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 40

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 40
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 40

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

The story of MeBride's defeat in the convention at Tacoma is a matter of state history too recent to necessitate rehearsing. Upon the death of the convention's nominee for sheriff, C. A. Risbell, Charles Harmon was appointed to fill the vacancy.

The Democrats held two conventions; one, the first. April 30th, to select delegates to choose state delegates to represent Washington at the national convention held in St. Louis, and another, July 30th, to place the regular legislative and county ticket in nomination. From the abstract of the official returns given below the names of the victorious local candidates may be easily gleaned and an accurate idea obtained of the present politi- cal complexion of Skagit :

Presidential electors, Samuel G. Cosgrove, L. B. Nash, George W. Bassett, Al. L. Munson,

Ilerman D. Crow, Republicans, 3,031, 3,022, 3,023, 3,021 and 3,011 votes respectively, Fred Thiel, John C. Carney, John Trumbull, J. S. Darnell, Simon Peter Richardson, Democrats, 880, 880, 876, 818 and 826 votes respectively, DeForest Sanford, (). Lund, D. M. Angus, P. R. Pratt, D. G. Crow, Socialists, 284, 283, 282, 281 and 282 votes respec- tively; representatives, William E. Humphrey, Wesley L. Jones, Francis W. Cushman, Republi- cans, 2,893, 2,886 and 2,900 votes respectively, Howard Hathway, James Anderson, W. T. Beck, Democrats, 1,002, 1,010 and 1,007 votes respectively, T. C. Wisewell, H. D. Jory, George Croston, Socialists, 260, 260 and 260 votes respectively ; judges of supreme court, Frank H. Rudkin, Mark A. Fullerton, Republicans, 2,866 and 2,951 votes respectively, Alfred Battle, Democrat, 1,052, Will- iam McDevitt, D. W. Phipps, Socialists, 256 and 256 votes respectively ; governor, Albert E. Mead, Republican, 2,642. George Turner, Democrat, 1,377, D. Burgess, Socialist, 255; lieutenant-governor, Charles E. Coon. Republican, 2,673, Stephen Jud- son, Democrat, 1,242, Sigmund Roeder, Socialist, 239 ; secretary of state. Samuel H. Nichols, Repub- lican, 2.802, P. Hough, Democrat, 1,079, George E. Boomer, Socialist, 212; treasurer, George G. Mills, Republican, 2,198, George Mudgett, Democrat, 1,092, Bernard Goerkes, Socialist, 236; auditor, Charles W. Clausen, Republican, 2,798, R. Lee Purdin, Democrat, 1,071, A. F. Payne, Socialist, 243; attorney-general, John D. Atkinson, Repub- lican, 2,118, Charles H. Neal, Democrat, 1,117, O. C. Whitney, Socialist, 246; commissioner of public lands, E. W. Ross, Republican, 2,805, Van R. Pierson, Democrat, 1.085, J. F. LaClerc, Social- ist, 243: superintendent of public instruction, R. B. Bryan, Republican, 2.736, Walter D. Gerard, Demoerat, 1,132, Frances C. Silvester, Socialist, 239; state representatives, R. Lee Bradley, Repub-

(. Rudene, Republican, 2.419, Pat McCoy, Demo- crat, 1,613, J. C. Stitt, Democrat, 1,529, W. A. Lowman, Democrat, 1,564, Wiltse Brown, Socialist, 217, E. E. Spear, Socialist, 217 ; judge of superior court, George A. Joiner, Republican, 2,513, J. P. Houser, Demoerat, 1,488 ; sheriff, Charles Harmon, Republican, 2,922, Charles E. Storrs, Democrat, 1,002, Frank Day, Socialist. 216; county clerk, W. B. Davis, Republican, 2,159, George Chapman, Democrat, 1,182, Beecher Koch, Socialist, 213; auditor, Fred Blumberg, Republican, 2,496, E. W. Ferris, Democrat, 1,493, L. W. Smith, Socialist, 201; treasurer, Patrick Halloran, Republican, 2.409. Fred E. Pape, Democrat, 1,514, Jordon Johnson, Socialist, 210; prosecuting attorney, J. C. Waugh, Republican, 2,338, C. P. Gable, Democrat, 1,640: assessor, F. F. Willard. Republican, 2,764, A. D. Quint, Democrat, 1,156, John Shannon, Socialist, 208: superintendent of schools, J. Guy | Lowman, Republican, 2,757. T. H. Look, Democrat,

