An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 50

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146

USA > Washington > Kittitas County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 50
USA > Washington > Yakima County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 50
USA > Washington > Klickitat County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 50

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After planning the new town, the Northern Pacific offered lots to all who would build and move buildings upon them. The first to move from Yakima City was David Guilland, one of the leading hotel men of that point. His hotel build- ing was started on its four-mile journey some

time in February, evidently before the 17th, as the Yakima Sun of that date, the only number ever issued, stated that while the Guilland House was being moved, Doctor C. J. Taft was making arrangements for the erection of a three-story, fifty by seventy, modern hotel building to take its place. That the people of old town were greatly incensed at what they called the North Yakima "outrage" was also evinced by this paper, which contained statements from P. J. Flint, E. W. Dixon, D. W. Stair. F. T. Parker, Hoscheid, Bartholet & Company, and others con- demning the railroad company and arguing the folly of leaving beautified Yakima City for a dusty barren waste.

But Guilland paused not in the work of mov- ing his hotel. It is stated that he had to employ two men to guard his property from destruction during the month that it was en route, and that twice he had to make a threatening flourish of weapons, but that his guests all staid with him and received their meals regularly.

Practically no printed records being available and the testimony of those who were here at the time being very confused in the matter of dates, it were vain to attempt to fix the order in which buildings were moved to or built in North Yakima. A. B. Weed tells us that he and his partner, Mr. Rowe, started shortly after the filing of the plat to erect a business building on the site of the present Yakima National Bank, and that by dint of favorable weather and energetic work, they were ready for business by April Ist. Allen & Chapman opened a drug store about the same time on the northwest corner of Yakima avenue and Second street, and there were doubtless sev- eral other business establishments in the place besides those mentioned, though Mr. Weed says that the major portion of the population prior to May · Ist consisted of the railway construction crews encamped there.

But the bank at old town had agreed to move to North Yakima, and other business houses were preparing to accept a new home. On the whole, things looked bright for the new town and exceed- ingly dark for the old one. About the Ist of May a meeting was held at the latter point, at which the people agreed to stand by each other in a determined fight against the new town and the railroad company and all the disintegrating forces at work in their midst. A little later, however, a mass-meeting was held, apparently somewhat milder in sentiment, for it elected J. B. Reavis to join with two other men chosen at a similar meeting in North Yakima to proceed to New York city and lay the entire matter before the directors of the railway company. The repre- sentatives of the new town in this commission were A. B. Weed and J. M. Adams. The three went at once to New York as requested. Before waiting upon the board of directors of the com- pany, they held a species of caucus among them-

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selves, in the course of which they all stated their conviction that two towns so close together could not both flourish; that two stations were unneces- sary at the time, and that the station ought to be located at North Yakima. However, they also agreed that if the company wished to make North Yakima the principal point it should bear the expense of moving the business houses and resi- dences from the old town, else the project would fail, as Yakima City would never acquiesce and there would always be war. To accept the terms of the commission meant the expenditure on the part of the railway company of a small fortune, but, strange to say, they acquiesced cheerfully and telegraphed their decision to Paul Schulze. The meeting between the board and the com- mission, Mr. Weed says, took place about the middle of May.

During the stay of the commission in New York an event transpired which illustrates how bitter was the fight between the two towns at this period and how wrought up were the feelings of the people. J. M. Adams was then owner and editor of the Yakima Signal, which in his absence was left in charge of E. M. Reed. The building was on jacks preparatory to being removed to North Yakima, but some one determined that it should never swell the ranks of the adversary or increase the size of the rival town. Entering the building at night, this unknown person exploded a charge of dynamite on the forms, thereby badly damaging the type and other materials and com- pletely wrecking the building. But whatever material was left uninjured was speedily gathered together and installed in a building on the corner of Front and Walnut streets, North Yakima, whence the next number of the paper issued on time.

