The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-01-17

streets, the correct angles. Pro.
visions were made for public
parks and squares when the city
has grown to q size when such
luxuries will be needed. The
character of the people is an
other surprise. You fail to find
the reckless lawlcssness which
generally characterizes a mining
town. TO be sure there are sa.
looms and the things which go
with them, but their existence
Is not called to your attention by
roitous deviltry. A well.be.
haved, sober, industrious class
OF men, a circle of intelligent
women and educated children
form the population of Virginia.
Your correspondent passed along
the streets during the late eve
ming and was impressed by the
volume of business which was
being transacted even at q late
hour.
/ Robert McGruer has the hon.
or of being the first mayor Of
this promising town. Virginia
went through the transforma-
tion from village to a city but
q year ago, and when the munici.
pal form of government was
adopted, Robert McGruer was
chosen as the first mayor of the
city OF Virginia. Itwas q fitting
honor, or rather, reward, as Mr..
McGruer was in the very first
band of men who swung the axe
in clearing the townsite. He is
the pioneer mayor Of a young
city of destiny. But to be pio:
neer of Virginia only means that
you shall have lived here since
1892, for in June of that year the
town had it's bornin.'
Mayor McGruer IS a Canadian
by birth. and all the rugged
honesty and perseverance of his
race seems to have endowed hitn.
Il shall never forget the first
day I ever spent here,'' said his
honor to- The Tribune. I'VE
had walked nearly all the way
here. I came up as an emp]oye
of the syndicate formed to start
the town and get things in read.
mess for the army of miners
which was bound to come. There
was nothing on the townsite then
but trees, but by September,
1892, we had staked the town
off and cleared off the main
street. That month the town
lots began to sell. The syndi-
cate sent Gen. P. W. Scott to
act as land agent. The real pro-
jectors of the town were the
Merritts, 4. E. Humphreys and
D. T. Adams. The town was
named Virginia in honor of Mr..
Humphreys old home.
1.-The mines were discovered
during 1890-91, but after the
town was once started the peo-
pie began to come on. and soon
we had very creditable town.
My wife was the first white wo.
man on the townsite. She walk.
all the way here, and4for months
we lived in a tent. Then when
the town was organized the peo-
pie presented my wife with a lot
over there near Silver lake, in
honor of her being the pioneer
; white woman"
| The first work in the wonder
full mines was commented in the
the winter of 1892. This was
the signal for a year Of phenom.
email growth and development.
The town was incorporated as a
village, and John Owens, anoth-
er pioneer, was elected its first
president. He was succeeded
by DR.. Stuart Bates as second
president of peerless Virginia,
and when the worthy doctor laid
down the sceptre of power the
town underwent a metamorphsis
and became a real live city, with
mayor, aldermen and all that.
;. Like al. modern towns, Virginia
|; must needs have a fire to keer
up with the procession, and in
, June. 1893, the flames played
tag with the houses and build
. ings, and for several weeks
! thereafter Virginia was not or
, the map. The 2,oW people were
homeless. But Ike magic a new
city arose in the ashes of thl
, old. and ''here she be yet"
is RIGHT UP TO DATE.
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