An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 147

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 147
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 147
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 147
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 147

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The Lieuallen store and post-office had no sooner been established than Moscow began to grow. The following from the Lewiston Signal, issued August 8. 1874, shows that conditions were improving stead- ily and prospects were bright, even at that early date : "From a gentleman who lives in Paradise valley we learn that Henry McGregor, John Russell and S. M. Neff have donated thirty acres of land, one mile from the site of the present post-office ( Paradise) for a

townsite, and that already there is one store located there and other parties will soon construct a number of buildings. The inducements offered to business men are very flattering and cannot help attracting attention. The town is to be called Moscow, and it is destined to be the business place of the valley. Our informant says new settlers are constantly arriving, and he knows of many more who will come within the next year. Messrs. Neff, Lieuallen, Russell and C. A. Howard afterward became owners of the townsite.

Building material in the early days was furnished for a short time in the spring of 1877 by the Stewart & Beach sawmill, northeast of town, and later by the mill owned and operated by R. H. Barton, S. H. Lang- don and Hiram Epperly, also northeast of town. Mr. Barton erected the first hotel in Moscow, in the spring of 1878, with lumber from this mill. In an address before the pioneers in June, 1903, A. J. Green stated that when he came here, in 1877, Moscow was "just a lane between two farms, with a flax field on one side and a post-office on the other." This state of affairs must have been speedily changed, as a Mos- cow correspondent of the Lewiston Teller, in an issue dated June 14, 1878, said :

"As proof of the fact that Moscow is fortunately situated, look at the advanced condition of the town within the past five months. At the beginning of that time we had only one store and a blacksmith shop; now, in addition to these, we have a general merchan- dise establishment, McConnell & Company ; also one in course of construction ; a hardware store, a liquor store, three blacksmith shops, a carpenter shop, two butcher shops and two hotels, owned by W. J. Ham- ilton and Henry Warmouth."

In 1880 Moscow had a population of 300, business had doubled within the year and real estate valties were high. Nothing can give the reader a better idea or more accurate information concerning the develop- ment period than articles published in the newspaper of the time, and we will quote once more a communi- cation dated Moscow, May 5, 1881, and published in the Nezperce News :

"Moscow is nicely and advantageously situated in the heart of Paradise valley, on the banks of Paradise creek, and one mile from the south Palouse. Above and below the town stretch the meadows that here skirt the banks of the two streams. The town was laid out four years ago by A. Lieuallen and John Russell ; it has been growing ever since, it is growing now and will grow bigger with the development of the country. Its growth has been mainly since last fall ; today it numbers a population of 350 souls and is the trade center for the best portion of the Palouse coun- try. The town is located two miles from the bound- ary, twenty-five miles north of Lewiston, twenty-five miles southeast from Colfax, ten miles south of Pa- louise City and about twenty-seven miles from Wawa- wai, the shipping point for this burg. Quite an ex- tensive trade is centered here and every branch of trade and industry is ably represented. The business establishment at present comprises three general mer- chandise stores, two hotels and livery stables, two

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butcher shops, two saloons, two agricultural imple- ment warehouses, one hardware store, one drug store, one watchmaker and jeweler, two blacksmith shops, one physician, one dentist, one lawyer, one steam flour mill, etc. McConnell & Company is the leading firm : A. A. Lieuallen, one of the founders of the town and the first settler in the valley, carries a full line of goods and is postmaster, the only Democrat holding such a position in North Idaho; Hayes & Dupuy opened a merchandise stock last November. The two implement houses are run by W. D. Robins and N. J. Shields. W. W. Langdon is the hardware man, and also the Wells. Fargo & Company agent. The Barton House and Fry Hotel monopolize the boarding busi- ness. T. J. Craig runs the drug and notion store ; G. Weber carries a full stock of saddles, etc .; R. H. Barton runs the feed stable, while J. S. Peterson and True run the two butcher shops. Howard Olsen has his hands full disposing of jewelry and notions, while Doctor Reeder. Doctor McCully and Judge Kribs rep- resent the medical and legal professions. There are more families settled within a radius of ten miles of Moscow than there are in a similar scope of country in the Walla Walla valley. Two churches and four or- ganizations of different denominations are supported by the families of Paradise valley. Last year they subscribed 16,500 bushels of grain as a bonus to MI. C. Moore & Company to build a flouring mill. This enterprise started running November 15th of last year and has a capacity of seventy barrels.

