The Growth and Decline of the 1890 Plat of St. Louis
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2/3/2017 The Growth and Decline of the 1890 Plat of St. Louis: Surveying and Community Development Northern Pacific Ry‐Lake Superior Division The SW corner of Section 22 T.48N. R.15W. Monument found in field work summer 2007 Looking East on the St. Louis River toward Oliver Bridge from the old Duluth Lumber dock. Our survey project ran between the St. Louis River to the abandoned Northern Pacific RR. 1 2/3/2017 The Plat of St. Louis project area was west of the Village of Oliver and South of Bear Island. Bear Island is also called Clough Island & Whiteside Island. Village of Oliver platted in 1910. Current aerial view of the Twin Ports. 1898 Map: The Twin Ports was rapidly growing by 1890. 2 2/3/2017 Early points of development in the Twin Ports Duluth and St. Louis County Superior and Douglas County • 1856‐Duluth first platted • 1854‐Superior first platted • 1861‐Civil War • 1861‐Civil War • 1870‐L.S.&M RR Duluth‐St. Paul • 1869‐Stone Quarry Fond du lac • 1871‐Construction of Ship Canal • 1871‐Duluth Canal slows economy • 1872‐Fond du lac Stone Quarries • 1878‐Grain Elevators Connors Point • 1873‐Financial crash on economy • 1881‐NPRR to Superior from NP Jct. • 1880‐Duluth Grain Elevators‐GM • 1882‐Superior Roller Flour Mills • 1886‐CMO RR to Duluth • 1882‐NPRR Lake Superior Division • 1885‐NPRR Bridge across River • 1884‐CMO RR to Superior‐Chicago • 1889‐Duluth Imperial Flour Mill • 1885‐NPRR Bridge across River • 1890‐Superior Land Improvement Co. • 1886‐Grassy Point Bridge x Depots • 1890‐Duluth Population 33,000 • 1887‐Land&River Improvement Co • 1891‐D.M.&N. RR ore to Duluth. • 1890‐Superior Population 12,000 • 1893‐Financial crash slows economy • 1892‐D. & W. RR ore to Allouez Docks • 1894‐32 Sawmills in the Twin Ports • 1893‐Financial crash hard on economy 1895 Era: The Railroad and Seaway served local and remote commerce across the Country in the Twin Ports. The U.S. War Department & Corps of Engineers worked with the local community 1890 War Department Report for Cities & Grand Marais, Two Harbors, Duluth, MN Towns developing around Lake Superior. Superior, Ashland, WI Ontonagon, MI 3 2/3/2017 Federal support was provided to develop the Lake Superior Harbor & St. Louis River 1890 Report: COE expenditures for 1890 Report: Shipping Receipts of Flour, Harbor Improvement 1871‐1890 Grain, Coal, Etc. in the Twin Ports. The 1885 NP RR Draw Bridge across St. Louis River: Land Companies invested in developing the Twin Ports. Letters to Col. Poe, COE expressing St. Louis Land Company & Duluth Land Company interests. The St. Louis Land Company for The New Duluth Land Company for the Wisconsin side of the St. Louis River Minnesota side of the St. Louis River 4 2/3/2017 St. Louis Land Company letter presents holdings and future plans for Twin Ports. Major Quinn letter stating current and potential development along the St. Louis River The USGS Map of project area between St. Louis River and the Great Northern RR 5 2/3/2017 1891 City of Superior, Douglas County, WI & Vicinity Map Some history on access to the Duluth & Superior Area and the St. Louis Land Company property on the St. Louis River. • 1855 Federal Grant: Military Road‐Point Douglas to Superior Military Road • 1856 Land Grant from State of Wisconsin for Superior and State Line RR • 1864 Land Grant for the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad • 1870 Cooke’s Lake Superior and Mississippi RR to Duluth, Minnesota • 1872 Local work from Superior to connect with the NPRR junction • 1877 St. Paul and Duluth RR absorbed the default Cooke L.S. & M. RR • 1881 Northern Pacific RR from Superior Union Depot to the Carlton NPRR junction • 1885 Lake Superior Terminal and Transfer Railway along river from Union Depot. • 1885 NPRR Bridge connecting West Superior and Rice’s Point in Duluth. • 1887 NPRR Bridge‐Grassy Point connected West Superior to W. Duluth Jct. • 1888 Musser‐Sauntry Logging, Manufacturing, et al law suit concerning ROW in Section 15 • 1890 St. Louis Land Company incorporated in State of Minnesota • 1890 St. Louis Land Company letter: Name of on site RR as Duluth & Southern • {1890 Duluth Engineering field notes label St. Louis Track‐L.S.T.&T Ry} • {1891 NPRR (partial funds) Wallbridge to Pokegama abandoned 1903} • 1891 Duluth Lumber Co. acquires and operates existing Duluth & Southern RR in St. Louis The Plat: FIRST DIVISION OF ST. LOUIS was the first plat in a series of plats in 1891 by the St. Louis Land Company. 