The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-20

ed articles of incorporation to st. Paul.
and he is the only one living of the
delegation that represented Ramsey
county at that time.
AS to the first city government which
followed the immediate passage of the
bill incorporating the town, two of it's
members, George L. Becker and Simon
P. Folsom, still enjoy good health, and,
providence permitting, will be leading
factors in the celebration which st.
Paul is planning for next year.
George L. Becker, a member of the
first city council, and Simon p. Folsom,
the first city surveyor elected by that
body, remember well the first city cleo
ton and are prolific in "reminiscences of
the stirring times when st. Paul be-
came q city.
In 1854 st. Paul had assumed a size
and Importance that augured for the
future, and the necessity of providing
it with an organized government was
more than manifest. The town was
then represented in what was known as
the state council by William p. Murray
and Isaac Van Etten, and by William
Moot, William A. Davis, Louis A. Bart
lett, John H. Day and Levi Sloan in the
house of representatives.
Became City March a, 1854.
On the 9Th day of February, 1854, the
bill Incorporating st. Paul was intro
duced in the house of representatives
by John H. Day, and though amended
in many respects, it was passed almost
unanimously by both houses. On
March 4, of the same year, Gov. Will
liam A. German affixed his signature
to the act and the city of st. Paul be-
came a reality.
The articles of incorporation were
drawn up by Andrew Jackson Morgan,
better known as Little Jack Morgan"
and he copied them mainly from the
charter of Columbus, Ohio, though sew
eral of the sections, principally two
and six, were prepared by Simon P.
Folsom. In their passage through the
legislature the articles were freely
amended, but in the main they carried
the wording of the Columbus copy.
Little Jack Morgan" was quite
character. He was a printer by trade,
a lawyer by profession and a Democrat
in principle and enjoyed the friendship
of Col. D. A. Robertson, editor of the
Minnesota Democrat. In fact the two
were inseparable.
While Morgan drew up the articles,
Folsom was really responsible for their
adaptability to St Paul, as he rewrote
them in many respects. Mr.. Folsom
was lawyer, q civil engineer and
surveyor by profession, and really one
of the first settlers of st. Paul, coming
here in 1847. For many years Mr.. Fol-
som was on the legal staff Of the Great
Northern railway.
Elect Oimsted Mayor.
The first city election under the new
charter was held April II, 1854, and
while there is no record of any contest,
those living say 1t was an event of i'm
portance and that there was full vote.
The count of votes found David Ohm
sted elected mayor, Orlando Simons,
city justice; Findlay Mccormick,
comptroller; William r. Miller, city
marshal, and George L. Becker, r. C.
Knox, Allan T. Chamberlain, Richard
Marvin, Charles Bazilie, Thomas Fan
ming, John r. Irvine and ]. M. Stone.
aldermen.
week later the new council met
and organized with Sherwood Hough
as city clerk, Simon P. Folsom CITY
surveyor; d. c. Cooley, city attorney.
and the Daily Minnesotan, a Wing pa
per, city printer. The Republicans In
this administration had the best of the
argument.
History has kept track of the sue
ceeding elections and their result. but
none is of as much Importance to ST.
Paul just now as the one the semi cen
tennial celebration will commemorate a
year from now.
Only three remain of those who gave
to st. Paul It's first legal standing, and
they will be duly honored when the
semi is celebrated. All
three have seen st. Paul grow from a
hamlet and their interest in the COM
ing event Will be more than ordinary.