The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-22
Rv WILLIAM PITT MURRAY.

THE history Of the Sixth ward in its
4 growth population, wealth and
great manufacturing industries, to
me, is like a dream.
In the winter of 1S49, when I came to
st. Paul, there was not house in what
is now the Sixth ward. On the fiat, as 1t
was called, was dense forest OF Elm
trees, from which the people in st. Paul
supplied themselves in part with wood In
June. 1850, and in June 1851, there was
extraordinary high water in the MISSISSIPPI
pi rivera steamboat would have had no
difficulty in ploughing the waters over the
fat Of the Sixth ward had 1t not been
for the trees-water everywhere from
eight to ten feet deep, which to have been
seen would have apparently settled the
question that the lowlands of the sixth
ward would never be settled upon and
covered with homes, business houses
manufacturing plants, railroad terminals
and immense railway freight depots.
Tom Odell, having an Indian wife, had
the right to occupy Indian lands. lie
built the first house in the Sixth ward,
building which l am told Is still standing
After the making of the treaty with the
Indians in 1851, for the purchase Of their
land on the west side Of the Mississippi
river. and before it's ratification by the
senate of the United States, James M.
Goodhue. Louis Robert and some others,
ON some pretext or other built claim
shanties on the fat The treaty was rati-
fed by the senate in 1852.
Land Put Upon the Market.
BY the spring of 1854 the land had been
surveyed and thrown upon the market for
presumption and sale by the government.
In the meantime every foot Of land near
West ST. Paul had been squatted upon by
srttlers The officers of the land office
(then at Minneapolis) were for some
weeks engaged in determining the rights
of the several claimants; however, before
a decision was reached the several claim
ants adjusted the matter among them
selves.
The next year (1S55) the land having
been entered and title secured, plat
| of village lots of West ST. Paul was made
| and filed of record by James M. W1nsloW,
| J. Travis Rosser, Amos w. Hall, Artemas
| Gale, Daniel A. Robertson and William K.
| Marshall Several other plats followed in
| quick succession, covering enough terri
] tory to build city of 100000 inhabi-
| tants.
| The next year (1856) the boom in West
| ern lands and town lots had started. Ev
| erywhere you heard the everlasting din OF
| land and town lots from real estate
| agents About one third OF the male pop
| ulation were real estate agents. 1t was
| land town lots, land warrants and money
| to loan at per cent a month, at break
! fast. at dinner and at supper and in bed
| they would dream of land. The plungers
| in West St Paul were as active as anyone
| else
In 1857 the village had increased in
! population to that extent that it aspired
to be the county seat of Dakota county.
An act of the legislature was secured,
submitting the question of the location of
| the county seat Of Dakota county to the
electors of the county. The act provided
| for the holding of the election on the
| third Tuesday of March, 1857 est.
| Patricks day. The places to be voted
| for were West st. Paul and Hastings.
| The county seat up to this time was at
| Mendoza.