The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-08-01
The saint Paul Post Omce---Its History,
with "Reminiscences of Mail Arrange
ments, and Postal Matters I'm the North
West, since lS49.
HY THE LOCAL.

West, since IS49.
BY THE LOCAL.
In attempting sketch of this kind, as we
promised in yesterdays paper, we have al
most no material to draw upon except the
memory of some of the oldest settlers who
have kindly furnished us with what statis-
tics memory could call up, and the few i'm
perfect records of the Post Offict in its early
existance now in the possession of the pres
ent incumbent. If, therefore, any error or
omissions should be perceived, those whose
recollections Of dates, names and statistical
matter is retentive, should excuse them.
The first authentic account we have of the
existence of anything like Post Office in
St. Paul, is in May, 1S49. AT that time it
was kept in a miserable shanty on the (now)
corner of Bench and jackson Streets, by
Henry Jackson. The building is not now
standing, we are told: it was used by Jack
son for trading post, and grog shop The
Post Office part of it was kept in one corner
in desk or cupboard, and as the Post Mast
er was often unable to attend to his duties or
absent, those who wanted letters or papers
would have to look over the diminutive bunch
of greasy, worn, and dirty missives; or the
papers-whch were free to loafers to read
in order to get his mail matter. We believe
Jackson held no commission from Govern
ment, but merely kept his arduous and i'm
portant post by the consent of the people,
We are not indeed informed now as to
whether the group of claims which occupied
the present site of Saint Paul, the metropo-
lis of the North West, was considered of
sufficient Importance to have Post Office
regularly established, or not. We believe
prior to the settlement of Saint Paul, Fort
Smelling. which had been military post
since 1920. was the general Post Office for
the North West.
The mails at this time, were carried by the
steamboat Senator, commanded by Capt.
Smith. We do not know whether any con-
tract existed between Capt. S., and the Post
Office Department or not, but it is said that
4 semi-monthly mail was received by that
means during the whole summer.
Since prepayment was not compulsory at
that time as it is now, on letters, generally
three fourth of them had dime or twenty
cents due on them. Under the help your
SELF arrangements of Post Master Jack
son at that time, the revenue of the Office
could not have bccu very great. 1t is said
however. that when a half dollar, or note
was given in payment for a 10c letter. the
only change returned was drink of some
the M liquor which he kept for sale -
By t4is arrangement, probably, Post Master
jackson managed to keep his account with
the public about balanced
We can imagine what scene it must have
been when the mail packet arrived, and the
little bag of mail matter was carried up the
bluff, around that Post Office. The crowd of
rongh, addressed frontier characters, with
few of the more respectable and cirilized en-
isrants, seemingly out of place-all waiting
in the nd-whiskey-reeking atmos-
phere of the elegant apartment for news
from home.
What contrast is such scene as this, to
the present state of the Post Office of ST.
Paul, lapse of only eight years. Now,
large and elegant building is required for its
use corps Of the most efficient talent
assists the Post Master; thiny.four hundred
boxes are required to accommodate the
wants of the people. The annual revenue Of
the Office, even at the present low rates of
postage is over Ten Thousand Dollars iAn
Express wagon full of mail is sent daily to
and from the mail packets, and hundreds of
bags sent weekly into routes through the
AT that time, the Minnesota Valley. now
4 populous, wealthy and cultivated district
vas literally terra incogio. Some few
settlements had penetrated this region, and
claims along the river were made. There
we're almost no settlements, except St. An
hony and Saltwater, anywhere in the Ter
-itory. St. Paul was the North West. 1t |
vas the point to which all eyes were turned,
md had begun to attract notice in the press
# the country.
The first regularly Commissioned Post
faster, was J. W. Bass, who received his
ppointment as such under Taylor's admin
stration, in the fall of 1910. The Office was
hen removed into his store, which was in a
rame shanty occupying the site of the pres
Mt Merchants Hotel, on the corner of Jack
on and Third Street. The building being on
ackson St. There is in the Post Office now,
case containing almost one hundred boxes,
hich was the first thing of the kind ever
sed to place mail matter in. It's preserved
; relic, and ought TO be given to the His
,rical Society 1t is now used to stow
way dead letters" in.
During the winter of 1849-5O, there were
D arrangements for supplying the city of St.
aul with mails. They were received "semi-
to use the phrase of our infor-
ant, whenever any one was kind enough to (
irden himself with the diminutive mail
'ck, and carry it with him from Prairie du
hen to this place. Sometimes it was sent
ong with teamster who was bringing
ad pork to St. Paul, but aftener not sent
all, for weeks together. 3
With the succeeding summer, (of 1901
mt Paul had grown into point of such
lportance, that the Depart nent generously
lowed the office semi-weekly mail from
alena, then the Distributing Office for the
orfh West; but We believe this semi
eekly mail service turned out to be fic-
d. as 1t came nearer being weekly; but hay
g no redress, there was no alternative but
} "grin and bear it."
during the following winter (195O) an ef-
TT having been made to have some reeular
all service between the rest of the world
I'd St. Paul, contract was let by the De.
lrtment to some party, whom, we are not
formed, for sreekly mail from the close If
avigation to the opening. The acecklv mail
lat winter was another fiction. Three C
aotc Sav fho paucpo,,or, &c Al. =. C