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 51
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to drive into a barroom under the old Star lodging house. As the walk was a couple of feet above the road, and the horses going at some speed, the body and wheels of tlie hack parted company. Hank and the team were lined up at the bar, but in such confusion that the 'barkeep' was at a loss to fill the order. The 'barkeep' was one Jones, who had the thumb of his right hand shot off a year or so afterward by one of the famous, or infamous Earp brothers, while frantically reaching for his own gun. This happened off Howard street, and in an interview Earp informed me that he did not care to kill Jones, but by knocking off his hammer thumb he put a kibosh on proceedings that might have ended more seriously.
"There is little left in way of landmarks to remind one of old Spokane. The inequalities of the earth have been smoothed off; the falls have been shorn of their attractiveness ; the trees that erowded down to the river have disappeared, and stately blocks of steel and stone have elbowed the frame structures out of the way. The village of a quarter of a century ago has been replaced by a magnificent metropolis.
"In May, 1883. the Review occupied a shell of a building at the rear of the lot east of the Spokane theater. The Episcopal church stood nearly where the great Review building stands today, and that was a vacant block. From the present Re- view building to .I. J. Browne's residence was a straightaway racetrack for a half mile, where scrub races were run on the Fourth of July that year. Browne's addi- tion existed in name only, there being no houses on it. There were trees and brush on the south side of the railroad track, almost to the rails. There were few if any houses east of the present Paulsen monument of steel and brick, and that site was occupied by James Glover's residence. Howard street and Riverside avenue had just been cut down to some kind of grade the fall before, and the houses lining that street were propped up on rock piles. The North side was a gravelly waste without a habitation. The calaboose, a small, dingy affair, stood on ground that is now covered by the Auditorium. The cemetery, sparsely populated, was at the extreme northwest end of Browne's addition. The smallest flag station along the lines of the various railroads can boast of a better depot than was in use in Spo- kane. There were few sidewalks except in the business portion, and they were rongh, uneven and crude.
"Of the men in business at that time, many have answered the last summons ; others have sought honors elsewhere, and a few are still residents of the city they aided in building, most of them. it is a pleasure to say, enjoying a well-earned com- petency.
"The Rev. H. T. Cowley was owner and publisher of the Chronicle, having purchased the paper from Mr. Woodbury, who would not entertain an offer four months before. It is a pleasure to state that throughout Mr. Cowley's ownership. the most amicable relations existed between the Chronicle and the Review. There was no unseemly rivalry, no personalities, and the papers worked along common lines in aiding in the npbuilding of the place. Mr. Cowley is now in California.
"S. Heath was postmaster and handed out the mail from a small building on the west of the Grand hotel, at the corner of Howard and Riverside. The mail was a rather insignificant affair at that time, being about enough to fill a cracker box. Mr. Heath hung on to his homestead, which is now an attractive residence portion of the city.
Vol 1-26
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"J. J. Browne was practicing law, and had accumulated a homestead. a timber culture and a few other holdings that have made him rich.
"James N. Glover owned the better portion of the original townsite, and was offering bargains in town lots to newcomers that would make the eyes of purchasers of today bulge in astonishment.
"Louis Ziegler was conducting a hardware store in a fine building where the Ziegler block now stands. J. B. Blalock had a shoe store in a small building where the Exchange National bank building now stands. J. M. Grimmer conducted the Northern Pacific hotel, at the northeast corner of Howard and Main. J. B. Gray was proprietor of the California house, where the city hall now stands. Harry Hay- ward kept a men's furnishing store, with sporting goods, eigars and tobacco as a side line. He was located on the lot in the rear of the Grand hotel. facing Howard street. John Glover and Lane Gilliam had a livery stable on the lot across the street and just west of the California house.
"Among the lawyers practicing were S. C. Hyde, L. B. Nash, J. Kennedy Stout, E. II. Jamieson, E. J. Webster and J. S. Allen. Eugene B. Hyde was town mar- shal, and made a very efficient official. Charles MeNab conducted a drugstore. at the southeast corner of Howard street and Riverside avenue. Charles Clough had a book and notion store on Howard street. and Henry French a candy and peanut stand across the street. Charlie Carson conducted a restaurant on Front street, in the rear of the California house.
