St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-05
MANKAT0.
The Flourishing Metropolis
of Southern Mime
sofa.
The Immense Wealth to be Found
in Her Stone Ouarries.
How 1t is Being Developed by Her
Enterprising Citizens.
Bridge and Building Stone Lime and Cement
Of Superior Quality.
Wholesale Trade ofthe City.
Some Account of the Manufacturing and
Wholesale Trade ofthe City.
It's Public Buildings and Societies-The
Center 0fa GrOtciny Country.

ever, to say concerning the following sketch OF
the material interests of Mankato, that it has
been prepared from personal knowlede of
the facts and figures quoted and is not the
result of an overwrought fancy aided by any
pecuniary remuneration, but is simply a
matter of news which, founded upon actual
facts must prove interesting to every one
who reioices in the growth and prosperity of
this great commonwealth of which this city
and its tributary territory now form, and are
destinued to forever be, very large and i'm
portant component part.
In order to more thoroughly understand
the real importance which this fourishing
city bears to the commercial system of the
state few remarks concerning its location
and geographical position may not be out of
place.
Mankato is located upon the extreme
southern verge of the great bend of the Min
nesota river at the exact center of the state
east and west and about fifty miles from its
southern boundary. The navigation of the
river in the early days before the ad-
vent of railroads in Minneso-
ia, furnished means of communication
with the outside world, and hence Mankato
became, with the other river towns, place
of importance. A glance at any sectional
map will show the observer that by virtue of
its location it becomes geographically a
strategic point. Situated npon nayigable
river but little over 100 miles above its
confluence with the great river at st. Paul, on
the verge of the great belt of timber which
follows the river, on the northern edge OF
the great prairie region OF
southern and southwestern Minnesota and
had railroad never entered the state, Man
kato must have been central point for a
vast extent of territory.
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.
The greet state of Minnesota is practically
divided, agriculturally speaking, into three
sections, viz: Its timber district located
mainly in the north northeastern portion OF
the state, its central and northwestern OF
wheat producing region, and southern Min
nesota, that vast and fertile section so well
adapted to dairying, stock, sheep, horse and
hog raising, the culture of corn, oats, flax
and other grains and to diversified system
of farming. The geographical center
of this surprisingly rich and fertile region as
has already been shown, is at Mankato, and
what God and nature have marked out as its
destiny, art and man has ably seconded.
ITS RAILROAD SYSTEM,
Early in the history of the railroad interests
of Minnesota Mankato became an objective
point for two of the great systems of roads
first projected-the Winona 81 ST. Peter, an
east and west line designed to traverse, as il
now does, the state from east to west, and the
Minnesota Valley now known as the St. Paul
| and Sioux City division of the Chicago, st.
Paul. Minneapolis q Omaha line, a road lead
ing south up the Minnesota river valley tc
Mankato and thence southwest to Sioux City.
To these two great through lines, the one
leading east to Milwaukee, Chicago and 9th
er points, and the other the great Southwest
ern line from st. Paul to the Missouri and a
connection with the Union Pacific has since
Iowa due south from Mankato where con-
nection is had with the Chicago & North
western railroad and the Southern Minnesota
division of the Chicago, Milwaukee
g. st. Paul southeasterly and easterly
to La Crosse and all points east and south.
To these lines already in operation with their
twelve full passenger trains arriving and de-
parting each day, may be added that Of the
Cannon Valley railroad from Red Wing
southwest, now completed within few miles
of the city, and coming in this summer,
giving Mankato a connection with the Rock
Island system, making seven different di-
rections in which one can arrive or depart
from Mankato by rail.
have thus shown the geographical loca-
ton and central position which this city at
the head of the Minnesota valley occupies
toward southern Minnesota, and how she
is bonnd to it by her bands of
iron reaching out over its broad area
of hill and valley, forest and stream, prairie
and upland. I shall now consider her
natural resources and agricultural surround
ings.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
The agricultural resources of the country
Immediately surrounding Mankato are both
rlcn ana Var1eQ. 10 tue uOrtu HGS Iuc uedVy
timber belt, the last barrier between the
sweep of the ocean of rolling prairie and the
rest of the world, rich in its wealth of native
timber, oak, ash, elm, maple, Eastwood,
poplar and other woods, and of deep, rich
and wonderfully productive soil, while east,
south and west the famous prairies
of unsurpassed fertility stretch
out like the broad expanse Of the ocean, ca
pable of sustaining an untold population.
Within a radius of twenty miles from Manka-
to the farmer from the heavily timbered dis
tricts of Michigan, Maine or any other
northern state, can find the counterpart OF
his old home farm or can locate upon the
broad prairie, of which he has heard SC
much. In fact any kind of a farm suitable
for any species OF system of agriculture can
be found here, and the agricultural resources
OF the country surrounding Mankato can
fairly be said to be rich, rare and varied
and without an equal in the
same extent of territory anywhere
Particularly well adapted are the prairie