An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 193

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 193
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 193
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 193
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 193

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

others they own the steamer Victoria, which has ac- commodations for sixty passengers and is the swiftest boat on the lake. W. E. Lyon is local manager for the company, which has a monthly pay roll varying from $500 to $1.000. The First Bank of Harrison was or- ganized February 1, 1902, and is capitalized at ten thousand dollars. (). B. Steward is president and (). E. Barr, cashier. Harrison has a good opera house, with a seating capacity of four hundred. The build- ing is one hundred feet long and has a stage 25 by 26 feet in dimensions. It is owned and managed by B. S. Laferty. Drug stores are conducted by Essig Bros., George G., Charles C. and Hal H., also by William Cope and by James M. and John A. Corskie. The Harrison Hardware Company is managed by W. O. Wheeler. Hardware, stoves, etc., are also handled by E. C. Ribstein. General stores are conducted by S. P. Lant, John F. Pollock and John H. Sampson, the Kootenai Commercial Company and by William A. Reiniger. A. W. Burleigh and Charles S. Manning deal in groceries. The Harrison bakery is run by Benjamin S. Lafferty. J. W. Jamison is proprietor of the Gem restaurant and hotel. Confectionery and fruits are sold by E. V. Fulkerson and by Clarence Cole. A confectionery, book and stationery store is conducted by W. S. Logan & Company. The Owl cafe is owned by Otto Varner. M. E. Peterson has a jewelry store. The Harrison meat market is con- dueted by E. W. Wheeler. O. B. Steward has a fur- niture and undertaking establishment. Ike S. Cope- land has a boat building plant and eonduets a floating cafe. Notions are sold by Mrs. H. C. York. Tailor- ing is done by H. Brink and shoemaking by Frank Parker. Second hand goods are handled by Alex. Musser. Barber shops are owned by C. L. Maynard, William E. Rich and by H. Haskins. John Helms is the village blacksmith. S. W. Crane has a photograph studio. W. H. Armstrong and J. C. McElhinnie are contractors and builders. Busch & Co. are sign writ- ers and paper hangers. R. K. Wheeler is a notary public, writes insurance and attends to collections. O. E. Barr maintains an insurance and investment agency. Harrison physicians are Dr. John Busby, Dr. Herman Schmalhausen and Dr. J. C. Dwyer. Dr. Young- bug practices dentistry. Attorneys at law are A. A. Crane, Fred Burgen, T. H. Wilson. The present post- inaster is (). J. Butler.

The Methodists erected a house of worship in 1895, the Baptists in 1900 and the Presbyterians in 1901. Rev. R. C. Gaily is now pastor of the M. E. congrega- tion. The Baptists have no regular pastor at present, but regular services are held each Sunday. The Ad- ventists have a building, but the society is defunet and no services are held. The Catholics hold services in the Adventists' building. The first Presbyterian min- ister located in Harrison was Rev. J. H. Rodgers ; the present pastor is Rev. I. N. Roberts.

The fraternal orders are well represented. The following societies have chapters in Harrison : Harri- son Lodge No. 35. A. F. & A. M .: A. A. Crane, W. M .: O. E. Barr, secretary. I. O. O. F., Harrison Lodge No. 54: Ralph Bakkin, N. G .: S. M. Logan,

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

secretary. Foresters, Harrison Court, No. 13; E. P. Harris, C. R .; W. E. Fuller, recording secretary. Maccabees. Harrison Tent No. 5; William Gray, Com .; Louis Stuve, record keeper. Improved Order of Red Men, Wildshoe Tribe No. 5; O. P. Calef, sachem ; Gilbert Stuve, chief of records. M. W. A. Camp No. 6676; Asa Bowman, V. C .; L. Stuve, clerk. Syringa Chapter O. E. Star Lodge; Mrs. Ella Wheeler, secretary. Viola Rebekah Lodge No. 38; E. May Gilbert, N. G .; A. P. Powell, secretary. L. O. T. M., Lady Orchard Hive No. II ; Mrs. Helen Wark, Com .; Miss Minnie Diche, R. K. Harrison Labor Union No. 253; James Manning, president ; B. P. Rice, recording secretary ; E. R. Jones, Fin. Secy. ; W. E. Stone, treasurer.

