USA > Washington > Chelan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 15
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 15
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 15
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 15
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"At Missoula a consultation was held.
Governor Stevens was anxious to get to the capital of the new Territory to enter upon his duties as governor, but he did not want to give up his surveying project. Provisions were running low, and to leave a great number of his force behind was out of the question. Stevens called for volunteers to remain be- hind and proceed with the survey to Puget Sound, while the main body proceeded directly to Olympia. Captain John Mullan, to whom the greatest credit is due for the surveying of the route, was given command of these volun- teers. Those who responded and formed the company were Captain John Mullan, James Doty, Tom Adams, Fred Burr, C. Williams, John Farnsworth, William Simpson, Richard Osgood, Henry Pearson, George Simpson, Tom Osgood, F. M. Ruby, Corporal Richard Rose, W. Gates, Albert Sohon, I. Thuhill, E. Williamson, Francis Wolff. For fourteen months this party conducted the surveying op- erations and suffered untold hardships, finally arriving at Fort Owens in the Bitter Root valley and going into camp at Camp Stevens, one and one-half miles north of Fort Owens."
To Mr. Wolff undoubtedly belongs the dis- tinction of having brought the first wagons to the Colville country. In 1856 he came from The Dalles, Oregon, bringing with him three wagons and a number of horses. In those days there were no roads-only a trail-and considerable difficulty was experienced by Mr. Wolff in getting the wagons here safely. At the Snake and Spokane rivers the crossing was made by lashing two Indian canoes together and placing a wagon on them. The horses, of course, swam across the streams. In 1877 Mr. Wolff made a trip to Walla Walla. In passing through the country south of here, he says, he found it in a very unsettled condition, and while on this trip he witnessed a stampede to Walla Walla from what are now the counties of Lincoln and Douglas, on account of an In- dian scare. He says the fears of the stampeders were unfounded, and the excitement due to the
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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.
fact that most of the settlers were new arrivals from the east and totally unacquainted with conditions. A few cattle had been killed by the Indians in the "coulee country," but so far as he could learn these were the only depreda- tions committed. Many sections of the Big Bend country were depopulated by this mad stampede to Walla Walla.
At the time of the present writing there have been three legal executions in Stevens county. In 1872 an Indian named Standist Law was hanged in Pinkney City for the mur- der of a miner, across the Columbia river. His apprehension was brought about through in- formation furnished by some of his putative friends. In 1879 an Indian named Andrew was executed for the murder of George Reemer, a farmer, living at Garrison Flat, only sixty or seventy yards from the military post. In 1881 one Michael, an Indian, murdered a man named Shaffer, who conducted a grocery store in Pinkney City, the same place where Reemer was killed. For this crime he paid the penalty on the gallows.
The subject of roads has always been an important one with the commissioners of Stev- ens county, and it is but just to say that within the present boundaries of the county there are as good roads as can be found anywhere in the state. At the meeting of the board July 10, 1865, the report of C. H. Montgomery, road supervisor, was read and ordered filed. The report contained many wholesome recommen- dations, and the following action was taken by the commissioners on the different roads of the county :
"That the road from Pinkney City to the Spokane river stand as recorded in the road book, June 2, 1864, and the old military road to be kept in passable repair until the super- visor shall locate the route from Francis Uback's but from that point to Walker's prairie, shall be located and opened by him, so soon as he can do so, Joseph P. Null. J. J. Murphy, C. H. Montgomery, to go with him and view the
portion of the road from Francis Uback's to the old government pack bridge, on both sides of the valley ; the viewers to report to the audi- tor and their decision to be final, and on being recorded by the auditor shall be the county road."
Action was deferred on the Little Dalles wagon road, but the commissioners decided that should it become necessary they would call an extra session to pass upon it. It was de- cided at this meeting that the trail to the Pend d'Oreille river should be cut, and that the road supervisor should be authorized to advertise for proposals for cutting the same, the contract to be let to the lowest bidder, with a proviso that no bid shall exceed $500 for the entire distance. The same course was ordered to be pursued with the Pack Creek as with the Pend d'Oreille trail. On November 28, 1865, C. H. Mont- gomery was ordered to make a new road lead- ing from the "Bruce place" to the Little Dalles, and he was authorized to enter into contract for the construction of the same at any sum not exceeding $2,000. At the same session a peti- tion was drawn addressed to the representative from Stevens county asking him to oppose all appropriations for toll roads in the county. as the people were fully able to make all necessary roads in this section.
