USA > Washington > Douglas County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 6
USA > Washington > Adams County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 6
USA > Washington > Franklin County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 6
USA > Washington > Lincoln County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 6
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than had he expended the large amounts necessary to haul the timber in the log to his respective claim.
We further state that the timber cut on the lands upon which the alleged trespass was done has been an indiscriminate cutting by the settlers and the saw mill men, and that much of it has been done by the settlers living near Badger Mountain for the improvement of their claims, and much of it done before the saw mills came into the country and' that the tops of trees cut have been almost all used for fuel.
We further state that none of the timber cut and manufactured into lumber on Badger Mountain has been exported from the country, but it has been used in the country adjacent thereto for domestic pur- poses, for the building and improvement of the coun- try; that the lumber manufactured from the timber on Badger Mountain is of a very poor quality, and that it could only be used in the pioneer periods of the country ; that as soon as transportation facilities are such that other and better lumber can be obtained, that the lum- ber from Badger Mountain will be driven from the market; that because the timber is so scattering and of so poor a quality few individuals can be found who are willing to sacrifice a timber right in order to obtain title to the land.
And we further depose and say, it is our firm belief that, as the timber is indispensible to the development of Douglas county, as above represented, any action by the United States, either civil or criminal, against so-called timber trespassers on Badger Mountain would be harsh, uncalled for and oppressive, and that such persecutions would be in pursuance of a mistaken policy, and without full knowledge of existing conditions, and would result disastrously to this community.
Meanwhile the criminal prosecution against C. A. Harris was disposed of temporar- ily by the finding of the grand jury which re- turned "Not a True Bill." The civil action instituted against alleged timber trespassers were carried over until the next sitting of the United States district court. The following correspondence wound up the whole affair :
"September 22, 1892.
"Register and Receiver U. S. Land Office,
"Waterville, Washington.
"Gentlemen : My understanding of what are known as the Badger Mountain cases is that they were measurably excused by the local necessities of a pioneer neighborhood and that the trespasses were not for the purpose of shipping timber to other points and did not
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amount to a profitable speculation in govern- ment property. I have decided to dismiss the pending civil cases and unless the public good demands a criminal prosecution, no further action will be taken. I desire your views on this subject and also wish to know whether the parties sued-Messrs. Cannon, Harris, Rogers, Howe, et al., have ceased to trespass on the lands in question. If so, then the whole busi- ness will be dropped. Please notify me of your opinion at once. Yours truly,
"P. H. WINSTON, U. S. Attorney."
To this Mr. Dallam replied as follows : "Hon. P. H. Winston,
"U. S. Attorney, Spokane, Washington.
"Dear sir : We are in receipt of your letter of the 22d inst. In reply we will say that the depredations have been discontinued on Badger Mountain for more than a year. As a matter of fact, as indicated in your letter, depredations were excused by local necessities. *
* A dismissal of the criminal cases would be an act of justice and appreciated by the whole community. Please notify us when the cases are dismissed, that parties may be saved the necessity of an expensive trip to attend court.
"F. M. DALLAM, Receiver. "J. C. LAWRENCE, Register."
In 1892 the Great Northern Railway Com- pany extended its line through the southern portion of Douglas county. At this period that part of the county was considered worth- less as an agricultural country and no settle- ment was added by reason of building of the road until several years later.
The year 1893 was a severe one for Doug- las county-as well as the rest of the country. The conditions which wrecked financial, com- mercial and manufacturing industries through- out the length and breadth of the land necessar- ily left their mark in Douglas county by pro- hibiting public and private improvements and almost totally stopping immigration. Early
in the spring the prospects seemed good for the addition of a large population to the county, but the arrival of homeseekers ceased and the progress' for the year, so propitious in the spring, was nullified by the "hard times." It was, indeed, a trying time for the residents of the county. It proved to be a set-back which was not overcome for several years. Yet con- ditions in Douglas county were not worse than elsewhere. In fact we have the best authority for the statement that the depression for the few years in the middle 90's was felt less in the Big Bend country than in most portions of the west. But many settlers became discour- aged. In times of financial distress and de- pression the idea invariably prevails that some- where else one can do better. Some who had cast their lot with Douglas county disposed of their holdings or abandoned them and sought other fields. On these accounts little progress was made for the years between 1893 and 1896. This condition was relieved by the immense wheat crop of 1897 and the prevailing high price for that cereal.
