USA > Washington > Asotin County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 42
USA > Washington > Columbia County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 42
USA > Washington > Garfield County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 42
USA > Washington > Walla Walla County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume I > Part 42
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
A Seventh Day Adventist Church was organized at Dayton in 1877. and three years later a church was built. Their first elder was Ambrose Johnson.
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OLD WALLA WALLA COUNTY
There was also a Presbyterian organization at Dayton during the first decade of its life, but with no building or regular pastor.
At the date of this publication the following churches are in active operation :
The Christian Church, with a membership of 575. Rev. J. Eliott Slimp, pastor ; the Congregational, with 140 members, Rev. WV. C. Gilmore pastor; Methodist, with 140 members, Rev. A. A. Calendar pastor ; Baptist, 90 members, Rev. Lem T. Root, pastor; Episcopal, with 15 members, no settled pastor, but frequently visited by Rev. John Leacher of Pomeroy; United Brethren, 60 members, with Rev. J. H. Wilson as pastor.
DAYTON A CITY OF LODGES
Dayton has been somewhat distinguished as a city of lodges. Their founda- tion, too, dates to the period of county and city organization. The Odd Fellows secured a charter in February of 1876. On March 8, 1877, Patit Lodge No. 10 was duly organized, the first N. G. being Lee Searcy. The Masons were not much behind in time, for Columbia Lodge No. 26 was organized on October II, 1877, with J. E. Edmiston as first W. M.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Order of Chosen Friends, the Knights of Pythias, the Good Templars, and the Grand Army of the Republic were all organized during the last years of the '70s or first of the '8os. During the exciting times of the Nez Perce war of 1877 there was a military organization which finally grew into the Columbia Mounted Infantry, and that in turn became the Dayton Grays. This played a somewhat important part in keeping alive a certain interest that made the Dayton country good recruiting ground for the State Guard of Washington, and during the present enrolling year of 1917 very responsive to the national calls.
POLITICAL ANNALS
Resuming the thread of political annals with the election of 1882, the first following the establishment of Garfield County, we find the following tabulation : For delegate to Congress, Thomas Burke, democrat, 673 to 442 for T. H. Brents, republican; for joint councilman from the counties of Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Whitman, J. E. Edmiston, democrat ; joint councilman for Columbia and Garfield, N. T. Caton, democrat ; representative, Elisha Ping, democrat ; joint representative, John Brining, republican ; sheriff, J. H. Hosler, democrat ; auditor, J. W. Jessee, democrat ; probate judge, J. W. Ostrander, democrat ; county com- missioners, E. Bird, democrat, J. F. Kirby, republican, and E. Crouch, democrat ; prosecuting attorney, J. K. Rutherford, democrat ; treasurer, F. C. Miller, repub- lican ; assessor, Henry Hunter, republican, by a majority of one vote; superin- tendent of schools, Julia Newkirk, democrat ; surveyor, E. D. Miner, republican, without opposition ; coroner, Dr. J. Clarke ; sheep commissioner, O. E. Mack, democrat.
As will be seen, fourteen of the successful candidates were democrats and five were republicans. The total vote for congressional delegate, which might be considered representative of the general voting population, was 1,115. Thus it will be seen that Columbia County, like Walla Walla, was, during the period be-
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OLD WALLA WALLA COUNTY
fore statehood, predominantly democratic, though not by such steady majorities as to be counted on confidently. The gradual transition of those, as of other com- munities in the state, to prevailing republican dominance, is one of the interesting movements of the times. Various reasons, some good and some poor, may be assigned, varying according to political predilections of the observer. Broadly speaking, the transition was mainly due, in the author's judgment, to that tre- mendous movement of thought following the civil war, favorable to nationalism, the dominance of nation over state. The strife culminating in the Civil war and reconstruction thoroughly discredited the theory of state sovereignty, and the vast enlargement of Federal power swept into the ranks of nationalists an ever- increasing number of young men. This was more marked in the West than elsewhere, for the reason that state lines and state pride and ties have always been loose and weak in the new land where all sections and nations met on a com- mon footing.
