Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 86

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 86
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 86
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 86
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 86

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The month of May, 1894, witnessed the or- ganization, at Concontilly, of a "Taxpayers' League." The association was non-political, and the objects to be attained are set forth in the following petition for signatures :

"We, the undersigned taxpayers of Okano- gan county, believe the present stringent times and the existing financial condition of the county, call for a more economical administra- tion of the affairs and finances of the county, and for the encouragement of economy in pub- lic expenses, the promotion of efficiency and honesty in the various departments of the conn- ty offices, to regulate taxation and become ac- quainted with the manner of keeping the county records, and to enforce the operation of law and secure better legislation on many matters, hereby become members of an organization to be known as the 'Taxpayers' League of Okan- ogan County, Washington,' the object of which is to secure the benefits above enumerated."

Peter Coutts, living on the east side of the Similkameen river, three miles north of Wyan- dotte' Mill, was ambushed on the public road Monday, August 23, 1897, and shot to death by an unknown assassin. It is stated that in March, 1896, Coutts had shot and killed one George Stringham, in the course of a quarrel over a piece of land, although there appeared nothing definite at the inquest, which was held at Loomis, to connect the two murders. An examination into the killing of Coutts was held before Justice of the Peace William Baines. It was developed at the inquest that the bullet

507

HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

struck about one and one-half inches below, and to the right of the right nipple, passing through the body and coming out below the left shoulder. The coroner's jury comprised Joseph Linton, James Henderson, Chauncey Riggs, C. H. Brown, John Cutchine and A. B. Dins- more. Peter Coutts was born in Scotland, coming to America in 1863. In 1880 he re- moved to Dakota before the division of the Territory and, organization into states. He set- tled in Okanogan county in 1892 and was fifty years of age at the time of his death. He left a widow and six children. The verdict of the jury was as follows :

"We, the undersigned, coroner's jury, find that the deceased, Peter Coutts, came to his death by a gunshot wound inflicted by a gun in the hands of a person unknown, who was concealed in the cabin of the late George String- ham, at about 5:30 o'clock a. m., August 23, 1897."

During the month of November, 1897, pneumonia became quite prevalent among the Indians. With the tribes along the Okanogan river, on the reservation, its ravages were par- ticularly severe. Although this malignant dis- ease is not unusual among them it commenced its run much earlier this season. At all periods of the year the Indian carelessly exposes himself and, as a rule, does not receive the careful at- tention absolutely necessary for the safety of the patient in such serious cases.

July 6. 1898, the International Mining Con- gress convened at Salt Lake City, Utah. To this important convention involving questions of the deepest moment to the mining interests of the country the delegation from Okanogan county comprised George H. Noyes, of Loon- is : Charles H. Ballard, of Conconully, and De- witt C. Britt, of Chelan.

The "blizzard" of 1898 was one that will not soon pass from the remembrance of the citizens of Okanogan county. Sunday, Jann- ary II, snow began falling accompanied by a

heavy wind out of the north. This continued three days and nights, with hardly a moment's intermission. For any length of time it was impossible to travel in any direction. Ther- mometers indicated fifteen degrees below zero. In all directions mail routes were blockaded causing a delay of three days in the reception of mail from outside points. Throughout the county the storm was general. The Concon- ully stage arrived at Loomis in a badly demor- alized condition ; horses nearly perished ; driver and passengers coated with ice. A similar condition attended the arrival of the Oroville stages from each direction. The Virginia City letter mail was taken to Conconully Monday on horseback. Tuesday it failed entirely. This storm, it was claimed by the older resident, was the worst since the winter of 1892-3, and its severity has not since been duplicated. On the latter date the weather conditions were much colder, the mercury dropping to thirty- five degrees below zero. It was stated in Loom- is that for the period of two days and nights a majority of the citizens of that town did not go to bed, but passed the time feeding stoves with fuel and trying otherwise to make them- selves comfortable.

During this storm of 1898 stock, unless un- der shelter, suffered intensely. With its abate- ment snow was piled high in many places, some of the drifts being ten feet in height. In all directions roads were, practically, impassable. Between Conconully and Loomis snow was drifted sufficiently solid to nearly bear thie weight of a horse. Two men leaving Loomis for Oroville succeeded in getting but half way there when they were compelled to abandon the trip for the time being. On the road between Loomis and Conconully, after the storm, a stage driver was forced to leave his team and break out a mile and a half of passage way through the snow over a grade that had been drifted full. So badly filled were the roads south of Concon- ully that the mail carrier passed three hours of

508

HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

one night wandering over the immense flat north of Scotch Creek searching for a road, all traces of which were nearly obliterated.

