St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-23

neapolis. A glance at Washington av-
enue from any point would be of hui
molous interest To those who never saw
it except as the Chatham street of Min
neapolis. 1t was really the only street
then, as Third street was almost the
boundary line of civilizati on and the
river front had not built up.
OLD LANDMARKS.
The NicOllet house occupied only half
of its present frontage, and stood on the
Hennepin corner. 4 little One-story
building stood at the Nicollet corner,
and was the joint Office of Harris IL Put
nam, lumber dealers, and the American
Express company. he remainder OF
the block was lumber yard. Charles
Rhone, the express agent. generally
brought all of the express matter from
st. Anthony in a wheelbarrOw. Di
rectly opposite the NicolIet house was
an open square, occupied only
by pond, and there was
an uninterrupted view from the
NicOlltt house to the river. Where
the academy of music stood CTemple
court corner) was little white house,
vacated by j. X. Side and occupied by
5. II. Matteson. The Free Will Bap-
list church stood back OF it. at First
avenue north, and was nearly the limit
Of civilization in that direction. Back
from the street. at Hennepin and NicOl-
let, stood a one-story book store, kept
by Thomas Hale Williams, who was
city clerk. This little store was
also the beginning of the Anthe-
on a top shelf. The Harrison hall
corner of Washington was vacant. the
first building being little grocery kept
by b. S. Bull, where George r. Newell
was clerk. Next to this came a little
shanty where Judge Ames did his In
surance business. Col. Kings State
Atlas was afterward founded in thus
building, and the first copy of the
Tribune was also published there. Tho
First avenue corner which now sup
ports the $500 building, was covered
by J.-K. Sidle's house, and the little
cottage now stands on Sixth street,
opposite st. Marks church.
DOWN THE AVENUE.
The south side of Washington ave-
nue.. now a solid row from the red bank
to Barge's corner, was filled by only
few struggling but historic buildings.
On the NicOllet corner was twO-stOry
frame, which then contained the post
office, that institution having been
brought by stages up from the North
western hotel on Eighth avenue. The
only relic of that section is the wooden
building now occupied by Linehan and
Winecke 81 Doerr. which has been
changed only by paint. 1t was then used !
as boot, shoe and grocery store. A |
little blacksmith shop was in the center |
of the block, and disabled wagons were |
piled about it on the street, ard in the |
rear a two-story frame, the Central |,
drug store filed in Borgess. corner. !
Hoffman'S corner, just across First !
avenue, is also quite historic. The first !
building it held was Mrs. Walsh's |
boarding house, which afterwards be-
came butcher shop and then the post
Office. Just below it, E. NJ. Wilson |
built little law Office in 1857,
but 1t burned and was replaced
by Wilkinson's shoe store. The
rest of the block was vacant on
that front. The Northwestern bank
corner was empty, but back little on
First avenue was DR.. Inns house;
the building still stands, adjoining the
Theatre COmique. Jimmy Richardson
had a shoe store about the mid
die of the block, and on the st.
James hotel corner was a three-story
brick which had the honor OF being the
only "Office building" in town.
A NOTED CORNER.
At the Window block corner was
another famous building. TWAS two
story frame and had many tenants.
Kelly Bros, Pat Z. and Anthony had a
grocery in one side and j. q. Th0mp-i