St. Paul became the railroad Gateway

Early on in the settlement's history, in 1841, Father Lucien Galtier, a French Catholic Minister, came to the area and established a chapel. His chapel was named after Paul The Apostle, which would later be the origin story for the name of the city when St. Paul became the capital of the territory in 1849. Again providing strategic geographical significance during the expansion west, St. Paul became a place of importance for the railroad. St. Paul was the main gateway for traveling to both the Pacific Northwest and north to Canada. This gave St. Paul a significant economic advantage for trade and transportation, which led to the rise of the St. Paul Union Stockyards and one of the larger livestock and meatpacking markets in the world. The city was not without its troubles. In 1904, a tornado and thunderstorm damaged much of the infrastructure in downtown. Then, with so many people traveling through, and so much business happening, there was a rise in crime in the 1920s and 1930s. Damage from extreme weather has always been a problem that St. Paul has had to face, but the city has always risen and dealt with it. At Service Restoration, we're proud to be a part of that culture and the continual regrowth and restoration efforts of this city that has always risen against whatever has come its way.