkinson  to  tlie  re- 
sponsible mission.  With  a  few  soldiers  he  reached  Prairie  du  Chien 
on  the  4th  day  of  .Septeml)cr.  1805,  and  found  among  the  traders  there  a 
native  of  New  York.  Harry  .Monro  Fisher,  who  in  later  years  had  a 
])ost  in  .Minnesota. 

Not  long  before  Pike's  visit,  some  of  the  Sioux  bands  that  dwelt 
on  the  banks  of  the  Minnesota  had  transferred  their  villages  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi river.  The  ^NJed-day-wah-kan-twan,  or  eastern  Siou.x,  in  1805 
were  divided  into  four  bands.  The  first  was  under  Wabashaw,  the  son 
of  the  great  chief  of  that  name,  and  resided  near  the  upper  Iowa  river 
which  was  convenient  to  Prairie  du  Chien.  The  second  resided  at  the 
head  of  Lake  Pepin  where  the  city  of  Red  Wing  is  now  situated.  The 
third  hunted  from  the  Cannon  river  to  the  Minnesota,  but  chiefly  in  the 
valley  of  the  St.  Croi.x.  Their  village  was  at  the  Grand  Marais  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Mississippi,  just  below  Dayton's  bluft.  The  fourth  band 
lived  on  the  banks  of  the  Minnesota,  and  on  the  upper  side  of  the 
stream,  nine  miles  from  its  mouth,  it  had  a  village. 

i'lKic  .WD  nil'.  .Stoux  L.\xd  Gk-Wt 

(  )ii  liie  (Slh  of  September,  1805,  Lieutenant  Pike  left  Prairie  du  Chien 
with  his  party  in  two  batteaux,  and  one  of  his  interpreters  was  josei)h 
Renville.  On  the  10th  he  met  Wabashaw,  visited  his  bands,  and  wit- 
nessed the  great  medicine  dance.  He  reached  the  Sandy  Point  of  Lake 
Pepin  on  the  17th.  and  on  the  i8th  came  to  Cannon  or  Canoe  river, 
where  he  found  a  small  band  of  the  Siou.x  under  Red  \\  ing,  tiie  second 
war  chief  of  the  tribe.  On  the  21  si  he  breakfasted  at  the  Sioux  village 
of  Petit  Corbeau  at  (Irand  Marais.  This  village  consisted  of  eleven 
lodges,  but  most  of  the  Indians  were  absent  gathering  wild  rice.  The 
garrulity  of  the  women  astonished  him.  On  llie  west  side  of  the  river, 
he  found  J.  15.  Faribault,  a  trader  encamped. 

That  night  the  United  States  flag  ajipeared  for  the  first  time  on  the 
island  at  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  river,  now  called  Pike's  island. 
The  next  day  Petit  Gorlieau  (Little  Crow)  apjieared  with  mu'  huiulieij 
and  fifty   warriors. 

On  ^londax',  the  J^d  of  September.  Pike  had  a  bower  of  sails  made, 
under  which  was  held  a  council  with  the  Sioux  chiefs,  among  whom  were 
Petit  Corbeau;  Tah-mah-haw,  the  Original  Leve  or  the  Rising  Moose; 
Fils  de  Pinchon.  the  son  of  the  trader  Penesha,  by  an  Indian  concubine; 
Good  Road;  Demi  Douzaine,  or  Shokpay,  and  Le-P>oeuf-Oui-Marche 
(A\'alking  lUifTalo), — in  Sioux,  Ta-tan-ga-mah-nee.  .\s  soon  as  the 
council  dosed  the  Indians  received  ,se\eral  ])resents  and  sixty  gallons  of 
li(|Uor.     Then  the  following  agreement  was  signed: 

"Whereas,  al  a  conference  luld  between  the  United  States  of  America  and  the 
Sioux  nation  of  Indians,  Lieutenant  '/..  M.  Pike  of  the  army  of  the  United  States 
anil  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  said  tribe  have  agreed  to  the  followini;  articles,  which 
when  ratified  and  approved  by  the  proper  authority  shall  be  binding  on  both  parties: 

".•\RTICI.I-'  I.  That  the  Si<vux  nation  (jrant  unto  the  United  States,  for  the 
purpo.se  of  est;d)lishment  of  military  posts,  nine  miles  s(|uare  at  the  mouth  of  the  St. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  23 

Croix ;  also  from  below  the  confluence  of  the  Mississippi  and  St.  Peters  up  the 
Mississippi  to  include  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony,  extending  nine  miles  on  each  side 
of  the  river.  '1  he  Sioux  nation  grants  to  the  United  States  the  full  sovereignty  and 
power  over  said  district  forever. 

"ARTICLE  II.  That  in  consideration  of  the  above  grants  the  United  States 
shall  pav  (left  blank,  but  filled  up  by  the  senate  with  "the  sum  of  Two  Thousand 
Dollars"'). 

"ARTICLE  III.  The  United  States  promise  on  their  part  to  permit  the  Sioux 
to  pass  and  repass,  hunt  or  make  other  use  of  the  said  districts  as  they  have  formerly 
done,  without  any  other  e.xception  than  those  specified  in  article  first." 

The  night  the  treaty  was  signed  the  flag  flying  from  Pike's  boat  was 
detached.  The  ne.xt  morning  its  absenc:e  astonished  the  Lieutenatit,  and, 
supposing  it  was  the  result  of  carelessness,  had  the  soldier  on  guard 
lashed  in  the  presence  of  the  Sioux  Original  Leve.  But  on  the  25th, 
before  Pike  was  out  of  bed,  Little  Crow  had  arrived  from  his  village 
to  learn  if  any  were  killed,  as  the  flag  had  been  found  floating  in  the 
river.  The  finding  of  the  flag  by  the  Indians  was  happy  in  its  effect. 
Just  before  it  was  seen  by  the  Sioux,  one  of  their  nutiiber  had  his  lip  cut 
off  in  a  fight,  and,  in  great  trouble,  had  come  to  the  chief,  Little  Crow, 
and  ti.)ld  him  that  his  face  was  his  looking-glass ;  that  it  was  now  spoiled, 
and  he  was  determined  on  revenge.  He  and  his  enemies  were  preparing 
for  conflict  when  the  flag  was  seen  in  the  water.  It  seerned  supernatural 
and  acted  as  a  messenger  of  peace.  Little  Crow  then  addressed  his 
braves  in  these  words :  "A  thing  so  sacred  had  not  been  taken,  without 
violence.  It  would  be  proper  for  them  to  hush  all  private  animosities 
until  they  had  revenged  the  cause  of  their  elder  brother  ( Lieutenant 
I'ikej  ;  that  he  would  immediately  go  up  to  St.  Peters  to  know  what  dogs 
had  done  that  thing."  The  flag  was  then  hung  up  to  dry  and  Little 
Crow  proceeded  to  Pike's  encampment.  The  Lieutenant  rewarded  the 
chief  for  the  trouble  he  had  taken,  and  it  was  arranged  that  the  flag 
should  be  sent  to  him  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  On  the  26th,  just  as 
Pike  was  making  the  portage  at  the  falls,  two  young  Indians  from  Little 
Crow's  village  arrived  with  the  flag. 

Lieutenant  Pike  spent  the  winter  in  conference  with  the  British  trad- 
ers between  the  Satik  rapids  and  Leech  lake,  having  many  interesting 
adventures  which  are  recorded  in  his  official  narrative.  On  the  iith  of 
April,  1S06,  he  returned  to  the  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota 
river.  The  son  of  the  French  trader  Penesha,  the  chief  called  Fils  de 
Pinchon,  visited  him,  and  said  he  would  inake  arrangements  for  a  council. 
The  council  house  was  made  of  two  large  lodges  and  about  forty  chiefs 
asseiTibled.  Dickson  and  other  traders  were  present,  and  the  Sioux 
were  invited  to  send  one  of  their  nuinber  for  a  further  conference  at 
Prairie  du  Chien.  Iti  the  evening  Fils  de  Pinchon  and  another  chief 
supped  with  Pike.  The  next  day  he  descended  the  river  and,  stopping 
where  the  city  of  St.  Paul  now  is,  he  endeavored  to  find  the  wonderful 
cave  of  which  Jonathan  Carver  had  sjjoken,  but  his  interpreter  had  never 
seen  it  and  it  could  not  be  found. 

The  chief,  Little  Crow,  was  met  near  the  St.  Croix  river  by  the 
traders  Fraser  and  Wood.  He  gave  to  Pike  a  pipe  and  a  beaver  robe, 
and  a  message  for  General  Wilkinson.  The  chief  comjilained  that  Alur- 
dock  Cameron  and  his  associate,  Rolette,  were  selling  liquor  to  the  In- 
dians. While  encamped  on  the  island  some  Indians,  probably  drunk, 
had  fired  upon  a  sentinel  and  threatened  to  kill  Pike.  At  the  head  of 
Lake  Pepin,  on  the  13th  of  April,  Pike  stopped  at  Red  Wing's  village, 
and  the  chief  told  him  he  would  have  the  Indian  who  fired  at  his  sen- 


24  ST.   PAUL  AND  \1CIX1TY 

tinel  put  to  death,  i)ui  the  olifer  was  declined.  On  the  i8th  he  returned 
to  Prairie  du  Chien. 

The  ISritish  traders  had  been  courteous  and  hospitable,  but  Pike 
had  not  long  returned  to  St.  Louis  before  they  exercised  as  much  con- 
trol as  ever  among  the  Indian  tribes.  Owing  to  complications  with 
Great  Britain,  the  United  States  did  not  deem  it  expedient  for  many 
years  to  establish  a  military  post  on  the  land  selected  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Minnesota  river. 

The  only  garrison  of  the  United  States  between  Detroit  and  the 
^Mississippi,  in  1810,  was  at  Mackinaw,  and  in  the  autumn  Robert  Dick- 
son and  his  associates,  James  and  George  Aird,  Thomas  G.  Ander.'^on 
and  Joseph  Rolette,  by  night,  smuggled  goods  past  this  post  and  brought 
them  to  the  island  where  Pike,  in  1805,  had  made  his  treaty  with  the 
Sioux.     Rolette  had  never  before  wintered  with  this  tribe. 

A  trading  post  was  built  on  this  island  so  that  the  store  and  log  cabins 
would  form  three  sides  of  a  square,  and  an  oak  picket  the  fourth  side. 
The  Indians,  when  they  returned  from  their  winter  hunting  grounds, 
gathered  to  the  number  of  three  hundred  lodges  about  the  post  and  ex- 
changed their  peltries  for  goods  and  whiskey.  During  the  summer  of 
1811  the  trading  post  on  Pike's  island  was  in  charge  of  Thomas  C.  An- 
derson, an  interpreter,  and  four  voyageurs. 

Anderson,  like  many  Indian  traders,  had  a  seared  conscience.  While 
living  in  the  Minnesota  valley,  he  mentions,  in  his  "Personal  Narrative" 
published  by  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society,  that  just  before  he  left 
the  country  he  made  "a  s])lendid  trade"  with  some  Sioux  Indians.  He 
wrote  that  he  sold  them  "two  kegs  containing  three  gallons  of  high  wines 
and  six  of  water.  True  they  might  have  gotten  the  water  at  their  camp, 
but  carrying  it  on  their  i)acks  Iwenty-five  miles  would  mix  it  better." 

Little  Grow  .\.\d  Rising  Moose 

Among  the  most  active  against  the  .Americans  in  the  last  war  with 
•Great  Britain  was  Little  Crow,  the  Sioux  chief,  living  near  the  site  of 
St.  Paul.  He  was  present,  in  the  sjjring  of  181^^,  at  the  seige  of  Fort 
Meigs,  and  one  afternoon  while  he  was  conversing  with  Wabashaw,  an 
Indian  invited  them  to  a  feast.  Upon  their  arrival  at  the  place  des- 
ignated they  were  surprised  to  lind  that  some  Indians  had  roasted  an 
American  soldier  and  cut  him  in  pieces,  for  the  guests  to  eat.  But  to 
their  credit  the  Sioux  chiefs  refused  to  partake.  Little  Crow  and  his 
warriors,  in  the  autumn  of   1813.  returned  to  their  village. 

Tah-mah-haw,  who  signed  Pike"s  treaty  in  1803  as  Original  Leve.  or 
Rising  Moose,  never  swerved  from  his  pledge  to  be  faithful  to  the  United 
States.  He  had  but  one  eye.  Crovernor  William  Clark,  of  Missouri, 
and  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  gave  him  this  certiticate:  "In  con- 
sideration of  the  fidelity  and  attachment  testified  by  Tah-mah-haw  of 
the  Red  Wing's  band  of  Sioux  to  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
and  by  virtue  of  the  power  and  authority  in  me  vested,  I  do  hereby  con- 
firm the  said  Tah-mah-haw  as  chief  in  said  band  of  Sioux  aforesaid, 
having  bestowed  on  him  the  small  sized  medal,  wishing  all  and  singular 
the  Indians,  inhabitants  thereof  to  obey  iiim  as  chief,  and  the  officers  and 
others  in  the  service  of  the  United  .States  to  treat  him  accordinglv." 
Red  Wing,  in  refusing  a  British  medal,  said:  "^'ou  tell  me  that  the  lion 
on  this  medal  is  the  most  powerful  of  all  animals.  I  have  never  seen 
one,  but  I  Ijelieve  what  you  say.     The  lion  sleeps  ail  day  but  the  eagle. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  MCIXITY  25 

who  is  the  most  powerful  of  birds,  only  sleeps  at  night ;  in  the  day  time 
he  flies  about  everywhere  and  sees  all  on  the  ground.  He  will  perch  on 
a  tree  over  the  lion  and  they  will  scold  at  each  other  for  a  while,  but  they 
will  finally  make  up  and  be  friends  and  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace.  The 
lion  will  then  go  home  and  leave  us  Indians  with  our  foes.  That  is  the 
reason  for  not  taking  up  my  war  club." 

After  peace  was  declared,  in  1815,  Little  Crow  was  invited  to  visit 
the  British  post  at  Drummond's  island,  thanked  for  his  services  during 
the  war  and  offered  some  goods  as  presents  from  Great  Britain.  The 
chief  refused  the  goods  and  said:  "After  we  have  fought  for  you  under 
many  hardships,  lost  some  of  our  people  and  aroused  the  vengeance  of 
our  neighbors,  you  make  peace  for  yourselves  and  leave  us  to  make 
such  terms  as  we  can.  We  will  not  receive  the  presents.  We  hold  them 
and  yourselves  in  equal  contempt." 

The  cession  of  land,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Minnesota  and  Missis- 
sippi rivers,  had  been  obtained  by  Lieutenant  Z.  M.  Pike  in  1805,  with  a 
view  of  erecteing  a  United  States  fort.  The  matter  had  remained  in 
abeyance,  owing  to  the  War  of  1812  and  to  other  circumstances.  But 
in  1812,  Lord  Selkirk,  having  obtained  a  grant  of  land  from  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  in  what  is  now  the  Canadian  province  of  Manitoba,  estab- 
lished colonies  of  Scotch  and  Swiss  settlers  thereon.  As  a  means  of 
connecting  these  colonies  with  eastern  Canada  for  trading  purposes,  Eng-. 
lish  merchants  proceeded  to  establish  a  chain  of  posts,  two  of  them  being 
respectively  at  the  mouth  and  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Minnesota  river. 
By  means  of  these  posts,  it  was  proposed  to  receive  and  forward  goods 
for  the  Selkirk  settlement  and  by  the  same  route  send  back  peltries  to 
Montreal. 

In  February,  1818,  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  at  St.  Louis 
received  a  letter  informing  him  that  Dickson,  an  English  trader,  was  at 
the  head  of  the  Minnesota  river,  to  which  post  he  transported  his  goods 
from  Lake  Winnipeg  in  five  days.  These  demonstrations  by  British  sub- 
jects made  it  necessary  for  the  United  States  government  to  send  troops 
to  occupy  the  land  which  had  been  selected  by  Lieutenant  Pike.  A  rec- 
ommendation had  already  been  made  to  the  war  department,  in  1817, 
by  Major  Long,  of  the  army,  that  a  fort  be  built  at  the  precise  point 
afterwards  selected. 

Nucleus  of  St.  P.\ul 

Pursuant  to  the  provision  in  the  articles  of  agreement  signed  by  the 
Sioux  chiefs.  Major  Thomas  Forsyth,  an  Indian  agent,  was  sent  in  1819 
from  St.  Louis  with  two  thousand  dollars  worth  of  Indian  goods.  On 
the  2ist  of  August  he  reached  Grand  Marais,  or  Little  Cro\v's  village, 
and  described  him  as  "a  steady,  generous  and  independent  Indian."  The 
chief  acknowledged  the  sale  of  land  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peter's 
(Minnesota)  river,  to  the  United  States  in  1805,  and  said  he  had  been 
looking  every  year  since  for  the  troops  to  build  a  fort.  He  received  a 
large  present  of  goods. 

Forsyth,  in  his  journey,  saw  only  the  high  limestone  walls  on  each 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  erroneously  declared  it  a  poor  country  for 
man  or  beast.  He  was  evidently  one  of  those  travelers  who  can  make 
lengthy  journeys  without  seeing  anything  and  one  of  those  versatile  nar- 
rators who  can  write  many  foolish  things  without  repeating  himself. 
He   wrote:     "Instead    of   finding   a    fine  country   with    good   lands   and 


26 


ST.    I'ALI.    AXl)    \  lllXIl^ 


pleiuy  of  timber,  1  lound  a  mountainous,  l)rol<en.  rock)'  and  sterile  coun- 
try, not  lit  for  man  or  beast  to  live  in.  I  did  not  see  any  kind  of  wild 
animals,  not  even  a  squirrel." 

Forsyth  ascended  the  Mississippi  from  I'rairie  du  Chicn  with  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Leavenworth  and  a  detachment  of  troops  of  the  Fifth 
Infantry,  who  had  been  (jrdercd  u>  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peter's  river 
to  establish  a  post  as  the  hea(l<|uarters  of  that  regiment.  The  post  first 
called  Fort  St.  Anthony,  subsequently  l'\jrt  Snelling,  was  the  nucleus 
from  which  has  been  evolved  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  and  the  state  of 
Minnesota.  Soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  troops  an  agent  was  ap- 
pointed for  the  Sioux  Indians,  Lawrence  Taliaferro  of  Virginia,  who 
had  been  an  officer  of  the  Third  L'nitcd  States  Infantry.  He  was  the 
first  justice  of  the  ])eace  in  .Minnesota,  and  in  that  capacity  often  united 
voyageurs  and  llicir  sweethearts  in  matrimonv. 


OLD   BLOCK    HOUSE,    FT,    SNELLING 


The  river  was  so  low  that  the  expedition,  embarked  in  keel-boats, 
did  not  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  until  September  24th.  The 
Ijost  was  established  temiJorarily  on  the  blufTs  where  .Mendota  now  stands. 
Rude  Intts  for  barracks  were  at  once  erected  and  the  first  winter  was 
passed  amid  much  discomfort.     Several  of  the  soldiers  died  from  scurvy. 

In  May,  1820,  the  soldiers  left  the  cantonment  at  ^^cnck)ta  and,  cross- 
ing the  Minnesota  river,  encamped  on  the  high  jirairie  near  a  full  clear 
spring,  beyond  the  site  of  the  fort  then  building,  and  the  encampment 
was  designated  as  Camj)  Cold  Water.  There  was  a  surj^rise  in  camp  on 
the  30th  of  July  by  the  unex|iected  ;irrival  of  (iovernor  Lewis  Cass,  of 
.Michigan,  and  party  in  birch  bark  canoes,  having  reached  the  upper 
Mississippi  by  way  of  I-ake  Superior,' and  then  descended,  llcnrv  R. 
Schoolcraft,  the  explorer,  was  a  member  of  this  party.  The  officers 
hunted  up  and  dusted  their  uniforms  that  they  might  pay  a  visit  of 
respect,  and  the  following  note  to  .Mr.  Taliaferro,  which  has  been  iirc- 
.served,  refers  to  the  occasion: 


ST.   PALL  AXD  MCINITY  27 

"Sir:  General  Cass  is  at  this  place,  and  wishes  to  see  the  Indian  Agent.  I 
send  you  a  coat.  "P.   R.  Green,  Adjt." 

On  the  loth  of  September,  1820,  with  appropriate  ceremonies,  the 
corner  stone  of  the  stone  fort  was  laid  in  the  presence  of  the  military 
and  civilians  on  duty.  At  this  time  Minnehaha  was  designated  Brown's 
Falls,  in  honor  of  the  head  of  the  army.  Major  General  Jacob  Brown. 

On  the  28th  of  May.  1821,  under  the  guidance  of  William  Joseph, 
the  son  of  Colonel  Snelling,  who  had  succeeded  Leavenworth,  the  great 
chief  of  the  Upper  Sioux,  came  down  from  Lacqui-Parle,  and  made  his 
first  visit  to  the  fort.  The  next  month  an  aged  chief,  Red  Thunder, 
who  had  been  well  known  by  the  British  traders,  arrived.  The  Ojib- 
way  chief.  Flat  Mouth,  made  his  first  appearance  on  the  29th  of  August, 
accompanied  by  one  hundred  warriors. 

First   Mill  Erected 

The  first  mill  for  the  use  of  troops  was  erected  in  the  autumn  of 
182 1,  at  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  under  the  supervision  of  Lieutenant 
McCabe.  Its  design  was  to  saw  logs,  but  in  1823  it  was  altered  so  as 
to  grind  wheat.  Lieutenant  William  Alexander,  in  1823,  was  sent  with 
fourteen  soldiers  to  mark  out  a  road  to  Prairie  du  Chien. 

During  the  years  1820  to  1823  the  mails  for  the  garrison  were  carried 
by  soldiers  from  Prairie  du  Chien.  A  trip  was  made  on  an  average 
once  in  two  months — by  keel-boat  or  canoe  in  summer ;  on  the  ice  of  the 
river,  in  winter.  After  1823  steamboats  carried  the  mail  during  seasons 
of  navigation,  but  the  winter  transportation  continued  until  stage  service 
was  established  in  1849. 

During  the  winter  of  1823  Major  Taliaferro,  the  Sioux  agent,  was  in 
Washington  on  official  business.  In  March,  on  his  return,  he  stopped 
at  a  hotel  in  Pittsburg  and  there  met  G.  C.  Beltrami,  a  well  educated 
Italian,  who  asked  permission  to  go  with  him  to  the  Indian  country,  which 
was  granted.  Arriving  at  St.  Louis,  they  found  the  first  steamboat 
nearlv  ready  to  ascend  to  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  with 
supplies.  It  w-as  named  the  "Virginia."  It  was  one  hundred  feet  in 
length  and  twenty-two  in  width ;  drew  six  feet  of  water ;  had  been  built 
at  Pittsburg,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain  Crawford.  It  reached 
the  fort  on  the  loth  of  Alay,  and  the  savages  looked  upon  it  with  speech- 
less wonder,  supposing  it  was  some  gigantic  water-spirit,  coughing,  puffing 
out  hot  breath  and  smoke.  As  it  began  to  discharge  steam,  moihers, 
forgetting  their  children,  with  streaming  hair,  sought  hiding  places,  and 
warriors,  renouncing  their  stoicism,  scampered  away  like  frightened 
deer. 

N.\MEi)  Fort  Snelltnc;  i5v  Scott 

General  Winfield  Scott  visited  the  post  in  1824,  and  at  his  sugges- 
tion it  was  named  Fort  Snelling.  In  his  report  to  the  secretary  of  war, 
he  wrote:  "This  work,  of  which  the  war  department  is  in  possession, 
reflects  the  highest  credit  on  Colonel  Snelling,  his  officers  and  men.  The 
defences,  and,  for  the  most  part,  the  nulilic  storehouses,  shops  and  quar- 
ters being  constructed  of  stone,  the  whole  is  likely  to  endure  as  long  as  the 
post  shall  remain  a  frontier  one.  The  cost  of  erection  to  the  govern- 
ment has  been  the  amount  paid  for  tools,  iron  and  the  per  diem  to  the 
soldiers   employed   as   mechanics.     I   write  to   suggest  the   propriety  of 


28  ST.   PAUL  AND  MCIXITY 

calling  the  work  Fort  Snelling  as  a  just  compliment  to  the  meritorious 
officer  under  whom  it  has  been  erected.  The  present  name  ( Fort  St. 
Anthony )  is  foreign  to  all  our  associations,  and  is  besides  geographically 
incorrect,  as  the  work  stands  eight  miles  below  the  great  falls  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi called  after  St.  Anthony." 

From  that  day  to  the  present  Fort  Snelling  has  fully  justified  the 
favorable  opinion  of  this  great  soldier.  Beautifully  located,  its  com- 
manding position  and  its  massiveness  of  structure,  still  e.xemplified  in 
the  round  and  square  towers  that  have  been  preserved,  made  a  strong 
impression  on  all  visitors.  At  this  post  have  been  quartered  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  officers  of  the  army,  who  received  with  cordial  hos- 
pitality the  various  scientific  expeditions  that  passed  through  the  country. 

After  1835,  the  pleasant  duty  of  entertaining  these  explorers  was 
shared  by  Henry  H.  Sibley,  who,  as  a  representative  and  resident  part- 
ner of  the  American  Fur  Company,  lived  in  baronial  style  at  Mendota, 
just  across  the  Minnesota  river  from  Fort  Snelling.  Among  the  savants 
and  travelers  who  visited  the  region  were  Featherstonhaugh,  School- 
craft, Mather,  TJcltrami,  Xicollet,  I'remont,  Catlin  and  others. 

Commencement  ok  Fremont's  Cvreer 

Fremont's  illustrious  career  commenced  at  Fort  Snelling.  He  was  a 
young  subordinate  in  the  Xicollet  expedition  which  made  the  exploration 
of  the  country  lying  between  the  upper  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri 
rivers.  This  ex])edition  was  successful  and  its  results  were  valuable. 
The  jiarty  visited  the  famous  pipestone  (|uarry  of  southwestern  Minne- 
sota, and  left  on  the  rocky  cliffs  an  inscription  which  is  still  legible. 
Fremont  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  had  just  reached  the  happy  climax 
of  his  courtship  of  Miss  Jessie  Benton,  daughter  of  the  great  statesman, 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  when  he  received  an  order  to  e.xplore  the  sources 
of  the  Des  Moines  river.  His  sweetheart  bade  him  go,  as  she  did  on 
every  subse(|uent  occasion  when  duty  and  fame  were  beckoning  to  him. 
He  made  this  tri])  in  1841,  again  ])enetraling  Minnesota.  In  1843  Fre- 
mont made  an  expedition  westward.  He  says  that  he  started  from  "the 
little  town  of  Kansas  on  the  Missouri  frontier"  and  exjilored  the  route 
to  Oregon  and  California.  This  is  probably  the  first  mention  in  his- 
tory of  Kansas  City. 

Fremont's  subsequent  expeditions  to  the  Pacific  are  matters  of  his- 
tory. The  last  and  most  important  one  was  that  of  1846,  which  was 
made  under  government  authority.  It  is  said  that  Benton  had  a  hard 
fight  to  get  Fremont  started  on  that  expedition.  Such  men  as  Daniel 
Webster  brought  the  whole  force  of  their  intellectual  artillery  against 
the  exploration  of  California  and  the  west.  They  denounced  it  as  fool- 
hardy and  dangcnnis,  as  calculated  to  break  up  the  L'nion,  as  trying  to 
lead  away  the  settlers  of  the  older  states  and  as  reducing  the  value  of 
agricultural  land  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

It  was  on  this  occasion  that,  after  Fremont  had  assembled  his  party 
and  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  St.  Louis,  his  entmies  in  Washington, 
by  a  temporary  triumph,  succeeded  in  having  his  recall  issued.  The  re- 
call was  sent  to  St.  I,ouis  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  heroic  wife. 
Mrs.  Fremont,  with  the  wholly  illogical,  but  sublime  heroism  of  such 
women,  promjitly  decided  not  to  communicate  the  message  to  her  hus- 
band and  thus  ruin  the  plans  and  bLT^t  the  dreams  of  which  she  had 
been  an  earnest  sharer.     She  allowed  him  to  go  on  his  way  with  his 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \'ICIXITY  29 

little  band,  in  flat  disobedience  to  his  government.  He  reached  Califor- 
nia in  January,  1846,  before  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  with  Mexico,  but 
the  war  was  at  that  time  plainly  impending.  The  Spanish  governor 
ordered  him  to  leave  without  delay.  Instead  of  complying  with  this 
order,  he  and  his  little  band  of  sixty  men  hoisted  the  flag  of  the  United 
States  on  the  soil  of  California  March  g,  1846,  where  it  has  ever  since 
remained. 

The  Fort  Snelling  visited  by  Scott  and  P'remont  and  Nicollet  was  a 
small  affair  when  compared  with  the  present  magnificent  brigade-post 
that  has  been  built  up  adjacent  to  it.  Still  it  was  sufficient  for  its  in- 
tended purpose.  Its  walls  and  towers  were  impregnable  against  the 
assaults  of  savages,  its  only  probable  assailants,  and  its  position  was 
admirably  planned  for  defense  against  such  foemen,  though  commanded 
by  higher  bluffs  across  both  rivers  within  range  of  even  the  artillery  of 
that  period. 

A  Pandora  box  was  opened  in  1826  at  Fort  Snelling.  A  duel  was 
fought  in  February  and  one  of  the  participants,  Lieutenant  Phineas 
Andrews,  was  tried  by  court  martial.  Ill  feeling  continued  and  Lieu- 
tenant David  Hunter  engaged  in  a  duel  with  W.  Joseph  Snelling,  the 
bright  and  reckless  son  of  the  commandant.  The  father  took  up  the 
quarrel  and  Lieutenant  Hunter  on  the  31st  of  July,  in  violation  of  the 
twenty-fifth  article  of  war,  sent  him  a  challenge.  For  this  Hunter  was 
tried  before  a  general  court-martial  convened  on  the  15th  of  October  at 
Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri,  of  which  Colonel  Leavenworth  was  presi- 
dent. He  was  found  guilty  of  conduct  unbecoming  an  officer  and  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  cashiered,  but  the  court  recommended  him  to  the  clemency  of 
the  president.  President  John  Ouincy  Adams,  in  remitting  the  penalty 
against  Lieutenant  Hunter,  administered  a  severe  rebuke  to  Colonel 
Snelling.  David  Hunter  rose  to  the  rank  of  major  general,  during  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  made  a  conspicuous  record. 

During  the  autumn  of  1826  a  small  party  of  Ojibways,  while  on  a 
visit  to  Fort  Snelling,  went  to  the  trading  post  of  the  Columbia  Fur  Com- 
pany, about  two  miles  distant,  on  the  banks  of  the  Minnesota  river.  .'Xs 
they  were  returning,  three  Sioux  sprang  from  a  copse,  fired  their  guns 
and  killed  an  Ojibway.  This  led  to  ill  feeling.  On  the  28th  of  May, 
1827,  the  Sandy  Lake  Ojibway  chief,  Kee-wee-yais-ish.  called  by  the 
English  Flat  ^louth,  with  seven  warriors  and  several  women  and  chil- 
dren, arrived  at  the  fort  and  asked  to  be  protected  from  the  Sioux. 
They  were  told  that  as  long  as  their  tents  were  under  the  shadow  of 
the  walls  of  the  fort  they  were  secure.  During  the  first  afternoon  they 
were  visited  by  some  Sioux,  who  professed  friendship,  but  when  they 
left  they  turned  and  fired  upon  their  entertainers.  Four  Ojibways  had 
been  killed  and  six  wounded,  one  of  whom  was  a  little  daughter  of  Flat 
Mouth  who  subsequently  died. 

A  detachment  of  soldiers,  early  next  morning,  left  the  fort  in  pursuit 
of  the  murderers,  and  not  far  distant  arrested  thirty-two  Sioux.  Two 
of  them  were  recognized  by  the  Ojibways  as  their  assailants  and  de- 
livered up  to  them.  The  captives  were  led  out  and  told  to  run  for  their 
lives,  and,  as  they  ran,  the  Ojibways  fired  and  they  fell  lifeless.  The 
same  day  a  deputation  of  Sioux  came  and  delivered  up  to  to  Colonel  Snell- 
ing two  more  of  the  assailants  who  were  also  given  up  to  Ojibways  and 
shot.  .After  they  were  scalped  and  mutilated,  their  bodies  were  dragged 
to  the  edge  of  the  high  bluffs  and  tossed  into  the  Mississippi  river. 

During  the  autumn  of   1827,  the  soldiers  of  the  Fifth  LTnited  States 


30  ST.    I'AII.   AND   \  li  IXriA' 

Infantry  were  ordered  from  Fort  Snelling  and  a  part  of  the  First  In- 
fantry, inider  Lieutenant  Colonel  Zachary  Taylor,  afterwards  president 
of  the  United  States,  took  their  places. 

The  tirst  movement  for  an  organized  civil  government  to  include  the 
valley  of  the  upper  Mississippi  occurred  in  1828.  Congress  was  memo- 
rialized to  organize  Huron  territt)ry.  with  Galena  for  its  capital,  whose 
northern  boundary  should  be  the  liritish  possessions:  its  western,  the 
Red  River  of  the  Xorth,  Lac  Traverse,  Big  Stone  Lake,  and  a  line 
thence  to  the  Alissouri  river  and  thence  eastward  to  the  Mississippi;  its 
southern  boundary,  from  the  southern  extremity  of  Lake  Michigan  to 
the  Mississippi,  and  its  eastern,  a  line  through  the  middle  of  Lake  Mich- 
igan across  the  ])eninsula  to  Lake  Superior.  This  plan  was  never  car- 
ried into  cfl'ect. 

r>  I KT 11    III-     .M  I  X  .\  ESOTA    A  C  U I C  L'  I  .T  U  R  E 

Gradually  the  Kaposia  Siou.x  moved  from  Grand  Marais  to  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  ^Iississ!i)pi  river,  where  is  now  South  St.  Paul.  The 
first  plowing  for  this  band  was  done  by  the  Presbyterian  missionary. 
Samuel  W.  Pond.  He  had  lieen  a  school  teacher  in  Galena,  Illinois,  and 
hearing  that  the  Sioux  had  never  had  a  ])crmanent  missionary  he  came 
to  Fort  Snelling  in  the  spring  of  1834  at  his  own  expense,  accompanied 
by  his  brother  (lideon.  With  great  disinterestedness,  they  gave  their 
lives  to  efforts  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  Sioux.  Major  Bliss,  the 
commandant  at  the  fort,  asked  the  elder  Pond  if  he  w-ere  willing  to  go 
down  to  the  Ka])osia  band  and  teach  them  hoW'  to  plow.  He  consented. 
Oxen  were  driven  down  by  land,  and  the  plows  sent  in  a  boat.  When 
the  work  began  there  was  a  great  stir  among  the  Indians;  Mr.  Pond 
drove  the  oxen,  w-hilc  the  chief  P)ig  Thunder  and  another  Sioux  alter- 
nately held  the  ])low.  'I'his  was  the  foundation  of  Minnesota  agricul- 
ture. 

.Among  the  interpreters  employed  by  the  early  missionaries  was  a 
notable  character  James  Thompson,  who  lived  to  see  St.  Paul  grow  to 
a  great  commercial  city.  Thompson  had  been  a  slave  of  .African  de- 
.scent  and  was  brought  into  the  country  by  John  Culbertson,  who  from 
1829  to  1832,  was  the  sutler  of  Fort  Snelling.  He  was  purchased  for 
twelve  hundred  dollars  by  Rev.  A.  P>ronson.  of  Prairie  du  Chicn.  to  act 
as  inter|)retcr  for  the  Methodist  mission  established  below  St.  Paul. 
Thom])son  having  married  a  .Sioux  woman  ;nid  being  ac(|uainted  with 
the  language  of  her  people. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1838,  the  "(iyijsy."  a  small  stern-wheel  steam- 
boat, arrived  at  Fort  Snelling  with  Surgeon  luiier.son  and  wife,  with  his 
.slaves,  Dred  Scott  and  wife.  On  the  boat  Dred  Scott's  wife  had  given 
birth  to  a  child,  which  was  named  I-'liza  and  is  mentioned  in  the  Dred 
Scott  decision  of  the  Lnited  States  >ui)renie  court. — a  geiniine  caiisus 
celchrc  of  the  ante-bellum  period,  the  central  point  of  which  was  the  fact 
that  Dred  Scott  had  been  brought  into  free  territory  by  his  master  which, 
it  was  contended,  made  him  a  free  man.  The  court  held  otherwise  and 
the  recoil  was  tremendous. 

The  annals  of  Fort  Snelling,  full  <if  thrilling  incidents  and  char- 
acteristic episodes  of  life  on  the  rude  frontier,  in  the  early  days,  have 
been  recorded  with  rare  fidelity  and  with  sympathetic  intelligence.  The 
field  is  a  tem])ting  one.  but  a  more  elaborate  treatment  would  be  foreign 
to  ihc  purjioses  of  lbi<   publication.      We  Ii;ive  now    livnuglil    the   narra- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  31 

tive  of  leading  events  at  the  post  and  connected  with  it,  down  to  the 
period  when  the  exckision  of  settlers  from  the  reservation  as  related 
in  the  next  chapter  led  to  the  settlement  of  the  future  St.  Paul.  The 
published  "Collections  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society"  contain 
numerous  contributions  portraying  experiences  at  Fort  Snelling.  Among 
the  most  interesting  of  these  are  the  reminiscences  of  Mrs.  Charlotte 
Ouisconsin  \'an  Cleve,  daughter  of  Major  Nathan  Clarke,  and  wife  of 
General  H.  P.  \'an  Cleve.  The  first  eight  years  of  her  life  were  spent 
at  Fort  Snelling  and  most  of  the  more  than  three  score  and  ten  which 
succeeded  were  lived  in  Minnesota  where  she,  as  well  as  her  brave  hus- 
band, became  honored  historical  figures. 


CHAPTER  I\" 

THE  EARLIEST  J'ER.MAXEXT  SETTLERS 

Peter  Parraxt  and  Aura  ham  Perry — Joseph  R.  Brown — Expel- 
ling Squatters — Soldiers  of  "Fortune" — Parrant,  or  "Pig's 
Eye" — A  Mysterious  Death — Permanent  Settlers — Mr.  Lar- 
penteur's  Birthday  Lwitation. 

During  the  decade  from  1830  to  1840  a  group  of  remarkable  men 
settled  in  what  is  now  Minnesota — men  who  later  were  recognized 
as  the  honored  fathers  and  founders  of  the  commonwealth.  .Although 
first  locating  at  other  points,  nearly  all  of  them  finally  became  residents 
of  St.  Paul  and  contributed  infinitely  more  to  the  development  of  city 
and  state  than  did  the  less  notable  assemblage  of  squatters  and  refugees 
who,  by  exclusion  from  the  military  reservation  and  otherwise,  became 
the  earliest  settlers  of  the  city. 

Norman  VV.  Kittson  came  in  1832;  Henry  H.  Sibley  in  1834:  Wil- 
liam PL  Forbes.  P'ranklin  Steele  and  Martin  McLeod  in  1837;  Henry 
M.  Rice  and  William  Holcombe  in  1839.  The  Lake  Superior  region  was 
settled  at  an  earlier  date  by  William  ,\.  .\itkin,  the  Morrisons  and 
others;  Charles  H.  Oakes  located  there  in  1825  and  Dr.  Charles  W. 
Boruj)  in  1831 — both  these  gentlemen  becoming  residents  of  St.  Paul  at 
a  subsequent  date. 

But  none  of  these  can  fairly  be  classed  among  the  earliest  perma- 
nent settlers  of  the  future  capital  and  metropolis. 

Peter  Parrant  and  Abraham  Perry 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1838,  a  delegation  of  Sioux  from  the  Kaposia 
village  came  to  Fort  Snelling  and  complained  that  two  men,  Peter  Par- 
rant  and  old  man  Perry,  had  settled  on  their  lands,  and  that  Parrant 
sold  whiskey.  Perry  and  Parrant  must  always  be  considered  the  found- 
ers of  St.  Paul.  .\l)raham  Perry  had  moved  down  from  Lord  Selkirk's 
settlement  and  had  been  ])erniittcd  to  live  on  the  military  reserve,  and 
his  wife,  who  was  an  acconiplished  accoucheur,  was  frequently  em- 
ployed by  the  wives  of  the  officers.  They  had  a  large  familv.  Fanny, 
in  1836,  married  Charles  Mousseau.  the  ceremony  being  jierformed  by 
Agent  Taliaferro,  as  justice  of  the  peace.  Rose  .Ann  was  married,  in 
1839,  at  the  site  of  St.  Paul,  to  an  Englishman  by  the  Methodist  mis- 
sionary. Rev.  T.  \V.  Pope.  .Adele  married  \'etal  Guerin :  .\nn  Jane 
was  the  wife  of  Charles  Razille;  and  Sophia  married  anotlier  old  set- 
tler. Pierre  Parrant  was  a  lawless  fellow,  of  whom  more  anon.  He  was 
an  unprepossessing  intruder,  who  had  been  prohibited  from  living  in 
the  country  and  who  held  that  the  chief  end  of  man  was  to  drink  and 

32 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \'lCi-\lTY  33 

sell  whiskey.     Both  Perry  and   Parrant  settled  near  where  the  city  hos- 
pital is  situated. 

The  Indians,  after  imbibing  whiskey,  were  often  troublesome,  and 
on  the  i6th  of  September,  Abraham  Perry's  wife  and  her  son,  Charles, 
came  to  the  fort  and  complained  that  the  Sioux  had  killed  three  of  their 
cattle  and  wounded  one.  Whiskey  now  became  the  chief  article  of  trade. 
Surgeon  Emerson,  in  a  letter  to  the  surgeon-general  on  April  23,  1839, 
wrote  from  Fort  Snelling:  "Since  the  middle  of  winter  we  have  been 
completely  inundated  with  ardent  spirits,  and  consequently  there  have 
been  the  most  beastly  scenes  of  intoxication  among  the  soldiers  of  the 
garrison  and  the  Indians  in  the  vicinity,  which  no  doubt  in  many  cases 
adds  to  the  sick  list.  The  whiskey  is  brought  here  by  citizens  who  are 
pouring  in  upon  us  and  settling  themselves  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  in  defiance  of  our  worthy  commanding  officer,  Alajor 
Plympton,  whose  authority  they  set  at  naught.  At  this  moment  there 
is  a  citizen  named  Brown,  once  a  soldier  of  the  Fifth  Infantry,  who 
was  discharged  at  this  post  while  Colonel  Snelling  commanded,  and  who 
has  since  been  employed  by  the  American  Fur  Company,  actually  build- 
ing on  the  land  marked  out  as  the  reserve,  and  within  gunshot  distance 
of  the  fort,  a  very  expensive  whiskey  shop." 

Joseph  R.  Brown 

Shortly  before  this  letter  was  written,  twenty  barrels  of  whiskey 
had  been  brought  up  by  the  steamboat  "Ariel"  for  Joseph  R.  Brown. 
This  man  afterwards  became  a  prominent  and  useful  citizen,  an  editor, 
an  inventor  and  a  leader  in  many  lines  of  activity,  but  his  early  "commer- 
cial" career  seems  to  have  been  from  our  present  viewpoint,  somewhat 
clouded.  On  the  third  of  June  some  soldiers  went  to  Brown's  place, 
and  that  night  forty-seven  were  confined  in  the  guard-house  for  drunk- 
enness. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  some  Sioux  Indians  destroyed  the  whiskey 
shop  opposite  Fort  Snelling,  on  the  military  reservation  and  owned  by 
Joseph  R.  Brown,  Henry  Mencke,  a  foreigner,  and  Anderson,  a  quar- 
ter-breed Sioux.  Supposing  that  they  were  instigated  by  the  Indian 
agent,  Mencke,  not  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  obtained  in  some  way 
an  appointment  as  deputy  sherifif  for  Clayton  county,  Iowa,  and  at  the 
instance  of  Joseph  R.  Clewett  arrested  the  agent  on  the  false  charge  of 
aiding  in  the  destruction  of  his  whiskey  cabin.  As  soon  as  the  com- 
manding officer  heard  of  the  outrage,  a  detachment  of  soldiers  was  sent 
to  Mencke's  cabin,  and  he  was  ordered  to  immediately  leave  the  country. 
It  was  evidently  high  time  to  clear  the  military  reservation  of  all  squat- 
ters. It  was  a  work  requiring  time,  but,  in  the  end,  it  was  thoroughly 
done. 

The  expulsion  of  the  squatters  from  the  reservation  led  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  St.  Paul,  and  is  therefore  entitled  to  detailed  mention  in 
connection  with  certain  events  that  preceded  it. 

In  September,  1837,  a  delegation  of  about  twenty  chiefs  and  braves, 
by  direction  of  Governor  Dodge,  proceeded  to  Washington,  to  make  a 
treaty  ceding  their  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi.  They  were  accom- 
panied by  Major  Taliaferro,  their  agent,  and  Scott  Campbell,  interpre- 
ter. The  Fur  Company  was  represented  by  H.  H.  Sibley,  while  Alexis 
Bailly,  Jo  La  Framboise,  A.  Rocque,  Labathe,  the  Faribaults  and  others, 
fur-traders,  etc.,  were  present.    Joel  R.  Poinsett,  a  special  commissioner. 


34  ST.  PAUL  AND  MCIXITY 

represented  the  United  States.  On  September  29th  the  terms  of  tlie 
treaty  were  agreed  upon,  and  the  articles  signed  by  both  the  high  con- 
tracting parties.  By  this  treaty,  the  Dakotas  ceded  to  the  United  States 
all  their  land  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  including  all  the  islands  in 
the  same.  They  received  therefor  $300,000  to  be  invested  in  live  per  cent 
stocks,  the  income  of  which  was  to  i)e  jjaid  to  them  annually;  $110,000 
to  be  divided  among  the  mixed  l)loods,  and  $90,000  to  payment  of  debts 
owed   by   the   tribe. 

This  treaty — the  extinction  of  whatever  title  these  red  men  had  to  tiie 
region  named — was  the  key-note  for  the  settlement  of  the  state.  It 
opened  the  way  for  the  hardy  frontiersman,  with  his  red  shirt,  and  axe 
and  plow.  Hitherto,  every  foot  of  what  is  now  Minnesota,  except 
the  little  reservation  around  Fort  Snelling  had  been  the  property  of  a 
few  barbarians,  but  this  obstacle  was  no  longer  to  exist.  Once  the 
white  man  had  gained  a  foothold  on  the  soil,  following  the  precedent  of 
two  centuries,  he  would  soon  enlarge  his  grant  until  he  had  swept  out 
of  his  way  its  original  tenants. 

Ex I'KI.LI XG  Squ.\TTERS 

A  natural  anxiety  prevailed  among  the  settlers  on  the  military  reserve 
ojjposite  Fort  Snelling,  while  this  treaty  was  ])ending.  The  officers  of 
the  post  had  develoi)cd  a  great  hostility  to  them,  owing  to  the  whiskey- 
selling  propensities  of  some  of  their  number.  On  August  16,  1837,  they 
sent  to  President  \'an  Buren  a  memorial  that  a  just  allowance  for  their 
improvements,  etc.,  be  made  in  the  treaty.  This  memorial  was  signed 
by  Louis  Massie,  Abraham  Perry,  Peter  Quinn,  Antoine  Pepin,  Duncan 
Graham,  Jacob  Falstrom,  Oliver  Cratte,  Joseph  Hisson,  Joseph  Keasch, 
Louis  Dergulee  and  others.  Col.  Samuel  C.  Stambaugh,  sutler  at  Fort 
Snelling,  was  empowered  to  present  it  and  rejircsent  the  settlers  in  any 
negotiations. 

On  (October  19th,  Lieutenant  K.  K.  Smith,  First  InfaiUry  (who  was 
twenty-five  years  later  the  distinguished  Confederade  lieutenant  general, 
Kirby  Smith),  made  a  survey  and  map  of  the  reservation,  by  command 
of  Major  J.  Plympton,  commander  of  the  post,  who  had  arrived  during 
that  summer.  He  says,  in  his  report  to  Major  Plympton:  "The  white 
inhabitants  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort,  as  near  as  I  could  ascertain,  are: 
eighty-two  in  I'.aker's  settlement,  around  old  Camp  Coldwater,  and  at 
Massie's  Landing.  On  the  opposite  side,  twenty-live  at  the  I'ur  Com- 
pany's establishment,  including  l'"aril)ault's  and  LeClcre's,  fifty.  Making 
a  total  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  souls,  in  no  way  connected  with 
the  military." 

This  map  Major  Plympton  returned  to  the  war  department  on  Octo- 
ber 19th,  accompanied  by  a  letter  i)lainly  indicating  his  intention  to  eject 
all  settlers  on  tlie  reserve.  In  acknowledging  receipt  of  this  communi- 
cation, November  17th,  the  secretary  of  war  instructed  .Major  Plymton 
as  follows:  "If  there  be  no  reservation  already  made  for  military  ]iur- 
poses,  at  your  post,  jilease  mark  over  what  in  your  ojiinion  will  be  nec- 
essary to  l)e  reserved." 

A  memorandum  from  the  war  department  says:  "March  j(j,  1838, 
Majoi  Plympton  transmitted  a  map  of  such  a  tract  embracing  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  land  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi  river." 

The  memorial  of  the  settlers  had  little  elTect  on  the  war  depart- 
ment, or  r)n  the  administration,  as  subsequent  occurrences  showed. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICL\ITY  35 

While  these  events  were  transpiring,  the  treaty  of  September  29, 
1837,  was  slowly  passing  through  the  senate.  On  June  15,  1838,  a  final 
vote  was  reached  on  it,  and  it  was  ratified.  Just  one  month  later,  the 
steamer  "Palmyra"'  landed  at  Fort  Snelling  with  the  glad  news.  It  pro- 
duced much  excitement  among  those  who  had  been  waiting  so  long  to 
make  claims,  and  they  at  once  left  to  sieze  on  eligible  points,  which 
had  already  been  picked  out  by  their  covetous  eyes. 

N.  W.  Kittson  states  that  the  boat  arrived  in  the  evening,  and  after 
dark,  the  same  night,  he,  Franklin  Steele,  and  Angus  M.  Anderson 
started  off  to  make  a  claim  at  St.  Anthony  Falls.  Joseph  R.  Brown 
left  at  the  same  time  for  the  St.  Croix,  where  he  drove  the  stakes  of  a 
new  town,  above  Stillwater. 

Perry,  Parrant,  the  Gervais,  and  others  supposed  they  were  outside 
the  lines  of  the  Fort  Snelling  reservation.  But  the  commandant.  Major 
Plympton,  seemed  to  hold  otherwise  and  prepared  to  act  accordingly. 

Soldiers  of  "Fortune" 

About  the  same  period  that  the  news  of  the  ratification  of  the  treaty 
was  received  at  Fort  Snelling,  three  soldiers  were  discharged  from  the 
Fifth  Regiment  named  Edward  Phelan,  John  Hays  and  William  Evans, 
all  natives  of  Ireland.  They  resolved  to  make  claims  in  the  newly-ceded 
tract,  and,  finding  some  settlers  along  the  river  below  Fountain  cave, 
fixed  on  this  locality  as  a  favorable  one  for  their  purpose. 

Phelan  was  the  first  to  secure  his  discharge,  and  after  prospecting 
hereabouts  selected  as  a  claim  a  tract  of  ground  fronting  the  river,  run- 
ning back  to  the  bluff,  and  bounded  approximately  by  what  is  now 
Eagle  and  Third  streets  on  the  west,  and  St.  Peter  street  on  the  east. 
On  the  side  of  the  bluff,  under  Third  street  he  built  a  log  house,  a  mere 
hovel,  to  live  in  temporarily. 

At  the  request  of  Hays,  Phelan  selected  for  him  a  claim  adjoining 
his  own  on  the  east,  fronting  on  the  river  and  running  back  to  the  bluffs, 
extending  probably  from  what  is  now  St.  Peter  street  down  to  the 
present  Minnesota  street.  He  was  to  hold  this  claim  for  Hays  until 
the  latter  got  his  discharge  in  the  subsequent  spring,  and  thereafter 
Hays  was  to  live  with  him  in  the  hovel  under  the  hill. 

Parr.\nt,  or  "Pig's  Eye" 

Parrant  lost  his  first  claim  on  a  judgment  note  for  ninety  dollars, 
given  to  Guillaume  Beaumette.  Before  the  note  came  due,  Beaumette, 
probably  forced  by  the  pressure  of  circumstances,  sold  it  to  John  Miller, 
of  Alendota.  Miller  was  a  stone-mason  by  occupation,  as  was  Beau- 
mette. He  built  General  Sibley's  house  at  Mendota,  the  first  stone  pri- 
vate dwelling  house  in  Minnesota.  About  1S44,  he  was  drowned  in  the 
river  near  Grey  Cloud  island. 

Parrant  was  unable  to  pay  the  note,  so  Miller  became  a  real  estate 
owner  of  Parrant's  claim,  by  no  expensive  process  of  foreclosure.  He 
did  not  keep  it  long,  but  transferred  it  to  one  Vetal  Guerin,  a  young 
voyageur  of  Mendota,  in  the  settlement  of  a  debt  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  due  the  said  Guerin.  The  latter  never  got  possession  of  it.  for 
some  imscrupulous  sinner,  whose  name  history  has  not  recorded,  jumped 
the  claim,   and   despoiled   Guerin    of   his   property.     Retributive   justice 


36  ST.  PAUL  AND  MCINITY 

overtook  the  graceless  jumper  soon  after,  as  the  United  States  marshal 
tore  down  his  house  and  drove  him  oft'  the  reserve. 

But  Parrant  was  not  easily  discouraged.  After  losing  his  mercantile 
outfit  near  the  cave  he  promptly  liled  on  another  claim.  He  selected  a 
tract  just  east  of  Sergeant  Hays'  claim,  fronting  on  the  river,  extending 
from  Minnesota  street  to  Jackson  street,  approximately,  and  hence  back 
to  the  bluft".  About  where  the  foot  of  Robert  street  now  is,  he  erected  on 
the  bank — afterwards  known  as  Bench  street,  and  since  cut  down — a 
hovel,  in  which  to  reside  and  carry  on  his  liquor  trade.  He  occupied  this 
claim  about  a  year. 

Parrant  had  only  one  serviceable  eye.  His  other  eye  so  nearly  re- 
sembled that  of  the  harmless,  necessary  swine,  that  he  was  nicknamed 
"Pig's  Eye."  One  day,  in  1839,  Edmund  Brisette,  a  young  Canadian, 
w^as  at  Parrant's  whiskey  shop,  and  wanted  to  send  a  letter  to  Joseph 
R.  Brown,  who  had  a  trading  post  on  Grey  Cloud  island,  twelve  miles 
below.  But  where  he  should  date  the  letter,  was  the  problem.  "1  looked 
up  inquiringly  at  Parrant,"  says  Brisette,  in  relating  the  circumstance, 
"and,  seeing  his  old  crooked  eye  scowling  at  me,  it  suddenly  popped 
into  my  head  to  date  it  at  Pig's  Eye,  feeling  sure  that  the  place  would  be 
recognized,  as  Parrant  was  well  known  along  the  river.  In  a  little  while 
an  answer  was  safely  received,  directed  to  me  at  Pig's  Eye.  I  told  the 
joke  to  some  of  the  boys,  and  they  made  lots  of  fun  of  Parrant.  He 
was  very  mad,  and  threatened  to  lick  me,  but  never  tried  to  execute  it." 
Thus  the  name  was  bestowed  on  the  place  in  a  joke,  which  stuck  to  it 
for  years. 

During  the  summer  of  1839,  a  number  of  Canadians  settled  at  the 
locality  now  known  as  Pig's  Eye,  then  called  the  Grand  Alarais.  which  is 
on  the  river  bank  half  a  mile  below  Carver's  cave.  Among  them  were 
Amablc  Turpin,   Michel   LeClaire,  Antoine  LeClaire,  Francis  Gammell, 

Lasart,  Joseph  Labisincr,  Henry  Belland,  Chevalier,  .■\mable 

Morin  and  Charles  Mousscau.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  some  of  these 
located  there  in  the  fall  of  183S,  after  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  was 
known  Ijut  the  aliove  were  living  at  Pig's  Eye  in  the  year  mentioned. 
They  were  all  in  the  employ  of  the  Fur  Company  as  voyageurs  a  portion 
of  the  year,  and  when  not  needed  by  the  company  cultivated  their  little 
farms  in  quiet.  .Amable  Turpin  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Louis  Robert. 
He  was  born  at  Montreal.  Canada,  about  the  year  1766,  as.  when  he  died, 
in  1866,  he  was  in  his  one  hundredth  year — a  span  of  life  that  falls  to  the 
lot  of  but  a  small  percentage  of  mortals. 

A  Mysterious  De.\th 

Phelan  and  Hays,  who  were  partners  in  the  claim  business,  had  been 
residing  in  the  cabin  on  Phelan's  claim  since  April,  1839.  It  was  a  lonely 
spot,  a  mile  or  more  from  any  other  habitation,  and  seldom  did  any  one 
visit  the  cabin  of  the  two  settlers.  Phelan,  as  remarked  before,  was 
regarded  by  the  other  settler.^  as  an  unscrupulous,  wicked  man.  Hays 
was  supposed  to  have  considerable  money,  received  on  his  discharge 
from  the  army,  and  the  two  held  in  common  several  cattle  and  some 
other  personal  property.  The  two  men  were  unlike  in  their  disposition 
and  character,  and  it  was  known  that  they  did  not  agree  very  well.  Such 
was  the  situation  in  September.   1S39. 

About  the  middle  of  that  month,  Ilays  mysteriously  disappeared.  He 
was  missed  for  several  days,  and  to  inquiries  as  to  his  whereabouts,  Phe- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  37 

Ian  gave  evasive  and  unsatisfactory  answers.  The  rumor  of  his  disap- 
pearance reached  Fort  Snelling,  where  Hays  was  well  known  and  liked. 
Taliaferro  makes  this  record  in  his  journal;  "Sunday,  15th  of  September, 
1839,  a  man,  by  name  Hays,  an  Irishman,  lost.  Suppose  killed — even  re- 
ported to  have  been  murdered  by  the  chief  VVa-kin-yan-ton-ka  ( Big  Thun- 
der, Little  Crow's  father).  No  such  belief  rests  with  me.  1  incline  to 
the  opinion  that  his  neighbor,  Phelan,  knows  something.  Hays  lived 
with  him  and  had  money." 

On  September  27th  Taliaferro  made  the  following  entry :  "Wab- 
sheedah,  or  the  Dancer,  called  at  the  office  to  say  that  his  sons  had  found 
the  body  of  j\Ir.  Hays,  lost  some  time  ago,  in  the  river  near  Carver's 
Cave." 

The  body  of  Hays  was  at  once  secured.  On  examination,  his  head, 
jaws  and  nose  were  found  badly  mashed  by  violent  blows,  unmistakably 
indicating  a  desperate  murder.  Phelan  was  at  once  arrested,  by  warrant 
issued  by  Henry  H.  Sibley,  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and,  on  the  28th 
he  was  examined  before  that  officer  as  to  his  knowledge  of  Hays'  death. 
The  evidence  adduced,  and  the  other  circumstances  known,  were  suffi- 
cient to  justify  his  commitment  to  answer  the  charge  of  murder  in  the 
first  degree,  and  he  was  consequently  confined  in  the  guard-house  at  the 
fort,  until  the  next  steamboat  arrived,  when  he  was  sent  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  county  seat  of  Crawford  county,  Wisconsin  territory,  in  which 
the  crime  had  been  committed. 

Phelan  was  finally  acquitted,  the  evidence  being  held  insufficient  to 
convict  him.  The  practically  unanimous  opinion  of  the  community  here 
was  that  he  murdered  Hays.  General  Sibley,  an  eminently  just  man, 
advised  of  all  the  facts,  always  believed  in  his  guilt.  On  his  return  after 
the  trial,  Phelan  made  a  new  claim  on  the  creek  still  bearing  his  name, 
slightly  transformed  into  "Phalen,"  and  built  a  cabin  where  Hanim's 
brewery  now  stands. 

At  last,  on  October  21,  1839,  the  secretary  of  war  issued  an  order 
to  the  United  States  marshal  of  Wisconsin  territory  that  the  "intruders 
on  the  land  east  of  the  river,  belonging  to  the  Fort  Snelling  reservation," 
be  removed  therefrom.  This  order  did  not  reach  the  marshal  until 
February  18,  1840,  and  was  not  executed  until  May  6th  of  that  year, 
when,  with  the  aid  of  the  soldiers  under  the  deputy  marshal,  the  set- 
tlers were  driven  off  and  their  cabins  were  destroyed. 

Abraham  Perry,  the  Gervais  brothers.  Rondo,  and  other  of  the  early 
settlers  of  St.  Paul,  were  among  those  whose  houses  were  destroyed. 
To  these  poor  refugees  it  was  a  cruel  blow.  The  victims  of  floods,  and 
frosts  and  grasshoppers  in  the  Red  River  valley,  and  once  before  ex- 
pelled from  the  reserve  (west  side)  it  seemed  that  the  cup  of  disaster 
was  charged  to  the  brim  for  them.  Mournfully  gathering  up  their 
effects,  they  retreated  beyond  the  line  of  the  reservation  and  there  began 
life  anew. 

Thus  the  expulsion  of  temporary  settlers  from  the  Fort  Snelling 
reservation,  by  military  authority,  led  to  the  permanent  settlement  at 
the  point  which  later  became  the  center  of  population  and  business  of  a 
great  city. 

Perm.anent  Settlers 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  earliest  actual  settlers  were  largelv  of  French 
Canadian  origin,  with  some  Swiss  and  Scotch  elements  intermingled, 
and  a  sprinkling  of  nondescript  waifs  and  floaters  on  the  outskirts  of 


38  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

civilization.  They  were  not  only  the  original  white  inhabitants  of  St. 
Paul,  but  they  were  the  primeval  white  Minnesotans,  since,  for  all  jirac- 
tical  purposes,  the  settlement  here  was  Minnesota,  at  this  time  now 
spoken  of  and  for  years  thereafter. 

Much  of  the  future  history  of  a  new  conimonwealth,  and  of  the  tend- 
encies and  traits  of  her  people  for  several  generations  after,  depends 
on  the  impress  given  by  a  few  of  its  first  comers.  The  state  of  Kansas 
is  a  case  directly  in  point.  Kansas  came  legitimately  by  the  fads  and 
crazes  which  have  made  her  political  life  such  a  troubled  sea.  Hostility 
to  slavery  was  only  one  of  the  many  mutinies  against  the  old  order  of 
things  which  stirred  the  first  settlers  to  seek  new  lands  where  they  could 
build  up  a  community  of  their  own  liking. 

While  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  immigrants — the  men  who  were 
the  actual  builders  of  the  state — only  sought  possession  of  what  to  their 
eyes  was  a  goodly  land  for  their  homes,  and  were  invincibly  determined 
to  save  it  from  the  noisome  trail  of  slavery,  yet  there  swarmed  in  with 


FIRST  CHAPEL  OF  .ST.  P.\UL 
Ercclod  In    1841 

them  a  horde  of  men  with  more  fantastic  minds — men  who  were  obsessed 
with  the  idea  tliat  everything  that  was  old  was  wrong.  Its  being  old  was 
sufficient  reason  for  changing  it  to  something  as  different  as  possible, 
so  they  became  willing  victims  to  and  proijagandists  of  every  new  "ism." 
The  more  this  differed  from  what  those  around  them  believed,  the  more 
attractive  it  was  to  them. 

The  subservience  of  women  to  men  was  as  repugnant  as  tlie  slavery 
of  one  man  to  another.  I'ouricrism,  comnumism,  phrenology,  vege- 
tarianism, spelling  reform,  cold-water  cure,  found  in  them  as  ardent 
supporters  as  did  later  ("ireenbackism,  Populism.  Free  Silver  and  nar- 
row gauge  railroads.  There  was  just  enough  leaven  of  truth  in  all 
these  to  make  them  specious,  but  in  the  rough-and-tumble  of  new 
life,  under  new  skies,  the  solid  facts  of  existence  ]>rove(l  too  much 
for  the  reformers.  Fads  are  a  good  thing  in  a  way.  Faddists  have 
their  uses.  They  break  ^u|)  the  crust,  like  i)lowing  in  dry  weather, 
which  gives  a  dust  nuikh  to  a)nscrve  the  moisture  below.  Kansas  now 
feels  that  she  has  iiad  rather  more  than  her  share  of  the  cranks.    How 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  39 

much  of  her  wonderful  progress  is  really  due  to  them,  and  whether  they 
have  helped  the  state  more  than  they  have  injured  it,  is  still  a  subject 
of   discussion  in  the  prosperous  Sunflower  state. 

Minnesota  was  outside  the  zone  of  border  ruffian  outrages  in  the 
interest  of  African  slavery,  and  the  people  who  first  came  here  shared 
none  of  the  etfervescent  enthusiasms  pertaining  to  such  experiences. 
It  must  be  confessed  that  they  were  of  a  grade  of  social  and  intellectual 
acquirement,  promising  little  of  the  progress  and  prosperity  and  real 
distinction  which  was  speedily  built  up  on  this  discouraging  foundation. 

The  rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  were  taken  in  hand  by  men  of 
high  ideals  and  masterly  aims.  They  were  guided  and  moulded  by 
Sibley  and  Rice  and  Kittson  and  Oakes  and  Borup  and  Steele  and 
Forbes,  who  assumed  the  leadership.  Their  uncouth  manners  were 
smoothed  out ;  their  repellant  proclivities  were  suppressed ;  their  latent 
energies  were  directed  into  productive  channels.  The  voyageurs  and 
trappers  and  discharged  soldiers  were  Americanized,  and  their  descend- 
ants, including  many  with  visible  traces  of  a  part  Indian  ancestry,  are 
now  among  St.  Paul's  worthiest  and  most  respected  citizens. 

The  first  white  child  was  born  at  St.  Paul  on  September  4,  1839,  and 
was  afterward  christened  at  Prairie  du  Chien  as  Basil  Gervais. 

Perhaps  the  first  distinctively  American  family  which  settled  in  St. 
Paul  was  that  of  Henry  Jackson,  who  arrived  in  1842.  He  was  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  having  "failed  in  business  at  Galena,  Illinois,  came  with 
his  wife  to  St.  Paul  and  erected  a  small  log  store  on  high  ground  at  the 
foot  of  Jackson  street.  His  store  became  a  favorite  stopping  place  for 
Canadian  voyageurs  and  Kaposia  Sioux.  His  knowledge  of  the  English 
language  and  acquaintance  with  business  made  him  the  leading  man  in 
the  settlement  for  several  years,  and  in  1843  he  was  appointed  the  first 
justice  of  the  peace  in  the  hamlet  by  Governor  Dodge,  of  Wisconsin. 
The  same  year  Richard  W.  ]\Iortimer,  an  Englishman  of  some  education, 
who  had  been  a  soldier  at  Fort  Snelling,  came  to  the  settlement  with 
his  wife  and  children,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  between  St.  Peter  and 
Washington  streets,  but  the  next  year  died.  A  native  of  Poland,  Stan- 
islaus Bilanski,  came  this  year  and  lived  between  Phelan  and  Trout 
creek.  He  is  worthy  of  note,  only  because  in  later  years  he  was  poisoned 
by  his  wife,  who  was  the  first  white  person  hung  by  officers  of  the  law 
in  the  state  of  Minnesota. 

In  1843  several  persons  of  industry  and  good  judgment  came  to  the 
hamlet.  Among  the  most  prominent  was  John  R.  Irvine,  who  came  from 
Prairie  du  Chien.  Upon  the  advice  of  his  friend,  Henry  Jackson,  he 
purchased  of  Joseph  Rondo  a  tract  of  land,  which  in  time  was  known 
as  Rice  and  Irvine's  addition  to  St.  Paul.  On  it  was  a  log  house  which 
stood  on  Third  street,  a  few  feet  west  of  Franklin.  In  June  his  family 
came  and  occupied  this.  It  was  subsequently  lathed  on  the  outside  and 
plastered,  which  gave  it  a  neat  appearance,  and  here  he  lived  when  the 
territory  of  Minnesota  was  organized. 

William  E.  Hartshorn  in  September,  1843,  came  with  a  stock  of  mer- 
chandise from  St.  Louis,  and  brought  Augustus  L.  Larpenteur  as  his 
clerk.  Mr.  Larpenteur  still  survives  and  has  for  .some  years  enjoyed  the 
distinction  of  being  the  "oldest  inhabitant"  of  St.  Paul.  At  a  later  period 
Larpenteur  and  David  B.  Freeman  were  associated  with  Hartshorn, 
who  established  trading  posts  at  several  points :  for  a  time  he  was  part- 
ner of  Henry  Jackson.  This  year  Norman  W.  Kittson  purchased  the 
claim  of  Joseph  R.  Clewett.    J.  W.  Simpson  came  in  Octoljer,  1843,  and 


40  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

bought  an  acre  of  B.  Gervais.  He  was  a  quiet  man,  and  erected  the  second 
store  in  the  settlement.  In  1844  an  energetic  man  of  Canadian  parentage, 
but  born  in  Missouri,  arrived  in  St.  Paul,  named  Louis  Robert  (pro- 
nounced Robair),  and  became  a  prominent  settler.  He  had  married  in 
1839,  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  Mary  Turpin,  a  pretty  young  woman.  A 
carpenter  named  Charles  Bazille,  a  Canadian,  accompanied  him  and  built 
for  his  use  a  small  warehouse  on  the  river  bank  at  the  foot  of  Jackson 
street.  Bazille  the  next  year  married  the  youngest  daughter  of  Abraham 
Perry,  The  square  occupied  by  the  Minnesota  capitol  was  a  gift  from 
him.  This  year  he  also  built  the  first  grist  and  saw  mill  at  Phelan's 
Creek. 

Mr.  L.vrpenteuk's  Biuthd.w  Invit.vtion 

Just  before  May  16,  1911,  Mr.  Augustus  L.  Larpenteur  issued, 
through  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press,  his  annual  invitation  to  the  people 
of  the  city  to  call  on  him,  on  that  day,  it  being  the  eighty-eighth  anni- 
versary of  his  birth,  1823.  His  characteristic  and  somewhat  pathetic 
letter  follows: 

"St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press:  Next  Tuesday,  God  willing,  I  will  have  reached  the 
eighty-eighth  anniversary  of  my  birth,  and  for  sixty-two  years  of  that  time  you 
have  been  my  constant  companion.  I  was  present  at  the  birth  April  28,  1849.  We 
have  crossed  swords  at  times,  but  always  have  been  friends.  I  shall  be  pleased  to  ' 
see  you,  as  well  as  any  and  all  of  my  friends  on  that  occasion,  to  shake  them  by 
the  hand  and  exchange  a  few  thoughts  upon  the  topics  of  the  day — and  the  changes 
that  have  taken  place  here  since  we  have  known  each  other. 

"Minnesota,  I  have  known  you  before  you  had  a  name.  I  have  known  you 
when  in  your  swaddling  clothes.  I  have  helped  you  into  manhood.  I  have  known 
you  when  you  did  not  possess  one  dollar's  worth  of  taxable  property,  and  have  lived 
to  see  you  have  more  money  in  your  school  fund  than  Thomas  Jefferson,  the  Presi- 
dent of  these  United  States,  paid  Napol.con  Bonaparte  for  the  Louisiana  Purchase. 

"Coming  here  in  1843,  a  poor  boy,  my  capital  was  these  two  hands  and  a  first 
class  fever  and  ague.  Ignorant  of  the  language  of  the  natives,  I  have  seen  these 
plains,  which  were  reported  as  only  fit  for  the  habitation  of  the  Indian  and  buffalo, 
blossom  like  the  rose,  mingling  with  its  perfume  that  of  the  wheat  and  the  rye.  I 
have  seen  built  the  happy  homes  of  more  than  five  millions  of  happy  people,  and 
have  been  able  to  drop  into  the  ears  of  the  receding  natives  the  sentiment  of  my 
profound  gratitude  in  their  own  dialect. 

"My  contemporaries  all  have  gone  to  sleep.  I  know  of  no  one  alive  here  today 
except  the  wi<low  Guerin.  On  August  26,  1848.  General  H.  H.  Sibley  and  I.  return- 
ing from  the  land-sale  at  the  Falls  of  Saint  Croix.  Wisconsin,  where  we  had  been 
entering  our  lands,  with  sixty-one  delegates,  met  in  convention  at  Stillwater  and 
got  up  a  petition  to  the  governor  of  Wisconsin,  asking  the  privilege  of  having  an 
election  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  delegate  to  Congress  to  take  steps  for  the 
organization  of  our  new  Territory.  It  was  granted.  Sibley  was  elected  and  it  was 
a  long  time  before  he  was  allowed  to  take  a  seat.  No  one  wanted  more  territory, 
particularly  in  a  section  that  was  only  'fit  for  the  buffalo.'  I  am  the  only  one  left. 
Au  revoir.  "A.  L.  Larpenteur." 


CHAPTER  V 

SOCIAL  AND  POLITICAL  BEGINNINGS 

A  PosTOFFiCE  Town — School  for  Indians — First  Real  Hotel 
Opened — Cart  Brigade  and  Steamship  Company — A  Pivotal 
Year  (1848) — Minnesota  Territory — St.  Paul  Declared  the 
Capital — "St.  Paul  Pioneer"  Founded — Indians  Investigate 
Civilization — Settlers  of  1838-48. 

In  Alay,  1844,  Rev.  Augustin  Ravoux  succeeded  Father  Galtier  as 
priest  at  the  chapels  of  Mendota  and  St.  Paul.  As  Monsigneur  Ravoux, 
this  devoted  ecclesiastic  survived  in  this  city  until  well  into  the  twentieth 
century,  esteemed  by  Christians  of  every  denomination  and  by  all  classes 
of  citizens. 

For  several  years  after  the  missionary  Pope  left  the  country  the 
Methodists  endeavored  to  teach  the  Sioux,  at  Red  Rock,  farming  and 
the  useful  arts.  In  1841  Rev.  B.  F.  Kavanagh,  afterwards  a  bishop  in 
the  south,  was  in  charge.  Among  his  assistants  was  a  young  farmer, 
William  R.  Brown,  and  Charles  Cavileer,  a  saddler  by  trade.  The  mis- 
sion was  at  length  given  up.  In  1845  Cavileer  came  to  St.  Paul  and  en- 
gaged in  business. 

A  PosTOFFicE  Town 

During  the  spring  of  1846  St.  Paul  emerged  from  a  hamlet  to  the  dig- 
nity of  a  postoffice  town,  and  on  the  7th  of  April  Henry  Jackson  was 
commissioned  postmaster.  A  rude  box,  with  sixteen  pigeon  holes,  was 
placed  in  his  store  as  a  receptacle  for  letters;  this  box  is  preserved  in 
the  rooms  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society  as  an  interesting  relic 
of  the  day  of  small  things. 

From  this  period  "coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before."  In 
January,  1840,  the  legislature  of  Wisconsin  had  created  St.  Croix  county, 
comprising  all  the  region  beyond  a  line  from  a  point  on  Lake  Pepin  to 
Lake  Superior.  In  1840-2  this  county  was  represented  in  the  lower 
house  of  the  Wisconsin  legislature  by  Joseph  R.  Brown,  who,  in  1839, 
was  a  terror  to  the  officers  at  Fort  Snelling  because  of  the  demoralizing 
influence  of  his  liquor  selling.  While  at  Madison  he  met  those  who 
thought  that  in  time  another  territory  would  be  organized  beyond  Wis- 
consin, so  as  to  include  the  portion  of  the  old  Northwest  territory  west 
of  the  St.  Croix  river. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1846,  a  convention  assembled  at  Madison 
to  form  a  state  constitution  for  Wisconsin,  and  William  Holcomb  of 
Stillwater,  a  representative  of  St.  Croix  county,  earnestly  contended  for 
separation  from  Wisconsin.  Soon  after  the  convention  adjourned,  Hon. 
Morgan  L.  Martin,  delegate   from  Wisconsin,   introduced  a  bill   in  the 

41 


42  ST.  PAUL  AND  N'ICTXITY 

United  States  house  of  representatives  for  organizing  the  territory  of 
Minnesota.  The  bill  then  failed  to  pass,  but  it  showed  that  men  in  St. 
Paul  and  Stillwater  were  thinking  of  the  foundations  of  a  new  common- 
wealth. Mr.  Martin,  before  his  death  in  October,  1887,  mentioned  that 
he  had  served  with  Joseph  R.  lirown  in  the  legislature  and  that  from 
him  he  received  the  name  Minnesota. 

During  the  year  1846,  William  H.  Ivandall  and  his  young  son,  Wil- 
liam, were  valuable  acquisitions  to  the  town,  always  zealous  for  law  and 
order  and  the  better  things  of  life. 

School  for  Indi.vns 

Big  Thunder,  who  became  chief  of  the  Kaposia  band  about  1830,  died 
from  wounds  caused  by  the  careless  handling  of  his  gun.  Before  he  ex- 
pired he  sent  for  his  son  Tah-o-yah-tay-doo-tah  (his  Scarlet  People), 
the  so-called  Little  Crow,  who,  in  1862,  led  the  Sioux  in  their  uprising 
against  the  white  settlers  in  the  valley  of  the  Minnesota  river.  The 
dying  chief  told  his  son  that  although  he  was  his  first  born,  it  had  not 
been  his  design  to  make  him  his  successor,  because  he  was  vicious  and 
fond  of  whiskey,  but,  as  his  second  son  had  been  killed  by  the  Ojibways, 
he   was   forced   to   the   stej). 

Tah-o-yah-tay-doo-tah,  in  1846,  was  shot  in  a  drunken  revel,  but 
survived  his  wound,  and,  realizing  the  influence  of  St.  Paul  whiskey 
upon  him  and  his  people,  went  to  Mr.  Bruce,  the  Indian  agent  at  Fort 
Snelling,  and  requested  a  missionary.  Bruce  in  his  report  to  the  Indian 
Bureau  at  Washington  wrote :  "The  chief  of  the  Little  Crow's  band  who 
resides  below,  in  the  immediate  nci;;hborhood  of  the  whiskey  dealers, 
has  requested  to  have  a  school  established  at  his  village.  He  says  they 
are  determined  to  reform  and  for  the  future  will  try  to  do  better.  I 
wrote  to  I^r.  Williamson  soon  after  the  recjuest  was  made,  desiring  him 
to  take  charge  of  the  school.  I  le  has  conducted  the  mission  school  at  Lac 
qui  Parle  for  some  years,  is  well  qualified  and  is  an  excellent  physician." 

Rev.  T.  S.  Williamson,  M.  D.,  came  down  in  November.  1846,  and  his 
sister,  assisted  by  Margaret  Renville  (partly  Indian)  who  had  been 
educated  at  Lac  qui  Parle,  opened  a  school  for  Indian  children.  Im- 
pressed with  the  need  of  a  school  for  the  children  in  St.  Paul,  he  soon 
visited  the  hamlet,  finding  in  the  vicinity  from  twelve  to  fifteen  families, 
and  one-half  of  the  ])arents  could  not  read.  Although  the  settlement 
was  .so  small,  there  were  five  places  where  whiskey  was  sold. 

The  wife  of  John  R.  Irvine  was  a  kind  and  comely  woman,  who 
had  lived  in  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  and  felt  the  importance  of  education 
for  her  children.  She  told  Dr.  Williamson  that  if  he  would  procure  a 
young  lady  teacher  she  would  give  her  board  and  a  room  in  her  house. 
By  his  exertion  the  services  of  liarriet  E.  P>ishop  were  secured.  On 
the  morning  of  July  16.  1847,  the  steamboat  "Lynx"  stopped  at  Kaposia, 
or  Little  Crow's  village,  the  teacher  landed,  was  welcomed  by  Dr.  Wil- 
liamson and  sister,  and,  amid  wondering  savages,  was  conducted  to 
the  mission  house.  The  next  day  was  Sunday  and  the  teacher  in  her 
work  called  "Floral  Homes,"  describes  the  services  for  the  Indians: 
"Some  listened  with  profound  attention ;  others  remained  in  listless  in- 
difTercnce;  others  quietly  dozed  in  their  seats;  a  few  were  inclined  to 
laugh;  some  left;  but  most  remained  until  the  services  were  closed." 
The  same  week  Miss  Bishop  was  brought  u]i  to  St.  Paul  in  a  canoe  and 
intrfxluced  to  Mrs.  Irvine.  .\  school  was  opened  in  an  old  log  cabin  with 
a  bark  rnof,  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  St.   Peter  streets 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  43 

and  had  been  used  as  a  blacksmith  shop.  Pegs  were  driven  into  the  logs 
upon  which  boards  were  placed,  which  served  as  seats  for  the  children. 

During  the  year  1847  there  arrived  some  who  became  active  citizens. 
Among  others  were  Simeon  P.  Folsom,  Dr.  John  J.  Dewey,  Benjamin 
W.  Brunson,  Jacob  W.  Bass,  Daniel  Hopkins,  C.  V.  P.  Lull,  William  H. 
Forbes  and  Parsons  K.  Johnson.  In  August  the  townsite,  since  known 
as  St.  Paul  Proper  and  containing  about  ninety  acres,  was  platted 
by  B.  W.  Brunson  and  his  brother.  The  narrowness  of  streets  and 
absence  of  alleys  have  been  subjects  of  later  criticisms,  but  these  defects 
did  not  occur  to  the  original  proprietors.  Among  the  signers  of  the 
recorded  plat  were  Louis  Robert,  David  Lambert,  H.  Jackson.  H.  H. 
Sibley,  J.  W.  Bass  and  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  who,  with  others,  owned  the 
tracts  embraced  in  the  survey. 

Henry  Jackson,  postmaster,  and  the  first  settler  of  American  par- 
entage, was  during  that  year  ( 1847 )  elected  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin 
legislature.  His  district  embraced  besides  his  own  county  (Crawford) 
the  counties  of  St.  Croix,  Chippewa  and  La  Pointe,  a  vast  but  mostly  un- 
inhabited region.  A  special  session  of  this  (the  Fifth)  legislative  as- 
sembly of  Wisconsin  was  held  October  17-27,  1847,  and  the  regular  ses- 
sion in  February  and  March,  1848,  both  at  Madison,  the  capital.  Mr. 
Jackson  attended  both  sessions. 

First  Re.\l  Hotfx  Opened 

The  year  1847  witnessed  the  opening  of  the  first  real  hotel  in  the  town, 
the  St.  Paul  House,  shortly  afterwards  rechristened  as  the  Merchants 
Hotel  and  maintaining  under  successive  proprietorships,  including  Messrs. 
Bass,  Belote,  Shaw,  Allen  and  Kibbe,  a  vigorous,  continuous  and  highly 
creditable  existence  down  to  the  present  writing,  a  period  of  sixty-four 
years.  The  building  was  commenced  in  1846,  by  Leonard  H.  LaRoche, 
and  subsequently  completed  and  enlarged  by  S.  P.  Folsom,  in  the  summer 
of  1847,  and  finally  extended  and  improved  by  J.  W.  Bass.  The  first  part 
built  was  twenty  by  twenty-eight  feet,  a  story  and  a  half  high,  and  was 
constructed  of  tamarack  logs,  hewed  square  and  laid  on  a  stone  founda- 
tion. When  this  building  was  taken  down  in  1870,  to  give  way  to  the 
"Merchants"  of  today,  the  logs  were  found  as  sound  as  when  put  up, 
twenty-three  years  before. 

At  that  time  the  building  was  situated  on  a  bank,  and  when  this  was 
dug  down,  in  1853,  to  grade  Jackson  and  Third  streets,  the  log  structure 
was  left  almost  one  story  above  ground.  Then  a  stone  basement  was 
built  up  under  the  log  structure.  Mr.  Bass  leased  the  building  in  August, 
1847,  at  ten  dollars  per  month.  He  gave  it  the  name  St.  Paul  House, 
and  made  considerable  additions  to  its  size,  and  improvements  in  its  in- 
terior and  exterior,  raising  it  to  two  full  stories.  It  was  a  good-sized 
building,  for  those  days,  and  was  kept  in  a  style  to  lend  prestige  to  the 
town,  by  making  travelers  speak  well  of  it.  It  was  in  this  hotel  that  on 
June  I,  1849,  the  territory  was  organized,  an  event  that  has  been  celebrated 
on  June  ist  every  year  from  that  day  to  the  present  with  a  banquet  at 
the  Merchants  Hotel  by  the  Old  Settlers  Association. 

C.\RT  Brigade  .\nd   Ste.xmboat   Company 

There  had  grown  up  during  the  iircceding  two  or  three  years,  a 
large  and  profitable  trade  with  the  Red  River  Settlement.    When  the  ad- 


44  ST.  PAUL  AND  \IC1X1TY 

vantages  and  profits  of  this  trade  were  demonstrated  by  X.  W.  Kittson, 
Jo  Rolette  of  Pembina,  and  his  uncle,  Alex  Fisher,  organized  a  cart  bri- 
gade and  made  trading  trijis  to  St.  Paul.  It  succeeded  very  well,  and  in 
1847  ''s  many  as  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  carts  came  to  that  town, 
selling  furs  and  bringing  goods  thither.  Rolette  &  Fisher  came  by  the 
Sauk  River  route ;  Mr.  Kittson's  carts  came  via  Traverse  de  Sioux.  He 
ultimately  adojied  the  other  route,  and  it  then  became  the  main  road  to 
Pembina,  and  in  1859  was  im])roved  for  a  post  route  by  the  Minnesota 
Stage  Company— ultimately  giving  way  to  the  railroad. 

Another  important  event  of  the  year  1847,  one  which  greatly  aided 
the  settlement  of  this  region,  was  the  organization  of  a  steamboat  com- 
pany to  run  regular  packets  from  Galena  to  Mendota  and  Fort  Snelling. 
Hitherto,  only  stray  boats  would  make  trips  to  these  points,  whenever 
they  could  get  loads  that  would  pay.  During  this  season  Messrs.  Camp- 
bell &  Smith,  of  Galena,  Prisbois  &  Rice  and  H.  L.  Dousman  of  Prairie 
du  Chien,  H.  H.  Sibley  of  Mendota,  and  M.  W.  Lodwick  of  Galena  pur- 
chased the  steamer  "Argo"  with  the  intention  of  organizing,  the  next 
spring,  the  Galena  Packet  Company.  The  "Argo"  was  destined  to  be 
the  pioneer  of  an  important  trade.  M.  W.  Lodwick  was  commander 
and  Russell  Blakeley  of  Galena,  clerk.  The  "Argo"  was  designed  to 
make  trips  once  a  week,  and  did  a  pretty  fair  business  that  season.  Un- 
fortunately, she  struck  a  snag  near  Wabasha  in  October  and  sank.  Cap- 
tains Lodwick  and  Blakeley  then  went  to  Cincinnati  and  purchased  the 
"Dr.  Franklin"  which  came  out  the  next  year  and  was  a  popular  packet ; 
she  ran  for  several  seasons. 

From  a  record  kept  at  Fort  Snelling  for  some  years,  we  find  the  num- 
ber of  steamboats  arriving  there  stated  as  follows:  1844,  41  boats;  1845, 
48;  1846,  24;  1847,  471  1848,  63;  1849  (Saint  Paul),  95. 

A  P:voT.\L  Ye.\r  (1848) 

The  year  184S  was  a  pivotal  period  in  local  history.  It  was  marked 
with  important  events : — The  adoption  of  a  state  government  by  Wiscon- 
sin, leaving  Minnesota  without  a  government:  the  efforts  of  Minnesota 
citizens  to  secure  a  territorial  organization  which  were,  later,  successful ; 
the  purchase  from  the  United  States  of  the  site  of  St.  Paul  and  the  lands 
surrounding  it ;  the  influx  of  new  settlers,  some  of  them  men  of  capital 
and  education  and  influence,  and  a  great  increase  in  the  importance  of 
the  place.  Thus,  the  year  1848  was  intermediate  between  the  era  of  the 
wilderness  and  unorganized  society,  and  that  of  a  government  of  law 
and  order,  emerging  from  chaos,  into  the  dignity  of  an  established  com- 
munity. 

That  the  religious  aspect  was  not  neglected  and  that  it  played  here, 
as  it  does  everywhere,  an  important  part  in  the  advancement  of  civiliza- 
tion and  material  progress,  may  be  assumed  and  is  amply  confirmed  by 
contemporary  records.  After  Miss  Bishop  the  first  teacher  arrived  she 
kept  a  diary  of  events,  whicli  gives  some  interesting  items  concerning 
the  i)rogress  of  religion  in  .'>t.  Paul  during  this  year.  We  condense  a 
few  notes,  as  follows: 

January  30.     Mr.  Gear  jireached   in  afternoon. 

I'ebruary  20.     Mr.  Greenlcaf  jireached. 

March  iq.  Visiting,  hunting,  wrestling,  drinking,  gambling,  etc.,  are 
the  pastimes  of  this  holy  day. 

.April  2.     Mr.  Putnam  preached. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  45 

April  23.  \'iola  Irvine  (^a  little  daughter  of  J.  R.  Irvine)  died  from 
a  severe  burn  by  accident. 

June  26.     ^ir.  Cavender  acts  as  superintendent  of  Sunday  school. 

July  10.     Preaching  by  Rev.  Lemuel  Nobles. 

July  17.  Professor  Bent  (a  professor  in  the  university  at  Middle- 
bury,  Vermont)  lectured. 

July  24.     B.   F.  Hoyt  preached. 

October  16.     Rev.  Mr.  Copeland,  of  Indiana,  preached. 

October  23.     Mr.  Hoyt  preached. 

November  6.     Mr.  Hoyt  preached. 

December  4.  Rev.  Benj.  Close,  the  Methodist  preacher  of  the  St. 
Paul  and  Stillwater  circuit,  preached. 

December  31.  Mr.  Close  preached  and  organized  a  class,  the  first 
move  towards  organizing  a  Protestant  church  in  the  city. 

During  the  year  1848  a  Ladies'  Sewing  Society  was  organized  to 
obtain  money  for  the  erection  of  a  small  frame  building  on  Third,  west 
of  St.  Peter  street,  on  a  lot  given  by  John  R.  Irvine.  When  completed, 
at  an  expense  of  about  three  hundred  dollars,  it  served  as  a  school, 
church  and  public  hall.  In  it  the  first  union  Sunday  school  was  held, 
in  which  the  principal  teachers  were  B.  F.  Hoyt,  a  local  Methodist 
preacher,  A.  H.  Cavender  (both  of  whom  arrived  in  1848)  and  Harriet 
E.  Bishop. 

The  town  this  year  obtained  its  first  commercial  importance  by  Henry 
M.  Rice,  the  agent  of  an  extensive  fur  company  of  St.  Louis,  erecting 
large  warehouses  on  the  upper  landing  at  the  foot  of  Eagle  street  for 
the  receipt  of  goods  intended  for  the  trade  among  the  Ojibways  of  the 
upper  Mississippi.  From  this  time  there  was  an  increase  of  steam- 
boat arrivals,  and  Nathan  Myrick,  W.  H.  Nobles,  David  Lambert,  W. 
C.  Morrison,  B.  W.  Lott,  David  Olmsted,  William  D.  Phillips,  E.  A. 
C.  Hatch,  William  R.  Brown  and  several  others  became  residents. 

Minnesota  Territory 

That  part  of  Wisconsin  territory  east  of  the  St.  Croix  river  having 
been  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  state,  the  citizens  west  of  the  St. 
Croix  on  the  26th  of  August,  1848,  met  at  Stillwater  to  memorialize 
congress  to  pass  an  act  by  which  the  territory  of  Minnesota  could  be 
organized.  David  Lambert,  a  lawyer,  formerly  of  ^Madison,  Wisconsin, 
who  had  moved  to  St.  Paul,  was  the  secretary  of  the  convention,  and 
prepared  the  memorial  which  was  signed  by  the  following  residents  of 
St.  Paul :  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  J.  W.  Simpson,  Louis  Robert,  \'etal  Guerin, 
David  Hebert,  Oliver  Roseau,  Andre  Godfrey,  James  R.  Clewett  and 
Henry  Jackson.  The  only  persons  present  in  the  convention  from  the 
country  west  of  the  Mississippi  were  Henry  H.  Sibley  and  Franklin 
-Steele.  Other  delegates  in  attendance  and -actively  participating  were 
Joseph  R.  Brown,  Morton  S.  Wilkison,  and  Henry  L.  Moss.  At  a 
special  election  at  Stillwater,  in  October,  Henry  H.  Sibley  was  chosen 
delegate  to  Washington.  It  had  been  arranged  that  Mr.  Sibley  should 
urge  that  St.  Paul  be  designated  as  the  capital  of  the  projected  territory 
and,  although  the  citizens  received  only  an  occasional  mail  drawn  up 
from  Prairie  du  Chien  on  a  sled  on  the  frozen  river  by  dogs,  or  Cana- 
dian ponies,  they  were  full  of  expectation. 

A    winter   of   discontent    was   that   of    1848-9.     It   commenced    early 


46  ST.   PAL'L  AND  \TCIXITY 

and  with  unusual  severity.  Snow  fell  on  November  1st.  The  mails 
were  few,  far  between  and  long  delayed.  Jt  was  not  until  January  that 
news  of  General  Taylor's  election  as  president  was  received ;  also  ad- 
vices from  delegate  Sibley,  at  Washington,  that  did  not  give  much  en- 
couragement of  success  in  organizing  the  territory.  \\'hen  General  Sib- 
ley arrived  in  Washington  his  credentials  were  jHesented  by  lion.  James 
Wilson,  of  New  Hampshire,  and  referred  to  the  committee  on  elections^ 
This  committee  held  several  meetings  and  was  addressed  by  Sibley  in 
favor  of  his  recognition,  and  by  Mr.  Boyden  of  North  Carolina,  and 
others,  adversely.  The  committee  did  not  report  finally,  until  January 
15,  1849,  when  a  majority  (5)  reported  in  favor  of  Sibley's  admission, 
and  a  minority  (4)  against  it.  The  majority  report  was  adopted,  how- 
ever, and  he  was  at  once  admitted. 


St.  P.\ui,  Declarf.d  the  C.\pit.\l 

first  work 
as  deter 


His  first  work  was  to  secure  the  organization  of  Minnesota  territory, 
determined  on  by  the  Stillwater  convention.     Upon  consultation,  it  was 


IIKST    COURT    HOUSE 

I'.uilt  in  1850-51. 
deemed  best  that  the  bill  sliould  be  introduced  from  the  committee  on 
territories  in  the  senate.  It  was  i)rei)ared  by  Hon.  Stephen  .\.  Douglas, 
chairman,  by  whom  the  <irafl  was  .sent  to  Sibley  for  his  persual.  He 
noticed  that  .Mcndota  had  been  designalcd  as  the  caitital,  whereas  it  had 
been  the  wish  of  those  participating  in  tlie  .'^tilhvatcr  convention,  that 
St.  Paul  be  fixed  as  the  seat  of  government. 

General  Sibley  urged  Senator  Douglas  to  make  that  change.  A 
meeting  of  the  committee  was  called,  and  the  matter  taken  up.  Sibley 
argued  that  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  inoposed  territory  resided 
east  of  the  Mississippi  and  there  was  an  unanimous  wish  to  have  the 
capital  on  that  side.  St.  Paul  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  places  in 
the  region,  well  located  for  the  seat  of  government,  was  a  regularly 
platted  town,  and  the  land  had  been  entered :  so  tliat  good  titles  to  prop- 
erty could  be  had.  Senator  Douglas  opposed  the  change.  He  said  lie  had 
visited  .^'J'rdota.  !iot  long  l)ef<ire.  and  was  so  much  pleased  with  the  geo- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  47 

graphical  position  of  that  place,  at  the  confluence  of  two  important  rivers, 
he  had  then  fixed  on  it  as  a  good  site  for  the  future  capital  of  this  re- 
gion, ^loreover.  the  bulk  of  area  and,  ere  long,  of  population,  would 
be  west  of  the  ^Mississippi. 

General  Sibley,  although  his  home  and  his  interests  were  in  Mendota, 
insisted  upon  his  view  of  the  matter  and  Senator  Douglas  finally  yielded. 
St.  Paul  was  inserted,  instead  of  Mendota,  as  the  territorial  capital. 
The  bill,  thus  amended,  was  reported  to  the  senate,  but  its  passage  met 
with  considerable  opposition,  as  it  did,  also,  in  the  house.  General 
Sibley  worked  night  and  day  for  it  and  made  personal  appeals  to  all  the 
members  he  could  influence.  Hon.  H.  M.  Rice  arrived  in  Washington 
about  this  time,  on  private  business,  and  threw  his  earnest  efi^orts  and 
personal  influence  in  the  scale  also,  being  personally  acquainted  with  a 
number  of  members,  and  the  bill  finally  passed,  being  approved  March 
3,  1849. 

The  an.xiously  awaited  news,  big  with  the  fate  of  the  town  and  its 
citizens,  traveled  very  slowly.  On  April  9,  1849,  the  ice  having  dis- 
appeared from  the  river,  the  steamboat  "Dr.  Franklin,  No.  2,"  was  seen 
coming  around  the  bend  at  Dayton's  bluft"  just  at  eve,  amid  a  heavy 
shower.  The  excited  villagers  hastened  to  the  landing  and  learned  that 
on  the  3d  of  March  the  president  had  signed  the  act  creating  Minne- 
sota territory. 

Other  steamboats  soon  followed  with  immigrants,  and,  as  the  St. 
Paul  House  could  not  accommodate  all  of  the  applicants,  some  dwelt  in 
tents  or  board  shanties. 

The  long  agony  was  over.  Minnesota  would  be  a  territory  as  soon 
as  the  officers  appointed  by  the  president  could  arrive  and  organize  it. 
St.  Paul  was  to  be  the  capital.  But  the  future  still  held  doubtful  prob- 
lems. The  new  territory  was  little  more  than  a  wilderness  with  a  white 
population  barely  exceeding  one  thousand  persons.  The  land  west  of 
the  ^lississippi  was  still  unceded  by  the  Indians.  From  the  southern 
line  of  the  state  to  St.  Paul,  there  were  not  more  than  two  or  three  white 
men's  haljitations  along  the  river,  now  gemmed  with  flourishing  and 
handsome  cities,  and  the  steamers  ascending  the  river  had  no  regular 
landing  places  except  at  wood  yards. 

But,  with  this  feeble  array  of  resources,  the  people  were  big  with 
expectation.  The  "elements  of  empire  here  were  plastic  yet  and  warm," 
and  needed  only  the  right  men  to  mould  them  into  a  prosperous  state. 
Fortunately  we  had  the  men.  California  was  just  then  ofifering  its 
stores  of  gold  to  any  one  lucky  enough  to  reach  there,  and  it  seemed  as 
if  all  the  country  was  on  the  move  to  the  El  Dorado.  Minnesota,  al- 
most known,  lying  in  a  latitude  deemed  to  be  semi-arctic  in  its  character, 
and  inhabited  by  savages,  could  scarcely  expect  to  draw  immigration. 

But  the  problem  was  soon  solved.  Immigrants  came  in  multitudes, 
not,  as  Whittier  wrote, 

"The  first  low  wash  of  waves,  where  soon 
Should   roll   a   human   sea." 

It  was  the  sea  itself.  Boat  after  boat  landed  at  the  levee,  bringing 
crowds  of  new  comers,  until  it  became  a  serious  question  where  they 
should  lodge,  and  on  what  they  should  subsist. 

A  stranger,  when  he  left  the  steamboat  at  the  foot  of  Jackson  street 
in  April,  1849,  found  there  the  stores  of  Freeman,  Larpenteur  &  Com- 
pany, and  Louis  Robert,  and,   climbing  the  hill  at   Third  and  Jackson 


48  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

streets,  saw,  on  the  northeast  corner,  the  St.  Paul  House,  on  the  north- 
west corner  the  home  of  A.  L.  Larpentcur,  and  on  the  southwest  corner 
the  store  of  David  Hopkins.  The  business  part  of  the  town  was  chiefly 
on  Third,  between  Robert  and  Jackson  streets;  and  near  the  junction  of 
Hill  and  ThLi-d  streets  were  two  old  log  houses,  in  one  of  which  Nathan 
Myrick  had  a  temporary  residence.  The  street  south  of  Third,  called 
Bench  street  east  of  Wabasha,  was  occupied  by  the  residence  of  Vetal 
Guerin ;  the  Roman  Catholic  log  chapel ;  a  building  afterwards  enlarged 
and  known  as  the  Central  House;  the  store  of  J.  W.  Simpson,  and,  at 
the  point  overlooking  Jackson  street,  was  the  residence  of  Henry  Jack- 
son. 

"St.  P.\ul  Pioneer"  Founded 

On  the  iStli  of  April,  James  M.  Goodhue,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire 
and  a  graduate  of  Amherst  College,  Massachusetts,  who  had  been  an 
editor  at  Lancaster,  Wisconsin,  brought  his  printing  press  and  issued  on 
the  28th  of  the  month,  the  first  number  of  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer.  The 
printing  ofifice  was  a  rude  wooden  building,  neither  lathed  nor  plastered, 
which  stood  on  Bench  street,  between  Wabasha  and  Cedar.  Mr.  Good- 
hue wrote  at  a  later  i)eriod:  "C.  \'.  P.  Lull  and  his  partner,  Gilbert, 
furnished  us,  gratuitously,  the  lower  story  of  their  building  for  an  office, 
the  only  vacant  room  in  town.  The  weather  was  cold  and  stormy,  and 
our  office  was  open  as  a  corn  rick.  However,  we  picked  our  types  up 
and  made  ready  for  the  issue  of  the  first  paper  ever  printed  in  Minne- 
sota, or  within  many  hundreds  of  miles  of  it,  but  upon  search  we  found 
our  news  'chase'  was  left  behind.  William  Nobles,  blacksmith,  made 
us  a  very  good  one,  after  a  delay  of  two  or  three  days.  One  hindrance 
after  another  delayed  our  first  issue  to  the  28th  of  April.  We  had  no 
subscribers,  for  there  was  but  a  handful  of  peo[)le  in  the  whole  territory, 
and  a  majority  of  these  were  Canadians  and  half-breeds.  Not  a  terri- 
torial officer  had  yet  arrived.  We  remember  being  present,  at  the  date 
of  our  first  issue,  Mr.  Lull,  Mr.  Cavilecr.  Air.  Neill,  and.  perhaps,  Major 
Murphy."     Murphy  was  then  the  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Snelling. 

Henry  M.  Rice,  who  had  laid  out  Rice  and  Irvine's  addition,  by  the 
gift  of  lots  and  other  inducements,  gave  an  impetus  to  the  ui^per  town, 
as  that  part  of  St.  Paul  near  the  residence  of  John  R.  Irvine  was  called. 
He  erected  a  large  hotel,  afterwards  known  as  the  American  House,  at 
the  corner  of  Third  and  I'lxchange  streets,  and  secured  the  erection  of  a 
Presbvterian  and  .Methodist  church  on  what  is  now  known  as  Rice  Park, 
opposite  the  postoffice. 

In  the  first  issue  of  the  Pioneer  it  is  mentioned  that  the  "Rev.  E.  D. 
Neill,  a  member  of  the  presbytery  of  Galena,  is  expected  to  preach  at 
the  schoolhouse  on  Bench  street,  next  Sunday,  tomorrow,  at  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  morning." 

Mr.  Neill  arrived  on  the  23d  of  .\pril.  and  was  the  first  resident 
clergyman  who  devoted  himselfto  the  active  duties  of  the  luinistry.  In 
1848'B.  P.  Hoyt.  a  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist  church,  liad  arrived 
and  proved  one  of  the  best  citizens  of  St.  Paul.  He  purchased  a  lumiber 
of  acres  which  he  cultivated  and  at  first  lived  in  a  log  house  near  the 
corner  of  Eighth  and  Tackson  streets.  He  and  his  wife,  by  their  kind 
and  generous  spirit,  did  much  for  the  Methodist  church.  Many  of  their 
descendants  still  live  in  the  city.  In  July  Rev.  J.  P.  Parsons,  of  the 
Baptist  church,  came,  and  soon  after  Rev.  C.  Hobart  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.     During  the  summer  of  1849  Chaplain  Gear,  of  Fort 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICIiNITY  49 

Snelling,  conducted  occasional  Protestant  Episcopal  services.  Chaplain 
Gear's  son,  reared  at  Fort  Snelling,  was  afterwards  United  States  sen- 
ator from  Iowa.  Rev.  A.  Ravoux,  who  then  lived  in  Mendota,  on  alter- 
nate Sundays  officiated  in  the  log  building,  dedicated  as  a  Roman 
Catholic  chapel. 

The  first  kiln  of  bricks  was  burned  in  the  upper  town  by  D.  F.  Braw- 
ley.  The  hrst  brick  building  was  of  two  stories,  erected  for  the  res- 
idence of  Rev.  Edward  D.  Neill  on  Fourth  near  Washington  street,  the 
site  of  which  is  now  occupied  by  a  row  of  brick  houses.  The  second 
brick  edifice  was  the  Methodist  church,  which  still  stands  on  Market 
street  opposite  Rice  Square,  but  is  used  for  commercial  purposes. 

Indians  Investigate  Civilization 

The  Indians  watched  the  erection  of  the  first  brick  house  with  won- 
der, as  they  had  not  before  seen  bricks.  They  seemed  to  be  as  well 
adapted  for  pipes  as  the  sacred  red  pipestone.  Some  even  took  a  few 
without  leave,  and,  as  they  wore  no  capacious  hats,  hid  them  under  their 
blankets  and  carried  them  to  their  village.  But  when  they  began  to 
scrape  they  were  disappointed  in  finding  that,  like  apples  of  Sodom,  they 
turned  to  dust.  Another  Indian  excitement  this  summer  was  caused  by 
C.  D.  Bevan  establishing  the  first  tin  shop.  It  was  a  rude  frame  building 
in  Rice  &  Irvine's  addition  on  Third  street,  between  Washington  and 
Franklin.  For  the  first  few  weeks  after  its  erection  it  was  the  most 
attractive  spot  on  earth  to  some  of  the  Sioux  of  the  Kaposia  village. 
They  stood  near  its  windows  in  eager  expectancy  and  as  the  tinner  would 
throw  out  the  tin  scraps,  the  refuse  of  his  shears,  there  was  a  scramble 
for  their  possession.  At  night  they  could  be  seen  in  their  village  with 
pendants  attached  to  their  ear  rings,  the  leading  feature  of  their  ward- 
robe, as  pleased  and  complacent  as  the  Chicago  society  belle  who  deco- 
rates the  unmentionables  of  her  piano  with  lace  inexpressibles. 

Religious  and  IMoral  Foundations 

The  first  Protestant  church  edifice  in  the  white  settlement  of  Minne- 
sota was  a  small  Presbyterian  chapel,  completed  in  August  on  the  lot 
adjoining  Mr.  Neill's  residence.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  the  next 
spring.  In  September  the  Union  Sunday  school  which  had  been  estab- 
lished in  1847  ^"d  in  which  B.  F.  Hoyt,  Miss  Bishop  and  others  had 
been  teachers,  was  suspended  in  consequence  of  the  growth  of  the  town, 
and  separate  schools,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Presbyterian,  Baptist, 
and  Methodist  ministers,  were  opened.  In  a  newspaper  of  a  later  date 
appeared  the  following:  "A  few  weeks  ago  it  pleased  the  wise  and  kind 
Father  in  Heaven  to  call  away  from  earth  a  promising  boy  of  four  years 
of  age.  As  the  last  act  of  a  short,  but  beautiful  life,  he  bequeathed  the 
little  he  had  saved  to  do  good.  In  pursuance  of  the  child's  request  the 
bereaved  father  has  forwarded  to  a  gentleman  of  this  place  a  library  of 
Sunday  school  books.  These  publications  have  been  carefully  revised 
by  a  committee  composed  of  members  of  the  Baptist.  Congregational. 
Episcopal,  Methodist.  Presbyterian  and  Reformed  Dutch  denominations. 
A  school  called  the  Little  Child's  Sunday-school  is  about  to  be  estab- 
lished in  the  lecture  room,  near  the  American  House.  It  will  meet  every 
Sunday  morning  at  Q  o'clock  and  the  teaching  will  be  confined  to  the 
simple  truths  of  the  Bible.     It  is  hoped  that  all  citizens  interested  in  the 


50  ST.  PAUL  AND  \'ICIXITY 

moral  training  of  the  young  will  sustain  the  school  by  becoming  teachers, 
or  by  sending  their  children  to  be  instructed.  Many  an  individual  has 
lived  to  three  score  years  and  ten  and  not  helped  the  world  half  as  much 
as  this  little  boy,  who  has  furnished  the  children  of  St.  Paul  with  a 
library  of  instructive,  moral  and  catholic  reading." 

Thus,  through  the  instrumentality  of  good  men  and  women  who  as- 
sumed the  Icadershi])  and  bent  their  intelligent  energies  to  the  beneficent 
task,  the  beginnings  of  a  wholesome,  social  order  were  established  in 
the  embryo  city,  and  the  rudiments  of  a  sound  political  organization 
were  secured  for  the  future  commonwealth. 

Settlers  of  1838-48 

We  may  very  properly  close  this  chapter  by  reproducing  the  list  of 
pre-territorial  settlers  and  residents  of  St.  Paul,  prepared  with  infinite 
care  by  Mr.  J.  Fletcher  Williams,  the  city's  first  historian,  vouched  for 
by  him  as  accurate  and  complete,  and  uniformly  accepted  by  subsequent 
w-riters : 

1838 — Pierre  Parrant,  Abraham  Perry,  Edward  Phelan,  William 
Evans,  Johnson,   Benjamin  Gervais  and   Pierre  Gervais. 

1839 — John  Hays.  James  R.  Clewett,  \'etal  Guerin,  Denis  Cherrier, 
Charles  Mousseau  and  William  Beaumctte. 

1840 — Joseph  Rondo,  Rev.  l.ucian  Galticr  and  Rev.  A.  Ravoux. 

1841 — Pierre  Bottineau  and  Severe  Bottineau. 

1842 — Henry  Jackson,  Richard  \\'.  Mortimer,  Pelon.  Joseph 

Labisinier,  Francis  Desire  and  Stanislaus  Bilanski. 

1843 — John  R.  Irvine,  Ansel  B.  Coy,  James  W.  Simpson,  William 
Hartshorn,  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  Alex  R.  McLeod,  Christopher  C.  Blanch- 
ard,  Scott  Campbell,  .\lexis  Cloutier,  Francis  Moret,  Antoine  Pepin, 
Alex  Mege.  David  Thomas  Sloan.  Jo.  Dcsmarais,  S.  Cowdcn.  Jr.  (or 
Garden),  Charles  Reed,  Louis  T-arrivier,  Xavier  Delonais  and  Joseph 
Gobin. 

1844 — Louis  Robert,  Charles  Bazille.  William  Rugas,  Thomas  Mc- 
Coy and  Joseph  Hall. 

1845 — Leonard  H.  LaRoche,  Francis  Chenevert,  David  Benoit.  Francis 
Robert,  William  H.  Morse,  Antoine  Findlay,  Charles  Cavileer,  \\'illiam 
G.  Carter,  .Augustus  Freeman,  David  P..  Freeman,  Jesse  H.  Pomeroy 
and  Gerou. 

,846— James  M.  Boal,  William  II.  Randall.  William  Randall.  Jr., 
Ed.  West,  David  Faribault.  Charles  Rouleau,  Thomas  S.  Odcll.  Tlarley 
D.  White,   Tel  D.  Cruttenden.  Louis  Denoyer  and  Joseph  Monteur. 

1847— William  Henry  Forbes,  J.  W.  Bass,  Benj.  W.  Brunson.  Daniel 
Hopkins,  Sr..  Miss  Harriet  E.  Bishop.  Aaron  Foster,  John  Banfil,  Fred 
Olivier.  William  K.  Renfro,  Parsons  K.  Johnson.  C.  P.  V.  Lull  and  i".. 
A.  Fournier. 

1848— Henry  M.  Rice.  .\.  H.  Cavendcr,  Benj.  F.  H.>yt,  William  H. 
Nobles,  David  Lambert.  William  D.  Phillips.  W.  C.  Morrison,  Xatlian 
Myrick,  E.  A.  C.  Hatch.  Richard  ]Mcel)()rn.  William  Freeborn.  .Mdcn 
Bryant.  Lot  MoflFett.  A.  R.  French,  William  B.  Brown.  Hugh  McCann, 
B.'W.  Lott.  PL  C.  Rhodes,  David  Olmsted.  Hugh  Glenn.  Kels  Robert. 
Andre  Godfrey,  Dav  Hebcrt.  Oliver  Rosseau,  William  H.  Kelton,  Andy 
L.  Shearer,  F,'  P..  Weld  an.l  Albert  Titlow. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  EARLY  TERRITORIAL   ERA 

Population  of  St.  Paul — First  Public  Celebration — Postoffice  and 
First  Court — Ramsey  County  Created — First  County  Officers 
— St.  Paul  in  1850 — Mail  Service  Improved — The  Northern 
Pacific  Prophesied — Second  Legislature  Assembles — Meeting 
OF  Third  Legislature — Fourth  Legislature  Convenes — St.  Paul 
in  1853 — Gorman  Succeeds  Ramsey. 

The  days  of  preparation  for  social  order  and  political  organization 
were  now  finished,  and  the  period  for  an  approach  to  self-government, 
under  the  tutelage  of  the  federal  administration,  had  arrived.  In  .March, 
1849,  President  Zachary  Taylor  selected  Alexander  Ramsey,  who  had 
been  a  member  of  congress  from  Pennsylvania,  as  first  governor  of  the 
territory  of  Minnesota.  On  the  13th  of  April,  Chief  Justice  Taney,  of 
the  United  States  supreme  court,  administered  to  Mr.  Ramsey  the  oath 
of  office.  In  a  stagecoach  he  rode  from  Milwaukee  to  Prairie  du  Chien 
and  there  took  passage  on  the  steamboat  "Dr.  Franklin."  On  the  27th 
of  May  the  boat  reached  St.  Paul,  but,  as  there  was  no  suitable  habita- 
tion ready,  Governor  Ramsey  accepted  the  hospitality  of  Henry  H.  Sib- 
ley at  Mendota.  On  the  25th  of  June,  with  his  wife  and  child,  he  came 
down  to  St.  Paul  in  a  birch  canoe  and  disembarked  at  Rice's  Landing, 
as  the  foot  of  Eagle  street  was  called.  They  proceeded  (Mrs.  Ramsey 
and  her  little  son  sitting  on  trunks  in  an  ox-wagon,  and  the  Governor  on 
foot)  to  a  one-story  frame  house  on  the  south  side  of  Tliird  street  be- 
tween Jackson  and  Robert,  which  had  been  rented  by  the  Governor. 
The  next  day  the  Governor  secured  the  good-will  of  his  fellow  towns- 
men by  subscribing  five  dollars  for  a  much  needed  public  improvement, 
a  town  pump. 

With  Governor  Ramsey,  or  shortly  after  his  arrival,  came  the  other 
territorial  officers.  These  were  Aaron  Goodrich  of  New  York,  chief 
justice;  David  Cooper  and  B.  B.  Meeker,  associate  justices;  Charles 
Kilgore  Smith  of  Ohio,  secretary  of  state ;  and  Colonel  Alex  M.  Mitchell 
of  Ohio,  a  West  Point  graduate  of  1835,  marshal  of  the  territory,  all 
of  them  becoming  residents  of  St.  Paul.  Henry  L.  Moss,  the  newly 
appointed  United  States  district  attorney,  had  lived  at  Stillwater  since 
April,  1848,  but  removed  to  St.  Paul  in  1851,  and  was  a  citizen  there 
during  the  remainder  of  his  long  and  useful  life. 

On  June  ist  Governor  Ramsey  and  Chief  Justice  Goodrich,  with  H. 
L.  Moss,  United  States  district  attorney,  and  Judge  David  Cooper,  as- 
sociate justice,  seated  on  beds  or  trunks  in  a  little  room,  about  eight 
by  ten,  in  the  St.  Paul  House,  drew  up  the  "First  of  June  Proclamation," 

51 


52  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

as    it   is    called,    announcing    the    territorial    government    organized.     It 
was  written  on  a  washstand,  the  only  table  that  could  be  procured. 

Secretary  Smith  set  about  securing  apartments,  or  a  building,  for 
the  use  of  the  territorial  officers  and  legislature,  but  found  it  almost 
impossible  to  do  so,  as  the  town  was  so  crowded,  and  buildings  in  de- 
mand. Finally,  he  secured  rooms  in  the  Central  House,  a  weather- 
boarded  log  structure  on  Bench  street,  which  was  then  kept  as  a  hotel 
by  Robert  Kennedy,  and,  having  been  afterwards  more  than  doubled 
in  size,  was  the  Central  House  of  later  days.  A  flagstaff  was  erected 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  the  national  banner  run  up,  to  mark  the 
headquarters  of  government,  and  in  these  narrow  quarters  its  business 
was  carried  on. 

PopuL.vTioN  OF  St.  Paul 

Pursuant  to  a  provision  in  the  Organic  act,  John  Morgan,  sheriff 
of  St.  Croix  county,  engaged  for  several  weeks  in  taking  a  census  of 
the  territory.  Edmund  Brissett  took  the  districts  on  the  Missouri 
river,  and  William   Dahl,  the  Pembina  region. 

The  census  of  St.  Paul  appeared  as  follows:  Males,  540;  females, 
300.  Total,  840.  The  total  of  the  whole  territory  was:  Males,  3,067; 
females,  1,713.  Total,  4,780.  Of  these,  over  700  lived  in  what  was 
afterwards  Dakota  territory,  and  367  were  not  legal  inhabitants,  being 
soldiers  in  the  forts. 

The  Pioneer  announced  that  Freeman,  Larpcnteur  &  Company,  with 
some  aid  from  their  neighbors,  had  erected  a  staircase  from  the  lower 
landing  to  the  summit  of  Jackson's  point,  "rendering  the  passage  up 
and  down  the  bluff  a  diversified  and  pleasant  promenade." 

First  Public  Celebration 

The  first  public  celebration  was  on  the  4th  of  Julv,  1840.  At  that 
time,  owing  to  the  limestone  rock  of  the  plateau  between  Pleasant  and 
Wabasha  being  a  few  feet  higher  on  the  river  front,  a  forest  had 
grown  up  in  low  swampy  ground  fed  by  springs.  It  was  impossible 
to  make  a  road  through  it,  because  of  the  "terre  tremblante"  (quaking 
earth).  The  place  selected  for  the  outdoor  exercises  was  at  the  edge 
of  the  woodlands,  on  what  is  Fifth  street,  where  the  postoffice  now  is, 
opposite  Rice  square.  Franklin  Steele  was  the  chief  marshal  of  the 
procession,  and  his  aids  were  A.  L.  Larpentcur  and  W.  H.  Nobles. 
Governor  Ramsey  presided,  with  Sibley  and  Rice  as  vice  presidents. 
The  orator  of  the  day  was  B.  B.  Meeker,  one  of  the  territorial  judges 
recently  arrived  from  Kentucky,  and  W.  D.  Phillips,  a  lawyer,  read 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Judge  Meeker's  speech  filled  six 
columns  of  the  next  issue  of  the  Pioneer,  but  a  French  Canadian  pres- 
ent always  averred  that  "Billy  Phillips  made  ze  bes'  speech  ve  has  to- 
day." The  managers  appointed  for  the  ball  in  the  evening  were  Dr. 
Thomas  R.  Potts,  a  physician  who  had  l.itcly  come  from  Galena.  John 
D.  Crultenden,  and  a  young  lawyer,  W.   11.   Dent. 

Postoffice  and  First  Court 

The  incumbency  of  the  St.  Paul  postoffice  underwent  a  ciiange 
at  this  period.  Henry  Jackson  held  the  postoffice  three  years  and  three 
months.     During  tlu-ee  years  of  that  time  it  hardly  paid  for  the  trouble 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  53 

of  conducting  it.  But  meantime  a  change  came  over  the  hamlet. 
With  the  rush  of  population  and  business  came  also  a  very  great 'in- 
crease of  mail  matter,  and  it  soon  became  necessary  to  lay  aside  the 
little  case  of  pigeon-holes,  and  procure  more  expanded  facilities  for 
serving  the  public.  The  Register,  of  July  28th,  says:  "Our  postmaster 
has  titted  up  his  new  postoffice  building  on  Third  street,  with  great 
taste  and  convenience.  Every  citizen,  whose  business  requires  it,  can 
now  have  a  box  to  himself." 

The  "new  postoffice"  referred  to,  was  a  frame  building  and  there 
were  about  two  hundred  "glass  boxes"  in  the  new  equipment,  a  num- 
ber considered  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  that  day. 

But  Mr.  Jackson's  official  head  was  already  in  the  basket,  though 
he  did  not  know  it,  owing  to  the  deliberate  movement  of  the  mail 
service  he  was  helping  to  administer.  On  July  5th  he  was  decapitated 
by  the  Whig  administration  and  Jacob  W.  Bass,  the  popular  landlord 
of  the  Alerchant's  Hotel,  succeeded  him.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Bass  could 
make  preparations  for  accommodating  the  office  he  took  possession.  He 
erected  a  small  frame  addition,  or  lean-to,  alongside  of  the  Jackson 
street  front  of  the  hotel  and  removed  thither  the  glass  boxes  or  pigeon- 
holes, with  the  other  equipments  necessary.  The  whole  room  was  only 
about  as  big  as  a  sheet  of  paper,  but  accommodated  the  business  of 
that  day. 

The  first  brick  made  in  Minnesota  was  burned  this  year  (1849) 
near  the  present  site  of  the  soldiers  monument  on  Summit  Park,  by 
D.   F.  Brawley. 

The  first  court  held  in  St.  Croix  county  after  the  territory  was  or- 
ganized, was  on  August  12th,  chief  justice  Croodrich  presided,  and 
Judge  Cooper  assisted.  Goodhue  says :  "The  roll  of  attorneys  is  large 
for  a  new  country.  About  twenty  of  the  lankiest  and  hungriest  de- 
scription, were  in  attendance."  The  term  lasted  six  days.  The  pro- 
ceedings were,  for  the  first  two  or  three  days,  somewhat  crude,  owing 
to  the  assembling  of  a  bar  composed  of  persons  from  nearly  every 
state.  But,  by  the  urbanity,  conciliatory  firmness  and  harmonious  course 
taken  by  the  court,  matters  were  in  a  great  measure  systematized.  At 
this  session,  it  was  said  only  one  man  on  the  jury  wore  boots.  All  the 
rest  had  moccasins. 

An  election  was  held  in  the  territory,  on  the  2nd  of  August,  for 
members  of  the  legislature.  St.  Paul  chose  as  its  representatives  in  the 
upper  house  William  H.  Forbes  and  James  McBoal,  and  in  the  lower 
house,  B.  W.  Brunson,  Henry  Jackson,  John  J.  Dewey  and  Parsons  K. 
Johnson.  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley  was  re-elected  delegate  in  congress  with- 
out opposition,  but  there  was  a  spirited  contest  over  the  other  posi- 
tions and  great  rejoicing  over  the  result.  The  Register  said:  "Forbes, 
McBoal,  Brunson,  Dewey,  Jackson  and  Johnson,  were  successively  placed 
in  a  small-sized  go-cart  and  hauled  through  the  streets  by  the  enthu- 
siastic crowd,  at  a  speed  rather  prejudicial  to  whole  necks.  The  vehicle 
finally  broke  down,  but  the  'boys'  were  not  to  be  stopped  in  their  re- 
joicings. So  they  carried  their  successful  friends  to  the  hotel,  where 
such  cheering  took  place  as  we  scarcely  ever  heard  before.  The  crowd 
then  dispersed  in  good  order." 

On  Monday,  the  3rd  of  .September,  the  legislature  convened  at  the 
Central  House.  The  front  room  on  the  east  side  of  the  hall  was  oc- 
cupied by  the  secretary  of  the  territory,  and  the  room  on  the  west  side 
was  used  by  the  house  of  representatives.     The  room   over  the  rep- 


54  ST.   PAUL  AND  \I(;iXITY 

resentative  hall,  was  used  as  the  council  chamber,  and  that  over  the 
secretary's  office  was  the  territorial  library.  On  Tuesday  afternoon 
in  the  dining  hall,  Governor  Ramsey  delivered  his  first  message,  which 
ended  with  this  wish:  "'May  that  God  who  rules  the  destiny  of  nations 
so  prosper  your  doings  and  mine  that  no  rei)roaclies  will'  meet  us  in 
the  present,  no  regrets  be  experienced  in  the  future,  l)ut  that  we  shall 
all  bear  with  us  the  conviction  that  each  has  performed  his  whole  duty 
for  the  dissemination  of  liberty  and  law,  religion  and  education,  through- 
out our  territory." 

Ramsey  Couxtv  Created 

The  legislature  continued  in  session  sixty  days.  Nine  counties  were 
created,  one  of  them  being  named  in  honor  of  the  Governor,  "Ram- 
sey"; St.  Paul  was  declared  its  county  seat  and  November  i.  1849.  a 
bill  was  approved  incorporating  the  "Town  of  St.  Paul,"  with  a  pres- 
ident, a  recorder  and  five  trustees. 

The  columns  of  the  Pioneer  from  week  to  week,  by  its  advertise- 
ments, indicated  the  increase  and  division  of  business.  A.  R.  French, 
who  had  married  at  Fort  Snelling  when  a  soldier,  remained  in  the 
country,  and  in  1849  had  a  saddlery  and  harness  shop  in  St.  Paul,  and 
advertised  as  a  "Horse  Mantua  Alaker."  Until  the  fall  of  1849  the 
stores  sold  goods  of  a  general  description,  from  a  ])lug  of  tobacco  to  a 
hatchet  or  a  plow.  At  that  time  the  brothers  Elfelt  arrived  from 
Philadelphia  and  Jjuilt  the  then  largest  store  in  the  i^lace,  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Third  and  Exchange  street,  and  sold  chiefly  dry  goods. 

In  November  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  St.  Paul  was  formed 
and  on  the  first  Sunday  of  January,  1850,  Elders  J.  W.  Selby  and  W. 
H.  Tinker  were  officially  recognized ;  the  communion  was  administered. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Williamson,  of  the  Little  Crow  Mission,  was  i)rcsent,  with 
several  of  his  native  Sioux  who  were  communicants  of  bis  church.  The 
Doctor  made  some  very  affecting  remarks  both  in  English  and  Sioux, 
alluding  to  the  union  of  communicants  of  different  colors  and  races, 
and  believers  present  were  invited  to  unite. 

First  Countv  Officers 

On  the  26111  of  November  the  first  election  of  Ramsey  county  of- 
ficers took  ])lace.  and  Dr.  David  Day  was  chosen  register  of  deeds ; 
C.  V.  P.  Lull,  sheriff:  J.  ^\'.  Simpson,  trea.surer;  Louis  Roberts,  P.. 
Gervais  and  R.  P.  Russell,  commissioners,  and  Henry  A.  Lambert,  judge 
of  probate.  A  few  weeks  later  David  Day,  on  behalf  of  the  commis- 
sioners, published  a  notice  and  offered  ten  dollars  for  the  jilan  of  a 
court  house  and  jail  in  one  building.  Dr.  Day  won  the  ]>remium  and 
furnished  the  iilan  for  the  court  house  which  stood  uiuil  rei)laccd,  in 
1885  i)y  the  present  structure.  It  was  completed  in  1851.  The  jail,  a 
separate  and  less  pretentious  structure  w;is  l)nilt  latci'.  It  was  the  lirst 
prison   in   Minnesota. 

Piefore  the  close  of  the  year  steps  were  taken  to  organize  a  system 
of  public  schools,  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens,  on  the  1st  of  Decem- 
ber, Edmund  Rice,  William  11.  l-'orbes,  Edward  D.  Ncill.  John  Snow. 
B.  F.  Hoyt,  J.  P.  Parsons  and  P..  W.  P>runsf)n  were  ajiixtinted  trustees. 
and  by  them  Harriet  E.  Bishop,  Mary  J^chofield  and  Rev.  C.  Ilobart 
were  engaged  as  teachers. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  55 

This  was  a  period  of  the  shaping  up  of  various  features  of  a  new 
town,  hastened  by  the  rapid  influx  of  population.  A  Masonic  Lodge 
was  one  of  the  early  manifestations.  The  movers  in  the  work  applied 
to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Ohio  for  a  dispensation,  which  was  granted  on 
August  8,  1849.  On  September  8th  the  lodge  was  organized  in  the 
office  of  C.  K.  Smith,  who  had  been  designated  in  the  warrant  as  first 
master.  Soon  after,  the  officers  and  members  were  announced  as  fol- 
lows: W.  M.,  C.  K.  Smith;  S.  W.,  James  Hughes;  J.  W.,  Daniel  F. 
Brawley;  treasurer,  J.  C.  Ramsey;  secretary,  J.  A.  Aitkenside;  S.  D., 
Lot  Moffet;  J.  D.,  Taylor  Dudley;  tyler,  W.  C.  Wright.  Members:  Aaron 
Goodrich,  John  Condon,  Albert  Titlow,  John  Holland,  Levi  Sloan,  C. 
P.  V.  Lull,  George  Egbert,  Samuel  H.  Dent,  D.  B.  Loomis,  M.  S.  Wil- 
kinson, John  Lumlev,  H.  N.  Setzer,  James  McBoal,  Chas.  P.  Scott, 
O.  H.  Kelley,  Chas.  'M.  Berg,  William  H.  Randall,  Hugh  Tyler,  Luther 
B.  Bruin  and  A.  M.  :\Iitchell. 

Politics  also  began  to  take  on  new  phases  and  assert  its  claims. 
Hitherto  party  lines  had  not  been  drawn  very  strictly  in  the  new  ter- 
ritory. At  the  August  election  no  political  questions  had  entered  into 
the  canvass.  The  first  erection  of  party  standards  took  place  at  a 
"Democratic  mass  convention,"  which  met,  pursuant  to  call,  at  the 
American  House,  on  October  20,  1849.  Suitable  resolutions  were  re- 
ported and  adopted ;  the  Pioneer  was  declared  the  organ  of  the  party, 
and  from  this  time  dates  the  bitterness  of  party  strife. 

The  river  remained  open  and  navigable  this  year  242  days,  during 
which  there  were  ninety-five  arrivals. 

The  whole  mercantile  business  of  St.  Paul  for  the  year  1849,  was 
ascertained  at  the  close  of  the  season,  to  be  $131,000.  Of  this,  $60,000 
was  computed  to  be  groceries. 

St.   Paul  in   1850 

The  year  1850  opened  auspiciously  and  was  ushered  in  with  much 
gayety.  The  Pioneer  boastingly  remarks :  "The  festivities  and  hilarity 
of  our  town  on  New  Year's  confirm  the  truth  that  cold  weather  can 
never  freeze  warm  hearts.  St.  Paul  was,  yesterday,  swarming  with 
animated  fashion.  The  sideboards  of  many  of  our  citizens  were  pro- 
vided with  free  entertainments,  which  would  do  credit  to  the  wealthy 
burghers  of  Gotham.  In  the  evening,  there  was  a  rush  to  the  ball  at 
the  Central  House,  there  being  nearly  or  Cjuite  one  hundred  gentlemen, 
with   their  ladies,   present." 

On  January  i,  1850.  the  following  directory  of  the  professional  men, 
business  firms,  etc.  of  the  town  was  printed :  Clergymen — Ravoux,  Neijl, 
Hobart,  Hoyt,   Parsons. 

Lawyers — Edmund  Rice,  H.  A.  Lambert,  W.  D.  Phillips,  P.  P. 
Bishop.  George  L.  Becker,  H.  F.  Masterson,  O.  Simons,  J.  A.  Wake- 
field. S.  H.  Dent.  W.  B.  White,  B.  W.  Lott,  James  M.  Goodhue,  L.  A. 
Babcock  and  C.  K.  Smith.  Land  agents — A.  V.  Fryer,  Isaac  N.  Good- 
hue. ^Merchants — Elfelt  &  Brother,  Fuller  &  Brother,  L.  Sloan.  Ful- 
lerton  &  Curtis.  W.  H.  Forbes,  Douglas  &  .Slosson,  John  Randall  & 
Co.,  Louis  Robert,  W.  H.  Tracy  &  Company,  Daniel  Hopkins,  Sergeant 
&  Bowen,  J.  W.  Simpson,  Bart  Presly  &  Company,  Dewey  &  Cavileer, 
N.  Barbour  and  J.  C.  Ramsey. 

Tailors — Johnson  &  Brown,  W.  H.  Tinker  and  J.  N.  Slosson. 

Shoemaker — Hugh  McCann. 


56  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

Hotels — American  House,  by  R.  Parker;  Tremont  House,  by  J.  A. 
Wakefield;  Central  House,  by  R.  Kennedy;'  St.  Paul  House,  by  J.  \V. 
Bass;  De  Rocher's  House,' bv  De  Rocher;  and  Miller's  boarding  house, 
by  B.  Miller. 

Painters — -J.   M.   Boal  and   Burill  &  Inman. 

Blacksmiths — William  H.  Nobles  &  Company  and  Leverich  &  Com- 
pany. 

Plasterers — J.  K.  Jrvine,  D.  De  Webber,  Starkfield  and  C.  P.  Scott. 

Masons — Barnes,  B.  Bowles,  William  Beaumette,  Hawley  and  J. 
Kirkpatrick. 

Carpenters— C.  P.  V.  Lull,  William  Bryant,  A.  Foster,  W.  Wood- 
bury, W.  C.  Morrison,  J.  B.  Coty,  Charles  Bazille,  T.  Lareau,  Coit  H. 
Willey,  Eaton  &  Brother,  Chase,  B.  F.  Irvine,  J.  B.  Lumbeck,  Joseph 
Brinsmade,  H.  Glass  and  J.  Fronst. 

Silversmith — Nathan  Spencer. 

Gunsmith — McGuire.  . 

Bakers — Berry  &  Brother,  K.  Stewart  and  Humphrey  &  Brinkman. 

Wheelwrights — Nobles  &  Morrison  and   Hiram   Cawrod. 

Saddle  and  harnessmaker — A.  R.  French. 

Tinner — C.  D.  Bevan. 

On  New  Year's  day  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society,  which  had 
been  incorporated  by  the  legislature  of  1849,  held  a  public  meeting  in 
the  unfinished  Methodist  church,  and  the  address  delivered  by  one  of 
the  clergyman  was  published  in  a  pani])hlet  and  passed  through  two 
editions. 

Balls  and  dancing  parties  were  the  means  of  relieving  the  Icdium 
of  the  winter  season  of  1850,  as  well  as  of  getting  the  new  comers  better 
acquainted.  One  of  elaborate  character  was  held  January  17th  at  the 
American  Mouse,  and  another  February  22nd  at  the  Central  House. 
The  band  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  from  the  fort,  furnished  the  music,  its 
leader  being  a  famous  bugler.  One  of  the  papers  humorously  advised 
gentlemen  to  wear  neither  moccasins  nor  heavy  hoots  at  balls — also 
thought  it  "vulgar  for  a  lady  to  make  up  a  bundle  of  cake,  luits  and 
candies  at  the  table,  to  carry  home." 

On  March  14th  a  deputation  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  Winne- 
bagoes,  who  were  dissatisfied  with  their  reservation,  waited  on  Governor 
Ramsey.  A  grand  council  was  held  in  the  trading  house  of  Olmsted 
&  Rhodes,  on  Third  street  between  Jack.son  and  Robert  streets.  The 
chiefs  stated  their  griveances  to  Governor  Ramsey,  and  had  a  long 
talk.  Thev  were  finally  persuaded  to  return  to  their  reservation  and 
remain  there  peaceably. 

It  was  at  this  council  that  Ramsey  made  his  famous  temperance 
speech  to  the  Indians.  He  admonished  them  of  the  dangers  of  intem- 
perance, and  urged  them  to  quit  drinking.  "The  white  men,"  he  said, 
"have  quit  drinking."  The  interpreter  translated  this,  but  the  Indians 
looked  a  little  astonished  and  incredulous — so  the  Governor  added,  "in 
a  great  measure !"  The  interpreter  rendered  this  literally,  to  mean  a 
large-sized  vessel !  Old  Dekora.  at  this  exclaimed,  "Perhaps  they  have, 
but  most  of  them  still  use  a  small  measure." 

On  the  2nd  of  .Xiiril  a  party  of  .Sioux  from  the  village  below  St. 
Paul  attacked  fifteen  Ojibways  in  Wisconsin,  about  twenty  miles  from 
Stillwater.  All  were  scalped,  with  the  exception  of  a  little  boy  who 
was  brought  to  Kaposia  and  adopted  by  the  chief.  Little  Crow.  Gov- 
ernor Ramsey  sent  for  Little  Crow  and  had  a  talk  with  him,  and  on 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  57 

the  i6th  he  brought  to  the  governor's  house  the  httle  captive  and  he  was 
released. 

From  the  first  of  April  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  began  to  rise, 
and  by  the  13th  the  lower  floor  of  the  warehouse  occupied  by  William 
Constans  at  the  foot  of  Jackson  street  was  submerged.  Taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  freshet  the  steamboat  "Anthony  Wayne,"  for  the  sum 
of  two  hundred  dollars,  ventured  to  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  The 
boat  left  Fort  Snelling  after  dinner  with  Governor  Ramsey  and  other 
guests,  also  the  band  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  United  States  Infantry,' 
and  reached  the  rapids  below  the  falls  between  three  and  four  o'clock, 
where  it  was  received  by  the  whole  population  with  shouts  of  rejoic- 
ing. St.  Anthony  had  become  nominally,  but  only  nominally,  the  head 
of  navigation. 

jMail   Service  Improved 

The  wretched  mail  service  during  the  past  winter  led  to  future  im- 
provements thereof.  The  reason  for  the  poor  service,  was  the  absence  of 
good  roads.  Prior  to  this  winter,  the  only  road  from  St.  Paul  to  Prairie 
du  Chien  was  on  the  ice  of  the  river,  after  it  froze — a  route  of  much 
danger.  In  November  and  December,  1849,  however,  Hiram  Knowl- 
ton,  of  Willow  River  (Hudson),  Wisconsin,  laid  out  a  road  from  Prairie 
du  Chien  to  that  place,  via  Black  River  Falls.  It  was  "blazed  and 
marked,"  he  says,  in  a  letter  to  the  Pioneer  "the  whole  way" — distance 
223  miles.  Some  streams  were  bridged,  "and  a  span  of  good  horses 
can  now  haul  1,800  or  2,000  pounds  through  the  whole  distance."  Stop- 
ping places  could  be  found  a  part  of  the  way,  but  for  the  rest  of  the 
route  the  traveler  was  forced  to  camp  out  in  the  snow.  This  road  was 
used  as  the  winter  route  east  by   St.   Paul  travelers,  for  several  years. 

At  this  date  (1849)  the  only  mail  routes  in  Minnesota,  besides  the 
one  above  referred  to,  were  from  St.  Paul  to  Fort  Snelling  and  back, 
weekly;  from  St.  Paul  to  Falls  oi  St.  Croix,  via  Stillwater  and  Marine 
Mills,  and  back,  weekly,  with  one  additional  trip  per  week  to  Still- 
water and  back.  There  were,  in  1850,  only  sixteen  postoffices  in  what 
is  now  Minnesota. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  13th  of  May  there  might  have  been  seen 
a  number  of  naked  and  painted  Sioux  in  the  streets,  panting  for  the 
scalps  of  their  ancient  foes.  A  few  hours  before  the  young  chief  of 
the  Ojibways,  Hole-in-the-day,  had  secreted  his  canoe  in  a  retired  gorge 
above  where  the  city  hospital  now  stands,  and,  with  a  few  of  his  braves, 
crossed  the  river,  attacked  a  small  party  of  Sioux  and  took  one  scalp. 
On  the  receipt  of  the  news,  Governor  Ramsey  granted  a  parole  to  the 
thirteen  Sioux  confined  at  Fort  Snelling  for  the  participation  in  the 
massacre  of  the  Ojibways  the  month  before. 

On  the  morning  of  the  i6th  the  first  Protestant  church  building 
erected  in  the  white  settlements  was  destroyed  by  fire,  it  being  the  first 
conflagration  since  the  organization  of  the  territory. 

The  Northern  Pacific  Prophesied 

At  this  time,  editor  Goodhue,  in  an  article  which  now  reads  with 
prophetic  interest,  called  attention  to  "a  short  route  to  Oregon  and  Cali- 
fornia." He  says:  "There  is  some  probability  that  a  railroad  will  be 
made  from  St.  Louis  westward,  to  San  Francisco,  at  no  very  remote 
period.     We  wish  now  to  turn  attention  to  another  overland  route,  in 


58  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

the  north,  which  we  believe  is  far  easier  and  safer,"  and  proceeds  to 
argue  that  St.  Paul  is  much  nearer  the  Pacific  in  a  direct  line,  than 
St.  Louis;  also,  "that  there  is  a  route  or  trail  from  the  Red  river  to  the 
Columbia  river,  over  which  mails  are  regularly  transported,  by  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  with  safety  and  ease."  It  must  be  remembered 
that  a  northern  route  for  a  railroad  was  then  hardly  thought  of.  Even 
the  central  route  was  looked  on  as  an  impossible  scheme,  and  but  few  ex- 
pected to  see  it   in  their  lifetime. 

A  notable  event  of  the  summer  of  1850  was  the  navigation  of  the 
Minnesota  river.  Three  boats,  the  "Anthony  Wayne,"  "Nominee"  and 
"Yankee,"  made  excursions  with  large  i)leasure  parties  of  St.  Paulites, 
each  trying  to  ascend  further  than  the  other.  Tiie  water  was  very 
favorable  for  such  e.xperiments,  and  the  "^'aIlkee"  ascended  three  hun- 
dred miles,  thus  demonstrating  that  the  Minnesota  was  navigable. 

The  first  proclamation  for  a  Thanksgiving  day  was  issued  in  1850 
by  the  governor,  and  on  the  26th  of  December,  in  accordance  with  its 
suggestion,  the  I>aptist.  Methodist,  and  Presbyterian  congregations  as- 
sembled in  the  Methodist  church,  and  listened  to  a  sermon  by  Dr.  Neill, 
the  Presbyterian  minister,  from  the  next  "The  Lord  hath  done  great 
things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad."  It  w'as  published  in  one  of  the 
papers.  Among  its  concluding  sentences  was  the  following:  "Is  there 
not  a  prospect  that  in  a  half  century  the  Indian  lodges  that  now  sur- 
round us  will  be  far  removed ;  that  the  shores  of  Lake  Pepin  will  be  the 
abode  of  many  a  maiden  as  constant  to  her  first  love  as  Winona,  and,  in 
addition,  strengthened  and  ennobled  by  the  religion  of  Christ ;  that  the 
steam  engine,  either  in  boat  or  car,  will  move  from  Montreal  to  the 
Rapids  of  St.  Mary,  and  stop  at  the  roaring  waters  of  St.  Anthony; 
that  the  gates  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  will  be  thrown  ojien,  and  the 
locomotive,  groaning  and  rumbling  from  Oregon,  will  stop  here  with 
its  heavy  train  of  Asiatic  produce;  that  the  mission  stations  of  Remnica 
and  Lac  qui  Parle  will  be  supplanted  by  the  white  schoolhouse,  the 
church  spire,  and  higher  seminary  of  learning?" 

Long  before  the  half  century  expired,  all  of  Dr.  Neill's  glowing 
prophecies  had  been  more  than   fulfilled. 

Second  Legislature  Assembles 

On  Wednesday  the  ist  of  lanuary,  1851,  the  second  legislature  as- 
sembled in  a  three  story  brick  building  erected  by  Henry  M.  Rice,  on 
Third  street  west  of  Washington.  St. '  Paul  was  represented  by  Wil- 
liam H.  Forbes  and  J.  McBoal,  in  the  council,  and  Justus  C.  Ramsey, 
Ben  W.  Brunson,  H.  L.  Tilden  and  lulmund  Rice,  in  the  house — a  gal- 
lant delegation  it  was,  and  a  brave  fight  they  made  to  kecj)  the  Philis- 
tines from  moving  the  capital   from   .^t.   Paul. 

Twenty  thousand  dollars  had  been  apinopriated  by  congress  for  a 
territorial  ])rison,  and,  by  the  same  act,  authority  was  given  the  gover- 
nor and  legislature  to  expend  the  appropriation  of  $20,000  ])rovided  for 
in  the  Organic  act,  for  capitol  buildings.  The  vexed  (|uestion  was. 
where  should  the  capitol  be  built?  Several  places  competed  for  it,  and 
the  struggle  was  close  and  warmly  contested.  Finally,  by  the  vigorous 
efforts  of  some  leading  men.  a  compromise  was  effected.  The  capitol 
was  to  be  erected  at  a  ccntr.il  jioint  in  the  town  of  St.  Paul,  the  peni- 
tentiary at  Stillwater,  and  the  university  of  St.  .^nthony  Falls.  Thus 
each   was  satisfied    for   the  time  being,  and   .ill    went   merry   as  a  mar- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


59 


riage  bell  for  six  years,  when  a  rival  Saint  aspired  to  capitolean  honors. 

Political  excitement  ran  high  in  the  fall  of  1851,  though  perhaps  a 
shade  less  bitter  than  the  year  previous.  The  Pioneer  launched  its 
thunderbolts  at  H.  M.  Rice  and  his  friends,  and  C.  K.  Smith  secretary 
of  state.  The  Democrat  inveighed  bitterly  against  the  Whig  office- 
holders. The  Mmnesotian  (just  established)  fired  double-shotted  guns 
at   Democratic  nominees. 

One  important  event  of  the  year  185 1,  as  opening  up  an  immense 
and  fertile  region  to  settlement,  was  the  treaty  with  the  Sioux  at  Tra- 
verse de  Sioux,  by  which  that  nation  gave  up  its  title  to  all  the  land 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  excepting  a  small  reservation,  a  domain  exceed- 
ing 21,000.000  acres.  The  treaty-making  commenced  at  Traverse  de 
Sioux,  on  July  2nd.  All  the  officials,  dignitaries,  big  men,  traders  and 
editors  of  Minnesota  were  present,  and  all  the  chiefs  of  the  Dakotas. 
The  papers  were  crowded  for  weeks  with  their  sayings  and  doings,  to 
the  exclusion  of  almost  everything  else.     Governor  Ramsey  and  Hon. 


CORNER  OF  THIRD  AND  ROBERT  STREETS,    185I 

Luke  Lea,  commissioner  of  Indian  afl^airs,  represented  the  United 
States.  A  graphic  and  artistic  painting  of  the  signing  of  this  treaty 
is  one  of  the  historic  pictures  in  the  Governor's  reception  room  at  the 
capitol. 

Meeting   of   Third   Territorial   Legislature 


The  third  legislature  of  the  territory  of  Minnesota  met  at  St.  Paul 
on  the  7th  of  January,  1852,  in  a  building  on  Third,  below  Jackson 
street,  which  in  time  became  a  part  of  the  Merchants  Hotel.  The 
Ramsey  county  members  were :  Council — Geo.  W.  Farrington.  L.  A. 
Babcock  and  \\m.  H.  Forbes,  the  latter  being  president.  House — 
Charles  S.  Cave,  William  P.  Murray,  Sam  D.  Findley,  Jeremiah  W. 
Selby  and  J.  E.  Fullerton.  Four  men,  who  later  became  prominent 
citizens  of  St.  Paul,  represented  other  localities  this  year.  They  were : 
N.  W.  Kittson,  Pembina;  John  D.  Ludden,  Marine;  Dr.  J.  H.  Mur- 
phy,  St  Anthony ;  and  Dr.   David  Day,  Long   Prairie. 

The  legislature  submitted  to  the  people  a  prohibitory  liquor  law. 
The  election  on  the  5th  of  April  resulted  in  a  majority  of  votes  in  its 


60  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

favor.  That  night  there  was  a  peal  of  joy  from  all  the  church  bells. 
After  the  adoption  of  the  law  some  liquor  was  brought  up  in  a  steam- 
boat and  deposited  in  a  warehouse  at  the  foot  of  Jackson  street.  The 
sheriff  made  an  attempt  to  seize  the  boat,  but  was  resisted  by  an  angry 
crowd.  The  sheriff  summoned  a  large  body  of  citizens  to  his  aid, 
among  others  the  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  clergjmen.  As  the  posse 
marched  down  Jackson  street  they  were  met  by  men  with  stones  in 
their  hands  and  yelling  voices.  Colonel  D.  .\.  Robertson,  fearing  a 
riot,  climbed  a  sugar  hogshead  and  began  a  speech  in  the  interest  of 
law  and  order.  While  he  was  earnestly  addressing  the  mob  the  top 
of  the  hogshead  fell  in.  and  the  crowd  changed  from  cursing  to  laugh- 
ing. Good  humor  having  been  restored,  a  compromise  was  soon  ef- 
fected. The  friends  of  liquor  tested  the  constitutionality  of  the  law, 
and  judge  Hayner  decided  that  it  was  void  because  the  legislature,  by 
the  Organic  act  of  the  territory,  could  not  delegate  its  power  to  the 
people. 

The  act  providing  for  the  erection  of  the  capitol  in  St.  Paul  enacted 
that  the  work  should  be  done  under  the  supervision  of  a  board  of  five 
commissioners,  who  should  receive  three  dollars  per  day,  etc.  The 
election  for  these  officers  took  place  on  April  17th.  resulting  in  the 
choice  of  D.  F.  Brawley  and  Louis  Robert,  of  Ramsey  county ;  E.  A. 
C.  Hatch,  of  Benton  county ;  and  J.  McKusick,  of  Washington  county. 
The  governor  was  ex-officio  a  member  and  chairman  of  the  board. 

On  August  10,  1852,  it  was  stated  that  the  cars  on  the  Galena  road 
had  commenced  to  run  from  Chicago  to  Rockford.  They  did  not  reach 
the  Mississippi  for  three  years  after  this. 

At  that  date,  Minneapolis  was  not  yet  christened  by  its  present 
name,  but  is  always  referred  to  in  the  papers  as  "All  Saints." 

Hotels  seemed  to  be  as  ill-fated  in  those  days  as  they  were  a  few 
years  subsequently.  On  June  23rd  a  large  one  just  erected  by  Daniels 
&  Wasson  near  the  upper  levee  was  burned. 

Fourth  Legislature  Convenes 

The  fourth  legislature,  on  the  4th  of  January,  1853,  assembled  in  a 
two-story  brick  building,  at  the  corner  nf  Third  and  Minnesota  streets. 
Messrs.  Kittson,  Gingras  and  Rolette,  members  from  Pembina,  walked 
the  five  hundred  miles  from  that  place,  on  snow  two  feet  deep,  with 
snow-shoes. 

Some  delay  was  experienced  in  electing  officers  and  organizing.  Hon. 
Martin  McLeod  was  elected  president  of  the  council  with  but  little  de- 
lay, but  the  house  was  not  so  harmonious.  Day  after  day  they  bal- 
loted for  speaker,  and  it  was  not  until  January  25th,  on  the  sixty-fourth 
ballot,  that  a  choice  was  made.  Dr.  David  Day,  then  Icmporariiy  resid- 
ing in  Benton  county,  was  elected  over  B.  W.  T.ott  by  one  vote. 

On  January  26th  Governor  Ramsey  delivered  his  annual  message  to 
the  two  houses  and  populace,  in  the  court  house  then  recently  com- 
pleted. 

St.  P.\tTi.  IN   1853 

The  Pioneer,  of  January  20.  1853,  rejoices  over  the  evidences  that 
St.  Paul  is  becoming  a  city.  The  editor  walked  down  Third  street 
after  dark,  "when  the  lights  gleam  from  the  dwellings,  in  multitudinous 
twinklings,  like  fire-flies  in  a  meadow.     Then  along  Third  street  for  an 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICIiVITY  61 

eighth  of  a  mile  the  shops  are  so  illuminated  as  to  give  the  same  a  city 
aspect.  Three  years  ago  last  winter,  there  was  scarcely  a  store  on 
Third  street." 

On  the  9th  of  April  a  party  of  Ojibways  killed  a  Sioux  near  Sha- 
kopee.  A  war  party  from  Little  Crow's  village  then  proceeded  up  the 
valley  of  the  St.  Croi.x  and  retaliated.  On  the  morning  of  the  27th  a 
band  of  Ojibways  appeared  on  Fourth  street  searching  for  some  Sioux. 
Perceiving  a  canoe  with  some  women,  and  a  man  who  had  lost  a  leg  in 
battle  a  few  years  before,  coming  up  the  river,  they  waited  for  them  to 
land  at  the  foot  of  Jackson  street,  and  then  as  they  walked  up  the  hill 
toward  Third  street  advanced  toward  them.  The  Sioux,  alarmed, 
hastened  into  a  trading  establishment  which  stood  at  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Third  and  Jackson  streets,  and  the  excited  Ojibways  fired  at 
them  through  the  windows,  mortally  wounding  a  Sioux  woman.  For 
a  short  time  the  town  presented  a  sight  similar  to  that  witnessed  in 
colony  times  in  Hadley  or  Deerfield,  the  frontier  towns  of  Massachusetts. 
Messengers  were  sent  to  Fort  Snelling  for  the  dragoons,  and  citizens  on 
horseback  were  quickly  in  pursuit  of  the  painted,  naked  savages  who 
had  avenged  themselves  in  the  streets  of  St.  Paul.  The  dragoons,  under 
Lieutenant  ]\Iagruder.  were  soon  on  the  track  of  the  assailants  and 
reached  them  near  the  Falls  of  St.  Croix.  The  dragoons  fired  upon 
them  and  one  Indian  was  killed.     The  others  escaped. 

Gorman  Succeeds  Ramsey 

In  May,  1853,  Willis  A.  Gorman,  of  Indiana,  arrived  at  St.  Paul 
as  the  successor  of  Governor  Ramsey,  and  Robert  A.  Smith  came  as 
his  private  secretary.  Mr.  Smith  is  still  living  in  St.  Paul  and,  in  the 
interim,  has  held  more  offices  and  for  longer  periods  than  any  other 
citizen.  He  has  been  county  treasurer,  alderman,  mayor,  postmaster, 
etc.,  and  is  at  the  present  writing  one  of  the  county  commissioners — ■ 
not  having  even  yet,  at  the  age  of  more  than  four-score  years,  reached 
the  status  of  many  obsolete  ex-functionaries,  "the  world  forgetting, 
by  the  world   forgot." 

With  the  incoming  of  Pierce's  administration,  among  the  heads  that 
fell  was  that  of  Postmaster  Bass.  His  successor  was  William  H. 
Forbes,  the  commission  being  dated  March  i8th.  but  not  gazetted  in  St. 
Paul  until  April  14th.  ^Ir.  Forbes  bought  the  fixtures  of  Bass'  office, 
and'  removed  them  to  a  one-story  frame  building  situated  on  Third 
street  near  ]\Iinnesota.  The  glass  boxes  of  Bass'  time  were  extended 
so  as  to  reach  across  the  room,  and  a  door  in  the  middle  of  this  par- 
tition gave  entrance  for  the  duly  sworn  employes  to  the  work-room  in 
the  rear.  Mr.  Forbes  appointed  as  his  deputy  John  C.  Terry,  who 
retained  his  position  as  assistant  during  several  changes  of  incumbency, 
and  in  1870  bade  adieu  to  the  postal  service,  after  eighteen  years  of 
faithful   labor. 

During  the  year  1853,  Oakland  Cemetery  was  opened.  On  June 
2^rd  the  association  was  organized  with  the  following  corporators:  Rev. 
f.  G.  Riheldafifer,  Rev.  T.  Wilcoxson,  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill,  Geo.  W.  Far- 
rington,  Alexander  Ramsey,  John  E.  Warren,  Henry  A.  Lambert,  B. 
F.  Hoyt  and  Sherwood  Hough.  On  .August  23rd  the  association  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  land  for  $1,600.  The  grounds  were  afterwards 
greatly  enlarged  and  beautified. 

From  the  city  papers  this  year,  we  get  the  names  of  the   following 


62  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

business  houses  in  1853:  General  dealers — H.  C.  Sanford,  A.  L.  Lar- 
penteur,  D.  L.  Fuller.  D.  and  P.  Hopkins,  Louis  Robert,  W'm.  H.  Forbes, 
Rev  &  May  and  Culver  &  Farrington. 

Boots  and  shoes — Henry  IJuel,  Luke  Marvin.  II.  .\.  Schliek  and 
Philip  Feldhauser. 

Dry  goods— J.  H.  &  S.  McClung,  Edward  Heenan,  A.  T.  Chanihlni, 
Cathcart,  Kern  &  Company,  S.  IL  Sergeant,  J.  !•:.  FuUerton.  l':ifelt 
Bros.,  Curran  &  Lawler  and  Louis   Blum. 

Books— Le  Due  &  Rohrer,  Wm.  S.  Combs  and   Dahl  ^K:  IXmll. 

Furs — Louis  Robert  and  C.    I.  Kovitz. 

Drugs— W.  H.  Jarvis,  Dr.   J.  H.   Day  and  liond  (S:  Kellogg. 

Hardware,  iron,  etc.— J.  McCloud,  jr.  &  Bro..  C.  K.  &  J.  Abbott 
and  W.  R.  Marshall. 

Hats  and  caps — R.  O.   Walker. 

Lumber — J.   \V.   Bass. 

Furniture — Stees  &  Hunt. 

Grocers— Julius  Georgii,  Nat.  E.  Tyson,  L.  B.  Wait  &  Company, 
J.  W.  Simpson,  W.  H.  Stillnian,  B.  Presley,  Alex.  Rev,  J.  A.  l-^irmer, 
C.  Sanford  and  B.  W.  Brunson. 

Glass— W.  W.  Hickcox  and  S.  H.  Axtell. 

Stoves— F.  S.  Xewell,  S.  C.  Bevans  and  J.  H.  Byers. 

Clothing — L.  Hyneman. 

China — R.   Marvin. 

Tobacco — J.   Campbell. 

Leather— P.  T.  I'.radlcy  \-  Company,  Martin  Drew  iS:  Company  and 
G.  Scherer. 

Furnishing   goods — Thomas   Ritchie. 

Confcclionerv — Rcnz    &    Karcher. 

Jewelrj — H.'l'owler,  X.  Spicer,  A.  D.  Roliinsmi  and  William  llling- 
worth. 

Storage  forwarding  and  commission  —  lidward  McLagan.  Constans 
&  Burbank,  Spencer,  Kilpatrick  &  Markley,  M.  M.  Rice  and  M.  Kel- 
logg &  Company. 

Millinerv — Mrs.    Marvin   and   Mrs.    Stokes. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  CITY  OF  ST.  PAUL  INCORPORATED 

Incorporation  and  First  Election — "Great  Railroad  Excursion" 
— ImmigRtXtion  and  Inflation  —  Squelching  of  St.  Peter's 
Ambition — Medary  Succeeds  Gorman — The  "Sunrise  Expedi- 
tion"— Inflation  and  Collapse — Murders  and  First  Execution. 

The  year  1854  began  what  was  substantially  a  new  era  for  St.  Paul. 
It  was  an  era  of  augmented  prosperity,  which  was  destined  to  continue 
and  increase  until  the  predestined  financial  crash  of  1857  intervened  to 
terminate  it.  It  was  also  the  era  of  a  new  form  of  municipal  govern- 
ment under  a  city  charter,  as  well  as  that  of  steady  progress  toward 
and  preparation  for  the  dignity  and  responsibility  of  statehood,  which 
was  the  goal  of  the  ambition  of  all  citizens  of  Alinnesota,  those  of  St. 
Paul  being  specially  interested. 

In  January  the  legislature  (the  Fifth  territorial)  assembled  in  the 
new  capitol  building  for  the  first  time.  Ramsey  county  was  repre- 
sented by  William  P.  Murray  and  Isaac  \'an  Etten,  in  the  council ;  and 
William  Noot,  William  A.  Davis,  Louis  Bartlett,  John  H.  Day  and 
Levi  Sloan,  in  the  house. 

Among  the  enactments  of  the  session  was  a  law  approved  March 
3rd  which  incorporated  "Minnesota  Royal  Arch  Chapter  No.  i,"  of 
Free  Masons,  with  A.  T.  C.  Pierson,  high  priest ;  Andrew  G.  Chat- 
field,  king;  George  L.  Becker,  scribe;  William  H.  Newton,  Henry  Mor- 
ris, George  W.  Biddle,  and  James  Y.  Caldwell,  trustees.  Another,  ap- 
proved March  4th  chartered  the  St.  Paul  Bridge  Company,  with  the 
following  incorporators :  Lyman  Davton,  J.  C.  Ramsey,  John  R.  Irvine, 
.  J.  W.  Bass,  W.  G.  Le  Due,  W.  R.  Marshall,  Joseph  R.  Brown,  George 
L.  Becker,  William  Ames,  N.  Myrick,  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  J.  W.  Simp- 
son, C.  H.  Oakes,  M.  E.  Ames  and  Louis  Robert. 

Incorporation  and  First  Election 

But  most  important  of  all  was  the  act  of  incorporation  of  the  "City 
of  Saint  Paul,"  approved  March  4,  1854.  The  area  embraced  in  the 
corporate  limits  was  but  a  small  fraction  of  that  ample  territory  to 
which  it  is  now  grown,  being  not  over  2,400  acres  in  all.  Three  wards 
were  created,  and  the  first  city  election  under  the  new  charter  was  held 
on  April  4th.     The  following  was  the  result : 

Democrats  Whigs 

Mayor,  David  Olmsted,  269  W.  R  Marshall,  238 

City  Marshall,  W.  R.  Miller,  262  A.  H.  Cavender,  241 

Treasurer,  D.  L.  Fuller,  224  D.  Rohrer,  271 

Police  Justice,  James  Starkey,  227  O.  Simons,  248 

63 


64  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

Aldermen-elect :  First  ward — R.  C.  Knox,  two  years ;  A.  T.  Cham- 
blin  and  R.  Marvin,  one  year;  Second  ward — A.  L.  Larpenteur,  two 
years ;  T.  Fanning  and  C.  S.  Cave,  one  year ;  Third  ward — Geo.  L. 
Becker,  two  years;  Jno.  R.  Irvine  and  J.  M.  Stone,  one  year. 

Justices  of  peace-elect:  First  ward — W.  H.  Tinker;  Second  ward — 
Joseph  Lemay;  Third  ward — J.  M.  Winslow. 

Assessors-elect:  First  ward — W.  H.  Tinker;  Second  ward — \\'.  H. 
Stillman:  Third  ward,  H.  Stillwell. 

On  Tuesday,  April  nth,  the  city  council  organized.  It  elected  of- 
ficers as  follows:  President,  Geo.  L.  Becker;  clerk,  Sherwood  IIoui,'h; 
comptroller,  Findley  JNIcCormick ;  surveyor,  S.  P.  Folsom ;  attorney. 
D.  C.  Cooley. 

The  season  of  1854  was  one  of  unprecedented  prosjierity  for  the 
young  city,  as  well  as  for  the  entire  territory.  Navigation  opened  on 
April  6th,  and  a  heavy  immigration  ])oured  in.  The  population  and  busi- 
ness of  the  city  increased  rapidly  and  the  county  outside  also  received 
large  accessions  of  population.  Roads  were  opened;  farms  smiled  in 
the  wilderness ;  the  "squatter's  cabin"  was  to  be  seen  on  every  lake. 
Other  portions  of  Minnesota  were  prospered  as  highly.  Towns  sprang 
up  on  every  hand ;  mills  began  to  rattle  at  the  falls ;  immigrant  wagons 
whitened  every  road ;  plows  turned  up  the  tough  sod  of  the  prairies  and 
the  settler's  ax  reechoed  through  the  "big  woods." 

"Gre.\t  R.mlro.\d  Excursion" 

Perhaps  the  most  notable  local  event  of  1854  was  "the  Great  Rail- 
road Excursion,"  as  it  was  generally  termed,  to  celebrate  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Chicago  &  Rock  Island  Railroad,  the  first  road  to  reach  the 
Mississippi  river  in  the  northwest.  The  contractors  who  built  the  road 
prepared  a  monster  excursion.  Nearly  one  thousand  guests  were  in- 
vited, mostly  from  the  east.  They  rendezvoused  at  Chicago,  about 
June  3rd,  and  came  westward  over  the  new  road  to  Rock  Island,  where 
five  large  steamers  conveyed  them  to  St.  Paul,  arriving  there  on  the  8th. 
The  excursionists  proceeded  to  St.  Anthony,  Mimiehaha.  etc..  in  such 
conveyances  as  they  could  find.  It  was  on  this  trip  that  one  Boston 
girl  asked  who  furnished  the  whitewash  for  the  birch  trees,  and  an- 
other inquired  where  the  farmers  got  all  the  chewing  gimi  for  their  cows. 

In  the  evening  St.  Paul  citizens  gave  their  visitors  a  grand  recep- 
tion at  the  capitol.  The  hall  of  the  house  of  representatives  was  used 
as  a  supper-room,  while  the  supreme  court  chamber  was  appropriated 
for  a  ball-room.  In  the  senate  chamber  a  large  crowd  assembled  to 
listen  to  speeches  from  ex-President  Fillmore,  Geo.  Bancroft,  the  his- 
torian. Governor  Gorman  and  others.  The  music,  dancing,  feasting 
and  speaking  continued  until  niidnighi,  the  hour  set  for  the  departure 
of  the  steamers. 

The  opening  of  this  line  of  travel  largely  increased  the  steamboat 
trade  on  the  upper  Mississippi.  The  packet  company  put  on  three  new 
and  first-class  steamboats  this  year. 

On  June  26th,  ^^^  W.  Ilickcox,  a  druijgist,  who  was  engaged  in 
business  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Cedar  streets,  had  an  altercation 
with  a  flrayman.  named  l^elticr,  in  which  the  latter  struck  him  with  a 
draypin,  fracturing  his  skull.  Hickcox  died  on  July  3rd.  Peltier  was 
arrested  and  tried  for  homicide,  but  ultimately  got  clear  on  the  ground 
of  self-defense. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  65 

There  was  trouble  with  the  currency  in  circulation,  mostly  of  the 
Indiana  "wild-cat,"  or  free  bank  variety.  It  became  greatly  depreciated, 
causing  much  trouble  and  serious  loss  to  tradesmen.  Several  meetings 
of  merchants  were  called  to  devise  means  to  remedy  the  evil,  which  re- 
sulted in  organizing  a  protective  union  under  the  name,  Board  of  Trade. 
W.  R.  Marshall,  was  president,  Thos.  Foster,  vice  president,  Sam  W. 
Walker,  secretary,  and  A.  H.  Cathcart,  treasurer.  It  does  not  seem  to 
have  done  much  except  take  measures  to  remedy  the  currency  fraud. 

The  legislature  of  1855  assembled  on  January  3rd.  Ramsey  county, 
this  year,  was  represented  by  William  P.  Murray  and  Isaac  Van  Etten, 
in  the  council,  and  by  Wm.  A.  Davis,  D.  F.  Brawley,  Chas.  S.  Cave, 
Reuben  Haus  and  Joseph  Lemay,  in  the  house.  No  unusual  or  notice- 
able events  characterized  this  session. 

This  winter  there  was  only  a  tri-weekly  mail  between  St.  Paul  and 
Dubuque,  by  M.  O.  Walker's  line.  The  stages  were  anything  but  com- 
modious, and,  with  spavined  stock  and  surly  drivers,  intensified  the  hor- 
rors of  a  winter  trip  to  Galena,  the  nearest  point  where  the  eastern- 
bound  traveler  could  strike  a  railroad.  The  trip  was  advertised  for 
four  days,  but  frequently  required  six.  Storms  and  drifts  on  the  prairies 
often  snowed  up  the  stages  at  some  frontiersman's  cabin  for  two  or 
three  days. 

On  March  r,  1855,  a  fire  department  was  organized  by  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Pioneer  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  with  twenty-eight  mem- 
bers. A  subscription  was  raised  to  purchase  a  second-hand  hook  and 
ladder  wagon  from  a  company  in  Philadelphia.  It  was  used  by  the 
hook  and  ladder  company  for  nearly  twenty  years,  and  did  good  service. 
A  small  fire  engine  was  also  purchased  by  several  citizens,  and  was  for 
some  years  the  only  engine  in  use. 

On  April  3rd  at  the  city  election,  Alexander  Ramsey  was  chosen 
mayor,  Daniel  Rohrer,  treasurer,  and  W.  R.  Miller,  marshal — all  Repub- 
licans. 

Immigration  and  Inflation 

"^  .       .        .       . 

The  immigration  in  the  spring  of   1855  was  unprecedented.     Seven 

boats  arrived  in  one  day,  each  having  brought  to  Minnesota  two  hundred 

to  six  hundred  passengers.     Most  of  these  came  through  to  St.   Paul, 

and  diverged  thence  to  other  parts  of  the  territory.     It  was  estimated 

by  the  packet  company  that  they  brought  thirty  thousand  immigrants 

into  Minnesota  that  season. 

One  result  of  this  tremendous  influx  was  a  corresponding  inflation 
of  business  and  of  real  estate  values.  To  some  extent  the  real  estate 
mania  this  year  was  intelligible,  in  view  of  the  enormous  profits  made 
by  daring  operators.  For  instance,  the  papers  chronicle  one  move- 
ment made  by  Henry  McKenty,  the  king  of  real  estate  dealers,  who  was 
on  the  flood-tide  of  prosperity  from  1855  to  1857.  In  1854  he  entered 
several  thousand  acres  of  farming  land  in  Washington  county,  by  land 
warrants,  at  $1.25  per  acre.  In  the  spring  of  1855,  he  sold  the  land 
to  a  colony  from  Pennsylvania,  at  $5  per  acre,  clearing  three  hundred 
per  cent.  His  total  net  profit  on  this  transaction  was  $23,000,  which 
he  at  once  invested  in  more  land,  on  which  in  turn  he  made  almost  as 
great  profits.  But  he  met  with  a  disaster  in  the  end,  as  most  of  the  men 
of  his  class  did.    ^^ 

This  year  much  building  was  done:  Third,  Fourth  and  Jackson  streets 

were  graded,  and  other  prominent  streets  were  improved.     The  census 
Vol.  i— 5 


66  ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 

showed  a  population  of  4.716.  In  the  fall  the  Presbyterian  Society, 
known  as  the  Plouse  of  Hope,  was  organized  by  Rev.  E.  D.  Xeill ;  its 
first  meetings  were  held  in  the  Walnut  street  school  house. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  amount  of  travel  and  business  on  the  river 
during  the  season  of  1855,  it  was  stated  that  the  packet  company  de- 
clared dividends  of  $100,000.  The  "War  Eagle."  which  cost  S20.000, 
cleared  $44,000  alone;  and  the  "City  Belle,"  costing  $11,000.  cleared 
$30,000  profits. 

The  Pioneer  Guard,  the  first  volunlccr  military  company  in  the 
state,  was  organized  this  spring.  It  existed  until  1861.  when  most 
of  its  members  went  to  the  war,  and  it  ceased  to  maintain  an  organiza- 
tion. 

The  legislature  adjourned  on  March  ist.  Xo  bills  were  passed  materi- 
ally affecting  St.  Paul,  unless  we  except  the  act  detaching  St.  Anthony 
from  Ramsey  county  and  adding  it  to  Hennepin.  This  change  left 
two  officers  of  Ramsey  county  residing  beyond  the  new  limits,  viz: 
Chas.    F.    Stimson.    treasurer,    and    J.    P.    Wilson,    commissioner.      The 


TERRITORI.\L   AND   ST.VTK   C.\PITOI,, 

Erected  in  1851-53. 

board  of  commissioners,  on  .March  23rd,  elected  Robert  A.  Smith, 
county  treasurer,  and,  at  special  election,  Edmund  Rice  was  chosen 
county  commissioner. 

At  the  spring  city  election,  Geo.  L.  Becker  was  chosen  mayor;  D.inicl 
Rohrcr.  treasurer:  Orlando  Simons,  justice;  and  Wm.  R.  Miller,  mar- 
shal. The  aldermen  elected  were:  First  ward — Three  years,  Wm. 
i'.nincb:  two  years,  C.  H.  Schurmeicr.  Second  ward — Three  years, 
Wm.  1'..  McGrorty;  two  years.  Charles  Raucb.  Third  ward— Three 
vears,  Chas.  L.  Emerson;  two  years.  Patrick  Ryan.  TIk-  city  council 
shortly  afterwards  met  and  organized  by  electing  the  following:  City 
clerk.  L.  P.  Cotter;  city  attorney,  J.  1>.  Brisbin ;  comi)troller,  Geo.  W. 
Armstrong ;  surveyor,  James  .\.  Case ;  physician.  Dr.  Sanuiel  Willey. 

On  SeiHcmber  23rfl  occurred  the  opening  of  the  Fuller  House,  corner 
of  .Seventh  and  lackson  streets,  afterwards  called  the  International.  The 
owner  of  the  building  was  .Mpheus  ("1.  Iniller.  and  its  cost  was  $110,000, 
of  which  sum  $12,000  had  been  donated  by  the  citizens.  The  land  was 
also  given  a^  a  bonus  bv  J.  W.  I'.ass  and  W.  II.  Randall.     The  building 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  67 

was  of  brick  and  four  stories  in  height.     The  lessees  were  Stephen  and 
Ed.  Long,  and  the  hotel  was  very  successful  from  the  first. 

The  year  1857  was  marked  by  a  variety  of  important  occurrences. 
It  was  one  of  the  most  exciting  and  memorable  in  the  annals  of  St. 
Paul.  The  first  City  Directory,  issued  early  in  February,  by  Goodrich, 
Somers  &  Company,  contained  about  1,700  names.  Its  advertisements 
included  158  business  establishments. 

Squelching  of  St.  Peter's  Ambition 

On  January  7th,  the  eighth  session  of  the  territorial  legislature  con- 
vened at  the  capitol.  During  this  season  occurred  the  passage  of  an 
act  removing  the  capital  to  St.  Peter.  The  bill  was  introduced  on  Feb- 
ruary 6th,  by  W.  D.  Lowry,  councillor  from  St.  Cloud,  and  on  the  12th 
passed  the  council — ayes  eight,  nays  seven.  Among  those  who  promi- 
nently opposed  it  were  Hons.  J.  D.  Ludden,  H.  N.  Setzer,  J.  B.  Brisbin 
and  B.  F.  Tillotson.  In  the  house  it  was  opposed  by  J.  R.  Brown,  L. 
K.  Stannard,  Dr.  W.  S.  Sweney,  of  Red  Wing,  Elam  Greeley,  John  M. 
Berry  and  W.  P.  Murray.  The  measure  was  also  generally  opposed  by 
the  press  of  the  territory.  It,  however,  passed  on  the  i8th,  and  the 
bill  was  sent  back  to  the  council  to  be  enrolled. 

The  people  of  St.  Paul  were  greatly  depressed  by  the  outcome,  and 
the  townsite  boomers  who  worshipped  the  other  Saint  were  correspond- 
ingly elated,  for  they  knew  that  the  governor  would  promptly  sign  the 
bill.  The  opponents  of  the  removal  did  not  give  up  the  fight  but  arranged 
to  accomplish  by  strategy,  if  necessary,  the  defeat  of  the  scheme.  The 
capital  removers  had  not  reckoned  on  Joe  Rolette. 

Rolette  was  a  member  of  the  legislative  council  from  Pembina,  on 
the  Red  river,  at  the  extreme  northern  boundary  of  the  territory.  He 
was  not  a  half-breed  Indian,  as  tradition  alleges.  He  was  a  full-blooded 
French  Canadian,  intelligent  and  educated,  the  son  of  a  trader  at  Prairie 
du  Chien,  whose  name  appears  creditably  in  preceding  chapters  of  this 
history.  It  was  Rolette's  custom,  when  at  home,  to  wear  Indian  garb, 
as  all  his  dealings  were  with  that  people.  But  when  he  came  to  St. 
Paul  he  always  ordered  a  fine  new  suit  of  clothes  and  had  the  bill  sent  to 
Henry  M.  Rice,  his  former  employer,  who  was  a  very  generous  man 
and  w-ho  promptly  paid,  without  question. 

Rolette  was  a  friend  to  St.  Paul  and  St.  Peter  was,  to  him,  the  butt 
end  of  a  negation,  pounded  to  a  pulp.  He  was  also  chairman  of  the 
enrollment  committee  of  the  council.  Thus  the  bill  came  into  his  posses- 
sion after  its  supposed  passage,  on  February  27th.  Partly  as  a  practi- 
cal joke,  to  begin  with,  he  had  the  bill  locked  up  in  the  vault  of  Truman 
M.  Smith's  bank;  then  had  his  room  at  the  Fuller  House  changed;  went 
to  his  new  room  and  "disappeared" — the  hotel  clerk  reporting  that  he 
had  left  town. 

Rolette  remained  in  hiding  at  the  hotel  for  several  days,  visited  often 
by  friends  who  were  in  the  secret  and  diligently  searched  for  by  the 
sergeant-at-arms.  also  a  partisan  of  St.  Paul,  who  knew  where  he  was 
all  the  time. 

There  was  consternation  in  the  council  when  the  roll-call,  on  the 
28th,  disclosed  that  Rolette  was  absent.  In  an  unguarded  moment  the 
capital  movers  demanded  a  "call  of  the  house,"  and  sent  the  sergeant- 
at-arms  for  the  missing  member.  Once  under  this  order,  the  president 
of  the  council,  John  B.  Brisbin,  of  St.  Paul,  ruled  that  by  parliamentary 


68  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

law,  a  two-thirds  vote  was  required  to  suspend  the  call,  and  that,  mean- 
time, no  other  business  could  be  transacted. 

There  were  nine  votes  out  of  fourteen  to  suspend  the  call  and  it  was 
gravely  argued  that  this  was  two-thirds,  but  President  Brisbin  decided 
otherwise  and  refused  to  permit  an  appeal  from  his  decision. 

The  deadlock  held  the  council  in  continuous  session  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty-three  hours,  and  during  all  that  period  Rolette  remained 
hidden.  At  last,  at  i  P.  M.,  on  March  5th,  the  council  adjourned.  On 
March  6th,  the  same  conditions  prevailed.  At  12  o'clock,  noon,  on 
March  7th,  the  session  was  to  end  by  limitation,  and  when  that  hour 
arrived  President  Brisbin  rapped  on  his  desk  to  announce  the  adjourn- 
ment. At  that  dramatic  moment,  Joe  Rolette  burst  into  the  chamber 
with  the  bill  and  submitted  a  report  disclosing  several  errors  in  the  en- 
rollment. Brisbin  merely  replied,  "You  are  too  late,  Mr.  Rolette."  and 
declared  the  council  adjourned,  sine  die. 

An  effort  was  made,  in  spite  of  all  this,  to  declare  the  bill  carried. 
An  alleged  copy  of  it  was  taken  to  Governor  Gorman,  who,  being  friendly 
to  the  removal  scheme,  promptly  signed  it.  But  it  could  not  become  a 
law  without  the  signature  of  Mr.  Brisbin  as  the  presiding  officer  of  one 
branch  of  the  territorial  legislature.  Brisbin  refused  his  signature  and 
filed  a  document  giving  seven  reasons  why  he  could  not  sign  the  pre- 
tended enactment.  These  seven  reasons  were  published  with  the  bill 
as  it  appears  in  the  volume  of  Territorial  laws  for  1857. 

During  the  following  June  the  president  of  the  St.  Peter  Land  Com- 
pany applied  to  Judge  R.  R.  Nelson,  of  the  territorial  court,  for  a  writ 
of  mandamus  to  remove  the  officers  to  St.  Peter.  In  July,  Judge  Nelson 
refused  the  writ,  holding  that  no  law  had  been  passed. 

Thus  perished  the  high  hopes  of  St.  Peter  and  the  land  speculators, 
whose  enthusiasm  had  over-capitalized  their  expectations  and  led  them 
to  a  defeat  only  eclipsed  a  few  years  later,  when  Pickett's  men  assaulted 
the  Rock  of  Ages  at  Gettysburg. 

After  the  legislature  adjourned.  Rolette  was  the  local  lion.  .\  torch- 
light procession,  headed  by  a  band,  escorted  him  through  the  streets  of 
the  city  and  the  citizens  presented  him  with  a  purse  of  $2,5CX) — most 
of  which  he  spent  having  a  good  time,  before  he  left  town. 

Harlan  P.  Hall,  from  whose  graphic  narration  many  of  the  particu- 
lars of  this  episode  have  been  culled,  relieves  Rolette  from  any  imputa- 
tion of  corrupt  motives  in  the  transaction.  He  wanted  to  help  his  St. 
Paul  friends  and  did  it  in  his  own  way,  which  was  quite  effective.  At 
this  focal  distance,  the  action  of  St.  Paul  in  aiding  Rolette's  scheme 
and,  later,  in  applauding  it,  does  not  appear  either  dignified  or  honora- 
ble. But  it  was  excused  at  the  time  by  the  alleged  fact  that  the  re- 
moval plan  was  corrupt  from  its  inception,  and  that  in  this  case  fight- 
ing .Satan  with  caloric  was  permissililc.  There  were  "millions  in  it" 
for  the  boomers,  in  case  of  success.  The  records  of  Nicollet  county 
show  that  many  legislators  received  deeds  for  town  lots,  which  they 
openly  registered  before  the  case  was  finally  decided. 

Time,  however,  brings  its  revenges,  often  in  another  form.  St.  Peter 
lost  the  capital,  but  it  has  been  industriously  supplying  governors  ever 
since — Swift,  Austin.  McGill  and  John  A.  Johnson  already  standing  to 
its  credit. 

At  the  session  of  the  legislature  which  thus  attempted  to  remove 
the  capital,  and  failed,  an  act  was  passed  incorporating  the  "St.  Paul 
Library  Association."     The   incoroporators  were   Charles  E.  Mayo,  J. 


ST.   PAUL  AXD  MCINITY  69 

W.  McCIung,  R.  F.  Houseworth,  S.  D.  Jackson,  J.  F.  Hoyt,  E.  Ingalls, 
A.  R.  Capehart,  Wm.  A.  Croffut,  Thoriipson  Connolly  and  P.  De  Roche- 
brune. 

On  ]\Iarch  25th,  Messrs.  Day  &  Grace,  who  had  contracted  to  build 
the  Ramsey  county  jail  for  $75,000,  broke  ground  for  the  same.  The 
building  was  finished  in  November. 

In  April  came  the  news  of  the  Ink-pa-doo-tah  (Red  End)  massacres 
at  Spirit  Lake,  Iowa,  and  Springfield,  Minnesota.  There  was  great  ex- 
citement. The  pioneer  Guard  offered  to  go  at  once  to  the  scene,  but 
the  company  was  not  sent.  Subsequently  two  of  the  female  captives, 
Miss  Abbie  Gardner  and  I\Irs.  Marble,  were  rescued  from  the  savages, 
mainly  through  the  instrumentality  of  Hon.  Charles  E.  Flandrau,  and 
brought  to  St.  Paul,  where  they  were  given  a  reception  and  presented 
with  considerable  sums  of  money  by  the  citizens. 

The  spring  of  1S57  was  one  of  the  latest  ever  known.  The  "first 
boat"  did  not  arrive  at  St.  Paul  until  the  morning  of  May  ist.  Once 
the  barrier  was  broken,  however,  the  season  was  inaugurated  with  a 
fleet  of  boats.  On  May  4th,  eighteen  were  on  the  levee  at  one  time,  and, 
a  few  days  afterwards,  twenty-four,  the  largest  number  ever  seen  at 
this  landing.  Each  of  these  was  crowded  with  passengers  and  their 
goods^  so  great  was  the  rush  of  immigration. 

Medary  Succeeds  Gorman 

Samuel  Medary.  of  Ohio,  who  had  been  appointed  governor  of  the 
territory,  reached  St.  Paul  April  22,  1857.  A  special  session  of  the 
legislature  had  been  called  by  Governor  Gorman,  to  arrange  for  a  con- 
stitutional convention.  On  April  29th,  Governor  Medary  sent  in  his 
message.  He  referred  specially  to  the  proposed  convention,  and  to  the 
railroad  land  grants  recently  made  by  congress.  The  special  legislative 
session  only  lasted  until  May  25th,  but  it  provided  machinery  for  the 
constitutional  convention,  preliminary  to  statehood,  and  appropriated 
$30,000  for  the  expenses  thereof. 

On  May  5th,  John  B.  Brisbin,  Democrat,  was  elected  mayor  without 
opposition.      The    remaining   officers    were   Republicans. 

On  June  27th,  H.  \'an  Liew  opened  the  Peoples  Theatre  in  a  frame 
structure,  built  for  the  purpose,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Fourth  and 
St.  Peter  streets.  Van  Liew  had  a  very  good  company,  and  ran  his 
theatre  that  season,  and  also  during  the  summers  of  1858  and  1859.  The 
building  burned  down  September  8,  1859,  during  a  political  meeting, 
while  Schuyler  Colfax  and  Galusha  A.  Grow  were  addressing  it.  The 
scenery  of  the  People's  Theatre  was  painted  by  Albert  Colgrave,  the 
first  scenic  artist  in  Minnesota. 

The  "Sunrise  Expedition" 

In  August.  1857,  occurred  the  "Sunrise  Expedition."  A  small  band 
of  Chippewas  had  been  engaging  in  thieving  operations  in  the  Rum 
river  valley,  near  Cambridge,  fifty  miles  north  of  St.  Paul,  and  had  so 
terrified  the  settlers  that  many  of  them  fled.  By  order  of  Governor 
Medary,  what  was  known  as  the  St.  Paul  Light  Cavalry  Company  was 
organized,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  James  Starkey.  It  comprised 
twentv-seven  men,  who  were  uniformed  in  red  coats  and  white  trousers 


70  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

and  armed  with  heavy  sabers  and  army  revolvers.  The  company  marched 
August  24th  and  four  days  later  came  in  collision  with  the  Indians. 

The  latter  at  first  thought  of  surrendering,  but  changed  their  minds 
and  fled,  with  the  troops  in  pursuit,  firing  shots  in  the  air  in  a  vain  at- 
tempt to  intimidate  the  red  men.  The  Indians  entered  a  corn  field,  fol- 
lowed by  the  cavalrymen  who  tore  down  the  fence  and  fired  upon  the 
savages,  killing  one  and  wounding  another.  Private  Frank  Donnelly, 
who  was  in  advance  of  the  command,  was  aiming  his  revolver  at  a 
wounded  fugitive,  when  the  Indian,  whose  name  was  Sha-go-ba,  shot 
Donnelly  through  the  heart,  killing  him  almost  instantly.  The  surviv- 
ing Indians  surrendered,  and  it  was  only  with  the  utmost  exertion  that 
Lieutenant  Salter  saved  their  lives,  so  intent  were  the  exasperated  troop- 
ers to  avenge  the  death  of  Donnelly. 

The  prisoners  were  brought  to  St.  Paul  the  next  day.  They  were 
five  in  num])er — Sha-go-ba,  Om-b-garbo,  Ma-in-gous,  Xat-tam-ab  and 
Ma-to-ma.  They  were  taken  to  the  capitol,  but,  the  governor  being  ab- 
sent, the  prisoners  were  lodged  in  the  city  lockup.  Thence  they  were 
removed  to  the  armory.  William  J.  Cullen,  superintendent  of  Indian 
afi^airs,  applied  to  Judge  R.  R.  Nelson  of  the  supreme  court  for  a  writ 
of  habeas  corpus,  which  was  granted.  A  return  to  the  writ  was  made  by 
Attorney  deneral  Emmet  on  behalf  of  the  territory.  On  September 
4th,  huige  Nelson  discharged  the  prisoners  and  placed  them  in  custody 
of  the  sherifl^  of  Ramsey  county. 

In  the  final  hearing  before  judge  Nelson,  Ma-to-ma.  on  the  witness 
stand,  dei)osed  that  he  and  his  fellow  prisoners  lived  at  Mille  Lacs;  that 
their  chief  was  Wadena  and  that  they  were  merely  hunting  deer  when 
captured  and  intended  to  return  home  in  a  few  days. 

Judge  Nel.son  remanded  Sha-go-ba  to  the  custody  of  the  sheriff  of 
Ramsey  county  and  discharged  the  other  prisoners,  whom  he  ordered 
sent  back  home.  The  slayer  of  Donnelly  was  delivered  to  Sheriff  Smith 
of  Chisago  county,  at  Taylors  Falls,  .^.s  there  was  no  jail  or  lockup  in 
the  town,  the  sheriff  was  com])clled  to  confine  the  Indian  in  his  own 
house.  During  the  night  Sha-go-ba  escaped  and  crossed  the  St.  Croix 
into  Wisconsin.  No  attemiH  was  made  to  recapture  him.  and  history 
is  silent  as  to  his  subsequent  career. 

In  September  an  official  census  was  taken  to  ascertain  the  population 
of  the  state  when  admitted,  and  to  fix  its  representation  in  congress. 
The  result  was  announced:  St.  Paul,  9,973;  Ramsey  county.  \ 2.747; 
Minnesota   150,037. 

On  October  13th  was  held  the  first  state  election.  Minnesota  had 
not  yet  been  admitted  to  the  I'nion,  but  it  was  considered  certain  that 
it  would  be  upon  the  oi^ening  of  congress  in  December.  In  Ramsey 
county  all  of  the  Democratic  candidates  for  the  various  offices  were 
elected,  with  the  single  exception  of  Hon.  W.  P.  Murray  for  district 
judge,  who  was  defeated  by  E.  C.  Palmer,  an  Independent  candidate. 

Infi..\tion  anp  Coll.\pse 

This  (1857)  was  a  year  of  wild  and  extravagant  real  estate  specula- 
tion. The  town  was  filled  with  operators,  and  all  sorts  of  schemes,  even 
the  most  reprehensible,  were  resorted  to  by  sharpers  to  fleece  the  inex- 
perienced and  unwary.  There  were,  of  course,  many  legitimate  invest- 
ments made,  but  a  large  jiortion  of  the  transactions  were  of  a  fraudu- 
lent character.     The   reckless  si)irit  of  si)eculation,  which  characterized 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \1CIXITY  71 

those  times,  was  appalling,  to  look  on  it  now  from  a  soberer  standpoint. 
Perhaps  in  no  city  of  America  was  the  real  estate  mania,  and  reckless 
trading  and  speculation,  so  wild  and  extravagant,  as  in  St.  Paul. 

Then  the  financial  cloud-burst  came.  On  August  24th  occurred  the 
failure  of  the  Ohio  Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Company,  of  New  York, 
which  gave  rise  to  the  memorable  panic.  To  St.  Paul,  this  pricking  of 
the  bubble  of  speculation  was  ruinous  in  its  consequences.  Everything 
had  been  so  inflated  and  unreal — values  purely  fictitious,  all  classes  in 
debt,  with  but  little  real  wealth ;  honest  industry  neglected,  and  every- 
thing speculative  and  feverish — that  the  blow  fell  with  terrible  force. 
Business  was  paralyzed,  and  but  little  good  money  was  in  circulation. 
Ruin  stared  all  classes  in  the  face.  The  banking  houses  closed  their 
doors ;  nearly  all  the  mercantile  firms  suspended  or  made  assignments. 
All  works  of  improvement  ceased,  and  general  gloom  and  despondency 
settled  down  in  the  community.  In  a  few  days,  from  the  top  wave  of 
prosperity,  it  was  plunged  into  the  slough  of  despond. 

In  the  midst  of  these  troubles  came  a  call  from  Stearns  and  other 
counties,  asking  relief  for  poor  settlers,  whose  crops  had  been  destroyed 
by  grasshoppers.  A  considerable  amount  was  subscribed  in  this  city, 
poor  as  everybody  was.  The  home  destitute  were  also  cared  for,  and 
public  improvements  were  projected  to  give  them  employment. 

And  now  the  hard  times  commenced  in  earnest.T^No  description  of 
this  terrible  and  gloomy  period  will  convey  any  idea  of  it.  With  many, 
even  those  who  had  but  shortly  before  imagined  themselves  wealthy, 
there  was  a  terrible  struggle  between  pride  and  want.  But  few  had 
saved  anything,  so  generally  had  the  reckless  spirit  of  the  times  infested 
all  classes.  The  hmnble  poor,  of  course,  sufifered ;  but  the  keenest  suf- 
fering was  among  those  who  experienced  the  fall  from  affluence  to 
poverty. 

The  papers  were  crowded  for  months  with  foreclosures  of  mortgages, 
executions  and  other  results  of  the  crash.  Not  one  in  five  of  the  busi- 
ness houses  or  firms  weathered  the  storm,  despite  the  most  desperate 
struggles.  The  population  of  the  city  fell  oflf  almost  fifty  per  cent,  and 
stores  would  scarcely  rent  at  any  price.  "jC 

Toward  winter  the  stringency  increased  severely.  The  currency 
which  had  been  in  use  before  the  crash  had  about  all  gone  up,  or  been 
withdrawn.  There  was  a  limited  amount  of  specie  in  circulation,  but 
this  was  soon  hoarded.  Exchange  on  the  east  was  ten  per  cent.  To 
devise  some  measures  for  relief,  meetings  of  the  merchants  were  held, 
and  various  plans  recommended  to  the  legislature — a  stay  law,  general 
banking  system,  etc.  The  city  and  county  boards  were  advised  to  issue 
denominational  scrip,  to  use  as  currency.  This  scheme  was  soon  put 
in  operation,  and  the  scrip  was  in  circulation  for  two  or  three  years. 

A  notable  event  in  1858  was  the  passage  of  the  "Five  Million  Loan 
Bill"  by  the  legislature  and  its  ratification  by  a  popular  vote — a  trans- 
action that  led  to  important  political  results  ot  a  later  date.  The  bonds 
were  to  be  issued  in  aid  of  railroad  construction.  In  St.  Paul  the  vote 
was  4,051  for  and  183  against  the  bonds. 

Murders  .^nd  First  Execution 

Stanislaus  Bilanski,  a  Polander  by  birth,  had  lived  in  Wisconsin  prior 
to  coming  to  St.  Paul  in  1842.  He  purchased  a  claim  and  cabin  on  the 
point   of    second   table-land    between    Phelan's    creek   and   Trout    creek. 


