An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 184

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 184
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 184
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 184
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 184

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Although some settlements were made later in the vicinity of the Campfield and Roberts ferries, the events of historical value and interest associated with this period are grouped about Bonner's Ferry and trading post. Mr. Bonner did not take personal charge of the business, but employed as his agent, John Wal- ton, who continued in charge until 1874, when he was succeeded by Louis Lee. In 1875 Richard Fry came to Bonner's Ferry from the Wild Horse country. Mr.

Fry was another of the sturdy pioneers. He crossed the plains in 1849, and resided until 1858 in Linn coun- ty, Oregon, serving in the Indian wars of 1855 and 1856 and taking part in the battle of Walla Walla in December, 1855, at the time the famous old Walla Walla warrior, Pio-Pio-Mox-Mox, was slain. Rich- ard Fry, who died at Rathdrum December 15, 1898, was one of the most prominent and respected pioneers of Kootenai county. He was a man of strong per- sonality, generous and just in all his dealings with his white and Indian neighbors and all who knew him regarded him as a personal friend. As an incident illustrative of the esteem in which he was held we quote the following from an issue of the Kootenai Herald, dated December 25, 1898:

"An impressive scene was witnessed at the funeral services of the late Richard Fry. When the lid of the casket was opened for the last time at the church to allow the relatives and friends to view the features of the dead, there filed down the aisle a long line of Kootenai Indians with slow and solemn tread. Each touched the casket and made the sign of the cross as he passed by his dead friend. The confidence of the Indians in Richard Fry was something marvelous. For years he had been an adviser in their troubles and so tempered with justice had been all his dealings with them that they had learned to trust him implic- itly, and their mourning for the dead was no less sor- rowtul than that of their pale face brothers."

Richard Fry leased the ferry and trading post of E. L. Bonner in 1875 and for many years did an ex- tensive business with miners, trappers and Indians, in the earlier years taking their gold dust and furs in exchange for goods and supplies. In 1876 his brother, Martin M. Fry, located at Bonner's Ferry and assisted in conducting the ferry and post. After the retirement of Richard Fry in 1892, the business was continued for many years by Martin Fry and his sons. The ownership of the ferry eventually passed to Mal- com Bruce, from whom it was purchased by the coun- ty in 1902 for the sum of five hundred dollars. It is still in operation, but a bridge will doubtless be built across the Kootenai river at this point in the near future as the question of its construction is now be- ing agitated.

During the seventies mail was received at Bon- ner's Ferry once each month. During the summer months it was carried on horse back from Victoria, British Columbia, via Fort Hope and Okanogan lake, British Columhia, Colville, Washington, Seneaquo- teen, Pend Oreille lake, Bonner's Ferry and on to Wild Horse, British Columbia. In winter it was car- ried on snow shoes over the same route. Among the mail carriers were James Wardell. John Shelton and Ned Bray, all Canadians ; Mr. Shelton. however, made his home at Colville. Washington. During this period four pack trains made regular trips through Kootenai county front Wild Horse, British Columbia, to Walla Walla. They were owned, respectively, by Galbraith Brothers and Robert Mathers, of Wild Horse, George Dacre, of Walla Walla. and Fry Brothers, of Bon- ner's Ferry. Between the years 1873 and 1884 there

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

was but one family of white settlers in this region, that of Martin Fry. Their only neighbors were In- dians, with whom they never had serious trouble. There was a "scare" in 1878 when the Bannock war broke out, but no harmful results followed. At this time the Kootenai Indians became very restless. There were among them some relatives of Indians who had been executed for participation in the massacre of 1866 and these sought to lead the Kootenais out on the warpath. Richard Fry was at Victoria at the time, with the pack train, and the Indians assumed such a threatening attitude that Martin concluded it the better part of wisdom, on his family's account. to escape to a place of greater security. With the as- sistance of his wife he buried the stock of goods from the store, working nearly all night, and just before daybreak they mounted mules belonging to the Dacre pack train, which chanced along on a down trip, and rode to the present site of Rathdrum, where they stopped with the family of Wesley Wood until quiet was restored among the red men. Settlers never aft- erward had any serious difficulties with the Kootenai Indians. Most of the Kootenais eventually became Catholics under the teachings of Father Fouquet of the St. Mary's Mission near Wild Horse, B. C. In 1889 Major Ronan was sent to these Indians by the gov- ernment with instructions to offer them a choice be- tween allotments of land here or residence on the Flat- head reservation in Montana. Some accepted land and are now living on their allotments in northern Kootenai and others went to the reservation, where they still reside. We have referred to the massacre of 1866, an account of which will be found in the chapter on reminiscences.

