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 66

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 66
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 66

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The citizens of Snohomish seem to have had much better success in their efforts to throw off the blighting, withering influence of the wide-spread financial depression than many other towns of the Northwest. In the spring of -1894, they began reaching out for a creamery and secured a propo- sition from a man named Alexander, of Kent, to locate a four thousand dollar plant in their midst provided they would give him a five-year lease on an acre and a half of land and a suitable building. The bonus was speedily forthcoming, and the plant was secured. In the fall of 1895, C. H. Knapp proposed to build another saw-mill if the people would assist him with a site and a cash bonus. Both were con- tributed promptly, notwithstanding the extreme scarcity of money. In 1896, traveling men and others who visited Snohomish united in pronoun- cing it the best small town in the state, and when prosperity returned, it was ready to resume the march of progress at its wonted pace.

One of the achievements of the year 1897 was

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the completion of the big ten-block mill of the Snohomish Shingle Company, which began opera- tions July 14th. Snohomish citizens had watched the building of this big mill with ahnost a personal interest, on account of having subsidized it liberally, and because they expected much help from it to the community in general. The mill proper had a floor space of fifty feet square, while the dry kiln was capable of holding a million shingles. The power was furnished by a seventy-five horse-power engine, supplied by boilers of one hundred and fifteen horse power. The enterprise gave employment directly to about forty men in the plant itself and in the woods.

But Snohomish had hardly gained this enter- prise when it temporarily lost another. J. T. Weber & Company, who had manfully stemmed the tide of adversity in 1893, when they lost thirteen thousand dollars in the Duniway failure, and throughout the four years of depression which followed were forced to the wall in 1892, after the price of shingles had risen and prosperity was again abroad in the land. On the 19th of August they suspended oper- ations, assigning to the crew the shingles on hand in payment of labor claims. The disposition of this firm to do the right thing by their creditors has never been questioned. By their phuick, energy and business acumen, they had succeeded for years. under the most trying circumstances, in keeping their paper at par, and for several months prior to the suspension they had been working over time. turning out one hundred and fifty thousand shingles a day. Another year of prosperity and a little more leniency on the part of those to whom they looked for their timber supply would have put them on a firm footing, but cash was demanded for timber. and this at the time they were unable to pay. The mill resumed operations in April. 1898. under the management of a new firm, Maughlin Brothers.

In May, 1900, the fire demon, who seems to have an implacable enmity against the saw-mill men of Sno- homish, made a fierce attack upon the "Ten-block." destroying the big dry kiln between the mill and the Great Northern depot, despite the efforts of the fire company. Only a few thousand shingles were saved. The loss amounted to about five thousand dollars, only six hundred dollars of which was cov- ered by insurance. It is said that there was delay in getting the fire apparatus out, owing to a report that the alarm, sounded by mill whistles, was a false one : but it is doubtful if the kiln could have been saved even if the fire company had made the best time possible.

There were many indications of good times in Snohomish during 1901. The population within the limits of the town and contiguous thereto was increasing as a result of the immigration of home- seekers from the middle West, and the result was an infusion of new life and new hope. It was stated in an issue of the local newspaper about the 1st of

May that more homes had been built or bought in Snohomish in the preceding six months than in five years previous to the beginning of that period. Dur- ing the spring months the electric light company was busy disposing of the machinery in its old plant and getting its new plant in running order, its new machinery installed and everything in readiness, as one of its members expressed it. "to give the best service in the state."

A very pleasant event of the year was the pre- sentation to the city by library association ladies of the sightly and splendid property now in use for library purposes and as a species of public play ground. The formal dedication and presentation of the deed occurred on the evening of July 12th on the lawn, which was brilliantly illuminated for the occasion. The presentation speech was made by C. W. Gorham, who in the course of his remarks read the simple warranty deed conveying to the city of Snohomish lots numbered one, two, seven and eight and the west half of lot six in block numbered eleven, Snohomish City, eastern part, and condition "that the above described premises shall be used for a free public library and for city and public park purposes, and that no jail, stable, or fire station shall be erected thereon, and that no intoxicating liquors or intoxicating beverages be ever allowed on said premises." Mayor Turner, as the legal rep- resentative of the city formally accepted the prop- erty.