72  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

called  "Oak  Point,"  and  lived  there  several  years.  Bilanski  had  a  facil- 
ity for  marrying  and  divorcing  wives,  that  ultimately  brought  him  to  an 
untimely  end.  While  living  with  his  fourth  wife,  he  died,  on  March 
II,  1859,  under  circumstances  that  indicated  poisoning.  His  wife,  for- 
merly Annie  Evards  of  North  Carolina,  was  married  by  him  on  short 
acquaintance.  Of  her  past  life,  what  little  was  known,  was  not  credita- 
ble. Bilanski's  last  illness  was  short,  and  his  symptoms  were  thought 
suspicious.  After  his  burial,  a  girl,  who  had  been  employed  by  the  fam- 
ily, reported  that  she  had  purchased  arsenic  at  Mrs.  Bilanski's  request, 
and  mentioned  other  circumstances  indicating  that  Bilanski  was  the  vic- 
tim of  a  design  to  murder  him  on  the  part  of  his  wife.  Mrs.  Bilanski 
was  arrested,  and  the  body  of  Bilanski  being  exhumed  the  stomach  was 
subjected  to  analysis.  This  revealed  strong  proofs  of  arsenic,  and,  on 
May  15th,  Mrs.  Bilanski  was  indicted  for  murder  in  the  first  degree. 
On  her  trial  she  was  ably  defended,  but,  on  June  3rd,  was  found  guilty. 
On  December  9th  she  was  sentenced  to  be  hung,  and  March  23,  i860, 
was  fixed  by  the  governor  as  the  date. 

Members  of  the  legislature  op])osed  to  capital  punishment  secured 
the  passage  of  a  bill  commuting  the  sentence,  but  Governor  Ramsey 
vetoed  it.  The  execution  of  the  unfortunate  woman  took  place  at  ten 
o'clock,  on  March  23rd.  The  scaffold  was  erected  in  the  enclosed  yard 
adjoining  the  jail.  An  immense  crowd  attended.  The  Pioneer  Guard 
with  loaded  muskets  were  placed  in  line  in  front  of  the  jail  to  preserve 
order.  Mrs.  Bilanski.  who  had  spent  the  morning  in  devotional  exer- 
cises with  Father  Caillet  and  another  clergyman,  walked  with  a  firm 
step  to  the  gallows.  Before  the  fatal  noose  was  adjusted,  she  spoke  a 
few  words  to  the  eft'ect  that  she  had  not  had  justice  in  her  trial.  She 
kissed  the  crucifix,  the  black  cap  was  put  on  and  the  noose  adjusted. 
The  bolt  was  then  drawn  and  the  body  fell.  After  hanging  a  short  time 
it  was  taken  down  and  buried  in  the  Catholic  cemetery. 

The  Wright  county  war  occurred  in  1839,  and  created  a  furious  but 
tem])orary  local  sensation.  H.  A.  W'allace  was  murdered  during  the 
preceding  autumn  in  Wright  county,  and  a  neighbor,  Oscar  F.  Jack- 
son, was  tried  for  the  offense  in  the  spring  of  1859,  but  acquitted  by  the 
jury.  On  .April  25th.  a  crowd  of  men  assembled  and  hung  Jackson  to 
the  gable  of  Wallace's  cabin.  It  was  a  most  wicked  and  inexcusable 
outrage.  Governor  Sibley  offered  a  reward  for  the  conviction  of  any 
of  the  lynchers.  Not  long  afterwards.  Emery  Moore  was  arrested  on 
the  charge  of  aiding  in  the  affair,  and  taken  to  Wright  county  for  trial, 
but  was  rescued  by  a  mob.  Governor  Sibley  at  once  decided  to  take 
vigorous  measures  to  maintain  the  majesty  of  the  law.  A  military  force 
was  called  out,  and  three  companies  dispatched  (August  ^th)  to  Monti- 
cello,  to  arrest  the  rioters  and  reinforce  the  law.  The  pioneer  Guard 
headed  the  column,  which  was  in  command  of  Colonel  John  S.  Prince.  A 
few  special  officers  and  detectives  accompanied  the  force.  The  military 
proceeded  to  Monticello,  reinforced  the  civil  authorities,  arrested  eleven 
lynchers  and  rescuers,  and  turned  them  over  to  the  Wright  county 
officers.  Having  subdued  the  "rebellion"  thev  returned,  August  nth, 
to  St.  Paul. 


CHAPTER  Mil 

MINNESOTA'S  ATTAINMENT  OF  STATEHOOD 

Stormy  First  State  Convention — Constitution  Adopted — Minne- 
sota's Three  Gox'ernors — Rice  and  Shields  Elected  Senators — 
Admitted  to  the  Union — Paper  Railways  and  "Wild  Cat" 
Banks — Ramsey^'s  Republican  Administration. 

So  much  of  ^linnesota  history,  during  her  territorial  era  and  her 
first  years  of  Statehood,  was  made  at  St.  Paul,  and  so  many  of  the  local 
events  of  the  city  were  of  state-wide  interest,  that  no  intelligible  history 
of  the  one  can  be  written  without  copious  references  to  the  affairs  of 
the  other.  As  regards  population,  finances,  politics  and  the  elements  of 
progress  generally,  the  terms  were  for  a  long  time  practically  synony- 
mous. The  type  of  frontier  statemen  who  boasted  that  he  kept  his 
conscience,  his  town-lot  titles  and  his  hope  of  salvation  in  his  wife's 
name,  numerously  abounded  here,  and  was  ever  ready  to  help  mould  the 
plastic  forms  of  society  to  suit  his  special  requirements.  He  did  much 
of  the  talking,  but  fortunately  usually  had  a  seat  oputside  the  railing, 
when  rolls  were  called. 

Stormy  First  State  Convention 

The  constitutional  convention,  the  final  act  of  preparation  for  state- 
hood, performed  its  work  in  a  curious  but  effective  manner.  The  elec- 
tion of  delegates  to  this  convention  was  held  in  the  several  legislative 
districts  of  the  territory  on  June  i,  1857.  The  campaign  was  a  strenu- 
ous one,  both  Republicans  and  Democrats  working  hard  to  secure  con- 
trol. The  result  was  in  doubt.  There  were  contests  in  Hennepin  and 
Houston  counties,  and  on  the  face  of  the  returns  the  Republicans  had 
a    small   majority. 

The  convention  was  due  to  be  called  to  order  at  12  o'clock,  noon,  on 
Monday,  July  13,  1857.  The  Republican  members  elect,  knowing  that 
the  Democrats,  through  the  territorial  officers,  controlled  the  legislative 
hall  where  the  sessions  were  to  be  held,  resolved  to  anticipate  events  by 
assembling  early.  They  accordingly  went  to  the  capitol  on  Sunday, 
took  possession  of  the  house  of  representatives,  and  remained  there  all 
night  in  order  to  make  sure  of  being  on  time.  At  fifteen  minutes  before 
twelve  o'clock  on  ^londay,  according  to  the  official  record,  J.  W.  North 
called  the  convention  to  order  and  nominated  Thomas  J.  Galbraith  as 
president  pro  tem.  The  motion,  put  by  ^Ir.  North,  was  declared  car- 
ried and  Galbraith  assumed  the  chair. 

The  Democrats  appeared  at  the  hall  just  as  these  proceedings  began, 
headed  by  C.  J.  Chase,  the  secretary  of  the  territory,  who  called  the  con- 
vention to  order.  As  soon  as  he  did  so,  ex-Governor  Willis  A.  Gorman 
moved  that  the  convention  adjourn,  and  the  Democrats  all  marched  out, 

73 


74  ST.  TAIL  AND  MCINITY 

leaving  the  Republican  delegates  in  peaceable  possession.  The  official 
record  of  the  Republican  branch  of  the  convention  alludes  to  tliis  episode 
thus:  "At  this  stage  of  the  proceedings  a  portion  of  the  delegates  left 
the  convention." 

After  caucusing  bj'  both  factions  during  the  night,  the  Republicans 
again  took  possession  of  the  hall  early  Tuesdaj'  morning.  The  Demo- 
crats, with  Secretary  Chase  at  their  head,  moved  to  the  door  of  the  hall, 
but  did  not  enter.  Mr.  Chase  announced  to  his  party:  "The  hall  to 
which  the  delegates  adjourned  yesterday  is  now  occupied  by  a  meeting 
of  citizens  of  the  territory,  who  refuse  to  give  possession  to  the  con- 
stitutional convention." 

The  capitol  being  in  course  of  construction,  the  council  chamber 
svas  not  fitted  for  occupancy,  but  the  Democrats  gathered  there ;  Secre- 
tary Chase  then  called  them  to  order  and  Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley  was  chosen 
president  of  that  branch  of  the  convention.  They  assembled  every  day 
but  transacted  no  business  until  July  22nd,  when  the  room  was  sufficiently 
completed  for  regular  sessions. 

^fcantime  the  Reinihlicans.  claiming  to  be  the  only  legitimate  con- 
stitutional convention,  proceeded  to  do  business  in  their  hall.  Tiiey  re- 
ported fifty-six  delegates  present,  which  was  a  majority  of  one  hundred 
and  two,  the  number  of  the  entire  body.  This  branch  organized  l)y 
electing  St.  A.  D.  Balcombe,  of  Winona,  permanent  president,  and  L. 
A.  Babcock,  secretary.  The  claim  of  the  Republicans  was  that  fifty-six 
delegates  had  signed  a  paper  requesting  Mr.  North  to  call  the  con- 
vention to  order,  and  that,  as  the  convention  itself  must  originate  its 
organization,  the  majority  had  a  right  to  devise  the  plan. 

The  contention  of  the  Democrats  was:  First,  that  the  Republicans 
did  not  have  a  majority  uncontested ;  second,  that  the  constitutional 
convention,  being  ordered  by  an  act  of  congress,  the  secretary  of  the 
territory,  Mr.  Chase,  who  was  an  appointee  of  the  general  government, 
was  the  proper  person  to  call  the  convention  to  order.  The  original  re- 
port of  the  committee  on  credentials  in  the  Republican  wing  showed 
fifty-six,  but  later  three  contesting  delegates  were  admitted,  making  hfty- 
nine.  In  the  Democratic  convention  there  were  fifty-three  jiarticipants. 
though  the  committee  on  credentials  only  reported  forty-nine  uncontested 
seats. 

There  were  three  daily  papers  in  St.  Paul  at  this  time,  two  Rei^ubli- 
can  and  one  Democratic.  These  papers  espoused  the  cause  of  their  re- 
spective factions,  each  reporting  in  full  the  proceedings  of  its  own  conven- 
tion, while  stigmatizing  the  other  as  bogus  and  disrei>utable  to  the  last 
degree.  The  Pioneer  spoke  of  the  Re()uhlican  convention  as  "A  Black 
Republican  Mob,"  and  the  Miitncsotian  headed  its  report,  when  it  liad 
any,  of  the  Sibley  aggregation:  "A  Border  Ruffian  Convention."  Botii 
parties  held  caucuses  almost  every  evening  and  excitement  ran  high. 
An  open  outbreak  lietween  the  respective  bodies  was  fully  exjiected, 
many  meml^ers  going  armed  to  be  jirepared  for  emergencies.  The  only 
actual  collision  which  occurred,  however,  was  when  ex-Ciovernor  dor- 
nian  Jjroke  his  cane  over  the  head  of  lion.  Thomas  \\'ilson,  of  Winona, 
afterwards  chief  justice  of  the  state. 

Constitution  Adoptf.d 

After  being  in  session  more  than  a  month,  as  separate  bodies,  over- 
tures were  made  for  a  conference  between  the  two.  in  order  that  one 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  75 

constitution  might  be  reported  by  both.  It  was  obvious  that  by  this  means 
only  could  ridicule  be  avoided  from  the  country  at  large,  and  a  docu- 
ment be  prepared  which  would  pass  the  scrutiny  of  congress  and  secure 
the  admission  of  the  state — an  end  toward  which  all  were  striving.  On 
August  27th,  the  conference  committee  of  each  convention  reported  the 
same  document,  and  on  the  28th  both  conventions  adopted  the  constitu- 
tion. It  only  remained  for  the  joint  committee  on  enrollment  to  report 
that  the  constitution  thus  mutually  agreed  upon  had  been  correctly  en- 
rolled. This  report  was  made  August  29th,  and  the  double-headed 
convention  adjourned  on  that  date,  having  occupied  forty-seven  days, 
during  forty-one  of  which  sessions  were  held.  The  constitution  was  rati- 
fied by  a  vote  of  the  people  on  October  13,  1857,  but  it  was  not  until 
May  II,  1858,  that  Minnesota  formally  became  a  member  of  the  Union,  by 
act  of  congress. 

While,  by  the  act  of  the  territorial  legislature,  $30,000  had  been  ap- 
propriated and  a  per  diem  of  three  dollars  per  day  fixed  as  the  pay  of 
the  delegates,  the  treasurer  refused  to  pay  anything  to  the  Republicans, 
but  paid  the  Democrats  regularly.  A  few  minutes  before  the  Demo- 
cratic convention  adjourned,  A.  E.  Ames  offered  a  resolution  naming 
fifty-three  Republicans  as  entitled  to  compensation,  coupled  with  the 
request  that  the  treasurer  pay  them.  W.  P.  Murray,  of  St.  Paul,  moved 
that  it  be  laid  on  the  table ;  the  motion  prevailed,  and  the  convention 
adjourned,  sine  die.  This  action  was  stigmatized  in  a  resolution  offered 
in  the  other  body  by  Dr.  Thomas  Foster  as  a  violation  of  honor  and 
faith,  but  the  resolution  was  also  tabled,  and  the  Republican  organiza- 
tion promptly  adjourned.  The  Repuljlicans  delegates  were  afterwards 
paid,  the  total  expense  of  the  two  conventions  being  reported  by  State 
Auditor  Dunbar  to  the  legislature  of  i860  as  $59,803.07.  The  expenses 
were  considerably  increased  by  the  necessity  of  issuing  the  official  de- 
bates in  two  volumes  owing  to  the  partisan  split. 

The  act  of  congress  of  February  26,  1857,  authorizing  the  state  gov- 
ernment, provided  that  ten  entire  sections  of  land  should  be  granted  to 
the  state  of  Minnesota  "for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  public  build- 
ings, or  for  the  erection  of  others  at  the  seat  of  government,  under  the 
direction  of  the  legislature."  The  state  constitution,  in  Article  XV,  Sec- 
tion I,  ordained  that  the  seat  of  government  should  be  at  the  city  of  St. 
Paul,  but  that  the  legislature  could  provide  for  its  change  by  a  vote  of 
the  people,  or  might  locate  it  on  land  granted  by  congress,  "for  a  seat 
of  government  for  the  state." 

Hennepin  county  secured  a  positive  location  of  the  University  at  St. 
Anthony  (now  Minneapolis)  in  the  constitution,  but  the  above  was  the 
best  St.  Paul  could  do  in  regard  to  the  capitol.  Even  this  was  ambiguous, 
as  the  lands  had  not  been  granted  "for  a  seat  of  government,"  but  for 
the  completion  or  erection  of  public  Iniildings.  Several  attempts,  orig- 
inating in  Minneapolis,  when  competition  was  the  keenest,  were  made 
to  remove  the  capitol  from  St.  Paul  to  these  lands,  which  were  far 
from  settlements  or  railroad  lines.  Once  the  removal  bill  was  traded 
through  both  branches  of  the  legislature,  but  was  vetoed  by  Governor 
R.   Marshall,   of   St.    Paul. 

As  the  constitution  was  to  be  voted  on,  and  presumably  adopted 
in  October,  and  the  legislature  and  state  officers  were  to  be  elected  at 
the  same  time,  the  document  provided  that  the  first  state  legislature 
should  meet  in  December.   It  was  impossible  for  the  territory  to  be  trans- 


76  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

formed  into  a  state  without  the  Act  of  Admission  by  congress,  although 
the  preliminary  steps  had  thus  been  duly  taken.  As  that  body  did  not 
meet  until  December,  nothing  could  be  hoped  for  before  that  period. 
The  assumed  state  legislature  met  on  December  2,  1857,  which  was  in 
advance  of  the  session  of  congress,  and  consequently  it  was  not  a  state 
legislature,  and  its  acts  were  in  no  sense  legal  except  by  the  common 
consent  of  the  people.  H.  H.  Sibley  and  Alexander  Ramsey  had  been 
voted  for  as  candidates  for  governor  at  the  October  election,  but  the  con- 
test was  close,  the  returns  came  in  slowly  and  when  the  legislature  met 
the  board  provided  for  by  the  constitution  had  not  canvassed  the  votes. 
It  finally  developed,  though  not  without  acrimonious  dispute,  that  the 
Democrats  had  carried  the  state,  electing  11.  H.  Sibley  governor:  also 
George  L.  Becker,  J.  ]\I.  Cavanaugh  and  W.  W.  Phelps,  members  of 
congress.  It  was  uncertain  how  many  representatives  in  congress  the 
state  would  be  permitted  to  send,  but,  in  order  to  cover  the  case  safely, 


YACHTING   ON    WHITE   BEAR    LAKE   NEAR   ST.    PAUL 

three  were  elected.  Congress  finally  admitted  two,  and  the  three  mem- 
bers-elect cast  lots,  the  result  being' that  Mr.  Becker  lost  and  the  others 
served  as  the  first  members  of  the  house  from  Minnesota. 

When  the  lime  came  for  the  meeting  of  the  first  state  legislature, 
Minnesota  was  still  a  territory,  with  very  uncertain  prospects  as  to  early 
admission   to  statehood. 

The  house  of  representatives  at  Washington  was  Democratic,  and 
three  members-elect,  as  well  as  both  senators,  were  also  Dcniocrats.  But 
a  wide  diversity  of  interest  and  opinion  had  arisen  within  the  Demo- 
cratic partv.  The  southern  men,  who  dominated  the  party,  were  not 
anxious  to  admit  anv  more  congressmen  from  free  states ;  hence  there 
was  long  delay,  which  exactly  suited  the  Repui)licans  in  congress,  though 
quite  irksome'  to  Republicans,  as  well  as  Democrats,  who  lived  in  the 
prospective  state. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  77 

Minnesota's  Three  Governors 

Thus  a  curious  dilemma  was  produced.  Locally  the  state  govern- 
ment was  authorized  and  ready  for  business,  but  nationally  it  was  not 
recognized.  Medary  was  still  the  executive,  but  he  was  a  territorial 
governor,  while  Sibley  was  the  state  governor-elect.  Minnesota,  how- 
ever, was  fully  equal  to  the  responsibility.  Her  legislature  went  right 
along  passing  laws  for  the  state  of  Minnesota,  and  they  were  duly  signed 
by  C.  L.  Chase,  secretary  of  the  territory,  as  acting  governor.  He  also 
certified  them  as  secretary.  Practically,  Minnesota  had  three  governors 
at  the  same  time.  Sibley  was  governor-elect;  Chase  signed  the  bills  as 
acting  governor,  and  ^ledary  drew  his  salary  as  territorial  governor 
until  May  24,  1858.  The  territorial  legislature  had  passed  out  of 
existence,  and  here  was  an  alleged  state  legislature  doing  active  busi- 
ness in  the  territory,  with  an  unrecognized  state  governor  elected,  a  terri- 
torial governor  actually  in  office,  and  a  territorial  secretary  assuming  the 
functions  of  all  concerned.  It  was  only  due  to  the  unanimous  de- 
sire of  her  citizens  to  put  on  the  garb  of  statehood,  that  serious  legal 
complications  did  not  arise.  One  of  the  early  acts  of  the  state  legis- 
lature was  the  recognition  of  Territorial  Governor  Medary  by  permit- 
ting him  to  send  his  message  to  it.  The  Republicans  protested  violently 
that  he  was  not  the  governor  of  the  state ;  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
legislature,  and  should  not  be  recognized.  But  the  Democrats  were  in 
the  ascendency  and  the  message  was  duly  received.  The  Republicans 
in  both  branches  recorded  a  formal  protest  against  this  action,  and  in  the 
house  they  even  went  so  far  as  to  protest  the  entire  legislation.  But  the 
Democrats  went  right  along  with  business  and  James  Starkey  of  St.  Paul 
soon  introduced  a  bill  providing  for  the  election  of  two  United  States 
senators  on  the  23rd  of  December.  The  house  promptly  concurred 
and  arrangements  for  the  senatorial  election  were  pushed  rapidly  forward. 

Rice  and  Shields  Elected  Senators 

The  legislature  was  Democratic  by  a  majority  of  ten  on  joint  ballot, 
and  there  was  no  provision  at  that  time  for  a  separate  ballot  for  sena- 
tor. All  interest  therefore  centered  in  the  Democratic  caucus,  which 
was  held  December  17th,  to  nominate  two  senators.  At  this  caucus 
Henry  M.  Rice  received  36  votes  out  of  a  total  present  of  61  and  was 
therefore  easily  chosen.  For  the  other  senator,  there  were  three  lead- 
ing candidates — General  James  Shields,  of  Shieldsville ;  Franklin  Steele, 
of  ATendota,  and  William  A.  Gorman,  of  St.  Paul.  On  the  fourth  bal- 
lot Shields  received  33  votes  and  Steele  28,  giving  the  former  the  nomi- 
nation. At  the  election  December  19th,  Rice  and  Shields  were  both  elected 
to  the  senatorship  over  their  Republican  competitors,  Cooper  and  Huff. 
Although  this  action  was  premature,  it  stood  the  test  finally,  and  Sena- 
tors Rice  and  Shields  were  given  their  seats  five  months  later,  May  12, 
1858,  when  Minnesota  was  admitted  as  a  state.  Rice  and  Shields  drew 
lots  for  the  long  and  short  terms.  Rice  won  the  former  and  served 
until  March  3,  1863,  with  distinction,  having  during  the  war  period  been 
an  active  member  of  the  Senate  Military  committee,  which  had  much  to 
do  with  army  legislation.  Shields  retired  March  3,  1859,  having  served 
less  than  ten  months  as  senator  from  Minnesota. 

General  Shields  had,  however,  the  unique  distinction  of  serving  in 
the  United  States  senate  from  three  different  states,  besides  serving  as 


78  ST.  PAUL  AND  \]CIXITY 

a  general  officer  in  two  wars.  Minnesota  derived  credit  from  his  connec- 
tion with  the  state,  more  ])erhaps  than  from  any  other  citizen  of  so  short 
a  period  of  residence  here.  Shields  had  come  from  Ireland  to  Illinois 
when  sixteen  years  of  age,  but  bringing  with  him  a  tine  classical  edu- 
cation for  so  young  a  man.  He  immediately  forged  to  the  front  in  Illi- 
nois;  became  a  lawyer;  was  state  auditor  and  judge  of  the  supreme 
court,  and  later  commissioner  of  the  general  land  office.  After  honora- 
ble service  in  the  Mexican  was  as  brigadier  general,  he  was  appointed, 
by  President  Polk,  governor  of  Oregon  territory,  but,  before  he  could 
take  his  seat,  Illnois  elected  him  to  the  United  States  senate.  He  assumed 
this  office  March  6,  1849,  but  it  was  discovered  that  he  had  never  become 
a  full  citizen  and  in  a  few  days  he  resigned  and  was  naturalized.  An 
extra  session  of  the  Illinois  legislature  re-elected  him  to  the  senate,  and 
he  served  until  March  3,  1855.  Shortly  afterward  he  moved  to  Minne- 
sota, where  he  founded  a  colony  at  Shieldsville  and  was  sent  to  the 
senate  from  this  state.  When  his  term  expired  he  moved  to  California, 
but  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  President  Lincoln,  who  knew  him 
in  Illinois  and  had  once  almost  fought  a  duel  with  him  in  their  younger 
days,  appointed  him  a  brigadier  general  of  \'olunteers,  and  he  performed 
honorable  service  in  West  \'irginia  until  1863.  He  then  settled  in  Mis- 
souri ;  resumed  the  practice  of  law  ;  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature, 
and  tinally  chosen  United  States  senator  to  fill  an  unexpire<l  term  end- 
ing March  3,  1879.  He  died  during  the  latter  year  and  was  buried  at  his 
home,  Carrolton,  Missouri,  where,  in  November,  1910,  an  imposing  monu- 
ment to  his  memory  was  imveiled,  Minnesota  being  appropriately  repre- 
sented at  the  ceremony. 

This  session  of  the  legislature  of  a  state  not  yet  admitted,  not  only 
elected  United  States  senators,  but,  as  has  been  stated,  passed  numerous 
laws  for  the  government  of  the  state  which  did  not  yet  exist.  It  was 
always  questionable  whether  any  of  these  laws  were  valid,  but  by  the 
fortune  which  seemed  to  attend  all  these  proceedings  and  conduce  to 
their  regularity,  a  judge  was  in  office  who  could  be  relied  on  to  give  the 
people  the  benefit  of  the  doubt.  This  was  Charles  E.  Flandrau,  who  had 
been  appointed  in  July,  1857,  a  territorial  judge  and  was  also  elected, 
in  October,  1857,  as  one  of  the  associate  justices  of  the  pros])ective  state 
supreme  court.  Consc(|uently  he  was  a  judge,  either  of  the  territory  or 
of  the  state,  and  felt  competent  to  construe  the  laws  in  any  retjuired 
direction.  The  question  of  the  validity  of  the  laws  ])assed  by  this  session 
came  first  before  Judge  Flandrau  for  decision  and  he,  of  course,  promptly 
decided  that  they  were  all  right.  Xo  successful  attack  was  ever  made 
later  to  question  their  validity.  In  a  historical  address,  delivered  years 
afterwards.  Judge  Flandrau  thus  spoke  of  that  incident  in  his  career : 
"With  that  common  sense  that  should  always  govern  a  frontier  judge, 
1  held  it  was  all  right  and  perfectly  constitutional.  What  else  could 
one  do?  They  had  i)assed  an  inmiensc  book  full  of  laws,  and  the  job 
of  declaring  them  all  unconstitutional  at  once  was  a  rather  formidable 
undertaking  for  a  boy.  So  T  did  a  good  deal  as  the  jury  did  when  it 
acquitted  a  man  of  murder,  but  said  he  must  he  careful  not  to  do  it 
again." 

,\i)MnTi:n  to  tmk  Union 

On  May  n,  185R,  as  stated,  congress  jiassed  the  act  admitting  !Minne- 
sota  into  the  I'nion.  and  wlien  the  official  information  reached  St.  Paul, 
which   was  on   May  24th.  Medary   retired  and  General   Sibley  took  his 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  79 

seat  as  governor  of  the  state.  After  enacting  laws  up  to  March  25th, 
the  legislature  had  taken  a  recess  until  June  2nd  in  order  to  be  ready  for 
more  business  as  soon  as  admission  took  place.  Upon  re-assembling, 
a  session  of  over  two  months  was  held,  when  still  more  laws  were  en- 
acted, which  this  time  received  the  approval  of  the  real  governor.  Much 
of  this  legislation  was,  however,  equally  extravagant  with  that  passed 
during  the  winter.  The  senate  consisted  of  thirty-seven  members  and 
the  house  of  eighty,  although  at  that  time  the  total  population  of  the 
young  state  was  only  about  150,000.  The  effects  of  the  panic  of  1857 
were  still  being  sorely  felt  by  the  people.  Yet  with  a  liberality  amounting 
to  recklessness  and  almost  criminal  lack  of  consideration,  this  legis- 
lature conducted  its  work  on  a  scale  of  magnificent  proportions. 

Paper  Railways  and  "Wild  Cat"  Banks 

One  of  the  most  reprehensible  acts  v^as  the  inauguration  of  the  old 
railroad-bond  measure,  which  brought  so  much  trouble  to  the  state.  On 
March  8,  1858,  the  legislature  passed  an  amendment  to  the  constitution 
authorizing  the  issue  of  $5,000,000  in  bonds  of  the  state  to  be  granted 
to  railroad  companies  as  fast  as  they  constructed  ten  miles  of  road  ready 
for  the  superstructure.  This  amendment  was  submitted  to  the  people 
at  a  special  election  held  April  15,  1858,  and  was  carried  bv  a  vote  of 
27,023  to  733-  _ 

Promoters  of  some  of  the  roads  hurried  the  completion  of  many  ten- 
mile  graded  sections,  in  isolated  level  tracts,  and  demanded  their  bonds. 
Governor  Sibley  refused  to  sign  them,  but  the  state  supreme  court  issued 
a  mandamus  compelling  him  to  do  so.  Many  state  newspapers,  feeling 
that  the  people  had  been  swindled,  raised  an  outcry  against  the  validity 
of  the  bonds,  and  New  York  capitalists  refused  to  buy  them.  It  was 
then  decided  to  use  these  bonds  as  a  basis  for  the  issue  of  bank  notes, 
under  the  loosely  drawn  Banking  act  passed  by  this  very  accommodating 
legislature.  These  wild-cat  bank  issues,  called  "Glencoe  money"  for 
short,  replaced  state  warrants  and  county  scrip  which  had  been  about  the 
sole  currency  since  the  panic  of  '57.  These  notes  were  soon  discredited 
at  home  and  never  had  any  standing  outside  the  state. 

Finally  in  June,  1859,  when  over  $200,000  of  the  "Glencoe"  paper 
was  in  circulation,  its  redemption  ceased,  and  the  state  auditor  was  com- 
pelled to  advertise  the  bonds  for  sale.  The  paper  practically  disap- 
peared from  circulation  and  the  unpopular  state  bonds,  of  which 
$2,275,000  had  been  issued,  sold  as  low  as  ten  cents  on  the  dollar. 

Thus  the  whole  scheme  fell  to  pieces;  not  a  mile  of  railroad  had 
been  completed :  not  a  car  was  running  in  the  state,  and  an  inflamed 
political  ulcer  had  been  created  which  did  not  heal  for  thirty  years. 

Ramsey's  Republican  Administration 

As  a  natural  result  of  the  errors  of  the  first  Democratic  state  adminis- 
tration and  legislature,  a  political  land-slide  occurred  at  the  second 
state  election.  The  Republicans  scored  an  overwhelming  victory.  Alex- 
ander Ramsey  was  elected  governor  over  George  L.  Becker,  Democrat, 
by  nearly  4,000  majority. 

The  second  legislature  convened  December  7,  1859.  The  Democratic 
state  officials  were  still  in  office,  as  their  terms  did  not  expire  until  Janu- 
ary 2,  i860.     The  Republicans  organized  the  house  and  waited  patiently 


80  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

for  Lieutenant  Governor  Ignatius  Donnelly,  Republican,  to  supersede 
Lieutenant  Governor  Holcombe,  Democrat,  as  president  of  the  senate. 
The  delegation  from  Ramsey  county  in  the  house  consisted  of  John  B. 
Sanborn,  Henry  Acker,  John  B.  Olivier,  Oscar  Stephenson,  George. 
Mitsch  and  D.  A.  Robertson.  2\Iessrs.  Sanborn  and  Acker  were  the 
only  two  Republicans  on  the  delegation,  and  were  both  given  prominent 
committee  chairmanships. 

John  B.  Sanborn,  one  of  the  strongest  and  best  men  the  state  ever 
produced,  with  a  splendid  record  both  in  war  and  in  peace,  was  made 
chairman  of  the  important  committee  on  the  judiciary,  while  Mr.  Acker, 
also  an  able,  energetic  man,  became  chairman  of  the  special  committee 
on  retrenchment  and  reform.  These  two  committees  worked  hand  in 
hand,  under  the  able  guidance  of  their  respective  chairmen,  to  undo 
some  of  the  bad  work  of  the  proceeding  legislative  session  and  met  with 
great  success. 

That  the  situation  was  regarded  as  critical,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
term,  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  retiring  governor,  Sibley, 
admitted  in  his  message  that  "the  embarassed  condition  of  the  state 
finances  and  impoverished  situation  of  the  people  imperatively  demand 
retrenchment  in  expenditures."  And  Governor  Ramsey  said  in  his  in- 
augural :  "A  thorough  revision  of  all  laws  whereby  the  expenses  of  town, 
county,  or  state  government  can  be  reduced,  is  imperative." 

But  with  the  remedial  legislation  enacted ;  the  cutting  of  expenses, 
including  official  salaries,  and  the  unloading  of  the  railroad  bond  in- 
debtedness on  a  later  era,  the  financial  and  industrial  conditions  rapidly 
improved.  The  loan  amendment  was  expunged,  and  a  new  amendment 
submitted  providing  that  no  law  levying  a  tax  to  pay  the  bonds  should 
be  binding  until  ratified  by  the  people.  This  amendment  w'as  adopted 
by  a  great  majority.  The  governor  was  directed  to  foreclose  the  state's 
mortgages  on  the  uncompleted  roads,  their  franchises,  etc.  This  was 
done  and  at  a  subsequent  session  all  these  were  given  gratis  to  new  com- 
panies. Some  of  the  grades  were  ultimately  used  by  railways  finally 
constructed  and  still  in  operation. 

The  federal  census  of  i860  gave  the  state  a  population  of  172,123. 
The  harvest  was  good  and  business  was  greatly  revived.  Immigra- 
tion flowed  in ;  towns  were  built  up,  and  a  career  of  jjrosperity  began, 
somewhat  interruiUcd  during  the  war  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, but  augmenting  on  the  whole,  decade  after  decade,  until  we  have 
the  magnificent  Minnesota  of  today,  with  St.  Paul  ami  licr  sister  city 
the  chief  jewels  in  the  diadem. 

Thus  statehood  was  attained ;  thus  it  has  since  been  embellished  and 
enjoyed.  The  old  railroad  bonds,  subjects  of  much  legislation  and 
several  adverse  popular  votes,  were  finally  "adjusted,"  in  1881,  by  a  new- 
issue  on  the  basis  of  fifty  cents  per  dollar  of  original  debt  and  interest 
for  twenty-three  years.  The  new  bonds  thus  required  $4,301,000  to  pay 
the  original  $2,750,000,  and  the  bondholders,  at  least,  were  abundantly 
satisfied. 

Rut  even  in  1881  there  was  much  popular  hostility  to  the  propo.-^ed 
settlement.  It  was  claimed  and  believed  that  the  state  had  received 
no  benefit  and  that  the  bonds  had  cost  the  actual  holders  very  little. 
Selah  Chamljerlin,  the  principal  bond-holder,  was  alleged  to  be  a  party 
to  the  original  fraud,  having  held  large  contracts,  done  little  grading, 
complctcfi  no  road,  and  secured  $10,000  in  bonds  per  mile  for  work 
costing  an  average  of  $1,500.     So  great  was  the  clamor,  that  the  new 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  81 

bonds  would  soon  have  been  depreciated  but  for  the  action  of  Governor 
Pillsbury,  who,  in  the  last  hours  of  his  tenure  of  otifice  (January,  1882), 
invested  large  blocks  of  state  school  funds  in  the  new  Chamberlin  bonds, 
thus  giving  them  sacredness  and  solidity. 


CHAPTER   IX 

DICTIONARY  OF  DATES  (1820-60) 

Corner  Stone  of  Fort  Snelling  Laid  (1820) — First  Steamer  As- 
cends TO  St.  Paul  (1823) — Indians  Cede  all  Lands  East  of  the 
River  (1837) — First  Marriage  (1839) — First  White  Child 
(1839) — First  Church  (1841) — Village  Christened  St.  Paul 
(1841) — First  School  (1846) — First  Hotel  (1847) — St.  Paul 
Designated  Territorial  Capital  (1849) — First  Xewspaper 
(1849) — First  Court  (1849) — First  Brick  Store  (1850) — Build- 
ing OF  Court  House  Commenced  (1850) — St.  Paul  Incorporated 
(1854) — First  Daily  Newspapers  (1854) — Board  of  Tr.vde  Or- 
ganized (1854) — First  City  Survey  (1855) — Board  of  Educa- 
tion Created  (1855) — St.  Paul  Library  Association  Incorpor- 
ated (1857) — "Sunrise  Expedition"  (1857) — First  St.vte  Elec- 
tion  (1857) — Old  Settlers  Society  Organized   (1858). 

For  convenience  of  reference,  we  have  prepared  the  Chronological 
Epitome,  which  follows  in  this  and  succeeding  chapters,  the  dates  of 
events  having  more  or  less  bearing  on  the  development  of  St.  Paul  be- 
ing given.  Further  details,  as  to  any  of  those  events,  when  not  set 
forth  elsewhere  in  this  publication,  may  be  procured  by  persons  spe- 
cially interested  therein  from  public  records,  or  from  the  files  of  news- 
papers in  the  vaults  of  the  State  Historical  Society: 

1820 

September  10— Corner-stone  of  Fort  Snelling  laid:  fort  completed 
in  1822. 

1823 

The  first  .steamer,  the  "\'irginia."  ascended  to  this  point. 

1832 
N.  W.  Kittson  came  to  Minnesota. 

1834 
H.  H.  Sibley  came  to  Minnesota. 

1836 

Territory  of  Wisconsin  established,  placing  this  locality  in  Crawford 
countv. 

1837 
W.  H.  Forbes,  Martin  McLeod  aii<l   I'ranklin  Steele  came  to   Min- 
nesota. 

82 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  83 

September  29 — The  Dakota  Indians  cede  all  their  lands  east  of  the 
river  to  the  United  States ;  consideration  $500,000. 

1838 

Pierre  Parrant,  the  first  settler,  built  a  log  cabin  near  Fountain  cave. 
Abraham  Perry  settled  near  Parrant  and  raised  cattle.  July — Benjamin 
and  Pierre  Gervais  settled  here  and  Edward  Phelan,  William  Evans 
and  John  Hays  selected  claims. 

1839 

H.  M.  Rice  and  William  Holcombe  came  to  ^Minnesota. 

A  number  of  French  families  settled  at  "Pig's  Eye,"  which  was 
named  by  Ed.  Brisset  for  Pierre  Parrant  who  had  a  deformed  eye. 

April — First  [Marriage;  James  R.  Clewett  to  Rose  Perry. 

May  21 — Steamer  "Glaucus,"  Captain  Atchison,  arrives;  brings  six 
barrels  of  whiskey  for  Donald  IMcDonald. 

September  i — John  Hays  murdered  by  Edward  Phelan  probably; 
first  funeral. 

September  4 — First  white  child  born,  Basil  Gervais. 

1840 

Tanuarv — St.  Croix  county,  Wisconsin,  established,  including  St. 
Paul. 

March  6 — Settlers  on  Fort  Snelling  military  reserve  driven  ofif. 
Ben  Gervais  purchased  the  whole  of  "Pig's  Eye"  of  Parrant  for  $10. 
Joseph  Rondo  bought  Phelan's  claim  for  $200. 
Phelan  settles  on  Phalen's  creek  where  Hamm's  brewery  now  stands. 

1841 

January  29 — Vetal  Guerin  and  Adele  Perry  married. 
November  i — First  church  dedicated,  a  small  log  cabin  built  by  Rev. 
Father  Lucian  Galtier,  called  St.  Paul's  chapel. 

Pierre  and   Severe   Bottineau  settle  on  Baptist   hill. 
Village  christened  St.  Paul  by  Father  Galtier. 
Rev.  Father  Augustin  Ravoux  settled  in  St.  Paul. 

1842 

June  9 — Henry  Jackson  settled  near  lower  levee. 
August    17 — Sergeant  R.   W.   Mortimer  located  near   the  corner  of 
Third  and  Market  streets. 

1843 

John  R.  Irvine,  C.  C.  Blanchard,  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  J.  W.  Simpson, 
S.  Campbell  and  Antoine  Pepin  arrive. 
First  meat  market  opened  by  Gerou. 

1844 

^larch — Louis  Robert  and  Charles  Bazille  move  to  the  village. 
April  6 — First  boat  arrived,  "Otter,"  Captain  Harris. 
September  2 — William  Dugas  bought  one   hundred  and   sixty  acres 
in  Phelan's  creek  and  built  a  saw  and  grist  mill. 

Ben  Gervais  commenced  the  settlement  of  Little  Canada. 

First  Protestant  service  held  by  Rev.  Mr.  Hurlbut,  a  Methodist. 

November  23 — River  closed.     Oiien   231    days. 


84  ST.  PALX  AND  VICINITY 

1845 

Thirty  families  in  the  village. 

April  6 — First  boat.  "Otter."  Captain  Harris. 

First  school  opened  by  Mrs.  Matilda  Runisey  near  upper  levee. 

1846 

Town  growing  fast.  Henry  Jackson  the  biggest  man  in  town — 
justice,  postmaster,  landlord,  merchant  and  saloon  keeper. 

March  31 — First  boat,  "Lynx,''  Captain  Atchison. 

April    7 — Postoffice   established.   Henry   Jackson   postmaster. 

June  16 — Pierre  Bottineau  sold  one  hundred  acres  on  Baptist  hill 
for  $300. 

H.  L.  Dousman  suggests  the  name  of  Minnesota  for  the  future  ter- 
ritory. 

Five  stores  in  town;  all  sell  whiskey. 

December  5 — River  closed.     Open  245  days. 

1847 

Arrivals:  J.  W'.  Bass,  B.  W.  Brunson,  D.  Hopkins.  A.  Foster,  L.  P. 
Folsom,  J.  Banfil,  C.  P.  V.  Lull,  \V.  H.  Forbes,  P.  K.  Johnson,  \V.  C. 
Rcnfro,  Dr.  J.  J.  Dewey,  G.  A.  Fournier  and  Mrs.  Harriet  Bishop. 

April  7 — First  boat,  "Clara,"  Captain  Throckmorton. 

July  25 — Mrs.  Harriet  E.  Bishop  opened  a  Sabbath  school  in  log 
cabin,  at  present  corner  of  Third  and  St.  I'cter  streets,  with  seven 
scholars. 

August — J.  W.  Bass  opened  the  first  hotel,  the  St.  Paul  House, 
where  the  "Merchants"  now  stands.     It  was  built  of  tamarack  logs. 

Brick  warehouse  at  corner  of  Jackson  and  Water  streets,  built  by 
Freeman  and  Larpenteur. 

House  No.  37  Jackson  street,  known  as  the  Wild  Hunter  Hotel,  built 
by  A.  L.  Larpenteur  for  a  residence;  the  lumber  was  bought  in  Still- 
water and  was  delivered  for  $10  per  thousand  feet. 

W.  H.  Forbes  took  charge  of  American  Fur  Comiianv's  deiTOt  in 
St.  Paul. 

Townsite  laid  out.  including  ninety  and  one-halt  acres.  Projirietors: 
L.  Robert,  D.  Lambert.  H.  Jackson,  B.  W.  Brunson,  C.  Cavileir.  H.  H. 
Sibley,  J.  W.  Bass,  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  W.  H.  Forbes.  J.  W.  Simiison. 
H.  C.  Rhodes,  L.  H.  LaRoche.  J.  B.  Coty  and  \'.  Guerin.  Number 
of  lots  398. 

Galena  Packet  Company  organized.  Owned  one  steamer  the  "Argo." 
Captain  N.  W.  Lodwick,  clerk,  Russell  Blakely.  The  "Argo"  sunk  in 
October. 

Henry  Jackson  elected  representative  to  the  assembly  of  Wisconsin. 

November  29 — River  closed.     Open  236  days. 

1848 

January  3 — W.  C.  Renfro  frozen  to  death. 

I'irst  Ladies'  Sewing  Society  formed  by  Mesdames  Bishop,  Jackson, 
Bass  and  Irvine,  Miss  Harriet  Patch  and  others.  It  was  called  the 
"Circle  of  Industry"  and  was  formed  to  raise  money  for  a  schoolhouse. 

Schoolhouse  twenty-five  by  thirty  feet  built  where  block  Nos.  34.  36 
and  28  West  Third  street  now  stands.  Used  for  church,  sdiool.  lectures, 
etc. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  MCINITY  85 

April   I — First  boat,  "Senator."  Captain  Harris. 

B.  F.  Hoyt  acted  as  preacher  and  A.  H.  Cavender  Sunday  school 
superintendent. 

First  temperance  society  formed. 

August  14 — Hon.  H.  H.  Sibley  bought  St.  Paul  town  site  for  the 
proprietors,  at  United   States  land  sale. 

August  26 — Convention  held  at  Stillwater  to  prepare  a  memorial 
to  congress  asking  that  the  territory  be  established. 

October  30 — Hon.   H.  H.   Sibley  elected  delegate  to  congress. 

Arrivals:  H.  AI.  Rice,  D.  Olmstead,  H.  C.  Rhodes,  Bushrod  W. 
Lett,  W.  H.  Nobles,  Nathan  ]\Iyrick,  D.  Lambert,  W.  C.  Morrison,  W. 
B.  Brown  and  Nelson  Robert. 

"John  Davney"  elected  road  master. 

December  4 — River  closed,  open  241  days. 

1849 

Alarch — Bill  passed  .congress  organizing  the  territory  of  Minnesota, 
and  designating  St.  Paul  as  the  capital. 

St.  Paul  has  thirty  buildings  and  about  200  inhabitants. 

April   10 — First  boat,  "Highland  Mary,"  Captain  Atchison. 

April  18 — James  M.  Goodhue  arrives  with  material  for  a  printing 
office. 

Dr.  David  Day  arrived. 

April  2;^ — Rev.  E.  D.  Neill  arrived. 

April  20 — M.  N.  Kellogg  arrived. 

April  27 — First  newspaper,  the  Minnesota  Register,  issued  by  Dr. 
A.  Randall;  printed  in  Cincinnati. 

April  27 — First  newspaper  printed  in  the  territory,  the  Minnesota 
Pioneer,  issued  by  J.  M.  Goodhue;  office  in  hotel,  corner  of  Third  and 
Jackson  streets. 

May  3 — Barlett  Presley  arrived. 

May  7 — St.  Paul  Division,  No.  i.  Sons  of  Temperance  organized. 
Officers:  Lott  Moffett,  B.  L.  Sellers,  S.  Gilbert,  W.  C.  Morrison,  B.  F. 
Irvine,  A.  H.  Cavender,  A.  R.  Finch,  C.  P.  V.  Lull,  B.  F.  Hoyt,  W 
Patch  and  C.  Patch. 

May  27 — Governor  A.  Ramsey  arrived. 

May  28 — Seventy  buildings  erected  in  three  weeks  previous. 

June  I — Governor  Ramsey  proclaimed  the  territory  organized. 

June    I — Minnesota   Chronicle  issued  by  James   Hughes. 

June   I — Rodney  Parker  opened  the  American  House. 

June  13 — Town  contains  142  buildings. 

June  20 — H.  F.  Masterson  arrived. 

June  25 — Governor  Ramsey  and  wife  commenced  house-keeping  on 
Third  street,  near  Robert. 

June  26 — Town  pump  erected. 

June  28 — The  Rice  House,  near  upper  levee,   opened. 

A  Willoughby  and  S.  Powers  start  the  first  stage  line,  St.  Paul  to 
St.  Anthony ;  one  horse  wagon. 

July — Edmund  Rice  arrived. 

July  4 — Grand  celebration ;  governor  Ramsey  president  of  the  day ; 
Franklin  Steele,  chief  marshal ;  Judge  B.  B.  Meeker,  orator. 

July  5 — J.  W.  Bass  superseded  H.  Jackson  as  postmaster;  office, 
moved  to  hotel.  General  R.  W.  Johnson,  then  lieutenant  at  Fort  Snel- 
ling. 


86  ST.  PAUL  AXD  MCIXITY 

Cbar'.es  K.  Smith,  secretary  of  territory  located  offices  of  territorial 
officers  in  the  Central  House.     Foundation  of  a  brewery   laid. 

July  22 — First  Baptist  serv'ices  held  by  Rev.  Mr.  Parsons. 

July — First  brick  house  built  by  Hon.  H.  M.  Rice,  corner  of  Fourth 
and  Wabasha  streets. 

August   I — St.   Paul   precinct  established   by  governor. 

August  2 — Election:  W.  H.  Forbes  and  J.  M.  Boale,  councillors; 
B.  W.  Rrunson,  P.  K.  Johnson.  H.  Jackson,  Dr.  J.  J.  Dewey,  rep- 
resentatives; H.  H.  Sibley,  delegate  to  congress. 

August — Rev.  E.  D.  Neill  completed  Presbyterian  chapel  on  IMarket 
street,  opposite  the  park. 

August  12 — First  court  held;  Judges  Goodrich  and  Cooper  presiding. 

August  25 — Minnesota  Ticgister  and  Minnesota  Chronicle  consolid- 
ated. Chronicle  and  Register  published  by  McLean,  Owen  and  Quay: 
Whig  organ. 

September  3 — First  legislature  met  at  Central  House ;  opened  with 
prayer  by  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill. 

September  8 — First  Masonic  lodge  instituted  by  C.  K.  Smith,  worthy 
master;  twenty-eight  members. 

September  12 — .\  boy  named  Isaiah  McMillan  shot  and  killed  by 
a  comrade  named  Heman  Snow.  No  malice  i)roved ;  sentenced  to  im- 
prisonment for  one  year  at  Fort  Snelling. 

.Sei)tcmber  29 — 2,135  bushels  of  cranljcrries  shiii])«l  this  season. 
Worthless  money  issued  by  Isaac  Young  on  "Bank  of  St.  Croi.x."  No 
such  bank.  Population,  males,  540,  females  300,  total  840.  Ramsey 
county  created.  D.  F.  Brawley  produces  the  first  bricks;  brick  yard 
between  what  are  now  Dayton  and  Nelson  avenues. 

October  20 — Democratic  convention  at  the  American  House. 

Geo.  L.  Becker  arrived.  Dr.  T.  R.  Potts  arrived.  Governor  Ram- 
sey appointed,  as  county  officers :  Dr.  D.  Day,  register  of  deeds ;  C.  P. 
V.  Lull,  sheriff;  L.  Robert  and  A.  Goodfrey,  commissioners:  II.  .\. 
Lambert,  judge  of  probate. 

October  3 — The  legislature  adjourned. 

October  26 — First  county  election  resulted :  D.  Day,  register :  C.  P. 
V.  Lull,  sheriff;  J.  W.  Simpson,  treasurer;  L.  Robert,  B.  Gervais  and 
R.  P.  Russell,  commissioners:  H.  A.  Lambert,  judge  of  probate. 

December  i — Meeting  held  at  school  house  to  organize  public  schools. 

December   7 — River   closed.     Open   242    days.   95    steamers   arrived. 

December  23 — ^W.   P.  Murray  arrived. 

December   29 — Ba])tist  church  organized ;  twelve   members. 

Trade  of  year  $131,000;  town  valuation  $85,000. 

1850 

January  i — First  business  directory  issued  by  the  Pioneer.  Includes 
five  clergymen,  fourteen  lawyers,  two  land  agents,  four  doctors,  sixteen 
mercantile  lirms,  one  shoemaker,  six  hotels,  three  painters,  two  firms  of 
Ijlacksmiths,  four  jilasterers,  live  masons,  eighteen  carpenters,  one  silver- 
smith, one  gunsmith,  live  bakers,  three  wheelwrights,  one  harness  maker, 
one  tinner. 

January  4 — First  Presbyterian  church  organized  by  Rev.  F.  D.  Neill. 

January  6 — Three  schools  in  progress.  Teachers:  Mrs.  H.  E.  Bishop, 
Miss  Scofield  and  Rev.  C.  Hobart.  Legislature  met  in  Rice  House, 
where  the  Metropolitan  Hotel  stands. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  87 

February  22 — Grand  ball  at  the  American  House;  music  by  Fort 
Snelling  band. 

February  22 — A.  R.  McLeod  killed  W.  B.  Gordon.  McLeod  ac- 
quitted on  the  ground  of  self-defense. 

March    14 — Council  with   Winnebago   Indians  held. 

April    I — Great  flood   commenced. 

April  10 — First  boat,  "Highland  Mary,"  Captain  Atchison. 

May  3 — St.  Paul  Lodge,  No.  2,  I.  6.  O.  F.,  instituted,  with  nine 
members. 

May — John  Farrington  arrived. 

May   16 — Rev.  Dr.  Neill's  chapel  burned. 

May  6 — First  town  election  results :  Dr.  T.  R.  Potts,  president  ; 
Edmund  Rice,  recorder ;  W.  H.  Forbes,  B.  F.  Hoyt,  W.  H.  Randall, 
Henry  Jackson  and  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  trustees. 

May — Judge   R.   R.    Nelson   arrives. 

June  I — Twenty-five  marriages  during  year  to  date.  J.  A.  Whee- 
lock  arrived. 

July — Population  1,294;  number  of  families  357.  The  exclamation 
"ho,"  derived  from  the  Indians,  adopted  by  tipplers. 

Colonel  D.  A.  Robertson  arrived. 

August  2 — Christ  church  society  organized. 

September  2 — County  election.  Delegate  to  congress,  H.  H.  Sibley; 
representatives,.  B.  W.  Brunson,  J.  C.  Ramsey,  H.  L.  Tilden,  E.  Rice; 
commissioner,  R.   P.   Russell;  treasurer,  J.  W.   Simpson. 

September  5 — Corner-stone  of  Christ's  church  laid  on  Cedar  street. 
700  letters  per  week  received  at  postoffice. 

October — First  brick  store  built  by  John  Farrington,  corner  of  Third 
and  Exchange  streets. 

November  4 — Orlando   Simons  elected  justice  of  the  peace. 

November  14 — Captain  N.  J.  T.  Dana  starts  a  saw  mill  at  lower 
levee. 

November  18 — School  district  No.  3  established ;  Henry  Doolittle 
teacher,  at  $40  per  month. 

November — Building  of  court  house  commenced.  Dr.  D.  Day  fur- 
nished the  plan  for  $10.     Land  donated  by  Vetal  Guerin.     County  jail 

December  4 — -River  closed.     Open  239  days;   102  boats. 

December  10 — Minnesota  Democrat  established  by  Colonel  D.  A. 
Robertson. 

December  26 — First  Thanksgiving  day. 

185 1 

January    2 — Second    territorial    legislature   met. 

January    10 — Indian   chief,   Hole-in-the-day,   addressed   legislature. 

The  legislature  elected  J.  ^NI.  Goodhue,  of  the  Pioneer,  territorial 
printer.     Act  passed  authorizing  the  erection  of  a  capitol  in   St.  Paul. 

January  16 — James  M.  Goodhue,  was  attacked  in  the  street  by 
Joseph  Cooper  on  account  of  an  article  the  former  had  published  in 
the  Pioneer  reflecting  on  Judge  Cooper,  a  brother  of  the  assailant.  Pistols 
and  knives  used,  and  both  slightly  .wounded.  Bushrod  W.  Lott  elected 
justice  of  the  peace. 

March  31 — Legislature  adjourned.  Chronicle  and  Register  col- 
lapses. 

April    I — First   boat,    "Nominee,"    Captain    Smith. 

April    12 — Christ's  church   dedicated;  Rev.  J.  L.   Breck,   rector. 


88  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

April   19 — Sherwood  Hough  arrived. 

April — C.   D.   GilfiUan  arrived. 

April — Sherwood  Hough  appointed  deputy  clerk  of  supreme  and 
district  courts. 

May  6 — Town  election.  R.  Kennedy,  president ;  H.  A.  Lambert, 
recorder;  E.  Keller,  F.  Cazeau.  W.  Freeborn,  R.  C.  Knox,  J.  E.  Fuller, 
trustees.  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill  appointed  superintendent  of  the  schools  of 
the  territory.     L.  E.  Reed  arrived.     Bucket  fire  brigade  established. 

June  27 — The  block  on  which  the  old  capitol  stands  presented  to 
the  town,  by  Charles  Bazille.  W'illoughby  &  Powers  established  the 
"Red  Line"  of  stages. 

July  2 — Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Cretin  arrived. 

July  29 — A  train  of  one  hundred  and  two  Red  River  carts  arrived. 

July  21 — Excavation   for  capitol  commenced. 

July  23 — Treaty  with  the  Sioux  consummated.  J.  C.  Burbank  es- 
tablished an  express  line  to  Galena. 

August — "Placides  N.  O.  \'ariety  Company,"  commerce  an  engage- 
ment of  one  week  at  Mazurka  Hall,  George  Holland,  manager.  Judge 
Jerome  Fuller  succeeds  Judge  Goodrich  as  chief  justice.  Alex  Wilkin 
succeeds  C.  K.  Smith  as  secretary  of  the  territory.  J.  W.  Furber  suc- 
ceeds H.  L.  Tilden  as  marshal  of  the  territory.  Rev.  Mr.  RiheldafFer 
arrived. 

September  17 — IVeekly  Minnesotian  appeared;  J.  P.  Owens  editor, 
J.  C.  Terry,  publisher. 

■  September — G.   C.   Nichols,  issued  a  map  of   St.   Paul.     The  town 
had  fifteen  additions  to  its  territory.     Winslow  house  commenced.. 

October  14 — County  election.  Councillors,  W.  H.  Forbes  and  G. 
W.  Farrington;  representatives,  W.  P.  Murray,  J.  W.  Selby,  C.  S.  Cave, 
J.  E.  FuUerton  and  S.  J.  Findley;  sheriff,  G.  F.  Brott;  register,  M.  S. 
Wilkinson;  treasurer,  S.  H.  Sergeant;  attorney,  W.  D.  Phillips;  sur- 
veyor, S.  P.  Folsom;  judge  of  ])robate.  J.  B.  Kingsley. 

November  13 — Rev.  J.  P.  Parson,  pastor  of  Baptist  church,  died. 

November  28 — River  closed.     Open  238  days;  119  boats  arrived. 

December — Cathedral  com])leted  on  Block  7 :  built  of  brick ;  three 
and  one-half  stories  high;  eighty-four  by  forty-four  feet  on  ground; 
afterward  Cretin  school. 

1852 

January  7 — Third  legislature  met  in  Goodrich's  block  below  where 
the  Merchants  hotel  stands;  299  applicants  for  legislative  offices.  D. 
F.  Brawley  granted  license  for  first  ferry  at  upper  levee.  Ramsey 
county  Agricultural  Society  incorporated.  A  stringent  liquor  law 
passed. 

February  21 — Central  Presbyterian  society  organized  by  eight  per- 
sons.    Rev.   Mr.  Rihcldaffcr  pastor. 

April  16 — First  boat.  "Nominee,"  Ca])tain  Smith.  Galena  Packet 
Company  makes  three  trips  each  week.  Great  competition  among  steam- 
boats. 

May  6 — Town  officers:  B.  W.  Lott,  president;  L.  M.  Oliver,  re- 
corder; C.  Bazille,  E.  Keller,  Lott  iMoffett  and  W.  Freeborn,  council- 
lors.    Total  vote,  414.     I.  V.  D.  Heard  arrived. 

May  22 — Langrislie  &  Atwater  dramatic  troupe  at   Mazurka  Hall. 

June  26 — Treaty  with  Sioux  ratified  by  congress. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  89 

July  21 — Chauncy  Godfrey  killed  his  wife  at  Treniont  House. 

August  25 — Court  House  completed. 

August  27 — J.  AI.  Goodhue  died. 

September — Organ  placed  in  Rev.  Dr.  Neill's  church.  Minneapolis 
beats  St.  Paul  by  taking  for  its  name  "All  Saints."  First  evidence  of 
jealousy.     Joseph   R.   Brown  became   editor  of  the  Pioneer. 

October  12 — County  election.  Representatives,  L.  N.  Oliver,  B. 
W.  Lott,  W.  Noot  and  J.  C.  Ramsey;  commissioner,  L.  Robert;  treas- 
urer, R.  Cummings;  probate  judge,  J.  A.  Lambert;  surveyor,  W.  R. 
Marshall. 

November   18 — River  closed.     Open  216  days. 

1853 

Fourth  Legislature  met  in  the  brick  block,  corner  Third  and  Min- 
nesota streets ;  M.  McLeod,  president  of  council ;  Dr.  D.  Day,  speaker. 

January  26 — Governor  Ramsey  delivered  his  message  in  the  court 
house. 

February  i — St.  Paul  Fire  &  Alarine  Insurance  Company  incorporated. 
St.  Paul  &  St.  Anthony  Railroad  incorporated.  Baldwin  school  incor- 
porated. L.  S.  &  AL  Railroad  incorporated.  Ancient  Landmark  Lodge, 
No.  5,  Free  Masons,  instituted. 

February   3 — Masonic   convention   held,   and  grand   lodge   instituted. 

March  4 — Legislature  adjourned. 

April    II — First   boat,    "West    Newton,"   Captain   Harris. 

April  14 — W.  H.  Forbes,  postmaster,  vice  J.  W.  Bass;  J.  C.  Terry, 
deputy. 

April  27 — -Indian  fight  near  corner  Third  and  Washington  streets; 
a  squaw  killed. 

Alay  13 — General  Willis  A.  Gorman  arrived  as  territorial  governor. 
New  territorial  officers  arrived :  J.  T.  Rosser.  secretary ;  M.  W.  Irwin, 
marshal;  W.  H.  Welch,  chief  justice;  A.  G.  Chatfield  and  Moses  Sher- 
burne ,  associate  justices.  Governor  Gorman  appointed,  S.  Nelson 
auditor;  L.  Emmett,  attorney  general;  S.  B.  Lowry,  adjutant  general; 
R.  P.  Russell,  treasurer ;  A.  J.  Whitney,  clerk  of  supreme  court.  Robert 
A.   Smith  arrived ;  nephew  of  governor  and  private  secretary. 

June — Colonel  D.  A.  Robertson  succeeded  D.  Olmstead  in  conduct- 
ing the  Democrat. 

June   23 — Oakland    Cemetery    Association    organized. 

July  21 — Executive  chamber  in  the  capitol  occupied.  Town  valua- 
tion $723,534.     Colonel  George  Culver  arrived.     St.  John  hospital  built. 

October  12 — ^County  officers  elected  councillors:  I.  Van  Etten,  W. 
P.  Murray  and  W.  Freeborn ;  representatives,  L.  Sloan,  W.  Noot,  W. 
Davis,  L.  Bartlett  and  J.  H.  Day;  sheriff,  A.  M.  Fridley;  register,  L. 
M.  Oliver;  probate  judge,  J.  M.  Stone;  attorney,  D.  C.  Cooley;  treasurer, 
N.  E.  Tyson ;  surveyor,  J.  D.  Case ;  delegate,  H.  M.  Rice.  City  guards 
organized.   Captain   Simpson. 

November    30 — River    closed.     Open   2^^    days ;    235    boats   arrived. 


90  ST.  PAUL  AXD  VICINITY 

December  21 — John  Clark  and  Philip  Hull  murdered  by  unknown 
parties  at  the  corner  of  Robert  and  Fifth  streets. 

December  29 — Baldwin  school  dedicated.  Number  of  buildings  in 
the  town  604;  residences  517;  business  houses  10;  churches  6;  hotels  4; 
schoolhouses  4;  also  court  house,  jail  and  capitol. 

1854 

January  4 — Fifth  session  of  legislature  met  in  the  new  capitol. 

February   23 — German  Reading   Society   incorporated. 

March  3 — Royal  .\rch   Masons  incorporated. 

March  4 — City  of  St.  Paul  incorporated,  including  2,400  acres  divided 
into  three  wards. 

March  4 — Earl  S.  Goodrich  arrived.  lie  immediately  purchased  the 
Pioneer  of  J.  R.  Brown. 

April  4 — First  city  election.  D.  Olmstead,  mayor;  W".  R.  .Miller, 
marshal;  D.  Rohrer,  treasurer;  O.  Simons,  justice;  aldermen,  R.  C. 
Knox,  A.  T.  Chamblin,  R.  Marvin,  A.  L.  Larpenteur,  T.  Fanning,  C. 
S.  Cave,  G.  L.  Becker,  J.  R.  Irvine  and  J.  M.  Stone;  clerk  of  council, 
Sherwood  Hough. 

April  8 — First  boat,  "Nominee,"  Captain   Blakely. 

April  18 — In  his  address  the  mayor  recommended  public  parks  and 
the  introduction  of  water. 

May  I — The  Daily  Pioneer  and  the  Daily  Democrat  appeared. 

May   12 — Dailv  Minncsotian  appeared. 

May  15 — The  Daily  Times  issued  by  T.  M.  Newson. 

May  16 — Public  market  rented  of  Vetal  Guerin  for  $610. 

May  23 — Salary  of  attorney  fixed  at  $300. 

May  25 — Richards  Gordon  arrived. 

May  25 — Board  of  health  appointed.  Dr.  J.  D.  Goodrich  city  phy- 
sician. J.  A.  Wheelock  issued  the  Advertiser.  St.  Paul  Fire  &  Marine 
Insurance  Company  organized. 

June  8 — Great  railroad  excursion  in  honor  of  the  opening  of  the 
Chicago  &  Rock  Island  Railroad,  arrived. 

July  27 — C.  D.  Fillmore  died.  Winslow  house  opened  by  I.  C. 
George. 

August  I — Board  of  Trade  organized  for  protection  against  "wild 
cat"  money.     Police  force  authorized. 

September  6 — C.  L.  Emerson  bought  the  Daily  Democrat.  John  S. 
Prince  arrives  and  establishes  the  "Rotary  Saw   ^lill." 

October   12 — Louis  Kriegcr  elected  alderman. 

October  21 — Six  boats  with  600  passengers  arrived. 

November  6 — Pioneer  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  organized,  with 
thirty-one  members. 

November  7 — The  city  bought  ten  lots  in  Oakland  cemetery  for  $240. 

November  22 — Levi  Sloan  died. 

November  27 — -River  closed.     Open  223  days;  256  boats  arrived. 

December  29 — Yo-ha-za,  a  Sioux,  executed  on  St.  Anthony  hill  for 
murder.     City    valuation,   $1,300,000. 

1855 

January    3— Sixth    legislature    met.     Robert    street    "Rogers    Hotel" 
built  by  John  Rogers.     Firm  of  Temple  S:   Beaupre  formed. 
March  20 — First  survey  of  the  city  completed  by  S.  P.  Folsom. 


ST.  PAUL  AXD  MCINITY  91 

March  20 — The  first  annual  report  of  the  city  justice  shows  ninety- 
five  cases  tried,  and  $137  fines  collected. 

April  3 — City  election.  A.  Ramsey,  mayor ;  D.  Rohrer,  treasurer ; 
W.  R.  Miller  marshal;  W.  H.  Nobles,  C.  H.  Schurmeier,  C.  S.  Cade, 
A.  L.  Larpenteur,  J.  R.  Irvine  and  A.  G.  Fuller,  aldermen. 

April  17 — First  boat,  "War  Eagle,"  Captain  Harris;  814  passengers. 
Arrivals:  Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart,  W.  L.  Banning,  J.  W.  McClung,  D.  W. 
Ingersoll,  Gates  A.  Tohnson,  Jas.  Smith,  Jr.,  Edward  Zimmerman,  P. 
Berkey,  J.  Fletcher  'Williams,  M.  J.  O'Conner,  D.  D.  :\Ierrill,  I.  W. 
Webb,  H.  Orleman.  Charles  IMiles,  Jerry  McCarthy,  O.  G.  Miller  and 
Louis  E.  Fisher. 

July  4 — Luke- Marvin  drowned.  Great  speculation  in  land.  Henry 
^McKenty  leading  operator.  Population  city,  4,716;  county  9,495;  ter- 
ritory 53,600.  Bellevue  house,  on  Bridge  Square,  built  by  W.  G.  Le- 
Duc.     Postoffice  moved  to   Bellevue  house. 

October  4. — Daily  Free  Press  appeared ;  A.  C.  Smith,  editor. 

October  31. — Pioneer  and  Democrat  consolidated. 

November  9. — H.  C.  Sanford's  grocery,  corner  Third  and  Wabasha, 
burned.  House  of  Hope  Presbyterian  Society  organized  by  Rev.  E.  D. 
Neill ;  services  held  in  Walnut  street  chapel. 

November  20. — River  closed;  open  217  days;  553  boats  arrived; 
30.000  people  arrived  during  the  season ;  city  overrun. 

1856 

January  2. — Seventh  legislature  convened.  St.  Anthony  detached 
from  Ramsey  county. 

January  10 — St.  Paul  Lodge  No.  3,  Free  Masons,  instituted. 

March  2 — Legislature  adjourned. 

March  11. — C.  S.  Cave  succeeded  W.  H.  Forbes  as  postmaster. 

March  23. — Robert  A.  Smith  appointed  county  treasurer.  Edmund 
Rice  elected  county  commissioner.     Board  of  Education  created. 

April  17. — Minnesota  Pioneer  Guards  organized;  Captain,  A.  C. 
Jones;  first  lieutenant,  E.  C.  Palmer;  second  lieutenant,  Lyman  C. 
Dayton. 

April   18. — First  boat,  "Lady  Franklin,"  Captain  Lucas. 

April  city  election.  George  L.  Becker,  mayor ;  D.  Rohrer,  treasurer ; 
O.  Simons,  police  justice;  W.  R.  Miller,  marshal;  W.  Branch,  C.  H. 
Schurmeier,  W.  D.  McCroty,  C.  Branch,  C.  L.  Emerson  and  P.  Ryan, 
aldermen;  J.  B.  Brisbin,  attorney;  G.  W.  Armstrong,  comptroller;  J. 
A.  Case,  surveyor;  Dr.  S.  Willey,  physician. 

May. — Pioneer  Guards'  brass  band  organized ;  J.  C.  Terry,  leader ; 
14  members. 

May  23. — A  long  row  of  wooden  buildings,  just  completed  by  Dr. 
Stewart  and  J.  W.  McClung,  were  burned. 

May  30 Mayor  appointed  J.  Gabel,  N.  Miller,  F.  C.  Hardwig  and 

E.   Maher,  policemen. 

May. — George  Benz  arrived. 

June  24. — Cornerstone  of  Historical  and  Masonic  Halls  laid  with 
great  pomp ;  never  built  on  sites  selected. 

June. — Corner  stone  of  present  cathedral  laid ;  Assumption  church. 
German  Catholic,  built :  Rev.  D.  Alarogna,  first  priest ;  City  Hall  com- 
pleted on  Rice  Park ;  Jackson  Street  M.  E.  church  erected. 


92  ST.  PAUL  AXD  VICIXITY 

July. — Murder  and  robbing  frequent;  a  vigilance  committee  organ- 
ized and  the  police  force  increased  to  twelve. 

July  17. — Damascus  Commandery  Free  Masons  instituted;  Henry 
Galvin  appointed  policeman ;  Col.  G.  Hewitt,  Hiram  Rogers,  James 
Davenport,  \V.  L.  \\'ilson  and  D.  Ramaley  arrived. 

August. — ^linnesota  Grove  Xo.  i,  U.  A.  O.  Druids,  instituted;  St. 
Paul  Typographical  Union  organized. 

September  25. — Fuller  house,  corner  Seventli  and  Jackson  streets 
opened;  cost  $110,000. 

September. — Arrivals  at  the  hotels  for  the  month,  1,000;  city  valua- 
tion $3,287,220. 

October  15. — Rev.  John  Mattocks  arrived  and  became  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  church. 

November  10. — River  closed;  open  212  days. 

November  t6. — Rice  House,  where  ^fctropolitan  stands,  burned;  St. 
Paul  bridge  commenced :  Myers  &  Willius  commenced  a  banking  busi- 
ness. 

November   12. — Royal  Arch  Masons  No.   i   instituted. 

December  i. — D.  L.  Fuller  died;  W.  Sprigg  Hall  appointed  superin- 
tendent of  public  instruction  in  territory ;  whole  number  of  arrivals  at 
the  hotels  during  the  year,  28,000. 

1857 

January   7. — Eighth    session   of   territorial   legislature   convened. 

January. — St.  Paul's  Episcopal  church  organized ;  Rev.  A.  B.  Pat- 
terson, rector. 

February  6. — Bill  to  remove  capitol  to  St.  Peter  introduced  in  coun- 
cil;  passed  council  12th;  house,  i8th;  Joe  Rolette  stole  the  bill;  a  dupli- 
cate was  engrossed  and  signed ;  Judge  Nelson  later  decided  it  illegal. 

February  22. — Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Cretin  died. 

February. — First  city  directory;  1,700  names;  St.  Paul  Library 
Association   incorporated. 

March  7. — Legislature  adjourned. 

March  25. — CouiUv  jail  commenced ;  built  of  stone. 

April  I. — R.  S.  and  \V.  H.  Munger  arrived. 

April  22. — Samuel  Medary  third  governor  of  territory  arrived;  St. 
Paul  Light  Cavalry  organized;  Captain  James  Starkey;  Shields  Guards 
organized.  Captain  J.  O'Gorman. 

April  17. — E.xtra  session  of  legislature  convened;  St.  Paul  water 
works  chartered ;  Fuller  House  Comixuiy  chartered. 

May  I. — George  Seibert.  D.  A.  IMonfort  and  H.  Acker  arrived. 

May  5. — City  "election;  mayor,  J.  P..  Brisbin ;  treasurer,  D.  Rohrer ; 
marshal,  W.  R.Miller;  new  aldermen,  Luke  Morrison,  A.  Y.  Larpen- 
teur  and  H.  J.  Taylor;  attorney,  H.  J.  Horn;  comptroller.  A.  T.  Cham- 
blin ;  surveyor,  J.  T.  Halsted. 

May  8. — First  boat,  "Galena,"  Captain   Laughton. 

May  12. — Twentv-four  boats  at  the  levee. 

May  20.— Sallie  .'^t.  Clair's  \'arieties  at  Market  Hall. 

May. — Concert  Hall  block  built  by  J.  \V.  McClung  and  others. 

May  23. — Act  incorporating  Old  Settler's  Association  approved. 

Tune  I. — Election  of  delegates  to  tiie  constitutional  convention;  2,820 
votes  cast  in  the  city. 

June   15. — Russ  C.  Munger  arrived. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


93 


June  27. — H.  \'an  Liew  opened  the  People's  Theatre,  a  wooden  build- 
ing erected  for  the  purpose  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  St.  Peter  streets. 

July. — William  Augustus  Croffut,  reporter  of  the  Times,  kicked  off 
the  steamer  "War  Eagle;"  mistaken  for  D.  Ramaley,  reporter  of  the 
Pioneer  (both  still  living,  1912). 

July  4. — !\Iackubin  &  Edgerton,  bankers,  moved  to  a  building,  corner 
of  Third  and  Franklin  streets ;  commencement  of  Second  National 
Bank. 

August  4. — Twenty  buildings  on  Third,  between  Market  and  St. 
Peter  streets,  burned. 

August  18. — A  number  of  buildings  on  Robert  street,  between  Third 
and  Fourth,  burned. 

In  August  occurred  the  "Sunrise  Expedition."  During  the  summer 
the  settlers  near  Cambridge  and  Sunrise  complained  that  the  Chippewa 


P  filial  iS 
fcsf  11^,  III 

"PriFWIif  III 


INTERNATIONAL    HOTEL,   BURNED   IN    1869 


Indians  were  depredating  upon  them.  On  August  24th  Governor  Medary 
ordered  Captain  Starkey,  with  twenty  men  of  the  St.  Paul  Light  Cavalry, 
to  proceed  to  the  scene,  and  arrest  any  Indians  known  to  be  committing 
excesses,  or  return  them  to  their  reservation.  On  the  28th,  the  detach- 
ment came  upon  the  Indians  in  Washington  county,  and  while  parley- 
ing with  them  the  Indians  suddenly  broke  away.  Captain  Starkey  ordered 
one  of  his  men,  Frank  Donnelly,  to  follow  them  and  tell  them  to  stop. 
Donnelly  did  so,  when  an  Indian  named  Sha-go-ba  shot  him,  killing  him 
instantly.  The  detachment  then  charged  the  Indians,  killed  one,  wounded 
another  and  made  prisoners  of  the  survivors. 

August. — Financial  panic   strikes  the  city. 

September  2. — Council  appropriates  S'30,000  for  the  bridge  at  Wa- 
basha street. 

September  7. — District  court  opened  by  Judge  Nelson;  200  cases  on 
calendar. 

September  14. — Hope  Engine  Co.  No.  i  organized. 

September  19.- — Gas  works  completed. 


94  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

October. — Population  of  city,  9.973  ;  county,  12,747  ;  territory,  150.037. 

October  8. — W.  Markoe  made  balloon  ascension  with  S.  S.  Eaton 
and  H.  H.  Barnes;  Eaton  jumps  out  after  ascending  a  few  feet  and 
the  others  have  a  narrow  escape. 

October  13. — First  state  election:  Governor.  H.  H.  Sibley;  senators, 

I.  \'an  Etten.  C.  S.  Cave  and  W.  Sprigg  Hall :  representatives.  J.  W. 
Crosby,  W.  Dawson,  W.  B.  McCrorty,  C.  Rauch,  J.  Starkey  and  G.  L. 
Otis.  County  officers:  District  judge.  P.  J.  Penman:  clerk  of  court,  R. 
F.  Houseworth ;  sheriff,  J.  Y.  Caldwell ;  treasurer,  R.  A.  Smith ;  regis- 
ter, E.  Heenan ;  surveyor,  S.  F.  Duffy. 

October. — Colonel  Wm.  Crooks  and  J.  M.  Gilman  arrived;  L.  B. 
Wait  appointed  collector  of  the  port ;  citizens  contribute  relief  for  grass- 
hopper sufferers. 

November  i. — Hope  Engine  Co.  No.  i  and  Minnehaha  No.  2  receive 
fire  engines;  M.  B.  Farrell  arrived. 

November  14. — River  closed ;  open  198  days ;  St.  Paul's  church  com- 
pleted;  city  jail  completed;  city  valuation,  $6,437,285;  bridge  completed. 

December  2. — First  state  legislature  met. 

December  26. — First  telegraph  line  opened ;  three  hundred  and  forty- 
three  buildings  erected  during  the  war,  costing  $591,500;  city  spent  on 
streets  and  sewers  $133,153. 

1858 

February  27. — Old  settlers  meet  at  the  capitol  and  organize  a  society ; 
H.  H.  Sibley,  president. 

March  23. — First  boat,  "Gray  Eagle,"  Captain  Harris;  Northern 
Line   Packett  Company  established. 

April  15. — Five  million  loan  bill  endorsed  by  the  people.  \'ote  in 
St.   Paul:  4.051   ayes;    183   nays;  great  religious  revivals. 

April. — City  election:  Mayor,  N.  W.  Kittson;  treasurer,  D.  Rohrer; 
justice,  O.  Simons;  comptroller,  T.  M.  Aletcalf:  attorney,  H.  J.  Horn; 
surveyor,  D.  L.  Curtice;  chief  of  police,  J.  ^V.  Crosby;  chief  of  fire 
department,  C.  H.  Williams;  new  aldermen — C.  H.  Schurmeier,  B.  W. 
Lott.  P.  Paine,  P.  O'Gorman,  W.  C.  Gray    S.  P.  Folsom,  N.  Gross,  W. 

II.  Wolff,  T.  Grace  and  H.  M.  Dodge. 
July    II. — Hon.   W.   Costello   drowned. 

November  13. — Adams  school  completed;  value.  $21,272.80. 

November  16. — River  closed ;  open  236  days. 

November  23. — N.  W.  Irwin  died. 

December  4. — J.  H.  Bronson  killed  by  accident. 

December  22. — House  of  Hope  chapel  on  Walnut  street,  dedicated; 
Jefferson  school  house  completed;  Athenaeum  built:  Olympic  Base  Ball 
Club  organized;  S.  P.  Jcnnison,  captain;  R.  C.  Munger.  treasurer; 
Turners'  Society  organized  in  Irvine's  Hall;  German  Lutheran  church, 
corner  Waliasha  and  Tenth  streets,  built. 

In  the  fall  of  this  year  the  city  procured  two  fire  engines  from  Phila- 
delphia and  delivered  them  to  Hope  and  Minnehaha  companies.  In 
the  summer  Hon.  John  S.  Prince  purchased,  at  his  own  expense,  an 
engine  which  had  been  in  use'  at  Fort  Snelling,  and  presented  it  to  a 
comj)any  comf)oscd  of  the  employes  of  his  mill,  and  called  the  Rotary 
Mill    Company. 

1859 

March  11. — S.  Bilanski  poisoned;  his  wife,  convicted  of  poisoning 
him.  sentenced  to  be  lumg. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  95 

April  19. — First  Boat  "Key  City,"  Captain  Norden. 

April. — A.   H.   Wilder  arrived.  ' 

]\Iay. — Stone  block.  No.  230  East  Seventh  street,  built  by  F.  Knauft; 
cost  $6,000. 

May  3. — City  election :  Mayor,  D.  A.  Robertson ;  comptroller,  W.  Von 
Hamm;  treasurer,  C.  A.   Morgan;  new  aldermen — M.   Branch,  M.  J 
O'Connor,  R.  C.  Wiley,  P.  Berkey;  city  clerk,  J.  H.  Dodge. 

July  4. — A^ery  cold,  almost  snowed. 

July  6. — Dr.  Charles  W.   Borup  died. 

July  24.- — Rt.  Rev.  Thomas  L.  Grace  consecrated  Bishop  of  the 
Catholic  diocese;  arrived  in  August;  Great  Western  band  succeeded 
Pioneer  Guard  band ;  R.  C.  Munger,  leader. 

August  5. — The  Pioneer  Guard,  under  J.  ,S.  Prince,  went  to  Monti- 
cello  to  assist  in  the  Wright  county  war  against  lynchers. 

August  II. — Pioneer  Guard  return  from  Wright  county  war  covered 
with  glory. 

September  8. — ^People's  theatre  burned  during  a  political  meeting. 

November  29. — River  closed ;  open  222  days ;  J.  E.  and  Horace 
Thompson  arrived. 

December  7. — Second  state  legislature  met. 

December  14. — Minnesotan  and  Times  newspapers  consolidated ; 
Newson,  Moore,  Foster  &  Co.,  proprietors. 


CHAPTF.R  X 

DICTIONARY  OF  DATES  (1860-75) 

Great  Fire  on  Third  Street  (i860) — Call  for  Troops  Received 
(April  13,  1861) — First  Regiment  Left  for  Front  (June  22, 
1861) — Capt.  W.  B.  Farrell  Killed  at  Gettysburg  (July  3,  1863) 
— Musical  Society  Formed  (1863) — Explosion  of  the  Steamer 
"John  Rumsey"  (1864) — Return  of  Regiments  (July  5.  August 
II,  1865) — Establishment  of  House  of  Refuge  (Reform  School) 
(1866) — Excavation  for  Oper,v  House  (1866) — Chamber  of 
Commerce  (Old  Board  of  Trade)  Organized  (1867) — Opera 
House  Dedicated  (1867) — Custom  House  Commenced  (1867) — 
International  Hotel  Burned  (1869) — Water  Works  Completed 
(1869) — New  Merchants  Hotel  Commenced  (1870) — Street 
Railway  Opened  (1872) — Postoffice  Moved  to  Custom  House 
1873) — West  St.  Paul  Annexed  (1874). 

This  chapter  is  a  continuation  of  the  "Dictionary  of  Dates."  and 
covers  the  important  period  not  only  of  the  Civil  war,  but  the  erection 
of  many  prominent  buildings  and  the  founding  of  St.  Paul's  splendid 
system  of  water  works. 

i860 

January  26. — Mrs.  W.  O'Neill  found  dead  at  corner  of  Seventh  and 
Cedar  streets.     Her  husband  sent  to  Stillwater  for  killing  her. 

March   12. — W.  M.  Corcoran  appointed  iiostniaster. 

March  16. — Great  tire,  destroying  most  of  the  buildings  on  both  sides 
of  Third  street,  between  Robert  and  Jackson  streets. 

March  19. — Captain  W.  H.  Acker  appointed  adjutant  general. 

March  23. — Mrs.  Annie  Bilanski  hung  in  jail  yard;  Pioneer  Guards 
in  attendance. 

March  28. — First  boat,  "Milwaukee,"  Captain  Cochrane. 

April  7. — Roger's  block,  Bridge  square,  burned. 

May. — The  city  election  resulted:  Mayor.  John  S.  Prince;  treasurer, 
C.  A.  Morgan;  comptroller,  W.  \'on  Hanim  ;  justice.  N.  Gibbs ;  new  alder- 
men—R.  H.  Fitz,  H.  P.  Grant,  C.  M.  Daily  and  W.  W.  Corcoran. 

June. — House  rents  low;  potatoes,  15  cents;  wood,  $4;  whiskey,  25 
cents  per  gallon. 

October. — Horace  Thompson's  residence  built.  J.  L.  Merriam  ar- 
rived. Hot  times  during  presidential  cami>aign ;  the  Wide  Awakes 
(■Lincoln),  under  Captain  W.  II.  .\cker.  and  Little  Giants  (Douglas), 
Captain  A.  Wilkin,  flourished. 

November  6. — County  election.  Senators,  J.  Smith,  Jr.,  and  J.  B. 
Sanborn;  representatives,  A.  Nessel,  H.  Acker  and  W.  L.  Banning; 
auditor,  T.  M.  Metcalf;  surveyor,  D.  L.  Curtice. 

96 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  97 

November  lo. — W.  C.  Gray  commits  suicide  by  jumping  off  the  bridge. 
City  valuation,  $4,746,119;  county,  $5,827,599. 

December. — Daily   Times  sold  to  W.  R.  Marshall. 
December  25. — W.  HoUingshead  died. 
December  29. — Ingersoll  block  completed. 

1861 

January  i. — Daily  Times  issued  as  the  Daily  Press. 

January  8. — Third  legislature  convened. 

March  4. — St.    Paul    Sportsman's   Club  organized. 

March  8. — Legislature  adjourned. 

April  2. — City  election.  Mayor,  J.  S.  Prince;  comptroller,  W.  Von 
Hamm ;  Aldermen — J.  E.  Thompson,  W.  P.  Murray,  N.  Gross  and  L. 
H.  Eddy. 

April. — Charles  Nichols  appointed  postmaster ;  George  W.  Moore, 
collector  of  port;  General  J.  B.  Sanborn,  adjutant  general.  First  boat, 
"Ocean  Wave,"  Captain  Webb. 

April  13. — Call  for  troops  received. 

April  17. — Company  C,  First  Minnesota,  Captain  Acker,  filled;  first 
lieutenant,  W.   B.   Farrell ;  second,  S.  T.  Raguet. 

April  22. — Company  A.  Pioneer  Guards,  Captain  Wilkin,  mustered 
in ;  first  lieutenant,  H.  C.  Coates ;  second,  H.  Zehrenberg. 

April  29. — First   Regiment  mustered  in ;  Colonel  W.  A.   Gorman. 

June  22. — First   Regiment   left   for   Washington. 

June  26. — Second  Regiment  mustered  in;  Colonel  Van  Cleve.  E.  F. 
Drake  arrived. 

August  2. — Thermometer  at  104  degrees.  Banking  house  of  Hol- 
land, Berry  &  Dawson  established. 

October  14. — Second  Regiment  ordered  to  Louisville. 

November  26. — River  closed ;  open  232  days. 

December  4. — Fourth  Regiment,  Colonel  J.  B.  Sanborn,  mustered  in. 

December  21. — Rev.  John  Ireland  ordained  a  priest. 

1862 

January  7. — Fourth  legislature  convened.     Fifth  ward  created. 

March  7. — Legislature  adjourned. 

March. — Third  Regiment,  Colonel  H.  C.  Lester,  ordered  to  Nash- 
ville. 

April  I. — City  election.  Mayor,  J.  S.  Prince;  comptroller,  W.  Von 
Hamm;  treasurer,  C.  A.  Morgan;  justice,  N.  G.  Gibbs;  aldermen — L.  E. 
Reed,  P.  James,  D.  H.  \^alentine,  R.  C.  Wiley,  A.  Fink  and  J.  R.  Liv- 
ingston. 

April  13. — First  boat,  "Keokuk,"  Captain  Hatcher. 

April  8.— Capt.  W.  H.  Acker  killed  at  Shiloh. 

April    19. — Fourth    Regiment   ordered    to    Benton    barracks. 

May  9. — Fifth  Regiment,  Col.  L.  F.  Hubbard,  ordered  to  Corinth, 
Mississippi. 

June  8. — First  railroad  in  the  state  opened  from  St.  Paul  to  St. 
Anthony. 

July  14. — C.  Proal  arrived.  Marine  bank  organized ;  N.  Bradley, 
president;  O.   B.   Turrell,   cashier. 

August. — .Sixth  Regiment,  Colonel  W.  Crooks,  organized ;  remained 
on  frontier  until  ordered  to  St.  Louis  in  1864. 


98  ST.   PAUL  AXU   \  ICINITY 

August. — Seventh  Regiment.  Colonel  W.  K.  Marshall,  organized; 
ordered  to  St.  Louis  in   1S63. 

August. — Eighth  Regiment,  Colonel  M.  T.  Thomas,  organized;  sent 
to  frontier,  ordered  to  Clifton,  Tennessee,  in  1864. 

August. — Ninth  Regiment,  Colonel  .\.  Wilkin,  organized.  First  lo- 
cated at  frontier;  ordered  to  St.  Louis  in  1S64. 

August. —  Tenth  Regiment,  Colonel  J.  H.  Haker,  organized;  ordered 
to  St.  Louis  in  October,  1863. 

August  20. — .A.  volunteer  company  left  for  scene  of  Indian  massacre. 

September  2. — Battle  at  Birch  Coolie.  Killed  bv  the  Indians:  B.  S. 
Terry,  F.  S.  Bencken,  G.  Colter,  W.  Cobb,  W.  Irvine,  W.  Russell,  J. 
Colledge,  W.  Whetsler,  R.  Baxter  and  R.  Gibbens— all  of  St.  Paul. 

September  12. — L.  P.  Colter  died. 

October  10. — Winslow  house  burned. 

November  15. — River  closed;  open  211   days. 

December. — F.  Driscoll  came  to  St.  Paul  from  Belle  Plaine,  and  es- 
tablished the  Daily   Union. 

1863 

January  6. — Fifth  legislature  convened.  Wholesale  grocery  firm, 
Beaupre  &  Company,  formed;  first  year's  business,  -$179,000. 

March  6. — Legislature  adjourned. 

April   5. — First   boat,   "Keokuk,"   Captain   Hatcher. 
April   7. — City   election.     Mayor,   J.   E.   Warren ;  cominrollcr,   C.    H. 
Lineau ;  surveyor,  C.  M.  Boyle;  attorney.  .S.  M.  Flint:  aldermen^Peck- 
ham,  Betz,  King,  Paine  and  1.  1'.  Wright. 

May  T. — Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy  abandons  St.  .Xnthony  for  St.  Paul;  came 
to  state  in  1849. 

July  3. — Captain  W.  B.  l-'arrell  killed  at  Ciettysburg. 

luly   f). — Celebration   of   Gelty.shurg  victory. 

July  10. — C.  N.  ]\Iackubin  died.  Rev.  .S.  ^'.  .McMasters  arrived  and 
became  rector  of  Christ's  church. 

October  23. — Musical  society   formed. 

November  9. — H.  A.  Lambert  died. 

November   24. — River   closed;    open    223   days;   731    boats   arrived. 

December  8. — First  National  I'.ank  organized:  J.  E.  Thompson, 
president;  T.  .\.  Harrison,  vice  president;  H.  Thompson,  cashier;  C. 
Schcffer,  assistant  cashier;  W.  M.  and  II.  G.  Harrison  and  J.  C.  Bur- 
bank,  directors;  H.  P.  Upham.  teller;  W.  II.  Kelly,  bookkeeper. 

December  28. — First  concert  of  St.  Paul  Musical  society  at  Ingersoll 
hall ;  G.  Hancke,  F.  Wood  and  C.  Zenzius,  soloists. 

1864 

January  5. — Sixth  legislature  convened. 

I-'ebruary  4. — Ingersoll  hall,  second  concert  of  Musical  Society;  E. 
Wagner,   1-".  Wood,  W.  N.   Perkins,  M.  I-'sch  and   H.  Gretlien.  soloists. 

March  4 Legislature  adjourned. 

.\pril   II. — J.  W.  Cathcart  died. 

.\])ril  15. — First  boat,  "Ilawkeye  State,"  Captain  Mason.  J.  T. 
Maxlield  arrived. 

April  21. — Fourth  Musical  Society  concert;  Mrs.  C.  SchefTer,  Julia 
Wood  and  W.  Lcip.  soloists.  St.  Paul  &  Sioux  City  Railroad  incor- 
porated. 


ST.   PAUL   AND  MCINITY  99 

April— City  election.  .Mayor,  Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart;  justice,  A.  Mc- 
Elrath;  comptroller,  H.  Schiffbauer;  treasurer,  C.  T.  Whitney;  alder- 
men— L.  E.  Reed,  W.  P.  ilurray,  N.  Gross  and  P.  Berkey. 

May. — St.  Paul  Fire  &  ^larine  Insurance  Company  commenced  busi- 
ness. 

June  16. — Sixth  Regiment  left  for  the  south. 

July   14. — Colonel  A.   Wilkin  died. 

August.— Hon.  C.  K.  Davis  arrived.  Germania  Lodge  L  O.  O.  F. 
instituted.  First  Regiment  Heavy  .Artillery  raised.  Assessed  value  of 
property,  $1,443,830. 

September  22. — F:ieventh  Regiment,  Colonel  J.  Gilfillan.  left  for  the 
south. 

November  4. — Explosion  of  the  steamer  "John  Rumsey"  while 
rounding  into  port  opposite  the  lower  levee.  The  boat  was  blown  to 
pieces,  nearly  every  house  within  two  blocks  of  the  river  being  shaken 
by  the  concussion.  Seven  men  were  killed  and  many  others  badly  in- 
jured. 

November  10. — River  closed;  open  211  days;  630  boats  arrived. 
December   20. — Fifth   Musical    Society   concert ;   W.    N.    Perkins,    W. 
Leip  and  G.  Hancke,  soloists.     Franklin  school  built;  value,  $30,040. 

December  22. — Eleanor  Stelzer  killed  two  of  her  children  and  at- 
tempted suicide  while  insane. 

1865 

January  2. — W.   Hartshorn  died. 

January  3. — Seventh  legislature  met. 

"January  9. — Ladies'  Sanitary  Fair  at  Mozart  hall.  Splendid  sword 
voted  to  Colonel  C.  S.  Uline. 

February  16. — M.  L.  Temple  and  Captain  W.  B.  McGrorty  died. 

March  2. — Legislature  adjourned. 

March   14. — Dr.  J.  PL   Stewart  appointed  postmaster. 

April  4. — City  election.  Mayor,  J.  S.  Prince;  attorney,  I.  V.  D. 
Heard ;  street  commissioner,  ].  Dowlan ;  aldermen — J.  I.  Beaumont, 
W.  Dawson,  S.  H.  Fitz;  City  clerk,  K.  T.  Friend. 

April  8. — Great  peace  celebration;  St.  Paul  had  sent  1,470  men  to 
the  war.     Population:   City,   12,976;  county.    15,107. 

April   10. — J.   W.    Selby   died. 

April  10. — Second  National  Bank  opened:  E.  S.  Edgerton,  president; 
D.  A.  Monfort,  cashier ;  commenced  business  corner  Franklin  and 
Third  streets. 

.April   15. — First  boat,  "Burlington,"  Captain  Rhodes. 

^lay. — Dillon  O'Brien  arrived.  City  valuation,  $5,257,370;  county, 
$6,308,058. 

July  5. — Eleventh  Regiment  returned. 

July   18. — First  Regiment   returned. 

July  25. — Fourth  Regiment  returned. 

July  29. — Second  Regiment  returned. 

August  7. — Sixth  and  Tenth  Regiments  returned. 

August  8. — Seventh  Regiment  returned. 

August   II. — Eighth  Regiment  returned. 

September    18. — Protestant    Orphan    Asylum   established. 
_  October  2. — S.   Coggswell   died;  4th.   D.   Michaud   died;    14th,   Cap- 
tain E.  A.  Berger  died :  20th,  Lyman  Dayton  died ;  25th,   J.  R.  Atkins 
died. 


706428 


100 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \'ICIXITY 


October. — Masonic  Relief  Association  organized. 
November  2. — C.  J.  Whitney  died;  nth,  Captain  R.  M.  Spencer  died. 
November  8. — Daily  Pioneer  purchased  by  Hall  &  Davidson. 
December   i. — First   mid-winter   steamboat   excursion   under   Colonel 
Hewitt. 

December  i. — River  closed;  open  231  days. 

1866 

January  2. — Eighth  legislature  met.  The  establishment  by  the  legis- 
lature of  the  House  of  Refuge — later  the  Reform  School — was  an 
event  of  importance.  The  state  apropriatcd  $5,000  and  the  city  an  equal 
sum.  A  location  near  the  city,  calletl  the  P>urt  farm,  was  ])urchased  for 
$10,000,  and  in  a  few  months  the  institution  was  in  operation.  The 
first  board  of  managers  was  composed  of  D.  W.  IngersoU,  A.  T.  Hale, 


SlATli   C.VrlluL,    ULILT    IN    1882 

S.  J.  R.  McMillan  and  Rev.  J.  G.  Riheldaffer;  the  last  named  was  sub- 
sequently appointed  superintendent.  Hon.  I.  V.  D.  Heard  was  the  real 
projector  of  the  institution,  having  realized  its  need  while  serving  as  city 
attorney. 

March    i. — Excavation    for   Opera   house   on   Wabasha   street   com- 
menced. 

March   2. — Legislature  adjourned. 

March  2. — Rev.  L.  Galtier  died. 

April  19.— First  boat,  "Sucker  State,"  Captain  1  light. 

Mayor,  J.  B.  Brisbin;  treasurer,  N.  Gross; 
surveyor,  C.  M.  Bovie;  comptroller,  J.  W. 
Gies,  P.  Nash,  J.  King,  W.  Markoe  and  G.  W. 


May. — City  Election, 
justice,  E.  C.  Lambert; 
Roche  ;  aldermen — W.  G. 
Moore. 

May  4. — A.  Turpin  died;  100  years  old. 

May.— Corner-stone  of  St.  Mary's  church  laid. 

May   25. — Ten   buildings,   including   Cosmojiolitan 


hotel, 


rned. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  101 

June  3.— Perry  Sloan  falls  from  Merchant's  hotel  and  is  killed. 

July   I.— Captain  John  Jones  appointed  chief  of  police. 

July  4. — George  Seibert  succeeded  R.  C.  Munger  as  director  of  Great 
Western  band. 

July  7. — Henry  A.  Castle  arrived. 

July  29. — C.  W.  Nash  and  H.  L.  Carver  purchased  the  Daily  Pioneer, 

August  I Department  of  Minnesota,  Grand  Army  of  the' Republic, 

organized;  General  J.  B.  Sanborn,  commander.  Northwestern  Chronicle 
established  by  J.  C.  Devereaux. 

August  4. — Sioux  City  Railroad  opened  depot  in  West  Saint  Paul. 

August  II. — Hope  Engine  Company  No.  i  receives  steam  fire  engine, 
"City  of  St.  Paul,"  cost  $5,000.  Cholera  quarantine  established  at  Pig's 
Eye. 

August  21. — A  fatal  accident  at  the  Mansion  house.  A  boarder  named 
Hawkes,  from  Chicago,  shot  his  wife,  killing  her  instantly.  He  claimed 
that  the  shooting  was  accidental,  and  that  it  occurred  while  he  was  clean- 
ing his  revolver;  but  as  he  had,  only  a  short  time  previously,  taken  out 
a  policy  of  insurance  on  her  life  for  $10,000,  and  as  there  were  certain 
suspicious  circumstances  connected  with  his  conduct  in  the  affair,  the 
facts  seemed  to  warrant  his  indictment  and  trial  for  murder.  But 
upon  his  final  trial,  which  cost  the  county  about  $4,000,  he  was  acquitted. 

November  23. — River  closed;  open  219  days. 

December  i. — Steamboat  excursion  on  the  "G.  H.  Gray."  River 
open   in   front   of   city. 

1867 

January  8. — Ninth  legislature  convened. 

January  13. — Christ  church  completed  and  occupied. 

January  25. — Mansion  house,  where  Custom  house  now  stands, 
burned. 

January  27. — Christ  church  burned. 

January  28. — Chamber  of  Commerce  organized — a  continuation  of 
old  Board  of  Trade:  J.  C.  Burbank,  president;  J.  D.  Ludden,  secretary. 

February  22.— St.  Paul  Opera  House  dedicated;  address  by  I.  V. 
D.   Heard.     State  Editorial   Association   organized. 

March  8.— Legislature  adjourned.  Theodore  Tilton  lectured  at  Opera 
House.     Common  pleas  court  established. 

April  2.— W.  Sprigg  Hall  elected  judge  of  common  pleas  court. 

April  21 First  boat,  "Itasca,"  Captain  Webb. 

April  27. — Hope  Hose  Company  No.  i   organized. 

April — City  election  results:  Mayor,  George  L.  Otis;  attorney,  Har- 
vey Officer;  comptroller,  J.  W.  Roche;  aldermen — L.  E.  Reed,  W.  P. 
Murray,  G.  Mitsch  and  R.  Slater,  city  clerk,  B.  W.  Lott. 

May  20. — Large  fire  corner  Third  and  Cedar  streets;  St.  Paul  house 
burned. 

May  26. — Home   for  the   Friendless   established. 

May. — .Minnesota  Savings  Association  organized:  H.  H.  Sibley, 
president;  W.  R.  Marshall,  vice-president;  J.  S.  Prince,  cashier.  Trial 
of  G.  L.  Van  Solen  for  murder  of  Dr.  Harcourt;  acquitted. 

July  22. — L'Union  Francaise  organized. 

July  28. — St.  Mary's  church  dedicated ;  Rev.  L.  Caillet,  priest. 

August  4. — S.  T.  Raguet  died. 

September  10. — Excavation  for  Custom  house  commenced. 


102  S'l'.    I'All.   AXl)   \  inXITV 

Xovemljer  14. — Maggie  Murphy  burned  to  death,  by  l)ursting  oi  an 
oil   lani])  at   General   Sibley's   residence. 

Xoveniber   29. — River   closed ;    o])en    222    days. 

X'ovember.— Park  Place  hotel  completed  and  o])ened  by  ("1.  W.  Far- 
rington. 

December  31. — Three  hundred  and  forty-three  buildings  erected 
during   the    vear. 

1868 

laiuiary    i. — Firm   of    .\uerbach.    Finch    &    Scheffer    formed. 

January  7. — Tenth   legislature  met. 

I'Y'bruarv  29. — Dail\  lircniiu/  Dispatcli  issued  bv  D.  Ramalev  and 
H.   P.  Ilall.' 

March  6. — Legislature  adjourned. 

March   14. — Rev.  J-  F.   Dixon  died;  29th.  Moses  Sherburne  died. 

.\])ril  4. — First  boat.  "Sheridan,"  Captain   Ilutchinson. 

April. — McQuillan's  block,  corner  Third  and  Wabasha  streets, 
completed  by  j.  T..  F^orejiaugh ;  $75,000.  Postofhce  moved  to  Opera 
House. 

April. — City  election;  .Mayor.  Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart;  justice,  (  ).  .Malnuos; 
comptroller.  J.  W.  Roche;  treasurer,  N.  Gross;  aldermen — T.  Rcanlcm, 
T.  Shearan.   P.  P.erkey  and  F.  Jansen ;  city  clerk,  J.  J.  Williams. 

September    10. — I..    S.   iv   M.   R.   R.   opened  to   White   P>ear. 

September. — High  school  course  commenced  in  up]ier  story  of  Frank- 
lin school  house:  11.  I".  Wright,  principal. 

October  10. — Dr.  J.  A.  Vervais  died. 

November  10. — Opera  House.  lUack  Crook  and  While  I'awn;  season 
of  five  nights. 

December  10. — River  closed ;  open  225  days. 

December  31. — 848,740  letters  passed  through  ])ostoffice  in  iX(>S: 
367  buildings  erected. 

1869 

January   i. — Colored  citizens  held  a  grand   jubiU-c   in    Ingersoll   hall. 

January  5. — Eleventh  T,cgislature  met. 

January  16. — Cathedral  1-ather  Mathew  Temperance  Society  formed. 
O.ssian  F.  Dodge  elected  secretary  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

February  3. — P.urning  of  the  International  Hotel  (formerly  called 
the  Inillcr  House),  the  leading  hotel  in  the  city;  loss.  $125,000.  .More 
than  two  hundred  guests  were  in  the  house  when  the  tire  broke  out  (at 
2  A.  M.),  but  all  escaped. 

February. — During  the  session  of  the  legislature  an  act  lo  remove 
ilic  capital  to  Kandiyohi  county,  on  one  of  the  tracts  called  the  "capital 
I.ukN."  p.isscd  both  houses,  but  was  vetoed  by  Ciovcrnor  Marshall,  and 
failed  tn  ]i,iss  in  s|)ite  of  his  prohibition.  The  .lUtlMr  df  ihe  bill  was 
Hon.  Charles   H.  Clarke  of   Henne|)in  county. 

March  8. — 0])era   House.  Gen.   Tom   Thuiub ;    four  nights. 

Aiiril  K).— Mrst  boat,  "Sucker  Slate."  Captain  Might.  Xeill  .school 
house  built;  value  $7,138.37. 

May. — City   election:    Mayer,    I.     1.    Maxfield:   comptroller,    J.    W 
Roche;  attornev.  General  W.  .\.  Gorman;  assessor,  C.   Passavanl ;  sur 
veyor.   D.   L.  Curtice;  aldermen — J.  Steele.  W.   H,   Litchfield,  T.  Grace 
and   I,    H.  F.ddy. 

luric  2},. — Corner-stone  nf   House  of   llii]ic  church  I:iid. 

.\ugusl    K). — Col    II.    M     McKcnlv   dicil. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  103 

August  23. — Lake  Phelan  water  introduced  into  the  city ;  water  works 
cost  $340,000. 

September  19. — Sioux  City  Railroad  Company  established  depot  on 
Last  side  of  river. 

October  10 River  closed;  open  221  days. 

October. — Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  Rev.  W.  C.  Pope,  opened. 

November  i. — St.  Paul  Press  building,  ^linnesota  and  Third  streets, 
completed  by  Press  Printing  Company ;  cost  $60,000. 

November  12. — E.  C.  Jones  died;  22nd,  J.  B.  Braden  and  Orrin 
Curtis  died. 

December. — 952,640  letters  passed  through  postoffice  during  the  year ; 
509  buildings  erected  during  the  year;  cost  $1,500,000. 

1870 

January   4. — Twelfth   legislature   convened. 

March  i. — Minnesota  Boat  Club  organized:  Norman  Wright,  caj)- 
tain. 

March   4. — Legislature   adjourned. 

March  8.— Acker  Post  No.  21,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  organ- 
ized ;  Captain  H.  A.  Castle,  commander. 

April    II. — First  boat,   "Tom   Jaspar."   Captain   West. 

April  II. — C.  A.  Morgan  died. 

April   14. — Academy  of   Natural   Sciences  organized. 

May  4. — J.  A.  Wheelock  appointed  postmaster. 

May  12.— J.  McConkey  died;  21st,  T.  Thomas  died;  28th  J.  i:. 
Thompson  died ;  30th,  J.  W.  Simpson  died. 

May  19. — Concert  hall  block  burned;  Miss  McLellan  burned  to 
death. 

May City  election  ;  ^^layor,  William  Lee  ;  comptroller,  J.  W.  Roche  ; 

justice,  T.  Howard ;  treasurer,  M.  Esch ;  surveyor,  D.  L.  Curtice ;  alder- 
men— B.  Presley,  M.  Cummings,  F.  Brewer  and  H.  J.  Taylor;  city  clerk, 
M.  J.  O'Connor. 

June  I. — Corner-stone  of  New  Merchants  hotel  laid.  New  Jefferson 
schoolhouse  completed;  value,  $41,918.45. 

June. — First  class  graduated  from  the  High  School,  consisting  of 
Fanny  Haines  and  Albert  Warren. 

June  18. — Opera  House,  Laura  Keene;  the  season  continued  eighteen 
nights. 

June  27. — Metropolitan  hotel  opened  by  Gilbert  Dutcher ;  built  by 
Culver,  Farrington  &  Cullen ;  cost,  $175,000. 

July  I. — Merchants  National  Bank  organized;  M.  Auerbach,  presi- 
dent ;  W.  Mann,  vice  president ;  W.  R.   Merriam,  cashier. 

August  I.— L.  S.  &  M.  R.  R.  opened  to  Duluth. 

October  2. — Rev.  D.  R.  Breed  installed  as  pastor  of  House  of  Hope 
church. 

October  20. — St.   Paul   Driving   Park   Association   formed. 

October. — Knauft's  block.  East  Seventh  street,  completed;  cost,  $30,- 
000. 

November    10. — Opera  house,  John   Dillon;  six  nights. 

November    11 V.   Guerin   died;    i6th,   H.    Buel   died. 

November  21.— River  closed;  open  233  days. 

December  9. — W.  J.  Cullen  died ;  28th'  Lott  Moffett  died. 

December  17. — Steamboat  excursion  in  front  of  the  city. 

December    31. — 1,026,153    letters    passed    through    postoffice    during 


104  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

$9,315,507;  771   buildings  erected  during  the  year. 

the  year.     Population:  City,  20,030;  county,  23,085;  valuation  of  city, 

1871 

January   3. — Thirteenth   legislature   met. 

January  19. — Minnesota  Grand  .\rniy  of  the  Republic  held  a  banquet 
at  the  Merchants  Hotel. 

January. — St.    Mary's   Temperance    Society   organized. 

March  3. — Legislature  adjourned. 

March  15. — Opera  House,  "Union  Spy,"  by  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, five  nights;  21st,  "Hibernicon,"  eight  nights. 

April   10. — First  boat.  "Diamond  Joe,''  Captain  Isherwood. 

April  II. — Major  N.  McLean  died. 

May. — Pilgrim  Baptist  church  dedicated.  City  election :  Mayor,  Wil- 
liam Lee;  attorney.  Gen.  W.  A.  Gorman;  comptroller.  J.  W.  Roche; 
surveyor,  D.  L.  Curtice;  aldermen — L.  Krieger,  T.  Sheran,  J.  T.  Max- 
field,  G.  A.  Johnson  and  J.  W.  Fisher. 

June. — Second  graduating  class  from  High  School :  Misses  Dotie 
Hunt  and  Nellie  Ilaynes  and  Messrs.  W.  Ilolabird  and  E.  Wait. 

July  5. — State  Sunday  School  convention  met  in  wigwam  opjiosite 
the  capitol. 

August  4. — A.  \V.  Pearson  died ;  30th,  C.  G.  Wyckoff  died. 

August — McLean  school  built ;  value,  $7,863.28. 

September  6. — Drawing  of  Pioneer  lottery:  H.  L.  Carver,  proprietor; 
Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy  drew  house  and  lot  on  Dayton's  bluff. 

September   15. — Opera  House,   Horace  Greeley  lectured. 

September — \'ine  street  schoolhouse  completed ;  value,  $3,245.84. 
Hawkeye  Base  Ball  Club  organized ;   Paul  Weide,  captain. 

October  2. — J.  C.  Raguet  died.  River  division  of  the  Chicago,  ]\Iil- 
waukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  completed. 

October.^ — The  city  council  appro])riated  $20,000  to  the  sufferers  by 
Chicago  fire.     Northern  Pacitic  Railroad  comi^leted  to  the  Red  River. 

October  24. — Old  Settlers'  excursion  to  the  Red  river. 

November  2. — Farmers  &  Mechanics  Bank  established:  John  Far- 
rington,  president;  Alfred  Wharton,  vice  president;  C.  A.  Morton, 
cashier. 

November  20. — Opera  house,  "Union  Spy,"  by  Grand  .\rmy  of  the 
Republic,  six  nights;  30th.  Miltonian  tableaux,  three  nights. 

November. — Brick  block  at  seven  corners  completed  by  G.  S.  Moore; 
$35,000. 

December  i. — Frank  B.  Clarke  arrived  as  general  freight  agent  and 
passenger  agent  of  West  Wisconsin  Railroad. 

December  4.- — River  closed ;  o]ien  231)  days ;  832  buildings  erected 
during  the  year. 

1872 

January  2. — Fourteenth  legislature  convened.  Charter  of  St.  Paul 
amcnfled,  creating  a  board  of  ]niblic  works  and  authorizing  the  purchase 
of  puiilic  park. 

January  22 W.  B.  New-comb  died ;  28th.  J.  O'Gorman  died. 

February  10. — New  portion  of  Merchants  hotel  opened. 

February  19 West  Wisconsin  Railroad  opened  to  Tomah. 

April  4. — Marshall  Sellers  died;  22nd,  G.  P.  Peabody  died. 

.\|)ri]  23. — First  boat.  "S.  S.  Merrill."  Captain  Davidson. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  105 

May. — City  officers :  Mayor,  Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart ;  treasurer,  M.  Esch ; 
justice,  A.  McElrath :  aldermen — J.  C.  Quinby,  W.  Golcher,  N.  Roberts, 
T.  Grace.  F.  Richter  and  F.  Willius. 

May  II. — First  Rice  Park  concert  by  Great  Western  band.  Daily 
Evening  Journal  established  by  H.  Woodrufif. 

May  19. — George  R.  Finch  Boat  Club  organized. 

May  27. — Itasca  Boat  Club  organized. 

July  14. — Street  railway  o()ened. 

September    12. — L.   H.   Eddy   died. 

September. — Fire  companies  Nos.  3  and  4  received  new  steamers ; 
cost,  $4,500. 

September. — St.   Paul   Harvester  Works   established. 

October  g .-Mian  Campbell  died ;  25th,  Rev.  J.  H.  Bahne  died. 

October  15. — St.  Paul  Conservatory  of  -Music  established;  J.  Za- 
honyi,  principal. 

November. — Countv  election :  Senator,  E.  Rice ;  representatives,  T. 
N.  Rogers,  H.  H.  :\Ii'ller,  G.  Benz,  H.  A.  Castle  and  H.  J.  Brainard; 
auditor,  J.  B.  Olivier;  judge  of  probate,  H.  R.  Brill. 

November  2. — Dr.  S.  Willey  died;  9th,  Butler  Comstock  died;  27th, 
J.   P.   Kilroy  died. 

November  20. — River  closed;  open  216  days. 

November. — Lindeke's  block,  corner  Jackson  and  Seventh  streets 
completed ;  cost,  $30,000.     High  school  removed  to  Lindeke's  block. 

December. — 932  buildings  erected  during  the  year. 

1873 

January  7. — Fifteenth  legislature  convened. 

January  29. — Odd  Fellows'  hall  burned. 

February  9. — Postoffice  moved  to  the  Custom  house. 

February  28. — Opera  House,  Ole  Bull  concert. 

March   7. — Legislature   adjourned. 

March  13. — C.  H.  Schurmeier  died;  26th,  Judge  S.  Finch  died. 

April  3  and  4. — Opera   House,   Mrs.   Scott   Siddons. 

April   17. — First  boat,  "Northwestern,"  Captain  Davidson. 

May  I. — Death  of  "Old  Bets,"  a  Sioux  Indian  woman,  formerly  of 
St.  Paul,  but  at  the  time  of  her  death  residing  at  Mendota.  Her  Indian 
name  was  Aza-ya-man-ka-wan,  or  "the  berry-picker."  She  was  born 
at  Mendota  in  1788;  was  well  known  to  the  early  settlers  of  St.  Paul 
and  thousands  of  others,  and  was  really  an  historic  character. 

June  I. — Colonel  Allen  became  proprietor  of  the  Merchants  hotel; 
John  H.  Dodge,  chief  clerk. 

June  19. — Plymouth  church  dedicated;  Rev.  C.  M.  Terry,  pastor. 

July  10. — j\l.  Esch  died:  13th,  H.  A.  Himt,  died;  25th,  C.  Zenzius 
died;  29th,  John  Nichols  died. 

Sept.  5 Lieut.  H.  H.  Wilson  died;  20th,  H.  Petzhold  died. 

September  23-6. — State  Fair  at  the  Driving  Park. 

September  24. — Races  at  Driving  Park.  Winning  horses :  2 :37, 
Tearaway  ;  three-year-olds.  Wilder,  25th  :  2  145  horses,  Tearaway  ;  green 
horses,  Alary  Lane.  26th :  3-minute  horses,  Mary  Lane ;  free-for-all, 
Draco  Prince;  running  race,  John  Morgan. 

September. — Lewis  block,  completed  by  R.  P.  Lewis ;  $30,000.  War- 
ner's block,  corner  Third  and  Wabasha  streets,  completed ;  $26,000. 

October    i. — Gilbert   Dutcher   died. 


106  ST.   I'ALl.  AXD  \TC1^■1T^■ 

Xovcniljcr  i. — W'illius'  Urotliers  Hank  Ijccame  tlic  ( lerinan  American 
Hank. 

November  4 — County  and  city  election :  Senator,  E.  F".  Drake ;  rej)- 
resentatives,  L.  Hoyt,  G.  Benz,  T.  M.  Metcalf,  J.  Davidson  and  li. 
Meyerding;  treasurer,  C.  S.  Uline ;  sheriff,  J.  Grace;  register,  T.  San- 
der; attorney,  C.  D..  O'Brien;  surveyor,  C.  M.  Boyle:  clerk  of  court. 
A.  Armstrong;  mayor.  Dr.  J.  II.  Stewart;  treasurer,  F.  .\.  Renz;  attor- 
ney, W.  .X.  Gorman;  aldermen.  1.  Dowlaii,  I..  Dciiieules.  |.  Metzdorf. 
F.  Werner  and  F.  Knauft. 

November  28 — River  closed;  open   2i_^  days. 

1874 

January  6 — Sixteenth   legislature  convened. 

January  (> — State  Firemen's  Association  organized.  West  St.  Paul 
annexed.     City  proper  contains   1,^,853  acres,  and  West  St.   Paul  2,800. 

February  2. — Opera  House,  Old  Folks  concert;  11th,  \'ictoria  Wood- 
hull  lectured;  iQth  William  Parsons  lectured:  _'5tli.  "Color  ( niard"  b}- 
Grand  Army  Republic,   four  nights. 

February  20 — Eli  Perkins  lectured  at  Ingersoll  hall. 

March — Rev.  W.  McKibben  became  j^astor  of  Central  Presbyterian 
church. 

March  4 — Minnesota  Saving  .Association  changed  to  Savings  Bank 
of  St.  Paul;  H.  H.  Sibley,  president:  W.  R.  Marshall,  vice  |)resident ; 
J.  S.   Prince,  cashier. 

March  6 — Legislature  adjourned.  ( )-Ko-da  Lodge.  Knights  of 
Pythias,   instituted. 

.'\pril  6 — A.  \'an  Glahii  died;  9II1,  C\  Syniontls  died;  28th.  K.  I'erry 
died. 

April  22 — David   Blakely  becomes  projirictor  of  the  Paily   Pioneer. 

May  1 1 — Louis  Robert  died. 

July  2 — Races  under  auspices  of  Driving  Park  Association.  Win- 
ning horses;  3-minute  horses.  Bay  Bring;  2:45  horses.  Bay  Charlie. 
July  3:  four  year  olds,  Billy  I'.arden ;  2:38  horses.  Bay  Charlie.  July  4: 
2.50  horses,  Gray  .Steel :  free-to-all.  Star  of  the  West ;  running  horses, 
St.  Croix. 

July    16 — Anti-Monopolist  appeared;    1.    Donnelly,   editor. 

July — Wholesale  grocery  firm  of  McQuillan.  Beaupre  &  Company 
established. 

.\ugust  3 — -Michael  Kell\  killed  l'>arney  Lamb.  Lincoln  schoolhouse 
completed;  value  $22,571.90. 

.August  21 — Races  at  Driving  Park.  Winning  horses:  3-minute 
horses,  Georgia ;  2  :40  horses.  Darkness.  .August  22 :  2.30  horses,  ^'ou^g 
St.  Lawrence;  running  horses.  Little   hVank. 

.\ugust  31 — Hon.   H.  .\cker  died. 

.September  5 — St.  Paul  Sharpshooters  Club  organized:  W.  K.  Burk- 
hard,  president. 

September  7 — "'Color  Guard."  i)y  (irand  .\rmy  of  tlu-  l\e|inl)iic.  in 
wigwam   in  court  house  square. 

Sei)tembcr — New  l-"irsl  Methmlisl  i'.piscopal  church  dedicated,  up- 
per Third  street. 

October  6 — Dr.  T.  K.  Potts  died;  12th.  William   Paist  dieil. 

October  13 — Races  at  Driving  Park.  Winning  horses:  Cireen  burses, 
Orient;  2.55  horses,  Charley  Cham]);  running  horses,  Wral.  October 
15th:  3-minute  horses.  Lady  \lack;  4  year  olds.  P.illy  Barber;  2.40  horses. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \ICIXITV  107 

Charle\'  Clianip.  October  i6th:  running  horses.  W'ral ;  2.50  horses,  Lady 
Mack. 

November  3 — County  and  city  election :  Senator,  W.  P.  Murray ; 
representatives.  \\'.  Crooks.  H.  H.  ^liller,  G.  Benz,  F.  R.  Delano  and  L. 
Hoyt ;  auditor,  S.  Lee  Davis:  judge  of  probate.  O.  Stephenson;  mayor. 
J.  T.  Alaxfield;  comptroller,  J.  W.  Roche;  aldermen,  ].  H.  Reaney,  J. 
O'Conner.  C.  A.  Morton,  G.  A.  Johnson.  J.  W.  Fisher,  L  McCarthy,  E. 
Langevin  and  J.   Minea. 

November  3 — Opera  House,  Grace  Greenwood  and  Mrs.  Aines ;  9th, 
Adelaide  Phillips  Company  concert;  13th,  Carl  Schurz  lectured;  i8th 
and  19th.  Robert  AlcWade.  in  "Rip  Van  Winkle";  24th,  and  25th,  Pal- 
mer &  Company  "Black  Crook;"  26th,  Bayard  Taylor:  27th,  Mrs.  Ann 
Eliza  Young  lectured. 

November  4 — Mrs.  Lick  murdered;  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Rapp  and  Lauten- 
schlager  convicted  of  the  crime. 

November  10 — J.  H.  Rose  shot  P.  O'Conner. 

November  16 — Annexation  of  West  St.  Paul  ratified. 

November  16 — River  closed;  open  214  days. 

November  18 — Tolls  abolished  on  the  bridge. 

November  25 — Rev.  H.  Cross  became  pastor  of  First  Baptist  church. 

December  31 — Postoffice  business  of  the  year,  $85,027;  money  orders 
issued  $116,388;  money  orders  paid  $320,217;  number  of  letters  handled 
during  December,  201,334. 


CHAPTER  XI 

DICTIONARY  OF  DATES  (1875-90) 

Standard  Club  Organized  (1875) — John  Ireland  Consecrated  Co- 
adjutor Bishop   (1875) — St.   Paul  Light  Infantry  Organized 

(1876) Paid   Fire    Department    Organized    (1877) — President 

Hayes  Visits  State  Fair  (1878) — Right-oi--Way  Granted  to  St. 
Paul   Union   Depot   Company    (1880) — State   Capitol    Burned 

(1881) First    Meeting    of  Water    Reception    Commissioners 

(1881) — Villard  Reception  in  Honor  of  Northern  Pacific  Com- 
pletion (1883) — Minnesota  Commandery  Loy.\l  Legion  Or- 
ganized (1885) — First  Ice  Palace  Opened  (1886) — Ireland 
Cre.\ted  an   Archbishop   (1888). 

In  this  chapter,  the  chronological  sequence  of  notable  events  in  the 
annals  of  St.  Paul  is  brought  down  to  the  year  1890.  By  the  unsatis- 
factory census  of  that  year,  the  population  approached  the  figure  of 
150,000,  which  entitled  it  to  a  recognized  place  among  cities  of  the  first 
class,  which  it  has  since  royally  maintained.  Thenceforward  only  the 
most  important  happenings  had  an  appreciable  effect  on  its  advancement ; 
the  individual  careers  of  none  but  its  most  conspicuous  citizens  influenced 
its  destiny,  and  its  amazing  development  during  the  next  two  decades 
is  best  depicted  in  the  topical  treatment  to  which  that  development  is 
subjected  in  the  ensuing  chapters  of  this  publication. 

1875 

lanuarv  5 — Seventeenth  legislature  convened. 

January  8 — Great  electric  storm.  Thermometer  thirty-five  degrees 
below.     First  sleighing. 

February  i — St.  Paul  Warehouse  Company  elevator  completed ;  capa- 
city, 500,000  bushels;  cost,  $110,000;  W.  S.  Timmerman.  superinten- 
dent. 

February    i— Robert  Banks'   Literary   Society  organized. 

February  2— Opera  House;  Hon.  William  Parsons  lectured;  9th, 
Mas(|uarade  ball  and  gift  presentation,  the  parquettc  floored  over  for 
the  first   time;   i8th.   i<)th  and  20th.  "The  Can-can." 

I'ebruarv  iq— ludge  S.  J.  R.  McMillan  elected  United  States  senator. 

I'^ebruarv  21  —  Tudge  W..   Sprigg  Hall  died. 

March  i H.  R.  Brill  appointed  judge  of  common  pleas  court. 

March  15 — O.  Simons  appointed  judge  of  common  jileas  court. 

April  I — Residence  C.  H.  Bigelow  burned. 

April    II — Pioneer  and   Press  consolidated. 

fune— Dr.  David  Dav  appointed  jiostniaster.  Colonel  George  Cul- 
ver'became   landlord  of 'the    Metropolitan   hotel;   John   T.    Ford,   chief 

108 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  109 

clerk.  Third  jMethodist  Episcopal  church,  in  Bronson's  addition,  de- 
dicated; Rev.  J.  Stafford,  pastor.     St.  Paul  Choral  Club  organized. 

June  i8,  19 — Martha  Washington  tea  party  by  ladies  of  Church 
Hospital  at  the  capitol. 

June  21 — Alex  Johnston  elected  secretary  of  the  chamber  of  com- 
merce. 

July  5 — Contest  for  sportmen's  champion  badge  of  the  state  between 
Stillwater  and  St.  Paul  teams ;  retained  by  the  latter. 

July  20 — Major  W.  H.  Forbes  died  at  Devils  Lake. 

July  31 — Gang  of  counterfeiters  arrested  on  Fort  street. 

August  8 — Charles  Scheffer  died;  17th,  Parker  Paine  died. 

August   II — General  Sherman  serenaded  at   Park   Place  hotel. 

August  21 — Central  house  burned. 

September  3 — B.  F.  Hoyt  died ;  23d,  R.  Wiley  died. 

September  14 — Revival  meetings  commence  in  a  large  tent  opposite 
the  capitol. 

September  17 — George  P.  Wilson  of  Winona  and  Dick  Jones  of 
Rochester  have  a  political  debate  in  the  court  house. 

September  18 — St.  Paul,  Stillwater  and  Minneapolis  sportsmen  shoot 
a  match ;  St.  Paul  j",  Stillwater  76,  Minneapolis  75. 

September  21 — D.  W.  Whittle,  the  Evangelist,  arrived  and  com- 
menced revival  meetings  at  the  Opera  House. 

October  3 — Robbery  of  $6,000  from  the  store  of   Power   Brothers. 

October  5-10 — The  Paulist  Fathers,  Deshon,  Dwyer  and  Eliot,  hold 
a  mission  at  the  cathedral. 

October   15 — Richards  Gordon  elected  president  of  Musical  Society. 

October  31 — Standard  Club,  a  society  of  Jewish  gentlemen,  organized; 
Joseph  Oppenheim,  president. 

November  5— Rev.  Dr.  S.  Y.  McMasters  died;  8th,  S.  McCullough 
died;  13th,  Rev.  John  Mattocks  died;  23rd,  J.  G.  Irvine  died;  28th, 
Judge  J.  J.  Scarborough  died. 

November — City  election.  Mayor,  J.  T.  Maxfield;  treasurer,  F.  A. 
Renz ;  attorney,  W.  A.  Gorman ;  aldermen,  J.  C.  Quinby,  W.  P.  Murray, 
T.  Grace,  J.  Cleary,  T.  Brennan  and  T.  W.  Heathcote. 

November  16 — River  closed;  open  205  days. 

December  i — Catholic  Industrial  school  gift  enterprise  drawn ;  capi- 
tal prize,  $20,000  of  real  estate,  drawn  by  Catholic  schools. 

December  21 — Rev.  John  Ireland  consecrated  co-adjutor  bishop  of 
this  diocese. 

December  28 — Banquet  at  the  Metropolitan  in  honor  of  Governor 
Pillsbury. 

December  31 — Sales  of  St.  Paul  Harvester  Works  for  the  year, 
$1,000,000.  Thirty-five  fires  in  the  city  during  the  year;  loss  $48,246. 
Amount  of  real  estate  owned  by  churches,  $542,700.  Postoffice  busi- 
ness for  the  year.  Receipts  $98,388.07 ;  Money  orders  issued,  $107,755.65. 
Money  orders  paid,  $334,980.24.  Letters  delivered  by  carriers,  886,472. 
City  valuation,  $27.755,926 ;  county,  $30,282,666.  324  marriages  in  the 
city  during  the  year.    Population:  City,  33,178;  county,  36,333. 

1876 

January  i — Opera  House,  ]\Iartino;  iith,  Hutchinson  family;  13th, 
Rev.  D.  R.  Breed  lectured. 

January  4 — Eighteenth  legislature  convened. 


110  ST.   PAUL  AND  VICIXITV 

January   6— Grand    Charity   hall,   iK'ncht   of    iIk-    CIuutIi    hospital    at 
Opera  House. 

January    lO Gang   of    shoplifters    arrested    on    Washington    street; 

$6,000  of  goods  recovered. 

lanuary  19 — Great  editorial  banquet  at  the  Merchants  hotel. 
March    1— St.   Paul  Light  Infantry  organized;  captain,  J.   R.   King; 
lirst   lieutenant,   W.   O'Gorman ;   second   lieutenant,    P.   j.    ^IcAndrews; 
forty  members. 

March   i— John  U.   Wilson  and  Dr.  II.  C.   Hand  died. 
March    3 — Legislature   adjourned. 

March   3— -Annual   meeting    Minnesota    lioat    Club;    J.    N.    Granger, 
president;  L.  W.  Rundlett,  captain. 

March  ^1 — W.  LSickel  succeeded  Irving  Todd  as  collector  of  the  port. 
,\pril    1— Henry    Van    Hoven    arrested;   charged    with    forging   and 
swindling  in  Holland  to  the  amount  of  $100,000. 

.•\pril  22 — First  boat,  "Savannah,"  Captain  Bowlin. 
May   2 — Pioneer-Press  and   Minneapolis   Tribune   consolidated ;   ap- 
peared as  an  eight  page  paper,  printed  in  St.  Paul. 

May   6 — Society   for   the   improvement  of   the   poor  organized,   and 
opened  an  office  at  Xo.  53  Robert  street ;  E.  W.  Chase,  relief  agent. 

May   15 — C.  Miller  and  W.  Dawson  commence  to  erect  brick  block, 
corner  Seventh  and  Robert  streets;  cost  $20,000. 

\Iay    if, — Installation  of   officers  by   Damascus   Commandery.   K.   T. 
May   17 — Concert  saloons  with  girl  performers  abolished. 
May  19 — Upper  elevator  burst. 

May   20 General    Willis   A.   Gorman   died;   23rd.    .Mark   Hendricks 

died. 

May  30 — Great  celebration  of  Decoration  day. 
)une  2— Hon.  L  C.  P.urbank  died;  8th,  J.  M.  Castner  died. 
June  9 — Corne"r-stone   of    Odd    Fellows'  block,   corner   of   Wabasha 
and  l-'ifth  streets,  laid  with  impressive  ceremonies. 

|une  19 — George  I.autenschlaeger  sentenced  to  be  hung  at  the  end 
of  three  months,  for  the  murder  of  Mrs.  Ulrica  Lick. 

June  19 — Norwood  Hall,  young  ladies'  seminary,  conducted  for  six 
years  by  Mrs.  W.  J.  Smith,  closed. 

June  20 — C.  II.  P.igclow  elected  president  of  Fire  &  .Marme  Insur- 
ance Comjiany. 

June  23 — Graduating  exercises  of  high  school  at  Opera  House, 
[unc   27 — Beautiful   centennial   state   flag  presented   to   the   state   by 
the  ladies  of  the  city  at  the  cai)itol. 

July  I — Trade  of  three  of  the  heaviest  business  houses  for  twelve 
months  to  date;  Auerbach,  Finch,  Culbertson  &  Company,  dry  goods, 
$2,200,000;  P.  H.  Kelly,  groceries,  $2,000,000;  McQuillan.  Beaupre  & 
Comi)any.  groceries,  $1,500,000. 

July  I — Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart  nominated  by  the  Republicans  for  congress. 

[uly  4 Celebration  of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  American 

independence;   J.    S.    Prince,   marshal   of   the   day;   ex-Govcrnor,   C.   K, 
Davis  and  Henry  .\.  Castle,  orators. 

July  6 — News  received  of  Custer  massacre. 

August   8 — Convention   of    the   .American    Sunday    School    Union    in 

St.  Paul. 

August  22 — Dedication  of  the  House  ol  Ibipc  I'rcsijylcnan  church; 
address  by  Rev.  Ivlward  D.  Neill,  D.  D.  Four  frame  buildings  on 
Wabasha  street  burned. 


ST.   PAUL  AXD  MCIXITY  111 

September   12 — D.   C.  Greenleaf  died. 

September  13 — St.  Paul  Dispatch  sold  by  H.  P.  Hall  to  Henry  A. 
Castle  and  others. 

September  29 — Republican  coimty  convention  held;  H.  M.  Smythe, 
nominated  for  auditor;  W.  D.  Cornish,  probate  judge;  Dr.  J.  H.  Mur- 
phy, senator ;  Captain  Russell  Blakely.  Peter  Berkey,  H.  J.  Taylor, 
Henry  A.  Castle  and  \\".   B.  Ouinn,  representatives. 

October  10 — The  St.  Paul  and  Pacific  Railroad  placed  under  con- 
trol of  Horace  Thompson,  Edmund  Rice  and  John  .S.  Kennedy,  trustees. 

1877 

January  24 — Organization  of  a  grand  lodge  of  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen ;  hall  dedicated  on  the  23th. 

February  24 — Lecture  by  Rev.  Henry  \\'ard  Beecher.  in  the  Opera 
House,  on  the  "?*Iinistry  of  Wealth." 

April   II— P.   F.   McQuillan   died. 


FT.   SNELLING 

April  14 — Five  hundretl  thousand  dollars  donated  at  a  meeting  of 
citizens  to  aid  the  building  of  the  St.  Paul  and  Rochester  Railroad. 

April  28 — Two  sons  of  Hon.  John  ]\L  Oilman,  while  hunting  ducks, 
were  swamped  in  a  boat  at  Pig's  Eye  and  drowned. 

June  21 — Tenth  annual   reunion  of   the   First   Minnesota   Regiment. 

June  28 — Two  sons  of  J.  Fletcher  Williams  drowned  in  Lake  Como. 

September  6 — Eleventh  annual  reunion  of  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee ;  address  of  w-elcome  by  Mayor  Maxfield ;  banquet  at  the  Metro- 
politan hotel ;  cablegram  from  General  U.  S.  Grant,  then  in  .Scotland. 

October  i — The  \'olunteer  Fire  Department  terminated  its  existence, 
and  a  paid  department  was  inaugurated. 

1878 
May   18 — Park   Place  hotel  burned;  several  persons  injured. 
July  26 — Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  lectured  in  the  Opera  House  on 
"Wastes  and  Burdens  of  Society. " 


112  ST.   PAUL  AXU  \ICIXITY 

August  9 Excursion  on  the   Northern   Pacific  Railroad   from   St. 

Paul  to   Bismarck. 

September  5 — President  R.  B.  Hayes  visits  the  Minnesota  State 
Fair  and  is  entertained  in  St.  Paul;  speeches  by  President  Hayes  and 
others. 

September  16 — St.  Paul  sends  $2,160  to  relieve  the  suffering  people 
in  the  yellow  fever  district  of  the  south. 

September   17 — Dr.  James  T.  Alley  died. 

December  31 — The  Dispatch  issued  its  annual  Carriers'  Address 
which  typified  "the  prevailing  rivalry  between  the  twin  cities  in  language 
more  vigorous  than  elegant: 

.'\t  home!     Let  our  expanding  city 
Claim  the  tribute  of  our  ditty, 
Worthy  all  our  adulation, 
Wearing  every  fascination. 
Wreathed  in  rich  and  rare  prosperity. 
Spite  of  sour  saw-dust  asperity. 
Far  in  front,  where  bullets   rattle, 
The  DISPATCH  has  led  the  battle, 
For  it  proudly  stands  alone, 
Of  St.  Paul  the  champion. 

Bill  King  came  down  like  a  wolf  on  the  fold. 

His  hair  all  streaming  with  ruby  and  gold. 

His  cheeks  swelling  outward  as  full  as  they'd  hold. 

With  windy  bravado  and  gasconade  bold. 

But  Finch  took  a  bodkin  and  let  out  the  air. 

Which  Dave  had  pumped  in  with  such  infinite  care, 

And  showed  burly  Bill  how  to  get  up  a  "Fair." 

It  came  and  went  like  a  troubled  dream, 

A  vision  of  crush  and  scramble  and  scream ; 

Of  acres  of  dust  in  the  air  affoat; 

Of  Hayes  and  Carver  and  Rarus  to  boot; 

Of  red  machinery  in  stacks  and  rows; 

Of  female  horses  and  masculine  cows; 

Of  silver  and  sugar-cane,  wine  and  soap ; 

Of  pictures  and  fountains  and  fruit  and  rope; 

Of  race  tracks,  pavillions,  booths  and  tanks 

Of  beer  and  ten-pins  and   Pharaoh  banks; 

Of  crowded  humanity  jostled  and  jainmed, 

Every  avenue  closely  crammed, 

And  every  citizen  doubly  d — rammed. 

This  is  the  night-mare  of  recollection, 

AH  that  is  left  for  our  sad  reflection, 

Save  that  Bill  King's  side-show  is  sinking  yet. 

In  a  yawning  chasm  of  hopeless  debt. 

1879 

February  5 — Music  Hall  block,  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Waba- 
sha streets,  burned ;  loss,  $60,000. 

March  14 — Colonel  George  Culver  died. 

March  23 — Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart  ai)i)ointe(l  surveyor  general  of  Min- 
nesota. 

July  14— Colonel  Girart  Hewitt  died.  He  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania; was  a  lawyer  by  profession;  came  to  Minnesota  in  1856;  engaged 
in  the  real  estate  business  in  St.  Paul  for  many  years,  w  ith  great  activity 
and  success. 

September  12 — The  Pioneer-Press  stated  that  twp  miles  of  buildings 
had  been  erected  in  the  city  during  the  past  year. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  113 

1880 

January  7 — The  common  council  grant  the  right  of  way  to  the  St. 
Paul  Union  Depot  Company  over  and  across  the  public  levee. 

January  28— Horace  Thompson  died. 

February  4 — The  Old  Settlers'  Association  celebrated  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Fort  Snelling  bridge. 

March  10 — John  Dillon,  of  Dublin,  addressed  an  audience  in  the 
court  house  in  behalf  of  the  Irish  Land  League.  A  relief  club  was  or- 
ganized. 

April  20 — Lecture  by  General  Franz  Sigel,  in  the  Opera  House,  on 
"Republic  and  Empire." 

May  6 — Saint  Paul  Dispatch  sold  by  Henry  A.  Castle  to  Ex-Gov- 
ernor W.  R.  Marshall  and  General  C.  C.  Andrews. 

May  27 — Contest  between  friends  of  Blaine  and  those  of  Windom 
for  state  delegation  to  Chicago  convention ;  Windom  wins. 

June  14 — General  H.  H.  Sibley  elected  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce. 

July  I — General  W.  T.  Sherman  arrives  in  St.  Paul  as  the  invited 
guest  of  the  Historical  Society. 

July  2 — Celebration  of   the  two  hundredth   anniversary  of   the  dis- 
.  covery  of  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Minne- 
sota Historical   Society.     Speeches  made  by  Governor  Davis,   secretary 
Alex.  Ramsey,  General  Sherman  and  Bishop  Ireland. 

August  23 — Wholesale  houses  of  P.  H.  Kelley  &  Company  and  Ave- 
rill,  Russell  &  Carpenter  destroyed  by  fire;  loss  $600,000. 

September  5 — The  short  line  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St. 
Paul  Railroad  completed  from  Minneapolis  to  St.  Paul. 

September  9 — Attorney  General  Devens  and  United  States  Senator 
Windom  address  a  political  meeting  in  St.  Paul. 

December  3 — Death  of  Colonel  John  J.  Shaw,  proprietor  of  Mer- 
chants hotel. 

1881 

January  24 — Death  of  Justus  C.  Ramsey. 

February  4 — Residence  of  ]\Iaurice  Auerbach  burned. 

February  15 — Death  of  William  Rhodes,  president  of  the  city  council. 

March  i — The  state  capitol  destroyed  by  fire ;  destruction  of  a  large 
proportion  of  the  State  and  Historical  Society  libraries.  The  day  fol- 
lowing the  fire  the  legislature  met  in  Market  hall  and  the  market  house. 
Seventh  and  Wabasha  streets,  became  for  two  years  the  temporary  capitol. 

April  7 — First  meeting  of  the  water  works  commissioners  appointed 
under  the  legislative  act  of  1881,  consisting  of  General  H.  H.  Sibley,  P. 
H.  Kelley,  J.  P.  Frizell,  George  L.  Otis  and  J.  P.  Ludden. 

April  26 — The  river  rises  to  an  unprecedented  height,  and  inundates 
a  portion  of  the  Sixth  ward.  At  three  o'clock  on  the  following  day  it 
had  risen  nineteen  feet. 

May  2 — City  election ;  Edmund  Rice  chosen  mayor. 

July  15 — Henry  Villard  entertained  by  the  business  men  of  St.  Paul 
at  the  Metropolitan  hotel. 

August  22 — The  Union  Depot  opened. 

September   15 — St.  Paul  Dispatch  re-purchased  by  Henry  A  Castle. 

September  25 — Memorial  services  in  honor  of  the  martyred  Presi- 
dent Garfield.    Address  by  former  Governor  C.  K.  Davis. 


114  ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

October  3 — Colonel  W.  Crooks,  Hon.  Eugene  L'nderwood,  J.  W. 
McClung,  Captain  Rus.'^ell  Blakeley,  Edmund  Rice,  D.  W.  Ingersoll,  J. 
H.  Raney  and  James  Smith,  Jr.,  chosen  delegates  to  the  Mississippi 
River  Improvement  Congress  at  St.  Louis  by  the  chamber  of  commerce. 

October  6 — Death  of  Judge  S.  M.  Flint. 

1882 

January  9 — Banquet  given  in  honor  of  the  newly  inaugurated  gov- 
ernor, Lucius  F.  Hubbard,  by  citizens  of  St.  Paul. 

January  31 — Sale  of  the  St.  Paul  Street  Railway  to  Herman  Grave, 
Ansel  Oppenheim  and  others. 

February  9 — Lecture  by  John  B.  Cough. 

February  12 — Death  of  Dillon  O'Brien. 

March  9 — Reorganization  of  Acker  Post  No.  21,  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  Officers  elected:  Judge  W.  T.  Burr,  commander;  U.  S.  Hol- 
lester,  S.  \'.  C. ;  Edward  Simonton,  J.  \'.  C. 

May  30 — Memorial  day  oration  delivered  by  Colonel   H.  G.   Hicks. 

June  0 — Meeting  of  the  American  Medical  Association  in  St.  Paul. 

June  I" — Daniel  O'Connell,  a  police  ofificer,  is  shot  by  a  gang  of 
burglars  and  dies  from  the  effects  of  the  wound. 

July   19 — Death  of  Major  George  T.  Browning. 

August  I — The  National  Catholic  Total  Abstinence  I'nion  meets  in 
St.  Paul  and  holds  a  convention  lasting  three  days. 

November  i — The  Bank  of  Minnesota  succeeds  the  i^anking  house 
of  Dawson,  Smith  S:  SchefTer. 

1883 

February  7 — Hamline  University  burned. 

March  29 — George  L.  Otis  died. 

May  5 — Meeting  of  the  Ramsey  county  bar  to  pass  resolutions  of 
respect  to  three  deceased  members — Lorenzo  .\llis.  George  L.  Otis  and 
E.  R.  Hollinshead. 

May  30 — Memorial  Day  exercises;  address  by  Rc\ .  \\'.  IT.  Harring- 
ton. 

.August  21 — St.  Paul  citizens  subscribe  five  thousand  dollars  to  aid 
the  city  of  Rochester,  Minnesota,  laid  waste  by  a  cyclone;  five  hundred 
thousand  <lollars  worth  of  property  destroyed  and  thirty-one  persons 
killed. 

September  3 — The  reception  of  Henry  Villard  and  guests  in  St. 
Paul  in  the  month  of  .September  was  the  occasion  of  a  series  of  notable 
events,  ICarly  in  August,  1883.  the  aimouncement  was  made  that  the 
two  sections  of  the  Xorthern  Pacific  Railroad,  one  east  from  Portland, 
Oregon,  and  the  other  west  from  St.  Paul,  would  be  united  on  the  8th 
of  September.  Henry  \"illard.  president  of  the  road,  accompanied  by 
about  five  hundred  guests,  including  prominent  men  from  all  i)arts  of 
the  United  States  and  Europe,  was  announced  to  be  in  St.  Paul  on  Sep- 
tember 3rd,  and  thence  proceed  to  Cold  Creek,  Montana,  where  the  bind- 
ing together  of  the  two  great  sections  of  the  road  was  to  take  |>lace. 

On  the  morning  of  September  3rd  the  distinguished  guests,  consist- 
ing of  President  X'illard.  General  U.  S.  Grant,  and  prominent  statesmen 
and  capitalists  of  luunpe  and  .\merica,  arrived  from  the  east.  J'he  city 
was  brilli.intly  adorned  with  streaming  li.mners  and  triumphal  arches, 
while  the  military  and  civic  parade   which   idok   ])lace  soon  after  their 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  115 

arrival  has  perhaps   never  been  equaled   in   St.   Paul  as  a  lirilliant  and 
imposing  pageant. 

President  Chester  A.  Arthur;  Robert  T.  Lincoln,  secretary  of  war; 
Lieutenant  General  Phil  H.  Sheridan  and  other  distinguished  guests 
arrived  from  the  west,  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  reception  tendered  to 
them  was  most  enthusiastic.  From  the  depot  to  the  capitol  the  route 
of  the  presidential  party  was  thronged  with  people  and  the  appearance 
of  the  president  was  received  with  round  after  round  of  cheers. 

On  the  evening  of  the  3rd  the  municipality  of  the  city  entertained 
the  honored  guests  of  the  day  at  a  banquet  served  at  Hotel  Lafayette, 
on  Minnetonka  lake.  Provision  was  made  for  the  accommodation  of 
one  thousand  guests.  After  the  banquet  the  Hon.  C.  D.  O'Brien,  mayor 
of  St.  Paul,  introduced  the  President  of  the  United  States  who  returned 
thanks  for  the  hospitality  e.xtended  to  him.  Speeches  were  made  by 
Henry  Mllard.  ]\[ayor  O'Brien,  E.  F.  Drake,  Hon.  H.  M.  Teller,  Hon. 
W.  M.  Evarts,  Hon.  L.  Sackville  West,  Baron  Von  Eisendecher,  Gov- 
ernor L.  F.  Hubbard,  General  A.  H.  Terry,  Hon.  Alex.  Ramsey  and 
Tames  J.  Hill. 

1884 

January  21 — Resolutions  of  sympathy  for  and  expression  of  unim- 
paired faith  and  confidence  in  Henry  Villard  were  adopted  by  the  cham- 
i)er  of  commerce  after  his  retirement  from  the  presidency  of  the  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad. 

February   24 — Griggs  &   Foster's  warehouse  burned;   loss  $134,000. 

May  23 — Congress  authorizes  the  construction  of  an  additional  bridge 
across  the  Mississippi  at  St.  Paul. 

May  30 — Memorial  Day  address  delivered  by  ex-Governor  C.  K. 
Davis. 

June  10 — Banquet  given  to  ex-Governor  Davis  at  the  Metropolitan 
hotel  by  his  political  friends  for  his  services  at  the  National  Republican 
convention,  Chicago. 

June  30 — Bartlett   Presley  died. 

August  13 — Reunion  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee  at  Hotel  Lafayette, 
Minnetonka  lake.  General  W.  T.  Sherman  presiding. 

During  the  year  1884,  three  and  two-fifths  miles  of  pavement  were 
laid  in  St.  Paul;  sixteen  and  three-fifths  miles  of  new  street  graded;  six 
and  one-half  miles  of  sewers  were  constructed,  and  ten  of  water  mains; 
also  twenty-five  miles  of  sidewalks  and  seventeen  and  one-half  miles  of 
street  car  tracks;  while  1,960  houses  were  erected.  The  real  estate 
transfers  reached  over  $8,000,000;  the  wholesale  trade  amounted  to 
$67,970,000,  and  the  amount  of  exchange  dealt  in  by  the  banks  was 
$109,000,000. 

1885 

January — .Arrest  of  Dr.  P.  G.  Shellock  for  complicity  in  grave  rob- 
bing. Rev.  D.  R.  Breed  severs  his  connection  with  House  of  Hope  Pres- 
byterian church.  The  chamber  of  commerce  initiates  the  state  fair 
movement  by  which  the  Ramsey  county  poor  farm,  on  Snelling  avenue, 
is  tendered  to  and  accepted  by  the  State  Agricultural  .Societv  as  a  per- 
manent fair  ground. 

February — The  Minnesota  dairymen  meet  in  St.  Paul  and  formulate 
opposition  to  bogus  butter.  The  members  of  the  legislature  are  ten- 
dered a  reception  by  the  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce.  The  St.  Paul 
Plow  Works  are  destroyed  by  fire,  entailing  a  loss  of  $65,000. 


116 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \"ICINITY 


March — St.  Paul  Dispatch  sold  by  Henry  A.  Castle  to  George  K. 
Shaw  and  George  Thompson. 

April — Meeting  of  the  Minnesota  Bar  Association.  The  National 
German-American  Bank  building  is  completed  at  a  cost  of  $275,000. 

May — The  city  election  results  in  tiie  election  of  Mayor  Edmund 
Rice,  and  Comptroller  Roche. 

June — The  Minnesota  Commandery  of  Loyal  Legion  is  organized 
at  St.  Paul.  The  members  of  the  United  States  senate  committee  on 
inter-state  commerce  visit  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis  and  take  testimony 
as  to  transportation  of  freight. 

July — Bids  arc  received  for  the  $200,000  bonds  issued  for  the  Robert 
street  bridge.  The  Hotel  Ryan  is  opened,  a  bantjuet  constituting  one  of 
the  characteristic  features. 

September — A  convention  in  the  interest  of  the  waterways  of  the 
northwest  was  held  in  St.  Paul,  and  was  attended  by  delegates  from  all 
the  western  states  and  territories. 


A 

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i 

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ST.   PAUL  ICE   PALACE,    1 888 


October — Mayor  Rice  closes  the  gambling  dens.  The  Minnesota 
and  Northwestern  Railroad  afterwards  the  "Great  Western,"  enters 
St.  Paul.  The  corner  stone  of  the  new  court  house  is  laid  by  Postmaster 
Day.     Colonel  James  W.  Winslow  died. 

November — The  residents  of  St.  Paul  decide  to  l)uild  an  ice  palace 
and  organize  a  winter  carnival  association. 

1886 

January  14 — Corner-stone  of  the  first  ice  palace  in  the  United  States 
laid  in  St.  Paul. 

To  Mr.  George  Thompson,  of  the  Dispatch,  belongs  the  credit  of 
first  suggesting  arrangements  for  building  an  ice  jialace  in  this  city. 
Meetings  were  called,  committees  were  appointed  and  within  two  weeks 
the  necessary  funds  were  pledged.  As  the  outcome  of  these  agencies 
a  stock  company  was  formed  in  November,  18S3,  known  as  the  St.  Paul 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  117 

Ice  Palace  and  Winter  Carnival  Association.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  this 
organization  was  to  engage  the  services  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Hutchinson,  of 
Montreal,  under  whose  direction  and  supervision  the  three  palaces  in 
his  own  city  had  been  erected.  On  the  14th  of  January,  1886,  the  cor- 
ner-stone was  laid,  and  on  the  ist  of  February  Mr.  George  R.  Finch, 
the  first  president  of  the  carnival  association,  handed  over  to  the  mayor 
of  the  city  the  keys  of  what  was  probably  the  most  strangely  beautiful 
structure  that  had  up  to  that  time  been  erected  ^n  any  part  of  the  globe. 
It  was  one  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  in  length  by  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  in  width,  with  a  massive  central  tower  attaining  an  altitude 
of  one  hundred  feet.  This  tower  was  provided  with  battlements  and 
embrasures,  and  the  architecture  throughout  was  of  the  mediaeval  type. 
The  main  tower  was  defended  by  an  outlook  about  thirty-two  feet  in 
height,  with  battlements  and  towers  at  the  angles.  The  outer  walls  were 
twenty  inches  thick,  and  the  central  tower  forty  inches,  and  over  20,000 
blocks  were  required  in  its  construction.  There  were  four  grand  en- 
trances to  the  palace,  through  which  spectators  passed  to  the  labyrinth 
of  apartments,  and  viewed  the  magical  efl:'ect  of  the  solid  crystal  walls. 
The  site  selected  was  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  and  easily  accessible. 

The  first  winter  carnival  was  a  grand  success,  and  for  one  month 
St.  Paul  was  the  scene  of  gorgeous  pageants  and  unique  displays.  In 
the  illustrated  papers  of  this  and  foreign  countries,  a  cut  of  this  won- 
derful building  of  ice  appeared,  and  to  the  thousands  of  strangers  who 
were  thus  attracted  thither  it  was  found  as  beautiful  as  the  imagination 
had  pictured  it. 

The  first  set  of  officers  and  board  of  directors  of  the  Ice  Palace  and 
Carnival  Association  were  as  follows:  George  R.  Finch,  president; 
George  Thompson,  first  vice  president ;  W.  A.  Van  Slyke,  second  vice 
president;  Albert  Schefi^er,  treasurer;  A.  S.  Tallmadge,  secretary;  W. 
A.  Van  Slyke,  general  manager;  J.  H.  Hanson,  assistant  secretary.  These 
officers,  with  Daniel  R.  Noyes,  H.  C.  Ives  and  John  Summers,  consti- 
tuted the  executive  committee. 

February  3 — The  St.  Paul  Medical  College  opened;  Dr.  Alex.  J. 
Stone,  president. 

May  II — The  thirty-sixth  biennial  convention  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of  Hibernians  assembled  in  St.  Paul;  over  300  delegates  present. 

July  15 — Thirteenth  annual  session  of  the  National  Conference  of 
Charities  and  Corrections  assembles  in  St.  Paul.  President,  Russell 
Blakeley,  of  the  chamber  of  commerce,  welcomes  the  delegates;  ex- 
President  R.  B.  Hayes  addresses  the  convention. 

July  30 — General  R.  N.  McLaren  died. 

August  13 — The  officers  of  the  ice  carnival  reported  the  total  ex- 
penses of  the  carnival  were  $33,904;  receipts,  $42,597. 

August  30 — Opening  of  the  state  fair. 

September  7 — Frank  Mead,  of  Mandan,  former  St.  Paul  newspaper 
reporter,  shoots  Frank  Farnsworth  in  the  Merchants'  hotel.  The  wounded 
man  dies  soon  after  the  shooting. 

September  14 — Democratic  State  convention  held.  Dr.  A.  A.  Ames, 
of  Minneapolis,  nominated  for  governor;  A.  R.  McGill,  of  St.  Paul, 
nominated  by  Republicans  and  elected  in  November. 

September  29 — Edmund  Rice  nominated  for  congress  in  the  Fourth 
congressional  district. 

October  5 — Republican  county  convention  held.     Fred  Richter  nom- 


118  S'J'.    I'All.  AND  XlflXITY 

inated  for  sheriff;  M.  J.  Bell,  register  of  deeds;  J.  J.  ligau,  county  at- 
torney ;  F.  A.  Renz,  treasurer. 

Xovember  i — The  following  officers  of  the  ice  palace  and  winter 
carnival  were  elected ;  L.  H.  Maxfield,  ])resident ;  Dennis  Ryan,  first 
vice  president;  A.  Allen,  second  vice  ])rcsident;  Albert  .Scheffer,  treas- 
urer; George  Thompson,  secretary;  W.  A.  \'an  Slyke,  general  manager. 

1887 

January  4 — Corner-stone  of  the  second  ice  palace  laid. 

January   5 — Legislature   convenes. 

January  17 — Winter  carnival  opens.  The  ice  palace  of  this  year 
was  the  finest  that  had  ever  been  built.  Loftier  and  covering  a  larger 
area  than  the  one  of  18S6,  it  was  yet  more  boldly  fantastic  in  design,  a 
wilderness  of  tower  and  turret,  battlement  and  pinnacle,  tall  arch  and 
dying  buttresses.  It  was  entirely  the  protiuct  of  -St.  Paul  skill  and  en- 
terprise. 

January  k) — Ex-Governor  C  K.  Davis  nominated  for  I  iiited  ."stales 
senator. 

February  6 — Hon.  \\  R.  Delano  died.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts 
in  1823;  came  to  Minnesota  in  1853;  was  warden  of  the  first  state  prison, 
and  from  \H(io  to  1871  was  associated  with  the  construction  of  the  St. 
Paul  and  Pacific  Railroad.  In  1875  he  represented  Ramsey  county  in 
the  legislature. 

February  9 — The  State  Historical  Society  adopt  resolutions  declaring 
the  claims  of  Captain  Willard  Glazier,  as  the  discoverer  of  the  source  of 
the   Mississippi,   false. 

February  29 — Adelina  Patti  sings  in  the  Exposition  Iniilding,  St. 
Paul :  about  3.500  persons  present. 

March  iS^Richard  Ireland,  father  of  Bisho[3  Ireland  died.  Ik- 
came  to  St.  Paul  in  1832. 

May  2j — Commodore  W.  V.  Davidson  died. 

September  30 — Cardinal  Ciii)bons  visits  St.  Paul,  and  is  honored  willi 
a  banquet  by  the  citizens. 

October  10 — President  Cleveland  and  i)arty  arrive  in  St.  Paul  and 
are  icceived  by  a  committee  of  citizens  and  escorted  to  the  Ryan  hotel. 
A  public  recei^tion  was  held  in  the  evening. 

October  18 — Lieutenant-Cienera!  Phil  11.  Sheridan  and  L'omniissary- 
General  Mcl'cely  arrive  at  St.  Paul  to  make  an  investigation  into  tlie 
proposed  enlargement   of  Fort   Snelling. 

1888 

January  24 — The  winter  carnival  opens.  The  ice  palace  of  1888 
even  surpassed  in  size,  in  architectural  efi'ect,  and  grandeur  all  previous 
attempts  in  this  direction. 

January  27 — The  gri])  on  tlie  caljle  car,  while  g<iing  down  Selby  ave- 
nue grade,  failed  to  hold,  and  the  cars  ran  off  the  track.  One  ])assenger, 
Mr.  Saunders,  was  killed,  and  several  seriously  injured. 

February  13 — Foot,  Schulze  &  Company,  wholesale  l)oot  and  shoe 
house  destroyed  by  fire  and  the  R\an  l)rug  Company  stock  of  goods 
greatly  damaged ;  loss  estimated  at  $300,000. 

February  16 — Complimentary  ban(|uct  to  George  Tiiompson.  pres- 
ident of  the  carnival  association,  given  at  the  Merchants"  hotel  by  citi- 
zens of  St.  Paul. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  119 

March  5 — Louis  E.  Fisher  died.  He  came  to  Minnesota  in  1853  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death  was  employed  in  newspaper  work. 

May — Norman  W.  Kittson  and  J.  W.  Clung  died. 

September  27 — Bishop   Ireland  created  an  archbishop. 

October  4 — Banquet  given  at  Hotel  Ryan  by  the  citizens  of  St.  Paul 
to  Mr.  T.  F.  Oakes,  the  newly  elected  president  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad. 

October  8 — Henry  A'illard  addresses  the  chamber  of  commerce. 

December  13 — The  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  of  Ram- 
sey and  Washington  counties  meet  in  convention. 


January  3 — Benefit  at  Opera  House  netted  $1,000  for  Newsboy's 
Home. 

January  8 — State  legislature  meets. 

January  9 — W.  R.  Merriam  inaugurated  governor,  A.  R.  McGill  re- 
tiring. 

January  18 — \\'.  D.  Washburn  defeats  D.  M.  Sabin  for  Lhiited 
States  senate. 

February  3 — P.  R.  L.  Hardenbergh  died. 

March  6 — Great  funeral  of  Thomas  Brennan. 

March  12 — O.  E.  Holman  defeats  W.  P.  Murray  for  city  attorney. 

April  16 — St.  Paul  street  car  employees  on  strike. 

May  3 — Merrimac  and  Monitor  cyclorama  opened. 

June  15 — Red  Rock  Camp  meeting  opened. 

June   II — Edmund  Rice  died. 

August   17 — Wage  earners'  colony  located  at  Lake  Owasso. 

September  g — State  fair  opens. 

October  29 — St.  Paul  relieves  distress  among  North  Dakota  settlers. 

November  8 — Unknown  man  murdered  at  Lake  Johanna. 

December  16 — Three  new  churches  dedicated  in  the  Midwav  district. 


CHAPTER  XII 

AS  OTHERS  SAW  US 

First  Written  Description  of  St.  Paul — Editor  Goodhue's  Picture 
— On  the  "High-Pressure"  Principle — Land,  Land,  Day  and 
KiGiiT — Bancroft  and  Seward  on  St.  Paul — Great  Far  North- 
west Prophesied — Mark  Twain's  Sketch — Villard  Cuts  Away 
from  Wall  Street — Charles  Dudley  Warner's  Enthusiasm — 
Newspaper  Rhapsodies. 

Perhaps  a  comprehensive,  if  composite  portrait  of  St.  Paul  as  it 
was,  at  different  periods  in  its  history,  may  be  best  obtained  by  a  com- 
pilation of  extracts  from  tributes  to  or  descriptions  of  the  city  and  its 
surroundings  written  and  spoken  by  visitors,  who  have  left  records  of 
their  impressions.  Most  of  these  records  contain  something  of  a  com- 
plimentary nature  concerning  the  town  and  its  people,  and  they  are  sub- 
stantially unanimous  in  glowing  predictions  of  future  greatness — many 
of  which  predictions  have  been  long  since  fully  verified. 
First  Written  Description  of  St.  Paul 

Rev.  T.  S.  Williamson,  first  written  description  of  St.  Paul  (1846): 
"My  present  residence  is  on  the  utmost  verge  of  civilization,  in  the 
norihwestern  part  of  the  United  States,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  prin- 
cipal village  of  white  men  in  the  territory  that  we  suppose  will  bear  the 
name  of  Minnesota,  which  some  would  render  'clear  water,'  though 
strictly  it  signifies  slightly  turi)id,  or  whitish  water. 

"Tiie  village  referred  to  has  grown  up  within  a  few  years,  in  a 
romantic  situation,  on  a  high  bluff  of  the  Mississippi,  and  has  been 
baptized  by  the  Roman  Catholics  by  the  name  of  St.  Paul.  They  have 
erected  in  it  a  small  chai)el  and  constitute  much  the  larger  portion  of 
the  inhabitants.  The  Dakotas  call  it  Ini-ni-ja-ska  (white  rock),  from 
the  color  of  the  sandstone  which  forms  the  bluff  on  which  the  village 
stands.  This  village  has  five  stores,  as  they  call  them,  at  all  of  which 
intoxicating  drinks  constitute  a  part,  and  I  suppose  the  principal  part, 
of  what  they  sell.  I  would  suppose  the  village  contains  a  dozen  or 
twenty  families  living  near  enough  to  send  to  school.  Since  I  came  to 
this  neighborhood,  I  have  had  frequent  occasion  to  visit  the  village,  and 
have  been  grieved  to  see  so  many  children  growing  up  entirely  ignorant 
of  God,  and  unable  to  read  His  Word,  with  no  one  to  teach  them.  Un- 
less your  society  can  send  them  a  teacher,  there  seems  to  be  little  pros- 
pect of  their  having  one  for  several  years.  A  few  days  since,  I  went 
to  the  place  for  the  purpose  of  making  inquiries  in  reference  to  the 
prospect  of  a  school.  I  visited  seven  families,  in  which  there  were 
twenty-three  children  of  projjcr  age  to  attend  school,  and  was  told  of 
five    families   in   which    were   thirteen    nmre    that    it    is   supposed   might 

120 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  121 

attend,  making  thirty-six  in  twelve  families.  I  suppose  more  than  half 
of  the  parents  of  these  children  are  unable  to  read  themselves,  and  care 
but  little  about  having  their  children  taught.  Possibly  the  priest  might 
deter  some  from  attending  who  might  otherwise  be  able  and  willing. 

"I  suppose  a  good  female  teacher  can  do  more  to  promote  the  cause 
of  education  and  true  religion,  than  a  man.  The  natural  politeness  of 
the  French  (who  constitute  more  than  half  of  the  population)  would 
cause  them  to  be  kind  and  courteous  to  a  female,  even  though  the  priest 
should  seek  to  cause  opposition.  I  suppose  she  might  have  twelve  or 
fifteen  scholars  to  begin  with,  and,  if  she  should  have  a  good  talent  of 
winning  the  affections  of  children  (and  who  has  not,  should  not  come), 
after  a  few  months  she  could  have  as  many  as  she  could  attend  to. 

"One  woman  (Mrs.  Irvine)  told  me  she  had  four  children  she  wished 
to  send  to  school,  and  that  she  would  give  boarding  and  a  room  in  her 
house  to  a  good  female  teacher.  A  teacher  for  this  place  should  love 
the  Saviour  and  for  His  sake  should  be  willing  to  forego,  not  only  many 
of  the  privileges  and  elegancies  of  New  England  towns,  but  some  of  the 
neatness  also.  She  should  be  entirely  free  from  prejudice  on  account  of 
color,  for  among  her  scholars  she  might  find  not  only  English,  French 
and  Swiss,  but  Siou.N:  and  Chippewa,  with  some  claiming  kindred  with 
African  stock.  A  teacher  coming  should  bring  books  with  her  suf- 
ficient to  began  a  school,  as  there  is  no  bookstore  within  three  hundred 
miles." 

Editor  Goodhue's  Picture 

James  M.  Goodhue,  just  arrived,  in  the  first  number  of  the  Pioneer 
(1849)  :  "This  town,  which  was  but  yesterday  unknown,  for  the  rea- 
son that  it  had  then  no  existence,  is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  about  five  miles  south  of  latitude  forty-five  degrees. 
A  more  beautiful  site  for  a  town  cannot  be  imagined.  It  must  be  ad- 
ded that  bilious  fevers  and  the  fever  and  ague  are  strangers  to  St.  Paul. 
A  description  of  the  village  now  would  not  answer  for  a  month  hence — • 
such  is  the  rapidity  of  building,  and  the  miraculous  resurrection  of  every 
description  of  domicile.  Piles  of  lumber  and  building  materials  lie 
scattered  everywhere  in  admirable  confusion.  The  whole  town  is  on 
the  stir — stores,  hotels,  houses  are  projected  and  built  in  a  few  days. 
California  is  forgotten,  and  the  whole  town  is  rife  with  the  exciting 
spirit  of  advancement.  St.  Paul,  at  the  head  of  river  communication, 
must  necessarily  supply  the  trade  of  all  the  vast  region  north  of  it  to 
the  rich  plains  of  the  Selkirk  settlement,  and  west  to  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains, and  east  to  the  basin  of  the  Great  Lakes.  It  is  destined  to  be  the 
focus  of  an  immense  business,  rapidly  increasing  with  the  growth  and 
settlement  of  the  new  regions  lying  within  the  natural  circumference 
of  its  trade.  That  extensive  region  of  beautiful  land  bordering  on  the 
St.  Peter  river,  as  well  as  all  the  other  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi 
north  of  us,  will  soon  be  settled,  and  must  obtain  their  supplies  through 
St.  Paul." 

On  the  "High-Pressure"  Principle 

R.  E.  Seymour,  in  "Sketches  of  Minnesota,  the  New  England  of  the 
West"  (1849)  :  "Its  new  frame  buildings,  glistening  with  the  reflection 
of  the  rising  sun,  imparted  an  air  of  neatness  and  prosperity.  On  ar- 
riving at  the  wharf,  a  numerous  throng  of  citizens  and  strangers  came 
rushing  down  the  hill  to  welcome  our  arrival.     I  grasped  the  hand  of 


122  ST.    PAUL  AND  \ICL\1TV 

many  an  acquaintance,  whom  I  unexpectedly  found  here.  Everything 
appeared  to  be  on  the  high-pressure  principle.  A  dwelling  house'  for  a 
family  could  not  be  rented.  The  only  hotel  was  small  and  full  to  over- 
Ijowing.  Several  boarding  houses  were  very  much  thronged.  Many 
families  were  living  in  shanties,  made  of  rough  boards,  fastened  to  posts 
dri\cn  in  the  ground,  such  as  two  men  could  construct  in  one  day.  It 
was  said  that  about  eighty  men  lodged  in  a  barn  belonging  to  Rice's 
new  hotel,  which  was  not  yet  completed.  Two  families  occupied  tents 
while  I  was  there.  While  traveling  in  Minnesota,  I  made  my  head- 
quarters at  St.  Paul,  where  I  occasionally  tarried  a  day  or  two  at  a 
boarding  house  consisting  of  one  room,  about  sixteen  feet  square,  in 
which  sixteen  persons,  including  men,  women  and  children,  contrived 
to  lodge.  The  remaining  boarder.s — a  half  dozen  or  more found  lodg- 
ing in  a  neighbor's  garret;  this  tenement  rented  for  twelve  dollars  per 
month.  The  roof  was  so  leaky  that,  during  the  frequent  rains  that  pre- 
vailed at  that  time,  one  would  often  wake  up  in  the  night  and  find  the 
water  pouring  down  in  a  stream  on  his  face,  or  some  part  of  his  person. 

"We  are  now  near  the  dividing  line  of  civilized  and  savage  life.  We 
can  look  across  the  river  and  see  Indians  on  their  own  soil.  Their 
canoes  are  seen  gliding  across  the  Mississippi,  to  and  fro,  between  sav- 
age and  civilized  territory.  They  are  met  hourly  in  the  streets.  Here 
comes  a  female  in  civilized  costume ;  her  comijlexion  is  tinged  with  a 
light  shade  of  bronze  and  her  features  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to 
those  of  the  Indian.  She  is  a  descendant  of  French  and  Indian  parents 
— a  half-breed  from  Red  river.  There  goes  a  French  Canadian.  wIk. 
can  converse  only  in  the  language  of  his  mother  tongue.  He  is  an  old 
settler;  see  his  prattling  children  sporting  about  yonder  shanty,  which 
was  constructed  of  rough  boards  with  about  one  day's  labor.  There  he 
lives— obliging  fellow!  exposed  to  the  sun  and  raiii,  and  rents  his  ad- 
joining log  cabin  at  twelve  dollars  per  month.  Let  us  pass  on  to  that 
grou])  that  converse  daily  in  front  of  yonder  hotel,  i'hey  appear  to 
be  principally  professional  men,  politicians,  office-seekers,  speculators 
and  travelers,  discussing  the  various  topics  growing  out  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  new  territory,  such  as  the  distribution  of  the  loaves  and 
fishes,  the  price  of  lots,  the  rise  of  real  estate,  the  opportunity  now  af- 
forded for  the  acquisition  of  w^ealth  or  political  fame. 

"The  town  site  is  a  pretty  one,  affording  aniisle  room  for  stores  or 
dwellings,  to  any  extent  desirable.  I  could  not  but  regret,  however, 
that  where  land  is  so  cheap  and  abundant,  some  of  the  streets  are  nar- 
row, and  that  the  land  on  the  edge  of  the  high  blufl^'.  in  the  center  of 
the  town,  was  not  left  open  to  the  public,  instead  of  being  cut  up  into 
small  lots.  It  would  have  made  a  ])leasant  place  for  promenading,  af- 
fording a  line  view  of  the  river,  which  is  now  liable  to  be  intercepted  by 
buildings  erected  on  those  lots." 

h'redrika  P.remer  in  "Homes  of  the  New  World"  (  1850)  :  "Scarcely 
had  we  touched  the  shore,  when  the  governor  of  Minnesota  and 
his  pretty  young  wife  came  on  board  and  invited  me  to  take  uj)  my 
quarters  at  their  house.  .\nd  there  I  am  now,  happy  with  these  kind 
peojjle,  and  with  them  I  make  excursions  into  the  neighborhood.  The 
town  is  one  of  the  youngest  infants  of  the  Great  West,  scarcely  eighteen 
months  old ;  and  yet  it  has  in  a  short  time  increased  to  a  population 
of  2,000  i)ersons;  and  in  a  very  few  years  it  will  certainly  be  i>ossessed 
r)f  22.000;  for  its  situation  is  as  remarkable  for  its  beaiUy  and  licalth- 
fulness  as  it  is  advantageous  for  trade.     .\s  yet,  however,  the  town  is 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


123 


but  in  its  infancy,  and  people  manage  with  such  dwellings  as  they  can 
get.  The  drawing  room  at  Governor  Ramsey's  house  is  also  his  office, 
and  Indians  and  work-people  and  ladies  and  gentlemen  are  all  alike  ad- 
mitted. In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Ramsey  is  building  a  handsome,  spaci- 
ous house  upon  a  hill,  a  little  out  of  the  city,  with  beautiful  trees  around 
it,  and  commanding  a  grand  view  of  the  river.  If  I  were  to  live  on  the 
Mississippi,  I  would  live  here.  It  is  a  hilly  region,  and  on  all  sides 
extend  beautiful  and  varying  landscape.  The  city  is  thronged  with  In- 
dians.    The  men  for  the  most  part,  go  about  grandly  ornamented,  with 


MINNEHAHA  FALLS  IN  WINTER 


naked  hatchets,  the  shafts  of  which  serve  them  as  pipes.     They  paint 
themselves  so  utterly  without  any  taste,  that  it  is  incredible." 

Land.  Land,  Day  and  Night 


Correspondent  of  the  Pittsburg  Token  (1852)  :  "My  ears,  at  every 
turn,  are  saluted  with  the  everlasting  din  of  land  ! — land !  Money !  spec- 
ulation ! — saw  mills  I  land  warrants !  town  lots,  etc.,  etc.  I  turn  away 
sick  and  disgusted.  Land  at  breakfast,  land  at  dinner,  land  at  supper, 
and  until  11  o'clock  land;  then  land  in  bed,  until  their  vocal  organs  are 
exhausted — then  they  dream  and  groan  out  land,  land !  Everything  is 
artificial,  floating — the  excitement  of  trade,  speculation  and  expectation, 


124  ST.   PAUL  A.\D  \1C1X1TV 

is  now  running  high,  and  will,  perhaps,  for  a  year  or  so,  but  it  must 
have  a  reaction." 

Bancroft  and  Seward  o.v  St.  Paul 

George  Bancroft  in  letter  to  Governor  Gorman  ( 1854)  :  "The  de- 
light which  attended  my  visit  to  St.  Paul  will  never  be  effaced  from 
my  memory.  .All  published  accounts  of  the  Upper  ]\Iississippi  valley 
do  not  half  exj^ress  its  beauty  and  attractions.  I  have  traveled  a  good 
deal  in  the  world,  and  there  are  of  our  party  many  who  have  traveled 
much  more  than  I,  and  there  was  but  one  opinion,  that  for  the  union 
of  grandeur  and  loveliness,  of  magnificent  scenery,  amenity  and  fertility, 
the  region  has  not  its  parallel  as  an  object  of  admiration  and  interest 
to  the  tourist,  and  still  more  as  an  inviting  place  of  residence.  The  man- 
ner in  which  the  river  sweeps  past  your  city  reminds  me  of  Cincinnati, 
and,  like  that  city,  St.  Paul  owes  its  rapid  advancement  not  to  the  ac- 
cident of  its  selection  as  the  seat  of  government,  but  to  its  natural  adap- 
tion to  the  purposes  of  inland  commerce,  which  so  exceed  in  importance 
our  foreign  commerce." 

William  H.  Seward  in  a  speech  in  St.  Paul  (i860)  :  "I  find  myself 
now  for  the  first  time  upon  the  highlands  in  the  center  of  the  continent 
of  North  America,  equidistant  from  the  waters  of  Hudson  bay  and  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico — from  the  Atlantic  ocean,  to  the  ocean  in  which  the 
sun  sets;  here  upon  this  spot,  where  spring  up  almost  side  by  side,  so 
that  they  may  kiss  each  other,  the  two  great  rivers  which  bring  your 
commerce  half  way  to  Europe.  Here  is  the  place,  the  central  place, 
where  the  agriculture  of  the  richest  region  of  North  America  must 
pour  out  its  tributes  to  the  world.  On  the  west,  stretching  in  one  broad 
plain  in  a  belt  across  the  continent,  is  a  country  where  state  after  state 
is  yet  to  arise  and  where  the  productions  for  the  support  of  human 
society  in  other  old  crowded  states  must  be  brought  forth.  This,  then 
is  a  commanding  field :  but  it  is  as  commanding  in  regard  to  the  destinies 
of  this  country  and  this  continent,  as  it  is  in  regard  to  their  commercial 
future.  For  power  is  not  permanently  to  reside  in  the  east,  the  eastern 
slopes  of  the  Alleghany  mountains,  nor  in  the  seaports.  Seaports  have 
always  been  overrun  and  controlled  by  the  people  of  the  interior,  and 
power  that  shall  communicate  and  express  the  will  of  men  on  this  con- 
tinent is  to  be  located  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  at  the  sources  of  the 
MississipiM  and  St.  Lawrence.  In  our  day,  studying,  perhaps,  what 
might  have  seemed  to  others  trifling  and  visionary,  I  had  cast  about  for 
the  future  and  ultimate  seat  of  the  power  of  the  North  .American  people. 
T  have  looked  at  Quebec  and  New  Orleans,  at  Washington  and  .San 
Francisco,  at  Cincinnati  and  St.  Louis,  and  it  had  been  the  result  of  my 
conjecture  that  the  seat  of  power  for  North  America  would  yet  be 
found  in  the  valley  of  Mexico,  and  the  glories  of  the  Aztec  capital  would 
be  surrounded  in  its  becoming  ultimately,  and  at  last,  the  capital  of  the 
United  ."^^tates  of  -America.  But  I  have  corrected  that  view.  I  now 
believe  that  the  ultimate  last  scat  of  government  on  this  great  continent 
will  be  found  somewhere  within  a  circle  or  radious  not  very  far  from 
the  sjiot  on  which  I  stand,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Mississippi 
river." 

Great  Far  Northwest  Prophesied 

Charles  Carleton  Coffin  in  Boston  Journal  (1869):  "Open  to  the 
map  of   North   .America  or  the  country  west  and   northwest  of   I-ake 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  125 

Superior.  You  see  that  the  boundary  between  the  United  States  and 
the  British  possessions  is  the  49th  parallel.  Now  turn  to  the  map  of 
Europe.  You  see  the  same  parallel  runs  near  Paris,  right  through  the 
valley  of  the  Rheims,  where  champagne  grapes  are  grown.  The  vine- 
yards of  the  Rhine  are  north  of  it.  England,  Scotland,  Ireland  and  the 
largest  half  of  Europe  all  are  farther  north  than  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  United  States.  If  in  the  old  world  such  cities  as  London,  Paris, 
Berlin,  Dresden,  Prague,  Moscow,  Stockholm  and  St.  Petersburg,  can 
rise  north  of  the  49th  parallal,  why  may  there  not  be  great  centers  of 
civilization  in  the  northwest.  So  far  as  climate  is  concerned,  what  is 
there  to  hinder?  We  know  already  the  wonderful  productiveness  of 
Minnesota.  I  have  been  far  enough  west  to  know  that  the  fertility  ex- 
tends to  Dakota.  There  is  no  portion  of  the  country  surpassing  that  of 
the  Red  River  valley  for  richness.  Let  us  start  now  on  a  journey  to 
the  far  northwest.  We  are  at  St.  Paul,  so  near  latitude  forty-five  de- 
grees that  we  may  say  we  are  on  that  parallel.  It  is  the  latitude  of 
Venice  and  southern  France.  We  travel  north  450  miles  to  the  Cana- 
dian boundary  before  we  reach  the  latitude  of  Edinburgh.  We  may 
still  keep  on  until  we  have  made  1,500  miles  from  St.  Paul  before  we 
reach  the  latitude  of  Stockholm  and  St.  Petersburg." 

American  Encyclopedia,  (1875):  "St.  Paul  was  formerly  confined 
to  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  the  site  embracing  four  distinct  ter- 
races, forming  a  natural  amphitheatre,  with  a  southern  exposure  and 
conforming  to  the  curve  of  the  river,  which,  here  flowing  northeast,  by 
an  abrupt  circular  sweep  takes  a  southwest  course.  The  city  is  built 
principally  upon  the  second  and  third  terraces,  which  widen  into  level, 
semi-circular  plains,  the  last  about  ninety  feet  above  the  river,  being 
underlaid  with  a  stratum  of  blue  limestone,  of  which  many  of  the  build- 
ings are  constructed.  The  original  town  is  irregularly  laid  out.  but  the 
newer  portions  are  more  regular.  The  principal  public  buildings  are 
the  capitol  and  the  custom  house,  the  latter  containing  the  postofifice. 
Tables  of  mortality  show  that  St.  Paul  is  one  of  the  healthiest  cities  in 
the  United  States.  A  beautiful  tract  of  300  acres  at  Lake  Como  has 
been  secured  for  a  public  park.  The  city  is  remarkable  for  the  expan- 
sion of  its  wholesale  trade,  and  has  a  variety  of  manufactures." 

Mark  Twain's  Sketch 

Mark  Twain  ("Life  on  the  Mississippi,")  (1882):  "St.  Paul  is  a 
wonderful  city.  It  is  put  together  in  solid  blocks  of  honest  brick  and 
stone,  and  has  the  air  of  intending  to  stay.  Its  postofifice  was  established 
thirty-six  years  ago ;  two  frame  houses  were  built  that  year  and  several 
persons  were  added  to  the  population.  Recent  statistics  furnish  a  vivid 
contrast  to  that  old  state  of  things,  to-wit :  population,  autumn  of  the 
present  year,  71,000;  number  of  letters  handled  first  half  of  this  year. 
1,209,387;  number  of  houses  built  in  nine  months,  989.  The  strength  of 
St.  Paul  lies  in  her  commerce — I  mean  his  commerce.  He  is  a  manu- 
facturing city  of  course — all  cities  in  that  region  are — but  he  is  pecu- 
liarly strong  in  the  matter  of  commerce.  Last  year  his  jobbing  trade 
amounted  to  upwards  of  $52,000,000.  The  town  stands  on  high  ground ; 
it  is  about  700  feet  above  the  sea  level.  It  is  a  very  wonderful  town, 
indeed,  and  is  not  finished  yet.  All  the  streets  are  obstructed  with  build- 
ing material,  and  this  is  being  compacted  into  houses  as  fast  as  possible, 
to  make  room  for  more,  for  other  people  are  anxious  to  build  as  soon 


126  ST.   PAUL   AXl)  \  ICIXirV 

as  they  can  get  the  use  of  the  streets  to  pile  up  their  bricks  and  stuti' 
in." 

President  Chester  A.  .Arthur  (1883).  at  the  banquet  celebrating  the 
completion  of  the  Northern  Pacilic  Railroad:  "1  am  glad  to  take  part 
in  these  festivities ;  the  great  work,  the  accomplishment  of  which  they 
seek  to  commemorate,  may  well  be  celebrated  with  joy  and  thanksgiving. 
.•\nd.  Mr.  Mayor,  well  may  your  beautiful  and  thriving  city  and  her  sister 
municipality,  standing  as  they  do  at  the  gateway  of  this  new  highroad 
of  commerce  which  stretches  far  out  to  the  sea,  congratulate  themselves 
that  they  enter  today  upon  a  career  of  enlarged  usefulness  and  prosper- 
ity. Coming  to  you  from  that  marvelous  region  which  has  been  some- 
limes  called  "the  Wonderland  of  America,"  I  traversed  the  thousand 
miles  which  intervene  along  the  rails  of  the  Xorthern  Pacific  Road. 
Nothing  that  I  have  ever  read,  nothing  that  1  have  ever  heard  had  so 
impressed  me  with  the  extent  of  the  resources  of  the  northwest.  It 
has  convinced  me  that  the  importance  of  this  enterprise,  which  we  are 
gathered  here  to  honor  tonight,  has  not  been  over-estimated,  even  by 
its  most  sanguine  friends.  All  honor,  then,  to  the  zeal  and  energy  which 
have  given  to  that  enterprise  such  triumphant  success." 

\'ir.i.AKn  Cuts  .\\\.\^    ikom    \\  all  Stkekt 

Henry  \"illard,  president  of  the  Xfjrlhern  I'acitic  Railroad  (  1883)  : 
"It  has  been  a  great  satisfaction  to  me  that  there  are  more  believers  in 
the  Northern  Pacific  in  the  great  northwest  than  in  Wall  street.  And 
1  fell  satisfied  that  all  the  manipulations  of  Wall  street  operators  will 
not  shake  the  faith  of  the  city  of  St.  I'aul,  of  the  state  of  Minnesota, 
or  of  any  of  the  cities  and  states  and  territories  traversed  by  our  line, 
in  the  future  of  the  Xorthern  Pacific.  I  am  glad  that,  for  a  time  at 
least,  1  feel  emancipated  from  the  demoralizing  iniluences  of  W'M  street. 
1  breathe  freer  here :  my  hopes  for  the  future  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
are  strengthened ;  I  see  the  evidence  all  around  me  that  my  faith  in  its 
future  is  well  founded — as  well  founded  as  any  human  faith  can  be. 
It  is  almost  unnecessary  for  me  to  express  to  you  my  appreciation  for 
this  kind  and  magnificent  rece])tion.  You  well  know  that  you  have  my 
heartfelt  thanks.  I  only  regret  that  1  cannot  have  all  the  citizens  of  St. 
Paul  within  reach  of  my  voice,  so  that  they  might  hear  my  personal 
testimony  to  their  hos[)iiality.  I  will  not  say  good-bye  to  you  now,  be- 
cause 1  shall  never  want  to  say  good-bye  to  St.  Paul.  I  am  going  away 
from  you  for  a  little  while,  but  I  hope  soon  to  be  with  you  again.  I 
trust  that  in  the  future  1  shall  not  be  required  to  spend  so  much  of  my 
time  in  New  York  as  1  have  in  the  past.  The  necessity  of  remaining 
there  to  i^rovide  for  the  financial  needs  of  the  road,  is.  I  am  glad  to 
say,  nearly  over.  It  is  now  time  to  settle  down  more  in  St.  Paul,  the 
point  from  which  the  road  is  to  be  oiierated,  and  see  that  it  is  managed 
so  as  to  reflect  credit  upon  the  company,  as  well  as  bring  pros])crity  to 
your  city  and  the  great  country  it  traverses." 

ClIAKLKS    DUDLICY    WaKNF.r's    1-"NT11  LSIASM 

Charles  Dudley  Warner,  in  Ilar/^crs  Mo(/aciiie  (March  1887):  "It 
is  in  the  memory  of  men  still  in  active  life  when  the  territory  of  Minne- 
sota was  supposed  to  be  beyond  the  i)ale  i>f  desirable  settlement.     The 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  127 

state,  except  in  the  northeast  portion,  is  now  well  settled  and  well 
sprinkled  with  thriving  villages,  and  cities.  Of  the  latter,  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis  are  still  a  wonder  to  themselves,  as  they  are  to  the  world. 
I  knew  that  they  were  big  cities,  having  each  a  population  nearly  ap- 
proaching 175,000,  but  I  was  not  prepared  to  find  tliem  so  handsome  and 
substantial  and  exhibiting  such  vigor  and  activity  of  movement.  One 
of  the  most  impressive  things  to  an  eastern  man  in  both  of  them  is  their 
public  spirit  and  the  harmony  with  which  business  men  work  together 
for  anything  which  wrill  build  up  and  beautify  the  city.  I  belive  the 
ruling  force  in  Minneapolis  is  of  New  England  stock,  while  St.  Paul 
has  a  larger  proportion  of  New  York  people,  with  a  mixture  of  southern ; 
and  I  have  a  fancy  that  there  is  a  social  shading  that  shows  this  distinc- 
tion. It  is  worth  noting,  however,  that  the  southerner,  transplanted 
to  Minnesota  or  Montana,  loses  the  laisscr  faire  with  which  he  is  credited 
at  home  and  becomes  as  active  and  pushing  as  anybody.  Both  cities 
have  a  very  large  Scandinavian  population.  St.  Paul  has  the  advantage 
of  picturesqueness  of  situation.  The  business  part  of  the  town  lies  on  a 
spacious  uneven  elevation  above  the  river,  surrounded  by  a  semi-circle 
of  bluffs,  averaging  something  like  two  hundred  feet  high.  Up  the 
sides  of  these  the  city  climbs,  beautifying  every  vantage  ground  with 
handsome  and  stately  residences.  On  the  north  the  bluffs  maintain 
their  elevation  in  a  splendid  plateau,  and  over  this  dry  and  healthful 
plain  the  two  cities  advance  to  meet  each  other,  and  already  meet  in 
suburbs,  colleges  and  various  public  buildings.  Summit  avenue  curves 
along  the  line  of  the  northern  bluff  and  then  turns  northward  two  hun- 
dred feet  broad,  graded  a  distance  of  over  two  miles  and  with  a  magni- 
ficent asphalt  roadway  for  more  than  a  mile.  It  is  almost  literally  a 
street  of  palaces,  for  although  wooden  structures  alternate  with  the 
varied  and  architecturally  interesting  mansions  of  stone  and  brick  on 
both  sides,  each  house  is  isolated  with  a  handsome  lawn  and  ornamental 
trees,  and  the  total  effect  is  spacious  and  noble.  This  avenue  commands 
an  almost  unequaled  view  of  the  sweep  of  bluffs  round  to  the  Indian 
mounds  of  the  city,  the  winding  river  and  the  town  and  the  heights  of 
West  St.  Paul.  It  is  not  easy  to  recall  a  street  and  view  anywhere  finer 
than  this,  and  this  is  only  one  of  the  streets  on  this  plateau  conspicious 
for  handsome  houses.  It  see  no  reason  why  St.  Paul  should  not  become 
within  a  few  years,  one  of  the  notably  most  beautiful  cities  in  the  world. 
And  it  is  now  wonderfully  well  advanced  in  that  direction." 

Newspaper  Ri[.\psodies 

Pittsburg  Dispatch  editorial  (1889):  "How  few  people  begin  to 
comprehend  the  magnitude  of  James  J.  Hill's  Great  Northern  Railroad. 
Here  is  one  man  who  has  gone  to  work  and  created  3.500  miles  of  rail- 
road in  a  new  country.  What  a  citizen  is  James  J.  Hill,  and  what  wealth 
and  prosperity  he  has  brought  to  this  republic.  The  people  should  put 
his  bronze  monument  in  the  capitol.  Where  does  the  Great  Northern 
railroad  run  to?  It  carries  corn  and  pork  from  Sioux  City  on  the  Mis- 
souri to  Duluth  on  Lake  Superior.  It  drains  all  the  wheat  from  Min- 
nesota and  North  Dakota,  south  of  Manitoba,  into  St.  Paul  and  Minne- 
apolis. It  brings  silver  and  copper  from  Helena  and  Butte.  It  brings 
out  the  wheat  from  Aberdeen,  Huron  and  Ellendale  and  the  whole  Jim 
river  country,  and  puts  it  down  at  Duluth  or  St.  Paul.     In  a  few  months 


128  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

it  will  be  at  Spokane  Falls,  Montana,  and  in  the  Poulouse  country  and 
among  the  timber  at  Pugct  Sound.  Wonderful  road!  And  this  has  been 
done  by  one  man's  energy  and  brain.  Mr.  Hill  has  not  been  in  Wash- 
ington begging  for  an  appropriation.  He  took  the  old  flag,  pinned  it 
onto  a  locomotive,  picked  out  the  good  land  on  the  continent  and  built 
a  railroad  to  it.  He  has  added  $500,000,000  to  the  nation's  wealth. 
Oakes  Ames  worked  well  backed  by  an  appropriation,  and  Jay  Cooke 
went  down  bravely,  but  this  Hill,  James  J.  Hill,  all  alone,  has  actually 
spanned  the  continent  with  an  iron  road.  He  has  done  it  like  a  king. 
He  is  a  king,  of  thought  and  will  and  magnificent  ambition." 

National  Journalist,  Chicago  official  organ  of  the  National  Editorial 
Association  (June  1891)  :  "Last  year  the  editors  visited  classic  Boston, 
the  cradle  of  American  liberty,  the  old  home  and  old  homestead.  This 
year  the  editors  have  sought  for  their  place  of  meeting,  by  way  of  con- 
trast, one  of  the  newest  of  the  great  American  cities,  located  on  beautiful 
hills  that  were  in  all  their  undisturbed  wildness  when  Boston  had  at- 
tained to  greatness  and  made  her  record  through  two  centuries.  With 
railroads,  steamboats  and  electric  telegraphs,  the  new  states  and  cities 
have  stepped  right  up  in  line  with  the  old.  Untrammeled  by  the  old  but 
costly  appliances,  and  blessed  with  all  the  capital  and  inventions  that  have 
come  from  the  old  home,  and  all  the  untouched  and  inexhaustible  re- 
sources of  a  region  rich  in  soil,  timber  and  minerals,  the  new  city  has 
leaped  forward  and  taken  the  advance  of  the  line.  This  is  strikingly 
illustrated  in  St.  Paul  of  great  institutions ;  of  culture  and  wealth ;  of 
great  newspapers  and  publishing  houses:  of  great  banks  and  other 
moneyed  institutions ;  of  schools,  universities  and  churches ;  of  mammoth 
hotels,  insurance,  railroad  and  public  buildings,  and  of  palatial  resi- 
dences. St.  Paul  citizens  have  not  only  worked  singly  and  faithfully  in 
their  individual  callings  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  city,  but  unitedly  in 
organized  efforts.  St.  Paul  has  grown  since  1849  from  a  straggling 
little  village  to  a  solid  modern  city,  with  two  of  the  largest  newspaper 
buildings,  the  largest  business  blocks  and  the  greatest  proportion  of 
palatial  residences  of  any  city  on  the  continent.  Its  suburban  villages 
are  noted  for  their  extent,  beauty  and  i)rosperity.  St.  Paul  is  situated 
on  high  table  lands,  which  gives  excellent  drainage  and  affords  en- 
chanting views  of  hill  and  valley.  The  i)icturesque  landscape  jiresented 
from  many  of  the  finest  residences  cannot  be  surpassed  anywhere  in  the 
world,  and  after  investigation  the  editors  must  admit  that  the  claim  of 
its  citizens  that  St.  Paul  is  the  most  picturesque,  cleanest,  healthiest, 
best-sewered,  best-watered  city  in  America,  is  well  founded.  There  are 
very  few  cities  that  can  present  so  many  handsome  and  well  paved 
streets  and  delightful  drives.  Her  electric  lines  and  cable  cars  lift  one 
up  from  the  valley  in  which  the  business  portion  of  the  city  is  located  in 
either  direction,  amidst  the  costliest  residences  and  loveliest  yards  and 
grounds  overlooking  the  never-wearying,  because  so  greatly  diversified, 
scenery.  St.  Paul  is  a  delightful  place  for  a  summer  outing.  Many 
handsome  lakes  are  near  at  hand  for  boating  and  fishing.  The  far- 
famed  Alinnehaha  sends  its  waters  laughing  down  the  valley  within 
easy  drive,  while  Fort  Snelling,  from  a  perpendicular  cliff  nearby,  keeps 
watch  over  the  beautiful  valley.  The  writer  of  this  article  has  for  years 
been  acquainted  with  the  city  and  its  surroundings,  yet  a  carriage  ride 
with  a  friend  tlirough  the  suburbs  to  one  of  the  lakes,  witnessing  how 
in    four    years    the    well-paved    streets    and    handsome    residences    had 


ST.   PAUL  AND  MCINITY  129 

moved  in  solid  columns,  with  their  proofs  of  permanent  growth  and 
enduring  comfort,  out  across  the  prairies  was  a  constant  and  most 
agreeable  surprise,  as  were  the  handsome  parks,  of  which  the  city  now 
has  thirty-two,  and  the  broad  boulevards,  on  Summit  avenue  (200  feet 
wide),  being  one  of  the  handsomest  drives  in  this  or  any  other  countrv." 


