USA > Washington > Spokane County > Spokane > History of the city of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
Near yonder eopse, where onee the garden smiled, And still where many a garden flower grows wild, There, where a few torn shrubs the place diselose. The village preacher's modest mansion rose. A man he was to all the country dear,
And passing rich with forty pounds a year. -Oliver Goldsmith.
F ATHER EELLS was never content with life in the Willamette valley or on Puget Sound. The call of the bunch-grass country came strong and persistent. He yielded to its subtle power, and in 1860 went to Walla Walla, where he lived for twelve years, preaching, teaching and laboring inees- santly for Whitman academy, an institution of his founding as an enduring me- morial to the murdered missionary. In 1862 he went back to Tshimakain, his first visit sinee the abandonment of the mission. He held services on a Sabbath, attended by many Indians who gathered in from the surrounding country to greet their old teacher.
While he lived at Walla Walla, a number of Spokanes came down to that val- ley every year to work for farmers. Many of these frequently attended the Con- gregational church, and, remaining for Sunday school, were gathered into a class and taught in their own tongue. At times this class had twenty-five to thirty-five members.
At Tshimakain the missionaries had given the Indians a traet filled with Bible
95
.
96
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
pictures. This they had treasured through the years. To aid them in remem- brance of dates, the missionaries had prepared a simple chronological chart, a short line marking a year, one a little longer a decade, and a long line a century. By this means the time was illustrated, from the creation to the deluge, the deluge to the Christian era, and from the days of Christ to the present. They treasured this simple chart for nearly thirty years. One Sunday in 1868, at Walla Walla, after a number of them had attended Sunday school, they followed Mr. Eells to his home, and presenting this old paper, A-ma-mel-i-kan uttered the single word. "tem-e-walsh"- it is worn out. They were given a new one.
Mr. Eells moved from Walla Walla to Puget Sound in 1872, and the Spokanes, still seeking religious instruction, appealed to Missionary H. H. Spalding, who had resumed his work among the Nez Perces. Spalding went among them in 1873 and baptized 253, a mission from which he probably derived peculiar gratifica- tion growing out of his intense and unreasoning aversion to the Catholics. Under a new Indian policy adopted in President Grant's administration, of turning over Indian educational work to various religious denominations, the Spokanes were assigned in 1871 to the Colville agency, which chanced to fall under Catholic con- trol. Naturally the Catholic missionaries were eager to extend the influence of the church of Rome, and this action by Spalding thwarted their plans.
But the lure of the sun-bright interior remained strong in the heart of Father Eells. When James N. Glover, in 1873. brought his sawmill from Salem, Oregon, to Spokane, he employed as millwright Deacon J. J. MacFarland of that place. MacFarland attended, next year, the meeting of the Congregational Association of Oregon and Washington, at Olympia, and there narrated to Father Eells his observations made while erecting the mill on the Spokane; how the Indians en- enmped by the falls had daily called the people together for worship, and main- tained double services on Sunday. It was like a bugle call to the stout-hearted old mis- sionary, and packing food and bedding on his favorite horse Le Blen (how the old French names lingered in the land, for Le Bleu was a favorite horse name among the trappers a century ago) he set out in July, 1871, to eross the Cascade moun- tains. Alternately riding and walking to rest his horse, he traversed the state, going by way of Walla Walla and Colfax. Coming to the Spokane. he saw an Indian camp across the river. "Do you know me?" he called out across the water. "Yes, yes; it's Mr. Leels!" answered the glad voice of the Indians.
News of the return of their old friend and teacher ran over the country, and it was arranged that he should hold services at Chewelah the following Sunday. That was a busy day for Mr. Eells, for within six hours he conducted two services for the natives and two more for the white settlers. From Chewelah he went to Colville to consult Indian Agent J. A. Simms. Then back to the Spokane river, where two more services were held, and then a trip to the little settlement by the Falls to meet and counsel with Rev. HI. T. Cowley, who was taking up independent missionary work among the natives there.
The next summer Mr. Eells revisited the Spokane country and held twenty- four services with his former wards. One Sunday he and Mr. Cowley adminis- tered the sacrament to sixty communicants before a congregation of 360. "I made note," he remarked, "of the propriety of language used in prayer."
