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 35

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 35
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 35

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In December. 1893, the county commissioners negotiated the sale of one hundred thousand dollars funding bonds of the county. The purchasers were E. H. Rollins & Sons of Boston, and they paid par and a premium of one thousand dollars. The bonds were payable in twenty years, but redeemable after ten years, and bore interest at the rate of six per cent., payable annually.

The stringeney in the money market was so severe in 1893 that the shingle manufacturers were obliged to adopt a scheme by which they could keep their mills in operation without advancing any money. The scheme was to deposit bills of lading in the First National Bank of Mount Vernon when- ever a shipment was made, then for seventy-five per cent. of the value of these bills of lading the bank would issue certificates, which would be used as money and redeemed as soon as payment for the shingles was made. The shingle men used these certificates or serip for some time with great suc- cess, but finally the discount on them became so great that the plan was abandoned.

In spite of the hard times, the county commis- sioners carried on a number of important enter- prises. one being the erection of a court-house on the corner of Pine and First streets on land pur- chased of D. F. Decatur. The plans of W. A. Samms. of Avon, were accepted. The dimensions of the building were to be fifty by one hundred and

fourteen feet, with two stories and a basement, and the contract for its construction was awarded to R. S. Downer and William Peacock for thirteen thousand five hundred and eighty-five dollars. Work was begun immediately.

Another important improvement was the com- pletion of the wagon bridge across the Skagit river at Mount Vernon, which was accepted by the commissioners and opened to the public on June 19th. It is the only wagon bridge across the main river and one of the best constructed in the state. The total cost was thirty-five thousand two hundred and fifty dollars, of which the city of Mount Vernon paid ten thousand dollars and the county the rest.

The crops of 1893 were not very encouraging. The oat erop was about up to the average, but the hops yiekled little more than half a crop, the princi- pal reason for this being the wet weather in the spring. On the place of Dennis Storrs, the most extensive hop grower in the valley, the yield was about twelve hundred pounds per acre, or half the ordinary yield.

In the fall the farmers on the lower Skagit did considerable work in the way of reclaiming marsh lands by buikling ditches and improving the drain- age system. Hundreds of aeres were improved, which, without the drainage, were worth practi- cally nothing, but with it from one hundred and fifty dollars to two hundred dollars per acre. These improvements to agricultural lands are one of the most substantial means of adding to the wealth of a county. The wealth of Skagit county increased in this way during that year about a million dollars.

In the beginning of 1894 a temporary improve- ment in the condition of affairs in the county became noticeable. A number of saw and shingle mills, which had been shut down for some time. resumed operations, and a few others that had been running light increased their output. There was also promise of considerable building. In the spring and early summer, however, Skagit county suffered from a series of floods such as had never been seen before in the county. That. it will be remembered, was the year of the great floods throughout the entire Northwest, when the Columbia and its tribu- aries broke all records and overflowed farms and towns, causing incalculable damage.

The Skagit river was not far behind. It rose two separate times ten inches higher than the oldest settlers had ever known before. On May 24th the water had already risen so high that the levees in the lower part of Mount Vernon were in danger of being overflowed. In the face of this calamity all the men in town, of all professions, turned out and worked all night strengthening them and stopping small leaks where the water seeped through, but the water rose higher and higher, and by the following morning a small stream was flowing into First street. A large number of citizens immediately began building a dike to keep it from going any

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further. The water, however, rose as fast as the (like did, and work as hard as they could their efforts were in vain. About four o'clock in the afternoon the dike near Jarvis & Metcalf's mill gave way and a short time later the temporary dike in the street broke in a number of places. Instantly a tremendous flood of water began pouring through the streets in the southern part of the city. Fences and sidewalks were torn up and more than half the people in that part of town were compelled to leave their houses and seek refuge on a neighboring hill. where a large school building and several empty houses were standing. For three days torrents of water poured through the town. Many of the houses it was impossible to reach without a boat. In the flat part of the town only one block, that on which the bank was situated, remained entirely above water. Many of the sidewalks floated and were used as bridges in getting around town. Bus- iness was entirely suspended, the first floors of many of the buildings being submerged. Every one was busy trying to save his property from being carried away.

