Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1939-09-29

The progress made by the
Negroes at St. Anthony Falls dur
ing the rs years (1867-1892) was
remarkable and has not been sur
passed by that of the same length
of time since.
Without money or friends, the
objects of the open antagonism of
workers already established, and
dependent almost entirely on the
humanity and sense of justice of
white employers, these illiterate
black people turned their hands to
whatever job they could find to do
and awaited themselves of every
opportunity for their business adj
vancement and enlightenment. In a
very short time they had so in
tegrated themselves into the life of
the community that they had be-
come a vital part of it.
Types of Work
The types of work in which they
engaged were for the most part
unskilled labor and a few trades of
a semi-skilled nature. Labor-union-
ism was the stone-wall which kept
many of the skilled workers from
working at their particular trade
and it was only during labor short
ages, and as strike-breakers, that
a few of them were able to gain
a foothold in industries in which
their exclusion from labor unions
barred them.
By tacit agreement, certain jobs
were considered the particular
domain of the colored worker. No
one could shine shoes like the col
ored bootblack "Sam" and Mr..
Millionbucks would have refused to
eat unless the colored waiter
George" waited on him. Negroes
at that time had a monopoly of
the barbering trade in Minneapolis
and the walters in the "best hotels"
were always colored boys.
Many of the more ambitious and
enterprising Negroes saved as
much as they could out of their
meager earnings and went into
business for themselves.
Prominent Citizens
Three of the members of the
original group which settled at St.
Anthony Falls in 1857 became af-
fluent business men. These were:
John Neal, who conducted a real
estate business which was success
full not only from the standpoint of
the number of transactions, but
also from the standpoint of finan-
cial returns to Mr.. Neal as well.
Israel Crosby, who also came to
Minneapolis in 1857, amassed quite
an extensive estate which he is
said to have bequeathed to the
University of Minnesota to estab-
lish a fellowship. Il have been I'M
able to verify this statement.)
Jasper Gibbs became the owner
of three restaurants, one of which
occupied the top floor of the Guar
anty Loan Building.
The three cases cited above are
only the most outstanding of a
number of business enterprises de-
veloped and operated by Negroes
during those early days in Mime
apolis.
The Negroes were quick to take
advantage of the educational OPP
portunities offered them by the
community in which they lived, and
in 1887, Andrew F. Hilyer was the
first Negro to graduate from the
University of Minnesota.
Frank Wheaton graduated from
the U. of M. in 1890 and became
the first Negro to serve in the
State Legislature. In 1891 a
Curtis graduated from the Univer-
sity of Minnesota. He later received
government appointment as Min
lister to Liberia.
The population of Negroes in
Minneapolis increased almost ten
fold and the business foundation
laid by those early settlers was
laid on solid rock as shown by the
subsequent prosperity of the group
during the subsequent quarter CEN
fury and reached its peak in 1914,
just before the World War.
Fifty Years of Freedom
The economic security and sue
cess enjoyed by the Negro resi-
dents of Minneapolis prior to 1914
might we'll be laid to the business
acumen and foresight Of their
parents who built on a foundation
of honest dealing and courteous
service. One writer called the Bill