April 16, 1866, the commissioners organ- ized the following road districts :
No. 1-From old Fort Colville to Marcus Openheimer's up the valley on both sides of the river ; G. B. Wannacott, Supervisor.
No. 2-From Marcus Openheimer's to Jo- seph Roberts' house, at Stranger's bridge, on both sides of the river; John Genick, super- visor.
No. 3-From Joseph Roberts' to Spokane river, on both sides of the river ; Magnus Flett. supervisor.
No. 4-From Pinkney City to Little Dalles; Robert Bruce, supervisor. Three new election precincts were also created, at Pinkney City, Little Dalles and Old Fort Colville. On
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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.
June 28, 1866, the board enacted that road district No. 3 should extend from the house of Joseph Roberts (including his house) to Snake river, and across the White Bluffs, and the supervisor was empowered to appoint some suitable person in any part of the district to oversee the labor thereon. August 13, 1866, a road was ordered built from Solomon Pelter's house through White Mud valley to "H. La- fleur's grocery stand."
Concerning the finances of Stevens county in these early days the following will prove of interest : At the meeting of the commissioners of June 16, 1863, J. R. Bates, treasurer, came before the board for the purpose of settlement. He presented a statement of his various ac- counts for 1862, showing that he had received $2,587.58, and that he had expended : County orders redeemed, $1,881.98; interest fees to R. H. Douglas, $8.12; school fund of 1861, cash in hands of treasurer, $277.02; school fund of 1862, cash in hands of treasurer, $122.26; Territorial tax of 1861, $116.01 ; Territorial tax of 1862, $56.22; war tax of 1862, $50; cash on hand $0.79; county order, fees for recording and disbursing $85.18; total $2,587.58.
May 4, 1863, the commissioners ordered that the value of grain in Stevens county should be assessed as follows: Wheat, $1.50 per bushel; oats, barley and potatoes, $1 ; flour, $8 per hundred pounds. The taxes levied for county purposes were four mills on the dollar.
At the meeting of the commissioners of November 20, 1863, the auditor was instructed to write Dr. Toby, representing the county in the Territorial assembly, to secure the immedi- ate passage of a bill taxing Chinamen, the tax to be $1.50 per month, or $4.50 per quarter, the tax to be collected by the sheriff, that officer to be allowed 20 per cent of such collections, and the treasurer and auditor their usual fees, as in the case of other public moneys. A reso- lution was also passed to the effect "that Stev-
ens county be annexed to this, the citizens hav- ing failed to organize." In the commissioners' proceedings of January 23, 1864, the county is referred to as Spokane. At the succeeding meeting, May 2, 1864, it is called Stevens county.
January 23, 1864, the jail specifications were taken up and examined, following which the new jail was inspected and found to have been erected according to contract, upon which it was formally accepted. At this meeting the jail building was discussed at length, the com- missioners finally ordering the county auditor to settle with the contractor, George M. Daven- dorf, and to pay him the balance of the con- tract price, $700, in county orders, the same to draw interest from date. The auditor was, also, instructed to return to Mr. Davendorf the money deposited by him as security for per- formance of the jail contract. At the meeting of March 1, 1864, the office of sheriff, L. T. Marshall, incumbent, was declared vacant, as Mr. Marshall had been absent from the Terri- tory for over nine months, and was delinquent in the amount of $95. Suit was ordered to be commenced against his bondsmen, and H. P. Steward was appointed to fill the vacancy in the office of sheriff, until the next general election. On May 4, of the same year, the commissioners instructed the county treasurer to pay county orders in nothing but green- backs. February 12, 1865. F. W. Perkins was appointed county auditor in place of Park Winans, the latter having forfeited his right to appoint a deputy by an absence from the county of over six months. Therefore the office was declared vacant and filled by the selection of Mr. Perkins, May 8, the same year, the board passed a resolution to the effect that the auditorship had been forfeited by Mr. Winans, not through loss of residence, but owing to his continued absence.
Following is the financial statement of the county of Stevens, February 12, 1865 :
6
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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.
Total amount of money received since November 2, 1863, to November 24, 1864. .$ 9,874 02
Amount disbursed :
Delinquent tax list 1864.
1,402 00
County orders redeemed.
