USA > Washington > Spokane County > Spokane > History of the city of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II > Part 5
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On the 3d of October, 1891, Dr. Harvey was married to Miss Cora Goakey, a daughter of Joseph Goakey, who is a prominent farmer of the Columbia river region. Politically Dr. Harvey adheres to the democratic party, believing that its principles are highly conducive to the prosperity of the country. He has taken the interest of a patriotic citizen in public affairs and served as mayor of Colville from 1900 to 1909, when he resigned, proving one of the most efficient officials the town has known. He also has filled the positions of city and county health officer and discharged his duties with the highest efficiency. He is a stanch believer in the great principle of broth- erhood and has taken various degrees of Free Masonry including those of the com- mandery and shrine. He was master of Colville Lodge, A. F. & A. M., for four years. He belongs to the Odd Fellows and has passed through all the chairs of the subordinate lodge in that order, being also a member of the Knights of Pythias and Woodmen of the World. He is a constant student, a close and accurate observer, and he has spared no pains or expense in securing instruction under acknowledged masters in medicine and surgery. The ability he has shown in his practice and the interest he has taken in his patients have been productive of a gratifying degree of success and he ranks today as one of the most prominent physicians in this part of the state.
JAMES NETTLE GLOVER.
No history of Spokane would be complete without extended reference to James Nettle Glover who as the first permanent settler, as the first merchant and as the promoter and supporter of many interests which in subsequent days have advanced the welfare and progress of the city well deserves to be known as "the father of Spokane." His life history in detail would prove as interesting as any wrought by the imagination of a writer of fiction. It would be the story of travel through the primeval forests, of difficulties and dangers encountered and of obstacles over- come. Moreover, settlement in a new country always calls out the resourcefulness of the individual in meeting existing conditions. Mr. Glover was at all times ready for any emergency and on more than one occasion his quick wit and keen insight enabled him to master what seemed a difficult situation. Less than forty years have wrought the transformation that has developed Spokane from the tiny hamlet
JAMES N. GLOVER
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into the splendid modern city of the present day, and with this work Mr. Glover has been more or less associated.
He was born in Lincoln county, Missouri, March 15, 1837, a son of Philip and Sarah (Koontz) Glover, who were of French and German ancestry respectively. They became -pioneer settlers of Missouri when it was still under territorial rule, and were married there in 1818. The father, who was born in 1795 and was reared in Maryland, devoted his entire life to farming. He inherited a number of slaves and took seventeen of them with him to Missouri in 1817, but becoming convinced of the injustice of holding human beings in bondage, he gave them their freedom in 1846. That he was a kind and tolerant taskmaster is indicated by the fact that one old negro, Travis Johnson, insisted on remaining with the family even after their arrival in Oregon, to which state they decided to remove after their eldest son, William, had already settled within its borders.' In the early part of 1849, there- fore, when James N. Glover was twelve years of age, they started from a place near Independence, Missouri, traveling with wagon and ox team which the negro Johnson drove. They were six months and one day upon the road, and after reach- ing the northwest the father secured a donation land claim of six hundred and forty acres about five miles from Salem, in Marion county, Oregon. Immediately he undertook the task of developing a farm and thereon resided until his death, which occurred December 12, 1872 .. The negro to whom he had given his liberty was em- ployed by his former master to cut ten thousand rails and other service at times kept him busy and gave him a comfortable living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Philip Glover eleven children were born of whom three sons and three daughters are now de- ceased, while those still living are: James N., of this review; Philip, who is living in Oregon at the age of eighty-two years; Samuel, eighty years of age, living with his brother James in Spokane; Charles Peyton, a resident of Portland, Oregon; and John W., living in Spokane.
