Fifty Years In The Northwest by William H. C. Folsom
1847. Its effects, however, were not greatly felt until toward the
1884 words | Chapter 182
middle of the ensuing year.
Among the prominent accessions in 1848 to the population were Henry M.
Rice, Henry C. Rhodes, David Olmsted, W. D. Phillips, E. A. C. Hatch,
Bushrood W. Lott, W. H. Nobles, Nathan Myrick, A. H. Cavender,
Benjamin F. Hoyt, William Freeborn, David Lambert, W. C. Morrison, Lot
Moffett, and W. D. Brown. Of these Rice, Noble, Hoyt and Myrick are
referred to in biographical sketches. Mr. Olmsted was a trader, and in
the summer of the year 1848 established a trading post at Long
Prairie, whither the Winnebagoes had removed. He was a member of the
first and second territorial councils, and the first mayor of St.
Paul, in 1854. He removed to Winona in 1855, and died in 1861. Olmsted
county, Minnesota, is named in his honor. W. D. Phillips, better known
as "Billy" Phillips, was a somewhat eccentric character who passed for
awhile as a lawyer in St. Paul, and in 1856 drifted off into a
clerkship at Washington, since which time nothing has been heard of
him. E. A. C. Hatch was appointed Indian agent to the Blackfeet
Indians by President Pierce in 1856. In 1863 he was commissioned as
major in the volunteer service, and acquitted himself creditably.
While stationed at Pembina, by strategy he captured the insurgent
Indians, Shakopee and Medicine Bottle, who were hanged at Fort
Snelling in 1865. He died in 1881. H. O. Rhodes was engaged in trade
with David Olmsted. He died in California some years ago. A. H.
Cavender was a blacksmith and wagonmaker on Robert street in 1849.
Wm. Freeborn was quite a prominent citizen and member of the town
council. He is better known as one of the founders of Red Wing, to
which place he removed in 1853. He represented his district in the
territorial councils of 1854, 1855, 1856 and 1857. He removed to
California in 1862. Freeborn county is named for him. David Lambert, a
prominent member of the Stillwater convention, was a young man of
promise, but addicted to drink. In 1849, while suffering from a
delirious paroxysm induced by drink, he jumped from the deck of a
steamer and was drowned. W. C. Morrison originally came from New
York, thence to Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Galena, Dubuque, and
other places and lastly to St. Paul, where he is widely and favorably
known as a business man. Lot Moffett will be remembered as the builder
and proprietor of the picturesque heap of rocks known as "Moffett's
Castle," where he kept a temperance hotel for several years. He was a
man of patriarchal appearance, wearing a long, white beard. He was
known as an honest, kind hearted, benevolent man. He died in 1870. W.
B. Brown came from Wisconsin and purchased the corner on which the
Warner block now stands. He died some years ago. To enumerate the
accessions to the population in 1849 would require more space than we
are allowed. The fact that St. Paul was this year designated as the
territorial capital brought in a great number of official personages,
and an army of traders, boarding house keepers, builders and
adventurers. Heretofore Mendota had seemed to be the objective point
of steam navigation. It also aspired to be the capital of the new
territory. Senator Douglas, chairman of the committee on territories,
favored Mendota. Gen. Sibley, the territorial delegate, favored St.
Paul, and earnestly solicited the senator to yield, which, along with
the personal appeals of H. M. Rice, finally secured his acquiescence,
and the bill to form Minnesota Territory, with St. Paul as its
capital, finally passed March 3, 1849. The news, however, did not
reach the capital until April 9th, it having been brought up on the
Dr. Franklin, No. 2, the first boat of the season.
On May 27th the newly appointed governor, Alexander Ramsey, arrived
with his wife, but not being able to obtain accommodations in St. Paul
went for the time to Mendota, where they were entertained by Hon. H.
H. Sibley. Every succeeding boat was crowded with emigrants. A
newspaper was an immediate necessity. The first steps had been taken
the year before by Dr. A. Randall, of Owen's Geological Survey. Dr.
Randall was not immediately able to carry his project into effect, and
not till April 27, 1849, did the promised paper, the _Minnesota
Register_, appear. The first copy had, however, been printed at
Cincinnati two weeks earlier. Of this paper Maj. John P. Owens was
publisher.
The first number of the second paper in the city was issued April
28th. This was the St. Paul _Pioneer_, James M. Goodhue, publisher and
editor. These papers and others established later became faithful
chroniclers of the progress of the city, and invaluable as historical
documents.
The first number of Goodhue's paper, the St. Paul _Pioneer_, bearing
date of April 28, 1849, contains what we may designate as the earliest
news. We cull a few items that maybe of interest to antiquarians:
It announces Congressman Sibley's return from Washington, Rev. E. D.
Neill's removal to St. Paul, and that the latter would preach the
following Sabbath at the school house.
An editorial paragraph calls attention to the fact that the _Pioneer_
is printed in a building situated on Third street near Robert, and
that the building has five hundred apertures through which the
daylight is streaming.
The arrival of steamer Franklin, No. 2, bringing the tidings of the
passage of the bill organizing Minnesota Territory, is announced. The
steamer was greeted by a large crowd of eager and excited citizens,
whose shouts re-echoed amongst the adjacent hills.
Arrival of steamers Cora and Dr. Franklin, No. 1, is announced.
The following advertisements will show who were the most enterprising
of the early settlers:
H. Jackson, postmaster; D. Lambert, real estate dealer; W. H. Nobles,
wagonmaker; J. J. Dewey, M.D.; W. D. Phillips, lawyer; J. Monteur, D.
