The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-06-04
FROM ALEXANDRIA,
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Its Observation-Disclosures Prospects,
Mitls-County Oficcrs-sccncry, Soil
3&c.,-lnti ucemcnts to Settlers. =,

Sc:'-fnducemcnts to Settlers. :, j., .,
ALEXANDRIA,, DOUGLAS Co., May II, '6S
EDITOR JOURNAL In my last letter
written from Osakis, promised that 'witl
your consent, l would write from othel
places through which I might chance t<
pass or stop, and having received no, rcfus
al, real or implied, betake myself to tn.
Pleasing task Of u further description O
Douglas County.
ALEXANDRIA,
The County seat of said county, is one
among the beauty cf Minnesota and
although it does not surpass Osakls, i. is
in every particular equal to it in romantic
scenery, location and relative advantages
in respect to the excellent farming dis.
trict.
Alexandria was known to the people Of
northern Minnesota, as a stage station, as
early as 1859; and the village was plated
by the ''Alexandria Land Company on a
scale almost US extensive as St. Paul O,
Minneapolis but the crisis of 1859-7-oO;
the civil war, together with the Indian
Massacre of 1862, combined to place the
town, as they did the entire State, some:
what in the background During a nor
tion Of 18G2-63-64, Alexandria was .'occu;
pied as Military Post, and in Bs6. S1r.
". E. Hicks, formerly an extensive: Stock
Broker in Wall Stree t, New York City,.
Visiting this portion, Of the country, con:
teelxed the very correct idea, that with pro-
per management, the place, and the. couu-
try surrounding it, might be made very at
tractive to settlers, either as farmers, ne
chanics or merchants. He accordingly
bought the original town site, and a very
large traot Of land adjoining, and immedi
aiely set himself. about accomplishing, what
was then, and is yet, the consummation'et
his highest ambition, viz to make Alexan
'dria and vicinity, one; among the most ia,
viting plaOts in northern Minnesota; aud
he-has, andwi succeed in doing so, beyond
his own anticipation, or the expectation Of
rival towns. -: Il;
Under the influence held out by Mr.:
Hicks, together with his own 'iinle!at;gab]o
exertions in erecting and putting in opera
ton, " large Steam Saw Mill near the town,
the place has improved to such an extent,
that persons who may have seen it a year
ago would scarcely recognize it.
But year or Two since, the people re-
siding in the town aid township, were
obliged to 60 all the way from here to Sank
Centre OF St. Cloud, to do their shopping ;
but now the place contains five general
stores, employing capital of over sixty
hive thousand dollars; also On excellent
meat m rket; two blacksmith shops; three
hotels in full blast, besides the ..Woodhull
House" just completed, but not as yet oc,
cupied. This spacious hotel, erected by
Mr.. Hicks. at the cost Of 81 900, is 70 X 40,
with an L 40 80, two and one-half stories
high. 1t contains twenty large and we'll
ventilated bed chambers, and large din
ing hall, that can, on few minutes notice
be converted into dancing saloon, con-
venient to reception rooms sc. There are
two saloons in the place, and connected
with one is an excellant Phelan Billiard ta-
bic where invalids can while away an hour
or two in scientific amusement (?)
Mr.. Hicks has, in addition to laying the
plans of several ether great Improvements,
began the erection Of first class Steam
Touring mill with capacity for grinding
from 600 to 700 bushels of wheat per day.
He will remove his saw mill from Long
Lake for the purpose of running it in con-
nection with the Touring mill, and expects
to have both in operation by the 1st CT Sep
tember.
There is u we'll organized school here,
and sermons are preached every Sabbath
from ministers representing three different
denominations.
Alexandria, being, as have before stat
ed, the county seat of Douglas county-an
excellently arranged Court House has been
erected for the purpose of holding court,
and also for the accommodation of the
county officers, of whom the following is a
list, viz:
J. H. Van Dyke-Treasurer and Clerk of
Court.
G. c. INSTRUMENTATION and Register
of Deeds.
A. L. Robinson-Shcriff.
Daniel otwell-Judge of Probate.
The entire county of Douglas. is remark
able for the number and beauty of its
lakes; but Alexandria appears to bo par
ticularly fortunate in having fifteen or
more, within the radius of five miles, two
of which, named respectively, Winona and
Agnes, border the town site, and all of the
lakes are filled with the finest of fish,, to-
gether with some sucors, but this last spe-
cles of fish ore not so plenty in "Long
Lake." since it was visited by your CORES
pondent and Mr. Seeley ofsauk Centre e.! J
but as Mr.. Hicks gets off the sue or pun (2)
better than any person to whom it was ever
told, will leave it for him to explain.
Good meadow lands can be procured at
Government prices within two miles Of Al
exandria, good timber within ten miles,
splendid prairie lands within twelve miles.
Van Hoesen & Mitchell, the pioneer land
agents of Northwestern Minnesota, have
established IN Office ut this point, and have
some of the most beautiful tracts Of land
for sale (and at exceedingly low rates) that
it has yet been my lot to behold. These
gentlemen, very wisely, selected some Of
the best lands in the vicinity of Alexar
dria, for the avowcd purpose of keeping il
out Of the hands Of foreign land specula
tors; and offer it at once to actual settlers
at prices that scarcely amount to legal in.
terest on the money invested. TO those
seeking valuable lands IN the viclnity 81
Alexandria, would cordially Recommend
Messrs. Van 1Iocsen g. Mitchell. .. .
The county Of Douglas contains alread i,
over {, 500 inhasitants," and the. taxable
\ property, as shown by the Treasurer
books, amounts to over $350,O00. TIL
land is rich, satdy loan, with clay sub
soil, and is we'll adapted to the. raiaihg Q
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