Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 27

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 27
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 27
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 27
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 27

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The history of the present town of Marcus dates from the year 1860. In that year the Brit- ish Boundary Commission, comprising a large party of men from the engineer corps of the English army, in charge of Colonel Hawkins, came to this part of the country. They first es- tablished themselves at a point a short distance south of the present town. In the autumn of this year the party moved to the banks of the Columbia river where Marcus now stands. Here they built a village of log huts, and some of them can still be seen. In 1862 the commis- sion completed its labors and retired from the scene.

The same year the initial store was estab- lished at Marcus by a man named Ferguson. He soon encountered opposition, for shortly afterward William Vernon Brown opened a second store. Marcus Oppenheimer, the home- steader of the site of Marcus, soon purchased Mr. Ferguson's interests at this point, and sub- sequently took his two brothers, Samuel and Joseph, into partnership with him. The Op- penheimers and Mr. Brown continued to con- duct their respective mercantile establishments at Marcus for many years, and the town devel- oped into quite a lively trading point. Their stocks of goods were brought in by freighters from Walla Walla. Communication with the north was had by means of the steamer "49," which was built in 1865. This boat navigated the Columbia river from Marcus to Canadian points above Revelstoke for twelve or fifteen years.

June 27, 1890, Marcus Oppenheimer, for whom the place was named, and Joseph Monag- han platted the town. Two other town sites

MEYERS FALLS OF THE COLVILLE RIVER.

TUM ..

BUILDINGS OF THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY'S POST. Near Marcus, as they appear to-day. The building on the left was the officers' quarters. The one in the center was the storehouse. Directly behind this was the fur house. To the right is the. Block House.

GRIST MILL AT MEYERS FALLS, STEVENS COUNTY.

Erected in 1872. replacing one built by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1830, which had taken the place of one erected in 1816.

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

have also been platted in this vicinity, but no towns resulted. East Marcus, a short distance up the Columbia river, was platted August 5, 1890, by E. D. Morrison and O. B. Nelson. Donald township, at the Kettle Falls of the Columbia, was platted by Donald McDonald December 5, 1891. Marcus continued to be a small trading post only, with its two stores, until 1896. Then the opening of the north half of the Colville reservation to mineral entry caused a stampede to this point and the town began to build rapidly and attained to consider- able importance.

At Marcus is an immense railroad bridge built by the Washington & Great Northern rail- road Company in 1901 when that road was ex- tended from Marcus to Republic. One hun- dred men were employed in its construction, which occupied a period of eight months. Mar- cus is located at the confluence of the Kettle and Columbia rivers fourteen miles northwest from Colville. It is on the Spokane Falls & Northern railroad and is the eastern terminus of the Washington & Great Northern. Its elevation is 1,263 feet. It has a population of about 200 people, a good school with an attendance of 50; no churches; one lodge, the Red Men; and a cable ferry. Across the river are fine forests- sufficient timber to supply saw mills for many years. None has been located here as yet, but it is only a question of time when lumbering will become the principal industry. There are a number of promising mines on the west side of the river.

MEYERS FALLS.

Beautiful, historic Meyers Falls.

And the material advantages of the town are, in their way, fully equal to the picturesque- ness of its location. With the possible excep- tion of Spokane Falls, Meyers Falls, about one mile south of the town of the same name, are the greatest falls, so far as concerns commer- cial value, in the state of Washington. This immense power is, at present, following humble

lines. It simply drives a saw mill and an elec- tric light plant. At the lowest water stage 3,000 horse-power is available from the falls. The falls and surrounding land are owned ex- clusively by L. W. Meyers, who homesteaded the property.

But it is not only the beauty of the falls and their possible utility that are to be considered in this work. The history connected with this romantic spot dates back as far, and possibly farther, than any point in Stevens county. On this subject the earlier pioneers of the country differ. Here the Hudson's Bay Company, per- ceiving the advantages offered by the powerful falls, established a post and built a grist mill in 1816, which they operated for fourteen years. Then, about 1830, it was torn down and a new mill erected in its place. November 19, 1866, Mr. L. W. Meyers, who came here from east- ern Canada, secured control of the mill and operated it in this building until 1872 when the structure becoming rotten, he razed it to the ground and erected the present mill, using the floor and some of the timbers of the old edifice. Mr. Meyers operated this mill until about 1889 when it was discontinued. In 1876 Mr. Meyers opened a store on his ranch, three miles due east from the falls, which he conducted until 1900.

