USA > Washington > Lincoln County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 19
USA > Washington > Adams County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 19
USA > Washington > Douglas County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 19
USA > Washington > Franklin County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 19
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105
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
boiler and was killed almost instantly by scald- ing water. Conductor Roberts, Brakeman Downs, W. H. Fleet and three or four others were in the caboose and escaped injury. .
In May, 1896, war broke out between the railroads and the sheepmen. On the 13th in- stant the following dispatch was sent to the Spokesman-Review, Spokane :
"Sprague, May 13 .- Some time ago the Northern Pacific railroad company served 110- tices on all the sheepmen who have been in the habit of grazing their flocks every spring with- in a radius of 15 miles of Sprague, in Adams, Whitman and Lincoln counties, to keep off their lands. Some of the sheepmen have formed a combination to remove. shear and ship their wool over the O. R. & N. railroad and some over the Great Northern. The Northern Pacific Company hearing of the same, sent the following communication to the stock association :
"Sprague, Wash., May 7, 1896 .- To Jack McElroy. John Graves, M. Parks, committee. and all other cattlemen, ranchers and members of the Stock Grazing and Protective Associa- tion. Gentlemen :- You are doubtless aware that the Northern Pacific Railway Company has been sustained by the United States Court. at Walla Walla, in its contention that sheep cannot graze upon railroad land without per- mission of the company. Of course this means that any land owned by you need not be fenced to prevent sheep from grazing upon it.
"Now the company does not propose to drive sheepmen out of the country, but it does wish to extend such protection to the cat- tle owners and small farmers as is possible. and at the same time treat the sheepmen fairly.
"Your association in the effort to protect yourselves from sheep depredations, might carry the thing too far. We think you all would prefer to accomplish the result by fair means in conjunction with efforts of the rail- road company, rather than by putting your-
selves in the attitude of law breakers. We be- lieve that a reasonable arrangement can be reached, and would like to meet you all at Sprague next Monday, May 11, 1896, at 10 o'clock a. m., and talk over this whole matter. The railroad land department desires to ascer- tain what route can be used for the sheepmen to pass up to Sprague and shear and get back immediately after shearing. doing the least possible damage to you. I will be here to rep- resent Thomas Cooper, the Northern Pacific Railroad Company's land agent, of Tacoma, and it is possible that Mr. Cooper may be here himself. Therefore, in your own interests, we trust you will meet us as suggested without fail. Signed. E. F. Benson, Land Examiner for N. P. R. R. Co.
"The stock association had a meeting with Mr. Benson present, and discussed this mat- ter and came to the following conclusion :
"Resolved, After discussing the matter of co-operating with the Northern Pacific Rail- road Company in its efforts to bring the sheep- men of Adams. Whitman and Lincoln coun- ties to Sprague to sheer, it is unanimously agreed that we refuse our consent for them to come north of the line running west from the head of Walled Lake to Rock creek, in .Adams and Lincoln counties."
"The following dodger has been printed and will be scattered where it will reach all sheepmen :
"'Public Notice .- To all owners and herders of sheep: You are hereby notified not to herd or graze your sheep north of a line running west from the head of Walled Lake to Cow creek, and east from the head of Walled Lake to Rock creek. By order of the Stock Grazing and Protective Association. Signed. Jack McElroy. John Graves. M. Parks.'"
The prevailing sentiment existing in Lin- coln county concerning the loss of the com- peting line of railroad. the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway, is voiced in the following
106
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
extract from the Lincoln County Times of date, July 14, 1896:
"The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Rail- road, a branch of which was extended from Spokane to Davenport during the winter of 1889, and for which the property holders of the town put up liberally for the purpose of inducing the management to run through, in- stead of around the place, has just been trans- ferred to the committee of the mortgage bond holders and the deed placed on file in Spokane.
"This deed conveys the road, commencing in the city of Seattle and running to Sallal Prairie, 62 miles; a line commencing in Woodinville, King county, running to Sumas, IOI miles; a branch known as the Hilron branch, and 18 miles of additional branches and spurs; also the main line in the eastern division, commencing at Spokane and running west to Davenport. The transfer includes all the rights of way, franchise, rolling stock, buildings, etc., and 2,500 shares of stock in the Union Depot Company, at Spokane, and its leasehold estate for 99 years in the depot grounds ; also the railroad company's title to tide and shore lands in King county.
