St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1958-04-18
Heart Of The
Stranger
CONTINUED from page u

Within five years after the Civil
War, the Negro migration into the
state was relatively heavy. In 1870
they were supporting their news
paper. Ten years later there were
approximately 1000 within the
state, But as the river traffic de-
clined. so did the migration of
Negroes. In 1900 there we're only
5000.
Ia the matter Of races. though,
census takers sometimes can
err, classifying light skinned
Negroes land there are many Of
these) as white persons.
The history of the Negro in the
Twin cities from the time OF the
distribution Of the first colored
settlers Is one OF slow develop
ment. In proportion as the Negro
population increased, work oppor-
tunities narrowed. Nonetheless
there was progress.
Writing In the New York Globe.
November "a, 1888, John II. Hick-
man, the Carl Rowan OF this per
iod, recounts the achievements of
Negroes in Minneapolis and st.
Paul:
"Minnesotans have endeavored
to acquaint colored people in the
East and South, through the Ma
tional Convention. that there is
such a place AS the Great North.
west and that within It's borders
some people OF color live. ST. Paul
and Minneapolis together have
about 1000 colored people, all.
comparatively speaking. In fair
circumstances. In st. Paul there
are two churches, the Pilgrim
Baptist and the AME Church, both
OF which own their own buildings.
The barbering profession is al
most totally represented by coll
ored people The following own the
finest shops In the Northwest. out
side OF Chicago; George Hall, ].
II Smith. u, w, Philips. and Thorn
as II, Lyles, who constructed four
houses during the last season.
Editors note: r. II. Lyles was
given considerable space In the ST
Paul daily paper recounting the
fact that he was one OF a few
people rated as being worth $780,
900 There were other Negroes in
the Twin Cities and In Duluth
also as having a net worth Of
SIO0,OOOD
The schools are mixed and two
colored girls have graduated from
the High School one Of whom is
now teaching In the Lincoln School
In this city Business channels are
slowly opening TO young men.
Several are employed In the large
johhing houses, and others are
engaged as porters, etc, The last
session OF the Miuneota legislature
elected as It's postmaster colored
man, c. + Wade. editor OF the
NORTHWEST REVIEW. Two or
three men hold governmental DO
Auons. Twelve own real estate
valued at $1,000 or more. and
many others own property Of les
ser value Four colorcd truclymen
own their teams and one haclyman
owns and runs two carriages. en-
goging two white men TO do his
driving The colorcd people support
two Masonic Lodges and the I'M
maculate Lodge which offers on.
portunity Tor insurance. Two bcne-
VIOLENT societies are supported the
Unions Benevolent and the Ladies'
Union League There is also a
small literary society called the
AM Church Mite Literary Soc
iety
Ten years after the above was
written, the Negroes in Minneap-
oils who until recently We're small.
Ter in number than those in s.
Paul had made considerable prog.
ress.
John L. Neal, who came in 1877.
had risen TO be chief bookkeepcr
for the Buckeye Publishing Com.
pany; NJ. o, Cannon, who came In
1876 was foreman Tor T. NJ Rob.
er's' Supply House; Jasper Gibbs
who came IN 1884, was the owner
OF three OF the largest restuar.
ants In the city; George w. Mel
son who came In 1883. was en-.
ployed as chief druggist by Web
ster and Churchill, the largest
pharmaceutical chemists in Min
heapolis' and William r. Morris.
who left the faculty at Fisk Univ
erNy to come TO Minneapolis in