"Seven miles from town a sawmill is located on the South Palouse in a belt of timber which extends back northeasterly into the Coeur d'Alene mountains for a distance of 100 miles. The timber embraces all varieties of pine, cedar, fir and tamarack. The mill has a capacity of 15,000 feet a day and is owned by Northup & Company. Moscow is a lively, thriving, enterprising, progressive place, and will take a boom this summer. The people are never tired talking of the Paradise country and they are right, for if there is a better country in the world we have never seen it."

As a matter of special record we will list the pi- oneers in the various industries now so well repre- sented in Moscow. The first merchant was William Neff, who sold to A. A. Lieuallen, the latter being the first postmaster. The first physician was Dr. H. B. Blake : the first school teacher, Noah Lieuallen, who was also the first Baptist minister : the first mill in the Palouse country was owned by J. C. Davenport and built at Colfax : the first mill in Moscow was built in 1881 by M. C. Moore & Company ; the postmaster at Paradise was D. Craig: first Methodist minister, F. W. D. Mays; first blacksmith shop, built by A. Lieuallen and leased by a man named McDougall ; first bank, by Baker & Clark, of Walla Walla : first contractor, brick mason and builder, William Taylor ; first meat market, John Henry Warmouth : first drug store, S. G. Richardson : first saddle and harness shop. G. Weber : first dentist, J. H. McCallie ; first hotel, R. H. Barton, who was followed shortly afterward in this business by J. H. Hamilton and Henry War- mouth.

In 1878 Mr. Curtis, of the Curtis-Maguire firm, sold his interest in the business to W. J. McConnell, afterward governor of Idaho, who visited Moscow at this time, becoming at ouce greatly impressed with the richness of the country and its future possibilities. A store building was erected, 120 feet deep with a 30- foot frontage, and stocked with $50,000 worth of goods. This building still stands, facing First street. The people in the surrounding country were greatly encouraged by the establishment of this mammoth store and from that time on the town began to grow rapidly. When this store was opened Moscow had a population of 25. The news of the great store at Moscow spread everywhere and people from all parts of the Potlatch and Palouse country flooded to Mos- cow to do their trading, and it is no exaggeration to say that to no men living in Moscow is the town more indebted for its present size and flourishing con- dition than to Ex-Governor W. J. McConnell and J. H. Maguire. Moscow has twice furnished the suc- cessful candidate for governor of Idaho, and the first United States senator from Idaho, Hon. William J. McConnell. was Moscow's merchant prince.

The story of the Indian scare of 1877 and of the stockade in which the settlers took refuge is told in another chapter. Much interest has always centered about this fort. and many incidents are associated with its construction and occupation worthy of record in the annals of the time, but space does not permit the telling here. It is a pleasure to state that there were no tragedies connected with its history. G. W. Tomer says : "We fought the Indians to a finish without the loss of a man or the death of an Indian."

It is seldom that a town is more prosperous than was Moscow from 1885 to 1892. In 1885 the O. R. & N. railroad came and in 1890 the Northern Pacific. The period from 1890 to 1893 will long be remem- bered as the time during which Moscow reached the high water mark of prosperity. Everybody made money and everyone had money, and the volume of business transacted here was enormous. Among the great business enterprises which were rapidly building up fortunes for their owners at that time may be men- tioned the elegantly furnished and palatial store of the McConnell-Maguire Company : the magnificent estab- lishment of Dernham & Cauflann, carrying at that time a $100,000 stock, the largest amount of goods in any store in the Palouse or Potlatch country ; the man- moth business of M. J. Shields & Company, which taxed to its utmost capacity their three-story brick, with its 160-foot frontage. This company was also the owner of the electric light plant, which lighted the city, the Moscow planing mill which gave employment to fifty skilled mechanics, and was, besides, interested in five large grain warehouses outside of Moscow. The Chicago Bargain House was an exclusive dry goods store, owned by George W. Creighton & Com- pany, who had just moved into new and commodious quarters. The plant of the Moscow Mirror was at this time valued at $15.000. It gave employment to fourteen men and had in stock about three times as much printing material as is now needed to conduct

