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 25
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 25
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 25
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 25
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But there was scant prosperity the first five years to encourage the new comer. The own- ers of the townsite went into bankruptcy; a receiver was appointed. In the town proper the population was limited to five or six famil- ies. Creston was up against a dead wall-at a standstill. Her neighboring towns were ad- vancing; some rapidly; others more slowly. J. J. Dodd is one of the pioneers of Creston. He settled there in 1893 and began the practice of law. Not until 1897 did the town of Cres- ton come to the front. It will be remembered that this was the year of Lincoln county's "bumper" wheat crop. Then she awakened from a comatose condition new settlers flocked into the immediate vicinity, and the village, keeping pace with its industrial surroundings. began to grow and thrive. The incoming of settlers with some capital was akin to the stim-
ulant of rare old wine. New business firms opened up new establishments. Messrs. Philip Laber and Daniel Worby were important fac- tors in building up the town during this pros- perous year. Still, it is a strange, puzzling reflection that Creston should have lain so long dormant while other towns in the county were forging to the front. But the progress she has made since awakening from her cat- aleptic condition possesses many elements of surprise. As a dot on the map of the state of Washington Creston dates back to the time of the founding of a number of other small towns on the line of the Central Washington rail- road. But as a town entitled to rank as im- portant among the Big Bend communities it has but few years of history behind it. Less than four years covers the period of real ex- pansion in Creston. Of course at its inception the town possessed no hall and no secret so- cieties, except perhaps one or two minor or- ganizations in a moribund condition ; it had no bank; no mill; no prescription drug store: no furniture emporium-in fact its circle of busi- ness was so incomplete that the trade it should have supplied with all things needful was compelled to seek other towns for many of the necessaries of life, saying nothing about the luxuries. And while in those "other towns" the people, of course, purchased many articles which might have been procured at Creston had the assortment of goods been large enough. And thus trade was driven away solely through lack of a few important lines of goods. The town had few substantial dwellings : perhaps half a dozen telephones and no rival lines. There was not a wind pump or tank in the village for sprinkling a lawn or fighting an incipient blaze; there was no news- paper to advertise the town's existence to the outside world.
And this doleful condition lingered for years following the platting of Creston. Then "a change came o'er the spirit" of Creston. The Puget Sound and Scattle Wheat Compan-
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ies erected two large and substantial grain ware houses in the fall of 1900. During the succeeding few months Laber & Worby tripled the capacity of their building and increased their building and increased their stock accord- ingly. Howie's, now Fox's dry goods store was added to the business of the town. A strong lodge of Odd Fellows was instituted. A newspaper appeared on the scene. All things considered there was a transformation of the mise en scene most agreeable and surprising to the inhabitants of Creston. And this sud- den manifestation of a new spirit in the town attracted a largely increased trade; stocks of merchandise increased in volume and assort- ment. The absolute necessity of a hall led to the organization of the Creston Hall Associa- tion, and the erection of a fine, commodious auditorium at First and D streets. Before this was completed the Creston State Bank was organized and made ready for occupancy and business. R. E. Wright's new pharmacy, one of the most elaborate in the Big Bend, was opened beside the new bank. Meanwhile the family of fraternities had been increased by the birth of the Rebekah degree lodge, and lodges of the W. O. W. and A. F. & A. M. Then the mill proposition was taken up-a $35,00 plant-the Creston Roller Mills, was completed. A large stock of furniture and un- dertaking goods was opened, at present mer- ged in the partnership stock of Foster & Coup- er. Smith & Salter 'opened a new stock of merchandise, the firm subsequently becoming Dodd & Salter. They added a line of farm machinery and implements. Two skilled blacksmiths and machinists eliminated the ne- cessity of traveling to Wilbur or Davenport for work in their line. A new barber shop, an- other meat market, a jeweler's and general repair shop and the head office of a mining company located in town. The telephone ser- vice increased to nineteen in September. 1903, and eighteen in the country. At heavy ex- pense Creston enterprise constructed a wagon
road from the town 25 miles northiward into the rich mineral belt of the "South Half" of Colville Indian reservation and established one of the best ferries on the Columbia river.
