An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington, Part 77

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

USA > Washington > Spokane County > An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington > Part 77

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D. J. BURK. a pioneer of 1885, was born in Dundas county, Ontario, in May, 1844. When thirteen years old he moved to Mus- kegon county, Michigan, and became a sailor. AAfter five years of life before the mast he went to California and followed various occu- pations for six or seven years, then ran a hotel at Nord for eight years. The next fourteen years of his life were spent in the cattle busi- ness and in farming. Finally, he came to Half Moon prairie and took as a homestead the quarter-section on which he now resides. He makes his living largely by buying and sell- ing horses. Hle was a charter member of Imperial Lodge. No. 134, and now belongs to Morning Star Lodge. No. 142. 1. O. O. F. He is one of the leading citizens of his com- munity and county and was once a candidate for membership in the state house of repre-

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

sentatives, but was defeated by a very small majority. He was married in California, July 19. 1873, to Melvina Vettle, of that state. They have two children, namely : Nathan and Hazel I.

JACOB P. THOMSEN, a pioneer of 1884, was born in Germany, December 24, 1856. He acquired his education there, also learned the trade of a blacksmith, but, when eighteen years old, emigrated to America. He arrived in California in May, 1875; and began to work at his trade. In 1880 he removed to Ainsworth, Washington, found a position as blacksmith for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company and continued in their employ until 1884, when he removed to Spokane county. He homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land about a mile and a quarter east of Wayside and upon that home he has resided ever since, engaged in the dual occupation of farming and blacksmithing. Mr. Thomsen is a solid, substantial and industrious man and commands the confidence and good will of all his neighbors. He was married, in 1893, to Marion Turnbull, of Washington county, Mis- souri, and they have one child, John W.

THEODORE GUENTHER, a black- smith, was born in Frederickstown, Germany, January 6, 1867. He lived in Germany until 1885, learning and working at his trade, then emigrated to this country. finally locating in Wi- nona, Minnesota, where he followed blacksmith- ing for two years. He next came to Fort As- siniboin, where he worked at his trade and on a pipe line for a time, then came to Helena, Montana. In 1888 he arrived in Spokane,

worked there that winter, then went to Deer creek, where he was employed by the Deer Creek Lumber Company, then ran a shop in Little Spokane for a year. In 1891 he moved to Chattaroy, opened a shop and has been en- gaged in blacksmithing there ever since. He is also interested in mining and farming. Socially, he affiliates with the K. O. T. M., being a charter member of that order. He was married in Chattaroy, November 14, 1892, to Hannah J. Carter. of that town. They have three children, namely: Edna, Carl and Dora.

SAMUEL DINGES was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. When he was two years old his family moved to Osterdock, lowa, where he grew to man's estate. As soon as he became able to work he went into a sawmill and he has been engaged in that business almost continuously since. He has lived at Half Moon prairie for the past ten years.

DAVID C. DURGIN was born in York county, Maine. September 21, 1825 .. He was reared in his native state and farmed there until 1861, then went to Linneus, Maine, and followed blacksmithing and farming until 1880. The next ten years of his life he passed as a farmer in Minneapolis, but in 1890 he came to Chattaroy, Washington, and resumed work at his trade and he still maintains a shop in that town. Socially, he is affiliated with the Maccabees, being a charter member of the local lodge. He was married, September 26, 1848, to Miss Sabrina Warren and they have had eight children, including Charles S., Mark W. and Herbert F., living, and Charles H.,

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

Mary J., Elfrancis and a pair of twins, de- ceased. Herbert F. Durgin, who was born at Linneus, Maine, in 1865, is a horseshoer and has been with his father in the business. Mr. David Durgin, a son of Charles S. and a grandson of David C., was a member of Com- pany L, of the Washington Volunteers, and has just returned from Manila. He took part in a great many engagements, during the war, in one of which he was sliglitly wounded by a spent ball.

ALLISON ALLEN, a farmer and sawmill man, and a pioneer of 1881, was born Feb- ruary 27, 1842, on an island in the Mississippi river just above St. Louis. When he was a boy his family moved to Rock Island, Illinois, and after living there four years, to Minnesota, where he was engaged in farming until 1880. In August, 1862, Mr. Allen enlisted in Com- pany G, Eighth Minnesota Volunteers, and was assigned at first to service in the Sioux war and took part in the battle of Takakaacuta mountain. Subsequently he was sent south and served under General Thomas in the West- ern division, participating in the battles of Overhill creek, the Cedars and Kingston, North Carolina. He was mustered out Au- gust 1, 1865. His military duties being well and faithfully discharged, he returned to his home in Minnesota and remained there until the spring of 1880, when he set out for the west. He started from Fargo, North Da- kota, to make the trip overland with a family of eight children, all under seventeen, and a cash capital of six dollars and forty cents. Ile pushed ahead, however, and when necessity de- manded he would stop and work till his larder was replenished, then move on again. On the 7th of November he arrived in IIelena.