No sooner was the result of the New York conference known, than the leading business men of old Yakima gave up hope of saving their town and commenced active preparations for moving. The months of May, June and July were very busy ones. Hyman Harris opened a general merchandise store; MacCrimmon, Needham & Masters, another; Schisthl & Schorn, a black- smith shop: J. S. Lowe, a hardware; T. J. V. Clark, a general merchandise store; Ward Brothers, a grocery and shoe store; Henry Ditter & Sons and W. G. Cary, general merchandise stores, all in buildings either erected for the pur- pose that summer or moved from the old town. Many other business enterprises were also estab- lished during the summer and fall. The North- ern Pacific Company made the town a terminus throughout 1885 and a part of the succeeding year, thus giving a tremendous impetus to its growth .. Mr. Weed says that by January 1, 1886, there were not fewer than twelve hundred peo- ple in the town.

North Yakima was an exceedingly lively place during the first year or so of its existence, but its

site was not very attractive at first. Everything,

says the Herald, was bustle and confusion. The railroad track had been built to this point, but there was no depot (that is, during the early part of the year), unless you could so denominate a box car that had been taken from its wheels. Here Agent Cooper reigned supreme. The only train by which one could go or come was of mixed character, passenger, freight and construc- tion, with Laughlin MacLean, who was later associated with Fred R. Reed in the real estate business, officiating as conductor. The spring was one of continued and turbulent winds. They may not have been so strong as they now seem, but the streets were all new and ground into powder by the freighting and the moving of houses from the old town. A man named Payton Hatch was here from Portland with an extensive moving outfit, and when he would put twenty-four or forty-eight horses onto a building like S. J. Lowe's hardware store, the First National Bank, the Oddfellows' building or Sam Chapell's store, it would move right along over the four miles, but the way the dust would fly was a caution. There were other moving outfits, including those of A. Forbis and a man named Jones. "Add to this," continues the paper, "the din made by hundreds of carpen- ters, the banging of pianos and the tooting or twanging of wind and stringed instruments in the numerous saloons, the rolling of the rondo and roulette balls and the betting cries, and you have a medley of sounds that it is difficult accurately to describe. "

In a town which sprang into existence so sud- denly and where so many saloons maintained the open-door policy day and night, there was need for a strong government. Such could not be legally secured as speedily as the emergency demanded, and the people themselves came to the rescue by calling a mass-meeting and organ- izing a provisional government. The funds necessary to equip and maintain this were fur- nished by voluntary contributions, as appears from the following subscription list, which was discov- ered by Colonel L. S. Howlett among his old papers, and published by the Herald in Novem- ber, 1895:

"For the support of the provisional govern- ment of North Yakima, W. T.

"We, the undersigned citizens and property holders of said town, do hereby subscribe the sums set opposite our respective names; said sum to be payable at the present and each succeeding month until the town is legally organized: Northern Pacific Land Department, $151; T. J. V. Clark, $10; Cummings & Tucker, $10; Nelson Bennett, $10; Weed & Rowe, $5; Churchill, Shardlow & Company, $5; Mitchell & Powell, $5; Barth & Wheeler, $5; William Steigler, $5; Mike Farrell, $1 ; Joseph Bartholet, $10; Bush & Mach- ison, $5.'

It is said that Colonel Henry D. Cock, the

Copyrighted by Rutter, Photographer.

YAKIMA INDIANS IN WAR COSTUME.

POTATO FIELD NEAR TOPPENISH.

HARVESTING IN HORSE HEAVEN COUNTRY.

2II

YAKIMA COUNTY.

marshal and consequently the most important officer of the provisional government, was very efficient in the discharge of his duties. He main- tained law and order as best he could until a charter could be secured and a town government organized in legal form. The first step in this direction was taken at a popular assembly in the fall of 1885, when Judge Graves and Edward Whitson were appointed to draft a suitable char- ter. The work was successfully accomplished; the instrument thus prepared was introduced into the legislature by Councilman J. B. Reavis, was passed by both houses, signed by the gov- ernor, and given the force and authority of law. It remained in operation for several years, being superseded eventually by a charter framed in accordance with the provisions of the state con- stitution and the laws enacted under it.