The story of life upon the frontier is a familiar one to James -N. Glover who shared with the family in the usual pioneer hardships and experiences. He re- mained with his father in Oregon until twenty years of age and in 1857 made his first business venture, taking a quantity of apples to the Yreka mining district in northern California. Not being able to dispose of them in the way anticipated, he rented a room and opened a fruit store, continuing at that place for a year. On selling out he returned to Oregon and during the succeeding two years lived with his father, who worked at the carpenter's trade. He carefully saved his earnings and in the spring of 1862 began operations in the mining districts of eastern Washing- ton and northern Idaho, the labors of eight years bringing him fifteen thousand dollars. On the expiration of that period he became associated at Salem, Oregon, with the Hon. Richard Williams, of Portland, and J. N. Matheny, of Salem, in the building and operation of the first steam ferry running between Marion and Polk counties in Oregon, and continued in the business until 1872, when the property was sold. Mr. Glover was also engaged in shipping apples from Salem to San Francisco and had been somewhat active in the public life of the city, serving as a member of the board of aldermen and filling the position of city marshal of Salem in 1868. In the spring of 1873 he left Salem, accompanied by J. N. Matheny, and started for the Palouse and Spokane valleys, traveling by rail to Portland and thence by water to Lewiston, Idaho, where they arrived on the 2d of May. After purchas- ing two cayuse ponies and such outfit as they could strap to their saddles, they Vol. II .- 3
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started out on an exploring expedition through the wild and undeveloped country. There was restlessness among the Indians and in southern Oregon the Modoc war was in progress. For days they rode through the region known as the Inland Empire and only once in long distances would they come across an inhabited little log cabin. On hearing of Spokane Falls they made that their destination, arriving on the 11th of May. They found two squatters; J. J. Downing and S. R. Scranton, both of whom were anxious to dispose of their property. Sometime before Mr. Downing had agreed to sell his squatter's rights to a man named Benjamin, who had paid four hundred dollars on the purchase price but was unable to complete the pay- ment. Mr. Glover and Mr. Matheny offered Downing two thousand dollars to vacate and let them locate upon the land provided the first payment of four hundred dollars should go to Mr. Benjamin, that being the amount he had paid to Mr. Downing. The deal was at length arranged and upon that basis and then leaving Mr. Scranton in charge of the falls Mr. Glover and his companion returned to Oregon. They believed that there was opportunity for the establishment of a profitable business at this point and entered into partnership with C. F. Yeaton. Together the three men placed orders for all necessary machinery and with this returned to Spokane Falls on the 29th of July. In the meantime Mr. Scranton had become involved in some trouble with the officers of the law and was a fugitive, hiding in the surrounding country. Mr. Glover, who remained in Oregon for a time to settle up affairs there, arrived at the falls, on the 19th of August, traveling in a lumber wagon from Wallula Junction. Being told of Seranton's hiding place he met the man, purchased his squatter's right for two thousand dollars and thus gained clear possession to the falls. It was impossible to know if they were on government land open to free settlement or on a section granted the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, for at that time no survey had been made .. The sawmill, however, was built and kept in operation where the Phoenix Sawmill now stands, and Mr. Glover also opened a general merchandise store which was the first in this city, its site being the present location of the Wind- son building on Front avenue. When a squad of surveyors under government con- tract came to survey lower Crab creek and ran a base line to Spokane Falls Mr. Glover had the satisfaction of finding that he was in the section open for settle- ment. Some time afterward he built another store where the Pioneers block now stands, on the corner of Howard and Front streets. Trading was carried on with the Indians and with a few white settlers who had ventured into this part of the country. Mr. Glover's partners became discouraged at the outlook and in 1876 he purchased their interests in the business and property so that he became the owner of one hundred and sixty acres situated in what is now the very center of the city, its boundaries being Sprague avenue on the south, Broadway on the north, Bernard street on the east and Adams street on the west. Up to that time no settlers had come to join him at Spokane, his former partner Matheny having gone to Utah and Yeaton to Oregon, and thus Mr. Glover was left alone at the falls.
