Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 31

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 31
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 31
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 31
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 31

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year of its life were Mr. Dow, a graduate of Oberlin, and Mr. Rode, who had been grad- uated from an Illinois college and taken his A. M. degree at Columbia. They worked hard for the school at great personal sacrifice and did much to maintain the high standard of excel- lence of the school.

During the fall and winter of 1901 efforts were made to secure aid for the school from the Congregational Educational Society of Boston, and from the churches of eastern Wash- ington. A meeting of importance to the future of ' the academy was held in Spokane in December. There were present Revs. George R. Wallace, F. W. Walters, F. V. Hoyt and Clarence Ross Gale, of Spokane, Rev. S. G. Krause, of Hillyard, Rev. J. Owens, of Mullan, Idaho, W. H. Short, of Deer Park, S. B. L. Penrose, of Walla Walla, and J. T. Percival, of Spokane. The situation and prospects were discussed and a memorial was drawn up and signed calling upon the Congregational Educa- tional Society and the churches of eastern Washington to come to the aid of the academy. Some assistance was received but not sufficient to warrant a continuance of the school, and it was closed.

At a special meeting held in Colville and district 36, north of that city in April, 1902, the proposition of forming a union high school carried. Colville also voted to purchase the property of Eells Academy, including about three acres of land, the two-story frame school building, library, school furniture, etc. Thus after six years of the hardest kind of a struggle Eells Academy went under. The people of Colville loyally supported the institution from first to last and many of the instructors per- formed their duties at great personal sacri- fice. With commensurate assistance from out- side sources the school would have been an institution to point to with pride.

The year 1897 witnessed greater activity

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

in educational matters in Stevens county than for many years. Bossburg and Northport · found it necessary to build new school houses on account of increased patronage, and for the same reason the capacity of the Colville public schools was doubled. The Eells Academy reopened under a new management that year, and all over the county interest in educational matters was manifest. Another academy was established in Stevens county in 1898. The Columbia Academy, an Adventist school, opened its doors at Kettle Falls that year. A building combining a church and school was erected and for four years the school continued. During the first two years the attendance was light, but later the school met withi better success and there was a liberal attendance. Miss Reith was principal in 1899, I. C. Colcord in 1900 and James Barclay in 1901.

May 18, 1900, was the date of the first commencement ever held in Stevens county. At that time a class of fourteen completed the grammar school work of the Colville public school, and were presented their diplomas. The salutatory address was given by Miss Mary Surig, and George Zent delivered the valedic- tory address. The same year witnessed the establishment of the first high school in the county. Colville has the honor of being the initial town to organize a school in which were taught higher branches than the common school afford. Only the first year's course of high school work was established at the time, but later a second years' course was added.

The report of County Superintendent W. L. Sax for the school year ending June 30, 1903, contains many items of interest in regard to the standing of the public schools of Stevens county at the present time. The total number of children between the ages of five and twenty- one years residing in the county was 4,483, and of this number 3,743 were enrolled in the county's schools, the average daily attendance being 2,289. On an average school was main-

tained six and one-quarter months during the year. One hundred and twenty teachers were employed. The average monthly salary of male teachers was $51.50; female, $48.75. During the year eighty-five pupils were grad- uated from the common schools of the county. Two log and seven frame school houses were built during the year; making a total in the county of ninety-four-twenty-seven log struc- tures and sixty-five frame and two brick. The estimated value of these buildings, including the grounds, is $53,055, and they have a seating capacity of 4,058. Mr. Sax estimates the value of all the county's school property, including buildings, grounds, furniture, apparatus, maps, charts, libraries, etc., at $71,605, and the prop- erty is covered by insurance to an amount of $21,850.

There are at this date 107 school districts in the county, of which eleven were organized during the past year. Six of these districts furnish free text-books to the scholars. Thir- teen of the districts have no school houses. The number of teachers that would be required to conduct all the schools of the county, were they in session at the same time, is one hundred and twenty-six. Four of the county's instructors hold state certificates, eight have elementary cer- tificates from the normal department of the State University, twelve have first grade county certificates, thirty-six second grade and twenty- one third grade. The following is an exhibit of the schools' finances for the year ending June 30, 1903 :

RECEIPTS.