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR TILDEN =

PREEMPTION CABIN OF LYMAN ABBOTT Built in the Seventies by C. Dix

HEREFORD CATTLE . Near Edison

Cauliflower Seed

ON SAMISH FLATS-Edison in the Distance

IN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CHANGES WROUGHT BY THE PIONEER

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1,224 ; surveyor. John W. Meehan, Republican, 2.102, S. D. Temple, Democrat, 1,223. George Savage, Socialist, 213; coroner, J. C. LePlant. Re- publican, 2,381, George Moran, Democrat, 1.535, W. H. Benson, Socialist, 217; commissioners, first

district, James Dunlap, Republican, 2,456, Nick Beesner, Democrat, 1.555, J. A. Kennedy, Socialist, 196 ; commissioner, second district, R. M. Moody, Republican, 2,533, John H. Weppler, Democrat, 133, A. B. Coriel, Socialist, 200.

CHAPTER VII

CITIES AND TOWNS

MOUNT VERNON

Mount Vernon, the capital of Skagit county, has had even more than the usual vicissitudes of a new city upon Puget sound and of a county seat. Many of the events in connection with the struggle of this town to secure and retain the location of the county seat are detailed in the general chapters of the history of Skagit county. It is rather our pur- pose in this sketch of the city itself to give more of what may be called its domestic life, its scenic environment and its business opportunities.

It may be said first of all that Mount Vernon has a beautiful and attractive location. The site adjoins and in part includes elevations beyond the reach of the desolating floods, with which the snow- fed Skagit at times harries the fertile valley. The river itself, so swift in all its upper parts, is brought to comparative calm a few miles above Mount Ver- non by the influence of the ocean tides; and by im- provements in the removal of snags and drift the town is at all times accessible to steamers of large size. Surrounding Mount Vernon on all sides lie beautiful and fertile lands originally clothed with a dense forest. but redeemed by the hand of industry and rendered productive to a degree which has caused the town itself to become the most important distributing center in all the region about.

Mount Vernon is somewhat peculiar among the cities of the sound in that it combines the charac- teristics of a seaport, of an agricultural and horti- cultural center and of a distributing point for both mines and lumber camps.

To Jasper Gates and Joseph F. Dwelley is to be credited the first settlement upon any part of the land upon which Mount Vernon now stands, Gates preceding Dwelley a short time. That was in the year 1870. Several settlers joined them- selves to the community within the next year. and in 1872 there was a sufficient number of children

in the pioneer community to demand a school. A hut originally built for a barn, just below what is now D. E. Kimble's place, was the location of the first school. After one term had been taught in that building the district built a log-cabin school- house on the Wells place, afterward the property of George W. Rowley. The first teachers in this cabin were Ida Lanning, G. E. Hartson and, after an interval of a year, L. M. Wood. It may be said in connection with the log school-house that it was used until 1880, when it gave way to a frame school-house erected on the bench of land near the present residence of Dr. H. P. Downs. After four sessions of school had met in the new build- ing it was superseded by a building erected at the foot of the hill upon land afterward on the Great Northern right of way. Still later this building, in turn, was replaced by the elegant brick struct- ure upon the Mount Vernon heights, and it is now used as a part of the Mount Vernon Commercial club building.

Turning back again from this brief glance at the evolution of the school buildings in the town, we may take up the thread of our narrative by noting the fact that the actual founding of the town of Mount Vernon was in March, 1877. Messrs. Clothier & English may be called the godfathers of the new town. inasmuch as they were responsible for the laving out of the town site and for bestowing upon it the sacred name of the spot where the father of our country now lies entombed. The first town site embraced but ten acres, and that was purchased of Jasper Gates by Clothier & English for one hundred dollars. Messrs. Clothier & English brought a small stock of goods to their new home and are therefore enti- tled to be called the pioneer business men of the place. So conspicuous a part did these two gen- tlemen, both collectively and individually, bear in the entire history of their town that is fitting to draw upon the valuable reminiscences with which

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they have furnished us in connection with that period of the history. Harrison Clothier came to Skagit county in September, 1875. He returned a year later and became the teacher of the school on the Kimble place named. He had but twenty pupils. At that time W. H. Fouts was the county superintendent of schools.

