Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 94

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 94
USA > Washington > Ferry County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 94
USA > Washington > Okanogan County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 94
USA > Washington > Stevens County > Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington > Part 94

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).

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

clothing. From the surrounding country men came quickly to the aid of the fire-fighters, but they were unable to render much assistance. Twenty-two buildings were destroyed, the greater portion of which have been replaced.

Brewster is situated on the right bank of the Columbia river, in the southern portion of Okanogan county, and at the head of steamboat navigation. It is the river port for all of the freight intended for the upper Okanogan coun- try and the Methow valley, which freight is taken thence in large four, six and eight-horse teams. Practically it is the freighting center of a fine agricultural district and mining belt.

Brewster is provided with an excellent school, and Rev. A. J. Ross is pastor of a church established in 1900. Its fraternal so- cieties comprise the Improved Order of Red Men and Woodmen of the World.

TWISP.

Within the confines of the rich Methow valley, which extends along the southwestern part of Okanogan county, are a number of small towns, and chief among these is Twisp. While it is one of the newest of these minature municipalities Twisp has outstripped all of its rivals so far as regards size and importance, and now has a population of about 125 people. Handsomely located, about 1,600 feet above sea level, it is an ideal spot in which to live, the climate being invigorating and healthful. It is rapidly coming to the front as one of the im- portant towns of Okanogan county.

The Methow Valley was the scene of a great mining excitement in 1893-4, but the up- per country was not settled to any considerable extent until 1897. H. C. Glover homesteaded the land where Twisp now stands and July 30, 1897, he laid out and platted a townsite. which he called Gloversville. That same year O. W. Benson established a small store in the new town. A postoffice was installed shortly afterward and James Colwell became the first

postmaster. June 29, 1899, Amanda P. Bur- gar platted the townsite of Twisp and there- after the town was recognized by that name. In 1901 Burgar's First Addition to Twisp was platted, but the town did not increase to any appreciable extent for some years after its birth. But during the past few years the growth has been remarkable, and it is now ranked as one of the leading towns of the county.

The only experience Twisp has had with fire was in 1901, when the hotel was destroyed, entailing a loss of $1,500 with no insurance. During the spring and summer of 1903 Twisp made rapid advances in the opening of new business enterprises and the erection of build- ings, as a result of the increasing development in the Methow Valley. In the space of one year the town doubled in size. Twisp derives its trade principally from adjoining agricult- ural districts, but there are a number of min- ing properties in the vicinity which greatly benefit the town. Among these are the Spo- kane, Alder Group and the Humbolt. Twisp is connected with the Pacific States long dis- tance telephone and also with a barb-wire tele- phone to the country districts. There is a daily stage between Twisp and Brewster. There is a good school house in which 75 scholars are enrolled. A Methodist church is also located here. Fraternal orders are represented by the Foresters of America and the Woodmen of the World. Following are the business enterprises in the town :

Methow Trading Company, Burke Broth- ers, William Magee and James Colwell, general stores ; Dr. J. B. Couch, drug store ; George M. Witte and Ferguson Brothers, butcher shops; J. A. Risley and O. M. Yaw, livery barns ; a hotel, boarding house, two restaurants, a black- smith shop, Commercial Bank, E. F. Magee, cashier, a real estate office, newspaper, the Methow Valley News, by H. E. Marble, a barber shop and two saloons. A state fish hatchery is located here and recently a fine

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opera house has been constructed at a cost of several thousand dollars.

METHOW.

Methow postoffice was established in 1894 and was named after Methow river. E. J. Davis was the first postmaster. July 27, 1894, the town had three stores and a restaurant. Mr. Thomas Madden, a sawmill man from Loop Loop, placed a boiler and mill machinery between Squaw Creek and the mouth of the Methow, and supplied lumber for building pur- poses to the residents of Methow. J. Esmond was the pioneer merchant of the place. Me- thow is an Indian word signifying "sunflower seeds." Originally the name of the town was Squaw Creek. In June, 1894, a miners' meet- ing was held in a store and a townsite laid out which was afterward surveyed and platted. At this meeting the name Methow was selected for the new burgh. It was voted that the road from the mouth of Squaw Creek to the mines be finished at once and each man present signed a paper pledging three day's work or more. The same year Clarence Howland established a weekly stage line from Chelan to Methow. Of the new town Thomas Madden said, in August, 1894:

"There are between 250 and 300 men in camp and every one of them is at work doing something. It reminds me of Leadville when I saw it first, and I am inclined to think we have a camp over there that will astonish the natives when we get it opened up. The miners are industriously prospecting and developing their claims, and there is, also, quite a building boom in the town recently laid out there by the miners. There are four general stores doing a rushing business and A. F. Nichols of Che- lan, has about completed arrangements for en- tering this business. There are two hotels, a restaurant, saloon, livery stable, meat market, and blacksmith shop, and parties are on the ground ready to enter these and other lines of

business so soon as they can get material to build with. We have our mill in working order now and are turning out lumber to the tune of about ten thousand feet a day."

