History of Ramsey County and the city of St. Paul, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, Part 76

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 76

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May, 1870, J. A. Wheelock took charge and con- ducted the office until the appointment of the present incumbent, Dr. David Day. February 9th, 1873, the large Custom House in which quar- ters had been provided for the office, was suffi- ciently completed to enable it to be moved. The office is now operated by David Day, postmaster; P. O'Brian, assistant; August Coffers, money order department; J. Parker, A. E. Elliott, Geo. Simond, J. B. Brown, H. J. Broome, mailing de- partment, F. A. Newais, E. L. Mabon, sorters; George N. Tapley, superintendent of carriers; John Brabedek. C. HI. Clark, H. C. Gawey, Chas. Heidecker, N. Hendy, Henry Hless. A. M. Law- ton, J. A. McConkey, John J. McGuire, E. Mun- son, A. N. Nelson, E. Schroer, Andrew Peterson, G. A. Hoffman, J. B. Fandel, D. D. Parker, reg- istered letter department; E. L. Bean, railway mail service; Julius Ludwig, local agent; B. W. Bronson, superintedent box and general delivery; E. A. Johnson, stamp department; Theo. Swan- son, Chas. Funk, general delivery; Walter Walsh, janitor and watchman.

TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.

As early as 1851, an effort was made to con- nect St. Paul with the outside world by means of wire. In May of that year, a Mr. Clute is re- ferred to by the "Pioneer" as having been in the town endeavoring to obtain subscriptions enough to build a telegraph line from Galena to St. Paul, $27,000 being required. Mr. Clute was un- able to raise the money, and the project failed. In 1860, the need liad become urgent, and several fruitless attempts were made to organize a com- pany for the purpose of building a line, and ef- forts were made to induce the Wisconsin com- pany to extend its lines to St. Paul. Finally James M. Winslow, a prominent capitalist, took the matter in hand and built a line along the old river road from this city to La Crosse. He re- ceived a bonus from the towns through which the wire passed, enough, it is said to pay the ex- penses of construction. The line was completed and the first message sent August 9th, 1860. A man named Gallup was the first operator, and with the assistance of a boy, transacted all the business of the office. He was succeeded by an operator who was quite a character in his way. Owing to the cheap way in which the line was constructed,

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the wires were often down, and as there were no railroads in those days, it took some time to lo- cate and repair these breaks. During such times the operator would give himself up to enjoyment and leave the office to run itself. Sometimes a citizen would hear the wire was up again, and wishing to send a message would hunt up the oper- ator, and if the latter was able to walk to the office, would go there and transmit the message. Wins- low finally sold the line to the Wisconsin Tele- graph Company for $27,000, and it was operated for a time as the Minnesota State Telegraph Company. After necessary legislation, the lines were consolidated in 1863. and a new corporation was formed under the name of the North-west- ern Telegraph Company. The extension of the lines in Minnesota, has followed the course of railway construction. In 1867, the extent of lines in Minnesota was the line from St. Paul through Stillwater, Hudson, and Prescott to Hastings, and thence along the river to La Crosse. The line along the 'Minnesota Valley railroad, subsequently the St. Paul and Sioux City rail- road, and to St. Cloud on the St. Paul and Pacific, now the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba rail- way. Also a line on the Minnesota Central rail- road to Faribault. Since then the growth of the system has kept pace with the growth of railways throughout the North-west.

The growth of the business may be illustrated by the fact that in 1861, one operator attended to all the business of the office. Now, in addition to the manager, there are employed twenty-seven operators, five clerks and ten messengers and check boys. The average number of messages transmitted from this office per month is 115,000. It is regarded by telegraph men as the best pay- ing office in the United States, in proportion to the size of the city. As this is the transfer office for business west and east of the Mississippi river, it is the most important one in the com- pany's territory. In 1881, the North-western Telegraph Company ceased to control the lines, the Western Union Company having secured con- trol through a lease. According to the policy of this company, rates have been reduced and the public furnished with increased accommodation for the transmission of business.

THE NORTH-WESTERN TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

Telephones were first introduced in the state

by R. II. Hankinson, in November, 1877, who was appointed the exclusive agent of Min- nesota and Dakota for the Bell Telephone com- pany. In December, 1878, Mr. Hankinson asso- ciated himself with a party of gentlemen and organized the North-western Telephone Exchange company, which immediately began work, and established the exchange at St. Paul and Minne- apolis, which was opened for business in the month of March following, with thirty-seven sub- scribers in St. Paul and fifty-three in Minneapolis, the officers being: John Watson, president; R. H. Hankinson, vice-president and general mana- ger: F. B. Jilson, secretary; L. M. Towne, treas- urer. During 1880, exchanges were established at Stillwater, Winona and Duluth, and other exchanges will be started during the ensuing year at different places. There are three hun- dred and ninety subscribers in St. Paul. The present officers of the company are as follows: HI. M. Carpenter, president ; John Watson, vice- president and general manager; F. B. Jilson, secretary; C. H. Prior, treasurer; L. M. Towne, auditor. There are at present two thousand, two hundred and fifty instruments in use through- out this state and Dakota, and the number is rapidly increasing. There are four hundred instruments in use in Ramsey county.

