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 34
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With prophetic foresight this gifted young officer added: "This immense tract of splendid country over which we marched, is now opened to the white man, and the time is not far distant when settlers will begin to occupy it, and the farmer will dis- cover that he can reap his harvest, and the miner explore its ores without danger from the former savage foes."
But buoyant as were these predictions, the progress of fifty years has brought
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a realization immeasurably beyond their expectations. Opulent eities, prosperous towns, productive fields and pleasant orchards cover the land which then lay wild and savage. Railroads have everywhere supplanted the Indian trails, and the red- man's campfire has given way to the firesides of more than 100,000 homes.
I ean not elose this chapter without a few words of feeble tribute to our gallant and ever efficient regular army. We who now possess this pleasant land in peace and prosperity owe an unextinguishable debt of gratitude to the courage, devotion and self-sacrifice of its officers and men. Their work is ended, and save a mere hand- full of survivors still spared to us by the relentless hand of Time, they have passed to their long reward. Some fell in later Indian wars of the west; others were called to a greater theater of confliet and served their country with valor in the civil war. Yet others passed into peaceful pursuits and contributed notably to the development of the country and its resources. Soldiers of Steptoe and Wright, if living still, we render our salute. If resting beneath the turf, we bow in homage to your honored memory.
Under date of September 30, 1858, I find Colonel Wright's last word on the campaign. It was written from his eamp on the Palouse river, en route to Walla Walla. and addressed to the assistant adjutant-general, headquarters of the depart- ment of the Paeifie, Fort Vancouver, W. T .:
"SIR: The war is elosed. Peace is restored with the Coeur d'Alenes, Spokanes and Palouses. After a vigorous campaign the Indians have been entirely subdued, and were most happy to accept such terms of peace as I might dietate.
"RESULTS
"1. Two battles were fought by the troops under my command, against the combined forees of the Spokanes, Coeur d'Alenes and Palouses, in both of which the Indians were signally defeated. with a severe loss of chiefs and warriors, either killed or wounded.
"2. The capture of 1,000 horses and a large number of eattle from the hostile Indians. all of which were either killed or appropriated to the service of the United States.
"3. Many barns filled with wheat or oats, also several fields of grain, with numerous eaches of vegetables, dried berries and kamas, all destroyed or used by the troops.
"4. The Yakima chief, Owhi in irons, and the notorious war-chief Qualehien hung. The murderers of the miners, the cattle-stealers, etc (in all eleven Indians), all hung.
"The Spokanes, Coeur d'Alenes and Palouses entirely subdued, and sue most abjeetly for peace on any terms.
"6. Treaties made with the above-named nations; they have restored all prop- erty which was in their possession, belonging either to the United States or indi- viduals : they have promised that all white people shall travel through their country unmolested, and that no hostile Indians shall be allowed to pass through or remain among them.
"7. The delivery to the officer in command of the United States troops of one chief and four men, with their families. from each of the above-named tribes to be
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taken to Fort Walla Walla, and held as hostages for the future good conduct of their respective nations.
"9. The recovery of two mountain howitzers abandoned by the troops under Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe.
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"G. WRIGHT, "Colonel Ninth Infantry, Commanding."
CHAPTER XXX
REMARKABLE EARLY HISTORY OF SPOKANE COUNTY
FIRST CREATED IN 1858-AREA OF 75,000 SQUARE MILES-PUBLIC OFFICES GO REG- GING-OLD PINKNEY CITY THE COUNTY SEAT-FIRST LEGISLATOR MURDERED BY INDIANS-FIRST POLITICAL CONVENTION-UNION SENTIMENT STRONG-COURT HOUSE OF LOGS ; HAD BEEN A SALOON-HIGH PRICES IN THE 60S-GOLD DISCOVERED ON THE PEND D'OREILLE-MILITARY POST ESTABLISHED AT FORT COLVILLE-CALI- FORNIA VOLUNTEERS A BAD LOT-GRAND MILITARY BALL AT THE FORT-PIONEER DISTILLERY RAIDED-EARLY DAY EXECUTIONS, LEGAL AND OTHERWISE,
T HE early history of Spokane county has connected with it events of an extraordinary character. Four times was it created by legislative act. Twice it was not organized by the agents appointed for that purpose. Once it had, after organization, a short and precarious existence, and was merged into Stevens county; and the fourth creation was followed by the political com- munity of recent years."-From a manuscript by W. P. Winans, who served two terms, beginning in 1862, as auditor of the original county of Spokane, when the county seat was Pinkney City.