This was the pleasant culmination of a very praiseworthy effort on the part of the ladies of the library association, beginning the November pre- vious. It had long been the ambition of an element in Snohomish to have a fine library in their midst. From the time when Morse. Ferguson, Dr. Folsom and others organized and financed the Snohomish Atheneum. a reading room or library had been main- tained at various times. It was thought that the- failure to establish anything of a permanent char- acter was due largely to the fact that the library had no permanent home, so in November, 1900, a number of ladies put their heads together, elected Mrs. T. F. Thompson their manager and began the struggle to obtain and pay for a suitable building. It was found that the Jackson property, at the cor- ner of First and Cedar streets could be had at a cost of about two thousand five hundred dollars. The ladies engaged heroically in a strenuous effort to secure this large sum. soliciting subscriptions among business men, giving entertainments and benefits, etc. The county commissioners were im- portuned to remit back taxes on the property in part and generously did so. To clear the title and secure immunity from the possibility of litigation in the future the matter had to be taken into the courts, but John Watterson Miller kindly gave his services as attorney free : so this was done at no great cost. . All the money necessary was eventually raised ; the property was secured ; the deed was pre-

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sented to the city, as heretofore stated, and to-day Snohomish is in possession of a commodious library, with all the newspapers and periodicals in its read- ing room and a goodly and constantly increasing number of well chosen books on the shelves. The lawn, also, is a valuable possession, furnishing a small public park, and a sightly, pleasant place for outdoor entertainments, social gatherings, games, etc.

In May, 1901, work was begun by the Snoho- mish Brick & Tile Company on their plant near Snohomish and by September they were turning out a superior quality of bricks, for which there was a ready demand. This was perhaps the most im- portant industry started in the town during the first year of the new century.

The year 1901 did not pass without a fire in Snohomish. About four o'clock one morning very early in September, it was discovered that Buck's dry kiln was on fire, and the department was speed- ily summoned and speedily came. There was some delay in getting water, and before connection with a good strong pressure could be secured, the build- ing was doomed. The loss, which included also 575,000 shingles, was covered in part by insurance. In making a fierce fight to save as much as possible of the movable stock. Merton Hewitt, John Pup- plett, G. N. Cochran and William Hesche sus- tained more or less serious injuries, the first mentioned having an arm broken.

A much more serious disaster befell the city in November, 1902, when a terrible explosion occurred in the power house of the electric light company, killing one man, seriously injuring a second, badly bruising a third, and reducing the building to a mass of ruins. At 4 :15 in the afternoon of the fatal day, Superintendent R. L. Padden, Engineer Adam An- derson, J. C. Shumaker and John Mulliken were working around the plant. Padden and Anderson at the boilers, when boiler No. 1 exploded. A piece of flying iron struck Mr. Padden in the head, knock- ing him twenty feet, and of course killing him in- stantly. Mr. Anderson, who was on top of another boiler, tightening some bolts, was thrown to the rear of the building and buried in debris. Mr. Mulliken was digging a hole at the rear of the building at the time. He too was buried deep under brick and boards, but assistance soon arrived and both he and Anderson were rescued and taken to their homes. The latter was seriously injured.

The cause of the explosion has never been ascer- tained. Many old engineers examined the wreck, but not one was found who could advance a prob- able theory to account for the disaster. The men in charge had been connected with the plant for years, and were considered thoroughly competent. The boilers also had been declared in perfect con- dition a year before, when the Electric Company had entered into contract with the city to take charge of its pumping plant and have the use of

its boilers. It was one of those strange accidents which sometimes occur to machinery, and for which the best mechanics are at a loss for an explanation. The company was fully insured, so there was but little delay in the work of getting ready for resump- tion of business.

But notwithstanding this serious and very re- grettable disaster, Snohomish made substantial gains during the year along many lines, especially in the direction of building substantial homes. It was claimed that more people owned their own homes in the city than in any other in western Washington, about six-sevenths of the houses being the property of the occupants and generally free from debt or mortgages.

