USA > Idaho > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 43
USA > Montana > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 43
USA > Washington > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 43
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377
LIBRARIES AND PRINTING.
which in 1872 numbered 1,000 vols. In the following year at a meeting of the citizens of Vancouver a library association was formed, and in 1872 Tum- water followed with a collection of 200 vols. Walla Walla organized a library association and free reading-room, which was supported by citizens for the benefit of strangers, and had a literary aud lecture society, to which the officers from the garrison gave much time. The literary society was es- tablished as early as 1865.
The first printing done in this section was at the missionary station of Lapwai, in what was then Oregon, and was afterward Washington, and finally Idaho. The printer was Edwin O. Hall of the Honolulu mission, subsequently editor of the Polynesian. Accompanied by his wife, he visited Lapwai in the spring of 1839, bringing with him a small press and material, to the value of $500, a present from the Honolulu converts. With this he instructed Smith and Rogers of Lapwai in the printing art, remaining until 1841, during which time translations of a part of the hook of Matthew, some hymns, and school primers were printed in the Nez l'ercé language for Spalding's use in teaching. The historic press was placed among the public relics of Oregon.
The earliest newspaper published in Washington was the Columbian, first issued at Olympia, Sept. 11, 1832, by J. W. Wiley and T. F. McElroy. The press ou which it was printed was the one on which the first number of the Oregonian was printed. It was an old Ramage, and was discarded by Dryer after a year or two, purchased for Olympia, sent to Port Townsend, and thence on L. B. Hastings' schooner to its destination. In March 1833 Wiley retired from the Columbian, which had remained neutral in politics, devoting itself to the establishment of the territory, and was sueceeded by J. J. Beebe, who remained in the firm only four months, retiring July 13th.
On the 17th of Sept. McElroy retired, and Matt. K. Smith took charge of the paper. This proprietorship lasted until Dec. 3d, when J. W. Wiley and A. M. Berry appeared as publishers, Wiley being editor, and the Columbian was changed to the Washington Pioneer, 'a straight-out, radical democratic journal.' Iu Feb. 1834 the name was changed to Pioneer and Democrat, which it retained during the most interesting portion of territorial history. At the same time R. L. Doyle joined the publishing firm, and Berry, going east to at- tend to the printing of the territorial statutes, for which they had taken a con- tract, died in Ang. at Greenland, N. H. Doyle had issued a prospectus of a journal to be called the Northwest Democrat, in Nov. 1853, but was induced to come into the arrangement with Wiley as above. On Dec. 16, 1854, George B. Goudy became associated with the publishers of the Pioneer and Democrat, and in Aug. 1855 became sole publisher, Wiley remaining editor; but in Ang. 1856 retired, and C. Furste became publisher in connection with Wiley. The latter soon drew out of the publishing business, leaving Furste to conduct 10 alone, who also joined the editorial staff in Feb. 1837. In May 1838 Furste became sole editor and proprietor. He sold the paper to James Lodge in Nov. 1860 who assumed the entire control, but the paper was discontinued in the spring of 18G1. Wiley died March 30, 1860, at Olympia, in his 40th year.
The second newspaper published in Washington was the Puget Sound Courier, a whig journal issued at Steilacoom May 19, 1855, by William B. Affleck and E. T. Gunn fer about one year. The Courier was revived in Olympia in Jan. 1871, and issued weckly by the Puget Sound Printing Co. Bagley and Harned published it from June 1 to Nov. 15, 1873, when the firm became C. B. Bagley & Co., and in Nov. 1873 C. B. Bagley alone. The first number of the Puget Sound Daily Courier was issued in Jan. 1872, and in Dec. 1874 it suspended for lack of support, but reissned as the Daily Courier carly in 1877, having consolidated with the Olympian, which had a brief existence. The Washington Republican was first published at Steila- coom April 3, 1857, Frank Balch editor, and W. B. Affleck printer. It was designed to promulgate the principles of the then new republican party, and advocate the election of W. II. Wallace to the office of delegate to congress. When it had served its purpose it suspended. Ebey's Journal, MS., v. 16.
378
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND NEWSPAPERS.
