St. Paul daily globe. [volume], October 18, 1885, Page 11, Image 11

About St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
Between the Cities!
Something about the Phenome
nal Development Betiean
St. Fail and Minns-
apolis,
That is Soon to Unite tie Twin
C.t es of tne Northwestin
One Great Metrtpjlis.
The Suburbs cf"Herriain Park,"
"Midway He^ts," fllni3n
Park," " Minnesota
Transfer," "(Jam
by Park."
Where the Business Heart of
the Northwestern Me
tropolis Is to Be
Developed.
The Future Site of the State Capitol
—Where Investors May Put
Their Money and Get
Greatest Returns.
According to the state census recently
taken the cities of St. Paul and Minne
apolis aggregate more than 240,000 popu
lation. The corporate limits of the two
municipalities join, yet there is a stretch
of comparatively open country, about four
miles wide, between the solidly-built-up
portions of both towns. This open space
has, however, attracted of late the special
attention of trade, commerce and popula
tion, and the result has been the sudden
and altogether phenomenal development
witnessed at and about Minnesota Trans
fer during the past two years. This de
velopment is localized at Minnesota Trans
fer, where the vast freightage of the entire
Northwest is handled, and which already
requires facilities of scores of miles of
trackage, miles of freight-warehouse
room, acres upon acres of cattle sheds and
yards, a large elevator, and the labor of
500 or more men; at Union, Merriam and
St. Anthony Parks, where hundreds of
beautiful residences have been built
within two years; at Macalester College,
where houses are now springing up like
magic and where the new college was re
cently opened; at Hamline University,
where is one of the most securely estab
lished educational institutions in the
Northwest; at the great shops of the
Northern Pacific Road, where several
thousand men will be afforded daily em
ployment; at the State Exposition grounds
which for all time are to be the location
of the annual exhibit of whatever is
worth seeing of the marvelous products
of the great Northwest. These various
and specified locations ar<e all within the
so-called Midway district and constitute
the nuclei of the upbuilding which in less
than five years will make St.
Paul and Minneapolis one,
in fact, if not in name. The
most important point among
those enumerated is Minne
sota Transfer, not only be
cause it is the central freight
depot of every line of rail
way reaching St. Paul and
Minneapolis, but also be
cause it is the exact midway
spot between the two cities,
and between the various
railway lines traversing the
district. The developments
here are so extended and are
going forward so rapidly,
that nothing short of per
sonal inspection will give
even a faint idea of what the
present is, and what the fu
ture is to be, of this central
business point between St.
Paul and Minneapolis. Al
ready shrewd calculators are
beginning to see that it is
only a question of a few
years when this must be the
actual hub of the business
wheel formed by the union
of the two cities. Here must
arrive and depart, by rail,
all of the merchandise con
sumed in the Northwest, and
all of the varied products of
that great country on their
way to Eastern markets.
AVithin four or five years it
will become one of the largest
freight distributing points
on the continent. Realizing
these facts, merchants and
manufacturers are already
seeking business locations
contiguous to the Transfe:
grounds; lumbermen are es
tablishing yards; wholesal
ers are getting ready to erect
warehouses; many elevators
must be built; and every rail
way that seeks Northwest
ern trade must have close
connection with this spot
either by its own or leased
lines. As the railway center,
therefore, it must in time be
come one of the most impor
tant business centers of the
future metropolis. The lo
cality is reached from depots
in either city in 12 minutes
by half hourly trains, includ
ing those of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul and
St.Paul, Minneapolis & Man
itoba Short Lines. Recent
ly there has been a quiet but
shrewd endeavor on the part
of far-seeing investors to se
cure property abutting oiii
the grounds of the Transfer
and now everything desira
ble is so occupied that but
comparatively little space
remains that is purchasable.
Of this remaining space, we
hold by far the largest por
tion, and by all odds the
best and most desirable por
tion. This frontage on the
grounds of the Transfer, and
between the lines _ of the
short-line roads, is just one
half mile, and embraces
nearly all the eastern front
age not devoted to the resi
dence locality atUnionPark.
it is so located that side
tracks from the Transfer
may be run in at any point.
This entire frontage is for
sale, by the acre, at prices
which we feel warranted in
saying are not more than
one-fifth of what they will
be in five years from this
time. Adjoining the strip
fronting the Transfer to be
sold to manufacturers and
for business purposes ex
clusively is the plat of "Mid
way Heights," which we
have no hesitancy in saying
is the most beautiful plat of
ground ever offered for resi
dence sites in the city of St.
Paul. It is heavily timbered
with enormous white and
red oak trees, clear of under
brush, in fact, a natural park
of unsurpassed beauty. It
is but a few minutes' walk to
Merriam Park depot on the
south or Hamline depot on
the east. It is but Bor 10
minutes' walk to Hamline
University. The view from
this locality is extended.