Another historical institution near the town of Meyers Falls is the Goodwin Mission, two miles east of the town. This was established about 1870, the original site being a trifle south- east of the present place. Its official title is St. Francis Regis Mission. On the first site se- lected the Catholic principals held their school for three years and then removed it to the pres- ent beautiful location. The priests in charge were Fathers Militry, De Grasse and Louis. Nine teachers were employed in 1902, the period of the last report, and there was an at- tendance of 150 scholars. The expenses for the year 1902 were $8.500. There are two build- ings, commodious structures, one for boys and the other devoted to girls.

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

In 1889 D. C. Corbin extended his railroad to Meyers Falls. It was his original intention to build the road along the Colville river past the falls and locate the town at the falls. Mr. Meyers offered to cede a large tract of land for. this purpose. The company demanded a part interest in the water power, but this Meyers re- fused and the road was finally built through the present townsite of Meyers Falls. There is, however, some talk of changing the present line, a survey having been made at the falls, one mile south. This change is contemplated owing to a heavy grade between Meyers Falls and Marcus, which is 2.5 per cent, the distance being five miles. By the contemplated change the distance would be twelve miles and the grade .6 per cent.

The town was named after L. W. Myers, who has been a resident of the county since 1862. The first building erected within the limits of the townsite was for store and resi- dence purposes. It was erected in the winter of 1890 by Mrs. L. E. Blackmore, and in Jan- uary, 1891, she opened a store there. The post- office was established the same year and G. B. Ide, now a resident of Colville, was made post- master. Mr. Ide built a small real estate office and utilized a portion of the space for postal purposes. In 1892 this building burned and only the Blackmore store remained in the town. June 16, 1893, the Blackmore building also burned and, until she could erect a new edifice, there was no town of Meyers Falls. In 1897 the second store was established by George E. Meyers, son of L. W. Meyers, the pioneer. The former is still in business, as is Mrs. Black- more, now Mrs. White, but still conducting the business under the name of Blackmore.

Meyers Falls is a town of about 300 souls, picturesquely located and is a good shippping point. There are no organized churches. The Woodmen of the World and the Modern Woodmen of America both have local camps. The town is provided with an excellent school. employing two teachers with an average attend- ance of seventy. A stage line runs to Kettle

Falls and other points south, a distance of sev- enty miles.

KETTLE FALLS.

At the opening of the year 1888 only one small and humble log cabin stood among the sombre pines on the present site of Kettle Falls. The cabin had been erected by the Hon. Marcy H. Randall. This man was convinced that such a massive water power must, sooner or later, be utilized and he squatted on the picturesque bluff overlooking it determined in his convic- tion that "everything comes to the man who waits." The little cabin still stands, moss- grown and weather beaten. The writer, while visiting the falls, climbed the bluff to this pio- neer residence. The walls are of logs, the joints, inside and out, being "pointed" with clay. Rough boards cover the roof ; spaces be- tween them are overlaid with tar paper. The site is picturesque-a bit of charming western scenery.

Soon others saw the possibilities of a loca- tion in this vicinity. Mr. Randall was joined by John Kinzie, Captain James McCormick, Vernon Glass, Louis Blue, Christ McDonald and others. They secured homesteads, or rather squatted upon land on this level plateau overlooking the mighty Columbia, near which the town of Kettle Falls is now built. Others who secured locations here were Mrs. L. C. P. Haskins, who built a cabin lower down at the confluence of the Colville and Columbia rivers ; James Budd and Peter Hacking, who took land on which the original townsite was platted. Doubtless the country in the immediate vicinity of the Kettle Falls of the Columbia would have been thickly settled before now but for a certain ruling of Land Commissioner Sparks in March,. 1888. At that period the whole of the country tributary to Kettle Falls, twenty-two townships in all, was thrown out of the market as a fraud- ulent survey. It was, however, accepted by a later administration as correct, thus giving the:

TAS

Camille

COLVILLE, COUNTY SEAT OF STEVENS COUNTY.

KETTLE FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER.

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

squatters-for they were nothing more than squatters-an opportunity to prove up and se- cure titles to their lands. This was done in the fall and winter of 1889.

