An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 33

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172

USA > Washington > Skagit County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 33
USA > Washington > Snohomish County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 33

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New towns and additions to towns were spring- ing up by the score. Every one who had property that could be platted into town lots had the same surveyed and sold it readily at an enormous profit. Plats of new towns and additions were filed at the auditor's office at the rate of five or six a week. During the period from the 1st of January, 1890. until the middle of March the following plats were filed : Fidalgo, Birdsview, Dyer's plat of Lyman, Haller's second addition to Edison, Riverview addi- tion to Avon, Cumberland, First addition to Sedro, Central addition to Sedro, City of Anacortes, Con- over's plat of Anacortes, Fidalgo addition to the city of Anacortes, Fairview addition to Anacortes, Central addition to Anacortes, Colver's addition to Anacortes, J. H. Havekost's addition to Anacortes, Grand View addition to Anacortes, First addition to the city of Anacortes, J. M. Moor's addition to Anacortes, Hagadorn & Stewart's first addition to Anacortes, E. O. Tade's first addition to Anacortes, Kyle's addition to Anacortes, Mrs. Marv Eubank's first addition to Anacortes, Kellogg & Ford's addi- tion to Anacortes, G. Kellogg's addition to Anacor- tes, Pleasant Slope addition to Anacortes, King's first addition to Anacortes, Tuttle & Buckley's plat of Anacortes, Nelson's addition to Anacortes, Bur- don's first addition to Anacortes, City of North Anacortes, Seattle Syndicate's first addition to Anacortes, Chapman's addition to Anacortes, Fi- dalgo Bay addition to Anacortes, Parson's addition to Anacortes, Whitney's first addition to Anacortes, Wood's plat of North Anacortes, Philips' addition to the city of Fidalgo, Carlyle's addition to Fidalgo, Bowman's Central Ship Harbor water-front plat of Anacortes, Griffin's first addition to Anacortes. Curtis' first addition to Anacortes, Beale's addition to Anacortes.

It will be observed that of these forty-two plats, thirty-two were in the city of Anacortes. It was here that the tumult and fever of speculation raged fiercest. People came by trainloads to view the town site and pick up land which they hoped to sell in a short time at double or treble the cost. Fabu- lous sums were spent in these speculations. In a few months the population of Anacortes rose from a few dozen to several thousand. Broad streets were laid out and brick blocks erected. The city was incorporated as a city of the third class, a

mayor and council were elected and the other de- partments of city government carried on. On the Fourth of July, 1890, a celebration was held such as had seldom or never been seen before in the county, the fireworks being the most gorgeous ever displayed on that part of the sound. Thousands of people were present. Anacortes was indeed a most lively and prosperous city until the boom finally broke, when many men were ruined, hun- dreds of thousands of dollars being lost. However, it is now one of the most thrifty, prosperous towns along the coast.

There were other booms of much smaller di- mensions throughout the county, while some places escaped them almost entirely. Mount Vernon, the county seat, which had been rather quiet for some time, began picking up, but in a steady and healthy manner. The building of the Great Northern railroad through the city, for which the citizens gave land and cash to the amount of sixty-five thousand dollars, gave a great impetus to business operations of all kinds. Its population was be- tween nine hundred and one thousand.

In October, 1890, a company was formed, known as the Skagit County Agricultural Society, in which W. J. McKenna was one of the prime movers. Its capital stock was twenty-five thousand dollars, and its object to hold an annual county fair and stock competition at Bayview. Many of the farmers and others interested purchased stock, but unfortunately the enterprise did not succeed.

The rapid growth of the county may be indi- cated by the increase in population since the previ- ous year. In 1889 there were 6,111 people in the county ; in 1890, 8,730, being an increase of 2,619.

In the winter of 1889-90 two important memo- rials were presented to congress dealing with the improvement of navigation in the Swinomish chan- nel and Skagit river. The first was offered by Representative Edens and was as follows :

"Your memoralists, the legislature of the state of Washington, would respectfully represent that the growing commerce of Puget sound, more es- pecially between Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle on the one hand, and La Conner, Anacortes, Fair- haven, Bellingham, Sehome and Whatcom on the other, require certain dredging improvements in the Swinomish channel, dividing Fidalgo island from the mainland, in Skagit county, and connect- ing Skagit bay on the south with Padilla and Bellingham bays on the north. This route affords safe and sheltered navigation along the eastern shores of Puget sound between the principal cities above referred to. Owing to a few bars in Swino- mish channel, most of the numerous steamers now plying in these waters and carrying hundreds of passengers daily have to go through Deception pass, between Whidby and Fidalgo islands, which pass being very narrow, with perpendicular rocks on either side and a swift raging current at certain