He returned to the Puget Sound country, but the summer of 1876 found him
97
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
back in the interior, giving his Sundays to the white people in the vicinity of Col- ville, and most of his week days to the Spokanes at various places. During nine- teen weeks of this summer he held forty services with the Indians and forty more with the whites. He delivered, too, the address at the first fourth of July celebra- tion held at Colville. "As it was the Centennial year," says his son, Myron Eells, "the oration was expected to be largely an historieal sketch of the valley. Partly from publie records, partly from the reminiscenees of early settlers, and partly from his own recollection, it was prepared. One man, John A. Simms, Indian agent, was present, who had been present when he delivered the first similar address in the Walla Walla valley sixteen years before."
The country was now filling with settlers, in anticipation of the coming of the Northern Pacific railroad, and Mr. Eells was impressed with the opportunity here presented for home mission work.
"True," writes his biographer, "the country was not thiekly settled. Spokane had in 1874, when he first visited it after it had been laid out as a town (though he had visited the place thirty or more years before) only two women; and for many years afterward had in Cheney a strong rival, and in 1880 could boast of only about a hundred people. The entire distriet (eastern Washington north of Snake river) had only 2,431 population. There was no railroad. Not until 1883 was the last spike on the Northern Pacific driven. But there was a certainty that it would be built through that region; hence a few had gone there, among them quite a number of Dr. Eells' old acquaintances in the Walla Walla valley.
"In the early days he often spoke of the rich Palouse country, and so he turned his steps in 1877 to its eenter, Colfax. Angust 9, 1874, while passing from Col- ville to Skokomish, he had preached his first sermon there, the first preaching from a Congregational minister in that town."
At Colfax, on Sunday, July 8. 1877, assisted by Rev. Dr. Atkinson of Oregon, he organized the first Congregational church north of Snake river, ten persons entering into the organization. For four years he was pastor of that pioneer church.
As Mrs. Eells was in failing health, it was deemed unwise at first to bring her to Colfax, but in the spring of 1878 he thought it best for her to be more closely associated with him in his labors, and it was planned that she should join him there. plans that were not to be carried to execution, for in May this faithful and devoted "mother in Israel," who had come as a bride nearly forty years before to lonely Tshimakain, was seized with her last illness. August 9, 1878. at the age of 73, she passed to her great reward. Funeral services were held at Skokomish, and the funeral sermon was preached by her son, Rev. Myron Eells, as there was no other minister within thirty miles.
"Before her death," this son has written. "plans had been made for a church building at Colfax. At first the proposition was made to the church that if it would allow other churches to use the building half the time, they would cooperate in building it. In accordance with that plan subscriptions were made. But to Dr. Eells this was injudieions. He believed that the Congregational church would have to do the greater part of the work, and would have the church but half the time. After consultation the plan was abandoned. Then Dr. Eells said that he would give as much as all the members for the erection of a building not to exceed Vol 1-7
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
a thousand dollars. J. A. Perkins gave $500, the rest $500. It was a great effort, and some had to borrow money. When finished the cost was over $2,000. The money was all furnished by the church, then increased to thirteen members, and its pastor, except about fifty dollars."
It was a small band, "but those charter members were a host." testified the pastor. "They were influential and highly esteemed. They were small in num- ber, but earnest. active, efficient."
Besides his $500 to the church building, Mr. Eelis paid $too for the lots. $100 for the organ. $311 for the bell, and for hymn books, bibles and incidentals enough more to swell his total gift to $1,600. The building. 30 by 60 feet. was dedi- cated September 7, 1879. Dr. Eells offered the dedicatory prayer, and it was dedicated free of debt. And this, in brief, was the beginning of Plymouth church, Colfax.
