St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-16

The old store. of which an Illustration
Is given, showing its recent occupant,
well-bullt representative of sunny Italy
guarding his stock of bananas and ice
cream, was built in 1875 on the east end
of the lot upon which the Rowe build
Ing will now be erected on the corner of
East Seventh ana Minnesota streets. Its
OHner. John Rowe, is seventy years of
age, but when he came to St. Paul in the
spring of 1870 he was convinced that
East Seventh street would become
busy thOroughfare. so he purchased the
property and has been a grdtified OBJ
server of the marvellous progress that
has been made in business develop
ment in that portion of the city.
He had to pay s. per thousand in 1855
for the hand-hewn shingles that matched
the old landmark, and the common very
commOnl lumber cost him $50 per thou
sand. Common flooring was $50 per
thousand and plastering cost 50 cents a
yard in those days; but he thought a
store was needed right there and there
he built it. The lumber was sawed at
the old mill of William l.. Ames ST..
which was located under DaytOn's bluff
little west of Carver'S cave, another
Historic Portion of st. Paul
Mr.. Rowe had chosen his corner in a
high and dry locality. There were frog
ponds and marshes all around him, Dus
they were all block or more away
from that particular spot, SO he soon
found tenant to open the store, Sam
uel fitzpatrick, who put in Il stock of
boots and shoes, paid $500 year rent
regularly in monthly instalments, and
proSpered. Mr.. Fitzpatrick was a cousin
OF Truman Smith. who ran busy bank
ing institution on the ground where the
International hotel now stands.
MI Rowe says he was offered as
much as $50 per mouth at times since
the store was built for the use of
the building for saloon purposes, but
as he is bitterly opposed to profiting by
the sale Of liquor, he has sIeadfaStly
refused to rent it or any of the dozen
buildings OF which he is the owner
here for any such purpose. While MIR.
Rowe never had partner here, he did
quite business in cdrpenteTing and
contracting. Indians were plenty here
in those days, and many Sioux and
Chippewa gaZed in wonder at the
white mans mOccasinS that Mr.. Kilpat-
rick displayed. The work of municipal
improvements was slow at first, but the
board sidewalks initiated the era of
metropolitan development which now
brooks nothing short of broad stone
pavements and modern improvements,
even to the latest achievements in cleo
tricity. The building which was put
up adjoining the corner of Seventh and
Minnesota streets was
Built in 1870
by Contractor Davidson, who had leased
the ground from Mr.. Rowe. 1t was Oc-
cupied as grocery by Mr.. Mills. war
veteran, who was not successful in
u fai RI of
man. 1t was occupied afterwards by
various lines of business.
Great care has been taken to prepare
for a very substantial structure in
building this new block. The ground
is of the hard-pan clay-an excellent
base-but the foundation will be of
stone and very substantial, so that two
or three more stories can be added
without trouble to the three stories and
basement now to be built. A native ST.
Paul architect, Mark. j. Fitzgerald, has
prepared the plans showing front
of eighty feet in style of En-
glish Renaissance, modernized.
Thomas Fitzgerald, the contractor,
will push the construction this spring.
a roOmy stone basement will comprise
the subStructure. and the three stories
above will have lofty ceilings with the
four store rooms so arranged that they
can all be used as one establishment if
desired. The front will be of iron and
steel with recess copper bay windows
and plate glass. Two elevators and
every convenience of the day will make
the building modern in all respects. 1t
will present much of the appearance of
the new Manufacturer block. MIR. Rowe
is hale and hearty. lie lives at 529
Westminster street. He has four sons,
and Mrs. Newton S. Brown, of Wilder
avenue, is one of his daughters.