Following the "boom" days of 1894 Met- how suffered a relapse. Yet it was but one of a long chain of once flourishing towns which suffered during the years of depression begin- ning in 1893. In Methow there are now one general store, W. A. Bolinger proprietor, a good school and hall and a lodge of the Wood- men of the World. The town has a population of about thirty souls.

OTHER TOWNS.

Bodie is the name of a little mining camp on the Republic-Chesaw stage road, twenty- five miles northwest of the former place. Bo- die came into existence shortly after the open- ing of the "North Half" of the Colville In- dian reservation to mineral entry, and was the result of the discovery and subsequent working of the Bodie mine. The original town of Bodie was located about one mile south of the mine, but in 1903 a new town was started up at the mine and it promises in time to do away with the old town which, however, still has a number of business houses. A new $20,000 mill for the treatment of the ores of the Bodie mine has been erected there.

Newman is a postoffice on the east bank of the Okanogan river, a few miles above To- nasket postoffice.

Nespelem is a postoffice in the southeastern part of the county on the "South Half" of the reservation. It is forty-five miles northwest of Wilbur and sixty-five miles southeast of Conconully.

Alma is in the midst of a 50,000 acre tract of magnificent horticultural and agricultural land, the largest area of this description in the county. Various ores have already been un- covered in the immediate vicinity of Alma, and the town is surrounded by a large area of pine

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

timber. The topography of the country is such that a distance of a mile only may make a dif- ference of several degrees in the temperature. The men who have been foremost in the rapid development of Alma and vicinity are J. W. O'Keefe, W. S. Bennett, W. R. Kahlow, Jud- son Murray, Daniel Davidson, G. K. Chit- wood, and Eugene Wehe. Quite a remarkable character in Alma is W. R. Kahlow, a former friend and associate of President James J. Hill, of the Great Northern Railroad Company, and Alexander Griggs, during their days on the Mississippi river. Mr. Griggs became the orig- inal navigator on the upper Columbia river, and before his death in the winter of 1902-3, owned seven boats. A prominent part was assumed by Mr. Kalılow in the construction of several transcontinental railroads. In Febru- ary, 1892, the large general merchandise store of F. J. Cummins, of Alma, was destroyed by fire. It was while Mr. Cummins was at break- fast that the flames broke out, and before he could reach the store they had gained such headway that it was impossible to save any- thing. The loss exceeded $5,000.

Winthrop is a little town at the upper end of the Methow valley nine miles northwest of Twisp. It is located at the junction of the north and south forks of the Methow river, and here the valley widens out to its broadest. Its elevation is about 2,000 feet above the level of the sea. The townsite was patented Janu- ary 4, 1901, by the Methow Trading Company, of which Guy Waring is president. At Win- throp this company has the finest store in the Methow Valley. Other business enterprises in the town are a hotel, feed stable, blacksmith shop and two saloons. Within a quarter of a mile of Winthrop a townsite called Heckendorn has recently been platted by D. E. Hecken- dorn.

Winthrop was settled September 26, 1891. by Guy Waring, who opened a store there, at that period the only store in the Methiow Val- ley. The town was named by the then terri-

torial delegate to Congress, John L. Wilson, who can not now remember how he happened to select this name. The postoffice to which this name was given was one and one-half miles below Winthrop, which office was moved to the store of Guy Waring, who was made postmaster. March 1, 1893, all the buildings in Winthrop except a shed or a "root cellar" were destroyed by fire, a total loss with no insurance. Guy Waring was then obliged to go away and work for three years, and the business was rebuilt by E. F. Johnson, now secretary of the Methow Trading Company, the successor of the original business enterprise at Winthrop. In 1894 the great flood carried away the bridge over the north fork at Win- throp. In 1895 this bridge was replaced by Colonel Hart on his march to Slate Creek. The industry of Winthrop consists of a well- equipped saw mill and several important dairy- ing interests near by, raising cattle and supply- ing the mines with goods.