C. Taylor, blacksmiths; J. R. Irvine, plasterer; B. L. Sellers,
stonemason; Lot Moffett, Anson Northrup, hotel keepers; James Pomeroy,
Francis McCoy, house builders; McBoal & Gilbert, stock dealers; Henry
Jackson, W. H. Forbes, Daniel Hopkins, Freeman, Larpenteur & Co., J.
W. Simpson, Olmsted & Rhodes, Fuller & Brothers, R. P. Russell,
merchants.
A road notice completes the list.
Among the prominent citizens who arrived in 1849, David Day became the
first register of deeds in Ramsey county. He served in the territorial
house in 1852 and 1853, and was speaker during the last session. He
served as postmaster from 1874 to 1887. D. F. Brawley established the
first brickyard in the Territory, and made the brick for the first
brick building north of Prairie du Chien, which was built by Rev. E.
D. Neill. Willoughby & Powers introduced the first stage coaches, and
established the first livery stable. Nathaniel McLean came as a Sioux
Indian Agent and served four years. He died in 1871, aged eighty-four
years. Henry F. Masterman, a prominent lawyer, died in 1883. J. D.
Crittenden, who served in the late war and rose to the position of
colonel. Orlando Simmons, a useful citizen and sound jurist, still
lives in St. Paul. Wm. Hollinshead, a brother-in-law of Edmund and H.
M. Rice, died some time in the '50s. J. W. Bond was the author of the
first history of Minnesota. Chauncey Hobart was chaplain of the first
legislature. John B. Spencer, carpenter and contractor, built the
first breakwater and dock at Duluth.
Thomas Foster became editor of the _Minnesotian_, and subsequently
issued a paper at Duluth. He gave the name of "The Zenith City of the
Unsalted Sea" to Duluth. He was too much of a critic to be popular. He
died near Washington, District of Columbia, in 1884. The first
Masonic, Odd Fellows and Sons of Temperance lodges were organized this
year. The Bank of St. Croix, with headquarters at St. Paul, was
established this year. Its paper was the first issued in the form of
bank notes in the city and Territory. Nevertheless it was a fraud. Its
paper was quoted in New York at one per cent. The proprietors were
Young & Sawyer.
For a few terse comparisons and statistics with regard to the St. Paul
of the past and of the present we are indebted to a writer in the "Soo
Line edition" of the _St. Croix Standard_:
"Twenty-six years ago there were no railroads in St. Paul, now there
are 26 trunk lines entering the city, with over 3,000 miles of track
and more than 20,000 miles of mileage, 90,000 cars in use and 100,000
men employed. Beside this is the river trade, which employs two lines
of boats and affords a very considerable commerce to St. Paul. In the
manufacturing interests St. Paul has shown a great increase, and in
every department of trade manufactories are springing up in all
directions, and the business has already reached the large sum of
$45,000,000, with not less than 1,200 factories and 22,000 men
employed. Forty-six hotels accommodate the traveling public. The fire
department is one of the best in the West, consisting of 8 steam fire
engines, 7 chemical engines, hose carts, 159 men, 78 horses, etc., and
the value of all the property belonging to the fire department is
$316,367. The city is abundantly supplied with good, pure water,
obtained from several lakes. One year ago there were 1,800 miles of
mains and 1,000 new water connections, so it is safe to say that at
present there are 2,000 miles of mains and 1,200 connections. The
receipts of the department for the past year were $2,109,026.09. The
real estate sales in 1887 will reach as high as $32,000,000."
Beyond this year we shall not follow the history of the city, except
so far as a few tables of statistics and the biographies of a few of
its leading citizens may be concerned.
POPULATION OF ST. PAUL.
1849, April 200
1849, June 840
1855 4,716
1857 9,973
1860 10,279
1865 12,976
1870 20,030
1875 33,178
1880 41,498
1886 138,074
SCHOOLS IN 1886.
Number of school houses, 26; valuation, $816,650; number of teachers,
246; number of scholars, 9,600.
STATISTICS OF BUILDINGS COSTING $100,000 AND OVER.
Capitol $300,000
Custom house 500,000
Court house 1,000,000
Hotel Ryan 1,000,000
Merchants Hotel 500,000
Metropolitan Hotel 100,000
Globe building 500,000
Pioneer Press building 650,000
Chamber of Commerce 100,000
High School building 137,000
Hamline University 175,000
Macalester College 100,000
Baptist church 100,000
German Catholic church 100,000
Central Park Methodist Episcopal church 100,000
New York Life Insurance Company building 1,000,000
German Life Insurance Company building 250,000
Northern Pacific office building 250,000
Manitoba office building 200,000
Omaha office building 160,000
Union Depot 150,000
German American Bank 250,000
Germania Bank 200,000
First National Bank 100,000
Watson block 300,000
Hale block 150,000
McMurrin block 150,000
Willius block 150,000
Gilfillan block 125,000
Drake block 100,000
Drake block 100,000
Union block 100,000
Albion block 100,000
Gotzian block 100,000
Wilder block 100,000
Mayhall block 100,000
DeCoster & Clark block 100,000
Sherman block 100,000
Astoria block 100,000
Steele block 100,000
Shuter block 100,000
Dawson block 100,000
J.J. Hill's residence 350,000
Kittson's residence 150,000
Wilder's residence 150,000
Stickney's residence 125,000
Griggs' residence 125,000
Merriam's residence 125,000
Opera House 100,000
United States Army headquarters 100,000
Lindeke Flour mill 100,000
Elevator A 100,000
Elevator B 100,000
Bohn Manufacturing Company 120,000
MAYORS OF ST. PAUL.
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