USA > Washington > Spokane County > An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington > Part 63
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COLONEL LOUIS F. BOYD, city clerk. has long been a resident in the west, and has been prominently connected with many of the early enterprises. It is as a newspaper man. however, that he has exerted his greatest in- fluence. He was born in Keokuk. Iowa, May
23. 1859. His mother having died when he was only eighteen months old, he was cared for by an aunt in Illinois during his child- hood. When he arrived at the age of thir- teen he came to his father, who had taken as a homestead the land on which Baker City now stands. Colonel Boyd received his edu- cation at the Baker City Academy and Wil- lamette University and subsequently learned the trade of a printer. He then came to Walla W'alla. entered a printing office and soon be- came a part owner in the Walla Walla Watch- man. He afterwards started the Sunday Epigram and was its editor and manager for some time. In May, 1887. he moved to Colfax and edited the Palouse Gazette until Novem- ber, when he went to Olympia and was elected enrolling clerk of the state senate for the ses- sion. In October. 1888. he came to Spokane to accept a position as reporter on the Review. but before the year passed he became city ed- itor, a situation which he retained for a num- ber of years. In 1896 he was elected city clerk, and so eminently satisfactory has been his public service. that the council has unani- mously re-elected him each year since. As a military man. Colonel Boyd has been no less successful than in the civil walks of life. He joined the state militia, Battery .\, while at Walla Walla and was soon elcted second lieu- tenant. In 1892 he received from Governor Ferry an appointment on his staff as lieuten- ant-colonel, a rank which he held for four years. In 1896 he became inspector of rifle practice in the First Cavalry Battalion. Since joining the militia. the Colonel has been an assiduous student of military tactics, and he has now become a tactician of no moderate ability. Socially, he affiliates with the I. O. O F .. being a member of Imperial Lodge, No. 134, of this city.
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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.
VICTOR M. SMITH, comptroller, is one of the popular and promising young business men of Spokane. He was born August 29, 1866, in New Zealand, where his parents were temporarily residing, his father being at that time connected with a government survey. When Victor was very young, the family re- turned to their former home in Toronto, Can- ada, where he grew up and received a high school education. After graduating he was employed for several years in various clerical positions. At the time he left for the west he resigned a position as assistant bookkeeper and custom house clerk for the Dominion Trunk & Bag Manufacturing Company. He lived in Montana and Oregon four years, coming to this city in 1888, where he has been employed in the real estate and insurance business and in a clerical capacity ever since. In the spring of 1899 Mr. Smith was nominated by the Re- publican party for the office he now holds, and the confidence and esteem in which he is held, was attested by the fact that his majority was several hundred greater than that of his ticket. For many years Mr. Smith has been active in musical circles as a singer in church choirs and as a musical director in several of the city churches. He is also a prominent member of the Spokane Athletic Club and of the Masonic fraternity. He was married in Spokane to Miss Nellie A. Miles, who died in 1892, leav- ing one son, Charles M. He has recently married one of Spokane's well-known teachers, Miss Lillian E. Goulet, a graduate of the Academy of Holy Names, also of the Spokane high school.
FRANK P. WEYMOUTH, president of the board of public works of Spokane. is a native of Webster, Androscoggin county,
Maine, born April 10. 1837. In 1858 he went to New Jersey, where he taught school for two and a half years, after which he was em- ployed as locomotive fireman on the D. L. & W. Railroad. On August 28. 1862, he en - listed in Company B. Thirty-first New Jersey Infantry, and before the company was mus- tered in he was elected second lieutenant. He held that rank until 1863, when he was promoted to the first lieutenancy and trans- ferred to Company F. same regiment. Lieu- tenant Weymouth took part in the battle of Chancellorsville and in many small engage- ments along the Rapahannock. He remained with his regiment until June 21. 1863, when his company was mustered out He then returned to the post he had left and was engaged as an engineer on the same road until 1866. Subsequently he had charge for two years of a steam dredge, belonging to the Morris Canal Company, then was a conductor on the Morris & Essex Railroad until March. 1870. whe .: he went to Kansas and entered the employ of the L., L. & G. R. R. He worked for them as a station agent and in a clerical ca- pacity until February, 1881, when he went to the K. C .. Ft. S. & G. R. R. as division su- perintendent. In February, 1883. he came to the Pacific coast to accept a position with the Oregon Improvement Company as assistant superintendent, taking full charge of their in- terests at Seattle. In July. 1883, he accepted the superintendency of the Idaho division of the Northern Pacific Railroad. his headquar- ters being at Sprague, Washington He re- mained in the employ of that company until 1888, when he moved to Spokane and turned his attention to street-grade contracting. In August, 1889, he was given charge of the city water works and was thus employed until 1895. In 1897 he was appointed city commissioner
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and chairman of the board of public works. As a railroad official, Mr. Weymouth won the goodwill and respect of the people generally and his public services in this city have only served to increase his popularity. He is cer- tainly one of the best known and most highly esteemed men in the city. He was married in Maine, August 24, 1863, to Lucinda H. Thorne, who died in Kansas, January 14, 1881. Their children are Eva J., living, and Frank H. and Ada L., deceased.