It certainly required a courageous spirit to face the conditions in which he found himself-solitary and alone-without any immediate indication that changes would occur leading to the upbuilding of a city or even a village in his vicinity. In June, 1877, the Nez Perces war broke out and in order to entice the young warriors of the Spokane tribe to join them a band of twenty-five or thirty Nez Perces came to the falls, camping near Mr. Glover's store and engaging in their war dance night after night. All of the white people of the surrounding country had gathered into
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the store for safety, sleeping on the floor and benches, and a number of settlers living at a point forty miles to the west made their way to "Big Island" where the Great Northern now stands. Mr. Glover watched the war dance for a few nights and, realizing that something must be done, he called a number of old Spo- kane Indians who had been trading with him for years and had a plain talk with them, reminding them of the Indian war of twenty years before, when Colonel Wright executed a number of their people, destroying their property and leaving them in misery from which they never recovered. Mr. Glover ended by telling the Indians that "if the visitors don't go away before the sun is over our heads (noon) I am in close touch now with the boys who wear the brass buttons." This had the desired effect and before noon of the same day the Nez Perces braves had gone to the gorges of the river. In intimating that he could summon the United States troops Mr. Glover felt it would strengthen his case but had no idea that the soldiers were near, as it happened, however, that very day Colonel Wheaton of the regular army marched into the Spokane settlement with his entire regiment, and ever after- ward the Indians accredited Mr. Glover with great foresight and knowledge. After a few weeks' stay here the troops, with the exception of Companies H and I, pro- ceeded to Palouse City. About the same time General Sherman passed through the Spokane settlement with his escort, on the way from Fort Benton to Vancouver, Washington, via Walla Walla, and was entertained by Mr. Glover who asked that the companies be returned here, and when General Sherman reached Walla Walla he gave orders for the troops to spend the winter at Spokane. In the following summer, 1878, the soldiers built Fort Coeur d'Alene, twenty-eight miles away, and as this furnished protection for the district, Spokane began to attract attention.
In his business undertakings Mr. Glover prospered, for some years conducting a profitable trade with the fort. The real growth of the city, however, dates from the fall of 1879, at which time the Northern Pacific Railroad Company gave out the contracts for the extension of its line to Spokane. A construction train, the first to enter this place, arrived in June, 1882, and with the advent of the railroad the future of the city was assured, owing to its excellent location and the fact that the surrounding country could be profitably cultivated. During the early period of settlement Mr. Glover disposed of much of his land at a very low figure, in some cases giving away lots to those who would build upon them. He gave forty acres to Frederick Post on condition that he would build a grist mill, and this site is now occupied by the building of the Washington Water Power Company. As early as January, 1878, he had caused the first survey of the town plat to be made, acting as chain carrier as there were not sufficient men in the neighborhood to do the work. Subsequently he named all the principal thoroughfares: Washington street, for George Washington; Stevens street, for Governor Isaac Stevens; Howard street, for General O. O. Howard; Sprague avenue, for' J. W. Sprague, the general super- intendent of the western division of the Northern Pacific Railroad; Post street, for Frederick Post; Monroe, Adams, Lincoln and Madison for the presidents; and Mill strect because the first mill was erected thereon.
As the city grew it naturally followed that Mr. Glover should have voice in its management, and in 1883 he was a member of the city council, while in 1884-5 he served as mayor. Then again he was called to the council in 1898 and once more in 1902, so that he has taken an active part in shaping municipal affairs. His business, too, developed with the passing years and for a considerable period he
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continued in merchandising. In November, 1882, upon the incorporation of the First National Bank of Spokane he was one of the principal stockholders and served as its president for ten years, but in the great financial panic of 1893 the bank was obliged to suspend, at which time it was estimated that the loss of Mr. Glover amounted to one million five hundred thousand dollars, or twice as much as any other citizen. The courageous spirit which he had ever manifested throughout the period of his residence in the northwest did not desert him now, nor did be lose faith in the city and its future, and it is a pleasure to his many friends to know that in the inter- vening years to the present time he has regained substantial property interests and now has good realty holdings that return to him a gratifying annual income.