"The men of that time I hold in kindest remembrance. Our ways separated long ago, and I have known little of them for a score of years; yet the recollections of those early days, and the people with whom I associated, will always be coupled with keenest pleasure, and whenever I chance to meet one of them, memory romps back to the time when Spokane was a flower. and all men seemed to be working hand in hand in a common cause."
Dallam's fortunes were linked with those of the paper he had founded until the summer of 1887. He then sold his remaining interest in the daily, and trans- ferred his interests to Davenport. Lincoln county. From Davenport he moved to Loomis, in the Okanogan country, and later to Oroville, and that section has sinee been his home. He has owned and edited several weekly newspapers in Okanogan county. While in Davenport he served a term as receiver of the United States land office, and since going to Okanogan county has held the office of commissioner of the federal court.
1883
In October, 1883. the Chronicle claimed a population of 1,500 for Spokane. Six religious denominations were represented, five with places of worship. A een- sus of the business interests showed two banks, three wholesale and retail general merchandise stores, three drugstores, three grocery and provision stores, one com- mission store, two millinery stores, two watchmakers and jewelers, three men's furnishing stores, four hardware, two furniture, three agricultural implement, three harness, three livery and express stables, three blacksmith shops, one machine shop, one carriage factory, two flouring mills, one saw. shingle and planing mill, one sash and door factory, four fruit and confectionery stores, two meat markets, one bakery, one soda water factory, one fruit nursery, one shoe store, two shoemaker shops, one
BELL'S
BANERY & GPOCEO
CORNER OF RIVERSIDE AND HOWARD IN THE EARLY '80s
SPOKANE IN ISS7, FROM THE HILL NEAR THE HEAD OF HOWARD STREET
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTON LF CX
E NEW YORK PLIC LIBRARY
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photograph gallery, two paint shops, four contraetors and builders, one hide and fur depot, one gun and loeksmith, three barber shops, two breweries, one wholesale liquor store, eight saloons, five hotels and three restaurants.
Transportation and communication were provided by one railroad, two express companies, three stage lines and two telegraphs.
The United States land office had just been moved to Spokane from Colfax.
Professionally the eity had six law firms, eight physicians, one dentist, one eol- lege president, six teachers and two newspaper editors. There were six real-estate and insurance offices.
The new publie school building, nearing completion, was regarded by the Chron- iele "as an ornament to the town, to be pointed out to strangers with just pride." It was frame, two stories, forty by sixty-eight, with two schoolrooms on each floor.
"This is a good place," said the Chronicle. "for all active and wide awake busi- ness and professional men, for skilful meehanies, for capable housekeepers, and for industrious, courageous, intelligent farmers and laborers. It is no lazy man's para- dise. If you want lands, health, labor, business, wealth, and to grow up with most favored conditions in the country, come to Spokane."
BY J. D. SHERWOOD
I landed in Spokane December 27th, 1883, eoming west over the Northern Pa- eifie railroad which had just been completed to the coast that summer.
At that time Spokane was a most interesting frontier town of about 1,500 popu- lation. It was in a state of wild excitement over the discovery of gold near Murray, in the Coeur d'Alenes. The place was full of prospeetors buying supplies to be hauled over the mountains on sleds. The merchants were busy-town lots were selling-everybody aetive and expectant.
Not long after my arrival, I caught the western fever, filed on 160 aeres near town, and decided to embark in the mereantile business which was started two months later under the style of "Sherwood & Dempsie."
With the exeeption of about twenty buildings on the north side, the entire town was embraced by the Northern Pacifie traeks and the river from Division street on the east to Cedar street on the west. There were but few dwellings beyond these boundaries.
The business houses were centered on Howard street between Riverside Avenue and the river,-a few along Riverside to Post Street. The "California House" was the chief hotel, on the northeast corner of Front avenue and Howard street. Resi- denees were scattered on East Riverside and Main-West on Sprague and First avenues, with large vaeant spaces of prairie between.
The Post street bridge was the only river erossing from which a view of the falls in their natural beauty was had.
Browne's addition was then a pine forest which held the snow and afforded good sleighing for several winter months.
With the exception of a dozen two-story briek buildings, the business houses were rows of one-story frames. There were several destructive fires which always eaused great exeitement, as there were no water pipes laid until 1885.
