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 39
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
Prophetic words! And vision sweeping down the century! Uttered by the deep-forested shores of Puget Sound. in the unpretentious capital of the territory, and with the backwoods for environment. but vibrant with an inspiration of ap- proaching events of worldwide magnitude. These pioneer legislators of fifty years ago brought to their tasks some of the elements of genuine greatness. Their "native line of resolution" had not become "sieklied o'er with the pale cast of thought :" and white their old laws, resolutions and memorials reveal here and there an imper- feet knowledge of the spelling book, they were generally framed with elearness of diction and a directness that might well be copied in these days of too frequent indi- rection and evasion.
A hundred years ago, when the first fur traders entered this region, they found and used an Indian highway crossing the country from the Columbia river, near old Fort Walla Walla, to the Colville valley and the Kettle or Chaudiere falls. When. in 1860, government established the first mail route in the section north of Snake river, it adopted this prehistorie route, leaving Walla Walla and passing thence by way of the Palouse ferry on the Snake. Cow creek. Big lake. and lower Spokane bridge (operated by James Monaghan) to old Fort Colville. a distance of 210 miles. This route was pursued until 1867, when the service was shifted by way of Waitsburg and Tucanon, in Walla Walla county, and thenee via the upper Spokane bridge, twelve miles above the falls, to Fort Colville.
A memorial adopted in October. 1869, asked that the service be restored to the old route, representing that Waitsburg, Tucanon and other offices were directly on the mail route from Walla Walla to Lewiston, and could be supplied with all neces- sary mail facilities by that route without any additional expense to the government.
The memorial further represented "that as at present arranged, the mails are carried on said route, in order to reach Fort Colville. a distance of 285 miles, making the schedule time. on the trip, of twelve days: but that mail matter is frequently de- layed for four weeks, to the great detriment and inconvenience of many citizens." It was argued that the route could be materially shortened and afford better facili- ties and accommodations by having the mails carried as formerly when the route was first established.
From time to time a few settlers had found their way into the Palouse country, and by the summer of 1871 the possibilities there in way of soil and climate had been sufficiently demonstrated to call for the organization of a new county. The legislature recognized these new conditions, and an act approved by Governor Ed- ward S. Salomon, November 29. 1871, set up the county of Whitman and defined the following boundaries:
Commencing at a point on Snake river where the line dividing Idaho and Wash-
303
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
ington territories strikes said river, thenee down mid channel of said river to its mouth ; thenee up mid channel of the Columbia river to White bluffs; thenee in a northeasterly course to where the fifth standard parallel crosses Lougenbeal ereck ; thenee east along said parrallel to the dividing line between Washington and Idaho territories ; thenee south along said line to the place of beginning: Provided, That until the fifth standard parallel is established. the line from White bluffs shall be in a northeasterly course to the south end of Big lake; thenee in an easterly course to Stone house near Rock lake; thence cast to the dividing line between Washing- ton and Idaho territories; thenee south along said line to the place of beginning.
As first board of county commissioners the aet named G. D. Wilber, William R. Rexford and Henry S. Burlingame. Charles D. Porter was appointed sheriff and assessor ; James Ewart auditor. W. A. Belcher treasurer, John Denny probate judge, C. E. White superintendent of schools. and John Fineher coroner, "to hold their offices until the next general election, or until their successors are elected and qualified." William Lucas, Jesse Logsdon and J. A. Perkins were appointed com- missioners to locate a county seat until the next general election. when the deter- mination of the permanent county seat was to be referred to the voters.
The new county was added to Walla Walla for judicial purposes; to the coun- ties of Walla Walla and Stevens in the election of joint conneilman, and to Stevens county in the election of joint representatives. Stevens and Whitman were to divide the debt of old Stevens county in proportion to the taxable property returned by the respective assessors of the two counties. Whitman to issue county orders to Stevens for its proportion.
