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 26
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 26
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 26
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 26
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The number of inhabitants in said described bound- aries are found to be 350, and the board hereby orders and appoints the following election officers: John Thomson. inspector : R. D Reardan. Dell Hart, judges.
A mass meeting of voters was held to nom- inate candidates for town officers to be voted for at the time of the incorporation election. It was decided to place two tickets in the field by the same convention. And these candidates were named: Mayor, Dr. J. P. Tamiesie. John Thomson : Treasurer, John Thomson. H. A. Johnson; Councilmen, H. A. Johnson, J. 31. Parrish. P. Lyse. A. 11. Maddock. M. E. Hay, J. H. Robertson, S. Britton. W. H. Coch- rane. D. R. Cole and P. D. Oliphant. The election was held Saturday, May 24th. The result was a unanimous vote for incorporation. The vote, however, was light, many of the citi- zens being engaged on contract work away from home. principally at Coulee City. Inter- est was added to this election by the number of tickets in the field, as well as by the attempt of certain non-residents to cast ballots. The following vote was cast: For incorporation. 62: against incorporation. o. For mayor, A. Il. Maddock. 37: Dr. J. P. Tamiesie. 33. For treasurer. G. G. Stambaugh, 55. For coun- cilmen: J. M. Parrish, 69; P. Lyse. 66: W. 11. Cochrane. Go: Il. A. Johnson, 58; S. Brit- ton. 42.
But still incorporation was not a fact. The
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following excerpt from the proceedings of the county commissioners explains the condition :
The board proceeded to canvass the election returns of the town of Wilbur for incorporation. and being well advised in the premises, ordered the same laid over for future consideration, assigning the following reason, to-wit: The board of county commissioners of Lincoln county, Washington, make this statement of their rea- sons for declining to issue an order incorporating the lown of Wilbur, though the vote of the citizens of the proposed town was unanimously in favor of such in- corporation. When the board met on the first Monday after the election, viz: May 26, 1890, it appeared that an error had been made in the election notices, in this; that the notices included in the boundaries of the proposed town territory that was outside of, and not in- cluded in the boundaries of said town as prayed for in the petition for incorporation; wherefore the board concluded that this error was fatal to a legal incor- poration of the town of Wilbur, and for this reason alone declined to issue the order for its incorporation.
This ukase of the board of county commis- sioners was met by energetic counter action. An appeal for relief was at once made to the superior court, with the result that the follow- ing mandate to correct the notices of election was issued :
"State of Washington, in the Superior Court of Lincoln County, holding terms at Spra- gue : Wallace Mount, Judge :
"In the matter of the incorporation of the town of Wilbur. Order to correct an omis- sion in the election returns. It appearing upon affidavit of A. H. Maddock in the matter of the incorporation of the town of Wilbur that an error had been made in the publication of the names and that the official ballots were not prepared. the board of county commissioners are hereby required to correct such error, or show cause why the same should not be cor- rected at my chambers on the 5th day of Au- gust. 1890, at ten o'clock in the morning. Dated this August 4th, 1890."
The same day the board made the correct- ion and the town was duly incorporated as a town of the fourth class. The following were declared elected the first officers of the town :
A. H. Maddock, mayor: G. G. Stambaugh, treasurer ; Peter Lyse. W. H. Cochrane, S. Britton, and W. H. Gardner councilmen. Ar- ticles of incorporation were filed with the sec- retary of state at Olympia. August 11, 1890, thus giving the town of Wilbur the privilege of enjoying municipal government once more.
According to the United States census of 1890 Wilbur was accorded a population of 405, and it therefore ranked as third in size in the county of Lincoln. There were quite times in Wilbur during the year 1891. The season was not marked by the marvelous growth that had distinguished it the previous year. This does not mean that it retrograded, but the "boom" times were over and the town was solidifying to a firmer basis. Several pro- posed routes of the oncoming Great Northern railroad were lively topics of discussion during the greater portion of this year. Wilbur wanted this road, and for a period it seemed as if she would surely secure a competing line, and thus become an important junction. But the Crab Creek route was finally selected and Wilbur was compelled to content herself with the Cen- tral Washington spur of the Northern Pacific.