With free-handed disregard of actual needs and conditions, the early legisla- tures of Washington territory parceled out the interior into county forms long before towns or even crossroads settlements had come into existence. A number of these counties never had other than mere legal or fictional being, and in that class for several years, belonged the first county of Spokane, attempted to be set up at the session of 1857-8, when a bill was enacted January 29, "to create and organize Spokane county," as follows:
"Be it enacted, That all that portion of the county of Walla Walla embraced within the following boundaries, to wit: Commeneing at the mouth of the Snake river, following up said river mid channel to the forty-sixth parallel of north lati- tude; thenee east along said parallel to the summit of the Rocky mountains; thence north along said summit to the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude; thenec west along said parallel to the Columbia river; thence down mid channel of said river to the place of beginning; the same is hereby constituted and organized into a sepa- rate county, to be known and called Spokane county.
"That the county seat of the said county is hereby temporarily located on the land claim of Angus MeLeod.
"That Robert Douglass. John Owen and William McCreary are hereby ap- pointed a board of county commissioners; and that Patrick MeKenzie is hereby
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appointed sheriff; and that Lafayette Alexander is hereby appointed county audi- tor."
Vast, wild and untenanted by civilization was the region embraced within the designated boundaries-a stretch of plain and mountain, of prairie and forest. of placid lakes and foaming torrents, 200 miles wide and nearly 400 miles long, com- prising an area of more than 75.000 square miles, and with scarcely one white person to each thousand square miles of territory. Such feeble and scattered set- tlements as then had existence were found in the Colville valley. Settlers along the Spokane, there were none of the white race. The Indians were warlike, inso- lent and aggressive, and the county in fact was conjured into fictional being on the eve of the allied outbreak of the Indian tribes north of Snake river.
Public office went a begging then in eastern Washington, and found no takers in the remote, unsettled and moneyless county of Spokane; for the officials named in the first legislative act failed to qualify or to organize county government; and a year later the legislative assembly, which then met annually, made a second effort. An act of January 18. 1859, named Robert Douglass, John MeDougald and Angus MeCloud as commissioners of the proposed new county. Thomas Brown was desig- nated to serve as sheriff, Patrick MeKenzie as auditor, Thomas Stensgar as probate judge, and Solomon Pelkie justice of the peace-all to hold office until the next regular election, or until their successors should be elected and qualify. No loca- tion for a county seat was specified.
This attempt was as futile as the first, but undaunted, the legislature tried again. After the brilliant campaign of 1858. and thorough pacification of the country by the troops under Colonel George Wright. it passed another act. in January. 1860. to reestablish the county of Spokane. The boundaries were defined as before, but this time the county seat was temporarily located "on the land claim of Dr. Bates." in the Colville valley. "Few of the vast population of Spo- kane county today know that while its official organization dates back to a time but little more than thirty years ago, having been carved-a small and then insig- nificant portion-out of Stevens county. yet there was a county of Spokane estab- lished by an act of the territorial legislature of 1860." says Attorney John B. Slater in an article written after a search of the old county records at Colville. "It was organized in April of that year, and flourished for four years." In honor then of the gallant memory of Isaac 1. Stevens, first territorial governor, who had fallen in one of the carly battles of the civil war, the legislature changed the county's name to Stevens.
The initial entry in the first book of records of this original county of Spokane follows:
"No. 1. Received of William 11. Watson, $25. in full for house and lot and all things belonging thereto.
"Pinkney City, W. T., July 11, 1860. (Signed) "C. L. THOMAS.
"Recorded July 12. 1860, 6 o'clock p. m.
"R. H. ROGERS,
"County Auditor."
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And on page 2 of book 1, of the records of Spokane county, appear, as follows, tire first minutes of the proceedings of the board of county commissioners:
"In pursuanee of an act of the legislative assembly of the territory of Wash- ington. passed January 17, 1860 (a certified copy of which is attached to page ] of this record). the county of Spokane was organized, and the following named persons were respectively sworn into office and executed bond according to law, viz:
"J. W. Scaman. James Hays and Jaeques Dumas, as county commissioners ; John Wynn, as sheriff; R. H. Rogers, as auditor ; R. H. Douglas, as treasurer ; J. R. Bates, as justice of the peace, and F. Wolff, as coroner.