Early in the seventies a relay station on the pony mail route from The Dalles and Walla Walla to Mis- soula, Montana, was established at the Wesley Wood ranch, where Rathdrum is now located. Details con- cerning settlements in the central portion of the county are given in another portion of this volume in connec- tion with the history of Rathdrum and of Post Falls. The mail route to which we refer crossed the county from Spokane Bridge via the Wood ranch to Steamboat Landing at the head of Lake Pend Oreille; thence by government steamers clown the lake to a small settlement near the present site of Sandpoint ; thence in a southeasterly direc- tion over the mountains to Missoula. It connected with the Mullan road at Rock creek, fifty miles south- west of Spokane. and followed it to Spokane Bridge. From Walla Walla to Missoula the distance as trav- ersed was four hundred miles. There were twenty- one stations and twenty-five riders, each rider making from forty to seventy miles per day, with several re- lays, carrying mail and small packages of express. Wesley Wood, now living at Rathdrum, carried mail over this route for five years. C. C. Huntley had the star-route mail contract for a term of years with a yearly compensation of $33,333. To facilitate the handling of the mails between these two points, and to the country north, the government constructed three steamers for use on the Pend Oreille lake, the first of

which was the Mary Moody, built at Seneaquoteen in 1864.

Settlements at Bonner's Ferry, Rathdrum and Sen- eaquoteen were the first made in the county. They were followed closely by others in different localities, but as this period of settlement was prior to county organization, we have given details in connection with the history of the various towns as separate corpora- tions.

The last important event preceding county organi- zation was the establishment of Fort Coeur d'Alene, later called Fort Sherman. While on a tour of in- spection in 1877 General William T. Sherman came from Fort Benton, Montana, over the Mullan road, to Lake Coeur d'Alene. He was on his way to Fort Walla Walla, but spent some time on and about the lake, visiting the missions and acquainting himself with the Indian situation at the various agencies. He was charmed with the beauty of the surroundings and his soldier's eye readily discerned the superior ad- vantages offered as a location for an army post. On his recommendations a military reservation was created here containing 999 acres. The site chosen was at the foot of the lake, bordering on the lake and on the Spokane river. The reservoir was established in 1878, but the army post was not fully equipped and officered until the following year. As has been stated the post was first named by General Sherman, Fort Coeur d'Alene, but at the time of the General's death in 1891 the name was changed in his honor to Fort Sherman.

The first commander at the post was Col. H. C. Merriam of the Second U. S. Infantry, five com- panies of soldiers being stationed here in the begin- ning. Col. Merriam was followed in command by Col. Wheaton, who in turn was successively followed by Maj. (now General) Randall, Lieut. Col. Cook, Col. Carlin, and Col. Hall. The last officer in com- mand was Col. Thatcher, who had under him five companies of the Sixteenth U. S. Infantry. The post was never regularly garrisoned after the breaking out of the Cuban war in 1898. In the early summer of 1894 the melting of the deep snows in the Coeur d'Alene and Bitter Root mountains raised the waters in the lake and river to such an extent that the post grounds were flooded and continued so for several weeks. After this freshet army officers made continued and persistent efforts to have the post abandoned. claiming that the site was liable to overflows each spring. By those acquainted with the situation, how- ever, it is claimed that the true reason for the desire to abandon the post was because of its isolation. There were no great centers of population within easy reach, and officers with families desired social and educational advantages that could not be enjoyed at Fort Sherman. Their influence eventually prevailed and the reservation was turned over to the interior de- partment in April, 1901, the post being entirely aban- doned by the war department in August of the same vear.

