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An  Illustrated  History 

OF 

Skagit  and  Snohomish 
Counties 


their  people,  their  commerce  and  their 
resources 


WITH  AN  OUTLINE  OF  THE  EARLY  HISTORY 


State  of  Washington 


ENDORSED  AS  AUTHENTIC  BY  LOCAL  COMMITTEES  OF  PIONEERS 


INTERSTATE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
1906 


UiRARY  of  CONGRESS 

Two  Conies  (I«ceive<f 

AUG  31  1906 

eMyfigm  Entry 


^'k^i- 


eOPYRIGHT.   190G. 
BY 

s'TERSTATE  PUBLISHING  COMPAX'i 


■<^ 


Co  the  Pioneers 

of 

8hagit  and  Snobomieb  Counties 
^asbington 

Those  Who  Have  Gone  and  Those  Who  Remain, 

This  Work  is  Dedicated  as  a  Token  of 

Appreciation  of  Their  Virtues 

and  Their    Sacrifices 


"The  best  heritage  the  pioneer  can  leave  to  future  genera- 
tions is  the  simple  yet  powerful  story  of  his  life— of  hardships 
endured,  of  dangers  faced,  and  his  final  victory  over  wil- 
derness and  desert  plain." — Theodore  Roosevelt. 


PREFACE 


E 


VERY  community  writes  its  own  history  just  as  surely  as  every  community  makes  its 
own  history.  The  compiler  and  publisher  of  historical  works  can  do  nothing  more 
than  to  collect,  collate  and  arrange  the  accounts  which  have  been  already  prepared 
for  him  by  the  actors  themselves,  whose  deeds  and  achievements  he  seeks  to  record. 
If  he  does  this  thoroughly',  skilfully  and  with  conscientious  care,  he  has  done  all  that  is 
possible  to  him.  If  the  makers  of  the  history  of  any  locality  have  failed  to  write  fully 
accounts  of  their  deeds,  either  upon  the  printed  page  or  the  tablets  of  the  memory,  no  compiler  can  make 
good  the  resulting  loss.  A  careful  effort  has  been  made  by  the  compilers  and  publishers  of  this  work, 
to  make  the  best  use  of  all  available  materials.  It  is  hoped  that  in  some  measure,  at  least,  they  have 
succeeded.  If  the  result  of  their  labors  seems  deficient  to  the  reader  in  any  respect,  let  him  remem- 
ber the  possibihty  that  the  deficiency  may  be  due  partly  to  the  fact  that  the  makers  of  the  history 
themselves  have  not  written  their  history  with  sufficient  care  and  fullness. 

A  tribute  is  due,  however,  to  the  pioneers  of  Skagit  and  Snohomish  counties,  both  for  the  faith- 
fulness and  vividness  of  the  pictures  of  past  experiences  which  they  have  hung  on  memory's  walls,  ■ 
and  for  the  wilhngness  manifested  to  display  those  pictures  for  the  benefit  of  the  compilers.  A 
tribute  is  also  due  to  the  pioneer  newspaper  men  for  efficiency  in  preserving  for  us  a  record  of  events 
as  they  transpired,  and  for  unselfishness  in  placing  before  the  compilers  the  files  wherein  that  record 
is  to  be  found.  It  is  impossible  to  thank  specifically  each  of  the  many  persons  who  have  assisted  in 
the  production  of  this  work,  but  to  all  who  have  extended  courtesies,  or  imparted  information,  and  to 
those  who,  by  their  patronage,  have  made  the  publication  of  the  history  possible,  the  most  cordial 
thanks  of  the  publishers  are  extended. 

Special  acknowledgments  are  due  the  Puget  Sound  Mail,  the  Skagit  News-Herald,  the  Mount 
Vernon  Argus,  the  Anacortes  American,  the  Skagit  County  Times  and  the  Courier  of  Sedro-Woolley, 
the  Snohomish  Tribune,  the  Everett  Daily  Herald  and  the  Morning  Tribune,  the  Arlington  Times, 
the  Stanwood  Tidings,  the  Edmonds  Review;  to  Eldridge  Morse  and  Clayton  Packard,  editors 
respectively  of  the  old  Northern  Star  and  the  Eye,  for  use  of  files;  to  Melville  Curtis,  of  Anacortes,  for 
placing  in  our  hands  files  of  the  Northwest  Enterprise  and  of  the  Progress,  also  some  rare  maps' and 
pamphlets;  to  E.  A.  Sisson,  of  Padilla,  for  the  use  of  his  diary  and  old  pamphlets;  to  Gardner 
Goodridge,  of  Stanwood,  and  Hon.  E.  C.  Ferguson,  of  Snohomish,  for  valuable  papers;  to  the  Everett 
Improvement  Company  for  maps,  newspaper  files,  etc.;  to  Dr.  Charles  Milton  Buchanan,  of  the 
Tulalip  Indian  Agency,  for  information  and  contributions  concerning  the  Indians;  to  the  Everett 
Chamber  of  Commerce  for  valuable  files  and  documents;  to  the  officers  of  both  counties  for  numerous 
favors  and  courtesies,  and  to  the  special  committees  of  both  counties  for  efficient  assistance  in  revising 
the  manuscripts  and  many  helpful  suggestions. 

Free  use  has  been  made  of  official  records  of  county,  state  and  nation.  In  the  preparation  of  the 
history  we  have  had  the  efficient  help  of  W.  D.  Lyman,  professor  of  history  and  civics  in  Whitman 
College,  Walla  Walla. 

THE    INTERSTATE    PUBLISHING    COMPANY.. 

John  MacNeil  Henderson,  President. 
Charles  Arthur  Branscombe,    Vice  President. 
William  Sidney  Shiach,  Editor. 
Harrison  B.  Averill,  Associate  Editor. 


COMMITTEE    ENDORSEMENTS 


We,  the  undersigned,  citizens  of  Skagit  county,  Washington,  hereby  certify  that  we  have 
assisted  in  a  thorough  final  revision  of  the  manuscript  history  of  said  county  prepared  and  to  be  pub- 
Hshed  by  the  Interstate  Publishing  Company.  We  came  to  this  region  during  the  early  days,  have 
taken  an  active  part  in  its  development,  and  witnessed  with  no  little  interest  the  making  of  its  history 
from  its  dawn  to  the  present  time;  therefore  we  are  able  to  give  to  this  revision  advantages  accruing 
from  personal  knowledge  of  many  events. 

The  History  of  Skagit  County  we  have  no  hesitancy  in  pronouncing  eminently  fair  and  com- 
prehensive in  its  treatment  of  all  sections,  impartial  toward  all  interests,  interesting  in  its  description 
of  pioneer  life  and  latter-day  growth  of  our  community,  and  authentic  in  its  spirit  and  details.  The 
result,  we  believe,  is  a  standard  county  history  of  substantial  and  permanent  worth. 

Thomas   P.   Hastie,    President  Pioneer  Association. 
Da\id  Batev,   Ex-president  Pioneer  Association. 
E.   A.  SissoN,   Secretary  Pioneer  Association. 
Albert  L.  Graham,  For  the  Islands. 


We,  the  undersigned,  pioneer  citizens  of  Snohomish  county,  Washington,  hereby  certify  that  we 
have  gone  over  the  manuscript  history  of  said  county,  prepared  and  to  be  published  by  the  Inter- 
state Publishing  Company,  and  have  called  the  attention  of  its  editor  to  such  errors  and  omissions  as 
our  knowledge  of  events  enabled  us  to  discover.  Having  been  active  participants  in,  or  vigilant 
observers  of,  almost  everything  that  has  happened  in  the  county  from  the  early  days  to  the  present, 
we  believe  ourselves  well  qualified  to  judge  of  the  merits  of  said  history,  and  we  have  no  hesitancy 
in  stating  that  so  far  as  we  know  it  is  a  full  and  comprehensive  record  of  events,  impartial  in  its 
treatment  of  the  various  interests  and  sections  and  in  all  respects  a  meritorious  and  authentic  work. 


E.  C.  Ferguson,  ()/'  Snohomish. 
E.  D.  Smith,  of  Loivell. 
Peter  Leoue,  of  Stamvood. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PART  I 
INTRODUCTORY 


CHAPTER  I 

EXPI.ORA'IIONS    BY    WaTER 


PACE 

Introductory— Gasper  Cortereal— Juan  de  Fuca— His  Story— Behring's  Explorations— Captain  James  Cook— Incep- 
tion of  Fur  Trade— The  Nootka  Controversy— La  Perouse—Meares— American  Explorations — Discovery  of  the 


Columbia — Vancouver's  Explorations. 


CHAPTER  II 

Expi-oRATioNs  Hv  Land 

Verendrye — Moncacht-ajje-Alexander  Mackenzie— Thomas  Jefferson  and  the  Northwest— Lewis  and  Clark  Expe- 
dition to  the  Pacific — Negotiations  Leading  to  the  Louisiana  Purchase — Details  of  the  Journey  of  Lewis  and 
Clark 5 

CHAPTER  III 

The  Astor  Expedition 

Profits  of  the  Fur  Trade— John  Jacob  Astor— His  Plan-His  Partners— The  Tonquin— Fate  of  That  Ship— David 
Thompson — Adventures  of  William  Price  Hunt  and  Party— Failure  of  Astor's  Enterprise — Capture  and  Restora- 
tion of  Astoria 12 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Northwest  and  Hudson's  Bay  Companies 

Joint  Occupation— Early  History  of  the  Northwest  Company— Rivalry  of  the  Northwest  and  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
panies-Absorption of  Northwest  Company — Character  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company — Its  Modus  Operandi— 
Its  Indian  Policy— William  H.  Ashley— Jedediah  S.  Smith— Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville— Captain  Nathaniel  J. 
Wyeth — Hudson's  Bay  Company  Seeks  a  New  License— The  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company IH 

CHAPTER  V 

Period  of  Settlement 

Jason  Lee  and  Party — The  Reception  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  Employees— The  Political  Effect — The  Flat- 
heads'  Search  for  the  Hook— Its  Results  to  the  Tribe— Settlers  in  Oregon  in  1832-34— Expedition  of  Doctor 
Marcus  Whitman  and  Doctor  Samuel  Parker— Whitman's  Mission— Whitman's  Work — Gray's  Return  to  the 
East — New  Arrivals— The  Large  Immigration  of  1843— Extract  from  Nesmith's  Lecture,  "The  Early  Pioneer" — 
Death  of  Edwin  Young — Attempts  to  Organize  a  Government — Provisional  Government  at  Last 24 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VI 
The  Oregon  Controversy 

PAGE 

Claims  of  the  United  States  to  Northwest  Stated— Negotiations  of  1826-7 — Evans  on  Effects  of  Joint  Occupation- 
Interest  of  Congress  Finally  Aroused— Exploration  is  Stimulated— Immigration  of  1843— Negotiations  of  1831— Of 
1842— Of  1843- -Interest  Manifested  All  Over  the  Union— Political  Parties  Take  up  the  Controversy — Negotia- 
tions of  1845 — Polk  Gives  Great  Britain  a  Year's  Notice  of  Intention  to  Abrogate  Joint  Occupancy  Treaty — 
Negotiations  of  1846— Great  Britain  Offers  Forty-Ninth  Parallel— Offer  is  Accepted— The  San  Juan  Contro- 
versy—Its Settlement y4- 

CHAPTER  VII 

The  Cayuse  War 

Agent  White's  Warning  to  Immigrants — The  Renegade  Cockstock— Indian  Expedition  to  California— The  Indian 
Agent's  Difficulties— Calamity  Averted -Cause  of  the  Whitman  Massacre— Joe  Lewis— Details  of  the  Massacre — 
Rev.  Brouillet's  Statement— His  Interviews  with  Spalding— Peter  Skeen  Ogden— His  Speech— Indian's  Reply — 
Prisoners  Delivered  Up— Eells  and  Walker — Oregon  Rises  to  the  Occasion— Volunteer  Regiment  Provided  for — 
Failure  of  Attempt  to  Negotiate  a  Loan— Appeal  to  Citizens — The  Regiment— Expedition  Starts  from  Portland — 
Vakimas  Choose  Peace— Battle  of  Sand  Hollows— Tiloukaikt  Outwits  Gilliam— Gilliam's  Death— Captain  Maxom 
Takes  Command— Condition  at  Fort  Waters — Women  to  the  Aid  of  the  Suffering — Governor's  Proclamation  — 
Additional  Volunteers—  Difficulty  of  Collecting  Supplies— Lee  Appointed  Colonel— Resigns  in  Favor  of  Waters — 
Sets  Out  for  Nez  Perce  Country — Cayuses  Flee— End  of  Campaign— Results  of  War 4L 

CHAPTER   VIII 

Early  Days  in  Washington 

Early  Agricultural  Progress— Emigrants  from  Fort  Garry — Michael  T.  Simmons  — Condition  of  the  Sound  Country 
at  the  Time— Settlements  of  1848— Beginning  of  Commerce  on  Puget  Sound— Settlements  of  1850— Of  1851  — 
Convention  at  Cowlitz  Landing— Washington  Territory  Created— Governor  Stevens— Conditions  Found  by 
Him— Territory  Organized— Stevens  Goes  to  Washington,  D.  C— Indian  Council  Convened— Extracts  from 
Kipp's  Diary — Governor  Stevens'  Speech— Arrival  of  Looking  Glass— Treaty  Signed— Territory  Relinquished. .     50 

CHAPTER   L\ 

The  Yakima  War 

Outbreak— Causes— Gold  Discovery— Initial  Murders— Murder  of  Agent  Bolen— The  Haller  Expedition— Its  De- 
feat— Olney's  Letter  to  Governor  Curry — Military  Preparations — Major  Rains'  Expedition— Rains'  Reply  to 
Kamiakin's  Letter— Raymond's  Message  to  Major  Chinn— Establishment  of  Fort  Henrietta — General  Wool 
Arrives— Reinforcements  sent  by  Nesmith  to  Relief  of  Fort  Henrietta— Kelly  Assumes  Command— His  Meeting 
with  Peo-peo-mox-mox— First  Day  of  Battle— Killing  of  Peo-peo-mox-mox  and  other  Indian  Hostages— Different 
Accounts  of  it— Kelly's  Report  of  the  Battle  of  Walla  Walla— Severe  Winter  Following— Governor  Stevens' 
Return  from  the  Blackfoot  Country— Charges  against  General  Wool— Stevens'  Return  to  Olympia— War  on 
the  Sound— Massacres  on  White  River— Desultory  Winter  Campaign— Stevens  Calls  for  Additional  Volun- 
teers—Attack on  Seattle— Defeat  of  Indians  on  White  River — Volunteers  Decide  on  Inland  Empire  Campaign — 
Operations  of  the  Oregon  Volunteers — Wool's  Instructions  to  Colonel  Wright— Evans'  Criticism  of  Wool- 
Wright  Starts  for  Walla  Walla — Kamiakin's  Attack  on  the  Cascade  Settlements— Lawrence  W.  Coe's  Account 
of  Attack  on  the  Bradford  Store— Coe's  Narrative  of  Attack  on  Lower  Cascades— Attack,  on  Middle  Block- 
house—Relief Comes— Sheridan's  Operations— Steptoe's  Return— Wright's  Yakima  Campaign— Colonel  Shaw's 
Vigorous  Campaign— Stevens'  Second  Council  of  Walla  Walla— Wool's  Congratulations— Failure  of  the 
Council— Stevens'  Battle  with  the  Indians— His  Criticism  of  Colonel  Wright— Wright's  Patched-up  Peace- 
Indignation  of  the  Territories— Indians'  Preparations  for  Renewal  of  the  War— Steptoe's  Ill-starred 
Expedition— Wright's  Vigorous  Campaign— Battle  of  Four  Lakes— Spokane  Plains— Peace— Summary  of  the 
Results  of  the  Campaign 6T 


CONTENTS 


PART    II 

HISTORY   OF   SKAGIT   COUNTY 

CHAPTER  I 
Period   of  Settlement 

PAGE 

First  Settlers  on  Fidalgo  Island— Compton's  Claim— Fate  of  Robert  Beale— Smoke  in  1868— Enumeration  of  Early 
Settlers— First  White  Woman— Other  Arrivals— Miss  White's  Statement— Agriculture  Begun  on  the  Island — 
Farm  Machinery  Introduced— Progress  During  Early  Seventies— Ship  Harbor — The  Lady  of  Ship  Harbor — 
Settlement  of  Guemes  Island— Copper  Prospect  Discovered — "King  of  the  Smugglers" — Attempted  Settlement 
on  Mainland  in  1855— Quotation  from  Northern  Light— Calhoun  Visits  the  Mainland — His  Settlement— Stories 
about  Swinomish  Indians — Settlers  following  Calhoun  and  Sullivan— Settlers  in  1870 — First  White  Women — 
Settl'ers  in  1871— Conditions  in  Early  Seventies— Grain  Raising— First  Steam  Thresher— Settlement  of  Padilla — 
Arrival  of  Whitney— Whitney,  Sisson  &  Company — First  Settlers  in  Skagit  Valley— First  House— First  School 
and  Church— Skagit  City— Logging  Bees— Campbell's  Store— Election  of  1871— Potatoes  as  Legal  Tender- 
Primitive  Transportation- Logging— Murder  of  John  Barker— Kimble's  Experiences— Other  Settlers— Settle- 
ment of  Upper  Valley— First  Settler  above  the  Jam — Rev.  B.  N.  L.  Davis — Discovery  of  Coal— Settlement  of 
Amasa  Everett— Some  Pioneers  in  Special  Callings — Logging  Camps — Settlers  at  Different  Points— N.  P.  R.  R. 
Matters— County  Division  Rumblings  of  1873— Large  Crop  Yields  on  the  Swinomish — The  Samish  Valley — 
Edison— Early  Settlers— Pioneer  Merchant— Inauguration  of  Diking — Public  Schools — Killing  of  Patrick 
Mahoney — Concluding  Remarks 97 

CHAPTER  II 

Skagit  County,  1874-1883 

Effects  of  Crisis  of  1873— First  Move  for  Jam  Removal— Cold  January  in  1875— Bird's-eye  View  of  County  in  1875— 
First  Coal  Shipments — Scale  of  Prices  in  l87(i— Beginning  of  Work  on  the  Jam  — Proposed  Levee  Along  the 
River— Description  of  Jam— Importance  of  Removal— Northern  Star's  Report  o£  Progress— Dangers  of  Work- 
Tribute  to  the  Jam  Loggers— Heavy  Grain  Shipments  in  1S76— Progress  of  Dikifif— Large  Yields  of  Oats— Star 
Correspondents' Statistics -Discovery  of  Coal— Prospecting  in  1877  — Discovery  of  Gold  in  1878— Excitement 
Ensuing— Ruby  Creek  Mines — Conditions  in  1^77-8— Logging  above  the  Jam — Progress  of  the  Upper  Valley— 
Birdsview — Sedro- Woolley— District  Court  at  La  Conner— Restoration  of  Railroad  Lands — Voyage  of  the 
Josephine— Social  Life — Drowning  of  John  Imbler — Fishing  Industry— Heavy  Snow  Fall  of  1880— Mining — 
Steamboating  to  the  Mines— Settlement  at  Mouth  of  Baker  River— Fracas  with  Indians  — Memorial  to  Post- 
master General— Fine  Oat  Crops— Floods  of  1882— Jam  Removal  Meeting— Lumbering — Minkler's  Mill^ 
Drowning  of  J.  S.   Kelly , 112 

CHAPTER  III 

■     Skagit  County,  1883-1889 

County  Division — Preliminary  Sparring — The  Bill  Introduced— First  pill  Lost— Another  Introduced  and  Carried— 
Copy  of  the  Act— Loss  of  Steamers  Josephine  and  Fanny  Lake— Other  Steamers— Movements  for  Improve- 
ment of  River  Navigation— Movement  for  Improved  Roads— Dry  Summer  of  1883— Swinomish  Flat  Develop- 
ments in  lS83—Floods— Drowning  of  Walker— Morse's  Tide  Land  Report— Jam  Removal  Matters  Again— Lum- 
bering in  18S4— Indian  Fracas— County  Seat  Struggle  Begun— Its  Progress  and  Conclusion— Minerals— Cold 
Weather  in  December,  1884— General  Progress — Auditor's  Statistics— Forest  Fires  in  18S5— Good  Crops  of 
That  Year— List  of  Loggers— Anti-Chinese  Demonstrations — General  Developments  in  1386- Skagit  River  Tele- 
phone Company— Outline  of  Mail  Contracts— List  of  Tax  Payers— Railroad  Matters — Skagit  Saw-mill  and  Manu- 
facturing Company— Whitney  Island— Freshet  of  1887— Whatcom— Skagit  Struggle  Again— Blowing  up  of  the 
Bob  Irving— Rapid  Developments  of  1888— Railroad  Rumors— Logging— Statistics  of  Property,  1883-8— 
Statehood — Mining  Activities — Constitutional  Convention — Final  Admission 127 

CHAPTER  IV 

Skagit  County,  1889-1897 

Cold  Winter  of  1889-90— Railroad  Projects- The  Seattle  &  Northern— Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern— Fairhaven  & 
Southern— Seattle  &  Montana— Paper  Railroads— General   Excitement— Anacortes   Boom— Mount   Vernon— 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Skagit  County  Agricultural  Society— Increase  in  Population— Memorials  to  Congress— Anti-Chinese  Move- 
ments—Attempted Highway  Robbery— Smallpox  Epidemic- Pioneer  Association  Organized — List  of  First  Offi- 
cers and  Members— Road  Agitation  in  1891 — New  County  Scheme -Shooting  Affair  of  July  26,  ISHl — Bar  Asso- 
ciation-Great Growth  of  County— Bridge  Building  in  lS9i  County  Seat  Removal  Struggle— Population  in 
1892— Assessment  Returns— Floods  of  Winter  of  1S92-3 — Cold  Snap  in  January  and  February— Proposed  Motor 
Line — Trial  for  Murder  of  David  C.  Moody  -Wilbur  Heirs  Case — Large  Shipments  of  Oats — Skagit  County 
Shingle  Association — Court-house  Erected— Wagon  Bridge  at  Mount  Vernon  Completed— Crop  Conditions  in 
1893— Marsh  Land  Reclamation— Flood  of  1894 — Damage  to  Realty  Owners  and  Railroads— Drowning  of  N.  P. 
Swanbergand  Child — Drowning  of  Indians — Freshet  of  July— Results  of  Flood — Northwest  Agricultural  Society — 
Skagit  County  Horticultural  Society-  Forest  Fire— High  Tide  of  January  12,  1895— Anacortes  Threatened  by 
Forest  Fire— Unfortunate  Year  1895— Memorial  in  Matter  of  Clearing  the  Mouth  of  the  Skagit — Fracas  on  the 
Wharf  at  Saniish— Trial  of  Baldwin.  Perkins  and  Loop— County  Immigration  Association  Projects  of  1895-6— 
Floods  of  1896— Attempted  Murder  at  Prairie ,   14-1 

CHAPTER  V 

Skagit  Coi'NTY,  1S!)7-19I»5 

General  Revival  of  Industry — Indian  Murder  Case— Klondike  Excitement -Flood  of  November,  1897 — Spanish- 
American  War — Summary  of  Events — Return  of  the  Soldiers  -Trial  of  Joe  Henry— Murder  of  D.  M.  Wood- 
bury— Trial  of  Al.  Hamilton — His  Final  Conviction  and  Execution  -Trouble  Over  Employment  of  Japanese — 
Invasion  of  Army  Worms— Railroad  Accident — Corsage  Case  Census  of  1900— Prosperous  Year  1901  — 
County  Fair— Memorial  Services— Storm  of  December  25th  — Railroad  Accident  of  January  17,  1903— Trial 
of  Charles  Lindgrind— Skagit  County  at  the  St.  Louis  Fair— Refunding  of  Bonds— Jail  Break — Pioneers' 
Reunions  of  1904-5-Burning  of  Steamer  Elwood— Prosperous  Year  1904 -High  Tide  of  December  29,  1904  — 
Encouraging  Outlook , 165 

CHAPTER  VI 

Political 

Division  Movement  in  1882— Officers  Elected  That  Year— Special  County  Election— Precincts  and  Official  Vote- 
Organization  of  First  Board  of  Commissioners — Ferry  Licenses  Granted— First  Jurors— County  Seat  Struggle 
of  1H84— Vote  on  Question  by  Precincts — Democratic  Convention  of  1884— Republican  Convention— Official 
Vote— Commissioner  District  (juestion— Local  Option  Election— People's  Party  Organized— Official  Vote  in 
1886— Election  of  18H9— Special  Election  of  1889— Conventions  and  Election  of  1890— Hot  Campaign  of  1892  — 
People's  Party  Appears— Conventions  and  Official  Vote— Conventions  and  Elections  of  1894— Northwestern 
County  Combination— Vigorous  Campaign  of  1896— Preliminary  Conventions— Resolutions  of  the  "  Middle- 
of-the-Roaders"— Official  Returns— Official  Returns  in  19((0— McBride  Becomes  Governor — Preliminary  Con- 
ventions in  1902— Official  Vote-  Republican  Resolutions  in  1904  -  Democratic  Convention— Result 174 

CHAPTER  VII 

Cities  and  Towns 

Mount  ]'ernon—lis  Site— First  Settlement— First  School— Platting  of  the  Town— First  Store -First  Residence- 
First  Restaurant— Transportation— Progress  in  1879— Effect  of  Ruby  Creek  Excitement— Logging  in  the 
Vicinity— Flag  Pole— Fraternal  Orders— Progress  in  1883-4— School  Census  of  1884— Odd  Fellows'  Hall— Mount 
Vernon  Made  County  Seat— Skagit  Saw-mill  and  Manufacturing  Company— Railroad  Matters— Telegraphic 
Connections— Building  and  Loan  Association— Incorporation — Steady  Growth  During  Boom  Period— Enterprises 
Inaugurated  at  the  Time— Municipal  Improvements— First  Big  Fire  -  Great  Northern  Reaches  Mount  Vernon— 
School  Building  Erected— Opera  House— Chamber  of  Commerce— •' Mass  Meeting"  of  1894  — New  Dike- 
Effort  for  City  Water  System— Fire  of  April  20,  1895— Later  Fires— Progress  of  Recent  Years— Frater- 
uities— Churches— Newspapers— Schools— Bank — Summary  of  Business  Houses— Fair  Association — Profes- 
sional Men— City  Officers.  La  Conner— Vus\.  Mercantile  Establishment— John  S.  Conner— La  Conner  Post- 
office— La  Conner  in  18S2— James  and  George  Gaches— Efforts  for  Improvement  of  Swinomish  Slough — 
Development  in  1875— Steamboat  Transportation— Business  Establishments— Telephonic  Connections,  Water 
System,  Etc. — Incorporation — Dis-incorporation— Re-incorporation- Puget  Sound  Mail — Public  Schools — 
Churches— Fraternities— Skagit  County  Bank— Fires  — Present  Population— Outlook.  AnacortfS—'RomSiUce  of 
its  History— Excellent  Location— Amos  Bowman's  Article— Earliest  Settlers  in  the  Vicinity— Bowman's  Map- 
Terminal   Aspirations— Bowman's    Account— Anacortes    in    1882— Communication— Early   Steamboats— Town 


CONTENTS  xi 


PAGE 

Platted— N.  P.  R.  R.  Interested— The  Boom— Warnings  of  Skagit  News— Cause  of  Boom— Attitude  of  Rail- 
roads Toward  Anacortes— Electric  Railroad  Enterprise- Skagit  Motor  Line— First  Ocean  Steamship's  Visit - 
Municipal  Incorporation— First  Election— Chamber  of  Commerce— Schools— Newspapers- -Banks— Breaking  of 
Boom— County  Seat  Fight— Fish  Canneries  Established— Banks— Wharves— Churches— Fraternities— Water 
System— Fire  Department— Conclusion.  Sedro-  lVoo/U-\ — Marvelous  Growth— First  Settlement— Arrival  of 
Mortimer  Cook— "Bug  "  Established  by  Him— Inception  of  Business  Enterprises— Boom  of  1889  in  Sedro- 
Entrance  of  Fairhaven  &  Southern— Other  Railroads— Platting  of  Sedro.  AW/rwV/^— Business  Houses  in 
1890— Decline  of  the  Pioneer  Town— Kelly's  Town  Takes  the  Lead -Sedro  Land  and  Improvement  Company- 
First  City  Election— St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital— WooUey  Founded— Story  of  Beginnings— Postoffice  Estab- 
Hshed— Early  Business  Enterprises  — First  City  Election  in  Woolley— Growth  of  the  Industrial  Field— Social 
Life  Organized— Disastrous  Fire  of  18!il— That  of  1893— Hard  Times— Union  of  Sedro  and  Woolley  in  1898— 
First  City  Officials— Progress  of  the  Consolidated  City— Story  of  the  Schools— Present  System  — Churches  and 
Their  History— City's  Newspapers— Present  City  Officers— Fraternities— Business  Directory— Present  Status— 
"  The  Tale  of  Two  Cities  " 18» 

CHAPTER   VIII 

Cities   and  Towns     (Continued) 

Bur/in^/on—FWst  Settlements— Platting  of  Town— Early  Business  Men— Pioneer  Loggers— Milletfs  Dwelling 
Erected— Postoffice  Established— Advent  of  Railroads— Geographical  Surroundings— Incorporation  in  1902— 
Belleville  Episode— First  Business  Houses— Mills  Established— Business  Directory  of  1905— Schools— Churches 
—Fraternities.  jE'rt'?Vo«— Surroundings— First  Settlers— Postoffice  Meeting— Captain  Edwards'  Store— Town 
Platted— Samish  Island — Town  in  1878— In  1882— Early  Business  Men — Disastrous  Fire  of  1893— Progress — 
Industries  of  Community — Present  Busiuess  Houses— Schools— Churches— Fraternities.  Bow — Founding — 
Growth— Present.  .^?/o«— Establishment  by  White  and  Skaling— Temperance  Town — Pioneer  Business  Men 
— Business  Features— Business  Directory— Churches  and  Schools — North  Avon.  Bay7'tt^7e'—lts  Incipiency — 
— Resources — As  it  is  To-day.  C/t'ar/,d-e— History — Present— Resources.  Mc Murray— EstabVishmeut  of  Town 
— Location— Growth — Business  Houses  of  To-day.  Montbornc — Hamilton— Ms  Past— Incorporation— Growth- 
Business  Directory.  Baker— 'iX.oxy  of  Its  Growth— Present— 5rt«X-  City— Rockport— Cement  City— Dewey— 
Whitney— Fidalgo— Fir — Conway — Skagit  Citv — Lyman  —Sterling —  Thome — Ehrlichs— Soma  Historic  Boom 
Towns— Other  Postoffices  in  Skagit  County 22S 


PART  III 
HISTORY  OF  SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  I 

Settlement  and  Organizati 


The  First  Saw-mill— Military  Operations  During  the  Indian  War— Beginnings  of  Snohomish  City— Military  Road 
Operations  Abandoned— Founding  of  Mukilteo— Election  of  June  9;  1860— Organization  of  County— The 
Creating  Act— Census  of  1861 — Effects  of  Eraser  River  Excitement — Cady  and  Parsons'  Expedition — The 
Trans-Cascade  Trail  Matter— Census  of  1862— First  White  Women- Settlement  of  the  Stillaguamish— Mrs. 
Marvin's  Pioneering  Experiences— Names  of  Early  Settlers— Beginnings  of  Logging— Logging  at  Mukilteo— 
First  Settlers  of  Port  Gardner  Bay— M  urder  of  Charles  Seebart- First  Steamboats— Logging  on  the  Stillaguamish  253 

CHAPTER  II 

Current  Events— 1870-1889 

Saw-mill  Projects— Assessed  Valuations— Population  and  Conditions  in  1^70— First  Deaths  of  Women — Judicial 
Matters— Cold  Winter  of  1874— Conditions  Subsequent  to  1873— Statistics  of  Logging  in  1876— Saw-mill  on  the 
Pillchuck — Agriculture  on  the  Sillaguamish— Development  of  Water  Transportation — The  Northern  Star — 
Death  of  Low  and  Batt— Diphtheria  Epidemic— Hard  Times  of  1877— Extract  from  Governor's  Report— Military 
Companies  Organized— Agriculture  on  the  Skykomish — On  the  Snohomish  and  Pillchuck — Removal  of  Stilla- 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

guamish  Jam — Assessor's  Census  for  1877 — For  1878 — Suspension  of  Northern  Star — Tide  Lands  Report — 
Revival  of  1882— Lumbering  Operations  of  Blackman  Brothers— W.  M.  Pattison's  Ferry — Incoming  Immi- 
grants— Work  on  Snohomish  Marshes— Lake  Washington  Wagon  Road— Removal  of  Snags  from  the  Snohomish 
River— Shooting  Affray  at  Stanwood — Ice  on  the  Snohomish  in  Winter  of  1883-4 — Indian  Difficulties — Agricul- 
tural Progress— Stock  Raising— Hard  Times  for  Loggers  in  1884— Progress  of  Snohomish  City — Pillchuck  and 
Stillaguamish  Wagon  Road— Mining  Operations— Movement  for  Railroads — Production  in  1884 — Revival  in 
1885 — Blackman  Mill  Burned — Pillchuck  Boom  Break — Inception  of  Shingle  Industry — Progress  of  Agriculture 
— First  Threshing  Machine— Products  of  1885— Anti-Chinese  Agitation— New  Roads — Stillaguamish  in  1886 — 
Depression  at  Granite  Creek — Forest  Fires — Accident  on  the  Stillaguamish  in  1887 — Railroad  Matters— Seattle 
&  West  Coast — Bellingham  Bay  Road — Lumber  Industry  in  1887 — Silver  Creek  Road — Indian  Matters— Popu- 
lation in  1887 — Principal  Property  Holders — Lively  Year  1888 — Accident  on  the  Stillaguamish — Combinations  in 
Lumbering — Railroad  Activity— Building  of  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern — Stillaguamish  in  1889— Movement 
for  Secession — Mining  Excitement  and  General  Progress 259 

CHAPTER   111 

Current   Events— 1889-1897 

Progress  of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern— Mining— County  Division  Rumblings— Railroad  Matters — 
Immigration — Mineral  Developments— Lumbering  and  Agriculture — Arhngton — Lumbering — Wages — Brewing 
of  County  Seat  Trouble — Building  of  Court-house— Railroads  Again— Effects  of  Railroad  Building  on  Realty 
Speculations — General  Progress — Assessment  Summaries  — Population— Year  1891— Court-house  Completed— 
Disastrous  Storm  on  the  Coast— Railroad  Progress  in  1891— Attention  to  Electric  Railroading— The  Seattle  & 
Montana — The  "Three  S"  Road— Society  for  County  Advancement— Excursion  by  Boat  to  Sultan— Mining  in 
1891— Granite  Falls-Silver  Gulch— Visit  of  Philip  Armour  and  Others— Erection  of  the  Paper  Mill  at  Lowell- 
Inception  of  Great  Industrial  Enterprises  at  the  New  City  of  Everett — Water  Works  Movement  at 
Everett — The  Case  of  David  Montgomery — Expulsion  of  Guy — Statistics  of  Progress— Building  of  the  Great 
Northern— The  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  Railroad— Stillaguamish  and  Sultan  Mining  Company— Other  Mining 
Matters — Raids  on  Dives — Freshets  of  November,  1892 — Smallpox — Completion  of  the  Great  Northern — 
Stillaguamish  Construction  Company — Tilt  with  a  Steamboat  Man— Jail  Break— Story  of  the  Trials  of  Schultz 
and  Smith,  Murderers — Assessor's  Report  for  1893— Floods— Opening  of  1894— Public  Improvements— Steam- 
boat Matters— Great  Strike  of  1894— Accident  on  Lake  Stevens— County  Seat  Struggle— Puget  Sound  National 
Bank  Fails — Shooting  of  'Texas  Jack" — Trial  of  "Omaha  Bill" — Revival  in  1896— Mining  Association 
Organized — Mining  Activities— Introduction  of  the  Silo — Attack  on  Nathan  Phillips — Snohomish  River  Flood  278 

CHAPTER   IV 

Current    Events  — 1897-1905 

New  Era — Hart  vs.  Rucker — Removal  of  Court  Records — Interview  with  D.  D.  Besse — Developments  on  the  Monte 
Cristo — Dairying — Forest  Reserve  Question — Puget  Sound  National  Bank  Troubles  Adjusted — Worth  Found 
Not  Guilty— Flood  of  1897— Wreck  on  the  S.  &  I.— Proposed  Power  Plant  on  the  Stillaguamish— Railroad 
Matters  in  1898— Sultan  Valley  Railroad  Company— Canadian  Pacific  Operations— Pride-Mystery  Receiver- 
ship—Revival of  Shingle  Business— Snohomish's  Part  in  Spanish  War— Connella-Nelson  Case— Indignation 
Meeting  in  Everett— Mining  in  1899— Snohomish  County  Shingle  Manufacturers'  Association — Mills  of  the 
County — Excessive  Rains  in  August,  1899 — Fair  of  1899— Monty- Fox  Shooting  Affair — Railroad  Accident- 
Activity  in  Lumbering  in  1900— Progress  in  Mining — Northern  Pacific  Purchases  Everett-Snohomish  Road — 
Attack  on  Frank  Whited — Population  in  1900 — Immigration  in  1900 — Mining  Operations — Splendid  Harvest  of 
1901 — Accidents  of  the 'Year — Malvern  Murder  Case — Accident  on  Snohomish  Logging  Company's  Road — 
Helena-Bornite  Consolidation— Trolley  Line  Rumors  of  1903— Snohomish- Everett  Trolley  Line  Completed — 
Trolley  Etnerprises  of  1904— Wreck  on  Great  Northern — Murder  of  Fred  Alderson— Murder  of  Henry  Hots — 
Sad  Fate  of  Boggio — Railroad  Disaster — Disaster  on  Monte  Cristo  Branch — Accident  to  Logging  Train  Near 
Robe— Accidental  Death  of  Pete  Hansen— Conclusion 294 

CHAPTER  V 

Political 

Introductory  Remarks— Officers  Appointed  by  Creating  Act— Early  Officers— Republican  Ticket,  1876— Democratic 
Ticket— Result  of  Election  of  1876— Democratic  Convention  of  1878— Republican  Convention— Official 
Returns— Result  of  Election  of  1880— Republican  Convention  of  1882— Democratic  Ticket  in  1882— People's 
Ticket— Result  of  Election— Repubhcan  and  Democratic  Tickets,  1884— The  People's  Convention— Election  of 


CONTENTS 


1881— County  Division  Agitation— Campaign  of  1886— Democratic  Nominees— People's  Ticket— Official  Re- 
turns—Settlement of  Case  Against  Stretch— Republican  Nominees,  1888— Democratic  Nominees— Official 
Vote — Precincts  in  1889 — Result  of  Special  Election — Republican  Convention,  1890— Democratic  Convention- 
Official  Returns  — People's  Party  Appears— Its  Nominees  in  1892— Democratic  and  Republican  County  Tickets- 
Prohibition  Ticket— Official  Count— Fight  Between  Whitney  and  Commissioners  in  1893— Conventions  in  1894 — 
County  Seat  Removal  Issue— Result  of  Election— Campaign  of  1896— Fusion — The  Fusion  Ticket — The 
Republican  Ticket— Official  Vote— Vote  in  1898— Disappearance  of  Populism— Official  Vote  in  1900— Republican 
and  Democratic  Nominees  in  1902- Official  Vote— Campaign  of  1904— Its  Result :!05 

CHAPTER  VI 

Cities  and  Towns 

jFtv/v .7— Factors  in  Growth  of  a  Great  City — Peculiar  Advantages  of  Everett's  Location— "City  of  Smokestacks  "— 
First  Settlements  on  the  Town  Site— Rucker  Brothers,  Swallwell  and  Friday  Form  Land  Syndicate— Platting  of 
Port  Gardner  by  Rucker  Brothers— Withdrawal  from  Market— Arrival  of  Henry  Hewitt,  Jr.— ColbyHoyt 
Syndicate  Takes  Hold— Vast  Holdings  Secured— Incorporation  of  Town  Site  Company— Platting  of  City  of 
Everett— Swallwell's  Landing  Forges  Ahead— Enormous  Land  Sales  During  Boom— Substantial  Improvements 
Begun— Marvelous  Growth  of  the  Riverside— City's  Earliest  Business  Men— Postoffice  Established  — Its  Ups 
and  Downs— Nail  Factory— Smalley's  Story  of  Everett — Accuracy  of  Survey  -Arrival  of  Great  Northern  at 
Everett  Terminus  in  1>(91— More  Early  Business  Men— "Bucket  of  Blood"  Saloon— Rise  of  the  Bayside— Henry 
Hewitt's  Account  of  Everett's  Founding — Pioneer  Bank— Statistics  of  Early  Transactions — Inauguration  of  New 
Industries  and  Business  Enterprises— Committee  of  Twenty-One— Fire  Companies  Organized— Business 
Men's  Association— City  Incorporation  at  Last— First  Officials— Activity  of  1891-2- Starting  of  Nail  Works- 
Enumeration  of  Factories  in  1892  — Smelter  and  Three  S  Road  Built— First  Overland  Train— Tide  Lands  Contest- 
Launching  of  Pacific's  First  Whaleback— Exports  of  1896— Everett  Harbor  Improvement- Everett  Improvement 
Company  Takes  Over  Rockefeller  Holdings — New  Impetus  to  Growth — Tremendous  Growth  That  Followed — 
Resources — Public  School  System— Churches  and  Their  History- Banks— Clubs — Library— Water  Front 
Societies  and  Fraternities  — Shipping  and  Railroad  Advantages  and  Connections— Newspapers— Prophecy  of  the 
F-uture— Conclusion.  Beginnings  of  Snohomish  City — First  Stores — Pioneer  School— Town  Platted— Snohomish 
in  1873— Snohomish  Atheueuni- Northern  Star  Appears— Effects  of  Logging  Industry  on  Town— Eye  Estab- 
lished-Pioneer Saw-mill  of  Blackman  Brothers— View  of  Town  in  1883— Progress  to  1887— Railroad  Matters  of 
Interest— Stimulating  Effects— First  Train — Verses  in  Commemoration  of  Event — Incorporation  — Summary  of 
Business  Houses  in  1889— Era  of  Rapid  Development— Re-incorporation— Mills  of  Town  in  1890 — Disastrous 
Fires  of  1891- Serious  Trouble  with  City  Marshal— Water  System  Established— Depression  of  1893— Fire  of 
January,  1893-Fire  of  September  16th— Year  1894- Fire  of  1894— Creamery  Secured— Two  Mills  Destroyed 
—  Revival  in  1901— Library  Site  Donated— Fire  of  1901 — Terrible  Explosion  of  November,  190'2— Progress  of  the 
City— Business  Enterprises  of  the  Present— Public  Schools— Churches— Fraternities— Beauty  of  the  City's 
Environments — Summary  of  Resources  and  Prospects 314 

CHAPTER  VII 

Cities  and  Towns  (Continued) 

jT/<7rriT'i'//^— Location— Father  of  the  Town— Comeford's  Early  Experiences — He  EstabHshes  Store— Postoffice 
Secured— Other  Business  Houses  Instituted— Railroads  Arrive— Town  in  1890— Early  Mills — The  Eye's 
Description  of  Marysville — Incorporation— Founding  of  Churches— Business  Firms  of  To-day— School  System — 
Fraternal  Orders.  Stanwood—Ym^  Situation  and  Resources— Centerville  Postoffice  Established— Changed 
to  Stauwood — Eatly  Merchants- Oliver  Arrives — Pearson  Opens  Store— Other  Enterprises — Survey  of  Town 
Site— Railway  Building— Fire  of  1892— Events  of  1898— Cannery— Incorporated  as  a  City— Public  Conveniences 
of  Present— Co-operative  Creamery  Association — Lumber  Industries  of  City— Business  Houses — Steamboat 
Lines— Schools— Churches  Founded— City  Officials.  £'(/»;£'«(/j— Surroundings— Transportation  Facilities- 
Early  Settlements  at  Edmonds— Brackett  Locates  There— He  Secures  Postoffice— Town  Site  Dedicated  in 
18.84— Great  Development  of  1889-90— The  Boom.  North  Edmonds— \Va.ieT  System  Installed— Incorporation- 
Present  Officers— Commerce  for  Past  Decade— Edmonds'  Shingle  Industries  — Business  Directory— Churches- 
History  of  Schools— Conclusion.  Lowell— ln\Mna.cy  with  Everett— Founding— Business  Established  — Post- 
office  Established— Smith's  Operations— Progress— Development  of  Early  Nineties— Paper  Mill  Erected — 
Industries— The  Present.  Arlington— S'\i\iaX\on — Inception  of  Settlement— First  Stores— Development  Follow- 
ing Railway  Building.  HalU-r  CzVy- Early  Business  Houses— Rapid  Growth  of  Early  Nineties— Hard  Times- 
Consolidation  of  Haller  City  and  Arhngton— Present  Prosperity — Fire  of  1899— Population  in  1900— Steady 
Growth   Since  Then— Present   Industries   and   Stores— Churches — Fraternities — Becomes   Railroad    Center^ 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Future  of  the  Town.  Monroe — Sightly  Location — Park  Place— Business  Established — Monroe  Postoffice. 
Tye  City — New  Town  Built— Depression  of  1893— Disastrous  Fire— Incorporation— Industrial  Backing — Annual 
District  Fair— Business  Directory,  1905.  Granite  /"a//i— Commanding  Location— The  "  Portage"— First  Set- 
tlers—Mail Service  Established — Platting  of  Town— Industries  and  Stores  Built— Town  in  1900— Pioneer 
Schools— Churches— F"rateruities— Incorporation— A  Milling  Center— Rapid  Growth.  Sultan — Resources — 
Settlement  by  John  Nailor — Railroad  Arrives— Town  Springs  up  in  Earnest — Enterprise  of  Citizens  in  1895^ 
Becomes  a  City— Schools — Churches — Fish  Hatcheries— Milling  and  Logging  Statistics — Business  Directory  of 
Present.  /7i?r^«(-<?— Location— Site  on  Oldest  Claim  on  Stillaguamish — Platted  by  Perkins— Postoffice  Estab- 
lished— Mills  and  Other  Industries — Business  Men— Schools.  Mukiiteo — Founding  by  Frost  and  Fowler — 
Oldest  Town  in  County — Postoffice  Comes  in  1862 — Early  Days — Mukiiteo  Lumber  Company — The  Town  at 
Present.  Index — Location  and  Resources — Early  History — Growth — Present — Schools.  Machias — Settlement 
of  Site — Starting  of  Town — In  1905.  Startup — Monte  Cristo — Silverton — Darrington — Beauty  of  Location — 
History.  Bryant — Oso—  Cicero — Maltby— Hartford— Robe— Sobey — Gold  Bar—  Meadowdale — Other  Commer- 
cial Centers  and  Postoffices 345 


PART    IV 
SUPPLEMENTARY 

CHAPTER   I 

Descriptive 


Puget  Sound  Country  a  Challenge  to  Man— No  Place  for  Weaklings— Its  Luxuriant  Vegetation— Difficulties  of 
Agriculture— Of  Prospecting  and  Mining— Inspiration  of  the  Country— Its  Inviting  Aspect— A  Grand  View  of 
the  Magnificent  Scenery— Puget  Sound  Sunsets— Washington  the  "Sunset"  State — Mildness  of  its  Climate — 
Challenge  Accepted— Course  of  Future  Development— Importance  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  with  Regard  to  the 
Sound— A  Promising  Future — Skagit  County— Geographical  Position— Boundaries— Skagit  River— Its  Land 
Building  Labors — Character  of  Tide  Land— Size  of  Swinomish  Flat — Productiveness— Scenery— Transporta- 
tion—Need  of  Improved  Facilities— What  Has  Been  Done— Upper  Skagit  Valley— Tributary  Valleys  — Mountains 
in  the  East— Fidalgo  Island— Phenomenal  Yields— Large  Average  Yields— Huddleston's  Statistics— Cabbage 
Seed  Production — Fruit  Raising — Diversified  Farming  Common — Lumbering— Logging  Camps  of  the  County — 
Saw-Mills  of  the  County — Shingle  Mills— Mineral  Wealth— Cokedale— The  Hamilton  Field  -Efforts  at  Exploita- 
tion—Iron Near  Hamilton— Efforts  for  Sale  of  Properties— Character  of  Ore— Cement— Talc— Other  Minerals- 
Fishing-  Salmon  Canning— Salmon  Hatcheries— Cod  Fishing— Oysters— Summary  of  Attractions— Snohomish 
County— Boundaries— Timber  Resources— Principal  Features— Cascade  Mountains— River  Systems— Lakes — 
Lumbering— Large  Trees— Snohomish  Timber  at  Fairs— Logging  Methods  — Description  of  Early  Logging— 
Blackman  Brothers'  Improvements — The  Donkey  Engine — Snohomish  County  Mills — Sash  and  Door  Factories — 
Mineral  Outlook— Mineral  Belt— Darrington  District— The  Bornite  Mine— Monte  Cristo  Railroad— The  Wayside 
Mine— Silverton  District— The  Bonanza  Queen— Copper  Independent— The  Forty-Five— Monte  Cristo  District 
—  Discovery— The  Packwood  Party— Barlow  Pass  Discovered— Forming  of  the  Colby-Hoyt  Syndicate— Large 
Operations— Disastrous  Flood  of  1897— The  Justice— The  Rainy— The  Sidney— The  Mackinaw— Philo—Rantoul 
Group— Monte  Cristo  Company's  Property— Other  Mines— Goat  Lake  Region— Discovery— The  Foggy  Ledge- 
Placer  Mining  on  the  Sultan— De  Soto  Company's  Properties— Wallace  District— Forty-Five  Consolidated— Its 
History— The  Little  Chief— Other  Properties— Index  District— The  Copper  Bell— Sunset  Company's  Property— 
The  Ethel — The  Buckeye  Copper  Mine — Index  Mining  Company— Other  Properties  in  the  District— History  of 
Silver  Creek  District— New  York-Seattle  Company— Bonanza  Group— The  Ontario— Lucky  Day— Orphan 
Boy— Everett  Smelter— Agriculture  in  Snohomish  County— Stillaguamish  Flats— Intensive  Agriculture— Dairy- 
ing—Fishing— Commercial  Trout  Company— Manufacturing 381 

CHAPTER  II 

Educational 

State  Schools  and  Education— Provision  for  Same— High  Schools— Normal  Schools— State  Agricultural  College 
—and  School  of  Science— State  University— First  Schools  in  Skagit  County— Schools  in  Upper  Skagit— 
Schools  on  the  Islands— First  Teachers'  Examination— G.  E.   Hartson's  Report— Progress  in  1886— Teachers' 


CONTENTS 


page; 
Association  Organized— Statistics  of  Years  since  1886— J.  G.  Lowman's  Report— High  Schools— Schools  at  the 
Portland  Fair— Private  Schools— Alden  Academy— Forest  Home  Industrial  Academy— Snohomish  County 
Schools— District  No.  1— No.  2— No.  3— Eight  Districts  in  1875— Dixon's  Report  for  1891— Friar's  Report  for 
]8!i8-Stiger's  Report  for  1904— Puget  Sound  Academy— Dorrance  Academy— Academy  of  St.  Dominic  -Betha- 
nia  High  School  and  College— Conclusion 420 

CHAPTER  in 

Press  of  Skagit  and  Snohomish  Counties 

Puget  Sound  Mail— Skagit  News-Herald— Mount  Vernon  Argus— Puget  Sound  Post— Skagit  County  Courier— 
Skagit  County  Times— Anacortes  American— School  Bulletin— Hamilton  Herald— Skagit  County  Logger- 
Avon  Record— Sauk  City  Star— Northwest  Enterprise— Anacortes  Progress— Other  Pioneer  Newspapers— Sedro 
Press— The  Northern  Star— The  Eye  -Snohomish  Tribune— Everett  Daily  Herald— Morning  Tribune— Labor 
Journal— Arlington  Times— Monroe  Monitor— Washington  Transcript— Granite  Falls  Post— Index  Miner— Stan- 
wood  Tidings— Edmonds  Review— Marysville  Globe— Sultan  Star— Everett  Times— Everett  Herald  (discon- 
tinued)—Edmonds  Chronicle 42^ 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Indians  of  Skagit  and  Snohomish  Counties 

Local  Indian  Reservations— Tulalip,  Swinomish,  Lumnii,  Port  Madison,  Muckleshoot— Mukilteo  Council— Its 
Results— Missionary  Work— Priest  Point— Government  School  Established— Present  School— Its  Employees 
and  Equipments — Agents— Captain  Hill's  Report — Area  of  Reservation— Indian  Courts— Areas  of  Lummi  and 
Other  Reservations— Basket  Making— Early  White  Settlements  Near  or  in  Tulalip— The  Indian:  His  Origin  and 
Legendary  Lore — Multitude  of  Theories— Immigration  from  Asia  Theory — Forced  Migration  Theory— Other 
Theories— Legendary  Pecnlarities— Linguistic  Resemblances — Couclusion  of  the  Matter— Indian's  Legend- 
ary Accounts  of  His  Origin— Character  of  Indian  Legends— Pacific  Indian  Fishermen— Their  Vocation  in  the 
Legends— Legend  Telling  in  Winter— Summer  Work— Happiness  of  Indian  Life— A  Picture  of  Indian  Legend 
TeUing— Indian  Philosophy  — Indian  Legendary  Education— Canoes,  Canoeing  and  Canoe  Building— Origin  of 
the  Canoe— Expertness  of  British  Columbia  Canoe  Builders— Birch  Bark  Canoes— Classes  of  Canoes  on  Puget 
Sound  — Making  of  Canoes— Methods  of  Overcoming  Defects— Canoe  Bailing— Names  of  Canoe  Types— Descrip- 
tion of  Each— Description  of  Paddles— Methods  of  Paddling— Canoe  Racing- Canoe  and  Indian— His  Coffin  in 
Death 443 

CHAPTER  V 

Reminiscent  and  Poetical 

Reminiscence  of  Twenty-five  Years  Ago— Some  Upper  Stillaguamish  History— Scraps  from  a  Pioneer's  Diary — 
Edison's  Gold  Excitement— A  Celebrated  Advertisement — The  Salmon  Age— An  Incident  of  Pioneer  Travel — 
Alpine,  the  Deserted  Village— Caught  in  a  Puget  Sound  Blizzard— Reminiscences  of  an  Ex-Indian  Agent— Gen- 
eral McDowell  and  Chief  Bonaparte— An  Indian  Sham  Battle— White  Man  Versus  Indians— The  Indians  and 
a  Total  Eclipse— A  Siwash's  Revenge— A  Claim  Seeking  Incident— Ancient  Cherry  Trees— One  Pioneer 
Woman— Original  Methods  of  a  Postmaster— A  Camping  Incident— A  Stirring  Incident  of  '58— A  Flood  Story— 
A  Miner's  Story— Then  and  Now— A  Sailor's  Pioneering— A  Bear  Story— Adventures  with  Bruin— A  Good 
Country  to  Tie  To-Piracy  on  the  High  Seas— The  "Judge"  Throws  the  Case  Out  of  the  Window— Mount 
Ranier— The  Swinomish  Flats-Sailing  of  the  Whaleback— Port  Gardner- The  Wild  Cherry  Tree— The  Old 
Settler— On  the  Plains— The  Pioneers— The  Brave  Old  Days— The  Evergreen  State 45& 


PART  V 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Skagit  County 493 

Snohomish  County 82& 


GENERAL  ILLUSTRATIONS 


A  "Catch"  of  Fish    

A  Field  of  Cauliflower 

A  Field  of  Oats 115, 

A  Fish-Canning  Plant 

A  Hop  Ranch 

Anacortes 

Anacortes  High  School 

A  ' '  Preemption"  Cabin 

Arlington 

A  "Samish  Flats  '  Residence 

A  Shaded  Highway  

A  Skagit  County  Farm 

A  Sound  Steamer 

"At  Anchor" 

A  Timber  Claim 

Baling  Hay,  Near  Stan  wood 

Baling  Hay,  Snohomish  I"lats 

Battleship  '  ■  Iowa  ' 

"Bicycle"  Tree,  The 

"Big  Tree"  Stump 

Blockhouse,  Bosart's 

Blockhouse,  Crocket's 

' '  Bonnie,"  The  Collie 

Bridge  on  ' '  Goat  Trail ' 

Burlington 

' '  But  I  Flow  on  Forever" 

Cabbage  Seed,  Harvesting  

Canoe-maker,  The  

Canyon  Falls 

Canyon  of  the  Skagit  River  

Cauliflower 

Cedar  Log  Encircled  by  Roots  of  Other  Large  Trees, 

Changing  the  Channel 

Chief  John 

"Clearing" 

Collapse  of  Great  Northern  R.  R.  Bridge 

Court  House,  Everett 

Creamery,  Stanwood  Cooperative  

Crevasse  on  Mt.  Baker 

Deception  Pass  

Distant  View  of  Stanwood 

' '  Donkey"  Logging  Engine 

Dusky  Indian  Maidens 

Engine,  Donkey 

Engine,  Logging 

Everett 


Exhibit  of  Snohomish  County  at  Portland,  1905 

Exposition  Buildings,  St.  Louis,  Portland 

Farm  of   C.  Anderson,  Stanwood 

Field  of  Oats 115, 

First  Sawmill  in  Snohomish  County,  Built  1852 

First  Skagit  County  Surveying  Corps,  1872 

Fish-Canning  Plant 

Fish  Hatchery,  Baker  Lake 

Fish  Hatchery,  Sub-station 

Fishing  Boats 

Fishing  Crew  

Fish  Trap,  A 1 15, 

Fish-trap  Piles,  Towing 

Foot  Bridge  Suspended  on  Cables 

Forresters  

Fresh  Vegetables 

Getting  Out  Ship  Masts ^ 

Glaciers  on  Mt.  Baker  

Goats   

Goat  Trail 

Governor  Isaac  Ingalls  Stevens 

Granite  Falls  

"Gum  Boot"  Kitty 

Harvesting  Cabbage  Seed 

Hauling  Fir  Logs,  Oxen 

Hauling  Shingle  Bolts 

" Hawaii,"  Steamer  

Hemlock  Tree  Growing  from  Old  Cedar  "Snag" 

Hereford  Cattle 

Hewitt  Avenue,  Everett 

High  School,  Anacortes 

"Hole  in  the  Wall"  (Two  Views) 

"Home  of  the  Trout" 

"Home  Sweet  Home" 

Hop  Ranch 

Indian  in  his  "Dugout"  

Indian  Tree  Burial 

In  the  Background,  Everett 

In  the  Harbor 

La  Conner,  1873  and  1905 

La  Conner  Flats  (Oat  Fields) 

Large   Log   Over   Which   Other   Large  Trees  Have 

Grown 

Library  Building,  Everett 

' '  Limping  Liz" 

Log  Bridge 


GENERAL   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Logging  Engine 175 

Logging  near  Pilchuck 136 

Logging  Scene 380 

Logging  Teams 145,  222,  282 

Log  Leaving  Chute 129 

Marguerite,  Steamer 330 

Monte  Cristo 252 

Monte  Cristo  R.  R.  Tunnel,  900  Feet 266 

Moonliglit  on  the  Sound 405 

Mount  Vernon 194 

Mouth  of  the  Sl<agit  River 107 

Mt.  Baker 380,  395 

Mt.  Index 380 

Mt.  Rainier 395 

'Old  Sawmill  on   Tulalip   Indian  Reservation,  Built  in 

1852 107 

On  Samish  Flats,  Near  Edison 188 

Pan-American  Exposition  Exhibit 175 

Pass,  Deception 418 

Pioneer  Cabin 188 

Pioneers,  The 282 

President  Roosevelt  at  Everett,  May  23,  1903 315 

Puget  Sound  Academy,  Snohomish 337 

Puget  Sound  from  Hat  Island 405 

Punctured  Tree,  The 171 

Rhododendron,  The 96 

Rosario 418 

Sawing  on  the  Big  F~ir  Tree 380 

Sawing  Shingle  Bolts 129 

"Sedro-WooUey 222 

Shingle  Bolt  Drive,  Stillaguamish  River 136 

Shipbuilding  at  Everett 330 

Ship  Masts 282 

-"Siwash"  at  Home 442 

•"Siwash"  Indian  Camp  442 

■"Siwash"  in  bis  "Dugout" 124 

Sixty  Thousand  Salmon  in   Fish   Trap,    Strawberry 

Bay 162 

Skagit  River 124 

Skagit  River  Canyon 124 


PAGE 

Skid  Road,  A 175 

Snohomish,  1886  and  1905 337 

Snohomish  County  Exhibit  at  Portland,  1905 136 

Snohomish  County  Vegetables 266 

"Sound  of  the  Woodman's  Ax" 222 

Source  of  a  Mountain  Stream  315 

Stacking  Timothy  Hay 230 

Stanwood 344 

State  Flower,  The 96 

Steamer  Hawaii 405 

Steamer  Marguerite  at  Snohomish 330 

Steamer  Umatilla 405 

Steaming  Crater  on  Mt.  Baker 395 

Stillaguamish  and  Skykomish  River  Falls 252 

Stillaguamish  River,  Changing  the  Channel  266 

"Still  Waters  Run  Deep" 211 

Stump  Dance  Platform 298 

Stump  Dwelling  House 386 

Stump  Pile,  90  Feet  High 145 

Surveying  Corps,  Skagit  County,  1872 155 

"Swamping,"  "Barking  the  Ride,"  etc 129 

Swinomish  Indian  Reservation 455 

Ten- Horse  Logging  Team 222 

The  Canoe  Maker 442 

Threshing  Near  Stanwood 351 

Threshing  Oats,  La  Conner  Flats 115 

Timber  Claim,  A 211 

Tulalip  Indian  Agency 442,  455 

Tulalip  Indian  Belle 455 

Tulalip  Indian  Girls  in  Tambourine  Drill 455 

Tunnel  on  Monte  Cristo  R.  R.,  900  Feet 266 

Washington  State  Exposition  Buildings  at  St.  Louis 

in  1904  and  at  Portland  in  1905 298 

Washington  State  Flower 96 

" Whaleback"  Vessel,  "City  of  Everett" 322 

Wilman's  Peak 252 

' '  Woodman,  Spare  that  Tree" 386 

World's  Fair  Log,  Diameter  16  Feet 136 

Yarding   "Donkey"   Engine  and  Ten-Horse  Logging 

Team 222 


INDEX 


SKAGIT  COUNTY   BIOGRAPHICAL 


Abbott,  Linus Mount  Vernon 751 

Abrahamson,  John McMurray 802 

Adam,  Valentine Hamilton 808 

Adin,  George La  Conner   670 

Aldridge,  Wilson  M  Baker 812 

Alkire,  John  W.,  D.  O Mount  Vernon 520 

Allen,  Smith  O Prairie 785 

Allmond,  Douglass Anacortef 617 

Alstrand,  Charles Belleville 755 

Amskold,  John  Frederick Mount  Vernon 601 

520 
567 


Anable,  John  L Mount  Vernon 

Anderson,  Andrew Mount  Vernon 

Anderson,  Andrew Mount  Vernon  , 

Anderson,  Axel Mount  Vernon 

Anderson,  Frederick La  Conner 

Anderson,  Nels Mount  Vernon 

Anderson,  Nels  Bow 

Andrews,  Hon.  Laurin  L La  Conner 

Armstrong,  William Mount  Vernon  . 

Arnold,  George  G Sedro- Woolley 

Axelson,  Axel  W Mount  Vernon  . 

Axelson,  Elmer  A Fir 


Baldridge,  John  R Hamilton 807 

Ball,  John Mount  Vernon 535 

Ball,  Richard  H   La  Conner 648 

Barkhousen,  Henry  C Anacortes  638 

Barratt,  William Marblemount 707 

Bartl,  Frank Mount  Vernon 543 

Bartl,  Xaver Clear  Lake  790 

Batey,  David   Sedro-Woolley   689 

Beale,  Charles  W Anacortes 624 

Beard,  Marston  G Anacortes 641 

Becraf t,  Charles  E Mount  Vernon 591 

Bell,  Samuel  L Mount  Vernon 608 

Beloit,  Eugene Sauk 818 

Benedict,  Fred  W Mount  Vernon 602 

Benson,  Al Bow 742 

Benson,  Berent  A Bow 747 

Bessner,  Matthew Mount  Vernon 576 

Bessner,  Nicholas Edison 773 

Best,  Christopher  C Dewey   644 

Best,  Martin  L Mount  Vernon 574 

Bingham,  Hon.  Charles  E. ..  .Sedro-Woolley 674 

Blumberg,  Frederick  Lewis. .  .Mount  Vernon 512 


PAGE 

Borseth,  Ole  J  Fir 721 

Bowen,  James  S Mount  Vernon 517 

Bowen,  John  L Sauk 816 

Bowman,  Amos Anacortes 611 

Bradley,  Hon.  R.  Lee Anacortes 635 

Bradsberry,  Frank Sedro-Woolley   698 

Bristow,  Edward La  Conner 650 

Brosseau,  George  A Burlington 7.37 

Brown,  William  J Bow 756 

Buck,  Franklin Mount  Vernon 723 

BuUer  Brothers Marblemount 819 

Burdon,  William  H   Fidalgo 642 

Burns,  Sylvester Sedro-Woolley    696 

Burton,  Walter  S Burlington 724 

Cain,  Thomas Edison 763 

Callahan,  Edward Mount  Vernon 577 

Callahan,  James Mount  Vernon 607 

Callahan,  John Mount  Vernon 577 

Carlson,  John  Edward Mount  Vernon 554 

Carlson,  John  H  Mount  Vernon 561- 

Carlson,  Swan Mount  Vernon 542 

Carlson,  W.  Axel La  Conner 655 

Carpenter,  Nelson  W Mount  Vernon 521 

Carter,  Fred  Leroy La  Conner 655 

Cavanaugh,  James  H Anacortes 634 

Chambers,  Samuel La  Conner 663 

Chellman,  Fred  P Mount  Vernon    557 

Chilberg,  Isaac La  Conner 668 

Chilberg,  John  H La  Conner 671 

Christenson,  Nels Mount  Vernon 563 

Clothier,  H arrison Mount  Vernon 511 

Cochrane,  James Hamilton 808 

Colvin,  Robert  C Mount  Vernon 595 

Conn,  Fletcher  W Edison 746 

Conner,  Herbert  S La  Conner 647 

Conner,  James  J Hamilton 806 

Conner,  John  S La  Conner 644 

Conrad,  Charles La  Conner 672 

Cook,  Mortimer Sedro-Woolley   673 

Coriell,  Abner  B Mount  Vernon 528 

Cornelius,  William  J M ount  Vernon 575 

Cox,  George Sedro-Woolley    696 

Cressey,  George  G Burlington 732 

Cressey,  William  Henry  Harrison.  .Burlington 729 


INDEX 


Cressey,  William,  Jr Burlington  . 