The Puget Sound Herald, published by George W. Lee and Charles Prosch at Steilacoom, March 12, 1858, was printed on the press which had served for the Courier and Republican in turn. It passed entirely into the hands of Prosch the second month of its existence, who nndertook the somewhat diffi- cult task of publishing an impartial and politically independent newspaper. That he succeeded, by laboring for the material interests of the Puget Sound region, in keeping his journal alive through several years of the most depress- ing period of its financial history, proves his ability as a journalist. The Northern Light was started at Whatcom about the Ist of July, ISSS, by W. Bausman & Co., but suspended in Sept. when that place was deserted. The Port Townsend Register, conducted by Travers Daniels, was first issued at that place Dec. 23, 1859. It was devoted to news, literature, and local inter- ests. In March 1860 Daniels returned to Va and Mr Whitacre took charge. The paper did not long survive, being suspended in August. It was, how- ever, subsequently revived by P. M. O'Brien and H. M. Frost as publishers, and H. L. Sutton editor, with democratic politics. The North- West began its precarious existence carly in July 1860 at Port Townsend. It was conducted by E. S. Dyer in the beginning, who was independent in polities. He issued but one or two numbers, however, before John F. Damon, the publisher, took the editorial chair, who conducted a republican paper for a time with no very encouraging prospects, when it expired in Dec. 1861. The Vancouver Chron- icle was started in July 1860 by L. E. V. Coon and John M. Murphy, and devoted to the material interests of the territory. In the following Sept. Murphy retired from the Chronicle. H. G. Struve edited it until about the close of 1861, when the name was changed to Vancouver Telegraph, and Urban E. Hicks assumed editorial control. The Register was subsequently revived and is still published.
The Olympia Washington Standard was founded by John Miller Murphy Nov. 17, 1860. In March ISGI was founded the Weekly Pacific Tribune of Olympia, a republican paper, which at first appeared without individual sponsors, but which, having the territorial patronage, took a longer lease of life than many of its predecessors. In 1866 R. W. Hewitt had charge of the paper, followed in 1867 by Charles Prosch & Co., in 1868 by Charles Prosch, later by Charles Prosch & Sons, in 1870 by Charles Prosch & Son, and in 1872 by Charles Prosch again, and in 1873 by Thomas W. Prosch. In Dec. 1867 an attempt was made to establish a daily, which was not successful; but on the 4th of Oet., 1869, a daily was published, the first of the Olympia Daily Pacific Tribune regular issues. The Daily Pacific Tribune appeared in Tacoma in 1874, with Thomas W. Prosch editor, and in Seattle in 1875 with the same editor, who was succeeded in 187S by E. A. Turner, Charles Prosch remaining publisher. The Overland Press was next started at Olympia by Alonzo M. Poe, publisher and editor, presumably to fill the place of the Pioneer and Democrat with the democratic party. It was first issued in July 1861, and survived for a year or two, being edited by B. F. Kendall at the time of his death in Jan. IS62, soon after which it suspended. In the mean time, the castern portion of Washington being rapidly settled, a paper was started at Walla Walla called the Northern Light, in September 1861, by Daniel Dodge, who had contemplated setting up his establishment at Seattle. It had a brief existence.
The Washington Statesman followed on the 29th of November, published by N. Northrup, R. B. Smith, and R. R. Rees. It was subsequently pur- chased by W. H. Newell, formerly connected with the Dalles Mountaineer, who used it in support of democratic principles down to the time of his death, twenty years later. It was ably conducted, and prospered, its name being changed to Walla Walla Statesman after a few months. Nehemiah Northrop was a native of New York. In 1853 he, in company with his brother Henry and Alonzo Leland, published the Portland Democratic Standard. In 1859 he was one of the proprietors of the San Francisco Evening Journal, but sold his interest in 1860, and the following year removed to Walla Walla. He died in Feb. 1863 of consumption, at the age of 27 years. Olympia Wash. Stand- ard, Feb. 28, 1863.
379
THE WASHINGTON PRESS.
The Golden Age was first published at Lewiston, then in Washington terri- tory, August 11, 1862, by A. S. Gould, who had been connected with a Port- land paper, and was subsequently engaged in journalism in Utah. It passed into the hands of Alonzo Leland, who has conducted it for many years. In politics it was republican under Gould and democratic under Leland. The Walla Walla Messenger was started at that place by R. B. Smith and A. Leland in Aug. 1862, but was not long published. On the 15th of August, 1863, the first number of the Washington Gazette appeared without the names of editor or publisher. On the 10th day of Dec. it reappeared as the Seattle Gazette, with W. B. Watson editor, and ran until June 1864, when it sus- pended, Watson being elected to the legislature on the republican ticket. The Washington Democrat was next started at Olympia in Nov. 1864, which, as its name indicated, was devoted to auti-administration politics, its editor being U. E. Hicks. It had but a brief existence. The Far West was a mag- azine published by E. W. Foster at Olympia, devoted to morals, religion, health, education, and agriculture. Like all other such publications, it failed because it could not compete with better ones received daily from older com- munities. It was first issued in 1865. The Olympia Transcript first appeared November 30, 1867, published by E. T. Gunn and J. N. Gale. The follow- ing year T. F. McElroy and S. D. Howe were principal owners, but about 1870 it passed entirely into the hands of Gunn, who owned and conducted it to the time of his death in 1885. In politics it was independent.