3,781 99
Territorial orders by Judge Oliphant. 380 00
County court
161 00
School superintendent's salary
25 00
Sent to Olympia. 138 00
Delinquent tax list, 1863, not received.
Borrowed by county from school fund, paid Davendorf
600 00
Treasurer's fees
248 42
Sheriff's per cent, Chinese.
3 77
Police tax
765 00
Interest on County orders.
7 37
Amount in treasurer's hands :
Territorial
946 26
Amount county orders redeemed since No- vember
956 88
School funds on hand.
213 20
Roads and poll tax.
149 00
$ 9,877 89
From the assessment rolls of May, 1865, we find that the price of grain was fixed as follows : Wheat, $1.75; oats, 75 cents ; barley, $1.25; potatoes, $1.50. Yet about one year later, in June, 1866, wheat was taxed at $3 a bushel, oats $1.50, and potatoes $1.50. In 1865 the tax apportionment was eight mills on the dollar; Territorial tax four mills; school two mills ; road ten mills ; road poll tax $5, and $3 a day allowed for road labor. In 1866 the Territorial assessment was three mills; school three mills and county eight mills. The road property tax was twenty cents on $100; poll tax two day's work for $4 each man.
February 5, 1867, agitation began for the purchase of a court house, a price of $500 being fixed for the same, and Sheriff George Young was appointed to negotiate the deal. February 23 a deed was given to C. H. Montgomery and approved. The purchase of the Douglas house was suggested. and it was resolved to secure this building provided it could be bought for $500 in coin, or $666.66 in greenbacks. April 12 a deed for this property was given to R. H. Douglas and accepted, and $666.66 paid in legal tender notes. April
12, 1867, the commissioners took up the question of building another road "from where the Cottonwood creek crosses the Walla Walla road to intersect with the Mullan road, at or near, Antonio Plant's, and it was enacted that the supervisors of different districts be re- quested to call out such men as have signed the road petition to work on said road on or before the first day of October, 1867, and also that there shall be a new bridge built on Fool's Prairie, and also such other work as shall be deemed necessary for a good road between Grame's and Cottonwood creek." On May 4 the commissioners ordered that the road from Cottonwood creek to Spokane bridge be a county road. May 4, 1868, it was ordered that the Territorial fund then in the treasury be turned over into the county fund from time to time until the Territorial warrant for $841.64 be satisfied. May 2, 1869, a new voting pre- cinct was established at Vogh's ferry, on the Pend d'Oreille river. June 28, 1869, the com- missioners found that the county was in debt by outstanding orders $3,369.84, from which, deducting $1,390.32 due from the Territory to the county, left an indebtedness of $1,979.52, which, together with the indebtedness of the county to the school fund of $1,400, left a total liability of $3.379.52. In the fall of 1869 the commissioners appeared to have considerable difficulty in collecting licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors, and there were frequent appearances of notices like the following :
"Ordered that all persons selling liquors by retail be notified to pay all arrears of license due and all persons selling without license to take out license."
November 1, 1869. on petition of George Wait and others, it was ordered that the county road from Colville to Walla Walla be changed so as to run on the west side of Colville valley. May 4, 1870, a new election precinct was estab- lished at Union Flat, at the house of H. Mur- ton. June 22, 1870, it was found that the county was indebted by outstanding orders
1
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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.
$7,234.86. Deducting the amount of county funds on hand as shown by the auditor's books, $1,430, remaining in the treasury, the actual indebtedness was $5,804.86.
At a meeting of the commissioners held May 6, 1872, in order that all persons in the county entitled to the elective franchise might be afforded an opportunity of exercising it at the approaching election the board proceeded to organize the following election precincts and to appoint officers thereof for the election of June 3, 1872.
Che-we-lah Election Precinct-Boundaries : north by a line running east and west three miles south of the Twelve Mile House; east by Little Spokane; south by main Spokane; west by Columbia river. Place of voting, school house.
Pine Grove Election Precinct-Boundaries : North by Hangman's creek and Spokane river to Monaghan's bridge; west by Walla Walla and Colville road to where said road crosses Crab creek; south by a line running easterly to the house of A. Himes, including Mr. Himes and Mr. Wells in said precinct, thence north- easterly by Monroes to Hangman's creek where said creek crosses the line between Idaho and Washington. Place of voting, store of Mon- tague's.