At the election of 1878 Mr. Kells was elected school superintendent of Whit- man county, having then an area considerably larger than that of Connecticut. He qualified reluctantly, and finding his double duties a severe tax upon his strength, resigned the office June 1. 1879. and a successor was appointed, but failed to qualify, and Mr. Eells served out the term of two years. The following quota- tion from his own chronicles will illustrate pioncer conditions in Whitman county :
"Monday morning left Colfax; rode perhaps seven miles: was at a school in Spring valley soon after nine o'clock. Hobbled my horse and let him graze out- side, and spent the forenoon in school. At 12 o'clock I rode on and ate a cold lunch in the saddle. After a little more than an hour's ride, arrived at a school in Thousand Springs Valley. Remained till the close of school. I then rode on; ate my supper as I had done my lunch. When it was becoming a little dark. 1 arrived at the residence of aged persons who. I thought, would entertain me. It was raining. 1 knocked at the door; there was no response. There was a rude stable constructed of rails and straw. I went to that ; there was no feed there. 1 had taken the precaution to carry a small portion of grain on my horse. I now gave that to him. I had not planned to camp: consequently my bedding was short. The flooring of the stable was the ground. I lay down : slept some of the time, and some of the time I did not. In the morning the rain had ceased falling. My horse needed grass. I went out and lay down, making a pillow of my arm, and added somewhat to my sleep. Had a cold breakfast of such food as I had with me. Had traveled thirty five miles the day before. In due time I passed on. At half-past 8 1 was near the schoolhouse that I wished to visit. It was a large school, and there was an unusual number of large scholars. I spent the entire forenoon in that school. my horse outside hobbled and grazing.
"At the close of the school I rode on to the school at Colton, and was there reasonably for the afternoon session, and remained there until near the close of the afternoon. As I had failed the night before to find entertainment, I now planned to be in season. I had several miles to ride. I rode down the valley called Union Flat. While passing, I took ont dry bread. dismounted. dipped it in the water and then got in the saddle. It speedily softened. Seasonably I arrived at the residence of Mrs. 11. B. Heald. I said to her. 'Will you allow me to leave tomorrow morning before breakfast?' for I had some ten miles to ride to go to the next school. 'I think we can give you an early breakfast,' was the
99
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
reply. She arose at five o'clock the next morning and gave me my breakfast so early that I was at the school house as soon as the teacher arrived. I spent the forenoon in that school and then returned to Colfax."
Churches grew slowly in pioneer days. When Mr. Eells, after a four year pastorate at Colfax, resigned in July, 1881, that church had but twenty-eight members; and it was yet the largest church north of Snake river. The Rev. J. T. Marsh was his successor in Plymouth church.
While Mr. Eells was at Colfax his labors extended far beyond the radius of his congregation there. He was. in effeet, a "eireuit rider" over much the greater part of that four years, preaching at Lone Pine, Almota, Steptoe Butte. Marshall, Colville and other places. Special work, says his biographer, was done also at Dayton, Chewelah, Cheney, Spokane Falls and Medical Lake, and he counseled largely in the organization of most of the earlier churches of castern Washington. His was a wide stage of action, extending from the Canadian boundary on the north, to the Oregon line near Walla Walla; but he was gifted with extraordinary vigor and vitality, and his "little jaunts" over eastern Washington at this period of its development, even though made by a man who had attained the seriptural allotment of three score and ten, brought little of hardship to one who in his younger days had shared the hard. rough life of traders and trappers, and lived for weeks at a time on Indian fare.
Upon leaving Colfax. Mr. Eells, thinking the waters of Medical Lake would benefit his health, took up his residence there and, as his strength permitted, en- gaged in general missionary work. But Medical Lake was off the railroad, and finding that his work could be better conducted from Cheney, he removed to that town in April, 1882, and built himself a small dwelling house. "For nearly a year and a half." says his son, "his time was spent in a round of labors in nine different places in three counties: Lone Pine in Whitman county ; Cheney, Sprague, Spangle, Medical Lake and near Cottonwood Springs in Spokane county ; Chewclah. Fort Colville and Colville town in Stevens county. Then followed a year in the east for Whitman college, after which he still made his home at Cheney, nomi- nally, though really it was everywhere throughout the region."
"I have been away from home sixteen nights (he wrote in July, 1885), at home twelve. I am weary in my work, but not tired of it." Again in October : "After an absence of fifteen days on a preaching tour I returned. I have con- ducted preaching services at each of nine different places." After a trip to Colfax. he wrote, September 11. 1885: "A boy, judged to be about ten years old, rode twenty-five miles to get a pair of shoes for his sister to wear to service."
In October. 1886, he returned to Medical Lake, where he remained a year and a half. his preaching places at that period being Medical Lake, Pleasant Prairie, Half Moon Prairie, Meadow Lake and Cheney, with an occasional visit to Chewelah and Colville.