Vol.  1—9 


CHAPTER  Xlll 

ST.  PAUL'S  PART  IX  SUPPRESSING  THE  REBELLION 

Minnesota  Offers  First  Union  Troops — First  Minnesota  at  Fort 
Snelling — Ordered  to  Virginia — Arrives  in  Washington — 
First  Ladies'  \'olunteer  Aid  Society — Minnesota's  Contribu- 
tion OF  Soldiery — St.  Paul's  Special  Participation — Spanish- 
American  War. 

From  November,  i860,  to  mid-April,  1861,  there  was  in  St.  Paul, 
as  in  most  other  northern  communities,  a  process  of  "getting  together" 
going  on — a  cementing  of  discordant  but  patriotic  political  elements 
through  the  cohesive  power  of  unquenchable  loyalty  to  the  Union.  On 
the  surface  were  extreme  popular  forbearance  and  calmness,  but  un- 
derneath all  there  was  rigid  determination.  At  last  Fort  Sumter  was 
fired  on;  then  St.  Paul  rose  as  one  man,  made  itself  heard,  and  made  itself 
felt. 

On  the  13th  of  April  came  the  news  that  the  secessionists  had  bom- 
barded and  captured  Fort  Sumter,  and  that  the  war  was  on.  On  the 
i6th  came  President  Lincoln's  call  for  troops.  On  the  morning  of  the 
18th  there  appeared  in  the  newspapers  of  the  city  a  call  for  a  public 
meeting  signed  by  a  hundred  leading  citizens.  At  the  head  of  the  list 
was  the  name  of  that  sturdy  Democrat,  ex-Governor  Gorman.  Next 
to  him  was  the  chairman  of  the  Democratic  state  committee,  Hon.  Earle 
S.  Goodrich.  The  people  crowded  to  the  meeting  in  such  numbers  that 
the  hall  would  not  hold  them,  and  an  adjournment  was  made  to  the 
open  air.  There  was  great  and  general  enthusiasm.  All  political  dif- 
ferences, prejudices,  and  asperities  melted  away  under  the  influence  of 
the  fervid  patriotism  everywhere  prevailing,  and  all  party  platforms 
were  forgotten  in  a  determination  to  stand  by  the  Federal  governiiKiit 
in  its  hour  of  peril.  Klociuent  speeches,  burning  with  enthusiasm  and 
defiance  were  made,  and  ringing  resolutions  were  adopted. 

Minnesota  Offers  First  Union  Tkoops 

Meantime  an  interesting  event,  identifying  the  city  and  state  with 
the  very  inception  of  the  movement  for  national  defense,  occurred  at 
the  country's  cajiital.  Fx-Governor  Alexander  Ramsey,  addressing  the 
Loyal  Legion  at  St.  Paul  in  189,^  said:  "In  the  month  of  April,  1861, 
upon  official  business,  as  governor  of  Minnesota,  I  was  called  to  the 
city  of  Washington.  The  knots  of  earnest  men  and  anxious  faces  in 
the  corridors  and  reading  rooms  of  the  hotels  indicated  a  widesi)rea(l 
belief  that  there  was  an  impending  peril.  On  Saturday  night.  April 
13th,  the  population  of  Washington  was  deeply  moved  by  the  intel- 
ligence that  Fort  Sumter  in  the  harbor  of  Charleston  had  been  attacked 
by   insurgents   and   that    the   garri.son   had    surrendered.     I'.arly    ."-Sunday 

130 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  131 

morning,  accompanied  by  two  citizens  of  Minnesota,  I  visited  the  war 
department  and  found  secretary  Cameron  with  his  hat  on  and  papers 
in  his  hand  about  to  leave  his  office.  I  said,  'My  business  is  simply  as 
governor  of  ]\Iinnesota  to  tender  a  thousand  men  to  defend  the  govern- 
ment.' 'Sit  down  immediately,'  he  replied,  'and  write  the  tender  you 
have  made,  as  I  am  now  on  my  way  to  the  President's  mansion.'  This 
was  quickly  done  and  thus  Minnesota  became  the  first  to  cheer  President 
Lincoln  by  offers  of  assistance  in  the  crisis  which  had  arrived." 

Acting  Governor  Ignatius  Donnelly,  on  receipt  of  the  official  notice 
by  telegraph,  issued  a  call  for  a  regiment  of  ten  companies  of  infantry. 
Recruiting  commenced  at  once.  At  a  meeting  held  Monday  night, 
called  by  Captain  Alexander  Wilkin,  enlistments  began,  the  first  name 
enrolled  being  that  of  Josias  R.  King.  He  thus  became  the  first  sol- 
dier in  the  first  regiment  tendered  under  President  Lincoln's  call  for 
troops  to  put  down  the  slaveholder's  rebellion — a  fact  that  is  fitly  com- 
morated  on  the  soldiers'  monument  in  Summit  park. 

Captain  Wilkin  had  served  under  General  Taylor  as  captain  in  the 
war  with  ^lexico,  had  attended  the  allied  armies  in  the  Crimean  war, 
and  was  an  accomplished  soldier,  as  well  as  an  intelligent,  thorough 
gentleman.  The  previous  year  he  had  been  the  captain  of  a  club  of 
Douglas  Democrats,  called  the  "Little  Giants."  He  had  been  United 
States  marshal,  a  candidate  for  congress,  and  was  a  practicing  lawyer. 
He  had  been,  perhaps,  ambitious  for  political  distinction,  but  now  he 
entered  the  service  of  his  country  and  did  not  leave  it  until  three  years 
later,  when  his  life  went  out  with  his  heart's  blood  on  the  battlefield  of 
Tupelo.  On  the  22d  of  April,  four  days  from  the  date  of  the  call, 
Wilkin's  company,  called  the  Pioneer  Guard,  one  hundred  strong,  was 
organized.  The  officers  were  those  of  the  "Little  Giants" :  Alexander 
Wilkin,  captain;  H.  C.  Coats  and  Charles  Zierenberg,  lieutenants;  Josias 
R.  King,  orderly  sergeant. 

Captain  William  H.  Acker,  of  the  Lincoln  "Wide  Awakes,"  resigned 
the  position  of  adjutant  general  of  the  state,  and  began  recruiting  a 
company  for  the  war.  He  was  a  gallant  spirit,  young,  dauntless,  and 
every  inch  a  soldier,  and  he  possessed  the  full  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity. In  four  days  his  company  was  full,  and  on  the  25th  it  or- 
ganized by  the  election  of  Acker  as  captain,  and  Willis  B.  Farrell  and 
Samuel  T.  Raguet  as  lieutenants.  Of  these  gallant  officers  Acker  be- 
came an  officer  of  the  Sixteenth  regulars  and  was  killed  at  Shiloh ;  Far- 
rell fell  at  Gettysburg,  and  Raguet  alone  was  discharged  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  service. 

First  Minnesot.\  .\t  Fort  Snelling 

Fort  Snelling  was  designated  by  the  war  department  as  a  school  of 
instruction.  The  military  companies  composing  the  quota  of  Minne- 
sota were  ordered  to  rendezvous  at  that  point  for  regimental  organiza- 
tion, and  subsequent  instruction.  On  the  29th  of  April  the  two  St. 
Paul  companies,  Wilkin's  and  Acker's,  with  others  from  some  of  the 
lower  towns,  went  to  Fort  Snelling  on  the  steamboat  "Ocean  Wave" 
and  the  same  day  were  mustered  into  service,  and  the  organization  of 
the  First  Minnesota  Regiment  of  infantry  was  perfected.  Ex-Governor 
Willis  A.  Gorman  was  made  colonel ;  .Stephen  ]\Iiller,  lieutenant  colonel ; 
Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart,  surgeon,  and  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill,  chaplain.     All  these, 


132  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

except  Miller,  were   from  St.   Paul;  the  other   field  officers  came  from 
other  portions  of  the  state. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  Colonel  Gorman  received  orders  to  send 
some  of  his  companies  to  relieve  the  garrisons  of  regular  troops  at  Fort 
Ridgely  and  other  posts.  The  order  was  the  subject  of  noisy  protest 
on  the  part  of  both  officers  and  men.  They  had  enlisted  to  tight  south- 
ern rebels,  they  said,  not  to  rot  out  their  service  in  the  inactive  life  of 
a  garrison  on  the  frontier.  Colonel  Gorman  delayed  its  enforcement 
for  a  time,  but  finally  sent  the  detachments  to  their  posts.  He  had 
explained  that  the  First  Regiment  was  eager  to  go  to  the  front ;  that 
other  companies  were  organized  with  a  view  of  state  service,  and  that 
these  ought  to  be  used  to  garrison  the  forts. 

Ordered  to  \'irgixi.\ 

.At  last  the  order  assigning  the  troops  to  state  service  was  counter- 
manded, and   the   First   Regiment  ordered   to   \'irginia.     Couriers  were 


NEW   FT.  SNELLING  BRIDGE 

sent  after  the  companies.  Soon  they  reassembled  at  Fort  Snelling  and 
on  the  22nd  of  June  the  regiment  came  down  to  St.  Paul,  marched 
through  the  streets  to  the  .steamboat  and  left  for  Washington  City,  fol- 
lowed by  the  cheers,  tears,  and  prayers  of  friends  and  relatives.  The 
men  were  not  all  in  uniform,  but  they  bore  themselves  well.  The  citi- 
zens felt  proud  of  them,  from  the  colonel,  with,  his  soldierly  bearing, 
and  the  chaplain,  with  his  slouch  hat,  down  to  the  private  and  drum- 
mer boy. 

The  bustle  of  recruiting,  jireparation  and  departure,  can.  jjerhaps 
be  most  vividly  pictured  to  the  mind,  by  quotations  from  the  daily  iiajicrs 
of  this  stirring  period,  which  are  subjoined. 

St.  Paul  Press,  June  21,  1861 :  "Colonel  Gorman  yesterday  ad- 
dressed the  following  note  to  acting  assistant  quartermaster  Sanders. 
It  will  be  seen  the  Colonel   is  bound   for  the  wars  tomorrow  morning 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  133 

at  5  o'clock:  'My  command  is  now  sufficiently  concentrated  to  be  able 
to  leave  with  the  first  detachment  of  805  men,  rank  and  file,  four  camp 
women,  four  horses  (more  or  less  of  each),  together  with  camp  and 
garrison  equipage,  on  Saturday  morning  next,  the  22d  inst.,  at  5  o'clock, 
from  Fort  Snelling,  and  I  require  transportation  from  this  place  to 
Pittsburgh,  and  thence  to  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania.  The  second  de- 
tachment will  follow  immediately,  or  as  soon  as  steamboat  transporta- 
tion can  be  furnished.' 

"The  colonel  adds  to  the  above  the  following  note,  addressed  to  the 
newspapers  of  St  .Paul:  "The  regiment  will  surely  leave  on  Saturday, 
the  22d  inst.,  at  5  o'clock  A.  M.,  from  Fort  Snelling."  " 

Press.  June  22nd:  "The  First  Regiment  of  Minnesota  Volunteers, 
as  per  order,  leave  Fort  Snelling  for  Harrisburg  this  morning  at  5 
o'clock.  The  people  of  St.  Paul  will  undoubtedly  turn  out  this  morning 
and  give  the  regiment  a  grand  reception  and  final  farewell.  Let  Third 
street  be  lined  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  all  the  flags  and  banners 
hung  out.  Everybody  must  be  up  early  to  see  the  sight.  The  last 
parade  of  the  regiment  on  Minnesota  soil  ere  its  return  from  the  war, 
was  witnessed  by  the  thousands  present  with  great  interest.  The  men 
made  a  highly  imposing  appearance,  and  went  through  their  evolutions 
in  a  manner  which  would  have  been  creditable  to  veterans." 

Pioneer,  June  22nd:  "They  marched  up  Eagle  street  to  Third, 
down  Third  to  Jackson,  and  down  Jackson  to  the  lower  levee,  where 
they  embarked.  A  vast  crowd  assembled  at  the  levee  to  see  them  off. 
There  were  some  affecting  scenes  of  leave-taking,  but  the  soldiers  stood  it 
bravely.  The  line  of  boats  cast  off  at  half  past  eight  o'clock  the  band 
playing  a  lively  air,  the  crowd  on  the  shore  and  the  soldiers  cheering 
lustily." 

Press,  June  22nd:  "Mrs.  Swisshelm  passed  the  day  and  night  of 
Friday  in  looking  after  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  the  soldiers  of  the 
First  Minnesota  Regiment — suggesting  this,  that  and  the  other  thing 
necessary  to  their  comfort.  She  would  have  gone  with  the  regiment 
to  care  for  the  sick  and  wounded,  had  her  health  permitted." 

Press,  June  23rd:  "Now  that  the  First  has  left  us,  attention,  in  a 
military  point  of  view,  will  be  directed  to  the  formation  and  organiza- 
tion of  the  Second  Regiment.  We  learn  that  the  companies  are  filling 
up  gradually,  but  we  are  assured  that  all  companies  will  be  immediately 
provided  for  at  Fort  Snelling  who  report  themselves  to  the  adjutant 
general  with  full  ranks.  We  learn  that  Captain  Skaro's  St.  Peter  Com- 
pany is  full  and  that  the  remainder  of  it  will  immediately  join  the  first 
detachment  at  Fort  Ridgley.  Captain  Bishop's  Chatfield'  company  will 
arrive  today ;  also  Captain  George's  Dodge  county  company,  and  the 
Olmsted  county  company  from  Rochester." 

Press,  June  26th:  "Captain  Nelson  has  orders  to  muster  in  the  Sec- 
ond Regiment  by  companies  as  fast  as  they  are  reported  full.  Lieuten- 
ant Tuttle  reports  good  progress  in  recruiting  for  the  Zouaves.  He 
will  leave  for  Fort  Ridgely  with  his  detachment  tomorrow  morning. 
Captain  Kiefer,  of  the  German  Union  guards,  reports  his  company  full. 
It  will  go  to  Fort  Ridgely  in  a  day  or  two.  This  company  is  selected 
from  the  very  flower  of  our  German  population,  and  every  man  is  pre- 
pared to  prove  himself  a  soldier.  We  gather  from  the  Chicago  Tribune 
of  Monday  that  our  gallant  First  Regiment  created  quite  a  sensation  in 
that  city  on  Sunday  evening.  The  Tribune  remarks  that  'they  are  un- 
questionably the   finest  body  of   troops  that  have  yet  appeared  in  our 


134  ST.  PAUL  AND  \1CIX1TY 

streets — representing  considerably  more  muscle  than  either  of  the  Wis- 
consin Regiments.'  " 

Press,  June  27th:  "Captain  Xelson  yesterday  mustered  into  service 
at  Fort  Snelling  the  Chattield  Guards,  Captain  Bishop,  and  the  Roches- 
ter Volunteers,  Captain  Markham.  The  muster  roll  of  each  company 
shows  eighty-three  names,  officers,  non-commissioned  officers  and  pri- 
vates. Captain  Bishop  has  been  placed  in  command  at  Fort  Snelling, 
and  as  such  will  be  obeyed  and  respected  until  further  orders. 

"The  officers  of  the  various  other  companies  are  making  every  ex- 
ertion to  fill  up  their  ranks.  Ca])tain  J.  B.  Davis  of  the  River  Rangers 
has  opened  recruiting  quarters  in  the  room  underneath  the  Metropolitan 
hall,  Bridge  square. 

"Attention  Zouaves !  You  are  hereby  requested  to  rendezvous  at 
the  enrolling  room  Hayward's  block,  near  the  bridge,  at  9  A.  M.  today, 
prior  to  your  departure  for  Fort  Ridgley.  By  order  of  M.  C.  Tuttle, 
First  Lieutenant." 

Press,  June  30,  1861  :  "At  Fort  Snelling  yesterday,  the  only  item 
of  interest  was  the  mustering  in  of  Company  D,  Captain  George.  This 
makes  three  companies  of  the  Second  Regiment  now  mustered  in.  There 
were  fragments  of  several  companies  at  the  fort  last  evening,  but  no 
one  company  was  full.  Two  more  companies  probably  will  be  ready 
to  be  mustered  in  tomorrow." 

Arrives  in  Washington 

Pioneer,  July  6,  1861  :  "The  First  Minnesota,  Colonel  Gorman,  is 
stationed  in  the  same  encampment  on  the  east  capitol  grounds,  says  the 
Philadelphia  Press.  The  regiment  visited  the  president  for  review  Mon- 
day evening  and  on  Tuesday  they  expect  to  cross  into  \'irginia.  Two 
ladies  also  accompany  the  regiment — one  the  wife  of  Major  Dyke,  who 
has  with  her  a  horse  from  her  own  use,  a  most  magnificent  thoroughbred. 
The  other  lady  is  Mrs.  Adjutant  Leach." 

Correspondence  of  Pioneer,  dated  July  4,  1861,  at  Alexandria,  Vir- 
ginia: "We  arrived  here  yesterday,  in  tip-top  health  and  si)irits.  We 
have  surprised  the  whole  country  down  here  with  our  gallant  Minneso- 
tans.  I  don't  think  there  has  been  a  single  regiment  in  Washington  yet 
which  has  received  one-half  the  praise  that  we  have.  We  are  con- 
sidered the  finest  regiment  that  has  arrived  in  Washington,  both  by 
civilians  and  military  men.  Our  marching  and  drills  have  completely 
taken  the  wind  out  of  the  sails  of  some  of  the  crack  regiments  now 
here.  Well  I  must  change  this  to  more  interesting  part.  This  morning 
Captain  Adams'  Company  II  was  ordered  off  to  guard  the  railroad  and 
telegraph  station,  about  f(^ur  miles  from  here.  A  picket  arrived  about 
an  hour  ago  Itringing  the  joyful  news  of  the  Minnesota  boys  having  a 
small  brush  with  some  rebels,  killing  two,  wounding  five,  and  capturing 
fifteen  horses.     Bully!" 

First  Ladies'  Volunteer  Aid  Society 

With  the  first  gathering  of  the  clans  the  ladies  began  to  move. 
They  had  an  "Aid  Society"  organized  .soon  after  the  first  companies 
were  raised,  and  were  at  work  scraping  lint  and  sewing  bandages  I)efore 
the  men  went  to  Fort  .Snelling.  They  soon  learned  that  something  else 
was  needed  first,  and  they  began  the  preparation  of  table  comforts  for 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  135 

the  boys  in  camp.  The  baking  of  pies  and  the  stirring  of  puddings 
went  on  right  briskly  for  some  days.  Then  it  was  proposed  that,  as 
there  was  some  delay  in  the  receipt  of  the  uniforms  for  the  soldiers, 
home-made  suits  should  be  prepared.  The  ladies  agreed  to  do  all  of  the 
necessary  sewing,  and  to  work  night  and  day.  if  required,  until  it 
should  be  done.  The  cloth  was  to  be  furnished  by  the  home  merchants 
and  the  cutting  by  the  local  tailors.  Thus  the  women  of  the  city,  as  of 
the  nation,  were  quickly  transformed  from  dependents  to  heroines.  The 
twentieth  century  girl,  with  her  many-hat-pins  is  more  like  a  cactus 
than  a  vine.  But  even  the  girls  of  1861,  who  were  left  behind,  aban- 
doned clinging  and  went  in  for  stitching,  knitting  and  praying. 

The  St.  Paul  Press  of  May  10,  1861,  thus  chronicles  an  important 
episode  connected  with  the  women's  work:  "The  call  to  the  ladies  in 
yesterday  morning's  papers  was  promptly  responded  to  by  a  large  num- 
ber assembling  at  Ingersoll's  hall.  An  organization  taking  the  name 
of  St.  Paul  Volunteer  Aid  Society  was  formed,  of  which  Miss  Louise 
S.  Williams  was  chosen  president,  Mrs.  L.  M.  Fairchild  vice-president, 
Mrs.  H.  E.  B.  McConkey  secretary  and  Airs.  Berkey  treasurer.  A  com- 
mittee of  three,  consisting  of  Mrs.  Fairchild,  Mrs.  Markley  and  Mrs. 
Berkey,  were  appointed  to  wait  on  Colonel  Gorman  and  inquire  into  the 
wants  of  the  St.  Paul  companies  embodying  the  most  profitable  outlay 
with  reference  to  comfort. 

"The  following  preamble  and  resolution  were  then  adopted: 
Whereas,  the  exigencies  of  the  times  and  the  patriotism  of  husbands, 
sons,  brothers  and   friends  demand  something  on  our  part;   therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  meet  every  day  for  the  present  at  2  o'clock 
P.  M.  at  Ingersoll's  hall  (which  he  has  generously  tendered  us  for 
the  purpose)  to  do  "whatsoever  our  hands  find  to  do"  in  aid  of  the 
glorious  cause  in  which  they  have  so  gallantly  and  manfully  enlisted.' 

"Every  lady  in  St.  Paul  who  feels  an  interest  in  the  noble  work  is 
desired  to  manifest  it  by  her  presence." 

Fifty  years  later  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press  in  May,  191 1,  pub- 
lished some  details  of  this  work,  based  on  the  reminiscences  of  the 
president,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Noble  (formerly  Miss  L.  S.  Williams),  and  the 
vice-president,  Mrs.  Fairchild,  both  still  living.  From  these  we  com- 
pile: Miss  Williams,  an  attractive  and  energetic  girl  only  sixteen  years 
old  was  visiting  an  aunt,  Mrs.  Jarvan  B.  Irvine,  in  St.  Paul.  Her 
brother,  not  eighteen  years  old,  two  of  her  uncles,  and  several  of  her 
college  friends  had  enlisted.  Naturally  she  was  tremendously  inter- 
ested and  anxious  to  do  something — anything  to  help.  From  her  friends 
and  from  Colonel  Gorman  she  heard  of  the  distress  among  the  volun- 
teers. Passive  sympathy  was  an  impossibility  to  her.  On  May  9,  1861, 
she  sent  to  the  newspaper  an  unsigned  call  for  the  meeting  at  Inger- 
soll  hall. 

Among  the  ladies  who  responded  were  Mrs.  Harriet  Bishop  Mc- 
Conkey, ]\Irs.  L.  M.  Fairchild.  Mrs  David  Day,  Mrs.  Peter  Berkey, 
Mrs.  Isaac  Markley  and  Mrs.  Delos  Monfort. 

The  Ladies'  Volunteer  Aid  Society  was  formed — "volunteer  aid," 
because  its  object  was  to  help  the  volunteers  in  any  and  every  possible 
way.  As  far  as  it  is  known  it  was  the  first  aid  society  formed  for  that 
purpose  in  the  LTnited  States. 

Miss  Williams  was  elected  president.  She  did  not  want  to  take 
the  office,  as  she  was  the  youngest  and  the  only  unmarried  woman  in 
the  society,  but  she  was  pursuaded  to  undertake  the  work.    People  rec- 


136  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICIXITY 

ognized  in  Iicr  unusual  executive  ability,  and,  besides,  "she  had  the  time." 
As  a  first  provision  of  the  ways  and  means.  Miss  \\"illiams  and  Mrs. 
Markley  had  gone  down  Third  street  asking  for  small  subscriptions, 
and  had  raised  over  $ioo.  The  following  well-known  merchants  had 
given  money  to  the  relief  fund:  Mr,  Cathcart,  Mr.  Ingersoll,  Mr,  Blum, 
IMr.  Monfort,  Mr.  Russ  Munger,  Mr.  Presley,  and  the  Messrs.  Brown 
Brothers  (the  jewelers),  Day  and  Jenks,  and  Justus  &  Forepaugh. 

For  six  weeks  the  members  of  the  society  worked  every  afternoon 
and  all  of  two  Sundays.  They  made  and  furnished  about  nine  hundred 
emergency  cases  of  light  oil  cloth  bound  with  red  tape,  and  twenty-five 
guard  capes  of  dark  oil  cloth,  also  bound  with  red  tape. 

On  June  i6th  the  society,  having  heard  how  invaluable  havelocks 
had  proved  to  northern  soldiers  in  the  south,  decided  to  try  to  provide 
them  for  the  Pirst  Minnesota  regiment.  A  havelock  was  a  linen  helmet- 
like protection  against  the  sun.  It  would  have  been  impossible  to  make 
enough  to  supply  the  regiment  had  not  Minneapolis  women  helped,  but 
the  St.  Paul  women  made  about  600  havelocks — two-thirds  of  the  num- 
ber that  were  supplied.  They  sewed  in  Ingersoll  hall,  and,  as  the  heat 
was  stifling,  different  gentlemen  sent  them  refreshments.  The  last 
afternoon  they  worked  on  the  havelocks  was  made  endurable  by  a  large 
pail  of  iced  lemonade  which  C.  E.  Mayo  sent. 

Minnesota's  Contribution  of  Soldiery 

The  state  of  Minnesota  has  caused  to  be  compiled  and  published 
three  sumptuous  volumes,  containing  the  official  annals  of  her  several 
gallant  regiments  and  the  individual  records  of  her  brave  soldiers.  Lack 
of  space  forbids  ade(|uate  attention  to  these  matters  here. 

Minnesota  furnished  to  the  Union  army  eleven  regiments  of  infan- 
try, one  of  cavalry,  one  of  heavy  artillery,  two  battalions  of  cavalry, 
three  batteries  of  light  artillery,  two  companies  of  sharpshooters  and 
one  regiment  of  mounted  rangers.  In  addition  to  this  many  companies 
of  citizen  militia  turned  out  in  emergencies  and  did  effective  duty  when 
the  barbarous  Indian  outbreak  of  1862  desolated  the  frontier — and  that 
outbreak,  as  is  fully  demonstrated  now  by  official  Confederate  records, 
was  an  organized  episode  of  the  great  rebellion.  In  all,  Minnesota  fur- 
nished about  20,000  volunteer  soldiers   for  the  war. 

As  the  war  period  recedes  into  the  past,  some  of  the  startling  epi- 
sodes of  the  contest  will  protrude  upon  public  observation  like  moun- 
tains in  a  plain.  On  these  the  sunbeams  of  tradition  will  lovingly  lin- 
ger. Each  Minnesota  regiment  has  such  an  episode,  which  the  future 
will  repeat  with  awe  and  veneration.  The  First  Minnesota  at  Gettys- 
burg; The  Second,  at  Mill  Sjirings ;  the  Third,  at  Wood  Lake;  the 
Fourth,  at  Corinth;  the  Fifth,  at  Xashville;  the  Sixth,  at  Birch  Coolie; 
the  Seventh,  at  Big  Mound;  the  Eighth,  at  Murfreesboro ;  the  Ninth, 
at  Tupelo ;  the  Tenth,  at  Xashville — each  performed  deeds  of  gallantry 
worthy  of  being  celebrated  in  epic  verse  and  handed  down  to  coming 
generations  of  freemen. 

St.  P.\ul's  Spf.ci.vl  P.\rticip.\tion 

The  follnwing  Minnesotians  were  conmiissioned  during  the  war,  as 
full  general  officers  of  volunteers,  mostly  for  special  gallantry  in  bat- 
tle, numerous  others  having  been  breveted  brigadier  general   for  similar 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  137 

services:  C.  C.  Andrews,  brigadier  general  and  brevet  major  general; 
N.  T.  T.  Dana,  major  general;  W.  A.  Gorman,  brigadier  general;  Ste- 
phen Miller,  brigadier  general ;  John  B.  Sanborn,  brigadier  general  and 
brevet  major  general;  Henry  H.  Sibley,  brigadier  general;  H.  P.  \'an 
Cleve,  brigadier  general  and  brevet  major  general.  Each  of  these, 
except  Generals  Miller  and  \'an  Cleve,  was,  at  one  time  or  another,  a 
permanent   resident  of    St.   Paul. 

Our  people  watched  the  progress  of  the  war  with  eager  and  anxious 
interest.  In  almost  every  great  battle  some  of  them  lost  relatives  and 
friends.  In  the  summer'of  1862  the  president  called  for  600,000  addi- 
tional soldiers  and  Alinnesota  vigorously  prepared  to  furnish  her  quota. 
In  the  midst  of  these  preparations,  on  August  20th.  news  reached  St. 
Paul  of  the  terrible  massacres  by  the  Sioux  Indians  in  the  frontier  set- 
tlements of  the  state.  For  a  time  all  efforts  were  directed  to  home 
protections,  the  rescue  of  captives,  the  relief  of  sufferers  and  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  murderous  savages.  This  was  a  campaign  of  itself  and 
will  be  treated  in  the     next  chapter. 

During  the  winter  of  1862-3  St.  Paul  settled  down  to  the  usual  rou- 
tine. The  volunteers  who  had  regularly  enlisted  were  at  their  posts  in 
the  field ;  those  who  had  gone  out  on  their  own  account  had  returned. 
The  Indians  had  been  subdued  and  were  no  longer  feared.  Only  a  few 
refugees  and  the  dependent  families  of  the  soldiers  remained  to  be 
cared  for. 

In  the  summer  of  1863  the  enrollment  for  the  draft  was  made,  and 
as  there  had  been  serious  troubles  in  other  cities  over  the  enforcement 
of  this  measure,  and  as  resistance  had  been  threatened,  a  provost  guard 
was  stationed  in  the  city  for  some  weeks.  There  were  no  disturbances. 
In  October,  the  Seventh,  Ninth  and  Tenth  regiments  were  sent  South. 
The  Union  victories  at  Vicksburg  and  Gettysburg,  July  4th,  were  appro- 
priately celebrated. 

From  January  to  April,  1864,  considerable  numbers  of  soldiers  who 
had  reinlisted  for  three  years  more,  arrived  in  the  city  from  the  front 
on  a  "veteran  furlough"  of  thirty  days,  which  had  been  granted  them 
as  one  of  the  conditions  of  reinlistment.  There  were  numerous  formal 
receptions  and  bountiful  entertainments. 

In  July,  when  the  city  had  furnished  one-tenth  of  her  entire  popu- 
lation to  "the  Union  army,  came  a  call  for  160  more  men  to  fill  her 
quota  of  the  300,000  demanded  by  President  Lincoln.  An  earnest  effort 
was  made  to  supply  this  number  and  this  was  accomplished.  The  city 
gave  $30,000  in  bounties,  and  large  additional  sums  were  raised  by  sub- 
scription In  December  there  was  another  call  for  300,000  men,  and  the 
quota  of  St.  Paul  was  200.  It  seemed  impossible  to  raise  this  number, 
but  it  was  done. 

In  the  first  week  of  April  tidings  came  of  the  collapse  of  the  re- 
bellion. Glorious  news  was  received  from  Grant  at  Petersbtirg  and 
Richmond,  from  Sherman  in  the  Carolinas,  from  Canby  at  Mobile,  from 
the  Union  commanders  everywhere.  A  general  celebration  was  ar- 
ranged to  commemorate  the  Union  victories.  It  came  off  April  8th. 
An  artillery  salute,  a  procession  civic  and  military,  a  general  display  of 
the  national  colors,  were  the  chief  features.  The  exultation  over  the 
Union  victories,  and  the  return  of  peace  was  mitigated,  and  the  public 
heart  was  saddened  by  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln.  The 
news  of  this  terrible  and  calamitous  event  created  profound  gloom  and 
sorrow.     Proper  action  was  taken  on  the  day  of  the  funeral,  April  19th. 


138  ST.   PAUL  AND  \1C1.\1TV 

All  business  was  suspended  in  the  city,  the  bells  tolled  and  funeral  ser- 
mons were  preached  in  nearly  all  the  churches  to  large  and  sympathetic 
congrej^ations. 

In  the  first  week  in  July  victorious  soldiers  began  to  return.  On  the 
5th  came  the  Eleventh  regiment;  on  the  i8th,  the  Mrst ;  on  the  25th, 
the  Fourth ;  on  the  29th,  the  Second ;  August  7th  came  the  Sixth  and 
Tenth;  on  the  28th  came  the  Seventh,  and  on  the  nth,  the  Eighth; 
October  4th  came  the  Ninth  regiment  and  the  heavy  artillery.  In  due 
course  the  survivors  of  other  commands  came  back,  and  the  great  war 
of  the  Rebellion  with  its  gloom  and  its  glory,  its  trials  and  its  triumphs, 
with  the  glorious  victories  at  its  close  and  the  great  results  that  followed 
was  over. 

Out  of  a  total  jjojnilation  of  10.000  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and 
a  voting  population  of  a  little  more  than  2,000,  the  city  of  St.  Paul 
furnished,  from  first  to  last  during  the  war,  1,498  men  for  the  Union 
army.  In  the  three  principal  classifications  of  soldiers,  the  contingent  of 
the  city  was  divided  as  follows : 

Infantry — First  regiment,  100;  Second  regiment,  264;  Third  regi- 
ment, 40;  Fourth  regiment,  80:  I'ifth  regiment,  130;  Sixth  regiment, 
230;  Seventh  regiment,  42;  Eighth  regiment.  42;  Ninth  regiment,  4; 
Tenth  regiment,  75;  Eleventh  regiment,  21;  First  battalion,  21;  Second 
Company  Sharpshooters,  18;  total,  1,115. 

Cavalry — Hatch's  battalion.  70;  Second  Minnesota  cavalry,  43; 
First  regiment  mounted  rangers,  75 ;  Bracket's  battalion,  74 ;  total,  262. 

Artillery — ^First  battery.  8 ;  Second  battery,  2 ;  Third  battery,  1 1 ; 
First   regiment    heavy   artillery,    100 ;   total,    121. 

Recai)itulation — Infantry,    1,115;   t-avalry.    262;   artillery,    121;   total. 

Of  the  1,500  soldiers  from  the  city,  813  were  natives  of  the  L  nited 
States;  378  were  born  in  Germany;  114  in  Ireland;  116  in  Sweden  and 
Norway  and  the  remainder  were  of  other  nationalities — Canadians, 
Frenchmen,  Englishmen,  and  Scotchmen. 

Of  the  whole  number  of  volunteers,  one  hundred  and  twenty-four 
died  that  the  Union  might  live.  Some  of  these  fell  on  the  tield  of  honor; 
others  died  in  hospitals ;  others  jierished  in  prison  ])ens.  Their  bodies 
were  scattered  from  Birch  Cot)lic  and  Redwood,  to  Mobile  and  the  Caro- 
linas,  and  many  of  them  yet  lie  beneath  the  lirs  and  cedars  of  Minne- 
sota, as  well  as  under  the  cypresses  and  magnolias  of  the  south.  I'rom 
Gettysburg  to  Wood  Lake,  from  Forts  Abercrombie  and  Ridgely  to 
the  S])anish  Fort  and  Blakely.  their  bones  are  resting.  Some  were 
slain  by  Indians,  others  by  their  own  misguided  countrymen,  and  others 
succunii)ed  to  disease  incident   to  a   life  of  exposure  and  privation. 

The  city  exjjended  officially,  according  to  a  report  of  H.  T.  Friend, 
city  clerk,  the  following  amounts  in  aid  of  the  enlistment  fund:  Bonds 
issued  to  pay  bounties  to  volunteers.  $28,550.00:  amount  borrowed  of 
Messrs.  Thompson  Brothers,  $16,000.00;  individual  sul)scriptions  and 
payments  without  taking  bonds,  $2,754.50;  total.  $48,304.50. 

In  addition  to  this  amount,  the  sum  of  $30,170.88  was  raised  by 
certain  committees,  as  follows:  By  the  Central  War  Committee.  Parker 
Paine,  chairman.  $13,947.38;  by  the  First  ward  committee.  $2,309.00; 
by  the  Second  ward  committee.  $3.101). 50:  by  the  Third  ward  cnmmiltce, 
$3.rio8.oo;  by  the  I-'ourth  ward  committee,  .$3,555.00;  by  the  biftli  ward 
committee,  $3,642.00;  total  $30,170.88. 

There  was  |)aid  in  the  form   nf   relief   furni'-hcd   families  of  volun- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  139 

teers,  837,568.55,  and  a  special  appropriation  made  and  paid  July  22, 
1862,  of  $1,500.  The  relief  paid  was  by  years  as  follows:  In  1861, 
$i,i66.go;  in  1862,  $6,920.15;  in  1863,  $12,116.50;  in  1864,  $11,535;  in 
1865,  $5,830.  In  the  aggregate  of  these  three  items  was  $117,543.93. 
Paid  by  the  city  authorities  to  aid  enlistments,  $48,304.50;  raised  by 
central  war  and  ward  committees,  $30,170.88.  relief  furnished  soldiers' 
families  $37,568.55;  special  appropriation  July  22,  1862,  $1,500,  making 
a  total  of  $117,543.93." 

"There  are  no  doubt  other  charges  embraced  in  the  amount  stated 
as  paid,"  said  the  city  clerk,  "sufficient  to  swell  the  above  to  over 
$120,000." 

It  will  be  seen  therefore,  that  in  the  war  for  the  Union,  St.  Paul 
did  her  whole  duty.  She  sent  1,500  of  her  men  to  battle,  nearly  three- 
fourths  of  her  voters  at  the  beginning  of  the  contest,  and  she  contri- 
buted to  them  and  their  destitute  families  an  average  amount  of  $20 
for  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  city.  This,  of  course,  does  not 
include  the  amounts  privately  expended  by  the  charitable  and  patriotic, 
which  cannot  be  even  estimated.  St.  Paul  may  well  be  proud  of  her  rec- 
ord.    Few  cities  in  the  Union  have  as  good;  none  have  better. 

The  returned  volunteers  resumed  their  places  in  the  business  and 
professional  life  of  the  city  and  were  reinforced  by  hundreds  of  their 
comrades  from  other  states,  who  sought  in  Minnesota  the  enlarged 
opportunities  she  generously  offered.  All  of  them  became  useful  citi- 
zens and  many  of  them  achieved  preeminent  success  in  their  several 
spheres.  They  were  recognized  by  popular  favor  and  advanced  to  high 
political  positions.  In  addition  to  a  distinguished  list  of  judges,  con- 
gressmen and  senators  chosen  from  among  her  veterans  of  the  war  for 
the  Union,  Minnesota  points  with  pride  to  her  ten  soldier  governors. 

Willis  A.  Gorman,  brigadier  general,  brevet  major  general.  United 
States  \'olunteers. 

Henry  H.  Sibley,  brigadier  general,  brevet  major  general.  United 
States  Volunteers. 

Stephen  Miller,  colonel  Seventh  Minnesota  Infantry,  brigadier  gen- 
eral. United  States  Volunteers. 

William  R.  Alarshall,  colonel  Seventh  Minnesota  Infantry,  brevet 
brigadier  general  United  States  \'olunteers. 

Horace  Austin,  captain  First  Regiment  Mounted  Rangers,  Minnesota 
\'olunteers. 

Cushman  K.  Davis,  first  lieutenant  Twenty-eighth  Wisconsin  In- 
fantry. 

Lucius  F.  Hubbard,  colonel  Fifth  IMinnesota  Infantry,  brigadier  gen- 
eral. United  States  Volunteers. 

Andrew  R.  McGill,  first  sergeant  Company  D,  Ninth  Minnesota 
Infantry. 

Knute  Nelson,  corporal  Company  B,  Fourth  Wisconsin  Cavalry. 

Samuel  R.  Van  Sant,  corporal  Ninth  Illinois  Cavalry. 

Sp.\nish-American  War 

True  to  her  precedents  and  traditions,  Minnesota  was  the  first  state 
to  respond  to  the  call  of  the  president  for  volunteers  at  the  beginning 
of  the  war  with  Spain,  in  April,  i8g8.  Three  regiments,  designated  as 
the  Twelfth,  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth  regiments  of  Minnesota  Vol- 
tmteers,   were   mobilized   at   St.    Paul,   April   29th,   and   were   mustered 


140  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

into  the  United  States  service  May  7th  and  8th.  The  Fifteenth  regi- 
ment was  mustered  into  service  July  i8th.  In  total  this  state  furnished 
5,315  officers  and  enlisted  men  for  the  volunteer  army.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  the  Twelfth  and  Fourteenth  regiments  returned  to  Minne- 
sota, and  were  mustered  out  of  service  in  November.  The  Fifteenth 
regiment  continued  in  service  until  March  27,  1899;  and  the  Thirteenth 
regiment  after  more  than  a  year  of  service  in  the  Philippine  Islands, 
was  mustered  out  October  3,  1899. 

One  or  two  regiments  of  United  States  Volunteers,  formed  for  ser- 
vice in  the  Philippines,  were  organized  at  Fort  Snelling  in  1899.  the 
recruits  and  officers  being  drawn  from  several  western  states. 

Many  St.  Paul  men  occupied  stations  of  high  command,  or  respon- 
sible staff  positions,  in  the  forces  engaged  in  the  war  with  Spain,  and 
in  the  Philippine  war  which  followed.  Ex-Governor  Lucius  F.  Hub- 
bard was  appointed  by  President  McKinley  a  brigadier  general  of  vol- 
unteers and  commanded  a  division  of  troops  mobilized  in  Florida  for 
the  invasion  of  Cuba. 

Moreover,  in  all  the  legislation  and  diplomacy  connected  with  this 
great  history-making  epoch,  Minnesota  had  a  conspicuous  part.  Cush- 
man  K.  Davis  of  St.  Paul,  chairman  of  the  senate  committee  on  foreign 
relations,  and  the  trusted  adviser  of  president  and  cabinet,  stood  in  the 
innermost  focus  of  events  and  wisely  directed  them.  He  wrote  the 
declaration  of  war ;  he  formulated  the  statement  of  principles  on  which 
it  was  justified;  he  helped  guide  the  government  through  the  diplomatic 
entanglements  with  other  nations  which  at  times  threatened  interfer- 
ence :  he  was  the  leading  member  of  the  commission  which  negotiated 
the  Treaty  of  Paris,  and  restored  peace  with  such  an  augmentation  of 
national  power  and  prestige  as  never  before  came  to  this  or  any  other 
republic. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  INDIAN  WAR  OF   1862-3 

St.  Paul,  the  Center  of  Activities — First  Indian  Attacks — ^"Little 
Crow"  Chosen  Leader — Fort  Ridgely  Attacked — Irish-Ameri- 
cans Take  the  Field — Fort  Ridgely  Disaster  and  Relief — 
Attack  on  New  Ulm  Repulsed — Terrible  Affair  at  Birch 
Coolie — Indians  Routed  at  Wood  Lake — White  Captives  Re- 
leased AND  Indian  Miscreants  Hung — Outbreak  Quelled — 
Property  Damages  Paid. 

When  the  atrocities  of  human  slavery,  the  gnawings  of  political 
ambition,  the  fallacies  of  state  supremacy  and  the  madness  of  seces- 
sion had  culminated  in  a  rebellion  that  was  predestined  to  afflict  the 
north  and  devastate  the  south,  the  men  and  women  of  St.  Paul,  as  of 
all  Minnesota,  with  one  accord  remained  loyal  to  the  cause  of  National 
Union.  How  nobly  they  manifested  their  loyalty  was  briefly  set  forth 
in  the  preceding  chapter. 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  while  St.  Paul  was  resolutely  facing  the 
nation's  demand  for  fresh  tributes  in  sending  men  to  the  battlefields 
of  Mississippi  and  Tennessee  and  Virginia  to  replace,  on  the  firing  lines, 
her  dead  and  wounded  heroes,  there  came,  like  a  clap  of  thunder  from 
the  cloudless  sky,  revelations  of  an  added  calamity  at  her  very  doors 
which  called  for  new  displays  of  valor  and  devotion  and  sacrifice.  Like 
a  pack  of  panthers,  the  bloody  savages  had  leaped  upon  the  defenseless 
settlers  of  the  frontier  and  begun  to  tear  and  rend. 

The  conflict  which  ensued,  involving  sieges  and  battles,  long  and 
perilous  campaigns  covering  parts  of  two  years  and  producing  results 
of  the  greatest  importance,  was  a  war  in  itself.  Many  of  the  incidents 
of  this  war  were  of  a  magnitude  that  would  have  commanded  world- 
wide attention  and  would  have  been  embalmed  in  the  nation's  history, 
had  they  not  been  overshadowed  by  the  tremendous  game  that  was  being 
enacted  on  a  vastly  broader  field,  with  the  salvation  of  the  Union  and 
the  hopes  of  humanity  as  the  priceless  stake. 

St.  P.\ul,  the  Center  of  Activities 

This  great  Indian  war,  in  all  its  phases,  was  handled  and  directed 
at  St.  Paul.  This  city  was  the  headquarters  of  the  military  district. 
Orders  originated  here ;  campaigns  began  here ;  men  and  supplies  started 
here ;  everything  centered  here ;  hence  all  that  occurred  in  connection 
with  the  war  was  of  primary  interest  here  and  became  a  legitimate 
feature  of  our  local  annals.  This  city  may  truthfully  say  of  the  Indian 
war  of  1862-3  •  "''^11  o^  't  I  saw  and  much  of  it  I  was !" 

141 


142  ST.  PAUL  AND  \'ICIXITY 

Several  thousand  Sioux  Indians  were  living  on  reservations  near 
the  headwaters  of  the  Minnesota  River.  Since  the  middle  of  June  they 
had  been  assembled  at  the  Redwood  agency  to  receive  their  annual  pay- 
ment. This  money  had  been  delayed  in  reaching  St.  Paul  from  the  east. 
It  ammounted  to  $70,000  in  gold  and  finally  arrived,  was  hurried  on  to 
the  agency,  but  came  one  day  too  late.  The  Indians,  hungry  and  im- 
patient, readily  listened  to  bad  advisers  and  became  much  inllamcd. 

As  usual,  small  detachments  of  soldiers  had  been  sent  to  the  agency 
to  preserve  order.  These  consisted  of  fifty  men  from  Fort  Ridgely 
under  Capt.  John  S.  IMarsh  and  fifty  from  Fort  Ripley  under  Lieut.  T. 
J.  Sheehan,  all  from  the  Fifth  Minnesota  Infantry.  In  spite  of  pre- 
cautions, however,  the  Indians  on  .August  4th  raided  the  agency  store- 
houses and  confiscated  a  quantity  of  jirovisions.  The  agent  and  the 
missionaries    quieted   the    tuniult    and    apix'ircntly    secured    safe    i^ledges 


E.\Ri.Y  ST.  p.\UL  crnzi:x,  old  hkts.  dor.v  1796 
Saved  Lives  of   Many  Wliites  During  Indian  Massacre. 

of  good  behavior,  until  the  money,  now  hourly  expected,  should  arrive. 
.Affairs  seemed  so  secure  at  the  agency  that  on  .\ugust  i6th  the  troops 
left  for  their  respective  posts.  But  it  was  only  the  calm  before  the 
cyclone. 

First  Ixdi.vx  Att.\cks 

On  Sunday,  August  17th,  a  party  of  four  Indians  who  had  been  hunt- 
ing for  several  days,  near  .Acton  in  Meeker  county,  about  thirty  miles 
northeast  of  the  agency,  made  a  pretext  for  a  quarrel  with  some  settlers 
and  fired  on  an  unarmed  company  at  a  farm  house,  killing  three  men 
and  one  woman  in  cold  blood.  The  four  murderers  stole  horses  in  the 
neighborhood  and  rode,  during  the  night,  to  their  village  near  the  agen- 
cy, where  they  boastingly  reported  their  red-handed  deed.  They  fur- 
thermore urged  that  as  the  whole  tribe  would  be  held  responsible  they 
should  unite  and  exterminate  the  whites  of  the  state,  now  weakened  by 
the  absence  of  so  many  of  their  fighting  men  on  the  southern  battle- 
fields. 

A  large  majority  of  the  Sioux  warriors  fell  in  with  the  plan.     They 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  143 

armed  themselves,  and  at  sunrise  on  August  i8th,  the  work  of  death 
commenced  at  the  lower  agency,  near  Redwood.  The  first  victim  was 
James  W.  Lynde,  clerk  in  the  trading  house  of  Nathan  Myrick,  and 
three  other  persons  were  killed  at  the  same  store.  At  Forbes'  store 
nearby  the  clerk,  George  H.  Spencer,  was  badly  wounded,  but  his  life 
was  saved  by  Chaska,  a  friendly  Indian.  jMyrick,  Lynde,  Forbes  and 
Spencer  were  St.  Paul  men. 

Other  white  persons  in  and  near  the  agency  building  were  killed 
within  a  few  minutes,  and  the  store  houses  w^ere  pillaged.  Thus  the 
war  of  white  extermination  and  destruction,  as  the  savages  fondly 
hoped  it  would  prove,  was  auspiciously  begun.  The  delay  caused  by  the 
plundering  operations  enabled  some  of  the  agency  attaches  to  escape  to 
Fort  Ridgely,  spreading  the  alarm  as  they  went. 

"Little  Crow"  Chosen  Le.\der 

After  robbing  the  stores,  the  warriors  scattered  in  different  direc- 
tions and  continued  the  carnage  with  atrocities  of  cruelty  too  shocking 
for  recital.  Joined  by  other  warriors  as  the  news  spread,  to  the  number 
of  about  300,  the  Indians  went  through  all  the  settlements  for  miles  up 
and  down  the  Minnesota  river,  burning  houses,  killing  or  stealing  farm 
animals  and  murdering  all  the  people  except  a  few  young  white  women, 
whom  they  retained  as  captives.  The  hostiles  had  chosen  Little  Crow, 
formerly  chief  of  the  Kaposia  band  of  Sioux  and  born  near  "Pigs  Eye," 
as  their  leader.  Indians  and  half  breeds  who  remained  true  to  the 
whites  and  saved  many  lives  were  John  Otherday,  Chaska,  Gabriel  Ren- 
ville, Crawford,  Two  Stars,  Little  Paul,  Lorenzo,  Lawrence,  Taopi  and 
others. 

As  fast  as  swiftly  riding  messengers  could  carry  the  tidings  down 
the  valley,  the  towns  along  the  Minnesota  river  were  apprised  of  their 
danger.  The  report  reached  St.  Peter  during  the  night  of  August  i8th, 
with  the  intimation  that  the  savages  were  marching  on  New  Ulm.  With 
one  accord  the  people  turned  to  their  townsman,  Charles  E.  Flandrau, 
a  judge  of  the  state  supreme  court  and  former  Indian  agent,  for  coun- 
sel and  leadership.  Judge  Flandrau  promptly  organized  a  force  of  over 
100  men  and  marched  to  New  Ulm,  reaching  there  during  the  night  of 
August  i8th,  where  he  had  command  of  the  defense  during  the  subse- 
quent days  of  suffering  and  terror. 

By  the  evening  of  August  19th,  the  news  had  reached  St.  Paul. 
Governor  Ramsey  went  at  once  to  Mendota,  called  on  Gen.  H.  H.  Sib- 
ley and  secured  his  consent  to  take  command  of  all  the  troops  in  the 
state  and  proceed  to  the  rescue  of  the  imperiled  people  of  the  western 
settlements.  The  city  was  again  aroused.  Every  man  became  a  soldier 
of  some  sort.  Even  the  mayor  did  service  as  a  scout  and  courier.  Within 
twenty-four  hours  the  city's  volunteers  were  on  their  way  to  Fort  Ridgely 
and  New  Ulm,  and  the  fair  fields  of  Meeker  and  Brown  counties,  now 
strewn  with  the  mangled  corpses  of  men,  women  and  children. 

Fort  Ridgely  Att.\cked 

In  a  day  or  two  the  most  appalling  rumors  reached  the  city.  The 
Indians  were  sweeping  everything  before  them.  Little  Crow  had  as- 
sured his  followers  that  if  they  captured  Fort  Ridgely,  they  should 
pass  the  winter  in  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  and  Fort  Ridgely  was  being 


144  ST.  PAUL  AND  MCINITY 

assailed  by  a  formidable  force.  There  was  a  great  scarcitj-  of  arms 
and  amiinition  in  St.  Paul,  and  many  believed  the  city  to  be  in  immi- 
nent peril.  On  the  22d  Governor  Ramsey  felt  impelled  to  issue  a  proc- 
lamation assuring  the  people  that  St.  Paul  was  not  in  danger.  "The 
capital  of  the  state  is  not  in  danger"  said  he.  "The  scene  of  the  tirst 
murders  at  .Acton,  .Meeker  county,  is  eighty  miles  distant.  The  present 
scene  of  conflict,  at  Xew  L'lm  and  Fort  Ridgely,  is  by  the  course  of  the 
valley  of  the  .Minnesota,  about  two  hundred  miles  distant.  If  the  Chip- 
pewas  rise,  which  is  doubtful,  their  agency  at  Crow  Wing,  is  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-three  miles  distant." 

Ikish-.Vmeric.\ns  Take  tiif.  Field 

The  organization  of  troops  and  their  departure  for  the  scene  of 
hostilities  went  on.  The  two  companies  of  Irish-.Americans,  the  "Cor- 
coran Guards,"  Captain  O'Connor,  and  the  "Sarsfield  Guards,"  Captain 
John  Grace,  took  the  field  about  the  25th  of  August,  and  near  the  same 
time  a  home  guard  and  night  patrol  composed  of  citizens  was  organized. 
The  latter  part  of  the  month  and  the  first  week  of  September  detach- 
ments left  the  city  almost  every  day  to  join  General  Sibley's  expedition. 
The  citizens  were  busily  employed  in  outfitting  the  volunteers,  provid- 
ing for  their  families,  and  caring  for  the  fugitive  citizens  from  the 
hostile  districts  who  began  to  arrive  in  large  numbers.  All  the  towns 
to  the  westward  wer^  overwhelmed  with  the  families  of  fleeing  settlers, 
many   sick  and  all   destitute. 

On  August  24th  there  were  3,000  refugees  at  St.  Peter  and  as  many 
at  Mankato,  with  smaller  villages  crowded  in  proportion.  .Much  of 
this  sur])lus  rapidly  drifted  to  St.  Paul. 

Meantime  the  handful  of  brave  soldiers  nearest  the  .scene  of  conflict 
were  doing  their  full  duty  in  stemming  the  red  tide  of  massacre,  until 
help  could  come.  On  the  morning  of  .August  i8th.  only  three  hours 
after  the  outbreak  at  Redwood  agency.  Fort  Ridgely.  twelve  miles  dis- 
tant received  the  startling  news.  Captain  Marsh,  Company  B,  Fifth 
Minnesota  Infantry,  in  command,  at  once  sent  a  courier  to  recall  Lieu- 
tenant Sheehan,  Company  C,  who  had  left  the  day  before,  on  his  re- 
turn to  Fort  Ripley,  with  his  detachment.  He  also  sent  to  Major  Gal- 
braith,  the  Indian  agent,  who  had  started  for  St.  Peter,  en  route  to 
Fort  Snelling,  with  fifty  recruits  known  as  the  Renville  Rangers,  asking 
their  immediate  return. 

Fort  Ridgely  Disaster  and  Relief 

After  sending  these  messengers.  Captain  Marsh  left  for  the  Redwood 
agency,  with  forty-four  men  on  foot.  Arriving  at  the  ferry  opposite 
the  agency,  where  he  fouml  nine  dead  bodies,  he  was  met  by  fleeing 
refugees  who  warned  him  against  an  ambuscade.  I'.ut  he  underesti- 
mated his  i)eril.  and  while  seeking  means  of  crossing  the  river,  his  men 
standing  in  line  on  the  bank,  more  than  three  hundred  Indians,  con- 
cealed in  the  surrounding  thickets,  poured  a  volley  into  them.  Xearly 
half  of  'Marsh's  men  fell  dead  or  mortally  wounded  at  the  first  fire. 
In  the  retreat  which  followed  Captain  Marsh  was  drowned  crossing  the 
river  and  only  thirteen  survivors  reached  Fort  Ridgely  that  night,  a  few 
additional  men,  slightly  wounded,  arriving  later. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  145 

These  survivors  found  the  post  already  crowded  with  panic-stricken 
fugitives  from  the  surrounding  county.  .\1I  night  tliese  poor  settlers  ar- 
rived from  every  direction,  many  of  them  wounded,  having  left  portions  of 
their  families  murdered,  and  their  homes  in  flames.  In  every  direction 
the  sky  was  reddened  with  the  light  of  burning  houses.  It  was  a  night  of 
terror  and  despondency. 

At  lo  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  those  assembled  at  Fort 
Ridgely  were  gladdened  beyond  measure  by  the  return  of  Lieutenant 
Sheehan  and  his  command,  who,  on  being  overtaken  the  evening  before 
by  the  messenger  sent  out  to  recall  them,  had  made  a  forced  march  of 
sixteen  hours.  Lieutenant  Sheehan  at  once  assumed  command  of  the 
post,  and  in  connection  with  Sergeant  John  Jones,  of  the  regular  army, 
post  ordnance  sergeant,  took  eltective  measures  to  put  the  fort  in  a 
defensible  condition.  All  the  civilians  who  were  fit  for  duty  were  armed, 
or  put  on  guard,  and  even  the  women  were  employed  making  cartridges 
and  running  bullets.  No  attack  was  made  that  day,  however,  although 
the  Indians  were  seen  watching  the  fort.  The  warriors  were  busy  attack- 
ing New  Ulm.  About  noon  on  Monday,  the  messengers  and  guard  in 
charge  of  $70,000  in  gold,  the  delay  of  which  had  caused  all  this  havoc, 
arrived  at  the  fort  and  remained  there  during  the  siege. 

The  expected  attack  on  Fort  Ridgely  came  at  3  P.  M.,  on  the  20th, 
when  five  hundred  Indians,  who  had  been  concealed  in  the  wooded  ra- 
vines adjacent,  suddenly  advanced  with  fierce  yells  and  a  volley  of  balls 
which  killed  two  of  the  soldiers.  The  fire  was  returned  with  musketry  and 
Sergeant  Jones"  three  pieces  of  artillery  with  such  spirit  that  the  savages 
withdrew,  after  keeping  up  a  desultory  fire  for  several  hours.  The  next 
dav  determined  attacks  were  made  by  the  Indians  at  9  A.  M.,  and  6  P.  M., 
wliich  were  also  repulsed,  each  engagement  lasting  a  full  hour. 

At  noon  on  August  22d,  Little  Crow,  having  been  heavily  reinforced, 
made  his  most  determined  and  furious  assault  on  the  worn  and  wearied 
garrison,  encumbered  with  five  hundred  refugees,  many  of  whom  were 
sick  or  wounded.  The  defenders  fought  manfully,  sending  a  storm  of 
canister  and  of  rifle  balls  into  the  ranks  of  the  savages  and  driving  them 
back  time  after  time.  For  five  hours  the  battle  raged  fiercely,  and  about 
dark  the  fire  ceased  and  during  the  night  the  Indians  withdrew,  and  being 
joined  by  about  1,000  warriors  from  the  lower  agency,  started  down  the 
river  to  besiege  New  Ulm. 

Attack  on  New  Ulm  Repulsed 

That  town  then  became  the  theatre  of  active  operations  and  the  scene 
of  another  strenuous  contest.  New  LUm  was  located  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  Minnesota  river,  eighteen  miles  below  Fort  Ridgely  and  thirty 
miles  by  land  from  St.  Peter.  It  contained  about  1,500  inhabitants,  mostly 
Germans.  On  Monday,  August  i8th,  fugitives  commenced  coming  in  with 
panic-breeding  tales  of  butchery.  Preparations  were  made  for  defense, 
but  many  of  the  more  timid  people  fled  down  the  river. 

At  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  19th  the  Indians  appeared,  but 
their  attack  was  repulsed  by  a  few  armed  citizens,  soon  reinforced  by 
the  advance  guard  sent  from  St.  Peter  by  Judge  Flandrau.  In  this  en- 
counter five  or  six  citizens  were  killed  and  seven  houses  were  burned. 
At  9  o'clock  in  the  evening,  Flandrau  arrived  with  his  hundred  resolute 


Vol.  I- 10 


146  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

men — swelled  within  the  next  two  days  to  325  armed  citizens,  turned  sol- 
diers for  the  emergency. 

The  efl'orts  of  the  Indians  being  concentrated  during  the  ensuing  few 
days  in  the  attack  on  Fort  Ridgely,  Flandrau  had  leisure  to  erect  barri- 
cades and  otherwise  prepare  for  the  vigorous  and  effective  defense  of 
New  Ulm  which  was  soon  required.  At  10  A.  M.  on  the  23d,  the  Indians 
appeared  in  great  force  on  the  prairie  above  the  town.  They  were  mount- 
ed and  charged  down  upon  the  thin  line  of  whites  with  such  impetuosity 
as  to  drive  the  latter  back  for  some  distance,  within  the  circuit  of  the 
scattered  outlying  dwellings  they  were  trying  to  protect.  The  savages 
took  possession  of  these  buildings  and  from  them  kept  up  a  furious,  de- 
structive fire  on  Flandrau's  men.  The  enemy,  from  their  greatly  superior 
numbers,  were  able  to  surround  the  town,  and  to  kee|)  up  a  continuous 
fire  from  every  direction. 

Thus  the  battle  became  general.  It  raged  fiercely  and  without  cessa- 
tion all  day.  There  were  many  thrilling  episodes  of  persof!al  daring,  of 
wounds  or  death  and  hair-breadth  escape.  The  defenders  were  obliged 
to  draw  in  their  lines,  and  in  so  doing,  to  burn  many  houses  in  order  that 
they  might  not  afford  shelter  to  the  enemy.  Including  those  burned  by  the 
Indians.  lyo  Iniildings  were  destroyed — only  about  25  remained  standing, 
and  around  these  the  fight  was  kept  up.  After  dark  the  firing  was  sus- 
pended and  as  it  turned  out,  discontinued.  Ten  Indians  were  left  dead 
within  reach  of  the  whites,  and  many  more  were  killed  and  removed;  of 
the  defenders  ten  were  killed  and  fifty  wounded. 

The  attack  was  renewed  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  but  not  vigorously 
and  before  noon  the  Indians  withdrew.  They  went  up  the  river  road, 
driving  a  long  train  of  horses  and  cattle  and  wagons  loaded  with  the 
plunder  of  the  settlements  they  had  made  desolate.  On  the  25th  the  sur- 
vivors, including  all  the  inhabitants  as  well  as  Flandrau's  forces,  evacuated 
New  I'lm  and  went  to  Mankato. 

Sibley  started  from  Fort  Snelling  .\ugust  20tli.  with  four  com- 
panies of  the  Sixth  Minnesota,  three  hundred  men,  as  the  nucleus  of 
his  relief  expedition.  The  other  six  companies  joined  him  at  St.  Peter 
on  the  23rd.  Companies  of  horsemen  were  formed  at  St.  Paul  and 
rode  forward,  night  and  day.  On  the  26th.  Sibley,  with  a  total  of 
1,400  men  marched  from  St.  Peter  for  Fort  Ridgely,  at  which  post  they 
arrived  on  the  2Sth,  encountering  no  enemy  on   the  way. 

Terriblic  Aff.mr  of  Ijircii   Coolie 

While  waiting  at  Fort  Ridgely  for  supplies  and  equipment.  Gen- 
eral Sibley  sent  out,  on  August  31st,  a  detachment  to  make  observa- 
tions, bury  dead  bodies  and  rescue  fugitives,  if  found.  This  detach- 
ment consisted  of  Company  A,  Sixth  .Minnesota  Infantry.  Captain 
Joseph  Anderson's  company  of  mounted  rangers,  and  a  detail  of  twenty 
men  as  a  burial  party,  all  commanded  by  Captain  1  liram  P.  Grant  of 
the  first  named  company,  who  survived  for  many  years  and  was  a  lead- 
ing merchant  in  St.  Paul.  The  expedition  encamped  for  the  night, 
forming  a  circular  "corral"  of  wagons,  with  men  and  horses  inside, 
near  the  head  of  Birch  Coolie.  It  was  not  supposed  that  Indians  were 
then  near.  I'ut  just  before  daylight,  Sciitember  2nd,  a  sentry  fired  at 
a  moving  object,  which  proved  to  be  an  Indian. 

Captain  Grant  gave  this  gra])hic  account  of  what  followed:  "Other 
Indians    raised   themselves   enough    to   be   seen.     Several    of   the   guard 


ST.  PAUL  AXD  MCIXITY  147 

fired.  The  Indians  gave  their  war-whoop  and  rushed  toward  the  camp. 
They  did  not  fire  until  within  eight  or  ten  rods,  intending  to  make  a 
sure  thing  of  us  by  shooting  us  down  as  we  came  out  of  our  tents, 
^ly  company  came  out  and  started  to  form  in  fine.  I  gave  the  order 
to  break  to  right  and  left,  get  behind  the  wagons  and  commence  firing. 
Our  horses  had  received  most  of  the  bullets  up  to  this  time  and  as  they 
fell  our  men  lay  down  behind  them.  After  one  hour's  fighting  we  had 
driven  the  Indians  all  back  to  long  range,  but  it  had  been  at  fearful 
cost.  Already  twenty-two  of  our  men  were  dead  or  mortally  wounded. 
Sixty  more  had  received  serious  or  slight  wounds.  One-lialf  of  our 
whole  force  was  killed  or  wounded.  Eighty-five  horses  were  dead, 
leaving  only  two  alive.  As  soon  as  we  had  forced  the  Indians  back  I 
put  every  man  I  could  spare  digging  and  throwing  up  breastworks. 
We  had  nothing  but  our  bayonets  to  dig  with,  but  by  noon  we  had  our- 
selves pretty  well  intrenched,  making  use  of  our  dead  soldiers  and 
horses  to  help  our  breastworks. 

"The  cartridges  running  low  I  had  3,000  extra  ones  brought  from 
the  wagon  and  commenced  distributing  them,  when  we  discovered  that 
the  ordnance  officer  had  give  us  fi2-caliber  for  58-caliber  rifles.  Im- 
mediately I  put  the  men  to  work  whittling  down  the  balls  to  the  size  of 
our  rifles,  and  now  gave  orders  not  to  fire  except  when  necessary. 

"In  the  early  morning  of  September  2nd,  General  Sibley,  at  Fort 
Ridgely,  hearing  the  firing  at  our  camp,  although  sixteen  miles  away, 
promptly  ordered  Colonel  McPhail  to  take  three  companies  of  the  Sixth 
Infantry,  three  companies  of  his  mounted  men,  in  all  two  hundred  and 
forty  men,  together  with  a  section  (two  guns)  of  Captain  Hendrick's 
battery,  and  to  make  a  forced  march  to  our  relief.  At  our  camp  all  was 
quiet;  occasionally  a  stray  bullet  came  into  camp.  At  four  o'clock, 
we  saw  a  commotion  among  the  Indians.  In  a  few  moments  our  hearts 
felt  glad,  for  McPhail's  command  hove  in  sight  about  two  miles  across 
the  coolie.  I  gave  orders  to  fire  a  few  shots  to  let  them  know  that  we 
were  still  alive.  The  Indians  fired  perhaps  twenty  shots  at  long  range 
towards   McPhail's  command,   when   that  officer   retired  and  encamped. 

"On  September  3rd,  early,  we  discovered  large  bodies  of  Indians 
southwest  and  north  of  us,  circling  around  and  closing  up  nearer,  when 
an  Indian  came  riding  toward  us  waving  a  wlrite  flag.  He  rode  to 
within  twenty  rods,  and  held  a  conversation  with  my  interpreter.  He 
said  the  Indians  had  been  largely  reenforced  during  the  night;  that  we 
stood  no  show  to  resist  them  any  longer;  that  no  quarter  would  be 
given  after  capture,  but  that  any  mixed  bloods  in  the  camp  who  would 
come  out  before  the  charge,  would  be  safe.  The  mixed-bloods  promptly 
decided  to  stay  with  us,  and  hostilities  were  resumed. 

"But  very  soon  a  big  Indian  came  riding  out  of  the  woods  yelling 
to  the  others  and  my  interpreter  said  he  told  them  there  were  three 
miles  of  white  men  coming.  This  made  our  hearts  beat  with  joy.  At 
daybreak,  the  relief,  marching  by  flank,  was  seen  by  this  Indian,  and 
he  hastened  to  report  that  three  miles  of  white  men  were  coming.  We 
now  saw  that  the  great  body  of  Indians  was  crossing  the  coolie  toward 
where  General  Sibley  was  coming.  About  that  time  the  command  came 
in  sight,  moved  further  up  the  coolie,  crossed  over  and  relieved  us, 
without  loss  of  another  life.  The  sight  that  met  our  rescuers — the 
eighty-seven  dead  horses ;  twenty-two  dead  soldiers ;  the  sixty  wounded 
soldiers,  who  had  been  nearly  forty-eight  hours  without  food,  water, 
or  sleep ;  the  stench  from  dead  horses — was  a  scene  of  horror  long  to  be 


148  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

remembered.  The  wounded  were  placed  in  wagons,  and  the  command 
started  for  Fort  Ridgely,  where  we  arrived  about  eight  o'clock  that 
evening." 

The  battle  of  Birch  Coolie,  the  most  spectacular  and  important  of 
the  Minnesota  Indian  war,  has  been  fitly  commemorated  by  a  splendid 
monument  erected  by  the  state  on  a  commanding  eminence  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  battlefield.  Probably  the  combined  conflicts  in  all  the 
"Colonial  Wars"  of  the  seventeenth  century,  with  which  we  are  so 
proud  to  have  our  New  England  ancestry  identified,  fail  to  exhibit 
more  creditable  displays  of  daring,  endurance,  wealth  of  resource  and 
willing  sacrifice  than  were  shown  by  these  youthful  volunteers  on  this 
memorable   occasion. 

.•\mong  the  St.  Paul  men  who  lost  their  lives  at  Birch  Coolie  were: 
Benjamin  S.  Terry,  Fred  S.  Beneken,  George  Colter,  William  M.  Cobb, 
William  Irvine.  William  Russell,  John  CoUedge,  H.  Whetsler,  Robert 
Baxter  and  Robert  Gibbins.  The  "bodies  of  these  men  were  afterwards 
disinterred  and  brought  to  St.  Paul,  where  they  were  buried  witli  ap- 
propriate honors. 

.After  the  battle  of  Birch  Coolie,  General  .^ibley  remained  .some  days 
at  Fort  Ridgely,  gathering  supplies  and  perfecting  his  organization, 
meantime  keeping  u])  a  correspondence  through  friendly  Indians  with 
Little  Crow,  looking  to  the  safety  and  the  final  rescue  of  several  hundred 
captive  whites,  mostly  women  and  children,  who  remained  in  the  In- 
dian camp,  near  Yellow  Medicine. 

The  war  department  now  created  a  military  district  embracing  Min- 
nesota and  Dakota  and  assigned  Major  General  John  Pope  to  the  com- 
mand. He  established  headquarters  at  St.  Paul  on  September  I2th, 
but  wisely  left  General  Sibley  in  full  control  of  operations  at  the  front. 

Indi.\ns  Routkd  .\t  Wood  L.xke 

On  September  i8th,  Sibley  left  Fort  Ridgely  with  his  troops  in 
pursuit  of  the  Indians.  On  the  morning  of  September  2T,rd.  while  en- 
camped near  Wood  Lake,  the  Indians  suddenly  attacked  the  force.  The 
Renville  Rangers  were  thrown  out  and  met  the  enemy  bravely.  Major 
Welch  soon  had  the  Third  Regiment  in  line,  and  they  poured  steady 
volleys  into  the  advancing  line  of  Indians,  as  did  also  the  Sixth  Regi- 
ment, under  Major  McLaren.  The  fight  then  became  general.  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  W.  R.  Marshall  charged  the  enemy  with  three  companies 
of  the  Seventh  and  Company  \  of  the  Sixth,  and  put  them  to  rout.  The 
battle  had  lasted  and  hour  and  a  half.  Our  loss  was  four  killed  and 
fifty   wounded. 

WiiiTK  Captives  Released  .\nd  In'di.vn  Miscre.vnts  Hl-ng 

The  friendly  and  repentant  faction  among  the  Indians  had  not  joined 
in  the  attack  at  Wood  Lake,  but  remained  in  their  camp.  By  this  means 
they  gained  complete  control  of  the  white  captives  when  the  hostiles 
fled  after  the  fight.  They  were  located  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 
Chii^pewa  river,  at  a  point  named  by  our  men  "Camp  Release."  -Sibley 
without  delay  visited  the  Indians  and  dcnianded  the  captives.  They 
were  at  once  produced,  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  in  number.  Many 
wept  with  joy  at  their  release;  others  had  grown  alm<ist  indifferent. 
These  poor  people,  mostly  women  and  children,  were  sent  as  soon  as 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  149 

possible  to  their  friends,  if  the  latter  were  still  living.  The  Indians 
who  had  given  themselves  up  were  at  once  placed  under  guard  until 
they  could  be  examined  as  to  their  guilt.  During  the  next  few  days  a 
number  came  in  and  gave  themselves  up,  and  some  smaller  parties  were 
captured  by  our  troops  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Marshall,  so  that  our 
forces  soon  had  over  2,000  Indian  warriors  in  their  hands. 

Meantime  Little  Crow  and  the  still  hostile  Indians  had  retreated 
into  Dakota,  and  before  winter  reached  Devil's  lake,  where  they  remained 
until  the  next  season.  Of  the  captured  Indians,  303  were  found  guilty 
of  murder  and  rape  and  were  condemned  to  death  by  a  military  court 
martial.  Of  this  number  265  were  reprieved  by  President  Lincoln, 
and  the  remainder,  thirty-eight  of  the  most  prominent  engaged  in  the 
massacre,  were  hung  in  Alankato  on  the  26th  of  December,  1862. 

OuTBRE.vK   Quelled 

The  next  year  the  general  government  authorized  an  expedition 
against  the  Indians  who  had  escaped  to  the  Dakota  plains,  because  of 
their  constant  raids  in  small  squads  on  the  frontiers  of  the  state,  for 
the  purpose  of  horse-stealing  and  marauding  upon  adventurous  settlers, 
who  might  risk  going  back  to  their  abandoned  farms.  General  H.  H. 
Sibley  commanded  this  expedition,  which  consisted  entirely  of  Minne- 
sota troops.  After  two  decisive  encounters,  the  Indians  retreated  be- 
yond the  Missouri  river,  and  in  1864  another  expedition  was  sent  for- 
ward and  a  final  settlement  of  the  Sioux  outbreak  was  accomplished, 
by  the  confiscation  and  surrender  of  the  ponies  and  arms  of  most  of 
the  bands  hostile  to  the  government. 

In  October,  1863,  the  Sibley  expedition  to  the  Missouri  river  hav- 
ing returned  to  Fort  Snelling,  the  Seventh,  Ninth  and  Tenth  regiments 
of  Minnesota  Infantry  were  relieved  from  duty  in  this  military  district 
and  left  for  St.  Louis,  going  thence  to  the  firing  lines  of  the  armies  of 
the  Union,  still  battling  against  secession. 

Property  Damages  Paid 

The  Sioux  Indians  engaged  in  the  massacre  of  1862  were  the  tribes 
that  had  made  the  cession  of  lands  in  1851.  Under  these  treaties  the 
government  had  set  aside  a  trust  fund  of  several  millions  of  dollars, 
from  which  there  was  paid  annually  the  sum  of  $150,000.  Settlers 
who  had  lost  property  urged  their  claims  for  indemnity,  and  congress 
authorized  a  commission  to  receive  all  claims  and  investigate  the  facts. 
The  commission  established  headquarters  in  St.  Paul,  and  carefully 
examined  all  the  claims  presented.  The  total  number  filed  was  2,940, 
with  damages  amounting  to  $2,458,795.16.  The  commission  allowed 
2,635  claims,  and  cut  down  the  damages  to  $1,370,374.  By  act  of  con- 
gress these  claims  were  paid,  and  the  annuities  and  all  further  payments 
to  the  tribes  were  stopped.  The  state  was  also  reimbursed  for  extra- 
ordinary expenses  incurred  during  the  period  of  insurrection. 


150 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


if 


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«, 


CHAPTER  XV 

ST.  PAUL  THE  CAPITAL  CITY 

Imposing  Physique — St.  Paul  Under  Many  Jurisdictions — Terri- 
torial Capitols — New  State  Capitol — State  Officers  and 
Government — Ramsey's  Prophecy  More  Than  Fulfilled. 

That  St.  Paul  was  the  foreordained  and  natural  capital  of  a  north- 
western empire  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  chiefs  of  the  Indian  tribes 
which  inhabited  this  region  had  for  many  years  been  accustomed  to  meet 
in  council  annually  at  the  "Great  Cave"  where,  in  1767,  they  conferred 
with  Jonathan  Carver.  Despite  numerous  efforts  to  displace  it,  the 
capital'  still  remains  within  rifle-shot  of  Carver's  Cave.  The  professional 
agitator  for  removal,  who  chewed  his  annual  legislative  whetstone  and 
grumbled  his  defiance  through  broken  teeth,  is  dead  and  forgotten ;  but 
the  white-domed  state  house,  clothed  in  a  beauty  and  glory  of  which  he 
never  dreamed,  monumentalizes  an  eternal  interfusion  of  the  metropolis 
with  the  seat  of  government.     Esto  perpetua ! 

Imposing  Physique 

St.  Paul  bears  the  physical  seal  and  impress  of  a  capital  city.  There 
is  something  royal  and  dominating  in  its  physiognomy.  This  imposing 
individualitv  of  physical  form  and  feature  has  imprinted  itself  legibly  on 
the  social  and  business  character  of  the  city.  St.  Paul  was  a  metropolis 
when  it  had  a  population  of  but  5,000,  as  contradistinguished  from  other 
cities  which  remain  villages  when  they  have  a  population  of  100,000. 
There  was  a  certain  air  of  conscious  primacy  about  it  in  its  early  days, 
but  it  had  something  besides  a  prophetic  faith  in  its  own  destiny.  It 
had  the  men  to  work  it  out.  The  capital  city  is  to  the  metropolis  what 
the  university  is  to  the  college.  It  is  the  assemblage  of  all  the  centers  of 
specialized  and  organized  human  activity. 

That  St.  Paul  had  all  the  rudimental  attributes  of  a  capital  and  a 
metropolis  early  in  its  history,  was  due  to  the  character  of  its  founders, 
of  those  who  were  attracted  to  it  in  its  formative  period.  These  were 
generally  men  of  superior  mold,  large-hearted  and  large-brained,  many 
of  them  accomplished  and  educated,  drawn  from  different  states  and 
countries  and  sects  and  schools.  They  were  natural  leaders  of  men — 
in  business,  in  politics,  in  the  professions,  in  social  life.  They  set  the 
key  of  its  ambitions.  They  gave  it  the  broad  and  catholic  spirit — the 
many-sided  character  which  it  has  since  differentiated  in  its  more  com- 
plex forms  of  social  organization.  They  are  succeeded  by  men  well 
equipped  for  carrying  on  the  work  they  so  nobly  inaugurated  in  those 
toilsome,  primitive  days. 

151 


152  ST.  PAUL  AND  \'ICIXITY 

That  the  Empire  state  of  the  new  northwest,  of  which  St.  Paul  is 
the  political  capital  to  say  nothing  of  vast  tribuary  regions  bevond  the 
limits  of  the  state,  is  capable  of  nurturing  a  great  commercial  metrojjolis, 
later  chapters  of  the  present  work  will  abundantly  demonstrate.  The 
area  of  .Minnesota  is  84,287  square  miles,  equal  to  54,000,000  acres. 
There  are  2,796  miles  of  navigable  rivers.  The  headwaters  in  Minne- 
sota flow  north  to  Hudson's  bay;  south  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  east 
to  Lake  Superior.  The  sources  of  the  Minnesota  which  flows  to  the 
gulf,  and  the  Red  river  of  the  North,  which  empties  into  Hudson's  Bay, 
are  but  one  mile  ajjart. 

St.  Paul  Under  j\L\xy  Jurisdictions 

Occupying  tracts  of  land  that  lie  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi 
river,  St.  Paul  enjoys  the  distinction  of  a  double  parentage,  being  the 
offspring  of  the  territory  of  the  northwest  and  the  Louisiana  purchase. 
The  district  east  of  the  Mississippi  river  descended  from  the  former, 
and  that  west  of  the  Mississippi  from  the  latter.  The  northwest  terri- 
tory originally  extended  from  the  Atlantic  coast  in  \irginia  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  including  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio  river.  The 
"Louisiana  purchase"  extended  north  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the 
British  line,  west  of  the  Mississippi.  There  are  but  two  states  through 
which  the  great  "Father  of  Waters"  passes,  viz.,  Louisiana  at  the  mouth 
and  Minnesota  at  the  source  of  the  river. 

In  the  development  of  the  country,  the  territory  of  St.  Paul  became 
subject  to  many  different  jurisdictions;  that  part  east  of  the  Mississippi 
river,  as  follows: 

First — Territory  of  the  Northwest,  1787. 
Second — Territory  of   Indiana,    1800. 
Third — Territory  of  Michigan,  1805. 
Fourth — Territory  of   Wisconsin.   1836. 
Fifth — Territory  of  Minnesota,   1849. 
Sixth — State  of  Minnesota,   1858. 

That  part  west  of  the  Mississippi: 

First — Province  of  Louisiana.  1803. 
Second — Territory  of  Indiana,  1804. 
Third — Territory  of  Louisiana,  1805. 
Fourth — Territory  of  Missouri,   1812. 
Fifth — Territory  of  Michigan,   1818. 
Sixth — Territory  of   Wisconsin.   1836. 
Seventh — Territory  of  Iowa.  1838. 
Fighth — Territory  of   Minnesota,   1849. 
Ninth — State  of  Minnesota,   1858. 

TliRKITORI.M.    C.vriTOLS 

General  H.  H.  Sil)ley,  who  located  at  Mendota  just  outside  the  pres- 
ent limits  of  St.  Paul  and  west  of  the  river  in  1834.  says:  "1  was  suc- 
cessively a  citizen  of  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Iowa  and  Minnesota  terri- 
tories, without  changing  my  residence  at   Mendota." 

The  capital  presu|>poses  a  capitol — an  edifice  wherein  is  housed  the 
executive  authority,  the  legislative  council  and  the  tribunal  of  justice. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  153 

The  Indians  assembled  at  Carver's  Cave;  perhaps  the  cave  dwellers  did 
in  the  stone  age;  also  their  successors,  the  mound  builders  who  erected 
at  our  Mounds  Park  adjacent  their  beacon  towers  or  forts  or  mauso- 
leums, as  the  case  may  be — now  turf  and  tumuli.  When  Governor  Ram- 
sey came  in  1849  ^'^  organize  the  territory  of  Minnesota,  he  and  his  con- 
freres established  a  capitol  pro  tem,  sitting  on  trunks  and  beds  in  a  room 
at  the  St.  Paul  House,  (now  the  Merchants  Hotel)  while  writing  the 
proclamation  of  June  ist.  The  next  temporary  capitol  was  the  Central 
House,  corner  Minnesota  and  Second  streets.  The  hall  of  representa- 
tives and  the  territorial  secretary's  office  were  on  the  first  floor;  the 
library  and  council  chamber,  on  the  second. 

Pending  the  erection  of  the  first  territorial  capitol  the  executive  of- 
fices were  located  and  the  legislative  sessions  were  held  in  various  build- 
ings in  St.  Paul,  often  contracted  and  inconvenient  for  the  transaction 
of  public  business.  The  first  actual  capitol  occupied  by  the  governor 
July  21,  1853,  and  by  the  legislature  at  its  fifth  session  January  4,  1854, 
cost  $31,222.65,  which  was  paid  by  the  United  States. 

This  capitol  became  the  property  of  the  state,  when  admitted  in 
1858,  and  remained  practically  unaltered  until  1873.  In  the  legislature 
of  that  year  a  bill  was  introduced  appropriating  $15,000  for  the  addi- 
tion of  a  southerly  projection,  to  provide  rooms  for  newly  created  offi- 
cials. Upon  George  Benz  and  Henry  A.  Castle,  the  two  Republican 
members  from  Ramsey  county,  fell  the  burden  of  getting  this  bill,  re- 
garded as  a  distinctly  "'local  measure,"  passed  in  face  of  the  united  op- 
position of  Hennepin  county.  In  the  midst  of  the  struggle  Frederick 
Douglass,  the  colored  orator,  came  to  St.  Paul  to  deliver  a  lecture  and 
was  refused  entertainment  at  the  leading  hotels.  A  resolution  was  at 
once  presented  in  the  legislature  providing  for  the  removal  of  the  capitol 
to  Kandayohi  county,  and  came  near  being  adopted.  But  delay  was 
secured,  the  excitement  died  out,  the  removal  scheme  was  abandoned, 
and  just  as  the  session  closed  the  appropriation  for  capitol  extension  was 
granted  by  a  narrow  margin.  The  addition  was  built  during  the  en- 
suing summer,  with  some  changes  in  the  roof  and  cupola  of  the  old 
building. 

Old  Capitol  Burned 

In  1878  an  addition  of  considerable  dimensions  was  made  to  the 
Wabasha  street  wing.  The  structure,  thus  enlarged  from  the  capitol  of 
1853,  stood  until  the  first  of  March,  1881,  when  during  an  evening  ses- 
sion of  the  legislature  the  building  caught  fire  from  some  unknown 
cause  and  was  burned  to  the  ground. 

Mayor  Dawson  at  once  tendered  to  Governor  Pillsbury  the  use  of 
the  St.  Paul  Market  House,  just  completed  at  Seventh  and  Wabasha 
streets,  for  temporary  capitol  purposes.  It  was  accepted ;  the  legislature 
met  in  the  two  halls  on  the  second  floor,  the  day  after  the  fire  and  on 
the  same  day  the  state  officials  were  installed  in  rooms  on  the  first  floor, 
where  they  remained  nearly  two  years. 

Plans  were  made  and  money  provided  for  a  new  capitol  on  the  old 
site.  It  was  erected  during  the  administration  of  Governor  L.  F.  Hub- 
bard, and  was  first  occupied  by  the  legislature  which  met  in  January, 
1883.  It  cost  $275,000;  served  its  purpose  for  twenty  years;  still  re- 
mains the  property  of  the  state;  is  now  known  as  "the  old  capito"!,"  and 
accommodates  several  branches  of  the   state  government   for  which  no 


154 


ST.   i'AL'L  AXD  XICIXITV 


room  could  be  found  in  the  new  capitol,  located  six  blocks  further  up 
Wabasha  street. 

New  Static  Cmmtol 

In  1 891  the  movement  was  inaugurated  which  resulted  in  the  "new 
capitol" — new,  even  yet,  and  beyond  all  other  structures  within  the 
limits  of  the  commonwealth  the  pride  of  all  the  people,  an  honor  to  the 
city  and  the  state.  A  committee  of  the  senate,  of  which  Hon.  William 
B.  Dean  of  St.  Paul  was  chairman,  reported  February  3,  1893,  in  favor 
of  a  new  and  creditable  building,  the  cost  to  be  limited  to  $2,000,000. 
The  bill,  after  a  spirited  contest  in  both  houses,  finally  passed  and  was 


GRAND    STAIKW.W    AND    HOME    CORRIDORS 


approved  l;y  the  Ciovernor,  Knule  Nelson,  April  jth.  This  forever 
settled  the  "capitol  removal,"  issue  in  Minnesota. 

Governor  Xelson  ajipointed  as  commissioners  for  the  construction  of 
the  building,  Cluuuiing  Scal)ury  of  St.  Paul,  II.  W.  Lambcrlon  of 
Winona.  George  A.  I)u  Toit  of  Cliaska.  John  De  Laittre  of  Minne- 
apolis. C.  H.  Graves  of  Duluth.  R.  E.  Corlies  of  Fergus  Falls  and  F.dgar 
Weaver  of  Mankato.  Xo  public  work  was  ever  committed  to  an  abler 
or  more  efficient  board.  Tiie  state  and  the  people  owe  to  these  men  an 
obligation  that  can  never  be  paid. 

Forty-one  iilans  were  submitted  anonymously  by  architects  from  many 
states,  and  that  which  by  common  consent  was  held  to  be  the  best  was 
found  to  be  the  work  of  Cass  Gilbert  of  St.  Paul,  where  he  had  grown 
up    from   boyhood.     He   was   selected   as   the   architect   and   most   nobly 


ST.  PAUL  AXD  \TCL\1TY 


155 


has  he  vindicated  the  commission's  choice.  The  completed  capitol  is 
Mr.  Gilbert's  enduring  monument.  It  classes  him  among  the  great  ar- 
chitects of  all  ages. 

The  architectural  style  of  the  exterior  is  Italian  Renaissance.  The 
building  IS  surmounted  by  a  dome  of  classic  proportion,  somewhat  re- 
sembling the  dome  on  St.  Peter's  in  Rome.  The  general  plan  of  build- 
ing is  an  oblong,  with  a  wing  in  the  center  of  the  north  side.  The  di- 
mensions are  as  follows : 

Length  over  all,  not  including  entrance  steps    433  feet 

Average  width   of  main  portion    120  feet 

Width,  through  central  portion,  not  including  steps   228  feet 

Height  to  top  of  ball  on  dome  from  base  of  steps  on  south 

front  elevation    220  feet 

Average  height  of  outside  walls  from  grade  of  terrace 69  feet 

Average  depth  of  outside  walls  from  grade  of  terrace  to  bot- 
tom  of    concrete    14  feet 

The  corner  stone  was  laid  July  2j,  1898,  by  Hon.  Alexander  Ramsey, 
the  first  territorial  governor  of  Minnesota. 

The  grounds  were  laid  out  in  harmony  with  the  general  character  of  the 
building.  Shrubs,  vines  and  flowers  are  used  along  the  granite  terraces  to 
mask  and  enhance  the  beauty  and  artistic  effect  of  these  terraces. 

The  materials  used  on  the  exterior  of  the  building  are  St.  Cloud  granite 
in  steps,  terraces  and  the  ground  story,  and  Georgia  marble  for  the  upper 
stories  and  dome.  The  dome  is  one  of  the  largest  masonry  domes,  and  said 
to  be  the  largest  marble  dome,  in  the  world.  It  is  self-supporting  and  not 
dependent  on  steel  framing,  except  for  the  lantern,  which  rests  upon  an 
inner  steel  and  masonry  cone  independent  of  the  construction  of  the  bell 
part  of  the  dome.  The  materials  of  the  state  are  used  very  largely  in  the 
construction  of  the  building.  The  general  foundations  are  of  Winona 
stone,  with  Kettle  river  sandstone  for  the  dome  foundations. 

The  facing  of  dome  corridors,  main  corridors  and  dome  walls  is  of 
Kasota  and  Mankato  stone,  being  the  first  instance  where  this  stone  has 
been  used  in  the  interior  finish  of  a  building.  The  use  of  this  material  was 
urged  by  Mr.  Gilbert  for  several  years  before  the  quarry  owners  took  any 
interest  in  the  matter,  and  then,  when  samples  were  polished  and  tried, 
experienced  men,  who  had  handled  it  for  years,  did  not  recognize  the  stone 
from  their  own  quarries.  It  is  thought  that  in  using  this  stone  for  interior 
work  a  new  and  important  industry  has  been  created  in  the  state.  The 
large  granite  columns  at  the  second  story  level  of  dome  on  the  north  and 
south  sides  are  Ortonville  granite,  a  material  resembling  in  color  the 
antique  Egyptian  porphyry  and  fully  as  handsome.  Those  on  the  east 
and  west  sides  are  of  Rockville  granite. 

The  spectator's  attention  is  always  attracted  by  the  beauty  of  the 
marbles  used  in  the  building,  coming  from  almost  all  quarters  of  the  globe. 
The  columns  in  stair  halls  are  of  Breche  Violette  marble  from  Italy,  and 
it  is  understood  that  these  same  quarries  furnished  material  used  in  the 
ancient  works  of  the  Roman  Empire.  The  marble  in  balustrades  is  called 
Skyros  marble,  from  one  of  the  islands  in  the  Greek  archipelago.  The 
marble  used  in  the  senate  chamber  is  Fleur  de  Peche  (Flower  of  the 
Peach  )  from  France.  This  marble  is  considered  the  handsomest  in  the 
building,  the  colors  varying  from  rich  reds,  violets  and  yellows  to  almost 
pure  white.  The  bases  of  marble  columns  and  the  lower  section  of  marble 
at  floors  in  the  upper  stories  is  Hauteville  marble,  imported  from  France. 


156  ST.  PAUL  AXD  XICIXITY 

It  is  used  in  these  places  for  the  reason  that  its  color  is  in  harmony  with 
the  -Mankato  and  Kasota  stone  and  it  is  almost  impervious  to  moisture  and 
is  not  easily  soiled.  The  marble  columns  in  the  house  of  representatives 
and  supreme  court  are  from  quarries  in  X'ermunt. 

Tiie  general  wood  work  of  the  building  is  simple,  of  oak,  with  but  little 
ornament,  mahogany  being  used  in  certain  places ;  the  more  elaborate  por- 
tions being  house,  senate  and  supreme  court  retiring  rooms  and  governor's 
reception  room,  entrance  doors  to  house,  senate  and  supreme  court,  presid- 
ing officers'  and  clerks'  desks,  house  and  senate,  and  judges'  bench  and  rail 
in  supreme  court. 

The  legislative  chambers  are  placed  in  the  second  story,  with  committee 
rooms  adjacent,  the  senate  occupying  the  west  wing,  the  house  the  north 
wing,  and  the  supreme  court  the  east  wing.  The  governor's  quarters  are 
in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  west  wing,  first  story.  The  other  stories  are 
given  up  to  the  general  offices  of  the  stale  officials.  The  house  and  senate 
retiring  rooms,  judges'  consultation  room,  also  the  cafe,  are  worthy  of 
note  as  being  among  the  handsomest  rooms  in  the  building. 

As  to  sculpture,  the  building  has  not  been  forgotten.  Si.x  handsome 
figures  stand  over  the  main  cornice  of  the  south  entrance,  typifying  Wis- 
dom, Courage,  Bounty,  Truth,  Integrity  and  Prudence,  while  above  the 
attic  of  this  entrance  is  a  large  quadriga  in  bronze,  typifying  the  Progress 
of  Minnesota,  all  by  Daniel  Giester  French.  Niches  in  the  rotunda  and 
elsewhere  have  been  provided  for  statues  of  Minnesota  celebrities.  Those 
of  Colonels  William  CoUvil,  John  B,  Sanborn  and  .Me.xander  \\ilkiii  have 
been  already  installed. 

The  timbrel  vaulting,  a  peculiar  method  of  laying  tile,  executed  by  R. 
Guastavino  Company,  has  been  used  in  many  places  throughout  the  build- 
ing for  support  of  floors,  taking  the  place  of  steel  beams  and  tile  arch  con- 
struction. The  principal  points  where  this  construction  is  used  are  in  the 
dome  corridors  and  east,  west  and  north  corridors,  ground  and  first  story, 
the  supports  for  a  portion  of  the  entrance  steps  and  the  inner  canopy  of 
dome,  a  portion  of  the  work  being  exposed,  with  glazed  surface,  giving 
very  pleasing  effect. 

The  governor's  reception  room  has  a  heavily  gilded  ceiling  and  cornice, 
with  gray,  blue  and  green  in  the  cove.  The  elaborate  carving  and  orna- 
mentation, Venetian  in  character,  which  covers  the  woodwork,  is  in  dull 
gold,  with  occasional  color  accents.  This  makes  a  rich  setting  for  his- 
torical paintings  which  form  a  freize  above  the  wainscot. 

In  all  the  principal  corridors  and  rooms,  as  well  as  in  the  rotunda,  there 
are  a  profusion  of  paintings  all  of  the  highest  artistic  merit.  They 
represent  Minnesota  history,  Minnesota  scenery,  and  the  war  records  of 
Minnesota  regiments,  as  we'll  as  allegorical  and  mythological  studies  appro- 
priate to  the  place.  A  mere  catalogue  of  these  paintings  and  of  the  line 
mural  decorations  would  transcend  the  limits  permissible  to  this  descrip- 
tion. The  names  of  the  artists,  Garnsey,  La  Fargc,  Blashtield,  W  alker, 
Cox,  Millet,  \'olk,  Pyle  and  others,  are  a  sufficient  guaranty  of  the  qual- 
ity of  the  work.  ...  •    , 

On  lanuarv  3,  1905,  the  state  legislature  convened  m  the  new  capitol,  a 
few  of 'the  state  officers  having  occujiicd  their  quarters  there  some  davs 
previously.  During  the  seven  years  that  have  since  elapsed,  this  magmh- 
cent  structure  has  been  visited  daily  by  throngs  of  admiring  citizens  and 
strangers  who  never  weary  of  praising  its  incomparable  beauties.  It  is, 
beyond  all  question,  one  of  the  show-places  of  the  nation— yea,  of  the 
world ! 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  157 

As  the  building  progressed  and  its  excellencies  were  unfolded  to  the 
legislative  vision,  the  cost-limit  was  enlarged  at  successive  sessions  with 
scarcely  a  shadow  of  opposition  from  an)'  quarter.  The  total  cost  of 
grounds  and  building  was  about  $4,340,000,  and  the  universal  verdict  is 
that  it  is  abundantly  worth  all  it  cost. 

State  Officers  and  Government 

As  the  capital  city,  St.  Paul  is  the  official  home  of  all  the  leading  offi- 
cers of  the  State  government,  and,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  has  always 
been  their  actual  place  of  residence  during  their  respective  terms,  while 
many  of  them  have  remained  here  permanently  and  engaged  in  profes- 
sional or  business  pursuits  after  their  retirement  from  office.  The  elective 
officials  of  the  executive  department  consist  of  a  governor,  lieutenant  gov- 
ernor, secretary  of  state,  auditor,  treasurer  and  attorney  general,  who  are 
chosen  by  the  electors  of  the  state.  The  constitution  of  the  state  provides 
that  these  officers  shall  be  elected  for  two  years,  except  the  state  auditor, 
whose  term  of  office  is  four  years. 

The  duties  of  the  governor  are  prescribed  by  the  constitution  and  the 
laws  of  the  state.  The  office  assistants  of  the  governor  are  a  private  sec- 
retary, executive  clerk,  executive  stenographer  and  executive  messenger. 
Connected  with  the  executive  office  is  the  appointment  of  notaries  public. 

The  lieutenant  governor  is  e.x  officio  president  of  the  senate,  and  has  no 
other  duties  to  perform,  except  in  a  protracted  absence  of  the  governor 
from  the  state  he  may  be  called  to  act,  and  in  case  of  vacancy  in  the 
office  he  becomes  governor  during  such  vacancy. 

The  secretary  of  state  is  the  recording  officer  of  the  state  and  the  cus- 
todian of  official  papers.  All  the  private  and  public  corporations  of  the 
state  are  recorded,  and  the  official  bonds  of  all  county  officers  are  filed  in 
this  office.  He  is  the  custodian  of  all  the  volumes  of  laws  and  journals 
and  all  the  legislative  records  of  whatever  nature.  For  the  general  pur- 
poses of  the  office,  the  clerical  force  is  an  assistant  secretary,  who,  in 
addition  to  his  duties  as  assistant,  is  also  commissioner  of  statistics ;  a 
chief  clerk,  one  record  clerk,  an  assistant  clerk  and  a  document  clerk. 

The  state  auditor  has  charge  of  two  departments  of  the  government, 
the  auditing  department  and  the  land  department.  The  auditing  depart- 
ment is  to  keep  a  record  of  all  public  accounts,  audit  claims  presented,  and 
issue  warrants  in  payment.  These  accounts  are  not  only  those  of  the 
state  departments,  but  include  the  pay  rolls  of  state  institutions,  and  for 
the  performance  of  these  duties  he  has  a  deputy  and  six  clerks.  In  the 
land  department,  of  which  the  auditor  is  chief,  he  has  the  assistance  of 
four  clerks  specially  detailed.  The  duties  of  this  department  are  the  care 
and  sale  of  school,  university,  agricultural  college  and  swamp  lands ;  the 
sale  of  grass,  cranberries  and  maple  sugar,  and  the  leasing  of  mineral 
lands. 

The  treasurer  is  the  receiving  and  disbursing  officer  of  the  state,  and 
has  the  assistance  of  a  deputy  treasurer,  three  clerks  and  a  stenographer 
to  aid  in  the  duties  of  the  office.  His  duties  are  defined  by  law  to  keep  an 
accurate  account  of  the  receipts  and  disbursements  of  the  treasury.  For 
all  payments  into  the  state  treasury  by  county  treasurers  he  issues  two 
receipts,  one  to  the  treasurer  and  the  other  to  the  county  auditor. 

The  attorney  general  is  the  legal  adviser  of  all  the  departments  of 
state,  and  counsel  for  the  state  or  departments  in  all  suits  at  law ;  he  pros- 
ecutes official  bonds  of  delinquent  officers ;  prepares  forms  of  contracts ; 


158  ST.   PAUL  AND  \  ICl.MTY 

•  eceives  reports  of  criminal  actions  in  all  the  counties  of  the  state  from 
the  county  attorneys,  and  makes  a  biennial  report  to  the  legislature.  The 
force  in  the  office  is  two  assistant  attorney  generals  and  a  stenographer. 

The  supreme  court  consists  of  one  chief  justice  and  four  associate 
justices,  elected  by  the  peojjle.  holding  office  for  six  years,  and  until  suc- 
cessors are  elected  and  qualified.  Two  terms  of  court  are  held  in  each 
year,  commencing  on  the  first  Tuesdays  of  April  and  October,  at  the  capi- 
tol  in  St.  Paul.  This  court  has  original  jurisdiction  in  such  remedial  cases 
as  may  be  prescribed  by  law,  and  aiJjjellate  jurisdiction  in  all  cases,  both 
in  law  and  equity. 

The  clerk  of  the  supreme  court  is  an  elective  officer,  the  term  of  office 
being  four  years. 

The  reporter  of  the  supreme  court  is  an  officer  apiJointcd  by  the  court 
to  prepare  the  adjudicated  cases  for  publication  in  official  volumes,  en- 
titled "Minnesota  Reports." 

The  active  military  forces  of  the  state  are  officially  known  as  the  Min- 
nesota Xational  Guard.  In  the  time  of  peace  the  National  Guard  is  com- 
posed of  three  regiments  of  infantry  and  one  battalion  of  arlillerv  (the 
latter  includes  two  batteries  of  artillery  and  one  company  of  engineers), 
formed  into  one  brigade  under  the  command  of  a  brigadier  general.  The 
adjutant  general  is  the  executive  officer  of  the  department  and  the  cus- 
todian of  all  records  relating  to  the  Xational  Guard  and  to  the  regiments 
furnished  by  this  state  during  the  Civil  and  Spanish  wars.  Under  the 
governor,  who  is  commander-in-chief,  he  has  general  supervision  and  con- 
trol of  the  military  forces  of  the  state  and  of  all  military  pro])erty.  It 
is  also  the  duty  of  the  adjutant  general  to  act  as  claim  agent,  without  i)ay 
or  compensation,  for  all  citizens  of  this  state  having  claims  against  the 
government  of  the  United  States  for  ]H-iisions,  bounty,  arrears  of  jiay, 
etc..  arising  out  of  military  service. 

All  the  innumerable  and  incessant  activities  of  the  state  government 
are  directed  from  the  capital  city,  the  executive  authority  acting  through 
appointive  officers,  commissions  and  boards,  many  of  them  with  deputies 
or  agents  in  every  county  or  in  every  township,  to  carry  on  tlieir  work. 
The  scope  of  these  activities  would  be  necessarily  augmented  by  the 
growth  of  the  state  in  [joinilation.  wealth  and  diversity  of  employments, 
even  had  the  original,  simple  governmental  ])olicics  been  adhered  to. 
Hut.  in  recent  years,  a  marked  tendency  toward  jxiternalistic  guardian- 
ship of  the  people  has  found  expression  in  the  constant  multiplication  of 
agencies  for  official  oversight,  until  there  are  now  literally  hundreds  of 
salaried  dejiuties,  wardens,  rangers,  inspectors,  etc.,  charged  with  the 
responsibility  of  guarding  and  guiding  various  phases  of  the  jniblic  wel- 
fare. 

Among  the  officials  appointed  by  the  governor,  as  heads  of  more  or 
less  extensive  executive  departments,  are :  public  examiner  and  suiierin- 
tendent  of  banks;  commissioner  of  insurance;  sui)erinteiident  of  ]nil)lic 
instruction;  dairy  and  food  commissioner;  inspector  of  apiaries;  surveyor 
general  of  logs  and  lumber;  commissioner  of  labor;  state  oil  inspector; 
state  librarian;  custodian  of  iniblic  ])ro])erty ;  chief  engineer:  forest  com- 
missioner; fire  marshal  and  chief  grain  insjiector. 

.\nd  of  commissions  and  boards  to  whom  is  committed  the  oversight 
of  transjjortation  or  industrial  interests,  the  care  of  the  public  health, 
the  management  of  state  institutions,  etc.,  we  find  the  following:  railroad 
commissioners;  I'.oard  of  Control  of  State  Institutions:  regents  of  the 
State  Universitv;  directors  of  State  Normal  School:  State  High  School 


ST.   PAUL  AXD  VICINITY  159 

Board ;  directors  of  School  for  Deaf  and  Blind ;  directors  of  State  Public 
School ;  trustees  of  Soldiers'  Home ;  Board  of  Examiners  in  Law ;  Board 
of  Health  and  \'ital  Statistics ;  Board  of  Medical  Examiners.  Board  of 
Pharmacy ;  Board  of  Dental  Examiners ;  veterinary  medical  examiners ; 
examiners  of  barbers;  commissioners  of  practical  plumbing;  Horse-shoers 
Board  of  Examiners;  game  and  fish  commissioners;  Board  of  Electricity; 
State  Historical  Society ;  State  Agricultural  Society ;  State  Horticultural 
Society  ;  state  commissioners  of  parks ;  State  Forestry  Association ;  State 
Board  of  Arbitration ;  State  Board  of  Equalization ;  State  Board  of 
Accounting;  state  tax  commissioners;  State  Drainage  Commission;  com- 
missioners of  printing;  commissioners  of  parks;  Board  of  Examiners  in 
Optometry;  \'oting  Machine  Commission;  Board  of  Appeals  for  Inspec- 
tion of  Grain;  Stallion  Registration  Board;  Board  of  Osteopathic  Exam- 
iners ;  Board  of  Examiners  of  Nurses ;  Live  Stock  Sanitary  Board ; 
Capitol  Grounds  Commission ;  public  library  commissioners ;  Board  of 
Immigration;  State  Art  Society;  Highway  Commission;  Board  of  Invest- 
ment ;  Board  of  Directors  of  Society  for  the  Preventing  of  Cruelty ; 
Board  of  Pardons ;  Commission  of  Sanitarium  for  Consumptives ;  Board 
of  Woman  \'isitors  to  Girls'  Training  School. 

While  the  number  of  officials  and  commissions  had  been  greatly 
increased  and  the  ramifications  of  their  activity  vastly  extended,  there  was 
one  instance  where  operations  were  concentrated,  with  good  results.  By 
the  act  of  April  2,  igoi,  the  governor  was  empowered  to  appoint  a  Board 
of  Control  of  State  Institutions,  consisting  of  three  members,  whose 
powers  and  duties  were  prescribed  in  the  act.  Accordingly  on  April  3, 
1901,  the  governor  appointed  such  a  board,  the  members  to  serve  respec- 
tively for  six,  four  and  two  years  and  thereupon  the  board  was  duly 
organized.  The  law  provides  that  the  member  having  the  shortest  term 
to  serve  shall  be  chairman  of  the  board. 

The  Board  of  Control  thus  established  took  the  place  and  was 
charged  with  the  duties  of  the  following  named  boards,  which  were 
abolished :  State  Board  of  Corrections  and  Charities ;  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  Hospitals  and  Asylums  for  the  Insane;  Board  of  Managers  of  the 
State  Prison ;  Board  of  Managers  of  the  State  Reformatory ;  Board  of 
Managers  of  the  State  Training  School ;  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Min- 
nesota Institute  for  Defectives,  so  far  as  related  to  the  school  for  feeble- 
minded. 

Ram^sey's  Prophecy  More  Th.\n  Fulfilled 

Thus  the  far-reaching  outreach  of  the  state  government,  with  its  mul- 
tiplied and  multiplying  functions,  goes  to  swell  the  resources  of  the  Capi- 
tal City,  keeping  pace  with  its  commercial  expansion,  its  growth  in  finan- 
cial influence  and  its  development  along  new  industrial  lines.  As  the 
capita!  city,  its  enterprising  founders  predicted  for  it  a  splendid  career, 
and  lived  to  see  their  prophecies  fulfilled.  Ex-Governor  Alexander  Ram- 
sey said  at  the  Villard  banquet  in  1893:  "The  seal  of  the  Territory  of 
Minnesota  indicated  the  attitude  of  expectation  of  our  pioneers  by  the 
representation  of  a  farmer  following  a  plow  near  the  Falls  of  Saint  An- 
thony, and  watching  an  Indian  on  horseback  moving  toward  the  setting 
sun,  with  the  motto  above,  of  the  house  of  Dunraven,  'Quo  sursum  volo 
videre' — T  wish  to  behold  what  is  beyond.' 

"By  the  conception  and  completion  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway 
this  expectation  is  realized.  In  concluding  a  message  to  the  legislature  of 
Minnesota  in  January,  1853,  shortly  after  the  Sioux  had  ceded  their  lands 


160  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

between  tlie  Mississippi  and  Missouri,  I  used  words  which  some  thought 
were  not  such  as  St.  Paul  in  his  address  to  a  certain  governor  called 
'words  of  truth  and  soberness.'  Dwellers  in  the  east  looked  upon  the 
language  as  that  of  one  mounted  on  a  winged  horse,  a  Pegasus,  or  as  a 
tyi)e  of  that  'spread  eagleism'  of  the  west.  But  as  I  repeat  those  words 
tonight  thev  seem  words  of  truth  and  soberness,  and  the  ])rediction  is  more 
than  fulfilled. 

■'.Mluding  to  the  cai)ital  of  .Minnesota,  I  said:  'Emphatically  new  and 
wild  ai^peared  everything  to  the  viewers  from  older  communities,  and  not 
the  least  novel  feature  of  the  scene  was  the  motley  humanity  partially  fill- 
ing the  streets,  the  Indians  with  their  blankets  and  painted  faces,  and  the 
red  sashes  and  moccasins  of  French  Canadian  voyageurs,  greatly  pre- 
dominating over  the  less  picturcst|ue  costume  of  the  Anglo-.^merican  race. 
But  even  while  strangers  yet  looked,  the  elements  of  a  mighty  change 
were  working,  and  civilization  with  its  hundred  arms,  was  commencing 
its  resistless  and  beneficent  empire.' 

"To  my  lot  fell  the  honorable  duty  of  taking  the  initial  step  in  this 
work,  by  proclaiming  on  the  ist  of  June,  1849,  the  organization  of  the 
territorial  government  of  Minnesota,  and  the  consequent  extension  of  the 
protecting  arm  of  law  over  these  distant  regions.  The  faliled  magic  of 
the  eastern  tale  that  reared  a  palace  in  a  single  night  only  can  parallel 
the  reality  of  growth  and  jirogress.  That  which  is  written  is  written. 
The  life  of  a  short  generation  will  realize  it.  In  our  visions  of  the  com- 
ing time  rise  up  in  magnificent  proportions  one  or  more  capitals  of  the 
north,  Stockholm  and  St.  Petersburg,  with  many  a  town  only  secondary 
to  these  in  their  trade,  wealth  and  enterprise.  Steam  on  the  water,  steam 
on  the  land,  everywhere  fills  the  ear  and  sight.  Railroads  intersecting, 
interlink  remotest  jjoints.  Let  some  deem  these  visions  impracticable. 
Alan  in  the  present  age  disdains  the  ancient  limits  to  his  career ;  and  in 
this  country  epecially  all  precedents  of  human  progress  and  growth  of 
states  are  set  aside  by  the  impetuous,  yet  far-seeing,  originality  of  our 
fellow-citizens." 

COROLL.XRIES  OF  St.   P.WL's  PrOMINEKCE 

One  important  corollary  of  St.  Paul's  prominence  as  the  capital 
city,  was  the  fact  that  her  leading  citizens  were,  at  all  times,  conspicuously 
honored,  throughout  the  State  and  beyond  its  borders.  Not  only  were 
they  continuously  sought  as  orators  and  distinguished  guests  on  all  occa- 
sions of  public  ceremony  at  near  and  distant  points,  l)ut  more  enduring 
honors  were  spontaneously  bestowed,  by  affixing  their  names  to  counties 
and  municipalities.  I'robably  one  hundred  cities  and  towns  in  Minne- 
sota bear  the  names  of  St.  Paul  men,  and  at  least  tiie  following  eighteen 
counties  confer  a  like  distinction:  Pecker.  lirown,  Goodhue,  Hubl)ard, 
Jackson,  Marshall,  -Meeker.  Ramsey,  Rice,  Sherburne.  Sibley,  Wilkin, 
Kittson,  McLeod,  Murray,  Nobles,  Olmsted  and  Steele.  In  addition,  a 
large  number  of  towns  and  several  counties  in  Iowa,  in  the  two  Dakotas 
and  in  Montana  perpetuate  names  that  are  historic  in  our  city's  annals. 

Of  the  widely  different  nature  is  another  corrollarv  to  the  status  of 
St.  Paul  as  the  cajiilal  city,  tiie  location  here  of  some  highly  interesting 
.State  institutions.  .Minnesota  did  not  follow  the  exami)le  of  some  com- 
monwealths in  grouping  her  educational,  benevolent  and  correctional 
establishments  near  the  seat  of  government :  she  distributed  them  widelv 
over  her  vast  expanse.    Rut  several  valuable  instrumeTitalities  in  the  exer- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \TCINITY  161 

cise  of  administrative  functions,  have  been  assigned  a  permanent  habita- 
tion at  the  capital.  Among  these  may  be  named  the  State  Historical 
Society,  the  arsenal,  the  chemical  laboratory,  the  agricultural  college,  the 
fair  grounds  and  the  fish  hatchery.  Only  the  last  named  requires  special 
mention  here. 

About  thirty  years  ago  the  state  purchased  a  tract  of  vacant  land  near 
Indian  ]\Iounds  park  to  be  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  young  fish  to 
replenish  the  streams  and  lakes.  Several  thousand  dollars  were  spent 
annually  in  the  work.  A  few  wooden  buildings  were  erected  and  their 
whitewashed  walls  had  become  weather-beaten  when  two  years  ago  the 
state  decided  that  an  expert  in  pisciculture  should  be  procured  and  put 
in  charge  of  all  of  the  hatcheries.  Mr.  Cobb,  then  with  the  United  States 
government  and  stationed  at  Taunton,  Mass.,  was  offered  the  position 
and  he  accepted.  His  first  work  was  to  procure  an  appropriation  of 
$6,000  to  be  spent  on  a  new  hatching  house  for  trout,  which  were  becom- 
ing scarce  in  Minnesota.  The  building  was  completed  in  191 2,  and 
within  this  house,  which,  according  to  Mr.  Cobb  is  the  finest  of  its  kind  in 
the  country,  an  average  of  4,000,000  young  trout  may  be  hatched  annually. 

The  troughs  are  of  galvanized  iron,  white  enameled  and  capable  of 
containing,  until  they  are  big  enough  to  be  sent  to  the  various  streams, 
several  million  young  trout.  There  are  103  of  these  troughs,  and  into 
them,  through  two  three-inch  pipes,  there  pours  forth  from  a  spring 
400  gallons  of  sparkling  water  a  minute. 

Thus  has  been  inaugurated  a  new  era  in  the  notable  enterprise  of 
fish — propagation  under  state  auspices.  Minnesota  boasts  of  having  the 
best  fishing  lakes  and  streams  of  any  state  in  the  Union  and  the  annual 
pilgrimage  to  them  each  summer  is  becoming  greater.  Not  many  years 
will  go  by  before  the  native  waters  of  America  will  be  "fished  out,"  and 
the  last  of  this  fine  sport  probably  will  be  here,  because  of  the  lakes  in  the 
big  north  woods  not  yet  reached  by  railroads.  There  are  accessible 
places,  however,  in  the  solitude  of  the  woods,  easily  reached  now,  which 
are  not  surpassed  by  any  game  fish  waters  of  America. 

Planting  approximately  400.000,000  fish  fry,  propagating  them  and 
caring  for  big  game,  has  cost  Minnesota  $755,323.64  during  the  past  ten 
years.  One  hundred  million  wall-eyed  pike  and  4,000,000  brook  trout  will 
be  distributed  throughout  the  lakes  and  streams  of  Minnesota  this  year  to 
provide  amusement  for  sportsmen.  These  are  some  of  the  achievements 
of  a  very  valuable  public  institution,  which  helps  to  signalize  and  distin- 
guish St.  Paul  as  the  Capital  City !  , 


CHAPTER  XVI 

POLITICS  AND  POLITICIANS 

Early  Issues — Prohibitiox  and  the  Referendum — Early  Poi.iti- 
CL\NS  AND  Personal  Contests — Founders  of  Minnesota  Rail- 
roads— Fight  Over  Visit  of  Douglas — Gubernatorial  Personal- 
ities— Donnelly  and  Wheelock — "Young  Republicans"  of  the 
Early  Seventies — Famous  St.  Paul  Men — Judicial  Honors — 
A  Conviction  from  Wide  Observation. 

When  national  issues  have  been  involved,  St.  Paul  has  always  been  a 
storm-center  of  political  discussion,  intrigue  and  ambition— a  necessary 
incident  of  its  functions  as  capital  city.  It  could  be  non-partisan  when 
self-interest  clearly  dictated  that  course.  But  that  contingency  seldom 
arose,  although  it  had  an  early  and  exemplary  object  lesson  in  that  re- 
gard. The  act  authorizing  the  creation  of  Minnesota  territory  was  ap- 
proved March  3,  1849,  ^t  the  close  of  the  Democratic  administration  of 
President  James  K.  Polk.  He  might  have  appointed  the  first  staff  of 
territorial  officials  from  among  his  party  friends,  but  he  refrained  and 
left  the  appointments  to  his  \Vhig  successor.  President  Zachary  Taylor, 
who  gave  us  Alexander  Ramsey  and  his  worthy  colleagues.  What  a 
difference  this  act  of  political  self-effacement  made  in  the  subsequent 
history  of  the  city  and  the  commonwealth! 

The  earliest  elections  were  non-partisan.  At  his  first  elections,  H. 
H.  Sibley  was  the  unanimous  choice  for  delegate  in  congress.  At  the 
first  town  election  for  St.  Paul,  Dr.  Thomas  R.  Potts,  a  brother-in-law 
of  Sibley,  was  unanimously  chosen  as  president  of  the  town  council,  an 
office  equivalent  to  that  of  mayor. 

Early  Issues 

The  first  session  of  the  territorial  legislature  brought  out  no  fac- 
tional or  partisan  antagonisms  of  serious  moment.  But  the  second  ses- 
sion, which  convened  January  2,  1831,  was  marked  by  intense  acrimony 
and  excitement  between  those  of  opposite  views.  Indeed  at  this  late 
date  it  is  almost  impo.ssible  to  conceive  the  bitter  feelings  of  hatred  that 
stirred  the  breasts  of  the  people  at  this  period.  Calm  and  dispassionate 
discussion  was  impossible,  personal  threats  took  the  jilace  of  argument, 
and  the  fiercest  passions  of  humanity  blazed  at  a  white  heat.  It  required 
the  lapse  of  many  years  to  eradicate  these  angry  feelings  from  the  minds 
of  many.  One  of  the  principal  causes  of  this  unwonted  state  of  affairs 
was  the  attempt  made  to  remove  the  capitol.  This  was  compromised 
by  giving  Stillwater  the  penitentiary  and  St.  Anthony  the  university, 
both  of  wiiich  places  had  striven  hard  to  get  the  capitol  buildings  lo- 

162 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  163 

cated  within  their  respective  boundaries.  The  fires  were  not  dead,  how- 
ever, but  only  slumbering,  and  it  required  but  a  light  breeze  to  fan  the 
embers  into  flames.  The  apportionment  question  furnished  the  requisite 
wind,  and  the  struggle  over  the  election  of  territorial  printer  added  to 
the  flames. 

Another  topic  of  heated  discussion  was  furnished  by  the  personal 
encounter  which  took  place  between  J.  M.  Goodhue  and  Joseph  Cooper. 
It  was  caused  by  some  severe  strictures  from  the  pen  of  Goodhue  pub- 
lished in  the  Pioneer.  The  article  was  a  savage  attack  upon  "absentee 
office  holders,"  and  the  language  used  was  the  reverse  of  polite.  His 
chief  diatribes  were  leveled  against  Colonel  ^litchell  and  Judge  Cooper, 
the  latter  then  being  in  Washington.  Judge  Cooper  he  stigmatized  as 
everything  vile.  Joseph  Cooper,  the  brother  of  the  judge,  naturally 
resented  such  abuse  as  Goodhue  had  indulged  in,  and  on  the  first  meet- 
ing of  the  two  men  a  fight  ensued  in  which  knives  and  pistols  were 
drawn.  Both  were  severely  though  not  fatally  wounded,  Goodhue  re- 
ceiving a  stab  in  the  abdomen  and  in  the  back,  and  Cooper  a  shot  from 
Goodhue's  pistol.  In  an  after  issue  of  his  paper  Goodhue  claimed  that 
it  w'as  a  conspiracy  on  the  part  of  his  enemies  to  murder  him  for  polit- 
ical revenge. 

Goodhue's  death,  at  a  comparatively  early  age  August  5,  1852,  was, 
by  many,  attributed  to  the  wound  received  in  this  affray.  Rev.  E.  D. 
Neill  said  of  him:  "With  an  intellect  as  vigorous  and  elastic  as  a  Dam- 
ascene blade,  he  penned  editorials  which  the  people  of  this  territory  can 
never  blot  out  from  memory.  His  wit,  when  it  was  chastened,  caused 
ascetics  to  laugh.  His  sarcasm  upon  the  foibles  of  society  was  paralyz- 
ing. When  in  the  heat  of  partisan  warfare,  all  the  qualities  of  his  mind 
were  combined  to  defeat  certain  measures,  the  columns  of  his  paper  were 
like  a  terrific  storm  in  midsummer  in  the  Alps."  Of  one  of  his  pet 
aversions  in  Minnesota  politics,  Goodhue  wrote:  "A  returned  traveller 
tells  us  that  he  visited  all  the  renowned  picture  galleries  of  Europe ;  that 
in  them  he  saw  over  200  portraits  of  Judas  Iscariot;  that  no  two  of 
them  looked  alike,  but  they  all  looked  like  ." 

Prohibition  and  the  Referendum 

In  1852  an  event  occurred  that  involved  two  matters  which  after- 
ward became,  and  to  an  extent  are  still  political  issues,  to  wit :  Prohibi- 
tion and  the  Referendum.  The  legislature  of  that  year  enacted  a  string- 
ent liquor  law  w-hich  made  it  a  penal  offence  to  manufacture,  sell  or  have 
in  possession,  any  description  of  alcoholic  liquor,  and  all  liquor  found 
in  the  territory  was  to  be  confiscated  and  destroyed.  Liquor  dealers, 
also,  were  prohibited  from  sitting  as  jurymen.  The  law,  however,  was 
not  made  operative  until  voted  on  by  the  people ;  and  on  April  5th,  the 
date  of  election,  the  law  was  ratified  by  vote  of  853  to  662.  Ramsey 
county  gave  528  for  and  496  against  the  act.  The  commissioners  of 
Ramsey  county  ignored  the  law.  and  issued  licenses  as  before.  In  other 
places  it  was  enforced.  The  opponents  of  the  measure  being  of  opinion 
that  the  law  could  be  successfully  contested,  took  an  early  opportunity 
of  bringing  the  matter  into  the  courts.  The  decision  of  the  supreme 
court,  delivered  by  Judge  H.  Z.  Hayner  on  a  test  case,  was  that  the  act 
was  void.  His  declaration  was  based  on  the  ground  that  the  organic 
act  vested  legislative  powers  solely  in  the  governor  and  assembly ;  that 
they  had  no  power  to  delegate  their  authority  to  the  people;  that  the  act 


164  ST.   PAUL  AND  \ICIX1TY 

in  question  was  an  alicnipi  at  such  transfer  of  power,  and  was  conse- 
quently null  and  void. 

Early  Politicians  and  Personal  Contests 

One  of  the  early  political  luminaries  of  St.  I'aul  was  William  1). 
Philliiis  of  Maryland,  who  was  the  first  district  attorney  of  Ramsey 
county,  being  elected  in  1849.  On  one  occasion  an  o]3])osing  attorney, 
who  had  very  recently  arrived  in  the  territory,  in  the  trial  of  a  cause 
cited  a  section  of  the  statutes  against  him,  and  endeavored  to  put  a 
construction  upon  it  which  Phillips  controverted.  In  the  discussion 
which  followed,  the  new  attorney  made  some  classical  allusion  in  which 
the  name  of  Cicero  or  Demosthenes  occurred.  .Mr.  Phillips  in  replying, 
became  very  much  excited,  and,  rising  in  a  flight  of  eloquence,  said: 
"The  gentleman  may  be  a  classical  scholar.  He  may  be  as  eloquent  as 
Demosthenes.  He  has  ]irobably  ripi)ed  with  old  luiripides.  soaked  with 
old  Socrates,  and  canted  with  old  Cantharides,  but  gentlemen  of  the 
jury,  what  does  he  know  about  the  laws  of  Minnesota?" 

Strangely  enough,  at  the  first  term  of  court  held  in  St.  Paul,  the 
first  indictment  found  was  against  Mr.  Phillips  for  an  assault  with  intent 
to  maim.  He  was  found  guilty  and  fined  twenty-five  dollars.  The 
trial  disclosed  that  Mr.  Phillips  in  an  altercation  with  the  prosecuting 
witness,  drew  a  pistol  on  liim,  and  the  question  was  whether  the  pistol 
was  loaded  or  not.  The  witness  swore  that  it  was,  and  that  he  could 
see  the  load.  The  jjri.soner,  as  the  law  then  stood,  could  not  testify  in 
his  own  behalf  and  there  was  no  way  for  him  to  disprove  this  fact.  He, 
however,  always  felt  very  much  aggrieved  at  the  verdict  against  him,  and 
explained  the  assertion  of  the  witness  that  he  saw  the  load  in  this  way: 
Mr.  Phillijis  said  he  had  been  around  electioneering  for  H.  M.  Rice, 
against  Mr.  Sibley,  and  from  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country  he  found 
it  difficult  to  get  his  meals  regularly.  So  he  carried  crackers  and  cheese 
in  his  !)ockets.  and  the  ])istol  being  in  the  same  jiocket,  a  piece  of  the 
cracker  got  into  the  muzzle  of  the  pistol,  and  the  fellow  was  so  scared 
that  he  thought  the  ])istol  was  charged  to  the  brim. 

The  contest  between  H.  M.  Rice  and  H.  H.  Sibley,  both  Democrats, 
for  territorial  delegate  to  congress,  introduced  the  first  important  polit- 
ical contest  that  Minnesota  had  witnessed.  It  began  a  feuci  between  the 
respective  partisans  of  the  two  candidates  which  lasted  several  years 
and  afFecled  many  contests  for  local  offices.  Mr.  Sibley  won  the  prize 
every  two  years  until  1852,  when  Rice  succeeded  him,  serving  as  delegate 
until  the  state  was  admitted,  then  l)ecoming  United  States  senator  for 
six  years.  The  old  fur-trading  rivalries  of  the  two  companies  long 
rejiresented  by  the  candidates  were  said  to  have  entered  into  their  poli- 
tical controverse,  a  circumstance  which  afforded  much  food  for  mirth 
and  sarcasm  to  the  Reiiuiilicans. 

An  unique  political  figure  for  a  long  period  was  Morton  S.  Wilkin- 
son, a  native  of  New  'S'ork  who  came  to  .Stillwater  in  1S4-  and  later  to 
St.  Paul.  He  was  a  man  of  great  natural  ability  and  brilliancy.  .\s  an 
advocate  he  had  few  equals.  His  ligure  was  tall  and  commanding;  his 
features  thin,  marked  and  intellectual.  I  le  filled  many  positions  of 
honor  and  trust,  and  always  with  ability  and  tidelity.  He  was  register 
of  deeds  of  Ramsey  county,  and  served  in  both  branches  of  the  state 
legislature :  he  was  United  States  senator  and  member  of  the  house  of 
rejirescntatives  from  Minnesota;  he  practiced  for  many  years  as  a  mem- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  165 

ber  of  the  Ramsey  county  bar;  lived  for  some  time  in  Mankato,  then 
removed  to  Wells,  Faribault  county,  where  he  died.  "Wilk,"  as  he  was 
called,  was  notoriously  helpless  in  money  matters.  He  once  appealed 
to  General  Sanborn  to  indorse  his  note  for  three  hundred  dollars  to 
carry  him  through  a  terrible  financial  stringency.  They  went  to  the 
bank  to  prepare  the  note  when  the  cashier  said;  "Mr.  Wilkinson,  why 
do  you  borrow  money?  You  have  had  $700  here  subject  to  your  check 
for  several  months!"  The  busy  lawyer  had  forgotten  his  deposit;  if  it 
had  been  an  overdraft,  he  would  have  been  equally  oblivious. 

Founders  of  Minnesota  Railro.ads 

Edmund  Rice,  mayor,  many  times  member  of  both  branches  of  the 
legislature,  representative  in  congress,  etc.,  was  one  of  the  most  uni- 
versally popular  men  ever  engaged  in  our  'politics.  He  was  a  native  of 
Vermont,  but  immigrated  to  Minnesota  from  Michigan.  Mr.  Rice  de- 
voted himself  to  the  practice  of  the  law  up  to  about  the  year  1856,  when 
the  railroad  projects  of  the  state  began  to  assume  prominence.  He  took 
a  lively  interest  in  railroad  matters  from  that  date,  and  afterwards  de- 
voted himself  to  those  enterprises,  building  the  first  roads  ever  con- 
structed in  the  territory.  He  was  president  of  several  of  the  leading 
companies  and  well  deserves  to  be  styled  the  father  of  railroads  in  this 
state,  so  far  as  relates  to  bringing  the  system  from  theory  to  actual  con- 
struction and  operation,  while  credit  for  the  conception  of  the  system 
and  securing  the  great  land  grants,  largely  belongs  to  his  brother  Henry 
M.  Rice,  delegate  and  senator  from  Minnesota.  What  these  two  re- 
markable men  did  for  the  material  development  of  their  city  and  state 
can  only  be  appreciated  by  those  who  witnessed  their  achievements. 

John  Esais  Warren,  of  Troy,  New  York,  removed  to  St.  Paul  in 
1852.  Mr.  Warren,  although  an  educated  lawyer,  was  more  devoted  to 
literature  than  law.  He  was  the  author  of  a  work  on  Spain,  and  a  book 
called  "Para,  or  Adventures  on  the  Amazon."  He  manifested  a  lively 
interest  in  public  affairs,  and  was  at  one  time  mayor  of  St.  Paul  and 
United  States  district  attorney  of  the  territory.  Mr.  Warren,  after 
leaving  St.  Paul,  resided  in  Chicago,  where  he  became  extensively  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business. 

Jacob  J.  Noah,  son  of  a  noted  journalist  of  New  York  City,  was  a 
lawyer  and  politician  of  the  territorial  era,  who  served  in  the  Union 
army,  carpet  bagged  in  Tennessee,  and  lived  many  years  in  Washington. 
Once  in  a  justice's  court  at  Mendota,  Major  Noah's  opposing  counsel 
demurred  to  his  complaint  and  delivered  a  long,  able  argument  in  favor 
of  his  demurrer.  The  justice  was  a  stately  looking,  gray-headed  man, 
and  as  the  attorney  became  eloquent  he  would  throw  out  signs  of  ap- 
preciation, bowing  occasionally,  as  if  in  acquiescence.  When  the  coun- 
sel was  through,  he  thought  he  had  made  a  good  argument  and  con- 
vinced the  court.  But,  much  to  his  surprise,  Mr.  Noah  commenced  ad- 
dressing the  court  in  French,  whereupon  he  objected,  saying  that  the 
law  required  the  proceedings  to  be  conducted  in  English,  and  that  he 
did  not  understand  French.  "Oh,  yes ;"  said  Mr.  Noah,  "I  was  only 
telling  the  court  what  you  had  been  saying."  "Well,  sir;"  said  his  ad- 
versary, T  think  I  made  myself  sufficiently  clear,  and  need  none  of 
your  interference."  "That  is  true,"  said  the  Major,  "you  made  an  ex- 
cellent argument:  but  the  court  does  not  understand  English."  which  was 
a  fact.     The  Major's  adversary  threw  up  the  sponge. 


166  ST.  PAUL  AXD  \ICI.\1TY 

Fight  Over  \'isit  of  Douglas 

Sometimes  party  prejudices  led  to  the  brink  of  discourtesy.  On 
August  15,  1857,  the  city  council  invited  Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  then 
in  St.  Paul  on  a  visit  of  recreation,  to  become  the  guest  of  the  city  dur- 
ing his  sojourn  in  the  territory,  requesting  him  to  meet  the  citizens  and 
partake  of  the  hospitality  of  a  public  dinner.  The  invitation  was  not 
made,  however,  until  after  a  spirited  tight  against  it  by  the  three  Re- 
publican councilmen.  Messrs.  Branch,  ^Marvin  and  Schurmeier.  Mr. 
Douglas  had  been  for  some  time  chairman  of  the  committee  on  territories 
in  the  United  senate,  and  in  this  position  had  rendered  eminent  service 
to  the  territory  of  Minnesota.  But  party  spirit  was  running  high,  and 
the  Republicans  as  much  disliked  Mr.  Douglas  for  his  popular  sovereignty 
theories  as  did  the  proslavery  Democrats  of  the  South. 

Senator  Douglas,  however,  declined  the  invitation,  alleging  that  his 
visit  was  intended  to  be  strictly  private  and  quiet,  having  no  connection 
with  ])ublic  affairs.  "Having  declined  all  other  invitations,"  he  said, 
"for  the  reason  I  have  indicated,  I  trust  the  mayor  and  common  council 
will  pardon  me  for  failing  to  accept  one  so  complimentary  to  my  jniblic 
character  and  so  agreeable  to  my  feelings."  A  year  later  the  senator 
introduced  the  bill  for  the  admission  of  Minnesota  into  the  Union,  and 
championed  its  passage  through  congress.  During  this  visit  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Douglas  in  St.  Paul  they  were  the  guests  of  Senator  and  Mrs.  H. 
M.  Rice.  Senator  Douglas  accompanied  Mr.  Rice  on  trips  to  Minne- 
apolis, Stillwater,  Tavlor's  Falls,  and  other  places  in  the  territory. 

William  P.  Murray,  who  came  from  Indiana  to  St.  Paul  in  1840, 
was  almost  continuously  active  in  politics  until  his  death  in  191 1.  He 
was  an  astute,  quick-witted,  genial  man  whose  "nerve"  was  always  equal 
to  emergencies.  He  was  long  an  alderman,  for  many  years  city  at- 
torney, and  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  oftener,  perhaps,  then  any 
other  person.  He  could  always  be  relied  on  to  represent  the  interests 
of  St.  Paul  vigorously  and  intelligently.  Mr.  Murray  often  told  an  in- 
teresting storv  of  how  he  broke  into  politics.  Only  a  year  after  he  had 
arrived  in  the  citv  he  met  Editor  Goodhue  on  the  street  one  day  who 
asked  how  he  w^o'uld  like  to  go  to  the  legislature.  Murray  replied  that 
he  would  like  it  very  much,  but  had  not  resided  here  long  enough  to 
give  him  the  necessary  accjuaintance.  Goodhue  assured  him  he  could 
get  it.  When  the  convention  met  to  choose  Democratic  candidates, 
Goodhue  suggested  Murray's  name  to  the  leaders,  but  they  said  no — 
they  had  other  views.  Goodhue,  who  was  an  aggressive  man  and  pub- 
lished the  onlv  Democratic  paper,  told  them:  "H  you  don't  nominate 
Murrav  I'll  kiiock  the  stuffing  out  of  your  ticket  I"  On  second  thought 
thev  nominated  him. 

Murray  was  equal  to  all  emergencies,  as  a  rule,  but  was,  on  one  oc- 
casion, completely  discomfitted.  He  went  to  William  Dawson  and  urged 
him  to  take  the  Democratic  nomination  for  congress,  in  the  face  of  cer- 
tain defeat,  to  "help  the  party."  Mr.  Dawson  promptly  declined,  say- 
ing: "Give  it  to  some  saphead  who  will  be  tickled  with  the  compliment 
— say,  Bill,  why  not  take  it  yourself?" 

GUBERN.VTORI.M.    PeRSON.M.ITIES 

The  two  territorial  governors,  Ramsey  and  Gorman  who  remained  in 
St.   Paul   and  in  active  politics  many  years,   after   their  terms  expired. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  167 

were  as  unlike  in  their  personal  characteristics  as  in  their  party  affilia- 
tions. Ramsey  was  called  "Bluff  .Meek,"  but  was  cautious  and  non- 
committal in  the  extreme,  while  Gorman  was  impulsive,  vehement  and 
outsjioken.  on  all  occasions.  It  is  related  that  a  citizen  expecting  friends 
on  a  steamboat,  came  down  Third  street  early  one  morning,  anxiously 
inquiring  if  the  boat  was  in.  He  met  Governor  Ramsey  at  bridge  square, 
valise  in  hand  and  overcoat  on  arm,  having  just  come  off  the  boat.  In- 
quiring as  to  its  arrival,  the  gentleman  was  told:  "My  impression  is  that 
the  boat  is  in,  but  I  cannot  say  positively."  Going  a  block  farther,  the 
incjuirer  met  Governor  Gorman  who  had  just  come  down  a  cross  street 
from  home  and  knew  nothing  about  tlie  boat,  but  l)eing  asked  the  same 
question  promptly  replied:  "Yes  sir,  the  boat  has  just  come  in.  Grand 
boat,  sir!  If  you  are  going  on  a  trip  just  mention  my  name  to  the  cap- 
tain and  he'll  treat  you  like  a  prince,  sir,  treat  you  like  a  king!" 

At   the   Republican    State   Convention   of    1865   three    St.    Paul   men 
sought  the  nomination  for  governor — C.  D.  Gilfillan,  William  R.   Mar- 


GOVERNOR  S   ROOM,   STATE  CAPITOL 

shall  and  J.  T.  Averill.  It  was  a  stubborn  and  bitter  contest,  lasting  in 
continuous  session  from  2  o'clock  P.  M.  until  midnight.  The  forces 
were  very  near  even  on  the  first  ballot :  Averill  44,  Marshall  40,  Gilfil- 
lan 39.  Marshall  went  up  to  53,  then  down  to  38  votes ;  then  up  again 
until  on  the  22d  and  last  ballot  he  was  nominated,  receiving  63,  Averill 
50,  and  Gilfillan  2. 

Henry  M.  Rice,  also  of  St.  Paul,  was  the  Democratic  nominee,  and 
the  "joint  debate"  between  Marshall  and  Rice  at  Hastings  was  the 
screaming  comedy  of  Minnesota  politics.  Neither  candidate  was  an 
orator  but  both  were  courteous  gentlemen  and  each  occupied  the  half 
hour,  which  was  all  he  could  manage  to  consume,  in  telling  what  a  good 
man  the  other  was,  how  much  he  had  done  for  the  early  settlers,  etc. 
When  Marshall  finished  everybody  wanted  to  vote  for  Rice,  and  when 
Rice  finished,  all  had  resolved  to  vote  for  Marshall.  The  results  were 
so  confusing  to  both  sides  that  the  announced  statewide  series  of  "joint 
debates"  was  abandoned. 


168  ST.   PAUL  AXD  XICIXITY 

Oscar  Malmros,  Adjutant  General  of  Minnesota  during  the  war  and 
for  many  years  consul  at  some  of  the  ])rinci])al  cities  of  the  world,  was 
not  only  an  expert  in  practical  politics,  the  art  of  getting  and  holding 
fat  offices,  but  also  an  acknowledged  exjjert  in  the  matter  of  wines.  He 
was  a  small  man  with  a  large  capacity  and  exquisite  taste  in  foods  and 
drinks.  At  a  fine  dinner  party  in  St.  Paul  the  hostess  feared  General 
Malmros  was  indulging  too  freely  and  asked  him  how  much  wine  a 
gentleman  might  properly  drink  in  the  presence  of  ladies.  Not  suspect- 
ing the  hidden  sarcasm  of  the  cjuestion,  the  little  General,  flattered  by 
the  ajjpeal  to  his  expert  knowledge,  rejilied:  "X'ell!  Eet  depends  ui)on 
de  vein.  If  eet  ees  a  goot  strong  vein,  from  one  to  tree  bottle,  but," 
taking  up  a  bottle  to  read  the  label,  "if  eet  ees  a  veak  vein  like  this,  from 
tree  to  five  bottle!" 

During  the  campaign  of  1867  for  the  reelection  of  Governor  Mar- 
shall, the  writer  heard,  for  the  first  time,  Cushman  K.  Davis  deliver,  or 
attempt  to  deliver  a  political  speech.  It  was  at  the  Court  House  in  St. 
Cloud  where  Captain  Davis,  as  he  was  then  called,  occupied  the  i)lat- 
form  with  Sam  Reman,  a  well  known  political  orator  from  soutliern 
Minnesota.  Beman  was  a  fluent  and  vigorous  speaker,  with  a  tremend- 
ous voice  and  a  remarkable  gift  of  "continuance."  He  spoke  for  more 
than  two  hours,  greatly  interesting  the  audience,  and  when  he  closed 
two-thirds  of  those  present  left  the  hall.  This  was  embarrassing  for 
Captain  Davis,  who  bravely  started  in,  however,  in  a  modest  way  and 
a  shrill  voice  to  rehearse  a  carefully  prepared  speech.  Within  five  min- 
utes half  of  the  people  who  had  remained  disajipeared.  Davis  saw  that 
he  must  be  brief  and  tried  to  jump  to  the  conclusion  of  his  speech,  but 
failed  to  land  at  the  right  place.  He  was  covered  with  confusion,  stam- 
mered and  repeated  himself,  but  finally  struck  bis  peroration  and  wdund 
up  what  was  admittedly  a  com|)lete  failure. 

Contrasting  this  episode  with  the  wonderful  success  that  Senator 
Davis  afterwards  achieved  as  an  orator  in  many  widely  divergent  fields, 
one  must  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that,  in  some  cases  at  least,  orators 
are  made  and  not  born.  Speaking  with  him  many  years  afterwards, 
when  his  distinguished  success  has  made  it  safe  to  allude  to  this  failure. 
Senator  Davis  said  that  he  had  other  discouragements  nearly  as  bad  in 
his  early  career.  During  this  same  campaign  he  sjioke  at  Lake  City, 
where  things  passed  off  smoothly,  as  he  thought,  and  he  ex])ected  a  glow- 
ing compliment  in  the  local  paper.  Getting  hold  of  the  next  issue,  he 
was  astonished  to  see  that  the  only  allusion  to  his  speech  was  couched  in 
language  .something  like  this :  "A  young  man  named  Davis,  also  spoke. 
In  our  oi)inion  this  handsome  young  man  would  be  more  efi'ective  in  ad- 
dressing an  audience  of  one,  with  his  ;um  around  it." 

DoNNi-:i,LV  .\Nn  \\'iii:i:loik 

The  inimital)le  and  irrepressible  Ignatius  Doimelly  speaking  at  In- 
gersoU  Hall  in  St.  Paul,  in  August  1868,  devoted  almost  the  entire  even- 
ing to  VVheelock  and  DriscoU,  who  were,  through  their  pajier,  the  Press, 
savagely  fighting  against  his  renomination  to  congress.  We  quote  a 
sample  utterance:  "Wheelock  looks  as  though  he  had  been  shot  into  the 
world  through  a  swivel-gun.  (Roars  of  laughter.)  Look  at  the  broad, 
honest,  jovial  German  face — then  look  at  Wheelock!  He  looks  as 
though  he  had  lived  on  buttered  thunder  and  it  hadn't  agreed  with  him. 
(Merriment.!      He  goes  through  the  world  lonking  as  if  some  one  had 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  169 

just  kicked  him  and  he  had  a  notion  to  get  mad  over  it.  (Laughter.)" 
It  is  not  necessary  to  remark  that  Mr.  Wheelock  easily  evened  up  the 
score  of  ridicule  and  criticism,  through  the  columns  of  the  daily  Press. 

"Young  Republicans"  of  the  E.arly  Seventies 

One  of  the  most  effective  campaign  organizations  ever  formed  in 
St.  Paul  was  the  Grant  and  Wilson  Club  of  1872.  The  leading  Repub- 
licans, like  E.  F.  Drake,  Frederick  Driscoll,  Russell  Blakely,  R.  N.  Mc- 
Laren and  Peter  Berkey,  participated  actively  in  the  formation  of  the 
club,  but  at  their  suggestion  the  officers  were  chosen  from  the  "Young 
Republican"  element  of  that  day,  as  follows :  Henry  A.  Castle,  president ; 
H.  R.  Brill,  vice  president ;  Frank  Fairchild,  secretary ;  W.  D.  Cornish, 
treasurer.  L'niformed  marching  companies  were  formed ;  big  torch- 
light processions  were  gotten  up ;  mass  meetings  were  held  and  more 
party  enthusiasm  was  aroused  than  has  ever  been  seen  in  the  city,  before 
or  since.  The  result  was  marked.  The  Republicans  carried  the  city, 
on  national  issues,  and  the  party  was  strengthened  for  future  contests. 
Moreover,  having  learned  their  strength,  the  young  Republicans,  a  year 
later,  combined  against  their  elders  and  carried  the  city  and  the  state  for 
C.  K.  Davis  for  governor. 

After  C.  K.  Davis  was  elected  governor,  friends  of  A.  R.  McGill, 
then  and  for  four  years  preceding  private  secretary  of  Governor  Austin, 
urged  the  governor-elect  to  retain  McGill  in  the  position  for  which  he 
was  so  well  equipped.  This  Davis  was  unable  to  do,  having  already 
decided  to  appoint  "Deacon"  Wilford  L.  Wilson — a  wise  and  significant 
choice.  When  this  fact  was  disclosed.  Governor  Austin,  in  the  last  days 
of  his  administration,  appointed  McGill  insurance  commissioner,  vice 
Pennock  Pusev,  who  resigned  for  that  purpose.  Davis  was  not  con- 
sulted about  this  and  resented  it  as  an  infringement  on  his  prerogative. 
He  was  naturally  sensitive  and  somewhat  suspicious.  Although  he  then 
admired  McGill  and  years  afterwards  learned  to  trust  him  implicitly, 
to  lean  on  him  unreservedly  and  to  confide  vital  interests  to  his  keeping, 
he  was  dissatisfied  with  this  procedure.  As  a  means  of  checkmating  it 
if  found  advisal)le.  Davis  went  before  a  notary  public  and  signed  an  oath 
of  office  immediately  after  the  legislature  had  canvassed  the  vote,  and 
two  days  before  the  public  inauguration.  He  thus  became  legal  gover- 
nor, and  the  appointment  of  McGill,  which  was  promptly  sent  in  by 
Governor  Austin,  was  of  no  validity.  The  senate  held  up  the  appoint- 
ment until  after  the  inauguration;  a  few  days  later  Davis  personally  re- 
quested the  senators  to  confirm  it,  and  from  that  time  forward  he  was 
one  of  AIcGiirs  warmest  friends.  The  fact  of  his  having  taken  the  oath 
of  office  in  advance  was  never  made  public. 

F.xMous  St.  P.\ul  Men 

That  many  St.  Paul  politicians  and  officials  have  been  highly  esteemed 
by  their  fellow  citizens  of  the  state  at  large  is  shown  by  one  significant 
circumstance.  Twenty  Alinnesota  counties  have  been  named  for  St. 
Paul  men  who  achieved  their  distinction  fairly  and  worthily,  in  the  poli- 
tical arena.  They  are  Becker,  Brown,  Faribault,  Freeborn,  Goodhue, 
Hubbard.  Tackson,  Kittson,  McLeod,  Marshall,  Meeker,  Murray,  Nobles, 
Olmsted,  Ramsey,  Rice.  Sherburne,  Sibley,  Steele  and  Wilkin.  It  was, 
furthermore,  often  facetiously  asserted  by  William  P.  Murray  that  Alar- 


170  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

tin  county  was  named  for  Cole  Martin,  a  popular  sporting  man  of  the 
flush  times  of  1857.  This  was  indignantly  denied  by  Rey.  Dr.  E  D 
Neill. 

From  the  very  beginning,  St.  Paul  men  have  been  constantly  members 
of  one  branch  or  the  other  of  the  National  Congress.  Henry'  H.  Sibley 
and  Henry  M.  Rice  were  in  succession  delegates  in  congress  during  the 
entire  territorial  period.  There  has  been  a  continuous  line  of  United 
States  senators  resident  in  this  city  since  the  admission  of  the  state  in 
1858,  viz:  Henry  M.  Rice,  .-Mexand'er  Ramsey,  S.  J.  R.  McMillan,  Cush- 
man  K.  Davis  and  Moses  E.  Clapp.  These  have  been  representatives: 
John  T.  .Vverill,  Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart,  Edmund  Rice,  A.  R.  Kiefer  and 
Frederick  C.  Stevens.  The  last  named  is  still  our  representative,  having 
served  without  interruption  and  with  signal  ability  since  March  4,  1897. 
With  one  exception,  this  is  the  longest  term  of  service  ever  accorded  to 
any  representative  from  this  state.  The  experience  thus  gained,  joined 
with  his  exceptional  talent  and  his  untiring  industry,  have  won  for  Mr. 
Stevens  a  position  of  influence  at  Washington,  which  has  been,  in  many 
ways,  beneficially  felt  by  the  district  and  the  state. 

Ji'Dici.AL  Honors 

Political  lightning  has  played  some  agile  freaks  with  the  local  judiciary. 
In  April,  1874,  Governor  C.  K.  Davis,  himself  a  great  lawyer,  appointed 
George  B.  Young  of  Minneapolis,  a  young  attorney  of  special  fitness  for 
the  bench,  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  supreme  court.  It  was  a  surprise  to  Mr. 
Young  and  it  vexed  the  Republican  leaders  of  Hennepin  county,  wlio 
at  the  ensuing  state  convention  secured  the  defeat  of  ^'oung  and  the 
nomination  of  F.  R.  E.  Cornell.  Judge  Young  retired  after  ten  months' 
service,  sold  his  property  in  Minneapolis,  removed  to  Saint  Paul  and 
began  that  brilliant  career  at  the  bar  which  conferred  distinction  on  the 
city  and  state. 

In  1881,  Governor  Pillsbury  appointed  Greenleaf  Clark  of  Saint 
Paul  to  a  similar  vacancy.  Mr.  Clark  was  also  admirably  (|ualified  for  this 
judicial  office  and  ambitious  in  that  line.  I'ut  at  the  next  state  conven- 
tion of  his  party,  the  Ramsey  county  delegates  led  by  Stanford  Newel,  his 
best  friend,  spent  their  strength  in  efforts  to  secure  a  fourth  term  for 
Governor  Pillsbury,  who  was  defeated  by  Gen.  L.  F.  Hubbard.  Hub- 
bard's supporters  were  thus  placed  in  opposition  to  Judge  Clark  and  C.  E. 
X'anderbtirgh  of  Minneai)olis  was  nominated  over  him,  was  elected  and 
served  twelve  years. 

In  1890  Governor  Merriani  appointed  W.  W  Cornish  of  .'^t.  Paul  to  fill 
a  vacancy  on  the  district  bench.  He  was  defeated  at  the  election  in  1892, 
by  Hon.  John  W.  Willis  and  retired,  disconifitted  and  mortified. 

Not  long  afterward,  Judge  W.  H.  Sanborn,  of  the  United  States  cir- 
cuit court,  appointed  Judge  Cornish  a  master  in  chancery  in  connection 
with  the  receivership  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  This  placed  him  in 
a  i)osition  of  such  influence  that  in  the  reorganization  of  the  company  he 
was  made  vice  president,  and  enjoyed  during  the  remainder  of  his  life 
a  salary  ])erhai)s  ten  times  as  large  as  that  of  a  district  judge. 

In  1894  Chief  Justice  James  Gilfillan,  of  St.  Paul,  princeps  maximus  in 
Minnesota  jurisprudence,  who  had  presided  over  the  court  with  infinite 
credit  for  twenty  years,  lost  a  renomination  because  a  pojjular  Ramsey 
county  candidate  for  clerk  of  the  supreme  court  had  been  successful  in 
the  same  convention,  and  honors  nnist  be  distributed.     In  none  of  these 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  171 

cases  were  dishonorable  means  employed,  nor  were  unworthy  men  pro- 
moted. But  their  occurrence  vividly  illustrates  what  may  be  termed  the 
eternal  imminence  of  political  vicissitude — also  the  difficulty  of  "taking 
the  judges  out  of  politics." 

While  Republican  majorities  have  often  been  given  in  St.  Paul  on 
national  issues,  in  the  election  of  congressmen,  etc.,  and  while  Republican 
candidates  for  county  offices  have  usually  been  elected,  receiving  handsome 
majorities  in  the  city,  yet,  during  the  past  forty  years,  the  Republicans 
have  elected  only  five  mayors — J.  H.  Stewart,  F.  P.  Wright,  A.  R.  Kiefer, 
F.  B.  Doran  and  the  present  incumbent,  H.  P.  Keller.  This  is  variously 
accounted  for,  but  is,  no  doubt,  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Democratic 
leaders  have  maintained  a  very  effective  organization,  with  the  sole  end 
in  view  of  controlling  the  city  government,  and  that,  with  this  end  in  view, 
they  have  paid  special  attention  to  the  vote-getting  qualities  of  their  can- 
didates. They  have  learned  that  not  always  the  ablest  men  get  elected, 
but  always  those  ablest  to  get  elected. 

A  Conviction  from  Wide  Observation 

This  chapter  does  not  purport  to  be  a  history  of  Minnesota  politics,  or 
of  St.  Paul  politics.  It  is  only  a  collection  of  scattered  fragments  of 
episode  and  incident  that  may  throw  a  few  side  lights  on  motives  and 
characters.  On  the  whole,  a  wide  range  of  political  observations  here 
would  lead  one  to  form  a  higher  estimate  of  the  personal  integrity  of  party 
leaders  than  the  general  public  seems  to  entertain.  He  would  find  that 
the  average  legislator  is  as  honest  as  the  average  business  man ;  that  the 
affairs  of  the  state  and  national  Government  are,  in  the  main,  well  con- 
ducted, and  that  the  men  whom  the  people  of  this  state  have  delighted  to 
honor  have  been,  with  few  exceptions,  entirely  worthy  of  their  confidence. 
One  who  has  personally  known  every  territorial  and  state  governor  of 
Minnesota,  every  senator  and  representative  in  congress,  and  nearly  all 
the  unsuccessful  candidate  for  all  these  positions,  expresses  the  conviction 
that,  with  few  exceptions,  the  political  victories  achieved  have  been  hon- 
estly won,  and  that,  in  most  cases,  the  alleged  corrupt  use  of  money  in 
Minnesota  politics  has  been  greatly  exaggerated. 

In  the  aggregate,  the  public  men  of  the  formative  decades  of  Minne- 
sota have  been  able,  far-sighted  and  faithful  to  their  trust.  The  magnifi- 
cent result  of  their  labor  testifies  to  their  wisdom  and  assiduity.  If  the 
generations  which  succeed  them  show  equal  capacity  and  devotion,  w-e 
mav  be  assured  that  the  golden  promise  of  the  day  in  which  we  live  will 
be  amply  fulfilled  by  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  coming  years. 


172 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \1CI.\ITY 


HIV    llALI,    AM)    CUUKT    HOUSE 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  MUXICIPALITY  OF  ST.  PAUL 

First  Towx  Corporation  and  Election — Early  Ordinances — Blun- 
der IN  Street  Grades — St.  Paul  as  a  City — West  St.  Paul  Incor- 
porated— Total  City  Indebtedness — New  Charter  Granted  and 
Amended  —  Improvements  —  Charter  Amendments  and  Terri- 
torial Extensions — Government  by  Boards — The  Bell  Charter 
— Provisions  for  Charter  Commission — St.  Paul  "Home  Rule" 
Charter — "Commission"  Form  of  Government — City  and  County 
— Municipal  Debt  and  Property. 

The  city  of  St.  Paul  has  had  a  variety  of  experiences  in  the  matter  of 
municipal  government,  under  the  several  charters  conferred  upon  it  by 
the  legislature  of  the  state,  and  at  the  present  writing  seems  to  be  on  the 
verge  of  a  new  transition  after  long  halting  between  two  opinions  as  to  its 
next  venture  in  policy  and  practice  of  self-government. 

First  Town  Incorporation  and  Election 

The  first  incorporation  of  St.  Paul  was  by  the  first  legislative  assem- 
bly of  the  territory  in  the  fall  of  1849,  the  act  of  incorporation  being 
approved  by  Governor  Ramsey  November  ist.  This  act  was  entitled  "An 
act  to  incorporate  the  town  of  St.  Paul,  in  the  county  of  Ramsey."  The 
first  section  of  this  act  is  as  follows:  "Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative 
Assembly  of  the  territory  of  Minnesota,  That  so  much  of  the  town  of 
St.  Paul  as  is  contained  in  the  original  plat  made  by  Ira  Brunson,  to- 
gether with  Irvine  and  Rice's  addition,  is  hereby  created  a  town  cor- 
porate by  the  name  of  the  town  of  St.  Paul." 

The  affairs  of  the  town  under  this  incorporation  were  governed  by  a 
council  composed  of  a  president,  a  recorder  and  five  trustees,  "being  house- 
holders of  said  town."  to  be  elected  annually  on  the  6th  of  May.  The 
president  was  made  a  conservator  of  the  peace  and  exercised  all  the  ordi- 
nary powers  of  a  justice  of  the  peace.  The  principal  ministerial  officer 
was  the  marshal,  who  was  appointed  by  the  council,  as  was  the  town 
treasurer. 

At  the  first  town  election,  held  May  6,  1850,  the  following  officers 
were  chosen :  President,  Dr.  Thomas  R.  Potts ;  recorder,  Edmund  Rice ; 
trustees,  W.  H.  Forbes,  B.  F.  Hoyt,  William  H.  Randall,  Henry  Jack- 
son and  A.  L.  Larpenteur.  These  officers  were  elected  practically  without 
opposition  and  wholly  without  regard  to  ])olitics.  In  Alarch,  1851,  a  con- 
siderable area  was  added  to  the  corporation,  including  Hoyt's,  Bazille  and 
Guerin's,  Robert  and  Randall's,  and  Whitney  and  Smith's  additions,  and 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  32-29-22.     By  the  same  act  of  the  legis- 

173 


174  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

ture  extending  the  limits  of  the  town,  all  the  acts  of  the  president  and  the 
town  council,  questionable  or  not,  were  fully  legalized  and  declared  valid 
and  binding  "to  all  intents  and  purposes." 

Earlv  Ordinances 

The  first  ordinances  of  the  council  were  passed,  as  it  would  seem,  in 
the  interest  of  the  public  peace  and  quietude.  Severe  penalties  were  pre- 
scribed for  disturbing  any  street  or  neighborhood  by  "blowing  horns, 
trumpets,  or  other  instruments  ;"  or  by  "the  calling  of  drums,  tambourines, 
kettles,  pans,  or  other  sounding  vessels;"  or  by  "singing,  bellciwing.  howl- 
ing or  screaming,  scolding,  hallooing,  or  cursing."  This  ordinance  appears 
to  have  been  directed  against  wedding  serenaders  or  "charivari  gangs," 
drunken  Indians,  and  tipsy  white  brawlers.  It  was  not  until  1852,  how- 
ever, that  drunkenness  per  se  was  made  an  oflfense. 

The  observance  of  the  Christian  Sabbath  was  required  with  almost 
Puritan  strictness.  No  person  was  allowed  to  play  at  "any  game  of 
amusement"  on  that  day;  nor  were  "vinous,  spirituous,  or  malt  liquors" 
to  be  sold  or  given  away.  All  steamboats  landing  at  the  port  on  Sundays 
were  required  to  "quietly  moor  or  fasten  at  the  upj^er  or  lower  landing" 
and  after  discharging  passengers  might  proceed  on  their  trips  "in  a  quiet 
and  peaceable  manner."  "But,"  said  the  ordinance,  "no  freight  shall  be 
landed  at  the  port  of  St.  Paul  by  any  steamboat  on  Sundays ;  and  no  busi- 
ness connected  with  the  landing  of  freight  shall  be  done  by  said  steam- 
boats on  Sundays  aforesaid."  In  May,  1856,  the  steamboat  "Galena" 
was  fined  $22.50  for  discharging  freight  on  Sunday. 

Dram-shoj)  licenses  were  five  dollars  for  six  months.  The  license  for 
every  "theatre,  show  and  circus"  was  fixed  at  fifty  dollars  for  a  period  not 
stated.  Billiard  tables  and  ten-pin  alleys  were  charged  five  dollars  per 
year  each.  The  town  pump  was  a  subject  of  municipal  care  and  regula- 
tion, and  it  was  declared  unlawful  "for  any  person  or  persons  to  water 
horses  or  cattle  of  any  kind"  thereat,  under  a  penalty  of  five  dollars  for 
each  oflfense. 

Blunders  in  Street  Grades 

In  1851  the  grading  of  some  of  the  public  streets  was  begim.  Third 
street  was  completed  for  travel  in  the  fall,  and  in  its  issue  of  December 
24tli  the  Democrat  said :  "The  grading  of  Fourth  street  and  the  building 
of  the  culvert  across  Jackson  street  are  so  far  advanced  that  the  street 
will  be  ready  for  travel  in  three  or  four  weeks."  For  some  reason  the 
street  grade  was  raised  above,  instead  of  being  lowered  to,  the  substratum 
of  limestone  underlying  the  town.  Ha<l  the  latter  plan  been  adopted, 
St.  Paul  would  have  had,  for  a  considerable  period  at  least,  substantial 
and  natural  stone  pavements.  Every  writer  on  the  subject,  from  Editor 
Goodhue,  in  1851,  to  the  present,  has  been  of  the  opinion  thai  the  grade 
should  have  been  lowered,  and  some  of  them  have  been  severe  on  the 
fathers  for  the  "blunder,"  as  it  is  termed. 

St.  Paul  as  a  City 

Rv  an  act  of  the  legislature,  approved  liy  Governor  Gorman  March  4, 
1854,  St.  Paul  was  incorporated  as  a  city,  with  all  of  the  general  imwcrs 
and  jirivileges  commonly  posses.sed  by  municipal  corporations.  The  city 
was  divided  into  three  wards.    The  Fir<t  ward  included  all  of  the  district 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  175 

lying  east  of  the  middle  of  Jackson  street  and  its  extension  northwest  to 
the  line  of  the  city.  The  Second  ward  comprised  the  territory  lying  west 
of  the  middle  of  jacksou  street,  and  its  extension  to  the  north  hue  of  the 
city  and  east  to  the  middle  of  Market  and  its  junction  with  St.  Peter, 
and  its  extension  northwest  to  the  north  line  of  the  city.  The  remainder 
of  the  territory  comprised  the  Third  ward. 

The  elective  officers,  imder  this  charter,  as  declared  by  an  amendatory 
act  approved  March  3,  1855.  were  a  mayor,  treasurer,  marshal  and  jus- 
tice ot  the  peace  for  the  city,  and  three  aldermen,  one  assessor,  one  con- 
stable and  one  justice  of  the  peace  for  each  ward. 

At  the  tirst  city  election  under  this  charter  party  lines  were  closely 
drawn.  The  Democrats  elected  the  mayor,  David  Olmsted,  and  the  mar- 
shal; the  Whigs  secured  the  treasurer  and  the  police  justice. 

In  1855  the  Whigs  elected  Alexander  Ramsey,  mayor,  by  a  vote  of 
552  against  256  for  James  Starkey,  Democrat. 

In  1856,  George  L.  Becker,  Democrat  was  elected  mayor.  In  his  first 
message  to  the  council  ^layor  Becker  said:  "We  will  do  well  to  remember 
the  sayings  of  the  great  apostle  who  has  given  a  name  to  our  city,  a  say- 
ing as  true  in  the  political  as  it  is  in  the  religious  economy,  that  "Whether 
one  member  suiTer,  all  the  members  suffer  with  it;  or  one  member  is  hon- 
ored, all  the  members  rejoice  with  it."  " 

By  an  act  of  the  legislature,  approved  March  20,  1858,  the  city  was 
reincorporated  by  the  name  of  the  "city  of  Saint  Paul."  Its  limits  were 
greatly  extended,  and  indeed  this  was  one  of  the  chief  objects  of  the 
reincorporation.  Elections  were  to  be  held  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  May. 
The  elective  officers  were  a  mayor,  treasurer  and  comptroller,  who  were 
to  hold  office  for  one  year;  a  city  justice,  to  hold  two  years,  and  three 
aldermen  from  each  ward,  who  were  to  hold  three  years.  The  other  offi- 
cers were  to  be  chosen  by  the  mayor  and  council.  The  office  of  marshal 
was  abolished  and  that  of  chief  of  police  substituted. 

The  city  was  divided  into  four  wards,  against  the  protest  of  the  coun- 
cil. The  First  ward  comprised  all  the  territory  east  of  the  middle  of  Jack- 
son street,  and  Ames',  and  Boal  and  Lamb's  islands.  The  Second  ward 
included  all  the  territory  between  Jackson  street  and  Wabasha  and  Rasp- 
berry island.  The  Third  ward  included  the  territory  west  of  Wabasha  and 
a  line  commencing  in  the  middle  of  the  river  opposite  the  middle  of  Eagle 
street;  thence  north  to  the  intersection  of  Eagle  street  with  St.  An- 
thony; then  northwest  to  the  intersection  of  St.  Anthony  and  Dayton 
avenue ;  thence  northeast  to  the  southeast  corner  of  section  26-29-23 ; 
thence  north  to  the  west  line  of  Second  ward;  it  also  included  Barnes  and 
Harriet  Islands.  The  Fourth  ward  comprised  all  of  the  territory  lying 
west  of  the  Third  ward. 

The  new  incorporation  was  not  universally  popular.  The  council  op- 
posed it  and  instructed  the  county's  delegation  in  the  Legislature  to  vote 
against  it.  The  main  objection  was  the  creation  of  the  Fourth  ward  out 
of  the  Third,  which  was  greeted  with  volleys  of  denunciation  rivaling  those 
of  a  later  period  voiced  by  our  explosive  and  combustible  ex-president. 
In  time,  however,  the  advantages  of  the  division  were  apparent,  and  were 
properly  appreciated. 

West  St.  Paul  Incqrpor.\ted 

On  ^larch  22.  1858,  the  city  of  West  St.  Paul  was  incorporated  as 
a  separate  municipality.     Its  boundaries  began  at  a  point  where  the  sec- 


176  ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

tioii  line  between  sections  i6  and  9,  28-22  intersects  the  -Mississippi  on  the 
west  side,  thence  due  west  until  the  line  again  intersects  the  river,  thence 
down  along  the  channel  to  the  beginning.  All  of  the  city  lying  east  of  A 
street  constituted  the  First  ward ;  all  lying  west  of  A  street  comprised  the 
Second  ward.  The  atiairs  of  the  municipality  were  to  be  controlled  by  a 
council  composed  of  three  aldermen  from  each  ward.  There  were  also 
to  be  a  mayor,  justice  of  the  i^eace,  treasurer,  marshal  and  assessor  elected 
annually  by  the  people,  and  a  clerk  and  supervisor  to  be  chosen  by  the 
council.  At  that  date  the  territory  comprising  West  St.  Paul  was  in  Da- 
kota county. 

T0T.\L  CiTV   IXDEllTEDXESS 

At  the  close  of  the  year  ending  .March  20,  1864,  the  total  city  indebt- 
edness was  $371,438.54,  as  follows; 

Levee  bonds $  30,000.00 

Levee  bonds  and  extension  bonds,  7  j^er  cent 16,152.22 

Bridge  bonds,  12  per  cent 45,500.00 

i'.ridge  bonds,  7  per  cent 14.870.19 

Robert  street  sewer  bonds,  12  per  cent 17,374.00 

Owatonna  wagon  road  bonds,  7  per  cent 6,800.00 

Market  house,  etc.,  bonds,  12  per  cent 20,000.00 

Franklin  street  sewer  bonds,  7  per  cent 2.672.46 

Soldiers'  aid  bonds,  7  per  cent 10,000.00 

Louis  Robert's  bonds,  7  per  cent 5,000.00 

Preferred  bonds,  7  per  cent 96,024.22 

Revenue  bonds,  ten  years,  7  per  cent 28,000.00 

lulucation.  7  per  cent S'94i-26 

Bonds  due   7-667-45 

Improvement  bonds,    1863    21,786.74 

Total  bonds    327788.54 

.\mount  of  borrowed  money 14.650.00 

Total  interest  bearing  debt $342,438-54 

Amount  of  city  scri])  in  circulation $20,000 

Overdue  interest  on  l)onds.  etc 9,000 

Total  non-interest  bearing  dchl 29,000.00 

Total  debt   $371,438-54 

On  the  i6th  of  December,  1866,  a  charter  giving  the  exclusive  rights 
to  construct  a  system  of  street  railways  "in  and  along  all  of  the  streets 
and  bridges  of  the  citv,  except  on  Jack.son  street  between  'I  bird  and  the 
present  levee,"  was  granted  to  a  comjianv  composed  of  (.eorgc  L.  Becker, 
W  M  Temple,  LaFayctte  Emmctt.  Eugene  Underwood.  John  M.  (.il- 
man  D.  C.  Jones,  C.  H.  Lienau.  P.  F.  McQuillan,  Louis  Robert  and 
Parker  Paine.  It  was  provided  that  only  a  single  track  should  be  laid  on 
Third  street  between  Saint  Anthonv  and  Broadwav,  and  that  passenger 
fares  should  not  exceed  seven  cents.  The  council  had  had  the  subject 
of  street  railwavs  under  consideration  for  more  tlian  a  year. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  177 

New  Charter  Granted  and  Amended 

By  an  act  of  the  legislature,  approved  March  6,  1868,  the  city  of  St. 
Paul  was  granted  a  new  charter.  The  territory  incorporated  extended 
about  three  miles  along  the  river  and  about  one  mile  back  therefrom,  in- 
cluding Ames's,  Boal's,  Lamb's,  Barnes's,  Raspberry  and  Harriet  islands. 
The  city  was  divided  into  five  wards.  , 

Elections  were  to  be  held  annually,  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  April.  The 
elective  officers  and  their  terms  were  to  be  a  mayor  and  comptroller  for 
one  year;  a  treasurer,  attorney,  street  commissioner,  assessor,  and  city 
justice  for  two  years,  and  a  surveyor  for  three  years.  Each  ward  was 
required  to  elect  three  aldermen,  one  at  every  annual  election  after  the 
first,  who  should  hold  his  office  for  three  years,  and  also  one  justice  of  the 
peace  and  a  constable.  It  was  especially  provided,  however,  that  "the 
term  of  every  officer  elected  under  this  law  shall  commence  on  the  second 
Tuesday  in  April  of  the  year  in  which  he  was  elected,  and  shall,  unless 
otherwise  provided,  continue  for  one  year,  and  until  his  successor  is  elected 
and  qualified." 

The  legislature  of  1872,  by  an  act  approved  February  29th,  enlarged 
the  boundaries  of  the  city  very  considerably  and  also  changed  the  time  of 
the  annual  municipal  election  from  April  to  the  first  Tuesday  after  the 
first  Monday  in  November.  The  first  election  under  the  new  law  was  to 
take  place  in  November,  1873.  The  same  legislature  fixed  the  term  of 
comptroller  at  three  years,  created  the  board  of  public  works,  made  the 
city  one  school  district,  amended  the  law  in  regard  to  assessments,  au- 
thorized the  city  to  issue  bonds  ($100,000)  for  the  purchase  of  public  park 
grounds,  and  amended  the  act  establishing  a  system  of  sewerage. 

Improvements 

The  St.  Paul  Horse  Railroad  Company  had  one  mile  of  its  road  in 
operation  by  July  i,  1872,  and  two  miles  by  July  27th.  Among  other  im- 
provements ordered  by  the  city  this  year  was  that  relating  to  "swamp  or 
marsh"  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Cedar  and  Seventh  streets,  which  was 
declared  a  nuisance  and  the  owners  were  required  to  abate  it  within  ten 
days.  Preparations  were  begun  for  rebuilding  the  Wabasha  street  bridge, 
and  in  June  passage  over  it  was  forbidden.  The  number  of  deaths  during 
the  year  was  666. 

In  May,  1873,  the  site  of  the  City  Hospital  was  purchased  from  Dr.  J. 
H.  Stewart  for  $23,500  in  twenty-year  8  per  cent  bonds.  In  June  the  city 
purchased  of  W.  R.  Marshall,  Frank  B.  Clark  and  William  B.  Aldrich  the 
tract  of  land  now  known  as  Como  Park,  on  Lake  Como.  The  tract  com- 
prised three  hundred  and  nineteen  acres,  and  the  price  paid  was  $100,000. 
The  property  is  now  easily  worth  two  million  dollars.  The  purchase  at  the 
time  was  opposed  and  condemned  by  a  certain  element  of  the  community, 
and  later  in  the  year  an  effort  was  made  to  induce  the  council  to  sell  the 
lands  for  even  less  than  they  cost. 

Ch,\rter  Amendments  and  Territori.\l  Extensions 

By  an  act  of  the  legislature  approved  March  5,  1874,  the  city  was 
rechartered  by  amending,  consolidating,  and  incorporating  into  one  act  the 
previous  several  acts  of  incorporation  and  those  acts  and  parts  of  acts 
amendatory  thereof.     The  area  of  the  city  as  incorporated  was   13,583 


178  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

acres,  including  the  newly  annexed  territory  of  West  St.  I'aul,  with  3,000 
acres. 

The  elections  were  to  be  held  annually  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  De- 
cember, when  it  was  believed  all  of  the  bona  fide  residents  of  the  city, 
merchants  and  others,  would  be  at  home.  The  elective  officers  and  their 
terms  were  a  mayor  for  one  year:  a  city  attorney,  city  justice  and  treas- 
urer for  two  years ;  and  a  comptroller  for  four  years.  The  ward  officers 
comprised  three  aldermen  for  three  years,  and  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  a  constable  for  two  years. 

The  board  of  public  works  was  reestablished  and  remodeled,  and  was 
made  to  consist  of  five  members,  to  be  appointed  by  the  mayor  and  con- 
firmed by  the  council.  The  board  of  health  was  to  be  composed  of  a  health 
officer  and  the  senior  alderman  from  each  ward.  The  important  and  valu- 
able features  of  the  old  charters  were  reenacted.  The  charter  was  pre- 
pared by  a  commission  composed  of  I.  D.  \'.  Heard.  George  L.  Otis,  H. 
J.  Horn  and  the  city  attorney. 

By  an  act  of  the  legislature  approved  in  March.  187(1.  the  charter  was 
amended  in  some  important  respects.  The  city  was  divided  into  twelve 
aldermanic  districts.  The  time  of  the  annual  election  for  city  officers 
was  again  changed  to  the  first  Tuesday  in  May.  the  first  election  to  take 
place  in  May.  1877.  The  elective  officers  were  a  mayor,  treasurer,  comp- 
troller, attorney,  a  judge  and  two  sjjecial  judges  of  the  municipal  court 
and  twelve  aldermen.  On  February  iS,  1S87.  the  legislature  extended  the 
corporate  boundaries  of  the  city  annexing  and  including  all  land  within 
certain  lines  designated  by  the  act.  This  annexation  comprised  the  metes 
and  bounds  of  the  city  substantially  as  they  exist  at  present,  including 
Saint  Anthony  Park,  Merriam  Park,  Lake  Como,  \\'est  St.  Paul,  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  McLean  township  and  the  region  north  of  Fort  Snell- 
ing — ^^the  western  boundary  of  St.  I'aul  meeting  the  eastern  boundary  of 
Minneai)olis.  By  this  extension  of  the  city  limits  several  small  municipali- 
ties were  abolished,  three  or  four  postoffices  were  willed  out.  and  all  the 
territory  naturally  pertaining  to  the  metropolis  merged  with  it,  so  that  its 
future  growth  might  be  normal  and  homogeneous.  , 

The  property  within  the  new  territory  was  to  be  exempt  from  any  bond 
tax  then  existing,  and  from  any  police,  fire  or  gas  tax  until  the  common 
council  should  deem  it  expedient — "by  reason  of  the  increased  expense  in 
maintaining  additional  watchmen  or  police  officers,  or  in  maintaining  and 
lighting  additional  street  lami)S.  or  in  furnishing  facilities  fur  the  suji- 
pression  of  fires  within  the  new  territory — to  order  the  same." 

By  another  act,  passed  a  few  days  later,  the  city  was  divided  into 
eleven  wards. 

Government  by  Bo.vrds 

The  act  of  February  25,  1887,  created  a  board  of  ]>ark  commis- 
sioners. This  board  was  made  to  consist  of  seven  members,  all  of  whom, 
except  the  first  board,  were  to  he  appointed  by  the  mayor,  and  serve 
two  years.  The  chief  duties  of  the  commissioners  arc  to  recommend  the 
acquisition  of  necessary  tracts  of  land,  and  to  make  ordinances,  rules  ;ind 
regulations  for  the  government  of  the  city  parks  and  jiark  wa\s.  and  they 
are  to  receive  no  comiicnsation  for  their  service.  The  first  board  under 
the  act  was  composed  of  William  A.  \'an  Slvke,  Greenleaf  Clark,  John  D. 
Ludden,  Stanford  Newell.  Rudolph  .'^chiffman.  William  M.  Campbell, 
and  Beriah  Maggoffin.  The  first  four  named  held  for  one  year;  the 
others  for  two  years.     The  diligent,  sustained  efforts  and  splendid  sue- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  179 

cess  of  this  board,  and  of  the  boards  which  have  succeeded  it,  will  fully 
appear  in  a  subsequent  chapter  devoted,  in  part,  to  our  present  park  sys- 
tem. 

Through  this  and  otiier  enactments,  the  government  of  the  city  was 
gradually  brought  largely  under  the  control  of  boards,  appointed  by  the 
mayor,  which  managed  the  several  departments,  and  had  substantially 
independent  functions.  Thus  the  school  board,  the  police  board,  the  park 
board,  the  library  board,  the  water  board,  the  fire  board,  together  with 
the  joint  boards  of  city  and  county  to  administer  charities,  to  handle  pub- 
lic buildings,  etc.,  hold  and  exercise  most  of  the  vital  powers  of  executive 
authority. 

The  Bell  Charter 

The  charter  granted  by  the  legislature  in  the  act  approved  March  24, 
1891,  commonly  known  as  the  "Bell  Charter"  introduced  many  innova- 
tions. It  was  largely  the  work  of  Hon.  Chas.  N.  Bell,  but  was  drafted 
in  collaboration  with  leading  citizens.  The  annual  report  of  the  St.  Paul 
Chamber  of  Commerce  for  1891  says:  "The  matter  of  taxation,  cor- 
poration expenditures  in  the  several  departments,  amendments  of  the  city 
charter,  or  the  adoption  of  a  new  charter,  and  the  many  minor  subjects 
demanded  by  a  rapidly  developing  metropolis,  engaged  the  attention  of 
the  board  of  directors  for  many  weeks,  in  regular  weekly  meeting,  and  in 
several  special  meetings,  by  day  and  evening,  committees  were  kept  active 
long  before  and  during  the  entire  session  of  the  legislature.  The  result 
of  the  legislative  work  was  the  adoption  practically  of  a  new  charter, 
which  is  known  as  the  Bell  Charter.  Hon.  Charles  N.  Bell  introduced  a 
bill  which  is  recorded  as  House  File  No.  722,  'An  act  to  amend  the  char- 
ter of  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  the  same  being  an  act  entitled  'An  act  to 
reduce  the  law  incorporating  the  city  of  St.  Paul  in  the  county  of  Ram- 
sey and  state  of  Minnesota  and  the  several  acts  amendatory,  and  certain 
other  acts  relating  to  said  city,  into  one  act,  and  to  amend  the  same,' 
which  act  was  approved  March  5,  1874,  and  the  acts  amendatory  thereof 
and  supplemental  thereto." 

The  most  striking  feature  of  the  instrument  was  the  iron-clad  limita- 
tions as  to  expenditures  of  the  public  funds  imposed  on  the  several  offi- 
cials and  boards  having  control  thereof.  This  charter  was  in  force  six 
years  and  many  of  its  provisions  are  still  in  operation,  notwithstanding 
the  many  changes  that  have  intervened. 

The  legislature  submitted  to  the  people  of  the  state,  at  the  election 
held  November  8,  1892,  an  amendment  to  the  state  constitution  which 
prohibited  special  legislation,  especially  forbidding  the  passage  of  any  local 
or  special  laws  "incorporating,  erecting  or  changing  the  lines  of  any 
county,  city,  village,"  etc.  This  constitutional  amendment  was  adopted  by 
the  people  and  in  pursuance  of  its  requirements  the  legislature  proceeded 
to  enact  general  laws  for  the  formation  of  municipal  corporations. 

Provisions  for  Charter  Commission 

These_  laws  provided  that  a  city  may  frame  a  charter  for  its  own  gov- 
ernment in  the  manner  prescribed  therein.  .Among  the  provisions  were 
these:  "Whenever  the  judges  of  the  judicial  district  in  which  such  citv  or 
village  is  situated  shall  deem  it  for  the  best  interests  of  the  municipality 
so  to  do,  they  may  appoint  a  board  of  freeholders  to  frame  such  charter, 
composed  of  fifteen  members,  each  of  whom  shall  have  been  a  qualified 


180  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

voter  of  such  city  or  village  for  five  years  last  past ;  and,  upon  presentation 
to  them  of  a  petition  requesting  such  action,  signed  by  at  least  ten  per  cent, 
of  the  number  of  voters  of  such  nuinicii)ality,  as  shown  by  the  returns  of 
the  election  last  held  therein,  they  shall  appoint  such  board.  The  mem- 
bers shall  severally  hold  office  for  the  term  of  four  years,  or  until  they 
cease  to  be  such  resident  voters  and  freeholders,  and  vacancies  in  said 
board  shall  be  filled  by  appointment  of  said  judges  for  the  une.xpired 
terms.  Upon  the  expiration  of  each  four-year  term,  the  judges  shall 
appoint  a  new  board. 

"Within  six  months  after  such  appointment  the  board  of  freehold- 
ers shall  deliver  to  the  chief  executive  of  said  city  or  village  the  draft  of 
a  proposed  charter,  signed  by  at  least  a  majority  of  its  members.  Such 
draft  shall  fix  the  corporate  name  and  ihe  boundaries  of  the  i)roposed 
city,  and  provide  for  a  mayor,  and  for  a  council  consisting  of  either  one 
or  two  branches ;  one  in  either  case  to  be  elected  by  the  people.  Sub- 
ject to  the  limitations  in  this  chapter  provided,  it  may  provide  for  any 
scheme  of  municipal  government  not  inconsistent  with  the  constitution, 
and  may  provide  for  the  establishment  and  administration  of  all  depart- 
ments of  a  city  government,  and  for  the  regulation  of  all  local  municipal 
functions,  as  fully  as  the  legislature  might  have  done  before  the  adoption 
of  section  33.  article  I\',  of  the  constitution.  It  may  omit  provisions  in 
reference  to  any  department  contained  in  special  laws  then  operative  in 
said  city  or  village,  and  provide  that  such  laws,  or  such  parts  thereof  as 
are  specified,  shall  continue  in  force  therein. 

"Upon  delivery  of  such  draft,  the  council  or  other  governing  body  of 
the  city  or  village  shall  cause  the  proposed  charter  to  be  submitted  at  the 
next  election  thereafter.  Such  election  may  be  a  general  election,  or  a 
special  election  called  for  that  purpose  only,  or  for  that  and  other  pur- 
poses, and  held  prior  to  or  at  the  same  time  with  the  next  general  elec- 
tion, as  such  governing  body  may  determine.  If  at  the  same  time  with 
a  general  election,  the  voting  places  and  the  election,  officers  shall  be  the 
same  for  both  elections.  If  four-sevenths  of  those  lawfully  voting  at 
such  election  shall  declare  in  favor  of  the  proposed  charter,  it  shall  be 
considered  adopted ;  and,  if  any  provisions  thereof  were  submitted  in 
the  alternative,  those  ratified  by  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  thereon 
shall  prevail." 

St.  P.m'l's  "Home  Rule"  Ch.vrtkr 

In  1897  there  was  appointed  under  the  general  statutes,  by  the  judges 
of  the  district  court  for  Ramsey  county  a  board  of  fifteen  citizens  to 
frame  a  city  charter.  This  board  returned  to  the  mayor  the  draft  of 
a  charter,  signed  by  the  majority.  It  was  submitted  to  tlie  electors  of  the 
city  at  the  election  held  May  3.  1898.  and  was  approved  by  them,  thus 
becoming  original  home  rule  charter  of  St.  Paul.  The  first  ]ircsi(lent  of 
the  charter  commission  was  Hon.  Charles  V..  Flandrau.  and  the  second 
was  Kx-Mayor  F.  R.  Doran.  The  commissioners  have  alwavs  been  citi- 
zens who  commanded  popular  respect.  -Since  1898  the  commission  has 
submitted  a  numlier  of  amendments  to  the  charter,  to  be  voted  on  at 
general  elections  only  a  portion  of  which  have  been  ratified  by  a  major- 
ity. By  deaths,  resignations  and  new  appointments,  the  personnel  of 
the  commission  has  been  entirely  changed.  P.ut  it  is  still  struggling  with 
the  complex  problems  it  encounters  and  endeavoring  to  conform  the 
framework  of  the  city  government  to  the  most  acceptable  formulas 
evolved  by  municiiJal  experience. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  181 

"Commission"  Form  of  Government 

One  of  the  difficulties  which  confronted  the  board  was  the  adoption 
or  rejection  of  the  so-called  "commission"  form  of  government,  which 
has  its  exemplar  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  which  has  been  applied  in 
varying  degrees  at  Galveston,  Des  Moines  and  many  other  cities.  As 
to  these  experiments,  the  results  were  still  somewhat  in  dispute,  and,  al- 
though an  increasing  proportion  of  the  thoughtful  citizens  of  St.  Paul 
seemingly  favored  the  general  plan,  there  was  much  bitter  hostility  to 
it  and  plenty  of  criticism  of  our  local  board  for  "wasting"  so  much  time 
in  discussing  it. 

One  newspaper  critic,  the  Midzoay  Nczvs,  said:  "The  matter  of  up- 
ending the  municipal  form  of  government  in  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  a  piece 
of  political  blacksmithing  in  which  the  Fireworks  Corporations  have 
held  the  charter  commission  in  the  political  firey  furnace  for  the  last 
couple  years,  is  advancing  with  all  the  speed  of  his  own  shadow  chasing 
the  devil  around  the  bush.  The  more  clear-headed  members  of  the  com- 
mission oppose  the  commission  plan,  and  those  who  favor  it  do  not  dare 
come  together  for  fear  of  the  responsibility  it  throws  upon  them.  The 
charter  commissioners  meet  every  full  moon,  but  the  moment  they  get 
on  to  their  own  shadows  their  teeth  begin  to  chatter,  their  voices  become 
inaudible,  and  off  they  duck,  again,  back  for  the  gloom.  The  prime  ob- 
ject of  the  commission  plan  of  municipal  government  is  to  throw  down 
the  triple  safeguard  vouchsafed  by  coordinate  departments  defined  by 
the  state  constitution  as  the  legislature,  the  executive,  and  the  judiciary, 
and  the  ultimate  amalgamation  of  the  republic  idea  into  a  self-perpetuat- 
ing commission  endowed  with  autocratic  powers.  With  a  charter  com- 
mission created  by  the  judiciary  and  a  commission  created  by  the  com- 
mission, the  single-handed  system  which  the  fathers  of  the  republic  orig- 
inally destroyed  is  hoped  to  be  restored." 

In  the  spring  of  1912  the  charter  commission  framed  an  instrument 
conforming  to  the  views  of  a  majority  of  its  members  and  had  it  ready 
to  submit  to  the  voters  at  special  election.  Meantime,  however,  an  in- 
dependent proposition  for  a  form  of  government  by  commission,  was 
submitted  at  the  general  city  election  in  IMay,  1912,  and  adopted  by  a 
decisive  majority.     It  goes  into  effect  in  1914. 

City  and  County 

St.  Paul,  as  a  municipality,  constitutes  so  large  a  portion  of  the  area 
of  Ramsey  county,  and  furnishes  such  an  immense  preponderance  of  the 
value  of  its  taxable  property  that  it  rightfully  exercises  an  overshadow- 
ing influence  in  county  affairs.  Five  of  the  seven  county  commissioners 
are  elected  in  the  city,  including  the  mayor  who  is,  ex-officio,  a  member 
of  the  board  and  its  chairman.  Suggestions  have  been  made  on  frequent 
occasions  during  the  past  thirty  years  looking  toward  the  consolidation 
of  the  city  and  county  governments,  or  to  the  extension  of  the  city's 
jurisdiction  over  the  entire  county.  One  or  the  other  of  these  plans 
will  probably  be  adopted  at  ho  distant  day. 

The  following  are  the  present  officials  of  the  city  government :  Mayor, 
Herbert  P.  Keller ;  city  treasurer.  Summer  A.  Farnsworth ;  city  comp- 
troller, W.  C.  Handy ;  city  clerk,  G.  T.  Redington ;  corporation  attorney, 
Owen  H.  O'Neill :  eneineer,  Oscar  Clausen;  physician,  .Arthur  B.  .Ancker; 
market  master,  C.  F.  Trettin. 


182  ST.  PAUL  AXD.  \1CL\1TV 

Common  council :  President,  Thos.  R.  Kane :  vice  president.  John  D. 
Hyland. 

Assembly:  President.  Oscar  E.  Keller;  vice  president,  Edward  C. 
Mahle ;  Robert  L.  Ware,  Frank  Yoerg,  Winn  Powers,  Thos.  R.  Kane, 
B.  W.  Sanborn,  Edward  C.  Mahle,  Oscar  E.  Keller,  Henry  G.  Haas, 
and  Desire  H.  Alichaud. 

Board  of  aldermen:  President,  Henry  McColl;  vice  president,  Wil- 
liam J.  Troy;  first  ward,  C.  A.  Oberg;  second  ward,  William  Baumeis- 
ter,  Jr.;  Third  ward,  Henry  McColl;  Fourth  ward,  Edward  J.  Mur- 
nane;  Fifth  ward,  Fred  Murnane;  Sixth  ward,  J.  D.  Hyland;  Seventh 
ward,  Leavitt  Corning;  Eighth  ward,  J.  W.  Ryan;  Ninth  ward,  W.  J. 
Troy;  Tenth  ward,  C.  P.  Montgomery;  Eleventh  ward,  D.  E.  Edwards; 
Twelfth  ward,  \\'illiam  C.  Stieger. 

The  present  officers  of  Ramsey  county  are :  Auditor,  George  J.  Ries ; 
treasurer,  Jesse  Foot;  sheriff,  John  Wagener;  register  of  deeds.  M.  W. 
Fitzgerald;  attorney,  R.  D.  O'Brien;  surveyor,  J.  H.  Armstrong;  coroner. 
Dr.  D.  C.  Jones ;  clerk  of  district  court,  Matt  Jensen ;  superintendent  of 
schools,  G.  H.  Reif ;  assessor,  F.  L.  Powers ;  abstract  clerk,  W.  J.  Bazille ; 
physician.  Dr.  A.  B.  Ancker;  county  commissioners,  H.  P.  Keller  (ex- 
officio  chairman),  P.  J.  FarrcU,  Leonard  lUires,  John  F.  Faricy.  Louis 
Nash,  L.  H.  Peter,  and  Robert  A.  Smith. 

The  assessed  valuation  for  taxing  purposes  of  property  in  the  city, 
for  191 1,  is  as  follows:  Real  estate,  $95,756,440,  personal  property, 
$30,465,000,  total  $126,221,440. 

MuNiciP.\L  Debt  and  Property 

The  municipal  debt  on  July  i,  191 1,  amounted  to  $10,235,000.  of 
which  amount  $2,099,000  was  incurred  for  water  purposes  and  the  bal- 
ance was  in  general  and  school  bonds.  The  net  bonded  debt,  less  amount 
in  the  sinking  fund,  July  i,  1910,  was  $9,373,900.  The  rates  of  interest 
vary  from  three  and  one-half  to  five  per  cent.  The  annual  interest 
charge  is  $522,000.  The  water  works  system  is  valued  at  $7,050,000; 
the  public  school  buildings  and  real  estate  at  $2,785,000;  the  public  parks, 
playgrounds  and  jniljlic  baths,  $2,980,000:  the  fifty-eight  bridges  at 
$2,850,000.  and  the  main  sewers  at  $2,775,000.  Other  property  tarings 
the  total  up  to  $21,839,000.  The  water  board  is  the  holder  of  city  and 
county  bonds  in  its  sinking  fund,  to  meet  water  bonds  when  due.  But, 
aside  from  the  water  works,  the  other  "assets"  are  not  only  unjiroductive, 
but  are.  as  a  rule,  a  source  of  constant  expense.  There  is  therefore  a 
])revalcnt  feeling  among  the  tax-paying  voters  that  this  indebtedness 
should  not  be  increased,  except  in  very  great  emergencies. 