The forward movement continued with unslack- ened pace during 1903, and the years following and still continues. Any observing person in Snohomish to-day will see that the town is not at a standstill by any means, neither is it in a fever of excite- ment such as attend a building or real estate boom. It is simply improving every day adding here a little and there a little ; becoming more and more substantial and attractive and more and more a city of homes. Though shaken to the foundations by the removal of the county seat and the building of a metropolis in its near vicinity, it has fully re- covered from the shock and is demonstrating that the resources which originally called it into exis- tence are sufficient to sustain it and supply the sinews of continued growth. At this writing, the carpenters are busy on an excellent three-story hall for the Eagles fraternity, and carpenters, masons and millwrights are at work putting up a capacious, up-to-date lumber and shingle mill, of which any city might well be proud.

With the prosperity which has blest the first years of the century, has come also a full share of disaster. Almost every year has had its destructive fire, those of the last and the present seasons being quite severe. In 1904 the victim of the fire fiend's fury was the Cascade Cedar Company's mill and that special object of the wrath of the fates, the electric light company's plant. The entire loss was sixty-five thousand dollars. This year the Cyclone mill has fed the flames, together with the new plant of the unfortunate electric company, the date of the disaster being Sunday, June 18th. The light com- pany, with its usual pluck and energy, went to work before the ashes had cooled to arrange for a re- sumption of service. A dynamo was secured from Everett and placed in position ; a temporary building was erected. the boiler and engine from the burned building were placed in position and re- paired and within a week the current was again coursing over the wires. The mill, which was a ten-block, with a capacity of one hundred and fifty thousand a day, will not be rebuilt.

Undoubtedly the loss of this worthy enterprise would have weighed more heavily upon the spirits

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of the people of Snohomish were it not that, a short time before the fire, work had been begun on another mill which, when completed, will more than take the place of the unfortunate Cyclone. Pride in the new plant will be heightened by the fact that the people will owe it solely to their own enterprise. A number of the local business men have incorpo- rated under the name of the Cascade Lumber Com- pany, purchased the lease and other rights of the okl Cascade Cedar Company and are building a splendid mill, modern in all its appointments, to be (quipped with brand new machinery throughout and to have a capacity of from sixty thousand to one hundred thousand feet of lumber and more than one hundred thousand shingles per diem.

With a brief description of the Snohomish of the present, this already too lengthy review may be drawn to a close. Business houses in the town are so numerous that it is difficult to list them all, but they include three drug stores, two second hand stores, a racket store, five groceries, four meat markets, a fish market, a steam laundry, a number of fruit and cigar stores, two bakeries, four shoe stores, two book stores, two hardware stores, three or four hotels, several lodging houses, six or more restaurants, twelve saloons, two banks, a cold stor- age, several warehouses, a wood yard, a coal yard, a tea store, four barber shops, two furniture stores, one crockery store, an iron foundry, an electric light plant, a printing office from which issues the Weekly Tribune, a job office, several carpenter and shoe shops, and in or near town two saw-mills, besides the large one now being erected, four shingle mills, a furniture factory, a brick yard, a grist mill, a bottling works, a bicycle repair shop, a bowling alley, undertaking parlors, a creamery, bakeries, two logging company's offices, telegraph offices, express offices, etc. There are two Odd Fellows' halls and one Masonic hall in the town and a fine Eagles' hall is in building as before stated. The professions are represented by six physicians and surgeons, two dentists, and four practicing attorneys and there are two justices of the peace and one police judge.

Snohomish has three excellent public schools, Central high school, the Ludwick and the Emerson, also two overflow schools in rented buildings. It is thought that the teaching force in these schools is not inferior in qualification and general ability to that of any other town of the size in the state. Puget Sound Academy, under the auspices of the Congregational churches, is also located here.

The church organizations of the city are the Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal. Baptist, Episco- pal, Lutheran, Congregational, Free Methodist and Christian Scientist. Of these the Presbyterian is said to have the distinction of being not only the oldest in Snohomish county but one of the very old- est in the state. The dedication on March 5th of the current year of its splendid new church edifice

called forth a historical article in the Tribune from which the following paragraphs are quoted.