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stages of the ebb and flow of the tide, is dangerous to navigation. It is therefore essential that Swi- nomish channel be improved so as to avoid the perils of the Deception pass route. Besides the advantage of the Swinomish channel as a through line from one end of the sound to the other, it is the local outlet for the products of Skagit county, the most important agricultural county of western Washington, producing, as it does, some eight thousand tons of hay and twenty thousand tons of grain annually. It is estimated that one hundred thousand dollars judiciously expended in dredging the channel would render incalculable benefit to the commerce of Puget sound ; and we respectfully ask that congress appropriate that sum for the pur- pose, and in so doing we only voice a recommenda- tion already approved and endorsed by the boards of trade or municipalities of the cities of Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, La Conner and Whatcom, and petitions numerously signed by the people along the line."

Appropriations for the purpose stated in this memorial were later made by congress to the amount of about seventy-five thousand dollars. The work was a most important one and added greatly to the commercial importance of Skagit county. Almost at the same time with the above memorial another, concerning a matter of almost equal con- sequence, was presented by Senator Paine, which read as follows :

To the Honorable the Senate and llouse of Representatives of the United States :

Your memorialists, the legislature of the state of Washington, do most earnestly and urgently request your honorable body to appropriate one hundred thousand dol- lars for the improvement of the Skagit river.

The Skagit river, which empties into Utsalady bay, one of the large sheets of water forming Puget sound, is the largest river in western Washington. Its drainage basin contains 2,800 square miles, including 300 square miles of fertile valley land nearly level, and is covered with dense forests, principally of fir, cedar, spruce and cotton- wood. The river varies in width from 300 to 600 feet and can, by judicious expenditure of one hundred thousand dollars, be made navigahle for a distance of 90 miles for steamers drawing from five to six feet of water. This accomplished, Skagit valley will become one of the most productive and richest valleys in the United States, and will give employment and support to a population of fifty thousand persons. Its present population is about five thousand.

The iron ore already discovered and located in the mountains, at whose base the river courses, is estimated by experts as sufficient in quantity and quality to supply the wants of the United States for centuries. Contiguous to these iron mountains are vast deposits of limestone.

The great coal fields of Skagit valley are unsurpassed in quality. The veins now open and awaiting transpor- tation facilities, there being no railroad in the valley, are the Bennett, showing a thirty-foot face, the Cumberland. showing a fifteen-foot face. and the Conner, showing a twelve-foot face. These three mines would, inside of sixty days. if the necessary improvements prayed for are made, furnish the markets of the world 1.500 tons of coal daily, and the additional mines that would be opened would swell the output of coal in the valley 5.000 tons daily.

The coal can be floated down on barges to Utsalady bay and then loaded on ocean vessels ready for shipment to any port in the world. Iron, coal and limestone in con- tiguous mountains insure the building of large iron works in this valley.

The Skagit river, once made a navigable highway to the ocean, will protect the producer against exorbitant freight rates in the future, and accelerate the opening of its manifold resources now lying dormant.

Besides its vast wealth in minerals. there are floated down the Skagit river from forty to fifty million feet of Ings yearly.

Its soil is of the richest, producing in hay from three to four tons per acre; oats from 95 to 130 bushels per acre. Its fruits are equal to those of California. Sugar beets, potatoes and other roots are wondrously prolific in growth. A fine quality of tobacco is also raised.

The granting of the prayer of your memorialists will open up the vast resources of this valley, for which your memorialists will ever pray.

About this time there were some agitations in Fidalgo and Guemes islands against the Chinese. A meeting was held on December ?Sth in Anacortes, at which a number of resolutions were adopted, in which were detailed at length all the objections against this unwelcome race. The principal ones were that they were non-assimilative, that they sent all their carnings to China and were therefore a con- stant financial drain upon the country, that their cheap labor was ruinous and destructive to all com- petition, that their moral habits were frightful and degrading to all with whom they came in contact. Therefore the citizens of Fidalgo and Guemes islands present at this meeting resolved at once to take measures to get rid of the Chinese who were already on the islands and to prevent the advent of any more. Their action, however, ceased with the resolution, as nothing more definite was ever done, though the Celestials remained away from the islands until the establishment of the canneries. Even then the employers secured the citizens' per- mission to introduce Chinese labor.