The public school building was erected in 1896. As the school population has increased, additions have been added to the original structure, the last being built in 1900. There are now five rooms and the enrollment during the past school year reached two hundred and twenty-five. Prof. F. E. Ball was in charge of the schools during the term just closed. He was assisted by Mrs. Fred Bergan, Miss Eliza Sex- ton, Miss Theodora DeSaussure and Miss Emily Clancy. This corps of instructors proved themselves eminently competent and the results of their labor have been satisfactory to the citizens, who have always taken special pride and interest in educational matters. The present school board is composed of M. W. Frost, Louis Stuve and Edward Crane. M. W. Frost is jus- tice of the peace.

The nine sawmills of Harrison occupy the avail- able spaces on the lake front for over a mile and when all are running to their fullest capacity the daily out- puit is about five hundred thousand feet and the com- bined pay roll foots about twenty-five thousand dol- lars monthly. Harrison is a town whose marvelous growth has resulted solely from the development of the lumber industry, and this development is not by any means complete. In the lake and river regions there are still dense forests of cedar, fir, tamarack and pine that have scarcely been touched. For all this wealth of timber, Harrison, with its shipping facili- ties is the natural outlet. There are also other indus- tries which in the near future will begin to contribute their support to the growing city. While there are no extensive agricultural areas in the immediate vicinity, in the valleys of the St. Joe and St. Maries rivers, farming, stock and fruit raising are soon to become leading industries. This is also true of the Coeur d'Alene river valley. On these rivers there are im- mense tracts that will become most productive farm- ing regions when the forests are cleared away. These valleys are already great hay producers, it being esti- mated that eight thousand tons were raised in 1902. All this territory is tributary to Harrison and will in time contribute largely to its prosperity. The entire section of country bordering on these rivers and on the lake is believed to be rich in minerals. A great many claims have been located from which good assays have been obtained. When transportation facilities and machinery are at hand, paying properties will

doubtless be worked in many of these localities and Harrison is certain to reap her share of the harvest of wealth that inevitably flows from prosperous min- ing camps.

There is no town in Kootenai county that has fair- er prospects than has Harrison. Her citizens are pub- lic spirited and aggressive; they will allow no oppor- tunity to pass unimproved to advance their best inter- ests as a community. The spirit of progress pervades the business circles. Unity of sentiment and action on the part of town officials and citizens is a character- istic to which is attributable much of the prosperity of the past and it is certain to accomplish much more in the future. Harrison is one of the coming cities of northern Idaho.

PRIEST RIVER.

No town in northern Idaho can boast of such rap- id and at the same time substantial growth as can Priest River. In the census report of 1900 the entire voting precinct was credited with a population of but two hundred and eighty-four, while the town alone contained but fifty people. The town now has a pop- ulation of four or five hundred and its period of devel- opment is scarcely more than begun. What has been accomplished in Priest River has not been the result of special boom advertising by townsite owners. While there has been a boom in the truest sense of the ieri, the growth, although rapid, has been natural and in pace with the development of the surrounding country.

Priest River is the natural center or outlet of a heavily timbered section of country lying to the north. Several years ago a sawmill was built here, but only during the past two years has the development of the lumber industry been pushed with vigor and earnest- ness. The sure foundations for a thriving business center were laid in the forests and in the mountains long ago, and as soon as the speculative spirit of man' invaded the virgin fields with the pick and spade, the ax and saw. the town began to grow in answer to an unmistakable demand.

Prior to the building of the Great Northern Rail- road in 1891 Priest River had no official existence. Even then it was not designated as a regular sta- tion, being for years ouly a flag station where occa- sional stops were made. For ten years after the com- pletion of the railroad it had no depot. This building was not erected until late in the fall of 1901. But in 1891 it was made a postoffice, with the late James Judge as postmaster. Mr. Judge, who was deputy sheriff of the county from 1897 to 1902, was one of the first permanent settlers in the vicinity of the present town. In the spring of 1800 he took up a homestead at the junction of the Pend Oreille and Priest rivers. one-half mile from the town. He had been pre- ceded, in 1888, by Henry Keyser and in 1889 by John Canton, who also took up homesteads on the rivers named. The Judge and the Canton farms are direct- ly at the junction of the rivers. The Keyser ranch joins them on the north. These farms are today very

