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 29
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 29
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 29
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 29
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The Great Northern Express Company appointed the writer express agent the same fall which was another felt want in our neighborhood. The following spring L. G. Nuelsen and George Unsoeld succeeded the firm of Trantum & Schoonover in general merchandise. L. G. Nuelsen succeeding W. N. Schoonover as postmaster. At about this time the Odessa school district was laid out and a school house built which has lately been re- placed by a modern four-room brick structure that is a credit to our community. Odessa has progressed much more rapidly than any of its neighbors, and there is room in plenty for those who desire to locate in a prosperous locality.
In 1.900 there were five business houses in Odessa and a censtis of the town would have disclosed a population of only 30. But the ad- jacent country was beginning to be well settled and 600,000 bushels of wheat were shipped from the town. Of the rapid growth of Odessa the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in June, 1902, said :
"Just west of Lamona on the Great Nortli- ern Railway is one of those stirprises which meet the traveler who comes through this sec- tion for the first time in two years-the town of Odessa. There was no Odessa beyond a sign post and a water tank in 1900. There is quite a good deal to Odessa now, and every bit there is lively. The wheat and grain shipping and the trade of the farmers in the surrounding country made this town. It has three hotels, unless more have been built during the past week. It has two business streets well lined with stores. It has a ntimber of brick business
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blocks and several really handsome residences among its houses. Everything is very new but everything is well established. The place is growing as fast as material can be secured for buildings and men to erect them."
The first steps toward incorporation were taken June 9, 1902. On that date a mass meet- ing of citizens was held at Smith's Hall. Senti- ment was almost unanimously in favor of the proposition and a committee was appointed to secure signers to a petition to the county com- missioners asking the privilege of voting on the question. Seventy-two signatures were ob- tained and the petition was presented July 28th. The date set for election was September 13. 1902. Fifty-seven votes were cast, of which fifty were for incorporation and one against. Following is the vote for municipal officers :
For Mayor-George A. Kennedy, 45; L. G. Nuelsen, 8; J. B. Ziegler, I.
For Councilmen-Joseph Kriegler, 55; J. B. Ziegler, 51 ; J. P. Weber, 51 ; S. S. Barney, 48; A. Bigham, 48; Roy E. Trantum, 4 ; Julius Krinkle, 4; Paul Alten, 2; F. Logsdon, I; L. P. Zimmer, I.
For Treasurer-E. J. Kriegler, 54.
The first meeting of the new city council was held October Ist.
The memorable Crab creek flood and its effect on the town of Odessa is thus described in the Record of date March II, 1904:
"Odessa passed through the worst flood in her history this week. The oldest settler in this vicinity of the Crab creek valley has never witnessed its equal. The water, which had been unusually high this season, began to rise rap- idly Tuesday morning and about 8 o'clock a. m., a telephone message was received from Barney Minard that the worst was yet to come and warned all to be prepared for it. Though living but a few miles from Odessa. it requires about six hours for water to traverse the space from Minard's to town, and preparations were at once begun to save our city bridges. Every-
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body worked with a will; in a few hours all were anchored and none too soon, for when the work was completed the water was up to their stringers. The old Finney flume, one of the landmarks of Odessa, was next threatened, and on account of the decayed condition of the same it was decided to anchor one side and cut out the part across the main channed for the preser- vation of the bridges below. Shortly after noon the water was out of its banks and flooding parts of the town, especially the southern and western portions. About this time the water had lifted Bob Smith's shop from its founda- tion but no further damage was done to that building. The people of Ziegler's addition were compelled to leave their homes and seek refuge on higher ground. By four o'clock nearly the entire town, except the north side and main street was covered with water. Later some of the Main street cellars began filling up and at 7:30 p. m., there were eight inches of water flowing through Main street and from six to twelve inches over, every bridge in the city, with the water still slowly rising. Many of our people had left their homes and were spending the night with friends more fortunately sittt- ated. It is said that Henry Sieler's home ac- commodated about fifty people that evening. At midnight the water began to recede and has been falling steadily ever since.
