Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 12

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western History
Number of Pages: 992

USA > Washington > Chelan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 12
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 12
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 12
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 12

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and will indicate to congress the rightful basis of our claim for admission into the union of states."

In the last paragraph of this quotation may be traced the central thought which appears to have actuated Governor Squire in his untiring efforts. To accomplish the admission of Wash- ington he spared no labor in collecting an ar- ray of statistical information that could be molded into powerful arguments for state- hood. And to these reports is due largely the great volume of immigration which flowed into the Territory on the wheels of the Northern Pacific railway. From 75,000 in 1880, the population increased to 210,000 in 1886. In the latter year this pioneer railroad company operated four hundred and fifty-five miles of railway within the boundaries of Washington; the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company two hundred and ninety-five miles ; the Colum- bia and Puget Sound Company forty-four miles, and the Olympia and Chehalis Company fifteen miles, which, together with other com- pleted lines, gave to the Territory eight hun- dred and sixty-six miles of railroad. The ef- fect on all industries may be easily conceived. The building of shipping tonnage was stimu- lated on the coast; the output of produce east- ward increased wonderfully. The wheat mar- ket was, at that period, still in the east, and in 1886 the Northern Pacific Company trans- ported 4,161 tone of wheat and 1,600 tons of other grains to the Mississippi river; the Ore- gon Railroad and Navigation Company took out 250,000 tons of wheat, flour and barley to southeastern points. These appear, at this date, insignificant figures compared with the present volume of grain business, but eighteen years ago they gave indubitable proof to the people of the eastern states of the remarkable fertility of the soil of Washington Territory.

Associated with Governor Squire in the Territorial offices were R. S. Greene, chief jus- tice; J. P. Hoyt, S. C. Wingard and George Turner, associate justices ; N. H. Owings, sec-

GENERAL HISTORY.

retary. The delegate to congress was Thomas H. Brents. The federal officers were John B. Allen, United States district attorney ; Jesse George, United States marshal; C. Bash, cus- toms collector ; C. B. Bagley and E. L. Heriff, internal revenue collectors ; William McMicken, surveyor-general; John F. Gowley, registrar, and J. R. Hayden, receiver of the United States land office at Olympia ; F. W. Sparling, regis- trar, and A. G. Marsh, receiver, of the Van- couver land office ; Joseph Jorgensen, registrar, and James Baden, receiver, at Walla Walla ; J. M. Armstrong, registrar, and John L. Wilson, receiver, at Spokane, and R. R. Kinne, reg- istrar, and J. M. Adams, receiver, at Yakima.

Governor Squire was succeeded in 1887 by Eugene Semple. Although a republican, he had won the confidence of a democratic admin- istration at Washington, D. C., and was re- tained in office long after his place could have been conveniently supplied with a democratic partisan. His attitude during the Chinese riots had done much to establish him in the estima- tion of President Cleveland. At the time of Semple's accession the questions of statehood and woman suffrage were agitating the people. Affairs were somewhat disquieted. The suff- rage question had been defeated by popular vote in 1878, but the legislature of 1883-4 had passed an act conferring this privilege upon women, and the act had been declared unconsti- tutional by the courts, but not until the women of the Territory had enjoyed the benefits of voting, holding office and serving on juries for two years, were they disfranchised. In 1886 woman suffrage became an exceedingly lively party issue : the republicans favoring, the dem- ocrats opposing the same. There had, also, been a "capital removal" scheme injected into the campaign, and strong "North Yakima" and "Ellensburg" factions developed in the "In- land Empire." A large number of those favor- ing statehood had assumed, upon what logical grounds is rather obscure, that with admission

into the union the "panhandle of Idaho, lost in 1863, would be restored to the state. This remote probability was, however, employed as an argument in favor of capital removal, but the strenuous "coasters" of the extreme west stoutly opposed a location of the seat of gov- ernment east of the Cascades, and the hopes of the Yakima Valley people were doomed to dis- appointment. During the second term of Gov- ernor Semple, Charles S. Voorhees succeeded Congressional Delegate Brents, and James Shields succeeded Hayden in the Olympia land office. N. H. Owings continued as secretary, R. A. Jones was chief justice, Frank Allyn, George Turner and W. G. Langford associate justices.