We can sell you a choice
residence site, fronting on
one of the several parks laid
out, for $400, on easy terms;
no building restrictions. As
an investment you cannot
do better than to buy at once
one or more of these lots.
It is only half a mile from
this plat to the State Fair
Grounds, which are in full
view.
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.
The Midway district
is not only certain to
i become one of the
THE ST. PAUL DAILY GLOBIV BT7OTAY MOHNING* OCTOBER 18,' ifiSG, —TWENTY PAGES.
most important busi
ness centers of the fu
ture Twin City me
tropolis, but is even
now the educational
campus, so to speak,
of the entire North
west. Here, forming
almost a quadrangle,
are situate Hamline
University, the most
successful Western
collegiate institution
under Methodist Epis
copal auspices; the
State University, one
of the acknowledged
leading schools of
its class in America ;
Macalester College,
the new institute re
cently opened under
such favorable auspi
ces by the Presbyter
ians; the Catholic col
lege of St. Thomas,
built the present sea
son (now opened with
great success) through
the wisdom, energy
and liberality of lit.
Rev. Bishop Ireland.
The city schools in
this district, at Mer
riam Park, St. Antho
ny Park and Hardline
are each equal to the
best public schools of
fered by either Min
neapolis or St. Paul.
ISTo other locality of
equal area in the West
affords so perfect and
diversified education
al facilities as this.
THE FUTURE STATE CAPITOL
In a few years the
present state capitol
building in St. Paul
must give place to
something better ar
chitecturally than a
griddle cake with an
"individual pepper
box" set upon it; some
thing that wont have
to be propped up every
spring to keep its roofs
from falling in; some
thins: large enough to
I accommodate theoffi-
cers of state and the
business of the state.
When that time comes
the general disposi
tion will be to place
the new capitol at a
point accessible to St.-
Paul and Minneapolis.
It so happens that im
mediately west of
Merriam Park, and
just half way between
the present business
centers of the two
towns is the highest
point of ground in the
vicinity of either St.
Paul or Minneapolis.
From this knoll—em
bracing a tract of
about 40 acres in ex
tent—is a landscape
view unsurpassed.
The two cities seem
to be at one's feet,
while the great valley
of the Mississippi is
spread out in panora
mic view for many
miles. Two thousand
trees have been set out
on this tract with a
view of converting it
into a great park, and
for the purpose of af
fording, when the
proper time arrives, a
suitable site for the
permanent capitol
building of Minnesota.
When the four or five
years have passed,
which will necessitate
the new structure, the
midway district will
have so far developed
that its then 20,000
or more people will
have something to say
about the location of
the capitol; and it is
easy to predict that a
compromise between
St. Paul and Minne
apolis on the capitol
question will naturally
result in the selection
of the grounds in the
accompanying map.
ATTRACTIONS.
There are other thai]
commercial attrac
tions offered by the
" Midway District."
Here are Shadow falls,
50 feet high and lo
cated in one of the
most beautiful glens
Nature ever made;
Kavanaugh f alls,near
ly 100 feet high; and
near enough proxim
ity to Minnehaha.
Here, too, are the
world-famous Kittson
stables where are to
be seen daily the best
and fastest horses in
the world. The State
Exposition and Fair
Grounds, which are
surpassed by no simi
lar grounds in the
country, are quick and
easy of access from
every portion of the
district.
IMPROVEMENTS.
Two years ago there
was practically noth
ing but farm houses
and farms in the local
ity under description.
—» ; r— —. — --!
Now there are beau
tiful and costly houses
begun daily in Union, j
Merriam, St. Anthony, |
Lovering and Macal
ester Parks, and at
Hainline and its vicin
ity. Every week wit
nesses the establish
ment of some new in
dustry, from the vast |
\ shops of the Northern l
Pacific to the retail
stores now necessi
tated at the various
points of population.
Houses costing from
$3,000 to $15,000 are
being built where the
forest leaves had
never been disturbed
up to last season; great
factories and ware
houses are going up
where there was abso
lute wilderness a year
ago; new railway and
motor lines are being
planned and will be
carried to completion;
streets are being graded
where corn and wheat grew
three years ago; two new
collegiate associations are
at the present time seeking
locations; new depots on all
railway lines are being built;
and now comes the news
that the Chicago, Burling
ton & Quincy railway will
build shops in this district
and that the very largest
firm of its class in the world
will soon locate a branch of
its great industry at Minne
sota Transfer. IS ot less than
$3,000,000 have been ex
pended in improvements in
this midway district during
the past two years.
CONVENIENCES.