The St. Paul Warehouse and Elevator company was organized as a stock company, under the gen- eral laws of the state, in 1874, with a capital stock of $100,000 (now $300,000), the projectors being: D. W. Ingersoll, Col. Hewett, R. P. Lewis, Charles Shaeffer, Chas. Ethridge, Wm. Dawson and W S. Timerman.

The same year they erected elevator A, located on the Chicago, St. Paul and Milwaukee, and St. Paul and Sioux City railways. They first con- templated its capacity at 150,000 bushels, but through the energy of D. W. Ingersoll it was increased to 500,000 bushels. The building is 110x75 feet, 135 feet in height, the principal bins being eighty-eight feet deep, of which there are seventy-seven. The elevator is; located on Third street. Being built in the bluff or embank- ment, gives it every facility for receiving wheat from the farmers' wagons, as well as from cars. A one hundred and fifty horse-power Corliss en- gine supplies motive power for the machinery. The present officers of the company are: C. II.

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SAINT PAUL-CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Bigelow, president; D. W. Ingersoll, vicc-presi- dent; W. S. Timerman, secretary; and Wm. Dawson, treasurer.

There are three elevators with a receiving and shipping capacity of 48,000 bushels of grain per day. It is supplied with the best improved clean- ing machinery known. It has three Moline sep- arators for cleaning grain, with a capacity of two thousand bushels per hour.

Elevator B. The increasing demand for stor- age soon prompted the company to erect elevator B, one of the largest and best equipped structures of its kind in the North-west. It is located on the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba railroad, and Northern Pacific railroad, with their own side-track of about two and one-half miles, and two machines, called steam niggers, for handling cars on their track, at pleasure. This immense structure is 210 feet long by 90 feet wide, and rises to a height of 150 feet from the foundation. Built of heavy timber, and covered with corruga- ted sheet iron, which makes it practically fire- proof. This elevator has a capacity for handling grain amounting to over 200,000 bushels per day, of ten hours. Unloading done with steam shovels. This elevator, which was built at a cost of $200,- 000, is one of the largest and most complete, in its appointments, of any in the North-west, the total capacity being 1,000,000 bushels. It has fourteen long elevators, running to the upper floor of the building, one hundred and fifty feet from the ground, on which are two lines of shaft- ing for running them, and so arranged with clutch couplings and levers as to run one or more, at their option. These shaftings are driven by a six-ply rubber belt, from the engine room to the main elevator, which is 265 feet in length and 4 feet wide. The main driving belt for elevator is six-ply rubber, 300 feet long and 4} feet wide. On the first floor are six short elevators, for rapid transfer, changing from one car to another, capa- ble of transferring a load in from five to six min- utes. Engine room, 28x45 feet, with two Wright's automatic cut-off engines.built at Newburgh, New York, which are models of beauty throughout. Boiler room, 45x43 feet, with four steel boilers, fifty-two-inch shell, sixteen feet long, made by Kenny Brothers; set with a Butman's patent fur- nace and Butman's patent furnace doors. Alex. Nicoll is the engineer. Stack is built of brick, 154

feet high, 25 feet in diameter, at base. Dust- house attached to building. A dust-box three feet square, runs through the entire building, with fan attached to one end, for carrying dust into dust-house. They also have two fans for flax seed and other small grains. Three Moline cleaners are used. Three lines of shafting; first, transfer elevator shaft; second, steam shovels; third, cleaners. Fourteen sets of steam shovels for unloading cars; one set can unload a car in five minutes. For fire purposes they have a du- plex fire pump, with a separate boiler for its use; a four-inch discharge pipe running through the entire building, with water capacity of 365 gallons per minute. Weighing floor fitted with all im- provements for weighing, on receiving and ship- ping, with fourteen sets of Howe's scales, with a capacity of five hundred bushels each.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