While North Yakima was the terminus of the railway and during the period of construction between it and Ellensburg, its growth was rapid and times were excellent. According to official statements, the money spent by the company at this period aggregated forty thousand dollars a day. But after the work was completed to Ellensburg, the reaction came in good earnest, threatening to overwhelin some in financial ruin. There was a reaction also against the extreme freedom of the earliest times, the people revert- ing to absolute prohibition of all sorts of gam- bling and liquor selling. Fortunately, the finan- cial pressure did not last long. From the nature of the case it could not, for the building of the transcontinental road was bringing prosperity to the territory at large; indeed, it was causing a realty boom; and no town so favorably situated as North Yakima could long fail of a share in the general cheer. Concomitant with the passing of 1887 was the passing also of the financial depres- sion, and with the advent of 1888 came a revival of the old-time prosperity. Mr. Weed tells us that the population jumped to twenty-five hun- dred during that year, causing property valuations to soar upward and numerous additions to be platted, among the latter the Syndicate and Cap- itol. Business establishments spread to the west side of the track and to many other parts of the town; brick buildings began to multiply and an appearance of substantiality to be assumed.

For years Yakima City had been looked upon as being especially well suited, by reason of its central location, for the seat of the state govern- ment, and no doubt the prospect that this honor would come to the Yakima valley gave vitality to the new town from its very inception, even the plat being influenced by this political ambition of its promoters.

As the Washington Farmer expressed it: "North Yakima was modeled after Salt Lake City, with wide streets, wide alleys, running streams of water and rows of shade trees on both sides of every street. Liberal reserves for pub-

lic parks, walks and capitol grounds had been made and were being adorned in a manner pleas- ing to the eye." Nothing could be more natural, then, than that when the question of locating the state capital came up, North Yakima should enter the political ranks with a firm determination to win. It was encouraged by a strong following. All over the eastern part of the state and in some portions of the western, the newspapers were championing its cause, though some favored Ellensburg. A quotation from the Vancouver Independent will serve to illustrate the general tone of these press comments:

"At the approaching election among the most important questions to be decided is the location of the state capital. By the observant it is con- ceded that only three places are seriously consid- ered. North Yakima, Ellensburg and Olympia are the only towns that will receive more than a local support. If no town receives a majority of all the votes cast, and another vote thereby be- comes necessary, these three towns will then, no doubt, be the only contestants, since only the three names securing the highest vote at the first can be submitted at the second election. It there- fore behooves the people of this region to con- sider thoughtfully which of these towns should be chosen. Thirty-five years ago, when the present capital was located, the settlements were all on the west side of the territory. At that time Olympia served at least reasonably well, though radical objections might then have been urged. But now an entirely different situation is pre- sented. A great and growing population throngs the country east of the Cascades. These barriers have been pierced by railroads and others are coming to transport products and people over lines then unimagined. The large population on the sunny slope of the Cascades and away to the east of the great Columbia are now to be heard from on this question, and will certainly speak in unmistakable terms for some place on that side of the mountains. It is fortunate for Yakima that the most westerly town at all satisfactory to that already potent section promises in the near future to be closely allied to Vancouver by new lines of communication. We refer, of course, to North Yakima. Her natural advantages in cli- mate, in central location, in accessibility, in healthfulness, etc., are considerations which ad- dress themselves strongly to all the voters of the state." * * *

Sprague, Wilbur, Spokane, Spangle, Colfax, Palouse City, Garfield, Dayton, Ritzville and, in fact, all eastern Washington supported North Yakima in the campaign, as did also Puyallup and a few other points in the western part. North Yakima and its citizens did all in their power to bring the capital to themselves, and had it come, it would doubtless have received fitting gifts from the town as a corporate body and from individu- als. In the Herald of September 26th there was

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published a receipt for a deed, of which the fol- lowing is a copy :

TACOMA, September 18, 1889.

Received from Chester A. Congdon a deed from him- self and wife to the state of Washington of certain lands in North Yakima, Washington, to be delivered to said state in the event that the seat of government is permanently located at North Yakima at the election held in October, 1889, and also in the event that said state accepts said land as the site of its capitol buildings, at the first session of the said legislature; otherwise said deed is to be returned to the said Chester A. Congdon.

L. R. MANNING,

Cashier Pacific National Bank, Tacoma.

North Yakima did not win in the contest, though it gained second place, the vote being: Olympia, 25,488; North Yakima, 14,707; Ellens- burg, 12,833. No town receiving a majority of all the votes cast, the capital question was up again in the general election of 1890, and this time Olympia received a clear majority.