Montana. He entered the employ of the Northern Pacific and boarded their eighty men. In April, 1881, they left Helena and came on to Spokane, whence, after a year's residence, they moved out to Half Moon prai- rie, where Mr. Allen traded with an Indian for one hundred and sixty acres of land. He imported the first sawmill into his section of the country and has been engaged in lumber- ing and farming ever since. He is a thrifty. energetic man and one of the leaders in his community. He is a charter member of Morning Star Lodge, No. 142, I. O. O. F .. and also of A. J. Smith Post, No. 72. G. A. R. He was married in Lake City, Minne- sota, to Lucy J. Clarke, a native of that place. They have eight children: Ollie .A., wife of Scott Fender, a farmer on Wild Rose prairie : Alice A., wife of Joseph P. Johnson, a farmer at Big Meadows: Lena M., wife of Fred Fender, Waitsburg, Washington ; Minnie E .. wife of E. L. Lebo, a farmer at Half Moon : Lewis E., wife of Mr. Dan Enyart, a farmer : Leon G., wife of Drin E. Harrison: Allison T. and Clarke.

CHARLES N. PENDLETON, deceased, was born near Boston, Rhode Island. Octo- ber 14. 1834. He lived in the town of his na- tivity until he became twenty-five years old then came to Muscatine, Iowa, and opened a store. After being in business in that city for some time he moved to Illinois, farmed there a year, then went to Burlington, Iowa. and worked at his trade for two years. His next move was to Nebraska City, Nebraska, where he was engaged in harness-making for five years, after which he went to Denver, Colorado, and became porter in a hotel. Soon. however, he went back to Sidney, Iowa, and

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

conducted a large harness shop there for four years, then engaged in the same business at Hamburg, but finally returned to Rhode Isl- and. Subsequently he ran a harness shop at Red Oak, Iowa, three years, then was on a farm in Pottawattamie county four years, after which he came to Rock Creek valley, this state, and opened a store. Soon, however, he moved onto a ranch in the valley, but after- wards bought a farm at Mount Carleton, near Spokane. Before long he sold this place also, and, after living for about a year in Spokane, bought land near Chattaroy, on which he re- sided until the time of his death, September 20, 1896. During his lifetime, Mr. Pendle- ton was a thrifty, industrious, enterprising man and one who stood well in the communi- ties where he resided. Socially, he was affil- iated with the I. O. O. F. He was married in October, 1858, to Miss Rebecca Long, a native of Illinois, who still lives at Chattaroy.

JAMES WALTON was born in Penn- sylvania, July 7, 1830, and lived there until four years old, then was taken by his family to Marion county, Ohio. He worked on his father's farm and in his distillery until twenty years old, but in 1850 started overland for California. He arrived on the 7th day of July of that year and started mining. He gave five hundred and five dollars for a twenty-first interest in the American Mining Company, but soon sold out and went to Dry creek, near Sacramento, where he took five dollars per day out of a placer claim. In 1853 he went to Ohio, but after two years returned to Cali- fornia, coming this time via the Istlimus of Panama. He worked on a ranch near Marys- ville two years, but in 1858 influenced by the 34

gold excitement, went to Frazer river. The Indians were excited to hostility against. the Americans by the agents of the Hudson's Bay. Company, but, despite all dangers, he remained there for seven years. He next went to the Caribou country, where he located a placer claim and made one hundred and sixty dol- lars per day with a rocker for a while, then took a contract to furnish timbers and realized sixty dollars per day, after which he had charge of a pack .train for two years. For several years thereafter, Mr. Walton traveled quite ex- tensively, visiting Victoria, British Columbia, Boise, Idaho, Walla Walla, the Kootenai coun- try, Spokane, the Colville valley, Marcus, Rock Creek and Little Salmon, British Columbia, and other western points, engaged either in min- ing and prospecting or at carpenter work. In May, 1882, hie located at Chattaroy, where he has since lived. He kept a road house called the Government Forage Staton, for a number of years, took part in some of the early Indian fights and in 1887 acted as guide for Captain James Miller on his trip over the mountains into the Okanogan country. He now lives on a homestead one mile south of Chattaroy. Mr. Walton is a very unpreten- tious man, not ambitious for leadership. but is well liked by his neighbors, by whom he is familiarly known as Pea Vine Jimmy.

