A History of the H-Holcornibe's Additions

Residential Area Stillwater, Minnesota

by Donald Empson

Fl~rzded i n part by a gr-ant frorrl the Notiorla1 Par-k Seruice Adrr~inislered by Ll~e Minnesota ITistorical Society

And Tile Hcritage Preseruotior~ Corrzri~ission o/ the

Cily of Slill~uater

S. I-Iolcombe Street

A History of the H<slcombe9s Addition Residential Area

STILLWATEII, MINNESOTA

Kcscarclicd a n d T'i'rirren hy

D o ~ ~ i . 1 ) EMI'sON

EMI'SON ARCI~IIVF~S P.O. Box791

STILLWATER, MN 55082 (651) 351-0172

Funded ill par& by a G r a n t fiorn t11r National P'7rk Senrice .4 drr~inistered by the i11irmesota Iiistorical Society

rq i~d 77ir Hcrita&re P+rr.~err.ation Con~n~issior~ o f f h e

Cir J. o f S r i U ~ . a t r r

Blll Funari

Gene Lampi

J l~n Jollnson

hlead Stone

Mary McDnnough

Ernest Peaslsc

Amy Hooley

hlorli LYeldon. C:ity Clerk

Dave hlngnusirn, City :\tloc~~c?).

Anita Ruck

Uetty Ja~~eclc:,

Betty C)sborne

Molly Sti:iv;ll-~

Jack Hoolcy

Charhe &: Nancy Hoc~lcj

I-Tow;~rd Liet~crrriiil~

Laura \\'eston

, I C I I ~ 1~ Nelsoi~

r e 1 . hl:~xpli:~

Te1.l.y 8~ hliltired 1,'ropi.r

Joseph Brosious

I3oh Rr Shirley Wel~ber

Betsy Glennon

Becky Jenkins

Deborah Landrill1

'rim No~vicke

Stephen & .4~111 hl;l.rlovl

I'eter P1 J c a l ~ hlnrie lIllarld

r\l;~rg' M. O'Rrien

Joe FIolniherg

Dorothy Gcrsorl

Dorothy Scullen

Virginia Daniels

Eiizabeth Pr Richard Coaners

L:rwrencc liyari

Elsie (.'ate5

Pat Ponath

Helen blcI<~uglit

Janles C r i m o l i ~ ~ s

Retween December 1, 1938, and J u n e I , 1999, Empson Archives conducted a National Register survey of t he Holcombe's Admtions HPPA residential a rea of Stillwater, Washington County, Minnesota. The project a rea was t he NW % of Section 33, Township 30, Range 20.

Included within t he survey area are Holcornbe's Addition to S t d w a t e r , a n d Holcombe's Second Addition to Stillwater.

The objective of the study was to conduct a n intensive historical survey of the Holcombe's Addt ions residential neighborhood bounded by, o r on a line with, South Center Street or1 the West; South Holcombe Street on the East ; West IIancock S t ree t on t he South; and West W d a r d Street on the North. There are 12' s t ructures with111 t h s survey area covering 80 acres.

The work nras conducted bet.ween L3ecernber Is', 1998 and J u n e 1 ~ 1 ,

1999 hy Donald Empson, the principal investigator; and liis wife, Iiatldcen Vahlais .

Donald Empson, the p r i n c i p ~ l investigator, meets the Secretary of tllc Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards.

Particular thanks Lo Brcnt 'I'. Peterson, a fello\v historian, and a former Cornmissioner on the Stillwater Historic: Preservation Commiss io~~ , for lus corrections to th i s rnar~uscript, and for his hringing some hs to r i c house photographs to my attention. Also many thanks to Sue Fitzgerald, coorclinator to the Stillwater Historic Preserv:ltion Commission, for her efforts in cxpeh t ing t l ~ c work o f th i s surirey.

The property types in th is swvey included dwchngs, associated garages and carriage hotlscs, outb~tildings, objecls and s t r ~ t c t u e s , and busirtesses. Thesc? properties were located, ptiotographcd and their physical de sc r i~~ t ions clocuniented. The project team colnpiled hui lhng files on each inventoried si te for the City of Stillwater's I1t:ritage l'reservation Co~nruission, A p r ~ j e c t report \\,a:; PI-epared for the City of Stillwater and for the hlinnesota S ta te Historic Preservation Office. The format of the final repo~.: is detern;ined 11y regulations of the h l innc~ota Ilistorical Society. F'rc~pert~es within the l-lolcolul)e's :ldditiona rcsidenti:~l area \\-ere evaluelcd r:,r prelinii~lnrs National ltegistcr sigruLcancu in terms or one appropriate stateiviile 1usto1.i~ c:ontexts: "St. Cro is \'alle). Triangle 12rrmberir~g (18.13- 191:1)." 'l'lli. pi.oject t e s ~ u consrtltcd the StiU\vi~tel- l~istoric context study I 1993) i n c'v;llu;lt,int: local signiticanco :~r td deterlrlined the appropri3te

context was: "Development of Resideutial Neighborhoods in Stillwater, 1850's-1940's."

This effort i s part of the on-going program of the Minnesota h s to r i ca l Society's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) which began after passage of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966, a s amended. The SHPO administers the National Register of Historic Places program in Minnesota. I n the early years of this program, the SHPO concentrated on basic inventories of the 87 counties in Minnesota on a county-by-county basis.

Stillwater established a Heritage Preservation Commission i n 1973 and, in conjunction with a federal grant from the Minnesota SHPO, contracted for is first National Register survey of the downtown commercial area in 1988. T h s study led to the placing of Stillwater's downtown commercial area on the National Register in 1991.

In 1992-3, the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Cornrnission (HPC) received a Certified Local Government: (CIA) grant ant1 sponsored a study of historic contests in the city, conducted by Rohcrt C. T'ogel and Associates.

The final report, "Stillccm!er Hisloric Cor~terls: A Cor~t.prchcr~sivc J)Iar~r~ir4$ .4pproach," was completed in July 1993. 'The Stdlwater HPC h a s divided the city's neighborhoods into I-Iistoric Preservation Planning Areas (HPI'As) and intends to proceed with syste~natic surveys of all Stillwater neighborhoods over the nest decade. I'he current report summarizes the results of the fourt,l~ HPPA to be syste~nically surx~eyed.

The four previous surveys were of the Nortti IGU (Original Town) the South Hill (Original Town), the Greeley Residential Area, and the 1)utchtown licsidential Area.

The Stillwntcr Heritage Prescrvatiori Commission has indicated tha t it will make thus survey lustory available to tlie r e ~ i d e n t s of the area.

T h e project area was the NW '/r of Section 33, Township 30 N, Range 20 W. I~lcluded within thc survey area are Holcombe's Adhtion to Stillwater and Holcombe's Second Addition to Stillwater.

We have done a thorough study of the area, despite the considerable timc and money constraints. We have used the yearly t a x assessor ' s r e c o r d s collected in the State Archves and available on microfilm, 1861-1900, a t the Stillwater Public Library--a gift of Rivertown Restoration. These records were generated much the same way they are today. Every year the t ax assessor viewed all the properties in the city and made an estimate of the market, value of the land and the improvements. By follovvitlg a property through the years, it is usually possihle to dctcrminc when the value jumped from that of n lot only to that of a lot with a b~ulding on it. 'Phis record also contairls the name of the property owner through the years. While this kind of research is tedmus in the extreme, it gave us irccurtltc information that can be found i r l no other way.

(Two previous surveys have used the date of the building found or1 the assessment card a t the tax assessor's office. Before the turn of the centui-y, thcse dates are notorio~rsly inaccurate, an admission readily made by the tax assessor's office itself.)

Rivertown Restoration recently paid t.o have the Stillwater bui ld ing p e r m i t appl ica t ions , 1886-19.10, microfdmed. They, along with an indes cornpiled by Kay Thueson: are available a t the Stillwater I'uhlic Library. The applications give the date of building, the size of thc structure, name of the owner, so~netimes the name of the h d d e r and architect, and other incidental information. There are also applications for repairs and remodeling. This information was invaluable and essential for t h s study.

There are useful records available in the \?'ater Depar tmen t , t h e F i r e D e p a r t m e n t , and the Pub l i c Worlcs D e p a r t m e n t and in the Minu tes of t h e S t i l lwater City Counci l that have xiever been irsed before. The S a n b o r n 11isu1-nrlce Rlaps did not illustrate thci residential area, but they wrre useful in followi~lg the lustory of thc sorne of the husinesses. 'I'hcre arc* a number of unpubl i s t lcd r r~a t iusc r ip t s and somc pub l i shed reininiscetlces \vluch contained useful i~dor~uat ion , but since tiley :11.c often inaccurate, we only quoted the111 when n.e c o d d verify i.lii'ir inforrnntion from another source. In general, we usid onl j - or ig ina l sourccs fo r our rescarcli.

For l-isual aids, thcrc are tu.0 Bircl's Eye View Maps of S t i l lwa te r drawn in 1869, and again in 1879. With their accurate representations of each house and building, these were extremely useful, and we reproduced sections of both maps in the text of this report.

We t a lked t o t h e res idents of the area in cases where we had some uncertainties, when convenient we obtained copies of P r o p e r t y Ahstracts . We also used the land records a t the office of the Recorde r of Deeds.

We also used the S t i l lwater Ci ty Director ies; consulted the loca l newspaper s on microflrn a t the Stillwater PubLic Library, and p~ l r s r~ed other research materials that were useful.

We incorporated the information gleaned from our research iri the context of Iiobert Vogel's Stillwater Historic Contexts and other research done previously in Stillwater.

We reblewed the survey worlc on the properties prepared by the S t i l l ~ a t e r Her~tagc Preservatio~i Commission.

We identified, dated, and cataloged t.he 122 properties in the Preservation I'lanrung Area in the manner required by the Minnesota Historical Society.

We discussed ttie arcllitectural styles i n the Preservatio~l P l a n ~ n g Arca and compared them to other Stillwater neighborhoods.

We photographed all properties

We have prepared a report that describes the dcveloplnent of the area, recorrlmendations for futiue s u v e y work, and evnluated the possibility of properties that might he eligible for local historic designation and/or eligible for the National Iiegist,er of Hist.oric Places. We :Ire not rrlaking any ~lominations owselve.?. \?'c have discussed any possible planning methods for preservation of historic s t~ .uc t~ucs , landscapes, and ncigllborhoods.

\17e have attended three meetings rvitli the Stillwater H.P.C

, > Ilic work Ivas cortducled between Decenlber lqt, 1998 and June 1s' . 1999 by Donald Empsorl, the princiljal investigator and his wife, Iiathlcen \'adnais.

~ o l c o m b e ' s Additions a re one of the oldest neighborhoods in Stillwater. Before the Civil War, when most of Stillwater's population was concentrated i n the "origi1~a1 basi~Lil of the downtown area, the Holconlbe neighborhood was flourishing with approximately 75 homes, and a population of around 300 peop!e. However, these homes were not the s a n d Victoria~l mansions \ire !ike to associate with Stillrvater; instead many of them were the sma!! one-story, two-room houses {:hat were typica! of the economy around the n~iddle of the 19'" century.

Corn~nencing with the increasing prosperity c ~ f the 1870's. the process of replacing these first small inexpensive houses with larger homes begall. This process of removal accelerated in the early years of the 20th century when many of these houses, now decrepit and ill disrepair, \Irere simply dcmolished. By the time of the post World War I1 building boolu, many Jo!u that had once coritairled houses had fa!len vacnn!

After Mrorld R'a- 11, Holcornbe's Adchtion enjoyed a builduig 11ocui. These new homes were built either on lots that had previor~sly cnntained one of the earliest. homes, or on side lots tha t had heen attached to one of the older homes remaining. Over half of t h e houses standmg today in !lo!cornbe's AdGtions have heen h ~ u l t since World War !I.

Yet, despite the i n f l l ~ ~ of more recent dwel!ings, t!lere still reniai!is in ma11y parts of the neig!tborhood, a semblance of the earliest history, a gliinpse of the past, a sense of how the original area uiight have appeared.

If the remn;ints of the past are nurtured and preserved, Ilolco~nbe's Adcbtions can serve as a reminder and example of one of St,illwater's first, neighborhoods. Bu t if'11ew constructioll, u~lsympathetic to history, contiliucs, and if the residents do not Iiusl~nnd and protect their hisloric: heritage, then soon I-IoIco~iibe's Additions will lose its unique flavor, ancl I~ecome, to all appearance, another suburban enclave.

Dedicated to

Kathleen Vadnais

my wife, partner, editor, research associate, proofreader, caretaker

ike most of his fellow soldiers i n Captain Smith's Second Regiment of IUinois Volunteers, Private Asa J. H i was sick; sicker than he had ever been before i n his entire Me. L W e

camped in tlie Mexican desert, just south of the Fbo Grande River, ~ l lness and chsease were killing many more soldiers than the Mexican Army, against whom they were supposed to be waging war.

The year was 1847, and United States President, James I<. Polk, had declared war on Mexico. At issue was the territory today occupied by the states of Texas, New Mexico and California, land which had belonged to Mexico and Spain for centuries. When the Mexican government refused to sell these disputed territories to the United States for 30 mdlion dollars, P o k provolted an attack by the Mexicans a s an excuse for a military invasion.

Congress overwhelmingly approved the declaration of war, hut the sc!ntirnent across the United Stat.es was divided. Democrats, especially those in the Southwesf,, strongly favored the contlict. Most m u g s viewed Polk's motives as conscienceless land grabbing. And Abolitionists saw tlie w a r as an attempt by the slave states to extend slavery arid enhance their power when additional slave states were created out of the soon-to-be-acquired Mexican lands.

Rut Private Hill had no phlosoplucal reasons for fighting in this war, nor was he there for the $8-a-month pay an army private received. k?causc cnt1~~1si:~sru and enlistment in the army had dwindled in the second year of the war, Congress had to resort t o a n extraordmary inducement: a land huunty . According to the Ten Regiments Act of 1847, regular arid volu~lteer sol&ers slgning up for a year's duty in the Mexican War were to receive a l(iO acres of unclailued public land in the form of a M h t a r y Land Warrant.

In issuing these Land Warraiits, there was much Congressional discussiori as to ~vhether tlie W x r a n t s shoiild be assignable: whether the soldier could use the \.IT:~rrant only for h n s e l f , or whether the Warrant could he assigned, or sold, to a third party. The debate ended with the 11rovision that the N'arriults co~rld be assigned or sold to a t h u d party.'

Thits it Xvas that ivhen IliU ret~lrl ied to lllir~ois after his year of illness a n d <Val. in ~ l i c luilitary service, hc bvns able to sell lus 1 G O acrct iyarrant for

' The r3sclnating sru!y oi thesc hi i l j rary Land Warrants is well told 111 S L T L ~ b'l1Il1~11i~Ac~1-s. & J I ~ ~ c & ~ I

I I b f r I I ' a by lalnes U' Oherly. Kcnr State Ilnivcrsit) I'rcss. 1990

<I

Fr.on~ Mexico to Mirtr~esotn, 1847.1858

approximately $15n - niore tha!? t!le total sum of his entire year of militarj- pay a t $8 a month.

After passing through the hands of a middleman, or broker, Asa Hill's Mexican War Land Warrant ended up in the hands of Stlllwater land surveyor and lumberman, MaNon Black, who paid approximately $160 for the Warrant, or $1 a n acre. On January 10, 1851, Black applied a par t of, or "located," thus bla& check for 160 acres t o t h e 40 acres i s the NW % of the MV % of Section 33, T30N, R20W.z Today this area is in Stillwater between or on a Line with S. 'enher Street, W. Hancock Street, S. WilLiam Street, and VIr. Willard Street. (See Page 12). If B!ack had purchased tbis same land directly from the U.S. Government, he would have had to pay the minimum price per acre: $1.2.5. By using a Warrant., he saved himself $40, a mont11's wage i n those days.

Samuel Leech, on the ot!ler hand, was not a s fortunate a s Black, for he paid the minimum government price of $1.25 a a acre w h e i ~ he purchased the adjoining 40 acres of the NE ?4 of the NW 'A of Section 33 on April 2, 18.19.:; Todey this area is between or on a line with S. Wi!liam Street, W. Hancock Street, W. Willard Street, and S. Holcombe Street. (See Page 12).

Three-and-a-half years after he purchased l ~ i s tract of land, Maldon Black sold his 40 aces to another S tdwa te r pioneer, Samuel Burk!eo, who paid $160, or $4 an acre for t!le property, giving Elack a 400% returl: on his original investnlent:l Two y e x s later, in i l ~ ~ g u s t uf 1855, 13urltleo sold the same 40 acres to Stillwater business~nan and entrepreneur, \Vikan? Holco~tlbe for $600, or $15 a n acre."

Samuel Leech waited. almost. five years to sell his tract of land, but in October of 1854. 11e sold his 40 acres to William Holcomhe for $400, or $10 a n a c ~ : e . ~

These two plrchases gave \Vi!!iam Holcombe 80 ecrc: on the flatlaiitl above do\vntown Stillwater, in t!le area near and around Lily Lake.

' L) Uceds 612 \'ilarranr %32.6'98 " Deeds 57 O Dceas ;Zu

-, i; D c ~ ~ s i% I - ' I: needs 67. F Deeds :ij(j

On the western frontier of Minnesota, the 1850's were boom years, and optinlism was a t a n all-time peak. The eastern part of the state, and i ts cities, including Stillwater, were growing rapidly, and the one thing every newcomer needed was land: land to farm, land to Live on, land for commercial enterprise. The businessmen of Stillwater were well aware of this demand, axid many of them bought tracts of land Lo develop into b d d i n g lots.

W&am Holcombe was no exception, and 011 J u n e ath, 1855, he platted the 40 acres he had bought fieom Samuel Leech into b d d i n g lots - most of them 50 feet by 150 feet - under the name of Holcombe's Addtion to S tdwa te r . Four months later, he platted thc 40 acres he had purchased from Samuel Rurkleo into b ~ u l h n g lots under the name of Holcombe's Second A d d i t i ~ n . ~ (See Pages 12 & 13).

The 1ot.s were generally of good quality for bui ldngl but in the ~ lor thcas t quarter, Blocks 1,2,3,6,7,8, there is a large ravine running diagonally tlwough the properties. This ravine, which may have extended a s far a s Lily Lake, continued east out of Holcornbe's Addition on what once may have been a route downtow11 and t,o the river.

W h e n a developer &\rides llis acrcs into Imilding lots, hc has to add streets to provide access to all the lots. 111 provihng the streets, the developer also riaules them, and such was tlie case in Ilolcombe's Additions. In the normal course of events, the lots would he laid out, surveyed, platted, and the streets narned and registered l~efore any of the lots were sold. Hotvevel-, in IIolcombc's Additions, the streets were named for some of the first people buying lots. Perhaps those people for whom the streets were r~amed had indicated an interest in bi~ying a lot, or even put uioney down towards the purchnsc of a lot. I~efcore the lots wcre surveyed and completely ready for sale.

Not. all of tlie ori@nxl. slrec?L narues remain. In 1881, the Stdlwater C ~ t y Council chauged sollie of't.lic. origin:d street n : ime. Their intent was

~~ ~p~ .

' A I'lats 5 i . A Plats 5:'

SURVEY ARM

NW % of Section 33, Township 30 N. Range 20 W.

W. IT'illard Street

NW 114 NE 114 of (40 acres) I of (40 acres)

NW 114 NW 114

Holcombe's Second I Holcombe's Addition Addition

W. l iar~cock Str-eet

- "d : . -

0 0 I _ : SKr 114 : w L SE 114 G 1 L o f (40 acres) of

I 6 (40 ocri:s) 2 : NMT 114 E : z : : a -- NW 114 G r - - .-

: 2 oj I

: vj

- w 2 5 m a S a U - s vj

Frnni Afesico to Minnesota, 1847-1858

Fronl M e x i c o t o Mirzrzesota, 1847-1858

that all those streets which ran on the same course would have the same name tlroughout its length.x

Moses S. Willard and his wife, Mary Ann, bought Lots 1 to 6, Block 2, from William Holcombe on February 12, 1856 for a total price of $100. A couple of weelts later, \Irillard sold Lots 4, 5, & 6 to Mahlon Black for $125." On Lots 1,2 & 3, five years before the Civil War, Wdlard built a house in which tie lived until 1882. There is a mention in the local newspaper tha t on December 1, 1856, " t h r e e d e e r u l a r ~ d e r e d i r ~ t o towrL pass i r~g i r ~ full v i e w of M. S. Cl'illnrdj: res ider~ce . " lO Today thus Greek Revival house built in 1856, remains a t 703 Rr. Willard Street. Unfortunately, recent changes have destroyed much of its historical appearance.

\Yillnrd was horn in New Hampshire in 1813, and came to Stillwatcr in 1855 where he ran a furniture and cabinet making business until his retirement in 1882. (When William Holcombe died in 1870, it was Moses Willard who made his casket and charged the estate $65.") After his retirement, \Yillard spent some time in California, before returning to New England. He died a t his sister's home in Francestown, N. H., on February 20, 1888." His wife, Mary Ann, had died in Stillwater in April 1879, from a heart attack that occurred when she was leaving the house one Sunday morning lo attend serllce a t the Uruversalist Church.l3

Mil ton H. and Mary J. Ahbott bought several lots fi.om ViJ&am Holcomlie. Lots 1,2,3 in Block 8 (the location of the houses a t '70" 706 S.

Wrd~nai ice No i? The ('hansr and Ordinar~cey~oLtheL~ty ofStillwater Conlpiled by C f . Gregov, Clly 4ttolriey Stillwater, I.u~iibennan Steani P r i i l t i i l ~ Co. 1 8 8 1 r Dccds 226, F Decds 322

'' liision-[tIir St Cr i is Valley~by Aug~stus A Easton. Editor-in-Chief. Chicago, 11 (' Coopcr 1r Pi CO . 1909 t'nse 8 1

" Wa.;liin.non ('{iunty I'robate Court. File X226 Ii &I:>? o f ~ ~ S f l r o i . ; \'allevhy Aug~istus B f:arton, Editor-in-Chief, Cfucago. I 1 C Cooper Jr & Co .

1909 1'n.e 1 2 4 I ' S/I/!IL,<TI~,, h / c : ) > c , , ~ p r , hlarcl~ 5 , 188s.

Holcombe S t , today). Abbott purchased Lot 4 from Hollis Murdocli; the total price for the fotw lots purchased in 1857 was $200.'1 A Little over a year later, Abbott sold the four lots t,o another Stillwater resident, Samuel J. R. McMillan, for $1,200. Tha t price included the substantial house - w i t h room for their four children and servant girl, Mary Cantwell - tha t the Abbotts had built on their lots . I 5

hlilton Abbott was a newspaperman: the second editor o f Stdlwater's first newspaper, T h e S t . Croix Union. In his newspaper, he wrote several t imes about his residence and the area around it.. His accounts give u s some wonderful descriptions o f th is neighborhood u-hen i t was first settled. They also give us considerable insight into the kind o f m a n Abbott was, a m a n who sounds surprisingly contemporary in his feelings about "urhan sprawl." Thi.c description o f himseLf, and Ilolcombe's Addition was written in 1855, several years heforc the Civil War when Stillwater was just a fledgling village.

'71 is relotcci of il)ar~icl Iloor~e, that h.e could r~ot be corrier~trd excep/. I L I ~ I ~ I L irr :lie ruilderrless, far i r ~ advar~cc o/ cic~ilizotiort. '17~is spirii prorr~ptcd I L ~ I I I to leniic North Carolilln, a r ~ d explore, ar~d trltirl~ately settle ill, the wilds of Ker~tuclzy; a ~ t d ~cilter~ Ifer~tt~clzy becoilre sori~c?u)llat settled up by the whites, ar~d lllcy lrad gathered arourtd his possessior~s there, he agair~ rr~oued, nr~d settleil irt, thi! i1er.j outskirts o f Missouri. Ifc seertied to deligl~t ill t l ~ c toild grar~deur of the ul~tot~clred forest arid 1111 brokrrt prairie; orrd he uias irr his r~af[cr.al elcr~ier~t uilrile ltnrllirrg tltc deer, n r~d bear, or~d br~ffalo. Though a crery 1~11,11tarre c1rt.d arrtiable rrrara, /Ire refir1errto~1.s or~d 1~171,ries of cieiili~otior~ ltcrtl but f e i ~ C ~ L ~ I ~ I I I S for- /~irrt.

Boorte riias rtol rrlorte i r ~ lltis {efdi~~g.-He ei'ns a type or r.c~jreserrtoli~~c of o rr~r~rer-ous class of citizer~s. There o1.c ?LOW

t11.ousa11ds ~ o l ~ o possess his spirlt i r ~ kind, if rr.ot i r ~ d e ~ c e . 77rc.y arc? euery~ril~cre sctr/rcrcd oi1c.r tile vast dor~rairr of / , /LC U. Stotcs, 6trt tlte31 riray bc folrrrd clriefly irr tllc Territor-ics arld frorti io.~ of llrc I L P I O States. Ci'c ltac'e sor~re o f tlt.er~r irr Mir~rt~esotu-ar~d (r!iror~g /111?111 cue cluss orcr l ~ c ~ ~ i ~ b l e self! Yes-IOC I I ~ I ' C tlre fc~1i11,g ic,l~icl~ led Du1lil.1 ROOILC 10 ~ r a e f r o A! Cnro1irr.a to I < ~ I I L I I L C I ~ ~ ~ , artd fro111 I < ~ I L / I I c / : ~ to 4lissour-i. Li l~e I t i r r t , eoe do 1101

lil:;: to 6~ loo close13, crrcil.orrcd by tlrc odi:arrcir~g lrordcs of

F ~ a m Mexico to iliin~~esota, 1847-1858

elbo~c~r.oor~l. Il'e ~ o n r ~ t a good large spot for play-grour~ds; a l ~ d for pasture for a horse, a cow, a few fat porkers, a Shar~ghai r.ooster artd his seraglio of herts. AIL^ above all, we war~t to live ~1111ortg rrlert of liberal ideas; rrlerL o f gercerorrs a r ~ d er~r~obl ir~g irt~pu,lses-rrrel~ who roil1 r~ot 'lficker" all day lor~g for five cer~ts, as sorrre of then2 will i r ~ the der~sely populated portiorcs of the States.

It is b e c a ~ ~ s e we possess such a spirit that we, last s p r i ~ ~ g , settled up ou,r affairs i r ~ Zllir~ois, tore ourselves away frorrt rraar~y pleasarct rerr~en~brar~ces a r ~ d associatior~s o f the past o ~ ~ d turr~ed our face Mi~e~~eso ta-ward . M'e for~dly flattered ourself that there we sl~orrld see the s a r ~ ~ e scer~es, a r ~ d live r~early the sarrre life that we sou1 ar~d li.oerl ire the early history o f t l ~ e great sucker State. LTre ~var~ted agair~ to see the wild deer, as , with ir~fircite agility ar~d grace he bour~ded over his ocvr~. choser~ harrr~ts; we rcrished ogairi, to see the Iirnirie-l~cr~-pcr.~lr.a~~ce to eat; hirr1;-rue desired or~ce rrrorcc to hear the uidd / I O I U / o f rlze ri?olf,-arcd abooe all, we ~i'o~rtctl to see, os uie had seer1 i r ~ Illirtois, the red nrc7rc of the forest, iir, all Itis toggery a r ~ d r11ajest3'.

T'l1,is was the feelir~g-these were sorrte of the reasorLs 1iil~icI1 ir~duced us bo er~ligrate to i2dir~rr.esota. I+'her~ we started, rr!c did r~ot e.rpect to locate ire Stillroater. We were u ~ ~ d e r S O I I L ~

obligatiorcs to go elsc!ruhere; but the Excelsior 1tapperr.ed to corrre up Lahe St. Cr.oix before goirrg to St. Paul, a r ~ d this turr~ed the scale-llrough, at tlce tirt~c, we were rlot aware o f it. Had the Escclsior gorte to Sa ir~ t Paul first, ire all probability uje shoc~ld lrcrc~c bcrrr, ~ I L S t . Paul ILOIL' . But it. u ~ a s otlreru~ise ordairced, arcd we settletl i.11 Sfi1lu:ater i r ~ cor~secluctcce.

Hi, rust 1x2 plniie. Vii! corrfcss u ~ e did rtot altogether like the appcarnrlce of Stillwater. Ctre adrrrired the beautiful Lake S t . CI-O~.Y-LLIC adi~rircd the e.xcellertf n r ~ d beacrtiful fish which occasior~ally lccrjied frorn it,s waters-rue loved the pure sprir~gs rcil~ich cartce gc~sllircg arr.d s j~orkl ir~g fro111 its hill-sides, a r ~ d above all ~ u c roere er~raptu.r.cd rciitll llle 1:ir~dr~ess nr~d hospitality of its citi~icr~s. But tile S ( I I L ~ a11.d tile rrugged h.ills, ar.d sorne other. t/iir~.gs, ~ L ' P rlirl rrot ultogc?tl~i?i. farccy. A day or. two after our. ur~r.ioa/, r1.r cssayed to clirrr b orle of flcese sarire rugged hills;-ar~d ioc succc~cclctl, cliril tl~oug11.t u ~ c lrnd c~cl~icved wor~ders!

Fron~ Mexico to Minnesotu, 1847.1858

beir~g deterrrrirled O I L , the rLext step was to procurc a l~ousc to live I I L till one could be built; but Stillwaier t l ~ e r ~ rcias very rnuch like it is now, althougl~ 105 dwellir~g l~ouses have sir~ce beer1 built- there were I L O oacar~t hou.ses to rerlt;16 but after a feu) days, Capt. Holcorr~bepartially fitted u.11 his old dwellir~g-I~ouse O I L Mair~ st- a r~d here we lived for several weeks.

The nest step was to rrcnke preparatior~s for building--or, rather, to select a lot or lots u.por~ wl~icla to build. wi th this erad i r ~ view, we traveled orier, artd scar~rled closely, every part o f the land ruithir~ the preserLt limits of the city of Stillwater. As for t l ~ e city proper-uie rtlea.rL the rrlairz, bu,sir~ess part-we passed that by ir11rrrediate1.y for these reasoas: I . T l ~ e lots i r ~ it were laeld at high rates. 2. Feu1 u~arcted to sell at arLy price. 3. We tho't tlaerc, ( U I L ~ S O we t l ~ i r ~ k /LOLO) that this pur-t of Stillruo!er will c~ltirr~ately bc br~ilt rcp cc>ith large brtsirress l~orrses, nr~d that t l ~ e families licir~g there cvill have lo talte to tl~.c! hills ct!crt.tuallj.

Ll'e I L C * . ~ U I ~ I L ~ OU,! I I L the dir-ectiorr o f AI'Kusick's Lake. There are sor~rc deligiatful spots orit t l ~ n t way, but we were fearfil t l ~ n ! scarcely would we get our te11.i pitcl~cd there, crc sortre specrclatir~g Yar~kee u~ould puwchose Johrc il.l'K~~sick's rlrill property, ar~cl erect several rrtar~.r~fac/ories tltereorc;" a r~d luith ou.r rlatior~s of fror~tter life, ar~d clboru-roorri, or~d ir~cleper~der~ce, the reader- car1 cosily see .(,hat this tvor~ld very rr~aterially irtierfcre. So toe corrclr~ded r~ot to lioe illere.

U'e rr.ert r~isitcd Carli dt. Sclrrller~.br~rg's Additior~. to Still~~~ater.'"rli tlrere rc~er-e ir~supc:rable objectioris to scttlir~g there.- T7t.er.e was Sclrr~lerr,b~~.rg's big rr~ill, givir~g err~ployrrler~t to fifly or sixty har~ds , day u r ~ d t~iglit,-tc~l~ocliirLg ar~d thwackir~g, t l ~ r a s l ~ i r ~ g ar~d claslrir~g, ~ U L a d snulir~g ir~cessarc.tly. Bcsides t l~ere ruere too rrrar~y buildir~gs goir~,g up. I t woudd S O O I L

be dcr~sely p e ~ ~ ~ l e d , clr~d this ujould irrrpir~ge our ideas of elbo~o- roortc arid trrde~~cr~derr,ce. So toe retraccd our steps ar~d wer~t ciorr~r~ [he Lol:e etjoi. 11eyor~d Sk~ples ' sau? r t ~ t l l . ~ V h e rt~ill itself

Id The 1850 ' s broo_~l~t m a n y i i r l n i i ~ r a i ~ t s to h~linr~ciofa, there was a chronic sllonage ofhousing iri evcry cily a n d v~llaac

' ' l o poiver h i s sarmil l do\rnrou,r~, hl iKusick divened Brown's Creek into Lake hlcKusick and drained ti le lake d r ~ w n a ravirie heginning at ( l o d a y ) L.aui-el & O ~ v e n j Srrcets Beiallse rile ravine liad r v a r z ~ ~ flo\vins 1l110ugh i r , and lllcrefore, ivarcr poivcr. McKusick always figurrd to sell t l ~ a t ravinr land a s comn~crci:il propeny to h s i ~ s c ~ i hy a nirrnber o f t iater porvcred niills I f a d he succeeded, much of the North I [ i l l brould liavc bccn a n ilidustriai sttc

" I)urch~o\\~i, Scc ~ ~ ~ t ! ~ l _ i ~ i y ~ l ~ ~ ~ \ ~ ~ r c l t i ~ Rcj&~nu&?\c'iib). Donald Enlpson. I908 I' I i e rscy & Stal, lch : A d d ~ t i o i ~ , rhc arc..? soutl~esst o f E \\'rllard Sirc.i.1 a ~ i d S1\711 Avenue

1;'r.orn h~l(!rico to Minnesota, 1847-I858

runs fair.1~ alitic u~itlr coor/trr~er~; a r ~ d heyorrd it we SCILL' I11QILy s igr~s of in11~rovcrrter~t. IVe plair~.ly perceived that it would r~o t be at all prudent for 11s to atterrlpt to locate a r ~ y u ~ h e r e i r ~ t l ~ a t directior~. Too rr~uch was going O I L there-too rrlarLy were rnakir~g preporatior~s for buildir~g. It u,ill r~o t be long ere Baytowrr and Stillwater roil1 rrzcet, a r ~ d had we built there, we should have beerr i n a pretty fi.x-cuouldi~t ule?

