Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 24

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 24
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 24
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 24
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 24

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"J. Pohle, malting establishment, $4,000; residences : M. R. Peck. $2,300; Hershberger.

$1,600; John Cowling, $800; Mrs. Cameron, $1,000; George Reynolds, $800; Dick Fry, $800; Ed Sherwood, $550; Thomas Williams, $550; W. H. Wright, store, $500; C. W. Hall, store, $400; S. A. Chamberlain, residence, $400; W. Moorhead, addition to residence, $400; L. B. Harvey, addition to residence, $350; Colville Paint Company, office and ware- house, $350; L. W. Meyers, improvements, $300 ; G. B. Ide, addition to residence, $225 ; W E. Parmelee, addition to residence, $200; A. W. Miles, residence, $200 ; Louis Perras, brick root house, $150; Gardner & Baker, improvements, $75; A. J. Lee, improvements, $500; A. A. Barnett, improvements, $150; H. G. Kirk- patrick, improvements, $75."

In 1900 the Spokane Galvanized Wire Pipe Company, of which H. Orchard was the head, was granted a franchise to install and operate a system of waterworks in the town of Colville. The town council contracted with this company for the use of the water for fire purposes, and on August 14 the water was accepted by the council. Later there was considerable dis- agreement between the council and the com- pany as to the price to be paid by the town for its water, the council claiming that $25 per month was the stipulated price, while the water company demanded $30 per month. Thus mat- ters drifted along until 1902 when W. B. Hewes secured a controlling interest in the company, and changed the name of the corpor- ation to the Colville Water Power & Develop- ment Company. The system is now in success- ful operation and giving universal satisfaction. The water is obtained from a spring situated about one mile southeast of the business por- tion of the town, and is piped to all parts of the city from the company's reservoir.

Colville has a post office of the third class, and in addition to receiving two mails a day, it is the distributing point for two rural free de- livery systems. One route is to the Narcease country, eleven miles southeast, the trip being made daily. The other is a star route to Echo,

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eleven miles north, and the trip is made on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The first commencement exercises of the public schools held in Colville ocurred Satur- day evening, May 18, 1900. In the educational affairs of Stevens county this occasion marked an important period. The members of the grammar school class of 1900 were, mainly resi- dents of Colville, and they received the hearty congratulations of friends for having so success- fully and satisfactorily completed their work in the eighth grade. The exercises were conducted at the Olympic Theatre, which had been taste- fully and appropriately decorated for this schol- astic occasion. There were present the board of directors of the Colville schools, Professor Say- lor, superintendent of the city schools of Spokane, Professor J. E. M. Bailey, and all of these gentlemen were seated near the graduat- ing class. To Miss Mary Suig was accorded the honor of delivering the salutatory address ; Master George Zent was the valedictorian. President Rickey, of the board of directors, pre- sented the diplomas. There were fourteen members in the class and the event reflected high credit upon their efforts and the conscien- tious work of their teachers.

September 3 the public schools of Colville reopened with the addition of a ninth grade, or more properly, high school "first year." This advanced course included work in algebra, philosophy literature, rhetoric, word study and physical geopraphy. Ample facilities were also provided for such as desired to take up courses in bookkeeping, shorthand and type- writing in addition to the elementary studies of the high school. No tuition fee was charged for any of these special lines of work. On the day named the school opened with an excellent enrollment, there being a number of students from out of town, including one from Ross- land, B. C.

Friday evening, May 24, 1901, was held the second annual commencement. This class numbered six members-Gertrude Bashaw,

Etta Zent, Olive Bryan, May Cameron, Mig- ' non Jones and Bird Nelson. County Superin- tendent W. L. Sax delivered an appropriate address to the large audience assembled, the central thought of which was confined to the work of a district high school. He expressed the hope, as well as the conviction, that when the question came before the people that it would receive the unanimous support of the electors. At that period it was proposed to build a high school structure. The Stevens County Reveille of May 30, said :

"Much credit is due Prof. J. E. M. Bailey for the able manner in which he has conducted the school for the past two years, and he has been ably assisted by the efficient corps of teachers under him, and also by the patrons of the schools."