The logging industry was quite active during 1890, about 46,000,000 feet being cut during the season. Some ??? men were employed, 1144 oxen. 30 horses, and 25 miles of tramway and skid roads. The largest outfit in the entire region was that of Blanchard & Sons, whose output was about 20,000.000 feet of logs. They had a five-mile railroad of standard gange and six locomotives, and the value of their rolling stock and improvements was $100.000. They owned 1,400 acres of timber land and employed 100 men. Other loggers in the county, with their outputs, were Mitchell Thibert, 3.000,000 fect: Vike & Company, 1.000,000 feet ; Clothier & English, 5,000,000 feet ; Engene Taylor, 2,000,000 feet; W. F. Mckay. 6.000.000 fcet : Reed & Blodgett. 2.000,000 feet: H. D. Cole. 1.000.000 feet ; George O'Brien, 3,000,000 feet : and Ferguson Brothers.

In the summer of 1890 public attention was attracted by an attempted highway robbery, which occurred on the 4th of August. On the evening of

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that day Captain W. A. Jones, who had just re- turned to Hamilton from Seattle with the monthly pay for the men in the Skagit-Cumberland coal mines, crossed the river on the ferry and started to walk to his office, which was about a hundred rods from the edge of the river. Ile had gone about half the distance when there suddenly appeared in front of him a masked man who leveled a revolver at his head and ordered him to throw up his hands. Captain Jones had no alternative, so he promptly complied. He was then driven before the gun to one side of the road, where the highwayman pro- ceeded to blindfold him, tie him to a tree and relieve him of the money which he was carrying to the mine. This done he warned him not to make any noise and started back to the road. He had chosen a very inopportune time for doing so, however, for on stepping out of the woods he walked into a party of miners, who, hearing the shouts of Captain Jones, at once attacked the robber. The latter immediately pulled his gun and commenced shooting. at the same time trying to make his escape, but one of the miners seized him by the arm and another hit him over the head with a paddle, knocking him down so that he was easily secured. The deputy sheriff, T. F. Moody, soon appeared on the scene and took the fellow to Mount Vernon, where he was lodged in the county jail. His name was found to be Joe Frey. He had been seen once or twice in Hamilton, where he probably discovered the method of pay- ment at the mines.

The men who happened along in the nick of time and captured the robber were Hans Brendt, Geo. A. Hanson, John D. Allen, Samuel Drake and Pat McGee. They were each presented with a hand- some revolver by the Skagit-Cumberland Coal Company as a token of gratitude for their deed.

The year 1890 was also marked by a smallpox epidemic which raged almost exclusively among the Indians during the summer. Scores of them died of the dread disease, the mortality being un- usually high. The woods were full of afflicted and dead Indians. Corpses floating down the river were often seen. People at last became afraid to venture into the woods or along shore and the county hired men to hunt for these unfortunates and attend them, to bury the dead, and to burn potlatch houses and other property that the infection might be stopped.

The most interesting event that happened in the spring of 1891 was the organization of the Ska- git County Pioneer Association. Such organiza- tions are always of the greatest interest in western communities, where the memory of carly hardships and early struggles and sacrifices and achievements yet remains. The pioneers may be passing away, but they leave behind them a memorial in their deeds which will be remembered and venerated as long as memory endures. The first meeting of the old settlers of Skagit county was held in Mount Vernon on April 25th, and Orrin Kincaid was elected its

chairman, G. E. Hartson its secretary. A committee was appointed, consisting of G. E. Hartson, Otto Klement and B. N. L. Davis, to draw up a con- stitution. It was then decided to postpone perma- nent organization until the next meeting, which would be held at Skagit City on June 6th, when a picnic and grand reunion would also be held.

The 6th of June began unpropitiously, there being a down-pour of rain in the morning but in spite of this the meeting was a great success. After addresses by Hon. Orrin Kincaid and G. E. Hartson on the object of the organization, a recess was taken for dinner. In the afternoon the meeting was again called to order and the serious business of the day transacted. The by-laws were first read and adopt- ed. These stated one of the objects of the organiza- tion to be "the preservation of data incident to the early settlement of Skagit county." They also limited the membership to "all persons who were residents of Skagit county prior to and including the year 1875, and continued such residents for a period of at least one year, and all persons who located claims in said county prior to or at any time during said year upon which they have since resided for a period of not less than one year."