Road-making, as always the ease in a new country, was one of the most pressing tasks, and to meet this need in part, the legislature at the same session directed the county commissioners of Walla Walla, Whitman and Stevens. at their February session in 1872, to appoint one citizen of their respective counties, "who shall be and are hereby constituted a board of commissioners to view and locate a territorial road from Walla Walla city via Waitsburg, in Walla Walla county, on the most direct praetieal route to Bellville, in Whitman county, erossing Snake river at the mouth of the Pinawawa, thenee by the most direet practical route to Fort Colville, in Stevens county." For this service the loeators were to be paid a per diem of four dollars each.
Even with the loss of territory suffered by the erection of Whitman county, Stevens remained a county of "magnificent distances," embracing within its eon- fines nearly one half of the area of Washington territory, being 200 miles in length and 150 in breadth, and containing 30,000 square miles. Interesting glimpses of this region as it then existed are found in a memorial adopted in November. 1871. It represented that Stevens county "is inhabited by the Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, Isle de Pierre, San Poel, Okanogan, Lake. Colville and Calispell tribes of Indians, in all numbering about 4.500; that Colville valley contains 127 white settlers. with thirty women and 117 children, and that there are seattered in various settlements here and there, in other parts of the county, 137 white settlers, with forty women and I11 children; that no treaty has ever been made by the United States with the Indians of Stevens county, nor have they ever been placed on reservations ; that Fort Colville is a military post of the United States, garrisoned by a single company of infantry, and situated at a distance of 200 miles from the settled portions of Wash-
304
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
ington territory east of the Cascade mountains; that the Indians inhabiting Stevens county have heretofore been kept in check, owing to the presence of this small body of troops (since their defeat by the late General George Wright) but that when lately it was rumored that the troops would be removed, they became emboldened and openly announced their intention of driving out the white settlers and taking possession of their property as soon as the removal of the troops was accomplished ; that the settlers of Colville valley would be unable to protect themselves, and would be compelled to abandon their farms on which they have expended many years of toil, were the troops removed ; that the settlers in other parts of the county, except possibly those living near the county of Walla Walla, would likewise be driven from their homes by the Indians, and that hostilities between the whites and Indians would almost necessarily follow the removal of the troops; that in anticipation of the Northern Pacific railroad passing across Stevens county, settlers are immigrating to it very rapidly, and that in the opinion of your memorialists, the military post already established by the government, with its garrison, should be continued until the settlers are numerous enough to protect themselves and to convince the Indian tribes living in that county that any resistance to immigration or hostilities to the white population would be futile."
A marked change in legislative temper and policy towards the Northern Pacific railroad company was manifested at the session of 1873. Prior to that time, the legislature had been most supplicating in its pleas for generons national aid and encouragement for the company; but circumstances alter cases, and with the contem- poraneous arrival of construction forces and settlers in eastern Washington came conflicts of interest, and the legislature felt in duty bound to champion the cause of the settler.
A serions clash of title rose now between the company and a large number of settlers. By act of congress of July 2. 1861, a grant of land was given the com- pany of "every alternate section of public land. not mineral, designated by odd num- bers. to the amount of twenty alternate sections per mile, on cach side of said railroad line, as said company may adopt through the territories of the United States, and ten alternate sections of land per mile on each side of said railroad. whenever it passes through any state; and whenever, on the line thereof the United States have full title, not reserved, sold, granted or otherwise appropriated, and free from preemption or other claims or rights, at the time the line of said road is definitely fixed, and a plat thereof filed in the office of the commissioner of the general land office ; and whenever prior to said time. any of said sections or parts of said see- tions shall have been granted, sold, reserved, occupied by homestead settlers, or pre- emption or otherwise disposed of. other land shall be selected by said company in licu thereof."