Wilbur's first disastrous fire occurred early Sunday morning, October 4, 1891. In addi- tion to an extensive property loss three persons were destroyed in the flames and a fourth was fatally burned. The fire broke out in the build- ing of Daniel Wagner, on the corner of Main and Knoz streets, at two o'clock in the morning, consuming that building, Lyse Brothers' but- cher shop, and G. M. Wilson & Company's drug store. The fire originated from the ex- plosion of a lamp that had been left burning owing to the sickness of one of the Wagner children. The flames spread rapidly and had gained considerable headway before the dan- ger was discovered. Misses Caroline and Win- nie Wagner, in whose room the fire started. and with whom the sick child was sleeping. were awakened by the smoke and flames. They immediately gave the alarm cries of "fire;"
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pistol shots brought out the town; the work of rescue and saving property began.
The family of Mr. Wagner, comprising eleven persons, together with an adopted son, Gustaf Hannss, and the cook, C. Walker, oc- cupied the upper story of the building, and all had narrow escapes. Three of the children, Hannss and Walker, escaped by the rear stairs, and Mr. Wagner and four children found safe- ty in jumping from the windows. Mrs. Wag- ner ran down stairs after a pail of water. Re- turning she entered the room where the fire originated, believing the children were still there. The building by this time was wrapped in flames; she was overcome by the heat and smoke and was burned to death. Little Annie, ten years old, started out by the hallway, but got only as far as the outside door, where she perished. In the meantime Mr. Wagner heard the cries of Robert, six years old, in the same room from which he had escaped; he returned and rescued the boy by dropping him out of the window into the arms of J. H. Robertson. re- ceiving a severe scorching about the head while so doing. The child had inhaled the deadly flame, however, and died the following day. There was still another child, Charlie, four years old in the room, but so intense was the heat that a rescue was impossible. Mr. Wag- ner then quitted the building only to learn that his wife had perished, and the scene was touch- ing and heart-rending.
Friends gladly cared for the homeless and motherless children. The horrible event cast a gloom over the surrounding country, for Mr. Wagner and his family were pioneers and among the most respected people in the coun- ty. Rapidly spread the flames and soon caught the Lyse Brothers' butcher shop, the building adjoining on the west, and thence on to the next building, G. M. Wilson & Company's drug store. - Men and women worked hard to save the stock in this store, but the heat soon became unbearable and only a small amount was saved. The small warehouse between the
drug store and J. M. Parrish & Company's buikling was torn down, which probably, saved that store. . As it was it was only after hard work and the use of plenty of water, salt and wet blankets that the flames were kept from bursting out of the side exposed to the heat. It was the same with the Yount building across the street on the east, occupied by B. W. Fel- der, jeweler, and Dr. B. H. Yount, as an office. Wet blankets and water were freely used and this building was saved. J. H. Robertson's blacksmith shop was badly scorched, but was saved from destruction. The Big Bend sa- loon began to smoke during the hottest part of the fire, but willing hands came to its rescue. Had either of these buildings caught fire it is highly probable that the entire business part of the town would have been destroyed. There, doubtless, never was a fire under more favor- able atmospheric conditions. There was not the faintest sign of a breeze other than that caused by the roaring flames; had there been no one could tell the extent of the damage which would have resulted. The heat arising from the burning buildings carried shingles and cinders high in the air, depositing them almost a mile south and west of town. There was no fire organization of any description; merely blankets and small garden hose attached to pumps. The losses in property were about as follows :
Daniel Wagner, building, $4,000, no in- surance ; Lyse Brothers' butcher shop, and fix- tures, $1,200, insurance, $400; G. W. Wilson & Company's drug store, building and stock, $7,000, insurance, $2,100.
During the "hard times" of 1893 to 1896 Wilbur suffered with the rest of the country at that trying period. The harvesting of the bountiful crop of 1897 marked the end of this depression in Wilbur. During the fall of 1897 there were marketed at Wilbur 368,000 bush- els of wheat. This grain placed in circulation something like a quarter of a million of dol- lars, cash. In the summer of 1899 a wagon
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road was constructed between Wilbur and the flourishing mining camp of Republic, now in Ferry county. This road was built by the state. an appropriation of $8,000 having been made by the legislature for that purpose. The building of this public highway, it was thought would result in much good to the town. Re- public, at that time, was as lively a mining camp as ever existed in the state of Washing- ton. There was no railroad, and only a round- about wagon road to the camp. By the build- ing of this road from Wilbur the trade of the two or three thousand people who rushed into the new "diggings." was to be thrown to the new Lincoln county town. But the road was in poor condition, and at different times the people of Wilbur raised by popular subscrip- tion $2,000 with which to repair it. And by the time the road was in fair condition, and the energetic business men were about to reap the reward of their activity. two railroads were built into Republic and the expected benefit to Wilbur did not materialize.