? l ~ e or~ly course left u s uias to clirrlb the liills a r ~ d take a surL1e.y of Nelsor~k Additiorr to S t i l l ~ a t e r . ? ~ M% did so, a r ~ d four~d the lots attrnctir,c-nay, bewitchir~g. Hut Arelsorr,-we could rLot f i r~d A~elsor~-lae uras o f f sorr~ewhere. Besides, to tell the whole t ru th , rrrore irrlpro~~err~ent was beir~g rrlade there th0 .1~ we liked. We foresan~ that very soorr. it toould be filled u p , and irr~proved like a city; n r ~ d therr, fareulell to our cow, a r ~ d pigs, arrd poultry, arrd e.utert.der1 play-grourtds, and gar.derr. So, with a sadder~ed heart, arlrl heoriy s k p , uJr werLt docorr, i r~ to Stillwater proper agairl; orltl rc3c ca.sunl1.i; r~~erc.tior~cd orrr- troubles to Capt. Ilolcorirbe. M'c acqunir~teri hi111 tuit,l~ O I L I tastes, orrd told l ~ i r i ~ ~ ~ l l l a t U J F u~arrted. Ile irr~rrledSately ir~for.rr~ed cis tllol he could suit 11s e-uactly; tlmt ire o u ~ r ~ e d several acres directly back of , a r d adjoir~ir~g Nelsorlk A d d i t i o ~ ~ to St i l l~oater, arrd t l ~ o t i f cue would build out. tkcre, tue sl~oclld r~ot tuar~t for roorr~. at all. W r a t a jojo~es ~ I L I L O ~ L I L C C I I I C I L ~ ! \lie felt r r ~ t ~ c l ~ like ertlbracir~g the I I I ~ I L -

beet ule d idr , '~ . CITe or~ ly ri~errt w i th lrbrr~ out to the larrd he spake o f , artd we,-e dc l ig l l , t r r l . There uias rt.ot a ILOUS(I, or fer~ce U . P O I L it . It ~c 'as wild c ~ r ~ r l rcr~cultiucrted. It was precisely a s it was w h e r ~ t l ~ c rerl I I I O I L of 1h.c forest roarr~ed or.!er it a r ~ d we ir~ragir~ed U P

co~rld see sorue o/ his footprirrts. T l ~ e r~cc~rest r~eigl~bors were Asa 13. Crecr~ arrrl his cxeellcr~t lady,-ar~d t l ~ e y ruere rr,carly a quarter o f a rnile distnr~t; so thero cuas ILO dar~ger 1 1 ~ 0 1 we should fall out arrd q~tarrel about r~eiglrborlrood rr~altcrs. I I L our. peregrir~atio;cs a r ~ d per.arr~br~lntior~s we saeu several o f the little a r ~ i r ~ ~ a l s here called gop/rer.s-slcc/?, actbve, rr.iri~blc, soiccy clraps-artd several arct-I~ills. 771is roas deligl~t/trl! Mfe i l ~ s t a r ~ t l y rrler~tully said 'May r~ot s i ~ c h sig11.t~ orrly be O I L earr~csf o f soriietlrir~g better a r ~ d greater-? Ilor~lrtlcss sholl yet see deer OIL^ l ~ c a r tile prairie- rc'oid o ~ ~ t here. ' ;irto' irr illis t l ~ i r ~ g I L ~ 11.aoc11 '/ bre11 rleceived.

I,irell: u ~ : rr~crst rrtahc a lor~g stor.), s l~ort , for tue begirl to tire o f illis l~istoriccrl I-crbicrc,. I I ' P were so pleased tuill~ rL:ery t l ~ i r ~ g irr

. -~ .

".' Tile South H~ll

fr-or11 hur~rar~ habital io~~s-i ts distarlce fr-or11 tile Lolte, beir~g j ~ ~ s t a Ilalf rrrile-its cool ar~,d prlre breezes-its gophers, arld its ar~tl~ills-that we cor~cluded, at orlce, to put u p a s h a r ~ t ~ our tl~ere;"-ar~d th is resolutior~ ~ I L due tirne, was carried i r~ to effect tlr.rough the help of Delar~o who furrrisl~ed the s e a s o r ~ ~ d lurrlber,--nrrd Pcr~rley u ~ h o bossed the job; arrd a rnt~stochioed fellow wllo pailt.ted it,-ar~d our rrlagor, who Ilauled the luruber-,-arrd h2acon1.b & Sirr~psor~, ulho furr~ished the nails, hir~ges, locks, &c,-ar~d LIrillirr~, ex-Represerrtiue, ulao plastered i t , - a d Captain Holcorrtbe, who watched t l ~ e whole proceedir~gs wi th rnore that1 paterrla1 ter~derr~ess a r ~ d arrxiety.

M'e say tirat i r ~ due tirrle, it uias fir~ished ar~d we rr7ovcd into il. Btrt hardly had th is beer1 accorlrplished, wi~el i or~e day toe saw, just across 'Abbott st' -a laen~! -~~repara th~s for buildirlg ilrree horises! U'e /lad for~dly irrlagir~ed that wc had stepped ruiL11orr.L tlre pale of ciuiliratior~, arid tllot our lear rest r~eigl~bor rvorrld be Aso U . Greert, i l ~ e sheri f f , but alas! I L ~ L L ' ue1.y r~iuch ~irc r~;cre rrristnkert. Or, inquiry, u)e four~d tlzot orte o f our I I .CI IJ

rr~iglrbors ions o l~.ard-tuorkir~g, u~hole-sotlled I ~ ~ S ~ I I I ~ I L , Cavli t?, r~ar~re '~; that a r ~ o t l ~ r r iLlas a carperLter, Srrritl~ by r~arr~e; a r~d that [./LC uther Ci'illard'", the Fil.rrr.iture-Dealer a r~d cabitbet-rt~aker. LT'ell a s there is r ~ o help for it , toe fool{ it quietly, ar~d of rrecessity rrlode it a virl~cc. Ir~tLeed, O I L reuicwirrg tile rr!holc? i~latler over, felt ratller pleased i l ~ a r ~ 0~11er.wisc. IVe r~aturally like a decerlt Irishrrror~.; the cnrperLter we rrrig1~1 I L ' O I L ~ at sorrre future tirrre, a r~d Mr. Li.'. cor~.ld f u r r~ i s l~ 11s u l i t / ~ iuhal firrr~ilur-e we r~light l~ced , lo say r~.ofl~irtg o f social cor~sideratior~s. 13ul scarcely i ~ o d we tlrtts c~cqc~iesced i r ~ tlris state of t l ~ i r ~ g s I I I I L ~ I I . allother d l ~ e l l i r ~ g shot, u p sou t l~ o f trs, 11.~1011 lots irrrr~cediatcly odjoir~ir~g ours. Oh! horrible. Il'e sorrrc t12.otr.ght of ,~ull ir~g I L ~ J stakes right o f f , a r ~ d rrlakir~g ar~ollier fresi~ start, hu,t or1 fircdir~g tlmt the bnilder ulas r~bne otlzcr t l ~ a r ~ lllc Keu. A. C. Per~r~ock", we cor~clu.dcd to rerr~aill n ~rjhilc lor~ger.

Bu / tc?lty slrot~lrl {lie errrrrr~erate? Suffice it to say it llns beell, orlc coi~.tir~rtcd nct of orcrorrclrr~icr~t o r ~ d aggressior~ ervr sir1c.e. Ili, scttled ill. Ifolcorrrbe~ Additior~ to Stillwoter rrlair~,l,y because iijc srlpposed u!c skntrl0 bc isulcilcd; hrtt ILV hatje heeri ruost .cntlly diso l~poi~ l ted . 171~: ruac le o f er~~i.gr.aliorr has alrendy

-

'' b h o t t ' s house w a s in rh,: l i~c;~tlori o f 702 & 706 S klolcoinbe St today 3 ,

Janles Carley ~vl,azz s i i n n d house in this locatiori reniains at 60.) \V \\'illaid 'I hloses \\'illard ~ijhncc lioliss renlairls at 703 a' \\'illaril today 2 .

' l'ec~nock's I ~>LL \? !\as )!I t11c lncat,or~ o f 610 I\' ('11urcl11Il rods)

Front Mexico lo Minnesota, 1847-1858

rolled o quarter of a rrrile beyor~d 11s-eve11 or~t to Lilly Lake. Iiorcses 11nuc g o ~ ~ e up as i f by rlr,agic. Most o f therrr, too, are good orLes. O i ~ e , brlllt b31 t l ~ e Receiver, is worth about $6,000, a r ~ d ar~oti~er corrrrrler~ced by Rev. T. M. F~~l ler torr .~~ , will cost about the sari~e Q I I ~ O U I L ~ . T ~ I L C , our r~eighbors are of the best-arttor~g the111 are Rev. J. A. Russell ar~d I~ i s antioble lady26-but rul~at does all illis a~iail U ~ / I . ~ I L one is actuated by the urlfet.tered, uilrestrair~ed spirit of Boor~e? Not or~ly have our fondest l~opes thus beer^ cru,sl~ed outright, but t l~ere is a prospect that they will sl~ortly u,r~dergo a still f ~ ~ r t h e r ar~d equally ruthless lac era ti or^. Do you ir~qr~ire IIOLC.? Several acres of l o r~d , lyir~g irr~rr~ediately south and west of Dr. Puggsley's dwellir~g-wf~iclr, ruher~ we carrx to Stillruater., uiere said to be owlr.ed by keirs, a r ~ d cor~sequer~tly could r~ot be sold 1~11,til the your~gest becarrre of age,--have recer~tly bee11 purciaascd by Parker, Tlror~rpsorr. & Mower, ar~d sorrre of i f is I L O I ( ' odrlertisrd for sale irl the Unior~?'. Not or~ly so but t l ~ e y 1~ac.c crrt out a street, a i d t,hrrs despoiled t11.e rjrear~derir~g a r ~ d sequcstcrcd pat11 irr, w l ~ i c l ~ r~le tro1~e1 daily i r ~ goirlg to a r ~ d frorrr O I L I - o f f i c~; arid as o cor~sequer~.cc we lloru tr.auel over Nelsori's $700 grade.28 Judging rhe fntu,rc by the past, all that por.tior~ of Stillulater so or^ be built up, and dotted over uiitlt corr~fortable d~uel l i i~g l~orrses, rucll filled wit11 ir~rlr~striou,~ ar~d cor~terr.ted irr.lrat~itar~ts.

IT!eIl: we rrrigltt, possibly, rvith great difficulty, Orir~g our rrrir~d to sribrrrit to all this bustle a r ~ d irr~pr.oucrr~cr~f; this rutl~less despoilir~g of hratrir-c's bcatrty a r ~ d corrrelirress; b ~ ~ t it i s said tllat <I Railroad rllibl soorr bc built betweer1 Stillroato- 0rr.d St. Par~l; ar~d !/rot it ~i!ill rtrrt ocry close to our dorrricil! And r~ot o r~ ly so, O I L ! it is soid t h ~ Directors ir~ter~d erecting a depor r ~ p o i ~ orLe corrrer o for~e of ortr lots!2.9 Uhat shall we do? 1.if7tat corrrse shall rue pursr~e? Slzall we agalr~ flee to the wilderr~css? Suppose ule sl~ould-culrat g~car-arltcc have we t l~a t we s l~al l r~ot agair~ be oo~rtalrer~ 6y irrlrrrigrc~tior~~s f11.11 uiavc? il'l~o carr. say t.l~at Railroads will rlot c!c~.,y soo~r. be built therc, arrtl tlrnt t l ~ c ir.orL 11orsc l~jill riot, cor.i,c.rir~g arid sr~ortir~g, r . 1 1 ~ 1 1 past u s ? hlo!-111e

.- ,,: -' f;ulleiton's house u.as on the riortli side o fL i l y Lake riear the west elid of \i'illard Street '"hc Ilousc ofJosepli A 2nd Sarah 1; Kossell remains at 716 S I larr ict Street today .>- - ' This tw:ir Thompson, I 'arici & h lo i i c r ' s First Addition, between O l ~ v e an11 P~ne. between l:inll and

Holconi l i t Streets This i i x t ii,oulrl lrave been directly ai l .Abboti's walk to d o w ~ i t o w i ~ ? j Probably ;I rough gradtrig oli i.h;~t i s n o i i tile Third Street hil l to tlie Flisioiic Courthouse '" Ahhott d ~ d ilot need to i i o r ~ y aliiitit tlis railroad I n order t o bc succzssful, tile railroad-which finally

carric iii I S 7 0 l i a d tu rurl into d o t ~ n l o w n Sli l luater. Thc bluKs arourid tlis downtown are far too steep a rn l l~oad, 2nd u l i e r ~ il i v n i lii1:111) I!uilt tile railroad rail into tile mirth cnd o f tn ivn along the gradu:il

gritilt i ) r O r d i , . ~ i ' ~ ciecL

will riot yet flee: rue u:ill nlair~tabr~ our grour~d awl~i le lor~ger. Il1c:or~iol~ile as Napolcor~ Bor~apnrte, w l ~ e r ~ upon the Islartd of St. Heler~, issued a protest to all Europe artd the civilized u~orld, ngairtst the r~~al-treatrrier~t he experier~ced frorrl the British Gouerf~riier~t, so, be it krl.ororl, t l ~ a t rue issu,e t11.i.s our

PROTEST

We hereby respectfully yet f irmly protest against any more annoyances, and aggressions, and invasions of our inherent rights. We are willing to buy the past in oblivion; b r ~ t ure most firmly Protest against Capt. flolcombe's selling o f f any more lots to actual settlers.30 We protest against Mou~er, Parker & Thompson selling off their newly acquired Addition to Stillwater;. for they will thereby ssl,oil our- secluded and seqr~estered pathulay-Let buyers go to M"Kusic12, or. Cnrli, or Socrates Nelsorc. Finally we protest against the project of runrzir~g a Railroad so near orrr pr-emises. We do not w a n t orlr pigs and porrltry decapitated by the ponderocrs machinery of the locomotive, nor orLr COUJ caught u p by tha t ugly- looking crrstomer, ... the cow catcher. hror- do u1e wish to hear the dolorous puffing o f the engine, or the r~r~eartlly sounds of i ts shrill whistle. Against trll these, uie naost solemnly protest; and if u:e he not heederl-and uie are someulhat fear f i~l uie s l ~ a l l not be-tlcere is one alternative left rrs, brct u)hat that i s we shall not now diuulge."J"

For all the fieriness o f the precc?ding article, Abbott was as big a civic booster as anyone i n the d l a g e ; as w e shall see, during his two years as Edtor . tus newspaper okcn espoused the growth of the young city. W h e n the great dcprcssion began in 1857, Abbott's newspaper ran into financial Miculties, and the last issue was on November 13, 1857."" For n tirr~e, Abbott n,orkcd as tho Receiver o f thc Still\vater Ljnnrl Office," but i n Octolier

" Most o l l l i e ~,,IS i n Still\i.atrr a t tliis tinic wele beins sold to speculators out of taivn buyers who ncver iritendcd to 11v:e l~er r . but simply rncanr to hold the lots until tlic prlcc rosc hgtier As it turned out, i t was

fonurlate so frii of1 lolconibc's lots were sold l o s[)cculalors " Sf O o i r O,iio,i. Dzccrnhcr 22, 1x55 " k l ~ s t p _ ~ f t l ~ c SI Cioiy Valid Augustt~s R. liaston, Ed~tor-in-Chief. Chicago. H C Coopci Jr C;. Co.,

1900 P a ~ c ? j ? " llbid I'ap? 3 5 6 .

1858, Abbott sold his house on Abbott Street and left Stdlwater for parts unknown.

T h e original name of tlus street was Pennock Street. The Rev. h e s C. Pennock and his wife, Elizabeth J. bought Lots 10, 11, and 12, Block 8 (the present day location of 602 and 610 W. Churchill Street) in May of 1856 for $80 - a very reasonable price! "I A Little over a year later, in September of 1857, he purchased, for $180, Lots 7 and 8 also in Block 8. (Today the location of 622 W. Churchill) .3Vennock was a m i ~ s t e r for the Methochst Episcopal Church. By 1857, Pennock must have left Stillwater, for tic is not listed in the census. I n 18G6, Pennock and his wife were living in Columbia County, Wisconsin, when they sold all their property in Stillwater. Lots 10, 1 , & 12, containing their house, sold to \VILliarn M . Smith of Stillwater for $450. Lots 7 & 8 sold to John Montgomery, also of Stillwater, for $?10.2~$

The street name, Churchdl, was extended west in 1881 froin Churchill, Nelson & Slaughter's Addition. The City Council wished to have all the streets running along the same line, bear the same name." Levi Churchill, for whom the Adhtion was named, was a businessman and land spccdator living in St. Louis; he never settled in Stillwater.

A n h e w Anderson of'stillwater purchased I,ot 6 of Block 9 for $110 in May of 1857. Like so Inany Stillwater residents, Anderson left Stillwater a k e r the great crash of 1857. In 18G4, when he sold tlus lot to Ll'illiam Webster of Stillwater for $75, Anderson was living in Salt Lakc City, Utah Territory.28 ('l'oday tlus site is thc location of 6 3 1$'. Churchill St.) There is no in&cat.ion Anderson built a house on his site.

" G Cinreds 301 .I' I ileeds 444 " R Rllceds I n , R rIccds lit! ." O~dinance No 5 4 . nie_-cCc[ ~ ! ~ d ~ r d c ~ j a p c e s of [lie C i ~ y a i l l i \ ~ Conlpiled by C I: Circgor..

City At[ornley Still~v:i[cr, l.~~!~ll,,:nn;iri Stca111 1'11;1ting Co, 188 I "' 14 Deeds 6 2 8 . 7 Dccds 35.1

A.onz Mexico to Minnesota, 1817-1858

T h i s street was originally named Western Row simply because i t was t h e westernmost street on the plat. The street name of Greeley was extended south from Greelcy and Slaughter's Addition. Elam and Hannah Greeley were pioneers of St~Uwater; their large house was on the southwest corner of Greeley and Myrtle Streets.

T ~ l i s street was originally rlamed Beechcr Street. Gustavus Reecher (or Liecher) bought all of Block 3 from William Holcombe in August of 1855 for $300.3 ' j (Block 3 is between S.Everett, W.Wdlard, \T.Abbott, and S.Martha Streets). He did not build on his property.

Beecher made n nice profit a year-and-a-half later \\,hen hc sold his Block 2 in November of 1856 for $1,000". But tha t intervening year and a half mas probably the most t u m u l t u o ~ ~ s tune in all of Bkecher's Life.

In the summer of 1856, William Ruel, a Stillwater "carpcrcler o r ~ d joir~cr", contracted to build Beecher a 20 foot by 30 foot two-story house on the south side of Chestnut Street between Second and Third Streets. Beecher was t o pay Buel $3 a day for Buel's labor, and $2.50 a day for the labor of any assistants Buel might use. I311ilding the house took Buel 105 days a t a cost to Beecher of $315.25. The total hours of Buel's assistants came to 79 days a t a n expense of $198.22, making the total cost of Beecher's new house $513.47. However ~ v h e n Buel came to collect his payment, Beecher was in jail, and Bicel found it. necessary in il'illicrrt~ Errel us. G ~ ~ s t a u e Beecl~er to file n lien upon Reechrr's Chestnut Street property.-'l

His fellow landorvner, hlilton .4bl1ott, described Recclirr's offense in his newspaper:

3Y F O E C ~ S 1 Jo G Deeds 466

\$'ashingon Couni? ('suii i<ecordj in hlinnssnln Sintc A i c l ~ i ~ c s , fJos I , File A 3'17, Losa~or nurnbcr (old) 58 K 3 61:

We stated in our last that this rILarL l ~ a d beer1 arrested or1 o cl~arge of rape U P O I L l ~ i s O U I I L daughter; that lze had adrt~itted that h e w a s guilty of i i~ces t , but r~ot o f rape; a ~ ~ d that we should, this week, l~otice the affair still further, and s o r t ~ e w h o ~ ill. detail.

We have ILOW to add that h e was required to give a 6or~d o f $5,000 for h is appearallce at the rLext terrr~ o f the court; a r ~ d failirLg to c o r ~ ~ p l y wi th the terrrjs o f the bor~d he was lodged i r ~ tlae 'Territorial Prisor~ for safe keepil~g.

but t l ~ e

We had ir~ter~ded to co~rlnlerrt O I L this case quite lerlgtlrily; L L ] ~ refrair~ out o f defer.ercce to the feelings o f tile l ~ u s b a r ~ d of wonlarL w h o ~ n Becl~er has so fo1~1l.y twror~ged. Il/c sirr~ply say

t l ~ a t for lus t f i~ l 6estialit.y a r ~ d utter heartlessr~ess arid depraciitg t l ~ e r e are few cases i r ~ the arrr~nls of crirrle that equal it. IVe hope Ire roil1 get jr~sticc. "J?

?'he details o f this sad case which Abbott spared his readers are elaborated in a court case: JOILIL LeacI~ cis. Mary Leach +?. John Leach, 30 years old, had lived in Stillwater for seven years when he married Mary Becher, 19 years old, on March 19, 1856. From March 1911' to the 2 8 t h o f July, 1856, John kept her a s his wife and believed her "a pure, chaste, virtuous, a ~ ~ d lrori.est rt~oid."

But cJolun was deceived by her, and his court com[~laint states: " s l ~ c ~ u a s I L O ~ Q I L ~ l ~ a d r~ot beer^, at a r ~ d prior- to t.11.c date of said rr~.orriage, J I L L ~ O , c l~aste , a r ~ d virtuous, 6 1 ~ r was a r ~ d had becr~ leurd n r ~ d giver^ to lewd, r~r~chnste, a r ~ d crirr~irlal acts arrd bel~avior toith or1.e G ~ s s t a v ~ r s Bcclrer", and, the complaint continues on to say that Mary " i r ~ Decerr~.ber, 1855 ~ I L Stillwaler or!. ~larioras dojls orrd tirrccs had cririlir~al se.n~ol o11.d corr~ol ir~tcr.cou,rse arr.rl corlr~ecriorl with. Gr~stocir~s 13echern and a s a result she conceived and "becarrle preg~i.arLt a11.d big ~ ~ i t l l , c11.ild by 61~e soid G u s t a ~ ~ r ~ s Rccher" and on July 27'", 1856, fbur months and eight days after her ~uarr iage to John Leach, she delivered a full grown fenlale child.

To complicate matters even furt.her, Hcccher, who lvas from St . Louis. had recently ularried a Stfinrater .itroman, Anna Mu~ics , on I.'c,hr~~a_l.y l c i r h ,

1855, only cight niontlls before irnlirc~g~~ating Iris daughter, M a v . l l

".Ti Cr.oix- lbfii,i,, :\llgosr 8 , 1856 43 1Vashin~ton Courlly Coun Recoids in tlic blirulcsota Statc ,\rchiccs. Box I, l'ilc A 369. Locator nurnber

(old) i S I; 3 6F J 4 .Sl ( ~ ' I . , > I ~ if,il<,,i, FeI,n1:1ry 31, 1 8 5 5

Beecher was given a free room in the Te

r

ritorial Pr~son, but on November 11, 1856, he was transferred to places unknown.4i

Everett was the middle name of Levi E. Thompson, one of the proprietors of Thompson, Parker & Mower's Second Addition. The street name was extended south to Holcombe's Adchtion in 1881.

Elizabeth Putz purchased Lot 1 of Block 7 horn William Holcombe in May of 1856 for $60, and Lot 2 of the same block in September of 1856 for $50:'G She and her husband, Robert, (whom she married the previous year") sold those same two lots in September of 1856 for $1,000 - which price indicated a house or1 the lots.JR This cnrliest of homes remains, at least in part, at S l m a r r i e t Street.

Itobcrt Puta had the Grst tin shop in Stillwater in 1854.'"

The name of Martha Street was extended south from Thompson, Parker & hfower's Second Addtion. Martha G. Thompson was the wife of Levi 'rhornpsori.

Williatn Holcorribe sold Georgc W. and Hannah Smith, Lot 6, Block 1 for $25 in March of 1856.Sfl A little over a year later, in August of ld57, they resold the lot for $300; a price that would indicate a house on the lot." (Today this site is the location of 621 4 . \tlillard Street.) S m i t l ~ was a daperretqpis t , a n early form of photographer. According to his a d in the newspaper,"' Smith apparently had a floating ' : 'aloor~, r-en& f o inkc! llfc-like

biardC,,, :Y HoriX, Page 6 "' 1; Dccds 465. t 1 Deeds 303 17Sl. Crotr Ilftio,,, Septenlber 29. 1 8 5 5 ~

D I Y ~ S 301 . S l ~ / l i ~ ~ r t ~ . ? 1inrli.s Kn, tcu, , January 1898

" G Deeds 3 > 2 5' 1 D u d s 2 18 "?,Ti ('totr Oi~to~i. Seplelnbcr29, 1 8 5 5

FI-orn Mexico lo hlinnesotn, 1817-1858

likel~esses of a r ~ y who rrlaj potror~ize hir71" and moved up and down the river pljing his trade.

The name of Harriet Street was extended south from Thompson, Parker, & Mower's Second Addition. Harriet was the wife of Wdliam H. Mower, one of the developers of t ha t tract.

O w e n s is not a street tha t appeared on the original map of Ilolcombe's Second Adhtion. It was added a s a par t of Walter Nelson's Addition, a century later, in 1955. Owens is another street name extended south from Greeley & Slaughter's Adhtion. I t was named for John F. Owens, a resident of St. Paul, and e d t o r of thc first newspaper in M i n n e ~ o t a . 2 ~

Ho~combe Street was named, of course, for W i h a m Holcomhe, the cleveloper of Holcombe's Adchtions. He was so~ncwhat of a farnous Inan in tho earliest history of the S t . Croix Valley and Minnesota.

Born in Lamber td le , N. J. , on July 33, 1804, 1-Iolcombe was the oldest of the eight c lddren of Emley Holcor~lbe and Mary Skillman. According l o the custom of the Society of Fr ie~tds to whom h s fam~ly belonged, Willlau~ was bred to a trade, that of carriage maker. At the age of 18, he lcft home and traveled to Utica, N.Y., where, in 1826, he married Martha Wilso~l. Three years later, he nioved to Columbus, Ohio, where hc ouwed a large carriage factory. After being burned out, he moved to Cincinnati, and from there to Galena, Illinois, where lie engaged in steaml~oating. In Galena lus wife died, leaving hirn r~rith motherless chddrcn to raise. He soon luoved to St . Loius w h c l ~ he engaged unsuccessfully in the nlercantilc I)usiness, and then, in 1839. he came to the St. Croix \'alley to the fhlls of the St. Crois a s a

""or morz inforn~stioi i on Thompson, Parker 62 hloiver 's Secorid Add~t ion. (irccley 62 Slau~htor 's Add~ i ion . and i h r street naillei: oiGreeley, \ \ i l l ianl, h,fartt~a. O\veils, l-larrict, and E\c rc l i , scs A H~stor\,

o f t h ~ ~ r i e e l c j Res_idm&ma by Donald E~r~phori. 1097

2(;

Will iam Holcornbe's house on Li ly Lake at 720 S. Greeley Street

13hotogropli. col1rles.v o f the i,T'ashirtg/on Coiir~ty Historical Society

William Holcornbe's business Block in downtown Stillwater

l J i ~ ~ ~ l ~ ~ , q r ~ ~ ~ ~ i t ,,,,ttrl~,s! ofJ , ,u : I , > / J ~ , , W , J

From Mmico to Mitinesofa, 1847.1858

resident proprietor and agent of the St . Croix Falls Lumbering Company. He helped determine the location of one of the f i s t roads in the territory: from the mouth of St. Croix Lake via Marine to S t Croix Falls. He helped organize the First Presbyterian Church upon moving to StiUwater in 1846. In 1847, he married the widow, Henrietta Clendenin.

He was very active in the politics of organizing the hhnnesota Territory; he was a receiver a t the General Land Office in Stillwater for four years; he was a member of the Democratic wing of the Constitutional Convention of Minnesota in 1857, and was elected first Lieutenant Governor of the state. He was also active in the religious, political and business affairs of Stillwater, serving as Mayor in 1868-1870." Upon his death on September 5, 1870, the StiUwater Gazette bordered its columns with a black border, and the newspaper contained several resolutions and testimonials in his honor.55

Holcombe built a large house on the east side of Lily Lake, on Block 18 of his Addition. On the 1870 Bird's Eye View map of Stillwater, the house is shown as being a Little west of the northwest corner of Abbott and Greeley Streets. The newspaper recorded that " C a p t a i r ~ Holcori~be h a s j u s t f i ~ ~ , l s l ~ e d orLe of t l ~ e firlest res ider~ces /or irirrtself U P O I L t h e A d d i t i o r ~ t o be f o u r ~ d i r ~ t h e Territoiy."sG In 1863, the house had an assessed value of $l,600.57

On a t least one occasion, Ilolcombe's house was the scene of a Pic Nic:

Sunday School Pic Nic

' T h e Sabbath School cor~r~ected wi th the Secor~d Presbyteriar~ c l ~ u r c l ~ held their arar~ual pic r~ic last Saturday irL Gov. HolcornbeS58 yar-d O I L the east t ~ a r ~ k of Lilly Lalze. T'he first part o f ( h e das. w a s rather cold with i r ~ d i c a t i o ~ ~ s o f mi l l , but before tell o'clocl~ it cleared o f f a t ~ d e t w y o r ~ e felt relieved a r ~ d glad w h e r ~ they saw the s u r ~ first break froin the ouershadou~irlg clouds. O I L the grour~ds several S L O ~ I L ~ S Itad beer1 erected illto wllich tile childrer~ piled prorniscuotrsly. Otliers arrtt~sed thernselties irl watlderirLg or1 the sandy hcacll hurstir~g carr~eliatrs arld curious pebbles, ?%us i r ~ their quiet, ~cr~oster~tatious way, the day t i ias sper~t, arid it uias a real pkasure to tuitr~ess the happy

". I n nienio~iam. sermon on the dea~ti o f Hon H o w % delivered i n the Second Piesb~qerian C h u r c l ~ Stillwater, Mirtn , Sept 25th. 1870 by l<e\, James Cocltran. Stillwater, hlit~ti printed at the office o f tile Messenger, 1870

r- .'" There are ni;my biographic;il referertces to Ilolcornbe I used. I- I istov of the St ( ' i o i ~ Valley_by Auyus~us D Easton. Editor-in-Chief, Chicago. F I C Cooper J i & Co . 1909 I'age 306 '1-licre i s a good obituary i l l

the Siil lt~,nrdr Cmzeiw, Seplcmber 10, 1870 hl imesota Historical S o c i e i y v C C o ~ o ~ ~ s , Vo l 10. Pan 2. pagc 857, has a biography b?inen by his granddaugliter

5<.(11. Ci.oir U!!ioil. July I I, 1856 . - :'. \\'ashiii:~nn Courity Tar Assessor's Records in hliru~esota State Archives. S:\M 7 s . I io l l -1 ' ~ U t l i u i t g h he \ \ ; IS o111~ I.iernctlant Ciuvcinili, hc mas oReii called Ciovcrnor in Slt l I i \air .~

From Mexico to Mir~neso tu , 1867.1858

srnilirlg courlterlarLces of the childre11 as they gathered around the table spread with the good thirlgs that had beer~ prepared by the teachers of the scl~ool. After the repast, sir~gir~g by the childrer~ arld a prayer by Rev. Mr. Caldwell each repaired to their home feeling that they had done agood thir~g, ar~d that it was 'better to give tharl receiue.'"j$

Stillwater began with a sawmill in 1844. Five years later, when Minnesota became a Territory, the population was estimated a t 609.60 A year later the population had jumped to 1,052. Most of the residents Lived in what is the downtown area t,oday. But boom times lay ahead.

Thousands of immigrants were pouring into the Territory, and the price o f land was rising rapidly. Through the early 1850's, the price of land doubled, and douhled again. The Territory was struck with the fever of land speculation. With the c o n t i ~ l ~ u n g influx of Ileurcomers, all of whom needed a place t o live, how could the price of land not continue to rise - or so the speculator reasoned. When Holco~nbe's Additions were platted, the speculation in land prices was just beginning in earnest, peaking in the year 1857, when, i t is estimated, tha t in Minnesota, a t least 700 towns were platted into more than 300,000 lots - enough for 1,500,000 people61 Stillwater I d not escape the speculation fever.

The St. Croix U l ~ i o r ~ newspaper was delighted to point out that.

" A ~ o I L ~ tuio yeirrs ago, Zlersey, Staples & Co. gave $600 for a lot [which] last week sold for $,3000 to Mr. Dodge ... CVe add that t v l ~ e r ~ Hersey Staples R. Co. rrtade the aforesaid purcl~ase, rtlar1.y t1~0tl.gll.t they hho gfiic'erl. a very l ~ i g l ~ price ... b11.t tir1r.e roil1 prove that the lot will irr.crec~se a s rapidly i t clalu,e, i r ~ the rLext two jfcars, a s it has d o r ~ c irt. 1h.e trtlo just passed. Mr. Dodge 110s already bcer~ offered $500 acfvar~ce or1 whal ite gave. OIL^ f a i t / ~ in. St i l l~oater i s I L I L ~ O U I L ~ ~ ~ . '%?

5y SSi l i i~niz~ Re[~i,bl/m,r. September 15. 186s "Theodore C Blegen hfimesota A H ~ s ~ ~ ? f l I ~ c S_m I J o f hf imcsola Press 1963 Page I59 61Wil l iani '.V;irts Folwell Ajl,Hof ~ l m n e s o t ; ~ St. Paul, 7-he ht imesola 1-listoricai Society. 1956 Vol

I, page 362 /., - I I . I , .~i&wsr 6 , IS56

O n another occasion, the editor struck back at any who might doubt the future.

'Less than two years ago they sneered at Stillwater's being ar~yt1~i11.g outside the Basin, or Original L i ~ r ~ i t s [of doumtown]. We well recollect that ule were laughed at, by some, for pitching OIL^ terlt out ill Holcorrtbe's A d d i t i o r ~ ~ i t being then a wild ur~brokerl wilderr~ess. But what are I L ~ W the facts? T l~ere are over 100 houses out there r~ow-sorrle o f therl~ first class-and about 600 inhabitar~ts. Lots which, w l ~ e r ~ we located there [two years ago] could be had for $25 carLrtot ILOW be purchased for less than a hu,r~dred dollars-and they a.re c o r ~ s t a ~ ~ t l y rising.. Lots ... have bee11 erlho~lced irt ualr~e four-fold wi thir~ the past two years, ar1.d the ruay we read the signs o f the tirrles, they lack I I L I L C ~

o f havirr,g reached their. r i ~ ~ x i r r ~ ~ r r l . . ~ ~

Anticipating quick profits in the land, Stdlwater entrepreneurs did what others throughout the settled portions o f Minnesota Territory were doing: they platted Additions. The trick was, they reasoned, to buy the land by the acre and sell it by the foot.

"STILLWATER FOREVER Ar~other Addition to Stillwater

Additions to Still~vater are all the rage ILOUJ. I,i'ithi~~ a few days past, Jacob Maerty has sold to Joshr~a 13. Carter and Gou. Rari~sey, 140 acres of land lyir~g west of Stillwater arid a d ~ o i r ~ i ~ ~ g Ir'olcorr~ be's Additior~, for. $7000. It is soor~ to be surueycd ir~.to tow11 lots.