"When one recalls the immense body of wa- ter which swept over the flat on which our city is located the small amount of damage done ap- pears hardly credible. Not a bridge left its foundation, although some of the approaches and a few perpendicular and batter posts were washed out. The county, however, did not fare so well. Commissioner Kellum informs us this morning that there is not a bridge left on Crab Creek east of Odessa. From all parts of Lin- coln county come reports that bridges have been washed away and roads rendered unfit for travel. The Great Northern roadbed between this place and Wilsoncreek has been greatly
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damaged by the flooding of the tracks and traf- fic has been practically at a standstill since Tuesday evening."
The present school district of Odessa was organized in December, 1897, and on January 10, 1898, the directors of the newly formed dis- trict held their initial meeting. George W. Finney donated the present beautiful site in the southeastern portion of the town, and a school building was erected. The growth of this school has been rapid. The single room frame building soon became too small and an addition was erected and another teacher em- ployed. Early in 1902 it was found necessary to again increase the school facilities of the town, and the old building was disposed of and in its place was built a handsome four-room brick structure, provided with modern equip- ments, at a cost of $7,000. Those who have taught in this school and rendered most efficient service are Miss Anna L. Johnson, Mrs. F. J. Mckay and Miss Carrie B. Weir. There are eight grades taught in the schools.
Municipal improvements are still progress- ing in Odessa. In October, 1902, a flouring mill was completed with a capacity of 400 bar- rels, and a total warehouse capacity of 60,000 bushels. In 1904 a system of water works was installed costing $14,000. For this purpose $12,000 in bonds were voted, in May, of that year, there being 45 votes in favor of the bonds and 5 against them. Odessa has four grain warehouses shipping from 750,000 to 900,000 bushels of grain annually.
The churches of Odessa comprise the Pres- byterian, German Lutheran, German Congrega- tional, Baptist and Catholic. Oi fraternal so- cieties there are. the A. O. U. W .. I. O. O. F., D. of H. and F. of \. In May, 1902, the population of the town had increased to 436 and it is at present estimated at 800.
REARD.IN.
The present population of the lively little
city of Reardan is approximately six hundred. It is located fifteen miles east of Davenport, twenty-three miles west of Spokane by wagon road and forty-one miles by rail, and only two miles west of the division line between Lincoln and Spokane counties. Reardan is, indeed, a prettily situated town and surrounded by an ex- tensive area of rich farming country contribut- ing to its importance as an eligible trading point. Grain is delivered to Reardan for ship- ment from miles around, especially from that garden spot, the Crescent country, which sup- ports a large population and where as great im- provements in the line of handsome country houses may be found as in the same extent of territory elsewhere in the county.
For a number of years before the construc- tion of the Central Washington Railway in 1889, there was a town on the present site of Reardan. It was known as Fairweather, that being the name of the village originally laid out just east of the present townsite of Reardan. Fairweather was platted September 23, 1882, by William F. Hooker and John W. Still, residents of Cheney. But during this time Fairweather was, practically, a town in name only, although in its palmniest days it boasted of a store, a hotel conducted by M. Olson, and a blacksmith shop. In the earlier days a postoffice named Capps was located on the ranch of J. S. Capps, one mile north of the present site of Reardan. "Capps' place" was on the old Fort Spokane stage road. With the completion of the railroad to this point Fairweather took on a new ambition and became a hustling little business point. But this event in its history was followed by the loss of its name, Fairweather, and the substitution of two names in its place. The postoffice was moved down from Capps', and for a time the new "burg" assumed that name. On the rail- way time tables, however, the station was designated as Reardan, in honor of Engineer of Construction C. F. Reardan. Within a short period that became the generally accepted name of the town.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
During the summer and fall of 1889 quite a lively business point sprung up supplanting the original town of Fairweather. Of course the completion of the Central Washington Railway was the cause of this sudden access of activity. The first building erected was a ware- house 120x30 feet in size, put up in June by the Northern Pacific Elevator Company. The rail- way company built an elegant depot and Mr. C. A. Pearce became the local agent. During the autumn of the same year he erected a residence, the first in the town. The original store build- ing was erected in August by M. Olson, who moved his stock of goods down from the old town of Fairweather. Shortly afterward the postoffice of Capps, was discontinued and Mr. Capps, the postmaster, occupied the same posi- tion in the new town, the office for a period thereafter being known as "Capps'." The same fall James Brand opened the second store in town; A. W. Childs established himself in the drug business and A. Lutzhoft opened an imple- ment house. These were the only business houses introduced in Reardan during the year 1889. Possibly not to exceed twelve or fifteen people passed the winter in the town of Reardan.
