St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-25
WOONSOCKET.
The History of Six Months of Wonder
full Growth.
The Dream Comes True--The Prophecy of
Great Commercial Center Being More
Than Realized.

/ Chicago, Milwaukee 81 St Paul railway, was
plated and placed on the market about the
middle of last October. At that time there
was on the site one farm house. and one or
two buildings from Milwaukee junction,
whose fate was decided adversely by the
railways advent. To-day a Young city
stands upon the same site. This is composed
| of $50 substantial business and residence
buildings, with a population of $50, and i'm
provements to the amount of $500, 600. The
growth here experienced has not been
equaled in the history Of south Dakota. Six
months ago wild prairie; to-day town Of
$50 people, with churches, schools, municipal
government, and all that goes to make up
well-to do village, with conveniences that
render it an enjoyable, comfortable place to
live and do business. Woousocket is not
''paper town, - by any means, but is built
upon solid foundation. The junction OF
the two lines already named, and the fact
that it has no competing town
westward to the Missouri, makes
it the distributing center for
a vast area of country, and the nature of
which renders its permanency as such an
assured fact. 1t will be seen, therefore, that
the young metropolis is founded upon some
thing more substantial than that upon which
too many of the towns of new and ''boom-
ing'' country are built
| The town site is owned and operated by
the Minnesota ard Dakota Land company,
composed for the most part Of officials of the
Milwaukee road, who are favoring the point
in every proper direction. Its Importance as
the terminus of one route-the Southern
Minnesota-gives it an advantage over all
surrounding towns in the matter
of through freight, thus enabling
its dealers to place prices where outside COM
petition is out of the question Thus Woon
socket is made the great trade center for
an area of country for thirty-dye to forty
miles in radius and its wonderful growth is
the direct result of this wonderful combina-
ton Of circumstances. About one month
ago the town was incorporated, and its NUM-
cipal government is in full blast, and doing
good work. Streets are being graded, side
walks are being laid, lawlessness, never
great, is prohibited, and all the attendant adj
vantages of good village government are to
be enjoyed. Among the most prominent
business men of Woonsocket are the follow.
ing:
i. 0. Hibbey, general merchandise, car
ries stock of $4,000, King q Miller, gen
merchandise, $4,000. Carr 81 Cooney, gen
eral merchandise SO, 900. Nave, Morris &
Co., exclusive grocery, 50, 600 Smith Bros,
drugs and groceries, $4,000. C. P. Grove,
drugs, $4,000. j. II. Letcher, hardware
and machinery, $4,000. Noah Keller,
hardware, s., 900. E. D. Maxon, hardware
and machinery, 80 900. Adler e. Co., cloth
ing and furnishing goods, $4,000. The
bank of Woonsocket has working capital of
$4,000, but has in the persons of its presi-
dent and cashier an amount running well
up toward a million dollars, rendering it one
of the solid institutions Of the country. The
Citizens bank is composed of men of solid
financial standing and represents
working capital of $25, 600, besides being a
branch of the Miner County Bank of How
ard, which is based upon a solid foundation.
The Sanborn County bank has a capital of
S25, 900, and is branch Of the Beadie C0un-
ty National of Huron, consequently is where
it is in no danger of ''going broke, - but has
solid backing, should its own sound spinal
column give way. In the line of
HOTELS
the town is more than ordinarily well sup
piled. The pioneer house is the Cottage,
owned by George Holenbeck, and operated
by G. IL. Rugg, one of the best hotel men in
the country. The Cottage has limited ac-
commodations, but it is well kept house The
Merchants by "Gib'' Driewanowski, is well
furnished and handsomely kept. The Da
| b,rE XN,I1- o
Minneapolis, and operated by Messrs Green
man 81 Bruner, is probably the most finely
furnished and commodous house on the
line of road. 1t was planned by a Minneap-
oils firm OF architects, and its present man
agement is fully up to the outlay which has
thus far been made upon it. The house was
opened on the 9TH of this month, and it is
already enjoying a large and profitable
patronage. Hartman IL Brown are in the
grain, flour and feed trade and doing
an immense business. w. w. Cargil
6 Bro. and D. r. Putnam have also
grain warehouses here, and handle largo
amounts OF wheat, corn, oats and flax.
LUMBER, COAL, ETC.
j. NJ. Leruke q Co., Horne Bros, Fullerton
Lumber company, G. L. Colman, and A. j.
Wolcott are engaged, and holding prices
where an immense trade is drawn from the
surrounding country. The business Of
LAW, LOANS AND REAL ESTATE
is well and ably represented by Estee & Rock,
Mare & Locke, Dunn & Hackett, Doolittle d.
Dunkell E. Sharpe, F. C. Buten, N b. Reed,
n. B. Thompson and S. A. Ramsey. The
town is supplied by an able corps of physi-
clans of both schools. Scarcely a line
Of business but is well represented. A bust
ness men IS association has been organized,
and is now putting in good work. Among
other good projects, it is now laboring for the
establishment of Touring mill, with good
prospects Of success.
CHURCHES
are soon to be built by both Presbyterian,
Methodist and Catholic societies. all of which
are in thriving condition. Mr.. VIM. F.
Sommerfeld, the company's genial agent for
the sale of town property is always ready to
| give full and free information on all points,
and is one of the foremost in all mat
tiers of public enterprise. At the present
writing not less than twenty-five buildings
are under construction, among which are
four handsome brick blocks Sales are ac-
tive, and settlement of the surrounding
country is such as to assure to this new
metropolis a most brilliant and substantial
future ''Woonsocket the wonderful has
risen like magic, and there are many things
among her possibilities in the future which
we shall mention in other communications.
NEWSPAPERS.
The Tines edited by C. E. Ravens, is the
pioneer paper, the first number being issued
five weeks before the town was plated