The  present  "Rei)ublican"  party  administration  was  first  elected  in 
May,  1910,  on  a  reform  issue  by  sweeping  majorities.  Strenuous  ef- 
forts were  continuously  made,  it  is  claimed,  to  carry  out  the  jiledges 
then  given,  but  the  mayor  worked  during  his  first  term  under  disad- 
vantageous conditions,  because  every  dcparlmcnt  of  the  city  government 
was  under  control  of  appointive  boards  consisting  of  men  not  in  sym- 
pathy politically  with  the  mayor  and  his  policies  of  reform.  These 
policies,  therefore,  had  to  wait,  as  in  a  fireless  cooker,  the  slow  process 
of  accomplishment.  .Six  separate  attempts  to  increase  the  interest-bear- 
ing indebtedness  of  the  city  were  made  during  the  first  year.  Two  of 
these  i)ond  issues  were  authorized  bv  the  council  and  vetoed  by  Mayor 
Keller. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  183 

In  May,  191 2,  the  city  administration  came  up  for  re-election.  Mayor 
Keller  was  renominated  by  the  Republicans,  as  were  his  associates  in  ex- 
ecutive office,  e.xcept  W.  H.  Farnham,  city  controller,  who  declined,  and 
W.  C.  Handy,  an  assembly  man  with  pronounced  ideas  of  financial  re- 
trenchment, was  given  that  position.  The  Democratic  candidate  for 
mayor,  Otto  Bremer,  was  personally  popular,  and  was  a  generous  cam- 
paigner. The  contest  was  a  close  one,  but  Mayor  Keller's  ticket  was 
victorious,  and  during  his  second  term,  he  will  have  facilities  for  better 
enforcing  his  reform  policies,  through  administrative  boards  of  his  own 
selection. 

The  Ye.ars  1912-13  a  Period  of  Transition 

Mayor  Keller's  second  term,  just  fairly  entered  upon  as  we  write 
these  pages,  is  an  era  in  which  will  not  only  be  inaugurated  the  pro- 
gressive policies  to  which  he  is  committed,  but  will  also  be  notable  as  a 
period  of  transition  to  the  "commission"  plan  with  which  he  is  thor- 
oughly in  sympathy.  Notwithstanding  hostility  and  criticism,  the  voters 
of  St.  Paul  to  the  number  of  23,000,  an  emphatic  majority,  decided  in 
favor  of  this  plan,  although  it  is,  in  some  of  its  aspects,  admittedly  ex- 
perimental. It  will  take  effect  in  1914.  During  the  last  decade  a  senti- 
ment favorable  to  entrusting  the  government  of  American  cities  to  a 
small  group  of  men  has  gained  widespread  popularity.  For  the  success 
which  has  generally  attended  the  various  forms  of  commission  govern- 
ment already  operating  in  more  than  150  American  municipalities,  there 
are  two  chief  causes :  an  improved  charter,  and  an  improved  electorate. 
By  concentrating  authority  and  responsibility  in  the  hands  of  a  few  men 
and  electing  these  men  without  regard  to  ward  lines  or  party  affiliation, 
results  have  been  achieved  which  had  never  seemed  possible  in  these 
same  cities  under  their  former  charters.  But  the  danger  of  placing  en- 
tire emphasis  on  the  mere  form  must  not  be  overlooked.  Not  until  the 
great  mass  of  the  people  are  awakened  to  demand  good  government  will 
they  get  it.  In  stimulating  and  satisfying  this  demand,  a  few  able  lead- 
ers, both  in  and  out  of  office,  can  accomplish  wonders. 

When  St.  Paul  voted  for  the  "commission"  plan  no  other  city  of 
equal  size  had  adopted  it.  Since  then,  however.  New  Orleans  has  joined 
the  column.  There  is  no  absolute  uniformity  in  the  schemes  working 
in  these  several  municipalities.  In  fact,  there  has  as  yet  been  no  agree- 
ment among  publicists  as  to  what  is  the  irreducible  minimum  which  can 
be  called  commission  government.  Even  in  Texas,  where  the  move- 
ment had  its  origin,  we  find  sundry  types,  all  called  by  the  same  name. 
To  the  extent  that  the  commission  government  provides  a  short  ballot, 
a  concentration  of  authority  in  the  hands  of  responsible  officials,  the 
elimination  of  ward  lines  and  partisan  designations  in  the  selection  of 
elective  officials,  adequate  publicity  in  the  conduct  of  public  affairs,  the 
merit  system,  and  a  city  administration  and  a  city  administrator  respon- 
sive to  the  deliberately  formed  and  authoritatively  expressed  local  public 
opinion  of  the  city,  it  embodies  principles  as  to  which  most  students  of 
civic  problems  are  agreed. 


CHAPTER  XMTT 

GATEWAY  OF  A  NORTHWESTERN  EMPIRE 

St.  Paul's  Tributary  Territory — Water  Power  and  Electric 
Smelting — Agriculture  and  Live  Stock — The  Red  River  Val- 
ley— The  Dakotas — Montana — Irrigation  and  the  Apples — 
Gatev^'ay  to  it  all — Center  of  Out-Door  Charms. 

When  the  "Mayflower"  cast  anchor  in  the  Iiarhor  of  Plymouth,  all 
the  forests  and  mountains  of  the  majestic  continent  might  well  have 
prostrated  themselves  in  the  presence  of  their  predestined  contiuerors. 
For  two  hundred  and  ninety  years  the  impulse  then  communicated  has 
permeated  and  ramified  and  fructified.  From  six  craggy,  sterile  New 
England  commonwealths  have  flowed  out  the  influences  that  have  made 
America  what  it  is.  Their  laws  and  customs ;  their  free  school,  free 
press  and  open  Bible ;  their  energv-  and  persistence ;  their  independence 
and  self-assertion;  their  lyceums  and  thanksgivings — even  their  mince- 
pics,  codfish  and  college  yells,  have  become  domesticated  and  familiar 
institutions  from  the  Hudson  to  the  Rio  Grande  and  from  Lake  Cham- 
plain  to  Puget  Sound. 

The  secret  is  not  occult.  They  have  furnishetl  the  schoolmasters  for 
the  children  of  the  republic  for  many  generations.  Down  in  Arizona, 
near  the  border  of  Mexico,  at  a  state  teacher's  convention  recently  as- 
sembled, eighty-five  per  cent  of  the  delegates  were  of  New  England  birth 
or  parentage. 

But  the  sceptre  has  departed.  The  New  England  of  the  past  is  al- 
ready eclipsed  in  many  of  its  most  significant  features  by  the  Xcw  Eng- 
land of  the  future.  Along  the  great  lakes  and  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
Mississippi  the  "New  Northwest"  (but  also  the  golden  heart  of  the  con- 
tinent) lie  the  states  that  are  to  constitute  the  New  England  of  the  time 
to  come.  They  span  the  zenith  of  the  republic  like  an  arch  of  triumph  or 
of  promise.  Of  that  arch  Minnesota  is  unmistakably  the  keystone.  Of 
that  great  northwest,  reaching  to  the  Pacific,  to  the  Saskatchewan,  to  the 
Yukon,  St.   Paul  is  unmistakably  the  gateway. 

Here  in  this  breezy  and  buoyant  new  region,  the  broadened  and  beau- 
tified Yankee-T-and  of  the  twentieth  century ;  on  her  teeming  and  bound- 
less prairies ;  by  the  banks  of  her  amazing  rivers ;  waist-deep  in  her 
million-acred  harvests — here  can  the  fullest  inspiration  of  our  national 
life  be  caught  up  and  assimilated. 

It  is  the  land  of  high  endeavor,  tireless  activity  and  uncon(|uerable 
trust.  Here  are  all  the  prere(|uisites  of  exuberant  soil,  healthful  climate, 
the  judicious  mixture  of  the  world's  best  races  as  to  physical  and  mental 
vigor,  upon  which  to  found  the  mode!  commnnwcalth  nf  our  free  empire; 
in  which  to  evolve  the  dominating  pojuilation  of  the  hemisphere. 

184 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  185 

It  was  not  rhapsody  but  prophetic  insight  whicli  led  Wilham  H.  Se- 
ward, at  St.  Paul  in  i860,  to  predict  that  the  ultimate  seat  of  government 
on  the  continent  would  be  established  here. 

Seward  was  not  deaf  to  the  viewless  voices  whispering  in  the  air 
of  even  that  early  day.  He  conquers,  in  peace  and  war,  who  fights  with 
the  north  wind  at  his  back.  The  New  England  of  the  past  is  stamped 
on  all  the  events  of  our  country's  progress.  The  New  England  of  the 
future,  with  broader  gauge,  larger  resource  and  richer  opportunity,  will 
continue  in  unstinted  flow  the  necessary  output  of  strenuous,  aggressive, 
average  Americans. 

St.  Paul's  Tribltt.\ry  Territory 

The  country  tributary  to  St.  Paul  for  trade  purposes  is  of  enormous 
extent,  of  a  great  variety  of  resources  and  in  process  of  rapid  develop- 
ment. But  as  man  does  not  live  for  trade  alone,  it  is  proper  to  remark 
here  that  the  territory  alluded  to  contains  numerous  world-renowned  at- 
tractions to  tourists  and  travelers,  which  every  year  summon  thousands 
of  visitors,  all  of  whom  pass  through  this  "gateway"  and  pay  tribute 
to   its  transportation  agencies. 

St.  Paul  jobbers  and  manufacturers  now  sell  goods  to  dealers  in  all 
parts  of  Minnesota,  North  and  South  Dakota,  Nebraska,  Montana, 
Idaho,  Wyoming,  Washington,  Oregon,  Alaska  and  all  the  northwestern 
provinces  of  British  America ;  also  in  northern  Wisconsin  northern  and 
western  Iowa,  and  in  portions  of  Colorado,  Utah,  Nevada  and  Califor- 
nia. These  radiating  lines  of  commercial  intercourse  involve  financial 
relations  more  or  less  intimate,  and  thus  bring  great  mercantile  and  other 
interests  within  the  sphere  of  business  influences  concentrated  at  this 
focal  point.  The  present  of  St.  Paul  depends  on  the  prosperity  of  this 
tributary  region  whose  resources,  however,  are  so  diversified  that  no 
wave  of  adversity  ever  afflicts  the  whole  of  it  at  one  time.  And  the 
future  of  St.  Paul  is  so  dependent  on  the  development  of  this  region,  that 
information  as  to  its  capabilities  has  a  direct  bearing  on  any  reliable  es- 
timate of  the  city's  prospective  advancement. 

Minnesota  is,  in  area,  the  tenth  state  of  the  Union.  It  contains 
84,387  square  miles,  or  about  53,943,379  acres,  of  which  3,608,012  acres 
are  water.  About  half  of  this  land  surface,  on  the  south  and  west,  con- 
sists of  rolling  prairie,  interspersed  with  frequent  groves,  oak  openings 
and  belts  of  hardwood  timber,  watered  by  numberless  lakes  and  streams, 
and  covered  with  a  warm,  dark  soil  of  great  fertility.  The  rest,  em- 
bracing the  elevated  district  immediately  west  and  north  of  Lake  Su- 
perior, consists  mainly  of  rich  mineral  ranges  and  of  the  pine  forests 
which  clothe  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi,  affording  extensive  sup- 
plies of  lumber.  There  is  but  a  very  small  amount  of  broken,  rocky 
or  worthless  land  in  the  state.     Ninety  per  cent  is  arable. 

More  than  30,000,000  tons  of  iron  ore  valued  at  $100,000,000  were 
shipped  from  Minnesota  in  1909.  300,000  people  are  employed  in  the 
mining  industry.  No  part  of  the  state  is  more  than  250  miles  distant 
from  one  of  her  great  railroad  and  market  centers.  There  are  26  rail- 
roads with  10,000  miles  of  trackage.  There  are  32  varieties  of  timber, 
many  thousands  of  carloads  of  building  material  being  shipped  annually 
from  Minnesota. 

The  State  University  has  over  4,000  students.  There  are  5  normal 
schools ;  206  high  schools ;  365  graded  schools  ;  360  semi-graded  schools ; 


186 


ST.  PAUL  AND  MCIXITY 


7,814  rural  schools;  3  agricultural  schools  of  high-school  rank;  10  high 
schools  in  which  agriculture  and  domestic  science  instruction  is  given 
under  state  super\-ision ;  schools  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  for  the  blind 
and  for  the  feeble  minded.  The  permanent  school  fund  is  $22,000,000, 
with  a  certainty  of  increase  to  $60,000,000. 

Minnesota  still  affords  over  25,000.000  acres  of  agricultural  land  in 
its  virgin  state;  3,000,000  acres  public  lands  are  obtainable  at  public 
sale  at  prices  ranging  from  S5.00  per  acre  up,  of  which  but  fifteen  per- 
cent is  exacted  as  a  cash  payment,  the  balance  being  payable  in  forty 
years  with  interest  at  four  per  cent. 


\V.\TER  Power  and  Hi.ectru 


•MiJ.i  im; 


Located  at  the  watershed  of  the  continent.  Minnesota's  abundant 
streams  fed  by  the  7,000  lakes,  have  rapid  currents,  and  furnish  un- 
limited water  power,  widely  distributed  and  easily  available.  Water 
power   enough   to  operate  every   industry   in    Minnesota,   all   at  present 


BURT   POOL    MINE STEAM   SHOVEL  PROPERTY.       PART  OF  THIS 

MINE    BELONGS    TO   THE    STATE    OF    MINNESOTA 


going  to  waste,  is  being  investigated,  estimated,  surveyed  and  reported 
on  by  the  state  of  Minnesota  and  the  United  States  government  working 
together,  in  northern  Minnesota.  "We  found  falls  of  water  of  from  200 
to  300  feet  in  the  iron  range  country,"  said  the  government  engineer. 
"We  found  streams  that  had  a  drop  of  from  100  to  400  feet  in  a  thou- 
sand feet.  When  these  water  power  sites  are  developed  they  will  sup- 
ply 'juice'  for  every  industry  the  cities  ever  will  have.  Our  report  will 
be  one  of  the  most  complete  ever  prepared  in  any  state." 

What  the  development  of  all  these  water  powers  may  mean  to  the 
agricultural  and  manufacturing  interests  can  only  be  faintly  imagined 
at  this  time.  That  they  will  furnish  light  and  power  for  the  use  of 
farmers  is  a  development  to  be  looked  for  in  the  immediate  future. 
They  may  go  much  farther  than  this,  if  success  shall  attend  the  experi- 
ments now  being  conducted  in  Sweden  to  demonstrate  the  practicability 
of  smelting  iron  ore  by  electricity.  The  government  began  operations 
last  year  and,  although  great  secrecy  has  been  maintained,  it  is  said  the 
results  have  been  very  satisfactory;  so  gratifying,  in  fact,  that  three 
more  electrical  blast  furnaces  are  to  be  installed  at  once. 

The  cost  of  coal  and  the  threatened  shortage  of  the  wood  needed 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \ICINITY  187 

for  charcoal  in  smelting  operations  have  imperilled  the  iron  industry 
of  Sweden.  The  country  has  plenty  of  ore.  The  question  was  how  to 
reduce  the  expense  of  getting  it  into  pig  iron.  A  contract  was  entered 
into  with  a  power  company  to  take  3,000  horse  power  for  a  period  of 
three  years.  An  experimental  plant  to  smelt  the  ore  by  electricity  was 
installed  and  is  said  to  be  capable  of  turning  out  twenty  tons  of  pig  iron 
each  twenty- four  hours.  A  saving  of  two-thirds  has  been  effected,  as 
compared  with  the  cost  under  the  old  process.  Tests  of  the  electric  pig 
iron  have  been  made  and  it  has  been  found  to  be  of  specially  even  and 
good  quality. 

There  is  no  estimating  the  importance  to  this  state  of  the  success 
of  electric  smelting.  We  supply  the  iron  ore  that  is  being  used  in  the 
smelters  of  the  east.  If  the  ore  can  be  smelted  economically  by  elec- 
tricity there  will  be  no  further  occasion  to  ship  it  out  of  the  state  in  the 
raw.  We  can  harness  the  many  streams  in  northern  Minnesota,  convey 
the  current  to  the  mines  and  build  up  manufacturing  centers,  where  the 
iron  of  our  mines  will  be  turned  into  finished  products. 

Agriculture  and  Live  Stock 

But  the  leading  interest  of  Minnesota,  as  well  as  of  the  other  states 
and  provinces  beyond  her,  is  agriculture.  In  this  regard  tremendous 
possibilities  loom  ahead,  but  that  one-half  of  these  possibilities  are  now 
foreseen  is  not  supposable.  He  would  indeed  be  a  rash  man  who  would 
attempt  to  prophesy  the  future  of  the  upper  part  of  the  old  "Louisiana" 
and  the  old  "Oregon"  country.  Not  that  the  prophet  might  not  be  right, 
but  the  prophecy  would  fall  so  far  short  of  its  fulfilment  as  to  utterly 
discredit  him. 

In  1871  General  George  W.  Cass,  president  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad,  said:  "There  is  no  problem  to  solve  as  to  the  success  of  the 
road  after  it  shall  have  been  completed.  The  only  question  after  that 
event  will  be  how  an  intelligent  man  of  this  age  should  ever  have  had 
any  doubt  about  it." 

Looking  at  this  glorious  landscape  of  rioting  fertility,  where  men 
are  much  more  eager  to  pay  $100  of  hard-earned  money  for  every  acre 
than  to  invest  in  the  most  seductive  stocks,  one  smiles  at  the  shrieks  of 
"back  to  the  soil"  in  the  metropolitan  papers.  A  good  many  millions 
of  the  best  men  in  the  country  are  sticking  very  closely  to  the  soil  and 
making  a  much  better  thing  of  it  than  those  of  the  same  ability  and 
energy  in  the  cities.  The  drift  to  the  cities  is  largely  among  men  of 
lighter  weight,  who  are  no  more  successful  there  than  on  their  farms. 

It  is  curious  to  note  how  old  is  the  complaint  about  men  leaving  the 
country  to  crowd  into  the  cities.  Those  old-time  wailers,  the  Hebrew 
prophets,  raised  many  dolorous  cries  on  this  theme,  and  125  years  ago 
Oliver  Goldsmith  was  certain  that  England  was  going  straight  to  de- 
struction, because  the  men  were  deserting  the  villages  for  the  cities.  In 
his  poem  are  the  well-remembered  lines : 

"A  time   there  was,   ere   England's  griefs  began. 
When  every  rood  of  ground  maintained  its  man; 
For  him  light  labor  spread  her  wholesome  store. 
And  gave  what  life  required,  but  gave  no  more. 
But  times  are  altered,  trade's  unfeeling  train 
Usurp  the  land  and  dispossess  the  swain." 


188  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

In  spite  of  this  magnificent  bit  of  calamity-howling  England  has 
done  remakably  well  in  the  past  125  years,  just  as  Minnesota  has  become 
a  marvelously  rich,  prosperous  commonwealth  in  spite  of  the  frenzied 
shrieks  of  the  Populists. 

To  a  man  who  loves  farming,  as  fortunately  so  many  millions  do, 
the  fat  lands  and  genial  skies  of  Minnesota  and  the  Dakolas  are  en- 
trancing. There  he  gets  a  sure  response  to  his  labor  and  his  skill,  and 
farming  rises  to  the  dignity  of  a  learned  profession.  He  finds  as  much 
room  for  all  the  knowledge  that  he  may  acquire  as  a  lawyer,  physician 
or  engineer  can,  and  his  success  in  applying  it  brings  as  cons])icuous 
results. 

Diffusion  of  valuable  knowledge  in  agriculture  is  a  late,  but  signifi- 
cant measure  of  advancement.  The  time  is  coming  when  every  rural 
community  of  sufficient  size  will  have  one  or  more  agricultural  experts 
— men  professionally  trained  to  serve  in  an  advisory  way  all  the  farmers 
of  the  community  for  a  fee.  These  men  will  understand  the  chemistry 
of  the  soil  and  of  plant  growth ;  their  laboratories  will  be  busy  with  soil 
analysis  and  the  study  of  local  plant  diseases;  they  will  be  entomologists 
and  bacteriologists,  and  their  value  will  be  obvious  to  the  enlightened 
farmers  of  a  new  age.  These  farmers,  no  longer  content  to  dej^end  on 
the  free  clinic  of  the  state  Experiment  station,  will  seek  the  advice  and 
prescription  of  the  local  doctor  of  agriculture.  The  dignity  and  the  re- 
wards of  this  profession  are  bound  to  increase,  for  it  is  founded  upon 
the  basis  of  our  greatest  industry. 

Some  Elgouicnt  Figures 

Domestic  animals,  poultry  and  bees  w-orth  $161,528,000  were  owned 
by  the  farmers  of  Minnesota  in  1910,  according  to  census  bureau  sta- 
tistics. Ten  years  ago  the  valuation  was  $89,063,000,  the  increase  in 
the  decade  being  $72,465,000  and  the  rate  of  increase  81.4  per  cent. 

The  total  value  of  the  domestic  animals  was  reported  as  $156,659,000 
in  1910,  as  against  $86,621,000  in  1900,  the  increase  amounting  to 
$70,038,000,  or  80.9  per  cent.  The  poultry  were  valued  at  $4,647,000 
in  1910.  as  compared  with  $2,275,000  in  1900,  the  gain  being  $2,372,000, 
or  104.3  P'^''  cent.  The  bees  were  valued  at  $222,000  in  1910  and  $167,- 
000  in   1900.  the  increase  amounting  to  55.000  or  32.6  per  cent. 

The  total  number  of  farms  in  the  state  in  1910  was  156.137.  Of 
these,  96.9  per  cent,  or  151,336.  re])orted  domestic  animals;  93.9  per  cent, 
or  146,556,  reported  cattle;  91.4  per  cent,  or  142,6(53,  reported  horses 
or  colts;  69.5  per  cent,  or  108,515,  reported  swine;  15.7  per  cent,  or 
24,549,  reported  sheep  or  lambs;  and  1.8  per  cent,  or  2,809  reported 
mules  or  mule  colts. 

The  total  number  of  cattle  reported  in  1910  was  2,354,724.  Of  these, 
1,084.399  were  dairy  cows,  the  total  value  of  which  was  over  $33,244,000, 
and  the  average  value  $30.70.  The  number  of  farms  reporting  dairy 
cows  was  145.439,  or  93.1  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  farms  in  the 
state.  Cows  not  used  for  dairy  purposes  iiuml)crcd  218.634  and  their 
average  value  was  $21.10. 

Minnesota  cereals  had  an  aggregate  acreage  of  10,140,389  acres  in 
1909,  as  against  11,207,026  in  1899.  a  decrease  of  1,066,637  acres,  or  9.5 
per  cent.  This  decrease  is  due  to  the  substitution  of  dairying  for  w-heat- 
growing  in  many  counties.  There  was.  however,  an  increase  in  total 
yield  of  these  crops  of  16,167.103  bushels.     The  average  value  of  cere- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  189 

als  per  acre  in  1909  was  $13.90.  Wheat  shows  the  highest  average 
value  per  acre  of  the  cereals;  buckwheat  the  lowest.  Of  the  hay  and 
forage  crops  alfalfa  is  well  above  the  rest  in  average  value  per  acre. 

The  Red  River  V.\lley 

The  northwestern  portion  of  Minnesota  and  the  eastern  portion  of 
North  Dakota,  commonly  known  as  the  Red  River  valley,  is  a  level  tract 
of  prairie  land  of  incomparable  fertility.  The  soil  is  a  deep  rich  black 
loam,  resting  on  a  bed  of  clay,  and  so  universally  level  that  it  could  be 
plowed  for  miles  without  any  break  in  the  furrow.  The  surplus  water 
flows  into  the  Red  river,  whence  it  is  carried  to  Lake  Winnipeg.  This 
region  has  long  been  famed  for  its  No.  i  hard  wheat,  the  flour  from 
which  commands  the  highest  price  in  the  markets  of  the  world,  because 
of  its  superior  quality.  In  later  years  diversified  farming  is  making 
rapid  strides  in  this  portion  of  Minnesota,  but  has  not  yet  reached  the 
proportion  that  characterizes  the  southern  counties. 

The  rich  sandy  silt  of  Anoka  and  Sherburne  counties  in  Minnesota, 
as  loose  and  friable  as  cornmeal,  is  ideal  soil  for  potatoes.  Everywhere 
else  potato  growers  use  all  devices  to  mellow  the  ground.  Year  after 
year  thev  must  stuff  the  stiff  clay  with  humus,  in  some  shape  or  another. 
They  plow  under  the  clover  and  stable  manure  to  get  particles  of  vege- 
table matter  interposed  between  the  stiff,  tenacious  particles  of  clay. 
Chesty  and  robust  as  the  potato  appears  in  the  basket,  it  is  a  tender 
infant,  requiring  the  softest  lamb's  wool  coverlet  for  its  proper  develop- 
ment. If  it  must  struggle  with  hard,  unyielding  clay,  it  becomes  stunted, 
gnarled  and  knobby.  The  soft,  yielding  silt  of  the  district  named  is  this 
lamb's  wool  blanket  for  the  infant  potato. 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  North  Dakota  citizen  cannot  be  avoided.  His 
pride  is  boundless,  his  faith  is  far-reaching.  His  belief  in  the  men,  and 
his  confidence  in  the  institutions  of  his  locality,  make  him  eloquent  as  he 
espouses  them.     It  is  a  fine  spirit  and  the  right  one. 

It  was  the  beaver  that  led  the  trapper  and  trader  to  the  discovery  of 
the  Red  River  valley.  Forty  years  ago  this  valley  was  as  wild  as  nature 
made  it  and  was  believed  to  be  uninhabitable  by  reason  of  alleged  spring 
inundations.  Today  it  is  famed  throughout  the  world  for  its  productiv- 
ity. Forty  years  ago  the  buffalo,  elk  and  bear  were  relied  upon  by  na- 
ture's children  for  food.  Today  these  animals  are  practically  extinct 
in  the  state. 

Forty  years  ago  the  first  frame  building  in  the  valley  was  erected. 
Today  the  country  is  studded  with  cities  and  farm  houses  and  raises 
annually  50,000,000  bushels  of  wheat.  Forty  years  ago  two-wheeled 
carts  were  employed  for  hauling  goods  from  Saint  Paul  to  Winnipeg,  and 
rawhide  harnesses  were  in  general  use.  Today  the  state  is  gridironed 
with  railroad  tracks  and  the  prosperous  farmers  buzz  across  the  prairie 
in  automobiles. 

The  D.\kot.\s 

North  Dakota  is  rapidly  settling  up.  Its  surface  is  generally  prairie. 
There  is  room  for  2,000,000  more  people.  The  soil  is  very  rich  and  pro- 
ductive. The  products  of  the  soil  are  very  similar  to  those  of  Minne- 
sota, Iowa  and  Illinois.  An  observing  visitor  remarks :  "It  is  encour- 
aging to  see  the  improved  methods.  It  looks  more  like  farming  has  be- 
come a  scientific  industry,  instead  of  a  makeshift  method  of  earning  a 


190  ST.  PAUL  AND  \1CIX1TY 

precarious  existence.     It  means  bigger  yields,  a  conservation  of  the  soil  s 
fertility,  and  greater  prosperity  for  the  agriculturists." 

Farm  statisticians  report  that  corn  will  hereafter  be  one  of  North 
Dakota's  heaviest  crops.  There  are  counties  in  which  practically  every 
farmer  will  raise  from  twenty  to  fifty  acres.  That  is  an  encouraging 
outlook.  Experience  has  demonstrated  in  the  older  settled  states  that 
the  farmer  who  sends  his  crops  to  market  on  the  hoof  makes  more 
monev  than  his  neighbor  w^ho  sticks  to  grain  growing. 

There  no  longer  is  any  doubt  about  the  ability  of  North  Dakota  to 
produce  good  corn.  The  sort  they  raise  is  not  such  as  is  produced  in 
Iowa  or  Illinois,  but  it  makes  up  in  quality  of  food  value  what  it  lacks 
in  quantity,  and  insures  practically  the  same  profit. 

Statistics  relative  to  the  leading  crops  for  South  Dakota  collected  at 
the  Thirteenth  Decennial  census  contained  in  an  official  statement  show 
that  the  leading  crops  in  1909  ranked  in  the  order  of  valuation,  were: 
Wheat,  $42,881,000;  corn,  $26,385,000;  oats,  $16,038,000;  hay  and  for- 
age, $15,240,000;  barley,  $10,870,000;  flaxseed,  $6,993,000:  emmer  and 
spelt,  $2,626,000;  potatoes,  $1,967,000. 

From  1899  to  1909  the  acreage  of  corn  increased  from  1.196,381 
acres  to  1,975,558  or  65.1  per  cent.  Notwithstanding  the  enormous  gain 
by  oats  during'  the  last  decade,  corn  has  retained  its  position  among  the 
cereals,  ranking  second  in  acreage  and  first  in  production.  The  acreage 
in  1889  was  753,309.  The  total  yield  for  1909  was  53,612,093  bushels, 
a  lead  over  its  nearest  competitor  in  production,  wheat,  of  more  than 
8,000.000  bushels.  The  average  yield  per  acre  was  27  bushels;  the  av- 
erage value  per  acre,  $13.35. 

The  cereals  had  an  aggregate  acreage  of  7,892,482  acres  in  1909,  as 
against  6,211,202  in  1899,  an  increase  of  1,681.280  acres,  or  27  per  cent, 
as  compared  to  an  increase  for  the  preceding  decade  of  67.8  per  cent. 
The  average  value  of  cereals  per  acre  in  1909  was  $12.50.  Wheat  shows 
the  highest  average  value  per  acre  of  the  cereals ;  buckwheat  the  lowest. 
Of  the  hay  and  forage  crops  alfalfa  is  well  above  the  rest  in  average 
value  per  acre. 

Montana 

The  census  statistics  of  the  State  of  Montana,  for  the  decennial  pe- 
riod, make  a  highly  favorable  showing.  Tlie  leading  crops  of  the  state 
for  1909,  ranked  in  the  order  of  valuation,  were:  Hay  and  forage,  $12,- 
345,000;  oats,  $6,148,000;  wheat,  $5,329,000;  potatoes,  $1,299,000  and 
flaxseed,  $677,000. 

Hav  and  forage  increased  259,664  acres,  or  29.7  per  cent,  between 
1899  and  1909.  From  56,801  acres  in  1S79.  hay  and  forage  rose  to 
300,033  acres  in  1889,  to  875,712  acres  in  1899.  and  finally  to  1.135,376 
acres  in  1909.  Hence,  hay  and  forage,  during  llic  thirty-year  period 
from  1879  to  1909  increased  almost  nineteen-fold.  The  total  yield  in 
1909  was  1.693,556  tons. 

From  16  acres  in  1899,  flaxseed  increased  by  1909  to  37.647  acres. 
Hence,  from  an  insignificant  acreage  in  1899,  flaxseed  has  become  an 
important  miscellaneous  crop.  The  average  yield  per  acre  was  12  bush- 
els; the  average  value  per  acre  $18. 

The  figures  indicate  plainly  that  Montana,  instead  of  sticking  to  live 
stock  that  could  i)e  raised  on  the  vast  unoccupied  |irairies.  is  going  in  for 
general  farming.  The  state  is  becoming  sctlletl  and  the  ranges  of  a  few 
years  ago  are  doomed.    That  development  not  only  means  increased  popu- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  191 

lation  and  wealth  for  Montana  but  furnishes  another  argument  in  favor  of 
diversified  farming.  Montana  is  being  transformed  from  a  cattle  range  to 
a  state  devoted  to  general  farming,  yet  the  value  of  its  live  stock  increased 
from  $51,724,000  in  1900  to  $84,91 1,000  in  1910,  showing  again  that  diver- 
sified farming  is  the  real  thing. 

The  state  of  Montana  contains  146,572  square  miles  and  is  as  large  as 
the  combined  area  of  New  York.  Pennsylvania,  Indiana,  Maryland  and 
Connecticut.  It  is  the  third  state  in  size  in  the  Union  and  is  richer  in 
natural  wealth  than  Pennsylvania.  The  population  of  Montana  is  only 
400,000.     It  will  support  in  comfort  forty  times  that  many. 

Montana  has  long  been  famous  for  its  copper,  cattle  and  sheep.  For 
years  these  products  have  been  the  principal  sources  of  its  wealth.  So 
much  has  been  said  about  them  and  so  little  about  its  agricultural  possi- 
bilities that  it  has  not  received  the  recognition  due  it  as  a  great  grain  pro- 
ducing section. 

A  recent  bulletin  published  by  the  department  of  agriculture  on  the 
subject  of  irrigation  in  Montana  shows  the  average  cost  on  the  difl:'erent 
crops.  The  figures  are  based  on  a  large  number  of  representative  farmers, 
and  show  that  $1.07  per  acre  will  cover  irrigation  on  the  ordinary  field 
crops.  This  would  make  irrigation  on  a  160  acre  farm  cost  less  than  $200, 
which  would  fully  cover  all  the  expenses  for  maintaining  the  ditches,  put- 
ting in  laterals,  and  hiring  irrigators  to  spread  the  water  over  the  ground. 

Irrig.\tion  and  the  Apple 

Irrigation  may  be  liriefly  explained  as  the  permanent  diversion  of 
water  from  sources  of  supply  and  its  conveyance  over  tracts  of  land  by 
means  of  canals  and  ditches  of  gradually  diminishing  size.  The  process  by 
no  means  contemplates  a  continuous  flow  of  water  but  involves  a  thorough 
moistening  of  the  soil  from  one  to  three  times  during  the  season,  accord- 
ing to  the  character  of  the  crop.  Grain  requires  but  one  irrigation  while 
it  is  advisable  to  irrigate  alfalfa  once  for  each  cutting.  The  following 
claims  are  put  forth  as  to  the  advantages  of  irrigation : 

First :  The  yield  from  irrigated  land  in  the  dry  regions  of  the  west  is 
from  two  to  five  times  that  from  lands  where  rainfall  is  depended  on. 

Second :  The  harvest  is  absolutely  certain,  as  the  water  supply  is  under 
control  at  all  times  and  the  growing  crop  need  never  be  injured  by  receiv- 
ing too  much  or  too  little  water. 

Third :  The  continual  sunshine  not  only  enables  one  better  to  cultivate 
the  soil  but  the  products  of  that  soil  are  of  finer  finality  than  are  those 
grown  where  crops  must  depend  upon  uncertain  rains. 

Fourth :  The  crop  is  never  lost  at  harvest  time ;  the  farmer  harvests 
when  he  is  ready  without  having  to  wait  for  favorable  weather  conditions^ 

Fifth :  The  farmer  who  depends  on  rainfall  for  the  growing  of  his 
crops  must  sit  helpless  while  he  longs  for  the  needed  rain ;  the  irrigation 
farmer  simply  opens  his  gate  and  puts  the  water  on  his  potatoes  today,  his 
oats  or  other  crops  whenever  they  need  it,  while  he  may  be  making  hay  in 
another  field,  thus  having  perfect  weather  conditions  every  day  for  the 
growing  and  harvesting  of  his  different  crops. 

The  climate  of  Montana  is  excellent  and  is  usually  a  great  surprise  to 
visitors ;  more  especially  is  this  true  of  the  south-central  part  in  the  winter 
season.  The  clear,  dry  air,  combined  with  the  elevation,  has  an  extremely 
invigorating  eflfect  which  makes  the  climate  one  of  the  most  healthful  and 


192  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

pleasant  on  the  American  conlineiU.  1 'lowing  begins  in  March,  and  about 
two-thirds  of  the  annual  rainfall  comes  during  April,  May  and  June. 

Although  fruit  has  been  grown  in  Montana  for  fifty  years  and  has  thus 
passed  the  experimental  stage,  the  industry  is  yet  in  its  infancy.  But  if 
the  orchard  development  continues  until  the  available  orchard  lands  are 
utilized,  the  value  of  the  output  of  the  mines  will  sink  into  insignificance 
when  compared  to  the  value  of  one  fruit  crop. 

Every  Montana  a])ple  is  clean.  There  are  no  worms.  There  is  little  or 
no  danger  from  pests  or  frosts.  The  big,  clean,  deliciously  flavored 
apples  of  Montana  are  eagerly  sought  in  every  market.  The  Mcintosh 
Red,  heralded  as  the  acme  of  perfection,  is  a  Montana  product. 

The  wonder  tales  of  the  time  are  about  the  big  red  apples  of  Oregon, 
Washington,  Idaho  and  Montana.  It  is  claimed  that  you  pay  S500  an  acre 
for  irrigated  land,  plant  your  trees,  wait  a  few  years,  and  then  settle 
down  for  life  with  an  income  of  anywhere  from  $r,ooo  to  $3,000  an 
acre.  The  agricultural  department  of  Washington  tells  of  one  grower 
who  makes  his  orchard  pay  a  dividend  of  $10,000  an  acre,  jjesides  provid- 
ing a  sinking  fund  to  pay  off  the  original  cost. 

The  apple  is  about  the  most  popular  fruit  that  grows.  Put  apples, 
peaches,  and  oranges  on  the  same  table,  and  there  will  generally  be  peaches 
and  almost  always  oranges,  when  the  last  apple  is  gone.  Moreover,  the 
apple  is  used  in  many  forms  and  for  many  different  purjioses.  It  is  a 
necessity  rather  than  a  luxury.  The  irrigated  lands  of  the  Pacific  nortii- 
west,  with  their  long,  w'arm  summers  and  snappy  winters,  grow  the 
finest  apples.  The  highest  scientific  methods  of  ])lanting,  cultivating, 
pruning  and  marketing  have  been  developed  in  connection  with  the 
industry. 

The  Yakima  river  and  valley,  in  Washington,  together  constitute  one 
of  the  greatest  irrigation  jirojects  in  the  country.  The  government  is  con- 
serving the  waters  of  four  large  lakes  in  the  Cascade  range  that  form 
the  sources  of  this  stream,  to  increase  the  supply  for  irrigation.  It  is 
thus  reclaiming  a  half  million  acres  of  land  and  tlie  total  cost  of  dams, 
canals,  and  appurtenances  will  aggregate  $15,000,000  or  more.  In  the 
same  way  the  government  is  reclaiming  100,000  acres  in  the  Yellowstone 
valley  in  Montana,  and  more  of  this  may  follow.  Besides  the  govern- 
ment projects,  there  are  about  300,000  acres  under  private  irrigation  in 
this  valley,  and  a  beginning  has  but  just  been  made. 

One  of  the  most  hopeful  signs  in  connection  with  the  desert's  reclama- 
tion is  the  surprisingly  large  number  of  people  who  have  left  the  cities 
and  towns  to  take  u])  these  farms,  and  who  have  "made  good."  Not- 
witlistanding  a  lack  of  knowledge  of  farming  and  unfamiliarity  with 
conditions  in  an  irrigated  country,  the  percentage  of  failures  is  very  small. 
The  question.  "Can  a  merchant,  mcciianic,  lawyer,  doctor,  or  men  of 
other  professions,  succeed  as  farmers  in  the  West?"  has  been  answered. 
Given  good  health,  a  small  capital  to  make  a  start  and  a  willingness  to 
work  hard,  and  the  answer  in  most  cases  is  in  the  afiirmative. 

Irrigation  is  a  simple  thing.  It  could  not  be  otiierwise  when  even 
the  Indians  understand  it  and  make  i)ractical  use  of  it.  Nearly  twenty 
years  ago  the  Crow  Indians,  the  descendants  of  those  old  time  expert 
horse  stealers,  put  in  extensive  irrigation  works  on  the  Little  Big  Horn 
river  on  the  very  ground  where  a  part  of  Custer's  disastrous  battle  of 
June  25,  1876,  took  place.  What  is  more,  they  did  the  work  themselves 
under  the  direction  of  a  white  engineer,  and  paid  for  it  with  their  own 
monev.  and  it  cost  ihem  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  193 

Drainage 

For  many  years  efforts  have  been  made  to  have  the  federal  govern- 
ment reclaim  the  swamp  lands  of  the  United  States  in  the  same  manner 
that  the  arid  lands  are  being  reclaimed.  At  present  there  seems  to  be 
little  prospect  of  the  federal  government  undertaking  the  work,  for  the 
reason  that  in  the  states  where  the  largest  areas  of  wet  lands  are  found 
there  is  little,  if  any,  land  owned  or  controlled  by  the  federal  government. 
Furthermore,  in  nearly  all  of  these  states  large  grants  of  swamp  lands 
have  been  made  to  the  state,  with  the  agreement  that  the  state  should 
use  the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  such  lands  in  reclaiming  the  same. 

^Minnesota,  with  an  original  swamp  area  of  more  than  10.000,000 
acres,  had  a  special  and  a  vital  interest  in  the  solution  of  the  drainage 
problem,  which  involved  not  one  locality  or  one  state,  but  even  the  three 
great  continental  watersheds  embraced  within  her  borders.  She  has  not 
been  inactive.  Since  the  passage  of  the  Grindeland  law,  in  1897,  more 
than  8,000  miles  of  ditches  have  been  constructed  at  a  cost  of  $10,008,608, 
draining  6,250,000  acres  of  swamp  land,  affording  estimated  benefits  of 
$18,778,915.  Many  counties  have  supplemented  the  state's  work  by  con- 
structing ditches  at  their  own  expense.  In  twenty  years  Minnesota  will 
have  accomplished  as  much  drainage  work  as  Ohio,  Illinois  or  Indiana  in 
fiftv.  Minnesota's  work,  at  present  progress,  will  be  finished  in  a  decade. 
The  cost  of  state  work  averages  8.8  cents  per  cubic  yard,  30  to  40  per  cent 
lower  than  county  cost  for  the  same  work. 

The  great  activity  in  drainage  work  all  over  the  state  is  in  a  large 
measure  attributable  to  the  state's  excellent  drainage  law.  Minnesota 
has  the  most  equitable  and  practical  drainage  law  of  any  state  in  the 
Union.  It  is  the  result  of  much  hard  work  on  the  part  of  some  of  the 
best  lawyers,  most  practical  business  men  and  best  drainage  engineers  of 
the  state.  It  has  been  upheld  in  all  important  parts  by  the  Supreme  Court 
and  is  far  superior  to  the  drainage  laws  of  any  other  state  in  the  Union. 

Gateway  to  it  All 

To  all  this  vast  and  productive  region ;  rich  in  minerals ;  abounding  in 
immense  forests ;  teeming  with  generous  yield  of  farm  and  orchard ; 
reaching  across  the  Red  River  of  the  North  and  the  Missouri  and  the 
Yellowstone  and  the  Columbia,  to  Behring  sea — to  all  this,  and  more, 
St.  Paul  is  the  gateway.  Few  of  us  realize  the  vastness  of  our  own  unde- 
veloped territory.  James  J.  Hill  once  remarked:  "You  could  take  the 
state  of  Iowa  and  drop  it  into  the  state  of  Oregon,  and  no  part  of  it 
would  touch  a  railroad."  Lack  of  space  forbids  extended  reference  to 
the  enormous  prairie  provinces  of  the  Northwest  British  Possessions — 
Manitoba,  Saskatchewan,  Alberta  and  British  Columbia,  with  their  wid- 
ening fields  of  industry ;  their  growing  cities ;  their  railway  expansion ; 
their  rapid  development ;  bewildering  to  the  mind  that  tries  to  keep  pace 
with  it.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  sturdy  American  farmers  have  gone 
to  these  provinces  within  the  past  five  years,  carrying  with  them  their 
energ}',  intelligence  and  skill,  all  to  be  devoted  to  building  up  new  empires 
of  civilization  in  a  country  that,  with  new  and  liberal  relations  of  trade 
reciprocity,  are  to  be  wielded  to  us  with  close  commercial  ties.  Only  by 
measuring  on  the  map  and  discovering  that  the  prosperous  young  citv  of 
Edmonton  on  the  Saskatchewan  river,  itself  a  trade  center  of  fertile 
farming  areas  beyond,  lies  farther  northwest  of  St.  Paul  than  St.  Paul 

Vol.  I— 13 


194  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

lies  northwest  of  Jacksonville,  Florida,  can  we  realize  the  immensity  of 
the  domain  for  which  this  city  must  ever  be  the  gateway  and  entrepot. 

And  the  gold,  the  copper,  the  wheat  and  ajjples  and  wool  and  lumber, 
the  beef  and  butter  and  alfalfa,  which  this  tributary  region  yields,  are  not 
the  only  resources.  Men  must  travel  and  recreate,  and  nowhere  on  the 
globe,  in  equal  or  double  space,  can  be  offered  more  scenic  delights  and 
recreative  opportunities,  than  in  this  Northwestern  Wonderland,  the 
mecca  of  tourists,  the  ultima  thule  of  rational  enjoyment. 

Center  ok  Out-Door  Ch.vkms 

The  fame  of  Minnesota's  lakes,  woods  and  rivers  makes  the  state's 
summer  resorts  strong  coin])etitors  for  tiie  eastern  summer  rcsorters.  So 
well  is  this  established  that  there  is  talk  of  having  the  summer  capital  of 
the  United  States  placed  at  Lake  .Minnetonka,  near  St.  Paul.  Within  a 
few  hours'  ride  of  St.  Paul  there  are  resorts  where  the  lake  water  is 
as  blue  as  the  skies,  where  conventionality  is  thrown  to  the  winds  and 
where  comfort  only  is  sought.  In  cottages  by  these  lakes,  the  summer 
tourist  may  sleep  on  his  front  porch,  with  only  X'enetian  blinds  to  shield 
him,  and  enjoy  a  quiet  that  cannot  be  had  in  the  city  at  any  time  of  tlie 
day  or  night.  He  may  enjoy  the  cool  fresh  air  straight  off  tiie  lakes, 
unpolluted  by  city  smells  or  smoke,  and  unheated  by  the  sun's  rays  flash- 
ing back  from  street  and  w'alls. 

Tiiere  may  still  be  found  spots  in  Minnesota  wliere  the  camper-out 
meets  none  but  the  trapper,  the  pioneer,  or  the  friendly  Indian.  Game 
laws  are  among  the  most  liberal  of  any  state  in  the  union.  And  game 
is  plentiful.  And  fish — why.  a  Wyoming  trout  stream  seems  empty  in 
com])arison  with  some  of  the  still  inland  lakes,  or  some  of  the  translucid 
purling  streams.  With  a  camera,  the  beauties  of  nature  can  be  caught 
and  made  to  cheer  a  gloomy  winter  evening  in  the  city  flat.  .And  as  for 
fish  stories  being  questioned,  when  you  have  a  picture  of  a  string  of 
eighteen  pounders  to  prove  your  skill  no  one  can  doubt  them. 

Grand  Rapids,  Isle  Royale,  New  London  and  Osakis,  Minnetonka 
and  White  Bear  Lake,  Chisago  lakes,  .Mexandria,  Detroit,  Glcnwood, 
Coronis,  are  just  a  few  bits  from  tiie  (Jarden  of  I-'den  dropped  down  into 
Minnesota.  Minnesota  has  10,000  lakes  with  a  water  area  of  over  6,000 
sc|uare  miles.  .Scientists  say  the  reason  the  (iarden  of  Eden  has  never 
I)ecn  f(nmd  is  because  it  was  broken  u|)  and  the  choicest  parts  dropped 
into  Minnesota. 

At  Crooked  rapids  are  niuskallonge,  pike  and  bass,  and  at  Winter  the 
same  fish  abound.  At  Birch  wood.  Lake  Owen,  Shell  Lake.  Cumberland, 
Cable,  Ashland  and  Grandview,  liayfield  and  Madeline  island,  all  in  Wis- 
consin, fishing,  swimming  and  boating,  hunting  and  just  jilain  laziness, 
can  be  enjoyed  witiiont  let  or  hindrance.  .\nd  the  cost  of  living  bears  no 
resemblance  to  those  expensive  iiostelries  uf  other  laiuis,  wiiere  the 
salads  smell  of  freshly  minted  gold  coins,  and  the  entrees  taste  like  a 
certified  check. 

And  the  glories  of  the  old  X'ermillion  trail,  in  the  lake  regions  of 
rugged  northern  Minnesota,  along  the  Canadian  line!  It  is  the  home  of 
the  moose  and  deer;  of  the  pine  and  the  arbutus;  the  land  where  for  gen- 
erations the  red  men  roamed  and  reigned — whence  came  tiie  rich  furs 
that  attracted  the  white  man.  The  land  that  now  pours  out  riches  incal- 
culable from  great  mines  of  iron  that  rib  the  eartli  like  star-rays.  It  is 
the  land  where  the  countless  lakes  of  blue  smile  iiack  at  perfect  .skies. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  195 

from  their  setting  of  tree  and  rock,  stream  and  waterfall ;  where  the  call 
of  the  loon  is  echoed  by  the  cries  of  the  Indian  paddlers,  pushing  their 
swift  birch  canoes  along  the  rivers  and  across  the  lakes. 

Then  ride  westward  through  the  beautiful  park  region  of  Minnesota; 
across  the  Red  River  valley;  over  the  golden  prairies  of  North  Dakota; 
through  the  picturesque  bad-lands ;  up  the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone,  and 
through  Gardiner  Canyon  to  the  geysers  and  hot  springs  and  sulphur 
hills  and  obsydian  mountains  of  Yellowstone  Park.  Those  who  live  up 
to  the  motto,  "See  .America  first"  find  this  tour  one  of  never-ending 
delight. 

A  visit  to  the  famed  Yoho  valley,  via  the  Natural  bridge  and  Emerald 
and  Yoho  lakes,  is  a  favorite  two  or  three  days'  trip.  The  route  most 
popular  is  by  way  of  the  carriage  road  down  the  bank  of  Kicking 
Horse  river  and  thence  around  the  base  of  Mt.  Burgess  to  Emerald  lake, 
on  the  wooded  shore  of  which  has  been  erected  a  picturesque  modern 
Swiss  chalet,  providing  excellent  accommodations. 

Or  go  to  Glacier  National  Park,  the  newest  of  our  National  play- 
grounds, which  was  created  by  act  of  congress  in  February,  1910.  It  is 
the  second  largest  in  the  country,  comprising  1,400  square  miles,  located 
in  northwestern  Montana.  The  Great  Northern  line  runs  along  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  park  for  60  miles  and  affords  a  view  of  some 
of  the  finest  mountain  scenery  in  the  world.  Within  the  park  are  sixty 
living  glaciers  varying  in  size  from  an  acre  or  two  up  to  Blackfoot 
Glacier  with  an  area  of  about  5  square  miles.  Principal  glaciers  are : 
Blackfoot,  Sperry,  Grinnell,  Cheney,  Pumpelly,  Red  Eagle  and  Harrison. 
There  are  over  250  mountain  lakes  ranging  from  small  ponds  to  bodies 
of  water,  15  to  17  miles  long  and  3  to  8  miles  wide. 

Beyond  is  the  Pacific  coast,  with  its  Mount  Ranier,  another  world- 
wonder.  Like  its  white  hoary  brother  and  sister  peaks,  from  Shasta  to 
Baker,  Rainier  stands  segregated,  apart  from  encompassing  mountains 
that  would  dwarf  and  belittle  it.  Alone,  immaculate,  robed  in  the  white- 
ness that  betokens  modesty  and  purity,  it  reaches  from  the  level  of  the 
ocean  that  once  laved  its  slopes,  up  into  the  azure  of  the  skies  for  14,363 
feet,  more  than  two  and  a  half  miles  above  Tacoma,  Seattle,  Olympia 
and  the  legion  of  towns  from  whose  confines  thousands  of  eyes  turn  to  it 
each  day  for  pleasure  and  inspiration. 

Hence  by  steamer  to  Alaska,  to  Japan  to  Hawaii,  to  the  Philippines, 
our  new  way  around  the  world — all  things  are  possible  to  him  who  leaves 
St.  Paul  properly  equipped  with  through  tickets  to  all  the  beauty-spots  of 
all  the  hemispheres. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

CALL  TO  THE  HOME-BUILDER 

Spencer  on  Racial  Amalgamation — Other  Good  and  Wise  Prophets 
— Land,  the  Only  Solid  Basis  of  Prosperity — Duty  to  Become 
Home  Owner — Nature  of  Minnesota's  Population — Favoraisle 
Conditions  for  the  Home-Builder — The  Consolidated  Rural 
School — Electric  Light  and  Power  to  Farmers — Abundant  and 
Practical  Education — Moral  and  Religious  Influences — Min- 
nesota's Grand  Call. 

The  home  is  the  criterion !  The  home  is  the  unit  of  nationality ;  the 
corner-stone  of  civiUzation ;  the  throned  and  crowned  objective  of  every 
complete,  successful,  fruitful  life. 

A  nation  is  truly  prosperous  and  really  great  in  exact  proportion  to 
the  refinement,  culture,  harmony  and  virtue  which  pervade  the  homes  of 
its  average  citizens.  The  desirable  immigrant,  is,  first  of  all.  a  home- 
seeker;  he  proposes  to  be  a  home-builder;  he  is  intelligently  alert  in 
searching  for  the  elements,  the  conditions,  the  surroundings  and  the 
future  prospects  which  satisfy  his  judgment  that  his  home-building  will 
be  a  benefaction  to  his  family. 

The  United  States  is  a  nation  of  homes,  and  therein  lies  its  chief  title 
to  leadership  in  molding  the  world's  contem])orary  history.  Our  people 
have  had  the  good  fortune  to  possess  unparalleled  advantages  in  the  vir- 
gin soil  and  untouched  mineral  resources  of  a  new  continent.  Entering 
into  this  priceless  possession,  they  have  profited  i)y  inheriting  all  the  arts, 
methods  and  inventions  by  means  of  which  older  countries  have  advanced 
to  high  develoi^ment,  at  the  same  time  avoiding  the  defects  and  obstruc- 
tions which  have  clouded  that  advancement  elsewhere,  or  retarded  it. 

They  have  been  free,  in  their  march  of  progress,  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  experience  of  past  ages,  appropriating  that  which  is  l)enelicial  and 
rejecting  that  which  has  been  shown  to  l)e  injurious. 

The  consequence  is  that  they  have  built  up  a  nation  of  homes  such 
as  the  world  has  never  before  seen.  .\nd  the  aggregate  of  those  homes 
constitutes  a  society  which  makes  up  the  world  we  live  in,  the  world 
worth  knowing,  worth  speaking  of,  worth  planning  for;  which  makes 
up  the  nation  worth  living  for  and  dying  for ;  the  land  which  Kossuth, 
the  Hungarian  exile,  said,  fifty  years  ago,  had  become  the  preface  of 
liberty  for  all  mankind. 

To  the  genuine  home-seekers  anf!  home-builders  Minnesota  offers 
unparalleled  inducements  and  an  unstinted  cordiality  of  welcome.  Her 
people  have  long  since  learned  that  tiie  infusion  of  good  blood  lends  con- 
stantly increasing  vigor  to  the  body  politic.    They  have  unbounded  con- 

196 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  197 

fidence  in  the  power  of  the  social  organization  already  well  established 
here,  to  assimilate  all  desirable  additions. 

Spencer  on  Raci.vl  Amalgamation 

On  visiting  this  country  a  kindly  but  veracious  critic  from  abroad,  the 
illustrious  Herbert  Spencer,  said  of  us:  "The  world  has  never  before 
seen  social  phenomena  at  all  comparable  with  those  presented  in  the 
United  States.  This  progressive  incorporation  of  vast  bodies  of  immi- 
grants of  various  bloods  has  never  occurred  on  such  a  scale  before.  Large 
empires  composed  of  different  peoples  have,  in  previous  cases,  been 
formed  by  conquest  and  annexation.  Then  your  immense  plexus  of  rail- 
ways and  telegraphs  tends  to  consolidate  this  vast  aggregate  of  states 
in  a  way  no  such  aggregate  has  ever  before  been  consolidated.  And  there 
are  many  minor  cooperating  causes  unlike  those  hitherto  known.  It  may, 
I  think,  be  reasonably  held  that,  both  because  of  its  size  and  the  hetero- 
geneity of  its  components,  that  the  American  nation  will  be  a  long  time 
in  evolving  its  ultimate  form,  but  that  its  ultimate  form  will  be  high. 
One  great  result  is,  I  think,  tolerably  clear.  From  biological  truths  it 
is  to  be  inferred  that  the  eventual  mixture  of  the  allied  varieties  of  the 
Aryan  race  forming  the  population  will  produce  a  finer  type  of  man  than 
has  hitherto  existed,  and  a  type  of  man  more  plastic,  more  adaptable, 
more  capable  of  undergoing  the  modification  needful  for  complete  social 
life.  I  think  that,  whatever  difiiculties  they  may  have  to  surmount  and 
whatever  tribulations  they  may  have  to  pass  through,  the  Americans  may 
reasonably  look  forward  to  a  time  when  they  will  have  produced  a  civili- 
zation grander  than  any  the  world  has  known." 

This  expertness  in  vivisection,  this  faculty  of  laying  a  nation  or  an 
era  on  the  operating  table,  tracing  its  arteries  and  veins  and  pointing  out 
the  pulsations  of  their  life,  is  given  only  to  the  master  spirits  of  an  age. 
We  may  unfeignedly  rejoice  that  the  omens,  as  interpreted  by  this  prac- 
tical, benevolent,  reverent  oracle  are,  on  the  whole,  auspicious  for  the 
republic. 

Other  Good  and  Wise  Prophets 

As  early  an  explorer  as  Lieutenant  Jonathan  Carver  declared  in  1767, 
upon  reaching  that  portion  of  the  upper  stretches  of  the  Mississippi  river 
valley  embraced  within  the  boundaries  of  the  state  of  Minnesota,  that  his 
eye  had  never  rested  upon  a  fairer  scene  and  prophesied  that  the  time 
would  come  when  mighty  kingdoms  would  merge  from  these  wilder- 
nesses, and  stately  palaces  and  solemn  temples  with  gilded  spires  reach- 
ing to  the  skies,  supplant  the  Indian  huts  whose  only  decorations  were 
the  barbarous  trophies  of  their  van(|uished  enemies.  One  hundred  and 
fifty-three  years  have  passed  since  his  visit  to  the  spot  which  brought 
forth  his  declaration,  where  now  stand  two  mighty  cities  of  600,000 
population,  centrally  located  in  one  of  the  great  commonwealths  of  the 
Union  with  84,000  square  miles  within  its  boundaries  and  with  a  thriving 
and  prosperous  population  of  2,200.000  people. 

In  1840  the  great  French  traveler,  De  Tocf|eville,  declared  that  no- 
where else  upon  the  globe  were  such  beauteous  and  fertile  lands  as  those 
drained  by  the  Mississippi  river,  and  in  the  seventy  years  which  have 
since  transpired  this  conviction  has  become  a  part  of  the  settled  belief 
of  every  man  who  has  had  oiiportunity  of  obtaining  personal  knowledge 


198  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICIXITV 

of  those  districts — especially  those  which  are  adjacent  to  the  headwaters 
of  the  great  arterial  waterway  of  this  continent. 

It  is  an  indisputable  fact  that  land  is  the  foundation  of  all  wealth,  for 
not  only  do  the  precious  metals  of  the  earth  come  out  of  their  hiding 
places  in  the  ground,  but  all  ])roducts  are  primarily  the  fruits  of  the  soil. 

Land,  the  O.nlv  Soi.iu  iJ.\sis  or  I'uosi'iiKiTY 

Land  also  is  the  real  basis  of  all  wealth,  as  its  products  arc  the  means 
of  making  the  wheels  of  commerce  whirl.  Portable  securities  may  fly 
away  or  become  worthless,  but  land  always  is  permanent  and  where  it 
belongs.  The  land,  projierly  handled,  never  wears  out  or  decays,  but 
becomes  more  valuable  as  time  goes  on. 

The  large  legitimate  fortunes  of  this  country  have  been  made  in  lands 
and  great  fortunes  are  still  being  piled  up  by  those  who  invest  in  the  soil 
of  the  earth. 

Every  deposit  intrusted  In  .Mother  Earth  becomes  an  interest-bearing 
investment.     Sacredly  she  guards  the  jirincipal. 

Instantly  she  pays  on  demand. 

She  never  re])udiates  a  debt  or  cancels  an  obligation. 

She  never  sleeps  or  tires  in  the  service  of  her  dc])ositors. 

She  never  closes  her  doors  because  of  a  run. 

She  never  makes  mistakes  or  is  obligated  to  offer  apologies. 

She  compounds  interest  every  minute  of  day  or  night. 

Her  resources  are  unlimited.  The  older  she  grows,  the  safer  she 
grows,  and  the  more  valuable  becomes  the  capital  intrusted  to  her  keep- 
ing. 

The  rich  and  jjoor  alike  receive  impartial  benefits  at  her  hands ;  and 
though  the  foolish  have  drawn  out  their  deposits  to  risk  them  elsewhere, 
the  wise  have  ever  returned  to  her.  satisfied  th;it  investments  in  mother 
earth  pay  the  best  of  all. 

The  census  bureau  at  Washington  has  issued  a  bulletin  on  land 
values,  which  shows  that  the  jire-sent  value  of  all  the  farms  in  the  United 
States  is  approximately  $50,OCX3,ooo,ooo,  as  compared  with  a  little  more 
than  .S20,ooo.ooo,ooo,  in  lyoo.  It  also  shows  that  the  total  acreage  un- 
der cultivation  has  declined  since  the  year  i<po.  The  bulletin  states 
that  the  value  of  farm  lands  is  $20,500,000,000  more  than  the  aggregate 
of  capital  invested  in  manufacturers.  This  shows  an  increase  in  the 
value  of  farm  lands  in  the  last  ten  years  of  one  hundred  tifly  per  cent, 
and  this  in  face  of  the  fact  that  the  United  States  government  lias  given 
away  to  the  citizens  of  this  country,  in  the  form  of  homesteads,  several 
billion  acres  during  tli.il  tinu-. 

The  "corn  shows"  and  the  "land  shows"  are  educating  the  home- 
builders.  The  former  deal  with  the  iiossibilities  of  harnessing  the  forces 
of  heredity  to  increase  i)roduction ;  with  scientilic  i)lant-breeding  to  im- 
prove various  sjiecies  of  plants  and  animals.  It  is  wonderful  to  see  what 
science  has  accomplished  and  how  the  ])laiit-l)reeders  have  civilized  our 
grains  and  grasses.  It  is  interesting  to  .see  how  the  chemical  content  of 
an  ear  of  corn  or  of  a  sugar  beet  can  be  changed ;  how  the  choicest 
blood  .strains  of  heridity  have  been  taken  into  man's  hand  and  made  to 
re])lace  the  half-civilized  species. 

r.ut  it  is  vastly  more  important  to  the  masses  to  know  what  the  soil 
of  lands  which  offer  them  a  home  will  i)roduce,  with  only  the  ordinary 
knowledge,  by  simply  meeting  the  sea.sons  with  brute  force,  as  most  of 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  199 

the  people  have  to  meet  them  who  go  to  the  new  countries  and  begin 
life  on  a  farm. 

The  land  show  educates  the  general  public  and  more  especially  those 
who  expect  to  go  to  lands  open  for  settlement  as  a  sort  of  pioneers. 
These  people  will  take  the  best  seeds  with  them  and  they  owe  the  plant- 
breeder  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  producing  these  seeds,  but  they  are  more 
interested  in  seeing  what  these  seeds  will  produce,  when  planted  in  the 
soils  of  the  northwest  states,  than  in  how  the  plant-breeder,  by  a  process 
of  crossing  and  elimination,  secured  the  seeds  from  the  choicest  plants 
of  the  species. 

Duty  to  Become  Home  Owner 

Two-thirds  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  own  no  real  estate. 
Whose  fault  is  it  that  these  two-thirds  own  nothing  but  the  clothes  on  their 
backs  and  the  beds  in  which  they  sleep?  It  is  their  own.     With  three- 


HARVESTING    FIELD    OF    WHE.VT,    UNIVERSITY    FARM 
(3lJ^    BUSHELS   PER   ACRE) 

fourths  of  the  two-thirds  it  is  due  to  lack  of  thrift,  thoughtlessness,  ex- 
travagance, intemperance  or  the  want  of  a  proper  saving  system. 

When  hard  times  come  the  renter  is  absolutely  helpless;  out  of  em- 
ployment he  faces  nothing  but  the  street,  hunger  and  the  poor-house. 
What  is  he  to  do  when  he  becomes  old.  and  his  earning  ability  is  gone, 
and  youth  crowds  him  into  the  ranks  of  enforced  idleness. 

It  is  not  so  with  the  man  who  owns  his  own  home.  In  periods  of 
sickness  or  any  trouble  he  has  time  to  turn.  Still  better  off  is  the  man 
who  owns  in  addition  to  his  home  a  little  piece  of  ground.  The  man 
who  owns  his  own  garden  plot  is  as  near  independence  as  possible.  In 
times  of  unemployment  his  land  will  provide  food  for  himself  and  fam- 
ily with  a  substantial  surplus. 

Any  working  man  who  practices  thrift  can  own  a  home  and  an  acre 
or  two  of  ground.  Not  only  will  this  make  him  his  own  master  but  it 
will  cheapen  the  cost  of  his  living  and  his  surplus  produce  will  go  to 
help  his  fellow  workingmen.     It  is  the  part  of  humanity,  it  is  the  part  of 


200  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

statesmanship,  to  so  change  the  present  propertyless  conditions  of  the 
great  two-thirds  that  it  would  be  a  disgrace  for  a  man  not  to  own  his 
own  home  with  land  enough  for  at  least  a  garden. 

N.VTURE   OF    MINNESOT.X'S    POPULATION 

Statistics  of  nativity  show  that  the  population  of  Minnesota  con- 
tains the  elements  of  favorable  solution  of  the  problem  of  heredity,  so 
vital  to  its  prosperous  future.  Of  the  American-born  residents  more 
than  ninety  per  cent  are  natives  of  New  England,  the  Middle  and  the 
Northwestern  states.  Among  the  foreigners,  immigrants  from  the  Ger- 
man and  Scandinavian  states,  the  British  isles  and  the  provinces  of 
Canada,  vastly  predominate. 

From  these  excellent  sources  have  been  drawn  the  best  ingredients 
of  the  industrious,  enteri^rising  and  intelligent  classes  of  society — those 
who  have  saved  a  portion  of  their  earnings  that  better  advantages  might 
be  secured  for  their  children.  They  brought  with  them  their  inherited 
and  cultivated  habits  of  thrift,  industry  and  respect  for  law  ;  also  their 
regard  for  the  precepts  of  morality,  the  institutions  of  learning  and  the 
temples  of  religion. 

Piut  there  is  room  and  there  will  be  a  welcome  for  many  more.  They 
are  still  coming,  and  it  is  evident  that  they  will  continue  to  come  in  aug- 
mented numbers  to  participate  in  the  blessings  prepared  by  their  ener- 
getic predecessors. 

Those  who  are  now  coming  and  those  who  shall  come  hereafter 
will  be  spared  most  of  the  hardships  and  vicissitudes  of  life  on  the  fron- 
tier. There  is  no  frontier  now.  The  rough  paths  have  been  smoothed 
for  their  feet  by  the  labors  and  sufferings  and  sacrilices  of  those  who 
came  before  them,  and  who  have  built  up  here  the  well-buttressed  super- 
structure of  a  splendid  civilization. 

Those  who  come  now  and  those  who  are  to  follow,  are  animated  by 
the  same  spirit  which  inspired  the  pioneers  of  the  territorial  era.  They 
seek  to  better  their  own  condition  and  that  of  their  children.  They  in- 
end  to  build  homes.  .And  they  desire,  among  other  things,  that  those 
hbme>  shall  be  surrounded  by  the  educational  and  moral  advantages 
which  insure  the  highest  type  of  development,  which  make  for  the  per- 
manent welfare  of  the  nation,  the  family  and  the  inflividual. 

With  an  area  of  over  50.000.000  acres,  a  territory  greater  in  extent 
than  that  comi)rised  in  all  the  New  England  states,  Minnesota  presents 
a  diversity,  beauty  and  picturesf|ueness  of  aspect  unsurpassed  by  no 
other  region  of  equal  average  fertility.  It  is  the  watershed  of  the  conti- 
nent, since  in  its  summits  lie,  closely  associated,  the  sources  of  her 
three  great  river  systems. 

From  this  inconsjiicuous  apex  diverge  three  distinct  slopes,  which 
give  to  Minnesota  the  form  of  a  vast  pyramid,  down  whose  side  the 
waters  thus  parted  flow  toward  their  ocean  outlets.  The  great  Missis- 
sippi slope  extends  southward,  resting  its  broad  base  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico;  eastwardly  stretches  the  slope  of  the  Superior  and  Saint  Law- 
rence system,  walled  in  by  the  rocky  coast  of  Labrador;  toward  the 
north  runs  the  slope  of  the  Red  river,  which,  uniting  with  the  Saskat- 
chewan valley,  gives  this  vast  interior  plain  the  outlines  of  an  irregu- 
lar triangle,  which  centers  here  and  rests  in  Hudson's  Bay. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  201 

Favorable  Conditions  for  the  Home  Builders 

From  this  dominating  geographical  and  topographical  position, 
Minnesota  commands  the  industrial  situation,  possessing  all  the  ele- 
ments of  commercial  supremacy.  As  all  roads  led  to  Rome,  all  natural 
arteries  of  trade  lead  to  and  from  this  favored  commonwealth. 

All  the  climatic  conditions  are  to  an  equal  degree  propitious.  We 
have  the  winter  temperature  of  Canada  and  New  England,  without  their 
excessive  snows.  Our  months  of  spring  have  the  same  average  warmth 
as  those  of  northern  Illinois,  southern  Michigan  and  western  New  York, 
but  with  less  frost  and  more  rapid  progress  toward  the  heat  of  suinmer. 
Our  summers  and  autumns  are  unexcelled  for  comfort,  salubrity  and  un- 
alloyed enjoyment  by  those  of  any  region  on  the  globe.  These  condi- 
tions stimulate  activity  and  vastly  augment  the  results  of  human  efifort. 

And  these  conditions  incalculably  promote  the  healthfulness  of  the 
people,  \\hat  is  home  without  health?  What  are  soft  and  perfumed 
breezes  if  they  waft  the  seeds  of  pestilence  and  death  ?  What  are  bounti- 
ful harvests  of  grain,  or  the  most  delicious  of  fruits,  or  mines  of  yellow 
metal,  if  disease  broods  over  the  landscape  and  wasting  infections  under- 
mine the  constitution  of  man  ? 

The  resources  of  the  state  are,  in  many  directions,  practically  un- 
limited. It  has  every  variety  of  wealth  and  every  facility  for  profitable 
exchange.  There  is  no  more  productive  soil  on  the  planet.  It  has  vast 
forests  of  pine  and  hardwood  timber ;  its  iron  mines  are  the  richest  in 
the  world.  It  has  abundant  water-power,  widely  distributed.  No  equal 
area  is  so  well  watered;  the  water  everywhere  is  clear  and  pure;  it  is 
distinctively  the  land  of  limped  rivers,  sparkling  streams  and  crystal 
lakes 

With  these  resources  and  this  environment,  what  commonwealth 
can  otter  better  inducements  to  those  who  intelligently  seek  and  can 
appreciatively  enjoy,  all  the  crowning,  culminating  features  of  an  ideal 
home  life?  For  the  worker  and  his  family;  for  the  parents  and  the 
children;  for  material  success  as  well  as  intellectual  and  moral  devel- 
opment ;  for  the  plans  of  the  living  present  and  the  prospects  of  the 
illimitable  future,  fraught  with  ardent  hopes  and  immeasureable  desti- 
nies— where  can  better  fields  be  found  for  the  expenditure  of  eiTort  and 
the  acceptance  of  opportunity? 

Fifty  years  ago,  J.  A.  Wheelock,  with  wonderful  foreknowledge, 
wrote  of  the  state  he  did  so  much  to  create  and  embellish :  "All  the 
circumstances  of  its  position  and  structure  indicate  it  as  the  imperial 
domain  of  agriculture  in  its  highest  development ;  of  an  agriculture  re- 
posing on  the  most  perfect  conditions ;  no  longer  isolated  and  rustic, 
but  elevated  to  the  rank  of  a  glorious  art  by  the  aid  of  science  and 
mechanism !  the  genius  of  a  civilization  in  which  commerce  shall  be 
slave  instead  of  mistress,  to  carry  the  affluence  and  culture  of  cities 
through  the  ramifications  of  its  natural  and  artificial  highways,  to  all 
the  homes  of  a  people  at  once  rural  in  their  virtues  and  metropolitan  in 
their  refinements." 

With  unparalleled  felicity  of  prescience,  these  few  lines  of  eloquent 
generalization  foretell  the  gang  plow,  the  seeder,  the  self-binder,  the 
cream  separator,  the  farm  telephone,  the  farm  automobile,  rural  mail 
delivery — all  then  undreamed  of — and  the  wondrous  miracles  they  have 
wrought.     Who  that  has  lived  in  the  brief  epoch  which  has  witnessed 


202  ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 

these  miracles  will  presume  to  set  a  limit  to  the  revelations  of  an  un- 
folding future  ? 

Every  interest  of  the  commonwealth  is  active  in  behalf  of  the  home- 
builder.  A  bill  passed  by  the  last  legislature  makes  provision  for  spec- 
ial aid  to  consolidate  rural  schools  maintaining  the  standards  designated. 
The  measure  is  one  of  the  most  important  enacted  at  the  session  and  gives 
promise  of  adding  many  fold  to  the  efficiency  of  country  schools. 

The  Consoi.idaticii  RrR.\r,  School 

The  consolidated  rural  school  is  no  experiment,  even  in  Minnesota. 
This  state  has  taken  a  lead  in  the  effort  at  imiiroving  the  school  facili- 
ties and  opportunities  afforded  to  the  boys  and  girls  on  the  farm.  The 
new  law  is  intended  to  give  added  impetus  to  a  movement  already  under 
way.  It  provides  for  aid  to  schools  maintaining  courses  in  agriculture 
and  other  prescribed  subjects.  It  makes  possible  better  methods  more 
highly  trained  teachers,  better  grading  of  pupils  and  better  results  than 
can  be  expected  in  the  district  schools. 

The  little  schoolhouse  has  served  its  purpose  and  served  it  well.  The 
joining  of  all  the  districts  in  a  township,  does  away  with  the  necessity 
for  having  poorly-paid  teachers  struggling  with  a  few  pupils  of  all  grades. 
It  makes  possible  up-to-date  Ijuildings  and  eiiuipment.  It  makes  possi- 
ble a  quality  of  instruction  not  excelled  in  town.  It  places  rural  edu- 
cation where  it  should  be  on  a  plane  with  that  afforded  to  the  children 
of  the  cities.  Furthermore,  experience  has  demonstrated  that  the  dis- 
trict school  not  only  is  inefficient,  but  expensive,  compared  with  its 
superior  successor.  The  consolidated  rural  schgol  is  coming  to  stay 
and  the  sooner  it  comes  the  better  for  the  future  of  agriculture  and 
those  in  agricultural  districts. 

Electric  Light  .\nd  Powf.r  to  F.\rms 

A  power  company  is  preparing  to  furnish  electric  light  and  power  to 
the  farmers  within  a  radius  of  ten  miles  of  Red  Lake  Falls.  A  delega- 
tion of  prospective  consumers  has  had  a  conference  with  the  manage- 
ment of  the  company,  and  it  is  announced  that  work  will  be  started  on 
the  installation  of  lines.  The  action  of  the  Red  River  \'alley  farmers 
and  jjower  comi)anv  indicates  what  is  ])ossil)le  and  may  be  exjiectcd  in 
practically  every  ])art  of  Minnesota  within  a  few  years.  There  seems  no 
reason  to  believe  it  impossible  for  farmers  in  all  counties  to  have  electric 
lights  and  cheap  power,  and  they  probably  will  get  it. 

One  of  Minnesota's  great  resources  is  its  water-power.  There  are 
hundreds  of  little  streams  in  the  state  that  are  cajwhle  of  generating 
electric  energy.  If  advantage  is  taken  of  the  opportunities  atTorded.  it 
should  be  jiossible  to  develop  hydro-electric  plants  at  scores  of  water- 
falls that  have  been  neglected  and  many  of  which  have  been  considered 
of  little  or  no  value.  The  current  could  be  carried  to  the  farms  in  the 
vicinity  and  practically  every  tiller  of  the  soil  could  have  modern  lights 
and  power  for  the  operation  of  all  kinds  of  farm  machinery. 

The  distribution  of  power  to  the  farmers  seems  today  much  more 
feasible  than  did  a  generation  ago  the  suggestion  that  they  would  have 
telci)honcs  and  free  mail  deliveries.  The  power  is  at  hand  and  all  that 
is  required  is  to  develoj)  it  and  to  find  economical  means  of  distribution. 
The  taking  of  electricity  to  the   farm  i>roI>ably  would  do  more  toward 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  203 

bettering  conditions  of  living  and  working  than  any  one  thing  that  has 
been  devised  in  the  interest  of  agriculture. 

While  science  and  invention,  wise  legislation  and  organized  business 
have  been  busy  smoothing  and  brightening  the  paths  of  industry,  ethics 
has  been  working  for  their  elevation.  Revised  ideals  of  life  have  brought 
great  changes  in  social  organization  and  have  worked  a  mighty  revolu- 
tion in  the  currents  of  human  progress.  In  the  heaven  of  the  Norse- 
man's dreams,  elysium  consisted  of  daily  battles,  with  the  magical  heal- 
ing of  wounds  and  the  recurring  glorifications  of  victory.  Thus  deeply 
rooted  was  the  conviction  that  fighting  was  man's  highest  function  and 
that  industrial  pursuits  belonged  only  to  slaves  and  the  lower  orders, 
an  ideal  of  existence  evolved  from  the  chronic  struggles  of  the  race 
in  an  age  of  perpetual  warfare. 

But  the  activities  of  the  warrior  have  declined,  while  industrial  ac- 
tivities have  enormously  developed ;  hence,  that  which  was  once  degrad- 


GR.\ND  M.-VR.MS  ST.\TE  DITCH,  POLK  COUNTY 

ing  has  become  honorable,  commendable,  the  badge  of  usefulness  and 
distinction.  Industry,  commerce,  financiering,  have  succeeded  war  as 
objects  of  life,  as  fields  wherein  the  most  strenuous  exertions  are  to  be 
put  forth  and  the  most  dazzling  prizes  are  to  be  won. 

We  live  in  that  era  today  and  we  cheerfully  conform  to  its  ideals. 
The  war  policy  was  appropriate  to  the  ages  which  tested  the  supremacy 
of  the  strongest  races ;  the  industrial  policy  is  appropriate  to  this  age, 
in  which  the  domination  of  man  over  the  powers  of  nature  and  their 
subjection  to  his  use,  is  the  crying  need. 

But  the  philosophers  of  hope,  the  prophets  of  national  optimism, 
look  forward  to  a  period  when  "life  shall  no  longer  be  for  learning  and 
working,  but  when  learning  and  working  shall  be  for  life."  In  that 
period,  when  knowledge  shall  have  yielded  its  fruition  in  making  life 
complete,  there  will,  it  is  predicted,  come  a  better  adjustment  of  labor 
and  enjoyment.  Material  progress  will  have  yielded  to  mankind  its 
beneficent  results,  and  processes  of  evolution  throughout  the  organic 
world  at  large  will  have  brought  an  increasing  surplus  of  energies  that 


204  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

are  not  absorbed  in  ministering  to  material  necessities.  Then  may  the 
gospel  of  work  be  supplemented  by  the  gospel  of  recreation,  relaxation, 
of  reasonable  amusement.     Heaven  speed  the  day ! 

Abi;nd.\nt  .\nd  Practical  Educ.\tion 

As  that  day  has  not  yet  dawned,  ^linncsola,  in  the  .>;phere  of  educa- 
tion, has  kept  in  mind  the  duty  of  preparing  her  youth  for  doing  their 
share  of  the  work  of  the  world.  As  might  have  been  expected  from 
their  antecedents,  our  people  lost  no  time  in  estalilishing  a  well-organ- 
ized school  system.  In  the  six  decades  of  their  State  and  Territorial 
existence,  they  have  already  accumulated  a  school  fund  which  is  a 
marvel  of  vigorous  and  wise  management.  i 

Our  educational  advancement  has  followed  rigidly  jiractical  lines. 
.•\  great  philosopher  on  his  death-bed  bitterly  comj)lained  that  of  all  his 
pupils  only  one  had  understood  him  and  that  one  had  flagranllv  misun- 
derstood him.  This  apparent  contradiction  is  easily  intelligible  when  we 
remember  that  the  learned  writings  of  one  profound  author,  having 
been  carefully  translated  into  another  language  and  correctly  retrans- 
lated, by  a  different  hand,  into  the  original,  were  found  to  be  absolutely 
incomprehensible.  It  is.  then,  doubtless  for  the  best  that  our  educa- 
tional development  has  been  thoroughly  i)ractical,  and  we  may  hope  that 
the  man  educated  beyond  the  limits  of  his  intellect  may  long  be  a  rare 
spectacle  among  us. 

The  common  school,  as  the  base  of  the  beneficent  structure,  receives 
the  state's  special,  fostering  care.  But  the  other  parts  of  a  harmonious 
whole  are  not  neglected.  The  high  schools,  the  universities,  the  normal 
schools,  and  other  accessories  of  the  most  modern  and  approved  educa- 
tional systems  are  cherished,  aided  and  encouraged  to  the  full  limit  of 
a  munificent  endowment. 

A  phenomenally  successful  department  of  the  university,  of  enormous 
practical  benefit  to  the  people,  is  the  College  of  .\griculturc.  With  a 
magnificent  equipment,  an  able  faculty  and  an  enrollment  of  800  stu- 
dents, coming  directly  from  the  farms  to  learn  improved  methods  of 
doing  their  daily  work,  it  infuses  year  by  year  increasing  streams  of 
valuable  knowledge  into  the  life-currents  of  our  leading  industry.  Agri- 
cultural science  seems  destined  to  become  the  most  complete  and  the 
most  useful  as  it  is  the  most  complex,  in  the  curriculum  and  Minnesota 
is  already  far  in  advance  in  stimulating  its  development. 

Moral  and  Religious  Influences 

It  is  thus  easily  discernible  that  one  of  the  prime  requisites  for  an 
adequate,  ideal,  satisfactory  home  life,  the  presence  of  abundant  educa- 
tional advantages,  is  here  amply  supplied.  Rut  this  is  not  the  only  requi- 
site. If  it  be  true,  as  had  been  asserted  that  the  l)usiness  of  religion  is 
not  merely  to  insure  a  man  against  fire  in  .-mother  world,  but  to  create 
an  insurable  interest  in  him,  for  the  benefit  of  himself  and  other  people 
now  living  in  this  world ;  then  the  moral  aspect  of  our  present  existence 
takes  on  an  importance  scarcely  second  to  any  other  consideration.  In 
that  case,  the  plain  duty  of  man  is  the  making  of  himself,  while  making 
the  most  of  the  world  in  which  he  dwells :  building  up  .society :  advanc- 
ing the  commonwealth ;  bringing  forward  that  day  when  the  wilderness 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  205 

shall  blossom  as  the  rose  and  the  prairies  shall  gleam  with  the  gold  of 
their  affluent  harvests. 

It  may  be  that  we  are  steeped  in  sin  inherited  from  our  remute  an- 
cestors. It  is  certain  that  such  of  them  as  we  know  most  about  had  an 
abundance  of  thai  commodity  to  transmit  to  their  multitudinous  pos- 
terity. How  many  of  the  Old  Testament  worthies,  the  choicest  of  the 
chosen,  would,  in  these  days,  be  permitted  to  live  outside  the  murder- 
er's row  of  a  well-guarded  penitentiary? 

But  the  fact  is  that  the  human  family  has  been  gradually  unfolding, 
on  the  moral  as  well  as  on  the  intellectual  sides ;  growing  better  while 
growing  wiser.  There  has  been  a  steady  evolution  of  a  rational  soul, 
an  intellectual  capacity,  a  moral  and  spiritual  nature.  There  has  been  the 
constant  development  of  powers  that  dispel  the  darkness  which  hangs 
on  the  most  precious  secrets  of  life ;  that  give  evidence  in  the  destiny 
of  our  fellow-men ;  that  give  a  clearer  standpoint  from  which  we  may 
look,  by  faith,  into  the  mysteries  of  the  momentous  future. 

In  the  ministrations  of  an  undefiled  religion,  the  highest  morality 
finds  its  emphasis  and  exposition.  Where  can  that  ministration  be 
purer ;  where  can  sound  precepts  be  more  cordially  accepted ;  where  can 
correct  principles  more  universally  prevail ;  where  can  a  genuine  morality 
more  abundantly  flourish  than  among  a  people  whose  heritage  for  a 
thousand  years  has  been  an  increasing  regard  for  the  higher  things  of 
life,  whose  ancestors  have  fought  and  who  themselves  fought  for  civil 
and  religious  liberty? 

As,  during  the  War  of  Freedom,  the  graves  of  Revolutionary  heroes 
throbbed  at  the  reverberations  of  footsteps  that  sounded  like  their  own ; 
as  the  granite  obelisk  on  Bunker  Hill  spoke  to  the  boys  in  blue  of  1861, 
in  a  voice  melodious  as  the  song  of  immortality  upon  the  lips  of  cheru- 
bim ;  so  from  the  sacrifices  and  martyrdoms  of  the  mighty  past  come  ad- 
monitions to  a  favored  people  that  they  stand  fast  by  the  foundations 
upon  which  our  supremacy  rests.  Those  admonitions  do  not  fall  on  heed- 
less ears.     The  sacrifices  were  not  made  in  vain. 

The  dominating  force  in  American  history,  as  in  all  history,  has  been 
a  combination  of  intellect  and  morality,  of  culture  and  character.  The 
prospective  home-builder  may  very  properly  seek  with  earnestness  and 
accept  with  enthusiasm,  a  locality  where  the  conditions  and  environment, 
the  interfusion  of  races  and  the  climatic  conditions ;  the  educational 
systems  and  the  moral  atmosphere  all  unite  in  a  prophecy  of  that  unchal- 
lenged preeminence  that  will  install  his  descendents  in  the  nerve-center 
of  social  and  political  power  for  generations  yet  unborn. 

Minnesota's  Gr.-\nd  Call 

.  The  home,  in  its  'social,  moral  and  educational  relations,  is  neces- 
sarily one  of  the  chief  concerns  of  rational  existence.  The  true  home  is 
the  nursery  of  civic  virtue,  an  expression  of  that  which  is  best  in  man's 
aspirations  and  tendencies.  Out  of  it  come  the  spirit  of  freedom,  un- 
selfish patriotism,  purity  of  politics,  cleanness  of  life,  domestic  tranquil- 
ity, the  sanctity  of  parental,  filial  and  fraternal  aflfection. 

He  who  would  plant  a  home  where  the  moral  and  educational  ad- 
vancement of  those  who  are  to  dwell  therein  may  be  assured,  will  natur- 
ally measure,  wuth  jealous  eye.  all  the  attributes  on  which  that  assur- 
ance is  founded.  If  the  advantages  offered  by  Minnesota  in  this  respect 
shall  be  deemed  sufficient,  their  cogency  and  conclusiveness  will  be  abun- 


206  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

dantly  confirmed  by  an  inspection  of  the  other  claims  upon  his  atten- 
tion. Rich  in  the  inexhaustible  fertility  of  soil ;  weighted  to  unsounded 
depths  with  stores  of  mineral  wealth ;  unrivaled  in  beauty  and  unap- 
proached  in  healthfulness ;  develoi)in<i  industrially,  commercially  and 
financially  with  rapid  strides;  prosperous  in  her  farms,  her  mills,  her 
marts;  she  stands,  pride  of  the  west  and  star  of  the  north,  peerless 
among  the  daughters  of  the  regenerated  republic.  She  calls  to  the  home- 
builders  with  the  voice  of  soberness,  of  optimism,  and  of  prophecy. 


CHAPTER  XX 

EARLY  TRANSPORTATION  AND  NAVIGATION 

Dog-Sledge  Traveling — The  Knowlton  Road — The  Stage  Coach 
Era — Minnesota  Stage  Company — "Pembina  Carts" — River 
Transportation — Navigation  of  the  Upper  Mississippi — Busi- 
ness at  St.  Paul — Opposition  to  Galena  Packet  Company — 
Northwestern  Union  Packet  Company — Other  Steamboat 
Companies — "Diamond  Jo"  Reynolds — Romance  of  the  Missis- 
sippi— Minnesota  River  Navigation. 

The  early  methods  of  travel  and  transportation,  in  Minnesota  both  by 
land  and  by  water,  were  necessarily  primitive.  By  snowshoe,  by  dog 
sledge,  by  Red-river  cart,  on  horseback,  by  ox-team,  by  stage-coach  and 
by  railway  were  some  of  the  progressive  means  of  transporting  passen- 
gers and  freight  on  dry  (or  muddy)  ground;  while  birch  canoes,  keel- 
boats,  rafts,  barges  and  steamboats  served,  in  turn,  on  the  water  courses 
with  which  the  state  is  abundantly  supplied. 

Dog-Sledge  Traveling 

Dog-sleighing  was  a  common  mode  of  traveling  in  the  early  days  and 
the  Pioneer  of  P'ebruary  19,  1852,  contains  the  following  account  of  a 
remarkable  journey:  "Dr.  Rae  arrived  in  St.  Paul  on  the  14th  inst., 
having  performed  the  journey  from  Pembina  to  Sauk  Rapids,  some  five 
hundred  miles  in  ten  days.  It  was  the  continuation  of  a  journey  from  a 
station  on  McKenzie  river,  about  2,500  miles  beyond  Pembina.  Both 
journeys  were  j^erformed  on  snowshoes.  He  was  sent  last  spring  to 
the  Arctic  coast  in  search  of  p-ranklin  by  the  Hudsons  Bay  Company." 
In  this  long  journey  over  the  snow  Dr.  Rae  used  a  dog-sledge,  which  was 
presented  by  him  to  the  ^Minnesota  Historical  Society.  This  was  the 
only  mode  of  traveling  in  winter  between  St.  Paul  and  Pembina  until 
1859.  when  Burbank  and  Blakeley's  line  of  stages  began  running  to  Fort 
Abercrombie.  The  following  description  of  a  ride  on  dog-sledges  ap- 
peared in  the  Pioneer  of  January  8.  1852:  "The  honorable  members 
elected  to  the  house  and  council  from  Pembina,  viz.,  Alessrs.  Kittson, 
Rolette,  and  Gingras,  arrived  at  Crow  Wing  on  Christmas  eve,  in  sixteen 
days  from  home,  stopping  two  days  at  Red  lake  on  the  way.  Each 
had  his  cariole  drawn  by  three  fine  dogs,  harnessed  tastily,  with  jingling 
bells,  and  driven  tandem  fashion,  at  2:40  at  least,  when  put  to  their 
speed.  They  usually  traveled  from  thirtv  or  forty  miles  per  dav  and 
averaged  about  thirty-five  miles.  They  fed  the  dogs  but  once  a  day 
on  the  trip,  and  that  at  night,  a  pound  of  pemmican  each.     On  this  they 

207 


208  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

draw  a  man  and  baggage  as  fast  as  a  good  horse  would  travel,  and  on 
long  journeys  they  tire  horses  out." 

The  pemmican  referred  to  is  an  article  of  food,  which  long  since  be- 
came obsolete.  It  was  a  preparation  of  buffalo  meat  dried,  pounded 
into  shreds,  and  stuffed  into  bags  made  of  butfalo  hide,  into  which  melted 
tallow  was  poured,  forming  one  solid  mass.  This  could  be  iireserved 
a  long  time,  and  although  anything  but  palatable  to  those  unused  to  it,  it 
was  a  favorite  diet  with  Red  river  men  and  half-breeds  generally.  In 
early  days  it  used  to  be  kept  for  sale  in  St.  Paul. 

.  .  Tin-:  K.NOWLTON  Ro.\u 

Up  to  the  winter  of  1848  and  1849.  one  of  unusual  severity,  the  in- 
habitants of  the  Itttle  town  of  St.  Paul  found  themselves,  during  the 
winter  season  two  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest  settlement  and  mail 
supply  (Prairie  du  Chien )  and  hemmed  in  by  ice  and  snow.  The  only 
communication  wath  the  outside  world  was  over  the  ice  of  the  river  by 
sledges  drawn  by  dogs.  By  this  means  were  the  mails  carried  to  and 
from  the  village  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  a  journey  fraught  with  danger 
and  hardship.  Early  in  1849  Hiram  Knowlton  blazed  a  road  through 
the  back  country  of  Wisconsin  from  Prairie  du  Chien  to  Hudson,  and 
thence  to  St.  Paul,  building  rude  bridges  and  making  the  way  passable. 
Passengers  camped  out  in  the  snow,  except  for  a  few  huts  located  at 
long  intervals  en  route.  For  several  years  this  was  the  only  eastern  out- 
let used  in  the  winter.  Even  Willoughby  and  Powers'  stage  line  ran  on 
the  Knowlton  road. 

If  popular  rumor  is  to  be  trusted,  there  is  somewhere  in  the  high- 
lands of  Scotland,  by  the  side  of  a  turnpike,  a  large  stone,  bearing  the 
following  doggerel  inscription : 

"If  you  had  seen  this  road  before  it  was  made. 
You'd  lift  up  your  hands  and  bless  Gen.  Wade." 

An  educated  individual  reading  this  strange  announcement,  would 
naturally  remark  that  the  expression  "a  road  before  it  is  made,"  is  a 
logical  contradiction,  probably  of  Hibernian  origin;  but  if  not  logically 
justifiable,  for  vulgar  convenience,  it  is  an  cxi)ression  that  might  well 
have  been  applied  to  this  road  of  Knowlton's,  and  no  douin  the  peo])le 
blessed  him  for  its  construction  as  the  Scotchmen  did  General  Wade. 

The  Stage  Co.\ca  Er.\ 

In  1850  Robert  Kennedy  ran  a  stage  line  to  Stillwater,  and  shortly 
afterwards  Willnughby  and  Powers  started  a  line  to  the  same  place. 
The  latter  firm  in  1851,  to  accommodate  their  growing  traffic,  obtained  a 
Concord  coach  which  was  the  first  ever  run  in  .Minnesota.  In  the  si>ring 
of  1852.  the  St.  Anthony  business  was  invaded  by  two  gentleoien  from 
Michigan,  Lyman  L.  lien.son  and  a  Mr.  Pattison,  who  enteretl  into  a 
lively  competition  with  Willoughby  and  Powers  for  business.  .\  furious 
opposition  sprang  up,  and  in  the  competition  for  patronage  the  price  of 
a  passage  was  brought  down  from  seventy-five  to  ten  cents.  \\'illough- 
by  and  Powers'  coaches  were  painted  red  and  it  was  called  the  "red 
line,"  while  the  Benson  and  Pattison  coaches  were  yellow,  and  termed 
the  "yellow  line."     The  war  between  the  red  and  yellow  lines  was  one 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  209 

of  the  curious  phases  of  the  day.     This  keen  competition  continued  for 
two  or  three  years. 

After  various  changes  J.  C.  Burbank  &  Company,  secured  the  mail 
contract  in  1858  and  eventually  obtained  by  consolidation,  purchase  or 
otherwise  control  of  the  land  transportation  business  of  this  section,  and 
held  it  until  the  stage  coach  days  were  virtually  ended.  With  this  firm 
was  associated  Alvaren  Allen  as  superintendent ;  also  Russell  Blakely 
and  John  L.  Merriam  as  partners  and  managers.  But  John  C.  Bur- 
bank  was  the  master  spirit  of  the  enterprise,  which  soon  became  the 
Minnesota  Stage  Company. 

Minnesota  St.\ge  Company 

It  was  in  the  early  sixties  that  the  stage  system  of  the  northwest,  as 
controlled  by  the  Minnesota  Stage  Company,  reached  the  greatest  de- 
gree of  its  activity  and  prosperity.  Bridge  square  at  this  period  pre- 
sented in  the  early  morning,  what  to  the  modernized  vision  of  the  people 
of  today  would  be  a  strange  sight.  The  offices  of  the  company  were 
located  just  above  the  square,  in  a  building  on  West  Third  street,  and 
all  the  stages  coming  in  and  going  out  would  report  at  the  offices  and 
take  on  and  unload  their  express  there.  It  was  a  common  sight  to  see 
the  square  crowded  with  the  old  Concord  stages,  the  driver  sitting  on 
his  high  box  holding  the  reins  over  a  team  of  four  prancing  horses  ready 
to  start  out  on  the  road.  It  was  a  scene  of  animation  and  life,  and  af- 
forded the  chief  incident  of  interest  of  each  day. 

The  Minnesota  Stage  Company,  stood  in  the  relation  to  the  public 
that  the  railroads  do  today.  The  business  was  conducted  in  a  business- 
like way  and  in  accordance  with  a  strict  routine.  The  necessity  for  this 
will  be  realized  when  it  is  stated  that  the  Minnesota  Stage  Company's 
system  of  routes  included  over  two  thousand  miles  of  traveled  road,  ex- 
tending into  every  part  of  Minnesota,  into  Wisconsin  and  even  far  up 
into  Manitoba,  where  Selkirk  was  a  terminus.  Besides  the  ten  or  a 
dozen  lines  running  out  of  St.  Paul,  there  were  several  routes  extend- 
ing across  the  country  in  southern  Minnesota,  such  as  Hastings  to  Fari- 
bault, and  Winona  to  Rochester.  To  conduct  its  great  carrying  business 
this  company  had  in  its  service  in  1865  above  seven  hundred  horses  and 
more  than  two  hundred  men.  On  most  of  the  lines  coaches  were  sent 
out  daily ;  on  the  Stillwater  line  there  were  two  daily  coaches ;  on  the 
■Minneapolis  and  St.  Anthony  line  the  stages  were  plying  every  few 
hours.  On  the  longer  lines  to  the  north  the  stages  were  less  frequent, 
tri-weekly  trips  being  the  rule.  The  firm  did  much  to  solve  the  prob- 
lem of  early  inland  transportation  in  Minnesota.  "It  is  due  to  these 
gentlemen,"  says  Mr.  Williams,  "and  especially  to  the  senior  partner. 
Mr.  Burbank,  from  whose  early  struggles  and  tenacity  of  purpose  all 
subsequent  business  of  the  firm  sprang,  to  say  that  their  entire  manage- 
ment as  public  carriers,  from  first  to  last,  was  distinguished  by  a  lil)erality, 
fairness  and  justness  in  all  their  dealings  which  have  been  rarely,  if  ever, 
paralleled." 

"Pembina  Carts" 

But  another  and  earlier  and  even  ruder  system  of  organized  trans- 
portation over  land,  preceded  that  of  the  stage  coach  era.  Long  be- 
fore stages  were  introduced  the  "Pembina  carts"  were  in  existence,  and 
ultimately  proved  of  great  benefit  to   St.    Paul.     The  history   of  these 

Vol.  1—14 


•210  ST.  PAUL  AND  \1CIXITV 

almost  forgotten  but  important  vehicles  of  commerce  deserves  to  be 
preserved.  They  were  brought  into  use  in  transporting  the  furs  from 
the  flourishing  Red  river  colony.  Prior  to  1844  the  import  of  goods 
and  exi)ort  of  furs  of  that  section  were  through  the  difficult  Hudson 
bay  route,  navigable  only  two  months  in  the  year  and  beset  with  dangers. 
In  1844  Norman  W.  Kittson,  at  that  time  a  special  partner  in  tiie  .\mer- 
ican  Fur  Company,  fixed  his  headquarters  at  Pembina,  and  commenced 
collecting  furs,  shipping  them  to  Mendota  in  vehicles  which  received 
the  name  of  "Pembina  carts."  When  the  advantages  and  profits  of  that 
trade  were  demonstrated,  Jo.  Rolette  of  Pembina  and  his  uncle,  Alex. 
I'isher,  organized  a  cart  brigade  and  made  trading  trips  to  St.  Paul. 
Their  venture  succeeded  very  well  and  in  1847  as  many  as  125  carts 
came  to  St.  Paul,  bringing  furs  and  returning  laden  with  merchan- 
dise. In  1849  St.  Paul  became  the  depot  for  all  engaged  in  this  trade 
and  the  Pembina  cart  business  was  an  important  source  of  gain  to  the 
city. 

These  carts  were  constructed  according  to  the  most  primitive  ideas; 
were  made  entirely  of  wood  fastened  with  leather,  and  had  only  two 
wheels.  These  solid  wheels  were  fixed  on  wooden  axles  destitute  of  oil 
or  grease,  and  when  in  motion  a  caravan  could  be  heard  for  miles.  The 
tractive  power  was  usually  furnished  by  oxen  fastened  to  the  cart  by 
means  of  thongs  of  buH'alo  hide.  One  driver  had  charge  of  .several  of 
these  carts,  simply  guiding  the  head  ox,  the  heads  of  at  least  three  ani- 
mals following  being  tied  to  the  preceding  cart.  These  carts  cost  about 
fifteen  dollars  each,  would  carry  (xx)  to  700  pounds  and  usually  lasted 
about  three  trips.  The  drivers  of  the  carts  were  also  a  study.  Nearly 
all  of  them  were  swarthy  half  or  quarter-breeds,  and  were  dressed  in  a 
costume  that  was  a  curious  commingling  of  civilized  garments  and  bar- 
baric adornments.  They  were  usually  clad  in  coarse  blue  cloth,  with  a 
I)rofusion  of  brass  buttons,  and  had  a  red  sash  girt  around  their  waists. 
They  presented  also  a  curious  commingling  of  races,  the  old  -Scotch,  Eng- 
lish and  French  settlers  having  married  with  the  Crees  and  Chippewas. 
and  crossed  and  re-crossed  until  every  shade  of  complexion  was  to  be 
seen,  and  a  babel  of  tongues  was  the  result. 

The  distance  from  Pembina  to  St.  Paul  by  the  nearest  route  was 
448  miles,  and  these  cart  trains  made  the  journey  in  thirty  or  forty 
days.  The  trains  usually  started  as  soon  as  i)asturage  could  he  obtained 
for  the  stock.  In  1844  Niendota  was  the  objective  point,  but  from  1849 
until  the  railroad  was  comjileled  to  St.  Cloud,  St.  Paul  was  the 
terminal.  'i~he  number  of  tliese  carts  increased  each  year,  until  in  185 1 
it  was  given  at  102;  in  1857,  about  500  and  in  1858,  600.  The  completion 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  to  the  Red  river  was  the  death  knell  of  this 
primitive  means  of  transportation.  These  carts,  like  the  stage  coach. 
have  passed  away  before  the  progress  of  civilization,  \\herc  traveled 
the  rude  caravans,  through  primitive  forest  and  jirairics.  tiic  iron  horse 
has  brought  a  new  world  into  existence,  and  the  wild  jiaradise  has  be- 
come the  well  ordered  garden,  bringing  forth  wealth  and  sustenance 
for  a  prospen^us  people. 

Nature  facilitated  the  solution  of  the  inland  tran.sportalion  prob- 
lem, outside  the  wooded  regions,  by  furnishing  the  ground  work  for 
good  roads.  The  natural  prairie  roads  which  ran  over  the  high  un- 
dulating uplands  had  the  smoothness  and  comjiactness  of  artificial  turn- 
pikes. This  peculiarity  of  the  inlernal  highways  of  Minnesota  distin- 
guished it  from  other  western  states.     It  is  slated  that  in  a  majority  of 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 


211 


counties  the  average  weight  which  a  two-horse  team  would  draw  for  a 
distance  of  thirty  miles  a  day  from  two  thousand  to  three  thousand 
pounds.  In  the  southwest  counties  however  not  quite  such  favorable 
results  could  be  obtained. 

In  Illinois,  before  plank  roads  and  railroads  gave  her  access  to  mar- 
kets, the  average  rate  of  travel,  in  the  most  favorable  seasons,  was 
twenty  miles  per  day,  and  the  average  load  which  a  two-horse  team 
could  haul  was  one  thousand  pounds.  Minnesota,  therefore,  possessed 
a  great  advantage  over  other  states  in  the  natural  facilities  of  land  tran- 
sit. It  was  this  favorable  disposition  of  the  land  that  enabled  the  Red 
river  carts  to  make  such  long  journeys  with  safety  and  facility,  and 
which  sub.sequently  allowed  of  the  quick  construction  of  railroads  through 
the  vast  prairies  of  the  state. 

River  Transportation 

These  phases  and  varieties  of  land  transportation,  necessary  as  they 
were  in  places  where  water  did  not  exist,  or  in  seasons  when  it  was  not 
available,  were  only  supplementary  to  the  river  transportation,  on  which 


BIRDS  EYE  VIEW  OF   MISSISSIPPI    RIVER   .AND 
WHOLES.\LE    DISTRICT 


the  country  principally  depended.  St.  Paul,  by  its  position  at  the  head 
of  navigation  on  the  Mississippi,  made  the  question  of  water  transporta- 
tion in  its  early  history  one  of  easy  solution.  In  fact  it  was  the  ad- 
vantages of  water  communication  that  determined  the  location  of  the 
city,  and  like  St.  Louis.  Cincinnati,  Pittsburgh,  Louisville  and  New 
Orleans,  St.  Paul  was  the  creation  of  steamboat  navigation.  It  was 
the  old-fashioned  steamboat,  slowly  plowing  its  way  against  the  waters 
of  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Mississippi,  that  gave  the  first  impetus  to 
the  growth  of  the  present  commercial  metropolis  of  Alinnesota. 

And  even  before  the  day  of  steamboats,  the  river  was  navigated  by 
white  men  by  means  of  barges  and  keel  boats.  The  latter  came  into 
general  use  about  1808.  They  were  much  of  an  advance  over  barges, 
in  celerity  and  in  labor-saving.    They  were  longer  and  narrower;  had  a 


L>12  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

keel-shaped  instead  of  a  broad  flat  bottom;  carried  as  much  freiglit  on 
a  less  amount  of  current  expenses ;  furnished  less  resisting  surface,  and 
therefore  were  more  easily  handled  in  cross  current,  bends,  and  other 
places  requiring  speedy  movement.  In  a  short  time  after  their  in- 
troduction they  became  the  universal  freight  carriers  and  held  this  posi- 
tion until  abandoned  for  the  superior  advantages  offered  by  steamboats. 

X.WIG.VTION  01"  THE  UpPER  MISSISSIPPI 

The  navigation  of  the  up]Jer  river  was  restricted  to  barges  and  keel- 
boats  until  some  years  after  the  introduction  of  steamboats.  Previous 
to  1823  it  had  been  supposed  that  the  rapids  at  ]\ock  Island  were  an 
insurmountable  barrier  to  the  navigation  of  the  upper  Mississippi,  but 
on  the  2d  of  May,  1823,  the  steam  vessel  "\irginia"  left  her  mooring  at 
St.  Louis  destined  for  Fort  Snelling.  Successfully  passing  the  rapids 
— which  required  four  days — this  pioneer  craft  made  her  way  slowly  up 
the  Mississippi,  arriving  at  Fort  Snelling  on  May  20th.  The  "N'irginia" 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Crawford  and  hail  among  her  passengers 
the  Indian  Agent,  Major  Taliaferro,  and  the  Italian  refugee  and  traveler, 
Count  Beltrami.  The  fright  of  the  Indians  at  sight  of  this  vessel  is 
said  to  have  been  extreme. 

The  voyage  of  the  "Virginia"  demonstrated  conclusively  that  the 
obstacles  supposed  to  be  insuperable  to  navigation  were  only  so  in  im- 
agination. This  pioneer  attempt  succeeded  so  well  that  other  trips 
were  made  as  the  necessity  of  the  government  and  trading-posts  re- 
quired, so  that  up  to  1826  no  less  than  tifleen  boats  had  made  the  trip 
safely.  These  boats  were  the  "X'irginia,"  ".\cville,"  "Putnam,"  "Man- 
dan,"  "Indiana,"  "Lawrence,"  "Sciota,"  "Eclipse,"  "Josephine,"  "I'ul- 
ton,"  "Red  Rover,"  "Black  Rover,"  "Warrior,"  "Enterprise"  and  "X'olga." 
The  number  of  these  vessels  steadily  increased,  and  from  a  record  kept  at 
Fort  Snelling,  we  find  that  the  number  up  to  1844  was  forty-one. 

The  navigation  of  the  upper  Mississipi)i  did  not  reach  any  degree 
of  regularity  until  1847,  when  uncertain  means  of  communication  were 
superseded  by  a  regular  line  of  packet  boats,  which  made  trips  from 
Galena  to  Mendota  and  Fort  Snelling.  This  line  was  oi)erated  by  the 
Galena  Packet  Company.  They  ]>urchased  the  steamer  ".\rgo,"  made 
weekly  trips,  and  did  a  good  business  until  October  of  that  year  when 
she  struck  a  snag  and  sank.  In  the  summer  of  the  next  year  the  "Dr. 
Franklin"  was  purchased  and  ran  for  one  season  in  opposition  to  the 
"Senator"  of  St.  Louis.  In  1849  the  "Senator"  was  added  to  the  line 
under  the  command  of  Captaiii  Onin  Smith.  In  the  fall  she  was  re- 
placed by  the  "Nominee." 

Business  .\t  St.  P.m'l 

In  1850  the  steamboat  interest  had  grown  to  be  (|uite  extensive,  as 
the  flood  of  immigration  was  rapidly  increasing  and  freighting  was 
large.  The  "Senator"  and  "Nominee'  continued  to  be  the  regular  boats 
until  1852,  when  the  "Ben  Campbell"  was  added  to  the  line.  Two  trips 
per  week  were  made  during  the  seasons  of  1840,  1850  and  185 1,  and 
in  1852  tri-weekly  trijjs  were  commenced.  During  the  season  of  1852 
a  strong  rivalry  was  begun  in  steamboat  trade.  The  Harrises,  .Smith  & 
Scribe  ran  a  packet  in  o])i)osition  to  the  old  line,  but  before  the  sum- 
mer closed  their  boat,  the  new  "Saint  Paul,"  was  purchased  by  the  Ga- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  MCIXITY  213 

lena  Company.  At  tlie  time  Captain  Louis  Robert  brought  out  the 
"Black  Hawk"  and  the  "Greek  Slave,"  both  new  boats,  and  at  the  same 
time  there  were  several  boats  in  the  trade  which  ran  wild. 

In  1850  the  first  boat  of  the  season,  "Highland  Mary,"  did  not  reach 
St.  Pauruntil  April  19,  and  speaking  of  this  event  the  Pioneer  says: 
"On  Friday  morning  at  six  o'clock  the  smoke  of  a  steamboat  was  visible 
and  the  very  heart  of  the  town  leaped  for  joy.  As  she  came  up  in  front 
of  Randall's  warehouse  the  multitude  on  shore  raised  a  deafening  shout 
of  welcome."  The  "Highland  Mary"  brought  five  hundred  passengers, 
not  an  unusual  load  for  those  days.  "Such  has  been  the  anxiety  here," 
continued  the  Pioneer,  "for  the  arrival  of  steamboats,  that  nothing  else 
was  talked  of,  and  St.  Paul  seemed  likely  to  go  to  seed."  From  the 
above  extracts,  some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  joy  with  which  the  ar- 
rival of  the  first  boat  was  hailed  in  early  days,  opening  communication 
with  the  rest  of  the  world  after  months  of  isolation.  It  was  generally 
a  signal  for  a  jollification,  at  which  all  rules  of  restraint  were  thrown 
aside. 

From  1850  to  1858  the  arrival  of  steamboats  constantly  increased, 
and  from  1854  to  1858  the  rush  of  immigration  was  particularly  heavy, 
the  number  of  passengers  averaging  several  himdred  on  each  boat.  The 
steamboat  arrivals  for  five  years  were  as  follows:  1854,  256;  1855,  560; 
1856,  857;  1857,  1,026:  1858,  1,068.  The  spring  of  1857  was  one  of  the 
latest  ever  known,  the  first  boat  not  being  able  to  reach  St.  Paul  un- 
til May  1st.  As  soon  as  the  icy  obstacles  had  disappeared,  however,  the 
arrivals  became  numerous.  On  May  4th,  eighteen  boats  were  at  the 
wharf  at  one  time,  and  later  twenty-four  could  be  seen  at  the  landing 
simultaneously.  In  those  days  the  opening  of  navigation  was  a  great 
event  in  the  lives  of  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Paul,  and  the  officers  of 
the  first  boat  to  arrive  usually  received  an  ovation  from  the  citizens. 

Three  new  steamers  were  latmched  by  the  Galena  Packet  Company 
in  1854,  and  six  trips  per  week  were  made.  This  addition  to  their  fleet 
occurred  at  a  fortunate  time,  for  during  the  season  the  "Dr.  Franklin," 
"Nominee"  and  "Galena"  were  sunk.  The  opening  of  the  Galena  and 
Chicago  Union  Railroad  in  1856  largely  increased  the  river  traffic ;  in 
1857  the  "Northern  Belle"  and  "Granite  State"  were  added  to  the  fleet, 
and  a  short  time  after  this  acquisition  the  Dubuque  line  of  boats  was 
purchased  and  operated  by  the  Packet  Company.  The  loss  of  the 
"Lady  Franklin"  occurred  this  season,  but  having  gained  the  boats  of  the 
Dubuque  Company  no  inconvenience  was  incurred  through  lack  of  ca- 
pacity to  carry  freight  and  passengers. 

Opposition  to  G-\len.\  P.acket  Comp.\ny 

Captain  W.  F.  Davidson,  in  1859,  started  a  line  of  boats  to  ply  be- 
tween La  Crosse  and  St.  Paul,  in  opposition  to  the  Galena  Packet 
Company.  It  was  composed  of  three  boats,  the  "Winona,"  "Franklin 
Steele"  and  "Favorite."  This  move  caused  fierce  rivalry  between  the 
two  lines.  Rates  were  recklessly  reduced,  .^t  one  time  the  fare  from 
St.  Paul  to  Chicago  was  only  one  dollar,  which  included  meals,  berths, 
and  railroad  and  water  transportation.  The  fight  was  finally  ended  by 
compromise,  Captain  Davidson  getting  control  of  the  business  of  the 
Milwaukee  road  at  La  Crosse. 

In  the  winter  of  1859-60  the  owners  of  five  private  boats  running 
from  St.  Louis  decided  to   form  a  joint  stock  company  and  organized 


■214  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

under  the  name  of  tlie  Xorthern  Line  Packet  Company.  Captain  James 
Ward  was  elected  president,  and  Thomas  H.  Griffith,  secretary  and 
treasurer.  The  N'cssels  owned  by  this  comi)any  made  regular  trips  to 
St.  Paul,  and  included  the  "Sucker  Slate."  "I  lawk  Eye  State,"  "Canada," 
"Pembina,"  "Metropolitan,"  "Northerner,"  "W.  L.  Ewing,"  "Denmark," 
"Henry  Clay,"  "Minnesota  Belle"  and  "Fred  Lorenz."  This  company 
continued  in  business  for  fifteen  years. 

NORTHWIiSTER.N'     UNION     PacKF.T    CbMPANY 

The  (lalena  Packet  Comi)any  ceased  running  in  1866,  when  Captain 
Davidson  organized  the  .Vortlnvestern  Union  Packet  Comi^any,  by  the 
consolidation  of  the  two  old  companies,  the  Northwestern  Packet  Com- 
pany and  the  La  Crosse  and  Minnesota  Steam  Packet  Company.  These 
two  companies  had  been  running  boats  between  Dubuque  and  St.  Paul. 

The  Northwestern  Union  Packet  Company  became  the  competitor 
of  the  Northern  Line  Packet  Company,  running  between  St.  Louis  and 
St.  Paul,  and  the  St.  Louis  and  Keokuk  Company.  These  lines  ran 
together  in  harmony  until  the  Norllnvestcrn  Union  Packet  Company 
added  the  "Phil  Sheridan"  to  their  lleet.  This  act  caused  fierce  com- 
petition, which  lasted  until  rates  were  again  reduced  to  nominal  figures. 
The  fight  was  continued  until  Captain  Davidson  gained  control  of  the 
whole  business  in  1873.  He  then  organized  a  new  line  known  as  the 
Keokuk  Northern  Packet  Company,  which  was  composed  of  the  prin- 
cipal boats  forming  the  Keokuk.  Northwestern  and  Northern  lines.  The 
new  company  continued  to  operate  on  the  river  until  the  close  of  navi- 
gation in  1880,  when  it  ])asscd  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver. 

Oriii.K  Stk.mmbo.xt  Comp.xnies 

The  St.  Louis  and  St.  Paul  Packet  Company  was  organized  in  1880, 
with  W.  F.  Davidson,  R.  M.  Hutchinson  and  V.  L.  Johnson,  incorpora- 
tors, who  in  the  same  year  also  organized  the  St.  Paul  I'Veight  and  Pas- 
senger Company. 

The  Diamond  Jo  line  was  started  in  1866  by  "Diamond  Jo"  Reynolds, 
at  that  time  a  stockholder  in  the  Northwestern  line,  who  ])urchascd  from 
that  company  the  l)oat  "Diamond  Jo."  He  first  ran  his  boats  between 
Fulton  and  St.  Paul.  He  afterwards  ]nircliased  the  "Ida  Fulton" 
and  "Bannock  City,"  which  were  put  in  the  same  trade.  In  1868  the 
"Tidal  Wave,"  "Josie"  and  "Arkansas"  were  added  to  the  line.  Two 
years  later  the  boats  ran  as  far  as  Burlington,  and  the  "Imperial"  was 
added  to  the  fieet.  The  ".Arkansas  '  an<l  "Titlal  Wave"  were  sold  in 
1877.  and  the  latter  vessel  was  known  as  the  "(irand  Pacific."  In  the 
spring  of  1875  the  operations  of  the  Diainond  Jo  line  were  extended  to 
St.  Louis. 

Since  about  1880  steamboating  on  the  Mississi])pi  has  been  in  a  stale 
of  comparative  eclipse,  when  contrasted  with  its  activity  and  prosperity 
during  the  three  decades  preceding.  Only  one  regular  line,  the  successor 
to  the  "Diamond  Jo."  is  now  in  operation  between  St.  Paul  and  .St. 
Louis.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  exten<led  in  dredg- 
ing the  channel,  conslrucling  wing  dams  and  buikling  a  canal  arouiKl  the 
lower  ra|)ids  at  Keokuk.  But  the  business  and  the  glory  have  dei)arted. 
Preparations  are  being  made  by  a  generous  government  for  the  resump- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  215 

tion  of  the  steaniboating  business  by  tugs  and  barge  lines  and  it  may  be 
that  sometime  these  splendid  facilities  will  be  fully  utilized,  in  spite  of 
Mr.  J.  I.  Hill's  estimate  that  even  at  St.  Louis,  only  .79  of  i  per  cent 
of  the  freight  in  and  out  of  that  city  goes  by  water.  He  argues  that  it 
is  hopeless  to  look  for  big  river  tratific  for  St.  Paul.  The  "Mississippi 
struck  twelve  twenty-five  years  ago,"  he  said,  "and  will  hardly  amount 
to  more  as  a  freight  carrier  than  can  be  done  by  three  auto  trucks." 

Per  contra,  as  an  evidence  of  the  earnestness  of  present-day  advo- 
cates of  river  improvement  in  securing  information  and  laying  plans 
for  continued  agitation,  the  following  series  of  questions  addressed  to 
commercial  bodies  by  the  president  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  River  Im- 
provement Association  may  be  quoted : 

1.  What  is  the  length  of  your  municipally-owned  river  frontage  and 
steamboat  landing,  in  lineal  feet? 

2.  What  is  the  width  of  same,  from  low  water  mark? 

3.  Is  the  width  obstructed  by  anything,  and  what? 

4.  Can  additional  frontage,  if  desired,  be  acquired  by  your  local 
authorities  for  freight  handling,  or  improvement  of  your  river  front, 
if  so,  how  much? 

5.  Where  are  railroad  tracks,  if  any,  located,  with  reference  to 
steamboat  landing? 

6.  Could  railroad  connection  with  dock  warehouse  be  made? 

7.  What  facilities  have  you  now  for  handling  river  traffic? 

8.  Have  harbor  lines  been  established  by  United  States  engineers? 

Present  Steamdo.\t  Conditions 

For  the  season  of  1912  there  are  three  lines  running  boats  regularly 
between  St.  Paul  and  cities  as  far  south  as  St.  Louis.  Of  these  the 
Streckfus  Steamboat  line,  operating  the  fine  Diamond  Jo  steamers,  is 
the  most  important.  This  company  operates  four  large  boats,  the  side- 
wheelers,  "Quincy"  and  "St.  Paul,"  and  the  sternwheelers,  "Sidney" 
and  "Dubuque."  Some  of  these  make  regular  trips  all  summer  be- 
tween St.  Paul,  Burlington,  Dubuque,  Davenport,  Keokuk  and  St.  Louis. 

Intercity  trade  has  already  begun  to  increase,  the  Atlas  Transporta- 
tion Co.  having  established  a  barge  line  between  Hannibal,  Mo.,  and  St. 
Paul  for  carrying  cement.  The  first  cargo  brought  in  found  a  cargo  of 
flour  waiting  for  transportation  to  down  river  points.  Trade  between 
cities  along  the  Mississippi  river  having  been  given  a  decided  stimulus, 
river  men  claim  that  when  a  certain  stage  of  water  is  guaranteed  at  all 
times  by  the  government  improvements,  such  as  the  six  foot  channel 
project,  several  other  barge  lines  will  immediately  come  into  existence. 

Another  important  river  line  is  the  Northern  Steamboat  Co.  of 
Davenport,  la.  This  line  operates  the  steamer  "Morning  Star"  between 
St.  Paul,  Stillwater,  Davenport  and  Rock  Island  and  does  both  a  pas- 
senger and  freight  business.  This  boat  is  one  of  the  newest  on  the  river 
and  is  known  as  the  fast  boat.  She  is  250  feet  long.  38  feet  wide  and 
can  carry  125  passengers. 

The  steamer  "Red  Wing"  of  which  M.  H.  Newcomb  is  the  owner  and 
captain,  makes  regular  trips  out  of  .St    Paul  to  Wabasha. 

Several  steamboats  for  pleasure  trips  ply  out  of  St.  Paul  and  once 
in  awhile  an  old-time  rafter  makes  this  port. 


216  ST.  PAUL  AND  \1CI.\1TV 

"Diamond  Jo"  Reynolds 

The  news  of  the  sale,  in  1910,  of  the  Diamond  Jo  packets,  the  last  of 
the  representatives  of  the  steamboat  lines  which  plied  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi, was  heard  with  regret  by  those  who  love  the  romance  of  the  pic- 
turesque old  river  days  and  hold  in  memory  the  virile  men  who  were  a 
part  of  its  fascinating  story.  Of  these  men  there  is  none  whose  life  his- 
tory is  so  often  rehearsed  as  that  of  Josejjh  Reynolds,  "Diamond  Jo,"  as 
he  was  known.  He  dominated  early  up  river  life  in  a  peculiar  fashion. 
His  mark,  a  diamond  with  Jo  in  the  center,  has  been  a  familiar  sight 
to  river  folk  for  lifty  years.  One  by  one  the  steamboat  companies  sold 
out  after  the  railroad  was  built  along  the  river,  but  the  "two  long,  two 
short"  whistle  of  the  Diamond  Jo  packets  was  still  heard.  I'ur  a  long 
time  its  four  steamers  were  the  only  ones  to  carry  through  freigiu  and 
passengers  from  St.  Paul  to  St.  Louis.  Efforts  may  be  made  to  retain 
some  of  the  old  features  of  the  business,  but  a  part,  at  least,  of  the 
romance  goes  with  the  passing  of  control  from  the  Reynolds  estate. 

Romance  ok  rin-:  .Mississippi 

The  romance  may  depart — nay,  has  departed — from  the  art  and  prac- 
tice of  river  navigation,  but  the  Mississippi  itself  is  an  endless  romance 
and  an  unceasing  wonder.  "The  longest  voyage  possible  from  New 
York  to  any  European  port  via  one  body  of  water,  the  Atlantic  ncean,  is 
less  than  4,000  miles,"  writes  Francis  Perry  Elliott  of  St.  Louis.  "But 
an  American  may  make  a  longer  voyage  via  one  body  of  water  and  never 
leave  our  great  Mississippi  river,  which  is  4,200  miles  long. 

"It  is  a  wasteful  river;  enough  good  soil  is  ejected  annually  from  its 
mouth  to  make  a  great  many  farms.  If  it  were  possible  to  collect  and 
compress  this  sediment  it  would  make  a  block  2f)0  feet  high  and  one 
mile  square  at  the  base.  Or  think  of  it  as  being  a  quantity  of  rich  soil 
sufficient  to  plaster  six  inches  deep  300  farms  of  1,000  acres  each.  And 
water!  Stand  on  the  levee  bank  at  flood  time  anywhere  below  the  mouth 
of  the  Ohio,  and  for  every  pulse  beat,  there  passes  before  you  14,000,000 
cubic  feet  of  water — 840.000.000  cubic  feet  every  minute. 

"The  area  drained  by  the  Father  of  Waters  is  over  1,245,000  S(|uare 
miles.  Or,  think  of  it  in  another  way ;  think  of  it  as  an  exieiU  of  land 
that  is  not  only  the  heart  of  the  country,  but  is  almost  the  country  itself, 
for  it  is  only  a  trifle  less  than  three-fourth  of  it.  X'iewcd  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  farmer,  it  comes  near  being  the  whole  thing,  for  the  twenty- 
eight  states  and  territories  from  which  the  Mississip])i  valley  claims 
tribute  of  drainage,  contain  go  per  cent  of  all  the  imj^roved  farm  land  in 
the  United  States.  Thus  the  greatest  river  in  all  the  world  is  flowing 
southward  through  the  greatest  valley— one  containing  70,000,000  of 
people — on  down  into  the  greatest  gulf   in   the  world." 

Minnesota  River  Navkiatiox 

The  summer  of  1850  was  the  commencement  of  the  navigation  of 
the  Minnesota  river  by  steamboats  to  and  from  St.  Paul.  With  the 
exception  of  a  steamer  that  made  a  pleasure  excursion  as  far  as  Shakopee 
in  1842,  no  large  vessel  had  ever  disturbed  tiie  waters  of  this  stream. 
The  long  remembered  flood  of  1S50  lirst  demonstrated  the  navigaliility 
of  the  river.     In  June,  during  the  high  water,  three  boats — the  "Anthony 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  217 

Wayne,"  "Xomiiiee"  and  "Yankee" — made  excursions  up  the  river,  the 
last  named  boat  going  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles. 

The  first  line  of  regular  boats  on  the  Minnesota  was  run  by  Captain 
Louis  Robert.  In  1857  Captains  Reaney  and  Davidson  were  engaged 
in  navigating  this  stream.  Regular  trips  were  made  in  1858  and  1859 
by  the  steamers  "T-'avorite"  and  "Franklin  Steele."  The  "Julia."  com- 
manded by  Captain  Reaney,  was  the  first  boat  ever  lost  on  the  river.  It 
was  sunk  in  1859  at  Hurricane  Bend,  below  Mankato.  Besides  the  boats 
named,  the  "Jeanette,"  "Time  and  Tide,"  and  "Antelope"  were  em- 
ployed in  this  trade.  Captain  Louis  Robert  (pronounced  Robar),  a 
Frenchman  of  humorous  turn,  would  stand  on  the  landing  at  St.  Paul 
just  before  his  boat  started,  and  call  out:  "All  aboard!  'Time  and 
Tide'  waits  for  no  man  and  only  twenty  minutes  for  any  woman."  The 
earliest  captains  whose  names  have  been  preserved  were  Robert  David- 
son, Reaney,  jMacLagan,  Bell,  Haycock  and  Randall.  The  boats  usually 
made  trips  to  Mankato,  but  sometimes  they  went  as  far  as  Fort  Ridgely 
and  New  Ulm,  while  an  occasional  trip  would  be  made  to  Redwood  and 
Yellow  Medicine  Agency. 

In  1858  Captain  Davis  made  a  daring  attempt  to  take  a  boat  called 
the  "Freighter"  up  the  Minnesota,  believing  that,  by  some  knee-wrench- 
ing and  neck-wringing  process,  he  could  reach  the  Red  river  of  the  North. 
It  was  a  disastrous  undertaking,  since  in  trying  to  get  over  the  Portage 
between  Lac  Traverse  and  Big  Stone,  his  vessel  was  wrecked.  The 
machinery  and  some  other  portions  of  the  craft  were  afterwards  re- 
covered and  used  in  building  the  "International,"  the  first  boat  to  navi- 
gate the  water  of  the  Red  river. 

From  1872  to  1875,  Gen.  Mark  D.  Flower,  owner  of  the  steamboat 
"Osceola,"  made  regular  trips  on  the  Minnesota  river,  during  the  seasons 
of  navigation.  Frequently,  at  periods  of  high  water,  he  carried  mer- 
chandise and  lumber  up  to  Redwood  and  Granite  Falls,  bringing  out  the 
wheat  produced  by  the  farmers.  This  was  a  very  profitable  business,  as 
there  were  then  no  railroads  in  that  region. 

During  some  eras  of  steamboating,  boats  ran  as  regularly  on  the 
Minnesota  as  on  the  Mississippi  river.  But  during  recent  years  trips 
have  been  made  only  at  rare  intervals,  on  account  of  the  difficulties  of 
navigation  caused  by  an  insufficient  depth  of  water  above  Carver,  and 
abundant  railroad  facilities  to  that  point.  The  improvements  necessary 
to  make  the  river  navigable  would  not  be  costly  and  there  are  indications 
that  in  the  near  future  the  national  government  will  be  ready  to  make 
the  necessary  appropriations  for  this  purpose.  Except  for  a  bar  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Minnesota  near  Fort  Snelling,  boats  that  could  ascend  the 
Mississippi  to  St.  Paul,  could  easily  go  to  Chaska  and  Carver.  Indeed, 
for  some  distance  above  Fort  Snelling  the  Minnesota  is  deep  enough 
to  float  a  dreadnought. 

For  many  years  a  regular  steamboat  line  ran  from  St.  Paul  down 
the  Mississippi  and  up  the  St.  Croix  to  Taylor's  Falls,  carrying  freight 
and  passengers  to  Hastings.  Prescott.  Hudson,  Stillwater,  Osceola,  Fran- 
conia,  Taylor's  Falls  and  St.  Croix  Falls.  The  beautiful  scenic  attractions 
of  the  Dalles  of  the  St.  Croix,  now  embraced  in  the  Inter-State  Park, 
formed  an  interesting  objective  point  for  the  tourists  and  excursion 
parties  of  those  days. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

RA 11. ROAD    DlAl'LLOPMENT 

Land  Grants  to  Railroads — Railroad  Building,  1865-90 — St.  Paul, 

THK      CON.STRUCTION      CeNTKR TlIlC      GrE.VT      XoRTHERN      SvSTEM  — 

Northern  Pacieic  Railro.ad — Chicago,  St.  P.-\ul,  Minneapolis 
&  Omaha  System — The  Minnesota  Central  Railro.\d — The 
Chicago  Gre.\t  Western — Minneapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad — 
Wisconsin  Central  Railroad — Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific — 
The  "Soo"  Line — Destined  March  oe  St.   Paul. 

The  e.xtraordinary  development  of  the  railroad  system  of  Minnesota, 
which  has  St.  Paul  as  its  central  ])oint.  has  extended  the  means  of 
transportation  over  nearly  the  whole  productive  area  of  the  state,  so 
that  it  is  difficult  to  find  anywhere  within  its  limits  a  tract  of  fertile 
country  which  is  more  than  twenty  miles  away  from  the  iron-bound 
road.  The  first  mile  of  railroad  in  the  state  was  not  built  until  1862. 
Now  over  four  thousand  miles  of  track  traverse  it  in  every  direction, 
and  the  lines  extend  far  beyond  the  boundaries,  bearing  and  bringin.a; 
their  rich  tribute  of  commerce  in  all  the  products  that  go  to  constitute 
the  elements  of  modern  civilization. 

-Mllujugli  the  construction  and  operation  of  railroad  lines  leading 
to  and  from  St.  I'aul  have  long  since  overleaped  the  state  boundaries, 
and  even  those  of  the  nation,  yet.  from  the  historic  standpoint,  a  review 
of  the  early  inducements  offered  by  Minnesota  and  the  early  struggles 
of  her  enterprising  citizens  to  inaugurate  the  system,  must  be  of  value. 

The  multiplication  of  railroads  is  the  great  need  of  our  industrial 
economy.  We  have  a  wide  territory,  with  bulky  ])roducts  far  from  the 
great  markets.  The  laws  of  the  state  and  their  administration  have 
tendered  to  promote  railroad  expansion,  and  this  has  been  one  of  the 
greatest  factors  in  the  smn  total  of  causes  that  have  produced  such  a 
prosperous  community. 

Land  Grants  to  Railroads 

In  no  stale  have  such  muniliccnl  land  grants  been  made  to  railroad 
cor|)orations  as  in  .Minnesota.  After  deducting  all  deficiencies  they  have 
received  12,222,780  acres  of  land,  an  area  larger  than  the  whole  of 
Massachusetts,  Rhode  Islanrl,  Connecticut  and  one-half  of  New  Ilani])- 
shirc.  embracing  some  of  the  finest  wheat  lands  in  America.  I'lUt  the 
roads  have  earned  the  lands,  and  in  giving  them  the  state  has  made  a 
profitable   investment. 

These  lands  received  by  the  railroad  corporations  are  by  their  amend- 
ed  charters,   exempt    from    taxation   until   they   arc    sold   or   contracted 

218 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  219 

to  be  sold.  Under  the  stimulus  afforded  by  these  grants,  preparations 
were  made,  in  the  later  days  of  the  territorial  government,  for  the  con- 
struction of  an  immense  system  of  railways.  The  sanguine  expectations 
excited  by  these  preparations  were  suddenly  cut  short  by  the  financial 
collapse  of  1857.  By  an  act  of  Congress  approved  March  5,  1857,  and 
secured  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Hon.  Henry  M.  Rice,  delegate  in 
Congress,  4,500,000  acres  of  land  had  been  granted  to  the  territory  to 
aid  in  the  construction  of  six  different  lines  of  road.  But  the  lands  were 
of  little  value  until  the  roads  were  constructed ;  the  roads  could  not  be 
constructed  without  money,  and  the  money  could  not  be  secured  under 
existing  financial  conditions. 

In  this  emergency  the  companies  whicli  had  been  organized  to  build 
these  roads,  by  men  who  had  little  surplus  capital  themselves  to  embark 
in  such  enterprises,  appealed  to  the  state  for  aid.  The  people,  on  April 
15,  1858,  ratified  by  a  large  majority  the  constitutional  amendment  sub- 
mitted to  them,  which  authorized  the  issue  of  state  bonds  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  proposed  railroads.  The  failure  of  that  program  and  the  long 
series  of  calamities  which  it  entailed  on  the  people,  have  been  narrated 
in  another  chapter  of  this  work. 

Railroad  Building,  1865-90 

The  close  of  the  war  for  the  Union  in  the  spring  of  1865,  the  re- 
turn of  the  soldiers,  and  the  assurance  of  no  further  depredations  from 
the  Sioux  Indians,  started  a  new  era  of  prosperity  and  rapid  growth. 
The  legislature,  in  the  meantime,  had  granted  charters  on  the  foreclosed 
roadbeds  and  lands  to  new  railroad  companies,  and  the  construction  of 
roads  was  furnishing  abundant  labor  to  all  who  were  coming  to  the 
state.  The  population  at  this  time  was  250,099,  and  in  1870  the  popu- 
lation had  increased  to  439,706,  nearly  doubling  in  five  years.  The  rail- 
road companies  had  within  the  same  period  constructed  nearly  1,000 
miles  of  railroad,  and  continued  building  with  even  greater  vigor  until 
"the  financial  crisis  of  1873  brought  all  public  enterprises  again  to  a  stand, 
and  produced  stagnation  in  all  the  growing  towns.  The  farmers  had 
been  active  in  developing  the  country,  and  were  adding  largely  to  the 
productions  of  the  state  when  the  grasshopper  raids  for  the  time  being 
destroyed  the  growing  crops  and  caused  serious  financial  distress  for  two 
or  three  years. 

During  the  ten  years  between  1880  and  i8go  there  was  a  period  of 
great  activity  in  railroad  building,  and  2,310  miles  of  road  were  put  in 
operation.  This  alone  gave  great  energy  to  business,  caused  a  large 
increase  in  the  population  of  the  cities,  and  gradtially  culminated  in  a 
real  estate  boom  with  an  era  of  wild  speculation.  In  the  rural  districts 
the  growth  was  normal  over  the  entire  state,  although  large  numbers  of 
farmers  in  the  southern  half  were  attracted  to  the  plains  of  Dakota, 
where  great  activity  was  being  developed  by  pushing  railroads  into  dif- 
ferent sections. 

St.  Paul,  the  Construction  Center 

Substantially  all  Minnesota  railroad  building  began  at  this  city.  By 
geographical  position  and  by  the  enterprise  and  liberality  of  its  citizens, 
St.  Paul  has  become  to  the  great  northwest  what  Chicago  is  to  the 
older  west — the  point  where  merchandise  is  concentrated  and  distribu- 


220  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

ted,  where  great  railroad  systems  meet  and  connect  and  where  travel 
halts  and  is  transferred.  All  the  railroads  that  reach  out  from  Chicago, 
to  grasp  a  share  of  the  traffic  of  the  northwest,  converge  here,  and  other 
roads  make  the  city  their  starting  point  for  the  I'acitic  coast :  for  the 
international  boundary ;  for  the  ports  of  Lake  Su])erior.  and  for  the 
prairies  of  western  and  southern  Minnesota,  northern  Iowa  and  Ne- 
braska. Nothing  proclaims  more  effectively  the  importance  of  St. 
Paul  as  a  railroad  center  than  the  fact  that  there  are  seven  great  trunk 
lines  between  Chicago  and  this  city,  while  no  less  than  five  railways  con- 
nect St.   Paul  with  the  Lake   Superior  cities. 

Thk  Great  Northern  System 

The  Great  Northern  Railway  may  fairly  he  claimed  as  a  distinctive 
St.  Paul  enterprise,  having  been  from  the  beginning  practically  de- 
vised, promoted,  built,  owned  and  operated  here.     The  parent  corpora- 


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tion  was  chartered  May  22,  1857,  as  the  Minnesota  and  Pacific  Railroad 
and  authorized  to  build  lines  to  Stillwater,  to  St.  Anthony  and  Breck- 
enridge;  also  "from  St.  .Anthony,  via  Anoka,  St.  Cloud  and  Crow 
Wing,  to  St.  \'incent,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Pembina  river."  Among 
the  first  directors  w-ere  Alexander  Ramsey,  lulnumd  Rice.  R.  R.  Nelson, 
VVm.  L.  .Ames.  Charles  11.  Oakes.  1'".  R.  Delano  and  other  citizens  of 
St.  Paul,  lulmund  Rice  was  first  president.  The  line  was  surveyed 
in  1857,  and  some  grading  done  by  Selah  Chamberlain  but  the  ])anic 
caused  a  suspension. 

When  the  five  million  loan  bill  was  passed,  in  185S.  work  was  re- 
sumed and  most  of  the  bed  between  St.  Paul  and  St.  .\nthony  graded, 
when  the  failure  of  the  loan  scheme  again  comi)elled  a  sto])page  of  work, 
before  a  rail  had  been  laid. 

In  iSrto  the  mortgage  given  by  the  road  to  the  state  was  foreclosed; 
the  lied  and  franchises  became  the  property  of  the  state  and  so  remained 
until  .March  10,  1862.  when  the  legislature  conferred  them  on  l-"dmiwul 
Rice,  R.  R.   Nel.son,  E.  A.  C.  Hatch,  J.  E.  Thomp.son.  Win.  Lee  and 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  221 

others,  with  provisos  that  certain  portions  should  be  constructed  by 
specified  dates.  The  name  of  the  corporation  was  also  changed  to  the 
St.  Paul  and  Pacific  Railroad  Company. 

A  contract  was  ejitered  into  March  ii,  1862,  with  E.  F.  Drake  and  \'. 
Winters,  to  construct  the  road  from  St.  Paul  to  St.  Anthony,  and  it 
was  completed  and  running  on  June  28th  of  that  year.  The  first  loco- 
motive was  the  "William  Crooks,"  named  in  honor  of  the  chief  engineer 
of  the  road.  Hon.  E.  Rice,  the  president  about  that  time,  went  to  Eng- 
land, where  he  enlisted  capital  in  the  road  and  sent  back  3,000  tons  of 
rails  for  its  construction.  Work  was  steadily  pushed  on  the  road  during 
the  ensuing  year.  On  February  6,  1864,  the  road  was  divided  between 
two  companies — the  part  from  St.  Paul  to  Breckenridge,  and  the 
branch  line  to  Watab  being  called  the  "First  division,"  under  the  presi- 
dency of  George  L.  Becker,  and  the  remaining  portion,  St.  Cloud  to  St. 
Vincent,  St.  Paul  to  Winona,  etc.,  being  called  the  St.  Paul  and  Pacific. 

On  the  branch  line  the  road  was  completed  to  Elk  river,  39  miles, 
in  1864.  and,  on  September  i,  1866,  to  St.  Cloud,  74  miles.  On  the 
main  line  it  was  completed  to  Wayzata  in  1867;  to  Willmar  in  i86q;  to 
Benson  in  1870,  and  to  Breckenridge,  217  miles  from  St.  Paul,  in  October, 
1871.  The  road  from  St.  Cloud  to  Melrose,  35  miles,  was  completed,  and 
that  from  Glyndon  to  Crookston,  84  miles,  at  a  somewhat  later  date. 

By  an  act  of  Congress  in  1871  the  old  St.  Paul  and  Pacific  Com- 
pany relocated  its  lines  so  as  to  reach  the  British  possessions  at  St. 
\'incent,  direct  from  St.  Cloud,  instead  of  by  way  of  Crow  Wing.  At 
the  same  time  the  first  division  leased  the  St.  Vincent  and  Brainerd 
branch  for  ninety-nine  years.  Under  this  contract  the  first  division  com- 
pany issued  its  bonds  to  the  extent  of  fifteen  million  dollars.  Defa,ulting 
in  payment  of  them,  the  bondholders,  most  of  them  foreign  capitalists, 
commenced  proceedings  in  the  United  States  courts  and  obtained  the 
appointment  of  J.  P  Farley  as  receiver  of  the  St.  Vincent  extension 
lines.  At  the  same  time  mortgages  were  foreclosed  on  the  lines  from 
St.  Paul  to  Sauk  Rapids  and  St.  Anthony  to  Breckenridge. 

Possession  of  the  first  division  lines  was  obtained  by  Edmund  Rice, 
Horace  Thompson  and  John  S.  Kennedy,  trustees  under  the  mortgage, 
in  October,  1876,  and  the  road  was  operated  by  them  until  the  St. 
Paul,  Minneapolis  and  Alanitoba  Railway  Company  became  the  owners 
of  the  property,  the  organization  of  the  latter  company  being  effected 
in  June,  1879,  at  which  time  over  700  miles  of  road  were  completed. 
This  comprised  the  main  line  running  from  St.  Paul  to  Barnesville, 
where  it  formed  a  junction  with  the  main  line  and  the  extension  to  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  state,  where  it  connected  with  the  Emerson 
branch  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  to  Winnipeg,  Manitoba.  The  extension 
of  its  lines  in  Minnesota,  Dakota  and  Montana  was  rapidly  carried  on 
until  June  30,  1887,  it  owned  and  had  in  operation  1,935  miles,  of  which 
1,126  miles  were  in  Minnesota.  This  company  made  the  unparalleled 
record  of  building  complete  for  weeks  and  months,  during  1887,  from 
five  to  seven  miles  of  railroad  per  day  on  the  Montana  extension  to 
Helena.  Within  eight  months  648  miles  of  road  were  built  from  ]\linot, 
Dakota,  to  Helena,  Montana,  and  regular  trains  were  running  over  the 
road.  Since  1879,  James  J.  Hill  of  St.  Paul,  long  since  hailed  "The 
Empire  Builder,"  and  recognized  as  the  premier  constructive  genius  of 
the  age,  has  been  the  master  spirit  of  the  great  system,  now  known  as 
the   Great   Northern.     It   constitutes  one  of   the  great   transcontinental 


222  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

lines  of  the  country — in  many  respects  the  greatest.  Its  history  is  a  ro- 
mance.    Its  achievements  have  been  phenomenal,  colossal,  monumental. 

The  headquarters  in  St.  Paul  occupy  a  building  on  lower  Jhird 
street,  extending  an  entire  block  and  five  stories  high.  Its  lines  extend 
from  this  city  to  Duluth ;  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  Sioux  Falls  and  .\J)er(leen, 
South  Dakota;  to  Butte,  Helena  and  Anaconda.  Montana;  to  Spokane, 
Palouse,  Colfax,  Seattle,  Tacoma,  Olympia  and  Everett,  Washington; 
Portland,  Oregon;  to  Vancouver,  Victoria,  Rossland  and  Nelson.  Brit- 
ish Columbia,  and  to  many  other  important  jioints  in  the  great  northwest. 
Late  developments  indicate  that  the  Great  .Xorthern  will  .soon  gain  en- 
trance to  San  Francisco,  and  also  construct  a  line  via  Denver,  to  Cal- 
veston,  Texas. 

The  same  management  has  a  voice  in  Northern  Pacific  aft'airs  and  a 
controlling  interest  in  the  "Burlington"  route,  its  Chicago  connection. 
It  also  controls  lines  of  steamers  on  the  great  lakes,  from  Duluth  to 
Buffalo  and  on  the  Pacific  Ocean  from  Puget  Sound  to  Japan. 

Northern   P.\ciiic  R.\ilro.\d 

The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  is  another  great  Pacific  coast  system, 
having  its  headcjuarters  in  St.  Paul.  .A  ])ractical  movement,  having  a 
direct  bearing  on  the  con.struction  of  the  line,  originated  in  this  city  in 
1862  and  resulted  in  pointedly  calling  public  attention  to  the  desirability 
of  the  route  via  the  upper  Missouri.  A  party  of  citizens  formed  an 
expedition  to  go  to  the  gold  mines  in  Idaho  and  Montana  overland,  and 
started  on  j\lay  14th.  They  arrived  safely.  Meantime  congress  ap- 
propriated a  small  amount  for  guidance  and  protection  t<5  emigrant 
trains.  Capt.  James  L.  Fisk  was  appointed  to  command  the  expedition 
and  another  train  left  on  June  itith  getting  through  safely.  Most  of  our 
citizens  who  accompanied  these  exi)edilions  ultimately   returned. 

The  early  history  of  the  Northern  Pacific  was  one  of  discouragement 
and  financial  disasters.  Its  charter  was  granted  by  congress  July  2, 
1864,  and  in  1870  fifty  miles  of  road  were  conii)leted  and  in  operation 
in  this  state.  Two  years  later  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  miles  were 
comi)letcd  and  from  that  date  until  1S78  construction  was  suspended  be- 
cause of  the  financial  embarrassment  of  Jay  Conke.  the  president  ol  the 
company,  to  whom  the  northwest  owes  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  for 
his  devotion  to  this  important  enterprise.  In  iSjc)  work  was  resumed 
and  by  June  30,  1880,  195J/J  miles  were  comiileled  within  the  stale  of 
Minnesota.  On  Sei)tember  8,  1883,  the  golden  sjiike  was  driven  at 
Gold  Creek,  Montana,  1.204  niiles  west  of  St.  Paul  and  800  miles  east 
of  the  Pacific.  This  united  the  two  sections  of  the  road,  wliich  had 
been  building  toward  each  other,  and  made  one  continuous  line.  This 
important  event  was  celebrated  in  this  city,  with  immense  enthusiasm, 
as  descrii)ed  in  Chajiter  Nl. 

The  head(|uarlcrs  Iniilding  at  St.  Paul  is  one  of  the  city's  immense 
structures,  wherein  are  housed  all  the  operating  departments  of  the 
enormous  system  into  which  tiie  Xorthern  Pacific  has  grown.  .Xinong 
the  great  sections  on  which  fully  ec|uipped  trains  are  sent  out  from 
St.  Paul  are  the  Main  line,  with  five  daily  trains  each  way,  between 
St.  Paul  and  .Seattle;  the  Dulutli  Short  line.  St.  Paul  to  Duluth;  the  Red 
River  and  Winnipeg  line.  St.  Paul  to  Winnijieg.  The  grand  total  of 
mileage,  main  lines  and  branches,  traversing  seven  states,  is  (''.2-/-  miles. 
A  standard  ef|uipmenl  of  its  through  trains  is:  Pullman  sleepers,  St.  Paul 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  223 

to  Seattle  and  to  Portland ;  observation  library  car,  with  barber  and  bath ; 
dining  car,  St.  Paul  to  Seattle  and  Spokane  to  Portland. 

.\nother  distinctively  St.  Paul  enterprise  was  the  Lake  Superior 
and  Mississippi  Railroad,  now  the  St.  Paul  and  Duluth  division  of  the 
Northern  Pacific.  This  road  was  first  incorporated  in  1857,  under  the 
name  of  the  Nebraska  and  Lake  Superior  Railroad  and  the  name  was 
changed  by  the  legislature  of  1861.  Lyman  Dayton  and  others,  were 
made  incorporators.  But  little  was  done  in  actual  construction  for  three 
of  four  years.  Meantime,  Wm.  L.  Banning,  L.  Dayton,  James  Smith, 
Jr.,  William  Branch,  Dr.  J.  H.  Stewart,  Robert  A.  Smith  and  Parker 
Paine  took  hold  of  the  enterprise  and  put  in  enough  money  to  grade 
thirty  miles.  On  October  20,  1865,  the  president  of  the  road,  Lyman 
Dayton  died.  Captain  Banning  succeeded  him,  and,  after  much  trouble, 
got  some  Philadelphia  capitalists  to  build  and  equip  the  road.  It  was 
completed  to  Duluth  in  1870.  and  the  Stillwater  branch  was  built  the 
same  year. 

The  early  presidents  of  the  road  were :  Lyman  Dayton,  to  his  death 
in  1865;  1865  to  1870,  Capt.  Wm.  L.  Banning;  Frank  H.  Clark,  1870  to 
^^73  >  ]■  P-  llsley,  to  1878,  and  James  Smith,  Jr.,  during  a  large  part  of 
its  remaining  existence  as  a  separate  corporation.  It  was  afterwards 
known  as  the  St.  Paul  and  Duluth  Railroad,  until  its  merger  with  the 
Northern  Pacific.  Gates  A.  Johnson  was  chief  engineer  during  all  the 
construction  period,  and  subsequently  served  for  a  considerable  time 
as  general  superintendent. 

In  conjunction  with  the  Minneapolis  and  St.  Louis  Company,  the 
St.  l-'aul  and  Duluth  built,  during  1880,  a  branch  line  from  Wyoming 
to  Taylors'  Falls,  a  distance  of  twenty-one  miles.  This  branch  has  be- 
come an  important  part  of  the  line,  and  a  valuable  adjunct  to  the  com- 
merce of  the  city. 

Three  daily  trains,  each  way,  now  run  over  this  line,  as  the  Duluth 
branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  from  St.  Paul  to  Duluth  and  Superior. 
There  are  also  trains  from  St.  Paul  to  White  Bear  Lake,  to  Stillwater,  to 
Taylor's  Falls,  to  Grantsburg  and  to  other  points  on  branch  lines  of  the 
original  Lake  Superior  and  Mississippi. 

Chicago,  St.  P.\ul,  Minne.xpolis  &  Om.\h.\  System 

Still  another  and  very  notable  local  transportation  line — strictly  local 
in  conception,  inception,  construction  and  management — was  the  St. 
Paul  and  Sioux  City  Railroad,  long  since  merged  into  the  Chicago, 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  and  Omaha  system,  intimately  related  to  the 
Chicago  and  Northwestern  road.  This  road  was  incorporated  in  1857 
as  one  of  the  lines  of  the  Root  River  \'alley  and  Southern  Minne- 
sota Railroad,  and  separated  from  that  corporation  in  1864,  into  a  new 
line,  called  the  Minnesota  \'alley  Railroad.  Under  the  five  million  loan 
impetus,  a  few  miles  of  the  road  from  Mendota  to  Shakopee  was  par- 
tially graded  in  1858.  Nothing  more  was  done  until  after  the  act  of 
1864.  Messrs.  E.  F.  Drake,  John  L.  Merriam,  Horace  Thompson,  A.  H. 
Wilder,  H.  H.  Sibley,  John  S.  Prince,  J.  C.  Burbank,  W.  F.  Davidson, 
Charles  H.  Bigelow.  George  A.  Hamilton,  R.  Blakeley  and  others,  became 
stockholders,  and  furnished  means  to  construct  a  part  of  the  road.  From 
this  time  on,  its  building  was  steadily  pushed.  The  line  from  Mendota 
to  Shakopee  was  opened  November  16,  1865,  from  St.  Paul  to  Mendota, 


224  ST.   PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 

August  24,  1866;  completed  from  St.  Paul  to  Belle  Plains,  November  19, 
1866;  to  LeSueur,  December  5,  1867;  St.  Peter,  August  17,  1868;  Man- 
kato,  October  12,  1868;  Lake  Crystal,  December  13,  1869;  Madelia,  Sep- 
tember 5,  1870;  St.  James,  Xovember  i,  1870;  Worthiiigton,  1871  ;  Siou.x 
City,  1872.  From  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  to  St.  James,  Minnesota,  the  line  was 
called  the  Sioux  City  and  St.  Paul  Railroad.  All  of  this  work  was  done 
under  the  management  of  E.  F.  Drake,  who  continued  in  charge  until  the 
road  was  sold,  and  it  is  to  his  energy  and  ability  that  St.  Paul  and  the  state 
of  Minnesota  are  largely  indebted  for  the» success  of  several  of  their  rail- 
road enterprises.  Gen.  J.  W.  Bishop  was  chief  engineer  during  the  con- 
struction of  the  road,  and  for  a  long  time  general  manager  of  its  opera- 
tion, displaying  signal  ability  in  both  positions. 

After  the  road  was  completed  tn  Sioux  City,  extensions  were  made 
on  the  east  side  of  the  2kiissouri  river  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  where 
connections  were  found  with  roads  leading  to  Saint  Joseph,  Kansas 
City  and  other  localities  in  southwestern  Missouri,  and  with  the  lines 
of  "southern  Kansas.  Indian  Territory  and  Texas.  At  Omaha  it  also 
connected  with  roads  belonging  to  the  Kansas  system,  and  with  the 
Union  I'acific  and  other  Nebraska  roads,  giving  St.  Paul  continuous 
railroad  communication  with  Colorado.  New  .Mexico,  .\rizona  and  Lah- 
fornia  in  one  direction,  and  with  Wyoming,  Utah,  Nevada,  and  California 
in  another.  Within  a  few  years  a  line  was  built  from  St.  Paul  via  Min- 
neapolis and  Carver,  where  it  joins  the  old  line,  and  is  now  the  usual 
route  of  travel.  Besides  those  named,  several  other  branches  have  been 
built,  all  of  which  were  consolidated  in  1882  under  the  present  corporate 
name,  the  Chicago.  St.  Paul,  .Minneapolis  and  Omaha  Railway  Com- 
pany. East  of  St.  Paul  this  road  extends  to  Elroy  and  uses  the  Chi- 
cago and  Northwestern  road,  llience  to  Chicago  and  .Milwaukee.  It  has 
also  two  branch  lines  extending  northward,  resi)cctively  to  Suj>orior 
City  and  Duluth,  and  to  Bayfield  and  Ashland.  The  aggregate  length 
of  the  road  and  its  branches  is  about  1.500  miles,  but  its  trains  run  over 
the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  roads  to  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Green  Bay, 
Escanaba  and  Marguerette  in  Wisconsin,  and  to  many  other  points  in 
various  states.  The  entire  system,  east  and  west,  is  operated  from  St. 
Paul.  The  handsome  headquarters  building,  corner  of  Fourth  and 
Rosabel  streets,  is  an  ornament  to  the  wholesale  district. 

Tiie  Chicago.  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  system  now  ernbraces  sev- 
eral lines  that  originated  in  this  city  and  were  started  with  St.  Paul 
energy,  enterprise  and  capital.  Section  25  of  the  original  charter  of  the 
Minnesota  and  Pacific  Railroad  authorized  a  line  from  St.  Paul  to 
Winona.  On  March  6,  1863,  a  grant  of  swamp  land  was  made  to  it  by 
the  slate.  The  city  of  St.  Paul  subsequently  gave  a  bonus  of  $50,000 
to  the  line.  and.  on  March  19,  1807,  the  directors  of  the  St.  Paul  and 
Pacific  railroad  resolved  that  it  should  be  called  the  "St.  Paul  and 
Chicago  Railway."  In  1864,  Hon.  E.  Rice,  president  of  the  St.  Paul 
and  Pacific  Railroad,  commenced  active  efforts  to  build  the  road.  Ik- 
went  to  England,  enlisted  the  aid  of  capitalists,  procured  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  land  grant ;  in  a  few  months  the  road  was  under  way.  and  it 
progressed  steadily  until  completed  to  La  Crescent  in  1872.  Through 
eastern  trains  commenced  running  in  Seiitemher,  1872.  via  Winona 
The  road  bed  was  sold  to  the  St.  Paul  and  Milwaukee  road,  of  whicii 
it  i>  the  river  division  and  main  Irinik  line. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  225 

The  Minnesota  Central  Railroad 

The  Minnesota  Central  road,  reaching  from  St.  Paul  and  Minne- 
apolis, via  Faribault,  Owatonna,  Austin,  etc.;  to  McGregor,  Iowa,  now 
constituting  the  Iowa  and  Minnesota  division  of  the  St.  Paul  system, 
was  commenced  in  1864  and  completed  in  1867.  About  1872,  both  these 
divisions  were  absorbed  by  the  "St.  Paul."  It  soon  after  absorbed  the 
Hastings  and  Dakota  Railway  which  crosses  the  state  from  Hastings 
to  Brown's  valley,  and  in  1875  was  operating  s^^ji  miles  of  road  in 
the  state.  Within  the  following  five  years  it  purchased  the  Southern 
Minnesota  from  La  Crescent  to  the  west  line  of  the  state,  near  the  south 
boundary,  and  the  Midland  Narrow  Guage  in  Zumbro  valley,  thus  con- 
stituting 970  miles.  It  has  since  finished  its  purchased  lines  and  built 
branch  lines  and  now  has  1,500  miles  of  road  in  Minnesota,  while  many 
thousand  miles  are  owned  by  this  great  corporation  in  Illinois,  Wiscon- 
sin, Iowa,  Missouri  and  South  Dakota,  also  a  through  line  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  recently  completed,  which  gives  this  city  additional  train  service 
to  the  great  west.  This  new  line  is  called  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and 
Puget  Sound  Railway,  and  is  claimed  to  be  the  most  direct  and  the 
shortest  line  between  Chicago  and  the  Pacific  coast ;  also  to  have  the  low- 
est grades  and  the  finest  scenery.  Over  this  road  superb  trains  are  run 
from  Chicago,  via  Milwaukee,  St.  Paul,  Aberdeen,  etc.,  to  Seattle  and 
Tacoma. 

The  Chicago  Great  Western 

The  Chicago  Great  Western  Railroad  also  had  its  inception  in  St. 
Paul,  which  was  for  many  years,  the  headquarters  of  the  company, 
of  which  A.  B.  Stickney  was  the  presiding  genius.  This  aggressive  gen- 
tleman, believing  that  St.  Paul  needed  a  railroad  outlet  to  the  east 
which  should  be  owned  and  controlled  by  its  own  citizens,  applied  him- 
self assiduously  to  the  task  of  organizing  a  company  and  raising  the 
money  necessary  to  put  the  project  into  execution.  A  charter  was 
granted  by  the  legislature  to  the  original  company  as  early  as  1857,  but 
nothing  was  done  of  a  practical  nature  until  thirty  years  thereafter,  when 
a  new  company  was  organized.  The  construction  of  the  road  was  com- 
menced in  September,  1884,  and  on  October  i,  1885,  the  first  section 
of  109  miles  from  St.  Paul  to  Lyle,  Minnesota,  where  it  connects  with 
the  Illinois  Central,  was  opened  for  traffic.  On  January  i,  1886,  an  ex- 
tension of  twenty  miles,  from  Lyle  to  Manly  Junction,  where  it  connects 
with  the  Central  Iowa  Railway,  was  completed,  and  leased  to  the  last 
named  company.  The  line  from  Hayfield,  Minnesota,  to  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  107  miles  was  put  in  operation  in  December,  1886,  and  on  January 
I,  1887,  the  Dubuque  and  Dakota  branch  of  sixty-three  miles,  from  Sum- 
ner to  Hampton,  Iowa,  was  acquired  by  purchase.  In  December,  1887, 
it  was  consolidated  with  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  and  Kansas  City  Rail- 
road, and  became  a  part  of  the  system  represented  by  the  latter  cor- 
poration, which  was  afterwards  changed  to  the  Chicago  Great  Western. 
By  a  shifting  of  controlling  interests,  the  road  passed  into  the  hands  of 
outside  parties,  who  in  1910  removed  the  headc|uarters  to  Chicago. 

The  lines  still  remain,  however,  a  leading  feature  of  our  city's  net- 
work of  transportation  facilities,  leading  direct  to  Chicago,  Kansas 
City,  Des  Moines,  Omaha  and  other  business  centers.  It  also  has  im- 
portant branch  lines  in  Minnesota,  reaching  to  Mankato,  Rochester, 
Winona  and  many  other  towns,  thus  contributing  to  the  trade  of   St. 

Vol.  1—15 


226  SI".    PALI.   WD  \1C1X1T\- 

I'aiil.  It  is  claiiDcd  that  special  provision  for  the  comfort  of  women  is 
an  innovation  originated  on  this  line.  Heretofore  every  new  equipment 
was  primarily  for  the  comfort  of  men.  and  the  needs  and  desires  of  wo- 
men were  considered  as  only  of  secondary  importance.  The  Great 
Western  Limited  now^  carries  a  car  in  which  women  are  given  first  con- 
sideration— private  compartments  fully  equipped  with  all  toilet  conven- 
iences and  electric  fans,  observation  parlor  with  easv  chairs,  womcns" 
magazines  and  large  observation  platform. 

In  the  early  days  of  railroading  here  a  comjianv  was  organized 
under  the  title  of  the  Winona.  .\lma  and  Xorthcrn  Railroad,  with  the 
intention  of  building  a  road  from  Winona,  Minnesota,  crossing  the 
Mississippi  river  to  Alma.  Wisconsin,  and  running  thence  north  along 
the  east  bank  of  the  river.  Surveys  of  the  route  were  made,  rights  of 
way  to  portions  secured  and  some  grading  done,  when  the  funds  of  the 
company  failed  and  the  work  was  abandoned. 

In  1885.  when  the  Chicago,  Ikirlington  and  Northern  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  formed  it  purchased  the  rights  and  franchises  of  the  Winona 
Company  and  set  to  work  building  the  line  of  road  now  extending  from 
Fulton,  Illinois,  to  this  city  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  with  a  branch 
line  from  Savannah  to  Oregon.  Illinois.  This  was  opened  in  October, 
1886.  It  has  by  permanent  traffic  arrangement  with  the  Chicago,  l>ur- 
lington  and  Quincy  Comi)any  become  a  very  important  member  of  the 
system  of  through  or  trunk  lines  between  St.  Paul  and  Chicago.  St. 
Louis,  Kansas  City  and  Omaha  and  other  points.  The  subsequent  ab- 
sorption of  the  C.  P..  &  Q.,  by  the  "Hill  Lines"  virtually  added  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  and  Ouincy  system  to  the  list  of  St.  Paul  railways. 
It  opened  to  St.  Paul  jobi)ing  houses  the  trade  of  that  part  of  Wi.sconsin 
north  of  La  Crosse,  and  exerts  an  influence  in  increasing  the  facilities  for 
traffic  on  all  north  and  south  lines.  There  are  now  four  trains  daily,  on 
this  road  between  Chicago  and  St.  Paul — also  through  trains  to  St.  Louis 
which  reach  many  points  in  central  Illinois. 

Mix  Ni:.\i'()i.is  i\:  St.  Loims  Kmi.koad 

The  construction  of  the  .Minneapolis  and  St.  Louis  Railroad  was 
l)egun  in  1870.  It  was  originally  built  from  .Minneapolis  southward 
through  the  counties  of  Hennepin.  .Scott.  Le  Sueur.  Waseca  and  Free- 
born, but  now  has  an  extension  to  St.  I^aul  and  has  become  a  member 
of  the  St.  Paul  .system.  The  lirst  forty-two  miles  were  not  completed 
until  1876.  Work  was  tlien  resumed  and  by  t88o  there  w-ere  136!^  miles  in 
operation.  Soon  after  the  company  built  a  line  from  Red  \\"mg  to  inter- 
sect the  main  line  at  Waterville.  This  cross  line  was  subsequently  ex- 
tended to  Mankato.  .Another  branch  called  the  Pacific  Extension  leaves 
the  main  line  at  Minnea|)olis  and  is  carried  to  Le  liean  in  South  Dakota, 
where  it  reaches  the  Missouri  river.  This  comjianv  has  now-  of  its  own 
road  in  operation  800  miles.  In  Iowa  its  line  extends  via  Fort  Dodge 
to  Des  Moines  where  it  connects  with  the  Wabash.  St.  Louis  and  Pacific. 
This  is  an  important  road  to  St.  Paul,  from  which  the  city  has  already 
derived  great  benefit  and  its  advantages  will  continue  to  increase  with  the 
growth  of  the  country.  The  general  offices  of  the  comjiany  are  in  Minne- 
apolis, but  St.  Paul  is  the  terminus  for  the  departure  and  arrival  of  all  pas- 
senger trains.  The  line  reaching  through  western  Minnesota  to  .South 
Dakota  ])oints  is  especially  valuable  to  the  commerce  of  this  city.  It  now 
belongs  to  the  so-called  "Hawley  system"  which  includes  the  Chicago  & 


ST.   PAUL   AXl)  \1CI\1TY  ■2-27 

Alton,  the  Iowa  Central  and  other  considerable  lines.  A  late  proposition 
is  to  extend  the  road  from  its  present  terminus  in  South  Dakota,  north- 
ward to  the  Canadian  border  to  connect  with  two  Dominion  lines  now 
being  built.  This  will  open  to  St.  Paul  trade  another  communication  with 
the  Canadian  northwest. 

Wisconsin  Ce.ntr.al  R.ailro.^d 

The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  now  the  important  Chicago  con- 
nection of  the  "Soo"  or  Canadian  Pacific  system,  deserves  to  be  classed 
among  St.  Paul's  most  useful  railroads.  It  passes  through  some  of 
the  richest  sections  of  Wisconsin,  from  which  a  large  share  of  trade 
flows  hither  because  of  the  city's  nearness  and  excellent  facilities  for 
transportation.  It  was  first  opened  in  1885,  and  its  course  is  nearly  due 
east  to  Abbotsford,  Wisconsin,  about  midway  betwen  this  city  and  Green 
Bay.  From  that  point  it  bends  to  the  southeast  through  Stevens"  Point, 
Waupaca,  Xeenah,  Oshkosh,  Fond  du  Lac  and  Cedar  Lake,  to  Milwau- 
kee and  Chicago.  It  is  also  connected  by  branch  lines  with  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railroad,  and  has  its  own  lines  to  Duluth 
and  to  Ashland.  It  has  been  especially  valuable  on  account  of  the  ac- 
cess it  gives  to  the  splendid  hardwood  forests  of  Northern  Wisconsin 
from  which  bountiful  supplies  of  fine  lumber  have  been  drawn  for  the 
manufactures  of  the  city.  Since  its  absorption  by  the  "Soo''  road,  large 
sums  have  been  spent  in  straightening  and  shortening  the  line,  building 
new  bridges  and  reducing  grades,  so  as  to  make  it  a  successful  com- 
petitor with  the  other  St.  Paul-Chicago  lines  The  great  bridge  across  the 
St.  Croix  river  north  of  Stillwater  is  one  of  the  marvels  of  modern  engi- 
neering skill. 

Chic.xgo,  Rock  Isl.\nd  &  P.\cific 

The  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railroad,  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  extensive  of  the  Chicago  lines,  built  into  St.  Paul,  via  Albert  Lea. 
Owatonna,  Faribault  and  Xorthfield  in  1902.  It  established  its  freight 
terminals  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  near  the  Robert  street  bridge,  while 
its  passenger  trains  cross  the  ^lississippi  at  South  St.  Paul  and  come  into 
the  Union  depot  over  the  tracks  of  the  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul,  which  it 
also  uses  for  its  Minneapolis  business.  By  this  road  we  gain  additional 
connections  with  Chicago,  Omaha,  Kansas  City,  Denver,  Galveston  and 
El  Paso. 

With  the  completion  of  sixty-eight  miles  of  road  between  Allerton 
and  Carlisle,  Iowa,  the  Rock  Island  railroad  now  has  in  operation  its 
short  line  from  Kansas  City  direct  to  St.  Paul.  The  new  line  cost 
an  average  of  $60,000  a  mile,  it  is  said,  on  account  of  the  rough  terri- 
tory through  which  it  runs.  A  section  of  the  road  is  the  old  St.  Paul 
and  Des  Moines  line  which  the  Rock  Island  has  acquired.  Besides 
shortening  the  Kansas  City  line  it  passes  through  some  of  the  Iowa  coal 
fields  and  makes  it  easier  to  get  coal. 

The  advent  of  the  Rock  Island  system  in  St.  Paul,  many  years  after 
the  other  Chicago  lines  had  been  built,  in  conclusive  proof,  if  any  were 
needed,  of  the  commanding  position  of  this  city  as  a  commercial  and 
manufacturing  metropolis.  The  enormously  increased  cost  of  rights-of- 
way  and  terminals  did  not  deter  this  powerful  corporation  from  the 
expensive  venture.  It  is  not  too  late  yet  for  other  roads  to  seek  entrance 
and  claim  a  share  of  the  golden  harvest. 


228  ST.   PAUL  AND  VICIXITV 

The  "Soo"  Lixe 

The  Minneapolis,  St.  I'aul  and  Sault  Sle  .Marie  Railway,  called  the 
"Soo"  line  for  short,  has  grown  to  be  an  important  factor  in  northwest- 
ern development.  It  was  especially  a  Minneapolis  enterprise,  as  to  in- 
ception, and  in  the  beginning  it  was  undertaken  and  carried  to  success 
by  the  Hon.  William  D.  Washburn.  .Afterwards,  Thomas  Lowry  was 
prominently  identified  with  it.  Its  starting  point  is  Minneapolis,  whence 
its  course  is  nearly  direct  to  Sanders  Point,  near  the  fool  of  Lake  .Mich- 
igan. Thence  it  bends  due  north  to  the  west  side  of  the  strait  connecting 
Lakes  Superior,  Michigan  and  Huron,  its  terminal  point  being  the  city 
of  Ste.  Marie.  This  road  was  completed  in  January,  1888.  The  Minne- 
apolis and  Pacific  Railroad  was  built  in  connection  with  the  "Soo"  line. 
The  Mimieapolis  and  Pacific  has  been  completed  from  Minneapolis  to  a 
connection  with  the  Canadian  Pacific  at  Portland  and  another  at  Winnii)eg. 
Its  lines  in  .Minnesota  and  North  Dakota  total  about  1,500  miles.  The 
"Soo"  line  connects  with  the  Canadian  Pacific  and  the  Canadian  Grand 
Trunk  roads  ijy  means  of  a  Ijridgc  across  the  waterway  at  Ste.  Marie, 
and  thus  another  through  route  has  been  opened  to  the  Atlantic  coast, 
which  is  available  throughout  the  year,  and  not  only  relieves  the  north- 
west from  depending  upon  Chicago,  but  makes  the  distance  hence  to 
New  York  shorter  than  by  Chicago.  This  road  was  suggested  by  the 
constantly  increasing  demanils  of  commerce  for  more  shipping  facilities 
eastward  indei)cndcnt  of  Chicago,  and  has  been  of  special  advantage  to 
St.  Paul. 

The  building  of  the  "Soo"  line  gave  to  this  city  an  outlet  to  the 
east,  and  a  through  rail  connection  with  ISoston  and  Xew  York  that 
ignored  Chicago  managements,  affording  to  the  merchants  here  the  bene- 
fits of  a  real  competition  and  low  freights.  .Add  to  this  the  utilization  of 
the  lake  route,  the  wonderful  increase  of  the  Iket  of  lake  carriers,  the 
imjjrovement  of  the  first  line  of  road  between  St.  Paul  and  Duluth 
and  the  building  of  others,  and  it  can  be  seen  how  thoroughlv  emanci- 
pated we  have  become  from  the  old  !)ondage,  and  on  what  an  assurance 
of  low-rate  communication  with  the  markets  of  the  east  rests  our  posi- 
tion as  a  business  center. 

Persistent  reports  that  the  "Grand  Trunk,"  another  vast  Canadian 
railway  system  is  now  arranging  to  enter  St.  Paul,  are  another  tribute  to 
the  city's  importance. 

Destined  March  of  St.  P.\ul 

.At  the  \illard  bancjuel  of  1XS3.  linn.  E.  F.  Drake  said:  "In  1862  I 
came  to  St.  Paul,  bringing  with  me  the  first  locomotive,  the  first  cars, 
and  the  first  rails  ever  brought  to  this  state.  St.  Paul  was  then  a  vil- 
lage, with  a  quiet  jjopulation  of  8,000  souls.  She  had  few  manufactures 
— not  a  wheel  moved  by  steam  within  the  city.  She  had  neither  incor- 
porated banks  nor  insurance  companies.  She  had  river  communica- 
tion with  the  cast,  closed  by  ice  for  six  months  of  the  year.  Her  prairies 
north  and  west  had  few  inhabitants  save  the  red  man.  the  elk,  and  the 
buffalo.  It  was  my  fortune  to  complete  the  railroad  from  St.  T'aul  to  St. 
.Anthony,  and  then  began  the  marcii  of  St.  Paul  to  realize  her  destiny. 

The  march  to  realize  her  destiny  is  still  being  vigorously  pursued ! 


CHAPTER  XXII 

PASSENGER  AND  FREIGHT  TERMINALS 

By  1888,  Great  Railway  Traffic  Apparent — St.  Paul  Passenger 
Depots — The  "Puget  Sound"  Line — Creating  New  Traffic — St. 
Paul  Union  Depot — Relief  for  Business  Congestion — Ample 
Freight  Terminals. 

St.  Paul  stands  unique  among  the  great  railroad  centers  of  the 
country  in  its  facilities  for  the  transfer  of  freight  cars,  and  when  plans 
now  being  carefully  matured  are  put  in  operation,  the  passenger  traffic 
will  be  handled  with  equal  conveniences.  A  history  of  northwestern 
railway  development  clearly  shows  that  the  railroad  map  of  this  exten- 
sive region  has  been  shaped  largely  with  reference  to  St.  Paul.  This 
city  possessing  strong  natural  advantages  has  stood  as  a  magnet  to- 
ward which  all  lines  constructed  within  the  radius  of  its  power  have 
been  attracted. 

The  railroads  tributary  to  St.  Paul  now  form  a  great  network  of 
systems.  They  reach  in  every  direction,  bringing  to  its  doors  all  the 
products  of  the  country  and  giving  to  its  business  interests  easily  and 
naturally  a  most  desirable  field.  The  sagacious  merchants  and  business 
men  of  the  city  perceived  at  an  early  day  the  supreme  importance  of 
promoting  by  all  practical  means  the  construction  of  these  highways  of 
commerce,  and  possessing  the  courage  of  their  convictions,  they  did  not 
hesitate  at  a  critical  period  of  its  history  to  employ  all  the  resources  of 
private  capital  and  public  credit,  to  secure  for  St.  Paul  the  prestige  of  be- 
coming the  railway  center  of  the  northwest,  a  distinction  the  city  undoubt- 
edly enjoys  and  the  fruits  of  which  it  is  now  reaping  in  liberal  measure. 

By  1888  Great  Railway  Traffic  Apparent 

By  the  year  1888,  the  magnitude  of  the  railway  traffic  began  to  im- 
press citizens  and  strangers  with  the  certainty  of  great  strides  in  the 
future.  During  that  year  there  were  added  to  the  roads  directly  tribu- 
tary to  St.  Paul  nearly  700  miles  of  new  road,  opening  up  large  and 
productive  sections  of  the  country  to  the  impetus  of  trade.  In  1888 
the  receipts  by  rail  aggregated,  according  to  reports  furnished  by  the 
roads  2,383,380  tons,  and  the  shipments  1.395,975  tons;  nor  does  this 
include  receipts  of  165.000  tons,  and  shipment  of  90,000  tons  at  South 
St.  Paul,  with  the  immense  business  at  the  transfer  where  1,487,139  tons 
of  freight  were  handled  during  the  twelve  months. 

The  passenger  business  done  at  St.  Paul  during  1888  was  for  that 
period  phenomenal.  At  the  Union  Depot,  there  passed  in  and  out  dur- 
ing the  year  8,000,000  passengers.     During  most  of  the  months  over  150 

229 


■2m  ST.   PALI.   AXI)  \  lllMIV 

passenger  trains  departed  and  arrived  daily.  This  i)assenger  traffic,  per- 
haps, as  much  as  anything  else,  spoke  of  the  importance  of  St.  Paul. 
The  growth  uf  the  city  kejn  even  pace  with  the  growth  of  its  rail- 
roads, and  the  two  facts  bear  to  each  other  somewhat  the  relation  of 
cause  and  effect. 

St.   P.wl  P.\ssenger  Depots 

As  late  as  1869  there  was  but  one  railroad  passenger  station  in  St. 
Paul  proper,  a  small  frame  structure  belonging  to  the  St.  Paul  and 
Pacific  Railroad  (now  the  Crcat  .Xiirlherni  and  located  about  where  the 
waiting  room  of  the  Union  deiiot  now  is.  .\nother  station,  of  about 
the  ?ame  size  was  located  in  West  St.  Paul,  near  the  end  of  the  Wa- 
basha street  bridge.  West  St.  Paul  was  then  a  separate  municipality, 
and  in  Dakota  county.  Its  station  served  for  the  Minnesota  Central 
(now  the  .Milwaukee'&  St.  Paul)  and  the  Minnesota  X'alley  I  now  the 
"Omaha")  trains.  To  reach  it  from  the  city  one  must  pay  toll  over  the 
bridge — five  cents  for  a  foot  passenger;  twenty-five  cents  for  a  two- 
horse  team. 

About  1870,  when  the  railroad  bridge  above  the  city  hospital  was 
built,  the  trains  that  formerly  came  into  West  St.  Paul  ran  into  the 
city  and  built  a  small  station  near  the  fool  of  Jackson  street.  When  the 
River  division  of  the  Milwaukee  road  was  linished  it  was  granted  the 
right-of-way  across  the  levee  and  to  .Minneapolis,  via  the  "".short  line." 
Its  passenger  depot  was  then  established  in  the  old  stone  warehouse  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Jackson  street  and  the  levee,  where  it  remained 
for  eight  or  ten  years. 

Thus,  ])rior  to  1881,  each  railroad  centering  at  St.  Paul  had  its 
own  depot.  The  inconvenience  caused  to  ])assengers  induced  the  man- 
agers to  enter  into  a  i)roject  to  build  a  imion  depot,  and  in  1871;  all 
of  the  companies  assisted  in  the  org.mizalion  of  the  St.  Paul  Union 
Depot  Company.  The  cai)ital  stock  of  the  conii)any  was  placed  at  $140.- 
000.  Ground  was  obtained  and  construction  upon  the  depot  ])uilding  was 
commenced  in  .\pril.  1880;  it  was  completed  and  opened  for  use  in 
.\ngust.  1881.  The  building  itself  cost  $125,000;  it  was  si)acious.  and 
well  adajHed  for  the  purposes  intended.  The  com])any  began  the  recon- 
struction of  its  "'sheds"  in  the  autumn  of  i88<;.  The  sheds  have  been 
enlarged  and  reconstructed  several  times  since — as  has  the  depot  itself, 
particularly  after  a  very  disastrous  lire.  The  fre(|uent  enlargements 
have  never  been  able,  however,  to  kee]3  i)ace  with  the  rapi<l  growth  of 
the  passenger  traffic.  There  have  been  loud  comi)laiiits,  very  soon  after 
each  enlargement,  from  the  traveling  public,  from  the  newspapers  anrl 
from  commercial  bodies,  to  the  effect  that  the  facilities  were  again  out 
grown.     .\nd  they  will  contiinie  to  be  outgrown  ! 

F.normous  wholesale  and  m.inufaclnring  marls  exercises  a  stinnilal- 
ing  inHuence  upon  all  classes  of  trade  and  industry;  they  supjily  the 
wants  of  millions  of  peojile  living  beyond  our  borders.  They  do  not 
stop  growing!  There  is  under  construction  in  our  state  one  of  the 
greatest  steel  |)lants  in  the  Ignited  States,  which  will  establish  for  the 
first  time  in  Minnesota  the  beginning  of  an  innnense  iron  and  steel  in- 
dustry. I'pon  our  northern  lioundary  will  shortly  lie  opened  one  of 
the  greatest  pa|)er  mills  in  the  worltl,  surpassed  only  by  one  in  F.ngland. 
giving  emi)loyment  to  5,000  hands  and  enormously  increasing  Minne- 
sota's iinportance  in  the  alread\-  well-develoi)ed  ])aiier.  pai)er-i>ulp  and 
sulphite  trades. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


231 


Scattered  over  our  entire  territory  are  hundreds  of  thriving  cities 
drawing  upon  a  rich  surrounding  country  for  the  factors  which  insure 
the  permanency  and  stability  of  their  industries  and  merchandising.  In 
these,  as  in  the  great  central  cities,  residential  as  well  as  business  ad- 
vantages are  unsurpassed,  and  they  have  attracted  in  very  recent  years 
nianv  thousands  of  the  most  desirable  class  of  people  to  this  state. 

The  "Puget  Sound"  Line 

As  long  as  these  conditions  continue  to  exist  in  St.  Paul's  tribu- 
tarv  country,  freight  and  passenger  traffic  will  continue  to  increase.     A 


SAIINT    PAVL----T"HE   GATtVVAY     TO 

-TM^  LAMD  OFOPPORTvrNiTY 

i-iOr^iETS    FOP?  -^  ri\/MDF?ED  r-1ILl_i  Or~-i. 


TEinMPHAL  ABCM  OT  TTO  GREAT  MORTHWZST 


case  in  point  is  the  recent  inauguration  of  through  train  service  on  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  to  the  Pacific  coast,  over  its 
new  extension,  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  Puget  Sound  Railroad, 
which  marks  an  epoch  in  the  railway  history  of  St.  Paul.  Located 
on  the  direct  route  of  the  new  through  service  from  Chicago  to  Pacific 
coast  points,  St.  Paul  will  reap  the  advantages  to  which  it  is  entitled 
as  the  gateway  to  the  great  northwest.  Prior  to  the  completion  of  the 
"St.  Paul's"  Pacific  coast  extension  the  larger  share  of  its  business 
with  the  northwest  was  routed  through  the  southern  gateways  of  Kansas 
City  and  Omaha.     When  it  is  considered  much  of  this  business  will  now 


232  ST.   TAUL  AND  MCIXITY 

be  handled  through  St.  Paul  some  idea  of  the  importance  of  the  new 
line  to  this  city  may  be  obtained.  This  increased  business  will  include 
both  passenger  and  freight  traffic,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  St.  Paul 
industries  will  be  given  increased  facilities  to  distribute  goods  in  the 
territory  tapped  by  this  newest  transcontinental  railway  system. 

St.  Paul  will  benetit  by  the  inauguration  of  the  new  passenger  serv- 
ice more,  probably,  than  any  other  large  city  on  the  line,  because  of  the 
fact  the  road  has,  for  the  first  time,  officially  recognized  the  name  "St. 
Paul  road"  in  its  advertising  literature. 

The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  road  has  been  commonly  called 
the  "St.  Paul"  road,  especially  in  the  east,  for  some  time,  but  the  road  has 
never  given  this  title  recognition,  always  referring  to  itself  as  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul.  In  its  folder  announcing  the  new  train  service 
from  Chicago  to  the  Pacific  coast,  however,  it  refers  directly  to  the  system 
as  "the  St.  Paul  road." 

The  country  which  the  new  railway  traverses  has  heretofore  been 
far  from  the  beaten  routes  of  travel,  for  the  most  part.  Its  development 
in  some  instances  has  been  retarded  by  the  lack  of  transportation  facili- 
ties. But  this  is  changing  since  the  completion  of  the  Puget  Sound 
line,  and  many  flourishing  settlements  are  springing  up  along  the  route. 
In  this  res]ject  the  new  line  has  been  one  of  the  wonders  of  American 
railroad  history.  From  the  time  of  its  completion  it  is  said  to  have  been 
a  moneymaker. 

In  addition  to  affording  increased  transportation  facilities  to  the  Pa- 
cific northwest  and  opening  up  new  territory  for  settlement,  it  also  is  pro- 
posed that  the  new  line  shall  take  advantage  of  the  raj^idly  growing  ir.adc 
with  the  Orient,  and  for  this  purpose  it  has  made  arrangements  by  which 
connections  will  be  made  with  the  steamships  of  the  Osaka  Shosen 
Kaisha  line  of  Japan. 

It  has  been  tigured  that  the  Puget  Sound  Railway  has  o])cncil  up  to 
the  uses  and  for  the  habitation  of  men  an  area  of  something  like  50,000 
square  miles,  and  that  it  has  taken  into  its  territory  since  comijletion 
more  than  100,000  settlers.  With  the  inauguration  of  through  service, 
it  ex]5ects  soon  to  add  a  new  empire  to  the  trade  and  commerce  of  the 
growing  northwest,  and  thus  also  of  the  local  gateway. 

Cre.\tixg  Nkw  Tr.vfiic 

In  another  way,  recently  introduced,  the  railroads  stimulate  busi- 
ness and  thus  help  all  lines  of  traffic.  The  ever-increasing  demand  for 
business  locations  has  created  a  new  department  in  railway  organiza- 
tions. Twenty  or  twenty-five  years  ago  this  work  could  be  handled  by 
the  general  freight  agent  or  one  of  his  assistants.  Today  we  find  among 
the  officials  of  the  traffic  de])artnient  of  most  large  systems  the  General 
Industrial  .Agent.  His  work  is  to  create  new  tf)nnagc  for  the  railroads 
by  locating  new  industries  on  the  line.  In  doing  this,  he  adds  to  the 
railway  company's  revenue  in  more  ways  than  one. 

Sui)i)ose  the  industry  is  a  tannery,  employing  100  men.  The  raw 
material  must  be  shipped  in  from  adjacent  territory.  Tan  bark  must 
be  shipped  from  the  nearest  available  i)oint — coal  to  run  the  jilant  will 
be  purchased  and  shipped  in  carload  lots;  all  of  which  must  he  done 
before  the  finished  product  is  shipped  out.  Then  there  is  the  additional 
tonnage  of  the  food,  clothing  and  supplies  used  by  the  employees  and 
their  families.     Passenger  business  is  increa.sed,  as  there  are  salesmen 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  233 

on  the  road ;  the  members  of  the  firm  are  making  frequent  trips ;  the 
wives  and  children  of  the  employees  visit  distant  relatives  and  are  visited 
in  return ;  all  of  which  means  increased  receipts.  That  is  what  is  meant 
by  creating  new  traffic — not  merely  diverting  a  few  cars  of  merchandise 
from  one  road  to  another,  but  locating  an  industry  on  the  line  where 
it  will  prove  an  increasing  source  of  revenue  ever  after. 

The  first  railroad  in  the  United  States,  in  the  modern  sense  of  the 
term,  was  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio.  One  or  two  little  roads  had  been 
built  before,  but  they  were  mere  tramways,  operated  by  force  of  gravity 
or  by  stationary  engines.  The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  was  chartered  in  1827, 
and  its  construction  begun  in  1828;  the  first  rail  being  laid  on  July  4th, 
of  that  year.  The  work  did  not  go  forward  very  fast,  only  thirteen 
miles  being  open  for  traffic  in  1830.  After  that,  however,  better  pro- 
gress was  made,  and  five  years  later  135  miles  were  in  operation.  The 
first  railroad  built  in  England  was  the  Stockton  &  Darlington,  twenty- 
five  miles  long.  It  was  opened  for  traffic  in  1825 ;  hence  railway  trans- 
portation, in  the  modern  meaning  of  the  term,  began  with  this  railway. 
"Time's  Telescope,"  a  sort  of  year  book  then  published  in  London,  said : 
"The  strides  which  steam  is  making  in  the  economy  of  the  country  are 
more  gigantic  and  surprising  than  those  who  are  domesticated  at  a  dis- 
tance from  its  immediate  operations  imagine.  The  capability  of  the  loco- 
motive engine  to  travel  with  ease  and  safety,  with  a  weight  of  ninety 
tons  in  its  train,  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles  an  hour,  was  exhibited  to 
thousands  at  the  late  opening  of  the  Darlington  &  Stockton  Railway,  and 
is  a  striking  proof  of  the  immense  progress  of  this  new  power." 

What  "this  new  power"  has  grown  to  in  the  intervening  years,  is 
only,  perhaps,  a  beginning  of  its  achievements. 

St.   P.\UL  Union  Depot 

The  Union  depot  is  one  of  the  busiest  places  in  St.  Paul.  Depot 
officials  estimate  that  more  than  30,000  people  pass  through  the  depot 
daily.  These  30,000  people  represent  all  the  walks  of  life,  from  the 
prospective  homeseeker  to  the  capitalist.  From  early  morning,  when  the 
first  train  of  the  day  pulls  in,  until  late  at  night,  when  the  last  trains 
depart,  there  is  but  one  scene  displayed  at  the  union  depot — hustle 
and  bustle,  the  scurrving  to  and  from  the  trains  by  the  incoming  and 
outgoing  passengers,  the  hurrying  of  the  baggage  and  mail  trucks,  depot 
employes  up  and  down  the  platform,  receiving  and  disbursing  mail  and 
baggage  as  the  difi^erent  trains  arrive. 

Nine  different  roads  are  patrons  and  owners  of  the  Union  depot. 
.An  average  of  220  trains  a  day  use  the  yards.  Traffic  changes  as  the 
different  seasons  of  the  year  approach.  In  the  spring  the  prospective 
homeseeker  is  abundant,  going  to  the  western  states  and  far  Canada 
in  the  hope  of  finding  a  fertile  spot  where  he  can  make  his  future  home 
with  assurances  that  he  is  settling  in  the  "land  of  milk  and  honey." 

As  summer  nears,  the  travel  changes;  the  homeseeker  passes  and  his 
place  is  taken  by  the  suburban  traveler  and  the  summer  tourist.  Both 
these  classes  represent  the  comfort  and  joy-hunting  citizen.  The  traveler 
from  the  South  comes  to  the  North  in  search  of  cooler  temperature. 
The  suburban  traveler  is  local.  This  travel  perhaps  outnumbers  the 
regular  travel  three  to  one  dtiring  the  summer  months. 

As   fall  approaches,  the  summer  tourist  and  suburban  traveler  give 


234  ST.    I'AUL  AND  \'1CIXIT\' 

way  to  another  type,  the  business  man.  After  the  rest  of  the  summer 
months  he  starts  on  tlie  road,  ready  to  supply  the  business  world  with 
his  wares.  This  travel,  together  with  the  northern  tourist  who  leaves 
his  home  in  winter  time  to  s;o  south,  makes  up  the  greater  part  of  the 
winter   travel. 

riirougii  passenger  trains  now  arrive  at  tiie  St.  I'aul  Union  depot 
from  and  depart  for  the  following  points,  every  day  in  addition  to  num- 
erous local  trains:  Chicago,  21  trains  each  way;  .St.  Louis,  7;  Kansas  City, 
7 ;  Omaha,  7  :  Duluth,  9 ;  Winnipeg,  4  ;  Seattle,  8. 

Over  400  men  are  required  to  take  care  of  the  daily  travel  througii 
the  St.  Paul  Union  depot.  These  are  scattered  in  many  occupations, 
ranging  from  the  superintendent,  who  oversees  all  the  workings  of  the 
depot  and  the  yards,  down  to  the  usher,  who  helps  the  traveler  to  and 
from  his  train.  Switchmen,  yardmen,  baggagemen,  truckmen — in  fact 
all  that  kind  of  help  necessary  to  the  work  of  such  an  institution — will 
be  found  at  the  St.  I'aul  Union  depot.  The  jjayroll  for  the  employes 
amounts  It)  about  $20,000  ;i  month.  'J"he  biggest  job  of  all,  and  the  one 
with  the  greatest  amount  of  responsibility,  is  that  held  by  Superintendent 
Morrison,  who  has  been  in  charge  of  the  depot  for  four  years.  Prior 
to  this  he  was  with  the  Great  Northern  Railroad,  where  he  had  been 
employed   for  twenty-si.x  years. 

.Again  has  the  St.  Paul  Union  de])ot  been  outgrown,  and  for  many 
months  jniijlic  sentiment  has  been  crystallizing  into  an  insistent  demand 
for  a  new  structure,  of  greatly  enlarged  capacity,  looking  forward  to  the 
growth  of  at  least  three  or  four  decades  in  the  future. 

Travelers  who  have  seen  the  new  station  of  the  North-Western  road 
in  Chicago  or  other  new  stations  in  the  east  can  realize  what  the  new 
Unio'.i  depot  in  St.  Paul  will  mean  to  the  city.  Travelers  who  pass 
through  many  cities  on  their  vacation  trip  instinctively  size  up  the  town 
by  the  sort  of  station  at  which  they  enter.  F,ven  the  small  towns  along 
the  line  arc  judged  in  the  same  way.  When  a  dingy  wooden  structure 
serves  as  passenger  station,  the  town  is  tliought  to  lie  of  less  importance 
than  the  one  which  has  a  neat  brick  station  and  ])leasing  grounds. 

Terminal  stations  such  as  the  new  one  in  Chicago,  the  Pennsylvania 
terminal  in  New  York  and  the  new  station  of  the  same  road  in  Wash- 
ington, give  St.  Paul  rcsiflcnts  renewed  hope  that  the  time  is  not  far 
distant  when  this  citv  shall  i)e  given  one  which,  in  proportion  to  the 
traffic,  shall  as  a(lei|uately  rejiresent  the  faith  of  the  roads  in  the  town. 

One  of  the  many  conveniences,  in  the  way  of  easy  access  to  trains 
wheii  the  new  St.  Paul  L'nion  depot  is  built,  may  be  seen  from  the 
manner  in  which  jiassengers  are  cared  for  in  the  other  big  stations. 
No  dehnite  j^lans  for  the  St.  Paul  dejiot  have  been  ])rei)ared.  but  it  is  cer- 
tain the  details  will  be  along  the  most  ajijiroved  plans  of  modern  railway 
depots. 

In  New  York  the  jiassenger  descends  from  the  ground  floor  to  a 
lower  floor  where  are  the  ticket  offices  and  waiting  rooms.  .Access  to 
trains  is  gained  by  descending  a  flight  of  stairs  directly  to  the  side  of  the 
train  one  e.x])ects  to  take.  .\t  the  head  of  these  stairs  stands  the  in- 
sjjector  of  tickets.  There  can  be  no  mistake  .ibout  getting  the  right 
train;  there  is  no  wild  dash  for  the  cars  and  no  interference  with  the 
baggage  or  mail  which  is  cared  for  at  tlie  other  end  of  the  platform. 

