An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington, Part 41

Author: Edwards, Jonathan, 1847-1929. cn
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: [San Francisco?] W.H. Lever
Number of Pages: 888

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"Polyggyra ( Triodopsis ) Mullanii, var. Ol- neyac (Pilsbry). Typical from the side of the bluff at my home, where it is always true

United States District Court : 1890- | to Pilsbry's description. Solitary in its habits.

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

depositing an egg in a place. On the 6th of April I collected six specimens, of as many different ages, the youngest, probably, about three weeks, the oldest a last autumn's prod- uct. House just finished.

"Pyramidula (patula) strigosa (Gould). Found at Marshall's Springs; very fine speci- mens are collected at Rathdrum, Idaho. I have the four varieties Hemphill calls parma bicolor, lactea and sub-carinata. Two or three names will probably be added when some collector, ambitious to swell the num- bers in his catalogue, finds some of the pecu- liar forms I have received this spring. It is a protean and very interesting species. Strigosa is oviparous and ovoviviparous. I had cleaned several hundred and only found young in the oviduct of one until last August. Then I found from ten to twenty in every one of the fifty brought from Rathdrum. Pilsbry, in Vol. IX of Helicidae, says: "The aridity west of the Rockies causes the ovoviviparous state." I doubt his being able to prove it. Where the above mentioned fifty were found was within ten feet of a never-failing stream. The spring of 1886 was unusually wet in that section, and it appears as if Mrs. Strigosa con- sidered it wise to keep her family in the house. I had several times received collections from the same place in dry seasons, and the eggs during captivity were deposited in the usual manner of snails. Perhaps some member of the academy will settle the question.

"Pyram idula (Patula) solitaria (Lay). Marshall's Springs. The dark reddish-brown variety with one white band at the periphery ; also an occasional albino.

"Pyramidula (Patula)

striatella (An- thony). Scarce.

"Succinida. I have three specimens found within the city limits. I am not satisfied with descriptions of "Pacific region" that here come under my observation. One is quite likely to be a variety of rusticana (Gould) and another nuttalliana (Lea. ) The third is un-

described. I will endeavor to have all three identified by some specialist and report.

"Slugs .- At least three species. One quite destructive to flower-beds, found under side- walks on the south side of the city.

"The species of land shells enumerated are all I am willing to stand sponsor for at pres- ent. Fifteen species strictly within city limits." She gives the result of her work among the pelecypoda and says: "This di- vision of molloca needs as vigorous an over- hauling as helicidae has had, and until it is done it is almost useless to report, especially as our rivers and ponds have produced speci- mens that even the headlights among con- chologists disagree concerning the names of several species. I append a list of such as I am sure of: "Sphaerium striatinum (Lam), Sphaerium Spokani (Lam), Spacrium stami- neum (Conrad ), Sphaerium raymondii (J. G. Cooper), Aneylus kooteniansis (Baird). The above five specimens found in Hangman creek, also in ponds east of the Cook line of street cars.

"Limnacidae Limnaca stagnalis (Linn). Pond east part of city. Fine specimens a few years ago, but will soon be extinct.

"Limnophyoa bulimoides (Lea). Hang- man creek, a half mile above its entrance into Spokane river.

"Limrophysa sumassi (Baird), Hangman; Limrophysa palustris (Mull), east ponds ; Limrophysa caperita (Lay), Cook's Pond; Limrophysa muttalliana (Lea), Nosler's Pond; Limrophysa Desidiosa (Say).

"Physa heterostropha (Say). In all ponds and streams blandii and politissima are found here, but may as well be called varieties of heterostropha as to be designated as species.

"Bulinus Hypnorium (Carpenter). The ground has been burned over where these were found; dead shells, but in good condi- tion.

"Helisoma trivolvis (Say). Pond on the bluff.

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"Fluminicola muttalliana (Lea). Vari- ous ponds.

"Univnidae. The least said of this family, the soonest mended. The family is very poorly represented on the Pacific slope. In Spokane we are at least after a long discus- sion allowed to say Unio margaritfera (Linn) instead of Margaritana, and in my cabinet will be marked Unio margaritifera (Linn) var. Falcata (Gould).

"Anodonta nuttalliana (Lea). A very deli- cate species that has a hard struggle for life in the inhospitable beds of Spokane and Hang- man. Fresh water, 23; land, 15; total, 38."