At the time of the declaration of war against Spain there were garrisoned here twelve officers and

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

about three hundred and fifty men. With the exception of a detachment of eleven men under Lieut. B. B. Buck, this force was ordered to the front. The officers in- cluded in this order were Col. Thatcher, commander ; Chaplain Bateman, who was granted special leave by the war department to accompany the troops; Co. C, under command of Capt. L. C. Allen; Co. D, commanded by Capt. W. T. Morrison and Lieut. B. T. Simmons ; Co. F, by Capt. T. C. Woodbury and Lieut. J. E. Woodward; Co. G, by Capt. W. Lassiter and Lieut. E. Chandler; and Co. H, by Capt. S. R. Whital and Lieut. J. Irwin. On April 21, 1898, ac- companied by a band of twenty-three musicians and an eagle presented by J. R. Sanburn, the force left Coeur d'Alene on a special train for New Orleans, and Fort Sherman was practically abandoned as an army post.

Many thousands of dollars were expended here in the erection of buildings and in the equipment and care of the grounds. There are fifty-two buildings, including the commander's and the officers' residences, which are cared for by John Fernan, who first came to the post May 26, 1878, and has, since its abandon- ment, had sole care of buildings and grounds. An effort has been made by the citizens of Coeur d'Alene to have the reservation thrown open to settlement, but without success. A movement is now under way to secure the establishment here of a national soldiers' home. The location is an admirable one for such a purpose. The reserve is a natural park of forest pines, and with its lake frontage and mountain back- ground is one of the most beautiful of the many beauti- ful spots in the lake region of Kootenai county.

CHAPTER II.

EVENTS, 1880-1890-AS A POLITICAL DIVISION OF THE TERRITORY.

The close of the 'seventies, or rather, the opening of the next decade, marks the beginning of the most important epoch in the history of Kootenai county, that of organized existence. Kootenai county has had a creative existence since 1864. At that date her boundaries enclosed only about one-half of the terri- tory which they now enclose, but the present lines were defined as early as 1867. It may be well, before enter- ing upon these later details to mention a few interest- ing facts concerning the political affiliations of the county prior to the creative act of 1864. It first be- longed to the Oregon country which had indefinite boundaries ; later, as a part of that portion of Oregon lying north of the Columbia river and the 46th parallel of latitude, it belonged to Vancouver county, which was organized in 1845, the name of the county being changed in 1849 to Clark, in honor of the explorer. The Columbia river and the 46th parallel of latitude, east to the summit of the Rocky mountains, consti- tuted the southern boundary of Washington in 1853, and Kootenai was a portion of Walla Walla county, Washington. January 29, 1859, Shoshone county, Washington, was created including all that country north of the Snake river, east of the Columbia and west of the Rocky mountains, embracing Kootenai county. The county seat was on the land claim of Angus McDonald, who was the Hudson's Bay Com- pany's agent at the station where Colville is now lo- cated.

At the first session of the Idaho territorial legis- Jature, opening December 7, 1863, and closing Febru- ary 4, 1864, all that territory north of the Clearwater river, which included all the present counties of Latalı and Kootenai, together with a section of country bor-

dering directly on the north bank of the river was at- tached to the original Nez Perces county for civil and judicial purposes, but was without a distinguishing name.

At the second session of the territorial legislature in the winter of 1864 the first creative act was passed, defining the boundaries of Kootenai county. The following is the text of the act :

Be it enacted by the legislative assembly of the territory of Idaho as follows :

Section 2. That all that portion of Idaho terri- tory embraced within the following described bounda- ries be, and the same is hereby created into and shall be known as the county of Kootenai, to wit: Begin- ning at a point on the forty-eighth degree of north latitide, on the dividing line between Washington and Idaho territories ; thence north with said dividing line of longtude to the forty-ninth degree of north lati- tude; thence east with the said degree of latitude to the northwest corner of the boundary line of Montana territory ; thence southerly with the boundary line of said territory to the forty-eighth degree of north lati- tude, and thence west along said degree of latitude to the place of beginning ; and the county seat of the said county of Kootenai is hereby located Seneaquo- teen. Approved, December 22, 1864.

The forty-eighth parallel of latitude passes through Granite; the territory included within the first estab- lished lines, therefore, was but little more than half as great as the county's present area. Section one of this same act created "Lah-toh" county out of the country south of the forty-eighth parallel and north of the Clearwater river and named Coeur d'Alene as the county seat. No county organization was ever

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

effected under this act but, later, the northern bound- ary of Nez Perces county was moved north from the Clearwater river to the irregular summit of the divide between the Palouse river and Hangman's creek, the present southern boundary of Kootenai county. In 1867 the present boundaries of Kootenai were de- fined by amendments to the original act as follows :

Section 2. All that portion of the territory of Idaho north of the counties of Nez Perces and Sho- shone shall comprise the county of Kootenai.