Crogstad,  Andrew  N   Fir 

Crumrine,  Edward Bay  View  . . 

Culver,  Clement   Edison 

Carrier,  Oliver  C La  Conner . 

Curtis,  Melville Anacortes  . 


I'AGE 

734 

792 


617 


Caches,  Charles  E La  Conner 

Gage,  Frederic La  Conner 

Gage,  William Mount  Vernon 

Garland,  Richard Mount  Vernon 

Gates,  Jasper Mount  Vernon 


Dale,  John  L Edison 757 

Dale,  William Mount  Vernon 515 

Daniels,  Eugen  Edison 773 

Danielson,  Lars Mount  Vernon 576 

Dannenmiller,  Henry  A Mount  Vernon 580 

Davis,  Rowland  E Anacortes  636 

Davison,  Adam  W Sedro-Woolley 697 

Dawson,  William  A Bow 757 

Dean,  George Saniish  . . . '. ,  776 

Dean,  James  M   Anacortes 6-10 

Decatur,  Capt.  David  F Mount  Vernon 518 

Denis,  Peter  Edison 772 

Donaldson,  Nils Milltown   802   j 

Donnelly,  David  M Sedro-Woolley    685  i 

Douglass,  Frank  A Sedro-Woolley    693 

Downs,   Dr.    Horace    P  Mount  Vernon 525  j 

Downs,  John  L Mount  Vernon 525  [ 

Dreyer,  Henry  H Burlington 686  I 

Dunlap,  Isaac     La  Conner 589 

Dunlap,  Samuel Mount  Vernon 555 

Dunlap,  William      Mount  Vernon 590 

Dunlop,  William  A Sedro-Woolley    692 

Dunn,  George  W Clear  Lake  .  ." 796 

Dwelley,  Joseph  F La  Conner 664 

Eckenberger,  George Samish 775 

Egbers,  Ahlert  H  Mount  Vernon 552 

Egelkrout,  John Sedro-Woolley    712 

Egtvet,  Peter Mount  Vernon 538 

Elde,  Charles Mount  Vernon 557 

Elde,  Nels  Mount  Vernon 555 

Eplin,  Lafayette Mount  Vernon 594 

Erickson,  Nils Mount  Vernon 559 

Everett,  Amasa Baker 705 

Ewing,  Joseph  E Mount  Vernon 573 

Faller,  Frederick  R Sedro-Woolley    682 

Farrar,  Calvin  L Sedro-Woolley 677 

Fellows,  James  H Clear  Lake 800 

I'instad,  Bernt  J  Mount  Vernon 600 

Flagg,  Arthur  W Mount  Vernon 579 

Flagg,  Benjamin Mount  Vernon 003 

Fortin,  Napoleon Mount  Vernon 603 

Foster,  U.  E Sedro-Woolley   675 

Franey,  Robert Van  Horn 815 

Eraser,  Alexander  D Burlington  730 

Fredlund,  Jules Mount  Vernon 524 

Fulk,  David Padilla 781 


PAGE 

Gates,  John  B  Mount  Vernon 722; 

Gates,  Thomas Mount  Vernon 590 

Gay,  Samuel  S Sedro-Woolley 678 

Geld,  Andrew  A.  Bergseth  . .  .  Mount  Vernon 569 

Geesaman,  William Bow 749^ 

Gilmore,  John  A Edison 763 

Gilmore,  William  N Edison 758 

Gilmore,  William,  Sr Edison 758 

Good,  Thomas Mount  X'ernon 543 

Gorton,  Edgar  P Mount  N'ernon 537 

Graham,  Albert  L Anacortes  618 

Gregory,  William  () Burlington   714 

Gunderson,  Ole Mount  Vernon 541 

Gunther,  Robert Mount  Vernon 572 

Halloran,  Patrick Mount  Vernon 494 

Halpin,  William  H  Anacortes 731 

Hamilton,  Frank  R Sedro-Woolley   700 

Hammer,  Hiram Sedro-Woolley 678 

Hansen,  Charles  C Mount  Vernon 538 

Hanson,  George  J Mount  Vernon 723 

Harmon,  Charles Mount  Vernon 514 

Harrison,  James  M    Sedro-Woolley    710 

Hart,  Joseph Sedro-Woolley 691 

Hartson,  George  E Mount  Vernon 518 

Hartson,  Ralph  C Mount  Vernon 517 

Hastie,  Thomas  P Mount  Vernon 498 

Hawkins,  William  A  Mount  Vernon 597 

Hayton,  Hon.  Thomas Mount  Vernon .500 

Hayton,  James  B Fir 791 

Hayton,  Thomas  R Mount  Vernon 507 

Hayton,  William Mount  Vernon 549 

Hay  ward,  Darley  C Mount  Vernon 5.54 

Hemingway,  Lewis  P Fir 793 

Hensler,  Gus Anacortes 626 

Henson,  George  A Hamilton 806 

Herrle,  Lawrence Mount  Vernon 593 

Hodge,  Charles  W Samish 776 

Hoehn,  Frank  J Sedro-Woolley    684 

Hoff,  Gustave  C Mount  Vernon 567 

Hoffman,  George Bow 752 

Hurley,  William  Burlington   715 

Hurshman,  Henry  Lyman 803 

Hutchinson,  Haley  R  Mount  Vernon 526 


I varson,  Sigurd Sedro-Woolley 


713 


Jackson,  John  W Bow 748 

Jarvis,  Frederick  J Sedro-Woolley    695 

Jenne,  George  F Mount  Vernon 606 

Jennings,  Isaac La  Conner 667 

Jewell,  Mrs.  Elizabeth Burlington 739 

Jewett,  Frank  A Mount  Vernon 591 

Johnson,  Ale.x Fir 792 

Johnson,  Alfred Mount  Vernon 544 

Johnson,  .Andrew  A  Mount  Vernon 529 

Johnson,  Andrew  S Bow 745 

Johnson,  Bengt  Milltown    752 

Johnson,  Charles  Clinton Mount  Vernon 522 

Johnson,  Edwin Mount  V'ernon 566 

Johnson,  Fritz Belleville 777 


INDEX 


Johnson,  Gustaf  W  Mount  Vernon 580 

Johnson,  Lewis  Fir 79-1 

Johnson,  Nelse  B Mount  Vernon 523 

Johnson,  Ole Burlington    717 

Johnson,  O.  J Mount  Vernon 559 

Johnson,  Peter  E Mount  Vernon 574 

Johnson,  Rasmus  S Edison  745 

Johnson,  S.  Fred    Mount  Vernon 007 

Joiner,  Judge  George  A Anacortes 617 

Jones,  Fayette  L Burlington 738 

Jungquist,  Frank Mount  Vernon 560 

Jungquist,  John Mount  Vernon 530 

Kalso,  Fred Bay  View 721 

Kalso,  Otto Bay  View 721 

Kamb,  John  W Mount  Vernon 549 

Kelleher,  John Sedro-W'oolley    710 

Kelly,  Mrs.  Nancy  A Mount  Vernon 718 

Kemnierich,  August Birdsview 811 

Kerr,  Samuel  E Mount  Vernon 001 

Kiens,  Fred Sedro-W'oolley    709 

Kiens,  John Sedro-Woolley 089 

Kilander,  Otto  W Padilla   782 

Kill,  John Mount  Vernon 578 

Kimble,  David  Everett Mount  Vernon 527 

Kimble,  Edward  David Mount  Vernon 528 

Kinsey,  Darius Sedro-Woolley   683 

Klingenmaier,  Otto   Bay  View 778 

Knisley,  George  M Mount  Vernon liUO 

Knutzen,  Jess  H  Burlington 715 

Koch,  David Burlington 725 

Kunzmann,  Frederick  C Bow 750 

Kyle,  J.  William Sedro-Woolley    682 


1 
801  I 
794  1 
817 


Lachapelle,  John  B Big  Lake 

Larson,  Lewis  Fir 

Larsen,  Peter Sauk 

Lawson,  Alfred  J Fravel 775 

l^awson,  George  H Mount  Veruon 502 

Lee,  Nelse  H   Mount  Verncn 509 

Lee,  Ole  N Mount  Vernon 541 

Lehnhoff,  Anton Mount  Vernon 6US 

Lendblom,  Gust Mount  Vernon 558 

Lewis,  John Bow 730 

Lindamood,  Charles  A Burlington 735 

Lloyd,  John Sedro-Woolley   698 

],ockhart,  Samuel  M La  Conner 666 

Lockhart,  Thomas  G Mount  Vernon 570 

Lockwood,  John  B Burlington 735 

Lonke,  Ole Mount  Vernon 582 

Lough,  James Big  Lake 801 

Lowman,  Jacob  W Anacortes  623 

Lowman,  J.  Guy Mount  Vernon 498 

Lund,  John  Axel  Mount  Vernon 530 

Lundin,  Albert Burlington    716 

Majerus,  Jacob La  Conner 672 

Majerus,  Michel Burlington ,  737 

Maloy,  Patrick  H   Mount  Vernon 579 

M  ann,  George  H Fir 786 

Marble,  George  W  Mount  Vernon 516 


PAGE 

March,  Fred  H Anacortes 639 

March,  James  T Anacortes 637 

Marihugh,  Silas  W Mount  Vernon 598 

Martin,  John  W Edison 772 

Martin,  Mrs.  Mary Lyman  S04 

Massey,  William  K Anacortes 639 

Matheson,  Capt.  John  A Anacortes. .  ^ 630 

Mattice,  Dr.  Menzo  B Sedro-Woolley 679 

Meins,  William Prairie 784 

Melkild,  John Conway 656 

Melville,  Alexander  B  Clear  Lake 799 

Miller,  Marsh Mount  Vernon 548 

Miller,  William  H   Burlington 735 

Millet,  John  P Anacortes  636 

Minkler,   Hon.  Birdsey  D Lyman 803 

M inter,  Richard  P Anacortes 629 

Moore,  Andrew  J Bow 748 

Moores,  James  H   Mount  Vernon 592 

Moran,  George Mount  Vernon 529 

Morris,  George  A Mount  Vernon 593 

Morris,  John  C Mount  Vernon 59ft 

Moss,  David  H Mount  Vernon 493 

MacLeod,  Kenneth   Conway 801 

McCormick,  David  L Mount  Vernon 604 

McCormick,  Thomas  J Mount  Vernon 599 

McCoy,  Patrick Edison 763 

McCuilough,   Nathaniel Edison 770 

McDonald,  James Sedro-Woolley    695 

McFadden,  Plin  V Sedro-Woolley    709 

McGlinn,  Hon.  John  P La  Conner 662 

McGregor,  Daniel  A Sedro-Woolley   684 

McKenna,  William  ]  Bay  View 777 

McKinnon,  Peter Mount  Vernon 593 

McLean,  M Mount  Vernon 599 

McMillin,  George Burlington 739 

McTaggart,  Edward Edison 769 


Neely,  James Bow 

Nelson,  Columbus Anacortes 

Nelson,  Mrs.  Catherine Anacortes 

Nelson,  John Anacortes 

Nelson,  John  C Mount  Vernon 

Nelson,  John  L  Mount  Vernon 

Nelson,  Nels  A La  Conner. . . . 


Nelson,  Oluf  Inman 

Nelson,  Peter  E 

Norris,  James  M  .  . . . 


.  Mount  Vernon 500 

.Anacortes 025 

.Burlington 726 


Odliu,  Hon.  William  T Anacortes 612 

Odlin,  Woodbridge Sedro-Woolley    711 

Olsen,  Christopher Fir 793 

Olson,  Charles La  Conner 070 

Olson,  Frank  G Mount  Vernon 571 

Olson,  Solomon M ount  Vernon 602 

Olson,  Swan  Peter Mount  Vernon 589 

Ormsby,  Norris Sedro-Woolley    694 

Ostrander,  Nathan Mount  Vernon 582 

Ovenell,  T.  Nelson Burlington    717 


Palm,  Leander Mount  Vernon 


544 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Patterson,  George  W Hamilton 809 

Patterson,  Ira  T Mount  Vernon 522 

Pearson,  Gust La  Conner 656 

Pease,  Orson   Burlington   716 

Peck,  H arris  B Mount  Vernon 557 

Perry,  William  H Sedro-Woolley   679 

Peterson,  Peter Mount  Vernon 669 

Peth,  John  J Mount  Vernon 604 

Peth,  Richard  H Mount  Vernon 571 

Pettit,  Sands  C Burlington 724 

Phelps,  George  W Clear  Lake 795 

Pickens,  Michael Mount  Vernon 521 

Poison,  Alfred   Fir 786 

Poison,  Nels  Mount  Vernon 550 

Poison,  Perry Seattle 508 

Porter,  Thomas  F Sauk  817 

Power,  Hon.  James  La  Conner 555 

Pul ver,  Rudolph Burlington 736 

Purcell,  John . .  Bay  View 779 

Putnam,  R.  H Clear  Lake 797 


•Quint,  Albanus  D Dewey 


643 


Rains,  William  T Clear  Lake 798 

Ranous,  Bethuel  C Anacortes  638 

Ratchford,  George  W Sedro-Woolley    694 

Reed,  Edward Bow 748 

Regenvetter,  Peter La  Conner 666 

Richards,  Nelson  B  Bow 751 

Riemer,  John  G Clear  Lake 800 

Ritchford,  James Sedro-Woolley    685 

Robinson,  William  F Anacortes 631 

Rock,  John  H La  Conner 665 

Ross,  Alexander Lyman 804 

Ross,  David    Sedro-Woolley    714 

Rudene,  H on.  John  O La  Conner 497 

Russell,  David Birdsview 811 

Scanlan,  John Mount  Vernon 595 

Schafer,  August  W Hamilton 805 

Scheurkogel,  Hyman La  Conner 658 

Schidleman,  Samuel Mount  Vernon 562 

Schmitz,  Peter Burlington 740 

Schricker,  Hon.  William  E ...  La  Conner 648 

Scott,  James Sedro-Woolley    711 

Seabury,  Howard Sedro-Woolley   675 

Sharf enberg,  Albert  Mount  Vernon 565 

Sharfenberg,  Joseph Mount  Vernon 566 

Sharpe,  Thomas Anacortes 642 

Shaughnessy,  Thomas Burlington 726 

Shea,  Samuel  E Sedro-Woolley   699 

Shea,  Warren M  ount  Vernon 515 

■Shield,  J.  Madison .Mount  Vernon 552 

Shrauger,  Ira  E Mount  Vernon 493 

Shumaker,  Nichols Edison 769 

Shumway,  George  N Belfast 664 

Singer,  William  C Mount  Vernon 597 

Sisson,  Edgar  A Padilla 780 

Slosson,  Fred Mount  Vernon 553 

Smith,  Alexander  K Clear  Lake 798 

Smith,  Harvev Mount  Vernon 606 


Smith,  John  R  Clear  Lake 797 

Snowden,  Benjamin  F Mount  Vernon 550 

Sorensen,  Hans  Peter Sedro-Woolley    711 

Southard,  Edward  D  Burlington 738 

Spahr,  Emery Mount  Vernon 568 

Spaulding,  Michael   Bow 749 

Springsteen,  Franklin  J  Baker 812 

Squires,  James  T   Edison 774 

Stacey,  Alfred  J Anacortes 629 

Stackpole,  Frank  H Mount  Vernon 523 

Stearns,  Earl  H Bow 741 

Stevens,  Lafayette  S Clear  Lake 795 

Stevens,  Tobias Burlington 732 

Stevenson,  Charles  W Mount  Vernon 514 

Stewart,  Ellsworth  M  Mount  Vernon 596 

Storrs,  Charles  E  Mount  Vernon 547 

Storrs,  Dennis Mount  Vernon 551 

Sullivan,  Daniel   Edison 764 

Sullivan,  Daniel  P Bow 742 

Sullivan,  James  J Bow 741 

Sullivan,  Michel  J La  Conner 668 

Summers,  Henry Mount  Vernon 564 

Sumner,  Bloomington  R Avon 783 

Sundstrom,  Oscar Mount  Vernon 522 

Sutter,  John Sauk   706 

Tait,  Thomas  H Padilla 781 

Thomas,  John  G Anacortes 640 

Thomas,  Robert  P Anacortes 634 

Thompson,  Jeremiah Mount  Vernon 553 

Thompson,  William  J Sedro-Woolley   683 

Thorne,  Woodbury  J  Thornwood 731 

Tillinghast,  Alvinza  G La  Conner 661 

Tingley,  Samuel  Simpson Hamilton 704 

Tjersland,  Ben Mount  Vernon 564 

Tollber,  Charles Mount  Veinon 581 

Treat,  Charles  F Fir 785 

Truman,  Peter  W Lyman 805 

Turner,  Newton  G La  Conner 662 

Turner,  Thomas  Edgar Clear  Lake 799 


Umbarger,  Harlton  R Burling 


733 


Valentine,  Charles La  Conner 665 

Van  Fleet,  Emmett Sedro-Woolley    699 

Van  Horn,  James  V Van  Horn 815 

Villeneuve  Charles Sedro-Woolley   680 

Von  Pressentin,  Albert Sauk 816 

Von  Pressentin,  Otto  K Sedro-Woolley    681 

Von  Pressentin,  Paul Marblemount 818 

Warner,  Charles Sedro-Woolley   696 

Watkinson,  Euphroneous  E  . .  Bow 756 

Watkinson,  Melbourn Edison 771 

Wells,  Hiram  E Mount  Vernon 570 

Wells,  William  R Mount  Vernon 573 

Wells,  William  V Anacortes 623 

Westlund,  Charles  G Mount  Vernon 544 

Wheeler,  George Sedro-Woolley 713 

White,  Frank  N Anacortes 641 

Whitney,  Charles  P Mount  Vernon 519 


Whitney,  Rienzi  Eugene Anacortes 

"Wicker,  George  O Sedro-Woolley 

Wild,  Henry Hamilton 

Wilkins,  Thomas  P North  Avon  . . . . 

Williams,  Charles  H Bow 

Wilson,  John  H uston   Bow 

Wilson,  Joseph   Seattle 

Wingren,  Olof  J La  Conner 


PAGE 

Wingren,  Peter La  Conner 658 

Wolf,  George  J Mount  Vernon 561 

Wood,  William Fravel 774 

Woodburn,  Robert Padilla   782 

Woods,  William Sedro-Woolley 708 

Woolley,  Philip  A Sedro-Woolley    676 


Young,  James  M 


.  Sedro-Woolley 


708 


SKAGIT   COUNTY   PORTRAITS 


PAGE 

Abbott,  Linus :..  753 

Allmond,  Douglass '. 616 

Alstrand,  Charles 753 

Anderson,  Nels 744 

Arnold,  George  G 701 

Ball,  Eleanor  M 533 

Ball,  John 532 

Barratt,  William 701 

Batey,  David 688 

Batey,  Mrs.  David 688 

Borseth,  Mrs.  Ole  J 719 

Borseth,  Ole  J 719 

Bowman,  Amos 610 

Buck,  Franklin 719 

Cain,  Thomas    765 

Conn,  Fletcher  W 744 

Conner,  John  S 645 

Cressey,  William  Henry  Harrison    728 

Curtis,  Melville 619 

Dreyer,  Henry  H  688 

Dreyer,  Mrs.  Henry  H 688 

Dunlop,  William  A 688 

Egtvet,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter,  and  Home 539 

Everett,  Amasa  701 

Fraser,  Alexander  D 728 

Gage,  William 546 

Caches,  James 652 

Caches,  Mrs.  James 653 

Gates,  John  B  719 

Gilmore,  William 759 

Halloran,  Patrick 495 

Halpin,  William  H 728 

Hamilton,  Frank  R 701 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  Frank  R 701 

Hanson,  George  J 719 


PAGE 

Hanson,  Mrs.  George  J 719 

Hart,  Joseph 688 

Hayton,  Mrs.  Thomas  R 505 

Hayton,  Thomas  R  504 

Hayton,  Thomas,  Sr 501 

Hensler,  Gus 627 

Hoffman,  George 753 

Johnson,  Andrew  S 744 

Johnson,  Bengt 753 

Johnson,  Rasmus  S 744 

Kalso,  Frederick 719 

Kalso,  Mrs.  Frederick 719 

Kelley,  Mrs.  Nancy  A 719 

Kiens,  John 688 

Lewis,  John 728 

McCoy,  Patrick 762 

McTaggart,  Edward  W 768 

Odlin,  William  T 613 

Olson,  Swan  Peter 586 

Olson,  Mrs.  Swan  Peter 587 

Poison,  Mrs.  Olof    789 

Poison,  Olof 788 

Poison,  Perry 509 

Sutter,  John 701 

Stackpole,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  and  Home 583 

Thorne,  Mrs.  Adelia  Lathrop 728 

Thorne,  Thomas  D.,  D.  D 728 

Thorne,  Woodbury  J 728 

Tillinghast,  Alving  G 660 

Tingley,  Mrs.  Samuel  Simpson 701 

Tingley ,  Samuel  Simpson 701 

Van  Horn,  James  V   814 

Wilson,  Joseph 688 


INDEX 


SNOHOMISFI   COUNTY   BIOGRAPHICAL 


.  885 
.1077 
.  921 
.  9-13 
.1019 
.  1064 


Acme  Business  College, 

Carolyn  Pachin,  Conductor.  .Everett    

Aldridge,  William Oso 

Alston,  Guy  C   Everett    

Anderson,  Charles  A Marysville 

Anderson,  Erick  O Silvana 

Anderson,  Fred  P Granite  Falls  . 

Anderson,  George  W Granite  Falls 1007 

Anderson,  Henry  C Stanwood    989 

Anderson,  Louis Marysville 947 

Andersen,  Peter Everett    924 

Angevine,  John  Francis  Everett    913 

Arndt,  Carl Startup    1110 

Arp,  Louis  P Edmonds 952 

Asbery,  Isaac Marysville 941 

Atwood,  Henry  L Granite  Falls 1009 

Austin,  Granis  W Monroe 1093 

Baitinger,  Henry  E   Inde.x    1112 

Bakeman,  Charles  H Snohomish 850 

Bakeman,  George Snohomish 862 

Baker,  Daniel  S Arlington 1033 

Baker,  Frederick  K   Everett    917 

Baldridge,  Henry  L  ....Sultan  (now  Harrington). ...  1101 

Bartlett,  Frank  L Marysville 942 

Baxter,  Nathan  N Sultan    1105 

Bender,  John  Finley Everett    907 

Bengtson,  Andrew Monroe 1094 

Blackman,  Alanson  A Snohomish 8,53 

Blackman,  Arthur  M Snohomish 829 

Blackman,  Elhanan Snohomish 851 

Blackman,  Hyrcauus Snohomish 852 

Blair,  Aaron  L Arlington 1022 

Bohl,  Ernest Arlington 1044 

Botten,  Iver  Silvana 1011 

Brackett,  George Edmonds 9.59 

Brady,  James Edmonds   948 

Breckhus,  Gilbert  O Silvana 1014 

Breckhus,  Jacob  G Silvana 1015 

Breckhus,  John Silvana lOKi 

Breckhus,  Severt  G Silvana 1013 

Britton,  Joseph  C Arlington 1029 

Brown,  Peter Snohomish 862 

Brown,  William Snohomish 865 

Browne,  Christian Granite  Falls 1068 

Brue,  Andrew  J" Stanwood    993   i 

Brush,  Bert  Jay Everett    914   ' 

Buchanan, Dr.  Charles  Milton. Tulalip  Indian  Kesv. . .  842 

Buck,  Fred  S Sultan    1109 

Bunten,  William  H Arlington 1041 

Burleson,  Hiram  H Edmonds 952 

Campbell,  John  A F"ortson 1079 

CamplDell,  John  L Darrington   1082 

Carpenter,  Daniel  I Granite  Falls 1059 

Carpenter,  Ira  Machias 1058 

Chartrand,  Felix Oso 1075 


PAGE 

935 
1083 
1072 
1057 
1012 


Chase,  Willie  Eastman Lowell   

Chenier,  Joseph Darrington 

Cicero,  .Stephen Cicero 

Clark,  William  A Machias 

Clausen,  Lars  P  Silvana 

Cochran,  George  M Snohomish 8.55 

CoUingwood,  Ralph Cicero 1073 

Conners,  Frank  L Stanwood    993 

Conners,  William Stanwood    981 

Cook,  William Sultan    1 103 

Cox,  Dr.  William  C Everett    921 

Currie,  James  W Edmonds 949 

Cuthbert,  Andrew Norman 1009 

Danhof ,  Garmt Snohomish 872 

Darling,  F.  H Edmonds 950 

Davies,  Thomas  D Marysville 942 

Davison,  Joseph   Everett    925 

Deering,  William Snohomish 874 

Denney,  Hon.  John  C  Everett    899 

Densmore,  Alfred Everett    920 

Diffley,  Michael Granite  Falls 1061 

Doolittle,  Fred  C Index 1116 

Drew,  Terresser  B Lowell   939 

Duffy,    Bernard  J F'ortson 1078 

Eddy,  Wilbert  F Snohomish 878 

Edsberg,  Sigward  J Stanwood    1003 

Eggert,  Ernst Getchell 1050 

Eide,  Ole  E Stanwood    986 

Eitzenberger,  Max  Arlington 1045 

Ekstran,  Nils  O Stanwood    998 

EUingsen,  John Arlington 1033 

Elwell,  Charles  F Monroe 1086 

Elwell,  Tamlin Snohomish 841 

Enas,  Joseph  S Granite  Falls 1066 

Engeseth,    Severt Arlington 1037 

Erdahl,  Samuel  S  Bryant 1071 

EricksoD,  Stvrker  A Silvana 1019 

Erickson,  Ulrick  R Snohomish 882 

Estby,  Anders Norman  1010 

Everett  Public  Library, 

Gretchen  Hathaway,  Librn.  Everett 910 

Fenlason,  Wesley  J  Stanwood    998 

Ferguson,  Clark Snohomish 833 

Ferguson,  Emory  C Snohomish 825 

Ferguson,  Fred  E Monroe 1097 

Fhygesen,  Chris Startup 1 100 

Finnigan,  Thomas  J Snohomish 875 

Fjerlie,  Andrew Stanwood    1004 

Fjarlie,  Ole   O Stanwood    1005 

Flo,  Louis  I Stanwood    999 

Floe,  Steffen    Stanwood    994 

Florance,  Andrew  ¥ Snohomish 874 

Folsom,  Dr.  A.  C Snohomish 844 


INDEX 


Foss,  Fred  V Snohomish. 

Ford,  William  H Arlington  . . 

French,  Alfred Oso 

Friday,  Henry  Everett    . . . 

Funk,  Martin  J Silvana  . . . . 

Funk,  Peter Arlington  . . 

Furness,  Iver  Norman  . . . 


.1031 
.1077 
.  914 
.1015 
.1031 
.1009 

.  843 
.  9:i6 
.  1047 
.  984 


Getchell,  Joseph  E Snohomish   ... 

Getchell, Martin Lowell   

Gooding,  Marion Arlington 

Goodrich,  Gardner   Stanwood    .... 

Gorham,  Hon.  Charles  W  . . .  .  Snohomish 829 

Grant,  Claude  C Cicero 1074 

Gravelle,  Peter Mukilteo 948 

Green,  Andrew  J Arlington 1038 

Gregory,  Horace  A. Granite  Falls 904 

Gunderson,  Emil Stanwood    1005 

Gunderson,  Peter Stanwood 9()3 

Gunn,  Amos  D Index    1111 

Hall,  Arthur  E Stanwood    975 

Hall,  James  \V Snohomish 8G0 

Hamlin,  Capt.  William  H  ....  Edmonds 9,56 

Hancock,  Francis  H  Stanwood    982 

Hansen,  Chiis Stanwood    994 

Hansen,  John  C Stanwood    990 

Hanson,  Charles  F Stanwood    907 

Hanson,  Julius Granite  Falls 1068 

Hanson,  Lars  P Stanwood    1000 

Harding,  Will Granite  Falls 1005 

Harriman,  Charles  F Monroe 960 

Harter,  Isaac Marysville 945 

Harvey,  Peter Stanwood    976 

Haskell,  Calvin  L Hartford 1052 

Hawkinson,  Charles Snohomish 850 

Hayes,  George  W Monroe 1095 

Headlee,  Thomas  E Everett    887 

Heide,  A.  F Seattle 897 

Helseth,  Jens  G Jorden 1049 

H evely ,  H  uldo Silvana 1014 

Hewitt,  Henry,  Jr Tacoma 888 

Hill,  Albert  E Edmonds 955 

Hill,  Charles  L Snohomish 873 

Hillis,  Charles  D Cicero 1072 

Hilton,  John  H Everett    908 

Hingston,  Philip Index    1114 

Hollingsworth,  Ira Hazel 1079 

Holmes,  Samuel  Edmonds 953 

Horton,  Gilbert  D   Snohomish 840 

Hovik,  Ludwig  A Marysville 945 

Howard,  Albert  S Stanwood    991 

Howard,  Dr.  Henrv  P Everett    922 

Hughes,  Robert Snohomish 833 

Hulbert,  Robert  A  Everett    919 

Husby,    Halvor   P Stanwood    1003 

lies,  John Oso 1076 

lllman,  Harold  W. Everett    925 

Illman,  William  H Sultan    1106 


Isberg,  Rev.  Peter Stanwood 

Iverson,  Hon.  O.  B Olympia   . 


1014 
1022 
1006 
1036 
989 
867 
1092 
866 
940 
976 
HOT 


Jackson,  Clous Silvana 

Jefferson,  Thomas Trafton 

Jenny,  Fred Cedarhome  .... 

Jensen,  Thomas Arlington 

Joergenson,  Rev.  Christian. ..  Stanwood    

Johnson,  Abel Snohomish 

Johnson,  George Monroe 

Johnson,  Hans Snohomish 

Johnson,  Iver Lowell    

Johnson,  Iver Stanwood    

Johnson,  L.  Roy Sultan 

Johnson,  Nils  C Arlington 1028 

Johnson,  Peter  J   Getchell 1051 

Jordan,  Alvah  H.I? Lowell   932 

Jones,  Lewis  J .Everett    927 

Jones,  Nathan  Barker Sultan    1101 

Jones,  Rev.  William  G Seattle 894 

Jones,  William  D Hartford 10.54 

Julson,  H.  .A Snohomish 860 

Jutzik,  Theodore Snohomish 860 

Kackman,  Thees Bryant 1070 

Keay,  Alexander Everett    898 

Kinnear,  Robert Edgecomb 1048 

Kirk,  George  W Snohomish 853 

Kirn,  Charles  J Everett    923 

Klaeboe,  Andrew  B   Stanwood    979 

Knight,  Arthur  C Snohomish 858 

Knudson,  John Darrington 1082 

Knutson,  Frederick. Monroe 1089 

Knutson,  Rasmus Silvana 101 2 

Koch,  Frederick  W Silvana 1015 

Kraetz,  Anton -Arlington 1044 

Kraetz,  Joseph Arlington 10.38 

Kroger,  Joachim .Arlington 1041 


.1042 
.1054 
.1017 
.1016 
.  995 
.  868 
.1017 
.  990 


La  Forge,  Charles  S Snohomish .... 

Lammers,  August Arlington 

Lane,  Edwin  J Lochsloy 

Langsjon,   Johannes  Silvana 

Langsjon,  John Silvana 

Langsav,  Peter  H Stanwood    

Larimer,  Floyd  M Snohomish. . . . 

Larsen,  Lars Silvana 

Larson,  Erlend   Stanwood    

Larson,  John  C Arlington 1037 

Larson,  Ole Silvana 1018 

Lawry,  Charles  L Snohomish 841 

Lee,  John  B Stanwood    1000 

Lenf est,  Elmer,  C.  E Snohomish 832 

Leque,  Nels  P Stanwood    985 

Leque,  Peter Stanwood 972 

Levison,  Levi Stanwood    995 

Lindley,  Joseph Monroe 1092 

Lohr,  Jacob  T Cicero 1073 

Loose,  Ursinus  K Snohomish 834 

Lord,  Mitchel Snohomish 876 

Lorenzen,  Lorenz  Arlington 1042 


PAGE 

Malkson,  Gilbert  H Everett    926 

Mallett,  Joseph Snohomish 872 

Mann,  James  W Sultan    1106 

Marsh,  Calvin  L Arlington 1027 

Martell,  Joseph Snohomish 881 

Matterand,  Ole  S Stanwood  980 

Maxwell,  Robert Trafton 1020 

Menzel,  George Granite  Falls 971 

Menzel,  Henry Granite  Falls 970 

Meredith,  H.  M Sultan    1098 

Messner,  Roy  G Granite  Falls 1060 

Micheels,  Herman Snohomish 882 

Mickelson,  Andrew  B Stanwood    997 

Moehring,  Charles  F Snohomish 850 

M  ontague,  John Darrington 1081 

Moore,  Charles  E Darrington 1081 

Moore,  William  B Stanwood    995 

Moran,  Thomas Arlington 1027 

Morgan,  Alonzo  W Snohomish 848 

Morgan,  Eugene  L Sultan    1108 

Morgan,  Hiram  D Snohomish 847 

Morgan,  Hon.  Benjamin  H  ,  .  .Snohomish 848 

Morgan,  Morgan  M Snohomish 878 

Morgan,  Morgan,  Sr   Snohomish 859 

Morgan,  William Snohomish 877 

Morris,  John  W Arlington 1034 

Moskeland,  Ole  O Marysville 943 

Mudgett,  Jacob  A Snohomish. . . .". 871 

Munson,  David  T Florence   1007 

Murphy,  Andrew  J Index  1117 

Murphy,  Curt  J Arlington 1040 

McCaulley,   Matthew  M Arlington 1035 

McDonald,  Charles  F Hartford 1052 

McEacheran,  Dr.  Daniel Stanwood    980 

McGray,  Capt.  Otis  C Monroe 1087 

Mclntire,  Dr.  Ida  Noyes Everett    905 

Mclntire,  Hon.  Albert  W Everett    900 

Mclntyre,  Thomas Index    1115 

McLean,  Oliver Snohomish 834 

McManus,  John  E. Seattle 893 


Naas,  Ole Stanwood    . . . 

Nelson,  John  W Snohomish. . . 

Nelson,  Peter Everett   

Ness,  Peter Stanwood 

Nickerson,  Earnest  A Everett    

Nicklason,  Gustaf Cedarhome  . . 

Niles,  Frank Granite  Falls 


.1006 
.  861 
.  928 
.1000 
.  915 
.1007 
.1059 


.  Marysville 944 


Nilson,  Lars  C 

Cake,  Richard  L Edmonds 955 

Odell,  Elmer  E Monroe ...1095 

Oldfield,  Harry  L Everett 907 

Oliver,  Dr.  William  Forrest  . .  Arlington 1026 

Olsen,  Peter  Stanwood    997 

Olson,  Olanus  and  Hans Silvana 1012 

C^strand,  Carl  W  Edgecomb 1049 

Ovenell,  George  T  Stanwood    991 

....  845 
....  912 


PAGE 

PattisoD,  Fred  O Monroe 1086. 

Paulson,  Peter Marysville 944 

Pearsall,  George  V Sultan    1104 

Pearson,  Daniel  O  Stanwood    975 

Pearson,  Petrus Hazel 1080 

Peden,  Abraham Snohomish 876 

Person,  Peter Monroe 1090 

Persun,  Jackson  H Arlington 1035 

Peterson,  A.  Louis Sultan    1103 

Peterson,  Charles  P Edmonds 950 

Peterson,  Jacob Arlington 10.36 

Phelps,  Franklin  E Monroe .!.,.1089 

Philipsen,  Thomas Snohomish 854 

Pierson,  James  R Hazel 1080 

Piles,  Senator  Samuel  Henry.  Seattle 892 

Pratt,  William  Rutherford ....  Everett    918 

Redding,  Clifford  R Index    1112 

Reinseth,  Ole  O Arlington 1039 

Reinseth,  Peder Arlington 1039 

Rhoades,  John  F Snohomish 830 

Richards,  Thomas  N Snohomish 875 

Ritter,  David  A Granite  Falls 1060 

Roark,  Dell Silvana 1020 

Robbins,  John  M Marysville 960 

Robe,  Truitt  K Granite  Falls 969 

Robertson,  Alexander Florence   1008 

Robinet,  Jacob Everett    927 

Rod,  Knut  O Arlington 1042 

Roth,  Charles Arlington 1047 

Roth,  Gottlieb Snohomish   865 

Rowland,  O.  O Index    1113 

Rudebeck,  Nicholas Everett    906 

Ruthruff,  Hugh  C Oso 1074 


Packard,  Myron  W Snohomish . 

Parker,  Leroy Everett    . . . 


Sandberg,  Charles 

Sandmann,  Oscar 

Sawyer,  Mrs.  Jennie  M 

Schafer,  Fred 

Scherrer,  Ulrich 

Schloman,  Bernhard  C.  W  . . . 

Schloman,  John 

Sexton,  David  F 

Shadinger,  John  H 

Shafer,  Alonzo  W 

Shaw,  Colby  J   

Shaw,  Edgar  J 

Shaw,  George  W 

Siler,  Henry  O Everett 

Sill,  Jasper 

Sill,  John  W  

Sinclair,  Hon.  Woodbury  B  . . 

Smith,  Eugene  D 

Smith,  Fred 

Smith,  Frederick 

Smith,  Sylvester 

Snyder,  Wilson  M 

Sorensen,  Ole  E  

Spaulding,  Thomas   

Spencer,  John 

Sprau,  Charles  E 


Oso 1075 

Hartford 1053 

Monroe 1085 

Snohomish 855 

Granite  Falls 1066 

Arlington 1026. 

Arlington 1040 

Snohomish 837 

Snohomish  (South')  ...  867 

Trafton 1021 

Snohomish 801 

Snohomish 801 

Snohomish 857 

(and  Port  Gamble) ....  911 

Arlington 1029 

Snohomish 868- 

Snohomish 857 

Lowell    931 

Lowell    939 

Marvsville 941 

Index    1113 

Snohomish 839' 

Edmonds 956- 

Monroe 1094 

Everett    911 

Snohomish 856- 


INDEX 


Sprau,  Jacob  M Monroe 1085 

Spurrell,   H  enry Snohomish 881 

Stecher,  John Everett    928 

Stenson,  Ingebregt Silvana .1018 

Stephens,  Edwin  Milton Monroe 1083 

Stevens,  Sylvester  S Arlington 1045 

Stevens,  Winslow  B Monroe 1091 

Stone,  John  E Everett    916 

Stretch,  John  F Snohomish 826 

Stubb,  Ludwig  O   Norman 1010 

Suhl,  Peter  J Monroe 1085 

Suttles,  Almon  J .Arlington 1032 

Swalwell,  William  G Everett    886 

Swartz,  Joseph   Granite  Falls 1062 

Swett,  John  A Sultan    1099 

Sykes,  Benjamin Monroe 1087 


Tackstrom,  Andrew 
Theurer,  John  A  . . . 
Thomas,  Benjamin. 
Thompson,  Carl. . . . 
Thomsen,  Hans  .... 

Thomsen,  Jens 

Thorsen,  Halvor  . . . 


.  Stanwood    981 

.  Robe 1070 

.Snohomish 858 

.  Arlington 1043 

.Arlington 1040 

.  Arlington 1025 

.Silvana 1016 


Tjeroagel,  Rev.  Helge  M Stanwood 

Torske,  Oscar Silvana  . . . 


.1013 


PAGE 

Turner,  William  M Granite  Falls 1063 

Tvete,  Nels  K Arlington 1030 


Urban,  T.  Venzel 


.  Snohomish 8.56- 


Vail,  Charlie  S Snohomish 885- 

Vanasdlen,  John  A Monroe 108i 

Vernon,  James  Mercer  Everett    918 

Vestal,  Samuel Snohomish 866 

Walker,  George Snohomish 871 

Walters,  Henry  D Monroe 1096 

Ward,  William  Harrison Snohomish 831 

Warner,  John  F Sultan    1102 

Wellington,  Giles  L Sultan    1104 

Westbrook,  Herbert  Douglas. Everett    923 

Westover,  Arthur  M Marysville 946 

Westover,  William  H  Marysville 947 

White,  William  C Monroe 108+ 

Whitfield,  William Snohomish 846 

Wilbur,  Lot Snohomish 853 

Willard,  Ben   Stanwood    981 

Willhite,  Alonzo  Lincoln Stanwood    992 

Wilsted,  Chris   Edmonds 954 

Wood,  Joseph  Duboise Snohomish 845 


Yost,  Allen  M Edmonds 


951 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY   PORTRAITS 


Acme  Business  College,  Everett 884 

Anderson,  H.  C 988 

Blair,  Aaron  L 1023 

Brackett,  George 957 

Cathcart,  Isaac 934 

Erickson,  Ulrick  R 880 

Ferguson,  Emory  C 824 

Getchell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin 937 

Gregory,  Horace  A  962 

Gregory,  Mrs.  Horace  A 962 

Gunderson,  Mrs.  Peter 962 

Gunderson,  Peter 962 

Hamlin,  Capt.  William  H 957 

Hanson,  Charles  F 962 

Hanson,  Mrs.  Charles  F 962 

Hanson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lars  P.,  and  Residence 1001 

Harriman,  Charles 957 

Hewitt,  Henry,  Jr 889 

Iverson,  Hon.  O.  B  966 

Jefferson,  Thomas 1023 

Jones,  Rev.  William  G 895 


Klaeboe,  Andrew  B  978 

La  Forge,  Charles  S 827 

Lane,  Edwin  J 1055 

Leque,  Peter 973 

Martell,  Joseph 880 

Menzel,  George 966 

Menzel,  Henry 966 

Michaels,  Herman 88a 

Mclntyre,  Mr.  and  Mrs 901 

Robbins,  John  M 957 

Robe,  Truitt  K 966 

Roth,  Gottlieb 864 

Schloman,  Bernhard  C.  W 1023 

Sexton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  F.,  and  Residence 836 

Shaffer,  Alonzo  W 1023 

Smith,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eugene  D 930 

Spurrell,  Henry 880 

Thomsen,  Jens 1023 

Vail,  Charles  S 884r 

Walker,  George 870 


PART    I 

INTRODUCTORY 


CHAPTER  I 


EXPLORATIONS  BY  WATER 


The  opening  of  a  new  century  is  a  fitting  time 
to  glance  backward  and  reconstruct  to  the  eye  of 
the  present,  the  interesting  and  heroic  events  of 
the  past,  that  by  comparison  between  past  and 
present  the  trend  of  progress  may  be  traced  and 
the  future  in  a  measure  forecasted. 

No  matter  what  locahty  in  the  Northwest  we 
may  treat  historically,  we  are  compelled  in  our 
search  for  the  beginnings  of  its  story  to  go  back 
to  the  old,  misty  Oregon  terriiMrw  with  its  isola- 
tion, its  pathos,  its  wild  chivalry,  its  freedom  and 
hospitality.  Strange  indeed  is  its  earliest  history, 
when,  shrouded  in  uncertainty  and  misapprehen- 
sion, it  formed  the  ignis  fatuus  of  the  explorer, 
"luring  him  on  with  that  indescribable  fascination 
which  seerns  always  to  have  drawn  men  to  the 
ever  receding  circle  of  the  'westmost  west.'  " 

Shortly  after  the  time  of  Columbus,  attempts 
began  to  be  made  to  reach  the  western  ocean  and 
solve  the  mystery  of  the  various  passages  sup- 
posed to  lead  to  Asia. 

In  1500  Gasper  Cortereal  conceived  the  idea  of 
finding  a  northern  strait,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  ".\nian,"  and  this  mythical  channel  received 
much  attention  from  these  early  navigators,  some 
of  whom  even  went  so  far  as  to  claim  that  they  had 
passed  through  it  and  had  reached  another  ocean. 
Among  the  captains  making  this  bold  claim  was 
Juan  de  Fuca.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  Greek 
of  Cephalonia  whose  real  name  was  Apostolos 
\'alerianos.  and  it  is  claimed  that  when  he  made  his 
(li.'^covery  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  Spanish 
nation.  Michael  Lock  tells  his  story  in  the  fol- 
lowing language : 

"He  followed  his  course,  in  that  vovage,  west 


and  northwest  in  the  South  sea,  all  along  the  coast 
of  Nova  Spania  and  California  and  the  Indies, 
now  called  North  America  (all  which  voyage  he 
signified  to  me  in  a  great  map,  and  a  sea  card  of 
my  own,  which  I  laid  before  him),  until  he  came 
to  the  latitude  of  forty-seven  degrees ;  and  that, 
there  finding  that  the  land  trended  north  and  north- 
west, with  a  broad  inlet  of  sea,  between  forty-seven 
and  forty-eight  degrees  of  latitude,  he  entered 
thereinto,  sailing  more  than  twenty  days,  and  found 
that  land  still  trending  northwest,  and  northeast, 
and  north,  and  also  east  and  .southeastward,  and 
very  much  broader  sea  than  it  was  at  the  said 
entrance,  and  that  he  passed  by  divers  islands  in 
that  sailing ;  and  that,  at  the  entrance  of  said  strait, 
there  is,  on  the  northwest  coast  thereof,  a  great 
headland  or  island,  with  an  exceedingly  high  pin- 
nacle or  spired  rock,  like  a  pillar,  thereupon.  Also 
he  said  that  he  went  on  land  in  divers  places,  and 
that  he  saw  some  people  on  the  land  clad  in  beasts' 
skins ;  and  that  the  land  was  very  fruitful  and 
rich  in  gold,  silver  and  pearls  and  other  things, 
like  Nova  Spania.  Also  he  said  that  he.  being 
entered  thus  far  into  the  said  strait,  and  being 
come  into  the  North  sea  already  and  finding  the 
sea  wide  enough  everywhere,  and  to  be  about 
thirty  or  forty  leagues  wide  in  the  mouth  of  the 
straits  where  he  entered,  he  thought  he  had  now 
well  discharged  his  office  ;  and  that  not  being  armed 
to  resist  the  force  of  savage  people  that  might 
happen,  he  therefore  set  sail  and  turned  homeward 
again  toward  Nova  Spania,  where  he  arrived  at 
Acapulco,  anno  1593,  hoping  to  be  rewarded  by  the 
viceroy  for  this  service  done  in  the  said  voyage." 
The  curious  thing  about  this  and  some  of  the 


INTRODUCTORY 


other  legends  is  the  general  accuracy  of  the  descrip- 
tions given  by  these  old  mariners.  Professor 
W.  D.  Lyman  thinks  it  is  not  impossible  that  they 
had  either  visited  thr  Pacific  coast  in  person  or 
had  seen  other  jiilots  who  had,  and  that  thus  they 
gathered  the  niaterial  from  which  they  fabricated 
their  Munchausen  tales. 

Many  years  passed  after  the  age  of  myth  before 
there  were  authentic  voyages.  During  the  seven- 
teenth century  practically  nothing  was  done  in  the 
way  of  Pacific  coast  explorations,  but  in  the 
eighteenth,  as  by  common  consent,  all  the  nations 
of  Europe  became  suddenly  infatuated  again  with 
the  thought  that  on  the  western  shores  of  America 
might  be  found  the  gold  and  silver  and  gems 
and  furs  and  precious  woods  for  which  they  had 
been  striving  so  desperately  upon  the  eastern  coast. 
English,  French,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  Dutch,  Rus- 
sians and  Americans  entered  their  bold  and  hardy 
sailors  into  the  race  for  the  possession  of  the  land 
of  the  Occident.  The  Russians  were  the  first  in 
the  field,  that  gigantic  power,  which  the  genius  of 
Peter  the  Great,  like  one  of  the  fabled  genii,  had 
suddenly  transformed  from  the  proportions  of  a 
grain  of  sand  to  a  figure  overtopping  the  whole 
earth,  and  which  had  stretched  it?  arms  from  the 
P>altic  to  the  .\leutian  archipelago,  and  had  looked 
southward  across  the  frozen  seas  of  Siberia  to  the 
open  Pacific  as  ofifering  another  opportunity  of 
expansion.  Many  years  passed,  however,  before 
Peter's  designs  could  be  executed.  It  was  1728 
when  \'itus  Behring  entered  upon  his  marvelous 
life  of  exploration.  Not  until  1741,  however,  did 
he  thread  the  thousand  islands  of  Alaska  and  gaze 
upon  the  glaciated  sunuuit  of  Mount  Elias.  And 
it  was  not  until  thirty  years  later  that  it  was  known 
that  the  Bay  of  Avatscha  in  Siberia  was  connected 
by  open  sea  with  China.  In  1771  the  first  cargo 
of  furs  was  taken  directly  from  .\vatscha,  the  chief 
port  of  eastern  Siberia,  to  Canton.  Then  first 
Europe  realized  the  vastness  of  the  Pacific  ocean. 
Then  it  understood  that  the  same  waters  which 
frowned  against  the  frozen  bulwarks  of  Kamchatka 
washed  the  tropic  isdands  of  the  South  seas  and 
foamed  against  the  storm-swept  rocks  of  Cape 
Horn, 

Meanwhile,  while  Russia  was  thus  becoming 
established  upon  the  shores  of  Alaska,  Spain  was 
getting  entire  possession  of  California.  These  two 
great  nations  began  to  overlap  each  other,  Russians 
becoming  established  near  San  Francisco.  To 
offset  this  movement  of  Russia,  a  group  of  Spanish 
explorers,  Perez,  Martinez,  Heceta,  Bodega  and 
Maurelle,  swarmed  up  the  coast  beyond  the  S'ite 
of  the  present  Sitka. 

England,  in  alarm  at  the  progress  made  by 
Spain  and  Russia,  sent  out  the  Columbus  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  in  the  person  of  Captain  James 
Cook,  and  he   sailed  up   and   down  the  coast  of 


Alaska  and  of  Washington,  but  failed  to  discover 
either  the  Columbia  river  or  the  Straits  of  Fuca. 

His  labors,  however,  did  more  to  establish  true 
geographical  notions  than  had  the  combined  efforts 
of  all  the  Spanish  navigators  who  had  preceded 
him.  His  voyages  materially  strengthened  Eng- 
land's claim  to  Oregon,  and  added  greatly  to  the 
luster  of  her  name.  The  great  ca])tain,  while  tem- 
porarily on  shore,  was  killed  by  Indians  in  1778, 
and  the  command  devolved  upon  Captain  Clark, 
who  sailed  northward,  passing  through  Behring 
strait  to  the  Arctic  ocean.  The  new  cominander 
died  before  the  expedition  had  proceeded  far  on 
its  return  journey ;  Lieutenant  Gore,  a  \''irginian, 
assumed  control  and  sailed  to  Canton,  China,  arriv- 
ing late  in  the  year. 

The  main  purposes  of  this  expedition  had  been 
the  di.'covery  of  a  northern  waterway  between  the 
two  oceans  and  the  extending  of  British  territory, 
but,  as  is  so  often  the  case  in  human  affairs,  one  of 
the  most  important  results  of  the  voyage  was 
entirely  unsuspected  by  the  navigators  and  prac- 
tically the  outcome  of  an  accident.  It  so  happened 
that  the  two  vessels  of  the  expedition,  the  Revolu- 
tion and  the  Discovery,  took  with  them  to  China 
a  small  collection  of  furs  from  the  northwest  coast 
of  America.  These  were  purchased  hv  the  Chinese 
with  great  avidity ;  the  people  exhibiting  a  willing- 
ness to  barter  commodities  of  much  value  for  them 
and  endeavoring  to  secure  them  at  ahnost  any  sacri- 
fice. The  sailors  were  not  backward  in  communicat- 
ing their  discoveries  of  a  new  and  promising  mar- 
ket for  peltries,  and  the  impetus  imparted  to  the  fur 
trade  was  almost  iinmeasurable  in  its  ultimate 
effects.  .\n  entirely  new  regime  was  inaugurated 
in  Chinese  and  East  Indian  commerce.  The  north- 
west coast  of  America  assumed  a  new  importance 
in  the  eyes  of  Europeans,  and  especially  of  the 
British.  The  "struggle  for  possession"  soon  began 
to  be  foreshadowed. 

One  of  the  principal  harbors  resorted  to  by  fur- 
trading  vessels  was  Nootka,  used  as  a  rendezvous 
and  principal  port  of  departure.  This  port  became 
the  scene  of  a  clash  between  Spanish  authorities 
and  certain  British  vessels,  which  greatly  strained 
the  friendly  relations  existing  between  the  two  gov- 
ernments represented.  In  1779,  the  viceroy  of 
Mexico  sent  two  ships,  the  Princess  and  the  San 
Carlos,  to  convey  Martinez  and  De  Haro  to  the 
vicinity  for  the  purpose  of  anticipating  and  pre- 
venting the  occupancy  of  Nootka  sound  by  fur 
traders  of  other  nations,  and  that  the  Spanish  title 
to  the  territory  might  be  maintained  and  confirmed. 
Martinez  was  to  base  his  claiin  upon  the  discovery 
by  Perez  in  1774.  Courtesy  was  to  be  extended 
to  foreign  vessels,  but  the  establishment  of  any 
claim  prejudicial  to  the  right  of  the  Spanish  crown 
was  to  be  resisted  vigorously. 

LTpon  the  arrival  of  Martinez,  it  was  discovered 
that  the  American  vessel,  Columbia,  and  the  Iphi- 


EXPLORATIONS    BY   WATER 


genia,  a  British  vessel,  under  a  Portuguese  flag, 
were  lying  in  the  harbor.  Martinez  at  once  de- 
manded the  papers  of  both  vessels  and  an  explana- 
tion of  their  presence,  vigorously  asserting  the  claim 
of  Spain  that  the  port  and  contiguous  territory  were 
hers.  The  captain  of  the  Iphigenia  pleaded  stress 
of  weather.  On  finding  that  the  vessel's  papers 
commanded  the  capture,  under  certain  conditions, 
of  Russian,  Spanish  or  English  vessels,  Martinez 
seized  the  ship,  but  on  being  advised  that  tiie  orders 
relating  to  captures  were  intended  only  to  apply 
to  the  defense  of  the  vessel,  the  Spaniard  released 
the  Iphigenia  and  her  cargo.  The  Northwest 
America,  another  vessel  of  the  same  expedition, 
was,  however,  seized  by  Martinez  a  little  later. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  these  British 
vessels  had,  in  the  inception  of  the  enterprise, 
divested  themselves  of  their  true  national  character 
and  donned  the  insignia  of  Portugal,  their  reasons 
being:  First,  to  defraud  the  Chinese  government, 
which  made  special  harbor  rates  to  the  Portuguese, 
and,  .=econd,  to  defraud  the  East  India  Company, 
to  whom  had  been  granted  the  right  of  trading  in 
furs  in  northwest  America  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
other  British  subjects,  except  such  as  should  obtain 
the  permission  of  the  company.  To  maintain  their 
Portuguese  nationality  they  had  placed  the  expe- 
dition nominally  under  the  control  of  Juan  Cavalho, 
a  Portuguese  trader.  Prior  to  the  time  of  the 
trouble  in  Nootka,  however,  Cavalho  had  become 
a  bankrupt  and  new  arrangements  had  become 
necessary.  The  English  traders  were  compelled  to 
unite  their  interests  with  those  of  King  George's 
Sound  Company,  a  mercantile  association  operating 
under  license  from  the  South  Sea  and  East  India 
companies,  the  Portuguese  colors  had  been  laid 
aside,  and  the  true  national  character  of  the  expe- 
dition assumed.  Captain  Colnutt  was  placed  in 
command  of  the  enterprise  as  constituted  under  the 
new  regime,  with  instructions,  among  other  things, 
"to  establish  a  factory  to  be  called  Fort  Pitt,  for  the 
purpose  of  permanent  settlement  and  as  a  center 
of  trade  around  which  other  stations  mav  be 
established." 

One  vessel  of  the  expedition,  the  Princess  Royal, 
entered  Nootka  harbor  without  molestation,  but 
when  the  Argonaut,  under  command  of  Captain 
Colnutt.  arrived,  it  was  thought  best  by  the  master 
not  to  attempt  an  entrance  to  the  bav,  lest  his  vessel 
should  meet  the  same  fate  which  had  befallen  the 
Iphigenia  and  the  Northwest  America.  Later 
Colnutt  called  on  Martinez  and  informed  the 
Spanish  governor  of  his  intention  to  take  possession 
of  the  country  in  the  name  of  Great  Britain  and  to 
erect  a  fort.  The  governor  replied  that  possession 
had  already  been  taken  in  the  name  of  His  Catholic 
Majesty  and  that  such  acts  as  he  (Colnutt)  con- 
templated could  not  be  allowed.  An  altercation 
followed  and  the  next  day  the  Argonaut  was  seized 
and  her  captain  and  crew  placed  under  arrest.    The 


Princess  Royal  was  also  seized,  though  the  Amer- 
ican vessels  in  tlie  harbor  were  in  no  way  molested. 

After  an  extended  and  at  times  heated  con- 
troversy between  Spain  and  Great  Britain  touching 
these  seizures,  the  former  government  consented  to 
make  reparation  and  offered  a  suitable  apology  for 
the  indignity  to  the  honor  of  the  flag.  The  feature 
of  this  correspondence  of  greatest  import  in  the 
future  history  of  the  territory  affected  is,  that 
throughout  the  entire  controversy  and  in  all  the 
royal  messages  and  debates  in  parliament  no  word 
was  spoken  asserting  a  claim  of  Great  Britain  to  any 
territorial  rights  or  denying  the  claim  of  sovereignty 
so  positively  and  persistently  avowed  by  Spain, 
neither  was  Spanish  sovereignty  denied  nor  in  any 
way  alienated  by  the  treaty  which  followed.  Certain 
real  property  was  restored  to  British  subjects,  but  a 
transfer  of  realty  under  the  circumstances  could  not 
be  considered  a  transfer  of  sovereignty. 

We  pass  over  the  voyage  of  the  illustrious 
French  navigator.  La  Perouse,  as  of  more 
importance  from  a  scientific  than  from  a  political 
view-point;  neither  can  we  dwell  upon  the  explo- 
rations of  Captain  Berkeley,  to  whom  belongs  the 
honor  of  having  ascertained  the  existence  of  the 
strait  afterwards  denominated  Juan  de  Fuca.  Of 
somewhat  greater  moment  in  the  later  history  of  the 
Northwest  are  the  voyages  of  Meares,  who  entered 
and  described  the  above-mentioned  strait,  and  who, 
in  1788,  explored  the  coast  at  the  point  where  the 
great  Columbia  mingles  its  crystal  current  with  the 
waters  of  the  sea.  In  the  diplomatic  battle  of  later 
days  it  was  even  claimed  that  he  was  the  discoverer 
of  that  great  "River  of  the  West."  Howbeit,  nothing 
can  be  surer  than  that  the  existence  of  such  a  river 
was  utterly  unknown  to  him  at  the  time.  Indeed, 
his  conviction  of  its  non-existence  was  thus  stated 
in  his  own  account  of  the  voyage:  "We  can  now 
with  safety  assert  that  there  is  no  such  river  as 
the  St.  Roc  (of  the  Spaniard,  Heceta)  exists  as 
laid  down  on  the  Spanish  charts,"  and  he  gave  a 
further  unequivocal  expression  of  his  opinion  by 
naming  the  bay  in  that  vicinity  Deception  bay  and 
the  promontory  north  of  it  Cape  Disappointment. 
"Disappointed  and  deceived,"  remarks  Evans  face- 
tiously, "he  continued  his  cruise  southward  to  lati- 
tude forty-five  degrees  north." 

It  is  not  without  sentiments  of  patriotic  pride 
that  we  now  turn  our  attention  to  a  period  of  dis- 
covery in  which  the  vessels  of  our  own  nation 
played  a  prominent  part.  The  northern  mystery, 
which  had  been  partially  resolved  by  the  Spanish, 
Enghsh,  French  and  Portuguese  explorations,  was 
now  to  be  robbed  completely  of  its  mystic  charm  ; 
speculation  and  myth  must  now  give  place  to  exact 
knowledge:  the  game  of  discovery  must  hereafter 
be  played  principally  between  the  two  branches  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  and  Anglo-Saxon  energy, 
thoroughness  and  zeal  are  henceforth  to  characterize 
operations  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  Northwest. 


INTRODUCTORY 


The  United  States  had  but  recently  won  their  inde- 
pendence from  the  British  crown  and  their  energies 
were  finding  a  fit  field  of  activity  in  the  titanic 
task  of  national  organization.  Before  the  consti- 
tution had  become  the  supreme  law  of  the  land, 
however,  the  alert  mind  of  the  American  had  begun 
projecting  voyages  of  discovery  and  trade  to  the 
Northwest,  and  in  September,  1788,  two  vessels 
with  the  stars  and  stripes  at  their  mastheads  arrived 
at  Nootka  sound.  Their  presence  in  the  harbor 
while  the  events  culminating  in  the  Nootka  treaty 
were  transpiring  has  already  been  alluded  to.  The 
vessels  were  the  ship  Columbia,  Captain  John 
Kendrick,  and  the  sloop  Washington,  Captain 
Robert  Gray,  and  the  honor  of  having  sent  them  to 
our  shores  belongs  to  one  Joseph  Barrel,  a  prom- 
inent merchant  of  Boston,  and  a  man  of  high  social 
standing  and  great  influence.  While  one  of  the 
impelling  motives  of  this  enterprise  had  been  the 
desire  of  commercial  profit,  the  element  of  patriot- 
ism was  not  wholly  lacking,  and  the  vessels  were 
instructed  to  make  whatever  explorations  and  dis- 
coveries they  might. 

After  remaining  a  time  on  the  coast,  Captain 
Kendrick  transferred  the  ship's  property  to  the 
Washington,  with  the  intention  of  taking  a  cruise 
in  that  vessel.  He  placed  Captain  Gray  in  com- 
mand of  the  Columbia  with  instructions  to  return 
to  Boston  by  way  of  the  Sandwich  islands  and 
China.  This  commission  was  successfully  carried 
out.     The  vessel  arrived  in  Boston  in  September, 

1790,  was  received  with  great  eclat,  refitt.ed  by  her 
owners  and  again  despatched  to  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  with  Captain  Gray  in  command.     In  July, 

1791,  the  Columbia,  from  Boston,  and  the  Washing- 
ton, from  China,  met  not  far  from  the  spot  where 
they  had  separated  nearly  two  years  before.  They 
were  not  to  remain  long  in  company,  for  Captain 
Gray  soon  started  on  a  cruise  southward.  On  April 
29,  1792,  Gray  met  Vancouver  just  below  Cape 
Flattery  and  an  interesting  colloquy  took  place. 
Vancouver  communicated  to  the  American  skipper 
the  fact  that  he  had  not  yet  made  any  important  dis- 
coveries, and  Gray,  with  equal  frankness,  gave  the 
eminent  British  explorer  an  account  of  his  past  dis- 
coveries, "including,"  says  Bancroft,  "the  fact  that 
he  had  not  sailed  through  Fuca  strait  in  the  Lady 
Washington,  as  had  been  supposed  from  Meares' 
narrative  and  map."  He  also  informed  Captain 
Vancouver  that  he  had  been  "oflf  the  mouth  of  a 


river  in  latitude  forty-six  degrees,  ten  minutes, 
where  the  outset,  or  reflux,  was  so  strong  as  to 
prevent  his  entrance  for  nine  days." 

The  important  information  conveyed  by  Gray 
seems  to  have  greatly  disturbed  Vancouver's  mind. 
The  entries  in  his  log  show  that  he  did  not  entirely 
credit  the  statement  of  the  American,  but  that  he 
was  considerably  perturbed  is  evinced  by  the  fact 
that  he  tried  to  convince  himself  by  argument  that 
Gray's  statement  could  not  have  been  correct.  The 
latitude  assigned  by  the  American  is  that  of  Cape 
Disappointment,  and  the  existence  of  a  river  mouth 
there,  though  affirmed  by  Heceta,  had  been  denied 
by  Meares ;  Captain  Cook  had  also  failed  to  find 
it;  besides,  had  he  not  himself  passed  that  point 
two  days  before  and  had  he  not  observed  that  "if 
any  inlet  or  river  should  be  found  it  must  be  a 
very  intricate  one  and  inaccessible  to  vessels  of  our 
burden,  owing  to  the  reefs  and  broken  water  which 
then  appeared  in  its  neighborhood?"  With  such 
reasoning,  he  dismissed  the  matter  from  his  mind 
for  the  time  being.  He  continued  his  journey  north- 
ward, passed  through  the  Strait  of  Fuca,  and 
engaged  in  a  thorough  and  minute  exploration  of 
that  mighty  inland  sea,  to  a  portion  of  which  he 
gave  the  name  of  Puget  sound. 

Meanwhile  Gray  was  proceeding  southward  "in 
the  track  of  destiny  and  glory."  On  May  7th  he 
entered  the  harbor  which  now  bears  his  name,  and 
four  days  later  he  passed  through  the  breakers  and 
over  the  bar,  and  his  vessel's  prow  plowed  the 
waters  of  that  famous  "River  of  the  West,"  whose 
existence  had  been  so  long  suspected.  The  storied 
"Oregon"  for  the  first  time  heard  other  sound  than 
"its  own  dashing." 