WILLIAM H. ACUFF, president of the city council, may truthfully be ranked as one of the leading lights of this city. He is a man of spotless integrity and sterling worth, and enjoys in an unusual degree the respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens. He was born in Guynedd, Montgomery county, Penn- sylvania, October 8, 1846. When he was ten years old his family moved to Illinois and lived on a farm in the vicinity of Decatur until 1863, when they returned to Pennsylvania. After being educated in the public schools of Norris- town, Mr. Acuff returned to Illinois, started a planing mill in Decatur, and was engaged for a number of years in the lumber business. On April 21, 1890, he arrived in Spokane and in February, 1892, helped to organize the Washington Mill Company, whose plant is located on the corner of Cedar street and the Great Northern Railway track. He was sec- retary of the company from its organization until 1899, when he was elected president. They manufacture lumber, sash and doors, and fruit and packing boxes, giving employment to one hundred and ten men steadily. In May, 1896, Mr. Acuff was elected on the Re- publican ticket to represent the fourth ward
in the city council and his popularity as a public official is attested by the fact that in 1898 he was re-elected. becoming president of the council the following year. Mr. Acuff com- bines many prepossessing personal character- istics with the executive ability necessary for directing successfully both his own extensive private business and the public affairs of Spo- kane. Socially, he is a prominent thirty-sec- ond-degree Mason, and has held many im- portant offices in the fraternity. He was mar- ried in Decatur. Illinois. August 22, 1871. to Miss Isabella Bricker, a native of Warsaw. Ohio. His wife died in Spokane November 26, 1896. leaving one daughter. Lillie, wife of J. C. Neffeler.
BARNET M. WHITING, an honored and esteemed citizen of Spokane, is a native of Long Island, New York, born March 4. 1842. When he was fourteen years old his family moved to Grass Valley; California. where he grew to manhood and learned the trade of a carpenter. He also early became interested in mining and had a share in many mining enterprises. He followed his trade in various parts of California and from 1879 to 1882 owned an ice factory in Alameda. In August. 1882, he came to Spokane and took as a homestead one hundred and sixty acres of land located about a mile north of the pres- ent Monroe street bridge. He platted Whit- ing's addition, of eighty acres, in 1887 and in 1889 Whiting's second addition, also contain- ing eiglity acres. This property was at once placed upon the market and has been sokl. Until 1890 he followed his trade as a con- tractor and builder and has erected many of the finest residences in Spokane. Since com-
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ing to this city he has been closely identified with all its best interests. Being a public- spirited man, he has donated liberally to rail- roads and to all the early enterprises of the county and has always done his full share to- wards the development of the city. He is now an interested participant in many mining ven- tures. Socially, he affiliates with the I. O. O. F. and the B. P. O. E., No. 228, of Spokane. He was married in San Francisco, April 28, 1875, to Matilda Lee. a daughter of William and Alice and a native of New Orleans, born February 17, 1855. They have three children living, Cora L., Effie and George H., also two deceased. Alice and Charles.