Pine Creek Precinct-Boundaries : South by Whitman county; west by Colville and Walla Walla road; north by Pine Grove pre- cinct; east by Idaho. Voting place, the house of T. F. Favorite.
Spokane Bridge Precinct - Boundaries : South and west by Hangman's creek, Spokane and Little Spokane; north by Pend d' Oreille river ; east by Idaho. Voting place, A. C. Ken- dal's store.
Crab Creek Precinct-Boundaries : North by Spokane river; east by Colville and Walla Walla road; South by Whitman county ; west by Columbia river. Place of voting, house of H. L. White.
The reader will remember that Whitman
county was established November 21, 1871, by setting off a certain portion of territory from Stevens county. It appears that this act left Whitman county in debt to Stevens county, and on November 25, 1872, the commissioners of Stevens county proceeded to consider this matter of indebtedness. It was shown that cer- tain provisions of the law organizing Whitman county in respect to the issue of orders covering its proportion of the liabilities of Stevens county had not been complied with, and the auditor was directed to transmit the following letter to the auditor of Whitman county :
Fort Colville, Nov. 25, 1872 Auditor of Whitman County.
SIR :- At a special session of the board of com- missioners held this day, I am directed to call the at- tention of the commissioners and auditor of Whitman to the following extract from the act of the Territorial legislature organizing your county, approved November 29, 1871 :
"The said Whitman county shall issue county orders in favor of Stevens county for that amount. And the county auditor of Whitman county shall transmit to the county auditor of Stevens county before the first day of July, A. D., 1872, the amount of county orders that shall fall due, Whitman county to issue in favor of Stevens county."
Pursuant to the above I am instructed to demand of the board of commissioners and auditor of Whitman county an immediate compliance therewith and to ask that the order, or orders in question be dated as pro- vided in the act referred to, and also be properly en- dorsed so that interest may accrue thereon.
As a matter of convenience in respect to the re- demption of the issues in favor of this county, I beg to suggest that the amount be covered by orders of the denomination of $100. Please transmit by registered letter. You have a certified statement of the amount of our regular and supplementary assessment, but take the aggregate of your taxable property as published in the Olympia papers. Please send your supplementary . roll. Please acknowledge receipt.
It appears that the above letter did not pro- duce the desired results, for we find that on May 5, 1873, the commissioners of Stevens county ordered the auditor to forward the nec- essary papers to the prosecuting attorney au- thorizing him to commence suit against Whit- man county, and to procure such help as he may deem necessary to secure judgment against the
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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.
delinquent county. During the following year it appears little satisfaction was secured, con- cerning this financial matter, for at a board meeting May 24, 1874, the Stevens county commissioners ordered the auditor to take legal advice in relation to the Whitman county order, "and ask if we cannot get the money and refuse the order." However, it was decided that the the auditor deposit the Whitman county order, which, it seems, had been paid in bulk sum, re- gardless of the request of Stevens county to cut it into amounts of $100 each, with the treas- urer, subject to the order of the Stevens county commissioners. September 23, of the same year, it was ordered that the "county auditor turn over to Mr. I. H. Wells the county order now deposited with the county treasurer and known as the Whitman county order, amount- ing to $1,342.56, taking a receipt for said order and the amount thereof from Mr. Wells, and that Mr. Wells present said order to the county treasurer of Whitman county for payment of principal and interest, and in case there are not sufficient funds to pay said order, or any part thereof, then to split said order, principal and interest, into smaller orders of the denomina- tion of $100 each; Mr. Wells then to deposit at his earliest opportunity the amount or order re- ceived for said order with the treasurer of Stevens county, taking a receipt for the same, to be subject to the order of the treasurer of Stevens county."
January 5, 1875, Mr. Wells presented the order to the treasurer of Whitman county, but it was not paid for lack of funds. Neither would the treasurer split it up into smaller orders, although Mr. Wells requested him to do so. Finally this celebrated order was brought back and deposited once more with the treasurer of Stevens county. January 9, 1875. the Whitman county order was sold to Henry Wellington for $1,700 (in Stevens county or- ders). It was dated May 18, 1874, and was for $1.342.50, interest amounting to $316.04. Thus Stevens county cleared $41.46.