After completing his term of school in Febru- ary, 1877. Mr. Clothier, believing the place a good one for gathering a profitable trade, associated with himself a former pupil in their home in the same eastern state. E. G. English. The location of the little store with which Mesers. Clothier & English inaugurated the business history of Mount Vernon was upon the land where the creamery now stands. .At that time the shore extended some forty or fifty feet further into the river than at present and there was a small island near the store. The bank of the stream began washing away in 1880 and the proc- ess of erosion has continued until it is now within a few feet of the creamery building. The town site as laid out by the pioneer merchants consisted of two tiers of blocks, the street upon the river bank being called Front street and the next one back Main street. The entire town site was densely covered with timber and brush. The plat of that original town site was never dedicated by its own- ers and through the negligence of the surveyor it was never recorded. In 1885 a new plat was made and filed.

The first residence built upon the town site was that of William Brice. This was located upon Mr. Brice's claim on the north edge of the town site. Two logging camps were established upon this old Brice claim. One of these was operated by Joseph Hanscomb, David and Robert Horn and the other by William Gage.

The march of improvement in the little settle- ment continued and in November of 1877 Mr. Clothier was appointed postmaster. He was suc- ceeded four years later by his partner, E. G. English.

In the natural course of events restaurants. saloons and hotels tread hard upon the heels of the first store. Jonathan Shott seems to have been the pioneer hotel-keeper. Ilis first hotel was located, in the spring of 1812, on the east side of Front street near the store. It seems not to have been a palatial edifice, inasmuch as its total cost did not exceed one hundred and fifty dollars. But the habitués of the place were not very numerous nor were they overly fastidious in their tastes. Martin Coltenbaugh, who had been a cook at the Gage logging camp, built a hut next to Shott's hotel which he used as a restaurant. Sad to relate, but inevitable, this same building was opened at the beginning of the next year by John A. Bievel as a saloon.

Those were primitive days in a business way. The principal trade done by Clothier & English

was in handling furs and hides. Sometimes as high as thirty-five or forty dollars' worth of beaver skins would be received at the store in a single day. There was, however, very little money in circulation.

The transportation business was also in the same primitive condition as other things. The big jam on the Skagit river interfered at that time with the passage of steamboats, although the lum- ber used in the construction of buiklings at Mount Vernon in the year 1877 was brought up by the little steamer Fanny Lake. Nevertheless the un- certainty in the movements of steamboats con- pelled the mail carriers to go from Mount Vernon to Skagit City in a canoe. Jasper Gates was awarded the contract in 1877 to carry the mail weekly upon this canoe route. He received for his services the bountiful salary of one dollar and fifty cents per week. This amount from the gov- ernment was supplemented by a subsidy from Clothier & English.

The little hamlet of Mount Vernon seems not to have made extraordinary progress during the year 1848. But one dwelling house was erected during that year, and that was by John Gilligan, a logger. The year 1879 seems to have witnessed some additions to the population of the town, and Michael McNamara felt justified in erecting a new hotel built of rough lumber, at a cost of a few hundred dollars, upon the second lot south of the store and christened the Ruby house. This name was derived from the newly discovered Ruby creek mines, which played an immense part in a short time in the development of the entire region. A drug store was erected at about the same time, conducted by Dr. D. Y. Deere.

The excitement attending the mining discov- eries on Ruby creek made the year 1880 one of much growth in the little town, but the mining resources did not prove to be stable and the col- lapse of the excitement left a dead calm again brooding over the forests of Skagit. A new hotel, however, known as the Mount Vernon hotel, had been erected by Clothier, English & Klement dur- ing the busy season.

On the first day of January, 1881, there was a permanent population of about seventy-five peo- ple. New logging camps were established near the town by Oliver Anderson, and Moore & Dens- more ; but the logging business was at that time not profitable on account of the very low price of logs, which during the most of the period was only four dollars a thousand.

Among sundry interesting things called to mind from that early epoch by Mr. Clothier is one of the famous flag pole of Mount Vernon. A short time before the Fourth of July, 1877, Mr. Clothier was standing in company with John Lorenzy on what by courtesy and great expectations they desig- nated as Front street, looking at a beautiful green

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cedar tree six feet in diameter at the base and rising as straight as an arrow into the sky to a height of more than two hundred feet. Lorenzy, although a man then sixty years old, proposed to trim the limbs from this tree and transform it into a flag pole. It was a difficult thing to accomplish. particularly as at the times of his attempts the tree was swaying in a high wind. But he suc- ceeded in his purpose, and upon the Fourth of July Old Glory flew from a position one hundred and forty-seven feet above the ground. This was the regular flag pole of the village until July, 1891. At that time the great fire which raged in and about Mount Vernon so damaged the historic landmark that it was necessary to saw it off. With tears in his eyes Mr. Lorenzy felled the stately staff, to which he had attached the flag fourteen years before.

