USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II > Part 123
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The city council accepted this proposi- tion by resolution and a committee was deputed to secure the passage of the nec- essary act conferring upon the city the requisite power for issuing the bonds, which bill was passed the ensuing winter ..
While the bill was pending certain lead- ing citizens of St. Cloud, who were at St. Paul opposing its passage, were burned in effigy by a mob instigated by agents or employes of the company, and threats of personal harm were made. Work having been begun on the bridge on the strength of the resolution of the city council accept- ing the terms of the resolution of the Northern Pacific company, was stopped on several occasions when the bill hung fire
and it was thought it would be defeated. The bill was finally passed and the bonds issued and delivered to the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad company, who borrowed on them $18,000 of the First National Bank of St. Paul.
Many of our leading citizens felt that the officers of the company obtained these bonds by an oppressive use of their pow- ers, and that they had actually wrung from an unwilling people a reluctant submission to their exactions by coercion and fraudu- lent and corrupt practices; hence the un- willingness to pay the bonds in full.
The annual election, which took place April 3, resulted in the election of L. W. Collins mayor, John M. Rosenberger treas- urer, Wm. Powell alderman for the first ward, John Coates for the second, B. Rein- hard for the third, and James R. Bennett for the fourth.
1876-77 .- Wm. Powell was elected presi- dent of the council and N. F. Barnes city clerk. At a meeting called by J. M. Rosen- berger, chief engineer of the Fire Depart- ment, at the courthouse April 22, 1876, a number of citizens organized a Hook and Ladder Company, known as "St. Cloud Hook and Ladder Company No. 1," by electing L. A. Evans foreman, P. R. Grieb- ler first assistant, and L. Robbers as sec- ond assistant.
The following citizens joined the com- pany: L. A. Evans, H. L. Grover, Chas. Weber, L. W. Collins, Jacob Griebler, H. W. Tenvoorde, C. F. Macdonald, N. Ober- miller, F. W. Earle, Eugene S. Hill, James Young, L. M. Klepper, P. R. Griebler, T. D. Robertson, L. M. Curtis, C. F. Hines, John DeLeo, W. A. Stevenson, H. Robbers, Wm. Heatherington, Seb Schaefer, A. Henne- mann, Jr., James Boyd, John F. Edel- brock, Geo. M. Schaefer, Geo. H. Sheire, James R. Bennett, John Hennemann, F. B. Wilson, F. E. Searle, C. D. Jones, F. Tol- man, Sam A. Gilman, Theodore C. Wing, J. C. Waite, E. B. Smith, Joseph Kremer, John Stevenson, Charles Ketcham, Henry Tolman. The company having complied with the provisions of ordinance No. 7, pe- titioned the council to be accepted as a duly organized Hook and Ladder company, and as members of the Fire Department of the city with all the rights and privi- leges pertaining to the same. The council by resolution accepted the organization
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and declared the company as a part of the Fire Department of the city.
J. P. Farley, manager of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad company, communicated to the council through Ald. McClure, chair- man of the railroad committee, the fact that he was prepared to make an amicable and satisfactory adjustment of the $65,000 railroad bridge bonds issued by the city. These bonds were hypothecated with the First National Bank of St. Paul, the bank having advanced in the neighborhood of $22,000 on them, including interest. Ar- rangements were made with the bank and with the company whereby these bonds would be delivered to the city on the pay- ment of $21,808.40. The question of issu- ing $20,000 bonds to be used in liquidation of the $65,000 railroad bridge bonds was submitted to a vote of the people at a spe- cial election held on June 1, with the fol- lowing result: For issuing bonds, 180; against, 3.
Bonds were accordingly ordered issued by resolution adopted by the council July 8, in the sum of $20,000, $5,000 payable in ten years, $5,000 in fifteen years, $10,000 in twenty years, with interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum. The bonds were negotiated, and the proceeds, $18,- 357.06 with $1,808.40 appropriated from the revenue fund of the city and $1,642.96 in warrants issued by the city bearing 12 per cent interest, were delivered to the First National Bank of St. Paul in full for the $65,000 railroad bridge bonds. At the an- nual charter election the following officers were elected: Mayor, L. W. Collins; treas- urer, John M. Rosenberger; aldermen, first ward, John H. Owen; second ward, Lewis Clark; third ward, Frank X. Remeley; fourth ward, P. R. Griebler.