The fight for admission continued bravely. In 1886 the Tacoma board of trade resolved that "The commercial independence of Wash- ington Territory acompanying the completion of the Northern Pacific railroad to tide-water should be supplemented by its political inde- pendence as a state of the American union. Ad- mission can not in decency be delayed many years longer, whatever party influences may sway congress. The census of 1890 will show a population within the present limits of the Territory exceeding 200,000, and a property valuation of at least $200,000,000." Prev- iously the claims of Washington for admis- sion had been urged by Governor Squire in one of his reports, in forceful language, assigning among other reasons "the sterling, patriotic. and enterprising character of its citizens; its present and prospective maritime relations with the world ; its position as a border state on the confines of the dominion of Canada, the most powerful province of Great Britain; its wealth of natural resources and growing wealth of its people; the efficiency of its educational system. requiring that its school lands should be allotted and utilized: its riparian rights should be set- tled, capital and immigration encouraged, and the full management and control of municipal

GENERAL HISTORY.

and county affairs should be assumed by the legislature, which is not allowed during the Territorial condition."

According to the report of Governor Semple for 1888 the population of Washington Territory was 167,982; the taxable property was $84,621,182; the revenue produced by a tax of two and one-half mills, $212,734.92 ; the amount of coal mined, 1,133,801 tons ; the lum- ber output 320,848,203; the estimated capacity of the combined mills 1,043,796,000 feet ; the total railway mileage 1,157.3, broad-gauge, and 40 miles narrow-gauge. The same year an insane asylum at Steilacoom was completed at a cost of $100,000 and $60,000 appropriated for a hospital for the insane at Medical Lake. The citizens of Vancouver donated land, and the legislature appropriated money for the erection at that point of a school for defective youth. The national guard consisted of two regiments of infantry and one troop of cavalry.

Such, in rough outline, was the material condition of the Territory of Washington on the eve of statehood. On the anniversary of President Washington's birthday, February 22, 1889, congress passed an enabling act pro- posing the terms on which the Territory might be admitted into the union. By these pro- visions the governor was, on April 15, 1889, to call for the election of seventy-five delegates on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, to meet in constitutional convention at Olympia on July 4, 1889, for organization and formulation of a state constitution. The en- abling act by virtue of which Washington Ter- ritory was permitted to call a constitutional convention embraced other territories. Its title was as follows: "An act to provide for the division of Dakota into two states and to en- able the people of North Dakota. South Da- kota, Montana and Washington to form con- stitutions and state governments, and to be ad- mitted into the union on an equal footing with the original states, and to make donations of public lands to such states." The land grant to

Washington was: "For the establishment and maintenance of a scientific school, one hundred thousand acres; for state normal schools, one hundred thousand acres ; for public buildings at the state capital, in addition to the grant here- inbefore made, for that purpose, one hundred thousand acres; for state charitable, educa- tional and reformatory institutions, two hun- dred thousand acres."

To defray the expenses of the constitutional convention the sum of $20,000 was appropri- ated by congress. It was further provided that there should be appointed one district judge, United States attorney, and United States marshal; the state to constitute one judicial dis- trict to be attached to the ninth judicial dis- trict; the regular terms of court to commence in April and November ; the clerks of the courts to have their offices at the state capital; the judge to reside in the district and receive a salary of $3,500 per annum, and the courts of the state to become the successors of the terri- torial courts.