JAMES M. ROSE, a pioneer of 1877. is a native of Lafayette county, Missouri, born near Auttsville, June 19, 1850. When he was five years old his family started across the plains by ox team. Mr. Rose remembers dis- tinctly the shooting of three highwaymen, captured after stealing the horses belonging to the expedition, but not executed until convicted by a jury of twelve men. Mr. Rose also had a step-sister, Margaret Badger, stolen by In- dians, but she was rescued by his father with- in three hours, after a hard fight with an In- dian, who endeavored to protect himself by holding the girl up before him on the horse. The rescuer, however, being an expert rifle- man, brought down the Indian without injur- ing the girl. At length the family located in Linn county. Oregon, and Mr. Rose received an education at Santa Anna Academy, Leb- anon, Oregon. After graduation he engaged in farming. He also learned the carpenter trade, a handicraft which he used to a good advantage in the Palouse country, after his
arrival here in 1877. His principal occupa- ton, however, was tilling the soil, and for seven- teen years before coming to the city he was a very successful farmer in the Palouse country. Since arriving here he has been mining in the north half of the Colville reservation. He also prospected on Traill creek, British Columbia; was among the first to go in on Murphy creek, British Columbia, and has recently been pros- pecting with great success in the Seven Devils country, Idaho. He has several promising claims and an assay office at Granite. Oregon. Mr. Rose was deputy assessor in 1878 and again in 1898 and is now bailiff under Judge Prather. But though an influental man in civilized life, he is also a typical frontiersman, being a veteran hunter and prospector. a hero of the Modoc war, and a capital marksman. Socially, he is a member of the M. W. of W. He was married in Linn county. Oregon. June II, 1874. to Miss Josephine Crabtree. They have five children, Ira Elmer, Arthur Florence. George W. and Esther. Ira Elmer and Ar- thur enlisted in Company L. First Washing- ton Volunteers for service in the Spanish war. Elmer was taken with pneumonia in San Fran- cisco and discharged, but Arthur served through the entire Philippine war.
A. T. BROWN. senior member of the firm of Brown Brothers, roofing and cornice manufacturers, is a native of Belleville, On- tario, born May 28, 1863. He was educated in the Belleville high school and business col- lege, graduating from the latter institution in the spring of 1883. then went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and remained during the boom of 1885 and 1886. He opened a roofing and cornice business in that city, but soon moved
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to Minneapolis, where he remained until 1889. In that year he came to Spokane and opened a business on Division street, but subsequently he removed to his present site, 415 to 4211/2 Sprague. Mr. Brown is an active, energetic business man, has devoted his attention assidu- ously to his line for many years and as a nat- ural result of such concentration is far in the lead of all competitors in the city. He and his brothers, Thomas and James E., who have been connected with him in all his enterprises, are doing an excellent business and one which will naturally increase as the city continues to grow. Mr. Brown was married August 2. 1899. to Mrs. Lillie McCallum, of Spokane.
JOHN BIGHAM. president of the Pacific Transfer Company, a pioneer of 1883, is a native of New York, born in Coheese, Albany county, August 29, 1835. He attended high school at Sand Lake, New York, but at the age of eighteen came to McHenry county, Illinois, where he went on a farm with his father. He moved to Minnesota in 1856, locating in Wabasha county, and when twenty-three years old, engaged in the hotel business at Plain View. He remained in the hotel for fifteen years continuously, then traveled for three or four years, finally locating at Fargo, North Dakota, in 1878. After spending about five years in the real estate business there, he came to Spokane county and settled at Cheney, but after a year's residence returned to Fargo, where he remained about two years. He then came to Spokane and started a transfer com- pany. The business at first only required three horses, but from that small beginning has grown the present powerful concern, which uses twenty-two horses constantly and has one of
the finest barns and best offices in the city. The remarkable growth of the business in so short a period speaks eloquently for Mr. Bigham's industry. enterprise and straight for- ward methods of dealing with the people. Like most of the leading citizens of Spokane, Mr. Bigham is interested in mining and is doing his share for the development of the region which is a source of so much wealth to this city. Socially, he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F., and Blue Lodge, No. 34. F. & A. M. He is one of the oldest Masons in Spokane. having been identified with that order for thir- ty-eight years. He was married December 27. 1862, to Mary T. Owens, of Minneiska, Minnesota, and they have had two children. Jennie, now Mrs. L. B. Nash, and Nettie (late Mrs. L. B. Watkins). deceased in 1889. Mrs. Bigham died February 4. 1892.
