History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, Part 61

Author: Warner, George E; Foote, Charles M., joint author; Neill, Edward D. (Edward Duffield), 1823-1893. Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota. 1n; Williams, J. Fletcher (John Fletcher), 1834-1895. Outlines of the history of Minnesota
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Minneapolis, North Star Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 684

USA > Minnesota > Ramsey County > St Paul > History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota > Part 61

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

a railroad bridge, already built by the West Wis- consin Company, front its western terminus, Hud- son, across Lake St. Croix. On February 19th, 1872, the company began to operate under a 990 years lease, the Hudson branch of the St. Paul. Stillwater and Taylor's Falls Railroad from Lake St. Croix to the junction of the main line of the latter road, and also under the same lease to use jointly with the St. Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls Company the main line from the junction to St. Paul. On August 1st, 1872, the West Wis- consin Company began to run over the balance of the main line, from the junction to Stillwater.

St. Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls Railroad Company was organized under the general laws of the State. The articles of incorporation were adopted September 23d, 1869, and filed in Ramsey county court, October 11th, 1869, affidavit of pub- lication being filed in the office of secretary of state, July 11th, 1871. The route of the road defined in the articles of incorporation, is between the corporate limits of St. Paul and Taylor's Falls, by way of Stillwater, passing through, or near, Marine, Washington county, with a branch road to, or near, Hudson, Wisconsin. The prin- cipal place of business was to be St. Paul; the commencement of the corporation, October 25th, 1869; its continuance to be for fifty years. The capital stock was placed at $1,000,000, which was to be increased at pleasure; the number of shares of the capital stock, ten thousand, of one hundred dollars each; the limit of indebtedness, $1,500,000.

By an act of the legislature, approved Marchi 2d, 1871, it was declared that, "so much of the lands granted by congress, by act of March 3d, 1857, and March 3d,. 1865, to aid in the construc- tion of a railroad from Stillwater to St. Paul, as remains undisposed of by the state after the Still- water and St. Paul Railroad Company shall have reserved, set apart for, and conveyed to it, all of the ten sections per mile pertaining to twelve miles of said road, constructed from Stillwater westward, were granted tothe St. Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls Railroad Company." By section three of this act, of March 2d, 1871, the St. Paul, Stillwater and Taylor's Falls Railroad Company was entitled to hold, sell and mortgage said lands, so granted to it, to the same extent, and on the same terms as by law they might have been held, disposed of and encumbered by the

353

SAINT PAUL-THE UNION DEPOT.

St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company, (which had before held the franchises) had the road been built by said company. The first officers of the road were: Peter Berkey, president; O. B. Tur- rell, secretary and treasurer; J. S. Sewell, chief engineer. The corporators were R. Blakeley, F. R. Delano, Peter Berkey and others. The origi- nal charter also provided authority to own and run boats and ferries in connection with the road, the intention being to navigate the waters of the upper St. Croix river. Up to 1874, the total stock, common and preferred, that was issued, was $283,500, all of which had been sold to the public, and one hundred cents on the dollar was paid for every dollar issued. The whole amount, also, was subscribed for in Minnesota. The entire number of acres received by the company from the state of Minnesota, under date of Feburary 19, 1872, being from congressional grant of odd sections, was 44,246. The total cost of the road was over one million dollars. Although the num- ber of miles of road are few, the grading and excavating consisted of heavy and expensive work.

Since the consolidation and completion of the St. Paul and Omaha system, many improvements have been effected in road-bed, equipment and terminal facilities. Many miles of new road are in course of construction, mostly in Wisconsin. Many local improvements, also, of an important nature, are in course of progression. Near the bridge over the river, they are putting up exten- sive machine shops and a large round house; and next season it is contemplated to erect car shops, having a large capacity. The yards have been filled up, new side tracks put in, and freighting facilities enlarged. At East St. Paul an engine house has just been finished containing twelve stalls. The building now occupied for general office purposes, was finished last June. Excava- tion was commenced in the spring of 1880, and foundations finished before the frost set in in the fall. It occupies two full lots on the corner of Fourth and Rosabel streets, the dimensions being sixty by one hundred and twenty feet, three stories with basement and Mansard. It is a hand- some structure, of pressed brick and Kasota stone ; and its cost has been about $68,000. It is par- ticularly well adapted to its special purposes, and an ornament to the section of the city in which it is situated.

