Bounded by Fourth and Jackson streets on the south and east, and St. Peter and Eighth streets on the west and north, with extensions on West and East Seventh. If we are near to Robert street, we will do well to start from the corner of Fifth, on Robert. where we find with in two blocks, boots and shoes, clothing. dry goods,- hardware, and jewelry, also nearly all the railroad ticket ofiices. At the corner of Sixth and Robert, the oldest clothing house. the Boston One Price Clothing House. Opposite the Ryan Hotel is the Mannheimer store, one of the oldest dry goods houses, a store fully equal in extent to some of the best houses in New York or Philadelphia, well known throughout the state for its fair dealing. Adjoining the Ryan, cornering on Seventh street, is the Palace Clothing House.
On the opposite corner on Seventh, the Plymouth Clothing House, and then across Robert on Seventh, one of the successful stores of Browning. King & Co. The other corner is the home of one of our leading drug stores. Continuing west on Seventh street, on the north side we note the Golden Rule Department store. It occupies the whole of a large block except four or five stores on either side on Seventh. Going inside, you will recognize at once its great popularity, and the magnitude of its business.
Between Minnesota and Wabasha streets several businesses are represented. On Wabasha street, after noticing the large clothing house of George E. Lennon, and passing the grocery store of Michaud Bros., we have before us the depart ment store of Sehuneman & Evans, and two blocks further down Wabasha street is the old dry goods house of Field, Schlick & Co., with entrances on Wabasha, Fourth, St. Peter and Fifth.
There is one satisfaction about these large stores, you are at perfect liberty to wander through them without being importuned to buy. We will, therefore. pass through this store to the Fifth street exit, and turning to the left across St. Peter street is the old Windsor hotel changed into a vaudeville show house, and on the opposite corner, the Orpheum playhouse. Passing on up St. Peter. at the corner of Sixth is the Grand Opera House; also the English Catholic Cathedral, which is to be superseded by the new Cathedral now being erected on Summit and Dayton avenues. The new post ofiice building further up on Sixth street still lacks a tower on the Sixth street side, -which will shortly be completed. Going east on Sixth street you will notice an array of electric lights, which make the entire street nearly as light as day.
It was through the energy of the Sixth street merchants that these grand illuminations were first started and now we have most of Seventh street, Robert street from Fourth to Eighth and Jackson street and a portion of Third street, near the Union Depot, added to the illuminated district. An evening visit to these streets should not be omitted. The three blocks on Sixth from Wabasha to the Ryan Hotel on Robert street, are lined on both sides with first class retail stores, and having thus circled the business squares we are back to the starting point, with a fair conception of the retail shopping district.
-Picturesque Saint Paul: Unrivaled for Beauty and Situation
by an Old Settler
Ramaley Printing Company, 1907