The date for the annual meetings was fixed for the first Saturday in August, the next meeting to be held in 1892. The officers elected for the first year were : Hon. Orrin Kincaid of Mount Vernon, presi- dent; T. P. Hastie of Skagit City, first vice-presi- dent; J. H. Nash of Fir, second vice-president ; Jasper Gates of Fir, third vice-president; G. E. Hartson of Mount Vernon, secretary and treasurer.

The following is a list of the members enrolled at the first meeting: James H. Nash, Thomas P. Hastie, Clara Hastie, William Gage, Henry A. Wright, Charles Villeneuve, Richard Garland, Peter Kuyl, Etna Garrett, J. M. Zeiller, Clarinda Gates, Mary J. Fritz, Ida Guiberson, B. A. Villeneuve, G. E. Hartson, Maggie Davis, Laura Hastie, Ella Washburn, Eleanor Jones, Mary A. Jones, Charles W. Jones, Augustus Hartson, Jasper Gates. G. P. Pritchard, Franklyn Buck, Elijah Watkins, Otto Klement, J. V. Abbot, Orrin Kincaid, Esther Smith, Sarah Gates, F. B. Watkins, Mahallah Hansen, James Abbott, Emily L. Gage. Mattie Buck, Edward Jones, Thomas J. Jones, Maria Knox. Mary Gates, Matilda Hartson, Harrison Clothier. Kate H. Washburn, Rebecca Hartson, Oliver Tingley, J. R. H. Danir. S. G. Tingley, D. L. McCormick, William Dale, James J. Conner. N. P. Christenson, Mathilda Christenson, Robert Christenson, Laura Christen- son, William A. Moores, D. E. Kimble ; honorary members, Mollie Klement, C. C. Hansen, William Knox.

In the spring and summer of 1891 the question of better wagon roads received considerable atten- tion. On May 5th a meeting of those interested in this matter was held in the Mount Vernon court- house, E. K. Matlock being chairman. The county

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commissioners were invited to be present and were presented two petitions signed by several hundred citizens, the first asking for an appropriation of twenty thousand dollars for the construction of the Cascade and Monte Cristo roads ; the other that a proposition to bond the county for four per cent. of its valuation in order to raise money for the im- provement of roads be submitted at a special elec- tion. These projects were never carried out as the commissioners did not see fit to make an appropria- tion of such size for such purposes. The Monte Cristo road was finally built, though neither Skagit nor Snohomish county contributed much toward its construction, the work being done mostly by the Monte Cristo Mining Company.

About this time there was a scheme advanced to form a new county out of the eastern part of What- com. Skagit and Snohomish counties, to be known as Cascade county and to have Sauk City as county seat. This scheme was a result of the boom times, however, and was never carried out.

On July 26, 1891, occurred one of the most de- plorable tragedies in the history of the county, and one which was shrouded in considerable mystery. It was a shooting affair near Woolley, in which one man, George W. Poor, a deputy sheriff of King county, was killed outright, and two others, J. E. Terry, a Seattle ex-policeman, and J. C. Baird, an inspector of customs at Woolley, were wounded. The facts as given were these :

A band of contraband Chinamen were discoy- ered in the vicinity of Woolley and on Saturday, the 25th, Inspector Baird sent for James Buchanan, an inspector at Blaine, to come and assist him in their capture. On Sunday evening Deputy Sheriff George W. Poor and Customs Inspector Taylor Holden arrived from Seattle, and happening to meet Baird, informed him that they were after some Chinamen. Holden went to the hotel at Sedro. while Poor went on up the Seattle. Lake Shore & Eastern track. Baird and Buchanan followed him for some distance and saw him enter the woods and soon after reappear in company with J. E. Terry and nine Chinamen. Baird went up and com- manded them to surrender, saying that he was a United States officer. He was answered by several revolver shots, one of which inflicted a scalp wound. Baird and Buchanan immediately returned the fire so effectively that Poor was hit in the heart, and immediately killed, while Terry was badly wounded. The Chinamen escaped in the meantime but were captured the following day. Baird, Buchanan and Holden were all arrested. The jury at the inquest held on the body of Poor brought in a verdict that he met his death by a gun-shot wound inflicted by J. C. Baird, but no charge was made.