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

A meeting was called through the North- western Tribune as early as October 15, 1881, to consider the advisability of organizing a Spokane County Agricultural Society. The first meeting did not result in an organization. A second meeting was held at Cheney April 20, 1882. Col. Smith, of Medical Lake, was in the chair and Francis H. Cook acted as sec- retary. Little was done in this direction for several years. In 1887 something in the nature of an agricultural fair was held at Montrose Park, Cook's addition. A Wash- ington and Idaho Fair Association was organ- ized. The fair grounds at Forrest Park were secured and used more or less for a few years. The fences were taken down, with the build- ings, a year ago, and the land platted into town lots. If the agricultural fairs have not been a success the Fruit Fair has been and has become a permanent institution. We herewith submit a history of the fair, written by E. D. Olmsted, president of the board of control.

"The history and growth of the Spokane Industrial Exposition are of much interest. Backin 1893 and 1894 thoughtful business men began to realize that Spokane had outgrown the country about it. Those were the doubt- ful days when business seemed at a standstill. people instead of coming to the country were

leaving it, and going-nobody knows where. Failures and panics had frightened everyone and all confidence was lost. The people of Spokane then began to realize that something must be done. The old bureau of immigration was organized and commenced under more dis- couraging circumstances similar work to what is now being done so successfully by the Spo- kane Chamber of Commerce. J. W. Binkley was president, E. J. Dyer, secretary, and Her- bert Bolster, manager of that bureau of immi- gration. They commenced to scatter informa- tion about the west, but they soon found that something must be done to convince the peo- ple who were already here that the great In- land Empire had resources which no other section could excel. Therefore, in order to convince people of the great richness and pro- ductiveness of the soil, Mr. Bolster proposed to have a fair. The suggestion was looked upon with some doubt, but in Mr. Bolster the bureau had confidence, and he was permitted to go ahead.

"He therefore prepared the first annual Spokane fruit fair, which was held four days, from the 24th to the 27th of October, 1894. He chose John L. Smith and E. P. Gilbert as his superintendents, and prepared to show the people what could be raised by the soil of this country. It was no easy task to prepare that small fair. Farmers were skeptical and would not exhibit, so Mr. Smith took his wagon and went through the country and with his own hands pulled the cabbages and dug the pota- toes and brought them to Spokane as a part of the exhibits. The fair was an immense suc- cess. People could not believe that all the products there exhibited could have been raised in this country. The fair was held in the Knapp-Burrell building on East Riverside avenue, and the admission was ten cents. The people flocked to see what Mr. Bolster had done. Saturday of the fair the attendance numbered more than five thousand people. Mr. Bolster ventured to employ the Borchert or-

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

chestra, consisting of four ladies, to furnish music and to entertain his visitors. He paid them the magnificent sum of twenty-five dol- lars per day. Everybody was pleased, and it is a question if the one hundred dollars he spent for the music that year did not give as much satisfaction to the people as the thou- sands of dollars which have since been spent for attractions. What a contrast ! Five years ago the music and all other attractions cost one hundred dollars. This year they will cost eight or ten thousand dollars. Thus has the enterprise grown. Mr. Bolster astounded the bureau by turning into the treasury at the close of that fair six hundred and forty-one dollars and sixty-eight cents as a surplus. After that success it is not to be wondered at that the people have shown him confidence and have al- lowed him to do largely as he pleases in run- ning Spokane's fairs and expositions.

"The second fruit fair lasted ten days in- stead of four, and was in every way as great a success and an improvement over the first. Four ladies with stringed instruments would not satisfy the people, so the management secured two outside military bands. For the first five days the Fourth Cavalry Band at Fort Walla Walla furnished the music, and for the second five days Joseph Nevotti's Fourth Infantry Band of Fort Sherman fur- nished the music. That year exhibits came from far and wide, and the fair was an un- qualified success. It was held on the open common at the corner of Sprague and Mill, and spread itself into some of the empty ad- joining store-rooms on First avenue. At the close of the fair a banquet was given the lead- ing exhibitors from Umatilla, Oregon, Walla Walla, Lewiston, the Potlatch, Wilbur, Latah, and all other points near Spokane. People went away that year giving the unanimous vote that Spokane was their metropolis, and was doing the right thing for the development of the country. This, too, was a ten-cent show, and at its close Manager Bolster re-

ported a surplus of over eleven hundred dol- lars.

"The third fruit fair, like its predecessors, proved to be a great success. There was the same increase and interest, and this year's ex- hibits came as far away as the Frazier river valley, British Columbia, coming around by Seattle to reach Spokane. This fruit fair was managed by Frank W. Smith, with John A. Finch as its president. The admission was ten cents and the fair continued for twelve days. It was held for the first time on the ground adjoining the Auditorium building. The Sixteenth Infantry Band, which arrived just in time from Fort Douglas at Salt Lake, furnished the music.