By the United States census taken June I, 1890, we find that the town had gained a pop- ulation of thirty-one. Two new firms started in business in 1890, Mr. Wickham and J. M. Warren. By the summer of 1891 Reardan had improved wonderfully, supporting four gen- eral merchandise stores, a drug store, harness shop, furniture store, saloon, two hotels, barber shop, two butcher shops, blacksmith shop and a boot and shoe store.
It may be said that from 1892 until 1899 there was, practically, no growth of any dis- tinctive importance to the town of Reardan. But the country in the immediate vicinity was thickly settled and the town depended entirely upon its agricultural resources. The "hard times" through which the entire country was passing produced its effect on the new town
and business was stagnant. With the develop- ment of the country and enormous cereal crops accompanied by good prices of the late 90's Reardan came rapidly to the front. It may be remarked that the year 1899 was the most pros- perous one in her history. One of the import- ant enterprises of this year was the erection of a flouring mill by the Washington Grain & Mill- ing Company. The original capacity of this mill was 125 barrels; this has since been in- creased to 400 barrels. In November of this year the Reardan Exchange Bank was organ- ized by local capital.
In February, 1901, a petition for the in- corporation of the town of Reardan was thrown out by the board of county commissioners. The cause assigned for this failure to incorporate was an insufficient number of petitioners, prim- arily, and secondarily, to the opposition, or at least, indifference, of several leading property holders in the town. But the project was not doomed to failure; only temporary delay. In June, 1902, the population, according to the census returned by Assessor D. M. McRae, was 378. This was a fine showing and greatly en- couraged the friends of incorporation. Another petition was circulated and presented to the commissioners. This was in 1903. This ac- tion had been preceded by a mass meeting held January 31, at which the sentiment was almost unanimous in favor of incorporation. The pe- tition was signed by 79 voters and the election set for April 4th. There were cast III votes, of which 68 were for and 34 against incorpora- tion, nine not voting on the proposition. The first municipal officers were M. Moriarty, mayor ; T. G. Stevenson, John Wickham, John Raymer, C. S. Warren and J. C. Driscoll, councilmen : Frank Garber, treasurer; L. A. Dale, inarshal and W. D. Barnhart. police judge.
During the fall of 1903 the people of Rear- dan undertook and carried to a successful con- clusion a work that is destined to result in much good to the town. The citizens subscribed $5,-
.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
000 to build a wagon road from the falls north of Reardan to the Cedar Canyon mines in Stev- ens county. With this road completed Reardan now enjoys an excellent trade from that dis- trict which formerly went to Davenport and Springdale.
August 21, 1903, the Reardan Gasette said : "Reardan has five general merchandise stores, two hardware and implement stores, two lumber yards, two drug stores, one bank, two livery stables, two barber shops, two butcher shops, one jewelry store, one confectionery store, one millinery store, three blacksmith shops, three saloons, five large grain ware- houses, a 400-barrel flouring mill, two doctors, one lawyer, one newspaper, one real estate of- fice, one hotel, one restaurant, a handsome and- itorium and lodge room. There are also three churches and a fine school building. Fra- ternal societies comprise the Odd Fellows, Re- bekahs, Woodmen of the World, Women of Woodcraft. Maccabees, Fraternal Army of America and Grand Army of the Republic. There is, also, a public park adjoining the town on the east owned by citizens or Reardan, con- taining a ball ground and grand stand. So rapidly as possible this 'breathing space' is be- ing beautified and in time will become one of the greatest attractions of the town."
The territory north of Reardan is supplied with the free rural postal delivery. The neigh- boring farming country is connected by a barb wire telephone system. So far in her history Reardan remains one of the few towns that have never received a set back by any serious con- flagration.
MONDOVI.