The republican party of the '6os, the party of Lincoln, Seward, Chase and Greeley, was based on a moral issue, that of the inherent wrongfulness of slavery. That of the 'os had rather a political basis, that of national power against local power. The transition again in the period from 1912 to date, whereby the pendu- lum has swung from republican to democratic leadership, has been based primar- ily upon economic questions, the conviction having become common that monopoly and privilege had become entrenched behind Federal patronage and that a new order of freedom for the individual must be secured. In the counties under con- sideration in this volume, as in others in the state and in the West generally, we see the manifestation of these tides of thought and changes of viewpoint. As local studies any one of our counties, Columbia among others, though conservative like most farming sections, furnishes abundant matter for reflection.
The election of 1884 was marked by the short-lived woman suffrage pro- vision. By reason of this the total vote was considerably increased. In Dayton there was a total vote of 1,264, of which women cast 364.
The officials chosen were as follows: Congressman, C. S. Vorhees, democrat, 1,015 to 959 for J. M. Armstrong ; joint councilmen, B. B. Day, republican, and C. H. Warner, democrat ; representative, A. E. McCall, democrat; joint rep- resentative, S. A. Wells, republican ; sheriff, J. H. Hosler, democrat ; auditor, J. A. Kellogg. republican; county commissioners, J. W. Fields, W. R. Marquis, John Fudge, all republicans; prosecuting attorney, R. F. Sturdevant, republican ; pro- bate judge, J. Y. Ostrander, democrat ; treasurer, F. C. Miller, republican ; as- sessor, Garrett Romaine, republican; superintendent of schools, R. O. Hawks, republican ; surveyor, W. McBride, democrat; coroner, Dr. E. H. Van Patten, democrat ; sheep commissioner, H. B. Day, republican. A question of consider- able local interest was that frequent one of the building of a courthouse. This proposal carried 986 to 588. Another interesting question before the territory was that of taxing church property. The vote in Columbia County was 802 in favor and 701 against. The proposition, however, did not win in the territory Twelve republicans and seven democrats were garnered into the official store- house, as a result of the election of 1884. The tide was turning toward repub- licanism. In the election of 1886 the republican candidates scored a sweeping success, every county office except that of probate judge being filled by one of that party. The democratic candidate for Congress, however. Charles S. Vor-
.
ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES IN DAYTON
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OLD WALLA WALLA COUNTY
hees, again led the procession with 974 to 940 for C. M. Bradshaw. Wm. Ayers, democrat, was chosen to the council, and George Eckler, a republican, was chosen to the House of Representatives. The local officers were these: Sheriff, W. R. Marquis; auditor, Jay A. Kellogg; county commissioners, John Fudge, J. W. Fields and D. W. Gritman; prosecuting attorney, C. R. Dorr; probate judge, J. H. Gough; treasurer, F. C. Miller ; assessor, Garrett Romaine; school superin- tendent, R. O. Hawks; surveyor, John Patrick; coroner, Dr. E. Bories; sheep commissioner, H. B. Day. There was one rather curious event in that election. leading to a decision by Attorney R. F. Sturdevant, which has some general interest. D. W. Gritman and Alexander Price had an equal number of votes for commissioner, 946. The former was a republican, the latter a democrat. Mr. Sturdevant decided that though the number of votes was equal, Mr. Gritman was entitled to the seat for the reason that the statute provided that no two commis- sioners should be from the same district and that Mr. Gritman had a majority over the other candidate in his district, while Mr. Price was in a minority in his own district, though having a tie with Mr. Gritman. The decision seems sound and logical. A complication of that sort is avoided by the present law providing for nominations by district, not at large.