On the 11th day of January, 1867, Captain R. Blakely, Horace Thompson, A. H. Cathcart, C. D. Strong, D. W. Ingersoll and Girard Hewitt, signed and filed the original articles of incorpora- tion, from which were derived all the powers of this body, and on the 28th day of the same month the first meeting of members was held at the office of J. C. Burbank & Co. At that meeting the board was organized as follows: J. C. Bur- bank, president; IIorace Thompson, vice-presi- dent; Henry M. Rice, second vice-president; J. D. Ladden, secretary; Wm: Dawson, treasurer. Directors: John S. Averill Wm. L. Banning, G. L. Becker, R. Blakely, II. L. Carver, Wm. Daw- son, F. R. Delano, E. F. Drake, D. W. Ingersoll, Wm. Lee, R. N. McLaren, Charles Nichols, Geo. L. Otis, II. M. Rice, C. H. Schurmeier, II. II. Sib- ley, C. D. Strong, H. Thompson, J. A. Wheelock.

Most of the gentlemen who composed the first board of directors still remain, but some have gone to their last home. Burbank, Schur- meier, Hewitt and Thompson, no longer take part in their councils or participate in human affairs. We will allude briefly to a few changes which have taken place during these fourteen years, that the board and chamber has attempted to exer- cise some supervision over public affairs. The number of miles of railroad in the state leading to this city has increased from 500 miles in 1867 to 3,100 miles in 1881. Assessed valuation 1867,

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HISTORY OF RAMSEY COUNTY.

$7,844,221. Rate of tax levy 1881, $30,000,000. Building improvements 1867, $700,000; 1881, 3,000,000. Business of post-office 1867, $15,083; 1881,$103,286.48.

At a meeting held June 27th, 1881, the follow- ing gentlemen were elected directors: J. T. Averill, R. Blakely, P. Berky, J. T. Barney, C. H. Bigelow, W. S. Culbertson, Wm. Dawson, E. F. Drake, E. M. Deane, W. B. Dean, D. Day, F. Driscoll, A. S. Elfelt, C. E. Flandrau, C. Got- zian, II. P. Hall; E. J. Hodgson, D. W. Ingersoll, Wm. Lindeke, Wm. Lee, Chas. McIlrath, J. W. McClung, J. J. McCardy, W. R. Merriam, John Matheis, W. R. Marshall, W. P. Murray, D. R. Noyes, A. Oppenheim, H .L. Pilkington, L. W. Rundlett, J. H. Reaney, J. B. Sanborn, C. D. Strong, W. A. Somers, James Smith, Jr., C. B. Thurston, H. P. Upham, F. Willius, A. H. Wins- low. J. B. Sanborn, president; F. Driscoll, vice- president; F. A. Fogg, secretary; W. R. Merriam, treasurer.

Board of Trade was organized and incorporat- ed June 1st, 1880, with the following named gen- tlemen as incorporators: P. Van Auken, J. J. McMillen, Chas. McIlrath; W. II. Merriam, J. J. Jellett, John J. Watson, P. H. Kelley. L. A. Gilbert, Geo. L. Becker, D. Schutte, II. M. But- ler, J. A. Adams, Michael Doran, C. Livingston, Chas. H. Wall, C. H. Bigelow, Wm. Constans, R. Borden, John McCauley, L. H. Maxfield, Ju- lius Austrian, Chas. W. Chase, John J. Plenner, A. II. Wilder, Chas. N. Bell, Maurice Auerbach, Wm. Van Slyck. The object is the purpose of advancing the commercial and manufacturing in- terests of St. Paul, and inculcating just and equi- table precepts of trade, for establishing and main- taining uniformity in the commercial usages of said city. and for acquiring, possessing, and dis- seminating useful business information, for ad- justing the controversies and misunderstandings which may arise between individuals engaged in trade, and promoting the prosperity of said city of St. Paul. Officers: R. Barden, president, P. Van Auken, 1st vice-president, D. Schutte, 2d vice- president, L. A. Gilbert, secretary, W. R. Merri- am, treasurer, A. H. Wilder, L. A. Gilbert, Wm. Contstans, J. T. McMillen, J. J. Jellett, R. Barden, P. Van Auken, D. Schutte, directors, with a membership of sixty-three.

St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company.