Shortly  afterward  Vancouver  came  to  Cape 
Disappointment  to  explore  the  Columbia,  of  which 
he  had  heard  indirectly  from  Captain  Gray.  Lieu- 
tenant Broughton,  of  Vancouver's  expedition,  sailed 
over  the  bar,  ascended  the  river  a  distance  of  more 
than  one  hundred  miles  to  the  site  of  the  present 
Vancouver,  and  with  a  modesty  truly  remarkable, 
took  "possession  of  the  river  and  the  country  in  its 
vicinity  in  His  Britannic  Majesty's  name,  having 
every  reason  to  believe  that  the  subjects  of  no 
other  civilized  nation  or  state  had  ever  entered  it 
before."  This,  too,  though  he  had  received  a  salute 
of  one  gun  from  an  American  vessel,  the  Jennie,  on 
his  entrance  to  the  bay.  The  lieutenant's  claim  was 
not  to  remain  forever  imchallenged,  as  will  appear 
presently. , 


CHAPTER  II 


EXPLORATIONS    BY   LAND 


With  the  exploration  of  Pugct  sound  and  the 
discovery  of  the  Cokimbia,  history-making  mari- 
time adventure  practically  ceased.  lUit  as  the  fabled 
strait  of  Anian  had  drawn  explorers  to  the  Pacific 
shores  in  quest  of  the  mythical  passage  to  the 
treasures  of  Ind,  so  likewise  did  the  fairy  tales  of 
La  Hontan  and  others  stimulate  inland  exploration. 
Furthermore,  the  mystic  charm  always  possessed 
by  a  terra  incognita  was  becoming  irresistible  to 
adventurous  spirits,  and  the  possibilities  of  discov- 
ering untold  wealth  in  the  vaults  of  its  "Shining 
mountains"  and  in  the  sands  of  its  crystal  rivers 
were  exceedingly  fascinating  to  the  lover  of  gain. 

The  honor  of  pioneership  in  overland  explora- 
tion belongs  to  one  Verendrye,  who,  under  authority 
of  the  governor-general  of  New  France,  in  1773  set 
out  on  an  expedition  to  the  Rocky  mountains  from 
Canada.  This  explorer  and  his  brother  and  sons 
made  many  important  explorations,  but  as  they 
failed  to  find  a  pass  through  the  Rocky  mountains, 
by  which  they  could  come  to  the  Pacific  side,  their 
adventures  do  not  fall  within  the  purview  of  our 
volume.  They  are  said  to  have  reached  the  vicinity 
of  the  present  city  of  Helena. 

If,  as  seems  highly  probable,  the  events 
chronicled  by  Le  Page  in  his  charming  "Histoire  de 
la  Louisiane."  published  in  17.58,  should  be  taken  as 
authentic,  the  first  man  to  scale  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains from  the  east  and  to  make  his  way  overland 
to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  was  a  Yazoo  Indian, 
Moncacht-ape,  or  Moncachabe,  by  name.  But  "the 
first  traveler  to  lead  a  party  of  civilized  men  through 
the  territory  of  the  Stony  mountains  to  the  South 
sea"  was  Alexander  Mackenzie,  who,  in  1793, 
reached  the  coast  at  fifty-two  degrees,  twenty-four 
minutes,  forty-eight  seconds  north,  leaving  as  a 
memorial  of  his  visit,  inscribed  on  a  rock  with 
vermilion  and  grease,  the  words,  "Alexander  Mac- 
kenzie, from  Canada  by  land,  July  2-i,  1793."  His 
field  of  discovery  was  also  without  the  scope  of  our 
purpose,  being  too  far  north  to  figure  prominently 
in  the  international  complications  of  later  vears. 

Western  exploration  by  land  had,  however, 
elicited  the  interest  of  one  whose  energy  and  force 
were  sufficient  to  bring  to  a  successful  issue  almost 
any  undertaking  worth  the  effort.  While  the  other 
statesmen  and  legislators  of  his  time  were  fully 
engaged  with  the  problems  of  the  moment,  the  great 


mind  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  endowed  as  it  was  with 
a  wider  range  of  vision  and  more  comprehensive 
grasp  of  the  true  situation,  was  projecting  exploring 
expeditions  into  the  Northwest.  In  1786,  while 
serving  as  minister  to  Paris,  he  had  fallen  in  with 
the  ardent  Ledyard,  who  was  on  fire  with  the  idea 
of  opening  a  large  and  profitable  fur  trade  in  the 
north  Pacific  region.  To  this  young  man  he  had 
suggested  the  idea  of  journeying  to  Kamchatka, 
then  in  a  Russian  vessel  to  Nootka  sound,  from 
which,  as  a  starting  point,  he  should  make  an  ex- 
ploring expedition  eastward  to  the  United  States. 
Ledyard  acted  on  the  suggestion,  but  was  arrested 
as  a  spy  in  the  spring  of  1787  by  Russian  officials 
and  so  severely  treated  as  to  cause  a  failure  of  his 
health  and  a  consequent  failure  of  his  enterprise. 

The  next  effort  of  Jefferson  was  made  in  1792, 
when  he  proposed  to  the  American  Philosophical 
Society  that  it  should  engage  a  competent  scientist 
"to  explore  northwest  America  from  the  eastward 
by  ascending  the  Missouri,  crossing  the  Rocky 
mountains  and  descending  the  nearest  river  to  the 
Pacific  ocean."  The  idea  was  favorably  received. 
Captain  Meriwether  Lewis,  who  afterward  distin- 
guished himself  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Lewis 
and  Clark  expedition,  offered  his  services,  but  for 
some  reason  Andre  Michaux,  a  French  botanist, 
was  given  the  preference.  Michaux  proceeded  as 
far  as  Kentucky,  but  there  received  an  order  from 
the  French  minister,  to  whom,  it  seems,  he  also 
owed  obedience,  that  he  should  relinquish  his  ap- 
pointment and  engage  upon  the  duties  of  another 
commission. 

It  was  not  until  after  the  opening  of  a  new 
century  that  another  opportunity  for  furthering  his 
favorite  project  presented  itself  to  Jefferson.  An 
act  of  congress,  under  which  trading  houses  had 
been  established  for  facilitating  commerce  with  the 
Indians,  was  about  to  expire  by  lirnitation,  and 
President  Jefferson,  in  recommending  its  continu- 
ance, seized  the  opportunity  to  urge  upon  congress 
the  advisability  of  fitting  out  an  expedition,  the 
object  of  which  should  be  "to  explore  the  Missouri 
river  and  such  principal  stream  of  it  as,  by  its  course 
of  communication  with  the  waters  of  the  Pacific 
ocean,  whether  the  Columbia,  Oregon,  Colorado  or 
any   other   river,    may    offer   the    most   direct    and 


INTRODUCTORY 


practical  water  communication  across  the  continent, 
for  the  purpose  of  commerce." 

Congress  voted  an  appropriation  for  the  purpose, 
and  the  expedition  was  placed  in  charge  of  Captains 
Meriwether  Lewis  and  William  Clark.  President 
Jefferson  gave  the  explorers  minute  and  particular 
instructions  as  to  investigations  to  be  made  by 
them.  They  were  to  inform  themselves,  should  they 
reach  the  Pacific  ocean,  "of  the  circumstances  which 
may  decide  whether  the  furs  of  those  parts  may 
be  collected  as  advantageously  at  the  head  of  the 
Missouri  (convenient  as  is  supposed  to  the 
Colorado  and  Oregon  or  Columbia)  as  at  Nootka 
sound  or  any  other  i)art  of  that  coast ;  and  the  trade 
be  constantly  conducted  through  the  Missouri  and 
the  United  States  more  beneficially  than  by  the  cir- 
cumnavigation now  piaclicid."  In  addition  to  the 
instructions  already  (luntcd,  these  explorers  were 
directed  to  ascertain  if  possible  on  arriving  at  the 
seaboard  if  there  were  any  ports  within  their  reach 
frequented  by  the  sea  vessels  of  any  nation,  and  to 
send,  if  practicable,  two  of  their  most  trusted  people 
back  by  sea  with  copies  of  their  notes.  They  were 
also,  if  they  deemed  a  return  by  the  way  they  had 
come  imminently  hazardous,  to  ship  the  entire  party 
and  return  via  Good  Hope  or  Cape  Horn,  as  they 
might  be  able. 

A  few  days  before  the  initial  steps  were  taken  in 
discharge  of  the  instruction  of  President  Jefferson, 
news  reached  the  seat  of  government  of  a  trans- 
action which  added  materially  to  the  significance  of 
the  enterprise.  Negotiations  had  been  successfully 
consummated  for  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  on 
April  30,  1803,  but  the  authorities  at  Washington 
did  not  hear  of  the  important  transfer  until  the  first 
of  July.  Of  such  transcendent  import  to  the  future 
of  our  country  was  this  transaction  and  of  such 
vital  moment  to  the  section  with  which  our  volume 
is  primarily  concerned,  that  we  must  here  interrupt 
the  trend  of  our  narrative  to  give  the  reader  an  idea 
of  the  extent  of  territory  involved,  and,  if  possible, 
to  enable  him  to  appreciate  the  influence  of  the 
purchase.  France,  by  her  land  explorations  and 
the  establishment  of  trading  posts  and  forts,  first 
acquired  title  to  the  territory  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  though 
Great  Britain  claimed  the  territory  in  accordance 
with  her  doctrine  of  continuity  and  contiguity,  most 
of  her  colonial  grants  extending  in  express  terms 
to  the  Pacific  ocean.  Spain  also  claimed  the  country 
by  grant  of  Pope  Alexander  VL  A  constant  war- 
fare had  been  waged  between  France  and  Great 
Britain  for  supremacy  in  America.  The  latter  was 
the  winner  in  the  contest,  and,  in  ]7()?,  France, 
apparently  discouraged,  ceded  to  Spain  the  province 
of  Louisiana.  By  the  treaty  of  February  10,  1763, 
which  gave  Great  flritain  the  Canadas,  it  was 
agreed  that  the  western  boundary  between  English 
and  Spanish  possessions  in  .\merica  should  be  the 
Mississippi    river.    Great    Britain    renouncing    all 


claims  to  the  territory  west  of  that  boundary.  In 
1800  Spain  retroceded  Louisiana  to  France  "with 
the  same  extent  it  has  now  in  the  hands  of  Spain 
and  which  it  had  when  France  possessed  it,  and 
such  as  it  should  be  according  to  the  treaties  subse- 
quently made  between  Spain  and  other  states." 

The  order  for  the  formal  delivery  of  the  prov- 
ince to  France  was  issued  by  the  Spanish  king  on 
October  1.5,  1803,  and,  as  above  stated,  the  United 
States  succeeded  to  the  title  bv  treaty  of  April 
30,  1803. 

Exact  boundaries  had  not  been  established  at 
the  time  of  the  Louisiana  purchase,  but  some  idea  of 
the  vastness  of  the  territory  thereby  acquired  by  the 
L'nited  States  may  be  had  when  we  consider  that  it 
extended  from  the  present  British  line  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  and  included  what  are  now  the  states  of 
Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Nebraska, 
Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Louisiana,  the  territory  of 
Oklahoma.  Indian  territory,  more  than  three-fourths 
of  Montana  ant!  Wyoming,  and  parts  of  Colorado 
and  New  Mexico. 

And  so  the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition,  which 
had  in  its  inception  for  its  chief  object  to  promote 
the  commercial  interests  of  the  LInited  States, 
acquired  a  new  purpose,  namel}',  the  extending  of 
geographical  and  scientific  knowledge  of  our  oxvn 
domain.  Upon  its  members  a  further  duty  devolved, 
that  of  informing  the  natives  that  obedience  was 
now  due  to  a  new  great  father. 

The  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark  excited  a 
peculiar  interest  at  the  time  of  its  occurrence,  and 
has  since  occupied  a  unique  place  in  our  history. 
The  description  of  this  expedition  which  follows  is 
condensed  from  the  writings  upon  liie  subject  of 
Professor  W.  D.  L^•man,  <■{  Whitman  College, 
Walla  Walla. 

To  our  colonial  ancestors,  caged  between  the 
sea  and  the  domains  of  hostile  natives  and  rival 
colonies,  afterward  absorbed  in  a  death  struggle 
with  the  mother  country,  all  the  vast  interior  was 
a  sealed  book.  And  when  the  successful  issue  of 
the  Revolutionary  war  permitted  them  to  turn 
around  and  see  where  they  were,  still  more  when 
the  great  purchase  of  Louisiana  from  France 
enabled  them  to  look  toward  the  tops  of  the  "Shin- 
ing mountains"  with  a  sense  of  proprietorship,  all 
the  romance  and  enthusiasm  and  excitement  of  ex- 
ploration, hitherto  sternly  denied  them  by  their 
narrow  lot,  seized  and  fascinated  all  classes. 

On  the  14th  day  of  May,  1804,  the  Lewis  and 
Clark  party  left  St.  Louis  by  boat  upon  the  muddy 
current  of  the  Missouri,  to  search  for  the  unknown 
mountains  and  rivers  between  that  point  and  the 
Pacific.  Their  plan  was  to  ascend  the  Missouri  to 
its  source,  cross  the  divide,  strike  the  headwaters 
of  the  Columbia,  and,  descending  it,  reach  the  sea. 

And  what  manner  of  men  were  undertaking  this 
voyage,  fraught  with  both  interest  and  peril  ?  Meri- 
wether Lewis,  the  loader  of  the  part\',  was  a  captain 


EXPLORATIONS    BY    LAND 


in  the  United  States  army,  and  in  Jefferson's  judg- 
ment was,  by  reason  of  endurance,  boldness  and 
energy,  the  fittest  man  within  his  knowledge  for 
the  responsible  duties  of  commander.  His  whole 
life  had  been  one  of  reckless  adventure.  It  appears 
that  at  the  tender  age  of  eight  he  was  already 
illustrious  for  successful  midnight  forays  upon  the 
festive  coon  and  the  meditative  possum.  He  was 
lacking  in  scientific  knowledge,  but  when  appointed 
captain  of  the  expedition  had,  with  characteristic 
pluck,  spent  a  few  spare  weeks  in  study  of  some 
of  the  branches  most  essential  to  his  new  work. 
William  Clark,  second  in  command,  was  also  a 
United  States  officer,  and  seems  to  have  been  equally 
fitted  with  Lewis  for  his  work.  The  party  consisted 
of  fourteen  LInited  States  regulars,  nine  Kentucky 
volunteers,  two  French  voyageurs,  a  hunter,  an  in- 
terpreter and  a  negro.  To  each  of  the  common 
soldiers  the  government  offered  the  munificent 
reward  of  retirement  upon  full  pay  with  a  recom- 
mendation for  a  soldier's  grant  of  land.  Special 
pains  were  taken  to  encourage  the  party  to  keep 
complete  records  of  all  they  saw  and  heard  and  did. 
This  was  done  with  a  vengeance,  insomuch  that 
seven  journals  besides  those  of  the  leaders  were 
carefully  kept,  and  in  them  was  recorded  nearly 
every  event  from  the  most  important  discoveries 
down  to  the  ingredients  of  their  meals  and  doses  of 
nicdicnic.  I'hey  were  abundantly  provided  with 
beads,  mirnirs.  knives,  etc.,  wherewith  to  woo  the 
savage  hearts  of  the  natives. 

After  an  interesting  and  easy  journey  of  five 
months,  they  reached  the  country  of  the  Mandans, 
and  here  they  determined  to  winter.  The  winter 
having  been  profitably  spent  in  making  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  Indians  and  in  collecting  specimens  of 
the  natural  history  of  the  plains — which  they  now 
sent  back  to  the  president  with  great  care — they 
again  embarked  in  a  squad  of  six  canoes  and  two 
jjirogues.  June  l:')th  they  reached  the  great  falls 
of  the   ■Missouri. 

A  month  was  spent  within  sound  of  the  thunder 
and  in  sight  of  the  perpetual  mist  cloud  rising  from 
the  abyss,  ijefore  the}-  could  accomplish  the  difficult 
portage  of  eighteen  miles,  make  new  canoes,  mend 
their  clothes  and  lay  in  a  new  stock  of  provisions. 

The  long  bright  days,  the  tingling  air  of  the 
mountains,  the  pleasant  swish  of  the  water  as  their 
canoes  breasted  the  swift  current,  the  vast  campfires 
and  the  nightly  Ijuffalo  roasts — all  these  must  have 
made  this  the  pleasantest  section  of  their  long 
journey. 

The  party  seems  to  have  pretty  nearly  e.xhausted 
its  supply  of  names,  and  after  having  made  heavv 
drafts  on  their  own  with  various  permutatory  com- 
binations, they  were  reduced  to  the  extremity  of 
loading  innocent  creeks  with  the  ponderous  names 
of  Wisdom,  Philosophy  and  Philanthropy.  Suc- 
ceeding    generations     have     relieved     the     unjust 


pressure  in  two  of  these  cases  with  the  high  sound- 
ing appellations  of  Big  Hole  and  Stinking  Water. 

On  the  l"3th  day  of  August  the  explorers  crossed 
the  great  divide,  the  birthplace  of  mighty  rivers,  and 
descending  the  sunset  slope,  found  themselves  in 
the  land  of  the  Shoshones.  They  had  brought 
with  them  a  Shoshone  woman,  rejoicing  in  the 
pleasant  name  of  Sacajawea,  for  the  express 
purpose  of  becoming  acquainted  with  this  tribe, 
through  whom  they  hoped  to  get  horses  and  val- 
uable information  as  to  their  proper  route  to  the 
ocean.  But  four  days  were  consumed  in  enticing 
the  suspicious  savages  near  enough  to  hear  the 
words  of  their  own  tongue  proceeding  from  the 
camp  of  the  strangers.  When,  however,  the  fair 
interpreter  had  been  granted  a  hearing,  she  speedily 
won  for  the  party  the  faithful  allegiance  of  her  kins- 
men. They  innocently  accepted  the  rather  general 
intimation  of  the  explorers  that  this  journey  had 
for  its  pritnary  object  the  happiness  and  prosperity 
of  the  Shoshone  nation,  and  to  these  evidences  of 
benevolence  on  the  part  of  their  newly  adopted 
great  father  at  Washington,  they  quickly  responded 
by  bringing  plenty  of  horses  and  all  the  information 
in  their  poor  power. 

It  appears  that  the  expedition  was  at  that  time 
on  the  headwaters  of  the  Salmon  river  near  where 
Fort  Lemhi  afterward  stood.  With  twenty-nine 
horses  to  carry  their  abundant  burdens,  they  bade 
farewell  to  the  friendly  Shoshones  on  the  last  day 
of  August,  and  cotnmitted  themselves  to  the  dreary 
and  desolate  solitudes  to  the  westward.  They  soon 
became  entangled  in  the  ridges  and  defiles,  already 
spotted  with  snow,  of  the  Bitter  Root  mountains. 

Having  crossed  several  branches  of  the  great 
river,  named  in  honor  of  Captain  Clark,  and  becom- 
ing distressed  at  the  increasing  dangers  and  delay, 
they  turned  to  the  left,  and,  having  punished  a 
brawling  creek  for  its  inhospitality  by  inflicting  on 
it  the  name  Colt  Killed,  commemorative  of  their 
extremity  for  food,  they  came  upon  a  wild  and 
beautiful  stream.  Inquiring  the  name  of  this  from 
the  Indians,  they  received  the  answer  "Kooskoos- 
kie."  This  in  reality  meant  simply  that  this  was 
not  the  stream  for  which  they  were  searching,  but 
not  understanding,  they  named  the  river  Kooskoos- 
kie.  This  was  afterward  called  the  Clearwater, 
and  is  the  most  beautiful  tributary  of  the  Snake. 

The  countr)'  still  frowned  on  them  with  the 
same  forbidding  rocky  heights  and  snow-storms  as 
before.  It  began  to  seem  as  though  famine  would 
ere  long  stare  them  in  the  face,  and  the  shaggy 
precipices  were  marked  with  almost  daily  accidents 
to  men  and  beasts.  Their  only  meat  was  the  flesh 
of  their  precious  horses. 

lender  these  circumstances  Clark  decided  to  take 
six  of  the  most  active  men  and  push  ahead  in  search 
of  game  and  a  more  hospitable  country.  A  hard 
march  of  twenty  miles  rewarded  him  with  a  view 
of  a  vast  open  plain  in  front  of  the  broken  mountain 


INTRODUCTORY 


chain  across  which  they  had  been  struggling.  It 
was  three  days,  however,  before  they  fairly  cleared 
the  edge  of  the  mountain  and  emerged  on  the  great 
prairie  north  and  east  of  where  Lewiston  now  is. 
They  found  no  game  except  a  stray  horse,  which 
they  speedily  despatched.  Here  the  advance  guard 
waited  for  "the  main  body  to  come  up,  and  then 
altogether  they  went  down  to  the  Clearwater,  where 
a  large  number  of  the  Nez  Perce  Indians  gathered 
to  see  and  trade  with  them.  Receiving  from  these 
Indians,  who,  like  all  that  they  had  met,  seemed 
very  amicably  disposed,  the  cheering  news  that  the 
great  river  was  not  very  distant,  and  seeing  the 
Clearwater  to  be  a  fine,  navigable  stream,  they 
determined  to  abandon  the  weary  land  march  and 
make  canoes.  Five  of  these  having  been  con- 
structed, they  laid  in  a  stock  of  dog  meat  and  then 
committed  themselves  to  the  sweeping  current  with 
which  all  the  tributaries  of  the  Columbia  hastened 
to  their  destined  place.  They  left  their  horses  with 
the  Nez  Perces,  and  it  is  worthy  of  special  notice 
that  these  were  remarkably  faithful  to  their  trust. 
Indeed,  it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  the  first 
explorers  of  this  country  almost  uniformly  met  with 
the  kindest  reception. 

On  the  10th  of  October,  having  traveled  sixty 
miles  on  the  Clearwater,  its  pellucid  current  de- 
livered them  to  the  turbid,  angry,  sullen,  lava- 
banked  Snake.  This  great  stream  they  called 
Kimooenim,  its  Indian  name.  It  was  in  its  low 
season,  and  it  seems  from  their  account  that  it,  as 
well  as  all  the  other  streams,  must  have  been 
uncommonly  low  that  year. 

Thus  they  say  that  on  October  13th  they 
descended  a  very  bad  rapid  four  miles  in  length,  at 
the  lower  part  of  which  the  whole  river  was  com- 
pressed into  a  channel  only  twenty-five  yards  wide. 
Immediately  below  they  passed  a  large  stream  on 
the  right,  which  they  called  Drewyer's  river,  from 
one  of  their  men.  This  must  have  been  the  Palouse 
river,  and  certainly  it  is  very  rare  that  the  mighty 
Snake  becomes  attenuated  at  that  point  to  a  width 
of  twenty-five  yards.  Next  day  as  they  were  de- 
scending the  worst  rapid  they  had  yet  seen  (probably 
the  Monumental  rapid),  it  repelled  their  efifrontery 
by  upsetting  one  of  the  boats.  No  lives  were  lost, 
but  the  cargo  of  the  boat  was  badly  water-soaked. 
For  the  purpose  of  drying  it,  they  stopped  a  day, 
and  finding  no  other  timber,  they  were  compelled 
to  use  a  very  appropriate  pile  which  some  Indians 
had  stored  away  and  covered  with  stones.  This 
trifling  circumstance  is  noticed  because  of  the  ex- 
plorers' speaking  in  connection  with  it  of  their  cus- 
tomary scrupulousness  in  never  taking  any  property 
of  the  Indians,  and  of  their  determination  to  repay 
the  owner,  if  they  could  find  him,  on  their  return. 
If  all  explorers  had  been  as  particular,  much  is  the 
distress  and  loss  that  would  have  been  avoided. 

They  found  almost  continuous  rapids  from  this 
point  to  the  mouth  of  the  Snake,  which  they  reached 


on  October  16th.  Here  they  were  met  by  a  regular 
procession  of  nearly  two  hundred  Indians.  They 
had  a  grand  pow-wow,  and  both  parties  displayed 
great  affection,  the  whites  bestowing  medals,  shirts, 
trinkets,  etc.,  in  accordance  with  the  rank  of  the 
recipient,  and  the  Indians  repaying  the  kindness 
with  abundant  and  prolonged  visits  and  accompany- 
ing gifts  of  wood  and  fish.  On  the  next  day  they 
measured  the  rivers,  finding  the  Columbia  to  be  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  yards  wide  and  the  Snake  five 
hundred  and  seventy-five.  They  indulge  in  no 
poetic  reveries  as  they  stand  by  the  river  which  has 
been  one  principal  object  of  their  search,  but  they 
seem  to  see  pretty  much  everything  of  practical 
value.  In  the  glimmering  haze  of  the  pleasant 
October  morning  they  notice  the  vast  bare  prairie 
stretching  southward  until  broken  by  the  rounded 
sunmiits  of  the  Blue  mountains.  They  find  the 
Sohulks,  who  live  at  the  junction  of  the  rivers,  a 
mild  and  happy  people,  the  men  being  content  with 
one  wife  each,  whom  they  actually  assist  in  family 
work. 

Captain  Clark  ascended  the  Columbia  to  the 
mouth  of  a  large  river  coming  from  the  west, 
which  the  Indians  called  the  Tapteal.  This  was,  of 
course,  the  Yakima.  The  people  living  at  its  mouth 
rejoiced  in  the  liquid  name  of  Chimnapum.  Here 
Captain  Clark  shot  what  he  called  a  prairie  cock, 
the  first  he  had  seen.     It  was  no  doubt  a  sage  hen. 

After  two  days  of  rest,  being  well  supplied  with 
fish,  dog,  roots,  etc.,  and  at  peace  with  their  own 
consciences  and  all  the  world,  with  satisfaction  at 
the  prospect  of  soon  completing  their  journey,  they 
re-embarked.  Sixteen  miles  JdcIow  the  mouth  of 
the  Kimooenim,  which  they  now  began  to  call  the 
Lewis  river,  they  descried,  cut  clear  against  the  dim 
horizon  line  of  the  southwest,  a  pyramidal  mountain, 
covered  with  snow — their  first  view  of  Mount  Hood. 

The  next  day,  being  in  the  vicinity  of  Umatilla, 
they  saw  another  snowy  peak  at  a  conjectured 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Near 
here  Captain  Clark,  having  landed,  shot  a  crane 
and  a  duck.  Some  Indians  near  were  almost 
paralyzed  with  terror,  but  at  last  they  recovered 
enough  to  make  the  best  possible  use  of  their  legs. 
Following  them.  Captain  Clark  found  a  little  cluster 
of  huts.  Pushing  aside  the  mat  door  of  one  of 
them,  he  entered,  and  in  the  bright  light  of  the  un- 
roofed hut  discovered  thirty-two  persons,  all  of 
whom  were  in  the  greatest  terror,  some  wailing  and 
wringing  their  hands. 

Having  by  kind  looks  and  gestures  soothed  their 
grief,  he  held  up  his  burning-glass  to  catch  a  stray 
sunbeam  \vith  which  to  light  his  pipe.  Thereat  the 
consternation  of  the  Indians  revived,  and  they 
refused  to  be  comforted.  But  when  the  rest  of  the 
party  arrived  with  the  two  Indian  guides  who  had 
come  with  them  from  the  Clearwater,  terror  gave 
way  to  curiosity  and  pleasure.  These  Pishquitpaws 
— such   was   their  name — explained   to   the   guides 


EXPLORATIONS    BY    LAND 


their  fear  of  Captain  Clark  by  saying  that  he  came 
from  the  sky  accompanied  by  a  terrible  noise,  and 
they  knew  there  was  a  bad  medicine  in  it. 

Being  convinced  now  that  he  was  a  mortal  after 
all,  they  became  very  affectionate,  and  having  heard 
the  music  of  two  violins,  they  became  so  enamored 
of  the  strangers  that  they  stayed  up  all  night  with 
them  and  collected  to  the  number  of  two  hundred 
to  bid  them  good-bye  in  the  morning.  The  principal 
business  of  these  Indians  seemed  to  be  catching  and 
curing  salmon,  which,  in  the  clear  water  of  the 
Columbia,  the  explorers  could  see  swimming  about 
in  large  numbers.  Continuing  with  no  extraor- 
dinary occurrence,  they  passed  the  river  now  called 
the  John  Day,  to  which  they  applied  the  name 
Lapage.  Mount  Hood  was  now  almost  constantly 
in  view,  and  since  the  Indians  told  them  it  was  near 
the  great  falls  of  the  Columbia,  they  called  it  the 
Timm  (this  seems  to  be  the  Indian  word  for  falls) 
mountain. 

On  the  next  day  they  reached  a  large  river  on 
the  left,  which  came  thundering  through  a  narrow 
channel  into  the  equally  turbulent  Columbia.  This 
river,  which  Captain  Lewis  judged  to  contain  one- 
fourth  as  much  water  as  the  Columbia  (an  enormous 
over-estimate),  answered  to  the  Indian  name 
of  Towahnahiooks.  It  afterward  received  from  the 
French  the  name  now  used,  Des  Chutes. 

They  now  perceived  that  they  were  near  the 
place  hinted  at  by  nearly  every  Indian  that  they  had 
talked  with  since  crossing  the  divide — the  great 
falls.  And  a  weird,  savage  place  it  proved  to  be. 
Here  the  clenched  hands  of  trachyte  and  basalt, 
thrust  through  the  soil  from  the  buried  realm  of 
the  volcanoes,  almost  clutch  the  rushing  river.  Only 
here  and  there  between  the  parted  fingers  can  he 
make  his  escape. 

After  making  several  portages  they  reached 
that  extraordinary  place  (now  called  The  Dalles) 
where  all  the  waters  gathered  from  half  a  million 
square  miles  of  earth  are  squeezed  into  a  crack 
forty-five  yards  wide.  The  desolation  on  either  side 
of  this  frightful  chasm  is  a  fitting  margin.  As  one 
crawls  to  the  edge  and  peeps  over,  he  sees  the 
waters  to  be  of  inky  blackness.  Streaks  of  foam 
gridiron  the  blackness.  There  is  little  noise  com- 
pared with  that  made  by  the  shallow  rapids  above, 
but  rather  a  dismal  sough,  as  though  the  rocks  below 
were  rubbing  their  black  sides  together  in  a  vain 
effort  to  close  over  the  escaping  river.  The  river 
here  is  "turned  on  edge."  In  fact,  its  depth  has 
not  been  found  to  this  day.  Some  suppose  that 
there  was  once  a  natural  tunnel  here  through  which 
the  river  flowed,  and  that  in  consequence  of  a  vol- 
canic convulsion  the  top  of  the  tunnel  fell  in.  If 
there  be  any  truth  in  this,  the  width  of  the  channel 
is  no  doubt  much  greater  at  the  bottom  than  at  the 
top.  Lewis  and  Clark,  finding  that  the  routjhness 
of  the  shore  made  it  almost  im])ossil)lc  tn  c;u-ry 
their  boats  over,  and   seeing  no  evidence  of  rucks 


in  the  channel,  boldly  steered  through  this  "witches' 
cauldron."  Though  no  doubt  hurled  along  with 
frightful  rapidity  and  flung  like  foam  flakes  on  the 
crest  of  the  boiling  surges,  they  reached  the  end  of 
the  "chute"  without  accident,  to  the  amazement  of 
the  Indians  who  had  collected  on  the  bluff  to  witness 
the  daring  experiment.  After  two  more  portages 
the  party  safely  entered  the  broad,  still  flood  be- 
ginning where  the  town  of  The  Dalles  now  stands. 
Here  they  paused  for  two  days  to  hunt  and  caulk 
their  boats.  They  here  began  to  see  evidences  of 
the  white  traders  below,  in  blankets,  axes,  brass 
kettles,  and  other  articles  of  civilized  manufacture. 
The  Indians,  too,  were  more  inclined  to  be  saucy 
and   suspicious. 

The  Dalles  seemed  to  be  a  dividing  line  between 
the  Indian  tribes.  Those  living  at  the  falls,  where 
Celilo  now  is,  called  the  Eneeshurs,  understood  and 
"fellowshipped"  with  the  up-river  tribes,  but  at  the 
narrows  and  thence  to  The  Dalles  was  a  tribe  called 
the  Escheloots.  These  were  alien  to  the  Indians 
above,  but  on  intimate  terms  with  those  below  the 
Cascades.  Among  the  Escheloots  the  explorers  first 
noticed  the  peculiar  "cluck"  in  speech  common  to 
all  down-river  tribes.  The  flattening  of  the  head, 
which  above  belonged  to  females  only,  was  now  the 
common   thing. 

The  place  where. Lewis  and  Clark  camped  while 
at  The  Dalles  was  just  below  Mill  creek  (called  by 
the  natives  Ouenett),  on  a  point  of  rock  near  the 
location  of  the  present  car  shops. 

The  next  Indian  tribe,  extending  apparently 
from  the  vicinity  of  Crate's  point  to  the  Cascades,, 
capped  the  climax  of  tongue-twisting  names  by 
calling  themselves  Chilluckittequaws. 

Nothing  of  extraordinary  character  seems  to 
have  been  encountered  between  The  Dalles  and  the 
Cascades.  But  the  explorers  had  their  eyes  wide 
open,  and  the  calm  majesty  of  the  river  and  savage 
grandeur  of  its  shores  received  due  notice.  They 
observed  and  named  most  of  the  streams  on  the 
route,  the  first  of  importance  being  the  Cataract 
river  (now  the  Klickitat),  then  Labieshe's  river 
(Hood  river).  Canoe  creek  (White  Salmon)  and 
Crusatte's  river.  This  last  must  have  been  Little 
White  Salmon,  though  they  were  greatly  deceived 
as  to  its  size,  stating  it  to  be  sixty  yards  wide. 
In  this  vicinity  they  were  nnich  struck  with  the 
sunken  frirest,  which,  at  that  low  stage  of  the  water, 
was  ver\-  cons])icuous.  They  correctly  inferred  that 
this  indicated  a  damming  up  of  the  river  at  a  very 
recent  time.  Indeed,  the}-  judged  that  it  must  have 
occurred  within  twenty  years.  It  is  well  known, 
however,  that  submerged  trees  or  piles,  as  indicated 
bv  remains  of  old  Roman  wharves  in  Britain,  may 
remain  intact  for  hundreds  of  years ;  but  it  is  never- 
theless evident  that  the  closing  of  the  river  at  the 
Cascades  is  a  very  recent  event.  It  is  also  evident 
from   the  sliding,  sinking  and  grinding  constantly 


IXTRODUCTORY 


seen  there  now  that  a  similar  event  is  liable  to 
happen  at  any  time. 

The  Cascades  having  been  reached,  more  port- 
ages were  required.  Slow  and  tedious  though  they 
were,  the  explorers  seem  to  have  endured  them  with 
unfailing  patience.  They  were  cheered  by  the 
prospect  of  soon  putting  all  the  rapids  behind  and 
launching  their  canoes  on  the  unobstructed  vastness 
of  the  lower  river.  This  was  prosperously  accom- 
plished on  the  3d  of  November.  They  were  greatly 
delighted  with  the  verdure  which  now  robed  the 
gaunt  nakedness  of  the  rocks.  The  island  formed 
at  the  lower  cascade  by  Columbia  slough  also 
pleased  them  by  its  fertility  and  its  dense  growth 
of  grass  and  strawberry  vines.  From  this  last  cir- 
cumstance they  named  it  Strawberry  island.  At 
the  lower  part  of  that  cluster  of  islands,  that  spired 
and  turreted  rock  of  the  old  feudal  age  of  the  river, 
when  the  volcano  kings  stormed  each  other's  castles 
with  earthquakes  and  spouts  of  lava,  riveted  their 
attention.  They  named  it  Beacon  rock,  but  it  is 
now  called  Castle  rock.  They  estimated  its  height 
at  eight  hundred  feet  and  its  circumference  at  four 
himdred  yards,  the  latter  being  only  a  fourth  of 
the  reality. 

The  tides  were  now  noticeable.  This  fact  must 
have  struck  a  new  chord  of  reflection  in  the  minds 
of  these  hardy  adventurers,  this  first-felt  pulse- 
beat  of  the  dim  vast  of  waters  which  grasps  half 
the  circumference  of  the  earth.  And  so,  as  this 
mighty  heart  throb  of  the  ocean,  rising  and  falling 
in  harmony  with  all  nature,  celestial  and  terrestrial, 
pulsated  through  a  hundred  and  eighty  miles  of 
river,  it  might  have  seemed  one  of  the  ocean's  multi- 
plied I'mmrs  outstretched  to  welcome  them,  the 
fiisi  ..ii^.mized  expedition  of  the  new  republic  to 
thi>  "wc^tmost  west."  It  might  have  betokened  to 
them  the  harmony  and  unity  of  future  nations  as 
exemplified  in  the  vast  extent,  the  liberty,  the  human 
sympathies,  the  diversified  interests,  industries,  and 
purposes  of  that  republic  whose  motto  yet  remains 
"One  from  many." 

The  rest  of  their  journey  was  a  calm  floating 
between  meadows  and  islands  from  whose  shallow 
ponds  they  obtained  ducks  and  geese  in  great 
numbers.  They  thought  the  "Quick  Sand  river" — 
Sandy — to  be  a  large  and  important  stream.  They 
noticed  the  Washougal  creek,  which  from  the  great 
number  of  seals  around  its  mouth  they  called  Seal 
river.  But  strange  to  say,  they  missed  the  Willa- 
mette entirely  on  their  down  trip.  The  Indians  in 
this  part  of  the  river  called  themselves  Skilloots. 
Dropping  rapidly  down  the  calm  but  misty  stream, 
past  a  large  river  called  by  the  Indians  the  Cow- 
aliske— Cowlitz — to  the  country  of  the  Wahkiacums, 
at  last,  on  the  7  th  of  November,  the  dense  fog  with 
which  morning  had  enshrouded  all  objects  suddenly 
broke  away  and  they  saw  the  bold,  mountainous 
shores   on  either   side   vanish   away   in   front,   and 


through  the  parted  headlands  they  looked  into  the 
infinite  expanse  of  the  ocean. 

Overjoyed  at  the  successful  termination  of 
their  journey,  they  sought  the  first  pleasant  camping 
ground  and  made  haste  to  land.  The  rain,  which 
is  sometimes  even  now  observed  to  fall  copiously 
in  that  part  of  Oregon,  greatly  marred  the  joy  of 
their  first  night's  rest  within  sound  of  the  Pacific's 
billows. 

Six  days  passed  in  moldy  and  dripping  inactivity 
at  a  point  a  little  above  the  present  Chinook.  They 
then  spent  nine  much  pleasanter  days  at  Chinook 
point.  This,  however,  not  proving  what  they 
wanted  for  a  permanent  camp,  they  devoted  them- 
selves to  explorations  with  a  view  to  discovering  a 
more  suitable  location. 

The  party  wintered  in  a  log  building  at  a  point 
named  by  them  Fort  Clatsop.  On  the  2;)d  of  March, 
1806,  they  turned  their  faces  homeward,  first,  how- 
ever, having  given  to  the  chiefs  of  the  Clatsops  and 
Chinooks  certificates  of  hospitable  treatment  and 
posted  on  the  fort  the  following  notice:  "The 
object  of  this  last  is  that,  through  the  medium  of 
some  civilized  person,  who  may  see  the  same,  it 
naay  be  made  known  to  the  world  that  the  party 
consisting  of  the  persons  whose  names  are  here- 
unto annexed  and  who  were  sent  out  by  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States  to  explore  the  interior 
of  the  continent  of  North  .\merica,  did  penetrate 
the  same  by  way  of  the  Missmiri  and  Columbia 
rivers,  to  the  discharge  of  the  latter  into  the  Pacific 
ocean,  at  which  they  arrived  on  the  1-lth  day  of 
November,  1805,  and  departed  on  their  return  to 
the  United  States  by  the  same  route  by  which  they 
had  come." 

Of  this  notice  several  copies  were  left  among 
the  Indians,  one  of  which  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Captain  Hall,  of  the  brig  Lydia,  and  was  conveyed 
to  the  United  States. 

The  expedition  made  its  way  with  no  little  diffi- 
cult>'  up  the  Columbia  river.  They  discovered  on 
their  return  a  large  tributary  of  that  river  (the 
Willamette)  which  had  escaped  their  notice  on  their 
outward  journey,  and  made  careful  inquiry  of 
the  Indians  concerning  it,  the  results  of  which 
were  embodied  in  their  map  of  the  expedition. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  John  Day  river  their 
canoes  were  abandoned,  their  baggage  was  packed 
on  the  backs  of  a  few  horses  they  had  purchased 
from  the  Indians,  and  traveling  in  this  manner, 
they  continued  their  homeward  march,  arriving  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Walla  Walla  river  April  27th. 
The  great  chief  Yellept  was  then  the  leader  of  the 
Walla  Walla  nation,  and  by  him  the  explorers 
were  received  with  such  generous  hospitality  that 
they  yielded  to  the  temptation  to  linger  a  couple 
of  days  before  undertaking  further  jonmeyings 
among  the  moimtain  fastnesses.  Such  was  the 
treatment  given  them  by  these  Indians  that  the 
journal  of  the  expedition   makes   this  appreciative 


EXPLORATIONS    BY    LAND 


notation  concerning  them:  "We  may  indeed 
justly  affirm  that  of  all  the  Indians  that  we  have 
^cen' since  leaving  the  United  States,  the  Walla 
Wallas  are  the  most  hospitable,  honest  and  sincere." 

Of  the  return  journey  for  the  next  hundred 
and  fifty  miles,  that  venerable  pioneer  missionary, 
the  late  Dr.  H.  K.  Hines,  writes  as  follows :  "Leav- 
ing these  hospitable  people  on  the  29th  of  April, 
the  party  passed  eastward  on  the  great  'Nez  Perce 
trail.'  This  trail  was  the  great  highway  of  the 
Walla  Wallas,  Cayuses  and  Nez  Perces  to  the 
buffalo  ranges,  to  which  they  annually  resorted 
for  game  and  supplies.  It  passed  up  the  valley  of 
the  Touchet,  called  by  Lewis  and  Clark  the  'White 
Stallion,'  thence  over  the  high  prairie  ridges  and 
down  the  Alpowa  to  the  crossing  of  the  Snake 
river,  then  up  the  north  bank  of  Clearwater  to  the 
village  of  Twisted  Hair,  where  the  exploring  party 
had  left  their  horses  on  the  way  down  the  previous 
autumn.  It  was  worn  deep  and  broad  by  the  con- 
stant rush  of  the  Indian  generations  from  time 
immemorial,  and  on  many  stretches  on  the  open 
jtlains  and  over  the  smooth  hills,  twenty  horsemen 
could  ride  abreast  in  parallel  columns.  The  writer 
has  often  passed  over  it  when  it  lay  exactly  as  it 
(lid  when  the  tribes  of  Yellept  and  Twisted  Hair 
traced  its  sinuous  courses,  or  when  Lewis  and 
Clark  and  their  companions  first  marked  it  with 
the  heel  of  civilization.  But  the  plow  has  long 
since  obliterated  it,  and  where  the  monotonous  song 
of  the  Indian  march  was  droningly  chanted  for  so 
many  barbaric  ages,  the  song  of  the  reaper  thrills 
the  clear  air  as  he  comes  to  his  garner  bringing  in 
the  sheaves.  A  more  delightful  ride  of  a  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  than  this  that  the  company  of  Lewis 
and  Clark  made  over  the  swelling  prairie  upland 
and  along  the  crystal  streams  between  Walla  Walla 
and  the  village  of  Twisted  Hair,  in  the  soft  May 
days  of  180G,  can  scarcely  be  found  an\'where  on 
earth." 

To  trace  the  journeyings  of  these  explorers 
further  is  not  within  the  province  of  this  work, 
but  in  order  to  convey  a  general  idea  of  the  labors 
and  extent  of  the  voyage,  we  quote  the  brief  sum- 
mary made  by  Captain   Lewis  himself: 

"The  road  by  which  we  went  out  by  the  way 
of  the  Missouri  to  its  head  is  3,096  miles;  thence 
by  land  by  way  of  Lewis  river  over  to  Clark's 
river  and  down  that  to  the  entrance  of  Travelers' 
Rest    creek,    where    all    the    roads    from    different 


routes  meet;  thence  across  the  rugged  part  of  the 
Rocky  mountains  to  the  navigable  waters  of  the 
Columbia,  398  miles;  thence  down  the  river  640 
miles  to  the  Pacific  ocean  — making  a  total  distance 
of  4,134  miles.  On  our  return  in  1806  we  came 
from  Travelers'  Rest  directly  to  the  falls  of  the 
Missouri  river,  which  shortens  the  distance  about 
579  miles,  and  is  a  much  better  route,  reducing  the 
distance  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Pacific  ocean 
to  3,555  miles.  Of  this  distance  2,575  miles  is  up 
the  Missouri  to  the  falls  of  that  river ;  thence  pass- 
ing through  the  plains  and  across  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains to  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Kooskooskie 
river,  a  branch  of  the  Columbia,  340  miles,  2i)i)  of 
which  is  good  road,  140  miles  over  a  tremendous 
mountain,  steep  and  broken,  60  miles  of  which  is 
covered  several  feet  deep  with  snow,  and  which  we 
passed  on  the  last  of  June;  from  the  navigable 
part  of  the  Kooskooskie  we  descended  that  rapid 
river  73  miles  to  its  entrance  into  Lewis  river, 
and  down  that  river  154  miles  to  the  Columbia,  and 
thence  413  miles  to  its  entrance  into  the  Pacific 
ocean.  About  180  miles  of  this  distance  is  tide 
land.  W^e  passed  several  bad  rapids  and  narrows, 
and  one  considerable  fall,  286  miles  above  the 
entrance  of  this  river,  37  feet  8  inches ;  the  total  dis- 
tance descending  the  Columbia  waters  640  miles — 
making  a  total  of  3,555  miles,  on  the  most  direct 
route  "from  the  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri  to  the  Pacific  ocean." 

The  safe  return  of  the  explorers  to  their  homes 
in  the  United  States  naturally  created  a  sensation 
throughout  that  country  and  the  world.  Leaders 
and  men  were  suitably  rewarded,  and  the  fame  of 
the  former  will  live  while  the  rivers  to  which  their 
names  have  been  given  continue  to  pour  their  waters 
into  the  sea.  President  Jefferson,  the  great  patron 
of  the  expedition,  paying  a  tribute  to  Captain  Lewis 
in  1813,  said:  "Never  did  a  similar  event  excite 
more  joy  throughout  the  United  States.  The  hum- 
blest of  its  citizens  have  taken  a  lively  interest 
in  the  issue  of  this  journey,  and  looked  with  impa- 
tience for  the  information  it  would  furnish.  Nothing 
short  of  the  official  journals  of  this  extraordinary 
and  interesting  journey  will  exhibit  the  importance 
of  the  service,  the  courage,  devotion,  zeal  and  per- 
severance under  circumstances  calculated  to  dis- 
courage, which  animated  this  little  band  of  heroes, 
throughout  the  long-,  dangerous  and  tedious 
travel." 


CHAPTER  III 


THE    ASTOR   EXPEDITION 


While  the  limits  of  this  volume  render  a  full 
treatment  of  the  early  Northwest  history  impossi- 
ble, it  is  necessary  to  write  briefly  of  those  mam- 
moth forces  of  the  first  ages  of  the  country,  the 
great  fur  companies,  those  gigantic  commercial 
organizations,  whose  plans  were  so  bold,  farreach- 
ing  and  comprehensive,  and  whose  theater  of  action 
included  such  vast  areas  of  the  earth's  surface. 

The  profits  of  the  fur  trade  were  such  as  might 
well  entice  daring  and  avarice  to  run  the  gauntlet 
of  icebergs,  of  starvation,  of  ferocious  savages 
and  of  stormy  seas.  The  net  returns  from  a  single 
voyage  might  liquidate  even  the  enormous  cost  of 
the  outfit.  For  instance,  Ross,  one  of  the  clerks 
of  Astor's  company,  and  located  at  Okanogan, 
relates  that  one  morning  before  breakfast  he  bought 
of  Indians  one  hundred  and  ten  beaver  skins  at  the 
rate  of  five  leaves  of  tobacco  per  skin.  Afterward 
a  yard  of  cotton  cloth,  worth,  say,  ten  cents,  pur- 
chased twenty-five  beaver  skins,  the  vakie  of  which 
in  the  New  York  market  was  five  dollars  apiece. 
For  four  fathoms  of  blue  beads,  worth,  perhaps, 
a  dollar,  Lewis  and  Clark  obtained  a  sea  otter's 
skin,  the  market  price  of  which  varied  from  forty- 
five  to  sixty  dollars.  Ross  notes  in  another  place 
that  for  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  dollars  in 
trinkets,  cloth,  etc.,  he  purchased  peltries  valued 
in  the  Canton  market  at  eleven  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars.  Indeed,  even  the  ill-fated 
voyage  of  Air.  Astor's  partners  proved  that  a  cargo 
worth  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in  New  York 
might  be  replaced  in  two  years  by  one  worth  a 
quarter  of  a  million,  a  profit  of  a  thousand  per  cent. 
We  can  not  wonder  then  at  the  eager  enterprise 
and  fierce,  sometimes  bloody,  competition  of  the 
fur  traders. 

The  fur-producing  animals  of  especial  value  in 
the  old  Oregon  country  were  three  in  number. 
The  first,  the  beaver,  was  found  in  great  abundance 
in  all  the  interior  valleys,  the  Willamette  country, 
as  was  discovered,  being  preeminent  in  this  respect. 
The  two  others,  the  sea  otter  and  the  seal,  were 
found  on  the  coast.  The  sea  otter  fur  waS'  the  most 
valuable,  its  velvety  smoothness  and  glossy  black- 
ness rendering  it  first  in  the  markets  of  the  world 
of  all  furs  from  the  temperate  zone  of  North  Amer- 
ica, and  inferior  only  to  the  ermine  and  sable,  and 
possibly  to  the  fiery  fox  of  the  far  north. 

Such,  then,  was  the  prospect  which  prompted 
the  formation  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  which 
shall  have  the  first  place  in  our  narrative  as  being 


the  first  to  enter  the  Columbia  river  basin,  though 
it  was  long  antedated  in  organization  by  several 
other  large  fur-trading  corporations.  The  sole  and 
prime  mover  of  this  enterprise  was  that  famed 
commercial  genius,  John  Jacob  Astor,  a  native  of 
Heidelberg,  who  had  come  to  America  poor,  and 
had  amassed  a  large  fortune  in  commercial  trans- 
actions. In  1810  there  was  conceived  in  the  brain 
of  this  man  a  scheme  which  for  magnitude  of 
design  and  careful  arrangement  of  detail  was  trul\- 
masterful,  and  in  every  sense  worthy  of  the  great 
entrepreneur.  Even  the  one  grand  mistake  which 
wrecked  the  enterprise  was  the  result  of  a  trait 
of  character  which  "leaned  to  virtue's  side." 
Broad-minded  and  liberal  himself,  he  did  not  appre- 
ciate the  danger  of  entrusting  his  undertaking  to 
the  hands  of  men  whose  national  prejudices  were 
bitterly  anti-American  and  whose  previous  connec- 
tion with  a  rival  company  might  affect  their  loyalty 
to  this  one.  He  regarded  the  enterprise  as  a  purely 
commercial  one,  and  selected  its  personnel  accord- 
ingly, hence  the  failure  of  the  venture. 

Mr.  Astor's  plan  contemplated  the  prosecution 
of  the  fur  trade  in  every  unsettled  territon'  of 
America  claimed  by  the  United  States,  the  trade 
with  China  and  the  supply  of  the  Russian  settle- 
ments with  trading  stock  and  provisions,  the  goods 
to  be  paid  for  in  peltries.  A  vessel  was  to  be 
despatched  at  regular  intervals  from  New  York, 
bearing  supplies  of  goods  to  be  traded  to  the  Indians. 
.She  was  to  discharge  her  cargo  at  a  depot  of  trade 
to  be  established  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia 
river,  then  trade  along  the  coast  with  Indians  and 
at  the  Russian  settlements  until  another  cargo  had 
been  in  part  secured,  return  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  complete  her  lading  there,  sail  thence  to 
China,  receive  a  return  cargo  of  Canton  silks, 
nankeen  and  tea,  and  back  to  New  York.  Two 
years  would  pass  in  completing  this  vast  commercial 
"rounding  up."  An  important  part  of  the  plan  was 
the  supply  of  the  Russian  posts  at  New  Archangel, 
the  object  being  two-fold — first,  to  secure  the  profits 
accruing  therefrom,  and,  second,  to  shut  off  compe- 
tition in  Mr.  Astor's  own  territory,  through  the 
semi-partnership  with  the  Russians  in  furnishing 
them  supplies.  Careful  arrangements  had  been 
made  with  the  Russian  government  to  prevent  any 
possible  clash  between  the  vessels  of  the  two  com- 
panies engaged  in  the  coast  trade.  "It  was,"  says 
Brewerton,  "a  colossal  scheme  and  deserved  to 
succeed ;   had   it   done   so  it  would   have  advanced 


12 


THE    ASTOR    EXPEDITION 


American  settlement  and  actual  occupancy  on  the 
northwest  coast  by  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
giving  employment  to  thousands,  and  transferred 
the  enormous  profits  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  and  North 
West  British  Fur  Companies  from  English  to 
American  coffers." 

Like  a  prudent  business  man,  Mr.  Astor  antici- 
pated that,  though  the  Northwest  Company  had  no 
trading  posts  in  the  region  west  of  the  Rocky 
mountains  and  south  of  fifty-two  degrees  north, 
its  enmity  and  jealousy  would  be  speedily  aroused 
when  a  new  competitor  entered  the  field.  He 
resolved  to  soften  enmity  by  frankness,  so  wrote 
to  the  directors  of  the  British  company  the  details 
of  his  plan  and  generously  offered  them  a  third 
interest  in  the  enterprise.  This  ingenuousness  on 
his  part  found  no  response  in  the  characters  of  the 
shrewd  and  unscrupulous  men  in  whom  he  had  so 
unwisely  confided.  Nobleness,  in  this  instance, 
failed  to  enkindle  nobleness.  They  met  candor 
with  duplicity,  generosity  with  perfidy. 

Playing  for  time,  they  pretended,  Csesar-like, 
to  take  the  matter  under  advisement,  and  at  once 
despatched  David  Thompson,  the  astronomer  and 
surveyor  of  their  company,  with  instructions  "to 
occupy  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  to  explore  the 
river  to  its  headwaters,  and,  above  all,  to  watch  the 
progress  of  Mr.  Astor's  enterprise."  Tliey  then 
declined  the  proposal. 

But  Mr.  Astor  proceeded  widi  his  project  ener- 
getically and  skillfully.  He  associated  with  himself 
as  partner?  in  the  enterprise  (and  here  was  his 
great  mistake)  Donald  jNIackenzie,  Alexander 
Alackay,  .who  had  accompanied  Alexander  Mack- 
enzie on  his  voyage  of  discovery,  hence  possessed 
invaluable  experience,  and  Duncan  Macdougal,  all 
late  of  the  Northwest  Company,  and.  though  men 
of  great  skill  and  experience,  schooled  in  the  preju- 
dices of  the  association  with  which  they  had  so  long 
maintained  a  connection  and  able  to  see  only 
through  British  eyes.  To  the  partners  already 
enumerated  were  subsequently  added  Wilson  P. 
Hunt  and  Robert  Maclellan,  Americans :  David  and 
Robert  Stuart  and  Ramsey  Crooks,  Scotchmen ; 
a  Canadian  named  John  Clarke,  and  others. 

Wilson  P.  Hunt  was  given  the  post  of  chief 
agent  on  the  Columbia,  his  tenn  of  office  being  five 
years,  and  when  he  was  obliged  to  be  absent  tempo- 
rarily, a  substitute  was  to  be  elected  by  the  partners 
who  happened  to  be  'present,  to  act  in  his  place. 
Each  partner  obligated  himself  in  the  most  solemn 
manner  to  go  where  sent  and  to  execute  faithfully 
the  objects  of  the  company,  but  before  subscribing 
to  this  bond  two  of  the  British  perfidiously  com- 
municated to  the  British  minister,  Mr.  Jackson, 
temporarily  in  New  York,  the  details  of  Mr.  Astor's 
plan  and  inquired  of  him  concerning  their  status 
as  British  subjects  trading  under  the  American  flag 
in  the  event  of  war.  They  were  given  assurance 
that   in  case   of  war  they   would   be   protected   as 


English  subjects  and  merchants.  Their  scruples 
thus  put  at  rest,  they  entered  into  the  compact. 

The  larger  part  of  the  expedition  was  to  go  via 
Cape  Horn  and  the  Sandwich  islands  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia,  there  to  await  the  arrival  of  the 
Hunt  party,  which  was  sent  out  by  land.  To  convey 
them  thence  the  ship  Tonquin,  a  vessel  of  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety  tons  burden,  was  fitted  up  for  sea. 
She  was  commanded  by  Captain  Thorne,  a  lieu- 
tenant of  the  United  States  navy  on  leave,  and  had 
on  board  Indian  trading  goods,  the  frame  timbers 
for  a  coasting  schooner,  supplies  of  all  kinds,  and 
in  fact,  everything  essential  to  comfort. 

Before  the  vessel  had  left  the  harbor,  Mr.  Astor 
was  apprised  that  a  British  war  vessel  was  cruising 
oft"  the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  the 
Tonquin,  and  impressing  the  Canadians  and  British 
who  were  on  board.  This  was  a  ruse  of  the  North- 
west Company  to  delay  the  expedition  so  that  their 
emissary,  Thompson,  should  arrive  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Columbia  first.  But  Mr.  Astor  secured  as  con- 
voy the  now  famous  United  States  frigate,  Consti- 
tution, commanded  by  the  equally  famous  Captain 
Isaac  Hull,  and  the  Tonquin,  thus  protected,  pro- 
ceeded safely  on  her  way.  She  arrived  at  her 
destination  March  22.  ISll.  after  a  voyage  the 
details  of  which  may  be  found  in  Irving's-  Astoria, 
Franchere's  narrative,  or  in  some  of  the  publications 
based  upon  the  latter  work.  On  the  12th  of  the 
following  month  a  part  of  the  crew  crossed  the 
river  in  a  launch  and  established  at  Fort  George 
a  settlement  to  which  the  name  Astoria  waS'  given 
in  honor  of  the  projector  of  the  enterprise.  They 
at  once  addressed  themselves  to  the  task  of  con- 
structing the  schooner,  the  framed  materials  for 
which  had  been  brought  with  them  in  the  Tonquin. 
An  expedition  also  was  made  by  Mr.  Mackay  to 
determine  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  rumor  that  a 
party  of  whites  were  establishing  a  post  at  the  upper 
cascades  of  the  river,  but  when  the  first  rapids  were 
reached  the  expedition  had  to  be  abandoned,  the 
Indian  crew  positively  refusing  to  proceed  further. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  the  ill-fated  Tonquin  started 
north,  Mr.  Mackay  accompanying.  We  must  now 
pursue  her  fortunes  to  their  terrible  conclusion. 
Mr.  Franchere,  a  Frenchman,  one  of  Mr.  Astor's 
clerks,  is  the  chief  authority  for  the  story.  With 
his  account.  Irving  seems  to  have  taken  some 
poetic  license.  According  to  that  graceful  writer, 
with  a  total  force  of  twenty-three  and  an  Indian 
of  the  Chehalis  tribe  called  Lamazee,  for  inter- 
preter, the  Tonquin  entered  the  harbor  of  Neweetee. 
Franchere  calls  the  Indian  Lamanse,  and  the  har- 
bor, he  says,  the  Indians  called  Newity.  We  shall 
probably  be  safe  in  following  Bancroft,  who  sur- 
mises that  the  place  was  Nootka  sound,  where,  in 
180:1,  the  ship  Boston  and  all  her  crew  but  two  had 
been  destroyed. 

Captain  Thorne  had  been  reoeatedlv  and 
urgently    warned   by    Mr.    Astor   against   allowing 


INTRODUCTORY 


more  than  four  or  five  Indians  on  board  at  once, 
but  the  choleric  skipper  was  not  of  the  kind  to 
hsten  to  the  voice  of  caution.  When  Indians  ap- 
peared with  a  fine  stock  of  sea  otter  skins,  and  the 
indications  were  for  a  profitable  trade,  he  forgot 
evervthinsj  in  his  ea,c:emess  to  secure  the  peltry. 
But  Ions  t*x]irriciKc  with  ilic  whites  and  the  instruc- 
tions of  their  \\il\  cliiif.  Alaquinna,  had  rendered 
these  triJjes  less  pliable  and  innocent  than  the  cap- 
tain expected.  Being  unable  to  strike  a  bargain 
with  any  of  them  and  losing  patience,  Thorne 
ordered  all  to  leave  the  deck.  They  paid  no  atten- 
tion, and  the  captain,  becoming  violently  enraged, 
seized  their  leader  by  the  hair  and  hurried  him 
toward  the  ship's  ladder,  emphasizing  his  exit  by 
a  stroke  with  a  bundle  of  furs.  The  other  Indians 
left  forthwith. 

When  Mr.  Mackay,  who  was  on  shore  at  the 
time,  returned  to  the  ship,  he  became  indignant  at 
Thorne.  and  urged  that  he  set  sail  at  once.  Lamanse, 
the  Chehalis  Indian,  seconded  him,  asserting  that 
all  prospects  of  profitable  trade  were  destroyed 
and  that  a  longer  stay  in  the  harbor  was  attended 
with  very  great  danger,  but  advice  and  importunity 
were  vain. 

Early  next  morning  a  number  of  Indians, 
demure  and  peaceable,  paddled  over  to  the  vessel, 
holding  aloft  bundles  of  fur  as  an  evidence  of  their 
wish  to  trade.  Thorne  called  Mackay's  attention 
to  the  success  of  his  method  of  dealing  with  the 
red  men.  "Just  show  thein  that  you  are  not  afraid," 
said  he,  "and  they  will  behave  themselves."  The 
Indians  exchanged  their  furs  for  whatever  was 
oft'ered,  making  no  remonstrances  or  demands  for 
higher  prices. 

Other  canoe  loads  of  savages  came  aboard  and 
still  others,  the  self-satisfied  Thorne  welcoming  all 
in  his  blandest  manner.  The  more  watchful  sailors 
became  suspicious  and  alarmed,  but  they  well  knew 
that  remonstrance  against  the  course  of  Captain 
Thorne  was  vain.  Soon,  however,  even  he  noticed 
tliat  the  Indians  had  become  massed  at  all  the 
assailable  points  of  the  vessel.  He  was  visibly 
startled  by  this  discovery,  but  pretending  not  to  be 
aware  that  anything  was  wrong,  he  ordered  his 
men  to  get  ready  for  sailing,  and  the  Indians  to 
leave  the  vessel. 

The  latter  started  toward  the  ladder,  but  as 
they  did  so,  they  drew  from  the  unsold  bundles  of 
furs  the  weapons  therein  concealed. 

"In  an  instant  the  wild  war-yell  broke  the  awful 
silence,  and  then  the  peaceful  deck  of  the  Tonquin 
saw  a  slaughter  grim  and  pitiless.  Lewis,  the 
clerk,  and  Mackay  were  almost  instantly  despatched. 
Then  a  crowd,  with  fiendish  triumph,  set  upon  the 
captain,  bent  on  evening  up  at  once  the  old  score. 
The  brawny  frame  and  iron  will  of  the  brave, 
though  foolhardy,  old  salt  made  him  a  dangerous 
object  to  attack,  and  not  until  half  a  dozen  of  his 
assailants  had  measured  their  bleeding  lengths  on 


the  slippery  deck  did  he  succumb.  Then  he  was 
hacked  to  pieces  with  savage  glee.  Meanwhile  four 
sailors,  the  only  survivors  besides  the  interpreter, 
Lamanse,  by  whom  the  story  was  told,  having 
gained  access  to  the  hold,  began  firing  on  the  tri- 
umphant Indians ;  and  with  such  effect  did  they 
work,  that  the  whole  throng  left  the  ship  in  haste 
and  sought  the  shore.  Lamanse,  meanwhile,  was 
spared,  but  held  in  captivity  for  two  years.  The 
next  day,  the  four  surviving  sailors  attempted  to 
put  to  sea  in  a  small  boat,  but  were  pursued  and 
probably  murdered  by  the  Indians.  And  then,  like 
a  band  of  buzzards  circling  around  a  carcass,  the 
Indian  canoes  began  to  cluster  around  the  deserted 
ship." 

But  an  awful  retribution  was  about  to  overtake 
the  Indians.  Cautiously  at  first,  but  with  more 
boldness  as  they  observed  the  apparent  lifelessness 
of  everything  on  the  ship,  they  began  next  day  to 
climb  aboard,  and  soon  several  hundred  of  them 
were  rifling  the  storehouses,  gloating  over  the  dis- 
figured bodies  of  their  victims,  and  strutting  across 
the  deck,  clad  in  gaudy  blankets,  and  lavishly 
adorned  with  beads  and  tinsels. 

Then  came  a  terrible  boom,  and  the  luckless 
Tonquin,  with  all  on  board,  both  quick  and  dead, 
was  scattered  in  fragments  over  the  face  of  the 
deep.  Her  powder  magazine  had  exploded,  de- 
stroying the  ship  and  her  enemies  in  one  awful 
ruin.  According  to  Lamanse,  as  quoted  by  Fran- 
chere,  two  hundred  Indians  were  destroyed  by  this 
explosion. 

Franchere  was  unable  to  state  what  caused  the 
ship  to  be  blown  up,  but  surmises  that  the  four 
sailors  attached  a  slow  train  to  the  magazine  before 
their  departure.  .\s  Franchere  is  the  only  known 
authority,  it  seems  certain  that  Irving  must  have 
fabricated  his  account,  which  is  to  the  effect  that 
Lewis,  wounded,  remained  on  the  ship  after  the 
four  sailors  had  gone,  and  that  he  enticed  the  sav- 
ages aboard,  that  he  might  destroy  himself  and 
them  in  one  final  retribution. 