"In 1815 this settlement had a population of about one hundred souls, and brave, honest, hopeful, big-hearted men they were. John R. Thompson, a home missionary in Olympia heard of them and with the true missionary spirit determined to go to see them ; so one day in 1815 a trading vessel put him off at the mouth of "Sleeping Waters" ( Indian designation for the Snohomish river) where the city of Everett now stands. He came with his pack up the river trail-the rivers are always the first highways of civilization.

"The preacher was ferried across the river and lodged that night in a saloon to which was attached a hotel. He found the people without a church, but ready to listen to his message. He secured the use of "The Blue Eagle," a dance hall on the river and there preached the gospel. It is said of Mr. Thompson that he sat in the hotel-saloon and watched a game of cards during the early part of the evening and after a while interrupted the game and said 'Now boys, when you finish that hand. F want you to come down to the hall and hear me preach.' They went. He organized the Union Presbyterian church with seven members.

"The next year he came again and with the help of the board of church erection and the com- munity, which gave both dollars and labor, the old Presbyterian church was erected. Many of the builders of the old church live here yet. Among them are the following: Robert Hughs. Francis Phelps, G. D. Smith, Tamlin Elwell, E. C. Fergu- son, Lot Wilbur, John Hilton, Robert Parsen, J. A. Cedargreen, Lam Elwell. Judge Ward was for many years the choir leader : he is still the most sought- for singer in this county. Leslie Packard, then a small boy, was janitor.

The Methodist was the next after the Presbyte- rian to organize and erect a building and the other churches have followed in due course. They are for the most part well supported by the church- going community, vital, active and efficient.

Like most of the towns in the West, Snohomish has the fraternal spirit well developed, and is abun- dantly supplied with lodges. The pioneer of them all is that ancient fraternity, the Masonic, Centennial Lodge No. 25, having been established Decem- ber 16, 1826, In a very interesting address deliv- ered on the twenty-fifth anniversary of this date, William Whitfield gave the names of the first offi- cers and members as follows: H. D. Morgan, W. M .: Hugh Ross, S. M. ; William Whitfield, J. W .: Charles Baker, G. G. England, E. Blackman. J. E. Getchell, R. D. Hilton, E. S. Gregory, S. O. Woods, George Plumb, A. A. Blackman, H. Black- man, W. H. Deering, and J. C. Gregory. The first lodge room, he says, was in an old building, since torn down. opposite the First National Bank build- ing, and the furnishing of the room was accom-

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

. I TIONS

- SI Horton-Photo

Stanwood-1886

Distant View of Stanwood -1905

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SNOHOMISH COUNTY TOWNS

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plished by the aid of other lodges and friends. From the first the lodge enjoyed a prosperous career. June 12, 1891, a chapter of Royal Arch Masons was formed and March 22, 1892, is the date of the in- stitution of Golden Rod Chapter, O. E. S.

In February, 18?8, Snohomish Lodge No. 12. I. O. O. F. was organized in what was then the Masonic hall. It held regular sessions there until the summer of 18:9, when its own hall was com- pleted. There are now two lodges of Odd Fellows in Snohomish and an encampment, also two lodges of the ladies' auxiliary society, the Rebekahs. A large number of other fraternities have been instituted since the Masons and Odd Fellows, among them the Knights of Pythias, Degree of Honor, Forest- ers of America, Modern Woodman. Royal Neigh- bors, the Eagles, who are now building a fine new hall, Grand Army of the Republic and Sons of Veterans, Knights and Ladies of the Maccabees, Royal Highlanders, Order of Pendo and others. Here also are a number of non-secret societies and clubs, including the Commercial club, Cosmopolis club, and the Hiu Wawa, the last a women's society.

Snohomish enjoys a picturesque and favorable location. On a clear day a view may be had from an elevated position of Mounts Baker and Rainier,

with the connecting range between them, that is hard to equal anywhere, while the crest of the classic Olympics, dim and indistinct in the distance is also visible. The hills back from the river furn- ish excellent sites for beautiful homes, and these have been utilized to the fullest by an æsthetic, home-loving and thrifty people. An eminently satisfactory street car service between Snohomish and Everett makes it possible for the people to enjoy all special attractions that may come to the latter city, hence the residents of Snohomish have many of the advantages which only those who live in cities of considerable size may ordinarily enjoy, while retaining all those which are supposed to attend life at some distance from the busy whirl. Snohomish is no longer seriously influenced by an ambition for metropolitan proportions. It is, how- ever, much more than a residence and educational town and always will be. With two transcontinen- tal railroads and two branch lines and with the river to fall back on always in case of a ruinous rise in freight charges or any discrimination against it in the matter of rates, it has decided advan- tages as a business point. Its prosperity rests on a substantial and permanent basis ; its future is cer- tainly bright.