THE UNION DEPOT.

The increasing strain put upon the different roads to properly take care of the comfort of their passengers resulted in 1879, in the project of a union depot taking definite form. All of. the companies united in the place, and the St. Paul Union Depot Company was organ- ized. It is a duly incorporated stock company. the stock all being held by the different roads centering in St. Paul. The capital stock is $140,- 000 which is expected to pay six per cent. interest. These dividends and other expenditures of the depot company are bound by all the railroad companies using the depot, in proportion to the use each one makes of it, measured by the wheelage of its cars. This depot is complete in all its ap- pointments, is spacious and well located. Its style of architecture is very pleasing, and adds to the fame of L. S. Buffiington, the designer of the plans. The building itself cost $125,000; the expense of filling and putting in the tracks cost- ing also a very large sum. The foundation cost no less than 40,000. The ground was obtained from the First Division St. Paul and Pacific Com- pany. Construction commenced in April, 1880, and the depot was finished and opened for use Sunday, August 21st, 1881.

Among other facilities for transportation pur- poses are the great modern express companies, whose existence has rendered incalculable ser- vice to the business interests. Those companies having offices in St. Paul, are the American Ex- press Company, the Northern Pacific express, and the United States Express Company.

The first express business transacted was by J. C. Burbank, in 1851, by the establishment of a line between St. Paul and Galena, connecting at the latter place with the American Express Com- pany. Mr. Burbank was himself the pioneer messenger of his express. The amount of express matter with which he was entrusted on his first trip, he carried in his pocket. The business was continued, though the receipts were not sufficient to pay the expense of one man. In 1853 Mr. Burbank took as partner, Charles T. Whitney, since deceased, and engaged in the forwarding and express business as has been previously nar- rated. In 1854 the express business had grown to such proportions as to justify the employment of regular messengers and the establishment of

354

HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

agents at all the towns along the river. In 1856 Mr. Whitney sold his interest to Captain Russell Blakeley, and the new firm opened an office in St. Paul where the Ingersoll block now stands, .In May, 1856, C. W. Carpenter entered the ser- vice of the company as local agent. In 1857 E. F. Warner was engaged in the St. Paul office and has remained in the business ever since, be- ing now a local agent and superintendent of the Minnesota division for the American express Company. At first an agent and one delivery man transacted the business. Now nearly thirty employes are required in addition to the fifty messengers who handle the business tributary to St. Paul.

The great fast freight lines are also well repre- sented in St. Paul, among them the Blue Line, Canada Southern, Duluth Line, Erie and Mil- waukee Line, Erie and North Shore Despatch, Erie and Pacific Despatch, Hoosac Tunnel Line, Merchants' Despatch Transportation Company, National Line, Red Line Transit Company, South Shore Line, Southern Despatch, and Star Union Line.

The Saint Paul City Railway Company. The first street railway company was organized May 9th, 1872, under the name of the Saint Paul Street Railway Company. It was composed of J. C. Burbank, Horace Thompson, E. F. Drake, Geo. Culver, W. S. Wright, H. L. Carver, A. H. Wilder, John L. Merriam, P. F. McQuillan, Wil- liam Dawson, Peter Berkey, William Lee, Bart- lett Presley, and William F. Davidson.

The first officers were: J. C. Burbank, presi- dent; John Wann, vice-president; II. L. Carver, secretary, William Dawson, treasurer.

The first contract was made for two miles of track. When this was finished six cars were put on, which required thirty horses. At that time 14 men were required to operate the road. The stables were located on the corner of Exchange and Fourth streets, in a brick building 25x200 feet, two stories in height.

In November, 1878, the company was re-organ- ized under the name and title of the Saint Paul City Railway Company, which is its present title. There are now operated eleven miles of track. Twenty-eight cars are in use needing one hun- dred and forty horses. Steady employment is furnished to one hundred and sixty-one men.

The stables are situated on St. Peter street, running from Fourth to Fifth streets. It is a well constructed three-story building of brick, with stalls for one hundred and fifty horses, and room for thirty cars, and contains repair and blacksmith's shops. The upper stories are used as the offices of the company, sleeping rooms for employes, and for the storage of grain, hay, and other feed.