SAMUEL CROW. furniture dealer. 216 Riverside avenue. a pioneer of 1888. is a native of Alconbury, Huntingdonshire, England, born April 11. 1858. When twelve years old he was apprenticed to the bricklaying trade. but soon gave it up and entered the signal depart- ment of the London & Northwestern Railway. In 1876 he emigrated to Montreal, Canada. where he resided for sixteen months. He then lived in New York and in Summitt. New Jersey, for several years, engaged in various occupations, but subsequently went back to England on a visit. Returning to America in 1884, he located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he was employed by Banker V. G. Hush for a time. Soon, however, he embarked in the furniture business, maintaining establish- ments both in Minneapolis and at Sault Ste. Marie. Michigan, until 1888, when he came
M. H. CHRISTENSEN SPOKANE
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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY. .
to Spokane. His first position here was on the construction work of the S. L. S. & E. R'y, but in a short time he started on a wagon tour over Stevens county, in search of land. He purchased a squatter's right on Stranger creek, but soon sold it back to the original owner, returned to Spokane and opened å mattress factory. Mr. Crow built the Denver block and started a furniture busi- ness in it, but was burned out in the fire, losing fourteen thousand dollars. Again he opened a mattress factory and engaged in manufac- turing mattresses for the tents in use after the fire, but he soon bought the building of John F. Spiger on Howard street and once more embarked in the furniture business. He sub- sequently moved to his present location, where he has a thriving trade. Mr. Crow is essen- tially a self-made man, having worked his way unaided from very small beginnings to a high standing among the business men of the state. He is a stockholder in the Lost Cabin mine in Fourth of July canyon, Idaho, and a trus- tee in the Q. S. Gold Mining & Smelting Com- pany ; also owns valuable real estate in Spokane, including a beautiful residence on Third avenue and Division street. Fraternally he is identi- fied with Orient Lodge, No. 74. F. & A. M., also with Court Royal, No. 19, Foresters of America, of which he is a trustee. He was married September 13, 1885. to Charlotte Turner, of Summitt, New Jersey.
LOUIS L. BERTONNEAU was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 8, 1851. He was educated in a parochial school by the Jesuit Fathers and later learned the trade of a shirt and underwear manufacturer, which handicraft he followed for a number of years
in his native town. In 1882 he started in the business for himself and remained so em- ployed until 1890, when he sold out to a brother and removed to San Francisco. He tried the same business in that city, but not being successful, moved to Spokane the same year. He ran a shirt factory in the Columbia block one year, then started in the liquor busi- ness in which he has been eminently success- ful ever since. He owns the Log Cabin sa- loon, also a block on Monroe and Broadway, and is a shareholder in the Cœur d' Alene Saloon Company. He is also largely inter- ested in mining and has shares in the Northern Prince. Frankford, St. Bernard. Crystal Butte. and many others. He is a prominent member of Lodge No. 228 of the Elks, has been treasurer of Court Royal, No. 19, Soci- ety of Foresters, and belongs to the Knights of Honor and the Eagles. He was married in 1882, to Miss Theresa Toccanick, a native of Lyons, France. She was brought by her parents to New Orleans, when five years old. and re- ceived her education in Bay St. Louis convent.
JOHN A. WILSON, proprietor of the Manhattan cigar store. is an enterprising busi- ness man and one of Spokane's leading tobac- conists. He was born in Markesan, Green Lake county, Wisconsin, March 31, 1862, but when four years old was taken by his parents to Hastings, Minnesota, where he was raised on a farm and educated in the public schools. In 1883 he engaged in the dairy business in Val- ley City, North Dakota, where he remained until the fall of 1889, in which year he came to Spokane. He took contracts here for one year, then went into a cigar business in a store on Monroe street. He remained there till June,
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1898, then opened up at his present location, 505 Riverside, where he has a large and flour- ishing trade, built up as a result of his enter- prise and fair dealings. He owns a beautiful residence at 1513 Second avenue, where he lives surrounded by all the comforts of home. He was married February 22. 1894, to Miss Ida Delzer. of Rightstown, Wisconsin, and they are parents of two children, Ray and Elmer.