Clle rejoice to see this rr~ovcrr~er~t. There are rloLL' three 1teoc:y S t . I'aul capitalists a r ~ d

s.t)ec~~lators deeply i~~tcrested i r ~ Stillr~late~.; ~liz: R. F. Slaughter, Col. N I14'l(cr~ty, ar~d Gov. R O I I I S C ~ . IiIe ~ I I . C glad to kr~ocv that St. Par11 speculators are vitally irl.trri?stcil /~.crc, brcause it argues thnt I l ~ e j r~orc! sce lul~at rc5c so~i! rleor.li. l/~r.(?e yeurs ago; that is, tilot Stillwater. is tlcstirreil ir~.evitabl,)~ to t ~ e (1 great place. D ~ e y r~oci' see that Stillrcrato is rtot a 'or~e- l~o~,sc towrt, chr~cked doui~l

From hfexico to Minnesota, 1847-1858

ar~ror~g the hills i r ~ the sarrd. ' 171e.y r~ow see that Stillwater has urarii~aled advarrtages-that she taas rrluch capital-that a Rail- Road is to corile here probably before orLe rur~s to St. Par~l, a r ~ d that Stillwater is rapidly advar~cir~g i r ~ all t l ~ a l cor~tr-ibutes to 11r.aterial prosperity a r ~ d greatr~ess. '".I

HURRAH FOR STlLT,?VA'TER"

Closer t o home, Abbott also recorded the progress i n Holcombe's Addition:

"OII. 1folcorrlbe:s addit ior~ b~rildirags go sor~~etirrres at the rate of tioo and tlaree a day; arid the r~rotrrerat tiley are fit to go irato they ore filled ulith ir~l~abitarr.ts.-Tu'o ulells, each about a dozerr feet deep, /rave beer^ d u g tlrcre lately by a corrplc of cittacr~s, rollicll tlrrrs far, h.ar!e affor-ded a pler~ty o f rooter. Slroz~ld they hold out a fecr! ~crecks lor~gcr, tue sh.011 lrac'c sorrret11.irr.g rrrorr to soy about ' tlrerrl. We are S O I I I C L O ~ I . ~ ~ chary r.[~lter~ treati11.g of I-lolcorr~be's additiorl, prlrr.ci11nlly becal~sc u ~ c lire tlrere (we are tlre first settler) arrd lzave a little ir~terest there; but orae fact we will r~oticc. Tlaat is several rrlir~isters live tlaere. Tlrere are four roith rul~orr~ u!e arc acquair~ted, arrd 10110 are our rreiglrbors, uiz: Rev. J. A. Russell, of ihe Episcopaliar~ der~orr~irr~tiorr; Rev. S. A. Ecarrs, 0. S. PI-esbyteriar~; ar~cl Rev. Mr . Rrowrl; arad Rev. A. C. Per~rr.ock eacl~, of the Pletlaodist dcr~orrrircatiorr. Besidc this, a lot I L ~ S beell dorrnted by Copt. Holcorribe to tlre hf(~thodist chu,rch for a parsorioge; ~uhiclr, e br~il l , o f corlrsc ulill be occuj~ied 6.3 crrrotlaer rrrirrister. T l ~ e Rco. T. M. Fr~llcrtor~ uiill sooi~ Inour i ~ ~ t o his Ilonsc~ O I L [,illy h k e ; roe suppose; so that tlre probability is toe ~ 1 1 . ~ 1 1 , befor-e lor~g, be corrrplct,ely cr~viror~ed by I I I ~ I L ~ S ~ P ~ S . I f RFII. I-I.M. Nichols o l ~ d the Catl~olic priest (rulrosc iaarrle we have rLot yc:t lctrrr~cd) ~c,ould loccrte orrt there, t1~r.v ulorrlt? gel n good srriff of fr.esl~ air, a r~d do arid feel b e t k ~ . " ~ ~

R'illinm 1tolcc)mbe w a s in t,he heat of the spcculntion fever, and his Adhtions tn Still\vater were only two o f several Additions he rnade. 'I'here is f-Iolcornbe's Add i t i o~~ to S t . Paul ( I ( ; bloclts hctwccn S u m m i t & Marshall Avenues; bet,\\:cerl Dale & Grotto Streets) w l ~ i c h contaitls a s~rlaU roundabout and park at Lat~rcl a n d S t , Alhnns Streets named Holcombe Circlc; lie held lots i n the hliddleton Village pl:?l in I3eyto\rn To\vnship south of' Still~vater,

and, wi th partne

r

s on August 2Xth o f 1857, he platted Farrington, Thorn, Steele and Holcombe's Adht ion to Stdlwater on the south side o f Lily Lake. Coincihng wi th the crash, the timing o f th i s plat was unfortunate, and the Addition was vacated in 1879. Today this area, (between the Line o f Orleans Street on the south; the Line o f Center Street extended south as t h e eastern Line; o n the north by Lily Lake; and on the west by a line extended north o n Waslungton Street) is largely encompassed within "The Highlands o f Stillwater" Addition.

As late as February, 1857, the future looked bright:

"Real Estate and Business in Stillwater

771,e price of Lartd irr orrr city a r~d vicirrity I ~ a s advar~ced with astor~is l~ir~g rapidit-y durir~g the last t u ~ o years, a r~d frorrr prese1r.t appeararLces we shall see still greater in~proverner~ts i r ~ the fr~tr~re. Durir~g (he week past Mr. H. R. Murdock pu.rchased tell acres of lar~d adjoir~ir~g Cooper's Additior~, f r o Mr. Slutrglt.ter, for $100 per acre. TLOO years ago this sarr1.e lartd was sold for five dollars pcr acre.

Tl~ree thousar~d seuol hur~dred dollars l ~ a v e beer^ recer~tly offered by A4r. Corgas, t l ~ e bar~ker, for a lot O I L Ma i r~ street, C O ~ I L P I - o f Cl~estr~ut-25 feet fror~t a r ~ d 80 feet deep-and refused. 1 7 ~ ~ OLOILC~S-the 2Cfessrs. Murdock, Druggists-ir~tertd to build a splcr~did stor~e bu.ildirLg O I L it i r ~ the sprir~g. This is at the rate of about 9150 a fror~f /oat, ar~d be it rer~~errlbered that the whole lot, o/ruh.ich this is or~ly a part, a little over a year ago, sold for $10 a fror~t foot. Tllis, to soy the least, is u very fair aduar~ce.

?'here are yet rrlar~y spler~did ir~uestrr~er~ts a r ~ d fortu,r~es to be rrrcrde irl this city-r~'hi~11 is, as yet, i r ~ its ir~farccy-or~d eowy day preser~ts rlew evicLc?r~ccs of its future greutr~ess ... OIL every side ~-".eparatior~s are beirtg rrlade for the erectior~ of capacious ware hoi~scs; substar~tial-ar~d irr. sorrrc ir~star~ces-fir~e priuate drc~ellirtgs, arld cucr.y thir1.q prorr~iscs a seasor1 o f rtr~preceder~ted pr.osperi.l.y. "66

Fr.om Mexico to Minnesota, 1847-1858

O n the 24'h of August, 1857, the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company of New York failed; its creditors were forced to default, and a calamitous chain of events spread across the United States. Within two months, almost everybody in Minnesota was in debt; the Territory was literally emptied of cash. City lots became virtually u~orthless. Those who were forlnerly wealthy found themselves bankrupt. StiUwater boosters were in despair, and the city was never to fully recover its boundless optimism after this Depression of 1857.

Writing of St. Paul, Thomas Newson described what was also t rue of Stillwater:

'211.d tl~err, carnctlte terribly /lard tirlles. M'itll. rco rr~or~ey, ILO IJU~UCS, ILO pr.operty, rro hrrsir~ess, little or. rin erriigratlon, rlo barrks, or banks icrith er~ipty ~ ' a l ~ l t s , rw courage, rco hope, r~otes due, rlrortgagcs foreclosed, r~ i c r~ Ireavily L I L debt, 1ar.d depreciated frorr~. f

i

fty to scuer~tj'-five per cerct, ILO trade, iredeed with r~oth i r~g to trade, rro forrrcdatior~ to build OIL, rro orre carr irnagil~e t11.c frigl~tful cor~ditior~ of affairs ire St. Paul i r ~ the latter par t of t11e year- 1857 but /LC uilco passed 61zrou.glc it all..."6i

The Sli1lu)ater Derr~ocrat, on January 1, 1859 editoriakzed:

"A Happy A'eru Year- to o~cr Fr ier~ds cirrd Pafror~s. EightecrL I~lrrrdred orcd fifty eight, with its parcics arrd rnorcetary cor~vrrlsiori.s, its dcpressior~ of trade a r ~ d depreciatior~ ire ~ b a l ~ ~ e of a l l ari,d cuc:ry 1:ir~d of purcl~aseable a n d porcderable goods a;id estates, llas, tliarrk goodr~ess, deparlcd for ei~cr . . ."

'I'he sale of lots in I-Iolcombe's Addition, and indeed, everylrrhere in Stillwater slovised and then stopped. 111 Block 10 of Holcombe's Addtion, for example, there were no property transactions between April 30, 1857, and January 31, 187G.GR Captain Holcombe, who years earlier had faded in previous busiriesses in Cincinnati and St. I.,ouis, found himself again in perilou.? firlancial straits, due to the Depression of 1857. Lilce many other Stillwater land der,c:lopers, including Levi Thompson and William Alovver,

6' 1. I\[ Y s w s o ~ ~ Pen I ' i c t i ~ r r j _o fB hf.inncsota and n io~~zip i l i&&c!c l~es of Old Sea& By the i r , St a I I ' a ~ z 698

,;? T ~ . d i i . Index B<xll, 11. I1ai;c 266, \Vashingtan County I<ccarder's Onice

From Mexico to Minnesota, 1847-1858

Holco~nbe held a lot of property he could not sell. When he could not pay on a promissory note for $3,900 (at 8% interest) he owed to his younger brother, Alexander Holcombe of Larnbertdle, New JerseyGg, he was forced to put h s homestead, and all his hundreds of acres of property in trusteeship with his son.i0

The population of Stdlm-ater declined, and all plans for the future were put on hold. A couple of the local banks, not being able to obtain cash, printed their own bank notes, and Washington County was forced to issue i ts own scrip payable against tax dollars that were cli£6cult, if not impossible to collect.

" JJ M o ~ i t g o m e ~ Seavei The Holcomb(e) oenealogv, a eenealooy. histoiy and directory.. of the Ilolconihie)~ _of the ivorld American Historical-genealozical Society, Pluladelplua, Pa, 1 9 2 Pages 136-138

:u 0 Deeds 33

I n a long newspaper article quoted in the previous chapter, Milton Abbott complained bitterly about the number of settlers actually Living i n Holcombe's Adhtion, and he suggested, indirectly, that perhaps the lots should only be sold to land speculators who would not actually take up residence there. \Vtde this idea may have given Abbott more elbow room, such a policy of seUlng to speculators would have been a disaster for the Adhtion, a s it turned out.

In 1861, when we have the first Washington County tax Assessor's records to study, we can see the devastating effects of the Crash of 1857. \mole Additions, blocks and blocks, hundreds of lots, were now in the possession of the State of hlinnesota, forfeited by land speculators who, now tha t the lots were valueless, had no reason to pay the taxes. Whole neighborhoods in the city were vacant, tax-forfeited land: without value, without occupants, and without hope that thc situation would irnprovc in the near future.

One of the few exceptions to this city-wide bleakness is Holcombe's Adhtion, where, by design or accident, relatively few lots were in the hands of speculators. The 1861 Assessor's records list a total of only 15 tax forfeited lots in the whole adclit,ion. Instead, the records show a number of houses already b ~ u l t witliin ttus neighborhood, and a core of stable residents dating from the 1850's. (However, according to the 1860 Census, t.here were in IIolcou~he's Additions - a s in every other neighborhood - a number of vacant houses.)

Working from the remaining tax assessor's records, there were a t least 24 houses in Ilolco~nl~c's Addition a t the beginning of the 1860's - otrwllich a t least 7 remain. With :i few exceptions, these homes were almost all sm'dl houses: one-story, tire-room structures with no basement. There were undoubtedly more liouses built before the Crash of 1857, but they were abandoned after the Crash, listed a s vacant in the 1860 Census, and probably demolished for the scrap lumber by the other settlers who remained. I t is difficult to say exactly ho\v many houses yrere built here in the 1850's, h ~ ~ t is possible the ~ulrnber was close to 50. Milton Abhott claimed there were over a 100 ho~rses and GOO people Living here in the 1S50's, 140 years ago. (By comparison, today there are 122 houses in Holcornbe's Adhtions)

During and aftc:~. the C i d War, the pace of development very gr:~dually increased. I n the 1860'8, a s near a s call be deter~uined, there were

After t l ~ r ? Cirri1 Wnr, 1865-1900

another 17 houses built - of which four remain today. These again appear to have been mostly the one-story, two-room homes of the previous decade.

In the 1870s, the general prosperity in Stillwater increased, and there were another 22 houses built in Holcombe's Addition -of which 18 remain today.

I n the 1880's, there was relative affluence in St~Uwater, and most of the older houses t ha t remain in Stillwater were built during this decade. LVt~ole neighborhoods, which had been vacant in the 187OSs, were filled with houses d ~ v i n g the building boom of the 1880's. Paul Caplazi wrote in his 1944 ~narluscript.: "The eigli.ties were h.oppy days for. Stillwater-. It was o tinie beticeerr t l ~ c Cioil Ci'ar. a r ~ d the Spar~ish Arri.ct.icarl \lTar, there were ILO wars, 110 strikes, r ~ o nr~oriplo.yrr~er~t, r ~ o tr.oube of n r~y lki,r~d, everybody was luorkir~g a r ~ d /L~~I>S'. "

Rut Holcombe's Addition was aheady largely settled, and unllke the newer neighborhoods, there were only seven homes built here during the 1880's - all of which remain today. In the 189O's, when other neighborhoods were continuing to develop, there were only five new homes built in Holcombc's Addition.

One of the indicatiorls of this early settlement is the fact that , until after \'1?\' 11, most of the homes in Ilolcomhe's Adhtion had three lots with the house. I n other neighhorhoods, built later in the 1880's, land was more valuable, and many of those later houses are constructed on single, or even half lots.

Writing of Holcontbe's Addition, I'aul Caplazi s a d :

'St. Pairl l ~ o d its l ior~do St. Garlg a r ~ d Rice Streel Gar~g. Sti1lu:afer. h a d the Holcorribe's Adrlitior~ garLg a r ~ d t1~e 4')' St. gang. I I?L~IL the g'h St. garlg ioer~t O I L parade yocr wol~lrl tl~.irrlz >ocr roerr. nrrlort,o tlte I r ~ d i a r ~ s , h r~ t a s /lord boiled as ruerc? t11e lurriherJacl:s the,y rcre1.c a jolly 601 ... Holcor~~ be's Additiort is i l ~ a t i~a r - / of Stillrc~ater cc!l~iclc lies wcst of llolcorribe St. a r ~ d socstll of 1T'illor.d l o I,i/? I,crl;c. 119lere rr:trs a plactr tller.c cnlled loa/cr's co~-rr,cr~. It is or1.c o/tlte oldest ports o/ Still[~:nler. People lived t1le1.c iri //I(, Sir1ic.s.

After t h e Civil War: 1865-1900

Tuttle, 1706 S . Ilolcombe] Srr~ith, [ G O 2 W. Churchill] Mulvey, [G22 W. Churchill] Jolol~rdair~, [805 W. Abbott] Curtiss, [70G W. Churchill] O'Neal, mlock 7, Lot 7, now gone] Iceefe, [GO3 W. Churchill] Iiur1.dert,["r9 W. Churchill] Leach, [Block 1 , Lot 8, now gone] B ~ O W I L , 1722 W. Anderson] cror~i1~,[823 W. Anderson] Brosser, Prassow, Block 14, Lot 7 , now gone] DeCurtir~, peCurtins, Block 13, Lot 1 , now gone] Sitr~r~ot, [Sinnott, Block 13. Lot 2, now gone] Icatterbr~rg, wattenberd rcihere the Hospital is now and others are early residet~ts of that district. Mr. Artaos Caroltott of Oak Park, Mrs. J o h r ~ Bourdaghs an.d Mrs. Johr~ Burrrtaster were born there. Tlteir father Paul Caplazi lioed O I L the raorthwest corraer o f Ar~dersor~ and Martha Streets [the house stood where 810 W . Anderson is today] until 1960 [sic] w l ~ e r ~ he ri~oued to a for111 rLear the Stillwater Jur~c t ior~ ruhicfz is r~ow the John. A1u,rrrtaster far~r~.. Elliot lived or1 the s o r ~ t l ~ east corrler of Ar,dersor~, a r ~ d Harriet Streets [Block 16, Lots 4

71 ur~til he traoved to lower Maira a r ~ d operated the Dar~ Elliot Lloardir~g House ar~d later the Elliot Ifouse at 3rd a r ~ d CI~estr~ut .

Sylonraus Trask o t ~ e of the earliest o f Stillwater restder~ts li~led or1 the rr.ortlteast corrLer of Ar~dersorl a r ~ d Harriet. [Block 9 , Lot 8, now gone.]

There was a pa t l~ frorr~ Holcottabe d o w r ~ through the ravi i~c to 4'* r~ear the Baptist Chrcrcl~ d o ~ o r ~ Pir~e to the t~or.thwest corrl.er o/ the Jrrr~lor H.S. d o u ~ r ~ the old grade to Znd where the gas t a t ~ k is ILOUJ a ~ d dornr~ Nelsor~ to Mair~. That is the rou,te tlaose who lived i r ~ I-lolcorr~beS Additior~ used to go to tou~rt i r ~ Llte early clays. TheJ! had 1.0 carry t l~eir groceries a r~d a sack o f /7or1.1. to their 11o1r:es and there were ILO deliveries made at l l ~ a t tirile."

In tlle 1880's, the city hospital on W . Anderson and S . Greeley-Streets becarne an irduence in the cornnlunity. Beginning with t he home of Henry Icattenberg, the hospital has grow11 to l~ecome a nlajor influence i n the Me of Stdlwater.

I n his reminiscence o f Stillwater before the t u n of the celitury, Paul Cap1:lzi also writes of Lily Lakc?:

Afte f . lllc Civil Waf; 1865-1900

"Or~e da_v i n the late [eighteer~] sever~ties sorrie boys ujere playir~g O I L a raft rcear the shore of Lily Lake. 77~e raft drifted out a little ways froru shore a Dorar~ boy got excited war~ted to get back to shore jurnped ir~to deer] water could r~ot swirtl. ar~d drowrted. The lake was dragged; O I L Sur~day a large crowd was preser~t but they could i ~ o t find the body. T h e r ~ a feu) days later his body was four~d or1 the shore r~ear where he jurnped in , about ~uhere the S i ~ t t o r ~ ice house is r ~ o w [I014 S . Greeley]. At that tirri.e, Lily Lake was large. It. rurL sou,th ortd east o f Greeley St. There was a bridge over the water O I L Greeley St . Boys could sit O I L the bridge a r ~ d fish tuitl~ their feet rceor the water.

Lily Lake i r ~ the early doys was called Surcfislc Lake."

There was a. rescue fro111 drotc~r~ir~g i r ~ Lily Lake that fetu people kr~oto of. It was early irr Noverirber i r ~ t l ~ e late eighties. The lake u1a.s frozer~ ero~rr~d the shore out about a l~~~rcdred yar-ds. T l ~ e r~iiddle uias opc,r~, sorrre boys were skolir~g r~ear t l ~ e sl~or-c O I L bl~c ~ ~ o r t / c west c o r ~ ~ e r o f the lake rLear the 0rri .r~ Alou!e~. ice h.ouse. Neily Crirr~rni.r~,s skated out too far, u ~ e r ~ t douj~i ar~d begorr. callir~g for help. Ner~ry Mohs a r ~ d t u ~ o other boys tore sortie lorig wide boards off nearby fer~ce a.11.d skated out as aeor as t./~ey dare go ar~d 11r1slied the boards oc~t to l ~ i r r ~ er~d to ercd arcd A1eily crawled out O I L those boards."

It appears that ice cutting began on Lily Lake shortly after the C i d War . By the 1480's, it was well estahlishcd as the following newspaper notices illustrate.

iise Pure Ice

Arr.tlrew Friday has cor11e oirf toitli. a I L ~ L I I delivery wag or^,

n r ~ d is delic?erir~gpcl.re Lily Lake ice to a good. rrcarcy custorrrers. Lily Lakc ice is the best icc ~ I L the tt!orld, is rlot defiled tuitlc secilerngc ortd oblrcr irripitr-iLies like the icc o f other. lakes. Pco/ili3 ullso riesirc to take icc for the seasorl, rr!ill fired i t to tl~eir. advnrring:.c to ir~t.e~.t~ie~ci Ar~dreu,. If(? t~ I~or011gh1~ ir11.dcrsta11~1~ liis btisirless, is oc:r;s occ~orri.rrroriotirr,g to the i~iorrlerc folks irr placirrf !lie icr: irr t lcc refrigcr-ators, arcrl is liberal irr his rates. 0rrlcr.s car1 t ~ c left Afosio- Rro's stor.cl, 0 1 . rc'itlr l~irii, ot Lily Lnl:r2

71 I ciliillnt fintl rut? other ei.idence o r t h i s rtanle ever beiil:. usrd. " S l i l l n a t t ~ ~ - D:Gly G;izrttf,. h.l;~y 19. 1886. 1;'1-idny's (0,- F~.c~ tag ' s ) ice housc n.as on l\locl; 'LO. Lot 14, 3 ~ 1 . 0 ~ s fioiii itie S c ~ l l n i ~ l c r Jlnsj,ital.

After the Civil War, 1865-1900

Another ad in the same newspaper touted a competitive product:

T,TT,Y LATm ICE

T l ~ e Old Reliable

17~e r~r~dersigr~ed will furr~ish the people of Stillwater with this spler~did ice for the corr~ir~g seasorl, a r~d will 111.ake prices as low a.r~d a s responsable as arty other corLcerrL irt this city.

Orders may be left wi th tlte ur~dersigr~ed or at the Boori~ Con~par~y's office, with S . P. Richardsor~.

Also will sell artd deliver Wood ar~d Water to arLy part of t l ~ e city.

Orer~ Mower7"

Accord~ng to one local resident who worked as a nurse at the hospital, a s late as 1950, ice was delivered from Lily Lake to the hospital where it was chopped up and used t o cool patient's dr inks .

" SLiU\r.ater Daily Gazette, May 12, 1886 hloa.,?r'sice house was at the soulh end of Center S L r e e l ~

311

Li ly Lake Ice Company delivery truck circa 1910.

Ice cut t ing on Lily Lake circa 1945

Botii j i i io logropi is courtesy o,flIri, .i!. Cvoi.v C ' O / / , ~ C ~ I ~ J I ~ , S'!~//II , ,>!C~ T'111111c L ! ~ I ~ L I ~ >

1'1-IE OLD AND THE NE\v, 1900-1 950

11Xer1 we were Kids ...

T h e r e was a city skating rink on Lily Lake roughly in front of what is today 1 1 15 \Y. Willard Street. It was a wide oval on the lake ice for public skating, and in the center of the oval was a hockey rink. The public skated around the outside of the hockey rink.

In the 1930's there was a beach a t t he present location, but it deteriorated until extensive renovation was done about 1950. Some children would go swimming a t the end of Churchill Street, which was not an authorized beach. The girls would change on one side, and the boys on the other side of the path to the beach.

The Veterans Memorial Beach a t Lily Lake was dedicated in 1919 by the V T K ' . Therc was also the Legion Beach on the cast side of the S t . Cruix River near the end of the Lift bridge in what is today known a s IColLner Park. Lily Lake had a cute dressing and changing house, which has since been replaced with the ice arena.

Most of the younger rleighhorhood kids played a t Wasllington . '3 quare, which had a large sandhox, a teeter-tot,er, and a set of swings. Some of the kids in thc hospital area would play in the Schnell yard a t 910 Anderson, where there was a baseball diamond in the large front yard. There was another baseball harnond a t the corner of I-Iolcombe and Hancock Streets. In the winter, they would slide down the hill a t the end of Hancoclc Strect (if it were extirnded) into Brick Pond.

South of Hancock Street where the Stillwatcr Junior H ~ g h School is now, there were truck farms, most notahly the farm of Henry 1'. Schubert who Lived a t 1016 S. Holcombe Street.

There was a nov vie theatre a t 113 W. Churchill St. on the ~lortheast side oTFowth and Churchill in what is now a private garage.

Ruben ducol~son and his Stillivater Delivery Company would deliver groceries. parcels, and other merchandise n-itll his horse and wagon.

\\%ere the First Church of Cli~-ii;~, Scientist is now, the J a ~ t d a s had a large, perfectly tuaintained garden.

The Old urtd the Neul, 1900-1950

Many of the children went to St . Michael's Catholic School; those in the public school system went to Greeley Elementary School.

The grocery store for the area mas Pa t White Groceries at 608 Mi. Churchdl Street a t the corner with S. Holcombe Street. Originally a private residence, the house was converted to a store and residence in 1935 by Walter Nelson and the first proprietors of the store were the Kennedy's. During the second World War, it was in the hands of the Berglund family.

In 1945, Virginia and Pat \ m i t e purchased the house and store. There the Whites ran a full-service corner grocery store supplying meat, produce, on-sale and off-sale beer, and groceries to the neighborhood 365 days a year. (Even if they were not "officially" open, residents often knocked a t the back door requesting access to the store.)

In adht ion to supplying groceries, the White's also raised five children in their house. Finally in 1969, facing increased competition from the supermarkets, t,hey closed the store, and the building was converted back to a single-family residence.

Regular customers were Stan Uonahue, Bill Mclcnight, Sr , Wilbert Kniebel, Charlie LaCosse, and the families of the Uartkeys, hlcGlinches, and Pominvllles.

Other grocery stores were Hooley's Groceries and Meats a t 902 S. Fourth S t . and Icearney's Groceries a t 83-4-826 S. Fourth Street..

The girls of the neighborhood used Washington Square a s their playground. The boys used the nearby ravine for. their games and sports: sliiing and slihrlg in the win(.er; playing cowboys and Indians in the sulnnler. They played ball a t the Athletic Field.

C h ~ u c h ~ U Street was paved; the other streets Tverc? gravel ton-ds. The streetc;ir, and later the IILIS r an on Churchill St .

There is much more tl-afic now. Back then the

r

e was no cluniol. lligh School, and the hospit.al w n s1na11. Greeley Street. before it tvas \videned in 1969, was just a n,u.row road.

T h e biggest change in Holcombe's Addition in the last 50 years is the increasc in houses. More than half of the homes presently existing in Holcomhe's have been b d t since the Second World War, so tha t today there a re more "new" houses here than older houses. Most of the homes were built a s infill on lots purchased from older homesteads, but there were two sub- &visions added. The North family platted Block 19 of Holcombe's Addition into North Lily Lots, and what was once the lake side front yard of the large W~ll iam Clark house became the site of several homes. Walter Nelson bought the Tolen house and property, a n d what had originally been Block 18, M'iUiam Holcombe's lake shore residence, became the site of several new homes.

In 1950, Lakeview Hospital was a single brick building a t 939 Anderson Street with a couple of smaller b d d i n g s behind used for laundry arid staff loclging. Today, ~iotliing remains of that 1950's complex, and the hospital i~r~i ldings have a t least tripled i n size, while the size of the campus has increased by at least that much.

The ravine on Abbot Street used to be (like all ravines in Stillwater) a place to dump trash; today i t ha s been cleaned up, and forms an attractive back yard L o the houses bordering i t .

'Today, all the streets are paved, and every house has city water and sewer. \Tr1ien once the children went to Greeley and Nelson public elementary schools, today they attend Oak Park Elementary. Those who want a private school attend St. Michael's School just a s tlleir parents and grandparents &d 50 years earlier

The sounds of the Junior High School athletic field echo throughout the ~ieighborhood on crisp fall afternoons.

Ho~vever, there is one aspect of Holcombe's Adhtion that has remained constant througliout i ts history: I ts residents have always thought i t a very good place to live arid raise their ch i lhen .

Pat White i n his grocery store at 603 W. Churchill Street

A Br,ocr; BY RLOCIL I-IISTOIIY O F 1'HE HO L~SES, PAST i\NL) PRESENT, IN

I-IOI,COMBE'S ADDITIONS

Unfortunately there are no early photographs of Holcombe's Additions. But we have something almost tc

better in the two Birds Eye View Maps drawn ir! 1870 and 1879 by Albert Ruger. These remarkable maps a n e

delineate, with accuracy, every house and building in Stillwater at the time. Above is an enlargement of that part '+ S-

of the map depicting Holcombe's Additions in 1870-five years after the end of the Civil War. Notice the original street names are used. On the foilowing pages 48-51, sections of this same map have been enlarged two times. 2 1

2 O ~ l y a few of these original structures remain today. 51

The f~l l i Bird Eye View maps (of which the above enlargement is only a small part) can be seen in the 6' - -. Reference Room of the Stillwater Public L ibray. Copies of these two maps - along with a booklet describing ci .. these remarkable maps can be purchased from the author. See the inside of the back cover for details.

Block by Block IIistorrv

1870 Birds Eye View Map erilarged twice. See also Page 46

.-> 1

.;\ t r ~ p l e cnlargcment of' tire IS79 LItrcls Eye \.I?\! hlaI! s l r , ~ ~ ~ t i g Il!ocks I 3. Of i ,n~.ticulur itlli-rest i q t l ~ e J.ori;s 1lo~r.qe : i t 712 S hI;i!.tlin Street

\\'ilicil occul:~icd :ill of Eliocl; 3 f i l l - ;~lltlost a ccintilt.?. 0tlic.r 1)i i~~i:oa clear!! , ~ h o t \ i l a r e tlre \\.illard l~orcic at 70:; \ \ . \\'~lial.d S:rl,et. the ,Jiackson Ilo~lse aL 1 \ I 1 1 1 ' I 1 ~ 1 s : 1 S. kl:~ri!?:r S t rc le t .

Block b y Block Hislory

Lots 1-12

Willard Street

Ahbott Street

Lot& Block 1, was purchased for $31 £1-0111 bf'illiam Holcombe by a 28- year old, Irish-born laborer, James Carley and his wife, hlary, in September of 1855.74 He was one of the original inhabitants of the Addition, a s mentioned by Abbott.75 He built a srnall house with its long side facing the street in 1856, valued a t $75-$100, which can be seen on the 1869 Rird's Eye View map on the SW corner of Willard and Holcombe Streets. The decade of the Civil War brought prosperity to Carley, who, by now working in a warellousc, purchased Lot in 1866 for $40.'" In 1871, for the first time, he is Listed as having taxable personal properly in the amount of $220, a measlu-e of some wealth i n tha t period. I n tha t sarue year, Carley took out a one-year, $300 mortgage a t 12% interest'? and built himself a ~ n u c h larger house, valued at. $1,500 by the newspaper enthusiastically enumerating city wide irnprovernents for t ha t year,'hand listed a t a more modest value of $660 by the tax .4ssessor. The follo\ving year, 1873, he purchased, for $100, the t l ~ - d of lus three adjacent lots, 1,ot-2, from Dennis McGanrl, a ~ r s i r i en t of Little Rock, Arkansas.

In their home, the C ~ r l e y s raised rune ctuldren. 'I'his L\vo-story house. \vith its sidelightcd door wl~ich r c ~ n a i t l . at @3 W. Willard S t ~ s can be seen

H Deeds 1 1 4 , 1860 U.S. Census W a s l ~ i n ~ i o ~ ~ C o ~ ~ n t y : Stillwater: Pa:e 9 1. $735 -- " Pagc :'' 1870 If. S C e ~ ~ s u s , \ i lashingtou Couni).: StiJJxstcr: Page 4 , #32; P Deeds 153

Pagc 2 l6

Block by Block H i s t o r y

on the 1879 Bird's Eye View with i ts one-story adhtion and porch in the rear. It is in remarkably original condition. Although James &ed in 1906, remembered a s "...a rrrorl of good qualities n i ~ d his r~eigl~bol.s spoke [cell of hiru,"'S two daughters were living in the home as late as 1931.

Today the south half of Lots 1, 2, & 3 are occupied by GOO S. Holcombe, a newer house b d t in 1947.

Lot 6 of Block 1 was purchased by David LV. Armstrong, actin, a s a trustee for three minor children by his deceased first wife, in August of 1857 for $300. Two years later, in May of 1859, he purchased Lots 4 and 5 for a n adhtional $400.80 The 1860 Census lists lum, age 39, his wife, Lucinda, 28, a daughter, Arabella, 2, and Elizabeth McGuire, a 16-year-old domestic, as living between Moses W~Llard and James Carley.xl However, the first official notice of a house on these lots is 1863, in the middle of the Civil N'ar-, when the Assessor assigned a value of $900 to the house, and $50 to each Iot.82 This large house, ~rrhich remains a t 621 L4'. LT1illard. can he seen on the SF, corner of Willard and Smith [I-lar.r.iet] on both the 18G9 and 1879 Rird's Eye View Maps.

Armstrong was horn in New York State in 1819, coming west in the 1850's in pursuit of better health. Until the crash of 1857, he was cashier- of the S t . Croix Valley Bank.8:' He subsequently became a commercial merchant and agent for the American Express Company." 11Ie was also a man of some substance: the 1871 records &st list him as having $250 in taxable personal property. His obituary noted him as a man "...kr~ocort far- o11.d ~uide for his e.~cellcr~t jrrdgrrrcr~t artd iloi~orable dealir~g."H'

Jus t before the Christmas of 1873, this property passed into the hands of the First National Banlc of Stdlwater for a sale price of $3,000, but. Armstrong continued to live there iuitil the house was sold again in- 1SSO.R" This house, with its scveral six pane over six pant windo\vs, retains a

'!I Sli i i l~,ater flail? Gnzelle. Ilec(*ri~lrcr 8 . 190G I Deeds 2 18; L Deeds 13 1 1860 CIS. C e r ~ s u s . Washington County: ShUrvatcr: Pngr 91, #731~

T'IIc i k sessor w a s usual ly a yea r b r t ~ i r ~ t l , so the house n.oilld probabl! lln\,e been built in 18G2, 11i1t tlieu

\r,Il-?r<. would h m s l r o u g havi; l~tlen hiini: i n 1860? f i ' Hll~~~~f~\\ksh_.I~.o~J:_O~!!t~~a~lfl~~~S~~ C ~ O I X V1dev . Nol.th SL;rl. Pi i l r l i s l~~ng Coulp;~ny. h l inneapohs ,

188 I . Page 557 h a s a b iogr ; i~~ t iy of .kri~lsLroug. " Prygr & Co's.S!.~!l_~a~~er C L L V D i l . ~ : t < l 7 ; 187GG7i. S l i l l w a t ~ ? ~ . . ~ \ I I I I I ~ : I'ryor & C , O . . ~ ' I I I I I I S I I S ~ S 187G

Block by Block tiistory

number of i ts original design characteristics. There i s a city buil&ng pertnit for the addition o f a $75 porch i n 1914. A second building permit records t h e buildmg o f a $450 garage i n 1933.ui

Today, U i s occupied by a rambler a t 613 W . Willard built i n 1954.

Lots 7 & 8 were purchased for $305 in June o f 1861 by Herman Rice who had a small $200 house i n the ravine. I t can be seen o n the N E corner o f Abbott and Smi th [Harriet] i n t h e 18G9 Bird's Eye V iew Map. In July o f 1868, John Leach, (one-time husband t o Mary Reecher) bought Lots 7, 8 , 9, & 10 for $5008*, and what appears to be lus house can be seen in the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map.

John Leach, a riverboat pilot, was born i n Ireland and Lived in th i s house with his second wi fe , Ellen, and three children.R"By 1880, John , age 63, and his wi fe , Ellen, age 39, had eight chddren, t h e youngest one being seven months old!)go John Leach was a m a n to whom the Gods were not kind. Besides his unhappy marriage to Mary Rcecher (page 16) his obituary recordel the end o f his life.

Death of Johri Leaclt

U%er~ it uias C I I L I L O L L I L C ~ ~ today t l ~ o l poor old Jol lr~ Leoclt. /rod bcer~ fol~,rrd dead i n his bed C I L h is lorrely 1iil.le cottage i r~ Elolcorrtbe's additior~, ILO orLe toas surprised. I I L his sigl~tless, alrr~osf helpless cotrditior~, life lrad lor~g sir~ce ceased to have a r ~ y ~lalrre to lrirrr, ar~d ILO doubt d e a t l ~ tuas toelcorrre.