6 2/3/2017 There were a number of area Plats surveyed in 1891 with reference to the location of ST. LOUIS. • The plats: • SECOND DIVISION OF ST. LOUIS. • WALLBRIDGE ADDITION TO ST. LOUIS. • RIVERSIDE ADDITION TO ST. LOUIS. • FIRST ADDITION TO ST. LOUIS. Expanding growth & development surrounding the Cities of Superior & Duluth along the St. Louis River. What business’s were trying to get established? • The Duluth Lumber Company: Logging, Milling, Railroad, Booming, • The St. Louis Manufacturing: Millwork, Doors, Sashwork, etc. • The Hicks Lock Manufacturing Co.: Locks and Door Hardware, Tools, etc. • The Gemlo Corporation: Boilers, Iron Works, Tools, Fabrication, etc. • Mather’s Steam Brickyard • Mallory’s Sawmill • Duluth Flour Milling • St. Louis Hotel Real Estate Maps and Land Companies promoted the local businesses and community of St. Louis Cover Page of Roe’s Atlas St. Louis in Roe’s Atlas in Superior 7 2/3/2017 Roes 1891 Real Estate Map for Superior. 2 Lots for $600 North Part of St. Louis on 1891 Roe’s Atlas Map Ruins of the St. Louis Company Slip and Flour Mill. 8 2/3/2017 The 1892 Sanborn Fire Map for St. Louis showing the Lock Factory, Brickyard, Sawmill near the St. Louis River Corporations and Manufacturers investing with local enterprises in St. Louis in the Town of Superior The Duluth Lumber Company The Hicks Lock Manufacturing Company 9 2/3/2017 Building Foundation remains of the St. Louis Hotel and the Hicks Lock Manufacturing Building in St. Louis. The St. Louis Land Company contracted with the Duluth Engineering Company for Survey Work. • In 2007 I did not know of the 1890 Duluth Engineering Surveys and worked with records only from the Douglas County Surveyors and Northern Pacific RR maps. • In 2015 in a property survey in Riverside Addition to St. Louis I looked at records in the St. Louis County Surveyor’s Office and found Duluth Engineering and DM&IR Records for plats in the Village of Oliver. • A 6”sq. Red Sandstone Monument set at the E¼ Corner of Section 14 in 1890 Flanigan & Snow survey of RIVERSIDE ADDITION TO ST. LOUIS. The General Land Office 1860 Plat for T. 48 N. R. 15 W. 10 2/3/2017 Project Sections of the G.L.O. Survey for T. 48 N. R. 15 W. • Township Survey on the West and East Lines by Geo. Stuntz during October, 1853 & June, 1853. • Township Survey on the South Line by A. Stuntz during August, 1856. • Township Subdivision Survey contract on June 30, 1860 and surveyed during November and December, 1860 by U.S. Deputy Surveyor William Daugherty under contract with Warner Lewis, Surveyor General. The St. Louis Land Company contracted in 1890 with Patton & Frank, Engineers‐Surveyors of Duluth. Patton and Frank provided survey crews for Civil, Section Retracement, Subdivision, Topographic Surveys. • Mr. Patton was listed as Manager of the Land Company Camp in Field Book Notes. • There were 3 Main Survey Crews in Notes: • Initial Survey Crew in Survey Notes was Smith, Webster, McClean, Lundgren, Ducharme and Malony‐Company men. • Majority of Survey Work by Crew of Heyse, McClean, Dillenback, Lundgren, and Clark. • Two other Survey Crews were McManus, Humphrey, McPherson, Ekblad and the crew of Silliman, Cook, Clark and Hank. • The Crews covered any survey work assigned: subdivision, topographic, etc. 11 2/3/2017 Sections 14, 15, 22, & 23 were the focus of Survey work for St. Louis Land Company and began on June 6, 1890. • Mr. Smith, crew chief and party of Webster, McClean, Lundgren began the survey for the St. Louis Land Company on June 6, 1890 at the W¼ Corner of Section 14 and state that 2 BT’s standing. Field Book 30, pp. 1‐5. • They ran a random line east to a hub set at station 53+65.08 near the E¼ corner of Section 14. The random hub was 81.40’ north of the corner. • They found a red sandstone and 2 BT’s down for the corner monument. The Section Line and Subdivision Surveys were station hubs along random lines with corrections to true line. F.B.30,p23 Paul Heyse, crew chief continued Smith’s work on the west line of Section 14 on June 30, 1890. F.B.30, p 25. 12 2/3/2017 Although the field notes seem simple to interpret; the field survey work to locate corners generally took a few trips. • Having good Corners to begin from is important when retracing survey lines. • Reducing the random line distance to true line is shown in the field notes. • Most of the 1890 Section Corners referenced GLO BT’s‐generally described down, stumped off, rotted, and burned. • Only a few corners had Post & Green BT’s. • Stone Monuments were set to replace the Wood Post corners set from GLO ties. • Even with 1890 Survey Notes; Stone Monuments were difficult to find, but better than Wood Posts that rot quickly. Timeline of Indexed Notes of Field Books 30‐34 The Corner Monuments outlast the Corner Ties 1890 FB33 Sandstone Monuments Set Index.