The disastrous fire of 1901 is thus described. by the Wilbur Register of July 12th:
Wilbur's record of fires would fill a good sized book, and in one instance three lives were lost. But no fire of the past would compare in property loss with the one which visited our little city last Friday evening (July 5. 1901). Just about two minutes after the mill whistle blew for 6 o'clock p. m., the alarm of fire was shouted in the street. Men ran with buckets from all parts of town to the big store of M. E. & E. T. Hay, from which smoke was already issuing. In some unaccountable manner fire had started in the basement and two or three of the clerks who had rushed down stairs had just time to locate it in the dry goods department. which was partitioned off at the southwest corner of the building. Those who reached the basement were driven out by dense smoke before they could gain the seat of the conflagration, though Mrs. M. E. Hay and those con- nected with the store declare that they had been within that room not more than ten or fifteen minutes before the fire, and had not noticed even the slightest odor of smoke. There was a large tank full of water on a high tower at the rear of the store, and two or three lines of hose were quickly attached to the pipes leading therefrom. . But by that time no living being could approach near enough the seat of fire to reach it effect- ively with the small hose. Indeed, only a few minutes
had elapsed until every occupant had been driven to the street by the suffocating smoke and flames which so rapidly followed. The open stairway at the rear of the grocery department, near the middle of the build- ing, acted as a chimney to the seething furnace in the basement, and it was only a few moments until the whole interior of the building was wrapped in flames. So rapid and fierce was the work of destruction that nothing was saved from all the big stock except a few vehicles from the implement department, although but a slight breeze was stirring from the southwest. It was soon apparent that with nothing at hand to fight fire but buckets the whole north side of Main street was in jeopardy, and with the wind gradually rising as the fire increased in heat and power the danger was imminent.
Everyone owning personal property in the threat- ened district began moving in a hurry. The streets were soon filled with a throng of scurring humanity and all kinds of personal effects were tumbled out and moved by short stages beyond the zone of fire. It was only a short time after the flames broke out until the entire block on the north side of Main street, facing the hig store, was, also, in flames, and a little later all else in the block was being consumed with the exception of Robertson's dwelling. Just as a number of other buildings oposite of the north and east of that block were beginning to burn the wind veered sud- denly from the southwest to the northeast, and in ten minutes more fully one-fourth of the town was saved. after having been given up as lost. J. H. Robertson's dwelling and Dr. Starr's big hall could not have with- stood the fire more than five minutes longer, and Lewis' . saloon and the Register office could not have held out longer than ten minutes. All the glass in the front of the latter building was cracked in various directions by the heat. On the west side of the fire the bank and Parrish's store were protected by wet blankets over the big windows, and the buildings. being of brick no damage was done except the checking of one big glass in the bank building. The old Keller building which stands against the west wall of the Hay store. was saved only by vigorous work. The flames lapped around the front of the wall and fired the wooden structure, which was saved only by the tearing off of hoards from the corner and all along the top. Fol- lowing the change of wind came a new danger. The lumber yards of the Hays' was situated just across the alley south of the store, containing, possibly, a million feet of lumber, and the tank tower and lumber at the northeast corner were already on fire. just where the reversed wind could exert the greatest force in fanning the flames. About that time the authorities decided that the Chism building at the opposite end of the alley con- stituted a menace to the yard and the southern portion of town, and it was thrown to the ground with a charge of ten pounds of giant powder. The next thing was to save the lumber, for if that could not be done
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a large portion of the town to the south and west was surely doomed. Finally the big tank toppled from the tower and fell to the ground, but fire was still raging in the tower and piles of cedar posts and stacks of lumber. Already a bucket line had been formed which was passing water from the creek near by, and hose at- tached to a pump on a stationary engine was being utilized by the efforts of a half dozen to a dozen men working the pump. Soon the braces of the tower had burned asunder and the timbers came crashing down among the men and across the piles of lumber. A man named John McHale was struck by the falling timbers and severely, though not fatally, hurt.