The June floods of 1894 will not be for- gotten by pioneers. The following accounts are from the Spokane Reviews and the Empire. The Review correspondent, writing from Waterville under date of June 6, says :
"The Columbia river is higher than ever known by white men and at last reports was still rising. Some orchards along the river are badly damaged. A Mr. Sparks, living a couple of miles below Orondo, is a great sufferer. He had one of the finest orchards on the river. The water covers every acre, and Sunday, June 3, his residence was washed away. Not a ferry is in operation on the river and cross- ings are made in skiffs. A brief, but severe storm, in the nature of a tornado, struck here Sunday, the 3d. Chimneys were wrecked, out- houses blown down and fences prostrated. In some localities hailstones as large as hickory nuts fell. No such blow was ever before ex- perienced."
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The Empire of June 14th said :
"The rapid rise of the Columbia the past three weeks has rather changed the face of nature along the river bottoms and considerable damage has been done near here. The Orondo Shipping Company's warehouse stands in about twelve feet of water anchored down with three tons of potatoes and fastened to the bank with ropes ; all the grain was saved. W. Z. Cooper's house stands in nine feet of water and is fasten- ed with ropes. In all probability both of these houses will stand the flood. All the wood from the woodyard has gone out and a great many logs' have followed the procession. Captain Knapp had quite an experience with his steamer in trying to bring in a house which was sailing past. After trying in vain to secure it he was compelled to cut loose and, drifting upon a rock, broke a fluke from the screw of the steamer. He landed about five miles down the river. Fortunately he has several extra screws at the ferry and the accident has been repaired. All along the river to Orondo the orchards have suffered and a great many fine bear- ing trees washed away. The fine nursery of Stephen Konkel is flooded and in all probability entirely destroyed. This will be a great loss ; for the condition of it was at the point of where his years of patient industry were being rewarded."
At Orondo a warehouse and stable went out. The warehouse was loaded down with rocks and sand, but the current was too strong for even this stout resistance. Many rods of fence belonging to Messrs. Kunkle, Thompson, Howe and Miles were carried away. A raft of logs broke loose from a steamer near Oron- do, and went down the river with two men aboard. It was finally landed at Sparks' orchard.
The gold excitement of 1894 is thus de- scribed by the Empire.
"It has been known for years that the banks of the Columbia river contained fine gold. Almost any of the dirt will show color, but the
best showing is taken from a yellow sand and clay streak that can be found on both sides of the river above general high water mark. This strata runs all the way from a few inches to two or three feet in thickness, and in places will pan out several hundred colors, but the colors are so infinitesimal as a rule that they can hardly be seen with the naked eye. The high water of this summer in many places has exposed this old pay streak, or rather washed off the top sand and dirt until it is uncovered. It was while prospecting one of these uncovered de- posits that Mr. S. A. Pearl's attention was at- tracted to the Banty process, then being operated in Oregon, and he at once made a trip to that state, met the inventor, induced him to come up here and finally purchased three of the machines. What they will really do is yet to be proven by a thorough test. The Pearls have not been able to secure a retort that would work and hence are not in a position to state what wages can be made working Columbia river dirt. The writer has seen the process in operation and is satisfied that it will save gold. The inventor claims that it will save 90 per cent of the gold and we think it will. The only question to be settled is, is there sufficient gold in the dirt to pay for working? If the dirt runs only from 50 cents to $1 a ton the process will not pay big for the simple reason that its capac- ity is limited. With such low grade dirt the problem of returns reduces itself to the quan- tity that can be handled. * * Until * Mr. Pearl can give the process a thorough and complete test the public is at sea as regards its value as a gold saving invention."
Continuing, the Empire said on August 30th :
"Mr. Banty, of Oregon, who has a new chemical process for saving flour gold tried the experiment on the river at Troy, last Saturday (August 15), and it seems to have proven a success. The work of shoveling the pay dirt and carrying the water in buckets to the sluice boxes occupied an hour and a half and at the
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
cleanup it was found that the process had saved something over $4 worth of gold. Parties present being satisfied with the work done bought several machines, the Pearl boys pur- chasing three. The excitement for the past week over placer mining claims has been at fever heat and claims have been taken up all along the river from Wenatchee to Virginia City and, probably, some above that point. Should the process continue to be a success, which we hope it will, the country here will soon be flooded with gold. Mr. Banty, after making the experiment, left Tuesday for Alaska, where he had promised to go. Another trial will be made by the Pearls next Saturday, and if successful they will sell several machines."