In making the trip from Republic to Che- saw one passes through a deserted town of log buildings. There is one street on both sides of which are substantial log structures, but not not a living soul is to be seen in the town. This is a few miles south of Bodie and it is the re- mains of what was once the flourishing little mining camp of Toroda. To this point, short- ly after the opening of the reservation there was a stampede to what was supposed to be an exceedingly rich mining district. · People flocked in and all kinds of business enter- prises flourished. The mines did not prove to be so rich as anticipated and the town of Toroda was deserted.

Tonasket is a postoffice on the Okanogan river and Tonasket creek, about midway be- tween Oroville and Riverside. There are a number of business enterprises here all under the control of W. W. Parry.

Wauconda is a postoffice on the "North Half" of the reservation, near the Ferry county line and the Wauconda mine. Shortly after

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HISTORY OF NORTH WASHINGTON.

the opening of the reservation to mineral entry a rich strike was made here with the result of a flourishing camp. But the excitement dimin- ished and so did Wauconda in equal proportion. The present postoffice is located about four miles from the mine, where was formerly situ- ated the mining camp. It is on the Republic- Chesaw stage road, and it is also connected by stage with Loomis.

Thirty miles northwest of Twisp is the new town of Robinson, situated on Robinson creek. This is the point of departure for the famous Slate Creek mines, just over the divide in Whatcom county, and here quite a lively town has sprung into existence. The Methow Trad- ing Company has established a store here, and also has the postoffice. A hotel and saloon are conducted by Richardson & Kearns. Robinson is connected by stage with the outside world, the trip being made twice a week in summer and weekly during the winter months.

Malott is a postoffice on the Okanogan river, twenty-three miles southeast of Conco- nully. It is on the Brewster and Conconully stage road, and is the transfer office for mail for many of the postoffices in the vicinity. It has a daily stage with Brewster, Conconully and Riverside.

Fifteen miles due north of Brewster and a short distance west of the Okanogan river, is Olema postoffice, named after a town in Cali- fornia. Sixteen years ago S. H. Mason, who still resides at Olema, and is the postmaster, squatted on land here, and later when surveys were completed homesteaded the property. Other settlers came in later and in 1896 the postoffice was established, Charles C. McFar- lane being made postmaster. After he had served three years Mr. Mason was appointed and has since held the position. Surrounding Olema is a fine grazing country and also a great quantity of excellent timber land. There are at present eleven families in this vicinity, which is one of the most prosperous in the country. The experience of each one of these

settlers is that he came there poor and is now in comfortable circumstances.

Ophir is a postoffice on the Okanogan river, eleven miles above Brewster. It has a daily mail, being on the Brewster and Conconully stage route.

Synarep is a postoffice on Tunk creek, a tributary of the Okanogan river, which flows into it about four miles north of Riverside. The valley through which this stream courses is about twelve miles long and from two to eight miles wide. This valley was first settled in 1900, and there are now 125 settlers. The soil is very productive and the mountain slopes fur- nish an excellent range for cattle. Synarep is about 3,000 feet above the level of the sea. The town has the advantages of a general mer- chandise store.

A few miles northwest of Winthrop, in the Methow Valley, is the Mazama postoffice, sit- uated at the junction of Goat Creek and the Methow river. Formerly the place was known as Goat Creek, but a compound word being objected to by the Washington postal authori- ties, when the postoffice was established, in 1900, the place was named Mazama-the Greek word for "goat." Mrs. Minnie Tingley was the first postmistress. Mazama is a gold mining camp, the principal mines being the T. & B., Oriental and Crown Point. In 1902 a mill was built here to treat the ores and recently many thousand dollars' worth of development work has been done. There are now about thirty permanent settlers in the camp.

Welesville is the name of a postoffice on the Oroville and Loomis stage line, nine miles northeast of the latter place. The postoffice is at the south end of Wannicut Lake. It was established in 1900 and Major F. P. Wehe was made postmaster.

Golden is the suggestive name of a former Okanogan town which was in its glory in 1892-4. Here were two mines, the Triune and Spokane, which were believed to be rich in gold and silver. Golden in 1892 boasted a

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postoffice, store, restaurant, saloon and other business enterprises. But it was the old, old story. Capital was lavishly expended in the construction of two mills to treat the ores of the Triune and Spokane, and people flocked in and built a small town. It was discovered that the mills could not properly treat the ores and they were closed down. The people moved away and Golden became a memory.

