The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-04-07
The City Of Nlnlmger-lts Rise, Progress und
RcOAQeClN.

Those who visit Mining ger now and recollect thu ap.'
pearance OF the landscape Wien they paused to admire
it eighteen months ago will surely exclaim, trutt. is
stranger than fiction Were not for the indelible i'm
preston made on their minds BY the rare beauty Of the
location and its prominent landmarks assuring them it
was the same spot, they could scarcely believe that in sp
short = period IA thriving town Of seven hundred inhati.
tan,s could arise, where on their previous visit they could
only discern two lonely dwellings,. Par, of this aston.
ishing progress, be it noted, has been realized during a
revulsiou almost unparalleled, and while other places
were stationary or rctrograding. "
The natural advantages Of this spot as q site for a
large city ara such a. could not long have been over
looked. 4 party Of shrewd business men determined to
turn these natural advantages to account. and went to
work in the right way. They sold building lots al cost
price to parties who touad Menss Ices by cpseno"t to put
up a certain amount Of improvements within two years,
OF forfeit the lots They gave due publicity to the pro-
ject, and as every lot sold at cost price would within
:wo years call forth a stipulated amount Of improve.
ments, the certainly Of the town getting a good start
was beyond a doubt. TIL his stipulated improvements
uere PIT up, no man rho bought at cost price could get d
legally perfect Title Deed for his lots. Some lots were
reserved by the proprietors, and sold at high prices with.
out an improvement clause. The Deeds for these are
perfect.
1t is also the most accessible point to the vast tracts
Of land of unsurpassed richness in the beautiful valleys
Of the Cannon, Vermillion and Straight rivers. The
distance to the aourishing towns back Of us is a. follows
Cannon Falls IS miles, Lewiston 81, Waterford p,
North6eld 20, Faribault 35, Rosemount 10, Lakeyille
20, Shieldsville 80 miles. s +
The location of Niningcr is an admirable one for a
distributing river town, and the settlers in the fertile
valleys Of the Vermillion and Cannon rivers, and the
Cottage Grove district, congratulate each other on the
advent Of y river town at the precise point best suited
for their wants. We have already two Saw. mills and a
Sash, Door AMI Blind Factory. All the machinery for
a FIRST rate new Grist mill is on the spot, and tho mill
will soon be doing the farmers some service. There are
1900 DlH~A.-o~- DI-1.-:xl- -
Shoemakers. Grocery aud Dry Good stores, Stove and
Tin-ware and Hat, Cap, and Shoe stores. The Nininger
Lime is in high repute. On the additions to the town
there is 6rst-rate clay for B~rickmaking, and any CON-
petent party commencing that business here soon should
succeed we'll. The building stone is excellent. There
is abundance Of timber for frewood near at hand, and we
learn tina: coal has been found about twenty miles south.
west. We have Schools and a Lyceum, and divine ser.
vice every Sabbath by ~clergymea of the leading denom-
tinations. Here the Emigrant Hid journal is publish:
ed. There are favorable opportunities for parties to
commence business. A wholesale Grocery and Provis-
ion store a Foundry and Machine shop an Agricul-
tural Implement Mandatory a General Hardware
store; a merchant Tailor; an Apothecary; a Book
seller and Stationer a Hair Dresser ; a saddler;
a Gunsmith, and a Forwarding and Commission estab.
lishment are required, and many other businesses could
be established here with reasonable probability Of sue
cess. During the season of navigation steam packets
pass the town daily. Building lots can be bought on
CdoS ~ ZIG pCIoOuo Va ucdu6 GILL KCC
dong with less capital than is required to settle at many
places where there is less work going on than at Mimi
ger. --''-
We doubt If there is another place in the whole coun-
try where the revulsicn of trade last year has been felt
so lightly as in this town. If it did interfere with the
prosperity OF the town somewhat, and stopped the pro-
gress Of certain classes Of business, its effect on the
spirits and hopes of the people was hardly perceived.
They have kept busy-usetully employed-and enjoyed
themselves heartily, but temporarily. 4 regular weekly
dance has been kept up two evenings, in the fine slargc
room in fremont Hall-the second one was started be-
joy it all they desired. Both Of them close precisely
at II o'clock. 1t may be mentioned to the credit Of
our town, and especially to their managers, that no
indulgence in spirituous liquors has taken place on any
occasion of public festivity, there has, consequently,
been no disturbance or riotous proceedings through all
the winter.
The past Of a town is often an index Of its future,
particularly where that past has depended on internal
force and not on fortuitous circumstances. Where,
however, a town has grown because it has been borne
up-by the general advance of the country, and has had
no rivals to contend against, no argument is furnished
for its future succc. $ when arrayed against active and
| energetic rivals. In the history of Nininger it must be
observed that it has attained ito present position in the
face Of the opposition of the then most prosperous town
in Minnesota. 1ts strength has thus been thoroughly
tested. 1t has also been effected by the worst possible
condition OF monetary affairs, during the late crisis. 1t
must therefore be borne in mind that our past career
; has not been one of easy az natural growth. We have
had to fight our way agains' al kinds Of obstacles, and
whatever we have achieved al been by perseverance
and determination.
What better pledge can We offer the new conner for
our future than the mere rec III Of these facts. Such a
crisis as that Of 1857 is not ngain expected to occur in
the next twenty years. The opposition we at first en-
countered is every day growing less. e. =
Now let US examine what resources we have for. the.
future. .- ---r 49,. @ er:
In the first place, we anticipate fairly and reasonably,
a proper share of that growth which it is hoped the
coming spring will bring to the whole Of the great West.
In the next place, one material fact which initiated
greatly against us in the past, will during the coming
spring be obviated, viz the opposition heretofore ex.
perienced from the steamboats,. This will be removed
in two ways first, by the fact that Nininger is now
made an advertised point at which the mail boats must
leave the maitland it is the determination Of many Of
cur citizens to take legal measures against the mail con.
tractors if they fail to perform their duty secondly,
our Town Council contemplate at once extending the
levee to 'Bassetts Landing, (which will at once remove
all possible objections on the part Of the steamboat to
landing here, for it IL q we'll known fact that for. seven
years past Bassett's Landing has held a high reputa-
ton among steamboat captains as a landing place, and
that too, long before astown was thought Of here Z ~
In the third place, the emigrsnt who visits our town
during the coming year, will find our citizens busy in
making various ornamental and useful improvements.
He will soc the work On the levee going on !; he will see
various streets being graded he will see board walks
being built around some Of the main blocks, and he will
see that all these works distributesamong the citizens .
large amount Of money, which must rebound to the
prosperity Of the whole place. - A. 4
In the next place, . careful examination Of the in
provement clauses contained in the deeds Of those who
bought under the covenant set forth above, will convince
any one that a large amount Of benefit will be derived
to the town from that source alone. Betvsen two and
three hundred thousand dollars worth Of imptovemest
are to be made under those covenants. Wheeler fhese
have to be made at once, or in proportienate ppastx d.
ing the coming one or two years, they will nevertheless
add materially to the growth Of the town.
In the next place. although the great depression il
money affairs has made all railroad projects a matter Of
uncertainty and doubt, and although it has fallen With
particular weight upon our own railroad enterprise,
nevertheless We still hope that with the return of better
times, the Nininger and st: Peter Railroad Stock may,