While for a time there was considerable excitement over the machines, it was found to be a slow process of extracting wealth from mother earth, and gradually conditions resolved themselves into the normal, and again attention was turned to the surer methods of agriculture and stock growing.
The year 1895 witnessed the beginning of the end of hard times. In its resume of the progress of the county during this year the Empire said, December 26th :
"With the weight of disaster in financial centers yet bearing with crushing effect upon development and progress ; with all the distress of 'hard times,' so much about which has been heard throughout the breadth and scope of the nation, shutting up manufactories and reducing wheat and farm stuffs to the minimum; with disadvantages in transportation and marketing facilities such as no other country of like size, fertility and development was ever known to be so long without-with these disadvantages to meet and difficulties to overcome-the year 1895, now about to close, has brought greater prosperity to the people of the western Big Bend and leaves them in better shape, freer from debt and with more money on hand ac- cording to population than have the people of
any other agricultural section in the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, the year has been full of material benefits. Wheat advanced in the spring and farmers unloaded their hold-over supply, at saving figures and went ahead to grow more of it. A broad acreage was sown and vast fields of peas, beans and potatoes were planted. Corn, barley, oats went in all over the country for feeding purposes, and the live stock interests experienced a boom by the branching out of agriculturalists into beef, pork and dairying. In this way the foundation was laid on the plains for a season of abundance at harvest time, while along the valley, of the Columbia orchards were budding with the promise of a sure yield of the fullest weight the frail branches might bear.
"The growing season, it is true, might have been more propititious, as the summer was phenomenally dry, and there were fields upon which no rain fell after planting, yet the crop yield generally was wonderfully abundant. The harvest time was a splendid period, and from early fall to a week ago no weather could have been better suited."
It was not, however, until the "bumper" crop of 1897 that conditions began to regain their former bright hue.
The first Douglas County Industrial Ex- position was held October 3d, 4th and 5th, at Waterville. There were fully 2,500 or 3,000 people present. They came early and remained late. They swarmed the streets and pushed and jostled and jammed the exposition grounds. The stock parade took place at noon and the free barbacue was an immense success. The people assembled at the grand stand and Con- gressman S. C. Hyde, of Spokane, delivered an address. He was introduced by Mr. R. S. Steiner. The exposition was in every respect a grand success financially and socially.
A mass convention of Douglas county citizens held at Waterville, February 14, 1896. was a step taken toward securing immigration and it resulted in much good to the develop-
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
ment of the county that year. It was attended by 200 citizens and every section of the county was represented. W. H. Anderson, of Moun- tain View, was chosen president and Fred McDermott, of Waterville, was made secretary. Valuable papers were read by Messrs. P. D. Sutor, of Fairview ; R. H. Thomas, of Pleasant Hill; Judson Murray; A. L. Maltbie; John R. Morgan and John Wilson. A permanent or- ganization was effected, and owing to plans originated at this convention a large immigra- tion was subsequently brought to the county.
The year 1897 was the most prosperous ever witnessed in Douglas county up to that date. There was a large wheat crop, high prices, every body made money and all were prosperous. From' this year until 1902 the county continued to enjoy a steady growth, although not in such proportion as in the later 90's. The financial depression had left the county in poor shape, and these were the years of reconstruction. In the spring of 1902 many eastern settlers came to the county. There was plenty of good government land at that period. The Coulce City News on March 28, 1902, explained why the county was behind its neighbors in the matter of settlement as fol- lows :
"Ever since the boom this town experienced when the Central Washington Railway built in here ten years ago Douglas county has lain dormant. Last spring an exodus of settlers from the east gave a slight impetus to the real estate market, but the effect on the condition of affairs was only temporary. While the sur- rounding counties which had ordinary trans- portation facilities went ahead, Douglas county remained in the same old rut, and all because the management of the Northern Pacific made the huge mistake of making an alkali flat situ- ated in a coulee 1,000 feet below the surround- ing country, its terminal point. This town being the only egress for grain shipment from a wheat belt several thousand square miles in area, it is no wonder, although our soil is first
class, settlers have given Douglas county the goby and located in other and less fertile dis- tricts where a shipping point could be reached without ascending and descending a hill five miles long and in places nearly perpendicular. Douglas county's present influx of population can be regarded as a natural course of events."
