The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-01
CITY'S FIRST FIFTY YEARS
General Baker Calls Attention 10 The
Old Settlers Publication.
From Mondays Daily.

Los Angeles Cal, April Goth, 1903
Editor Free Press; Before leaving for
home, ! desire to say word touching
! the book now being published in YOU
Office, "Ihe First Fifty Years of Man
kato." This is the most important pub
LEGATION concerning our city, that has
ever been published 1t, contains more
of real value and real interest than has
ever yet sought to be gathered in rela-
ton to any city in Minnesota. 1t will
show itself unique in character, and will
stand, thus far. without rival. twill
not only give the early story of our
city, and tell of its earliest settlers, but
it will detail the gradual unfolding and
upbuilding of al our industries, our
schools and the planting of our churches
covering fifty years OF time Some of
the papers are very remarkable. The
complete story of the development of
our industries by Myron G. Willard is a
remarkable paper, exhibiting care, com
pleteness and great labor. The history
of our schools by L. G. NJ. Fletechr is
another invaluable paper. The history
of our city from the very dawn of life
till this celebration as told by Thos.
Hughes, is at once work of labor and of
love
The history of the planting of the
several churches, and the subsequent
growth of each, are all fully given. The
admirable paper, by Hon. Thomas Simp-
son of Winona on the early Days in
This Valley" is a splendid contribution
of our local history. Other equally i'm
portant papers, by painstaking hands, il
lustrate every phaze of Mankato's life,
from its cradle, and fifty years EDWARDS.
No, other city of the state has ever yet
so F. uniquely celebrated its natal day,
and so thoroughly written its story of
growth and development. The delay in
the publication of this remarkable vol
ume, is not the fault of the publication
committee. Those who are called on for
Information touching personal and family
histories, were often ineXcusably slow in
furnishing important data. Some even
never responded to reasonable calls. made
in their own interest. The personal
biographies and family histories given are
invaluable to every permanent resident
of our city To old families it will prove
a genealogical record. 1t is remark
able how many families live and die
without such a record. We have repro
duced the faces of all such as were en-
titled to place in this book, with great
| labor, and at great cost. If some APP
pear to be omitted, who may be deemed
entitled. we simply state that they, or
their friends, failed to respond to oft
repeated solicitations for copies of their
the publication committee was long, vex-
atious and arduOus, totally without remu-
| ittiOu. ttiii i'Cilcl iiito eiS u WI N
of love to our city. There will be but
300 copies of this book published. The
family that fails to secure one will
make a sad mistake They will be sold
at actual cost, which is about $3.50 per
copy. To those whose pictures are given
a charge was made covering the cost of
the halftone. and the cost of the book
as well, making s. for persons of that
class. There will be no free copies, ex-
cept two to the city library and one each
to the State Historical library and nor
NAL school library. Even the publicas
ton committee and the general commit
tee Pay for their copies. 1t viii be
| but a very few years, till money will not
buy copies of this unique work While
| gave much time and patient toll to the
preparation of this volume, nefore com
ing west, yet justice requires me to say
that Thomas Hughes did more than his
share of the labor and did it in a master
| full manner. In truth, he is our invalu
able local historian. The committee
will expect criticisms, and be possibly
charged with omissions, but they only
claim that they did the best they coul(
with the material which could be OBJ
tanned Their work covered a wide felC
| of correspondence, a resurrection of for
gotten family histories, and visits t.
the cemetery to get even from tomb
stones correct data.
j. Fl. BAKER.