This is a noble institution with a reputation un- sullied, and stands pre-eminently as one of the very best in the country. The company was or- ganized in 1865, as a stock company with the late J. C. Burbank as president. The company paid $140,000 in the Chicago fire, and has accum- ulated assets now amounting to $854.305.81, all of which is invested in the state, where it is help- ing local improvements in various parts of our commonwealth. The company stands very high all over the United States, and every citizen of Minnesota should be proud of it and patronize it, as it invites more attention to the state than any other enterprise, because of its vast number of agents and correspondents. It pays its honest claims promptly and deals fairly by all. The losses paid since the organization of the company, are $3,228,880.72. Capitol stock, $400,000. C. H. Bigelow, Esq., is the president of the com- pany, who is a very safe, prudent man, and under his management the company continues to pros- per. Peter Berkey, vice-president; C. A. Eaton, secretary; W. S. Timberlake, assistant secretary; C. II. Bigelow, II. M. Smythe, E. F. Drake, Rus- sell Blakely, A. H. Wilder, Peter Berkey, H. C. Burbank, John L. Merriam, H. Auerbach, John S. Prince, Wm. B. Dean, H. E. Thompson, W. F. Davidson.

German American Hail Insurance Company of St. Paul was incorporated in April 1875, by Gen. J. B. Sanborn, Walter H. Sanborn and Andrew R. Keifer, and commenced doing business in the same year. The company insure growing crops against hail. Capital stock $25,000. The busi- ness of the company is mostly done in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa. The number of policies issued in 1880 was 4,100; premiums for 1880 amounted to $43,000; total policies issued since organization 13,500. The officers are: Gen. J. B. Sanborn, president; Colonel A. R. Kiefer, general manager and treasurer; Walter, H. San- . born, secretary. Directors and stockholders: A. H. Wilder, F. and G. Willius, O. P. Whitcomb, Charles Whitleson, Col. Wm. Pfaender, New Ulm, John A. Willard, Mankato.

UNION PARK.

The Park is situated midway between St. Paul and Minneapolis, on the short line Chicago, Mil- waukee and St. Paul Railway, and University

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SAINT PAUL-HOTELS.

Avenne. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, short line railway depot is located on the south- west corner of the Union Park. The grounds (thirty-three acres in extent), were selected for their nnexcelled beauty, and are pronounced by visitors to be second to no park in America. The proprietors have spared no expense in adding new attractions. Already an eighty-five foot look-out or tower graces one of the prominent knol!s, from which both cities and the intervening country can be seen. A grand pavillion, 60x140 feet, music stand, refreshment booths, rustic seats, and tables sufficient to accommodate 10,000 people; walks, fountains. lakes, bowling alleys, swings and mer- ry-go-rounds to amuse the children. The pro- prietors intend to make a road around the out- side of the park, making it one of the most beautiful drives in the vicinity. The owners of the park have already commenced the establish- ment of a zoological collection, consisting of foreign and domestic animals and birds. The park is used for state and church festivals, school picnics and other amusements. The park is open daily until 7 p. m. The grounds are under police surveillance, and noisy or rude characters will not be admitted, and those who make any disturbance after entering the grounds are at once expelled by the police in charge. A grand concert is given every Sunday afternoon, and on stated days dur- ing the week, by Siebert's Great Western Band. Churches or societies having rented the grounds shall decide what refreshments can be sold on the grounds for that day. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company carry people to the park from either city, Minneapolis or St. Paul, for the small sum of twenty-five cents for the round trip, ten cents for children, putting it with- in the reach of everybody to visit this beautiful place at least once a week. The owners and pro- prietors, Grote and Hinkel deserve a great deal of credit for opening this park to the public, and the public greatly appreciate it, for they have had as many as 10,000 visitors at the park in a single day.

HOTELS.

The Merchants. This hotel had a being in a primitive way as early as 1849, and hence is the oldest hotel in the city. At that time, it was a rustic affair, built of tamarac poles. It was oc- cupied by S. P. Folsom as a hotel, but he sold out

to J. W. Bass, who continued it until 1853. In 1852, the outside was hewed and clapboarded, and at that day the house presented a fine appearance. From time to time improvements were made, and in 1856, Col. E. C. Belote took it and under his management the house attained quite a reputa- tion. In 1860, Col. John J. Shaw came into pos- session, and during the year, a substantial stone building 40x80 feet, and four stories high was erected. The original tamarac building was re- moved in 1871, and the hotel enlarged. It is now two hundred feet on Jackson and one hundred and seventy feet on Third street. The house contains upwards of two hundred rooms, is heated by steam and supplied with gas and hot and cold water. A passenger elevator carries guests to every floor. In 1881. another story w.is a blei to the height of the hotel, which considerably en- larged the capacity. In 1873, the house came under the management of Colonel Allen, who has since conducted it, and brought the reputation of the house to the front. Following is a brief sketch of the historical associations connected with the Merchants hotel.