"Why D. C. Corbin did not build his rail- road by way of the Kettle Falls ?" is a question that will probably never be answered. A sur- vey had been run to include the falls, and close to the site of the present town. But this plan was changed and a much more unsatisfactory route selected owing to the heavy grade to be overcome. Whatever the reason for this change the fact remains that Kettle Falls was left to one side and as a consequence the town suffers. The first sign of activity in Kettle Falls was manifested in the autumn of 1889 when the townsite was platted. The Spokane Falls Review of January 1, 1890, said : "Three months ago about forty souls could be counted within a radius of three miles, while today there is a population of four hundred inhabi- tants." While the change had been wonderful in these three months what a greater change was witnessed in the growth of the town dur- ing that year! Where a few months before there was nothing but gloomy, sighing forests, in 1891 appeared a city! Pines, spruce, firs and tamaracks disappeared. In their places the most enterprising town in the western part of the United States made its magical appearance. Broad streets and avenues lined on either side by handsome business blocks, public buildings and princely residences sprung up to attract the attention of an entire state. Twelve miles of twelve-foot plank sidewalk were constructed. The handsomest and best appointed hotel west of Helena, Mont., was located where a few months before the foot of man had not trod. This hotel was constructed at a cost of $18,000. The furnishings, which are described as magni- ficent, were purchased in Saginaw, Mich., at a cost of $9,200. Two houses of worship and a public school building of handsome architect- ural design were built. A public library build- ing of brick, containing several hundred vol-

umes, was located in the central portion of the town. A system of water works was estab- lished. An electric lighting system, conducted on a magnificent scale, was in operation. Hugh Monro, one of the pioneers of this magic town, in conversation with the writer, said that one of the most picturesque sights he ever witnessed was the town of Kettle Falls at night during the "boom" times. Standing on the bank of the Columbia river the view that met his eyes was one never to be forgotten. The forests on the mountains formed a background, and for. miles and miles the scene was illuminated by electric lights. On every corner of the business section of the city (and the business section included no small amount of territory) was an arc light, and throughout the residence portion of the town, which included about one thousand acres, every other corner was supplied with an arc light. On the ridge to the north and east of the town was a row of electric lights which formed a quadrant around the city. A newspaper was established and for one week a daily paper was issued.

Here then, was a city of perhaps one thous- and people sprung up, it might be said, in a night, supplied with all the conveniences and luxuries of a metropolis. Here was civilization in its most pronounced effects. Across the river and within a few hundred rods of the brilliantly illumed city were howling savages from the Colville reservation, who gazed in wonder at the spectacular transformation of the wilder- ness. Coyotes howled at the tresspassers on their territory.

But what was the reason for the appearance of this municipal blossom in the wilderness? There had been many "boom" towns in the west, especially in mining camps, which had sprung up luxuriantly and acquired a large pop- ulation in a remarkably short time. But there had never been anything in history to equal the spontaneity of this coltish town in the magni- ficence of its planning and the elaborateness of its buildings. To John W. Goss, who, in 1889,

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

was a member of the wholesale hardware firm of Holly, Mason, Marks & Company, of Spo- kane, and who was also interested in banking in that city, belongs the honor of originating the idea of building the metropolis of the north- west at Kettle Falls. He had visited the place and recognized the value of the falls as a source of driving power for manufacturing industries. Mr. Goss had formerly been engaged in the wholesale hardware business at Rochester, N. Y., and he decided to interest his friends in the formation of a company to build a city at this point. With this end in view he corresponded with Mr. W. B. Aris, who had formerly been a traveling salesman for his company, and in whom he recognized a suitable man to promote the scheme. Mr. Aris became interested in the proposition, visited the site with Mr. Goss, and returned to New York with glowing accounts of the possibilities of the state of Washington and the Columbia river-Kettle Falls in par- ticular.