The new movement in home building dot- ted the town with cottages of the substantial, comfortable order. Nearly all these were built as homes for new comers to the, practically, new town, and today rental property is alto- gether too scarce. Within two years the pop- ulation of Creston doubled ; the increase being of a most desirable class of people. One new church was added in 1903, that of the Saints, and a MI. E. class (South) was organized. These two, with the older organizations, Pres- byterians and Baptists, gave the town that year four religious congregations. And while these marked improvements were taking place within the city, the territory surrounding was being settled by a well-to-do, hospitable and wide-awake people, loyal to the town and proud of the country they have developed from the native bunch grass.
In retrospection go back to the days of 1889. Then was built the Central Washing- ton railway. Creston was only a small trading point with a postoffice, the "jurisdiction" of which extended from the Columbia river to the railroad on the south, with a width of perhaps ten miles east and west. Writing August 7. 1903, the editor of the Creston News said: .
"The growth of Creston for several years was slow, but about two years ago a new im- petus was given to it, since which time the de- velopment has been rapid and substantial. The population has doubled and at the election held in April there were 102 persons entitled to vote in the town. New residences have sprung up in every quarter of the town and of a better class, and a large amount of rebuilding andl im- proving has been done. New additions have been platted and real estate values have appre- ciated steadily."
The only fire of any importance in Creston occurred February 4, 1902. It destroyed the
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Sumerlin House, Dr. Lanter's office and the plant of the Creston News. The losses were. W. B. Sumerlin, house, $600, no insurance : Dr. Lanter, $1,000, insurance, $800: D. F. Peffly, $440, insurance, $300. Laber & Wor- by's loss was small.
The town of Creston became known throughout the length and breadth of the country in August, 1902, as the home of the men who captured Outlaw Harry Tracy. This sensational event is treated in a previous chap- ter of the "History of Lincoln County."
Initial steps toward incorporation of Cres- ton were taken early in the year 1903. : \ mass meeting was held January 3d, and it was de- cided to ask the county commissioners to call an election for the purpose. To this petition there were 82 signers out of a total of 96 legal voters in the town at the time the petition was circulated. To this petition the commissioners acquiesced and the election was set for April 4. 1903. At this election 86 votes were cast, incorporation carried by a vote of 77 to 6. The result of the election for city officials re- sulted as follows: For mayor. A. E. Stookey,; 79; Councilmen : Patrick Kelly, 78; J. M. Dungan, 74; E. W. Watson, 77: Philip Laber. 75 ; E. Zeigler. 74. Treasurer. F. A Duncan, 78.
At the present writing there are five church organizations in Creston, viz: Baptists, Pres- byterians, Catholic, Saints, and Methodists. With the exception of the Methodists all have church buildings. The fraternal societies are represented by the Creston Lodge. No. 123. . 1. F. & .A. M .: Creston Lodge, No. 174. 1. O. O. F .; Creston Star No. 132, Rebekah: Creston Lodge No. 371. W. O. W .: Blizzard Circle No. 442 .. W. O. W .. and M. W. . 1.
April 20, 1904, Frank M. Spain, state or- ganizer for the Retail Grocers' and General Merchants' Association, completed the organ- ization of a local branch of the Inland Retail Dealers Association. The firms joining this organization were: Laber & Worby. Jump 10
& Frizzell. Newer & Kiblen, Hough & Glover, W. R. Foster. G. W. Sigler. C. F. Jenne, Will- iam Jolinson and George B. Rees. Officers elected were: President, T. F. Frizzell; vice president, Philip Laber; secretary, E. J. Win- ter ; treasurer, G. W. Sigler.
WILBUR.
One of the most promising and enterpris- ing towns in the Big Bend is Wilbur. It is situated in an oblong basin with a small clear creek running through the center of the town. and abrupt, basaltic cliffs, not of very great elevation, on the north and south. At one time this spot was, evidently, a lake: there is still. marshy land on the east and west ends of the basin, some distance from the townsite.