The  Washington  station  has  the  same  general  arrangement  of  trains 
as  has  St.  Paul  at  i)resenl.  .Ml  is  on  the  sanie  level.  There  is  a  breadth 
and  extent  of  space,  however,  which  tits  in  well  w  ith  the  general  scheme  of 


ST.    I'ALL  ANT)  \  ICIXITY  235 

Washington  as  a  city.     Electric  baggage  trucks  glide  noiselessly  along  the 
same  platform  used  by  passengers,  ijut  the  platforms  are  broad. 

A  New  and  Splendid  Union  Depot 

It  is  realized  by  all  concerned  that  a  very  extensive  and  costly  Union 
depot  must  be  erected,  if  the  demands  of  the  present  and  the  future  are 
to  be  adequately  met.  All  classes  of  business  men  and  citizens  generally 
unite  in  the  loud  call  for  immediate  action.  The  railroad  companies 
seem  willing  to  respond  generously,  but  there  is  naturally  a  wide  diver- 
gence of  opinion  as  to  location,  plans,  approaches  and  other  details. 

Some  of  the  tentative  ideas  in  connection  with  plans  for  the  new 
depot  were  recently  sketched  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Hill,  in  a  public  statement. 
The  tracks  will  be  sixteen  feet  above  the  floor  level  of  the  present  sta- 
tion, putting  the  entrance  on  a  level  with  Sibley  and  Third  streets. 

Wagons  and  jieople  will  have  a  clear  passage  down  Jackson  and  Sibley 
streets  under  the  tracks  to  the  water  front.  The  transfer  track  at  the 
rear  of  the  jiresent  station,  where  the  passenger  trains  are  often  de- 
layed now  by  freight  trains,  will  be  under  the  passenger  tracks.  These 
will  be  elevated  for  some  distance  up  Trout  brook. 

The  new  station  will  occupy  all  the  space  taken  up  by  the  present 
station  and  including  the  width  of  three  or  four  tracks  into  the  present 
bed  of  the  river.  The  plans  contemplate  the  extension  of  the  freight 
dejioi;  of  the  St.  Paul  road  farther  to  the  south  as  the  edge  of  the  river 
is  moved. 

The  buildings  now  occupied  by  the  Griggs,  Cooper  cracker  factory 
at  Third  and  Sililey  streets,  will  be  removed  as  well  as  the  building  now 
occupied  by  Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  at  the  other  end  of  the  same  block. 
Leases  to  both  of  these  tenants  have  either  been  refused  or  permitted 
on  short  time  only,  in  order  to  be  ready  to  tear  the  buildings  down 
whenever  it  is  necessar}-  to  begin  (operations. 

A  body  of  representative  citizens,  appointed  by  the  mayor,  and  work- 
ing under  the  title  of  the  River  and  Harbor  Commission,  is  zealously 
laboring  to  harmonize  all  the  conflicting  opinions  and  interests,  to  get 
the  railroad  companies,  the  jobbers,  the  retailers,  the  manufacturers  and 
the  property  owners,  to  agree  on  all  the  points  necessary  to  accomplish 
the  desired  result.  It  is  a  herculean  task,  but  steady  progress,  as  we 
write,  is  being  made  toward  a  satisfactory  conclusion.  The  plan  now 
most  in  favor  is  that  of  digging  a  new  channel  for  the  river  through 
the  west  side  flats,  filling  up  the  old  channel,  and  thus  transferring  the 
river  bed  itself  and  many  acres  of  unoccupied  land  now  in  the  Sixth 
ward  to  the  heart  of  the  railroad  yards  anfl  the  business  district  of  the 
city  proper. 

The  proposition  for  a  change  in  the  channel  of  the  Mississippi  river, 
in  order  to  bring  waste  territory  to  the  relief  of  a  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial district,  crowded  to  the  point  of  suffocation  of  existing  enter- 
prises and  to  the  prohibition  of  new  ventures,  is  not  new.  It  has  been 
discussed  for  years  and  pointed  out  as  the  one  sure  means  of  salvation 
of  tlie  development  of  St.  Paul.  Always,  heretofore,  there  has  been 
the  question  to  be  considered  of  what  the  railways  centering  in  this  nat- 
ural gateway  to  the  empire  of  the  northwest  would  do  in  the  matter.  The 
railways  have  had  their  own  problems,  their  own  large  or  petty  jealousies 
and  rivalries  to  be  considered,  with  the  result  that  little  progress  has 
been  made. 


236  ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICI\ITY 

A  direct  effort,  backed  by  the  wide  influence  of  the  Association  of 
Commerce,  representing  the  great  jobbing  and  retail  interests  of  the 
city,  is  being  made  to  "line  up"  the  railroads  with  the  project  to  lift 
the  Father  of  Waters  out  of  its  perennial  bed,  move  it  over  toward  the 
bluff,  and  plant  it  on  the  other  side  of  600  or  700  acres  of  reclaimed 
land  which  St.  Paul  is  now  in  vital  need  of  for  trackage,  warehouse 
and  general  terminal  facilities,  and  for  additional  space  to  be  utilized 
by  commercial  and  industrial  establishments.  What  tliis  signities  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  present  "business  district,"  bounded  by 
Wabasha,  Tenth  street,  Broadway  and  the  river,  contains  only  200  acres. 
Plans  for  the  new  Union  depot,  alone.  rec|uire  55  acres. 

Relief  for  Business  Congestio.v 

The  Union  depot  improvements  that  may  be  expected,  after  the  course 
of  the  river  has  been  changed,  will  be  only  a  portion  of  the  develop- 
ment that  will  result.  In  fact,  the  part  the  railway  companies  will  play, 
while  important,  is  a  secondary  consideration.  The  imperative  demand 
is  for  more  room  in  which  the  jobbing  and  manufacturing  interests  of 
the  ritv  may  grow.  St.  Paul  has  an  unjiaralleled  opportunity  in  the 
proposed  change.  It  can,  by  diverting  the  river,  add  to  the  congested 
business  center  of  the  city  hundreds  of  acres  that  are  of  small  value 
at  present.  Ample  space  may  be  afforded  for  needed  railway  terminals, 
and  for  harbor  facilities,  and  still  provide  the  ground  needed  for  the 
development  of  the  business  of  the  city. 

The  engineering  problems  involved  have  engaged  the  preliminary 
attention  of  the  advocates  of  the  scheme.  Concerning  the  tentative  plans 
suggested  in  the  beginning  of  the  investigation,  the  chairman  of  the 
River  and  Harbor  Commission,  M.  D.  Munn  said:  "Beginning  just  lie- 
low  Raspberry  island,  the  plan  is  to  take  the  river  over  toward  the  Hoist 
and  Derrick  Company's  building  and  back  the  west  bank  up  against  their 
shops.  Thence  the  channel  will  run  eastward  over  the  flats.  Both  the 
city  and  the  federal  engineers  are  working  on  the  plan.  They  have 
been  busy  figuring  how  the  course  could  be  changed  and  as  much  busi- 
ness property  as  possible  saved.  Under  the  plan  now  proposed  between 
si.x  hundred  and  seven  hundred  acres  of  land  will  be  reclaimed.  The 
idea  is  that  eventually  the  reclaimed  land  will  more  than  i)ay  for  the 
expenditure  of  changing  the  channel.  There  is  no  (|uestion  about  the 
practicability  of  the  project.  Engineers  whom  we  have  consulted  have 
assured  us  of  this.  There  is  nothing  in  the  way  but  money,  and  of 
course  it  is  impossible  to  say  now  just  how  much  it  will  take.  I  should 
say  that  it  will  take  more  than  $2,ooo,cxx)  and  that  it  can  be  done  for 
less  than  $5,000,000." 

.Another  plan  proposed  is  to  have  the  river  channel  changed  ;it  Har- 
riet island  and  swing  around  near  the  West  side  bluffs  down  the  natural 
depression  which  once  was  its  channel.  This  plan  would  put  all  of  the 
West  side  flats  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  instead  of  only  a  portion 
of  the  VV'est  side  opposite  Dayton's  bluff. 

Whether  the  line  of  excavation  for  the  new  channel,  as  finally  se- 
lected, shall  be  near  the  bluffs  or  not,  there  is  substantial  unanimity  in 
favor  of  the  general  proposition.  The  imperative  necessity  for  a  union 
station  lias  existed  so  long  that  it  needs  no  discussion  or  reiteration  at 
this  time.  The  greater  need  is  for  an  eidargement  of  the  area  of  ground 
space   demanded    for   the  expansion   of   the  city,   commercially   and    in- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  237. 

dustrially.  There  is  today  scarcely  a  jobbing  or  manufacturing  concern 
in  St.  Paul  that  does  not  feel  the  need  of  more  space,  better  track- 
age and  enlarged  facilities  in  the  direction  of  quick  transit,  incoming 
and  outgoing.  The  proposed  river  and  harbor  improvement  will  pro- 
vide all  this,  not  only  for  concerns  already  located  here,  but  for  others 
that  may  come,  even  to  the  point  of  doubling,  trebling  or  quadrupling 
existing  commercial  and  industrial  enterprises. 

The  announcement  is  made,  seemingly  by  authority  of  those  most 
actively  engaged  in  formulating  the  scheme,  that,  regardless  of  the  at- 
titude of  the  railways,  eliminating  major  or  minor  questions  of  advantage 
between  local  and  foreign  transportation  companies,  St.  Paul  pro- 
poses to  change  the  channel  of  the  Mississippi  river,  double  the  land 
area  now  devoted  to  the  jobbing,  manufacturing  and  retail  business  of 
the  city,  and  anchor  for  all  time  to  come  the  headquarters,  commercially, 
industrially  and  financially,  of  the  northwest  empire  in  this  city.' 

But  the  plan  for  diverting  the  river  channel  and  attaching  the  West 
side  flats  to  the  east  side  commercial  district,  meets  some  vigorous  op- 
position. The  Midway  section  of  St.  Paul,  through  its  enterprising 
journalistic  organ  and  advocate,  the  News,  published  at  Merriam  Park, 
urges  that  all  other  plans  for  railway  stations  in  both  St.  Paul  and  Minne- 
apolis be  abandoned  in  favor  of  a  real  and  only  genuine  Union  depot 
for  both  cities,  to  be  built  in  the  interurban  region.  Some  very  cogent 
arguments  in  favor  of  this  proposition  are  urged,  just  as,  fifteen  years 
ago,  equally  cogent  arguments  emanated  from  the  same  source  in  favor 
of  locating  the  new  capitol  on  beautiful  grounds  set  apart  for  it  at  Mer- 
riam Park.  One  of  the  deliverances  on  this  subject,  quoted  with  ap- 
proval in  the  Midzvay  Nczvs,  may  be  pardoned  here,  as  showing  how 
others  see  us.  The  Little  Falls  Herald,  with  a  merciless  absence  of  diplo- 
matic reduplication  of  reassurances  of  distinguished  consideration  for  our 
politicians  and  "interests,"  takes  occasion  to  remark:  "Amid  the  abomi- 
nation of  desolation  in  St.  Paul,  a  splendid  beautiful  city,  for  years 
controlled  first  by  one  crowd  of  cheap  politicians,  then  by  another,  the 
catspaw  in  legislation  of  certain  great  interests ;  a  city  where  reform 
propositions  tardily  arrive  and  some  die  for  want  of  health-giving  at- 
mosphere; where  the  papers  are  strong  on  reforms  in  other  states  and  in 
other  cities,  and  attack  little  wrongs,  forgetting  the  great  wrongs  pre- 
petrated  under  their  eyes ;  a  city  where  the  water  front,  the  heritage  of 
all,  is  to  be  given  away  in  exchange  for  a  Union  railroad  station  which 
in  decency  should  have  been  built  years  ago — in  short,  in  the  ambition- 
less,  hopeless  city  of  St.  Paul,  the  solitary  voice  of  protest  raised  comes 
from  a  weekly  newspaper  published  in  Merriam  Park  by  Paradis.  It 
is  a  useless  protest,  but  nevertheless  brave.  And  if  one  just  man  found 
in  the  ancient  city  the  scriptures  tell,  would  save  it,  so  the  earnest,  vigor- 
ous voice  raised  up  in  ]\Ierriam  Park,  though  unheeded,  may  after  all 
be  a  harbinger  of  better  things." 

Despite  divergences  of  opinion  as  to  location,  notwithstanding  hos- 
tility; regardless  of  unfeeling  and  sarcastic  utterances,  the  preparations 
for  an  imperatively  demanded,  new,  adequate  and  creditable  Union  sta- 
tion will  go  steadily  forward.  A  structure  of  architectural  impressiveness 
to  correspond  with  the  capitol  and  other  buildings,  and  of  capacity  to 
meet  present  and  coming  needs,  is  one  of  the  certainties  of  a  period  not 
remote — a  consummation  devoutly  wished  and  sure  to  be  didv  appre- 
ciated. 


238  ST.   PAUL  AND  V1CINIT\ 

Ampli;  Freiciit    Tkkminals 

\\  lulc  ihc  facilities  for  taking  care  uf  the  passenger  traffic  of  St. 
Paul's  numerous  railways  have  been  outgrown  and  are  now  confessedly 
insufficient,  their  freight  terminals  have  been  more  generously  nourished. 
For  the  handling  of  local  freight,  both  incoming  and  outgoing,  each 
railroad  comjiany  has  large  and  convenient  warehouses,  with  ample  side- 
tracks and  all  the  accessories  of  rapid,  economical  work  in  that  jjarticular. 
The  space  for  trackage  and  freight  dei)ots  in  the  originally  planned 
"yards"  having  been  largely  preeniine<l  by  the  first  comers,  later  rail- 
road enterprises  have  found  other,  but  advantageous  sites.  The  "Rock 
Island"  established  its  freight  terminals  on  the  West  side,  just  below 
Robert  street.  The  "Soo"  line  made  a  new  departure,  by  erecting  a  mam- 
moth freight  house  with  many  tracks  on  Seventh  street  near  Trout  brook, 
connecting  them  with  its  regular  right-of-way  by  means  of  a  costly  tun- 
nel and  some  heavy  fills — all.  however,  abundantly  recom])ensed  by  the 
provision,  for  all  future  time,  of  direct  access  to  the  shipping  district. 

Thus  the  enormous  local  freight  liusiness  of  a  large  and  growing 
commercial  city  is  provided  for.  I'.ut  the  immensely  larger  matter  of 
transferring  through  freights  has  even  better  provision,  by  the  oper- 
ation of  a  plan  typical  of  modern  railroading  and  probably  unequalled 
for  efficiency  in  any  other  metropolis.  In  the  western  part  of  the 
city,  nearly  midway  between  the  business  centers  of  St.  Paul  and 
Minneapolis,  arc  located  the  great  transfer  grounds  for  the  immense 
freight  business  between  the  northern  and  eastern  lines  of  railways, 
'{"he  com])any  operating  these  grounds  is  known  as  the  Minnesota  Trans- 
fer and  was  organized  in  1882  by  the  Manitoba  and  .Milwaukee  roads, 
but  now  embraces  all  the  dozen  or  more  lines  which  enter  both  cities. 
It  employs  1,200  men  and  can  accommodate  3,500  cars  at  one  time.  It 
is,  in  a  word,  a  clearing-house  of  through  freight  for  the  whole  north- 
west, and  is  one  of  the  busiest  places  on  the  American  continent.  .\ 
million  tons  of  freight  have  been  handled  at  this  transfer  in  a  single 
month.  Only  one  "yard"  in  the  L'nited  .States,  that  at  I'ittslnirg,  handles 
more  cars. 

In  addition  to  this  function,  valuable  side-track  and  switcliing  privi- 
leges are  afforded  to  130  industrial  enterprises,  storage  rooms,  stockyards, 
lumber  yards,  grain  warehouses,  etc.,  which  are  located  in  the  Midway 
district  because  of  these  conveniences.  The  Minnesota  Transfer  Com- 
pany thus  occupies  several  hundred  acres  of  ground,  operates  over  50 
miles  of  trackage,  and  still  has  ample  room  for  expansion,  to  cover  any 
possible  demand  of  the  future  years. 

Some  conception  of  the  engineering  problems  enctiunteied  in  provid- 
ing means  of  egress  from  the  city  westward  may  be  gained  from  the 
statement  of  James  J.  Hill  in  a  l)anf|uet  speech,  that  a  train  leaving  the 
Union  station  climbs  a  higher  grade  in  reaching  Snelling  avenue  than  it 
meets  in  any  equal  distance  going  to  Seattle,  including  all  its  mountain 
journeyings.  The  wisdom  and  foresight  with  which  the  Great  Northern 
system  was  projected  by  Mr.  Hill,  after  he  came  into  control,  may  be 
seen  in  the  fact,  semi-officially  announced,  that  the  teriuinals  belonging 
to  that  road  today,  in  the  twin  cities  and  at  the  head  of  Lake  Sujierior. 
are  worth  more  than  the  entire  bonded  indei)ledness  of  the  company. 

In  addition  to  the  trackage  and  transfer  facilities  idrcady  utilized  for 
through  and  local  freight,  industrial  concerns  etc.,  and  to  the  great  area 
to  be  secured  by  changing  the  river  channel,  far-sighted  business  men 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINIT\'  239 

have  still  other  eligible  tracts  under  observation.  The  "Pig's  Eye"  flats, 
partially  occupied  by  the  Burlington  yards,  furnish  space  for  indefinite 
expansion.  The  Phalen  creek  valley,  between  Seventh  street  and  the 
river,  has  much  untenanted  area.  The  region  West  of  Rice  street  and 
North  of  Como  avenue,  presents  many  promising  features.  It  is  thus 
evident  that,  notwithstanding  some  present  cramped  and  congested  busi- 
ness conditions,  no  pent-up  Utica  of  irou-clad  environment  contracts 
the  city's  powers,  or  shackles  her  advancement  to  imperial  greatness. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

COMMERCIAL  BODIES  OF  THE  PAST 

Chamber  of  Commerce  Incorporated — Its  Graxd  Work  Pictured — 
Details  of  Organization — Both  Conservative  and  Aggressive 
— Wide  Range  of  Topics — Favors  Canadian  Reciprocity — Merged 
Into  St.  Paul  Commercial  Club — Board  of  Trade — The  Jobbers 
Union — The  Industrial  Union — St.  Paul  Real  Est.vte  Ex- 
cha.\ge. 

One  of  tlie  most  potent  iiistriiinentalities  for  building  up  the  city 
during  more  than  thirty  critical  years  of  its  struggle  for  supremacy  was 
the  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce.  For  some  time  before  the  or- 
ganization of  this  body,  many  citizens  had  felt  that  they  were  not  doing 
what  they  should  in  regard  to  providing  some  medium  for  the  expres- 
sion of  public  opinion  on  matters  of  great  public  interest,  which  were 
daily  demanding  attention,  and  finally  the  time  came  when  it  could  not 
be  delayed  longer.  The  chamber  made  a  start  and  the  articles  of  in- 
corporation were  drawn  up. 

Chamber  of  Commerce  Incorpor.\ted 

The  first  paragraph  of  the  organization  was  as  follows:  "Be  it 
known,  that  we,  R.  Blakeley,  Horace  Thompson,  A.  H.  Cathcart.  C.  D. 
Strong,  D.  W.  Ingersoll  and  Girard  Hewitt,  have  this  tenth  day  of 
January,  A.  D..  1867,  associated  ourselves  together  as  a  body  corporate 
to  be  called  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  city  of  St.  Paul.  The 
pur[)ose  of  this  association  is  to  advance  the  commercial,  mercantile 
and  manufacturing  interests  of  St.  Paul,  to  inculcate  just  and  e(|uitable 
principles  of  trade,  establish  and  maintain  uniformity  in  the  commer- 
cial usages  of  the  city,  ac(|uire.  preserve  and  disseminate  valuable  busi- 
ness information,  to  adjust  the  controversies  and  misunderstandings 
which  may  arise  between  individuals  engaged  in  trade,  and  to  promote 
the  general  prosperity  of  the  city  of  St.  Paul  and  the  state  of  Minne- 
sota." 

One  hundred  and  sixty-seven  citizens  signed  the  original  articles  of 
association.  ,  To  them  and  their  successors,  and  especially  to  those  of 
them  who  served  as  directors  thnnigh  the  long  series  of  years  which  fol- 
lowed, unstinted  praise  is  due  from  the  present  beneficiaries  of  their 
work.  It  is  true  that  every  man  who  aided  in  navigating  the  river,  build- 
ing a  railroad,  conducting  successfully  a  commercial  business,  erecting 
business  blocks  and  dwellings,  grading  streets,  building  sidewalks,  sew- 
ers, street  railwavs  and  cable  lines,  or  who  moved  a  single  shovelful  of 
earth  in  making  the  rough  places  smooth  and  the  crooked  places  straight, 

•240 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  241 

contributed  to  the  grand  aggregate  of  growth  and  improvement.  But 
improvements  hke  these  have  been  made  to  the  laudable  end  that  the 
private  fortunes  of  those  making  them  might  be  benefited  and  increased 
thereby,  while  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  its  members  with  unremit- 
ting care  applied  their  time,  their  best  judgment  and  energies,  to  the 
inauguration  of  policies  and  the  achievement  of  results  in  which  none 
of  them  had  any  special  interest  or  any  interest  which  was  not  common 
to  all  the  residents  of  the  city,  present  and  future. 

Its  Grand  Work  Pictured 

Speaking  at   the   twenty-first  anniversary   of    the    formation   of   the 
chamber,   General   John   B.    Sanborn,  a   former   president   said:     "Does 


NEW  YORK   LIFE  P.UILDI  N  i. 

anyone  doubt  here  tonight  that  there  is  a  debt  of  gratitude  due  to  those 
men  who  have  devoted  one  hour  on  1,092  Monday  mornings  in  the  last 
twenty-one  years  to  the  consideration  of  matters  of  public  concern,  with- 
out fear  or  favor,  or  hope  of  reward ;  and  still  this  hour  on  each  Mon- 
day morning  is  not  a  moiety  of  the  time  that  has  been  required  by  and 
devoted  to  the  public  interests  by  those  first  and  earliest  members  of 
this  organization.  If  a  detailed  statement  of  these  services  were  proper 
on  this  occasion  it  would  be  impossible  to  give  it.  To  one  who  has  much 
of  the  time  attended  its  secret  councils  and  public  meetings  and  knows 
upon  what  questions  it  has  acted,  and  how  it  has  acted,  it  seems  that  al- 
most all  things  in  the  city  have  been  accomplished  by  it  and  that  all 
threatened  disasters  have  by  its  influence  been  averted.  In  its  earlier 
days  its  attention  and  energies  were  directed  almost  entirely  to  opening 

'  Vtil.  1—16 


:24l'  ST.  PALI.   AND   \1CI\1TV 

up  those  lines  of  communication  inti)  tlie  unoccupied  portion  of  the  pub- 
lic domain  which  were  naturally  tributary  to  the  city  ;  to  those  sections  also 
of  the  northwest  that  had  been  settled  and  occupied  but  which  were  cut 
off  from  all  communication  with  this  city  by  olistacles  natural  or  artificial ; 
to  opening  up  lines  of  communication  to  the  east  by  the  great  lakes ;  to 
giving  encouragement  to  all  railroad  corjiorations  to  build  their  lines  to 
this  city  and  make  it  their  principal  place  of  business;  securing  for  them 
such  terminal  facilities  as  would  enable  them  to  transact  their  business 
in  this  city  upon  the  largest  scale  and  with  the  greatest  facility,  and  in- 
ducing them  to  build  here  their  repair  sho])s.  and  make  such  other  im- 
provements as  would  add  greatly  to  our  ])o]nilation  and  wealth." 

On  the  same  anniversary  occasion,  Thomas  Cochran,  long  one  of  the 
most  active  and  influential  memlK-rs  of  the  directory,  painted  this  glow- 
ing picture  of  the  future  and  grand  results  of  the  efi'orts  put  forth  by 
the  Chamber  of  Coiumerce :  "What  think  you,  sir,  will  be  our  emotions  if 
in  company  together,  you  and  1  shall  be  ])ermitted  to  revisit  this  city  of 
our  adoption  and  our  love  one  hundred  years  hence?  I  should  like  to 
stand  with  you  upon  some  point  of  vantage  like  the  new  bridge  which 
shall  join  this  city  and  the  Sixth  ward  across  the  upper  river,  or  ])er- 
haps  take  position  on  the  very  pinnacle  of  the  court  house  and  look 
abroad  over  this  familiar  territory,  from  North  St.  Paul  upon  the  east 
to  Fridley,  a  suburb  of  Minneapolis,  upon  the  west.  We  should  see  one 
unbroken  line  of  residences,  shops,  marts  of  commerce,  huge  buildings 
devoted  to  trade,  churches,  cathedrals,  schools,  manufactories,  libraries, 
and  all  the  magnificence  and  display  of  wealth  which  in  these  latter 
times  constitute  a  city.  Nor  would  we  be  looking  any  longer  upon  two 
cities,  but  upon  one ;  for  in  that  day  there  shall  be  no  sei)arate  St.  Paul 
or  Minneapolis,  but  one  grand  central  metropolis  of  the  northwest,  whose 
influence  shall  permeate  the  whole  continent.  It  is  for  such  a  city  as 
this  that  this  organization  of  ours  has  been  laying  the  foundation  in  the 
]Kist  twenty-one  years." 

Details  of  Organization 

{-"or  a  long  period  in  its  history  the  chamber  of  coiumerce  was  a 
voluntary  organization  with  but  one  class  of  members,  jiaying  an  ;in- 
nual  fee  into  a  common  treasury  of  $5  per  year.  It  had  no  certain  home, 
and,  although  an  incorporated  ixidy,  lacked  that  visible  sign  of  existence 
which  a  possession  of  land  and  its  improvement  always  affords.  Piut  in 
1884  it  ac(|uired  a  site  and  as  soon  as  necessary  practical  steps  could  be 
taken  began  the  erection  of  the  fine  block  at  Si.xlh  and  Robert  streets 
that  still  bears  its  name. 

In  order  to  defray  the  cost  of  the  site  a  perpetual  membership  was 
created  to  number  one  hundred  and  lifly.  every  one  of  whom  was  as- 
sessed .^loo  and  became  upon  its  jiayment  and  upon  his  taking  one  of 
the  $5(X)  bonds  of  the  corporation,  part  owner  of  the  real  property. 
These  memi)ers  were  liable  each  year  to  assessment  of  $10.  ec|ual  to  the 
amount  of  the  fee  of  the  annual  members. 

At  the  annual  election  sixty  directors  were  chosen  in  which  the  go\  ern- 
mcnt  of  the  body  was  lodged.  \\'eekly  meetings  of  the  board  were  held, 
where  its  working  committees  reported  and  where  all  members,  whether 
of  the  board  of  directors  or  of  the  chamber  at  large,  had  the  right 
to  attend  and  particijiate  in  the  discussions.  The  directors'  meetings 
were  called  to  order  i)rnmptly  at   0  o'clock   .\.   M..  the  roll   was  called. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  243 

and  all  directors,  late  or  absent  unless  from  illness,  attendance  at  court, 
or  absence  from  the  city,  were  fined  one  dollar.  The  proceeding's  were 
carried  on  with  the  formalities  and  dignity  observed  in  legislative  bodies. 
New  business  was  referred  to  appropriate  standing  or  special  commit- 
tees, for  consideration  and  report  to  subsequent  meetings,  for  discus- 
sion and  action.  It  was  an  honor  held  in  high  estimation  by  the  best 
men  in  the  city  to  be  a  director  of  the  chamber  of  commerce,  and  the 
"highest  vote"  at  the  annual  election  was  a  distinction  specially  prized. 

Seventeen  standing  committees  constituted  the  machinery  through 
which  the  work  of  the  body  was  performed.  One  of  these — the  execu- 
tive— was  peculiarly  constituted,  holding  its  meetings  in  private  in  order 
that  any  business  whose  end  might  be  defeated  by  divulging  it  might  be 
transacted  without  publicity.  The  scope  of  the  subjects  considered  was 
a  wide  one.  Scarcely  anything  seemed  extraneous  to  the  debates.  Upon 
national  (|uestions  this  ranged  from  the  interstate  commerce  bill  and 
the  encouragement  of  direct  trade  between  the  Mississippi  valley  and 
South  America,  to  a  resolution  of  condolence  upon  the  death  of  Gen- 
eral Logan,  and  an  invitation  to  President  Cleveland  to  visit  the  city. 
One  cannot  examine  the  records  for  a  single  vear  without  being  im- 
pressed with  the  number  of  matters  considered,  and  with  the  beneficent 
results  attained.  It  is  a  cause  for  supreme  congratulation,  not  only  that 
the  clianiber  afforded  a  public  platform  for  the  open  discussion  of  the 
themes  referred  to,  but  that  its  members  were  so  indttstrious,  so  efficient 
and  so  successful. 

Public  spirit  lies  at  the  root  of  both  local  and  general  development 
in  any  free  country.  But  unless  public  spirit  is  organized,  its  policies 
formulated  and  its  energies  concentrated,  it  will  accomplish  nothing  of 
value.  This  kind  of  organization  is  also  an  effective  promoter  of  com- 
mercial morality.  It  is  perhaps  true  that  honesty  is  the  Ijest  policy, 
when  the  amount  involved  is  small,  but  it  is  always  and  everywhere 
the  best  principle;  and  that  is  the  manly  view  point.  That  is  the  view 
point  of  the  aggressive  commercial  organization. 

When  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  organized  there  were  less  than 
fifteen  thousand  inhabitants  within  the  limits  of  the  city.  These  in- 
habitants lived  mostly  within  the  district  botmded  by  the  river  on  the 
south.  Seven  Corners  on  the  west.  Twelfth  street  on  the  north  and  Trout 
brook  on  the  east.  The  "wholesale  district"  was  the  east  side  of  Jack- 
son street  between  Third  street  and  the  river.  Onlv  one  short  line  of 
railroad  entered  the  city,  on  a  rickety  trestle  over  the  marshes  and  ponds 
of  lower  Third  street.  Communication  with  Stillwater,  White  Bear  or 
Hastings  was  by  stage.  A  wooden  bridge  spanned  the  Mississippi  at 
Wabasha  street,  exacting  heavy  tolls  from  every  teamster  or  foot  ]:>as- 
senger.  Few  or  no  streets  were  graded,  and  none  was  paved.  The 
only  continuous  sidewalks  led  from  the  city  hall  to  the  residences,  near 
or  remote,  of  the  seven  aldermen.  Steam  fire  engines,  water-works, 
sewers,  street  railways  and  high  school  were  unknown.  Letter  car- 
riers, telephones,  electric  lights  and  fast  mails  were  undreamed  of. 
Every  stage  of  the  advancement  which  changed  this  condition  of  things, 
and  introduced  the  improvements  which  made  the  magnificent  city  we 
inhabit,  was  aided  and  energized  by  the  chamber  of  commerce. 

Other  associations,  representing  a  temporary  emergency,  or  a  limited 
local  constituency,  were  formed,  served  their  purpose  well,  were  dis- 
banded and  forgotten.  Still  others,  still  existent  and  flourishing,  ef- 
ficiently performed  certain  functions  which  grew  in  magnitude  beyond 


244  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

the  resources  of  this  body  to  adequately  manage.  But  through  all  its 
years  the  chamber  of  commerce  was  the  one  general,  universal  organiza- 
tion representing  all  classes  and  interests,  to  which  any  citizen  could 
freely  come  with  a  public  enterprise  or  a  public  grievance,  confident  of 
a  fair  hearing  and  an  expression  usually  wise  and  always  honest. 

Both  Conserv.xtive  .\xd  Aggressive 

No  voluntary  institution  of  this  character  could  have  survived  so 
long,  if  its  action  had  not  been  habitually  both  conservative  and  aggres- 
sive. The  emergencies  demanded  at  times  brave,  bold  enterprise — a  fac- 
ulty to  cooly  estimate  the  risks  and  the  will  to  assume  them.  P.ut  the 
conditions  demanded,  at  all  times,  that  restraining  influence  on  public 
affairs,  which  it  was  frequently  the  good  fortune  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce to  effectively  apply.  The  tendency  toward  municipal  extrava- 
gance and  corruption,  so  marked  in  most  of  the  growing  cities  of  the 
country,  was  held  in  measurable  subjection  in  St.  Paul  by  the  respect 
with  which  the  city  authorities  learned  to  receive  the  counsels  of  the 
chamber  as  the  most  authoritative  obtainalile  ex])ression  of  public  opinion. 
The  result  was  that  few  cities  have  so  much  of  tangible  pro])erty  and 
improvement,  of  live  and  productive  assets,  to  represent  their  nmnicipal 
indebtedness,  as  St.  Paul  can  proudly  exhibit. 

But  this  was  not  all.  Not  only  were  public  and  municii)al  affairs 
subjected  by  the  chamber  of  commerce  to  a  zealous,  unceasing  scrutiny, 
but  innumerable  private  and  corporate  enterprises  of  vital  importance  to 
the  development  of  the  city,  were  founded,  encouraged,  stimulated  and 
made  jjossible,  by  the  energetic  work  of  its  officers  and  its  committees. 
Nearly  or  quite  every  railroad  running  into  St.  Paul  was  aided  in  secur- 
ing entrance,  shop  grounds  or  terminal  facilities,  by  the  chamber.  Ele- 
vators, mills,  factories,  and  warehouses  without  number,  were  built  with 
money  raised  directly  by  its  committees  and  often  subscribed  wholly 
by  its  directors.  Nearly  every  large  manufacturing  industry  in  the 
city,  at  one  time  or  another,  sought  and  received  their  fostering  care. 
Many  prosperous  mercantile  houses  and  industrial  establishments  now 
firmly  located  here,  received  their  first  incentives  to  remove  hither 
through  correspondence  with  the  secretaries.  In  fact,  there  is  no  de- 
partment of  business  activity  in  which  the  influence  of  the  chamber  of 
commerce  was  not  felt,  during  thirty-five  years,  for  the  general  good.  A 
mere  recital  of  its  important  useful  achievements  for  St.  Paul  would 
fill  a  volume. 

Wide  Range  of  Topics  Considered 

Nor  was  the  sphere  of  the  useful  activities  of  the  chamber  of  com- 
merce circumscribed  by  the  boundaries  of  the  city.  Without  neglecting 
home  matters  at  any  time,  due  attention  was  given  to  those  of  state  and 
national  concern,  having  a  direct  or  indirect  bearing  on  our  business 
interests  and  our  general  prosperity.  Immigration;  river  and  lake  im- 
provements ;  financial  legislation ;  trade  relations ;  relief  for  extensive 
visitations  or  disasters  in  tributary  regions ;  agricultural,  lumbering  and 
mining  interests;  educational  matters;  the  postal  service;  weather  re- 
ports; bankruptcy  bills;  interstate  commerce;  State  Fair  and  Soldiers' 
Home ;  World's  Fair ;  irrigation — these  are  only  a  few  of  the  important 
and  useful  subjects  having  close  relations  to  the  city's  well-being,  which 
engaged    serious   attention,   and    were    the   subject    of    well-digested    re- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  245 

ports,  intelligent  discussions,  and  influential  action  or  recommendation. 
As  an  object-lesson,  showing  the  wide  range  of  topics  considered, 
we  may  be  permitted  to  quote  the  following  report  of  discussions  and 
actions  on  subjects  presented  at  the  weekly  meetings  for  six  months 
during  a  typical  year,  that  of  1890: 

January  6th — Minnesota  State  Agricultural  Society;  United  States 
merchant  marine ;  Public  Library  building  fund ;  flax  iibre  and  its  manu- 
facture. 

January  13th — Immigration;  National  Educational  Association;  ad- 
vertising; Auditorium;  "Soo"  locks  and  Hay  lake  channel;  United  States 
Senator  C.  K.  Davis'  bill  and  speech  on  same ;  death  of  C.  D.  Strong,  one 
of  the  incorporators  of  the  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  1867. 

January  20th — Public  Library;  J.  Bookwalter's  letter  to  the  cham- 
ber on  "Wheat  Growing" ;  Postoffice  building,  bill  in  congress ;  report 
on  immigration  and  manufacturers ;  park  roads  in  Fort  Snelling  reser- 
vation ;  wheat  growing  and  stock  raising. 

February  3rd — Agricultural  immigration  and  manufacturers;  manu- 
facturing power,  midway  district;  weather  reports  from  Manitoba,  cred- 
ited to  Minnesota. 

February  loth — Auditorium  on  Smith  park,  report  special  commit- 
tee; public  baths  and  ambulance. 

February    18th — Special   order,   Auditorium   building. 

February  24th — Galveston  deep  water  harbor  and  congressional  ap- 
propriation of  $6,200,000;  Pipestone  (Minn.) — a  national  park  to  be 
located  there;  Metropolitan  Opera  House;  $100,000  fund  for  manufac- 
turing. 

March  3rd — A.  B.  Stickney's  reply  to  J.  Bookwalter's  letter  of  Janu- 
ary 20th :  Government  Indian  school  for  Pipestone ;  Henry  Villard's 
visit  to  St.  Paul. 

March  17th — Contract  with  Metropolitan  Opera  House;  J.  B.  Lovett 
of  Alabama  addressed  the  chamber  on  National  Educational  meetings; 
secretary's  report  ready  for  publication ;  Dakota  relief  committee's  re- 
port ;  Dakota's  seed  wheat  and  feed  for  stock. 

March  24th — World's  Fair,  1892  (state  commissioners)  ;  $8,000  re- 
ported ready  for  seed  wheat  in  the  Dakotas :  Governor  Miller  of  North 
Dakota  addressed  the  chamber  in  regard  to  his  state  and  the  Louisiana 
Lottery;  Canadian  reciprocity,  approving  Congressman  Hitt's  joint  re- 
solution. 

March  31st — Thanks  to  Hon.  C.  K.  Davis  for  his  successful  efforts 
in  the  United  States  senate  for  the  "Soo"  locks  appropriation ;  repre- 
sentatives from  Minnesota  requested  to  urge  its  passage  in  the  house. 

April  7th — Mississippi  river  improvements;   Postal  Telegraph. 

April  14th — United  States  census ;  health  officer's  report ;  Manufac- 
turers' Loan  and  Investment  Company;  annual  report  distributed  to 
members. 

April  2ist — Butterworth's  bills  in  congress  on  "options  and  futures." 

April  28th — A.  B.  Stickney  reads  a  paper  on  "Live  Stock  Market  at 
St.  Paul" ;  United  States  Senator  C.  K.  Davis  addressed  the  chamber  on 
the  "Soo"  locks,  St.  Paul  Public  Building  and  the  Galveston  harbor  bills 
in  congress. 

May  5th — Sections  4  and  5,  Interstate  Commerce  law,  to  amend; 
death  of  Hon.  James  B.  Beck,  United  States  senator  from  Kentucky,  a 
firm  friend  to  St.  Paul. 


246  ST.   PAUL  AXIl  \ICIXITY 

-May  iJtli — "Xew  England  Magazine."  articles  on  St.  Paul;  National 
Educational  Association ;  Union  Depot  train  house  completed,  commit- 
tee's report. 

.May  I9tli — Torrey  Bankruptcy  hill  in  congress:  Third  street  and 
liroadway  to  the  railroad  bridge — report  of  committee:  National  Editor- 
ial Association  invited  to  meet  at  St.  Paul  in  iSqi. 

May  26th — Election  of  directors. 

June  2nd — Health  and  sanitation ;  public  baths  and  ambulance ;  In- 
terstate Commerce  law:  adjournment  of  the  board  of  1889-90;  meeting 
of  the  board  of  1890-91  :  election  of  officers:  Sunday  laws,  enforcement 
of  same. 

June  Oth — Appointment  of  standing  anil  special  committees;  Michi- 
gan luiitorial  Association  to  visit  St.  Paul,  June  23rd. 

June  i6th — Liquor  selling  on  Sundays:  Perpetual  members  may  be 
increased  to  250. 

June  23rd — Duties  on  linen:  .Mississii)pi  levees  and  overtlows ;  Pub- 
lic square — Sixth,  St.  Peter  and  Market  streets. 

lune  30th — National  Editorial  Association,  meeting  in  Boston,  vote 
to  meet  at  St.  Paul  in  July,  1891  :  President  Canfield,  of  the  National 
Educational   .\ssociation.  addressed  the  chaiuber. 

Favors  CAN.\ni.\x   Reciprocitv 

ll  may  be  of  timely  interest  just  now  to  (|uole  the  resolutions  in- 
troduced March  24,  1890,  by  Director  E.  \'.  Smalley,  and  unanimously 
adopted:  "Resolved,  that  this  chamber  looks  with  earnest  interest  and 
sympathy  upon  the  movements  now  in  progress  in  the  congress  of  the 
United  States  and  in  the  ])rovincial  parliament  of  Manitoba,  and  other 
legislative  bodies  in  the  dominion  of  Canada,  in  favor  of  reciprocal  trade 
relations  between  the  two  countries  that  shall  be  untrammeled  by  cus- 
toms lines,  believing  that  the  material  interests  of  both  will  be  greatly 
l)romoted  by  the  removal  of  the  jiresent  barriers  to  commercial  ii^Jer- 
course. 

"Resolved,  that  we  heartily  approve  of  the  joint  resolution  offered 
in  the  house  of  representatives  by  Mr.  Hitt,  of  Illinois,  authorizing  the 
president  U)  appoint  commissioners  to  meet  with  any  commissioners  who 
may  be  appointed  to  represent  Canada,  to  consider  the  question  of  a 
reciprocitv  treaty  and  of  unifying  the  tariff  systems  of  the  countries. 
We  respectfully  call  the  attention  of  the  senators  and  representatives 
from  ^Iinnesota  to  this  joint  resolution  and  trust  that  it  meets  their 
approval  and  will  receive  their  sujjport." 

A  little  later,  on  June  lo,  1890,  the  United  States  senate  committee 
on  commercial  relations  with  Canada,  consisting  of  Senators  IToar.  Alli- 
son. Hale.  Pugh  and  Dolph,  visited  St.  Paul  and  held  an  all-day  .session 
in  the  Chamber  of  Conuuerce.  Senator  Hoar  ])resi(ling.  In  the  course 
of  his  opening  remarks  Senator  Hoar  said:  "The  ilominion  of  Can- 
ada marches  with  our  em])ire  for  more  than  four  thousand  miles.  It 
is  a  rapidlv  growing  territory,  not  only  by  its  own  cajiital  and  enter- 
prise, but  bv  the  aid  of  the  power  and  wealth  of  Creat  Britain,  of 
which  it  is  a  dependency;  and  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  avoid  having 
most  intimate  relations  with  a  people  like  that  on  our  own  border. 
Speaking  for  one,  I  found  that  for  myself  T  needed  very  much  light 
upon  all  phases  of  the  questions,  present  and  future,  which  affect  the 
business  interests  of  these  two  countries.     We  can  get  no  source  of  in- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  247 

formation  so  valuable  and  so  ample  as  that  of  the  business  men  who 
are  directly  dealing  with  these  provinces.  And,  of  course,  in  seeking 
any  authority  on  this  subject,  these  two  wonderful  cities  of  the  west, 
St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  must  be  expected  to  make  a  very  large  con- 
tribution to  our  stock  of  information  and  enable  us  to  arrive  at  wise 
and  lasting  legislation.  We  shall  be  glad  to  learn  from  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  of  St.  Paul  whatever  they  can  tell  us  as  to  our  exchanges 
with  Canada,  as  to  the  business  relations — relations  both  of  commerce 
and  transportation — which  exist  between  this  I'egion  and  Canada,  and 
the  question  of  the  various  matters  which  afifect  the  disposition  of  the 
two  peoples  towards  each  other." 

Among  those  who  gave  expression  to  their  opinions  were  W.  B. 
Dean,  E.  V.  Smalley,  C.  E.  Marvin,  D.  R.  Noyes,  Channing  Seabury 
and  W.  R.  Bourne.  Among  other  things  Mr.  Dean  said :  "Unrestricted 
reciprocity  was  what  was  wanted.  Of  course  it  would  be  necessary  in 
any  commercial  relations  which  might  be  established  that  uniform  tarifif 
laws  should  prevail  between  the  two  countries."  Proceeding,  he  argued 
that  the  geographical  conditions  of  the  Canadian  northwest,  separating 
that  region  by  i,ooo  miles  of  rock  from  eastern  Canada,  were  such  as  to 
render  it  peculiarly  open  to  commercial  relations  with  these  western 
states.  In  reply  to  several  questions  by  members  of  the  committee,  Mr. 
Dean  explained  that  St.  Paul  would  largely  benefit  by  such  commercial 
reciprocity ;  that  natural  products  could  lie  imported  from  Canada  and 
manufactured  goods  supplied  to  that  county.  In  reply  to  Senator 
I'ugh  he  stated  that  he  did  not  consider  the  establishment  of  free  com- 
mercial relations  would  involve  annexation ;  in  fact,  he  regarded  such  a 
contingency  as  extremely  distant  and  improbable. 

A  comparison  of  the  views  and  action  here  recorded,  with  that 
taken  by  St.  Paul  business  men  in  191 1,  shows  how  remarkably  his- 
tory repeats  itself  and  how  consistently  a  position  once  carefully  chosen 
may  be  maintained  during  the  long  period  of  twenty-one  years. 

The  following  were  the  officers  and  directors  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce for  1890-91:  President,  Daniel  R.  Noyes;  vice  president.  Lane 
K.   Stone ;  secretary,  Alfred   S.   Tallmadge ;  treasurer,   Peter   Berkey. 

Board  of  directors :  C.  C.  Andrews,  M.  Auerbach,  P.  Berkey,  Wm. 
.M.  Bushnell,  H.  A.  Castle,  G.  Clark,  W.  P.  Clough,  T.  Cochran,  M.  B. 
Curry,  D.  Dav,  J.  H.  Davidson,  R.  R.  Dorr,  H.  S.  Fairchild,  G.  R. 
Finch,  F,  A.  Fogg,  Wm.  Foulke,  C.  B.  Gilbert,  R.  Gordon,  T-  P.  Grib- 
ben,  C.  W.  Hackett,  H.  P.  Hall,  Geo.  H.  Hazzard,  E.  J.  Hodgson,  O.  E. 
Holman,  R.  C.  Jefiferson,  A.  M.  Lawton,  W.  H.  Lightner,  Wm.  Lin- 
deke,  J.  L.  Lovering,  J-  D.  Ludden,  J.  J.  McCardy,  C.  E.  Marvin,  D. 
D.  Merrill,  D.  H.  Moon,  W.  S.  Morton,  M.  D.  Munn,  W.  P.  Murray, 
Chas.  Nichols,  D.  R.  Noves,  A.  Oppenheim,  E.  W.  Peet,  A.  Pugh,  J. 
C.  Ouinby,  T.  Reardon,  P.  Reilly,  A.  G.  Rice,  L.  W.  Rundlett,  W.  H. 
Sanborn,  A.  Scheffer,  E.  Simonton,  E.  V.  Smalley,  K.  Smith,  W.  A. 
Somers,  H.  F.  Stevens,  A.  B.  Stickney,  L.  K.  Stone,  J-  Suydam,  A.  S. 
Tallmadge,  R.  B.  Wheeler  and  A.  H.  Wilder. 

Honorary  directors :  R.  Blakeley,  I.  W.  Bishop,  F.  Driscoll,  R.  W. 
Johnson,  H.  M.  Rice,   T-  B.  Sanborn,  H.  H.  Sibley  and  Henry  Villard. 

A  full  list  of  the  members  of  the  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce 
during  the  thirty-five  years  of  its  active  existence  would  be  a  directory 
of  the  progressive  men  of  the  city.  A  full  list  of  those  who  served  on 
its  successive  boards  of  directors,  some  of  them  for  many  years  by  con- 
secutive re-elections  would  be  a  roll  of  the  men  who  were  confidently 


2<^-  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

trusted  by  their  fellow  citizens  to  zealously  guard  their  public  interests. 
The  presidents  of  the  chamber,  beginning  with  1867,  and  their  re- 
spective terms  of  service  were:  J.  C.  Burbank,  four  years;  II.  H.  Sibley, 
five  years;  H.  M.  Rice,  four  years;  R.  W.  Johnson,  one  year;  John  B. 
Sanborn,  five  years;  Russell  Blakeley,  two  years;  Frederick  Uriscoll. 
J. 'W.  Bishop,  D.  R.  Xoyes.  Lane  K.  Stone.  W.  P.  Clough,  Henry  A. 
Castle,  C.  W.  Hackett,  E.  \'.  Smalley,  E.  \V.  Peet,  W.  H.  Lightner  and 
R.  A.  Kirk,  one  year  each.  Those  who  served  for  considerable  terms 
as  secretary  were  O.  E.  Dodge,  H.  T.  Johns,  Alexander  Johnson,  W. 
D.  Rogers,  F.  A.  Fogg,  C.  A.  McNeale,  .\.  S.  Tallmadge,  J.  H.  Beek 
and   T.  I.  Beaumont. 

.Mkkgicd  Lnto  St.  P.\ul  Commkrci.xl  Club 

The  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce  continued  its  career  of  useful- 
ness until  the  year  1902,  when  it  was  consolidated  with  and  merged 
into  the  St.  Paul  Commercial  Club.  This  institution  organized  in  1891, 
was  a  manifest  necessity  for  the  "Greater  St.  I'aul"  which  had  devel- 
oped under  the  fostering  care  of  the  parent  organization.  It  had  grown 
to  a  vigorous  and  useful  activity  which  covered  some  of  the  same  lines. 
To  avoid  a  useless  duplication  of  effort,  the  chamber  cheerfullv  retired 
from  the  field,  leaving  an  honorable  and  long-sustained  record  that  is  a 
legacy  of  encouragement  to  its  successors.  The  Commercial  Club  still 
maintains  a  highly  prosperous  existence,  as  will  appear  in  the  next 
chapter. 

Other  business  organizations  which  showed,  for  a  longer  or  shorter 
period,  a  commendable  zeal  in  various  phases  of  commercial  and  finan- 
cial effort  during  the  period  we  have  been  chronicling,  should  be  men- 
tioned here;  some  of  them  also  numi)ered  among  the  institutions  of  the 
present  time,  to  be  referred  to  later. 

Bo.ARD   OF   Tk.\de 

The  St.  Paul  Board  of  Trade  was  a  commercial  organization  incor- 
porated for  the  purpose  of  advancing  the  commercial,  mercantile  and 
manufacturing  interests  of  St.  Paul:  for  inculcating  just  and  equitable 
principles  of  trade,  and  for  adjusting  the  controversies  and  misunder- 
standing which  may  arise  between  individuals  engaged  in  trade.  The 
membership  was  composed  of  responsil)le  business  men,  mostly  mer- 
chants who  buy  and  sell  on  commission  all  products  of  the  agricultural 
districts,  and  fill  orders  for  those  who  desire  to  purchase  for  the  city 
trade,  or  for  shipment  to  any  part  of  the  world.  The  active  members 
held  daily  meetings  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  where  calls  for  pro- 
duce and  fruits  were  made,  and  a  large  amcunt  of  business  was  trans- 
acted. 

Tiip;  JoHiir.Rs'  L'mon' 

The  St.  Paul  Jobbers'  L'nion  was  organized  in  .March,  18S4,  and  is 
still  busily  exercising  its  functions.  The  object  of  this  association  is  to 
unite  the  mercantile  and  manufacturing  community  for  the  purpose 
of  advancing  and  increasing  the  trade  and  business  of  the  city  of  St. 
Paul,  to  support  such  means  as  may  be  deemed  best  to  promote  this  end 
and  to  use  its  influence  as  a  body  to  jirolcct  their  rights  and  influence  as 
citizens  and  merchants.  The  presidents  of  the  Jobbers'  Union  in  its  earlier 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  249 

years  were:  Geo.  R.  Finch,  C.  W.  Hackett,  Channing  Seabury,  George 
L.  Farwell,  John  T.  Averill,  William  B.  Dean,  C.  H.  Kellogg  and  C. 
S.  Rogers.  One  of  its  policies  has  always  been  to  advertise  the  city 
and  its  trade,  on  the  theory  that  if  you  wish  things  to  come  your  way 
you  must  tell  them  where  you  live.  The  expert  writer  had  not,  in  the 
first  years  arisen  to  say  that  "if  you  need  a  cracker,  there's  a  reason," 
etc.,  but  ample  language  was  always  ready  to  clothe  important  facts. 

The  Industri.\l  Union 

The  Industrial  Union  was  formed  in  1889  with  a  view  of  educating  the 
people  to  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  value  of  manufactures  to  the 
progress,  growth  and  well-being  of  the  city.  Among  the  plans  adopted 
was  that  of  establishing  a  permanent  exhibit  of  the  products  of  St. 
Paul  industries  at  a  central  point  free  to  public  inspection. 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  Industrial  Union  was  established  "The 
Manufacturers'  Loan  and  Investment  Company."  The  objects,  as  de- 
fined in  its  articles  of  incorporation,  were:  "To  promote,  encourage  and 
aid,  by  and  under  any  and  all  lawful  methods  (the  giving  of  a  bonus, 
save  as  herein  authorized  excepted),  such  industries  and  enterprises 
located  or  to  be  located  in  St.  Paul  or  its  tributary  suburbs,  as  now  are 
or  shall  be  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  this  state  for  the  purpose  of 
engaging  in  a  manufacturing  or  mechanical  business,  and  to  aid,  by  a 
loan  of  money,  individuals  engaged  in  a  business  of  the  character  afore- 
said." 

The  capital  stock  of  the  company  was  $1,000,000.  The  board  of  di- 
rectors was  composed  of  twenty-one  gentlemen  of  the  highest  standing, 
thoroughly  in  earnest  in  the  determination  to  build  up  in  St.  Paul  a 
comprehensive  and  successful  system  of  manufacturing  industries 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  city  and  the  vast  extent  of  country  tributary 
to  it.  The  plan  of  the  company  was  believed  to  be  at  once  unique  and 
eft'ective.  It  was  the  first  attempt  made  to  promote  industrial  develop- 
ment on  strictly  business  principles  and  by  business  methods.  The  com- 
pany gave  special  attention  to  aiding  and  encouraging  meritorious  en- 
terprises already  in  existence,  as  well  as  to  the  establishment  of  new 
ones  by  enlisting  private  enterprise  and  capital  and  the  location  of  solid 
concerns  from  other  and  less  favored  places.  A.  H.  Wilder  was  pres- 
ident and  William  F.  Phelps  secretary  of  this  association.  While  it  did 
not  fulfill  all  the  sanguine  expectations  of  its  founders,  it  did  much  to 
assist  and  encourage  some  new  enterprises  that  have  added  largely  to 
the  industrial  prestige  of  the  city. 

St.  Paul  Real  Estate  Exchange 

The  St.  Paul  Real  Estate  Exchange  is  a  pioneer  business  organiza- 
tion which  yet  survives,  and  which  has  accomplished  valuable  results  in 
advancing  the  jobbing,  manufacturing  and  transportation  interests. 
Thomas  Cochran,  George  H.  Hazzard,  H.  S.  Fairchild,  Tas.  H.  David- 
son, G.  S.  Heron,  J.  W.  McClung,  Rush  B.  Wheeler  and  J.  J.  Watson 
were  among  its  leading  spirits. 


CHAPTER  .\X1\' 

CO.MMI-.RCIAL    ISODIES   Ul"  THI':    PRESENT 

St.  pAur,  CuMMEKciAL  Clui! — Xew,  Broadkk,  Mnui-;  r>R{iTiii;RLv  Spirit 
— Scientific  Bcsixess  Management — St.  P.\ri.  .Association  of 
Commerce — Town  Crier's  Club. 

The  old  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce  worked  nobly  in  its  day, 
but  the  time  arrived  when  additional  agencies  were  made  necessary  by 
the  city's  growth.  These  other  agencies  were  formed,  covering  dif- 
ferent i)hases  of  effort,  and  they  worked  on.  with  added  efficiency.  Xow 
a  stage  is  reached,  when  a  federation  of  the  ])rincii)al  of  these  agencies 
has  seemed  essential;  hence  the  Association  of  Commerce.  It  is  planned, 
on  the  later  idea  as  to  these  bodies,  that  each  must  be  a  dynamo  of 
energy,  with  every  member  a  live  wire.  When  a  secretary  is  needed 
the  best-trained  and  most  energetic  man  available  is  chosen.  He  must 
be  executive,  an  organizer  and  a  worker.  Instead  of  meaningless  reso- 
lutions, there  are  initiative  and  result. 

So  i^otent  has  become  the  influence  of  some  of  these  bodies  that  you 
can  measure  the  advance  of  whole  communities  by  the  capacity  of  their 
chambers  of  commerce  or  kindred  organizations.  They  have  succeeded 
because  they  have  been  organized  and  developed  along  straight  business 
lines.  The  chambers  that  are  doing  the  most  significant  work  are  the 
ones  that  regard  their  city  supremacy  as  a  commodity  and  who  organize 
the  publicity  and  distribution  of  it  just  as  a  shrewd  merchant  handles 
the  selling  of  his  wares.  In  brief,  it  is  a  large  and  thrilling  job  of 
salesmanship ;  and  you  find,  when  you  get  down  to  the  last  analysis,  that 
every  wide-awake  as.sociation  is  a  comi)osite  salesman.  These  bodies 
have  learned,  like  a  human  being,  that  a  city  cannot  pros]x>r  until  it  is 
clean  and  healthx'  and  has  adequate  service.  Hence  civic  jnirification 
and  censorship  of  public  utilities  have  gone  hand  in  hand  with  business 
growth. 

The  dissociated  labors  of  the  Commercial  Club,  the  Jobbers'  and 
Manufacturers'  Union,  the  Business  League  and  the  Associated  Mer- 
chants had  been  effective,  but  they  had  overlapited  at  some  points,  had 
sometimes  conflicted,  and  at  others,  had  unnecessarily  duplicated  or 
triplicated   their  efforts. 

St.  Pait.  Com.mercial  Clur 

The  St.  Paul  Commercial  Club  had  become,  and  still  remains,  the 
great,  ])opular,  general  organization  of  business  and  professional  men, 
including  emjiloyers  and  employes,  with  certain  social  functions  and 
gastronomic  ])rivileges.  but  keeping  a  jealous  eye  on  public  affairs  as 

250 


ST.  PAUL  AXD  \'ICINITY  251 

well  as  business  opportunities.  It  was  incorporated  in  December,  1891. 
Its  first  officers  were  John  J.  Corcoran,  president;  J.  F.  Broderick  and 
L.  L.  May,  vice  presidents ;  Wm.  Secombe,  secretary,  and  O.  T.  Roberts, 
treasurer.  Its  objects  were  declared  to  be  to  establish  a  permanent  or- 
ganization of  the  business  men  of  St.  Paul,  to  promote  more  intimate 
social  relations  among  them  by  some  of  the  ordinary  club  features,  and 
consequently  a  more  friendly  feeling.  It  aimed  to  take  aggressive  action 
upon  every  movement  concerning  the  welfare  of  St.  Paul  or  its  citi- 
zens, and  to  encourage  and  promote  the  commercial  and  manufactur- 
ing interests  of  the  city  in  every  way  possible;  to  advertise  to  the  world 
the  diversified  advantages  of  the  city  and  state ;  to  ascertain  the  needs 
of  the  city,  and  assist  in  removing  impediments  to  her  progress ;  to  foster 
and  encourage  through  social  intercourse  a  public  spirit  and  feeling 
of  loyalty  which  would  inure  to  the  benefit  of  the  city;  to  teach  that 
whatever  ]iromotes  the  business  interest  of  any  class  of  citizens  is  for 
the  benefit  of  all,  and  that  whatever  injures  business  in  any  line  is 
against  the  interests  of  all. 

Ample  quarters  were  secured  in  1892  in  the  fine  building  of  the 
Germania  Life  Insurance  Company,  at  Fourth  and  Minnesota  streets, 
which  were  several  times  enlarged  until  they  occupied  the  entire  ninth 
and  tenth  floors.  An  extensive  cafe  was  installed,  with  a  special  de- 
partment for  ladies ;  a  billiard  room  was  provided ;  elegantly  furnished 
reading,  smoking  and  reception  rooms  were  arranged,  and  all  the  acces- 
sories of  up-to-date  club  life  were  supplied.  Commencing  with  about 
500  members,  it  has  maintained  a  vigorous  and  increasingly  useful  ex- 
istence for  nearly  twenty  years  and  now  has  over  1,500  members,  includ- 
ing large  numbers  of  young  men,  who  are  here  in  receipt  of  that  train- 
ing, through  association,  example  and  precept,  that  will  strengthen  their 
business  principles,  stimulate  their  public  spirit  and  make  them  better 
citizens.  In  .September,  1912,  the  Commercial  Club  removed  to  still 
larger  and  more  elaborate  quarters  in  the  fine,  new  Commerce  Building, 
at  Fourth  and  Wabasha  streets. 

We  are  living  in  a  peculiar  age,  a  distinctly  commercial  age,  as  every 
one  must  plainly  see  and  admit.  It  is  an  age  when  individuals  have  com- 
bined to  form  corporations,  corporations  have  combined  to  form  trusts 
imtil  now  we  are  face  to  face  with  merchandising  problems  unknown 
to  the  mercantile  interests  of  only  a  few  years  ago.  The  keenest  men 
the  science  of  business  has  produced  are  at  the  levers,  and  where  a 
four-horse  power  energy  formerly  sufficed,  we  now  need  two-hundred 
horse  power  to  get  the  desired  results.  Moreover  and  simultaneously, 
the  political  bosses,  have,  in  many  localities,  combined  to  control  city 
and  state  governments,  requiring  a  like  concentrated  energy  and  con- 
centrated effort  to  dethrone  them.  Thus  no  commendation  can  be  too 
emphatic  for  any  well-directed  movement  to  bring  the  younger  element 
of  the  business  community  into  intimate  relations  with  organized  un- 
dertakings for  commercial  and  civic  betterment. 

In  the  unfolding  of  this  new  era  in  the  business  world,  new  duties 
and  new  obligations  have  been  created  and  added  to  the  duties  and  obli- 
gations which  the  business  man  formerly  owed  to  the  state.  Many 
new  and  complex  problems  have  also  arisen  for  both  the  business  man 
and  the  state  to  solve. 

An  extensive,  progressive,  aggressive,  virile  business  organization 
in  a  commercial  and  industrial  community,  becomes,  incidentally  but  most 
potenth',  a  training  school  of  efficiency,  an  object-lesson  of  scientifically 


252  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

direct  effort.  Even  in  conferring  about  matters  of  public  concern,  the 
touch  of  elbows,  the  attribution  of  minds,  the  comparison  of  experiences, 
begets  increased  knowledge  and  larger  capacity.  For  example,  it  is 
fundamental  that  in  manufacturing,  the  basis  of  all  success  is  efficiency. 

The  efficiency  of  administration,  with  the  peculiar  fitness  of  men 
with  brain  and  experience,  who  know  how  to  formulate  a  policy  and 
secure  the  right  men  to  carry  it  out : 

The  efficiency  of  production,  with  its  equally  important  men  of  brain 
and  experience  who  know  how : 

First,  to  buy  the  raw  material  best  suited  for  its  manufacturing,  and 
this  must  be  (letermined  by  experience,  safeguarded  by  the  analytical 
and  engineering  departments,  and  to  secure  the  material  bought,  so  that 
it  will,  within  the  shortest  possible  jicriod,  enter  into  the  manufactured 
product. 

Secondly,  to  plan  the  manufacturing  of  the  product  so  as  to  elimin- 
ate waste,  conserve  energy  and  produce  at  the  lowest  possible  cost  the 
greatest  quantity — also,  to  conserve  energy  and  develop  labor  upon  a 
basis  that  men  and  not  machinery  will  secure  the  high  reward. 

The  efficiency  of  sales,  with  its  splendid  corjis  of  men  w'itli  brains, 
who  have  been  trained  and  know  how.  In  this  department  of  modern 
btisiness  science  publicity  becomes  a  necessary  factor.  It  is  the  life- 
blood  of  trade.  It  must  be  honest,  and  attractive,  and  educational,  and 
convincing.  It  is  thus  the  pioneer  of  camiJaigns.  An  inquiry  once 
raised  should  never  be  lost  sight  of,  or  dropped  without  a  good  reason. 
Efficiency  is  a  prime  essential  in  the  triumphs  of  human  endeavor;  so 
is  publicity ;  and  so  is  cooperation. 

Manufacturers  are  the  industrial  foundations,  I)ackl»ne,  brains — 
call  it  what  you  will,  of  our  nation.  .Manufacturing  more  than  any 
other  class  of  business  or  enterprise  is  the  target  for  public  and  jjrivate 
political  assault.  Employes  must  be  cared  for;  railroads  aided:  public 
improvements  paid  for ;  communities  protected ;  industrial  insurance 
compensation  provided,  etc.  In  all  directions  and  from  all  sources  come 
demands  upon  the  manufacturer  for  protection,  assistance,  brotherly 
kindness ;  and,  all  this  is  probably  good  for  the  moral  character  of  the 
manufacturer.  But  his  growth  in  grace,  as  well  as  his  growth  in  ef- 
ficiency, may  be  greatly  i)romotcd  by  association,  consultation  and  co- 
operation with  otliers  of  similar  environment. 

Ni;w.  nROADKK.  More  Brothicri.v  Spirit 

New  conditions  force  changed  methods,  as  new  inventions  rec|uire 
new  laws.  It  is  already  trespass  to  puncture  an  honest  farmer's  sky- 
rights  with  a  biplane;  embezzlement  to  intercept  a  wireless  message; 
grand  larceny  to  impound  the  warblings  of  an  opera  star.  .Vnd  coiu- 
mercial  ethics  have  changed.  In  former  times  the  average  business  man 
eased  his  conscience  with  the  belief  that  com])etition  was  the  life  of 
trade,  and  went  his  way  alone,  seldoiu  seeing  beyond  the  cnnlines  of  his 
couiUing  room.  When  the  conuuunity  grew  he  took  it  as  a  matter  of 
course ;  when  it  stood  still  he  laid  it  to  the  politicians.  Business  was 
business.  Today  all  is  changed.  There  is  scarcely  a  town  without  some 
kind  of  commercial  body  that  is  both  business-builder  and  civic-awakener 
— it  may  l)e  a  chamber  of  conuuerce.  a  board  of  trade,  a  commercial 
club  or  a  merchants'  association.  Through  their  combined  work,  a  new 
spirit  of  sane  and  constructive  force  has  been  created  that  is  broaden- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  253 

ing  local  vision  everywhere  and  making  leaders  of  men  who  might  have 
drudged  at  their  desks  in  obscurity  all  their  lives.  Cooperation  along 
lines  of  mutual  interest  has  succeeded  selfish  isolation ;  and  the  merchant 
and  citizen  generally,  through  well-knit  organization,  are  remaking  and 
galvanizing  old  communities,  establishing  a  new  dignity  and  respect  for 
conmierce  and  emphasizing  the  vast  value  of  getting  together.  Here  is 
a  work  that  touches  all  people  and  aids  all  interests. 

The  manufacturer  and  the  jobber  are  confronted  with  many  iden- 
tical problems.  One  of  these  is  that  above  alluded  to,  of  the  sales  man- 
ager, who  is  a  product  practically  of  the  last  decade.  He  stands  as  the 
engineer  at  the  throttle  of  his  locomotive,  guiding  the  engine  of  com- 
merce ;  his  sense  must  be  keen,  his  eye  alert,  he  must  be  ready  at  all 
times  to  detect  the  slightest  friction  in  his  organization  as  it  glides  along 
the  rails  of  industry  to  its  destination.  Upon  his  shoulders  in  a  large 
measure  falls  the  responsibility  of  a  safe  arrival  at  the  terminus,  Success. 
He  must  be  ever  ready  to  instill  into  the  men  in  his  charge  that  en- 
thusiasm and  fire  that  bring  about  satisfactory  results  for  the  house. 

Scientific   Business  Management 

The  problem  of  scientific  management  is  also  present  in  all  Imsiness. 
It  has  been  found  that  there  has  been  enormous  waste  of  time  and 
energy  in  the  work  of  mechanics,  office  clerks,  etc.  This  waste  is  almost 
always  in  the  little  things.  There  is  the  lost  motion  that  creeps  in 
everywhere.  There  is  the  lack  of  attention  to  keeping  the  tools  and 
instruments  necessary  to  one's  daily  work  where  they  are  readily  acces- 
sible. By  the  introduction  of  scientific  management,  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion has  been  reduced  thirty  per  cent  to  fifty  per  cent  in  some  instances. 
The  wages  of  salesmen  and  workers  have  been  raised  and  a  new  smooth- 
ness and  efficiency  introduced  into  every  department. 

An  expert  Doctor  of  Industry  gives  this  pointed  suggestion:  "Solve 
your  output  problem  at  first  by  adopting  an  efficient  factory  cost  system. 
That  will  give  you  control  of  your  situation.  It  will  insure  you  against 
a  thousand  little  things  which,  otherwise  unforseen,  may  give  you  un- 
told trouble.  And  it  will  also  enable  you  to  exercise  decisive  control 
of  your  output,  either  up  or  down,  at  your  pleasure.  It  will  give  you 
absolute  knowledge  of  the  capacity  of  your  factory.  Then  that  once 
terrible  word  output,  ever  suggestive  of  the  C.  O.  D.  call  and  the  flame- 
colored  flag,  which  all  business  men  shudder  to  think  of,  will  terrify 
you  no  longer." 

In  other  days  transportation  was  not  so  important  as  now.  It  re- 
quired weeks  to  bring  goods  to  this  market  or  to  ship  the  same  articles 
to  the  settlers  in  the  Minnesota  valley.  Now  it  is  a  matter  of  hours, 
and  large  amounts  of  money  are  being  spent  to  make  the  passage  from 
mill  to  consumer  still  more  rapid.  The  problem  of  transportation  is 
one  in  which  a  jobbing  or  manufacturing  house  can  easily  find  the  dif- 
ference between  success  and  failure.  In  a  business  where  the  margin 
of  profit  is  small,  but  the  dividends  come  from  the  volume  of  trade, 
it  is  disastrous  if  all  of  the  goods  sold  must  be  hauled  by  horse  and 
wagon  for  considerable  distances.  .Such  teaming  is  expensive  and  rapidly 
eats  up  the  profits.  If,  however,  the  jobbing  houses  can  have  a  spur  of 
the  railway  track  run  directly  to  the  warehouse,  or  if  the  raw  products 
for  a  factory  can  be  delivered  in  car  lots  at  the  very  door  of  the  work 
rooms,  a  large  saving  in  time  and  money  is  efifected.     For  this  reason 


254  ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

properly  in  the  vicinity  of  railway  tracks  is  lield  at  liigli  ligures,  and 
wide  cooperation  between  interested  parties,  or  strenvuHis  urtjanized  ef- 
fort, is  essential  in  securinj,'  new   facilities. 

Stimi'lus  of  Civic  Simkit 

Associated  el'furt  has  far-reaching  results  in  advancing  a  city's  prom- 
inence and  building  up  its  trade.  In  May,  1911.  the  business  men  of  the 
northwest  came  together  at  Helena.  Montana,  organized  the  Northwest 
Developnient  League  and  picked  St.  Paul  as  the  logical  lieadquarters  to 
accomplish  the  object  of  the  organization,  to  boost  the  northwest  and 
get  settlers  for  that  territory.  To  that  meeting  St.  Paul  sent  a  special 
train  carrying  a  large  representation  of  the  imiH)rlant  business  men  of 
the  city.  In  fact,  no  other  state  or  city  outside  of  Helena  and  -Montana, 
had  such  a  delegation  at  that  meeting  as  came  from  this  citv.  The  del- 
egates bore  the  good  will  of  the  city  to  all  of  the  state  in  which  thev 
met,  and  the  state  appreciated  the  visit.  St.  Paul  earlv  sent  commercial 
travelers  through  Montana.  The  territory  of  each  man  has  been  made 
smaller  as  the  railways  have  been  jnished  through  the  state  and  new 
towns  have  .sprung  u]).  The  wholesale  trade  from  this  citv  to  that  state 
is  verj'  large. 

Both  associated  etiorl  and  individual  enteri)rise  have  been  felt  in 
local,  civic  affairs.  Thanks  to  the  jjarticipalion  of  a  large  number  of 
the  merchants  and  jobbers  of  St.  Paul,  this  city  has  had  a  degree  of  ef- 
ficiency on  the  various  non-salaried  boards  of  the  citv.  which  has  been 
the  comment  of  municipal  experts  who  have  examined  the  St.  Paul 
way  of  doing  things.  In  all  the  western  cities  the  civic  sense  of  the 
larger  merchants  is  being  develoiu-d.  There  are  commercial  clubs  in 
nearly  every  town,  and  the  extent  to  which  the  merchants  of  any  city 
or  town  are  awake  and  doing  things  can  be  accuratelv  judged  by  the 
extent  to  which  the  commercial  club  .if  the  town  participates  in  affairs. 
Through  the  training  business  men  have  got  in  paving  attention  to 
civic  affairs  in  commercial  and  business  associations',  many  of  them 
have  willingly  given  largely  of  their  time  from  their  own  business  to 
attend  to  that  of  the  community  as  a  wlmlc.  In  no  citv  has  this  service 
of  time  been  given  more  freelv  or  with  greater  devotion  to  the  work  in 
hand  than  in  St.  Paul. 

Administrative  boards  in  charge  of  the  various  functions  of  citv 
government,  the  |)olice.  tire  jjrotection.  jiarks.  water  .system,  work  house, 
auditorium,  school  and  library.  alTord  opportunities  for  the  .service  of 
many  men.  and  as  members  of  these  boards  are  found  the  most  prom- 
inent and  influential  men  in  jobbing  and  commercial  life.  Men  who 
have  at  their  connnand  millions  of  capital  sit  at  the  meetings  of  these 
boards  and  give  the  wealth  of  their  wi.sd<im  and  business  experience  to 
the  city.  It  is  needless  to  .say  that  none  of  these  boards  at  any  time  has 
in  the  least  had  a  breath  of  suspicion  of  corruption  or  misuse  of  funds. 

These  are  some  of  the  things  that  the  memlters  of  the  several  ex- 
isting commercial  bodies  of  St.  i\aul.  individually  and  through  their 
associations  have  been  doing  for  the  city's  advancement.  They  have 
carried  on  the  work  .so  well  begun  by  the  old  Chamjjer  of  Commerce, 
with  improved  methods  reaching  wider  fields  of  useful  activity.  It  has 
been  a  highly  successful  work.  .\nd  behind  the  ins|)iring  spectacle  is. 
as  we  have  just  .seen,  a  larger  significance  than  mere  business  getting 
and    municipal    advertisement    and    advance.     The    lesson    of    unselfish 


ST.  PAUL  AND  XJCIXITV 


255 


volunteer  service  presented  day  after  day  by  busy  business  and  profes- 
sional men,  who  perform  many  of  the  tasks  for  which  city  officials  are 
paid,  will  not  be  lost  on  the  voters,  who  in  time  will  learn  to  demand  a 
higher  and  larger  capability  from  their  public  servants.  If,  as  econom- 
ists tell  us,  the  city  is  the  hope  of  democracy,  then  St.  Paul's  commercial 
bodies  of  the  present  are  doing  the  greatest  work  for  the  realization  of 
that  hope. 

St.  Paul  Associ.\tion  of  Commerce 

Now  comes  the   federation  of  these  existing  and  virile  commercial 
bodies  of   the  city  into  the   St.   Paul  Association  of  Commerce.     Prac- 


ST.    PAUL   ASSOl  JAT](J.\    UF    CI  ).M  i\l  KRCii    liUlLUING, 


tically  every  business  man  in  the  city  now  lielongs  to  this  association 
and  contributes  $50  a  year  to  its  support. 

This  association  was  organized  in  19 10,  with  temporary  quarters  in 
the  Endicott  building,  until  the  twelve-story  block  constructed  for  its 
use.  with  that  of  its  suljordinate  and  affiliated  bodies  at  Fourth  and  Wa- 
basha streets,  was  completed.  The  first  officers  were:  C.  L.  Kluckhohn. 
president;  W.  J.  Dean,  vice  president,  chairman  interstate  division;  P. 
McArthur,  vice  president,  chairman  local  division ;  Paul  Doty,  vice  pres- 
ident, chairman  public  afl^airs  division;  J.  R.  Mitchell,  treasurer;  ].  H. 
Beek.  general  secretary :  J.  W.  Cooper,  chairman  traffic  bureau ;  E.  S. 
Warner,  chairman  industrial  bureau;  Walter  J.  Driscoll,  chairman  pub- 
licity bureau. 

In  a   preliminary  announcement,   the  general   secretary.    I.   H.   Beek, 


256  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

long  connected  with  public  affairs  says:  "St.  Paul  has  accomplished 
wonders  during  the  last  five  years.  The  Auditorium,  the  "New  St. 
Paul  Motel."  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  building,  the  Young 
Women's  Ciiristian  Association  building,  the  new  Cathedral,  the  Sym- 
phony Orchestra,  the  Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences  and  numerous  lesser 
but  equally  worthy  enterprises,  all  attest  the  public  spirit  and  generosity 
of  our  citizens,  fiut  there  are  even  larger  and  more  important  ])rojects 
demanding  our  best  efforts.  An  adequate  Union  depot,  improved  and 
enlarged  terminal  facilities,  trackage  for  new  industries,  etc.,  are  press- 
ing needs,  which  the  St.  Paul  Association  of  Commerce  is  taking  up 
earnestly." 

The  officially  avowed  object  of  the  association  is  to  advance  the  com- 
merce, industries  and  all  civic  interests  of  the  city.  It  is  not  to  be  par- 
tisan or  political.  The  membership  is  divided  into  three  classes:  Active, 
non-resident  and  honorary. 

Any  individual,  firm  or  corporation,  residing  or  doing  business  in 
the  cities  of  St.  Paul  or  South  St.  Paul,  or  in  Ramsey  county,  Minne- 
sota, in  good  standing  and  whose  connection  with  the  association  will 
promote  its  usefulness,  may  be  elected  to  active  membership. 

lousiness  or  professional  men  in  good  standing,  residing  outside  of 
St.  Paul,  South  St.  Paul  or  Ramsey  county,  may  be  admitted  to  non- 
resident membership. 

Any  person  who  may  be  deemed  worthy  of  the  distinction  by  un- 
animous vote  of  the  board  of  directors,  may  l)ecome  an  honorary  mem- 
ber. 

The  active  membership  of  the  association,  although  acting  as  a  unit 
toward  the  accomplishment  of  the  objects  for  which  the  association  is 
organized,  consists  of  three  main  divisions. 

Division  A — The  Interstate  division,  which  comprises  those  mem- 
bers principally  interested  in  interstate  and  foreign  commerce. 

Division  P. — The  Local  division,  which  comprises  those  members 
princii)ally  interested  in  local  business  in  St.  Paul. 

Division  C — The  Public  Affairs  division,  which  comprises  those  mem- 
bers whose  principal  interest  is  in  the  improvement  of  civic  and  industrial 
conditions  in  St.  Paul.  It  has  for  its  definite  purpose  the  promotion  of 
such  civic  projects  as  will  aid  in  the  material  develo])ment  of  the  city. 

Each  division  elects  a  vice  president  and  four  tlirectors  of  the  asso- 
ciation by  ballot  of  the  members  of  the  division  only. 

Certain  specific  work  of  the  association  is  conducted  by  Inireaus. 
These  bureaus  are : 

A — The  Traffic  Inireau.  which  conducts  :dl  Inisiness  of  the  associa- 
tion with  transportation  interests  and  is  in  charge  of  the  traffic  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  nine  members.  Si.\  inemi)ers  of  this  committee,  of 
whom  one  is  chairman,  are  appointed  by  the  vice  president  of  the  Inter- 
state division,  and  three  members  are  ajipointed  by  the  vice  jiresident 
of  the  Local  division,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  board  of  directors. 

p, — Tlic  bureau  of  Industries,  which  conducts  the  business  nf  the  ex- 
tension and  development  of  industrial  enterprises  in  St.  Paul  and  its 
environs.  It  is  in  charge  of  the  committee  of  industries,  consisting  of 
nine  members.  The  board  of  directors  appoints  three  members  from 
each  division  to  this  committee,  which  selects  its  own  chairman. 

C — The  Publicity  bureau,  which  conducts  the  business  of  advertising 
St.  Paul.     It  is  in  charge  of  the  publicity  committee,  consisting  of  nine 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  257 

members,  appointed  by  the  board  of  directors,  three  from  each  of  the 
three  main  divisions.     This  committee  selects  its  own  chairman. 

Any  St.  Paul  organization,  whose  business  is  of  such  technical  or 
specific  nature  that  it  is  necessary  to  conduct  it  separately,  may,  when- 
ever a  majority  of  its  members  are  active  or  associate  members  of  this 
association,  become  by  vote  of  the  directors  of  this  association  an  "affil- 
iated organization."  Its  president,  if  an  active  member  of  this  associa- 
tion, is  ex-officio,  a  director  thereof. 

The  board  of  directors  numbers  thirty,  which  comprises  the  pres- 
ident, the  three  vice  presidents,  the  treasurer,  the  chairman  of  the  traffic 
committee,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  of  industry,  the  chairman  of 
the  publicity  committee,  four  each  elected  by  the  three  main  divisions, 
and  ten  elected  by  the  entire  active  membership  at  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  association. 

The  executive  officer  of  the  association  is  the  general  secretary.  It 
is  made  his  duty,  in  addition  to  keeping  the  minutes  and  conduct- 
ing correspondence,  to  "present  a  full  account  of  the  activities  of  the 
association  at  least  once  a  month  to  the  board  of  directors,  and  make  a 
full  report  to  the  annual  meeting  of  the  active  members  of  the  association 
and  perform  all  other  duties  usual  to  the  office  of  secretary.  He  shall, 
under  the  president  and  subject  to  the  control  of  the  directors,  have 
full  charge  of  the  activities  of  the  association ;  shall  devote  his  whole 
time  to  its  work  and  devote  all  his  energies  to  its  welfare." 

The  standing  committees  of  the  association  are:  Interstate  or  trade 
extension  ;  local  public  aiTairs  ;  traffic  ;  industries  ;  publicity  ;  committee 
of  the  whole ;  finance ;  membership ;  conventions  and  entertainments ; 
legislative ;  auditing  and  house  committees.  All  committees  are  chosen 
by  the  board  of  directors,  except  as  otherwise  provided  for  in  the  by- 
laws. Weekly  meetings  are  held  of  active  members,  where  luncheon  is 
served  and  timely  public  questions  are  discussed  by  selected  speakers, 
local  or  foreign. 

It  is  confidently  believed  that  the  civic  work  of  St.  Paul's  commercial 
bodies  and  their  welfare  work  for  the  city,  may,  by  the  Association  of 
Commerce,  be  made  efl:'ective  on  an  enlarged  scale : 

1.  Through  its  operation  as  a  clearing  house  for  the  exchange  of 
ideas  by  business  men  concerning  desirable  improvements,  resulting  in 
a  careful  investigation  and  study  of  conditions  by  committees,  with  the 
assistance  of  experts  who  give  the  services  voluntarily ; 

2.  By  securing  the  confidence  of  the  public  and  the  support  of  the 
press  in  the  recommendation  of  a  deliberative  body  of  business  men,  in- 
terested only  in  the  welfare  of  the  city  and  community; 

3.  By  co-operating  with  public  officials  and  municipal  and  legisla- 
tive authorities,  in  creating  sentiment  in  behalf  of  improvements  in- 
augurated by  them ; 

4.  By  securing  the  interest  and  support  of  local  boards,  clubs  and 
civic  organizations; 

5.  By  stimulating  the  organization  of  separate  bodies  which  un- 
dertake as  a  special  object  the  carrying  out  of  a  particular  improvement 
recommended  by  the  association  of  commerce. 

An  important  recent  change  in  the  organization  of  the  association 
is  provided  for  in  taking  over  the  work  which  has  been  done  under  the 
public  affairs  committee  of  the  Commercial  Club.  In  addition  to  a  pul)lic 
affairs  committee  of  thirty  there  is  a  civic  division,  one  of  the  three 
branches,  of  which  the   interstate  and   local  division  elects  a  chairman 

Vol.  I— 1 7 


258  ST.  PAUL  AND  \1CIXITY 

who   is  vice   president  of   the   main   association   and  as   such    is  also  a 
director. 

The  association  so  far  as  its  geographical  boundaries  are  concerned 
includes  St.  Paul,  South  St.  Paul  and  Ramsey  county. 

Towx  Crier's  Club 

The  St.  Paul  Town  Crier's  Club,  which  gives  annually  a  notable 
Home  Products  dinner,  furnishes  its  own  "thumb  nail  genealogy"  to 
this  effect :  the  first  informal  meeting  of  interested  persons  was  held  at 
the  Commercial  Club  Tuesday  evening.  November  7,  1905.  and  these 
were  selected  to  prepare  a  plan  of  organization ;  T.  E.  Andrews,  Jesse 
H.  Neal.  A.  W.  Bailey,  S.  C.  Theis.  C.  E.  Buckbee.  William  A.  Keller, 
John  R.  Wilbor.  C.  R.  Osborn,  J.  W.  Philip  and  Raymond  Cavanagh. 
Later  the  constitution  proposed  was  adopted  and  the  organization  per- 
fected. The  club  now  has  a  membership  of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty, 
representing  ])ractically  all  the  avenues  of  advertising  effort  in  St.  Paul. 
As  the  name  indicates  they  are  St.  Paul  boosters,  and  are  allied  with 
every  movement  for  the  betterment  of  business  or  living  conditions. 

The  Consolidated  Publicity  Bureau  was  the  direct  result  of  hard 
work  by  the  Town  Criers'  Club.  The  club  is  a  strong  force  in  the  com- 
munity for  better  advertising.  It  has  established  study  classes  for  its 
members,  and  will  further  develop  the  educational  features.  In  short 
it  is  a  working  medium  through  which  the  ginger  and  intelligence  of  its 
members  o]Jerates  to  the  advantage  of  the  city,  and  to  their  own  in- 
creased efficiency  in  their  chosen  ])rofession. 

The  Town  Crier's  issue  this  manifesto,  "just  to  remind  you:" 

St.  Paul  is  the  largest  fur  market  in  the  world. 

St.  Paul  is  the  recognized  shoe  market  of  the  northwest. 

St.  Paul  produces  more  railway  cars  than  any  city  in  the  west. 

St.  Paul  ]M-oduces  more  stoves  than  any  city  in  tlie  west. 

St.  Paul  produces  more  pianos  than  any  city  in  the  west. 

St.  Paul  has  the  largest  law  book  publishing  house  in  the  world : 
also  the  second. 

St.  Paul's  Auditorium  is  the  tinest  building  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 

St.  Paul  has  the  lowest  death  rate  i)cr  thousand  of  any  city  in  the 
Union. 

St.  Paul  is  the  center  of  an  immense  wholesale  and  jobbing  trade 
in  dry  goods,  groceries,  hats  and  caps,  shoes,  furnishing  goods,  millinery 
and   hardware. 

St.   Paul  products  are  sold  around  the  world. 

District  .\Nn  SrnuRn.\N  Commf.rci.\l  Ci.uns 

\\  itliin  the  past  five  years,  a  significant  and  i)romising  development 
of  public  spirit  has  been  manifested  in  the  organization  of  active,  in- 
fluential commercial  clubs  in  various  sections  of  St.  Paul,  and  in  its 
suburbs.  These  clubs,  in  addition  to  inatters  of  general  interest  to  the 
city,  i)av  special  attention  to  subjects  affecting  the  localities  they  severally 
represent,  and  seek  to  make  their  inllucnce  felt  in  securing  needed  im- 
provements, in  exploiting  local  advantages,  etc. 

The  Dayton's  liluft'  Commercial  (lui)  has  a  fine  building  at  770  East 
Seventh  street  and  has  a  live,  aggressive  membership,  which  maintains 
a  vigorous  watchfulness  over  public  affairs. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  259 

The  West  End  Commercial  Club,  located  at  West  Seventh  and  Jef- 
ferson streets,  has  recently  finished  a  new  home,  costing  over  $15,000, 
with  a  large  public  hall  on  the  third  floor.  The  club  now  has  nearly  200 
members. 

The  North  Central  Commercial  Club  has  a  club  house  at  University 
avenue  and  St.  Peter  streets.  It  is  of  marble,  to  harmonize  with  the 
adjacent  state  capitol.  It  is  three  stories  high,  with  an  auditorium  on 
the  third  floor,  and  is  occupied  exclusively  by  the  club. 

The  Sixth  Ward  Commercial  Club  is  a  large  influential  organiza- 
tion, devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  people  of  that  ward,  and  often 
making  itself   felt  in  city  afifairs. 

The  Como  CommTcial  Club  was  organized  in  June,  1912.  This  in- 
stitution does  not  sejk  commercial  or  industrial  development,  Ijut  will 
advocate  those  conveniences  which  go  with  a  good  residence  district, 
clean  streets,  water  supply,  fire  protection,  the  proper  care  of  Como 
park,  and  similar  things.  The  club  started  with  100  members  at  St. 
Andrews  hall,  Hatch  street  and  Churchill  avenue. 

The  North  St.  Paul  Commercial  Club,  organized  in  1910.  now  has 
about  150  members,  and  has  already  accomplished  several  notable  things 
for  that  prosperous  suburb.  W.  W.  Smith  is  president  and  G.  I.  Trace 
secretary.  Among  its  valuable  achievements  was  the  three  days'  "home 
coming"  celebration  of  the  quarter-centennial  anniversary  of  the  village 
of  North  St.  Paul,  July  4th,  5th  and  6th,  191 2.  The  club  meets  at 
Fraternal  Hall  on  Seventh  street.  North  St.  Paul,  and  has  the  warm  sup- 
port of  all  the  people. 

The  M.\rch  of  the  Cities 

The  story  of  how  St.  Paul  is  claimed  to  have  received  its  civic 
awakening  is  told,  as  follows  in  an  eastern  magazine : 

A  quiet  man  came  to  St.  Paul  one  day  and  pointed  out  to  a  few 
choice  souls  in  the  promotion  organization  that  they  were  not  doing  all 
that  could  be  done  to  make  St.  Paul  a  greater  city.  They  frankly  ad- 
mitted his  charge,  but  made  this  defence:  St.  Paul,  they  said,  was  a 
peculiar  place ;  the  people  all  loved  it,  but  they  did  not  pull  together ; 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  had  difficulty  in  holding  its  small  membership 
and  in  collecting  its  meagre  fees  of  $3  a  year ;  civic  pride  was  not  or- 
ganized and  could  not  be  organized.  "We  have  tried  it  and  we  know," 
they  added. 

The  quiet  man's  reply  was:  "I  can  increase  your  membership  by 
seven  hundred  new  members,  enthusiastic  for  better  things,  every  one 
under  contract  to  pay  not  less  than  $25  a  year  in  dues  for  three  years." 

"Never,"  the  committee  replied.     "It  simply  can't  be  done." 

They  finally  let  him  try,  but  they  all  warned  him  that  he  was  wasting 
his  time. 

First  the  quiet  man  arranged  a  dinner  for  two  hundred.  Archbishop 
Ireland  attended  and  made  a  happy  talk  on  the  quiet  man's  slogan,  "I 
believe  in  St.  Paul."  and  Mr.  J.  J.  Hill  spoke  for  an  hour  and  twenty 
minutes.  Other  addresses  followed  and,  at  a  felicitous  moment,  when 
enthusiasm  was  high,  the  quiet  man  suggested  that  those  men  who 
would  volunteer  to  prove  their  faith  in  St.  Paul  by  giving  two  hours  a 
day  for  five  days  of  the  following  week  could  signify  that  resolution  by 
standing  up.     More  than  a  hundred  men  answered  that  call  to  duty. 

The  next  day  they  discovered  that  they  had  been  making  news  the 


260  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICIXITV 

night  before;  the  papers  were  full  of  matter  about  the  great  campaign 
for  St.  Paul  that  they  were  to  undertake.  At  luncheon  that  day  they 
received  instructions  for  their  campaign.  The  following  Tuesday  morn- 
ing every  man  reported  at  ten  o'clock.  He  quickly  found  himself  as- 
signed to  a  squad  of  workers;  each  squad  was  attended  by  a  secretary 
who  carried  a  card  index  of  the  field  to  be  worked  by  that  squad ;  every 
waste  step  was  eliminated  and  all  dui)lications  avoided.  By  noon  the 
fourteen  squads  were  ready  for  luncheon,  and  while  they  ate  they 
listened  to  the  reports  of  the  captains — so  many  memberships  secured 
by  Squad  i,  and  their  names  went  up  on  a  big  blackboard  with  the  num- 
ber of  "captures"  to  their  credit  chalked  after  them,  and  so  on.  By 
the  end  of  the  luncheon  every  squad  had  caught  the  spirit  of  rivalry; 
by  the  luncheon  on  the  third  day  more  than  eleven  hundred  new  mem- 
bers had  been  secured;  the  newspa])ers  were  crowded  with  reports  of 
the  contest ;  and  when  the  squads  reported  finally  at  noon  on  Saturday 
they  had  more  than  fourteen  hundred  new  names  on  the  chaml)cr's  rolls 
(they  call  it  the  .Association  of  Commerce)  or  more  than  twice  the  num- 
ber they  said  they  could  not  get. 

But  they  had  gotten  something  far  more  important:  for  suddenly  it 
dawned  upon  them  that  they  had  been  born  into  that  very  civic  solidar- 
ity the  absence  of  which  they  had  bemoaned.  They  had  not  only  created 
the  machinery  that  had  been  lacking  for  civic  advancement;  they  had 
also  endowed  it  with  a  soul  and  an  ideal. 

That  is  the  method  that  has  united  and  inspired  St.  Paul  and  Cin- 
cinnati and  Wichita  and  Alton  and  New  Brunswick  and  a  dozen  other 
towns.  The  method  can  be  utilized  by  the  people  of  any  city  in  the  land. 
And  its  results  last,  for  part  of  the  plan  is  to  lay  out  work  for  everybody 
to  do — industrial  plant  location  work  for  one  committee,  civic  improve- 
ment work  for  another,  and  so  on.  To  make  such  method  succeed  re- 
quires only  that  the  town  possesses  one  man  of  forward  vision  and  of 
faith  to  believe  in  his  own  community. 


CHAPTTR  XXV 

THE  JOBBING  TRADE  OF  ST.   PAUL 

Old-Time  Fur  Trade — The  Retail  Business — Pioneer  Stores  and 
Merchants — Trade  in  1856 — Distinctive  Jobbing  Trade  (1867) 
— Direct  Importation  of  Foreign  Goods — The  Wholesale  Dis- 
trict— Cold  Storage  for  Produce — Climatic  Influences  on 
Til\de — "^Minnesota,  Know  Thyself  !" — A  Few  Jobbing  Lines 
Represented  —  Paper  Manufacturers  —  Printers'  Supplies  — 
Auto  Accessories. 

The  first  commerce  of  St.  Paul  seems  to  have  been,  strictly  speaking, 
identified  with  the  whiskey  interest.  It  was  a  depot  of  supply  for  fire- 
water to  the  unsophisticated  soldiers  from  Fort  Snelling  and  to  the 
guileless  red  brethern  from  Kaposia,  being  easily  accessible  from  both 
these  thirst-breeding  localities.  Where  the  vile  fluids  came  from,  and 
when  or  how  they  came,  was  the  puzzle  that  drove  the  army  officers 
and  Indian  superintendents  at  the  fort  to  drink  themselves,  in  trying 
to  find  out — but  it  was  always  on  hand,  in  quantities  sufficient  to  meet 
reasonable  demands,  accompanied  by  the  collateral.  The  business,  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  military  and  the  missionaries,  was  ethically  illogical 
and  theologically  damnable ;  nevertheless  it  flourished,  in  a  small  way, 
and  helped  start  the  town.  And  thus  it  has  gone  down  into  history, 
so  that  Mark  Twain  cartoons  primitive  St.  Paul  along  these  lines  in 
"Life  on  the  Mississippi,"  and  labels  the  questionable  drawing:  "West- 
ward the  Whiskey  Bottle  Leads  the  Way." 

Old-Time   Fur   Trade 

But  the  fact  is  that  years  before  Joe  Brown  and  Parrant  began  cater- 
ing to  the  irresponsible,  a  more  dignified  and  useful  branch  of  trade  had 
been  successfully  prosecuted  here — the  trade  in  furs.  In  1833,  Henry 
H.  Sibley,  afterwards  congressman  and  governor  and  general  and  rev- 
ered Patriarch — the  nearest  prototype  of  George  Washington  in  looks, 
in  bearing,  in  modes  of  thought  and  manner  of  life  this  region  has  ever 
known  or  ever  will  know — had  established  the  fur  trade  at  Mendota, 
just  outside  the  present  boundaries  of  St.  Paul.  From  that  day  to  this, 
the  commerce  in  furs  and  the  manufacture  of  articles  therefrom,  have 
been  leading  features  of  the  city's  business  enterprise. 

Mr.  Sibley  was  only  twenty-three  years  old  when  he  came  to  Men- 
dota as  resident  partner  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  But  he  was 
equal  to  the  emergency  and  the  opportunity.  His  district  covered  all 
the  territory  above  Lake  Pepin  as  far  as  the  British  possessions — a  ter- 
ritory principally  occupied  by  the  Dakota  or   Sioux  tribes  of   Indians. 

261 


262  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

Through  lliis  large  district  he  cstabHshcd  iracHng-posts  near  all  the  prin- 
cipal Indian  villages,  where  traders  were  stationed  to  purchase  furs  of 
the  Indians.  From  two  hundred  to  three  hundred  traders  were  em- 
ployed by  Mr.  Sibley,  and  the  yearly  stock  of  furs  purchased  by  them 
often  reached  a  value  of  $300,000. 

Henry  M.  Rice,  representing  the  Chouteau  firm  at  St.  Louis,  es- 
tablished similar  posts  throughout  the  Chippewa  country,  early  in  the 
forties  and  soon  made  .St.  I'aul  his  headquarters.  In  1844  Xorman  W. 
Kittson  commenced  sending  furs  from  the  I'embina  region  to  -Mendota 
in  Red  river  carts.  How  this  fur  trade  became  the  forerunner  of  navi- 
gation and  land  transportation  has  been  alluded  to  in  the  chapter  devoted 
to  those  topics.  The  canoe  and  the  dog  sledge  preceded  the  cart :  the 
last  named  opened  the  routes  for  the  stage  coach,  the  immigrant  wagon 
and  the  railroad. 

The  halt -breed  trails  were  unlike  those  worn  upon  the  jirairies  by 
the  settlers  in  using  the  common  farm  wagon.  They  consisted  of  three 
separate  and  closely  parallel  jjaths,  each  about  sixteen  inches  in  width, 
the  outer  ones  being  worn  by  the  thick,  heavy  wheels  of  the  cart,  and 
the  center  one  by  the  treading  of  the  animals  drawing  them.  These  worn 
trails  remained  visible  for  many  years  after  they  had  ceased  to  be  used. 
On  the  west  side  of  the  Red  river  the  road  was  excellent  through  Dakota 
territory  for  some  250  miles,  and  then,  by  crossing  into  Minnesota,  the 
road  led  for  200  miles  down  to  St.  Paul.  At  one  time  a  train  of  500 
carts  left  St.  Paul  laden  with  goods  for  the  Canadian  northwest. 

Buffalo  robes  were  largely  in  evidence,  but  other  valuable  furs  were 
brought  by  these  means.  For  shipment  the  robes  were  packed,  ten  robes 
to  the  pack,  using  the  wedge  press.  Of  furs  there  were  500  skins  to 
the  pack,  of  mink,  muskrats.  marten,  fishers,  skunks  and  all  small  ani- 
mals. Of  bear,  foxes,  wolverines  and  lynx  there  were  twenty  to  the 
pack.  From  eight  to  ten  packs  w-ere  carried  on  each  cart.  In  1S62. 
on  the  very  day  that  the  first  locomotive  whistle  was  heard  in  St.  Paul, 
one  of  these  Red  river  caravans  of  forty  ox  carts,  loaded  with  $15,000 
worth  of  furs,  Indian  moccasins  and  dried  buffalo  tongue,  from  Pem- 
bina, arrived  here.  For  several  years  after  that,  they  continued  to 
come.  On  their  return  trips  they  carried  merchandise  of  all  kinds  from 
nails  to  pianos,  from  the  stocks  of  our  city  merchants. 

Till-:  Rktaii.  llrsiNESS 

The  first  sales  of  merchandise  in  St.  Paul  were,  necessarily  at  retail — 
to  supjjly  the  immediate  wants  of  the  people  of  the  village,  and  of  the  ad- 
jacent country,  who  were,  however,  about  all  the  people  there  were  within 
a  distance  of  hundreds  of  miles.  It  is  the  story  of  commercial  progress 
that,  in  favored  localities,  out  of  retail  trade  grows  wholesale  trade,  and 
out  of  wholesaling  grow  manufacturers.  St.  Paul  has  cxjierienced 
this  cvolutionarv  process,  and  has  rea|)ed  the  benefits  of  these  three 
forms  of  activity  with  all  the  incidentals  they  carry  in  their  train. 

The  retail  trade  has  grown  with  the  city  and  its  surroundings. 
There  are  few  or  no  finer  displays  of  fashionable  <lrygoods,  millinery, 
jewelry,  etc.,  in  even  the  largest  cities  of  the  east,  than  may  be  seen  in 
St.  Paul's  principal  eslablishiuents.  Tiiere  are  no  larger  stocks  of 
standard  and  staple  commodities  than  will  be  found  on  the  shelves  and 
counters  of  licr  scores  of  enterprising  dealers  in  all  mercantile  branches. 
The  cities  of  Minnesota  and  other  states,  near  ami  remote,  large  and 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  263 

small,  pay  a  tribute  of  their  shopping  patronage,  either  by  personal 
visits  of  buyers,  or  by  orders  through  the  mails,  every  hour  in  the  day 
and  every  day  in  the  year.  There  seems  no  limit  to  the  expansion  of 
retail  business  in  a  metropolis  like  this,  save  the  ability  of  the  people 
to  purchase  and  the  ability  of  the  dealers  to  supply  the  demand. 

Pioneer  Stores  and  Merchants 

The  first  building  for  legitimate  commercial  purposes  was  erected 
in  St.  Paul  by  men  connected  with  the  American  Fur  Company  in 
1842.  Henry  Jackson,  J.  W.  Simpson  and  Louis  Robert  were  among  the 
first  to  embark  in  a  general  traffic.  The  store  of  Mr.  Jackson  was  also 
erected  in  1842  and  stood  on  the  ground  where  the  original  Fire  and 
Marine  building  now  stands.  The  ne.xt  business  house  was  that  of  Mr. 
Simpson  erected  in  1843.  The  store  of  Mr.  Robert  was  built  in  1844, 
at  the  foot  of  what  is  now  Jackson  street,  and  at  the  time  was  considered 
unwarrantably  large ;  but  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  it  became  too 
small,  and  ^Nlr.  Robert  erected  a  larger  and  more  costly  store  on  the 
ground  where  the  passenger  depot  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St. 
Paul  Railroad  long  stood.  These  early  merchants  were  followed  by 
A.  L.  Larpenteur,  William  Hartshorn  and  David  Thomas  Sloan.  All 
these  were  "general  stores"  and  many  others  followed,  with  the  inrush 
of  population  in  1849.  By  1850  the  process  of  differentiation  began. 
Bartlett  Presley  came  and  sold  groceries ;  the  Cathcart  Brothers  dealt 
in  dry  goods;  McLeod  Brothers  sold  hardware,  and  William  Illingworth 
put  in  a  small  stock  of  clocks,  watches  and  jewelry.  In  1851  T.  B. 
Newell  &  Son  embarked  in  crockery  and  Bond  &  Kellogg  in  drugs. 
Thus  the  business  of  the  thriving  young  town  kept  pace  with  its  growth, 
and  with  that  of  the  tributary  area. 

In  the  earlier  days  the  hardy  pioneer  settlers  had  but  little  produce  with 
which  to  buy  the  necessities  of  life,  and  the  trade  depended  largely 
for  ready  cash  on  the  money  paid  by  the  government  to  the  Indians  for 
land  or  annuities,  and  which  the  wily  traders  soon  managed  by  some 
means  or  other  to  gather  in.  The  Indians  used  to  supply  the  local  mar- 
ket with  fish,  wild  fowls,  venison,  cranberries,  and  other  wild  fruit,  furs 
and  products  of  the  forests  generally,  while  moccasins,  bead-work  and 
trinkets  were  offered  for  sale.  The  fur  trade,  however,  was  the  chief 
element  in  the  business  of  the  city.  St.  Paul  was  at  this  time  the  nat- 
ural depot  of  an  extended  region  well  stocked  with  the  fur  bearing  ani- 
mals, and  for  some  years  this  city  was  one  of  the  largest  fur  markets  in 
America.  Contributory  to  this  point  was  the  fur  catch  of  all  of  Minne- 
sota, a  part  of  Dakota  and  Northern  Wisconsin.  The  fur  trade  in  1850 
was  $15,000.     By  1855  it  had  reached  $50,000. 


264 


ST.  TAUL  AND  VICINITY 


Trade  in  1856 

The  statistics  of  trade  for  1856,  as  given  by  the  Pioneer,  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

Capital  Business 

Branches  of  Trade.  .  invested.  done. 


Groceries    $  96,500 

Groceries,  drygoods,  and  Indian  goods. . .  152,000 

Liquors    7,500 

Jewelry,  clocks,  etc 6,500 

Hardware,  iron,  etc 43-ooo 

Books,  stationery 21.000 

Drygoods  and  furs 1 15,000 

Fancy  goods  4.000 

Confectioners    5.000 

Druggists    37.000 

Furniture    8,000 

Auction  and  commission    

Tailors  and  clothing   59,000 

Stoves,  tinware,  etc 97,000 

Shoe  dealers 37.ooo 

Saddlers  and  harness  manufacturers   and 

dealers  in  leather 84,000 

Forwarding  and  commission  merchants. . . 

Bankers    

Express    

Liverv    61 ,000 


$833,500 


$244,500 

550,000 

53.000 

23,000 

85,000 

50,000 

25 1 ,000 

15,000 

15.000 

99,000 

41,000 

90,000 

148.000 

99.000 

90,000 

28,000 

489.000 

3,559,000 

3.158 

69,000 

$6,001,658 


The  foregoing  figures  forcibly  illustrate  the  rapid  advance  made  in 
the  trade  and  commerce  of  Saint  Paul  from  1849,  when  the  entire  amount 
of  business  done  amounted  to  little  more  than  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  dollars. 

Some  of  these  figures  are  large  enough  to  denote  sales  in  quantities 
approaching  a  "wholesale"  business.  But  as  very  few  sales,  compara- 
tively, were  as  yet  made  to  dealers,  to  be  sold  again  by  them,  it  can 
scarcely  be  called  a  jobbing  trade.  This  gradually  grew  up,  however, 
and  before  many  years  houses  were  established  exclusively  devoted  to 
that  interest. 

The  financial  panic  of  1857;  the  collapse  of  real  estate  speculation: 
the  genera!  impoverishment  of  the  people  and  the  years  of  depression 
that  followed,  were  fatal  to  any  rajiid  development  of  the  city  s  com- 
merce. But  with  the  restoration  of  better  conditions  in  1865,  the  march 
of  prosperity  and  progress  was  rcsumc(l,  never  to  be  again  more  than 
temporarily  checked  by  subsequent  disasters,  even  of  nation-wide  extent. 

In  1862,  Burhank  &•  Wilder  occupied  the  only  building  that  stood 
above  high  water  mark  on  the  levee.  Tiie  firm  dealt  with  traders  further 
to  the  west  and  had  a  retail  counter,  as  did  other  concerns  of  that  day. 
The  currency  was  what  was  known  as  wildcat — a  scrip  issued  by  banks 
in  Wisconsin.  It  was  issued  to  be  floated  as  far  away  from  home  as 
possible,  kept  in  circulation  as  long  as  posible,  and  when  it  came  in  the 
bank  usuallv  failed. 


p= 


LEADING-   WHOLESALE  HOUSES  IN  ST.  PAUL,  MINN. 


Largest  Assortment  of  Yankee  Notions, 
at  Merrill,  Randall  &  Go's. 


Only  Exclusively  Wholesale  Drug  House  in  Minnesota, 

IFiio legal©  D'l^ugglsis 

111   THIRD   STREET. 


POLLOCK,  DONALDSON  &  OGDEN, 

Importers  and  Jobbers  of 

CROCKERY, 

And  DeaUrs    in    Cliina,    Glass,  and 

Lamp  (i^ods,  Ljoking  0 lasses  and 

Oliio  Slync  \Vaie, 

Day's  Bioci<,  169  Third  Street,  St,  Paul, 


B.  Beaupre. 


P.  II.  Kelly. 


N.  B.  HARWOOD, 

Wholesale  Dealer  in 

YANKEE   NOTIONS, 

German  &  English  Fancy  Goods,  _ 
Husiery  and  Uluves,  Uetits'  t'uiuishing 

Uoods,  Sec,  ic, 
No.  18?  TUiid  Streel,  St.  Paul,  .Minn. 


BEAIPRE  &  KELLY, 

Wholesale  Grocers, 

ST,  PAQL,  MINNESOTA. 
R.  O.  STRONG  Sc,  CO. 

Wall  Paper  and  Curtain  Materials, 
S-i-J  THIRD  SIIii:ET. 

COON  &.  COMPANY 

.Manufacturers  and  Jobbers  of 

Stoves,  Tinware,  &c. 

232  Third,  cor.  St,  Peter  Street, 


"WM.   F.   MASON, 

JjDBa.H  UF 

HATS,  CAPS,  FURS 
And  Straw  Goods, 

ISO    ariIIU,D    STE-EEX. 


WM.  JENNINGS, 

163  Third  Street. 


Saint  Panl  Carriap  Factory 

And  REPOSITORY, 

QUINBY&HALLOWELL. 

62,  64  k  66  Robert  Street. 


Howe  Sewing   Machine. 

as'j   Third   Street. 
General  Agent, 

ISAAC  STAPLES, 

Manufacturer  of  all  kinds  of  Lumber, 

Stilhvater,  Mmn.     Lumber  Yard, 

M.  Paul,  .No.  8  Seventh  St. 

HERSEY,  STAPLES  &  BEAN, 

Manufacturers  and  Dealers  in  Logsaod 
Lumber,  Stillwater,  Minn. 


GEO.  P.  PEABODY, 

Wholesale  Dealer  in 

WiES,  Lipors  and  Cigars, 

No.  107  Third  Street,  St.  Paul, 


CHERITREE&FARWELLS, 

Wholesale  Dealers  in 

Hardware,  Nails,  Glass,  Timiers'  Steele 

AGaiCULTUBAL  TOOLS,  4c. 
Xo.  99  Third  Street,  St.  Paul. 

Farmers'  Head  Quarters. 

BROWNELL  &  CO. 

55  tfacUson  Street,  St.  I*aul,  [ 

Sell  a  better  class  of  Farm  Machin. 
evy  thau  any  house  m  the  State. 


J.  B,  BRADEN  k  BROTHER, 


I'KALtRS  I.N 


COMSTOCK,  CASTLE  &.  CO. 

Wholesale  Stoves, 

187  THIRD  STREET. 

The  only  exclu'iveiy  'fl'holesale 

Stove  House  in  the  Northwest. 

lOU  patlerna  and  sizes. 


Iron,  Steel,   Nails,   Hardware, 

Springs,  Axles,  Belting,  Carriage 
and  Wagon  Work. 

No.  154  Third  Street,  St,  Panl, 


L.  BEACH  &  CO. 

MANUFACTURERS, 

No,  17  Eagle  Street,  Upper  Levee. 


WILCOX,  BUNNELL  &  CO. 

Canned  Goods,  Cigars,  Baltimore 

fresh  Ovsters  at  Wholesale  and  Uetail. 

B.  Presley's  Old  Stand,  129  Third 

Street,  Saiot  Paul. 


,0.    ^.   &ifMM^£,Saii'i 
"Wholesale  and  Ketail  Dealer  in 

FINE  WATCHES,  JEWELRY, 

X)IA.IvIOiTDS, 
Silver  and  Plated  Ware,  Fancy  Goods, 
4c.,2j2  Third  Street,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 


riNCK  &  THEOBALD, 

Wholesale  Dealers  in 

Wines    and    Liquors, 

Direct  Importers  of  Rheinish  Wines, 

371  Thi.d  Street,  bet.  Exchange 

and  Eagle,  Established  IS35. 

ADAM  FI.SCK.  F.   THEOBALD. 


F.   W.   TUCHELT, 

Manufacturer  and  Dealer  In 

SyVFF,  PIPES,  *c. 

156  THIED  STREET,  ST.  PAUL. 


J.  B.   L^iTGO, 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealer  in 

Millinery  aiHl  Fancy  Goods, 

130  Third  Street,  St,  Paul,  Minn, 


C.  A.  MANN  &  CO. 
eommtssion  MerGEiants, 

Wholesale  Dealers  in  Grain,  Pro- 
visions, Produce  and  Fruits. 

No.  63  Third  Street,  St,  Panl. Minn. 


McLEARY&OORNINGr, 

Manufacturers  of 

Doors,  Sash  and  Blinds, 

Cof.  Sixth  and  Cedar  Sta. 


D.  W.  INGERSOLL  &  CO. 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealers  In       ) 

DRY  aoor)S,[ 

f'lo.  201  Jhird^treet,     I 
And  Jfo.4  Wabashaw  Street.  { 


266  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

DisTiNCTivi;  Jobbing  Trade  (1867) 

In  1867  the  jobbing  trade  of  the  city  had  begun  to  make  itself  felt 
as  a  distinctive  part  of  the  city's  business.  The  beginnings  were  small. 
The  "wholesale  district"  was  limited  to  the  row  of  buildings  on  the  east 
side  of  Jackson  street  between  Third  street  and  the  river.  These  con- 
cerns mostly  dealt  in  groceries  and  several  of  our  present  great  houses 
in  that  line  started  here.  There  were  also  storage  and  commission  ware- 
houses fronting  the  levee,  down  to  Sibley  street.  On  Third  .street,  from 
Jackson  to  Wabasha,  there  were  scattered  stores  where  a  jobbing  trade 
in  drygoods,  or  hardware,  or  crockery,  or  iron,  or  drugs,  or  licjuors  was 
being  established. 

The  lumijer  trade  had  by  this  time  become  an  immense  business. 
The  amount  of  pine  lumber  scaled  on  the  Mississippi  river  above  this 
place  in  1867  was  149,562,218  feet.  From  the  St.  Croi.x  the  value  of 
the  lumber  trade  for  this  year  was  $3,625,185,  and  the  supplying  of  the 
lumber  camps  of  the  St.  Croix  river  and  its  tributaries  with  grain, 
groceries,  provisions,  tools,  clothing,  etc.,  was  a  considerable  factor  in 
the  general  trade  of  the  city. 

In  1 868  the  wholesale  trade  of  the  city  had  grown  to  rejiresent  a 
value  of  $15,000,000;  fur  trade,  $600,000;  lumber,  $3,750,000.  The 
year  of  i86g  was  one  of  very  general  prosperity  in  St.  Paul;  mer- 
chants, traders,  and  manufacturers  were  nearly  all  successful  in  their 
business  transactions,  and  the  year  was  marked  with  few  failures.  At 
this  time  there  were  three  crockery  dealers  here,  all  doing  a  wholesale 
and  retail  trade,  the  value  of  which  was  $138,000;  twenty-one  drygoods 
dealers,  two  of  them  wholesale ;  seventy-seven  grocers,  four  of  them 
doing  a  business  exclusively  wholesale,  and  reporting  sales  for  i86q  as 
follows:     $325,000.  $500,000.  $600,000  and  $1,000,000. 

In  1871  representative  wholesale  dealers,  and  manufacturers,  one  in 
each  line  of  business,  used  a  common  letter-sheet;  note  size,  on  the  fourth 
page  of  which  was  printed  their  little  cards.  One  of  these  sheets  has 
been  preserved,  and  is  presented  here,  somewhat  in  fac  simile,  as  a  docu- 
ment in  the  case. 

Direct  Import.\tion'  of  Foreign  Goods 

The  direct  importation  of  goods  from  foreign  countries  is  always  a 
reliable  index  of  a  bona  fide  jobbing  trade.  St.  Paul  has  had  a  cus- 
tom house,  a  collector  of  customs  and  bonded  warehouses  since  the  earli- 
est days.  By  1881.  the  value  of  dutiable  goods  imported  here  was 
$62,783.00.  By  1888.  it  had  grown  to  $538,754.00.  The  following 
houses  were  importers  through  the  St.  Paul  custom  house  in  1888: 
D.  Aberle  &  Company,  liquors;  George  I'enz  &  .^ons.  liquors;  Beaupre. 
Keogh  &  Davis,  groceries;  Boak  &  Company,  lish;  W.  S.  Conrad,  cigars; 
Creelman.  Avery  &  Company,  teas;  William  Cunningham,  woolen  clnth ; 
W.  S.  Dennis,  cigars;  DeCou  &  Company,  garden  seeds;  Donaldson. 
Ogden  &  Company,  crockery ;  Drake  Company,  agate  goods ;  Duncan 
&  Barry,  woolen  cloth;  W.  J.  Dyer  &  Brother,  musical  goods;  Farwell. 
Ozmun,  Kirk  &  Company,  hardware ;  Finch,  \an  Slyke  &  Company, 
drygoods;  Field,  Mahler  &  Comjiany,  drygonds;  M.  11.  Flarsheim.  li(|- 
uors;  M.  Frankel  &  Company.  li(|uors;  C.  Gotzian.  leather;  Theodore 
Hamm.  hops;  Hesse  &  Damcke.  notions;  Tiiad.  C.  Jones,  flannel  and 
silk  goods;   P.    H.    Kelly   Mercantile  Company,  groceries;   Kennedy  & 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \'ICIXITY  267 

Chittenden,  grocers ;  Julius  Kessler  &  Company,  liquors ;  Konantz  Sad- 
dlery Company,  saddlery :  Kennedy  Brothers,  fire  arms ;  Lindeke,  War- 
ner &  Schurm'eier,  drygoods ;  W.  W.  Lorimer,  liquors  ;^  J.  L.  Levering, 
boots  and  shoes ;  H.  R.  Lameraux,  liquors ;  Jos.  McKey  &  Company, 
clothing;  Mannheimer  Brothers,  drygoods;  L.  L.  May  &  Company,  gar- 
den seeds;  iMaxfield  &  Seabury,  groceries;  Mitchelson  &  Spencer,  tobac- 
co ;  Alonfort  &  Company,  wines  and  cigars ;  Xoyes  Bros.  &  Cutler,  drugs ; 
Nichols  &  Dean  iron;  D.  O'Halloran,  church  goods;  E.  J.  Oliver, 
Turkish  goods ;  A.  Oppenheimer  &  Company,  millinery ;  George  Palmes, 
woolen  cloth ;  Powers  Dry  Goods  Company,  drygoods ;  Ramsom 
&  Horton,  hats  and  furs ;  Ryan  Drug  Company,  drugs ;  J.  Solomon, 
liquors;  John  Sandell,  woolen  cloth;  Schaub  Brothers,  woolen  cloth; 
J.  H.  Smith,  wine ;  Smith  &  Davidson,  wine ;  Strong-Hackett  Hardware 
Company,  hardware ;  St.  Paul  Book  and  Stationery  Company,  books ;  L. 
Swenson,   books;    Segelbaum    Brothers,   drygoods;   L.   A.   Thiel,   paper- 


PARK    SOU.\RE    AXD   WHOLESALi;   DISTRICT 

mache ;   Theod.   Thorer,   furs;   William   Theobald,   liquors;    F.   Werner, 
liquors;  Yanz,  Griggs  &  Howes,  groceries. 

The  Wholesale  District 

Since  i8go,  the  volume  of  importations  has  enormously  increased. 
And  the  jobbing  trade  as  a  whole,  and  in  all  its  branches  has  developed 
in  leaps  and  bounds.  The  "wholesale  district"'  now  embraces  substan- 
tially the  solid  section  bounded  by  Jackson  street,  Olive  street,  Third  and 
Seventh,  with  a  substantial  overflow  already  visible  at  Eighth  and  Sibley; 
with  segregated  establishments  on  or  above  Robert  street,  and  with  the 
whole  of  Third  street  below  St.  Peter  practically  given  up  to  the  whole- 
sale fruit  and  produce  business  of  commission  houses.  Where  in  1875 
were  all  the  best  stores,  from  drygoods  to  millinery ;  all  the  banks,  print- 
ing houses,  lawyers  offices,  etc..  are  now  unbroken  ranks  of  produce 
stores,  a  bustling  mart  of  commerce  recently  founded,  but  of  limitless 
possibilities. 


268  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

Cold  Storage  for  Produce 

In  the  fruit  and  produce  commission  business  the  element  of  cold 
storages  enters  very  largely  into  all  calculations.  In  the  days  of  forty 
or  fifty  years  ago  if  the  citizens  of  St.  Paul  had  baked  apples  in 
February,  it  was  because  the  apples  raised  in  the  neigborhood  or  brought 
in  by  boat  in  October  were  sufficiently  hard  to  keep  during  the  winter. 
If  there  were  eggs  at  that  time  of  the  year,  it  was  because  the  Minnesota 
hen  consented  to  lay  during  the  cold  months.  In  the  present  day  we  and 
our  dealers'  other  customers  can  have  fresh  fruits  of  fall  and  eggs  and 
butter  of  summer  while  the  fiercest  of  winter  storms  scatters  snow  in 
every  direction.  The  secret  of  the  change  is  that  we  now  have  cold 
storage  warehouses,  where  produce  can  be  kept  at  the  temperature  nec- 
essary to  prevent  its  deterioration  and  is  available  for  the  table  of  all 
regardless  of  wealth.     Storage  is  not  expensive. 

Not  only  does  the  warehouse  give  the  consumer  lower  prices  for 
unseasonable  goods  but  the  producer  gets  a  better  market  and  better 
prices.  .Apples  raised  in  small  lots  by  growers  over  the  state  or  anywhere 
in  the  northwest  may  be  shipped  here  and  held  until  more  are  grown 
or  until  a  market  is  open.  In  olden  times  ajjples  were  made  into  cider 
or  rotted  on  the  ground  in  the  fall  for  lack  of  buyers.  The  cold  storage 
house  now  keeps  them  in  good  condition  until  the  cash  can  be  painlessly 
e.xtracted  from  the  householder's  system. 

A  fisheries  company  has  the  most  complete  cold  storage  public  ware- 
house in  the  city  and  it  is  the  largest  in  the  northwest.  There  are  other 
smaller  places,  but  this  institution  will  hold  i.ooo  car  loads  of  produce 
without  trouble.  There  are  ten  stories  built  beside  the  blufl:'  on  Third 
street  at  St.  Peter,  each  fioor  kept  at  a  different  temperature  to  care 
for  the  varied  assortment  of  produce.  The  plant  is  absolutely  fireproof 
and  has  all  machinery  in  triplicate,  so  there  is  no  chance  of  a  break 
causing  the  temperature  to  rise  and  fruit  and  dairy  stuff  to  spoil.  The 
temperature  varies  from  50  degrees  for  wine  to  20  degrees  below  zero 
where  the  butter  is  kept.  It  is  like  walking  into  the  middle  of  next 
winter  to  take  a  trip  through  the  various  floors  of  the  building. 

.\11  the  goods  are  kept  in  sanitary  surroundings  with  ])lenly  of  cir- 
culation of  air,  so  there  is  no  danger  of  contamination  to  the  produce, 
which  is  often  valued  at  $1,000,000.  The  temperature  on  each  floor 
is  regulated  automatically  to  remain  at  the  same  figure  all  the  time.  The 
big  machines  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff  keep  running  night  and  day,  manu- 
facturing the  artificial  north  wind  which  keeps  the  produce  from  spoil- 
ing. Commission  men  as  far  away  as  Seattle  and  Portland  keep  goods 
here  until  they  are  sold  and  sent  either  west  or  east. 

Cli.m.vtic  Ixfluences  on  Tr.\de 

The  haniHing  of  farm  products  naturally  directs  the  attention  of  those 
engaged  in  it,  to  the  general  topics  of  climate,  agriculture,  etc.  But.  as  a 
matter  of  fact  all  classes  of  merchants  and  financiers  should  exhibit  an 
interest.  Some  day  when  the  men  who  understand  commerce  and  trade 
have  a  little  leisure  from  the  pursuit  of  money  and  pay  attention  to  some 
of  the  conditions  and  laws  which  underlie  trade  in  this  country,  there 
may  be  a  book  written  on  the  relation  of  climate  to  the  extent  of  a  mar- 
ket. Philosophers  have  already  considered  the  influence  of  geographic 
conditions  on  history.     River  traffic  was  the  first  developed  in  this  part 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  269 

of  the  country.  That  is  why  the  oldest  cities  are  on  water  courses. 
People  could  get  about  more  quickly  on  water  than  on  land  in  the  early 
days.  Fort  Snelling's  site  was  picked  on  account  of  its  commanding 
position  at  the  confluence  of  two  rivers.  The  site  of  St.  Paul  was  a 
convenient  landing  place  for  boats,  and  there  is  a  relation  direct  and  in- 
volved, between  climate  and  the  amount  and  diversity  of  goods  sold. 
In  the  development  of  modern  distribution  a  factory  may  be  located 
in  one  corner  of  the  country,  and  through  national  advertising  the  sales 
may  be  spread  over  forty  states  and  through  all  sorts  of  climatic  condi- 
tions. But  on  close  observation  the  climate  near  the  place  of  manufac- 
ture will  in  some  way  have  something  to  do  with  the  product. 

Apply  the  thesis  to  St.  Paul  and  vicinity.  Contrary  to  the  southern 
states,  there  is  here  a  considerable  amount  of  both  hot  and  cold  weather. 
This  calls  for  coal  merchants  and  ice  merchants.  In  some  southern 
states  there  is  but  little  demand  for  coal ;  and  while  ice  may  be  sold  the 
year  round  the  trade  effect  is  not  widely  distributed.  On  account  of  the 
amount  of  land  available  for  a  city,  combined  with  a  desire  for  gardens, 
for  detached  houses  for  summer  comfort,  and  other  reasons,  St.  Paul 
does  not  have  the  closely  packed  miles  of  houses  called  homes  in  other 
cities.  This  means  more  lumber  and  glass  and  paint  that  go  to  make 
up  a  house. 

The  lakes  call  for  more  cottages,  more  lumber,  and  make  a  market 
for  boatmakers  and  engines.  The  transportation  companies  are  helped 
at  the  same  time.  The  dry  atmosphere  has  called  thousands  of  people 
from  all  over  the  country  for  permanent  residence.  During  the  summer 
the  territory  tributary  attracts  many  other  thousands  who  tarry  from 
a  week  to  four  months.  These  bring  bodies  to  be  fed  and  make  larger 
markets  for  cooks,  hotel  keepers  and  wholesale  grocers.  The  winter 
brings  into  play  the  plumbers  and  steamfitters,  for  the  number  of  hot 
water  systems  in  homes  here  is  in  excess  of  the  same  number  of  houses 
250  miles  south. 

Back  of  all  the  prosperity  of  the  city  naturally  is  the  climate  which 
produces  the  abundant  and  varied  crops.  The  cold  weather  is  conducive 
to  the  development  of  fur  bearing  animals,  and  the  first  great  wholesale 
market  is  accounted  for.  Change  of  climate  means  variety  of  attire  for 
men  and  women,  and  the  tailors  and  wholesale  drygoods  men  are  helped. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  hindrance  in  the  well  rounded  development  of 
the  agricultural  resources  of  Minnesota  is  met  in  the  general  lack  of 
understanding  of  the  capabilities  of  the  soil  and  climatic  conditions  in 
the  state.  No  more  fitting  slogan  could  be  adopted  as  a  state  motto  than 
"Minnesota  know  thyself."  which  the  merchants,  bankers  and  commercial 
organizations  of  St.  Paul,  under  the  wise  example  of  James  J.  Hill,  have 
long  been  trying  to  standardize  and  inculcate. 

"Minnesota,  Know  Thyself!" 

Most  Minnesota  people  know  that  this  state  produces  about  thirty 
per  cent,  of  the  spring  wheat  raised  in  the  United  States :  that  Minnesota 
is  one  of  the  banner  barley  states ;  that  she  leads  in  a  dairy  production : 
that  for  the  production  of  a  high  quality  of  crops  and  live  stock  there 
is  no  state  her  superior.  In  explanation  of  the  statement,  however,  that 
there  is  a  lack  of  understanding  of  the  capabilities  of  our  soil  and  climate, 
it  may  perhaps  be  interesting  to  some  people  to  know  that  in  1909  Alinne- 


270  ST.  PAUL   AXD  \iriXlTY 

sola  produced  a  greater  yield  of  corn  per  acre  than  did  Iowa,  the  ])ride  of 
the  Corn  Belt  states.  It  cannot  be  too  often  repeated  that  Minnesota 
produces  better  apples  and  a  larger  yield  than  many  "fruit  states"  par 
excellence,  and  various  other  fruits  in  proportion.  This  is  verified  at 
all  our  state  fairs,  and  by  numerous  prizes  taken  at  exhil)itions  in  Chi- 
cago and  in  the  east. 

It  mav  also  be  interesting  to  know  thai  the  fahicd  yields  of  Bermuda 
onions  in  the  Gulf  states  have  been  excelled  in  the  outskirts  of  the  Twin 
City,  with  resulting  profit  as  high  as  $800  per  acre.  It  may  perhaps  be 
interesting  to  know  that  celery  experts  from  the  fabulously  ])riccd  Kala- 
mazoo celery  lands  have  pronounced  the  muck  soils  of  northern  Minni- 
sota  the  finest  celery  lands  in  the  country,  and  are  today  producing  the 
proof  of  this  assertion.  The  lure  of  distance  and  the  stories  of  the 
press  agent  in  far  away  states,  where  specialized  farming  is  followed, 
has  caused  many  Minnesota  people  to  overlook  the  fact  that  there  are 
few  sections  of  the  country  where  crop  yields  in  any  particular  can 
excel  the  crop  yields  of  the  North  Star  state.  This  holds  true  not  only 
with  reference  to  our  staple  crops,  but  is  also  applicable  to  any  special- 
ized crops  that  find  their  home  in  the  Mississippi  valley. 

A  Few  Jobbing  Lines  Represented 

The  jobbing  trade  of  St.  Paul,  growing  with  its  growth  and  based 
on  an  intelligent  view  of  conditions,  has  jjecome  too  extensive  to  be 
treated  in  detail  within  the  limits  at  our  dispcisal.  .\  volume  of  a  thou- 
sand pages  would  not  suffice  for  such  treatment.  .Many  single  whole- 
sale firms  here  issue  volumes  of  several  thousand  pages,  exclusively  de- 
voted to  cataloguing  the  wares  they  offer  for  sale.  We  have  only  space 
to  enumerate  a  few  of  the  lines  of  business  represented  in  this  city,  at 
this  writing,  many  of  them  by  five  to  twenty-live  energetic  and  competing 
concerns,  covering  with  their  traveling  salesmen  and  their  daily  shi|)ments 
all  the  vast  tributary  region  that  centers  here.  These  lines  are:  Agri- 
cultural implements;  art  stores;  artificial  .stone;  automobiles  and  sup- 
plies; awnings  and  tents;  barbers'  supplies;  bicycles;  books;  pai)er  and 
stationery ;  boots  and  shoes ;  bottles ;  beer ;  brick  and  tile ;  cigars  and 
tobacco;  clothing;  confectionery;  creameries  and  supplies;  crockery; 
cutlery;  drugs;  drygoods ;  electric  su])i)lies;  fish  and  oysters;  flowers 
and  plants;  flour  and  feed;  fruits  and  jiroduce;  fuel;  furni.shings ;  furni- 
ture; furs;  glass;  groceries;  hardware;  harness;  hats  and  caps;  hay  and 
grain;  iron;  jewelry;  laundry  su|)plies ;  leather;  liquors;  lumber;  man- 
tels and  grates;  meats;  metals;  millinery;  musical  instruments;  naval 
stores;  novelties;  office  fixtures;  paints;  peddlers"  su|)i)lies;  phonogra|)lis; 
l)hotographers'  .supplies;  post  cards;  printer'  supplies:  radiators;  rail- 
road supplies;  rubber  goods;  rugs;  safes;  scales;  seeds;  sewing  ma- 
chines ;  silks ;  sjjorting  goods  ;  stoves ;  sugars ;  teas  and  coffees ;  type- 
writers ;  wagons  and  carriages;  wooden-ware  and  woolens. 

This  concise  enumeration  suggests  the  wide  outreach  of  the  city's 
commerce.  As  a  distributing  i)oint,  it  brings  to  this  market  the  |)roducts 
of  .Ml-.America :  also  of  luirope  on  the  one  hand  and  .\sia  on  the  other. 
Xcarly  the  entire  supply  of  China  and  ,la])an  teas  for  the  northwest  is 
imported  directly  by  the  jobbers  of  this  city.  The  random  mention  of  a 
few  unconsidered  trifles  of  the  jobbing  trade  may  be  of  interest. 


h 


ST.  PAUL  AND  MCIXITY  271 

Paper  Bag  AIanufacture 

The  paper  bag  is  so  common  that  few  people  stop  to  think  that  it 
costs  money  and  that  all  the  bags  used  cost  a  good  deal  of  money.  In 
fact  the  bill  for  one  of  the  dozen  downtown  retail  stores  for  wrapping 
paper  of  all  sorts  amounts  to  one  hundred  dollars  a  month.  These  bags 
or  rolls  of  paper  are  bought  from  jobbers,  the  number  of  local  whole- 
saler of  paper  of  various  sorts  being  fully  as  great  as  the  jobbers  in  other 
lines.  The  total  trade  in  the  city  by.  these  jobbers  is  large  and  the  total 
amount  of  wrapping  paper  sold  during  a  year  would  be  enough  to  wrap 
up  this  old  earth  and  hand  it  to  some  one  else.  One  firm  alone  handled 
nearly  one  hundred  cars  of  one  line  of  paper  last  year,  so  that  it  is 
readily  believable  that  a  considerable  forest  would  be  needed  to  supply 
the  wood  fibre  for  all  the  paper  used  here,  which  householders  crumple 
up  and  burn  to  get  rid  of. 

Perhaps  $2,000,000  a  year  w-ill  cover  the  sales  of  wrapping  paper 
by  our  jobbers.  The  business  is  well  divided  and  a  total  figure  is  difficult 
to  obtain.  There  is  about  $400,000  worth  of  paper  a  month  sold  to  prin- 
ters of  St.  Paul  and  the  northwest  in  addition  to  the  wrapping  paper 
sales.  This  goes  into  newspapers  and  job  work,  stationery  and  booklets. 
The  sale  of  railway  paper  is  larger  in  St.  Paul  than  in  any  city  west 
of  Chicago,  on  account  of  the  large  amount  of  printing  which  is  done 
here  for  the  railways.  There  are  multitudes  of  blanks  of  various  sorts 
for  reports  from  ticket  agents,  baggage  agents  and  freight  agents  which 
consume  a  large  amount  of  paper. 

The  making  of  paper  boxes  of  all  sorts  is  another  industry  of  this 
city  which  attains  to  considerable  proportions.  Some  of  the  millinery 
and  other  houses,  which  use  a  large  number  of  pasteboard  boxes,  have 
their  own  box  making  plants.  Others  order  them  made  at  the  regular 
factories.  The  box  factories  will  make  anything  from  a  vest  pocket  pill 
box  to  a  large  candy  box. 

All  of  the  territory  embraced  in  the  scope  of  these  trade  relations 
is  comparatively  new  in  its  settlement  and  development.  Herein  lies  the 
opportunity,  and  the  certainty  of  the  great  expansion  of  Saint  Paul's 
jobbing  interest,  in  the  future.  This  territory  will  easily  support  many 
times  its  present  population,  and  with  its  rapid  growth,  must  of  necessity 
come  a  corresponding  growth  of  our  trade.  Xo  new  jobbing  city  is 
likely  to  spring  up  at  a  point  further  west. 

Printers'  Supplies 

Given  some  money  added  to  brains,  and  the  St.  Paul  market  will 
do  the  rest  tow'ard  starting  another  newspaper  in  the  northwest.  Prac- 
tically every  town  of  three  hundred  people,  from  the  Mississippi  river 
to  the  Flitter  Root  mountains,  has  a  newspaper  and  job  printing  office, 
and  most  of  the  outfits  are  furnished  here.  As  each  new  town  develops 
along  the  line  of  a  new  extension  of  a  railway,  or  as  another  Indian  res- 
ervation is  opened,  a  newspaper  is  sure  to  start  up,  and  more  likely,  es- 
pecially if  politics  is  at  all  warm,  there  will  be  two  newspapers  in  each 
little  town.  If  two  large  plants  were  to  burn  in  the  northwest,  a  complete 
new  outfit  of  job  cylinder  presses,  with  type  stands  and  type  and  furni- 
ture, gasoline  cans  and  rags,  could  be  on  the  road  from  this  city  soon 
after  the  order  was  received,  and  there  would  be  enough  material  left 


272  ST.   I'AL'l.   AXD  \1CIXITY 

in  stock  to  supply  a  dozen  or  more  smaller  papers  with  new  machinerj- 
and  type. 

The  printers'  supply  business  is  growing.  New  towns  are  develop- 
ing all  the  time  and  when  more  people  who  pour  into  the  country  more 
printed  matter  must  be  supplied  them.  A  few  years  ago  it  was  shown 
that  Iowa  had  more  newspapers  than  any  other  territory  of  the  same 
area  in  the  world.  Late  figures  are  not  at  hand,  but  from  the  manner 
in  which  Iowa  country  newspapers  are  consolidating  and  new  papers  are 
springing  up  in  the  northwest,  the  palm  for  the  most  newspapers  must 
soon  belong  to  this  part  of  the  country. 

The  total  business  done  in  this  market  in  type,  new  and  rebuilt  ma- 
chinery and  roller  making  amounts  to  nearly  $500,000  a  year.  Cylinder 
presses,  such  as  the  average  newspaper  in  the  country  is  ])rinted  on.  cost 
money.  But  they  wear  a  long  while  so  that  many  of  the  sho])s  in  the 
northwest  are  equipped  at  first  with  rebuilt  machinery.  Such  a  press 
will  do  as  good  work,  but  towns  grow  so  fast  that  the  machines  will  be 
out  of  date  after  a  few  years.  The  trade  in  these  from  St.  Paul  is  of  con- 
siderable volume. 

"Auto"  Accessories 

Wliile  the  trade  in  automobiles  has  been  growing  with  a  speed  that 
passeth  all  understanding,  and  everything  else  on  the  boulevards,  there 
were  important  incidental  lines.  Just  how  large  the  total  sales  of  auto- 
mobile accessories  is  in  this  city  will  not  be  easily  guessed.  The  market 
covers  the  entire  northwest,  for  more  business  is  done  through  Saint 
Paul  houses  in  accessories  to  automobiles  than  in  any  other  city  in  the 
country.  The  total  sales  of  the  "extras"  are  from  $600,000  to  $800,000 
annually.  This  includes  perhaps  $100,000  spent  by  the  people  of  this 
city  for  such  suj^plies.  The  balance  is  sold  to  garages  and  retail  stores 
of  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Northern  Iowa,  North  and  South  Dakota  and 
Montana.  There  are  in  St.  Paul  two  prominent  jobbing  houses  doing 
an  exclusive  business  in  such  supplies.  In  addition  to  these  there  are 
three  or  four  wholesale  hardware  firms  which  handle  "auto"  accessories, 
and  in  some  cases  the  side  line  is  being  pushed  with  great  diligence.  In 
all  there  are  over  fifty  traveling  men  out  of  St.  Paul  who  devote  the 
whole  or  part  of  their  time  to  selling  the  goods  which  go  to  make  up 
the  estimated  $800,000  disposed  of  by  this  market. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

ST.  PAUL'S  MANUFACTURES 

In  Support  of  Home  Manufactures — Pioneer  Industrial  Plants^ 
Statistics — St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis — St.  Paul's  Manufac- 
turing Advantages — As  a  Workingman's  City — Advantages  in 
Epitome — Threatened  Shifting  of  Industrial  Center — St. 
Paul's  Industrial  Gain — Superlative  Local  Industries — Vast 
Future  of  Water  Power 

The  subject  of  stimulating  home  manufacture  was  steadily  kept  in 
view  by  the  St.  Paul  Chamber  of  Commerce  from  the  very  beginning. 
To  "advance  the  manufacturing  interests"  is  given  as  one  of  the  objects 
of  the  association  in  its  original  articles  of  incorporation.  As  early  as 
1867  the  secretary,  J.  D.  Ludden,  in  his  annual  reports  stated  the  funda- 
mental truth,  so  often  repeated  since  and  so  fully  verified,  that  "the  same 
reasons  that  make  this  a  good  point  for  a  jobbing  trade  prove  it  a  fa- 
vorable place  for  manufactures." 

In  Support  of  Home  Manufactures 

And  in  1869  the  chamber  adopted  the  following  resolution,  the  key- 
note of  a  policy  frequently  reiterated :  "Resolved,  that  for  the  purpose  of 
inviting  capital,  of  encouraging  home  manufactures,  of  promoting  cor- 
dial fellowship  among  our  business  men  and  of  reciprocating  favors  with 
those  who  are  disposed  to  identify  themselves  with  the  prosperity  of 
St.  Paul,  we  are  in  favor  of  purchasing  all  our  articles,  when  they  are 
offered  at  as  low  prices  as  elsewhere  of  our  own  home  manufactories." 

This  general  spirit  of  welcome  and  encouragement  to  productive  in- 
dustry was  supplemented  by  the  chamber  at  frequent  intervals  by  spe- 
cific work,  through  committees  and  otherwise,  to  introduce  new  manu- 
facturing enterprises  and  to  foster  and  build  up  those  already  estab- 
lished. To  these  patient,  persistent  and  vigorous  efforts,  the  city  owes 
many  of  the  most  e.xtensive  and  most  successful  establishments  still  in 
operation  here.  .Since  the  dissolution  of  the  chamber,  the  good  work 
has  been  continued  by  the  Commercial  Club,  the  Jobbers  and  Manufac- 
turers' LInion,  the  Association  of  Commerce  and  other  organized  instru- 
mentalities, with  continuing  beneficial  results. 

Pioneer  Industrial  Plants 

The  first  manufactory  in  St.  Paul  was  a  saw-mill.  During  the 
early  years  of  the  city  difficulty  was  experienced  in  procuring  the  neces- 
sary lumber  for  building.     To  overcome  this  difficulty  W.  B.  Dodd,  in 

Vol.  I— 1  8 

273 


■27-1  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

the  spring  of  1851,  organized  the  Rotary  Mill  Company,  and  built  a  saw- 
mill on  the  Hat  below  the  lower  steamboat  landing  on  ground  now  occu- 
pied by  tracks  entering  the  Union  depot.  This  was  an  enterprise  of 
large  proportion  for  the  day  and  times.  It  had  two  upright  saws,  one 
circular  saw,  one  cross-cut  saw,  one  lathe  saw  and  one  shingle  saw.  This 
establishment  gave  employment  to  thirty-two  hands  and  turned  out  30,- 
000  feet  of  lumber.  20.000  shingles  and'  ifi.ooo  laths  per  day.  In  addi- 
tion, a  first  class  planing-mill  turned  out  12.000  feet  of  finished  flooring 
per  (lav.  The  presence  of  water  power  at  St.  Anthony,  and  of  a  super- 
abundance of  cheap  logs  at  Stillwater,  interfered  with  the  growth  of  lum- 
ber manufacturing  at  St.  Paul  beyond  quantities  that  sufficed  for  local 
needs. 

Added  to  this  saw  and  planing  mill  were  two  runs  of  stone,  one  for 
wheat  and  one  for  corn  and  buckwheat,  with  a  combined  capacity  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  barrels  per  day,  the  whole  moved  by  a  steam 
engine  of  seventy-horse  power.  This  industry  grew  rajjidly.  and  within 
three  years  was  doing  a  gross  business  of  $150,000  annually. 

In'1851  Mr.  Xobles  erected  a  grist-mill  on  Trout  brook,  which  had 
a  capacitv  of  five  hundred  bushels  of  grain  per  day.  Shortly  afterward 
William  Lindeke  built  a  grist-mill  also  on  Trout  brook  the  forerunner 
of  the  present  Lindeke  Roller  mill  near  the  same  site.  In  1852  Messrs. 
W.  Spence  &  Companv  erected  and  put  in  operation  an  extensive  sash, 
door  and  blind  factory.  In  1853  Messrs  F.  &  J.  B.  C.ilman  established 
the  first  foundry  and'  machine  shop,  employed  ten  men  and  produced 
ten  tons  of  casting  per  week.  Materials  in  this  line  at  this  time  were  ex- 
ceedingly costly;  coal,  which  was  shipped  here  in  hogsheads  from  Pitts- 
burgs,  cost  forty  dollars  per  ton,  and  other  supplies  in  ])roportion. 

Lack  of  water-power,  the  high  cost  of  coal,  etc.,  retarded  the  growth 
of  manufacturing  interests  in  St.  Paul  until  the  railroads  to  the  city 
were  completed.  In  1866  there  were  no  large  manufacturing  establish- 
ments, although  the  commerce  of  the  city  had  reached  considerable 
magnitude.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  for  that  year  estimated  that 
there  were  sixty-five  employes  engaged  in  wagon  making :  sixty  in  bug- 
gies and  cutters;  sixty-five  in  furniture;  fifty  in  sash,  doors  and  blinds; 
seventy-five  in  boots  and  shoes;  fifty  in  ale  and  beer;  forty  in  tinware 
and  sheet  iron  goods;  twenty  in  harness  and  trunks;  forty  in  saw  mills; 
ten  in  marble  cutting,  and  five  in  soap  and  candle  factories.  /\t  this  time 
there  was  one  foundry  and  machine  shop  and  four  flour  mills. 

The  first  real  impetus  given  to  the  manufacturing  interest  of  St.  Paul 
can  be  traced  to  the  organization,  in  1867.  of  the  St.  Paul  .Manu- 
facturing Company,  an  enterprise  set  on  foot  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  "to  furnish  at  a  cheaj)  rate  facilities  for  the 
various  branches  of  manufactures  so  greatly  needed  here."  This  com- 
pany built  a  fireproof  building,  on  Fifth  street  near  Wabasha,  with  ten 
rooms  25  X  100  feet  with  basement,  yard  and  shed  room,  and  ]nit  in  a 
steam  engine,  renting  rooms  and  power  at  a  low  rate.  This  was  the  fos- 
ter i)arent  of  many  now  large  industries. 

Indl'stri.m.  St.\tistics 

The  total  value  of  the  local  manufacturing  products  in  1870  was 
little  more  than  $1,000,000,  emj)loying  i.ooo  persons.  Four  years  l.ilcr 
there  were  216  concerns,  with  2.155  cmi>loyes.  producing  to  the  amount 
of  $3,953,000.    This  had  nearly  doubled  again,  by  187S.    Thus  this  inter- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \-ICINITY  275 

est  had  advanced,  step  by  step,  with  other  phases  of  the  city's  growth, 
and  the  pace  lias  been  maintained,  with  a  constantly  accelerated  impetus, 
until  the  present  time. 

The  compilation  of  statistics,  however,  has  not  been  recently  at- 
tended to  with  the  zeal  which  characterized  a  former  period.  Operations 
have  become  so  extensive  as  to  make  the  task  very  arduous,  and  an 
abatement  of  the  bitter  rivalry  between  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis  for 
industrial  and  commercial  precedence,  has  removed  many  of  the  in- 
ducements. Formerly  each  city  accused  the  other  of  including  building 
operations,  street  grading,  bridge  construction,  even  laundry  work  and 
dentistry  in  its  aggregate  figures  for  "manufactures,"  rendering  the  to- 
tals of  doubtful  authenticity,  even  if  not  deliberately  "padded."  We  are 
now  content  to  go  on  prospering,  side  by  side,  relying  on  the  periodical 
reports  of  the  United  States  census  to  exploit  our  rate  of  progress.  The 
following  tables  from  the  census  rejjort  relating  to  the  five  year  period, 
1904  to  1909,  the  latest  issued,  showed  a  satisfactory  rate  of  growth  in 
each  city,  with  the  advantage  decidedly  in  favor  of  St.  Paul,  as  to  the 
percentages : 

St.  P.\ul 

1909 

Number    of    establishments 719 

Capital  invested $r)0.467.ooo 

Cost  of  materials  used   $30,300,000 

Salaries  and  wages $15,000,000 

Miscellaneous  expenses   $7,466,000 

Value  of  products $58,990,000 

Value  added  by  manufacture  ( prod- 
ucts  less   cost   materials ) $28,690,000 

Employes : 
Number    of     salaried     officials    and 

clerks'    3^542 

Average    number    of    wage    earners 

employed    during    the    year    .  .  19.339 


Per  Ct. 

1904 

Inc. 

614 

17 

$36,401,000 

66 

$19,488,000 

.S.S 

$9,413,000 

59 

$4,473,000 

67 

$38,319,000 

54 

$18,831,000 

52 

2,108 

68 

14.363 

35 

MiNNE.APOLI.' 


.S 


Per  Ct. 

1909  1904  Inc. 

Number   of    establishments    1.103  876  26 

Capital   invested    $90,382,000  $66,135,000  37 

Cost   of   materials   used    $119,993,000  $88,882,000  35 

Salaries    and    wages    $21,915,000  $14,954,000  47 

Miscellaneous    expenses    $11,852,000  $9,147,000  30 

Value  of  products    $165,405,000  $121,162,000  t,j 

Value  added  by  manufacture  (prod- 
ucts  less   cost   materials) $45,412,000  $32,280,000  41 

Employees : 
Number    of     salaried    officials    and 

^    clerks    5,949  3,527  69 

Average    number    of    wage    earners 

employed  during  the  year 26,962  21,671  24 

The  manufacturers  of  St.   Paul  go  into  a  field  where  they  are  ex- 
pected and  welcomed — a  field  where  their  city's  trade  has  already  pre- 


276  ST.  PAUL  AND  \-ICI.\lTY 

ceded  them.  In  the  distrilnitioii  of  their  products  they  have  immediate 
access  to  the  general  officers  of  railways  reaching  every  part  of  the  north- 
western states  and  can  oi)tain  from  hcadciuarters  the  best  possible  ship- 
ping facilities  and  advantages. 

Our  greatest  manufacturing  cities  Ijegan  their  career  as  distributing 
points  for  merchandise.  Xew  York.  Philadelphia,  Chicago,  Cleveland, 
Detroit  and  St.  Louis,  all  now  full  of  industrial  plants,  were  originally 
mere  trading  points.  Industries  gravitate  to  commercial  centers,  to 
share  their  facilities.  The  traders  attracted  by  a  city's  jobbers  are 
brought  into  communication  with  the  factories.  The  railway  advan- 
tages secured  by  the  efforts  of  the  merchants  are  ready  at  hand  for  the 
use  of  the  manufacturers.  So  it  is  found  that  a  favorable  place  to 
wholesale  goods  is  always  a  favorable  ])lace  to  make  a  multitude  of 
articles.  Here  will  be  found  one  reason  for  the  movement  of  industrial 
enterprises  to  St.  Paul.  The  market  and  the  trans])ortation  facilities 
developed  by  the  efforts  of  the  jobbers  are  all  ready  for  the  use  of  the 
manufacturers  now   locating  here. 

St.  P.\ul  M.vnufacturing  Adv.\xt.\ges 

Another  reason  is  the  advantage  in  industry  from  association.  Most 
industries  are  so  related  to  each  other  that  there  are  advantages  in  prox- 
imity of  location  which  would  determine  their  sites  if  all  other  things 
were  equal.  This  would  bring  about  large  centers  of  industry,  whether 
there  were  any  other  influences  at  work  or  not.  The  finished  product 
of  one  industry  may  recjuire  as  its  raw  material  the  finished  product  of 
another,  and  very  often  the  advantages  of  accessibility,  one  to  the  other, 
more  than  anything  else  determines  location,  regardless  of  any  advan- 
tages or  even  disadvantages  in  the  matter  of  transportation  rates  In 
other  words,  it  pays  the  manufacturer  in  most  instances  better  to  be 
located  in  a  manufacturing  center  than  it  does  to  be  in  an  isolated  place, 
either  dependent  upon  one  line  for  distribution  of  his  products,  or  in- 
convenienced l)y  inaccessii)ility  to  the  materials  of  the  service  or  related 
industries. 

The  inducement  of  "association"  has  come,  and  has  evidently  come 
to  stay.  The  value  of  products  manufactured  in  Minnesota  increased 
$101,562,000  or  thirty-tliree  ])er  cent  in  the  five  years  between  i(>04  and 
1909  according  to  the  manufacturers'  census  taken  by  the  dejiartment  of 
commerce  and  labor.  The  value  of  manufactured  products  in  1909  was 
$409,420,000. 

In  selecting  a  location,  the  prudent  manufacturer  will  first  investi- 
gate the  locality  and  its  surroundings,  regardless  of  the  question  of  free 
land,  cash  bonus  or  removal  expenses,  as  every  business  has  its  parti- 
cular methods  and  requirements.  St.  Paul  is  in  the  field  for  manufactur- 
ers in  every  line  of  wares,  and  specially  those  that  can  be  made  from 
wood,  iron,  wool,  flax,  straw,  clay,  sand,  rock,  etc.,  by  water,  steam, 
electric,  hand  or  animal  power,  all  of  which  materials  and  power  are  to 
be  had  in  Minnesota,  and  by  the  competitive  transportation  of  rait,  lake, 
and  river,  the  world  is  open  as  a  market.  In  St.  Paul  land  values  are 
low;  the  acf|uiring  of  a  home  by  the  wage-earner  is  an  easy  matter,  and 
as  a  proi)crty  owner  he  more  readily  becomes  personally  identified  with 
the  success  of  the  factory  and  of  the  city.  The  cost  of  living  is  as 
cheap  as  in  any  city  of  its  size  in  the  east.  The  free  public  school  sys- 
tem is  unexcelled  in  point  of  merit,  and  has  a  few  equals.     The  nianu- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  277 

facturer  or  artisan  who  selects  Minnesota  as  his  home  will  find  in  it  all 
the  advantages  of  social  existence.  He  will  find  greater  scope  for  the 
creation  of  industrial  wealth,  and  at  the  same  time  feel  at  home  among 
a  people  who  respect  the  laborer  and  encourage  the  employer. 

As  A  Workingman's  City 

The  best  climate  for  manufacturing  enterprises  is  one  where  the 
human  organism  lasts  longest  and  works  best.  In  an  invigorating,  thor- 
oughly healthful  climate,  more  will  be  accomplished  by  a  given  force  of 
operatives  than  in  a  climate  where  excessive  or  long  continued  heat 
saps  the  energies,  or  where  malaria  produces  languor  and  sufi^ering. 
There  is  nowhere  on  the  American  continent  a  better  climate  than  that 
of  Minnesota  for  longevity  and  energy,  and  there  is  no  city  in  the  world 
of  200,000  inhabitants  or  more,  which  has  as  small  a  death  rate  as  St. 
Paul — about  ten  per  annum  in  1,000.  Excellent  drainage,  pure  water 
and  the  absence  of  all  miasmatic  influences  have  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
the  keeping  our  mortality  rate  at  the  figure  named. 

This  matter  of  looking  after  the  health  and  comfort  and  safety  of 
employes  is  well  worthy  of  attention,  even  from  a  purely  economic 
standpoint.  It  would  cut  the  ground  from  under  the  feet  of  Socialism 
if  every  big  man  and  every  big  corporation  in  the  coimtry  went  at  this 
thing  in  a  businesslike  way,  and  made  every  workman  certain  that  if  he 
took  care  of  the  plant,  the  plant  would  take  care  of  him  and  his  family; 
— would  see  that  he  got  fair  wages  and  fair  treatment,  and  if  he  were 
hurt,  or  killed,  by  taking  risks  in  the  service  of  the  business,  he  would 
receive  compensation,  or  his  children  would. 

The  American  workingman — who  works — gives  thought  to  his  sur- 
roundings and  deserves  consideration.  He  lives  in  a  comfortable  cottage. 
His  food  is  abundant  and  good.  His  children  are  educated.  He  has  a 
broadcloth  coat  and  his  wife  has  a  silk  dress  for  occasions.  He  is  a 
member  of  secret  and  of  social  organizations.  He  reads  newspapers  and 
books.  He  is  the  highest  product  of  modern  civilization.  He  is  an  in- 
dustrious, honest,  patriotic,  self-respecting  American  citizen.  Now  cross 
the  ocean  and  behold  the  life  of  the  Belgian  or  the  Italian  worker.  He 
lives  in  a  hovel  or  in  a  crowded  room  in  a  tenement-house.  His  food  is 
coarse.  His  children  are  uneducated.  His  wife  wears  only  a  cotton 
or  woolen  gown.  His  own  attire  is  coarse.  He  knows  nothing  of  the 
literature  of  the  day.  He  has  no  part  in  the  government  of  the  country 
in  which  he  lives. 

Going  more  into  detail  as  to  the  cost  of  living,  a  consideration  of 
prime  importance,  thorough  investigation  has  disclosed  and  confirmed 
the  following  facts: 

First — In  eastern  cities  a  skilled  laborer  can  get  cheaper  rent  in 
swarming  tenements  than  he  can  in  St.  Paul,  but  he  cannot  procure  re- 
spectable quarters  for  his  family  within  a  reasonable  distance  from  his 
work,  without  paying  from  ten  to  twenty  dollars  more  per  month  than 
would  be  asked  for  similar  quarters  here. 

Second — The  question  of  a  laborer  getting  a  home  of  his  own  here 
is  not  a  mere  possibility,  but  an  absolute  certainty  to  every  industrious 
man  of  good  habits,  while  the  only  other  city  where  it  is  possible  is 
Philadelphia. 

Third — Food  is  materially  chea])er  in  St.  Paul  than  in  any  of  the 
other  cities. 


278  ST.  PAUL  AXU  \1CIX1TY 

Fourth — There  is  no  material  difference  between  these  cities  in  the 
retail  price  of  clothing. 

Fifth — Fuel  is  little,  if  any,  more  expensive  in  this  city  than  in  other 
places. 

Sixth — Rent  and  all  other  things  considered,  the  skilled  laborer  pays 
out  less  money  annually  for  sui)port  in  St.  Paul  than  in  other  places. 

Seventh — the  possibility  of  getting  a  home  of  his  own  outweighs 
every  other  consideration  with  the  lal)oring  man. 

From  all  this  is  manifest  that  the  manufacturer  starts  out  in  St.  Paul 
with  the  assurance  that  he  is,  at  least,  on  an  equal  footing  with  possible 
competitors  in  the  all-important  matter  of  wages.  He  is  not  handi- 
capped in  the  beginning  with  an  e.xcessive  cost  of  labor.  His  workmen 
can  live  as  cheaply  here  as  in  other  cities  possessing  ecjual  facilities  as 
a  distributing  isoint.  hence  he  can  emijloy  them  at  as  low  wages  here  as 
elsewhere.  It  is  not  contended  that  workmen  cannot  live  more  cheaply 
in  a  village  than  in  any  city,  but  the  village  system  of  factories  went  out 
of  date  with  the  stage  coach  and  the  horse  mill. 

Among  other  essentials  of  a  good  location  for  a  factory  is  trackage, 
and  plenty  of  room  for  its  operations.  St.  Paul  has  railways  coming 
into  the  city  from  every  direction.  They  come  along  both  sides  of  the 
river  from  up  and  down  stream,  to  reach  the  union  station,  and  they 
come  down  the  valley  of  Phalen  creek.  Although  the  land  immediately 
around  the  Union  station  is  rather  restricted,  on  the  level  tableland  back 
from  the  river  is  abundant  room  along  the  railway  lines.  When  the 
river  is  moved  westward  there  will  be  room  for  hundreds  of  factories. 
In  the  Midway  district  there  are  many  acres  with  all  the  railways  of  the 
Northwest  centering  there  for  receiving  and  distributing  freight.  At 
North  St.  Paul  and  South  St.  Paul  also,  ample,  unused  facilities  are 
offered.  In  the  whole  country  no  cities  other  than  ISuffalo  and  Chicago 
are  so  well  situated  as  regards  the  multii^licity  of  the  railway  lines  avail- 
able. 

.\l)\-.\  STACKS    !X    ElMTOMi: 

The  conclusion  is  irresislil)lc  that  St.  I^aul.  already  eminent  in  manu- 
facturing development,  offers  inducements  for  a  wide  diversity  of  in- 
dustrial pursuits,  excelled  by  no  other  city  on  the  continent.  From  small 
beginnings  this  city  has  rapidly  grown  great,  through  natural  and  health- 
ful causes.  The  factor  which  governs  the  location  of  manufacturing 
establishments  is  the  bringing  nearer  together  of  demand  and  sujiplv. 
Modern  industry  is  too  shrewd  to  carry  raw  materials  across  the  conti- 
nent to  a  factory,  and  then  carry  the  iinished  products  back  across  the 
continent  to  the  consumers,  for  an  indefinite  jieriod.  This  is  why  the 
centre  of  manufacturing  is  moving  westward  every  year.  The  new  and 
golden  northwest  already  supplies  an  ample  market.  .\n  unsurjiassed 
railway  system,  reaching  in  every  direction  and  giving  access  to  the  best 
markets;  head  of  river  navigation;  cheap  manufacturing  sites;  heaviest 
jobbing  trade  in  all  lines  in  the  northwest ;  large  and  prosperous  manu- 
facturing concerns  already  established;  cheap  fuel  for  manufacturing; 
ready  access  to  an  immense  variety  of  raw  materials;  abundant  bank- 
ing capital,  also  investment  and  tru.st  companies  for  aiding  workin.ymen 
to  build  homes;  hearty  encouragement  for  new  manuf.uturing  i)].inls: 
healthful  locations — lowest  death-rate  in  the  country:  ainnidani  and  pure 
water  supply ;  (irst  class  i>ul)lic  schools ;  manual  training  school ;  public 
libraries;  colleges  and  universities  in  the  suburbs;  public  high  schools; 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  279 

churches  of  all  denominations;  street  railways,  giving  cheap  fare  to  low- 
priced  residence  lots — these  are  perhaps  the  chief  elements  of  the  city's 
industrial  prosperity  in  the  past  and  the  principal  guarantees  of  future 
progress. 

National  legislation  and  judicial  decisions  have  of  late  combined 
seemingly  to  help  build  up  industries  in  this  region,  without  in  the  least 
intending  to  do  so.  The  influence  of  Canadian  reciprocity,  certain  to 
be  ultimately  realized,  will  no  doubt  be  beneficially  felt.  And  a  very 
large  increase  in  the  manufactures  of  the  middle  west  is  seen  by  com- 
mercial and  financial  papers  which  have  been  discussing  the  decision  of 
the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  in  the  Spokane  rate  cases.  In  this 
decision  the  commission  marked  the  country  east  of  the  Mississippi  into 
zones  in  which  freight  rates  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  intermediate  points 
will  be  higher  proportionately  as  the  seat  of  manufacture  is  near  the 
Atlantic.  Previously  New  England,  on  goods  to  the  Pacific,  had  the 
same  rate  as  had  manufactures  in  the  middle  west.  This  proposed  change 
is  looked  upon  as  a  boon  to  the  manufacturers  of  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  when  the  decision  is  upheld,  it  ought  to  mean  a  change  in  the  indus- 
trial center  of  the  United  States. 

Threatened  Shifting  of  Industrial  Center 

If  the  industrial  center  is  to  be  moved  to  what  is  known  as  Zone  i, 
in  the  division  of  the  commission,  St.  Paul  and  all  northwestern  towns 
will  be  large  gainers.  Naturally,  those  cities  with  the  best  sites,  power 
and  railway  facilities  will  be  the  largest  beneficiaries  in  this  shifting,  and 
with  it  will  come  the  population  which  will  be  thrown  out  of  work  in 
New  England,  unless  additional  trade  openings  can  be  found  in  South 
America. 

Eastern  manufacturers  have  invoked  the  aid  of  the  Interstate  Com- 
merce Commission  freely  in  times  past.  They  have  scored  an  expensive 
victorv.  The  railroads  stand  to  lose  relatively  little,  although  possibly 
some  eastern  systems  may  be  hard  hit.  Other  roads  will  profit.  But  if 
the  commerce  court  and  the  supreme  court  sustain  the  commission's 
ruling,  manufacturers  are  face  to  face  with  a  condition  which  may  mean 
the  most  extensive  shift  of  the  area  of  industrial  production,  since  Grant's 
benevolent  assimilation  of  Lee's  army  at  Appomattox. 

The  great  northwest  is  a  vast  producing  and  consuming  country.  The 
immense  productions  of  this  section  have  largely  been  transported  to  the 
east  and  returned  to  the  west  in  the  form  of  manufactured  goods,  re- 
(|uiring  the  payment  of  freight  both  ways  and  many  incidental  charges. 
W'hv  not  manufacture  here  where  all  the  essentials  for  the  output  of  the 
manufactured  product  exist,  and  where  the  raw  materials  so  literally 
abound?  Many  have  done  so  and  with  splendid  results,  and  there  is 
room  for  many  more  with  equally  favorable  results.  The  young  man's 
opportunities  are  where  there  is  achieved  in  a  few  years  what  takes 
older  communities  a  generation  to  accomplish.  All  the  modern  metro- 
politan improvements  abound  in  this  favored  section. 

Agriculture  supplies  81.2  per  cent  of  the  raw  material  for  our  fac- 
tories. Nowhere  are  agricultural  possibilities  greater  than  in  the  nortli- 
western  states.  Nowhere  are  the  jjroducts  more  suitable  for  the  manu- 
facturer who  desires  to  produce  the  finest  food  stufifs.  The  mines  sup- 
ply 13.4  per  cent  of  the  raw  material  for  factories.  Minnesota,  Idaho, 
Montana,  Oregon  and  Washington  liave  everything  from  millions  of  tons 


280  ST.  PAUL  AND  \1CIX1TV 

of  iron  to  the  finest  platinum  in  the  wi^rhi.  Their  copper  and  lead  is 
inexhaustible.  They  have  coal,  cobalt.  i)husphate,  gold  and  silver.  The 
forests  furnish  5  per  cent  of  raw  material  for  factories.  All  the  other 
timber  lands  of  earth  are  open  parks  as  compared  to  the  forests  of  Min- 
nesota, Montana,  Idaho,  Washington  and  Oregon. 

St.  Paui/s  Imh'stki.m,  G.mn 

It  is  not  easy  for  residents  of  this  city  to  realize  that  St.  Paul,  accord- 
ing to  the  latest  census  reports,  stands  far  to  the  head  of  the  procession 
of  cities  in  the  gain  made  in  manufacturing.  In  a  table  of  comparative  in- 
crease in  the  materials  used  in  manufactures,  St.  Paul  for  1910  sur- 
passed Huffalo,  New  York,  Cleveland,  Boston,  Cincinnati,  Chicago, 
Philadelphia,  Pittsburg  and  Baltimore  for  the  five  years  ending  1909. 
It  (lid  the  same  thing  in  increase  of  wages  paid  workers,  average  number 
of  workers  employed,  increase  in  value  of  manufacturers  and  increase  in 
capital  invested. 

This  is  a  showing  of  which  the  jieople  of  St.  Paul  may  feel  proud. 
It  has  been  possible  through  the  faith  of  the  residents  and  the  investors 
of  this  city  in  the  advance  of  the  municipality,  and  in  the  growing  popu- 
lation of  the  northwestern  states.  Both  interests  are  concerned  in  our 
manufacturing  activities.  This  city  has  the  transportation  facilities,  and 
there  are  workers  either  here  or  near  by  who  can  care  for  a  large  num- 
ber of  additional  industries.  .\  factory  in  St.  Paul  has  many  advantages 
of  railway  rates  and  access  to  river  transportation  which  many  other 
cities  do  not  have,  to  say  nothing  of  the  market  at  the  very  doors. 

In  a  large  class  of  industries,  and  those  among  the  most  desirable, 
the  most  profitable,  and  the  most  peculiarly  susceptible  to  an  enormous 
development  here,  the  waste  products  furnish  a  very  large  proportion  of 
the  fuel  used.  In  wood  manufacturing,  especially  the  hardwood  and  fur- 
niture lines,  the  refuse  material  is  in  many  cases  sufficient  for  most  re- 
quirements of  power  and  heat.  Our  heaviest  furniture  factories,  when 
in  full  operation,  consume  little  fuel  outside  their  own  waste  products, 
and  the  same  is  true  of  planing  mills,  sash  and  i)lin(l  factories,  box  fac- 
tories, etc. 

We  are  on  the  western  edge  of  the  hardwood  belt  of  .America ;  there 
is  not  a  stick  of  furniture  hardwood,  north,  northwest,  or  between  us 
and  the  Pacific  ocean  in  any  direction,  except  a  limited  supply  of  wal- 
nut southwest  along  the  Missouri  river.  Omaha  is  one  hundred  miles 
or  more  nearer  to  us  than  to  Chicago;  Kansas  City  is  fifty  miles  nearer. 
Thus  we  can  draw  a  line  down  that  direction  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
another  line  north  to  Lake  Superior,  and  all  the  vast  empire  between 
these  two  lines  and  the  Pacific  ocean  would  be  the  undisjiuted  territory 
of  this  city,  if  it  were  made  such  a  furniture  manufacturing  center  as 
Grand  Rapids  is.  A  good  start  has  been  made  in  the  prosperous  estab- 
lishments in  the  Midway  district  and  at  North  St.  Paul.  It  takes  one 
man  to  every  $1,000  of  capital  invested  in  furniture  manufacturing; 
thus  we  see  what  the  addition  would  be  in  the  way  of  population. 

The  mere  statement  of  the  fact  that  250,000,000  bu.shels  of  wheat 
are  annually  grown  upon  the  soil  tributary  to  this  city  stimulates  an  ef- 
fort to  secure  more  places  to  manufacture  the  threshers,  harvesters, 
twine.  i)lows,  harrows,  seeders,  wagons,  harness,  buggies,  carriages,  bed- 
steads, chairs,  stoves,  chains,  links,  pins,  nails,  shingles,  boards,  boots. 
shoes,  coats,  vests,  pants,  hats,  and  stockings  used  by  the  great  army  of 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  281 

toilers  producing  this  wheat.  The  facts  that  25,000,000  pounds  of  wool 
are  annually  produced  on  our  tributary  flocks;  that  100,000,000  bushels 
of  corn,  200,000,000  bushels  of  oats,  15,000,000  bushels  of  flax  seed,  and 
billions  of  cords  of  wood  grow  on  our  tributary  acres,  while  uncounted 
millions  of  tons  of  ores  underlie  them,  stimulate  us  to  establish  or  en- 
large the  industries  that  will  utilize  a  reasonable  share  of  the  enormous 
quantities  of  raw  material  lying  around  us,  or  passing  through  our  gates 
da}-  by  day. 

With  the  advantage  of  nearness  to  the  consumer,  by  which  a  heavy 
saving  in  freight  is  effected  and  unrivalled  facilities  for  distribution,  the 
St.  Paul  manufacturer  is  enabled  to  pay  higher  wages  to  his  operatives 
than  are  paid  elsewhere,  thus  adding  to  the  prosperity  of  the  laboring 
classes,  while  securing  better  workmanship. 

A  clothing  manufacturer  said,  in  an  interview :  "There  seems  to  be  a 
few  people  who  are  so  anxious  to  show  that  the  manufacture  of  clothing 
cannot  be  engaged  in  profitably  here,  that  they  do  not  even  treat  the 
subject  fairly.  They  compare  inferior  goods  made  in  the  east  with  a 
superior  grade  made  here.  This  is  unfair.  The  cheap  goods,  which  are 
a  damage  to  those  who  handle  them,  are  made  down  east  by  the  cheapest 
of  all  cheap  labor.  The  good  garments,  which  find  a  ready  sale,  are 
made  by  intelligent  and  decently  paid  workmen,  just  such  as  can  be  had 
in  abundance  at  St.  Paul." 

Superlative  Local   Industries 

St.  Paul  is  the  home  of  the  fifth  largest  meat  packing  industry  in  the 
United  States. 

Thanks  to  the  early  establishment  of  a  dairy  and  food  department 
in  this  state,  and  to  the  early  settlers  and  others  who  started  the  dairy 
industry  in  ^linnesota,  St.  Paul  is  now  in  the  front  rank  as  a  butter 
making  center  and  is  the  capital  of  a  state  in  which  butter  is  made  at 
nearly  every  cross  roads.  There  are  creameries  all  over  the  state.  A 
very  large  amount  of  cream  and  butter  fat  is'  shipped  to  St.  Paul,  and 
the  product  is  made  here  from  the  cream  from  all  parts  of  Minnesota 
and  western  Wisconsin.  It  is  estimated  that  at  least  60,000  pounds  of 
butter  is  being  made  every  week  day  by  local  creameries  now ;  more 
than  in  any  other  city  but  Omaha.  A  few  of  the  citizens  of  St.  Paul  have 
been  usually  active  in  this  interest,  and  have  encouraged  progress  and 
development  materially.  Prominent  among  these  are  James  J.  Hill  and 
A.  B.  Stickney.  Alany  others  materially  aided  and  encouraged  the 
development  of  the  dairy  interest  as  an  important  factor  in  diversified 
farming,  believing  that  through  this  means  the  farmers  of  Minnesota 
would  very  soon  become  entirely  independent,  and  that  through  their 
improved  condition  every  other  interest  of  the  state  would  be  l^enefited. 
The  railroads  especially  encouraged  this  interest  along  their  system,  and 
have  been  rewarded  by  enlarged  revenue,  by  the  rapid  development  of 
diversified  production  which  has  greatly  increased  traffic. 

St.  Paul  is  the  home  of  two  of  the  largest  railway  shops  in  the  world ; 
also  the  largest  street  car  shops  in  the  world ;  also  the  largest  law  book 
publishing  firm  in  the  world,  to  .say  nothing  of  the  second  largest  drug 
house  in  the  United  .States  and  the  largest  fur  coat  factories  on  earth. 

In  the  East  side  industrial  center  will  be  found  about  thirty  manu- 
facturing plants  reaching  from  Phalen  creek  to  Hazel  park.  Over 
$6,000,000  has  been  invested  and  over  7,000  workmen  are  employed. 


282  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

St.  Paul  has  several  iron  foundries  which  pay  out  large  sums  to  the 
skilled  men  in  their  employ.  In  fact  most  of  the  structural  iron  and 
steel  work  of  \\'estern  Minnesota.  North  Dakota  and  Montana  comes 
from  this  city.  A  foundry  company  has  been  in  business  thirty  years  at 
Como  avenue  and  Mackubin  street  and  has  expanded  with  the  growth  of 
the  northwest,  until  it  is  large  enough  to  handle  as  big  orders  as  may 
develop  in  this  part  of  the  country.  This  company  is  furnishing  all  the 
steel,  including  the  cells,  for  the  new  prison  at  Stillwater,  a  contract  for 
3,000  tons  of  steel,  all  of  which  is  being  made  at  the  St.  I'aul  foundry. 
This  is  the  largest  order  for  steel  ever  given  in  this  state.  The  high 
bridge  and  the  steel  construction  of  all  our  latest  and  largest  buildings 
are  among  the  products  of  this  concern,  used  locally.  Minnesota  is  now 
one  of  the  chief  iron  producing  states  in  the  Union.  Its  ores  are  al- 
most pure  iron.  They  contain  very  little  prosphorus  and  are  therefore 
of  the  first  rank  for  making  Iles.semer  steel.  These  ores  are  transported 
nearly  a  thousand  miles  to  Cleveland,  and  thence  by  rail  to  the  furnaces 
of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania.  It  is  cheaper  to  bring  the  coal  to  the  iron 
than  to  take  the  iron  to  the  coal,  for  all  metal  that  is  to  Ije  marketed  in 
the  West.  The  Minnesota  ores  will  eventually  be  smelted  in  this  state. 
For  all  secondary  manufacturers  of  iron  St.  Paul,  with  its  unsurpassed 
facilities  for  distribution,  with  its  cheap  Iowa  coals  near  at  hand,  with 
its  great  market  in  the  northwest,  is  a  favorable  point. 

A  very  extensive  and  prosperous  malleable  iron  industry  has  grown 
up  in  this  city  within  ten  years.  Started  as  an  adjunct  to  another  enter- 
prise, it  has  become  separate  and  independent,  growing  to  maninidth 
proportions  and  taking  high  rank  in  a  wide  field. 

I'niess  one  is  familiar  with  the  l)usiness  of  St.  I'aul,  the  fact  that 
factories  in  this  city  sell  their  product  literally  in  all  the  countries  of  the 
world  will  be  surprising.  Fire  engines  made  here  have  been  fighting 
fires  in  Melbourne,  Australia,  for  five  years  and  are  still  at  it.  In  fact 
there  are  five  such  engines  in  that  city,  made  in  St.  Paul.  In  far-away 
Russia  there  are  ga.5oline  fire  engines  which  first  drew  water  from  the 
Mississippi  in  preliminary  tests.  The  Phili|ipinc  islands  also  have  a 
number  of  the  same  engines.  Most  of  these  last  were  purchased  by  the 
United  States  army,  which  likes  them  so  well  that  they  have  been  ado])ted 
as  the  standard  fire  engine  for  use  in  nearly  all  stations  of  the  army. 
The  fact  that  the  fire  engine  made  in  this  city  has  been  sold  in  all  the 
states  of  the  Union  and  many  foreign  countries  shows  that  St.  Paul 
made  goods  equal  the  best.  The  automobile  fire  engine  is  the  latest 
word  in  fire  fighting  apparatus.  The  .same  engine  which  runs  the  vehicle 
carrving  the  fire  engine  is  connected  with  the  water  pum]i  when  the 
machine  arrives  at  the  fire  plug  nearest  the  fire  and  it  begins  forcing 
water  on  the  burning  structure.  .\t  a  recent  official  competition  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  involving  the  purchase  of  luany  machines,  the  engine 
made  in  this  city  distanced  all  competitors.  In  the  speed  test,  the  engine 
apjjroachcd  the  scene  of  the  sujiposed  tire  at  forty  miles  an  hour,  while 
the  specifications  called  for  but  thirty,  and  then  i)umped  water  on  the 
supposed  blaze  at  the  rale  of  500  gallons  a  miinite  without  ever  gasjiing 
for  breath.  Two  streams  were  thrown  to  a  height  of  more  than  300  feet. 
In  a  three-hour  test,  the  engine  threw  txi.ooo  gallons  of  water,  at  a  cost 
of  .Si. 75. 

Just  across  South  Robert  street  from  the  engine  works  referred  to 
lies  the  extensive  i)lant  of  a  hoist-and-derrick  comi)any  which  emi)loys 
an  army  of  men.  and  produces  machines  that  are  used  all  over  the  world. 


ST.   PAUL  AXD  MCIXITY  283 

It  is  an  institution  that  has  been  built  up  in  St.  Paul  from  very  small 
beginnings  by  the  combined  power  of  inventive  genius,  mechanical  skill 
and  business  acumen.  Its  gigantic  machines  are  in  use  in  extensive  en- 
gineering works,  in  arsenals,  navy  yards,  etc.,  in  North  and  South  Amer- 
ica, in  Japan  and  the  Philippines,  and  fulfill  every  requirement. 

The  printing  of  books,  catalogs,  newspapers,  blanks,  labels,  etc.  is 
a  rapidly  growing  industry,  which  carries  with  it  binding,  engraving  and 
many  other  accessories.  The  catalogs  keep  more  than  one  firm  busy 
all  the  time.  One  large  jobbing  house  dealing  in  general  merchandise 
issues  a  large  catalog  each  month  in  addition  to  many  special  ones.  The 
railroads,  with  their  countless  booklets  about  this  rose  festival  or  that 
agricultural  opportunity,  to  say  nothing  of  the  tons  of  time  tables,  keep 
dozens  of  big  presses  running.  Because  this  city  is  the  headquarters  for 
two  transcontinental  lines  there  is  more  printing  to  be  done,  by  several 
hundred  thousand  dollars  worth,  than  if  the  headquarters  were  at  the 
other  end  of  the  line.  The  circulars  issued  frequently  by  the  wholesale 
houses  make  more  work  for  the  printers,  to  say  nothing  of  the  labels 
and  bo.xes  and  special  forms  needed  to  put  the  product  of  factories  in 
acceptable  shape  for  distribution.  The  banks,  insurance  companies  and 
scores  of  small  publications,  all  make  additional  work. 

A  large  portion  of  all  the  calendars,  carrying  advertising,  used  in 
this  country  and  Canada  are  produced  in  this  city,  and  incidentally  this 
process  and  allied  industries  gives  employment  to  nearly  750  people  the 
year  round.  The  calendar  industry  on  the  surface  appears  not  to  be 
necessarily  a  very  large  one.  It  requires  some  knowledge  of  the  busi- 
ness to  realize  the  amount  of  work,  and  the  judgment  of  the  art  which 
will  best  mix  with  commerce,  required  in  planning  for  and  producing 
them.  In  this  city  annually  there  are  produced  about  11,000,000  calen- 
dars, adorned  with  colored  pictures,  which  are  sold  in  all  corners  of 
the  earth  and  each  carries  in  small  letters  the  name  of  the  capital  city 
of  Minnesota.  So  keen  is  the  competition  in  selling  calendars  that  the 
traveling  men  start  on  the  road  a  full  year  before  the  pads  are  to  be 
used,  and  at  present  the  pictures  to  appear  on  the  1914  calendars  have 
been  purchased  and  are  prepared  for  the  various  sizes.  A  considerable 
amount  of  St.  Paul  artistic  talent  is  represented  in  the  output  of  the  local 
establishment,  a  number  of  artists  being  employed  constantly  devising 
figures,  and  seventy-five  girls  are  employed  on  the  hand-colored  product 
which  is  helping  to  raise  the  standard  of  calendars  in  use.  Graduates 
and  students  of  the  local  art  school  are  employed  here  as  fast  as  they 
can  be  obtained. 

Probably  95  per  cent  of  the  railways  of  the  country  have  officially 
adopted  the  siphon  system  of  refrigeration  as  applied  by  St.  Paul  manu- 
facturers. When  there  is  an  adequate  current  of  air  from  the  articles 
in  the  refrigerator  over  the  ice,  a  much  lower  temperature  is  obtained 
than  if  the  cold  air  merely  drops  to  the  bottom  of  the  receptacle  in  which 
the  ice  has  been  placed.  This  current  of  air  means  that  a  saving  of  33 
to  40  ])er  cent  in  ice  is  efifected  after  the  car  or  refrigerator  is  once  cool. 
Railway  managers  have  been  quick  to  see  the  advantages  of  the  siphon 
system,  and  all  the  cars  for  perishable  freight  are  being  thus  equipped 
as  fast  as  possible.  The  American  housewife  is  also  realizing  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  newer  method  of  caring  for  her  food  during  the  sum- 
mer, and  the  demand  is  constantly  growing,  as  people  are  being  educated 
in  the  principles  of  scientific  refrigeration.  In  the  making  of  high  grade 
refrigerators  the  patent  in  use  in  this  city  has  put  St.  Paul  at  the  head 


284 


ST.  PAUL  AND  X'ICINITY 


of  the  list  of  cities.  A  business  of  $1,000,000  or  more  is  done  every 
year  here  in  this  branch  of  manufacturing.  A  total  of  15,000  refrigera- 
tors for  domestic  use  are  made  in  this  city  each  year,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
freight  cars  fitted  to  carry  fruit  from  California  and  other  shipping 
points.  The  local  factories  also  have  a  considerable  business  in  making 
refrigerators  with  the  siphon  system  for  use  in  hotels  and  other  places 
where  the  regular  sizes  are  not  adapted.  .About  500  men  are  employed 
during  the  busiest  seasons. 

On  University  avenue  has  just  Ix-cn  installed  one  of  the  largest 
cracker  factories  in  the  world  with  an  output  of  Si, 000,000  worth  of 
crackers  in  a  year. 

The  beer  and  bottling  industries  originating  in  the  very  beginning 
of  St.  Paul's  history  have  grown  to  such  vast  propositions  as  to  rival  the 
output  of  the  city  on  Lake  Michigan  whose  title  to  fame  admittedly 
rests  on  that  specialty. 


NEW    I'L.XNr   Ul-    ST.    I'.AUL    BK1£.\D   COMIWXV 


A  plant  is  now  in  process  of  erection  by  a  well-established  bakery 
company  that  will  be  one  of  the  most  comiilele  in  the  country.  It  will 
have  a  cai)acity  of  150,000  loaves  of  Iiread  a  day.  The  building  will 
follow  the  lines  of  construction  used  in  the  St.  Paul  hotel.  It  will  be  of 
structural  steel  frame,  with  reinforced  concrete  floors,  and  brick  cur- 
tain walls.  It  will  be  four  stories  high,  with  a  basement  under  all. 
The  outside  dimensions  will  be  250x188  feet. 

.*\bout  two  years  ago  a  local  firm  decided  to  m.inufacturc  men's  straw 
hats  in  St.  Paul  and  forthwith  established  a  factory  which  is  the  only 
one  this  side  of  l'>altimore.  It  employs  several  score  of  men  and  girls 
when  in  full  operation  and  there  is  every  evidence  that  this  new  in- 
dustry will  tlevelop  into  one  of  the  best  known  industries  of  the  city. 

Sad  irons,  made  in  St.  Paul,  have,  by  the  wide-spread  publicity  of 
their  special  merits  through  national  and  international  advertising,  been 
sold  in  large  numbers  to  dealers  in  many  foreign  countries. 

We  have  not  half  room  enough  to  even  catalogue  the  notable  manu- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  285 

facturing  enterprises  which  have  been  built  up  to  grand  proportions  by 
the  energy  and  capacity  of  their  proprietors  who  have  taken  aggressive 
advantage  of  favorable  environments.  In  addition  to  the  regular  lines 
of  production  usually  found  in  cities,  and,  in  addition  to  those  referred 
to  above,  we  may  mention  the  manufacture  of  portable  garages;  baking 
powders  ;  flax  binding-twine  ;  baskets  ;  grass  matting  ;  boats  ;  tarred  paper  : 
statuary;  cornices;  macaroni;  disinfectants;  electro-plating;  envelopes; 
fence  and  wire ;  furs ;  hats  ;  printing  ink  ;  bedding ;  oil  tanks  :  art  glass  ; 
ladders;  folding  boxes;  overalls;  gravity  carriers;  jewelry:  badges  and 
novelties  ;  paints  ;  stamped  ornaments  ;  pencils  ;  syrups  ;  pickles  ;  radia- 
tors ;  feather  goods ;  preserves ;  rugs ;  road  machinery ;  pumps ;  sand 
paper  ;  Soaps  :  post  cards  ;  stamps ;  furnaces  ;  leather  ;  w-eather-strips  ; 
vinegar ;  veast ;  metal  screens  and  wooden-ware.  Many  of  the  establish- 
ments in  these  lines,  and  in  others  of  more  familiar  branches,  employ 
large  forces  of  workers,  use  heavy  capital  and  command  a  trade  that 
reaches  into  every  corner  of  our  tributary  country. 

The  development  of  the  past  and  the  prosperity  of  the  present  in  all 
the  various  departments  of  productive  industry,  are  perhaps  only  a 
faint  prophecy  of  St.  Paul's  splendid  future.  New  elements  are  enter- 
ing into  the  problem  which  promise  larger  triumphs.  Electricity  is  har- 
nessed more  and  more  eii'ectively,  transmitted  to  the  centers  of  com- 
merce and  production,  there  to  do  its  giant's  work  at  the  bidding  of  man. 
The  new  and  cheaper  power  will  always  seek  the  points  where  facilities 
for  concentration  of  material  and  labor  and  for  the  distribution  of  mer- 
chandise are  already  provided.  This  city  is  one  of  those  points — a 
leading  one. 

V.\ST  Future  of  Water  Power 

The  Apple  river  electric  supply  already  comes  to  St.  Paul  on  wires 
stretched  through  many  miles  of  farms  and  villages.  Plans  are  matur- 
ing for  the  utilization  of  innumerable  other  water  powers  now  going  to 
waste  on  adjacant  streams.  The  high  dam  project  in  the  city's  western 
suburb  nears  completion.     .And  these  are  only  the  beginnings. 

Other  cities  are  setting  examples  that  we  will  not  be  slow  to  follow. 
A  hvdro-electric  company  at  Niagara  Falls  is  under  contract  and  bond 
to  furnish  15,000  horse-power  to  the  factories  and  consumers  of  Detroit, 
^Michigan.  It  is  announced  that  the  necessary  permits  for  exportation 
and  importation  of  the  current  have  been  obtained,  and  that  all  remaining 
to  be  done  is  to  extend  the  wires  of  the  company  from  St.  Thomas  to 
Windsor  and  under  the  river  to  Detroit.  That  is  all  told  and  accepted 
as  a  matter  of  fact  in  this  age  of  wonders.  Fancy  the  reception  that 
would  have  been  accorded,  even  a  generation  ago,  to  the  statement  that 
the  power  of  the  Niagara  Falls  would  be  used  to  operate  factories  in 
Detroit. 

Our  fathers  would  not  have  believed  it  possible  that  the  great  cata- 
ract could  be  used  to  turn  wheels  hundreds  of  miles  away.  It  is  certain 
that  our  children  will  witness  accomplishments  in  water  power  develop- 
ment that  are  not  dreamed  by  us.  Modern  science  is  demonstrating 
capacitv  for  making  use  of  power  wherever  it  is  found.  There  is  little 
doubt  that  a  generation  from  now,  the  current  generated  at  the  high 
dam  across  the  river  at  the  soldiers'  home  will  be  one  of  the  most  valu- 
able assets  in  St.  Paul's  possession — and  there  are  others ! 


286  ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 

Effect  on  "City  Planning" 

The  imiltiijlication  of  manufacturing  enterprises  is  having  a  decided 
eflfect  in  the  readjustment  of  city  ]ilans.  especially  adjacent  to  the  new 
districts  which  are  to  he  largely  dedicated  to  such  ])urposes.  The  re- 
claimed west  side  flats,  to  be  transferred  and  transformed  by  changing 
the  river  channel  will  be  subject  to  this  law  of  evolution.  Industrial 
plants,  in  all  cities,  are  demanding  larger  and  larger  space,  engaging 
greater  and  greater  numbers  of  employes,  and  becoming  thus  more  and 
more  important  single  units  demanding  recognition  in,  and  reacting  upon, 
the  general  framework  of  cities  and  towns.  They  often  occupy  several 
blocks,  closing  up  streets  and  alleys  in  the  hard  and  fast  street  scheme, 
and  affecting  the  residential  character  of  considerable  districts.  It  is 
desirable  that  such  demands  of  business  enterprise  should,  so  far  as  pos- 
sible, be  anticijiated.  In  other  words  a  city  street  plan  which  shall  be 
mainly  an  arbitrary  preconceived  geometrical  figure,  a  mere  product  of 
the  drafting  board,  is  really  an  absurdity,  despite  the  many  examples 
in  existence.  The  street  plan  should,  so  far  as  possible,  facilitate  and 
accommodate  itself  to  the  main  functional  organ  of  the  different  utili- 
ties to  be  accommodated.  Fortunately  the  topogra])hy  of  the  original 
site  of  St.  Paul  is  such  as  to  lend  itself  flexilily  to  such  readjust- 
ments as  will  make  its  .several  industrial  districts  and  suburbs  conform 
to  the  most  modern  and  approved  schemes  of  city  planning. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

BANKS  AND  BANKING 

H.  H.  Sibley,  First  Banker — "Wild-Cat"  Banks  Discountenanced 
— Borup  &  Oakes.  Bankers  and  Brokers — Other  Early  Banks 
— Inflated  Prosperity  of  1857 — Reactionary  Depressions — 
Banking  During  the  Civil  War — Era  of  Financial  Stability — 
The  National  Banks — State  Banks — St.  Paul  Clearing  House 
— Trust  Companies 

Banks  only  come  with  civilization,  and  very  late  as  a  rule.  The  busi- 
ness and  industries  of  the  colonies  on  the  Atlantic  coast  were  carried  on 
for  nearly  two  centuries  before  a  single  commercial  bank  was  opened. 
Previous  to  the  coming  of  white  men  to  the  northwest,  the  need  of  banks 
was  obviously  lacking.  Even  after  many  white  men  came,  the  banking 
business  did  not  rapidly  develop.  The  fur  trade  was  the  basis  of  early 
commerce  and,  as  currency  was  scarce,  the  fur  of  the  beaver  was  the 
monetary  standard — a  prime  beaver  skin  being  worth  one  bear,  one 
otter  or  three  martins,  while  a  keg  of  rum  was  equivalent  to  thirty  beav- 
ers.    At  the  same  period,  five  blankets  would  buy  a  squaw. 

H.  H.  Sibley,  First  Banker 

H.  H.  Sibley,  at  Mendota,  joined  to  his  many  other  functions,  that 
of  a  crude  but  sufficient  form  of  banking.  He,  as  manager  of  the  fur 
company,  was  the  fiscal  agent  of  traders,  travelers,  missionaries  and 
army  officers.  We  find  that  in  1838  he  cashed  a  draft  for  $1,899.33 
drawn  by  J-  N.  Nicollet  on  Chouteau  &  Company  of  St.  Louis.  The 
same  year  N.  W.  Kittson  was  credited  $130  for  a  draft  on  H.  L.  Dous- 
man,  and  Dr.  Williamson,  the  missionary  at  Lac  Qui  Parle,  drew  on 
Mr.  Tracy  of  New  York  for  $112.14.  On  August  11,  1849,  Mr.  Sibley 
wrote  to  H.  L.  Moss  at  Stillwater:  "I  enclose  my  acceptance  at  three 
days  for  $100,  the  amount  you  wish  to  borrow  of  me,  which  I  advance 
you  with  much  pleasure."  On  November  3,  1841,  General  Dodge  sent 
to  Sibley  a  draft  for  $10,000  in  connection  with  an  Indian  treaty. 

"Wild-Cat"  Banks  Discountenanced 

After  the  territory  of  ^Minnesota  was  organized,  the  scarcity  of  cur- 
rency became  a  great  inconvenience,  in  view  of  the  rapid  influx  of  set- 
tlers. This  led  to  improvident  schemes  for  paper  issues  which,  fortun- 
ately, were  discountenanced  by  the  public  men  and  the  press  of  St.  Paul. 
Some  pretended  notes  by  the  "Bank  of  Saint  Croix,"  dated  at  St.  Paul, 
but  worthless  as  a  row  of  ciphers  with  the  rims  shot  off,  were  floated 
at  a  distance  in   1850,  but  were  vigorously  denounced  in   the  Pioneer. 

