The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-09-07
Especial correspondence Of Press
Minneapolis.
The Coming City of the Northwest.

Thirty-two years ago, man by the name of
Stevens, coming from the scenes of battle on
| the Mexican frontier, struck out O claim Of
land in what was then known as the new terri
tory of Minnesota, Just separated from what
had been Wisconsin. The site chosen by him
was on the grand old Mississippi where. with
| a tempestuous plunge she throws herself over
| precipitous obstruction Of rock. and, with a
roar of defiance and satisfaction, rolls on to
cast herself into the open arms of the Gulf of
Mexico. On the opposite side of the river
there was at this time quite settlement in
what was called Saint Anthony; but no one
| as yet had seen fit to cross over and settle on
| the west side when Stevens had determined to
| try his fortunes
The great wealth that lay hidden in the vast
waterpower of the falls at this point, had, as
early as 1893, called for attention from the
officers at Fort Smelling, government sta
| tion some six miles below the falls, and from
| that time dates the controversies that arose
| over the rights and possession of the water
| privilege. After much discussion and
| litigation, the question was settled, and the
| great and never falling power of the falls be-
| gan to be utilized; aud that step was taken
which was destined to result in building one of
the most energetic, fourishing and influential
cities that we find in the West.
The growth at first was not remarkable and
in 1854 what was then called Minneapolis con-
tanned only twelve houses There was some
dispute as to what this would-be prodigy should
be named, but finally the words "minne"
meaning water, and the Greek "pols' for
"city' were united, and have ever since
proved satisfactory. 1854 is dated as the be-
ginning of the influx. Settlers moved in rap
idly, houses and churches went up, and mills
and stores were erected along the river. The
town government was formed in 1858 with
population OF two thousand. In 1868 the city
was incorporated, having at that time about
twelve thousand people. The town of st. An
thony was annexed to Minneapolis in 1872,
and by that means the population was in
creased by some five thousand
The Eastern man in visiting for the first
time the metropolis of the North West, while
possibly not disappointed at his entrance into
the city, will not in nine cases out of ten meet
what he expects to find. To him the idea of
long anu SUBSTANTIAL DuSiueb5 DtOCkS, udITOW
aud compact streets with payements and lofty
brick tenement houses has become so firmly
fixed in the mind in connection with city,
that the absence or rather scarcity of these met
ropolitan characteristics can but be something
of surprise. AS general thing those people
of the East, who perchanoe have not called on
their Western brethren outside of Chicago
Milwaukee, st. Louis and others in the same
category, do not form in their mind the correct
idea of the Western city; and all the insignia
of the coast city of hundred years growth is
expected to be found in the Western place
twenty or twenty-five years old From the
fact that the visitor does not, previous to his
arrival, take into consideration the differences
in the ages of the two sections of the country
and the necessity of time to acquire all the i'm
provements that appertsin to the metropolitan
ideal, the lack of any of these appointments
will seem far more apparent at first than after
he has had time to make due allowance for all
the DEFICIENCIES. That city of fifty thousand
inhabitants engaged in legitimate industries
should be compelled to admit that there was
not street pavement within her limits, when
an Eastern city Of five thousand people boasts
of them, would be received by many with ex-
pected incredulity. After careful considera-
tion, however, of all the phases OF this abnor-
NAL growth, one easily overlooks such facts
and appreciates what has already been done.
The present city occupies both sides of the
river, covering an area of about nine square
miles around the falls, the larger half being on
the West bank. Six miles below the city at
Fort Smelling, the Mississippi takes more east
erly course, and about four miles below the
fort flows by the wharves of st. Paul, the oapi-
tai Of the state. The distance between the
two cities, therefore, by straight cut across,
is somewhat shorter by land than by water.
At present St. Paul is at the head of the river
navigation; but it is said, probably too hope
fully, that the Government will come to the
assistance of Minneapolis ere many years, and,
channel having been dredged the citizen will
greet the appearance of the through boats to
st Louis. Such representations, however,
are about as visionary as those foreseeing the
. time when the two places will be united.
From the geographical location, the nature Of
the land intervening and the innate rivalry
and hostility of the two people the last named
prophesy seems to be as likely of fulfilment as
mother Shipton's has been.
Unfortunately at Minneapolis there is a
slight bend in the river. Unfortunate in 81
much as the early settlers, being so desirous to
lay out main thoroughfare, naturally fol-
lowed the course of the river and had no eye
to the future beauty of the city. The defect
was afterward seen, but too late, and for one
or two blocks from the water we see the slight
bend in the streets with the accompanying ire
gularity. Back from that the right angle meth
cd has been adopted, and the ways are uniform
and regular. The streets running parallel
with the river are, with one exception, desig-
mated by numbers, while the avenues running
at right angles to them, with two exceptions,
are also numerically named. They have
been laid out with an eye to future beauty,
being very broad and bordered with shade
trees which in few years will make them
particularly attractive. The finer residences
are for the raost part surrounded with ample
grounds, with green lawns, many shade Irees
and beautiful shrubbery, while here and there
the attractive fountains scatter the crystal
spray which glistens and reflects its colors OF
the golden sunlight Many of the houses are
models of beauty in design and construction,
and are tokens of the success the owners have
met in the rich fields of industry the city offers
There is another class of dwellings, and the
number is such as to call the attention of the
most casual observer, and those are of the one
story-and-a-half type. Every street and aven-
ne has its quota, in many cases much to the
discomfort of the neIghbors of a more aristo-
cratic order. Laborers coming here at an
early day purchased their plots of land at
low figure, and as the city extended itself,
they found that in many cases they had select
ed the very best localities. In many instances
they have sold their lots at good price and
sought less pretentious site and in this way
the finer buildings are taking the place OF
an inferior type but many of the pebean pro
prietors refuse to give up their claims so that
in some localities we find the appearance OF
mixture in this respect. 1t will take some
years for this local separation of the different
orders of society to take place, and, although
the lower classes may gradually be centeriug
toward one locality, the association OF the best
and poorer class of people and residences VIII
he noticeable for some years to come
To the inquiry "what has made Minneapo-
LISP" one ans yer alone can be given, viz, her
waterpower This was what years ago drew
the prospector to her boundaries; this was
what called for the erection of the rude saw
mills, and ultimately guaranteed the building
of the mammoth flour mills, famous through
out the land. To-day her reputation goes out
as a four-making city, and the chief objects OF
interest to the sight seeing visitor, are her gi-
gantic flour mills Here was where the new
Hungarian process was first tested and success
fully worked. In fact, all the mills now are
of the new process manufacture, process
by which the wheat is rolled, rash than
ground and that portion of the Kerr which