The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-04-09
Early Historical Incidents.

Early Historical Incidents.
Without going so far back as the early part
OF 1917, to note the few rude trading cabins of
tamarac logs which marked the present site of
st. Paul, then tOurishing under the unpoetic
sodriquet Of Pigs Eye,O we will commence
picking up our incidents about the middle of
that year. Then it was that the 'squatters
upon the public lands which mark the site of
st. Paul proper. conceived the idea of laying
out II town thereupon. The names of those
who were then sole 'proprictors,' barring Uncle
Sans prior lien, are Vetal Guerrn, Alex. r.
Mcleod Henry Jackson, IIartshorn & Randall,
Louis Roberts, Benjamin Gervais, David Farri-
bault y. l.. Larpenteur, J. W. Simpson and J.
Demarrais. These worthy pioneers are all yet
liying-living in eycmpliiication of the old
truism, that the first settlers of Il new country
generally live and die the poorest men in it
One or two OF them who appear likely to escape
this apparently prcdcstined fate, only stand as
monuments of exception to prove the verify of
the rule. All had an unequal interest in that
portion of the present Capital of Minnesota, en-
braccd in the area extending from about half
way between Sibley and Jackson streets up to
st. Peters street, and from the river back to
Eighth street. This they employed Ira B.
Brunson, of Prairie du Chen. to lay Off into
town lots during the month Of July, ISL
little dreaming that in less than five years it
would prove the nucleus around which would
concentrate the future commercial and political
metropolis of mighty Commonwealth-thc
heart of that northwestern emporium which is
to give pulsation and lifn-bood to the northern
giant of the Mississippi Valley.
st. Paul twas named, from the parish name
OF the Catholic Church which had been Organ-
Izcd six years previous. No visible signs of its
future greatness became manifest during that
or the succeeding year. if we except the land
sales at the Falls of st. CroiX in August of AS,
at which time the proprictors proved up their
prescriptions and procured titles from the Gov
ernment. This year the old warehouse at the
Lower Landing, now occupied by Constans &
Burbank, was erected, and the building at the
corner of jackson and Third now occupied by
George Wells, rc-modelled from rude cabin
into what was then considered Il spacious and
commodious hotel. Mr.. Bass made the i'm
prorcment, and was the first landlord. We
believe Mr.. Larpenteur's dwelling house, on
the opposite corner, was built the same year
also Mr.. Hopkins store, on the southwest cor
ner OF the same streets.
John X. Irvine held and entered tie claim
on the river Immediately above the town plat.
He had not thought much of it-mcrely Occu
pying it as residence, with few acres adja-
cent to his dwelling under cultivation, which
supplied the wants of his family The keen,
speculative eye OF Henry NJ. Rice first conceiv-
ed the idea of laying OFF the extensive plateau
embraced in the claim of Irvine, and immcdi-
ately adjacent to st. Paul, into an addition
thereto. Rice 'bought in with Irvine; and in
the winter of 1S4S-i9-just before the passage
Of the act by Congress organizing the Terrific
ry-thcir Addition was divided into lots. The
mere TACT, that a man OF the known energy and
enterprise of Rice. had taken hold of ST Paul,
infused new life into the place, and it soon had
Il name, even beyond the limits of the ncighbOr-
ing regions This name was sent far and wide
over the country when. through the patriotic
perseverance, and devoted zeal of Henry ii.
Siblcy, the organic act, naming st. Paul as the
temporary capital passed both houses of Con-
gress, and was approved by the President on
the third Of March, 1s49.
Other additions rapidly multiplied. Smith
& Whitney's Qlon. Robert Smith. of Alton, ILL.,.
at this time supposed by some to be our new
Govcrnor-and Cornelius s. Whitney, at the
time Land Office Receiver at st. CrOiX Falls,
long since gone to California and no relative
of the present Whitneys of st. Paul,) was laid
off in April of the same year, and IIoyts in
May. Saml Lecch. Land Office Register at st.
Croiy Falls under Polk, not to be OutdOne by
his fellow-oiicer, had laid off in August Of that
year. the addition which bears his name
In 1850. Guerrin Il Bazl's, Randall Il Roberts
and PattersOn's additions were laid off. The fol-
lowing year came Winslow's Kittson's, Willes',
and Irvine's Enlargement. In 1852 we had
Bass. BrunsOn's, Bakers and WnslOw's No. 2.
And now while we write. the compass is upon
a strip of land between Selby's and Rice's
farms. making town lots under the title f'Irvine
Il Ramsey's new addition There are other
small additions. perhaps, which have been made
at various times, which we have not noted. be-
cause of their insigniicancc. All we have allud-
cd to are important parts OF st. Paul as it now
is.
The motive power of the new Territorial
Government was set running carly in the sum-
mer of ls49. In August of that year an cleo
ton was held for members OF the first Lcgisla-
tive Assembly, and other officers. VIM. II.
Eorhoe orl Ioc No Ro,l wcrc returned to tbo