Balance in hands of county treasurer July I, 1902, to credit of school districts. .$24.901 81 Amount apportioned to districts by county sup- erintendent-state funds. 32,873 34

Apportioned from county funds. 5,771 39 Amount received from roads having special levy 18,142 02

Amount received from sale of bonds. 5,300 00- Amount received from others sources. 1,443 93

Total $88,432 49

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

EXPENDITURES.

Teachers wages $28,592 30

Rents, repairs, fuel, etc 6,460 35 Sites, buildings, furniture, apparatus, libraries 11,978 78

Interest on bonds 2,276 62

Interest on warrants 1,920 93

Redemption of bonds 3,400 00

Amount on all other funds paid, including funds transferred to other districts. 683 25

Total paid out 55,312 23

Balance on hand June 30, 1903. 33,120 26

Total

$88,432 49

Graded schools are maintained at Colville, Springdale, Chewelah, Northport, Newport, Kettle Falls and Meyers Falls. At Colville on September 3, 1900, the first high school in the county began. Only the ninth grade was or- ganized at that time, but later the tenth, or second year in the high school, was added. At Northport and Chewelah the first year's high school course is maintained.

The first teachers' institute convened at Col-

ville on July 9, 1890, with only ten teachers in attendance. Since that time much interest has been taken in these training schools and they have come to be considered essentials of the teacher's work. Institutes have been held in 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1899, 1900, 1902 and 1903. During the past few years there has been much interest taken in the matter of school libraries. As late as 1891 we find that there was not a school in the county supplied with a library. In fact the superintendent's report for that year states that there were but two districts in the county having unabridged dic- tionaries. Since that time, however, there have been rapid strides in the way of procuring school libraries. We find that in 1903 there are 2,059 volumes in the libraries of Stevens county's public schools, an increase of 594 vol- umes over the previous year. The districts maintaining the largest libraries are Colville, 300; White Lake, 157; Springdale, 107; Union Falls, 150; Bossburg, 109; Northport, 108; Marcus, 116; Clark's Lake, 107.

HENRY WEATHERWAX.

HENRY KELLER.

RICHARD P. SCOTT.

CLARENCE E. ROSS.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES STEVENS COUNTY

HENRY WEATHERWAX. Among Stevens county's most wealthy and influential stock men and agriculturists is the subject of this article. He is also one of the earliest pio- neers and his people were the first white family to settle scuth from Chewelah. Since those early days, Mr. Weatherwax has devoted him- self steadily to business and has been blessed with the prosperity that belongs to industry and wisdom. He located a squatter's claim on a piece of land, the right to which he had pur- chased front the last settler and which he later homesteaded. To this he added by purchase until he now has seven hundred and eighty acres of first class land. Five hundred acres of this domain are laid under tribute to produce grain and hay and Mr. Weatherwax reaps annually bounteous crops. His farm is improved in a manner commensurate with its extent and he is one of the most substantial men of the valley. He handles about one hundred and fifty head of cattle each year and now has one hundred head of fine thoroughbreds and grades.

Henry Weatherwax was born in Jackson, Michigan, January 18, 1846, the son of Henry and Christiana Weatherwax, natives of New York and descendants from German ancestors. They were the parents of six children and are now deceased. Their children are Betsy, Elsy, Mary J., Caroline, Robert and Henry. Our subject received his education in Michigan and Illinois and when a lad of twelve started out to meet the battles of life alone. At the be- ginning of the war he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Illinois and among other campaigns, participated in that of General Sherman's march to the sea. In this

he was in all of the battles that occurred as well as many others. In 1865 he was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, then rented land in Illinios until 1871. In that year he went to Kansas, then to Nebraska, and freighted to the Black Hills and Leadville. Here he met the noted western characters, Wild Bill, Kit Car- son and Doc Middleton. Later he went to Wy- oming and took land which he sold and then came to Washington. The year of this last move was 1882. He came at once to his pres- ent place and located as stated above, and since that time has devoted himself assiduously to farming and stock raising.