Under this grant the company filed its map of definite route in the office of the commissioner of the general land office. August 13, 1870, and the secretary of the interior, J. D. Cox, held in a letter to the president of the Northern Pacific, that such withdrawal should take effect from and after the receipt of the map of the same at the local United States land offices. These maps, though filed at Washing- ton in August, were not filed in the local land offices in eastern Washington till the following October, and in this interim many settlers filed on odd numbered sections within the grant. By the decision of Secretary Cox, these settlers were within their
*
-
F
HOW THE PIONEERS GOT HERE
"But the pictures of memory linger, Like the shadows that turn to the past, And will point with a tremulous finger To the things that are perished and erased ; For the trail and the foot-log have vanished, The canoe is a song and a tale, And flickering church spire has banished, The uncanny red man from the vale ; And the wavering flare of the pitch light, That illumines your banquets no more, Will return like a wandering witch light, And unerimson the fancies of yore-
When you dance the " Old Arkansaw" gaily. In brogans that followed the bear, And quaffed the delight of Castaly, From the fiddle that wailed like despair ; And so lightly you wrought with the hammer, And so truly with axe and with plow, And you blazed your own trails through grammar, As the record must fairly allow; But you builded a state in whose arche-, Shall be carven the deed and the name, And posterity lengthens its marches. In the golden starlight of your fame." -Sam Simpson.
5 THE NEW YORK [PUBLIC LIBRARY
ADTUN, LINUX TILDIN FOUNDATIONS
305
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
rights; but his sueeessor subsequently reversed that decision and held that the rail- road's title attached from the time of filing at Washington, and consequently settlers who went upon these lands after August 13, were trespassers on railroad lands.
Out of these conflicting decisions developed the famous "lieu land controversy" which entered vigorously into the territorial polities of the day, and which was instrumental several years later in elceting as delegate to eongress the late Charles S. Voorhees, of Colfax and Spokane, who championed the cause of the settlers against the railroad company.
A memorial adopted in November, 1875, declared that the settlers "went upon the lands in good faith for the purpose of making homes for themselves and families; that the decision of Sceretary Delano gives over to the railroad company the homes and improvements of settlers with the labor of years expended thereon; that at the time of making their settlements and filing, the traets were unoeeupied and unappropriated public lands, and considered by all the land offieers of the gov- ernment, from the highest to the lowest, as property subjeet to homestead and pre- emption : and that said railroad demands of such settlers that they shall purchase of it, and asks such an exorbitant priee for each traet that the settlers are both unwilling and unable to purchase."
The memorial charged President Cass of the Northern Pacifie with broken faith and open repudiation of written promises to relinquish these lands to the settlers and take other lands in lieu under a special aet of congress which had been passed to eure the injustice, and generally assumed a hostile attitude against the company. Similar confliets of interest had developed in western Washington, along the line between Tacoma and Kalama on the Columbia river, and altogether the Northern Pacifie had made itself intensely unpopular in a territory whose people had pre- viously bowed down before it almost to the point of worship.
After pointing out that the grant had been made by congress on condition that the company complete not less than 100 miles of traek yearly, and alleging that it had built no road at all within the two preceding years, the legislature further pro- tested against the contention of the railroad that it was exempt from taxation within the territories, and coneluded :
"Wherefore, in consideration of the facts herein stated, your memorialists, as a matter of justice to the people of the territory, would most respectfully and earnestly ask that the lands in this territory unearned by the completed road of said company be restored to homestead and preemption settlement ; that such legislation as will require said company to bear its proper burden of taxation may be adopted, and that the act of congress approved June 22, 1876, entitled 'an aet for the relief of settlers on railroad lands,' be so amended as to permit bona fide settlers, who settled or filed in the local land office prior to the date of the company filing its map of definite location, to prove up and take title from government without let or hindranee from said Northern Pacifie railroad company."
For nearly thirty years the Northern Paeifie resisted this plea for justice, oppos- ing the settlers in the courts, before the departments and in congress, and interfer- ing continuously with territorial and state polities. In this way it wore out most of the claimants until they were glad, in order to clear title to their homes, to yield to the railroad's terms of settlement. Many years later the old controversy was ended by act of congress, but on terms that were considered immensely advantageous
Vol. 1-20
306
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
to the company, and which brought upon United States Senator John L. Wilson some criticism for his part in introducing and advocating the curative legislation.
