The photograph is taken from present day Market Street, looking towards Washington Street. Construction of the scaffolds and building cranes has begun. Construction continues on the third floor of the Minnesota Club.
Photograph is taken from present day 4th Street. The first floor of the library is almost complete. Various materials are seen around the foundation of the library. Frame work for a power lift, for moving building materials, is being constructed between the existing scaffolds.
Photograph is taken from an elevated position from the corner of present day Washington and 4th Streets. The exterior of the second floor is almost complete. Scaffolding and cranes have been raised in height to begin working of the third floor. A wooden frame arch support is now in place above what will be the main entrance to the library.
Photograph is taken from an elevated position from present day corner of Washington and 4th Streets. The first floor is enclosed and work on the second floor has begun. A power lift between the scaffolds in now complete and will move building materials to the upper floors. The part of the building on Kellogg Boulevard and Washington Street side, appears to have a rectangular open area. This opening will eventually house eight floors of metal stacks for library materials.
Photograph is taken from an elevated position from present day Market Street. The wood frames for the arched windows can be seen in detail. Scaffolding is increasing in height to match construction of walls.
Photograph is taken from an elevated position from the corner of present day Washington and 4th Streets. The exterior of the second floor is almost complete. Scaffolding and cranes on the 4th Street side of the building have been raised in height.
Photograph is taken from the present day corners of Kellogg Boulevard and Market Street, looking towards Washington Street. Construction workers and supervisors are on site. To their left is a portable steam engine on a sledge, known as a "donkey engine." Building materials on site include a shipment of bricks. Wood and metal framings are in place for work on the first floor of the library. Scaffolds are now enclosed inside the building walls of the second floor.
Photograph taken from present day Market Street, looking towards the corners of Washington and 4th Street. The scaffolding is completed and the cranes are in place. Lumber, bricks, sand and other aggregate needed for mixing concrete are now on site.
Photograph is taken from present day 4th Street. Work begins on the first floor of the library. Foundation work for the library staircase is beginning.
Photograph is taken from an elevated position from present day Market Street. Construction of the third floor begins. Scaffolding for the power lift and cranes has be raised in height. Interior scaffolds can be seen within the area of the second floor.
Photograph is taken from an elevated position from present day corners of Washington and 4th Streets. The second floor is now enclosed and work begins on the third floor. The common wall between the Saint Paul Public Library and the James J. Hill Reference Library is visible. In the upper left portion of the photograph, workers on the fourth floor of the James J. Hill Reference Library.
This photograph is taken from Washington Street looking towards the corners of Market Street and Kellogg Boulevard. A scaffold and building crane are now on site. Some areas of the foundation are being enclosed.
The photograph is taken from present day Washington Street looking towards Market Street and Kellogg Boulevard. Building crews are constructing scaffolds and assembling cranes. To the right of the crane on the left side of the construction site is the beginning of the construction of the James J. Hill Reference Library. The James J. Hill Reference Library and the Central Library of the Saint Paul Public Library were constructed as one building, separated by a common wall.
Close detail of the construction scaffolding. To the left of the scaffolding are machines used to mix concrete. Workers with wheelbarrows are collecting the mixture. To the right of the mixing drum is a small wooden structure that houses the engine that provides the power to mix the concrete. Exhaust smoke is coming from the stack that rises above the small wooden structure. Various construction workers are on the site. Four men in suits and hats plus another man in a vest and hat seem to be posing for the photographer. These men may be members of the Steen Construction Company. The photograph displays the words "Steen Construction Company."