In 1892 a church was erected at Chewelah, and notwithstanding Father Eells was then living west of the Cascade mountains, the people there felt that none could grace so well the occasion of the dedication. Fifty-four years to a day, after he first camped on the site of the town. he offered prayer in this new churel. "It may be a weakness for me. an old man, to go so far, four hundred and fifty miles and back. to accept the invitation," he wrote of this journey, "but if anybody
207022
100
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
dise had camped on that spot. and held services there fifty-four years previous, perhaps he would have the same weakness."
A gift of a bell for this church was his last important act for any church. Ile bought it in New York, and paid for it a few days before his death. Said the Rev. 11. 1 .. Hallock at his funeral: "Its first tones in eastern Washington will ring out a tender requiem-nay, rather a glorious tone of rejoicing for the work he has ac- complished, and the crown of life he has gone to wear on high."
Writing years after of his work at Cheney, his son, the Rev. Myron Eells, said: "Previous to 1881. Deacon G. R. Andrus, whose home was near Cheney, had held a Sabbath school near that place, which was afterward moved to the town. The question then was, 'Can a church be organized?' It was done February 20. 1881. by Dr. Eells, in a hotel over a barroom, with nine members, three males and six females, and was the first church of any denomination in the place. He was its pastor until the ordination of the Rev. F. T. Clarke the next winter.
"The next question was to creet a building. Dr. Bells prepared a sub scription paper and headed it with $500. Others subscribed. It was a strug- gle, yet it was carried forward. A contract was made for $1,500. The first $500 were easily paid; the Church Building Society had promised to furnish the last $500; the second payment was the hard work. The day on which the payment was to be made was one of anxiety. Deacon Andrus went about the place trying to obtain assistance. About noon he and Dr. Eells met to see the result of their united effort. There was no Jack. It seemed wonderful. That afternoon he left for Lone Pine and camped by a tree at night. As he sat by the tree and thought of the day's work and the progress that had been made in regard to the church edifice, his heart overflowed with gratitude."
To this church Mr. Eells also gave a bell, and in all his gifts to the Cheney (Inirch aggregated $1.100. The bell cracked in 1881, and he had it sent back to the factory at West Troy, paying $50 for freight and exchange for a new bell.
After he had left eastern Washington he wrote in his journal: "August 27. 1888: I pray much for the divine approval of my work at Cheney and Medical Lake. Feb- ruary 25, 1891: Have been to Tacoma to pay interest money on a note against the Congregational church at Cheney."
Of Father Eells' later work at Spokane his son has written: "Dr. Eelis first visited this place in 1874. when but two white women were in it. He afterwards preached there at times. A church was organized May 22, 1879, and their next great step was to erect a building. They were then worshiping in a schoolhouse, 26 by 10 feet. and thought that a church of the same size would be large enough. Dr. Bells advised them to make it ten feet longer, and promised them $200. It was built the same size as the one at Cheney, 30 by 50. at a cost of $2,000. Afterwards he gave this church a bell, then some books, and some more money. amounting to $500 in all. At its dedication, December 20, 1881, the day after the one at Cheney was dedicated, he offered the dedicatory prayer, Dr. Atkinson preaching the ser- mon. He counseled it through troublons times in 1882-83, and for a short time in 1883 was its pastor."
Such was the beginning of Westminster Congregational church of Spokane, and among its memorial windows is one with this inscription:
A GROUP OF FATHER EELES' CHURCHES
3
INDIAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, SPALDING, IDAHO
THENLA UN' PUBLIC LIBRARY
101
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
CUSHING EELLS, Always abounding in good works.
When Mr. Eells learned that with the construction of the Northern Pacifie a town was to be started at Sprague, his memory ran back to many interesting incidents associated with that site. There the mission families had eneamped, that rainy spring in 1839, when on their way from the Whitman mission to Tshimakain; and there, while they were detained by the kick of a horse suffered by Mr. Walker, he had walked to a slight eminenee overlooking the present town and engaged in medi- tation and prayer. It was a convenient camping place on his journeys from Tshima- kain to the Whitman mission and old Fort Walla Walla on the Columbia, and therc the mission families, on their way to the annual conference at Waiilatpu had passed two Sundays in rest and religious service. It seemed to him that a spot thus enshrined in the deeper emotions of his heart extended to him a special call to duty and action, and accordingly he responded to that eall, and there, on April 14, 1881, in the din- ing-room of the hotel, he condueted the first protestant services ever held in the town. On June 18, 1882, he organized a Congregational church there with five members and became its pastor, serving the little congregation for two years. At his own expense he built, the same year, a union Sunday school on a lot owned by himself. Out of his private purse eame, too. the purchase price of the church bell, and the lot for the parsonage was his contribution. In all his gifts to this church totaled more than $750.