A  report  that  the  Tonquin  was  destroyed 
reached  Astoria  in  due  time,  the  news  being  borne 
by  Indians.  At  first  the  story  was  entirely  dis- 
credited, but  as  time  passed  and  no  Tonquin 
appeared,  it  became  more  and  more  evident  that 
there  must  be  some  truth  in  it.  No  details  of  the 
tragedy  were  known,  however,  until  Lamanse 
reappeared  some  two  years  later. 

On  July  15,  1811.  David  Thompson,  with  eight 
white  men,  arrived  at  Astoria.  His  expedition  had 
been  long  delayed  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rocky 
mountains,  in  the  search  for  a  pass.  Desertions 
among  his  crew  also  impeded  his  progress,  and  the 
final  result  was  that  he  had  to  return  to  the  nearest 
post  and  remain  over  winter.  In  the  early  spring 
he  hurried  forward.  The  party  distributed  many 
small  flags  among  the  Indians  along  the  Columbia, 
built  huts  at  the  forks  of  the  river  and  took  formal 


THE    ASTOR    EXPEDITION 


possession  of  the  country  drained  by  the  Cokimbia 
and  its  tributaries  in  the  name  of  the  King  of  Great 
Britain,  and  for  the  company  which  sent  them  out. 
But  the  main  object  of  tlie  expedition  was  not 
realized.  They  were  unable  to  occupy  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia,  and  the  perfidy  of  the  Northwest 
Company  failed  of  its  reward.  Hostile  though  the 
expedition  was,  it  was  received  at  Astoria  with 
open-handed  cordiality,  Macdougal  furnishing 
Thompson  with  supplies  for  the  return  journey 
against  the  urgent  remonstrance  of  David  Stuart. 
Such  generosity  to  one's  conmKTcial  enemy  is.  t(.i 
say  the  least,  a  little  unusual,  but  the  magnanimity 
displa}'ed  has  for  some  reason  failed  to  call  forth 
the  plaudits  of  historians. 

.At  the  time  of  Mr.  Thompson's  arrival.  David 
Stuart  was  about  to  start  for  the  Spokane  country 
to  establish  a  post,  and  he  delayed  his  departure  for 
a  short  time  that  his  and  JMr.  Thompson's  party 
might  travel  together.  At  the  confluence  of  the 
Columbia  and  Okanogan  rivers,  Mr.  Stuart  erected 
Fort  Okanogan,  the  first  interior  post  west  of  the 
Rocky  mountains  within  the  limits  of  the  present 
state  of  Washington. 

January  8,  181 '2,  a  part  of  the  Hunt  expedition 
reached  Astoria  in  a  pitiable  condition.  The  ad- 
ventures of  different  members  of  this  party  form  a 
sad  chapter  in  the  history  of  the  fur  trade.  Hunt 
was  met  bv  overwhelming  obstacles  from  the  very 
first.  In  his  efiforts  to  get  men  for  his  expedition 
he  was  harassed  in  ever\'  way  possible  by  persons 
interested  in  rival  fur  companies,  and  when,  at  last, 
owing  to  his  own  indomitable  perseverance  and 
Astor's  unstinted  purse,  he  got  a  party  together,  the 
battle  was  by  no  means  won.  In  April,  ISll,  Hunt 
set  his  face  toward  the  Pacific.  With  him  were 
sixty  men,  four  of  whom,  Crooks,  Mackenzie, 
Miller  and  Maclellan,  were  partners,  and  one. 
Reed,  was  a  clerk.  The  rest  were  free  trappers  and 
Canadian  voyageurs,  except  two  English  natural- 
ists, Bradbury  and  Nuttall. 

The  earlier  portions  of  their  journey  afTfor<led 
many  interesting  and  some  exciting  experiences, 
but  all  went  fairly  well  with  them  until  tlie  moun- 
tains were  entered,  when  their  troubles  began. 
The  story  of  their  wanderings,  their  struggles, 
hardships  and  starvation  on  that  terrible  winter 
trip  through  the  interminable  labyrinths  of  the 
mountains,  and  on  the  desolate  and  forbidding  lava 
plains  is  heart-rending  in  the  extreme.  Detach- 
ments under  Mackenzie  and  Maclellan  passed 
through  the  mountains  to  Snake  river  before  winter 
was  fairly  upon  them,  though  even  they  had  to 
endure  extreme  suffering.  It  was  these  who 
reached  Astoria  in  January  as  before  stated.  On 
the  loth  of  February  the  main  party  imder  Mr. 
Hunt  also  reached  the  scene.  As  they  drew  near 
Astoria,  the  whole  population  of  that  settlement 
came  pouring  down  to  meet  them,  the  foremost 
being    Mackenzie     and     Maclellan,     who,     having 


abandoned  hope  that  Hunt  and  his  men  could  sur- 
vive the  famine  and  the  rigors  of  winter,  were  the 
more  rejoiced  to  see  them  alive.  "The  Canadians, 
with  French  abandon,  rushed  into  each  other's 
arms,  crying  and  hugging  like  so  many  school  girls, 
and  even  the  hard-visaged  Scotchmen  and  noncha- 
lant Americans  gave  themselves  up  to  the  unstinted 
gladness  of  the  occasion."  Crooks  and  John  Day, 
with  four  Canadians,  had  been  left  sick  on  the  banks 
of  the  Snake.  It  was  not  thought  likely  that  they 
would  ever  be  seen  alive  again,  but  the  next  sum- 
mer, Stuart  and  Maclellan,  while  journeying  from 
Okanogan  to  Astoria,  found  the  two  leaders,  naked 
and  haggard,  near  the  mouth  of  the  L'matilla. 
Their  pitiable  plight  was  speedily  relieved,  but  poor 
John  Day  never  recovered  and  soon  was  numbered 
among  the  dead.  The  Canadians  were  afterward 
found  alive,  though  destitute,  among  the  .Siioshones. 

On  the  oth  of  May,  181?,  the  Beaver,  another 
of  Astor's  vessels,  reached  Astoria.  Among  those 
on  board  was  Ross  Co.x,  author  of  Adventures  on 
the  Columbia  River,  a  work  of  great  historical 
value.  About  this  time,  also,  Robert  Stuart,  whde 
bearing  despatches  by  land  to  Mr.  Astor,  discovered 
the  South  Pass  through  the  Rocky  mountains, 
which  in  later  years  became  the  great  gateway  to 
the  Pacific  for  inmnigrant  trains. 

Pity  it  is  that  the  historian  must  record  the 
failure  of  an  enterprise  so  wisely  planned  as  that 
of  Astor,  so  generously  supported  and  in  the  execu- 
tion of  which  so  much  devoted  self-abnegation 
was  displayed,  so  many  lives  sacrificed.  But  the 
clouds  were  now  beginning  to  darken  above  the 
little  colony  on  the  shores  of  tlie  Pacific.  On 
August  4th  the  Beaver  sailed  northward  for  Sitka, 
with  ]Mr.  Hunt  aboard.  While  there  an  agreement 
was  entered  into  between  that  gentleman  and  the 
Russian  governor,  Baranoff,  the  gist  of  which  was 
that  the  Russian  and  American  companies  were  to 
forbear  interference  with  each  other's  territory  and 
to  operate  as  allies  in  expelling  trespassers  on  the 
rights  of  either.  The  Beaver  had  been  instructed 
to  return  to  .\storia  before  sailing  to  Canton,  but 
instead  she  sailed  direct,  so  Mr.  Hunt  was  carried 
to  Oahu,  there  to  await  a  vessel  expected  from  New 
York,  on  which  he  should  obtain  passage  to  As- 
toria. But  he  did  not  arrive  until  too  late  to  avert 
the  calamity  which  befell  the  Pacific  Fur  Company. 
War  was  declared  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Astor  learned  that  the  North- 
west Company  was  preparing  a  ship  mounting 
twenty  guns,  the  Isaac  Todd,  wherewith  to  cap- 
ture Astoria.  He  appealed  to  the  United  States 
for  aid,  but  his  efforts  were  unavailing.  Discour- 
agements were  thickening  around  the  American 
settlement.  Mackenzie  was  unsuccessful  at  his 
post  on  the  Shahaptin  river,  and  had  determined  to 
press  for  a  new  post.  He  visited  Clarke,  and  while 
the  two  were  together,  John  George  MacTavish,  of 
the    Northwest    Company,    paid   them    a   visit   and 


INTRODUCTORY 


vaimtingly  informed  them  of  the  saiHng  of  the 
Isaac  Todd,  and  of  her  mission,  the  capture  or 
destruction  of  Astoria.  Mackenzie  returned  at 
once  to  his  post  on  the  Shahaptin,  broke  up  camp, 
cached  his  provisions,  and  set  out  in  haste  for 
Astoria,  at  which  point  he  arrived  January  16,  1813. 
Macdougal  was  agent-in-chief  at  Astoria  in  the 
absence  of  Hunt.  It  was  resolved  by  him  and 
Mackenzie  that  they  should  abandon  Astoria  in  the 
spring  and  recross  the  mountains.  Mackenzie  at 
once  set  off  to  recover  his  cached  provisions  and  to 
trade  them  for  horses  for  the  journey.  He  also 
carried  despatches  to  Messrs.  Clarke  and  David 
Stuart,  advising  them  of  the  intention  to  abandon 
Astoria  and  directing  them  to  make  preparations 
accordingly.  Mackenzie  met  a  party  of  the  North- 
west Company,  with  MacTavish  as  one  of  the 
leaders,  and  the  parties  camped,  as  Irving  says, 
"mingled  together  as  united  by  a  common  interest 
instead  of  belonging  to  rival  companies  trading 
under  hostile  flags." 

On  reaching  his  destination,  Mackenzie  found 
his  cache  had  been  robbed  by  Indians.  He  and 
Clarke  and  Stuart  met  at  Walla  Walla  as  per 
arrangement,  and  together  descended  the  Columbia, 
reaching  Astoria  June  12th. 

Stuart  and  Clarke  refused  to  break  up  their 
posts  and  to  provide  horses  or  make  other  prepara- 
tions for  leaving  the  country.  Furthermore,  Mac- 
kenzie's disappointment  in  finding  his  cache  broken 
into  and  its  contents  stolen  made  it  necessary  that 
the  departure  should  be  delayed  beyond  July  1st, 
the  date  set  by  Macdougal  for  dissolution  of  the 
company.  Treason  was  to  have  time  and 
opportunity  to  do  its  worst.  MacTavish,  who  was 
camped  at  the  fort,  began  negotiations  for  the  pur- 
chase of  trading  goods,  and  it  was  proposed  by 
Macdougal  to  trade  him  the  post  on  the  Spokane 
for  horses  to  be  delivered  the  next  spring,  which 
proposition  was  eventually  accepted.  An  agree- 
ment for  the  dissolution  of  the  company  to  take 
effect  the  next  June  was  signed  by  the  four  part- 
ners. Clarke  and  Stuart  yielding  to  the  pressure 
much  against  their  wills.  Hunt,  who  arrived  on 
the  20th  of  August,  also  reluctantly  yielded,  the 
discouraging  circumstances  having  been  pictured 
to  him  by  Macdougal,  who  pretended  to  be  ani- 
mated by  a  desire  to  save  Mr.  Astor's  interests 
before  the  place  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
British,  whose  war  vessels  were  on  their  way  to 
effect  its  capture.  Hunt  then  sailed  to  secure  a 
vessel  to  convey  the  property  to  the  Russian  settle- 
ments for  safe  keeping  while  the  war  lasted,  first 
arranging  that  Macdougal  should  be  placed  in  full 
charge  of  the  establishment  after  January  1st 
should  he  fail  to  return. 

While  en  route  to  advise  Messrs.  Clarke  and 
Stuart  of  the  new  arrangement,  Mr.  Mackenzie 
and  party  met  MacTavish  and  J.  Stuart  with  a 
company  of  men  descending  the  river  to  meet  the 


Phcebe  and  the  Isaac  Todd.  Clarke  had  been 
advised  of  the  situation  and  was  accompanying 
them  to  Astoria.  Mackenzie  decided  to  return  also 
to  the  fort,  and  with  Clarke  attempted  to  slip  away 
in  the  night  and  so  reach  Astoria  before  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Northwest  Company  arrived,  but  was 
discovered  and  followed  by  two  of  MacTavish's 
canoes.  Both  MacTavish  and  Mackenzie  reached 
their  objective  point  on  October  7th,  and  the  party 
of  the  former  camped  at  the  fort.  Next  day  Mac- 
dougal, by  way  of  preparation  for  his  final  coup, 
read  a  letter  announcing  the  sailing  of  the  Phoebe 
and  the  Isaac  Todd  with  orders  "to  take  and  destroy 
everything  American  on  the  Northwest  coast." 

"This  dramatic  scene,"  says  Evans,  "was  fol- 
lowed by  a  proposition  of  MacTavish  to  purchase 
the  interests,  stocks,  establishments,  etc.,  of  the 
Pacific  Fur  Company.  Macdougal  then  assumed 
sole  control  and  agency  because  of  the  non-arrival 
of  Hunt,  and  after  repeated  conference  with  Mac- 
Ta\'ish.  in  \\liich  tlie  presence  of  the  other  partners 
was  ignored,  thr  sale  was  concluded  at  certain  rates. 
/V  few  days  later  J.  Stuart  arrived  with  the  remain- 
der  of  the  Northwest  party.  He  objected  to 
MacTavish's  prices,  and  lowered  the  rates  materi- 
ally. Mr.  Stuart's  offer  was  accepted  by  Macdougal 
and  the  agreement  of  transfer  was  signed  October 
16th.  By  it  Duncan  Macdougal,  for  and  on  behalf 
of  himself,  Donald  Mackenzie,  David  Stuart  and 
John  Clarke,  partners  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company, 
dissolved  July  1st,  pretended  to  sell  to  his  British 
confreres  and  co-conspirators  of  the  Nortlnvest 
Company  "the  whole  of  the  establishments,  furs  and 
present  stock  on  hand,  on  the  Columbia  and  Thomp- 
son's rivers.'  "  Speaking  of  the  transaction  in  a 
letter  to  John  Quincy  Adams,  secretary  of  state, 
Mr.  Astor  himself  says  : 

"Macdougal  transferred  all  of  my  property  to 
the  Northwest  Company,  who  were  in  possession 
of  it  by  sale,  as  he  called  it,  for  the  sum  of  fifty- 
eight  thousand  dollars,  of  which  he  retained  four- 
teen thousand  dollars  as  wages  said  to  be  due  to 
some  of  the  men.  From  the  price  obtained  for  the 
goods,  etc.,  and  he  having  himself  become  inter- 
ested in  the  purchase  and  made  a  partner  of  the 
Northwest  Company,  some  idea  may  be  formed  as 
to  this  man's  correctness  of  dealing.  He  sold  to  the 
Northwest  Company  eighteen  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  pounds  of  beaver  at  two  dollars, 
which  was  at  that  time  selling  in  Canton  at  five  and 
si.x  dollars  per  skin.  I  estimate  the  whole  prop- 
erty to  be  worth  nearer  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  than  forty  thousand  dollars,  about  the  sum  I 
received  in  bills  on  Montreal." 

Charitably  disposed  persons  may  suggest  that 
Macdougal's  actions  were  in  a  measure  justifiable ; 
that  a  British  force  was  actually  en  route  to  capture 
Astoria,  and  that  the  post,  being  without  adequate 
means  of  defense,  must  surely  fall ;  that  it  was  bet- 
ter to  save  a  pittance  than  that  all  should  be  lost. 


THE    ASTOR    EXPEDITION 


Macdougal's  conduct  subsequent  to  the  transfer  of 
Mr.  Astor's  property  was,  however,  "in  studied  and 
consistent  obedience  to  the  interests  of  the  North- 
west Company."  (3n  his  return  on  February  28, 
1814,  in  the  brig  Pedler,  which  he  purchased  to 
convey  Mr.  Astor's  property  to  a  place  of  safety, 
Mr.  Hunt  found  his  old  partner,  whom  he  had  left 
in  charge  of  the  fort,  still  presiding  over  it,  but  now 
a  dignitary  in  the  camp  of  the  enemy.  There  was 
no  other  course  open  to  him  than  to  digest  the 
venom  of  his  chagrin  as  best  he  could,  take  his 
diminutive  drafts  on  Montreal,  and  set  sail  in  the 
Pedler  for  New  York.  Macdougal  had  been  given 
a  full  partnership  in  the  Northwest  Company. 
What  was  the  consideration? 

It  is  needless  to  add  that  on  the  arrival  of  the 
British  vessels,  Astoria  became  a  British  posses- 
sion. The  formal  change  of  the  sovereignty  and 
raising  of  the  union  jack  took  place  on  December 
15th,  and  as  if  to  obliterate  all  trace  of  Mr.  Astor's 
operations,  the  name  of  Astoria  was  changed  to 
Fort  George.  The  arrival  of  the  Isaac  Todd  the 
following  spring  with  a  cargo  of  trading  goods  and 
supplies  enabled  the  Northwest  Company  to  enter 
vigorously  into  the  prosecution  of  its  trade  in  the 
territory  of  its  wronged  and  outraged  rival. 

"Thus  disgracefully  failed,"  sa_\'s  Evans,  "a  mag- 
nificent enterprise,  which  merited  success  for  sagac- 
ity displayed  in  its  conception,  its  details,  its  objects ; 
for  the  liberality  and  munificence  of  its  projector  in 
furnishing  means  adequate  for  its  thorough  execu- 
tion ;  for  the  results  it  had  aimed  to  produce.  It 
was  inaugurated  purely  for  commercial  purposes. 
Had  it  not  been  transferred  to  its  enemies,  it  would 
have  pioneered  the  colonization  of  the  northwest 
coast  by  citizens  of  the  L'nited  States ;  it  would  have 
furnished  the  natural  and  iieaceful  solution  of  the 


question  of  the  right  to  the  territory  drained  by  the 
Columbia  and  its  tributaries. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  :;5 

"The  scheme  was  grand  in  its  aim,  magnificent 
in  its  breadth  of  purpose  and  area  of  operation. 
Its  results  were  naturally  feasible,  not  over-antici- 
pated. They  were  but  the  logical  and  necessary 
sequence  of  the  pursuit  of  the  plan.  Mr.  Astor 
made  no  miscalculation,  no  omission ;  neither  did  he 
permit  a  sanguine  hope  to  lead  him  into  any  wild  or 
imaginary  venture.  He  was  practical,  generous, 
broad.  He  executed  what  Sir  Ale.xander  Macken- 
zie urged  should  be  adopted  as  the  policy  of  British 
capital  and  enterprise.  That  one  .\merican  citizen 
should  have  individually  undertaken  what  two 
mammoth  British  companies  had  not  the  courage 
to  try  was  but  an  additional  cause  which  had  inten- 
sified national  prejudice  into  embittered  jealousy  on 
the  part  of  his  British  rivals,  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany. " 

By  the  first  article  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent, 
entered  into  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United 
States,  December  11:,  1814,  it  was  agreed  "that  all 
territory,  places  and  possessions  whatsoever,  taken 
by  either  party  from  the  other,  during  or  after  the 
war,  should  be  restored.''  Astoria,  therefore,  again 
became  the  possession  of  the  United  States,  and  in 
September,  1817,  the  government  sent  the  sloop-of- 
war  Ontario  "to  assert  the  claim  of  the  United 
States  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  adjacent  country, 
and  especially  to  reoccupy  Astoria  or  Fort  George." 
The  formal  surrender  of  the  fort  is  dated  October  6, 
1818. 

Mr.  Astor  had  urged  the  United  States  to  re- 
possess Astoria,  and  intended  fully  to  resume  opera- 
tions in  the  basin  of  the  Columbia,  but  the  Pacific 
Fur  Company  was  never  reorganized,  and  never 
again  did  the  great  captain  of  industry  engage  in 
trade  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE    NORTHWEST    AND    HUDSON'S    BAY    COMPANIES 


It  is  pertinent  now  to  inquire  somewhat  more 
particularly  into  the  fortunes  and  antecedent  history 
of  the  Northwest  and  Hudson's  Bay  Companies, 
which  are  each  in  turn  to  operate  exclusively  in  the 
territory  with  which  our  volume  is  concerned.  By 
the  Joint-Occupancy  treaty  of  October  20,  1818, 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  it  was 
mutually  covenanted  "that  any  country  which  may 
be  claimed  by  either  party  on  the  northwest  coast 
of  America,  westward  of  the  Stony  mountains, 
shall,  together  with  its  harbors,  baxs  and  creeks,  and 
the  navigation  of  all  rivers  within  the  same,  be  free 
and  open,  for  the  term  of  ten  years  from  the  date  of 
the  signature  of  the  present  convention,  to  the 
vessels,  citizens  and  subjects  of  the  two  powers; 
it  being  well  understood  that  this  agreement 
is  not  to  be  construed  to  the  prejudice  of  any 
claims  which  either  of  the  two  high  contracting  par- 
ties may  have  to  any  part  of  the  said  country;  nor 
shall  it  be  taken  to  affect  the  claims  of  any  other 
power  or  state  to  any  part  of  said  country ;  the 
only  object  of  the  high  contracting  parties  in  this 
respect  being  to  prevent  disputes  and  differences 
among  themselves." 

The  Northwest  Company,  whose  members 
were,  of  course,  British  subjects,  was,  therefore, 
permitted  to  operate  freely  in  all  disputed  territory, 
and  it  made  good  use  of  its  privileges.  Its  opera- 
tions extended  far  and  wide  in  all  directions ;  its 
emissaries  were  sent  wherever  there  was  a  prospect 
of  profitable  trade ;  it  respected  no  rights  of  terri- 
tory; it  scrupled  at  no  trickery  or  dissimulation. 
When  it  learned  of  the  expedition  of  Lewis  and 
Clark  it  sent  Daniel  W.  Harmon  with  a  party, 
instructing  him  to  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia 
in  advance  of  the  Americans.  The  poor  health  of 
the  leader  prevented  this.  Of  its  efforts  to  cir- 
cumvent Mr.  Astor's  occupancy  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia  we  have  already  spoken. 

It  showed  also  its  intention  to  confirm  and 
strengthen  British  title  to  all  territories  adversely 
claimed,  and  wherever  a  post  was  established  the 
territory  contiguous  thereto  was  ceremoniously 
taken  possession  of  "in  the  name  of  the  king  of 
Great  Britain  for  the  Northwest  Company." 

Although  organized  in  1774,  the  Northwest 
Company  did  not  attain  to  high  prestige  until  the 
dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Then,  however, 
it  seemed  to  take  on  new  life,  and  before  the  first 
half  decade  was  passed  it  had  become  the  success- 
ful rival  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  the  fur 


trade  of  the  interior  of  North  America.  The  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  when  originally  chartered  in 
1(j70  was  granted  in  a  general  way  the  right  to 
traffic  in  Hudson's  bay  and  the  territory  contiguous 
thereto,  and  the  Northwest  Company  began  to  in- 
sist that  the  grant  should  be  more  strictly  construed. 
The  boundaries  of  Prince  Rupert's  land,  as  the 
Hudson's  bay  territory  was  named,  had  never  been 
definitely  determined,  and  there  had  long  been  con- 
tention in  those  regions  which  were  claimed  by  that 
company,  but  denied  to  it  by  the  other  fur  traders. 
Beyond  the  recognized  area  of  the  Hudson's  bay 
territory,  the  old  Northwest  Company  (a  French 
corporation  which  had  fallen  at  the  time  of  the  fall 
of  Canada  into  the  possession  of  the  British)  had 
been  a  competitor  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 
When  this  French  association  went  out  of  existence 
the  contest  was  kept  up  by  private  merchants,  but 
without  lasting  success.  The  new  Northwest  Com- 
pany, of  Montreal,  united  and  cemented  into  one 
organization  all  these  individuals  for  the  better  dis- 
charge of  the  common  purpose.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  the  theory  of  trade  of  this  association  as  con- 
trasted with  that  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

From  established  posts  as  centers  of  opera'tions. 
the  Montreal  association  despatched  parties  in  all 
directions  to  visit  the  villages  and  haunts  of  the 
natives  and  secure  furs  from  every  source  possible. 
It  went  to  the  natives  for  their  goods,  while  the 
rival  company  so  arranged  its  posts  that  these  were 
convenient  to  the  .whole  Indian  population,  then 
depended  upon  the  aborigines  to  bring  in  their 
peltry  and  exchange  the  same  for  such  articles  as 
might  supply  their  wants  or  gratify  their  fancies. 
Consequently  the  one  company  required  many  em- 
ployees, the  other  comparatively  few.  The  clerks 
or  traders  of  the  Montreal  association  were  required 
to  serve  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  years  at  small 
wages.  That  term  successfully  completed,  the 
stipend  was  doubled.  Skill  and  special  aptitude  in 
trading  brought  speedy  promotions,  and  the  chance 
to  become  a  partner  in  the  business  was  an  unfailing 
incentive  to  strenuous  effort.  The  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  on  the  other  hand,  had  established  fixed 
grades  of  compensation.  Promotion  was  slow, 
coming  periodically  rather  than  as  a  reward  for  spe- 
ciallv  meritorious  service,  and  though  faithfulness  to 
duty  was  required,  no  incentive  was  offered  for 
special  endeavor.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
based  its  territorial  title  upon  a  specific  grant  from 
the   crown,   while   the   rival   association   sought  no 


THE    NORTHWEST   AND    HUDSON'S    BAY    COMPANIES 


other  title  than  such  as  priority  of  occupancy  and 
pre-emption  afforded.  It  claimed  as  its  field  of 
operation  all  unoccupied  territory  wherever  located. 

Such,  in  general,  were  the  methods  of  the  two 
companies  whose  bitter  rivalry  was  carried  to  such 
an  extent  that  both  were  brought  to  the  verge  of 
bankruptcy  and  that  civil  strife  was  at  one  point 
actually  precipitated.  In  1811  Lord  Selkirk,  a 
Scotch  nobleman  of  wealth,  who  had  become  the 
owner  of  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Hudson's  Ray 
Company,  attempted  a  grand  colonization  scheme. 
His  project  was  to  send  out  agricultural  colonies  to 
the  basin  of  the  Red  River  "of  the  North.  The 
enmity  of  the  Northwest  Company  was  at  once 
aroused.  It  fully  realized  that  Selkirk's  scheme 
was  inimical  to  its  business,  especially  so  because  his 
grant  lay  directly  across  its  pathway  between  Mon- 
treal and  the  interior.  The  effect  would  be  to  "cut 
its  communication,  interposing  a  hostile  territory 
between  its  posts  and  the  center  of  operations." 
The  company  protested  that  the  grant  was  illegal, 
that  it  was  corruptly  secured,  and  urged  that  suit 
be  instituted  to  test  Lord  Selkirk's  title.  But  the 
government  favored  the  project  and  refused  to 
interfere.  A  colony  was  established  at  Assinaboia. 
Its  governor  prohibited  the  killing  of  animals  within 
the  territory,  and  the  agents  of  the  Northwest  Com- 
pany treated  his  proclamation  with  contempt. 
Matters  grew  worse  and  worse  until  hostilities 
broke  out,  which  ended  in  a  decisive  victory  for  the 
Northwest  Company  in  a  pitched  battle  fought 
June  19,  1816,  twenty-two  of  the  colonists  being 
killed.  Numerous  arrests  of  Northwesters  engaged 
in  the  conflict  followed,  but  all  were  acquitted  in 
the  Canadian  courts.  The  British  cabinet  ordered 
that  the  governor-general  of  Canada  should  "re- 
quire the  restitution  of  all  captured  posts,  buildings 
and  trading  stations,  with  the  property  they  con- 
tained, to  the  jiroper  owners,  and  the  removal  of 
any  blockade  or  any  interruption  to  the  free  passage 
of  all  traders  and  British  subjects  with  their  mer- 
chandise, furs,  provisions  and  effects,  through  the 
lakes,  rivers,  roads  and  every  route  of  comnumica- 
tion  used  for  the  purpose  of  the  fur  trade  in  the 
interior  of  North  America,  and  the  full  and  free 
permission  of  all  persons  to  pursue  their  usual  and 
accustomed  trade  without  hindrance  or  molestation." 

But  the  competition  between  the  companies  con- 
tinued. Both  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of  bank- 
ruptcy. Something  had  to  be  done.  The  gover- 
nor-general of  Canada  appointed  a  commission  to 
investigate  conditions,  and  that  commission  recom- 
mended a  union  of  the  two  companies.  Nothing, 
however,  of  material  benefit  resulted.  Eventually, 
in  the  winter  of  1819-90,  Lord  Bathurst,  British 
secretary  of  state  for  the  colonies,  took  up  the  mat- 
ter, and  through  its  mediation  a  union  was  finally 
effected.  On  March  20,  1821,  it  was  mutually 
agreed  that  both  companies  should  operate  under  | 
the  charter  of  the   Hudson's   Bay   Company,    fur-  ! 


nishing  equal  amounts  of  capital  and  sharing 
equally  the  profits,  the  arrangement  to  continue  in 
force  for  twenty-one  years.  By  "an  act  for  regu- 
lating the  fur  trade  and  establishing  a  criminal  and 
civil  jurisdiction  in  certain  parts  of  North 
America,"  passed  in  the  British  parliament  July  2, 
1821,  the  crown  was  empowered  to  issue  a  license  to 
the  combined  companies  for  exclusive  trade 
"as  well  over  the  country  to  the  east  as  beyond  the 
Rocky  mountains,  and  extending  to  the  Pacific 
ocean,  saving  the  rights  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany over  this  territory."  "That  is  to  say,"  explains 
Evans,  "in  the  territory  granted  to  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  by  their  charter,  this  license  does  not 
operate.  The  company  in  the  Hudson's  bay  terri- 
tory already  enjoyed  exclusive  privileges;  and  this 
license  recognized  that  territory  as  a  province,  ex- 
cepting it  as  a  British  province  from  the  operation 
of  this  license." 

Agreeably  to  the  provisions  of  the  statute  just 
referred  to  a  license  was  granted  to  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  and  to  William  and  Simon  McGil- 
livray  and  Edward  Ellice,  as  representatives  of 
the  shareholders  of  the  Northwest  Company.  The 
license  was  one  of  exclusive  trade  as  far  as  all 
other  British  subjects  were  concerned,  and  was  to 
be  in  force  for  a  period  of  twenty-one  years.  It 
was  to  extend  to  all  "parts  of  North  America  to  the 
northward  and  westward  of  the  lands  and  terri- 
tories belonging  to  the  United  States  or  to  any 
European  government,  state  or  power,  reserving 
no  rent." 

Of  the  grantees  a  bond  was  required  conditioned 
upon  the  due  execution  of  civil  process  where  the 
matter  in  controversy  exceeded  two  hundred  pounds, 
and  upon  the  delivery  for  trial  in  the  Canadian 
courts  of  all  persons  charged  with  crime.  Thus  it 
will  be  seen  that  Americans  operating  in  the  Oregon 
territory  (which  was,  by  act  of  the  British  parlia- 
ment and  the  license  issued  under  it,  treated  as 
being  outside  of  "any  legally  defined  civil  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States")  were  subject  to  be 
taken  when  accused  of  crime  to  Canada  for  trial. 
How  did  that  comport  with  the  treaty  of  1818,  one 
provision  of  which  was  that  neither  power  should 
assert  rights  of  sovereignty  against  the  other?  The 
fact  that  the  British  government  required  and  the 
company  agreed  to  enforce  British  law  in  the  "terri- 
tory westward  of  the  Stony  mountains"  shows 
clearly  the  wish  of  the  ever  earth-hungry  British 
lion  to  circumvent  the  treaty  of  1818  and  make  Ore- 
gon in  fact  and  verity-  a  British  possession. 

By  1824  all  the  rights  and  interests  of  the  stock- 
holders late  of  the  Northwest  Company  had  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  The 
absorption  of  the  one  corporation  by  the  other  was 
complete.  The  treacherous  and  perfidious  treat- 
ment of  Mr.  Astor  and  the  demoralization  of  his 
partners  availed  the  greedy  Northwesters  but  little, 
for  they  were  soon  after  conquered  and  subdued 


INTRODUCTORY 


and  forever  deprived  of  their  identity  as  a  company 
by  tlieir  powerful  rival  and  enemy. 

The  Hudson's  J  Jay  Company  now  became  the 
sole  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  trade  west  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  and  of  all  the  rights  accruing  un- 
der the  license  of  trade  of  December  5,  1821.  An 
extended  narration  of  the  methods  and  rules  of  this 
corporation  would  be  very  interesting,  but,  mindful 
of  our  assigned  limits  and  province,  we  must  be 
brief.  The  company  has  been  aptly  characterized 
by  Evans  as  an  "imperimn  in  hiipcrio,"  and  such  it 
was,  for  it  was  in  possession  of  well-nigh  absolute 
power  over  its  employees  and  the  native  races  with 
whom  it  traded.  It  was  constituted  "the  true  and 
absolute  lords  and  proprietors  of  the  territories, 
limits  and  places,  save  always  the  faith,  allegiance 
and  sovereign  dominion  due  to  us  (the  crown),  our 
heirs  and  successors,  for  the  same,  to  hold  as  tenants 
in  fee  and  common  soccage,  and  not  by  knight's 
service,  reserving  as  a  yearly  rent,  two  elks  and  two 
black  beavers."  Power  was  granted,  should  occa- 
sion arise,  to  "send  ships-of-war,  men  or  ammuni- 
tion to  any  fort,  post  or  place  for  the  defense 
thereof ;  to  raise  military  companies,  and  appoint 
their  officers ;  to  make  war  or  conclude  peace  with 
any  people  not  Christian,  in  any  of  their  territories," 
also  "to  seize  the  goods,  estate  or  people  of  those 
countries  for  damage  to  the  company's  interests,  or 
for  the  interruption  of  trade ;  to  erect  and  build 
forts,  garrisons,  towns,  villages ;  to  establish  colo- 
nies, and  to  support  such  establishments  by  expe- 
ditions fitted  out  in  Great  Britain ;  to  seize  all 
British  subjects  not  connected  with  the  company 
or  employed  by  them  or  in  such  territory  by  their 
license  and  send  them  to  England."  Should  one 
of  its  factors,  traders  or  other  employees  "contemn 
or  disobey  an  order,  he  was  liable  to  be  punished 
by  the  president  or  council,  who  were  authorized 
to  prescribe  the  manner  and  measure  of  punish- 
ment. The  offender  had  the  right  to  appeal  to  the 
company  in  England,  or  he  might  be  turned  over 
for  trial  by  the  courts.  For  the  better  discovery 
of  abuses  and  injuries  by  servants,  the  governor 
and  company,  and  their  respective  president,  chief 
agent  or  governor  in  any  of  the  territories,  were 
authorized  to  examine  upon  oath  all  factors,  mas- 
ters, pursers,  supercargoes,  commanders  of  castles, 
forts,  fortifications,  plantations,  or  colonies,  or  other 
persons,  touching  or  concerning  any  matter  or  thing 
sought  to  be  investigated."  Further  to  strengthen 
the  hands  of  the  company  the  charter  concludes 
with  a  royal  mandate  to  all  "admirals,  vice-admirals, 
justices,  mayors,  sheriffs,  constables,  bailiffs,  and 
all  and  singular  other  our  officers,  ministers,  liege- 
men, subjects  whatsoever,  to  aid,  favor,  help  and 
assist  the  said  governor  and  company  to  enjoy,  as 
well  on  land  as  on  the  seas,  all  the  premises  in  said 
charter  contained,  whensoever  required." 

"Endowed  with  an  empire  over  which  the  com- 
pany exercised  absolute  dominion,  subject  only  to 


fealty  to  the  crown,  its  membership,  powerful 
nobles  and  citizens  of  wealth  residing  near  and  at 
the  court,  jealously  guarding  its  every  interest,  and 
securing  for  it  a  representation  in  the  government 
itself,  is  it  to  be  wondered,"  asks  Evans,  "that  this 
imperiiDii  in  iniperio  triumphantly  asserted  and 
firmly  established  British  supremacy  in  every  region 
in  which  it  operated?" 

Something  of  the  modus  operandi  of  the  com- 
pany must  now  be  given.  The  chief  factors  and 
chief  traders  were  paid  no  salaries,  but  in  lieu 
thereof  were  given  forty  per  cent,  of  the  profits, 
divided  among  them  on  some  basis  deemed  equi- 
table by  the  company.  The  clerks  received  sal- 
aries varying  from  twenty  to  one  hundred  pounds 
per  annum.  Below  these  again  were  the  servants, 
whose  term  of  enlistment  (for  such  in  effect  it  was) 
was  for  five  years,  and  whose  pay  was  seventeen 
pounds  per  year  without  clothing.  The  servant 
was  bound  by  indentures  to  devote  his  whole  time 
and  labor  to  the  company's  interests ;  to  yield  obe- 
dience to  superior  officers ;  to  defend  the  company's 
property ;  to  obey  faithfully  orders,  laws,  etc. ;  to 
defend  officers  and  agents  to  the  best  of  his  ability ; 
to  serve  in  the  capacity  of  a  soldier  whenever  called 
upon  so  to  do ;  to  attend  military  drill ;  and  never 
to  engage  or  be  interested  in  any  trade  or  occupa- 
tion except  in  accordance  with  the  company's  orders 
and  for  its  benefit.  In  addition  to  the  pittance  paid 
him,  the  servant  was  entitled,  should  he  desire  to 
remain  in  the  country  after  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  enlistment,  to  fifty  acres  of  land,  for  which 
he  was  to  render  twenty-eight  days'  service  per  an- 
num for  seven  years.  If  dismissed  before  the  expi- 
ration of  his  term,  the  servant,  it  was  agreed,  should 
be  transported  to  his  European  home  free  of  charge. 
Desertion  or  neglect  might  be  punished  by  the  for- 
feiture of  even  the  wretched  pittance  he  was  to 
receive.  It  was,  furthermore,  the  policy  of  the 
company  to  encourage  marriage  with  the  Indian 
women,  its  purpose  being  to  create  family  ties  which 
should  bind  the  poor  slave  to  the  soil.  By  the  time 
the  servant's  term  of  enlistment  had  expired,  there 
was,  therefore,  no  choice  left  him  but  to  re-enlist 
or  accept  the  grant  of  land.  "In  times  of  peace, 
laborers  and  operators  were  ever  on  hand  at  mere 
nominal  wages ;  in  times  of  outbreak  they  were  at 
once  transformed  into  soldiers  amenable  to  military 
usage  and  discipline." 

The  system  was  certainly  a  fine  one,  viewed 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  company,  but  while  it 
may  command  admiration  for  its  ingenuity,  it  is 
certainly  not  to  be  commended  for  magnanimity. 
Its  design  and  purpose  was  to  turn  the  wealth  of 
the  country  into  the  coffers  of  the  English  noble- 
men who  owned  Hudson's  Bay  stock,  though  this 
should  be  done  at  the  expense  of  the  manhood,  the 
self-respect  and  the  independence  of  the  poor  sons 
of  toil  who  foolishly  or  from  necessity  bound  them- 
selves to  its  service. 


THE    NORTHWEST   AND    HUDSON'S    BAY    COMPANIES 


21 


The  Indian  policy  of  the  company  was  no  less 
politic  than  its  treatment  of  its  employees,  but  it 
had  much  more  in  it  that  was  truly  commendable. 
Its  purpose  did  not  bring  its  employees  into  conflict 
with  the  Indian  nor  require  his  expulsion,  neither 
was  there  danger  of  the  lands  of  the  savage  being 
a])propriated  or  the  graves  of  his  people  disturbed. 
The  sale  of  intoxicants  was  positively  and  for  the 
most  part  successfully  prohibited.  Conciliation 
was  the  wisest  policy  of  the  company,  and  it  gov- 
erned itself  accordingly ;  but  when  punishment  was 
merited,  it  was  administered  with  promptness  and 
severity.  When  depredations  were  committed  the 
tribe  to  which  the  malefactor  belonged  was  pursued 
by  an  armed  force  and  compelled  to  deliver  the 
guilty  to  his  fate.  A  certain  amount  of  civilization 
was  introduced,  and  with  it  came  an  increase  of 
wants,  which  wants  could  be  supplied  only  at  the 
company's  forts.  Indians  were  sent  on  hunting 
and  trapping  expeditions  in  all  directions,  so  that 
concentration  of  tribes  became  difficult,  and  if  at- 
tempted, easily  perceived  in  time  to  prevent  trouble. 
Thus  the  company  secured  an  influence  over  the 
savage  and  a  place  in  his  affections  from  which  it 
could  not  easily  be  dislodged. 

In  their  treatment  of  missionaries,  civil  and 
military  officers  and  others  from  the  United  States, 
the  company's  factors  and  agents  were  uniformly 
courteous  and  kind.  Their  hos])itality  was  in  the 
highest  degree  commendable,  meriting  the  gratitude 
of  the  earliest  visitors  and  settlers.  The  poor  and 
unfortunate  never  asked  assistance  in  vain.  But 
woe  to  the  American  who  attempted  to  trade  with 
the  Indians,  to  trap,  hunt  or  do  anything  which 
brought  him  into  competition  with  the  British  cor- 
poration !  All  the  resources  of  a  company  supplied 
with  an  abundance  of  cheap  labor,  supported  by 
the  friendship  and  affection  of  the  aboriginal  peo- 
ples, backed  by  almost  unlimited  capital,  and  forti- 
fied by  the  favor  of  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most 
powerful  nations  of  the  world,  were  at  once  turned 
to  crush  him.  Counter-establishments  were  formed 
in  his  vicinity,  and  he  was  hampered  in  every  way 
possible  and  pursued  with  the  relentlessness  of  an 
evil  fate  until  compelled  to  retire  from  the  field. 

Such  being  the  conditions,  there  was  not  much 
encouragement  for  American  enterprise  in  the  basin 
of  the  Columbia.  It  is  not,  however,  in  the  Ameri- 
can character  to  yield  a  promising  prospect  without 
a  struggle,  and  several  times  efforts  were  made  at 
competition  in  the  Oregon  territory.  Of  some  of 
these  we  must  speak  briefly.  The  operations  of 
William  H.  Ashley  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains  did 
not  extend  to  the  Oregon  country  and  are  of 
importance  to  our  purpose  only  because  in  one  of 
his  expeditions,  fitted  out  in  1826,  he  brought  a 
six-pounder,  drawn  by  mules,  across  the  Rocky 
mountains,  thereby  demonstrating  the  feasibility  of 
a  wagon  road.  In  182G  Jedediah  S.  Smith,  of  the 
Rocky    Mountain    Fur    Company,    encouraged    by 


some  previous  successes  in  the  Snake  river  district, 
set  out  for  the  country  west  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake. 
He  proceeded  so  far  westward  that  no  recourse  was 
left  him  but  to  push  onward  to  the  Pacific,  his  stock 
of  provisions  being  so  reduced  and  his  horses  so 
exhausted  as  to  render  an  attempt  to  return  unwise. 
He  went  south  to  San  Diego  for  horses  and  supplies, 
and  experienced  no  little  difficulty  on  account  of  the 
suspicions  of  the  native  Californians,  who  were 
jealous  of  all  strangers,  especially  those  from  the 
United  States.  Eventually,  however,  he  was  able 
to  proceed  northward  to  the  Rogue  river,  then  along 
the  shore  to  the  Umpqua,  in  which  vicinity  serious 
difficulty  with  Indians  was  experienced.  Fifteen 
of  the  nineteen  who  constituted  the  party  were  mas- 
sacred ;  indeed,  all  who  happened  to  be  in  the  camp 
at  the  time  except  one  were  killed.  This  man,  aided 
by  friendly  Indians,  reached  Fort  Vancouver,  and 
told  his  story  to  the  magnanimous  chief  factor  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Coiupany,  Dr.  John  McLoughlin, 
who  offered  the  Indians  a  liberal  reward  for  the 
safe  return  of  Smith  and  his  two  companions.  A 
party  of  forty  men  was  equipped  at  once  to  go  to 
the  Umpqua  country,  but  before  they  got  started, 
Smith  and  the  men  arrived.  McLoughlin  took  steps 
to  secure  the  property  stolen  from  Smith,  and  so 
successfully  did  he  manage  the  affair  that  peltries 
to  the  value  of  over  three  thousand  dollars  were 
recovered  and  the  nuirderers  were  severely  pun- 
ished by  other  Indians.  Smith  was  conquered  by 
kindness,  and  at  his  solicitation  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain Fur  Company  retired  from  the  territory  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

Of  various  other  expeditions  by  Americans  into 
the  Oregon  country  and  of  the  attempts  by  Amer- 
ican vessels  to  trade  along  the  coast,  we  cannot 
speak.  Some  reference  must,  however,  be  made  to 
the  work  of  Captain  B.  L.  E.  Bonneville,  who,  in 
1831,  applied  for  a  two  years'  leave  of  absence  from 
the  United  States  army  that  he  might  "explore  the 
country  to  the  Rocky  mountains  and  beyond,  with 
a  view  to  ascertain  the  nature  and  character  of  the 
several  tribes  of  Indians  inhabiting  those  regions ; 
the  trade  which  might  profitably  be  carried  on  with 
them;  quality  of  soil,  productions,  minerals,  natural 
history,  climate,  geography,  topography,  as  well  as 
geology  of  the  various  parts  of  the  country  within 
the  limits  of  the  territories  of  the  United  States 
between  our  frontier  and  the  Pacific."  The  request 
was  granted.  While  Bonneville  was  informed  that 
the  government  would  be  to  no  expense  in  fitting 
up  the  expedition,  he  was  instructed  that  he  must 
provide  himself  with  suitable  instruments  and  maps, 
and  that  he  was  to  "note  particularly  the  number 
of  warriors  that  may  be  in  each  tribe  of  natives  that 
may  be  met  with,  their  alliances  with  other  tribes, 
and  their  relative  position  as  to  a  state  of  peace  or 
war ;  their  manner  of  making  war,  mode  of  subsist- 
ing themselves  during  a  state  of  war  and  a  state 
of  peace ;  the  arms  and  the  effect  of  them ;  whether 


INTRODUCTORY 


they  act  on  foot  or  on  horseback;  in  short,  every 
information  useful  to  the  government."  It  vi'ould 
seem  that  a  government  which  asked  such  im- 
portant services  ought  to  have  been  wiUing  to  make 
some  financial  return,  at  least  to  pay  the  expenses. 
But  Captain  Bonneville  had  to  secure  financial  aid 
elsewhere.  During  the  winter  an  association  was 
formed  in  New  York  which  furnished  the  neces- 
sary means,  and  on  May  1,  18;V3,  the  expedition 
set  out,  the  party  numbering  one  hundred  and  ten 
men.  They  took  with  them  in  wagons  a  large  quan- 
tity of  trading  goods  to  be  used  in  traffic  with  the 
Indians  in  the  basins  of  the  Colorado  and  Colum- 
bia rivers.  Bonneville  himself  went  as  far  west  as 
Fort  Walla  Walla.  Members  of  his  expedition 
entered  the  valleys  of  the  Humboldt,  Sacramento 
and  Colorado  rivers,  but  they  were  unable  to  com- 
pete with  the  experienced  Hudson's  Bay  and  Mis- 
souri Companies,  and  the  enterprise  proved  a 
financial  failure.  The  expedition  derives  its  chief 
importance  from  the  fact  that  it  forms  the  basis  of 
one  of  Irving's  most  fascinating  works,  which,  "in 
language  more  thrilling  and  varied  than  romance, 
has  pictured  the  trapper's  life,  its  dangers,  its  excit- 
ing pleasures,  the  bitter  rivalry  of  competing 
traders,  the  hostility  of  the  savages,"  presenting  a 
picture  of  the  fur  trade  which  will  preserve  to  latest 
posterity  something  of  the  charm  and  fascination 
of  that  wild,  weird  traffic. 

Captain  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth,  of  Massachusetts, 
projected  in  1832  an  enterprise  of  curious  interest 
and  some  historical  importance.  His  plan  was  to 
establish  salmon  fisheries  on  the  Columbia  river,  to 
be  operated  as  an  adjunct  to  and  in  connection  with 
the  fur  and  Indian  trade.  He  crossed  overland  to 
Oregon,  despatching  a  vessel  with  trading  goods 
via  Cape  Horn,  but  his  vessel  was  never  again 
heard  from,  so  the  enterprise  met  defeat.  The  next 
year  Captain  Wyeth  returned  to  Boston,  leaving, 
however,  most  of  his  party  in  the  country.  Many 
of  the  men  settled  in  the  Willamette  valley,  and  one 
of  them  found  employment  as  an  Indian  teacher 
for  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

Not  to  be  discouraged  by  one  failure.  Captain 
Wyeth,  in  1834,  fitted  out  another  land  expedition 
and  despatched  to  the  Columbia  another  vessel,  the 
May  Dacre,  laden  with  trading  goods.  On  reaching 
the  confluence  of  the  Snake  and  Port  Neuf  rivers, 
Wyeth  erected  a  trading  post,  to  which  he  gave  the 
name  of  Fort  Hall.  Having  sent  out  his  hunting 
and  trapping  parties,  and  made  arrangements  for 
the  season's  operations,  he  proceeded  to  Fort  Van- 
couver, where,  about  the  same  time,  the  May  Dacre 
arrived.  He  established  a  trading  house  and  salmon 
fishery  on  Wapato  (now  Sauvie's)  island,  which 
became  known  as  Fort  William.  The  fishery  proved 
a  failure,  and  the  trading  and  trapping  industry 
could  not  stand  the  competition  and  harassing 
tactics  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  the 
constant  hostility  of  the  Indians.    George  B.  Roberts, 


who  came  to  Oregon  in  1831  as  an  employee  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  is  quoted  as  having 
accounted  for  the  trouble  with  the  red  men  in  this 
way.  He  said :  "The  island  was  thickly  inhabited 
by  Indians  until  1830,  when  they  were  nearly  ex- 
terminated by  congestive  chills  and  fever.  There 
were  at  the  time  three  villages  on  the  island.  So 
fatal  were  the  effects  of  the  disease,  that  Dr.  Mc- 
Loughlin  sent  a  party  to  rescue  and  bring  away  the 
few  that  were  left,  and  to  burn  the  villages.  The 
Indians  attributed  the  introduction  of  the  fever 
and  ague  to  an  American  vessel  that  had  visited 
the  river  a  year  or  two  previously.  It  is  not  there- 
fore a  matter  of  surprise  to  any  who  understand 
Indian  character  and  their  views  as  to  death  re- 
sulting from  such  diseases,  that  Wyeth's  attempted 
establishment  on  Wapato  island  was  subject  to 
continued  hostility.  He  was  of  a  race  to  whom  they 
attributed  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  their 
people :  and  his  employees  were  but  the  lawful 
compensation  according  to  their  code  for  the  afflic- 
tion they  had  suffered." 

Wyeth  eventually  returned  to  Massachusetts 
disheartened.  Fort  Hall  ultimately  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  with  its 
acquisition  by  them,  practically  ended  American  fur 
trade  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  But  though 
Wyeth's  enterprise  failed  so  signally,  his  account  of 
it,  published  by  order  of  congress,  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  Americans  to  Oregon,  and  did  much  to 
stimulate  its  settlement. 

It  will  readily  be  seen  then  that  whatever  ad- 
vantage the  establishment  of  fur-trading  enterprises 
might  give  in  the  final  settlement  of  the  Oregon 
question  was  with  the  British.  We  shall  attempt  a 
brief  and  succinct  account  of  the  "struggle  for 
possession"  in  a  later  chapter,  but  it  will  here  be  our 
task  to  determine  in  some  measure  what  the  political 
mission  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  might  be 
and  what  part  that  association  was  playing  in  inter- 
national affairs.  In  1837  the  company  applied  to 
the  home  government  for  a  new  license,  granting 
enlarged  privileges.  In  enforcing  its  request,  it 
pointed  forcibly  to  its  efficient  services  in  suc- 
cessfully crushing  out  American  enterprise  and 
strengthening  liritish  title  to  the  territory,  contrary 
to  the  spirit  and  letter  of  the  Joint-Occupancy 
treaties  of  1818  and  1827. 

In  presenting  the  petition,  the  company's  chief 
representative  in  England,  Sir  John  Henry  Pelly, 
called  the  attention  of  the  lords  to  the  service  ren- 
dered in  securing  to  the  mother  country  a  branch  of 
trade  wrested  from  subjects  of  Russia  and  the 
United  States  of  America;  to  the  six  permanent 
establishments  it  had  on  the  coast,  and  the  sixteen 
in  the  interior,  besides  the  migratory  and  hunting 
parties ;  to  its  marine  of  six  armed  vessels ;  to  its 
large  pasture  and  grain  farms,  affording  every 
species  of  agricultural  produce  and  maintaining 
large  herds  of  stock.     He  further  averred  that  it 


THE    NORTHWEST    AND    HUDSON'S    BAY    COMPANIES 


was  the  intention  of  the  company  still  further  to 
extend  and  increase  its  farms,  and  to  establish  an 
export  trade  in  wool,  hides,  tallow  and  other  prod- 
uce of  the  herd  and  the  cultivated  field,  also  to 
encourage  the  settlement  of  its  retired  servants  and 
other  emigrants  under  its  protection.  Referring 
to  the  soil,  climate  and  other  circumstances  of  the 
country,  he  said  they  were  .such  as  to  make  it  "as 
much  adapted  to  agricultural  pursuits  as  any  other 
spot  in  America ;  and,"  said  he,  "with  care  and  pro- 
tection, the  British  dominion  may  not  only  be  pre- 
served in  this  country,  which  it  has  been  so  much 
the  wish  of  Russia  and  America  to  occupy  to  the 
exclusion  of  British  subjects,  but  British  interest 
and  British  influence  may  be  maintained  as  para- 
mount in  this  interesting  part  of  the  coast  of  the 
Pacific." 

Sir  George  Simpson,  who  was  in  charge  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  affairs  in  America,  in 
making  his  plea  for  the  renewal  of  the  license, 
referred  to  the  international  import  of  the  com- 
pany's operations  in  this  language :  "The  posses- 
sion of  that  country  to  Great  Britain  may  be  an 
object  of  very  great  importance ;  and  we  are 
strengthening  that  claim  to  it  (independent  of  the 
claims  of  prior  discovery  and  occupation  for  the 
purpose  of  Indian  trade)  by  forming  the  nucleus 
of  a  colony  through  the  estabHshment  of  farms, 
and  the  settlement  of  some  of  our  retired  officers 
and  servants  as  agriculturists." 

One  might  almost  expect  that  Great  Britain 
might  utter  some  word  of  reproof  to  a  company 
which  could  have  the  audacity  to  boast  of  violating 
her  treaty  compacts  with  a  friendly  power.  Not  so, 
however.  She  was  a  party  to  the  breach  of  faith. 
Instead  of  administering  merited  reproof,  she 
rewards  the  wrongdoers  by  the  prompt  issuing  of 
a  new  license  to  extend  and  be  in  force  for  a  period 
of  twenty-one  years.  This  renewed  license,  the  date 
of  which  is  May  31,  18.38,  granted  to  the  company 
"the  exclusive  privilege  of  trading  with  the  Indians 
in  all  such  parts  of  North  America,  to  the  north- 
ward and  westward  of  the  islands  and  territories 
belonging  to  the  United  States  of  America,  as  shall 
not  form  part  of  any  of  our  (British)  provinces  in 
North  America  or  any  lands  or  territories  belonging 
to  the  said  United  States  of  America,  or  to  any 
European  government,  state,  or  power.  Without 
rent  for  the  first  five  years,  and  afterward  the  yearly 
rent  of  five  shillings,  payable  on  the  first  of  June." 

The  company  was  again  required  to  furnish  a 
bond  conditioned  on  their  executing,  by  their 
authority  over  the  persons  in  their  employ,  "all  civil 
and  criminal  process  by  the  officers  or  persons  usu- 
ally empowered  to  execute  such  process  within  all 
territories  included  in  the  grant,  and  for  the  produc- 
ing or  delivering  into  custody,  for  the  purpose  of 
trial,  all  persons  in  their  employ  or  acting  under  their 


authority  within  the  said  territories,  who  shall  be 
charged  with  any  criminal  offences." 

The  license,  however,  prohibited  the  company 
"from  claiming  or  exercising  any  trade  with  the 
Indians  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America  west- 
ward of  the  Rocky  mountains  to  the  prejudice  or 
exclusion  of  any  of  the  subjects  of  any  foreign 
state,  who,  under  or  by  force  of  any  convention 
for  the  time  being  between  Great  Britain  and  such 
foreign  states  may  be  entitled  to  and  shall  be  en- 
gaged in  such  trade."  But  no  provision  could  be 
framed,  nor  was  it  the  wish  of  the  grantors  to 
frame  any,  which  should  prevent  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  from  driving  out  by  harassing  tactics 
and  fierce  competition  any  American  who  might 
enter  the  Oregon  territory  as  a  trader. 

One  of  the  strangest  ruses  of  this  wonderfully 
shrewd  and  resourceful  company  must  now  receive 
notice.  It  was  not  in  the  power  of  the  British 
government  to  convey  lands  in  the  Oregon  country, 
neither  could  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  in  any 
way  acquire  legal  title  to  realty.  It  therefore  de- 
termined upon  a  bold  artifice.  A  co-partnership 
was  formed  on  the  joint  stock  principle,  the  person- 
nel of  the  company  consisting  largely  of  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  stockholders.  The  name  adopted  for 
it  was  the  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company. 
The  idea  of  this  association  was  to  acquire  a  pos- 
sessory right  to  large  tracts  of  rich  tillable  and 
grazing  lands,  use  these  for  agricultural  purposes 
and  pasturage  until  the  Oregon  controversy  was 
settled,  then,  should  the  British  be  successful  in 
that  controversy,  apply  at  once  for  articles  of  in- 
corporation and  a  grant.  It  was,  of  course,  the 
purpose  of  the  promoters,  from  motives  of  self- 
interest  as  well  as  of  patriotism,  to  strengthen  the 
claim  of  the  mother  country  in  every  possible  way. 
Great  Britain  never  acquired  title  to  the  lands  in 
question;  the  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company 
never  gained  a  corporate  existence;  it  never  had 
anything  more  than  a  bare  possessory  right  to  any 
lands,  a  right  terminating  on  the  death  or  with- 
drawal from  the  company  of  the  person  seized 
therewith.  Logically,  then,  we  should  expect  the 
absolute  failure  of  the  scheme.  But  it  did  not  fail. 
So  forceful  was  this  legal  figment  and  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  behind  it,  that  they  had  the  power 
to  demand  as  one  of  the  conditions  upon  which 
peace  might  be  maintained  between  the  two  gov- 
ernments chiefly  concerned  in  the  Oregon  contro- 
versy, that  "the  farms,  lands  and  other  property 
of  every  description  belonging  to  the  Puget  Sound 
Agricultural  Company,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Columbia  river,  shall  be  confirmed  to  the  said 
company.  In  case,  however,  the  situation  of  those 
lands  and  farms  should  be  considered  by  the  United 
States  to  be  of  public  and  political  importance,  and 
the  United  States  government  should  signify  a 
desire  to  obtain  possession  of  the  whole  or  a  part 


INTRODUCTORY 


thereof,  the  property  so  required  shall  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  government  at  a  proper  valuation,  to 
be  agreed  upon  between  the  parties." 

The  Puget  Sound  Company  laid  claim  under 
the  treaty  to  two  tracts — the  tract  of  the  Nisqually, 
containing  two  hundred  and  sixty-one  square  miles, 
and  the  Cowlitz  farm,  containing  three  thousand 
five  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres.  When  the 
matter  came  up  for  settlement,  the  company  asked 
five  millions  of  dollars  in  liquidation  of  its  claims. 
So  the  United  States  was  forced,  in  the  interests  of 
peace  and  humanity,  into  an  illogical  agreement  to 


purchase  lands,  the  claim  to  which  was  established 
in  open  violation  of  the  Joint-Occupancy  treaties 
of  1818  and  1837.  She  was  forced  by  a  provision 
of  the  treaty  of  1846  to  obligate  herself  to  purchase 
lands  which  the  same  treaty  conceded  as  belonging 
to  her.  More  humiliating  still,  she  was  compelled 
to  reward  a  company  for  its  acts  of  hostility  to 
her  interests  in  keeping  out  her  citizens  and  break- 
ing up  their  establishments.  But  the  sacrifice 
was  made  in  the  interests  of  peace  and  civilization, 
and  who  shall  say  that  in  conserving  these  it  lacked 
an  abundant  justification? 


CHAPTER   V 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


Already,  it  is  hoped,  there  has  been  conveyed  to 
the  mind  of  the  reader  as  clear  an  impression  as 
the  limits  of  this  volume  will  permit  of  the  first 
faint  knockings  of  civilization's  standard-bearers 
upon  our  western  shores,  of  some  of  the  expeditions 
by  which  the  land  so  long  a  terra  incognita  was 
robbed  of  its  mystery  and  the  overland  route  to  it 
discovered,  and  of  the  regime  of  the  trapper  and 
fur  trader.  It  remains  to  treat  of  missionary  occu- 
pancy, of  the  advent  of  the  pioneer  settler,  of  the 
diplomatic  struggle  for  the  possession  of  the  country 
and  of  that  second  struggle  for  possession  which 
cost  so  much  hardship  and  sacrifice  on  the  part  of 
both  the  white  and  the  red  race  and  left  so  tragic 
a  stain  on  our  earlier  annals. 

With  Wyeth's  overland  expedition,  previously 
mentioned,  were  Dr.  Nuttall,  a  naturalist,  and  J.  K. 
Townsend,  an  ornithologist,  both  sent  out  by  a 
Boston  scientific  society ;  also  Rev.  Jason  Lee  and 
his  nephew.  Rev.  Daniel  Lee,  Cyrus  Shepherd, 
Courtney  M.  Walker  and  P.  L.  Edwards,  a  mis- 
sionary party  sent  out  by  the  Methodist  Missionary 
Board  of  the  United  States.  This  body  of  unpre- 
tentious evangels  of  gospel  truth  were  destined  to 
exert  an  influence  of  which  they  little  dreamed  upon 
the  imperial  Hudson's  Bay  Company  and  the 
struggle  for  sovereignty  in  Oregon.  The  scientific 
men  and  the  missionaries  left  Wyeth,  who  was 
delayed  in  the  constniction  of  Fort  Hall,  and  were 
guided  the  remainder  of  the  way  by  A.  R.  McLeod 
and  Thomas  McKay,  Hudson's  Bay  men,  to  old 
Fort  Walla  Walla,  which  they  reached  September 
1st.     The  journey   from   that   point  to  Vancouver 


was  accomplished  in  two  weeks.  Little  did  these 
devoted  servants  of  the  British  fur  monopoly  realize 
that  the  unassuming  missionary  party  they  so  kindly 
piloted  from  Fort  Hall  to  \'ancouver  would  prove 
so  potential  in  antagonizing  their  interests,  and 
those  of  the  imperial  power  whose  patronage  they 
enjoyed.  The  missionary  party,  it  has  been  said, 
"was  but  another  Trojan  horse  within  whose  ap- 
parently guileless  interior  was  confined  a  hostile 
force,  which  would,  within  a  decade  of  years,  throw 
wide  open  the  gates  of  exclusive  privilege  and  intro- 
duce within  the  jealously  guarded  walls  a  host  of 
foes,  to  the  utter  destruction  of  intrenched  monopoly 
and  the  final  overthrow  of  British  dominion  and 
pretension  on  the  Pacific  coast !  Well  might  Gov- 
ernor McLoughlin,  the  autocrat  of  the  Pacific 
Northwest,  when  he  welcomed  this  modest  party 
of  meek  Methodists,  and  assigned  them  land  near 
Salem,  have  recalled  the  misgivings  of  the  Trojan 
prophetess:  'Tiinco  Danaos  ct  dona  fercntcs' — 'I 
distrust  the  Greeks,  though  they  offer  gifts.'  The 
American  missionary  was  an  advance  agent  of 
Yankee  invasion." 

About  the  time  Wyeth's  main  party  arrived  at 
Vancouver  came  also  the  ship  on  which  were  his 
goods  for  the  fur  trade,  and  the  furniture  and 
supplies  of  the  missionary  party.  On  October  6th 
the  goods  of  the  missionaries  were  landed  at  Wheat- 
land, as  they  named  the  place  where  the  mission 
was  to  be  established.  By  November  3d  a  log  house 
was  advanced  sufficiently  for  occupation,  but  before 
the  roof  was  on  Indian  children  had  been  admitted 
as    pupils,     and    by    December     14th    twenty-one 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


persons,  of  whom  seventeen  were  children,  were 
baptized  by  Jason  Let-  at  Vancouver. 

Wyeth's  enterprise,  as  well  as  all  previous  efforts 
of  a  like  character  inaugurated  by  Americans,  was 
met  by  crushing  and  ruinous  opposition  from  the 
autocratic  British  monopoly,  but  the  missionaries 
were  assisted  and  encouraged  in  every  way.  Bonne- 
ville, Wyeth  and  other  American  adventurers  and 
traders  had  come  to  Oregon  to  compete  with  the 
British  traders  or  to  colonize  against  the  interests 
of  their  fatherland.  Lee  and  his  party  were  there 
to  Christianize  the  pagan  inhabitants,  to  instruct 
the  ignorant,  to  minister  to  the  sick  and  the  dying, 
and  to  set  a  godly  example  to  the  irreligious,  the 
reckless  and  semi-barbarous  employees  and  ex- 
servants  of  the  corporation.  Hence  the  difference 
in  their  reception.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
shrewd  and  vigilant  though  it  was,  did  not  and 
could  not  foresee  that  the  attempt  to  convert  the 
Indian  would  fail,  owing  to  causes  over  which  the 
missionaries  had  no  control,  and  that  the  mission 
people  would  form  a  settlement  of  their  own,  around 
which  would  naturall\'  cluster  all  the  elements  of 
society  independent  of  the  British  corporation ;  that 
a  social  and  political  force  would  spring  up  hostile 
to  the  commercial  interests  and  ])nlitical  ambitions 
of  the  company,  potential  to  destrov  its  autocratic 
sway  in  the  land  and  forceful  to  effect  the  final 
wresting  of  the  country  entirely  from  its  control. 
The  coming  of  the  missionaries  has  been  well  styled 
the  entrance  of  the  wedge  of  American  occupancy. 