Kipling is a town of about twenty-five in- habitants, situated in northeastern Okanogan county, a few miles southwest of Chesaw. Oc- tober 10, 1900, the townsite was surveyed and on the same day the Kipling Mercantile Com- pany was established. October 11, 1901, Kip- ling was granted a postoffice and Georgonna Warren was appointed postmaster. The town is surrounded by an exceedingly fertile agri- cultural country.

Knowlton is a postoffice a short distance be- low Brewster, on the Columbia river. The postoffice was established July 21, 1902, on the ranch of Arthur R. Knowlton, and that gentle- man was made postmaster. A school house is located at this point.

Omak is the name of a postoffice located on Omak lake, on the Colville Indian reservation. The office was established in January, 1903. Here is located St. Mary's Mission, mention of which has been made in a previous chapter. On "Meeting Days" Omak is visited by whites and Indians for miles around, who gather for wor- ship. Father E. de Rouge, who has charge of the mission states that on these meeting days three to four hundred Indians and about fifty white people gather here.

Silver is a little hamlet situated on the Brewster-Twisp road, twenty-five miles above the former town and five miles below the latter. It is on the Methow river, about three-quarters of a mile from where Beaver creek joins the river. Silver is one of the earliest settled com- munities in the county. The postoffice was established in 1890, and James M. Byrnes was the first postmaster. Previous to this time the

people who resided in the vicinity clubbed to- gether and paid a man to carry the mail to and from Ruby, then the nearest postoffice. The site upon which the town was afterward located was taken up by "Chichaman" Stone. This later passed into the hands of James M. Byrnes, who imparted the first impetus to the new town. He owned the site until 1902, when it was pur- chased by E. N. Garrison, of Dundee, Illinois. Since 1889 there has been a store at Silver, Mr. Byrnes opening one in that year. In 1890 he disposed of his business interests to Robert Partell, who continued the enterprise until the fall of 1892, when he, in turn, sold the store to Robert Ehman. The latter conducted the business until a short time before his death, which occurred August 3, 1897. The store went into the hands of a receiver before Mr. Ehman's death, and was conducted by E. G. Payne until his decease in September of the same year. F. F. Goodson then carried on the enterprise a few months, when it passed into the hands of M. R. Kinlgside. June 19, 1899, Burke Brothers purchased the store and have since conducted the business. In 1894 the town of Silver did not escape the disasters from floods which visited so many towns along the Columbia river and its tributaries. The Methow rose above its banks and all but wiped out the flourishing little town. The store build- ing was carried away by the seething flood, as was also a large dance hall and saloon, the property of R. Greigor. The goods in the store and the household furniture in the home of Mr. Byrnes were saved only by the persistent efforts of the people of the community. Mr. Elman, who was the proprietor of the store, erected a new building on the bench, about twenty-five feet higher than the old location, and the town is now safe from the fury of the waters. Silver today is a town of only fifteen or twenty in- habitants, with Burke Brothers' store the only business enterprise. About forty families live in the immediate vicinity. There is a school at Silver accommodating about twenty scholars.

CHAPTER VII.

POLITICAL.

The political history of Okanogan county dates back to the Territorial days of 1888. On the organization of the county the first com- missioners appointed by the governor, as pro- vided in the bill forming the county, were Guy Waring, William Granger and George J. Hur- ley. The other county officials named by these commissioners at their second meeting, March 7, 1888, were C. B. Bash, auditor; E. C. Sher- man, treasurer ; Philip Perkins, sheriff; Frank M. Baum, assessor; J. B. Price, coroner; A. Malott, county school superintendent and C. H. Ballard, probate judge. Guy Waring had been chosen chairman of the board of county commissioners. May 30 Mr. Warring re- signed the chairmanship and that office re- mained vacant until June 19, when Hiram Beagle, Sr., of Conconully, was selected by the other two commissioners to fill the vacancy, and George J. Hurley was elected chairman of the board.

At the general election of November 6, 1888, the following county officials were elected: J. B. Price, coroner; C. H. Ballard, probate judge; Richard Malone, assessor; Robert Alli- son, sheriff ; E. C. Sherman, treasurer; F. M. Baum, auditor, and William A. Dean, county clerk. During the following year Sheriff Alli- son resigned and M. A. Rush was appointed in his place, July 10, 1890. The county com- missioners elected were E. W. Lee, Charles Johnson and P. C. McDonald. They took the oath of office in March, 1889. On the removal of Commissioner Lee the office was declared vacant, August 4, 1890, and D. J. McGillivery was appointed in his place and made permanent chairman of the board.