287 


288  ST.  PAUL  AND  \'ICL\ITY 

The  "Central  American  Bank."  a  wildcat  institution  was  attempted  in 
1853,  but  was  opposed  at  a  public  meeting,  addressed  by  George  W.  Far- 
rington,  Aaron  Goodrich,  R.  R.  Nelson,  M.  S.  Wilkinson  and  others.  The 
meeting  resolved  "to  oppose,  under  all  circumstances,  now  and  hereafter, 
this  and  all  similar  attempts  to  impose  on  us  an  illegitimate  and  irrespon- 
sible paper  currency." 

It  is  noticeable  that  in  all  the  early  discussions  in  the  pai)ers.  in 
meetings  and  even  in  the  messages  of  our  territorial  governors,  the  term 
"banking"  was  used  only  with  reference  to  the  is.sue  of  notes.  Deposit 
and  discount  were  not  thought  of,  in  thai  connection.  Ramsey  and  Gor- 
man both  inveighed  against  the  establishment  of  banks  "for  circulating 
a  paper  currency."  In  any  event,  we  may  be  thankful  that  owing  to 
the  sound-money  views  of  those  then  in  authority  the  territory  was  saved 
from  the  baneful  effects  of  paper  banking — at  home.  Its  sufferings  in 
that  line  were  all  imported. 

BoRUP  &  Oakes,  Bankers  and  Brokers 

The  banking  house  of  Borup  &  Oakes.  the  first  formally  established 
in  St.  Paul,  was  opened  in  the  summer  of  1853  on  Third  street,  below 
Jackson  and  opposite  the  Merchants'  Hotel.  The  firm  was  announced  as 
"Bankers  and  Brokers."  Its  business  included  loans,  discounts,  money- 
changing  and  the  sale  of  drafts ;  also,  what  was  then  a  usual  feature  of 
the  business,  the  purchase  and  sale  of  real  estate  and  investment  in 
mortgages.  Dr.  Charles  W.  Borup  was  a  native  of  Copenliagen,  Den- 
mark, but  emigrated  to  America  at  an  early  age.  He  was  for  man\- 
years  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  on  Lake  Superior,  and  came  to  St.  i'aul 
in  1849.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  education  and  culture,  an  accomplished 
musician,  and  socially  very  popular.  He  died  in  St.  Paul  June  6,  1859. 
Chas.  H.  Oakes  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  died  in  St.  Paul  in  1879. 
The  two  partners  were  brothers-in-law^  They  had  married  two  sisters 
named  Beauleiu,  who  were  Chippewa  half-l)reeds.  but  who  were  edu- 
cated and  accomplished  ladies  and  models  of  true  womanly  character. 

Associated  with  Borup  &  Oakes  as  "silent  partners"  were  Captain 
N.  J.  T.  Dana  and  .Alexander  Faril)ault.  Captain  Dana,  a  graduate  of 
West  Point,  had  been  long  in  service  in  the  regular  army  prior  to  his 
resignation.  During  the  Civil  war  he  was  colonel  of  the  First  Minne- 
sota Infantry,  and  became  a  major-general  of  volunteers,  .\fter  the 
death  of  Dr.  Borup,  in  1859,  Mr.  Oakes  continued  the  Inisiness  alone  for 
a  time,  but  retired  in  a  year  or  so. 

Otiikr  EARt,v  Banks 

Not  long  after  the  establishment  of  the  hou.se  of  Borup  &  Oakes,  the 
second  "banking  house,"  so  called,  was  opened  by  Truman  M.  Smith, 
on  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Jackson  streets.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  native 
of  New  F.neland.  and  it  is  said  that  he  began  life  in  the  west  as  a  wood- 
sawver.  His  l)ank  went  down  in  the  hard  time  of  i8;8,  and  he  engaged 
many  years  in  raising  fruit  at  St.  Paul  and  later  at  .'^an  Diego.  Califor- 
nia. Near  the  time  of  liie  starting  of  Smith's  bank.  Ira  Bidwell  and  his 
son,  Henry  E..  of  Michigan,  established  r.idwell's  Exchange  Bank,  on 
the  corner  of  Third  and  Roliert  streets.  In  alxaU  18^5  C.  H.  Parker  and 
A.  Vance  Brown  were  located  on  St.  .Anthony,  now  L'pper  Third  street. 

In  the  fall  of  1853  Charles  M.  Mackubin  and  E.  S.  Edgerton  formed 


ST.   PAUL  AND  MCIXITY  289 

a  copartnership,  and  early  in  the  following  spring  opened  a  banking  house 
at  the  Seven  Corners.  The  cashier  of  the  house  was  Fred  H.  Dona- 
hower,  long  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  St.  Peter.  In  1856 
and  1857  Mackubin  &  Edgerton  erected  a  building  at  the  corner  of  West 
Third  and  Franklin  streets,  a  portion  of  which  they  subsequently  oc- 
cupied for  their  bank,  moving  thereto  on  the  4th  of  July,  1857.  This 
room  was  abandoned  in  1864,  upon  the  organization  of  the  Second  Na- 
tional Bank. 

Mr.  Mackubin  was  a  native  of  Annapolis.  He  was  of  a  kindly  and 
genial  nature,  albeit  in  early  life  he  had  been  one  of  the  principals  in  a 
duel :  a  circumstance  which  he  sometimes  adverted  to  laughingly,  as  an 
instance  of  the  weakness  and  folly  of  youth.  Upon  first  coming  to  the 
west  he  located  in  Chicago,  where  for  some  years  he  was  engaged  in  real 
estate  transactions.     He  died  in  St.  Paul,  July  10,  1863. 

Erastus  S.  Edgerton,  the  junior  member  of  the  original  house  of 
Mackubin  &  Edgerton,  was  a  native  of  Delaware  county.  New  York, 
born  in  1816.  In  early  manhood  he  was  deputy  sheriff  of  his  native 
county  under  his  uncle,  John  Edgerton.  In  an  encounter  with  the  "anti- 
renters"  at  Andes,  New  York,  his  horse  was  shot  under  him.  Coming 
to  the  west  he  was  for  some  years  at  Rockford  and  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin, 
engaged  in  loaning  money  and  general  brokerage. 

Inflated  Prosperity  of  1857 

In  the  year  1857  St.  Paul  was  at  the  height  of  its  first  era  of  prosper- 
ity. In  the  early  summer  of  that  year  the  leading  bank  and  banking 
firms  of  the  city  were  those  of  W.  L.  Banning  &  Company,  who  erected 
the  first  regular  bank  building  in  the  city  on  Eagle  street  near  the  Seven 
Corners ;  Marshall  &  Company,  at  Third  and  Cedar  streets ;  Caldwell, 
Whitney  &  Company,  on  Third  street,  below  Minnesota ;  J.  Jay  Knox 
&  Company,  on  Bridge  square  in  a  stone  building,  on  the  river  side ; 
Meyer  &  Willius  Brothers,  on  Bridge  square ;  Irving,  Stone  &  McCor- 
mick,  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Eagle  streets,  and  D.  C.  Taylor  &  Com- 
pany, in  the  same  building,  where  R.  M.  S.  Pease  also  located.  It  will 
be  noted  that  nearly  all  of  these  were  grouped  about  the  Seven  Corners, 
then  the  center  of  trade. 

Stimulated  by  the  rapid  growth  of  business,  consequent  upon  the  con- 
stantly increasing  area  over  which  their  trade  was  being  extended,  the 
merchants  of  the  then  young  city  were  generally  disposed  to  enlarge 
the  scope  of  their  operations  to  the  extreme  limit  of  their  capital  and 
credit.  To  this  end  they  were  frequently  willing  to  borrow  money  at 
rates  of  interest  which,  as  subsequent  experience  proved,  were  not  jus- 
tified either  by  actual  or  prospective  profits.  During  this  period  of  gen- 
eral business  activity  and  inconsiderate  speculation,  eastern  capitalists, 
tempted  by  the  exorbitant  prevailing  rates  of  interest  here,  sent  out  large 
sums  to  be  loaned  through  the  banks.  The  current  rates  of  interest 
were  three  per  cent  per  month,  and  the  notes  given  commonly  contained 
a  provision  that  if  they  were  not  paid  at  maturity,  they  would  thereafter 
draw  interest  at  the  rate  of  five  per  cent  a  month  until  paid.  ■  Following 
is  a  copy  of  one  of  these  notes : 

$1,000.  St.  Paul,  M.  T.,  July  3,  1857. 

"Ninety  days  after  date,  for  value  received,  I  promise  to  pay  to  the 
order  of  Mackubin  &  Edgerton,  one  thousand  dollars,  with  interest  at 
Vol.  I— 1 9 


290  ST.  PAUL  AND  \  ICIXITV 

three  per  cent,  per  month  from  date  until  due :  and  at  the  rate  of  five 
per  cent  per  month  if  not  paid  at  maturity. 

"Payable  at  the  bankiiij,'  house  of  -Mackubin  &  Edgerton,  St.  Paul. 
Minnesota  Territory." 

In  a  short  time  the  capital  of  most  of  the  banks  was  invested  in  paper 
of  this  character,  the  loan  being  almost  invariably  in  one  form  or  another 
based  upon  real  estate  security.  Eastern  exchange  brought  from  one 
to  live  i)er  cent  premium. 

Re.\ction.\ry  Depression 

This  season  of  fictitious  i)rosperity  was  terminated  by  the  distressing 
financial  panic  of  1857,  although  its  most  serious  efTects  were  not  fully 
realized  in  this  city  until  the  spring  of  1858.  Universal  depression  fol- 
lowed. Real  estate  could  scarcely  be  sold  at  any  price.  Debtors  of  the 
banks  could  not  pay  and  surrendered  their  lands,  but  the  banks  could 
not  realize  upon  these  lands,  or  any  other  securities  they  possessed,  ade- 
quate sums  to  meet  their  obligations.  Fiscal  science  had  achieved  the 
physically  impossible;  business  had  been  wrecked  by  the  im])act  of  ir- 
resistible motion  upon  immovable  rest.  Bank  after  bank  went  down. 
Only  the  stoutest  were  able  to  withstand  the  long-continued  pressure 
upon  them.  In  the  early  fall  of  the  year  Mackubin  &  Edgerton  and  the 
Willius  lirothers  were  the  only  banking  institutions  in  St.  Paul.  The 
former  firm  dissolved  partnership  and  Mr.  Edgerton  continued  the  busi- 
ness alone.  Several  months  before,  foreseeing  the  impending  troubles, 
he  had  made  all  possible  preparation  for  the  emergencies  which  he  be- 
lieved must  arise.  During  this  troublous  and  exciting  period  he  exhibited 
in  a  marked  degree  that  i)romi)tness  of  decision,  energy  of  action,  and  un- 
swerving integrity,  which  were  always  i)rominent  traits  in  his  character. 
He  was  pressed  closely,  but  rose  superior  to  every  emergency.  Driven 
to  dispose  of  much  of  his  real  estate  at  nominal  prices,  he  hesitated  at  no 
sacrifice  necessary  to  enable  him  to  meet  every  obligation.  As  a  result 
he  passed  the  ordeal  in  safety,  redeeming  at  par  the  issues  of  the  State 
Bank,  meeting  promptly  and  in  full  the  demands  of  every  depositor. 

Soon  after  the  admission  of  Minnesota  as  a  state,  in  1858,  the  legis- 
lature enacted  a  general  banking  law  similar  in  character  to  the  one  then 
in  operation  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin ;  Ijut  in  consequence  of  inadequate 
provision  for  properly  securing  the  issues  of  the  banks  organized  under 
it,  the  circulation  thus  provided  was  not  an  improvement  upon  that  w  hich 
it  sui:)erseded,  for  out  of  the  large  number  of  banks  which  flooded  the 
state  with  their  finely  engraved,  but  poorly  .secured  notes,  there  was  but 
a  single  one,  and  that  a  St.  Paul  bank,  the  issues  of  which  were  fully 
redeemed. 

Under  the  law  the  bills  of  the  banks  were  redeemable  in  coin  at  the 
places  where  they  purported  to  be  issued.  The  banks,  however,  were 
permitted  to  have  agencies  elsewhere  than  at  the  place  of  issue.  It  was 
doubtless  the  full  intent  of  the  law  that  the  banks  should  be  properly 
maintained  at  these  places  of  issue.  But,  there  being  no  ex|)ress  provi- 
sion on  this  point,  the  law  was  easily  evaded.  Thus  while  banks  were 
established  and  their  bills  dated  at  various  towns  in  the  state,  all  of  them 
remote,  tlie  agencies  were  at  St.  Paul.  The  object  of  this  was  manifest. 
If  the  holder  of  a  bill  desired  its  redemption  in  coin,  he  was  compelled 
to  make  a  journey  to  get  it ;  he  could  not  claim  jiayment  at  the  agency. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  291 

In  the  event  of  a  •'run"  this  would  be  quite  convenient.  The  clamorous 
holders  of  bills  at  the  agency  would  be  directed  to  repair  to  the  place  of 
issue. 

The  first  banks  at  St.  Paul  under  the  state  law  were  the  Peoples 
Bank  of  St.  Peter,  E.  S.  Edgerton,  president,  and  D.  A.  Monfort,  cashier, 
and  the  Central  bank  of  New  Ulm,  by  J.  Jay  Knox  &  Company.  Others 
followed,  with  their  alleged  headquarters  at  Glencoe,  Mankato  and  else- 
where. In  time  there  were  a  number  of  banks  of  the  same  character. 
Pease,  Chalfant  &  Company,  had  the  bank  of  Taylor's  Falls;  Daniel 
Wells  &  Company,  the  La  Crosse  and  La  Crescent  Bank,  etc.  In  the 
spring  of  1859  Sewell,  Ferris  &  Company,  organized  the  Bank  of  Min- 
nesota at  St.  Paul;  the  officers  were  Paschal  Whitney,  president,  and 
N.  P.  Langford,  cashier.  Its  circulation,  unlike  that  of  the  other  banks  of 
the  city,  was  not  based  on  Minnesota  railroad  bonds,  but  on  Ohio 
"sixes"  and  the  bonds  of  the  original  $250,000  issue  of  Minnesota  state 
bonds,  under  act  of  March  13,  1858,  payable  in  1867.  Sewell,  Ferris  & 
Companv  were  also  proprietors  of  the  Nicollet  County  Bank,  at  St. 
Peter.  Under  the  $5,000,000  loan  to  the  railroads,  $2,272,000  in  bonds 
were  issued,  and  these  formed  a  portion  of  the  securities  placed  with 
the  state  auditor  for  the  redemption  of  the  circulation  of  the  banks.  The 
monetary  condition  was  now  felt  to  be  in  fairly  good  shape  and  active 
business  and  confidence  were  for  a  time  restored. 

But  in  the  fall  of  1859  began  another  season  of  financial  depression 
One  morning  it  was  announced  that  the  banking  house  of  Sewell,  Ferris 
&  Company,  in  New  York  City,  had  failed,  and,  as  they  were  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  Bank  of  Minnesota,  that  institution  closed  its  doors  in 
ten  minutes  after  the  reception  of  the  news.  They  were  also  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  Nicollet  County  Bank  at  St.  Peter,  which,  as  could 
readily  be  seen,  must  soon  be  closed.  Holders  of  notes  of  the  Bank  of 
Minnesota  swarmed  about  the  doors  of  the  bank  building.  Holders  of 
the  notes  of  other  banks  presented  themselves  at  the  "agencies,"  but 
with  one  exception  the  agencies  referred  all  requests  for  coin  to  the 
"places  of  issue."  This  exception  was  the  agency  of  the  People's  Bank 
of  St.  Peter.  Mr.  Edgerton  quietly  announced  that  all  notes  of  that 
bank  would  be  redeemed  in  coin  upon  presentation  to  the  agency  in  St. 
Paul. 

It  was  known  that  the  Nicollet  County  Bank  had  at  St.  Peter  about 
$5,000  in  gold,  as  a  redemption  fund.  When  the  news  came  foreboding 
the  suspension  of  this  bank,  there  was  a  race  for  this  coin.  Every  bank 
dispatched  a  swift  messenger  to  St.  Peter  with  all  of  the  notes  on  the 
Nicollet  county  institution  that  could  be  readily  obtained.  The  People's 
Bank  secured  the  prize.  Its  messenger,  D.  A.  Monfort,  gathered  up 
about  $5,000  of  the  Nicollet  bank  notes  and  set  out  for  St.  Peter  on 
horseback.  Riding  three  horses  to  exhaustion  and  not  drawing  bridle 
save  to  make  the  relays,  he  passed  every  other  carrier  on  the  road  and 
made  the  seventy-eight  miles  in  eight  hours.  He  secured  the  gold.  He 
was  greatly  fatigued,  but  the  following  morning  he  set  out  and  returned 
to  St.  Paul  just  in  time.  There  was  a  "run"  on  the  People's  Bank,  and 
the  last  dollar  was  in  sight  when  cashier  Monfort  staggered  in  with  his 
heavy  pair  of  saddle  bags.  The  reinforcement  was  believed  to  consist 
of  $25,000  instead  of  $5,000.     The  "run"  subsided  and  was  soon  over. 

Several  other  banks  in  the  city  and  at  different  points  in  the  state 
closed  and  their  outstanding  circulation  was  redeemed  by  the  state  au- 
ditor, who  sold  the  bonds  deposited  with  him  for  what  they  would  bring. 


292  ST.   PAUL  AND  N'ICIXITY 

This  redemption  was  effected  at   rates  much  below  par,  ranging  from 
fourteen  cents  to  forty  cents  on  the  dollar. 

B.\NKiNG  During  the  Civil  \V.\r 

Following  this  period  came  the  general  collajise  of  the  Illinois  banks, 
consequent  upon  the  depreciation  of  the  Southern  State  l^onds  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  war.  At  that  time  ]l]iiioi.s  and  Wisconsin  currency  con- 
stituted most  of  the  circulating  medium  in  Minnesota.  It  became 
known  as  "stump  tail,"  and  retained  that  somewhat  inelegant  but  per- 
haps appropriate  designation  until  its  final  disappearance  from  circula- 
tion. Issues  of  other  banks  of  a  somewhat  similar  character  were  de- 
nominated "wild  cat"  and  "shin-plaster." 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion  the  banks  in  St.  Paul  were  those 
of  Mr.  Edgcrton,  F.  and  G.  Willius,  Parker  Paine  and  Thompson  Bro- 
thers. In  i860  J.  E.  Thompson  came  to  the  city  and  purchased  an  in- 
terest in  Painc's  Bank,  the  firm  being  called  Thompson,  I'aine  &  Com- 
pany. Subsequently  his  brother,  Horace  Thompson  came,  and  the  bank- 
ing house  of  Thompson  Brothers  was  established.  In  1862  the  firm  or- 
ganized the  Bank  of  Minnesota.  Upon  the  passage  of  congress  of  the 
national  banking  act,  which  contained  a  provision  imposing  a  tax  of  ten 
per  cent  upon  the  circulation  of  state  banks,  the  banks  of  issue  in  St. 
Paul  wound  up  their  affairs,  redeeming  their  bills  at  par.  The  only 
state  Imnks  in  St.  Paul  at  the  time  were  the  Bank  of  Minnesota  and  the 
Marine  Bank,  the  former  with  $100,000  and  the  latter  with  $36,000 
capital.  On  December  8,  1863.  the  Thompson  Brothers  organized  the 
First  National  Bank  with  J.  E.  Thompson  as  ])resident,  Horace  Thomj)- 
son  as  cashier,  Charles  Scheffer  as  assistant  cashier,  and  H.  P.  Upham 
as  teller.     Other  national  banks  followed. 

In  the  year  1861  John  Holland,  Peter  Berry,  and  William  Dawson 
established  a  banking  house  in  St.  Paul,  under  the  firm  name  of  Holland, 
Berry  &  Dawson  Company.  In  1862  Mr.  Holland  withdrew,  and  the 
firm  became  Berry,  Dawson  &  Company.  In  about  1863  the  style  of  the 
firm  became  Dawson  &  Company  bankers,  which  name  it  bore  until  No- 
vember. 1882,  when  the  organization  of  the  Bank  of  Minnesota  was 
effected.  The  incorporators  and  first  officers  of  the  bank  under  the 
ciiarter  were  William  Dawson,  president,  Robert  A.  Smith,  vice  pres- 
ident and  Albert  Scheffer,  cashier.  For  many  years  William  Dawson 
was  an  important  factor  in  the  finances,  business  affairs  and  public  life 
of  St.  Paul.  He  became  the  largest  real  estate  owner ;  was  alderiuan 
and  mayor ;  was  prominent  in  every  movement  for  the  general  good  and 
helped  scores  of  men,  afterwards  successful,  in  their  early  efforts  to 
get  on. 

Er.\    of    FiNANCI.M.    .^TAIUI.ITV 

Having  passed  through  the  period  of  over-speculation,  and  having 
endured  all  the  evils  attendant  upon  the  use  of  an  insecure,  mixed,  and 
debased  currency,  a  new  era  of  sound  banking  was  inaugurated  under 
the  national  banking  act,  which  was  universally  welcomed.  Since  that 
era  began  the  banking  institutions  of  St.  Paul  have  lieen  among  the  most 
important  agencies  in  the  development,  not  only  of  the  commercial  in- 
terests of  the  citv,  but  of  almost  every  important  business  enterprise  in 
the  northwest.  Controlled  and  conducted,  as  a  rule,  by  men  of  enlarged 
views    and    liberal    luinds,   although    of   eniiiu'nt    conscrv.itism   and    i)ru- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  293 

dence,  their  management  has  been  characterized  by  a  ready  appreciation 
of  existing  conditions  and  a  wilHngness.  in  all  cases  of  emergency,  to 
lend  their  resources  for  sustaining  public  and  private  credit  to  the  fullest 
extent  permitted  by  a  reasonable  prudence.  Notwithstanding  this  en- 
terprise, St.  Paul  banks  have  a  record  equalled  in  few  cities,  for  keeping 
their  reserve  well  above  the  legal  requirements. 

The  banks  of  the  city  in  1873  were  the  First  National,  Second  Na- 
tional, Merchants'  National,  National  Marine,  Farmers'  and  Mechanics', 
German-American,  Parker  Paine's,  Dawson  &  Company,  Savings  Bank 
of  St.  Paul,  and  Culver,  Farrington  &  Company.  These  banks  reported 
their  average  deposits  at  $3,432,140,  and  their  loans  and  discounts  at 
$3,603,079. 

There  have  been  a  few  failures  among  the  numerous  national,  state 
and  private  banks  which  have  existed  in  the  city,  and  there  have  been 
several  consolidations  and  voluntary  liquidations.  In  most  of  the  fail- 
ures, the  depositors  have  been  paid  in  full,  or  nearly  so,  from  the  assets 
of  the  bank,  sometimes  aided  by  assessments  on  the  stockholders.  The 
failures  were  all  caused  by  over-confidence  on  the  part  of  bank  manag- 
ers in  extending  credit — in  not  a  single  case,  that  is  now  recalled,  was 
disaster  due  to  deliberate  embezzlement  or  misappropriation  of  funds. 
Of  the  banks  now  in  operation  in  St.  Paul,  the  following  concise  sketches 
are  given : 

The  National  Banks 

The  First  National  Bank  was  chartered  February  25.  1863,  but  was 
not  regularly  opened  until  January,  1864.  The  first  officers  were  James 
E.  Thompson,  president.  Horace  Thompson,  cashier,  Charles  Scheffer, 
assistant  cashier,  and  H.  P.  Upham,  teller.  The  original  capital  was  $250,- 
000.  but  the  business  was  prosperous :  in  September,  1864,  the  capital  was 
increased  to  $500,000,  and  the  following  year  a  further  increase  was  made 
to  $600,000.  In  January,  1873,  upon  the  consolidation  of  the  City  Bank 
of  St.  Paul  with  the  First  National  the  capital  was  increased  to  $1,000,000. 
Mr.  J.  E.  Thompson  continued  in  the  presidency  of  the  bank  until  his 
death.  May  27,  1870.  In  January,  1869,  Mr.  H.  P.  Upham  was  made 
assistant  cashier.  In  January,  1873,  when  the  City  Bank  was  absorbed, 
there  was  a  reorganization,  and  Horace  Thompson  was  made  president ; 
H.  P.  Upham,  cashier.  Mr.  Horace  Thompson,  the  second  president, 
died  in  December,  1879,  and  May  12,  1880,  H.  P.  Upham  was  elected 
president,  and  E.  H.  Bailey  succeeded  to  the  position  of  cashier.  Mr. 
Upham  retained  the  presidency  until  his  death  in  1910,  when  E.  H.  Bailey 
became  president  and  William  A.  Miller,  cashier. 

The  Second  National  Bank  was  organized  virtually  out  of  the  People's 
Bank  in  December,  1864.  E.  S.  Edgerton  was  president,  John  Nicols, 
vice  president,  and  D.  A.  Monfort,  cashier.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Edger- 
ton, in  1892,  Mr.  Monfort  became  president  and  held  the  position  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  present  officers  are:  W.  B.  Dean,  pres- 
ident, and  C.  H.  Buckley,  cashier.  The  capital  stock  has  always  been 
kept  small,  but  the  deposits  have  been  very  large  in  proportion  thereto ; 
hence  its  resources  have  been  great  and  its  stock  has  commanded  a  very 
high  premium.  It  is  one  of  the  strong  banks  of  the  country  and  has 
been  one  of  the  most  useful  to  the  city.  In  October,  1912,  James  J.  Hill 
purchased  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Second  National  Bank  with  a  view 
to  greatly  enlarging  its  resources  and  connecting  with  it  a  new  trust  com- 


294  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

pan)-.  It  will  thus  be  enabled  to  handle  large  financial  operations  hereto- 
fore conducted  in  New  York. 

The  National  German  American  Bank  originated  from  the  old  and 
reliable  private  bank  of  Willius  Brothers  and  Dunbar.  On  November  i, 
1873,  that  firm  was  succeeded  by  the  German  American  Bank,  which  was 
organized  under  the  laws  of  the  state  with  a  paid  up  capital  of  ?200.ooo 
The  first  officers  were  Ferdinand  Willius,  president.  General  John  B. 
Sanborn,  vice  president,  and  Gustav  Willius,  cashier.  From  that  time 
the  bank  took  its  place  as  one  of  the  substantial  institutions  of  the  state. 
In  1880  it  was  occupying  a  new  and  neat  building  of  its  own  on  Third 
street  between  Minnesota  and  Jackson  streets.  In  January,  1883,  it  was 
decided  to  increase  the  capital  to  $500,000,  but  before  this  arrangement 
was  consummated  another  was  substituted,  resulting  in  the  transforma- 
tion into  a  national  bank  with  $2,000,000  capital — afterwards  reduced  to 
$1,000,000.  In  1S83  the  splendid  building  corner  of  Fourth  and  Robert 
streets,  which  has  since  borne  its  name  and  been  occupied  by  it,  was 
erected.  The  present  officers  are :  J.  W.  Lusk,  president,  and  D.  S.  Cul- 
ver, cashier. 

The  Merchants'  National  Bank  began  business  July  24,  1872,  with  a 
capital  of  $250,000,  which  was  increased  July  i,  1873,  to  $500,000.  and 
in  the  summer  of  1880  to  $1,000,000.  The  first  officers  were  Maurice 
Auerbach.  president,  Walter  Mann,  vice  president,  and  Charles  Nicols, 
cashier.  William  R.  Merriam  became  president  in  1880  and  held  the 
position  until  1896,  meantime  serving  four  years  as  governor  of  the  state. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Kenneth  Clark,  the  present  incumbent,  who  has 
largely  increased  its  already  high  prestige  in  the  business  world.  The  cash- 
ier is  H.  W.  Parker. 

The  St.  Paul  National  Bank  was  organized  and  went  into  operation 
June  I,  1883,  with  its  present  capital,  $500,000.  The  first  officers  were: 
Peter  Berkey,  president,  Frank  P..  Clarke,  vice  president,  and  F.  W. 
Anderson,  cashier.  It  afterwards,  by  consolidation  with  the  Capital  Bank 
founded  by  L.  E.  Reed  and  W.  D.  Kirk,  became  the  Capital  National  Bank. 
It  is  located  in  the  Capital  National  Bank  Iniilding  at  Robert  and  l-'ifth 
streets.  It  has  a  capital  of  $500,000.  Its  officers  are:  J.  R.  Mitchell, 
president,  J.  L.  Mitchell,  cashier. 

The  American  National  Bank  was  organized  May  4,  1903.  Its  capital 
is  $200,000.  It  is  located  at  Fifth  and  Cedar  streets.  The  officers  are: 
Ben  Baer,  president,  and  Louis  H.  Ickler,  cashier.  Among  the  direct- 
ors are  J.  W.  Cooper,  Benjamin  L.  Goodkind  and  J.  H.  Weed.  The 
Northern  Savings  Bank  is  an  affiliated  institution. 

The  Stockyards  National  Bank  is  located  in  the  Exchange  building 
at  South  St.  Paul.  It  was  organized  in  1807  with  a  capital  of  $100,000, 
and  does  a  large  business  in  connection  with  the  stock-buying  and  jiack- 
ing  industries  of  the  suburb  it  specially  represents.  The  officers  are : 
J.  J.  Flanagan,  president,  and  William  E.  Briggs,  cashier. 

State  Banks 

The  Commercial  State  Bank,  organized  June  i,  1911,  has  a  capital 
of  $25,000,  and  docs  business  at  177  W'est  Seventh  street.  Seven  Corn- 
ers.    J.  R.  Sullivan  is  i^residcnt  and  M.  E.  Walsh,  cashier. 

The  Scandinavian  American  Bank  was  organized  June  29.  1887.  Its 
paid  up  capital  was  $100,000  and  its  authorized  capital  $600,000.  It  has 
been  a  conservative  and  prosperous  institution.     It  now  occupies  the  fine 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


295 


block  at  Jackson  and  Sixth  streets,  built  originally  by  and  for  the  Bank 
of  Minnesota.  The  ofificers  at  present  are  A.  L.  Alness,  president,  and 
J.  A.  Swanson,  cashier. 

The  State  Savings  Bank  was  organized  April  19,  1890,  and  has  al- 
ways shown  an  enterprising  though  conservative  management  that  has 
built  up  a  very  large  clientage  among  the  thrifty  classes,  and  has  been 
of  great  benefit  to  them  and  to  the  city.  It  is  exclusively  for  savings  and 
its  funds  are  carefully  invested.  It  has  a  solid  building  at  93  East  Fourth 
street.  The  officers  are :  Chas.  P.  Noyes,  president,  and  Louis  Betz,  treas- 
urer. 

The  Dayton's  Bluff  State  Bank,  at  919  East  Seventh  street,  corner  of 
Reaney,  was  organized  October  20,  1910,  with  a  capital  of  $25,000. 
Henry  Ehlers  is  president  and  P.  O.  Skoglund,  cashier. 

The  East  St.  Paul  State  Bank,  883  Payne  avenue,  was  organized 
May  2,  1905,  and  is  largely  patronized  by  tlie  people  of  the  Arlington 


SE\-ENTH   STREET,   WEST  FROM   ROBERT 

Hills  district.  Its  capital  is  $25,000,  and  its  officers  are:  J.  A.  Reagan, 
president,  and  A.  S.  Swanstrom,  cashier. 

The  Merriam  Park  State  Bank,  393  North  Prior  avenue,  organized 
April  I.  1899,  has  had  a  prosperous  career  for  twelve  years.  Capital, 
$25,000.  Officers:  C.  W.  .Moore,  president,  W.  J.  McFetridge,  Ir., 
cashier. 

The  Hamline  State  Bank,  727  North  Snelling  avenue,  was  organized 
May  3,  1909,  and  has  $25,000  capital.  Officers :  C.  W.  Moore,  president, 
V.  E.  Nendeck,  cashier. 

The  First  State  Bank  of  North  St.  Paul  was  organized  in  Septem- 
ber, 1910,  in  the  prosperous  residence  and  manufacturing  suburb  of 
North  St.  Paul.  Its  capital  is  $15,000  and  it  occupies  a  neatlv  finished 
office  building  at  Seventh  and  Margaret  streets.  John  Luger  is' president 
and  C.  S.  Di.xon,  cashier. 

The  Ramsey  County  State  Bank  is  at  755-761  Wabasha  street.  It 
was  organized  in  1909,  with  a  capital  of  $25,000,  and  has  a  savings  de- 
partment.   Peter  Manderfield  is  president  and  H.  H.  Manderfield,  cashier. 


296  ST.  PAUL  AND  MCIXITY 

The  Snelling  State  Bank  of  St.  Paul.  1584  University  avenue,  was 
organized  in  May,  1910.  Capital.  $25,000.  Officers:  J.  D.  P)arrctt.  pres- 
ident, A.  L.  Jenks,  cashier. 

The  Twin  City  State  Bank,  at  University  and  Raymond  avenues,  has 
$25,000  capital.     A.  J.  Reeves  is  president  and  L.  C.  Simons,  cashier. 

The  First  State  Bank  at  White  Bear  Lake  was  established  in  1908. 
It  has  a  capital  of  $25,000.     H.  .\.  Warner  is  cashier  and  manager. 

St.  P.m'l  Clearing-House 

The  St.  Paul  Clearing-I louse  is  an  institution  established  by  tlie  banks 
for  the  settlement  of  mutual  claims  by  the  payment  of  the  difference  be- 
tween them.  The  total  of  the  claims  is  called  "clearings,"  and  the  dif- 
ferences are  called  "balances."  The  clearings  consist  mainly  of  checks 
held  by  the  different  banks,  which  have  been  received  in  the  way  of  or- 
dinary deposit.  The  process  of  clearing  is  very  sini])le.  At  10:30 
o'clock  A.  ^r.  every  bank  which  is  a  meml)er  of  the  association  sends  to 
the  clearing-house,  by  a  messenger,  all  the  checks  on  other  banks  which 
are  mcmljcrs  that  have  been  received  since  the  last  clearing.  There  is 
a  mutual  interchange  of  checks  and  when  this  is  completed  each  bank 
will  have  received  all  of  the  checks  held  against  it  by  the  other  members, 
and  of  course  will  have  delivered  all  of  the  checks  and  exchanges  it 
holds.  Each  bank  is  then  credited  on  the  books  of  the  clearing-house 
with  the  amount  due  to  it  from  the  other  banks,  and  is  charged  with  the 
amount  it  owes  them.  If  a  balance  is  due  to  a  particular  bank  it  is  said 
to  have  "gained ;"  but  if  there  be  a  balance  against  it,  it  is  said  to  have 
"lost"  the  difference.  It  is  apparent  that  what  one  bank  gains  another 
loses,  and  the  sum  total  of  the  losses  must  equal  the  gains,  and  vice 
versa.  The  balances  against  the  losing  banks,  which  are  paid  by  them 
to  the  clearing-house,  are  therefore  paid  to  those  banks  which  have 
gained.  Within  a  certain  hour  the  debtor  banks  must  pay  into  the 
clearing-house  the  sum  due  from  them,  and  at  a  later  hour  with  the  sums 
so  received  the  creditor  banks  are  paid. 

A  clearing-house  is  a  purely  voluntary  association,  and  its  success  is 
dependent  ujion  the  faithful  ])erformancc  by  its  mcnil)ers  of  their  duties 
and  obligations.  It  has  a  constitution  and  a  system  of  written  rules  and 
regulations,  any  infraction  of  which  may  be  punished  by  a  fine  or  other- 
wise. -Any  member,  too,  may  be  expelled  from  the  association  for  suf- 
ficient reason.  The  affairs  of  the  association  are  chiefly  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  manager  and  of  the  clearing-house  committee.  The  latter 
is  composed  of  three  members  upon  whom  devolve  the  details  of  the 
work. 

The  organization  of  the  St.  Paul  Clcaring-House  was  effected  Janu- 
ary 27,  1874,  and  its  first  session  for  business  was  held  Februarv  16, 
following.  The  first  officers  were  Walter  Mann,  jiresident ;  D.  .A.  Mon- 
fort,  vice  president ;  H.  P.  Upham,  manager.  The  first  committee  was 
composed  of  L.  E.  Reed,  Ferd.  W'illius.  and  Albert  Scheffer.  It  is  now 
located  in  the  First  National  Bank  building,  at  Fourth  and  Minnesota 
streets.     W.  A.  Miller  is  manager. 

Trust  Companies 

The  Xorthwcstcrn  Trust  Company,  144-146  Endicott  l)uil(ling(^ Fourth 
street!,  organized  May  4,  1903,  has  a  cai)ital  of  $200,000.  Its  iiresident 
is  E.  11.  I'ailey:  secretary,  I.  C.  Ochler;  treasurer,  John  Townsen<l. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  297 

The  Security  Trust  Company  was  organized  in  January,  1890,  largely 
through  the  intiuence  and  exertions  of  E.  J.  Hodgson,  who  retained  the 
management  until  his  death  in  1901.  Its  capital  is  $250,000.  It  is 
now  located  in  the  Capital  Bank  building,  at  Fifth  and  Robert  streets. 
The  officers  are :  F.  Y.  Locke,  president ;  Ambrose  Tighe,  vice  president ; 
Chas.  D.  Matteson,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

There  are  a  number  of  private  banks,  loan  companies  and  loan  agen- 
cies, some  of  which,  judging  from  past  experience  will  utimately  develop 
into  strong  and  healthy  banks.  Upon  the  whole,  therefore,  St.  Paul,  at 
present  as  in  the  past,  is  well  supplied  with  the  essential  element  of  com- 
mercial and  industrial  prosperity — a  sound  banking  system. 

There  are  thus  in  St.  Paul  and  its  immediate  suburbs,  six  national 
banks,  eleven  state  banks,  four  savings  banks  and  two  trust  companies, 
all,  seemingly  doing  a  prosperous  business,  each  contributing  its  quota 
to  the  city's  commercial  and  industrial  advancement.  The  aggregate 
deposits  exceed  $50,000,000.  Their  immense  resources,  conservatively 
handled,  are  at  the  command  of  such  legitimate  enterprises  as  help  to 
build  up  the  ever  augmenting  prestige  of  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Hill's  proposed 
enlargement  of  the  functions  and  resources  of  the  Second  National  Bank 
must  necessarilv  greatly  enhance  the  city's  financial  prestige. 


298 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


POST  OFFICE 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

POST  OFFICE  AND  POSTAL  SERVICE 

Dr.  David  Day — Henry  Jackson  and  Early  "Conveniences" — Post 
Offices  and  Revenues — History  of  the  Postal  Service — "Bad 
AIedicine"  in  the  Service — "Good  Medicine"  in  St.  Paul  Office 

The  St.  Paul  Post  Office  was  established  April  7,  1846.  Previous  to 
that  time,  letters  for  residents  of  the  village,  as  also  letters  for  H.  H. 
Sibley  at  Mendota,  were  usually  addressed  to  "Fort  Snelling,  Iowa." 
The  postmasters  of  St.  Paul,  from  the  establishment  of  the  office  to  the 
present  time  have  been  (with  date  of  commission)  :  Henry  Jackson, 
April  7,  1846;  Jacob  W.  Bass,  July  5,  1849;  Wm.  H.  Forbes,  March  18, 
1853;  Chas.  S.  Cave,  March  11,  1856;  Wm.  M.  Corcoran,  March  12, 
i860;  Chas.  Nichols,  April  2,  1861  ;  Jacob  H.  Stewart,  March  14,  1865; 
Jos.  A.  Wheelock,  March  4,  1870;  David  Day,  July  i,  1875;  Wm.  Lee, 
January  i,  1888;  Henry  A.  Castle,  March  i,  1892;  Robert  A.  Smith, 
November  i,  1896;  Andrew  R.  McGill,  July  i,  1900;  Mark  D.  Flower, 
January  10,  1906  and  Edward  Yanish,  April  i,  1907. 

Dr.  David  Day 

Dr.  David  Day,  who  had  the  distinction  of  the  longest  service  as  post- 
master, thirteen  years,  was  a  imique  character,  well  entitled  to  special 
mention.  He  was  born  in  Burke's  Garden,  Virginia,  September  19,  1825, 
and  his  boyhood  was  passed  in  the  same  place.  In  1846  he  removed  to 
the  lead  region  of  Wisconsin,  where  he  followed  mining  for  three  years, 
studying  medicine  at  leisure  times,  and  attending  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Pensylvania  in  winter.  He  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  1849.  He  came  to  St.  Paul  in  the  spring  of  that  year 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  medicii>e,  which  he  pursued  with  much 
success  for  several  years.  In  1S34  he  entered  the  drug  business,  and 
withdrew  from  the  practice  of  medicine.  During  this  period  he  also 
held  one  or  two  important  public  positions.  In  1849  he  was  appointed 
register  of  deeds,  and  the  same  fall  elected  for  two  years  more.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  legislature  of  1852  and  1853  from  Benton  county, 
in  which  he  was  temporarily  residing,  the  latter  year  being  elected 
speaker.  He  retired  from  the  drug  business  in  1866.  In  1871  he  was 
appointed  state  prison  inspector.  In  1874  he  was  appointed  one  of  the 
commissioners  of  state  fisheries,  and  also  "seed  wheat  commissioner"  to 
provide  the  sufferers  from  the  grasshopper  raid  with  seed — both  hon- 
orary appointments,  without  compensation.  On  June  i,  1875,  he  was 
appointed  postmaster  of  -St.  Paul,  serving  until  January  i,  1888.  Dr. 
Dav  was  a  close  observer  and  diligent  student  of  questions  and  problems 

299 


300  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

in  social  science,  philosophy  and  political  economy,  and  at  the  same  time 
was  one  of  our  most  successful,  sagacious  and  enterprising  business  men. 
He  naturally  made  a  good  postmaster.     He  died  in  1893. 

During  the  incumbency  of  postmaster  J.  A.  Wheelock,  editor  of  the 
Daily  Press,  the  active  management  of  the  post  office  devolved  on  his 
associate,  Frederick  DriscoU,  assistant  postmaster.  Mr.  Driscoll  was  a 
fine  business  man  and  gave  all  needed  attention  to  the  office,  while  also 
managing  with  success,  the  affairs  of  his  growing  newspaper  establish- 
ment. 

Patrick  O'Brien  was  a  clerk  in  ilie  office  under  [lostmastcr  Charles 
Nichols,  and  cashier  under  Air.  Wheelock.  He  became  assistant  post- 
master in  1875,  and  has  held  that  responsible  position  ever  since — a 
creditable  record  of  continuous  service  for  thirty-seven  years. 

St.  Paul  was  not  the  first  post  office  established  in  this  region,  as 
some  have  supposed.  "Lake  Saint  Croix  post  office,"  afterwards  called 
Point  Douglas,  was  established  on  July  18,  1840,  and  Saint  Croix  Falls 
on  July  18,  1840.  Stillwater  was  made  a  post  office  January  14,  1846, 
about  four  months  before  St.  Paul. 

Hexrv  Jacksox  .\xd  E.\rlv  "Conveniences" 

Henry  Jackson,  the  first  postmaster,  who  had  previously  allowed  mail 
for  the  settlers  to  be  left  at  his  store  by  steamboat  officers  and  transient 
travelers,  upon  receipt  of  his  commission  felt  impelled  to  establish  some 
official  conveniences  and  set  about  making  the  first  case  of  pigeon-holes 
that  the  St.  Paul  postoffice  used.  Out  of  old  packing  cases  or  odd  boards, 
he  constructed  a  rude  case  about  two  feet  square  containing  sixteen  pigeon- 
holes. These  were  labeled  with  initial  letters.  The  whole  afTair  was 
awkwardly  constructed,  apparently  with  a  wood-saw,  axe  and  knife,  for 
temporary  use  and  after  serving  for  two  or  three  years  it  was  laid  aside. 
Fortunately  it  was  not  lost  or  destroyed,  and  after  St.  Paul  became  a  flour- 
ishing city  the  widow  of  Mr.  Jackson  (Mrs.  Hinckley,  of  Mankato),  gave 
it  to  the  Historical  Society  as  a  relic  of  early  days.  It  now  graces  the 
cabinet  of  that  institution,  and  is  about  the  most  decidedly  "historical" 
relic  of  the  collection  telling,  as  it  does,  the  whole  story  of  the  wonderful 
growth  of  the  city. 

The  mail  service  of  that  period  was  very  crude,  ami  its  volume  was 
small.  Letters  were  merely  folded  sheets  of  pajier.  In  a  bundle  they 
were  "packets ;"  all  the  packets  in  one  dispatch  made  a  "mail ;"  the  mail 
boats  were  "packet  boats,"  then  "packets."  In  1847  the  law  i)rovi(lcd  ad- 
hesive stamjjs  and  that  letters  should  be  in  sealed  envelopes;  in  1833  it 
provided  stamjjcd  envelopes.  These  im])rovements  secured  privacv  in 
the  message  anfl  exi^edited  handling,  essential  principles  thai  were  only 
forgotten  when  the  postal  card  and  post  card  were  conceived. 

Post  Office  and  Revenues 

When  J.  W.  Bass  succeeded  Jackson  as  ])ostmastcr,  he  removed  the 
office  to  a  specially  constructed  annex  of  the  hotel  of  wliicii  he  was  land- 
lorfl,  afterwards  the  Merchants.  Wallace  ]{.  White  was  his  deputy  and 
had  active  charge  of  the  office. 

In  December.  1863.  under  the  Lincoln  administration  (Charles  .Nich- 
ols,  iiostmastcr ),   the   office   first   harl   a    rcil   and   distinctive   home   in  a 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  301 

rented  building,  the  stone  block  on  Third  street  west  of  Market,  after- 
wards long  occupied  as  the  central  police  station. 

In  1868  the  postoffice  was  removed  to  the  Opera  House  building  on 
Wabasha  street  near  Fourth,  now  the  Bethel  Hotel. 

On  February  9,  1870,  the  St.  Paul  Custom  House  was  so  far  com- 
pleted that  the  postoffice  was  removed  to  it — a  change  hailed  with  joy. 
The  Custom  House  had  occupied  five  years  in  construction  and  cost 
$350,000. 

These  quarters  having  been  outgrown,  the  present  splendid  structure 
fronting  Rice  Park,  itself  twice  enlarged  during  the  eight  years  required 
for  construction,  was  built,  and  the  postoffice  was  removed  thereto  with 
formal  ceremonies  in  1902.  These  ceremonies  were  presided  over  by 
former  Governor  A.  R.  McGill,  tlien  postmaster  and  were  participated 
in  by  Alexander  Ramsey,  by  former  postmasters,  and  by  representatives 
of  the  postoffice  department  at  Washington.  The  city  donated  the  site 
of  this  building  to  the  United  States. 

The  revenues  of  its  postoffice  are  the  one  unfailing  and  unalterable 
index  of  a  city's  growth  and  prosperity.  Postal  business  increases,  un- 
erringly, with  the  population  and  commercial  activity  of  every  town, 
and  the  mail  revenues  cannot  be  padded,  since  every  dollar  of  receipts 
must  be  strictly  accounted  for.  The  following  table  shows  the  receipts 
of  the  St.  Paul  postoffice  for  each  of  the  years  named:  1850,  $429.07; 
1855,  $3,814.07;  i8fx),  $5,254.47;  1865,  $12,082.32;  1870,  $33,000.00; 
1875,  $58,922.63;  1880,  $102,450.22;  1885,  $200,407.94;  1890,  $306,382.- 
83:  1895,  $393,229.18;  1900,  $506,725.18;  1905,  $757,616.48;  and  191 1, 
$1,406,334.81. 

But  the  revenues  of  the  office,  being  the  receipts  from  sales  of  stamps 
and  stamped  paper,  constitute  only  a  fraction  of  its  financial  transactions. 
The  money  order  business  proper  of  St.  Paul,  and  the  deposits,  dis- 
bursements and  remittances  of  surplus  postal  funds  and  money  order 
funds  from  hundreds  of  smaller  postoffices,  together  with  the  payment 
of  monthly  salaries  of  the  local  employes,  of  many  railway  mail  clerks 
and  of  all  the  rural  letter  carriers  in  Minnesota — all  combined,  constitute 
a  banking  and  exchange  business  that  foots  up  at  least  $25,000,000  every 
year. 

And  now  comes  the  postal  savings  bank,  established  in  St.  Paul, 
September  i,  191 1,  to  swell  this  great  volume  of  money-handling.  Any 
resident  of  the  city  ten  years  old  or  more  may  open  an  account,  but  it 
must  be  done  in  person.  No  more  than  one  account  will  be  accepted. 
Married  women  may  open  an  account  aside  from  that  of  their  husbands, 
but  corporations,  associations,  societies,  firms  and  partnerships  are  bar- 
red. The  minimum  deposit  is  $1.  No  deposits  bringing  the  balance 
above  $500  are  accepted,  and  no  more  than  $100  can  be  deposited  in  a 
month.  Withdrawals  can  be  made  at  any  time.  New  accounts  cannot 
l--"  noened  by  mail,  but  once  one  has  been  opened  a  depositor  may  make 
additional  deposits  by  mail.  Though  $500  is  the  limit  put  on  anv  single 
.savings  account,  a  method  has  been  provided  for  taking  care  of  the  sav- 
ings of  a  larger  amount.  The  whole  or  any  part  of  a  depositor's  savings 
may  be  exchanged  for  United  States  registered  or  coupon  bonds  in  sums 
of  $20.  $40.  $60,  $100  or  multiple  of  $100  up  to  and  including  $500. 
These  bonds  bear  interest  at  the  rate  of  two  and  one-half  per  cent,  annu- 
ally, payable  semi-annually. 

The  following  is  the  present  official  roster  of  the  St.  Paul  post- 
office  :     Postmaster,  Edward  Vanish ;  assistant  postmaster,   P.  O'Brien ; 


302  ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 

cashier,  F.  L.  Krayenbuhl ;  finance  clerk,  D.  F.  Polk ;  superintedent  of 
mailing  division,  O.  H.  Xegaard ;  superintendent  of  free  delivery  divis- 
ion, W.  A.  Hickey;  superintendent  money  order  division,  J.  B.  Fandel; 
foreman  inquiry  division,  Walter  S.  Ryan;  superintendent  second  class 
matter.  Jno.  Mesenbourg;  superintendent  Postal  Savings  Bank,  T.  P. 
O'Regan. 

Early  in  191 2,  Henry  J.  Hadlich,  who  had  been  for  20  3'ears  connected 
with  the  office,  had  shown  exceptional  ability  and  had  risen  to  the 
position  of  superintendent  of  delivery,  resigned  to  accept  a  business  offer, 
and  was  given  a  flattering  farewell  testimonial  by  his  associates. 

There  are  five  full  stations,  or  branch  postoffices  in  operation  in  va- 
rious sections  of  the  city,  to  each  of  which  a  considerable  number  of 
clerks  and  carriers  are  attached.  They  are:  Commercial,  315  Rosabel 
street,  Joseph  Brown,  sui)crintcndent ;  St.  .\nthony  Hill.  627  Selby  ave- 
nue, G.  F.  Jennings,  superintendent;  West  Side.  426  South  Wabasha 
street,  W.  G.  Waller,  su])erintendenl ;  Alerriam  Park,  395  Prior  avenue, 
J.  B.  Fowler,  superintendent ;  Bradley  street,  597  East  Seventh  street, 
F.  H.  Grant,  superintendent.  There  are  also  thirty-six  sub-stations, 
located  in  drug  stores,  department  stores  and  business  blocks  at  conven- 
ient points  throughout  the  city,  where  stamps,  envelopes,  wrappers  and 
money  orders  are  sold  and  letters  are  registered. 

In  the  aggregate  there  are  277  clerks  attached  to  the  St.  Paul  post- 
office ;  210  city  letter  carriers,  and  5  carriers  of  the  rural  free  delivery 
service  who  penetrate  the  farming  districts  adjacent,  but  receive  their 
mail  at  St.  Paul  postal  stations. 

The  revenues  of  the  St.  Paul  postoffice  have  shown  a  steady  in- 
crease, month  by  month,  during  1911  and  1912 — averaging  ten  per  cent, 
increase  over  the  corresponding  month  of  the  previous  year.  This  neces- 
sarily involves  a  similar  expansion  of  the  work  to  be  done,  and  of  the 
number  of  employes.  .\  reorganization  of  the  clerical  force,  put  in  opera- 
tion by  the  Post  Office  Department,  as  in  all  the  leading  city  offices,  dur- 
ing the  spring  of  191 2,  is  intended  and  expected  to  stimulate  efficiency 
in  the  service. 

St.  Paul  is  one  of  the  distributing  terminals  of  the  system  of  trans- 
porting magazines  by  fast  freight  in  carload  lots.  The  plan  is  to  have 
shipped  in  this  manner,  wherever  possible,  second  class  mail  directly  to 
one  terminal  from  the  point  of  publication  without  handling  enroute,  all 
the  distribution  to  be  done  at  the  terminal.  This  lessens  the  cost  of  trans- 
portation materially,  and  is  so  arranged  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  satis- 
factory handling  of  the  mail. 

In  the  postoffice  building  of  .St.  Paul  there  are  located  the  head- 
quarters of  several  branches  of  the  postal  service,  which  are  only  indi- 
rectly, if  at  all.  connected  with  the  local  administration.  They  arc,  in 
effect,  subsidiary  divisions  of  the  postoffice  department  at  Washington, 
reporting  to  and  receiving  orders  direct  from  the  bureaus  to  wiiich  they 
are  severally  attached.  .\  detailed  stateiuent  of  their  organization  and 
functions  will  appear  in  the  next  succeeding  chapter. 

History  of  the  Post.al  Service 

The  postal  service,  as  a  whole,  is  a  subject  well  worth  the  careful 
study  of  every  citizen,  both  for  its  historic  interest,  and  for  its  practical 
value  as  an  object  lesson  in  the  science  of  business  as  well  as  of  govern- 
ment.    Letters  were  written  on  clav  tablets  bv  the  Babylonians  at  least 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  303 

5000  B.  C,  for  some  of  these  letters  have  been  found  in  their  clay  en- 
velopes. Other  nations  exchanged  information  in  writing,  sending  letters 
by  messengers.  But  it  has  remained  for  very  modern  times  to  have  a  real 
postal  service,  with  prepaid  envelopes  or  stamps.  The  postoffice  is  an 
example  of  the  mode  in  which  things  change  while  names  remain.  It 
was  originally  the  office  that  arranged  the  posts  or  places  where,  on  the 
great  roads  of  England,  relays  of  horses  and  men  could  be  obtained  for 
the  rapid  forwarding  of  government  despatches.  There  was  a  chief  post- 
master of  England  many  years  before  any  system  of  conveyance  of  pri- 
vate letters  by  the  crown  was  established.  Such  letters  were  conveyed 
either  by  couriers,  who  used  the  same  horses  throughout  their  whole  jour- 
ney, or  by  relays  of  horses  maintained  by  private  individuals — that  is, 
by  private  post.  The  scheme  of  carrying  the  correspondence  of  the  pub- 
lic by  means  of  crown  messengers  originated  in  connection  with  foreign 
trade.  A  postoffice  for  letters  to  foreign  parts  was  established  "for  the 
benefit  of  the  English  merchants"  in  the  reign  of  James  I,  but  the  exten- 
sion of  the  system  to  inland  letters  was  left  to  the  succeeding  reign. 
Charles  I,  by  a  proclamation  issued  in  1635,  may  be  said  to  have  founded 
the  present  post  office. 

The  American  mail  system,  during  the  colonial  days,  was  very  imper- 
fect. A  so-called  post  offtce  was  established  in  Boston,  early  in  the  eight- 
eenth century,  and  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  etc.,  somewhat  later,  but 
the  means  of  communication  were  very  infrequent  and  irregular.  It  was 
not  until  Benjamin  Franklin  was  appointed  by  the  king,  postmaster  general 
of  the  colonies  in  1753,  that  any  real  attempt  at  systematic  transportation 
was  made. 

When  the  United  States  government  was  organized,  in  1787,  a  post- 
master general  was  authorized.  But  he  was  not  for  many  years  the  head 
of  a  real  executive  department,  and  had  no  seat  in  the  president's  cabinet. 
Postal  receipts  were  not  regularly  accounted  for  until  1836,  but  expendi- 
tures were  made  at  the  discretion  of  the  postmaster  general,  and  only 
the  annual  surplus  was  deposited  in  the  national  treasury. 

The  following  are  interesting  items  of  chronology  bearing  on  postal 
affairs,  directly  or  indirectly. 

1828 — New  York  morning  papers  delivered  at  Philadelphia  in  the 
evening  of  the  same  day.  Mail  carried  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburg 
in  fifty-two  hours. 

1833 — November  26,  First  newspaper  in  Chicago.  December  11, 
first  newspaper  in  Wisconsin  (Green  Bay). 

1836 — Rural  delivery  in  Belgium;  made  daily  in  1842. 

1837 — February  13,  Rowland  Hill  recommended  postage  stamps.  July 
12,  act  consolidating  all  British  postal  acts  from  1710, 

1838 — December  6,  Money  order  business  of  British  postoffice  begun. 

1839 — August  17.  Preliminary  penny  postage  act  passed  by  parlia- 
ment. 

1839 — March  4,  William  F.  Harnden  started  on  his  first  express  trip, 
Boston  to  New  York.  Out  of  this  has  grown  the  express  business  in  the 
United  States. 

1842 — August  16,  Drop-letter  service  fcollection  and  delivery  by 
postoffice)   introduced  in  New  York. 

1844 — June  14,  The  postmaster  general  authorized  to  make  postal 
arrangements  with  certain  foreign  powers. 

1845 — November  7,  Buffalo-Lockport  electric  telegraph,  first  com- 
mercial line  in  the  United  States. 


304  Sr.    I'Ari.   AXD  \1CI.\"ITV 

1846 — August  15,  First  newspaper  in  California.  In  February  of  the 
same  year,  newspaper  printing  was  begun  in  Oregon. 

1846 — April  7,  Postoffice  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  established. 

1849 — April  28,  l-"irst  newspaper  published  in  .Minnesota  (St.  Paul 
Pioneer  J. 

1851 — .American  postmaster  general  authorized  to  Ii.k  postage  on  mail 
matter  intended  for  transmission  out  of  the  country.  New  York  and 
Albany  connected  by  railroad;  also  lioslon  and  Montreal. 

1852 — I'^irst  mail  coach  crossed  the  Rocky  mountains. 

1853 — Catcher  pouches  used  l)y  luiglish  traveling  postoffice.  Similar 
contrivances  were  used  in  coaching  days. 

1855 — British  Civil  Service  Commission  appointed  May  21st.  Street 
letter  boxes  introduced  in  England  by  Anthony  Trollope,  the  first  being 
set  up  in  St.  Heliers,  Jersey.  The  first  pillar  box  in  London  was  set  up 
in  March.  Niagara  Suspension  Bridge  com])leted.  Ja])an  opened  by 
treaty.     London  postal  districts  established. 

1857 — San  .\ntonio-San  Diego  mail  route  (1,476  miles)  established; 
semi-monthly  mail  coach.     Service  made  weekly  in  1858. 

1861 — September   16,  British  postal  savings  banks  began  operations. 

1862 — July  12,  American  postage  stamps  to  be  used  as  lawful  money. 
Issue  of  "postal  currency."  Railway  mail  distribution  began  July  28th 
on  Hannibal  cK:  St.  Joseph  Railroad,  with  trans-continental  mail  matter; 
formally  established  1865. 

1863 — Mail  pieces  limited  to  four  jiounds.  Free  delivery  established 
in  cities. 

1865 — May  25,  First  steel  rails  made  in  United  States.  October  12th, 
Letter  boxes  on  lamp  posts  in  Albany.  American  money  order  service 
established. 

1868 — January  i.  Postage  to  England  twelve  cents.  Had  been  un- 
changed since  1710. 

1875 — January  i,  Newspaper  and  jjcriodical  ])ostage  two  cents  per 
pound.  First  postal  train  (carrying  postal  Inisincss  only)  in  America. 
New  postoffice  building  in  New  York  occupied. 

1877 — Union  of  i)nstal  and  telegraph  service  in  France. 

1883 — L'nited  States  letter  postage  reduced  to  two  cents. 

1885 — July  I,  Rates  for  newspapers  and  periodicals  reduced  to  one  cent 
per  pound  for  publishers  and  news  agents.  Sixpence  the  standard  for 
telegraphic  messages  (inland)  in  United  Kingdom  from  October  ist. 

1888 — January  12-19.  United  States  and  Canada  form  a  postal  union. 
August  13,  railroad  Vienna-Constantinople  opened. 

i888--.'\pril  22,  Oklahoma  opened  to  settlers.  November  17,  New 
York-San  Francisco  mail  carried  in  about  no  hours,  handled  throughout 
by  R.  P.  O.  Postal  savings  bank  in  Russia.  November  i.  Traveling  post 
office  in  Berlin  streets. 

1893 — June,  Yokohoma  and  Hong  Kong  service  from  Taconia  begun. 

1894 — June  30,  United  States  postal  notes  and  issue  of  letter-sheet 
envelopes  discontinued. 

\i^)ft — Marconi  began  experiments  in  wireless  telegraphy  under  the 
auspices  of  the  British  jiostal  telegraj)li  system. 

1897 — Rural  free  delivery  eslal^lishcd  as  an  experiment  by  ihc  United 
States  postnflicc  department. 

190.3 — Investigations  develo|)ed  scrimis  abuses  in  de|)artiuental  serv- 
ice at  Washington.     Several  prominent  officials  indicted  and  convicted. 

1910 — Postal  savings  banks  authorized  and  established. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  MCIXITY  305 

The  growth  of  the  mail  business  of  the  United  States  has  been  one 
of  the  marvels  of  American  progress.  In  1837  the  average  individual 
spent  32  cents  a  year  for  postage.  In  1909  he  spent  $2.29  a  year  on  mail 
sent  out.  The  receipts  of  the  Chicago  postoiifice  today  are  larger  than 
those  of  the  entire  country  at  the  time  of  Abraham  Lincoln's  accession  to 
the  presidency.  Xo  part  of  the  service  has  enjoyed  such  a  remarkable 
development  as  the  Rural  Free  Delivery.  Fourteen  years  ago  there  were 
only  eighty-two  rural  routes  in  operation,  and  they  involved  an  annual 
expenditure  of  only  $15,000.  Today  there  are  more  than  40,000  in  opera- 
tion, and  they  involve  an  annual  outlay  of  nearly  $40,000,000.  This  ser- 
vice is  the  most  expensive  that  the  government  renders.  The  entire  re- 
ceipts of  the  rural  letter  carriers  are  less  than  $8,000,000  a  year  and  the 
government  spends  five  times  as  much  on  the  service. 

The  postotfice  department,  with  its  325,000  employes,  is  the  largest  sin- 
gle governmental  establishment  in  the  wnorld.  It  annually  handles  more 
than  fourteen  billion  pieces  of  mail  at  a  cost  of  more  than  two  hundred 
million  dollars.  jMore  than  half  of  all  the  employes  of  the  government 
are  at  work  under  the  direction  of  the  postmaster  general.  Some  idea  of 
the  immensity  of  its  business  may  be  gleaned  from  the  statement  that  the 
stamps  of  all  kinds  used  in  a  single  year  would  plaster  2,900  acres  of  land, 
or  make  six  belts  of  stamps  around  the  earth.  Counting  those  on  stamped 
envelopes,  newspapers  and  postal  cards,  the  aggregate  number  used  an- 
nually is  upward  of  eleven  billion. 

"B.\D  ]\Iedicine"in  Post.-vl  Service 

One  who  hears  and  heeds  the  often-repeated  demands  for  reform  as  to 
specific  branches  of  the  postal  system  in  which  the  reformers  who  make 
the  demand  have  a  direct,  personal,  pecuniary  interest,  might  reasonably 
infer  that  there  are  serious  defects  in  the  service  that  need  attention. 
And  the  inference  is  correct.  There  are  always  "investigations"  going 
forward  in  the  department,  in  congress,  or  by  authorized  commissions. 
Each  investigation  discloses  more  or  less  "bad  medicine,"  as  a  fron- 
tiersman would  say,  but  few  of  them  formulate  any  effective  means  of 
eliminating   it. 

The  term  "bad  medicine,"  as  translated  from  the  Indian  languages, 
literally  means  an  evil  charm,  or  about  the  same  as  the  "hoodoo"  of  the 
credulous  Afro-American.  But  on  a  wide  stretch  of  our  western  fron- 
tier it  has  come  to  signify  anything  that  is  obnoxious,  poisonous  or  dis- 
reputable. Illustrations  of  the  use  of  the  phrase  by  its  originators  may 
be  found  in  two  alleged  speeches  at  an  assemblage  of  Indians  on  a  reser- 
vation not  far  from  St.  Paul,  some  years  ago.  Chief  Yellow  Owl 
spoke  at  one  of  the  meetings  as  follows :  "A  paleface  takes  land ;  he 
finds  there  many  prairie  dogs.  He  and  the  dogs  cannot  agree  on  the 
same  land,  so  he  feeds  them  bad  medicine.  He  tries  to  kill  all  the 
prairie  dogs  and  does  kill  many.  The  rest  go  into  their  holes  and  remain 
there.  They  are  afraid  to  come  out  of  their  holes  because  of  the  pale- 
face and  his  bad  medicine.  And  now  we  red  men  are  all  grouped  to- 
gether on  the  reservations.  We  are  afraid  to  come  out  and  speak  of 
our  wrongs  for  fear  of  the  bad  medicine  of  the  paleface." 

.At  the  campfire  that  evening  Mrs.  Owl  is  reported  to  have  addressed 
the  gathering  thus:  "Red  man  and  paleface,  both  bad  medicine.  Red 
man  tells  squaw  he  will  go  out  to  hunt  buf?alo,  but  there  are  none,  and 


306  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

squaw  knows  he  was  hunting  Pretty  Deer  which  he  would  not  kill. 
Paleface  make  believe  he  come  to  hunt  buffalo  and  deer.  He  finds  a 
maid  whose  father  has  many  cattle  and  he  hunts  her.  Red  man  lets 
squaw  build  fire  and  he  sits  down.  Paleface  builds  fire  and  lets  white 
squaw  sit  by  it,  while  he  escapes  to  some  other  fire.  All  kinds  men, 
bad  medicine." 

The  .American  postal  system  is  the  most  extensive  and.  in  some  re- 
spects, the  most  efficient  in  the  world.  Yet  there  are  defects  and  in- 
consistencies in  its  organization,  menacing  jierils  in  its  administration, 
eddies  and  cross-currents  of  vexation  in  its  socialistic  tendencies,  that 
are  worthy  of  studious  attention.  Certes  there  is  bad  medicine  as  well 
as  savory  nutriment  in  this  beneficient  agency  of  modern  civilization ; 
hence  the  prevalent  and  persistent  outcry  for  reform. 

A  fundamental  cause  of  the  existence  of  so  much  of  the  "bad  medi- 
cine" which  inspires  the  outcry  for  ])ostal  reform  is  the  deplorable  state 
of  the  written  law  governing  its  operations.  All  is  chaos  and  confu- 
sion, owing  to  the  fact  that  no  coherent,  systematic  postal  law  has  been 
enacted  for  many  years,  all  the  changes  and  extensions  having  been 
engrafted  by  disconnected,  often  inconsistent  "provisos"  in  the  annual 
appropriation  bills.  And  the  methods  of  keeping  accounts  are  so  crude 
that  they  have  been  the  subject  of  severe  criticism  by  the  accounting 
officers  themselves,  and  by  official  reports  of  congressional  committees. 

"Good  Mel)kine"ik  St.  P.\ul  Office 

In  spite  of  all  these  fundamental  defects  the  jiostal  service  continues 
to  expand,  and  in  many  respects  it  becomes  more  efficient  every  year.  Its 
primary  and  legitimate  function  of  transporting  and  delivering  the  mails 
is  performed  with  such  rapidity  and  accuracy  as  to  command  universal 
admiration.  The  oversight  of  the  department  is  intelligent  and  watch- 
ful. The  postmasters  are,  as  a  rule,  leading  men  in  their  respective  com- 
munities, who  have  had  successful  business  exi)ericncc  and  feel  a  pride 
in  their  public  employment.  The  railway  mail  clerks,  postoffice  inspec- 
tors, postoffice  clerks  and  letter-carriers,  city  as  well  as  rural,  ai)pointed 
and  retained  under  stringent  civil  service  regulations,  have  developed 
a  skill  and  efficiency  which  entitles  .some  of  them  to  be  classed  as  mem- 
bers of  a  learned  profession.  In  no  city  of  the  country  are  postoffice 
affairs  administered  with  greater  ability  and  devotion  than  in  St.  Paul. 

Americ.xn  Peofle  Get  the  Most  M.ml 

The  United  States  leads  all  nations  both  in  the  matter  of  mail  it 
sends  everywhere,  and  in  the  amount  its  inhabitants  receive.  The  Ger- 
man Empire  comes  next,  while  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  rank  sixth. 
In  the  German  Empire  the  average  is  145  pieces  of  mail  per  person 
during  the  year.  In  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  it  is  117,  France  78, 
Russia  12,  while  in  Turkey  the  peojile  only  average  i  7-10  letters  per 
year. 

Because  the  number  of  pieces  of  mail  now  sent  is  so  enormous, 
the  bureau  of  statistics  figure  only  in  the  thousands  of  pieces  and  it 
has  found  that  the  United  States  sends  no  less  than  12,600.000 
thousand  pieces,  or  actually  12,660,000.000  pieces  of  mail  everv  year, 
both  within  the  states  and  to  foreign  countries.  .Ml  the  rest  of  tlie  new 
world  sends  less  than  2,000,000  thousand  pieces  more,  hut  the  total  for 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  307 

America  is  14,643,129  thousand  pieces  of  mail  dispatched  every  year. 
The  Argentine  Republic  sends  594,999  thousand  pieces  of  these,  but  the 
Falkland  islands  send  out  only  7,000  thousand. 

All  Europe  delivers  but  25,618,740  thousand  pieces  of  mail  per 
annum,  of  which  the  German  Empire  distributes  8,817,300  thousand 
pieces.  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  4,941,000  thousand,  France  3,049,000 
thousand.  All  Asia  distributes  only  2,667,498  thousand,  but  Japan  uses 
more  than  half — 1,446,000  thousand. 

Russia,  with  its  great  population  distributes  only  1,668,000  thousand 
pieces  of  mail,  while  little  Switzerland  receives  411,020  thousand  letters 
and  papers,  so  that  the  average  per  inhabitant  of  Russia  is  only  12, 
while  that  of  the  little  republic  is  124. 

The  distribution  of  letters  and  papers  in  Africa  is  comparatively 
small,  being  only  367,245  thousand,  of  which  the  largest  number  go  to 
Algeria  (79,600  thousand),  the  next  to  Cape  Colony  (79,020  thousand). 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  HEADQUARTERS  OF  FEDERAL  DEPARTMENTS 

Post  Ofi'ice  Inspection  Service — Railway  Mail  Service — Inquiry 
Division  ("Nixie  Office") — Other  Government  Headquarters — 
As  A  .Military  Center — :Broad  Local  Patriotism 

In  addition  to  the  military  post  at  Fort  Snelling.  the  federal  govern- 
ment has  three  buildings  in  St.  Paul.  One  large  four-story  structure  at 
Robert  and  Second  streets  is  the  headquarters  of  the  L'nited  States  army 
department.  Another  is  a  three-story  building  at  Wabasha  and  Fifth 
streets,  where  are  located  customs  offices,  internal  revenue  and  United 
States  engineer's  offices  and  various  branches  of  the  treasury  department. 
The  third  is  the  main  postoffice  and  federal  court  building,  which  is  the 
location  of  the  federal  court  of  appeals,  circuit  and  district  courts,  the 
offices  of  the  United  States  surveyor  general,  district  attorney.  L'nited 
States  engineer's  office,  headquarters  Rural  F^ree  delivery,  postoffice  in- 
spector in  charge  and  the  Railway  Mail  service.  The  last  named  building 
is  one  of  the  finest  of  its  class,  admirably  situated  on  an  entire  block  of 
ground,  facing  Rice  Park. 

The  organization  and  operations  of  the  city  postoffice  were  set  forth 
in  the  last  preceding  chapter,  and  those  of  the  L'nited  States  courts  will  be 
given  in  the  next  following  one.  As  the  sjihere  of  the  activities  of  the 
Federal  government  increases  every  year,  with  the  growth  of  population 
and  the  multiplication  of  paternalistic  tendencies  in  administration,  the 
element  of  St.  Paul's  importance,  connected  with  branches  of  the  L'nited 
States  government,  grows  year  by  year,  and  iias  become  a  consideraljle 
factor  in  the  prosperity  of  the  city. 

Post  Office  Inspection  Service 

St.  Paul  has  been,  for  about  ten  years,  the  headquarters  of  the  Post- 
office  Inspection  service  for  a  large  extent  of  western  territory.  From  the 
beginning  of  the  history  of  the  United  States  ])ostal  system,  postoffice 
agents  were  employed  by  the  government  to  represent  the  department  at 
important  points  and  exercise  supervision  over  the  handling  and  transit 
of  the  mails.  It  was  not,  however,  until  1872  that  the  |)resent  excellent 
"Division  of  Postoffice  Ins])ectors  and  Mail  Depredations"  was  estab- 
lished. It  was  organized  to  ]irovide  a  cor|is  of  trained  men  of  great  jier- 
ception  and  keen  detective  ability  to  cope  with  mail  robbers  who  attacked 
the  vehicles  of  transit  en  route;  to  ferret  out  frauds  perpetrated  on  the 
government  within  the  service;  to  watch  ceaselessly  those  who  are  in- 
trusted with  the  handling  of  the  mailed  matter,  and  to  inspect  the  ac- 
counts anr]  supervise  the  management  of  postofficcs  everywhere  under 
tile  United  States  jurisdiction. 

308 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  309 

If  all  men  were  honest,  inspectors  would  still  be  needed  to  minimize 
the  effects  of  stupidity  and  accident  in  this  nicely  adjusted  enterprise 
which  our  government  has  undertaken  for  the  convenience  of  the  people. 
But  inasmuch  as  all  men  are  not  honest,  sad  to  say ;  inasmuch  as  the  finan- 
cial transactions  of  the  postal  establishment  will  exceed  $3,000,000,000 
during  the  current  year,  while  its  agents  will  transport  even  a  larger 
amount  in  sealed  packages  or  letters ;  inasmuch  as  those  agents  and  em- 
ployes number  about  325,000  persons,  while  millions  of  people  through 
their  direct  relation  to  the  mails  as  daily  patrons  have  opportunity  and 
temptation  for  tampering  with  it — the  sleepless  vigilence  involved  in  pre- 
serving its  present  wonderful  integrity  must  command  the  admiration  of 
all  familiar  with  its  achievements. 

There  are  now  over  four  hundred  postoffice  inspectors  of  all  grades, 
their  salaries  ranging  from  $1,200  for  beginners  to  $2,750  for  inspectors  in 
charge  at  the  fifteen  headquarters  established  throughout  the  coimtry.  The 
organization  and  equipment  of  the  service  have  been  greatly  changed 
within  the  past  few  years.  The  division  has  been  placed  under  the  direct 
control  of  the  postmaster  general,  while  the  entire  inspection  and  special 
agency  force  of  the  rural  free  delivery  system  has  been  consolidated 
with  it. 

In  the  postoffices  of  all  large  cities,  screened  galleries  are  now  con- 
structed, from  which  all  the  employes,  especially  those  suspected  of  steal- 
ing, can  be  watched.  The  inspectors  can  enter  and  remain  in  these  gal- 
leries unobserved,  and  from  that  vantage  ground  patiently  observe  the 
work  going  on  in  the  office  below  them.  Honest  clerks  do  not  object,  and 
the  grumbling  of  the  dishonest  ones  goes  unregarded.  The  thieving  em- 
ploye is  usually  caught  with  the  stolen  letter  and  money  on  his  person, 
making  the  evidence  conclusive.  If  it  be  a  decoy  letter,  it  contains  marked 
bills  or  coin ;  if  a  regular  letter  in  transit,  the  arrest  occurs,  as  a  rule, 
before  the  tell-tale  envelope  can  be  disposed  of. 

The  postoffice  inspector  requires  special  qualifications  and  training. 
He  must  have  intelligence,  education  and  the  manners  of  a  gentleman. 
He  must  be  an  accountant  and  a  ready  writer  of  lucid,  comprehensive  re- 
ports. He  must  be  sober,  honest,  industrious,  patient,  affable,  adaptable 
and,  above  all,  discreet.  He  must  be  brave — in  the  purlieus  of  large  cities 
he  confronts  desperate  criminals ;  in  the  mountains  of  the  south  he  en- 
counters moonshiners  and  is  mistaken  for  the  hated  revenue  agent ;  on 
western  plains  he  collides  with  train  robbers  and  road  agents  and  footpads ; 
everywhere  he  must  be  instantly  prepared  to  defend  his  own  life  in  assert- 
ing the  majesty  of  the  law. 

The  headquarters  at  St.  Paul  is  located  in  the  postoffice  building, 
and  is  under  the  supervision  of  R.  D.  Simmons,  inspector-in-charge.  His 
force  of  assistants  cover  a  wide  area,  one  section  of  them  giving  special 
attention  to  the  establishment  and  satisfactory  maintenance  of  rural  free 
delivery. 

R.JiiLw.w  Mail  Service 

The  headquarters  of  the  Tenth  division  of  the  United  States  Railway 
Mail  service  is  also  located  in  the  St.  Paul  postoffice  building,  and  occu- 
pies a  suite  of  rooms  set  apart  for  its  clerical  force.  The  division  embraces 
the  states  between  Wisconsin  and  Idaho.  The  division  superintendent 
is  Alexander  Grant,  long  superintendent  of  the  entire  Railway  Mail  sys- 
tem at  Washington.  The  assistant  division  superintendent  at  St.  Paul 
is  Capt.  J.  Stearns  Smith,  a  veteran  in  the  service. 


310  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

There  is  little  public  appreciation  of  the  laborious  and  dangerous 
service  rendered  by  some  classes  of  postal  employes.  It  is  certain 
that  the  work  of  railway  mail  clerks  is  not  only  extremely  hazardous, 
but  is  performed  under  a  severe  mental  and  physical  strain.  The  effi- 
ciency record  of  these  clerks  is  a  splendid  exhibition  of  the  skill  of  well- 
trained  men,  who  reflect  the  greatest  credit  on  their  government.  They 
stand  for  hours  at  a  stretch  in  swaying,  rapidly  moving  trains,  working 
largely  under  artificial  light,  in  cramped,  close  quarters,  and  subject  to 
a  score  of  other  serious  disadvantages.  So  perfectly  are  they  drilled, 
however,  that  the  ratio  is  only  one  error  to  10,626  pieces  correctly  han- 
dled. Ninety  per  cent,  of  them  oljtained  ajipointment  through  the  civil 
service.  The  condition  of  the  men  lias  been  vastly  improved 
since  the  Civil  Service  Connnission  has  acted  upon  the  suggestion  of  the 
department  and  rejected  those  whose  physical  defects  would  impair 
their  usefulness.  Other  qualities  are  reciuired,  both  of  body  and 
mind,  than  those  devoted  to  perennial  output  of  chatter — a  continuous 
symposium  of  baby  talk  and  class  yells. 

The  "casualty  column"  published  a  few  years  ago  in  a  departmental 
report  showed  that  with  an  annual  average  of  5,120  railway  mail  clerks  em- 
ployed, there  were  2,819  casualties  in  twenty-six  years.  From  this  it 
will  be  seen  that  should  an  individual  serve  in  this  ca])acity  for  the  or- 
dinary period  of  an  active  lifetime,  he  would  stand  more  than  an  even 
chance  of  losing  his  life  or  being  maimed  in  the  line  of  duty.  Fifty- 
five  per  cent,  of  the  average  number  of  employes  were  literally  killed 
or  wounded  on  the  firing-line.  Take  the  services  of  an  equal  number  of 
soldiers  in  our  regular  army  during  the  same  twenty-six  years,  in- 
cluding their  arduous  duty  fighting  Indians  on  the  frontier  and  their 
military  experience  in  the  Sjianish  and  Filipino  wars,  and  we  will  tind 
less  than  one-fourth  of  this  proportion  of  deaths  and  wounds  actually 
received  in  action.  Therefore,  aside  from  the  other  element  of  risk  and 
exposure  involved,  our  railway  mail  clerks  arc  sui)jected  to  four  times 
the  danger  of  death  and  serious  injury  encountered  by  the  gallant  offi- 
cers and  soldiers  of  our  military  establishment. 

Inquiry  Division  ("Nixie  Office") 

The  Inquiry  division,  called  the  "nixie  office"  for  short,  while  nom- 
inally attached  to  the  St.  Paul  postoffice  in  the  matter  of  appointing 
employes,  etc.,  is,  in  reality,  a  branch  of  the  Dead  Letter  office  at  Wash- 
ington. These  inquiry  divisions  are  established  in  all  cities  where  there 
are  headquarters  of  the  railway  mail  service.  It  may  therefore,  in 
legal  phraseology,  be  said  to  have  privity  of  relations  to  three  postal 
branches — the  dead  letter  office,  the  railway  mail  and  the  local  post- 
office.  Its  functions  are  to  gather  in,  from  the  city  office  and  from  all  the 
mail  cars  in  railroads  centering  here,  the  letters,  papers  and  jiarcels 
that  bear  addresses  obscure  or  undeciiiherahle;  to  correct  the  errors 
and  supplv  the  omissions  of  ignorant  nr  careless  writers,  and  to  for- 
ward the  mail  to  the  intended  destination.  The  Dead  Letter  office  in 
Washington  is  known  everywhere  for  its  marvelous  skill  in  this  line, 
but  the  employes  of  the  St.  Paul  branch  have  become  almost  equally 
proficient.  Over  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  badly  addressed  matter 
handled  here  is  correctlv  "worked"  out  and  sent  on  its  way.  thus  saving 
the  <lelay  and  expense  of  sending  it  to  Washington  and  bringing  it  back. 


ST.   PAUL  AND   N'lCIXITY 


311 


There  are  ten  clerks  in  this  division,  of  which  W.  B.  Ryan  is  superin- 
tendent and  Thomas  Howard,  assistant. 

Other  Government  Headquarters 

St.  Paul  is  and  always  has  been  the  port  of  entry  for  Minnesota. 
The  duties  paid  on  goods  delivered  through  the  St.  Paul  Custom 
House  amount  to  about  $1,500,000  annually.  There  are  nine  sub-ports 
in  the  district,  all  situated  along  the  north  boundary  line  of  the  district, 
except  Minneapolis.  The  collector  of  customs  is  Hon.  Marcus  Johnson 
and  the  special  deputy  collector  at  the  St.  Paul  office  is  Arthur  W. 
Lyman.  George  .\.  Welant  is  tea  examiner.  There  are  fourteen  deputies, 
inspectors,  storekeepers  and  clerks  stationed  in  this  city,  with  deputies, 
etc.,  at  twelve  other  points  throughout  the  state. 


CUSTOM    HOUSE 


The  office  of  the  United  States  collector  of  internal  revenue  is  in  St. 
Paul.  The  collections,  including  the  corporation  tax,  aggregate  over 
$3,500,000  annually.  The  collector  is  Hon.  Frederick  von  Baumbach, 
with  a  large  force  of  deputies,  special  agents  and  clerks. 

The  United  States  Civil  Service  Board  has  its  headquarters  at  503 
Federal  building.  J.  M.  Shoemaker  is  secretary,  and  he  has  the  super- 
vision of  civil  service  examinations  for  an  extensive  district. 

The  secret  service  of  the  United  States  treasury  department,  spec- 
ially charged  with  the  investigation  of  frauds  on  the  revenues  and  of 
counterfeiting  the  currency,  has  an  office  at  231  Federal  building. 

Special  agents  of  the  United  States  treasury  department  are  located 
at  207  Custom  House  building.     G.  E.  Foulkes  is  agent  in  charge. 

The  United  States  Geological  Survey  has  a  district  headquarters  at 
the  old  Capitol  building.     Robert  Follansbee  is  district  engineer. 

The  following  United  States  government  officers  and  agencies  are 
located  in  St.  Paul,  at  the  places  named :  United  States  Engineer  Office, 
Maj.  F.  R.  Shunk  in  charge,  304  Custom  House. 

United  States  Engineer  Office  (River  Improvement),  233  Federal 
building;  J.  D.  Du  Shane  in  charge. 


312  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

United  States  Weather  Bureau,  809  Pioneer  Press  building;  local 
forecaster,  J.  Newton  Ryker. 

United  States  Army  Recruiting  Station,  97  East  Fitlli;  officer  in 
charge,  Capt.   H.   S.  Whipple. 

United  States  Navy  Recruiting  Station,  501  Federal  building;  chief 
cjuartermaster,  Robert  Restad. 

As    A    MlLIT.\RY    CeXTKR 

The  United  States  military  post  at  I-\irt  Snelling  has,  as  its  regular 
garrison  in  time  of  peace,  temporarily  reiluced  by  the  Texas  maneuvers 
of  191 1,  a  battalion  of  infantry,  a  squadron  of  cavalry  and  a  battery  of 
field  artillery.  It  is  one  of  the  six  most  important  stations  of  its  kind 
in  the  United  States.  The  reservation  contains  2.381  acres  and  is  lo- 
cated opposite  the  terminus  of  West  Seventh  street.  The  post  was  es- 
tablished in  1820.  A  new  bridge  across  the  Mississippi,  connecting  the 
reservation  with  the  city,  constructed  jointly  by  the  federal  government 
and  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  is  open  to  public  travel.  The  war  department 
has  planned  to  make  it  a  full  brigade  post  at  an  early  day. 

Almost  continuously  since  1864,  St.  Paul  has  been  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  Department  of  Dakota.  United  States  Army,  with  a  succes- 
sion of  officers  of  high  rank  in  command,  and  a  full  departmental  staff, 
including  purchasing  quartermasters  and  commissaries,  paymasters, 
etc.,  and  a  large  clerical  force.  Among  the  distinguished  generals  who 
have  commanded  here,  involving  usually  a  residence  in  St.  Paul  of 
several  years'  duration  in  each  case,  have  been  Major  Generals  John 
Pope,  W.  S.  Hancock,  A.  H.  Terry,  T.  H.  Ruger,  John  Gibbon,  John  R. 
Brooke,  James  T.  Wade  and  several  brigadier  generals  scarcely  less 
prominent.  Of  staff  officers  there  have  been  Colonels  O.  D.  Greene. 
S.  B.  Ilolabird,  D.  Ruggles,  Samuel  Breck,  T.  M.  Vincent.  Michael 
Sheridan,  T.  F.  Barr,  M.  R.  Morgan,  Clias.  Alden.  H.  R.  Tilton,  A. 
Brodie  and  E.  C.  Mason.  For  the  time  being  the  Department  of  Dakota 
has  been  discontinued  and  the  headquarters  of  the  "Department  of  the 
Lakes"  has  been  established  at  St.  Paul  in  its  stead.  This  reduces 
the  number  of  staff  officers,  clerks,  etc.,  stationed  here,  but  leaves  the 
purchasing  and  forwarding  operations  intact.  It  is  not  believed,  how- 
ever, that  the  new  arrangement  as  to  district  organization  is  intended 
to  be  permanent,  and  the  confident  expectation  is  entertained  that  the 
historic  importance  of  this  city  as  an  army  headquarters  will  be  re- 
established, perhaps  augmented. 

It  will  be  of  present  interest  to  quote,  as  verifying  our  historic 
prominence  in  this  line,  a  statement  of  the  situation  in  1889.  Then  the 
Department  of  Dakota,  with  General  Thomas  II.  Ruger  in  command  at 
St.  Paul,  covered  these  geograjihical  limits:  Minnesota,  Wisconsin, 
North  Dakota.  South  Dakota.  Montana  and  Cami>  Sheridan  in  Wyo- 
ming.    The   following  were  the  stations  occujiicd.  and   their  garrisons : 

Posts  Officers  Enlisted         Indian 

Fort  Abraham    Lincoln,    S.    D 8 

Fort  .Xssinniboine,    Mont 39 

Fort   Bennett.  S.  D 3 

Fort  Buford.  N.  D 23 

Fort  Custer,    Mont 28 


Men 

Sco 

87 

481 

2 

47 

2 

297 

403 

6 

ST.   PAUL  A\D  MCINITY  313 

Enlisted 

Posts                                             Officers  Men            Scouts 

Fort  Keogh,   Mont :iS  431                  12 

Fort  Maginnis,  Mont 10  156 

Fort  Meade,  S.  D 39  549 

Fort  Missoula,  Mont 18  201 

Fort  Pembina,  N.  D 8  67 

Fort  Randall,  S.  D 14  17° 

Fort  Shaw,   :\Iont 14  180 

Fort  Snelling,  Minn 26  266 

Fort  Sully,  S.  D 14  169 

Fort  Totten,  N.  D 8  80 

Fort  Yates,  N.  D 23  327                  2 

Camp  Poplar  River,  Mont 7  96                   2 

Camp  Sheridan,  Wyo.  T   3  62 

Fort  Abraham  Lincoln  Ordnance  Depot, 

S.    D I  6 


Totals    319  4,075  25 

Colonel  A.  F.  Rockwell,  chief  quartermaster.  Department  of  Dakota, 
St.  Paul,  ^Minnesota,  reported  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1889, 
disbursements  for : 

Regular    supplies    $414,606.65 

Incidental   expenses    65,872.35 

Cavalry  and  artillery  horses    22,000.00 

Barracks    and    quarters    78,749.78 

Army    transportation    239,166.65 

Clothing  and   equipage    2,922.80 

Hospital 3-064-57 

Shooting  galleries  and  ranges 2,371.64 

Hospital   steward's   quarters    1,129.80 

Military   posts    51,150.00 

Total    $881,034.24 

The  army,  as  the  forerunner  of  civilization  has,  of  course,  had  its 
day.  Elsewhere,  as  in  Minnesota,  the  soldiers  blazed  the  trail  of  en- 
lightenment. Into  the  wilderness  of  wood  and  prairie  life  came  Indian 
and  buffalo,  soldier,  fur-trader  and  missionary,  freighter  and  home- 
steader, team  and  railroad.  Each  has  played  its  part  in  an  intensely 
dramatic  history.  Development  began.  Farms  sprang  into  existence. 
The  soil  was  tested  and  found  to  be  prolific  for  agricultural  purposes. 
Then  followed  the  factory  and  the  foundry,  banks  and  mercantile  houses, 
until  today  an  industrial  and  agricultural  empire  has  been  built  that  is 
ruled  by  prosperity,  governed  by  success  and  run  by  men  who  demand 
and  enjoy  all  the  comforts  of  life. 

There  is  little  left  of  the  cherished  surroundings  of  the  days  of  the 
early  pioneer  in  the  northwest.  An  occasional  coyote  or  timber  wolf  is 
seen  along  the  streams,  but  is  regarded  as  a  novelty  more  than  a  nuis- 
ance. Here  and  there  one  sees  an  Indian,  though  the  chances  are  that 
he  has  on  store  clothes,  not  blanket  and  paint  and  feathers.  That  is 
about  all  which  remains  of  the  day  that  is  gone. 


314  ST.   PAUL  AND  \'ICIXITY 

The  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  United  States  Army  performed  well 
their  part  in  this  wonderful  transformation.  It  was  a  part  of  toil,  pri- 
vation, suti'erinfj  and  sacrifice,  whereof  the  peaceful  settler  and  the 
prosperous  citizen  now  reap  the  golden  benelits.  International  peace 
may  come,  through  arbitration — God  s|)eed  the  day!  Hut,  accepting  Mer- 
lin's blazonry  on  Arthur's  shield,  where,  in  the  lowest,  beasts  are  slay- 
ing men ;  and  in  the  second,  men  are  slaying  beasts ;  and  in  the  third, 
are  warriors,  perfect  men ;  and  in  the  fourth,  are  men  with  growing 
wings,  the  wings  are,  even  yet,  mere  bulb  and  prophecy. 

At  any  rate,  the  army  will  no  more  meet  hostile  savages  in  bloody 
warfare  on  the  American  frontier — there  is  no  longer  a  frontier.  The 
cowboy  is  only  seen  as  a  comi)oncnl  of  current  drama,  which,  other- 
wise seems  to  be  mostly  syndicated  into  tights,  joy-rides  and  alimony. 
The  army  is  to  be  concentrated  in  brigade  posts,  where  better  facilities 
for  maintenance,  instruction  and  discipline  can  be  found,  than  at  the 
small,  scattered  stations  which  formerly  abounded.  No  locality  can  sur- 
pass Fort  Snelling  in  attractive  features,  and  the  traditional  prestige  of 
St.   Paul  in  army  circles  will  never  be  permanently  impaired. 

Bro.\d  Loc.\l  P.\triotism 

Probably  the  people  of  St.  Paul  do  not  yet  realize  what  an  important 
part  the  circumstance  of  this  city  having  always  been  the  capital  and 
the  "headquarters  of  everything,"  has  played  in  developing  the  broad- 
ness of  vision,  the  splendid  public  spirit,  the  intense  civic  consciousness 
and  civic  patriotism,  with  which  we  are  universally  credited.  A  dis- 
cerning local  writer  has  noted  that  persons  coming  from  other  provinces 
of  the  Union  express  their  astonishment  at  the  intense  patriotism  which 
prevails  among  our  people;  it  is  such  |)atriotism  as  is  usually  associated 
with  southern  states.  There  states'  rights  have  been  tested  forth,  and 
failed — and  persisted,  howbeit  much  of  the  verbose  oratory,  with  its 
ante-penultimate  scheme  of  accentuation  and  its  antiphlogistic  scheme  of 
government,  has  vanished  from  the  "New  South."  Because  of  that 
debate  upon  such  status  a  half  century  ago,  there  has  been  a  historic 
reluctance  in  admitting  that  any  man  had  a  right  to  regard  himself  as 
fundamentally  a  citizen  of  his  birth  state,  and  the  great  shifting  of  the 
nation's  poimlation,  during  that  half  century,  has  made  it  almost  im- 
possible that  men  should  glory  in  their  adopted  state. 

We  have  worked  that  half  century  to  a  difference,  and  ])opulation 
tends  to  become  more  stable.  Men  are  learning  to  content  themselves 
in  the  places  which  their  fathers  looked  upon  and  found  good.  And,  as 
soon  as  a  tradition  is  evolved,  as  soon  as  a  sense  of  place  makes  itself 
felt,  patriotism  is  certain  to  follow.  Massachusetts,  V'irginia.  Califor- 
nia, are  notorious  for  their  patriotism ;  they  have  asserted  it,  on  held,  in 
legislative  halls,  in  halls  of  fame.  But  the  patriotism  of  which  St.  Paul 
and  Minnesota  would  boast  is  of  a  different  sort;  an  intense  love  of  the 
state  in  which  we  live,  like  unto  the  |)assionale  patriotism  of  mountain 
states  in  the  old  world,  yet,  unlike  them,  with  an  entire  consciousness  of 
our  part  and  i)Iace  and  j^ower  in  the  Union. 

Possibly  the  people  in  others  of  the  federated  commonwealths,  who 
have  not  visited  us,  do  not  appreciate  this  devotion  of  St.  Paul  men  to 
their  own.  Few  people  study  the  map;  few  people  have  seen  that  Min- 
nesota is  the  keystone  to  the  arch,  the  center  of  the  states  and  jirovinces 
of  the  continent,  and  the  source  of  those  waters  which  arc  the  natin;d 
highway  to  south  and  to  cast. 

This   writer  concludes:  "It  remains   for  the   future  to  develop  such 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  315 

outlander  knowledge.  History  will  some  day  take  cognizance  of  this 
placing;  if  the  American  continent  does  develop  some  scheme  of  fede- 
ration between  Republic  and  Dominion,  the  position  of  Minnesota  will 
demostrate  itself ;  and  future  commerce,  with  its  expected  development 
of  water  carrying,  must  look  to  Minnesota  as  the  source  of  carrying 
power,  the  state  of  the  great  deposit  of  'white  coal,'  which  shall  move 
the  traffic  of  the  continent." 

That  this  local  loyalty,  this  civic  consciousness,  this  state  pride  and 
national  patriotism,  will  remain  in  the  future  the  dominating  spirit  it  has 
always  been  to  this  city,  may  be  exultantly  predicted.  The  combined 
prestige  of  commercial  and  financial  metropolis,  political  capital,  and 
Federal  headquarters  must  ever  stimulate  the  humblest  as  well  as  the 
most  exalted  citizen  of  St.  Paul  to  unceasing  effort  and  broad-gauge  de- 
votion. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  RENCH  AND  BAR 

PioNEKR  Lawyers  and  Judges — Letter  of  Chiee  Justice  Goodrich — 
First  Territorial  District  Court — First  Supreme  Court — 
Earliest  Minnesota  Law  Firms — The  St.  Paul  Bar — Terri- 
torial AND  State  Supreme  Court — District  Court  and  Library 
— Probate  and  Municipal  Courts — United  States  Circuit 
Courts  and  Judges — Terms  of  the  United  States  Courts — Col- 
lege of  Law  and  Bar  Associations 

The  legal  profession  in  St.  Paul  owes  its  enviable  distinction  for 
great  learning  and  high  character  to  the  exalted  standards  established  by 
its  pioneer  representatives  and  to  the  fact  that  a  continuous  line  of 
worthy  successors  have  been  developed  here  or  attracted  hither,  by  the 
exceptional  facilities  for  instruction  and  practice.  As  a  commercial  and 
financial  enii)orium  it  furnished  a  large  variety  of  lucrative  business.  As 
the  capital  of  the  territory  and  state  and  the  seat  of  the  Federal  tri- 
bunals, there  were  opportunities  for  constant  (levcloi)nient  by  oi)serva- 
tion  and  experience  such  as  few  localities  afforded.  These  favoraljle  ac- 
cessories to  the  practitioner  which,  for  Wisconsin  were  divided  between 
Milwaukee  and  Madison,  for  Illinois  between  Chicago  and  Si)ringfield, 
for  Missouri  between  St.  Louis  and  Jefferson  City  and  for  Ohio  be- 
tween Cincinnati  and  Columbus,  were  for  Minnesota  concentrated  in  St. 
Paul  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  history  of  its  jurisprudence. 

Pioneer  Lawyers  and  Judges 

When  the  territory  was  organized  June  i,  1849,  there  were  three 
attorneys  resident  in  St.  Paul— David  Lambert,  William  D.  Phillips  an<i 
Bushrod  W.  Lott.  Three  others — Henry  H.  Sibley  of  Mendota  and 
Henry  L.  Moss  and  Morton  S.  Wilkinson  of  Stillwater — afterwards  be- 
came residents  of  St.  Paul. 

David  Lambert  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Xew  York  and  came  from 
Aladison,  Wisconsin,  to  St.  Paul  in  184S.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  ability, 
but  his  career  was  short.  Ht  was  drowned  from  a  steamboat  on  the 
Mississipjii  river  in  November,  1849,  aged  almut  thirty  years. 

William  D.  Phillips  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  that  state.  He  came  to  St.  Paul  in  1848.  and  was  the  first 
district  attorney  of  the  county  of  Ramsey,  having  been  elected  to  that 
office  in  1849.  Under  the  administration  of  President  Pierce  he  was 
appointed  to  a  clerkship  in  one  of  the  departments  at  Washington  and 
never  returned  to  St.  Paul. 

Bushrod  W.  Lott  was  a  native  of  Xew  Jersey,  but  removed  to  lUi- 

316 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  317 

nois  in  his  youth  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  that  state.  He  com- 
menced the  practice  of  law  in  St.  Paul  in  1848,  was  a  member  of  the 
territorial  house  of  representatives  several  terms  and  United  States 
consul  at  Tehauntepec,  and  officiated  in  other  positions.  He  did  not 
practice  his  profession  for  many  years  previous  to  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  St.  Paul  in  1886. 

Morton  S.  Wilkinson  practiced  law  for  many  years  in  various  Min- 
nesota towns,  achieved  much  distinction  in  political  life  and  held  many 
high  offices.     His  career  is  elsewhere  noted. 

Henry  L.  Moss  was  appointed  United  States  district  attorney  for  the 
territory  of  Minnesota  under  the  organic  act  approved  March  3,  1849. 
entitled  "an  act  to  establish  the  territorial  government  of  Minnesota," 
and  held  the  office  during  the  administration  under  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed, at  one  time  practicing  his  profession  with  Lafayette  Emmett, 
who  was  the  first  chief  justice  of  the  state.  Mr.  Moss  was  not  in  active 
practice  during  his  later  years,  but  devoted  his  attention  to  real  estate 
and  insurance. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  the  bar,  Henry  H.  Sibley  was  probably  the 
first  person  who  announced  himself  attorney  and  counselor-at-!aw  in 
Minnesota,  having  put  up  his  professional  sign  at  Mendota  in  1835. 
He  was  also  the  first  judicial  officer  who  executed  the  functions  of  a 
court  of  law  within  the  boundaries  of  the  present  state,  having  been 
commissioned  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  1836,  with  a  jurisdiction  ex- 
tending from  a  point  below  Prairie  du  Chien  on  the  south  to  the  British 
boundary  on  the  north,  and  from  the  Mississippi  river  on  the  east  to  the 
White  river  on  the  west.  After  the  organization  of  the  territory  Gen- 
eral Sibley  was  duly  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  was  immediately  called 
to  the  exercise  of  high  civil  functions  and  never  afterwards  practiced 
his  profession. 

By  the  organic  act  the  judicial  power  of  the  territory  was  invested 
in  a  supreme  court,  three  district  courts,  probate  courts  and  justices  of 
the  peace.  Aaron  Goodrich  was  appointed  chief  justice,  and  David 
Cooper  and  Bradley  B.  Meeker,  associate  justices.  The  first  district, 
embracing  St.  Croix  county,  which  then  included  all  of  St.  Paul  lying 
east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  was  assigned  to  chief  justice  Goodrich, 
and  the  first  term  was  opened  at  Stillwater  August  13,  1849. 

James  K.  Humphrey,  who  was  the  first  clerk  of  the  supreme  court, 
still  resides  at  St.  Paul.  He  is  a  native  of  Hudson,  Ohio,  where  he 
attended  Western  Reserve  College.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Canton  in  that  state  in  December,  1846,  and  came  to  St.  Paul  in  1849, 
He  was  a  clerk  of  the  first  supreme  court  ever  held  in  Minnesota,  as  well 
as  the  first  district  court.  He  also  held  various  responsible  positions 
under  the  United  States  government. 

Letter  of  Chief  Justice  Goodrich 

The  following  letter  from  Hon.  Aaron  Goodrich,  the  first  chief  jus- 
tice of  the  territory,  to  the  secretary  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  So- 
ciety, printed  in  Vol.  i  of  the  Society's  Transactions,  gives  an  account 
of  the  first  judicial  organization,  etc. : 

"Hon.  C.  K.  Smith,  Secretary  of  the  Minnesota  Historical  Society — 
Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of  the 
25th  of  December,  1850,  requesting  of  me  something  statistical  for  this 


318  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

society.  Previous  to  a  compliance  with  this  request,  permit  me  to  con- 
gratulate you  upon  the  prosperous  condition  of  this  institution,  much  of 
which  is  the  result  of  your  untiring  energy  in  faithfully  chronicling 
passing  events. 

"You  have  left  but  little  for  mc  to  say.  Minnesota  is  not  regarded 
by  the  world  as  classic  ground.  I  know  of  no  spot  here  which  has  been 
rendered  immortal,  either  by  song  or  story.  We  have  not  the  lields  of 
Marathon,  Pharsalia,  or  Actium,  nor  yet  the  valley  of  Idumea  within 
our  borders.  None  of  these,  save  those  to  which  the  Red  man  points 
us  as  the  Golgotha  of  his  fathers.  We  now  daily  behold  and  within 
but  a  short  distance  of  our  dwellings,  the  smoke  of  the  Indian  wigwams, 
curling  upward  amid  nature's  forest  trees,  from  the  place  where  it 
arose  at  a  period  of  antiquity  beyond  which  Indian  tradition  'runneth 
not  to  the  contrary.'  On  this  very  spot,  which  has  been  for  centuries, 
and  almost  to  the  present  hour 

'Alike   their   birth   and   burial    place, 
Their  cradle  and  their  grave ;' 

our  ears  are  greeted  by  the  'sound  of  the  church  going  bell.'  while  the 
spires  of  our  churches  are  glittering  in  the  beams  of  the  morning  sun. 

"If  we  have  not  the  tattered  banner,  borne  at  the  head  of  victorious 
legions  in  deadly  conflict  in  the  wars  of  freedom ;  if  we  have  not  the 
sabre,  the  battle  axe,  the  triumphant  eagle,  or  the  'dyed  garments  of 
Bozrah'  to  deposit  in  the  archives  of  this  society,  as  mutely  eloquent 
remembrances  to  call  up  associations  of  devoted  heroes  and  gallant 
patriots — 

'Names  that  adorn  and  dignify  the  scroll. 
Whose  leaves  contain   their   country's   history,' 

yet  we  have  something  to  write  that  will  be  interesting  to  the  genera- 
tions that  are  to  come  after  us.  It  will  be  pleasing  to  them  to  trace  the 
history  of  a  powerful  state  back  to  its  present  terriorial  existence;  with 
pride  will  they  point  to  the  record  of  our  lime,  and  say.  these  are  the 
names  of  our  ancestors;  this  is  no  Delphic  oracle;  this  is  not  a  doubt- 
ful translation  of  the  inscriptions  upon  the  Pyramids  ui)on  the  plains 
of  Gish,  or  the  Statues  of  Nineveh — this  is  history. 

"On  the  19th  of  March,  1840.  President  Taylor  appointed  the  fol- 
lowing named  persons  judges  of  the  su])reme  court  for  this  territory, 
to  wit:  Aaron  Goodrich,  of  Tennessee,  chief  justice;  David  Coojier,  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Bradley  B.  Meeker.  Kentucky,  associate  justices. 

"Responsive  to  the  call  of  the  president;  the  undersigned  bid  adieu 
to  Tennessee  and  embarked  for  .St.  Paul,  at  which  place  he  arrived  on 
board  the  steamer  'Corah,'  Captain  Gormand.  on  Sunday,  the  20th  of 
May,  1849. 

"On  the  Sunday  following.  His  Excellency,  Governor  Alexander  Ram- 
sey, reached  St.  Paul,  and  on  the  i.st  day  of  June  he  |>roclaimcd  the  or- 
ganization of  this  territory,  recognized  its  officers  and  required  obedience 
to  its  laws.  On  the  iith  of  June,  1849.  the  governor  issued  his  second 
proclamation,  dividing  the  territory  into  three  judicial  districts  as  fol- 
lows: The  county  of  St.  Croix  constituted  the  first  district,  the  seat  of 
justice  at  .Stillwater;  the  first  court  to  he  held  on  the  second  Monday  of 
August,  1849.  The  seat  of  justice  for  the  second  district  was  at  the 
Falls  of  St.  .Xnthony;  the  first  court  to  be  held  on  the  third    Monday 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  319 

in  August.     The  seat  of  justice  for  the  third  district  was  at  Mendota ; 
the  first  court  to  be  held  on  the  fourth  Monday  in  August. 

First  Territori.xl  Court 

"The  cliief  justice  was  assigned  to  hold  the  courts  in  the  first  dis- 
trict, which  duty  he  performed  in  accordance  with  the  governor's  procla- 
mation. This  was  the  first  court  held  in  this  territory  ;  it  remained  in 
session  six  days ;  sixty  cases  upon  the  docket.  The  clerk  of  the  court 
of  this  district  was  Harvey  Wilson.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar,  who  were  in  attendance  at  the  court:  C.  K.  Smith,  M. 
S.  Wilkinson.  W.  D.  Phillips,  P.  P.  Bishop,  John  S.  Goodrich,  John  A. 
Wakefield,  H.  L.  Moss,  A.  M.  Alitchell,  Edmund  Rice,  James  Hughes 
and  L.  A.  Babcock. 

"Judge  Meeker  was  assigned  to  hold  the  courts  in  the  second  district, 
which  duty  he  performed.     There  was  no  cause  pending  in  this  court. 

"Judge  Cooper  was  assigned  to  hold  the  courts  in  the  third  district, 
which  duty  was  performed  by  him.     No  cause  pending  in  this  court. 

"There  were  at  that  period  fifteen  lawyers  in  the  territory.  Up  to 
this  time  we  have  had  two  trials  for  murder ;  the  accused  was  in  one 
case  acquitted  by  the  jury,  and  in  the  other,  found  guilty  of  man- 
slaughter, and  imprisoned  in  Fort  Snelling  for  the  period  of  one  year. 

First  Supreme  Court 

"The  first  term  of  the  supreme  court  in  this  territory  was  held  at  the 
'American  House,'  in  the  town  of  St.  Paul,  on  Monday,  the  14th  of 
January,  1850,  Judges  Goodrich  and  Cooper  being  present. 

"There  is  at  this  time,  but  one  court  house  in  the  territory ;  this  is  at 
Stillwater. 

"Having  been  specially  assigned  by  Governor  Ramsey  for  that  pur- 
pose, the  undersigned  repaired  to  Sauk  Rapids,  in  the  county  of  Ben- 
ton (this  place  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  seventy-- 
six  miles  above  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony)  and  on  the  nth  day  of  June, 
1850,  opened  and  held  the  first  court  at  that  place.  There  was  no  busi- 
ness of  importance  at  this  term. 

"The  county  of  Ramsey  now  constitutes  the  first  judicial  district. 
St.  Paul  is  the  seat  of  justice ;  it  is  also  the  capital  of  the  territory. 
The  clerk  of  the  court,  Mr.  Humphrey,  informs  me  that  there  are  now 
one  hundred  cases  upon  the  docket.  The  chief  justice  was  assigned  by 
an  act  of  the  first  territorial  legislature  to  hold  the  courts  in  this  dis- 
trict. 

"Stated  terms  of  court,  second  Mondays  of  April  and  September. 

"There  are  now  thirty  lawyers  in  Minnesota. 

"I  am  sir,  respectfully  yours 

"Aaron  Goodrich." 
"St.  P.\ul,  M.\rch  4,  185 1." 

Earliest  Minnesota  Law  Firms 

The  first  law  firm  established  in  Minnesota  was  formed  by  Henry 
F.  Masterson  and  Orlando  Simons,  who  arrived  in  St.  Paul  June  20, 
1840.  They  were  both  from  New  York  and  were  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  that  state.     They  remained  in  practice  until   1875,  when  Mr.  Simons 


320  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

was  appointed  by  the  governor  one  of  the  judges  of  the  court  of  com- 
mon pleas.  He  was  transferred  by  statute  to  the  district  bench  and  sub- 
sequently reelected  to  the  same  position.  Judge  Simons  was  possessed 
of  common  sense,  sound  judgment  and  clear  insight ;  he  was  courageous 
and  impartial,  of  stern  and  inflexible  fidelity,  and  not  at  all  scrupulous 
in  denouncing  fraud  or  imposition.  Mr.  Masterson  continued  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  until  his  death,  which  occurred  March  i8,  1882. 

The  second  law  firm  that  was  established  in  the  county  was  com- 
posed of  Edmund  Rice  and  Ellis  G.  Whitall  and  was  also  formed  in  1849. 
Later  in  the  year  George  L.  Becker  entered  the  firm.  Mr.  Whitall  soon 
after  removed  to  St.  Anthony  and  left  the  territory  about  1852.  He  was 
succeeded  in  the  firm  in  185 1  by  William  MoUinshead,  who  came  from 
Philadelphia  to  St.  Paul  in  1850,  and  who  for  several  years  was  regarded 
as  at  the  head  of  the  bar.     He  died  at  St.  Paul  December  25.  i8(k). 

Rensselaer  R.  Nelson,  a  son  of  judge  .^anuiel  Nelson  of  tiie  supreme 
court  of  the  United  States,  arrived  in  St.   Paul  in   1850.     He  had  been 


*^ 


I.OWRY    DUILDING 


admitted  in  New  York,  and  forming  a  partnership  with  Captain  Wilkin, 
practiced  his  profession  in  this  city  until  he  was  appointed  associate 
justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  territory,  in  1857.  He  held  this  of- 
fice until  the  admission  of  Minnesota  into  the  Union,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed United  States  district  judge  for  the  district  of  Minnesota,  which 
position  he  held  until  retired  by  age  shortly  before  his  death.  His  ad- 
ministration was  characterized  by  impartiality,  fearlessness  and  vigor, 
and  few  magistrates  ever  jiossessed  to  a  like  degree  liie  confidence  and 
respect  of  the  bar  and  the  jieople. 

The  St.  P.ml  R.\r 

It  would  require  a  volume  to  enumerate  and  adequately  portray  the 
careers  of  the  members  of  the  bar  who  have  resided  in  this  city  during 
the  period  embraced  in  these  annals.  Many  of  them  have  been  emin- 
ent  in  their  jirofessinn  and  at   llie  same  time  active  in  other  spheres  of 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  321 

corporate  or  financial  or  political  life.  Their  work  has  impressed  itself 
on  the  city  and  the  state  at  many  points ;  their  illustrious  careers  have 
become  an  assential  part  of  public  history.  Others,  more  strictly  adher- 
ing to  professional  lines,  have  made  their  mark  in  celebrated  trials,  in- 
volving momentous  questions  of  law  and  immense  sums  of  money,  or 
have  been  promoted  to  judicial  positions,  where  they  have  acquired  en- 
during fame.  As  a  whole,  the  record  of  the  St.  Paul  bar  has  been  in 
the  highest  degree  honorable.  The  standing  which  the  pioneers  es- 
tablished for  it  has  been  steadily  maintained.  Integrity  and  profes- 
sional honor  have  been  recognized  and  rewarded,  while  the  meretricious 
arts  which  distinguished  the  "shyster"  from  the  lawyer  have  received 
condign  reproach. 

The  city  directory  for  1912  gives  the  names  and  office  locations  of 
259  lawyers  practicing  in  St.  Paul. 

The  legal  profession  is  held  responsible  for  legislation.  It  furnishes 
the  leading  legislators  and  all  the  judges.  The  senators,  the  lawyers 
and  the  judges,  between  them,  make  our  laws.  The  science  of  pleading 
abhors  a  negative  pregnant.  If  the  modest  and  magnetic  type  artist 
succeeds  in  getting  the  evidence  of  her  common-law  marriage  to  a  wealthy 
employer,  deceased,  on  straight,  and  this  irregularity  puts  on  regul- 
arity by  a  course  of  the  courts,  post  mortem — thus  and  then  it  may  be 
fulfilled  that  was  spoken  by  the  cynics  saying  "anv  proposition  that  is 
boldly  asserted  and  successfully  maintained  is  sound  law." 

The  bench  has  deserved  and  received  the  respect  of  the  bar,  and 
through  the  vicissitudes  which  have  marked  the  growth  of  our  city  from 
a  frontier  trading  post  to  a  metropolis,  the  bar  has  stood  shoulder  to 
shoulder  in  the  common  cause  of  advancing  her  interests.  Many  a  gen- 
erous act,  unheralded  to  the  world,  has  found  expression  in  the  inter- 
course of  its  members,  who  have  well  maintained  and  advanced  the 
usefulness  of  their  noble  profession. 

As  previously  stated,  the  organic  act  lodged  the  judicial  power  of 
the  territory  of  Minnesota  in  a  supreme  court,  district  courts,  probate 
courts  and  justices  of  the  peace.  The  constitution  has  preserved  this 
respository  of  the  judicial  authority  with  the  addition  of  the  words  "and 
such  other  courts,  inferior  to  the  supreme  court  as  the  legislature  may, 
from  time  to  time,  establish  by  a  two-thirds  vote." 

Territorial  and  State  Supreme  Court 

Although  the  supreme  court  is  not  a  court  of  Ramsey  county,  yet, 
as  it  has  always  been  held  in  this  city,  we  will  give  its  organization  from 
the  beginning.  In  the  days  of  the  territory  it  was  composed  of  a  chief 
justice  and  two  associate  justices,  a  clerk  and  a  reporter,  and  its  organi- 
zation remained  the  same  after  the  admission  to  the  state  until  1881, 
when  two  additional  associate  justices  were  provided. 

The  chief  justices  during,  the  territory  were:  Aaron  Goodrich,  June 
I,  1849  to  November  13,  1851 ;  Jerome  Fuller,  November  13,  1851,  to 
December  16.  1852:  Henrv  Z.  Havner,  December  16,  1852  (never  pre- 
sided) ;  William  H.  Welsh,  April  7,  1853,  to  May  24,  1858. 

Associate  justices  during  the  territory;  David  Cooper,  June  i,  1849, 
to  April  7,  1853;  Bradley  B.  Meeker,  June  i,  1849,  to  April  7,  1853; 
Andrew  G.  Chatfield,  April  7,  1853,  to  April  23,  1857;  Moses  Sherburne, 
April  7.  1853,  to  April  23,  1857;  R.  R.  Nelson,  April  23,  1857,  to  May 
24,  1858;  Charles  E.  Flandrau,  April  23,  1857,  to  May  24,  1858. 

Vol.  I— 21 


322  ST.   PALL  AND   \  ILINTIA' 

Clerks  during  the  territory:  James  K.  Humphrey,  January  14,  1850, 
to  1853;  Andrew  ].  Whitney,  1853  to  1854;  George  \V.  Prescott,  1855 
to  May  24,  1858. 

The  supreme  court  of  the  state  consists  of  one  chief  justice  and 
four  associate  justices,  elected  by  the  people  and  holding  office  for  six 
years,  and  until  successors  are  elected  and  c|ualified.  Two  terms  of  court 
are  hekl  in  each  year,  commencing  on  llie  tirst  Tuesdays  of  A])ril  and 
October,  at  the  capitol  in  St.  Paul.  This  court  has  original  jurisdiction 
in  such  remedial  cases  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law.  anrl  appellate  juris- 
diction in  all  cases,  both  in  law  and  equity. 

The  chief  justice  is  Hon.  Charles  M.  Start;  associate  justices,  C.  L. 
Brown,  C.  L.  Lewis,  D.  F.  Simpson  and  George  L.  Bunn ;  clerk,  L  A. 
Caswell ;  reporter,  H.  B.  Wenzel :  marshal,  \V.  H.  Yale. 

St.  Paul  has  always  had  distinguished  representation  in  the  sujjreme 
court  of  Alinnesota.  Of  the  judges  of  that  tribunal,  since  the  organi- 
zation of  the  state,  the  following  have  been,  before  or  after  their  service, 
permanent  residents  of  this  city:  Chief  justices  Lafayette  lunmett, 
Thomas  Wilson,  James  Gillillan  and  S.  J.  R.  McMillan ;  Associate  jus- 
tices Chas.  E.  Flandrau,  George  B.  Young,  Greenleaf  Clark,  V\'.  B. 
Douglas,  E.  A.  Jaggard  and  George  L.  Bunn. 

Within  the  walls  of  the  capitol  epoch-making  cases  have  been  ar- 
gued and  decided,  and  the  course  of  history  of  some  of  the  most  power- 
ful corporations  of  the  country  changed,  the  effect  of  which  has  been 
felt  in  every  part  of  the  United  States.  Men  engaged  in  these  cele- 
brated cases,  litigants,  lawyers  and  judges  have  obtained  national  repu- 
tations. Decisions,  first  rendered  here,  and  sustained  by  the  higher 
courts,  have  modified  the  law  of  the  land  in  many  particulars. 

District  Court  axd  T.ip.rary 

The  district  courts  are  created  by  the  legislature,  the  stale  being 
divided  into  nineteen  judicial  districts,  with  one  or  more  judges  in  a  dis- 
trict, as  the  exigencies  of  business  may  require,  antl  the  judges  are  elected 
for  six  years.  The  district  courts  have  original  jurisdiction  in  all  civil 
cases,  both  in  law  and  equity,  where  the  amount  exceeds  $100,  or  the 
punishment  shall  exceed  three  months"  imprisonment  or  a  fine  of  more 
than  $100.  Also,  in  criminal  cases  where  presentments  are  made  by 
grand  juries. 

The  district  court,  second  judicial  district,  Ramsey  county,  is  located 
at  St.  Paul.  It  holds  general  terms  on  the  first  Monday  in  each  month, 
exce])t  in  July,  August  and  September.  .Special  terms  every  ."Saturday, 
excejJt  during  the  nmnlhs  uf  July  ;ind  .\ugust.  Court  rooms  in  ct)urt 
house. 

An  element  not  to  be  overlooked  in  the  efficiency  of  the  legal  machin- 
ery of  this  district  is  the  s|)lendid  law  library  in  the  state  capitol.  and 
which,  as  the  ])roperty  of  the  state,  is  naturally  located  at  the  seat  of 
go\ernnK'nt.  The  stimulus  of  a  fine  library,  with  the  most  com])lcte  and 
comprehensive  reports  embracing  the  oldest,  as  well  as  the  latest,  deci- 
sions of  all  .\mcrican  jurisdictions,  together  with  invaluable  original 
state  records,  cannot  be  overestimated  in  its  elTect  upon  the  lawyer. 

At  the  first  state  election.  !•'.  C.  Palmer  was  elected,  and  ])resided 
from  May  24.  1858.  to  December  31,  1864.  He  was  succeeded  l)y  W'est- 
cott  Wilkin  who  held  the  position  by  successive  elections  until  his  death 
in   1897.     In    i8(')7  the  court  of  common   pleas  of   Ramsey  county   was 


ST.   PAUL  AND  XICINITY  328 

created,  and  William  Sprigg  Hall  was  appointed  its  first  judge.  He 
served  until  his  death,  which  occurred  February  25,  1875,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Hascal  R.  lirill.  The  same  year  an  additional  judge  of 
the  court  of  common  pleas  was  jirovided,  and  Orlando  Simons  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  position.  In  187O  the  court  of  common  pleas  was  merged 
in  the  district  court  and  Judges  Brill  and  Simons  were  transferred  to 
that  court,  to  which  positions  they  were  reelected  at  the  expiration  of 
their  respective  terms.  In  1887  an  additional  judge  was  provided  and 
William  Louis  Kelly  was  appointed  to  the  position  and  elected  for  the 
term  of  si.x  years  at  the  state  election  held  in  November,  1888.  By  act 
of  the  legislature  of  1889  two  more  judges  were  added  and  Charles  D. 
Kerr  and  Levi  j\L  \'ilas  were  appointed  to  the  positions  thus  created. 

The  judges  of  the  district  court  of  Ramsey  countv  now  in  service  are 
H.  R.  Brill,  William  L.  Kelly.  Grier  M.  Orr,  O.  B'  Lewis.  Oscar  Hal- 
lam  and  F.  N.  Dickson. 

Prod.\tf.  .\ni)  Municipal  Courts 

The  probate  courts  are  created  by  authority  of  the  constitution,  one 
for  each  county,  the  judges  to  be  elected  by  the  people  for  two  years. 
The  courts  are  governed  by  a  code  adopted  by  the  legislature  of  1889. 
The  probate  court  has  jurisdiction  over  the  estates  of  deceased  persons 
and  persons  under  guardianship,  and  the  examination  and  commitment 
of  insane  persons  to  the  asylums.  The  probate  court  of  Ramsey  county 
is  presided  over  by  Judge  E.  W.  Bazille,  with  F.  W.  Gosewisch  as  clerk. 
The  court  room  and  offices  are  at  51  court  house.  The  general  term  is 
lield  on  the  first  Monday  of  each  month ;  special  terms  are  held  dailv. 

The  mtmicipal  courts  have  the  power  of  disposing  of  all  criminal 
cases  for  infraction  of  city  laws,  and  of  hearing  and  committing  for 
trials  on  arrests  for  violation  of  state  laws,  under  Chapter  146,  General 
Laws  of  1891  :  "An  act  relating  to  cities  and  villages  of  over  3,000  in- 
habitants, and  providing  for  municipal  courts  therein."  By  the  provi- 
sions of  this  act  a  municipal  court  has  judisdiction  in  civil  actions  where 
amount  does  not  exceed  $500;  also,  in  all  cases  where  a  justice  court 
has  jurisdiction,  and  over  certain  criminal  actions.  Its  jurisdiction  is 
co-extensive  with  the  limits  of  the  county  where  located. 

The  St.  Paul  municipal  court  office  is  room  18;  criminal  court,  room 
1 1  ;  civil  court,  room  6 ;  all  at  the  court  house.  Regular  terms  for  trial 
of  civil  actions  are  held  every  Tuesday  at  10  A.  M.  Criminal  trials  are 
held  daily  from  9  A.  M.  to  12  M.  and  from  2  to  5  P.  ;\L  Judges:  John 
W.  Finehout  and  Hugo  O.  Hanft. 

The  municipal  court  has  largely  superseded  justices  of  the  peace,  but 
the  county  still  has  several  of  those  judicial  officers.  Among  those  who 
have  thus  administered  the  law  in  past  years  are  the  following;  B.  W. 
Lott,  John  A.  W'akefield,  Orlando  Simons,  Nelson  Gibbs,  Joseph  LeMay. 
Truman  M.  Smith,  Fleet  F.  Strother.  Thomas  Howard.  H.  M.  Dodge. 
B.  A.  M.  Froiseth,  Archibald  AIcElrath.  Oscar  F.  Ford,  E.  C.  Lambert, 
Eugene  Burnand,  Theodore  F.  Parker,  E.  H.  Wood.  S.  V.  Hanft,  Fred- 
erick Nelson.  F.  C.  Burgess,  W.  H.  R.  McAIartin.  Henry  L.  Mills  and 
Joseph   Smith. 

L'nited  St.\te.s  Circuit  Courts  .\nd  Judges 

St.  Paul  has  always  been  the  head(|uarters  of  the  highest  grade  of 
federal  courts  outside  of  the  national  capital.     Prior  to  the  admission 


324  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

of  the  state,  all  the  federal  judicial  power  was  vested  in  the  territorial 
courts  and  administered  by  them.  The  organization  of  these  courts 
has  been  heretofore  given.  When  the  state  was  admitted  on  May  ii. 
1858,  it  was  constituted  a  judicial  district  of  the  United  States  with  a  dis- 
trict court  possessing  circuit  powers.  By  the  act  of  July  15,  1862,  it  was 
made  part  of  the  Ninth  circuit;  and  by  the  same  act  the  district  court 
was  deprived  of  its  circuit  powers,  and  circuit  courts  were  appointed 
to  be  held  in  the  district  by  the  associate  justice  of  the  supreme  court 
of  the  United  States,  who  was  assigned  to  the  Ninth  circuit,  together 
with  the  district  judge  of  the  district,  either  of  whom  made  a  quorum. 
Hon.  R.  R.  Nelson  was  appoined  judge  of  the  United  States  district 
court  on  the  admission  of  the  state,  and  held  the  position  for  forty 
years.  He  appointed  George  W.  Prescott  clerk  of  the  court,  and  W. 
B.  Gere  having  been  appointed  United  States  marshal  of  the  district, 
and  Eugene  M.  Wilson  United  States  district  attorney,  the  court  was 
fully  organized.  Justice  Samuel  F.  Miller  of  the  supreme  court  of  the 
United  States,  having  been  assigned  to  the  Ninth  circuit,  presided  at 
the  first  circuit  court  ever  held  in  the  district  in  October.  1862,  assisted 
by  Judge  Nelson.  At  this  term  H.  1*2.  Mann  was  appointed  clerk  of 
the  circuit  court.  He  filled  the  position  until  July  i,  1883,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Oscar  B.  Hillis. 

The  business  of  the  federal  courts  having  increased  with  the  growth 
of  the  country  beyond  the  power  of  the  judicial  force  to  cope  with  it,  a 
circuit  judge  was  added  to  each  circuit  by  act  of  April  10,  1861,  with 
the  same  powers  as  the  supreme  judges  when  doing  circuit  duty.  In 
pursuance  of  this  act,  Hon.  John  F.  Dillon,  of  Iowa,  was  appointed  to 
this  circuit,  and  filled  the  position  to  the  end  of  the  June  term  of  1879, 
about  which  time  he  resigned  to  accept  the  law  professorship  of  Colum- 
bia College  in  New  York.  Judge  Dillon  was  succeeded  September  i, 
1879,  by  George  W.  McCrary,  who  held  the  position  until  1886.  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  David  J.  Brewer  of  Kansas.  In  1892  the  United 
States  circuit  court  of  appeals  was  created  by  act  of  congress,  and  Walter 
H.  Sanborn  of  St.  Paul  was  appointed  by  President  Benjamin  Harrison 
as  the  presiding  judge. 

Terms  of  United  States  Courts 

The  organization  and  term-times  of  the  United  States  courts  are 
as  follows:  Terms  of  circuit  court  of  appeals — first  Monday  in  Decem- 
ber at  St.  Louis,  Missouri ;  first  Monday  in  May  in  St.  Paul ;  first  Monday 
in  September  at  Denver,  Colorado  or  Cheyenne.  Wyoming,  and  at  such 
other  times  and  places  as  may  be  designated  by  the  court. 

Terms  of  circuit  and  district  courts  are  held,  for  the  first  division, 
Winona,  on  the  third  Tuesday  in  May  and  the  third  Tuesday  in  Novem- 
ber; for  the  second  division,  Mankato,  on  the  fourth  Tuesday  in  .\pril 
and  the  fourth  Tuesday  in  October ;  for  the  third  division,  St.  Paul,  on 
the  first  Tuesday  in  June  and  the  first  Tuesday  in  December;  for  the 
fourth  division,  Minneai>olis,  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  April  and  the  first 
Tuesday  in  October;  for  the  fifth  division.  Duluth  on  the  second  Tuesday 
in  January,  and  the  second  Tuesday  in  July;  for  the  sixth  division, 
Fergus  Falls,  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  May  and  liie  second  Tuesday  in 
November. 

Judges:  Associate  justice  of  the  United  States  supreme  court.  Hon. 
Willis  Devanter;  circuit  judges — Hon.  W.  H.  Sanborn,  St.  Paul,  Min- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  325 

nesota,  Hon.  W'm.  C.  Hook,  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  Hon.  Elmer  B. 
Adams,  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  clerk  circuit  court,  ]\Iiss  L.  B.  Trott,  St. 
Paul ;  United  States  commissioner,  C.  L.  Spencer ;  district  judges — Hon. 
Page  ;\Iorris,  Duluth,  and  Hon.  C.  A.  Willard,  Minneapolis ;  clerk  dis- 
trict court,  C.  L.  Spencer,  St.  Paul ;  district  attorney,  C.  C.  Houpt ; 
assistant  district  attorneys — J.  AI.  Dickey  and  E.  S.  Oakley,  St.  Paul; 
United  States  marshal,  W.  H.  Grimshaw ;  referee  in  bankruptcy,  Gideon 
S.  Ives,  St.  Paul. 

United  States  circuit  court  of  appeals  law  library,  431  Federal  build- 
ing; I.  L.  Mahan,  librarian. 

College  of  L.\w  and  Bar  Associations 

No  commentary  upon  the  legal  profession  of  St.  Paul  would  be 
complete  without  reference  to  the  College  of  Law.  Although  a  private 
institution,  its  relation  to  the  public  is  as  important  as  any  educational 
institution  in  the  city.  It  was  organized  in  1900  by  some  lawyers, 
"whose  incentives  to  the  work  involved  were  their  interest  in  the  ad- 
vancement of  their  profession  and  their  ambition  to  establish  in  St. 
Paul  a  creditable  law  school."  Started  thus  in  a  small  way  by  men 
who  were  actively  engaged  in  practice,  it  has  grown  in  influence  and 
reputation  until  it  is  the  equal  of  any  law  school  in  the  country.  It 
has  already  between  two  and  three  hundred  alumni.  Its  course  covers 
three  years  and  its  graduates  are  admitted  without  further  examination 
to  the  bar  of  Minnesota. 

A  very  large  proportion  of  the  lawyers  and  judges  of  St.  Paul  be- 
long to  the  Ramsey  County  Bar  Association,  organized  in  1898  "for  the 
purpose  of  forming  and  preserving  a  more  perfect  union  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  bar  of  the  Second  judicial  district  of  the  state  of  Minne- 
sota." The  annual  meeting  of  this  association  is  held  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  birth  of  Hon.  Wescott  Wilkin,  for  many  years  a  judge  of 
the  district  court  of  Ramsey  county,  in  order  to  honor  the  memory  of  a 
man  whose  ability  and  probity  entitle  him  to  the  grateful  recollection  of 
all  of  the  members  of  this  association.  This  organization  of  a  semi- 
social  character,  meeting  several  times  during  the  year  at  banquets  and 
on  other  occasions,  preserves  and  augments  the  fraternal  spirit  of  the 
profession. 

The  State  Bar  Association  is  a  much  larger  body,  embracing  not 
alone  the  lawyers  and  judiciary  of  this  district,  but  of  the  entire  state. 
Their  annual  meetings  covering  several  days,  are  notable  events,  and 
the  reports  of  the  standing  committees  often  have  an  important  influ- 
ence on  subsequent  legislation.  These  meetings  close  with  a  banquet  at 
which  addresses  by  distinguished  guests  or  members  of  the  association 
give  the  function  a  permanent  interest. 

The  following  tribute  to  the  judiciary  of  the  state,  uttered  at  a  re- 
cent banquet,  is  well  worthy  of  repetition :  "No  greater  compliment  can 
be  paid  the  bar  of  Minnesota  than  to  speak  of  the  excellence  of  its  judi- 
ciary, which  has  always  occupied  high  rank  in  comparison  with  her 
sister  commonwealths  and  against  which  the  faintest  suspicion  of  dis- 
honesty or  lack  of  the  highest  type  of  integrity  has  never  been  directed. 
The  judiciary  of  our  proud  state  has  contained  the  names  of  many  of 
the  men  whose  memories  are  closely  associated  with  the  marvelous 
growth  and  development  of  the  great  northwest,  and  who  were  conspicu- 
ous  factors  not  only  in  the  moulding  and   enactment  of  our   superior 


;!-_>ti  ST.   r.MI.  AND  \1CIXITV 

code  of  laws  ami  in  putting  our  courts  on  a  praiseworthy  ami  enviable 
basis,  but  in  influencing  and  directing  ])ublic  sentiment  and  in  many 
ways  aiding  in  our  progress  and  achievements.  This  is  true,  of  the  dis- 
trict as  well  as  the  supreme  bench,  for  the  latter  usually  comprises  those 
who  have  attracted  attention  bv  faithful  service  on  the  former." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

^NEWSPAPERS  AND  PUBLISHIXG  HOUSES 

Newspapers,  (jold  Mines  of  History — "'Register,"  First  Minnesota 
Newspaper — Murder  of  Its  Founder — The  "Minnesota  Pioneer" 
Founded — "Chronicle  and  Register" — "Pioneer  and  Demo- 
crat"— Old  "Pioneer"  Editors — "St.  Paul  Daily  Press" — "St. 
Paul  Pioneer  Press" — "Daily  Dispatch" — "Daily  Glop.e" — 
"Daily  News" — The  "Volkszeitung" — St.  Paul  Newspapers,  in 
Short — The  West  Publishing  Company — R.  L.  Polk  &■  Company 

The  di.scovery  of  the  art  of  printing  opened  vistas  of  hope  to  the 
world,  and  the  pubhc  press  is  the  most  significant  of  its  developments. 
Books  were  printed  profusely  in  Europe  during  two  hundred  years  be- 
fore newspapers  were  thought  of ;  newspapers  were  printed  two  hundred 
years  before  the  journalism  of  today  became  ]30ssible.  The  functions 
must  not  be  confused.  Books  are  the  solid  specie  basis  of  literature. 
Newspapers  are  the  circulating  medium,  the  instrument  which  necessity 
has  devised  for  increasing  the  thought-currency  of  mankind.  Journalism 
is  the  science  which,  finance-like,  presides  over  the  adjustment  of  the 
proper  relations  of  this  currency  to  its  basis  and  the  demand  for  its 
issue. 

St.  Paul's  journalism  has  always  been  one  of  its  most  important 
institutions.  No  other  agency  has  done  more  toward  advancing  the 
city's  growth  and  ])rosperity.  It  has  been  fortunate  in  always  having 
an  able  and  energetic  press.  From  the  very  first  foundation  of  the  news- 
paper in  this  city,  men  of  brains  and  experience  have  been  managing  its 
journals.  The  latter  were  at  all  times  far  in  advance  in  ability  and  in- 
terest of  the  press  of  larger  cities  in  the  eastern  and  middle  states,  and 
the  spirit  with  which  they  have  been  maintained  has  been  creditable  to 
our  pride,  as  it  gave  us  a  good  reputation  wherever  those  journals  cir- 
culated. It  may  be  truly  said  that  the  character  of  a  city  is  known  from 
its  journals;  and  the  converse  is  true  that  the  joiu'nals  largely  derive 
their  tone  and  s])irit  from  the  people  in  whose  midst  they  are  printed. 

Newspapers,  Gold  Mines  of  History 

.Above  all  other  institutions,  journalism  writes  its  own  history.  It 
has  the  ability,  the  facilities,  the  incentives  and  the  inclination.  A  vast 
accumulation  of  the  collected  volumes  of  newspapers  on  the  shelves  of 
the  State  Historical  Society  at  the  capitol,  constitutes  not  only  an  inex- 
haustible gold-mine  of  history  for  the  city  and  the  state,  but  furnishes, 
in  addition,  the  best  possible  history  of  the  publications  themselves. 
Furthermore,  a  very  elaborate  and  accurate  compilation  of  the  annals 

327 


328  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

of  the  press  of  Minnesota,  involving  infinite  labor  and  care,  has  been 
made  by  D.  S.  B.  Johnston,  of  St.  Paul,  himself  a  pioneer  editor  and 
has  been  printed  in  the  Collections  of  the  State  Historical  Society.  .Also 
H.  P.  Hall,  J.  Fletcher  Williams,  T.  M.  Newson,  Earle  S.  Goodrich  and 
others,  have  written  instructively  on  the  subject.  Hence  a  minute  record 
of  all  the  newspapers  ever  printed  in  the  city  or  state  has  been  preserved 
and  is  available.  It  will  only  be  necessary  here  to  give  some  space  to  the 
beginnings  of  St.  Paul  papers,  with  tracings  of  the  pedigrees  of  ex- 
isting publications,  omitting  even  the  mention  of  scores  of  ephemeral 
sheets  which  lived  si.x  days  or  six  months  and  died  unhonored  and  un- 
sung— also  unwept,  except  by  their  creditors.  The  ballet  queen  may 
circumvent  excess  baggage  charges  by  carrying  her  stage  wardrobe  in 
her  purse;  the  proprietor  of  a  defunct  newspaper  may  circumvent  post 
mortem  obloquy,  by  invoking  the  charity  of  merciful  silence — and  he 
usually  does  so. 

"Register,"  First  Minnesota  Newspaper 

The  first  steps  toward  establishing  a  newspaper  in  St.  Paul,  or  in 
Minnesota,  were  taken  in  August,  1848,  by  Dr.  Andrew  Randall,  who 
was  then  an  attache  of  Dr.  Owen's  geological  corps,  engaged  in  a  survey 
of  this  region.  The  project  grew  out  of  the  "Stillwater  convention"  of 
that  year,  which  first  suggested  to  the  mind  of  Dr.  Randall  that  if  there 
was  to  be  a  territorial  organization  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  a  news- 
paper. Having  the  capacity  and  means  to  undertake  the  enterprise,  he 
set  about  it. 

Randall  proceeded  to  Cincinnati,  wliich  was  at  that  time  his  home, 
to  purchase  his  press  and  material.  Meantime  he  concluded  to  await  the 
issue  of  the  bill  to  organize  the  territory,  which  did  not  finally  pass  until 
the  last  day  of  the  session  in  March,  1849.  By  this  time  Randall,  annoyed 
at  the  delays,  concluded  to  set  up  his  press  in  Cincinnati  and  get  out  a 
number  there.  While  in  Cincinnati  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  John 
P.  Owens,  a  young  man  engaged  in  the  jirinting  l)usiness  who  had  al- 
readv  imbibedthe  Minnesota  fever,  and  a  partnership  Ijctween  them  was 
the  result.  Thev  printed  a  number  of  their  paper,  which  was  to  be  called 
the  Minnesota  Register.  It  was  dated  "St.  Paul,  April  27,  1849,"  but 
was  really  printed  about  two  weeks  earlier  than  that  date.  Messrs  H.  H. 
Sibley  and  H.  M.  Rice  had  passed  through  Cincinnati  on  their  way  home 
from  Washington,  and  contributed  valuable  articles  on  Minnesota  to  the 
Register.  These,  added  to  Mr.  Randall's  extensive  knowledge  of  the 
coimtry.  gave  the  paper  a  very  interesting  local  character.  It  was  the 
first  Minnesota  newspaper  ever  printed  and  dates  just  one  day  in  ad- 
vance of  the  Pioneer,  althmigli  the  latter  must  be  recorded  as  the  first 
paper  actually  printed  in  Minnesota. 

Murder  of  its  Founder 

Dr.  Randall  being  a  man  of  roving  disposition,  caught  the  California 
fever  and  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  newspaper  before  he  left  Cincin- 
nati. He  arrived  safely  in  the  golden  land  in  the  fall  of  1840  and  soon 
became  a  man  of  note  on  the  Pacific  coast,  lie  was  murdered  in  San 
Francisco,  July  24,  1866,  by  a  ruffian  named  Hethcrington.  This  crime 
led  to  the  formation  of  the  second  vigilance  committee,  which  executed 
summary  justice  on  his  slayer. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  329 

The  purchaser  of  the  assets  and  good-will  of  the  infant  journal,  the 
Minnesota  Register,  was  Nathaniel  ^IcLean,  of  Lebanon,  Ohio,  who  had 
determined  to  emigrate  to  Minnesota.  He  was  a  brother  of  the  eminent 
John  AIcLean,  of  the  L'nited  States  supreme  court,  and  a  man  of  ability 
and  high  character.  j\lr.  ]McLean  was  at  that  time  sixty  years  of  age, 
but  strong  and  active.  His  associate  in  the  enterprise,  John  Phillips 
Owens,  a  native  of  Ohio,  already  had  some  experience  as  a  journalist  in 
Louisville,  New  Orleans  and  other  cities.  The  firm  name  was  McLean 
&  Owens.  The  press  materials  were  shipped  to  St.  Paul  by  steamboat, 
and  in  Alay  Mr.  Owens  arrived  here.  Major  McLean  was  detained 
until  late  in  August.  This  seriously  injured  the  chances  of  the  paper. 
The  Pioneer  had  already  quite  a  start  and  the  Chronicle  had  been  estab- 
lished by  James  Hughes  about  June  1st. 

The  "Minnesota  Pioxeer"  Founded 

The  debates  in  congress  on  the  ^Minnesota  bill  attracted  the  attention 
of  men  of  energy  all  over  the  L'nion  to  the  proposed  territory,  and  many 
were  looking  to  it  as  their  future  home.  Among  these  was  James  M. 
Goodhue,  a  gentleman  every  way  fitted  to  be  the  pioneer  editor  of  the 
new  territory.  He  was  a  talented  and  enterprising  young  lawyer,  who 
w^hile  temporarily  in  charge  of  the  Wisconsin  Herald,  at  Lancaster, 
found  it  a  more  congenial  field  than  the  law,  and  chose  it  as  his  profes- 
sion. When  ^Minnesota  territory  was  finally  organized,  Mr.  Goodhue  at 
once  purchased  a  printing  press  and  material  and  shipped  them  by  steamer 
to  St.  Paul,  issuing  meantime  a  prospectus  for  a  paper  to  be  called  the 
Epistle  of  St.  Paul  but  which  name  he  changed,  before  the  first  issue, 
to  the  Minnesota  Pioneer.  The  first  number  was  printed  and  dated  April 
28,  1849. 

The  press  upon  which  this  number  was  printed  had  been  used  in  Cin- 
cinnati twelve  years  before  its  migration  to  St.  Paul  in  1849.  It  was 
used  by  the  Pioneer  until  1856,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Sauk  Rapids 
Frontiersman,  published  by  Jere  Russell,  and  afterwards  used  by  the 
Neii'  Era,  published  in  the  same  place  by  W.  H.  Wood ;  next  tipon  the 
Minnesota  Union,  by  S.  B.  Lowry  and  C.  C.  Andrews,  at  St.  Cloud; 
next  upon  the  St.  Cloud  Union,  by  Spafford  &  Simonton,  at  St.  Cloud; 
and  the  first  number  of  the  St.  Cloud  Times  was  printed  upon  it.  It 
then  lay  idle  until  the  winter  of  1866-7,  when  it  was  transferred  to  Sauk 
Center  for  use  in  the  publication  of  the  Sauk  J^alley  Netvs  which  was 
superseded  by  the  Sauk  Center  Herald  in  the  spring  of  1867.  After 
other  services  and  vicissitudes  this  press  was  secured  by  the  ]\Iinnesota 
Historical  Society  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  and  remains  one  of  its 
valued  possessions. 

"Chronicle  .\nd  Register" 

In  May,  1849,  Colonel  James  Hughes,  of  Jackson  county,  Ohio,  ar- 
rived at  St.  Paul  with  a  press  and  material,  and  on  June  ist  issued  the 
first  number  of  the  Minnesota  Chronicle.  The  Chronicle  was  published 
by  Mr.  Hughes  until  August  following,  when  it  was  consolidated  with 
the  Register  under  the  name  of  the  Chronicle  and  Register. 

It  therefore  came  about  that  in  June,  1849,  three  papers  were  pub- 
lished in  the  embryo  town.  This  could  not  last,  and  in  August  the 
Chronicle  and  Register  were  consolidated,  as  above  set  forth.  Col.  D.  A. 
Robertson  established  the  Minnesota _  Democrat  December  10,  1850,  and 


:5;jO  ST.    I'ALl.   AXD   \  ICIXITV 

within  a  short  time  absorbed  tlic  Chroniclc-Rcyistcr  concern.  In  Septeni- 
l)cr,  185 1,  the  Miiiiiesotiaii  a]jpeare(l.  with  John  P.  Owens,  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Register,  as  editor. 

All  of  these  papers  were  weekly,  as  was  the  Pioneer,  which  went 
steadily  on  through  all  the  mutations  of  fortune  undergone  by  its  rivals. 
Tlie  Pioneer  became  a  daily  on  May  i,  1854;  the  Miiuiesofian  on  May 
11.  1854  and  the  Democrat  May  15,  1854 — the  last  named  published  by 
l)a\  id  Olmsted.  Editor  Goodhue  of  the  Pioneer  had  died  .August  2~. 
1852.  under  circumstances  narrated  in  a  previous  chapter;  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Joseph  R.  Brown,  and  he  by  Earle  S.  Cjoodrich,  who  estab- 
lished the  Daily  Pioneer. 

"PlONEMR    .\.M)    DeMC)CK.\t" 

I'hus  in  .Ma\,  1854.  there  were  three  daily  ucws]japers  in  St.  i'aul 
— as  serious  an  oversup])ly  as  had  i)een  the  three  weeklies  of  June,  1849. 
The  surplus  was  reduced,  however,  in  the  fall  of  1855,  by  the  consoli- 
dation of  the  Democrat  with  the  Pioneer.  The  new  paper,  called  the 
Pioneer  and  Democrat  was  conducted  by  Earle  S.  Goodrich  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  1861,  he  associated  his  two  brothers,  Andrew  J.  Good- 
rich and  Frank  Goodrich,  with  the  publication,  under  the  corporate  name 
of  the  Pioneer  Printing  Conii)any.  In  January,  1864,  the  word  "Demo- 
crat"' was  dro]iped  from  the  title,  and  in  Xovemhcr.  18^3.  the  Messrs. 
Goodrich  sold  the  Pioneer  to  Davidson  iK:  Hall. 

( )i.ii  "  I'|()\i;i:r"   ['"Dnous 

Earle  S.  Goodrich  still  resides  in  .St.  Paul,  a  vigorous  gentleman 
eighty-six  years  of  age,  having  a  wonderful  record  of  observations,  ex- 
periences and  achievements  to  look  back  upon  with  satisfaction.  J. 
Fletcher  Williams  says  of  him:  "Mr.  Goodrich  edited  and  i)ublislied  the 
Daily  Pioneer,  or  Pioneer  and  Democrat  as  it  was  entitled  part  of  the 
time,  for  ten  years,  with  signal  success.  lie  gained  the  reputation  of 
being  the  most  gr.iceful.  polished,  and,  at  the  same  time,  caustic  writer. 
ever  connected  with  the  ])ress  of  Minnesota,  while  his  skill,  good  judg- 
ment and  tact  as  an  editor  were  of  the  first  order.  Mis  business  manage- 
ment was  no  less  successful.  The  Pioneer  was  a  prosj^erous  and  profit- 
able concern.  It  made  money,  even  during  the  desperately  hard  times 
from  1858  to  1862,  when  other  journals  barely  lived  or  went  under." 

From  ail  appreciative  sketch  of  several  of  his  associates  an<l  con- 
temporaries, written  more  than  twenty  years  ago  by  F.arle  S.  Goodrich, 
we  condense  the  following;  "Josejih  R.  P.rown  was  editor  of  the  Pioneer 
when  1  took  charge  of  it  in  1854.  He  was  a  massive  man  of  sjilcndid 
contraritics.  .\s  editor  he  lacked  nothing  but  training.  lie  came  to 
Mimiesota  among  the  earliest  days  as  drummer  boy — a  runaway,  insjiired 
by  a  love  of  arlventurc.  lie  gratified  that  jiassion.  for  his  life  was  full  of 
it.  Mis  term  in  the  arni\  ended,  he  became  Indi.in  tr;ider.  townsite  lo- 
cater.  i)oIitician.  and,  that  he  might  cover  all  iiuman  exiierience  in  the 
northwest  of  that  day,  editor.  In  his  rude,  unimlished  fashion  he  could 
cr.am  more  argument  into  a  cohnnn.  and  enliven  it  with  more  genial 
himior,  and  point  it  with  more  jjregnani  wit.  than  any  one  of  his  suc- 
cessors. He  was  a  man  of  the  largest,  broadest,  keenest  native  sense  of 
all  the  earlier  settlers  with  whom  I  came  in  contact,  sujiplying  not  only 
his  own  needs  in  this  particular,  but    fiunishing  more  than  one  of  his 


ST.   PAL'L    \.\l)  \  ICIXITV 


331 


compeers   their    re]niteil   modiciiiii   as    well.      He   will   always   remain   a 
striking  figure  in  the  early  history  of  Minnesota." 

Charles  J.  Henniss.  an  editorial  writer  on  the  Pioneer  in  1855-6,  was 
a  man  of  refined  tastes  and  of  the  most  generous  culture.  Before  coming 
to  the  west  he  had  contributed  papers  of  marked  ability  to  the  Phila- 
delphia Gacette  on  the  drama,  music,  painting  and  kindred  arts.  It 
cannot  be  said  that  he  found  in  the  early  days  of  St.  Paul  journalism, 
a  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  special  talents  and  tastes.  Negro  minstrelsy, 
in  concert,  drew  the  paying  houses;  in  drama,  Sallic  St.  Clair,  of  jirotean 


sT'  *;  -  J--  i;  -ri       ?-  -  - 


t^=:^r 


PIONEER  BUILDINC,   COR.   FOURTH 
.KND   ROl'.ERT   STREETS 


fame,  was  the  reigning  queen  hotli  of  tragedy  and  comedy;  while  Phil- 
lips, of  Salvator  Rosa  air  and  hair,  represented  a  school  of  painting  of 
which  he  was  at  once  master  and  the  only  living  or  dead  disciple.  So,  the 
fine  phrases  with  which  the  practiced  critic  furnishes  his  work,  could  hardly 
be  utilized  upon  the  artistic  productions  of  the  early  days ;  and  Henniss, 
dying  before  his  time,  did  not  live  to  see  the  later  and  better  develop- 
ment in  art,  as  in  everything  else,  and  which  has  given  to  everything  else 
ti  inches  of  grace  and  beauty. 

.\ndrew  Jackson  Morgan,  in  fancy  tlic  generalissimo,  in  fact  the  drill- 
sergeant  of  the  territorial  democracy,  blew  many  a  blast  upon  his  bugle 
horn   through  the  columns  of  the  old   f'imierr.  a  <|uaint.  erratic,  kindly 


332  ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIN1TY 

personage,  whom  one  never  knew  how  to  treat,  whether  as  man  or  boy. 
He  occasionally,  in  spite  of  his  eccentricities,  or  by  virtue  of  them, 
showed  signs  of  power  that  compelled  respect,  and  of  fertility  that  ex- 
cited admiration. 

Joseph  A.  Wheelock,  during  the  year  following  the  suspension  of  the 
Financial  Advertiser,  though  an  invalid,  contributed  to  the  editorial  col- 
umns of  the  Pioneer  some  of  the  best  of  his  editorial  work — mostly  of 
a  statistical  character  and  upon  topics  connected  with  the  industrial  de- 
velopment of  the  northwest.  I'.ut  aside  from  these  soberer  labors,  there 
were  essays  on  morals  or  of  sentiment  in  which  his  vagrant  ]X"n  took  de- 
light, and  which  the  genial  Elia  would  not  have  blusheel  to  own.  During 
this  year's  connection  with  the  Pioneer,  Mr.  Wheelock  accompanied  the 
Nobles  expedition  to  Manitoba  as  correspondent,  and  by  his  interesting 
letters  from  that  region  directed  early  attention  to  its  beauties  and  capa- 
bilities. Or  his  subsequent  splendid  career  it  is  unnecessary,  as  it  would 
be  superfluous  in  this  connection,  to  write. 

"Of  Louis  E.  Fisher."  says  Mr.  Goodrich,  "it  is  difficult  to  write  in 
terms  of  cold  and  sober  compliment.  T  never  knew-  a  modesty  so  genu- 
ine and  ingrained.  He  was  a  compositor  in  the  old  Pioneer  book-room, 
and  it  was  a  year  and  a  half  after  I  measured  his  qualities  before  I  could 
induce  him  to  undertake  editorial  work:  and  this  from  a  real  self-distrust 
of  his  own  abilities.  How  truly  valuable  a  newspaper  man  he  became, 
the  public,  which  always  highly  appreciated  him.  never  really  knew.  He 
had  so  patient  a  temper,  so  accurate  a  mental  and  moral  equipoise,  and  a 
sagacity  so  unerring  that  he  became  a  source  of  inspiration  to  those 
around  him  and  multiplied  himself  Ijy  suggestion.  His  heart  corres- 
ponded to  his  brain;  it  was  warm,  clean,  even-beating  and  true." 

"St.  Vavl  D.mly  Press" 

Among  other  editors  and  publishers  in  the  city  during  the  territorial 
era,  whose  work  has  been  chronicled  in  complimentary  terms,  were  Dr. 
Thomas  Foster,  T.  M.  Newson,  J.  C.  Terry,  George  W.  Moore,  M.  J. 
Clum,  W.  A.  CrotTut.  David  Ramaley  and  .-\.  C.  Smith.  .Mr.  Newson 
published  the  Daily  Times,  from  1854  to  i860,  and  made  of  it  an  influen- 
tial Republican  ])aper.  In  January,  1861,  the  Ti)nes  and  the  Miunesotian 
were  both  purchased  by  W.  R.  Marshall,  J.  A.  Wheelock  and  N.  Brad- 
ley, who  consolidated  them  under  the  new  name  of  the  St.  Paul  Daily 
Press. 

Die  Daily  Press  had  its  origin  in  the  want  of  a  Republican  organ 
which  should  have  ability,  dignity  and  cajiital.  Hon.  William  R.  Mar- 
shall, its  projector  and  principal  proprietor,  hail  not  previously  had  any 
practical  experience  as  an  editor  or  publisher,  but  his  business  ability, 
his  widely  extended  reputation  in  the  state,  together  with  much  skill  as 
a  writer,  had  admirably  fitted  him  for  the  work  and  was  well  calculated 
to  give  confidence  to  the  new  enterprise.  His  editorial  writer,  Joseph  .\. 
Wheelock.  was  a  journalist  of  the  finest  ability,  and  he  was  assisted  also 
by  Hon.  James  W.  Taylor,  likewise  an  exjicricnced  writer  for  the  press. 
Mr.  P.radley  was  a  very  skillful  business  manager.  Thus  the  Daily  Press, 
established  on  a  good  patronage  already  secured  and  ably  managed,  had 
a  notable  success  from  its  start.  It  soon  secured  the  state  printing  and 
was  the  chief  recognized  organ  of  the  party  in  the  state,  as  well  as  the 
most  prominent  champion  and  mouthpiece  of  the  loyal  people  during  the 
great  struggle  for  freedom  and  the  Union  which  was  then  beginning. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  333 

In  the  fall  of  1862  a  daily  paper  called  the  Union  was  established  in 
St.  Paul  by  some  advocates  of  the  election  of  Cyrus  Aldrich  to  the 
United  States  senate,  and  at  the  session  of  the  legislature  ni  January 
following  F.  DriscoU,  its  manager,  was  chosen  state  printer.  I'his  re- 
newed the  old  complication  of  two  party  organs,  and  in  order  to  remedy 
it  a  consolidation  was  etfected  on  Alarch  i,  1863,  Mr.  Bradley  retiring 
and  Mr.  Driscoll  replacing  him  as  business  manager.  Mr.  JNlarshall  had 
previously  left  the  paper  to  serve  as  colonel  of  the  Seventh  Minnesota 
Infantry,  where  he  made  a  record  which  was  instrumental  in  promoting 
him  to  the  governorship  of  the  state  at  the  close  of  the  war  and  to  other 
important  positions  later. 

"St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press" 

Mr.  Wheelock  and  Mr.  Driscoll  thus  became  the  sole  owners  of  the 
Press  and  began  an  association  that  lasted  for  forty  years.  Mr.  Driscoll 
was  a  consummate  business  manager  and  the  paper  became  a  highly 
profitable  enterprise,  as  well  as  a  powerful  factor  in  the  political  and 
material  development  of  the  northwest.  On  April  11,  1875,  the  St. 
Pail!  Daily  Pioneer  was  merged  into  the  Daily  Press,  under  the  name  of 
the  Pioneer  Press.  On  December  27,  1879,  it  was  first  printed  on  a  Hoe 
"web  perfecting"  press,  the  first  used  in  newspaper  work  in  Minnesota. 

"St.  Paul  Daily  Dispatch" 

On  February  29,  1868,  appeared  the  first  number  of  the  St.  Paul 
Daily  Dispatch,  an  evening  paper,  size,  five  columns.  Its  publishers 
were  Harlan  P.  Hall,  David  Ramaley  and  John  W.  Cunningham.  The 
latter  gentleman  soon  after  withdrew  from  the  firm.  The  paper  had 
great  success  and  was  enlarged  twice  during  the  year,  and  once  subse- 
quently. It  secured  a  membership  in  the  Associated  Press.  In  1870 
Mr.  Ramaley  withdrew  from  the  concern,  and  Mr.  Hall  continued  it  as 
editor  and  publisher.  It  became  first  "Liberal  Republican"  and  then  Dem- 
ocratic in  politics.  As  the  Pioneer  Press,  after  its  consolidation,  assumed 
an  independent  attitude  in  politics,  the  Republicans,  during  the  presidential 
campaign  of  1876,  felt  the  need  of  an  outspoken  advocate.  A  company 
was  formed  which  purchased  the  Dispatch  of  Mr.  Hall,  and  on  Septem- 
ber 13,  1876,  it  was  transformed  "over  night"  into  an  aggressive  Repub- 
lican organ.  Henry  A.  Castle  was  made  editor-in-chief.  One  year  later 
he  became,  also,  business  manager,  and  in  September.  1881,  sole  editor 
and  proprietor.  In  IMarch,  1885,  owing  to  impaired  health,  due  to  the 
exacting  w-ork  of  his  dual  position,  he  sold  the  paper  at  a  very  large 
profit  to  George  K.  Shaw.  After  a  few  months  Mr.  Shaw  sold  the  es- 
tablishment to  George  Thompson,  who  has  since  retained  the  ownership 
and  editorial  control. 

In  1909  Mr.  Thompson,  owner  of  the  Dispatch,  purchased  the  Pioneer 
Press  and  removed  its  ofifice  of  publication  to  the  Dispatch  building, 
Fourth  and  Minnesota  streets.  The  two  papers  retain  their  old  names 
and  their  distinctive  morning  and  evening  features ;  have  distinct  corps 
of  editors,  reporters,  etc. ;  but  are  united  under  one  corporate  ownership 
and  business  management ;  are  printed  from  the  same  type  and  on  the 
same  presses.  Mr.  J.  S.  McLain  is  the  editor-in-chief  of  both  publica- 
tions. In  all  practicable  ways  they  cooperate.  They  have  the  same  sub- 
scription clientage  as  both  papers  are  supplied  at  the  price  of  one. 


834  ST.   I'ALl.   AND   \  ICINITY 

In  the  lengthy  and  (hstinguished  annals  of  St.  I'aul  journalism  no  name 
appears  more  conspicuously  than  that  of  George  Thompson,  proprietor 
and  publisher  of  tlie  St.  I'aul  I'ionccr  I'rcss  and  the  St.  I'anl  I)ispatcli. 
His  twenty-seven  years'  consecutive  service  in  the  nianagenieni  of  one 
daily  journal  covers  a  period  that  has  been  excelleil  by  only  one  or  two 
contemporaries;  the  unintcrrujiled  career  of  prosperity  and  advance- 
ment, achieved  by  his  puljlications,  has  been  equalled  by  none.  Air. 
Thompson  has  continuously  displayed  great  executive  ability  in  securing 
the  service  of  able,  devoted  assistants  in  every  department,  and  excep- 
tional business  skill  in  conducting  the  complicated  affairs  of  the  wide- 
spreading  enterprise  which  lie  controlled.  His  professional,  political 
and  tinancial  success  has  been  continuous  and  increasing.  Xo  backward 
steps  have  ever  been  taken  in  bis  onward  niarcli  nf  nearly  thirty  years. 

"St.  Paul  U.mlv  Globe'" 

The  St.  Paul  Daily  Globe,  a  Democratic  morning  paper,  established 
by  H.  P.  Hall  in  1878,  had  a  checkered  career  for  about  twenty-five  years. 
It  was,  at  times,  edited  with  an  ability  that  promised  fmal  business  suc- 
cess, but  it  never  reall}-  achieved  that  most  essential  reciuisite.  It  was 
discontinued  at  last,  leaving  the  Pioneer  Press  the  sole  occupant  of  the 
morning  field.  The  city  of  6,000  population  in  1854  had  three  morning 
dailies;  the  same  city,  with  about  a  quarter  of  a  million  people  in  igii 
has  only  one.    But  it  is  worth  them  all — and  then  more. 

"St.  Paul  D.mi.v  Nkvvs" 

The  St.  I'aul  Daily  Xczi's  is  an  evening  i)aper  founded  May  i,  1900. 
Althougli  it  bears  the  name  ado])ted  by  two  or  more  jjredecessors,  it  bad 
no  connection  with  them  by  jjedigree  or  inheritance,  and  has  escaped 
their  fate  by  a  vigor  and  ability  which  eleven  years  of  success  have  shown 
to  be  permanent  attributes.  It  was  established  in  the  belief  that  a  pajier 
giving  the  news  in  a  clean,  condensed  and  reliable  way,  and  aiipealing 
to  popular  patronage  by  an  honorable  editorial  policy,  dedicated  to  the 
interests  of  the  peojile  at  large,  would  command  a  sufficient  clientage  to 
justify  its  existence.  Results  have  vindicated  the  faith  of  its  founders 
and  the  wisdom  of  their  management.  It  has  a  large  and  growing  circu- 
lation ;  a  profitable  advertising  business,  and  a  publishing  plant  well 
equipped  with  ui3-to-date  facilities.  It  is  printed  at  92  to  96  East  Fourth 
street  by  the  Daily  News  Publishing  Company,  of  which  L.  V.  Ashbaugli 
is  president.  W.  H.  Mc.Murchy  is  the  editor-in-cliicf  and  X.  A\'.  Reay 
is  business  manager. 

Tin-:  "VoLKSZEiTuxr," 

The  Volkszcitung,  a  successful  German  daily,  is  the  outcome  of  a  long 
series  of  papers  ]>rinted  in  that  language,  since  the  weekly  Zeitutuj  was 
established  in  St.  Paul  in  1856.  It  was  the  Staats  Zeitiiitc/  and  the 
Volkshlatt.  at  different  times.  .Mhert  Wolff  as  editor  and  Tlieodore 
Sander  as  publisher  conducted  it  for  several  years.  It  was  published  as 
a  daily  in  1878,  hut  afterwards  discontinued.  .\t)out  1882  Charles  H. 
Licnau  purchased  the  pai)er.  then  a  w-eekly :  soon  established  an  even- 
ing daily,  and  placed  it  on  tiie  prosperous  foundation  it  has  since  occu- 
pied.    It  is  now  published  at  Jackson  and    Third  streets.     C.  II.  Berg- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  \ICIX1TY  335 

meier  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  tlie  company.  It  has  a  well  ecjuipped 
editorial  and  business  staff,  supplying  one  of  the  best  all-around  journals 
printed  in  the  west  for  the  large  and  exacting  German-American  element. 
Even  a  cursory  review  of  the  relations  of  journalism,  or  the  public 
press,  to  modern  civilization,  must  embrace  a  very  comprehensive  recog- 
nition of  its  attributes  and  elements.  Whether  as  a  science,  or  as  a  lib- 
eral art  and  learned  profession,  it  is  interwoven  with  every  phase  of  cur- 
rent progress.  Its  influence  is  impressed  on  every  page  of  contemporary 
annals.  The  press  has  enabled  public  opinion  to  become  the  paramount 
force  in  society  and  politics,  confirming  the  Psalmist's  utterance:  "There 
is  no  speech  or  language  where  its  voice  is  not  heard." 

St.  Paul  XEw.srAPERs  in  Short 

The  daily  papers  now  printed  in  St.  Paul  are  the  Pioneer  Press, 
Dispatch,  Ncivs,  ]'olkszcituug,  Finance  and  Commerce,  South  St.  Paul 
Reporter  and  Raikvay  and  Hotel  News — the  last  three,  as  their  titles 
indicate,  being  devoted  to  special  interests.  Of  weeklies,  monthlies,  etc., 
there  are  so  large  a  number,  that  we  can  give  to  each  only  a  brief  mention. 

■■i.  O.  U.  W.  Guide:  49  East  Fourth.  Published  Thursdays;  David 
Ramaley,  editor. 

Appeal  (The)  ;  49  East  Fourth.  Afro-American.  I'ublished  Satur- 
days; J.  O.  Adams,  publisher. 

Bulletin,  (The)  (Catholic)  ;  315  Xewton  building;  Rev.  J.  W.  Reardon, 
editor. 

Courant  (The)  (monthly)  ;  405  New  York  Life  building.  The  Cour- 
ant  Publishing  &  Printing  Company,  publishers. 

Crescent  (The)  (monthly);  174  East  Third.  ].  Harry  Lewis,  pub- 
lisher and  editor. 

Cupids  Columns  (bi-monthly)  ;  922  East  Fifth.    Henry  Jahn,  publisher. 

Daily  Record  (The)  (weekly);  329  American  National  Bank  build- 
ing.   J.  L.  Crump,  manager. 

Dayton  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church  Record  (monthly)  ;  423  Laurel 
avenue.     Rev.  M.  D.  Edwards  and  L.  A.  Gilbert,  editors. 

Der  Wanderer;  (German  Catholic  weekly)  ;  321  Minnesota.  Wanderer 
Printing  Company,  publishers ;  Joseph  ^latt,  editor ;  William  Bauni- 
gaertner,  business  manager. 

Deutsche  Farmer  (Der)  (semi-monthly);  Third  and  Jackson  streets. 
Volkszeitung  Company,  publishers. 

East  Side  Star  (weekly)  ;  834  Payne  avenue.  G.  W^  Atherton.  editor 
and  publisher. 

Farmer  (The)  (weekly)  ;  61-67  East  Tenth.  Webb  Publishing  Com- 
pany, publishers. 

Farmers  Weekly;  Dispatch  building.  Dispatch  Printing  Company, 
publishers. 

Farmer's  Wife  (The)  (monthly)  ;  6167  East  Tenth.  Webb  Publish- 
ing Company,  publishers. 

Furniture  Dealer  (monthly)  ;  University  and  Raymond  avenues.  Mid- 
way Publishing  Company. 

Guide  (The)  (monthly)  ;  27  LTnion  block.  Guide  Publishing  Com- 
pany, publishers. 

Hardware  Trade  (The);  401  Scandinavian  American  Hank  building. 
Established  1800.  Published  every  other  Tuesday;  Commercial  Bulletin 
Company,  publishers. 


336  ST.   PAUL  AND  MCIKITY 

I^ic/li  School  li'orld;  High  School  building.  Fletcher  Graves,  editor- 
in-chief  ;  Frank  McFadden,  business  manager. 

Home  finder  (The)  (iiuarterlyj  ;  2239  Commonwealth  avenue.  Chil- 
dren's Home  Society  of  ^linnesota,  publishers. 

Jolly  Elk  (monthly)  ;  49  East  Fourth  street.    R.  F.  Eldridge,  publisher. 

Life  Line  (The)  (monthly)  ;  158  East  Third  street.  Rev.  J.  M.  Bal- 
tinger,  editor. 

Aiidzi/ay  .Advertiser  (The) ;  1041  Raymond  avenue.  Published  Satur- 
days.    Established  1906.     The  Park  Advertising  Company,  publishers. 

Midzvay  News;  Saint  Anthony  and  Prior  avenues.  Published  Satur- 
days.    Established  May  i,  1888.     Ed.  A.  Paradis,  publisher  and  editor. 

Minnesota  Farm  Rez'ieiij  (monthly).  Published  by  the  Alumni  Asso- 
ciation of  the  School  of  Agriculture. 

Minnesota  Stats  Tidniny  (Swedish  weekly)  ;  Volkszeitung  building. 
Published  Wednesdays.    A.  P.  J.  Colberg,  treasurer  and  general  manager. 

Minnesota  Union  Advocate  (The) ;  49  East  Fourth  street.  Published 
Fridays.     Cornelius  Guiney,  publisher. 

Minnesotskc  Noviny  (The)  (Bohemian  weekly)  ;  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building. 

F.  B.  Matlach,  editor  and  manager.     Published  Tuesdays. 
Minnesotsky  Pokrok  (The)  ;  409  Erie.     Jos.  Strnad.  editor. 

Xatioiial  Real  Estate  Journal  (monthly)  ;  216  National  German  Amer- 
ican Bank  building.     R.  L.  Polk  &  Company,  publishers. 

National  Reporter  System.  Nine  weekly  publications,  one  semi- 
monthly, one  monthly,  law  reports  and  digests;  by  West  Publishing 
Company,  52  West  Third. 

New  Cathedral  Bulletin  (The)  (monthly) ;  419  Pioneer  Press  building, 
L.  M.  Hastings,  manager. 

North  Central  Progress  (The)  (weekly)  ;  892  Rice  street,  M.  G.  Muel- 
ler, editor. 

North  St.   Paul  Sentinel;   Margaret   street ;   Published    Fridays   by 

G.  I.  Trace.  Established  1887. 

Northwestern  Chronicle  (weekly);  516  Globe  building,  Joseph  A. 
Westhauser,  manager. 

Nortlnvestern  Dairyman  (semi-monthly)  ;  503  Scandinavian  American 
Bank  building,  T.  T.  Bacheller,  publisher. 

North  Western  Magazine  (The)  (monthly);  167  Union  block,  C.  F. 
Thorpe,  manager. 

Northxi'estern  Furniture  Revieiv  (The)  (nionthly)  :  Northwestern 
Furniture  and  Stove  Exposition  building.  Midway  Puiilishing  Company, 
|)uljlishcrs. 

Odd  Fellows  Rez'iew  (monthly)  ;  602  Pittsburgh  building,  Winn  Pow- 
ers, publisher. 

Oracle  (The)  (weekly)  ;  Hamline  University,  R.  T.  Hambleton,  edi- 
tor. 

Peoples  Gazette:  6  Globe  building,  J.  R.  .Steiner,  publisher. 

Pierce's  Farm   Weeklies:  202   Dispatch  buildig. 

Poultry  Herald  (monthly)  ;  61-7  East  Tenth,  Webb  Publishing  Com- 
pany, publishers. 

Razoo  (The),  no  Dispatch  building,  Eeavitt  Corning,  publisher. 

Rural  Weekly  (The)  :  92-4  East  l-'ourth.  The  Daily  News  Publishing 
Company,  pulilishers. 

St.  Paul  Herald.  ^13  Union  block,  Pulilished  Saturdays.  J.  TT.  P.urns, 
publisher. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  337 

St.  Paul  Medical  Journal:  yo  Lowry  arcade,  Burnside  Foster,  editor; 
J.  M.  Armstrong,  manager. 

St.  Paul  Enterprise  (weekly)  ;  Espy  building,  W.  L.  Abbott,  pub- 
lisher. 

St.  Paul  Review;  330  Wabasha.  Published  Saturdays,  Review 
Publishing  Company,  publishers. 

St.  Paul  Tidende  (Danish  and  Xorwegian  Weekly)  ;  201  Court 
block.    Published  every  Friday,  C.  Munkholm,  manager. 

Smuler  (The)   (monthly)  ;  043  Thomas,  O.  S.  Hervin,  publisher. 

Tzvin  City  Commercial  Bulletin;  401  Scandinavian  American  Bank 
building.  Established  1883.  I'ublished  Saturdays,  Commercial  Bulletin 
Company,  publishers. 

Tzvin  City  Guardian  (The)  ;  6  Globe  building.  Published  Saturdays, 
J.  R.  Steiner,  publisher. 

Vereins-Bote  (monthly)  ;  530  Globe  building,  J.  Q.  Junemann,  mana- 
ger. 

VolkszeituiKj  (weekly)  ;  Third,  southwest  corner  Jackson  street,  Volks- 
zeitung  Printing  and  Pubhshing  Company,  publishers. 

West  St.  Paul  Times;  175  South  Wabasha.  Published  Saturdays', 
C.  S.  Schurman,  editor  and  publisher. 

JVest  End  Bee  (weekly)  ;  932  West  Seventh  street,  Jas.  Blaha,  editor. 

Thi-;  West  Publishing  Comp.xny 

The  largest  law-book  and  periodical  publishing  house  in  the  world 
is  located  in  St.  Paul.  This  is  the  West  Publishing  Company,  which 
prints  immense  editions  of  legal  te.xt  books,  statutes,  court  reports,  etc. 
Also  a  series  of  law  journals,  as  follows  :  Federal  Reporter,  Northeastern 
Reporter,  Pacific  Reporter,  Southzvestern  Reporter,  Southern  Reporter, 
Supreme  Court  Reporter,  Northzvestern  Reporter,  Atlantic  Reporter, 
Southeastern  Reporter  and  American  (monthly)  Digest.  These  ten  pub- 
lications constitute  the  National  Reporter  system,  a  complete  and  una- 
bridged series  of  law  reports,  including  every  current  decision  of  the 
United  States  supreme,  circuit  and  district  courts,  and  the  courts  of  last 
resort  of  all  states  and  territories.  The  Northzvestern  Reporter,  the  pio- 
neer in  this  new  departure,  was  begun  in  1879,  and  its  extraordinary  suc- 
cess drew  the  energies  of  its  publishers  to  the  extension  and  development 
of  the  method  of  reporting  thus  introduced  by  them.  It  was  followed  in 
1880  by  the  Federal  Reporter,  now  i^robably  the  best  known  legal  publi- 
cation in  the  country ;  in  1882  by  the  Supreme  Court  Reporter:  in  18S3  bv 
the  Pacific  Reporter;  in  1885  by  the  Northeastern  and  Atlantic:  in  i\886 
by  the  Southzccstern :  and,  finally,  in  1887,  by  the  Southern  and  South- 
eastern— completing  the  cycle  of  the  Union.  The  company  has  extended 
its  publishing  business  to  great  proportions.  Twenty  years  ago  it  erected 
on  purpose  for  it  an  immense  building  on  upper  Third  street,  eight  stories 
higli  and  equipped  with  all  the  machinery  and  material  for  the  extensive 
trade.  Composing  rooms,  press  rooms,  bindery,  stereotyping  department, 
editorial  rooms,  counting  and  packing  rooms,  sales  rooms,  and  a  large 
vault  for  the  storage  of  their  several  hundred  tons  of  stereotype  plates,  in 
all  of  which  six  hundred  employees  are  engaged,  give  one,  at  first  glance, 
some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  their  publishing  business. 

The  Keefe-Davidson  Company  also  publish  law  books  on  a  scale  worthy 
to  be  classed  among  the  most  prominent  industries  of  St.  Paul. 


338  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICIXITY 

R.  L.  Polk  &  Companv 

R.  L.  Polk  &  Company,  publishers  of  City  Directories,  State  Gazet- 
teers and  National  Trade  Directories  have  the  most  extensive  directory 
publishing  house  in  the  world.  They  publish  directories  of  125  cities  from 
the  St.  Paul  office,  National  German-American  Bank  building.  Hiey 
maintain  in  a  library  for  free  reference,  directories  of  all  the  princijjal 
cities  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  They  also  maintain  an  informa- 
tion bureau. 

There  are  many  other  publishing  houses  in  St.  Paul  devoted  to  spe- 
cial lines  of  work.  The  leading  printing  establishments  also  print  many 
large  editions  of  books,  for  general  circulation  and  private  accnunl, 
besides  the  numerous  public  documents,  blue-books,  etc.,  issued  b\  the 
state  government,  and  the  volumes  published  for  patriotic  or  fraternal 
associations.  Thus  the  imprint  of  St.  Paul  publishers  may  be  found  in  an 
immen.se  variety  of  books,  circulated  in  all  the  states  and  in  foreign  coun- 
tries. 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

MEDICAL   PROFESSION  AND   HEALTH   CONSERVATION 

Physicians  Who  Came  Prior  to  1850 — Arrivals  During  1850-60 — 
Later  Accessions  to  the  Profession — Medical  Societies — Medi- 
cal Education — Hospitals — Epidemics  and  Public  Hygiene — 
Healthiest  Large  City  in  the  World — Harriet  Island  Park  and 
Baths — Present  Day  Health  Plans — Economic  Importance  of 
Sanitary  Precautions 

The  physicians  of  St.  Paul  have  at  all  periods  been  so  zealous  and 
so  successful  in  handling  its  problems  of  health  and  sanitation  that  the 
lion's  share  of  credit  for  the  city's  national  and  international  reputation 
for  healthfulness  must,  in  fairness,  be  assigned  to  the  medical  profession. 
Not  only  have  the  doctors  been  highly  skillful  in  curing  disease,  and  in 
surgery,  but  they  have  been  foremost  in  all  movements  to  promote  the 
public  health,  to  build  hospitals,  to  circumscribe  contagion,  to  establish 
adequate  sewerage,  garbage  collection,  public  bathing  facilities,  fresh  air 
resorts,  and  to  encourage  everything  that  secured  the  blessings  of  good 
health  for  the  people. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy,  an  eminent  surgeon  of  Union  volunteers,  was  first 
and  most  persistent,  forty  years  ago,  in  agitating  for  the  elaborate  sys- 
tem of  sewers  then  devised,  when  many  deemed  it  wildly  extravagant. 
Dr.  A.  E.  Senkler  helped  build  and  manage  hospitals.  Dr.  Justus  Ohage 
was  the  father  of  the  Harriet  Island  public  baths.  Dr.  A.  B.  Ancker  has 
advocated  the  widest  dissemination  of  practical  sanitary  information. 
Dr.  Howard  Lankester  is  keeping  up  the  unceasing  warfare  against 
germs  and  contamination.  A  hundred  other  earnest  practitioners  are 
using  their  influence  in  similar  lines  of  sanitary  reform. 

Physicians  Who  C.\me  Prior  to  1850 

St.  Paul's  first  inhabitants  had  no  medical  or  surgical  aid  nearer 
than  Fort  Snelling.  In  1847,  when  the  place  contained  not  more  than 
fifty  inhabitants.  Dr.  John  J.  Dewey  settled  here,  and  was  the  first  regular 
practicing  physician  in  St.  Paul.  He  arrived  July  15,  1847,  and  in  1848 
established  the  first  drug  store,  not  only  in  St.  Paul  but  in  the  state. 
He  was  a  native  of  New  York  and  a  graduate  of  the  Albany  Medical  Col- 
lege. He  was  well  equipped  for  his  calling  and  soon  ac(|uired  an  extend- 
ed practice.  For  more  than  thirty  years  he  led  an  active  professional 
career,  but  during  his  later  years  lived  a  retired  life.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  first  territorial  legislature  and  held  many  offices  of  trust  and  honor. 
For  two  years  Dr.  Dewey  pursued  his  calling  alone  and  was  the  only  phys- 

339 


340  ST.   PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 

ician  in  the  place,  but  in  iS^o  Drs.  David  Day  and  Tliomas  R.  Potts  en- 
tered the  tield. 

The  career  of  Dr.  Day  has  Iseen  outlined  in  a  preceding  chapter.  Dr. 
Potts  was  the  last  physician  to  settle  in  St.  Paul  prior  to  1850.  He  was 
born  in  Philadelphia,  February  10,  1810,  and  graduated  at  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  State  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1835.  After  a  resi- 
dence of  ten  vears  in  Natchez,  Mississippi,  he  removed  to  Galena,  Illinois, 
and  in  1849  to  St.  Paul.  Here  he  practiced  medicine  for  twenty-six 
years,  being  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  October,  1874.  the  senior  physician 
in  the  city.  He  was  at  one  time  consulting  surgeon  at  Fort  Snelling,  pen- 
sion surgeon,  medical  purveyor  of  the  district  and  physician  to  the  Sioux. 
He  was  elected  first  president  of  the  town  board  in  1850,  an  office  equiva- 
lent to  mayor,  and  also  held  the  office  of  city  physician  in  1866  and  health 
officer  of  St.  Paul  in  1873.  He  was  married  to  Miss  .\bbie  Steele,  sister 
of  Mrs.  H.  H.  Sibley,  in  1847.  ^I^s.  Crawford  Livingston  is  the  daughter 
of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Potts. 

Although  Dr.  John  H.  .Murphy  did  not  settle  in  St.  Paul  until  1864, 
he  had  lived  and  practiced  in  St.  Anthony,  as  a  near  neighbor,  since 
1849  and  must  be  classed  as  a  pioneer  physician.  He  was  born  in  Xew 
Jersey  in  1826;  brought  by  his  parents  to  a  farm  near  Quincy,  Illinois,  in 
1834;  graduated  at  the  Quincy  high  school  and  at  Rush  Medical  College. 
Chicago.  Coming  to  St.  Anthony  in  1849,  he  practiced  there  continu- 
ously, excein  durnig  his  army  service,  until  1864.  and  in  St.  Paul  during 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  making  always  something  of  a  specialty  of  sur- 
gical operations  in  which  he  acquired  great  fame.  He  was  surgeon  of  the 
First,  Fourth  and  Eighth  regiments,  Minnesota  Infantry  between  1861 
and  1862,  and  medical  director  of  a  divi.sion  in  McPherson's  corps  during 
the  Vicksburg  campaign.  For  many  years  after  coming  to  St.  Paul  he 
was  the  accredited  surgeon  of  most  of  the  railroads  centering  here.  He 
was  surgeon  general  of  the  State  National  Guard  for  seven  years.  He 
held  several  civil  offices  and  refused  many  others.  In  1852  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  territorial  legislature  of  Minnesota ;  of  the  state  legislature  in 
1885;  and  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  State  Constitutional  convention 
of  1857.  He  was  president  of  the  city  school  board.  He  was  a  Knight 
Templar  in  Masonry ;  an  Odd  Fellow ;  prominent  as  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  of  the  Loyal  Legion ;  and  no  assem- 
blage of  the  surviving  veterans  of  the  L'nion  army  was  complete  without 
his  presence  and  participation.    He  died  in  1894. 

Arruals  During  1850-60 

From  1850  to  1855  nu'iierous  accessions  were  made  to  the  medical 
fraternity  of  St.  Paul,  comprising  among  others  Drs.  W.  H.  Morton, 
I.  G.  Goodrich,  L  H.  Stewart,  Samuel  Willev.  I.  \'.  Wren.  lohn  Steele, 
"William  H.  Miller,  A.  C.  Brisbine,  F.  R.  Smith,  T.  T.  Mann  and  E.  A. 
Boyd. 

Dr.  T.  H.  Stewart  was  born  in  Columbia  county.  New  Jersey.  January 
15,  1829;  graduated  at  the  University  of  New  York  in  1831,  and  from 
that  date  to  1855  practiced  medicine  at  Peekskill.  New  York.  In  May, 
1835,  he  came  to  St.  Paul,  where  by  his  skill  and  learning  he  soon  gained 
a  leading  position  in  his  profession.  In  uS^i)  he  was  appointed  ])liysician 
for  Ramsey  county  and  in  1850  was  elected  state  senator.  He  was  com- 
missioned surgeon  of  the  First  Minnesota  regiment  in  1861 ;  taken  prisoner 
at  Bull  Run ;  held  a  prisoner  at  Richmond,  hut  was  finally  exchanged. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICIXITY  341 

In  1864  he  was  elected  mayor  and  in  1869  was  appointed  postmaster,  hold- 
ing the  latter  position  for  five  years.  In  1868  he  was  again  elected  mayor- 
and  reelected  in  1S72.  He  represented  the  Fourth  District  in  congress  for 
one  term,  and  in  1879  '^'^'^^  appointed  surveyor  general  of  Alinnesota,  a 
position  he  retained  for  four  years.     He  died  August  25,  1884. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  five  of  our  pioneer  physicians,  Drs.  Dewey, 
Potts,  Day,  Murphy  and  Stewart,  attained  local,  state  or  national  promi- 
nence in  political  life.  There  is  a  reason.  They  were  men  of  intellectual 
ability,  public  spirit  and  honorable  ambition.  Their  wide  professional 
clientage  and  their  lifelong  generosity  in  administering  to  the  ailments  of 
the  poor  gratuitously,  gave  them  a  personal  popularity  that  no  opposition 
could  break  down  at  the  primaries  or  at  the  polls. 

Doctors  Willey,  F.  R.  Smith  (father  of  Dr.  Charles  E.  Smith),  Steele, 
Brisbine  and  Mauer  acquired  great  professional  and  social  distinction  by 
long  residence  in  St.  Paul  and  active  participation  in  current  affairs. 

From  1855  to  i860  the  following  physicians  settled  in  St.  Paul: 
Alfred  Wharton,  Joseph  A.  \'ervais,  William  Caine,  D.  W.  Hand,  [ohn 
B.  Phillips,  H.  A.  L.  von  Wedelstaedt,  T.  C.  Schell,  George  Hadfield, 
J.  C.  Merrill,  Gustavus  Rosenk,  J.  H.  Studiford,  Francis  Rieger,  Thomas 
J.  Vaiden  and  Peter  Gabrielson. 

Dr.  Thomas  C.  Schell,  homeopath,  was  born  in  1823  in  England,  where 
he  was  educated  at  a  branch  of  the  King's  College.  In  1836  he  came  to 
America  and  studied  medicine  at  Rochester,  New  York.  He  practiced 
one  year  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  three  years  at  Geneseo.  He  was  then 
appointed  physician  to  the  Marine  Hospital,  Sandwich  islands,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  After  a  Ijrief  residence  in  New  York  City,  he  loca- 
ted in  St.  Paul,  where  he  continued  to  reside,  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession  until  his  death  in  1883. 

Dr.  Alfred  Wharton  was  long  a  partner  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Murphy.  He 
served  in  the  medical  department  of  the  army  during  1863  and  1864. 
After  a  highly  successful  professional  career  in  this  city,  he  retired  from 
active  practice  some  years  ago.  and  still  resides  here. 

L.\TER  Accessions  to  the  Profession 

The  physicians  who  settled  in  St.  Paul  during  the  period  from  i860 
to  1870,  and  who  remained  here  sufficiently  long  to  become  identified  with 
the  place  were  Thaddeus  Williams,  C.  D.  Williams,  Samuel  D.  Flagg, 
Brewer  Mattocks,  C.  H.  Boardman,  E.  H.  Smith,  J.  B.  Hall,  J.  T.  Alley, 
M.  Hagan,  B.  F.  Adams  and  William  Ray. 

Of  these.  Dr.  Samuel  D.  Flagg  still  resides  here  and  is  in  active  prac- 
tice— being  thus,  probably,  the  senior  practicing  physician  in  the  city. 
Dr.  Flagg  was  a  surgeon  in  the  United  States  navy  during  the  Civil  war. 

The  medical  profession  of  St.  Paul  received  many  recruits  during 
the  years  from  1870  to  1880.  Those  especially  deserving  of  mention 
were :  Francis  Atwood,  Charles  Griswold,  H.  C.  Hand,  William  Richeson, 
A.  J.  Stone,  E.  J.  Abbott,  James  Davenport,  Charles  N.  Dorion,  W.  F. 
Fisher.  E.  F.  Horst,  Henry  Hutchinson.  Daniel  Leasure,  Angus  Mac- 
Donald.  H.  A.  Olston,  Jay  Owen,  J.  A.  Quinn,  James  W.  Routh,  Albert 
E.  Senkler,  A.  J.  Simons,  Gotfried  Stamm,  C.  G.  Higbee,  J.  E.  Voak, 
Edward  Walthers,  Frederick  Dedolph,  Talbot  Jones,  James  J.  Dewey 
and  C.  A.  Wheaton. 

Nearly  all  of  these  achieved  state-wide  ].irofessional  prominence  and 
several  of  them  are  still  practicing  here.    Dr.  Leasure  had  been  a  fighting 


342  ST.   PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY 

brigadier  general  from  I'eniisylvania  during  the  war  for  the  Union.  Dr. 
A.  J.  Stone  was  long  surgeon  general  of  the  Xational  Guard,  president  of 
medical  colleges  and  medical  societies,  and  a  specialist  in  some  branches 
of  surgery.  Ur.  C.  G.  Higbee  was  a  line  officer  in  a  Wisconsin  Civil  war 
regiment ;  was  honored  by  the  Loyal  Legion  and  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Re]niblic  and  was.  for  many  years  a  successful  jiractitioncr  of  the  Homeo- 
pathic school  in  St.  Paul. 

.\fter  iiScSo  St.  Paul  made  rapid  strides  in  population,  commercial 
influence  and  general  prosperity,  and  with  this  growth  the  medical  pro- 
fession kept  pace.  During  the  lirst  years  of  this  period  the  most  promi- 
nent additions  to  the  fraternity  were  A.  B.  .\ncker,  O.  A.  Beal,  C.  E. 
Bean,  W.  S.   Briggs,  Ignatius  Donnelly.  A.  .M.  Eastman,  J.  C.  Markoc, 

C.  E.  Riggs,  Parks  Ritchie,  C.  B.  Wethcrlee,  J.  E.  Fulton.  P.  IL  Millard, 
Anton  .Shimonek.  A.  J.  Gillette,  E.  S.  Wood,  J.  Godfrey  Walker.  Corne- 
lius Williams,  ].  E.  Sawyer,  I^.  N.  Denslow,  George  A.  Hewitt,  William 
Davis,  .\rchibald  .McLaren,  (iustav  .\.  Renz  and  Ered  \'an  Slyke.  I'er- 
haps  a  majority  of  these  physicians  are  now  in  active  practice  here,  and 
have  helped  maintain  the  high  standing  which  the  profession  has  always 
held  in  the  community.  The  medical  profession  here  has  of  late  donned 
metropolitan  proportions  and  customs,  most  of  the  ])hysicians  practicing 
specialties   and  (|uite  ;i   niniibcr  contining  themselves   entirely  thereto. 

Medical  Societies 

Proi)ably  the  lirst  medical  society  in  St.  Paul  was  the  Academy  of 
Medicine  and  Surgery,  which  was  organized  in  1861,  existed  for  several 
years  and  had  a  beneficial  effect  upon  the  profession.  It  supplied  the 
place  of  the  medical  organization  of  the  present  day.  The  objects  of  the 
association  were  the  advancement  of  rational  scientific  medicine  and 
surgery,  and  the  promotion  of  harmony  in  the  profession.  The  officers 
in  1866  were  A.  G.  Brisbine,  i)resident :  Samuel  Willey.  vice  president; 
J.  IT.  Stewart,  secretary:  John  Steele,  treasurer;  .\lfred  Wharton,  li- 
brarian. For  two  or  three  years  prior  to  1870  this  society  had  only  a 
nominal  existence,  and  after  the  formation  of  the  Ramsey  County  Medi- 
cal Society  it  ceased  to  exist. 

The  Minnesota  Orthopedic  Institute  was  established  in  1875  by  a 
few  of  the  leading  physicians  of  St.  Paul,  and  existed  for  some  ten 
years.  It  was  an  association  of  physicians  for  the  treatment  of  ile- 
formities,  sjiinal  curvature,  etc.  The  first  officers  were  Dr.  J.  H.  Stew- 
art, president;  Dt.  D.  W.  Hand,  chief  surgeon;  Dr.  C.  E.  Smith,  assist- 
ant surgeon,  and  R.  O.  Sweeney,  chief  surgical  mechanician. 

The  Ramsev  County  Medical  Societv  was  organiz.ed  Fcbruarv  14. 
1870,  i)v  Drs.  E.  H.  Smith,  J.  B.  Phillips.  William  Ray,  Samuel  Willey. 
Alfred  Wharton,  D.  W.  Haiid,  William  Banks,  Samuel  D.  Flagg.  .\de- 
land  Guernon  and  C.  IT.  Boardman.  The  first  officers  were  D.  W. 
Hand,  president ;  A.  Wharlon,  vice  |)resi(lcnt ;  W'illiam  Banks,  corre- 
sponding secretary;  C.  II.   lioardman,  recording  secretary;  and   Samuel 

D.  Flagg.  treasurer.  The  objects  of  the  society  are  to  i)romote  mntu.il 
improvement ;  to  avoid  all  sources  of  trouble  arising  from  real  or  sup- 
posed breaches  of  etiquette,  and  for  the  advancement  of  medical  science. 
At  each  of  the  meetings  |)a|iers  are  read  and  a  debate  follows.  The  so- 
cietv holds  monthly  meetings,  and  the  various  branches  of  medicine, 
purgerv  and  allied  science  are  all  discussed  during  the  year.  The  society 
has  been  a  great  promoter  of  iuutu;il  improvement  rimong  the  itrnfcssion 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  343 

since  its  inception  and  continues  to  do  a  vast  amount  of  good.  It  now 
embraces  among  its  members  nearly  all  of  the  physicians  of  the  "regular" 
school  pf  practice  in  the  city  in  good  standing.  The  officers  for  191 1  are 
Dr.  J.  S.  GilfiUan,  president;  Dr.  F.  Leavitt,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  Ramsey  County  Homeopathic  Society  was  organized  in  Febru- 
ary, 1872,  by  the  following  physicians:  C.  D.  Williams,  T.  C.  Schell, 
E.  Walters,  J.  T.  Alley,  C.  G.  Higbee,  H.  A.  L.  von  Wedelstaedt  and  C. 
Wiegman.  The  officers  for  1872  were  T.  C.  Schell,  president;  E.  Wal- 
ters, vice  president;  J.  B.  Hall,  secretary;  C.  D.  Williams,  treasurer; 
J.  T.  Alley,  C.  G.  Higbee  and  C.  Wiegman,  censors.  In  1874  two  new 
members  were  added,  E.  A.  Boyd  and  A.  E.  Higbee.  In  1877  Electra 
R.  Smith  became  a  member,  and  in  1878,  J.  W.  Routh,  H.  Hutchinson 
and  C.  D.  Dorion  joined  the  society.  In  1879  W.  F.  Fisher,  W.  H.  Caine 
and  Alonica  Alason  united  with  it,  and  in  1880,  Charles  Griswold,  mak- 
ing at  that  time  a  membership  of  nineteen.  In  1881  dissensions  arose 
which  resulted  in  another  organization.  But  in  1889  they  were  united 
under  the  original  society  name. 

