The Stillwater Water Company was organized April 15, 1880, with a capital stock of $100,000, and commenced at once the work of improvement. This company has never yet declared a dividend, having applied all its surplus earnings upon improvements. They have now 8 1/2 miles of water mains, 88 hydrants and about 260 taps. The water supply is obtained from Lake McKusick, which is supplied from Brown's creek. The lake is 155 feet above the business portion of the city and is about a mile distant from the same. The water is pumped into a reservoir on the highest spot of ground in the city, which is 110 feet above the lake. The system is similar to that of St. Paul, the city being supplied in part by gravitation, and in part by direct pressure.

The elevation of the reservoir results in a saving to the city in the matter of fire engines, etc. Any fire in the business part of the city can be extinguished with the use of hose alone. One fire engine answers the purposes of the city. The first board of officers were: President, Edward Durant; vice president, R. F. Hersey; secretary and treasurer, H. W. Cannon.

FIRE DEPARTMENT.

Futile efforts had been made as early as 1859 for the organization of a fire department. In 1872 a fire company of sixty was organized and an engine worth $7,500 was purchased. The first officers of the company were: Chief engineer, David Bronson; first a.s.sistant, B. G.

Merry; second a.s.sistant, H. P. West; engineer, C. C. Johnson; secretary; N. T. Lee; treasurer, Fayette Marsh.

THE ST. CROIX HOOK AND LADDER COMPANY

Was organized in 1872, by the election of the following officers: Foreman, Charles McMillan; a.s.sistant, D. B. Loomis; secretary and treasurer, A. K. Doe. The company has received awards of honor for meritorious performance of duty.

STILLWATER GASLIGHT COMPANY.

This company was organized May 12, 1874, with a capital stock of $25,000 and the exclusive right to the sale and manufacture of gas for a period of forty years. Their buildings are located on Third street.

The first officers were: President, Isaac Staples; manager, H. W.

Cannon; board of directors, John McKusick, D. M. Sabin, Isaac Staples, David Bronson, L. E. Torinus, H. W. Cannon, C. H. Nash.

TELEGRAPH OFFICE.

In 1863 a telegraph office was located in Stillwater by a A. C. Lull, and a line extended to St. Paul. The office is on Main street between Chestnut and Myrtle.

THE NATIONAL BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY

Established a line from Stillwater to St. Paul in January, 1880. It has a branch to Marine.

UNION ELEVATOR COMPANY

Built an elevator near the Stillwater & White Bear depot in 1870-71.

It has a capacity of 300,000 bushels. The officers are: President, Louis Huspes; secretary and treasurer, H. W. Cannon.

EXPRESS COMPANIES.

The first office was established by the Northwestern Express Company, in 1855; Short, Proctor & Co. were agents. This company was succeeded in 1858 by the American, and in 1869 the United States also established an office here.

THE STILLWATER BRIDGE.

A charter was obtained from the legislature in 1875 to build a bridge across Lake St. Croix, from Stillwater to Houlton. The bridge was completed the ensuing year at a cost of $24,000. It is 1,500 feet long, and is furnished with a pontoon draw 300 feet in length, operated by an engine.

LUMBERING INTERESTS.

Stillwater is the metropolis of the lumbering interests of the St.

Croix valley, and is indebted to them chiefly for its welfare. These are considered separately in other parts of this history. The local interests are centred chiefly in mills and manufactories, of themselves an important element in the prosperity of the city. The princ.i.p.al proprietors of the saw mills since the first settlement of Stillwater have been McKusick & Co., Sawyer & Heaton, McHale. & Co., Schulenberg & Co., Hersey, Staples & Co., Hersey, Bean & Brown, Isaac Staples, Seymour, Sabin & Co., Herschey Lumbering Company and Turnbull Lumbering Company.

FLOURING MILLS.

In 1872 J. H. Townshend and W. F. Cahill erected a flouring mill on Third street. It was run by water brought from McKusick creek, the motive power being an overshot wheel forty-five feet in diameter. In 1880 D. M. Sabin became interested in the firm. The capacity of the mill was increased from fifty to three hundred barrels per day. A Corliss engine and other improvements were added, and the mill was run on the Hungarian roller system. The firm name was changed to Townshend & Co.