Mr. Leach mas borr~ i r ~ Irclar~d irr 1818. He cartic to the S f . Cr.ois ualley about 1845, locntir~g 6 1 1 . Mar.ir~c, tullere, I~otoe~vr., he rerr~.airt.ed or~ly o year. S ir~ce bherr has beerr a r.csider~t of Still~ualer. He early engaged irl tile busbr~ess o f ru,rrrt.ir~g ru f f s fro111 this place to various poir~ts or^ tlrc Lower Mississippi. .

He S O O I L oeqr~ired a t l ~ o r o l ~ g h 1~110(oledge o f t l ~ e riuer ar~t i was classed nr11or~g the skillful a r~d trr~sty pilots. He rrlarried Miss Kelly-da~~glt,t.er of Jorrres Kelly, borrg sir~ce deceased- about 30 years ago. T l ~ e w i d o ~ o ar~d n f u r ~ ~ i l y of several ch.ildrer~ i 1 1 . r The oldest S O I L , Ar.t,l~rrr~, has heell C I L ~ % I ~ ~ . o I I , ~ I or sorrlt? otlter far- tuesterr~ locnli.ty for rrrarly year's.

771,e gr.cat calarrrity L U / L ~ C / I hcfrll liirr~-fIr(? ~ i t c r , loss of /).is siglrt-occt~r-red r~early truer~ty-fiue yenr.s c~go. Sir~ce l l ~ o t tirrre / L C

l ~ n s bee11 totably blir~d-hotased in a lor~ely cabil~-tl~e buildirlg itself beixg d o ~ ~ a t e d by the kir~dr~ess of a f r i e r ~ d 4 i ~ l i d i r ~ g il.is tirtle IIL fauorable ~veabl~er betwee11 gropir~g ~ I L a bli l~d a l ~ d airrtless way frorn olLe well-kr~owr~ spot to ar~other, or l y i ~ ~ g supil~ely or1 his cot, bitterly recallir~g the rrter~~ories of the world's brightl~ess, but faintly re~t~er~r.bered, a r ~ d sadly por~der i l~g O I L the bleak, drear a r ~ d hopeless future.

The fur~eral will occur to-~r~orrow at at00 o'clock frorr~ the resider~ce, 715 S. Harriet Street.g'

There is a budding permit on record for August of 1888 which records tha t Thomas Roney, a local carpenter, built a srnall one-story 1%-foot by 14- foot $200 cottage on Lot 92. The construction cost was paid by Jacob nean , a wealthy lumberman - prohably the source of the reference in the obituary above.. Children who grew up in the neighborhood during the 1930's and early 1940's remember John's son, Horace Leach as a recluse, living in lus small shack without electricity or water. After the home burned. Horace went to Pine Point.. Today only the ravine remains.

Lots 11 & L of Block 1 have a more confusing history. At one point,, in 1864, during the Civil War, these two lots-with a $200 house on then^- were owned by the Stillwater School District. William Holcomhe sold the District Lot 11 for $25, and Carli & Schulenburg from Dutchtown gave a Quit, Claim deed on Lot l%.g:j Interestingly enough, the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map does not show any b ~ u l h n g s on these lots on the NW corner of Abbott ant1 Holcombe streets, and the Assessor's records also show no listing of a house on this property between 1864 and 1871.

In February of' 1871, the two lots were bought, for $300, &om t t ~ c Sti l l~vater school &strict, by Maria J. Stephen and her husbanci, Arthur Stephen, a 40-year-old plasterer and brickmason from Scotland.94 Stephen is a fanlous (well, ra ther famous) man because he was the one who st~ggested the name Oakdale (tbr tha t U'ashington County townstup) a t the first t,own meeting on November 1 , 1858. Stephen came to Minnesota in 1849, at. the age of 19. I-Ie settled first in St. Paul, then moved Lo Oakdale a s a fr-~rnlcr in 1854. He was a chairman of the Oakdale town Board. and Postlnasl.cr of Oakdale £ram 1857.1867. In 18(;9, his Oakdale ho~ue br~rned, and he nloved

''I Stillu,aler Gnzetfr , hlarcll 8 , 1,596. " City of Sti l l ivarer R~llldin!: I1i!rurlt ~ ~ p l i c a t i o n <!319. "' Q rfceds 326; Q Drcds 32 ; ) . 91 T I)wds 412- , Prvnr & Cok S!ill!vn~~.l- - C l r j Dir-ccti~r~:, Ifi-i_Tii; S t ~ l l \ ~ a t c l - , h l ~ t i n : I'rynl- & Co..I 'ul~lishes-;.

1876, 1870 TJS Ceusrrs \ \ ' ; ~ ~ I l l l , ~ t o n County: Sti l lwater: I'il~i. 1 , t-.)(;

Block by Bloclr Ifistory

to Stillwater to live in ths house. He applied the plaster work on the Historic Courthouse in S t i l l ~ a t e r . ~ "

I t appears the Stephen family built a second house on these lots about 1871. The Assessor recorded the value at $250. In the mid-1870's, the value of the house tripled and a three-section house can he seen in the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map. What appears to be a part of this early house remains today a t 602 S. Holcombe. The north side of the house has two six pane over six pane windows dating &om the original house.

Although it now has a Holcombe Street address, the original house number was 602 W. Abbott Street, denoting the front of the residence.

There is also a building permit taken out i n 1904 which details a 22- foot by 10-foot addition to this house.gG

A much newer house, built in 1952 by Frank & Madeline Garavalia, occuples the North half of L o t s 11 & 12. Thc house number is 616 S Holco_mbe

GAfiLEP dt: X,xLT;LIS, (J. C ~ t r l e ~ . J. G . fitELa,\ decct- L*~*.s i r r d 7 . r ~ qooc&, ~ P O C B ' I . ~ E Y , ~ ~ ? - 0 z l - i n i 6 n t i R-c. U n i r ~ r t . ~ D L - A - , ~ F P J 2-92.

ABXSZITZOXG, D. FV, d g t . 87,tericcc?1 F TSX

C'Q., .2d, n C I ~ e s t n s c t , 2-ss c o ~ S r n i t l t and Gzrgid -

T9II;L.d R D , 3 - S , F ? c r ~ ~ i f z c r r : n-rr c7 U7tde?.tah.i?cf/, 48 3'0tcrlc 3f cz in, 7 r s W i t L n r c Z , COY S w r . i t 3 ~ .

Business listings from the Stillwater City Directory for residents of Blocks 1 and 2.

d

Block b.v Block Ilis!or?

c Pl~otograph courtesy of the U'aslrington County H~storlcal Society

Above is the Armstrong house a t 621 W. q'illard St. in a photograph taken around 1920.

To the left is a drawing of Arthur Stephen who built a house a t 602 W. Abbott St., hut renumbered today as 602 S. Ilolcornbe Street.

Dralt>ing fro111 771r llistory o f Oak(io1r Toii~riship. \ ~ ' O / I I I I I P 1 , R ~ h l ~ s l ~ e d 11y 1 1 1 ~ 0af;dole 1-irlic. Elnlo Hisloi-icnl Socictj, 1896.

b'loclr by Block History

Blocl< 2

Lots 1-12

W d h d S t ree t

Abbott S t w e t

Moses S. Wi!!zrd :\nd his wife, Mary Ann, boug!ll Lots 1 to 6, Block 2, from Wil!ian: Holcombe on I'ebru:?ry 12, 185G, for a total price o!" $100. 4 cnuple of weeks later, Ll'ilLard so!d Lots A , 5 , & 6 to Ma!!!on Black for $126.'J7 I?uring the summer of 1856, Willard built a two-story house on the SE corner of Mr. W d a r d and Smith [Harriet] Streets. There is a mention in the local newspaper that. on l)eceml~er 1, 1856, "three deer wandered into tol5.n passing in full viecv of RI. S. Willard's residence.""V!lrougllout the 1860's and ex!p To's, Willard's house had 2:: assessed va!uc of SG50 and his t\vc- ~ f o r y gable fvorit house can !>e clcarl~. seen on the 1869 Rird's Eye View Map. - - I11 1874, t!le assessed value of the house doubled, reflecting t!le fact tha t what appears to be a secnnd two-story hnuse was apparently moved in ancd added at a right angle tn the west side of the origi!~a! hnuse, doubling t!ie size. The !iouse, wit11 it!: west ndhtion, can he seen o ~ ? the 1879 Rird's Eye View Map.

r 7 I !,is lo\,el:; Grce!.: I!i.~.i\r;:! !~ousi. a t 703 M'. \Yi ! lad \vhic!l could be :i

s!:o~.place of tho r:eigl~!~or1iood and the city, has u!ldergo!le some tr~~s:.~l~p:?t!letic alterations rccc!lt!j., i!lc!uding a l:?rge attzched gzragc, and

i ~ ~ i ! l d ~ w s ~v!llch !l:.~!e cl,.a!:gcd t!!e ori$na! proportions. New axtacia! . .

sichng h:?. cci\.ered or!g!~,:i! ~i;ood\vorl;i!lg detai!~.

y: F l)i.eJs 226: I.' l icedi 322 '.' F i i t o r v oi t i i i . S t ~ : ~ ~ ~ \ m ~ ~ i \ u z ~ ~ t L r ~ i3 Enstan. Ed!tal.-UI-Chief, Chicago. H i :

Block b.v i ? loc l~ if is lor^

\I:illard was born in Ne\v Hampshire in 1813 and came to Stillwater in 1855 where he ran a furniture and cabinet-making business until his retirement in 1882. In 1871, Willard's personal property - which would have included his furniture tools and inventory - was listed a t $1,755. (When Lt'illiarn Holcombe &ed in 1870, it was Moses Willard who made his casket and charged the estate $65.9" IWdlard spent some time in Cahfornia, before returning to New England. He &ed a t his sister's home in Franceslown, N. H., on February 20, 1888.'00 His wife, Mary Ann, died in Stillwater i n April 1879, from a heart attack tha t occurred when she was leaving the house one Sunday morning to attend service a t the U ~ v e r s a l i s t Churcli. l o '

Today there is a newer house on&&& once part of Willard's property. 709 W. Willard Str&was built i n 1955.

Lots 4,5. 8: G were purchased by Charles and Mattie Jackson on June 1 1 In mid-h'overnber, the couple, anxious to build their house, took out a 5900 mortgage fi-om the Stillwater Buil&ng Association, followed by a second nlortgagc: in Jaliu:try, 1878, for- an adht ional $GOO."" Their house with its addition in the rear, is evident in the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map. 'roday thus home has the address of 719 W. Willard.

Charles Jackson was one of the feu; black men in 19th Century Stillwater. He was horn a slave in central Georgia about 1851; after t,he Civil \Var, he followed the Unio11 Army north, and eventually ended up in St. Paul, Minnesota. While working in a livery stable there, he ~r ie t Albert Lowell, proprietor of the Sawyer House, Stillwatcr's grand hotel. Lowell offered him a job, and Jackson came to Stillwater to work a s a barber, first for Lowell, later on his own, and a t one time, a s a partner with Samuel Hadley, another black barber who lived in Holcombe's Adhtion. (Bernice Hadley, age 7, was living in Jackson's llouse in 1880 in adht ion to his own t h e e ctuldren)"':' Charles Jackso~l , one of Stillkvater's black pioneers, &ed in Stillwatcr on May 5, 1903.104

I,ot was split off fi.orn the other two lots, and in 1946 a nctv house was built a t 71 7 \IT. \Irillard.

"" W'astu~~gton County Probate Court. File #22G. I"" &torLof the St. C:IOLX \'alley hy A U ~ S L U S 13 Eastou. Erlltor-iu-Chief, CL~icago. K C . (:ooper JI.. & Co., 1909. !'aD -P 1 2 4 ~ I G 1 S l i l l ~ c a t e r hb~sscr ige i , hl;irch 3. 1888. "" 1 neelli 3713; N bfortgagcs 96; N h2ortg;iges 130. I" 18130 ILLS. C e ~ i s l l s \Vashing.un Co1111ty: S t i l lwa t r r : Pngc 245. g2-1 I"' For ad(litional iufol.inntloo ou Jachsou, s w St i l iua lo . Gazelle, M;rrch 5 . 18%; S1. Cro1.r li111e.s l'iiiss. J u l y

G , 1995, '-F'roln slave to p!ouccrn b- I l r c ~ i t I'i21cl.son

Block by Block lfistory

Lots 7. 8. & 9 \ v e x purchased by Otto Frederick Wohlers, along with his Ir ish born wife, Catherine, and five chddrenlOn in September of 1867 for $400.1nG The 1873 Tax Assessor's records inhcate a $600 house 011 the lot. The 187.1 and 1875 Assessor's records both contain a hand-written pencil note "add $600 for ii,oc~se" and by 1875, the value has increased to $1.560, indicating a quite substantial house on the lot. The German-born Wohlers is listed i n the 1876 City Directory a s a "drayman"; a n inhvidual engaged i n hauling freight in a horse cart. If a traveler wished to take a train trip, h e might call a drayman to haul his luggage from his rcsidence to t h e train station. This Italiarlate style house remains a t 721 S. Martha. Although Frederick Wohlers, S r , died in 1908,"Ji his descendants did not sell t h e house until 1958. The present owner purchased the house in 1958, and although the house is now 129 years old, he is only the second owner!

Lots 10. 11, &12. The Rev. Joseph A. Russell, age 32, a n Episcopalian minister, and his wife, Sarah, 26, purchased these lots in Decenlber of 1.855 &om Willtam Holcombe. On these lots, a t the edge of the ravine, he built a small house, valued a t $200 by the tax Assessor. His small one-story house with i t s two front windows can be seen, in both Bird's Eye View Maps on S ~ n i t h [Harriet] Street behind hjloses Willard's home. Today this home remains a t 716 S. I-Iarriet, although i ts 143-year lustory is belied by i ts present day appearance.

.At the time he p ~ ~ r c h a s e d these lots, Rev. Russell was principal of the Stillwater Seminary, a select private religious school. The 1860 Census lists his family of three chil&en, and a teacher living in his household.lO8

'0VS70 U.S. Crusus W a s i L i ~ i ~ ~ o n Coulity: S l ~ l l n a t e r : T'ag. 3 . ::25 "'"S De?tls 207 l o ' Sti1lu:alel- Doilj Gnrett,., ,Jul!. 15, 1908. '"' lSGO U.S. C r i ~ s i i s \L'zi.~li~r~g-toir ? o i ~ ~ i t y : St i l l r .~at i?r: I ' R ~ I ' 9 1 , ::730; 1.' Deeds 1G7: I: D e e d 101)

Hlocl: h? Rlocli History

Block by Bloc12 H i s t o ~ y

RI~OCK 3

Lots 1-12

\Irdlard Street

Thomas J. Yorlts purchased Lots 1-12 of Bloclc 3 from the ill-fated Gustavus Beeclier on Nove~nber Is ' , 1856, for $l,OOO.l"" I-Ie built, a house on this bloclc where he \vas Living in 1860 with his wife, Sarah, 26, a son Eugene, age 1, and twins: Marianne and Clarence, thrce months old. Matilda Taurer, age 18, a wet nurse, and Mary Curely, a 35-ycar-old Irish- l~o rn don~estic, completed the

:2fter the C i d 1trar, he built a second house, large and fancy, on the east side of Rlock 3; a house wit,!] a cupola valued a t 51,400 in 1870. His l~orne \vas certainly one of the f inest built in Holcombe's Adchtion - or for that niatter, anytvhere in Stillwater. In 1857, Yorks was elected Washington County Register of Ileeds; he was reelected in 1859 and 1861.l" In 1863, close to the time of building his house, Yorks was relatively wealthy, having person:il property ~vort11 51,175. 13y 1871, when the ruajority of the residents in the city were enjoying incro:lsing prosperity, the personal property of Yorks k v a s ordy Listed a s $120. Perhags reflecting his straitened c i rc~~mstances , his houschold, \vith its five children. had no servants in 1870 or 1880. l'he 1876 Stillwater City Directory lists him a s a "l~ooklceeper."

1" C<: Dr,cd.: .I(;(;. ' " IS(;O I IS. Crus~ls M'nsllington C o u i ~ l y . S t ~ l l w n t r r : Page 120, fi!)iG. ' ' I M i i t ~ ~ r v of t i in St. C r ~ i ~ > a e y 1,s ; \ L I ~ U ~ ~ U S B. E;is to[~. b:ilitor-iu-Cli~ef, cli icngo, 1 i .C Cuiiprr .ir. & Co. ,

190% l'a:~. 85. 93. 05.

Block by Bloclr History

I-orks dled June 14, 1918 a t age 88. As late a s 1930, the house was still in the Yorks family. Children of the area i n the late 1930's remember thls large hulking house, sitting vacant and dark a n d spooky, alone ill the center of this square block. After the house was gone, the block was used a s a softball field, and later a s a track to show horses

Today the block is occupied by houses a t 803 W. Wdlard on the North half of Lots 1 & 2 b d t in 1918; 710 S. Martha on the South half of Lots 1 & 2 built in 1969; 811 W. Willard on Lots 3 & 4 built in 1950; 703 S. Everett on - part of Lots 4, 5 , & 6 built in 1948; 709 S. Everett on the South half of 5 b d t in 1952; 715 S. Everett on North half of Lots 7 & 8 built in 1955; 721 S . Everett on the South half of Lots 7, 8 & 9 built in 1956; 812 W. Abbott on Lots 9 & 10 b d t in 1949; m S . Martha on par t of Lots 1 0 , 1 1 & 12 built in 1948; and 716 S. Martha on par t of Lots 10, 11 & 12 built in 1948.

PRICES

In 1880, a dozen eggs might cost 12% cents; butter was 20 cents a pound. Ham was 40 cents a pound, and (in April) potatoes were selling for 60 cents a bushel. A common laborer \vould make $1.50 to $2 for a 10-12 hour day. A skilled worlier might make up to $3.50 a day. An average b ~ u l h n g lot i n the "suburbs" cost between $40 and $GO; a n average house would cost between $300 and $500. A good cow could cost a s muc1i.as 5 Nmost everyone walked s o there were no transportation costs.""

Block by Block Elistor?'

I3locli 4

Lots 1-8

'i'l'illard Street

Lots 1 & 2 . J-Ienry Dclwer, a prosperous d ray~nan w~ho had come to Stillwater i n 1856, and his wife, L.ouise, built a suhsta~i t ia l $1,300 house on these lots in 1881. Unfortunately, the German-born Henry did not live to enjoy his house, having the misfortune to die on July 35, 1881, a t the young age of 18.

His wifi. lived i n the house aRer lus death for a few years, hut in the 1890's, it came into the possession of Peter N. Peterson who was the propriotor of 2 rnnrhle and granite works on North Main Street in Stillwater with a second hranch in St. Paul. Around the turn of t,lie century, when the fa~llous Younger Brothers (members of <Jesse James gang) were relcased frorn the State Prison ill Stillwater, tlley mo\~cd to St. 13aul \vlicrc the): were employed by Peterson. There is, l~on,ever, a story that one of the Younger Brothers stayed briefly in the attic of tlus house.

The Bieging family, whose ruembers included scveral c:orltractors and carpenters n.110 built many of Still\vatel.'s homes, lived 11ct.e for several dccades after the turn of t h e c e n t ~ ~ r y . 'I'his housc r e~nn ins today at. 903 K'. IVillard.

l'ldtln hl. Kern, and her h ~ i s b a n d , 1:rcdel-icli p ~ ~ r c h a s e d h i s 3 & 4 in . ~ L I ~ L I ~ L of' 18111 fbr $500.112 I'\\-o inontlis later. 1oc:al cnr[lcilLer, \\'illiam Ricbinji al~plicti for a permit to biuitl a $1,500 1-11? story 11ouse ?G feet by 30

Block by Bloclz l i i s ton.

feet with a 12 by 14 foot cellar seven feet deep.l13 Perhaps to pay for the house, the Kerns took out a mortgage in December from the St. Croix Savings & Loan for $1,300 a t 6%. The monthly payment was $6.50.114 In January of 1892, they hired another contractor to build them a $150 stable. 'Phis Queen Anne style house (but not the stable) remains a t 907 W. Willard. I<ern was the proprietor of Kern & Co. Boots & Shoes.

Lot is the site of a newer hoine at 905 Mr. Willard built in 1964.

m i s the site of a newer home a t 916 W. Ahbott built in 1960

The South half of Lots 7 & 8 is the site of a newer home a t Everett built in 1955.

The Nortll half of Lots 7 & 8 is the site of a newer home a t Everett built i n 1956.

. . ~ --

' I ' < ' . I T ~ o f St~l l \vatcr L3uIdmg I'rl.nllt : \p l~I ica t i~u 620 " ' s A I t y 128.

Block by Block History

Ahhott Street

John C. and Eliza Caldwell bought Lots 1 & 2 born William Holcombe in January of 1861 - a t the height of the depression - for the exorbitant price of $1,2.50.11"11 these lots, they made a $400 improvement, which appears to be a two-story house with a west wing on the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map. . In 186:3, the Caldwells purchased Lots 3,4 &A £ram Holcornbe, and the follow~irig year, t h q bought the remaining lots on the block: 6, 7 & 8. For these additional six lots, they paid only $25 each.l i6 Caldwell was a man of some substance: the 1863 Assessor's records list his personal property a t $250. In 1869, tlie whole Block and its sole house was sold to William A. Do\sms who proceeded to i s t r i b ~ ~ t e the lots among his family. In fact, this might be called the "Downs" block.

By 1880, in this house on Lot. 1 , Herug Downs, age 67,-4)orn in Scotland, is Living wit11 his 12 adult children, ranging in age from Williarn, a farmer, age 4 1 to Anria & Sarah , twins at age 20!11i Like a number of other residents of Holcotnbe's Additions, all of the children were born in New Rruns\vick. mapping out thc family's routc from Scotland to New Brunswick to Minnesota. By the 1890's, it appears this home was gone, and today this is the location of a home IriUlt in 1968 a t 905 \ti. Abbott.

Lot next ciool. w:is O ~ V I I C ~ by A~.clubal(l DOLYI~S, but there bvas 11~1

liouse (111 it

'Ii N 1)iirds 200 (I can'r fa thom w h y lie a.ould havr ],aid t ha t much money!) I"' 0 i)eccl 310; (4 DoecL5 2&8. ' I ; IS80 1's Ceilsu-. LVahi l ipron Count) . S r i l lna tc~ . : t'agz 2G 1. PXJ.

Block by Block Itistory

Lot s 3 & 4 were purchased hy Donald Downs, his ~ d e , Eliza, and his four young cMdrcn."8 In 187'7 he built a 1-11? story house, valued about $400, which appears on the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map. hlost of the male members of the Downs family were laborers a n d lumbermen. In 1887, there was a bui ldng permit taken out to do $300 worth of work on th i s house, includmg a bay window and a pouch.'lg Although changed, this house today remains a t 915 W. Abbott.

Lots 5 & 6 were purchased by Arthur Downs in 1875,'" who b ~ ~ i l t a small $300 house on the property, which is clearly indicated on the 18'79 Bird's Eye View Map. Most of the Downs family were laborers in the lumber trade. This house remains a t 912 W. Churchill. the property of Lakevlew Hospital.

u s 7 & 8 are the site of 904 W. Chi~rchil l built in 19138. It does not appear there \<,ere any previous homcs on this site.

' I f i 1680 ITS. C e ~ i i t ~ i \Vasliingtou County: SLiIlwatel.: Page ? G I , d273. "" C ~ t y of S l i l l n n ~ ~ * r i l ~ u l d ~ n g Permit :\j1l1Licatlo11 XW3. '"I 1 Deedh 1;

-. 1 L

Lots 1-12

Abbott Street

Since the Civil War, Peter Jourdain, along with his wife, Mary, and daughters, Elizabeth and Rosa (adopted) plus one male servant, had lived on Block 5 in the old Putz house which rernains today a t 812 S. Harriet. His brother, Oliver, a teamster, lived next door to Peter in a llouse which rernai~is today a t 702 W. Churchill.

In April of 1859 tlus same Peter J o ~ u d a i n purchased back-to-back 1. 2, 3, and the ravine L,ot.s 10, 11, &&2 for $400.1"' The 1880 Assessor's records h s t list his new honir at. a value of $1,125, althouah the house does not appear on the 1859 Bird's Eye View Map, nor is Jourdain living there in J u n e of 1880 when the cetlsus \\,as taken. This commodious and fancy house, in a n Eastlake Stick style, with i ts profusion of roof lines, a i d estate occupying six lots, remains today a t 8 0 6 W. Al~bott looking every bit as splendid and nearly a s original a s it \vas over a century ago. Jotudain, a Michigan-born lumbermcti, was a man of some \ve:llth: a s early a s 1863, liis personal property was listed a t $100, a figure n.lucll l ~ a d increased slightly to $140 by 1871.

Tn 1923, the Jourtlairi datcgliter sold thf home to 1,ouis a n d h:lal.y Janda, the owncrs of Jandn's Department Store i r i do\r;nto\vn Stil1w;lter. I n thc fall of 1924, L,ouis J n n d a hired Eruil niegi~lng, a local builder, to add a 51,000 sleeping porcli and oni3 room to the second floor.'"'j

"? 5 Deeds 139. " ' City o l S ~ i l l \ v a t e ~ l i ~ ~ ~ l r l i n g I'er11ut A ~ I I I I C ~ ~ O I I il205G

The Janda's Lived there until 1976 tvllen it was then sold to The Foster family. All three of these owners celebrated 50Lh Weddmgs ,4nnivcrs;uies in this home.

In Block 6, on land first purchased for $80 by James D. Stryker of New Jersey, a speculator,^^^ there \\.as also a small house on M w h c h appears on both the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye View Maps. This was occupied, for a time, by Marquis L. Bickford and his wife, Mary. He was a sawyer from Maine, born about 1830, who worked for Isaac Staples in lus saumill.l'i Today this site is occupied by a home huilt UI 1983 a t 819 W. Abbott.

James Barron, a lumberman, bought Lot from William Holcombe in July of 1856 for $10O.J2We soon huilt a srnall house on his property, and the 1871 List of improvements in the StiUwater newspaper records Barron making $150 improvement to his horne.lK On the frontier he was a relatively old man, having been born in Ireland about 1805; joining tun1 in his household were the Dunn brothers: Tllomas and Quincp, also lu~nbermen from i r e l a ~ l d . " V o d a y this is the location of the Church of First Cllrist Scientist.

Both Barron and Bickford arc Listed in their homes in the 1877 Stillwater City Directory.

., -.

I i ' N Ueeds 2215

I" k y r ~ r 9 : Co:s_Slill wa te r Citv D i r e c t o s \ , , - J f i ~ ~ & i ~ Stdli%:ator, h l~inn: r 'ryul & Co. ,Publ~sh ' rs . ISiG, 1880 lJ.S. C e n s u s \','aslungoo County: S t lU\ r . a l c~ . I';igc '2 ( i l . 1:268.

1'" G D?etls !lG "' Stil11uc~tr.i G:i:ci:e. Niivc~i~l,er 11. ]Hi I

1870 1:. 5 C . e u \ ~ ~ s \\~asl~li~:.toli Coullw: S i i l l \ r . ;~ t i r 13a,-e 20 . f I 1 G

Block by Block Histon.

Lots 1-12

Al~bot t Street

Churchdl (Pe~xnock) Street

Elizabeth Putz p~uchased Lo t 1 of Block 7 &om William Holco~nbe in May of 1856 for $60, and 1,ot 2 of the same block in September of 1856 for $50.I2"he and her husband, Robert, (whom she married the previous year"" sold those same two lots in Septeml~er of 1856 for $1,000 - which price tuore than likely meant there was a substantial house on the lots.L30 I n 1862, Peter Jourdain, along wit11 his wife, Mary, and daughters, Elizabeth and Rosa, purchased the property for $200 '"I , and lived there until 1880 when he moved to his large house a t 805 W. el*. In 1886, a new 14-foot by 21-foot, one-story kitchen was added to the rear of tlie house. Judging by the floor plan, the \vood moldings, and the newel post, it appears the front (north) part of the house was renlodeled in the 1890's.

Accordng to tlie city builchng perrnits, in 1910, Octave Willet, \\rho lii,ed in the house for over four decades, added a l~nthroom to the house.l:'i

This house, which was assessed a t about $150 in 1880, is apparent on 110th the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye 'lrie\v Maps, altliough it appears to be :I

larger house fronting on Abbott Street in the 18G9 nial). Today this very

1.' Ileeds 1G8: N Deeds 303. ""Sf. Cro~.x Khiioi~, Sellternher. 20, 1855. l3" 1I)~eds 301.

early pioneer house, perched on the top of the raxine, reniains a t 812 S. Harriet Street.

On Lot is a house a t 709 W. Abbott which was built in 1970.

In 1871, John H. Morgan built a residence, which the newspaper optimistically valued at $1,300, on Lots 4, 5, & 6.13" Tlus house, which had an assessed value of about $600, can clearly be seen on the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map a s a two-story home broadside to Abbott Street. Morgan was a mill hand for the Hersey, Bean and Brown Mill.'"' In 1.880, Edgar Morgan and h s wife, Hattie were the residents.'" Today t h s is the site of a much remodeled 715 W. Abbott, with i ts one remaining six-over-six window.

Lots 7 & 8 had a small $200 home on it built in the late 1850's by Anthony and Elizabeth Wolf, who acquired the property from William Ho1combe.l" John O'Neil, a n Irish-born laborer, bought the house and lot for $150,1:3' and without :I wife, \\.as raising s i r children ir i his little house.lsfi By 1880, a t age 60, he was living alone in thc h o ~ s e . l : ~ " This small house is easily hscernible on the northeast corner of Putz a n d I'cn~iock Streets in the Bird's Eye View Maps of 1869 and 1879. .4lthough not apparent by its present day appearance, the core of thls old house, sitting on the edge of the ravine, remains a t 718 W. Churchill.

I n the spring of 1858, .John Curtis, a 29-year-old stone Inasoil from Ireland, along with his wife, Mary, purchased L o t 11 for $100 from William Ho1combe.J-l"On his property, he built a small 1-11? story brick liouse for themselves and their three children: Mary, John and Hannah. This house, (now covered with stucco) which was valued a t about $300, is very obvious in the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map and in the 1870 Dird's Eye View Map where it appears to have the present day addition on the west side. T h i s snlall h o u s e remaining at 706 \V. Churchi l l , which h a s miraculous ly surv ived re la t ive ly i n t a c t to t h i s clay, d r s e r v e s f u t u r e preservation. It is a house ch:aracteristic of those that populated this neighborhood; it is ;I

house typical of those in which our pioneer fathcrs and noth hers lived, After the Civil \Tray, Curtis added L o t s 8, 9 & I 0 lo his e s t a t e i u

'" 1880 U.S. C e r i u s \\'z\slii~i~ton County: Still\vares: Pagr 2G1. *:2(i!l I.!" H Deeds 382. 13' 0 Ileed? 349. IJH 1 8 G C U S . Census \\ 'ashin~lo~i C:oiinty: Srilln.;~ter Page 91. t l7 i ; . '" "80 L1.S Census \!'a.;li~~igtoii C:ounty: S~dlnares. Page 2G I ,

M Deeds 30. "' II Deeds 28: LT I)c,>iii 30

Block by Blocli Ziistory

Lot 1 2 was purchased by John H. Morgan in the fall of 1859.142 He b ~ d t a small $350 home with Greek Revival features on his lot. In 1870, hiorgan built h s second house on lots 4, 5, and 6 a t the other corner of this Block. The new owner of Lot 12 was Oliver Jourdain, a teamster. This home, with its kitchen addition in the rear, can be seen in both the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye View Maps. The Michigan-born Oliver, his wife, Margaret, their children, Sarah, Peter, George, Louis, Clarence, and two servants from Norway were all living in tlus Little house in the summer of 1880.14" house. 140 years old. remains a t 70". Churclull.

Today there are several newer homes interspersed among the historic houses on this block. 803 S. Martha was built in 1965 on the North half of Lots 5 & 6. On the South half of L,ots 5 & 6. 811 S. Martha was also built in 1965. On land once belonging to John Curtis, Lo t s 9 & 10, the house a t 712 W. Churchill was built in 1958.

h'l Uec,its 361 ':' ISSO L1.S c r ~ l i r ~ s \\ ' : ,sLUngto~~ County. Stil lwater: Page 260. 82GS

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1 I

Block by Block Ifislor>.

BLOCK 8

Lots 1-12

Abbott Street

hlilton Abbott, our intrepid newspaper editor, bought Lots 1, 2. 3, & 4 from Willian~ Holcombe, and built his house on these lots in 1856. In 1858, he sold the lots and hoi~se to Samuel J . R. McMillan, a Stillwater attorney who would later become associate justice of the s ta te supreme court, and a U.S. Senator. Although McMillan rnoved to S t . Paid, the house and lots remained in his name until 1866, when it was sold to Moses and Almeda Tuttle for $1,000.1'i' I-le was a St.illwater lumberman.

\Vhat happened to Ahbot,t's house is uncertain, for in 1871, accorhng to the newspaper , ' JVut t le built (or improved) a $2,000 residence on his lots, and the tax Assessor's records throughot~t the 1870's chronicle a n assessed value of about $1.300, indicating what must have been a large house.?

L r n f ~ r t u n a t e l ~ the two Dird's Eye irie\v Maps are not very IlelpCul in this situation. The 1469 Map shonrs two small houses on what appears to be the S % a r ~ d the N '/: of the 1,ots. In the 1879 Map, it appears those two 11ouses liavc? been joir~ed together in a rambling half-block long structure. , > loday on t lx in site, tllerc are two linuscs a t m?. Holcomhe and 706 S. Holcombe Lvhicli were at. one time joined together.

Rcfore 1912, t.his home ;it 70'2 (incli~tli~xg '706) S. Holcornhe, which faces on Abtmtt. Street (tllc street has not heeri opc'ncd), had the house number 601 \.IT. Abbott Strc:i-t. 'i'lic, Tuttle faulily lived in this hoi~se from IS66 to tlie end

Blocli by Blocl; History

of the First World \Var. It was not until 1938 that these four lots were split into a north and south parcel.

The present owner has in his possession a piece of 21 inch by 1 inch sheathing removed from the walls in the course of his remodeling. He also described a type of construction tha t involved mortise and tenon work, using very few nails.

On Lots 5 & 6, there is what was once the carriage house for the Mulvey home a t 807 S. Harriet Street.

James Mulvey, a Stillwater lumberman, purchased Lots 7, 8, & 9, and the house thereon, in the spring of 1870. He paid $700 for the three lots and a small house.lJi The residence, dating Gom before the C i d War, was valued at $200 (increasing to $400 by 1852) and appears on the Rird's Eye View h4np of 1869 a s a small one-story house with a lean-to in the rear. In 1878 the tax Assessor's record has a penciled notation in the entry for Mulvey's lots: "$900 hoc~se" and by the following year, the equalized \.nlue of the house and lots has jumped to $1.865.

Mulvey's large Italianate house can be clearly seen on the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map, and it appears the old house originally on the site has been rnoved t,o the rear of the lot. The 1880 Census lists James, age 45, his wife, hliranda, age 36, from New York, and children: Arthur J., 13; Jcssie A . , 12: E d ~ l a M., 1; Walter S., 2; and James' father, John Mulvey, age 65 all living together in their new house along with a servant, age 2 l , by the name of Ellen Iiaus cvlio was from New Erunswick.'4R Mulvey was born i n Kent Cou~lty, England, in 1836, came to hne r i ca a t age 13. In May 1853, he came to Shll~vntcr to engage i n the lumbering trade and over the coiirse of the next 30 years he prospered in that b u s i n e s s . " V h e 1889 Personal Property records inchcate tha t Mulvey had one horse over three years of age, a wagon valued :it $40, a sewing machine, three clocks or watches, and a piano. 'rhe family lived in their house for thrce-quarters of a century.