In Lincoln county there was no town west of Davenport prior to the construction of the Central Washington railroad. When this line became a reality talk flowed voluminously of other towns, villages and cities in the Big Bend. "Wild Goose Bill's" place, thirty-eight miles west of Davenport, was accorded a post- office by the department at Washington, D. C., and given the name of Wilbur, the middle name of Samuel Wilbur Condin ( Wild Goose Bill. ) It was then considered a likely place for a town and the future has not disputed the judgment of the locators. It was on the stage line from Davenport to the mines in the north- ern part of the state, one day's drive from the county seat. Therefore, in the spring of 1888 Wilbur boasted of a hotel, two stores, two feed stables, two blacksmith shops, a saloon and a drug store. The pioneer merchants of Wilbur were J. M. Parrish & Company. They opened a general merchandise store in October.
January 1, 1889. Wilbur contained but six or seven houses, and was small and insignifi- cant, indeed, compared with the town of a year later. Outside of a radius of thirty miles Wil- bur had scarcely been heard of. Those who made their home in the place at that time hoped
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not without some doubt and secret misgivings, to build up a town of modest proportions. That within a few months it would assume the sub- stantiality and prominence that it did was be- yond their wildest expectations. In February, 1889, Wilbur had three general merchandise stores, two hotels, one drug store, two feed stables, two restaurants, one blacksmith and one butcher shop, one carpenter shop, one sa- loon, and quite a number of comfortable resi- dences. The town had been platted in April. 1889, by Samuel Wilbur Condin, (Wild Goose Bill.) In May of that year the building of a railroad to Wilbur had become an assurred fact. Surveyors were put to work establish- ing a grade through the rocky canyon and officials high in authority in the Central Wash- ington Company announced, without reserva- tion, that the road was coming to Wilbur. Authenticity was given to this information by the activity displayed by railroad officials in securing interests in the Wilbur townsite. Messrs. Huson, Riordan, Ashton and other members of the Columbia Townsite & Invest- ment Company, composed of parties of the "inner circles" of the railroad company, vis- ited Wilbur and had a conference with S. W. Condin, owner of the Wilbur townsite, and Rolland J. Reeves, who represented Mr. Con- din. These townsite buyers came prepared to entertain any proposition Mr. Condin might have to offer in consideration of the railroad locating a depot at Wilbur. Condin left it entirely to the gentlemen to say what the new road desired. Their proposition was one-half interest in the original townsite and the addi- tion, as well as in the proceeds of sales made, and a like interest in an unplatted eighty-acre tract of deeded land adjoining. in consideration of which the road would locate a depot on the original townsite before the close of the year. Mr. Condin asked for, and received time to consider this proposition, and, being materially aided by lot owners in the new town, conclu- ded to accept the terms of the railroad men.
Thus the management of the Wilbur townsite passed into the hands of a company of ener- getic men who possessed ample capital and vim with which to develop the resources of the town.
The effect that the certainty of the railroad coming into town was soon seen in the erection of new buildings and the inauguration of new business enterprises in Wilbur. WVe quote from the Register of May 25th :
"Notwithstanding the fact that three large saw mills in this vicinity are kept running at their full capacity the supply of lumber avail- able for immediate use is inadequate to meet the demands of the many contractors and builders now engaged in Wilbur. Five new buildings have been completed within the past week; six more are in course of construction and lumber is being hauled on to the grounds for several others. There is no doubting the success of Wilbur. A grand and glorious fu- ture is already secure."
C. E. Huson, a brother of the railroad engineer, soon afterwards arrived in Wilbur, and assumed control of the townsite business for the company.
The first incorporation of Wilbur was on March 25. 1889. This incorporation was in accordance with the Territorial law which provided for incorporation of towns by order of the district court. The district court of the Fourth Judicial District, sitting at Sprague, issued a decree incorporating Wilbur and nam- ing municipal officers. The officials appointed entered upon the discharge of their duties and the town was under municipal government un- til a decision of the supreme court declared all such incorporations void. This was after the admission of Washington as a State. Numer- ous other towns throughout the state aside from Wilbur were thrown out by this sweep- ing decision. Nothing discouraged, however, the citizens went immediately to work to se- cure a lawful incorporation.