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the paper. It was then owned by Jolly Brothers, Elmer E. Jolly being the editor. Many other lesser business houses and corporations were flourishing, and all combined to make Moscow one of the wealthi- est cities of the Northwest. But, as it is with indi- viduals, so it is with cities, a truism, that prosperity is not a test of stability, and it was destined that Mos- cow should pass through the final and crucial test of adversity, crop failures and business depression, before it could be proven that the superstructure that had been reared was as solid and permanent as the founda- tion laid by the pioneers of the 'seventies. In the fall of 1893 a long continued wet season caused almost the entire loss of the wheat crop, and to make matters worse there was a complete demoralization of prices on all products. Wheat dropped from 85 cents to 50 cents per bushel, then down lower and lower, until it seemed to be a drug on the market. Debtors were absolutely unable to meet their obligations ; the farmer had no money to pay his bills, the smaller concerns could not settle their accounts with the wholesale houses and money could not be borrowed, even though gilt-edged security was offered. A number of the Moscow business houses were driven to the wall, but the most far-reaching failure of all was that of its largest and most important establishment, the Mc- Connell-Maguire Company, of which there is a full account in the previous chapter.

In 1894-5 wheat was quoted in Moscow as low as 23 cents per bushel, and it seemed as though universal bankruptcy was inevitable, but future events proved that the pendulum of adversity had reached the lowest point of its arc and was slowly but steadily swinging onward and upward to better prices and better times. Since 1896 crops have been abundant and prices fair and prosperity has returned in full measure. Along all lines there is now unusual activity, old debts have been cancelled, old scores straightened up, new busi- ness houses opened and old ones have enlarged their quarters. Moscow has truly proven that, unspoiled by prosperity, she can withstand the "slings and arrows" of adversity Nowhere in the Northwest can be found a more thriving city. It now has a population of about 5,000. Its location is favorable to its rapid growth and development, having a site that is both healthy and accessible to the surrounding country. The principal business center is on Main street. Stand- ing at the north end of this principal street and look- ing southward, without having a definite knowledge of the population of the city, one would suppose, judging from the substantial brick business buildings in sight, that it might be a city of ten or fifteen thousand people.

Moscow has never suffered to any great extent from disastrous fire and flood. In June, 1890, a fire causing the loss of probably $10,000 visited the city, occurring on the 6th of the month. The fire started in the rear of Hamlin's building at nine o'clock, P. M., and destroyed Hamlin's hall, E. Mather's bar- ber shop. F. Yengle's tailor shop, the butcher shop kept by C. H. Jones, the Morris building, occupied by the telephone office and the commission store occupied by H. Fallon, the photograph studio of H. Erickson and 39

the J. W. Lieuallen grocery stock and building. These were all frame buildings and a more disastrous spread of the flames was averted only by the greatest effort. The water works system now in use had just been completed and to this fact alone the salvation of the business part of the town was due. The fire was supposed to be of incendiary origin.