This severe winter of 1897-8 was followed in the spring by floods of unusual proportions. In May and June the rainfall throughout Okan- ogan county was most copious. A steady and heavy downfall for forty-eight hours culmin- ated in a flood exceeding that of any within the memory of the oldest settlers in the country. At the close of the forty-eight hours mentioned the rain gauge of the recorder showed that 3.3 inches had descended within that period. All the mountain streams were high above their banks, tearing great ruts in hill and plain. The Sinlaliekin gained a greater elevation than was ever before recorded. From the nature of the country through which this and similar streams course no extensive damage was done to prop- erty other than carrying away bridges. At the "Loomis ranch" the stream became a lake and the highest water mark of 1894 was exceeded. For several days thereafter all roads were near- ly impassable with vehicles ; mails were brought in on horseback. Such continuous rainfall ma- terially affected the Similkameen and Okanogan rivers. Salmon river was exceedingly high and nearly all bridges were carried down the swollen stream. Scarcely an inhabitant in the various towns affected by the flood retired to rest for several nights, remembrance of the flood of 1894 arousing fears that it might be duplicated.

Friday, February 10, 1899, Mary Smith and Tenas Martin, Indians, were drowned in the Okanogan river, near Osoyoos Lake. Mary was the first wife of "Okanogan" Smith, from whom he had separated; Martin was an Indian boy. Mary Smith had continued to reside on the "Okanogan" Smith ranch after his death at Olympia, and it appeared that she held in her own name the title to the property. Mary and Martin had left the ranch in a buggy bound for Oroville. The fatal accident was not witnessed by any one, but on the day following, Satur-

day, an Indian came into Oroville and inquired if Mary and Martin had arrived in the town. They had not done so and an investigation fol- lowed with the result that the buggy was fished out of the river. No trace could be found of the Indians. Thoughout the county Mary Smith was well known and was a familiar fig- ure on the streets of many of the small towns in the northern part of Okanogan county.

The same year another Indian fatality oc- curred in the vicinity. Alexander Pointer, a half-breed twenty-five years of age accident- ally shot and kiled himself Monday, October 23, at his ranch on the Okanogan river. He attempted to draw a revolver from his pocket when the hammer caught and the weapon was discharged. The ball entered his right hip coming out over the left hip at his back. He lived only a short time.

The United States census of 1900 gave Okanogan county a population of 4,689, divided as follows among the fifteen precincts and In- dian reservation :

Brewster 259

Columbia

100

Golden

Johnson Creek

275

Lower Methow

.240

Ulyer's Creek

480

Okanogan

174

Salmon River

272

Silver Methow

366

Similkameen

Spring Coulee

219

Squaw Creek

Toats Coulee

808

Toroda Creek 148

Winthrop 398

Colville Indian Reservation (part of) 724

Total

1.689

The result of this census raised Okanogan to a county of the 22d class. Owing to the sparsely settled condition of Okanogan coun- ty, (the census of 1900 showing less than one inhabitant to the square mile), and the moun- tainous condition of the country, for several

509

HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

years past it has been the rendezvous of a num- ber of desperate characters. There is, also, an excellent class of people, industrious, enter- prising citizens, and by no one is this fact de- plored more deeply than by them. Many mur- ders have been committed in the county and seldom have the murderers been brought to jus- tice. Organized bands of horse and cattle thieves have operated in the county in the past. Thousands of dollars' worth of cattle have been driven off and disposed of without conviction of the guilty parties. While these wholesale raids have been carried on other "rustlers" were operating on a smaller scale. It has al- ways been a difficult matter to secure evidence sufficient to convict the guilty parties because of fear of future vengeance from members of the band who were carrying on this land piracy. Since 1901 the "war for the range" between the cattle and sheep men has given the county au- thorities considerable trouble. Prior to 1901 the ranges of Okanogan county were occupied almost exclusively by cattlemen. Since then, however, about 50,000 sheep have been driven onto the Okanogan range. The band of sheep belonging to Frank Clerf, which runs the range in the Okanogan valley to the south of Oroville, con- tains about 30,000. The first act of violence intended to drive Mr. Clerf and his band of sheep from the country was perpetrated in 1901, shortly after his arrival in the country. At that time seven hundred tons of his hay was burned. Letters were received by many of the ranchers significant in their wording, the common form being, "Sell no hay to sheep men." Enclosed in these letters would be matches. Mr. Clerf still continues to occupy the range. In Decem- ber, 1903, two hundred tons more of his hay was burned, although the property was guarded night and day.