Mr. Aris found no difficulty in financing the enterprise and organizing the Rochester & Kettle Falls Land Company, which was capi- talized at $500,000. It may be well to state here that the company was formed from friends of Mr. Aris and that after organization Mr. Goss, who was the originator of the scheme, never had a controlling interest in the company, and had very little to do with it. It had been Mr. Goss's intention to interest Spokane capi- tal, but this did not eventuate. The officers and members of the Rochester & Kettle Falls Land Company were :

George Walter Weaver, president ; Horace C. Brewster, vice president ; William C. Wait, secretary ; William B. Aris, treasurer and gen- eral manager. The trustees were George Wal- ter Weaver, Rochester; Horace C. Brewster, William C. Wait, William B. Aris, H. P. Ran- ger. George S. Morley, Arthur Luetchford, Bernard Felock. Conrad Eckhardt, L. C. Hu- ber. all of Rochester, N. Y .: F. D. Sherwood, Hornellsville, N. Y .: Harvey Hoag, Medina,

N. Y .; W. H. Dick, Dansville, N. Y. The executive committee comprised W. B. Aris, Horace C. Brewster, H. P. Ranger and George S. Morley, all of Rochester, N. Y.

Mr. Aris, as general manager, became the practical head of the concern, and it was prin- cipally through his instrumentality that Kettle Falls bloomed into existence, and under his di- rection that all these marvelous improvements were made. Forty acres each were donated from the ranches of Mrs. L. C. P. Haskins, James Budd and Peter Hacking to the Roches- ter company for townsite purposes and the com- pany acquired in all about one thousand acres of land. It was the first intention of the organi- zation to locate the town at the falls, but this land was owned by the Jesuits and could not be procured at any price. It was then decided to plant the city on the present site.

More funds were required by the company to further. the elaborate plans for the building of the city. Mr. Aris concluded to interest other eastern capitalists in the enterprise. He repaired to New York for the announced pur- pose of procuring an excursion train of possible investors to visit the new town and, also, to bring out those who had already invested. Mr. Aris did not meet with the success that he ex- pected, but he induced most of those already interested and a few others to form a party and make the trip to Washington. Two special cars were chartered and in the spring of 1891 they arrived in Kettle Falls. Following their arrival the Kettle Falls Pioneer issued a daily edition-for a week. To these easterners the town, as viewed from handsome half-tone cuts. and imagined from the perusal of flamboyant booklets, as they sat in their comfortable homes in the Empire State and the town of Kettle Falls as it really was in 1891. were two entirely different propositions. They were fatigued with the long ride, sore and disgusted. A meet- ing of the stockholders was held at the Roches- ter hotel, where the different parties interested voiced their views. They appeared ready to

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

throw up the sponge, and unequivocally de- clared that they would invest no more money in the enterprise. In vain did Mr. Aris elo- quently voice his belief and enthusiasm. Those who had already invested in the town could see no possible future benefit in contributing more ; those who had come looking for investment could not but be influenced by the others. The Rochester party remained but a few days and then turned their faces toward Genessee Falls, New York.

The effect of this visit was depressing. Town lots which sold for $1,500 on the day of the arrival of this distinguished party, could on the following day be purchased for from $300 to $400 apiece. During the fall of 1903 Ste- vens county held a sale of property acquired by delinquent tax proceedings and lots in Kettle Falls sold at from fifty cents to $10 each.

For a short period the town was at a stand- still; then began retrogression. The sumptu- ous Hotel Rochester was closed and the gorge- ous upholstery removed. Many residence houses which had sprung up in the thriving town now became vacant. Some of the owners of these houses to prevent them from going to waste, and in order to realize something on them, disposed of them at great sacrifice to new settlers and they were removed to near-by ranches. It is said that at least forty houses were thus taken from this once glorious, but ephemeral city.

Kettle Falls is four miles from Meyers Falls and twelve miles from Colville. Its elevation is 1,200 feet above sea level, the climate mild and dry. The town derives its name from the falls which have always been known as Kettle, which name originated from the hollows formed in the rocks. These depressions were caused by boulders brought down by the current of the river, and rotating rapidly, wearing a number of wells in the rocks, each of which is about three feet in diameter, and ten feet deep. These are technically known as "pot-holes," the natives giving them the name of "kettles."

The river is nearly half a mile wide at this point and in some places one hundred feet deep, with islands in the center. A vast body of water passes over these falls and the power facilities are almost incalculable.

Following the granting of a petition for in- corporation, signed by seventy-two electors of Kettle Falls, a special election was called for December 8, 1891. Although the result of the vote was in favor of incorporation the election was declared void, and another one was called for May 20, 1892. The result was favorable to incorporation, and the town was declared to be in the fourth class. The following officials were elected : Robert Ledgerwood, mayor; Peter Hacking, James J. Budd, Henry D. Quinby, Charles A. Phipps and S. M. Hinman, councilmen ; George W. Washburn, treasurer.

