The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-04-03
Most of the Streets Are as Bad as
Country Roads.
Citizens Admit This, but Do Not Pro-
pose Improvements.
Mankato Behind Other Cities in Some
important Respects.
From Fridays Daily.


only respectable streets in the city are
Front, the paved portion of Broad, and
the block on Hickory between
Front and Second streets. Almost
every other street in the city
is in miserable condition
South Second street, that was "improv-
ed' a year or two ago, is almost as poor
street as any of the rest. As one resi-
dent on that street says, the money ex-
pended there was practically wasted.
The alleged improvement was made
against the advice of the council and
board of public works, and against the
wish of some of the property owners. 1t
is now recognized by nearly all of the
residents that the driveway should have
been narrowed and the street at least
macadamized, if not paved with asphalt
or brick. Referring to South Second
street, gentleman who takes live in
terest in municipal progress said today
that the improvement of that street was
sample of what is done when the
matter is left to the property owners on
any street to decide what they want.
There is more truth in the remark than
the circumstances ought to warrant.
A property owner living on Byron
street remarked yesterday in the pres
ence of the writer that there is not a
worse mud hole in the city than that
street. With the excellent drainage
which it has it ought to be one of the
best. The street is largely travelled, es-
pecially by teams from the country,
and it should be put and kept in good re-
pair. If the farmers are to be educated
to have better roads, the city should
make models of those roads that lead
from the country. Byron street should
be curbed and guttered and the drive
way macadamized. The hill at Clark
street should also be graded. Another
resident of Byron street than the one
just quoted stated day or so ago that
the city has never spent dollar ON this
hill since the street was opened, although
Byron street property owners have
helped to pay the Clark and Pleasant
street sewer assessments.
A member of the charter commission
remarked yesterday, while discussing the
matter of Mankato's poor roads, said the
city at large should stand the expense
of keeping up the streets leading out of
the city that the farmers use largely,
as the wear and tear ON those streets
is so much greater than on other streets
of the city. There is great deal of
truth in this remark The gentleman
referred particularly to Warren street
and Glenwood avenue, but the thought
applies equally to such streets as Byron,
West Front, Main street near the Saul
paugh, the st. Peter, Agency hill and
other roads leading from the country.
Without advocating any particular
kind of pavement, it does seem as though
some permanent street improvement
should be done this season. The times
are as prosperous as they ever will be,
other cities are improving their streets,
and there is every reason why the streets
should be improved and not left as they
are. The trouble that has resulted from
the paving of Broad street should not
discourage any further steps toward
lifting the city out of the mud. Even
the parties who have most obstinately
opposed the assessing of the cost of that
paving admit that it is a splendid i'm
provement, and say that there would be
no objection to it if the council had first
consulted the property owners.
This year the property awners ought
not to wait for the council to start inn
provements, but should take the matter
in hand and decide what they want and
ask for it. There is no doubt but that
Mankato is a slow town as regards street
and lawn improvement, and is outstrip-
ped by many smaller cities. Why this
is so is question. There is plenty of
wealth in Mankato, and materials are
at hand to greatly improve the streets
over their present condition. The resi-
dents are building beautiful homes, that
would be a credit in any city. Two
hundred dollars less invested in house
and placed upon the street would procure
the most modern pavement known, be-
sides curb, gutter and boulevard. This
$500 would do more toward beautify-
ing the city and toward enhancing the
property values in the neighborhood than
the thousands invested in the costly
home. 1t would be far better to put less
into the house and more into the street
and yard.
A real estate man remarked the other
day that the inquiries for houses on
Broad street has been something remark
able. 1t seems that most of the new
corners and many of the present resi-
dents would like to live on that street
If they could. Some day the other
streets will be made equally as desirable.
Why should not the present residents
eniov these imnrovements instoad of