"The company was enjoying an era of un- equaled prosperity at the time this road was
built through Lincoln county, and the people and the railroads all seemed to have plenty of money. Roads were being built everywhere, and scarcely a week passed that a party of sur- veyors did not pass through looking up a route for some projected line. It was not hard for them to raise the necessary money to induce the Seattle road to build in, which was be- lieved to be a necessary thing in order to build up the place so that other roads could be con- trolled that talked of penetrating the Big Bend. These were thrifty days when people heard little and cared less about free silver and sub-treasury schemes. All went along smooth- ly enough for two or three years and then a reaction set in. Railroads quit building. money began to get scarce ; all sorts of politi- cal nostrums were advocated; taking short cuts to ease and fortune, and then the business failures began. No more was heard of pro- jected railroads, and the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern line, after a hard struggle, finally ceased to be operated altogether between Daven- port and Spokane, and now reverts to the bond holders. Railroads, as well as individuals, overestimated themselves, strained their credit and now a good many of them have valuable experience but a good deal less money."
CHAPTER III.
CURRENT EVENTS-1896 TO 1904.
Agitation for removal of the county seat from Sprague was renewed the spring of 1896. Harrington was ambitious, and in March the Independent, of that town, announced that Harrington would be a candidate. The town of Edwall also listened to the buzzing of the county seat bee, and was, for awhile, ambit- ious to become the Hub of Lincoln county. It was well known that Wilbur would not feel
justified in refusing the honor, and Davenport considered herself the logical candidate. Con- ditions were such that unless a number of towns entered the race and thus divided the vote, removal from Sprague to Davenport might be considered a certainty. The city of Sprague which, until the year previous was, unquestionably, the principal town of the county, had encountered a series of disasters
107
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
from which it could not. immediately, recover. The fire of August 3. 1895, which is elsewhere treated in this work, laid waste the town. It was unquestioned that a new Sprague would spring from the ashes of its desolation had not the Northern Pacific Railroad Company de- cided to remove their machine shops from the town and establish division headquarters else- where. This was a blow harder than the fire.
Davenport formally entered the county seat contest April 6th. A mass meeting of the business men of the town assembled in the council chambers and it was largely attended. The situation was exhaustively discussed and it was the unanimous opinion of the meeting that Davenport should become a contestant. Editorially the Lincoln County Times said :
"In entering the field for the county seat Davenport does not intend to make any attack on Sprague, the present seat of county govern- ment. She entertains the most kindly feeling for that place and all its citizens, and would not like to see a single one of them suffer loss by reason of the removal of the county seat. However, the removal of the seat of county government to a more central point is an urgent public necessity, and overbalances all private considerations as to individual losses occasioned by the change."
April 25th the citizens of Harrington held a mass meeting and, also, decided to enter the contest. Under the law each town that de- cided to become a candidate for county . seat privileges was obliged to present to the board of county commissioners a petition signed by qualified electors of the county equal in num- ber to one-third of all the votes cast at the last preceding general election. Both Davenport and Harrington complied with this provision and became contestants. It is generally ad- mitted that Harrington was not very sanguine of securing the prize. It was at the earnest solicitation of Sprague and for the sole pur- pose of dividing the vote in order to prevent a re-location. The conditions at that period
are thus outlined by the Spokesman-Review of date July 29, 1896:
"Davenport has filed with the county com- missioners a petition asking for an election for the removal of the county seat to Davenport. This petition has been acted upon by the county commissioners and the issue will come up at the general election this fall. Harring- ton has also filed a petition and is on the list as a candidate.
"The conditions have been changing ma- terially in favor of Davenport. In the past two years the south half of the county from which Sprague derives its voting support has been reduced at least five hundred votes, one- half of the reduction being on account of the changed conditions at Sprague alone. Besides this it is argued by Davenport people that Sprague is situated three miles from the south line of the county and six miles from the east line. Thus the county seat is in the corner of the county and the people in this section be- lieve it should be more centrally located. Dav- enport agrees to replace without a dollar's ex- pense to the county, county buildings similar to those at Sprague. Harrington is not con- sidered to have any chance at all in the fight. The friends of Davenport are aligning them- selves and the final result will come in No- vember."