Great as was the loss to the citizens it was noth- ing compared to that sustained by the farmers lower down the river, whose crops were completely de- stroyed. For days and nights together they worked, part of the time waist deep in water, trying to keep the dikes from bursting, and in some places new dikes were built on top of the old ones. At Gage's place on the west side of the river the soil was of a quicksand nature and had to be put in sacks before it would stay. In spite of the most tremendons exertions, some of the men working twenty-four hours on a stretch, their efforts were in nearly every case useless. The raging torrent rose beyond con- trol and, overwhelming all resistance, inundated the whole of the low lands between Mount Vernon and the sound. The delta of the Skagit disappeared. At Dannemiller's place below Avon the big dam gave way, completely flooding the Beaver marsh, and the Olympia marsh suffered a like calamity.

The railroads also suffered severely, numerous sections of track being washed out on both the Great Northern and the Seattle & Northern, and trains were unable to run for several days. The Great Northern railroad bridge was constantly in danger of being demolished by log jams which lodged against it. The wagon bridge at Mount Vernon proved its excellence by resisting the strain, though it received some tremendous knocks. At one time a large jam formed against it which could not be dislodged until the steamer Clan McDonald came along and, by the exercise of great skill on the part of its captain, succeeded in clearing away the mass of logs.

in the mountains, so that within three days the water was again within an inch of its previous mark. The scenes of the first flood were repeated, but the people, having had the experience once, were better prepared. The loss of stock was considerable, one man, Captain Keen of Skagit City, losing twenty- eight head of cattle out of a band of thirty. The farm lands were again flooded, making the destruc- tion of the crops still more irretrievable. On the 2d a very severe storm of wind, with thunder and lightning, swept over the whole sound country, and the steamer Clan McDonald, which had just left Seattle and was in the midst of it, came near being swamped. The storm did not strike Mount Ver- non squarely, but McMurray, Montborne and Ham- ilton got the full benefit, and at the last place the Episcopal church was overturned.

The Great Northern managed to run a train both ways between Mount Vernon and Seattle on the 3d of June, the first train for several days and the last for several more, as the rising flood soon submerged a large part of their track for the second time.

On June 7th there were two unfortunate drown- ing accidents, the first of which happened early in the afternoon. N. P. Swanberg was crossing Dry slough in a canoe with his wife and youngest child, when the canoe suddenly capsized. The father, in trying to save his child, was drawn to the bottom by the current and both were drowned. Mrs. Swanberg held herself afloat by seizing hold of the canoe and was rescued by two men. Mr. Swanberg was a farmer who had come from Sweden ten years before.

The other accident partook in some respects of the nature of a crime. Four Indians, a man and wife and two children, were camped a short dis- tance above Mount Vernon. In the evening a man named Petit came along and filled the Indians with liquor, after which he claimed to be a deputy United States marshal, scaring them so that they all four got into their canoe and started down the river. In some way the canoe was overturned, and the man and one of the children immediately sank to the bottom, while the woman, with the other child, managed to reach the shore.

In the middle of June the river again com- menced rising, but fortunately the weather remained cool and the water went down again. Many of the farmers, whose lands had been flooded, had reseeded and were expecting fairly good crops. It would seem as though they had had misfortune enough and might be allowed to gather what was left in peace, but the river was remorseless. In the first part of July another freshet occurred, which again flooded the farming country to a depth in many places of several feet, this time ruining the crops completely. The hops, which were mostly on higher lands, did not suffer so severely, though

On the 28th the water began to subside and fell slowly about three feet, but on the 1st of June it turned again and began to rise. The 1st and 2d were both warm days and much snow was melted ! heavy losses of hops were sustained by Messrs.

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Wiles and Dannemiller near Avon. The entire loss inflicted upon the people of the Skagit valley by these floods was estimated at half a million «follars.

