Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-07-05
LETTER FROM MINNESOTA.

St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota Territory,
is situated On the east, or rather north, side of
the Mississippi river-the river here sweeping
arounI in an easterly directon-and possesses
enc of the very finest locations for great metro
polls. The city limits extend along the river
about three miles, with something over milo in
depth. The whole town is considerably elevated,
rising higher as you fall back, where ultimately
it becomes entirely surrounded with high range
Of land, forming the whole into vast amphi-
theater. These encircling high lands. command
ing as they do an uabroken view of town and
river, form most enticing and magnificent sites
for suburban residences, and are fas. being dot
ted over ,gith finely built structures.
The town is not as well laid out as it might
have been the business streets, with few excep-
tions, are too narrow, and the whole lacks desir-
ableness Of uniformity in its plotting. This has
resulted by repeated additions to the original
town plot, of lands independently laid out by
their respective owners. 1t appears worse, how
ever, upon the map, than it will to the eye when
more fully built. Even now, it has put On the
air Of a finely built town, from the many distant
points of observation. 1t must be remembered
is only about seven years since the most keen
sighted foresaw that it would ever become
town Of any Importance whatever. Hence, per-
sons coming here, must not expect to find city
with all the finish OF those which have been in u
state of progress for hundreds, or even score
OF years. On many of the streets, the stumps
and brush have scarcely been disturbed. The
more business ones have been graded, and side
walks built at heavy expense. A multitude of
buildings Of all kinds havo been got up in
cheap and hasty manner, just to meet the present
necessities, until larger, more costly, and sub
stantal ooes could be erected. But every year
now shows an astonishing improvement in the
size, material, and style of building. Within
four years large number of very fine public and
private buildings, mostly of brick and stone,
have been erected. Among these is the capitol,
very imposing brick structure, well elevated,
and being expensively enclosed. Also, hospi-
tai, several churches, hotels, stores warehouses,
and private dwellings of good capacity and taste.
A brick hotel on jackson street is just being
completed at cost of eighty thousand dollars.
Men of judgment and foresight, and who have
the best acquaintance with the whole country,
are fixed in the opinion that St. Paul is destined
to be great commercial centre. That at no dis
tant day it will have become one of the three
great cities on the Sc Father Of Waters.'' New
Orleans, st. Louis. and st. Paul. St. Paul lies
at the head of navigation upon the Mississippi.
Everything coming into the Territory for those
above and around, must pay her tribute. All
steamboating above must be of a lighter craft,
and, hence, st. Paul, as matter of fact, becomes
the starting point and terminus of an immense
steamboat navigation, that necessarily plies the
restless waters of the Mississippi and Minnesota
for near eight months in the year. Or should the
iron horse greet US with his shrill whistle, as no
doubt he will do in a few years, St. Paul will
hold the same relation to the railroads of the Ter
ritory that she does to its rivers.
Real estate in st. Paul and suburbs, would be
considered by those coming here from the East,
as extrayagantly, if not unreasonably high. A lot
on the corner of two of the best business streets
lately sold for one hundred and eighty dollars
per foot, the lot one hundred feet deep. Fifty
dollars to one hundred and fifty, might be put
down as about the range of prices per foot of
business lots in the city. Lots for residences one
hundred and fifty feet deep, with front of some
fifty feet, would range in price from one thou
sand to one hundred and ffty dollars, just as you
might retire from the business portions of the
town. Property out of the limits bat short
distance, sells as high as one and two hundred
dollars per acre.
That these prices must appear high in town
Of bat sbsut eight thousand inhabitants, admit.