St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-14
GREAT THINGS ACCOMPLISHED
IN LEVELING THE CITY
OF ST. PAUL.
PHALEN CREEKS RAVINE.
1T ONCE HAD A TRESTLE OVER
1T NINETY FEET
HIGH.
BIG THINGS DONE BY CUTTING
The Entire Hill Top at Seventh
and Hope Cut Of-Other
Big Grades.

Big Grades.
But times are altered; trades I'M
feeling train
Usurp the land and disposses the
swain.
Along the lawn where scattered ham
let's rose,
Unwieldy wealth and cumbro:ls pomp
repose,
And every want to opulence allied,
And every pang that folly pays to
pride"
When Oliver Goldsmith, in the role
of THE Traveller" surveyed all
: Europe from the pinnacle of the Alps
he CHANGED to look down upon GER
tain busy, busting town, which he
remembered in his youth as sweet
smiling village" The metamorphosis
shocked his poetic soul, for he saw
only the sordid side of wealth and
its accompanying oppression of the
poor. This was what caused him
to pen the last couplet of the quota
ton cited above.
But stripping the spectacle of it's
sentiment, and looking upon this
busting town with the eye of a
matter-of-fact business man, our SEN
sations would scarcely harmonic
with those of natures immortal
poet. For instance, where, in our
childhood days, we were accuS-
toned to climb a steep, rocky hill
to call upon our next door neighbor,
wade through a muddy marsh to
reach the grocery store, or make our
way to the depot through a ravine
leading down to the river-if, in
stead Of the DID, familiar landmarks,
we should behold the steep hills
leveled, the marshy places converted
into solid ground, the ravines filled
and the whole town laid out syste-
matically, the spectacle might as
tonish, but it would not grieve us.
1t would rather please US than other
wise, for the business proposition is
vastly antagonistic to the poetic.
But these wonderful transformations
in the topography of the land, SEEM
ingly impossible for human forces
to accomplish, would be viewed with
equal interest and establishment by
the poet and the business man, and
each would derive a lesson from the
contemplation of the achievement
These predatory observations were
inspired by comprehensive view
of the city of st. Paul as seen the
other day from a lofty station in
the Globe tower. The spectator
gaZed at the vast eXpanse surround
in him, and involuntarily compared
the spectacle with that which greet
ed the eye fifteen years ago.
Very few cities in the country have
as varied typographical features as
the city of ST. Paul.
In laying out the city into blocks
and lots too little attention was given
to these features and the city is gen.
orally laid out in squares, the streets
at right angles with each other, the
principal object being to get as many
lots out Of an addition as possible. AS
consequence, to grade the streets
and give suitable grades for traffic
particularly on the main thorough
fares leading into the country in diff
ferent directions-it has often been
necessary to make deep cuts and fills
and to almost change the entire top
ography of the county. Often, too, the
whole character of the property is
changed from residence property to
business property and has necessitated
the entire removal of hills and the
filing UP of all low grounds What
is now the wholesale district between
Jackson and Broadway and Third and
Seventh was once a hill fifty or sixty
feet high, and was al an early time in
the history of the city considered fine
residence property. This hill has been
entirely removed and the material
used to fill what was once a swamp
between the river and Fourth street.
Broadway and Trout Brook valley.
and the whole surface is almost en-
tirely covered with business blocks or
railroad yards
Phalen creek was once spanned by
a wooden trestle ninety feet high along
Seventh street, but, WIN the demand
came for a suitable street connection
with Dayton's bluff, the entire top of
the hill at the intersection of Seventh
and Hope was cut down about twenty
feet and the material used to make
the fill across Trout Brook valley.
Formerly Mississippi street, between
Nash street and Acker street, wound
over a high hill and down through a
ravine across what is now the Great
Northern right of way. Three times
the change of grade was made on
this street, the hill cut down and valley
filled up, until now it is almost level
street between the points named and
one of the arteries leading into the
country from the north.
Formerly the principal approach to
the cemetery was over the Jackson
street hill, which had a grade of more
than ten feet to the hundred. Within
a few years Fairview avenue has been
graded through the hill, cuts being
made in some places of fifty to sixty
feet deep, and the street cars are now
running on this street to the level
country beyond.
Where Central avenue is now To-
Gated was formerly low, marshy
ground, occupied only by lumber
yards and shanties, but when Univer-
sity avenue, Aurora avenue and Wa
basha street were cut through what
was formerly known as the Wabasha
street hill was removed and the ma
terial was used for raising this tract
to a depth of from ten to thirty feet,
and the whole features of the coun-
try were changed, and beautiful park
and fine houses now occupy the site
of the old swamp.
Formerly, the principal approach to
St Anthony was by Third street, but
as the city began to grow in a wester-
ly direction Oakland avenue was
opened along the side of the bluff,
giving an easy access of a 8 per cent
grade to the most desirable residence
portion in the whole city.
In the westerly part of the city Ran
dolph street a few years ago was a
country road with but little travel,
but by cutting down the steep hill be-
tween Pleasant avenue and Lexington,
it was made accessible to the street
car line, from which cars are now
running nearly to the western limit
of the city.
What is known as the fiat on the
West side, between State street, Ohio
IL