It was not until the latter part of Sep- tember that Davenport mobilized her forces in earnest for the impending campaign. From that date the contest on her part was most vig- orous and aggressive. September 18th Day- enport citizens executed a bond in the sum of $18,800 in favor of the commissioners con- ditioned upon the selection of Davenport as capital of the county, and pledging the bonds- men in that event to erect "a court house and county jail at a place in Davenport. Washing- ton, satisfactory to the county commissioners of said county, which said court house and county jail shall be of the same size. material, and capacity of said county buildings now in
108 .
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Sprague, the present county seat, and contain the same number of rooms, and apartments similarly arranged, each said court house and jail to be built on yards and lots of land as large as the lots and yards on which the pres- ent county court house and jail at Sprague are situated; and invest and deliver to Lincoln county on or before the said first lay of July. 1897, good, absolute and sufficient title to said lots, yards, premises, court house and jail thereon : and remove from Sprague to Daven- port, Washington, all the public records, books, furniture, safes, fixtures and appara- tus of whatever kind and nature now used in and about said county buildings at Sprague, and place the same in good and regular order in the county buildings to be built in Daven- port, as aforesaid."
Those who executed this bond were : C. C. May, F. H. Luce, William Finney, Melissa Finney, H. C. Keedy, Lizzie Keedy, Albert W. Turner, Alice Turner, E. E. Plough, Mar- garet Plough, George Oswalt, Mary Oswalt, John H. Nicholls, Emma Nicholls, Walter Mansfield, Mary P. Mansfield, James S. Ink- ster, Laura Inkster, Robert Tischner, Rosina Tischner, Fred Quehlke, Margaret A. Queh- lke, Herman Kruger. Dora Kruger, B. O. Gib- son, Louisa Gibson, Peter Leipham, Phebe Leipham, Fred Mclellan, Henry J. Whitney, Mrs. Fred McLelland, H. Josephine Whit- ney, A. F. Lambert, H. W. Knapp, Ida M. Knapp, Dennie Moylan, Lula Moylan, A. L. Smalley, Clarence G. Snyder, Hugh H. Mc- Millan, Fred Lauer, L. A. Inkster, W. H. Moore, Mary E. Moore, Adam Knox, Katie Knox.
Those who were favorable to either Sprague or Harrington for the county seat assumed the same position taken in the mem- orable contest of 1890, viz: That Davenport did not have the money required to construct the county buildings. The bond that had been executed was attacked and it was further al- leged that "there were not to exceed three men
on the bond who were worth a five cent piece over and above just debts and liabilities."
But it appears that Davenport had the money. This was attested by the following sworn statement by C. C. May, Cashier of the Big Bend National Bank :
"Davenport. Washington, October 15, 1896 .- This certifies that there has been de- posited in the Big Bend National Bank, of Davenport. Washington, the sum of ten thous- and dollars ($10,000) to be used only, or as much thereof as may be necessary, for the pur- pose of erecting a county court house and jail of the same size, material, dimensions, and number of rooms as the county buildings now located at Sprague, Lincoln county, Washi- ington, in case the county seat shall be re- moved from Sprague to Davenport, as a result of the election to be held on the 3d day of No- vember, 1896. This deposit is without any reservation whatever, to be paid out only for purpose herein named and as a guarantee that said buildings together with all of block 94 in Columbia Addition to Davenport, which block is 215x250 feet, will be conveyed to Lincoln county, Washington, free from any incumbrance whatever, on or before August I. A. D., 1897; and that said Lincoln county shall not incur any expense in the removal of the county records, office and vault furniture and fixtures and jail cages, from Sprague to Davenport.
"If Davenport fails to construct said build- ings and deliver same together with said block of land to Lincoln county. Washington, by good and sufficient warranty deed with the usual covenants, on or before the first day of August, 1897, or fails to remove the records aforesaid from Sprague to Davenport within sixty days after the result of said election is declared; or fails to furnish suitable offices, free of expense to Lincoln county, to be used pending the construction of said county build- ings, then and in that event the said $10,000. (or so much thereof as may be necessary tc
109
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
construct said buildings) becomes due and payable to the order of the board of county commissioners of said Lincoln county, Wash- ington.