The  event  which  prompted  the  outfitting  of  this 
missionary  enterprise  is  one  of  the  strangest  and 
most  romantic  character.  It  shows  how  affairs 
apparently  the  most  trivial  will  deeply  influence  and 
sometimes  greatly  change  the  current  of  human 
history.  In  one  of  the  former  historical  works,  in 
the  compilation  of  which  the  writer  has  had  a  part, 
the  story  is  told  by  Colonel  William  Parsons,  of 
Pendleton,  Oregon,  substantially  as  follows: 

"Far  up  in  the  mountains  of  Montana,  in  one 
of  the  many  valleys  which  sparkle  like  emeralds 
on  the  western  slope  of  the  Stony  range,  a  handful 
of  natives,  whom  the  whites  call  by  the  now  in- 
appropriate name  of  'Flatheads,'  met  to  ponder 
over  the  unique  tale  repeated  by  some  passing 
mountaineer  of  a  magic  book  possessed  by  the  white 
man,  which  assured  its  owners  of  peace  and  comfort 
in  this  life  and  eternal  bliss  in  the  world  beyond  the 
grave.  The  Flatheads  were  a  weak  and  unwarlike 
people ;  they  were  sorely  beset  by  the  fierce  Black- 
feet,  their  hereditary  foes,  through  whose  terrible 
incursions  the  Flatheads  had  been  reduced  in  num- 
bers and  harassed  so  continuously  that  their  state 
was  most  pitiable.  To  this  remnant  of  a  once  proud 
race  the  trapper's  story  was  a  rainbow  of  promise ; 
the  chiefs  resolved  to  seek  this  book,  and  possess 
themselves  of  the  white  man's  treasure.  They  chose 
an  embassy  of  four  of  their  wisest  and  bravest  men, 
and  sent  them  trustfullv  on  the  tribe's  errand.    The 


quest  of  'three  kings  of  orient,'  who,  two  thou- 
sand years  ago,  started  on  their  holy  pilgrimage 
to  the  manger  Of  the  lowly  babe  of  P.ethlehem, 
was  not  more  weird,  nor  was  the  search  of  the 
knights  of  King  Arthur's  round  table  for  the  Holy 
Grail  more  picturesque  and  seemingly  more  hope- 
less. Though  they  knew  that  there  were  men  of 
the  pale-face  race  on  the  lower  waters  of  the 
Columbia,  and  one  of  these  doubtless  had  told 
them  of  the  book,  they  knew  that  these  uncouth 
trappers,  hunters  and  fishers  were  ungodly  men  in 
the  main  and  not  custodians  of  the  precious  volume 
for  which  their  souls  so  earnestly  longed.  These 
were  not  like  the  fishers  of  old  by  the  sea  of  Galilee, 
who  received  the  gospel  gladly,  and,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  Master,  themselves  became  fishers 
of  men,  but  were  scoffers-,  swearers  and  contemners 
of  holy  things.  So  the  Indians,  like  the  ancient 
wise  men,  turned  their  faces  towards  the  east. 

"They  threaded  their  toilsome  way  by  stealth 
through  the  dreaded  Blackfoot  country,  scaled  the 
perilous  Stony  mountains,  descending  the  eastern 
slope,  followed  the  tributaries  of  the  Missouri 
through  the  dreaded  country  of  the  Dakotahs,  and 
then  pursued  the  windings  of  the  Missouri  till  they 
struck  the  Father  of  Waters,  arriving  at  St.  Louis 
in  the  summer  of  1832.  Indians  were  no  rarity  in 
this  outpost  of  civilization,  and  the  friendless  and 
forlorn  Flatheads  soon  discovered  that  the  white 
trappers,  hunters,  flatboat  men,  traders,  teamsters, 
and  riff-raff  of  a  bustling  young  city  were  about 
the  last  people  in  the  world  to  supply  Indians  who 
had  no  furs  to  sell  with  either  spiritual  or  material 
solace.  The  embassy  was  not  only  without  money, 
but  its  members  could  not  even  speak  the  language 
of  the  pale-faces.  Nor  was  anyone  found  who 
could  serve  as  interpreter.  It  would  have  been 
easy  enough  to  have  obtained  a  Bible,  if  they  could 
have  met  with  a  stray  colporteur,  but  none  was  in 
evidence,  and  the  average  denizen  of  St.  Louis 
was  better  provided  with  cartridge  belts  and  guns 
than  with  literature  of  any  sort.  In  despair  they 
applied  to  Governor  Clark,  the  official  head  of  the 
territory,  whose  headquarters  were  in  the  town — 
the  same  William  Clark  who,  with  Captain  Meri- 
wether Lewis,  had  led  the  expedition  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia  nearly  thirty  years  before.  It  is 
possible  that  they  may  have  heard  of  Clark  by 
reason  of  his  travels  through  their  country  a  gen- 
eration previous.  By  means  of  signs  and  such  few 
words  of  jargon  as  they  could  muster  they  at- 
tempted to  explain  to  Governor  Clark  the  purpose 
of  their  visit  but  it  is  evident  that  they  succeeded 
none  too  well.  In  response  to  their  prayer  for 
spiritual  food,  he  bestowed  on  them  blankets,  beads 
and  tobacco — the  routine  gifts  to  importunate  red- 
skins— and  the  discouraged  Flatheads  abandoned 
their  illusive  quest  for  the  magic  book.  Before 
leaving  for  home,  the  Indians  made  a  farewell  call 
on  Governor  Clark,  during  which  they,  or  one  of 


INTRODUCTORY 


them,  made  a  speech.  Just  what  the  speaker  said, 
or  tried  to  say,  may  be  a  matter  of  doubt,  but  the 
report  made  of  it  and  g-iven  to  the  press  is  a  marvel 
of  simple  eloquence.     It  is  as  follows: 

We  came  to  you  over  a  trail  of  many  moons  from  the 
setting  sun.  You  were  the  friend  of  our  fathers,  who  have 
all  gone  the  long  road.  We  came  with  our  eyes  partly 
opened  for  more  light  for  our  people  who  sit  in  darkness. 
We  go  back  with  our  eyes  closed.  How  can  we  go  back 
blind  to  our  blind  people?  We  made  our  way  to  you  with 
strong  arms,  through  many  enemies  and  strange  lands, 
that  we  might  carry  back  much  to  them.  We  go  back  with 
both  arms  broken  and  empty.  The  two  fathers  who  came 
with  us — the  braves  of  many  winters  and  wars — we  leave 
here  asleep  by  your  great  water  and  wigwams.  They 
were  tirnl  with  their  journey  of  many  moons  and  tlieir 
moccasiii-    \Mr'     w-ni   out. 

Our  ii.j'.|ile  -I  III  us  to  get  the  white  man's  Book  of 
Heaven.  \  uu  took  us  where  they  worship  the  Great 
Spirit  with  caudles,  but  the  Book  was  not  there.  You 
showed  us  the  images  of  good  spirits,  and  pictures  of  the 
good  land  beyond,  but  the  Book  was  not  among  them  to 
tell  us  the  way.  You  made  our  feet  heavy  with  burdens 
of  gifts,  and  our  moccasins  will  grow  old  with  carrying 
them,  but  the  Book  is  not  among  them.  We  are  going 
back  the  long,  sad  trail  to  our  people.  When  we  tell  them, 
after  one  more  snow,  in  the  big  council,  that  we  did  not 
bring  the  Book,  no  word  will  be  spoken  by  our  old  men 
nor  by  our  young  braves.  One  by  one  they  will  rise  up 
and  go  out  in  silence.  Our  people  will  die  in  darkness, 
and  they  will  go  on  the  long  path  to  the  other  hunting 
grounds.  No  white  man  will  go  with  them,  and  no  Book 
of  Heaven  to  make  the  way  plain.  We  have  no  more 
words. 

"The  story  of  the  Flathead  embassy  and  their 
unique  quest  subsequently  reached  George  Catlin 
through  the  medium  of  Governor  Clark.  Catlin 
was  an  artist  who  had  made  a  special  study  of 
Indian  types  and  dress,  and  had  painted  with  great 
ability  and  fidelity  many  portraits  of  noted  chiefs. 
In  the  national  museum  at  Washington,  D.  C,  may 
be  seen  a  very  extensive  collection  of  his  Indian 
paintings,  supplemented  with  almost  innumerable 
recent  photographs,  among  which  are  those  of  Chief 
Joseph,  the  great  Nez  Perce  warrior,  and  the  Uma- 
tilla reservation  chieftains — Homeli,  Peo  and  Paul 
Showeway.  Mr.  Catlin  was  not  only  a  portrait 
painter,  but  a  gifted  writer.  He  converted  the 
plain,  unvarnished  tale  of  Governor  Clark  concern- 
ing the  Flatheads  into  an  epic  poem  of  thrilling 
interest,  and  gave  it  to  the  press.  Its  publication  in 
the  religious  journals  created  a  great  sensation,  and 
steps  were  immediately  taken  to  answer  the  Mace- 
donian cry  of  the  Flatheads.  The  sending  of  Jason 
Lee  and  his  party  to  Oregon  was  a  result. 

"The  quest  of  the  Flatheads,  the  sad  deaths  of 
all  their  ambassadors  save  one  on  the  journey,  and 
the  temporary  failure  of  their  project  seemed  a 
hopeless  defeat,  but  they  'builded  wiser  than  they 
knew,'  for  the  very  fact  of  their  mission  stirred 
mightily  the  hearts  of  the  church  people,  and 
through  that  instrumentality  the  attention  of  Amer- 
icans was  sharply  directed  to  the  enormous  value 
of  the  Pacific  Northwest.  The  interest  thus  excited 
was  timely — another  decade  of  supine  lethargy  and 


the  entire  Pacific  coast  from  Mexico  to  the  Russian 
possessions  would  have  passed  irretrievably  under 
British  control. 

"The  Flatheads'  search  for  the  magic  book  was 
to  all  appearance  an  ignominious  failure,  but  their 
plaintive  cry,  feeble  though  it  was,  stirred  Uie 
mountain  heights,  and  precipitated  an  irresistible 
avalanche  of  American  enterprise  into  the  valley 
of  the  Columbia,  overwhelming  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  with  its  swelling  volume  of  American 
immigration. 

"In  a  lesser  way,  also,  their  mission  succeeded, 
though  success  was  long  on  the  road.  The  western 
movement  of  white  population  engulfed  the  hated 
Blackfeet,  reduced  their  numbers  till  they  were  no 
longer  formidable,  even  to  the  Flatheads,  confined 
them  within  the  narrow  limits  of  a  reservation  in 
northern  Montana,  where  they  were  ordered  about 
by  a  consequential  Indian  agent,  and  collared  and 
thrust  into  the  agency  jail  for  every  trifling  misde- 
meanor, by  the  agency  police ;  while  the  one  time 
harassed  and  outraged  Flathead  roams  unve.xed 
through  his  emerald  vales,  pursues  without  fear  to 
its  uttermost  retreat  in  the  Rockies  the  lordly  elk 
or  the  elusive  deer,  tempts  the  wily  trout  from  the 
dark  pool  of  the  sequestered  mountain  torrent  with 
the  seductive  fly,  or  lazily  floats  on  the  surface  of 
some  placid  lake,  which  mirrors  the  evergreen 
slopes  of  the  environing  hills,  peacefully  withdraw- 
ing, now  and  again,  the  appetizing  salmon  trout 
from  its  cool,  transparent  depths,  to  be  transferred 
presently,  in  exchange  for  gleaming  silver,  to  some 
thrifty  pale-face  housewife  or  some  unctuous 
Chinese  cook  for  a  tenderfoot  tourist's  dinner — for- 
getful all  and  fearless  of  Blackfoot  ambush  or 
deadly  foray.  Of  a  verity,  the  childlike  quest  for 
the  magic  book  was  not  without  its  compensation 
to  the  posterity  of  the  Flathead  ambassadors !" 

Of  those  Americans  who  came  to  Oregon  with 
the  early  expeditions,  three  in  1833  and  twenty- 
two  in  1834  became  permanent  settlers.  The  names 
of  these  are  preserved  by  W.  H.  Gray  in  his  history 
of  Oregon  as  follows:  "From  Captain  Wyeth's 
party  of  1833,  there  remained  S.  H.  Smith,  Sergeant, 
and  Tibbets,  a  stonecutter ;  and  from  his  party  of 
1834,  James  O'Neil  and  T.  J.  Hubbard.  From  the 
wreck  of  the  William  and  Ann,  a  survivor  named 
Felix  Hathaway  remained.  With  Ewing  Young 
from  California  in  1834,  a  party  came  who  remained 
in  Oregon,  consisting  of  Joseph  Gale,  who  died  in 
Union  "county,  that  state,  in  1883 ;  John  McCarty, 
Carmichael,  John  Hauxhurst,  John  Howard,  Kil- 
born,  Brandywine,  and  a  colored  man  named  George 
Winslow.  An  English  sailor  named  Richard  Mc- 
Cary  reached  the  Willamette  from  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains that  year,  as  did  also  Captain  J.  H.  Crouch, 
G.  W.  Le'  Breton,  John  McCaddan  and  William 
Johnson  from  the  brig  Maryland.  This  made  (with 
the  missionaries  heretofore  nained)  twenty-five 
residents   at   the  close   of   1834,   who   were   not   in 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


any  way  connected  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany, all  of  whom  were  here  for  other  than 
transient  purposes.  There  were  no  arrivals  in  1835." 

However,  the  year  183(5  was,  as  may  be  gleaned 
from  previous  pages,  an  important  one  for  Oregon. 
AX'hile,  as  Gray  states,  there  were  no  permanent 
residences  established  in  Oregon  in  1835,  that  was 
the  year  in  which  Rev.  Samuel  Parker  and  Dr. 
Marcus  Whitman  were  sent  out  by  the  American 
Board  to  explore  the  country  and  report  upon  it 
as  a  field  for  missionary  labors.  These  gentlemen 
were  met  at  the  trappers'  rendezvous  on  Green 
river  by  the  noted  Chief  Lawyer,  by  whom  they 
were  persuaded  into  the  plan  of  establishing  their 
proposed  mission  among  his  people,  the  Nez  Perces. 
When  this  conclusion  was  reached,  Dr.  Whitman 
started  back  to  the  east  accompanied  by  two  Nez 
Perce  boys,  Mr.  Parker  continuing  his  journey  west- 
ward to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  It  was  agreed 
that  Parker  should  seek  out  a  suitable  location 
among  the  Nez  Perces  for  the  mission,  while  Dr. 
Whitman  should  make  arrangements  for  the  west- 
ward journey  of  a  sufficient  force  and  for  the  es- 
tablishment and  outfitting  of  the  post.  The  results 
of  Mr.  Parker's  journeyings  are  embodied  in  a 
work  of  great  historic  value  from  his  own  pen, 
entitled  "Parker's  Exploring  Tour  Beyond  the 
Rocky  Mountains."  From  information  conve)fed 
by  this  volume,  Gilbert  summarizes  the  conditions 
in  Oregon  in  1835  as  follows: 

"Fort  Vancouver  on  the  Columbia,  under  charge 
of  Dr.  John  McLoughlin,  was  established  in  182-i, 
and  consisted  of  an  enclosure  by  stockade,  thirty- 
seven  rods  long  by  eighteen  wide,  that  faced  the 
south.  About  one  hundred  persons  were  employed 
at  the  place,  and  some  three  hundred  Indians  lived 
in  the  immediate  vicinity.  There  were  eight  sub- 
stantial buildings  within  the  stockade,  and  a  large 
number  of  small  ones  on  the  outside.  There  were 
459  cattle,  100  horses.  300  sheep,  40  goats  and  300 
hogs  belonging  to  the  company  at  this  place;  and 
during  the  season  of  1835  the  crops  produced  in 
that  vicinity  amounted  to  5,000  bushels  of  wheat, 
1,300  bushels  of  potatoes,  1,000  bushels  of  barley, 
1,000  bushels  of  oats,  3,000  bushels  of  peas,  and 
garden  vegetables  in  proportion.  The  garden,  con- 
taining five  acres,  besides  its  vegetable  products, 
included  apples,  peaches,  grapes  and  strawberries. 
A  grist  mill  with  machinery  propelled  by  o.xen 
was  kept  in  constant  use,  while  some  six  miles  up 
the  Columbia  was  a  saw  mill  containing  several 
saws,  which  supplied  lumber  for  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  Within  the  fort  was  a  bakery  employing 
three  men,  also  shops  for  blacksmiths,  joiners,  car- 
penters and  a  tinner. 

"Fort  Williams,  erected  by  N.  J.  Wyeth  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Willamette,  was  nearly  deserted,  Mr. 
Townsend,  the  ornithologist,  being  about  the  only 
occupant  at  the  time.  Wyeth  had  gone  to  his  Fort 
Hall  in  the  interior.     Of  Astoria,  at  the  mouth  of 


the  Columbia,  but  two  log  houses  and  a  garden 
remained,  where  two  white  men  dragged  out  a  dull 
existence,  to  maintain  possession  of  the  historic 
ground.  Its  ancient,  romantic  grandeur  had  de- 
parted from  its  walls,  when  dismantled  to  assist  in 
the  construction  and  defenses  of  its  rival.  Fort 
\^ancouver.  Up  the  Willamette  river  was  the 
Methodist  mission,  in  the  condition  already  noted, 
while  between  it  and  the  present  site  of  Oregon  City 
were  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  French  settle- 
ments of  Gervais  and  McKay,  containing  some 
twenty  families,  whose  children  were  being  taught 
by  young  Americans.  In  one  of  these  settlements  a 
grist  mill  had  just  been  completed.  East  of  the 
Cascade  mountains  Fort  Walla  Walla  was  situated 
at  the  mouth  of  a  river  by  that  name.  It  was  'built 
of  logs  and  was  internally  arranged  to  answer  the 
purposes  of  trade  and  domestic  comfort,  and  ex- 
ternally for  defense,  having  two  bastions,  and  was 
surrounded  by  a  stockade.'  It  was  accidentally 
burned  in  1841  and  rebuilt  of  adobe  within  a  year. 
At  this  point  the  company  had  'horses,  cows,  hogs, 
fowls,  and  they  cultivated  corn,  potatoes  and  a 
variety  of  garden  vegetables.'  This  fort  was  used 
for  a  trading  post,  where  goods  were  stored  for 
traffic  with  the  Indians.  Fort  Colville,  on  the  Col- 
umbia, a  little  above  Kettle  Falls,  near  the  present 
line  of  Washington  territory,  a  strongly  stockaded 
post,  was  occupied  by  a  half  dozen  men  with  Indian 
families,  and  Mr.  McDonald  was  in  charge.  Fort 
Okanogan,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  that  name, 
established  by  David  Stuart  in  1811,  was,  in  the 
absence  of  Air.  Ogden,  in  charge  of  a  single  white 
man.  Concerning  Fort  Hall,  nothing  is  said;  but 
it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
in  1836.  It  was  then  a  stockaded  fort,  but  was 
rebuilt  with  adobe  in  1838.  Mr.  Parker  is  also 
silent  in  regard  to  Fort  Boise,  which  was  con- 
structed on  Snake  river  from  poles  in  1834  as  a 
rival  establishment  to  Fort  Hall,  was  occupied  in 
1835  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  later  was 
more  substantially  constructed  from  adobe.  If 
there  were  other  establishments  in  1835,  west  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  between  the  forty-second  and 
forty-ninth  parallels,  the  writer  has  failed  to  obtain 
evidences  of  them." 

Meanwhile,  Whitman  was  working  in  the  east 
with  characteristic  energy,  and  he  succeeded  in 
raising  funds  and  securing  associates  for  two 
missions  in  Oregon  territory.  The  population  of 
Oregon  was  accordingly  increased  in  the  year  1836 
by  five  persons,  namely.  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman, 
Narcissa  (Prentiss)  Whitman,  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding 
and  wife,  and  W.  H.  Gray.  The  ladies  mentioned 
gained  the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first 
white  women  whose  feet  pressed  the  soil  of  old 
Oregon,  and  whose  blue  and  dark  eyes  looked  into 
the  dusky,  mystic  orbs  of  the  daughters  of  the 
Columbia  basin.  A  few  months  later  the  Methodist 
mission  was  also  blessed  by  the  purifying  presence 


28 


INTRODUCTORY 


of  noble  womanhood,  but  the  laurels  of  pioneership 
have  ever  rested  upon  the  worthy  brows  of  Mrs. 
Whitman  and  Mrs.  Spalding,  and  so  far  as  we 
know,  no  fair  hand  has  ever  been  raised  to  pluck 
them  thence.  The  missionary  party  brought  with 
them  eight  mules,  twelve  horses  and  sixteen  cows, 
also  three  wagons  laden  with  farming  utensils, 
blacksmiths'  and  carpenters'  tools,  clothing,  seeds, 
etc.,  to  make  it  possible  for  them  to  support  them- 
-selves  without  an  entire  dependence  upon  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  for  supplies.  Two  of  the 
wagons  were  abandoned  at  Fort  Laramie,  and 
heavy  pressure  was  brought  upon  Dr.  Whitman  to 
leave  the  third  at  the  rendezvous  on  Green  river,  but 
he  refused  to  do  so.  He  succeeded  in  getting  it  to 
Fort  Hall  intact,  then  reduced  it  to  a  two-wheeled 
cart,  which  he  brought  on  to  Fort  Boise,  thus 
demonstrating  the  feasibility  of  a  wagon  road  over 
the  Rocky  mountains. 

Although  a  reinforcement  for  the  Methodist 
mission  sailed  from  Boston  in  July,  1836,  it  failed  to 
reach  its  destination  on  the  Willamette  until  May 
of  the  following  year,  so  that  the  American  popu- 
lation at  the  close  of  1836  numbered  not  to  exceed 
thirty  persons,  including  the  two  ladies. 

Until  1836  there  were  no  cattle  in  the  country 
except  those  owned  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
and  those  brought  from  the  east  by  the  Whitman 
party.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  wished  to 
continue  this  condition  as  long  as  possible,  well 
knowing  that  the  introduction  of  cattle  or  any  other 
means  of  wealth  iiroduction  among  the  American 
population  would  necessarily  render  the  people  that 
much  more  nearly  independent.  When,  therefore, 
it  was  proposed  by  Ewing  Young  and  Jason  Lee 
that  a  party  should  be  sent  to  California  for  stock, 
the  idea  was  antagonized  by  the  autocratic  Colum- 
bia river  monopoly.  Thanks  largely  to  the  assist- 
ance of  William  A.  Slacum,  of  the  United  States 
navy,  by  whom  money  was  advanced  and  a  free 
passage  to  California  furnished  to  the  people's 
emissaries,  the  projectors  of  the  enterprise  were 
rendered  independent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany. Ewing  Young  was  captain  of  the  expedition ; 
P.  L.  Edwards,  of  the  Willamette  mission,  was  also 
one  of  its  leading  spirits.  The  men  purchased  seven 
hundred  head  of  cattle  at  three  dollars  per  head 
and  set  out  upon  their  return  journey.  They  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  about  six  hundred  head  to  the 
Willamette  country,  notwithstanding  the  bitter  hos- 
tility of  the  Indians.  Gilbert  quotes  from  the  diary 
of  P.  L.  Edwards,  which  he  says  was  shown  him 
by  the  latter's  daughter  in  California,  to  prove  that 
the  trouble  with  the  Indians  was  caused  by  the 
wanton  and  cold-blooded  murder  by  members  of 
the  party  of  a  friendly  Indian  who  was  following 
the  band.  The  Indian  hostilities  were  not  incited 
by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  as  some  have  stated, 
but  may  properly  be  laid  at  the  doors  of  the  men 
who  committed  this  barbarous  outrage  in  revenge 


for  wrongs  suffered  by  a  party  to  which  they 
belonged  two  years  before. 

The  arrival  of  neat  cattle  in  the  Willamette 
country  provided  practically  the  first  means  of 
acquiring  wealth  independent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  "This  success  in  opposition  to  that 
interest,"  says  Gilbert,  "was  a  discovery  by  the 
settlers,  both  Americans  and  ex-employees,  that  they 
possessed  the  strength  to  rend  the  bars  that  held 
them  captives  under  a  species  of  peonage.  With 
this  one  blow,  directed  by  missionaries,  and  dealt 
by  ex-American  hunters,  an  independent  main- 
tenance in  Oregon  had  been  rendered  possible  for 
immigrants." 

As  before  stated,  the  reinforcements  for  the 
Methodist  mission  arrived  in  May,  1837.  By  it 
the  American  population  was  increased  eight 
persons,  namely,  Elijah  White  and  wife,  Alanson 
Beers  and  wife,  W.  H.  Wilson,  the  Misses  Annie 
M.  Pitman,  Susan  Downing  and  Elvina  Johnson. 
In  the  fall  came  another  reinforcement,  the  per- 
sonnel of  which  was  Rev.  David  Leslie,  wife  and 
three  daughters,  the  Rev.  W.  H.  K.  Perkins  and 
Miss  Margaret  Smith.  Add  to  these  Dr.  J.  Bailey, 
an  linglish  physician,  George  Gay  and  John  Turner, 
who  also  arrived  this  year,  and  the  thirty  or  thirty- 
one  persons  who  settled  previously,  and  we  have  the 
population  of  Oregon  independent  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company's  direct  or  indirect  control  in  the  vear 
1837. 

In  January  of  that  year,  W.  H.  Gray,  of  the 
American  Board's  mission,  set  out  overland  to  the 
east  for  reinforcements  to  the  missionary  force  of 
which  he  was  a  member.  His  journey  was  not  an 
uneventful  one  as  will  appear  from  the  following 
narrative,  clothed  in  his  own  words,  which  casts 
so  vivid  a  light  upon  transcontinental  travel  during 
the  early  days  that  we  feel  constrained  to  quote  it: 

Our  sketches,  perhaps,  would  not  lose  in  interest  by 
giving  a  short  account  of  a  fight  which  our  Flathead  Indi- 
ans had  at  this  place  with  a  war  party  of  the  Blackfeet. 
It  occurred  near  the  present  location  of  Helena,  in  Mon- 
tana. As  was  the  custom  with  the  Flathead  Indians  in 
traveling  in  the  buffalo  coinitry.  their  hunters  and  warriors 
were  in  advance  of  the  main  camp.  A  party  of  twenty-five 
Blackfeet  warriors  was  discovered  by  some  twelve  of  our 
Flatheads.  To  see  each  ntlicr  was  to  fight,  especially  par- 
ties prowling  about  in  this  niaruicr.  and  at  it  thev  went. 
The  first  fire  of  the  b'latheads  brought  five  of  the  Blackfeet 
to  the  ground  and  wounded  live  more.  This  was  more 
than  they  expected,  and  the  Blackfeet  made  little  effort  to 
recover  their  dead,  which  were  duly  scalped  and  their 
bodies  left  for  food  for  the  wolves,  and  the  scalps  borne  in 
triumph  to  the  camp.  There  were  but  two  of  the  Flat- 
heads  wounded ;  one  had  a  flesh  wound  in  the  thigh,  and 
the  other  had  his  right  arm  broken  by  a  Blackfoot  ball. 

The  victory  was  complete,  and  the  rejoicing  in  camp 
corresponded  to  the  number  of  scalps  taken.  Five  days 
and  nights  the  usual  scalp  dance  was  performed.  At  the 
appointed  time  the  big  war  drum  was  sounded,  when  the 
warriors  and  braves  made  their  appearance  at  the  appointed 
place  in  the  open  air,  painted  as  warriors.  Those  who  had 
taken  the  scalps  from  the  heads  of  their  enemies  bore  them 
in  their  hands  upon  the  ramrods  of  their  guns. 

They  entered  the  circle,  and  the  war  song,  drums,  rat- 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


ties  and  noises  all  commenced.  The  scalp-bearers  stood  for 
a  moment  (as  if  to  catch  the  time),  and  then  commenced 
hopping,  jumping  and  yelling  in  concert  with  the  music. 
'Iliis  continued  for  a  time,  when  some  old  painted  woman 
took  the  scalps  and  continued  to  dance.  The  performance 
was  gone  through  with  as  many  nights  as  there  were 
scalps  taken. 

Seven  days  after  the  scalps  were  taken,  a  messenger 
arrived  bearing  a  white  flag,  and  a  proposition  to  make 
peace  for  the  purpose  of  trade.  After  the  preliminaries 
had  all  been  completed,  in  which  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany trader  had  the  principal  part  to  perform,  the  time 
was  I'l-xed  for  a  meeting  of  the  two  tribes.  The  Flatheads, 
however,  were  all  careful  to  dig  their  warpits,  make  their 
corrals  and  breastworks,  and,  in  short,  fortify  their  camp 
as  much  as  if  they  expected  a  fight  instead  of  peace. 
Ermatinger,  the  company's  leader,  remarked  that  he  would 
sooner  take  his  chances  of  a  fight  off-hand  thaii  endure  the 
anxiety  and  suspense  of  the  two  days  we  waited  for  the 
Blackfeet  to  arrive.  Our  scouts  and  warriors  were  all 
ready  and  on  the  watch  for  peace  or  war,  the  latter  of 
which  from  the  recent  fight  they  had  had  was  expected 
most.  At  length  the  Blackfeet  arrived,  bearing  a  red  flag 
with  "H.  B.  C."  in  white  letters  upon  it,  and  advancing  to 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  camp,  were  met  by  Ermat- 
inger and  a  few  Flathead  chiefs,  shook  hands  and  were  con- 
ducted to  the  trader's  lodge — the  largest  one  in  the  camp — 
and  the  principal  chiefs  of  both  tribes,  seated  upon  buffalo 
and  bear  skins,  all  went  through  with  the  ceremony  of 
smoking  a  big  pipe,  having  a  long  handle  or  stem  trimmed 
with  horse  hair  and  porcupine  quills.  The  pipe  was  filled 
with  the  traders'  tobacco  and  the  Indians'  killikinick.  The 
war  chiefs  of  each  tribe  took  a  puff  of  the  pipe,  then  passed 
it  each  to  his  right-liand  man,  and  so  around  till  all  the 
circle  had  smoked  the  big  medicine  pipe,  or  pipe  of  peace, 
which  on  this  occasion  was  made  by  the  Indians  from  a  soft 
stone  which  they  find  in  abundance  in  their  country,  hav- 
ing no  extra  ornamental  work  upon  it.  The  principal  chief 
in  command,  or  great  medicine  man,  went  through  the 
ceremony,  puffed  four  times,  blowing  his  smoke  in  four 
directions.  This  was  considered  a  sign  of  peace  to  all 
around  him,  which  doubtless  included  all  he  knew  any- 
thing about.  The  Blackfeet,  as  a  tribe,  are  a  tall,  well 
formed,  slim  built  and  active  people.  They  travel  princi- 
pally on  foot,  and  are  considered  very  treacherous. 

The  peace  made  with  so  much  formality  was  broken 
two  days  afterward  by  killing  two  of  the  Flatheads  when 
caught  not  far  from  the  main  camp. 

It  was  from  this  Flathead  tribe  that  the  first  Indian 
delegation  was  sent  to  ask  for  teachers.  Three  of  their 
number  volunteered  to  go  with  Gray  to  the  States  in  1837 
to  urge  their  claim  for  teachers  to  come  among  thein.  The 
party  reached  Ash  Hollow,  where  they  were  attacked  by 
about  three  hundred  Sioux  warriors,  and,  after  fighting 
for  three  hours,  killed  some  fifteen  of  them,  when  the 
Sioux,  by  means  of  a  French  trader  then  among  them, 
obtained  a  parley  with  Gray  and  his  traveling  companions 
— two  young  men  who  had  started  to  go  to  the  United 
States  with  him.  While  the  Frenchman  was  in  conversa- 
tion with  Gray,  the  treacherous  Siou.x  made  a  rush  upon 
the  three  Flatheads,  one  Snake  and  one  Iroquois  Indian 
belonging  to  the  party,  and  killed  them.  The  Frenchman 
tlien  turned  to  Gray  and  told  him  and  his  companions  they 
were  prisoners,  and  must  go  to  the  Sioux  camp,  first 
attempting  to  get  possession  of  their  gims.  Gray  informed 
them  at  once :  "You  have  killed  our  Indians  in  a  cowardly 
manner,  and  you  shall  not  have  our  guns,"  at  the  same 
time  telling  the  young  men  to  watch  the  first  motion  of  the 
Indians  to  take  their  lives,  and  if  we  must  die  to  take  as 
many  Indians  with  us  as  we  could.  The  Sioux  had  found 
in  the  contest  thus  far  that,  notwithstanding  they  had  con- 
quered and  killed  five,  they  had  lost  fifteen,  among  them 
one  of  their  war  chiefs,  besides  several  severely  wounded. 
The  party  was  not  further  molested  till  they  reached  the 
camp,  containing  between  one  and  two  hundred  lodges.  A 
full  explanation  was  had  of  the  whole  affair.    Gray  had  two 


horses  killed  under  him  and  two  balls  passed  through  his 
hat,  both  inflicting  slight  wounds.  The  party  were 
feasted,  and  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace  over  the  dead  body 
of  the  chief's  son.  Next  day  they  were  allowed  to  proceed 
with  nine  of  their  horses ;  the  balance,  with  the  property 
of  the  Indians,  the  Sionx  claimed  as  part  pay  for  their 
losses,  doubtless  calculating  to  wa\lay  and  take  the  bal- 
ance of  the  horses.  Be  tliat  as  it  may.  Gray  and  his  young 
men  reached  Council  Bluff's  in  twenty-one  days,  traveling 
nights  and  during  storms  to  a\oid  the  Indians  on  the 
plains. 

Gray  proceeded  east,  and  with  the  energy  and 
courage  which  ever  characterized  him,  set  about 
the  task  of  securing  the  needed  reinforcements. 
He  succeeded  in  enhsting  Rev.  Gushing  Eells,  Rev. 
E.  Walker  and  Rev.  A.  B.  Sinith,  with  their  wives, 
also  a  young  man  named  Gomelius  Rogers.  He 
also  succeeded  in  inducing  a  young  woman  to  be- 
come his  own  bride  and  to  share  with  him  tlie 
dangers  and  tedium  of  a  transcontinental  journey 
and  whatever  of  weal  or  woe  the  new  land  might 
have  in  store  for  them.  Mention  should  likewise 
be  made  of  the  noted  John  A.  Sutter,  an  ex-cap- 
tain of  the  Swiss  guard,  who  accompanied  this 
expedition  and  who  afterward  became  an  impor- 
tant  character   in   the  early   history  of   Galifornia. 

Two  priests.  Rev.  F.  N.  Blanchet  and  Modest 
Demers,  also  came  during  this  year,  so  the  seeds 
of  sectarian  strife,  which  did  so  much  to  neutral- 
ize the  efforts  and  work  of  the  Protestant  mission- 
aries, then  began  to  be  sown.  The  population  of 
Oregon,  independent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Gom- 
pany,  must  have  been  about  sixty  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1838. 

In  the  fall  of  1839  came  Rev.  J.  S.  Griffin  and 
Mr.  Munger,  with  their  wives,  Ben  Wright,  Law- 
son,  Keiser  and  Deiger,  also  T.  H.  Farnham,  author 
of  "Early  Days  in  California,"  Sidney  Smith,  Blair 
and  Robert  Shortess.  W.  H.  Gray,  in  his  history 
of  Oregon,  estimates  the  population  as  follows : 
"Protestant  missionaries,  10 ;  Roman  priests,  2 ; 
physicians,  2  ;  laymen,  6  ;  women,  13  ;  children,  10  ; 
settlers,  20 ;  settlers  under  Hudson's  Bay  control 
with  American  tendencies,  10;  total,  83." 

In  1838  Jason  Lee  made  a  journey  overland  to 
the  states  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a  force 
wherewith  to  extend  greatly  his  missionary  opera- 
tions. His  wife  died  during  his  absence  and  the 
sad  news  was  forwarded  to  him  by  Dr.  McLough- 
lin,  Dr.  Whitman  and  a  man  hired  by  Gray.  In 
June,  1840.  Lee  returned  with  a  party  of  forty- 
eight,  of  whom  eight  were  clergymen,  one  was  A 
physician,  fifteen  were  children  and  nineteen  were 
ladies,  five  of  them  unmarried.  Their  names  are 
included  in  Gray's  list  of  arrivals  for  1840. 

In  1841  eight  young  men  built  and  equipped  a 
vessel,  named  the  Star  of  Oregon,  in  which  they 
made  a  trip  to  San  Francisco.  Joseph  Gale  served 
as  captain  of  the  doughty  little  craft,  of  which 
Felix  Hathaway  had  been  master  builder.  The 
vessel  was  exchanged  at  Yerba  Buena  (  San  Fran- 
cisco)   for    three    hundred    and    fifty    cows.     Gale 


INTRODUCTORY 


remained  in  the  Golden  state  through  the  winter, 
then  set  out  overland  to  Oregon  with  a  party  of 
forty-two  immigrants,  who  brought  with  them,  as 
J.  W.  Xesmith  informs  us,  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  head  of  cattle,  six  hundred  head  of 
mares,  colts,  horses  and  mules,  and  three  thousand 
sheep.  The  incident  forms  the  theme  of  one  of 
Mrs.  Eva  E.  Dye's  most  charming  descriptions, 
but  its  strategic  importance  in  helping  to  Ameri- 
canize Oregon  and  break  up  the  cattle  monopoly 
seems  to  have  been  overlooked  by  many  other 
writers. 

The  Joseph  Gale  who  figured  so  prominently  in 
this  undertaking  was  afterward  a  member  of  the  first 
triumvirate  executive  committee  of  the  provisional 
government.  He  is  affectionately  remembered  in 
eastern  Oregon,  where  he  passed  the  closing  years 
of  his  eventful  life. 

By  the  close  of  the  year  1841  the  independent 
population  of  Oregon  had  reached  two  hundred 
and  fifty-three,  thirty-five  of  whom  are  classed  as 
settlers.  In  1845  came  an  immigration  of  one 
hundred  and  eleven  persons,  two  of  whom,  A.  L. 
Lovejoy  and  A.  \l.  Hastings,  were  lawyers.  In 
this  year,  also,  came  the  Red  river  immigration  of 
English  and  Scotch  and  of  French-Canadian  half- 
breeds  to  the  Puget  sound  country.  This  immi- 
gration wa*  inspired  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany, which  designed  it  as  an  oiifset  to  the  growing 
American  power  in  the  Oregon  country.  It  had, 
however,  very  little  political  effect,  as  many  of  its 
members  drifted  southward  into  the  Willamette 
country  and  became  members  of  the  provisional 
government.  The  year  1842  is  also  memorable  for 
the  famous  winter  ride  of  Dr.  Whitman. 

In  1843  came  the  largest  immigration  the  Ore- 
gon country  had  yet  known,  piloted  across  the  plains 
and  over  the  mountains  by  Whitman  himself.  Its 
eight  hundred  and  seventy-five  persons,  with  their 
wagons  and  thirteen  hundred  head  of  cattle,  settled 
forever  the  question  of  the  national  character  of 
Oregon.  J.  W.  Nesmith  has  preserved  for  us  the 
names  of  all  the  male  members  of  this  expedition 
over  sixteen  years  of  age,  as  also  of  those  remaining 
from  the   immigrations  of  the  year  previous.     In 

1844  came  eight  hundred  more  Americans,  and  in 

1845  a  much  larger  number,  estimated  by  some  at 
three  thousand.  The  year  1846  added  another 
thousand  to  Oregon's  American  population.  In  it 
the  ownership  of  the  country  was  definitely  settled 
by  treaty  with  Great  Britain,  and  the  famous  world 
problem  was  solved. 

It  is  impossible  here  adequately  to  treat  of  life 
and  conditions  in  the  Northwest  during  those  early 
days  of  American  occupation.  Some  idea  of  the 
inner  life  of  the  first  settlers  of  Oregon  may  be 
gained  from  the  following  excerpt  from  a  lecture 
by  Colonel  J.  W.  Nesmith.  delivered  before  the 
Oregon  Pioneer  Association : 


The  business  of  the  country  was  conducted  entirely  by 
barter.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company  imported  and  sold 
niariV  articles  of  prime  necessity  to  those  who  were  able  to 
purcliase.  Wheat  or  beaver  skins  would  buy  anything  the 
company  had  for  sale.  But  poor,  wayworn  emigrants, 
just  arriving  in  the  country,  were  as  destitute  of  wheat  and 
beaver  as  they  were  of  coin.  The  skins  purchased  by  the 
company  were  annually  shipped  in  their  own  vessels  to 
Loufliin,  while  the  wheat  was  shipped  to  the  Russian  pos- 
sessions on  the  north  and  to  California,  to  fill  a  contract 
that  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  had  with  the  Russian 
Fur  Company.  A  small  trade  in  lumber,  salt,  salmon, 
shingles  and  hoop-poles  gradually  grew  up  with  the  Sand- 
wich islands,  and  brought  in  return  a  limited  supply  of 
black  and  dirty  sugar  in  grass  sacks,  together  with  some 
salt  and  coffee. 

There  being  no  duty  collected  upon  importations  into 
Oregon  previous  to  1849,  foreign  goods  were  comparatively 
cheap,  though  the  supply  was  always  limited  ;  nor  had  the 
people  means  to  purchase  licyond  the  pure  necessities. 
Iron,  steel,  salt,  sugar,  coffee,  tea,  tobacco,  powder  and 
lead,  and  a  little  ready-made  clothing  and  some  calico  and 
domestics,'  were  the  principal  articles  purchased  by  the 
settlers.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  in  their  long  inter- 
course with  the  lndi;uis,  Iiad,  from  prudential  motives, 
adopted  the  plan  in  their  trade  of  passing  articles  called 
for  out  through  a  hole  in  the  wall  or  partition.  Persons 
were  not  allowed  inside  among  the  goods  to  make  selec- 
tions, and  the  purchaser  had  to  be  content  with  what  was 
passed  out  to  him  through  the  aperture.  Thus  in  buying 
a  suit  of  clothes,  there  was  often  an  odd  medley  of  color 
and  sizes.  The  settlers  used  to  say  that  Dr.  McLoughlin, 
who  was  a  very  large  man,  had  sent  his  measure  to  Lon- 
don, and  all  the  clothing  was  made  to  tit  him.  The  hick- 
ory shirts  we  used  to  buy  came  down  to  our  heels  and  the 
wrist-bands  protruded  a  foot  beyond  the  hands;  and  as 
Sancho  Panza  said  of  sleep,  "they  covered  one  all  over  like 
a  mantle,"  They  were  no  such  "cutty  sark"  affairs  of 
"Paisley  ham"  as  befuddled  Tam  O'Shanter  saw  when 
peeping  in  upon  the  dancing  warlocks  of  "Alloway's  aiild 
haunted  kirk."  .\  small  sliced  settler,  purchasing  one, 
could,  by  reasonable  curtailment  of  the  extremities,  have 
sufficient  material  to  clothe  one  of  the  children. 

*  !i!  !i!  *  :|:  :i! 

The  pioneer  home  was  a  log  cabin  with  a  puncheon 
floor  and  mud  chimney,  all  constructed  without  sawed 
lumber,  glass  or  nails,  the  boards  being  secured  upon  the 
roof  by  heavy-weight  poles-.  Sugar,  coffee,  tea  and  even 
salt  were  not  every-day  luxuries,  and  in  many  cabins  were 
entirely  unknown.  Moccasins  made  of  deer  and  elk  skins 
and  soled  with  rawhide  made  a  substitute  for  shoes,  and 
were  worn  by  both  sexes.  Buckskin  was  the  material 
from  which  the  greater  portion  of  the  male  attire  was 
manufactured,  wdiile  the  cheapest  kind  of  coarse  cotton 
goods  furnished  the  remainder.  .\  white  or  boiled  shirt 
was  rarely  seen  and  was  a  sure  indication  of  great  wealth 
and  aristocratic  pretension.  Meat  was  obtained  in  some 
quantities  from  the  wild  game  of  the  forests  or  the  wild 
fowl  with  which  the  country  abounded  at  certain  seasons, 
until  such  time  as  cattle  or  swine  liecanie  sufficiently 
numerous  to  be  slaughtered  for  food  The  hides  of  both 
wild  and  domestic  animals  were  utilized  in  many  ways. 
Clothing,  moccasins,  saddles  and  their  rigging,  bridles, 
ropes,  harness  and  other  necessary  articles  were  made 
from  them.  .A.  pair  of  buckskin  pants,  moccasins,  a  hick- 
ory shirt  and  some  sort  of  cheaply  extemporized  hat, 
rendered  a  man  comfortable  as  well  as  presentable  in  the 
best  society,  the  whole  outfit  not  costing  one-tenth  part  of 
the  price  of  the  essential  gewgaws  that  some  of  our  exqui- 
site sons  now  sport  at  the  ends  of  their  watch  chains,  on 
their  shirt-fronts  or  dainty  fingers.  Buckskin  clothing 
answered  wonderfully  well  for  rough-and-tumble  wear, 
particularly  in  dry  weather,  but  1  have  known  them  after 
exposure  to  a  hard  dax's  rain  in  contract  in  a  single  night 
by  a  warm  fire  a  foot  in  longitude,  .md  after  being  sub- 
jected  to   a   webfoot   winter  or   two,   and   a   succeeding  dry 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


summer,  they  would  assume  grotesque  and  unfashionable 
shapes,  generally  leaving  from  six  inches  to  a  foot  of  nude 
and  arid  skin  between  the  top  of  the  moccasins  and  the 
lower  end  of  the  breeches ;  the  knees  protruded  in  front, 
wHile  the  rear  started  off  in  the  opposite  direction,  so  that 
when  the  wearer  stood  up  the  breeches  were  in  a  constant 
struggle  to  sit  down  and  t'icc  versa.  > 

The  pioneers  brought  garden  seeds  with  them,  and 
much  attention  was  paid  to  the  production  of  vegetables, 
which,  with  milk,  game  and  fish,  went  a  long  way  toward 
the  support  of  the  family.  Reaping  machines,  threshers, 
headers,  mowing  machines,  pleasure  carriages,  silks, 
satins,  laces,  kid  gloves,  plug  hats,  high-heeled  boots, 
crinoline,  bustles,  false  hair,  hair  dye,  jewelry,  patent 
medicines,  railroad  tickets,  postage  stamps,  telegrams, 
pianos  and  organs,  together  with  a  tliousand  and  one  other 
articles  to  purchase  wliicli  tlu-  ciiiiiili\  i>  now  drained  of 
millions  of  dollars  annuall\,  wiir  llnii  unknown  and  con- 
sequently not  wanteil,  .\  liit;lu  r  ii\  ili/ali.  in  has  introduced 
us  to  all  these  modern  imprnvinunts.  and  apparently  made 
them  necessaries,  together  with  the  rum  mill,  the  jail,  the 
insane  asylum,  the  poor-house,  the  penitentiary  and  the 
gallows. 

Of  the  people  who  lived  in  Oregon  during  this 
period,  Judge  Bennett,  in  his  book  entitled  "Recol- 
lections of  an  Old  Pioneer,"  says : 

"Among  the  men  who  came  to  Oregon  the  year 
I  did,  some  were  idle,  worthless  young  men,  too 
lazy  to  work  at  home  and  too  genteel  to  steal,  while 
some  were  gamblers,  and  others  reputed  thieves. 
But  when  we  arrived  in  Oregon,  they  were  com- 
pelled to  work  or  starve.  It  was  a  bare  necessity. 
There  was  no  able  relative  or  indulgent  friend 
upon  whom  the  idle  could  quarter  themselves,  and 
there  was  little  or  nothing  for  the  rogues  to  steal. 
There  was  no  ready  way  by  which  they  could  escape 
into  another  countr\ .  ancl  tliey  could  not  conceal 
themselves  in  Oregon.  I  never  knew  so  fine  a 
population,  as  a  whole  community,  as  I  saw  in 
Oregon  most  of  the  time  I  was  there.  They  were 
all  honest  because  there  was  nothing  to  steal ;  they 
were  all  sober  because  there  was  no  liquor  to  drink ; 
there  were  no  misers  because  there  was  nothing  to 
hoard ;  they  were  all  industrious  because  it  was 
work  or  starve." 

Such  was  the  general  character  of  the  early 
pioneer  as  depicted  by  men  who  knew  whereof  they 
spoke.  Another  characteristic  strongly  appeals 
to  the  mind  of  the  historian — his  political  capabili- 
ties. His  environment  and  isolation  from  the  rest 
of  the  world  compelled  him  to  work  out  for  himself 
tnany  novel  and  intricate  economic  problems ;  the 
uncertainty  as  to  the  ownership  of  the  Oregon  ter- 
ritory and  the  diverse  national  prejudices  and  sym- 
pathies of  its  settlers  made  the  formation  of  a  gov- 
ernment reasonably  satisfactory  to  the  whole 
population  an  exceedingly  difficult  task.  There 
were,  however,  men  in  the  new  comnninit\-  deter- 
mined to  make  the  effort,  and  the  reader  will  be 
able  to  judge  from  what  follows  how  well  they 
succeeded. 

As  early  as  IS-iS  some  of  the  functions  of  gov- 
ernment were  exercised  by  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist mission.     Persons  were   chosen  bv   that  bodv 


to  officiate  as  magistrates  and  judges,  and  their 
findings  were  generally  acquiesced  in  by  persons 
independent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  because 
of  the  imorganized  condition  of  the  community, 
though  there  was  doubtless  a  strong  sentiment 
among  the  independent  settlers  in  favor  of  trusting 
to  the  general  morality  and  disposition  to  do  right 
rather  than  to  any  political  organization.  The  most 
important  act  of  the  mission  officers  was  the  trial 
of  T.  J.  Hubbard  for  the  killing  of  a  man  who 
attempted  to  enter  his  house  at  night  with  criminal 
intent.  Rev.  David  Leslie  presided  as  judge  during 
this  noteworthy  judicial  proceeding,  which  resulted 
in  the  acquittal  of  the  defendant  on  the  ground  that 
his  act  was  excusable. 

As  early  as  1840  cfiforts  began  to  be  made  to 
induce  the  L^nited  States  government  to  extend  to 
the  people  of  the  Northwest  its  jurisdiction  and 
laws,  although  to  do  this  was  an  impossibility  ex- 
cept by  abrogation  of  the  Joint-Occupancy  treaty 
of  1S27  and  the  satisfactory  settlement  of  the  title — 
all  which  would  require  at  least  a  year's  time.  A 
petition  was,  nevertheless,  drafted,  signed  by  David 
Leslie  and  a  number  of  others  and  forwarded  to 
congress.  It  was  not  entirely  free  from  misstate- 
ments and  inaccuracies,  but  is  considered,  never- 
theless, an  able  and  important  state  paper.  Inas- 
much as  the  population  of  Oregon,  including 
children,  did  not  exceed  two  hundred  at  this  time, 
the  prayer  of  the  petitioners,  it  need  hardly  be  said, 
was  not  granted.  But  it  must  not  be  supposed 
that  the  document  was  therefore  without  effect.  It 
did  its  part  toward  opening  the  e\es  of  the  people  of 
the  East  and  of  congress  to  the  importance  and 
value  of  Oregon,  and  toward  directing  public  atten- 
tion to  the  domain  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains. 

Notwithstanding  the  paucity  of  the  white  people 
of  Oregon,  the  various  motives  that  impelled  them 
thither  had  divided  them  into  four  classes — the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  the  Catholic  clergy  and 
their  following,  the  Methodist  missions  and  the 
settlers.  The  Catholics  and  the  company  were 
practically  a  unit  politically.  The  settlers  favored 
the  missions  only  in  so  far  as  they  served  the  pur- 
pose of  helping  to  settle  the  country,  caring  little 
about  their  religious  influence  and  opposing  their 
ambitions. 

The  would-be  organizers  of  a  government 
found  their  opportunit}'  in  the  conditions  presented 
by  the  death  of  Ewing  Young.  This  audacious 
pioneer  left  considerable  property  and  no  legal 
representatives,  and  the  question  was,  what  should 
be  done  with  his  belongings?  Had  he  been  a 
Hudson's  Bay  man  or  a  Catholic,  the  company  or 
the  church  would  have  taken  care  of  the  property. 
Had  he  been  a  missionary,  his  coadjutors  might 
have  administered,  but  being  a  plain  American 
citizen,  there  was  no  fimctionarv  ])ossessed  of  even 
a  colorable  right  to  exercise  jurisdiction  over  his 
estate.     In  the  face  of  this  cnicrgency,  the  occasion 


INTRODUCTORY 


of  Young's  funeral,  which  occurred  February  1^ 
1841,  was  seized  upon  for  attempting  the  organiza- 
tion of  some  kind  of  a  government.  At  an  im- 
promptu meeting,  it  was  decided  that  a  committee 
should  perform  the  legislative  functions  and  that 
the  other  officers  of  the  new  government  should  be 
a  governor,  a  supreme  judge  with  probate  jurisdic- 
tion, three  justices  of  the  peace,  three  constables, 
three  road  commissioners,  an  attorney-general,  a 
clerk  of  the  court  and  public  recorder,  a  treasurer 
and  two  overseers  of  the  poor.  Nominations  were 
made  for  all  these  offices,  and  the  meeting  adjourned 
until  next  day.  when,  it  was  hoped,  a  large  repre- 
sentation of  the  citizens  of  the  valley  would  assem- 
ble at  the  mission  house. 

The  time  specified  saw  the  various  factions  in 
full  force  at  the  place  of  meeting.  A  legislative 
committee  was  appointed  as  follows :  Revs.  F.  N. 
Blanchet,  Jason  Lee,  Gustavus  Hines  and  Josiah 
L.  Parish ;  also  Messrs.  D.  Donpierre,  M.  Charlevo, 
Robert  Moore,  E.  Lucier  and  William  Johnson. 
No  governor  was  chosen ;  the  Methodists  secured 
the  judgeship,  and  the  Catholics  the  clerk  and  re- 
corder. Had  the  friends  of  the  organization  been 
more  fortunate  in  their  choice  of  a  chairman  of  the 
legislative  committee,  the  result  of  the  movement 
might  have  been  different,  but  Rev.  Blanchet  never 
called  a  meeting  of  his  committee,  and  the  people 
who  assembled  on  June  1st  to  hear  and  vote  upon 
the  proposed  laws,  found  their  congregating  had 
been  in  vain.  Blanchet  resigned ;  Dr.  Bailey  was 
chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  the  meeting  ad- 
journed until  October.  First,  however,  it  ordered 
the  committee  to  confer  with  Commodore  Wilkes,  of 
the  American  squadron,  and  John  McLoughlin, 
chief  factor  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  with 
regard  to  forming  a  constitution  and  code  of  laws. 

Wilkes  discouraged  the  movement,  considering 
it  unnecessary  and  impolitic  to  organize  a  govern- 
ment at  the  time.  He  assigned  the  following 
reasons : 

"First — On  account  of  their  want  of  right,  as 
those  wishing  for  laws  were,  in  fact,  a  small  minor- 
ity of  the  settlers. 

"Second — That  these  were  not  yet  necessary, 
even  by  their  own  account. 

"Third — That  any  laws  they  might  establish 
would  be  but  a  poor  substitute  for  the  moral  code 
they  all  now  followed,  and  that  evil-doers  would 
not  be  disposed  to  settle  near  a  comnnmity  entirely 
opposed  to  their  practices. 

"Fourth — The  great  difficulty  they  would  have 
in  enforcing  any  laws  and  defining  the  limits  over 
which  they  had  control,  and  the  discord  this  might 
occasion  in  their  small  community. 

"Fifth — They  not  being  the  majority  and  the 
larger  portion  of  the  population  Catholics,  the  latter 
would  elect  officers  of  their  party,  and  they  would 
thus  place  themselves  entirely  under  the  control  of 
others. 


"Sixth — The  vmfavorable  impression  it  would 
produce  at  home,  from  the  belief  that  the  mission- 
aries had  admitted  that  in  a  community  brought  to- 
gether by  themselves,  they  had  not  enough  of  moral 
force  to  control  it  and  prevent  crime,  and  therefore 
must  have  recourse  to  a  criminal  code." 

The  friends  of  the  movement  could  not  deny 
the  cogency  of  this  reasoning,  and,  it  appears,  con- 
cluded to  let  the  matter  drop.  The  October  meet- 
ing was  never  held,  and  thus  the  first  attempt  at 
forming  a  government  ended.  However,  the  judge 
elected  made  a  satsfactory  disposition  of  the  Young 
estate. 

But  the  question  of  forming  an  independent 
or  provisional  government  continued  to  agitate  the 
public  mind.  During  the  winter  of  lS4"(l-:i  a 
lyceum  was  organized  at  Willamette  Falls,  now 
Oregon  City,  at  which  the  propriety  of  taking  steps 
in  that  direction  was  warmly  debated;  On  one 
evening  the  subject  for  discussion  was :  "Resolved, 
TlKit  it  is  (.\|)e(lieiit  for  the  settlers  on  this  coast  to 
istalilisli  an  independent  government."  McLough- 
lin f,i\'ijri.(l  the  rosnhition  and  it  carried.  Mr. 
Aherncthy,  ilofeatcd  in  this  deliatc,  skillfully  saved 
the  (lay  by  introducing  as  the  tn|)ic  of  the  next  dis- 
cussion; '■■Resolved.  'That  if  the  United  States 
extends  its  jurisdiction  over  this  country  w-ithin 
four  years,  it  will  not  be  expedient  to  form  an  inde- 
pendent government."  This  resolution  was  also 
carried  after  a  spirited  discussion,  destroying  the 
effect  of  the  first  resolution. 

Meanwhile,  the  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Oregon  Institute  were  skillfully  working  out  a 
plan  whereby  a  provisional  government  might  be 
formed.  They  knew  the  sentiment  of  their  con- 
freres at  the  Falls,  the  result  of  the  deliberations 
at  that  place  having  been  reported  to  them  by  Mr. 
Le  Breton ;  they  knew  also  that  their  designs  would 
meet  with  opposition  from  both  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  and  the  mission  people.  The  problem 
to  be  solved  was  how  to  accomplish  their  ends 
without  stirring  up  opposition  which  would  over- 
whelm them  at  the  very  outset.  Their  solution  of 
this  problem  is  a  lasting  testimony  to  their  astute- 
ness and  finesse. 

As  a  result  of  the  formation  of  the  Willamette 
Cattle  Company  and  its  success  in  importing  stock 
from  California,  almost  every  settler  was  the  owner 
of  at  least  a  few  head,  and,  of  course,  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  and  the  missions  also  had  their  herds. 
The  fact  that  wolves,  bears  and  panthers  were 
destructive  to  the  cattle  of  all  alike  furnished  one 
bond  of  common  interest  uniting  the  diverse  popu- 
lation of  Oregon,  and  this  conference  furnished 
the  conspirators  their  opportunity.  Their  idea  was 
that  having  got  an  object  before  the  people  on 
which  all  could  unite,  they  might  advance  from  the 
ostensible  object,  protection  for  domestic  animals, 
to  the  more  important,  though  hidden  object,  "pres- 
ervation   for    both    property    and    person."     The 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


"wolf  meeting,"  as  it  is  called,  convened  on  the  2d 
of  February,  184;?,  and  was  fully  attended.  It  was 
feared  that  Dr.  I.  L.  Babcock,  the  chairman,  might 
suspect  the  main  object,  but  in  this  instance  he 
was  less  astute  than  some  others.  The  utmost 
harmony  prevailed.  It  was  moved  that  a  com- 
mittee of  si.x  should  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to 
devise  a  plan  and  report  at  a  future  meeting,  to 
convene,  it  was  decided,  on  the  first  Monday  in 
March  next  at  ten  o'clock  a.  m. 

After  the  meeting  pursuant  to  adjournment  had 
completed  its  business  by  organizing  a  campaign 
against  wolves,  bears  and  panthers,  and  adopting 
rules  and  regulations  for  the  government  of  all  in 
their  united  warfare  upon  pests,  one  gentleman 
arose  and  addressed  the  assembly,  complimenting  it 
upon  the  justice  and  propriety  of  the  action  taken 
for  the  protection  of  domestic  animals,  but  "How  is 
it.  fellow-citizens,"  said  he,  "with  you  and  me  and 
our  children  and  wives?  Have  we  any  organization 
upon  which  we  can  rely  for  mutual  protection?  Is 
there  any  power  or  influence  in  the  country  suffi- 
cient to  protect  us  and  all  we  hold  dear  on  earth 
from  the  worse  than  wild  beasts  that  threaten  and 
occasionally  destroy  our  cattle?  Who  in  our  midst 
is  authorized  at  this  moment  to  protect  our  own  and 
the  lives  of  our  families?  True,  the  alarm  may  be 
given  as  in  a  recent  case,  and  we  may  run  who  feel 
alarmed,  and  shoot  off  our  guns,  while  our  enemy 
may  be  robbing  our  property,  ravishing  our  wives 
and  burning  the  houses  over  our  defenseless  fami- 
lies. Common  sense,  prudence  and  justice  to  our- 
selves demand  that  we  act  in  consistency  with  the 
principles  we  commenced.  We  have  mutually  and 
unitedly  agreed  to  defend  and  protect  our  cattle  and 
domestic  animals ;  now.  fellow-citizens.  I  submit 
and  move  the  adoption  of  the  two  following  resolu- 
tions, that  we  may  have  protection  for  our  persons 
and  lives,  as  well  as  our  cattle  and  herds  : 

"  'Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  taking 
measures  for  the  civil  and  military  protection  of 
this  colony. 

"  'Resolved,  That  said  committee  consist  of 
twelve  persons.'  " 

If  an  oratorical  effort  is  to  be  judged  by  the 
effect  produced  upon  the  audience,  this  one  deserves 
place  among  the  world's  masterpieces.  The  reso- 
lutions carried  unanimously.  The  committee 
appointed  consisted  of  I.  L.  I'.abcock.  Elijah  White, 
James  A.  O'Neil,  Robert  Shortess.  Robert  Xewell, 
Etienne  Lucier,  Joseph  Gervais,  Thomas  Hubbard, 
C.  McRoy.  W.  H.  Cray,  Sidney  Smith  and  Ceorge 
Cay.  Its  first  meeting  was  held  before  a  month  had 
elapsed,  the  place  being  Willamette  Falls.  Jason 
Lee  and  George  .Abernethy  appeared  and  argued 
vehemently  agaitist  the  movement  as  premature. 
When  the  office  of  governor  was  stricken  from  the 
list,  the  committee  unanimously  decided  to  call 
another  meeting  for  the  ensuing  9d  of  May.     W.  H. 


Cray,  in  his  history  of  Oregon,  describes  this  de- 
cisive occasion  thus : 

"The  2d  of  May,  the  day  fixed  by  the  committee 
of  twelve  to  organize  a  settlers'  government,  was 
close  at  hand.  The  Indians  had  all  learned  that  the 
'Bostons'  were  going  to  have  a  big  meeting,  and 
they  also  knew  that  the  English  and  French  were 
going  to  meet  with  them  to  oppose  what  the  'Bos- 
tons' were  going  to  do.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany had  drilled  and  trained  their  voters  for  the 
occasion,  under  the  Rev.  F.  N.  Blanchet  and  his 
priests,  and  they  were  promptly  on  the  ground  in 
an  open  field  near  a  small  house,  and,  to  the  amuse- 
ment of  every  American  present,  trained  to  vote 
'No'  to  every  motion  put ;  no  matter  if  to  carry  their 
point  they  should  have  voted  'Yes,'  it  was  'No.' 
Le  Breton  had  informed  the  committee,  and  the 
Americans  generally,  that  this  would  be  the  course 
pursued,  according  to  instructions,  hence  our  mo- 
tions were  made  to  test  their  knowledge  of  what 
they  were  doing,  and  we  found  just  what  we  ex- 
pected was  the  case.  The  priest  was  not  prepared 
for  our  manner  of  meeting  him,  and,  as  the  record 
shows,  'considerable  confusion  was  existing  in 
consequence.'  By  this  time  we  had  counted  votes. 
Says  Le  Breton,  'We  can  risk  it ;  let  us  divide  and 
count.'  'I  second  the  motion,'  says  Gray.  'Who's 
for  a  divide  ?'  sang  out  old  Joe  Meek,  as  he  stepped 
out.  'All  for  the  report  of  the  committee  and  an 
organization,  follow  me.'  This  was  so  sudden  and 
unexpected  that  the  priest  and  his  voters  did  not 
know  what  to  do,  but  every  American  was  soon  in 
line.  Le  Breton  and  Gray  passed  the  line  and 
counted  fifty-two  Americans  and  but  fifty  French 
and  Hudson's  Bay  men.  They  announced  the  count 
— 'Fifty-two  for  and  fifty  against.'  'Three  cheers 
for  our  side !'  sang  out  old  Joe  Meek.  Not  one  of 
those  old  veteran  mountain  voices  was  lacking  in 
that  shout  for  liberty.  They  were  given  with  a  will 
and  in  a  few  seconds  the  chairman.  Judge  I.  L. 
Babcock,  called  the  meeting  to  order,  and  the  priest 
and  his  band  slunk  away  into  the  corners  of  the 
fences  and  in  a  short  time  mounted  their  horses 
and  left." 

After  the  withdrawal  of  the  opponents  of  this 
measure,  the  meeting  became  harmonious,  of 
course.  Its  minutes  show  that  A.  E.  Wilson  was 
chosen  supreme  judge;G.  W.  Le  Breton,  clerk  of  the 
court  and  recorder;  J.  L.  Meek,  sheriff;  W.  H. 
Willson,  treasurer;  Messrs.  Hill,  Shortess,  Newell, 
Beers,  Hubbard,  Gray,  O'Neil,  Moore  and  Dough- 
erty, legislative  committee ;  and  that  constables,  a 
major  and  captains  were  also  chosen.  The  salary  of 
the  legislative  committee  was  fixed  at  $1.25  per  diem 
each  member,  and  it  was  instructed  to  prepare  a  code 
of  laws  to  be  submitted  to  the  people  at  Champoeg 
on  the  5th  day  of  July. 