In 1866 Mr. Weatherwax married Miss Anna Anthony, whose parents were natives of Ohio. To our subject and his wife three chil- dren have been born, Julia, Frank and Louis. Mr. Weatherwax is a life-long Republican and has been a committeeman ever since coming to the county. He has also served in various in- fluential capacities, among which may be men- tioned that of county commissioner in 1885. He is a member of the G. A. R., and is a highly respected and honorable man. In addition to his successful labors, of which mention has been made, we may state that Mr. Weatherwax has done much good in introducing fine breeds of stock, and in the excellent management of his large estate has stimulated others in this line.

HENRY KELLER resides about two miles south from Calispell. In addition to be- ing one of the earliest pioneers of the valley, Mr. Keller is at the present time one of the

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heaviest land owners and is a leading and prominent citizen. He was born in Jefferson county, New York, on February 24, 1835, the son of Matthew and Catherine (Zemmerman) Keller, natives of New York. In 1856 they moved to Dodge county, Minnesota, where they resided for twenty years, then made an- other move to South Dakota. Nine children, named as follows, were born to them, Barbara A., Henry, Mary, James, Benjamin F., Dar- win, Isaac, Betsey and George. His ancesters came to this country over two hundred years ago and participated in the struggle for inde- pendence. The mother's grandfather was taken prisoner in the Revolution and suffered the loss of his scalp, but even with this loss survived.

Our subject received his education in the common and select schools. At the age of twenty-one he settled on government land in Minnesota and for twenty-five years followed farming and threshing. In 1862 he enlisted in the Tenth Minnesota Volunteers and fought the Indians one year, then went south and con- tinued in the service until August 21, 1865, having participated in many battles, among which were Mobile and Nashville. He was mustered out at Fort Snelling and carries the mark of a wound received on his head. Fol- lowing the war, he returned to agricultural pur- suits and also became interested in the manu- facture of cheese. Later he was employed by a harvester company in Minneapolis, after which he operated a summer resort at Lake Minne- tonka. In 1886 Mr. Keller came to Spokane and operated a meat market for one year. It was in 1887 that he settled on his present place, put up a large amount of hay and shipped stock clear from the east. From that time until the present Mr. Keller has devoted himself to the related industries of farming and dairying and now owns four hundred acres of fine land together with much stock. His son and son-in- law own enough land adjoining to make the sum total one thousand acres.

In 1872 Mr. Keller married Miss Margaret Harper, whose parents were natives of Ireland. Mr. Harper is dwelling in Illinois and is about ninety years of age. The following children have been born to this couple: Bertha, Roy H. and Nina.

Mr. Keller is a stanch Republican and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He has

always taken great interest in the affairs of his party and has held various responsible positions such as county commissioner, school director, etc. Mr. Keller is a member of the A. F. and A. M.

RICHARD P. SCOTT, who has spent his entire life in the northwest and has traveled through and operated in many of the various mining camps in this vast section, is a man of much experience. His sterling energy, ag- gressiveness and executive ability have been manifested in many ways and on various occa- sions. A detailed account of his life will be in- teresting to our readers.

Richard P. Scott was born in Benton coun- ty, Oregon, on May 7, 1859. His parents crossed the plains in 1845 and located a dona- tion claim near where the town of Corvallis, Oregon, now stands. They remained there until the time of their death, the mother pass- ing away in 1888 and the father in 1891. They were honorable and self sacrificing pioneers, and had passed the dangers and hardships of that life, doing much to develop and open the country. Thirteen children were born to them, ten of whom are now living and named as fol- lows : John, Frank, Mary, James, Richard P., Wilson, Sarah, Walter, Edgar and Nye. Dur- ing the winter months of his early life Richard acquired his education in the common schools of Benton county, while the summers of these years were spent in toil with his father. At the tender age of twelve years he began the duties of life for himself, his first venture being work on a cow ranch in Lake county, Oregon. He was there during the Modoc war and knew what it was to experience the trying times of those early days. After that he returned to his father's farm and in 1881 came to the vi- cinity of Rosalia, Washington. He was in the first excitement in the Coeur d' Alenes, later re- turned to the Palouse country and next searched for gold in the Elk City district, Ida- ho. After this we find him in the Slocan dis- trict, British Columbia. About this time Mr. Scott went into partnership with E. T. Bar- nett and took a raft of eight thousand feet of lumber down through Box Canyon and over the big falls of the Pend d' Oreille river. The raft was smashed to pieces on this journey and they gathered the material by row boats later