"The fourth fair was held in the same lo- cality and Manager Bolster was again ap- pointed to run it. John A. Finch was for the second time made president, and in fact he served three years in that capacity until he positively refused to accept the position for the fourth time. This year it was found that the fair had grown to larger proportions. The attractions were so many and the expenses were so heavy that it was necessary to raise the admission fee to fifteen cents. Again the Six- teenth Infantry Band furnished the music. A goddess of plenty was first chosen to open the fair and the first big parades and elaborate opening ceremonies were added. The year before Walla Walla county had won the capi- tal prize and was permitted to choose a god- dess. Miss Rose Blalock was chosen as a direct compliment to the Hon. N. G. Blalock, her father, the pioneer orchardist of Wash- ington. The fair was so great a success that the management at the close presented many souvenirs and costly tokens of esteem to the exhibitors who had come from far and wide, and then reported a surplus of fifteen hun- dred dollars still on hand.

"The fifth annual fruit fair was held last year, again on the location adjoining the Au- ditorium building, and was as great a success

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in proportion as its predecessors and showed that it had continued to grow in importance. This year again was held the big opening parade and Whitman county sent Miss Kath- erine Ridgeway Hogan to represent them as a goddess of plenty. The mining depart- ment which was first started by Frank W. Smith, this year developed into more import- ance and in every way the show was larger than it ever had been in the past. Hoppe's Washington State Band of twenty-five pieces furnished music. Manager Bolster reported a surplus of two thousand five hundred dollars.

"At the close of this fair exhibitors from outside counties and districts held a meeting, inviting Mr. Bolster to be present, and re- quested him in the interest of the country for which the fairs already had done so much, to see if it would not be possible in another year to add stock, dairy, poultry and mineral departments, and make a general exposition of the fruit fairs. This request he is now act- ing upon in preparing the Spokane Industrial Exposition of 1899. Thus has the little Spokane fruit fair of five years ago grown into the Spokane Industrial Exposition of to- day-the greatest and best annual fair west of the Mississippi river.

"In 1894 the fair cost a few hundred dollars, and in 1899 it will cost thirty-five thousand dollars. In 1894 merchants sub- scribed for the fair from one dollar to five dollars apiece, but only in merchandise. In 1899 they have subscribed from twenty-five dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars in cash. In 1894 the attractions cost one hun- dred dollars and in 1899 they will cost per- haps, ten thousand dollars. In 1894 it con- tinued four days and the admission was ten cents. In 1899 it will continue fifteen days and the admission will be twenty-five cents. In 1894 the railroads gave a rate of one and one-fifth fare for the round trip and prac- tically nobody came from outside Spokane.

In 1899 they will give one fare for the round trip for any day of the exposition and thou- sands will come each day. In 1894 the en- tire fair cost less than what will be spent this year for vaudeville attractions, and eight or nine thousand dollars will be spent in ad- dition for music.

"In 1896, when the fair held near the Au- ditorium, the total paid admissions were 56,031. In 1897 they were 69,228. In 1898 they were 72,250, and in 1899, with the magnificient music and other attractions, and the fair continuing for fifteen days, instead of twelve, the paid admissions are expected to run up to 100,000.

"In the history of the past fruit fairs there have been about a dozen men from outside counties who were far-sighted enough to see the great benefit to the outside country of such an exposition and who cordially and earnestly lent their aid to Spokane in this enterprise. If it were not for the support of twelve or fifteen such men from Whitman, Nez Perce, Walla Walla, Umatilla and Stevens counties, from the Potlatch, from Wilbur, from Douglas county and from British Co- lumbia, the fruit fairs of the past could scarcely have been held."

NOTE-An effort is now being made to erect a permanent building for the exposition. A site has been selected on Riverside avenue, west of the Mitchell-Lewis-Staver Company. Plans have been submitted by the architect, and will soon be decided upon. The amount of money ($75,000) necessary to erect the building is almost in sight, and the next ex- position will doubtless be on a larger scale than any previous one .- Editor.

CITY PARKS.

Spokane will soon be a city of parks if her wealthy and generous citizens will continue to donate their land for the public. Several parcels of land have been given for that pur- pose during the last few years. We shall

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

soon have half a dozen parks in different lo- calities. The first park donated to the city was Cœur d' Alene park. It is located in the west end of the city and is the joint gift of the late A. M. Cannon and the Hon. J. J. Browne. It comprises nine and three-fourths acres of land, and the city has not spared pains or ex- pense to make it attractive. It is now sur- rounded by beautiful homes.