By this time the fire in the lumber became so serious that two or three dozen ladies who were anxious spec- tators, volunteered their services for the bucket brigade and the line was extended right into the fire and smoke. the ladies passing the empty buckets back, while the men passed them forward filled with water. Many a tired man echoed the sentiment "God bless the ladies," and, indeed, they furnished the balance of power necessary to control that fire. Merchants and men of all occu- pations came from Creston, Almira and the adjoining conutry and worked manfully until all danger was past. About ten o'clock another stream was turned on from a hose attached to a pipe line that had been laid from the mill, and from that time on it was only a matter of extinguishing the fire that was confined to the bottom of two or three big lumber piles. About midnight the bucket line was disbanded and the ladies went home, but the fire was not entirely subdued until four o'clock Saturday morning. Several persons were slightly in- jured and H. G. Coonse, of Hesseltine, received quite a shaking up by falling from Dr. Starr's building, al- though he was able to go home on Saturday morning.
It was not dreamed that a single life had been lost until about one o'clock p. m., Saturday, when a casual sightscer passed among the ruins, and noticed a human skull in the vault of a closet which had stood in the rear of Carpenter's saloon. That discovery created wild ex- citement for a time, and an examination made it evi- dent that someone had perished there, though there was but a small mass of bones and charred flesh remaining. Inquiry soon developed the fact that a man named Jack Madigan, known among his associates as "Coyote Jack," had been about the saloon in the afternoon of Friday. but had not been seen nor heard of since. He was at Almira on the Fourth of July, where he was drinking pretty freely, and his acquaintances say that he was always sleeping after a spree, going to sleep anywhere and at any time. He came over with some Wilbur boys, arriving just before noon on Friday, but had quit drinking though not yet quite himself.
The total loss reaches somewhere in the neighbor- hood of $155.000, of which amount M. E. & E. T. Hay estimate their loss at $135.000. J. H. Robertson, black- sinith shop and a detached building containing a large amount of hard wood. $3.500: A. B. Walker, barber
shop and fixtures, $1.200; C. M. Carpenter, Hotel Wil- bur and furniture and Vestibule saloon, $7.000: Finne- gan & Peterson, Hermitage saloon, stock. $4,500; M. Cooney. Spokane building, occupied by Hermitage sa- loon, $2,000; . A. F. Cole, livery barn, $1.500; E. Peder- son, household goods and supplies in Hotel Wilbur. $600. To offset all this loss the Hays' carried $7,000 on building and stock, besides a separate policy to cover all damage to lumber; J. 11. Robertson, no insurance ; .A. B. Walker, $600; C. M. Carpenter, $4,500 ; llermitage, $1.500; Cooney, $600; Cole, no insurance : Pederson, $300.
The energetic character of the citizens of Wilbur was prominently displayed following the disastrous blaze. New buildings at once took the place of those destroyed. In the spring of 1903 a system of water works was established in Wilbur at a cost of $12,000. In October of the same year an elaborate lighting system was installed by the Wilbur Electrical Company. The churches of Wilbur are rep- resented by the Presbyterians, Baptists, M. E., and M. E. South. Catholics, Evangelical Luth- eran and German Lutheran. Of fraternal so- cieties there are many, including Tuscan Lodge No. 81. A. F. & A. M., Tuscan Chapter No. 64, O. E. S., Wilbur Lodge No. III, K. P .. Wilbur Lodge. No. 74. A. O. U. W., R. L. McCook Post No. 39. G. A. R., Wilbur Camp No. 415. W. O. W., Columbia Tent No. 65. K. O. T. M., Big Bend Lodge No. 161, I. O. O. F., Danish Brotherhood. Charity Lodge I. O. G. T., M. W. A., Loyal Americans, EI Mo- clello Rebekah No. 136. I. O. O. F., and But- tercup Circle Women of Woodcraft.
ALMIR.1.