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on. They hauled this lumber up a mountain for half a mile, two boards at a time and built a flume for hydraulic mining. In 1894 Mr. Scott chartered the steamer Dora, and did a general freight and passenger business on the Pend d' Oreille river. In 1895 Mr. Scott was on the steamer which ran down through Box Canyon on the trial trip to ascertain if the river was navigable at this point. For three weeks they struggled to get the craft back again and came very nearly sinking it. Three different crews quit their service, but the captain, our subject, and the engineer remained with the craft until it was moored in peaceful waters above the danger. Mr. Scott then went to min- ing in the Yack district, and after two years of this he returned to Newport where he has since been engaged in operating a hotel and dray line. On May 31, 1889, Mr. Scott married Mrs. Jessie, widow of John Cass. Her mother, aged eighty- nine is living with her and at this advanced age is hearty and able to read readily without spec- tacles. Politically Mr. Scott is a Democrat and active. In 1892 he was appointed sheriff under C. A. Ledgerwood, and is now city councilman. Fraternally he is a member of the I. O. O. F. and K. O. T. M. Mr. Scott is a man entitled to and receives the respect and condence of all who know him.

The Cottage House, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Scott, was the first house built in New- port and is one of the most beautiful and mod- ·ern structures in the Pend d' Oreille valley.

CLARENCE E. ROSS. One of the in- dustries which has been most prolific of revenue to the dwellers in the great state of Washing- ton is the manufacture of lumber and lumber products. One of the well skillled and deeply interested promoters of this business in Stevens county is the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this page. He resides about five miles north from Chewelah, and has there a valuable estate improved with good buildings. In addition to this he owns near the estate, a finie sawmill and shingle mill and a residence in Chewelah.

Clarence E. Ross was born in Canton, Illi- nois, on November 15, 1867, the son of Stephen M. and Matilda (Blackburn) Ross, natives of Virginia and Maryland, respectively. The

father was a nephew of the noted Indian fighter, General Morgan, and traces his ances- try back to early days of Scotland. The Mrs. Ross, who designed the flag for General Wash- ington, which now proudly floats over the grandest nation the world has ever seen, was a member of this family. The father was a miller, operating both saw and flour mills, which is the secret of the ability possessed by our subject. He died in Bogard, Missouri, in 1895 and three years later at the same place his widow followed the way of all the earth. Two children were born to this marriage: Le- land, now on the old homestead at Bogard, Missouri, and Clarence E., the subject of this review. The parents were both married prev- ious to this union and the father's child by his first wife was George T. To the mother were born two children, W. F. Davey, deceased; C. A. Davey, manager of the American cigar fac- tory in New York city where he handles six hundred men. Our subject was educated in Carroll county, Missouri, and when twenty- three left the parental roof. We see him next in Spokane, Washington, where he did various work until 1891, the date of his advent to Stevens county. In 1892 he bought a man's right to the place that he now occupies. In 1895 in company with E. J. Arrington, he built a sawmill, and two years later purchased his partner's interest. He has conducted the mill since and in addition to his quarter sections has purchased eighty acres more of land.

On April 30, 1890, Mr. Ross married Miss Edna E., daughter of Sexter and Roxania (Huntley) Millay, natives of Maine and Illi- nois, respectively. They lived in Illinois for twenty years and then moved to Carroll county where they now abide. On March 27, 1903, this venerable couple celebrated their golden wed- ding. They are the parents of the following children : Mattie Gaines, Harlow, Cynthia In- gram, Hattie Hood, Viola McPherson, Lena Lytle. Our subject and his wife were parents of eight children: Laura, Ella, Fay, Steven, Viola, Matilda, Ruth, deceased, and Dexter. Mr. Ross ever manifests a keen interest in all local affairs and in general politics. He is satis- fied with the principles of the Republican party and is a stanch member of the same. Frater- nally he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F. and the M. W. A., being one of the moving spirits in the erection of the M. W. A. hall in Chewelah.