Mr. Glover was married in Spokane to Miss Esther Emily Leslie, a daughter of Samuel C. Leslie. He was the first Mason of Spokane, and is a Knight Templar, while in the Scottish Rite he has attained the thirty-second degree. He belongs to the Spokane Club and to the Chamber of Commerce. He practically bore all the expense of building the First Episcopal church and many other churches are greatly indebted to him because of his donation of land or generous contribution in money. He has been most liberal in his gifts to the Orphanage Home, to the Young Men's Christian Association and to various charitable and benevolent works, and in fact it would be difficult to name any department of activity which has been of real benefit to Spokane that has not profited by his cooperation, encouragement and support. As long as the city stands the name of James Nettle Glover should be honored, for with wonderful prescience he foresaw the future and recognized the possibilities of the district, and with unfaltering faith labored to promote the inter- ests and upbuilding of this section. Thus today he manifests a contagious enthu- siasm regarding the northwest and in as far as possible enters into every project for the public good with zest and zeal.
ROBERT BENTON PATERSON.
Robert Benton Paterson, whose resourceful business ability and undaunted energy has brought him to the presidency of the Spokane Dry Goods Company and also into close connection with some of the foremost financial enterprises of the city, belongs to that class of men who find keen pleasure in successfully solving complex trade problems and in coordinating forces into a unified whole. He is eminently a man of business sense and easily avoids the mistakes that come to those who, though possessing remarkable faculties in some respects, are liable to erratic movements that result in unwarranted risk and failure. He is a man of well balanced mind, even temperament and conservative habit, and also possesses that kind of enterprise which leads to great achievement. He has been a resident of Spokane since the summer of 1889, arriving here when a young man of about twenty-four years. His birth occurred in Washington, Iowa, November 18, 1865. His parents were David and Ella (Van Dyke) Paterson, the father of Scotch descent and the mother of Dutch lineage, being a representative of the well known Van Dyke family of Holland. David Paterson was a merchant of Washington, Iowa, and subsequently engaged in a similar line of business in Algona, that state.
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After mastering the elementary branches of learning in the public schools of Al- gona Robert B. Paterson continued his education in the Iowa College at Grinnell, but left school at a comparatively early age to become a factor in commercial circles, in which he has found scope for his industry and enterprise-his salient characteristics. He was first employed as a clerk in a dry-goods store and afterward became con- nected with the mercantile business at Charles City, Iowa. He made his initial step as proprietor of a store when but nineteen years of age, entering into partnership with J. M. Comstock, his former employe at Algona, with whom he was associated in the establishment of a dry-goods store at Charles City, Iowa, where they conducted a successful business from 1884 until 1889. Their attention, however, was directed to the west with its constantly broadening opportunities and with the hope that suc- cess awaited them on the Pacific coast they made their way to Spokane in the summer of 1889. Under the firm style of Comstock & Paterson the business was established and conducted and the well known name of The Crescent became a household word in that section of the country. They opened their store August 5, 1889, the day fol- lowing the great fire which practically wiped out the business center of Spokane, and from the beginning their success was assured. Gradually the retail trade of the Crescent store has increased until it has for some time been at the head of the lead- ing dry-goods and department stores in the Inland Empire. The business was in- corporated in 1895 under the style of the Spokane Dry Goods Company for the pur- pose of conducting a jobbing business in dry goods, but the name "Crescent" was re- tained for the retail house. The Spokane Dry Goods Company's trade extends throughout western Oregon, Montana, Idaho and all parts of Washington, and it is one of the largest wholesale dry-goods concerns in the state.