Educational matters have from the first been given special consideration by the citizens of Moscow. In 1871 school district No. 5 was organized in compliance with a petition circulated by George W. Tomer. A history of the log school building first erected in this district has been given in another chapter. This building was located near the post-office of the old town of Paradise. After Moscow was named the first building used for school purposes was known as Mlc- Daniels' Hall. It was built in 1878 and was used for church gatherings, schools and public meetings of all character. In 1880 John Russell donated a piece of ground and the first city school building was erected on the site now occupied by the Russell school. It was not long, however, until the young and growing city found that this building was entirely too small, and about the first work of those interested in the wel- fare of Moscow was the planning and erection of a public school capable of accommodating the school children then residents of the village, making allow- ance also for a constantly growing population. A second building, accommodating 120 pupils, was erect- ed in 1883, on a site in the northeast part of town, donated by Silas Imbler, one of Moscow's most beifi- cent citizens. The site was and is centrally located, and was admirably suited to the convenience of the residents. In the meantime reports concerning the richness of the country and the productiveness of the soil began to go abroad, with the result that the coun- try commenced to settle up rapidly, and Moscow began to take a leading place among the cities of northern Idaho. In 1889 the trustees of the public school found it necessary to secure additional accommodations. They immediately set to work, had plans prepared and soon the contract was let for the erection of the pres- ent Russell school. The cost of this structure was $16,000, and including all furnishings, the total cost was run up to $22,000. No pains were spared to make this not only a commodious but a modern school building. The furniture was all of the most modern and approved patern. The interior of the building was so arranged that each department could be reached with the least possible confusion. The different rooms are so located that each grade can depart from the buikling without coming into contact with the pupils from other departments. That this has been a suc- cessful arrangement is evidenced by the fact that the entire school. numbering over 400 pupils, can vacate the building in less than thirty seconds. Moscow con- tinued to grow so rapidly that during the seven months of the last school term of 1892 the board was com- pelled to rent a church building and to utilize it for a school in which to place fifty pupils. It was supposed that this state of affairs could not continue longer than the end of the term, but on the reassembling of the

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school in the fall it was found that the same state of affairs existed, making it necessary for the trustees to secure another temporary building. A room was fitted up in a building afterward occupied as a photo- graph gallery on Main street, and was occupied dur- ing the winter of 1893-4 by one of the grades. In 1894 it was clearly seen that one of two things had to be done, either to overcrowd the present school room, making it impossible for teachers to work ad- vantageously, or to purchase property and erect an- other building to serve the purpose of a high school. They chose the latter course, and having viewed vari- ous properties which were offered for a site for the new building. they eventually purchased a tract of land on Third street, for which was paid $4,000. The plans had already been prepared, and the contract for the building was let for $20,000, exclusive of furni- ture and heating apparatus. The high school build- ing is of red brick, with stone foundation. It is fitted up with the most modern improvements, both for sani- tary arrangements and ventilation. The heating ap- paratus is of the latest design and cost upwards of $3.000. Although the capacity of this school is 425 pupils, the old trouble confronted the trustees before the close of the year 1900. All buildings were crowd- ed to their utmost. The enrollment for 1899 was 900. To provide further accommodations for the growing school population the Irving school was erected in 1901 The school buildings now in use in Moscow are the Russell school, built in 1888, the high school, built in 1892. and the Irving school, built in 1901. Besides these public school buildings, there is the Mos- cow Business College, under charge of Professor William Perkins : the state preparatory school and the University of Idaho. Teachers thus far employed for the coming school year are Miss Clara Wethered, Miss Amanda Moerder, Miss Whittmore, Miss Mande Mix, George Fields, Miss Cole, Mrs. Clyde, Mrs. Marcy, Miss Grant. Miss Dixon, Miss Ora Cooper, Miss Daisy Booth. Miss Ranch, Miss Whittworth, Miss Gillette and Aliss Hammond. Moscow's school history is not complete without mentioning of the Moscow Academy, which was opened November 6, 1883, with an enroll- ment of 106 pupils. The first term was reasonably successful, but the town was not quite ready for a school of this grade, and after a second term it was discontinued.

There are nine church organziations in Moscow. The Baptists were organized in 1876 bv Rev. Noah I.jeuallen. who was followed in the earlier days by Rev. S. E. Stearns and Rev. D. W. C. Britt. The Christians, organized in 1883 by Rev. D. B. Matheny, disbanded in 1885. This church was reorganized in 1888 by Rev. William McDonald and a church build- ing was erected in 1891. The Swedish Lutherans were organized in 1886 by Rev. P. J. Carlson, and a house of worship erected in 1889. St. Marks Episco- pal organization dates from 1888. Rev. Gill was the first minister, and the building now occupied was erected in 1892. In 1882 Father Teomitie organized the Roman Catholics, who erected a church building in 1886. In 1888 a church building was erected by the

Norwegian Methodists, who were organized by Rev. Carl Erickson in 1886. The Presbyterian church was founded in Moscow in 1880. The first minister of this denomination was Rev. Paul Gamble. He was fol- lowed in 1883 by Rev. H. H. McMillan, during whose pastorate the present church building was erected. The Methodist Episcopals were organized in 1881 by Rev. Calvin M. Bryan. The first Methodist church building was erected in 1883. This building was torn down and the present building erected in 1887. This building has proven too small for the accommodation of the growing congregation, and there is now in prog- ress of erection a stone church which will cost, when completed, $25.000. Besides these, there are organiza- tions of the Adventists and the Norwegian Lutheran.