One thing was shown conclusively by the disas- trous results of the floods, and that was the abso- lutely necessity of substantial dikes. A great many meetings were soon held to consider this question and to mature plans for the construction of such dikes ; new diking districts were organized, and the work of building barriers against the water was carried on during the rest of that year and the fol- lowing year. At the present time the river is sub- stantially diked from its mouth to points beyond Woolley, most of the work having been done in those years. Another matter that received atten- tion was the necessity of a better system of ditches, so that water which overflowed or collected in the low places could be readily drained off.

Another very important and much-needed im- provement which was brought to the minds of the people of the Skagit valley by the great flood was the clearing out of the obstructions at and near the mouth of the Skagit river. For a number of years a large bar had been forming, which had been con- stantly growing in size, owing to the accumula- tion of snags and debris which gathered on it, thus obstructing the channel and causing the farm lands on either side to be overflowed. In addition to that, navigation was rendered unsafe. The people of the valley had at different times contributed large sums, aggregating over one hundred thou- sand dollars, for the improvement of the river. while the government had done but little. A public meeting was held in Mount Vernon on July 9th, at which resolutions were drawn up urging an appro- priation of twenty thousand dollars for the purpose of clearing the river of these obstructions, of which resolutions a copy was sent to each member of congress.

The Northwest Agricultural Society was organ- ized at Whatcom in July, with a capital stock of five thousand dollars. This society included in its field of operations the three counties of Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan, and it was expected that it would prove of great benefit to the agricultural interests of these counties.

success and spoke well for the esthetic advancement of the county.

AAnother calamity must be added to the already long list for the disastrous year of 1894. This was a forest fire which swept over the upper Skagit and Sauk valleys in the latter part of August. Some hay and many buildings, as well as a great amount of valuable cedar timber were burned. The fol- lowing men lost part or all of their buildings, in- cluding their houses, namely, on the Sauk, F. Szrinski, 11. C. Crockett; on the Skagit, George Perrault, J. McCorkendale, James Logan, Frank Backus and William Newby. The Cascade school- house also was destroyed.

The year 1895 opened with another serious dis- aster, on this occasion high water coming not only from the mountains but from the sea as well. On January 12th occurred the highest tide known for years. Salt water swept over the dikes at the mouth of the Skagit covering the Swinomish and Samish flats and all the fertile low lands for many miles along the coast. The disaster was not con- fined to Skagit county but extended long distances north and south, being very severe in Snohomish county. The Skagit river was very high at the same time, rising to within fifteen inches of the high-water mark of the year before, flooding all the low lands south of Mount Vernon, though little damage resulted to the agricultural lands, owing · to the time of year. It was very different with the coast lands, however, covered as they were by salt water, for it would take a year at least to work the salt out of the land so that a normal crop could be produced. Only a half crop was raised that season on the flooded portion of the flats.

The Great Northern track was swept out in several places by the high tide and no train reached Mount Vernon from the south for four days. The Seattle & Northern track at Whitney station was covered by three feet of salt water.

In the first part of August, 1895, the western part of the county was swept by forest fires, which burned a number of buildings on Fidalgo island, and threatened the town of Anacortes. The Seattle & Northern trains were delayed by trees falling across the track, and the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern trains were stopped altogether for several days.

Another society of a similar nature was formed Eighteen hundred and ninety-five was alto- gether a very unfortunate year. E. A. Sisson, one of the most prominent farmers in the county at the present time, is authority for the statement that in that year the price of grain fell below the cost of producing it, in some cases selling as low as eight dollars and fifty cents per ton, while the average cost of production was between eight and nine dollars. He also says that nearly every piece of property in the county was mortgaged. in the same month at Mount Vernon, namely the Skagit County Horticultural Society, whose object was the advancement of knowledge concerning hor- ticulture and pomology. The original members were Mrs. B. N. L. Davis, Mrs. L. Ward, George Davis, D. F. Decatur, H. P. Downs, S. A. Downs, E. Buck, F. C. Ward, J. F. Cass, L. R. Freeman, H. A. March, A. G. Tillinghast, Fred Eichholtz, Oscar Varny, L. D. Hodge, F. L. Crampton, J. P. Millett and Mrs. J. P. Millett. This society gave In the fall another memorial was presented to an exhibit on September 29th, which was a decided , congress, praying for favorable consideration and

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LINOX TILDEN FOUNDATION

Anderson, Johnson & Co. Fishing Gew. near Anacortes.