I look baek with considerable amusement at the first fire that oeeurred. Was
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awakened early one morning by revolver shots fired in rapid succession (the usual fire alarm) announcing a fire on Main avenue near Howard street which consumed several buildings, including the postoffice. A line of men, the "bucket line" was hastily formed from the fire to the river. Buckets of water were passed from hand to hand which were either thrown on the fire or used to wet blankets hung on ad- joining buildings to prevent the fire from spreading.
Nothing was funnier than this indiscriminate bucket line composed of men of every occupation from the banker to the laborer, each excitedly prodding his neigh- bor "to hurry up there." and shopping water all over themselves. When the fire was finally checked it was customary for the saloons to dispense free drinks to everybody-all celebrating the occasion in a grand spree.
Many reasons have been given for the rapid growth of Spokane. Its water power. its wheat and timber lands. its mines have been contributing factors but its geographical location as a trade center has been the important element in making it a metropolis.
Before the whites came, the Indians found Spokane Falls a convenient meeting place. All their trails crossed here. For similar reasons it has become a great railroad center.
In 1881 the street life was a proof of this. There were cowboys from the Big Bend who gave us interesting exhibitions of horse breaking and pony racing; miners loading their pack trains; Canadian boatmen from the upper Columbia buying mer- chandise to smuggle across the line: Chinamen selling fine gold washed from the sands of the Columbia ; lumber-jacks and ranchers all buying and trading or "blow- ing in" their savings for a good time. I had the opportunity of meeting these people in a business way.
Shooting serapes were not uncommon. I remember one night about ten o'clock hearing considerable hilarity in a saloon opposite. Looking in, I saw a man butting his friends with his head. apparently having great fun over it. A few minutes later he butted some surly cuss who pulled a gun and shot him dead. About this time the Indians murdered several whites. One summer afternoon, the town was enjoying a German pienie in the beautiful pine grove just below the falls (now West Riverside Addition) : suddenly a messenger reported a man had been killed by Indians on the North Side near Post Street. A posse of volunteers was formed which started in hot pursuit. The pienie was then resumed without further inter- ruption.
A policeman named Rusk was shot by Indians in his camp on Dead-man's creek, some fifteen miles north of town. He had left Spokane the same day bound for the Colville Valley on a mining trip. As he was a popular fellow. his death caused a great commotion.
A thing quite common then which always gathered crowds on the streets, was a squaw fight in which two squaws would go for each other tooth and nail, until their feree hair-pulling contest was stopped by the police who lodged the Indian maidens in the "Skookim house." as the jail was then called.
At certain seasons of the year the Indians assembled in Spokane for their "pow- wows." Their faces painted yellow and red. attired in colored blankets. they pre- sented a picturesque appearance. Their meeting place was the point above the falls where Front avenue ends. Here they would play cards for days and gamble away
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all their chattels including their ponies and the blankets on their backs. The Indians were generally quiet and peaceful unless furnished with liquor which they were always eager to buy. To sell them whisky has always been a criminal offense but they often managed to buy lemon or vanilla extraet from some unthinking grocer which contained enough alcohol to produce the same dangerous effect.
Old Garry, chief of the Spokanes, was frequently seen around town. He was a small sensible fellow, usually dressed in old clothes presented by his white friends, among whom he was very popular. Chief Joseph, the big warrior, often visited Spokane from his northern home, and was naturally the objeet of mueh curiosity on account of his historieal career. He was certainly a handsome specimen of Indian.
A favorite bathing place for Indians, white men, and boys, was at a bend of the river near Elm street, which was then so far from town that bathing suits were not required.
From 1885 to 1889, the year of the big fire, the population increased from 2,000 to 15,000. The lead-silver mines in the Coeur d'Alenes. discovered in '85, the de- velopment of farm lands. railroad building, etc., established Spokane as an im- portant jobbing eenter. The citizens then were most publie-spirited. I was ap- pointed secretary of a subseription committee to raise $250,000 bonus for the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad company, in consideration of which the company agreed to build a railroad from Spokane to Puget Sound. It seemed an impossible task but this money was all subseribed in two weeks' time-a remarkable fact con- sidering the size of the place. Equally large donations were made later to the Great Northern for entering Spokane and promising terminal rates; also to the Spokane & Northern. I eite these magnificent subseriptions not only because they were such great factors in eity-making at that time when Spokane's future was trembling in the balance, but also as a tribute to the nerve and loyalty of its pio- neers, many of whom lost their fortunes after the great fire of August 4th. 1889, or have passed away forever.
