Mankato Industry and Commerce

1850-1900

Commerce and Industry started when the first settlers arrived and began building their homes and stores and farms. By 1885, most of the country 27,000 inhabitants were farmers. Several railroad companies furnished the farmers with better ways to get their winter wheat, spring wheat, rye, flax, butter, and eggs to market.

The area was also rich in mineral deposits. One of the most substantial industries in the Mankato area was the limestone quarries. This stone was used for building bridges, businesses, courthouses, schools, and other structures. It was also used for paving streets, for sewers, curbs and gutters. The lime made a mortar almost equal to the best cement. There were also extensive beds of fine quality clay which worked well for the manufacture of brick, pottery, tile, fire brick, and mineral paint.

There were three other very large industries in early Mankato. R.D Hubbard Company flour mills were another big industry in early Mankato. The flour produced at these mills was surpassed in quality only by the flour made at the mills in Minneapolis. At Elm and Fourth streets in Mankato was the largest linseed oil plant in the United States. This mill worked 24 hours a day and daily produced 70 barrels of oil and 25 tons of oil cake. The butter and egg business was the third important industry. In 1885, over 12,000 barrels of eggs and a million pounds of butter were shipped from local cold-storage warehouses.

These three businesses created a demand for manufacturers of barrels and tubs. The Creamery Package Manufacturing Company was the largest of its kind in the world, yet it was hardly able to meet the demand from the three industries.

Other important manufacturers in Blue Earth County were foundries, machine shops, boiler works, plow works, canning factories, saw mills, marble works, cigar factories, extensive breweries, carriage works, planing mills, woolen mills, furniture manufacturers, boot and shoes, and pump factories.

These industries only employed men. There were very few opportunities for women to work outside of the home. Women ran millinery shops, operated home laundries and worked as clerks in shops. Some also became nurses and teachers. However, a female teacher was paid considerably less than a male.

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Source:

Lundin, Vernard E. At the Bend in the River. Windsor Publications, Inc. 1990.