St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-02

then section of country, in the year 1S4S.
While in congress he labored for bill or
ganizing the territory of Minnesota; sue
but at the instigation of Senator Douglas
Mendoza was made the capital. General
Sibley, though warm friend of Douglas,
strenuously opposed this, and the name of
St. Paul was finally inserted. Mendoza was
placed in the bill by Douglas, who had visit
ed Fort Smelling and knew the character of
the country in that section. 1t was through
the efforts solely of Gen. Sibley that st. Paul
was made the capital of the state of Mime
sofa.
B. F. HOYT-THEN AND NOW.
Among those who came to st. Paul in 1S4S
was the gentleman whose name heads this
paragraph. He was generally known as
''Rev. B. F. Hoyt," or Father Hoyt,'' and is
now remembered among the old settlers
as such. Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, in
1900, he early worked on a farm, and taught
school: married Miss Elizabeth Haney, sister
of the noted Rev. Richard Haney, of Illinois,
in the year 1926, and then emigrated to Full
| ton county in the same state, being twenty
five DAYS on the road. Previous to his mar
riage, or, in 1925, he went to New York to
secure 400 acres of land out of 1000 which
were given to his grandfather on his mothers
side for losses sustained during the war of the
| Revolution. Unlike young men OF this modern
age, he did not desire to start his marriage
life with $500 piano anda Brussels carpet,
but he went to work and furnished his house
with furniture of his own make, and both he
and his wife were happy. In 1S4S he came
to st. Paul with his family and built tama-
rack log cabin on the corner of Eighth and
Jackson streets, on what is now known as
the Cakes place. His claim sextended down
Eighth to Broadway, up Broadway and Jack
son back to the bluff. The amount paid
for this claim, was quite inconsiderable, but
the property now would bring several hun
dred thousand dollars. Mr.. Hoyt built the
first Methodist Episcopal Protestant church
erected in the northwest; was a local preach
er in the church; married the first white cou-
pie in st. Anthony; was one of the founders
of the Hamline university, and made several
trips to New York in the interest of that in
stitution; probably sold the first small tract
of land disposed of in st. Paul, being one
acre for $40, to W. c. Morrison, corner of
| Ninth and Jackson streets, on part of which
Mr.. Morrison still liyes-property worth now
S75, 900; sold the Cakes block, less a small
strip, for S1,200-same property sold for
900, then for SIS, 900, worth now $780,
600; sold the Borup block, where the Baptist
church now is, for S150-worth to-day from
$75,O 900 to 100000, without i'm
provements; sold to Rev. G. Hobart
one lot on Eighth street, looking
down Sibley, for $50, and gave him the ad-
joining lot worth now S35, 900; sold Oakland
cemetery for $50 per acre; worth So, 800 per
acre; bought the island at White Bear lake
for small sum-now worth manythousands
of dollars; owned Bronson's addition when
it was worth $40 per acre-worth now S.
600 and $4,000 per acre; built the Yandies
mansion on Dayton's bluff, in '55 or SO, land
was largely interested in real estate in Red
Wing, Cannon Falls, etc. When his son
Lorenzo and his friend w. G.. Hendrickson
were breaking their present farms in
Rose township, worth SIS per
acre, and things to them looked
blue, his remark was, ''Well, boys, do not be
discouraged; you will live to see this land sell
for $50 per acre. They thought him vision
airy, but he continued long enough on earth
to see them both make their first sale at six
times his estimate, or $500 per acre, worth
now $500 per acre.
Mr.. Hoyt was running over with kindness
and goodness; he was also religious man.
and identified himself closely with the inter
ests of the Methodist church; his doors were
always open to the preachers, from the bishop
down. He was also generous. He gave
largely to the poor; did not despise the In
dams or the lowly; James Thompson. the for
mer slave, found in him a friend; and hun
dreds of poor families were made glad by
wood which was sent them by Father Hoyt
After his death, man who was cutting tim
Der for him and hauling it to town, said he
had orders for eight cords of wood in his
pocket at one time to be taken to different
poor families. Wood in these days was
worth from IS to 80 per cord. An old
settler, now living, can testify to
how he felt, when destitute of money and
board bill due, Mr.. Hoyt gave him 800. He
never cared for riches or office; he was like
his Maker, always going around doing good.
He was on the best of terms with all the
ministers of his day, and had unbounded
faith in the future greatness of st. Paul. Of
eight children, five are living, Lorenzo,
Judge j. F., VIM. H., Mrs. J. H. Murphy,
and Mrs. George. H. Hazard.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
We first met Mr.. Hoyt at Red Wing, in
the year of 1858, or thirty-one years ago
He was slender man, moderately tall, with
a round head, a little bald ON top, quite de-
liberate in, speech, decided in expression
and rather hesitating in manner. He was
then dealing largely in real estate. He
stopped little, and if we remember cor
rectly, always carried a cane. He very sell
dom INDUCED in mirth When walking he
passed along vigorously, evidently impressed
with the duties he had to perform. He
was a man of energy and endurance,
constantly moving about for the benefit of
others, and lived a good, plain, pure, I'M
selfish life. One year before he died he
called at the writer's house. The vigor of
manhood had gone. The face was pale and
pinched, the limbs were weak and tottering.
the voice soft and plaintive, and the eve
clearly showed that he was conscious of the
coming end, and so he died as he had lived,
kind, genial, benevolent Christian man,
and his memory is kindly cherished by a
large circle of friends. His age was seventy
five years.
LORENZO HoYT-THE INDIANS.
Mr.. Hoyt is the eldest son of the late B. F.
Hoyt, and now resides in Rose township on
farm, where he has been located for thirty
four years. He was born in Ohio in 1929:
came to st. Paul for his health in 1884 and
continued in the city one year. He entered
the land of his present farm Q60 acres) with
Mexican land warrants worth seventy-five
cents per acre; land now worth $500 per
acre. He has eight children-four girls and
four boys-all living. In 1S4S he remem-
beers shooting wolves at point where the
union depot now is. His father gave him a
lot on Eighth street, and he sold it to Mr.
Odell for $50, now worth $4,000! cele-
brated chief used to pitch his tepees on Mr..
Hoyt's farm, while his six hundred warriors
were out on hunting excursions, and he
gives many interesting and exciting stories