The Weekly Message was first published at Port Townsend by A. Petty- grove in May 1867. It was a small sheet, with only a local interest. It was succeeded by the Argus, also edited by Pettygrove, and later by C. W. Phil- brick. The Territorial Republican issued its first number Aug. 10, 1SGS, pub- lished by J. R. Watson. As its name implied, it was in the interest of republicanism. After running one year the Republican Printing Co. became its publishers, but it was extinct before 1872. The Weekly Intelligencer, of Seattle, published its initial number on the 5th of Aug., 1867. It was neutral in politics, and issued by S. L. Maxwell. It began publishing a tri-weekly Aug. 9, 1870, and a daily in Sept. following. The Walla Walla Union, the first republican paper published in the Walla Walla Valley, issued its initial number on the 17th of April, 1869, being published by an association of citi- zens. In May, R. M. Smith & Co. were announced as publishers. It continued, with P. B. Johnson editor, as an able country journal. The Walla Walla Watchman was a denominational paper. The Alaska Times, conducted by Thomas G. Murphy, was first issued at Sitka, April 23, 1869, but owing to lack of support and changes in the military department, was removed to Seattle October, 23, 1870, where it was published weekly as a Sunday paper for a year or two longer, when it suspended. The Puget Sound Dispatch was founded in 1869 by C. H. Larrabee and Beriah Brown. Brown was from Wisconsin, and had been editor of a republican paper at Sacramento, Cal., and of a democratic paper at San Francisco, and was what was known as a copperhead in war times. Though an able writer, Larrabee soon dropped out of the journal, and Brown conducted it alone in the interests of democracy. In 1878, after several changes, it was merged in the Intelligencer. It was the first paper to publish a daily. The North Pacific Rural, a farmer's journal, and the Post were both started in 1878. The Post was soon consolidated with the Intelligencer. The Seattle Evening Herald was first issued July 5, 1882, by a company consisting of W. G. C. Pitt, T. H. Bates, and Thaddeus Hanford. It was printed with the material of the old Pacific Tribune. The Mirror was issued as a temperance journal, the Sunday Star a society paper, both of Seattle. The Temperance Echo was published at Olympia by J. H. Munson, in 1872, as the organ of the grand lodge of the good templars, de- voted to temperance, education, and morality. The Kalama Beacon, issued first iu May 1870, was owned and controlled by the Northern Pacific railroad company, and published in its interest. It was suspended when the railroad work was temporarily discontinued in Washington territory. The North Pacific Coast, a semi-monthly journal devoted to the dissemination of informa-
380
INDIAN RESERVATIONS.
tion concerning Washington, was first published at New Tacema, Dec. 15, 1879, presumably in the interest of the land department of the Northern Pacific railroad company. No names of publishers or editors appeared. The Weekly Ledger, an independent journal, 'devoted to the development of the resources of Washington,' began publication at New Tacoma by Radebaugh & Co. in April 1880. Then there was the Tacoma News; also the Bellingham Bay Mail, edited and published by James Powers, republican in politics; the Vancouver Independent, W. Byron Daniels editor; the Spirit of the West, Walla Walla, B. M. Washburne editor, independent in polities; Olympia Northwest Farmer; the Dayton News, founded in 1874 by A. J. Cain; the Waitsburg Times; and Columbia Chronicle, of eastern Washington; and the weekly Puget Sound Express, Steilacoom, Julius Dickens editor.
WASHINGTON INDIAN RESERVATIONS.