Saturday, July 27, a special election was held for the purpose of voting upon a proposi- tion to levy a ten-mill tax to build an addition to the school house. It was in the nature of a dual proposition and resulted as follows: For new building, 40; against building, 62; for ten-mill tax, 33; against tax, 77. The total enrollment of the Colville public schools in 1903 was 215. A ninth and tenth grade were maintained, the former comprising five, and the latter four pupils. The course of studies was raised in order to unite the two grades in the study of European history and rhetoric, there- by lessening the number of daily recitations. The eighth grade consisted of twenty-two pupils.

The Colville fire department has been not- able for a number of reorganizations. March 16, 1901, was the occasion of one of them, when a preliminary meeting was held which was followed on the evening of the 18th by an- other at which a permanent organization was effected. Dr. Harvey was elected chief, Charles Wingham, assistant, and R. E. Lee secretary and treasurer. The same month a hose cart was purchased by the city, which had, prev- iously, in June, 1900, bought five hydrants at

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

$30 each, and 700 feet of hose costing $391. During the spring of 1903 the Colville depart- ment was again reorganized. James Petty was appointed chief. Prior to this period there had been no fire house, and interest in the organiza- tion had waned perceptibly. Following the election of Mr. Petty as head of the department the city council erected a new hose house at a cost of $300 and authorized the purchase of new apparatus. At present, owing to the ex- cellent water pressure, the town is afforded the best possible protection against fire. Hydrants are situated in convenient places in different portions of the town, and the esprit du corps of the department is above reproach.

There are in the town of Colville the fol- lowing fraternal societies : A. F. & A. M., Col- ville Lodge No. 57; R. A. M., Colville Chapter No. 20; Order of the Eastern Star, Colville Chapter No. 57 ; Independent Order Odd Fel- lows, Colville Lodge No. 109; Rebecca, Faith- ful Lodge No. 90; Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, Tamarack Camp No. 9215; Grand Army of the Republic, General John M. Corse Post, No. 98, Department of Washington and Alaska ; and the Woodmen of the World.

May 20, 1886, a dispensation was granted to the A. F. & A. M., and the first meeting was held June 23, 1886. The lodge received its charter June 3, 1887. The initial officers were Christopher K. Gilson, W. M., A. A. Barnett, S. W., A. M. Anderson, J. W. Colville Chap- ter No. 57, Order of the Eastern Star, was or- ganized February 5, 1900, with nineteen men- bers and the following officers : Mrs. Elizabeth Brouilett, Matron ; John B. Slater, Patron and Mrs. Delva Smith, Associate Matron. The chapter was chartered in June, 1900, and was organized under the charter July 13, 1900. Colville Chapter No. 20, Royal Arch Masons, was organized May 21, 1900, and established under its charter July 28, 1900.

In March, 1899 a meeting was held at the law office of Judge King for the purpose of organizing a post of the Grand Army of the

Republic. D. C. Ely was chosen chairman and Thomas King secretary. A number of the veterans present signed a petition to depart- ment headquarters asking that a G. A. R. post be established at Colville. They were A. F. Perkins, William Day. John O'Brien, Ed- ward Cox, Hugh Weir, John Salvage, Samuel A. Chamberlain, Austin Prouty, David Fisher, and Thomas J. Baldaidge. The name of Gen- eral John M. Corse was selected for the new post, and the members were formally mus- tered in during the May following. A. F. Per- kins was elected commander, C. W. Campbell, adjutant and Mr. Cox, quartermaster.

There are four church societies in Colville, Congregational, Baptist, Free Methodist and Catholic. All have comfortable and commo- dious church edifices with the exception of the Baptists, and that organization is now erecting a handsome place of worship.

The electric lights of the Northwestern Light & Power Company were first turned on in Colville Saturday, August 22, 1903. The result was satisfactory in every particular, and it was one of the important events in the devel- opment of the industrial side of Stevens county history. The promoters of the enterprise leased from L. W. Meyers, owner of the falls in the river, at Meyers Falls, a minimum of 3,000 horse power, with a privilege of increasing the supply as the business of the company should demand. The plant was installed by the Wag- ner-Bullock Company of Cincinnati and St. Louis. The power at present is furnished through the medium of a three-hundred horse- power Lafelle water wheel. This operates a generator with a capacity of 2,600 lines of 16- candle power each. The electricity is trans- mitted over high tension wire from Meyers Falls to Colville, twelve miles, and here it passes through transformers which furnish the incandescent and arc lights from the same cir- cuit. This system will include the towns of Colville, Meyers Falls, Kettle Falls, Marcus, Bossburg and Northport. The Northport