"In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and private seal (there being no official seal provided), this 7th day of May. 1860.
"R. H. ROGERS (L. S.) ".Auditor in and for Spokane county, W. T."
"It seems." says Mr. Slater, "that Rogers and Douglas became mixed in the process of qualification, and, according to the fact as stated by a witness to the ceremony, Douglas. by accident, signed and qualified by oath upon the blank form provided for Rogers. the latter, at the same time, making the same mistake with reference to the blank form provided for Douglas, as treasurer. The spectators laughed heartily over the mistake, and the two gentlemen accepted the change as a sort of joke, although afterward, it is said, they became bitter enemies.
"On the 8th of May. 1860, the board met and designated Pinkney City the county seat, which was the town or trading post adjoining the site of Fort Col- ville. three miles north of the present site of Colville. Two election precinets were established and election notiees directed to be posted. John L. Houck was ap- pointed the first road supervisor, and given charge of all the public highways in the county, which then extended from Wenatchee on the west to Helena, Montana. on the east, and from Lewiston, Idaho, on the south to the British line on the north.
"At the election held in June. 1860. George Taylor was elected to succeed Jacques Dumas as county commissioner, who had drawn a short term and was elected chairman of the board. As nearly as can be aseertained from the records, the officers elceted for the first term were: Treasurer. R. H. Douglas; assessor. John Gunn, who failed to qualify, and J. T. Demarce was appointed to succeed him ; auditor. J. R. Bates: and sheriff, F. Wolff.
"On April 11. 1861. James Hays resigned the office of county commissioner. and Robert Bruce was appointed his successor.
"The first money received by the county was $200 paid by Chamberlain & Walker for a license to vend ardent spirits in Pinkney City. This was immediately followed by licenses to five others for the same place. a living evidence that Pink- ney City was a lively town.
"The population of the place is said to have been nearly a thousand people .* All the business was along one street, and extended along each side of the thor- oughfare for nearly a mile. The commissioners. in order to provide ample fire
*Ben Burgunder's recollection is that it never exceeded 200 or 300.
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protection and pure water for domestic purposes for the town, appropriated $100 to be expended in digging a well in the center of the street, and as nearly the center of the town as possible. The well was dug, but it is said the water was never nsed except for slaking the thirst of the cavalry horses from the post nearby. Today there is not a sign of the well remaining, and all that would indicate that once there might have been human inhabitants upon this historic spot is an occa- sional depression in the earth, the remains of old cellars and basements. under buildings that handled the trade of the country.
"The commissioners' journal was kept by hands not trained to clerical work, but the good old pioneers did the best they could for Spokane county, as is evi- deneed by some of the proceedings which commemorate the stirring times. The most influential men were elected to office, and. whether or not they obeyed the laws themselves, they made it appear by the records that they were especially solicitous that all others make good under existing statutes. Once they made a record applauding the auditor because he had been diligent in enforcing payment of license money for the privilege of keeping saloon.
"The proceedings of the Spokane county commissioners cover only about thirty- five pages, the last being the record of the meeting held on November 20, 1863. when Thomas Stensgar, John U. Hofstetter and Robert Bruce were commis- sioners. At this meeting the following record was made: "The auditor was in- structed to write to Dr. Tobey, representative, requesting him to get a bill passed immediately to tax Chinamen, the tax to be $1.50 a month. or $1.50 a quarter, to be collected by the sheriff, and he be allowed 20 per cent on what he collects, and the treasurer and auditor their usual fees, as in other public moneys: also have Stevens county attached to this (Spokane) county. the citizens having failed to organize'" Explanatory of this last instruction to Representative Toby. it may be explained that the legislature, at the previous session, had cut off a section of Walla Walla county and called it Stevens.
Mr. Slater found that the first grand jury of Spokane county was convened in June. 1860, by Judge William Strong. When it came to paying the jury the commissioners objected upon the ground that it was the duty of the general gov- ernment to pay its court officials, and the court was obliged to exercise his judicial prerogative in a court order to compel payment. The commissioners paid the bill, but made a minute of the fact that their act of obedience was exercised under pro- test.