The election of 1888, the last of the territorial days, was in an "off" year, and excited comparatively little contest. There were only 1.351 votes as against 1,914 in the preceding election. The falling off was mainly due to the invalida- tion of the Woman Suffrage law by Judge Langford, and the consequent elimina- tion of women's votes. The democrats came back in this election, results being as follows: C. S. Voorhees for Congress led John B. Allen by one vote. In the territory, however, the election went the other way, and Mr. Allen took his seat in Congress. M. M. Godman, democrat, was chosen to the council and A. H. Weatherford, of the same party, was chosen representative. The county officers were these: Sheriff, W. R. Marquis, republican; auditor, Jay A. Kellogg, re- publican; county commissioners, Alexander Price and Daniel Lyons, democrats, and J. C. Lewis, republican ; prosecuting attorney, E. H. Fox, democrat ; probate judge, J. H. Gough, democrat ; assessor, 'M. R. Hanger, democrat ; superintendent of schools, G. S. Livengood, democrat ; coroner, Dr. E. H. Van Patten, democrat.
To Columbia County, as to the other counties of the state, the year 1889 was a great date, for it was the date of statehood. The general plan for the election of delegates to the state convention provided for the division of the territory into twenty-five districts, each to have three delegates, of which not more than two could be from any one party. Each party, therefore, nominated two candi- dates. Those for District No. 9, including all of Columbia County and the pre- cincts of Waitsburg, Coppei, Eureka Flat and Prescott, in Walla Walla County, were ; democrats, Lewis Neace and M. M. Godman, and, republicans, E. C. Ross and R. F. Sturdevant. Mr. Ross having the least vote, the others were declared duly chosen.
We have given some space to the "life and works" of the Constitutional Con- vention of 1889 in a previous chapter, and need say here no more than that Columbia County, in the election which followed in October, 1889, did not accept the Constitution. The vote was 468 for and 730 against. In similar manner Columbia County registered her disapproval of Woman Suffrage by 816 to 422, and of Prohibition by 745 to 484. The result on these three important questions Vol. 1-22
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OLD WALLA WALLA COUNTY
was similar in most of the Inland section, and with reference to Prohibition and Woman Suffrage, it was similar over the state.
The Constitution, however, was sustained by a good vote in the territory, and the state government became duly inaugurated.
The officers chosen in Columbia County in that first election under statehood were these: Congressman, John L. Wilson, republican, and for governor, Elisha P. Ferry, republican, both by very slight majorities, twenty-four in the first case and eighteen in the second; the other state officers having practically the samc vote, all republican except J. H. Morgan, democrat, for superintendent of public instruction, chosen by ten over the republican candidate; judge of Superior Court, R. F. Sturdevant, republican; state senator, H. H. Wolfe, republican ; representatives, H. B. Day, republican, and A. H. Weatherford, democrat ; county clerk, U. Z. Ellis, democrat ; other local officers were not chosen in that election, as it was an "extra" coming in with statehood.
The number of votes in that election was 1,314. Though the republicans were in the majority in almost all cases, it was by very scanty majorities, and it was plain that the good old democratic region of the Touchet was not yet entirely given over to republicanism. The precarious hold of that political faith was revealed in the election of 1890, for in that year the tide turned again and the republicans were left high and dry on the flats of Salt River, only two, John Woods for superintendent of schools, and J. C. Lewis for commissioner, being able to navigate their political barks into the desired haven. The total vote was 1,338, being an increase over the preceding year of only twenty-four. The results of the choice were as follows: Congressman, Thomas Carroll; repre- sentative to State Legislature, M. M. Godman ; county attorney, J. E. Edmiston ; clerk, U. Z. Ellis; auditor, J. H. Gough ; sheriff, J. A. Thronson ; treasurer, W. E. Ayers; commissioner, first district, I. N. E. Rayburn; commissioner, second district, J. C. Lewis; commissioner, third district, Daniel Lyons; school super- intendent, John Woods, by two votes; assessor, W. J. Honeycutt ; surveyor, Wilson McBride; coroner, Dr. E. H. Van Patten.