A general review of North Yakima's com- mercial development in 1889 may not be uninter- esting. According to the statement of an Ore- gonian correspondent, there were then sixty-two business houses in the city, all usually occupied ; that the range of business establishments included almost everything from a national bank to a hand laundry; that the sales for 1888, including lumber, coal and the products of the two flouring mills, aggregated about two and one-half million dollars; that a handsome, two-story, brick school- house had been erected, a modern structure, which, when all complete, would cost fifteen thou- sand dollars.

The Herald's directory of the city in Febru- ary, 1889, was as follows: Attorneys: W. H. White, H. G. Snively, L. C. Parrish, John G. Boyle, J B. Reavis, A. Mires, C. B. Graves, Edward Whitson and Fred Parker. Physicians: David Rosser, T. B. Gunn, -- Savage. For- warding and commission merchant: J. M. Stout. Wood and drayage: John Reed. North Yakima nursery: E. R. Leaming, proprietor. Saloons : Joseph J. Appel, A. Churchill, Shardlow & Mc- Daniel. Meat market: Field & Meyer. Lumber: G. O. Nevin. Candy factory and restaurant : P. J. Herke. Banks: First National, J. R. Lewis, president: Edward Whitson, vice-presi- dent; W. L. Steinweg, cashier; also the Yakima National. Harness stores: C. E. McEwen, W. F. Jones. Drug stores: C. B. Bushnell, Allen &

Chapman. Real estate: Fechter & Law, Rod- man & Eshelman, Goodwin, Strobach & Pugsley, McLean & Reed. Hardware: A. B. Weed, Vin- ing & Bilger, S. J. Lowe. Hotels: Guilland, Steiner's, Bartholet, Yakima. General mer- chandise : I. X. L., Fawcett Brothers, J. J. Arm- strong, Bartholet Brothers, G. W. Cary. Tailor: Hugo Sigmund. Gents' furnishing house: I. H. Bills & Company. Dry goods and furnishings: Henry Ditter. A board of trade.

The year 1889 was an exceedingly prosperous

one for North Yakima. Miles of sidewalk were built, thousands of shade trees planted, huge cisterns for fire purposes constructed, fire engines purchased, a movement for electric lights and waterworks started, and telephone wires strung all over the city. Besides numerous residences and small buildings, the following important structures, according to the Seattle Post-Intelli- gencer, were erected during the year: Hotel Yakima, two stories, estimated cost, $30,000; Bartholet Hotel, three stories, $20, 000; Syndicate block, three stories, $20,000; Lewis & Ingle block, three stories, $28,000; Cadwell & Lloyd block, two stories, $18,000; Cadwell & Lloyd block, two stories, $12,000; Lowe building, three stories, $22,000; Vining Brothers' building, two stories, $9,000; Howlett block, two stories, $7,000; city hall, two stories, $10,000; Sinclair building, two stories, $5,000.

This progressive impulse continued its influ- ence throughout 1890. On January 6th of that year, the town passed an ordinance which was signed by Mayor Reynolds seven days later, granting to Edward Whitson the privilege of installing a water system and maintaining the same. for twenty-five years, providing, among other things, that not less than four miles of water mains should be laid and that the city should have the right to maintain as many hydrants as it might choose not exceeding one at each intersection, excepting on Yakima avenue, where two might be maintained at each street intersection. The same day, January 13th, the mayor also affixed his signature to an ordinance, passed by the council December 3, 1889, granting Edward Whitson the right to erect and maintain an electric light system in the city, the life of the franchise being likewise twenty-five years. The plant was to be completed by June 15, 1890. For ten years, the city was, by the terms of the ordinance, to use at least seven arc lights at a cost to it of one hundred and forty-four dollars each per annum.

Mr. Whitson organized two companies, both having the same officers, namely: Edward Whit- son, president ; J. B. Reavis, vice-president : W. L. Steinweg, treasurer; F. B. Woodward, secre- tary and superintendent. Operations were begun as speedily as possible, and by November the two plants were completed. Their combined cost was about one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. The water was taken from the Naches river, four miles and a quarter from Front street, and carried thence by ditch and flume to a reser- voir three miles from the intake, where it was subjected to a process of filtration and purifica- tion. From the reservoir the water had an abrupt fall of thirty-six feet to two pair of hori- zontal turbine wheels, the power of which was figured at two hundred and seventy-five horse. Gravity gave a hydraulic pressure of thirty-one pounds to the square inch at North Yakima, and

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it was claimed that a much higher pressure could be developed. In the power houses were two pumps with a capacity of one million five hun- dred thousand gallons each, also two dynamos for generating electricity for the arc and incan- descent lights.

