Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1892-04-22
MAYORS MESSAGE.

MAYORS MESSAGE.
The Fourth Annual Message Of Mayor
Richardson.
To the Honorable Council of th'
City OF Little Falls:
Our young city is now entering up
| on the fourth year of it's corporate
existence. Some ofyou are new mem
bers, elected at the recent election tC
take the places of old members that
declined to serve the city longer in thu
capacity OF a public servant, whose
only possible reward may be an ap'
proving conscience. Our city is
very fortunate in having an abun
dance OF good matarial for aldermen
and also in having made so goo6
selections to serve as their council
men. do not fatter myself that
what may say on this occasion will
add much that is new, to your pre-
sent stock of information. l have nc
doubt but what you fully realize the
fact that you occupy a position to
which grave responsibilities
attach. But one unwise act on
your part might result in grave and
irreparable damage to our young
City. But for bad management by
the founders of this city thirty-seven
years ago, her population today
would be forty in the place of four
thousand. In building a great city
it is important to have favorable
location, plenty of money and a good
supply of brains.>
Little Falls is not only favOrably
but it is beautifully located. Embrac-
ing both the east and west bank OF
The Father of Waters, the ground
rising gradually as you go back
from the river. It's location for beau
ty is unequaled on the line of the
Northern Pacific from st. Paul to the
Pacific Ocean. The extensive earth
works, ancient pottery and large
quantities of quartz clippings found
mixed with the soil along the banks
OF the Mississippi proves conclusive
ly that this location contained large
population in prehistoric times. And
later it was disputed ground between
the Sioux and Chippewa Indians.
The Chippewas taking it from the
Sioux by a hard fought battle upon
east bank OF the river. l am person.
ally acquainted with it's history for
the last thirty-seven years. having
came here in the spring of 1853.
About that time there was q gen
eral booming of the Northwest and
town sites business was raging
especially in Minnesota. All the sur
veyors in this country were busy lay
ing out and plating town sites.
The word city was generally a part
of their names, stock companies were
generally formed and alarge amount
of stock issued, and put upon the
p1arket and sold at prices tOsuit GUS
toners. The general financial crash
of 1857 served to wipe out all the
bogus and ficticious towns, but Lit
tie Falls continued to steadily ;,d-
vance in population and wealth un-
til in the year 1853 it's population
reached about 1000, and the best
city lots readily sold for a thousand
dollars each, when an enormous rise
in the Mississippi river came and
swept away the dam, mills and fac
tories then upon it. But that dis
aster only served to check the growth
of the town; the people believing
that another dam would soon be
constructed, mostly remained until
in August 1862, when the Sioux war
broke out on the western border of
the state and the Indian Chief Hole
in-the-day collected about 300 war
riors and threatened to massacre all
the white people in this region Of
country, whereupon a general stam-
pede took place. About one-half OF
us remained, who believed no better
place for building a city could be
found. For quarter of a century
our small town struggled in poverty
against storms of adversely, and our
name, as Senator .Gcisscl said Of
Ignatius, was a by-word in every
family, until finally the keen
eye of NJ. Nj. Williams, then secretary
for DeGraff & Co., by accident.saw the
place. Soon afterwards DeGraff &
Co. owned it's magnificent water
power. ltssuperior advantages from
that date have been known and con-
ceded not only throughout our state,
but throughout the United States,
and a great part of the old world.
In the place of it's bearing the worst
name of any place in the state as
heretofore, no young city in the
state compares with Little Falls in
rapid and substantial growth, or
that has a better reputation in any
material respect. She has became the
brightest gem in the Northwest, and it
isat present an honor to be a citizen Of
Little Falls, whereas it was formerly
a disgracc.s On the completion of our
magnificent water power, our popu-
lation began to increase and men
with capital have come in, and in
vested their money in various enter
prises, increasing each year in
amount and volume. Our streets
are now thronged with strangers, all
with more or less capital seeking in
vestment in lands and various enter
prises. Already this early in the sea-
son, several brick blocks nave been
commenced and some are we'll under
way. Private residences are being
erected in all parts OF our city, and
demand for houses to rent is far
greater than the supply. But this
condition of things will not long
exist, as strong trust and loan COM
pnny has been formed in the city to
assist persons who are short OF funds
to get themselves homes on easy
terms. Besides this some of our
manufacturing establishments are