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

valuable properties, both because of location at the confluence of these streams and because of natural advantages as stock and fruit ranches. Among others who were early settlers are Thomas Benton, J. C. Finstad, M. S. Lindsey, and C. C. Lemley, who came in 1890, and W. H. Lemley, who came in 1891. Charles Jackson has conducted a general merchandise store for ten years. John A. Gowanlock, Mrs. M. P. Jones and Mears Brothers are also among the earlier merchants who have not only been exceptionally suc- cessful in business matters, but have done much in building up the town and making it what it is today, a live city with excellent future prospects. Unlike some of the other towns of northern Idaho, Priest River has not had to contend with disasters of flood and flame. While there have been fires and high waters, they came at a time when there was but little to destroy, before the present town had been built. For several weeks in the spring of 1890 snow covered the surrounding country five feet deep on the level. While the section was but sparsely settled, considerable suffering was caused by the deep snow which stopped travel of all kinds over the trails and the few roads that had been made, and a great deal of stock per- ished. Water was high in the streams when the snow melted and some damage resulted in a few localities along the banks, but the snow went off so slowly that losses were comparatively light. The development of the lumber industry has come by leaps and bounds in late years, but very little was accomplished in the de- cade closing with the year 1900. Some logging was done up the Priest river before a sawmill was erected at the town, the first logs being cut on section 12, about three miles north of town. These were floated down Priest river to its mouth and towed up the Pend Oreille river to Sandpoint.

The town site of Priest River slopes from the Pend . Oreille river, north to the crest of a range of hills. The elevation at the railroad tracks is two thousand one hundred and seventy feet. On the north limit of the town it is perhaps two hundred feet higher. The site is situated in the north half of section 25, township 56 north, range 4 west, of Boise meridian. The por- tion of the town now occupied by the White Pine Lum- ber Company's mill and yards, was first owned by William Baberstock, who squatted on the land before it was surveyed. Mr. Baberstock transferred his squatter rights to M. P. Jones, who in turn sold to the lumber company after survey had been made. The town site proper, including the business and resi- dence portions, is now owned by Charles Jackson and M. S. Lindsey. Joseph Horner first held squatter rights to the property. He sold his interests in 1893 to Mr. Jackson, with whom Mr. Lindsey is now in- terested. Mr. Jackson laid out the town in Septem- ber, 1901. After the government survey, it was found that a portion of the town was platted on railroad land. Later this portion was purchased from the company. · The Horner cabin was the first building erected with- in the present town limits. Although the present pop- ulation is sufficient to warrant incorporation and to entitle the citizens to enabling legislation, for this

purpose, it is not yet incorporated, a majority of the citizens believing that a city government would be of 110 special benefit under present conditions. Trials for offenses against law and order are taken before Justice J. C. Finstad. Amos McBee serves the com- munity as constable.

From the beginning there has been a commendable interest in educational matters. The first school build- ing is now occupied by C. C. Lemley as a residence. The building now in use for school purposes was erected in 1803. Among the earlier teachers of Priest River were J. C. Brady, afterward editor of the Sil- ver Blade at Rathdrum, and probate pudge of the county, and Frank A. McCall, the present probate judge. The schools are now in charge of Miss Sophia AcAbee, principal, Miss Mary Dawson and Miss Mc- Dougall, assistants. The members of the school board are Dr. F. B. McCormick, Charles Jackson and John Prater. The school district is numbered 25, and was created in 1891. The school building has already out- grown its usefulness because of the rapid increase in school population during the past two years, and it is the intention to put up a new building next year which will be modern in all its appointments and a credit to the town. The school house site occupies an elevated position in the north end of town from which is ob- tained a beautiful view of the whole city, the river, the valley and the mountain ranges beyond.

A list of the present business and professional men would include Charles Jackson, general merchandise. Mr. Jackson came in 1891 and has been in business since 1892. John A. Gowanlock has also conducted a general merchandise store since 1892. This business was originally conducted under the firm name of The Priest River Mercantile Company. Mr. Gowanlock and Joseph Porier were the proprietors. Mr. Porier sold out in 1897 to Mr. Gowanlock. Charles I. and Richard M. Mears have an extensive trade in general merchandise. Charles I. Mears is postmaster, The proprietor of the "New Store" is H. T. Winter. recent- ly from Minneapolis. The "Welcome" cigar store and club is owned by H. Ingamells, who commenced business January 1. 1903. The Fair, opened July 23, 1902, is a ladies' furnishings establishment owned by Mrs. H. Childs. Barbers are P. M. Bondanza and C. H. Bolling. Robert Bragaw, whose headquarters are here. is supervisor of the Priest River forest re- serve. The Eagle is a general store and rooming house conducted by Mrs Jones, who settled here in 1898. Dr. F. P. McCormick is the local physician and Dr. F. A. Gregory practices dentistry. There is the Depot Hotel ; Priest River Hotel, conducted by Mrs. Baker : a restaurant by Joseph A. Amons and J. W. Wray : St. Elmo Hotel, by Charles W. Beardmore, and the Western Hotel, by Mrs. Callahan.

