St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-25
An Unparalleled Past, Prosperous
Present and a Bright and
Promising Future.
AMaryeIous Growth.

Like all great clues SU. raul naQ Gay u
small beginnings, and IT, time was within
The memory of the oldest inhabitant when
The wild red man roamed undiSturbsd over
The bluffs wherein are now the busy mastS
Of trade and the stately homes of prosper
Dus citizens. But The location was designed
by the hand of nature as the site of mag
niicent city, and this fact was early ap-
preciated by the hardy pioneers who first
penetrated the wild region to barter for the
furs of the Indian. The first real settle
ment of st. Paul was made in 1888, when
claims we're made almost simultaneously
by Pierre Parrant commonly called
Pigs Eye" and Abraham Perry.
Perry settled down quietly to agricultural
pursuits while Parrant inaugurated bust
ness in the future metropolis of the North
west by establishing saloon. Real estate
in these early days was to be had in the
most eligible portions of the settlement al
most for the taking. and the old settlers of
to-day have a penchant for showing the
progress of the city by quoting early prices.
For instance the first claim made in
lower town was by a man named johnson,
who. by the way. was forced tn leave by
the hostile feeling displayed towards him
because he Wore good clothes and seemed
to be Used to better society than that af-
forded by the pioneer village. This claim,
which constitutes what is now
known as Kittson's addition, was
purchased by the commodore about
1910 for $50. Now seven figures
would hardly express its value. Other
claims, located in what is now the heart of
the city. sold for similar Insignificant fig
ures. three acres at the corner of jackson
and Third streets selling for $3.50.
THE SECOND BUSINESS HOUSE
established in the city was by Henry Jack
son in 1912 on the block where the fire and
marine building now stands. j. W. Simp-
son followed in 1S43 and Louis Robert
started general store at the foot of Jack
son street the next year. These stores
formed the nucleus of the present magniti-
cent trade, extending from the great lakes
to the Pacific and from the most northerly
settled portions of the continent to the half
way point where st. Paul jObbers compete
with those of Chicago.
In its early days as in its lat
ter st. Paul has owed much
of its success to its public-spirited citizens
and some of the names so well known to-
day were towers of strength to the strug-
Cling village of years ago. In 1S41 the first
church, little log chapel, was built by
Father Galtier and from this the city took
its name. In 1S47 the first survey of the
site of the town was made and the first in
dications of a coming boom began to make
their appearance, and in 1S4S the town
boosted church, school and hotel, the
latter occupying the present site of the
Merchants hotel. During this year there
were numerous additions to the population,
among the newcomers being Hon. II. NJ. Rice
who, in the years following, did much to
advance the town by building warehouses,
hotels and business blocks.
AS A POLITICAL CENTER
St. Paul first achieved distinction in 1S49,
when the newlyappointed governor, Alex
ander Ramsey, arrived, the territorial gov
eminent was organized and the first session
OF the legislature held and the town was in
corporated. This year was emphatically a
boom year, scenes being enacted similar to
those of latter years, though on smaller
scale. Hotels and building blocks sprung
up and the advantages and location for
commercial purposes began to be appre-
ciated. The steamer which brought up
Gov. Ramsey in May had not a single pound
of freight to land. but before the close of
the year the merchandise handled
amounted to over S131. 900 and the following
year 1874 steamboats, landed at the levee
From this small beginning the commercial
business of the city has swelled until the
enormous proportions detailed in another
column were reached. During 1S49 news
papers were started, public schools were
organized, lodges instituted and other ap-
proaches towards civilization made. and
the annual review of that year chad one
been published would have shown 142
huildinrrc oitbar or in Of
ton, among this number being hotels, 4
warehouses, 10 stores, several groceries, 8
boarding houses, printing offices, drug
stores, 1 fruit and tobacco store, l school
house, several blacksmith shops, l wagon
shop, and a billiard and bowling saloon,
wooden structures. The population accord
ing to the territorial census was $40. Even
in those early days the
FAME OF THE GROWING CITY
at the head of navigation had reached the
older centers of civilization and an idea of
the influx of people may be gained from the
statement that the Highland Mary, the first
boat up in 1850, brought over 500 passen-
gers. During this year the population
swelled to 1924. the building of court
house was started, and the first Jail. log
one, was put up.
city and a railroad having been built from
Chicago to Rock Island, giving more direct
connection wish the East, q new impetus
was given the growing place. During this
year the literary tastes of the community
were catered to by no less than four daily
newspapers.
The fire department was organized in
1855, and the Fuller house. subsequently
the International, costing $4,000. was
built the following year. The number of
persons registering at the hotels during
1856 was $4,000. and the population OF the
city doubled between January and Deem
Der.
In 1857 came the panic and the young
city had hard time of it for few years,
though its progress was retarded, not sus-
pended. and in 1860 the city had a popula-
ton of over ten thousand and real and per-
sonal property valued at nearly Sc, 900, 900.
Eelegraphic communication with La Crosse
was opened up this year. From this time
affairs grew gradually better, though there
was nothing like boom until after the
close of the war, when st. Paul, the ire
preSSable, again took
AN ONWARD Squirt.
Business became very active, immigra-
ton revived, and money was plenty. The
census in 1865 showed population of
about 13, 900. The next year the chamber
of commerce was revived, and its work in
advancing the interests of the city since
then has been one of the leading causes of
its remarkable progress. The most notice
able feature from 1865 to the present day
has been the erection of new buildings,
fhoir nomo boir1U IaUiop fho numher in