Today, this lrome, all gussicd up, is the Jalnes h ~ ~ l v e y I1111 R&l3 of S l i l l ~ v a t e ~ ~ a t 622 \Tr. Churcldl.

1)irec:tl- east of the Mulvey Iiouse, on Lobs 1-0 8 1 1 , was ;it one time a s n ~ a l l $200 llol~se \vhich had been built in 1856 by the Re\,. h. C. I'erinock, one of the o r i @ ~ ~ : i i settlers in I-Iolcombe's Addition, anti the ix:rsorl f'or whom

' I 7 1' IJecdr 607. 'IR 1880 1I.S CEIISIIS, \ \ ' ~ s ~ I ~ I I ~ T ' ( o u ( ; o I I u ~ ~ : S t iU~aLer : Page 260, #?GG4. I " ' !!isto~v n l ' \ \ ' a i f ~ j n ~ t g ~ j ~ ! ! l t v nnil The St. Croiz \'alley, Nor th Star l 't~l~lishini: Couipiru), ~ L I I ~ I I C ~ ~ ~ I C ~ L ~ S ,

188 l E J i t ~ 6 : 590.

Block by Rlocl: History

Pennock Strcct (now Churchill Street) was named. His house, surrounded by trees, can be discerned on the 1869 Bird's Eye View hlap. Pennock subsequently sold h i s home to WiUiam Smith (in 186G for $450) who in tu rn , sold the house arid property for $700 in 1874 to Elzey J. Spindle, a plasterer and stone mason. 1" The 28-year-old Elzey, American born, lived in the house with his wife, Harriet , their infant son, and Harriet's father, Arthur, a Scottish-born bricklayer.'" Spindle, who came to Stdlwater with his mother in 186G, went into partnership with his one-time instructor and father-in- law, Arthur Stephen, who111 we met in Block

Apparently, however, this house burned in the late 1870's for i t does not appear on the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map. Tbere is a building permit taken out in July of 1888 for a new house or1 this site. The owner was F. W. I-Iutchinson, a lumberman, and the builder was Edward Olson, a local co~rtractor who lived a t 1011 W. hfyrtle Street . The permit details an $800 house, 1-112 stories, 1 4 feet in front, 26 feet in the rear, and 28 feet deep.15" According to a subsequent city building permit, the home underwent $1,000 worth of remodeling in 1942.1" This house rernains a t 610 W. Churclull.

Wdian i hl. Smith and hs wife, Anna, who liad lived in the Pennock Ilouse?l5i built the~nselves a large square Italianate house on corner Lots 11 && i n 1854. The 1875 Assessor's record projected the value of the lots and house a t $780. Tlxe large ixouse, with a hippcd roof and addition on the rear can he clearly seer1 on the 1879 Bird's Eyc View Map. William Smith, who is listed variously a s a laborer and river pilot"c, liad personal property wort11 $70 in the 1871 Assessor's records; by contrast, James Mulvey, a t the other end of the blocl;, rvas listed a s having $.,I0 i n persorial prciperty that same year. This Italianate style house remains ill fairly original conhtion a t 60"- \ . Churcllill,

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"VR Deeds 40; Z Dceds 143. " ' 1880 U.S. Ccrlsus \ V a l i u g t o n County: Stillnrater: I'ag(. 260. H'LGO.

!!~%oj~ofJ<&bn~to~i C u r ~ t y alid The S t . Croix \ iallcl , North St:u. Publishing Company. hh~~ui;?apoI.is,

183 I . Page GOO. I - ' ! Lily of Stillnpater I lu i lh l lg I 'ermit Application #3:3O. ' " City of Stil lwater B u i l h g I'ermit Apl,licatian ?42(iGO. IT' Midvey a n d S u ~ i t h a - c listed adlaceutly iu the 1870 C ~ ~ u s u r . \\'asfiin@otl County. .S t i l lrv;~tcr I'agc 20.

;!150, 151. 1 Cit? dut ,aot . i i .>.

kr_-z - I-:_==-----.L7-=7.=:==.- .-.----d "I';~~Ic?/ t>i~i~sri a t 805 MI. A t ~ t ~ o t t a n d 627. !M. C l ~ ~ ! r c I l i l l Street

Llloclz by Rloclr History

Lots 1-12

Churchill (Pennocl;) Street

A~~r le rson Street

William Gibson a c q i k e d L o t s 1 & 2 from William Holcol~lbe i11 the summer of 1858 for the rather high price of $300.1'; He soon built his home which the Assessor noted a s wort11 $250. By 1870, when the house is valued a t $500, t h e 1-112 story house can easily be chscerned on the corner lot in the 1869 Bird's Eyc View Map. The owner a t this time was Emily Rattles, the wife of a Stillwater hoi~se builder. I n 18'72, the house and lots were purchased for $700 by ,James Reefe, a hesco and sign painter.'" ICeefc was born in I-lalikix, Nova Scotia, i n 1834. He learned his trade in Boston, settling in I-Iudson, M'isconsin, in 1855. After fighting in the Civil War, he moved to Stillwater jn 1871, this hornc. '" ' I~n 1890, Keefe lured Sven Berglund, a local coritractol-, to build him a ncw 26-foot by 26-foot 1-112- story house on this sito.16" Iceefr: has four cliildren; two of them, Hdrace and James H. followed him in the business. Thc family lived in the house until the 1920's.

In 1935. Lf':llte~. N c l s o ~ ~ , tlic owner of tlic Sanitary 1):riry on Grceley Street took out a permit to con~.ert this house into a residence and store by

' j ' X Deeds 5 I(;. ' '! ' U ~ s t o ~ f ~ L V ; ~ ~ ~ t n n ~ ! ~ t ~ ~ i _ l ' l ~ c ~ (&1sXa11_~1. Nor th Star I'ublishmg Co~npany ,

Bloclr by Bloclr History

rearral~gilig the interior.lc' From 1945 iuntil 1969, this house served a s Pat's Groceries as irreL1 as the residence for the White family.

'I'his housc, greatly niodernized and changed, remains a t 603 W. Churchill Street.

was first built upon in 1890 when James Iceefe, who lived next door, hilllt a substantial house on this Lot, which, it appears, he held a s rental p

r

operty. This house remains today a t 611 W. Churckill.

I,ot was built upon in 1873 by Julian A. Chenne with a $300 house. Chenne Lived there until the property was purchased by Emily Battles in the summer of 1881.1m The 1.112 story house can be seen on the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map. I n 1886 Emily had a l z f o o t by 18-foot I -1lZstory addition put on the house. What is very surprising is that the work was done by a P. L. Flanagan, and not by her husband, George Bat.tles, a contractor hirnself.l(;:' Emily Rattles &d not li1.e there; it was 111ost likely rental property. In 1937, this Ilorne was "veneered" with asbestos s i d n g a t a cost of $315.It74 T h s home reniailis a t 615 \V. Ch~~rch i l l .

Lots 5 and 6 were bought by Daniel E. Spindle J u n e 3, 1871.1GHe built a $300 1-112 story house or1 the corner - a house which is very evident, in the 1879 Rird's Eye View Map. Spindle was, for a time, the janitor a t Central School, kitty corner from the Historic Courthouse; later he worked a s a clerk.'" I n 1915, a workshop was added to the house, and in 1933, a 20- foot b y 4 0 foot, one-story, $350 bui ldng was added to serve a s an auto repair shop.'" This house remains a t 631 W. Churchill Street.

Lot had a srnall house on it, dating from before the Civil War. 1:rederick Rcntz ~r r rchased Lo t s 7 & 8 in 1857 a t a cost of $180. He built a house and lived there during the 1860's. By 1868, both lots were in the possession of Sylvanus Trask and lus wife, Eupheniia.lm One of the-earliest residents of Stillwater, Trask came in 1848. I-le engaged in teaching, was a clerk in the post office, and served a s a representative in the first territorial ~ t r ' l ie married Euphenuia Tiuner of St . Paul in 1852.L;O

'" City (if SriU~vacer Urtillllg P~rlnit Application i:Z424. I"? 9 Deed, 2 2 4 . '"' Ctli. of Sl.ill\r.ntc~. I3nilil1!1g I1et.t~iit AppLicahon 21211. "" City of Slill\r.:~~<t~. I1r11ld i l1$ Prr11u1 AppLication #2489. '"5 'I' Deeds 473, c ' ' Citv L ~ I I . E c ~ o ~ . I o . < .

Block by Block HistozLv

In 1893, Trask was quoted in the newspaper: 'Forty-fiue years ago to- day" reritarked Sylvor~rss Trask last Saturday cullerr he er~cour~tered a Gazette represer~tati~,e, "I lar~cled ill. Stillwater-Moy 13, 1848. Altd I lrave 11leol~der.ed along the street this aft err roo^^, ~ I L U S ~ I L ~ O I L the cuorrderful char~ges t ime will brir~g to every fair a r ~ d bear~,tifud tllil~g, and I l~aue o~rly 111et four persolLs t l ~ a t I rerileirlber seeil~g t l ~ a t day, a r~d these are they: Jo. Carli, H.N. Setzer, Burl Loorttis, aitd C l ~ a s A4acey. Of course there arc ~ i ~ a i ~ y others aror~r~d here t l~ar were here tlrer~, btst these are the orles I just I~apperred to ri~eet."fil

The one-story $400 home can be seen in the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map and, with a n addition on the rear, in the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map. The Trask house had the address 618 W. Anderson; this home o f one of Minnesota's Grst legislators has since bee11 replaced by a home built for Doris Behrens in 1941 a t 921 S. Harriet The origi~lal cost of this 1941 house was $5,500.17?

Lots 9 & 10 were first b d t upon in 1916 when the home at 612 W. Anderson was built. 606 W. Anderson and 916 S. Holco~nbe were also built in 1946 upon Lots 11 & 12.

- - . - - -- . -. -

''O 11dxYefilz2 In the N o t ~ l l a c l , by \\.. 11. C. Folsom. F ~ o n c e r F r r sa Com&iany. 1886. Page 73.

I I I 1 : 15, 189 ('it?. of Stillu,atel. l l u ~ l i l ~ o ~ k ' i , r u ~ ~ L .Appl~c;rtii,r~ 1;ZF 19, liflil '0

Block by Bloclr History

S IX-0 VER-SIX WINDO MIS

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of at1 olcl house is its windows: the size, the placement, and the style. In ge~ie ra l , t he smaller t he size of t he panes, the older the window. As the techtlology of t he 19'" Century advanced, i t became possible t o malce larger panes oC glass cheaper. In t he first houses of Minnesota, built in the period of 1840-1870, the usual window panes were qttit,e stnall, and each sash held six panes, (six- over-six) separated by quite slender and finely made dividers (muntins). In the following period, from 1870-1910, the windows were comprised of two panes per sash, o r two over two windows. Today, of course, they a r e generally one pane per sash, o r one over one.

Curiously enough, tnany new houses use plastic insert clividers in their winclows t o sirnulate the older small panes.

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Bloclz by Block Ifistory

Lots 1-12

Churchill Pennock) Street

Anderson Street

Lots 1 & 2 were sold t,o Patrick O'Donnell in A u y s t of 1855L7:j and O'Donnell apparently had a small house on then1 during the Civil War, but by the time of the 1869 Rird's Eye View Map there is no house on the map or in the Assessor's records. About 1876, John Iiundert, who had owned the property for over a decade"l, Iiuilt a $500 house on the corner Lot 1 . Iiundert, a Swiss born carpenter, had a remarkable gathering of people in his I - % story house with its small addition in the rear. On a warm summer day in June of 1880, the census enun?cl-ator Listed John: age 49, his wife: (whose name I cannot read) age 48, so11 l'homas, 25, son John 1 4 , son Fred 1% soon Eddic 10, son Peter, 8, daught,er Lillie 5, married daughter Sarah Winkle age 24, son-ill-law Peter Uri&le age 32 (:I butcher), married daughter Aussie Tracy age 22, son-in-law William Tracy (laborer), married daughter Rosa Tracy 18: son-in-la\%, George Tracy 21. Fourteen people in a house that probably llnd no illore than 5 rooms!li5

111 1891, hlar~rice and Mary (\l'halen) Ryan purchased the home. \\'orking first as a lrlmberman arid later a s a teamster, Maurice and his wife raised t l r e c children in the house: Loretta, Marguerite, atid (2er;ild. In his later years , Mailrice served a s a mr:untrcr of the Stillwater Fire l)cpartriie~it from 1.912- 1917, and subseque~ltl?- \vorItcd for City Ih11 as :I patrol cki~vcr. hfary dicd i l l 1916, and Pllaurice i l l IE12G. PlIarguerite became the liead of the

I:' E Dccds (;I-i ' ' I He 11oughr i t .Iune ZG, 1867 (5 I3i.ed.s I:]::) , - ~ ' . - ' 1880 I1.S (:cnsu.- \l';illiugtori Cuuoty S~i l l ivatel . . Page 2G1. Z 2 i l

Block by Bloclr Ifistory

household until 1936 when son, Gerald and his new wife, Helen, moved into the house. Together t.hey raised four soils in the house: Gerald, Lawrence, Thomas and James. Thrc~ugh three generations, the Ryan family has lived here for over a century. Today this house remains a t 904 S. Harriet.

Lot had a very small house upon it built in the 1850's. T h s house can be clearly seen toward the middle of the block on the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map. The first occupant and owner was Antoine Tuor, or Tour, ~ v h o bought the property from William Holcombe just before the Christmas of 1856."" He lived there for eight years when John Iiundert bought -3 a s well a s Lots 1 & 2. He apparently rented it out for a number of years, and some part of this early house may be incorporated into the present house a t 709 W. Churckd .

Lot is the site of a newer home a t 715 W. C h u r c u b u i l t in 1952

The wollderfill little $200 Greek Revival home a t 517 Kr. Churchill w a s built on Lot 5 by Jacob hlarty who purchased the property Goln Wi l l ia~r~ Holcombe for $64 on Noveruber 5, 1856. Marty i~ni~iediately took out a S15U ulortgage a t 3% £ram a Reuben Cole of Putnam County. New Y ~ r k . ~ ? ; ',ess t han two years later, Marty sold the lot and house to Edward Ayers, a recent arrival from Otswego County, New York, who gave Marty the equivalent of a Contract for Deed in the amount of $200, plus the assurnptior~ of the underlying $150 mortgage to Rueben Cole.

Within 6 months, a s the depression quickly worsened. Ayers sold the property to Francis Aiplel a Stillwater brewer, who eventually defaulted O I I

the mortgage to Cole. 178

In 1862, the property was oKered for sale by the Sherift' to pay off the mortgage and interest of $234. In 1864, a local ir~vestor, Lorenzo Cor l~man and his partner, Alpheus Stickney (who would later make a fo-rtune in railroads and the South St. Paul stock yards) got another mortgage fro111 ILucl)c~l Cole, t h s tirne for $9,150, on numerous pieces of property in and aro1111d Stillwater, including this house and lot. The following year Cor~lrnan sold this delightful house and lot to the l'russian born John a r ~ d El lzz l~e t t~ IVarner who l i ~ ~ e d here along with their daughter, Mary"" for at leas[ the following 70 years! Thci house can be clearly seen OII the 1869 Bird's l<ye \'ieu. klap and the east g:il~lr end of the home can be seen on the Bird's k?yc \'ie{v PI1:ip of 187:).

I r)ecc13 9 I 'r; G LIscds 50-1, C h l tGs 1 I : l '-" 1)e)ci.d~ 225, H Llolitls liil: I . I )~i ,ci- ti1 I;" ISSO IU.5 Censu, \Y;rsIi~ng~turi (:ouniy Stil lu,alnr Page 2 ( i I , *?YO

Blocli by Block History

This charming residence, built before Minnesota became a state, is one of the gems of the Holcombe ~ieigtlborhood. With its broadside symmetrical front to the street, and i ts Greek Revival return eaves, it is representative of t he small houses in which the majority of the population of Stillwater lived 140 years ago. However, unlike many of those early houses which were constructed a s absolutely inexpensively as possible, this small house has several decorative trim details characteristic of Greek Revival architecture, which put it a cut above the average residence of that period Fortunateiy the present owner has taken care to maintain the original characteristics of the house. Despite i ts small size, there would be many potential purchasers willing to preserve the house should it rvr r come on the market.

By and large, in Stillwater, it is no longer the Victorian nlansions, the honies of the rich and famous, that are threatened with destruction or remuddling. It is the few remaining small homes, the houses of the working man aud woman, that desperately need attention and preservation. The houses at 717 W. Churchill Street, 706 W. Churchill Street, and 706 W. Anderson Street deserve special mention in any attempt to preserve the historical fabric of Stillwater.

Lot 6 was the site of a $200 house built in the 1850's by Jacob Tuor, a -- carpenter, who bougtlt his lot horn William Holcombc in May of 1857 for $69.75.18" (Judging from all the dffererlt prices of the Lots a s they were first sold by Holcombe, I get the strong impression that the price of these lots was quite negotiable!) Jacob lived there all during the 1860's and '70's. Documented in t l ~ e tax Assessor's records and the 1876 City Directbry, this structure appears on the 1869 Bird's Eye View M a p In 1882, he sold the property to 0. I'red. WoNers who Lived a t 721 S. Martha Street. About 1887, either a new llonle was built, or the old house was greatly el~larged under tile

r 3 ownersfup of John Cosgrove, a lumt)errr~an. Loday the site is occupied by a home at~71J~1',~l~r~rcl~ill.

Lots 7 -. & -- 8 wcre the si~i: of a s~ua l l $106 house built before the C i ~ i l War. John and Ann Brown were the first residents buying t,hi. lots from Willian~ Ilolcornhc in September of 1855 for $180. In 1870, Jacob altd Louisa hileile ~ L I ~ C ~ I R S I ~ ~ tlle llouse and lots, a ~ ~ d sold them a year later to Rlichnel

Block by Block His tory

Donovan, his wife, and three childrenLR'. Donovan, from New Brunswick. was listed a s a cook in the 1880 C e n s u ~ . ~ ~ V y 1879, the house and lot were Listed as having a n assessed value of $365. This house can be seen on the front of the lot, broadside to Anderson Street, as a tall narrow, one-story house on both the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye View hlaps. Today this house, built before Minnesota became a state, remains greatly expanded a t 722 W. Anderson. The 1879 Bird's Eye View hlap depicts three buildmgs between 719 W. Churchill and 722 W. Anderson. These may be barns, or some other kind of outbuilhngs; they do not appear a s a separate taxable entry - although they could be part of the overall assessed value of the lots.

Lots 9 & L This residence was built in the summer of 1890 by a 31- year-old carpenter from Oak Park Heights, Angus Donaldsl8", for the property owner, Thornas McCarthy, hs wife Katherine and their three sons, Raymond, Leo, and Guy. Thomas McCarthy was a lumberjack who spent half the year away from home in the woods so when Katherine McCarthy h e d , the W a a m Regan family moved into the home to care for the McCartlly boys. Mrs. Regan and Katherine McCarthy were sisters. The hlcCxthy-Regan house becarlle the O'Rrien house in 1960 when the daugliter of Guy McCartly, Mary M. (Mrs. Joseph C.) O'Urien purchased i t . Throughout its 109-year history, the house has always belonged to Mrs. O'Rrien's father's fainily. 18-1 The house remains looking very stately a t a" W. Anderson, and a new adht ion llas beer1 added to the east side of the house.

At the cast end of this block, on Lots 11 & 12, re~ilains a remarkable stone house at 706 \V. Anderson Street. Michael Nanley, a stone mason. born i n lreland about 1813, bought Lo t 11 from Willia~u Holcombe in the winter of 1862 for $10018" He immehately built this house in which I-Ianley and his wife, hlary, raised a t lcast sr:ven childreri: Kate, Ellell. Anna, Daniel, Michael, Pcler, and John.JfiG The family residcd in the hol~sc for almost two decados. In 1871, Hanley added Lot 12 to his estate, and in i876, he fooiishly Look out a $350 morlgage from a man in il'yo~ning County, N.Y. In 1879, The home of hapless Hanley was repossessed.lX7 The assessed value of the two 1ot.s a11d t.his house was set a t $315 in 1880.

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'" '1 L)i.t?d-: 36 1 ; T Dc.e(ls 339; 1' Ueedi GI I . '" 1880 1 . S . C i n s u s Washington County: S t~Uiva te r : Pngc 263. ft 'LIi1 '" Cily of Slrl lwater Building Pernli t A ~ ~ p l l c a l i o i ~ G50 1 I" JL. Cruksidii Press , 197G. Page G?. ''5 0 111.1.11h G '<" I850 US. C a ~ s u s \ V a s h g t o n Courlly S ~ i l i u - a t e r : Page 3 0 , f f223. 1680 1 r . S Censua \ Y ~ ~ ~ t l l l ~ ~ l ~ L l

C'or)lil!- Stl l ln,r tet . I'age 2G3, #294. "-'r 1 ~ c ' ~ ~ x I ~ lG0, I< kllgs 488; 3 l)c>~+tls 51G, I2 l>cf . c \n 10 I

Block by Block History

This (sort of) Greek Revival house, with its addition i n the rear, can be seen on the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map. On the 1879 Bird's Eye View LZap, the addition is not drawn in.

This house is another neighborhood gem in the same way as the houses a t 717 W. Churchill and 706 W. Churchl l . This is another example i11 cut limestone of the type of house in which most residents of St~Uwater lived in the mid-nineteenth century. This home has the typical symmetrical facade, broadside to the street, with what was probably originally a kitchen addition in the rear. The front part of the house would typically have been divided into two rooms, with the chimney (and stove) on the central wall. Upstairs there would have been a loft for sleeping, or to serve a s a guest room. This home appears to be fairly original, although i t looks Like the roof has been raised a t one time, and a portico added over the front door. This is another home in the area which, if marketed for its historical character, would fetch a premium price. There is a watercolor painting of this house han

g

ing in the Stillwater Public Library.

918 S. Harriet \vas built in 1961 or1 part of Lots 11 & 12, part of the ---

original Hanley estate.

l l lock b y Blocli H i s t o r y

Old houses a re much l ike any o the r an t ique object. They a re a connection to the past . They represent, the style a n d craf tsmanship of a different e r a . They evoke a feeling of nostalgia. They a re becoming increasingly r a e a n d =cult to obtain. And, generally t h e value is increasing, particularly for the f in& oi iginal examples.

J u s t h k e a n y o the r an t ique , the value of a n old house depends upon hour o r i ~ n a l in appearance i t is. If you take a n ant ique toy c a t , a n d s p r a y i t m t h new pa in t to make i t look sh iny again , you havc destroyed inuch of i ts original value. If you Lake a n ant ique dresser, a n d change t h e knobs on i ts drawcrs , you have subtracted f o m its va lu r

So i t is with old houses , tuo -- 11:uticldarly ill S t d w a t e r If you t&e a n old house, a n d p u t in new windows of a d d f e r e ~ i t slze a ~ ~ d placenie~i t , you h a v e destroyed the o r i g n a l symmetry arid design on t h a t house, a n d dcpr.c.cinted i ts value a s a n aut ique. I f you havc aluniiriuui or vinyl s idtng installed on your older hoiiic, you have covered u p inany of thc dctails tha t riiadc your house & s t i n p i s h e d from a newer house (You have also p r o ~ ~ d e d the r)otential for rot under the si&ng.)

There is a wliole h o ~ i ~ e i ~ u l ~ r o v e ~ u e ~ i t industry dechcated tu a l t e r u ~ f . chaii$iig, a n d ulhnlate ly , d e v a l u n g your ant ique house.

T a k e for cxainple. the lioirie a t 70:3 It'. Willard S t . T h ~ s house was h d t 111 IH5G. before h h i ~ i e s o t a becanic a s ta te . Tlie house is well docurneiited; i t was r~ieutioned in the local newspaper twice durlrig the f i s t year of i ts ~ X I S ~ P I I C C . T h e uwlier was Moses W d a r d . a Sti l lwater pioneer, a n d the source of the s t ree t i iame. T h i s is one of the oldest tiouses in Sti l l i \~nter, a n d one of the most tlistailc - potentially e l ~ g ~ b l e for regIstrahou on a h s t of historic sites

Witllin the past year , however, there have been rlramatic changes to the appearance of the house, which ha\.e altered i ts liistoiic charac te~ . . New wil~rlows of a M e r e l i t s i z ~ a n d p l a c e ~ i i e n t ; n modern t w o ~ b a y garage a t t achcd to the s ide of the house; a niodern pop-out ha>- \rindow; a ~ i d v111y1 s iding have t r ans forn~ed \?hat was a classic Greek Revival house of the p r e ~ c i v i l War period These "improvements" ]lave c l l a ~ i ~ c d t h e appeal.ance to the extent t h a t i t \vould no longer be etigible for a list of histuric s i tes

Unfor t l~nate ly , this 1s not tlie e scep t~o l i h l a ~ i y people w ~ t h older 11011ies Cecil t h e u I ~ o u s e s m u s t be "ulidated" a n d in doirrg so , they overlook the an t lque valur of n h r ~ u i ? l l o ~ ~ i e o n ~ n e r s who might treasure t l i e ~ r gr;ir~di;lttier's old clock have no quallus allout :~dd ing p a t ~ n doors to llic front of t l ieh century-old l lo~ile p a r C ~ l t s \\,lie tre:tsurci their chtldrcti's 6 i s t &a\viiig, thou:.htlessly plulih niodern deck.; on the \-~:j ,ble s ~ d e of t l ~ c ~ r lOO~year~o ld house W l ~ ~ d , r \ \ slzrs a n d pl;ii.e~iirnt a re c l iwged u i t h o u t regarti to tlir or igmal d e s i g ~ i or the 11onl1:.

Bu t maybe 111 tile long t u n , t l U s 1s :r giioil ttiiug It d0i.3 er1suI.o Illat L ~ I O S C I io i~s i s W ~ L I C ~

have r e t a i n x i their a u t l i e i i ~ i c ~ ~ y \v~lI - U e f ~ n , , ant tques - oilly contiriilc tu iilcleasc 111 value

Block by Block Ilistory

Lots 1-12

Churchd (Pennock) Street

Anderson Street

Antoine Muggli purchased L u from William Holcombe in May of 1856, and built a large $600 house.1HH After 1863, the house - perhaps hurrled - i s no longer listed in the Assessor's records.

111 this same early period, there was also a house on Lot 2, a small $100 house owned by Francis Ellis.189 The house is no longer listed a s being there ill 1870. 130th the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye View Maps indicate iio structure on these two lots.

In the fall of 1888, the 1<ent family, who had been living next door, paid Sven Berglund, a local contractor, $1,150 to build them a 1-% story, 22 feet by 42 feet house 011 Lots 1 & 2.13(' This home, a t m. Churchill, remains a classic exanlple of a late 1880's house. A 2-1-foot by i-foot porch was added by a local contractor, Emil B i e ~ n g , in the summer of 1919. l n May of 1930, Ernil was called upon again to do some $600 worth of repair LVOI-k after a fire iu the liouse. I g L

On L o t s 3 & 4, there was another srnall $200 house built beforo the Civil \\'nr by Ulrick Seigeiltl~aler, who bought the lots fro111 Holcornbe in Octoher of 1856 for $80. The property was purchased in 1865 by James I k n t and liii wife. Jot ia~ina, hot11 irnniig~.ants from Ireland, who li\,ed tliere with

Block br Blocl~ Ilistory

their faruily for over 20 years before moving one door east.lg". Their small home, broiidside to the street, can be seen on both the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye \'iew hlaps. Today that site is occupied hy a newer house a t 813 fir. Churchill built in 1946.

In September of 1856, Jacob and Marian Greider bought L o t s 5 & 6 from William Holcombe for $75.'" The house they built was another small home, valued a t ahout $200 by the Assessor. Sitting broadside to the street., i t can be seen on the southeast corner of Beecher and Pennock Streets on both the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye View Maps. Although the property was always listed in the name of Marian, the head of the household was Barbara Grieder or Greader, a woman born in Switzerland around 1830. Living with her were eight children.194 Today this lot is vacant, but. the house tha t was there had the number 815 W. Churchill.

Lots 7 & 8 have never been b~t i l t upon

Lots 9 & 10 were purchased by Charles Clegg inlS74'2', and hc immelately built his house; the first oil the lot. Born in Louisville, Icentucky, Clegg came to Stillwater in 1868 hy way of S t . Louis and Uubuque. After working in the lumber industry for nine years, he opened the California Fruit Store on Third Street.'" Today this house, greatly altered, remains a t 810 W. Anderson.

m a a l s o contains a duplex a t 81'2-814 W. Anderson that was built in 1977.

There was apparently a tiny Civil War structure upon L o t 11, but the present house a t 804 W. Anderson, or1 1 & 12, dates from 1873 \vllen <J. M. Wheeler built a $500 house on these two lots. Jewitt Wheeler, who owned other property in the area, is listed in the 1870 Census a s a farmer with assets of $6,000 in land. He and h s wife, Rebecca, are living in t h s area with their three children, and a 12-year-old servant girl.1g7

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' ! I 2 H Deeds 365; P' Dt:e,ls 1GG. 1 % G Dt:eds 558. "' 1870 U S Ceusus \ V a s t ~ i u g o u County: SLillwater. IJagr 28, #202; 1880 l J S Crrlsu.; [Vcishington

County: Sli l la-alr~. . Pace 2Gl. H27G. '"q Deeds 242 '"I' & ~ . & \ ~ r \ c , r J (iouA&-and T h e s ~ . ~ Croix Vall_)l, A'orlh Star Puhlisliiug Co~n[~:ln)-. h1iu11r:~r~uIis

Bloclr b y Bloclr H i s t o q

Anderson Streel

A man lvith the exotic name of Vlrgihus P a h bought from Willlain Holco~nbe in ,June of 1856 for $ 7 5 He o~~timistically built a large house before having to sign the property back to Holcoillbe in 1860, in the depths i ~ f the depressiorl for $ l , " l5 ! lgWhis large house is very evident a s a two-story house on thc 1869 Bird's Eye View Map. This house was subsequently oivned by Holeombe's sons until 1874 when i t was sold to Cornelius Harr igan I n 1881, the property was sold to James P. Fitzgerald, a blacks~ni th who, five year earher, had hoarded with Harrigan.'" I t does not appear Fitzgcrald livcd at this 1ocat.ion. Today this place is the location of a very attractive C r : i f t s ~ u a ~ ~ style home built in 1931 a t 905 W. Churchill.

Onl,qt.&. there is a neitrer house built in 1947 a t 9 m . dhurchil l . l ' t ~ e ~ e were a t one timc llouscs on Lo t s 5 & 6; property now owned by 1,akeview Hospital. Tile llor~se on Lot5 was a sm:all horrse, built before the Civil Way, and owned for s o ~ n e years by Robert Harklc5l.

The house on&olJ \vas a larger l~ouse valued about $500 which was also built befi,le the Ci\,il \Val. It appiiars that., a t least in first two decades. it \\as icsed 3s rent:il prol~rr ty .

b3oth tile llorlsea O I L Lot. -- 1 and Lot_G can be sr:en on the 1879 Bird's Eye \ ' ~ e l ~ h1al).

Lots 1-8

Churchlll (Penuock) Street

Block by Block History

I,ots 7 & 8 were the location of n home a t 910 W. Anderson This large brick house with its basement kitchen \vas owned by the Schnell family. Not deemed able to move, it was demolished by the hospital in 1977.

Block b? Dloclr His tory

Anderson Street

Today this block is all parl of the Lakeview Hospital canlpus, but there were, in the 19'11 and early 20th century, three houses on this block. had a $400 prc-Civil War holr~e owned by Joseph DeClrr t i~~s, a Cierrnan born carpenter who built several hotises in the area Having bought the lot from William Holcorr~be in 185'7 for $100, he lived there for over 20 years.'" It had thc numt)er 90LJtr. Anderson. This honie was moved out on Oakgreen Avenue i r ~ Stillwater Township i r ~ order to make way for the hospital.

David Tozer, a young litmberman, bought Idat 2 from Willia~n I-Iolconlbc in 18.56 and built a small $200 house. The hard-working Tozer went on tc~ amass a fortune i l l l trml~er, and is commemorated totlay by the Tozer Foi~ndation. Nicholas Sinnctt , all Irish-born boat builder, and his wife, Mary, acqlrired the home in 1866, and liveci here wit11 their six ctlildren.?Ol I t had tlw house number 907 B'. Anderson. 'I'his snlall hoirse was hulldozed in order to make way for thi. hospital.

C)u 1,ot 3 , there was a tllird pr.i?-(:~\il \Irar L I O U S C ' . T I I 1870, he Census lists the Iri,sh born Jollrl O'Shaughnessy. the shoe inarlufaclu~.er.. living here with his cvilc, Mary, arrd their. t h s l t tuee ctlildren: J a r ~ ~ c s , Jolull, and Maggic.'"' 7'111. 13th cllild'of this t 'a~i~ily. Igiu;~t.ius Aloysius C)'Stlaughnessy, was to 111akc his fortune in oil, ; ~ n d l~ecoule ;I leading pl~ilalltluopist of

Bloc/; b y Block H i s t o p

Minnesota some 75 yetu-s la ter . 'OYliat fall, John moved into a new house on T h u d and il'illard I believe this house once had the number 913 M'. Anderson.

I t is interesting to observe that two houses on this block, adjacent to each other, were possessed by families tha t today have charitable foundations in their names: Tozer Foundation and the O'Shaughnessy Foundation, and that the block is ilow occupied by Lakeview Hospital, a non-profit corporation.

-. ~

S t ' I I ; . I 1 , 1 A history arlicle by Hrer~t I'elersou. S t 1 1 I 7 : 1870 0'SI~:ru:huesiy bought t t ~ c Lot in LEGS; Q Deeds 193

Block by Block HisLory

Lots 1-8

Anderson Street

W

[line of Iinrlcock Strectl

Ttlclre was bet\r,eer~ 1865 a r ~ d 1875, a small 9100 s t ruc t~we on Lots 1 & 2, which was owned by John Hroiv11'"j. On the 1869 Rird's Eye View hlap it appears to be a small broadside house. Today the lots are occupied by two newer houscs:_R03 A n d e r s o ~ b u i l t in 19-17, and&] i5:. Andersorl built in 194fj.