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smelter will, also, be supplied with light and power, and its owners have contracted with the company for a period of five years. The North- western Light & Power Company was organ- ized early in May, 1903, and the enterprise has been promoted entirely by local capitalists. The officers of the company are: President, F. G. Finucane, manager of the Bank of Montreal, at Spokane; vice president, C. W. Winter, cashier and manager of the Bank of Colville; secretary and treasurer, T. A. Winter, assistant cashier of the Bank of Colville. The principal place of business is Colville.

NORTHPORT.

Northport, the "Smelter City," and the port of entry, is the most populous town in Stevens county. It was so named by the town- site company that located it, because the topo- graphy of the country between Northport and the boundary line between the United States and British Columbia, demonstrated the fact that it was destined to be the most northern town on the line of the Spokane Falls & North- ern railway. True, the little town of Boundary was established-a town of practically one family-but events have sustained the wisdom of establishing Northport as the port of entry.

In the spring of 1892 the present site of the city of Northport, now the metropolis of Ste- vens county, was simply a prettily wooded flat. Three log cabins were to be found in the vicin- ity occupied by homesteaders. These home- steads constitute the present townsite. They were held by A. V. Downs, Fred Farquhar and Frank George, the latter at one time superin- tendent of construction of the Spokane Falls & Northern railway. These men became spon- sors for the permanency of the future townsite. Within the space of a few short months the primeval woods were converted into a lively city. May 28, 1892, the town was dedicated, by the Northport Townsite Company, E. J. Roberts, president ; A. F. Herrick, secretary.

The initial enterprise established was a general store by T. L. Savage. At this period Mr. Savage was collector of the port. Previously he had been engaged in the mercantile business at Kettle Falls. But that particular "boom" town was waning; falling into municipal inepti- tude and decrepitude, and Mr. Savage, aware of the fact that the Spokane Falls & Northern railroad was headed this way, decided to re- move his stock of goods to Northport. W. A. F. Case, present postmaster of Northport, was manager of the new enterprise, and about June I, the store was opened in a small log cabin on the present site of Mr. Savage's big store.

The second business house erected in the young metropolis was built by W. P. Hughes. This was occupied by the post office and the Northport News, of which Mr. Hughes was editor and proprietor. The latter came under a contract with D. C. Corbin, promoter and constructor of the railroad, to build the town of Northport. The establishment of the News by Mr. Hughes, where there was practically only a "paper town," was considerable of a venture and it was, in reality, a "country newspaper." At the time the plant was installed there was no railroad, or even wagon roads-nothing save a trail through the mountains could be traced to the present town of Northport. But over this, after surmounting innumerable difficulties, Mr. Hughes and his printer, C. F. Murphy, now editor of the Northport Republican, suc- ceeded in bringing in the plant with ox teams. On the nation's birthday, July 4. 1892, the Northport News made its first appearance. At this early period a dozen souls could, probably, be numbered as inhabitants of the "town"- consisting of two buildings and a few tents. Doubtless the most interesting item of news in the paper was the one giving currency to a re- port that there was, actually, a town of North- port; establishing "a local habitation and a name." The News said :

"Seldom in the annals of journalism has it been necessary for a new paper to explain for

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the benefit and enlightenment of its contempor- aries where it exists and who are its expected patrons.

"Yet, save within a circumscribed area, one may presume that a certain ignorance anent Northport exists, and the reasons for such a presumtion are as various as they are plausible. The most recently published map of the United States ; the most comprehensive atlas; the very latest gazeteer, none of them indicate the loca- tion of Northport; none of them recognize its existence. The census taker has passed it by ; it has so far enjoyed no place in history; a month or two ago it was a beautiful wooded flat ; today it is already a town; tomorrow-a few tomorrows hence, at any rate-it will be a city."