CHAPTER VII

CITIES AND TOWNS (Continued)

MARYSVILLE

In the progress of this history we find occasion to describe mining centers, lumbering centers, manufacturing centers, commercial and agricul- tural centers. There are, however, locations which combine several of these great primary industries. Such a point is Marysville. Adjacent to this city is a wide area of agricultural land, both upland and tide land, capable of the most flattering returns to every expenditure of labor and capital. Upon these lands has stood and to a large extent still stands one of the most magnificent timber belts, fir, spruce, cedar, hemlock, to be found in the state of Washington, unrivalled as it is in timber re- sources. Mineral belts of unknown value are near at hand. Within sight of the town stretch the waters of Port Gardner bay and Port Susan bay

with their myriad resources of fish, of navigation and of commerce, and to cap the climax there is every facility for the establishment of manufac- turing enterprises in wood and iron. Correlative with all these advantages is transportation, both by water and by rail, which place the city in constant communication with every part of the country.

This attractive and promising little city is located at the mouth of the Snohomish river, just at the entrance of the northern branch of that river into the inlet which constitutes a portion of Port Gardner bay. Immediately west of the town lies the Tulalip Indian reservation. South of it at a distance of nine miles is the superbly located city of Everett. The Great Northern railroad passes directly through the town.

With this brief glance at the appearance which Marysville might present to the traveler of the

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present day we may turn back a few years and in- quire by whom and under what circumstances it received its foundation.

We soon learn that the father of Marysville was James P. Comeford, for many years one of the most active promoters of enterprise in the city and still living there in a hale old age, although having re- tired from business. Mr. Comeford went to the Tulalip Indian reservation as Indian agent in the spring of 1822. Ilis attention was soon drawn to the possibilities of improvement in the region im- mediately adjoining the reservation and he accord- ingly sought to purchase a tideland claim from John Stafford on the farther side of Ebey slough. He found that Truman Ireland and Louis Thomas, who, together with Stafford, had taken claims at that point in the early sixties and had already done a large amount of logging upon them, had made such an agreement that it was necessary to buy all the claims, if any. Accordingly Mr. Comeford purchased the three claims, together with another belonging to, Captain Renton of Port Blakely, all together constituting a tract of twelve hundred and eighty acres, for a total outlay of four hundred and fifty dollars.

For three years after making this purchase Mr. Comeford engaged in logging the uncut portion of his land and conducting the trader's post at Tulalip. from which he supplied as many as eighteen camps on the reservation. In September, 1817, he decided to establish himself permanently upon his tract of land. Moving to the present site of Marysville he erected a store upon what is now Front street, on the south side just west of the old Johnson hotel and near the reservation line. He built also a small dock upon Ebey slough and an addition to his building for hotel and warehouse purposes. Feel- ing the need of a postoffice in his new location, and there being no white people there to sign a petition to that end, Mr. Comeford secured enough Indians to sign Yankee names to a petition which he headed, to make a respectable list of petitioners and thus secured the establishment of a postoffice during the winter following his establishment. About this time James Johnson and Thomas Lloyd of Marys- ville, California, visited Mr. Comeford and while there requested that if he founded a town he would name it after their home place. He assented to this request and thus the name of Marysville became established. Messrs. Johnson and Lloyd subse- quently became permanent citizens of the place. For four or five years Mr. Comeford was obliged to carry the mail himself from the steamboat land- ing on Steamboat slough one and a quarter miles listant from the postoffice. Frequently he had to wade three feet deep in the marshes. The first steamboat to carry the mail was the Chehalis. The Nelly, built at Snohomish, afterward carried the mail for many years. There were no settlers at all then in the vicinity of Marysville and the busi-

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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 66

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