On Lots 3 8 4, there was a slrlall pre-(l:ivil War liouse wllich was owned variously by Chris t i :?~~ DeCurtins, George Rrassau and John Hroiv~i. By 1872, t t ~ c house is no lorlger listed in the tax Assessor's records. Today this site is the location of a quite harldsonle Craftslnan style house a t 813 CI'. Anderson built in 1930. The ~ i e ~ v c r house, which cost $4,000, was built by -- L'ictor ijergeron ullo had lived at. 819 W. Anderson for decades.X1G

George L3rassai1, R iC:~~ladla~l-t)orr~ river pilot, built n large $400 home on Lot:, before the Ci.i.il War. 111 1874 Louis and h.Iary Vigneux purcllased L~ots 5 & 7 for $900, giving Brassau back a mortgage for $680.20' A Little over a year later, V ~ g n e u s sold the sarne pl-op'rty Lo J . Baptiste Uesautels for the sanie $900 an~ount . '~"Vl ' i co n~enlbers of this family ( H r ~ u y 8: John) were tisted i n tlie 1876 City Directory as fartuers. 111 1880, J o h ~ l Baptiste was 65 years old; Itis wde, , l ~ ~ \ i a , was 64, a ~ i d tilere werc fi\.c grown children liiPirlg in the Ilouse iv~tll thr~il.'l'"'Tod:ly this t~onle, budt befi~re Liricol~i \vas i'resident. remains, gre:itly (:spanded in the 188O's, a t 819 i V . .q~nnderson Street

Bloclr by Bloclz History

James Crorlin paid CVillia~u Holcombe $100 for L o t 6 in October of 1856, and he soon built a house on the lot. The original house was a small one-story home, valued a t $200, which can be seen broadside to the street in the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map. In 1874, the value of the lot and structure dramatically increased to $900, denoting tha t a larger house had been built on the lot. I n the later, 1879 B id ' s Eye View Map, we see a two-story hip- roofed house with a rear addt ion sitting on the corner lot. The English-born Cronin, and his wife, Mary, born in New Brunswick, lived in the home with their five children: Elizabeth, Ellie, Charles, Agnes, Franklin, and M. J. CoUius, a 32 year old boarder.210 James' occupation was generally Listed a s a laborer. Apparently this Italianate house was burned or demolished, for the home there today, 823 W. Anderson, gives every appearance of ha t ing been built in the 1890's. Unfortunately there are no bui lhng records extant.

I t does not appear that I,ot was b d t upon before the present house a t 1015 S. Everett Street was coilslructed in 1963.

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"' 1880 I IS. Census L L ' a s h u ~ ~ l o n C O L I ~ L L ~ S ~ ~ l l a ' : ~ l c l . I'ag? 263, n 2 S i

Block by Bloclr History

BLOCK 15

Lots 1-8

Anderson Street

Williarri Holcornbe sold Catherine Elizabetll Shepple and her husband, John, Lo t s 1 & 211 July of 1856 for a total of $75. They soon built a home on their property which was valued a t $305 in the 1861 Tax Assessor's records. The following year. John Elmer purchased the property, and the Assessor listed the value of the lot a t $25, and the rralue of the budding a s $175.2Lr This house can be hscerned on the 1.8G9 Rird's Eye View Map as another of the small onc-story houses with a door and two windows in the front, which was broadside to the street . As ~ lsua l , the chinlney was in the middle of the house. That house did not. survlve the 1880's, and in the summer of 1886, ,James Rarry had builder, Ernil Iiutzman, build him a $1,000, two-story hip- roofed Italianate house, 22 feet. by 21 f ee t . 21hJa~nes Barry was a fireman with the G. H. Atsrood hlills; his daughter, Margaret who lived with him, was a student a t the Stillwater l3usiness College. Today t h s I t A a n a t e style 11ousc: ren~aii ls relatively original a t 705 it'. Andersoli.

I r t August of 1860, Jacob l ie l le rho~~se gave William Holcorrlbe two notes of $75 each, t l ~ e first p:iyablc in one year; the second note payable the second year, a t 10% interest, irl re t~u.n for Lo t s 3 6: of ttus Block.":' I<ellerho~ise built a snlall h o ~ u e , v:dued a t about $100. 111 1867, he sold the lots and house to James hlcI)er~no(.t for $800 who hved there through the 18iO's before scillr~g the property again iri 1880 for $G0On4 h.IcUerniott, a lu~nberruan. and his ~vife . :2nrta, were t ixu1 New Hruns\vick.flj In 1895, Fred

" ' G 1)ceds 12 1, E Deeds 56 l "! CIL!. of Stdlwater l3u1ldl11g I ' P ~ I I I I I r \ [ ~ j ~ l ~ ~ a ~ ~ o ~ i $20 1 " ' C Ijonds 235, O Lleed; 473 " ' S needs IOG. 5 U e r ~ l s G10 3' 1870 l i 5;. C e n i u i \ V ; I ~ . ~ L I L I ~ I O ~ I ( :ot~t i ty St~lI \ i . i i l i?~: Pagi.li(l. ~ 2 9 2

THIS I S T H E L I R T Q L I I T O U S P R A I R I E H O U S E , as much a part of the Mid- western landscape as the cornfields. Its balloon construction was a Yankee invention, but i l was easy to build and i t uzorked, so i t quickly became a universal solution. This house certainly expresses no special kinship with the ground it was built on ; i t was the same on the open plain? or in the urooded hiils or on the town lot. It expresses no remembrance of European homes; nor does it express the ncedb of the life to be livcd i n it. It expresses simply the carpenter's tech- nique. The easiest way of nailing two-by-fours together determined its shape; the standard rnill l e~~gt l i s of timbers determined its dimensions; the standard products of the mill determined itsdetailing; what they turned on the mil1 lathes determined its ornament. Thib was the M o d c l T amonz houses - truly preEab- ricated, although i t was delivered in a great many pieces.

Most often i t was huilt in instal l~~le~lls . First camc the single divided box, u.ith gabled roof. T h e parlor was in Eront and the kitchen in back; an enclosed slaircase led to tivo bedrooms. In hot weather thc wood-burning cookstovc made an oven or (he whole house, so an open summer kitchen usas added to the side, at right angles to the original structure. As the latnily grew and prospered, this wing was made two stories high; the summer kitchen becanie the permanent kitchen; now there was a front parlor [or Sunday visitors, and a back parlor €01

the family, which doubled as a dining room o n special occasions. Across the Eront of the new wing wasbuilt the porch.

The faults of this house were Iegion. But you could heat i t - more or less - u,itIl a uaood~burning stove, and in the summer the bedrooms were high enough to catch a little breeze, and it stood against the winds of the prairie stolms. Besides, i t was cheap, quick, and easy to build. By now it has been remodeled a half dozen times, and the mechanical contrivances it holds today cost several times as much as the house itself. But its basic virtues and faults are still those it was born with.

Speaking not of thest buildings specifically, Frank Lloyd Wright said, " ~ k e true basis for aiiy serious study of the art of architecture still lies in those indige- nous, more humble buildings everywhere that are to architecture what folklore is to literature and folk song to music."

h.un8 7> Face ofhluinsjota by Jolui Szaikou~sh. U~uvcrsity ofh4innesota Press, 1058

Block b? b'loclr H i s lo ry

Tollas, a laborer for the G.H. Atwood Mills, contracted with carpenters, Otto Richert and August Urojahn to build hum an $800 home. The structure was I-% stories, 28 feet by 44 feet, with a cellar floor of cement, and a plastered cehng."'" Today this house remains with many original characteristics a t 711 W. Anderson.

There was :ilmost certainly a house on in 1857 when Thomas Cassey sold the property to Michael and Elizabeth O'Donnell for $300. Over the period of the 1860's and 1870's, it had a number of owners,"; none of whom seemed to be living in the house, thus making i t almost certainly rental property. The house, another of the small broadsides with two windows i n front, and a center chimney, can be easily seen on the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map. I n the late 1880's, Caroline McLean either greatly remodeled this old house, or build a n entirely new structure because the assessed value of the home jumped from $250 to $825. Today this house remains a t 723 W. Anderson.

Block by Block Efistory

Lots 1-8

Anderson Street

Hannah S. West purchased Lots 1. 2. 3 &: 8 from William Holcombe's trustee in 1867 for $100. She soon contracted with George W. Battles to build her a house on Lot, but for reasons we will never know, Hannah chose not to pay George. In retaliation, he filed a lien against her house in the anlount of $120.20 which broke down to:

800 f i c t clear seasor~ed pule 1u1r1 ber $40.00 6 doors at $5 50 agicce $33.00 13-1/2 days ulork ot $3 50per day $s17.2Oa8

The 1870 Census reveals that the head of the household was Hannah West, a 44-year-old woman from Maine. She lived in the house with her daughter, Euneline, age 27 and three sons: George, 36; Samuel, -25, and Cyrus, 19."l'J 111 1874, 'Iannah sold the house.En This house, which was valued a t $300 in 1880, appears on the 1879 Uird's Eye View Map a s a squarish-one-stor) house with i ts gable end to Anderson Street, but set back from Anderson Street closer to what is today Hancock Street. This house, with i ts tin roof, relnains today a t 1016 S. Hulcomt~e

Lots 1. 2 & 3 are the site of a new hoi~se built in 1997 a t GO1 \2'. Anderson, Ttus new house replaces a previous structure with the nurnber. 1004 S. Holco~nl~e tliat l ~ a d bee11 built about 1883 by Coilrad Jargg. Hellind this housc on the south side of the same Lots is the home a t 1010 S .

-- ~ ~- ~-

?'" n~i.f!d.; 113; A ldierrs 5:) '1'' IS70 1 ~ J . S . Ct-nsus \Vas,t~ln&.tou (:uurlt).: Stillwaler: I'age 3 1. t i ? ? : .

'<'I Y Deeds 15.2.

131ocl? by Block H i s l o ~ y

Holcomhe. This home was b t d t as a small $250 house by Gothold Iuuger about 1883.

629 N'. Anderson was built on Lots 6 & 7 in 1955

Block 16 is a n excellent opportunity to compare the two Bird's Eye View Maps to document the information found in the Tax Assessor's records. The assessor's records denote a house built in 1864 on Lots 4 , 5 , & 6 which would be the west half of the block facing Andersori Street. The house was Listed a t a value of $200, meaning it was a s ~ r ~ a l l house. On the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map, we can see the only house on the block, approximately in the middle of the block as a oiic-story house with a fi-ont door and a window on bot,h sides, and the usual chimney in the ~nidcilc. In 1872,:the value of tha t house was increased to $500, and in the 1879 Bird's Eye View Map we can sec that there is now a fairly large adht ion on the rear of the house. It had several owners: McIiay, Elliot, and Rutherford, among them. Today tha t is the locat,ion of a newer home built in 1974 at 619 W. Anderson.

Block by Block His toq

Lots 1-12

Willard S t ree t

Abbott S t ree t

In 1880, there were only two houses on Block 17. One, built in 1877, on Lo t s 7 & 8, was the home of Samuel and Olivia Hadley. He was a black barber and one-time partner to another black barber, Samuel Jackson, who lived for a time a t 719 \?'. Willard Street . The house was listed a s a $500 bui lhng, and it can be clearly seen on the 1879 Rird's Eye View Map with a shed behind it.

LVhat exactly happened to this house is uncertain, but in 1910, 'l'heresia and Delbert Iiellogg purchased these two lots for $100. (Samuel Hadley paid $300 for these same two lots 34 gears earlier!) I n 1.911, the Iielloggs built the present house a t 701 S. Greele~."Qehind this house, there is a classic 1930's garage built in June , 1939 by Erilil Hieging.2"

O n Lots 11 & 12, there was a house built i n 18'74 by Thomas O'Brien, and valued by the Assessor a t $350 by 1880. This 1-% story home, with i ts gable end facing Western Row [S. Greeley] can be clearly seen on the 1879 Uird's Eye View Map. Thomas O'Rrien is not Listed in the Census or the City llirectories, but John O'Brien is listed in t,he 1880 City Directory a s living on the corner of Abbott and Western Row, and lle is also listed in the 1880 Census with h s wife, Ann (both of them from lrcland) and a housel~old of 11 additional people, all of ~ v h o m were born in New Bt.uns\vick, and seem to be

' ? ' l ~ i ~ s c a r c h done by t l ~ e autlior for the Riverto\vn Restorat io~i House l o u r i n 1995 "' C ~ t y oC Stillu- ale^. I l u l l d ~ n g I'ernlil Applicnt~on #2550

109

Block by Bloclr History

related in sortle way. Look again a t this small house pictured on the Bird's Eye View Map and imagine 13 people Living in that small home!":'

Today this house has been replaced by another older house moved here in 1947 or 1948 &om the old High School site, kitty-corner &om the Historic Courthouse. When they added a swimming pool to the David Tozer Gym, this house was moved here. I t has the number 721 S. Greelev.

The other homes on this block were all built after the turn of the century. O n w is a house a t 919 W. Wdlard b d t in 1971. On L o a i s a house built in 1929 a t 9% 1. Willard. There is also a bui lhng permit taken out in Ju ly of 1929 to add two rooms and a bath to this house, a 10 feet by 3'2 feet adht ion costing $2,000.221

On Lot4 and a part of Lot 5 is a newer house a t 928 W. Abbott moved here from Block 23 (the hospital site) i n 1977. On the other part of and m i s another newer home a t %W. Abbott built in 1958.

On Lots 9 & 10, there is a classic bungalow, 'ill S. Greel- built in 1911 as a $1,000 dwelling by G. W. Tolen for his chauEeur and handyman, Herman Lampi. I t is said that some of the woodwork in this house came from the old Holco~nbe/Nelson house tha t was torn down to bluld the Tole11 mansion on Block 18. Unlike other Stillwater homes, this one was built by a n outside contractor: P. J. Sonnen of M i n n e a p ~ l i s . ~ ~

" 1880 U.S. Census \Vashul.;tori C o u n t y : S t i l l~va te r : 1'3-i 261. 1!L!i'!. City of Stll lwater HiUIdi~lg I ' ~ L L I > I L A ~ ) ~ ~ L i c a h o u #91!7:i

,, , - - - ' City of Stdlwatcr H u i I d ~ r ~ g I ' c r ~ l i ~ t A p ~ ~ I ~ c a l ~ o n # 1465. * 1470.

Block b y Bloclr History

BLOCK 18

Willad Street

Lake Street

The only hor~se on this Block (which was not &vided into Lots) was tha t of Willia111 Holcor~~be. 1-here is a short note in the St. Croix UIL~OIL of July 11, 185G, that reads: capl lair^ Nolcoril bc has jus t , f i r~ i s l~ed orre of t l~p fir~est r.esidcr~ces for hirr~self r ~ p o r ~ the Additiorr to be four~d irr tlre Territory. Mr. Flrller.t.or~, of Ole L a r ~ d Office, is also btaildir~g a f i r~c resider~ce rrearb\,. Both arc Iro~rdsorrrely s i ~ u a t e d L L ~ O I L a beat~tiful lake." Holcombe's house, which was valued by the Assessor a t $1,500, can be seen on the west side of Western Row [S.Greeley] hetween W. Willard and W. Abbott Streets on the 1869 13ird's Eye View Map

I~olcombe died in 1870, and by 1873'") his house had passed into the llands of Charles N . Nelson (for $4,000) who apparently enlarged the main house, and added another residence to the property on the southwest corner of Western Row and W. Willard Street. These d\vellings are quite apparent on the 1879 Uird's Eye View Map .

On this s a ~ r ~ c 1879 Bird's Eye View Map, there is another large llouse depicted a t the end of W. Willard Street. This large home was actually on Block 1 of Fullerton's Adhtioil, and it lvas the house (mentioned above) that \vas built by Thomas M . Fi~llcrtorl i n 1856 a t the same time Holcolllbe was buil&ng his 11nusc. 1:ullerton's house was later purchased by William C; Clark, a we;iltlly merchant and lurubernlan horn S t . Louis, whom, it is said, used the r~s idence a s a sumnier home. Clark was born in Baltimore in 1818. He moved to St. 1,ouis i l l 1836, and took up the wholesale clothing business. 111 1812. he entered the lu~nber t ~ a d e , and in this capacity, &d business witti

many of the Stillwater lurnbern~an who were selling their lumber in St . By the 1920'0' tlus splenhd house was no longer s t a n l n g , but one

of the Tole11 daughters who Lived nearby remembers a large foundation in tha t area known a s "Clarks" or "Bacons" field. T h s FdertonIClark house stood approximately where the residence a t 510 S. Owens is today.

Charles N. Nelson, who purchased the Holcombe house, was born in Denmark in 1840 of an English father. He was a wealthy lumberman who is generally not well known in Stillviater lustory. In the 1870's and '80's, Nelson (who had a sawmill in Lakeland) followed the source of timber north, and with other Stillwater capital, organized the C.N. Nelson Lumber Company of Cloquet, which had extensive sawmill and timber holdings in Carlton and S t . I a ~ ~ i s counties. In 1896, Frederick Weyerhaeuser and his associates bought the properties of Nelson's c ~ m p a n y . " ~ Nelson kept his house in Stillwater until about 1903, when he sold it and moved to Port Washington, Long Island, Nevi York. He l e d May,l9?3 in Santa Barbara, California (Ius winter home there was called Oak Ihol l ) . His nickname irl Santa Barbara was "The Captain" because of his ocean-going yacht, a c t i ~ i t i e s . " ~

After house numbers were assigned in Stdlwater, the Holcombe/Nelson house took the number 720 S. Greelev.

In the summer of 1911, the Holcombe/Nelson house was demolished. and Gordon Welshons Tolen built a new $15,000 house on the same site. Accorlng to the budding permit, the house was 36 feet by 50 feet, two stories in height. The building was to have a hipped roof, and be veneered with "uni:vcl~ brick." The contractor was P. J. Souuen of Minneapolis. In 1924, Mrs. Tolen paid $1,150 to have an addition to the kitchen porch with a sleeping porch above, and remodeled the breakfast a l co~e .~ : " '

G . V . Tolen was born in Marine on S t . Crois March 6, 1880 t o James and Candace Tolen. Orphaned a t the age of one, he was adopted by lus mater~ ia l g~andparen ts : Gordon a r ~ d Ida Welsons. In September of 1905, he married a Stillwater woman, Lois Torinus. Like so many Stillwater residents of the day. both Tolen and his lvife came from falllilies engaged in the lurllbel. trade; G . W. was for a time manager of a falnily lumber uldl i r l

": Thcre is a b ~ o g r a p b y of IVdLarn G . Clark In Il istorv o f z t !,~~-ti.q C ~ t v a n d Countv. ~ r i c l u d l ~ i < Biona1,hicd S k e ~ c h e ~ & ~ r e s e n t , a l i v e Men. b y J l'lloiilns Scha1.f. Pluladelplua . 1 . 0 ~ s H Ever t s & Co. 1883. Page 132G. ""~giles Larsou. KsLory of t h e K'iute Plne Indust ry in Pvli~i~icso~;r. Li~ii\,ersity of hhiitiesota l'rrsi, h h n e a p o l i s . 1949. Page 252. 1 :., - Ltrtt.1. fioru P a u l Fahls t rom of C loq~ic t , Sl. P u t i l P i o r i e e i I'rr!ss. hI;ly 25 , 1325; 0bi tu ; i ly ill t h e ( : l c ~ i l ~ ~ ~ t J ' I I L P K I L O ( , Julii. 1. 1923. '' (:I% t~TStlll\vat,er Bullding Perlu\t .Al~plicalrou 1;1-l(i l , ii'lOci:!

Block by Block Hislory

Winton, Minnesota. But he is perhaps best remembered today a s the founder of the Cosmopolitan State Bank in Stillwater. He bed a t the age of 39, while his wife outlived him by 50 years, dying in 1969.':11

In 1954, Walter Nelson, a S tdwa te r businessman and entrepreneur, purchased the Tolen house and property from Mrs. Tolen. He converted the house into apartments, and in 1955, he platted the surroundmg six acres of property, once the Holcombe estale, now the Tolen estate, a s W a l t e r Nelson's Add&, carving out 17 irregular lots. In order to give access to these Lots, he had to extend Owens Street south, and Abbott Street west.

Exactly 100 years after being settled a s the Holcombe Estate, this piece of property became Walter Nelson's Adhtion.

On Lot1, the largest of all the Lots, is the old Tolen (now the Conners) house at. 720 0. Greelev Street. On Lo42 is a house built in 1957 by Edgert,on and Roxanne Bronson a t 1019 W. Willard. L a , which is vacant today is said to h a w been the site of the Carriage house for the Tolen estate. In 1958, Judge John and Mary Mc1)onough built their house a t 1005 W. Willard on u 4 , the location of what llad once been the gatehouse to the rrolell ~ ~ t ~ t ~ ! : ~ " . Lot contains a home a t 710 S. Greeley b d t in 1964 for B ~ u t o r ~ and Phyllis Randall. Lot is the site of 716 S. Greeley built in 1959 for Lloyd Pirman and hls wife. 1006-W. Abbot, b d t in 1963 is on Lot7, and SOG S. Greeleu, built for Walter Nelson in 1957, is on Lot 8. Lot 10 is the site of 1015 W. Abbott built in 1956, and Lot 11 is the location of 1017 W. Abbott b ~ u l t for Richard and Mary Stevens in 1955, the oldest house in this a d l t i o n . Lo t 13 is the location of u 3 1 W. A M b d t for Robert Tennant and his wife in 195'7, and on Lot 15 is '724 S. 0 ) built for BLI and Betty Fierke in 19(il. Lot 16-is the site of Z O S. Owens, b d t for Jay Goggins ill 195G. 116 S. Ow=, buill for Margaret Scott in 1956, is on Lo1 17.

- ~ -- ~ . , ,

In l r r \ i e \v a . i t h f 3 e L ~ ~ Jaue<:hi., daug1iti.r of G I \ ' & 1 ~ ~ 1 s ToLen, Apn1 15. 19519. Toleu's u l ~ l t l ~ a r i . 15 ~ l i i hc S t l l l t t a t c r I):lllJ C;azettc. N O \ ~ C I I ~ I I P I 11. I9 19

< , - - 11111:1\ 1,,,v \ t . , ~ l l kl:,,., h ~ ~ ~ l ~ i ! 1 1 O , , ~ l , , hf~l rc l l '20, 195)Ll

Bloc/? b? Block Ifislor:\

The Tolen house at 720 S. Greeley circa 1925. Pliotographs co~rrtesy of Elizabeth and Riclrord Corrners

View from the Tolen House looking south across Lily Lake circa 1925. I I I

Block by Bloclr History

Willilrd Street

Lily Lake

Block 19 (whuch was never Avided into Lots) was sold to Thomas Fullerton in 1855, probahly to provide his access to the lake horn his house on the north side of tho lake. It had no residences on it a t this early period. In 1862, Fullerton, \vtio suffered f i~ ia~ic ia l losses in tho f'anic of 1857, sold Block 19 and Block 1 of Fullerton's Addtion, which included the Fullerton Ilouse, hack t n Holcorube in 186" The property a n d house were soon sold to W&am G. Clark, " /a le of h e cily of St. Louis" for the sum of $3,000.'":'

fi'illiani G . Clark was horn in Ualti~llore, Nov. 4, 1818. At the age of 18, he moved to St. Louis where he subsqucntly went into the wholesale clotlling business. After making a good deal of irloney in that business, he decided, in 184% that the liuuhcr business offered greater scope for h s talents. I l e built a saw ~iiill ill (he northern part of S t . I,ouis, and by 1874, made enough of ari ample fortune to retire. He visited Stillwater a s early a s 1863, and eventually lived here full t i ~ n e . ~ . ~ '

In 1'349, the North family platted N o r t h Lilv Lots . Block 2, whicli co~uprised most of Block 19, was divided into three Lots. 011 Lot l~ , there is a neLver home a t 1109 W. W i u built in 1955 for Richard arid Rosella Nelson aitd a second home a t 11 15 W. W d a r d designed b > arclutect Michael McCuire for l l r . E.B. Kiolbasn in 19G5; on u, there is n home a t 1201 W. Wdlard htlilt in 1950 for [Carl Plain; and Lot 3 is the site of' the first borne b d t on thus adcii(ior~ in 1919 for Forest Nutting a t 1 x 9 W,IMrLUal.d.

Blocli by Block H i s t o r y

BUYING A HOME IN l g T H CENTURY STILLWATER

Before the 1880's, during the first 30 years of Stillwater's hs tory, most homes were bought with cash. A family inight rent a home for the two or three years it took to save the cash for the purchase price of their own home. Homes were relatively cheaper in this period. A very substalitial two-story home with three or four bedrooms could have been bought with $500. The wage of a skilled workman was about $3.50 a day and he worked six days a week. If he worked 50 weeks, he u,ould have earned $1,050, or twice the price of his house, in only one year. Conipare that with today, and then add in the enornious amount of interest most homeowners pay in tlie course of acquiring their house.

Of course, a house then kvas little more than a wooden sllell. There was no electricity, central heating, insulation, or floor coverings.

Beginning in the 1880's, therc were savings and loa~ls associations that ~vould loan money to buy homes, a s well a s many of the fraternal groups willing to lend money to their members. However, up to the great depression of the 1930's, n o s t of these mortgages were short term, interest only, contracts in wt~ich the homeowner paid the monthly interest until he could afford to pay off the principal in one payment. In o t l~e r ~:.ords, tile mortgages \yere ~ i o t amortized.

During thi: F e a t depression of the 1930's, when so many people lost their homes to rnortgage foreclosures, the l e n l n g instilutioi~s were very reluctant to uiake mortgage loans. In response, the Federal Governnieiit, with its Federal Eloinc Administration, began to guarantee mortgages, thus encouraging the wary banks to again begin financing homes. I-iowever, in order to hc guaranteed, the loan had to rrieet certain criteria - among them was the st ipi~lation the loan had to be amortized. Then, the reascrniiig w,ent, the iio~neorvilcr will be paying off his principal a s well as tlie interest., and \vith tt~c. reduced principal, his chances of losing liis tioctse to a foreclosure a re l ~ s s likely.

Bloclr by Block Histolp

Lots 1-17

Lake Street

F. W - Lots 1-17 rn C1

2 >. 1,ah-e ii - 0 U &.

0

Lot 17

There were four l~ouses built on tlus hloclc in the 1800's. By 1900, they had all disappeared.

Lots 8& were owlled by Scott and Elizabeth Van Emon. They bought from LVillia~ll [ iolcor~~bc i l l Septelnher of 1855 for $200, and built a $400-500 house upon it. In the 1860 Census, he is listed as age 45, a farmer from i)l~io."'; His wife, l<lizal,et.l~, Lvas 29. 111 186G, they bought and the l~ouse upon it. that llad llcerl 11lult by a man c v i t l ~ the uncertain name of Charles bIaybr: a h o ~ t s r that l ~ a d l~een nlortgaged with Scott Van Emon, lune yea

rs ear l ier . '~"; I t was i l l one of t.Ilese llouses 011 the west side of the

street that the first. hospital i l l Still\vat.er beg:ln

' X I Ll~e rce.rt r~ieeLir~g, Mi s s Nellle P r e s s ~ ~ e l l reporled t l ~ a / t l ~ e house of KaLie (Mrs . E. ,I.) I I C ~ ~ L E I ) I I ILOIL L C ~ S avai lable 10 6e used a s a l~osp i ta l . I t w a s located O I L west err^ Row rrcar A r ~ d e r s o r ~ . I t l ~ a d eight good roorr~s, t v i t l ~ I L O repairs rrecdcd. Mrs . L'OIL E I I I ~ I I O I L w a s u ~ i l l i l ~ g to lease I/ rcasor~ably for t w o or rr~ore years.

After corlsiderable d i s cus s io r~ , it w a s decided it w a s better LO I .CILL I I L Q I L LO b t ~ i l d for t l ~ e preselLt Lirrie. 011 Fcbruar~v 27, 1880, tlic lbr~ E I I I I I I O I L lrouse toas tokcrr for a period o f truo years.'?,?'

Elizabeth Van Emon, ~ v h o had lived in Stillwater since 1857, ched a t her residence, 916 S. Greeley, a t the age of 82, on August 25, 1912T:18. In 1913, Scott Van Emon, J r . took out a permit to build a new house on Lots 7 & 8. I t was to he a $3,000 house, '28 feet by 30 feet, 1-95 stories. The construction w;i5 lo be under the si~pervision of Scott who would be " U S I I L ~ d n y labor.." When asked on the permit if :a11 the materials and u~orkrnanship would bc in :iccordance with the law, Scott wrote: "yes , a s far. a s I kr~o~cl."":;:~ This house is still standmg a t 914 S. G r f s b : , the oldest house remaining chrectly 011 tlle Lake.

Lot 10 was the location of another pre-Civ~l War horne. After nine previous owners, the owner throughout the 1870's was Hugh Fergi~son. Ilowever the head of the llousehold seerns to be Michael Fergi~son and his wife, Margaret, both from New Brunswick. His two hard-working sons, Thomas aud E'razer, \vllo lived with him, were the p~.oprietors of the Ferguson I3ros. Boots and Shoes on Stillwater's Main Street."" An early lustory r,,rounts that the brothers, working in lulllbering and retailing, succeetled in saving up $2,000 in capital, and, as of 1880, were doing a business of $?'.',000 a year.2-'1 Today that localiori is the site of of khe home a t 920 S. Grwlev Street which was built i l l 1970.

iVillia111 Holconlbe sold Phillip hl~Uer Lots 14 & 15 in Jmly of 1857. hliller t)uilt n l~onle there, a small $150 house. In 1869, Anton IGeuz, a s tone Inason, bought the house and lots for $400."" The owner in 1880, Edbvard

-- - -- - - , , ,,; - St~llii,olei- Eve,u~rg Cozelle, March 18, 1980. lakemew Com~~ieo~oral~\~e Editiou.

Stillu'111o Il i ir l)~ Gozel~t. , August 2 G . 1912 '"City o f St~Ulratel. U u i l & ~ ~ g Pettll~t A11pLicati111l K I52 1~

? j D 1880 1 i S ('iznuus LYashin$on County StiUn~ater: Page 21;" ##"<I. Shllivater City Uireclul-ic; " ' - H l s t o ~ ~ .. of \ I I ~ s L ~ ~ ~ ~ x t o ~ ~ Couutv and 'l'ln. 51- (:T~I\-:~ N o r t h Star F u I I I I s L I u ~ Comp,my, hh~iuen~~i~lt,.

158 1. b';lKc 5 7 2 ' Y I 1 I '1' I l ~ , a i l . - 68

Block bv Bloclr History

Smith and his wife, Lizzie, were living there with their two children. Long after this house was demolished, William (Lyman) Sutton took out a permit to build on these two lots a bui ldn~g for the storage of ice cut froin Lily Lake. The building was 100 feet square and 36 feet h g h . The cost was estimated to be $ ' i ,000.?JVoday this site is vacant land but the foundatio~l remains.2"

The remainder of the houses in thus Block are all houses built in t h ~ s century. On Lots 1.2 & 3, there is a house built in 1997 a t 824 S . Greeley by Michael and Amy Hooley. The house that was on this site previously was moved to 308 North William Street.21"

Lot 4 is the site of a home a t 828 S . Greelev Street built over the winter of 1949-1950 by John and Betty Thoreen. The architect was Ed Hanson. The area was once, accordung to thc Thoreens, known a s Mulvey's pasture.".lG

Lots 5 & 6 is the site of a home a t 906 S. Grcelev built in 1950 by Roderick and Helen Laxson.

Lots 8. 9. & 10 is the location of a house at1120 S. Greeley built irl ~p

1970 by Charles and Nancy Hooley. He was a one-term Mayor of Stillwater.

Lot contains a home a t 928 S. Greeley built in 1951

'l'he house on Lot 12 a t 1014 S. Greelcv .was huilt by Stillwater contractor, Art Johnson, in 1965 for the James Qualey family. It was on the site of the Charles Anderson l n o ~ n e . ' ~ ~ (The .%~nderso~l llome was actually on Lot 13). Anderson was the foreman of the of The City Ice Company, a local firm owned by Lyman Sutton, which cut ice from Lily Lake to hs t r ibu te to households throughout Stillwatcr. I n his book of reluiniscences, Jerome Larson writes about the ice man:

Ice rcias I~rrruesled crl Lily Lakc ( n s r~:cll as or1 l l ~ e St. C r o i . ~ Ri~ler) a i ~ d stored ill a large b o r ~ i rlear t l ~ c so[~llleast o ~ d of t lw lake. Fro111 tlte storeti s r j , ~ j ~ l y l~cre , tile Lily 1,oke Ice Co. so-uiced Ilor~le a11.d cotttr~~ercial c [~sro~~lcr . s . t r l n k i ~ ~ g de l i~~cr ies fro^^^ l~o i sc~d~ .a ic~~r . , cover.ed i ~ ' a g o ~ ~ s . I I L L / L ( ? I L O L ~oea111e1- of /lie S I I ~ l l ~ e k ids ri~octld gatlrc~. a1 c ~ l ~ r ~ u s l c7r:i?1:y stop ~ I L llle

--- -- -- -

' > I i Ci1.y of St i l laale l . B u i l d u ~ g F'rrri~il. Al,plication #'"li-l. 1880 US Census LVashingtou C:ount,y. SI.~Uu,atev. I'agc 2 ( i l , #?8( i~

"' Telephone con\,ersatloo w i t h Aniy Hoolcy. 3-27-119 ''%, Croixslde Press. 1976. Page (38. ? I 7 Jo, C:ioixside P r r * 1976. Page 80. I l i e yearly Tax Assessi~r'- ~ei:ovils in(lic;ite thcve w a s a $175

b i l d b ~ g ou Lhis tluriug I I L C 111:1-10~1 of tlie C i \ i l W a r . L ~ U I I C ~ I ~ ~ i s i l > t l l ~ owner's name.

Bloclr by Block l2istor-y

reside~ltial areas a r ~ d reacl~ illto the wagorz to get sr~lall sliuers of ice to suck O I L for a coolir~g C O I L ~ ~ C ~ I O I L . Eddie Olsor~ was t l ~ e regular delivery rican O I L t l ~ e route seruir~g O I I , ~ ireigl~borl~ood. He wore a heavy rubberized pad over h is shoulders a r ~ d back, hoisted large c l ~ u r ~ k s o f ice that he had cut wit11 arL ice axe and pick, c~sirzg heavy wrougl~t irorz tor~gs, o r ~ t o his back a r ~ d carried t l ~ e ch,ur~k i r~ to the house if l ~ i s custonler. 7 7 ~ e r ~ he'd fit the c l ~ u r ~ k into t l ~ e ice col~tportrner~t o f the ice box, located i r ~ the kitchen or the back porch ?I8

In the 19th Century there were other ice houses on Lily Lake. Andrew Freitag had an ice cutting operation in roughly ths same location, and there was another Lily Lake Ice Company's house on the north side of the Lake, just west of Grove Street.'Jg

Bloclr by Block History

ULOCK 21

Abbott Street

Churchill (Pennock) Street

Block 21 is the location of Washington Square. I can find no evidence of any building on this block, nor has i t ever been dvided into building lots. I have given a history of th is Square in a separate chapter.

Block by Block History

Lots 1-1 2

Churchill (Pennock) Street

Anderson Street

Today this whole block is occupied by Lakeview Hospital, but in the 19''' century, it was the scene of three houses.

Anton Peterson, a carpenter from St . Paul, built a bungalow and garage on Lots 1 & 2 in 1930. The residence was estimated to cost $6,500; the garage $800. There were oak floors on the first floor and a cement floor in the basement. I believe this house had the number 919 W. Churchill.';" I t was taken for the hospital's expansion.

Lot was the site of a home built in 1891 by Gustine DeS ta f f a r~~ , a lumberman. This house, which was 16 feet by 29 feet, costing about $450, took the number 327 W. ChurchiJ.'il I t was taken for the I~ospital's expansion.

Christoplier Ferguson bought i,ots 4, 5, & 6, along with a large $700 home from Robert Barclay in 1873.'" I t t an be seen on the nortlieasl corner of Anderson and b'estern Row in the 1879 Bird's Eye View h l s p . Christopher Fel.gusor~ was a l u m b e r n ~ a i ~ born in New Brunswick about 1844: his wife, Clara, 15 j.e:u.s younger, ivas born in Maine. They lind orie son,

?j°City of Stillwater G ~ u l d ~ n x I'ermit Applications #23'25. #2326 ?" City af StLumater Gud&~ig P E L ~ U L C ApplicaL~oo fi(i2-1. 2" 5 Dee& 149

Glen . 'L 'Vhis house had the address 928 U'. Anderson. This house is said to have been moved to Oak Park Heights when the hospital expanded.