June 1, 1889, we find in Wilbur business
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houses as follows: Two hotels, one bakery, two saloons, one drug store, four physicians, one restaurant, one newspaper, one feed stable, one barber shop, one meat market, one livery stable, one millinery store, one furniture store, one lawyer, two carpenter shops, three black- smith shops, one real estate and loan agency, one harness store, one land, loan and insurance agency, and three general merchandise stores, well stocked. There were "boom" times in February and March, 1889. Real estate own- ers and agents were jubilant. Although forty acres of ground had been platted the previous fall Wilbur first sprung into prominence early this year. June 7th the Register said :
"The boom has struck Wilbur. A class of enterprising, rustling young men came here in the months of February and March joining the few others already located. A dozen build- ings were all that could be counted on the townsite of forty acres. Invigorated by the breezes of spring, with all hands joined. those having the destiny of Wilbur in their keeping went conscientiously to work to carry out a glorious future for their foundling. When it was announced that the Central Washington surveyors were in the field our people were up and stirring. Nothing was left undone to se- cure the entrance of that road to Wilbur. When the officials of the company visited the town to definitely decide the matter they were met by a liberal spirit by the townsite proprietor. Condin, and the people of Wilbur. The result is before you."
The following summer of 1889 was one of great activity. The ring of the hammer and the hum of the saw were heard throughout the length and breadth of the townsite. June 7th the Register editorially remarked :
"In scarcely three months the half dozen structures have increased until the numerous and substantial buildings in Wilbur proclaim the dimensions of a large village. The volum- inous stocks of goods and the characters of her business men give satisfactory assurance to the
stranger that Wilbur already is a business city."
The result of this activity on the real es- tate market was marvellous. Cautious and ex- perienced dealers swarmed into Wilbur and an excellent class of business men with capital came to the new town and expressed a deter- mination to invest and settle. Town property was immediately in great demand and as this became daily more and more scarce, prices ad- vanced until lots that a couple of months earl- ier could have been purchased for $150 could not be bought on June Ist for $1,000. Speak- ing of the rapid rise in town lots during the space of one week the Register said: "They started in at $450 per lot last Saturday, ad- vanced to $650 Tuesday, and as we go to press, (Friday) for a fifty-foot lot on Main street $800 is refused. Lots on Railroad avenue, Cole, Knox and Ann streets have experienced an advance of about 400 per cent. on their price two months ago." .
Although Wilbur's hotel accommodations at this time were by no means meagre, the rush to the new town was such that they proved in- sufficient. No pretentious buildings were erected by townsite speculators and "boomers" for the purpose of unloading property, to re- main forever empty, useless monuments of false pretense, but day by day and week by week during the summer and fall of 1889, the growth and development of Wilbur went stend- ily on. In company with every town which comes into existence with the building of a railroad. Wilbur, for a few months, suffere.1 from the "tough" element. The great army of "grafters" and disreputable people who are drawn to such towns like the magnet to the pole, were in Wilbur, and made their presence disagreeably felt. But subsequently there was a sifting out of these characters by the law abiding people, and they gradually passed away to more congenial fields.
October ist the roadbed had been com- pleted ; the track was laid into Wilbur, an
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event of the utmost importance in the history of this town. And the arrival of the railroad was the signal for renewed activity in build- ing operations. "The railroad has reached Wil- bur" was the talismanic word that brought new enterprises to the town. From far and near throughout the Big Bend country attention was attracted to "Wilbur on the plains." Al- though the arrival of the road had been thor- oughly discounted by anticipation, the most sanguine little thought that it would cause the stir and bustle that it did. A bank was or- ganized, a mill started, a stage line was estab- lished to the Okanogan mining country, a new hotel was built and new enterprises by the score were placed on foot. Only the scarcity of lum- ber retarded building operations, but despite this fact most gratifying progress was made.
