St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-23
by t. NJ. NEWSoN.
Article XIV.


We find that in the year 1S49, Ghe events
of which we were writing about in our last,)
was remarkable year for the capitalization
of affairs which eliminated with the forma-
ton of society, for in this year we date nu-
cleus around which civilization began to
cluster. Back of this was crudeness, Indi-
ans, frontier life, semi-barbarianism. 1t is
very true, H. H. Sibley had been elected del
egate to congress the year before (1S4S,) and
a sewing and temperance society had been
formed and schoolhouse had been built on
the bluff on Third street, where the late DR..
Alleys brick block now stands, but still it
was left for the year 1S49 to commence the
career of a city that is now rapidly merging
into immense metropolitan life. This year
QS49,) the territory was first organized and
the first printing press and the first paper
were brought into existence. The founda-
ton for the first brewery was laid; the first
Masonic lodge was instituted; the first brick
house was built; the first Christian chapel
completed; the first legislature met; the first
bricks were made Except those in hats:)
first Baptist church organized; the first cele-
bration of the 4th of July; the first county
election was held; the first stage line estab
ished; the first town pump erected, and the
first Democratic convention met at the Amer
lean House; and hence, 1S49 may be justly
considered as really the first year in which
St. Paul began her onward march to reach
the point where she now is-the Queen City
of the new Northwest. Population in the
latter part of 1S49, $780, Population in 1884,
100000!
FIRST BRICK AND STONE BUILDINGS.
Tho hret c+oDa hr,iJ1iDrr in, 4ba ni+v ;c of
still standing on the corner of Sibley and the
levee, formerly occupied by j. W. Simpson.
The brick building at the corner of Fourth
and Washington streets, was built under
contract and paid for by Rev. E. D. Neill.
1t was the first brick building in the city and
the first finished north of Prairie du Chen.
The Methodist, now the Swedenborgian
church, on Market street, was the second.
Subsequently H. NJ. Rice erected brick
dwelling at the corner of Third and Wash
ington streets, now the site Of the Metropoli-
tan. In the house at the corner of Fourth
and Washington streets, two of Mr.. Neilrs
children were born, and some of the trees
now standing in the yard, were planted by
him. After he sold this house, he built the
brick residence now the Oldest standing on
Summit avenue, and at present occupied by
Mr.. Ramsey Nininger. The first brick build
ing on the bluff overlooking the river, was
built by VIM. G. LIE Due, in the winter of
1853 and was occupied as the post office.
What is remarkable is the fact, that the Times,
MmneSottan and Press were all printed in this
building. 1t is now known as the Tivoli.
THE FIRST PROTESTANT CHURCH.
The first Protestant church edifice in the
white settlement of Minnesota, was built of
l,,D Do Nall -, J,
1S49, (ante- dating the brick Methodist church
of which we spoke in our last,) on lot adj
joining his residence, and in the spring of
1850 was destroyed by fire. The Methodist,
on Market street, was the first brick church.
The Catholics built the very first church, in
1871.
THE ROOM IN WHICH THE FIRST PROCLAMATION
TYAs WRITTEN.
1t will be remembered by the reader of
of these articles, that we spoke of small log
cabin that used to stand on the corner OF
Third and jackson streets, which, in the
course of time, became the habitation of
Judge Aaron Goodrich, Chief Justice of the
Territory of Minnesota. Mr.. G., in a paper
he read before the Historical society, thus de-
scribes the room in which the meeting of the
ulS1 GOi1IlOAlo1 OlllSClS Was uclu, as well DIS
the room in which the first proclamation of
the Governor was written He says:
''The room was small, but we'll lighted by
easement of 7x9 glass and sundry openings
between the logs. There were no chairs IN
the apartment-there was no space for chair;
the apartment was in strict architectural
keeping with the window-it was just 7x9
Its furniture comprised one bed upon which
the Judge slept at night one stand
and two trunks. Gov. Ramsey sat upon a
trunk and wrote his proclamation upon the
stand or small table-these are still in the
possession of Mr.. Goodrich-and this procla-
nation, written on the 1st day of June, 1S49,
30 years ago, set in motion the territorial Or
ganization which had been created by con-
gress.' Now look at our stately capitol, with
its imposing dome, and its beautiful architec
tural effect, and its busy hive of state officers
What a contrast and what a change in the
brief space of 30 years?
THE PLACE WHERE THE FIRST LEGISLATURE
The first territorial legislature met in the
old Central House, which used to stand in
the rear of Mannheimer block on Bench
street, in September of the year 1s49, and at
the session of this legislature the village was
organized into the "Town of St. Paul
Tho narlor of this old house now pona was