Liberty park is toward the east end of the city and comprises twenty acres of land. . This was a gift of F. Lewis Clark and others. The city has already spent considerable money in grading the land and preparing it for the purpose it was intended. When the work is finished it will be a delightful place. Only a few months ago the evening paper had the following item :

"D. C. Corbin yesterday handed to Mayor Comstock the deed for the ground included in the new Corbin park in the north part of the city. This gives the city perpetual title to the park site, and the improvement of the grounds can be taken up at once.

"Mr. Corbin deeds to the city a tract in- cluding about fifteen acres. It is in the center of the Corbin Park addition, which has re- cently been platted. The park lies between Frederic avenue on the north and Jerome avenue on the south. The west oval extends a little beyond Mill street, and the east oval just over Carlisle street, a distance of five and a half blocks. The park itself is laid out in an elliptical shape. The driveway on the north will be known as Park Place, and the avenue on the south is to be called Waverly Place.

"City Engineer Weile said this morning : 'We expect to spend three thousand dollars on the new park this year, in setting out trees and laying out walks and driveways. We shall start as soon as the weather is favorable, in three or four weeks. The water depart- ment has already ordered the water pipe to be laid on the streets through the addition and

connections will be made with these for the park. The park committee will probably meet soon to decide definitely on the plan to be fol- lowed in improving the park.'

"Mayor Comstock said when asked what was to be done this year toward the improve- ment of Corbin park :

"'As soon as the spring opens we shall set out trees in the new park. Water pipes will be put down and the grounds will be laid out. The most that can be done this sunt- mer will be to seed it and to plant trees. From time to time shrubbery and flowers will be planted. It can be made a very pretty park- just as Cœur d' Alene is.' "

Some improvements have already been made on this park. The announcement has been made recently that Mr. J. A. Finch has set apart a portion of his land west of Latah creek for a park, and that plans are now in operation looking towards making it a delight- ful spot.

Natatorium park, on the north river bank, in the west end of the city, on Boone avenue and Broadway car lines. This, although not public property, is a charming spot and has already become a popular resort.

Lidgerwood park, in Lidgerwood Park addition, on Lidgerwood line, has also some commendable features and could be made a place where people would delight and de- rive much profit in spending their leisure hours.

Minnehaha park, outside the city limits, northeast, on Hillyard car line. This is a spot especially fitted for a park, if it could be ex- tended up to the highest point, affording a broad view of the country. The effort to make it a sporting place proved suicidal.

Montrose park, on the hill south of the city, on Cook's addition car line. This is al- most in its virgin state, but affords abundant shelter on a warm summer day. With little expense it could be made a place of resort to the thousands.

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

CEMETERIES.

The first Spokane Falls cemetery is de- scribed in the Spokane Times for June 5, 1879, as follows: "Situated on the bluff, near the junction of Hangman creek with the Spokane river, is the delightfully located cemetery for the dead of Spokane Falls and vicinity. The drive to the burial ground is high, dry and level ; distance, about one mile."

At that time. there were five graves in the cemetery. The second cemetery was lo- cated south of what is now known as Cannon hill, on a part of the homestead of H. P. Reeves. In 1887 that was abandoned and the remains conveyed to the Greenwood Cem- etery, west of Latah creek. established that year. A. M. Cannon was president; C. F. Clough, secretary; G. H. Howell, sexton. It has been finely arranged at considerable outlay and has some features of an ideal city of the dead. It has some level land and some that is almost romantic.

After the death of Mr. Cannon the property fell into new hands. The present officers are : Hon. George Turner, president; E. D. San- ders, vice-president; W. M. Ridpath, secre- tary and treasurer: C. B. Dunning, agent ; office, 504 Hyde block.

Fairmount Cemetery .- This cemetery is located three and one-half miles northwest of the city on the banks of the Spokane river. It was set apart-one hundred and sixty acres, in May, 1888, by E. J. Webster and others. The first superintendents and agents were Bickler and Webster. The land is level and some of it covered with pine trees. Con- sderable money has been expended in suitably arranging and beautifying the grounds. The company has recently begun to run an auto- mobile from the cemetery to corner of Indiana avenue and Monroe street. The present officers are E. J. Webster, president : D. T. Hane, vice- president and treasurer ; W. W. Thorton, secre- tary ; W. G. Morgan, superintendent.

WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

Woman suffrage was a popular subject in Spokane county in the early years of its his- tory. According to the Northwest Tribune. there was a meeting held in the Methodist Episcopal church at Cheney, on July 5, 1882, to organize a Woman Suffrage Association of Spokane County. Mrs. A. S. Dunniway. of. Portland. the great Pacific coast woman suffrage agitator, was in the chair. An ad- dress was delivered by her. The organiza- tion was perfected with the following officers : President. Mrs. J. W. Range : recording secre- tary. Mrs. W. D. Switzer ; corresponding sec- retary, Mrs. L. A. Switzer : executive commit- tee. J. W. Still, Miss Polly Bybee. Mrs. Dr. Yeargam, Hon. A. S. Abernethy : committee on program. Dr. J. S. Calloway. Mrs. A. Machen. Mrs. A. Everest. Mrs. H. A. Range. Miss Ida Stoughton, Hon. D. F. Percival. Mrs. S. J. Mount. Regular meetings were held for some time, but the defeat of woman suffrage resulted in the discontinuance of the society.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

The first attempt to establish a school of high grade in Spokane county was at Medical I.ake in 1880, by Professor A. J. Stevens, who filled the office of county superintendent for one term. The next was the establishment of an academy at Cheney. The Boston capitalist, B. P. Cheney, gave ten thousand dollars for a building and equipment. The building was dedicated April 6. 1882. The trustees were General J. W. Sprague. Tacoma, Rev. Dr. C. G. H. Atkinson. Portland, and Hon. D. F. Percival. Cheney. The first teachers were Professor Felch and Miss Bunker, both from Boston. This academy was the only school of high grade in the county for several years and did good work. Professor J. W. Dow. of this city, was the principal for a few years and Mrs. A. M. Merriman, of this city, was

JUDGE A. A. SMITH Cheney

JOHN I. MELVILLE Cheney

REV. R. H. MANIER Cheney

WILLIAM G. PRATT Spokane

MRS. WILLIAM G. PRATT Spokane

ROBERT WILLIAMS Rockford

ALBERT L. BRADLEY Rockford

E. MORRISON Spokane

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

also a teacher. The original building was destroyed by fire and the land was donated to the state and the Normal school building is now on it.

Spokane College .- A meeting was called at Colfax December 14, 1881, to agree upon a suitable location for a college north of Snake river. This meeting was called by the upper Columbia conference of the Methodist Episco- pal church. The members of the committee appointed by said conference were Judge Norman Buck, Lewiston; Henry McGregor, Henry Copley, Whitman county; W. S. Turner, Colfax: S. G. Havermale, Spokane Falls. The latter place was selected. Soon the college was incorporated and arrangements made to begin work. The following summer we find the following advertisement in the paper :

"Spokane College .- This institution will open its first session October 1I, 1882, with a president and a competent corps of pro- fessors. There will be two departments-the academic or preparatory department, and the college. The preparatory department will harmonize with the college, and will require three years to complete it. The college course will require four years to complete it.

"Requirements to enter college from the academy will be the following :

"Classical Course-Latin grammar, first two books of Cæsar, four orations of Cicero, six books of Virgil and Latin prose compo- sition. Greek Grammar-Two books of Xenophon's Anabasis, three books of Homer's Illiad and Greek prose composition. Mathe- matics-Arithmetic, practical and higher, ele- mentary algebra, higher algebra to quadratics and plane geometry. Science-Ancient and modern geography, physical geography, physi- ology, natural philosophy and elements of as- tronomy. English-Outlines of Roman and Grecian history, history of the United States, and a thorough knowledge of English gram- mar and composition.

"A normal or teacher's course will be es- tablished as soon as the demand will warrant. "Tuition per term in academic course (twelve weeks constitute a term), common and higher English with classical studies. per term. $9.00: music, extra. per term. $13.00: college course, per term. $15.00. Boarding can be had in private families at reasonable rates. Young men and ladies of limited means can board themselves at cheap rates. There are great inducements for families to move to this beautiful and healthy place to educate their sons and daughters. Spokane Falls is to be the great educational center of eastern Washington, being on the grand trunk of the Northern Pacific Railroad. For further par- ticulars inquire of Rev. I. C. Libby. presi- dent; Rev. M. S. Anderson. agent : Messrs. A. M. Cannon, banker. J. J. Browne. Esq., R. W. Forrest, mayor, H. E. Allen. and Dr. B. F. Buck, all of Spokane Falls."

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An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington, Part 41

Author: Edwards, Jonathan, 1847-1929. cn Publication date: 1900 Publisher: [San Francisco?] W.H. Lever Number of Pages: 888

Author: Edwards, Jonathan, 1847-1929. cn
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: [San Francisco?] W.H. Lever
Number of Pages: 888