In the spring of 1903 occurred an incident illustrating the determination of certain parties to rid the county of sheep. C. C. Curtiss had a band of about 1,200 sheep in the vicinity of

the town of Alma, on the Okanogan river. These were visited by a party of armed men who entered the corral where the sheep were, and with clubs, axes, guns and other weapons killed nine hundred of the animals. Evidence sufficient to convict any of the perpertators has never been secured.

Following is the report of the Washington State Fish Commissioner, issued in 1902, con- cerning the Methow Fish Hatchery :

"This plant was erected in the year 1899, and has a capacity of about 3,000,000 fry. It was beautifully located on government land at the junction of Twisp Creek and Methow river, in the village of Twisp, Okanogan county. For the last two seasons it has proved a very suc- cessful plant. Upon my first visit of inspection of the plant I found one of the best systems of gravity supply in the state, but upon investiga- tion discovered that the state had no right or title to the water supply, and I immediately went to work to perfect the state's title to this important feature of our hatchery, with satis- factory results, when I discovered that the state land to perfect that state's title to this important feature was located, from sale, and that Mrs. Phebe E. Zenor had filed a homestead entry on the premises. I have been negotiating the en- tire year, or since I discovered the condition of the title, with Mrs. Zenor, for some kind of a settlement that would be satisfactory to the state, but my labors so far in that direction have been without fruitful results, and just what will be the outcome of the matter I am not at this time prepared to state, but am in hopes that a settlement may be perfected whereby the state will not be any great loser from this enter- prise. The amount expended for maintenance for the year from November 1, 1901, to No- vember I, 1902, was $1,461.95. The output for the season of 1902 was $2,969,350."

The year 1902 witnessed the cultivation of about 2,500 acres of land in Okanogan county on what is known as the "North Half" of the Indian reservation. At the nominal yield of

510

HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

forty bushels per acre east Okanogan would have produced one hundred bushels of grain. But this it did not do owing to the fact that fully seventy-five per cent. of the land in ques- tion was devoted to hay crops. In 1900 no sock was permitted to graze east of the Okan- ogan river, with the exception of such as be- longed to Indians. The assessment roll of 1902 carried about 2,500 head of cattle, 5,000 head of horses and 20,000 sheep in this local- ity, really a wonderful increase in so short a period. In 1898 the population of eastern Okanogan (between Ferry county and the Okanogan river) numbered about four hun- dred. In 1902 the local census reports carried a few over sixteen hundred, showing an in- crease of over four hundred per cent. within four years. The amount of personal property listed exceeded $250,000.

With the exception of ore shipments and a comparatively small number of exported cat- tle Okanogan industries have always been lim- ited to the local markets. Originally it was settled as an exclusively mining country; its hundreds of thousands of acres were scattered around among a heterogeneous mixture of In- dian tribes in the 'form of "reservations;" rail transportation was absolutely nil; for years the apparent disadvantages to settlers seemed in- surmountable.

As we have said the first sparks of industry were struck from the mineral beds of the coun- try. Originally mining topics comprised the bulk of conversation between the pioneers of the country. The first towns were mining camps; Ruby, Conconully, Loomis, Golden and Oro; these names significantly indicated that the precious metals were at that early period uppermost in the public mind and constantly in view before the public eye. Rapid strides were made in the country's development. It was, indeed, on a most limited scale that agriculture was first undertaken. Mainly it consisted in the production of hay and vegetables for the home market. A few engaged in freighting

supplies or growing produce for the subsistence of miners. Large bands of cayuses haunting the ranges were considered of little value. Min- ing was the one subject of general interest.