Notwithstanding no provision had been made in the legislative act for repre- sentation from the new county in the assembly at Olympia, the voters elected W. H1. Watson at the first election. He appeared at the capital, ready to take the oath and enter upon legislative duties, but the assembly declined to seat him. As a sort of consolation salve, however, he was elected doorkeeper of the house. While returning on horseback, from the capital to Pinkney City, in the spring of 1861, Watson was murdered by a Spokane Indian, Ci-sit-shee, between Walker's prairie and Camas prairie. Walker wore a fine gold watch, coveting which the Indian fol- lowed him from his night encampment, and found on the Spokane's person after the discovery of the crime, led to his arrest on the Spokane. He was taken to the county seat by Sheriff Wolff, and bound over for trial by Justice of the Peace Cyrus Hall. The crime and the examination aroused intense public feeling. and
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the little court room of the justice was filled with citizens and soldiers from Fort Colville. Immediately after the examination a mob formed, took the prisoner from the sheriff, and hanged him from the cross beam of the double gate before the brewery. Justice in those days seems to have been expeditions and cheap, for the total cost to the county of the arrest, trial, conviction and execution, all transpiring within two days, was only thirty dollars.
J. R. Bates, the first representative from Spokane county, was elected in July, 1861. Taking warning from the tragie fate of Mr. Watson, he went properly "heeled" with a Colt's dragoon revolver with gun stoek attachment.
W. P. Winans, who lived for thirteen years in the Colville valley, and held various offices of public trust when Pinkney City was the county seat, kept a journal in which were recorded events and incidents on the day of their oeeurrence. From that journal, and aid given by such pioneers as S. F. Sherwood, Francis Wolff. John U. Hofstetter, C. H. Montgomery. L. W. Meyers. Benjamin Bur- gunder. James Monaghan, George McCrea and Mrs. Christina McDonald Will- iams, Mr. Winans has written an invaluable manuscript history of carly days in the Colville valley and the Spokane country. By courtesy of Ross R. Brattain of Spokane, the writer has had access to a copy of the Winans mannseript, and from it gleans many interesting and important facts about men and events, full fifty years ago.
Construction of the first brewery, at Pinkney City, was commenced in 1860 by John Shaw and a man named Berry, and finished by John U. Hofstetter in 1861.
Pinkney City, which was built just across the creek from Fort Colville reserve, was named in honor of the commanding officer of the fort, Major Pinkney Lou- genbeel.
In the winter of 1861. Mr. Carpenter, a clerk employed in the store of Olm- stead & Co., was killed by Perote. The murderer was arrested and taken to the nearest jail, at Vancouver, and the records of the commissioners show that on April 10, 1861, Sheriff Francis Wolff was allowed $438.25 for expenses and mile- age of the trip. Another county official, R. H. Rogers, presented a claim of $316.50 for carrying the poll books to Vancouver, containing the vote on joint coun- cilman: but the commissioners, regarding the claim as excessive, allowed a mile- age rate of 30 cents on the 470 miles to Vancouver, and awarded Rogers $141.
The winter of 1861-62 was unusually severe. Mr. Winans recorded the fol- lowing temperatures in his journal: January 15, 30 below zero; January 17. 33 below ; January 18. 30 below. And snow from two to four feet deep. There was not a day in that month that the mercury did not fall below zero.
"March 22, 1862, mail carrier for Walla Walla came back, unable to get through; reported snow three to five feet deep on Spokane plains, about Willow springs. Joe Mason started on snowshoes, became snow blind, was found by In- dians and brought back to Spokane river.
"April 1, 1862. J. W. Seaman got through from Walla Walla; left there two weeks ago; reported snow then 12 to 15 inches deep, wood $25 per cord. Brought news from the States up to November 27th (more than four months old)."
It is believed that the following is the first record of a political convention held in the Spokane country :
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SPOKANE COUNTY CONVENTION
The Union county convention met at the courthouse, Pinkney City, W. T., June 14. 1864, for the purpose of nominating candidates for the coming election. J. R. Bates was called to the chair, and W. P. Winans elected secretary.
Nominations :- For representative. B. F. Yantis; for sheriff, L. T. Marshall; for treasurer, J. R. Bates; for auditor, W. P. Winans; for probate judge. John Wynne; for coroner. N. R. Scranton : for county commissioners, Robert Bruce and John U. Hofstetter ; for justice of the peace, D. H. Ferguson.
After the nominations the following resolutions were read and adopted:
"RESOLVED, That our Representative be instructed to use his best efforts to have a treaty made with the Indians in our county, and to have the public surveys extended over our county as soon as possible.
