ST. PAUL.
As seen from the deck of the steamer.--The pleasant surprise it gives
the visitor.--Impressions regarding new places.--The beauties of the
city.--The limestone caves.--Père Louis Hennepin.--The population of
St. Paul.--Its public buildings and works.--A park wanted.--The
geological structure of the country.--St. Paul, the Capital city.--Its
railroad connections.--The head of navigation.--Impressions.
Our first visit to the Apostolic city was on the morning of one of those
golden days in early autumn, any one of which might have inspired
Longfellow's little poem, "A Day of Sunshine," they were so perfect.
The goodly ship on which we came was rounding a tract of low
meadow-land, skirted by some forest growths, when suddenly the streaming
sunlight was flashed back to us from the spires of the city of St. Paul
itself, sitting like a queenly crown at the head of this noblest of all
rivers.
All were surprised and delighted to find that, in the matter of its
location and general appearance, it so far exceeded what our fancies had
painted it. No correct idea had been conveyed by any representation of
it that we had ever seen, nor had any sketch sufficiently outlined it
for the imagination to fill up; yet we were prepared to see a _pretty_
city, though not looking for a _grand_ one. The view from the deck of
the steamer, as the traveller approaches the place, is one of the best.
The river makes an abrupt turn to the westward, in front of the city,
which is situated on the northern side of this elbow, immediately at the
turn, with its face full southward down the river. It would, after all,
fail to be as imposing as it is but for its location, which is greatly
elevated above the river, rising from it in irregular grades, with
intervening tables, back fully a mile to the summit of the high bluffs
forming the rear of the city.
The common impression in relation to all towns in the new States, and
with reason, too, is, that they are of such rapid growth, under
speculative influences, as to often possess no solid elements of
prosperity, and that, after the first wave of excitement dies out, they
collapse; but if they have real advantages of position and enterprise
combined, the prize is as surely theirs. The critical period for St.
Paul has passed, like that in the life of its great namesake, and the
visitor, as he walks along the streets of the town, finds evidences of
its substantial and permanent growth on every hand.
Probably no place of the same population in the entire valley, from New
Orleans up, can boast of as many substantial and costly stores, or as
many elegant and tasteful houses, as can St. Paul. The fine prospect to
be had from every portion of the town is likewise a noted feature
peculiar to itself, and is what neither wealth nor art can create. Back,
on the edge of the bluff, which surrounds the city in a semi-circular
form, runs Summit Avenue, already a fashionable quarter, but which, ere
long, must be famed as commanding one of the most interesting landscapes
in a country abounding in many natural beauties.
From Dayton's Bluff, on the left, likewise an attractive point in
itself, the best view of the city can be had. Under this bluff is a
cave, which was used as the council-chamber of the red men, and has been
the witness of many a notable event. It is a subterraneous cavern formed
by the running water wearing away the soft, white, calcareous sand,
which, everywhere in this section, underlies the strata of blue
limestone next to the surface. There are several of these caves near the
town, but of no great interest beyond serving to while away an idle
hour, or to give some additional zest to a morning's ramble.
St. Paul received its name from Père Louis Hennepin, a European,
belonging to the Order of Franciscans, who landed on the present site of
the city while on a voyage of exploration and discovery up the
Mississippi River, in April, 1680. He was an extensive traveller and
prolific writer; but of all things done by him, that of giving the name
of the famous Apostle to this locality, and now city, was by far the
best. The next hundred and fifty years passed by and still all a blank,
and not till 1850, the year following the territorial organization of
Minnesota, can it be said to have assumed the appearance of a permanent
settlement, with a population of perhaps a thousand adventurous souls.
The present enumeration of St. Paul, as given by the census of 1870,
just completed, shows a trifle over twenty thousand. This is not as high
a figure as the people had hoped for and counted upon; but yet this
shows an increase of about seventy-five per cent. for the last five
years. No one can walk the city and not believe that this recent and
rapid growth has substantial foundation in the enlarging business and
increasing importance of the town itself.