The short line railways—
the Chicago, Milwaukee &
St. Paul, the St. Paul, Min
neapolis & Manitoba, and
the St. Paul & Northern Pa
cific —afford such splendid
facilities for reaching either
St. Paul or Minneapolis from
the midway district that it
is only a question of time
when the busy people of
either city must, to econo
mize time, reside at some
one of the attractive parks
now platted. Eleven and one
half minutes is all the time
required to reach (for 1\
cents fare) the business
heart of either town; this in
warm, comfortable coaches
in winter and cool in sum
mer. Every attraction that
either St. Paul or Minneap
olis can offer in way of
amusements, social pleas
The largest development in the
Midway district is that designated
as Merriam Park. It is by far the
most attractive, select and conven
ient suburb known either to St.
Paul or Minneapolis, and is popu
lated (about evenly) by business
men of both cities. There is not,
in either city, an equal residence
area possessed by such attractive
homes, it being impossible to con
struct an inferior residence within
the confines of Merriam Park,
owing to the fact that parties pur
chasing grounds guarantee to
erect thereon a dwelling that shall
cost at least $1,500. Here, too,
is situated the most beautiful pub
lic park in St. Paul, a wooded
eminence of 12 acres extent, un
. surpassed in natural adornment.
The present development guaran
tees that Merriam Park will always
. take first place among the suburbs
of St Paul and Minneapolis in
every respect that goes to make
up a choice residence locality. Its
exact midway distance between
the business centers of the cities
assures a constantly increasing de
mand for locations there, and
ures, .etc., is distributed
equally to the favored resi
dents of the midway district.
With the great advantages
offered of quick access to
either city, residence prop
erty must perforce keep on
advancing until it surpasses
in value the best average in
St. Paul or Minneapolis.
This is something for in
vestors to carefully consider.
PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES.
If the region about Min
nesota Transfer develops
correspondingly during the
next three years with what
has been accomplished since
1882, we shall see what is
now classed as "acre prop
erty" built up solid with
warehouses, factories, eleva
tors, etc. If population in
creases in the same ratio for
three years that it has for
the past three, there will be
15,000 inhabitants in the
district. All this means that
property will be worth $10,
--000 instead of from $1,000
to $2,000 per acre as now of-,
fered by us, and that resi
dence sites now to be had at
$350 to $450 will be worth
from $1,500 to $3,ooo—and
the present outlook fully
warrants these assertions.
WHAT WE CONTROL.
We have for sale (nearly all ex
clusively in our agency) the most
desirable property in the Midway
**=
district, including "Midway
Heights/ 1 "Quinby Park," "Lov
ering's Addition to Union Park,'*
acres at $1,000 per acre in "Ken
ney's Out Lots," lots and blocks
adjoining the fair grounds, about
Hamline, near the Northern Pacific
shops, residence sites in Union
and Merriam Parks, lots on Uni
versity avenue, several fine dwell
ings—in fact any description of
property now on sale. Don't buy
until you have examined our prices.
QUINBY PARK.
In addition to the plat of "Mid
way Heights," exclusively in our
agency, we have the new and beau
tiful plat of "Quinby Park," im
mediately east of the phenomenal
Midway suburb of Merriam Park.
The C, M. & St. P. short line
divides the plat, and the principal
frontages are St. Anthony avenue
on the north and Marshall avenue
on the south. It is only four or
five minutes' walk to Merr am Park
depot on the west, or Macal
ester Park depot to be built
soon on the east, and is mid
way between Macalester college
and Hamline liversity, being
three-fourths of a mile from each.
It is the most elevated plateau be
tween the two cities, of equal ex
tent, and is unsurpassed as a build
ing location for suburban resi
dences. It is already built up to,
on the west, by the Merriam Park
development. It is immediately
opposite to Lovering's Addition to
I] nion Park. No building re3tr ic
tions are imposed, making this
especially desirable to those who
wish to buy lots in Midway district
to hold.
We also have choice residence
property in Union, Merriam and
Lovering Parks, and in Lover ing's
addion to Union Park.
H. S. FAffiCHILD & SON,
New Chamber of Commerce Build
ing, Opposite Hotel Ryan, corner
Third and Robert Streets, St.
Paul.
MERRIAM PARK.
values must therefore
increase steadily as
the years pass. At
the present time lots
are sold at low prices
for actual improvement.
Every effort has been
made to secure first-
class people, as well as
tirst-class improvements
at Merriam Park, and
the result is as select a j
social circle as may be
found anywhere. School
and church facilities
are excellent. If you
are thinking of getting
a home in this vicinity
it will pay you to inves
tigate the opportunities
offered by the terms
and conditions upon
which lots in Merriam
|rark are being sold.
What has been said of
the general develop
ments of the Midway
districts applies to Mer
riam Park. For full in
formation apply to
J. P. MOORE, Agent,
Merchants' National Bank, Corner
Jackson and Third Streets, St. Pauls