In every growing community we may expect to find fraternal orders. Even in the rude begin- nings of Mount Vernon in 1882 we find that the Odd Fellows were moving with characteristic en- ergy in the formation of the first lodge in that part of the county. It was formally instituted on October 14th. A large delegation of prominent members of the order were present to assist in instituting this lodge. Among them were Gov- ernor Newell, T. N. Ford, Judge Hewitt and Cap- tain George D. Hill. The officers chosen for this lodge, known as Mount Vernon lodge, No. 23, were H. C. Leggett, N. G .; Henry Cooper. V. G .; Philip Bartlett, secretary, and David O'Keefe. treasurer. At about the same time a lodge of Masons was organized at Skagit City, but shortly afterward moved to Mount Vernon.

The years 1883 and 1884 seem to have con- stituted a period of beginnings in many respects, for during that time the first physician. Dr. H. P. Montborne. the first firm of lawyers. McNaught & Tinkham, the first laundry in charge of Vik Lung. the first barber. L. B. Knauss, and the first meat market, in charge of Moody & Hendricks, came into existence. More important in many respects than any other enterprise of that time was the establishment of the Skagit News, to which much credit is due for preserving the facts of local history, which ever since its establishment has taken a prominent part in the affairs of its section, and which has been especially conspicuous in the energy with which it has striven for the advance- ment of its town. This important paper was estab- lished in March, 1881, by William C. Ewing, a son of General Ewing, who had come from New York to grow up with the new West. Mr. Ewing's first office was over the store of Clothier & English. and in many ways they assisted him in his under- taking.

Schools and churches must not be forgotten in any summary of the events of one of our towns. We find the school census of June 21, 1884, to

show an enrollment in the district of forty-five, nineteen boys and twenty-six girls. C. H. Kimble was clerk of the district and E. D. Davis was the teacher. The first church organization was effected in that same fruitful year of 1884. April 27th was the date, the church was of the Baptist denom- ination, and the clergyman who organized it was Rev. F. B. Homan. It was not until five years later, however, that there was any church buikling. On the 12th of November. 1889, a very comfort- able and tasty church, built at a cost of two thou- sand five hundred dollars, was dedicated by the Baptist denomination. The Methodists effected the organization of a small class in 1886, and in June of 1890 dedicated a church, the value of which was estimated at three thousand dollars. During the period in which these church societies were without buildings they maintained services in the public school or the Odd Fellows' hall. The Christian church was the third in Mount Vernon and cost about two thousand dollars. These three may be called the pioneer churches of the city. Those of later date will be referred to hereafter.

Of all the early buildings in Mount Vernon probably the most interesting and costly was the Odd Fellows' hall. This was used as the first public town hall, also as a court-house for a time and as the meeting place of all the churches not provided with church edifices. This building is still standing on Main street and may of all others be called the historic spot of Mount Vernon. It was dedicated on April 21, 1885. The event of the various ceremonies of the day and the festivities of the evening constituted the most notable occur- rence of the kind up to that time in the history of the town. There were a number of visitors from other towns. The steamer Glide brought a number of members of the grand lodge from Seat- tle. It then made a special trip to La Conner, bringing from there nearly forty Odd Fellows and Daughters of Rebekah. The Arrow came from Utsalady with an additional instalment, while the Josephine transported a delegation of the fra- ternity from Snohomish. Not only by steamer but by small boats visitors gathered at Mount Vernon, and not only by water but by team, horse- back and afoot, farmers, loggers and miners gath- ered to participate in the ceremonies. The oration was delivered by J. T. Ronald and was received with great profit and interest by the audience. Captain George D. Hill officiating, the ceremony of dedication then took place. The four heralds were R. C. Allen, of the north. D. Young, of the south, A. E. Hummer, of the east, and J. W. Belyea, of the west. Thus took place an event long remembered by the inhabitants of the little burg.

The selection of Mount Vernon in November, 1884, by the voters of the county as a permanent county seat may be said to have sealed the destiny of the town and to have rendered its place secure.