The public buildings and works of the city are worthy of note in any
sketch; and we would first call attention to the Capitol, which stands
obscured from the river, and back of the centre of business, on the
table between the front and rear bluffs. It is a plain structure of
brick, in the form of a cross, with wings of equal length. This must
eventually give room to a more suitable and dignified structure, yet for
all present needs, and during the infancy of the State, it is not at all
inappropriate.
The most costly building, when finished, will be the Custom-House of
the General Government. It is being built of granite, brought from St.
Cloud, and is estimated to cost the handsome sum of three hundred
thousand dollars.
The interests of education are well looked after in the half-dozen
public school buildings; and the religious element has abundant
spiritual food dispensed from the full score of costly and well-ordered
church edifices, some of which contribute much to the architectural
grace and ornament of the town.
A notable feature in the landscape, as the city is approached by either
railroad or river, is the wooden bridge spanning the river just at the
steamboat landing. It is over a fourth of a mile in length, and built
upon an _inclined plane_, at a cost of one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. The first abutment on the side of the city starts on a level
with the bluff, giving seventy-five feet between the bridge and the
river, and then falls rapidly away, supported by nine stone piers, to
the low flat land on the opposite shore. This is used as a carriage
road, and connects St. Paul with all the adjacent country on the
opposite side of the river. A half-mile beyond this bridge, the
companion bluff to that on which the city stands begins, rising to an
equal height with it. These bluffs, however, it should be stated, are
not of such imposing appearance as are those on the river below, and
concerning which we have written in a preceding chapter. They seem to
gradually lessen in height from four and five hundred feet at Lake
Pepin, where the greatest altitude occurs, to about one-third of that
here at St. Paul.
The city's supply of water is fine, and at all times abundant; a lake
back of the town being the natural reservoir of this supply. What has
been to many towns a great labor and burden, has here required but a
trifling expense.
Hotels are usually the traveller's thermometer by which he judges the
culture, beauty, and general characteristics of the town. It is quite
singular that people remember a town either with delight or disgust,
just in proportion as the entertainment furnished at their hotel is good
or bad, but there is more of truth in this than any of us would care at
first to acknowledge. The good people of St. Paul have, however, nothing
to fear in this respect. There are several fine establishments, chief of
which is the "Metropolitan," and then the "Park Place," with its cool
and ample verandahs, inviting travellers to repose and rest.
The question of a Public Park is being agitated, and with every hope
that it will be carried to successful results. But little attention has
been given this matter by any of our cities until a very recent period;
and now their beauty and utility having been established, many towns are
moving in this most important matter. St. Paul can afford to issue
bonds liberally to this end; and should the district under
consideration be secured, including the beautiful Lake Como, little
elaboration will suffice to make it immediately a notable feature of the
town.
The strata of blue limestone near the surface, and on which the city
practically stands, is of great value, and quarries can be opened
anywhere, from which good building material in unlimited quantities can
be had at small cost; easily competing with lumber in the market, which
is likewise plentiful, as we shall see when we come to look into the
history and growth of the sister city on the river, above.
This stone already constitutes the chief material used in the erection
of all the better class of buildings in the city, and, indeed, Third
Street, the principal business thoroughfare, has even now little else
than this honest and solid-looking material to represent it.
The sandstone underlying the magnesian limestone, and which is so soft
as to be easily crushed, could be used we judge in the manufacture of
glassware at great profit to the manufacturer; but as yet, there is
nothing done that we know, and it is not strange when we reflect that it
is but a score of years since St. Paul was really occupied and settled.
All of this various strata of rock and sand belongs, geologically
speaking, to what is known as the lower silurian system, extending from
near the western shores of Lake Michigan, and sweeping over all the
lower half of Minnesota, westward and upward along the valley of the
great Red and Assinniboin Rivers to the north, marking one of the most
prolific grain growing belts on the continent, if not in the world.
While this limestone underlying the surface is valuable for the purposes
heretofore named, it performs a still greater service to mankind in
having contributed much of those qualities which have given in certain
departments of agriculture, highest prominence to the State.