On  the  day  preceding  this  date,  the  anniversary 
of  America's  birth  was  didy  celebrated.  Rev.  Gus- 
tavus  Hines  delivering  the  oration.    Quite  a  number 


INTRODUCTORY 


who  had  opposed  organization  at  the  previous  meet- 
ing were  present  on  the  5th  and  announced  their 
determination  to  acquiesce  in  the  action  of  the 
majority  and  to  yield  obedience  to  any  government 
which  might  be  formed,  but  representatives  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  even  went  so  far  in  their 
opposition  as  to  address  a  letter  to  the  leaders  of  the 
movement  asserting  their  ability  to  defend  both 
themselves  and  their  political  rights. 

A  review  of  the  "Organic  laws"  adopted  at  this 
meeting  would  be  interesting,  but  such  is  beyond  the 
scope  of  our  volume.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  were 
so  liberal  and  just,  so  complete  and  comprehensive, 
that  it  has  been  a  source  of  surprise  to  students 
ever  since  that  untrained  mountaineers  and  settlers, 
without  experience  in  legislative  halls,  could  con- 
ceive a  system  so  well  adapted  to  the  needs  and 
conditions  of  the  country.  The  preamble  runs: 
"We,  the  people  of  Oregon  territory,  for  the  pur- 
poses of  mutual  protection,  and  to  secure  peace  and 
prosperity  among  ourselves,  agree  to  adopt  the  fol- 
lowing laws  and  regulations  until  such  time  as  the 
United  States  of  America  extend  their  jurisdiction 
over  us."  The  two  weaknesses,  which  were  soonest 
felt,  were  the  result  of  the  opposition  to  the  creation 
of  the  office  of  governor  and  to  the  levying  of  taxes. 
The  former  difficulty  was  overcome  by  substituting, 
in  1844,  a  gubernatorial  executive  for  the  triumvi- 
rate which  had  theretofore  discharged  the  executive 


functions,  and  the  latter  by  raising  the  necessary 
funds  by  popular  subscription.  In  1844,  also,  a 
legislature  was  substituted  for  the  legislative  com- 
mittee. 

Inasmuch  as  the  first  election  resulted  favorably 
to  some  who  owed  allegiance  to  the  British  govern- 
ment as  well  as  to  others  who  were  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  the  oath  of  office  was  indited  as 
follows:  "I  do  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  support 
the  organic  laws  of  the  provisional  government  of 
Oregon,  so  far  as  the  said  organic  laws  are  con- 
sistent with  my  duties  as  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  or  a  subject  of  Great  Britain,  and  faithfully 
demean  myself  in  office.    So  help  me  God." 

Notwithstanding  the  opposition  to  the  pro- 
visional government,  the  diverse  peoples  over  whom 
it  exercised  authority,  and  the  weaknesses  in  it 
resulting  from  the  spirit  of  compromise  of  its 
authors,  it  continued  to  exist  and  discharge  all  the 
necessary  functions  of  sovereignty  until,  on  Au- 
gust 14,  1848,  in  answer  to  the  numerous  memorials 
and  petitions,  and  the  urgent  appeals  of  Messrs. 
Thornton  and  Meek,  congress  at  last  decided  to 
give  to  Oregon  a  territorial  form  of  government 
with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  usually  accorded 
to  territories  of  the  United  States.  Joseph  Lane, 
of  Indiana,  whose  subsequent  career  presents  so 
many  brilliant  and  so  many  sad  chapters,  was 
appointed  territorial  governor. 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE    OREGON    CONTROVERSY 


The  reader  is  ni)w  in  possession  of  such  facts 
as  will  enable  him  to  approach  intelligently  the 
contemplation  of  the  great  diplomatic  war  of  the 
century,  the  Oregon  controversy.  It  may  be  safely 
asserted  that  never  before  in  the  history' of  nations 
did  diplomacy  triumph  over  such  wide  differences 
of  opinion  and  sentiment  and  effect  a  peaceable 
adju.stment  of  such  divergent  international  interests. 
Twice  actual  conflict  of  arms  seemed  imminent, 
but  the  spirit  of  compromise  and  mutual  forbear- 
ance ultimately  won,  a  fact  which  shows  that  the 
leaven  of  civilization  was  working  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic,  and  gives  reason  to  hope  that  the  day 
when  the  swords  of  the  nations  shall  be  beaten  into 
plowshares  and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks 
may  not  be  as  far  in  the  future  as  some  suppose. 


We  need  not  attempt  to  trace  all  the  conflicting- 
claims  which  were  at  any  time  set  up  by  diiiferent 
nations  to  parts  or  the  whole  of  the  old  Oregon 
territory,  nor  to  go  into  the  controversy  in  all  its 
multiform  complications,  but  will  confine  our  inquiry 
mainly  to  the  negotiations  after  Great  Britain  and 
the  I'nited  States  became  the  sole  claimants.  France 
early  established  some  right  to  what  was  denom- 
inated "the  western  part  of  Louisiana,"  which,  in 
1762,  she  conveyed  to  Spain.  This  was  retroceded 
to  France  some  thirty-eight  years  later,  and  in  1803 
was  by  that  nation  conveyed  with  the  rest  of 
Louisiana  to  the  United  States.  So  France  was  left 
out  of  the  contest.  In  1819,  by  the  treaty  of  Florida, 
Spain  ceded  to  the  LTnited  States  all  right  and  title 
whatsoever   which    she   might   have    to   the   terri- 


THE   OREGON    CONTROVERSY 


tory  on  the  Pacific,  north  of  the  forty-second 
parallel. 

What  then  were  the  claims  of  the  United  States 
to  this  vast  domain?  Naturally,  they  were  of  a 
three-fold  character.  Our  government  claimed  first 
in  its  own  right.  The  Columbia  river  was  discovered 
by  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  and  named  by  him. 
The  river  had  been  subsequently  explored  from  its 
sources  to  its  mouth  by  a  government  expedition 
under  Lewis  and  Clark.  This  had  been  followed 
and  its  effects  strengthened  by  American  settlements 
upon  the  banks  of  the  river.  While  .^.storia,  the 
American  settlement,  had  been  captured  in  the  war 
of  1812-1."),  it  had  been  restored  in  accordance  with 
the  treaty  of  Ghent,  one  provision  of  which  was  that 
"all  territory,  places  and  possessions  whatsoever, 
taken  by  either  party  from  the  other  during  the 
war,  or  which  may  be  taken  after  the  signing  of 
this  treaty,  shall  be  restored  without  delay." 

It  was  a  well  established  and  universally  recog- 
nized principle  of  international  law  that  the  dis- 
covery of  a  river  followed  within  a  reasonable 
time  by  acts  of  occupancy,  conveyed  the  right  to 
the  territory  drained  by  the  river  and  its  tributary 
streams.  This,  it  was  contended,  would  make  the 
territory  between  forty-two  degrees  and  fifty-one 
degrees  north  latitude  the  rightful  possession  of 
the  United  States. 

The  Americans  claimed  secondly  as  the  suc- 
cessors of  France.  By  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  the 
date  whereof  was  1713,  the  north  line  of  the 
Louisiana  territory  was  established  as  a  dividing 
line  between  the  Hudson's  bay  territory  and  the 
French  provinces  in  Canada.  For  centuries  it  had 
been  a  recognized  principle  of  international  law 
that  "continuity"  was  a  strong  element  of  territorial 
claim.  .\11  European  powders,  when  colonizing  the 
Atlantic  seaboard,  construed  their  colonial  grants 
to  extend,  whether  expressly  so  stated  or  otherwise, 
entirely  across  the  continent  to  the  Pacific  ocean, 
and  most  of  these  grants  conveyed  in  express  terms 
a  strip  of  territory  bounded  north  and  south  by 
stated  parallels  of  latitude,  and  east  and  west  by  the 
oceans.  Great  Britain  herself  had  stoutly  maintained 
this  principle,  even  going  so  far  as  to  wage  wnth 
France  for  its  integrity  the  war  which  was  ended  by 
the  treaty  of  1763.  By  that  England  acquired  Can- 
ada and  renounced  to  France  all  territory  west  of 
the  Mississijipi  river.  It  was  therefore  contended 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States  that  England's 
claim  by  continuity  passed  to  France  and  from 
France  by  assignment  to  this  nation.  This  claim, 
of  course,  was  subject  to  any  rights  which  might 
prove  to  belong  to  Spain. 

Thirdly,  the  United  States  claimed  as  the  suc- 
cessor of  Spain  all  the  rights  which  that  nation 
might  have  acquired  by  prior  discovery  or  other- 
wise having  accrued  to  the  United  States  by  the 
treaty  of  Florida. 

In  the  negotiations  between  Great  Britain  and 


the  United  States  which  terminated  in  the  Joint- 
Occupancy  treaty  of  1818,  the  latter  nation  pressed 
the  former  for  a  final  quit-claim  to  all  territory 
west  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  In  so  doing  it 
asserted  its  intention  "to  be  without  reference  or 
prejudice  to  the  claims  of  any  other  power,"  but  it 
was  contended  on  the  part  of  the  American  nego- 
tiators, Gallatin  and  Rush,  that  the  discovery  of 
the  Columbia  by  Gray,  its  exploration  by  Lewis 
and  Clark,  and  the  American  settlement  at  Astoria, 
rendered  the  claim  of  the  LInited  States  "at  least 
good  against  Great  Britain  to  the  country  through 
which  such  river  flowed,  though  they  did  not 
assert  that  the  United  States  had  a  perfect  right 
to  the  country." 

When,  however,  the  United  States  succeeded 
to  Spain,  it  was  thought  that  all  clouds  upon  its  title 
were  completely  dispelled,  and  thereafter  it  was  the 
contention  of  this  government  that  its  right  to  sole 
occupancy  was  perfect  and  indisputable.  Great 
Britain,  however,  did  not  claim  that  her  title 
amounted  to  one  of  sovereignty  or  exclusive  pos- 
session, but  simply  that  it  was  at  least  as  good  as 
any  other.  Her  theory  was  that  she  had  a  right  of 
occupancy  in  conjunction  with  other  claimants, 
which  by  settlement  and  otherwise  might  be  so 
strengthened  in  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the  territory 
as  ultimately  to  secure  for  her  the  right  to  be 
clothed  with  sovereignty. 

In  the  discussion  of  the  issue,  the  earliest  explo- 
rations had  to  be  largely  left  out  of  the  case,  as  they 
were  attended  with  too  much  vagueness  and  un- 
certainty to  bear  any  great  weight.  The  second 
epoch  of  exploration  was.  therefore,  lifted  to  a 
position  of  prominence  it  could  not  otherwise  have 
enjoyed.  Perez  and  Heceta,  for  the  Spaniards,  the 
former  in  1774,  the  latter  a  year  later,  had  explored 
the  northwest  coast  to  the  fifty-fifth  parallel  and 
beyond,  Heceta  discovering  the  mouth  of  the  Col- 
umbia river.  To  offset  whatever  rights  might  accrue 
from  these  explorations,  England  had  only  the  more 
thorough  but  less  extensive  survey  of  Captain  James 
Cook,  made  in  1778.  The  advantage  in  point  of 
prior  discovery  would,  therefore,  seem  to  be  with 
the  LTnited  States  as  assignee  of  Spain. 

After  the  Joint-Occupancy  treaty  in  1818  had 
been  signed,  negotiations  on  the  subject  were  not 
reopened  until  1824.  In  that  year,  obedient  to  the 
masterly  instructions  addressed  to  him  on  July  22, 
1823,  by  John  Quincy  Adams,  secretary  of  state, 
Richard  Rush,  minister  to  England,  entered  into 
negotiations  with  the  British  ministers.  Canning  and 
Huskisson,  for  the  adjustment  of  the  boundary. 
Mr.  Rush  was  instructed  to  offer  the  forty-ninth 
parallel  to  the  sea,  "should  it  be  earnestly  insisted 
upon  by  Great  Britain."  He  endeavored  with  great 
persistency  to  fulfill  his  mission,  but  his  propositions 
were  rejected.  The  British  negotiators  offered  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  to  the  Columbia,  then  the  middle 
of  that  river  to  the  sea,  with  perpetual  right  to  both 


INTRODUCTORY 


nations  of  navigating  the  harbor  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  This  proposal  Mr.  Rush  rejected,  so 
nothing  was  accomphshed.  By  treaty  conchided  in 
February,  1835,  an  agreement  was  entered  into 
between  Great  Britain  and  Russia,  whereby  the  line 
of  fifty-four  degrees,  forty  minutes,  was  fixed  as  the 
boundary  between  the  territorial  claims  of  the  two 
nations,  a  fact  which  explains  the  cry  of  "Fifty- 
four,  forty  or  fight"  that  in  later  days  became  the 
slogan  of  the  Democratic  party. 

In  1836-7  another  attempt  was  made  to  settle 
the  question  at  issue  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States.  Albert  Gallatin  then  represented 
this  country,  receiving  his  instructions  from  Henry 
Clay,  secretary  of  state,  who  said:  "It  is  not 
thought  necessary  to  add  much  to  the  argument 
advanced  on  this  point  in  the  instructions  given  to 
Mr.  Rush  and  that  which  was  employed  by  him  in 
the  course  of  the  negotiations  to  support  our  title 
as  derived  from  prior  discovery  and  settlement  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river,  and  from  the 
treaty  which  Spain  concluded  on  the  33d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1819.  That  argument  is  believed  to  have 
conclusively  established  our  title  on  both  grounds. 
Nor  is  it  conceived  that  Great  Britain  has  or  can 
make  out  even  a  colorless  title  to  any  portion  of  the 
northern  coast."  Referring  to  the  ot¥er  of  the  forty- 
ninth  parallel  in  a  despatch  dated  February  34,  1S37, 
Mr.  Clay  said:  "It  is  conceived  in  a  genuine  spirit 
of  concession  and  conciliation,  and  it  is  our  ulti- 
matum and  you  may  so  announce  it."  In  order  to 
save  the  case  of  his  country  from  being  prejudiced 
in  future  negotiations  by  the  liberality  of  offers 
made  and  rejected,  Mr.  Clay  instructed  Gallatin  to 
declare  "that  the  American  government  does  not 
hold  itself  bound  hereafter,  in  consequence  of  any 
proposal  which  it  has  heretofore  made,  to  agree  to 
a  line  which  has  been  so  proposed  and  rejected,  but 
will  consider  itself  at  liberty  to  contend  for  the  full 
measure  of  our  just  claims ;  which  declaration  you 
must  have  recorded  in  the  protocol  of  one  of  your 
conferences ;  and  to  give  it  more  weight,  have  it 
stated  that  it  has  been  done  by  the  express  direction 
of  the  president." 

Mr.  Gallatin  sustained  the  claim  of  the  United 
States  in  this  negotiation  so  powerfully  that  the 
British  plenipotentiaries,  Huskisson,  Grant  and 
Addington,  were  forced  to  the  position  that  Great 
Britain  did  not  assert  any  title  to  the  country.  They 
contented  themselves  with  the  contention  that  her 
claim  was  sufficiently  well  founded  to  give  her  the 
right  to  occupy  the  country  in  common  with  other 
nations,  such  concessions  having  been  made  to  her 
by  the  Nootka  treaty.  The  British  negotiators  com- 
plained of  the  recommendation  of  President  Monroe 
in  his  message  of  December  7,  1824,  to  establish  a 
military  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river, 
and  of  the  passage  of  a  bill  in  the  house  providing 
for  the  occupancy  of  the  Oregon  river.  To  this  the 
American  replied  by  calling  attention  to  the  act  of 


the  British  parliament  of  1831,  entitled  "An  act  for 
regulating  the  fur  trade  and  establishing  a  criminal 
and  civil  jurisdiction  in  certain  parts  of  North 
America."  He  contended  with  great  ability  and 
force  that  the  recommendation  and  bill  complained 
of  did  not  interfere  with  the  treaty  of  1818  and  that 
neither  a  territorial  government  nor  a  fort  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  could  be  rightly  complained  of 
by  a  government  which  had  granted  such  wide 
privileges  and  comprehensive  powers  to  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company. 

Before  the  conclusion  of  these  negotiations,  Mr. 
Gallatin  had  offered  not  alone  the  forty-ninth  par- 
allel, but  that  "the  navigation  of  the  Columbia  river 
shall  be  perpetually  free  to  subjects  of  Great  Britain 
in  common  with  citizens  of  the  .  United  States, 
provided  that  the  said  line  should  strike  the  north- 
easternmost  or  any  other  branch  of  that  river  at  a 
point  at  which  it  was  navigable  for  boats."  The 
British,  on  their  part,  again  offered  the  Columbia 
river,  together  with  a  large  tract  of  land  between 
Admiralty  inlet  and  the  coast,  protesting  that  this 
concession  was  made  in  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  for 
conciliation  and  not  as  one  of  right.  The  proposition 
was  rejected  and  the  negotiations  ended  in  the  treaty 
of  August  6,  1837,  which  continued  the  Joint- 
Occupancy  treaty  of  1818  indefinitely,  with  the  pro- 
viso that  it  might  be  abrogated  by  either  party  on 
giving  the  other  a  year's  notice. 

"There  can  be  no  doubt,"  says  Evans,  "that, 
during  the  continuance  of  these  two  treaties,  British 
foothold  was  strengthened  and  the  difficult}-  of  the 
adjustment  of  boundaries  materially  enhanced.  Nor 
does  this  reflect  in  the  slightest  degree  upon  those 
great  publicists  who  managed  the  claim  of  the 
United  States  in  those  negotiations.  Matchless 
ability  and  earnest  patriotism,  firm  defense  of  the 
United  States'  claim,  and  withal  a  disposition  to 
compromise  to  avoid  rupture  with  any  other  nation, 
mark  these  negotiations  in  every  line.  The  language 
and  intention  of  these  treaties  are  clear  and  unmis- 
takable. Neither  government  was  to  attempt  any 
act  in  derogation  of  the  other's  claim  ;  nor  could  any 
advantage  inure  to  either;  during  their  continuance 
the  territory  should  be  free  and  open  to  citizens  and 
subjects  of  both  nations.  Such  is  their  plain  purport.' 
such  the  only  construction  which  their  language  will 
warrant.  Yet  it  cannot  be  controverted  that  the 
United  States  had  thereby  precluded  itself  from  the 
sole  enjoyment  of  the  territory  which  it  claimed  in 
sovereignty ;  nor  that  Great  Britain  acquired  a 
peaceable,  recognized  and  uninterrupted  tenancy-in- 
common  in  regions  where  her  title  was  so  imperfect 
that  she  herself  admitted  that  she  could  not  success- 
fully maintain,  nor  did  she  even  assert  it.  She  could 
well  afford  to  wait.  Hers  was  indeed  the  policy 
later  in  the  controversy  styled  masterly  inactivity : 
'Leave  the  title  in  abeyance,  the  settlement  of  the 
country  will  ultimately  settle  the  sovereignty.'  In 
no  event  could  her  colorless  title  lose  color ;  while 


THE   OREGON    CONTROVERSY 


37 


an  immediate  adjustment  of  the  boundary  would 
have  abridged  the  area  of  territory  in  which,  through 
her  subjects,  she  already  exercised  exclusive  posses- 
sion, and  had  secured  the  entire  enjoyment  of  its 
wealth  and  resources.  The  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
by  virtue  of  its  license  of  trade  excluding  all  other 
r.ritish  subjects  from  the  territory,  was  Great 
liritain's  trustee  in  possession — an  empire  company, 
omnipotent  to  supplant  enterprises  projected  by 
citizens  of  the  United  States.  Indeed,  the  territory 
had  been  appropriated  by  a  wealth)-,  all-powerful 
monopoly,  with  whom  it  was  ruinous  to  attempt  to 
compete.  Such  is  a  true  exhibit  of  the  then  con- 
dition of  Oregon,  produced  by  causes  extrinsic  to 
the  treaty,  which  the  United  States  government 
could  neither  counteract  nor  avoid.  The  United 
States  had  saved  the  right  for  its  citizens  to  enter 
the  territory,  had  protested  likewise  that  no  act  or 
omission  on  the  part  of  the  government  or  its 
citizens,  or  any  act  of  commission  or  omission  by 
the  British  government  or  her  subjects  during  such 
Joint-Occupancy  treaties,  should  affect  in  any  way 
the  United  States'  claim  to  the  territory. 

"The  treaties  of  1818  and  IS'i]  have  passed  into 
history  as  conventions  for  joint  occupancy.  Prac- 
tically they  operated  as  grants  of  possession  to  Great 
Britain,  or  rather  to  her  representative,  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  who,  after  the  merger  with  the 
Northwest  Company,  had  become  sole  occupant  of 
the  territory.  The  situation  may  be  briefly  summed 
up :  The  United  States  claimed  title  to  the  territory. 
Great  Britain,  through  its  empire-trading  company, 
occupied  it — enjoyed  all  the  wealth  and  resources 
derivable  from  it." 

But  while  joint  occupation  was  in  reality  non- 
occupation  by  any  but  the  British,  it  must  not  be 
supposed  that  the  case  of  the  United  States  was 
allowed  to  go  entirely  by  default  during  the  regime 
of  the  so-called  joint  occupancy.  In  congress  the 
advisability  of  occupying  Oregon  was  frequently 
and  vehemently  discussed.  Ignorance  and  miscon- 
ception with  regard  to  the  real  nature  of  Oregon, 
its  climate,  soil,  products  and  health  fulness,  were 
being  dispelled.  The  representations  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company  that  it  was  a  "miasmatic  wilder- 
ness, uninhabitable  except  by  wild  beasts  and  more 
savage  men,"  were  being  found  to  'be  false.  In 
1821  Dr.  John  Floyd,  a  representative  in  congress 
from  Virginia,  and  Senator  Thomas  H.  Benton, 
of  Missouri,  had  interviews  at  Washington  with 
Ramsey  Crooks  and  Russell  Farnhani,  who  had 
belonged  to  Astor's  party.  From  these  gentlemen 
they  learned  something  of  the  value  of  Oregon,  its 
features  of  interest,  and  its  commercial  and  strategic 
importance.  This  information  Dr.  Floyd  made 
public  in  1822,  in  a  speech  in  support  of  a  bill  "to 
authorize  the  occupation  of  the  Columbia  river,  and 
to  regulate  trade  and  intercourse  with  the  Indians 
therein."     On  December  29,  182o,  a  committee  was 


appointed  to  inquire  as  to  the  wisdom  of  occupying 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  and  the  committee's 
report,  submitted  on  April  1.5th  of  the  following 
year,  embodied  a  communication  from  General 
Thomas  S.  Jesup,  which  asserted  that  the  military 
(cc  ipancy  of  the  Columbia  was  a  necessity  for  pro- 
tecting trade  and  securing  the  frontier.  It  recom- 
mended the  despatch  of  a  force  of  two  hundred 
men  across  the  continent  to  establish  a  fort  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia  river ;  that  at  the  same  time 
two  vessels  with  arms,  ordnance  and  supplies  be 
sent  thither  by  sea.  He  further  proposed  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  line  of  posts  across  the  continent  to 
afford  protection  to  our  traders ;  and  on  the  expir- 
ation of  the  privilege  granted  to  British  subjects  to 
trade  on  the  waters  of  the  Columbia,  to  enable  us  to 
remove  them  from  our  territory,  and  secure  the 
whole  to  our  citizens.  Those  posts  would  also  assure 
the  preservation  of  peace  among  the  Indians  in  the 
event  of  a  foreign  war  and  command  their  neutrality 
or  assistance  as  we  might  think  advisable.  The  letter 
exposed  Great  Britain's  reasons  for  her  policy  of 
masterly  inactivity,  and  urged  that  some  action  be 
taken  by  the  United  States  to  balance  or  offset  the 
accretion  of  British  title  and  for  preserving  and 
protecting  its  own.  "History,"  says  Evans,  "will 
generously  award  credit  to  the  sagacious  Jesup  for 
indicating  in  182 :i  the  unerring  way  to  preserve  the 
American  title  to  Oregon  territory.  Nor  will  it  fail 
to  comrnend  the  earnest  devotion  of  that  little 
Oregon  party  in  congress  for  placing  on  record  why 
the  government  should  assert  exclusive  jurisdiction 
within  its  own  territory."  In  the  next  congress  the 
subject  was  again  discussed  with  energy  and  ability. 
In  1831  formal  negotiations  with  Great  Britain  were 
resumed. 

All  this  discussion  had  a  tendency  to  dispel  the 
idea,  promulgated  as  we  have  seen  by  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  that  the  territory  was  worthless  and 
uninhabitable,  also  to  excite  interest  in  the  mystic 
region  beyond  the  mountains. 

The  United  States  claimed  theoretically  that  it 
was  the  possessor  of  a  vested  right  to  absolute 
sovereignty  over  the  entire  Oregon  territory,  and 
in  all  the  negotiations  after  the  signing  of  the  treaty 
of  Florida,  its  ambassadors  claimed  that  the  title 
of  their  country  was  clearly  established.  The  fact, 
however,  that  joint  occupancy  was  agreed  to  at  all 
after  1828  could  hardly  be  construed  in  any  other 
light  than  as  a  confession  of  weakness  in  our  title, 
notwithstanding  the  unequivocal  stipulations  that 
neither  party  should  attempt  anything  in  derogation 
of  the  other's  claims,  and  that  the  controversy  should 
be  determined  upon  its  merits  as  they  existed  prior 
to  1818.  If  the  United  States  came  into  possession 
of  an  absolute  title  in  1819,  why  should  it  afterward 
permit  occupation  by  British  subjects  and  the  en- 
forcement of  British  law  in  its  domain? 

The  United  States'  title,  as  before  stated,  rested 
upon  three  foundation   stones — its  own  discoveries 


INTRODUCTORY 


and  explorations,  tlie  discoveries  and  explorations 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  the  purchase  of  Louisiana. 
While  it  was  not  contended  that  any  of  these  con- 
veyed exclusive  right,  the  position  of  our  country 
was  that  each  supplemented  the  other ;  that,  though 
while  vested  in  different  nations  they  were  antag- 
onistic, when  held  by  the  same  nation,  they,  taken 
together,  amounted  to  a  complete  title.  The  title 
was  therefore  cumulative  in  its  nature  and  had  in  it 
the  weakness  which  is  inherent  under  such  con- 
ditions. It  was  impossible  to  determine  with  definite- 
ness  how  many  partial  titles,  the  value  of  each  being 
a  matter  of  uncertainty,  would  cumulatively  amount 
to  one  complete  title.  And  however  clear  the  right 
of  the  United  Stales  might  seem  to  its  own  states- 
men, it  is  evident  that  conviction  must  be  pro- 
duced in  the  minds  n|'  the  I'.ritish  ,ils(i  if  war  was  to 
be  avoided. 

These  facts  early  came  to  be  ap|)reciated  by  a 
clear-visioned,  well-informed  and  determined  little 
band  in  congress.  The  debates  in  that  body,  as  well 
as  numerous  publications  sent  out  among  the  people, 
stimulated  a  few  daring  spirits  to  brave  the  dangers 
of  Rocky  mountain  travel  and  to  see  for  themselves 
the  truth  with  regard  to  Oregon.  Reports  from 
these  reacted  upon  congress,  enabling  it  to  reason 
and  judge  from  premises  more  nearly  in  accordance 
with  facts.  Gradually  interest  in  Oregon  became 
intensified  and  the  determination  to  hold  it  for  the 
United  States  deepened.  While  the  country  never 
receded  from  its  conviction  of  the  existence  of 
an  absolute  right  of  sovereignty  in  itself,  the 
people  resolved  to  establish  a  title  which  even  the 
British  could  not  (juestion,  to  win  Oregon  from 
Great  Britain  even  in  accordance  with  the  tenets  of 
her  own  theory.  They  determined  to  settle  and 
Americanize  the  territory.  In  IS.'ii,  and  again  in 
ISlSfi,  an  clement  of  civilization  was  introduced  of  a 
vastly  higher  nature  than  any  which  accompanied 
the  inroads  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  em- 
ployees and  of  trap])crs  and  traders.  We  refer  to 
the  American  missionaries  spoken  of  in  former 
chapters.  The  part  which  these  had  in  stinudating 
this  resolution  of  the  .\mcrican  people  has  been 
and  will  be  sufficiently  treated  elsewhere.  The 
results  of  Whitman's  midwinter  ride  and  labors  and 
of  the  numerous  other  forces  at  work  among  the 
people  were  crystallized  into  action  in  181:5,  when 
a  great,  swelling  tide  of  humanity,  pulsating  with 
the  restless  energy  and  native  daring  so  character- 
istic of  the  American,  pushed  across  the  desert  plains 
of  the  continent,  through  the  fastnesses  of  the  Rocky 
mountains,  and  into  the  heart  of  the  disputed  terri- 
tory. Other  immigrations  followed,  and  there  was 
introduced  into  the  Oregon  question  a  new  feature, 
the  vital  force  and  import  of  which  could  not  be 
denied  by  the  adverse  claimant.  At  the  same  time 
the  American  government  was  placed  under  an 
increased  obligation  to  maintain  its  right  to  the 
vallov  of  the  Columbia. 


But  we  must  return  now  to  the  diplomatic  history 
of  the  controversy,  resuming  the  same  with  the 
negotiations  of  1831.  Martin  Van  Buren  was  then 
minister  at  London.  He  received  instructions  rela- 
tive to  the  controversy  from  Edward  Livingston, 
secretary  of  state,  the  tenor  of  which  indicated  that 
the  United  States  was  not  averse  to  the  presence  of 
the  British  in  the  territory.  While  they  asserted 
confidence  in  the  American  title  to  the  entire  Oregon 
territory,  they  said:  "This  subject,  then,  is  open 
for  discussion,  and,  until  the  rights  of  the  parties 
can  be  settled  by  negotiations,  ours  can  suffer 
nothing  by  delay."  Under  these  rather  lukewarm 
instructions,  naturally  nothing  was  accomplished. 

In  1848  efforts  to  adjust  the  boundary  west  of 
the  Rocky  mountains  were  again  resumed,  this  time 
on  motion  of  Great  Britain.  That  power  requested 
on  October  ISth  of  the  year  mentioned  that  the 
United  States  minister  at  London  should  be 
furnished  with  instructions  and  authority  to  renew 
negotiations,  giving  assurance  of  its  willingness  to 
])roceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  boundary  sul)ject 
"in  a  perfect  spirit  of  fairness,  and  to  adjust  it  on 
a  basis  of  equitable  com|)ron.iise."  On  November 
■^■)th  Daniel  Webster,  then  secretary  of  state,  replied 
"tiiat  the  president  concurred  entirely  in  the  e.xpe- 
dienc}'  of  making  the  question  res])ecting  the  Oregon 
territory  a  subject  of  immediate  attention  and 
negotiation  between  the  two  governments.  He  had 
already  formed  the  purpose  of  expressing  this 
opinion  in  his  message  to  congress,  and,  at  no  distant 
day,  a  communication  will  be  made  to  the  minister 
of  the  United  States  in  London." 

Negotiations  were  not,  however,  renewed  until 
October,  1813,  when  Secretary  Upshur  sent  instruc- 
tions to  Edward  Everett,  American  minister  to  Lon- 
don, again  offering  the  forty-ninth  parallel,  together 
with  the  right  of  navigating  the  Columbia  river  upon 
equitable  terms.  In  February  of  the  ensuing  year, 
Hon.  Richard  Packenham,  British  plenipotentiary, 
came  to  the  American  capital  with  instructions  to 
negotiate  concerning  the  Oregon  territory.  No 
sooner  had  the  discussion  fairly  begun  than  a  melan- 
choly event  happened,  Secretary  Upshur  being  killed 
on  the  L^nited  States  vessel  Princeton  by  the  exjilo- 
sion  of  a  gun.  A  few  months  later  his  successor, 
John  C.  Calhoun,  continued  the  negotiations.  The 
arguments  were  in  a  large  measure  a  rei)etition  of 
those  already  advanced,  but  a  greater  aggressiveness 
on  the  part  of  the  British  and  persistency  in  deny- 
ing the  claims  of  the  United  States  were  noticeable. 
.As  in  former  negotiations,  the  privilege  accorded  by 
the  Nootka  convention  was  greatly  relied  upon  by 
Great  Britain,  as  proving  that  no  absolute  title  was 
retained  by  Spain  after  the  signing  of  the  treaty, 
hence  none  could  be  assigned.  One  striking  state- 
ment in  Lord  Packenham's  correspondence  was  to 
the  effect  that  "he  did  not  feel  authorized  to  enter 
into  discussion  respecting  the  territory  north  of  the 
forty-ninth   jiaralki  of  latitude,   which   was   under- 


THE    OREGON    CONTRO\'ERSV 


stood  by  the  British  government  to  form  the  basis 
of  negotiations  on  the  side  of  the  United  States,  as 
the  hne  of  the  Columbia  formed  that  of  Great 
Britain."  He  thus  showed  all  too  plainly  the  animus 
of  his  government  to  take  advantage  of  the  spirit 
of  compromise  which  prompted  the  offer  of  that  line 
and  to  construe  such  offer  as  an  abandonment  of 
the  United  States'  claim  to  an  absolute  title  to  all 
the  Oregon  territory.  It  is  hard  to  harmonize  her 
action  in  this  matter  with  the  '"perfect  spirit  of 
fairness"  professed  in  the  note  of  Lord  Aberdeen 
to  JMr.  Webster  asking  for  a  renewal  of  negotiations. 
No  agreement  was  reached. 

During  the  sessions,  of  congress  of  1843-4 
memorials,  resolutions  and  petitions  from  all  parts 
of  the  union  came  in  in  a  perfect  flood.  The  people 
were  thoroughly  aroused.  In  the  presidential  elec- 
tion which  occurred  at  that  time  the  Oregon  question 
was  a  leading  issue.  "Fifty-four,  forty  or  fight" 
became  the  rallying  cry  of  the  Democratic  party. 
The  platform  framed  in  the  Democratic  national 
convention  declared :  "Our  title  to  the  whole  of 
Oregon  is  clear  and  unquestionable.  No  portion  of 
the  same  ought  to  be  ceded  to  England  or  any  other 
])ower ;  and  the  reoccupation  of  Oregon  at  the 
earliest  practical  period  is  a  great  American 
measure."  The  position  of  the  Whig  party  was 
milder  and  less  arrogant,  but  equally  emphatic  in  its 
assertion  of  belief  in  the  validit)-  of  the  United 
States'  title.  The  fact  that  the  Democrats  carried 
in  the  election,  despite  the  warlike  tone  of  their 
platform  and  campaign,  is  conclusive  evidence  that 
the  people  were  determined  to  hold  their  territory 
on  the  Pacific  coast  regardless  of  cost.  "Never  was 
a  government  more  signally  advised  by  the  voice 
of  a  united  people.  The  popular  pulse  had  been  felt, 
and  it  beat  strongly  in  favor  of  prompt  and  decisive 
measures  to  secure  the  immediate  reoccupation  of 
I  )regon.  It  equally  i^roclaimed  that  'no  portion 
thereof  ought  to  be  ceded  to -Great  Britain.'"  In 
January,  1845,  Sir  Richard  Packenham,  the  British 
minister.  pro]3osed  that  the  matter  in  dispute  be  left 
to  arbitration,  which  proposal  was  respectfully 
declined.  So  the  administration  of  President  Tyler 
terminated  without  adjustment  of  the  Oregon 
difficulty. 

Notwithstanding  the  uiie(|nivocal  voice  of  the 
people  in  demand  of  the  whole  of  ( )regon,  James 
Buchanan,  secretary  of  state  under  President  Polk, 
in  a  communication  to  Sir  Richard  Packenham, 
dated  July  12,  1845.  again  offered  the  forty-ninth 
parallel,  e.xplaining  at  the  same  time  that  he  could 
not  have  consented  to  do  so  had  he  not  found  him- 
self embarrassed,  if  not  committed,  by  the  acts  of 
his  predecessors.  Packenham  rejected  the  offer. 
I'luchanan  informed  him  that  he  was  "instructed  by 
the  president  to  say  that  he  owes  it  to  his  country, 
and  a  just  appreciation  of  her  title  to  the  Oregon 
territory,  to  withdraw  the  proposition  to  the  British 
govemment  which  has  been  made  under  his  direc- 


tion ;  and  it  is  hereby  accordingly  withdrawn."  This 
formal  withdrawal  of  the  previous  offers  of  compro- 
mise on  the  forty-ninth  parallel,  justified  as  it  was 
by  (ireat  Britain's  repeated  rejections,  left  the  Polk 
administration  free  and  untrammeled.  Appearances 
indicated  that  it  was  now  ready  to  give  execution 
to  the  poi)ular  verdict  of  1844.  The  message  of  the 
president  recommended  that  the  year's  notice, 
required  by  the  treaty  of  1827,  be  immediately  given, 
that  measures  be  adopted  for  maintaining  the  rights 
of  the  United  States  to  the  whole  of  Oregon,  and 
tliat  such  legislation  be  enacted  as  would  aff'oril 
security  and  protection  to  American  settlers. 

In  harmony  with  these  recommendations,  a  reso- 
lution was  adopted  April  27,  1840,  authorizing  the 
president  "at  his  discretion  to  give  to  the  govern- 
ment of  Great  Britain  the  notice  required  by  the 
second  article  of  the  said  convention  of  the  6th  of 
August,  1827,  for  the  abrogation  of  the  same." 

.Acting  in  accordance  with  the  resolution,  Pres- 
ident Polk  the  next  day  sent  notice  of  the  determina- 
tion of  the  United  States  "that,  at  the  end  of  twelve 
months  from  and  after  the  delivery  of  these  presents 
by  the  envoy  extraordinary  and  minister  plenipoten- 
tiary of  the  United  States  at  London,  to  her  Britan- 
nic Majesty,  or  to  her  Majesty's  principal  secretary 
of  state  for  foreign  affairs,  the  said  convention  shall 
be  entirelv  annulled  and  abrogated." 

On  tlie  27th  of  December,  1845,  Sir  Richard 
Packenham  had  submitted  another  proposal  to 
arbitrate  the  matter  at  issue  between  the  two  gov- 
ernments. The  proposal  was  declined  on  the  ground 
that  to  submit  the  proposition  in  the  form  stated 
would  preclude  the  United  States  from  making  a 
claim  to  the  whole  of  the  territory.  On  January 
17th  of  the  following  year,  a  modified  proposal  was 
made  to  refer  "the  question  of  title  in  either  govern- 
ment to  the  whole  territory  to  be  decided ;  and  if 
neither  were  found  to  pos.sess  a  complete  title  to  the 
whole,  it  was  to  be  divided  between  them  accord- 
ing to  a  just  appreciation  of  the  claims  of  each." 
The  answer  of  Mr.  Buchanan  was  clear  and  its 
language  calculated  to  preclude  any  more  arbitration 
proposals.  He  said:  "If  the  government  should 
consent  to  an  arbitration  upon  such  terms,  this  would 
be  construed  into  an  intimation,  if  not  a  direct  invi- 
tation to  the  arbitrator  to  divide  the  territory 
between  the  two  parties.  W'ere  it  possible  for  this 
government,  under  any  circumstances,  to  refer  the 
question  to  arbitration,  the  title  and  the  title  alone, 
detached  from  every  other  consideration,  ought  to 
be  the  only  question  submitted.  The  title  of  the 
L''nited  States,  which  the  president  regards  clear  and 
unquestionable,  can  never  be  placed  in  jeopardy  by 
referring  it  to  the  decision  of  any  individual,  whether 
sovereign,  citizen  or  subject.  Nor  does  he  believe 
the  territorial  rights  of  this  nation  arc  a  proper 
subject  of  arbitration." 

But  the  P.ritish  government  seems  now  to  have 
become    determined    that    the    (|nestion    shoidd    be 


INTRODUCTORY 


settled  without  further  delay.  The  rejected  arbi- 
tration proposal  was  followed  on  the  6th  day  of 
June,  1846,  by  a  draft  of  a  proposed  treaty  sub- 
mitted by  Sir  Richard  Packenham  to  Secretary  of 
State  Buchanan.  The  provisions  of  this  were  to  the 
efifect  that  the  boundary  should  be  continued  along 
the  forty-ninth  parallel  "to  the  middle  of  the  channel 
which  separates  the  continent  from  Vancouver 
island ;  and  thence  southerly  through  the  middle  of 
said  channel  and  of  Fuca's  strait  to  the  Pacific 
ocean."  It  stipulated  that  the  navigation  of  the 
Columbia  river  should  remain  free  and  open  to  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  and  to  all  British  subjects 
trading  with  the  same ;  that  the  possessory  right  of 
that  company  and  of  all  British  subjects  south  of 
the  forty-ninth  parallel  should  be  respected,  and  that 
"the  farms,  lands  and  other  properties  of  every 
description  belonging  to  the  Puget  Sound  Agricul- 
tural Company  shall  be  confirmed  to  said  company. 
In  case,  however,  the  situation  of  these  farms  and 
lands  should  be  considered  by  the  United  States  to 
be  of  public  importance,  and  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment should  signify  a  desire  to  obtain  possession 
of  the  whole,  or  any  part  thereof,  the  property  so 
required  shall  be  transferred  to  the  said  government 
at  a  proper  valuation,  to  be  agreed  upon  between  the 
parties." 

Upon  receipt  of  the  important  communication 
embodying  this  draft,  the  president  asked  in  advance 
the  advice  of  the  senate,  a  very  unusual,  though  not 
an  unprecedented  procedure.  Though  the  request 
of  the  president  was  dated  June  10th,  and  the  con- 
sideration of  the  resolution  to  accept  the  British 
proposal  was  not  begun  until  June  12th,  on  June 
13th  it  was  "resolved  (two-thirds  of  the  senators 
present  consenting),  that  the  president  of  the  United 
States  be,  and  is  hereby,  advised  to  accept  the  pro- 
posal of  the  British  government,  accompanying  his 
message  to  the  senate,  dated  June  10,  1846,  for  a 
convention  to  settle  the  boundaries,  etc.,  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain,  west  of  the  Rocky 
or  Stony  mountains."  The  advise  was,  however, 
"given  under  the  conviction  that,  by  the  true  con- 
struction of  the  second  article  of  the  project,  the 
rights  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  navigate 
the  Columbia  would  expire  with  the  termination  of 
their  present  license  of  trade  with  the  Indians,  etc., 
on  the  northwest  coast  of  America,  on  the  30th  day 
of  May,  18o0." 

The  wonderful  alacrity  with  which  this  advice 
w^as  given  and  with  wnich  five  degrees,  forty 
minutes  of  territory  were  surrendered  to  Great 
Britain,  is  accounted  for  by  some  historians  (and 
no  doubt  they  are  correct)  by  supposing  that  the 
"cession"  was  made  in  the  interests  of  slavery.  The 
friends  of  that  institution  were  unwilling  to  risk  a 
w-ar  with  Great  Britain  which  would  interfere  with 
the  war  with  Mexico  and  the  annexation  of  Texas. 
Their  plan  was  to  acquire  as  much  territory  from 
which  slave  states  could  be  formed  as  possible,  and 


they  were  not  overscrupulous  about  sacrificing  terri- 
tory which  must  ultimately  develop  into  free  states. 
But  for  unfortunate  diplomacy,  "it  is  quite  probable 
that  British  Columbia  would  be  to-day,  what  many 
would  deem  desirable  in  view  of  its  growing 
importance,  a  part  of  the  United  States." 

Notwithstanding  the  great  sacrifice  made  by  the 
United  States  for  the  sake  of  peace,  it  was  not  long 
until  war  clouds  were  again  darkening  our  national 
skies.  The  determining  of  the  line  after  it  reached 
the  Pacific  ocean  soon  became  a  matter  of  dispute. 
Hardly  had  the  ratifications  been  exchanged  when 
Captain  Prevost.  for  the  British  government,  set 
up  the  claim  that  Rosario  was  the  channel  intended 
in  the  treaty.  The  claim  was,  of  course,  denied  by 
Mr.  Campbell,  who  was  representing  the  United 
States  in  making  the  survey  line.  It  was  contended 
by  him  that  the  Canal  de  Haro  was  the  channel 
mentioned  in  the  treaty.  Lord  Russell,  conscious 
no  doubt  of  the  weakness  of  his  case,  proposed  as 
a  compromise  President's  channel,  between  Rosario 
and  De  Haro  straits.  The  generosity  of  this  proposal 
is  obvious  when  we  remember  that  the  San  Juan 
islands,  the  principal  bone  of  contention,  would  be 
on  the  British  side  of  this  line.  Indeed,  Lord  Lyons, 
the  British  diplomatic  representative  in  the  United 
States,  was  ex]iressly  instructed  that  no  line  should 
be  accepted  which  did  not  give  San  Juan  to  the 
British.  The  position  of  the  United  States  was 
stated  by  Secretary  of  State  Lewis  Cass,  with  equal 
clearness  and  decisiveness.  Eflforts  to  settle 
the  matter  geographically  proved  unavailing  and 
diplomacy  again  had  to  undergo  a  severe  test. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  matter  remained  in 
abeyance.  Then  the  pioneer  resolved  to  try  the  plan 
he  had  before  resorted  to  in  the  settlement  of  the 
main  question.  He  pushed  into  the  country  with 
wife  and  family.  The  Hudson's  Bav  Company's 
representatives  were  alreadv  there,  and  the  danger 
of  a  clash  of  arms  between  the  subjects  of  the  queen 
and  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  resident  in  the 
disputed  territory,  soon  became  imminent.  Such  a 
collision  would  undoubtedly  involve  the  two 
countries  in  war. 

In  the  session  of  the  Oregon  territorial  legis- 
lature of  18.')"2-3,  the  archipelago  to  which  San  Juan 
island  belongs  was  organized  into  a  county.  Taxes 
were  in  due  time  imposed  on  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany property,  and  when  payment  was  refused,  the 
sherifif  promptly  sold  sheep  enough  to  satisfy  the 
levy.  Recriminations  followed  as  a  matter  of  course 
and  local  excitement  ran  high.  General  Harney, 
commander  of  the  department  of  the  Pacific,  inaugu- 
rated somewhat  summary  proceedings.  He  landed 
over  four  hundred  and  fifty  troops  on  the  island,  and 
instructed  Captain  Pickett  to  protect  American 
citizens  there  at  all  cost.  English  naval  forces  of 
considerable  power  gathered  about  the  island.  Their 
commander  protested  against  military  occupancy. 
Pickett  replied  that  he  could  not,  under  his  orders. 


THE    CAYUSE    WAR 


permit  any  joint  occupancy.  General  Harney,  how- 
ever, had  acted  without  instructions  from  the  seat 
of  government,  and  tlie  president  (Hd  not  approve 
his  measures  officially,  though  it  was  plainly  evident 
that  the  administration  was  not  averse  to  having  the 
matter  forced  to  an  issue. 

At  this  juncture,  the  noted  General  Scott  was 
sent  to  the  scene  of  the  difficulty,  under  instructions 
to  permit  joint  occupancy  until  the  matter  in  dispute 
could  be  settled.  Harney  was  withdrawn  from 
command  entirely.  Finally,  an  agreement  was 
reached  between  General  Scott  and  the  British 
governor  at  \'ancouver  that  each  party  should  police 
the  territory  with  one  hundred  armed  men. 

Diplomacy  was  again  tried.  Great  Britain 
proposed  that  the  question  at  issue  be  submitted  to 
arbitration,  and  she  suggested  as  arbiter  the  pres- 
ident of  the  Swiss  council  or  the  king  of  Sweden 
and  Norway  or  the  king  of  the  Netherlands.  The 
proposition  was  declined  by  the  United  States.  For 
ten  years  longer  the  dispute  remained  unsettled. 
Eventually,  on  May  8,  1871,  it  was  mutually 
agreed  to  submit  the  question,  without  appeal,  to 
the  arbitrament  of  Emperor  William,  of  Germany. 
George    Bancroft,    the    well-known    historian,    was 


chosen  to  present  the  case  of  the  United  States,  and 
it  is  said  that  "his  memorial  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  octavo  pages  is  one  of  the  most  finished  and 
unanswerable  diplomatic  arguments  ever  produced." 
The  British  also  presented  a  memorial.  These 
were  interchanged  and  replies  were  prepared  by 
each  contestant.  The  emperor  gave  the  matter 
careful  and  deliberate  attention,  calling  to  his  assist- 
ance three  eminent  jurists.  His  award  was  as  fol- 
lows :  "Most  in  accordance  with  the  true  interpreta- 
tion of  the  treaty  concluded  on  the  1.5th  of  June, 
1846,  between  the  governments  of  her  Britannic 
Majesty  and  the  United  States  of  America,  is  the 
claim  of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  that 
the  boundary  line  between  the  territories  of  her 
Britannic  Majesty  and  the  L'nited  States  should  be 
drawn  through  the  Haro  channel.  Authenticated 
by  our  autograph  signature  and  the  impression  of 
the  Imperial  Great  Seal.  Given  at  Berlin,  October 
31,  1873."  This  brief  and  unequivocal  decree  ended 
forever  the  vexatious  controversy  which  for  so 
many  years  had  disturbed  friendly  feelings  and 
endangered  the  peace  of  the  two  great  Anglo-Saxon 
peoples.  No  shot  was  fired ;  no  blood  was  shed ; 
diplomacy  had  triumphed. 


CHAPTER   VII 


THE    CAYUSE   WAR 


Long  before  the  settlement  of  the  Oregon  ques- 
tion, signs  of  another  struggle  for  ownership  of  the 
country  had  become  distinctly  visible.  The  Indian 
had  begun  to  perceive  what  must  have  been  fully 
apparent  to  the  tutored  mind  of  the  more  enlight- 
ened race,  that  when  the  sturdy  American  began 
following  the  course  of  empire  to  westward,  that 
harsh,  inexorable  law  of  life,  the  survival  of  the 
fittest,  would  be  brought  home  to  the  red  man.  He 
had  begun  to  feel  the  approach  of  his  own  sad  fate 
and  was  casting  about  for  the  means  to  avert  the 
coming  calamity  or,  if  that  could  not  be,  to  delay 
the  evil  hour  as  long  as  possible. 

Although  no  large  immigration  had  entered  the 
Oregon  country  prior  to  1S4:),  that  nf  the  preceding 
year  numbering  only  one  hundred  and  eleven,  the 
few  settlers  of  (  )regon  had  already  become  appre- 
hensive for  the  safety  of  their  brethren  en  route  to 
the  west,  and  .Sub-Indian  Agent  White  had  sent  a 
message  to  meet  the  immigrants  of  1843   at   Fort 


Hall,  warning  tliem  to  travel  in  companies  of  nut 
less  than  fifty  and  to  keep  close  watch  upon  their 
property.  The  reason  for  the  latter  injunction  be- 
came apparent  to  the  travelers  in  due  time,  for  the 
Indians,  especially  those  who  had  become  accus- 
tomed to  white  people  by  reason  of  their  residence 
near  the  mission,  were  not  slow  to  help  themselves 
to  clothing,  household  goods,  cattle  or  horses,  when 
an  opportunity  was  ofifered.  However,  the  fact 
fbat  none  of  the  immigrants  settled  near  the  mission 
had  a  quieting  effect  upon  the  Indians  of  that  neigh- 
borhood. 

In  1844  an  Indian  named  Cockstock.  with  a 
small  following,  made  hostile  demonstrations  in 
Oregon  City.  Failing  to  provoke  a  quarrel  with 
the  white  residents,  he  retired  to  an  Indian  village 
across  the  river  and  endeavored  to  incite  its  occu- 
pants to  acts  of  hostility.  In  this  he  failed.  It 
appears  that  formerly  Cockstock  had  visited  the 
home  (if   Dr.   White,   purposing  to   kill   him    for   a 


42 


INTRODUCTORY 


real  or  fancied  wrong,  but.  his  intended  victim  being 
absent,  he  had  not  been  able  to  do  greater  damage 
than  to  break  the  windows  of  the  sub-agent's  house. 
An  unsuccessful  attempt  had  been  made  to  arrest 
him  for  this  offense,  and  he  was  now  bent  on  calling 
the  Americans  to  account  for  their  audacity  in 
pursuing  him  with  such  intent.  With  an  interpre- 
ter he  returned  to  the  Oregon  City  side.  He  was 
met  at  the  landing  by  a  number  of  whites,  who 
doubtless  meant  to  arrest  him.  In  the  excitement 
firearms  were  discharged  on  both  sides  and  George 
W.  Le  Breton,  who  had  served  as  clerk  of  the  first 
legislative  committee  of  Oregon,  was  wounded. 
The  other  Indians  withdrew  to  a  position  on  the 
blufifs  above  town  and  began  shooting  at  the  whites, 
who  returned  their  fire  with  such  effectiveness  as 
soon  to  dislodge  them.  In  the  latter  part  of  the 
fight  two  more  Americans  were  wounded,  one  of 
whom  died,  as  did  also  Le  Breton,  from  the  effects 
of  poison  from  the  arrow  points.  The  Indian  loss 
was  Cockstock  killed  and  one  warrior  wounded. 
Aside  from  this,  there  was  no  serious  trouble  with 
Indians  in  the  Willamette  valley  during  the  earlier 
years,  though  frequently  the  Indian  agent  was 
called  upon  to  settle  disputes  caused  by  the  appro- 
priation by  Indians  of  cattle  belonging  to  white 
men. 

Prior  to  18-12,  a  number  of  indignities  had  been 
offered  to  Dr.  Whitman  at  his  mission  station  at 
Waiilatpu,  near  where  Walla  Walla  now  is.  These 
he  had  borne  with  Christian  forbearance.  During 
the  winter  of  1843  he  went  east.  Some  of  the 
Indians  supposed  that  he  intended  to  bring  enough 
of  his  people  to  punish  them  for  these  offenses. 
He  did  bring  with  him  in  the  summer  of  1843  nearly 
nine  hundred  people,  none  of  whom,  however,  were 
equipped  for  Indian  warfare  or  of  a  militant  spirit. 
As  no  offense  was  oft'ered  the  Indians  and  not  an 
acre  of  their  lands  was  appropriated  by  these  whites, 
the  quiet  of  the  upper  country  was  not  disturbed. 
But  the  mission  was  thereafter  practically  a  failure 
'  as  far  as  its  primary  purpose  was  concerned,  as  was 
also  that  of  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  in  the  Nez  Perce 
country. 

After  the  return  of  Whitman,  an  event  hap- 
pened which  boded  no  good  to  the  white  people. 
About  forty  Indians,  mostly  of  the  Cayuse  and 
Walla  Walia  tribes,  having  decided  to  embark  ex- 
tensively in  the  cattle  business,  formed  a  company 
to  visit  California  for  the  purpose  of  securing  stock 
by  trading  with  the  Spaniards.  Peo-peo-mox-mox, 
head  chief  of  the  Walla  Wallas,  was  the  leader  of 
the  enterprise.  The  company  reached  California 
in  safety,  had  good  success  for  a  while  in  accom- 
plishing their  ends,  but  eventually  fell  into  difficulty 
through  their  unwillingness  to  be  governed  bv  the 
laws  of  the  land.  While  on  a  hunting  expedition, 
they  met  and  conquered  a  band  of  robbers,  recover- 
ing a  number  of  head  of  horses  stolen  from  Ameri- 
cans and  Spaniards.     Some  of  them  were  claimed 


by  their  former  owners,  in  accordance  with  the  law 
that  property  of  this  kind  belonged  to  the  original 
possessors  until  sold  and  marked  with  a  transfer 
mark.  An  incident  of  the  dispute  was  the  killing 
by  an  American  (in  cold  blood  if  the  Indian  account 
be  true)  of  Elijah,  son  of  Peo-peo-mox-mox.  This 
unfortunate  event  had  its  eft'ect  in  deepening  the 
hatred  of  the  Indians  for  the  American  people. 
Peo-peo-mox-mox  and  his  band  were  eventually 
expelled  from  California  by  the  Spanish  authori- 
ties, being  pursued  with  such  vigor  that  they  had 
to  leave  their  cattle  behind.  They  returned  home 
in  the  spring  of  1845.  Dr.  Whitman  was  deeply 
disturbed  by  the  incident,  fearing  that  the  Indians 
would  take  their  revenge  upon  his  mission,  and  sent 
a  hasty  message  to  the  sub-Indian  agent,  so  stating. 
White  was  visited  about  the  same  time  by  an  Indian 
chief,  Ellis,  who  wished  advice  as  to  what  to  do  in 
the  matter.  White  states  that  he  was  apprehen- 
sive of  difficulty  in  adjusting  it,  "particularly  as 
they  lay  much  stress  uixjn  the  restless,  disaffected 
scamps  late  from  Willamette  to  California,  loading 
them  with  the  vile  epithets  of  'dogs,  thieves,'  etc., 
from  which  they  believed  or  affected  to  that  the 
slanderous  reports  of  our  citizens  caused  all  their 
loss  and  disasters,  and  therefore  held  us 
responsible." 

"According  to  Ellis,"  writes  ^Irs.  \'ictor,  "the 
Walla  Wallas,  Cayuses,  Nez  Perces,  Spokanes, 
Pend  d'Oreilles  and  Snakes  were  on  terms  of  amity 
and  alliance ;  and  a  portion  of  them  were  for  raising 
two  thousand  warriors  and  marching  at  once  to 
California  to  take  reprisals  by  capture  and  plunder, 
enriching  themselves  by  the  spoils  of  the  enemy. 
Another  part  were  more  cautious,  wishing  first  to 
take  advice  and  to  learn  whether  the  white  people 
in  Oregon  would  remain  neutral.  A  third  party 
were  for  holding  the  Oregon  colony  responsible, 
because  Elijah  had  been  killed  by  an  American. 

"There  was  business,  indeed,  for  an  Indian 
agent  with  no  government  at  his  back,  and  no 
money  to  carry  on  either  war  or  diplomacy.  But 
Dr.  White  was  equal  to  it.  He  arranged  a  cordial 
reception  for  the  chief  among  the  colonists ;  planned 
to  have  Dr.  McLoughlin  divert  his  mind  by  refer- 
ring to  the  tragic  death  of  his  own  son  by  treachery, 
which  enabled  him  to  sympathize  with  the  father 
and  relatives  of  Elijah  ;  and  on  his  own  part  took 
him  to  visit  the  schools  and  his  own  library,  and  in 
every  way  treated  the  chief  as  though  he  were  the 
first  gentleman  in  the  land.  Still  further  to  establish 
social  equality,  he  put  on  his  fanner's  garb  and  be- 
gan working  in  his  plantation,  in  which  labor  Ellis 
soon  joined  him,  and  the  two  discussed  the  benefits 
already  enjoyed  by  the  native  population  as  the 
result  of  intelligent  labor. 

"Nothing,  however,  is  so  convincing  to  an 
Indian  as  a  present,  and  here  it  would  seem  Dr. 
White  nnist  have  failed,  but  not  so.  In  the  autumn 
of  1844,  thinking  to  prevent  trouble  with  the  immi- 


THE    CAYUSE    WAR 


.q-ration  by  enabling  the  chiefs  in  the  upper  country 
to  obtain  cattle  without  violating  the  laws,  he 
had  given  them  some  ten-dollar  treasury  drafts 
to  be  exchanged  with  the  emigrants  for  young 
stock,  which  drafts  the  emigrants  refused  to  accept, 
not  knowing  where  they  should  get  them  cashed. 
To  heal  the  wound  caused  by  this  disappointment, 
White  now  sent  word  by  Ellis  to  these  chiefs  to 
come  down  in  the  autumn  with  Dr.  Whitman  and 
Mr.  Spalding  to  hold  a  council  over  the  California 
affair,  and  to  bring  with  them  their  ten-dollar  drafts 
to  exchange  with  him  for  a  cow  and  a  calf  each, 
out  of  his  own  herds.  He  also  promised  them  that 
if  they  would  postpone  their  visit  to  California 
until  the  spring  of  1847,  and  each  chief  assist  him 
to  the  amount  of  two  beaver  skins,  he  would  estab- 
lish a  manual  training  and  literary  school  for  their 
children,  besides  using  every  means  in  his  power  to 
have  the  trouble  with  the  Californians  adjusted, 
and  would  give  them  from  his  private  funds  five 
hundred  dollars  with  which  to  purchase  young 
c<i\vs  in  California." 

i'.y  this  means  White  succeeded  in  averting  an 
impending  calamity,  though  he  was  unable  to  fulfill 
all  his  pledges.  Peo-peo-mox-mox  did,  however, 
return  to  California  in  1846  with  forty  warriors  to 
demand .  satisfaction  for  the  murder  of  his  son. 
Not  a  little  excitement  resulted,  and  a  company  was 
sent  by  the  California  authorities  to  protect  fron- 
tier settlements.  The  Indians,  seeing  that  both 
Americans  and  Spaniards  were  prepared  to  defend 
themselves,  made  no  hostile  movement,  but  gave 
their  attention  to  trading  and  other  peaceful  pur- 
suits. 

For  a  few  years  prior  to  the  settlement  of  the 
Oregon  question  in  1846,  there  was  another  cause 
of  alarm  among  the  colonists,  namely,  the  possibil- 
ity of  war  with  Great  Britain  and  consequent  hos- 
tilities between  the  settlers  and  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  It  was  very  certain  that  in  the  event  of 
war  the  Indians  would  side  with  the  British  com- 
pany, and  the  condition  of  the  colonists  would  be- 
come truly  deplorable.  Happily,  this  contingency 
was  averted  by  the  triumph  of  diplomacy. 

But  even  after  the  question  of  sovereignty  had 
been  settled  by  the  treaty  of  peace,  war  clouds  still 
hung  over  the  Northwest.  In  his  message  to  the 
provisional  legislature  of  Oregon,  sent  in  December 
8,  1847,  Governor  Abernethy  referred  to  the  Indian 
situation  in  this  language : 

"Our  relations  with  the  Indians  become  every 
year  more  embarrassing.  They  see  the  white  man 
occupying  their  land,  rapidly  filling  up  the  country, 
and  they  put  in  a  claim  for  pay.  They  have  been 
told  that  a  chief  would  come  out  from  the  United 
States  and  treat  with  them  for  their  land ;  they 
have  been  told  this  so  often  that  they  begin  to  doubt 
it ;  'at  all  events,'  they  say,  'he  will  not  come  till  we 
are  all  dead,  and  then  what  good  will  blankets  do 
us?     We    want    something    now.'     This    leads    to 


trouble  between  the  settler  and  the  Indians  about 
him.  Some  plan  should  be  devised  by  which  a 
fund  can  be  raised  and  presents  made  to  the  Indians 
to  keep  them  quiet  until  an  agent  arrives  from  the 
United  States.  A  number  of  robberies  have  been 
committed  by  the  Indians  in  the  upper  country  upon 
emigrants  as  they  were  passing  through  their  terri- 
tory. This  should  not  be  allowed  to  pass.  An 
appropriation  should  be  made  by  you  sufficient  to 
enable  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  to  take  a 
small  party  in  the  spring  and  demand  restitution  of 
the  property,  or  its  equivalent  in  horses." 

As  heretofore  stated,  this  message  reached  the 
legislature  December  8,  1847.  The  same  day 
another  was  sent  with  communications  from  Will- 
iam McBean  and  Sir  James  Douglas,  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company,  giving  details  of  a  horrible 
massacre  in  the  upper  country.  The  calamity  so 
long  expected  had  come  at  last.  With  savage 
whoops  and  fiendish  yells,  the  Cayuse  Indians  had 
fallen  upon  the  helpless  inhabitants  of  the  Waiilatpu 
mission,  enacting  the  most  awful  tragedy  which  has 
stained  the  pages  of  northwest  history,  a  history 
presenting  many  dark  and  dreadful  chapters,  writ- 
ten in  the  blood  of  the  Argonauts  who  bore  the 
stars  and  stripes  o'er  plain  and  mountain  and 
through  the  trackless  forest  to  a  resting-place  on 
the  Pacific  shore. 

There  were  several  causes  in  addition  to  the 
general  ones  heretofore  recited  which  impelled  the 
Indians  to  strike  their  first  blow  when  and  where 
they  did,  .A  short  time  before  the  fatal  2nth  of 
November,  Bishop  A.  M.  A.  Blanchet,  of  the  Catho- 
lic Society  of  Jesus,  Rev.  J.  B.  A.  Brouillet,  and 
other  priests,  made  their  appearance  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Whitman  mission.  Whitman  met  Blanchet 
at  Fort  Walla  Walla  and  told  him  frankly  that  he 
was  not  pleased  at  his  coming  and  would  do  nothing 
to  help  him  establish  his  mission.  The  priests,  how- 
ever, eventually  took  up  their  abode  in  the  house  of 
an  Indian  named  Tauitowe.  on  the  Umatilla  river, 
having  failed  to  secure  a  site  near  Whitman  from 
Tiloukaikt.  The  later  intercourse  between  Whit- 
man and  Blanchet  seems  to  have  been  more  friendly 
than  their  first  interview,  and  there  is  no  evidence 
of  anv  bitter  sectarian  quarrel  between  them.  But 
there  is  little  doubt  that  the  priests  encouraged  the 
Indians  in  the  belief  that  the  Americans  would  even- 
tually take  all  their  lands.  Many  of  the  earlier 
Protestant  writers  accused  the  priests,  or  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company,  or  both,  of  having  incited  the 
Indian  murderers  to  their  devilish  deeds,  but  most 
of  the  historians  of  later  date  refuse  to  accept  any 
such  theory. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  boldest  of  the  early  secta- 
rian writers  was  W.  H.  Gray,  whose  history  of 
Oregon  is  so  palpably  and  bitterly  partisan  and 
shows  such  a  disposition  to  magnify  "trifles  light  as 
air"  that  it  fails  to  carry  conviction  to  the  mind  of 
the  unprejudiced  reader. 