Section 3. That whenever the inhabitants, to the number of fifty or more of the said county of Koot- enai, shall desire to perfect a county organization, they shall apply by petition to the governor, who, if he deems it advisable, shall proceed to des- ignate by appointment three discreet and well qualified citizens of the county or counties so applying, to act as a board of county commis- sioners of such county. The board of county commis- sioners so appointed, after they shall have qualified in pursuance of law, and entered upon the duties of their office, may proceed to fill, by the appointment of suitable residents of the county, the various county offices as required by law for other organized counties in this territory.

Section 4. Whenever the county commissioners shall be appointed as provided by law, they shall have power to locate the county seat of said county. As amended, Act January 9, 1867.

"Fifty or more" citizens of Kootenai could not be gathered together to perfect a county organization under this old act for eighteen years after its passage. Bancroft says "Kootenai county had almost no white population until the building of the Northern Pacific railroad brought people there to perform the labor of its construction, between 1880 and 1883." Elliot, an Idaho historian, says of Kootenai county in 1882: "It is a wild, unsettled country of lakes and grand scen- ery." With the advent of the railroad came the desire for county organization. In July, 1881, M. D. Wright and George B. Wonnacott called a meeting of all the settlers known to be in the county for the purpose of discussing the question. Two or three meetings were held and much canvassing was done before the required number of petitioners could be obtained. Two of these meetings were held at Mr. Wonnacott's store two miles west of Fort Coeur d'Alene and the third meeting was held at Rathdrum, then called Westwood, where the organization was finally completed in Oc- tober, 1881. From the petitioners it was a difficult matter to secure men enough to fill the various county offices, owing to the fact that most of the settlers had business affairs of their own to attend to and the offices were not especially desirable either because of the emoluments attaching or because of the honor they conferred on the individual. Appointments, however, were eventually made by the governor and the follow- ing have the distinction of being the first officers of Kootenai county: Sheriff, Fred Haines ; recorder, George B. Wonnacott ; assessor and collector, M. D. Wright ; treasurer, Max Weil ; probate judge, Charles Chilburg. Mr. Chilburg did not qualify and A. L.

Bradbury was appointed in his stead. Mr. Bradbury soon resigned and was followed by Henry Melder. Sheriff Haines died before his term had expired and the commissioners appointed Bregg Parmenter to fill the vacancy. R. W. Cochran and C. W. Wood were appointed justices ; J. L. Steen and Michael Martin, constables. Commissioners appointed by the governor were, O. F. Canfield, J. T. Rankin and William Mar- tin. The officers were sworn in by Justice Frank Points, a noted character who lived on Deep creek in what was then the northern part of Nez Perces county. At the first regular election which was held in 1882, George B. Wonnacott was continued in office as re- corder, Max Weil as treasurer, and Henry Melder as probate judge and ex-officio superintendent of county schools. Charles Hampton was elected sheriff, and Robt. Wicks, Louis Lee and O. F. Canfield, commis- sioners. Bregg Parmenter was elected assessor and collector, failed to qualify and was superseded by ap- pointment, by A. M. Martin of Rathdrum. Charles Hampton served as sheriff until July, 1883, when he resigned in favor of Joseph Brophy. Mr. Brophy did not want the place and canvassed the county for signatures to a petition to the commissioners advising the appointment of William Martin. The request of the petitioners was granted and Mr. Martin became sheriff. At the 12th session of the territorial legis- lature, which convened December 11, 1882, Kootenai county was represented in the senate, or council, with Nez Perces and Shoshone counties, by I. B. Cowen, and in the house of representatives with Shoshone, by O. A. Dodge.