In December, 1888, the towns of Wilbur and Almira were "unknown, unhonored and unsung." They came into existence within a few months subsequently, however, and they are entirely worthy of the great, goaheaditive west. Of course the construction of the Cen- tral Washington road was the raison d' etre of their being, and the initial point of their ca- reers. Wilbur, especially, has grown with re- markable rapidity. But they are both flourish- ing towns of Lincoln county and both places contain many large business establishments. lively populations and most excellent prospects of continued prosperity. Wilbur's first board of trade was organized Saturday, January 25. 18go. On the list of members some forty names were enrolled. Great interest was man- ifested by the organization in the advancement. of the town along industrial and commercial lines. The officers of the board were: D. Fitch, president; H. A. Johnson, vice presi- cent ; G. N. Portman, treasurer : E. F. Benson. secretary : P. D. Oliphant, assistant secretary. It is alleged that. while many acknowledged the beneficent influence of the new board, half the work done by it was not credited to it. Still here are some of the actualities which it ac-
complished : It imparted a life-giving impetus to the Storage & Forwarding Company ( In- corporated) which erected a commodious store house near the depot ; it had printed and dis- tributed thousands of papers and circulars that were the means of attracting considerable at- tention, capital and some immigration to the place; it was through their untiring efforts that the Columbia River Milling Company was induced to locate in Wilbur, and this in itself shows more to its credit than any accomplish- ment of any other similar organization in east- ern Washington.
By the spring of 1890 Wilbur had grown to a town of no little importance in the Big Bend country. Since the advent of the railroad 'its growth had been considerable and in the amount of business done ranked well up with the other towns along the line. Let us go back to Monday, April 28th, and visit this town in company with that bright newspaper man, Frank M. Dallam. This is how Wilbur ap- peared to him at that time :
"A great change has taken place in Wil- bur during the past two years. Just two years ago, while on the way to the mines, we rode down the hill into 'Wild Goose Bill's' ranch, as it was then generally known. About three or four houses of very primitive design occu- pied the flat. It was an oasis to us then, for we were weary of pounding a saddle for two days and glad to see any kind of a shelter. We were not prepared to see the change that has been wrought within so short a time, the result of the advent of a railroad. A person secures a fine view of the place coming in from the east, as looking directly down upon the town, the whole place can be taken in at a glance. Wil- bur presents a very attractive appearance from the cars. It is concentrated, as it could not very well otherwise be, and from a distance looks compactly built. The newness of the buildings has not had time to wear off, and one understands at once that the town is the crea- tion of a few months. Having half an hour's
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leisure, the result of traveling on an extra freight, we sauntered over the business portion of the town. A nearer inspection shows many gaps to fill in to make the streets solidly built up, but the people are hopeful and there is no good reason why a much larger growth is not possible. The town is laid out uniformly with good, wide streets. A spasmodic effort has been made to put down sidewalks, but some of the property owners faltered in the good work. Most of the business buildings are large and creditable structures, and show that the owners have every confidence in the place, or they would not put so much money in per- manent improvements. The stores, of which every branch of trade is represented from the bank to the huckster shop. carry large stocks, and from what we could learn are doing a good business. Like other towns along the line Wilbur is feeling the influence of hard times and very little building is now in progress. However, we believe this is only temporary and before fall we expect the place will enjoy a considerably increased growth. A large amount of freight is shipped from here to the mines, which is a great advantage to the town."
Wilbur had a serious time in securing in- corporation. We have seen how the first act of incorporation was thrown out by action of the supreme court when the Territory joined the sisterhood of states. There were other dis- appointments in store for the ambitious town. A petition for the re-incorporation of Wilbur was presented to the board of county commis- sioners in the spring of 1890. It was signed by ninety-eight legalized voters. The peti- tioners claimed that there was at that time a population of 350. The following was spread upon the record of the commissioners :
In the matter of the petition for the incorporation of the town of Wilbur. the prayer of the petition was granted, and the boundaries of said proposed incorpora- tion fixed on the following lines. to-wit: Commencing at the northeast corner of the south west quarter of section 8, township 26, north of range 33. E. W. M :
running thence west one-half mile to northwest corner of said southwest quarter, thence south one-quarter mile to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 7, township and range aforesaid; thence west one-half mile to the northwest corner of southwest quarter of southeast quarter of said section 7; thence north one-quarter mile to the north- east corner of the southwest quarter of said section 7; thence west 1/4 mile to the northwest corner of northeast quarter of southwest quarter of said section 7; thence south one mile to southwest corner of southeast quarter of northwest quarter of section 18. said town and range: thence cast three-quarters of a mile to the southeast corner of northeast quarter, said section 18: thence north one-half mile to northeast corner said section 18; thence east one-half mile to southeast corner of southwest quarter of section 8; thence north one- half mile to place of beginning.
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