1877-78 .- The council organized by elect- ing Wm. Powell president and N. F. Barnes city clerk. In the budget for this year is found an item of $500 for the poor fund. This is the first time in the history of the city that a levy was made for this purpose. Prior to 1877 there is no record of any ap- propriations ever having been made for the relief of paupers or the poor, but dur- ing the years 1877 and 1878, the relief com- mittees frequently report granting relief to the needy.
The officers chosen at the annual elec- tion, April 1, were as follows: Mayor, L.
W. Collins; treasurer, John M. Rosen- berger; aldermen, first ward, F. H. Dam; 2nd ward, Wm. T. Clark; 3rd ward, Peter Kraemer; 4th ward, John B. Sherer.
1878-79 .- The council again organized by electing Wm. Powell president and N. F. Barnes city clerk. At a meeting, May 17 (traffic on the wagon bridge across the Mississippi having been closed April 1), a delegation of citizens appeared before the council presented a petition signed by three hundred or more legal voters of the city, requesting that a special election be held to ascertain whether the bonds of the city in the sum of $10,000, shall be issued for the purpose of constructing a free bridge across the Mississippi river.
After some discussion, a special election was ordered to be held on May 30th. At the same meeting a motion was adopted in- structing the bridge committee to make the bridge company an offer of $5,000 for their bridge. At the special election, held on May 30, 274 votes were cast in favor of issuing bonds in the sum of $10,000, and 33 votes against. On June 9 the bridge company accepted unconditionally the proposition of the council to give $5,000 for the bridge property, and the deed for the same was delivered to the council June 18. J. S. Sewall of St. Paul was em- ployed to draw plans and specifications for new superstructure on the old bridge piers. Bids were called for and opened on July 17 and H. E. Horton's bid for a combina- tion bridge at $9,000 was accepted .- (Pub- lishers' note .- For many years previous to this the city had been agitated over the bridge question, and many propositions of various natures had been considered both by the council and by the voters. An ac- count of these various propositions and their fate has been omitted for lack of space.)
The result of the annual charter elec- tion this year was as followed: Mayor, L. A. Evans; treasurer, John M. Rosenberger; aldermen, 1st ward, Wm. Powell; 2nd ward, John Coates; 3rd ward, B. Reinhard; 4thı ward, Lorenz Enderle.
1879-80 .- The council met April 14 and elected Wm. Powell president after seven ballots had been taken. John Coates was elected vice-president on the second bal- lot. Seven ballots were cast for city clerk, each resulting in six votes for N. F. Barnes
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and six votes for J. R. Bennett, Jr. The council adjourned to April 15. On that date balloting for city clerk was resumed, Barnes and Bennett being the candidates. Many ballots were taken, each resulting in a tie, and the council adjourned to April 19. On April 19, the council met and re- sumed balloting for city clerk, after a long, hard fought parliamentary battle. Three ballots were taken, each resulting in a tie between Barnes and Bennett. Council ad- journed.
On April 25 the council completed the or- ganization by electing the following offi- cers: Assessor, J. R. Bennett, Sr .; city clerk, E. D .. Moore; city attorney, D. B. Searle; city surveyor, N. P. Noel; street commissioner, And. Fritz. No matters of importance were accomplished or even considered during the year.
The annual charter election held on April 5 resulted as follows: Mayor, L. A. Evans; treasurer, John M. Rosenberger; aldermen, 1st ward, C. Bridgman; 2nd ward, H. C. Waite; 3rd ward, S. Reichert; 4th ward, P. R. Griebler.
1880-81 .- Wm. Powell was again elected president of the council, and Theodore Bruener was elected city clerk.
On motion of Ald. Waite a committee was appointed to look up a good location for a city park, and to ascertain for what price a suitable location could be had. Ald. Waite was named chairman of the committee, and at a subsequent meeting he reported that the most suitable location was near Pine Garden Grove, but that it was beyond the means of the city to pur- chase it. He further reported that the Wil- son property in Block C, owned by Lewis Clark, and known as Empire Block, had been offered for $1,200, and that it seemed to the committee a very desirable tract for park purposese and was within the means of the city to purchase, and upon his motion the proposition was accepted.