By virtue of Section 2 of Chapter 4 of the

session laws of 1889-90, the offices of auditor and county clerk were combined, as were also those of sheriff and assessor, in Okanogan county, and it was provided in the measure that at the next general election only one person should be elected to fill these respective offices. In the spring of 1891 the board of commissioners comprised D. J. McGilli- very, chairman, J. B. Tonkin and F. M. Wright.

In 1889 followed the admission of Wash- ington into the union. The late Charles E. Laughton, who resided one mile north of Con- conully, was elected the first lieutenant-gov- ernor of the state. At the first session of the Washington state senate Okanogan county was represented by F. H. Luce, Republican, a resi- dent of Davenport, the senatorial district at that period comprising Lincoln, Okanogan, Adams and Franklin counties. Mr. Luce served through the session of 1889-90. The county of Okanogan was represented in the first house by Harry Hamilton.

At the November election of 1890 the county cast 610 votes. The result of this election was a division of the county officials between Re- publicans and Democrats. The vote on re- moval of the state capital resulted in a plurality of 88 votes for Ellensburgh. Bonds for county purposes were defeated by a majority of 70; bonds for road purposes were successful by a majority of 21. On the county ticket no nomi- nation appeared for the office of attorney, but a scattering vote resulted: M. C. Barney, 5; Judge Chase, 1 ; James Robertson. I : W. Dor- win, I ; O. C. Campbell, 2; William Feickert, 2. Following is the vote on other county and state officers :

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For Representative in Congress.

John L. Wilson, Republican, 342; Thomas Carroll, Democrat, 220. Wilson's majority, I22.

For Representative State Legislature.

Hiram F. Smith, Democrat, 318; J. C. Lovejoy, Republican, 274. Smith's majority, 44.

For County Clerk and Auditor.

F. M. Baum, Democrat, 418; Lee Coombs, Republican, 185. Baum's majority, 233. For Sheriff and Assessor.

M. A. Rush, Republican, 364; M. C. Duffy, Democrat, 236. Rush's majority, 128. For Treasurer.

E. C. Sherman, Democrat, 314; Thomas Ish, Republican, 272. Sherman's majority, 42. For County Commissioner, First District :

D. J. McGillivery, Democrat, 288; L. C. Burton, Republican, 284. Majority for Mc- Gillivery, 4.

For County Commissioner, Second District :

J. B. Tonkin, Republican, 361 ; D. J. Thorn, Democrat, 189. Majority for Tonkin, 172. For County Commissioner, Third District.

F. M. Wright, Republican, 338; Lee Ful- ton, Democrat, 211. Majority for Wright, 127

For County School Superintendent :

Mrs. V. M. Grainger, Democrat, 443; Henry Carr, Democrat, 2; E. D. Finch, Re- publican, 2; F. Hunt, Republican, I. Plurality for Mrs. Grainger, 438.

For County Surveyor :

Layton S. Baldwin, Republican, 433. For County Coroner :

William Shufeldt, 304; C. F. Webb, 279. Shufeldt's majority, 25.

In the legislature of 1891-2 William Luce was a "hold over" senator, representing at the time only Lincoln and Okanogan counties, Adams and Franklin having been thrown into another senatorial district. Okanogan county was represented in the house by Hiram (Oka- nogan) F. Smith, Democrat.

The November election of 1892 was largely in favor of the Republican ticket. The vote for governor showed that McGraw had carried the county for governor against Snively and Young; Luce, Republican, for lieutenant gov- ernor against Willison and Tiviss; Price for secretary of state against McReany and Wood; Bowen for state treasurer against Clothier and Adams; Grimes for state auditor against Bass and Rodolf; Jones for attorney general against Starr and Teats; Bean for state superintendent of public instruction against Morgan and Smith; Forrest for commissioner of public lands against Lewis and Calhoun. John L. Wilson, Republican, carried the county for member of congress. The Republican presi- dential electors chosen by a vote of 578 to 439 for Cleveland and 148 for Weaver, were Mc- Millan, Calhoun, White and Navarre. The total vote by precincts was as follows :

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Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties, state of Washington, Part 94

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