An act to cneourage forestation in eastern Washington found legislative favor in November, 1873. It authorized the commissioners of Stevens and Whitman coun- ties "to exempt from taxation, except for territorial purposes, the real or personal property of each taxpayer who shall. within the county within such year, plant and suitably cultivate one or more acres of forest trees for timber, to an amount not «xeceding $300 for each acre."
A memorial adopted in November. 1873, and signed by N. T. Caton as speaker of the house of representatives, and Win. MeLane as president of the council, prayed congress for an appropriation to overcome obstacles in the Columbia river. It rep- resented that-
"The Cascade mountains divide the territory into western and eastern Washing- ton : that eastern Washington territory is almost exclusively a grazing and agrieul- tural country, that the soil is capable of producing all the grasses and cereals known to the middle and western states: that the product of Walla Walla county alone. with a population of about 8,000 souls, in its grain yield for the year 1873. as shown by the most carefully prepared statistics, will reach the enormous sum of 1.000.000 bushels. That large bodies of land in the connties of Walla Walla. Stevens, Yakima and Whitman are equally as susceptible of cultivation as those already occupied, improved and cultivated ; that the counties above enumerated are fast filling up with an intelligent and industrions population."
The people residing in eastern Washington, it was pointed out. were almost wholly dependent on the Columbia river for an outlet to the Pacific ocean and to markets for the products of their soil and the fruits of their labor, and the memorial added :
"That from the points of shipment on the Columbia river to the junction of the Willamette river therewith, nature has opposed great obstacles to the free and suc- cessful navigation of the stream- one at The Dalles and one at the Cascades, making a portage of fourteen miles at the former place, and of five or six at the latter, an imperative necessity. The costs and expenses attending the transportation of freight over the portages aforesaid are so burdensome on the people of eastern Washington as to amount to an almost entire prohibition : that the people may have an oppor- tunity to develop the region of country in which they live, and at the same time pro- vide the means of subsistence for themselves and families whilst thus laboring without meeting with the great hindrances to the free navigation of the Columbia river. your memorialists earnestly pray your honorable bodies to make such an appropriation as shall in your judgments overcome the obstacles aforesaid."
Another memorial at this session advanced "serious and weighty reasons" why northern Idaho should be annexed to Washington territory. Among these were the "impassable barrier in the shape of towering rugged mountains, where perennial snows ever abound, making it absolutely necessary, in order to have any communi- cations with other portions of the territory, during eight months of the year, to take circuitous routes through Washington territory and the state of Oregon before any portion of the balance of the territory can be reached, either on foot. horseback, or by vehicle.
"We would further represent." continues the memorial. "that that portion of
307
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
Idaho which it is proposed to annex to Washington is a narrow strip of country, about in proportion to the balance of the territory as the handle of a frying pan is to the pan. and it lies contiguous to our territory, lying immediately cast, and with no barriers intervening. Its commereial, political and social interests are identical with ours; its products, climate and people are in every respect similar. It helps to form one grand basin where there is no dissimilarity in the soil, the pursuits of the people, the general appearance of the country or the character of its resources. "Annex the same to Washington, and it must grow and prosper ; but keep it tied to Idaho territory, and it must ever remain in a comparatively primitive state. As where there is no affinity of interest, no affinity of feeling, and where there is so little hope of ever overcoming to any great extent the ranking sectional feeling, that sectional antagonism which too often is prevalent among the greater towards the smaller population, there is little ground for hoping that these conditions will ever be materially unchanged."
A little overdrawn. but having substantial basis of truth and reason. Happily the pessimistic predictions of the memorial have not been verified. Northern Idaho has not "ever remained in a comparatively primitive state," for its commercial and social relations, as indicated in this old plea for annexation, have been inseparably bound up with those of eastern Washington, and these are ever more potent in indus- trial and social progress than political tics. Some rankling scetional feeling there has been against the capital end of the commonwealth ; but have we of eastern Wash- ington not felt at times that our greater half, lying west of the Caseade mountains, has been lacking in the breadth and understanding that would have contributed more freely to our happiness and progress without impairing in the least the welfare of our neighbors to the west?