In the spring of '89, I started a five-story office building with an elevator -- then the highest building in town, ealled the "Washington Building." It was hardly fin- ished when destroyed in the big fire of August 1th. In 1891 I built the "Sherwood Building" on the same site of heavy arehed construction to withstand another simi- lar calamity .. Had I built higher than three stories, the mortgagee probably would have taken it over with many other Riverside avenue structures.
Most of my time has been devoted to the real-estate business but I became inter- ested in the eleetrie light, street railway and water-power companies from their ineeption .- the properties now owned by the Washington Water Power Company. J. D. SHERWOOD.
G. B. Dennis organized the Ross Park Electric Railway company in 1888, and that corporation built and opened to operation in 1889 the first electric railway in Spo- kane and one of the first in the west. The venture was unprofitable, and in addi- tion to losses borne in operation, the company paid out a great deal for the grading of Front avenue through the rocks from Division street to the river, and built the bridge to cross the river. It was a bold undertaking. for there were few residents between Division street and the end of the line, four miles out across the open prairies, to Minnehaha park.
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"We operated that line three years at an average loss of $3,000 a month," said Mr. Dennis, "and it being such a good thing, turned it over after the panie of 1893 to the Washington Water Power company which has operated it ever since.
"On May 5, 1885," added Mr. Dennis, "a Northern Pacifie train pulled into Spokane. I was aboard that train. Of the 2,000 inhabitants, counting the Indians, there were at the depot abont 200. The moment I appeared on the platform } was greeted with 'Shoot that hat,' very much to my embarrassment. I had on a high, brown Cashmere hat, the same shape as the silk hat, then the style in the east. Everybody on the platform had on a slouch hat. That same afternoon I hunted up a haberdasher, E. Dempsie, bought a slonch hat, and have had no desire to change shape or style since. Mr. Dempsie was the first man I met in Spokane."
W. S. George ("Blind George") who came to Spokane in 1883, has recorded an interesting description of the town: "Spokane had then about 1,500 inhabitants; most of the business was located on Howard Street, from the river to Riverside avenue. There was but one bridge across the river, over the south channel at Howard street to the Big island. The North side was reached by a ferry at the east end of the island about Division street. The California hotel, owned by William Gray, ocenpied the site of the present city hall. It was the largest and most pretentious hotel in this part of the country. The stage coach was the principal means of con- veyance. There were stages running to Coeur d'Alene City, Colville, Fort Spokane, Medical Lake and the Big Bend country, and to Colfax, where connections were made to Moscow and Lewiston.
"Charles Sweeny and Loewenberg conducted a general merchandise store on the corner of Front and Howard, and the First National bank occupied another corner. Parker, proprietor of the O. K. barber shop, opened a place that fall in the east end of the California hotel.
"Cal Duncan, who was afterwards run over by a train and killed near Meacham. Oregon, opened the Pantheon saloon and billiard hall. the first place of its kind at that time in Spokane. They occupied rooms immediately south of what is at present the Coeur d'Alene bowling alley. Harry Hayward had a sporting-goods store in the same block, at the corner of the alley.
"On the west side of Howard, immediately back of the First National bank, was the Poodle Dog restaurant. The Senate saloon occupied the adjoining build- ing.
"E. E. Johnson, who at that time was traveling auditor of the Northern Pacific and agent at Ainsworth, where a package of over $18,000 disappeared from the safe, and who was arrested, tried and acquitted at Walla Walla for the theft, bought the Senate saloon and eut quite a wide swath in the underworld of Spokane.
"JJack Squier was doing business in the store basement on Howard street, be- tween Front and Main. George Darby's place occupied the northwest corner of Main and Howard; the N. P. hotel, the northeast corner. The Holley hardware store occupied the southwest corner of Main and Howard. The small story and a half frame building known as the Boston store occupied the southeast corner.
"The Blalock boot and shoe store occupied the northwest corner of Riverside and Iloward. Three stores facing on Howard street, one of them occupied by Bell Brothers as a grocery, were on the present site of the Ziegler building. There was
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a drugstore where the United Cigars store now stands (southeast corner of River- side and Howard). L. C. Keats conducted a grocery store on the corner now oeen- pied by the Traders National bank.