Two and one-half miles northeast of the town of Mondovi in the early 80's was estab- lished a postoffice known then as Mondovi, but later as "Old Mondovi." This was the first postoffice established in northern Lincoln county. It was on the old Fort Spokane stage
line and was the stopping place for travelers over that route. A gentleman by the name of Christian was postmaster; he also carried a small stock of goods which he disposed of to the very few settlers in his vicinity. Old Mon- dovi passed out of existence with the birth of New Mondovi, or Mondovi proper. The pros- pect of the Central Washington Railway being built through this territory gave an impetus to the later town. In its issue of January 1, 1889. the Lincoln County Times contributed the first intimation that a town was in existence at that point as follows :
"Mondovi is experiencing a boom in a small way. John Raymer is erecting a mill near the ranch of Isaac Mulberin and will soon be ready to do custom sawing. The railway is graded into that burg and they are patiently waiting for track-laying to reach that point. The ware- house now being built at that point will receive grain on and after January 7th, and the farm- ers are holding their grain until then. Consid- erable building will be done early in the spring."
This "boom" mentioned by the Times was a rather limited affair. No business houses made their appearance in 1889 nor in 1890, However, during the latter year a post- office was secured and J. Wolverton became postmaster. According to the United States census of 1890 Mondovi was credited with hav- ing a population of sixteen. It was in 1891 that Mondovi enjoyed its first and only "boom." D. FF. Percival and Stanley Hallet, of Cheney. purchased a half section of land at that point and attempted to build a rival to the town of Reardan. J. H. King, who had been living at Deep Creek, for some time previous, was se- lected by the townsite owners to push the fur- tunes of the new enterprise. Mr. King estab- lished a blacksmith shop, a restaurant and liv- ery stable and became postmaster. For quite a period he was the only business man in town, but later a gentleman from Cheney opened a store, which he soll after a few months to his clerk, John M. Siegman, who has conducted
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
the first and only store in Mondovi ever since. For several years the town made no growth of moment, but being in the center of a rich and extensive wheat country much grain is shipped from this point and Mr. Siegman enjoys a sub- stantial and lucrative trade. January 15, 1897. the Times again touched upon the subject of Mondovi:
Mandovi was born during "boom" days in the great west and provision was made for a mighty city. Profit- able farms were abandoned for agricultural purposes and converted into town blocks and lots and placed on the market at figures that promised fortunes in re- turn. They were well advertised abroad and many sales were made; all went well for a time. Many lots were sold but no brick blocks sprung up or even wooden ones. In fact the boom was confined entirely to the sale of real estate, and as time passed and taxes became due, with no sign of material growth in sight, the air castles began to vanish. Sales ceased and taxes upon highly valued town property became burdensome. Grad- ually town additions began to revert into good farms until only a small but sufficient portion of the original townsite remained. The idea conceived that a great city could be built up in such a way was, of course, an idle dream, yet it was a natural product of "boom" times when any kind of speculation seemed to prosper. It was a fair sample of the enterprise that contributed to the "hard times" in the west in the early go's-etter- prise that ruined credit.
Mondovi is surrounded by a fertile farming coun- try, but she was hopelessly handicapped from the start in the contest for commercial importance by the presence of larger and well established rivals on both sides, so she could not reasonably have been expected to develop into anything but a small country town. Early in January, 1897, by action of the county com- missioners, the town was reduced in area to just a few blocks, nearly the entire townsite reverting to the owners as farm lands.
The fire record of Mondovi is confined to one conflagration. Monday evening, Febru- ary 5, 1894, the large warehouse owned by Sen- ator R. A. Hutchinson was burned. The build- ing contained 16,000 bushels of wheat, and of this amount 12,000 bushels were destroyed. The loss was large and only $4.500 insurance was carried. This fire was supposed to have been the work of incendiaries.
At present Mondovi is a town of about 100 people. There are several warehouses, a gen-
eral store, a saloon, hotel, blacksmith shop, and, feed mill. There are two churches, Methodist and United Brethren. Mondovi is seven miles northeast of Davenport.
GOVAN.