Another important improvement of the year was a sewerage system, put in by the city, the ordinance providing for which passed April 2d. The district was to include "all blocks lying be- tween E and Spruce streets and between Front street and Naches avenue; also all those blocks lying between West Chestnut street and West C street and between Moxee avenue and the North- ern Pacific's right of way, at least two sides of said blocks to have sewer lines extending along them." May 17th, the proposition of issuing forty thousand dollars' worth of six percent. bonds, pay- able in not less than fifteen or more than thirty years, for the construction of the system was sub- mitted to vote of the people, who authorized the issue by a vote of two hundred and eight to thir- teen. The bonds found a ready sale, and before the year was over, the sewerage system was an accomplished fact.

It was in 1890 that the Yakima Club was organized, which later merged into the Com- mercial Club. Its first governing board consisted of William Ker, Edward Whitson, Fred R. Reed, Doctor Elmer E. Heg and T. M. Vance.

This year also Company A of North Yakima was mustered into the service of the state by Cap- tain C. B. Johnson, of Cavalry Troop A of Sprague. The officers of this company at this time were: J. C. MacCrimmon, captain; Dudley Eshelman, first lieutenant; Matthew Bartholet, second lieu- tenant; F. B. Lippincott, first sergeant.

The only serious disaster of 1890, and the first of its kind to visit the town, occurred on May 25th, when all the frame buildings on Yakima avenue from Lowe's block, Front street and from the corner to the new city hall building were destroyed by fire. The fire started in the restau- rant of S. Harris at about 8:30 in the evening and soon a dozen buildings were in flames.

"Fortunately," says the Herald, "the night was very quiet, there being hardly a breath of wind, and to this is largely due the fact that such a small area was burned. There were two other factors prominent in staying the spread of the flames, one being S. J. Lowe's splendid three- story brick; the other, the shade trees which lined the streets. Had it not been for the latter, there is no question but that Shardlow & McDaniel's, Steiner's and, in fact, the whole block would have gone, and it is doubtful if it could have been confined even in that space. The row of frame buildings on the south side of Yakima avenue was badly scorched and most of the win- dow glass broken by the heat. It seemed at one time as though nothing could save that quarter, and a number of the merchants moved their

goods from the stores to the street beyond. Lewis, Shardlow & McDaniel and Kirkman refused to permit the removal of their stocks.

"It is a little bit uncertain how the fire started, whether the lamp in the kitchen of Harris' res- taurant exploded or was knocked from its bracket and broken. Mrs. Harris heard something pop, but paid no attention to it until she went into the kitchen and saw the burning oil on the table. She called for help and commenced beating out the flames with some towels, when her customer rushed in with a bucket of water which he dashed over the flames. That settled it. The water spread the oil everywhere and the inmates had hardly time to reach the street before the build- ing was enveloped and the flames were forcing their way into Al. Churchill's billiard hall and saloon."

The losses by the fire were estimated at the time as follows: Carpenter Brothers, goods lost or stolen in being moved, $500 to $1,000; Lowe's block, scorched, $500; W. F. Jones, $1,200, insur- ance, $500; M. G. Wills, $1, 200; J. T. Foster, loss, $1,300, insurance, $650; J. P. and E. Wheeler, owners of the Star Coffee House, $800; H. Keuch- ler, jeweler, $2,000; S. Harris, $300 or $400; A. Churchill, $9,000, insurance, $3,000; Theodore Steiner, $1,500; William Shearer, $1, 100, insur- ance $500; J. W. Walters, $800: T. J. V. Clark, $3,500, insurance, $1,000; Shardlow & McDaniel, $300; J. A. Taggard, $200; Jacob Vernier, $150; M. B. Kirkman, $500; A. J. Kraudelt, $100; T. J. Redfield, $400. To these losses must be added buildings to the value of several thousand dollars, owned by non-residents or practically covered by insurance, which were not included in the esti- mate; also a number of small losses incident to the moving of goods. The newspapers of the time commend the fire company for efficient work and the militia for vigilance in guarding property.

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An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 50

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146