On July 4, 1889, the delegates elected to the constitutional convention proceeded to bus- iness at Olympia. Following is the represen- tation of the several counties :

Stevens, S. H. Manley, J. J. Travis; Spokane, C. P. Coey, George Turner, J. Z. Moore, J. J. Browne, T. C. Griffitts, H. F. Suksdor, Hiram E. Allen; Lincoln, H. W. Fairweather, B. B. Glascock, Frank M. Dal- lam; Kititas, J. A. Shoudy, A. Mires, J. T. McDonald; Whitman, J. P. T. McCloskey, C. H. Warner, E. H. Sullivan, J. M. Reed, James Hungate, George Comegys; Adams, D. Buchanan ; Garfield, S. C. Cosgrove; Franklin, W. B. Gray ; Columbia, M. M. Goodman, R. F. Sturvedant ; Walla Walla, Lewis Neace, D. J. Crowley, B. L. Sharpstein, N. G. Blalock ; Yakima, W. F. Prosser; Clarke, Louis Johns, A. A. Lindsley; Skamania, G. H. Stevenson ; Pacific, J. A. Burk; Wahiakum, O. A. Bowen ; Cowlitz, Jesse Van Name; Mason, Henry Winsor, John McReavy ; Chehalis, A. J. West;

GENERAL HISTORY.

Jefferson, Allen Weir, George H. Jones, H. C. Wilson; Skagit, James Power, Thomas Hayton, H. Clothier; Whatcom, J. J. Weisen- berger, E. Eldridge; Snohomish, A. Schooley ; Island, J. C. Kellogg; Kitsap, S. A. Dickey; King, R. Jeffs, T. T. Minor, T. P. Dyer, D. E. Dwrie, John P. Kinnear, John P. Hoyt, M. J. McElroy, Morgan Morgans, George W. Tibbetts, W. L. Newton ; Pierce, T. L. Stiles, P. C. Sullivan ; Gwin Hicks, H. M. Lillis, C. T. Fay, R. S. Moore, Robert Jamison ; Thurston, John T. Gowey, T. M. Reed, Francis Henry ; Lewis, O. H. Joy, S. H. Berry.

J. Z. Moore, of Spokane Falls, was elected temporary chairman of the convention, and Al- len Weir, of Port Townsend, was chosen tem- porary secretary. Permanent organization was effected by the election of John P. Hoyt, of Seattle, president, John I. Booge, Spokane Falls, chief clerk, and Clarence M. Bartin, Tacoma, reading clerk. The deliberations of the session occupied fifty days. At the election of October 1, 1889, the constitution framed by these seventy-five delegates, representing twen- ty-eight counties, was adopted by the people. All in all it was an instrument fairly well adapted to the requirements of the people of Washington. Although not extravagant the salaries allowed state officers were liberal; the corporations were treated impartially; it pro- vided for five supreme judges and ordained su- perior courts in all the counties ; fixed the num- ber of representatives at not less than sixty- three nor more than ninety-nine ; and the senate at nor more than half nor less than a third of that number; and claimed all tide-lands except such as had been patented by the United States. The question of woman suffrage, prohibition and capital removal were voted upon separately. Of the votes cast 40,152 were for adoption of the constitution and 11,879 against it. Pro- hibition was defeated by a vote of 31,487 to 19,546: woman suffrage was again laid aside by 34,513 votes against, and 16,527 for, that question, and for location of the state capital

Olympia received 25,490 votes ; North Yakima, 14,718; Ellensburg, 12,833; Centralia, 607; Yakima, 314; Pasco, 120; scattering, 1,088.