With his resignation of the pastorate at Medieal Lake ended the active life work of Father Eells. On leaving that place, May 19, 1888, he wrote in his journal :
"This afternoon I leave Medieal Lake. Marked kindness has been shown me by precious friends. Inexpressible sorrow and anguish have been experienced by the words and aets of others. I think it is not unlikely their conduet is largely attribu- table to ignoranee and erroneous belief. Doubtless I am sensitive."
Moved by the infirmities of advaneing age, he retired to the home of his son Ed- win on the Puyallup Indian reservation near Tacoma. But again and again his heart went out to his churches in eastern Washington, and under date of August 19, 1889, is found this entry in his journal :
"I have ordered an 800 pound bell to be forwarded to Rev. David Wirt at Medi- eal Lake." And again:
"October 19. 1889: In my dreams and waking moments I am at Medical Lake."
On Saturday, February 11, 1893. he wrote the last entry in his journal, that journal which, for fifty-five years of active life, he had maintained. with almost daily regularity. With unerring premonition of the approaching change, he wrote, "My feelings impress me with the nearing elose of my mortal life" The next day was Sunday, and he rode to church from his son's house in Tacoma, participating in some of the services at the First Congregational church. On the way home he suf- fered a severe ehill, but went out after dinner to feed his old horse, Le Blond. but fell in the effort and was unable to rise. He was carried to his bed with pneumonia, but a seeming change appearing for the better he rose on Wednesday and wrote a little. That night he grew worse and a physician was summoned. The dying mis- sionary watched the passing hours until after midnight of the sixteenth, his birthday, when he directed his granddaughter to write in his journal: "Eighty-three years
102
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
ago today I commenced this mortal life." His last words were some directions re- garding his faithful horse, and about half-past two his eyes closed forever in death. The body was taken to Seattle and laid to rest by the grave of his wife.
Memorial services were held at Walla Walla, where the principal address was spoken by the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, assisted by President J. F. Eaton and Mrs. N. F. Cobleigh of Whitman college, and Dr. A. J. Anderson, a former president. At Colfax, where the chief address was delivered by the Rev. H. P. James, Dr. F. M. Bunnell also voicing a fitting tribute. At Medical Lake, where expressions were made by Mr. and Mrs. B. S. Dudley, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Gilkey, and the Rev. F. V. Hoyt. At Skokomish, in the first church of the town, of which he once had been pastor, memorial services were conducted by his son ; and at Ravenswood, near Chicago, a memorial address was made by the Rev. Marcus Whitman Montgomery. with stercopticon views by Dr. J. E. Roy.
Speaking of the death of this truly great and good man, Dr. F. B. Cherrington, pastor of Westminster church in Spokane, said: that a hero was one who had an opportunity and proved equal to it; but Dr. Eells had an opportunity and im- proved it.
The Rev. L. H. Hallock, his Tacoma pastor, said: "At the dawn of his eighty- third birthday was translated from earth to heaven, Dr. Cushing Eells, one of God's noblemen ; pioneer missionary, friend of humanity, founder of Whitman college, and judged by the test of long and unwearied service, entitled as much as any man to the Master's greeting, 'Well done, good and faithful servant ; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' Good Father Eells died with the respect of all who knew him. He died in peace to meet the reward of an honored and faithful servant."
The Occidental Congregationalist: "A company of our legislators, sitting in committee at Olympia, debated whether they should tax church property. One of them asked why it should be favored. He was reminded that there lay. not many miles from him, the mortal remains of a Christian patriarch. Father Eells of venerable memory, through whose efforts and those of his colleague, Marcus Whit- man, this very state in which the legislators sat had been saved to him and to Amer- ica. On the day that rounded eighty-three years of life, Cushing Eells left Washing- ton for another home. On the day after his death, a legislative committee of the state of Washington, who owed their property and their Christian nurture to him. determined to favor the churches because of his work. And if ever a question was squarely answered, it was answered when a gentleman from Tacoma instanced the life of Cushing Rells as the reason why Washington owes something to the Christian missionary, the Christian church and the Christian's God."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.