Tuesday, August 9, the young town had a narrow escape from destruction by fire. Con- cerning this event the News says :

"The entire fire brigade was called out Tuesday afternoon to fight a fire in the timber at the southern portion of the townsite. A fire had been burning around that neighborhood for about two weeks, but little attention was paid to it, as it was thought it would die out of its own accord. About noon, Tuesday, a stiff wind sprung up from the south fanning the blaze until a fire commenced to run toward the business part of the town, causing wide- spread alarm. A large crowd of men then turned out and fought it by making a path and back-firing. Fortunately about this time the wind changed to the north and the fighters won the victory by sucessfully stopping the fire from reaching any building."

August 5, 1892, the Northport saw mill began operations. William Smith, R. L. Bar- low, W. R. Lee and H. Viet were the proprie- tors. The Spokane Falls & Northern railroad, which had been built to the Little Dalles in 1900, and upon which for nearly two years work had been suspended, in the fall of 1892 was extended to Northport. In the language of the Northport News :

"Sunday, September 18, was the eventful day the railroad reached Northport, and the sight of E. J. Roberts, the energetic chief en- gineer of the Spokane Falls & Northern rail- road, clothed in a long duster and a regulation broad-brimmed army hat, walking with slow and majestic tread and commanding mien, giv- ing his orders in a clear and forcible voice to a large crowd of men who were following him, putting ties in their proper places and laying rails, with the construction train slowly moving along behind the whole, was a pleasing and astonishing sight, and one that will never be forgotten by the pioneers of Northport, the future mining, milling, smelting and agricul- tural city of northeastern Washington."

The first passenger train ran into the town two days later. A box-car was utilized as a depot until a suitable structure could be erected. The arrival of this railroad signified much to the new town, and prosperous times resulted. For a few months Northport was the terminus of the railroad. Then work was recommenced and the road extended to Nelson, B. C., the following year. Northport was headquarters for this railroad work for many months, about one thousand men being employed in construc- tion, and they making the town their temporary home.

At the period the railroad had Little Dalles for a terminus there was a line of boats plying the Columbia river between that point and Ravelstoke, B. C. This was the Kootenai Steamship Company. The boats in commission were the Columbia, a passenger boat having a capacity of two hundred people. The Kootenai was the first boat constructed. The Illicilla- waet was a small freight boat. At Ravelstoke the boats connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway. After the Spokane Falls & Northern road reached Northport the boats plied be- tween this point and Ravelstoke. The steam- ship line was discontinued when the road was built to Nelson. The boats herein named were the first ; others were built later.

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

October 8 an interesting meeting was held for the purpose of organizing a mining district. There was an attendance of twenty-five people, and it was unanimously decided to organize a district with the following boundary lines : Be- ginning at the international boundary line of the United States and British Columbia, on Kettle River; thence southerly along said river to a point west of the "Young America" mine; thence east to the Metaline District, or mines; thence north to the international boundary line; thence west along said line to the place of be- ginning to Kettle Falls, the district to be known as the "Northport Mining District." The rea- sons for desiring to organize this particular dis- trict were that it would save miners consider- able trouble, expense and delay in recording their location and other notices. W. P. Hughes was elected recorder of the district.

During the fall of 1892 a school was estab- lished at Northport. At this period the coun- ty's finances were not in condition to warrant much aid to a school at this place. There were, however, about 30 children of school age in Northport and vicinity, and a meeting was held October 8, at which Thomas Nagle, County Superintendent of Schools, was present. He decided to form a district with the following boundaries; commencing on the Columbia river, and international boundary line; thence along said line to a point at the northwest corner of the Metaline Dis- trict; thence south to the southeast corner of the Metaline District; thence west to a point just below "Pete's," (or the Little Dalles on the Columbia;) thence northerly along the Columbia river to the place of beginning. Messrs. F. E. Seriver, A. Bishop and W. M. Blake were elected trustees and W. F. Case, clerk. Mr. Nagle informed the people of Northport that the county could at this time spend only money to pay the teachers, and that the citizens would be compelled to provide a building for the proposed school. The people immediately raised $235 by popular subscrip-

tion, and erected a building at a cost of $150. School was opened Monday, December 12, with twelve pupils. Miss Hogg was installed as temporary teacher, and within a short time was succeeded by Mrs. William Haven, the first regularly employed teacher in Northport. At this period all but a very small portion of the townsite was covered by a dense forest, and in the shadows of these woods the school building was erected but a short distance from the "busi- ness part" of the town. Many considered it a rather unwise plan to locate the school so far away, but the logic of subsequent events proved that it was an eligible location, for with the steady growth of the town the residence portion extended a mile beyond the school house.