J. C. COWGILL, one of the enterprising citizens of Chattaroy, is a native of Dover, Delaware, born March 3, 1846. He was raised to the life of a farmer and when he reached adult age naturally took to that oc- cupation at first. However, he soon became imbued with a desire to see something of the world and embarked on a merchant vessel

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

which sailed between Philadelphia and the West Indies. He remained on the ship dur- ing the four years following 1864, then farmed till 1871, after which he moved to Santee. Nebraska, where he served as postmaster and had a trading post until 1877. He next moved to Dakota, farmed for two years there, then went to Mile City. Montana, and worked in a store for a short time. Subsequently he went to the Pine Ridge agency and worked a trading post at Wounded Knee until Septem- ber, 1882, when he came to Chattaroy, Wash- ington. He is now engaged in the mercantile business there and has charge of the postoffice. Mr. Cowgill has spent a great deal of time prospecting and is the owner of several prom- ising claims. He is also extensively interested in Chattaroy real estate. Socially, he affiliates with the I. O. O. F. He is a very active man in the affairs of the community and is respected and esteemed by all his neighbors.

J. E. BARKER, a prominent citizen of Chattaroy and proprietor of the Chattaroy hotel and livery stable, was born in Lawrence county, New York, March 28. 1827. He lived in that and adjacent counties until twenty- eight years old, running a blacksmith shop most of the time after becoming old enough. He first opened at Morristown, where he worked at his trade exclusively for two years, then moved onto a farm near by and combined farming and blacksmithing for a few years more. He next moved to the city of Gouver- neur and ran a shop one year, then combined blacksmithing and .farming, as he had done be- fore in Morristown. In 1866 he sold out and came to Minnesota, where he purchased some land and farmed for three years. He then

conducted a boarding house, farm and shop in Benton county, that state, until 1888, when he sold out, moved to Chattaroy, this county, where he has a hotel, a stable and blacksmith shop. Mr. Barker is one of the old residents of the town and has taken a lively interest in all of its public affairs. Socially, he is affiliated with the Maccabees, beng a charter member of the Chattaroy lodge. He was married April 19. 1855, to Sallie Russel, a native of St. Lawrence county. They have one child, living. Izora, wife of John S. Wheeler, a farmer, also one deceased, namely, Gilbert E. Mrs. Barker is a member of L. O. T. M., she being the first past commander.

DR. J. L. SMITH, Chattaroy, was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey. January 19. 1834, where he resided until seventeen years old. He enlisted in the Civil war. in Company H. Third New Jersey Cavalry, in 1863. He served under General Phil Sheridan in the Armyofthe Potomac and was in all the principal battles and campaigns of that noted army until Au- gust. 1865, when he was honorably discharged. Dr. Smith was under fire one hundred and fifty times in a period of eleven months. In the fall of 1864 he received a gun-shot wound 111 the leg and still suffers at times from the bullet, for it lodged in a position from which it could not be extracted. On April 5. 1865. he received a saber cut in the knee and three days later, on the night preceding Lee's sur- render, he was wounded in the right arm by a shell. That Dr. Smith's military duties were discharged with unusual faithfulness and bravery is evidenced by the fact that he holds a certificate of merit from the chief executive of New Jersey. After the war he served in

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the United States navy yard for two years, then entered school, remaining until he received his M. D. degree from the Philadelphia Medical College in 1874. He subsequently graduated from the Pennsylvania School of Anatomy & Surgery and took a post-graduate course at the Jefferson Medical College. He first prac- ticed in New Jersey, but moved to Philadel- phia in 1890 and a year later to Chattaroy as a surgeon on construction for the Great Northern Railroad. He is still practicing in Chattaroy and also conducts a store there, carrying drugs as a part of his stock. He is a member of the F. & A. M., the I. O. O. F. and is past chancellor commander in the K. of P. He was married October 10. 1892. to Edna A. Bailey, a graduate from the Nurses Training School of the Municipal Hospital of Philadelphia. Mrs. Smith is a talented and refined lady whose personal worth is recognized by all who have the pleasure of her ac- quaintance.