A special meeting of the council was called by the mayor March 19 for the pur- pose of considering the water power im- provement bond question, and on March 22nd the council voted that the matter be submitted to a vote of the people at the annual charter election. The election was held April 4, and the bond proposition was carried by a vote of 449 to 24. The fol-
lowing officers were elected: Mayor, J. P. Hammerel; treasurer, John M. Rosen- berger; aldermen, 1st ward, J. H. Ray- mond; 2nd ward, John Cooper; 3rd ward, Peter Kraemer; 4th ward, Peter Brick.
1881-82 .- John Coates was elected presi- dent of the council and Theodore Bruener city clerk. The street commissioner was ordered to improve the park in Empire Block. The proposition of purchasing Pine Garden for a city park was suggested Au- gust 6, when on Ald. Bridgman's motion a committee of three was appointed to cor- respond with the owner, Mr. Brott, and as- certain the price and terms of sale. At the following meeting, August 21, a petition from a number of citizens requesting the council to make the purchase was pre- sented and referred to the committee on city property.
At a special meeting of the council, called by the mayor, held November 30, the first board of health was created. The board was composed of Peter Brick, B. Reinhard and Coleman Bridgman, members of the city council, and Doctors O. A. Gil- man and W. L. Beebe. Dr. O. A. Gilman was designated the health officer and ex- officio president of the board. The board was given power to make such regula- tions and to adopt such means as were thought proper and necessary to prevent the spread of smallpox and other conta- gious diseases, and to exercise all the pow- ers necessary for the preservation of the public health. This action was deemed necessary because of the severe form of smallpox which was then raging in various parts of the county, and particularly in the Spring Hill district, many cases of which proved fatal. One case, was brought to the city and terminated fatally, and in conse- quence much fear was entertained by our citizens, but fortunately no other cases ap- peared here.
On March 10 the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad company, in a com- munication to the council proposed to move its rail repairing mill from Brecken- ridge and its bridge framing yards, car- penter shop and store room from Minne- apolis Junction to St. Cloud, and to move its local freight house nearer the business center of the city, and to erect a new pas- senger station of suitable size to conven- iently accommodate the business at this
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point, provided there was conveyed to it, free from encumbrance, certain lands lying just north of Breckenridge avenue, be- tween Ninth avenue and Twenty-first ave- nue. This proposition was unanimously ac- cepted, and the company so notified. The matter of raising the necessary funds for the right of way and depot grounds asked for by the company in its proposition was referred to a committee with instructions to report at the next meeting.
On March 15 a petition was presented, signed by a large number of leading citi- zens, requesting that a proposition for the issuance of the bonds of the city in the sum of $15,000 for the purpose of purchas- ing the lands and lots required by the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway company for the purposes named in their proposal of March 10 be submitted to the voters of the city at the next annual city election. This petition was accepted and the proposition was carried by a large ma- jority, the vote standing 303 for the bonds and 27 against.
The officers elected at the annual elec- tion, held April 3, were as follows: Mayor, L. W. Collins; treasurer, John M. Rosen- berger; aldermen, 1st ward, Wm. Powell; 2nd ward, John Coates; 3rd ward, B. Rein- hard; 4th ward, Frank Balder.
1882-83 .- The council organized by elect- ing John Coates president and Theodore Bruener city clerk. A petition signed by Ira M. Noyes, J. E. West and 120 others was presented to the council requesting that Lake George and a strip of land ad- joining and around it be purchased by the city for the purpose of supplying the city with water and for use as a park.
Capt. J. E. West appeared before the council and stated that nearly all the own- ers of lands adjoining the lake had con- sented to donate such parts of their lands as the city would need for the purposes stated in the petition, that it was desirable and feasible to build an avenue around the lake about 100 feet wide, and that the esti- mated cost of this improvement would be from $6,500 to $10,000.
The matter was referred to a committee consisting of Ald. Waite, Reichert and Brick with power to have the necessary survey made, to procure an abstract of ti- tle of the lands needed, and to take such other preliminary action as deemed advis-
able. This committee reported June 24 that they had received substantial encour- agement from the principal owners of the properties involved, but that they had made no definite arrangements such as could be embodied in a final report and asked for further time.
The first request for the construction of a sewer was made August 5, 1882, by J. E. Hayward, proprietor of the Grand Central hotel. The matter of constructing a sewer along St. Germain street, from Washing- ton avenue (now Fifth avenue) to the Mississippi river, was referred to a special committee, consisting of Ald. Reichert, Waite and Cooper ..