The post office that supplied Northport and vicinity with mail during these pioneer days possesses quite an interesting history. This office was established at Little Dalles, some six miles below Northport, in 1901, Cy Town- send was postmaster. When the railroad was built through there a terminus was made four miles below the present townsite of Northport. To accommodate the people Mr. Townsend placed the post office building on a flat car and removed it to the end of the road. In Septem- ber, 1892, the road was pushed on through to Northport, which left the former terminus "out in the cold." Consequently Mr. Townsend again moved the building and business to this end of the line, locating near the steamer land- ing. Shortly afterward it was again removed, this time to Columbia avenue, where mail was regularly distributed to the people of North- port, although the post office was officially lo- cated at Little Dalles. While this primitive post office was at the end of the railroad, a few miles below Northport, the government's affairs were conducted in a manner that would have caused consternation at Washington, ac- cepting some of the narratives of the old tim- ers. Mr. Townsend, also, conducted a saloon at this place. When the mail pouch was deliv- ered it was his custom to open it in the saloon,

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spread the mail on the bar, and invite the in- habitants to "step up and select their mail." One day a post office inspector dropped into town, without immediately revealing his iden- tity, and witnessed a proceeding of this kind. After the saloon was empty the inspector made himself known. and the following colloquy is said to have taken place :

"Is this your customary way of distributing mail?" inquired the inspector.

"Yes," replied Mr. Townsend, "that's about the way we work it here."

"Well, don't you know that this is irregu- lar? You should never open the pouch in the saloon."

"I don't know whether it's regular or not. but I guess people around here are satisfied."

"Where do you keep your registered let- ters ? Under lock and key?"

"No: I got them back here under the bar, and when anybody comes in who has a regis- tered letter I give it to him."

"Well, this is very irregular and must be stopped. You are working for the govern- ment, and if you expect to hold your position you must conduct affairs differently in the fu- ture."

"Now, see here; you may be a post office inspector, all right, and be privileged to come around here asking questions and telling me what to do, but I want you to understand this : I never asked for this position, and am simply acting as postmaster to accommodate the people around here. They are satisfied with the way I run things, and if they are the government ought to be. You can take your d -. d post office any time you want to," and the post office which consisted of a pasteboard shoe box, in which were a few letters, landed in the street in front of the saloon.

It is a matter of record, however, that Mr. Townsend continued to act as postmaster until an office was established at Northport and there was no material change in the manner of con- ducting the delivery of the mails.

January 1, 1893, an office was established at Northport, and W. P. Hughes was made postmaster.

Although the beginning of the year 1893 witnessed the arrival of about one thousand railroad workmen, and in their wake hundreds of other people, the order maintained in North- port was excellent. Speaking of this feature the News of January 5, says: "Notwithstand- ing the roar and rush and bubble and life of Northport, there has not been a shooting scrape nor highway robbery so far."

Monday, May 8, 1893, occurred North- port's first great fire. "That date will ever be held in remembrance with horror by present citizens of Northport," said the News, speak- ing of the disaster, "on account of the terrible fire that fastened its remorseless fangs on the best business buildings of the town, and laid them and their contents on the ground, a huge mass of ruins."

The fire broke out at about 3 :30 o'clock p. m., in the small building in the rear of William Eaton's saloon. It was discovered by Fred Johnson. of the Silver Crown. He at once raised the alarm, and with several others ran to the scene. They found the door securely fastened, but proceeded to break it down. So soon as this was accomplished a vast cloud of smoke rolled forth, and nothing in the room was visible. No water was at hand, and conse- quently it was next to impossible to combat the fiery element. The small building was soon a mass of flames, and within a few minutes from the discovery of the fire, the ceiling of the main building of Mr. Eaton was in flames, They spread to both sides of Mr. Eaton's build- ing, taking the Big Bend Company's store, Mrs. M. Eagan's restaurant. Jerry Spellman's sa- loon, Cy Townsend's saloon and lodging house O'Hare & Kellerman's restaurant and meat market building. and Col. Pinkston's lodging house. By extra exertions the new building of John Burn and two or three smaller buildings were saved. Within two hours from the time

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Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 24

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