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

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586 DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY
buildings, some millions of dollars worth of school structures, a
$275,000 courthouse, a $60,000 library, four theatres, a "sky-scraping"
office building, a $100,000 opera house, and a couple of good hotels.
Virginia hadn't a foot of paved highway in 1893 ; in 1920 she had
more than sixteen miles of paving and twenty-six miles of sidewalk.
In 1892 the total assessed value of Virginia was $4,640, upon which
the total lew was $38.05 ; in 1919 the total valuation of the city of
Virginia was' $16,873,834 and the total taxes $1,525,394.59.
By these outstanding comparisons may be gauged Virginia's
advance to metropolitan status in little more than a generation.
The Beginning.—Mining developments in the "Virginia Loop"
of the Mesabi range during the spring and summer of 1892 made it
quite evident to the mining explorers that a communal centre must
soon develop near the mines. While in the first excitement and uncertainty
of mining exploration, little thought was paid to more than
emergency shelter, but with the ever-increasing discovery, and
rapidly-increasing number of men engaged in the preliminary,
the
the
matter of townsite, and the advantage that would accrue from the
promotion of one, soon demanded consideration and recognition.
Planning the Townsite.—One alert group of explorers and promoters,
those associated with A. E. Humphreys, early came to that
opinion, and proceeded to select and to secure the most favorable
site for a village. These .men were A. E. Humphreys, David T.
Adams, John Owens, G. W. Milligan, Frank Cox and Neil Mclnnis.
Several other mining men, among them O. D. Kinney and George W.
Buck, were interested in helping the project forward, but the men
directly concerned in the promotion of the townsite company were
Humphreys, Adams, Milligan, Eckman and Cox. The Virginia Improvement
Company was organized by these men on July 12, 1892,
the company being capitalized at $50,000.
Finding a Name.—Regarding the early planning of Mrginia
David T. Adams writes
It would seem to some people an easy matter to arrive at a name for
a townsite in that country, especially at a time when the entire country was
in its natural state and covered with timber, but, foolish as it may look, it
seemed hard for the promoters to decide among themselves. Each proposed
a different name, and insisted that their's was the only one, and before a
name was agreed upon considerable dissension arose among the promoters.
I had previously selected the place for the townsite; the idea was mine from
the first. I engaged the services of M. E. Cook, an engineer of Duluth, to survey
the townsite. I had everything done in my own way. and there was no
complaint from the promoters, and for these reasons I thought I was entitled
to the sole right of giving it a name. I proposed the name "Humphreys." in
honor of A. E. Humphreys, but the name was rejected. I believe Mr. G. E.
Milligan stated that, as the town was in a virgin country, and the first to be
platted on the range with any prospective future, a name at least suggestive
of the virgin country should be found. After two or three days of deliberation.
I believe I suggested the name "Virginia," thinking it an appropriate name that
would answer all purposes, as it would still be in honor of Mr. Humphreys,
as Virginia was his home state, and would also be suggestive of the country.
Hence, the name "Virginia" was finally agreed upon. Thereafter, on July 12,
1892, the Virginia Improvement Company was organized by myself, G. E.
Milligan, A. E. Humphreys, Frank Cox and S. W. Eckman, and the original
plat of Virginia was filed for record, on September 13, 1892. Then the lots
were ready for sale.
Sale of First Lots.—We rented a vacant storeroom in Duluth, hung up
a large plat on the wall, with maps showing the deposits of ore which had
been developed up to that time around Virginia, and where others could be
found, and then advertised the lots to be sold at public auction. The sale
took place, with Captain Carr, of Charleston, West Virginia, as our auctioneer,
and the first lots sold in the townsite of Virginia were sold that way.