Ald. Waite brought up the subject of lighting the streets and after some discus- sion a committee was authorized and in- structed to purchase and erect street lamps on State street from the new Mani- toba passenger depot to St. Germain street, thence east on St. Germain street to Washington avenue, thence south on Washington avenue to the ravine bridge.
On motion of Ald. Waite a public library was established under the provisions of the general laws of the state. It was known as the St. Cloud City Library, and the do- nation of the books of the Library Asso- ciation was accepted by the council.
The following officers were elected at the annual election held April 2: Mayor, C. F. Macdonald; treasurer, John M. Rosen- berger; aldermen, 1st ward, J. O. McCon- nell; 2nd ward, W. W. Wright; 3rd ward, J. E. Hennemann; 4th ward, P. R. Griebler.
1883-84 .- Wm. Powell was elected presi- dent of the council and Theodore Bruener city clerk.
The mayor called a special meeting of the council April 24 for the purpose of con- sidering the question of a water supply for the city. Mr. Breech, the general manager of the Northwestern Water and Gas Sup- ply company, of Minneapolis, was present on invitation, and addressed the council on the various systems of supply. He ex- plained the direct pressure system, the res- ervoir system, and the combination system, consisting of the direct pressure and the reservoir system. He advised that St. Cloud adopt the latter system, stating that in his opinion it would be the cheapest and . most practicable for the city. He sug- gested that the supply of water could be
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cbtained either directly from Lake George or from a well constructed about 100 or 200 feet distant from the lake. He pro- posed to the city of St. Cloud for and on behalf of the Northwestern Water and Gas Supply company to make for the city full and detailed drawings and specifications of the combination system, and also to sub- mit an estimate of the cost of the work for a consideration of $100, this sum to be deducted from the cost of the work in case the contract for doing the same was let to them.
On May 21 Messrs. Pike & Sturtevant appeared before the council and explained the direct pressure, the Holly system, and agreed to submit detailed plans and speci- fication within ten days. On May 30 the committee on water works reported in fa- vor of installing the direct pressure sys- tem. This recommendation was accepted. At a subsequent meeting they reported that, while they favored the river location, they hesitated to definitely so recommend. The committee was authorized and em- powered to advertise for and receive bids on plans and specifications, furnished by Mr. Sturtevant, for both the river and the lake locations for the pump house. Plans and specifications and estimates of cost of pump house and intake pipe for three loca- tions were presented July 21. The esti- mates were as follows: For Empire Park site, $3,587.00; for LeRoy street site, $3,- 764.50; for Block B site, on lots belonging to Mr. Schaefer, $3,432.50. The commit- tee reported that Mr. Schaefer demanded $1,700 for his property, and that Mr. Wil- son objected to the use of the LeRoy street site, and that there were objections to the Lake George site. At an adjourned meet- ing, the Empire Park site was unanimously designated as the location for the pump house. It was discovered later that there was considerable opposition to this, so the matter was reconsidered, and the commit- tee instructed to purchase the Kerr prop- erty between Second and Third street north and Fifth avenue and the river.
The contract for the construction of the whole system, as per plans and specifica- tions, was awarded to V. D. Lemar & Com- pany, of St. Paul, for $21,175. Pike & Sturtevant were employed as engineers to superintendent the construction of the works, at $1,550. The bonds of the city
in the sum of $20,000 were issued, and ne- gotiated at par. The work was completed and accepted March 19, 1884.
Dr. W. F. Stone was the first physician to be employed by the city as city physi- cian to care for paupers requiring medical aid.
The Northwestern Telephone Company asked permission to establish a telephone exchange system, and at the request of the company the council passed an ordi- nance granting all rights and privileges necessary for the proper construction and maintenance of such a system for a period of ten years.
A sewer was ordered put in on St. Ger- main street from Washington avenue to the Mississippi river, Street Commissioner Frank Lorinser being directed to superin- tend the construction. The cost of the work and all the material purchased or provided was paid for out of the general revenue fund.
