The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-01-15
A plan for iihprovins the iesse Of Sc.
Paul. B

n plan Tor Improving the ieSce 81 Sss
Paul. 80 E 81
The steamboat business Of Saint Paul, is
all done at two landings. the Upper and the
Lower landing, distant fnom each Other,
about half q mile, with very high fluff,
say from sixty TO ninety feet high, in,erve-
ming and forming a wailto the very brink OF
the river. This separation Of the steam
boat business, is rather an unfortunate fea-
ture Of our town. Il begets an unpleasant
spirit of rivalry and. prevents that centrali-
za,ion of business, which is to be desired;
aud II moreover attended with much needless
expense to steamboats,; which havsto get up
steam expressly to run from ono landing to
the other; and much Inconvenience to con-
signees, who often have their freights dis
charged by mistake, at tho wrong landing.
To remedy this evil lfor il is an eviD in
the why j, oughtto be re,nedisd, the Cor
poraiion ought now to do what should have
been done in making the survey Of the old
town Of St. Pa,il; that is, yacate ground
enough on the east bank Of the river, be-
tween the two landings, to admit Of grading
the hank suitably for a levee, all The way
down Bench Street., All the ground south
Of a line drawn from the foo, Of Third
Street intersecting with Sibley Sheet, aud
then straight 10 ihe. American House, oagh!
to have been laid OF 40 public ground, to
be graded down toJihe river. AS this W as
not done and probably cannot now bs done,
the Corporation ought TO vacate all the
ground between Third STREET and the river,
for the same purpose. If even this canno,
be done, on account Of uested rights, then
the proprietors Of lots on the south side OF
Bench street, ought to. be permitted to Gu,
Bench street dowpr razee il down nearly to
level with the river. s. q.
Bench Street, and the ledge between Il
and the river, thus cut down to the water
edge and wi,iened Us it easily nigh. be, by
encronchinga little upon the river, would
afford space not less than 200 feet wide
ample room for ware houses along the north
side Of it, and not less than one hundred
feet for a lsvee, between the warehouses
and the river. These warehouses would
occupy the place Of Bench street, (after
Bench street was excavatsd, and the north
end Of them would abut against the perpen-
dicular wall. Goods stored in them nigh,
be carried e,herup or down the levee. OF
they might be raised with windlasses.
through the warehouses, to a level with
Third Street; and Third Street ought to be
wiJened SO as to. occupy all the space be-
tween Third and Bench, making il a grand
business avenue. This looks like large
undertaking; but il may be done, and the
future business # ST. Paul, will well war
rant the accomplishment Of it. 1t looks
more probable nots that il may be done,
than i, did in The Spring of 1919, that no.
bIe stone ,aquedpet and street regularly
graded over itEsvou!d ever be built through
the .ravine, between Roberts and Sibley
streets. And We consider it by no means
certain tifatths rock that must be quarried
in making the excavation of Bench stree,
and the lots south Of it, would not more
than pay for tbs whole cost Of excavation,
for building purposes. 1t seems eviden,
that the ledge of the upper plateau, is des-
tined to be the :ptiacipal building material
in St. Paul. lis one vas, quarry Of rock
of the mos, suitable quality and thickness;
and certainly it is easier to quarry it in the
edge Of the bluff than any where else.