A Congregational church building has just been completed. Rev. Chamberlain is pastor. A Catholic church has also just been finished under the super- vision of Father Purcell, of Rathdrum. The fraternal lodges are represented by the Rebekahs: Modern Woodmen. Camp No. 40, whose officers are Joseph Young. V. C : Angust Lartze, W. A. : John Hickman,

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

clerk. Maccabees. William Martin, commander ; J. C. Finstad, P. C .; J. W. Wray, secretary ; J. A. Amon, chaplain. I. O. O. F., Ben Amon, N. G. ; Sam- nel Davis, V. G .: J. W. Wray, treasurer. Foresters, W. H. Lemley, C. R. : Harvey Wright, secretary : A. C. Harris, treasurer. The Priest River Enterprise is a weekly paper devoted to the best interests of town and country. It is ably edited by A. B. Hoag, who came here from Mt. Idaho and commenced the publication of the paper July 4, 1902.

Priest River's growth is dependent upon the devel- opment of the lumber industry. Three mills are in op- eration now and others are expected to locate here in the future. The Graham and Robinson plant is a small mill erected about two years ago to supply the local trade. The Priest River Company, whose buildings were erected in 1901, manufactures red cedar shingles. It has a capacity of one hundred thousand shingles per day of ten hours. In the sheds belonging to this company are stored at the present time five million shingles undergoing the air drying process prepara- tory to shipping. The officers of this company are Francis J. Gillingham, president ; D. W. Bergstrom, vice-president ; W. C. Bergstrom, secretary and treas- urer. The White Pine Lumber Company, Ltd., com- pleted its Priest River mills last summer. It now cuts between seventy-five thousand and one hundred thou- sand feet of lumber per day. It will eventually become one of the largest mills in the state. It is provided with machinery for turning out shingles, laths and finished lumber. The boom facilities on the river at this point are unsurpassed and the dry kilns have a capacity of forty thousand feet per day. This company owns twenty-seven thousand acres of timber land in east- ern Washington and Idaho, and is composed mainly of eastern capitalists. The local manager and secretary of the company is A. V. Brodrick. Captain Thomas Downs is president.

The prospects for the future growth of Priest River are as good as could be desired. New buildings, both business and residence houses, are going up in all .parts of town. Good brick clay is plentiful in the vicinity and a brick manufacturing plant is about to be put in operation. Frame buildings will in time give way to brick structures. The south line of the Priest River forest reserve is but six miles away. When this reserve is opened, its development will contribute very materially to the prosperity of the town. Dairy- ing and fruit raising are industries that are beginning to be developed in surrounding territory. Stock rais- ing and feeding is becoming a remunerative business. The mineral resources of the region promise much when mills are built for handling low grade ores. There are several prospects in the vicinity of the town and in the Priest Lake section that are considered valuable properties and only await mills and transportation fa- cilities to develop into paying claims. There is along both rivers quite an extensive area of agricultural land now in a state of cultivation that is tributary to Priest River, and as the forests are cleared this area will grow.

Priest River is fifty-three miles from Spokane on

the Great Northern Railroad. From a scenic and san- itary point of view it has an ideal town site consist- ing of eighty-seven acres. With its lumber mills an assured fact, with other industries only awaiting de- velopment, with excellent transportation facilities, both by rail and water. with progressive citizens, with good churches and good schools, there is every rea- son to believe that it will continue to grow and will always remain a desirable place to live, and an import- ant commercial center.

POST FALLS.

From an issue of the "Spokane Times" dated De- cember 25. 1879, we quote the following: "Mr. Fred- erick Post, owner of the grist mill at this place, left on last Tuesday to go to his old place at what is known as the Upper Falls. Mr. Post located there some eight years ago (1871), and began the construction of a sawmill at that point. He had the necessary machin- ery for a grist mill and sawmill. He finally gave up for the time the completion of his project there, and moved the machinery for the grist mill to this point. He now returns to complete the sawmill partially fin- ished then. He informs us that there is almost a natural mill race formed in the solid rock at the side of the fall, where, by the use of blasting powder, he will complete the work of nature."