ELECTION OF 1892
The leading point of interest in connection with the election of 1892 was that it was the first in which the people of Washington participated in the choice of a President. Moreover it was a very strenuous campaign, and as we view it now it marked peculiarly the turning point in political thought toward the new set of issues, questions of labor and capital, money systems, railroad control and other economic problems, beginning to supplant the issues of the war and recon- struction. In that election the populists and prohibitionists appeared both in our new State of Washington and in the country at large. In Columbia County, as elsewhere, there was much scratching. The democrats carried the bulk of the county offices in this election, the republicans securing only the auditor, attorney and one commissioner. In this election, as is apt to be the case in periods of readjustment, the party in power suffered most.
On the vote for presidential electors the result was as follows: Cleveland, 674; Harrison, 618; Weaver, 188: Bidwell, 95.
At that time two congressmen were elected at large, and hence each of the four parties made two nominations.
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OLD WALLA WALLA COUNTY
The result was that Thomas Carroll and J. A. Mundy, democrats, received 656 and 635. respectively, to 592 and 591 for W. H. Doolittle and J. L. Wilson, republican candidates. H. J. Snively, democratic candidate for governor, had 647 to 571 for J. H. McGraw, republican, but the latter was successful in the state. On the Legislative ticket J. A. Kellogg and U. Z. Ellis for senator had a tie with 597 each, while Ernest Hopkins, populist, had 231.
For representative, S. W. Hamill, democrat, was chosen. R. F. Sturdevant, republican, and J. E. Edmiston, democrat, seem to have been almost constantly pitted against each other, and at this time the latter won the superior judgeship over the former. The county officers chosen were as follows: Sheriff, A. H. Weatherford; auditor, A. P. Cahill; clerk, Garl Taylor ; treasurer, W. A. New- man ; commissioners, I. N. E. Rayburn and R. H. McHargue, democrats, and L. M. Vannice, republican; assessor, W. J. Honeycutt ; attorney, W. H. Fouts, republican ; superintendent of schools, Charles H. Terpening; surveyor, T. B. Hicks ; coroner, Dr. E. H. Van Patten.
Although there was a tie in Columbia County on vote for senator, and although the democratic candidate for superior judge received a majority, yet in both cases the republican had a majority in the district, composed of Columbia, Garfield and Asotin, and therefore Mr. Kellogg and Mr. Sturdevant occupied those places respectively.
The election of 1894, coming in the very midst of the hardest of the "hard times"-floods, strikes, Coxey armies, bank failures, "30-cent wheat," and general turmoil -- was reflected in the great gain in the populistic ranks. This was largely a revolt of democrats against the Cleveland administration, very much as the elec- tion of 1892 was a revolt against the extreme tariff and other alleged "monopoly" tendencies of the Harrison administration.
The result was the triumph of the republican candidates in the triangular conflict. Every position showed a republican triumph. W. H. Doolittle and S. C. Hyde received 677 and 671 votes respectively, while B. F. Heuston and N. T. Caton, democrats, had to be content with 420 and 417, outrun by the populists, W. P. C. Adams and J. C. Van Patten, with 426 and 446. Cornelius Lyman was chosen representative with 668 to 510 for M. M. Godman. The county officials were: Sheriff, Conrad Knobloch ; auditor, A. P. Cahill; treasurer, J. H. Fudge; clerk, J. L. Mohundro; attorney, W. H. Fouts; assessor, R. F. Matkin; superintendent of schools, H. B. Ridgeley ; coroner, Dr. G. M. Burns ; commissioners, C. M. Grupe and Granville Hewitt.
The election of 1896 was characterized by a sweeping reversal of its pred- ecessor. That was the year of the "Peerless Leader" with his "Cross of Gold." A new deal was on and the old democracy was slipping to its final doom. A new democracy, under the oriflamme of the People's Party, a real democracy this time, instead of the pseudo-democracy of the southern slave baron and aristocrat, was making its appeal East and West, but especially West, the logical home of genuine democracy. Fusion tickets and fusion conventions of democrats, silver republicans, and populists, "three-ring circuses" as they were styled by stand- patters, marked that great political campaign of 1896. In Columbia County the triune ticket agreed on by three conventions meeting simultaneously on Septem- ber Ioth apportioned nominations, so that representative, auditor, sheriff and superintendent of schools were of the populists; attorney, assessor, clerk, sur-
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veyor, coroner and county commissioners went to the democrats; the silver repub- licans were cut rather short with the solitary assignment of treasurer.