"By Big Bend National Bank, per C. C. May, cashier."
This certificate was deposited with the county treasurer on the 16th day of October, and duly acknowledged by J. J. Brown, county treasurer. The bond in the sum of $18,800 was placed in the hands of the county commis- sioners. The following letter explains their action in the matter.
"Mr. C. C. May, Davenport, Washington, Dear Sir :- The bond furnished by the citizens of Davenport for the erection of county build- ings and expense of moving the records and fixtures from this place to Davenport in the event that the voters of Lincoln county, on the 3d day of November, declare in favor of lo- cating the county seat at Davenport, is on file in the auditor's office. We have examined the above mentioned bond and believe it to be good and sufficient for the purpose given, but do not think it our duty to take any action whatever in regard to the matter, as the bond placed on file with the county auditor is just as binding as if approved by the board. Re- spectfully,
"L. V. Allen. "T. G. Stevenson. ".A. E. Stookey. Commissioners."
For the second time Wilbur held the bal- ance of power : she had the deciding votes in the impending contest. And again Wilbur thrust the issue of county division into the campaign. She demanded that the representative business. men of Davenport should pledge themselves to assist when in some future time she should attempt to divide Lincoln county. Of course such an obligation could only be binding upon the signers. Hard as the terms were Daven- port's leading residents were compelled to
enter into this agreement, or all their hopes would be nullified. They did so. There was no politics in the agreement. Republicans, Democrats, Populists, Prohibitionists were combined in the movement. It was the future of a whole community dependent upon the promise of Wilbur, and Wilbur appears to have lived up to the contract nominated in the bond.
.At the November general election of 1896. the contest was settled in favor of Davenport. The official vote was, Davenport, 1582; Har- rington, 240; against removal, 537. Follow- ing is the result of the vote by precincts :
Precincts.
Davenport. Harrington. Against Rem.
Reardan
153
8
Mondovi
100
3
Fairview
81
2
13
Lassin
29
8
41
Larene
97
0
-
Inkster
90
0
0
Miles
29
0
I
Davenport
212
0
O
Union
58
2
-
Harrington
59
73
1
Liberty
5
46
11
Sedalia
+
26
2
Crab Creek
4
:3
13
Grand Bluff
4
14
16
Enos
16
3
2
Yarwood
4
26
O
Condon
62
I
-
Meridian
40
2
4
Grand Coulee
54
I
5
Wilbur
113
2
16
Columbia
44
T
6
Buite
59
O
Brents
80
0
2
Welch Creek
73
0
Wilson Creek
40
North Sprague
3
7
155
South Sprague
7
16
225
Earl
23
5
1
1.582
240
5.37
0 01 I
The Davenport correspondent of the Spokesman-Review thus described the joyous ratification of the result :
"The citizens of Davenport celebrated the county seat victory last night in an enthus- iastic and inspiring manner. At 7:30 o'clock
IIO
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
a torchlight procession was formed, which marched up and down Morgan street several times, headed by a traveling brass band which added to the enthusiasm by furnishing the liveliest kind of music. Cheer after cheer went forth from the procession, and was re- echoed by those who thronged the sidewalks. Finally a halt was called in front of the Co- lumbia hotel, a table was provided, and one citizen after another was carried by stalwart hands, placed on the table, and requested to deliver a speech, until a dozen or more short speeches were made by as many representative citizens. Then the procession, including the ladies, who also took part, in a body entered the theatre and listened to the evening's enter- tainment. Bonfires and the firing of anvils were the other features of the celebration.".
Preliminary steps were taken to contest the legality of this memorable event. The ground upon which the action was based was that the $10,000 contributed by Davenport citizens was a bribe to the voters by which they were induced to vote the county record. away from Sprague. Concerning this matter the Times said, editorially :
"There is no foundation for such a con- test upon which any hope for success is based, for there is no case on record where a suit has ever been sustained based upon such grounds, and there is not the slightest probability that this suit will be successful. The purpose is, evidently, an attempt to delay the removal of the records, but it will not succeed."