The  city  directory  for  191 1  enumerates  nearly  250  physicians  and  sur- 
geons practicing  in  St.  Paul  and  classified  as  Allopath,  Homeopath  and 
Eclectic.  In  addition  are  many  Osteopaths  and  other  professionals — the 
Osteopaths  having,  after  protracted  litigation,  established  their  legal 
status  as  medical  practitioners  in  Minnesota. 

There  are  over  150  practicing  dentists  in  the  city  who  support  a  live 
dental  association. 

Medical  Education 

The  proximity  of  the  State  University,  with  its  well-appointed  col- 
leges of  medicine,  always  supplied  with  St.  Paul  professors  and  attended 
by  St.  Paul  students,  has  reduced  the  field  for  medical  schools  in  this 
city.  Nevertheless  successful  efforts  in  that  direction  have  been  wit- 
nessed. In  1870  a  number  of  the  physicians  of  St.  Paul,  believing  that 
greater  facilities  should  be  afforded  students  desiring  to  obtain  a  pre- 
paratory medical  education  than  could  be  obtained  from  any  single  in- 
structor, organized  the  St.  Paul  School  for  Medical  Instruction.  The 
object  of  this  school  was  not  to  take  the  place  of  a  regular  college,  but 
to  prepare  students  for  a  better  understanding  of  the  lectures  they  might 
hear  in  a  college  course.  The  first  officers  of  the  school  were  Samuel  D. 
Flagg,  president;  Charles  E.  Smith,  treasurer,  and  Alexander  J.  Stone, 
secretary.  The  faculty  was  composed  of  D.  W.  Hand,  professor  of  sur- 
gery ;  S.  D.  Flagg,  professor  of  therapeutics,  materia  medica  and  diseases 
of  children;  William  Richeson,  professor  of  anatomy  and  chemistry; 
P>rewer  Mattocks,  professor  of  physiology,  hygiene  and  medical  jurispru- 
dence; Charles  E.  Smith,  professor  of  principles  and  practice  of  medi- 
cine, and  Alexander  J.  Stone,  professor  of  obstetrics  and  diseases  of 
women.  This  enterprise  was  transferred  to  Minneapolis  in  1878.  The 
faculty  in  1880  was  composed  of  Alexander  J.  Stone,  president,  profes- 
fessor  of  obstetrics,  gynecology  and  medical  jurisprudence ;  Francis  At- 
wood,  professor  of  ophthalmology  and  otology;  Charles  A.  Wheaton, 
dean,  professor  of  anatomy  and  clinical  surgery,  and  others.  The  school 
remained  at  Minneapolis  until  1885,  when  the  faculty  differed  among 
themselves,  and  the  St.  Paul  portion  withdrew  and  established  the  St. 
Paul  Medical  College  at  204  West  Ninth  street. 


344 


ST.  PAUL  AXD  MCIXITY 


Hospitals 


The  provision  of  hospitals  was  an  early  care  of  the  physicians  and 
philanthropists  of  the  city.  In  1853  Bishop  Cretin,  Catholic,  built  the 
original  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  on  the  grounds  at  Exchange  and  Ninth 
streets,  still  occupied  by  the  extensive  institution  which  has  been  so  great 
a  benefaction.     Sister  M.  Bernardine  is  now  the  prioress. 

In  1873  the  city  purchased  the  line  residence  and  grounds  of  Dr.  J. 
H.  Stewart,  and  founded  there  the  enterprise  which  has  grown  to  mam- 
moth proportions  as  the  City  and  County  Hospital.  This  was  established 
virtually  by  an  act  of  the  legislature  approved  February  22,  1889.  Charles 
D.  Kerr.  Kimball  P.  Cullen  and  Dr.  Arthur  B.  Ancker  were  appointed 
special  commissioners  to  carry  into  effect  the  provisions  of  the  act,  one 
of  which  rec|uired  the  erection  of  a  hospital  building  on  block  fourteen, 
of  Stinson.  Brown  and  Ramsey's  addition  to  the  city.  The  commission- 
ers were  allowed  $400  a  year   for  their   services  and   required  to  give 


^ 


crrv  HOSPiT.\L 


bonds  in  the  sum  of  $5,000.  The  city  clerk  was  appointed  secretary  of 
the  commissioners  and  allowed  $400  a  year.  Previously,  by  an  act  ap- 
proved January  31,  1887,  the  city  was  authorized  to  issue  bonds  to  the 
amount  of  $50,000  to  be  used  in  constructing  the  hospital  buildings  men- 
tioned. Many  additional  buildings  have  since  been  erected  on  the  spa- 
cious grounds,  until  the  institution  has  become  one  of  the  large  ones  of 
the  country.  One  feature  is  a  tine  park  of  two  or  three  acres.  Ueautifully 
adorned  with  trees  and  flowers.  The  average  number  of  patients  is  384. 
The  cost  of  operation  in  iQii  was  $i62,050.g7:  receipts  from  pay  patients 
$37,009.00.  'i'he  hospital  is  managed  by  the  board  of  control.  Tiie  offi- 
cers are.  .Suiierintendent  and  physician  and  surgeon  in  charge,  .Arthur 
B.  Ancker,  M.  D. ;  superintendent  of  training  school  for  nurses,  Mrs. 
Frances  D.  Campbell;  matron.  Miss  Mary  A.  Fdwards.  Doctor  Ancker 
has  been  in  charge  from  the  beginning,  and  to  his  splendid  executive 
abilities,  as  well  as  to  his  recognized  jirofessional  skill,  the  city  is  indebted 
for  the  high  reputation  wliich  its  hospital  enjoys,  at  home  and  abroad. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICIXITY  345 

Other  hospitals  in  the  city  are  as  follows : 

Ilethesda  Hospital;  249  East  Ninth  street.  Owned  and  controlled  by 
the  Tabitha  Society  of  the  State  of  Minnesota.  Superintendent  and 
manager,  Rev.  C.  A.  Hultkrans ;  directing  sister,  Eleonora  Slattengren. 

Cobb  Hospital ;  2056  Iglehart  avenue.  Superintendent,  L.  H.  Keller ; 
medical  director,  Sheridan  G.  Cobb. 

Cuena  Sanatorium ;  Bass  lake.  St.  Paul  Anti-Tuberculosis  Commit- 
tee, managers.     Office,  401   AlcClure  building. 

Dale  Street  Infirmary  (city  smallpox  hospital)  ;  Dale  street,  near  city 
limits.    City  health  department  in  charge ;  superintendent,  Emil  Rueckert. 

Kneipp  Institute;  612  Lafayette  avenue.  Organized  November  21, 
1893.     Francis  M.  B.  Friederich,  director. 

Luther  Hospital  Association;  397  East  Tenth  street.  President  and 
manager,  H.  G.  Stub ;  secretary,  O.  H.  Negaard ;  treasurer,  E.  H.  Hobe ; 
medical  director.  Dr.  Edward  Boeckmann. 

r^Iounds  Park  Sanitarium ;  east  side  Earl  between  Burns  and  Thorn 
avenues  Owned  by  the  ^lounds  Park  Sanitarium  Association.  Presi- 
dent, R.  O.  Earl ;  secretary  and  treasurer,  ]\Iagnus  Larson ;  superinten- 
dent, Mrs.  Bertha  Morris.  ' 

Nugent  Sanitarium  (The)  ;  144  Bates  avenue.  J.  M.  Nugent,  presi- 
dent and  treasurer. 

St.  Luke's  Hospital ;  Smith  avenue,  northeast  corner  Sherman 
street.  President,  W.  F.  Myers ;  secretary,  Edward  Kopper ;  treasurer, 
R.  B.  Whitacre ;  superintendent.  Miss  A.  H.  Patterson. 

St.  Paul  German  Hospital ;  225  Prescott  street.  President,  Rev. 
David  Lebahn ;  secretary  and  treasurer,   Herman  A.   Drechsler. 

Epidemics  and  Public  Hygiene 

St.  Paul  has  been  remarkably  free  from  the  epidemic  diseases  which 
have  proved  destructive  in  many  cities.  In  1849  two  cases  of  Asiatic 
cholera  occurred.  In  1850  cholera  again  appeared  and  became  quite  an 
epidemic.  Several  deaths  occurred  from  the  malady.  The  Pioneer  de- 
clared that  not  a  case  had  originated  in  the  city.  In  1854  cholera  again 
made  its  appearance.  Several  deaths  occurred,  mostly  among  the  boat- 
men. The  freedom  from  all  epidemic  diseases  in  St.  Paul  and  the  uni- 
form healthfulness  which  prevails,  can  in  a  measure  be  ascribed  to  the 
climate,  which  is  pure,  tonic  and  bracing,  and  almost  proof  against  the 
usual  pulmonary  complaints.  And  it  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  of  a 
city  more  admirably  located,  viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  public  health. 
Its  topography  is  rolling  and  is  thus  admirably  adapted  for  drainage. 
These  natural  advantages  are  supplemented  by  a  supply  of  pure  water 
and  by  a  network  of  sewers  which  reach  every  section,  their  total  length 
being  more  than  100  miles.  The  city  is  therefore  exempt  from  all  forms 
of  paludal  poison  and  there  is  an  entire  absence  of  malaria. 

All  this  has  been  supplemented,  for  many  years,  by  an  intelligent  and 
unwearied  attention  to  municipal  sanitation  on  the  part  of  all  schools 
and  individuals,  of  local  physicians,  and  of  a  succession  of  remarkably 
efficient  health  officers. 

The  public  accepts  the  ubiquitousness  of  the  tax  man.  It  is  his  busi- 
ness, and  conceded  to  be ;  still  he  does  not  touch  the  average  citizen  at 
nearly  so  many  points  as  the  modern  aggressive  health  officer.  From  the 
time  one  squalls  for  his  first  breath  until  he  is  tucked  carefully  away  un- 


346  ST.   PAl'I.   AXn  \"!CIXITV 

der  several  feet  of  kindred  clay,  the  health  officer  is  at  one's  elbow, 
"meddling"  in  the  most  intimate  affairs  of  life.  He  validates  for  your 
proud  parents  the  certificate  showing  that  you  have  really  arrived;  he 
gives  the  undertaker  the  paper  which  tells  what  corner  of  the  mold  you 
are  to  occupy  pending  tiie  coming  of  (ial)riel. 

Xot  only  do  important  things  like  births  and  deaths  interest  him,  but 
he  wants  to  tell  you  what  you  shall  eat ;  what  you  shall  drink ;  how  you 
shall  perform  these  sacred  rites ;  how  you  shall  keep  your  garbage  can ; 
paper  your  house;  let  smoke  issue  from  your  chimney;  deal  with  Scarlet 
fever,  diphtheria  and  smallpox ;  manipulate  your  milk  pitcher ;  expector- 
ate in  public,  and  even  how  you  shall  keep  your  vacant  lots  and  back 
alleys. 

In  his  inaugural  message  to  the  council  in  1856,  ^Mayor  George  1.. 
Becker  laid  ]:)ariicular  emphasis  on  his  recommendation  for  a  thorough 
cleaning  of  the  city  and  for  the  adoption  of  rigorous  sanitary  measures. 
Among  the  expenditures  for  the  year  ending  Ajiril  30,  1S57,  is  an  item  of 
$319.25,  by  the  Hoard  of  Health,  as  against  $1,150.00  for  the  lioard  of 
Education  .  The  office  of  city  physician  having  the  functions  of  a  health 
officer  was  held  during  the  earlier  years  as  follows:  1856,  Samuel  Wil- 
ley;  1857,  J.  V.  Wren;  1859,  I-  A.  Vervais ;  i860,  T.  R.  Potts;  1862  to 
fune,  1866,  A.  G.  Brisbine;  1866,  T.  R.  Potts;  1867,  Brewer  Mattocks; 
"1871,  M.  Hagan;  1872,  T.  R.  Potts;  1874.  Brewer  Mattocks;  1876,  C  E. 
Smith;  1877,  Brewer  Mattocks;  1881,  Stewart  i^  Wlieaton  ;  1884,  Henry 
F.  Hoyt;  1885.  Talbot  Jones;  1888,  Henry  F.  Hoyt. 

By  an  act  of  the  legislature  approved  February  25,  1887,  the  depart- 
ment of  health  was  reorganized  and  made  one  of  the  executive  depart- 
ments of  the  city.  Its  officers  were  made  to  consist  of  the  commissioner 
of  health,  the  chief  of  police,  the  corporation  attorney,  and  certain  as- 
sistants and  employes  provided  for  in  the  act.  The  commissioner  was 
required  to  be  a  competent  physician.  He  was  to  hold  his  otiice  for  four 
vears,  at  a  salary  of  $2,500  ])er  year.  He  had  the  power  to  appoint  an 
assistant  commissioner,  health  officers,  two  meat  insjjectors,  etc.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  more  systematic  sanitary  work,  and  has  been  modi- 
fied into  the  system  now  in  operation. 

Healthiest  I..\rge  City  in  the  Worf-D 

Insisting  that  there  are  no  classes  of  facts  which  outrank  in  real  im- 
portance those  which  relate  to  the  healthfulness  of  a  city  which  is  seek- 
ing to  luultiply  its  industries  and  augment  its  wealth  and  poinilation.  Dr. 
Henry  F.  Hoyt,  in  his  report  for  1888,  directed  public  attention  to  this 
particular  feature  of  municii>al  history,  and  asked  for  it  that  careful  con- 
sideration which  its  importance  merits.  From  that  annual  report  the  fol- 
lowing facts  are  taken:  "St.  Paul  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  the 
lowest  death  rate  among  the  cities  of  100.000  population,  or  over,  in  the 
United  States.  Indeed,  there  are  no  large  cities,  whose  death  rate  is  re- 
corded, either  in  this  country  or  Europe,  which  begin  to  compare  with 
St.  Paul  in  the  matter  of  healthfulness." 

Tlie  table  published  with  that  report  shows  that  the  death  rate  in 
St.  Paul,  which  was  16.52  per  thousand  in  1882,  had  decreased  to  12.08 
in  1885,  and  11.80  in  1888.  The  report  goes  on  to  say:  "This  decrease 
has  been  achieved  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  St.  Paul  is  a  popular 
sanitarium  and  numerous  ])atients — especially  those  with  ]nilmonary  com- 
plaints— resort  to  this  city  for  the  benefit  of  the  air,  which  is  pure,  tonic 


ST.   PAUL  AXD  \"ICIX1TY  347 

aiul  bracing.  The  winter  season  is  the  heahhiest  portion  of  the  year; 
the  maximum  death  rate  being  in  the  summer  and  the  minimum  in  the 
winter.  St.  Paul  is  singularly  exempt  from  all  forms  of  paludal  poison. 
Malaria  is  not  indigenous  to  this  city  or  state;  and  persons  whose  sys- 
tems are  saturated  with  this  poison,  contracted  in  the  south  or  east,  al- 
ways get  rid  of  their  plague  bv  a  residence  of  greater  or  less  length  in 
St.  Paul." 

The  reputation  of  St.  Paul  as  the  healthiest  large  city  in  the  United 
States,  thus  established  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  has  been  steadily 
maintained.  It  was  no  accidental  or  tem.porary  preeminence.  The  offi- 
cial report  of  the  United  States  census  bureau  for  191 1,  awards  this  dis- 
tinction. The  Paris  Exposition  years  ago  gave  St.  Paul  a  medal  as  the 
healthiest  city  in  the  world.  Health  is  the  greatest  of  earthly  blessings. 
The  conceded  healthfulness  of  this  city  is  an  asset  that  appeals  to  all 
the  thinking  people  of  the  nation  and  other  nations. 

Commenting  on  these  revelations  Mayor  H.  P.  Keller  said,  in  a  news- 
paper interview:  "It  affords  me  great  gratification  to  know  that  St. 
Paul  is  the  most  healthful  city.  This  remarkable  record  must  be  attrib- 
uted to  our  salubrious  climate,  excellent  drainage  system,  pure  water, 
strict  sanitary  regulation,  and  the  manner  of  living  of  our  citizens.  One 
should  feel  proud,   indeed,  to  live  in  a  city  holding  such  a   record." 

Exploiting  the  friendly  rivalry  between  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis 
for  the  record  of  healthfulness,  the  health  commissioner  of  this  city, 
having  received  the  Minneapolis  vital  statistics  for  May,  191 1,  made  these 
comparisons:  "The  death  rate  for  May  in  Minneapolis  was  at  the  rate 
of  1,035  to  the  1,000  for  the  month,  or  12,420  for  the  year.  For  the 
same  month  the  St.  Paul  death  rate  was  .903  to  the  1,000  or  at  the  rate 
of  10,836  for  the  year.  Last  May  in  St.  Paul  showed  a  death  rate  of  .923 
as  compared  with  .903  this  May.'' 

Elements  contributary  to  St.  Paul's  healthfulness  are  clean  streets, 
abundant  water  supply  and  the  public  baths.  The  water  system  will  be 
treated  in  another  chapter.  St.  Paul  is  a  clean  city.  The  miles  of  asphalt, 
brick  and  stone  pavements  are  swept  daily  during  the  summer  season. 
The  streets  in  summer  are  well  sprinkled ;  the  expense  for  this  service 
is  paid  by  the  city  and  charged  to  the  property  abutting  on  the  streets 
sprinkled. 

H.\RKIET    LSL.\ND    P-\RK    .\ND    B.VTIIS 

The  Harriet  Island  Public  Park  and  Baths  are  a  unique  institution, 
without  a  peer  in  this  country.  "During  the  ten  years  of  their  exist- 
ence," says  the  health  commissioner,  "they  have  been  visited  by  over 
12,000,000  people.  They  have  proven  to  be  a  large  benefit  to  our  people 
during  the  hot  days  of  summer,  have  prevented  the  drowning  of  many 
boys  and  men  and  have  been  to  them  a  school  of  deportment  and  a  place 
of  safe  and  wholesome  recreation."  Band  concerts  are  given  during  the 
season  and  no  admission  is  charged.  Besides  the  public  baths,  Harriet 
Island  has  quite  a  zoo  for  the  instruction  and  amusement  of  children. 
There  are  large  picnic  grotmds  and  a  ptiblic  kitchen ;  two  outdoor  gym- 
nasiums, one  for  men  and  boys  and  one  for  women  and  girls ;  two  ten- 
nis courts ;  two  hand  ball  courts,  and  a  day  nursery  for  small  children. 

It  was  reported  that  during  the  summer  of  1912,  25,000  people  vis- 
ited Harriet  island  on  one  Sunday,  a  generous  percentage  of  whom  pat- 
ronized the  public  baths.  That  showing  emphasizes  the  importance  of 
the  island  as  a  park,  regardless  of  the  batli   feature.     Harriet  island  is 


348 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


accessible  to  thousands  who  are  not  near  or  cannot  well  afford  car  fare 
to  Como,  Phalen  or  any  of  the  city's  recreation  grounds.  It  is  a  beauty 
spot  that  attracts  citizens  from  all  parts.  A  wooded  island  in  the  center 
of  the  city  that  will  attract  25,000  on  a  Sunday  is  a  profitable  proposi- 
tion, as  a  park-,  even  if  it  does  not  yield  a  cent  of  revenue.  But  there 
is  a  substantial  money  return  from  the  refreshment  stands  and  the 
baths. 

Prese.\t-d.\y  Hn:.\LTH   Pl.vns 

The  present  health  commissioner.  Dr.  Lankester,  is  nobly  sustain- 
ing, perhaps  improving,  the  records  of  his  predecessors.  He  assumed 
the  duties  of  the  office  in  March,  191 1,  and  some  months  later,  the 
Pioneer  Press  placed  these  achievements  to  his  credit: 

Enforced   more  stringently   the  anti-spitting  ordinance. 
Got  better  results  in  enforcing  the  anti-smoke  ordinance. 


PUBLIC    B.VTHS,    H.\RRIET    ISL.\ND 


Inaugurated  a   stricter  sujiervision   of   dairies. 

Enforced  the  law  as  to  disposal  of  cesspool  contents. 

Had  an  ordinance  passed  requiring  the  protection  of  food  from  flics. 

Promoted  an  ordinance  regulating  bakeshops  and  another  regulat- 
ing barber  shops. 

Had  an  ordinance  passed  requiring  the  sterilization  of  second-hand 
goods  before  they  are  offered  for  sale. 

Requires  the  report,  within  ten  days  of  birth,  of  sore  eyes  in  in- 
fants, thus  securing  attention  which  may  prevent  permanent  injurv  to 
sight. 

Has   "outlawed"   the  common   drinking  cup. 

Has  provided  for  thorough  cleaning  before  rcpapcring  or  calcimin- 
ing  in  houses  where  there  has  been  contagious  disease. 

Has  made  some  progress  toward  getting  an  ordinance  which  will 
prevent  the  scattering  of  refuse  from  wagons  on  the  street. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  849 

Is  enforcing  the  muzzling  of  dogs  or  their  restraint  on  the  premises 
of  the  owner. 

Has  suppressed  smallpox  in  the  Hill  school. 

Has  had  full  repairs  made  at  Harriet  Island  and  has  equipped  it  better 
than  for  some  time. 

Even  these  successes,  however,  have  not  entirely  satisfied  him.  The 
article  says:  "As  a  matter  of  fact,  Dr.  Lankester  has  scored  thus  far  in 
the  greater  number  of  his  undertakings.  His  aggressive  policy,  will  entail 
larger  expenditure,  and  in  getting  additional  funds  he  is  facing  his  first 
great  dilSculty." 

Here  are  some  of  the  things  the  Health  Commissioner  still  hopes  to 
do: 

Secure  an  ordinance  restricting  the  kinds  of  coal  used  in  railway  loco- 
motives. 

Establish  paid  amusements  (a  pike)  on  Harriet  Island. 

Get  an  expense  fund  for  his  department. 

Induce  the  people  generally  to  be  vaccinated. 

Reduce  the  number  of  smallpox  cases. 

Prevent  complaints  about  garbage  removal. 

^Meantime  there  is  more  or  less  hostility  to  the  health  officer's  vigorous 
programme.     It  is  sometimes  manifested  in  sarcastic  verse,  thus: 

"Bubble,  bubble. 
Toil  and  trouble; 
No  more  micro- 
Bates  for  me, 
When  a  steril- 
ized invention 
Lets  me  from  the 
Germs  go  free. 
But  I  long  to 
Get  a  mouthful 
From  a  horse  trough 
Or  a  tub; 
Just  to  guzzle 
Like  I  once  did 
When  they  used  to 
Call  me  'Bub.' 

"Take  me  back  to 
Harker's  Corners ; 
Take  me  back  to 
Hick'ry  Hill, 
For  I'm  chokin' 
On  the  bubbles. 
Me  an'  Sue  an' 
Brother  Bill." 

Economic  Importance  of  Sanitary  Precautions 

The  economic  importance  to  a  community  and  to  the  nation  of 
sanitary  precautions  is  only  realized,  when  we  are  confronted  with 
authentic  statements  as  to  the  waste  and  cost  of  disease.  An  expert 
recently  presented  to  a  national  association  of  physicians,  figures  which 


350  ST.  PAUL  AXU   \  IClXiTV 

showed  thai  the  tutal  yearly  revenui;  to  ihc  governnieiil  from  the  tariff 
law  is  twenty  per  cent,  less  than  the  actital  annual  loss  of  wages  and 
cost  of  sickness  and  death  from  tuberculosis  in  the  United  States.  .\ 
greater  number  of  persons  are  taken  out  of  the  productive  industries 
in  this  country  each  year  than  there  are  wage  earners  in  Massachusetts. 
He  quoted  statistics  to  show  that  the  total  loss  to  this  country  in  two 
years  from  preventable  disease  would  purchase  all  the  wheat,  corn,  oats, 
rye,  barlev,  buckwheat,  potatoes,  hay  and  tobacco  produced  in  the  United 
.States  last  ^ear.  One  year's  loss  from  ])revcniablc  disease  would  pa_\' 
the  national  debt,  it  would  provide  capitalization  for  all  the  national 
banks  and  leave  enough  over  to  pay  for  digging  the  Panama  canal.  The 
loss  of  energy  by  people  in  Southern  states  from  malaria  and  hook-worm, 
would  build  all  the  good  roads  they  need  in  live  years.  Minnesota  suf- 
fers from  neither  of  these  ills. 

It  is  apparent,  in  view  of  such  figures,  that  pre\enlable  disease  is 
an  important  factor  in  the  cost  of  living.  If  the  waste  involved  were 
avoided,  not  only  would  much  suffering  and  many  deaths  be  prevented, 
but  there  would  be  a  greatly  increased  sup])ly  of  food  products  for  a 
demand  that  would  be  increased  only  moderately.  It  is  a  well  known 
fact  that  tuberculosis,  for  example,  takes  most  of  its  victims  from  the 
productive  years  of  life.  Tens  of  thousands  who  should  be  adding  to 
the  wealth  of  the  country  are  a  drain  upon  its  resources  because  of  ill- 
ness that  might  be  avoided. 

Looked  at  from  this  viewpoint,  ilic  labors  of  the  skilled  and  re- 
sourceful physicians  of  St.  Paul,  and  csi)ccially  of  those  who  have  been 
influential  in  sanitary  matters,  have  an  economic  as  well  as  a  humani- 
tarian aspect.  The  doctors  have  not  only  cured  many  diseases  for  us 
and  prevented  many  more,  but  they  have  contribute(l  right  royally  to 
the  growth  and  prosperit\-  of  the  city. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

POLICE  AND   FIRE   PROTECTION   AND  WATER  SUPPLY 

Creditable  Police  Protection — Present  Department — First  Fires 

AND       \'oLUNTEER       DEPARTMENT PaiD        FiRE       DEPARTMENT St. 

Paul  Water  Company — City   Buys  Water  Works — Sources  of 
Water   Supply — Future  Needs — Changed  Water  Standards 

On  May  30,  1856,  the  St.  Paul  City  Council  authorized  the  appoint- 
ment of  four  policemen.  Up  to  that  time  the  city  marshal,  William  R. 
Miller  had  been  the  only  officer  with  powers  equivalent  to  a  policeman. 
The  first  appointees  were  John  Gabel,  Nicholas  Miller,  M.  C.  Hardwig 
and  Edward  Maher.  \\'illiam  R.  Miller  remained  chief  until  1858.  His 
successors  were:  1858,  John  W.  Crosby;  i860,  John  O'Gorman;  1861, 
H.  H.  Western;  1862,  James  Gooding;  1863,  Michael  Cummings,  jr.; 
1864,  J.  R.  Cleveland;  1865,  C.  W.  Turnbull  (resigned  July,  1866); 
1866,  John  Jones;  1867,  J.  P.  McElrath ;  1870,  L.  H.  Eddy;  1872,  J.  P. 
McElrath;  1875,  James  King;  1878,  Charles  Weber;  1882,  John  Clark; 
1892,  A.  Garvin;  1894,  John  Clark;  1896,  M.  N.  Goss;  1898,  John  J. 
O'Connor;  1912,  F.  M.  Catlin. 

Creditable  Police  Protixtion 

It  is  a  historic  and  creditable  fact  that  during  a  long  series  of  years 
the  number  of  flagrant  crimes  committed  in  this  city  has  been  far  below 
the  average  in  cities  of  similar  population,  while  the  detection,  arrest 
and  pimishment  of  criminals  has  been  phenomenally  prompt  and  cer- 
tain. 

In  1876  the  chief  of  police  reported  the  total  number  of  policemen 
in  the  city  to  be  thirty-one  and  that  the  whole  number  of  persons  ar- 
rested during  the  year  was  1,145,  oi  whom  195  were  females.  The 
amount  of  fines  and  costs  collected  was  $8,900.  The  receipts  of  the 
treasurer's  office  during  that  year  aggregated  $454,456.97 ;  the  disburse- 
ments were  $366,537.87 ;  leaving  a  balance  in  the  hands  of  the  treasurer 
at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1877  of  $87,919.10.  The  amount  received 
from  liquor  licenses  was  $20,251.64,  at  the  rate  of  $100  a  year  for  each 
license.     The  beer  licenses  amounted  to  $632.90. 

In  1877  Mayor  J.  T.  Maxfield,  in  his  recommendations  to  the  coun- 
cil referring  to  the  cattle  ordinance,  said:  "Many  of  our  citizens  who 
have  for  many  years  been  trying  to  beautify  their  private  grounds  and 
our  public  parks  and  streets  by  planting  trees,  shrubbery  and  flowers, 
have  utterly  failed  to  accomplish  their  purpose  from  the  fact  that  cattle 
are  permitted  the  same  privileges  in  this  city  of  40,000  people  that  they 
enjoy  in  the  smallest  backwoods  villages,  and  the  result  is  that  the  loss 

351 


352  ST.    I'ALl.  AND   \  ICIXITY 

in  tlie  destruction  of  ornamental  shrubbery,  etc.,  is  about  equal  to  the 
value  of  the  milU  supplied  by  the  cows  that  do  the  damage.  The  cattle 
ordinance  should  be  amended  so  as  to  mean  something,  or  else  repealed 
and  the  poundmaster  discharged.  The  law  at  present  is  simply  a  farce." 
Nothing,  however,  was  done  in  the  matter  during  that  year,  except  that 
at  the  next  session  of  the  legislature  the  office  of  poundmaster  was  abol- 
ished. 

In  June.  1878,  on  a  report  of  the  "Committee  on  the  social  evil."  a 
resolution  was  adopted  appropriating  all  tines  collected  from  keepers  of 
houses  of  prostitution,  inmates  of  the  same  and  resorters  thereto,  as 
follows:  One-third  to  the  city  hospital;  one-third  to  the  Magdalen  Home 
Society  and  one-third  to  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd. 

On  the  murder  of  Policeman  Daniel  O'Connel,  who  was  shot  by  a 
burglar  an  the  morning  of  the  17th  of  June,  1882,  Mayor  Rice  an- 
nounced the  fact  to  the  council  by  a  special  message  and  commented  on 
the  high  character  of  the  officer.  At  the  same  time  he  recommended 
that  a  generous  provision  be  made  for  his  widow  and  three  small  chil- 
dren. 

The  "high  license"  law,  by  the  terms  of  which  enactment  liquor  sal- 
loons  pay  an  annual  license  of  $1,000,  has  been  in  effect  since  the  be- 
ginning of  the  year  1882.  The  result  is  satisfactory.  The  number  of 
saloons  was  at  once  cut  dow-n  from  780  to  355,  and  the  revenue  derived 
by  the  city  from  this  source  was  increased  from  $78,000  to  $355,000.  It 
is  the  general  belief,  too,  that  the  character  and  reputation  of  these  es- 
tablishments were  greatly  improved,  which  fact,  together  with  the  en- 
tire elimination  of  many  of  the  worst  places,  had  an  appreciable  effect 
in  reducing  the  labors  and  dangers  of  police  supervision. 

\\  hen,  in  February,  1912,  John  J.  O'Connor,  who  had  served  since 
1898  as  chief  of  police,  after  long  previous  connection  with  the  depart- 
ment, resigned,  F.  M.  Catlin,  then  president  of  the  board  was  made  acting 
chief.  Later,  Mr.  Catlin  resigned  from  the  board  and  was  elected  chief 
of  police,  having  consented  to  serve  in  that  capacity  for  one  year,  in 
order  that  certain  important  reforms,  desired  by  Mayor  Keller  and  the 
police  board,  might  be  inaugurated.  One  system  instituted  since  Chief 
Catlin  assumed  control  is  a  new  plan  of  recording  criminal  cases.  With- 
out records  at  the  beginning  of  his  administration,  he  has  arranged  for 
a  report  on  every  case,  followed  to  the  end,  W'hether  arrest  and  convic- 
tion ensues  or  whether  the  offender  escapes  justice. 

Present  Department 

As  now  organized  the  police  department  is  governed  by  a  Hoard  of 
Police  Commissioners,  apjiointed  by  the  mayor,  and  comprises  one  chief, 
one  assistant  chief,  one  captain,  four  lieutenants,  ten  sergeants,  fifteen 
mounted  men,  two  hundred  and  five  patrolmen,  thirty-three  detectives, 
and  ten  other  employes.  The  five  stations  are  fully  equipped  with  pa- 
trol wagons,  telephone  and  telegraph  facilities.  The  police  alarm  system 
includes  130  signal  boxes,  also  ii3)-4  miles  of  overhead  and  310  of 
underground  wire  owned  by  the  city,  a  total  of  423^^:4  miles  of  wire. 
The  annual  cost  of  the  dci)artment  is  $205,000.  The  number  of  ar- 
rests in  191 1  w-as  fi.154.  On  July,  1912.  there  was  organizetl  a  "traffic 
squad"  of  20  men.  with  a  distinctive  uniform,  and  with  the  special  duty 
of  guarding  congested  centers. 

The  police  commissioners  now  are:  C.  S.   .^churman.  ])resident :  W. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  353 

A.  Hardenbergh,  L.  L.  May,  Harry  Loomis  and  Percy  Yittum.  The 
principal  officers  of  the  force  are:  F.  AI.  Catlin,  chief;  Martin  Flanagan, 
assistant  chief;  J.  C.  Fielding,  chief  of  detectives.  The  stations  are  Cen- 
tral, Ducas  street,  Margaret  street ;  Prior  avenue  and  Rondo  street.  A 
police  surgeon,  with  ambulance  crew  is  attached  to  the  central  station. 
The  police  department  is  one  of  which  the  city  is  proud.  Every  mem- 
ber of  the  force  is  a  credit  to  the  department.  The  policemen  are  care- 
fully chosen  and  every  man  must  be  able  to  speak,  read  and  write  the 
English  language  correctly  and  fluently ;  must  be  of  good  moral  char- 
acter and  gentlemanly  deportment,  and  must  discharge  his  duty,  under 
all  circumstances,  as  an  officer  and  gentleman.  The  discipline  of  the 
force  is  excellent.  The  result  is  seen  in  the  remarkably  good  order  of 
the  city  at  all  times.  Under  the  present  city  administration,  sincere 
efforts  are  being  made  to  entirely  divorce  the  police  from  politics.  The 
tendency  has  long  been  in  that  direction.  Our  people  have  observed 
that,  in  other  cities,  vice,  when  seen  too  oft  with  police  powers  un- 
checked, they  first  endure,  then  threaten,  then  protect. 

First  Fires  .\nd  Volunteer  Department 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  first  building  burned  in  the  infant 
village  of  St.  Paul  was  a  church.  The  Pioneer  of  May  i6,  1850,  says: 
"This  morning  about  10  o'clock,  Rev.  Mr.  Neill's  commodious  chapel 
took  fire,  by  some  shavings  and  was  burned  to  ashes."  This  was  the 
first  fire  which  occurred  in  St.  Paul.  Mr.  Neill  at  once  started  east  to 
collect  funds  for  a  new  church  in  which  he  succeeded. 

This  shoidd  have  induced  the  citizens  to  take  measures  for  protec- 
tion against  fires,  but  did  not  at  once  have  this  effect.  The  Democrat 
said  on  November  18,  1851  :  "St.  Paul  is  entirely  destitute  of  means  for 
extinguishing  fire.  Measures  should  be  taken  to  form  a  hook  and  lad- 
der company,  immediately.  Should  a  fire  occur,  let  every  citizen  repair 
10  it  with  a  bucket  of  water." 

On  March  i,  1855,  the  volunteer  fire  department  was  organized  by 
the  formation  of  the  Pioneer  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  with  twenty- 
eight  members.  A  wagon  was  purchased  in  Philadelphia,  and  paid  for 
by  popular  subscription.     A  little  later  a  small  fire  engine  was  bought. 

In  the  boom  summer  of  1857  the  city  council  ordered  two  new  fire 
engines.  In  anticipation  of  their  arrival  two  companies  were  formed  to 
handle  them:  "Hope  Engine  Company  No.  i"  and  "Minnehaha  Engine 
Company  No.  2."  R.  C.  Wiley,  John  H.  Dodge,  H.  P.  Grant,  M.  J. 
O'Connor,  John  B.  Olivier  and  others  afterwards  prominent,  figure 
among  the  organizers.  The  engines  did  not  arrive  until  1858,  when  they 
were  manned  by  the  waiting  companies.  Still  another  company  was  or- 
ganized in  1858  among  employes  of  the  Rotary  mill,  and  was  supplied 
with  an  engine  by  the  enterprising  proprietor,  Hon.  John   S.   Prince. 

On  August  II,  1866,  the  first  steam  fire  engine  "City  of  St.  Paul" 
was  received  and  assigned  to  Hope  Engine  Company  No.  i.  On  July 
2,  1872,  two  additional  steam  fire  engines  were  purchased. 

P.MD  Fire  Dep.'^rtment 

By  ordinance  No.  28.  passed  September  3,  1877,  the  paid  fire  depart- 
ment of  the  city  was  established.  All  volunteer  fire,  hose  and  hook  and 
ladder  companies  were  disbanded;  their  meetings  prohibited  in  the  city 

Vol.  1—23 


354  ST.    I'ALl.  AXU  \1CI.\1TV 

buildings,  ami  the  proijcrty  uf  the  city  uiulcr  their  eoiitrol  was  retjuired 
to  be  delivered  to  the  chief  of  the  fire  department.  As  constituted  by 
tile  ordinance,  the  department  consisted  of  one  chief  engineer,  four  en- 
gineers, four  firemen,  four  drivers  of  steamers,  four  drivers  of  hose 
carts,  one  driver  of  hook  and  ladder  truck,  sixteen  pipemen,  six  ladder- 
men,  one  tillerman  and  one  superintendent  of  telegraph. 

The  department  now  consists  of  307  men,  including  the  chief  engineer, 
three  assistant  chiefs,  superintendent  of  lire  alarm,  master  meciianic  and 
assistant,  electrical  inspector  and  one  assistant,  veterinarv  surgeon  medi- 
cal officer,  secretary,  twenty-nine  captains,  thirty-two  lieutenants,  chauf- 
feurs, ])ipemen,  truckmen,  engineers,  stokers,  drivers,  watchmen,  line- 
men, operators  and  blacksmiths.     This  includes  two  new  stations. 

The  chief  and  the  lirst,  second  and  third  assistant  chiefs  have  auto- 
mobiles and  the  department  has  an  explosive  type  fire  engine  drawn  by 
horses.  An  automobile  sc|uad  wagon  has  been  purchased.  Automobile 
engines  and  trucks  will  doubtless  gradually  replace  those  drawn  by  horses. 
Some  of  the  best  apparatus  of  this  kind  is  made  in  St.  Paul  for  use  in 
eastern  cities.  There  are  twenty-one  engine  companies ;  ten  hook  and 
ladder  companies;  one  chemical  company;  one  water  tower;  twentv-one 
hose  wagons ;  2  supply  hose  comjxuiies  and  an  efficient  force  of  trained 
men,  well  equipped  with  modern  apparatus.  A  pompier  tower  for  prac- 
tice service  is  one  of  the  features  of  the  department.  Civil  service  rules 
are  maintained  and  intelligence  and  merit  are  the  essentials  for  promo- 
tion. The  tire  department  is  in  the  highest  state  of  efficiency.  It  is 
sujjerbly  etiuijjped  with  all  machinery  and  every  ai5]5liance  necessary  to 
secure  safety  to  the  city  from  the  ravages  of  conflagaration. 

The  value  of  the  apparatus  in  charge  of  the  lire  commissioners  is 
$195,625,  and  of  all  property,  including  real  estate,  $876,960. 

The  Fire  Insurance  Patrol  located  at  379  Cedar  street,  in  the  heart 
of  the  business  district,  is  a  valuable  adjunct  to  the  fire  department. 
This  patrol  is  maintained  out  of  a  tax  on  the  fire  insurance  companies. 
The  running  expenses  of  the  I-'ire  Insurance  Patrol  for  1910  was  $23,- 
710.37.  A  valuable  addition  to  the  Fire  Insurance  Patrol  was  an  auto- 
mobile service  truck  of  60-hor.se  power  with  four  cylinders,  at  a  cost 
of  $4,500. 

'J1ie  jiresent  board  of  commissioners  of  the  lire  department  are: 
John  .\.  Willwershied,  i)resident ;  .\.  P)remer,  vice  president;  F.  C.  Ban- 
croft, John  F.  Kelly  and  Reuben  Warner.     J.  J.  Strapp  is  chief  engineer. 

In  the  matter  of  water  sujiply.  St.  Paul  is  and  has  always  been  re- 
markably fortunate.  Like  all  towns,  in  the  beginning  it  was  dei)endenl 
on  wells  and  cisterns.  Inn  the  jiroximity  of  large  and  limjiid  lakes,  lying 
only  a  few  miles  distant,  and  at  a  much  higher  level  than  that  of  the 
original  town  site,  directed  the  attention  of  tlu)nghtful,  ])ractical  men 
to  the  feasibility  of  obtaining  a  cheap  and  alnmdaiu  sujijily  from  that 
source,  .\mong  the  most  thoughful  and  practical  was  Hon.  Charles  D. 
Gillillan,  to  whose  sagacity  and  i)erseverance  the  jjeople  are  indebted 
for  the  inception  and  development  of  our  present  splendid  system. 

.St.    I'.M'l.   W.XTKR    CoMl'A.W 

The  St.  Paul  Water  Company  was  chartered  in  1857,  but  nothing 
was  done  toward  actual  cnnstniction  until  1865.  when  Sir.  Cilfillan  se- 
curefl  control,     .\ftcr  much  lalmr  an<l  the  expenditure  of  about  $300,000, 


ST.   PAUL  AXl)   \  ICIXITY  355 

the  company  had  completed  on  August  23,  i8()9,  the  mains  from  Lake 
Phalen  to  the  city,  and  distributing  pipes  through  portions  of  the  then 
business  and  residence  sections.  The  system  was  managed  by  this  cor- 
poration with  Mr.  Gilfillan  at  its  head,  for  over  twelve  years.  The 
pipes  were  extended  as  the  city  expanded  and  the  service  was  measur- 
ably satisfactory.  Hut  there  arose  a  popular  demand  for  municipal 
ownership,  which  became  irresistible. 

City  Buys  W'atkk  Works 

On  April  nj,  1882,  negotiations  were  concluded  for  the  purchase  of 
the  property,  rights  and  franchise  of  the  St.  Paul  Water  Company,  by 
which  the  city  became  the  owner  of  the  water  works.  The  committee 
conducting  the  negotiations  on  the  part  of  the  city  consisted  of  C.  W. 
Griggs,  chairman;  Charles  E.  Otis,  E.  C.  Starkey,  A.  Allen,  Joseph 
Robert,  John  Dowlan  and  J.  M.  McCarthy.  The  conditions  of  purchase 
finally  agreed  upon  were  as  follows :  The  city  agreed  to  give  $340,000 
and  to  take  the  property  subject  to  the  lien  and  incumberance  of  a  trust 
deed  made  to  secure  the  outstanding  bonds  issued  by  the  water  company, 
not  to  exceed  $160,000  in  amount.  The  transfer  was  to  take  place 
June  I.  1882.  The  city  was  to  indemnify  and  save  harmless  C.  D.  Gil- 
fillan on  account  of  a  certain  guaranty  signed  by  him  on  a  contract  dated 
January  25,  1869.  between  the  water  company  and  Benjamin  F.  Hoyt 
and  others.  The  purchase  was  to  embrace  the  lot  and  office  thereon 
occupied  by  the  water  company  and  certain  rights  of  flowage  and  drain- 
age on  the  private  land  of  C.  D.  Gilfillan  in  White  Bear  and  Mounds 
View  townships. 

By  a  resolution  of  the  council  adopted  April  19,  it  was  ordered  that 
$340,000  in  thirty-year  four  per  cent  bonds  be  issued  and  negotiated  to 
secure  the  purchase  money  required.  The  contract  was  not  closed  at  this 
time,  however,  and  in  August  it  was  modified  and  again  accepted  by  the 
council  in  the  following  form :  "The  city  to  give  $37,000  in  cash  and 
$313,000  in  four  per  cent  bonds,  dated  June  i,  1882,  interest  payable 
semi-annually,  and  to  take  the  property  subject  to  the  lien  and  incum- 
brance of  a  trust  deed  made  to  secure  the  outstanding  bonds ;  the  trans- 
fer to  take  place  August  10,  1882."  The  provisions  as  to  office  build- 
ing and  lot,  the  flowage  rights,  etc,  were  retained  in  this  contract. 

The  first  board  of  water  commissioners  appointed  by  the  mayor  was 
composed  of  C.  D.  Gilfillan,  president ;  C.  W.  Griggs,  C.  H.  Boardman 
and  P.  H.  Kelly ;  and  the  mayor,  Edmund  Rice,  ex-officio.  John  Caul- 
field  was  the  first  secretary,  John  B.  Overton  the  first  superintendent, 
and  L.  \V.  Rundlett,  engineer.  The  bonded  debt  of  the  city  on  account 
of  the  purchase  at  first  was  $510,000,  of  which  amount  $350,000  was  in 
four  per  cents,  running  thirty  years  from  June  i,  1882,  and  $160,000  in 
eight  per  cents  assumed  by  the  city  and  due  January  i,  1889.  The  total 
receipts  of  the  city  on  account  of  the  water  department  from  August 
10,  1882,  the  date  of  purchase,  to  December  ist  of  that  year,  were 
$27,541.75. 

Sources  of  W.vtek  Suppfa' 

Extensions  and  improvements  were  rapidly  made.  In  1892,  ten  years 
after  the  water  works  became  city  property,  the  commissioners  were  [. 
F.   Hoyt,  Thomas  Grace,   P.  H.  Kelly,  B.  Kuhl  and  R.  B.  C.  Bement. 

At  that  time  and  ever  since,  the  city  could  claim  and  abundant   supj)l\- 


356  ST.  PAUL  AND  MCIXITY 

of  pure  and  wholesome  drinking  water  for  all  present  needs,  brought 
from  a  chain  of  spring-fed  lakes  which  extended  to  within  ten  miles  of 
the  city.  The  supply  is  drawn  by  two  systems — gravity  for  lower  town 
or  St.  Paul  proper,  and  pump,  for  St.  Anthony  Hill,  or  the  hill  district. 
The  high  service  reservoir  is  situated  a  short  distance  northeast  of  Lake 
Como  on  an  elevation  of  above  city  datum  310  feet,  with  cai)acity  of 
16,000,000  gallons. 

The  report  of  the  commissioners  for  that  year  showed  a  total  of 
igSyi  miles  of  water  mains  in  operation,  with  11.533  connections,  1,813 
fire  hydrants  and  1,749  gates.  The  daily  average  of  water  used  in  the 
whole  city  that  year  was  about  9,000,000  gallons,  equal  to  eight  acres 
of  water,  three  feet  deep.  A  pump  of  6,000.000  gallons  daily  capacity 
had  been  contracted  for,  to  be  placed  at  the  McCarron  station.  The 
five  driven  wells  at  \'adnais  lake,  together  with  the  artesian  well  there, 
were  vielding  about  2,250.cx)0  gallons  daily.  The  rainfall  for  1SS9  was 
17  inches;  for  1890  it  was  23  inches:  for  1891,  21.71;  inches;  the  average 


HIGH   BRIDGE   .\ND   CITY    HOSl'lT.M. 

for  thirty-two  years  is  recorded  as  a  little  better  than  28  inches.  During 
this  time  the  least  precipitation  was  in  1864.  14.83  inches;  the  greatest 
in  1881,  39.16  inches.  The  water  sui)i)lied  to  St.  Paul,  whether  from 
wells  or  spring-fed  lakes  is  a  marvel  of  jnu-ity,  as  i^requent  analyses 
have  shown,  and  is  free  from  all  sources  of  contamination,  as  the  shores 
of  the  lake  are  wholly  unoccui)ied  by  residences  or  factories. 

In  1890  a  system  of  artesian  wells  was  started  at  Lake  \  adnais, 
whicli  now  consists  of  ten  wells  with  a  daily  average  capacity  of  be- 
tween 4,000.000  and  5.000.000  gallons.  As  the  city  grew  it  became  ap- 
I)arent  that  the  Xadn'ais  lake  system  would  soon  prove  inade(|uate,  and 
in  1896  the  works  were  extended  to  Centerville,  about  eighteen  miles 
away.  This  plant  now  consists  of  Centerville  lake,  twenty-eight  artesian 
well's,  of  which  ten  are  from  475  to  5(X)  feel  deep,  and  eighteen  .liiout 
100  feet  deep,  all  connected  with  "each  other  but  not  with  the  lake,  with  a 
total  capacity  of  about  8,000.000  gallons ;  a  1 5.000,000  gallon  punij),  and 
two   additional    5,000,000   gallon    i)umps   recently   completed.     \\'ater    is 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  357 

taken  from  the  lake  through  a  goo  foot  suction  pipe  and  from  the  lake 
and  wells  combined,  if  the  supply  is  sufficient,  25,000,000  gallons  a  day 
can  be  pumped.  The  water  is  raised  forty  feet  through  conduits  and 
passes  into  Pleasant  lake. 

Another  plant  of  six  wells,  700  feet  deep,  pumped  by  a  system  of 
compressed  air,  is  just  being  completed  at  the  McCarron  lake  station. 
These  are  expected  to  furnish  6,000,000  gallons  which  will  be  pumped 
directly  into  the  conduit  and  will  thus  benefit  both  the  high  and  low 
service  At  West  St.  Paul  two  more  twelve-inch  wells,  500  feet  deep, 
have  been  sunk,  whose  capacity  is  believed  to  be  3,000,000  gallons  daily. 
They  will  be  operated  by  electricity,  will  have  a  150  foot  head  and  are 
especially  for  the  low  service  system.  When  these  four  sets  of  artesian 
wells  are  in  operation  they  will  have  a  combined  daily  output  of  more 
than  20,000,000  gallons. 

Vadnais  and  Centerville  lakes  have  been  reinforced  by  connecting 
them  from  time  to  time  through  ditches  or  conduits  with  other  adjacent 
or  tributary  lakes,  such  as  Peltier,  George,  Watch's  Ronds,  Rice  and 
Reshanan,  Sucker,  Bald  Eagle  and  other  lakes.  This  process  could  be 
further  extended  as  it  is  believed  that  about  15,000,000  gallons  a  day 
run  ofif  which  could  be  impounded  and  utilized,  if  the  reservoir  capacity 
were  also  correspondingly  enlarged.  Another  means  of  increasing  the 
reserve  is  by  deepening  the  lakes,  thus  adding  to  their  storage  capacity 
and  dredging  is  in  fact  proceeding  at  Centerville  lake. 

There  are  now  more  than  360  miles  of  water  mains  in  St.  Paul,  rang- 
ing from  four  to  thirty-six  inches  in  diameter;  3,160  fire  hydrants  and 
442  street  sprinkling  hydrants.  Water  rates  have  decreased  since  the 
city  acquired  the  works  from  50  to  80  per  cent ;  thus  a  seven-room  house 
which  would  have  been  charged  $20  a  year  in  1882,  now  pays  $8.10  for 
the  same  period.  The  daily  average  consumption  in  1910  was  I.3i5'673 
gallons,  divided  between  high  and  low  service  in  about  the  proportion 
of  lYi  to  53^.  That  year  was  exceptional,  but  normally  the  consump- 
tion is  about  fifty  gallons  per  capita,  which  compares  with  an  average 
daily  consumption  of  gi  gallons  in  Minneapolis;  100  gallons  in  Milwau- 
kee, 151  gallons  in  Detroit;  293  gallons  in  Buffalo  (in  igog)  and  185 
gallons  in  Philadelphia. 

Up  to  January  i,  igii,  the  net  cost  of  the  work,  including  the  pur- 
chase price,  was  $5,370,085.11  of  which  more  than  half  or  $2,760,085.11 
has  been  met  out  of  surplus  earnings.  The  total  bond  issue  is  $2,610,000; 
but  of  this  only  $2,086,000  is  outstanding,  the  board  having  adopted  the 
policy  of  establishing  a  sinking  fund  and  buying  its  bonds  whenever  it 
could  do  so  to  advantage. 

Future  Needs 

The  supply  is  sufficient  for  present  needs,  but  some  dread  of  a  water 
famine  during  a  recent  exceptionally  dry  season,  the  rapid  growth  of 
the  city  and  the  experience  of  other  cities,  have  combined  to  direct  at- 
tention to  the  wisdom  of  amply  providing  for  the  future.  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  is  confronted  with  a  serious  problem.  There  is  enormous 
waste  there.  With  only  fifty  per  cent  more  population  than  St.  Paul, 
Washington  uses  five  times  as  much  water.  As  a  consequence  the  his- 
toric aqueduct  carried  over  a  creek  gorge  in  the  roadway  of  a  great 
stone  arch  bridge,  although  nine  feet  in  diameter,  is  proving  inadequate 
to    supply   the    city.     Unless   consumption    is    cut    down,   this    aqueduct 


358  ST.    I'ALI.   AXl)   \  U'lXIIA' 

must  be  enlarged.  .\'e\\  Ynrk  is  spending  $f)0,ooo,000  to  get  an  addi- 
tional siii)]ily  from  the  L'atskills.  l.os  .\ngeles  will  have  invested  $2_^.- 
ooo.ooo  in  a  water  project  before  it  has  a  supply  to  meet  its  present 
needs.  Chicago  with  an  unlimited  supply  of  water  is  unable  to  jnuuit 
enough  to  keep  up  pressure  because  of  the  waste  from  its  pipes.  With 
the  growth  of  the  modern  city,  the  water  problem  is  becoming  acute. 
The  most  far-seeing  niuniciiKdities  are  finding  supplies  at  this  time  which 
in  human  probability  will  be  imfailing.  This  is  also  the  i)roiilem  St. 
Paul  must  solve.  That  the  same  intelligent  enterprise  whicli  has  anti- 
cipated every  ])ast  emergency  and  provided  for  it  will  be  e(|ual  to  those 
emergencies  whicli  are  yet  to  come,  may  be  conlidently  predicted. 

The  i)resent  board  of  water  commissioners  consists  of  Hans  Madson. 
])resident:  Isaac  Lederer,  vice  president;  J.  W.  Lux,  Louis  F.  Dow  and 
C.  P.  Dahlby.  John  Caulfield.  who  was  secretary  of  the  old  water  com- 
pany and  was  the  first  secretary  of  the  board  of  water  commissioners, 
still  holds  that  important  executive  ])osition.  In  1012,  an  important 
reorganization  of  the  department  was  made  b\-  the  water  hoard,  on  the 
recommendation  of  outside  ex])erts.  \ew  and  a|)proved  jilans  were 
adopted,  which  it  is  believed  will  increase  the  already  creditable  effi- 
ciency of  the  service. 

It  is  undeniable  that  one  of  the  greatest  needs  of  any  community 
is  a  supply  of  water  that  is  clean  and  attractive  for  drinking  and  ])er- 
•sonal  use :  water  that  is  not  only  free  from  the  germs  of  disease,  but  is 
beyond  the  danger  of  such  germs  being  ])resent ;  water  that  is  "jnire 
and  wholesome"  as  the  courts  say,  and  for  which  freedom  from  ])()Ilu- 
tion  is  a  first  re(|uisite.  A  ])ublic  water  supply  must  not  only  seem  to 
be  pure,  it  must  be  pure  in  actual  fact :  and  on  the  other  hand,  it  must 
be  not  only  bacterially  safe,  it  should  show  its  safety  by  its  cleanness. 
For  in  spite  of  all  statements  of  chemists  or  bacteriologists,  and  in  spite 
of  the  warning  of  physicians  and  health  departments,  it  is  a  fact  that 
a  large  proportion  of  any  community  will  (Irink  the  water  sui)plied  to 
their  houses,  if  it  looks  good  and  tastes  good. 

Cii.\.\'('.i:i>  W A  ii;k  .^t and  \i;i>s 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  how  water  standards  have  changed.  The 
earliest  standards  of  jjurity  were  physical.  Water  that  was  clear,  color- 
less, and  without  taste  and  odor,  was  accepted  as  good  water.  Such 
is  the  or<linary  standard  of  the  farmer  tod.iy.  Me  I'mds  such  a  sujiply 
not  in  the  streams  and  lakes,  but  in  the  wells  and  springs.  He  mav  not 
regard  the  \\;itr-r  of  a  nearby  brook  as  im|>nre,  but  he  does  not  use  it 
in  his  house,  lie  knows  that  cattle  wade  in  it.  that  dead  leaves  decom- 
pose in  it,  that  dirt  is  washed  into  it  and  he  prefers  the  water  of  his 
well,  even  though  k)cated  in  his  barnyard,  for  he  likes  its  clearness,  he 
likes  its  coolness  and  he  al.so  choses  it  for  its  convenience. 

.\fter  the  physical,  came  the  chemical  standards  of  puritv.  Large 
communities  were  compelled  to  depend  ujjon  the  use  of  sinM'ace  waters. 
I'eing  not  always  clean,  such  waters  were  suspected  as  to  their  jniritv 
and  the  chemist  was  called  upon  to  reassure  the  consumers  as  to  the 
safety  of  the  water  or  to  condemn  it  if  need  be.  A  generation  ;igo 
chemical  standards  of  purity  were  much  in  vogue.  .'Sometimes  the  judg- 
ment was  right,  but  too  often  it  was  of  no  value,  as  it  was  foinided 
upon  meagre  data  and  ignorance  of  local  conditions  prevented  the 
chemist  from  using  the  saving  grace  of  common  sense. 


ST.   PAUL  AND   \ICINITY  359 

Lastly  have  come  the  standards  of  the  bacteriologist  and  the  sani- 
tarian. Our  water  supplies  are  being  judged  not  only  by  the  chemical 
analysis  but  by  the  bacteria  that  are  present  or  absent.  The  absence  of 
objectionable  bacteria  is  sometimes  considered  as  giving  a  water  supply 
a  clean  bill  of  health.  Such  tests  are  of  value,  and  not  to  be  omitted. 
Decency  demands  that  indications  of  pollution  be  absent  from  water 
used  for  drinking  but  there  are  other  tests  than  these  and  the  homel\- 
virtue  of  cleanness  is  a  sine  qua  non  for  every  public  water  supply. 

It  is  common  also  to  say  that  the  best  test  of  the  purity  of  a  water 
supply  of  any  city  is  the  typhoid  fever  death  rate  among  the  consumers. 
As  a  general  statement  this  is  true,  though  there  are  exceptions  to  the 
rule.  Decreases  in  the  typhoid  fever  death  rate  following  the  tiltration 
of  a  public  supply  are  also  used  for  measuring  the  practicable  efficiencv 
of  a  filter  plant.  Statistics  abundantly  prove  that  when  pure  is  sub- 
stituted for  impure  water,  the  health  of  the  city  improves  to  a  far 
greater  degree  than  the  mere  elimination  of  typhoid  fever  accounts  for. 
Many  other  deseases,  even  including  pneumonia,  are  reduced.  Further- 
more, an  abundance  of  clean  water  tends  to  increase  the  use  of  water 
for  drinking — a  thing  good  in  itself.  It  reduces  the  patronage  of  the 
soda  fountains  and  the  saloons,  and  it  encourages  personal  cleanliness 
which  promotes  the  public  health. 

In  connection  with  all  projects  for  the  purification  of  water  the  pre- 
vention of  pollution  usually  receives  prominent  consideration,  and  rightly 
so.  It  goes  without  saying  that  the  greater  the  natural  purity  of  the  water 
the  less  work  is  demanded  of  a  purification  plant,  and  the  greater  is  the 
margin  of  safety.  This  prevention  of  ]3()llution  is  the  onlv  "purifica- 
tion" process  St.  Paul  has  ever  found  necessary.  That  has  been  care- 
fully attended  to  and  so  pure  is  the  original  supply,  that  no  filtration 
plants  have  ever  been  needed. 

That  an  abundant  supply  of  clean,  safe  water  is  a  valuable  asset  to 
any  community  would  not  seem  to  demand  proof,  but  when  year  after 
year  bond  issues  for  new  water  supplies  or  for  the  installation  of  filters 
are  turned  down  by  popular  vote;  when  city  councils  continue  to  post- 
]5one  action  in  spite  of  known  facts  in  regard  to  uncleanly  and  unsani- 
tary conditions,  it  is  evident  that  the  full  significance  of  the  subject  is  not 
yet  appreciated.  It  would  seem  certain  that  there  could  be  no  higher 
standard  than  that  involving  the  lives  of  the  people  who  have  to  drink 
the  water;  yet  if  one  may  judge  from  the  action  of  some  cities,  this 
standard  is  placed  below  the  financial  one,  while  both  are  sometimes  al- 
lowed to  give  place  to  political  considerations. 

No  such  perversions  have  afflicted  the  administration  of  the  water 
department  in  St.  Paul.  Not  even  the  merciless  warfare  of  partisan 
criticism  has  ever  impugned  the  integrity  of  purpose  and  general  sound- 
ness of  judgment  displayed  by  the  commissioners  in  the  discharge  of 
their   responsible  duties. 

And  in  the  aggregate,  the  three  administrative  functions,  treated  of 
in  this  chapter,  have  contributed  their  full  share  toward  the  uplift  of 
St.  Paul  and  tlie  [iromotion  of  its  unparalled  prosperitv. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

CITY  ANT)  SUBURBAN   ELECTRIC  RAILWAYS 

First  Street  Railway  in  Operation — Company  Reorganized  and 
Lines  Extended — First  City  Electric  Line — Work  Commenced 
on  GRtVND  Avenue  Line — St.  Paul's  Red-Letter  Day — Twin 
City  Rapid  Tr.vnsit  Company — Closer  Union  Between  the 
Twin  Cities — Beautiful  Points  Reached  by  the  System — Ben- 
eficial Interurban  Lines 

The  first  movement  toward  rapid  transit  in  this  city  resulted  May 
9,  1872,  in  an  organization  under  the  title  of  the  St.  Paul  Street  Railway 
Companv.  It  was  composed  of  T.  C.  Burbank,  Horace  Thompson,  E.  F. 
Drake,  George  Culver,  W.  S.  Wright.  II.  L.  Carver,  A.  H.  Wilder, 
John  L.  Merriam,  P.  F.  McQuillian,  John  Wann,  William  Dawson, 
Peter  Berkey,  William  Lee,  Bartlett  Presley  and  William  F.  Davidson. 
The  officers  were  J.  C.  Burbank,  president ;  John  Wann,  vice  president ; 
H.  L.  Carver,  secretary;  and  William  Dawson,  treasurer.  H.  L.  Carver 
was  the  active  manager. 

First  Street  Railway  in  Oper.\tion 

The  first  contract  was  made  for  two  miles  of  track,  and  when  it  was 
completed  six  cars  were  put  on,  which  were  operated  by  fourteen  men 
and  thirty  horses  (or  mules).  The  first  line,  beginning  at  Lafayette 
and  Woodward  avenues,  lower  town,  ran  on  Lafayette  avenue  and  Lo- 
cust street  to  Seventh :  on  Seventh  to  Jackson ;  on  Jackson  to 
Fourth;  on  Fourth  to  Wabasha;  on  Wabasha  to  Third,  and  on  Third 
to  Seven  Corners.  In  winter  covered  sleighs  were  provided,  it  being 
thought  impossible  to  keep  the  tracks  free  from  snow.  The  sleighs, 
omnibus  in  size  and  form,  ran  on  Third  street  from  Jackson  to  Wa- 
basha, but  otherwise  followed  the  regular  route.  There  was  no  heat, 
but  straw  was  placed  on  the  floors  to  keep  the  passengers'  feet  warm. 
In  1873  the  main  line  was  extended  out  West  Seventh  street  nearly  to 
the  city  hospital,  and  on  Wabasha  street  and  College  avenue  to  Rice 
street.  The  first  stables  were  located  in  a  two  story  brick  building,  now 
a  factorv,  located  on  Exchange  street  and  extending  from  Third  to 
Fourth. 

A  few  years  later,  after  the  lines  had  been  extended,  the  down-town 
stables  were  established  on  the  site  of  the  present  fourteen-story  Lowry 
building  on  .St.  Peter  street,  running  from  Fourth  to  Fifth  streets. 
It  was  a  well  constructed  three-story  building  of  brick,  with  stalls  for 
one  hundred  and  fifty  horses  and  room  for  thirty  cars,  besides  repair 
and  blacksmith's  shops.     The  upper  stories  were  used  as  the  offices  of 

360 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  361 

the  company,  sleeping  rooms  for  employes,  and  for  the  storage  of  grain, 
hay  and  other  feed. 

'  During  the  year  1880  the  street  cars  carried  975,000  passengers, 
which  was  more'  than  twenty  times  the  population  of  the  city.  Horses 
and  mules  were  still  the  motive  power,  and  the  busy  drivers  performed 
the  various  functions  of  coachman,  conductor,  cashier,  policeman  and 
street  directory. 

C0MP.\NY    ReORG.\NIZED    AND    LiNES    EXTENDED 

In  November,  1878.  the  company  was  reorganized  under  the  name 
of  the  St.  Paul  City  Railway  Company.  Extensions  of  the  lines  of  the 
company  were  made  from  year  to  year,  and  at  the  close  of  1887  street 
cars  were  in  operation  on  the  following  routes :  East  and  West  Sev- 
enth streets,  from  Lee  street  west  to  Duluth  avenue  east;  Maria  ave- 
nue, Seventh  to  Plum;  Oakland,  Grand  and  Victoria  west,  to  Payne 
avenue  east;  University  avenue  and  Mississippi  street;  Rice  street  and 
West  St.  Paul,  from  Front  and  Rice  on  South  Robert,  and  on  Concord 
street  to  Cambridge  street ;  Rice  street  extension,  from  Front  street  to 
^Maryland  street;  Saint  Anthony  Hill,  from  Dale  and  Laurel  streets 
to  Smith  Park. 

On  these  various  lines,  constituting  over  forty-five  miles  of  track, 
the  company  had  113  street  cars  and  used  742  horses,  and  200  mules. 
During  1887  the  company  built  a  cable  line,  the  first  in  St.  Paul,  run- 
ning from  Broadway  westward  up  Fourth  and  Third  streets  and  Selby 
avenue  to  St.  Albans  street,  a  distance  of  two  and  one-half  miles. 
The  line  was  finished  in  December,  1887,  and  was  in  active  operation  in 
the  following  month.  It  was  a  double  track  and  cost  about  $100,000  per 
mile.  Twelve  cable  motors  were  used  and  sixteen  passenger  coaches. 
Another  cable  line  went  into  operation  in  June,  1889.  It  ran  from 
Wabasha   street,  on   Seventh   street  to   Duluth  avenue. 

First  City  Electric  Line 

In  June,  1889,  Archbishop  Ireland  and  Thomas  Cochran  concluded 
an  agreement  with  the  City  Railway  Company  by  which  it  agreed  to 
build,  equip  and  operate  two  electric  surface  motor  lines,  one  running 
from  Wabasha  and  Seventh  street  out  Oakland  and  Grand  avenues  to 
Cleveland  avenue,  and  the  other  beginning  at  Wabasha  and  Fourth 
street,  and  thence  continuing  out  Fourth  to  Seventh,  to  Randolph  and 
along  Randolph  to  Cleveland  avenue.  The  company  agreed  to  have 
the  road  running  within  six  months  provided  a  bonus  was  raised  and 
paid  over  to  them  in  instalments  extending  over  nine  months,  the  first 
instalment  not  being  payable  until  the  rails  are  laid.  This  arrangement 
gave  St.   Paul  its  first  electric  line. 

By  this  time  the  control  of  the  City  Railway  Company  had  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Thomas  Lowry,  who  with  his  associates  also  con- 
trolled the  Minneapolis  system.  When  the  electric  construction  was 
undertaken,  the  office  of  the  St.  Paul  City  Railway  Company  was  lo- 
cated on  Ramsey  street  between  Oak  and  Forbes.  The  officers  of  the 
company  were :  Thomas  Lowry,  president ;  P.  F.  Barr,  vice  president ; 
A.  L.  Scott,  superintendent;  A.  Z.  Levering,  secretary;  W.  R.  Merriam, 
treasurer. 

A  narrative  of  the  progressive  official  steps  Ijy  which  this  consumma- 


362  ST.   I'AUL  AND  \TC1X1T\- 

lion  was  reached  may  he  of  interest.  When  he  was  lirsi  approached, 
-Mr.  Lowrv  was  incredulous  as  to  whether  electricity  had  become  a  ]jrac- 
ticable  motive  for  street  railway  piir])oses.  but  linally  agreed,  if  his  com- 
pany was  protected  against  loss,  to  extend  the  existing  Grand  Avenue 
line,  from  its  terminus  at  the  corner  of  X'ictoria  street,  along  Grand  ave- 
nue to  the  Mississippi  river;  and  to  build  a  new  line  from  the  junction 
of  West  Seventh  and  Randolph  streets  along  the  latter  thoroughfare 
due  west  also  to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  river.  In  pursuance  of  this 
agreement,  an  ordinance  was  introduced  into  the  Common  Council  giv- 
ing the  necessary  rights  to  the  City  Railway  Company,  to  enable  it  to 
use  electricity,  not  only  upon  these  lines  but  upon  those  interior  lines  of 
the  city  upon  which  these  extensions  w'ould  dejiend  for  communication 
with  tiie  business  centers.  Whatever  other  rights  the  City  Railwa_\ 
Company  had,  it  was  agreed  ui)on  all  hands  that  neither  its  charter 
nor  any  of  the  amendments  thereto  gave  it  the  right  to  em])l(i\-  any- 
thing but  horse  power  upon  the  streets  of  the  city. 

l!y  the  time  the  ordinance  mentioned  had  been  referred  to  the  proper 
committee  and  had  reached  the  council  for  consideration,  it  was  onl\- 
one  of  half  a  dozen  ordinances  which  other  corporations  had  applied 
for  to  build  rival  and  comjieting  lines  to  those  of  the  system  already  in 
existence,  and  to  its  extensions  which  the  new  ordinance  jjroposed. 
This  preci])itatc(l  a  contest,  which  for  some  time  threatened  to  arrest 
all  improvement.  The  City  Railway  Company  gave  public  notice  of  its 
intention  to  protect  the  exclusive  rights  which  it  claimed  it  possessed : 
and  at  once  proceeded  to  lay  its  rails  upon  Sixth  street,  which,  by  com- 
mon consent,  had  theretofore  been  left  unobstructed.  On  the  other  hand, 
many  citizens  resisted  the  claim  of  the  City  Railway  Comjiany  to  ex- 
clusive rights  and  insisted  that  it  could  not  be  successfully  maintaineil 
in  law.  .Xfter  much  agitation  and  discussion  the  president  of  the  City 
Railway  Com])any  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  in 
which  he  proposed  the  ap])ointment  of  a  committee  by  that  body  which 
should  confer  with  the  proper  committee  of  the  Common  Council  and 
with  the  representatives  of  the  City  Railway  Company,  to  see  whether 
amicable  adjustment  could  not  be  reached. 

The  consideration  of  this  communication  by  the  board  of  directors 
of  the  Chamber,  resulted  in  the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  thirteen, 
to  whom  the  whole  subject  was  referred  with  ])ower  to  act.  The 
first  stej)  taken  by  this  comniillcc  was  to  hold  a  |)ub!ic  meeting  to  which 
the  whole  Chamber,  the  members  of  the  City  Council,  the  representa- 
tives of  the  Street  Railway  Company  and  the  public  generally,  were  in- 
vited. This  meeting  resulted  in  the  appointment  of  a  sub-committee  of 
seven,  with  instructions  to  confer  with  the  committee  on  streets  of  tlie 
Cominon  Council  and  the  ])resident  of  the  City  Railway  Company  for 
the  purpose  of  formulating  such  an  ordinance  as  would  be  acceptaiile  to 
all  parties.  This  sub-comn)ittee  met  for  nearly  a  monlh  in  almost  daily 
deliiieration  with  the  committee  on  streets  of  the  Common  Council,  and 
with  the  j)resident  of  the  t'itv  Railway  Company.  (  )ne  argument  which 
was  freely  used  during  all  the  debate  ujion  the  subject,  was  the  neces- 
sity of  so  modifying  the  existing  charter  and  ordinances,  as  to  make 
them  less  burdensome  to  the  city  and  more  favorable  to  the  demands 
and  needs  of  the  ])ublic.  It  was  urged  that  the  present  was  a  fit  time 
to  flo  this,  inasmuch  as  the  corporation  was  substantially  asking  for  a 
new  grant  of  privilege  in  demanding  that  it  be  alUjwed  to  emjilov  elec- 
tricity instead  of  horse-])ower.     The  railway  comjiany  ni.iintaineil  upon 


ST.   PAUL  AXl)   \1C[XITY  363 

the  other  hand  that  in  asking  permission  to  use  electricity  it  only  sought 
to  improve  the  service  which  it  was  rendering  to  the  public,  and  that  it 
was  both  unwise  and  unfair  to  seek  to  make  this  the  opportunity  of 
abridging,  or  destroying  the  corporation's  legal  and  vested  rights.  The 
result  of  the  many  conferences  was  the  granting  to  the  St.  Paul  City 
Railway,  by  the  Common  Council,  by  unanimous  vote,  the  right  to  oper- 
ate all  of  its  lines  of  railway  by  cable,  electric,  pneumatic  or  gas  power, 
at  the  option  of  the  company. 

Never  was  the  value  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  the  city  more 
plainly  shown.  The  council  and  the  railway  company  seemed  to  be 
divided  by  an  insurmountable  obstacle.  The  former  was  righteously 
determined  to  protect  the  city's  rights ;  the  latter  claimed  that  its  rights 
were  in  danger  of  being  sacrificed.  The  public,  the  third  party  to  the 
contest,  maintained  on  the  one  hand  that  the  city's  rights  must  be  pre- 
served, but  on  the  other  demanded  that  rapid  transit  must  be  obtained 
and  was  impatient  of  any  postponement  of  its  accomplishment.  The 
solution,  satisfactory  to  all  concerned,  was  a  notable  triumph  of  pa- 
tience and  diplomacy. 

Work  Commenckd  on  Gr.\nd  Avenue  Line 

Ijy  its  acceptance  of  the  ordinance  which  the  company  promptly 
filed,  it  agreed  to  build  and  electrically  equip  32  4-10  miles  of  double- 
track  extensions  to  its  present  system,  during  the  years  of  1890  and 
1891.  Under  this  ordinance  work  was  at  once  commenced  upon  the 
Grand  avenue  line  and  it  was  completed  and  opened  to  the  public  on 
February  22,  1890.  Perhaps  the  most  important  of  all  the  lines  built, 
as  it  was  the  next  to  be  finished,  was  that  along  University  avenue,  by 
which  magnificent  thoroughfare  it  communicated  directly  with  the  cen- 
ter of  jMinneapolis. 

The  introduction  of  electric  power  was  accomplished  by  an  immense 
outlay  of  capital  and  energy,  during  a  period  of  financial  stringency. 
But  the  comfort  of  the  new  and  commodious  cars  and  the  economy  of 
time  and  expense  in  traveling  to  all  sections  of  the  city  were  appreci- 
ated by  a  grateful  public,  as  was  soon  demonstrated  by  the  greatly  in- 
creased amount  of  travel  on  the  street  car  lines. 

St.  P.\ul's  Ricd-Letter  Day 

On  the  final  passage  of  this  great  ordinance  by  the  City  Council 
September  19,  1889,  two  prophetic  addresses  were  made,  from  which  we 
only  have  room  for  brief  extracts.  Alderman  Walter  H.  Sanborn,  now 
judge  of  the  United  States  circuit  court  said,  just  before  the  vote  was 
taken:  "Every  alderman  should  vote  for  this  measure.  In  my  view  it 
opens  up  to  the  city  of  St.  Paul  a  career  of  prosperity  such  as  has 
never  been  opened  up  before.  With  over  thirty  miles  of  street  railway 
to  be  built,  all  within  two  years,  St.  Paul  ought  to  take  on  a  boom  the 
like  of  which  has  never  been  witnessed.  If  the  property  of  citizens  does 
not  appreciate,  and  if  the  citizens  themselves  do  not  advance  in  wealth 
and  prosperity  and  in  all  things  that  are  for  their  materia!  interest, 
then  I  am  no  prophet  and  see  no  possibility  of  anything  like  prophecy. 
But  defeat  by  a  single  vote  this  ordinance  and  you  go  back  to  the  old 
litigation,  and  for  five  years  longer  you  will  have  nothing  but  horses 


364  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

and  mules  hauling  your  cars  up  the  steep  hills.  You  strike  a  blow  at 
the  prosperity  of  the  city." 

When  the  applause  that  followed  this  speech  had  subsided  the  vote 
was  taken,  and  every  alderman  answered  "aye"  as  his  name  was  called. 
The  result  was  greeted  with  applause  loud  and  long.  Everybody  felt 
that  a  great  victory  had  been  won  and  rejoiced  that  the  long  struggle 
was  at  last  over. 

On  motion  of  Alderman  Kavanagh,  Hon.  Frederick  DriscoU,  chair- 
man of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  committee,  was  invited  to  address 
the  council  and  he  said :  "The  large  attendance  here  evidences  the  wide- 
spread interest  in  your  action,  and  on  behalf  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce and  the  citizens  of  St.  Paul,  I  thank  }ou  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart.  I  have  lived  in  this  city  nearly  twenty-eight  years  and  I  believe 
that  we  tonight  have  reached  a  point  in  our  career  far  beyond  anything 
we  have  touched  before,  and  that  we  have  brighter  prospects  today  than 
we  have  ever  enjoyed.  The  citizens  have  labored  to  bring  this  com- 
promise about.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  solicited  by  Mr. 
Lowry  to  try  to  have  the  council  adopt  views  which  would  give  him  a 
charter  under  which  he  could  raise  the  necessary  money  for  laying  these 
sixty-odd  miles  of  track,  which  he  is  to  put  down  within  the  next  two 
years.  But  I  wish  to  say  that  we  are  indebted  to  you,  the  Common 
Council,  for  fighting  at  every  point  for  the  rights  of  the  city,  while  at 
the  same  time  you  have  made  it  possible  for  Wt.  Lowry  to  construct  a 
street  car  system  whereby  the  city's  prosperity  will  be  greatly  en- 
hanced." 

It  was  certainly  a  red-letter  day  for  St.  Paul.  It  gave  to  St.  Paul 
an  exclusively  electric  system  long  in  advance  of  many  larger  cities — 
twenty  years  in  advance  of  New  York.  The  anniversary  of  the  day 
is  worthy  of  annual  celebration,  and  the  event  itself  is  worth v  of  com- 
memoration by  a  tablet,  inscribed  with  the  names  of  those  who  brought 
it  about.  Two  years  later,  when  the  system  had  been  installed,  the 
Pioneer  Press  coinmented:  "If  the  old  horse  cars  were  to  be  restored 
for  a  single  day  on  any  line  in  the  city,  the  people  would  find  the  change 
almost  intolerable.  VVe  have  now  all  the  advantages  of  real  rapid 
transit.  There  is  an  incident  of  the  new  regime  which  is  of  more  actual 
practical  imi)ortance  to  our  jieojjle,  perhaps,  than  all  others  put  to- 
gether. This  is  the  obligation  imposed  upon  the  company  by  its  new 
charter  to  furnish  passengers  with  transfer  checks,  for  a  continuous 
ride  in  one  direction  at  all  points  of  intersection  on  its  line.  Everybody 
knew  that  this  would  be  a  great  convenience.  But  how  great  the  con- 
venience and  economy  no  one  could  have  foreseen.  When  a  man  can  go 
from  Arlington  Hills  to  Merriam  Park  for  five  cents,  and  from  the  har- 
vester works  near  Lake  Phalen,  to  Lake  Harriet,  on  the  most  distant 
frontier  of  Minneapolis  territory,  for  ten  cents,  he  has  jiretty  nearlv 
achieved  the  maximum  of  comfort  and  economy  in  street  railway  travel. 
This  service  has  been  al)solutely  revolutionized  in  a  way  that  is  worth 
more  to  St.  Paul  than  ten  booms  in  real  estate." 

A  newspaper  writer,  notes  that  with  the  demolition  in  i<)ii  of  the 
old  Ramsey  street  car  barns,  which  also  at  one  time  housed  the  general 
offices  of  the  company,  the  last  connecting  link  which  liinds  St.  Paul 
with  the  past  in  the  matter  of  street  railway  transi)ortation  is  broken. 
.Xlthough  the  citv  has  long  since  established  for  itself  a  |)lace  among 
American   munici))alities,   it    does   not   seem   so   very   long   ago   that    St. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  365 

Paulites  who  attended  the  performances  in  the  opera  house  at  Fourth 
and  Wabasha  streets  stood  shivering  on  the  corner  while  the  old  horse 
cars  drew  up  and  took  them  aboard,  where  they  continued  to  shiver 
until  they  reached  their  homes.  The  city  had  not  attained  any  growth 
to  speak  of  beyond  the  limits  of  the  street  car  tracks,  which  ran  from 
Dale  and  Laurel  avenues  on  the  West  to  Burr  and  Lafayette  on  the  east. 
Nor  is  it  a  very  long  time  since  the  driver  of  the  mules  or  horses,  had 
to  be  both  motorman  and  conductor  on  the  little  bobtailed  car.  And  to 
add  to  the  troubles  of  the  driver  of  the  days  when  the  old  Ramsey 
barns  were  built,  along  in  1882  and  1884,  the  driver  had  more  than  once 
been  compelled  to  take  a  turn  of  the  reins  about  the  brake  handle  and 
chase  thieves  from  the  car  who  were  bent  upon  robbing  the  tin  box  on 
the  front  platform  in  which  the  change  collected  from  passengers  was 
held. 

It  is  gratefully  remembered  by  the  surviving  car-mule  drivers  of  the 
olden  time,  and  by  the  early  motormen  of  the  electric  line,  and  by  all 
who  have  a  memory  for  humanitarian  deeds,  that  Hon.  Jas.  A.  Tawney, 
state  senator  from  Winona,  was  the  originator  and  successful  advocate 
of  the  law  compelling  street  railway  companies  to  put  vestibules  on  their 
cars.  Before  that  time,  drivers  and  motormen  stood  exposed  to  the  sub- 
zero weather  and  few  thought  it  possible  to  give  them  protection. 

Twin  City  Rapid  Tr.xnsit  Company 

In  due  time  the  Twin  City  Rapid  Transit  Company,  owned  and 
managed  by  the  same  men  who  had  operated  the  electric  lines  of  both 
cities,  came  into  control  of  the  St.  Paul  Company,  and  all  the  roads  in 
St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  together  with  the  suburban  lines  leading  to 
other  towns,  were  practically  merged  into  one  system.  Successive  ex- 
tensions and  improvements  have  followed  until  the  present  splendid 
trunk  line  reaching  from  Stillwater  to  and  beyond  Excelsior,  with  its 
maze  of  branches  in  the  twin  cities,  has  been  achieved.  Immense  car 
shops  have  been  built  on  Snelling  avenue,  St.  Paul,  and  a  solid  building 
for  general  offices  has  been  erected  on  Wabasha  street.  This  is  in  ad- 
dition to  the  big  power  house,  the  great  terminals  at  Duluth  avenue, 
etc. 

The  company  operates  383  miles  of  track,  serving  a  populous  terri- 
tory of  786  square  miles,  and  it  enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  most  progressive  and  prosperous  electric  transportation  companies 
in  the  United  States.  Its  equipment  and  service  are  the  best  that  money 
and  skill  can  provide.  Every  known  device  for  the  comfort  and  safety 
of  passengers  is  employed.  The  tracks  are  unusually  heavy  and  the 
forty-six-foot  cars,  built  by  the  company  in  its  own  shops,  are  of  the 
most  approved  and  modern  construction. 

There  are  four  Interurban  lines  connecting  the  twin  cities.  Cars  on 
one  line  are  marked  "Minneapolis  &  St.  Paul :''  on  another  "Como-Har- 
riet,"  or  "Como-Hopkins,"  on  another  "Selby-Lake,"  and  on  the  fourth 
''Snellinsf-Minnehaha."  The  fare  from  city  to  city  is  ten  cents,  collected 
in  two  fares  of  five  cents  in  each  city,  entitling  the  pas^nger  to  transfer 
at  either  end  to  any  local  line  desired.  The  cars  run  from  five  to  fif- 
teen minutes  on  the  different  routes,  each  giving  ample  facilities  for 
through  travel,  as  well  as  excellent  service  for  the  intermediate  terri- 
tory, which  on  some  parts  of  all  the  routes  is  compactly  settled. 


366  ST.   PAUL  AND  X' I  CI  MTV 

Closer  Union  Between  the    Twin  Cities 

Altliougli  there  are  nmv  fcnir  lines,  Ijusiiiess  mcii  of  Si.  I'aul  and 
Minneapolis  are  considering  the  i)Ossil)ility  of  additional  service.  Tiie 
plaint  is  it  takes  too  long  to  get  from  one  city  to  the  other,  so  that  a 
tirni's  trade  is  restricted  unless  there  are  two  salesrooms.  If  residents 
of  either  city  could  trade  in  the  other  without  loss  of  time,  they  figure 
the  business  of  both  towns  would  be  accelerated. 

Responsible  contractors  of  St.  Paul  have  made  tentative  estimates 
of  the  cost  of  building  an  interurban  line  either  on  the  surface,  in  a 
ditch  or  a  tunnel.  These  ])lans  were  investigated  some  time  ago,  but  on 
account  of  the  proposition  to  construct  the  interurban  line  to  the  south 
they  were  jjermitted  to  rest.  The  tunnel  i)lan  was  dismissed  for  the 
present  because  its  cost  would  be  too  large  for  the  amount  of  through 
traffic  now  moving.  Surveys  have  been  made  to  (ind  the  most  direct 
route  from  one  city  to  the  other.  The  University  avenue  line  misses  be- 
ing an  air  line  by  three-tenths  of  a  mile. 

Local  capitalists  have  been  keeping  their  eyes  on  plans  to  bring  the 
two  cities  together  in  a  closer  commercial  way.  "Rapid  transit  is  bound 
to  come  some  day,"  said  one  official,  lie  ])ointed  out  the  ])ossil)ility  of 
running  the  University  cars  without  the  fre(|ucnt  stops  which  interrupt 
the  trij).  The  ])lan  of  an  elevated  structure  over  the  ])resent  tracks  has 
also  been  suggested  to  business  men.  .Another  plan  is  to  widen  Univer- 
sity avenue  so  it  would  accommodate  four  tracks.  Owners  of  large 
tracts  of  land  near  Snelling  and  Prior  avenues  have  already  given  their 
assent  to  this  propo.sal. 

Beautiful  Points  Re.vciied  iiv  the  Sv.stkm 

Lake  Minnetonka  is  20  miles  long  and  four  miles  wide,  with  a 
charmingly  irregular  shore  line  of  over  300  miles,  its  channels,  islands 
and  bays  are  continually  revealing  new  vistas,  and  its  shores  are  dotted 
with  handsome  summer  homes,  hotels  and  club  houses.  The  lake  is 
alive  with  yachts  and  motor  boats,  launches  and  steamboats,  all  arlding 
life  and  color  to  the  scene.  .Minnetonka  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
lakes  in  the  state.  It  is  reached,  from  St.  Paul.  b\'  electric  lines,  via 
Minneai)olis,  to  Excelsior  and  Deep  Haven. 

Points  of  interest  within  the  city,  to  which  the  St.  Paul  electric 
lines  directly  lead,  are  Conio  Park,  Phalen  Park,  Indian  .Mounds  Park. 
River  Boulevard,  etc.,  described  in  another  chapter ;  they  lead  also  to 
the  Town  and  Country  Club;  to  Fort  Snelling,  Minnehaha  and  the  Sol- 
diers' Home;  to  the  Fish  Hatchery;  to  the  Minnesota  Transfer;  to  the 
colleges,  manufacturing  establishments  and  beautiful  homes  located  in 
the  midway  district;  to  the  State  Fair  (Irounds  and  the  State  Agricul- 
tural schools.  The  service  is  ample,  as  a  rule,  for  all  demands,  and  al- 
though there  are  complaints  at  times  there  is  more  found  to  praise 
than  to  blame,  in  the  management. 

Selby  subway  is  worth  some  passing  mention.  It  enables  cars  to  pass 
from  the  lower  level  of  St.  Paul's  business  district.  100  feet  above  the 
river,  to  the  higher  lever  of  St.  Anthony  hill,  the  city's  best  residence 
district,  220  feet  above  the  river.  The  subway's  greatest  depth  is  50 
feet;  length,  1,500  feel;  grade,  7  iier  cent;  width  between  walls.  23 
feet;  height,  15  feel.  Leaving  the  car.  it  is  but  a  few  steps  to  .Summit 
avenue,  an<l  a  walk  .ilong  ibis  beautiful  avenue  may  be  enjoyed,     ,'^nni- 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


367 


niit  avenue's  location,  high  above  the  city  and  on  the  edge  of  towering 
bluffs  overlooking  the  river,  gives  it  a  natural  beauty  ah  its  own.  It  is 
esteemed  one  of  the  most  beautiful  residence  avenues  in  America.  From 
the  Lookout  at  Ramsey  street,  some  little  distance  out  Summit  avenue, 
there  is  a  great  panoramic  view  of  St.  Paul's  business  section,  as  well  as 
the  winding  river.  No  part  of  St.  Paul  presents  such  natural  rugged 
beauty. 

Suburban  lines,  under  the  same  control,  reach  to  South  St.  Paul  and 
Inver  Grove,  on  the  one  hand,  and  to  North  St.  Paul,  White  Bear  Lake 
and  Stillwater  on  the  other. 

The  electric  trip  from  St.  Paul  to  Wildwood  is  through  rural  scenes 
whose  beauty  is  the  deligiit  of  thousands  who  travel  this  highway.  There 
are  distant  views  of  the  Twin  Cities  as  the  train  rolls  over  the  panoramic 
coimtry.  Past  North  St.  Paul,  Silver  Lake  and  Long  Lake,  with  farms 
and  village  homes  and  ever-changing  pictures  on  all  sides,  the  line  sweeps 


E.VST  EXTR.VNCE  TO  .SELBY  .WENUE  TUNNEL 


into  Wildwood,  where  one  may  tind  comfort,  coolness,  and  kindred  de- 
lights. It  has  the  best  bathing  beach  in  the  northwest.  Wildwood  is  on 
the  south  shore  of  White  Bear  lake  and  is  one  of  the  loveliest  spots  in 
the  country,  combining  all  the  features  of  a  park,  lake  and  summer  re- 
sort, and  oft'ering  clean,  wholesome  entertainment.  As  a  place  of  pleas- 
ant recreation  Wildwood  is  unexcelled.  The  handsome  new  brick  Casino 
contains  a  dance-hall,  a  restaurant  and  a  Inroad  observation  porch  over- 
looking the  lake. 

Silver  lake,  at  North  St.  Paul,  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  about 
half  a  mile  in  diameter.  It  is  on  the  "dividing  ridge"  between  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  St.  Croix,  its  level  being  300  feet  higher  than  these 
rivers,  and  60  feet  higher  than  White  Bear  lake.  Its  shores  embrace  an 
attractive  park,  and  many  eligible  lake-front  sites  occupied  by  neat  sum- 
mer cottages. 

Long  lake,  between  Silver  lake  and  Wildwood.  is  one  of  a  chain  of 
four  fine  lakes  that  are  all,  as  vet,  substantiallv  in  a  state  of  nature. 


368  ST.   I'AUL  AXD  \ICIXITY 

From  Wildwood,  a  branch  electric  line  runs  around  the  southern  and 
western  shores  of  White  Bear  lake  to  the  village  of  White  Bear,  pass- 
ing en  route  through  several  villages  occupied  by  summer  residents. 
Another  l^ranch  line  runs  to  MalUoniedi. 

The  main  electric  line  runs  through  Wildwood  to  Stillwater.  The 
latter  is  a  busy  city  of  10,198  ixipulalion  on  Lake  St.  Croix,  which  is 
really  a  widening  of  the  St.  Croi.x  river.  It  lies  in  a  circle  of  gently 
sloi)iiig  hills  crowned  with  beautiful  residences  embowered  in  trees.  The 
high  bluffs  on  the  Wisconsin  shore,  half  a  mile  distant,  give  the  far- 
sweeping  hillside  an  aspect  peculiarly  grand.  In  Stillwater  is  the  Min- 
nesota State  Prison,  newly  constructed,  a  model  of  its  kind,  and  only  a 
short  distance  from  the  center  of  the  city. 

Benefici.xl  Interurd.^n  Lines 

Steady  progress  is  being  made  on  the  new  trolley  line  which  the  Hast- 
ings Construction  Company  is  building  between  Inver  (irove  and  Roches- 
ter. The  company  was  granted  a  franchise  by  Dakota  county,  and  the 
various  cities  and  towns  along  its  route  have  already  granted  passenger 
and  freight  franchises.  The  survey  as  now  completed,  follows  the  river 
quite  closely  from  Inver  Grove  to  Hastings,  then  running  nearly  south 
to  Cannon  I'"alls,  southeast  through  Goodhue  county  to  Line  Island  and 
then  ijarallelling  the  route  of  the  Chicago  Great  Western's  Rochester 
line  from  Pine  Island  to  that  city.  The  new  road  is  expected  to  bring 
into  closer  communication  with  the  South  St.  Paul  stockyards,  a  large 
stock  shipping  territory  which  is  now  compelled  to  ship  to  Chicago.  It 
will  also,  of  course,  give  cheap  and  rapid  passenger  transit,  whereby 
the  people  of  the  rich  and  populous  region  it  traverses,  may  reach  St. 
I'aul,  on  Inisiness  or  pleasure  trips. 

That  the  building  of  interuri)an  electric  lines  over  the  state  will  have 
a  large  inlluence  on  the  rapid  development  of  the  smaller  towns  is  the 
i)elief  not  only  of  the  promoters  but  of  the  residents  who  have  looked 
up  the  experience  of  towns  in  other  states.  At  present  there  are  under 
construction  or  being  promoted  in  Minnesota  300  miles  of  electric  ni- 
terurban  railway.  Most  of  these  lines  will  have  the  Twin  City  as  one 
of  the  terminals.  This  shows  that  many  persons  are  convinced  of  the 
practical  use  of  interurban  railways  as  means  of  developing  both  the 
cities  and  villages  of  the  state.  This  idea  is  borne  out  by  the  experience 
of  towns  in  Indiana,  where  the  interurban  railway  has  reached  a  high 
stage  of  develojiment.  On  this  subject  J.  H.  P.eek,  general  secretary 
of  the  Association  of  Commerce,  sent  letters  to  merchants  and  others 
in  the  small  towns  about  Indiana|)olis,  and  asked  them  what  effect  the 
interurban  railways  had  had  on  their  business.  Replies  show  that  th« 
peojjle  of  the  country  have  gone  to  the  cities  and  have  absorbed  ideas. 
Merchants  in  the  smaller  cities  also  have  made  the  trip  and  have  re- 
turned with  many  ideas  about  the  best  way  to  arrange  the  stock  ni  a 
store  to  be  attractive  to  customers.  The  result  has  been  that  trade  has 
increased  in  the  small  towns. 

Among  the  lines  in  Minnesota  which  arc  now  under  construction,  the 
Dan  Patch  line  from  Minneapolis  to  Rochester  and  the  south,  opening 
up  a  rich  farming  territory,  is  further  develojied  than  any  other.  The 
line  proposed  by  the  St.  Paul  Railway  Promotion  company  from  .St. 
Paul  to  Lake  City  also  will  pass  through  some  of  the  richest  portions  of 
the  state.     The  line   from   St.    Paul,  via    Inver  Grove  ;ind   Hastings,   is 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  369 

alluded  to  above.  There  is  part  of  a  road  already  built  from  Buffalo 
toward  the  Twin  City.  A  line  to  Anoka,  Elk  River  and  Princeton  also 
has  been  projected,  although  plans  have  not  been  announced  definitely. 
A  line  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state  will  run  from  Faribault  to  Wor- 
thington  and  possibly  to  Sioux  Falls.  This  line  is  being  promoted  by 
Chicago  capitalists  and  surveys  already  have  been  made. 

That  the  country  within  a  radius  of  one  hundred  miles  from  St. 
Paul  will,  at  no  distant  day,  be  well  supplied  with  electric  roads  may  be 
accepted  as  a  settled  fact.  That  these  improvements  will  greatly  en- 
hance the  prosperity  of  the  regions  penetrated,  as  well  as  add  to  the  com- 
merce and  prestige  of  the  city,  is  equally  certain. 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

THE  PARK  SYSTEM  OE  ST.  PAUL 

Rice,  Irvine  and  Smith  Parks — Como  Park  Purchased — Board  of 
Park  Commissioners  Created — System  Sustained  and  Extended 
— Riverside  Boulevard  and  Park — City  Public  Grounds  in  1891 
— Present  Park  System — Fort  Snelling  and  Minnehaha  Falls 
— Cemeteries — The  "Play  Ground"  Movement — Modern  City 
Beautiful 

The  park  and  boulevard  system  of  St.  Paul  has  been  laid  out  on  an 
elaborate  and  elegant  plan.  The  parks  with  the  boulevards,  all  under 
control  of  the  park  board,  are  to  form  a  complete  circle  about  the  city, 
giving  charming  views  from  the  many  hilltops.  St.  Paul  is  unsurpassed 
by  any  city  in  the  Union  for  park  sites,  commanding  extensive  views, 
which  combine  every  element  of  picturescjue  lieauty. 

Rice,  Irvine  and  Smith  Parks 

The  first  parks  in  the  city,  and  now  the  oldest  in  the  number  of 
years  elapsing  since  their  dedication,  were  the  squares  now  called  Rice 
and  Irvine  parks.  These  were  donated  to  the  city  July  2.  1849,  by 
Henry  M.  Rice  and  John  R.  Irvine,  the  proprietors  of  Rice  and  Irvine's 
additions,  and  were  named  after  the  donors  respectively.  The  plat  of 
these  additions,  as  recorded,  was  acknowledged  by  David  Lambert,  the 
attorney  for  Messrs.  Rice  and  Irvine,  and  designates  Rice  Park  as  a 
"public  sciuare."  Next  came  Smith  Park,  wliich  was  donated  to  the 
city  three  weeks  later  than  Rice  and  Irvine,  or  July  24.  1849.  Its  donors 
were  C.  S.  Whitney  and  Robert  .'^mith.  of  Illinois,  who  were  the  pro- 
prietors of  Whitney  and  ."Smith's  addition.  It  was  named  for  the  junior 
member  of  the  firm.  Hon.  Robert  Smith,  of  .\lton.  Illinois,  who  at  one 
time  was  a  member  of  congress.  At  the  time  of  its  donation,  and  dur- 
ing a  long  period  thereafter,  the  site  of  this  park  was  about  fifty  feet 
above  its  present  level.  The  large  boulders  now  distributed  upon  its 
surface  are  from  the  drift  composing  it  originally. 

For  many  years  little  or  no  attention  was  paid  to  the  ])arks.  There 
was  not  much  necessity  for  their  close  care  and  attention,  since  there 
were  numerous  vacant  tracts  within  the  city  limits,  and  the  surrounding 
country  was  practically  unjjroken.  By  reason  of  its  situation  Rice  ]iark 
was  the  most  important  and  the  best  known.  It  was  keju  in  tolerable 
order,  and  at  one  period  in  its  early  history  it  was  occupied  by  a  German 
florist,  who  was  allowed  to  cultivate  flowers  and  vegetables  upon  it  in 
return  for  his  care  over  it. 

The  first  trees  in  Rice  park,  many  of  which  are  yet  standing,  were 

370 


ST.   J'ALI.  AXL)  \  ICINITV 


;j71 


planted  in  1862,  and  were  furnished  by  Hon.  John  S.  Prince,  then  serv- 
ing his  second  term  as  mayor.  The  work  of  transplanting  and  setting 
out  was  done  by  chief  of  police  James  Gooding  and  the  members  of  the 
police  force  under  him,  by  direction  of  'Mayor  Prince. 

In  1867  the  city  council  created  a  committee  on  parks  which  there- 
after had  charge  of  the  squares  of  the  city,  and  renovated  and  improved 
them  from  time  to  time  as  the  circumstances  demanded  and  permitted. 
This  committee  long  controlled  the  original  ])arks,  viz:  Rice,  Irvine  and 
Smith,  and  others  acquired  prior  to  the  organization  of  the  commissions 
hereinafter  described.  Hon.  W.  A.  \'an  Slyke  was  placed  at  the  head 
of  the  original  committee,  and  was  continued  in  that  service  for  a  long 
period.  It  was  under  his  supervision,  and  mainly  owing  to  his  efforts 
that  the  parks  were  developed  and  made  what  they  now  are. 

In  the  winter  of  1872  the  authorities  began  a  movement  for  the  ac- 
quisition of  a  park  worthy  of  the  name.  The  movement  contemplated 
the   future   interests  of  the  citv  rather  than  its  existing  needs,  and  not 


EN'TK.\NXK    .\Nli    \\Alll.\l,    KOO.M,    COMO    PARK 

being  clearly  under.stood  or  its  pur])oses  fully  comprehended  met  with 
some  opposition.  Its  definite  object  was  the  purchase  and  improvement 
of  the  present  Como  park. 

CoMo  Park  Pukci[.\sf,i) 


By  an  act  of  the  legislature  approved  February  29,  1872,  the  judge 
of  the  district  court  was  required  to  appoint  five  commissioners  whose 
duty  it  was  to  contract  for  and  i^urcliase  not  less  than  five  nor  more 
than  650  acres  of  land  within  a  convenient  distance  of  the  city  of  St. 
Paul,  "but  beyond  the  present  limits  thereof,"  for  the  uses  and  pur- 
poses of  a  public  park.  The  council  was  empowered  to  issue  the  bonds 
of  the  city  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  $100,000,  and  running  thirty 
years,  for  the  purchase  of  the  tract  selected  l^y  the  commissioners.  The 
council  was  also  authorized  to  lay  ofif  the  ac(|uired  property  into  lots  and 
blocks,  to  be  known  and  designated  as  Grand  Park  lots,  "not  to  exceed 
200  acres   thereof,"   and   to   sell    the   same.     This   act   was   amended    in 


372  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

1873,  providing  that  the  said  park  might  be  located  within  the  "future 
limits"  of  the  city  and  allowing  the  council  to  condemn  or  a])propriate 
any  land  or  real  estate  "within  the  present  or  future  limits"  of  the  city 
for  the  uses  of  public  parks  and  grounds. 

Pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  the  act  the  district  judge.  Hon.  West- 
cott  Wilkin,  appointed  the  five  commissioners,  who  were  General  H.  H. 
Sibley,  J.  A.  VVheelock,  Samuel  Calhoun,  \V.  P.  Murray  and  J.  C.  Bur- 
bank.  After  some  months  of  inquiry  and  survey  the  present  magni- 
ficent Como  Park  was  purchased.  The  main  jiortion  of  the  tract  was 
bought  of  ex-Governor  W.  R.  Marshall,  but  thirty  acres,  running  down 
to  the  shore  of  Lake  Como,  and  connecting  the  jiark  therewith,  was  ob- 
tained from  W.  B.  Aldrich.  The  total  price  paid  for  the  park  was  in 
round  numbers  $100,000,  and  for  this  sum  the  city  council  duly  issued  the 
bonds.  A  number  of  leading  citizens  were  ardent  advocates  of  the  proj- 
ect from  the  first,  and  did  much  toward  carrying  it  out.  Mr.  Horace 
Thompson  was  an  active  promoter  of  the  enterprise,  and  one  of  its 
stanchest  champions  was  Colonel  Girard  Hewitt.  At  that  period  the 
sum  of  $100,000  was  a  large  one  for  the  city  to  pay,  and  many  people 
were  opposed  to  the  scheme.  But  its  promoters  prevailed  in  the  end, 
and  time  has  signally  vindicated  their  wisdom. 

Board  of  P.\rk  Commissioners  Created 

The  legislature  of  1887,  by  an  act  approved  February  25th,  created 
a  board  of  park  commissioners  in  and  for  the  city  of  St.  Paul.  This 
board  was  to  consist  of  seven  jiersons,  who,  except  the  members  of  the 
first  board  (designated  bv  the  act),  were  to  be  appointed  bv  the  mayor. 
W.  A.  Van  Slvke,  Green'leaf  Clark,  John  D.  Ludden,  Stanford  Newell, 
Rudolph  Schiffman,  William  M.  Campbell  and  Beriah  Magoffin  were 
constituted  the  first  board.  The  first  four  named  were  to  serve  one 
year,  and  the  others  two  years  from  March  i,  1887.  The  commission- 
ers were  to  receive  no  compensation  for  their  services,  but  their  actual 
and  necessary  expenses  incurred  in  the  performance  of  their  official 
duties  were  to  be  defrayed. 

It  having  been  held  by  Judge  Wilkin,  of  the  district  court,  that  the 
act  creating  the  board  of  public  works  conflicted  materially  with  the  act 
constituting  the  board  of  park  commissioners,  the  legislature  of  1889 
interfered  in  behalf  of  the  latter  body  and  reenacted  and  confirmed  the 
act  which  had  called  it  into  existence.  The  act  creating  the  commission 
was  also  amended  and  its  powers  and  duties  in  connection  with  those 
of  the  common  council  and  the  board  of  public  works  were  clearly  de- 
fined so  that  there  might  be  no  conflict  of  any  sort. 

System  Sustained  and  Extended 

The  same  legislature  passed  additional  acts  to  sustain  the  jiark  sys- 
tem of  the  city.  Among  these  enactments  was  one  authorizing  the  city 
of  St.  Paul  to  issue  bonds  for  the  improvement  and  maintenance  of 
public  parks;  to  provide  funds  to  acquire  a  certain  tract  for  park  pur- 
poses, and  for  the  improvement  and  maintenance  of  the  boulevard  on 
Summit  avenue.  .Another  act  authorized  the  city  to  issue  $25,000  in 
five  per  cent  thirty-year  bonds  for  the  improvement  of  I^ake  Como  and 
its  shores,  and  to  make  the  same  a  i)art  of  Como  Park,  .'\nother  au- 
thorized the  issue  of  bonds  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  Indian  mounds 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  373 

on  Dayton's  Bluff  for  a  public  park,  the  proceeds  of  these  bonds  to  be 
expended  under  the  direction  of  the  St.  Paul  Park  Commission. 

From  April  i8,  1887,  to  January  14,  1888,  the  board  held  weekly 
meetings,  at  which  many  petitions  and  communications  were  received 
from  citizens  and  associations  with  regard  to  the  location  of  parks.  The 
board  also  listened  to  a  large  number  of  gentlemen  on  the  same  sub- 
ject at  its  meetings.  The  board  or  committees  of  the  board  during  the 
year  visited  all  portions  of  the  city  available  for  park  purposes,  either 
of  their  own  motion  or  in  compliance  with  petitions  presented  by  citi- 
zens. 

The  board  during  the  year,  in  pursuance  of  the  powers  conferred 
upon  it,  designated,  had  surveyed  and  platted,  and  made  orders  direct- 
ing the  board  of  public  works  to  condenm  the  following  parcels  of  land 
for  public  parks. 

West  St.  Paul  Park,  bounded  by  Gorman  avenue,  Morton  street 
and  South  Robert  street ;  eleven  acres.  Order  transmitted  to  board  of 
public  works  July  30,  1887. 

Indian  Mounds  Park,  at  junction  of  Thorn  and  Hiawatha  streets; 
twentv  acres.  Order  transmitted  to  board  of  public  works  October  i, 
1887.' 

Carpenter  Park,  at  junction  of  Summit  avenue  and  Ramsey  street ; 
two  acres.     Order  transmitted  to  board  of  public  works  October  8,  1887. 

Hiawatha  Park,  on  [Mississippi  river,  near  Cleveland  avenue ;  forty- 
nine  acres.  Order  transmitted  to  board  of  public  works  October  8, 
1887. 

Riverside  Boulev.xrd  and  P.'Vrk 

In  an  address  at  the  state  capitol  May  10,  1887,  H.  W.  S.  Cleveland 
gave  this  prophetic  forecast  of  the  greatest  glories  of  our  Riverside 
boulevard  and  park:  "The  grand  topographical  feature  of  the  whole 
region  between  the  two  cities  is  the  river,  and  in  considering  the  ques- 
tion of  parks  it  will  be  found  not  only  that  its  shores  afford  the  best 
position  in  relation  to  the  two  cities,  but  their  character  is  such  as  to 
offer  advantages  which  can  very  rarely  be  secured  in  the  vicinity  of  a 
city.  For  that  very  reason  they  are  unfitted  for  other  use  and  if 
not  thus  improved  must  almost  of  necessity  become  a  constant  source 
of  expense  and  annoyance.  Thus,  instead  of  the  richest  ornament 
the  city  can  boast,  they  will  simply  constitute  a  hideous  blot  which  can- 
not be  kept  out  of  sight  and  must  forever  mar  the  beauty  of  the 
whole  extent  of  their  course.  The  wonderful  variety  of  picturesque 
natural  scenery  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  within  half  a  mile  of  its 
shores,  between  the  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  Railroad  bridge  and  the 
mouth  of  the  Minnesota,  can  only  be  appreciated  by  personal  examina- 
tion, which  must  be  made  on  foot,  and  no  one  need  attempt  it  who  is 
not  a  good  pedestrian.  The  river  banks  are  more  than  a  hundred  feet 
in  height  and  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  primeval  forest.  They 
are  very  steep,  often  precipitous  and  abounding  in  picturesque  features 
of  jutting  crags  clothed  with  wild  vines  and  shrubbery  from  which  one 
may  look  down  from  a  dizzy  height  into  the  tops  of  giant  trees  growing 
far  below.  Yet  here  and  there  they  afford  opportunity  for  the  con- 
struction of  winding  paths  down  their  sides,  and  occasionally  they  open 
out  into  bits  of  level  area  or  natural  terraces  commanding  pretty  vistas 
or  fine  views  up  or  down  the  river.  .At  intervals  they  are  intersected  by 
deep  ravines  or  gorges  at  the  bottom  of  which  a  stream  of  pure  water 


374  ST.   PAUL  AND  \  ICIXITV 

may  be  seen  and  heard,  brawling  over  rocks  or  tumljling  in  cascades  over 
jutting  ledges.  Xo  expenditure  of  money  or  exercise  of  engineering  skill 
could  create  such  scenes  as  nature  has  here  ])r<ivi<led  with  a  lavish  hand, 
and  in  close  proximity  may  be  found  extended  areas  of  gracefully  un- 
dulating surface,  on  which  broad  lawns  and  all  the  needed  accessories 
of  a  great  park  may  be  secured." 

During  the  year  1888,  in  pursuance  of  this  suggestion,  a  survey  was 
made  for  a  boulevard  along  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river,  from 
the  city  boundary,  near  the  Milwaukee  railway  bridge,  to  the  bridge 
across  the  river  at  Fort  Snelling.  Plans  submitted  by  the  surveyor 
showing  the  general  features  of  the  boulevard  were  approved  by  the 
board.  Meantime,  the  city  of  Minneapolis  had  acquired  the  Minnehalia 
Park  and  the  Soldiers'  Home  grounds,  donating  the  latter  to  the  state. 
Subse(iuently  Minneapolis  constructed  the  River  r)lurf  boulevard  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  which  completes  the  splendid  system. 

The  members  of  the  park  board  during  the  year  commencing  Marcii 
I,  1888,  were  William  M.  Campbell,  John  D.  Ludden,  Beriah  ]\Iagoffin, 
Stanford  Newell,  Rudolph  Schifl'man.  Iliram  F.  Stevens.  William  .A. 
Van  Slyke  and  Asahel  G.  Wedge.  The  officers  were:  President.  Wil- 
liam A.  Van  Slvke ;  vice  president,  Hiram  1-".  Stevens;  secretary.  Frank 
G.  Peters. 

On  June  15,  1888,  John  D.  Rstal:)rook  was  ai)pointed  superinlcndeni 
of  parks,  at  a  salary  of  $150  per  month.  On  .August  27th  following  11. 
W.  S.  Cleveland  was  employed  to  prepare  designs  and  plans  for  tlic 
improvement  of  the  parks  and  parkways  of  the  city,  and  to  supervise 
all  work  thereon  ordered  by  the  board. 

The  question  of  maintaining  Lake  Conio  was  considered  Jjy  the  com- 
mission during  the  year  1888,  and  in  October  the  supeiMntendcnt  made 
a  report  upon  the  advisability  of  attempting  the  jirojcct  by  means  of  an 
artesian  well.  It  was  resolved,  however,  that,  while  in  favor  of  in- 
creasing the  water  supply  of  the  lake,  no  steiis  should  be  taken  in  liiis 
regard  until  the  owners  of  abutting  property  shall  have  tirst  dedicated 
a  suitable  driveway  around  its  shores.  This  was  soon  afterward  ac- 
complished and  a  pumping  apparatus  was  installed,  which  kept  up  the 
water-level.  For  the  year  ending  in  February.  1889.  improvements  on 
l^arks  under  the  control  of  the  commission  were  confined  to  Como  ]Kirk. 
The  Citv  Workhouse  is  located  in  this  park,  and  during  the  year  an 
average  of  twenty-eight  of  the  male  inmates  per  day  were  enga.ged  at 
work  on  the  improvements  in  progress.  These  improvements  consisted 
of  grading,  leveling,  surfacing,  construction  of  roads  and  drives,  ])lant- 
ing  trees  and  shrubs,  etc.  The  amount  pn'nl  for  labor  during  the  year 
was  about  $10,500.  .Mraut  5.500  trees  and  shrubs  were  ])lanted.  The 
park  now  contained  a  nursery  for  the  reception  and  propagation  of  trees, 
vines  and  shrubs,  a  propagating  house  for  bedding  plants,  and  became 
a  most  attractive  place  of  resort. 

City   I'liti.u'  (Irounus  in   i8()i 

In  Decemlier  180T.  these  were  the  parks  and  public  s(|uares  of  the 
cit).  belonging  to  the  municipality  and  under  the  control  of  the  park 
commissioners,  with  the  area  in  acres: 

Central  section  of  the  city — Rice  Park.  1.62;  Irvine  Park,  .V58;  Park 
Place,  0.40;  Central   Park.  2.29;  .Smith   Park,  2.03;  La  Fayette  Square. 


ST.  PAUL  AND   VICINITY  375 

0.80 ;  Summit  Square,  0.75 ;  Carpenter  Park,  2.04 ;  Crocus  Place,  0.05 ; 
Oakland   Park,  1.83;  Ilolcombe  Park,  0.40. 

Northern  section  of  the  city — Como  Park  and  Lake,  281.55;  Van 
Slyke  Place,  Warrendale,  0.12;  Sunshine  Place,  0.12;  Le  Roy  Place, 
0.13;  Foundry  Park,  Como  Avenue,  0.95;  Lewis  Park,  0.85;  Stinson 
Park,  1.23;  Lyton  Park,  Park  Avenue,  0.33;  Stewart  Park,  1.36. 

Eastern  section — Lockwood  Park,  0.73;  Skidmore  Park,  0.39;  Clif- 
ton Park,  0.45. 

Southern  section — Alice  Park,  0.53 ;  West  St.  Paul  Park,  10.40. 

Western  section — Langford  Park  (St.  Anthony  Park),  8.66;  Alden 
Square,  0.36;  Hampden  Park,  2.75;  Clayton  Park,  (Midway  Heights), 
0.83;  May's  Park,  0.75;  Lake  Iris  (Union  Park),  Merriam  Park,  7.71; 
Fountain  Park.  0.50;  Dawson  Park,  1.81  ;  Walsh  Park,  0.83;  Haldeman 
Park,  1.48;  Hiawatha  Park,  49.00. 

During  the  past  twenty  years  successive  boards  of  park  commission- 
ers have  gone  steadih-  on  laying  out  boulevards,  as  well  as  securing  and 
improving  park  sites.  The  present  board  has  several  extensive  proj- 
ects well  in  hand,  which  when  carried  out  will  add  to  the  charms  of 
"the  city  beautiful."  In  all  these  plans,  St.  Paul  commands  the  ap- 
plause and  cooperation  of  the  people  of  the  entire  commonwealth.  The 
capital  is  always  and  everywhere  the  exponent  of  the  grandeur  and 
power  of  the  state,  and  every  enterprising  inhabitant  of  Minnesota  feels 
a  personal  interest  and  pride  in  securing  the  adornment  of  the  capital 
city,  as  a  fit  setting  to  the  magnificent  capitolean  edifice  in  which  all 
Minnesotans  have  an  inspiring  sense  of  ownership.  The  Anglo-Saxon 
regard  for  home,  for  law  and  for  freedom  finds  expression  in  the  seat 


"Our  fathers  died  for  England  at  the  outposts  of  the  world ; 
Our  mothers  toiled  for  England  where  the  settlers'  smoke  upcurled ; 

By  packet,  steam  and  rail, 

By  portage,  trek  and  trail. 
They  bore  a  thing  called  honor,  in  hearts  that  did  not  quail, 
Till  the  twelve  great  winds  of  heaven  saw  their  scarlet  sign  un- 
furled. 
In  the  North  they  are  far  forward,  in  the  South  they  have  begun, 
The  English  of  three  continents  who  take  their  rule  from  none. 

But  follow  on  the  gleam 

Of  an  ancient,  splendid  dream. 
That  has  manhood  for  its  fabric,  perfection  for  its  theme. 
With  freedom  for  its  morning  star,  and  knowledge  for  its  sun. 
And  slowly,  very  slowly,  the  gorgeous  dream  grows  bright, 
\\'here  rise  the  four  democracies  of  Anglo-Saxon  might; 
The  Republic,  fair,  alone ;  the  Commonwealth,  new-grown ; 
The  proud,  reserved  Dominion,  with  a  story  of  her  own ; 
.A.nd  One  that  shall  emerge  at  length  from  travail,  war  and  blight." 

The  members  of  the  .St.  Paul  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  in  191 1 
are :  R.  O.  Earl,  president ;  William  Hamm,  F.  M.  Bingham,  A.  T. 
Reasen  and  C.  R.  Smith :  superintendent  of  parks,  Fred  Nussbaumer. 
To  Mr.  Nussbaumer,  who  has  held  this  executive  position  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  universal  praise  is  given  for  our  wonderful  park  system. 


376  ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIX1TY 

Present  Park  SysteiM 

There  are  eighty  parks,  squares,  boulevards  and  play  grounds,  ag- 
gregating fifteen  hundred  acres.  The  two  principal  parks  are  Como 
and  Phalen,  the  former  with  425  acres  and  the  latter  with  465  acres. 
Indian  Mounds  Park  has  70  acres  and  Riverside  Boulevard  178  acres. 
The  total  expenditures  for  parks  up  to  January  i,  191 1,  was  $2,396,966.63. 

Como  Park  embraces  425  acres,  323  acres  of  parkway  and  102  acres 
of  park  lakes,  and  is  the  largest  park  in  the  northwest.  It  is  visited 
every  year  by  over  2,500,000  persons.  In  the  rural  loveliness  of 
its  natural  landscape,  with  its  hills  and  dales,  groves  and  meadows,  and 
its  charming  lake  nestling  in  the  encircling  tree-clad  hills,  it  has  few 
peers  among  the  parks  of  America.  Here  are  found  graceful  fountains, 
grassy  lawns  and  wonderful  flower  beds;  a  curiosity  in  the  shape  of  a 
lily  pond  and  a  Japanese  garden,  containing  dwarfed  trees  over  three 
hundred  years  old,  as  well  as  rare  Japanese  plants  and  shrubs.  A  large 
pavilion  affords  many  entertainment  features,  including  band  concerts. 
Como  lake  offers  delightful  boating.  There  are  miles  of  boulevard 
drives  around  the  lake's  winding  shores  and  through  the  park,  while  line 
paths  through  the  open  meadows  and  cool  woods  invite  walking. 

Phalen  Park,  comprising  465  acres,  is  one  of  St.  Paul's  newest  and 
most  attractive  parks.  It  is  distinctively  an  aquatic  park,  although  it 
might  also  be  called  a  forest  park,  for  the  primeval  woods  which  clothe 
its  western  border  form  one  of  its  most  characteristic  features  and  are 
inviting  for  picnic  parties.  Phalen  lake,  which  has  a  shore  line  of  3.23 
miles,  offers  a  fine  watercourse  for  boating.  It  is  being  connected  with 
a  chain  of  other  lakes. 

Occui)ying  135  acres  on  the  margin  and  slopes  of  the  lofty  bluff,  at 
the  apex  of  the  elbow  of  the  Mississippi  river,  Indian  Mounds  command 
far-reaching  prospects  of  the  hill-bound  valleys  of  the  Missi.ssippi  and 
Minnesota  rivers,  which  are  rarely  equaled  in  their  extent  and  magnifi- 
cence. It  is.  without  doubt.  "The  Pro.spect  Park  of  the  Northwest."  The 
edge  of  the  blufi'.  which  takes  in  this  wide  sweep  of  view  and  makes  it 
a  i>ortion  of  the  park  itself,  is  crowned  with  five  superb  cone-shaped  In- 
dian mounds,  the  graves  of  old  Indian  chieftains.  Roadways  and  walks 
lead  from  the  Indian  mounds  through  rugged  gulches  and  beautiful  vine- 
clad  ravines  to  the  State  Fish  Hatchery.  In  the  ponds  may  be  seen  all 
kinds  of  trout,  and  in  the  hatching  rooms,  spawn  and  fry  at  all  stages  of 
development.  One  of  the  buildings  contains  a  collection  of  Minnesota 
game  birds. 

The  work  of  man  on  Harriet  island,  opposite  the  heart  of  St.  Paul, 
has  so  imjiroved  on  that  of  nature  as  to  furnish  one  of  the  most  sui)erl) 
public  baths  in  the  country,  enjoyed  in  1910  by  200.000  bathers.  The 
island  is  a  park,  covered  by  shade  trees  and  always  tem])cred  by  the  cool 
breezes  of  the  river.  It  has  outdoor  gj'mnasiums  and  bathing  pools  for 
both  sexes ;  a  free  day  nursery  where  mothers  who  work  may  leave  their 
children ;  a  zoo,  and  refreshment  pavilions.  Upon  the  island  stands  a 
memorial  fountain  erected  in  honor  of  Dr.  Justus  Ohage,  through  whom 
this  splendid  project  was  realized. 

The  Riverside  Boulevard  Park  extends  along  the  river  banks  of  the 
western  city  limits,  and  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  bluffs  two  hundred 
feet  above  the  river,  winding  along  a  distance  of  several  miles.  It  is 
one  of  the  scenic  parks  of  the  world.  Only  the  boulevard  has  been  culti- 
vated up  to  the  present  time,  but  there  are  opportunities  to  improve  the 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  377 

landscape  on  the  sides  of  the  hills  and  along  the  water's  edge,  that  are 
not  excelled. 

All  these,  and  all  the  smaller  parks  and  squares,  under  control  of 
the  city  park  board,  are  easily  accessible  by  electric  lines,  making  them 
communal  property  of  all  the  people  for  the  purposes  of  rest  and  recre- 
ation. That  they  are  gratefully  appreciated  and  abundantly  patronized, 
is  demonstrated  both  by  common  observation  and  by  the  statistics  of 
street   railway  traffic. 

And  there  are  other  public  or  semi-public  tracts  within  or  immedi- 
ately adjacent  to  the  city  limits,  open  to  visitors  and  accessible  by  street 
cars,  that  may  be  classed,  for  all  practical  purposes,  as  features  of  the 
St.  Paul  Park  system.  Among  these  are  the  capitol  grounds ;  the  State 
Fair  grounds;  the  Agricultural  College  enclosures;  the  Fort  Snelling 
reservation :  Minnehaha  and  Longfellow  park  and  the  Soldiers'  Home 
tract.  Although  the  three  last  named  are  within  the  city  limits  of  Min- 
neapolis, they  are  only  a  few  rods  from  our  boundaries,  and  are  reached 
without  change  of  cars  by  the   Snelling-Miniiehaha  electric   line. 

Fort  Snelling  and  Mixnehaha  Falls 

Grim  old  Fort  Snelling  exhibits  our  cherished  antiquity,  the  round 
stone  tower  being  built  in  1820,  when  the  white  and  the  red  man  were 
struggling  for  supremacy.  It  is  grandly  situated  on  the  commanding, 
high,  rocky  cliffs  at  the  junction  of  the  Mississippi  and  Minnesota  riv- 
ers, in  the  Government  Reservation  of  over  2,300  acres.  The  views  of 
the  Mississippi,  Pike  Island,  the  historic  village  of  Mendota  ("The 
Mingling  of  the  Waters"),  the  oldest  settlement  in  Minnesota,  and  the 
surrounding  country,  obtainable  from  the  new  bridge  over  which  the 
"Snelling-Minnehaha"  line  crosses  the  river,  are  incomparable.  The 
round  tower  is  the  most  precious  building  in  the  northwest.  There  is 
nothing  of  similar  rareness,  in  a  similar  state  of  preservation,  in  all  the 
Northwest.  For  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  where  old  Fort  Crawford  stood  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin,  between  old  Fort  Dearborn  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Chicago  river  and  Fort  Snelling  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Peters, 
there  is  nothing  left  but  scant  remnants  of  foundations.  Nothing  of 
the  dignity  and  perfection  of  this  round  tower.  It  is  the  sole  sentinel, 
the  only  relic  of  the  old  northwest  which  back  in  1819  stretched  vaguely 
to  the  Rockies  and  the  Pacific. 

Minnehaha  Falls,  which  were  immortalized  by  the  poet  Longfellow, 
are  unrivaled  for  picturesque  beauty.  No  cascade  has  ever  been  so  cel- 
ebrated in  song  and  story  and  none  claims  a  surer  charm  for  the  visitor. 
The  falls  are  about  forty  feet  high  and  the  whole  region  about  them  has 
been  made  accessible  by  rustic  paths  and  bridges.  The  falls  are  main- 
tained in  their  pristine  beauty  in  the  heart  of  the  largest  and  most  beau- 
tiful park  in  Alinneapolis,  of  124  acres  of  hill  and  dale.  Below  the 
pretty  falls  which  "laugh  and  leap  into  the  valley"  the  creek  flows 
through  a  deep  glen  for  half  a  mile  to  the  Mississippi.  On  the  high 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  adjoining  the  gorge  of  Minnehaha  creek,  will 
be  seen  the  imposing  buildings  and  splendid  grounds  of  the  Minnesota 
Soldiers'  Home.     The  views  from  the  parapets  are  enchanting. 

Cemeteries 

It  may,  also,  in  a  sense  be  allowable  to  include  the  beautiful  ceme- 
teries of  St.  Paul  in  any  mention  of  its  parks  and  public  grounds.     The 


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ST.  PAi;r.  A\n  \  l(■|\"lT^■ 


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ST.  PAUl.  AXD  \1CINITY  379 

old  conception  of  a  burial  ground  as  a  place  of  gloom,  a  charnel  house, 
a  Golgotha,  has  been  superseded  by  one  more  in  consonance  with  our 
hope  of  a  blessed  immortality,  and  the  homes  of  our  precious  dead  are 
given  as  attractive  surroundings  as  are  the  homes  of  the  living.  The 
following  are  the  cemeteries : 

Calvary  (Catholic):  Front  street,  near  Como  avenue;  office,  St. 
Peter  street,  entrance  to  Cathedral.  A  large  and  beautiful  tract,  on  the 
Como  electric   line,  embellished  with  many  fine  monuments. 

Forest  Cemetery  Association,  near  city  limits. 

German  Lutheran:   Dale,  northeast  corner  Nebraska  avenue. 

Mount  Zion:  Mount  Zion  Hebrew  Congregation;  Payne  avenue, 
northeast  corner  Larpenteur  aveiuie. 

Norwegian  Lutheran :  West  side  Rice  street,  one  mile  north  of  city 
limits. 

Oakland  Cemetery  Association :  Incorporated  June  27,  1853 ;  Cem- 
etery head  of  Jackson  street.  Comprises  one  hundred  acres. 

Roselawn  Cemetery :  Larpenteur  avenue  opposite  Ouincy  street. 
This  location  is  just  north  of  Como  Park,  on  an  eminence  that  overlooks 
not  only  the  park,  but  the  city.  It  promises  to  be  a  fit  companion  to 
the  park  as  a  beauty  spot. 

Russian  Hebrew :  East  side  Duncan,  one  mile  north  of  Maryhunl. 

Sons  of  Jacob :  South  side  White  Bear  road,  one  mile  east  of  L'ayne 
avenue. 

Union  Cemetery  Association :  Between  Seventh  and  Minnehaha,  one- 
half  mile  east  of  limits.     Office,  329  East  Seventh. 

West  St.  Paul  German  Lutheran:  Annapolis,  northeast  corner 
llrown  avenue. 

Oakland  Cemetery  has  been  for  nearly  sixty  years  subject  to  the 
solicitous  care  of  leading  citizens  who  have,  in  succession,  administered 
the  affairs  of  the  Association,  and  it  has  served  as  a  model  for  the  oth- 
ers. The  association  consists  of  lot  owners  only.  The  trustees  control  the 
business  and  are  elected  by  the  lot-owners.  Each  lot-owner  has  one  vote 
and  no  more.  No  speculation  in  lots  is  allowed,  and  any  transfer  is 
subject  to  the  approval  of  the  board.  No  salaries  are  paid  except  to  the 
actuary  and  the  treasurer.  There  are  no  dividends.  All  profits  are 
used  for  improvement  of  the  grounds.  The  trustees  cannot  alienate 
property.  They  serve  entirely  without  pay.  Accounts  and  vouchers 
are  examined  monthly.  The  strictest  economy  is  used,  and  all  transac- 
tions are  recorded — burials,  lot-sales,  improvements,  etc.  The  entire 
system  is  one  that  meets  all  objections  on  sanitary  grounds.  The  prop- 
erty is  exempt  from  taxation,  and  the  ownership  of  any  lot  is  not  sub- 
ject to  suit  or  judgment.  The  system  of  "perpetual  care"  guarantees 
the  care  of  lots  and  graves  for  all  time.  The  natural  beauties  of  a 
wooded  site  have  been  enhanced  by  skillful  landscape  gardening,  as  well 
as  by  the  lavish  use  of  flowering  shrubs  and  plants,  provided  by  the  lot 
owners,  mostly  from  the  extensive  greenhouses  within  the  grounds. 
There  is  a  neat  mortuary  chapel,  with  vaults ;  also  a  residence  for  the 
superintendent  near  the  ornamented  entrance.  The  purchase  price  of  a 
lot  covers  perpetual  care  of  the  same — the  entire  amount  being  care- 
fully invested  in  the  permanent  fund.  The  income  from  this  fund  is 
used  for  maintenance  and  is  ample  for  the  purpose.  There  are  many 
fine  monuments. 


380  ST.  PAUL  AXD  VICINITY 

The  "Play  Ground"   Movement 

The  "play  ground"  movement  is  well  under  way  in  St.  Paul  and 
promises  good  results.  There  are  a  dozen  recreation  fields  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  park  board,  with  equipments  valued  at  $10,000,  and 
a  large  tract  beyond  Lexington  avenue,  adjacent  to  the  new  Central 
High  School  will  add  materially  to  the  system  of  public  play  grounds. 
The  value  of  this  new  departure  in  civics  is  beginning  to  make  itself 
seen.  The  most  significant  statement  made  at  a  great  National  Play 
Convention  held  in  Pittsburgh,  was  as  follows;  "When  the  family 
splits  up  for  its  recreation  there  is  danger.  When  young  ])eople  take 
their  places  apart  by  themselves,  without  a  wholesome  inllucncc  of  fam- 
ily life,  there  is  danger.  Only  when  the  family  stays  together  do  we 
have  wholesome  conditions.  Our  social  traditions  are  the  most  precious 
elements  of  civilization  and  of  cultivated  life.  These  great  traditions 
are  not  carried  by  the  individual,  but  by  the  group." 

London  has  a  recreation  committee  which  publishes  and  makes  avail- 
able full  accounts  of  all  the  recreation  privileges  of  that  city.  The  New 
York  City  Recreation  Committee  has  issued  a  pamphlet  describing  and 
directing  people  to  the  public  recreation  facilities  of  the  great  metropo- 
lis. When  Chicago  builds  the  proposed  social  center  on  the  lake  front 
in  Grant  Park,  another  monument  will  have  been  erected  to  this  social 
instinct  which  lies  just  back  of  the  entire  series  of  manifestations  which 
children  and  adults  reveal  in  their  recreations,  seeking  companionship; 
testing  and  measuring  themselves  against  each  other;  enjoying,  imitat- 
ing and  emulating;  in  other  words,  ripening  socially. 

St.  Paul  led  the  procession  of  western  cities  in  general  park  devel- 
opment, but  has  had  good  following.  Ten  years  ago  the  city  of  Cleve- 
land began  the  work  of  transforming  a  hideous  lake  front  and  business 
center — a  district  composed  of  dumping  grounds,  tumble  down  brick 
shacks,  and  ante-bellum  public  buildings  that  were  an  eyesore — into  a 
civic  center  which  in  its  spirit,  in  the  architecture  of  its  buildings,  and 
its  permanence,  should  be  an  inspiration  for  the  whole  great  metropolis 
that  is  destined  to  grow  up  around  it. 

At  the  same  time  Kansas  City  began  the  task  of  making  over  a  natu- 
rally ugly  city  of  bumpy  hills  into  a  jjlace  of  beauty  by  creating  a  sys- 
tem of  parks,  parkways,  and  boulevards  that  places  it  well  at  the  liea<i 
of  municipalities  of  its  class  as  a  park  city. 

At  the  same  time,  or  approximately  so.  Chicago  began  the  active 
work  of  supplementing  its  park  system  with  a  series  of  city  squares 
ef|uipped  as  playgrounds  for  children. 

Modern   City  Be.m'tiful 

Since  then,  in  a  brief,  busy  decade,  the  park  area  in  our  cities  has 
increased  more  than  500  per  cent. ;  play-grounds  have  increased  from 
half  a  dozen  to  more  than  two  thousand;  the  architecture  of  public 
buildings  has  undergone  a  revolution ;  civic  centers,  grouping  of  build- 
ings, and  town  ])lans  have  become  a  part  of  every  city  life,  and  the  epoch 
of  tlie  physical  regeneration  of  .American  cities  may  he  said  to  have  got- 
ten fairly  under  way. 

Chicago,  since  its  colossal  blunder  of  letting  a  railroad  spoil  what 
■ilioiiM  li;ivi'  liccn  rine  of  the  finest  cit\    frnni--  in  llic  world,  lias  learned 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  381 

its  lesson  and  is  making  amends  for  the  past.  The  lake  front  is  not  re- 
claimed, but  it  is  saved  for  the  people.  Only  Chicago,  dirty  and  care- 
less, but  doggedly  persevering  when  it  begins  to  dream,  would  have 
conceived  and  executed  the  idea  of  building  out  in  the  lake  a  new  lake 
front  after  the  natural  one  had  been  thrown  away.  And  it  is  charac- 
teristic of  the  city  that  much  of  the  dirt  that  helped  make  this  new 
recreation  ground  for  the  people  should  come  from  a  subway  tunnel, 
built  in  accordance  with  a  franchise  that  cheats  the  people  of  much 
rightful  revenue.  Yet  when  this  park  is  completed,  as  it  will  be  soon, 
Chicago  will  be  the  first  city  to  take  proper  advantage  of  the  obvious 
values  of  its  water  front.  Imagine  New  York's  Battery  Park  multiplied 
some  hundreds  of  times  and  we  have  an  idea  of  what  the  new  lake 
front — Grant  Park  by  name — will  mean  to  Chicago. 

Along  with  this  urgent  movement  for  parks  has  come  the  more  ideal- 
istic desire  for  improvement  in  public  architecture  and  in  city  plans. 
With  a  few  exceptions,  such  as  Washington,  Indianapolis,  Philadel- 
phia, Buffalo  and  Detroit,  our  cities  have  not  been  planned.  Like  Topsy 
they  have  "jus'  growed."  Philadelphia  was  laid  out  on  a  careful  plan 
because  William  Penn  had  his  own  ideas  about  city  making.  Washing- 
ton got  the  benefit  of  Major  L'Enfant's  engineering  ability  because  the 
Frenchman  had  served  with  President  Washington  in  the  army.  In- 
dianapolis was  planned  for  a  capital.  Buffalo  was  deliberately  laid  out 
as  a  large  city  by  a  Holland  land  company,  and  Engineer  Joseph  Elli- 
cott  came  from  Washington  to  draw  the  plans.  Detroit  was  burned  in 
1805  and,  before  rebuilding,  the  city  was  laid  out  on  a  definite  plan — 
the  "judges'  and  governor's  plan" — and  the  city,  in  spite  of  its  recent 
phenomenal  growth,  has  had  no  desire  to  change  to  this  day.  Four  of 
these  cities,  Washington,  Buffalo,  Indianapolis  and  Detroit,  have  incor- 
porated the  first  principle  of  all  city  planning,  establishing  a  definite 
civic  center  from  which  the  whole  city  radiates.  Upon  this  scheme  a 
few  new  ideas  have  been  imposed,  but  the  central  idea  remains  supreme 
as  it  was  a  hundred  years  ago. 

The  St.  Paul  City  Club,  a  new  but  very  strong  organization  of  pub- 
lic spirited  men  and  women,  has  taken  up  the  agitation  for  civic  better- 
ment with  zeal  and  enthusiasm.  Concentrating  and  stimulating  all  the 
agencies  working  toward  that  end,  cooperating  with  everybody  who 
desires  to  do  something  in  that  direction,  this  asociation  seems  to  come 
in  at  the  right  time  to  accomplish  a  lasting  beneficence. 

A  Scheme  for  Linked  Lakes 

Accepting  the  inevitable  conclusion  that  the  entire  present  area  of 
Ramsey  County  will  ultimately,  and  at  no  distant  day  be  incorporated 
within  the  city  limits  of  St.  Paul,  a  wide  vista  of  park  extension,  to  in- 
clude and  connect  the  many  fine  lakes  within  that  area,  is  opened  before 
us.  We  have  been  so  content  with  the  large  scheme  of  river  boule- 
vards that  we  have  well  nigh  lost  sight  of  the  possibilities  of  an  inter- 
lachen  system  of  parkways.  The  Father  of  Waters  curves  through  the 
city  in  a  sweep  like  the  letter  "S,"  and  the  topography  is  so  determined 
bv  this  double  curve  that  the  parkways  planned  have  naturally  been 
drawn  with  reference  to  this  geography.  As  a  consequence  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  lakes  to  the  north  of  the  citv  have  not  been  fully  con- 
sidered until  the  present  moment.  The  leading  lake  for  half  a  century 
has  been  Como  and  the  oldest  inhabitants  can  recall   when   Como  as  a 


382  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

summer  resort  held  a  place  similar  to  White  Bear  today.  Within  llie 
past  few  years  Phalen  has  come  into  much  notice,  with  its  superior 
banks  and  its  beautiful  woodlands.  Como  and  Phalen  are  too  far  apart 
to  be  regarded  as  sister  lakes,  although  one  of  the  tinest  boulevards  in 
the  city  commanding  wonderful  views  will  bind  these  two  together  by 
land,  and  the  lakes  themselves  will  simply  be  jewelled  pendants  of  a  city- 
encircling  parkway.  But  in  the  new  scheme  there  are  a  dozen  large 
lakes  which  could  be  connected  by  both  canals  and  driveways  and  make 
one  of  the  most  interesting  city  lake  regions  in  the  country. 

The  plan  to  iniite  Phalen,  Gervais,  Kohlmanii,  .Spoon  and  X'adnais 
by  canals  for  water  craft,  and  by  parkways  for  vehicular  travel,  may 
seem  rather  large  and  remote  today.  But  to  the  citizens  of  forty  years 
ago,  Como  was  a  remote  region,  and  few  suspected  that  the  city  would 
push  its  residence  districts  out  that  way.  The  Phalen  region  belongs  to 
the  future,  but  there  are  such  attractions  thereabout  that  the  turning  tide 
of  residence  making  is  certain  to  set  more  and  more  strongly  in  that 
direction.  While  the  Riverside  region  will  long  command  a  place,  the 
lake  district  will  enable  peoj^le  to  i)ossess  larger  tracts  of  land,  and  to 
live  more  the  "Garden  City"  life  which  will  be  the  approved  method  of 
the  future.  Thus  the  whole  of  Kanisey  county  will  be  gathered  in  as  a 
St.  Paul  suburb,  and  all  her  beauliftil  lakes,  bordered  by  parkways,  con- 
nected by  boulevards  and  canals,  will  become  an  integral  ■  part  of  the 
greater  city's  magnificent  park  .system. 


CHAPTER  XXXYl 

STREETS,   AVENUES    AND   HOMES 

Truthful  Rhapsody — "Father  Randall" — Advantages  of  Good 
Streets — Correcting  old  Errors — Organized  Official  Work — 
Steady  Increase  of  Real  Estate  Values — Illustration  of  "En- 
lightened City  Planning" — "The  City  Better" — Beautiful 
and  Comfortable  Homes 

Unlike  most  trade  centers,  the  situation  of  St.  Paul  is  one  of  great 
natural  beauty,  offering  many  attractions  to  the  tourist.  The  approach 
by  the  winding  river  which  sweeps  past  the  white  sandstone  bluffs,  from 
which  its  Indian  name  of  Im-mi-ja-ska  is  derived,  is  one  affording  grat- 
ification to  all  lovers  of  scenery.  Within  easy  distance  are  a  number  of 
beautiful  lakes,  chief  of  which  are  Lakes  Como,  Elmo,  Phalen  and 
White  Bear,  while  the  walks  to  the  heights  afford  views  of  extreme 
loveliness. 

Truthful  Rhapsody 

When  in  1896  the  National  Encampment  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic  met  in  this  city,  a  patriotic  lady  resident  here,  Mrs.  S.  L. 
Howell,  wrote  for  the  souvenir  volume  a  stirring  poem  of  welcome, 
these  being  the  first  and  last  stanzas : 

"On  the  heights  beside  the  river. 
By  the  great  majestic  river. 
In  her  beauty  calm  and  queenly. 
Waits  our  beautiful  St.  Paul. 
Waits  with    smiles    of    summer    sunshine ; 
Waits    with    outstretched   hands   of    greeting ; 
Waits  to  echo  royal  welcomes 
From  the  cottage  and  the  hall. 

".Shout  the  people:  'Welcome!  Welcome! 
Ring  the  bells   from  every  steeple ; 
Greet  the  brave  with  waving  banners : 
Beat  of  drum  and  bugle  call ! 
Welcome  those  whose  grand  endeavors 
Purchased    Freedom ;  ke])t   the   Union : 
Saved  the  flag,  whose  starry  splendor 
Is  the  glory  of  St.  Paul.'  " 

There  is  truth  as  well  as  rhapsody  in  these  glowing  words  of  de- 
scription;  there  was  heart  as  well  as  intellect,  in  the  exultant  greeting. 

383 


384  ST.  PAUL  AN'.D  VICINITY 

St.  Paul  has  long  been  known  as  a  Citj'  of  Wealth,  as  the  home  of 
millionaires  and  noted  for  the  general  pros'Perity  of  its  citizens.  It  is 
growing  and  its  reputation  is  attracting  men  of  wealth  and  culture  who 
are  daily  locating  in  St.  I'aul  on  account  of  its  educational  facilities,  its 
invigorating  and  healthful  climate,  the  beauty  of  its  dwelling  districts, 
the  opportunities  for  investment  and  profit,  the  i^ulture  of  its  society 
and  the  many  means  offered  for  recreation  and  ainusement.  .All  this 
great  wealth  being  added  to  the  community  increases  its  advantages  as 
a  manufacturing  and  wholesale  center  and  enlarges  iti>,  influence.  The 
Comn^ercial  Club  suggests  for  a  slogan,  in  1912:  "See  5t-  Paul  First." 
To  the  resident  this  means  "Know  your  own  city."  To'  the  inquiring 
visitor  it  says:  "If  you  see  St.  Paul  first  you  need  look  no  further." 

The  elevation  of  the  city  above  the  sea  level  is  695  feet  at  the  river 
dock,  875  feet  at  the  state  capitol  and  1,0  lO  feet  at  the  hi^rhest  point. 
There  are  16  miles  of  river  front.  The  exact  area  of  St.  PaJil  is  54-44 
miles,  being  10  miles  east  to  west  and  5.44  miles  from  north  to  south. 
There  are  1,290  streets,  51,900  buildings  of  all  descriptions  arid  46,720 
families. 

.■\t  present  the  chief  energies  of  the  citizens  are  turned  to  more  utili- 
tarian ends;  to  the  erection  of  the  huge  business  blocks;  the  constrnetion 
and  paving  of  city  streets;  the  opening  of  sewers,  and  other  obje'ets  of 
more  direct  practical  value  made  prcssingly  necessary  by  the  growth  of 
the  city.  But  when  this  pressure  shall  be  partly  lifted,  the  increa.se  of 
population  and  wealth  will  result  in  improvements  for  merely  est'ietic 
purposes,  and  St.  Paul  will  then  become  one  of  the  most  beautiful  resi- 
dence cities  in  the  world.  The  natural  advantages  she  offers  w'ill  be 
utilized  to  their  highest,  and  the  enjoyment  that  comes  from  the  ciJn- 
temj)lation  of  the  beautiful,  having  a  retlex  influence  upon  the  minds 
of  the  ])eople,  will  manifest  itself  in  many  ways  to  the  advantage  of  the 
community  at  large.  .Architecturally  considered,  the  city  already  pre- 
sents a  good  appearance,  and  when  the  numerous  immense  buildings 
now  in  course  of  construction  in  the  district  devoted  principally  to 
wholesale  trade  are  completed,  few  places  of  like  size  can  boast  of  finer 
structures  than  St.  Paul.  In  many  portions  of  the  city  the  era  of  w'ood 
has  closed,  and  the  age  of  brick  and  stone  has  taken  its  place. 

"Father   Rand.\ll" 

It  is  well  to  remember  with  gratitude  the  men  among  the  first  set- 
tlers, who  turned  public  attention  in  the  right  direction.  The  French 
Canadians  who  made  the  original  claims  on  the  town  site,  had  little  idea 
of  streets  and  no  conception  wiiatevcr  of  the  future  growth  of  the  city. 
William  H.  Randall,  born  in  Massachusetts  May  8,  1806,  gave  the  first 
impetus  to  street  building.  He  came  here  in  1846  and  seemed  to  have, 
from  the  first,  a  firm  faith  in  tiie  future  greatness  and  prosperity  of  the 
place.  He  soon  after,  with  his  brother  and  A.  L.  Larjienteur,  suc- 
ceeded to  Mr.  Hartshorn's  inisiness,  and  became  owner  of  a  large  amount 
of  valuable  property  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  He  was  one  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  town  of  St.  Paul  when  it  was  laid  out  in  1847.  This 
property  became  immensely  valuable,  and  just  prior  to  the  crash  of 
1857  "Father  Randall,"  as  he  was  called,  was  considered  a  millionaire. 
In  the  early  days  of  St.  Paul,  he  was  one  of  its  more  prominent  and 
puiilic-s|)irited  citizens.  In  1848,  he  built  the  stone  warehouse  at  tlie 
foot  of  Jackson  street.     It  was  a  great  building  for  thai  day.     He  also 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  385 

graded  the  levee,  improved  streets  at  his  own  expense  and  always  sub- 
scribed hberally  to  every  pubHc  enterprise.  His  son,  John  II.  Randall, 
long  a  prominent  citizen,  now  lives  in  retirement  on  Summit  avenue. 

Advantages  of  Good  Streets 

When  a  comparison  is  made  between  the  good  streets  of  foreign 
cities  and  the  poor  ones  in  this  country,  Berlin  is  usually  cited  as  an  ex- 
ample of  excellence  abroad.  Those  who  try  to  apologize  for  the  condi- 
tion of  the  streets  in  American  cities  usually  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  Berlin  is  a  very  old  city  and  has  been  at  the  task  of  street-making 
for  ages.  J.  Ogden  Armour,  of  Chicago,  who  recently  returned  from 
a  tour  of  Europe,  points  out  that  practically  all  of  the  improvements  in 
Berlin  have  been  made  in  the  last  forty  years  and  that  the  new  Berlin 
is  no  older  than  St.  Paul,  Chicago  and  other  American  cities  that  are 
still  struggling  with  the  street  problem. 

Air.  Armour  attributes  the  unprecedented  prosperity  of  Germany 
largely  to  the  fact  that  the  cities  have  fine  streets  and  the  country  dis- 
tricts admirable  roads.  He  contends  that  forces  move  along  the  lines 
of  least  resistance  and  that  the  city  with  the  best  streets  attracts  the 
most  people  because  there  the  most  business  can  be  done  with  the  great- 
est profit.  The  country  districts  where  good  roads  prevail  are  always 
prosperous,  while  millions  of  farmers  are  paying  a  heavy  financial  pen- 
alty each  year  because  they  have  to  haul  their  produce  over  bad  roads. 

St.  Paul  has  not  yet  attained  the  Berlin  standard  of  excellence,  but 
compared  with  other  American  cities  our  street  department  is  efficiently 
managed  and  supervised.  No  city  in  the  Union  has  more  substantial 
or  more  attractive  thoroughfares.  The  most  valuable  of  modern  in- 
ventions have  been  employed  in  making  them  and  many  of  them  are 
models  of  taste,  beauty  and  engineering  skill.  Hundreds  of  laborers  are 
constantly  employed  in  their  construction  and  care.  The  laws  provid- 
ing for  sprinkling  streets  and  cleaning  sidewalks,  to  be  paid  for  by  front- 
age assessments,  have  been  declared  valid  by  the  supreme  court,  and 
any  attempt  at  their  obstruction  must  be  futile.  The  greater  part  of  the 
time  and  attention  of  the  authorities  is  taken  up  in  opening,  grading  and 
improving  the  streets,  and  the  work  is  intended  to  be  of  a  perman- 
ent and  durable  character.  Street  grading  and  paving,  and  most  of  the 
sewerage,  are  paid  for  by  assessments  on  the  abutting  property. 

As  stated  in  the  chapter  relating  to  changes  in  the  city's  topography, 
the  transformations  wrought  by  immense  cuts  and  fills,  and  by  bridg- 
ing deep  chasms,  have  been  innumerable.  The  labor  of  making  the  site 
for  St.  Paul  has  only  been  secondary  to  that  of  making  the  city  itself. 
The  report  of  the  board  of  public  works  for  1892  tells  of  some  achieve- 
ments: "One  of  the  most  important  improvements  of  the  year  was  the 
erection  of  the  Sixth  street  bridge,  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long, 
stretching  across  the  railroad  yards  in  the  Trout  brook  and  Phalen  creek 
valley,  and  rising  from  the  outer  edge  of  the  business  center  to  the  brow 
of  the  sightly  bluff  opposite.  From  the  west  end  of  the  bridge  to 
Rosabel  street  further  work  is  in  progress,  which  is  to  make  Sixth  street 
the  available  thoroughfare  which  its  position  demands.  By  a  change  of 
grade  the  hill  between  Broadway  and  John  street  has  been  eliminated : 
and  the  awkward  "jog"  at  Broadway  has  been  modified  by  the  widening 
of  one  block  west.  The  hill  at  the  west  end  of  the  street  also  has  been 
paved  with  pine  blocks,  and  early   in  the  coming  season  a  continuous 


386 


ST.   PALI-  AXU   \  IClXilA' 


block  pavenicni  will  extend  from  Sumniit  avenue  lo  Davtoii's  IMuff. 
The  great  cut  through  Jackson  street  hill  by  way  of  l-'airview  street  con- 
templated for  several  years,  has  at  last  been  finished,  and  the  street  is 
ready  for  the  tracks  of  the  city  railway  company." 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  founders  of  .St.  Paul  were  too  much  oc- 
cupied with  the  multifarious  concerns  of  their  then  present  to  look  much 
ahead  into  the  future.  Had  they  possessed  sufficient  ])roi)hetic  insight 
to  see  the  ultimate  destiny  of  their  town,  they  would  undoubtedlv  have 
given  us  wider  streets;  but  had  any  of  these  pioneers  given  expres- 
sion to  .sentiments  implying  that  such  mighty  ])rogress  was  likely  to  be 
made  in  the  near  future,  he  would  lia\e  been  stigmatized  as  a  visionary 
and  a  dreamer.  Though  there  is  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  streets 
having  been  laid  out  according  to  a  preconceived  plan,  many  of  them 
show  plainly  that  in  their  infancy  they  had  a  wavward  will  of  their  own 


Be? 


jL  .M.MIT    .WK.NUIC 


that  has  been  since  corrected;  that,  necessarily,  however,  had  lo  leave 
many  parts  somewhat  compressed.  Much  of  the  second  plateau  on 
which  the  city  is  built  is  a  bed  of  limestone  rock,  some  twenty  feet  in  thick- 
ness, which  affords  a  splendid  building  material.  In  some  instances  the 
excavations  necessary  to  make  the  ground  ready  for  building  have  fur- 
nished sufficient  stone  for  the  entire  structure.  Underlying  this  lime- 
stone rock,  in  the  main  business  portion  of  the  city,  is  a  friable  white 
f|uartzose  sandstone  of  great  dejuh.  easily  cut  into,  and  through  which 
all  the  sewers  in  that  section  have  been  tunneled. 

CoRRiXTiNT.  Old  Mkkors 

KlTori>  ii.  correct  the  errors  of  the  original  settlers  are  still  going 
forward.  City  planners  have  given  us  a  larger  vision  of  future  ])of- 
sihilities.  Regardless  of  whether  these  possibilities  may  be  realized 
literally,  it  will  make  for  the  betterment  of  .'<t.  Paul.  Thinking  will  be 
stinuilafed  along  correct  lines  of  urban  evolution.  So  far  as  the  down- 
town district  is  concerned,  it  is  in  the  hands  of  real  estate  owners.     Un- 


ST.   I'AL'L  AND  VICINITY  387 

less  ihe)-  are  willing  to  bear  the  burden,  down-town  streets  will  not  be 
widened.  Such  widening  is  not  of  nearly  such  great  importance  to  other 
sections  as  to  them.  If  they  do  not  widen  the  streets  the  city  will 
probably  outgrow-  them,  and  business  will  move  to  broader  streets  far 
from  the  present  business  centers.  In  so  doing  it  will  spread  itself  over 
more  territory.  The  present  business  streets  will  not  be  abandoned,  but 
they  will  share  their  business  with  other  streets.  As  to  the  broader 
plan,  it  will  affect  the  city  as  a  whole.  ISut  it  will  not  be  looked  upon 
in  the  light  of  making  a  show  spot  for  advertising  ptn^poses.  The  plan 
must  be  directed  toward  making  the  city  a  better  place  to  live  in.  That 
in  the  end  w^ill  be  the  best  sort  of  advertising.  The  Pioneer  Press,  dis- 
cussing these  phases  of  improvement,  says :  "One  can  scarcely  imagine 
anything  more  important  in  this  connection  than  the  elimination  of  the 
possibility  of  future  slums.  If  land  in  the  city  still  vacant,  as  well  as 
all  land  hereafter  added,  were  platted  so  as  to  make  sites  for  the  best 
homes  at  the  lowest  cost,  it  would  do  more  for  the  future  than  any 
other  one  thing.  Summit  avenue  and  the  river  boulevard  are  important, 
but  they  are  not  nearly  so  important  to  the  fiUure  of  the  city  as  condi- 
tions in  the  Sixth,  Xinth,  Eighth,  Tenth  and  other  wards  where  the 
average  citizens  live.  Men  with  money  can  secure  pleasant  surround- 
ings. All  intelligent  city  government  must  cooperate  with  the  man  of 
moderate  means  in  getting  the  best." 

The  beautiful  cities  of  Europe,  those  that  are  constantly  taken  as 
illustrations  of  what  modern  cities  should  be,  are  almost  without  excep- 
tion the  result  of  a  picturesque,  almost  accidental  growth,  regulated,  it 
is  true,  by  considerable  common  sense  and  respect  for  art,  but  improved 
and  again  improved  by  replanning  and  remodelling  to  fit  changed  condi- 
tions and  rising  standards.  It  is  here  that  we  fall  short.  Throughout 
the  United  States  there  are  cities  with  relatively  easy  opportunities  be- 
fore them  to  improve  their  water  fronts,  to  group  their  public  buildings, 
to  widen  their  streets,  to  provide  in  twentieth  century  fashion  for  trans- 
portation and  to  set  aside  areas  now  considered  indispensable  for  public 
recreation,  and  yet  most  of  these  cities  have  until  recently  stood  listless, 
without  the  business  sense,  skill,  and  courage  to  begin  the  work  that  must 
sooner  or  later  be  done. 

Org.\nized  Oi-'Ficr.vr.  Work 

Legal  restrictions  greatly  hampered  the  early  efforts  of  St.  Paul  to- 
ward street  improvements.  For  many  years  the  authorities  had  been 
embarrassed  and  the  development  of  the  city  had  been  retarded  by  a 
constitutional  objection  to  the  levying  of  special  assessments  for  local 
improvements,  in  the  manner  generally  adopted  by  municipal  corpora- 
tions. Sidewalks  could  not  be  put  dow'n  nor  streets  graded  by  special 
assessments  upon  the  property  fronting  thereon  and  particularly  bene- 
fited thereby,  but  the  expense  of  such  improvements  must  be  borne  by 
the  public  generally.  The  legislature  of  iSCxj  provided  for  the  sub- 
mission of  an  amendment  to  the  constitution  authorizing  the  legislature 
to  allow  special  assessments  for  local  improvements.  The  amendment 
was  ratified  by  a  popular  vote,  and  in  course  of  time  laws  were  enacted 
to  carry  it  into  effect.  Thereafter,  street  improvements  were  controlled 
and  paid  for  by  property  owners  interested,  instead  of  being  the  foot-ball 
of  personal  and  political  favoritism. 

At  last,  the  city  charter  was  so  amended  as  to  permit  the  appointment. 


388  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

by  the  mayor,  of  a  board  of  public  works,  which,  subject  to  judicious 
restrictions,  had  jurisdiction  over  the  construction,  maintenance  and  re- 
pair of  streets,  sewers,  sidewalks  and  bridges,  with  discretion  as  to 
levying  assessments  to  pay  therefor.  The  impetus  given  to  this  kind 
of  work,  after  the  new  system  began  to  operate,  may  be  seen  in  the  fol- 
lowing coniparision  of  receipts  from  the  sources  named,  during  the  two 
years  compared: 

Nature  of  work                                               1881  1887 

Assessment  for  grading  streets   $51,859.26  $794,566.46 

Assessment   for  opening  and  widening  streets  21,912.26  170,124.93 

Assessments  for  paving  streets    413,567.76 

Assessments  for  change  of  grade 31,155.01 

Assessments  for  sprinkling  streets   74,472.21 

Assessments  for  sewers   39,500.25  148,665.90 

Assessments   for  sidewalks    9,599.94  125,906.36 

The  city  engineer  is  e.\-officio  commissioner  of  public  works,  and 
with  his  large  staff  of  assistants  performs  all  the  engineering  operations, 
prepares  estimates,  frames  contracts  and  acts  as  the  executive  agent  of 
the  board  in  carrying  out  its  decisions.  Thirty  years  of  a  fairly  success- 
ful operation  of  this  system  have  justified  it.  Complaints  are  often 
heard  from  aggrieved  property  owners  and  mistakes  have  undoubtedly 
been  made,  but  mistakes  and  complaints  are  inherents  in  all  human  in- 
strumentalities. The  enormous  expansion  of  the  city  and  the  generally 
satisfactory  condition  of  its  streets,  sidewalks  and  sewers,  testify  that, 
on  the  whole,  the  plan  has  worked  well. 

The  board  of  public  works  is  now  constituted  and  officered  as  fol- 
lows: J.  J.  O'Leary,  president;  E.  L.  Murphy  and  W.  T.  Lemon;  R.  L. 
Gorman,  clerk ;  Oscar  Clausen,  engineer  and  commissioner  of  public 
works. 

The  streets  of  St.  Paul  are  artistically  lighted.  This  is  the  first  city 
to  adopt  this  scheme  of  illuminating  its  principal  business  streets,  and 
it  is  being  followed  by  all  the  leading  cities  of  the  Union.  This  plan 
which  was  inaugurated  here  a  few  years  ago  is  now  known  to  the  world 
as  the  "St.  Paul  System  of  Street  Lighting;"  this  feature  has  advertised 
St.  Paul  far  and  wide  and  is  making  it  the  most  talked  of  among  the 
progressive  cities  of  the  Union,  not  only  by  those  who  have  visited  here, 
but  by  those  who  have  heard  of  it  and  who  are  discussing  its  value  with 
a  view  of  placing  it  in  their  own  communities. 

There  will  be  a  comprehensive  plan  for  the  future  city,  and  the  plan 
will  not  be  restricted  to  present  limits.  It  would  then  be  impossible  to 
do  what  is  now  possible  in  the  way  of  wrap])ing  the  city  about  with 
shackles  of  bad  taste,  bad  engineering,  bad  builrling  and  ugly  designs. 
Any  man  may  plan  streets  outside  city's  limits  as  he  jileases.  He  may 
slice  up  the  ground  into  the  most  conlein|)til)le  little  lots  of  which  he  can 
dispose.  He  may  build  thereon  the  meanest  little  typhoid-fever  traps 
his  greed  may  compass.  He  may  in  many  cases  shirk  and  scant  in  his 
buildings  so  that  they  will  hardly  stand  a  single  generation.  No  one 
will  stop  him,  for  he  is  outside  his  city's  limits.  .After  awhile  he  dies, 
and  passes  to  his  well  earned  reward.  The  section  on  which  his  greed 
was  exercised  is  taken   in  and  the  municijiality  must  struggle  with  the 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \'ICINITY  389 

problem  of  crowding,  poor  sewers,  bad  levels,  wretched  curbing  and  all 
the  other  defects  which  go  to  make  a  good  city  impossible. 

Steady  Increase  of  Real  Estate  \'alues 

In  looking  over  the  real  estate  situation  in  St.  Paul,  especially  in 
reference  to  the  retail  district,  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  steady  in- 
crease of  values  that  has  been  going  on  for  the  past  five  years.  To 
illustrate:  Six  years  ago  a  piece  of  property  on  Minnesota  street,  be- 
tween Fifth  and  Sixth  streets,  sold  for  $340  per  front  foot,  and  another 
piece  on  Minnesota  street,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  streets,  for  $325 
per  front  foot.  Both  of  these  properties  today  would  sell,  without  any 
improvements,  for  $800  to  $1,000  per  front  foot.  Values  also  have  in- 
creased materially  on  Fifth,  Jackson  and  Eighth  streets. 

It  is  noticeable  that  the  traffic  on  many  of  our  streets  is  increasing 
at  a  very  rapid  rate :  on  some  corners  as  rapidly  as  twenty-five  per  cent 
a  year.  Perhaps  the  greatest  increase  is  on  Fifth  street,  from  Robert 
street  to  the  St.  Paul,  and  also  on  Minnesota  and  Cedar  from  Fourth 
to  Eighth  streets.  The  retail  district  being  hemmed  in  by  the  river  on 
one  side  and  the  wholesale  district  and  bluffs  on  the  other  sides,  always 
will  be  limited  and  compact,  which  will  continue  to  cause  rising  prices 
and  greater  demand  upon  the  space  that  must  always  be  limited. 

Illustration  of  Enlightened  City  Planning 

More  and  more  attention  is  being  paid  to  up-to-date  requirements, 
in  platting  new  residential  additions.  More  than  300  acres,  three  miles 
in  length,  fronting  on  the  Mississippi  river  boulevard  in  the  vicinity  of 
St.  Clair  street  and  Cleveland  avenue  and  tapering  down  toward  the 
river  bluff,  have  been  platted  under  the  direction  of  the  city  plan  com- 
missioner, according  to  the  most  enlightened  schemes  of  city  planning. 
Through  the  efforts  of  the  owners  of  this  tract,  the  first  platting  of  the 
property  has  been  abandoned.  All  streets  through  this  district  have 
been  vacated  and  the  plats  prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  city 
plan  commission  have  been  filed.  The  o^vners  contemplate  the  develop- 
ment of  this  section  into  a  district  which  will  reflect  the  advantages  of 
scientific  platting  of  suburban  property.  One  winding  thoroughfare 
one  hundred  feet  wide  has  been  surveyed  through  the  section.  This 
street  provides  for  forty  feet  of  street  and  thirty  feet  on  each  side  for 
parking  purposes.  The  property  owners  hope  to  open  this  tract  up  for 
residence  by  getting  a  street  car  line  on  Cretin  street. 

The  three  approaches  to  the  new  state  capitol,  tentatively  proposed 
by  its  architect,  converging  upon  a  spacious  semi-circular  plaza  in  front 
of  the  capitol,  merge  into  Como  parkway,  and  thus  become  a  magnificent 
part  of  the  approaches  to  Como  park  and  of  the  parkway  system  of  the 
city.  The  broad  garden  extending  from  the  capitol  grounds,  between 
Wabasha  and  Cedar  streets,  down  to  those  of  the  old  capitol;  the  mall 
on  the  axis  of  the  capitol  at  least  to  Seven  Corners,  both  reaching  down 
to  the  most  important  business  districts  of  the  city;  and,  finally,  the 
boulevard  connecting  the  finest  monument  of  civic  architecture  in  the 
city  with  the  splendid  Catholic  cathedral,  now  being  erected  at  the  por- 
tals of  its  finest  resident  district,  will  not  only  illuminate  the  capitol  with 
a  new  splendor  and  bring  its  noble  proportions  into  brighter  relief,  but 


390 


ST.    I -A  LI.   -WD    \  I  CI. MTV 


will  diffuse  ihc  charm  and  clcvalint,'  iiiHiieiuc  of  tlie  several   forms  of 
parkway  embellishment  throughout  tlie  city. 

A  city,  like  a  man,  is  body,  mind  and  spirit.  It  is  more  than  the  in- 
dividual citizens,  for  it  lives  on,  and  is  not  only  a  legal  but  an  actual 
entity  sejiarate  from  them.  Now  that  the  whole  world  has  been  made 
a  neighborhood  by  the  marvelous  facilities  for  intercommunication  and 
measurably  a  brotherhood  by  the  marvelous  develojjment  of  fraternal 
interest,  everv  city  learns  from  all  others.  We  comiiare  notes,  discuss 
failures,  plan  successes  and  hearten  one  another  to  new  endeavors. 


GROUND  J'L.\N  OF  SEVEN  COR.N'ERS 
.M'l'RO.MII    TO  C.M'ITOI. 


.Manv  liiited  States  cities  have  recently  caught  the  idea  of  city  plan- 
ning, until  over  fifty  of  them  have  ado])ted  plans  for  developing  a  civic 
center  of  jirincipal  public  buildings,  and  from  that  parks,  avenues,  boule- 
vards which  shall  in  the  course  of  years  embrace  every  natural  oppor- 
tunity for  making  the  city  beautiful.  Over  one-half  million  dollars  has 
been  expended  in  such  i)lans  in  the  L'nited  Slates  and  they  call  for  the 
cxpeniliture  of  at  least  five  hundred  times  as  much  within  the  next  fifty 
years.  No  such  progr.im  of  city  embellishment  was  ever  dreamed  of 
before.  It  is  the  united  endeavor  of  our  modern  municipal  civilization 
even  though  each  city  has  acted  separately.  .Ml  ntlicr  cities  will  follow 
the  example  and  manv  of  ihcm  lia\i'  already  taken  steps  toward  it.     .\t 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \TCINITY  891 

the  end  of  this  century,  cities  of  incomparable  beauty  will  be  found  in 
all  the  states  and  provinces  of  America.  With  the  start  it  has  and  the 
advantages  it  possesses,  St.  Paul  ought  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  splendid 
procession. 

"The  Citv  Better" 

More  and  more  American  cities  are  beginning  a  new  life.  The  old 
standards  common  to  city  and  country  and  to  all  men  alike  have  been 
tlisplaced  by  higher  standards,  and  more  important  still  is  the  enthusiasm 
of  civic  endeavor.  Civic  patriotism  has  come  to  many  cities ;  men  and 
women  have  learned  that  they  are  responsible  for  their  city  and  can 
make  it  what  they  will.  They  have  learned  that  they  must  know  their 
city  to  learn  the  causes  of  municipal  ills — and  knowing  the  causes,  they 
have  found  that  most  of  the  ills  are  not  only  curable,  but  i^reventable. 

This  is  the  warrant  for  the  new  optimism  or  meliorism  of  cities. 
We  are  sure  of  making  everything  better :  so  that  the  new  word  is  "the 
city  better"  rather  than  the  "city  beautiful"  alone,  unless  we  compre- 
hend all  under  "the  lieauty  of  holiness"  that  is  of  wholeness,  of  health, 
of  elemental  decency  in  all  things. 

While  it  is  misleading  to  say  that  the  municipal  business  is  just  like 
other  business,  since  the  element  of  profit-making  ordinarily  should  be 
lacking  and  efficient  service  should  be  the  one  thing  considered,  it  is 
true  that  the  problems  are  chiefly  business  [jroblems  in  a  large  sense. 
Therefore  the  desire  for  a  small  executive  body,  so  as  to  secure  the 
advantages  of  private  corporate  management  to  our  cities,  has  prompted 
the  movement  for  a  change  from  mayor-and-counci!  form  of  govern- 
ment to  the  commission  form  of  government  which  also  makes  it  easier 
to  place  responsibility.  Over  a  hundred  United  States  cities  have  adopted 
it,  and  twice  as  many  are  now  considering  it.  But  all  agree  that  it 
is  the  spirit  of  the  community  and  not  the  form,  or  machinery  of  gov- 
ernment, which  is  the  all  important  thing.  Good  government  can  be  had 
under  bad  forms  and  bad  government  under  good  forms.  We  can  even 
imagine  that  useful  legislation  might,  occasionally  emanate  from  Car- 
lyle's  suppositious  sufifragette  parliament,  with  its  "screams  from  the  op- 
position benches"  and  "the  honorable  member  borne  out  in  hysterics." 

St.  Paul  and  its  environs  have  many  picturesque  drives,  available  for 
carriages  or  automobiles,  abounding  in  very  extensive  views,  which  al- 
ways extort  the  admiration  of  visitors.  We  may  here  enumerate:  Mer- 
riam  hill  outlook  on  the  north ;  Saint  Anthony  hill.  Crocus  hill.  Sum- 
mit court  and  Summit  avenue  and  boulevard ;  the  High  bridge  and  bluffs 
on  the  south;  Indian  Mounds  and  Dayton's  blufT  on  the  east;  Como 
Park  and  lake.  State  Fair  grounds,  Hamline  and  Macalester,  and  the 
river  boulevard  on  the  west.  To  Fort  Snelling,  Minnehaha  Falls  and 
Soldier's  Home  is  still  another  drive,  as  each  place  has  attractions  that 
are  exceedingly  interesting.  Nearly  all  these  places  can  also  he  reached 
by  electric  cars.  There  are  fine  drives  about  the  city  in  every  direction, 
including  .Silver  lake.  White  Bear,  Bald  Eagle  and  other  lakes. 

Be.\utiful  and  Comfort.mu.e   Homes 

For  nearly  fifty  years  St.  Paul  has  commanded  the  admiration  of 
visitors  by  the  number  of  its  beautiful  and  elegant  homes.  These  have 
always  been  in  numbers  as  well  as  in  architectural  style  and  tasteftil  sur- 
roundings, amply  projiortioned  to  the  advancing  population.     The  resi- 


392  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

dence  districts  have  greatly  changed  in  location,  but  the  characteristics 
mentioned,  have  always  been  retained. 

As  early  as  1866,  when  St.  Taul  had  a  ])oi)iilalion  of  only  about 
12,000,  there  were  dwellings  that  would  have  been,  as  some  of  them  still 
are,  creditable  in  a  city  of  250,000.  Aniou<^  these  were  the  homes  in 
"lower  town,"  near  Lafayette  I'ark,  of  Horace  Thompson.  E.  F.  Drake, 
H,  H.  Sibley,  John  L.  Merriam,  John  S.  Prince  and  others  formmg, 
with  the  mansions  built  shortly  afterwards  by  Messrs.  Bass,  McQuil- 
lan, Beaupre,  Shiere,  Becker,  Hardenburgh.  Auerbach  and  Borup,  a 
collection  of  sumptuous  residences,  within  a  small  compass,  such  as  is 
seldom  seen  in  any  town.  At  the  same  early  period  there  were,  scat- 
tered through  the  city,  others  of  equal  merit.  Of  these  were  the  homes 
of  J.  E.  Thompson  and  \Vm.  F.  Davidson  on  Dayton's  bluff;  of  J.  C. 
Burbank  and  Benjamin  Thompson  on  Summit  avenue ;  of  Russell  Blake- 
ley  and  William  Dawson  on  Jackson  street;  of  Col.  D.  A.  Robertson  and 
Nathan  Myrick  on  Fort  (now  West  Seventh)  street,  and  several  on 
Pleasant  avenue  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Irvine  Park. 

By  1880  circumstances  had  conspired  to  force  a  new  alignment  of 
residence  districts.  The  lower  town  region,  once  so  attractive,  became 
too  contracted,  too  central  and  from  the  multiplication  of  railway  trains 
and  tracks  through  the  Trout  brook  valley,  too  noisy  for  comfort,  and 
a  rai)id  hegira  for  the  hills  was  well  imder  way.  The  movement  con- 
tinued until  practically  all  the  former  inhabitants  of  the  Grove  and 
Woodward  street  region  had  disappeared.  Such  of  their  houses  as  re- 
main are  now  mostly  transformed  into  hospitals,  tenements,  etc.,  while 
many  have  been  demolished  to  make  space  for  railroad  terminals.  As 
we  write  it  is  announced  that  even  St.  Paul's  and  St.  Mary's  churches, 
the  nuclei  of  the  old  domain,  are  soon  to  succunil)  to  the  insatiate  archery 
of  commerce. 

flilUvard  and  largely  westward,  the  home-builder  wended  his  way. 
By  grading  and  bridging  and  paving,  by  the  construction  of  street  car 
lines,  the  extension  of  water  and  gas  mains  and  sewerage  systems,  the 
hills  became  accessible  and  available.  A  little  later  the  interurban  dis- 
tricts came  into  vogue,  and  still  later  the  beautiful  suburbs.  Dayton's 
bluff,  with  its  terraced  streets  and  sightly  outlooks,  clothed  itself  with 
handsome  abodes.  Arlington  hills,  from  Collins  street  to  Lake  Phalcn 
was  covered  with  serviceable  domiciles.  On  Merriam  hill  were  built 
as  many  costly  habitations  as  it  could  tind  space  for.  The  West  .'seventh 
street  and  Pleasant  avenue  region  received  its  share.  .Across  the  river 
in  the  Sixth  ward,  with  its  benches  and  blufi's,  an  enterprising  congenial 
population  established  their  households.  St.  Anthony  hill,  in  its  larger 
and  largest  sense,  with  its  enormous  area  and  room  for  indefinite  ex- 
pansion, became  the  hill  of  homes. 

.'summit  avenue:  Crocus  hill;  .'Summit  lioulevard;  Macalestcr;  River 
boulevard ;  .Shadow  falls ;  Merriam  Park ;  University  avenue ;  St. 
Anthony  Park;  ITaniliiic;  Warrcndalc;  Como  Park;  down  Como  avenue 
to  Rice  street  and  thence  around  to  the  place  of  beginning  at  the  grounds 
of  the  new  cathedral — these  are  points  and  boundaries  of  a  territory 
marked  by  nature  and  destiny  for  one  of  the  world's  noteworthy  as- 
semblages of  luxurious  and  palatial  or  substantial,  comfortable,  pleas- 
ant homes.  Many  thousands  have  been  built  and  embellished  with  taste- 
ful accessories;  hundreds  arc  added  every  year;  the  intermediate  spaces 
with  the  same  attractions,  suffice  for  the  requirements  of  another  half- 
centurv. 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  393 

St.  Paul  is  proud  of  her  long  avenues  of  stately  and  luxurious  man- 
sions, embowered  in  magnificent  trees,  set  in  the  midst  of  close-shaven 
lawns  of  vivid  green,  adorned  with  floral  embroideries.  Summit  and 
Dayton  and  Portland  and  Lincoln  and  Western  and  a  dozen  more,  are 
a  perennial  joy  to  all  the  people  as  well  as  to  the  fortunate  residents 
thereon. 

But  man  cannot  subsist  entirely  on  angel-cake  and  whipped  cream; 
neither  can  a  city  consist  solely  of  palatial  mansions.  The  home 
of  the  average  citizen  is  the  ultimate  criterion.  St.  Paul  has.  in  its 
various  residence  districts,  an  aggregate  of  many  square  miles  of  hom- 
ogeneous, well-built,  well-kept,  comfortable  dwellings,  varying  in  style 
and  material,  but  all  with  adequate  grounds,  mostly  owned  by  their 
occupants,  and  each  the  abiding  place  of  a  contented  family  circle.  This 
is  a  happv  and  hopeful  guarantv  of  solid  prosperity,  a  crowning  glory 
of  St.  Paiil. 


CHAI'Tl'lR   WW  II 

THE  IXFLUEXCE  OF   \\UMi:.\ 

Patrons  ok  the  City  Beautiful — God's  "Canvons  of  the  City" — 
Women's  Influence  on  the  "Playoround  jMovement" — The 
Home  Garden  Club — Domestic  Science — Women's  Clubs  and 
the  "City  Plan" — Work  Throuc.h   the  Women's  Clubs 

In  the  slates  wliere  women  have  the  right  to  vote  on  all  questions,  it 
would  naturally  be  exjjected  that  they  would  be  active  and  influential  in 
matters  of  civic  advance  and  city  betterment  that  specially  affect  the 
family  and  the  home ;  in  questions  relating  to  parks,  play  grounds, 
schools,  and  all  phases  of  moral  reform.  Minnesota  has,  as  yet,  granted 
"votes  for  women"  only  as  to  school  interests,  but  the  women  of  St.  Paul 
and  of  the  state  have  not  waited  for  this,  to  begin  a  good  work  along 
many  lines  of  intelligent  effort  where  beneficial  intluences  ma\-  be  ex- 
erted. 

They  are  falling  in  with  a  general  movement  that  is  full  of  solid 
present  accomplishment  and  of  golden  future  jiromise.  Peo])le  have 
never  before  cared  so  much  about  other  ])eople  as  they  do  now.  Social 
thought  and  sympathy  are  growing  more  intense,  both  among  men  and 
women.  The  woman  of  today  is  dilTercnt  from  the  woman  of  yester- 
day, not  so  much  in  her  ideals  or  sympathies  as  in  the  expression  of 
these  ideals.  Women  have  always  been  naUir.illy  idealistic,  but  the  dif- 
ference between  their  present  and  past  idealism  lies  in  the  fact  that  to- 
day it  is  more  far-reaching,  extending  to  the  interests  of  their  neigh- 
bors and  the  community  at  large. 

P.\TRO\S  OF  THE   ClTV    PiEAUTIFlM. 

Women  have  always  set  the  moral  and  esthetic  standard  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  lived,  and  when  they  once  get  into  this  new  lield 
of  making  our  cities  more  beautiful,  a  Held  which  is  really  closest  to 
their  natural  bent,  they  ought  to  accomi)lish  wonders.  Their  confined 
life  of  former  years  gave  them  no  chance  to  demonstrate  their  fitness 
for  this  sort  of  work.  I'ut  new  interest  in  outdoor  life  together  with 
new  social  relations  is  bringing  out  the  wonderful  esthetic  and  monil 
qualities  that  have  been  so  long  diverted  from  the  problems  of  the  city 
beautiful,  and  are  now  demonstr.'iting  a  woman's  superior  tltness  to  do 
inuch  in  this  new  field. 

In  the  one  item  of  shadeil  avenues  :md  well-kept  j)arks.  the  |)ro- 
vision  of  trees,  modern  women  find  a  fielfl  for  effort  that  will  make  our 
surroundings  better  and  healthier;  a  field  that  stimulates  good  taste, 
love  for  the  beautiful,  patience  and  perseverance. 

:194 


ST.  I'ALL  AXU   \lLlXiTY  395 

These  movements  are  being  manifested  in  widely  separated  locali- 
ties. It  was  a  Massachusetts  woman  who  founded  the  first  improvement 
society  in  the  United  States,  .\bout  ten  years  ago  women  formed  a 
civic  improvement  association  in  South  Park,  Chicago,  and  within  a 
few  years  not  only  changed  the  esthetic  and  sanitary  appearance  of 
their  own  section,  but  extended  their  influence  to  the  whole  city.  At 
Lincoln,  Nebraska,  the  women  started  their  civic  work  on  the  school 
grounds,  where  they  planted  trees  and  encouraged  the  children  to  care 
for  them.  In  California  the  women  saved  the  famous  Calveras  grove 
of  big  trees,  averting  a  national  disaster  and  extorting  universal  com- 
mendation. 

In  Brooklyn  it  was  women  who  organized  a  national  city  tree  asso- 
ciation and  who  started  the  first  tree  clubs  among  school  children  in 
this  country.  The  association  is  located  at  the  Children's  Museum  in 
Brooklyn.  Everywhere  we  find  that  it  is  the  women  who  fight  for  the 
preservation  of  their  trees  when  some  public  service  corporation  tries  to 
injure  them.  It  was  a  woman  who  started  the  Children's  Farms  in 
Ijrooklyn. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  women  are  the  natural  leaders  for  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  city  beautiful — i)eautiful  not  with  a  lot  of  expensive  cut  stone, 
formidable  fences  or  marble  columns,  but  beautiful  with  natural  parks, 
with  avenues  lined  with  fine  trees  and  with  front  yards  covered  with 
verdure  and  blossoms,  and  beautiful  with  healthy  children. 

In  the  State  of  New  York  women  were  instrumental  in  securing 
legal  redress  for  civic  vandalism.  A  construction  company  doing  some 
work  on  a  street  found  that  the  trees  hindered  their  progress.  They 
thereupon  cut  down  the  trees  without  so  much  as  considering  for  one 
moment  their  value  to  the  owner's  property.  Suit  was  at  once  brought 
against  the  company,  the  damages  being  laid  at  $500  for  each  tree  cut 
down.  The  plaintiff  recovered  for  the  full  amount  as  the  value  of  the 
trees,  and  the  court  added  $1,000  more  for  punitive  damages.  This  ver- 
dict was  carried  to  the  appellate  court  and  has  been  sustained. 

Women  are  constitutionally  intolerant  of  evils  and  impatient  with 
wrongs,  but  they  can.  if  occasion  requires,  supply  the  essential  element 
of  patience  in  dealings  with  great  issues.  The  problems  of  the  commu- 
nity, social,  political  or  commercial,  cannot  be  solved  in  a  day  nor  dis- 
posed of  in  a  burst  of  feeling.  Declamatory  or  defamatory  protests 
are  of  little  value.  Americans  are  impulsive,  ready  for  a  fight,  but 
sometimes  less  temper  would  be  good  for  us  as  a  nation.  What  the 
country  is  said  to  lose  through  its  hot-headed  impulsiveness,  its  lack  of 
foresight  and  thoroughness,  it  makes  up  in  superior  energy  and  enter- 
prise. Let  us  grant  that,  but  why  not  use  foresight  and  thoroughness 
in  the  performance  of  our  tasks,  especially  in  the  shaping  and  the  mak- 
ing of  our  cities.  In  these  directions  the  counsel  of  women  has  been 
found  ])articularly  helpful. 

God's  "Canyons  of  the  City" 

That  there  could  be  a  poetry  of  the  city,  even  of  the  "skyscraper" 
features,  remained  to  be  demonstrated  by  a  "country  editor"  of  the  far 
northwest.  In  the  winter  of  191 1,  James  A.  Metcalf,  editor  of  the 
weekly  Dawson  County  Rcvicrv  at  Glendive,  Montana,  visited  New 
York  City  for  the  first  time.  During  his  stay,  he  wrote  the  following 
remarkable  poem,   which   was  printed  in  the  Nnv  York   World : 


396  ST.   PAUL  AND  \  ICI.XITY 

"Talk  about  your  yawning  canyons  in  the  Rocky  mountains  grand! 
They're  the  product  of  a  mighty  and  a  wonder-working  Hand, 
In  whose  grasp  the  shreds  of  chaos  spring  from  out  the  formless  mass, 
And  beneath  that  touch  supernal  into  whirling  planets  pass. 

"But  the  canyons  of  the  city,  through  whose  shadows  millions  rush, 
Were  not  carved  from  broken  mountains  in  Creation's  morning  hush — 
No  great  cataclysm  formed  them,  but  the  'hillsides,'  mounting  high, 
Tell  the  story  of  man's  greatness  to  the  ages  passing  by. 

"Almost  shutting  out  the  da_\light.  how  they  rise  in  stately  pride ! 
.Ml  but  just  a  narrow  skyline,  with  their  covering  lines  they  hide. 
Depths  abysmal  have  no  echoes  such  as  run  the  mountains  o'er. 
But  the  chasm  ne'er  grows  silent  from  the  city's  constant  roar. 

"As  I  stand  and  gaze  with  reverence  at  some  towering  mountain  height 
In  that  land  where  nature's  greatness  is  around  one  day  and  night, 
In  my  heart  there  comes  a  feeling  that  man's  part  is  mighty  small 
In  the  handling  of  these  forces — sometimes  subject  to  his  call. 

"But  I'm  forced  to  change  my  musings  when  the  city  hems  me  in. 
Here  the  sway  of  nature  ceases,  triumphs  great  of  man  begin. 
Then  I  wonder  if  these  contrasts  form  a  part  of  one  great  plan ; 
Whether  God's  work  still  grows  greater  jiassing  through  the  hand  of 
man. 

"Yes,  I  think  I  sec  the  meaning,  and  the  story  grows  more  sweet — 
There's  a  certain  path  of  progress  to  be  traversed  by  man's  feet. 
God  supplies  the  strength  of  nature,  and  it  well  may  stand  alone, 
But  it  has  a  greater  mission  when  man  takes  it  for  his  own. 

"Those  w^ho  toil  to  build  the  city,  if  they  do  it  in  His  name, 
Rear  great  tributes  to  His  glory,  and  they  please  Him  just  the  same 
As  the  matchless,  mighty  mountains,  when  they  lift  up  to  the  blue — 
Almost  to  the  bright  star-windows,  with  the  angels  looking  through. 

"Mountain-top  and  lowly  valley:  city  great  and  country-side; 
Rivers  rolling  to  the  ocean  and  the  heaving  of  the  tide ; 
Nature's  voice  or  man's  harsh  clamor,  softening  through  the  ages  long, 
Rise  to  greet  the  Throne  Eternal  in  one  grand  celestial  song. 

Women's  Influence  on  the  "Playground  Movement" 

Safe,  sane  and  hapjn-  recreation  for  the  young,  is  another  subject  that 
commands  the  solicitous  attention  of  women's  organizations.  .\t  all 
ages  the  plea  "let  us  play  with  our  children"  has  been  the  crowning 
grace  of  many  mothers;  but  far  more  of  the  mothers  have  stopped  their 
play  when  the  baby  could  walk  by  itself,  and  it  has  gone  stumbling  on 
in  an  unguided  attempt  at  play,  trying  to  anuise  itself  with  all  the  de- 
lights of  its  ten  meddlesome  fingers  and  its  restless  feet,  until  the  kin- 
dergarten arose  and  caught  the  baby  so  weary  of  its  numerous  jiossibili- 
ties  and  at  so  infinite  a  loss  as  to  their  proper  use.  and  taught  it  plav- 
ful.  free  and  satisfying.  lUit  after  the  kindergarten  there  catne  long, 
dull  years  in  the  t,'rades  with  little  to  rest  or  rel.ix  the  eager  sjiirit  and 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  397 

limbs  of  the  working-girl  type.  Soon  the  girl  is  mature  enough  for  the 
factory,  and  the  city  streets  become  her  only  playground.  Her  amuse- 
ment is  either  nil  or  vicious.  Clean,  decent  amusements  are  almost  im- 
possible to  a  girl  outside  of  the  social  centers.  Here  under  proper 
supervision  girls  and  boys  can  dance,  can  play,  whole  hearted,  happy 
and  safe. 

Playgrounds  have  passed  out  of  the  experimental  stage  and  have 
stood  the  great  American  test — they  pay.  To  some  people  this  utilitarian 
aspect  of  play  deprives  it  of  its  widest  charm.  However,  it  is  a  fact. 
Not  only  is  every  city  in  the  country  providing  and  developing  play- 
grounds for  the  children,  and  opening  them  evenings  for  grown  people, 
but  manufacturers  are  providing  playgrounds  for  their  employes.  It  is 
now  a  truism  that  recreation  recreates.  Not  only  educators  and  philos- 
ophers from  the  Greeks  to  Schiller,  Fenelon.  Locke,  Ruskin  and  Jane 
Addams,  but  all  natural,  normal,  and  healthy  people  everywhere  have 
realized  that  in  the  last  analysis,  health,  happiness,  sanity,  are  the  results 
of  a  life  of  pleasure;  disease,  insanity,  death,  of  one  of  pain. 

While  St.  Paul  has  pursued  a  conservative  policy  in  regard  to  play- 
grounds it  has  not  been  mossgrown  in  method.  Indeed,  it  is  only  just 
to  say  that  so  far  no  mistakes  have  been  made.  This  is  the  more  re- 
markable, as  the  playground  movement  started  here  before  it  was  out  of 
the  experimental  stage.  :Mrs.  Leonora  Austin  Hamlin  was  the  first 
to  propose  it  in  this  city.  She  was  at  that  time  president  of  the  Civic 
League,  and  it  was  through  her  efforts  that  a  joint  committee  was  formed 
from  the  Civic  League  and  the  Commercial  Club,  a  committee  that  suc- 
ceeded in  inducing  the  Common  Council  to  let  the  experiment  be  made 
on  city  property  and  to  appropriate  a  small  sum  for  the  expenses  of  the 
first  year.  When  ^irs.  Hamlin  left  town  Mrs.  Bramhall  took  her  place 
as  president  of  the  Civic  League  and  chairman  of  the  playgrounds  com- 
mittee. Dr.  Dunning  was  chairman  of  the  Commercial  Club  committee. 
A  competent  supervisor  was  engaged.  He  designed  and  built  the  first 
shelter  house,  on  what  became  the  Como  playground.  But  the  tract  of 
land  loaned  by  the  city  was  too  small.  Nearby  was  an  available  strip 
of  ground ;  the  struggle  to  get  it  was  a  long  laborious  one.  The  ground 
•was  finally  acquired,  and  a  base-ball  benefit,  gotten  up  by  the  Commer- 
cial Club  provided   for  its  equipment. 

Later,  an  amendment  to  the  city  charter  was  approved  by  the  people, 
after  a  woman's  campaign  for  votes  through  the  school  children.  The 
council  voted  the  maximum  appropriation  to  the  support  of  the  play- 
grounds. They  thus  received  a  legal  status,  an  income  (by  no  means 
adequate),  and  were  made  a  permanent  part  of  the  city  development. 
The  committee  hopes  to  develop  the  playgrounds  already  established 
and  to  open  new  ones  in  the  most  thickly  populated  districts  and  in 
rapidly  growing  sections  of  the  city.  It  proposes  to  convert  the 
seven  blocks  near  the  new  Central  high  school  (land  that  used  to  be  the 
farm  of  the  old  reform  school)  into  an  athletic  field  for  the  benefit  of 
tlie  whole  city. 

There  are  now  playgrounds  adjacent  to  most  of  the  public  schools. 
The  .'-Krlington  Hills  grounds  are  the  most  fully  equipped.  Last  year 
they  were  especially  successful  in  the  athletic  contests  between  the  dif- 
ferent playgrounds  teams.  They  have  also  done  well  this  year.  In  gen- 
eral the  equipment  of  all  the  grounds  is  similar.  All  supports  are  of 
iron  pijiing  sunk  from  four  to  six  feet  into  the  ground  in  a  bed  of 
cement ;  tlie  ropes  are   spliced  over  pulleys ;  the  giant  strides  move  on 


398  ST.   PAUL  AND   \  ICIXITV 

ball  bearings ;  horizontal  and  parallel  bars,  climbing  pules  and  ropes  are 
securely  fastened  and  easily  put  up  or  taken  down.  There  are  May 
poles  and  slides  on  most  of  the  fields;  baseball  diamonds,  used  in  winter 
for  skating  rinks,  and  sand  boxes  for  the  little  children. 

The  experiment  of  opening  the  ground  to  older  people  three  even- 
ings a  week  has  proved  well  worth  while,  and  will  undoubtedly  be  con- 
tinued. Saturda}-  afternoons  the  Mercantile  League  is  ]X'rmitted  to  use 
the  playground  baseball  field  for  its  games.  It  is  expected  to  send  in 
applications  for  the  privilege  beforehand  in  order  to  avoid  embarrassing 
complications. 

On  the  whole  the  playground  situation  is  very  promising.  A  good 
start  has  been  made.  The  most  crying  needs  seem  to  be  trees  and  bubble 
fountains,  a  shelter  house  for  the  Sylvan  jjlayground  and — more  money. 

The  '"clean  city"  movement  was  started  with  the  organization  of  the 
various  school  districts  into  Junior  Civic  leagues,  and  the  school  children 
were  asked  to  cooperate  by  cleaning  uj)  their  own  school  neighborhoods. 
Prizes  were  offered  and  awarded  in  191 1,  to  the  .schools  making  most 
progress  and  an  interest  was  aroused  that  w  ill  bear  good  fruit  hereafter. 