Touching this wide and favorably known house and the site whereon it has been reared, are inci- dents, associations and memories which call for more than a passing notice. Here, where now a busy crowd circulates beneath stately porticos, the red man but recently "chased the timid game," or in repose, contemplated the great Father of floods as he rolls on to mingle with the ocean. Here the pioneer reared his humble cabin, in which the pilgrim stranger found a resting place. Here, on the evening of the ist of June, 1858, at the first banquet of "The Old Settlers Associa- tion of Minnesota," Gen. Henry HI. Sibley, (then governor) responsive to kindly allusions to him as the first delegate to congress from the terri- tory of Minnesota, the first governor of the state of Minnesota, and the first president of the Old Settlers Association of Minnesota, among other things, said : "Here, Alexander Ramsey, gover- nor, Aaron Goodrich, chief justice, David Cooper, associate justice, and Henry L. Moss, district at- torney, (the other appointees not having arrived,) met in the apartments of our respected friend, Judge Goodrich, in what is now part of this hotel, on the 1st day of June, 1849, to perfect and proclaim the organization of the territory,

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Governor Ramsey then penned the document which put in motion the machinery of the new government."

Here, also, was held a session of territorial leg- islature. Here, too, during its latter years, was the office of the American Fur company, or "Minnesota Outfit," the sign and seal of which, upon the dissolution of that important corpora- tion, were presented to Judge Aaron Goodrich, by Pierre Choteau, Jr., and Company, to be by him held and preserved as a testimony in Israel. This he regards as a sacred trust.

Here, too, the Ojibways sent mourning into the house of Old Betz, and here, a few days later, the scalp of the Chippeway, slain by Lieutenant Magruder, was borne upon a willow, by Old Betz, as chief mourner, in the war, or scalp dance, a sort of atoning requiem. The splendid forms of the Sioux braves, as displayed in this dance, will here be seen and known no more forever.

The prospect has changed. The white man, looking out upon the scene, may exclaim, "a lovely spot is here," yet the red man, as he steal- thily passes the desecrated graves of his sires, will say:

"I like it not; I would the plain Lay in its tall old groves again."

Now, as the sons of Jacob looked toward Jeru- salem, and the followers of the prophet, to Mecca, so does the Old Settler repair to the Merchants hotel, in whose banquet hall will, ere long, be seated the last of that band of pioneers who aided in laying the foundation of our state. Hence, the 1st of June was, and is, and is to be the time, and the Merchants hotel the place, of the first, last and all intermediate banquets of this associ- ation, an institution to which new members can- not be admitted, being composed of adult resi- dents in 1849.

The Metropolitan. On the site of this mam- moth hotel, the corner of Third and Washington streets, was a brick building, formerly occupied as a boarding house. In 1868, a number of up- town citizens raised a bonus, bought the land, and gave James M. Winslow a consideration to erect thereon the present building, which was commenced in 1869, and completed the following year. Before completion, Major Cullen, George Culver, and John Farrington assumed the respon- sibility taken by Winslow, and the partially com-

pleted edifice passed into their hands. In 1870, it was leased by Gilbert Dutcher, who furnished and ran it about five years, when he died, and Mr. Culver assumed the duties of landlord. He continued four years, and also died, after which the house was temporarily closed, and underwent a thorough renovation. It was re-opened by Linsley and Ferris. E. C. Belote soon after be- came a partner with Mr. Linsley, and is now the sole proprietor. The building is eighty feet on Third street by two hundred on Washington, one hundred on Fourth, five stories high, and con- tains two hundred rooms, capable of accommo- dating two hundred and fifty guests. It cost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The house is well and favorably known throughout the whole country, and is enjoying a large patronage.

The Windsor was erected in 1877, at a cost of seventy-five thousand dollars. It stands on the site of the Greenman house, a wooden building, which burned in May, 1877. The Windsor was opened January 1st, 1878, by Summers and Baugh. It is built of brick and stone, five stories, including a full-sized basement; has the first passenger elevator put up in the state. There are one hun- dred rooms, well furnished, ventilated and cheer- ful. It is heated by steam, lighted by gas, sup- plied with water. The size of the building is, on St. Peter street one hundred and six feet; on Fifth, one hundred feet. The building is prac- tically fire-proof, and its nearness to the post-office and other public buildings, makes it a popular place of resort.

The Clarendon was built by Robert P. Lewis, in the summer of 1873, at a cost of about thirty thousand dollars. It is a three-story brick struc- ure, with a full - size basement. It extends one hundred feet on Wabasha street and seventy- five feet on Sixth street. Up to 1876, the first floor was occupied by stores, but that season it was re-modeled as a hotel, by B. Baker, who con- tinued the business until June, 1878, when the present proprietor, C. T. McNamara, took charge, and has since conducted the enterprise. It has fifty rooms for guests, and has the reputation of being among the best hotels of its class in the North-west.

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