We come now to the year 1875, and still the paramount need was better means of communication-more highways and improvement of the existing ways. Con- stant need was felt and expressed for more adequate communication between the east side and the west, for in many respects the bond then existing between the two seetions was closer than that of today. The interior had then no other outlet than to the west; was drawing almost its entire immigration from that source; and was dependent on coast capital and enterprise for development of its resources. For news interest the people east of the Caseade mountains turned to the coast; their mail came from that quarter; they read coast newspapers, and most of them had family ties on Puget Sound or down in the Willamette valley.
So keen was this desire for eloser relations that the legislature of 1875 over- powered its moral scruples, if such it had, and authorized private lotteries in the cause of a highway across the Cascades. By statute "any person residing in this territory who is desirous of aiding in the construction of a wagon road across the Cascade mountains shall have the right to dispose of any of his property, real and personal, by lottery distribution, under such restrictions and conditions as are pro- vided in this act."
The chief condition was the payment of ten per cent. of the proceeds of the lot- tery to a trustee, who in turn was to pay it to a board composed of three citizens of Yakima county and two of King who were "to superintend the expenditure of all moneys realized for the benefit of said road. under the provisions of this aet."
The road thus favored was to be constructed from Snoqualmie prairie in King
30-
SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE
county, to the south end of Lake Kichelas in Yakima county; was to be opened at least thirty feet wide, all grades to be at least fifteen feet wide, and be a part of a territorial road from Seattle to Walla Walla.
Another act defined lawful fences in Whitman and Yakima counties: Plank fenec. four feet, eight inches high: posts, five inches or more in diameter, substantially set in the ground, not more than eight feet apart: the lower plank placed twenty inches from the ground. second plank eight inches above the lower, and third plank ten inches from second, the plank to be six inches wide, one inch thick and firmly fastened to the posts by nails, wire or otherwise.
Post and rail fence, five feet high, made of sound posts. five or more inches in diameter, firmly set in the ground, not more than twelve feet apart. with four rails not less than four inches in diameter, securely fastened : the lower rail twenty inches from the ground. and the remaining three rails not more than eight inches apart.
Provision was also made for post and pole fences. "worm" fenees, and ditches of two designs, one design being a ditch three feet deep with embankment and sod thrown up on inside of ditch two feet six inches high. with substantial posts set in embankment, not more than twelve feet apart, and pole or rail securely fastened thereto not more than fifteen inches from the embankment. To such makeshifts were the pioneer settlers of a prairie region driven in the early homesteading era of our country.
An act approved November 12. 1875. declared the Spokane river navigable and a public highway from its mouth to the dividing line between Washington and Idaho. "for the purpose of rafting, driving and floating logs, timber and other material."
Fines were provided for the punishment of persons who might obstruct the chan- nel, but it was provided. "that the placing of any mill dam or boom aeross said stream shall not be construed to be an obstruction to the navigation aforesaid. if the same be so constructed as to allow the passage of logs. timber and other material without unreasonable delay ;" and persons running logs were made liable for dam- ages sustained by bridges.
Another memorial, urging the overcoming of obstruetions in the Columbia river and passed at this session. is remarkable for the accuracy of its prediction regarding the wheat-growing possibilities of eastern Washington. That season's exportable surplus from this district was given as 1,000.000 bushels, but it was estimated that with lower freight rates the country coukl produce 20.000.000 bushels for export. Although wheat was then selling for $1 a bushel at Portland. the market price at Walla Walla, the principal purchasing point in eastern Washington, was only 15 cents per bushel; the difference was absorbed in excessive transportation charges and high profits for middlemen. Attention was directed to a report of Brevet Briga- dier-General Michler, of the United States engineer corps, estimating the cost of short canals and locks at $1.500,000. The combined population of eastern Wash- ington, eastern Oregon and northern Idaho, "which would be directly and immedi- ately benefited by the removal of these obstructions and by the free navigation of this river," was estimated at "about 30,000, a very large proportion of whom are engaged in agricultural pursuits."
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.