St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-13
AUSTIN.
Situated In the Very Centre Of
a Fertile Agricultural
Region.
The "Queen City of the Lower Tier"
One of the Finest in
Minnesota.
When 1t Was Built, It's Railroads, Public
Buildings and Other Natural
Advantages.

have known a great deal of this ''queen
city of the lower tier'' for the past seven
years, and when l say that admire it for its
many attractive features 1 out echo what
everyone feels who visits ii or becomes ac-
quainted with its people. There have been
times in its history when there was not quite
enough Of harmony on some leading ques-
hons OF public interest, but for one like
people who are quick to resent a real or fan
cied wrong and who strike fire like a flint
when they are attacked. 1t is among such
people that one finds firm, stanch friends,
those who viii stand by him in the time Of
need, and while there may not always have
been perfect harmony and unity among the
citizens of Austin there certainly is to-day,
and the rapid strides she is making in pre-
gress and advancement indicates a unaE-
unity of sentiment and feeling upon all pub
lie issues and hand joining hand in all
works of public improvement which fore
shadow for this community a state of CON
tinued prosperity.
Whenever the train in which l am a pas
sengcr pulls into the Austin depot 1 am
always thinking
Fair Auburn, loveliest village of the plain
and am continually changing it to Austin,
which may say although not exactly in ac-
Cordance with poetic license makes very
pleasant and appropriate rendition Of Gold
smiths beautiful poem.
1t certainly is the loyclicst village (or
rather city, Of the southern plain Of our
state and il is no wonder that those early
projectors Of the place knew in a NON ent
when they arrived upon its site and saw the
grand September sun rise over its landscape
that they had found the place Of which they
were III search. 1t is no wonder that though
driven away b. the rigors Of unusually
hard winter IN this then isolated region with
the first blush of spring they returned again
to make their homes and carve out
their future destiny on spot
so favored Of nature.
II is often said that nature never builds
town. Very true. And yet There are certain
choice locations all over this and every other
country where nature has blended so many
advantages and united so many attractive
features that with the settlement and deyel-
opmcnt Of the adjacent country, towns and
cities spring up as il by magic, and attain
such a degree OF wealth, population and com
mcrcial Importance as would have been i'm
possible upon a less favored locations. Who
Is there that will pretend to say that st.
Paul, Chicago, Boston or New York could
have been built and have attained their
present grand commercial supremacy had
they enjoyed Il less favorable location. SO
it is with Austin,
ITS LOCATION HAS BUILT IT.
Years ago when Minnesota was yet a ter
rtory, uu>urveyed and uninhabitcd save by
& few wandering trapper9 and fur
dealers and The ever to be re-
membered Sioux, the northern
line Of Iowa was supposed to be the borde r
land Of habitable country, and invisible signs
were posted along 43d degree, 30 minutes,
Gle who enters here leaves hope behind. "
such cold, bleak, sterile, uninhabitable
region of country was it deemed to be. OF
course, we Minnesotiaus of the present day,
rolling along in our palace railway coaches,
past fields Of the most wonderful productive
ness and through grand and populous cities
and bustliug thriving towns, can scarcely com
prchend this feeling which was so generally
shared at that day by ali classes Of people.
When the pioneers began to enter this
dreaded region, and found 1t to be a land
literally flowing with milk and honey.
only waiting for the magic touch Of civliza-
ton to transform it into the most desirable,
productive and wealthy agricultural section
upon the continent, the problem Of the loca-
ton of cities and towns was one of the
first things to be considered.
Coming from the south aud crossing the
Iowa line for twelve miles the early settlers
followed up the valley Of the Red Cedar till
the splendid water power and beautiful loca-
ton struck them with such force thot at once
they foresaw its future destiny and Austin
had beginning. Whether they also foresaw
rs strategic position rs regards the rich ag-
ricutural region surrounding it and realized
what n center for that section it was dcs-
tined to become is not known. The beauty
of the situation aud the grand water power
were doubtless the primary causes Of its 10
cat on and time and the hand of man has
wrought out the rest. The particular point
at which Austin is located in on the north
line of township 1O2, north. of range IS west.
and it has become the county seat of its
county rs well rs II natural business center.
MOWER COUNTY.
The third from the eastern liuc
OF the state in the south
eru tier Of counties Mower is com
posed Of twenty congressional townships,
five east and west and four north and south.
II has an area of ,oS square miles or 453. 800
acres, ana in point of fertility or productive
ness has no equal in this state or any other.
The settlement in this country began in thc
year 1888, and lis population in 1850
shown 10y the tenth United States census wa
1899.
TOPOGRAPHY.
The surface of the country IN Mower
county is that OF an uudulatug prairie. we.
drained by clear, swift running streams and
containing quite an amount Of native timber
There are few lakes OF any consequence in
the county and none of those soughs or
marshes which are so common TO many pot-
tons of the southern part Of the state. II is
all, strictly speabus agricultural territory
and the only wonder IS that single acre
should remain at this day uuculuvated The
Red Cedar river trayerses the western tier of
townships from north 10 south through the
county and has ten tributaries
which are invaluable for stock water.
Upon the Cedar besides the water power At
Austin city, there are number Of other val
uabie powers all along the stream, six OF
them occurring within the township in
which the city is located. In the northeast
portion OF the county the Root river has is