banking system in St. Cloud. It is now operated by N. P. Clarke. The
First National Bank was organized as a private bank in 1867, with a
capital stock of $25,000; James A. Bell, president; Joseph G. Smith,
cashier. It was reorganized as a state bank in 1879, with a capital
stock of $50,000. In 1886 it was reorganized as a national bank. The
first board of officers have served continuously to date. The business
of the bank amounts to over $300,000. The German American National
Bank was organized in 1883; Chas. A. Hull, president; Edgar Hull,
cashier; capital stock $50,000. The business (in 1886) amounts to
$250,000. The present board of officers are: F. E. Searle, president;
John Cooper, vice president; F. M. Morgan, cashier.
St. Cloud has many fine buildings. The court house cost $40,000, and
four school buildings an aggregate of $75,000. The bishop's cathedral
cost $40,000, and the Catholic church $30,000. The Episcopalians,
Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Lutherans
have organizations and good church buildings. The normal school
buildings located here cost $100,000. St. Cloud University is a
flourishing institution. St. John's University, although located in
the adjoining town of St. Joseph, has been identified more or less
with the interests of St. Cloud, and deserves mention in its history.
It was originally located two miles south of St. Cloud, but was
subsequently removed to a point northwest, a mile distant from the
thriving village of Collegeville.
The university owes its existence to the zeal, energy and self
devotion of the Benedictine Fathers, a colony of whom came to America
in 1846. This colony settled first in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, but
in 1856, at the invitation of Bishop Cretin, came to Minnesota, where,
the year following, they commenced their educational work on the banks
of the Mississippi near St. Cloud. The school was commenced as a
seminary, but in 1869 the state legislature granted authority to
confer degrees, and in 1883 formally changed the name from St. John's
Seminary to St. John's University. The buildings are ample and
commodious, and located pleasantly on the banks of a beautiful lake.
The faculty consists of Rt. Rev. Alexius Edelbrock and twenty-two
professors. In 1885 St. Benedict's Hospital was erected at a cost of
about $15,000. It is under the supervision of the Benedictine Nuns.
The state reformatory was located at East St. Cloud in 1887.
LA SAUK,
Formerly St. Joe, adjoining St. Cloud on the north, had a saw and
flour mill erected in 1855. These mills were burned in 1886, and
rebuilt in 1887. Amongst the early settlers were J. H. Lineman in
1854, J. A. Upham and George Rieder in 1855.
PETER SCHAELER, a farmer, a native of Germany, came to America in
1850, and to St. Joseph in 1856. John, his only son, retains the old
homestead, and was in 1883 engaged in the insurance business in St.
Cloud.
JOHN L. WILSON was born in Columbia, Washington county, Maine, in