SKAGIT COUNTY

The peculiar advantage held by Mount Vernon and demonstrated both in this struggle with La Conner and the subsequent struggle with Anacortes was due to its central location with reference to the mining, logging and farming communities of the castern and central part of the county and to the fact that while not upon the shore of the sound it was sufficiently accessible to it to enable it to partake of the advantages of the sound towns. Its success in the fight for the county seat was due also to its solid support, whereas its various rivals had divided and conflicting constituencies.

After the turning of the years 1881 and 1885 it may be said that the first era of Mount Vernon was passed and that its subsequent history was of the nature of normal and substantial evolution.

Business enterprises of increasing magnitude shaped themselves in the year 1887 and thence onward. One of the most important movements affecting the general progress of the community was the foundation of the Skagit Saw-mill and Manufacturing Company. This is especially inter- esting by reason of the fact that it was a popular movement, illustrative of the true American in- stinct of getting in and creating values by the initiative of the community without waiting for outside aid. The meeting in which the movement started was a public one held in the office of the probate judge at Mount Vernon on the 16th of April, 1887. H. P. Downs having been chosen chairman and H. Clothier secretary. a body of directors consisting of E. G. English, H. P. Downs, Otto Klement, Jasper Gates, G. E. Hartson, E. K. Matlock and O. Kincaid, were elected to file arti- cles of incorporation. It was voted to fix the value of shares in the corporation at fifty dollars, and to issue four hundred non-assessable shares, this making the capital stock of the corporation twenty thousand dollars. A year passed before the organ- ization reached a definite business status and in June, 1888, an agreement was made between the corporation and David F. Decatur which provided that the citizens of the place should provide twenty- seven hundred dollars for the purchase of a mill site and the construction of a boom for holding logs. Mr. Decatur on his part agreed to build a saw- mill which should have a boiler of at least eighty horse-power and should include a planer and shin- gle machine, and to operate the same for a period of five years. Mr. Decatur had come a short time previous from Boston and seemed to be an ener- getic and capable man. The machinery for the mill was brought from Seattle and when established had a cutting capacity of thirty-five thousand feet per day. The outfit included the planer and shin- gle mill stated and also a lath mill. the shingle mill having a capacity of fifty thousand shingles per day. When run at its full capacity the mill would require the services of forty-four men. The estab- lishment of this enterprise had a very important

bearing on the concentration of business at Mount Vernon. Mr. Decatur, however, retained his inter- est but a short time and then sold his rights to Clothier & English in partnership with Dunham & Collins. The latter two gentlemen took charge of the mill and proceeded to operate it with suc- cess and profit.

While these attempts at the founding of a great saw-milling enterprise were in progress, Mount Vernon was alive to the vital need of secur- ing railroad connections. The citizens of the place took up this vital subject with the same energy that had characterized their previous undertak- ings. A mass meeting was held on July 31, 1889, to consider the question of offering some induce- ments to some one of the railroads to build to Mount Vernon. Colonel Hufty was elected chair- man and F. D. Cleaves secretary of this meeting. A committee was appointed to receive contribu- tions and to negotiate with the railroad companies with respect to the location of their lines. Of the results of the great period of railroad construction of that time sufficient notice has already been taken in the general chapters on county history. Suffice it to say that the Great Northern railroad, in response to the generous contributions of the people of the place, built their line through the town and constructed buildings which have been of great business advantage to the county-seat city. A strenuous effort was made by the citizens of the town to secure the location of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad. A very liberal subsidy amounting to four hundred acres of land and one hundred and thirty town lots and six thousand and three hundred dollars in cash was secured. The estimated value of this subsidy at that time was about seventy-five thousand dollars, but all persons well informed considered that the completion of the railroad would at least treble its value. But. as the event proved, this railroad, acquired soon after by the Northern Pacific, passed several miles east of Mount Vernon, making Sedro-Woolley its special point.

Naturally allied with railroad connections are telegraphic connections. In November of 1890 a third telegraphic line was completed, connecting Mount Vernon with Seattle. - With the establish- ment of railroad and telegraph communications, Mount Vernon fairly entered upon her second stage of progress. Throughout the years 1888 and 1889 the incoming tide of home-seekers and prospectors for business and of parents sceking school advan- tages for their children so overtaxed the capacity of the place in respect to buildings as to lead cap- italists to consider as never before the profits of building. There was much public discussion of the need of a building and loan association, although it was some time before this need was met. At that time there were hundreds of men employed in the various logging camps surround-

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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 40

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