The land upon which is located the town of Almira was pre-empted in the 80's by C. C. Davis, several years before the construction of the Central Washington railroad. Here Mr. Davis erected a building and carried a small stock of mixed merchandise for the accommo- dation of the few settlers then in the vicinity. Consequently Mr. Davis is entitled to the rank as the pioneer merchant of Mmira.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
One of the events pregnant with import- ance in the history of a town is its christening. Messrs. Odgers and Reed had completed ar- rangements with Davis for the purchase of a part of his interests and, also, for the estab- lishment of a town. But the name had been left open for suggestion. No decision was reached until Mrs. Almira Davis, wife of the original owner of the land, was in the act of signing her name to the deed. The two gen- tlemen purchasers had not before known Mrs. Davis' given name, and it appearing a pretty and euphonious cognomen to those interested in the prospective town, one of them collo- quially observed :
"What's the matter with calling the town Almira?"
Nothing whatever appeared to the "mat- ter," and thus it was unanimously christened. Previously the farm had been known as "Dav- isine." July 26, 1889, the Wilbur Register said: "That place may make a town in the future. There is considerable vacant land for it to grow on. If you desire to learn of the 'glorious future' in store for the town, just confer with 'Tom' Hodges, the resident town- site agent. He never tires of reciting it."
It having become a settled and authentic conclusion that a railroad would pass in the immediate vicinity of the Davis ranch, a town- site was laid out and platted, and everything prepared for the building up of the town of Almira. The status of the place on August 2, 1889, as told by the townsite owners in an ad- vertisement in the IT'ilbur Register is as fol- lows:
"Almira is the new townsite, fifteen miles west of Wilbur, and it will be the terminus of the Central Washington railroad. It is sur- rounded by magnificent agricultural and stock- raising lands, and will be the commercial cen- ter for a radius of thirty miles and railroad freighting terminal for the far west. Almira has excellent openings for all classes of business and business men seeking loca-
tions should by all means visit Almira. There is an abundance of good water to be had at the depth of from 15 to 30 feet. Town property placed on the market less than a week ago has already experienced an advance and desirable locations are being rapidly sold and are now in the hands of sec- ond parties. Builders and contractors are al- ready there in large numbers erecting business blocks for parties who stake their faith in the future of the town and have determined to locate and enter business at Almira. Real estate investors are offered a golden oppor- tunity in Almira town property."
Six weeks after the platting of the town it was conservatively estimated that there were $15,000 worth of improvements. Among the first business men in the new town were Odgers & Reed, townsite owners, Joseph Simeno, Perry Barker, Tony Richardson, E. Grutt & Com- pany, G. N. Watson, F. Irwin, John Hartline, Frank Lingle, Robert Strutt, Skee & Walford, J. C. Keller and C. C. Davis. The Central Washington railroad reached Almira in the fall of 1889 and the place opened up with bright prospects. But cold weather came, accompan- ied by snow as building operations were com- menced, and nipped its ambition in the bud. Had the road reached this point a few months earlier, Almira would, doubtless, have been a good-sized town by the time winter set in. A's it was it did not assume metropolitan ap- pearances that fall. It became a typical rail- road town. It was known that the road was to be extended westward the following sun- mer, and the building's erected in the main were of a temporary character, the absence of paint being a striking feature, yet adding somewhat to the picturesqueness of the village. Until the road was completed to the Grand Coulee Al- mira remained the terminus. All trains ran to this point, connections by stage being made to points westward. These facts made the town furiously active, but it was treely predicted that the construction of the road to the Coulee would
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prove a death-knell to the hopes of Almira. But such was not the result. More buildings were erected in the spring of 1890, and there were quite a number of people transacting busi- ness in the new town. Among other enter- prises was a mercantile establishment owned by Barker & Madden, a newspaper published by Harry Hubler, and a hospital in charge of Dr. L. M. Willard. James Odgers, one of the owners of the townsite, was a busy man in Al- mira during this transition period. disposing of town lots.
The location of Almira was on the north- east quarter of section 32, township 26, north range 31 east, fifteen miles west of Wilbur, and commanding one of the finest agricultural belts of the Big Bend country. Paradise Valley, on the west : Wilsoncreek, Douglas county, on the southwest : Voorhees, Lincoln and the Califor- nia settlements on the north and northwest. It was the nearest railway point to Waterville, Lake Chelan and the Okanogan country; the natural keystone of supply. This was in Sep- tember, 1889. So fast as material could be secured substantial buildings were erected of which the following were in existence on the above date :
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