INTRODUCTORY 


The  proximate  cause  of  the  massacre,  assigned 
by  the  Indians  tliemselves,  was  a  belief  that  Dr. 
VVhitman  was  administering  poison  i-istead  of 
wholesome  medicines  to  such  of  their  number  as 
were  sick  and  required  his  professional  services. 
The  large  immigration  of  lS-4?  had  been  the  victim 
of  a  terrible  pestilence,  and  by  the  time  it  reached 
the  vicinity  of  Whitman's  station  was  suffering 
from  measies  in  a  form  so  virulent  as  to  cause  the 
death  of  many.  Of  course,  the  disease  was  com- 
municated to  the  Indians,  who  hung  about  the 
wagons  parleying  or  pilfering.  The  condition  of 
the  diseased  Indians  became  pitiful.  "It  was  most 
distressing,"  said  Spalding,  "to  go  into  a  lodge  of 
some  ten  or  twenty  fires,  and  count  twenty  or  twen- 
ty-five, some  in  the  midst  of  measles,  others  in  the 
last  stage  of  dysentery,  in  the  midst  of  every  kind 
of  filth,  of  itself  sufficient  to  cause  sickness,  with  no 
suitable  means  to  alleviate  their  inconceivable 
sufferings,  with  perhaps  one  well  person  to  look 
after  the  wants  of  two  sick  ones.  They  were  dying 
every  day,  one,  two,  and  sometimes  five  in  a  day, 
with  the  dysentery  which  generally  followed  the 
measles.  Everywhere  the  sick  and  dying  were 
pointed  to  Jesus  and  the  well  were  urged  to  prepare 
for  death." 

Six  were  sick  with  measles  in  the  doctor's  house- 
hold, and  furthermore,  Mrs.  ( )sborn  was  weakly 
from  a  recent  confinement  and  her  baby  was  in  ill- 
health.  Dr.  Whitman  had  the  care  of  all  these,  and 
besides  was  acting  as  physician  to  the  entire  white 
and  Indian  population  of  the  surrounding  countr}-. 
He  was  unremitting  in  his  attentions  to  those  who 
needed  him,  but  no  skill  could  avail  to  stav  the  rav- 
ages of  the  dread  scourge. 

This  terrible  condition  of  things  furnished  an 
opportunity  to  Whitman's  tvv(i  principal  enemies — 
Joe  Lewis,  a  half-breed,  of  his  own  hou.sehold,  and 
Chief  Tiloukaikt — both  of  whom  had  been  many 
times  the  beneficiaries  of  his  benevolence.  The 
cause  of  Lewis's  spite  is  not  known,  but  "with  the 
iniquity  which  seemed  inherent  in  his  detestable 
nature,"  he  began  circulating  the  report  that  Whit- 
man was  poisoning  the  Indians,  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  their  lands  and  horses.  He  even  went  so 
far  as  to  state  that  he  (Lewis)  had  heard  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Spalding  discussing  the 
matter  among  themselves. 

"The  mission  buildings."  says  (jrav.  "occupied  a 
triangular  space  of  ground  fronting  the  north  in  a 
straight  line,  about  four  hundred  feet  in  length. 
The  doctor's  house,  standing  on  the  west  end  and 
fronting  west,  was  eighteen  by  sixty-two  feet, 
adobe  walls ;  library  and  bedroom  on  south  end ; 
dining  and  sitting-room  in  the  middle,  eighteen 
by  twenty-four ;  Indian  room  on  north  end.  eighteen 
by  twenty-six ;  kitchen  on  east  side  of  the 
house,  eighteen  by  twenty-six ;  fireplace  in  the 
middle  and  bedroom  in  the  rear ;  school-room  join- 
ing on  the  east  of  the  kitchen,  eighteen  by  thirty; 


blacksmith  shop,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  east ; 
the  house  called  the  mansion  on  the  east  end  of 
t'le  angle,  thirt\-two  by  forty  feet,  one  and  one- 
half  stories;  tiie  mill  made  of  wood,  standing  upon 
the  old  site  about  four  hundred  feet  from  either 
house.  The  east  and  south  space  of  ground  was 
protected  by  the  mill  ])ond  and  Walla  Walla  creek — 
nortli  front  b\-  a  ditch  that  discharged  the  waste 
water  from  the  mill,  and  served  to  irrigate  the  farm 
in  front  of  the  doctor's  house,  which  overlooked  the 
whole.  To  the  north  and  east  is  a  high  knoll,  less 
than  one-fourth  of  a  mile  distant  and  directly  to 
the  north,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  distant  is  Mill 
creek." 

Referring  to  the  disposition  of  different  persons 
about  these  premises  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak,  the 
same  writer  says ; 

"Joseph  Stanfield  had  brought  in  an  ox  from 
the  plains,  and  it  had  been  sht)t  by  Francis  Sager. 
Messrs.  Kimball,  Canfield  and  Hoffman  were  dress- 
ing it  between  the  two  houses ;  Mr.  Sanders  was  in 
the  school,  which  had  just  called  in  for  the 
afternoon ;  Mr.  Mar.sh  was  grinding  at  the  mill ; 
Mr.  Gillan  was  on  his  tailor's  bench  in  the  large 
adobe  house,  a  short  distance  from  the  doctor's ; 
Mr.  Hall  was  at  work  laying  a  floor  to  a  room  ad- 
joining the  doctor's  house ;  Air.  Rogers  was  in  the 
garden ;  Mr.  Osborn  and  family  were  in  the  Indian 
room  adjoining  the  doctor's  sitting-room ;  young 
Mr.  Sales  was  lying  sick  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Can- 
field,  who  was  living  in  the  blacksmith  shop ;  young 
Mr.  Bewley  was  sick  in  the  doctor's  house ;  John 
Sager  was  sitting  in  the  kitchen  but  partially  recov- 
ered from  the  measles ;  the  doctor  and  Mrs.  Whit- 
man, with  three  sick  children,  and  Mrs.  Osijorn  and 
her  sick  child  were  in  the  dining  or  sitting-room." 

Dr.  Whitman  had  attended  an  Indian  funeral 
on  the  morning  of  the  fatal  "iOth  of  November. 
.\fter  his  return  he  remained  about  the  house,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  reading  in  his  Bible  when  some 
one  called  him  to  the  kitchen,  where  John  Sager 
was.  His  voice  was  heard  in  conversation  with  an 
Indian,  and  soon  after  the  work  of  slaughter  began. 
Whitman  was  tomahawked  and  shot.  John  Sager 
was  overpowered,  cut  and  gashed  with  knives ;  his 
throat  cut  and  his  body  pierced  with  several  balls 
from  short  Hudson's  Bay  muskets.  Mrs.  Whitman, 
who  was  in  the  dining-room,  hearing  the  tumult, 
began  wringing  her  hands  in  anguish  and  exclaim- 
ing, "Oh,  the  Indians!  the  Indians!"  The  Osborn 
familv  hid  themselves  under  the  floor  of  the  Indian 
room.  Having  done  their  dreadful  work  in  the 
kitchen,  the  Indians  engaged  in  it  joined  others  in 
the  work  of  despatching  such  of  the  American  men 
and  boys  as  they  could  find  on  the  outside.  Mrs. 
Whitman  ran  to  the  assistance  of  her  husband  in 
the  kitchen.  Women  from  the  mansion  house  came 
to  her  aid,  as  did  also  Mr.  Rogers,  who  had  been 
twice  wounfled,  but  the  noble  doctor,  though  still 
breathing,    was    past    all    huinan    assistance.     Mr. 


THE    CAY  USE    WAR 


Kimball,  with  a  broken  arm,  came  into  the  house, 
and  all  engaged  in  fastening  the  doors  and  removing 
the  sick  children  up-stairs. 

Without  all  was  din  and  turmoil  and  fury.  Re- 
treating women  and  children  screaming  in  dread- 
ful anguish,  the  groans  of  the  dying,  the  roar  of 
musketry,  the  unearthly  yells  of  frenzied  savages, 
maddened  with  a  diabolical  thirst  for  human  blood, 
the  furious  riding  of  naked,  dusky  horsemen,  insane 
with  excitement,  the  cries  of  despair  and  the  tierce, 
exultant  shouts  of  infuriated  fiends  mingled  to- 
gether to  create  a  scene  which  for  terror  and  de- 
spair on  the  one  side  and  devilish  atrocity  on  the 
other  has  few  parallels  in  human  history.  No  pen 
has  power  to  describe  it  adequately  and  no  imagina- 
tion is  equal  to  its  full  reconstruction. 

Having  killed  all  the  male  representatives  of 
the  hated  American  race  to  be  found  without,  the 
Indians  turned  again  to  the  doctor's  house.  Mrs. 
Whitman,  venturing  too  near  a  window,  was  shot 
through  the  breast.  The  doors  were  battered  down 
and  the  window  smashed.  By  the  time  the  Indians 
had  gained  an  entrance  to  the  building,  Mrs.  Whit- 
man, Mrs.  Hays,  Miss  Bewley,  Catherine  Sager 
and  Alessrs.  Kimball  and  Rogers  and  the  three  sick 
children  had  taken  refuge  in  an  up-stairs  room, 
whence  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Rogers  were  soon 
summoned  by  the  Indians.  As  they  did  not  comply 
with  the  request  to  come  down,  Tamsucky  started 
up-stairs  after  them,  but  seeing  a  gun  so  placed 
(by  Miss  Bewley)  as  to  command  the  stairway,  he 
became  frightened  and  advanced  no  further.  He, 
however,  urged  Mrs.  Whitman  to  come  down,  as- 
suring her  that  she  would  not  be  hurt.  On  learning 
that  she  had  been  shot,  he  expressed  great  sorrow, 
and  upon  being  assured  that  there  were  no  Ameri- 
cans in  the  room  waiting  to  kill  him,  Tamsucky  at 
last  went  up-stairs  and  engaged  in  conversation 
with  the  people  there,  in  the  course  of  which  he 
reiterated  expressions  of  sorrow  for  what  had  hap- 
pened and  desired  the  white  men  and  women  to 
retire  to  the  mansion  house,  as  the  building  they 
then  occupied  might  soon  be  destroyed  by  fire. 
Eventually,  Mrs.  Whitman  started  down,  assisted 
by  Mr.  Rogers  and  Mrs.  Hays.  Her  wound,  or 
the  sight  of  her  mangled  and  dying  husband,  or 
both,  caused  a  faintness  to  come  over  her,  and  she 
was  laid  on  the  settee.  As  this  was  borne  out  of 
the  door,  a  volley  was  fired  into  it  and  those  who 
bore  it,  killing  or  fatally  wounding  Mr.  Rogers, 
Mrs.  Whitman  and  Francis  Sager,  the  last-named, 
according  to  Gray,  being  shot  by  Joe  Lewis. 

Not  content  with  destroying  the  lives  of  their 
victims,  the  Indians  gave  vent  to  their  savage  spleen 
by  heaping  upon  the  dead  and  dying  such  indigni- 
ties as  they  could.  The  noble  face  of  the  good  doc- 
tor, a  face  that  had  expressed  no  sentiments  but 
those  of  kindness  toward  the  dusky  savages,  was 
hacked  beyond  recognition,  while  the  doctor  still 
breathed,  by  the  tomahawk  of  Tiloukaikt ;  the  ma- 


tronly features  of  Mrs.  Whitman  were  lashed 
unmercifully  with  whips,  and  her  body  was  rolled 
contemptuously  in  the  mud ;  John  Sager  was  terri- 
bly gashed  with  knives,  and  the  remains  of  other 
victims  were  treated  with  similar  indignities. 

Joe  Lewis,  the  darkest  demon  of  the  tragedy, 
went  to  the  school-room,  sought  out  the  innocent 
children,  who,  terrified,  had  hidden  themselves  in 
the  loft  above,  and  brought  them  down  to  the 
kitchen  to  be  shot.  For  a  time  they  stood  huddled 
together,  guns  pointed  at  them  from  almost  every 
direction,  expecting  the  order  to  be  given  at  any 
moment  which  should  occasion  their  death.  Eliza, 
daughter  of  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding,  was  among 
them.  Being  acquainted  with  the  Indian  language, 
she  understood  every  word  that  was  said  regarding 
the  fate  of  herself  and  the  other  children,  and  her 
feelings,  as  she  heard  the  Indians  beseeching  their 
chief  to  give  the  order  to  shoot,  may  be  imagined. 
That  order  was  never  given,  thanks,  it  is  claimed, 
to  the  interposition  of  Joseph  Stanfield,  and  the  chil- 
dren were  led  away  by  two  friendly  Walla  Wallas 
to  a  place  of  seclusion  and  temporary  safety. 

When  night  closed  down  upon  this  scene  of 
savage  cruelty  and  destruction,  the  Indians  with- 
drew to  the  lodge  of  Tiloukaikt  to  review  the  day's 
proceedings  and  consult  as  to  future  operations. 
The  killed  on  this  first  day  of  the  massacre  were 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Whitman,  Mr.  Rogers,  John  and 
Francis  Sager,  Messrs.  Gilliland  (Gray  calls  him 
Gillan),  Marsh,  Sanders  and  Hoffman.  Mr. 
Osborn  and  family  had  taken  refuge  under  the  floor 
of  the  Indian  room  at  the  first  outbreak.  There 
they  remained  until  night,  when  they  stole  out  and 
sought  safety  in  the  brush.  Eventually,  after 
enduring  terrible  hardships,  they  reached  Fort 
Walla  Walla,  where  McBean,  yielding  to  their  im- 
portunity, reluctantly  furnished  them  a  blanket  or 
two  and  enough  victuals  to  sustain  life.  Mr.  Can- 
field,  wounded,  fled  to  the  blacksmith  shop,  thence 
to  the  mansion  house,  where  he  secreted  himself 
until  the  coming  of  darkness,  when  he  stole  away 
to  Lapwai.  Mr.  Hall  escaped  by  snatching  a  gun 
which  had  missed  fire  from  an  Indian  and  pro- 
tecting himself  with  it  till  he  reached  the  cover  of 
the  brush,  whence  he  escaped  to  Fort  Walla  Walla. 
He  was  put  across  the  Columbia  river  by  Mr. 
McBean,  and  started  for  the  Willamette  valley, 
but  was  never  afterward  heard  of.  Mr.  Kimball 
and  the  four  sick  children,  who  remained  in  the 
attic  which  Mrs.  Whitman  and  Mr.  Rogers  were 
induced  by  the  treachery  of  Tamsucky  to  leave, 
were  forgotten  by  the  Indians  in  their  excitement 
and  were  left  unharmed  the  first  day.  Crocket 
Bewley  and  Amos  Sales,  both  sick,  were  spared  for 
reasons  unknown  until  Tuesday,  December  Tth, 
when  they  were  cruelly  butchered  in  their  beds. 

The  morning  of  November  30th,  Mr.  Kimball, 
induced  by  the  suffering  of  himself  and  the  sick 
children  to  seek  water,   was  discovered  and   shot. 


INTRODUCTORY 


The  same  fate  overtook  James  Young,  who,  igno- 
rant of  the  massacre,  had  come  from  the  saw-mill 
with  a  load  of  lumber.  On  this  day,  also,  two  sons 
of  Donald  Munson,  of  the  Hudson's  Ba}-  Company, 
who  were  attending  school  at  the  station,  also  a 
Spanish  half-breed  boy,  whom  Dr.  Whitman  had 
raised,  were  sent  to  Fort  Walla  Walla,  for  the 
Indians  had  no  quarrel  with  any  but  Americans. 

Wednesday.  December  1st,  Rev.  J.  B.  A. 
Brouillet,  one  of  the  Catholic  priests  before  men- 
tioned, arrived  at  the  scene  of  desolation.  He 
assisted  Joseph  Stanfield  in  the  work  of  preparing 
the  dead  for  burial.  In  his  "Authentic  Account  of 
the  Murder  of  Dr.  Whitman,"  this  priest  makes 
this  statement  concerning  his  visit: 

"After  having  finished  baptizing  the  infants  and 
dying  adults  of  my  mission,  I  left  Tuesday,  the  30th 
of  November,  late  in  the  afternoon,  for  Tiloukaikt's 
camp,  where  I  arrived  between  seven  and  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive 
my  surprise  and  consternation  when  upon  my  arri- 
val I  learned  that  the  Indians  the  day  before  had 
massacred  the  doctor  and  his  wife,  with  the  greater 
part  of  the  Americans  at  the  mission.  I  passed  the 
night  without  scarcely  closing  my  eyes.  Early  the 
next  morning  I  baptized  three  sick  children,  two 
of  whom  died  soon  after,  and  then  hastened  to  the 
scene  of  death  to  offer  to  the  widows  and  orphans 
all  the  assistance  in  my  power.  I  found  five  or 
si.x;  women  and  over  thirty  children  in  a  condition 
deplorable  beyond  description.  Some  had  just  lost 
their  husbands,  and  the  others  their  fathers,  whom 
they  had  seen  massacred  before  their  eyes,  and  were 
expecting  every  minute  to  share  the  same  fate. 
The  sight  of  these  persons  caused  me  to  shed  tears, 
which,  however,  I  was  obliged  to  conceal,  for  I  was 
the  greater  part  of  the  day  in  the  presence  of  the 
murderers,  and  closely  watched  by  them,  and  if  I 
had  shown  too  marked  an  interest  in  behalf  of  the 
sufferers,  it  would  have  endangered  their  lives  and 
mine;  these,  therefore,  entreated  me  to  be  on  my 
guard.  After  the  first  few  words  that  could  be  ex- 
changed under  those  circumstances,  I  inquired  after 
the  victims,  and  was  told  that  they  were  yet  un- 
buried.  Joseph  Stanfield,  a  Frenchman,  who  was 
in  the  service  of  Dr.  Whitman,  and  had  been  spared 
by  the  Indians,  was  engaged  in  washing  the  corpses, 
but  being  alone,  was  unable  to  bury  them.  I  re- 
solved to  go  and  assist  him,  so  as  to  render  to  those 
unfortunate  victims  the  last  service  in  my  power 
to  offer  them.  What  a  sight  did  I  then  behold! 
Ten  dead  bodies  lying  here  and  there  covered  with 
blood  and  bearing  the  marks  of  the  most  atrocious 
cruelty,  some  pierced  with  balls,  others  more  or  less 
gashed  by  the  hatchet." 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  lives  of  the 
women  and  children  of  the  mission  were  more  than 
once  in  jeopardy.  How  near  they  came  to  being 
sacrificed  at  one  time  appears  from  the  following 


language  of  Brouillet,  who  was  writing  in  defense 
of  Joseph  Stanfield : 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  day  that  followed  the 
massacre.  Tliere  were  several  Indians  scattered  in  the 
neigliborhood  of  the  mission  buildings,  but  especially  a 
crowd  of  Indian  women  was  standing  near  the  door  of  the 
honse  in  which  all  the  white  women  and  children  were  liv- 
ing. Stanfield,  being  then  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
house,  Tiloukaikt,  the  chief  of  the  place,  came  up  and 
asked_  him  if  he  had  something  in  the  house.  "Yes,"  said 
Stanfield.  "I  have  all  my  things  there."  "Take  them 
away."  said  the  Indian  to  him.  "Why  should  I  take  them 
away?  They  are  well  there"  "Take  them  off."  he 
insisted,  a  second  time.  "But  I  lia\  r  not  only  my  things 
there:  I  have  also  my  wife  and  cliildr<n  "  "Ves."  replied 
Tiloukaikt,  who -appeared  a  little  surprised;  "xon  Iiave  a 
wife  and  children  in  the  house  I  Will  you  take  them  oflf?" 
"No."  replied  Stanfield.  "I  will  not  take  them  away,  and 
I  will  go  and  stay  m\self  in  the  house.  I  see  that  yon 
have  bad  designs;  you  intend  to  kill  the  women  and  chil- 
dren: well,  you  will  kill  me  with  them.  .\re  you  not 
ashamed?  Are  yon  not  satisfied  with  what  you  have  done? 
Do  you  want  still  to  kill  poor,  innocent  chiklren  that  have 
never  done  you  any  harm?"  "I  am  ashamed."  replied 
Tiloukaikt,  after  a  moment's  hesitatii^n.  "It  is  true,  those 
women  and  children  do  not  deserve  death :  they  did  not 
harm  us:  they  shall  not  die."  .\nd.  turning  to  the  Indian 
women  who  were  standing  near  the  door  of  the  house 
waiting  with  a  visible  impatience  for  the  order  to  enter 
and  slaughter  the  people  inside,  he  ordered  them  to  go 
ofif.  The  Indian  women  then  became  enraged,  and,  show- 
ing the  knives  that  they  took  from  beneath  their  blankets, 
they  insulted  him  in  many  different  ways,  calling  him  a 
coward,  a  woman  who  would  consent  to  be  governed  by  a 
Frenchman:  and  tliry  retired.  ap)iarentl\  in  great  anger 
for  not  liaviuH  lirrn  .,llou,,!  to  hiiIm-ii,:  liu-ir  hands  in  the 
blood  of  new  Mrtini^  I  lie  :il>,,\r  m-nmistance  was 
related  at  Fort  Walla  W.illa  to  Mr.  (  )y.lcn,  by  Stanfield 
himself,  under  great  emotion,  and  in  presence  of  the  wid- 
ows,   none    of    whom    contradicted    him. 

But  though  the  lives  of  all  the  women  of  the 
mission  except  Mrs.  Whitman  were  spared,  some  of 
these  unfortunates  were  overtaken  by  a  fate  worse 
than  death.  The  excitement  of  the  massacre  kept 
the  minds  of  the  Indians  distracted  from  thoughts 
of  other  crimes  until  Saturday  following  the  out- 
break, when  Tamsucky  seized  upon  one  of  the  girls 
and  compelled  her  to  be  subject  unto  him.  The 
fifteen-year-old  daughter  of  Joseph  Smith,  from  the 
saw-mill,  was  appropriated  by  the  two  sons  of 
Tiloukaikt,  her  father,  it  is  said,  being  so  terrified 
by  the  danger  he  was  in  as  to  yield  consent ;  and 
Susan  Kimball  was  taken  to  the  lodge  of  Tintin- 
mitsi,  or  Frank  Escaloom,  the  Indian  who  had  killed 
her  father.  It  is  said  that  by  claiiuing  Mrs.  Hays 
as  his  wife,  Joseph  Stanfield  saved  her  from  viola- 
tion. The  names  of  other  possible  victims  of  this 
reign  of  terror  have  never  come  to  light,  though  it 
has  been  stated  that  even  little  girls  were  subjected 
to  outrage.  In  order  to  involve  Five  Crows  in  their 
guilt  and  so  secure  his  assistance  in  case  of  war,  he 
was  offered  his  choice  of  the  American  girls  for  a 
wife.  He  picked  on  Miss  Bewley ;  sent  a  horse  and 
an  escort  for  her  and  had  her  brought  to  his  home 
on  the  Umatilla.  The  bishop  and  his  priests  there 
have  been  severely  criticized  for  refusing  her  pro- 
tection from  the  embraces  of  Five  Crows,  and  their 


THE    CAYUSE    WAR 


failure  to  shield  her  has  been  made  to  argue  their 
complicity  in  the  massacre.  It  is  likely,  however, 
that  fear  for  their  lives  overcame  their  better 
natures.  The  same  charity  which  condoned  in  a 
measure  at  least  the  cowardice  of  Smith  in  con- 
senting to  the  violation  of  his  own  daughter,  and  of 
other  captives  in  assenting  to  the  slanderous  reports 
about  Dr.  Whitman's  poisoning  the  Indians,  should 
be  extended  to  these  priests  also. 

At  the  tinie  of  the  massacre,  Rev.  H.  H.  Spald- 
ing was  in  the  country  of  the  Cayuses.  He  took 
supper  with  Brouillet  on  the  evening  of  the  fatal 
39th.  The  next  day  was  spent  by  him  in  concluding 
his  visits  to  the  sick  of  the  neighborhood,  and  on 
Wednesday,  December  1st,  he  set  out  on  horseback 
for  Whitman's  station.  When  near  Waiilatpu,  he 
met  Brouillet  returning  after  having  assisted  Stan- 
field  in  burying  the  dead  ;  also  his  interpreter  and 
Edward  Tiloukaikt.  Speaking  of  their  interview, 
Brouillet  savs: 


Fortunately,  a  few  minutes  after  crossing  the  river 
(Walla  Walla),  the  interpreter  asl<ed  Tiloukaikt's  son  for  a 
smoke.  They  proposed  the  calumet,  but  when  the  moment 
came  for  lighting  it.  there  was  nothing  to  make  a  fire. 
"You  have  a  pistol."  said  the  interpreter;  "fire  it  and  we 
will  light."  Accordingly,  without  stopping,  he  fired  his 
pistol,  reloaded  it  and  hrod  nKani,  He  then  commenced 
smoking  with  the  interpreter  wuhnut  thinking  of  reload- 
ing his  pistol.  .\  few  minute^  after,  wliile  tlie\-  were  thus 
engaged  in  smoking,  I  ^aw  Mr.  Sp.il'lin;.;  niiii.'  uj.illoping 
towards  me.  In  a  moment  he  wa^  .il  im  -I'l-.  i.ikuig  me 
by  the  hand,  and  asknig  for  news  -I  l,n.  ^,.u  l.ren  to  the 
doctor's?"  he  inquired.  "Yes."  I  ii|ili(d  "What  news?" 
"Sad  news."  "Is  any  person  de.i.l:'  "W's.  sir."  "Who 
is  dead?  Is  it  one  of  the  d-n.^r'-  ,  luMreii  :^"  (Me  had 
left  two  of  them  very  sick.)  ".Xm."  I  r.  phe.l.  "Who  then 
is  dead?"  I  hesitated  to  tell  Iiim.  "Wait  a  moment,"  said 
I ,  "I  cannot  tell  you  now.''  While  Mr.  Spalding  was 
asking  me  these  different  questions,  I  had  spoken  to  my 
interpreter,  telling  him  to  entreat  the  Indians  in  my  name 
not  to  kill  Mr.  Spalding,  which  I  begged  of  him  as  a  special 
favor,  and  hoped  that  he  would  not  refuse  me.  I  was 
waiting  for  his  answer,  and  did  not  wish  to  relate  the  dis- 
aster to  Mr.  Spalding  before  getting  it.  for  fear  that  he 
might,  by  his  manner,  discover  to  the  Indian  what  I  had 
told  him,  for  the  least  motion  like  flight  would  have  cost 
him  his  life,  and  probably  exposed  mine  also.  The  son 
of  Tiloukaikt,  after  hesitating  some  moments,  replied  that 
he  could  not  take  it  upon  himself  to  save  Mr.  Spalding, 
hut  that  he  would  go  back  and  consult  with  the  other 
Indians;  and  so  he  started  back  immediately  to  his  camp. 
I  then  availed  myself  of  his  absence  to  satisfy  the  anxiety 
of  Mr.  Spalding. 

The  news  completely  paralyzed  Mr.  Spalding 
for  a  moment.  'Ts  it  possible?  Is  it  possible?" 
he  exclaimed.  "They  will  certainly  kill  me."  "I 
felt  the  world  all  go  out  at  once."  he  told  Mrs. 
Victor  in  referring  to  the  incident  eighteen  years 
later,  "and  sat  on  my  horse  as  rigid  as  a  stone,  not 
knowing  or  feeling  anything."  Brouillet  urged 
him  to  arouse  himself  and  decide  quickly  what  to 
do.  ^  He  determined  to  seek  safety  in  flight,  and  re- 
ceiving a  little  food  from  the  priest,  started  post- 
haste for  Lapwai.  Traveling  most  of  the  way  on 
foot,   his   horse   having  been   lost,   he   reached   the 


home  of  Colonel  William  Craig  about  a  week  later. 
There  he  found  Mrs.  Spalding,  who,  receiving  from 
Mr.  Canfield  word  of  the  massacre,  of  her  daugh- 
ter's captivity  and  of  the  probable  death  of  her  hus- 
band, had  removed  from  the  mission  to  Craig's 
home. 

Spalding  encouraged  the  Xez  Perces  to  remain 
neutral,  for  Cayuse  emissaries  were  already  seeking 
their  friendship  and  support.  He  wrote  a  letter  to 
the  priests  informing  them  of  his  safe  arrival,  ex- 
pressing a  wish  for  peace  and  promising  to 
endeavor  to  secure  it.  This  was  conveyed  by  two 
Nez  Perces — Inimilpip  and  Tipialanahkeit — to  the 
Catholic  mission.  The  Indian  couriers  encouraged 
the  Cayuses  to  sue  for  peace,  and  the  bishop  ad- 
vised a  meeting  of  the  chiefs  to  decide  upon  some 
course  of  action.  Accordingly,  on  the  20th  of 
December,  Tiloukaikt,  Five  Crows,  Camaspelo  and 
a  number  of  others  met  in  council  at  the  mission, 
Bishop  Blanchet  and  Revs.  Brouillet,  Rosseau  and 
Le  Claire  being  also  present. 

The  result  of  their  deliberations  was  the  follow- 
ing manifesto,  dictated  to  the  bishop : 

The  principal  chiefs  of  the  Cayuses  in  council  assem- 
bled state :  That  a  young  Indian  who  understands  English 
and  who  slept  in  Dr.  Whitman's  room,  heard  the  doctor, 
his  wife  and  Mr.  Spalding  express  their  desire  of  possess- 
ing the  lands  and  animals  of  the  Indians:  that  he  stated 
also  that  Mr.  Spalding  said  to  the  doctor:  "Hurry  giving 
medicines  to  the  Indians  that  they  may  soon  die:"  that 
the  same  Indian  told  the  Cayuses:  "If  you  do  not  kill  the 
doctor  soon,  yon  will  all  be  dead  before  spring;"  that  they 
buried  six  Cayuses  on  Sunday,  November  28th,  and  three 
the  next  day;  that  the  schoolmaster.  Mr.  Rogers,  stated  to 
them  before  he  died  that  the  doctor,  his  wife  and  Mr. 
Spalding  poisoned  the  Indians;  that  for  several  years  past 
they  had  to  deplore  the  death  of  their  children ;  and  that 
according  to  these  reports,  they  were  led  to  believe  that 
the  wdnites  had  undertaken  to  kill  them  all ;  and  that  these 
were  the  motives  which  led  them  to  kill  the  Americans. 

The  same  chiefs  ask  at  present : 

First,  that  the  Americans  may  not  go  to  war  with  the 
Cayuses. 

Second,  that  they  may  forget  the  lately  committed 
murders  as  the  Cayuses  will  forget  the  murder  of  the  son 
of  the  great  chief  of  the  Walla  Wallas,  committed  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Third,  that  two  or  three  great  men  may  come  up  to 
conclude  peace. 

Fourth,  that  as  soon  as  these  great  men  have  arrived 
and  concluded  peace,  they  may  take  with  them  all  the 
women  and  children. 

Fifth,  they  give  assurance  that  they  will  not  harm  the 
.Americans  before  the  arrival  of  these  two  or  three  .great 
men. 

Si.xth.  they  ask  that  Americans  may  not  travel  any 
more  through  their  country,  as  their  young  men  might  do 
them  harm. 

Place  of  Tauitowe.  Youmatilla,  •20th  December.  1847. 
Signed,  Tilouk.mkt, 

C.\M.^SPELO, 
T.AUITOWE, 
.\CHEK.\I-\. 

Meanwhile,  forces  were  at  work  for  the  relief 
of  the  captive  men,  women  and  children.  Peter 
Skeen  Ogden,  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  had 
heard  of  the  massacre  and  had  set  out  from  Fort 


INTRODUCTORY 


Vancouver  for  the  purpose  of  ransoming  the  help- 
less Americans.  He  arrived  at  Fort  Walla  Walla 
on  the  evening  of  the  19th  of  December,  and  by 
the  "J^d  had  arranged  a  council,  which  was  attended 
by  Chiefs  Tauitowe  and  Tiloukaikt,  with  a  number 
of  the  young  Cayuses,  also  by  Blanchet  and 
Brouillet.  Ogden's  speech  on  this  occasion  is  a 
marvel  of  mingled  boldness  and  diplomacy.    He  said  : 


I  regret  to  observe  that  all  the  chiefs  whom  I  asked 
for  are  not  present — two  being  absent.  I  expect  the  words 
I  am  about  to  address  to  you  to  be  repeated  to  them  and 
your  young  men  on  your  return  to  your  camps.  It  is  now 
thirty  years  since  we  have  been  among  you.  During  this 
long  period  we  have  never  had  any  instance  of  blood  being 
spilt,  until  the  inhuman  massacre,  which  has  so  recently 
taken  place.  We  are  traders  and  a  different  nation  from 
the  Ainericans.  But  recollect,  we  supply  you  with  ammu- 
nition not  to  kill  the  Americans.  They  are  of  the  same 
color  as  ourselves,  speak  the  same  language,  are  children 
of  the  same  God,  and  humanity  makes  our  hearts  bleed 
when  we  behold  you  using  them  so  cruelly.  Besides  this 
revolting  butchery,  have  not  the  Indians  pillaged,  ill- 
treated  the  .Americans,  and  insulted  their  woinen,  when 
peacefully  making  their  way  to  the  Willamette?  As 
chiefs,  ought  you  to  have  connived  at  such  conduct  on  the 
part  of  your  young  men?  You  tell  me  your  young  men 
committed  the  deeds  without  your  knowledge.  Why  do 
we  make  you  chiefs,  if  you  have  no  control  over  your 
young  men?  You  are  a  set  of  hermaphrodites,  and 
unworthy  of  the  appellation  of  men  as  chiefs.  You  young 
hot-headed  men,  I  know  that  you  pride  yourselves  upon 
your  bravery,  and  think  no  one  can  match  you.  Do  not 
deceive  yourselves.  If  you  get  the  Americans  to  com- 
mence once,  you  will  repent  it,  and  war  will  not  end  until 
every  one  of  you  is  cut  of?  from,  the  face  of  the  earth.  I 
am  aware  that  a  good  many  of  your  friends  and  relatives 
have  died  through  sickness.  The  Indians  of  other  places 
have  shared  the  same  fate.  It  is  not  Dr.  Whitman  that 
poisoned  them,  but  God  has  commanded  that  they  should 
die.  We  are  weak  mortals  and  must  submit,  and  I  trust 
you  will  avail  yourself  of  the^  opportunity  to  make  some 
reparation.  By  so  doing  it  may  be  advantageous  to  you, 
but  at  the  same  time  remember  that  you  alone  will  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  consequences.  It  is  merely  advice  that 
I  give  you.  We  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  have  not 
come  here  to  make  promises  or  hold  out  assistance.  We 
have  nothing  to  do  with  your  quarrels ;  we  remain  neutral. 
On  my  return,  if  you  wish  it,  I  shall  do  all  I  can  for  you, 
but  I  do  not  promise  you  to  prevent  war. 

If  you  deliver  me  up  all  the  prisoners,  I  shall  pay  you 
for  them  on  their  being  delivered,  but  let  it  not  be  said 
among  you  afterward  that  I  deceived  you.  I  and  Mr. 
Douglas  represent  the  company,  but  I  tell  you  once  more 
we  promise  you  nothing.  We  sympathize  with  these  poor 
people,  and  wish  to  return  them  to  their  friends  and  rela- 
tions by  paying  you  for  them.  My  request  in  behalf  of 
the  families  concerns  vou ;  so  decide  for  the  best. 


r.y  this  happily  worded  speech,  the  Indians  were 
placed  in  a  trap.  They  must  yield  to  Ogden's 
wishes  or  forfeit  the  regard  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  while  at  the  same  time  Ogden  made  no 
promises  which  would  embarrass  the  Americans  in 
their  future  dealings  with  the  tribe  or  the  murderers. 

To  this  speech  the  Indians  made  reply  as 
follows : 

Tauitowe :  "I  rise  to  thank  you  for  your  words. 
You  white  chiefs  command  obedience  with  those 


that  have  to  do  with  you.  It  is  not  so  with  us. 
Our  young  men  are  strong  headed  and  foolish. 
Formerly  we  had  experienced,  good  chiefs.  These 
are  laid  in  the  dust.  The  descendants  of  my  father 
were  the  only  good  chiefs.  Though  we  made  war 
with  the  other  tribes,  yet  we  always  looked  and 
ever  will  look  upon  the  whites  as  our  brothers.  Our 
blood  is  mi.xed  with  yours.  My  heart  bleeds  for  so 
many  good  chiefs  I  had  known.  For  the  demand 
made  by  you,  the  old  chief,  Tiloukaikt,  is  here. 
Speak  to  him.  As  regards  myself,  I  am  willing  to 
give  up  the  families." 

Tiloukaikt:  "I  have  listened  to  your  words. 
Young  men,  do  not  forget  them.  As  for  war,  we 
have  seen  little  of  it.  We  know  the  whites  to  be 
our  best  friends,  who  have  all  along  prevented  us 
from  killing  each  other.  That  is  the  reason  why 
we  avoid  getting  into  war  with  them,  and  why  we 
do  not  wish  to  be  separated  from  them.  Besides 
the  tie  of  blood,  the  whites  have  shown  us  a  con- 
vincing proof  of  their  attachment  to  us  by  burying 
their  dead  'longside  with  ours.  Chief,  your  words 
are  weighty.  Your  hairs  are  gray.  We  have 
known  you  a  long  time.  You  have  had  an  unpleas- 
ant trip  to  this  place.  I  cannot,  therefore,  keep 
these  families  back.  I  make  them  over  to  you, 
which  I  would  not  do  to  another  younger  than 
yourself." 

Peo-peo-mox-mox :  "I  have  nothing  to  say.  I 
know  the  Americans  to  be  changeable ;  still  I  am 
of  the  opinion  as  the  Young  Chief.  The  whites 
are  our  friends  and  we  follow  your  advice.  I  con- 
sent to  your  taking  the  families." 

Mr.  Ogden  then  addressed  two  Ncz  Perce  chiefs 
at  length,  in  behalf  of  the  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  and 
party,  promising  he  would  pay  foi  their  safe  de- 
livery to  him.  The  result  was  that  both  chiefs, 
James  and  Itimimipelp,  promised  to  bring  them, 
provided  they  were  willing  to  coine,  and  immedi- 
ately started  to  Clearwater  for  that  purpose,  bearing 
a  letter  from  Chief  Factor  Ogden  to  Mr.  Spalding. 
The  result  of  that  conference  was  the  delivery,  on 
the  29th  of  December,  to  Mr.  Ogden  (for  which  he 
paid  the  Cayuse  Indians  five  blankets,  fifty  shirts, 
ten  fathoms  of  tobacco,  ten  handkerchiefs,  ten  guns 
and  one  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition)  of  the  fol- 
lowing captives : 

Mission  children  adopted  by  Dr.  Whitman — 
Miss  Mary  .A.  Bridger ;  Catherine  Sager,  aged 
thirteen  years ;  Elizabeth  Sager,  ten ;  Martha  J. 
Sager,  eight;  Henrietta  N.  Sager,  four;  Hannah  L. 
Sager;  Helen  M.  Meek. 

From  DuPage  County,  Illinois — Mr.  Joseph 
Smith ;  Mrs.  Hannah  Stuith ;  Mary  Smith,  aged 
fifteen  years  ;  Edwin  Smith,  thirteen ;  Charles  Smith, 
eleven ;  Nelson  Smith,  six ;  Mortimer  Smith,  four. 

From  Fulton  County,  Illinois — Mrs.  Eliza 
Hall ;  Jane  Hall,  aged  ten  years ;  Mary  C.  Hall, 
eight;  .A^nn  E.  Hall,  six;  Rebecca  Hall,  three; 
Rachel  M.  Hall,  one. 


THE    CAYUSE    WAR 


From  Osage  County,  Mississippi — Mr.  Elan 
Young;  Mrs.  Irene  Young;  Daniel  Young,  aged 
twenty-one  years ;  John  Young,  nineteen. 

From  La  Porte  County,  Indiana — Mrs.  Harriet 
Kimball ;  Susan  M.  Kimball,  aged  sixteen  years ; 
Xathan  M.  Kimball,  thirteen  ;  liyron  M.  Kimball, 
eight;  Sarah  S.  Kimball,  six;  Mince  A.  Kimball, 
one. 

From  Iowa — Mrs.  Mary  Sanders;  Helen  Al. 
Sanders,  aged  fourteen  years ;  Phebe  L.  Sanders, 
ten;  .Alfred  W.  Sanders,  six;  Nancy  L.  Sanders, 
four;  Mary  ,\.  Sanders,  two;  Mrs.  Sally  A.  Can- 
field  ;  Ellen  Canfield,  sixteen  ;  Oscar  Canfield.  nine  ; 
Clarissa  Canfield,  seven ;  Sylvia  A.  Canfield.  five ; 
Albert  Canfield,  three. 

From  Illinois — Mrs.  Rebecca  Hays;  Henry  C. 
Hays,  aged  four  years.  Eliza  Spalding,  Nancy  E. 
Marsh  and  Lorrinda  Ilewley  were  also  among  the 
captives. 

On  New  Year's  day,  1818,  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding. 
with  ten  others,  being  all  the  Americans  from  his 
mission,  arrived  at  Walla  Walla  fort  under  escort 
of  fifty  Nez  Perce  Indians,  to  whom  Mr.  Ogden 
paid  for  their  safe  delivery  twelve  blankets,  twelve 
shirts,  twelve  handkerchiefs,  five  fathoms  of  to- 
bacco, two  guns,  two  hundred  povuuls  of  ammuni- 
tion and  some  knives. 

Three  days  later  Mr.  Ogden  started  to  Fort 
Vancouver  with  the  captives  in  boats.  Shortly  after 
he  had  left  the  fort  at  \valla  Walla,  fifty  Cayuse 
warriors  dashed  up  to  the  place  and  demanded  the 
surrender  of  Mr.  Spalding,  to  be  killed,  as  word 
had  reached  them  of  the  arrival  of  .\nierican  sol- 
diers at  The  Dalles,  to  make  war  upon  them,  and 
they  held  him  responsible  for  that  fact. 

The  ransomed  captives  from  Waiilatpu  and  the 
missionaries  from  Lapwai  reached  the  Willamette 
valley  in  safety.  Concerning  the  experiences  of 
the  people  of  the  Tchimakain  mission.  Professor  W. 
D.  Lyman  says : 

"Few  things  more  thrilling  ever  came  under  the 
observation  of  the  writer  than  the  narration  by 
Fathers  Eells  and  Walker  of  the  council  of  the 
Spokanes  at  Tchimakain  to  decide  whether  or  not 
to  join  the  Cayuses.  The  lives  of  the  missionaries 
hung  on  the  decision.  Imagine  their  emotions  as 
they  waited  with  bated  breath  in  their  mission  house 
to  know  the  cesult.  .\fter  hours  of  excited  dis- 
cussion with  the  Cayuse  emissaries,  the  S]5okanes 
announced  their  decision :  'Go  tell  the  Cayuses  that 
the  missionaries  are  our  friends  and  we  will  defend 
them  with  our  lives.'  "  This  being  the  decision  of 
the  Indians,  the  Tchimakain  missionaries.  Revs. 
Eells  and  Walker,  remained  at  their  post  of  duty 
until  the  volunteers  began  active  operations  against 
the  Cayuses.  when  they  retired  to  Fort  Colville. 
They  were  escorted  thence,  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
1)_\-  a  detachment  of  Americans  under  command  of 
Major  Maxon. 

The   massacre   put   the   people   of   Oregon    and 


their  provisional  government  to  a  severe  trial. 
That  they  both  nobly  stood  the  test  speaks  volumes 
for  the  patriotism  of  the  one  and  the  inherent 
strength  of  the  other.  Truly,  every  son  of  Oregon 
and  the  Northwest  has  cause  for  pride  in  the  ster- 
ling qualities  of  the  men  and  women  who  planted 
the  seed  of  American  civilization  and  American 
institutions  in  the  soil  of  the  north  Pacific  states. 

■'While  the  hearts  of  the  legislators  were  burst- 
ing," says  Mrs.  Victor,  "with  pain  and  indignation 
for  the  crime  they  were  called  upon  to  mourn,  and 
perhaps  to  avenge,  there  was  something  almost  far- 
cical in  the  situation.  Funds!  Funds  to  prosecute 
a  possible  war!  There  was  in  the  treasury  of 
Oregon  the  sum  of  forty-three  dollars  and  seventy- 
two  cents,  with  an  outstanding  indebtedness  of 
four  thousand  and  seventy-nine  dollars  and  sev- 
enty-four cents.  Money  I  Money,  indeed  !  Where 
was  money  to  come  from  in  Oregon?  The  gov- 
ernor's first  thought  had  been  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company.  It  was  always  the  company  the  colo- 
nists thought  of  first  when  they  were  in  trouble. 
But  there  might  be  some  difficulty  about  a  loan 
from  that  source.  Had  not  the  board  of  London 
managers  warned  the  Oregon  officers  to  'stick  to 
their  beaver  skins?'  And  had  not  Dr.  McLoughlin 
resigned  from  his  position  as  head  of  the  company 
in  Oregon  because  the  London  board  reproved  him 
for  assisting  immigrants,  and  thereby  encouraging 
the  American  occupation  of  the  country?  And 
now  there  was  an  Indian  war  impending,  with  only 
these  gentlemen  who  had  been  ordered  to  'stick  to 
their  beaver  skins'  to  turn  to.  There  were  the  mer- 
chants of  Oregon  City ;  to  be  sure  a  few  hundred 
might  be  raised  among  them.  And  there  was  the 
Methodist  mission — the  governor  had  not  men- 
tioned that — but :  well,  they  could  try  it  I" 

The  colonial  legislature  does  not  seem  to  have 
wasted  much  time  in  bewailing  its  helpless  condi- 
tion. It  acted.  No  sooner  were  read  the  brief 
message  of  the  governor  relative  to  the  massacre 
and  its  accompanying  documents,  than  a  resolu- 
tion was  ofTered  that  the  governor  be  instructed  to 
raise,  arm  and  equip  a  company  of  fifty  riflemen  to 
proceed  forthwith  to  the  mission  station  at  The 
Dalles  and  hold  the  same.  That  day.  December 
8th,  the  company  was  enlisted.  Next  day  it  was 
officered,  presented  with  a  flag  by  the  ladies  of  Ore- 
gon City  and  sent  by  boats  to  its  destination. 

December  10th.  a  bill  was  passed  authorizing 
and  requiring  the  governor  to  raise  a  regiment  of 
riflemen  bv  volunteer  enlistment,  not  to  e.xceed  five 
hundred  men ;  this  regiment  to  "rendezvous  at 
Oregon  City  on  the  2r-,th  of  December.  .\.  D.  184?, 
and  proceed  thence  with  all  possible  despatch  to 
the  Walla  Walla  valley  for  the  purpose  of  punish- 
ing the  Indians,  to  what  tribe  or  tribes  soever  they 
may  belong,  who  may  have  aided  or  abetted  the 
massacre  of  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  wife,  and  others 
at  Waiilatpu."     The  bill  also  provided  that  "Jesse 


INTRODUCTORY 


Applegate,  A.  L.  Lovejoy  and  George  L.  Curry  be 
and  are  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  ne- 
gotiate a  loan  not  to  exceed  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  for  the  purpose  of  carr\ing  out  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act :  and  that  said  commissioners  be 
and  are  authorized  to  pledge  the  faith  of  the  terri- 
tory for  the  payment  of  such  sum  as  may  be 
negotiated  for  by  the  said  commissioners,  on  the 
most  practicable  terms,  payable  within  three  years 
from  date  of  said  loan,  unless  sooner  discharged 
by  the  government  of  the  United  States." 

The  governor  and  the  loan  commissioners  set 
out,  as  soon  as  the  bill  became  a  law,  for  \'an- 
couver,  to  negotiate,  if  possible,  a  loan  from  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company.  Formal  application  was 
made  to  Sir  James  Douglas,  December  11th,  the 
commissioners  pledging  the  faith  and  means  of  the 
provisional  government  for  the  reimbursement  of 
the  company,  and  stating  that  they  did  not  consider 
this  pledge  the  only  security  their  creditors  would 
have.  "Without  claiming,"  said  they,  "any  special 
authority  from  the  government  of  the  United 
States  to  contract  a  debt  to  be  liquidated  by  that 
power,  yet  from  all  precedents  of  like  character  in 
the  history  of  our  country,  the  undersigned  feel 
confident  that  the  United  States  government  will 
regard  the  murder  of  the  late  Dr.  Whitman  and 
his  lady  as  a  national  wrong,  and  will  fully  justify 
the  people  of  Oregon  in  taking  active  measures  to 
obtain  redress  for  that  outrage  and  for  their  pro- 
tection from  further  aggression." 

As  was  expected,  the  chief  factor  declined  to 
grant  the  loan,  for  the  reason  already  outlined. 
Governor  Abernethy,  Jesse  Applegate  and  A.  L. 
Lovejoy  pledged  their  personal  credit  for  the  sup- 
plies needful  to  equip  the  company  of  riflemen 
already  en  route  to  The  Dalles,  and  the  immediate 
necessities  of  the  government  were  thus  relieved. 

Returning  to  Oregon  City,  the  committee  ad- 
dressed a  circular  to  the  merchants  and  citizens 
of  Oregon,  asking  loans  from  all  such  as  were 
able  to  contribute,  either  money  or  supplies.  Its 
closing  paragraphs  are  here  quoted  as  showing 
the  necessity  for  prompt  action  then  existing  or 
supposed  to  exist : 

Though  the  Indians  of  the  Columhia  have  committed  a 
great  outrage  upon  our  fellow  citizens  passing  through 
their  country,  and  residing  among  them,  and  their  punish- 
ment for  these  murders  may.  and  ought  to  he.  a  prime  ob- 
ject with  every  citizen  of  Oregon,  yet,  as  that  duty  more 
particularly  devolves  upon  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  and  admits  of  delay,  we  do  not  make  this  the 
strongest  ground  upon  which  to  found  our  earnest  appeal 
to  you  for  pecuniary  assistance.  It  is  a  fact  well  known 
to  cncrv  pLTsiin  accin.iinltd  with  Indian  character  that,  by 
pa^Miiy  Miyntlx  y\rr  thru-  ir|hated  thefts,  robberies  and 
uiurdLi^  .if  r,ur  fell.iu  ciii.riiv.  ilu-y  have  been  emboldened 
to  the  coniniisMcn  nf  the  appalling  massacre  at  Waiilatpu. 
They  call  u^  uonien.  (k^titute  of  the  hearts  and  courage  of 
men,  and  if  we  allnw  this  wholesale  murder  to  pass  by,  as 
former  agyressDns.  wli.i  can  tell  how  long  either  life  or 
property  will  be  secure  in  any  part  of  this  country,  or  at 


what  moment   the   Willamette   will   be  the   scene   of  blood 
and  carnage  ? 

The  officers  of  our  provisional  governinent  have  nobly 
performed  their  duty.  None  can  doubt  the  readiness  of  the 
patriotic  sons  of  the  West  to  offer  their  personal  services 
in  defense  of  a  cause  so  righteous.  So  it  rests  with  you, 
gentlemen,  to  say  whether  all  our  rights  and  our  firesides 
shall  be  defended  or  not.  Hoping  that  none  will  be  found 
to  falter  in  so  high  and  so  sacred  a  duty,  we  beg  leave, 
gentlemen,  to  subscribe  ourselves  your  servants  and  fel- 
low citizens. 

A  specific  letter  to  the  Oregon  mission  was 
likewise  prepared  and  sent.  The  result  of  the 
labors  of  the  cominittee  was  such  that  on  December 
14th  they  were  able  to  report,  besides  the  loan  of 
nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  dollars  negotiated  on 
the  personal  credit  of  two  of  the  commissioners, 
with  the  governor,  a  loan  of  one  thousand  dollars 
subscribed  at  a  citizens"  meeting  in  <  )n.'g"n  Cit\- ; 
one  thousand  six  hundred  dollars  from  the  iiur- 
chants  of  Oregon  City,  and  the  probability  that  a 
loan  of  one  thousand  dollars  would  be  secured 
from  the  mission. 

The  first  committee  then  resigned,  and  on 
December  20th  another  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  A.  ,L.  Lovejoy,  Hugh  Burns  and  W.  H.  Willson. 
These  gentlemen  continued  in  office  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  engaged  in  the  expensive  and  vexatious 
task  of  negotiating  small  loans  of  wheat,  provisions, 
clothing,  leather  and  all  articles  of  use  to  the  men 
in  the  field. 

Of  the  regiment  to  be  called  into  existence  by 
the  governor  in  accordance  with  legislative  enact- 
ment, Cornelius  Gilliam  was  elected  colonel ;  James 
Waters,  lieutenant-colonel;  H.  A.  G.  Lee,  major; 
and  Joel  Palmer,  commissary-general.  The  purpose 
of  this  military  organization  was  to  secure  for 
punishment  the  Whitman  murderers  and  all  those 
who  had  taken  an  important  part  in  the  massacre. 
It  was  not  intended  that  aggressive  warfare  should 
be  waged  against  the  Cayuse  tribe  as  a  whole,  or 
a  fortiorc.  against  any  other  tribe,  as  a  matter  of 
retribution,  but  it  was  intended  that  the  murderers 
should  be  procured  at  all  cost  and  that  war  should 
be  waged  against  all  who  harbored  them,  until  the 
desired  end  was  achieved.  Accordingly,  a  peace 
coinmission  was  sent  along  with  the  army,  the 
personnel  of  which  was  Joel  Palmer,  Robert  Newell 
and  H.  A.  G.  Lee,  that  the  olive  branch  might  be 
oflfered  before  resort  to  the  sword  should  be  had. 
Joseph  L.  Meek,  who  had  been  appointed  to  carry 
a  memorial  to  congress,  also  purposed  to  accom- 
pany the  army. 

A  base  of  supplies  was  established  during  the 
last  days  of  December  at  the  Upper  Cascades  of  the 
Columbia.  A  few  rude  structures  were  erected 
and  denominated  Fort  Gilliam,  though  they  were 
more  frequently  referred  to  as  "The  Cabins." 

"The  history  of  this  little  post  in  the  heart  of 
the  great  Oregon  Sierras  became  a  most  interest- 
ing one."  says  Mrs.  Victor.  "It  was  here  that  the 
hardest  struggle  of  the  war  was  carried  on — not 


THE    CAYUSE    WAR 


in  fighting  Indians,  but  in  keeping  the  men  in  the 
field  that  had  undertaken  to  do  the  fighting.  In 
point  of  fact,  tlie  commissary  department  was 
charged  with  the  principal  burden  of  the  war,  and 
the  title  of  "General"  which  Palmer  acquired 
through  being  at  the  head  of  this  department,  might 
well  have  been  bestowed  upon  him  for  his  services 
in  sustaining  the  organization  of  the  army  under 
conditions  such  as  existed  in  (Jregon  in  1847-S. 
Without  arms,  without  roads,  without  transpor- 
tation, other  than  small  boats  and  pack  horses, 
without  comfortable  winter  clothing  and  with 
scanty  food,  the  war  was  to  be  carried  on  at  a 
distance  of  nearly  three  hundred  miles  from  the 
settlements.  And  if  the  volunteer  soldiers  were 
called  upon  to  endure  these  hardships,  which  Gen- 
eral Palmer  was  doing  his  best  to  overcome,  the 
commissioned  ofiicers  were  no  less  embarrassed 
by  the  want  of  the  most  ordinary  appliances  of 
their  rank  or  position — even  to  the  want  of  a  proper 
field-glass." 

Early  in  January,  1S48,  Colonel  Gilliam  started 
up  the  river  from  the  rendezvous  at  Portland, 
arriving  at  Vancouver  the  first  day.  He  did  not 
do  as  he  was  said  to  have  threatened,  attempt  to 
levy  on  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  goods  to 
supply  his  troops.  On  the  contrary,  he  purchased 
such  supplies  as  he  stood  in  urgent  necessity  of, 
pledging  his  own  credit  and  that  of  Commissary- 
General  Palmer,  who  accompanied  him,  for  the 
payment.  Having  reached  the  Cascades,  he  left 
there  one  company  to  construct  a  road  from  the 
lower  to  the  upper  portage,  himself  and  the  balance 
of  his  command  proceeding  to  Fort  Gilliam,  where 
he  received  a  despatch  from  Major  Lee.  at  The 
Dalles.  By  this  he  was  informed  that  the  major 
had  had  a  fight  with  Indians,  January  Sth.  brought 
on  by  an  attempt  of  the  latter  to  round  up  and 
drive  away  stock  left  at  the  mission  by  immigrants. 
The  skirmish  lasted  two  hours  and  resulted  in  a 
loss  to  the  enemy  of  three  killed  and  one  injured, 
while  the  white  loss  was  one  man  wounded.  The 
Indians,  however,  secured  three  hundred  head  of 
beef  cattle.  The  next  day  sixty  horses  belonging 
to  the   hostiles   were   captured. 

The  receipt  of  this  information  determined 
Gilliam  to  push  on  with  all  speed  to  The  Dalles. 
As  soon  as  the  governor  heard  of  the  fight  he 
directed  the  colonel  to  select  some  of  his  best 
men  and  scour  the  Des  Chutes  river  country,  being 
careful  to  distinguish  between  friendly  and  hostile 
Indians,  but  vigorous  in  his  treatment  of  the  latter. 

About  the  last  of  January.  Colonel  Gilliam  set 
out  with  one  hundred  and  thirtv  men  for  the  Des 
Chutes  river.  Arrived  there,  he  sent  Major  Lee 
to  the  supposed  position  of  the  hostiles  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river.  He  struck  the  Indians  in  full 
retreat  towards  the  mountains  and  killed  one  of 
their  number,  but  while  returning  to  camp  was 
attacked  in  a  ravine  bv  a  considerable  force.     His 


command  was  compelled  to  dismount  and  seek  the 
shelter  of  rocks  and  bushes,  where  they  remained, 
annoyed  but  uninjured  by  the  enemy,  until  night. 
\ext  day  the  Indians  were  attacked  with  vigor  and 
driven  to  their  village,  then  out  of  it  again,  leaving 
it  at  the  mercy  of  the  whites.  It  was  destroyed, 
as  well  as  much  cached  property  which  could  not 
be  carried  away. 

Returning  to  Fort  Lee  at  The  Dalles,  the  officers 
held  there  a  council,  on  the  11th  of  February,  with 
the  peace  commissioners,  who  had  arrived  in  the 
meantime,  to  formulate  a  plan  of  action.  It  was 
agreed  that  the  commissioners  should  precede  the 
army,  and  the  date  fixed  for  them  to  start  was  the 
14th,  but  word  having  been  received  on  the  13th 
that  a  combination  of  hostile  tribes  had  been  ef- 
fected, Gilliam  decided  to  march  at  once  with  three 
hundred  men.  The  commissioners  were  displeased 
but  had  to  acquiesce,  so  the  minions  of  war  and  the 
bearers  of  the  olive  branch  journeyed  together 
toward  the  scene  of  the  massacre. 

On  the  23d  an  understanding  was  effected  with 
the  Des  Chutes  Indians  and  the  next  day  two  mes- 
sengers arrived  from  the  Yakima  country  stating 
that  the  Yakimas  had  taken  the  advice  of  the  peace 
commissioners  and  decided  not  to  join  the  Cayuses 
in  a  war  against  the  Americans.  A  letter  brought 
by  one  of  them  read  as  follows : 

Camp  of  Ciaies.  February  16,  1848. 
M.  CoMM.AxnER : 

The  Yakima  chiefs,  Ciaies  and  Skloom.  have  just  pre- 
sented me  a  letter  signed  by  Messrs.  Joel  Palmer,  Robert 
Newell  and  H.  A.  G.  Lee,  which  I  have  read,  and  a  young 
Indian,  son  of  one  of  the  chiefs,  translated  it  to  them  in 
Yakima  language.  The  chiefs  above  mentioned  charged 
me  to  say  to  you  in  their  name,  in  those  of  Carnaiareum 
and  of  Chananaie.  that  they  accept,  with  acknowledgments, 
the  tobacco  and  the  banner  which  you  sent  them.  They 
have  resolved  to  follow  your  counsel,  and  not  unite  them- 
selves with  the  Cayuses,  but  to  remain  at  rest  upon  their 
lands.  On  my  arrival  at  the  camp  of  Ciaies,  that  chief 
assured  me  that  he  would  not  join  the  Cayuses.  I  could 
but  see,  with  the  greatest  of  pleasure,  dispositions  which 
will  prevent  the  spilling  of  blood  and  which  will  facilitate 
the  means  of  instructing  those  Indians. 

Your  hum!)le  servant, 

G.  Blanchet. 

During  the  forenoon  of  the  24th  the  march  was 
resumed,  the  peace  commissioners  in  front  with  a 
white  flag.  Their  friendly  advances  to  the  Indians 
were  repelled  and  at  noon  a  large  number  of  hostiles 
were  seen  on  the  hill  signaling  for  a  fight.  They 
collected  quickly  in  the  path  of  the  advancing  army 
and  soon  their  desire  for  battle  was  gratified.  The 
battle  of  Sand  Hollows,  as  it  is  called,  began  on  a 
plain  where  depressions  in  the  sand  formed  natural 
rifle  pits.  The  baggage  train,  protected  by  the 
company  of  Captain  Laurence  Hall,  formed  the 
center  of  the  white  forces.  The  left  flank,  consist- 
ing of  the  companies  of  Captain  Philip  F.  Thompson 
and  Captain  H.  J.  G.  Maxon.  were  on  the  north  side 
of  the  road,  and  the  companies  of  Levi  N.  English 


INTRODUCTORY 


and  Thomas  McKay  constituted  the  right  of  the 
command. 

The  principal  leaders  of  the  Indians  were  Five 
Crows  and  War  Eagle,  both  Cayuses.  They  had 
assured  their  followers  that  they  were  both  "big 
medicine"  men,  invulnerable  to  bullets.  Indeed, 
War  Eagle  went  so  far  as  to  claim  that  he  could 
swallow  all  the  bullets  the  whites  could  shoot  at  him. 
They  attempted  to  prove  their  prowess  by  riding 
up  close  to  the  white  lines  and  acting  in  an  insolent 
manner.  The  whites  had  been  ordered  to  hold  fire 
in  order  to  give  the  peace  commissioners  a  fair 
chance,  but  Captain  McKay,  angered  by  their 
insults,  shot  War  Eagle,  killing  him  instantly.  Five 
Crows  was  seriously  wounded  by  a  shot  from 
another  soldier,  so  seriously  that  he  had  to  resign 
his  command  of  the  Indian  forces.  Several  severe 
attacks  were  made  on  the  soldiers  during  the  day. 
but  the  Indians  were  everywhere  beaten  and  event- 
ually lied,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded  on  the 
ru'hi.  it  is  stated  that  the  Indian  loss  was  thirteen 
killed  and  wounded,  and  the  American  five  men 
wounded. 

The  volunteers  passed  the  ensuing  night  at  a 
place  where  neither  wood  nor  water  could  be  ob- 
tained. Ne.Kt  day  they  were  asked  to  meet  some 
of  the  Cayuses  in  council,  but  refused  to  halt  until 
they  reached  a  place  where  their  thirst  could  be 
slaked.  The  night  of  the  'iSth  was  passed  on  the 
banks  of  the  Umatilla,  which  was  crossed  next  day. 
After  the  army  had  encamped,  Sticcas  and  other 
Cayuses  made  overtures  for  peace  and  were  told  to 
meet  the  commissioners  at  Waiilatpu.  The  reluc- 
tance of  the  whites  to  treat  arose  out  of  the  fact 
that  thev  had  not  heard  from  William  McBean  at 
Fort  Walla  Walla,  as  they  expected.  The  truth 
was  that  their  communications  to  him  had  been 
intercepted  by  Tauitowe,  who,  however,  delivered 
the  letters,  but  destroyed  McBean's  reply.  Were  it 
not  for  this  an  arrangement  might  have  been 
effected  on  the  Umatilla  by  which  the  murderers 
would  be  delivered  up  and  the  war  terminated,  but 
the  delay  proved  fatal  to  such  a  consummation. 

February  2cSth,  the  troops  reached  Walla  Walla, 
where  the  foregoing  facts  were  ascertained  by  them 
in  personal  conference  with  McBean.  Moving  to 
the  site  of  the  Whitman  mission,  the  troops  busied 
themselves  on  the  ;id  of  March  in  reinterring  the 
bodies  of  the  dead,  which  had  been  exhumed  and 
partly  devoured  by  coyotes.  The  sight  of  the  numer- 
ous evidences  of  savage  malevolence  aroused  the 
military  spirit  of  commander  and  men,  and  the  com- 
missioners saw  that  the  ardor  of  both  for  fight 
might  embarrass  them  in  their  efforts  to  conclude 
a  peace.  A  fortification  was  commenced  at  once 
and  its  construction  continued  on  the  -Ith  and  5th, 
though  the  latter  date  fell  on  Sunday.  On  the  Cth, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  friendly  Nez  Perces  and 
Cayuses  came  into  camp  and  held  a  council  with 
the  volunteers,  expressing  themselves  as  disposed 


to    maintain    peaceful    relations    with    their    white 
brethren. 

In  this  council  "Gilliam  could  not  avoid  acting  his 
part ;  but  as  commander  of  the  army  he  was  ill  at 
ease.  He  saw  the  Cayuses  passing  by  unharmed, 
going  to  the  Nez  Perce  country  in  the  hope  of 
inducing  their  relatives  and  former  allies  to  join 
them  against  the  Americans,  while  just  enough  of 
them  lingered  behind  to  pick  up  the  news  about 
camp,  and  act  as  go-betweens.  Still  the  influence 
of  the  superintendent  (Palmer)  was  such  that  on 
the  8th  the  Nez  Perce  chiefs  were  encouraged  to 
go  to  the  Ca\use  camp,  then  twenty-five  miles 
distant,  to  endeavor  to  persuade  the  nation  to  give 
up  the  murderers,  the  army  to  follow  on  the  next 
day,  two  of  the  commissioners  accompanying   it." 

The  army  did  move  in  that  direction  on  the 
!)th,  but  had  scarcely  started  when  Sticcas  came, 
bringing  in  some  property  stolen  from  the  mission 
and  asking  for  a  talk.  Gilliam  reluctantly  called  a 
halt.  Sticcas  announced  the  refusal  of  the  Cayuses 
to  surrender  Tauitowe  or  Tamsucky,  and  Gilliam 
made  a  most  remarkable  proposal  to  withdraw 
demands  for  five  of  the  murderers  if  Joe  Lewis 
should  be  surrendered,  a  proposition  to  which  the 
other  commissioners  would  not  agree. 