It becomes necessary to revert to May 7, 1872, when we find that pusuant to an act of the Territorial legislature it became incumbent upon the commissioners of Walla Walla, Whit- man and Stevens counties, to appoint each a commissioner to view and locate a Territorial road from Walla Walla to Colville, and on the part of Stevens county J. R. Courtnay was se- lected as commissioner. Mr. Courtnay met with the other commissioners, assisted in the survey of this road and was paid for his serv- ices $310.50. Concerning the subject of road building Mr. John Ricky says:
"At this time the several counties put con- siderable work on this road, fixing up the old military road and building a part of it anew, until a first-class road was established as a Ter- ritorial road."
May 7, 1874, the commissioners established the Four Lake Election Precinct, embracing all the territory between Willow Springs, Rock creek, north and south, and the Colville and Walla Walla road; Lake creek, east and west. The voting place was at the residence of C. Murphy. September 22, the same year, Spo- kane Falls Election Precinct was established, bounded as follows: Commencing at the mouth of Hangman's creek, thence up the creek ten miles; thence east ten miles; thence north ten miles (more or less) to Spokane river; thence west down Spokane river to the place first named. Polls were established at the store of Mathema & Company. The following day the commissioners abolished the election precinct of Pine Creek. "there not being sufficient vot- ers, and ordered that said precinct be included in Pine Grove Precinct, and that the auditor notify Mr. Favorite of this order."
May 5, 1875, a complication arose concern- ing the office of county auditor. From the pro- ceedings of that date we find that the county commissioners ordered that the resignation of J. R. Kinsley, as auditor be spread on the min- utes, of which resignation the following is a copy :
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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.
"COLV LLE, W. T., March 18, 1875.
"To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of Stevens County, W. T.
"Gentlemen : I herewith tender my resigna- tion as auditor of Stevens county, W. T., to take effect at the regular May meeting.
"(Signed) J. R. KINSEY."
It appears that Mr. Kinsley reconsidered his action in resigning, for at the meeting of May 6, the letter appended herewith appears spread upon the records :
"COLVILLE, May 3, 1875.
"To the Honorable Board of Commissioners.
"Gentlemen : I do hereby give notice that I respectfully withdraw my resignation placed in your hands, dated March 18, 1875, as county auditor. Respectfully,
"(Signed) JOHN R. KINSLEY, "County Auditor."
A majority of the board refused to accept this withdrawal, the vote standing, L. W. My- ers and D. T. Percival, opposed to acceptance ; J. Lamona in favor of it. The same majority accepted the resignation of Mr. Kinsley, and it was ordered that the office of county auditor be declared vacant. To this action Mr. Kinsley presented a written protest as follows:
"FORT COLVILLE, W. T., May 6, 1875. "Gentlemen of the Board of Commissioners :
"I, John R. Kinsley, auditor of Stevens
county, protest against the action of the board of county commissioners in declaring the office of county auditor vacant, as arbitrary and con- trary to law, and I refuse to surrender the office.
"(Signed) JOHN R. KINSLEY, "County Auditor."
Through the action of Percival and Myers S. F. Sherwood was appointed auditor of Stevens county, Commissioner Lamona pro- testing against such appointment "unless Mr. Kinsley be removed by due course of law; in that event he would sustain Mr. Sherwood."
But Messrs. Percival and Myers continued the work, and approved the bond of Mr. Sher- wood, for $3,000, with Max Weil and Henry Wellington as sureties. Mr. Kinsley was then ordered to turn over all books and papers be- longing to the office of auditor to S. F. Sher- wood, and to this proposition Mr. Kinsley promptly refused. Mr. Sherwood was then re- quested to take immediate possession of the office, and to remove the lock from the door of the office and place thereon a new one. Sheriff John U. Hofstetter was also ordered to secure a new lock for the court house, and although Commissioner Lamona strongly protested against this forcible possession of the office, the majority carried the day, and Mr. Sherwood continued to hold the fort.
CHAPTER II.
MATERIAL PROGRESS FROM 1871 TO 1903.
From the original Stevens county there have been sliced the important political di- visions of Spokane, Whitman, Adams, Frank- lin, Lincoln, Douglas, Ferry, Okanogan and a portion of Chelan counties. Yet in 1871 in all that vast territory, under the jurisdiction of Colville, as the county seat. there was a voting
population of less than three hundred, and a total population, exclusive of Indians, of less than one thousand. The most populous por- tion of the district, at the period named, was the Colville valley. A list of the various farms, ranches, "sites" or residences of the white in- habitants, prepared for the information of the
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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.
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