"There were a few small business houses on Riverside avenue, and one or two on Railroad avenue facing the traek. Not more than a dozen buildings had been erected south of the Northern Pacific, and but two north of the river."
TT F NEW YORK 'PUBLIC LIBRARY
TILOEN FO
CHAPTER XLII
RAPID GROWTH OF THE YOUNG CITY, 1886 TO 1889
SLEIGH RIDES AND DANCES-NEW ARLINGTON HOTEL OPENED-EMMA ABBOTT'S COM- PANY IN "BOHEMIAN GIRL -SALE OF OLD DOMINION MINE-CONTEST FOR THE COURTHOUSE-STEAMER SPOKANE WRECKED-FAIR ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED- - RAPID BUILDING OF RAILROADS-SALE OF BUNKER HILL AND SULLIVAN - REAL ESTATE BOOM -VARIETY THEATER OPENS-SPOKANE'S FIRST SOCIAL CLUB-BACHE- LOR'S BALL-HOW THE CITY GREW.
S OCIALLY the town was lively in the winter of 1886-7. A charity ball was a feature during the holidays, given in Joy's opera house, at Post street and Riverside, where now stands the Galena bloek. The ladies wore Mother Goose costumes. Local talent was rehearsing for "The Mikado," and had given "Pinafore" earlier in the year. "The Mikado" was scheduled for Christmas week, but the costumes failed to arrive in time. Kirtland K. Cutter painted the seenery. Herbert Bolster took the part of the Mikado. Walker L. Bean was Nankie-Poo, J. D. Sherwood Ko-Ko, Charles Vajen Poo-Bah, Ralph Clark Pish Tush. Miss Maria Taylor (Mrs. Harl J. Cook), Mrs. H. E. Houghton and Miss Grace Clark (later Mrs. Fred Harrington) were the three little maids from school. Mrs. D. M. Thompson sang Katisha. The performance was given with great éclat early in January, 1887. in Joy's opera house.
Rapid as had been its growth after discovery of the Coeur d'Alene mines, the little eity by the Falls was destined to experience a more marvelous development in the period lying between 1886 and 1889. The school report for the term ended De- eember 24, 1886, showed an enrollment of five hundred and three with an average attendanee of three hundred and eighty. Seven teachers were employed and the pay roll aggregated $550 a month. ineluding janitor's wages and rent for the use of some primary buildings.
Enthusiastie eitizens elaimed a population of five thousand.
Deep snows fell in the winter of 1886 and 1887, but the townspeople suffered no laek of entertainment. There were sleigh rides to neighboring towns. with danees at the other end. and daneing was the popular amusement in Spokane. They had a Waltz Club, with Ralph L. Clark, Dr. N. Fred Essig and Fred MeBroom, as floor committee. but with due regard for the religious seruples of some of its members, no danees were held during Lent.
Other social events of the year, were the opening of the new Arlington hotel on the evening of March 1, and the appearance, about the same time, of Emma Ab-
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bott's Opera Company, which made a one night stand in the "Bohemian Girl." Editor Dallam called it "Grand Opera" and poked a good deal of fun at the people of Walla Walla because their musical taste called for a lighter production by the same company. For weeks before the arrival of Emma Abbott, the town was on the qui vive and when the train arrived with the singer and her company, a great crowd was there to give them greeting. The new Arlington had not been opened and the arrival of the opera company severely taxed the town's hotel facilities.
F. M. Tull came that winter from Kansas, bought property and announced his intention of building a brick block, one hundred foot front and three stories high on the site then occupied by J. N. Glover's residence and now covered by the Paulsen building.
In February, Major Sidney D. Waters purchased from Elmer E. Alexander, his interest in the Old Dominion mine near Colville. The original owners of this mine were Al Benoist, Pat and Will Kearney and Alexander.
The Review of February 10 reported the return from Olympia, where the Judge had been acting as a member of the Supreme Court for several weeks, of Judge and Mrs. George Turner. The paper added, "He met with many congratulations at his home on his decision in the women's suffrage cases and probably is deeply cursed in other quarters." Under an active propaganda led by Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway of Portland. the territorial legislature had passed an act conferring suf- frage on women. The constitutionality of this act was challenged, and the issue being carried to the courts, the law was held to be unconstitutional in an opinion ren- dered by Judge Turner.
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