The statements made by the different parties in the conflict did not agree in every particular. The version given by Terry was as follows: "I located nine Chinamen who had illegally crossed

the border and were making southwest. | immedi- ately sent for Taylor Holden to come up and help me take them. He did come and brought Deputy George Poor with him. I explained everything to them and a little after ten o'clock we started down the Lake Shore & Eastern track. After going a short distance Holden concluded to go back and watch Sedro and left us. I was to make the arrest. Poor and myself pushed on, located the Chinamen and placed them under arrest. We then started back to Sedro and had proceeded but a short dis- tance when I made out two men standing on a little knoll some little distance ahead of us. Almost im- mediately they began firing at us. The first shot went in front of me and I jumped sideways. Then I got it in the stomach. I was hit four times in all. Poor cried out three times : 'I have these men under arrest! I am a deputy sheriff !' Then George got it and he fell saying. 'He has shot me.' When the last bullet struck me I sprang into the brush. Then I heard one of the men say, 'We have killed him ; let us get out,' and they left. They went up the track and for town on the run. I knelt at George's side and saw that he was dead. I made my way back to town, fainting from loss of blood as I reached here. I do not know who did the shooting. but I understand that Inspectors J. C. Baird and James Buchanan are the two who did it."

According to Baird's story he was convinced that Terry was a smuggler and was trying to contrive the escape of the Chinamen. He claimed to have had previous proof of this, and also that Holden was implicated with him in the smuggling business. His account of the battle was as follows: "At the junction of the railroad and township wagon road, as we heard them coming, we hid in the brush, and when they came opposite I rushed out and con- fronted Terry with my revolver and told him I was a deputy customs collector and arrested them in the name of the United States. As soon as I spoke each of the men fired three shots at me in quick succession, and Buchanan and myself returned the fire. I shot at them as long as they stood their ground, but shot only at Holden and Terry. They suddenly took to their heels, while Poor stood his ground and shot me in the head. It was not a seri- ons wound. It stunned me and I fell to the ground. I then commenced firing at Poor. Pretty soon he dropped and at the same moment I sprang upon the prostrate form. When he fell he threw up his hands and said, 'You have shot me and I am a deputy sheriff !' They fired between fifteen and eighteen shots and Buchanan and I fired ten. I found in Poor's pocket a false beard and some colored eye- glasses.'

The trial of Baird and Buchanan for the murder of Poor resulted in their being exonerated of all guilt, and discharged by Judge Terry. The sym- pathy of the crowds that packed the court room seemed to be generally in their favor and against

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Holden, but a great deal of sympathy was also expressed for Poor, who was thought to have been innocent of any intentional wrong, though perhaps the dupe of the two men with whom he was associ- ated in the capture of the Chinamen.

Collector of Customs Charles M. Bradshaw, of Port Townsend, upheld Baird, considering that he only did his duty. Baird was retained in the service, while Holden was discharged, though pre- vious to this time Mr. Bradshaw had regarded him also as one of his most trustworthy deputies.

It was in the fall of 1891 that the Bar Associa- tion of Skagit county, which is still in active exist- ence and numbers among its members all the prac- ticing lawyers of the county, was formed. A meeting was held in the court-honse at Mount Vernon on September 8th, when organization was effected and a constitution adopted. The following officers were elected : George M. Sinclair, president ; B. B. Fowle, vice-president ; D. H. Hartson, secre- tary, and Thomas Smith, treasurer. A committee on by-laws was appointed, consisting of B. B. Fowle, Major Moore and J. Henry Smith. The charter members of this association were the fol- lowing: George M. Sinclair, Thomas Smith, Henry McBride, Major A. M. Moore, J. M. Turner, B. B. Fowle. A. M. Cunningham, Wylie Jones, Seymour Jones, D. H. Hartson, E. C. Million, J. P. Houser. I. H. Perry, Geo. A. Joiner. W. V. Wells. J. C. Waugh, A. W. Salsbury. J. Henry Smith, Frank Quinby and Henry McLean.

The year 1891 was a rather unfortunate one in the agricultural line. The harvest season was very poor, resulting in serious damage and in some cases almost total failure to the hop and oat crops, and to add to the misfortune the price at that time was not very high. The price of land and the demand for it were very good, however, as is shown by the sale of some school land on November 25th, at which acreage to the value of over two hundred and thirty thousand dollars was sold, the highest price paid being one hundred and twenty-six dollars per acre.

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An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 33

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1906 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1172

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172