1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

524 DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY
up as the coming metropolis of the Range, made it. indeed, hard for
me to induce people to purchase lots and settle in the Town of Eveleth
; and it was a long time * * * before Eveleth started to growas
it should have grown, and not until the old town was vacated and
moved to its present location, to give room tor the mining of the
Spruce mine, did Eveleth come into its own. But now it is a beautiful
and proud city, with enough of the best ore on the Range surrounding
it on two sides to continue it as the most steady, prosperous,
and longest lived city on the Range, by a margin of many
years."
Village Presidents.—The succession of presidents of the \ illage
of Eveleth. from 1894 to 1902. in which vear Eveleth became a citv,
was as follows: 1894-95. Marvin Win Buskirk : 1895-96. H. L. Darms
1896-97. \A'. \\ Caldwell: 1897-98. Alarvin \'an Buskirk: 1898-99.
Chas. Jesmore: 1899-1900. P. E. Dowling:
Eveleth Becomes a City.—A petition
1900-02. Chas. Jesmore.
was circulated in the village
in January. 1902. by certain residents, who desired to advance
the status of the ])lace. which had reached a state of development that
entitled it to a place among the cities of the state. The petition was
delivered to the comity commissioners on January IMh, and sworn
to by Patrick McClory. Eric Gastrin. John A. Healy and Mather
Prettner. Hearing of arguments for and against the chartering of
the village was set for February 7. 1902. by the county commissioners.
On March 4. 1902. they issued a certificate, ordering election to be
held on April 1st. The voting showed that a majority of the residents
wished the change of status, brought into effect. 98 voting in
favor, and 55 against.
So, Eveleth became a city. Charles Jesmore becoming first mayor.
There was no further change in status until 1913, when, as the result
of an election, held on October 7, 1913, a new city charter was adopted,
and the city government changed to what is known as the commission
form. The mayor and four commissioners assumed direction of, and
responsibility for. city affairs. The council, in 1920. consisted of
Victor E. Essling. mayor, with direct responsibility for the departments
of Public Health. Sanitation. Police, and General Welfare
Robert Meyers, commissioner in charge of the department of Accounts
and Finances : William Alorrey, commissioner in charge of
department of Parks. Public Grounds. Buildings, and I-'ire Protection;
D. A. Murray, commissioner in charge of department of Waterworks
and Sewers; Andrew Anderson, commissioner in charge of Streets and
Alleys. Anthony \'an Buskirk is city clerk.
Mayoral Succession.— Chas. jesmore. 1902-03; Mike Maxwell.
1904-05; Chas. jesmore. 1906-07; M. B. Maxwell. 1908; W". j. Smith.
1908 (M. B. Maxwell having died). 1909. 1910: J. S. Saari. 1911-13:
[. j. Gleason, for portion of"l914: j. S. Saari. 1914-17; E. H. Hatch.
l9i8-19: V. E. Essling, 1920.
City Hall.—-The present city hall has been in use for many years.
It was built in 1906, at a cost of $20,000. The architect was W. T.
Bray, of Duluth. and the contractor. Edward Jackson. The cornerstone
was laid June 16. 1906, and the hall was at first fitted so as to
serve the purpose of police and fire departments on ground floor, and
the second floor was alloted to the several other city purposes. When
the Fire Hall was built, the quarters in City Hall, vacated by that
department, were at once taken over by other departments.
Auditorium,—The Auditorium, which also is the armory, is a
community building of distinct usefulness. It was erected in 1912,
; :