At this initial state election John L. Wilson was chosen for congressman and Elisha Pyre Ferry for governor. The other state officers elected were Charles E. Laughton, lieutenant governor; Allen Weir, secretary of state; A. A. Lindsley, treasurer; T. M. Reed, auditor; William C. Jones, attorney general ; Robert B. Bryan, superintendent of public instruction ; W. T. Forrest, commissioner of public lands. Ralph O. Dunbar, Theodore L. Stiles, John P. Hoyt, Thomas J. Anders and Elman Scott were elected to the supreme brench. All of these succeessful candidates were republicans. Of the one hundred and five members of the legis- lature elected one senator and six representa- tives were democrats. Following is the per- sonnel of the first Washington state senate and house of representatives

Senate-F. H. Luce, Adams, Franklin and Okanogan; C. G. Austin, Asotin and Garfield; C. T. Wooding, Chehalis: Henry Landes, Clallam, Jefferson and San Juan ; L. B. Clough, Clarke; H. H. Wolfe, Columbia; C. E. For- sythe, Cowlitz: J. M. Snow. Douglas and Ya- kima; Thomas Paine, Island and Skagit; W. D. Wood, J. H. Jones, O. D. Gilfoil, John R. Kinnear, W. V. Reinhart, King; W. H. Knee- land, Kitsap and Mason; E. T. Wilson, Kittitas: Jacob Hunsaker, Klickitat and Ska- mania; J. H. Long, Lewis; H. W. Fair- weather, Lincoln; B. A. Seaborg, Pacific and Wahkiakum; John S. Baker, L. F. Thompson, Henry Drum, Pierce; Henry Vestal, Snoho- mish; Alexander Watt, E. B. Hyde, B. C. Van Houton, Spokane; H. E. Houghton, Spokane and Stevens; N. H. Owings, Thurston; Platt A. Preston, George T. Thompson, Walla WValla; W. J. Parkinson, Whatcom; John C. Lawrence, J. T. Whaley, A. T. Farris, Whit- man.

House-W. K. Kennedy, Adams; Will- iam Farrish, Asotin; L. B. Nims, J. D. Med-

GENERAL HISTORY.

calf, Chehalis; Amos F. Shaw, John D. Geoghegan, S. S. Cook, Clarke; A. B. Luce, Clallam; A. H. Weatherford, H. B. Day, Col- umbia; Chandler, Huntington, Jr., Cowlitz; E. D. Nash, Douglas ; C. H. Flummerfell, Frank- lin; W. S. Oliphant, Garfield; George W. Morse, Island; Joseph Kuhn, Jefferson; J. T. Blackburn, W. C. Rutter, W. H. Hughes, Alex. Allen, W. J. Shinn, George Bothwell, F. W. Bird, F. B. Grant, King; M. S. Drew, Kit- sap; J. N. Power, J. P. Sharp, Kittitas ; Bruce F. Purdy, R. H. Blair, Klickitat ; S. C. Herren, Charles Gilchrist, Lewis ; P. R. Spencer, T. C. Blackfan, Lincoln; John McReavy, Mason; Henry Hamilton, Okanogan; Charles Foster, Pacific; George Browne, A. Hewitt, George B. Kandle, Oliff Peterson, James Knox, Stephen Judson, Pierce; J. E. Tucker, San Juan ; J. E. Edens, B. D. Minkler, Skagit ; George H. Stev- enson, Skamania ; Alexander Robertson, A. H. Eddy, Snohomish; J. W. Feighan, J. E. Gandy, S. C. Grubb, J. S. Brown, A. K. Clarke, E. B. Dean, Spokane; M. A. Randall, Stevens ; W. G. Bush, Francis Rotch, Thurston; Joseph G. Megler, Wahkiakum; Joseph Painter, Z. K. Straight, James Cornwall, Walla Walla; R. W. Montray, George Judson, Whatcom; J. C. Turner, E. R. Pickerell, J. T. Peterson, R. H. Hutchinson, B. R. Ostrander, Whitman; John Cleman, Yakima.