Govan is a town of about 100 inhabitants, situated on the Central Washington Railway, six miles west of Wilbur. As a place on the map Govan (named in honor of one of the Northern Pacific civil engineers) came into ex- istence in the autumn of 1889, with the build- ing of the railroad. But it was several years afterward before it gained the distinction of being called a "town." For some little time after the railroad was built Govan was quite a lively camp, although, in a business way, but little progress was made. One of the principal causes of Govan being lively during the spring of 1890 was the fact that a large sand bank was located in its immediate vicinity. Wood, Lar- son & Company, railroad contractors, made Govan their headquarters and a large force of men were employed there engaged in digging sand for railroad work. There was a steam shovel and four gravel trains were utilized in this work. Chief Dispatcher Stitson had a car here during the time this work was in progress, and handled the movements of all trains. Frank MI. Dallam visited Govan April 28, 1890, and made the assertion that Govan had nothing to recommend it, and that it would never be any- thing more than a station. While Mr. Dallam's prediction has not been entirely substantiated his prognostication was comparatively correct, as Govan has been outstripped by nearly all its rivals.
According to the United States census of 1890 Govan was credited with a population of thirty-three. Ten years later its population was twenty-one. Since then, however, the town has advanced and has become a trading point and is improving. A postoffice was established in 1895. The townsite of Govan was platted !
June 24, 1899, by Carrie A. Hesseltine.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
SPRAGUE.
Sprague, the second in size of the present towns of Lincoln county, lies in a deep valley. in conformation so narrow that it might be ap- propriately denominated a coulee. This entire valley is bordered by steep ledges of black, vol- canic rock. In 1889 there were neither trees nor gardens within the, then, busy and compact city. And what little could be seen beyond the basaltic rocks certainly did not suggest agricul- ture as a very important asset. But were one to drive northward he would have come out on a fine, high, rolling plateau; the soil consisting of a rich, brown loam. At the present writing handsome shade trees line most of the streets, especially in the residence portion of the town, which is noted for its fine lawns, well dressed and in excellent condition.
In compiling this History of Lincoln County it has seldom been necessary to refer to dates prior to the latter part of the 70's. It was then that the very earliest settlers came to the coun- try. Before that period it was something of a Utopia-unknown except to a comparatively few explorers. However, we learn that as early as 1839 a party headed by that earnest pioneer missionary. Rev. Cushman Eells, vis- ited the site where now stands the city of Sprague. Undoubtedly this was the first com- pany of white people to camp on Lincoln county soil. The data for this interesting history is a letter written by Rev. Eells to a lady in Sprague, under date of January 12, 1892. Fol- lowing is an extract from this epistle :
"On the afternoon of the 14th of March, 1839. Rev. Elkanah Walker, wife and baby boy, Mrs. Eells and myself camped at the west- ernmost of three springs near. the present site of the city of Sprague. On the next morning as the animals were being caught, Mr. Walker was injured by the kick of a horse. The result was camp did not move that day. The weather was fine. I walked in the direction of the present city. The occasion was favorable
for meditation and the prayer-fitting prepara- tion for the work we were soon to enter upon. Please take a leap over forty-three years and one month. If I mistake not, on the 14th of April, 1882, 1 conducted a preaching service in Sprague. The chapel was the dining room of a small hotel presided over by Mrs. Baker. My understanding is that that was the first service of the kind ever hekl in that city."
Patrick Cumasky, who took up a homestead in 1869, was the first settler in the locality of Sprague. He was followed in 1871 by Patrick Wallace and in 1872 by William Burrow, col- loquially known as "Hoodoo Billy." When a small settlement began to spring up in 1879. in anticipation of the advent of the Northern Pa- cific Railway, the place was given the name of "Hoodooville," in honor of Mr. Burrow. Dur- ing 1878-9 many parties were attracted to the vicinity of Sprague and by them much specula- tion was indulged in as to the prospective towns to be built along the line of the oncoming railroad, then represented by grade stakes. Among the first of these parties was one in which L. E. Kellogg, at that period a resident of Colfax. Whitman county, was a member. At present Mr. Kellogg is auditor of Douglas county.
Prior to the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway through the Territory of Washington, the country surrounding the spot where the town of Sprague later made its ap- pearance was inhabited by only a limited num- ber of settlers. The only place of any im- portance in the vicinity where these hardy pio- neer coukl secure provisions was the then small town of Walla Walla. There the United States government had established a military post, garrisoned by a fair complement of regu- lar soldiers. They were stationed there to guard settlers from Indian depredations and also to keep open channels of communication be- tween them and the outer world. But the town of Sprague was not fairly launched on munic- ipal life until the summer of 1880. The work
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