St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-10
SEVENTH STREET
The Great Ten-mile Thor
Oughfare of the City Of
st. Paul.
A Notable Exponent CT the In
creaSing Business and Wealth
Of the City.
The Present and Future of this Central
Avenue which is to be New
Broadway.
Interesting Notes about the Men and lnstltu-
tiOns of the Street and its Build
ing Up.
With a Carefully ColIated List OF the
LEADING Business Houses Located
With Carefully ColIated List OF the
Leading Business Houses Located
on Seventh Street

stretches away before him forever uncareu
for, and unimproved; but restless progress,
the growth of power, of possession, is the Ill
timatum the boon of liberty and ciYiliza-
ton, and without the priceless git people
or race may have the name, but the spirit of
freedom and progress will be perpetually abb
sent.
We have the special pleasure and satisfac-
ton in this article Of narrating the irreSisti-
bic and ceaseless growth and progress of To-
cal events, a subject which should be mat
ter of peculiar pride to every patriotic citizen;
II concerns the vital interests of st. Paul and
the special and particular interest Of Seventh
street. No prouder record, no more endur-
ing monument of Anglo-SaXon energy and
activity can be found for live, genuine and
substantial growth than the history of
this great retail thoroughfare during
the past 30 years. It is within the memory
Of many now living in st. Paul, when what
is now Seventh was "a bowling wilderness"
lis present track then ran through alternate
groves Of trees, hazel brush, swamps and
morasscs. To borrow few words from Holy
print, il might be said ''it was without form
and yoid,n so far as civilized life was con-
ccrncd. Looking at it to-day from the stand
point Of thirty-iivc years ago, an old settler
might rcvcrenty exclaim to a new conner
"behold show you a mystery''for the changes
which have taken place would seem as
though the hand Of magician had passed
over the land rather than that il should have
been the work Of human agencies. Years
ago Il writer upon the newspapers Of the
present day in st. Paul made the prediction
that the day would come when Seventh street
would become the principal business street of
St. Paul. He has lived to see the prediction
verified, and still liAcs in the belief that it
will be one Of the grandcst streets of any
city Of the northwest. The changes which
have taken place along this street are of
comparatively recent date. 1t is but q few
wears ago when within a few rods Of the
Metropolitan hotel wild ducks and geese
were shot by the sportsmcn Of that period,
ami the pedestrian who desired to 90 from
what is now Wabashaw street to Jackson
along the present line of Seventh would
have to call into rcquisition an Indian dug
out or canoe. How marvellous have been
the changes since then Seventh
that now stretches in an unbrollen line for
over five miles from the city limits on the
northeast to the city limits on the southwest
With the exception of two slight curves the
street runs as straight as a crow flies. In
stead of swamps, boys and water, running
streams and ungainly bluffs we now see
finely graded street lined on either side with
stately business blocks and elegant private
dwellings,. Where the dusly savage was
wont to paddle his canoe is now Il finely
paved street, with Il double track street rail
way with ears passing each other every five
minutes; and where the crack Of the hunters
rifle was heard the sound of the church organ
and the choral hymn carries the thoughts of
hundreds Of dcvout worshippers from the
things of earth to mansions eternal in the
heavens All these marvellous changes
have not come 10y chance, but rs stated
above, are the result Of Anglo-Slxon energy
and enterprise" together with Il liberal cX-
prudIturc Of money. The first expenditure
of money, for what might be called perma
ncnt improvements, under the super
vision of the board of public works.
was made In 1872, and this wns the sum of
81, 400, for grading and bridging from Kilt
son street To Margaret street, formerly Pearl
street. In 1873 the sum Of 81 s25 was cx-
pended in opening and extending from Mar
garet street To- Seventh street in Terry's addi-
ticn, and also 81, 40t77 In grading from
Wubashaw street to the west line of jackson
street. In 1874 the street was opened and
extended through portion Of Brunsou's adj
diton Mt the slight expense of Sl3S, and the
same year the street was graded from
Margaret street to the city limits at an ex-
pcusc Of IS GOOSE and what was then called
Fort street, now a portion Of West Seventh
street was graded between Richmond and
Oneida streets at an expense of 81. S55. IS.
Very little was done towards improving the
street at public expense htn the year 1850.
when sewer was built from Eagle to Nc
Boal street and on Ramsey to Sherman street
at an expense of $t,7l7.75, and for grading
aud constructing Il cu,ycrt from Erie to
Oneida street, costing $l,045. During
the same year a sewer was built from
Broadway To- a point about 100 feet east
Of Jackson street. at u cost of -. Qq4. 95.
In lSN2 the street was paved with cedar
blocks from Jackson 10 Kittsop street at 81
cost OF S53 300, and n sewer was built from
point 100 east of Wabashaw street to Mime
sofa street, costing $L52a.5O The same
year sewer was built from McBoal street 10
Goodrich street AT cost of S2.141.q3. Dur
inc the past year of lsNS, sewer was built
from Minnesota to Robert street for sos.
and one also from Goodrich to Jefferson
avenues, costing SG,523, aud the street was
paved with cedar blocks from Jackson street
% the Seven Corners at an expense of sal
5bl.50. The same year the street was paved
or macadamizcd from the Seven Corners to
the south city limits, at n cost Of $50, 107. 60.
of which $lS 1880 was paid by assessment
and $4,000 in bonds OF the city. During
the present year il was decided to grade and
construct the necessary masonry, yladucts.
oulvcrts, ahUtmeut, walls, piers, iron bridge
81, over the railroad lines and Phatoas
creek, at an expense Of $4,000 of which
sum $4,000 is To be paid in the bonds Of
city and the balance of $3.50
0o0 by assessment This latter
improvement is one Of the heaviest and most
importantwhich the city has ever undertaken.
It's completion will unite East st. Paul
to the city proper, and add greatly to the
value of the property in that section of the
city, and al the same time open up high
way % vast extent ~ country tributary tn
s.. Paul Its effect upon the business Of
Seventh street can hardly be estimated. It
Will be seen py the above figures that nearly
the sum Of half million dollars has been
expended or is in process Of expenditure
upon this street during the past twelve wears.
The result Of these improvements is found
in the impetus given 10 property owners in
t.~.ufinr lnrEe and COSTLY hi,lrks nf h,,.i.,,..