The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-02-15
MANKATO FREE PRESS

corporated Sept. 10th, 1868 and is now,
| with the exception of a few such
| boards in the large cities, the Oldest
| board of trade in the United States.
| 1t has been an important factor IN the
growth and prosperity OF Mankato,
having been instrumental in orlglnat-
ing or carrying to a successful CON
~clusion nearly every important public
enterprise in the history of the city.
At its first meeting it took steps to
| secure the expanding of a proper pro-
| portion of the county road and bridge
fund on the roads leading into Man
ktao and it's next business at the same
meeting was the devising of means to
| place us on an equality with other
| cities with regard to railroad freight
rates. These two matters the board
has kept steadily in view from that
| time to this. 1t has succeeded in i'm
proving the roads, thus securing for
| Mankato trade which before had gone
to other markets. 1t has also effected
the lowering of freight rates from time
to time, until now we are as favor
| ably situated in many respects as the
larger cities of the state. 1t has cost
| much money to prosecute contests be-
fore the railroad commissioners and
| the interstate commerce commission,
which the board has paid from it's
| own funds.
We may enumerate as samples of the
work done by the board in the way of
| facilitating access to Mankato by
means of good roads and otherwise.
The Blue Earth bridge The Minnesota
river bridge The LIE Sueur and several
other bridges as we'll as free ferries
across the Minnesota before the bridge
was built. The causeway owe the
Van Brunt slough the road from st.
Peter, and bridge over the North
| western tracks the Glenwood VENUE
Improvement and the work done OF
the South Bend hill and road. The Mil
waukee railroad was induced to come
here mainly by the efforts of the board
and it interested itself in hurrying to
completion the Cannon Valley, now
Great Western road.
The board has spent much money in
advertising the city in Eastern pages,
in preparing and publishing reports
and other printed material for distri-
button throughout the country, in
bonuses to new factories and in ex-
hibits at the New Orleans exposition,
the worlds fair at Chicago and the
| Omaha exposition. The money paid
for these and other purposes beneficial
to the city out of the treasury and
raised by the board was by subscrip-
tions amounting to something over
twenty thousand dollars.
With regard to improvements within
the city the following may be men
| toned as matters which the board
has been largely instrumental in prigi-
mating or forwarding to a conclusion,
The opera house, for which the board
raised a subscription of 81, 600. The
lcourt house, Jail, high school and West
Mankato school buildings, the govern
ment building, The Saulpaugh hotel,
the signal service station at the nor
NAL school, for which the board pro-
| vided the instruments, extension of
telegraph lines to Front street, street
garding, waterworks and sewerage,
the City park, enlargement of normal
school, improved methods of heating
and ventilating the pubic schools,
electric lighting. free mail delivery,
chemical engine, appointment of fire
wardens, the city hospital and st.
Joseph's hospital, Glenwood cemetery,
fiber works, knitting mill and pack
ing house, rebuilding of creamery
package works. the Mankato Building
and Loan association, the candy fac
tory, secured by a bonus given by the
board, the street fair, the soldiers
monument, the removal of the Omaha
road to the river front, extension of
the Northwestern tracks to New Ulm
and the building of the union depot.
In all these important improvements the
city is indebted more or less to the unre-
ro;t1,n~ affo,fo "a tho hAorI &c troIa
Many other things of a less perma-
nent nature but still important might
be mentioned, as for instance, the
Northwestern Dairymen's convention
in 1888 and 1890 and the farmers insti-
tutes in 1883 and 1891. all of which
were held at the expense Of the board,
prizes given for raising sugar beets,
the encampment of the Minnesota
National Guard in 1886 for which the
board raised about $14, 600, correction
of the census of 1895 and of 1900 and
of the real estate assessment of the lat
ter year. In fact it may safely be said
that there has been no enterprise of a
public character since the city has
been in existence which the board of
trade has not asssimted with it's in
fuence and its money.
During the latter portion or the year
1900 the Mankato Gas & Electric
Light Co. was engaged in making
improvements to its plant, which are
not yet wholly completed, which will
involve an outlay of $75, 900 and make
a most complete plant Of the kind.
Among the mo st notable things in
store for Mankato is a public library
building. Through the efforts of the
library board and Congressman Nc
Cleary, Mr.. Andrew Carnegie was in
duced to offer the city $40, 600 for a Ii
brary building, provided the city will
give a suitable site for the same and
rail- Sc A, 900 a year for it's maintenance.
The gift will be accepted by the city.