W. C. FRITTER, supervisor of the New York Life Insurance Company for the North- west, rooms 1, 2, 3 and 4 Ziegler block, was born in Misssouri, on April 11. 1862. He ac- quired his education in the public schools, sub- sequently attending the university at De Soto. Missouri. At the age of sixteen he became deputy collector and treasurer of Jefferson county, Missouri, and at the expiration of his term of office took charge of the school at Sulphur Springs, Missouri, so that, when sev- enteen, he was teacher of the largest school in the county. He subsequently learned telegra- phy and took a position at Aurora Springs with the Missouri & Pacific Railway Company. but was afterwards promoted to an agency for the same company at California, Missouri,

where he remained for the ensuing six years. He then accepted a position with the Santa Fe road as their agent at La Juntos, Colorado. Subsequently. however. he went into the news- paper business, establishing the Otero County Democrat. a daily, but soon sold out and en- tered the services of the New York Life In- surance Company, coming direct to Lewiston, Idaho. A year later he became manager for the state of Idaho, with headquarters at Boise City. where he resided until 1898. In that year he came to Spokane to assume the gen- eral supervision of the company's interests in the Northwest. Mr. Fritter has great faith in Spokane, believing it to possess the most en- couraging outlook for the future of any town in the three northwestern states. He estab- lished a branch office here for the company he represents on May 1, 1899, and according to the reports, it is already doing by far the largest business in the city. Mr. Fritter is a typical self-made man, having wrought his own way in the world to a position of eminence in business circles in spite of adverse circumstances and discouragements which would have overwhelmed a less courageous spirit, his father having died when Mr. Fritter was only sixteen years of age. He is largely interested in various Spokane enterprises, but gives especial attention to mining, maintain- ing prominent connections with several of the leading mining companies. He was married while at Aurora Springs, Missouri. to Nellie E. Williams, daughter of a prominent hard- ware merchant, and they now have two chil- dren. James Earl and Gladys, both of whom are attending the high school at Lewiston, Idaho.

Mr. Fritter is a member of the Masonic lodge. also Knights of Pythias and the Elks. He has always taken a very prominent part

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

in politics in Missouri, Colorado and Idaho, but has never aspired to any office, although many flattering opportunities have occurred for nomination for offices by his party as high as gubernatorial honors.

GEORGE A. LATIMER, of the law firm of Hyde, Latimer & Barnes, is a native of Le Roy, Medina county, Ohio, born Febru- ary 20, 1862. He was the eldest child of a large family, his boyhood days being spent on his father's farm. He received excellent com- mon and high school advantages and at six- teen began teaching. He followed that pro- fession in the winter seasons for several years thereafter. At about the age of twenty years he went to Columbus, Ohio, to take a course in civil engineering and he subsequently followed that profession in Ohio and Nebraska, serving as deputy county surveyor of Medina county, Ohio, and as city engineer of Norfolk, Ne- braska, and county surveyor of Madison county, Nebraska; was elected and held these offices at the same time, each for the period of eight years, following the year 1884.

Mr. Latimer's experience in the line of en- gineering has been varied and his counsel sought by private and public corporations, as well as by individuals, in the solution of diffi- cult engineering problems, requiring the ex- penditure of large sums of money. This em- braces railroad work, water systems, dams, sewerage, grades, paving, municipal work and general land surveying, which experience has eminently fitted him and laid the foundation for the profession he afterwards adopted and now follows.

In 1890 he began the study of law in con- nection with his other duties and in the offices

of Hon. Isaac Powers and Hon. John R. Hays, at Norfolk, Nebraska, and in about the year 1893 he was admitted to the bar of the district, federal and state courts.

He practiced at Norfolk, Nebraska, thereafter up to and until the spring of 1899, when he came to Spokane and formed a part- nership with Mr. S. C. Hyde, of this city. Mr. A. E. Barnes, an old acquaintance of Mr. Latimer and a native of Nebraska, was a few days later taken into the firm and the present firm organized.

Mr. Latimer is an energetic, active attor- niey. In fact all the members of the firm are men of prominence in politics and in their pro- fession, the firm being one of the largest in the city.

Fraternally. Mr. Latimer is a member of Spokane Lodge. No. 134, I. O. O. F., and also a member of the encampment of the same order.

He was married at Norfolk. Nebraska. August 14. 1889. to Ella L. Davenport, daugh- ter of Captain George Davenport. of the First Ohio Light Battery.

They have two children. Dean A. and Elizabeth, aged eight and five respectively.

