New Ulm review., 1915-07-14
INTERESTING BIT OF NEW ULM
HISTORY.

An interesting bit of the history OF
older New Ulm was brought to mind
recently by an article on the Pioneer
Press about the condemning of the one
time mansion of Louis Robert at 47O
Robert St., St. Paul. Robert, or
"Robar'' as it was pronounced in his
French accent, was a character OF no
little Importance in the early pioneer
days. He was as we'll known at New
Ulm as at St. Paul as he traded here till
he had made very creditable fortune
and then retired to the capitol city to
enjoy it.
During his extensive trading ex
perience he had store located here at
New Ulm on the corner now occupied
by the Groebner property. And ira
dition has it that at least a part OF the
Groebner building was the original
trading post of the Frenchman, Robars
store as it was called. He also had
stores at Yellow Medicine, Big Stone,
in the upper and lower agencies in
Travers de Sioux and other places.
He traded in furs and trinkets with the
Indians and the early settlers. The
store in Yellow Medicine was burned
down in 1862 and three of his clerks
were murdered by the Indians. He is
said to have saved the day at Fort
Ridgely at the time of the Indian out
break. He had joined the troops
mustered in this locality to aid in putting
down the Rebellion and was marching
with them to Fort Smelling to be muster
ed in. At St. Peter news was received
of the outbreak of the Sioux and he,
after much persuasion, prevailed upon
the soldiers to turn back and 60 to the
defense of Fort Ridgely. They arrived
at the fort shortly in advance of the
Indians and no doubt saved the garrison
there from massacre.
He, is we'll remembered by the old
settlers here because of his extensive
trading activities. He had three boats
plying on the Minnesota between here
and St. Paul. They were named the
Jeanette Robert, the ''Time and
Tide" and the "Globe". Many of the
early settlers arrived here in one of these
three boats which had a more or less
regular schedule of trips between here
. and the capitol. 1t is related that when
the Frenchman was asked as to when the
boat was to leave he would say that
'Time and Tide wait for no man.. Then
he would add with true French courtesy,
"and but moment for re ladies'"
Robert was an industrious and success
full trader and soon had amassed
fortune that was estimated in 1872 at
about S250,000. He consequently de-
cided to retire and built himself house
on the edge of his stone quarry on
seventh St., St. Paul. He was so we'll
known in the city that the street was
named Robert Street in his honor. He
had long been a power in St. Paul and
was at one time county commissioner.
When the city put out a bond issue the
name of Louis Robert had to appear on
the bonds. He had not learned to write
at that time and so marked the bonds
with his cross. Wall Street refused the
bond issue signed by an illiterate French
man and the action so angered the old
pioneer that he at once set about learning
to write his name. 1t was hard effort
for he could guide boat up an, down
the whole Mississippi and back again
easier than he could guide the refractory
pen across the paper. But the man who
had fought Indians, established trading
posts and carved a substantial fortune
out of the primitive wilderness was not
easily stumped and when the bond issue
came out there stood the name of Louis
Robert as big as life.
Many interesting stories are told of the
old trader by the early settlers and he
seems to have been one of those interest
ing characters so frequently in our early
history who, in spite of handicaps, and
by the sheer force of their own strong
personalities, were able to win.a transi-
tory fame and fortune from the new
country.