The Indian reservations of Washington occupy land as follows: There were five reserves belonging to one ageney, the Puyallup, covering altogether about 29,000 acres. The reservation situated on this river contained over 18,000 acres, for the most part heavily timbered. The aggregate of land under cultivation was in 1885 less than 1,000 acres, though over 150 home- steads had been taken, chiefly in forty-aere lots. Nisqually reservation, on that river, contained 4,717 acres. The Chehalis reservation, half of which was good agricultural land, contained 4,224 acres. On Shoalwater Bay were reserved 340 acres. The Squoxin reservation covered an island in Mason ce., containing about 1,500 acres, little of which was improved. Tulalip agency embraced the reservations of Tulalip Bay, Mneklesheet prairie, Port Madi- son, Swinomish River, and Lummi delta, at the mouth of the Nocksack River, comprising 52,64S acres. The headquarters for these various reserva- tions was at Tulalip Bay, where there were between 15,000 and 20,000 acres of the richest land. This ageney was in charge of the catholics, who had a chapel on each of the reservations. Schools were taught, and about three fourths of the Indians cultivated gardens or farms. The Indian town was built in a triangular form around a flag-staff and crucifix. Neah Bay agency, located in the extreme north-west corner of the county of Clallam, contained 23,000 acres for the use of the Makahs, who numbered between 500 and 600. The land was ehicfly mountainous and heavily timbered, and the Indians, who were a sea-going tribe and lived by seal-hunting and otter-fishing, had not adopted a civilized mede of living to anyextent. These Indians had a methodist teacher. The Queninlt agency comprised the Queniults, Queets, Hohs, and Quilleliutes, none of them numerous tribes, and only the first two living upon the reservation, which contained 224,000 acres of heavily timbered land, in- accessible for half the year. Only about twenty acres were cultivated in 1885, but these people, like the Makahs, lived on the products of the ocean fisheries, and were by no means poor, their houses being comfortable and themselves well-fed. Little progress was made in changing their mode of life. The Skokemish agency on the Skokomish River comprised some- thing over 5,000 acres, of which about 1,300 were suitable for tillage and pasturage, the remainder being either in heavy forest or valueless. The tribes located here were the Sklallams and Twanas, later making considerable progress toward comfortable living. The Twanas resided on the reservation and sent their children to schoel, also clearing and planting, and cutting saw- logs for sale to the mills. But the Sklallams lived in a number of villages some 50 or 75 miles from the agency, often near milling establishments. At Jamestown, the largest of their towns and the residence of the chief, the Ind- ians had purchased the land -- 200 acres-and erected a school-house and church. Their habits were temperate and industrious.
East of the Caseade Mountains the Yakima agency extended over a reserva- tion containing nearly 900,000 acres, with a population of 3,600, which would give to every man, woman, and child belonging to the agency some 250 acres. The actual amount under any kind of improvement was about 5,000.
381
INDIANS.
Large herds of cattle and horses roamed over the remainder, all of which was good farming and grazing land. The Colville agency had nominal control of eight different tribes, aggregating over 3,000 persons, including the Colville, Okanagan, Spokane, Kalispel, Sanpoil, Mithow, Nespilem, and Lake Chelan, bands mainly of non-treaty Indians, and some of them refusing to admit the authority of the U. S., though peaceably disposed. During mining times in the following years the Yakima war, the supt made use of the officer in command as a local agent to regulate theirintercourse with the white population and preserve the peace. It was not until April 9, 1872, that a reservation was set apart for them by executive order, including the Colville Valley, and with which they were pleased. Against including this valley, in which there were ahout sixty white settlers, there was an immediate protest, which led the president to issue an order on the following 2d of July confining the reservation to the country bounded on the east and south by the Columbia, on the west by the Okanagan, and north by B. C. Olympia Transcript, July 27, 1872; H. Misc. Doc., 1873-4, 122, 43d cong. Ist sess. This caused a counter-protest from agents and Indians. The change was, however, adhered to, but the Colville Indians continued to occupy that valley in common with white settlers, the jesuits taking charge of their spiritual affairs, as they had done since 1842. A further grant was made on the west side of the Okana- gan in April 1879, whereby the reservation was extended on the west side of the Okanagan to the Cascade Range, making the reserved land comprise all the country in east Washington west of the Columbia and north of about 48° 30', containing about 4,000 square miles, or between two and three million acres. On the 6th of March, IS80, a tract bounded on the east by a line run- ning south from where the last reservation crossed the Okanagan to the mouth of said river, and thence down the Columbia to the junction of the stream which is the outlet of lake Chelan, following the meanderings of that lake on the west shore to the source of the stream which feeds it, thence west to the 44th degree of longitude, and north to the southern boundary of the re- serve of 1879, containing about 600,000 acres, was allowed for a reservation for the non-treaty Indians under Chief Moses, who claimed it by virtue of services rendered the U. S. in preventing an Indian war. Walla Walla Statesman, April 10, 1880; Ind. Aff. Rept, 1879, i. 80. There were in all about four and a half million acres of land sct apart for the use of some 14,300 men, women, and children remaining in 1879, giving 323 acres to each individual, tuition and other benefits being free. Of this land some was very poor, more particularly the Colville reservation, but there was much good land.