As one wends his way from the present town of Kettle Falls to the falls in the Columbia lie encounters a large frame building situated in the heart of the woods. This structure is all that remains, or in fact all that ever was, of the town of Stevens which was intended to have become the metropolis of the northwest, and of which a historical sketch is given in another portion of this work.

The site of the old Jesuit chapel is a most beautiful spot. A grassy field surrounded by open timber near the end of a high promontory, and commanding a magnificent view of the Columbia Valley, the great river stretching away to the north and the valley dotted with farms and skirted by mountain ranges; this is the view from the ancient site. This historic landmark is situated a few hundred yards back from the eastern bank of the falls. The mission was known as St. Paul's Chapel, and was erected in 1858. A former building once stood on the same site, erected as early as 1846. The present chapel is built entirely of logs and not a nail was used in its construction, wooden pegs being utilized instead. Therein can be seen a huge fireplace, and outside a chimney made of sun-dried brick.

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

The first fair under the auspices of the Stevens County Industrial Association was held at Kettle Falls in September, 1895. The dis- play of fruits, vegetables and other agricultu- ral products was excellent. Many of these ex- hibits were taken to the Spokane Fruit Fair of that year where they captured prizes.

The present Kettle Falls is a town of about 350 inhabitants. It lies scattered over an exten- sive territory extending from the confluence of the Colville and Columbia rivers up the latter stream for a distance of at least a mile. The immense and ornate Hotel Rochester building stands, like "Tara's halls," deserted, the melan- choly scene of the Rochester & Kettle Falls Land Company's Waterloo. Thanks to the boomers the town has now a handsome school building, two commodious church edifices and a public library. As a rule the citizens are firm in their conviction that the town has a future, and there is no reason to gainsay this hope. There is every reason to believe that the Spo- kane Falls & Northern Railroad Company will, within a short time, change the course of its road to avoid the heavy grade between Meyers Falls and Marcus. Should this eventuate the line will strike within a short distance of Kettle Falls. The town has a bank, Presbyterian and Seventh Day Adventist churches, one hundred and one pupils enrolled in the public schools which employ two teachers; W. O. W .. Odd Fellows and Masonic lodges, the latter having a fine new hall erected in 1903, and an O. E. S. chapter recently organized. There are stage lines to Meyers Falls and all points along the Columbia river.

CHEWELAH.

The first white man who ever looked upon the site upon which the town of Chewelah is located was. beyond a doubt. Solomon Pelcher. The date of his arrival here is uncertain. To some of the settlers who came to this point in 1882 Pelcher made the surprising statement

that he had first visited the site of Chewelah forty years previous to that date, which, if true, would fix the date of his advent in 1842. Mr. Pelcher died several years since and is buried near Chewelah. To Mr. Tom Brown, of Chew- lah, belongs the honor of being the surviving pioneer of this town. Outside of the employees of the Hudson's Bay Company there are only one or two white men whose arrival in Stevens county antedates that of Mr. Brown.

In 1854 a party comprising Brown, his wife, three daughters and one son, and James Sickler, entered Stevens county. They were of Scottish birth, on their way from Canada to the gold fields of California. Brown had with him a number of head of stock. The win- ter was severe and Brown decided to pass the cold weather where they were, which was near the present site of Addy. Sickler pushed on to the south and a few years later, was killed in Portland, Oregon. Renouncing the California trip Brown concluded to make his home here, and he built a cabin in the wilderness near Addy where he engaged in farming and stock rais- ing. In 1859, with his family, he removed to the future Chewelah where he has since resided. Purchasing a farm from an Indian he founded a home. For a number of years he was in the government service carrying the mail from a point below Spokane Falls to Fort Colville. He also secured a contract from the govern- ment to furnish forage rations for troops on their way to and from Fort Colville. His place became a kind of public inn where he accommo- dated wayfarers on their way between the old military fort at Pinkney City and other points. For many years Brown was the one lonely white settler in this part of Colville Valley. But in the 60's a few white men had located here and a public school was established, Miss Mary, daughter of Thomas Brown, being the teacher, her school room a portion of Brown's house. A government Indian agency was established at the place where now stands Chewelah in 1873. A stone grist mill was erected to which the In-

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Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 27

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