Small wonder is it, then, that the memorable panic of 1893 fell with severity upon the indus- trial resources of Okanogan county. The sharp decline in the value of silver presaged a finan- cial depression that drove many out of the various districts of Okanogan county ; and filled with deep forbodings the hearts of those remaining dependent wholly upon outside cap- ital for sustenance. Upon the limited number of agriculturists then in the county the distress incident to the mining industry immediately re- acted. Practically business in the entire Okan- ogan region was suspended. Dazed by the heavy misfortunes of their brothers in affliction -the miners-those devoted to agriculture considered it simply misapplied labor to culti- vate crops of any description. Truly these were "the times that tried men's souls" in Okan- ogan county. "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot" stole eastward, or sought the Pacific coast in search of manual employment -an opportunity to exist.

But, happily, some were made of sterner stuff. And there were underlying causes and effects that, eventually, redounded to the advan- tage of the farmer-the squatter, in fact- upon the unsurveyed lands of Okanogan county. While he could assume no rights under the homestead laws, neither had he any taxes to pay. His land, or "squatter's equity," as it might be termed, could not be mortgaged; but he could graze immense herds on the nutritions bunch grass. Gradually he discovered that these cattle had gained an excellent reputation in eastern points and he could market them on the hoof. The Okanogan farmer began to view conditions in a new and rather more favorable light. Up to this point it had been impossible for him to get very deeply into debt owing to the fact that he lived on unsurveyed land as impossible to mortgage as it was to homestead.

5II

HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

He had been compelled to practice rigid econ- omy. A few years more and the farmer began to forge ahead. The future assumed a rosier aspect. The land having been surveyed he could now enter it under the homestead laws; he took new bearings-took stock of himself- and cast about for long neglected opportuni- ties. He fenced land, erected more substantial buildings ; cropped more acreage ; his little band of cattle gradually yet surely increased in num- ber ; he disposed of more beeves ; he directed his attention to fruit.

Coupled with all these improvements in his fortunes there came a revival in the mining industry. Again money flowed into the coun- try for investment ; local enterprises, particu- larly those of Slate Creek and Republic, af- forded him a fairly remunerative market for his produce, and all in all the farmer and stock raiser entered a new and more favorable era following the dark clouds that had swept across the financial horizon of 1893. To-day the Oganogan farmer is thrifty, careful and econ- omical. Debts which he contracts are, as a rule, judiciously entered into for the purpose of sub- stantial improvements; he has sagaciously planned to meet them at maturity.

On the evening of Monday, September 14, 1903, a meeting was held in Conconully, the os- tensible purpose of which was to bring about an amicable understanding between the cattle and sheep men of Okanogan county; to draw lines marking the territory to be occupied by their respective interests and to set aside a strip of land such as would enable sheep owners to travel with their flocks between summer ranges and winter quarters. This meeting was thinly attended. Several prominent cattle men were there, but unfortunately sheep men were not represented at all, and practically the convention was without result. Still, a number expressed themselves as being in sympathy with the ob- ject of the meeting, and a resolution was passed requesting the chairman, Mr. Wilder, to cor- respond with leading representatives of the

sheep industry requesting them to fix a date on which they would meet with the cattle men, for the purpose of a full, fair and candid discus- sion of the subject. But so far there has been no result.

Until October, 1903, it had not been pos- sible to deliver goods on the Okanogan river abové Brewster except by the primitive ox-team method. Thus a vast and fertile country was, practically, inaccessible. Friday, October 16, the first steamboat to navigate the upper Okan- ogan river, "The Enterprise," made its initial trip. For the merchants of the upper country the boat brought up a cargo of twenty tons of freight. Heretofore steamers had navigated the Okanogan six or eight weeks only during the high water of spring. From the head of navigation, Riverside, the return trip of "The Enterprise" was an ovation. This boat was built at Wenatchee by H. S. De Puy and Will Lake, of Seattle. She was financed and owned by Captains Frank Reed and George Ostenberg, residents of Alma, and was constructed ex- pressly for the Okanogan trade between Brew- ster and Riverside. "The Enterprise" is eighty- six feet long, seventeen foot beam and three and one-half feet in depth of hold, and thoroughly equipped for freight and passenger service. Messrs. Reed and Ostenberg own, also, the flourishing mills at Alma, on the Okanogan river. They built the boat that they might have access to the grain warehouses on the Columbia river and lower Okanogan all the year round. The placing in commission of "The Enterprise" means a saving of ten cents per hundred pounds on freight to the merchants of Conconully, and as much as twenty-five to thirty cents per hun- dred pounds to those of Loomis and other min- ing camps and towns.

