Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-22

lines of road and union of interests are
at work to make this city common center
for the central portion Of the valley. Blu,
to return to my topic of the early settle
ment of Aberdeen.
RAILROAD TOWN.
The Chicago, Milwaukee 81 st. Pau
road may be said to have founded the
town and as soon as their interesting sur
veys were established where now exists
the town, people began to flock thithel
in swarms. There was no building ma
terial nearer than Watertown, 100 miles
distant, except such as nature furnished
in the tough prairie sod. Out OF this
material the citizens Of this now comfort
able town had to construct their habita-
tions, and on every hand at once arose
business houses and residences alike, with
walls constructed of sods neatly cut and
piled one upon another, after the fashion
of stone OF brick, until a sufficient height
of wall was obtained, when in lieu Of
anything else, canvas OF tent roof was
adjusted and the store or dwelling was
completed. Until the arrival of the road
but one frame building in the whole
town of any sort or descrip-
ton could be found, and that
was the store of Rice Bros. & Boy
dan, who drew the lumber for
its construction from Watertown and
who opened the first store in the place.
But the pioneers of Sod CITY, as it might
have been called, felt an unwavering
faith in its future greatness and nothing
could daunt their courage, so when the
road at last came creeping over the cot
eaus and across the James river from the
east it found scoro or two of people
ready to welcome it, and who, out of
such material as could be got had begun
to build city.
ORIGINAL PLAT.
The original plat of Aberdeen places
Main street about one-haf mile west of
the Chicago 6 Northwestern road, run
ming due north and south, with its foot
resting upon the Hastings g. Dakota
track at the Chicago, Milwaukee 6 st.
Paul depot. Upon this street those al
ready there began 10 congregate and to
replace their sod buildings with good
frame structures as soon as the arrival of
the road rendered building material
possibility.
Since then down to the present time
there has been steady and uninterrupted
influx of population into both town and
county, and although rival towns have
been started at divers times and in divers
places in several directions in Its vicinity,
destiny has seemed to mark it for the
ruling point and to indicate it beyond the
shadow of doubt, as the central city
and metropolis of the valley.
PRESENT STATUS.
The present status, then, Of our city is
this First-It is already, in less than ten
months from its birth, become railroad
center. Trans arrive and depart each
day from five different directions. A
population of seven hundred people exist
where, ten months ago, only one frame
building stood, and glance at the bust
ness Of the place will confirm one as to the
zeal and enterprise of its people. During
the month of April last over seventy cars
of lumber alone were received, while the
receipts of the station were $4,000.
BUSINESS INTERESTS.
First-There are two weekly news
papers, the Dakotah Pioneer and the
aberdeen Republican, edited respectively
by Messrs. Drake and Morrill,. Always
the advance guards of civilization and the
defenders Of American liberty, these two
institutions are coeval with the fOunda-
ton of the town and are earnest and
energetic instruments towards the
rapid building up of great
commonwealth. They are well supported
and appreciated. Next important among
the public institutions of the town are
its banks, of these there are at present
two, which are also pioneers. They are
both private banks and are differed and
named as follows: Bank of Aberdeen,
G. A. Bliss, president; ]. z. Sldle, vice.
president; S. II. Jumper, cashier.
| The Brown county bank, VIM.
F. Graves, president; NJ. E. Vinton,
vice president; John E. McChesney,'
cashier To these two institutions will
soon be added the banking house Of
Hagerty s. Pierce, which will be able to
find enough also to occupy its attention,
as this is distributing point for fifty or
| 100 miles up and down the river. Next
in order come the hotels. AS public in
situations they are public necessity,
and especially so in our new western
town. There are some seven or more in
town, two of which are first class in every
respect, and combined have capacity Of
over 200. AS an evidence Of the rush
over 200 people were fed at one hotel a
few days since. If except the depot Of
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul com.
pany, our extremely youthful city has no
ether public buildings at present. Of
| general business there are
General stores $50. 8 Boot aud shoe store. 1
| Grocery stores..... 3 Lumber yards -. 3
| Hardware stores -. Saloons .......
Grocery and hard Butcher shop. 1
ware ............ l Barber shop 1900.
Drug stores ....... 8 Boot and shoe shop.
Furniture stores -. Q Livery, feed and sale
| wagon snOp....... Stable D
Tailor shop. ....... 1 Machinery hall.
Eight lawyers and three doctors are
settled at Aberdeen, and ministers are
coming as soon as place of worship is
provided.