The  TIomk  Garden  Club 

The  women  uf  the  Home  Ciarden  Club  of  the  .Sunbeam  I'and.  make 
a  sjjecialty  of  encouraging  healthful  recreation  during  the  summer 
months  through  systematic  garden  work  by  the  children  of  the  city. 
They  have  met  with  cheering  success.  The  club  distributed  seeds  to 
eight  public  schools  during  the  spring  of  191 1,  besides  giving  a  large 
(luantity  to  home  gardeners  and  to  philanthropic  institutions,  including 
the  Boys'  Detention  home ;  the  Protestant  orphan  asylum ;  Jewish  Home 
for  Aged;  Salvation  Army  Rescue  home;  ^'oung  Strivers'  Club  of  the 
Xcighliorhood  House,  west  side;  the  I'.ethel  Junior  Sunshine  Club,  for 
di.stribulion ;  the  Home  for  Aged  Colored  People  and  Orphans.  Re- 
sides this  distribution  to  schools  and  institutions  the  darden  Club  has 
helped  a  large  number  of  poor  families  establish  small  home  gardens 
ancl  aided  in  their  support. 

>rany  of  the  members  of  the  Garden  Club  distributed  seeds  to  Sun- 
day schools,  and  have  encouraged  in  a  great  measure  the  work  of  the 
Junior  Civic  League.  The  Kdison  school  was  given  the  largest  quantity 
"of  seeds,  the  children  in  that  district  using  1,225  Packages;  the  \'an 
Piuren  school  came  second  with  1,006  jiackages.  In  all  8,510  packages 
of  vegetable  and  flower  .seeds  were  given  away. 

The  club  has  begun  raising  funds  to  carry  on  the  work  next  year. 
Tt  is  proposed  to  make  the  area  covered  more  extensive,  and  a  systematic 
investigation  of  poor  people  who  need  garden  assistance  will  be  made. 
Garden  work  by  the  children  will  be  encouraged  in  every  way  possible, 
and  all  junior  organizations  will  be  visited  by  committees  from  the  Sun- 
beam banil  ami   instructed  in  the  work. 

Domestic  Science 

P)Ut  recreation,  even  productive  recreation,  is  not  the  only  object  of 
the  women's  clubs.  Useful  study,  the  study  of  home  economics,  is  also 
included.  The  topics  considered  in  a  series  of  sessions  are  suggestive 
and  illuminating.  The  introductory  meeting  is  devoted  to  a  discussion 
on  the  "Home  as  the  L'nit  of  Civilization,"  "The    Place  of  the   Home 


ST.   IWUL  AND  \ICIN1TY  ;i9y 

Maker  in  the  Jicononiic  World"  and  "Evolution  of  the  Home."  These 
three  topics  are  carried  through  the  entire  program,  and  auxiliary  topics 
are  studied  in  their  relation  to  them. 

That  these  yield  practical  results  of  great  value,  is  appreciated,  at 
last  by  the  business  men  and  the  workers  who  reap  their  benefits.  Man 
who  has  always  borne  the  brunt  of  many  things,  today  hears  less  com- 
plaining. His  home  is  a  better  place  to  live  in.  He  has  seen  methods 
of  so-called  cookery  handed  down,  as  a  favorite  rocker,  from  mother  to 
daughter  for  generations ;  he  has  suffered  from  dyspepsia  and  other  in- 
terior ailments ;  he  has  been  forced  to  cultivate  an  appetite  for  heavy 
pastry  and  fried  meats.  As  an  office  man  he  has  been  given  foodstuffs 
suitable  for  a  laborer  who  works  hard  in  the  open  ten  hours  a  day ; 
and  as  an  artisan  he  has  frequently  gone  to  his  task  carrying  a  dinner 
pail  filled  with  the  sweets  of  mistaken  kindness  in  the  shape  of  products 
of  amateur  experiments.  He  has,  in  fact,  seen  more  time  spent  on  the 
study  of  food  for  animals  and  plants  than  on  his  own  food. 

However,  since  domestic  science  has  taken  him  and  his  family  in 
hand,  he  has  discovered  that  it  means  more  than  the  cooking  and  serving 
of  swell  dinners  and  the  making  of  cakes  with  twelve  eggs ;  that  it  not 
only  means  satisfying  and  nutritious  meals,  but  other  things  as  well — 
for  instance,  economy  in  buying. 

Wome.n's  Clubs  .\nd  the  "City  Plan" 

Mrs.  C.  G.  Higbee,  of  St.  Paul,  president  of  the  State  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs,  has,  for  several  years,  devoted  the  major  portion  of 
her  time  and  strength,  to  an  unselfish,  zealous  and  intelligent  propaganda 
of  the  varied  features  of  the  noble  work,  in  which  these  organizations 
are  engaged.  One  of  the  principles  which  the  federated  clubs  are  try- 
ing to  inculcate  is,  that  in  civic  affairs,  as  in  many  others,  beauty  is  not 
only  pleasant  but  profitable.  The  experience  of  Kansas  City  with  her 
boulevards  is  cited.  By  detailed  computations  which  the  park  board 
says  would  be  received  as  competent  evidence  before  any  court  of  rec- 
ord, the  board  demonstrated  in  its  report  just  how  profitable  the  con- 
struction of  certain  boulevards  has  been  to  the  owners  of  property 
fronting  them.  "On  Benton  boulevard,"  the  report  says,  "it  is  shown 
conclusively  that  the  increase  in  value  has  been  more  than  183  per  cent 
since  the  establishment  of  the  boulevard." 

The  "City  Plan"  was  put  up  to  the  property  owners  of  St.  Paul  in 
plain  English,  at  an  enthusiastic  meeting  of  two  hundred  men  and 
women,  called  by  the  City  Club  and  held  at  the  city  hall  one  evening 
during  the  summer  of  191 1.  The  guests  were  given  an  opportunity  to 
examine  the  Nolen  and  Comey  plans,  together  with  plans  and  photo- 
graphs showing  what  had  been  accomplished  in  the  way  of  improve- 
ments in  old  and  new  world  cities.  The  exhibits  were  a  surprise  to 
many  who  heretofore  have  entertained  the  idea  that  city  ])lanning  was 
for  beautification  only ;  whereas,  it  was  demonstrated  beauty  is  secon- 
dary to  the  practical,  in  the  majority  of  city  plans.  Prior  to  the  ad- 
dresses Mrs.  Plamlin,  Executive  Secretary  of  the  City  Club,  read  the  re- 
ports covering  the  city  plan  for  the  central  district  of  St.  Paul,  the 
area  bounded  by  the  capitol,  the  cathedral,  Irving  park  and  the  Union 
station.  Mr.  Nolen  said  in  his  report  that  the  city  had  an  unusual 
basis  for  a  good  city  plan  because  of  its  topographical  situation,  and  the 
controlling  feature,  its  railroads,  bridges,  main  streets  and  public  build- 


■iOO 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \TCiXlTY 


ings.  thus  afford  a  relatively  easy  opportunity  to  make  St.  Paul  one  of 
the  most  convenient,  liveable  and  picturesque  cities  on  the  continent. 
He  believed  that  St.  Paul  would  suffer,  however,  unless  it  made  an  ef- 
fort to  eliminate  two  serious  handicaps,  these  being  narrow  streets  and 
an  utter  failure  to  consider  the  city  as  an  organic  unit  and  to  properly 
and  thoughtfully  coordinate  the  various  phases  of  city  activity.  He 
declared  the  remedy  lay  in  prompt  legislation  and  foresighted  action, 
believing  this  combination  would  remove  these  limitations  upon  the 
city's  prosperity. 

The  report  of  Mr.  Xolen's  assistant,  .Arthur  C.  Comey,  also  read  by 
Mrs.  Hamlin,  explained  in  detail  the  draft  of  the  central  district  |)lan. 
covering  the  Capitol  approaches.  Cathedral  approach  and  terrace.  Ex- 
change place.  I'ostoffice  ])laza.  Rice  park,  Mayall  place,  public  gardens, 
river  front  improvements.  Union  depot  i)lazas  and  approaches,  levees, 
Robert  street  bridge  approach.  River  park.  Reserve  highway  and  Recrea- 
tion park. 


birdsevil  \ii;w  of  sevkn  corners,  plan  of  .^ppro.vches 

TO    ST  ATI-:    CAIMini, 


M.  D.  Munn,  the  last  speaker  of  the  evening,  discussed  the  plan 
for  the  development  of  the  river  channel.  He  predicted  the  imjirove- 
ment  would  be  completed  within  five  years  and  told  of  the  great  ad- 
vantages which  the  city  would  enjoy  therefrom.  The  S]3caker  said 
that  while  there  are  many  interesting  things  to  be  said  about  the  harbor 
l)roject,  the  commission  is  in  a  j)osition  where  it  cannot  talk  freely.  He 
wished  it  understood,  however,  that  there  was  no  discord  or  danger  of 
disagreement  on  the  ])roposition. 

The  women  of  St.  Paul  and  the  men  who  cooperate  with  them  in  a 
championship  of  the  combination  of  beauty  with  utility,  may  lind  en- 
couragement in  phenomenal  rapidity  with  which  Paris  has.  durnig  tiie 
past  few  decades,  carried  on  the  work  of  practical  embellishment.  The 
beauty  of  Paris  was  not  a  thing  of  nature,  as  is  that  of  St.  Paul.  There 


ST.  PAUL  AXD  VICINITY  401 

was  a  time  when  the  very  spots  which  are  now  the  most  effective  were 
ugly  and  forbidding. 

Take  the  site  of  the  Trocadero.  It  was  once  the  garden  of  a  con- 
vent and  for  decades  remained  but  a  barren  waste  like  some  old  un- 
used tracts  broken  by  uncouth  gullies  in  some  of  our  own  cities.  Since 
the  e.xposition  of  1879  these  slopes  have  been  laid  out  in  gardens  of  rare 
charm,  with  a  cascade  which  falls  from  the  balcony  of  the  palace  toward 
the  Seine,  passing  on  the  way  through  eight  water  basins.  Both  bal- 
corfy  and  basins  are  adorned  with  statues. 

The  site  of  the  Garden  of  the  Tuileries  was  simply  old  tile  fields 
that  existed  in  the  time  of  Charles  VI.  The  Place  de  la  Concorde,  the 
finest  public  square  in  the  world,  with  its  fountains  and  statues  and  the 
obelisk  in  the  center,  was  but  a  waste  irregular  space  imtil  the  reign  of 
Louis  XV.  The  Champs  Elysees,  or  Elysian  Fields,  the  superb  avenue 
with  promenades  and  groves  running  at  the  sides,  was  formerly  cov- 
ered with  little  unsightly  detached  houses  and  small  gardens  and  irregu- 
lar meadows.  The  new  Halles  Centralle  are  the  most  magnificent  and 
comprehensive  city  markets  in  existence.  There  are  ten  pavilions,  each 
120  by  100  feet.  Garden  produce,  fish,  poultry,  game,  butter,  cheese, 
fowls  and  butchers'  meat  are  sold  here.  The  roofs  of  the  pavilions  rest 
upon  300  cast  iron  coknuns  ten  meters  in  height  and  connected  liy  dwarf 
walls  of  brick. 

The  great  things  that  have  been  accomplished  for  civic  betterment 
by  the  women  of  St.  Paul,  and  the  yet  greater  things  they  have  in  view, 
have  been  achieved  and  will  be  attempted,  despite  the  handicap,  if  it  be 
one,  of  the  lack  of  a  general  electoral  franchise.  The  struggle  for  that 
franchise  is  for  most  of  the  women's  clubs,  a  collateral  not  a  dominant 
issue.  But  they  are  not  unmindful  of  its  importance.  Perhaps  they 
agree  with  the  forcible  and  sensible  suggestions  on  women  in  politics, 
by  a  writer  on  social  questions,  Ellen  Key.  , 

She  bases  her  argument  for  women  suffrage  on  the  need  which  poli- 
tics has  for  certain  qualities  which  are  found  more  fully  developed  in 
woman  than  in  man,  enthusiasm  and  idealism.  She  admits  that  woman 
is  less  influenced  than  man  by  abstract  reason,  but  claims  that  by  her 
tenderness  and  her  passionate  feeling  for  wrong  and  suffering,  she  will 
bring  to  legislation  a  valuable  contribution.  She  believes  that  if  woman 
is  to  help  in  the  regeneration  of  the  state  she  must  do  it  "not  by  liymns 
of  praise  in  honor  of  her  sex,"  but  by  inexorable  claims  on  herself  for 
education  that  will  prepare  her  for  this  duty ;  and  education  that  will 
preserve  the  enthusiasm  of  her  feeling,  but  purge  it  from  the  risks  of 
caprice  and  foolhardiness. 

She  admits  frankly  that  many  women  are  unfit  for  political  fimc- 
tions :  that  as  one  now  sees  herds  of  "electoral  cattle"  swinging  the  bal- 
ance in  favor  of  wrong  measures,  so  one  may  see  crowds  of  "electoral 
hens"  driven  without  personal  opinion  or  choice,  and  without  any  feel- 
ing of  shame.  But  she  believes  women  will  be  educated  by  the  ballot. 
She  does  not  believe  that  fitness  to  vote  will  be  found  in  the  upper 
classes  alone,  but  she  declares  worthy  of  a  double  vote  that  mother  of 
the  working  class  who  with  all  her  privations  has  cared  well  for  her 
children  and  made  a  happy  home  for  them  and  her  husband,  at  the  same 
time  has  acquired  education  and  insight  in  social  questions.  Her 
"woman  of  the  future"  will  not  be  the  narrow-minded  housekeeper,  nor 


402  ST.  I'AL'L  AND  \ICL\1TV 

the  short-sighted  woman's  rights  working  machine,  hut  "the  hitrli-hearted 
woman  who  loves  her  family  and  the  race." 

With  or  without  the  elective  franchise,  the  women  of  .'^t.  Paul  are 
in  the  movement  for  better  things  for  the  home,  the  family,  the  school 
and  the  city,  and  they  are  in  the  movement  to  stay.  They  are  ready  to 
capitalize  their  ideals,  to  analyze  them,  to  organize  them  and  to  ener- 
gize them.  .\n  ideal  may  be  cherished  with  the  most  painstaking  thor- 
oughness and  yet  be  a  thing  without  life.  Inertia  is  a  characteristic  of 
ideals  as  it  is  of  natural  objects.  It  is  fortunate  that  it  is  so;  for  inertia, 
we  must  remember,  means  not  only  the  natural  tendency  of  a  bodv  at 
rest  to  remain  at  rest,  but  also  the  equally  natural  tendency  of  a  body 
in  motion  to  remain  in  motion.  In  cither  case,  the  inertia  of  the  object 
can  be  overcome  only  by  some  external  force.  The  French  astronomer, 
Flammarion,  has  recently  estimated  that  a  single  application  of  a  force 
sut^cient  to  propel  a  projectile  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  per  .second  from 
the  earth's  surface  would  overcome  the  attraction  of  gravitation  and  the 
resistance  of  the  atmosphere,  and  send  the  projectile  forever  revolving 
as  a  new  satellite  around  the  earth. 

The  attraction  of  things  as  they  are  and  the  density  nf  an  unen- 
lightened atmosphere  are  the  inertia  which  many  an  ideal  must  over- 
come; but,  in  the  words  of  Lowell 

"Get  but  the  truth  once  uttered,  and  'tis  like 
A  star  new  born,  that  drops  into  its  place. 

And  which,  once  circling  in  its  placid  round. 
Not  all  the  tumult  of   the  earth  can  shake." 

^^'(|RK  TiiN(iri;ii    iiii-;  W'umi'.n's  (.'i.rns 

More  than  ten  thousand  women  in  St.  Paul  are  members  of  social, 
literary  or  civic  associations,  and  the  greater  number  of  them  are  active 
workers  in  several  clubs.  St.  Paul  was  a  strong  factor  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  .Minnesota  Federation  of  \\'omen's  Clubs  in  1895,  and  since 
that  time  the  Fourth  congressional  district  of  the  federation  has  been 
the  strongest  and  most  influential  force  in  the  club  work  of  the  state.  This 
city  is  the  residence  of  the  state  president,  so  that  nuich  of  the  splendid 
results  which  have  come  from  the  lc,i,'islative  and  civic  efforts  of  the  club- 
women during  the  past  five  years  have  been  due  to  plans  and  cani|)aigns 
originating  here.  The  official  organ  of  the  state  federation,  The  Coiir- 
ant,  which  carries  the  news  of  Minnesota  clubs  to  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, is  published  in  St.  Paul. 

One  of  the  important  clubs  of  the  city  is  the  Woman's  Civic  League 
of  more  than  100  members.  This  league  was  organized  to  aid  in  improv- 
ing civic  conditions  in  .'>t.  Paul,  obtaining  better  playground  facilities 
for  the  city,  and  investigating  along  health  and  liygienic  lines.  The 
Political  l-",f|uality  Club  has  obtained  a  girls'  detention  home  for  the  city 
and  the  institution  will  be  in  o])eration  before  the  end  of  the  year.  Juve- 
nile work  is  being  materially  aided  b\-  the  clubwomen  of  the  city, 
federated  and  un federated. 

Other  federated  clubs  which  are  working  along  civic  lines  are  the 
Bethel  Woman's  Club;  Mamline  Fortnightly  Club;  .St.  .\nthony  Park 
Association ;  and  the  .St.  Paul  Council  of  Jewish  Women,  which  also 
looks  after  the  immigrant  i)opulation  of  the  city,  finds  homes  and  eni- 
plf)yment  for  strangers  coming  here  and  takes  care  of  the  Jewish  poor. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  MCINITY  403 

There  are  several  mothers'  ckibs,  which  study  all  questions  pertain- 
ing to  children  and  education — the  Central  Presbyterian  Church  Moth- 
ers' Club;  Haniline  ^lothers'  Club;  Katherine  Pitts  Mothers'  Club; 
Lower  Town  Mothers'  Club ;  Plymouth  Mothers'  Club  and  St.  Paul 
Mothers'  Circle,  are  among  the  number. 

The  Guild  of  Catholic  Women  is  the  largest  club  of  the  federation, 
having  nearly  five  hundred  members.  The  guild  does  philanthropic 
work  exclusively,  and  is  now  seeking  a  location  for  a  working  girls' 
home,  where  girls  may  be  housed  until  they  find  employment  and  given 
lodging  at  a  minimum  rate  when  they  are  working. 

The  Sibley  House  Association  is  a  new  woman's  club,  incorporated 
this  year  for  the  purpose  of  restoring  and  maintaining  the  historic  Sib- 
ley House  site  at  Mendota.  The  railway  mail  service  has  an  active 
woman's  auxiliary.  The  school  teachers  of  St.  Paul  are  federated  in  two 
clubs,  both  affiliated  with  the  state  federation.  The  St.  Paul  High  School 
Teachers'  Club  has  a  membershij)  of  eighty  and  was  formed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  inciting  greater  professional  interest. 

There  are  five  women's  clubs  in  St.  Paul  which  belong  to  the 
General  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  a  national  organization  of  430,- 
000  members  covering  forty-nine  state  federations  and  5,775  clubs.  The 
Schubert  Club  of  more  than  five  hundred  members,  Mrs.  W.  S.  Briggs, 
president,  is  one  of  the  factors  in  the  musical  development  of  the  city, 
and  the  Ladies'  Symphony  Orchestral  Club,  with  Miss  Nellie  .\.  Hojic, 
president,  also  helps  in  this  direction. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  the  work  of  the  federated  and  independent  clubs 
of  St  Paul  has  been  well  worth  while,  and  is  being  recognized  by 
commercial  and  industrial  organizations  all  over  the  state.  In  addition 
to  the  activities  enumerated  in  preceding  paragraphs  of  this  chapter, 
they  have  done  hundreds  of  useful  things.  They  have  kept  up  a  crusade 
against  improper  bill  boards.  They  have  done  much  to  eliminate  dice 
gambling.  Club  women  have  made  the  success  of  Tag  day  possible, 
and  have  helped  by  the  sale  of  Red  Cross  stamps  the  establishment  of  an 
outdoor  school  for  tubercular  children.  The  work  of  the  Charities  and 
Corrections  Society  has  been  greatly  aided,  and  all  the  organized  charities 
are  being  managed  by  the  help  of  clubs.  Early  closing  of  stores  has  been 
advocated,  penny  lunches  have  been  installed  in  the  public  schools  and 
ungraded  school  rooms  have  been  proved  a  success  by  the  women  of  the 
city. 

The  Young  Woman's  Friendly  Association  is  a  club  which  cares  for 
a  large  number  of  working  girls.  The  Woman's  Auxiliary  to  the  Terri- 
torial Pioneers'  Association  holds  most  of  its  meetings  in  St.  Paul. 
There  are  two  auxiliaries  to  commercial  clui)s,  the  Women's  Auxiliary  of 
the  Dayton's  BlufT  Commercial  and  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  of  the  East 
Side  Commercial  Club,  both  of  which  clubs  are  splendid  aids  to  civic  and 
social  work  in  their  respective  districts.  There  are  twelve  unions  of  the 
Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union  in  .St.  Paul — Hamline,  Mer- 
riam  Park,  Somerset,  Eve  Jones,  Dayton's  Blufif,  East  Side,  Central, 
Grand  View  Heights,  Seymour,  Oakland  and  Arlington  Hills.  The  St. 
Paul  College  Club  is  affiliated  with  the  National  Collegiate  Association ; 
the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  National  Mindcgavekomite  is  a  new  organi- 
zation formed  to  help  the  gift  to  Norway  in  IQM-  Almost  every  church 
has  a  missionary  and  a  ladies'  aid  socict)-  which  helps  in  the  charitable 
and  social  work  of  the  citv. 


CHAPTER  XXXMII 

ST.  PAUL,  THE  COXVENTIOX  CITY 

Comparative  "Value"  of  Conventions — St.  Paul's  Record  for  the 
Summer  of  191  i — Why  It  Is  a  Convention  City — Thirtieth  Xa- 
tidnal  Encampment,  G.  A.  R. — Other  Conventions. 

Xatural  advantages  of  location,  accessibility,  attractiveness  and  cor- 
diality of  welcome,  combine  to  make  St.  Paul  a  favorite  place  for  the 
assemblage  of  conventions,  national  and  international,  state  and  sectional. 
Rut  these  advantages  must  be  supplemented  by  organized,  intelligent, 
unwearied  effort  to  secure  the  more  desirable  of  these  meetings,  in  the 
face  of  the  keen  rivalry  displayed  by  the  progressive  cities  of  the  coun- 
try in  that  direction.  It  is  now  realized  by  all  that  no  more  potent  plan 
to  advertise  and  enrich  a  city  can  be  devised  than  that  of  receiving  and 
properly  entertaining  these  large  bodies  of  representative  men  and 
women,  whose  periodical  convocations  have  become  such  a  prominent 
feature  of  modern  civilization. 

Each  competing  city  now  has  a  convention  bureau  whicli  has  reduced 
the  business  to  a  real  science.  It  wastes  neither  money  nor  energy.  For 
a  long  time  it  was  the  practice  of  cities  to  distril)ute  badges  and  lapel 
buttons.  "Why  not  give  something  practical?"  asked  one  city.  .\nd  her 
bureau  gives  away  lead  pencils,  with  the  inscription  "Mark  it  down  and 
them  come  to " 

Comparative  \'alue  of  Conventions 

How  is  the  bureau  to  know  where  and  what  the  conventions  are? 
In  answer  to  this  question  is  a  revelation  of  the  extent  to  which  tiiis  kind 
of  organization  has  gone.  You  can  go  to  the  convention  bureau  of  a  live 
Association  of  Commerce  and  find  a  complete  file  of  the  name,  strength, 
method  of  selecting  meeting-place,  and  the  spending  capacity  of  every 
organization  that  meets  in  the  United  States,  It  surprises  one  to  learn 
that  there  are  four  thousand  such  organizations.  Some  only  meet  every 
four  vears.  Xumbers  do  not  always  count.  For  exami^le  one  bureau 
estimates  that  though  the  average  religious  convention  makes  a  daily  ex- 
penditure of  a  dollar  and  seventy-five  cents  a  person,  the  usual  daily 
siiending  capacity  for  a  visitor  during  a  "Shriners"  "  meetin;,'  is  twelve 
dollars  and  seventy-five  cents.  On  the  .spending  capacity  depends  the 
degree  of  work  expended  to  get  the  ])rize;  very  little  regard  seems  to  be 
paid  to  the  amount  of  "uplift"'  connected  with  these  meetings.  We  get 
some  idea  of  the  value  of  some  conventions  when  we  discover  that  the 
Knijjhts  Templar  alone  left  nine  million  dollars  last  year. 

I'-ormerly  a  citv  was  satisfie<l  when  it  got  one  convention  of  a  certain 

404 


ST.  PAUL  AXD  \ICINITY 


405 


kind  at  a  time,  but  the  bureaus  have  a  plan  that  rounds  up  all  the  affil- 
iated interests.  For  instance,  if  it  secures  the  national  dairy-show  it 
sets  out  to  get  the  annual  conventions  of  the  butter  makers,  the  cattle 
breeders',  in  fact,  all  lines  associating  with  dairying.  The  result  is  that 
it  makes  the  dairy-show  bigger  and  better  and  at  the  same  time  brings  ten 
times  more  people  to  the  city.  The  campaign  to  secure  a  convention 
often  involves  months  of  correspondence  and  the  attendance  of  a  large 
active  delegation  of  "boosters"  at  the  preceding  assemblage,  a  year  or 
two  in  advance. 

St.  P.xul's  Record  for  the  Summer  of  igii 

St.  Paul  is  fully  equipped  by  experienced,  energetic  committees  of  the 
Commercial  Club  and  the  Association  of  Commerce,  to  get  its  share  of 
the  conventions,  and  gets  them.  During  the  summer  of  191 1,  fiftv-one 
conventions  were  held  in  this  city.     The  process  of  securing  conventions 


AUDITORIUM 


is  an  easier  one  every  year.  With  the  fifty-one  gatherings  here,  the 
beauty  of  St.  Paul  has  been  told  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  nation  and  far  into  Canada  and  other  countries.  The  city  is  situated 
near  enough  the  center  of  population  to  be  reached  easily  by  a  national 
gathering,  and  is  far  enough  north  to  escape  the  torrid  heat  which  makes 
conventions  in  the  middle  west  so  often  a  burden  during  midsummer. 

A  partial  list  of  the  conventions  which  met  in  St.  Paul  during  the 
season  of  191 1,  shows  the  important  character  of  the  gatherings,  em- 
bracing nine  national  and  four  international  associations. 

State:  Knights  of  Columbus,  grand  lodge.  May  9th;  William  E. 
Reau,  secretary,  Minneapolis. 

State:  Knights  of  Pythias,  grand  lodge;  second  week  in  May;  F.  E. 
Wheaion,  secretary,  Minneapolis. 

State:     Pythian  Sisters,  grand  lodge;  second  week  in  May. 

State  Association  of  Homeopathic  Physicians :  May  i6th  to  i8th ;  Dr. 
G.  H.  Dahl,  secretary,  Mankato,  Minnesota. 


40(5  ST.   TALL  A.\l)  \TC1.\1TV 

International:  Switchmen's  Union  of  North  America,  May  i8th: 
M.  R.  Welch,  ^e.retary.  lUiffalo.  Xew  York. 

Tri-State:  Tri-State  roslmasters  Association:  June  7th  to  8th;  C.  A. 
Rasmussen,  secretary,  Red  Wing,  .Minnesota. 

State:  Minnesota  State  Postmasters'  League:  June  jth  to  8th:  O.  J. 
Kuntz,  secretary,  Waconia.  ^Minnesota. 

State:  Knights  of  the  .Maccabees,  grand  lodge:  June  8th  to  9th:  E. 
X.  Sutherland,  secretary.  .Minneapolis. 

.National:  Twin  City  .\ssociated  Harvard  Clul):  June  9th  to  loth; 
E.  P.  Davis,  local  secretary,  .St.  Paul. 

State:  Grand  Lodge,  lnde])cn(lent  ( )rdcr  Odd  hellows;  June  14111  to 
15th:  A.  L.  Bolton,  secretary,  St.  Paul. 

State:  Department  lincampment.  Grand  .\riny  of  the  Republic:  June 
15th  to  i6th;  Captain  Orton  S.  Clark,  secretary.  State  Capitol,  St.  Paul. 

State:    State  Lncam])ment,  Women's  Relief  Corps;  June  15th  to  lOth. 

State:  State  Encani])nienf.  ladies  of  the  (!rand  .\rmy  of  the  Republic; 
June  15th  to  1 6th. 

.National:  Lnitcd  .Norwegian  Lutheran  L'hurch  of  .\merica:  June 
I  5tli  til  J2iid :  Rev.  T.  W.  Dahl,  president,  Minneapolis. 

Jnternatioiial :  Freight  Claim  .Agents'  .Association  (L^nited  States, 
Canada  and  .Mexico);  June  16th,  W.  T.  Taylor,  secretary,  Richmond, 
\"irginia. 

International:  Pioul  and  ."^lioe  Workers'  Union:  June  Kjth:  C  L. 
P>ain,  secretary,  Pioston,  .Massachusetts. 

National:  .Norwegian  I'"vangelical  Lutheran  Synod  Church  of  Amer- 
ica; June  23ril  to  30tii. 

National:  National  1 'hoiographers'  .Association  of  .America;  July 
24th  to  29th;  Alanly  \\'.  Tyree,  secretary.  Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

National :  National  liarbers'  Supply  Dealers'  Association ;  .August 
8th  to  loth. 

National:  Laundrymen's  National  .\ssnciation  of  .\nierica ;  .August 
2 1st  to  23rd. 

State:  Northwestern  Laundrymen's  .Association;  .August  21st  to 
23rd  ;  James  Nankivell,  secretary,  St.  Paul. 

.National:  National  .Association  of  Stationary  Engineers;  August 
20th  to  23d. 

International:  .Association  of  Alunici])al  Electricians,  Se])tcnilHr  ijth 
to   i5tli;  Clarence  George,  secretary,  Houston,  Texas. 

National :  American  Association  of  General  Passenger  and  Ticket 
.Agents;  September  i8th;  C.  M.  Burt,  secretary,  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

State :  .State  Medical  Association  ;  October  5th  to  Tith  ;  Dr.  Thomas 
McDavitt.  secretary.  St.  Paul. 

National :  .American  Society  of  .Agricultural  I'jigineers ;  December 
27th  to  28th;  J.  P..  Davidson,  secretary,  .Ames,  Iowa. 

Wiiv   IT  IS  A  Convention  City, 

\iiioiig  the  arguments  which  seem  to  be  conclusive  in  bringing  these 
conventions  to  St.  Paul,  are  the  following: 

1st — Its  climatic  conditions  in  summer  are  sujierior  to  any  other  city: 
a  citv  of  225,000  population  :  the  metropolis  of  the  northwest :  an  ener- 
getic, up-to-date  people  of  retinemeni,  culture  and  we;ilth. 

-'nil  —  Its  transportation   facilities  are  of  the  best.  ;md  cm  .iccninnid 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  407 

date  the  largest  conventions,  the  city  having  three  trans-continental  rail- 
roads and  interstate  lines  reaching  in  every  direction. 

3rd — Street  car  service,  both  city  and  suburban,  the  finest  in  the 
country. 

4th — Hotel  accommodations  sufficient  for  all,  of  the  latest  fireproof 
construction,  with  the  most  reasonable  rates  in  the  west. 

5th — Convention  halls  to  accommodate  15.000  people. 

6th — Cafes,  theaters  and  amusement  places  of  the  highest  order. 

7th — A  progressive  cosmopolitan  population.  Visitors  meet  their 
friends  here. 

8th — Parks,  boulevards,  lakes,  flowers,  fruits  and  sunshine  in  abun- 
dance. 

9th — A  genuine  welcome  and  unstinted  hospitality. 

Elaborating  some  of  these  inducements,  and  calling  the  attention  of 
delegates  and  visitors  who  come  to  these  conventions  to  the  best  means 
of  getting  all  the  advantages  of  the  trip,  additional  suggestions  are  made 
by  the  newspapers  and  entertainment  committees.  These  are  of  special 
use  when  the  numbers  in  attendance  are  large  and  the  facilities  for  en- 
tertainment are  taxed,  as  they  frequently  are  on  these  occasions. 

There  -are  hotels  in  plenty  and  if  one  does  not  care  to  go  to  a  hotel 
and  is  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  have  a  friend  or  relative  in  the  city  with 
an  empty  bed,  there  are  plenty  of  private  homes  where  one  may  rent  a  bed 
at  a  moderate  price.  The  Commercial  Club  has  a  list  of  all  such  places, 
and  a  representative  of  the  club  will  be  ready  at  all  times  to  give  infor- 
mation. Hundreds  of  families  gladly  help  the  city  extend  an  adequate 
welcome  to  visitors,  and  have  opened  their  homes  for  these  strangers. 
Those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  get  these  places  will  have  as  many 
accommodations  as  they  have  at  their  own  homes  or  more.  The  hotels 
make  special  preparations  to  care  for  extra  guests,  and  the  numerous 
conveniences  of  a  hotel  in  a  large  city  incline  many  to  those  places. 

There  is  nothing  so  attractive  as  a  big  crowd  with  all  the  changing 
hues  and  diiiferent  faces.  In  these  crowds  visitors  often  find  friends  from 
other  places.  There  are  hundreds  of  chance  meetings  of  this  sort,  which 
enrich  life  and  make  a  visit  to  the  city  so  much  the  more  interesting. 

The  incoming  of  the  merchants  from  the  smaller  towns  of  the  state 
to  visit  the  wholesale  establishments  at  this  time  of  the  year,  always 
holds  something  of  a  family  reunion  nature.  At  these  times  the  mer- 
chants who  do  not  come  to  the  city  often  have  an  opportunity  to  meet 
the  heads  of  the  firms  with  which  they  do  business. 

The  widespread  use  St.  Paul  has  made  of  oil  for  sprinkling  the 
streets,  both  in  the  parks  and  along  the  street  car  lines  and  the  boulevards 
is  worthy  of  inspection  by  visitors  interested  in  improving  the  streets 
of  their  own  towns.  The  effects  of  the  oil  not  only  in  laying  the  dust  but 
in  preventing  the  washing  away  of  the  street  during  a  hard  rain,  are 
equally  worthy  of  consideration. 

The  downtown  portion  of  St.  Paul  is  a  blaze  of  light  each  evening  on 
these  special  occasions.  In  preparation  for  the  coming  of  thousands  of 
visitors  the  merchants  contribute  each  his  share  for  lights  across  the 
streets,  the  festoons  passing  from  post  to  post  in  the  Ways  of  Tight  all 
over  the  city,  forty-one  blocks  of  them  in  the  retail  district.  The  lights 
lead  from  the  Union  station  to  the  retail  streets. 

A  trip  through  the  Capitol  with  one  of  the  guides  the  state  funu'shes 
is  an  education  in  art.    The  paintings  on  the  walls  are  by  America's  great- 


40t<  ST.   PAUL  AND  \KIXITY 

est  artists;  the  marbles  and  the  color  design  ut  the  whole  building  has 
been  the  admiration  of  thousands  of  visitors  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 
The  governor's  office  is  open  to  the  public,  antl  if  he  is  not  in  the  building 
and  there  are  not  too  many  in  the  party,  his  private  office,  lined  with  the 
paintings  of  all  the  governors  of  the  state,  is  shown. 

Besides  Como  Park,  to  which  a  trip  by  every  tourist  or  convention 
delegate  is  almost  a  matter  of  course,  the  Indian  mounds,  in  a  park  of 
that  name  on  Dayton's  BlufT,  are  well  worth  a  visit.  Here  the  races  which 
l-receded  the  Indians  had  their  outlook  in  the  early  days,  and  here  many 
of  them  and  their  implements  are  buried.  Just  over  the  hill,  near  Indian 
Mounds  jiark,  is  the  Fish  Hatchery  of  the  state.  Here  each  year  millions 
of  trout  and  pike  are  hatched  and  fed  until  they  can  take  care  of  them- 
selves and  then  taken  to  various  parts  of  the  slate  and  put  in  the  lakes 
and  rivers.  An  interesting  afternoon  almost  spends  itself  wandering 
about  the  pools  and  hatching  houses. 

Realizing  '"a  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  forever,"  the  managers  of  the 
Minnesota  State  Agricultural  Society  are  working  to  beautify  in  every 
possible  way  the  State  Fair  grounds.  It  is  their  purpose  to  have  eventu- 
ally a  place  that  will  attract  by  its  beauty  as  well  as  by  its  jjossibilities  of 
entertainment  and  instruction.  The  grounds  are  admirably  adapted  for 
the  purposes  to  which  they  have  been  put.  The  work  of  the  past  few 
years  has  added  much  to  the  natural  beauty,  but  there  are  still  endless 
opportunities  for  beautification,  and  the  property  will  lend  itself  most 
readily  to  the  work  of  the  landscape  artist.  When  the  present  plans  are 
carried  out  not  only  will  there  be  shade  and  verdure  to  attract  and  give 
rest  to  the  state  fair  visitors,  but  the  place  will  be  one  of  the  show  parks 
when  the  fair  is  not  being  held. 

At  present  few  realize  how  well  nature  and  man  have  parked  the  300 
acres  known  as  the  fair  grounds.  To  the  minds  of  most  the  fair  sug- 
gests only  crowds  and  races  and  exhibits  and  excitement.  To  this  ma- 
jority it  would  be  instructive  to  visit  the  grounds  in  mid-summer.  Peace 
broods  over  the  scene.  Far  reaching  rows  of  beautiful  trees  and  great 
stretches  of  velvety  lawn  surround  the  quiet  buildings.  Bird  bands  fur- 
nish the  most  harmonious  music.  Bushes  and  flowering  shrubs  show  in- 
telligent care,  and  help  to  make  of  the  i)lace  a  most  delightful  haven. 
Flower  gardens  have  been  and  arc  being  laid  out  and  planted.  Grass 
plots  are  being  improved.  .Streets  arc  lieing  widened,  rolled  and  oiled. 
.All  this  is  being  done  in  carrying  out  the  board's  plan  of  making  the  fair 
grounds  beautiful.  This  will  soon  be  a  show-place  of  St.  Paul,  and  a  fa- 
vorite meeting  ground  for  many  kinds  of  state,  national  and  international 
assemblies. 

Sometimes  complaint  is  made  by  the  real  working  members  of  the 
delegate  bodies  which  convene  here,  that  the  outside  attractions  are  so 
numerous  and  the  hospitable  entertainments  are  so  insistent  as  to  seri- 
ously interfere  with  the  business  of  tlie  convention.  P>ut  even  when  the 
delegates  are  in  business  session,  or  the  committees  are  most  diligently 
occupied,  there  are  always  members  of  their  families,  or  unattached 
visitors,  w^ho  may  be  fruitfully  employed  in  sight-seeing  and  acquir- 
ing useful  information.  That  "business"  is  not  neglected,  how- 
ever, at  these  times,  may  be  conclusively  seen  from  the  following  pro- 
gramme, rigidly  carried  out  at  the  sixth  annual  meeting  of  the  Tri-State 
Postmasters'  .Association,  representing  Minnesota,  North  Ehikota  and 
South  Dakota,  held  in  St.  Paul  June  7  and  8.  191 1  : 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  409 

Wednesday,  June  7.   10  A.   M. — Convention   called   to  order  by  president. 

Address  of   welcome:   Mayor   Keller,  St.  Paul.  Minnesota. 

Response  by  the  president:  Postmaster   Yanish,   St.    Paul,    Minnesota. 

Appointment   of   committees. 

Address  by  Hon.  F.  C.  Stevens,  congressman. 

'"Postal  Legislation  of  the  Last  Session  of  Congress,"  by  A.  J.  Veigel,  Mankato, 
Minnesota. 

Question  box. 

2  P.  M. :  Address  by  Hon.  C.  P.  Grandfield,  first  assistant  postmaster  general, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

"Postal  Savings  Banks."  by  E.  H.  Myhra,  postmaster  at  Wahpeton,  North 
Dakota;  A.  R.  Erickson,  postmaster  at  Bemidji,  Minnesota;  E-  C.  Weed,  chief 
clerk  postoffice  department.  Washington,  D.   C. 

"The  General  Delivery :  How  This  Department  Can  Be  Improved,"  by  H.  C. 
Plumley,  postmaster  at  Fargo,  North  Dakota. 

"Postmasters'  Conventions:  Are  They  Worth  While?"  by  Fay  Cravens,  post- 
master at  Milaca,  Minnesota. 

"A  Standard  Rural  Mail  Box,"  by  John  Palmer,  postmaster  at  Anoka,  Minnesota. 

Address  by  Hon.  Alexander  Grant,  superintendent  Railway  Mail  service.  Tenth 
division. 

Question  bo.x. 

Evening — The  visiting  postmasters  were  the  guests  of  the  St.  Paul  Com- 
mercial Club. 

Thursday,  June  8,  10:40  A.  M. — Address:  Hon.  Rush  D.  Simmons,  United 
States   postoffice   inspector   in   charge  at  St.  Paul. 

"The  Recent  Changes  in  the  Registry  System,"  by  C-  A.  Von  Vleck,  post- 
master at  Lake  City,  Minnesota. 

"Fixed  Compensation  for  Fourth-Class  Offices,"  by  A.  F.  Arndt,  postmaster 
at  Prior  Lake,  Minnesota. 

"What  is  Needed  by  Postmasters  in  Third-Class  Offices?"  by  Hon.  S.  Y. 
Gordon,  postmaster  at  Brown  Valley,  Minnesota. 

"What  is  Needed  by  Postmasters  in  Fourth-Class  Offices?"  by  W.  S.  Bar- 
tholomew, postmaster  at  Avon,  Minnesota. 

"Should  Fourth-Class  Offices  South  of  the  Ohio  and  West  of  the  Mississippi 
be  Classified?"  by  F.  F.  Bloom,  postmaster  at  Woodstock,  Minnesota. 

Question  box. 

2  P.  ^f. — "Should  the  Entire  Postal  Department  Be  Under  the  Civil  Service 
as  a  Business  Proposition?"  by. A.   P.  Cook,  postmaster  at  Duluth,  Minnesota. 

"The  Postal  Laws  and  Regulations  and  the  Otificial  Guide :  Are  they  printed 
in  the  best  manner  for  ready  reference?  How  can  a  ready  reference  be  arranged?" 
by  George  N.  Breed,  postmaster  at  Brookings,  South  Dakota. 

"Sunday  Closing  of  Postofiices  from  a  Moral.  Business  and  Physical  Stand- 
point," by  W.   E.  Easton,  postmaster   at   Stillwater,   Minnesota. 

"Common  Errors  and  How  to  Avoid  Them,"  by  W.  T.  Callahan,  postmaster 
at  Long   Prairie,   Minnesota. 

"Should  Classification  of  Mail  Matter  be  Simplified?"  by  E.  Steenerson,  post- 
master at  Crookston,  Minnesota. 

Question  box. 

Reports  of  committees. 

Election  of  officers. 

By  reason  of  being  the  territorial  and  state  capital  and  the  political 
headquarters,  St.  Paul  has  necessarily  been  a  convention  city  for  all  po- 
litical organizations  since  the  earliest  days.  Party  policies  have  been 
prescribed  here;  the  political  fate  of  hundreds  of  ambitious  public  men 
has  been  settled  here ;  nearly  all  the  important  party  councils  during  the 
past  sixty  years  have  sat  here  in  judgment  on  measures  and  candidates. 
The  name  of  these  conventions  is  legion,  and  a  detailed  narrative  of 
their  doings,  their  incidental  events  and  their  ultimate  consequences  would 
fill  volumes.  The  issues  there  fought  out  are  musty  rust  and  many  of 
the  participants  are  ru.sty  dust ;  likewise,  the  state-wide  primary  threat- 
ens what  is  left  of  the  system.  But  the  field  for  conventions  has  broad- 
ened until  the  partisan  assemblage  has  lost  its  su])reme  importance  in  the 
catalogue  of  yearly  convocations  which  bring  throngs  of  strangers  to  the 
expanding  metropolis. 


410  ST.    PAUL   AM)   \  IIIXIIA 

Thirtieth  National  Encampment,  Ci.  A.  R. 

Probably  ihe  greatest  of  all  the  conventions  ever  held  in  St.  I'aul 
was  the  Thirtieth  National  Encampment,  Grand  Army  of  tiie  Republic, 
during  the  week  beginning  :Monday,  August  31.  1896.  Notable  for  its 
magnitude,  its  spectacular  incidents  and  its  patriotic  inspirations,  as  well 
as  from  the  fact  that  no  other  such  assemblage  can  ever  convene  here 
and  few  others  anywhere,  this  event  would  seem  worthy  of  somewhat 
extended  record  in  the  annals  of  the  city  which  entertained  it  so  royally. 
Already  fifteen  years  have  elapsed  since  that  memorable  occasion,  al- 
ready perhaps  a  majority  of  its  active  participants,  the  veteran  ex-soldiers 
of  the  army  of  the  Union,  have  passed  to  their  reward ;  each  of  the  sur- 
vivors has  fifteen  years  added  to  his  age  and  disabilities;  neither  indi- 
vidually nor  collectively  have  they  any  successors. 

In  the  fall  of  1893  a  movement  was  inaugurated  in  St.  Paul  to  secure 
the  National  Encampment  of  the  (Irand  Army  of  the  Kci)ul)lic  for  this 
city.  A  committee  was  formed,  of  which  Past  Department  Commander 
C.  D.  Parker  was  chairman,  D.  A.  Uanforth,  secretary  of  the  Commercial 
Club,  secretary,  and  Hon.  Alljert  Schcffer,  treasurer.  This  committee 
opened  corresjjondence  with  various  departments,  and  when  the  Twenty- 
eighth  National  Encampment  assembled  at  Pittsburgh,  September  10. 
1894,  a  delegation  of  St.  Paul  citizens  appeared  there  with  an  invitation 
for  its  next  session.  But  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  Louisville  was  found 
so  strong  that  St.  Paul  withdrew  from  the  field  and  cheerfully  aided  in 
making  the  selection  unanimous. 

The  movement  oidy  gained  greater  impetus  by  delay.  An  earnest 
campaign  was  begun  for  the  thirtieth  encampment,  and  energetically 
prosecuted  to  a  successful  issue.  On  January  10,  1895,  at  the  request  of 
St.  Paul  citizens,  the  legislature  of  Minnesota  unanimously  passed  a  reso- 
lution of  invitation,  as  did  the  St.  Paul  City  Council  on  February  jtii. 

When  the  Twenty-ninth  National  Encampment  met  at  Louisville. 
September  11,  1895,  a  numerous  and  influential  St.  Paul  delegation  was 
in  attendance,  with  headquarters  at  the  Gait  I  louse,  to  impress  upon  the 
dele.gales  the  claims  of  this  city.  J.  J.  McCardy,  city  comptroller  of  St. 
Paul,  and  then  commander  of  the  Department  of  Minnesota,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Rciniblic,  was  chairman  of  this  delegation. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day  of  the  encampment,  when  the  se- 
lection of  the  next  place  of  meeting  was  declared  to  be  in  order,  Capt. 
Henry  A.  Castle,  postmaster  of  St.  Paul  and  past  dei)arfnient  comman- 
der, Grand  Army  of  the  Repul)!ic.  presented  the  formal  invitation  of  the 
Minnesota  rejiresentatives  to  the  encampment.  The  following  is  an  ex- 
tract from  the  address,  as  reported  in  the  official  proceedings :  "There 
are  i)ractical  (|uestions  which  jiave  to  be  settled  upon  these  occasions,  and 
it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  no  city  will  tender  this  invitation  except 
with  a  due  regard  to  an  honorable  and  a  creditable  fulfillment.  \\'e  know 
what  this  invitation  involves  and  we  are  fully  prei)ared  to  accept  the  con- 
sequences and  carry  them  out,  in  letter  and  .spirit,  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end.  The  funds  necessary  for  the  reception  and  entertainment  of  the 
encampment  will  be  amply  guaranteed.  Within  the  limits  of  St.  Paul 
and  Minneapolis,  easily  coimccled  by  magnificent  svstems  of  electric 
.street  railways,  are  two  hundred  hotels,  all  of  which  will  be  open  for  the 
recejjtion  and  entertainment  of  our  guests ;  besides  which,  within  a  cir- 
cuit of  ten  miles  from  the  two  cities,  easily  reached  by  railway,  are  a 
large  number  of  fine  lakeside  resort  hotels,  with  accommodations   for 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \IC1NITV  411 

more  than  ten  thousand  people,  all  of  which  will  be  open  and  ready  for 
your  reception. 

■'It  has  been  stated,  as  we  understand  it,  that  St.  Paul  is  a  hilly  city 
and  that  you  may  be  obliged  to  march  up  hill,  but  I  will  say  that  we  have 
plenty  of  level  ground  for  all  the  streets  that  you  will  care  to  march  on. 
We  are  now  laying  down  the  last  of  twenty-tive  miles  of  splendid  asphalt 
pavement,  as  smooth  as  that  of  Pennsylvania  avenue  in  Washington,  and 
on  at  least  ten  miles  of  those  streets  there  isn't  a  grade  of  any  account. 
If  you  come  we  will  take  advantage  of  the  little  grade  there  is  and  march 
you  always  down  hill.  Seven  states  of  the  new  northwest  unite  with  us 
unanimously  in  this  invitation.  The  states  of  Wisconsin,  Minnesota, 
Nebraska,  Iowa,  North  and  South  Dakota  and  Montana  are  all  with  us. 
For  all  that  vast  territory,  or  nearly  the  whole  of  it,  St.  Paul  and  Min- 
neapolis are  the  center  of  transportation  routes,  easily  reached  from  every 
direction.  We  have  seven  lines  of  railroad  reaching  Chicago,  four  to 
Lake  Superior  and  other  lines  radiating  in  every  direction,  so  that  the 
facilities  are  ample." 

Speeches  in  advocacy  of  the  selection  of  St.  Paul  were  made  by  Past 
Commander-in-Chief  John  P.  Rea,  Past  Department  Commander  Henry 
G.  Hicks  of  ^Minneapolis,  and  Comrades  Rassieur  of  Missouri.  Hoard  of 
Wisconsin,  Powell  of  Illinois,  Allen  of  X'irginia,  Kanitz  of  ^Michigan  and 
Fainter  of  Connecticut. 

Denver,  Buffalo  and  Nashville  contested  with  St.  Paul  for  the  prize, 
and  eloquent  speeches  in  favor  of  each  were  made  by  their  respective 
partisans.  The  roll  of  departments  was  then  called  for  a  vote  and  re- 
sulted as  follows.    St.  Paul,  393  ;  Buffalo,  226  ;  Denver,  103  ;  Nashville,  23. 

On  their  return  to  St.  Paul,  the  delegation  at  Louisville  formally  re- 
quested the  mayor,  Hon.  Robert  A.  Smith,  to  appoint  a  committee  of 
citizens  which  should  take  charge  of  all  preparations  and  arrangements 
for  the  coming  great  event. 

About  October  i,  1895,  Mayor  Smith  announced  his  appointees.  These 
consisted  of  the  officers  and  chairmen  of  committees  which  constitutefl 
the  "Board  of  Managers"  and  were  afterwards  legally  incorporated  as 
"The  St.  Paul  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  Thirtieth  National  Encamp- 
ment Committee."  A  few  changes  were  subsequently  made,  but  as 
organized  for  the  final  work  of  preparing  for  the  encampment,  it  stood 
as  follows :     President — Gen.  E.  C.  Mason,  United  States  Army. 

Vice  presidents — R.  A.  Becker,  Geo.  R.  Finch,  W.  J.  Footner,  O.  B. 
Lewis,  W.  R.  Merriam,  P.  H.  Kelly  and  Alexander  Ramsey. 

General  officers — General  manager,  J.  H.  Beek ;  assistant  general  man- 
ager, C.  P.  Stine ;  general  secretary,  J.  S.  Pinney ;  treasurer,  R.  C.  Mun- 
ger ;  auditor,  J.  J.  McCardy. 

Executive  commttee — E.  C.  Mason  (ex-officio),  f.  11.  Beek,  ( ex-offi- 
cio),  H.  A.  Castle,  A.  R.  McGill,  J.  J.  3>IcCardy,  (ex-officio),  J.  S.  Pin- 
ney (ex-officio),  Albert  Scheffer  and  R.  A.  Becker. 

Committee  chairmen — Finance,  Albert  Scheft'er ;  transportation,  M. 
D.  Flower;  invitation  and  reception.  A.  R.  McGill;  halls  and  camp  fires, 
I.  L.  Mahan;  accommodations.  C.  W.  Horr;  badges,  E.  O.  Zimmerman; 
press,  Henry  A.  Castle ;  printing,  C.  W.  Hornick ;  parade  and  review,  C. 
D.  Kerr ;  decoration  and  illumination,  W.  G.  Strickland ;  reunion  and 
naval  association,  Fred  Richter ;  medical  department.  Dr.  J.  F.  Fulton ; 
amusements,  John  Espy;  ladies'  committee,  Mrs.  R.  M.  Newport. 

The  National  Encarnpment  jsroper  is  a  delegate  body  representing  the 
state  departments,  and  usually  consists  of  about  800  members.     But  the 


■il-2  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

annual  meeting  has,  for  nearly  thirty  years,  been  made  the  occasion  of  the 
convocation  of  several  auxiliary  national  bodies,  and  also  of  a  general  re- 
union of  ex-soldiers  from  all  parts  of  the  country — especially  from  the 
states  adjacent  to  the  place  of  assemblage. 

There  came  to  St.  Paul  to  attend  this  reunion  over  25,000  veterans  of 
the  Union  army.  The  total  number  of  excursion  tickets  taken  up  during 
the  week  was  143,000,  in  addition  to  many  thousands  handled  at  Minne- 
polis.  These  ligures  testify  to  the  magnitude  of  the  celebration.  Citi- 
zens placed  their  homes  at  the  disposal  of  visitors;  cots  were  put  in  all 
the  school  houses;  a  large  encampment  of  tents  was  established  at  "Camp 
Mason"  on  the  prairie  beyond  Dale  street,  with  free  quarters  for  the 
veterans.  The  splendid  Kittson  mansion,  site  of  the  new  Catholic  Cathe- 
dral, was  secured  as  the  Women's  headquarters,  and  was  kept  ojien  dur- 
ing the  week  under  the  auspices  of  Mrs.  Newport's  committees.  The 
weather  conditions  were  perfect  during  the  entire  week  and  everything 
worked  out  to  the  full  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  High  officials  of 
the  order,  delegates  to  many  encampments,  testify  to  this  day,  that  no 
city  has  ever  excelled  St.  Paul  in  planning  and  executing  the  arrange- 
ments for  this  great  event. 

The  distinguishing  feature  of  the  week's  proceedings  was  the  mag- 
nificent parade  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  on  Wednesday  morn- 
ing. Twenty-four  thousand  veteran  soldiers  of  the  Union,  marshaled 
by  departments  and  by  posts,  with  numerous  bands  and  drum  corps  and 
with  lluttering  flags,  marched  through  three  miles  of  St.  Paul's  splendid 
streets,  walled  in,  four  to  eight  deep,  with  cheering  thousands  of  men, 
women  and  children — an  object  lesson  of  patriotism  never  to  be  for- 
gotten by  the  generation  that  beheld  it.  A  "living  flag"  of  six  hundred 
costumed  boys  and  girls  on  Si.xth  street  sang  hymns  of  loyalty  as  the 
grand  procession  passed.  Not  an  accident  marred  the  perfect  enjoyment 
of  the  sjiectacle ;  not  an  untoward  event  occurred  during  this  red-letter 
week  in  the  city's  calendar. 

The  following  condensed  official  ])rogramme  will  convey  some  idea 
of  the  magnitude  of  the  celebration  and  the  work  accomplished : 

MoND.w.  .'\iiBust"3lst — 8  A.  M. :  .Vrrival  nf  Coniiiiandcr-in-chicf  I.  X.  Walker 
and   staff,  and  escort   to  national   headquarter?.   Hotel   Ryan. 

8:30  P.  M. :  Reception  to  the  commander-in-chief  and  Mrs.  Walker  by  the 
citizens'  committee   and   citizens  of   St.  Paul,  at   Motel   Ryan. 

7  to  12  P.  M. :  Reception  by  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  Department  of 
Minnesota. 

8  to  12  P.  M  :     General  illumination  of  the  city  and  band  concerts. 

8  P.  M. :  Military  Order  Loyal  Legion,  Commandery  of  Minnesota,  head- 
quarters Ryan  Hotel.  Coinpanions  welcome  all  the  week.  Indian  display,  games 
and   athletic  contests,   day  and  evening. 

TuF.SD.w,  September  ist — Sunrise:  National  salute,  twenty-one  guns,  at  Camp 
>rason.      , 

ID  A.  M- :  Parade  of  naval  veterans  and  ex-pri?oncrs  of  war:  escort,  Third 
United  States  Infantry  and  Sons  of  Veterans.  Department  of  Minnesota;  review 
from  Hotel  Ryan  by  the  commander-in-chief ;  reunions  throughout  the  day. 

I  P.  M. :  Minnesota  veterans  rendezvous  at  State  Capitol,  proceeding  thence 
to  Fort  .Snclling  for  state  reunion;  reception  at  Fort  Snelling  to  Grand  .•Xrmy  of 
the  Republic  by  Col.  John  H.  Page,  officers  and  ladies  of  the  post,  followed  by 
parade  and  review  of  troops. 

3  to  6  P.  M. :  Reception  of  ladies  of  the  Grand  .Army  of  the  Republic,  De- 
partment of  Minnesota,  at   Bowdby  Hall. 

8  P.  M.:  General  reception  to  the  commander-in-chief  and  Grand  .Army  of 
the  Republic  by  ladies'  committee,  at   Summit  Park  and  on  Summit  avenue. 

7  P.  M. :  iParade  and  contests  of  bicycle  clubs,  on  Sixth  street,  between  Smith 
avenue  and  Smith  Park. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  413 

8  P.  M.:     Camplires  at  Auditorium,  Marlvct  Hall  and  West  Side  Opci-a  House- 

8  P.  j\I. :  Dog  Watch  by  the  Naval  Veterans'  Association,  at  headquarters, 
opposite  Hotel  Ryan,  144  East  Sixth  street.  Indian  display,  games  and  athletic 
contests,   day  and  evening. 

Wednesd.w,  September  2d — Sunrise :  Salute  to  the  Union,  forty-five  guns, 
at  Camp  Mason. 

9 :30  A.  M. :  National  salute,  twenty-one  guns ;  commander-in-chief  leaves 
national  headquarters. 

10  A.  M.  :  Parade  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  starting  from  inter- 
section of  Dayton  and  Western  avenues,  Western  to  Summit  avenue,  on  Summit 
to  Sixth  street,  and  on  Sixth  to  Smith  Park,  where  the  commander-in-chief  re- 
view'ed  the  parade.     Reunions   throughout  the  afternoon. 

4  P.  M. :     Regatta   Minnesota   Boat   Club,  on   Mississippi   river. 

8  P-  M. :  Campfire  for  ex-prisoners  of  war  at  Auditorium ;  other  campfires 
at  Market  Hall  and  West  Side  Opera  House;  parade  and  display  of  the  St. 
Paul  Fire  Department. 

8  to  10  P.  M. :  Reception  by  ladies  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
National   President  Mrs.   C.  E.  Hirst,  at  Hotel  Ryan. 

8  to  10  P.  M. :  Reception  to  the  commander-in-chief,  by  Woman's  Relief 
Corps,   National   President   Mrs.   Lizabeth   A.  Turner,   at   Hotel   Ryan. 

9  to  10  P.  M. :  Informal  reception  by  Daughters  of  Veterans,  National  Presi- 
dent  Ellen   M.   Walker. 

10  P.  M. :  Reception  by  the  Military  Order  Loyal  Legion,  Commandery  of 
Minnesota,  to   the  commander-in-chief  and   staff,  headquarters  Ryan   Hotel   anne.x. 

Thursd.w,  September  3d — Sunrise:  National  salute,  twenty-one  guns,  at  Camp 
Mason. 

9  A.  M. :  Parade  of  the  National  Guard,  State  of  Minnesota,  Governor  D. 
M.  Clough,  commander-in-chief,  and  staff;  Gen.  W.  B.  Bend,  commanding  brigade. 

9 :45  A.  M. :  Review  of  National  Guard  by  Commander-in-chief  I.  N.  Walker. 
Reunions  during  the  day  and  evening. 

10  A-  M. :  Escort  of  the  commander-in-chief  from  national  headquarters  to 
the  Auditorium  and  opening  of  the  Thirtieth  National  Encampment,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic. 

9  A.  M. :  Carriage  drive  for  all  visiting  ladies,  starting  from  ladies'  liead- 
quarters,  corner  of  Summit  and  Dayton  avenues.  Indian  display,  games  and 
athletic  contests,  day  and  evening. 

2  to  6  P.   M. :     Reception  at  ladies'  headquarters  to  all  visiting  ladies. 

8  P.  M. :    Campfires  at  Auditorium,  Market  Hall  and  West  Side  Opera  House. 

Frid.w,  September  4th — 9:30  A.  ^I. :  Thirtieth  National  Encampment,  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  at  Auditorium.  Reunions  throughout  the  day  and  evening. 
Indian   display,  games  and  athletic  contests,   all   day  and   evening. 

I  P.  M.  :  Excursion  to  Lake  Minnetonka  and  Lake  Park  Hotel,  for  the  com- 
mander-in-chief and  delegates  to  the  Thirtieth  National  Encampment  and  dele- 
gates to  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps. 

I  P.  M. :  Excursion  to  White  Bear  Lake  for  delegates,  ladies  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,   Daughters  of  Veterans  and   Loyal   Home  Workers. 

8  P.  M. :  John  Brown  campfire  at  Market  Hall;  other  campfires  at  Audi- 
torium and  West  Side  Opera  House. 

S.\TURDAV,  September  5th — Forenoon :  Informal  tours  to  Fort  Snelling,  Min- 
nesota Soldiers'  Home  and  Minnehaha  Falls. 

.Afternoon  and  evening:  Band  concerts  at  Como  Park  and  pyrotechnic  display 
on   lake  at  night.     Indian   displays  day  and  evening. 

Other  Conventions 

The  National  Encampment  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repubhc  met 
at  Minneapolis  in  1884  and  again  in  igo6.  On  both  the.se  occasions  St. 
Paul  co-operated  to  a  very  extensive  degree  in  the  entertainment  of  dele- 
gates and  visitors,  as  well  as  in  the  antecedent  movements  to  secure  the 
location.  In  1902  the  Republican  National  convention  met  in  Minneapolis 
and  renominated  President  Benjamin  Harrison  as  the  party  candidate. 
Again  St.  Paul  did  its  full  share  in  preparing  for  and  taking  care  of 
the  great  assemblage.     On  numerous  other  occasions  similar  action  has 


414  ST.  PAUL  AXU   \  k  IMTV 

been  taken ;  always  reciprocated  under  like  circumstances.  Thus  the 
facilities  of  l^oth  cities  have  been  at  the  command  of  either,  when  required. 

The  great  Conservation  Congress,  held  at  the  St.  Paul  Auditorium  in 
September,  1910,  was  attended  by  many  thousands.  President  Taft  and 
ex-President  Roosevelt  were  anions^  the  speakers. 

Conventions  of  the  National  Educational  Association,  the  National 
Editorial  Association  and  the  National  Federation  of  W'oman's  Clubs 
have  been  held  in  this  city — also  general  assemblies  and  general  confer- 
ences of  all  the  principal  religious  denominations. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX 

HOTELS,  AUDITORIUM  AND  THEATERS 

Always  a  "Good  Hotel  Town" — Merchants'  Hotel  of  Today — Cen- 
tral, American  and  Other  Old  Hotels — "Moffett's  Castle" — 
International,  Wild  Hunter,  Metropolitan,  Etc. — Predecessor 
of  "St.  Paul" — Hotel  Ryan — The  "St.  Paul"  and  Other  Hotels 
— The  Auditorium — Other  Assemisly  Halls — Amusement  Halls 
AND  Amusements — Improved  Moving  Picture  Shows. 

It  would,  perhaps  be  held  paradoxical  to  assert  that  a  man  is  known  by 
the  company  his  wife  keeps — nevertheless  it  is,  in  the  last  analysis, 
strictly  true.  Equally  parado.xical  is  the  statement  that  a  city  is  known 
by  its  hotels,  where  only  a  small  fraction  of  the  citizens  live,  and  for  the 
management  of  which  a  much  smaller  fraction  is  responsible.  But  that 
statement  is  likewise  fundamentally  true.  A  city  with  good  hotels  has, 
therein,  one  unassailable  asset ;  has  made  thereby,  one  long  step  in  the 
march  to  metropolitan  dignity  and  commercial  greatness. 

Always   a   "Good   Hotel   Town" 

St.  Paul  has  always  been  "a  good  hotel  town."  From  the  day  in 
1842  when  Henry  Jackson,  storekeeper,  postmaster,  justice  of  the  peace, 
etc.,  opened  his  hospitable  doors  to  strangers,  the  welcome  has  always 
been  cordial  and  the  accomodations  the  best  that  current  circumstances 
admitted.  Jackson  did  not  professedly  keep  tavern,  but  he  did  his  best 
to  make  people  comfortable  who  had  no  other  place  to  stav,  and  that  was 
a  great  factor  in  the  growth  of  the  embryo  village.  He  continued  for  five 
years  to  extend  his  ministrations  of  comfort  to  all  who  applied. 

The  old  "Bass  tavern."  originally  the  St.  Paul  House  (later  on,  and  to 
this  day,  the  Merchants  Hotel)  was  the  first  avowed  institution  for  the 
entertainment  of  man  and  beast  established  in  this  city.  The  original 
structure  was  commenced  in  1846  by  Leonard  H.  La  Roche.  It  was  com- 
pleted and  enlarged  by  .S.  P.  Folsom  in  the  summer  of  1847.  It  was 
partly  built  of  tamarack  logs,  hewed  square,  and  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
Merchants'  Tiotel  of  to-day.  In  .August,  1847,  it  was  leased  by  Jacob  W. 
Bass  at  ten  dollars  per  month  and  opened  for  business  under  the  name 
of  the  St.  Paul  House.  In  this  hotel  the  territory  was  organized  by 
Governor  Ramsey  and  other  officers  in  1849.  The  post  office  was  kept 
in  it  for  two  years,  and  in  one  of  the  suljsequent  additions  to  the  building 
the  first  lodge  of  Free  Masons  was  held.  The  landlord.  Mr.  Bass,  was 
soon  compelled  to  make  additions  to  the  original  building,  which  was 
only  twenty  by  twenty-eight  feet  in  dimensions  and  a  story  and  a  half 
high.     When  he  retired  from  its  management  in  1852  great  improvements 

415 


416  ST.  PAUL  AND  \1C1X1TY 

had  been  made  in  its  interior  and  exterior,  and  it  had  been  raised  to  two 
full  stories. 

Merchants'  Hotel  of  Tou.w 

During  the  four  years  succeeding  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Bass,  the 
Merchants'  had  several  landlords.  Finally,  in  1856,  E.  C.  Belote  leased 
it  and  retained  the  management  until  1861,  when  John  J.  Shaw  and  Wil- 
liam E.  Hunt  succeeded  him.  Mr.  Hunt  soon  retired  and  Mr.  Shaw  con- 
tinued as  its  proprietor.  During  the  hitter's  control  the  old  building  was 
taken  down  to  give  way  to  the  Merchants'  Hotel  of  to-day.  On  June  i, 
1S70,  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  building  was  laid  l\v  the  Old  Set- 
tlers' Association  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  The  building  was  com- 
pleted in  1871,  and  at  that  time  was  only  four  stories  in  height.  In  1881 
another  story  was  added  and  the  building  was  made  to  appear  as  it  now 
stands.  The  dimensions  of  the  building  are  two  hundred  feet  on  Jack- 
son street  and  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  on  Third  street.  In  1873 
Alvaren  Allen  succeeded  Mr.  Shaw  as  proprietor  of  the  Merchants'.  For 
fourteen  years  the  hotel  was  under  the  successful  management  of  Colonel 
Allen.  In  1883  he  purchased  the  property,  the  consideration  being  $275,- 
000.  In  1887  he  leased  the  hotel  to  !•'.  R.  Welz.  who.  a  few  years  later, 
transferred  to  the  "Ryan"  and  was  succeeded  by  George  R.  Kibl)e,  the 
present  proprietor.  It  has  always  been  pojnilar  as  a  place  of  social  re- 
unions and  is  still  the  headquarters  of  political  gatherings,  its  rotunda 
and  corridors  generally  being  crowded  just  preceding  the  organization 
of  the  legislature  and  state  conventions. 

Central,  American  and  Other  Old  Hotels 

The  Central  House  was  one  of  the  well-known  hotels  of  St.  Paul  at 
an  early  day.  It  was  opened  in  1848  by  Robert  Kennedy.  It  was  at  that 
time  a  small  weather-boarded  log  structure  on  Bench  street,  and  in  1840- 
51  it  was  occupied  by  the  legislature  and  territorial  officers.  During  these 
years  the  town  was  so  crowded  and  buildings  were  in  such  demand  that 
the  territorial  officers  were  unable  to  secure  better  quarters.  The  place 
was  designated  by  a  flagstaff  from  which  floated  the  national  banner  to 
mark  the  headquarters  of  the  government,  and  here,  in  these  narrow 
quarters,  its  business  was  carried  on.  The  Central  was  from  time  to  time 
enlarged,  but  was  destroyed  by  fire  thirty  years  ago. 

One  of  the  conspicuous  landmarks  of  the  city  in  the  past  was  the  old 
American  House,  a  long,  white  wooden  Iniilding.  with  a  portico  running 
the  whole  length,  which  stood  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  E.xchange 
streets.  This  house  was  opened  in  1849  by  Mrs.  Rodney  Parker.  It  was 
originallv  known  as  the  Rice  House.  The  name  was  changed  to  "Ameri- 
can" soon  after  it  was  oldened.  I'roni  this  hotel  the  stages  left  \ot  St. 
Anthony,  and  during  the  most  prosperous  era  of  stage  travel  in  Minne- 
sota it  did  a  large  business.  Edward  and  Stei)hen  I.iMig  were  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  .American  House  when  it  was  destroyed  by  lire  in  1863. 

In  1850,  besides  the  hotels  mentioned,  there  were  in  St.  Paul  the  Tre- 
mont  House,  kept  by  J.  A.  Wakefield,  and  the  DeRoche's  House.  In 
1854  a  large  frame  structure,  known  as  the  Sintomine  Hotel,  was  built 
by  X.  W.  Kittson  near  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  John  streets.  On  October 
3d,  just  as  it  was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy,  it  was  burned. 

The  Winslow  House,  which  stood  at  the  junction  of  Eagle.  Fort  and 
Fourth  streets  (Seven  Corners),  was  opened  in   1853.     It  was  built  by 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  417 

James  ]\I.  Winslow,  who  came  to  St.  Paul  in  1852  and  died  here  in  1885. 
He  was  a  pubhc-spirited  man  and  was  connected  with  various  enterprises 
which  were  of  great  benetit  to  the  city.  The  Winslow  House,  a  large  and 
good  hotel,  was  conducted  by  E.  S.  Deuel  for  several  years  but  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1863. 

"Moffett's  Castle" 

In  1848  or  1849,  a  ni^n  well  known  to  all  the  early  settlers  of  St. 
Paul,  Lot  Moft'ett,  erected  in  the  ravine  at  Fourth  and  Jackson  streets,  a 
temperance  hotel  which  was  called  by  old  settlers  "Moffett's  Castle"  on 
account  of  its  long  unfinished  condition.  F"rom  time  to  time  he  added  stor- 
ies to  his  building,  and  at  his  death  in  1870  he  had  three  stories  below 
ground  and  four  above.  Mr.  Moft'ett  ran  this  hotel  until  his  death  as  a 
strictly  temperance  house.  Rev.  E.  D.  Neill,  writing  of  Mr.  Moffett  and 
his  hotel  says :  "His  boarders  were  so  many  that  they  were  obliged  to  sleep 
on  the  floor.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Baldwin,  born  in  Alabama,  allowed  me 
to  sleep  with  him  on  a  buffalo  robe  placed  on  a  rough  homemade  bed- 
stead. I  stayed  ten  days  at  ■Moffett's.  He  attended  the  first  religious 
meeting  I  conducted.  When  I  went  to  settle  my  bill  he  said  '1  can't  take 
full  price,  for  I  went  to  your  preaching  and  it  amused  me.'  Lot  was  a 
kind  man  and  I  did  not  consider  his  language  sarcastic,  but  supposed  that 
amused  in  his  mind  was  the  synonym  of  pleased." 

Intern.\tional,  Wild  Hunter,  Metropolitan,  etc. 

In  1856  when  St.  Paul  was  at  the  high  tide  of  prosperity  Alpheus  G. 
Fuller  proposed  to  build  another  hotel  which  would  eclipse  all  the  rest. 
J.  W.  Bass  and  William  H.  Randall  gave  Fuller  the  land  upon  which  his 
hotel  stood,  and  $12,000  was  raised  as  a  bonus.  With  this  start  Mr.  Ful- 
ler erected  an  elegant  hotel  for  some  time  known  as  the  Fuller  House,  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  Jackson  and  Seventh  streets,  costing  $110,000. 
It  was  a  brick  structure,  five  stories  high,  with  ample  balconies  at  the 
central  windows.  Stephen  and  Edward  Long  leased  it.  The  hotel  com- 
menced doing  a  splendid  business  and  the  Pioneer  in  1856  stated  that  the 
arrivals  at  the  four  principal  hotels  (Fuller,  Merchants,'  American  and 
Winslow)  in  one  week  amounted  to  over  one  thousand,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  summer  season  the  number  of  visitors  registered  at  all  the  hotels 
was  twenty-eight  thousand.  The  name  was  changed  to  International  and 
it  is  best  remembered  by  that  title.  The  Long  Brothers  were  succeeded 
by  E.  C.  Belote,  who  was  proprietor  when  the  hotel  was  burned  in  the 
winter  of  i86g,  and  who  shortly  afterwards  opened  the  Park  Place  Hotel 
on  Summit  avenue,  near  St.  Peter  street. 

The  Wild  Hunter  Hotel  was  erected  in  the  early  fifties  by  A.  L.  Lar- 
penteur  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Jackson  streets,  but  in  1865  was  moved 
a  few  doors  on  Jackson  street,  between  Third  and  Fourth  streets.  The 
W'ild  Hunter  Hotel  was  a  peculiar  building,  made  so  by  the  additions. 
It  i)assed  out  of  existence  in  1885  to  make  room  for  a  block  of  brick 
stores  which  now  occupy  its  site.  Besides  the  hotels  mentioned  there 
were  several  public  houses  classed  under  that  head  in  the  directory  of  the 
city,  published  in  1858.  Some  of  these  establishments  were  hardly  more 
than  boarding  houses,  and  a  few  had  exceedingly  limited  accommoda- 
tions for  their  guests. 

In  December,  1850,  a  three-story  brick  building,  erected  bv  Rice  and 

Vol.  1—27 


418  ST.   PAUL  AND  VICLMTY 

Banlil  on  West  Third  street,  on  the  site  where  now  stands  tlie  Metropol- 
itan Hotel  building,  was  completed,  and  the  territorial  legislature  met 
there  in  January,  1851,  in  the  upper  story.  This  building  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  November,  1856.  In  1868  a  number  of  citizens  raised  a  bonus, 
bought  the  land,  and  gave  James  Winslow-  a  consideration  to  erect  thereon 
the  ,Metro[)olitan  Hotel.  Mr.  Winslow  failing  to  complete  the  building. 
Major  Cullen,  tieorge  Culver  and  John  Farrington  assuniecl  the  responsi- 
bility and  the  partially  completed  edifice  passed  into  their  hands.  The  new 
owners  completed  the  building,  and  on  June  27,  1870,  the  hotel  was 
opened  to  the  public,  with  tiilbert  Dutcher  as  proprietor.  Mr.  Dutcher 
died  four  years  later,  but  his  successors.  Culver,  then  Belote,  then  Ferris 
and  others  kept  up  its  record  as  a  first  class  hotel  for  many  years.  It 
was  finally  closed  about  1903. 

Predecessor  or  '"St.  P.\ul"' 

The  Windsor  Hotel  was  erected  in  1877  at  a  cost  of  $75,000,  and  stood 
at  St.  Peter  and  Fifth  streets,  on  the  site  of  the  Greenman  House, 
which  was  burned  in  May,  1877.  It  was  opened  January  i,  1878,  by 
Summers  and  Baugh,  It  was  a  brick  and  stone  structure,  five  stories 
high,  and  had  200  rooms.  The  proprietors  Summers  and  Monfort,  en- 
larged it  in  1889.  Under  the  genial  management  of  Colonel  Monfort, 
the  Windsor  enjoyed  for  many  years  an  enviable  reputation  and  com- 
manded extensive  patronage.  After  his  death,  in  iqo2.  the  hotel  was 
closed.  In  1909  it  was  demolished  to  make  room  for  the  magnificent  new 
"St.  Paul." 

Hotel  Ryan 

One  of  our  modern  and  splendid  hostelries,  of  which  we  are  always 
proud,  is  the  Hotel  Ryan,  which  in  elegance  and  aj^pointment  ranks 
among  the  leading  hotels  of  the  country.  After  a  bonus  of  $200,000  had 
been  raised  for  the  jiroject,  Dennis  Ryan  undertook  its  construction  in 
1883.  It  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  over  $1,000,000,  and  o])ened  to  the 
public  on  July  i,  1885.  It  is  located  on  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Robert 
streets  antl  has  a  frontage  of  over  300  feet  on  Robert  street  and  150  feel 
on  Sixth  street.  This  immense  structin-e  is  seven  stories  high  and  rises 
to  a  height  of  112  feet  from  the  sidewalk,  while  its  three  towers  extend 
to  a  height  of  180  feet.  The  architectural  appearance  is  very  pleasing, 
consisting  of  a  combination  of  modern  Gothic  and  Moorish.  The  ex- 
terior is  of  St.  Louis  pressed  brick  and  Joilet  marble,  with  trimmings  of 
sandstone  and  red  and  drab  terra-cotta.  The  interior  finish  is  of  anti(|ue 
oak,  and  on  every  hand  one  is  impressed  with  the  taste  and  elegance  dis- 
played. The  hotel  proper  comprises  300  apartments.  The  grand  rotunda 
is  170  by  50  feet,  over  which  the  cathedral  dome,  set  with  illuminated 
windows,  permits  the  light  to  im]iart  a  peculiar  rich  charm  to  the  fres- 
coed panels,  quaint  cornices,  bronzed  columns  and  fretted  vault.  Under 
the  successful  management  of  Welz  and  Fry  for  fifteen  years,  the  Ryan 
had  a  high  standing,  which  has  been  fully  sustained  bv  Miv  W.iltcr  A. 
Pocock  who  succeeded  them. 

The  "St.  P.\fi,"  .\ni>  Otiiicr  Hotels 

'Ihc  ".St.  Paul"  is  the  last  word  in  hotel  magnitude,  comfort'^  ,i'id 
splendors,  not  only  of  the  city,  hut  of  the  great  midrlle  west.     It  i<  lo- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  MCINITY 


419 


HOTEL  RYAN 


420  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

cated  on  the  attractive  site  of  the  old  Windsor  at  Fifth  and  St.  I'ctcr 
streets  and  was  opened  April  i8,  1910,  in  a  literal  blaze  of  glory.  It  was 
erected  by  popular  enterprise  of  the  citizens  of  St.  Paul  and  is  conducted 
by  Henry  D.  Laughlin  and  John  C.  Roth,  Great  Northern  Hotel,  Chicago; 
R.  H.  Southgate.  Congress  Hotel,  Chicago  and  Charles  G.  Roth,  St. 
Nicholas  Hotel.  Cincinnati.  The  last  named  is  the  resident  manager. 
The  building  is  unique  in  that  its  great  ground  area  is  used  to  afford 
spacious  and  lolly  apartments  for  the  entertainment  and  comfort  of 
patrons;  while,  by' sacrificing  the  opportunity  for  numbers,  the  quality  of 
its  bed  chambers  has  been  solely  provided  for.  The  building  rises  in  two 
tiers  of  rooms  making  each  actually  a  front  room,  with  light,  air  and  mag- 
nificent views.  It  is  twelve  stories  in  height  and  the  superstructure  is 
steel,  faced  with  kiln  burned  tile,  making  the  hotel  both  fire  proof  and 
fire  resisting.  At  each  end  of  the  one  central  corridor  is  a  concrete 
stairway  encased  in  cement  walls.  The  management  proclaims  that 
"the  modern  hotel  is  a  luxuriaus  wholesale  home.  \\'ith  every  care  to 
provide  for  the  private  comfort  of  patrons,  we  have  not  for,m)ttcn  their 
public  entertainment.  The  lobby  and  lounge,  the  dining  room  and  palm 
room,  the  bar,  billiard  room  and  barber  shop — all  are  elegant  in  appoint- 
ment. We  deem  it  an  honor  and  a  privilege  to  receive  the  patronage  of 
women,  by  whose  presence  the  tone  of  the  hotel  is  guaranteed  to  be  high 
class."  A  leading  attraction  is  the  roof  garden  at  one  of  the  highest  at- 
tainable elevations  in  the  city.  All  the  finish  and  furnishings  of  the 
hotel,  throughout,  are  the  acme  of  sum]:)tuousness  guided  by  artistic  har- 
mony of  embellishment. 

The  Clarendon  Hotel  was  built  by  Rol)crt  1".  Lewis  in  1873  at  a  cost 
of  about  thirty  thousand  dollars.  It  is  a  three-story  brick  structure  with 
a  basement,  extending  one  hundred  feet  on  Wabasha  street  and  .seventy- 
five  feet  on  Sixth  street,  and  has  eighty  rooms.  Up  to  1876  the  first 
floor  was  occupied  by  stores,  but  that  season  it  was  remodeled  as  a  hotel 
by  J.  B.  Baker,  who  continued  the  business  until  June,  1S7X,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  C.  T.  McNamara  who  was  followed  by  I".  R.  Welz.  The 
present  proprietor  is  Angus  J.  Cameron. 

The  Sherman  Hotel,  corner  of  Fourth  and  .Sibley  streets,  was  first 
opened  by  Young  &  Son  in  1873.  In  1880  a  brick  structure  fifty  by  one 
hundred  feet,  and  four  stories  above  the  basement  was  added.  The 
original  building  was  the  same  size  excepting  the  height,  wliich  was  three 
stories.  It  has  been  rebuilt  and  remodeled  throughout,  within  a  few 
years  and  is  now  a  favorite  resort  for  busy  men,  being  convenient  to  the 
Union  Depot,  and  in  the  heart  of  the  wholesale  district.  F.dward  Norman 
is  now  projirietor  of  the  Sherman. 

The  Hotel  Foley,  Daniel  K.  Foley  proprietor,  is  located  at  Jackson  and 
Seventh  streets,  a  traditional  hotel  corner.  It  has  one  hundred  rooms  and 
ofTers  a  choice  between  the  luiropean  and  the  American  jilan. 

The  Willard,  at  Tenth  and  Saint  Peter  streets,  has  behind  it  twenty 
years'  record  of  popularity  and  success.  There  are  two  hundred  roorns. 
The  Willard  is  a  favorite  headquarters  for  conventions.  W.  O.  Wil- 
liams is  the  proprietor. 

The  Frederick  is  an  elegantly  appointed,  popular  hotel  at  Fifth  and 
Cedar  streets.  It  has  one  hundred  rooms,  a  cafe  service  of  well-estab- 
lished excellence,  and  enjoys  the  steady  i)nlronage  of  many  wealthy  but 
quiet  visitors. 

Other  well  known  hotels,  some  of  them  with  many  years  of  success- 
ful management  to  their  credit,  are  the  Jewell,  Kendall,  Astoria,  Liberty. 


ST.  PAUL  AND  MClXITY 


421 


ST.    r.VUL    HOTEL 


4-2-J  ST.    PAUL   AXD   XlClXI'lA' 

National.  Aljerdeeii,  Uoardmaii.  luulid.  Angus.  I'crris.  Maloney.  Port- 
land and  Reardon. 

There  are  now  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  hotels  in  the 
city,  of  various  {grades  and  dimensions.  Several  of  the  older  houses  are 
large,  comfortable  and  thuroujjihiy  well  managed.  There  are  some  ex- 
cellent family  hotels.  adai)ted  for  both  ])crmancnl  and  transient  guests,  as 
well  as  a  numl)er  of  smaller  business  men's  hotels,  and  he  must  be  in- 
deed difficult  to  please  who  cannot  lind  in  St.  Paul  a  stopping  place  suited 
to  his  taste  and  i)urse. 

Of  the  many  excellent  restaurants  and  cafes  in  the  city  we  can  only 
enumerate  a  few.  Magee's,  with  hotel  attachment,  is  of  almost  historic 
renown.  Carling's  "up  town"  and  "down  town"  establishments  cater  to 
a  high  class  patronage.  hVenzel's,  Sommerfield's.  Fadden's,  New  Eng- 
land. Trocke's,  Lenox,  the  W'oman's  Exchange  and  others  have  estab- 
lished en\i;il>li-  reputations. 

Tiiic  .\ri)irounM 

The  St.  I'aul  .\uditorium  is  in  many  resjiects  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable buildings  on  the  continent.  I'uilt  in  a  burst  of  popular  enthus- 
iasm, half  the  money  contril)Uled  by  a  generous  and  public  s|)irited  com- 
nuniitv.  the  balance  obtained  through  the  sale  of  city  bonds,  it  is  a  struc- 
ture in  a  very  special  sense  belonging  to  and  rci)resentative  of  the  people. 
It  contains  the  largest  stage  in  .\merica,  if  not  in  the  world.  It  is  so  con- 
structed that  a  portion  containing  proscenium  boxes  and  balconies  can 
be  let  down  like  a  curtain,  the  walls  contracted,  and  a  perfect  theater, 
capable  of  seating  3.200  people,  cut  out  of  the  interior ;  or  by  a  reverse 
process  the  building  may  be  converted  into  a  convention  hall  with  a  ca- 
pacity of  over  10.000.  A  movable  stage  extends,  if  required,  the  pros- 
cenium floor  and  adds  to  the  seating  capacity.  No  building  could  be  de- 
vised that  is  more  perfectly  fireproof,  or  from  which  escape  can  be  more 
readilv  made.  It  is  built  of  brick,  steel  and  concrete  and  has  so  many 
exits  that  it  has  been  described  as  occu])ying  the  center  of  an  open  stjuarc. 

The  building  covers  an  acre  and  a  quarter  in  the  most  accessible  ]iari 
of  the  city,  and  its  existence  here  attracts  many  conventions.  It  cost 
$460,000.  It  is  a  block  in  length,  three-fifths  of  a  block  wide  and  five 
stories  high.  The  upper  floors  are  occupied  by  the  St.  Paul  Institute 
and  the  Museum  of  Natural  History.  The  dimensions  are  301  feet  long. 
181  wide  and  70  high. 

To  enumerate  the  uses  lo  which  the  .\uditorium  has  been  a|>plie(l,  in 
the  four  vears  of  its  comjileted  existence,  would  constitute  a  history  of 
St.  Paul  for  that  i)eriod.  I'.anquets.  conventions,  ))olitical  meetings,  grand 
opera,  concerts,  drama.  i)alls.  i)ageants.  exhil^itions — every  function  of  .1 
large  and  active  comnnmity  ))asses  in  review  within  its  walls.  Tiic 
annual  observances  of  Meiuorial  Day  are  always  held  here  and  test  the  full 
cai)acitv  of  the  immense  building,  with  the  spontaneous  outpouring  of 
])atriotic  citizens. 

Oriii^R   AssEMnLV   Hai.ls 

•  )lher  large  halls,  which  can  be  utili/cil  when  .additional  space  is  rc- 
r|uircd  for  simultaneous  assemblages,  are  the  .\rmory  at  Sixtli  and  l'"x- 
change  streets;  the  People's  church  on  Pleasant  aveiuie.  built  witii  sjK-cial 
reference  to  its  acoustic  properties  for  large  congregations :  the  Central 
Presbvterian  church,  on  Cedar  street:  the  City  Council  chamber  at   the 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  423 

court  house ;  the  legislative  halls  of  the  old  and  new  Capitols ;  all  the 
principal  theaters,  and  numerous  public  halls  in  different  sections  of  the 
city. 

From  the  earliest  period  of  its  development  St.  Paul  recognized  the 
need  of  ample  assembly  halls,  to  comport  with  its  position  as  the  capital 
and  convention  city.  There  were  various  makeshift  devices  during  the 
territorial  era.  In  1857  the  German  Societies  built  the  Atheneum  near 
Irvine  Park,  which  sufficed  for  a  long  time.  Market  Hall,  at  Wabasha 
and  Seventh  streets  was  utilized  for  ten  or  fifteen  years.  In  1880  the 
Davidson  Skating  rink,  on  Fourth  street  near  St.  Peter,  was  transformed 
into  a  great  hall,  and  used  for  concerts,  conventions,  etc.  In  1890  a 
frame  "auditorium"  available  for  summer  use  with  a  seating  capacity  of 
6.000  was  built  on  Eighth  street,  near  Cedar,  and  utilized  until  1903. 
Not,  however,  until  the  construction  of  the  present  splendid  and  perma- 
nent building  has  the  demand  been  fully  and  finally  supplied. 

Amusement  H.\lls  .\nd  Amusements 

The  city  oflfers  a  large  variety  and  number  of  amusements  which 
meet  all  tastes.  Besides  the  very  large  affairs  conducted  from  time  to 
time  at  the  Auditorium,  the  Shubert  and  Metropolitan  theaters  play  the 
highest  class  of  attractions  that  are  produced  on  Broadway  or  in  Chicago. 
At  the  Orpheum  may  be  seen  the  best  examples  of  international  vaude- 
ville. Popular  plays  at  popular  prices,  with  frequent  changes  of  bill,  are 
produced  at  the  Grand,  while  at  the  Empress  are  excellent  vaudeville 
shows  at  popular  prices,  and  the  Gaiety  presents  a  combination  of  vaude- 
ville and  high  class  motion  pictures.  There  are  also  a  number  of  other 
moving  picture  houses,  among  which  the  beautiful  Princess  theater  is 
easily  the  leader. 

The  drama  was  inaugurated  in  St.  Paul  in  August,  1851  when  the 
city's  entire  population  was  1,083 — about  half  enough  to  fill  one  theater 
in  191 1.  A  portion  of  the  troupe  of  "Placide's  X'arieties,"  of  New  Or- 
leans, then  closed  as  usual  during  the  summer,  wandered  to  St.  Paul, 
partly  for  pleasure,  partly  for  gain,  and  ojsened  a  theater  in  Mazurka 
Hall.  George  Holland  was  manager.  One  of  the  papers  of  the  day  says : 
"They  performed  to  full  houses  for  two  weeks."  Among  the  plays  ad- 
vertised were  "The  Day  after  the  Fair,"  "Swiss  Cottage,"  "Betsey 
Baker,"  "Slasher  and  Crasher,"  etc. 

"Langrishe  &  Atwater's  Troupe''  commenced  a  theatrical  season  at 
Mazurka  Hall,  on  May  22.  1832,  and  played  to  good  houses  for  two  or 
three  week-;. 

The  next  mention  of  early  dramatic  eft'orts  comes  in  1853,  when  Lin- 
den and  Underbill's  theatrical  corps  opened  a  short  season  at  the  Court 
House  July  20.  That  year  the  original  Market  House  was  built,  which 
in  later  years  was  a  prominent  home  of  the  drama,  but  was  superseded  in 
1881  by  the  much  larger  structure,  the  upper  floors  of  which  were  used, 
in  turn,  for  a  public  hall,  a  theater,  the  temporary  .state  capitol,  and  now 
for  the  public  library. 

The  season  of  1857,  saw  St.  Paul  well  supplied  with  theaters,  as  with 
all  other  concomitants  of  "flush  times."  Sallie  St.  Claire's  Varieties 
opened  a  prosperous  run  at  Market  Hall  on  May  20th.  On  June  27th,  H. 
Van  Liew  opened  the  "People's  Theatre"  in  a  frame  structure,  built  for 
the  purpose  at  Fourth  and  St.  Peter  streets.  .\  few  days  later  Mr.  Scott 
brought  a  small  company  and  opened  a  theater  in  Irvine's  Block.     Thus 


424  ST.  PAUL  AND  \  ICIXITY 

there  were  three  theaters  going  at  one  time,  and  all  doing  well.  The 
panic,  a  few  weeks  later,  closed  them  up.  The  hall  used  by  Scott's  troupe 
was  subsequently  used  by  the  House  of  Hope  congregation  as  a  tem- 
porary church. 

From  that  time  forward,  St.  Paul  did  not  suffer  for  amusements, 
though  for  a  time,  on  account  of  the  difficulties  of  winter  travel,  its 
theatrical  "seasons"  were  chiefly  limited  to  the  summer  months.  Simul- 
taneously with  the  establishment  of  rail  communication  with  the  east, 
our  citizens  provided  a  permanent,  and,  considL-ring  the  then  pojiulation 
of  the  city,  a  highly  creditable  home  for  music  and  the  drama.  On  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1867,  was  dedicated,  with  approiJriate  ceremonies,  the  lirst  .^t. 
Paul  opera  house,  on  Wabasha  street,  since  transformed  into  the  liethel 
hotel.  This  building,  subsequently  enlarged  and  reconstructed,  filled  all 
the  requirements  of  the  growing  metropolis  for  more  than  twenty  years. 

Here  all  of  America's  greatest  dramatic  artists  and  concert  singers 
appeared  to  large  and  appreciative  audiences.  John  McCullough.  Edwin 
Booth,  John  T.  Raymond,  W.  J.  Florence,  Stuart  Robson,  Salvini,  Law- 
rence Piarrelt,  Joseph  Jefferson,  PL  C.  P.arnabee,  Fmma  Abbott,  Madame 
Rhea,  Margaret  Mather,  Mrs.  Scott  Siddons  and  Maggie  Mitchell  are 
only  a  few  of  the  historic  celebrities  who  exacted  tributes  of  a])plause, 
etc.,  from  our  enthusiastic  people. 

The  first  opera  house  was  built  with  its  stage  on  the  Wabasha  street 
front,  directly  over  the  entrance  a  veritable  fire-trap.  It  was  used  for 
twenty  years  without  .disaster.  In  1883  it  was  reconstructed,  placing  the 
theater  on  the  ground  floor  and  in  the  rear — a  much  safer  arrangement. 
The  new  structure  was  burned  in  January,  1888,  when  it  was  fortunately 
emi)ty.  Manager  L.  N.  Scott  transferred  his  business  to  Market  Hall, 
which  he  retained  until  the  Melr()])olitan  was  finished. 

Years  ago  St.  Paul  outgrew  the  old  "opera  house,"  or  any  one  theater, 
but  the  supply  has  generously  ke]Jt  pace  with  the  demand.  The  Metro- 
politan, built  and  equipped  in  1890  through  the  public  sj^irit  of  Mr.  A.  B. 
Stickney  and  his  associates,  is  even  yet  commensurate  with  the  needs 
of  a  population  and  wealth  vastly  augumented.  The  Grand,  built  by 
Jacob  Litt  and  first  managed  by  F.  L.  Bixby.  opened  in  1S90.  The  Schu- 
bert, the  Orpheum  and  others  came  later.  Each  in  its  s()here  provides 
rational  amusement  for  its  patrons,  and  helps  sustain  the  city's  cosmo- 
politan dignity. 

Improved  Movino  Picture  Shows 

The  latest  development  in  the  dratjiatic  and  spectacular  line  is  the 
moving  picture  show,  which  commands  phenomenal  popularity  and  has  un- 
limited fields  of  instructive  interest. 

The  picture  speaks  a  language  all  may  understand;  it  is  visualized 
speech  transformed  into  action.  It  is  a  play  without  words,  but  em- 
bodies much  quick  action.  There  is  alnmst  nothing  in  human  affairs 
that  may  not  be  presented  in  it  from  the  realm  of  the  comjiound  micro- 
scope to  the  latest  prize  fight,  and  it  is  all  made  intelligible  and  entertain- 
ing. Here  may  be  bodied  forth  vast  areas  of  tragic  brainstorm ;  here  may 
be  portrayed  gushing  outflows  of  emotional  cloud  burst.  Most  important 
of  all,  it  is  cheap.     A  nickel  or  a  dime  will  obtain  the  very  best. 

The  popularity  of  the  moving  picture  is  attestctl  by  hourly  observation. 
It  is  estimated  that  there  arc  now  fully  10,000  of  these  theaters  in  the 
United  States,  as  against  1,400  of  all  other  kinds.     From  500.000  to  Ttoo,- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  \ICIXITY  425 

ooo  children  attend  them  daily ;  not  as  they  attend  school,  because  they 
must,  but  because  they  want  to  do  so.  One  investigator  figures  that  4,- 
000,000  persons  attend  the  moving  picture  theaters  in  the  United  States 
every  dav  in  the  year.  These  figures  show  that  this  has  become  a  big 
factor  in  the  recreation  and  education  of  the  American  people. 

Both  the  quality  and  the  character  of  moving  pictures  have  improved 
wonderfully  during  the  past  few  years.  Inventive  genius  is  largely  re- 
sponsible for  the  first;  the  developing  public  conscience  of  film  manufac- 
turers and  exhibitors  for  the  second — a  conscience,  by  the  way,  which 
has  been  appreciably  quickened  by  the  disinterested  work  of  the  New 
York  board  of  censors,  a  group  of  citizens  who  work  in  conjunction  with 
the  New  York  film  manufacturers  and  pass  on  films  before  they  are  ex- 
hibited. Much,  however,  remains  to  be  done,  especially  in  regard  to  su- 
pervision and  safety  of  moving  picture  houses.  The  dangers  of  fire  and 
explosion  are  ever  present  and  must  be  guarded  against  by  stringent 
municipal  regulations. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  STATE  FAIR 

First  Territorial  Fair — Fairs  of  Tiiii  State  Agriculti-ral  Society 
Fair  Grounds  and  Northwestern  Exposition — Ac.ricultur.\l 
Interests  of  Minnesota — Comparatine  State  Exhibits — The 
1912  State  Fair — Distribution  of  Premiums — Special  Features. 

In  Marcli.  1X53,  there  was  incorporated  by  the  Minnesota  territorial 
legislature  the  Ileiinepin  County  Agricultural  Society.  In  this  society 
was  started  the  movement  resulting  in  the  formation  of  the  Minnesota 
Agricultural  Territorial  Society,  the  first  meeting  of  which  was  held  in  St. 
Paul  January  4,  1S54.  ( iovernor  Willis  .\.  (iorman  was  elected  the  first 
president  of  the  society. 

First  Ti-.KurroRi ai,  1".\iu 

No  fair  was  held  during  the  year  of  the  society's  organization,  hut 
in  October.  1S55,  this  body  acting  jointly  with  tlie  Hennepin  County 
Agricultural  Society  held  the  first  Territorial  Fair,  which  was  the  fore- 
runner of  the  greatest  State  Fair  in  the  country.  A.  L.  I.arpenteur  of 
St.  Paul  was  an  exhibitor  at  the  first  fair,  and  has  attended  eadi  one 
since  held.  In  i860  the  legislature  changed  the  name  of  the  corporation 
to  that  of  "Minnesota  State  Agricultur.al  .'Society,"  which  name  it  has 
since  retained. 

Previous  to  the  \ear  1885  the  Minnesota  .'-itate  .\gricuhural  .Society 
had  no  permanent  abiding  ])lace.  .\t  the  annual  meeting  in  1883  the 
county  of  Ramsey  tendered  to  the  society  the  ]M-incely  gift  of  her  ad- 
mirably located  county  farm,  with  its  two  hundred  acres  of  richest  soil 
and  its  buiUlings,  and  said,  in  the  language  of  her  commissioner,  that 
"the  gift  was  but  the  token  of  her  appreciation  of  the  society,  and  her  in- 
terest in  its  success  and  in  the  agricultural  jirosperity  of  the  whole  state." 
The  legislature  appropriated  $150,000  for  buildings  and  im])rovements  of 
the  grounds,  which  was  wisely  used,  and  the  Miiuicsota  State  .Agricul- 
tural Society  soon  had  a  "home"  second  to  none  in  tlie  Cnited  .'States. 

Fairs  of  the  State  A«;rici'!.ti-r\i.  Society 

In  i860  a  successful  fair  was  held  at  Fort  Snelling,  but  in  i8^)i  and 
1862,  owing  to  tlie  Rebellion  and  the  Indian  war.  none  were  attetniited. 
From  1863  to  1885  the  agricultural  society  succeeded  in  liotding  annual 
fairs.  The  following  table  gives,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  to  obtain  them, 
the  dates  of  holding  fairs  since  the  organization  of  the  society,  the  jilace, 
the  names  of  the  i)residcnt,  atul  the  total  receipts  for  each  ye.ar.  It  shows 
tl)c  wonflerful  growth  of  this  remarkable  institution. 

426 


ST.   PAUL  AND  VICINITY  427 

Date  of  Fair.  President.  Place  Held.  Total  Receipts. 


1853.  no  fair Gov.     W.    A.     Gor- 

man, St.  Paul.  ... 

1854,  no  fair John     H.      Stevens, 

Minneapolis    

Oct.   17-18,   1S55  John      H.      Stevens, 

(joint  fair)    Minneapolis    Minneapolis 

Oct.  8,  9,  ID,  1856.  .    Ex-Gov.  Alex.  Rani- 

sev,  St.  Paul   ....     Minneapolis 
Oct.  7,  8,  9,  1857...     H.  H.   Sibley,   Men-    St.    Paul,    Capitol 

dota    Square   Not  a  success. 

1858,  no  fair No   election   of  offi- 
cers held. 

Oct.    5,    6,    7.    1859.    Moses  Sherburne  ..    Minneapolis    $4,000. 

joint  fair.  Henn. 
&  State  Society.  . 

Sept.,     i860,     under    Chas.  Hoa.s;,  Henn..    J'"ort   Snelling $1,619.06. 

newly  organized 
Minn.  State  Agric. 
Society    

1861,  no  fair Chas.  Hoag   

1862,  no  fair Wm.   L.   -\mcs.   St. 

Paul    

Sept.     lO-Oct.     I.    2,Wm.   L.    .\mes I-"ort   Snelling $1,034.80. 

1863  ■ Deficit  of  $67-48 

Oct.  5,  6,  7,  1864 ....    J  a  r  e  d      Benson, 

Anoka    Red  Wing 

Sept.     27,      28,     29,    Dr.     T.     T-     Mann,    Minneapolis  I'/j   mi. 
1865.       "Horace       Cottage  Grove  ...        so.  Nicollet  House 
Greeley's   fair".  . .. 
Oct.  2,  3.  4.  5.  1866    Dr.      T.    T.    Mann, 

Cottage  Grove  .  . .    Rochester    Financial  success. 

Oct.   I,  2,  3.  4.  1867    Dr.  T.  T.  Mann Rochester 

Sept.  29,  30,  Oct.  I.    Gen.     Alex.     Chani- 

2,  1868  bers,   Steele  Co...    .Minneapolis    $3-5oO- 

1st  legislative  appro- 
Sept.  28.  29,  .?o.  Pet.    Wm.  H.  Feller,  Wa-  priation,   $1,000. 

I,  1869  basha    Rochester    $2,300. 

Sept.  20,  21.  22.  23,    O.     P.     Whitcomb, 

1870    Olinstead    Co Winona 

Sept.  26,  27.  28.  29,    O.   P.   Whitcomb..     St.    Paul,    "Kittson- 

1871     dale"    $9,303.09. 

Sept.  16,   17,   iS,   19,    O.   P.  Whitcomb..     St.    Paul,    "Kittson- 

20,  1872  dale"    

Sept.   2^26,    TS73...     .\ra   Barton,   North-    St.    Paul,    "Kittson- 

field    dale"    $12,465.00. 

Sept.    8,    9,    10,    II,    .\ra  Barton    St.    Paul,    "Kittson- 

1874    dale"    $7,36.141. 

Sept.    14,   i.S,   16,   17,    Wm.  Fowler.  Wash.    St.    Paul,    "Kittson-    Grasshoppers   and 

1875  ...'. Co dale"    rain   made    fair    a 

failure. 
Oct.    3,    4,    s-    fi.    7.    Wm.  Fowler   St.    Paul ,    "Kittson- 

1876    .  dale"    Cold,  wet  weather. 

Sept.    3,    4.    1,    6  to    Wm.   S.   King,  St.    Paul,    "Kittson- 

8,  1877,  "Bill  Minneapolis    dale"    $18,245.00 

King's    Big    State 

Fair"    

Sept.  3-8,  1878  Isaac  Staples,  St.    Paul.    "Kittson- 

(Pres.  Hayes'  Stillwater    dale"    $25,398.00 

Fair)     

Sept.  2-7,    1879 Saml.  E.  .'Vdams,  St.    Paul.    "Kittson- 

Monticello   dale"    

Aug.    30-Sept.   4.  John   S.   Prince,   .St. 

1880    Paul   Rochester    $10,275.31 


428  ST.  PAUL  AND  VTCIXITY 

Date    of   Fair  President  Place  Held  Total  Receipts 


Sept.  s-io,   1881 Clark  W.  Thompson  Rochester    $11,143.10. 

Aug.  31-Sept.  I,  Clark  W.  Thompson  Rochester    $17,660.54. 

1882    

Sept.  3-7.  1883 Clark  W.  Thompson  Owatonna  $14,068.78. 

Sept.  8-13,  i8<S4 Clark  W.  Thompson  Owatonna  $14,512.91. 

Sept.  7-15.  1885 N.     P.    Clarke,    St. 

Cloud    St.  Paul  $57,806.02. 

Aug.  30-Sept.  4,  Horace     W.     Pratt, 

1886    Faribault  St.  Paul  $43,084.30. 

Sept.  9-17,  1887 W.  R.  Merriam,  St. 

Paul    St.  Paul $78,945.71. 

Sept.  10-15,  1888 W.  R.  Merriam St.  Paul  $80,472.73. 

Sept.  6-14.  1889 Wm.    M.     Bushnell, 

St.  Paul   St.  Paul   $64,496.20. 

Sept.  8-13,  1890 Fred     C.     Pillsbury, 

Minneapolis   St.  Paul   $62,132.30. 

Sept.  7-12,  1891 David  M.  Clough, 

Minneapolis   St.  Paul  $68,659.52. 

Sept.  5-9,  1892 Jule  H.  Burwell, 

St.   Paul    St.  Paul  $50,318.98. 

No  fair,  1893 Col.    John    H.    Ste- 
vens,   Minneapolis  St.  Paul  World's  Fair,  Chi- 
cago. 

Sept.  10-15,  1894 Col.    John    H.    Ste- 
vens    St.  Paul  $33,630.08. 

Sept.  9-14,  189s Edgar  Weaver, 

Mankato   St.  Paul  $49.7,5.88. 

Aug.  31-Sept.  5,  Edgar  Weaver  St.  Paul  $6i.3"ii.87. 

1896    

Sept.   6-11,  1897 Edgar  Weaver  St.  Paul  $54,703.05. 

Sept.   5-10,   1898 John  Francis  Coop- 
er, St.  Cloud  ....  St.  Paul  $62,52-!.70. 

Sept.  4-9,  1899....     John  Francis  Cooper  St.  Paul  $94,384.78. 

Sept.  3-8,  1900 John  Francis  Cooper  St.  Paul $105,754.97. 

Sept.  2-7,  1901 John  Francis  Cooper  St.  Paul  $132,121.34. 

Sept.  1-6,  1902 C.  N.  Cosgrove,  St.  Paul  $180,909.05. 

LeSueur    

Aug.  31-Sept.  5,  C.  N.   Cosgrove St.  Paul  $215,676.66. 

1903    $205,809.67. 

Aug.  29-Sept.  3,  C.   N.   Cosgrove St.  Paul  (Rain). 

1904  

Sept-  4-9,  1905 C.  N.  Cosgrove St.  Paul  $241,574.89. 

Sept.  3-8,  1906 C.  N.  Cosgrove St.  Paul  $284,670.47. 

Sept.  2-7,  1907 C.  N.  Cosgrove St.  Paul  $275,280.84. 

Aug.  31-Scpt.  5,  R.   F.   Nelson,   Min- 

1908    neapolis  St.  Paul  $291,800.03. 

Sept.  6-11,   1909 B.  F.  Nelson St.  Paul  $348,056.62. 

Sept.   5-10,   1910 J.   M.  Underwood..  St.  Paul  $^!;9.445.82. 

Sept.  4-9,   191 1 C.   W.   Clotfclter...  St.    Paul    $,135.3.i4.73 

Sept.  2-8,   1912 C.  W.   Glotfelter...  St.    Paul    $.164,241.20 

I'.MR  Grounds  .\nd  Northwf.stf.rn  Exposition 

The  establishment  of  the  permanent  home  of  the  Slate  I'air  at  the 
grounrls  in  the  then  siihurh  of  Tlamline,  now  a  jvart  of  .'^t.  I'aiil,  in  1885, 
marked  tlie  beginning  of  a  period  of  i)rosperity  iinexani])led  in  the  Iiis- 
tory  of  this  or  any  similar  institution.  Tlie  talile  of  annual  receipts  shows 
this  growth.  From  tltat  time  until  the  ])resent  with  the  e.xception  or 
189,^.  when  Minnesota's  attention  was  taken  up  by  her  exhibits  at  the 
world's  fair  in  Chicago,  there  has  been  a  fair  each  year  and,  generally 
speaking,  it  has  been  a  better  fair  each  year.  Since  the  days  of  its  in- 
ception, the  fairs  of  the  State  .Xgricultural  Society  have  been  appreciated 
as  an  advertisement  of  the  state  and  its  resources,  as  an  incentive  to  bet- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


429 


ter  and  greater  things,  and  as  an  educator  of  the  people.  For  these  rea- 
sons it  has  prospered. 

Today  the  Minnesota  State  AgricuUural  Society  controls  real  estate 
valued  at  $316,815  and  buildings  valued  at  $735,525.  The  people  who 
paid  a  visit  to  the  state  fair  and  exposition  in  1910  numbered  nearly  one- 
third  of  a  million  and  the  net  profits  of  this  fair  in  round  figures  amounted 
to  $86,000,  all  of  which  was  spent  in  permanent  improvement  on  the 
grounds.  Four  years  ago  an  additional  tract  of  land  was  purchased, 
making  the  present  area  324  acres. 

Not  only  in  this  state,  but  throughout  the  entire  northwest,  the  Minne- 
sota State  Fair  is  commonly  known  as  the  Great  Northwestern  Exposi- 
tion. Today  this  fair  stands  alone  in  the  forefront  of  similar  institu- 
tions, approaching  in  its  magnitude  the  proportions  of  an  international 
exposition.  In  the  matter  of  attendance  and  popularity  it  is  without  a 
peer.  The  total  admission  of  376,800  in  1912  is  nearly  double  that  of 
any  other  fair  in  the  United  States. 

The  controlling  desire  of  the  management  is  to  make  Minnesota  and 
Minnesota's  State  Fair  first  in  everything.  Their  aim  is  to  increase  the 
educational  value  of  this  great  institution  and,  without  lessening  its  in- 


MINNES0T.\   ST.\TE    F.\IR   GROUNDS 


terest  from  a  recreative  and  amusement  stand[)oint,  to  largely  expand  its 
capabilities  for  teaching  the  farmers  and  the  whole  people  what  they 
should  know.  The  idea  is  to  give  them  concrete  examples  of  the  best 
products  of  man's  industry  and  ingenuity  whether  it  is  expended  in  the 
office,  the  factory  or  the  field. 

Extensive  plans  of  enlargement  in  several  of  the  departments,  but 
.  especially  in  the  agricultural  department,  have  been  made  and  are  being 
worked  out  for  the  coming  years.  The  fair  never  stands  still.  More  at- 
tention will  be  paid  and  more  effort  will  be  used  to  sectire  agricultural 
exhibits  from  all  of  the  counties  of  tlie  state.  Special  attention  will  also 
be  given  to  the  exhibits  of  agricultural  and  other  schools.  The  woman's 
department  will  be  increased,  as  will  the  exhibits  in  the  horse,  cattle, 
machinery  and   other  departments. 

The  announced  objects  of  the  officers  of  the  '^Minnesota  State  Agri- 
cultural Society  are : 

To  make  the  Minnesota  State  Fair  and  Exposition  one  of  the  great- 
est educational  institutions  in  the  state. 

To  make  it  a  place  where  all  classes  and  conditions  of  people  can 
come  and  learn  from  observation  what  brains  and  time  and  money  and 
perseverance  have  achieved  in  every  line  of  industry. 

To  make  it  a  mirror  of  the  state's  resources  and  thus  Minnesota's 
greatest  advertising  asset. 


430  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

To  make  it  not  only  the  greatest  exposition  in  point  of  size  and  at- 
tendance, but  the  greatest  in  intrinsic  educational  value. 

To  make  it  a  place  where  every  one  can  go  and  be  entertained  royally, 
but  entertained  without  resort  to  amusements  that  are  not  uplifting  and 
moral 

To  make  it  a  veritable  short  course  in  agriculture,  stock  raising,  manu- 
facturing and  in  every  industry  that  is  worth  while. 

To  make  its  three  hundred  acres  and  its  week  in  September  the  place 
and  the  time  that  will  furnish  the  greatest  interest  to  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  people  in  the  northwest — increasing  the  interest  and  tlie  attendance. 
year  by  year. 

The  great  Northwestern  Exposition  which,  from  force  of  habit  we  call 
the  State  Fair,  has  an  environment  and  a  constituency,  commensurate 
with  its  high  ideals.  Minnesota  farm  college  ex])erts  claim  credit  for 
the  Burbank-like  achievement  of  grafting  the  tomato  plant  on  its  generic 
twin,  the  Irish  potato,  and  producing  both  fruit  and  tubers  from  the 
same  stalk.  It  is  reported  that  they  are  to  cross  the  lire-fly  with  the 
honey-bee,  thus  enabling  the  latter  to  work  all  night.  The  Minnesota 
farmer,  encouraged  by  these  achievements,  enlarges  the  boundaries  of 
his  professional  ambition  and  revels  in  the  i)remonitions  of  immeasur- 
able prosperity ;  he  raises  bounteous  crops  from  the  fertile  soil.  In  some 
regions  he  exacts  sumptuous  royalties  from  ores  extracted  from  the 
substratum.  He  harnesses  the  air  currents  over  him  to  windmills  that 
pump  and  grind  and  saw  and  generate  electricity  for  his  automobiles. 
He  is  now  planning  to  collect  tolls  from  the  aviators  who  will  soon  sail 
through  the  clouds  above  his  plethoric  domain — all  heights  and  depths 
and  elements  thus  contributing  to  his  enrichment.  To  him,  the  State  Fair 
brings  an  annual  revelation  of  .still  broader  jiossibilities. 

Agricultural  Interests  ok  Minnesot.v 

What  the  agriculture  of  Minnesota  means,  in  dollars  and  cents,  to 
the  business  interests  of  St.  Paul  and  the  other  cities,  may  be  partially 
gathered  from  the  following  official  statement  of  approximate  areas 
and  values  relating  to  1909: 

Total  acreage   53,943,378.24 

Number  of  farms 173,107 

Acres  of  farms 2(\24S.4gH 

Acres  improved   iS,422,585 

Corn ?  30,582,240.00 

Wheat    95,961,600.00 

Oats   33,40<).56o.oo 

I  '.arlev    1  (>.43--000.6o 

Rve    '  ,459.200.00 

Flax    7,875,000.00 

May    10,380,800.00 

iluckwheat    53.0^10.00 

Potatoes    <>,440,ooo.oo 

I  ,ive  Stock,  estimated 1 25.000.000.00 

Dairv  Products,  estimated 50,000.000.00 

Poultry,    estimated    27,000,000.00 

Miscellaneous,  such  as  fruit,  truck  garden- 
ing, etc 25,000,000.00 

Total  value  of  Minnesota's  farm  products  in 
1909    $429.591 ,360.00 


Cattle, 

number   .  . 

•  •  1.^7 1,3-25. 

Horses, 

■  •    (199,469. 

Mules. 

■• 

•  ■        8,339, 

Sheep, 

..    589,878. 

Swine, 

.  .  1 ,440,806, 

Goats, 

..        3.8-' 1. 

ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  431 

value $36,248,958.00 

"      42,255,044.00 

486,580.00 

■•      1,740,088.00 

"      5,865,590.00 

1 2,908.00 

All   domestic  animals $86,620,643.00 

The  Minnesota  State  Fair  and  Exposition  is  the  only  self-supporting 
educational  institution  in  the  state,  and  thus,  with  practically  no  expense 
to  the  taxpayers,  this  institution  is  carrying  on  the  work  of  making  Min- 
nesota first  in  everything,  and  affords  a  meeting  place  where  over  three 
hundred  thousand  people  annually  gather  to  be  entertained  and  to  learn 
the  best  methods  in  every  line  of  endeavor. 

Most  Minnesota  people  know  that  this  state  produces  about  30  per 
cent  of  the  spring  wheat  raised  in  the  United  States;  that  Minnesota  is 
one  of  the  banner  barley  states ;  that  she  leads  in  dairy  production ;  that 
for  a  high  quality  of  crops  and  live  stock  there  is  no  state  her  superior. 
But  there  are  many  who  do  not  know  that  in  1909  Minnesota  produced 
a  greater  yield  of  corn  per  acre  than  did  the  state  of  Iowa,  the  pride  of 
the  Corn  Belt  states.  It  may  be  interesting  to  know  that  the  fabled  yields 
of  Bermuda  onions  in  the  Gulf  states  have  been  excelled  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  Twin  City,  with  resulting  profit  as  high  as  $800  per  acre ;  that 
celery  experts  from  the  fabulously  priced  Kalamazoo  celery  lands  have 
pronounced  the  muck  soils  of  northern  Minnesota  the  finest  celery  lands 
in  the  country..  The  lure  of  the  press  agent  in  far  distant  states  where 
specialized  farming  is  followed,  has  caused  many  Minnesota  people  to 
overlook  the  fact  that  there  are  few  sections  where  crops  yield  better 
returns. 

At  present  the  officers  of  the  ^linnesota  State  Agricultural  Society 
are:  C.  W.  Glotfelter,  Waterville;  E.  J.  Stilwell,  first  vice  president, 
Minneapolis ;  Eli  \\'arner,  second  vice  president,  St.  Paul ;  J-  C.  Simp- 
son, secretary,  Hamline ;  Edgar  L.  'Mattson,  treasurer,  Minneapolis. 
The  board  of  managers  are  George  x\tchison,  Mankato ;  W.  W.  Sivright, 
Hutchinson ;  Robert  Crickmore,  Owatonna ;  C.  P.  Craig,  Duluth ;  F.  W. 
Murphy,  Wheaton ;  Thomas  H.  Canfield.  Lake  Park. 

Comparative  St.ate  Exhibits 

Bv  the  year  1910  the  Minnesota  State  Fair  had  gone  to  the  front,  pass- 
ing all  its  rivals,  in  each  of  the  elements  of  greatness.  In  paid  admis- 
sions that  vear,  it  took  the  lead,  the  receipts  iDeing  $150,306.55.  Texas, 
which  represented  the  interests  of  the  great  southwest,  showed  receipts 
for  admission  amounting  to  only  $112,599.70.  New  York  state  fair  was 
third  on  the  list  with  admissions  aggregating  to  $86,163.85.  The  Minne- 
sota State  Fair  also  took  the  lead  in  the  matter  of  amphitheater  admis- 
sions, its  receipts  being  $58,547.50.  Iowa  was  second  with  receipts 
aggregating  $26,000.  Total  receipts  of  the  ^Minnesota  State  Fair  for  that 
year  were  materially  in  excess  of  the  aggregate  receipts  of  any  other 
state  fair.  Minnesota  received  $288,961.84,  its  nearest  competitor  being 
Texas  state  fair  with  aggregate  receipts  of  $208,961.84. 

^Minnesota  was  second  in  1910  in  the  matter  of  attendance,  the  aggre- 
gate being  318,264.  Illinois  state  fair  captured  the  largest  attendance, 
its  total  being  333,911-     The  Minnesota  State  Fair  expended  for  improve- 


432  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

ments  the  sum  of  $78,877,12,  this  amount  being  exceeded  only  by  the 
Texas  state  fair,  which  spent  $124,325.92.  The  Minnesota  State  Fair, 
however,  exceeds  all  others,  save  Illinois,  in  the  matter  of  the  valuation 
of  its  property,  the  aggregate  here  being  $1,052,375,  while  the  Illinois 
valuation  is  $1,105,000. 

The  191 1  State  F.mr 

The  figures  of  1910  arc  used  for  comjjarison  because  the  figures  for 
1912  are  not  yet  available  as  to  other  states,  and  the  fair  of  191 1,  although 
by  all  odds  the  largest  and  most  complete  ever  presented  up  to  that  time, 
was  greatly  damaged  by  unpropitious  weather  conditions.  During  "fair 
week,"  which  began  September  4,  191 1,  rains  fell  almost  continually  un- 
til Saturday.  The  exhibits  were  in  place  and  surpassed  all  previous 
fairs ;  many  of  the  entertainments  and  attractions  were  carried  out,  in 
spite  of  all  obstacles;  in  the  educational  features,  social  reunions,  lectures, 
etc.,  the  programmes  were  duly  fulfilled.  lUit  the  attendance  was  neces- 
sarily much  reduced  by  the  bad  weather,  with  a  corresponding  reduction 
in  cash  receipts,  and  in  the  inspiration  which  numbers  alone  can  supi)ly. 
It  cannot  be  said  that  the  fair  was  a  failure,  although  there  was  a  finan- 
cial deficit,  instead  of  the  usual  handsome  surplus.  In  everything  but 
the  number  of  visitors  its  success  was  overwhelming,  and  the  shrinkage 
of  gate  receipts  was  due  to  causes  which  no  skill  of  management  could 
have  foreseen  or  prevented. 

With  favorable  weather  conditions  the  total  receipts  of  1910  would 
have  undoubtedly  been  exceeded.  As  it  was  they  fell  off  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars.  But  all  obligations  were  promptly  paid,  and  the  losses 
will  easily  be  made  good  by  future  expositions.  That  preparations  for 
the  fair  of  191 1  were  made  on  the  usual  scale  of  wise  and  generous  enter- 
prise, and  that  the  fair  itself,  in  all  its  aspects  not  affected  by  the  unpropi- 
tious elements  was  a  splendid  success,  will  fully  appear  from  a  brief 
resume  of  its  forecasts  and  consummations. 

Distribution  ok  Premiums 

A  grand  total  of  $55,290  was  set  apart  for  prize-wiiming  exhibitors 
in  the  various  departments.  This  does  not  include  $25,000  hung  up  as 
purses  for  the  horse  races  and  the  large  sums  to  be  paid  for  sjiecial  edu- 
cational and  entertainment  features.  The  distribution  of  premiums  in 
the  dift'erent  departments  was  as  follows: 

Exhibits  iQio  IQII 

Horses    $  ".286        $1 1 .000 

Cattle    1 7-39  '7.239 

Sheep    3-74^^  3-746 

Swine    3443  4.095 

Poultry    1 ,3*^4  1,850 

Agricultural  products    S.ooo  9,000 

Honey  and  bees 805  1,100 

Horticulture  and  floriculture 2.372  2.500 

Dairy    1.610  1.610 

\\'(  .nicn's  department i  ,538  2.500 

Boys'  judging  contest  scholarshi]). ...  ....  650 

Totals   $47,423        $55,290 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  433 

Special  Features 

A  unique  and  valuable  exhibit  was  that  of  the  Minnesota  Garden  Club. 
This  display  was  a  practical  demonstration  of  what  a  little  brains  and 
work  can  accomplish  on  a  vacant  town  lot.  The  club  has  done  much  to 
beautify  Minneapolis  with  vacant  lot  gardens,  and  many  people  interested 
m  this  kind  of  improvement  gained  inspiration  from  a  visit  to  the  model 
garden  on  the  fair  grounds. 

The  exhibit  of  automobiles,  motorcycles  and  accessories  occupied  the 
large  exposition  room  and  balcony  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  grand  stand 
building. 

Industrial  and  commercial  exhibits  were  found  on  the  second  and 
third  floors  of  the  grand  stand  exposition  room,  in  the  building  just  east 
of  the  grand  stand,  and  in  one  formerly  used  as  a  carriage  building  still 
further  east. 

Aside  from  the  large  regular  exhibits  the  Horticultural  building 
boasted  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  educational  displays  on  the 
grounds.  This  consisted  of  a  carload  of  apples,  six  hundred  bushel 
baskets  in  all,  grown  in  one  Minnesota  orchard  and  owned  by  one  man. 
The  exhibit  was  made  by  Howard  Simmons  of  Howard  Lake,  Minne- 
sota. It  was  convincing  that  apples  for  commercial  use  can  be  grown 
successfully  in  Minnesota. 

The  mammoth  steel  and  concrete  grandstand  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$275,000,  forms  a  striking  background  for  the  Electric  terminal  yards. 
In  these  yards  175  cars  may  be  loaded  or  unloaded  simultaneously.  The 
grand  stand  is  370  feet  long,  171  feet  deep,  105  feet  high,  has  100,000 
square  feet  of  exhibition  space  and  seats  13,000  persons,  while  on  either 
side  it  is  flanked  with  bleachers  seating  10,000  more. 

Farm  implements  and  machinery  and  manufacturers'  exhibits  were 
larger  and  better  than  ever  before  and  occupied  the  sixty  acres  of  exposi- 
tion grounds  north  of  the  Administration  building.  At  the  cement  prod- 
ucts exhibit  were  many  new  ideas  in  the  use  of  this  building  material. 

Pain's  "Battle  in  the  Clouds"  was  the  great  spectacle  and  fireworks 
show  given  in  front  of  the  grand  stand  on  the  evening  of  each  of  the  six 
days  of  the  fair,  when  the  weather  permitted.  It  was  a  dazzling,  effec- 
tive, pyrotechnic  display  by  the  acknowledged  fireworks  king  of  the  world. 

The  valuable  net  restilts  of  the  exposition  of  191 1,  in  spite  of  its 
unavoidable  handicaps,  was  very  fairly  expressed  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Beek, 
general  secretary  of  the  St.  Paul  Association  of  Commerce,  in  an  inter- 
view at  its  close :  "This  fair  may  not  be  successful  from  the  finan- 
cial standpoint,  but  from  the  educational  standpoint  it  is  absolutely  the 
greatest  fair  that  was  ever  held.  The  Agricultural  building  teaches  a 
most  telling  and  instructive  lesson,  and  the  rains  are  doing  one  good 
thing  at  least  in  packing  the  building  with  State  Fair  visitors." 

The  State  Fair  of  1012 

The  weather  during  the  "fair  week"  of  191 2,  being  September  i  to  7 
inclusive,  was  ideal  for  the  purpose  and  the  success  of  the  grand  exposi- 
tion was  great  in  proportion.  Many  of  the  leading  features  of  previous 
years  were  duplicated  and  emphasized,  while  new  ones  were  added, 
representing  the  latest  developments  of  the  commonwealth  in  industry 
and  agriculture,  with  the  finest  samples  of  her  various  products. 

In  the  matter  of  entertainments,  an  unusually  interesting  variety  was 


434  ST.  PAUL  AXU  \  JLlXITV 

offered  in  front  of  the  grand  stand,  while  a  very  close  discrimination  was 
exercised  in  granting  concessions  to  exhibitors  along  the  "Pike".  There 
were  six  aeroplane  flights  every  day  when  the  wind  permitted.  Five 
balloons  were  sent  up  every  afternoon,  each  accompanied  by  a  lady  aero- 
naut, who  made  sensational  parachute  drops  at  about  the  same  time. 
There  were  harness  and  running  races  every  day  except  Saturday,  when 
a  large  number  of  automobile  drivers  competed  for  rich  prizes.  A  com- 
bination of  horse  show,  livestock  and  extraordinary  vaudeville  features 
made  up  the  program  of  the  night  horse  show,  given  Monday,  Tuesday, 
Wednesday,  Thursday  and  Friday  nights,  in  the  Livestock  pavilion. 
This  feature  was  particularly  emphasized  and  was  a  popular  society 
event.  Seven  regular  bands,  headed  by  the  J.  C.  Weber  band  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  and  three  orchestras,  furnished  high-class  music  during  the 
entire  week.  Every  night  there  was  given  the  dazzling  spectacular  ex- 
hibition "In  Old  Mexico,"  while  music,  fireworks  and  vaudeville  features, 
including  electrical  lighted  chariot  races  and  other  novelties  filled  out 
the  evening  programs. 

Live  Stock  .\nd  D.mrving 

The  display  of  horses  and  cattle  exceeded  anything  heretofore  seen, 
even  at  this  greatest  of  all  the  state  fairs.  In  number  of  exhibitors,  num- 
ber of  animals  entered,  and  excellence  of  condiiinii.  tlu-  collection  was 
unprecedented. 

In  sheep  and  swine,  the  number  and  quality  of  entries  exceeded  any- 
thing ever  exhibited  in  Minnesota.  The  poultry  show  was  larger  than 
ever  before.  A  change  in  premium  oftering  brought  out  a  much  greater 
showing  of  the  more  useful  and  popular  breeds  of  chickens.  Of  the 
apiary  department  the  superintendent  truthfully  said  in  advance:  "The 
people  who  visit  our  department  will  not  be  stung.  Minnesota  is  a  bee 
state  and  our  exhibit  this  year  will  jjrove  it." 

There  is  no  question  that  the  fair  had.  in  iqij.  the  best  displav  of 
dairy  products  ever  shown  anywhere.  The  butter  and  cheese  were  of 
the  most  uniform  excellence  ever  exhibited.  In  both  these  classes,  exhi- 
bits scored  as  high  as  99.  while  the  average  was  well  above  90.  In  this 
show  Minnesota  furnished  conclusive  proof  of  her  claim  to  the  title  of 
the  bread  and  butter  state.  In  addition  to  the  contesting  exhibits  there 
were  on  exhibition  a  six  thousand  ])ound  cheese,  the  largest  ever  exhiliited 
anywhere. 

.'\  small  |)er  cent  of  Minnesotans  know  that  the  world's  champion 
butter  |)r()ducer  is  owned  in  their  state.  Ilolstein  cow,  Pietierje  Maid 
Ormsby,  belongs  to  John  Irwin  of  Minneapolis,  who  was  induced  to 
bring  his  $10,000  beauty  to  the  fair  and  place  her  on  exhibition  .so  that 
the  people  might  have  an  ojiportunily  of  seeing  this  greatest  of  dairy 
animals. 

A  fine  disj)lay  of  Indian  ])attern  bead  work  was  a  feature  exhibit  in 
the  woman's  dejiartment.  .\  number  of  Indian  women  from  northern 
Minnesota  were  secured  to  give  a  demonstr.ilion  of  their  ;irt  fnr  the 
benefit  of  those  interested. 

MlSrELL.ANEOUS 

The  .State  Game  and  Fish  Commission  had  its  usual  exhibit  in  the 
l)uilding  oi)|iosite  newspaper  row.     The  center  of  the  building  was  occu- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  435 

pied  by  a  number  of  mounted  specimens  of  moose  and  other  big  native 
game.  A  living  moose  illustrated  current  political  conditions.  Around 
the  sides  in  a  number  of  glass  cases  were  small  schools  of  various  kinds 
of  Alinnesota  tisli.  ranging  in  size  from  the  little  l^rook  trout  fry  to  the 
big  cattish.  One  of  the  novelties  in  the  building  was  the  tank  full  of 
landlocked  salmon,  a  variety  of  tish  which  the  commission  had,  for  the 
first  time  attempted  to  plant  in  the  Minnesota  waters.  The  commission 
got  a  large  consignment  of  the  salmon  fry  from  the  government  hatch- 
eries and  some  of  these  were  on  exhibition  at  the  fair. 

The  playgrounds  were  fitted  with  hammocks,  merry-go-rounds,  sand 
piles,  gravel  pits  and  numerous  other  attractions.  The  ground  was  in 
charge  of  one  who  for  years  has  been  a  leading  spirit  in  the  playground 
movement.  The  nursery,  where  the  babies  could  l)e  checked  and 
left  for  three  hours  at  a  stretch,  was  fitted  up  with  twenty  little  beds  of 
the  latest  type,  with  fences  around  them  so  the  inmates  could  not  fall 
out.  This  department  was  in  charge  of  a  trained  nurse,  who  was  pro- 
vided with  every  means  of  keeping  the  babies  in  the  best  humor.  In  the 
rest  cottage  proper,  a  room  was  arranged,  with  mirrors,  combs,  brushes 
and  other  paraphernalia,  in  charge  of  one  whose  work  it  was  to  look 
after  the  wants  of  the  women  visitors  and  make  them  feel  at  home.  All 
the  simple  home  remedies  were  on  hand,  and  other  things  that  give  the 
domestic  atmosphere.  Clul?  women  years  ago  recognized  the  need  of  rest 
rooms  on  the  fair  grounds  and  have  provided  facilities  of  that  kind  for 
eight  years,  doing  a  great  deal  to  care  for  tired  women  and  children. 
The  new  cottage  is  simply  a  development  of  the  work  started  by  the 
clubs,  and  the  playground  is  the  carrying  out  of  suggestions  made  in 
igio  by  the  State  Fair  committee. 

There  were  more  than  three  hundred  firms  represented  at  the  fair, 
showing  something  new  intended  for  the  lessening  of  woman's  labor, 
and  most  of  the  devices  were  practical.  Everything  new  in  the  way  of 
kitchen  utensils  or  farm  equipment  seemed  substantial  and  really  worth 
having.  There  were  new  ])aring  knives ;  handles  to  hold  on  lids  of  kettles 
while  draining  or  pouring  out  the  contents ;  new  washing  machines  run 
by  electricity  or  gas ;  dish  washing  machinery  of  various  kinds ;  slicing 
machines ;  sanitary  refrigerators ;  bread  and  cake  mixers ;  kitchen  cab- 
inets ;  food  choppers ;  miniature  churns,  and  other  articles  intended  to 
lighten  woman's  labor. 

The  ore  exhibit  made  by  the  state  auditor's  department  attracted 
crowds.  The  exhiliit  showed  the  different  kinds  of  ore  that  are  taken 
from  mines  on  state  land  and  gave  figures  on  the  amount  of  ore  produced 
in  Minnesota ;  the  amount  produced  on  state  land  and  the  amount  of 
royalties  received  by  the  state  from  this  source.  Large  pictures  of  some 
of  the  state  mines  were  also  shown. 

.SOMIC    OF   THE    Cor.VTY   ExTIIRITS 

Year  by  year  the  number  of  agricultural  exhibits  made  liy  Minnesota 
counties  increases,  and  the  value  of  these  exhiliits  increases  more  visil)ly. 
Nearly  half  of  the  counties  in  the  state  sent  exhiliits  to  the  Exposition 
of  1912.  The  rise  of  dairying  in  Minnesota  is  illustrated  in  the  nature 
of  the  exhibits  in  the  booths  of  the  counties  in  the  central  section  at  the 
.Agricultural  building.  This  district  excels  in  forage  products,  corn  and 
potatoes,  the  counties  therein  having  carried  away  the  highest  scores  in 
the  Irish  vegetable  class. 


436  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

Douglas  county,  which  took  the  bhie  ril)hon  in  the  central  district. 
was  distinguished  particularly  for  the  unique  character  of  the  arrange- 
ments. A  map  of  the  county  was  shown  by  townships,  the  townships 
being  depicted  in  kernels  of  wheat  and  oats,  the  lakes  in  flax,  the  towns 
in  buckwheat  and  the  railroads  in  clover.  A  sign.  "Douglas"  done  in 
grain  kernels  was  suspended  in  the  air  from  invisible  supports,  and  the 
whole  design  was  cleverly  worked  out. 

Morrison  county  which  took  second  honors  and  the  red  ribbon  in  the 
central  section,  featured  dairying  as  the  chief  industry  of  the  county. 
Hence  forage  crops  were  the  principal  exhibits  of  lo  varieties  of  alfalfa, 
15  kinds  of  millet,  42  brands  of  wild  grasses  and  six-foot  timothy.  Pota- 
toes were  shown  which,  according  to  affidavits,  are  from  a  yield  of  614 
bushels  to  the  acre. 

The  third  honors  in  the  central  section  went  to  Stevens  county  with 
a  large  display  of  products  incidental  to  the  dairying  industry.  There 
were  42  varieties  of  apples,  some  canned  fruits  and  23  brands  of  pota- 
toes.    The  county  is  strong  in  the  production  of  oats. 

One  of  the  most  notable  exhibits  on  the  fair  grounds  was  that  of 
Kandiyohi  county,  in  which  was  shown  a  model  farm  set  back  in  the 
booth,  surrounded  by  artificial  foliage  and  showing  every  appointment 
of  the  up-to-date  farm.  Electric  lighted  buildings  supplant  the  old  log 
cabin  exhibited  to  denote  the  contrast  and  development  in  farm  life. 

Superb  samples  of  grains  in  sheaf  and  threshed  were  displayed  in 
the  Meeker  county  booth.  There  was  an  immense  variety  of  wild  grasses 
and  the  mounted  skins  of  a  fox  and  badger  adorned  the  walls. 

A  complete  barn  made  in  grain  kernels  was  shown  in  the  Pope  cuinUy 
exhibit.     The  county  was  strong  in  its  display  of  grains. 

Wadena,  a  strictly  dairying  county,  recognized  the  fact  by  making  a 
specialty  in  the  exhibition  of  stock  vegetables,  roots  and  grasses.  One 
extraordinary  feature  was  a  clover  jjlant  from  one  root  of  which  has 
grown  112  stalks  of  clover.  One  stalk  of  clover  measured  seven  and  one- 
half  feet. 

A  huge  basket  made  of  grains  in  the  head,  with  the  handle  done  in 
colored  corn  contained  all  kinds  of  garden  products  and  was  the  feature 
of  the  Isanti  county  exhibit. 

The  Wright  county  booth  received  the  first  prize  over  the  exhibitors 
of  all  sections  in  point  of  beauty.  The  harmony  of  arrangement  and 
color  was  the  basis  by  which  the  county  was  given  the  beauty  honors. 
The  booth  contained  a  banner  which  said  :  "Wanted,  1,000  corn  breeders 
to  move  to  the  corn  belt  of  the  North." 

Pine  countv  was  decorated  with  ribl)ons  and  silver  loving  cups  won 
by  the  enterprise  of  the  champion  farmer  of  the  state.  S.  B.  Wells  of 
Pine  City.  The  Wells  family  this  year  won  the  sweepstakes  in  corn, 
wheat  and  oats  and  they  showed  fair  patrons  some  of  the  samples  of 
prize  grains. 

Wilkin  county,  winner  of  the  good  roads  trophy  given  by  the  Minne- 
sota .\utomobilc  association  after  its  IQ12  tour,  exhibited  the  trophy 
as  the  feature  of  its  booth.  The  grains  shown  were  the  best  on  the 
grounds,  scoring  146  out  of  a  possible  150  i>oints. 

The  ginseng  plant  that  yields  about  S500  per  acre  was  shown  in  great 
quantities  in  the  Todd  county  exhibit.  The  medicinal  roots  were  shown 
in  the  first,  second  and  third  years  of  their  growth.  The  county  also 
excels  in  grains,  grasses  and  fruit. 

Samples  of  pulp  paper  in  different  stages  of  manufacture  from  the 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  437 

wood,  and  perfect  balls  of  granite  were  on  display  at  the  booth  of  Ben- 
ton county.  Corn  in  sixteen  varieties  was  shown,  and  there  was  a  large 
assortment  of  potatoes. 

\'ariety  marked  the  exhibits  in  the  Otter  Tail  county  booth.  There 
was  a  large  display  of  grains,  grasses  and  corn,  which  ranked  well  with 
the  best  of  those  on  exhibition.  The  county  also  exploited  its  game  witn 
mounted  birds  and  fishes. 

Anoka,  the  premier  potato  county  of  the  state,  played  the  Irish  favor- 
ites to  the  skies.  There  were  endless  varieties  of  them  and  the  center 
of  the  booth  was  covered  with  several  bushels  of  some  of  the  prize 
samples. 

Washington  county  was  given  second  honors  in  point  of  beauty  among 
all  of  the  forty-six  counties  represented  by  booths.  The  county  also 
scored  first  for  having  the  best  vegetable  array  in  the  central  section. 

Sherburne  county  exhibited  this  year  for  the  first  time  and  made  a 
good  showing  in  potatoes  and  corn.  The  county  also  displayed  four 
good-sized  tobacco  plants  and  an  elephantine  squash. 

The  AGRicrLTUR.\L  Fe.atures 

In  order  to  fully  realize  the  importance  of  the  educational  influence 
of  our  great  annual  state  fair,  or  the  prosperity  of  the  people,  we  must 
recur  to  the  magnitude  of  the  agricultural  interest  in  the  state  and  the 
country.  The  last  federal  census  showed  that  there  are  155.759  farms 
in  Minnesota  and  that  the  value  of  the  crops  marketed  in  1909  was 
approximately  $180,000,000.  The  crop  was  neither  bumper  nor  poor, 
and  may  be  accepted  as  what  ordinarily  may  be  expected.  That  is  a 
return  of  approximately  $1,150  for  each  farm  in  the  state.  There  are 
in  the  United  States  6,361,502  farms,  containing  a  total  of  878,798,000 
acres,  of  which  478,452,000  acres  are  improved.  The  land  in  farms  rep- 
resents somewhat  less  than  one-half,  46.2  per  cent,  of  the  total  land 
,  area  of  the  country,  while  the  improved  land  represents  somewhat  over 
one-half,  54.4  per  cent,  of  the  total  acreage  of  land  in  farms.  Improved 
land  thus  represents  almost  exactly  one-fourth  of  the  total  land  area 
of  the  country.  The  average  of  a  farm  is  138.1  acres,  of  which  on  the 
average,  75.2  acres  are  improved.  The  total  value  of  farm  property 
reaches  the  enormous  sum  of  $40,991,000,000,  of  which  over  two-thirds 
represents  the  value  of  land,  about  one-sixth  the  value  of  buildings,  and 
about  another  one-sixth  the  combined  valye  of  implements  and  ma- 
chinerv  and  of  live  stock.  The  average  value  of  all  farm  property  re- 
porting is  $6,444.  The  average  value  of  all  farm  property  per  acre  of 
land  in  farms  is  $46.64  and  the  average  value  of  land  itself  per  acre  is 
S32.40. 

The  magnitude  of  the  farming  interest  emphasizes  the  policy  of 
fostering  it  by  all  legitimate  means,  so  as  to  increase  its  products  and 
its  profits  through  improved  methods.  This  justifies  the  solicitude  of 
the  exposition  management,  to  encourage  legitimate  agriculture,  horti- 
culture, stock-raising  and  dairying  by  generous  awards.  Against  an 
assertion  that  $25,000  had  been  devoted  to  speed  events  at  the  191 2  fair 
and  only  $6,000  for  agriculture,  an  official  replied  by  quoting  the  pro- 
gram, which  showed  $12,723  offered  in  prizes  for  field  crops,  of  which 
$8,917  is  so  distributed  that  each  county  must  get  something  and  $52,000 
more  for  horses,  cattle,  dairy  products  and  various  other  farm  exhibits. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  were  25  per  cent  more  young  girls  from 


438  ST.   PAUL  AXD  \1CI.\1TV 

the  -Minnesota  farms  at  the  fair  this  year  tlian  last.  It  is  the  object  of 
the  women's  clubs  of  the  state  to  have  the  farmers  send  their  girls  as 
well  as  boys  to  the  fair,  and  to  this  end  they  arranged  many  educational 
and  instructive  demonstrations  designed  especially  for  the  farm  girls. 
One  of  the  means  by  which  the  rural  girls  are  interested  in  the  fair  is  the 
ofTering  of  prizes  for  the  best  bread,  cake  and  preserves  sent  from  each 
county  made  by  girls  under  sixteen  years  of  age.  This  year,  seventy- 
five  chatelaine  watches  were  given  by  the  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs 
to  girls  from  each  county  in  the  state  for  bread  i)remiums. 

An  enthusiastic  newspaper  contributor  writes  of  the  fair:  "  This  is 
the  j'early  illumination.  We  often  use  the  phrase,  "that's  quite  illuminat- 
ing." What  could  be  more  illuminating  than  for  a  quarter  of  a  million 
people — one-eighth — of  the  state's  population — who  live  as  neighbors 
but  who  never  see  much  of  each  other,  to  get  together  and 
|)lay  for  a  while.  What  if  the  educational  exhiliits.  lecture  lialls  and 
cattle  shows  hadn't  lieen  as  popular  as  they  were :  What  if  the  ])ike  and 
the  grand  stand  hadn't  drawn  all  the  attention  all  the  time,  the  farmer 
from  over,  up  or  down  yonder  would  have  seen  that  it  was  all  there  just 
the  same,  he  would  have  heard  the  lowing  cattle  and  the  squealing  i)igs, 
and  in  the  midst  of  tall  men  of  a  tall  race,  he  would  have  stretched  him- 
self a  trifle  till  he  could  catch  the  whole  thing  in  an  all-inclusive  glance 
and  with  arms  wide  flung  we  can  hear  him  cry.  "This  is  Minnesota  and 
I  Ijelong'.'" 

Summing  up  For  1912 

At  the  close  of  the  fair  of  1912,  President  C.  W.  Glotfelter  said : 
"We  have  beaten  all  sorts  of  records  this  week.  We  have  put  more  peo- 
ple through  our  gates  this  week  than  have  ever  been  admitted  to  any 
state  fair  grounds  in  the  world  during  a  similar  period.  We  have  low- 
ered some  world's  weather  record,  too,  and  we  are  grateful." 

Secretary  Simpson  corroborated  this  estimate  in  the  following  state- 
ment: "I  am  more  nearly  .satisfied  with  the  fair  that  closes  tonight  than 
any  with  which  I  have  ever  been  connected,  and  they  now  number  nine- 
teen. I  say  this  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  splendid  attendance  we 
have  had,  as  on  account  of  the  quality  of  the  fair  as  a  whole  and  the 
resiJonse  made  by  the  people  of  Minnesota  and  the  Northwest  to  our 
efforts  for  a  greater  educational  as  well  as  amusement  institution.  I 
believe  that  the  Minnesota  State  Fair  of  1<)I2  has  been  the  most  comjire- 
hensive  and  the  best  balanced  exposition  of  its  kind  ever  held.  There 
has  not  been  one  weak  department,  and  the  showing  in  some  of  them 
has  been  remarkable." 

The  following  table  shows  the  attendance  for  each  day  of  "fair  week". 
1912,  and  the  cash  recei])ts  from  gales  and  grand  stand  therefor.  The 
l)roceeds  of  sales  of  concessions,  etc.,  added  to  these  receipts  make  up 
the  grand  total  income  of  $364,241.20. 

.\ltendance  Receipts 

Sunday       .^,000      $      660.50 

Monday    ..   119.000         47,752.60 

Tuesday      35-9.^'^         ^i  .,S74i  5 

Wednesday     44..^2o         25,857.70 

Thursday  '    'I'l.i/.l  31 .018.85 

I'>iday    ' 4'.0O3  22,045.55 

Saturday  ...     72.602  38.121.60 

376,800      $186,830.95 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  439 

It  is  estimated  that  the  net  profit  for  1912  is  $50,000  while  the  loss  in 
191 1,  owing  to  unfavorable  weather  conditions,  was  $17,800.  It  is  sig- 
nificant that  our  nearest  neighbor,  Wisconsin,  was  highly  pleased  with 
an  attendance  at  her  state  fair  for  1912,  held  at  Milwaukee,  of  108,974. 
or  less  than  one-third  of  the  .Minnesota  figure. 

Plans  for  the  Future 

The  phenomenal  success  of  the  exposition  of  1912  has  supplied  the 
means  and  also  the  inspiration  for  a  still  further  augmentation  of  its  re- 
sources for  the  coming  years.  One  of  the  revelations  to  visitors  this 
year,  was  the  greater  attractiveness  of  the  grounds,  which  vie  with  any 
park  in  the  country,  but  will  be  made  still  more  beautiful.  The  buildings 
have  a  setting  of  green  lawns,  carefully  trimmed  trees  in  symmetrical 
rows,  and  a  profusion  of  flower  gardens.  The  management  was  so 
pleased  with  the  manner  in  which  the  crowds  respected  the  floral  decora- 
tions that  it  has  decided  to  carry  on  more  extensive  landscape  work. 
The  care  of  the  grounds  has  been  as  thorough  as  is  given  to  any  private 
park,  and  the  crowds,  while  intent  on  seeing  the  big  attractions  appre- 
ciate the  beauties  of  the  adornments.  Some  indication  of  the  elaborate- 
ness of  the  decorative  work  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  about  120,000 
plants  were  put  out.  The  gardening  work  was  in  charge  of  G.  Rudolph, 
who  came  to  the  fair  grounds  three  years  ago,  after  serving  at  the  Paris 
exposition.  He  has  been  assisted  by  high  school  and  state  farm  school 
students. 

Old  fashioned  flower  beds  which  are  again  in  popular  favor,  are 
seen  in  many  spots,  but  a  special  efl^ort  has  been  made  to  display  the 
attractions  of  foliage.  A  bed  has  been  planted  near  the  officers'  quarters, 
which  for  symmetry  of  color  and  shape  is  a  marvel.  \'arieties  of  coleus 
are  here  shown,  the  seeds  of  which  v\'ere  imported  direct  from  Germany, 
presenting  an  assortment  in  this  kind  of  foliage  which  cannot  be  dupli- 
cated in  any  section  of  the  country.  All  these  attractions  will  be  repeated 
and  amplified  for  future  expositions. 

Many  substantial  and  permanent  improvements  are  proposed.  It  is 
planned  to  build  two  new  barns  for  the  cattle  and  horses  on  the  west  end 
of  the  grounds.  The  Legislature  will  be  asked  to  make  appropriations 
for  a  new  agricultural  building  for  the  county  exhibits.  If  this  is  denied, 
the  fair  managers  plan  to  add  to  the  present  building.  One  corner  was 
built  out  this  vear  to  serve  as  an  annex  for  the  L^niversity  of  Minnesota 
exhibits. 

The  fair  board  is  also  anxious  to  get  an  adequate  administration 
building  with  departmental  offices.  If  a  new  building  cannot  be  secured, 
the  present  one  may  be  remodeled  so  as  to  better  suit  the  needs  of  the 
fair  management.  Another  contemplated  improvement  is  the  extension 
of  the  grand  stand  roof.  When  the  stand  was  erected  three  \ears  ago, 
only  ]iart  of  the  roof  was  completed.  It  was  so  constructed  however 
as  to  permit  an  extension  and  the  board  is  anxious  to  complete  the  work. 

Thus  from  year  to  year  the  work  of  expansion  and  improvement  goes 
on,  that  the  grand  Minnesota  State  Fair,  already  the  greatest  in  the  coun- 
try, mav  keen  ud  a  march  of  advancement  commensurate  with  that  of  the 
affluent  commonwealth. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

REAL  ESTATE  AND  IXSURAXCE 

Radical  Land  Hunger — Mission  of  Real  Estate  Dealers — The  Col- 
lapse OF  1857 — From  1857  to  1873 — Real  Estate  in  the  Eighties 
— The  Record  Since — Personnel  of  Real  Estate  Men — Present- 
Day  Values  and  Buildings — Public  Attitude  of  Real  Estate 
Exchanges — Agricultural  Betterment  Through  Education — 
A  Prophkcv  \'erifikd — Tine  Insurance  Companies. 

The  land  is  the  thing!  The  solid  earth  beneath  our  feet  is  the  basis 
of  wealth,  the  standard  of  values,  the  corner-stone  of  enduring  prosper- 
ity. Investments  in  real  estate,  made  at  the  right  time  and  in  the  right 
locality,  have  been  the  safest  methods  of  securing  a  competence  and  ac- 
quiring wealth.  Some  of  the  greatest  fortunes  in  Xew  York,  Philadel- 
phia, Chicago,  San  Francisco  and  other  great  cities  have  been  accumulated 
by  a  wise,  persistent  policy  of  buying  and  holding  lots,  blocks  or  acres, 
while  the  comfortable,  substantial  acquisitions  of  many  thousands  of 
land  owners  in  all  the  growing  towns  of  the  country  and  in  all  of  its  farm- 
ing districts,  have  the  same  origin.  In  wild  and  reckless  speculative 
plunges  hundreds  have  lost,  but  in  prudent  investments  thousands  have 
gained. 

Radical  Land  Hunger 

Thoughtful  men  disagree  as  to  whether  the  "unearned  increment" 
which  largely  constitutes  the  profit  of  land-owning  should  inure  to  the 
person  who  happens  to  hold  the  legal  title  to  a  tract,  but  may  have  done 
nothing  to  augment  its  value,  or  to  the  state,  for  the  benefit  of  all  the  peo- 
ple. But  until  radical  changes  shall  be  made  in  our  policies  and  laws,  the 
hunger  for  land  will  abide  with  us,  as  a  fundamental  element  of  current 
civilization.  Literary  critics  differ  regarding  the  i^ostulatc  that  the  brain 
secretes  thought  as  the  liver  secretes  bile,  but  all  concede  that  love-poetry 
is  a  bv-product  of  fatty  degeneration.  The  economist,  with  an  eligible 
corner  lot  for  sale,  who  should  neglect  to  demand  a  fair  jirofit,  would  be 
a  fit  subject  for  inquisition  of  lunacy. 

Thus  grounded  in  human  nature  and  yoked  with  human  progress,  the 
acquisition  and  ownership  of  real  estate  will  unquestionably  remain,  for 
an  indefinite  period  in  the  future,  one  of  the  chief  concerns  of  men.  And 
thus  dealing  in  real  estate  will  remain  a  useful  and  legitimate  feature  of 
the  business  activities  of  all  developing  cnnimimities. 

Mission  ni-  Re.\l  Estatf.  Dealers 

The  real  estate  dealers  are  the  men  who  know  more  about  building  up 
communities  than  does  congress  or  any  other  legislative  body.    Thev  mav 

440 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  441 

occasionally  paint  things  in  artificial  colors  that  would  make  Truth  break 
her  hitching  strap  and  run  away,  but,  at  heart,  they  work  for  putting  facts 
upon  facts  and  creating  real  growth.  Those  who  deceive  and  cheat  do 
not  last  long  in  the  business.  Towering  skyscrapers  and  giant  structures 
of  steel,  stone,  concrete  and  brick  are  not  what  make  great  cities.  These 
are  but  material  monuments.  They  catch  the  eye  of  the  observer.  They 
are  interesting  sights  at  which  the  inhabitant  may  point  with  pride,  as  he 
tells  the  wandering  visitor  all  about  it.  Uut  that  does  not  make  a  city. 
No  city  can  be  greater  than  the  composite  mind  and  heart  of  the  people. 
What  the  people  who  make  up  a  city  are  that  the  city  will  be.  And  the 
aim  of  municipal  government  should  be  first  of  all,  to  make  life  better 
and  more  beautiful  for  the  men,  women  and  children  whose  lives  are  to 
be  lived,  whose  souls  are  to  be  developed,  whose  minds  and  hearts  are  to 
be  expanded  in  that  community  of  human  souls. 

The  dealers  in  real  estate  help  to  bring  about  these  conditions,  as  a 
necessary  part  of  their  business,  and  hence  are  missionaries  in  every 
good  cause  of  civic  improvement.  At  the  convention  of  the  National 
Real  Estate  Exchange  for  191 1,  the  president  of  that  body,  in  his  annual 
report  said:  "Today  we  are  forceful  factors  in  the  business  world.  Our 
organization  invites  and  will  stand  the  closest  scrutiny.  We  are  identified 
with  the  most  progressive  and  honorable  business  of  the  age — that  of 
providing  homes  and  proper  surroundings  for  our  people  and  the  build- 
ing up  of  cities.  Truly,  we  represent  as  much,  if  not  more,  of  the  nation's 
wealth  than  any  other  interest.  Is  there  any  reason  why  the  national  as- 
sociation should  not  occupy  the  same  relative  position  in  the  confidence 
of  the  public  as  the  American  Bankers'  Association?  We  are  justified  in 
our  creation,  and  the  results  of  the  progressive  spirit  of  this  organization 
are  daily  becoming  more  apparent  to  the  public.  Our  campaign  of  edu- 
cation of  the  value  of  real  estate  men  to  the  community  has  not  been 
without  results.  The  aim  and  purpose  of  the  national  association  is  to- 
day better  known  throughout  the  country  than  ever  before." 

A  newspaper,  commenting  on  this  address,  says :  "We  rely  on  con- 
gress to  give  us  what  we  need  and  want.  There  are  in  congress  three 
hundred  lawyers  who  know  little  or  nothing  about  building  homes.  How 
many  home-building  real  estate  men?  Mighty  few,  if  any.  But  it  is  just 
our  foolish  habit  in  respect  of  many  things.  When  we  come  to  select  fel- 
lows to  build  our  homes,  or  give  us  better  morals  or  health,  or  more 
justice,  or  less  oppression,  or  to  educate  our  children,  or  to  pull  our  teeth, 
we  do  not  select  a  body  of  builders,  moralists,  physicians,  educators  or 
dentists.  We  select  a  body  of  lawyers.  They  legislate  and  another  body 
of  lawyers  on  the  bench  knocks  out  the  legislation,  if  it  threatens  to 
amount  to  much." 

The  growth  of  a  city  depends  not  only  upon  the  enterprise  and  energy 
of  its  citizens,  but  also  upon  its  natural  beauty  and  advantages.  Located 
at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Mississippi,  the  richness  of  its  valley 
surpassing  that  of  the  Nile,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  St.  Paul 
will  be  one  of  the  leading  cities  of  the  inner  continent.  With  such  pros- 
pects, it  is  only  natural  that  shrewd  investors  should  be  looking  to  this 
city  as  a  place  to  make  investments,  which  in  time  will  yield  handsome 
rewards. 

The  spirit  of  progress  now  pervading  St.  Paul,  inspiring  every  citizen, 
is  manifest  in  the  wonderful  improvements  the  last  few  years  have  wit- 
nessed. When  we  consider  how  brief  has  been  the  career  of  this  city,  how 
much  has  been  accomplished  in  its  existence,  what  institutions  have  been 


442  ST.   PAUL  AXl)   \  ICiXlTV 

established,  and  then  survey  llie  immense  amount  of  uncultivated  land 
tributary  to  St.  Paul,  we  can  only  wonder  what  the  future  may  be,  what 
further  strides  will  be  taken.  The  materials  for  greater  development  than 
has  yet  been  attained  are  abundant.  \\'e  may  well  believe  that  they  will 
l)e  wisely  used. 

Real  estate  transactions  have  always  had  their  place  in  our  annals,  but 
in  the  beginning,  of  course,  the  volume  was  small  and  the  prices  were 
corres])on<lingly  low.  Prior  to  1854  St.  Paul  was  a  struggling  village  of 
3,000  inhabitants.  However,  the  sudden  influx  of  immigration  to  ^lin- 
nesota  for  the  next  three  years  caused  the  city  to  more  than  double  its 
l)opubtion.  The  natural  result  was  a  boom  in  real  estate.  Many  persons 
engaged  in  the  business,  some  of  them  in  connection  with  banking  and 
brokerage.  .\  trade  directory  of  August  1,  iH^U.  mentions  these  as 
Real  Estate  Dealers:  "W'm.  Brewster.  Lyman  C.  Dayton,  Charles  L. 
Emerson,  B.  F.  Lloyt  &  Sons,  Irvine,  Stone  &  McCormick,  Henry  Mc- 
Kenty,  MacKubin  &  Edgerton,  Samuel  G.  Sloan,  Truman  AI.  Smith, 
Starkey  &  Peltys  and  D.  C.  Taylor  &  Co."  Of  all  these.  Samuel  G.  Sloan 
is  the  sole  survivor. 

Tin.  Collapse  of  1S57 

The  year  1S57  was  the  culmination  of  an  era  of  speculati\c  extrava- 
gance in  lands  and  lots,  as  in  all  other  lines.  .\t  that  time  every  one  dealt 
in  real  estate,  and  while  there  were  honorable  dealers  there  were  also 
many  who  were  quite  the  oi)]50site.  Of  the  latter  description,  few  had 
offices;  they  infested  hotels  and  other  ])uhlic  places,  and  even  boarded  in- 
coming steamers  to  offer  their  lots  for  sale.  JMuch  of  this  property  had 
no  value,  being  mere  paper  towns  and  cities,  even  where  clear  title  could 
be  given  to  the  property.  These  operators  did  a  thriving  business  and  the 
proceeds  of  their  speculations  were  spent  in  fast  and  riotous  living.  One 
of  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  schemers  had  a  paper  town  located  on 
Coon  creek,  then  in  Ramsey  county,  but  now  in  Anoka  county.  He  sold 
town  lots  at  $100  each  anci  among  the  customers  he  found  was  his  own 
grandmother.  This  lady  had  such  an  appreciation  of  their  value,  or  was 
so  wise  to  their  worthlessness,  that  at  her  death  she  left  the  Coon  creek 
lots  to  him  as  a  legacy,  and  though  possessed  of  much  property  it  was 
all  she  left  to  him.  But  he  had,  at  least,  the  consolation  of  knowing  that 
he  had  received  his  share  in  advance. 

Down  to  the  very  culmination  everything  was  at  the  highest  tide  of 
a])parent  prosperity,  and  few  dreamed  of  the  crash  soon  to  come.  All 
classes  possessed  the  speculative  mania,  and  nearly  all  were  living  beyond 
their  means.  Elegant  equipages  were  seen  on  the  streets,  and  costly  en- 
tertainments were  numerous.  Many  of  the  survivors  of  those  times, 
later  in  liumble  circumstances,  lived  on  a  scale  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars  per  annum,  without  counting  the  enormous  sums  that 
changed  hands  at  cards.  The  city  was  full  of  gamblers  and  as  in  all 
such  periods  they  did  a  thriving  business. 

Money,  however,  was  not  in  circulation  in  sufficient  volume  for  the 
needs  of  business,  and  loans  were  usually  effected  at  rates  varying  from 
three  to  five  per  cent  per  month.  This  could  not  last.  The  crash  came, 
with  the  deplorable  incidents  and  conso(|uences  narrated  in  a  preceding 
chapter. 

As  early  as  1851,  the  ever-wise  Goodhue  in  the  Pioneer,  had  sounded 
notes  of  warning  against  an  undue  inflation  of  town  lot  prices,  then  so 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 


443 


low  as  to  now  seem  absurd.  lUit  Goodhue  had  died,  and  his  expostula- 
tions were  forgotten.  Seemingly  each  generation  must  learn  disagree- 
able lessons  by  practical  experience.  It  is  not  always  best  to  purchase 
when  property  is  feverishly  active  or  at  its  height.  For,  as  sure  as  night 
follows  day,  reaction  sets  in.  This  usually  happens  when  the  owners  of 
real  estate  are  heavily  mortgaged.  Two  bad  results  folloVv :  they  not  only 
lose  their  holdings,  but  many  liecome  involved  in  judgments  which  take 
years  to  li(|uidate.  In  speculation  as  in  locomotion,  vou  can  never  be 
sure  that  it  is  a  joy  ride  until  it  is  linished. 

From  1857  ro  1873 

Years  of  leanness  and  liquidation  followed  the  terrible  collajjse  of 
1857.  The  War  of  the  Rebellion,  the  Indian  outbreak  and  other  circum- 
stances retarded  the  revival.  Not  even  the  greenback  inflation  of  the  mid- 
dle "sixties"  which  put  the  currency  on  the  basis  of  about  forty  cents, 
as  compared  with  the  gold  dollar,  had  the  effect,  felt  in  other  states,  of  ad- 


VIEW  OF  SITE  OF  Xl-.W    i  .  ,.,i  .,i  i^Kc  I.   I..    II.UING,  COUXER  OF 
FOURTH    AND    \VAB.\SH.\,    IN    1857 

\ancing  land  prices.  The  year  1871  witnessed  the  first  decided  movement 
in  real  estate.  The  demand  was  better,  and  sales  more  ready,  than  for 
several  years — better  than  since  the  fatal  1857.  Woodland  Park,  bought 
in  November  as  acres  for  $9,000,  platted  and  sold  in  April  for  $20,000, 
and  a  number  of  other  additions  were,  about  this  date,  got  into  market. 
The  rapid  advance  in  prices,  sometimes  doubling  in  a  few  weeks,  re- 
minded old  settlers  of  the  kiting  days  before  the  memorable  collapse.  It 
set  the  real  estate  market  all  ablaze  and  gave  an  impetus  which  continued 
until  the  Jay  Cooke  disaster  of  September.  1873,  again  checked  it. 

Real  Estate  ix  the  EnnrriEs 


The  depression  of  1873  "^^^^  prolonged  by  the  grasshopper  invasion 
which  for  three  successive  years  devastated  many  counties  of  the  rich 
territory  tributary  to  St.  Paul.  Investments  in  lands  and  lots  were  in- 
frequent for  some  time,  and  of  si^eculation  there  was  alisolutely  none. 
I!ut  the  town  grew  steadily,  if  slowly,  and  in  1880  we  had  a  jjoinilation 
of  41,000.     That  year  marked  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  for  St.  Paul. 


444  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

Immigrants  began  to  pour  into  the  northwest  at  a  rapid  rate.  Tlie  North- 
ern Pacific,  followed  by  the  Great  Nortiiern,  opened  a  line  to  the  coast. 
The  whole  country  was  in  a  prosperous  condition  and  St.  Paul  started 
on  its  onward  and  upward  march.  As  this  city  was  the  natural  gateway 
between  the  east  and  west,  wholesale  houses,  railway  terminals  and  all 
other  lines  of  industry  flourished  beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations. 
The  state  census  of  1S85  gave  this  city  a  poi)ulation  of  111,000,  nearly 
three  times  our  number  five  years  before.  This  meant  much  for  real  es- 
tate. Business,  residence  and  acreage  property  advanced  rapidly  and  men 
made  fortunes  through  wise  investments.  The  rapid  growth  of  the  city 
and  the  surrounding  country  caused  the  boom  of  1886  and  1887. 

Enormous  amounts  were  disbursed  in  the  city  for  solid  improvements, 
during  the  years  1883  to  1887.  There  was  paid  out,  at  that  time,  for  the 
erection  of  Jnisiness  blocks,  wholesale  warehouses,  schools,  churches,  pub- 
lic buildings,  dwellings  and  costly  mansions,  together  with  grading  and 
paving  many  miles  of  streets  and  perfecting  the  sewer  system,  with  miles 
of  water  mains  and  the  construction  of  wood  and  stone  sidewalks,  a  grand 
total  of  over  sixty  millions  of  dollars.  These  improvements  were  sub- 
stantial and  permanent.  The  benefit  that  naturally  accrues  to  real  prop- 
erty in  the  expenditure  of  large  amounts  in  the  improvements  of  the  same 
is  sure.  However,  onlv  a  small  percentage  of  this  lienefit  was  immediately 
realized.  Unfortunately,  many  who  bought  more  than  they  could  pay  for 
were  compelled  to  rclinc|uisli  their  holdings  when  the  i)anic  of  1893  set 
in.  Being  located  in  an  agricultural  district,  .St.  Paul  stood  the  hard 
times  as  well,  if  not  better,  than  any  other  city  of  the  country. 

The  story  of  the  rise  and  decline  of  business  in  real  estate  is  vividly 
told  in  the  following  official  statement  of  transfers  filed  in  the  register  of 
deeds'  office,  during  the  decade  of  the  eighties : 

Years                           No.  of  Transfers.               Consideration. 

1881 2,427  $  4.?,27.7b2 

1882 4,447  0.354,841 

1883 4.847  12.981.331 

1884 S.12S  8,359,521 

i8<S5 6,928  14,318,867 

1886 II  ,443  27,826,633 

1887 16,070  58.174.768 

1888 7.501  22,520.884 

1889 7,104  22.755.60S 

1890 5.608  20,502.820 

As  the  entire  assessed  valuation  of  our  real  estate  in  1887  was  only 
about  .S68.ooo.ooo.  it  would  appear  that  85  jier  cent  of  it  changed  hands 
during  the  twelvemonth — a  truly  active  market.  Since  18S7,  there  has 
been  an  entire  absence  of  speculative  fever  in  the  city  realty. 

The  Rfxord  Since 

From  1893  *o  '^97.  there  was  real  depression.  P.ul  with  the  revival 
of  good  times,  in  1897,  St.  Paul  resumed  its  onward  march.  an<l  has  been 
growing  surely,  steadily  and  rapidly  since.  This  activity  is  due  both  to 
the  revival  of  business  in  general  and  to  an  unitrecedentcd  movement  of 
immigration,  not  only  from  foreign  countries,  but  from  Iowa.  Illinois, 
and  other  states  further  south  and  east.    These  facts,  together  with  the 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  445 

building  of  many  miles  of  new  railroad,  and  the  extension  of  the  Chi- 
cago, Alilwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railway  to  the  coast  gives  strong  reasons 
why  St.  Paul  is  now  enjoying  a  greater  degree  of  prosperity  than  ever 
before. 

Personnel  of  Re.\l  Estate  Men 

The  personnel  of  the  leaders  of  tlie  guild  in  St.  Paul  during  the  past 
sixty  years  would  be  of  thrilling  interest  and  would  richly  justify  more 
space  than  we  have  at  our  disposal.  W.  H.  Randall  graded  the  levee 
and  portions  of  Third  and  Jackson  streets  at  his  own  expense  in  the  early 
fifties.  Henry  McKenty  built  and  paid  for  a  picturesque  drive  from  the 
town  to  Lake  Como,  three  miles,  in  1856.  Girart  Hewitt  bold,  broad  and 
benignant,  died  in  1879,  after  twenty  years  of  incessant  activity  in  immi- 
gration pamphleteering,  boosting  the  interurban  district  ahead  of  time, 
and  phenomenal  fertility  of  schemes  for  the  public  good.  Tracy  M.  Met- 
calf,  brainy  and  aggressive,  was  full  of  resources  and  ever  ready  with 
suggestions  for  city  and  state  development.  Henry  S.  Fairchild,  who 
came  here  in  1856,  still  with  us  and  doing  business  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five,  is  the  Nestor  of  the  fraternity.  He  has  written  more  and  talked 
more  and  done  more  for  the  real  estate  interests  of  St.  Paul  than  any 
other  man.  To  these,  and  to  many  of  their  compeers,  was  given  the 
faculty  of  cheerfully  accepting  the  lemons  that  Fate  occasionally  handed 
out,  and  using  them  to  start  a  new  lemonade  stand  for  the  refreshment 
of  their  fellow  citizens. 

In  what  may  be  called  the  golden  age  of  the  city,  there  were  many 
notable  names  enrolled  among  the  followers  of  this  honorable  occupation, 
each  of  them  an  ardent  champion  of  St.  Paul's  progress  at  a  time  when 
championship  was  needed  as  never  before  or  since.  Among  them  we 
may  enumerate  John  J.  Watson,  Rush  B.  Wheeler,  W.  G.  Robertson,  E. 
Simonton,  George  H.  Hazzard,  S.  Harbaugh,  A.  M.  Lawton,  R.  P. 
Lewis,  J.  W.  McClung,  C.  A.  Moore,  W.  S.  Morton,  Lane  K.  Stone, 
Thomas  Cochran,  H.  A.  Campbell,  W.  F.  Graves,  E.  J.  Hodgson,  Charles 
Michaud,  D.  H.  .Michaud,  James  Middleton,  S.  G.  Sloan,  C.  R.  Smith, 
Whitnev  Wall,  O.  S.  Tavlor,  E.  C.  Dougan,  S.  B.  Walsh,  Newton  R. 
Frost,  F.  E.  Nelson,  J.  W.  Shepard,  W.  W.  Price  and  J.  W.  Taylor. 
The  aggregate  amount  of  effort  these  men  and  their  colaborers  per- 
formed in  that  critical  era  to  make  St.  Paul  what  it  is  today  is  simply  in- 
calculable. Hostile  and  jealous  prophets  were  long  busy  with  predic- 
tions that  we  were  going  to  the  dogs.  On  the  contrary,  we  have  gone 
to  a  quarter  of  a  million  population,  and  the  disappointment  of  the  dogs 
is  immaterial.  Even  those  among  these  industrious  workers  who  devoted 
their  special  energies  to  building  up  suburban  towns,  with  results  some- 
what disappointing  to  themselves  for  the  time  being,  were  merely  over- 
sanguine  as  to  immediate  returns.  Most  of  these  enterprises  ultimately 
succeeded — some  of  them  conspicuously  so.  All  of  them  will  finally 
contribute  to  the  greatness  of  the  magnificent  metropolis,  and  all  of 
them  will,  doubtless,  in  the  end  be  included  within  its  corporate  limits. 

In  addition  to  the  real  estate  dealers,  or  brokers,  who  did  a  com- 
mission business,  there  were  several  large  owners  of  landed  property 
in  the  city  and  suburbs  who  bought  and  sold  on  their  own  account,  either 
personally  or  through  agents.  There  were  periods  when  the  fortuitous 
drug-store  experience  of  buying  at  five  cents  a  pound  and  selling  at  fifty 
cents  an  ounce,  was  often  paralleled  by  land  operators,  who  bought  an 
addition  at  fifty  dollars  an  acre  and  sold  it  at  five  hundred  dollars  a  lot. 
Among  those  who  operated  successfully,  not  as  speculators,  but  as  con- 


446  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

servative  ami  (.-unlidcin  investors,  were  W  illiam  Dawson,  Juhu  1..  .\lcrriani, 
William  K.  .Marshall,  Henry  Hale,  Charles  T.  Miller,  Edward  G.  Rogers, 
A.  Kalman,  W  illiam  Lindeke,  Conrad  Gotzian,  A.  Oppenheim,  Peter 
lierkey,  C.  E.  Dickernian,  D.  S.  B.  Johnston,  E.  F.  Drake,  W.  l-'.  David- 
son and  T.  Reardon.  All  these  men,  at  one  lime  or  another,  accumu- 
lated larjje  sums  from  the  profits  on  their  real  estate  holdings,  and  many 
of  them  made  handsome,  enduring  improvements  in  the  business  dis- 
trict, which  are  among  the  city's  valued  j^ossessions  today.  .\  few  lost, 
in  other  enterprises,  the  fortunes  thus  acijuircd,  hut  thai  was  no  im- 
))eachment  of-the  good  judgment  which  dictated  their  abiding  faith  m 
St,  Paul  realtv  investments. 


Present  Dav  X'ai.ues  and  llrii.DiNc. 

The  Englishman  who  ate  a  new  variety  of  l)un — lo-wit,  a  cod-fish 
ball — in  Boston,  surmised  that  there  was  something  dead  in  the  bun, 
and  was  not  sure  that  he  approved  of  its  flavor.  There  never  has  been 
anything  dead  about  the  real  estate  men  of  St.  I'aul;  the  hundred  and 
fifty  or  more  individuals  and  firms  now  enlisted  in  the  cause  are  fully 
maintaining  the  traditions  of  their  worthy  predecessors.  They  dis- 
courage ])lunging,  but  they  always  encourage  moderate  profits  and  safe 
investments.  The  healthy  result  is  that  the  rise  in  real  estate  here  has 
not  kept  pace  with  the  city's  growth.  Comjiaring  values  with  other  cities 
not  half  so  large,  with  not  nearly  so  good  prospects  for  future  growth, 
we  find  the  values  in  St.  Paul  are  much  lower.  This  condition  of  afifairs 
cannot  last  and  shrewd  investors,  fully  realizing  that  they  are  sure  to 
make  large  profits  in  the  near  future,  are  buying  and  building  freely, 
as  the  list  of  important  buildings'  recently  erected  or  in  course  of  con- 
struction will  show :  .Auditorium,  Shubert  and  Empress  theaters.  The 
St.  Paul,  1'.  J.  liowlin  building,  .\'ew  .Manhattan  building,  ISenz  building, 
new  Cathedral,  French  Catholic  church,  l.owry  building,  l.indeke,  War- 
ner &  Son,  .Association  of  Commerce,  [•"inch,  \'an  .Slyke  &  McConville, 
the  m.inii'iioth  bakery  of  the  St.  Paul  Bread  Company,  Masonic  Te!U])le, 
Junior  Pioneers'  home,  V.  M.  C.  -K..  Y.  W.  C.  .\.,  Northwestern  Tele- 
phone Company  building,  Orpheum  theater,  i'rincess.  Majestic  and  other 
theaters.  Emporium  building.  City  Hospital  addition.  Novices'  Home, 
Hamm's  Bottling  works.  Smith  factory.  Golden  Rule  building.  State 
Savings  Bank  building.  First  National  P)ank  building,  AlcGill  Warner 
Iniilding,  ( )'D()nnell  Slioe  Company;  h'arwell,  ( )znnui.  Kirk  &  t'ompany, 
and  West  Side  warehouse,  Alichand  Iiuilding,  Booth  it  Company  cold 
storage  i)lant ;  .\icols.  Dean  iS:  Gregg,  (i.  Sommers  &  Company,  J.  H. 
Allen  &  Coiu])any,  Northern  Heating  iS:  [•".lectric  jilant,  four  new  high 
schools.  Wilder  Charity  and  Kretz  buildings.  The  cost  of  some  of  these, 
as  very  conservatively  stated  in  the  building  ])ermits.  is  as  follows: 
Lowry  Arcade,  .$300,000;  .Association  of  Comiuerce.  $250,000;  Y.  W. 
C.  A.,  $100,000;  Finch.  \an  Slyke  &  .McConville,  $500,000;  luuiwrium, 
$200,000;  Lexington  high  school,  $4,25.000;  Nortli  Western' 'i'elephone, 
$150,000;  St.  Paid  Bread  Coni|)any,  $300,000;  Cit\  llnspital  .uldilions, 
$150,000;  Wilder  .\dniinistralion,  ,$_'tx),ooo ;  Novices'  home,  $loo,OCX); 
llamm  P.ottling  works,  ,Sioo,ooo:  LiUheran  College  addition,  $40,000: 
J,  G,  Smith  factory,  $So,ooo;  Riciiards  Gordon  school,  $40,000. 

The  benefit  of  these  improvements  has  not  been  discounted.  Owners 
of  proiierty  as  a  rule  have  been  firm  in  their  .prices,  and  values  have  been 


ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY  447 

maintained,  but   not  inflated.      These  conditions  could  not   have  existed 
had  not  the  improvements  in  this  city  been  on  a  grand  scale. 

Public  Attitude  of  Re.vl  Est.vte  Exch.anges 

The  real  estate  exchanges.  cit_\'  and  national,  show  intelligent,  patriotic 
interest  in  all  matters  of  general  betterment.  There  are  cities  where 
material  beauty  commands  the  admiration  of  the  world,  yet  where  hu- 
man souls  are  starved  shriveled  by  pestilential  tenements,  life-destroy- 
ing sweatshops,  inhuman  child  labor,  unwholesome  factory  conditions 
and  other  manifestations  of  man's  inhumanity  to  man.  In  recent  years 
the  sane  mind  has  found  more  delight  in  children's  playgrounds,  public 
parks  and  other  public  facilities  for  healthful  recreation  than  in  those 
-  gorgeous  public  monuments  of  steel  and  stone  that  excited  the  wonder 
of  the  world  and  fed  nothing  but  the  eye.  Public  money  expended  for 
such  purposes,  having  in  view  good  health  of  body  as  well  as  soul,  is 
money  expended  for  the  real  lietterment  of  the  future  manhood  and 
womanhood  of  the  land. 

In  the  field  of  national  affairs  the  real  estate  exchanges  have  taken 
action  in  favor  of  many  practical  reforms.  They  demand  that  immi- 
grants be  distributed ;  that  is,  directed  to  the  farm  or  to  the  hamlet, 
where  they  can  hope  to  eventually  own  their  homes  and  really  become 
part  of  the  nation.  The  dealers  demand  free  lumber,  "so  that  the  build- 
ing of  homes  may  be  made  cheaper."  These  dealers  know  all  about  the 
building  of  homes  and  the  cost  thereof.  They,  rather  than  the  lawyers  in 
congress,  are  to  be  believed  when  they  state  what  would  increase  the 
building  of  homes.  Other  things  they  demand  are  extension  of  the  re- 
clamation service  and  the  work  of  the  waterways  commission,  and  rigid 
conservation  of  our  national  resources.  More  land,  more  irrigation  and 
ditching,  more  protection  of  the  public  domain  are  good  things  per  se. 
The  real  estate  dealers  want  them.     So  does  the  whole  nation. 

They  have  a  right  to  make  these  demands,  and  they  have  encourage- 
ment in  high  quarters,  that  some  at  least  of  their  arguments  will  prevail. 
Frederick  C.  Stevens,  the  honored  representative  in  congress  from  the 
St.  Paul  district  once  elaborated,  in  an  eloquent  speech,  the  quite  un- 
usual thought  that  the  grist  of  the  legislative  mill  cannot  come  out  in  a 
way  to  suit  everybody,  but  if  interests,  at  first  supposed  to  be  contend- 
ing but  found  finally  to  be  genuine  efforts  towards  the  common  good, 
faced  one  another  and  threshed  the  proposition  out,  or  combed  it  out, 
then  "we  get  the  golden  mean,  the  best  thing  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances." 

The  real  estate  exchanges  on  the  whole,  believe  in  Canadian  recipro- 
city, as  a  potent  aid  to  commercial  prosperity  and  they  believe  that,  in 
spite  of  set  backs  that  beneficent  policy  will  prevail  at  no  distant  day. 
"Canada,  acceding  to  this  confederation  and  joining  in  the  measures 
of  the  United  States,  shall  be  admitted  to  this  Union,"  said  our  first  con- 
stitution. If  Canada  had  acceded,  the  ruinous  condition  of  absolute  free 
trade  would  of  course  have  existed  between  that  territory  and  this.  No 
protective  duty  would  stand  between  ( )ntario  spruce  forest?  and  the 
consumer  of  printing  paper  this  side  the  border,  or  between  Canadian 
lumber  and  the  builder  of  a  house  in  Illinois.  ^linnesota  mills  could 
grind  Saskatchewan  wheat  without  having  to  pay  a  duty  of  twenty-five 
cents  a  bushel,  which  is  levied  to  protect  our  labor  from  pauper  com- 
petition, although  that  same  .Saskatchewan  wheat  is  raised  by  the  labor 


448  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

of  Iowa  and  Dakota  farmers,  who  certainly  did  not  emigrate  to  Canada 
in  order  to  pauperize  themselves. 


Agricultural  Betterment  Through  Educ.\tion 

In  matters  of  state  policy  the  real  estate  men  assume  the  advanced 
position  that  would  be  expected  of  them.  They  manifest  a  particular 
concern  for  the  extension  of  agricultural  and  industrial  training,  as  an 
assured  avenue  to  good  fortune.  A  certain  county  in  Minnesota  was 
once  pronounced  the  best  county  in  the  Middle  West  by  an  agricultural 
exjiert ;  he  based  his  opinion  on  the  farms  and  farmers.  It  begins  to 
look  as  though  every  county  in  the  state  had  the  ambition  to  outdo  all 
the  other  counties,  through  increased  wisdom  in  agricultural  matters. 

One  does  not  know  where  this  increase  could  come  to  more  positive 
or  wider  influence  than  in  the  high  schools  of  the  state,  which  are  fast 
becoming  agricultural  high  .schools,  with  a  deep  attachment  to  the  soil. 
There  were  established  by  legislative  choice,  two  years  ago,  twenty  high 
schools  in  the  state  where  agriculture  should  be  taught  by  professional 
graduates  secured  from  the  best  colleges  in  the  land.  The  state  devoted 
an  annual  appropriation  of  $50,000  to  this  end.  And  the  difficulty  was 
not  in  inducing  the  schools  to  accept  the  olTer,  but  in  selecting  the  twenty 
which  should  so  profit.  In  the  last  legislature  provision  was  made  for 
fifty-eight  more  high  schools  in  which  agriculture  is  to  be  taught. 

The  four  score  high  schools  with  agricultural  courses  are  now  in  full 
swing,  and  the  earnestness  with  which  the  state's  provision  is  being  met 
by  the  ambitions  young  farming  aspirants  is  the  amj^le  reward.  It  is 
certain  that  within  the  next  five  years  every  high  school  in  Minnesota 
will  be  ]5rovided  with  an  agricultural  course,  by  the  state.  It  will  be 
necessary  to  raise  up  a  competent  number  of  teachers  for  such  a  large 
project,  since  the  eighty  odd  schools  at  present  have  to  bring  instructors 
from  every  part  of  the  country. 

In  time  the  supjily  will  be  adecjuate  not  only  for  instruction,  Init  for 
the  end  more  specifically  desired  by  the  state. — the  farm  itself.  Within 
a  decade  this  scheme  should  bear  fruit  in  a  universally  improved  con- 
dition among  the  farmsteads  of  Minnesota.  This  is  the  i)ioneer  state  in 
such  general  agricultural  teaching.  Minnesota  is  laying  the  foundations 
for  a  future  which  cannot  be  gainsaid. 

St.  Paul's  real  estate  dealers  are  watching  all  these  steps  of  pro- 
gress with  gladdened  eyes,  for  they  are  the  carrying  out  of  their  thirty 
years'  propaganda  of  agricultural  betterment.  In  the  old  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  E.  J.  Hodgson  and  TI.  S.  l-'airchild  and  Chas.  K.  Marvin  and 
Girart  Hewitt  and  General  1.  W.  Hishoi),  used  to  talk  to  the  public  about 
crop  rotation,  and  dairying,  and  fruit  growing,  and  soil  conservation, 
and  better  breeds  of  stock.  The  directors  i)assed  many  series  of  resolu- 
tions on  these  topics,  and  indiviiluals  among  them,  kejit  up  the  agitation 
for  a  real  live  I^tate  .Agricultural  College  until  it  was  established  as  a 
department  of  the  I'niversity  and  located  in  St.  Paul.  The  real  estate 
men  furnished  the  ammunition  for  all  this  warfare,  and  loaded  the  guns, 
as  a  part  of  their  campaign  for  the  public  good. 

The  St.  Paul  Real  Estate  Exchange,  one  of  the  city's  oldest  and 
most  useful  public  bodies,  still  maintains  a  vigorous  existence,  with  a 
live  membership  composed  of  ))rogressive  citizens.  It  was  well  repre- 
sented at  the  natif)nal  convention  in  Denver  in  .\ugust.  191 1.     Its  prcs- 


ST.  PAUL  AND  MCINITY  449 

ent  officers  are  \"al  J.  Rothschild  president;  H.  E.  Ware,  vice  president; 
J.  I.  Faricy,  secretary ;  F.  L.  Bayard,  treasurer. 


A  Prophecy  Verified 

In  1888,  H.  S.  Fairchild  concluded  a  letter  to  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce with  these  statements,  which  were  true  then  and  are  true  today, 
albeit  there  have  been  periods  in  the  interim  of  twenty-four  years  when 
men  of  less  enthusiasm  have  doubted  them :  "Will  St.  Paul  continue  to 
rapidly  grow,  and  prices  continue  to  advance?  I  aim  in  this  paper  to 
simply  set  forth  plain  facts,  not  to  indulge  in  fine  phrases,  or  to  make 
extravagant  predictions.  Washington  territory,  Montana  and  Dakota 
are  rapidly  settling  up,  and  their  trade  comes  to  us.  North  Wisconsin, 
rich  in  timber  and  minerals,  is  being  made  more  and  more  tributary  to 
us  by  new  roads  opened ;  the  great  stock  yards  and  packing  houses  re- 
cently established  are  stopping  the  live  stock  here  that  formerly  went  to 
Chicago :  manufacturers  from  the  east  are  rapidly  changing  their  plants 
to  St.  Paul  as  a  good  point  from  which  to  supply  the  northwest. 

"All  calculations  as  to  the  future  of  our  cities,  notably  a  few  of  the 
northwestern  ones,  and  all  calculations  as  to  the  future  of  our  country, 
its  pofiulation,  power  and  wealth,  are  startling.  Our  bankers,  merchants 
and  professional  men,  our  mechanics  and  laborers,  have  been  made  com- 
fortable or  rich  by  real  estate  investments  in  the  past.  They  will  con- 
tinue to  be  in  the  future,  and  twenty  years  hence  as  many  will  sigh  over 
lost  opportunities  as  do  today. 

"It  is  the  safest  and  most  profitable  investment  that  can,  as  a  rule,  be 
made.  It  can't  be  burnt ;  it  does  not  decay ;  it  can't  be  cornered.  The 
millions  of  people  that  dwell  in  St.  Paul's  tributary  country  are,  by  all 
their  labors  and  expenditures,  adding  to  the  value  of  St.  Paul's  prop- 
erty while  you  wake  or  sleep." 

We  may  supplement  this  deliverance  of  twenty-three  years  ago,  by 
the  oldest  real  estate  expert  in  St.  Paul,  with  a  compilation  from  one 
by  Frank  C.  Jones,  of  the  younger  generation,  printed  in  the  Pioneer 
Press  of  October  22,  igii.  Mr.  Jones  points  out  that,  to  the  capitalist, 
investments  in  St.  Paul  business  property  have  the  double  advantage 
of  yielding  good  rentals  while  steadily  increasing  in  value.  So,  also 
vacant  property  offers  a  two-fold  inducement  to  a  young  man  with  a 
small  amount  of  money,  who  is  trying  to  get  a  start  in  life.  By  becoming 
a  land  owner  he  becomes  a  part  of  the  city  itself  and  will  take  more 
interest  in  civic  aff'airs.  Many  men  have  acquired  the  habit  of  saving 
and  started  on  the  road  to  success,  by  purchasing  a  lot  on  a  small  pay- 
ment down  and  paying  the  balance  in  monthly  instalments,  when  otherwise 
they  would  have  spent  their  income  each  month.  By  the  time  the  young 
man  has  made  his  last  payment  he  not  only  has  the  lot  to  show  for  his 
months  of  saving,  but  also  the  increase  in  the  value  of  the  property  dur- 
ing the  time  of  payment,  and  the  habit  of  saving  formed. 

There  are  opportunities  in  every  part  of  the  city  for  a  young  man 
with  a  small  amount  of  money  but  with  a  keen  foresight,  to  realize  a 
large  profit  from  his  investment.  In  Hamline  not  long  ago,  in  the  dis- 
trict east  of  Snelling  and  north  of  !\Tinnehaha  street,  acre  lots  were 
offered  for  $1,400.  A  young  man  bought  one  of  these  and  rearranged 
the  acre  into  five  lots  about  45  by  160  feet,  aggregating  $2,100,  giving 
him  a  profit  of  fifty  per  cent,  on  his  original  investment.  Another  young 
man  purchased  three  lots  fronting  on  a  car  line,  one  of  them  being  on  a 
corner.     He  rearranged  these  lots,  changing  them  from  west  facing  to 


450  ST.  PAUL  AND  VICINITY 

south  facing  on  the  other  street  and  has  recently  disposed  of  the  last  of 
the  three,  receiving  for  them  all  $2,400.  As  he  paid  $1,500  he  had  a  hand- 
some prolit  to  show  for  his  time.  Prohts  in  vacant  property  are  not  con- 
fined, however,  to  subdividing  and  rearranging.  There  are  always  single 
lots  in  the  market  which  can  be  purchased  below  the  market  value  of 
the  lots  in  the  same  neighborhood  and  a  judicious  investment  of  this  kind 
never  fails  to  bring  satisfactory  results  to  the  purchaser,  and  results  are 
always  the  determining  factor  in  a  business  transaction. 


The  Insurance  Companies 

Nearly  related  to  the  real  estate  interest  in  the  public  mind  and  often 
directly  connected  with  it  in  the  hands  of  agents,  is  that  of  insurance. 
This  great  interest  has  never  been  neglected  in  St.  Paul.  Agencies, 
general,  state  and  local,  for  the  leading  companies  of  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain,  in  all  branches  and  departments  of  insurance — lire, 
life,  accident,  indemnity  and  security — have  al)ounded  here  and  constitute 
today  a  prominent  and  most  useful  financial  feature.  The  soundest  and 
safest  outside  companies  are  always  glad  to  do  business  here  and  are 
always  represented  by  agencies,  alert,  prompt  and  reliable.  The  abun- 
dance of  satisfactory  agency  service,  combined  with  the  disinclinalion  cf 
our  financiers  and  business  men  to  encourage  a  multiplication  of  wild-cat 
local  concerns,  such  as  have  discredited  and  humiliated  many  other  cities, 
has  resulted  in  limiting  the  luimbcr  while  vastly  increasing  the  quality 
of  our  home  institutions  in  this  line. 

The  St.  Paul  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company,  which,  from 
the  beginning  has  commanded  confidence  by  the  high  character  of  its 
managing  officers,  has  grown  to  be  a  strong  and  popular  institution,  re- 
cognized throughout  the  country  as  a  model  of  security  and  fair  deal- 
ing. It  was  organized  in  1865.  with  J-  C.  Burbank  as  president.  C.  II. 
Bigelow,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Burbank  in  the  presidency,  served  continu- 
ously in  that  position  nearly  forty  years,  and  until  his  death  in  1911.  The 
company's  capital  is  $500,000;  surplus  $250,000.  The  present  officers 
are :     F.  R.  Bigelow,  president,  and  A.  W.  Perry,  secretary. 

The  Minnesota  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  was  incorporated 
in  1880  and  holds  high  rank  as  a  .safe  and  conservative  institution,  with 
a  constantly  increasing  business  in  the  northwest.  Its  officers  are  E.  W. 
Randall,  president ;  A.  II.  Lindeke,  vice  president ;  T.  A.  Phillips,  sec- 
retary and  actuary. 

The  National  Live  Stock  Insurance  Company  was  founded  Septem- 
ber 5,  1887,  with  an  authorized  capital  of  $100,000.  H.  T.  Drake  is 
president.  G.  H.  Brown,  secretary,  and  J.  ^^'.  Bishop,  treasurer. 

The  St.  Paul  Title  and  Trust  Company  has  headquarters  in  the 
New  York  Life  building.  Its  capital  is  $250,000;  president  F.  G.  Inger- 
soll,  and  secretary  and  treasurer,  C.  A.  Oberg. 

In  at  least  two  particulars,  the  fire  insurance,  or  "underwriters"  or- 
ganization of  St.  Paul  iierforms  a  valuable  public  function,  of  impor- 
tance to  the  entire  community.  It  maintains,  at  a  verv  heavy  annual  ex- 
pense, the  only  comjiletc  set  of  city  maps,  showing  all  improvements  and 
the  character  thereof,  continuou.sly  revised  and  kept  fully  u|i-fn-date  at 
all  times.  It  also  maintains,  at  a  still  heavier  annual  expense,  a  highly 
efficient  patrol  and  salvage  system  by  means  of  which  projierty  of  enor- 
mous value  is  saved  from  destruction,  while  the  official  fire-fighters  arc 
busy  trving  to  prevent  the  spread  of  conflagrations. 


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