"RESOLVED, That he use his best endeavors to promote the welfare of the county, the mining interests in particular; and to use his influence to have the mail ronte reestablished from Fort Colville and Walla Walla. Also to use his influence toward having the capital removed from Olympia to Walla Walla.
"RESOLVED, That we regret the present deplorable condition of our country in its struggle to maintain its existence, and we heartily endorse the policy of the government in its excention of the laws, and we rejoice in the success of the Fed- cral Arms.
"RESOLVED, That we will use our best efforts to sustain the government in its present struggle to establish its supremacy over all the land."
These proceedings were in mass convention. The resolutions, as Mr. Winans recalls. were written by Henry Wellington, "a man of education and refinement who could command attention in any assembly. He moved to the Okanogan valley about thirty years ago, dying in June. 1903. loved. honored and respected by all who knew him, for his lofty character and sterling worth."
At the election, July 14, 121 votes were polled in the county, and all those nominated at the June convention, with the exception by B. F. Yantis, for repre- sentative, were elected. Yantis had only thirty-eight votes, his opponent, Charles H. Campfield, forty-eight; but Yantis went to Olympia, where his family resided, contested the seat before the legislative assembly, and won.
Of necessity a county so poor and unsettled as the carly day Spokane had to make shift with a primitive courthouse. At their April session. 1861. the com- missioners bought from Charles R. Allen, for $500, a log building 20x40, that had been used as a saloon. This cabin housed the government for five years, and was then sold to C. H. Montgomery for $1,200 in county warrants, worth then about 25 cents on the dollar ; and on February 23. 1867, a larger log building was bought from R. H. Douglass for $500 in coin, or $666.66 in paper. This second building continued to be the courthouse until the town was moved to its present location, the site of the modern Colville.
By legislative act of January 3, 1862, a judicial district was created to cover Spokane and Missoula counties, and court met for the first time at Pinkney City, July 28. 1862. with Judge E. P. Oliphant presiding: W. P. Winans. clerk ; J. J. McGillyra, United States attorney; S. B. Fargo, prosecuting attorney; L. T. Mar- shall, sheriff: and Salucius Garfielde attorney.
KETTLE FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA
As sketched by the Stevens' Expedition in 1953
r
OLD HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY POST AT KETTLE FALLS, ERECTED IN 1933
OLD HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY AT FORT COLVILLE, AS IT AP- PEARED EN ISS7
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY BE- TWEEN WASHINGTON AND BRITISH COLUMBIA.
The little brunette stands on the United States Side
KETTLE FALLS AS THEY APPEAR TODAY
THE NEW SPUBLK LIN ARY
THE VE IPOS IC TIO ARY
TILDEN FOUN ALIVAD
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Only annual sessions were held, and when court convened in June, 1863, for a two-day session, it was presided over by Judge J. E. Wyche, with not a lawyer in sight. Mrs. Mary J. Walters was granted the first divoree in the county. Of a verity hath it been said that "great oaks from little acorns grow." The divorce crop has kept well apace with the general step of growth and progress.
Then, as now, expectation rose and fell with the prospect of immigration and fuller development of the potential resources of the land; and the intelligence was welcomed when Captain John Mullan, surveyor and builder of the Mullan road from Walla Walla to Fort Benton, wrote in June, 1862, that four Missouri river steamboats had arrived at Benton, with 350 passengers from St. Louis, en route to Bitter Root, Deer Lodge and Walla Walla valleys. "They came provided with their carriages and wagons, purchased animals at Fort Benton, and have already started for their new homes on the Pacific. The boats made the trip from St. Louis in thirty-two days, and the teams will make the trip over the new military wagon road in forty days to Walla Walla."
At Fort Colville, in July, 1862, the military paid $2.50 a bushel for wheat. $14 a barrel for flour, and $1 a bushel for oats.
Charles Frush and Fred. Sherwood arranged in the spring of 1863 to run an express from Fort Benton to Walla Walla, by way of Spokane prairie, to con- nect with the Wells Fargo express at Walla Walla.
In the spring of 1865, Mr. Winans paid 1216 cents per pound for carrying freight from Wallula, on the Columbia, to Colville, and sold bacon at 621% eents, coffee 75 eents, sugar 50 cents, beans 35 cents, salt 25 cents, nails 40 cents, butter $1. and shot 50 cents. Calico brought 3716 cents per yard, a spool of thread 25 cents, and a paper of needles the same.
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