The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-18
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
Naming OF MINNEAPOLIS,

Some time since had a4visft from the
son Of an old friend OF mine, and he told
me that he had spent some time In Min
neapolis. He knew that had lived there
and, Of course, we got to talking about
our experiences. told him that it had
CHANGED that one day, While I was en-
gagged upon the construction Of the first
suspension bridge built there, which was
also the first to span the Mississippi river,
I fell in with Colonel Stevens and
George Bowman, and that the colonel in
$y1ted us two to go to his office, which
was on the northeast corner of First street
and Hennepin avenue, in an unfinished
building one Of the first two or three built
on the west side of the river. The town
site had been decided upon. A Mr.. Christ
mas, a surveyor, whose picture I think
have now, had run in lines for the
streets and a name had been given to it.
That was not quite satisfactory to Mr.
Bowman. The first idea was to call it
Minneapolis. But Bowman thought that
the h should be left out. The Mime was
all right for the Indian part of it, and the
Greek polls was all right, but the two
did not fit together, and for the sake of
euphony we all agreed that the h should
be left out. This was before the land
from Fort Smelling or from Minnehaha
Falls up to Bassett's creek was yet in
market. attended the sale soon after
and saw the sovereign squatter, armed
with clubs and other soft weapons, pur-
chase the land at $1.25 per acre. could
have bought out some Of these people
after the sale for a small advance, but
my foresight was then not SO good as the
hindsight of many persons is now.
When I arrived at the Falls of ST. An
thony and my wife put up at the ST.
Charles hotel, which was on the East Side,
nearly opposite the upper end of Henne-
pin island. I think that was the only hotel
up there then. After few days we found
a boarding place with a Mr.. Gilbert, who
lived on the main street not far from the
proposed bridge. While there made the
acquaintance Of George Bowman, who
was the editor I have already mentioned
He was running a paper, the first pub
lished at the Falls, the capital being fur
nished bya Mr.. Atwater. It was week
ly. used to see Bowman set up an edi-
torial without any manuscript, which l
thought a pretty smart thing to do. L
have a copy of this paper, which I will
send to you, as l think you will be in
terested in it. I am not writing you a
scientific article upon suspension bridges
or any other kindred subject AS look
back and dream over the first and last
acquaintance 1 had with Minnesota re-
call some pleasant memories, and could
fill up several Of these pages about the
first bridge and the second, and about
persons and things during my first resi-
dence, which was in 1915. In a frontier
place there is always a great deal of in
dividualtty and some comicality. One in
cident only left its impress upon my
memory.
Mr.. Bowman, with his wife, lived near
Mr.. Gilbert, and Mr.. G. and myself were
| invited over there to supper. Mr.. b.
boarded his office help; the dining room
was long and narrow and the entrance
and exit doors were at the ends. The
boys got thru their supper and went out
and left the door at one end open. This
allowed free communication to the kitchen,
and some one had left another door open,
and there was pig pen beyond, in which
a large, fat hog was kept; and this pet
! of the editor found free way thru from
| the pen to the far end of the dining room,
and, running under the table, scattered
chairs and jammed against the table legs
until he reached the far end of the room,
where his master sat dispensing l1ospi-
| tally. He looked up into his masters
face, gave a grunt, and, much to the relief
Of the company, made his exit by the
same road by which he entered
left Minneapolis for the east, but
returned again in 1857 or 1858. and was with
him again. Then he was on the West Side
and was for a time quite an invalid. He
boarded with a Mr.. Rice, and went al
most daily to see him.
Your paper comes to me quite regularly
and reminds me of the difference between
Minneapolis as knew it and Its great size
now, and my lack of foresight.
sThos. M. Griffith
Cherry Lane. West New Brighton, staten
Island, April.