Although there were but few settlements made at Post Falls for a number of years later, its history may be said to date from the completion of this saw- mill, early in 1880. At this time the northern bound- ary of the Coeur d'Alene Indian reservation was, at this point. the Spokane river, and Mr. Post purchased of the Indians the mill site and adjacent lands. The mill and townsite proved by later survey to be located on the northeast quarter of section 3, township No. 50, range 5, west of Boise meridian. As this mill has been the life of the town, it is appropriate that we give its history in brief outline. At the time of ' its completion Mr. Post had business interests in Spo- kane that required his attention, and the mill was leased to other parties for a number of years. It was first leased and operated by a Mr. Lewis and later by Fred Bish. These two in turn ran the mill until 1886, when Mr. Post himself took charge of it. He conducted it for about three years, when it was again leased to Fred Bish. In the summer of 1892 Mr. Bish and a companion were working at a boom of logs just above the falls, in a row boat, which was tied to the logs. The fastenings broke and the boat and its occupants went over the falls. Both lives were lost. After the accident the mill was leased to S. D. Bader, who operated it until 1894, when Mr. Post sold out to the Spokane & Idaho Lumber Company, of which H. M. Strathern was president. The other members of the company were J. M. and C. Patterson. In November, 1901, the Patterson interests were pur- chased by Daniel McGillis and Chester D. Gibbs, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In December of the same year the name of the company was changed to the Idaho Lumber & Manufacturing Company, Mr. Strathern continuing as president of the company.

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HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

The mill plant was destroyed by fire December 30, 1902. As an evidence of the importance of the mill as a factor in the prosperity of the town it may be stated that at the time of the fire Post Falls had a population of six hundred. Two months later the population was but little more that half that number. The mill had a capacity of seventy thousand feet of lumber in twenty-four hours and was valued at eighty thousand dollars. The company carried fifty-seven thousand dollars insurance. Although definite ar- rangements have not been completed for rebuilding the probabilities are that another mill will be erected. The site is an exceptionally good one on account of the immense water power available and the excellent boom facilities. Just above the falls the river is wide and deep, with a slow current. Logs are floated down the river from Lake Coeur d'Alene, and the boom will accommodate at one time fifteen million feet. It is considered the finest mill site in Kootenai county. In connection with the plant was a planing and lath mill and a sash and door factory.

When Mr. Post sold the mill in 1894 he reserved the perpetual right to power sufficient to pump water for town use, having put in a system of water works in 1885. In 1892 mains of distribution pipes were renewed. The water works plant now belongs to Mrs. Alice Martin, a daughter of Mr. Post. Frederick Post, the pioneer of Post Falls and also a pioneer of Rathdrum and one of the pioneers of Spokane, where he built the first flouring mill and where there is a street (Post) named for him, is still living at Post Falls with his daughter, Mrs. Martin.

Post Falls has the distinction of having the only flouring mill in Kootenai county. This mill was erected in 1889 by Dart Brothers. It was owned and operated by Dart Brothers and J. H. Sullivan, the latter a resident of Seattle, until December, 1902, when it was sold to the Cable Milling Company, of which E. J. Dyer is president, E. G. Russell, vice president. B. O. Graham, secretary and treas- urer, and Leon H. Graham, manager. The mill has a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels of flour per day and operates an electric light plant for lighting the building. During the year 1900 it ground one hundred and forty thousand bushels of wheat and ship- ped one hundred and fifty cars of mill products.

A woolen mill was built here in 1895 by Cane Brothers from Massachusetts. It was well equipped with machinery. but never did any weaving. It manu- factured hosiery principally while running, but has been closed for sometime and nothing is known of the future intentions of the owners. It is now the prop- erty of Mrs. Smith, of Spokane.

Among the early settlers at Post Falls was James H. Kennedy, who took up a soldier's homestead Oc- tober 17, 1884. The legal description of this land, which joins the town site, is Lots 1, 2, 3 and 7, section 4, township 50, north, range 5, west of Boise meridian. Mr. Kennedy opened a blacksmith shop in 1886 and is still conducting it. M. S. McCrea had a general store here before the railroad was built, in 1881. Maj. George A. Manning and son, C. F., and W. J. Butter-

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 193

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