The weekly Minnesotian., 1857-07-04
Our Neighboring Cities.

Daring the past week business has called
US to pass day or two in each of our neigh
boring cities Of Shakopee and Winona. We
had some little spare time on our hands in
each place to look about, and see what was
going on. Our first observations were at
sHAK PEE.
This FIRST commercial emporium above St.
Paul, upon the waters of the Minnesota, is
growing and prospering with an astonishing
rapidlly. Shakopee has had less gassing
done for her, and has made greater substan-
tial growth without it, than any other town
that has ever been advanced to her present
degree of certainty in Minnesota. Her men,
from the start, have stood aloof from enter
ing into the '' sculduggery" OF one certain
Minnesota river town, or the blowing and
pulling of another one, still making greater
pretensions. Her growth has been steady,
legitimate, and with guaranty of sure COR
tinuance. And now, when Shakopee is about
to become one Of the most important rail
road points in our new State-forming, as
she does, the point Of junction of the branches
from St. Paul and Minneapolis, to the great.
trunk IN the direction of the mouth of the
Big Sioux-she can stand up before the
world and say she owes her present and
prospective prosperity alone to her own nat.
ural advantages, and the legitimate business
enterprise of those interested in her welfare.
The men OF Shakopee have been at work, but
they have not worked in a coul sc that has
made her mere puff ball, liable to explode
and fly off into thin air when merely tramped
upon by the heel of boy.
Among the public improvements at Shak-
opee already commenced, and contemplated
to be finished this summer, are the new
county buildings and the new hotel. The
walls Of the latter are now ready for the
root, and the foundation of the new court
house, Jail, &C., is being laid. When these
are completed, Shakopee will make the most
substantial and imposing appearance of any
Of Minnesota's cities of her size and popula-
ton.
wINONA.
We had not been down the Mississipni 90
far during eighteen months, until we were
there set ashore last Wednesday morning at
daylight, by the good packet, Ocean Wave.
After becoming satisfied that the only thing
about the piece of our former acquaintance
that was possibly to be recognized was some
faint outlines, still visible, of old "Wabashaw
Pralrie," we made our way through the
labyrinth of newly defined streets, closely
built up cn either side, to the Huff House,
all the while looking for the Winona of Au-
gust, 49, without SUCCESS.
After becoming comfortably provided 70,
at the headquarters Of Messrs. Cocerell &
Co., who, by the way, keep just as good
house IN every respect as can be found in St.
Paul, or any other Western city--we sailed
forth to see the ycung elephant of Southern
Minnesota. To speak Of Winona as she de
serves to be spoken of-to state what her
enterprising men have accomplished since
first we met those among them whom we
once took by the hand upon her own soil
would be the work of more than one day at
our hands. She is indeed a prodigy, and
deserves to be pointed to with pride by every
true Minnesotian. as specimen of what our
people sam do in the way of substanti city
buil'iing in the short space OF three years.
Winona has now at least three thousand
inhabitants and is consequently the second
city in point of population in Minnesota.
Her prgress is bound to continue onward.
The immense fertile country back of her
-suon to be fully developed by the construc
t:"n of the Transit RaIroad-insures her
brightest future to high commercial des-
tiny. Her present railroad system should
induce her to look far above her old natural
jealousics of St. Paul and other cities in
Minnesota, who never were and never can
, become her rivals; and we reioceL to inl
that snch is the present liberal feeling of all
her exponents Of public opinion with whom
we con7ersed during our short visit. Ma
Winona grow AMI flourish as long as has the
green grass which spring, from the fertile
surface o. her own beautiful plain!