The record of Mr. Paterson has ever commanded the admiration and respect of his colleagues and contemporaries. It is well known that he never makes engage- ments that he does not fill nor incur obligations that he does not meet. He has de- veloped his business along the legitimate lines of trade, carrying a stock adequate to the needs and demands of the public, and bringing his establishment into prominence through judicious advertising and also by reason of a well selected line of goods. Moreover great care has been maintained in the personnel of the house, in the meth- ods pursued and the character of service rendered the public, and upon these things has been built the substantial success which has placed the Spokane Dry Goods Com- pany in its present enviable position. Mr. Paterson is now the president of this company and of the Crescent Department Store and vice president of the Dry Goods Realty Company which is a holding company for their real estate. Into various other fields he has directed his efforts and now has voice in the management of a number of important financial enterprises, being a director of the Spokane Eastern Trust Company, the Union Trust Company, the Western Union Life Insurance Com- pany, the Warehouse & Realty Company and numerous others. He is a member of the Spokane Club, the Spokane Country Club and the Chamber of Commerce of Spo- kane, and of the Arkwright Club of New York-indications of his social qualities and of his popularity among many friends in this city. Business and social interests, however, have not made entire claim upon his time and attention. He holds mem- bership in the First Presbyterian church and is a most active worker and generous supporter of the Young Men's Christian Association, serving at the present time as president of the Spokane organization and as a member of the executive committee of the state organization.
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On the 31st of December, 1888, occurred the marriage of Mr. Paterson and Miss Henrietta I. Davidson, of Charles City, Iowa, and unto them have been born two children, Genevieve M., born June 23, 1890; and Robert A., born July 19, 1901. He is a typical American citizen and a splendid example of American manhood and chiv- alry. While he has won success in business, this has constituted but one phase of his life. He has been a student of the sociological, political and economic problems of the country and concerning such endeavors to keep abreast with thinking men. He has recognized the duties and obligations as well as the privileges of citizenship and therefore Spokane has found him active in indorsement and aid on various projects for the city's welfare and growth.
EDWIN TRUMAN COMAN.
The position of Edwin Truman Coman in banking circles in Washington is in- dicated in the fact that he is the youngest man ever elected to the presidency of the State Bankers Association, which honor came to him in 1905. His active connec- tion with banking interests is now broad and includes the presidency of the Ex- change National Bank of Spokane, in which city he is now making his home. He came to the coast from the middle west, his birth having occurred in Kankakee, Illinois, May 25, 1869. His father, Daniel Franklin Coman, was a representa- tive of one of the old families of Massachusetts and wedded Rosilla J. Thresher, whose ancestors were among the early settlers of New Hampshire.
Edwin T. Coman pursued his early education in the public schools of his native town and afterward attended the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor and also the Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia. He was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and later in Illinois and Washington. He then continued in active practice until twenty-seven years of age and in the meantime he had removed westward to Washington having, in 1894, settled in Colfax, Whitman county. In 1897 he was chosen cashier of the First National Bank of Colfax, whose business was developed from a deposit of less than one hundred thousand dollars to a half million in a few years. In 1905 the First Na- tional Bank and the Colfax National Bank were consolidated and of the new in- stitution Mr. Coman became the vice president and manager. His ability in bank- ing was becoming widely recognized in financial circles, and in 1907 he was elected as vice president and manager of the Exchange National Bank of Spokane and removed to this city, where he has since made his home. In the intervening period he has been elected to the presidency of the bank and his connections also include the presidency of the First Savings & Trust Bank of Whitman county, of the Bank of Endicott, the Bank of Rosalia, Plummer State Bank of Plummer, Idaho, and the vice presidency of the National Bank of Palouse. Mr. Coman has made many public addresses principally on financial subjects. He has spoken before the Bankers Association of Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and three times before the asso- ciation of Washington. In 1908 he was elected trustee of the Chamber of Com- merce, which position he held until 1911, when he was elected president. He is also president of the council of Spokane College.
EDWIN T. COMAN
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On the 10th of March, 1897, Mr. Coman was married to Miss Ruth Martin, a daughter of Robert and Catherine (Tull) Martin, of Carrollton, Missouri, the for- mer of whom was a pioneer banker. They now have three children, Edwin Truman, born May 18, 1903; Robert Martin, born December 31, 1905; and Catherine, born July 11, 1909. Mr. Coman holds membership in St. Paul's Cathedral of Spokane and he is a member of its vestry. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons and has attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite, also holding degrees as Knight Templar and in the Mystic Shrine. From his college days he holds mem- bership in the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, Virginia Beta Chapter. His social nature finds expression in his membership in the Spokane, Spokane Athletic, Spokane Country, Inland and University Clubs.
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