In 1880, the cars carried 975,000 passengers, or twenty times the population of the city. This year it is calculated they will carry nearly, if not quite 1,400,000 people. This is based on the fact that in the first four months of 1881, they have a gain of 100,000 over the same period in 1880. The present officers of the company are: A. II. Porter, president; W. H. Phillips, vice president; W. G. Dominick, secretary; James R. Walsh, treasurer; J. F. Alexander, superintendent.

CHAPTER XLVI.

NEWSPAPERS-PUBLIC SCHOOLS -- ACADEMIES.

The history of journalism in St. Paul, up to recent times, is practically the history of the Pioneer Press.

That this is the case is exhibited by the fact that it is the "grand ultimate product" of twenty preterlapsed rivals.

On January 1st, 1880, that journal, which, a few days previously, had put in its appearance in an entirely new dress, published a highly in- teresting and exhaustive history of its rise and progress. It has been found best, in view of this existing account, to use it freely, and the following will consist of copious extracts from that article, which space only forbids re-publish- ing in its unbroken state.

The first newspaper ever published in Minne- sota was the Minnesota Pioneer, founded by James M. Goodhue, who was in every way fitted to be the pioneer editor in a new territory. His attention had been called to the new territory by the speeches of Delegate H. H. Sibley and others. In the prospectus he had issued for the new

355

SAINT PAUL - NEWSPAPERS.

journal he proposed to call it the Epistle of St. Paul. It has been supposed that he changed this name to the Pioneer upon the advice of some friends who objected to its irreligious tone. The real reason, however, was that he was in doubt on his first arrival whether St. Paul or Stillwater was to be the chief city of the state, and in order not to commit himself till he had time to look around, he changed the name. Goodhue arrived on the 18th of April, 1849, and the first number of the Minnesota Pioneer was issued on April 28th, from a small frame building on Third street, near the corner of Robert, about a block from where the Pioneer Press office now stands. In his first issue, Goodhue says: "We print and issue this number of the Pioneer in a building through which out-of-doors is visible by more than five hundred apertures; and as for our type, it is not safe from being pied on the galleys by the wind."

He was not long allowed to monopolize the new field. In the previous August, 1848, Dr. A. Ran- dall, an attache of Owen's geological corps, then engaged in a survey of this region, seeing that a new territory was likely to be organized, resolved to establish a paper at once. He bought his press and material at Cincinnati, designing to return in the fall. But navigation closed so early that year as to render this impracticable. He asso- ciated himself with a young printer, John P. Owens, and they issued the first paper at Cin- cinnati, which was dated two weeks ahead, or April 27th, 1849, so as to reach St. Paul by the date thus named. It was called the Minnesota Register. Randall, however, caught the Califor- nia fever about this time, and sold his interest to Nathaniel McLean. Owens arrived at St. Paul in May, with his printing press and material, and while waiting for McLean, who was detained at Cincinnati by sickness, the Minnesota Chronicle was established and issued by Col. James Hughes, on June 1st, 1849. Owens, however, proceeded to get out his second number-the first printed in Minnesota-on July 14th. Only some five or six numbers of the Register were issued, how- ever, before it was consolidated with the Chron- icle, under the name of the Chronicle and Regis- ter, Col. Hughes selling out to McLean and Owens. It was the Whig organ of the period.

On December 10th, 1850, the Minnesota Demo-

crat was established by Col. D. A. Robertson. About the same time the Chronicle and Register, after several changes of ownership, passed into the hands of Charles J. Henniss. Henniss and Vincent joined forces with Col. Robertson, to control both political parties to secure the terri- torial printing. But a secret counter-combina- tion was formed between some of the leading whigs, which resulted in the Pioneer carrying off the prize, and in the establishment of the Minne- sotian in the fall following as the whig organ, on its share of the plunder, with John P. Owens as its editor. What little there was left of the Chronicle and Register was absorbed in the Democrat. In 1852 the Minnesotian passed into the hands of Owens and Moore.

James M. Goodhue, the founder of Minnesota journalism, died on August 27th, 1852, and soon after the Pioneer was purchased by Joseph R. Brown. In 1854, he sold the paper to Earle S. Goodrich. On the next day Mr. Goodrich left for New York, to secure material for a daily paper, to be issued and which was issued on May 1st, 1854. The other papers resolved to follow suit. The Democrat, which, on the preceding June, had been sold by Colonel Robertson to David A. Olmsted, succeeded in getting out its first daily evening issue on May 1st, following the first morning issue of the Pioneer. The Daily Minne- sotian followed on May 12th, H. P. Pratt being associated with J. P. Owens in its management. Mr. Pratt died the following year, George W. Moore succeeding him. The Daily Times was established three days later, May 15th, 1854, by T. M. Newson, J. B. II. Mitchell and M. J. Clum, in a brick block at the corner of Third and Frank- lin streets, where Charles H. Parker had his bank ; and when this was burnt down, in 1856, the Times was removed to the basement of McClung's block on Third street.

