The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-01-18
Receipts from membership and fines. So Q

As it has not been the custom of the secre-
| taries of this Board to prepare annual reports
like the one now submitted, it will not be
amiss to briefly recapitulate those important
public enterprises with which it has been
identified during the last twenty years, and
which have all originated in or have been as
| sisted to completion by this Board.
Soon after the building of the st. p. d s. O.
X. X. to Mankat0 in 1868, the Board gave re-
ception and entertainment 10 the officers of
that road and prominent citizens of ST. Paul.
This was our first appearance in public.
The bridges on the roads leading to this city
have all received much attention, particular
ly the Blue Earth and Minnesota river bridges,
on each of which much time was spent, as
well as on the subject OF a free ferry across
the Minnesota.
1t was largely due TO the efforts of the
Board that the st. & s. G. RR. company were
prevented from building their road along the
side Of Front street in West Mankato, and
from crossing the Blue Earth at the site of
the present county bridge.
The Minnesota & Northwestern railroad
project was then taken up, and much time
ana Iss rhe
road of Minnesota, now known as the c., NJ IL
z. Right OF way was secured for the w. Il
st. z. railroad from the east boundary of the
county to MankatO The Board afterwaId Sc
cured the vacation of part of Mulberry street,
and the location of the depot thereon, and
from time TO time 1t has endeavored to induce
the company 10 extend their road on this side
of the river to New UIm. What has been said |
about the w. & st. Z. ra ilrOad will also apply |
almost literally to the Cannon Valley railroad |
and several other railroad projects have con- |
sumed much time and labor in the Board, as |
for instance the Blue Earth City branch, and |
the proposed Duluth, ST. Cloud, Mankato & |
Southern. The Board has repeatedly succeed
establish ed the telegraph office on Front |
street, raising a subscription therefor, and
was instrumental in introducing telephones.
The Improvement of the Minnesota river
has occupied much of its time, ana the very |
successful River Improvement convention
held at Mankato was entirely due to Its ef-
forts. When the causeway across the Van
Brunt slough was graded several years ago,
the CITY beiug out of funds tho Board adj
yanced $783 of the expense. The Board OPP
posed the obstruction OF streets 6y railroad
trains until the nuisance was abated.
The Building Association, Glenwood Gene
terry, the Fiber Works, the parks in wards one
and four, all had their origin r! in this Board,
cessful completion the court house, hospital,
the Northwestern Dairymen's conventions.
the Business Mems convention, the Minneso-
IA National Guard encampment, the West
Mankato school house, Normal school i'm
movements, water works, sewers, electric
lighting, free mail delivery, fire protection,
and the purchase OF chemical engines. The
hoard also secured the appointment OF night
watcbmen, fire wardens and poundmaster,
and accomplished the abatement of the COW
nuisance. Many otner naassrs IN wnicm we
toned such as the improvements of roads in
neighboring towns, leading into the city, on
which the Board has spent money as well as
and specimens of our native woods at the
New Orleans exposition, street and sidewalk
the legal copying and preser-
walton of probate records.
The Board issued bonus of $1,000 for the
opera house company, to hasten the compile
lion of their building for the second DAIRY
mems convention, It has taken part in in
terstate commerce matters, and in the i'm
of the sault Ste Marie canal, and
s a contributing member of the business
Mems AssociatIon of Minnesota. 1t has spent
! great deal OF money in advertising the
own Up Eastern papers. s ana an IN sending
nres Of the CITY. Many other projects for ,
introducing new manufactories into Mankato
ave occupied the time of the Board s, some sG Of
ZEE become accomplished facts. The Board
las persistently, from the start, worked for {
he best interests OF the city, ana snouid De Z
Money by every business man in Mankate:
= CHAs. A. CHAPMAN. Sec'y. 1