CHARLES M. FASSETT. assayer and chemist, is a native of Elmira. New York. born December 23. 1858. He was educated in the public schools of that city and gradu- ated from the Elmira Academy in 1874. He studied chemistry under J. Dorman Steele. author of a text book on chemistry which was a standard in schools for a number of years. Mr. Fassett learned the drug business and was engaged in it at Elmira for three years, after which he moved to Nevada, where he remained in business for ten years, located at Reno and Ruby Hill. In 1884 he was elected to represent Eureka county in the Ne- vada assembly, securing a majority far greater than that of his ticket generally. While in the legislature he displayed great ability and became the acknowledged leader of the Re- publican party, both in and out of the state congress. He later served as chief clerk of the assembly for two sessions. In 1889 he came to Spokane and opened an assay office on North Monroe street. Since then his business has grown continuously until it is now far in the lead in this part of the coun- try. In fact, he has one of the finest offices of its kind in the United States and receives custom from all parts of the union. Mr.
Fassett also does a great deal of work in min- ing engineering for clients from all parts of the United States and even for people in London. He takes a very active interest in everything pertaining to the general welfare of this city, being a member of the school board, first vice-president of the chamber of commerce and a trustee in the Unitarian church, also an active worker in the S. A. . 1. C. He was the first president of the Spokane Academy of Sciences and now belongs to the American Institute of Mining Engineers and to the American Chemical Society. He was married January 1, 1884. to Edith M. Ben- ham, daughter of I. T. Benham. a pioneer contractor and builder, who came to this city in 1879. They are parents of two children. Lewis M. and Katherine Agnes.
EDGAR BATES VAN OSDEL, analyti- cal chemist and assayer, is a native of Warren- ville, Illinois, born October 26. 1875. Being the son of a clergyman, he was early taken from the city of his birth. At the age of twelve he entered a preparatory school at Ot- tawa, Kansas, and three years later was admit- ted to Knox College. Galesburg. Illinois, from which institution he graduated at the age of eighteen with the .A. B. degree. He then en- tered the University of Chicago and spent three years in post-graduate work in chemis- try. A little later. in 1897. he came to Spo- kane and went into business in partnership with W. Jones, in the Ziegler block, but the next summer he bought out Mr. Jones, who went to South Africa. In January, 1898, he moved to larger quarters under the Symons block. In March, 1900. Mr. Van Osdel was com- pelled by his ever-increasing business to again
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enlarge his quarters and as a consequence removed to his present location at the corner of Howard and First avenue, where he has the most complete laboratory in the Northwest. He has been chemist to the city board of health since September 10. 1897. and is instructor in assaying in the Blair Business College. Though only a young man and a recent arrival in the city. Mr. Van Osdel has already acquired a very enviable reputation and is rapidly push- ing toward the front ranks in his profession. He has a thorough knowledge of his business. is active. energetic and reliable, and can hardly fail of the highest success.
HON. WILLIAM H. TAYLOR, a pio- neer of 1883. is a native of Kalamazoo county. Michigan, born February 5. 1852. At an early age he moved with his parents to Bremer county, Iowa, where the ensuing ten years of his life were spent. He then moved to Leav- enworth. Kansas, completed his education in the public schools there, and, when eighteen, started to learn the printer's trade. Subse- quently. he became editor and publisher of the Leavenworth Argus, but soon went to Salt Lake City and became part owner of the Salt Lake Tribune. He was a strong oppo- nent of Mormonism, and for ten years kept up a vigorous fight with that element, so that his paper has a very interesting history. In the fall of 1883 he came to Spokane, spent one year in flour milling and in mining. then engaged in grain buying and also in selling agricultural implements. He sold out his business in 1887. and was elected mayor in the spring of that year. In the spring of 1884 he had se- cured the water franchise, but, influenced by the wishes of the people. he relinquished his
rights and turned over his franchise to the city that same year. He was. however, one of a company formed to carry the franchise until the city should become able to do so. In 1888 Mr. Taylor became president of the Spokane National Bank, and also of the Board of Trade. and he occupied the latter position during the entire boom period. He raised a subsidy of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars for the S. L .. S. & E. R. R., and one hundred thousand dollars for the Spokane Falls & Northern Railroad. He was, by the way. one of the originators of the latter road. and had made a survey as far as Colville before turn- ing over his franchise to Mr. Corbin. Since 1890 he has given his attention exclusively. to mining and is now interested in many of the leading mines in Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. Mr. Taylor has been a very active man in building up and developing this city, has contributed liberally of his time and money to many of the early enterprises. and has always taken a zealous interest in every undertaking for the promotion of the general welfare. He was married September 3. 1874. to Miss Charlotte E. Wyrick, of Gardner. Kansas, and they are parents of three children : Frank'W. H., Edgar W. and Gertrude.
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