The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-04-15

explored region, reaches the summit of dividing
ridge, beyond which. in misty expanse. lies the
untracked future. he sits down upon a rock and
takes a retrospect Of his journey; a 'daguerreo
type of The past. So now do we, having as a
journalist passed through three full years. the en-
tire period Of the Territorial existence of Mime
sofa Territory, 10 the second grand epoch in its
history, when the Sioux treaties are about to be
ratified, and our progress rs Territory is to be
onward--when, as Napoleon said to the Army Of
Italy. "Soldiers we are precipitaied beyond the
Alpst' So we may say, that we are precip;tated
beyond the Mississippi and is now
westward across the plains and The forests, to the
banks Of the White Earth and the Missouri; so
we, here rausing, before we enter our fourth vol
ume, glance back at the past Of Minnesota, be-
fore entering upon the future.
The 18th day Of April, lsi9, was raw, cloudy
day. The steamboat Senator, Capt. Smith, land
ed at Randnl!'s warehouse, Lower Landing, the
only building then there, except Roberts old
store. OF the people on shore, we recognized
but one person az an acquaintance, Henry Jack
son. Took our press, types, printing apparatus
all ashore. Wen, nth our men, to The house Of
Mr.. Bass, corner Of Third and Jackson streets.
He kept The only public house in St. Paul; and
ii was crowded full, from cellar 10 garret. Mr.
Bass was very ohliging aud did everything posi-
be for our encouragement. The next thing was
( \ i,f IN ~ irp. anil that Il,
TO obtain. Made the acquaintance Of c. p. "
Lu'l and his partner, Gilbert. They furnished US
sratnitously, the lower story of their building. for
an oiice-the only vacant room in town; being
the building Third street, since finished off and
now occupied as saloon. by MIR. Calder. The
weather was cold and stormy; and our Office was
as open as a corn-rick; however, We picked our
types up and made ready for the issue Of the frs,
paper printed in Minnesota or within many
hundreds Of miles Of it; bu, upon search, we
found our news chase was left behind. VIM. No
bles. blacksmith, made US very good one, after
a delay Of two or three days. The paper was to
be named ''The Epstle of Sain, Paul" as an
nounced IN our prospectus, published in the Feb.
preceding; but we found so many little Saints in
the Territory, iea lous of Saint Paul, that we de-
ternlned to call onr paper, ''The Minnesota Pio-
ueer.'' One hindrance after another, delaye
our first issue to The 2Sth Of April, ten DAYS
Meantime, Rev. Mr.. Nel, arrived. II was en-
couragng to Ind young man Of education, cour-
age and capital, ready to enlist all that he had or
hoped earth. in the fortunes Of our town. Still
water and St. Paul, were then running neck and
neck. as rival towns. Not foot Of pine lumber
could be had nearer than Saltwater; but abou.
This time, one Of the mills at ST. Anthony was out
in operation; but there were only then few
buildings at the Falls of ST. Anthony. We look
ed about ST. Paul, TO buy lot. Mr.. Larpen.eur's
house was built. a'so French's house and shop.
(now Tin shop and the little shop, then the
Drug Store Of Dewey s. Cavilcer, now Major
Noah's office. next door west Of CaIder's (,hen
our printing ofice) also the office Of Judge Pierse
(then the fur store Of Olmstead & Rhodes Dir.
Lambert's house was partly finished. As you 60
mp Third streets, and Bench, the next buildings
d
where MIR. Neill's church is; then passing the
school house, there were two more Of the same
sort, IN the street, in front Of the houses now oc
cupied by Mr. Benson and Mr.. Hollinshead. near
the junction of st. Anthony, Bench and Hill sts.
Beyond, was the house John r. Irvine lives in,
and nothing else but the symptoms Of two or three
balloon frames. The Fuliers were at work put
ting up small store, with their own hands. Re-
turning, the right, was the old underground
dead fall, in the ground, opposite John r. lrvine's
house, then at the junction of Third and Bench
streets, was Vetal Guerin's log house. (now lie
Duc's,) then the building in which Mr.. Curran
lives, at that time unfinished, then the cd bakery
next door east. then Mr.. Hopkins at the corner;
turning the corner to the head of Randall's stairs
mot then built) was the old building still there,
(now belonging 10 F. Steele,) which Henry
Jackson used TO own, where he kept grocery,
post-otiice, and tavern, free for all the World
and the Worlds wife-up along the bank Of the
river, stood and yet stands, the building occupied
as a store by VIM. II. Forbes, the St. Paul Outfit,
"OA' was 'oS D"HuHs, INC huCicuS Oh the
Central House." next the old log Catholic church,
where the Rev. Mr.. Rayoux faithfully labored,
and sometimes saw miraculous visions during the
time of Lent, then the log house belonging to
Mr.. Laroux, which is now being metamorphased
into neat building. This brings up back to We
tabs. the junction Of Third and Bench streets.
Half dozen other buildings long Roberts street,
and MIR. IIoyt's neighborhood, in addition 10 tho
above, constituted st. Paul But let it be remcm-
bered. that the fashionable drinking place then,
was that little log house next east ef Goodrich's
brick store. Mr.. Bass was busy in hurrying up
new saloon; the building, now occupied as the
Clerks Office by Mr.. Wilkinson. on the spot
where The Minnesota Outfit stands. The ground
west Of Roberts and north Of Third streets, was
covered with any quantity Of hewed timber strip
ped from the forest opposite town. We looked
about for lot; and saw that the two ends of the