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Mr. Ross is just completing a beautiful res- idence on his farm. It is a twelve-room struc- ture of modern architectural design and pro- vided with all conveniences known to the science of building now. Each room will be well supplied with water, while the entire house will be lighted with a special electric plant. Without doubt it is the finest rural abode in the Chewelah valley.

SAM MOON. Among the agriculturists of western Stevens county, those who have in- dustriously and assiduously labored for the good of the country and the opening up of homes, it is right that we should mention the gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph. He dwells six miles from Scotia upon land secured through the homestead right and devotes his attention to raising hay and stock. The prem- ises are well improved, with residence, sub- stantial outbuildings and so forth, and the thrift of the owner is manifest.

Sam Moon was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on October 10, 1856, the son of George H. and Mary Jane (Winslow) Moon, natives of Ohio and descendants from titled ancestors of Scotch blood. In early days they settled in Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, whence they journeyed in 1889 to Deer Valley, Washington, where they now reside. They are the parents of seven children named as follows: George, deceased ; Samuel, Emma, Henry, Frank, Wallace and Horace. During the summer months of his youthful days, our subject engaged in assisting his father, while the winter months of those years were spent in gaining his educational training from the schools of Eau Claire county and other places where the family lived. He remained with his parents until nineteen, then inaugurated independent action, his first ven- ture being well digging. So successful was he in this industry that he continued it for several years. Then eight years were spent in handling rock for building purposes. After this he was occupied as section foreman on the railroad and in 1890 he came to Washington and located on a piece of land which he afterward found to be railroad land. He abandoned it and located on his present place in 1892. Since then Mr. Moon has continued here and is one of the good substantial citizens.

In 1878 Mr. Moon married Miss Sarah, daughter of John and Mary (Sentry) Bugbee, natives of America and Switzerland, respective- ly, and now deceased. They were early set- tlers of Wisconsin and remained in that state until their demise, having been the parents of six children, Sarah, John, George, Anna, Jacob and Allen. To Mr. and Mrs. Moon have been born seven children, named as follows: Mar- tha Iverson, John, Roy, Lowel, Mary, Flavia and Leonard. Mr. Moon is a Republican, and an active one. He has been school director ever since the district has been organized and is al- ways interested in the welfare and progress of the community and the development of educa- tional facilities.

IRA B. ELLIS is one of the real pioneers of the eastern portion of Stevens county, hav- ing settled on his present place in 1891. He resides about six miles west from Scotia and devotes himself to general farming and raising stock. He has a quarter section of land, which he hewed out of the native wilds and improved by dint of hard labor and industry. Some thirty or more acres are devoted to general crops, while he also raises hay and stock.

Ira B. Ellis was born in Benton county, Oregon, on September 2, 1865, the son of Thomas E. and Calista ( Howell) Ellis, natives of Tennessee and Ohio, respectively. The father crossed the plains to the Willamette valley in 1852, and the mother came a decade. later. For six years the home was in Benton county, and then they removed to Linn county. whence they returned to the early place of abode, and in 1887 the journey to Spokane was taken. Four years later they removed to Stevens county and are now substantial citizens of this section. The father is a minister of the gospel and for a good many years was pastor of the local church. Five children were born to them, Ira, the subject of this article, Frank A., Sarah E., Effie B. and Gertie S.

Ira B. was educated in the common schools of Benton county and remained with his par- ents until he was twenty-five years of age. Then he took up farming for himself, having come previously to Washington with his par- ents. Later we find Mr. Ellis renting a farm on Moran prairie and in 1891 he came to his present place. He had to hew his way through

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the forests and blaze a trail out, as there were no roads through this section. In addition to improving his place he has devoted himself to various other occupations, as lumbering, etc.

In 1893 occurred the marriage of Mr. Ellis and Miss Sarah Felland, whose parents were natives of Norway, but now dwell in Stevens county. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, Thomas, Frank, Estella and Benson. Mr. Ellis is a stanch Republican and has been road supervisor and school director since the organization of the districts. He is a man of good standing and has the esteem of all who know him.

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Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 31

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