EXPLORATIONS, ROADS, AND RAILROADS.
Frequent reference has been made in the narrative of Washington history to the opening of roads to give the Puget Sound region land communication with other parts of the country, and open a way for the mails. In 1852 the only means of access from the Columbia River was by a cattle-trail, while immigrants and their luggage were conveyed in canoes up the Cowlitz River, after which they were compelled to take to the rude trail cut by the immi- grants of 1845. Warbass & Townsend, storckeepers at Monticello, adver- tised in Dec. 1852 to forward passengers and freight, saying that the mail- boat would leave for Cowlitz landing every Tuesday morning at 6 o'clock. They had some ' very large bateaux running on the river capable of accommo- dating 8 or 10 families and their plunder, including wagons, yokes, chains,' etc. A bateau managed by 8 or 9 expert Indians would reach Cowlitz land- ing in about three days, the distance from Fox's landing, or Rainier, on the Columbia being 34 miles. Olympia Columbian, May 14, 1853. Five days were oftener required for the passage, and the charges were heavy. Subscriptions were taken in Dec. 1852 to raise money to construct a wagon-way up the east side of the Cowlitz to connect at the landing with this road. A petition was also circulated for signatures praying the Oregon legislature for an appropri- ation to aid the citizens of northern Oregon in surveying and completing a
382
EXPLORATIONS, ROADS, AND RAILROADS.
territorial road from the Columbia to the head of Puget Sound, a distance of eighty miles. This road was put under contract in 1853. A movement was at the same time set on foot to open a road over the Cascade Mountains to- ward Walla Walla. In the summer of 1852 R. H. Lansdale explo ed a route up the Snohomish River via the Snognalimich fork to the grea; falls, and thence eastward to the base of the mountains, where it followed up the south fork of the 'Dewamps or Black River' to the summit of the mountains. The trail then turned directly toward the head waters of the middle fork of the Yakima, and thence down the mountains towards the Columbia. This ap- pears to have been the first survey of the Yakima pass by citizens of the U. S. A portion of this route was an old Indian trail which could then have been traversed by pack-trains without serious inconvenience. Lansdale, who resided on Whidbey Island, proposed to begin the construction of a road over this route in the following spring, which would have brought the immigration to the lower portion of the Sound. Ebey, the member of the Oregon legisla- ture from that region, failed, however, to obtain the approval of that body to establish a territorial road from Snohomish falls to Fort Walla Walla, the assembly preferring to memorialize congress for a military road. But he se- cured instead a road law for the counties on Puget Sound, which partly ac- complished the object desired. This law provided for the accumulation of a road fund out of a tax of four mills on the dollar, which, with the assistance of subscriptions by persons interested, would be sufficient to construct a good wagon-road from the mouth of the Cowlitz to Olympia, and of another across the Cascade Mountains. Before work could be begun in the spring, news was received that congress had appropriated $20,000 for a military road from Fort Steilacoom to Fort Walla Walla. Fearing government delay in furnish- ing the money for its construction, and wishing to have a road opened for the next immigration to come direct to Puget Sound, the people undertook the work themselves, and endeavored to bring the road to Fort Steilacoom, thus inviting congressional aid, and securing a terminus near Olympia. A sur- vey was therefore made of the Nachess pass, and the road brought down the valley of White River to the junction of Green River, where it turned south across the Puyallup to Fort Steilacoom. The road company proceeded to its task, about fifty men enlisting for the work on the promise of some 150 sub- scribers to the fund that they should be paid. Before its completion gov- ernment surveyors were iu the field under Mcclellan at the head of the west- ern division of the Stevens exploring expedition. Mcclellan's instructions from the secretary of war, dated May 9, 1853, were to use every exertion to open a road over the Cascade Mountains in time for the fall emigration; but as Mcclellan did not arrive at Fort Vancouver until past the middle of June, nor leave it until July 27th, whence he proceeded northward, dividing his party, and examining both sides of the Cascade range, he could do nothing more than guarantee the payment of $1,300 carned by the men working on the last division of the road west of the mountains, promise to recommend the payment by congress of $5,700 still due the citizens' company, and give his approval of the pass selected.
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