St. Paul is both the political and commercial capital of Minnesota, and
must always remain such without doubt, though it does not occupy a
central geographical position, still it is the practical centre of the
commonwealth, made such by the enterprise of her people in extending the
system of railways in all directions, with this point as a pivotal
centre. There are already seven important roads[A] radiating from this
city, either completed or in rapid course of construction, giving at the
present time a total of about seven hundred miles of finished road, over
which daily or more trains run, and all within the boundaries of the
State. Other lines beginning and ending elsewhere, yet likewise in the
State, are not included, of course, in this consideration. These roads
penetrate already, or will when completed, the principal centres of
trade and agriculture lying in the Northwest.
Daily communication is already had by rail with the cities of Chicago,
Milwaukee, and Duluth, and in the near future another, and, perhaps, in
some respects; the most important link of all, that connecting St. Paul
with Omaha and the Union Pacific Railway, known as the St. Paul and
Sioux City Road. This line traverses the most fertile district in the
State, as well as the most populous, following up the rich valley of the
Minnesota to Mankato, where it leaves the river, holding a southwest
direction for Sioux City in Iowa. The road is now completed as far as
Madelia, one hundred and twelve miles from St. Paul, leaving a gap of
about one hundred and fifty miles to be finished in order to make the
proposed connection with the great central trunk road to the Pacific
coast. We do not think that there is a single township of poor land
along its entire route. On the other hand, speaking from personal
observation, we know that the land is uniformly above the average in
fertility, productiveness, and beauty.
Another, a more recent link of road, binding the city to the northeast
and east as firmly as does the other to the southwest, is that known as
the Lake Superior and Mississippi Road, reaching one hundred and fifty
miles to the young city of Duluth, standing at the head of the great
lakes, whence cheap transportation to the Atlantic seaboard may be had
for all the products of the Northwest.
Then there are the two lines in progress, which, with the one already
running, will make three routes to Chicago and Milwaukee. By the present
one, the St. Paul and Milwaukee, a whole day is consumed in making the
journey, while by either of the others, sixteen hours only will be
required. This saving of time will insure to the new routes a prosperous
career. One of these new roads, the St. Paul and Chicago, nearly an
air-line, is already done as far as Red Wing. This road follows the
river to Winona, where it crosses, thence to Madison, making connection
with a completed line to Chicago. When done, this will be the most
desirable _all rail_ route from the latter city to St. Paul and the
principal towns along the river in Minnesota.
These truly great enterprises, of which St. Paul is the centre, form a
just commentary on the prescience and industry of her people, who, while
watchful of their own, do not forget the general interest of all,
thereby giving to individual life a zest and recompense which mark only
the highest and best purposes of our race.
Thus we see the iron arms of this possible future capital of the nation
reaching out in all directions from this central seat of empire, binding
firmly to it the great resources and vast wealth of the outlying and
now tributary country, which as yet is only in the alphabet of its
development.
Time was when a visit to St. Paul was accounted an era in the life of
the traveller, since its remoteness and general inaccessibility involved
a special journey; but now, few fail to make the tour while passing
through the West, since both the facilities and pleasures are so great.
To stand at the head of two thousand miles of steamboat navigation along
the line of a single river is in itself, were there no city, an
inspiration. And when we contemplate that more than ten thousand miles
of inland navigation attaches to this great river and its tributaries,
at the head of which stands the beautiful city of St. Paul, we do not
marvel at the dreams of splendor and of power already haunting the
thinking population of this vast interior valley. A few brief years and
the sceptre of political empire will have passed forever into the hands
of this people without question, and ere long thereafter we confidently
predict that the seat of government will surely follow. We know that the
population along the Atlantic coast deride this idea; and, while having
shared heretofore like opinions with them, yet, on reflection, we
believe the child is born who will live to see this an accomplished
fact.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] We have counted the Pacific Main Line and the Branch Line as
separate roads, and likewise have assumed, that the Milwaukee and St.
Paul terminates here. These roads are now owned by the North Pacific
Railroad Company.