GOOD SALMON In Fish trop Strawberry

THE FISH INDUSTRY

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immediate action on the question of the removal of the obstructions at the mouth of the Skagit, one of the most important questions before the people of Skagit county and one demanding immediate atten- tion. The reasons for removing the obstructions were given fully and clearly. The memorial is of interest and value, not only in itself but in the information which it gives, hence is here repro- duced in part.

MEMORIAL

To the Senate and House of Representatives :

The undersigned citizens of Skagit county, State of Washington, believe that a fair consideration of the condi- tions surrounding the Skagit river and tributary country will induce such liberal action on the part of Congress as will meet the requirements of our present environments and prevent any disaster in the future such as we have suffered in the past. * * % *

The surveys already made and the map attached hereto. sustain the statement that there are tributary to Skagit river about forty townships, or over fourteen hundred square miles of land. Of this large area about one-fourth is strictly agricultural, about the same quantity is coal and mineral, and the remainder is timber land. A large pro- portion of this country is now, and all of it, when developed, must be largely dependent for its commerce on this impor- tant river. It is navigable for light draft steamers from its mouth to Sauk City. a distance of about seventy miles, and at some seasons to Marblemount, fifteen miles above Sauk City. *

* *

A diking system has been rendered necessary by the filling in of the bed and mouths of the river, from causes which will be explained and ought to be remedied. The system already constructed and maintained, embraces one hundred and fifty-eight miles of dikes, and has cost in money and labor expended in construction the large sum of three hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars. All of this has been expended by owners of land in the Skagit valley, including the residents of towns liable to inunda- tion.

* *

Before the mouth of the river began to be obstructed, the accumulating waters of the greatest freshets did not overflow the banks. A channel varying in depth from twelve to twenty feet was a sufficient outlet for all the water that passed in swift torrents from the mountains and highlands of the North and East. Resolute and indus- trous settlers reduced to cultivation the fertile lands of the Skagit valley, and made subservient to man, the thou- sands of acres that were a few years since inhabited by the beaver, and other animals whose pelts excited the cupidity of the hunter or the Indian. We do not believe that the famous lands of the Nile, or any other in the world are more fertile and productive. For years, these lands without fertilizers, have yielded an average of one hun- dred bushels of oats to the acre, and the hay crop on the higher lands will average four tons; fruits and vegetables grow in profusion, and their flavor and richness are unsur- passed. But all of this has involved a large expenditure of money and unrelenting toil and patience on the part of our people.

Unless the congress of the United States shall make an appropriation sufficient to clear out the mouth of the Skagit river, a very large proportion of this country must be abandoned. * * * *

* *

We call your attention to the fact that since Novem- ber, 1892, the floods in the Skagit have four times swept

over the banks, broken the dikes and inundated the sur- rounding country. The destruction of property by the overflow of November, 1892, and January, 1895, was not very great, but the overflow in May, 1894, and June of that year, entailed a direct loss on the people of the Skagit valley, as shown by estimates attached hereto, approximating one-half million of dollars.

The town of Mt. Vernon was entirely flooded, small boats and rafts navigated the streets, and the people were driven from their homes for safety in the hills. The damage to public and private property was great, and the suffering from exposure and sickness was distressing. All of these overflows have been caused by the ponding of the water in the river, resulting from the obstruction and closing the channels of the North and South Forks, above mentioned. There is comparatively little danger from loss from the overflow in the winter, but in May and June, when the crops are most promising, the genial weather and hot suns melt the snow in the mountains, and the creeks and small rivers and mountain streams empty their waters into the Skagit, which sweeps down with terrible fury, completing its destructive mission.