The combination adopted the usual designation of People's Party. In the election the republicans saved from the general wreck only the clerk and sheriff, by scanty majorities. The total vote was 1,623, somewhat in excess of any cast in the county up to that date.
The vote was as follows: The Bryan electors 847, the Mckinley electors, 776; James Hamilton Lewis and W. C. Jones for Congress and John R. Rogers for governor; joint senator, J. C. Van Patten; representative, George Windust ; judge Superior Court, M. M. Godman; sheriff, Conrad Knobloch; clerk, J. L. Mohundro; auditor, Dick Harper; treasurer, G. A. Parker; attorney, E. W. Clark; assessor, G. W. Page; superintendent of schools, Mrs. Ella Terpening ; surveyor, Ira Trescott; coroner, E. H. Van Patten; commissioners, J. H. Mc- Cauley and J. C. Marckley.
The election of 1898 witnessed the same alignment, republicans against the "fusion" of populists, democrats and silver republicans.
The result, however, was another reversal, and all the places were filled by republicans, with the single exception of superintendent of schools. The vote resulted thus: W. L. Jones and F. W. Cushman for Congress; T. A. Anders and Mark A. Fullerton for Supreme Court; representative in Legislature, C. S. Jerard; sheriff, J. D. Smith ; clerk, L. L. Ellis ; auditor, H. E. Gilham; treasurer, F. W. Guernsey ; attorney, W. H. Fouts ; assessor, J. F. Porter ; superintendent of schools, Mrs. Ella Terpening ; surveyor, Ira Trescott; coroner, G. M. Burns; commissioners, Alexander Duffy and Cornelius Lyman.
The election of 1900 made it seem that the "fusion" formation was down and out, for the republicans carried the field by large or good majorities for every candidate. Results thus appear : Electors for Mckinley 899 to 712 for those of Bryan; W. L. Jones and F. W. Cushman for Congress; J. M. Frink for governor by 835 to 760 for Governor Rogers; joint state senator, Edward Baumeister ; representative, C. S. Jerard; judge Superior Court, C. F. Miller ; sheriff, J. D. Smith; clerk, L. L. Ellis; auditor, H. E. Gilham; treasurer, F. W. Guernsey ; attorney, R. B. Brown ; assessor, J. F. Porter ; superintendent of schools, W. W. Hendron; coroner, J. W. Mclachlan; commissioners, Cornelius Lyman and Richard Jackson.
In the election of 1902 there was a considerable falling off, over a hundred votes, from that of 1900, and a marked diminution of interest. This was again essentially a republican victory, their adversaries coming through with only the clerk, attorney and treasurer. The official vote follows: W. L. Jones, Francis W. Cushman and W. E. Humphrey for Congress by an average of 808 votes to an average of 609 for the democratic candidates, Cotterill, Holcomb and Cole ; representative, Conrad Knobloch, 740 to 732 for the democrat, M. M. Godman; sheriff, O. M. Stine; auditor, E. V. Thompson; clerk, Clark Israel, democrat by 808 to 665 for R. M. Campbell; treasurer, E. W. Alcorn, democrat by 837 to 638 for D. C. Guernsey ; attorney, E. W. Clark, democrat, 792 to 681 for R. B. Brown ; assessor, Wilbur Hopkins; superintendent of schools, W. W. Hendron; surveyor, John Patrick; coroner, Dr. C. H. Day; commissioners, R. A. Jackson and C. W. Sanders.