But this threatening war cloud passed harmlessly away. Monday, November 20th the county commissioners convened at Sprague and quietly issued an order for the removal of the county records to Davenport December 14th. No contest suit was actually filed, consequently none could we withdrawn. Thus ended the county seat contest of twelve years standing, and which had intermittently cropped up, surrounded by all the multifarious bickering's and bitterness incidental to such
procedures. Davenport was officially declared to be the county seat after 12 o'clock, mid- night, December 14th. On the 16th instant the county records arrived in Davenport. The records, furniture, etc., were brought in by rail in charge of a committee of Davenport citi- zens. The condition of the roads made it im- possible to bring them overland. Three cars were required to transport these official effects and they were three days in transit. The county officials, on their arrival in Davenport, secured offices in various buildings until the court house could be constructed. In January, 1897, the citizens of Davenport paid into the county treasury $6,000 in cash, and gave a deed to a block of land upon which to erect a court house. The commissioners decided that $6,000 would more than pay for the erection of a county building equal to the one formerly used at Sprague, but decided to add to it and erect one sufficient for present needs. The action of the commissioners in this mat- ter reads as follows, and was signed by all the commissioners, Friday, January 15th :
Ordered that the $6,000 received from the citizens of Davenport for the erection of a court house and jail be placed in the county treasury and credited to a fund to be known as the "court house fund," upon which only warrants for the erection of such buildings shall be drawn. The above matter coming on for hearing, and the citizens of Davenport having agreed to place $6,000 gold coin of the United States, in the hands of the county commissioners, and a deed to block 94, Columbia Addition to the. Town of Davenport, pro- vided that the commissioners release the signers of the bond and certificate of deposit given, from all liability in the premises, except as hereinafter stated, and the board being fully advised in the matter and having made careful estimate of the cost of replacing and duplicating all buildings of the same size, inaterial and finish as those formerly used as a court house and jail at Sprague, and the board being fully satisfied that said sum will erect and build better and more substantial buildings than those formerly occupied: It is therefore ordered that the said amount and the deed to block 94, Columbia Addition to the Town of Davenport, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, be, and the same is hereby, accepted in full payment from the citizens of Daven- port as per their bond and agreement on file in the office of the county auditor and certified check deposited
III
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
with the county treasurer ; and it is further ordered that the signers of said bond be, and they are hereby, re- leased from all liability on account of the agreement and consideration for which said bond and check were given, except that the citizens of Davenport furnish temporary quarters for the county officials until the new court house is built, but in no case later than the first day of August, 1897.
Subsequently the commissioners decided to erect a court house at a cost of $10,000. March ist a contract was let to Fred Baske to build a county building at a cost of $12,119.90. This handsome structure was completed in due time as per contract. At Sprague, Monday, July IIth, the old court house, jail and lots on which they were located were sold at public auction. These buildings cost Lincoln county over $10.000. The buildings were sold for $300.
"The year of the bumper wheat crop," 1897, marked the return of prosperous times. Farmers and business men of Lincoln county were cheerful. Mr. David Wilson, who for many years past had been interested in the town of Davenport and who always took a prominent part in Lincoln county affairs, at the close of the year 1897, wrote as follows concerning the financial condition of the farm- ers and the size of the year's crops :
"Careful estimates of this year's wheat crop in Lincoln county place it at 6,500,000 bushels, which at prevailing prices, equals $4 .- 500,000. Taken together with other cereals, live stock, fruit, minerals, etc., the cash value to the 1.500 farmers of Lincoln county will be $6,000,000, or $4,000 apiece-a result un- heard of heretofore in any county in the
United States. *
* The area of Lincoln county is about 1,500,000 acres, cli- vided as follows: Grazing land (including about 250,000 acres of timber.) 700.000 acres ; agricultural lands, about 800,000 acres. Of the latter 350.000 are under cultivation, there having been seeded to wheat alone this year ( 1897) approximately 250.000 acres. which yielded an average of 29 bushels to the
acre, some of which sold as high as 78 cents per bushel .. * * *
* * The crop of 1897, in many instances, yielded a return that would pay all expenses for raising, marketing the same, pay the full market price for the land, and leaves a handsome profit besides."
The result of this big crop was that nearly all the mortgages in the county were paid off, and there were many purchases of railroad and other land. Almost every tillable quarter sec- tion in the county was purchased or leased for farming purposes the next year. Mr. Frank M. Dallam, the present editor of the Palmer Mountain Prospector, of Loomis, Okanogan county, wrote as follows :
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