On joint ballot the republican majority of the legislature was ninety-six, thus insuring the election of two United States senators. Wat- son C. Squire and John B. Allen were elected, their respective votes on joint ballot being sev- enty-six and seventy-one. In the United States senate Mr. Squire drew the short term, expiring March 4, 1891, and Mr. Allen served the long

term, expiring March 4, 1893. In January, 1891, Mr. Squire was re-elected for six years. The omission of the signiture of Governor Mason to a certificate accompanying a copy of the constitution adopted, caused a delay in the proclamation of President Harrison, and in consequence of this the legislature had assem- bled before Washington was actualy a state. On November 11, 1889, the proclamation was issued by the President, attested by James G. Blaine, secretary of state, and Washington stepped into the ranks of that sisterhood at whom she had long looked with rather envious eyes. During the past fifteen years her course as a state has been one fulfilling the most san- guine expectations of her sponcors. Indeed, a retrospective glance shows scarcely one unwise step taken by the leading factors in her political and industrial history from the first agitation for territorial division until to-day.

At the date of admission into the union Washington had, approximately, a population of 200,000. The census of 1900 accords the state 518,103, and the past four years have ma- terially increased these figures. From twenty- eight counties at the period of admission the state now has thirty-six, and Indian reserva- tions to the number of fourteen. We can not more fittingly close this portion of our history than with the words of the late Julian Ralph, written ten years ago :

"Washington is in every material way a grand addition to the sisterhood of states. With the easy and rich fancy of the west, her people say that if you build a Chinese wall around Washington, the state will yield all that her inhabitants need without contributions from the outer world."

PART II.

HISTORY OF STEVENS COUNTY CHAPTER I.

FROM BEAVER PELT TO BALLOT BOX.

Facts supplying the context of preceding chapters lead to one definite conclusion : Had the Hudson's Bay Company retained its power north of the Columbia-an insidious power constantly encroaching on the territory to the south-industrial development in Stevens coun- ty would have been greatly retarded. Instead of being one of the oldest localities in Washing- ton in point of historical interest, it would have lingered in the shadow of primeval wilderness many years longer-steeped in the fatal policy of industrial stagnation-a mere game preserve for the wolf, bear, elk, muskrat and beaver. To that dire destiny it was surely doomed had not international events accumulated an impetus that rolled enterprise into the country on the wheels of Wyeth's and Whitman's wagons; infused life into an otherwise moribund domain. The seacoast of Washington would have been British possessions; civilization in that direc- tion would have been smothered; the enervat- ing reflex of sloth and ignorance would, un- doubtedly have exerted a most depressing influ- ence on all contiguous territory, and a powerful opiate would have been administered instead of a tonic. Mining exploitation would have been estopped on the threshold of discovery: agri- culture would have been stifled in infancy ; per- sonal ambition immolated on the altar of Brit-

ish greed. Such was certainly, the baleful trend of the Hudson's Bay Company's policy.

True, the claim of England for all territory north of the Columbia river, had it been al- lowed, would still have left the greater portion of modern Stevens county to the Americans; all but a small triangle bounded by the Columbia and Kettle rivers, and the 49th parallel. But modern Stevens county is only a fraction of the immmense district once designated by that name. Let us examine it. Originally its boundary commenced at the mouth of Snake river .; along this river to the 46th degree of north latitude; thence east along this parallel to the summit of the Rocky mountains, includ- ing the present "panhandle" of Idaho; thence north to the 49th parallel : thence west to the Columbia river, and down the mid-channnel of this stream to the place of beginning. This district embraced, aside from the Idaho "pan- handle," Franklin, Adams, Whitman, Spokane, Lincoln, Douglas and the major portion of the present Stevens county. To this domain were subsequently added what are now Ferry, Okan- ogan and a part of Chelan counties : the latter three all originally claimed as British posses- sions, together with all other territory westward to the coast. One school district in Stevens county embraced all the territory between Col-

HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

ville and Spangle, and between Idaho and the Columbia river ; not merely a missionary field for Indian tribes, but a legally apportioned school district for white settlers. Mr. Swift, an attorney-at-law, residing near Spokane Falls, was clerk of this Gargantuan district; M. M. Cowley, Yeaton and Poole, directors, and Mrs. Swift teacher.