During the first four years of political life, magi- cal changes were wrought in general conditions and numerous thriving towns sprang up along the line of railroad. The building of the road was of course the cause of the wonderful transformation. In 1880 Koot- enai county had a population of 318 including many railroad laborers who were not permanent settlers ; in 1884 the population had increased to 2000. In 1880 there was no assessment roll; in 1884 the assessment roll footed $544,138.98. In 1882 there were but 89 taxable inhabitants ; in that year, however, there was collected a property tax of $558.89, a poll tax of $502, and $530.60 were collected on licenses, making the total receipts $1,591.49. After erecting a small jail and paying the current expenses, the first set of county officers turned over to their successors the sum of $90.00. As soon as travel began over the Northern Pacific and a knowledge of the almost inexhaustible timber resources of the county reached the populated centers, immigrants began to pour in and the country adjacent to the road, along the streams, and about the lakes was thoroughly explored ; many homesteads were located, a great deal of mineral prospecting was done in the mountain regions, and in furnishing supplies for the nomadic caravan, the towns became exceed- ingly prosperous and grew rapidly. In 1884 Rathdrum had a population of over one thousand, exceeding by two or three hundred, that of Spokane Falls. There was a special reason, however, for a great deal of this prosperity, which centered about Rathdrum and which

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was not so great in other parts of the county. The Coeur d'Alene mines were discovered in 1883. The region of these mines had been most inaccessible until the completion of the Northern Pacific railroad, which opened a camparatively easy route, via Rathdrum, Lake Coeur d'Alene, the Coeur d'Alene river and the Mullan road. The rush to the mines during the latter months of 1883 and for two or three years following, was over this route, and Rathdrum became an out- fitting and supply point, and consequently a place of considerable importance. While some progress was made during this period at Bonner's Ferry, Kootenai, Coeur d'Alene and other points, it was inconsiderable when compared with the growth and development at and about the county seat.

The first court house was a small store building at Rathdrum in 1884 and was presided over by Judge Norman Buck, now a resident of Spokane. The first cases tried in Kootenai county were from the mines and were not of great importance nor of general in- terest to the public, being petty disputes between min- ers over mineral claims. One of the first cases of minor importance tried before Judge Buck at this term of court was brought by Thomas Brophy against O. A. Dodge, who had built a saw mill in 1882 at the foot of Fish lake. The plaintiff asked that Mr. Dodge be enjoined from dumping sawdust into the outlet of the lake and thereby causing his lands to be flooded by backwater. Frank Ganalıl and J. Hooloman were attorneys for the plaintiff, C. D. Hyde and M. W. Musgrove for defendant. The injunction was granted.

A case of real importance, involving the settlement of a boundary line dispute between Kootenai and Shoshone counties, and the jurisdiction over the Coeur d'Alene mines, was tried before Judge Buck at Rath- drum in June, 1884. This case grew out of the misin- terpretation of the legal description of the Shoshone county boundaries. Shortly after their discovery the authorities of Kootenai county laid claim to jurisdic- tion over the mines, asserting that the northern bound- ary of Shoshone county was a small spur of the Bit- ter Root mountains extending west below the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene river, while Shoshone coun- ty authorities claimed their north boundary to be the summit of the main Bitter Root mountains where they turned west and formed the divide between Clark's Fork river and the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene, the spur being known as the Coeur d'Alene moun- tains. Officers of Kootenai county attempted to ex- ercise authority over this mining region by collect- ing licences and levying other taxes. Shoshone county officers protested and forbade this exercise of juris- diction. In order to settle the matter Kootenai county authorities brought suit against the officers of Sho- shone county, seeking to enjoin them from the ex- ercise of authority over the district, and requiring them to appear for trial at Rathdrum, the county seat. The title of the case was William Martin vs. L. A. Dun- well. These gentlemen were respectively, sheriffs of Kootenai and Shoshone counties, and the case was in reality a civil contest between these two political divisions of the territory of Idaho. While the real

object of the suit was the settlement of the boundary questions, it was brought by Martin vs. Dunwell for the recovery of moneys collected by the Shoshone county sheriff, for taxes and licenses in the gold field in and around Pritchard creek. Attorneys Claggett, Williams, and Musgrove appeared for the plaintiff ; attorneys Elder, Allen, and Moody for the defendant. Eleven days were consumed in the trial and the costs fell heavily on the new county of Kootenai. The plaintiff brought witnesses from Montana and other distant points ; old histories, old and new maps, legis- lative acts and other similar publications were intro- duced as evidence by both sides. The old reports of Captain John Mullan, of Mullan Road fame, were read, discussed and offered in evidence. The trial creaed a great deal of interest and was attended daily by large crowds. Shoshone county gained the vic- tory, and, as later developments have proven, untold wealth from the mountains of precious minerals in the disputed territory.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 184

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