L. F. LEE, a sign painter in Spokane. was born in Cumberland county, New Jersey. May 12, 1846. In January, 1863. when six- teen years old, he entered the army of the Southwest as clerk in the commissary depart- ment and remained with the troops in that ca- pacity until the close of the war. He was with the forces that drove Price and Marina- (luke out of Arkansas. After the war he en- tered the employ of Owen, Teller & Company. opened for them an express route from Se-

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HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY.

dalia and Raleigh, Missouri, to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and was with them for some years as express messenger. He then went to St. Louis and learned the trade of a sign writer. After spending five years in that city he went to New Orleans and worked at his trade there, then moved to Evanston, Wyoming, thence to Ogden, Utah, thence to Eagle Rock. Idaho. and from there to Spokane, Washington, fol- lowing his trade in all these places and writ- ing signs for the railroads part of the time in each. Finally, in 1882, he came to Spokane, where he was employed by the Spokane Falls & Northern Railroad Company as a sign painter for the ensuing five years. Since then he has been in the sign writing business for himself. Mr. Lee has given his en- tire attention to his art for many years, not allowing himself to be distracted by other things and has naturally acquired a marvel- ous skill and dexterity in the use of his brushes. He was married in Ogden, Utah, in 1876, to Miss Annie Benson, of Council Bluffs. They have two children, namely : Ralph B., a book- keeper and stenographer, and Jane B. So- cially. Mr. Lee affiliates with the Independent Order of Foresters.

GEORGE E. RIEN, one of the enterpris- ing young men of Trent, was born in Sonoma county, California, in `1869. The family moved to this county in August, 1881, and took up as a homestead one hundred and sixty acres and pre-empted eighty more about one and a half miles northeast of Trent. The place has been improved until they now have a fine stock, grain and dairy farm. Mr. Rien has lately discovered a large deposit of fire clay and fire sand which he intends to de-

velop. Mr. Rien is a charter member of the Maccabees' lodge at Pleasant prairie and stands well in the estimation of the people in that part of the county.

ELKANAH DAILY. deceased, a pioneer of 1882, was born in Wayne county, New York, March 21, 1832. He resided in his na- tive state until twenty-three years old, then emigrated to Illinois, where he resided until 1869. In 1861 he enlisted in Company E, One Hundredth Illinois Infantry, and for three years thereafter he was a member of the Fourth Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland. par- ticipating in the engagements at Stone River, Missionary Ridge. Chickamauga, Strawberry Plains, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek. Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville and others. He was a valiant, faithful soldier, and earned the esteem and gratitude of his country. For the thirteen years succeeding 1869 he was a farmer in Indiana, but in 1882 he. came to Spokane county, homesteaded land on Five Mile prairie, and bought four hun- dred acres in the same neighborhood. He was engaged in grain raising principally un- til November 20, 1899, when he died. Hav- ing been an industrious, thrifty man, he left the farm in an excellent state of cultivation and well improved, so that his family are enabled to successfully carry on the work. Mr. Daily was married in Joliet. Illinois, February 28, 1856, to Charlotte A. Marshall, and they be- came parents of two children, E. Lunettie, living. and Eva Frances, deceased. Mrs. Daily is one of the pioneer ladies of this coun- ty, and has distinct recollections of the early days. She was one of those who, in 1883, collected at the home of Mr. Joseph S. Allen

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that, in the event of their being attacked by Indians, they might the better defend them- selves.

ALPH R. STRATTON, one of the pros- perous farmers of Five Mile prairie, was born in North Benton, Ohio, June 6, 1859. When six years old, he went with the family to Kan- sas, whence, in 1870, he came to Albany, Ore- gon. Here he acquired the greater part of his education and had his first experience in the postal service. In 1876 he removed to Portland, where, after spending nearly a year in a meat market, he entered the employ of the Oregon Furniture Company. Subsequently he spent a year in Grande Ronde valley, then a brief period in Centreville, finally arriving in Spokane county in May, 1881. He worked a while here for J. J. Browne, then served as assistant postmaster under S. Heath, but later went to Rockford where for several years he was in mercantile pursuits and first assistant in the postoffice. His next move was to Five Mile prairie. Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land' from his father, also forty acres east. of his home, and upon this farm he now raises wheat and other cereals. He also has a splendid orchard of peaches, pears and apples. Fraternally, Mr. Stratton affiliates with the J. O. U. A. M. He was married in Spokane September 21, 1884, to Martha Elizabeth Gould, a pioneer of 1880. Their family consists of Ethel and Edna M., twins, Browne and Roland.

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An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington, Part 77

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