But despite this gloomy outlook in 1902 every train and every stage brought men and their families to the county seeking investments and homes. Parties who had for several years lived in the county, but who had never taken the trouble to file a homestead, now commenced to hustle and file on land before all the choice selections were taken. The following figures illustrate the rapid settlement of the county and other territory in the Columbia Land District during the year 1902: In the year ending July Ist, there were 2,166 filings in the Waterville land office. During the first ten years the office was opened there were only 2,170 filings, and the one year's business came within four of being as large as the whole of the first ten years' business. These filings represented 320,428 acres divided by counties as follows : Okanogan, 58,271; Chelan, 28,181; Filings; Douglas, 1, 588; Chelan, 198; Okanogan, 380.
The Coulee City-Adrian "cut-off" was com- pleted in 1903. This is a connection by rail between the Central Washington and the Great Northern railways, between Coulee City and Adrian. As a piece of engineering there is no road in the state that can surpass it. For many miles it is a tangent cutting through obstruc- tions however formidable. Every cut found a depression nearby which was filled, making a roadbed of solid rock and gravel. In the twenty-two miles there is little curvature and but few bridges, and these are to be found at the southern end, where the ground is almost level and material to make the fill not so con- venient. Mr. Mellen's estimate of cost of con- struction, off-hand at the time of construction was first announced, was $250,000. It has cost nearly twice that sum, because when they made
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the preliminary and final surveys they carried the line straight as possible and allowed no rocky wall to turn them a hair's breadth. When the engineer and contractor had com- pleted their work in a scientific and conscien- tious manner, those who passed on the rails failed. In a number of instances there are found rails that have seen hard service, splin- tered and worn, turned for the wheel flange. The adjoining rail, most likely, is a 70-pound, serviceable one, while the next one is fit only to remain in the scrap heap from which it was taken. Someone, through incompetency, ren- dered this fine piece of construction a useless commodity, as those who were called upon to pass on the road refused their consent to per- mit heavy wheat trains to run over the defective rails. Under these conditions there is only one proper recourse; replace the condemned material with good. To do this will require some time.
January 3, 1904, there was organized at Waterville a society known as the Douglas County Old Settlers Association, composed of settlers who have lived in the county before and during 1890. The following officers were elected: A. T. Greene, president; A. A. Pier- pont, first vice president ; Charles F. Will, sec- retary; M. B. Howe, treasurer; Ole Ruud, recording secretary; S. E. Jordan, marshal; Mrs. S. C. Robins, librarian ; Trustees : A. L. Rogers, three years; H. N. Wilcox, two years; J. A. Banneck, one year. Following is a list of the names of the charter members and the date of their arrival in the county :
Mrs. J. H. Kincaid, 1889; Agnes Jordan, 1888; Al Enrich, 1889; Sarah Owens, 1890; Belle Patterson, 1888; Ethel Pearl, 1886; John
Shearer, 1888; Christina Jansen, 1887; John ยท McLean, 1888; Charles Kellogg, 1888; S. E. Jordan, 1888; Joseph Ogle, 1888; A. N. Gormley, 1888; Mrs. Fitzgerald, 1889; John Hall, 1888; A. T. Greene, 1885; R. J. Waters, 1884; Elmer Thompson, 1890; J. M. Johnson, 1888; Al Pierpont, 1883; Mrs. W. W. Fitch, 1888; Charles Cumbo, 1888; E. C. Ogle, 1886; J. F. Metlin, 1886; Fred Carpenter, 1888; T. N. Ogle, 1886; M. B. Howe, 1888; Orville Clark, 1884; J. D. Logan, 1888; Mrs. Etta M. Jordan, 1888; Mrs. Hattie Waters, 1884; Mrs. Teddy Eurich, 1889; Lizzie C. Hall, 1887; Mrs. Alice Speed, 1888; Mrs. S. A. Pearl, 1886; Gerde Jamison, 1887; F. C. Tyler, 1886; Hattie C. Kellogg, 1888; C. W. Hensel, 1887; Edward Ownens, 1883; J. N. Gormley, 1888; J. J. Fitzgerald, 1889; George Bradley, 1887; C. F. Will, 1885; G. W. Philbrick, 1887; G. M. Cumbo, 1888; J. A. Banneck, 1883; W. W. Fitch, 1887; O. Ruud, 1883; F. M. Alexander, 1883; S. A. Pearl, 1886; James Pattie, 1885; H. N. Wilcox, 1883; J. S. Withrow, 1888; T. A. Power, 1883; T. J. Cusick, 1889; C. H. Wilcox, 1886; J. F. Hunt, 1887.