In 1903 Okanogan county had a population of 7,660, according to the annual report of the state board of statistics. This report is com- piled from the school census taken by the differ- ent school clerks. The population of the county according to the United States census of

512

HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

1900 was 4,689. This signifies a gain of 2,971 within three years, or 63.3 per cent. and there were nine counties only in the state which showed a larger per cent. of gain than Okan- ogan.

As shown by the rolls of July, 1903, the as- sessment of Okanogan county was $26,788 less than double that of 1900, but had the amount belonging to exempted persons and not assessed been taken into account, the difference would have been more than wiped out. Within three years the county increased at least one hundred per cent in wealth. The steady increase in the number of persons taxed in the interim between 1900 and 1903 indicates that this was not the result of a sudden influx, or of anything ap- proaching the nature of a "boom." In 1901 the number was 304 larger than for 1900, or 1,182 ; in 1902 there were 1.399 persons taxed, and in 1903 the number had grown 161 over the pre- ceding year. In making comparisons between 1902 and 1903 we find that the valuation in- creased from $1,254.445 in 1902 to $1,377,494 for 1903, and that there was the sum of $187,- 055 exempted in 1902 against $212,690 for 1903. In 1902 there were 6,055 horses valued at $136,580; in 1903, 6,942 horses valued at $149,689. In 1902 there were 12,812 head of cattle valued at $262,505, and in 1903 16,711 head valued at $341.787. The sheep in 1902 numbered 25,888 and were valued at $58,245; in 1903 there were 28.770 worth $64.733.

A glance at these figures will show that the

cattle are worth more than the combined value of all other farm stock, and that horses are a quite distant second, but worth more than the hogs and sheep. In fact the horses and cattle of Okanogan county make up more than one- third of the taxable wealth, as has been the case for a number of years. In the matter of towns and improvements there has been but slight change within the year-from a total of $57,125 in 1902 to $61,390 in 1903. Mines have added $10,000 to the valuation between 1902 and 1903-$39,831 for 1902; $50,628 for 1903. The value of agricultural acreage shows an in- crease in value over 1902. That year there were 35,740.4 acres and in 1903 there was an increase to 49,566.3 acres ; the value of land in 1902 was $141,342, and of improvements thereon $52,646. In 1903 the land was valued at $192,093 and improvements at $66,747. This was a gain of $54,878 in the farms of Okano- gan county during the twelve months between 1902 and 1903.

The total valuation of Okanogan county for the year 1903, as equalized by the county board of equalization $1,226,194. As equalized by the state board it was $1,047,192. Nearly half of this amount or $464,131, state equalization. was for live stock, as follows :

Number. Value.

Horses, mules and asses

6,942

$138,840

Cattle

16,41I

262,576

Sheep

28,770

57,540

Hogs

1.725

5.175

CHAPTER III.

MINES AND MINING.

The birthplace of mining industry in the state of Washington is Okanogan county. So long ago as 1859 we hear of stampedes to the Similkameen from Fraser river and the Cariboo District in British Columbia. It is certain that some of the placer washings on the Similkameen at that period was done south of the International Boundary and, consequently, within the limits of the present Okanogan county.

But, practically, mining in the county dates back to the returning tide of miners from Brit- ish Columbia in the early 60's. They washed gold from the gravel bars of the Peshastin and Swauk and Ruby Creeks. So far as records are concerned the first quartz ledge discovered was the Culver, on the Peshastin, in Chelan county. This early discovery was made where now stands the town of Blewett.

It was not until the opening of Chief Moses' reservation in 1886 that development began on the low grade silver ores of Salmon river and on the gold and silver ores of Palmer Mountain. Coincidentally prospectors in- vaded the Methow country and other districts. So far as can be learned "Okanogan" Smith made the original location in what is now Okanogan county. It was in the early 70's that Smith took the first Okanogan claim in the county on Mount Ellemeham, north of Loomis. He named his discovery the "Julia," but it has since been relocated as the "King Solomon." These early discoveries were, however, ac- companied by disappointing results. Com- menting upon this succession of failures Mr. L. K. Hodges says :

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 86

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