With 1904 comes another presidential election, as well as a full state ticket
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OLD WALLA WALLA COUNTY
341
and the intense interest always belonging to such an election. The result of the presidential vote was significant of the state of the public mind, and Columbia County was in this respect an index of the country at large. Roosevelt was forced upon the unwilling managers and bosses of the "G. O. P." by the tremen- dous sentiment in favor of trust control and other liberal policies by the masses, while Parker was forced upon the unwilling democratic masses by a coterie of reactionary managers in New York. The result showed that the masses would win every time. Parker was snowed under for all time and the already defunct old-time democratic limited management had a rude jolt in its grave clothes, which, strange to record, the republican management of the same type did not heed, and as a logical result they got their jolts in 1912 and 1916. In Columbia, Roosevelt received an overwhelming majority, the electors for him receiving an average of 1,083 to an average of 480 for the Parker electors. Humphrey, W. L. Jones and Cushman received about 250 majority over their democratic opponents. On the other hand, George Turner, democrat, had 886 to 719 for A. E. Mead for governor.
The joint republican candidate for state senator, S. S. Russell, had 880 votes to 727 for Frank Cardwell, democrat. But, reversing again, F. M. Weather- ford, democrat, beat W. H. Fouts for the lower house of the State Legislature. The successful county candidates were: Sheriff, F. W. Bauers, democrat ; clerk, Clark Israel, democrat ; auditor, E. V. Thompson, republican; treasurer, E. W. Alcorn, democrat; attorney, E. W. Clark, democrat; assessor, Wilbur Hopkins, republican ; superintendent of schools, C. B. Leatherman, republican ; surveyor, Wilson McBride, republican ; coroner, Dr. C. H. Day, republican ; commissioners, C. W. Sanders and C. E. Shaffer, both republicans.
The election of 1906 resulted thus :
1906
Representatives to Congress-
Party
Vote
W. E. Humphrey
Republican
795
Wesley L. Jones
Republican
.800
Francis W. Cushman
Republican .801
Wm. Blackman
Democrat
550
Patrick E. Byrne.
Democrat
538
Dudley Eshelman
Democrat
538
A. Wagenknecht
Socialist
30
J. H. Barkley
Socialist
29
Emil Herman
Socialist
29
A. S. Caton
Prohibition
35
J. M. Wilkin
Prohibition
35
Wm. Everett
Prohibition
36
State senator, Tenth District, covering Asotin, Garfield and Columbia counties. Stevenson, Senator; Godman was Representative.
State Rep., Eleventh Dist .- John R. Steven-
son Republican ... Successful candidate
M. M. Godman
Democrat . . Successful candidate
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OLD WALLA WALLA COUNTY
Sheriff-F. W. Bauers Democrat Successful candidate
County Clerk-Alvin Harms.
Democrat Successful candidate
Auditor-Walter A. Frary. .
Republican Successful candidate
Treasurer-Thos. E. Gentry Republican . Successful candidate
Attorney-R. M. Sturdevant . Republican . (No opposition )
Assessor-W. S. Hunt. . Republican . Successful candidate
School Superintendent-Nellie V. Gregg Democrat Successful candidate
Surveyor-F. W. Guernsey.
. Republican . Successful candidate
Coroner-Dr. John Huntington.
. Republican . . Successful candidate
County Commissioner Second District- Chas. Shaffer
Republican .. . Successful candidate
County Commissioner Third District-
Democrat .. Successful candidate C. J. Thronson
No record of election of 1908.
Though there is no official record, the county proceedings indicate the follow- ing choices :
State Senator, Tenth District (joint)-John
R. Stevenson Republican .. . Successful candidate State Representative, Eleventh District-R. A. Jackson Republican Successful candidate
Sheriff-Ed M. Davis
Democrat
Successful candidate
Clerk-J. H. Swart Republican Successful candidate
(Mr. Swart resigned July 1, 1910, to accept appointment as county auditor, R. R. Cahill appointed to fill vacancy, Cahill resigned September 1, 1910, account leaving to attend school and W. L. Jackson appointed to fill vacancy. All republicans. )
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