There were thus four daily papers in St. Paul in 1854, at a time when the total population of the city did not exceed four thousand, and when that of the entire territory was not more than forty- five thousand. But, as if this was not enough, on October 4th, of the next year, appeared still an- other, the Free Press, an evening paper, edited by A. G. Smith, now of Litchfield, and published by Samuel J. Albright & Co., as the organ of Governor Gorman and his friends.

356

HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

This competition of five daily papers for the patronage of a little town and sparsely settled territory, insufficient for the support of one, could not last long. The Evening Democrat was sold by Olmsted, in the fall of 1854, to C. L. Emerson, who removed it to the stone building on Wabasha street adjoining the opera house. In the fall of 1855 it was merged in the Pioneer. In the suc- ceeding spring the Free Press died of inanition. This still left three daily papers to try their chances in the struggle for existence. The Pio- neer had a much solider position than either of its rivals, with a much wider circulation and busi- ness patronage, but was especially favored, as the organ of the dominant party, in being fed with lavish streams of state bounty. In fact, the state patronage at that time, was looked on as almost essential to the continued existence, or, at least, the prosperity, of a St. Paul newspaper.

The Minnesotian and the Times were living mainly on the hope of such a change in the politi- cal situation as would transfer to one or the other of them these coveted spoils of their party's vic- tory. The old Whig party, indeed, was fast dying of senile paralysis, but the summer of 1855 witnessed the organization in Minnesota of a new party, which, under the banner of equal rights, was destined, in a few years, to succeed to the control of the government. The Republicans nominated William R. Marshall as their candi- date for delegate to congress ; but, though the vote of the Democratic party was divided between rival candidates, Henry M. Rice and David Olm- sted, Rice was elected by a large majority ; the Democrats retained their ascendency in the legis- lature, and there was not a crumb of comfort left for the two rival Republican organs.

Perhaps mention should be made here of the St. Paul Financial and Real Estate Advertiser, originally published in 1854-5, by Charles H. Parker, an enterprising banker of the period, as an advertising sheet for gratuitous circulation, and which was edited by a clerk in Parker's office named J. A. Wheelock. Subsequently, on Jan- uary 1st, 1856, it was issued on an enlarged scale as a regular subscription weekly, and had a great success in circulation. Mr. Parker left for Cali- fornia in 1857, and Mr. Wheelock ran it till the summer of 1858, when he turned over its material and subscription list to the Pioneer.

In the fall of 1857, Jolm P. Owens sold his interest in the Minnesotian to Dr. Thos. Foster.

When the great financial crash came in the fall, and hard times continued through 1858 and 1859, the newspapers suffered severely. The Pioneer was well supported on state patronage, but the two republican papers existed miraculously- without visible means of support. On December 14th, 1859, the two rival Republican papers were consolidated for reasons which were indicated in the election of their joint proprietors in January, 1860, to the office of state printers, under the style of Newson, Moore, Foster and Company. In July this partnership was dissolved and the two papers resumed their separate existences.

On January 1st, 1861, the St. Paul Daily Press was founded. The original steps in the matter were taken by J. A. Wheelock, with the assistance of J. Jay Knox. The influence of William R. Marshall was secured, and the sole proprietorship and editorial control surrendered to him with the pecuniary responsibility of the enterprise. Mr. Wheelock serving as a volunteer on the editorial staff, with the reservation of a contingent inter- est at some future time. On its first appearance the Press was a little seven column sheet, issued from the hand press, and types of the old St. Paul Times, which, for reasons of poverty and prudence, were hired for a year, the Times giv- ing up the ghost in this respectable fashion. A little money borrowed from some good friends constituted its sole capital. The Press took up its quarters in the upper story of the old brick building on the corner of Beech and Wabasha streets, though the want of space made it neces- sary to fit up editorial rooms in the second story of Marshall's block, adjoining the opera house. The Minnesotian occupied the lower story of the brick building. Mr. Marshall a week or two aft- terwards was elected state printer, but under an argeement whereby one-half went to Orville Brown, of the Faribault Republican. This was soon after followed by the purchase and absorp- tion of the old Minnesotian, owned by Foster and Moore -- and the whole of the brick building was occupied by the Press. In the course of that year, 1861, Mr. Marshall sold one-half of the Press to Newton Bradley, who entered the con- cern as its business manager. During the sum- mer of 1862, Mr. Marshall abandoned the edito-