On Lots 7 to 10, there was a 1-5 story home built before the Civil War tha t was purchased a t a Sherlffs foreclosure sale in 1860 by Samuel Merritt.".' T h s house can be clearly seen on the southeast corner of Western Row and Pennock on the 1869 and 1879 Bird's Eye View Maps. There were several owners, but it does not appear any of them lived in the house. I t was most likely rental property. In 1902, a new home was built on Lot. 7 for J ames Clapperton by Stillwater carpenter, Eugene Schmidt. This house was 26 feet by 30 feet with a single chimney. This new $1,200 house took the number 939 W. Churchill."5j This home was taken for the hospital's expansion.

On Lot 11, there was another small pre-Civil War home which was purchased by Richard Barron in 1866.?jQarroll, who lived there until his death in 1880, came to Stillwater in 1850. He was engaged in supplying cut lumber to several of the local lunlber mills. He and his wife, Elizabeth, (who was also a native of New Brunswick) and their five children were the occupants of this sinall $300 home."; This home had the number 93.1 W. Anderson.

-~ --

' 5 ' I880 U.S. Census Wasluljztoo Counlg S1dIa.att.r: Page '?I;?. U28.I N Dreds 1877.

"' C ~ t y of StiJlurate~. 6udd111g P e r w ~ t Apphcatlon # 1061 ?"' Q Deeds 512 .,-- -", 1880 U.S. Census \Vashin~.ton County. SLdlu,aLel. a f , 8 ~ I S I ) ~ o ~ ~ a p h ) - IS III

H ~ s t o r v ol M'ashin@on C o u ~ ~ t v ~ a a d - : c l ~ r S t . Cmix Valley, No l -~ l~ S t a l I'ubhshulg C o ~ ~ ) a t ~ ~ ,

hIlnneapohs, 188 1 Page 557.

Lots 1-7

a ~1 Anderson Street

- - [line of Hancock Street]

Today, this Block is also occupied by the Lakeview Hospital campus, but there were once two houses here.

Lot was the site of yet another pre-Civil War house which went through several owners, contracts, and foreclosures before L o t s 1 , 2. & 3 were purchased by Patrick Doyle in 1871.2's Doyle, who lived there until 1886, was listed as a laborer. TIus house can be seen a s a small broadside house, to the left of a much larger house on the 1869 Bird's Eye View Map. I t took the nu~nber 927 W. Anderson, T h s sulall house was demolished by the hospital. There is some evidence of a smaller house on the back of m3, ~vhich took the niunber a W . Ander so~ .

A newer house, built in the 19GO's, a t =W. Anderson was nloved across the park to 928 Abbot Street in 1977 when the hospital expanded.

He~ l ry Icattenberg bought Lots 4, 5, 6, & L i n June of 1860 from <Joseph Sanborn who was a Missouri resident. He paid $1,000 for the lots and a l l o ~ ~ s e - a great deal of money a t the heigllt of the depression. Thanks to Mr. Sanborn's delinquency, we have a detailed description of what this house looked like. Joseph A. DeCurtins, a local carpenter, who lived one block east , filed a lien against Sanbo1.n irl May of' 1860, a nlonth before Iiattenberg purchased this house. This lien gives us speclfic infol.mation

Illock by Block History

about Iiattenberg's house a s \\'ell as about b u i l l n g materials and practices at this early period.

March 5, I858 M a k i ~ ~ g 9 doors for house i r ~ Holcombe's Addition ', f '

$36.50 " 4 W ~ I L ~ O I J sash 1.50 each $5.00

J U I L ~ 15, 1858 ?days work pla~rltir~g up and fir cellar $3.45 " 16. " Cl'ork of three mer~, one day each $7.75 " 19, 30 " 3 days of self & 3 r n e ~ ~ mowing U I L ~ f ix i~lg old house $7.50 " '1 z , " 80 feel pitre lumber added in $1.00

August 6Ih " Making well ????? [ c ~ I L ' ~ read] $13.95 September " 3-3/4 days work on stairway & cellar door $6.65 October 11 " 1-I/? days mahingplatfor~n [scaffold] 6. f i t t i ~ ~ g windows $3.35 March, 1859 3 days work putting O I L floorir~g O I L roof of I L ~ W house $7.50 - 19'1, ?planks lurnber $. 60

April 9 " laj,ing floor 8.75 " 13" Plar~ning sidir~g " "

$6.00 " other boards $3. GO

'2 ', 8. Putlii~g a cor~~ ice 011. old holise $6.?5 Juire 4 " Putti~ig O I L brackets $16.00

Henry Kattenherg was born in Prussia in 1821. He came to America in 1845, and to Stillwater in 1848. IIe opened a shop here as a iiiercharit tailor, and "by irldustry U I L ~ close applicotior~ to D i ~ s i ~ ~ e s s , Ilc prospered a r ~ d scc~o-ed o j ~ l e a s a ~ ~ t I L ~ I , L ~ . " ~ ~ ' However, ' b y liberality a l ~ d k i r ~ d ~ ~ e s s i r ~ c!.uter~dir~g credits, a r ~ d ~ I L u ~ ~ f o r t ~ ~ r ~ a t e i~e1L1ur.c ~ I L I L L I I I ~ ~ T ~ I L ~ , I L ~ l o s ~ $14.000 ...': and in 1869, he took out a $1,000 niortgage a t 12% from Charles N. Nelson, his neighbor across Greeley Street . Two years later, he took out another mortgage, and by 1856, both mortgages were in forecl~sure. '~" His house and lots were repossessed by Nelson's Bank, the First Nat.iona1 Bunk, and in February of 1880, the property was sold for $1.301 to Her~ry Westing, a local ruan of sorue prominence. Four months later Westing sold the house and lots to the city of Stillwater for $1,500 to be used as the city hospital.";l

I t has been written of Kattenberg that "Cl'ill~ cl~aracteri.stic l ~ o r ~ e s t y , I L ~ t u r ~ ~ e d ooer to 11,;s cr.editors l ~ i s 11o11testeod a ~ ~ d all l ~ e /rod to rrlect l ~ i s liabilities. I IL 1880, l ~ e ro~~ooc td to ?bylor:s t;hlls a r ~ d c o ~ r c r ~ ~ e ~ ~ c ~ i l keepi~lg llotel at t l ~ e Falls House, O I L t - ' e ~ ~ c l ~ st~.ect. 111 CIctoDo., 1886, Ire p~r~.cliasctl t l ~ c Dalles House of hlrs. C. t-'. C i ' I ~ i t i ~ ~ g ~ . " ~ " ~ Icatlenberg l e d in Taylor's Falls, May 6, 1908.

'j' Years 111 the NorthwcbL by \V. 1-i.C: k'olsool. I'roneec Press Company, 1888. I'agc. 72 . '"O I M~ga 292; I h1Lgs 'LCJG; Y Ilcrck, 478. Y I)(,cils l';(i. 2 Diictl-, 291 '"I 5 Dee& 33G. 5 1)ecds 4 9 7 ,, . , -',- I~olson1, 11,111

Block by Block History

Iiattenberg's house was enlarged with a n addition, and it served as the city hospital until 1919 when a new hospital bui lhng was built on that site.

In July of 1914, a Nurse's Home was built on the east side of Lot,s 4 & 5. The b d d l n g was constructed by local contractor, Emil Bieging a t a cost of $3,500. It uras two stories, 24 feet by 30 feet, wood frame, and took the number 931 W. Anders~n.~Gz This house has since been moved to 1211 South Sixth Street where it is a private residence.

Block bv Block History

i , . t , l L,, ,,,* ,,,?, ,,,,,,,/,,, /L *< :<LZ& /'<: " . Y * ~ , , I " , . T r ~ ~ ~ ~ l # r ~ ~ ~ t ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ l ~ ? f l " ,.<., l o x ,>,.,,,,,,,, I ,,.;,,. ,/,? d

'?I *z , \ , , h i , , , , r , - , , / I ; , ? v , , , . n r 2 , ~ ,,,,,.I, Gi .OL -- *uu_uruc<rriigii.x t i r n i A&<<; w , , / i .<?;~,,,, ,,, I , , . , , I t i , , .

I l ~ r ~ l l v l , ! ~ I il,.,,,,.wr r r / l z r o . l , r r l . r i l rr l l i ~ r 5$10,1 r i g l r r !o . s d / < c u r I ? r , t t ~ ~ ~ ~ ! , l l ~ ? . ~ ~ f ~ ~ ~ ? I!, ! , , ~ s r o , a , f r ~ , f i /,,,.,,, ,,(,:,. <,,,,;

!I,,,, !hi' ... r i r . . r r r c l , ? " rrw,,, o i l i , , i . , , , , , / # . - r , , , r . i . , :

The deed to the f ~ r s t City (later Lakeview) Hospital property. C ~ i i , r e s j o/ / i l , C L ~ S o / S l r i l r ~ a L ~ ~ ~

If you were somehow suddenly transported back to the Stillwater of the 19''' Century, you would find circulnstances quite hfferent. You might be surprised by the great number of outbuildings: the wood sheds, chlcken coops, outhouses, rabbit warrens, barns. You would crinkle your nose a t the smells: the horse manure embedded in the muddy streets, the garbage dumped in every vacant lot, the pigs and cows roaming the streets.

Rut much Inore profound, though less obvious at tirst, would be the hffererlces in culture and attitude. Could you imagine today, for example, a n attitude that would allow a situatioli similar to that whch befell Hugh McDonald:

Mrrgl~ APcDo~~ald, ~ U I L O u:i/li I L I S u!Ife a r ~ d clrildr~ei~ lives O I L

soiitlc Alnrt11.o s t rile/ toiLll n t,errilrle acciderlt Morlday irr cor~rrc~ctior~ cr~itl~ cc'l~icll 11i.s f ~ r t i ~ t ~ d c OIL^ ertdurarrce l ~ a v e called ou / rrcl~cl~ adrrliratiorr. l i e Ir.ad beerr erlg~agcd dtr.rirlg t l ~ e ulirrter. a s a teanrster a / Nelsor~ & J O ~ L I L S ~ I L ' S G r i r ~ d s t o ~ ~ e carrcp, orrd wlrile at 11;s cirs~or~tary i~'ot ,k h f o r ~ d a y , sllpped orid fell ill. / T O I L L o/ I L L S sled wlrich bore (I I ~ C I I I P I L ~ O I I S load o/ logs. Before I L ~ could arise, orre o f t l ~ e sled I . I I I L I L C ~ S S ~ I . L I C / : Irir~i a r ~ d its elltire lerlgtl~ of r ~ i r ~ e fret passed OL'EI. 11.1s r ig l~ t k g , grir~dirlg t , l ~ a ~ ocerriber co11iplete1.y of/ lrrrrrrediotely Dclo~o t l ~ e lzrree. Help rcos rwar nt Irnr~d, tile otrcputot~rl leg ions picked trp rlear tullere McDo~lald lay, arrd I L ~ I L ~ I I I S C ~ ~ Loas irelped to I I I O L L I L ~ a lrorse c~porr t ~ l ~ i c l ~ l ~ e rode two rrriles to c a r ~ i ~ j . I,'r.orrr curup be Lcas taker^ ~ I L a sled fiue or. six ririles to Nir~c1:ley ~c~llo-e Ire Luas ptit O I L boord l l ~ e l i r~ i i~ed trairl a l ~ d a/ter o jnrrir~g ride of 75 rr~iles r.encl~ed Stillwater at 7.20 hZo11.da.v ec~~rr. i t~g. .4t Nlrrckley sorrce tc~orrcor~ o f good serlfe lrad Dcr~rdaged tllc leg or1.d g i u e l ~ McDor~ald's atter~dorlt sorrce ciglrtlc -of-a-gvair~ ~~ror.pI~irr.e porcders, o r ~ e o f tcll~icl~ s1i.e directed to be lohcr~ e u e q 11o111. i ~ l ~ t i l /LC sl~ou,ld C O I I I C ~irlder. / / L C care o f a s ~ ~ r g e o ~ ~ . 7 1 ~ i s pr.ecoirtior~ olloli~ed th.e irrjur.(?d ~ I I O I L to erld~rre t11.e ~ O ~ I I . I L C . ~ better ~ I L ~ I L l ~ e 0 1 1 1 ~ r ~ u i s e could I L O L ~ ~ ~ O I L C . I IL r.espor~se to a /rlc?g~.oplr /r.orrc I f i r ~ c l ~ l c y , potier~t was rrcet at Ii7rite Bear r5.y 111. 13. J . hfcr~rill a ~ t d ~ I L C I I 1-t?cei~!ed Iris fir.st ,nro/cssio~~ol r~otice s i l l cc /Ice accider~l. 771 (, striirip o f t l ~ e le,o was so c,r.rcsl~ed a r ~ d lorrc tlrot O I L ar~lplr~otiorr j t r s l crbo~ic /Ire hr~ee I L ' ( I P dec,itled rrecessayy to s u i : ~ ~ orly !)or-t of I or. C ( : ~ I I t 1 1 ~ ptrtierltj. life, arid t l ~ e ~ ( ~ e r o t i o r l t i n s rriiidi! tlrat 11igI~t. hlcDor~ald C ~ I I I C O L L ~ fro111 L I I L ~ C ~

/ 1 1 c ~ 1:ilifc irl O I L c~r~cv~rr .o ,~ir~g coriditiorl OIL^ is t l ~ ~ c ~ g l ~ l to l~ailc u

Early History of Lnlzeuieu, Hospital

good cl~arlce for- recovery. He is about 40 yecirs old arid of strorlg pllysique.26'f

Hugh McDonald h e d the next day

I n the middle of the lSth Century, there was the feeling tha t hospitals were places to go to &e; they were miserable places intended only to treat charity cases. In Minnesota, i t was not until after the Civll War tha t hospital construction flourished. By 1871, a city hospital was operating in Minneapolis; two years later, a committee of S t . Paul residents planned for a municipal hospital."""

In Stillwater, the move for a city hospital began in the late 1870's with a series of articles and ehtor ia ls in the local press. Typical of these is the following:

A Need of the Place

Tllo.e is a gr-cal rrerd of a public llospilal i r ~ . S t i l l i ~ ~ a t c ~ ~ . Tlle vast arrlor~rlt of rrlacllirlery irl rr~oliort. here, tllc rlurrrber of I I I ~ I L errrployerl irl t.11.e pillcries by rc~irl~er., a r ~ d orr ilte drioes irl t l ~ c spr-irr.g, tllc stearrrbootir~g arld tlle lleauy r.ailr,oad busirless, corr~birtc lo ricalie our laborirlg I)op~~laliort. r lr lus~~ally liable to accidcr~ts, arid tllerc i s 1lar.rlly eoer a tirr~e tullerl rr~erl are rlot l e / r e a t r e ~ / llere for irt.jio.ies received irr illeir. r l ~ i l . ~ auocaliorts. Stilliuater llas also arr~ortg ller people, a great rrtarly yourlg 111cr~ w1r.o l ~ a ~ l e left ltorrtc nrrrl frierlds, arld ar,e luvr.kir~g oil/ for.tr~r~e. 01. 01 least l l o r ~ e s ~ liuelil~ood for tllerrrselces, irrlaided, orlrl alor~e. If sic/,', 01. irljlr,r.ed, tll.ese I I I ~ I L llaoe I L O l~o111e but a boardir~.g I L O I L S C , 11.0 care but t11aL r.ecei~led fi.ort~ strarlger.~. T ~ L C city i s so fir11 of berrec~olerlt people, tllat rlo r~eedy or suf ferir~g persort. is krlowirlgly rleglected, 611t ot 11le hest a hoardirlg Ilouse, or. c u o ~ . 11lc l~orrlc of a persorr irl rr~odera~c c i ~ ~ c u ~ r ~ s t a r ~ c c s does riot cor~rpare irr co~r~for t arlrl currc:erlierlce for. tlle sick, / I 7 r~sell or.r.art.gcd, ir!e[l rrlar~aged 1~os~) i ta l . Sucll arL ir~slitirtiori t11.e c i t j r~.eeds, a r ~ d s l ~ o i ~ l d l l a ~ r , arid i f ally p~rhllc spir.ited body o f r~tot. or. ~c~orrrcrt. t~ , i l l t a l : ~ hold o f tlle r~ratter., s t x l ~ a l ~ o s / ~ i / a l C O I L be er.i>cted arid 1,111 ill oI)ei.atiorl.?""

Ear1.v History o f Lakeoieu, Hospital

The following year, on February 13, 1880, a large group of women met a t the house of John McKusick to discuss the need for a hospital. After considerable &scuss io~~ , they elected to form the County Benevolent Society to promote the building of a hospital in Stillwater.

At the next meeting on February 27, the group learned that Elizabeth Van Emon had a n eight room house in good repair she would be willing to rent for use a s the hospital. The house was located on the west side of Western Row 1s. Greeley] near Anderson Street. [Ths house was in the location of 914 and 920 S. Greeley today.] After more discussion, i t was agreed to rent the Van Emon house for a period of two years.

In making this decision to locate the hospital so far from the business &strict, the women may have heen convinced by the l g th century notion tha t the pure country air, and fresh breezes from Lily Lake would be of great benefit to the patients of the hospital.

.4ctirlg swiftly, the women drew up alld signed Articles of Incorporation for the Stillwater City Hospital on March '32, 1880.

The hospital &d not r e n ~ a i u in the \'an Emon honle very long; in May, the City Council voted to acquire tlie Henry Iiattenberg property and house: Lots 4, 5, 6, & 7 of Block 23 lucated on the east side of Western Row [S. Greeley] betu.een Anderson and the line of Hancock Street . The house (hospit,al) itself was located on the soirth side of Lot 5 with a one-story kitchen wing extending into Lot 6.'";

111 July of 1880, the census enuinerator listed the inhabitants of the hospital. There was a matron, Mrs. Combs, age 50. Other staff were a steward, a cook, and a servant. There \vere six patients: Edward Wiley, age 31, who worked a s a stationery engineer, was iri the llospital for typhoid fever. SO year old John Reider was being treated for rheumatism; Thomas Frick. 45, was suffering horn " l~arber ' s itch." Patrick Mellin, a 45-year-old laborer, n.as insane, and John Peterson had been scalded, while Ed~b~ in Moriaty, age 22, had his thigh crushed while workirlg as a railroad b r a k e l l i a ~ l . ~ ~ ~

' 1 ' 1 ~ wonlen operateti tlie city tlospital for the ~ ~ e x t ten years. intervie~viriy and hiring onlployecs, se\vlng and inending Illlens, soliciting dorlatiolls, altd even carnung pl.odt~ce t.o use in tlie vvinter mouths.

Early his lor:^ o f Lokeuieu~ Hospital

However the city hospital was not the only hospital i n Stillwater during this early period. An article wri t ten i n 1938 mentions two others:

"Truo other hospitals [ill Stillwater]--orre a. I~orr~.eopatl~ic ir~stitutiorl--were established about 1881. CI'. H. Cair~e was house p l~ys ic iar~ a r ~ d surgeorl, Alemrlder Dorlald ulas ocu.list arid aurisl, Drs. Edgertor1 a r ~ d Doriot1 o/ S t . Paul arld Dr. Steek of Mirlrleapolis ulere the cor~sult ir~g surgeorls, o r ~ d Drs. Hutchir~sor~ arld Hurr~pl~rey o f Sa i r~ t Paul arid Mitlrleapolis, respectively, ([!ere the cor~sult ir~g physiciar~s. Th i s I~ospital was also sr~.pported partly, at least, by bellelit parlies, records o f which oppeared i r ~ tile rleu1spaper.s o/ /ha / . . i t e Tlle I~ospitaL apparer~tly did rlot last very lorlg, evider~tly beirlg closed i r ~ tlle sprir~g of 1883, for at that tir11.e Dr. Cairle was patrorlizirlg the city hospital, whicll Ile corltir~ued to d o ~trltil he was excluded frorri the gr.our~ds "for C O I L ~ I L C ~ U I L ~ ~ C O I I I ~ I L ~ a physiciar~ a r ~ d a ge~~tlerriar~." [The location o f th is second hospital is uncertain] .... T h e tlli.rd l~ospital rclas cstablisl~ed irl hlar.ch, 1885, a r ~ d iuos especially dcc!o/ed to tlre care o f Lrrrrtberrrrer~ arid private paticr~ts. "))'"'

T h i s third hospital was T h e Minnesota Hospital "", located in w h a t i s today a private residence at 1121 N . Fourth S tree t . T h i s hospital, located on property owned by S e y n ~ o u r & Sabin Company, Lvas the business venture o f Dr. E. R. Jellison, and h s one-time partner, W . E . 1,angley. In reporting t h e closi l~g o f the tlospital i n 1886, the local newspaper explained how t h e tlospital tlad been funded:

7 a o f L C rrrarLagcrrrerLt irms to sell rickets o/ tiuo Itir~ds. Orle style, sold at five dollars, er~/ i t led the holder, i/ sick or. ir l~ured, to board, r ~ i ~ r s i r ~ g OIL^ rrredical a t t e ~ ~ d a r ~ c e ; the otlcer, iu1lic.h wos sold at tell dollars, 'aoe the sarrie pric'ileges w i th the odditior~a.1 st ipulot io~i tliat the /,older, i f i r~~ i r red , s l~ou ld be assr~r.ed t l ~ e srrrrr o/ /ic:e do1lar.s per. weelr for. a cer.tair~ ler~gth o/ t i e p e r ~ d i r . ~ C I . ~ I L C li~rrrber. C ~ I I I ~ S rt8er.e t l ~ o ~ ~ o i ~ g l ~ l y corr.r:asscd a r ~ d i.1 i s / I I . O U ~ I L I sc~'~r.01 11i11~dr.ed o f t l~ese tickets were sold to tllr ic,oods,rror. 11. rc~as g~?r~er.all.y slcpljosed that the

-. - -~ ~. --

A ~ ' b l i i ~ ~ ~ e s o l a ~ l l e d i c i ~ ~ ~ i , . - b s t o l - y oC M e h c i u e In PIfiuuesota" .Au&p~>t 1938, Page 571. '7L' For nlariy years it h ; ~ s tleen thouglrt that ttus bdclil~g w a s tlie o r ~ p a l c ~ t y hosr~~ta l ( I i a t r c n b i ~ r g l ~ o u s c ) ~ l loved LO this locatloo Howevel. t l ~ e preseut r e s t d e u ~ o f 11" N. Fourth 1i;is I I I 11i.l- 1,asenli.u~ t l ~ i , o n g ~ n ; i l s ~ h l g rorllo\.cd Cl.om over t h e f ron t door in \vhci i the name ' ~ I I I I I I P . - U L ~ l i o s j ~ ~ i i ~ l " C : ~ I I clearly he d ~ s c c r u e d ~

llospital was lligllly profitable to the proprielor, arld the cause of tile failure is I L O ~ t ~ ~ ~ d e r s t u u d . " ~ ~ ~

This elementary kind of health insurance was not unique to The Minnesota Hospital on the North HLU. For a time, the city hospital also sold tickets of this nature to finance its operation.

By 1891, the city hospital on Greeley Street had outlived its competition, and a new brick veneered hospital was built a t a cost of $6,116 by local contractor, Sven Berglund."" The architect was E. P. Bassford, the busiest architect in S t . Paul during this decade.27'1 (Bassford is perhaps best remembered today as the architect of the 150 room St. Paul City Hall - Ramsey County Courthouse b d t in 1889, de~uolished in 1933). The Stillwater Hospital was not one of his more creative works: it was a plain, almost square. (48 feet by 44 feet), builhng.

On the first floor were two surgical wards, an operating ward, and fever ward. The second floor held the felnale ward, aiid five private rooms. 'I'here were waterclosets and bathruuir~s o n both f loors . The attic was designed for drying clothes.

Thls 1891 hospital bui lhng was built on Lot 6, just south of the original hospital, and connected to the original hospital (the Icattenberg house) with a passageway. In a well-known postcard poslularked 1911. you call see the first hospital building (the Iiattenberg house) in the forepound, and the 1891 hricli veneered hospital in the b a ~ k g r o u n d . ~ ' , ~

For the next 20 years. the Lvomen continued to run the hospital with their biggest hfflculty in raising funds. They sponsored theatrical entertainmerlts, catered chnners, took care of children a t the Opera House during perforuianccs, and sponsored a marathon dance carnival t)y r-lr.ofessor Speedy.

In July of 1914, a Nurse's Ilonle was built or1 the east sidc of Lots 4 & 5 . The huil&ng rvas constl-ucted by local coi~tractol., ErniI Biegiug at a cost of $3,500. It was two stories, 24 feet by 30 feet, wood frame, and Look the

':' Thc hlcr;8cngcc, &la)- I , IS8(; .I . . , - ' - h l ~ u a l 1tel)orc of City Hospital. 1892: City of Stil lwater I l t d d i n g P e r t ~ t Apphc;itior~ f t G 14 : i 11 - . > u > l Twin C ~ l i e s by I.al-ry ~ ~ l c t ~ . Rh1:esota H i s ~ o r ~ c a l Soclely. 1992. r a g e G5, 20G. .,.. - . ' The Sa~lbol-11 I n s ~ i ~ i ~ n c r h,Iaps of 189 1 ancl 1904 shou, t h ~ same 2 story hnlue s t ructure 011

Lot 5 b-for(; : i ~ ~ d : r f tp~ t l ~ ~ IS9 1 1 1 o s ~ ~ l . d was hr~i l l T i ~ c i)oJlcal.d b d c a l e s lhe same. ' ~ L I c ? charge in t l ~ c 1R!)-! Al~uiral f t e l~o r t of $::I875 for 111oir1rlg t11c Auuex m g b t weU refer to niovlng [be C o ~ i t a g ~ , i i ~ \ \ ' ; I I . ~ . ;I >t.,,;tra~,r I,uddln;, :ou11i or, ( h e 101s. nboul 1110 f w l

number 931 W. Anderson."' This house has since been moved to 1211 South Sixth Street where it is a private residence.

After the First World War, the push for a new budding that had first surfaced in 1912, began in earnest. Mayor Icolliner of Stillwater called on all the citizens to support a new bui lhng designed by architects, Buecher & Orth &om St. Paul. Through public subscription, $90,000 was raised, and local contractor, O.H. Olsen begari work on in September of 1919. Thls thlrd hospital building was built on Lots 5 & 6, (the site of the first hospital builihng), on the north side of, and adjacent to the 1891 (second building.) At this time, the fxst hospital building (the Icattenberg house) was most likely dernolished or moved.ZG

This newest hospital builihng was named the Lakeview Memorial Hospital, and two rooms were set aside for solhers and sailors, who would be treated free if they were unable to pay the hospital dues. Tbere was also a bathroom on every floor, an electric elevator, and a h n i n g rooin and kitche~i on the grou~id floor.

I n 1958, the 1,akeview Memorial Hospital Association was incorporated, and a fund drive that culminated in pledges of $1,181,000 began the construction of a fourth hospital builihng. Construction on the original portion of the new hospital began in Novembcr of 1959, and a second story was added in 1966.

Since tbat time, the hospital has continued to grow arid expand both in i ts scl.\ices, and the size and ~iuniber of its builhngs a s well a s the size of its campus.

.z - ~

- ' , Santioru ll~sul-ance blal,s. 1924; City of SLdnrater B d h r l g PcI'u~IL AP~LICBLIOII #I567 .,-. " ' Sarlbuul~ lusurance Maps, 1921.

The Kattenburg house, the first hospital building, is on the left; the second hospital building at 1007 S. Greeley, built in 1891, is on the right.

Bollr pl~ologr u p l ~ r cut r r tesy of lhe St. Croix Colleclior~, S l i l l i c n ! ~ r Publir l,ihrary I

I . .

The third hospital building a t 939 W. Anderson St. was built i n 1919. The Nurses' Quacc is is on the left, and tho 1891 building c a n be glimpsed on the right.

A hos$tal~room at Lakeview Hospital circa 1921. Pl~oLograph colrrLesy o f ihe S t . Croix Collectio~t, Stillu~aler Public Library

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT O F HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND SUPPORT AND NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

T h s project has been fi ianced in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of Interior, through the Minnesota Historical Society under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act as amended. However the conterits and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior.

Under Title V1 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 501 of the Rehabihtation Act of 1973, the U.S. Department of Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or handicap in its federally assisted program. If you believe you have been hscriminated against in any program activity, or fachty a s described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, Wastungton, D.C., 20240.

With Gratitude To

Introduction

Research Design

Preface

From Mexico to Minnesota, 1847-1858

After the Civil War, 1865-1900

The Old and the New, 1900-1950

Growth and Change, 1950-1999

Block by Block History

Early History of Lakeview Ilospital

History of Washington Square

Pppendix A (Dates of Houses)

Appendix B (City Directory 1894)

Appendix C (C~ty Directory 1930)

Appendix D (City Directory 1954)

Bibliography

Recornnienda tiorls

Index

Page I

Page 3

Page 5

Page 7

Page 9

Page 35

Page 41

Page 43

Page 45

Page 129

Pa,oe 137

Page ! 39

Page 141

Page 145

Page 147 -

Page 15!

Page 155

Page 159

article, the notion of a "park" was well established] secured by deed or olkeru~ise, the Ho1cort1.b brothers have not beer1 u,l~olly idle. A corriplaii~t has been filed ill the district court, allegiilg that siilce the first day of Jurle, 1872, E.V. Holcorrlb and Williarr~ Holcorrlb have bee11 th.e owners arid elltitled to th.e possessiorl of "Wash i r~g to~~ square" i n Ho1corr1.b'~ Additioil, arid that i n 1874, the cily errtered u p o i ~ a.11d took possessioil o f the said. prert~ises. The plair~tiffs ask to haue irr~ri~ediate possessioll g iuei~ therr~, arld su,ch other relief as the court niay grar~t. Tl1.e ilecessary papers were serued I I P O I L the city clerk last Mor~day, thus placit~g the rrlatter u!here the city urill probably haue to take action or lose the property. It has gerlerally been t l ~ e ur~derstar~dir~g that while Mr. Holcorrlb u ~ a s itlayor, i i ~ 1867, rue belieue, he gave the property to t l ~ e city for park purposes, arld l ~ e beirlg the executive officer o f the city, it tvas supposed he t~!ould harle the proper papers executed arld put 011 record; but r~othirlg but verbal testirriorly has thus far bee11 adduced that he ir~tellded to gice it to the city. Ii1 1874, the city had the property erlclosed with a. feri.ce, and uirtuolly took possessior~ o f i/.. It rrloy be possible that Mr.. Holcorrlbe irlterlded to rriake the gif t , corlditiorled or1 the city's irrzprouirlg /he sarrle irr~rr~ediately, irl tc~l~icl~. case l11.e property would rlotii reuert to his Ileirs."'

Unfortunately any records o f this court case have long since disappeared, so we have no way o f knowing how or why the issue was settled in favor of the city. However it is worth noting that in the inventory of property taken a t the time o f Williain Holcombe's death in 1870, Washington Square was not listed.

There is no evidence that the Square has ever been used for other than a public purpose. Children growing up in the area used it a s a playground, although in those earlier days, the equipment available was little more tliail a set o f swings and a sandbox.

.,-- - T h e Stillicater. L u n r b e r n ~ a ~ ~ . April 30, 1875.

Alone among all the developers in Stillwater during the 19'h Century, Witham Holcombe set aside some of lus development for public or open space. Block 2 l was dehcated to the public as Washington Square. However Holcombe was not entirely altruistic. He located his public square across the street (Western Row, now S. Greeley Street) from his own palatial residence, so the square both extended the open view from his front windows, as well a s making the appearance of his house more impressive

In the late 18th and early 19th centluies, the notion of a pitblic space was quite common. This corninon space was typically undeveloped in any way; it might be used for pasture, military drills, gathering twigs and sticks for firewood kindling, or a myriad of other uses.

Faced with the gray bleak towns spawned by the Industrial Revolution, a maze of small cramped streets Lined with often squalid tenements, early city reformers took inspiration fro111 the landscape gardeners who had laid out the sumptuous private gardens I J ~ the 18Ih century palaces and noblemen. In earnest discussions about the relationship between ar t and uature-a typically Romantic debate--the reformers expressed their concern about the city in terms of mass, space, and nature.

B e g i n ~ n g in London in the 1820°'s, and France 10 years later, the park movement spread to the U ~ t e d States within two decades. New York's Central Park, the fust effort towards a beautdied recreational area in this country, was conceived and laid out in the 1850's.

Whether Holcoillbe designated Waslungtoil Square in the traditional older sense of a public commons for use a s a pasture, or in the evolvirig sense of it a s a public park a s we understand that term today, will probably never be known. The fact that he named it a Square probably indjcates the t raht ional older use; the fact that it is today linown as Waslungton Square Park is ev ide~~ce of the current meaning aud use of tbis public spncc.

But Holcombe's generosity, however self-serving, &d not estend to his ttvo sons, William end Edwin. After tllcir father's death in 1870. the two brothers attempted to reclaim the Square.

City Park

M'7~i le sorrrc. of our. peolde I L ( I L ( I bee11 11rgir~g t h e City C o u l ~ c i l t o Colz rrleosrrres t o /~ac.t' t/ce p r ' o [~o . t y g i c e r ~ t o t h e ci1.y by

I17rrl. llolcot~tir~, S e r ~ . , fo r u p c ~ r k , ply the tiiue of thls newspaper

Br~i lding Dates

904 S. Harriet 915 W. Abbott 7 19 W. Willard 622 W. Churchill 805 W. Abbott 903 W. Willard 1010 S. Holcombe 705 W. Anderson 719 W. Churchdl 723 W. Anderson 805 W. Churchill 610 W. Churchill 712 W. Anderson 611 W. Churchill 603 W. Churchill 907 W. Willard 71 1 W. Anderson 701 S. Greeley 720 S. Greeley 7 11 S. Greeley 914 S. Greeley 921 W. Willard 813 W. Anderson 905 W. Churchill 92 1 S. Harriet 916 S. Holcombe 717 W. Willard 606 W. Anderson 612 W. Anderson 813 W. Churchdl 8 11 W. Anderson

ved) 721 S. Greeley 911 W. Churchill 803 W. Anderson 600 S. Holcombe 803 W. Willard 716 S. Martha 722 S. Mar tha 703 S. Everet t 12 19 W. Willard 8% 8. Greeley 812 W. Abbott 1201 W. Willard 8 1 1 W. Willard 906 S. Greeley 928 S. Greeley 715 W. Churchill

709 S. Everett 616 S. Holcombe 613 W. Willard 1109 W. Willard 629 W. Anderson 722 S. Everett. 715 S. Everett 1017 W. Abbott 709 W. Willard 716 S. Owens 720 S. Owens 1015 W. Abbott 716 S. Everett 7 '1 S. Everett 1019 W. Willard 1031 W. Abbott 806 S. Greeley 1005 W. Willard 922 W. Abbott 712 W. Churchill 716 S. Greeley 916 W. Abbott 918 S. Harriet 724 S. Owens 1015 S. Everett 1006 W. Ahbott 905 W. Willard 710 S. Greeley 11 1 5 W. Willard 803 S. Martha 8 1 1 S. Martha 1014 S. Greeley 904 W. Chicrshill 905 W. Abbott 710 S. Mar tha 709 W. ~ b b o k 920 S. Greeley 919 W. WiUard 619 W. Anderson 812-814 W. Anderson 928 W. Abbott 1015 S. Martha 819 W. Abbott 601 W. Anderson 8 2 1 S. G~.eeley 1020 W. I-iolcornbc

F o r over six months, I have researched these houses and their bui lhng dates. I have used the records of the yearly visits by the tax assessor which are now in the Minnesota State Archives; I have used the City of Stillwater Bui lhng Permits; I have used the deeds and mortgages found in the Washington County Recorder's Office; in short, I have thoroughly researched the dates which I present below. In many cases, particularly for those homes built before 1900, my building dates will be hfferent than the dates you have for your house. This hfference in dates is generally the result of a real estate agent using a bui lhng date found in the Assessor's Office when listing the home for sale. Refore 1900, these dates in the Assessor's Office s r e generally inaccurate, and only meant to serve as a general guideline

Those dates with question marks, in most cases, inhca te that I could not determine if any par t of the original house remains within what is today, a greatly remodeled and changed structure. This, of course, then poses the question that, if, within the present structure, only one wall remains of a n 1850's house, is the bui lhng date of that house the 1850's? I have tried to give a date that is inhcative of the earliest par t of the remaining house, even though its present day appearance might belie its history.