It is a well-known fact in this section, and the rec- ords of the War Department show, that some years ago, and when Washington was a territory a large and formida- ble jam of logs, trees and other debris had collected about ten miles from the mouth of the river, and near where Mount Vernon now stands, entirely obstructing navigation. At a great expenditure of money and labor, the people resi- dent in the Skagit valley removed the jam, so that steam- ers passed up and down the river in safety. Under the license of Territorial law, and with the knowledge of the officers of this great government, obstructions known as log booms have been placed in the river and near the mouths, since which time the difficulties and dangers that now surround us have arisen, and have been allowed to continue.

Under the law, the General Government has ample jurisdiction in all matters affecting navigable waters, and we can only account for its failure to exercise that juris- diction in this instance, from the neglect to bring the matter to your attention, and to press it with the zeal that its importance demands.

The earnest efforts of our people to protect them- selves, and the temporary relief that has been afforded by the construction and maintenance of our diking system, may to some extent account for the neglect that hereto- fore surrounded this destructive nuisance, but the situation has now assumed such grave consequences, that it can- not longer be overlooked or permitted to continue.

Until the obstructions in the river, and at its mouth, are removed, the further construction and maintenance of our diking system cannot protect us; until the channel of the river shall be restored. as it was before obstructions were permitted to be made and to stand, the navigation of the Skagit must at all times be uncertain and dangerous ; and in a very few years must cease altogether.

We do not believe that an intelligent examination into this matter will show that its importance has been over- estimated hy us; nor is this the first time that we have endeavored to bring it to your attention. Memorials from our people have already been forwarded to congress, praying some action on behalf of this section, and at the last session of our legislature, a joint memorial of that body was unanimously passed for the same object.

Thoroughly impressed with the justice of this appeal, we respectfully submit it to your good judgment and earnestly hope for an early and favorable consideration by your honorable bodies, and by such other authorities as shall have this matter in immediate charge.

The annals of Skagit county for 1895 were darkened by a bloody shooting affray, in which one man was killed and three others wounded. The

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circumstances were as follows: Edwin Baldwin and In stepson, Ozro l'erkins, had been running a ferry and freight boat between Samish and Echison, as the large steamers did not stop at the latter place. In the fall of 194, however, they abandoned the work, and it was taken up by John White with another boat. White employed as an assistant an ex-Confederate soklier named Alonzo Wheeler. Later on Ballwin and Perkins decided to resume operations, and when they did so, the rivalry that sprang up between the two parties was intense and bitter, finally, on the 9th of August, 1895, breaking out into open and bloody warfare. On that day, just before the arrival of the steamer State of Washington, White and Wheeler started down to- ward the warehouse on the wharf at Samish. Just then Baldwin and Perkins appeared, accompanied by Ulysses Loop, a son-in-law of Baldwin, and a man named Worden. White and Wheeler walked along the approach to the warehouse until they arrived at the stairway leading down to the place where White kept his boat. The latter then started down this stairway, while Wheeler went on toward the warehouse. He was soon overtaken by Bald- win, Perkins and Loop, and then the firing began. It could not be ascertained positively who fired the first shot, but it was soon seen that Wheeler was seriously injured and was trying to escape. White, as soon as he heard the shooting. started to Wheeler's rescue but was knocked senseless by a blow on the head with an iron bar in the hands of Worden. Wheeler's pursuers overtook him and after knocking him down beat and kicked him in a brutal manner. At that moment Wharfinger Dean came up and succeeded in drawing them off, though he was himself threatened by them.

The scene on the wharf after the battle was a fearful one. Wheeler was lying nearly dead with three frightful bullet wounds, one through the right lung, one through the abdomen and one through the ankle; he was also bruised in many places. White's scalp was torn open by the blow on his head. Baldwin was struck by two bullets, one on the forehead and one in the left arm. Perkins was hit on the head and on the breast. When the steamer arrived Wheeler was placed on board and taken to Anacortes, where he was placed under medical treatment. He survived for a few days only, dying on the 15th.

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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 35

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