357

SAINT PAUL-NEWSPAPERS.

rial desk to raise a company, in which he enlisted as a private. He was subsequently appointed acting colonel of the Seventh Regiment. In the following August, Col. Marshall gave the edito- rial charge of the Press to J. A. Wheelock, to whom he afterwards sold his half of the paper. In the fall of 1862, another republican paper- the Daily Union-was establishad in St. Paul by Frederick Driscoll, who was subsequently ap- pointed state printer. In March, 1863, Mr. Dris- coll purchased Newton Bradley's half interest in the Press, and took his place as business man- ager. In 1869, the Press Printing Company erected for its use a stone block at the corner of Third and Minnesota streets, and in November, moved into its new quarters. This elegant and imposing structure was three stories high on Third street and four stories on Second street, one hundred and thirty feet long and twenty-five feet wide. This proved insufficient for its pur- poses within two years, and in 1872, they com_ menced to double its size, by the erection of another building on the adjacent lot of the same width and depth, the whole double building being surmounted with another story. This was com pleted and occupied in April, 1873.

The Pioneer, meanwhile, had been far surpassed in business and circulation by the Press. In fact Mr. Goodrich, its editor and proprietor, absorbed in other pursuits, had been paying but little per- sonal attention to his paper for some years, and in November, 1865, he sold it to John X. David- son and H. P. Hall, or rather to Commodore Davidson, whom they represented. After a few month's experience with the Pioneer, Davidson and Hall surrendered it, in August, 1866, to IIenry L. Carver, Charles W. Nash and their associates, under the name of the Pioneer Printing Company. They ran the concern for some four or six years.

In order to recuperate the circulation and ad- vertising business of the Pioneer, in which it was far surpassed by the Press, the Pioneer Printing Company, in 1871, went into a magnificent lottery scheme, in which they offered a list of prizes of some sixty-five thousand dollars in estimated value. This only had a temporary success, not- withstanding it brought the circulation of the weekly to 23,000, and that of the daily to nearly seven thousand. In consequence of the failure of

this scheme the proprietors of the Pioneer were anxious to unload, and in March, 1872, Col. E. E. Paulding, who had had editorial charge of the paper a year, became the ostensible owner of the property. He died in the following year, and the brothers Lamberton succeeded him. But it has since turned out that the real owner of the property during Paulding's administration, was Col. W. S. King, of Minneapolis, and of him it was pur- chased, in March, 1874, by David Blakeley, late editor of the Chicago Post. He got possession of it for a small proportion of the large sum it had cost Mr. King.

To Mr. Blakeley is due the credit of the bright idea of consolidating the Pioneer and the Press. There was no political obstacle to the union of the two papers. The proprietors of the two con- cerns had for years been personal friends. The business details were satisfactorily arranged, and the union having been quietly consummated, the Pioneer Press made its first appearance on Sun- day morning, April 11th, 1875, greatly to the surprise of the readers of both papers. Not a whisper of the contemplated change had got abroad, and the actual appearance of the Pioneer Press was the first announcement which reached the public. In a few days thereafter the ma- chinery and material of the Pioneer were removed to the Press building, and this twain became one.

This consolidation necessitated the formation of the Pioneer Press Company, with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars, two-thirds of which represented the valuation of the Press in the new concern, while one-third represented the valua- tion of the Pioneer. Messrs. Wheelock and Blakeley were associated in the editorial direction of the paper, and Mr. Driscoll was still the busi- ness manager.

But the enterprising proprietors of the Pioneer Press, so far from being content with this achieve- ment, began very soon to look around for new worlds to conquer. It was well known that the Minneapolis Tribune was in anything but a flourishing condition, that large sums of money had been sunk in the attempt to sustain it, and that it was losing money every day. In the spring of 1876, negotiations were successfully entered into for the purchase of the Minneapolis Tribune.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.