Thus, it will be seen, the Stevens county of to-day is the result of a long period of territorial concentration ; a gradual narrowing of unwield- ly and, at times, indefinite boundaries. Origin- ally the name of Stevens county was Spokane. From the territorial statutes of 1858-9 it is learned that on January 28, 1858, the Wash- ington Territorial legislature passed a bill creat- ing the county of Spokane, the boundaries of which are defined in the act of January 17, 1860, which follows later in this chapter. The county seat was located on the place of Angus McLeod, with Lafayette Alexander, auditor ; Patrick McKenzie, sheriff; Robert Douglas, Jolın Owen and William McCreany, commis- sioners. These officials do not appear to have accomplished anything and, taking note of this fact, the legislature on January 18, 1859, nearly one year later, made a second attempt to orga- nize the county, and revived the bill which had, through the neglect of the officers named, be- come nugatory. Officers apppointed were Rob- ert Douglas, John McDougald and Angus Mc- Leod, commissioners; Thomas Brown, sheriff ; Patrick McKenzie, auditor; Thomas Stensgar, probate judge, and Solomon Pelky, justice of the peace. These men were empowered to hold their respective offices until the next regular election, or until their successors were elected and qualified. But the new officers, also, re- mained inactive, and up to January 17, 1860, Spokane county remained in an inchoate and unorganized condition. On January 11, 1860, the house passed "An act to creat and orga- nize the county of Spokane," as follows :

Section 1. Be it enacted by the legislative assembly of the Territory of Washington that all that part of the

Walla Walla country embraced within the following boundaries, to-wit : Commencing at the mouth of Snake river, following up said river mid-channel to (46th) forty-sixth parallel of north latitude; thence east along said parallel to the summit of the Rocky mountains; thence north following said summit to the (49th) forty-ninth parallel of north latitude; thence west along said parallel to the Columbia river; thence down mid-channel of said river to the place of begin- ning: The same is hereby constituted and organized into a separate county to be known and called Spokane county.

Sec. 2. That said territory shall compose a county for civil and military purposes and shall be under the same laws, rules, regulations and restrictions as all other counties in the Territory of Washington, and en- titled to elect the same officers as other counties are entitled to elect.

Sec. 3. That the county seat of said county be, and the same is hereby temporarily located on the land claim of Dr. Bates.

Sec 4. The following named persons are hereby appointed officers for said county, namely : Seaman, James Hoyt, and Jacques Demers, county commis- sioners; John Winn, sheriff, R. H. Rogers, treasurer, Douglas, auditor, J. R. Bates, justice of the peace, and F. Wolf, coroner, who shall hold their respective offices until the next annual election, and until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified. Before entering upon the discharge of the duties of their offices they shall comply with all existing laws relating to qualify- ing by giving bond and taking an official oath; said bonds may be approved by the persons named as county commissioners, or a majority of them, and the several persons named herein as officers may administer the oath of office to each other.

Sec. 5. Said county of Spokane shall constitute a part of the first judicial district, but for the purpose of hearing and determining all matters and causes in the district court, except those in which the United States is a party, it shall remain attached to the county of Walla Walla.

Sec. 6. All vacancies which may occur by the non- acceptance, death, removal or resignation of any of the persons above named, may be filled by the board of county commissioners, and they may also appoint such other officers as may be required for said county to hold their offices until the next general election and until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified.

Sec. 7. At the next general election the qualified voters of said county shall elect their county commis- sioners and all other county officers in the same manner as by law provided for other counties.

Sec. 8. Said county commissioners, when elected, as is in preceding section provided, shall hold their respective offices, one for one year, one for two years and one for three years, as shall at their first meeting after election be determined by lot.

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Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 12

Author: Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western History Number of Pages: 992

Author:
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western History
Number of Pages: 992