In pioneer days the Curtis and Wilson surveys had been made independent of each other and with apparently no refer- ence to street connection. In the year 1863 the city council instructed James H. Place to examine Mr. Wilson's survey and make report. After examination he re- ported the bearings of Washington ave- nue (now Fifth avenue) to be correct, but that St. Germain street did not run at right angles with Washington avenue. The city authorized Mr. Place to correct the survey. He commenced the work and placed monuments at the center of the street intersections of St. Germain street and Washington avenue, at the street in- tersection of Lake street and Washington avenue, and at other intersections on Washington avenue. He also ran a line down Washington avenue into and down Fifth street (now Fifth avenue) in Curtis survey one or more blocks below the ra- vine and established monuments there. He did not complete the remainder of the work to the satisfaction of the council, and his survey was not adopted. In the year 1867 the city council ordered the construc- tion of wells on St. Germain street and Washington avenue. These wells were built in the center of the street at the street intersections. The building of a portion of these wells necessitated the re- moval of the monuments and the monu-
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ments so taken up were removed by City Surveyor N. P. Noel to a point exactly ten feet easterly of their original location. The line as run by Mr. Place down Fifth street conflicts with the Curtis survey, but the monuments as placed by him have been used as a base for later surveys, and nearly all of the improvements in that part of the city are made to conform to his lines, the exceptions being improvements made pre- vious to the Place survey on First street (now First avenue) and Sixth street (now Sixth avenue), which are thrown about eight feet off from the line of the Curtis survey and into the street according to the survey made with the Place monu- ments as a starting point. The owners of these improvements insisted that they were on the proper lines, as they knew the improvements were made according to the Curtis survey, and there was no authority for using the Place monuments. To correct the matter the council by ordi- nance approved and adopted on July 28, 1883, the Place survey so far as the plac- ing of the monuments was concerned, and the monuments so placed were established as a base line for future surveys in what is known as St. Cloud City, according to Curtis survey, and A. A. Brown's Addition to St. Cloud, and the town site of St. Cloud, according to Wilson's survey. The ordinance also provided for the vacation of eight feet of the west side of Sixth street and eight feet of the east side of First street, leaving those streets 72 feet in width.
On August 25 the St. Cloud Gas and Electric Light company asked for the exclusive right of supplying the city and citizens with gas and electricity for illumi- nation and other uses, and of using the streets and alleys for the purpose of lay- ing down gas mains and for erecting elec- tric light wires for a period of twenty years. An ordinance was adopted August 28 granting to the company the privilege of supplying gas and electricity for a period of fifteen years, but the franchise was exclusive only so far as related to the furnishing of gas. The city agreed to erect and maintain at least twenty street lamps, and pay not to exceed $2.50 per month per lamp for gas.
The Mississippi River Navigation & Im- provement company was organized during
the latter part of 1883 for the purpose of Improving the water power of the river at St. Cloud. J. E. West appeared before the council November 24 and stated that the company proposed to build a good and substantial dam across the Mississippi river at this point provided the city gave the company a bonus of $100,000. The proposition was referred to a committee consisting of Ald. Raymond, McConnell and Wright, to investigate and report thereon at some future meeting. On De- cember 15, the committee recommended the acceptance of the company's proposi- tion and that a special election be held January 15, 1884, for the purpose of voting on the question of issuing bonds of the city in the sum of $100,000 as a bonus to the company. The election was held and resulted in 711 votes for the bonus and 43 votes against.
Geo. Curtis, Fred Low, H. G. Wire, J. E. Hennemann, J. P. Fahnlender and thirteen others petitioned for permission to organize as a hose company to be known as St. Cloud Hose Company No. 1. Per- mission was granted to form the company to constitute a part of the Fire Depart- ment.
The Erie Telegraph & Telephone Com- pany of St. Paul was awarded the contract for installing fire alarm apparatus.
At the annual charter election, held on April 7, 1884, the following officers were elected: Mayor, C. F. Macdonald; treas- urer, J. M. Rosenberger; aldermen, 1st ward, J. H. Raymond; 2nd ward, John Cooper; 3rd ward, Peter Munsinger; 4th ward, Peter Brick.
1884-5-Wm. Powell was elected presi- dent of the council, and N. F. Barnes city clerk. The council received May 3 the fol- lowing resolution adopted at a meeting of the chamber of commerce of St. Cloud, held on April 4: "Whereas, It is deemed advisable by this chamber that a street be laid out around Lake George in this city; and Whereas, The committee appointed by this chamber to procure the right of way for same report that they are unable to agree with certain owners of property over which the same will pass, therefore, Be it Resolved, That the city council be re- quested to lay out such a street and to condemn the land therefor in such man- ner as to them may seem proper." The
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