St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-25

W
the Tailor's store stands.
Where Wyman & Mullen's building
stands the boys used to swim IN summer
and skate in winter.
The village was originally plated to run
ND and down the Mississippi, like all ortho-
doX village.
The first large panes of glass ever seen
in the town were placed in the windows OF
the Harrison block.
The first evening paper was printed in
the basement under the athen@um, and
Theed CurtisS sold the first copy on the
streets.
Washington avenue, south of Nicollet.
was then four feet above the present grade
A vast swamp extended from the sus-
pension bridge to Sixth avenue south.
The old battered frame house adjoining
the Theater Comique was one of the finest
residences in the city. 1t was owned and
occupied by DR.. j. j. Linn.
The poStoffice was III little building
where the Pence opera house stands now.
BaSsett's creek used to rise fifteen feet
and food Oak Lake addition.
The Nicollet avenue business houses con-
sisted of two livery stables and lumber
pile.
When the first railroad was dedicated an
example was set TO pOSterity by running
train out to Lake Minnetonka.
Judge Young used to live at the corner
of Sixth street and Nicollet avenue, and
was considered way out of town.
Kent's livery stable and j. G. Richard
sons residence was all there was on Wash
ington avenue between First and Second
Second avenues south.
You could stand at the corner of the site
of the Window block, and. by jumping up
and down. shake ten acres Of swamp.
The Manitoba bridge at Fourth avenue
north was built for the st. Paul q Northern
Pacific. and a roadway was cut through
dense woods to Washington avenue, where
the first depot was built.
Dorilus Morrison was the first mayor.
The court house was in a two-stOry
frame building. which accidently burned
down one night. The fire was primarily
caused ii was supposed. by the fact that a
certain party was to have an indictment
found against him by one of the mon
partizan' grand jurieS of those early days.
First street south was the first business
street. Then Bridge square was built up.
with stores on either side. from First street
to the river. Then Second street took
booEl, and for years was the leading
thoroughfare. Washington avenue started
to grow, Hennepin next and finally
Nicollet
The old suspension bridge was only ten
feet above high-water mark. and was often |
covered by water in the spring. A toll was |
charged of l cent for passengers. and Is !
cents for teams. In winter everybody |
crossed the river on the ice to avoid paying |
toll. and the bridge did no business.
The first fire engine house was erected on
Third street, where more cOmmOdouS
structure of the same character now stands.
Cat aract Hose company had been in eXis-
tence for some time before this. The turn
ing out of the volunteer fire department
was great event and was sure to be fol-
lowed by a celebration after the flames had
been eXtinguished.
Nicullet avenue just above Fourth street.
was high hill. So high that on Fourth
of July the boys would plant cannon on
its summit and shoot over the roof of the
First Baptist church, which stood on the
corner where the new eight-story building
for the Bank of Minneapolis is going up.
They would load the cannon with SOdS and
shoot at the liberty pole on Bridge square |
as target.
When Bridge square was the center of
attraction. row of stores on either side. |
the hay market and liberty pole in the |
center, fire swept through the buildings |
on the north side, completely destroying |
them, and a week after the south side was |
burned out. Minneapolitans were Just as |
enterprising in those days as they are now, |
and the cOnfagratiOn only resulted in the |
erection of newer and better buildings.
The present rivalry between st. Paul and |
Minneapolis amounts to spiritless compe-
titiOn III comparison with the intense hatred |
that existed between Minneapolis ard st. |
Anthony. In those days when a Minneap- |
oils boy visited st. Anthony he generally |
took two or three companions and a bull |
dog with him. If he didn't he got licked. |
The boys used to have Skinny games be- |
tween representatives of the two towns OH |
the river, and the boom which Minneapolis !
has enjoyed for the past thirty years dates |
from the time when st. Anthony received |
a terrible trouncng from the West side |
fellerS."
Minneapolis was then, as now, great |
town for celebrations, and Fourth of July |
was an occasion which drew all the citizens |
and large numbers from the country to the |
vacant space in front of the NicOllet, where |
the speeches and fireworks were shot off. |
At one of these celebrations the Center |
block. between Nicollet and Hennepin on |
Second street, which was only partially |
completed, was utilized as a platform, from |
which the fireworks were discharged. The |
building took fire from the sparks and a
panic ensued. People tumbled from the !
building Oh to others, horses ran away, and |
In the darkness great confusion ensued. |
Many were injured, but none were killed.