Ramsey County History – Spring 2004: “‘High and Dry on a Sandstone Cliff:’ St. Paul and the Year of the Chicago and Rock Island’s Great Railroad Excursion”

‘High and Dry on a Sandstone Cliff:’ St. Paul and the Year of the Chicago and Rock Island’s Great Railroad Excursion
Author: Steve Trimble

This article examines what St. Paul looked like in 1854 when the Great Railroad Excursion came to the city. St. Paul was part of the urban frontier experience in America, a sometimes overlooked part of our history. Based on contemporary sources, it appears that the important issues in 1854 were very similar to modern problems. Crime led to public safety measures. Support of religion led to the construction of churches. The economy was booming, and the number and variety of businesses led to a chronic labor shortage. As is the case today, the population was very diverse with several ethnic “island communities.” Cholera fears led to a concern for public health, and a hospital was built. The Excursion was a celebration of the railroad reaching the Mississippi River, and the Eastern visitors were feted in St. Paul. The article concludes with the execution of a Dakota man, U-Ha-zy, and public reactions to St. Paul’s first public hanging.
PDF of Trimble article