The St. Croix flouring mill was built in 1877, on Upper Main street, near the lake, by Isaac Staples. Its dimensions were 40 50 feet. Its capacity was two hundred and fifty barrels per day. It was removed to make way for the buildings of the Car Company.

The Stillwater Flour Mill Company was organized under state laws in 1878, and mills were erected on the lower levee, 50 70 feet, ground plan, and five stories high. These mills were run on the Hungarian roller system. The cost was $100,000. Their capacity is four hundred barrels per day. The motive power is a Corliss engine of one hundred and seventy-five horse power. The princ.i.p.al owners are R. F. Hersey, Smith Ellison, D. M. Sabin and L. Hospes.

MANUFACTORIES.

Swain's machine shop, D. M. Swain, proprietor, was established in 1873, on Third street between Myrtle and Chestnut. Geo. Swain established a foundry on Third street in 1874. His manufactures consist chiefly of engines, mill machinery and farm utensils. The St.

Croix Iron Works, Door, Sash and Blind Factory, established originally as a machine shop in 1865, on the river bank, near the Chicago & Omaha round house, has been owned by various parties. A foundry was added in 1874, and in 1878 Isaac Staples added a sash and blind factory.

CARRIAGE MANUFACTORIES.

Richard Daw established the Novelty Carriage Works in 1875, one door east of the Sawyer House.

D. J. Sullivan established the Stillwater Carriage Works in 1878, one door east of the Sawyer House, but afterward removed to a better location on Second street.

Wm. Miller erected the Pioneer Carriage Manufactory in 1866, on Main street.

Albert Saeker in 1872 established a wagon shop on Second street between Myrtle and Chestnut.

Frederick Steinacker commenced the manufacture of brick in 1859, in a yard located in Ramsey & Carter's addition, but afterward removed to the lower end of Sunfish lake.

It is claimed that Herman Tepa.s.s' brewery is the outgrowth of the first in the county, if not in the State, a still having been located at the corner of Third and Chestnut streets in 1851. The present site is on Lower Main street. Joseph Wolff's brewery is located on the corner of Main and Nelson streets, and was established in 1868.

Heitman & Becker established a bakery in 1879. Messrs. Muller Brothers established a boat factory in 1873. A vinegar factory was commenced by Ciopac & Tuor in 1875, and is continued by the latter. Of the several livery stables in Stillwater the first was established by C. A.

Bromley in 1853.

The Stillwater Building a.s.sociation, organized under the laws of the State, March 23, 1887, has done much for the prosperity of the city, affording as it does to persons of limited capital an opportunity of building suitable homes and business houses. Private enterprise has done much in the erection of substantial blocks for business purposes.

Henry Sawyer, in 1856, built the first stone block in the city. It is located on Main street. Other fine blocks were built by McComb, Eldridge, Bernheimer, Elam Greely, Wm. Holcombe, Schlenk, L. E.

Torinus, Hersey & Staples, McKusick, and others. Many of these blocks are fireproof and built of stone, and are fine specimens of architecture, convenient and commodious.

CHURCH SOCIETIES AND BUILDINGS.

Stillwater has sixteen church organizations and fifteen buildings, the latter having a total valuation of $315,000.

The Ascension church (Episcopal) originated in the labors of Rev. E.

A. Greenleaf, in 1846. The corner stone of the first building was laid in 1851. Rev. Joseph A. Russell was the first rector. In 1873 the corner stone of the present edifice was laid by Bishop Welles of Wisconsin. This building cost $10,000, and was burned in 1886 and rebuilt in 1887.

The First Presbyterian church grew out of the missionary labors of Rev. W. T. Boutwell, in 1847 and 1848. The church was organized in 1849; Rev. J. S. Whitney, pastor. The first building was erected in 1851, and the second, the armory, in 1857. The present edifice, located on the corner of Myrtle and Third, was built in 1884, at a cost of $22,000, and the total value of building and ground is $30,000.