The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-03-26

1867: ' p''''uS u
Votes in 1862, ESQ.
1868, 94s, increase 81.
1864. 1444, u" 495.
1868, 1147, decrease 297.
1866, 2l34, increase o87.
From the above table deduce tn,
average yearly increase to be 3l9 vote,
tor tour years, making 2453 as tn,
numb. OF voters in 1867. Assuming
'hat the proportion OF inhabitants t.
voters to be the same in 1867 that i
was IN 1865, viz 64-will give 1894:
as estimated population in 1867. 3,
census of 1865, there was a populatioi;
OF 1867. The vote the same wear wa
ll47, giving an average of nearly 6:
inhabitants to each voter.
The county at present is divided in
to twenty.six towns, which will now be
considered.
SAINT CLOUD.
~ Town l24 north, Range % west.-
Ih's IS the first town settled upon above
minneapolis on the west or right bank
OF the river.
John l.: Wilson squatted on Section
ii, in 1855. Previous to his settle
me"t the Point was an importaac one,
being on the Mississippi where a line
Ut small prairies reaching from the
great treclsss plains Of the West throus ID
the timber bit to the Mississippi, form
'"g natural highway which had long
been used By the Red River traders in
'he'r annual trips to St. Paul with fur,
and skins. Here also after the GOV
crnment assigned thr Winrtbayoes
thc'r Reservation in 1850, was es,ab
Hshed trading post, but after the
chante OF the reservation to the Miu-
ncsota river, the country west of the
town, previously but liule known, was
explored by hardy hands of e,nigrants.
and in an incredibly short space Of time
tie country became th;ctly settled
Mr.. Wilson laid out a town in 1855.
A lew months after all author otc
as follows: ''But the date of it's start
as ii town is not more than six months
ago, slnce when it has been advancing
with unsurpassed thrift, on scale OF
attiuence and durability. Its main
street .is surely a street in other re-
spects than in name for it has on eth
er side several neatly built three story
blocks OF stores, around which the gath
erlng Of t:ams and Of people denotes
such an activity Of business as tc dis
pei any idea that the place is get up
under false pretenses.' "The ST..
Paul daily papers contained advertise
ments of about forty different firms or
individuals in St. Cloud, which is a
sort Of index to the business of the
place, /. printing press is already in
town, and paper will in a few days
be issued" i
The paper hinted at above was the
Adocrtiser, issued in the fall of 1856,
out it was short lived. Mrs. Jane G..
Swisshelm started the TiisHor in 1857 :;
but changed the name to the Democrat
IN 1883, which she continued to pub
lish until 1868, when she went East on
a lecturing tour and finally to Wash
ington, as clerk in the War Depart
mcnt. The paper: was continued by
Mr.. W. B. Mitchell, who changed it to
THE JOURNAL in 1866, and it is now
one Of the best conducted journals in
the Northwest. MIR. J. H. Si,nonton
started the Times in April, 1864, sold
out to Mr.. n. F. Barnes in 1866, and
in 1867 the present editor assumed con-
troll, ADD it now forms spicy sheet.
Geo. F. Brott in 1855, claimed Gun.
der the law OF Congress giving to mail
contractors land for sta.ions) three hun
dred and twenty acres of land joining g
Wilson's on the south, and laid out a
town. In a few months sixty.five or
seventy houses were built, amorg them
the Stearus House, costing abou, ten
thousand dollars. MI. Brott's right
t'the land was contested and carried
from court to court, aud it was not un.
til 1865 that he finally received the IT,
tie. In the meantime Wilson's survey
having undisputed title, advanced with
gigantic strides in career Of prospcri-
ty which bids fair to make the town the
second in Importance in the State.
CITY CHARTERS.
In 1862 the first charter election was
held, and city government organized,
with. the following officers:
Mdyor-L. A. Evans.
Aidcrmen-H. G. Burbank, Joseph Bro
ker, J. W. renvoorde and 3. Overlook.
Recordcr-A. 8. Curry.
In 1866 a new charter with extend
ed boundaries and new privileges was
adopted by the voters end the following
otfit err chosen in 1867:
Mayor-A. B. Curry.
Aldermen-J. II. Owen, lst Ward.
J. H. Kelly. I'd Ward.
Joseph Broker. Sd Ward.
L. Euderle, 9TH Ward.
Reeorder-John Za?p.
POPULATION.
The population of the city and town
l estimate to have been $3.50 in 1867,
Of which should judge 1000 are
Germans, about 1000 American born,
the balance Irish and English. OF the
German citizens it is no disparaeemen,
to any class to say that for Intelligence
industry and thrift none better can be-
found in any community.
...... CHURCHES.
. St. Cloud has Eve churches, viz
Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Con
gresational and Episcopal. The Bap.
tist formerly were tho most influential
and among the first IN the field oftc,
the German Catholic. The ~Cathol e
cathedral is large beautiful structure
ot brick, and is probably second to none
in the: State. Tho Congregationalists
have also fine church of colored
brick. The other three churches are