The lodges of Moscow are: Knights Templar, Royal Arch Masons, Masonic Blue Lodge; Eastern Star. I. O. O. F., Elks, Knights of Pythias, Macca- bees, M. W. A., W. of W., A. O. U. W., Rebekahs, G. A R., Artisans, Foresters and Red Men.

At the head of Idaho's educational system stands the State University, located at Moscow. The insti- tution is fortunate in that it combines the work of a state university proper with that of a school of agri- culture and mechanic arts. Hence it is that the insti- tuition has been peculiarly prosperous, as its work ap- peals not alone to the classical student, but to the farmer, the professional man and the tradesman. The institution receives the direct support of the United States governinent from two funds, $25,000 annually from the Morrill fund and $15,000 annually from the Hatch fund, in addition to generous appropriations by the state legislature. New buildings are erected by the state as the growth and needs of the university furnish the occasion, and an ample provision and safe- guard for the future is found in the 286,000 acres of public land set apart for the endowment of higher edu- cation in Idaho. Some of this land has been located in heavily timbered townships, and the moneys received from the sales of the timber are invested by the state for the benefit of the university. The land itself can- not be sold at less than $10 an acre, and the fund created by the sales of land constitutes an irreducible fund for the permanent endowment of university edu- cation in Idaho. In no state has this land endowment been more wisely conserved or more carefully ad- ministered, and this gives asurance that Idaho's uni- versity is presently to become one of the most potent forces in the educational circles in the West.

A movement having for its object the annexation of the "Panhandle" of Idaho to Washington is re- sponsible for the location of the university. The needs and demands of this, the richest section of Ida- ho. had been ignored for many years, but when the annexation idea was projected Southern and Eastern Idaho became alarmned. As a result the legislature of 1888-9 passed a bill locating the university at Mos- cow and providing a building fund of about $65,000. This bill wa's approved by the governor January 30th, 1889. The original bill vested the government of the university in a board of nine regents appointed bi- ennially by the governor for terms of two years. In

BUILDINGS OF THE IDAHO UNIVERSITY AT MOSCOW.

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1889 the terms of regents were lengthened to six years and appointments were so arranged that one- third of the board should be renewed bi-ennially. By recent legislative enactment the number of regents was reduced from nine to five. October 3, 1892, the institution was opened to the reception of students. It opened in the unfurnished and unfinished wing of the main building, which stood in the midst of a plowed field. It had a faculty of but one professor and the president, and was without a book or piece of apparatus of any sort. It had not a student in the college grade, but about thirty students appeared to enter the preparatory school, some of whom had come long distances to enter the institution.

The act of 1889 for the establishment of the uni- versity provided :

"The college or department of arts shall embrace courses of instruction in mechanical, physical and nat- ural sciences, with their application to the industrial arts, such as agriculture, mechanics, engineering. min- ing and metallurgy, manufactures, architecture and commerce : in such branches included in the college of letters as shall be necessary to a proper fitness of the pupils in the scientific and practical courses for their chosen pursuits ; and as soon as the income of the university will allow. in such order as the wants of the public shall seem to require, the said courses in the sciences and their application to the practical arts shall be expanded into distinct colleges of the uni- versity. each with its own faculty and appropriate title. The college of letters shall be co-existent with the college of arts. and shall embrace a liberal course of instruction in languages, lierature and philosophy, together with such courses or parts of courses in the college of arts as the regents of the university shall prescribe."

In June, 1902, the regents, acting under this law, placed the organization of the university on a collegiate basis. The university now comprises: The college of letters and sciences, the college of agriculture, the school of applied science or school of mines, and the preparatory school. The faculty of each college or school is composed of the president of the uni- versity and professors, acting professors and assist- ants giving instructions therein.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 147

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524