According to a census taken by the assessor during the summer of 1892 it was shown that the population of Douglas county was 4,284. The commissioners therefore, on December 12, 1892, raised the county's class from the 25th to the 23d. January 15, 1902, it, was raised to the 21st class, having. a population of over 5,000. July 6, 1903, it was raised to the 16th class, the assessor's census showing a popula- tion of 9,183. According to a census taken by Assessor Will and his deputies in the spring of 1903 the population of the county at that time was 10,168.
CHAPTER III.
CITIES AND TOWNS.
COULEE CITY.
Although not the largest village within the limits of Douglas county, Coulee City is, cer- tainly, the most picturesque and, perhaps, the most interesting from a historical view point. It is situated in the bed of the Grand Coulee and almost overshadowed by its lofty, imposing walls. With no large area of agricultural land in the immediate neighborhood one might at first blush be led to doubt that there was a reasonable excuse for the existence of Coulee City. But a more careful investigation reveals the fact that the town is admirably located. It is on a level piece of ground. The view of the coulee walls is an inspiring sight. Here the town lies in an opening of that wonderful creation of nature, the Grand Coulee, and one never tires of gazing at the towering walls of the portion of the coulee which extends to the northwest. A few minutes' walk to the south reveals other marvelous sights unfolded. Sur- rounding the town are a number of springs of pure water which furnish the town with its sup- ply. Around these springs which are just out- side of the original platted townsite, are groves of trees at whose roots cluster the lovliest flowers imaginable, covering the banks of the springs and the tiny brooks which flow from them-a veritable oasis in the "scab rock" country which surrounds Coulee City for sev- eral miles.
The site where now stands Coulee City was for many years known as McEntee's Crossing
of the Grand Coulee. Here for an extended period lived Philip McEntee, the pioneer of Douglas county. In 1881 he erected a log cabin on what would now be the outskirts of the town. During the following few years other settlers came to the vicinity, but it was not until 1888 that enough of them had come into the country to warrant the establishment of a store. In June of that year Mr. George R. Roberts, who had come into Douglas county in 1883, opened a general mercandise store about three-quarters of a mile north of the pre- sent business portion of the town of Coulee City. A postoffice called McEntee, in honor of the first settler, was established, and Mr. Roberts was named and served as the first post- master. In November of the following year Mr. Roberts took his brother-in law, Mr. Thomas Parry, into partnership with him. The business was subsequently conducted under the firm name of Roberts & Parry. The "town" of McEntee was enlarged in the fall of 1888 by the establishment of a second store and a blacksmith shop, both enterprises being financed by Levi Salmon. Mr. Salmon conducted the blacksmith shop, and his son, Arthur, was in charge of the store. Dan Twining also con- ducted a saloon in McEntee.
The town of McEntee lost its identity with the platting and building up of the town of Coulee City in the spring and summer of 1890. Roberts & Parry engaged in business in the new town, and here, too, Mr. Salmon moved his shop, but closed out his mercantile business
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in McEntee. The postoffice of McEntee was transferred to the new location and was there- after known as Coulee City.
But its history really dates from the build- ing of the Central Washington railroad to that point, or more properly, from the contem- plated construction of the road to the crossing of the Grand Coulee. Let us examine the prospects for a town at this point before the road reached the spot where Coulee City after- ward appeared, from the viewpoint of that veteran editor, Frank M. Dallam. April 28, 1890, he said :
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