St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, is one of the “Twin Cities” of the Upper Midwest. It serves as a commercial, industrial, and railroad center and is the head of navigation on the Mississippi River. It is a U.S. port of entry for direct importation, home to a U.S. custom house, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a U.S. Circuit Court, and a U.S. District Court. The business part of the city is so compact , and all interesting points can be so quickly reached that one can see much in very little time .
According to the 1910 census, St. Paul ranked 26th among 109 cities with populations of 50,000 or more, with a population of 214,744. The latest city directory, published in 1914, lists 55,505 more names than the 1910 edition, when the last government census was taken. This increase suggests an estimated current population of 270,249. The city covers an area of 55.44 square miles. Its elevation above sea level is 695 feet at the river dock, 875 feet at the state capitol, and 1,016 feet at its highest point.
The principal retail streets are Robert , Seventh , Sixth and Wabasha , only from two to four blocks from the Union Depot . All trains enter this depot . All city ticket offices are on Robert street , between 4th and 7th . All street cars , except five lines , pass the corner of 7th and Wabasha , five blocks west and four blocks north of the Union Depot . The Hamline – Union Depot cars may be taken at 3rd and Sibley , and conductors will give transfer tickets to every other car line . Car fare to any point in the city is a nickle, to Minneapolis, a dime . Cars stop on farther corners only , except street car crossings , where they stop on either side .
-The City of St. Paul And Vicinity: a Compendium of Information for Visitors And Citizens; Maps And Illustrations. St. Paul: G. F. C. Paul, 1915