717 W. Churchill 703 W. Willard 812 S. Harriet 716 S. Harriet 722 \Y. Anderson 819 W. Anderson 706 W. Churchill 709 W. Churchill 702 W. Church11 621 W. Willard 718 W. Churctlill 706 W. Andersor~ 1016 S. Holcolnbe

1870-71 721 S. Martha 1871 715 W. Abbdtt 1851 609 W. Willard 1871? 602 S. Holcolnbe 1871? 702 S. Holcombe 187l? 706 S. Holcombe 1873 621 W. Churchill 1873 804 W. Anderson 1873 615 W. Churchill 1874 602 W. Churclull 1851 810 W. Anderson 1874 823 W. Anderson 1875 912 \V. C h ~ ~ r c h i l l

Slillulatev City Directory, 1891-95

Lumberman R 1.umberman B Cook R

Vi i :~or I' Bergeron

. lames C. Sul l ivan 'I'homa:. Scullun W m McDunald

Rafter R Fireman on S t e a m e r Alice D. B Roomman R

Domestic B L u m l ~ e r m a u R

Eclwarrl T. S l ~ u n o u Mary Silunu~r Wm. T. S l l ~ n o t t Wm. W~I.son

Rafter R (Widow - Nicholas) R Corn[). E. E. Cowell B Pr in te r R

Blacksmith R

E l i g n e e r on S t e a m e r Alice D. R

J o h n Denvler Malcolm Drnvler

Mtr.linel Wnlsh

.lame% T. Barroll Charlorre (:uital??on Eilwnril M. Bar ron I;'ll.mbetln Uarron Elmal~ec I n Van E ~ < J I I F r a ~ l l i Bnrruln Scurr Vnri Eroolr

Llookkee1,er Jortlain & Ma1 hew> R Dilm~st i r : '? lumber ma^^ B (Widow . Richard) R (Wi~low . Scot0 13 Stoilelnr [I C l e r k Eagle Hclwr. Co. B

Horace L I<t>eie .J:nnrer. H I<eere .James [<??ti'

J am?? Keeie & Son Pa in te r s U J a m e s K d e & SOII. P a l l i t e r B .lames Keele & S o o Pa in te r s R

(:arleron Aylnrd High School Pr~ncil~;nl R

Ernlly B a l r l c Mrs Hatr le J. Wells Thonnab D Well>

(Witlow . George W.) R No Occupatlou G l v c ~ l B Pankunin & Well. I?

Plumber LI No Occu~ia t ion Giver1 R

A r t h u r Mulvey .Jarnlr.- M~~lv<:y

Lual l )erman li Mulvey & I:armicliael R

.J;~ck.son & Son D n r b ~ r . R

.Jack.kon & So11 Uarbcrs D

These names, addresses, and occupations were taken &om the R. L. Polk & Co's Stillwater City Directory for 1894-95. Res means generally the home owner; B&

means a boarder, often an adult child of the home owner.

S t r e e t House Namf

Abbotl 0601 Almc.da 'I'ulllr (W~r luw - Moses) I{ Ab l~o t t 061-11 Har r ip t T u t r l r No 0a:upnt ion Given D

A l ~ l n ~ t t 07 15 I:l~nrles W l c k l ~ ~ n c l Laborer. E i ~ s t Side 1,br Co. R Abbott 07 15 Etlwari l V r l ~ q ~ ~ e t e ria her R Abllirl t 07 15 .Jotin Jolunso~i I.abort~r R Abbo~ t O i l : , Peter M ine r Lnl,orer.. 1'(: K l l ~ y R

A ~ b o 0805 Augucla Ilig..lrr~m l~lirrne.~t ic ? A l t ~ o t t 0805 1:l;ircnre 0. JourtI;~in Clerk I> A b l ~ ~ r t r 0805 Lilui:. I .Ionrcln~n Clerk. MI,. T l ~ r c x l i e r M n f g Co. I: ~ 1 ~ 1 ~ ~ ~ t . t I - IH~S l ' r . 1 ~ ~ .Ic,unla~n .Ii~uril;li:l & Matl lews. I n g s & L b r K

Abbntt Nor rh sale beiwecn Uwerls nni l 1.11~ Lake Elize Simons Domestic U b l ~ o t r Nor111 i l d e b c ~ w e c n Owens ;in11 1.11~ Lake Jolu l D (:rolrli~.t. t :oacl inin~~ H Abbolt NOIIII iclr b r t w c r n OWPOL i l l ld l.ily l a k e Sara11 Cl.ol~(ler [ l o ~ n ~ s t i c I3 Abbi~ct No r t l i side l ~ ~ t w r e n Owells an11 Lzlg I.akc Wm. f:. C la rk R

Aniler.nn 0 i Z 2 Wm. Regall Rahrr R

Appe~td ix B

Creeley 1007 I:ri,eley I007 (; 1.ei3lcy Ion; 1; rerley 1007 i;rreley 1007 l>,~c~eIey 1007

tlnncock 102.2

I l :~ r r i r r 0715 I i a r r ~ e t 0715

I l a r r ~ c L n716 I l a r r l r t O i lG

I l i ~ r r l r t 0812

Hi~ll.ornlie 100.1 t lolainibe 1001

I l r ~ l r o m l ~ r 1010 t l~ i lu ,ml)e 1010

I l ~ ~ l r ~ , ; i i b c 101G Iiula,mlie IO l6

b1~lr~l l : l 07 12 k l i ~ r r l i i ~ 071 2 Mar111;i 0712

M a r l h ; ~ 072 l M a r l h n O i 2 l

W!l l ;~r i l 0609 w l l l a r ~ l 0609 ~ ~ 1 1 ~ 1 ~ 1 ofion Wl l l i l r l l OIjO>l W ~ l l a r r l (IiiO'J

Vv'~ll;~r~l iICi2l Wl l lar i l 062 l W j l l i i r ~ l 0621 LvlI1:lril of;? I

LV111;1rd 0 in: I Wlll;ir(l 0703

W ~ l l a r i l 07I:l

LV!ll;~r,l 0:JO:i

Wlll;1rrl i19i17 W ~ l l a r d OiiIlS

M a ~ y Larkin-; M r r c i r A. Young M l l l ~ e J o l u ~ ~ o n Nel.; A. Nr lso i i N r l s iJ1br.l-g O l r E r i c k s o ~ ~

Chr is t ian Lt lbahn Frank L ~ t b a l ~ n

Octavr Wi l ler t

Emi l E. Knlpger Er l ips l Mu l le r

Frat ik l l l i Yorks Malcolm Yorks Tliorrra> .J Y o r k i

C l~ l l i r r i l H. Cnnnntl El la Nelsori Mrs . El la iir.n(l~l-son Wm. C. f ie~lclerson

.Jolu~ Mul i luun Wm. (:ow;lrr

Stillurater City Directory, 1894-95

Laun(lresi B k l a t r o ~ i . Ci ty l l u s [ i ~ ra l R D o m r s l ~ c B Laborer B

Laburer B L;~ l~orer B

Laborer for F rank Berry B

Lahorrr . C. F[. Atwooi l B N o O c r u l ~ a r ~ o n Given R

l:ash~ixr M u w h y & Co. B Dressmake!. L S. 1:arlry B I>ressm;~ker. I. S. Carley H No O r r ~ ~ j ~ r l t i o l i GIVC~II R I l ress~naker B

N o Occu[~ar iou G~VPII R L,umI,erman R

t3nrber. Lumberme~l 's Exchange R

.Jolin Peterson & Co.. Marble Wks R

Ke rn & Co . Boors & Shoes N (:lerk. Ke rn & Co.. Doots & S l~oes B

S t i ! / u , n t e ~ . City Directory, 1894.95

E l~zab r rb Warner (Wlilow - .lolrn) R Wm. M'nrner. C a q ~ t ' ~ i t c r B

Uanlel .I M(:l<enz~e Clerk. Z~eg lc r Orus. R Wm. Noirnan N o O c c u l ~ s t ~ o ~ i i:tven B

John H Co-grovr Luzub~ rmnn R

James W . I<enl .Juhalula Kent Thumas I'. hlahe~.

.Ubert U ' ~ c k w e r ~ 1 1

R a r I ~ a m Cr iwd r r J o t u ~ M. Crpprler h l i s i C ' l ~ r ~ s r r l ~ a S ~ ~ t l e r

S;lmu!~I S. Seer.?

LumbQrmm (Widou . J a o ~ r s ) I ,umbrrrnn~~

Shoemaker. A Arnrl t

(Wlrlow - Jacol,) Clerk. O'Nral Rros. Cook

Lab i iwr

L u m l ~ c r m n i ~ 13 I2urn0erman I3 Lumberman B Dressmaker 11 Wurks Sirr (;. 11. A two i l ~ l R

L.rrn~llerma II I? l),,ruc~>l ,I. 9

Ta l lyman B !;i.nler R

H r n r y La 12urgQy I,umberrna~~ E Julin La Furjiey I .u rn l l~ rman R Mary J . Ln 1;rtrgcy (Wi<Iuw - i;itlc,i~n) I?

Anne E I'rt,araon Charleb N . N ~ I s u n George F NI'ICOII

Lnh~>ri.r [,ahorcr Warclunan Domestic Laborer Uulnestlc Laborer Ilomest rc LlurnrsLir Physlr ian Uumcsric Nu Occupatton Clvcn I.;illllrer L.nborer L.e,llc>r~~r

St i l lu~ater - City Directory, 1930-31

Church~U Churchd Churchill Churchill Churchill Churchdl Churchill

Greeley G1.eeley Greeley Greeley Creeley

Holcombe Holcombe Ilolcomhe fIolcdml~c 13olcombe Holcombe

GO?. 702 SOG I004 10 lo 1016

Aug. F. Duwe Wm. F. Niederer M r s Maly McCarthy Edw H. Schultz, genl fepr Emil F. BaLfanz Ernest C. Meyer Geo. H. Barker

Geo. Williams Herman Lampi Lois Tolen Joseph W. Mardaus Chas. A. Anderson

Horace Leach Theo Plaster Mrs. Octave A. Willett Mrs. Marguerite Burl is

Joseph GaravaLia Myron M. Ingberg blavcus J. U d y Edw I<. B'des Emll A. Bartkey Henry P. ~ c h u b e ' r t

Malion Yorks Otto F. Wohlers. expmn Nels P. Hansen

Lucy J Carley M'lu. F B e y u s Mrs. E b z McLeer Martin 0. Madson Otto A. Bieging Nancy Olsou Conrad S. Christopherson Wln I< Wieden Chas. Reems

T h e s e a d d r e s s e s a t l d n a m e s a r e t a k e n from t h e Po lk ' s S t i l l w a t e r 1930-1931 C i t y D i r e c t o r y

Abbott Abbott Abbott Abbott.

Anderson Andersor~ Anderson .-kiderson : b d e r s o n Anderso l~ Anderson . h d e r s o n Anderson Anderson Anderson Anderson Anderson .Anderson . . \nderso~~ r2ndersoll . b ~ d e r s o ~ l . h d e r s o n . b d e r s o u .4nderso1l h i d e r s o n

Chr~rchLU CliurchLU Churchill Cliul-chLU ChurchLU Churchill ChuvchLU Churchill C l l u r c M l C h u rcl1ill Cl1urctull C h u r c h ~ l l C tiurchdl Churchill C h u rchill

H o u s e -- N a m e No-

H o u s e i s o w n e d b y s o m e m e m b e r of the f a m i l y

715 F r a n k G. Kern 805 Louis J a ~ ~ d a x 9 15 Mrs. Emma C. Granquist x 915 Albert E . Ponath

Mrs. Erillly Behrens Mrs Helen BeidemIan Jeronle C r i n ~ n l i r ~ s H a n s K I lansoo Geo. C. Barker Mary Hegan Mrs. Emma D. Litfin klrs. Louisa Radurnz Vacant Mrs. Lillian Berglund Victor P. Bergeron Jeremiah J. M u w h y Louis Berquist E d w T. Sinnott Joseph L. Fish Cllns Schafer hlrs. A ~ i u a C. Durgland J a ~ n e s W. Kent Lakeview Merli. Hosp. Carl A. Raeder Car.ley. Gertrude, nurse

J o h n A. Frethickson h l i l t o ~ ~ J. Howard, contr J. E. Reaudet Gusta\,e A. h n d t Hugo \V. I h i e b e l L o u ~ s F hfeyer J e s s ~ e .\. Mulvey Jel.ern~;lh 0. Talley V ; ~ c a ~ i t RIrs 1,ouise f fanly \VII~. J. \ V a n e l Dan'l J. hIcIienzie Joseph ii. Powers Louis hI C a ~ t i e y RxIp11 ;\. Roettger

Apper~dix D

Churchill Churchill Churchill Churchdl Churchill Churchill Churchill Church111 Churchill Churchill Churchdl Churchill Churchill C,hurchiU Churchill

Greeley Greeley Greeley Greeley Greeley Greeley Crceley G r e ~ l c y G1.ecley Greeley Greeley

H a r ~ i e t H a r ~ i e t H a r ~ i e t H a r ~ i ~ t H a r t i r t I l a r ~ l c t

Holcolnbe Holcombe 1 Iolco~nbr Flolcombe 13olconlbe Holcumbr I~Iolconihu IIolcombe Holcoulbe

b l a r t h a h ln r tha RIalthil

\'Jill 31.d \ V ~ l l ~ ~ r d IVlllard \V~llnrtl

715 717 7 18 719 805 813 82 1 905 911 912 919 927 939 939 939

i 0 1 51 1 720 r.' 121 824 828 90G !)I I 928 928 1011

71G 812 90.1 92 1 92-1 9 TI

600 GO? 702 i O G 7 16 91G 100-1 1010 1016

716 - , ? I 722

Go9 6 I :3 62 1 '703

Wm. E. hIeier. contr Vlvlan E Clark hlelvin H . Nelson Jos. A. Powers Thos Maher . b t h Newmau Ralph A. Roeltger, pntr R e v Leonard A. Z ien~er Russell J. Ogren W m J. Richert J a s . J . Decker Mrs. hlarzt. D. Niederer Merlill F. I h a p p Uelina A. Bergelm, b s r n k l Donald J. Secrest

Mrs. Lillian WiUlarns : b t h W. Lampi Mrs. Lois Tole11 Wrn U. Lampi Gerhard P . Kaske John F. Thoreen Itoderick A. 1-a~vson Ch;is. 1'. Neu.lnal~ J a s . \V. Hans011 IlaroId H. Lange C ~ t y Ice Co

l b ~ u t e Cedarl,loom Stanley L. LnCosse Gerald V Ryan IValter A. Kutz Lawrence Ryan Herbert Riugbeinl

6:n11l Rulinc Jos. Garav.dia Mrs. (;l.ace hl. blcAl11irle Alice J . I<eUe) F r a r ~ k C. Garavaha Sill~otr C. Johnson :Uf D Asp I I . Bartkey hlrs. Eliz Schubert

I'iene J RIcDollald H ~ l e n I i . \Vohlers l louald Palmer

l \enneth ;\. Pete~s~l11 Jehu Elgethun F r s ~ ~ k T. Nolde Eda. l:t.e(l~lckson

T h e s e a d d r e s s e s and n a m e s a r e t a k e u b o r n t h e P o l k ' s 1954 S t i l l w a t e r C i t y D i r e c t o r y

Abbott Abbott Abbott Abbott Abhott

Anderson Andersoli Anderson Anderson Ar iderso~~ h d e r s o ~ i .&lderson h i d e r s o r ~ Anderson r h d e ~ s o n Anderson Anderson Anderson Anderson Anderson ib lde rso~l .hiderson .Andel-sou .hidcrson Anderson Anderson Anderson .\riderson Andersoli Anderson PLnderson

H o u s e Name H o u s e i s o w n e d No. -- by s o m e m e m b e r

of t h e family i 15 Mrs. Ida B. Zollner Y

805 Marcella R. J a n d a I

812 Harold F. LaBore x 9 15 Mrs. E l n ~ u a C. Granquis t x 9 15 Albert C. Ponath

Howard E. Palmer M a i s i n H. Simon Mrs. Helen G. Biedernmann Jerome C ~ l m m u l s Car l H . Mcyer Geo. C. Barker K a t h kI. Kegan Roy A. Dietz Donald G. Carlson Nicolas hI. Bashal-n Robt G. Noren Edw P. Yunker Ross N Die the l l I rene N . Bergeron. k s n ~ k Bcrt G. Ostner IJritz D. Ulllcll V a l e ~ i t i n c N. Radke Louis 3.1 S a l ~ i ~ o l - e Leo N. S ~ : t i r ~ ~ l l Anthony T. SchneU Walter J. Carl ing ALf I\[. Jar idla hlrs. h la ry .A. Kent Hospital N u ~ s e s Home Lakewew h l e m o l l d IIospital Chas. d . Sadck

Kny J. SIcGli~lch P a t \Vhi[e Grocery Jos . A. Rosell E u g ,J. P o r i ~ i ~ i \ ~ l l c l iugo \ V l i n ~ e b e l Ernes t C. h l ~ y e ~ Jessie A. kli~lvey Robt . J S t p ~ u b e l s c r .Arnold C . Alcorn Lois 0. 11:111Iey

WLLlard WiUard WLLlard Willard Willard Willard Willard Willard WiUard Willard

S l i l l u ~ a t e r City Directory,1954

Ernest E. Doe Earl W. Neske G. T. Flynrl Louis P. ZeuLi Kenneth H. Bieging John W. Peterson Helman F. Schmidt Arth. J. Anez Iiarl A. Plain Forrest A. Nutting

Minnesota Biomaphies, 166.5-1912. Collections of the &Iinnesota EIistorical Society, Volume XIV

Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1884, 1891, 1898, 1901, 1910, 1924.

St. Croix UIL~OIL [newspaper, Stillwater, Minnesota]

J. Montgomery Seaver. T h e e ) eenealow; a ~enea locv , hlstorv and k c t o r v ... of the Holcomh(e)s of the world ... .Anlerican Historical- genealogical Society, Philadelphia, Pa, 1925. Pages 136-138.

Sectional Map of the City of Stillwater, [1878]. There is a copy of this map hanging in the Washington County Recorder's Office.

Sixtv Million Acres; American Veterans and The Public Lands before the Civil War by James W. Oberly, Kent State University Press, 1990.

Stillwater City Dire-, 1876- 1964

Stillu'oter Daily G a z ~ t t e [newspaper, Stillwater, rCIln~~esota]

Stillwater Historic Contexts: A Comprehensive Planning Approach. Stillwater: Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission, July 1993

Stilll~later Cnrette [newspaper, Stillwater, Minnesota]

Stillu~ater L u ~ ~ ~ b e r . ~ r t a r ~ [newspaper, Stillwater, Minnesota]

Slillu~oter Messer~ger [newspaper, Stillwater, VIinnesota]

Stillwater Public Library Stillwater Building Permits [on microfilm]

Stillwater Public Library. St. Croix Collection.

Stillwater Reflections and 1,incoln School Davs:Mernories of Crrou~inv Up in Stillwater. Jerorne Larson. Unpublished manuscript, 1992?

Llnited States. Census of h I i n n e a a Territory. W a s h ~ i s o n County Stillwater.

Lfnited States. Census of 1860. 1870, 1884, Wasllington County: Stillwater:

Washington County Probate Court Files.

152

Birds Eye Views of Stdlwater, 18'70 and 1879. Drawn by Albert Ruger. Originals in the Washington County Historical Society, Warden's House Museum, and the Minnesota Historical Society. Reprints available from Elnpson Archives, P.O. Box 791, Stillwater, MN 5.5082.

Paul Caplazi. Unpublished manuscript, April, 1944

The Charter and Ordinances of the Citv of Stillwater. Compiled by C. I?. Gregory, City Attorney. Stillwater, Lumberman Steam Printing Co, 1881

Fifty Years in the Northwest, by W. H. C. Folsom. Pioneer Press Company, 1888.

History of the Greeley Residential Area, Stillwater, Minnesota by Donald Empsorl, Empson Archives, 1997.

The History of Oakdale Township, Vol 1, Oakdale Lake Elmo Historical Society, 1996.

History of the S t . Croix Valley, edited by Augustus B. Easton. Chicago, H.C Cooper J r . & Co., 1909.

History of S t . Louis City and County, includinr Liioeraphical Sketches of liepresentative Men, by J. Thomas Scharf. Philadelphia, Louis H. Everts & Co. 1883.

History of the White Pine Industry in Minnesota by Agnes M. Larson, University of Minnesota Press, 1949.

I-Iistory of Washngtorl County and The St. Croix Valley, North S ta r Publishing Company, hIinneapolis, 1881.

In nnemorianl: serlrlon on the death of Hon. Wnl. I-Iolcornbe, delivered in the Second Presb~ter ia r l Church, Stillwater, Minn., Sept. 25"', 1870 by Rev. James Cochran. Stillwater, Minn: printed a t the office of the Messenger, 1870.

The Peoples's Health; A hs torv of public health ill hIinnesota. Phillip D Jordan, Minnesota Historical Society, 1953. Pages 436-440.

Washington County Recorder's Ofice: Books of Deeds, Books of Mortgages, Books of Bonds, Books of Plats.

Washington County Tax Assessor's records for 1861-1900. Minnesota State Archives. Microtilm copies can be found a t the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Stillwater Public Library.

T h e following are my recommendations for Holcombe's Adhtion. They are based on the assumption it is desirable to maintain and promote the hlstoric character of this neighborhood. I t is my belief that the long term prosperity and value of Holcombe's Additions and Stillwater's other older neighborhoods lies in preserving their old fashioned character. This is what hstinguishes Stillwater from the myriad of other suburban developments surrounding the Twin Cities, and makes Stillwater a unique place to live.

L o r SEE REQUIREMENTS

Holcombe's Addition is physically different from niany other older Stillwater neighborhoods. Because it was settled early - - in the 1850's and '60's;- when lots were relatively inexpensive, most of the older homes in IIolcorube's had "estates" of two and three lots which resulted in a n open spacious neighborhood appearance.

By the 18803s, when other parts of old Stillwater were built, the price of lots was relatively expensive and homes were often built on a single lot, or even a half lot.

During the building boom after the World War 11, many of the empty lots in Stillwater and in Holcombe's Adhtions were built upon, and today we often see blocks in w h c h two 100-year old houses may be separated by one or two 1950's Ramblers. However, unlike other parts of old Stillwater where the housing density is h g h e r and many of the previously empty lots have been built upon, there are still a surprising number of vacant, buildable lots in Holcombe's Addition.

As the pressure to build within Stillwater continues, these empty lots will become a greater and greater source of temptation to developers and real estate speculators. Under the present city orhnances, any half lot of 7,500 square feet is a buildable lot.

If present trends continue, more and more of these now-vacant lots will be built upon. It is quite possible that in 20-30 years, the density of Holcombe's Addition could double from 122 klouses to 250 houses.

Because there are presently I design bui lhng restrictio~is in Stillwater residential rieighbortloods, these new houses will not only increase

the density of the area - t h u s destroying some of its appeal - they wdl also add further to the architectural jumble, and obliterate what h i~ to r i c streetscape remains today. Because no one b ~ u l d s small houses any more, (and the city has no design guidelines for blending into a neighborhood) these newer houses of 2,000-4,000 square feet will overwhelm the small 7,500 square foot huildmg lots, and destroy the scale of the streetscape that is one basis, albeit subtle, of Stillwater's attraction. Spacious yards and open spaces are a characteristic of 19th Century neighborhoods.

I recommend the City of Stillwater change the minimum buildable lot size from 7,500 square feet t o a minimum of 10,000 square feet. I also recommend the City explore t h e possibility of design guidelines for t h e older pa r t s of Stillwater including Holcombe's Additions.

O v e r the years, Lakeview Hospital has acqui

r

ed and demolished several older hoines in the expailsioil of its facility. If present demographic and health care trends continue, the liklihood of Lakeview Hospital or other health-related construction expanding further into the residential neighborhood is almost a certainty. I t is unlikely such constructio~l would expand west across S. Greeky Street because of the h g h cost of acquiring real estate on Lily Lake. Expansion to the north is not possible because of Washngton Park. Extension to the south is not possible because of Rrick Pond and its wetlands. Therefore, any enlargement will alnlost certaii~ly take place into the residential area to the east, along the course of West Churchill and West Anderson Streets.

When, in t he course of their expansion, Lakeview.Hospital acquires t h e older homes of t h e neighborhood, I would urge them t o work with t he neighborhood t o make the houses available for moving, perhaps even providing financial assistance as, for example, United Hospitals in St. P a u l has done.

I n this survey, a s in previous surveys, I have tried to identify homes that are significant or unique; homes that are typical of a long forgotten time; or homes that are particularly representative of Stdlwater. But these surveys of mine are soon forgotten, and the significance I have ascribed to a particular d w e h n g may be forgotten a s soon a s the next owner. I urge the City of Stillwater and the Heritage Preservation Committee to initiate a process of designating and marking the historically sigmficant houses in Stillwater. This will have the benefit of apprising the present owner that his home has value as a city landmark, and it will enable those interested in the history of the city to find the historical homes.

T h e Ci ty of S t i l lwa te r shou ld in i t ia te i t s o w n h i s to r i c des igna t ion for houses t h r o u g h o u t t h e c i ty t h a t a r e a s ignif icant p a r t of St i l lwater 's his tory.

Ravines are characteristic of Stillwater, with its many h l l s eroded into mini tributaries of the St. Croix River. Ravines are unique spaces in the city. 'They have thelr own flora and fauna. They have served through the years a s roads, walking paths, gardens, play areas, and treasured wild hfe preserves. Some are public, some are private.

The northeastern portion of Holcombe's Addition is dissected by. a ravine. I t runs diagonally Com West Churchill Street west of South Everett Street on a diagonal course northeast to just south of West Willard Street on South Holcombe Street From there it continues to the northeasi, forming the roadway for West Willard Street for a block or two, before it fades away.

This ravine, and the others in Stillwater, form a n iluportant part of the 19th Century landscape.

I n o r d e r t o p rese rve t h i s rav ine , t h e City of S t i l lwater shou ld never v a c a t e West Abbo t t S t r e e t be tween S o u t h Holcombe S t r e e t a n d S o u t I ~ H a r r i e t S t r ee t .

-. - -- A I

Abboll Sl named. l i

Abbatl Sl 601 W .79 AhbatlSt 602 W.61 Abbun St. 709 W .76 AbbonSl 715 W - 7 6 Abbot1 Sl. 805 W.. 73 Abbon St 805 W -73 A b b o u S ~ 812W.68 Abbo l lS~ 819W;74 Abbou SI 90; \V . 71 Abbolt SI. '915 \\'. 72 Ahboll Sl '916 W 70 Abboll Sl '122 W l I0 Abbon Sl 928 W. 110. I25 Abbo11S1 1006 W. 113 AbbbalSl. 1017 W. 113 Abboll Sl 103 I W. I l j Ahbou. blillon. 79

bu~lds house I9 Abbun. Milton H & hfan 1 . I4 A l p l r Frencls 8X Alcum. Ar~lold C , 1-17 Ajnsricnn Exliress Con,liao\. 58 Andcison SI.

n m c d . ? ? Anderson Sl 60 I W . 105 Andcr~oi, S I GO6 W 85 Aodersan Sl 612 W. 83 .\ndcrsi?n 51 619 W . 106 41ldcrson SI 705 W . 101 Andcrsori SI 706 W 89. 90 Anderson Sl 7 1 I W . 104 Anderson Sl 7 12 \1' . 90 Andcrsotl SI 722 \V . ' I 0 r2ndcrso11 S i 723 \\ '. 1114 Andcrson SI 803 \ V 99 Andcrson Sl 804 \V . 0-1 Andcrson SL R I G \V ,'I4 Anderson SI X I I \V . '7'1 ~\ndcr,t,,, SI 812-XI4 94 I S 8 I 1' 09 ndcrson SI 8 19 W . 90 A11dcrso11 S l 823 \V, 100 Anderson SI 00 1 \V. 97 Ar~dcrsoil SI L)07 W 97 indcr5un Sl 'I 10 W J I , 96 Andcrmn 51 '9 I3 W 97. 125 !'\rldt.rion 51 9 I 6 \V. 125 n d e r , o n 51 '927 \C. 115 ;bidcrst~n S l '928 \ V l ? J ,\ndzrsi,i, 51 I W. 127. 134 ndcrs~un SI 1 2 4 W. 114 Andcrstm Xobirsjs 22 ,411dcrsoo. Cl~arlcs. I lcl b d c r s ~ i l l Chnrlss A . 1-13 1-16

h e r . Arlhur J . 149 ,%rchileclwc

Craltsm,ul. 95. 99 Easllahe St~ck, 73 Greek Revival, 14, 77. 88, 89. 91 Ilal~una~e; 65; 80: 8 1, 101 Queen Anne, 70

i\mistron:. David & Lucinda. 58 Amdl. A l b e n I44 Amdt, Gustaye A ; 145 Asp, Alfied D . 148 Ayers. Edwwd, 88 A y I x b Carle~on. I42

Bades. Edward K., 146 Baler; Esline. 143 Ballanr. Emil F.. I46 Barclay, Robert, 123 Barker, George C.. 145. 147 Barker. George H.. I46 B ~ k l e v : Roben. 95 Barron. James. Edsrard M. Elizsbeh. Frank 74, I42 B'uron. hchu id & Ellrabeth. I24 B a g . J.mles & Margaret, 10 1, I 4 I BanLe!; Eml A . 146. 148 Bankeys. 42 baseball diamond. 4 1 Bnsl~ara. Nicl~olas M., 147 Basslord. Edjcard P . 133 Ballles. Emily & Gcorge W: 84; 105. 142 Bcan. Jacob. 60 Bcaudcl. J E , 145 Becher, James J.. I48 Bcecher. G u s t a w . 25.67 Bcccher; h l q ; 24. 5'9 Bchrcns, Dons; 85 Bcbcns, Mrs. Emily. 1-15 Beidcman, Mrs Hclcn. 145 Bergcron. Dcllna A . 148 Bergcron. Lrenc, 147 Bcrgcron. Vlctor P ; 99. 142. 145 . Berglund. M r s Lillian. I45 Bcrglund. Svcn; 83, 93. 133 Bcrquisl. Lous, I J j Beyers. LL'~lli'mi F : 146 Bichlard. Mwquis L &Mar\.; 74 Biedcm~'m, Mrs Helen G.. 147 Bieging family, 69 Blcgng. Em~l ; 73. 93; 109. 127. 133 Biemne. Ke~meth t i . 149 Bic&?ng. Ono 0 . 146 Biegug. W I I I I ~ I ~ 6'1 Black. Mahlon. 10. 1-1. 63

Index

Eartl&e Slick, 73 Greek Revival, 14, 77, 88, 8 9 , 9 1 [tal~annlc, 65, 80, 81, 101 Queen .hie, 70

Arnisliong, David & Lucinda, 58 Amdt, Alberl, 144 Amdl, Gustave A , 145 Asp,Alfied D, 148 Ayers, Edwad, 88 Ayla~d, Carleton, I42

8 -- T7

Bailes, Edwacd K., 146 Baker, Esl~ne. 143 Balfa,~r, Enul F , 146 Barclay, Robert, 123 Ba~ker, George C , 145, 147 Barkel, George H , 146 Dnrkley. Roberl, 95 Banon, J'mes, Edaard M, Elizabelh, Frank. 74, 142 Bnirot~, &chard & Elirabzih, 124 Bary . Janer & Milrgalct, 101, 141 Ballkey, Elrul A . 146, 148 Bxtkeys, 42 baseball dmuond. 41 Bashxa, Nicholas M , 147 Ddssford, Bdwnl d P , 133 BntUes, Emly & George W, 84, 105, 142 Bcil~i. Jacob, 60 BenudeL, J E , I4 5 Beckel, Janes J , I48 Beecher, G u r ~ a w s , 23, 67 Beechcr, Mary, 24, 39 Behreos, Doris, 85 Beluens, klrs Enuly, 143 Be~dermal, Mrs Helen, 145 Bergerao, Delma A , 148 Bergero~r, Lreue, 147 Bergeron, V~elor P , 9 9 , 142, 145 Berglur~d. Mrs Ltlhan, 145 Beiglund, Sven, 83.93, i l l Bcrqwst, Lows, l 4 j Beyris, \ V I ~ . W I F., 146 Bickford, Marquis L & Mary, 7.4 Biede~i~iam, bks. Helen G., 147 B~eguig iandy, 69 Blegu~p, Enul, 73, 93, 109, 127, 133 Biegu~g, Ketuslh H . I49 Bieyu~g, Orto 0 , 146 Bieging, Wllliarq 69 Blnck, Malrlon. 10. 14. 63 Bloch I, 57 Block 2 .63 Block 3 , 6 7

Block 4 , 6 9 Block 5. 71 Block 6. 73 Block 7, 75 Block 8 ,79 Block 9. 83 Block 10, 87 Block l I . 93 Block 12,95 Block 13.97 Block 14,99 Block 15. I01 Block 16, 105 Bloc!( 17, 109 Block 18, I I I Block 19, 1 15 Block 20, 1 17 Block 21, I21 Block 22, I23 Block 23. I25 Biassau, George, 99 Bremai. J a i ~ e s A. 142 Brick Pond, 41 Brooson, Edgerton & R o x m e , 113 Rrosious, Joseph, 1 Brolherton. Charles A, Francis R, J o h A, Lucy J,

Wlllinm. 143 B r o m , John & A m , 89, 99 Buck, Aruta, I Buel. WiUiant, 23 Bwgland, M r s . Anna C., 145 BurMeo, Samuel, 10 Burris, Mrs Marguerite, 146 Buller, Robert L., I41

Cald\vell El~za & Job, C., 71 Cal~fonua Fntil Store, 94 Calmon, CliCiord H , 144 Canlwell, M q , 15 C.u!ey, Belle, Etta, Hclen, Iarnes F, Lucy S, 144 Cxley, Gertrude, 145 Carlzy, Jan~es & 57 Culey. LLLCY J , 146 Ca l l & Sciiuleobuug, 60 Cxli & Szhulenburg's Addition, 17 Cxlron, Donald G , 147 Culy . James, I9 Cuney, Loills hl , 145 Casperson. Scna, 143 Cassey, Thomas, 104 Cales, Elsie, I Culubloom, Knole, 148 Clie~i~ie, Jul~an A , 84 Cb~istophzrson, Corvad S., 146 Chwch 01 Flrst Clvlsr Sctenust , 74 Ch~uch l l SI.

1ta,ied, 22