After  this  council.  Palmer,  Lee  and  Xewell. 
witli  Captain  McKay,  who  was  in  bad  health,  left 
for  the  Willamette,  and  Gilliam,  with  a  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  men,  proceeded  toward  Snake  river. 
The  first  day  out  he  was  met  by  three  Indians  who 
reported  that  Sticcas  had  captured  Joe  Lewis,  but 
that  the  prisoner  had  been  rescued. 

On  the  i;Uh  he  received  a  message  from  Taui- 
towe asserting  the  friendship  of  that  chief  and 
stating  that  Tamsucky  had  gone  to  the  camp  of 
Red  VV'olf  on  Snake  river,  while  Tiloukaikt  was 
proceeding  down  the  Tucanon,  bound  for  the 
Palouse  country.  Gilliam  made  a  night  march  to 
the  camp  of  Tiloukaikt  and  surprised  it,  but  suffered 
himself  to  be  outwitted  by  this  wily  Cayuse.  The 
latter  sent  out  an  aged  Indian,  who  assured  the 
colonel  that  he  was  mistaken,  that  this  was  not 
Tiloukaikt's  but  Peo-peo-mox-mox's  camp,  and  that 
Tiloukaikt  had  gone,  leaving  his  cattle  on  the  hills 
beyond.  Completely  deluded,  Gilliam  refrained 
from  attacking  the  camp,  but  crossed  the  river  and 
climbed  up  the  precipitous  farther  bank,  arriving 
in  time  to  see  the  last  of  the  cattle  swimming  the 
Snake.  The  volunteers,  who  might  have  won  a 
decisive  victory,  collected  a  large  band  of  Indian 
horses  and  set  out  on  the  return  to  the  Touchet. 
They  were  attacked  in  the  rear  by  the  Palouses, 
who  annoyed  them  exceedingly  that  day  and  the 
next  night,  compelling  them  to  turn  loose  the 
caiDtured  animals.  The  following  morning,  after 
two  sleepless  nights,  they  started  on  again  and  were 
again  attacked.  In  the  battle  which  followed,  a 
sort  of  a  running  fight,  the  volunteers  gained  the 
victory,    inflicting   a   loss   on    the    Indians   of    four 


THE   CAYUSE    WAR 


killed  and  fourteen  wounded.  "Their  yells  and 
battle  cries  were  changed  to  wailing ;  the  sharp  war 
rattle,  and  crack  and  ping  of  musketry  were  fol- 
lowed by  the  nerve-thrilling  death  song." 

Arriving  at  Fort  Waters  (Waiilatpu)  on  the 
l()th,  a  council  of  officers  was  held  there  two  days 
later,  at  which  it  was  decided  that  half  the  force 
should  proceed  to  The  Dalles  to  escort  a  supply 
train,  Gilliam  himself  accompanying.  They  started 
on  this  mission  the  2(nh.  That  night,  while  in 
camp  beyond  the  Umatilla,  a  melancholy  accident 
occurred.  While  Colonel  Gilliam  was  drawing  a 
rope  from  the  wagon  with  which  to  tether  his  horse, 
a  gun  in  the  vehicle  was  discharged,  causing  his 
immediate  death.  "Thus,"  says  Evans,  "by  an 
ignoble  accident,  was  sacrificed  the  life  of  the  idol 
of  the  Oregon  troops,  a  zealous,  impetuous  soldier, 
a  natural-born  leader,  a  brave  and  thorough  patriot, 
a  generous  friend,  a  good  citizen."  There  was,  how- 
ever, evidence  that  the  volunteers  were  divided  in 
their  allegiance  to  the  colonel. 

Captain  Maxon  took  coniniaml  and  proceeded 
to  The  Dalles,  where  he  fdinicl  a  reinforcement  of 
one  company  under  Joseph  .M.  <  larrison  awaiting 
him.  His  report  to  the  adjutant-general  gave  a 
melancholy  picture  of  conditions  at  Waiilatpu,  stat- 
ing that  Fort  Waters  was  nothing  but  an  adobe 
enclosure,  that  it  was  defended  by  onh-  one  hundred 
and  fiftv  men  and  that  these  were  almost  destitute 
of  clothing  and  ammunition  and  wholly  without 
bread.  Fortunately,  the  men  discovered  caches  of 
wheat  and  peas  a  little  later,  but  their  good  fortune 
was  not  then  known  to  Maxon. 

The  publication  of  these  accounts  of  destitution 
and  of  stirring  appeals  for  help  did  not  go  unheeded. 
A  "Christian  commission"  on  a  small  scale  was 
organized  at  Oregon  City  to  provide  clothing  and 
comforts  for  the  soldiers.  An  address  accompany- 
ing one  of  the  shipments  of  goods  is  here  repro- 
duced as  vividly  reflecting  the  temper  of  the  pioneer 
women  of  the  Northwest: 

Oregon  City,  April  12,  1848. 

The  volunteers  of  tlie  first  regiment  of  Oregon  rifle- 
men will  please  accept  from  the  ladies  of  Oregon  City  and 
vicinity  the  articles  herewith  forwarded  to  them.  The 
intelligence  which  convinces  ns  of  yonr  many  hardships, 
excessive  fatigues  and  your  chivalrous  bearing  also  satis- 
fies us  of  your  urgent  wants. 

These  articles  are  not  tendered  for  acceptance  as  a 
compensation  for  your  services  rendered:  we  know  that  a 
soldier's  heart  would  spiirn  witli  contempt  any  boon  ten- 
dered by  us  witli  such  an  object;  accept  tliem  as  a  brother 
does,  and  may.  accept  a  sister's  tribute  of  remembrance — 
as  a  token,  an  evidence,  that  our  best  wishes  have  gone  to 
and  will  remain  witli  you  in  your  privations,  your  marches, 
your  battles  and  your  victnries. 

Your  fathers  and  ours,  as  soldiers,  have  endured 
privations  and  sufferings  and  poured  out  their  blood  as 
water,  to  establish  undisturbed  freedom  east  of  the  Rocky 
mountains ;  your  and  our  mothers  evinced  the  purity  of 
their  love  of  country,  upon  those  occasions,  by  efforts  to 
mitigate  the  horrors  of  war,  in  making  and  providing 
clothing  for  the  soldiers.  Accept  this  trifling  present 
as  an  indorsement  of  and  approval  of  the  justice  of  the 
cause  in  which  you  have  volunteered,  and  of  your  bearing 


in  the  service  of  our  cominon  country  as  manly,  brave  and 
patriotic. 

The  war  which  you  have  generously  volunteered  to 
wage  was  challenged  by  acts  the  most  ungrateful,  bloody, 
barbarous  and  brutal.  Perhaps  the  kindness  which  the 
natives  have  received  at  the  hands  of  .American  citizens 
on  their  way  hither,  has,  to  some  extent,  induced  a  belief 
on  the  part  of  the  natives  that  all  the  Americans  are 
"women"  and  dare  not  resent  an  outrage,  however  shame- 
ful, bloody  or  wicked.  Your  unflinching  bravery  has 
struck  this  foolish  error  from  the  minds  of  your  enemies 
and  impressed  them  with  terror,  and  it  is  for  you  and  a 
brotherhood  who  wmII  join  \mii.  to  follow  up  the  victories  so 
gloriously  commenced,  until  a  smccs^ion  of  victories  shall 
compel  an  honorable  pcice.  ami  nisure  respect  for  the 
American  arms  and  name. 

We  have  not  forgotten  that  the  soul-sickening  massa- 
cres and  the  enormities  at  Waiilatpu  were  committed  in 
part  upon  our  sex.  We  know  that  your  hardships  and 
privations  are  great ;  but  may  we  not  hope  that  through 
you  these  wrongs  shall  not  only  be  amply  avenged,  but 
also  that  you  inscribe  upon  the  hearts  of  our  savage 
enemies  a  conviction  ne\er  to  be  erased  that  the  virtue 
and  lives  of  Anieriiaii  wonien  will  be  protected,  defended 
and  avenged  by  .\nuTican  men. 

The  cause  which  >ou  liave  espoused  is  a  holy  cause. 
We  believe  that  the  God  of  battles  will  so  direct  the  des- 
tinies of  this  infant  settlement,  that  she  will  come  out  of 
this  contest  clothed  in  honor,  and  her  brave  volunteers 
covered  with  glory. 


The  younger  ladies  of  Oregon  also  showed  their 
sympathy  with  the  war  and  its  objects  by  preparing 
the    following : 

"Response  by  \oung  ladies  to  the  call  of  Captain 
Maxon  for  young  men  in  the  army. 

"We  have  read  with  much  interest  the  late 
report  from  the  army,  and  feel  ourselves  under 
obligations  to  reply  to  the  appeal  made  to  us  in 
that  report.  We  are  asked  to  evince  our  influence 
for  our  country's  good,  by  withholding  our  hand 
from  any  young  man  who  refuses  to  turn  out  in 
defense  of  our  honor  and  our  country's  right. 

"In  reply,  we  hereby,  one  and  all,  of  our  own 
free  good-will,  solemnly  pledge  ourselves  to  coinply 
with  that  request,  and  to  evince  on  all  suitable  occa- 
sions our  detestation  and  contempt  for  any  and  all 
young  men  who  can,  but  will  not,  take  up  arms 
and  march  at  once  to  the  seat  of  war,  to  punish  the 
Indians  who  have  not  only  murdered  our  friends, 
but  have  grossly  insulted  our  sex.  We  never  can, 
and  never  will,  bestow  otir  confidence  upon  a  man 
who  has  neither  patriotism  nor  courage  enough  to 
defend  his  country  and  the  girls ;  such  a  one  would 
never  have  sufficient  sense  of  obligations  to  defend 
and  protect  a  wife. 

"Do  not  be  uneasy  about  your  claims  and  your 
rights  in  the  valley ;  while  you  are  defending  the 
rights  of  your  country,  she  is  watching  yours.  You 
must  not  be  discouraged.  Fight  on,  be  brave,  obey 
your  officers,  and  never  quit  your  posts  till  the 
eneiny  is  conquered ;  and  when  you  return  in 
triumph  to  the  valley,  you  shall  find  us  as  ready 
to  rejoice  with  you  as  we  now  are  to  sympathize 
with  you  in  your  sufferings  and  dangers." 

[Signed  by  fifteen  young  ladies.] 


INTRODUCTORY 


The  same  report  impelled  the  government  to 
issue  the  following  proclamation: 

Recent  accounts  from  the  seat  of  war  show  that  the 
Indians  are  in  pretty  strong  force,  and  determined  to  fight. 
Many  of  the  tribes  have  expressed  a  desire  to  remain 
peaceful,  but  there  can  be  no  question  that  the  shghtest 
defeat  on  our  part  will  encourage  portions  of  them  to 
unite  against  us,  and  if  they  should  unfortunately  succeed 
in  cutting  off  or  crippling  our  army,  it  would  be  a  signal 
for  a  general  union  among  them:  fear  is  the  only  thing  that 
will  restrain  them.  It  is  necessary  at  the  present  moment 
to  keep  a  strong  force  ui  tl).'  Inl.l  to  keep  those  friendly 
that  have  mamfested  a  ,W-irr  for  p.  ;u  r,  and  to  keep  the 
hostile  Indians  busy  ui  thrir  own  country,  for  the  war 
must  now  either  lie  earned  on  tiiere.  or  ui  our  valley.  The 
question  is  not  now  a  matter  of  dollars  and  cents  only; 
but  whether  exertit)ns  will  be  made  on  the  part  of  citizens 
of  the  territory  to  remforce  and  sustain  the  army  in  the 
upper  country,  and  keep  down  the  Indians  ( which  our  men 
are  able  and  willing  to  do  if  supported),  or  disband  the 
army  and  fight  them  in  the  valley.  One  of  the  two  must  be 
done.  If  the  army  is  disbanded,  before  two  mouths  roll 
around  we  will  hear  of  depredations  on  our  frontiers, 
families  will  be  cut  off,  and  the  murderers  on  their  fleet 
horses  out  of  our  reach  in  some  mountain  pass  before  we 
hear  of  the  massacre. 

Many  young  men  are  willing  to  enlist  and  proceed  to 
the  seat  of  war,  but  are  unable  to  furnish  an  outfit ;  let 
their  neighbors  assist  them,  fit  them  out  well  and  send 
them  on.  As  a  people  we  must  assist  and  carry  on  the 
war.  I  hope  sincerely. that  the  government  of  the  United 
States  will  speedily  extend  its  protecting  care  over  us,  but 
in  the  meantime  we  nnist  protect  ourselves,  and  now  is 
the  time.  I  therefore  call  on  all  citizens  of  this  territory 
to  furnish  three  luinilred  men  m  addition  to  the  number 
now  in  the  field.  Three  new  companies  will  be  organized 
and  attached  to  the  regiment  commanded  1)y  Colonel  H.  A. 
G.  Lee;  each  company  to  consist  of  eight\-five  men.  rank 
and  file;  the  remainder  will  be  distributed  among  the  coin- 
panies  already  organized ;  the  enlistments  to  be  for  six 
months,  unless  sooner  discharged  by  proclamation  or  re- 
lieved by  the  troops  of  the  United  States.  Each  man  will 
furnish  his  own  horse,  arms,  clothing  and  blankets.  The 
companies  will  bring  all  the  ammimition,  percussion  caps 
and  camp  equipments  they  can,  for  which  they  will  receive 
a   receipt   from   the   commissary-general. 

All  citizens  willing  to  enlist  will  form  themselves  into 
detachments  in  their  several  counties  and  be  ready  to 
march  to  Portland,  so  as  to  arrive  there  on  the  18th  day 
of  April,  on  which  day  Colonel  Lee  will  be  there  to  organ- 
ize the  new  companies ;  after  which  the  line  of  march  will 
be  taken  up  for  Waiilatpu.  If  a  sufficient  number  of  men 
to  form  a  foot  company  appear  on  the  ground,  they  will 
be  received  as  one  of  the  above  companies. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  signed  my  name  and  affixed 
the  seal  of  the  territory. 

Done  at  Oregon  City  this  fir.st  day  of  April,  1848. 

An  appeal  was  also  made  in  vigorous  language 
by  one  of  the  officers,  supposed  to  be  Lee,  designed 
to  stimulate  enlistment.  The  heart  of  old  Oregon 
was  not  steeled  against  such  appeals,  and  though 
she  had  drawn  heavily  upon  her  resources  in  rais- 
ing, arming  and  equipping  without  help  from  any 
power  outside  herself,  the  men  already  in  the  field, 
she  now  made  still  greater  exertions  that  the  cam- 
paign might  be  prosecuted  with  even  greater  vigor. 
Polk  and  Clackamas  counties  came  forward  with 
one  company,  Linn  with  one,  Yamhill  and  Tualatin 
with  one  and  Clatsop  with  a  few  volunteers,  num- 
bering in  all  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  men. 


The  amount  of  exertion  this  required  can  hardly 
be  realized  at  this  date.  "Popular  as  was  the  war," 
writes  Mrs.  Victor,  "it  was  a  diificult  matter  putting 
another  battalion  in  the  field.  The  commissariat 
had  at  no  time  been  maintained  without  great 
exertion  on  the  part  of  its  officers,  and  often  great 
sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the  people.  The  commissary- 
general's  sworn  and  bonded  agents  in  every  county 
had  from  the  beginning  strained  every  nerve  to 
collect  arms,  ammunition  and  clothing,  for  which 
they  paid  in  government  bonds  or  loan  commis- 
sioner's script.  As  there  was  very  little  cash  in 
circulation,  and  as  the  common  currency  of  Oregon 
had  been  wheat,  it  had  come  to  pass  that  'wheat 
notes'  had  been  received  in  place  of  cash  as  con- 
tributions to  the  war  fund.  The  wheat  thus  col- 
lected could  be  sold  for  cash  or  its  equivalent  at 
Vancouver,  and  thus,  after  passing  through  the 
circumlocutionary  office,  this  awkward  currency, 
which  had  to  be  gathered  up,  stored  in  warehouses, 
hauled  to  boat  landings,  set  adrift  upon  the  Wil- 
lamette, hauled  around  the  falls  at  Oregon  City,  and 
there  reloaded  for  Vancouver,  was  there  at  length 
exchanged  for  real  money  or  goods.  The  collection 
of  provisions  for  the  consumption  of  the  army  was 
another  matter,  and  not  less  burdensome.  The 
agents  could  refuse  no  lot  of  provisions  because  it 
was  small  or  miscellaneous,  nor  reject  any  articles 
of  use  to  soldiers  because  they  were  not  of  the 
best.  Lead  was  purchased  in  any  quantities  froin 
one  to  several  pounds,  and  was  hard  to  find,  all  that 
was  in  the  country  being  that  which  was  brought 
across  the  plains  jjy  the  iminigrants  for  use  upon 
the  road.  Powder  and  percussion  caps  were  ob- 
tained in  the  same  way,  or  purchased  with  wheat 
notes  at  Vancouver." 

H.  A.  G.  Lee  was  appointed  colonel,  vice  Corne- 
lius Gilliam,  deceased.  His  appointment  was  un- 
satisfactory to  some,  as  Captain  Waters  was  the 
man  to  whom,  in  the  natural  order  of  promotion, 
the  honor  belonged.  Accordingly  there  were  soine 
resignations  of  inferior  officers,  causing  annoyance 
and  delay  to  the  new  commander,  who  had  also 
been  entrusted  with  the  duties  of  Indian  superin- 
tendent, Joel  Paln^e^  having  resigned.  P.ut  these 
difficulties  were  in  due  time  overcome,  and  on  May 
:?d  Lee  set  out  for  Fort  Waters.  He  had  learned 
from  Maxon  at  The  Dalles  that  the  Yakimas  were 
friendly.  Some  of  the  chiefs  had  visited  the  major 
and  expressed  themselves  in  this  language : 

"We  do  not  want  to  fight  the  Americans  nor  the 
French;  neither  do  the  Spokanes,  a  neighboring 
tribe  to  us.  Last  fall  the  Cayuses  told  us  they 
were  about  to  kill  the  whites  at  Dr.  Whitman's. 
We  told  them  that  was  wrong,  which  made  them 
mad  at  us,  and  when  they  killed  them  they  came  to 
us  and  wished  us  to  fight  the  whites,  which  we 
refused.  We  love  the  whites;  but  they  say,  'If  you 
do  not  help  us  to  fight  the  whites,  when  we  have 
killed  them  we  will  come  and  kill  vou.'    This  made 


THE    CAYUSE    WAR 


us  cry,  but  we  told  them  we  would  not  fight,  but  if 
the\-  desired  to  kill  us  they  might.  We  should  feel 
happy  to  know  that  we  died  innocent." 

Upon  arriving  in  the  Cayuse  country.  Lee.  in 
his  capacity  as  superintendent,  held  a  council  of 
Xez  Perces  and  others,  on  request  of  the  Indians. 
Peo-peo-mox-mox.  whose  friendship  had  been  alien- 
ated by  the  act  of  the  legislature  withholding  ammu- 
nition from  all  Indians,  again  took  a  friendly  attitude 
toward  the  whites,  and  it  was  evident  that  rein- 
forcements from  the  Willamette  and  the  expecta- 
tion that  a  regiment  of  mounted  riflemen  would  soon 
arrive  from  the  United  States  were  bringing  the 
Indians  to  a  humble  and  peaceable  frame  of  mind. 
The  red  men  in  council  were  informed  that  the 
whites  were  determined  to  hold  the  country  until 
the  murderers  were  punished  and  the  stolen  prop- 
erty returned. 

When  Lee  reached  Waiilatpu  about  the  9th  of 
May  he  reviewed  the  situation  and  determined  that 
it  was  best  he  should  resign  the  colonelcy  in  favor 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Waters.  "I  have  great  con- 
fidence in  him."  he  wrote,  "and  doubt  not  the  troops 
will  find  him  competent  to  the  task  before  him.  To 
prevent  any  discord  or  rupture  in  the  regiment,  at 
the  request  of  the  ofiicers  and  men,  I  have  consented 
to  act  as  lieutenant-colonel  during  the  approaching 
campaign."  This  act  of  self-abnegation  and  patriot- 
ism as  a  critical  juncture  restored  harmony  in  the 
ranks  and  put  the  volunteers  in  condition  for  a 
vigorous  campaign. 

On  the  17 th  of  May  more  than  four  hundred 
men  started  for  the  Nez  Perce  country,  whither,  it 
was  reported,  the  murderers  had  gone.  At  the 
Coppei  river  the  forces  divided,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-one  men  under  Lee  going  to  Red  Wolfs 
camp  to  prevent  the  fugitives  escaping  to  the  moun- 
tains ;  the  remainder  of  the  volunteers  going  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Palouse,  to  cut  off  their  retreat  down 
the  Columbia.  Lee  learned,  on  reaching  Red  Wolfs 
camp,  that  Tiloukaikt's  band,  two  days  before,  had 
escaped  from  the  country  with  everything  they 
owned  except  some  stock  at  Lapwai.  There  he  went, 
arriving  on  the  21st  and  taking  charge  of  the  aban- 
doned cattle.  By  aid  of  the  frientUy  Nez  Perces. 
he  was  enabled  to  drive  back  to  Waters'  camp  one 
hundred  and  eighteen  head  of  horses  and  fortv 
head  of  cattle. 

The  main  command,  under  Colonel  Waters,  had 
succeeded,  after  considerable  delay,  in  crossing  the 
Snake  river,  and  had  also  pushed  on  toward  Lapwai. 
On  the  2"2d  a  letter  was  received  from  Rev.  Cushing 
Eells  stating  that  the  Spokanes  were  divided  in  their 
sentiments  toward  the  Americans  and  the  war. 
though  all  condemned  the  massacre.  The  messen- 
gers who  brought  the  letter  volunteered  to  bring  in 
a  number  of  Tiloukaikt's  cattle  and  succeeded  in 
doing  so,  bringing  in  also  two  Nez  Perces  who 
informed  the  colonel  that  the  main  band  was  near 
Snake  river.    Thev  also  stated  that  Tiloukaikt  him- 


self had  fled  to  the  mountains.  Major  Magone, 
with  a  hundred  men,  was  sent  to  bring  in  the  stock 
belonging  to  the  hostiles  and  to  capture  any  Indians 
suspected  of  acting  with  the  fugitives.  The  stock 
was  brought  in,  according  to  orders,  but  the  onlv 
suspect  encountered  was  run  down  and  killed  con- 
trary to  orders. 

It  became  evident  that  nothing  could  be  accom- 
plished by  a  regiment  in  the  Nez  Perce  country, 
as  the  Cayuses  had  fled.  Even  the  capture  and  con- 
fiscation of  property  was  unsatisfactory,  as  it  was 
sure  to  be  claimed  by  some  professedly  friendly 
Indian,  and  the  volunteers  could  hardly  choose  but 
return  it.  The  governor  and  military  officers,  there- 
fore, determined  to  close  the  campaign,  notwith- 
standing the  murderers  had  not  been  captured.  A 
detachment  of  fifty-five  men  under  Major  Magone 
went  to  Fort  Colville  to  give  Missionaries  Eells  and 
Walker,  who  had  sought  protection  there  when  the 
war  broke  out.  safe  conduct  to  The  Dalles.  The 
remainder  of  the  command  returned  to  Waiilatpu. 
There  a  council  of  war  was  held  to  determine 
whether  to  abandon  or  to  hold  Fort  Waters.  The 
majority  favored  abandonment,  but  Lee  was  de- 
termined that  the  advantages  gained  by  the  war 
should  not  be  lost  by  a  complete  withdrawal  from 
the  country.  By  interesting  some  responsible  men 
in  a  scheme  of  colonization  and  promising  to  secure 
them,  as  far  as  was  in  his  power,  against  treaty 
stipulations  prejudicial  to  their  interests,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  inducing  fifty-five  volunteers  to  remain 
in  the  fort  with  Captain  William  Martin  until  Sep- 
tember, when,  it  was  expected.  Captain  Thompson 
would  return  with  a  colony  of  intending  settlers. 
The  emigrant  road  was  thus  kept  in  a  condition  of 
comparative  safety,  so  that  the  emigration  of  1848. 
numbering  about  eight  hundred  souls,  experienced 
no  trouble  with  Indians. 

The  results  of  the  war  may  be  summed  up 
briefly.  While  the  murderers  were  not  captured 
and  hanged,  they  were  severely  punished  by  being 
despoiled  of  their  property  and  made  wanderers  and 
vagabonds  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  power 
and  prestige  of  the  Cayuse  tribe  were  broken  for- 
ever. The  other  tribes  of  the  interior  who  had  been 
led  by  the  nonresistance  and  reluctance  to  fight 
displayed  by  emigrants  passing  through  their 
country  with  families  and  herds  to  consider  the 
Americans  a  race  of  cowards  were  effectually  taught 
their  error,  and  while  the  race  struggle  was  not 
ended,  it  was  delayed  until  the  whites  were  much 
better  able  to  contest  successfully  against  the 
savages  arrayed  in  the  pathway  of  progress. 

Negotiations  were  kept  up  constantly  with  the 
tribes  of  the  interior  for  the  peaceful  surrender  of 
the  murderers  after  the  provisional  government  was 
eventually  superseded  by  a  territorial  form.  The 
Cayuses,  though  war  was  no  longer  waged  against 
them,  saw  that  their  case  was  becoming  more  and 
more  hopeless  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the  United 


INTRODUCTORY 


States  government  had  at  last  extended  protecting 
arms  to  Oregon  and  the  American  power  in  the 
West  was  rapidly  increasing.  At  last,  despairing 
of  their  ability  to  protect  longer  the  murderers,  they 
compelled  or  induced  five  of  tliom  to  surrender  for 
trial.     'I'hese  were  Tiloui<aikt,  Tamahas,  Klokamas, 


Isaiaclialakis,  and  Kiamasumpkin.  They  were 
given  a  fair  trial,  convicted  on  the  :id  of  June, 
executed,  all  of  them,  at  Oregon  City.  Thus  ignobly 
perished  probably  the  last  of  those  immediately 
concerned  in  the  massacre,  though  the  fate  of  Joe 
Lewis  and  others  may  not  be  certainh'  known. 


CHAPTER    VIII 


EARLY    DAYS    OF    WASHINGTON 


'Hie  tcrrilury  norlli  of  tlic  Cnlunibia  river  did 
not  share  in  the  benefits  derivet!  from  the  earliest 
immigrations  into  the  Northwest.  In  the  diplo- 
matic contest  for  the  country,  it  had  been  steadfastly 
claimed  by  Great  Britain,  whose  proposal,  several 
times  reiterated,  was  that  the  Columbia  should  form 
the  boundary.  Perhaps  on  account  of  the  indus- 
trious inculcating  on  the  part  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  of  the  belief  that  northern  Oregon  would 
be  conceded  to  Great  Britain,  the  benefits  of  the 
provisional  government  were  not  expressly  extended 
to  the  territory  now  forming  Washington  state,  and 
for  several  years  after  the  Americanization  of  the 
Willamette  valley  began,  the  fur  company  held  un- 
disputed sway  over  the  trans-Columbia  region.  In 
order  to  strengthen  further  the  hands  of  the  liritish 
government  in  its  territorial  claims,  that  company 
had  organized  the  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Com- 
pany, through  which  considerable  progress  was 
made  in  farming  and  stock-raising,  as  is  shown  by 
the  following  description  of  the  Cowlitz  and  Nis- 
qually  tracts  written  in  1841  by  the  i)en  of  Sir 
George  Sim])son : 

'"Between  the  Cowlitz  river  and  Puget  sound. 
a  distance  of  about  si.xty  miles,  the  countr}-,  which 
is  watered  by  many  streams  and  lakes,  consists  of 
an  alternation  of  plains  and  belts  of  wood.  It  is 
well  adapted  both  for  tillage  and  pasturage,  pos- 
sessing a  genial  climate,  good  soil,  excellent  timber, 
water  power,  natural  clearings  and  a  sea-port,  and 
that,  too,  within  reach  of  more  than  one  advan- 
tageous market.  When  this  tract  was  explored,  a 
few  years  ago,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  estab- 
lished two  farms  upon  it,  which  were  subsequently 
transferred  to  the  Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Com- 
pany, formed  under  the  company's  auspices,  with 
the  view  of  producing  wheat,  wool,  hides  and  tallow, 
for  exportation.  On  the  Cowlitz  farm  there  were 
already  about  a  thousand  acres  of  land  under  the 
plow,  besides  a  large  dairy,  and  an  extensive  park 


for  horses  and  stock;  and  the  crop  this  season 
amounted  to  eight  or  nine  thousand  bushels  of 
wheat,  four  thousand  of  oats,  with  a  due  propor- 
tion of  barley,  potatoes,  etc.  The  other  farm  was 
on  the  shores  of  Puget  sound  (Nisqually  plains), 
and,  as  its  soil  was  found  to  be  better  fitted  for 
pasturage  than  tillage,  it  had  been  appropriated 
almost  exclusively  to  the  flocks  and  herds.  So  that 
now,  with  only  two  hundred  acres  of  cultivated 
land,  it  possessed  six  thousand  sheep,  twelve  hun- 
dred cattle,  besides  horses,  pigs,  etc.  In  addition  to 
these  two  farms,  there  was  a  Catholic  mission,  with 
about  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  under  the  plow. 
There  were  also  a  few  Canadian  settlers,  retired 
servants  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company ;  and  it  was 
to  the  same  neighborhood  that  the  emigrants  from 
Red  river  were  wending  their  way." 

To  strengthen  still  further  British  claim  to 
northern  Oregon,  as  the  country  was  then  called, 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  undertook  the  task  of 
settling  the  still  unoccupied  lands  or  some  of  them 
with  British  subjects  from  the  Red  river  country  of 
Canada.  As  an  inducement  to  such  to  make  the 
tedious  journey  over  the  many  weary  leagues 
which  intervened  between  the  Red  river  of  the 
North  and  Puget  sound,  the  company  offered  to 
each  head  of  a  family,  upon  arrival,  the  use  and 
increase  of  fifteen  cows,  fifteen  ewes,  all  needful 
work  oxen  or  horses  and  the  use  of  house  and 
barns.  In  answer  to  this  call  an  emigration  left 
the  vicinity  of  Fort  Garry,  on  the  ir)th  of  June, 
1841.  They  were  overtaken  by  the  party  of  Sir 
George  Simpson,  who  described  them  as  consisting 
of  agriculturists  and  others,  principally  natives  of 
the  Red  river  settlement.  "There  were  twenty-three 
families,"  sa\s  he,  "the  heads  being  young  and 
active,  though  a  few  of  them  were  advanced  in  life, 
more  particularly  one  poor  woman,  upwards  of 
seventy-five  years  of  age,  who  was  following  after 
her  son  to  his  new  home.     As  a  contrast  to  this- 


EARLY    DAYS    OF    WASHINGTON 


superannuated  daughter  of  the  Saskatchewan,  the 
band  contained  several  young  travelers,  who  had, 
in  fact,  made  their  appearance  in  this  world  since 
the  commencement  of  the  journey.  Beyond  the 
inevitable  detention  which  seldom  exceeded  a  few 
hours,  these  interesting  events  had  never  interfered 
with  the  progress  of  the  brigade ;  and  both  mother 
and  child  used  to  jog  on,  as  if  jogging  on  were  the 
condition  of  human  existence.  Each  family  had 
two  or  three  carts,  together  with  bands  of  horses, 
cattle  and  dogs.  The  men  and  lads  traveled  in  the 
saddle,  while  the  vehicles,  which  were  covered  with 
awnings  against  the  sun  and  rain,  carried  the 
women  and  young  children.  As  they  marched  in 
single  file,  their  cavalcade  extended  above  a  mile 
in  length  :  and  wc  increased  the  length  of  the  column 
by  marching  in  company.  The  emigrants  were  all 
healthy  and  happy,  living  in  the  greatest  abundance 
and  enjoying  the  journey  with  the  highest  relish. 
Before  coming  up  to  these  people,  we  had  seen 
evidence  of  the  comfortable  state  of  their  com- 
missariat in  the  shape  of  two  or  three  still  warm 
buffaloes,  from  which  only  the  tongue  and  a  few 
other  choice  bits  had  been  taken." 

The  ciinipan\-  crossed  the  Rock^v  mountains  earlv 
in  Au-^l^t.  u'aclu-.l  l--..rt  Walla  Walla  on  the  4th 
of  (  )cl(ilier.  assisted  in  removing  valuables  from 
that  fort,  which  burned  that  night  or  the  next 
morning,  and  finally  arrived,  after  the  loss  of  two 
or  three  members,  who  changed  their  destination 
while  en  route,  in  the  .Sound  ciuuitrv.  Some  of  the 
families  remained  at  the  Cowlitz  t.irm  over  winter 
and  some  at  I'^ort  Xisqnall}.  It  was  claimed  by 
them  that  the  c()iii|)an\  acted  in  bad  faith  in  the 
matter  of  fulfilling  its  pledges.  Whether  or  not 
this  be  true,  nut  many  of  the  families  located  per- 
manently in  the  country,  and  the  culonizatiou  scheme 
may  be  considered  a  failure. 

The  honor  of  having  made  the  initial  attempt  to 
colonize  northern  Oregon  in  .American  interests  is 
universally  conceded  to  one  Michael  T.  Simmons, 
the  "Daniel  Boone  of  Washington."'  Simmons  is 
described  as  a  stalwart  Kentuckian,  endowed  with 
the  splendid  physique  and  indomitable  courage  for 
which  the  sons  of  that  state  are  famous.  Arriving 
at  Vancouver  in  1844,  he  spent  most  of  the  winter 
there,  and  doubtless  learned  from  the  chance  ex- 
pressions of  Hudson's  Bay  men  something  of  the 
value  of  the  country  to  the  northward.  At  any 
rate,  he  gave  up  his  former  intentions  of  going  to 
southern  Oregon,  as  the  compan\'  wished  him  to 
do,  and  determined  to  explore  the  forests  of  the 
north,  as  the  company  very  much  opposed  his  doing. 
He  is  credited  with  having  patriotic  as  well  as 
personal  motives  for  undertaking  this  spying  out 
of  the  land.  He  started  on  his  exploring  expe- 
dition with  five  companions  during  the  winter  of 
1844-5,  purposing  to  find  or  make  a  pathway  to 
Puget  sound.  But  the  inclemencies  of  the  season 
necessitated    his    temporary    abandonment    of    the 


enterprise,  and  having  ascended  the  Cowlitz  river 
about  fifty  miles  he  returned  to  Vancouver.  In 
July  he  set  out  again  with  eight  companions.  Reach- 
ing the  sound  in  due  season,  he  made  some  explo- 
rations of  its  shores  in  canoes  and  informed  himself 
of  its  resources  and  value.  He  chose  as  a  site  for 
his  colony  a  picturesque  spot  near  the  falls  of  the 
Des  Chutes  river,  made  a  return  trip  to  Vancouver 
and  soon  was  back  on  the  sound  with  James  Mc- 
Allister, (jabriel  Jones,  David  Kindred  and  George 
W.  Bush  and  their  families,  also  S.  B.  Crockett  and 
Jesse  Ferguson.  Such  is  the  personnel  of  the  first 
.American  colony  in  Washington. 

"Not  one  entering  the  region  at  the  present 
time,"  wrote  the  late  H.  K.  Hines,  "can  form  any 
idea  of  the  difficulty  attending  the  enterprise  of 
these  people.  The  forests  of  the  country  were  almost 
inii)enetrable,  and  they  covered  nearly  all  its  space. 
To  open  a  trail  from  the  Cowlitz  river  northward 
was  the  hard  work  of  weeks,  and  then  to  make 
such  an  inroad  upon  the  forest  as  to  give  any  hope 
of  future  support  for  their  families  was  a  task  that 
only  brave  and  manly  men  would  dare  to  undertake. 
But  empire  and  destiny  were  in  these  men's  hands 
and  hearts,  and  they  were  equal  to  the  work  they 
had  undertaken.  But  as  we  now  think  of  it,  after 
fifty  years,  we  wonder  how  these  seven  men,  iso- 
lated one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  any  who 
could  aid  them,  and  surrounded  by  the  savages  of 
Puget  sound,  who  were  watching  with  evil  eye  the 
inroads  of  the  whites,  succeeded  in  establishing 
themselves  and  their  families  in  this  then  most 
inhospitable  region.  That  they  did  marks  them  as 
heroes." 

The  next  year,  1S46.  added  a  very  few  more 
to  the  American  po])ulation  of  Washington,  among 
them  Edward  Sylvester,  u|)on  whose  land  claim 
Olympia  was  afterward  built,  and  the  well-known 
men,  A.  B.  Robbinson  and  S.  S.  Ford.  A  small 
number  settled  in  1847,  but  these  few  "were  of  the 
same  sterling  stuff  as  those  who  had  preceded  them 
and  added  much  to  the  moral  and  intellectual  fibre 
of  the  infant  settlement." 

"This  year  was  also  signalized."  sa\s  Hines,  "by 
the  erection  of  a  saw  mill  at  the  falls  of  the  Des 
Chutes,  since  called  Tumwater,  on  the  land  claim 
of  M.  T.  Simmons.  A  small  flouring  mill  had 
before  been  erected  at  the  same  place,  with  buhrs 
hewn  out  of  some  granite  rock  found  on  the  beach 
of  Budd's  inlet,  which  afforded  some  unbolted  flour 
as  a  change  from  boiled  wheat  for  bread." 

.■\  somewhat  larger  settlement  was  effected 
during  1848,  many  of  the  new  comers  taking  claims 
along  the  Cowlitz  river.  One  man,  Thomas  W. 
Glasgow,  attempted  settlement  on  \\4ii(lli\  's  island. 
A  few  others  started  to  establish  Iiouk's  in  bis 
vicinity  during  the  summer,  but  all  were  C(jmi)elled 
to  withdraw,  the  Indians  at  a  council  called  by 
Patkanim,  chief  of  the  Snoqualmies,  having  decided 
not  to  allow  them   to  remain  on  the  island.     The 


INTRODUCTORY 


next  two  years  were  years  of  apparent  retrogres- 
sion rather  than  progress,  for  the  aduh  male  popu- 
lation was  induced  away  by  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  California,  leaving  none  but  women  and  boys  to 
sow  and  reap,  or  plan  and  execute  new  enterprises. 
Later,  however,  the  spray  from  the  tidal  wave  of 
population  attracted  to  the  Golden  state  by  the  dis- 
covery of  the  precious  metal  spread  over  Puget 
sound,  bringing  activity  and  progress. 

Mr.  Simmons,  the  advance  agent  of  American 
occupancy,  gained  further  distinction  in  1850  by 
giving  inception  to  x\merican  commerce  on  the 
sound.  A  brig  had  reached  these  waters  during 
the  year,  having  been  purchased  by  several  of  the 
sound  residents  from  certain  gold-seekers  from 
Maine.  Simmons  bought  her,  loaded  her  with  piles, 
and  taking  these  to  San  Francisco  exchanged  them 
for  general  merchandise.  The  goods  were  exposed 
for  sale  in  a  small  building  in  Smithfield,  the  town 
which  later  became  known  as   Olympia. 

"This  initial  stake  of  business  having  been  thus 
successfully  set  at  Olympia,"  says  Hines,  "the  lines 
of  settlement  began  to  extend  from  it  in  every  direc- 
tion. Steilacoom,  occupying  a  point  on  the  sound 
below  Olympia,  and  abreast  of  the  Nisqually  plains, 
was  settled  and  a  large  business  house  erected  there. 
Port  Townsend  was  settled  by  H.  C.  Wilson.  I.  N. 
Ebey,  late  in  the  fall  of  1850,  occupied  the  claim  on 
Whidby's  island  from  which  Glasgow  had  been 
driven  by  the  hostilities  of  Patkanim,  and  R.  H. 
Lansdale  took  a  claim  at  the  head  of  Penn's  cove. 
These  were  among  the  first,  if  not  the  first,  who 
established  themselves  above  the  lower  portions  of 
the  sound,  but  they  were  soon  followed  by  Petty- 
grove  and  Hastings.  A  town  was  laid  out  on  the 
west  side  of  Port  Townsend  bay,  called  after  the 
bay  itself.  Port  Townsend,  and  so  the  year  1850 
closed,  having  registered  a  somewhat  substantial 
advancement  in  the  country  of  Puget  sound.  Still 
the  settlements  were  only  a  frayed  and  fretted  fringe 
of  white  on  the  edge  of  the  dark  forests  and  darker 
humanity,  of  the  vast  region  encompassing  the 
waters  of  the  great  inland  sea.  But  the  time  had 
come  for  a  more  appreciable  advance." 

The  year  1851  brought  not  a  few  immigrants 
who  wished  to  seek  their  fortunes  on  the  shores  of 
the  sound.  Of  these  some  were  ambitious  to  build 
homes  for  themselves  wherever  the  agricultural 
possibilities  of  the  country  were  greatest  and  most 
easily  developed ;  others  to  find  a  spot  which  must 
eventually  become  a  trade  center  and  become  rich 
through  the  "unearned  increment"  in  the  value  of 
their  holdings.  Among  the  latter  class  were  C.  C. 
Terry,  A.  A.  and  D.  T.  Denny,  W.  N.  Bell,  C.  T. 
Boren,  John  C.  Holgate  and  John  Low,  who  selected 
claims  on  Elliot  bay  and  became  prominent  in  the 
founding  and  building  of  Seattle.  It  is  stated  that 
in  four  years  this  town  had  a  population  of  three 
hundred. 

Contemporaneous    with,    or    within    a    year    or 


two  after  the  settlement  already  adverted  to,  was 
the  settlement  of  Whidby's  island.  New  Dunginess, 
Bellingham  bay,  the  north  bank  of  the  Columbia 
river  from  the  Cascade  mountains  to  its  mouth, 
Baker's  bay,  Shoalwater  bay,  Gray's  harbor  and 
other  places.  The  coal  and  timber  resources  of  the 
country  began  attracting  attention  at  this  time,  re- 
sulting in  the  building  up  of  immense  milling  enter- 
prises at  different  points  on  the  sound. 

The  ambition  of  these  pioneers  to  become  the 
founders  of  a  new  commonwealth,  to  add  a  new 
star  to  the  American  constellation,  had  co-operated 
with  the  natural  advantages  of  the  country  from 
the  first  to  induce  them  into  and  hold  them  in  the 
sound  basin.  That  ambition  began  its  struggle  for 
accomplishment  as  early  as  the  4th  of  July,  1851, 
when  J.  B.  Chapman  addressed  all  those  who  met 
in  Olympia  to  celebrate  the  nation's  birthday,  upon 
the  subject  "The  Future  State  of  Columbia."  So 
great  were  his  enthusiasm  and  eloquence  that  they 
inspired  the  people  to  immediate  activity.  They  held 
a  meeting  forthwith  and  decided  that  a  convention 
should  be  held  at  Cowlitz  Landing,  said  convention 
to  be  composed  of  delegates  from  all  the  election 
districts  north  of  the  Columbia.  Its  purpose  was 
"to  take  into  careful  consideration  the  peculiar 
position  of  the  northern  portion  of  the  territory,  its 
wants,  the  best  methods  of  supplying  those  wants, 
and  the  propriety  of  an  early  appeal  to  congress  for 
a  division  of  the  territory." 

On  the  day  appointed  the  convention  met.  It 
adopted  a  memorial  to  congress  praying  for  the 
division  of  the  territory ;  for  a  territorial  road  from 
Puget  sound  over  the  Cascades  to  Walla  Walla; 
for  a  plank  road  from  the  mouth  of  the  Cowlitz  - 
river  to  the  sound,  and  that  the  provisions  of  the 
Oregon  Land  Law  should  be  continued  provided 
the  division  prayed  for  should  be  granted. 

No  action  was  had  by  congress  on  the  memorial, 
and  enthusiasm  for  segregation  for  a  time  waned. 
However,  it  was  not  sufifered  to  die  out  entirely, 
for  a  paper  named  the  Columbian  was  established  at 
Olympia  with  the  keeping  alive  of  the  new  territory 
project  as  its  main  purpose.  The  first  issue  of  this 
pioneer  publication  appeared   September   11,   1853. 

This  journal  was  successful  in  compassing  the 
convention  of  another  body  of  men  on  organization 
bent.  They  met  at  Monticello,  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Cowlitz  and  prepared  a  memorial  to  congress 
pleading  most  eloquently  the  cause  of  segregation 
from  Oregon.  The  efforts  of  this  convention  were 
supplemented  by  the  legislature  of  Oregon  territory, 
a  few  members  of  which,  however,  favored  a  project 
to  make  the  Cascade  range  the  boundary  between 
the  territory  of  Oregon  and  the  territory  of  Col- 
umbia. The  scheme  of  these  contemplated  the 
bounding  of  Oregon,  north,  south  and  west  by  the 
British  line,  the  California  line  and  the  ocean  res- 
pectively and  east  by  Columbia  territory,  the  Cas- 
cade range  being  the  boundary  line. 


EARLY    DAYS    OF    WASHIXGTON 


But  the  majoritx-  of  the  representatives  and  the 
majority  of  the  people  both  north  and  south  of 
the  Columbia  favored  that  river  as  the  line  of 
ili\  ision.  General  Lane.  Oregon's  delegate,  brought 
the  matter  before  congress.  That  body  could  not 
turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  almost  unanimous  voice  of 
the  people  directly  affected  by  the  proposed  legis- 
lation, and  on  Alarch  2,  1853,  the  territory  was 
organized  as  prayed  for,  the  name  "Washington" 
being  substituted  for  "Columbia,"  however.  A 
full  quota  of  officers  was  appointed  for  the  new  ter- 
ritory ;  namely,  governor,  Isaac  Ingall  Stevens ; 
secretary,  C.  H.  Mason ;  chief  justice,  Edward 
Lander;  associate  justices,  John  R.  Miller  and 
Victor  Monroe ;  district  attorney,  J.  S.  Clendenin ; 
J  Patton  Anderson,  United  States  marshal.  Miller 
refused  the  appointment,  and  O.  B.  McFadden,  of 
Oregon,  became  associate  justice  in  his  stead. 
While  all  of  these  officers  were  capable  and  efficient, 
the  choice  for  governor  was  especially  felicitous, 
Stevens  being  just  the  man  to  guide  the  newly  built 
ship  of  state  through  the  stormy  seas  it  was  so  soon 
to  sail. 

Governor  Stevens  began  bestowing  blessings 
upon  the  new  territory  long  before  he  reached  its 
borders,  for  ere  he  left  Washington  he  obtained 
charge  of  the  survey  of  the  northern  route  for  the 
proposed  trans-continental  railway, — one  of  the  first 
grand  schemes  of  the  American  government  for 
the  subjugation  and  development  of  its  vast  terri- 
torial possessions.  This  circumstance  gave  to  the 
northern  route  a  zealous,  able  and  well  informed 
advocate.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  full  and 
accurate  reports  of  Governor  Stevens  and  his  zeal 
for  the  route  which  he  believed  the  most  expedient 
did  more  than  anything  else  to  fix  the  general  loca- 
tion of  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  and  to  give 
to  the  young  commonwealth  over  which  Stevens 
presided  that  most  potential  factor  in  its  subsequent 
development. 

Having  arrived  at  length  in  the  young  common- 
wealth of  which  he  had  been  called  to  assume  execu- 
tive control.  Governor  Stevens  at  once  addressed 
himself  to  the  mastery  of  the  difficult  problems 
presenting  themselves.  He  found  a  field  of  labor 
presenting  a  splendid  opportunity  for  the  exercise 
of  his  extraordinary  abilities.  Of  the  conditions  as 
he  found  them,  his  son.  Hazard,  in  his  excellent  life 
of  Washington's  first  governor,  thus  writes : 

"It  was  indeed  a  wild  country,  untouched  by 
civilization,  and  a  scanty  white  population,  sparsely 
sprinkled  over  the  immense  area,  that  were  awaiting 
the  arrival  of  Governor  Stevens  to  organize  civil 
government,  and  shape  the  destinies  of  the  future. 
A  mere  handful  of  settlers,  .3,96")  all  told,  v.ere 
wideh-  scattered  over  western  Washington,  between 
the  lower  Columbia  and  the  straits  of  Fuca.  A 
small  hamlet  clustered  around  the  military  post  at 
Vancouver.  A  few  settlers  were  spread  widely 
apart  along  the  Columbia,  among  whom  were  Co- 


lumbia Lancaster  on  Lewis  river:  Seth  Catlin,  Dr. 
Nathaniel  Ostrander  and  the  Huntingtons  about  the 
mouth  of  the  Cowlitz;  Alexander  S.  Abemethy  at 
Oak  Point  and  Judge  William  Strong  at  Cathlamet. 
Some  oystermen  in  Shoalwater  bay  were  taking 
shell  fish  for  the  San  Francisco  market.  At  Cow- 
litz Landing,  thirty  miles  up  that  river,  were  exten- 
sive prairies,  where  farms  had  been  cultivated  by 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  under  the  name  of  the 
Puget  Sound  Agricultural  Company,  for  fifteen 
years ;  and  here  were  a  few  Americans,  a  number 
of  Scotch  and  Canadians,  former  employees  of  that 
company,  and  now  looking  forward  to  becoming 
American  citizens,  and  settling  down  upon  their 
own  claims  under  the  Donation  Act,  which  gave 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  to  every  settler  and 
as  much  more  to  his  wife.  A  score  of  hardy 
pioneers  had  settled  upon  the  scattered  prairies  be- 
tween the  Cowlitz  farms  and  the  sound ;  among 
them  were  John  R.  Jackson,  typical  English  yeo- 
man, on  his  prairie,  ten  miles  from  the  Cowlitz ; 
S  S.  Saunders,  on  Saunders  bottom,  where  now 
stands  the  town  of  Chehalis ;  George  Washington,  a 
colored  man,  on  the  next  prairie,  the  site  of  Cen- 
tralia ;  Judge  Sidney  S.  Ford  on  his  prairie  on  the 
Chehalis  river,  below  the  mouth  of  Skookumchuck 
creek ;  W.  B.  Goodell,  B.  L.  Henness  and  Stephen 
Hodgdon  on  Grand  Mound  prairie  ;  A.  B.  Robbeson 
and  W.  W.  Plumb  on  Mound  prairie.  A  number 
of  settlers  had  taken  up  the  prairies  about  Olympia, 
the  principal  of  whom  were  W.  O.  Bush,  Gabriel 
Jones,  William  Rutledge  and  David  Kendrick  on 
Bush  prairie ;  J.  N.  Low,  Andrew  J.  Chambers, 
Nathan  Eaton,  Stephen  D.  Ruddell  and  Urban  E. 
Hicks  on  Chambers'  prairie;  David  J.  Chambers 
on  the  prairie  of  his  name.  James  McAlister  and 
William  Packwood  were  on  the  Nisqually  bottom, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  just  north  of  which,  on 
the  verge  of  the  Nisqually  plains,  was  situated  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  post.  Fort  Nisqually,  a 
parallelogram  of  log  buildings  and  stockade  under 
charge  of  Dr.  W.  F.  Tolmie,  a  warm  hearted  and 
true  Scot.  Great  herds  of  Spanish  cattle,  the  prop- 
erty of  the  company,  roamed  over  the  Nisqually 
plains,  little  cared  for  and  more  than  half  wild,  and, 
it  is  to  be  feared,  occasionally  fell  prey  to  the  rifles 
of  hungry  American  emigrants.  Two  miles  below 
Olympia,  on  the  east  side  of  the  bay,  was  located  a 
Catholic  mission  under  Fathers  Richard  and  Blan- 
chet,  where  were  a  large  building,  an  orchard  and  a 
garden.  They  had  made  a  number  of  converts 
among  the  Indians. 

"Towns,  each  as  yet  little  more  than  a  claim  and 
a  name,  but  each  in  the  hope  and  firm  belief  of  its 
founders  destined  to  future  greatness,  were  just 
started  at  Steilacoom,  by  Lafayette  Balch;  at 
Seattle,  by  Dr.  E.  S.  Maynard,  H.  L.  Yesler  and 
the  Dennys ;  at  Port  Townsend.  by  F.  W.  Petty- 
grove  and  L.  B.  Hastings ;  and  at  Bellingham  bay, 
by  Henry  Roder  and  Edward  Eldridge. 


INTRODUCTORY 


"Save  the  muddy  track  from  the  Cowlitz  to 
Olympia  and  thence  to  Steilacoom,  and  a  few  local 
trails,  roads  there  were  none.  Commnnication  was 
chiefly  by  water,  almost  wholly  in  canoes  manned 
by  Indians.  The  monthly  steamer  from  San  Fran- 
cisco and  a  little  river  steamboat  plying  daily  be- 
tween Vancouver  and  Portland  alone  vexed  with 
their  keels  the  mighty  Columbia ;  while  it  was  not 
until  the  next  year  that  reckless,  harum-scarum 
Captain  Jack  Scranton  ran  the  Major  Tompkins,  a 
small  black  steamer,  once  a  week  around  the  sound, 
and  had  no  rival.  Here  was  this  great  wooded 
country,  without  roads,  the  unrivaled  waterways 
without  steamers,  the  adventurous,  vigorous  white 
population  without  laws,  numerous  tribes  of  Indians 
without  treaties,  and  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's 
rights  and  possessions  without  settlement.  To  add 
to  the  difficulties  and  confusion  of  the  situation, 
congress,  by  the  Donation  Acts,  held  out  a  standing 
invitation  to  the  American  settlers  to  seize  and 
settle  upon  any  land,  surveyed  or  unsurveyed,  with- 
out waiting  to  extinguish  the  Indian  title  or  define 
the  lands  guaranteed  by  solemn  treaty  to  the  for- 
eign company,  and  already  the  Indians  and  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  were  growing  more  and 
more  restless  and  indignant  at  the  encroachments 
of  the  pushing  settlers  upon  their  choice  spots. 
Truly  a  situation  frought  with  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers, where  everything  was  to  be  done  and  nothing 
yet  begun. 

"It  is  a  great  but  common  mistake  to  suppose 
that  the  early  American  settlers  of  Washington 
were  a  set  of  lawless,  rough  and  ignorant  borderers. 
In  fact,  they  compare  favorably  with  the  early  set- 
tlers of  any  of  the  states.  As  a  rule,  they  were  men 
of  more  than  average  force  of  character,  vigorous, 
honest,  intelligent,  law  abiding  and  patriotic, — men 
who  had  brought  their  families  to  carve  out  homes 
in  the  wilderness,  and  many  of  them  men  of  educa- 
tion and  of  standing  in  their  former  abodes.  Among 
them  could  be  found  the  best  blood  of  New  Eng- 
land, the  sturdy  and  kindly  yeomanry  of  Virginia 
and  Kentuck}',  and  men  from  all  the  states  of  the 
middle  west  from  Ohio  to  Arkansas.  Most  of  them 
had  slowly  wended  their  way  across  the  great  plains, 
overcoming  every  obstacle,  and  suffering  untold 
privation ;  others  had  come  by  sea  around  Cape 
Horn,  or  across  the  isthmus.  They  were  all  true 
Americans,  patriotic  and  bra\e.  and  filled  with  san- 
guine hope  of,  and  firm  faith  in.  the  future  growth 
and  greatness  of  the  new  cmintry  which  they  had 
come  to  make  blossom  like  the  rose." 

Goyernor  Stevens,  in  the  proclamation  by  which 
he  gave  inception  to  the  work  of  organizing  the 
territory,  designated  January  30,  18.54,  as  the  day 
for  electing  a  delegate  to  congress  and  a  local  legis- 
lature. Columbia  Lancaster  was  the  choice  of  the 
people  for  the  difficult  task  of  representing  the 
young  commonwealth  in  Washington.  The  legis- 
lature chosen  at  the  same  time  convened,  pursuant 


to  the  governor's  proclamation,  on  the  27th  of  Feb- 
ruary ensuing  and  proceeded  to  transact  such  busi- 
ness and  enact  such  laws  as  were  necessary  to  put 
the  territory  on  a  fairly  sound  footing.  The  mes- 
sage of  the  governor  was  an  able  and  statesmanlike 
paper.  It  gave  a  glowing  description  of  the  unde- 
veloped resources  and  commercial  importance  of 
the  territory ;  referred  to  the  unfortunate  status 
of  the  public  lands,  arising  out  of  the  fact  that  In- 
dian titles  had  not  yet  been  extinguished  and  advised 
the  memorializing  of  congress  concerning  the  con- 
struction of  needed  public  highways,  the  surveying 
of  lands,  certain  amendments  to  the  land  law,  the 
early  settlement  of  the  San  Juan  dispute  and  the 
extinguishment  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  and  Puget 
Sound  Agricultural  Companies'  titles  to  certain 
lands  claimed  by  them  under  the  Treaty  of  Limits. 
The  message  also  called  the  attention  of  the  legisla- 
ture to  the  necessity  of  providing  a  public  school 
system  and  an  efficient  militia  organization. 

Soon  after  the  adjournment  of  the  legislature, 
which  acted  in  harmony  with  the  foregoing  sug- 
gestions from  the  executive,  Governor  Stevens  set 
out  for  Washington  city  that  he  might  report  in 
person  on  the  survey  of  the  northern  route  and  press 
upon  the  attention  of  congress  certain  matters  re- 
lating to  Indian  affairs,  the  northern  boundary  and 
the  quieting  of  the  gowrnment  title  to  lands.  He, 
with  the  help  of  Lanca-tc  r  and  Delegate  Lane  of 
Oregon,  secured  "an  aiiindpriation  of  thirty 
thousand  dollars  for  the  construction  of  what  was 
known  as  the  Mullan  road  from  the  Great  Falls  of 
the  Missouri  via  Coeur  d'Alene  lake  to  Walla 
Walla ;  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  military  road  from  The  Dalles  of  the 
Columbia  to  Fort  \'ancouver ;  of  thirty  thousand 
for  a  road  from  I'ort  \  ancouver  to  Fort  Steila- 
coom ;  and  eighty-nine  thousand  dollars  for  light- 
houses at  various  points  on  the  coast.  Liberal 
provision  was  made  for  the  Indian  service,  in  which 
was  included  the  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand  to 
enable  Governor  Stevens  to  treat  with  the  Black- 
feet  and  other  tribes  in  tlic  north  and  east  portions 
of  the  territory." 

GoveTunr  Stcxens  lost  no  time  after  his  return 
to  Washinijtnn  territorw  in  using  the  funds  and  the 
authority  liestowed  <  in  him  for  the  purpose  of  ac- 
complishing one  of  the  main  features  of  his  Indian 
policy, — the  extinguishment  of  the  Indian  title  to 
lands.  Without  pausing  to  narrate  the  story  of  his 
negotiations  with  the  Sound  tribes,  let  us  follow 
him  in  his  trip  to  the  Walla  Walla  valley,  under- 
taken for  the  purpose  of  inducing,  if  possible,  the 
vigorous  and  independent  tribes  of  the  interior  to 
treat.  He  had  sent  runners  to  these  various  bands, 
apprising  them  of  the  intended  council  and  inviting 
all  to  be  present.  At  the  suggestion  of  Kamiakin, 
head  chief  of  the  Yakimas,  a  spot  in  the  Walla 
Walla  vallev,  which  had  been  used  bv  the  Indians 


EARLY    DAYS    OF    WASHINGTON 


as  a  council  ground  from  time  immemorial,  was 
chosen  as  the  site  of  this  conference  also. 

Early  in  May  the  governor  set  out  for  the  ap- 
IHiinted  rendezvous.  At  The  Dalles  he  found 
( ieneral  Joel  Palmer,  who  was  to  represent  Oregon 
in  the  negotiations,  awaiting  him.  The  general 
was  faithless  of  a  successful  issue  of  the  undertak- 
ing. "So  doubtful,"  wrote  Governor  Stevens  in  his 
diary,  "did  General  Palmer  consider  the  whole 
matter  of  the  council,  that  it  was  only  the  circum- 
stance of  a  military  force  being  despatched  which 
determined  him  to  send  to  the  treaty  ground  pres- 
ents to  the  Indians.  He  stated  to  me  that  he  had 
concluded  to  send  up  no  goods ;  but,  the  escort 
having  been  ordered,  he  would  send  up  his  goods. 
At  this  time  the  Oregon  officers  expected  little  from 
the  council,  and  evidently  believed  that  the  whole 
tiling  was  premature  and  ill-advised." 

The  escort  referred  to  was  sent  by  Major  C.  J. 
Rains,  and  consisted  of  a  detachment  of  forty  sol- 
diers under  Lieutenant  Archibald  Gracie.  With  the 
command  was  Lawrence  Kip,  whose  diary  pre- 
sents an  interesting  account  of  the  external  and 
some  of  the  internal  happenings  of  this  strange  con- 
\ention  in  the  wilderness. 

Stevens  reached  the  council  grounds  May  21st. 
Two  days  later  came  Lieutenant  Gracie  with  his 
soldiers.  At  that  time  no  Indians  were  in  sight, 
but  the  next  day  came  the  Nez  Perces  rushing  to 
the  rendezvous  with  impetuous  speed,  decked  out 
in  gorgeous  attire  and  riding  ponies  painted  and 
caparisoned  in  accord  with  their  savage  notions  of 
style.  Upon  their  arrival  and  appearance,  Kip 
thus  comments  in  his  diary : 

Thursday,  May  24tli.  This  has  been  an  exceedingly 
interesting  day,  as  about  twenty-five  hundred  of  the  Nez 
Perce  tribe  have  arrived.  It  was  our  first  specimen  of 
this  prairie  chivalry,  and  it  certainly  reahzed  all  our  concep- 
tions of  these  wild  warriors  of  the  plains.  Their  coming 
was  announced  about  ten  o'clock,  and  going  out  on  the 
plains  to  where  a  flagstaff  had  been  erected,  we  saw  them 
approaching  on  horseback  in  one  long  line.  They  were 
almost  entirely  naked,  gaudily  painted  and  decorated  with 
their  wild  trapping.s.  Their  plumes  fluttered  about  them, 
while  below,  .skins  and  trinkets  of  all  kinds  of  fantastic 
embellishments  flaunted  in  the  sunshine.  Trained  from 
early  childhood,  almost,  to  live  upon  horseback,  they  sat 
upon  their  fine  animals  as  if  they  were  centaurs.  Tlieir 
horses,  too,  were  arrayed  in  the  most  glaring  finery.  They 
were  painted  with  such  colors  as  formed  the  greatest  con- 
trast ;  the  white  being  smeared  with  crimson  in  fantastic 
figures,  and  the  dark  colored  streaked  with  white  clay. 
Reads  rnd  fringes  of  gaudy  colors  were  hanging  from 
the  bridles,  while  the  plumes  of  eagle  feathers  interwoven 
with  the  mane  and  tail  fluttered  as  the  breeze  swept  over 
them,  and  completed  their  wild  and   fantastic  appearance. 

When  about  a  mile  distant  they  halted,  and  half  a 
dozen  chiefs  rode  forward  and  were  introduced  to  Gov- 
ernor Stevens  and  General  Palmer,  in  order  of  their  rank. 
Then  on  came  the  rest  of*  the  wild  horsemen  in  single  file, 
clashing  their  shields,  singing  and  beating  their  drums  as 
they  marched  past  us.  Then  they  formed  a  circle  and 
dashed  around  us.  while  our  little  group  stood  there,  the 
center  of  their  wild  evolutions.  They  would  gallop  up  as 
if  about  to  inake  a  charge,  then  wheel  round  and  round, 
sounding   their    loud    whoops    until    they    had    apparently 


worked  themselves  up  into  an  intense  excitement.  Then 
some  score  or  two  dismounted,  and  forming  a  ring, 
danced  for  about  twenty  minutes,  while  those  surrounding 
them  beat  time  on  their  drums.  .After  these  performances, 
more  than  twenty  of  the  chiefs  went  over  to  the  tent  of 
Governor  Stevens,  where  the\-  sat  for  some  time,  smoking 
the  pipe  of  peace,  in  token  of  good  fellowship,  and  then 
returned  to  their  camping  ground. 

Saturday,  May  2Gth,  came  the  Cayuses,  about 
three  hundred  in  number,  according  to  Kip. 
"They  came  in  whooping  and  singing  in  the  Indian 
fashion,  and  after  circling  round  the  camp  of  the 
Nez  Perces  two  or  three  times,  they  retired  to  form 
their  own  at  some  little  distance."  Next  day  be- 
ing Sunday,  a  religious  meeting  was  held  by  the 
Nez  Perces,  Timothy  preaching.  Stevens  attended. 
"Timothy,"  observed  he,  "has  a  natural  and  grace- 
ful delivery,  and  his  words  were  repeated  b\-  a 
prompter.  The  Nez  Perces  have  evidently  profited 
much  from  the  labors  of  Mr.  Spalding,  who  was 
with  them  ten  years,  and  their  whole  deportment 
throughout  the  service  was  devout." 

Monday,  May  28th,  the  governor  sent  A.  J. 
Bolon  to  meet  the  Yakimas,  and  from  this  emissary, 
who  soon  returned,  he  learned  that  Peo-peo-mox- 
mo.x  was  professedly  friendly.  That  chief,  together 
with  Kamiakin  and  two  subchiefs  of  the  Yakimas, 
with  a  following  of  their  men,  soon  caiue  up  and 
shook  hands  cordially  with  the  commissioners,  re^ 
fusing,  however,  to  receive  tobacco  from  the  whites. 

At  two  o'clock  on  the  following  afternoon  the 
council  opened,  but  nothing  was  done  further  than 
to  organize  and  swear  in  the  interpreters.  The 
council  convened  again  on  the  30th  at  one  P.  M. 
"It  was  a  striking  scene,"  wrote  Kip.  "Directly  in 
front  of  Governor  Stevens"  tent,  a  small  arbor  had 
been  erected,  in  which,  at  a  table,  sat  several  of  his 
party  taking  notes  of  everything  said.  In  front  of 
the  arbor  on  a  bench  sat  Governor  Stevens  and 
General  Palmer,  and  before  them,  in  the  open  air,  in 
concentric  semicircles  were  arranged  the  Indians, 
the  chiefs  in  the  front  ranks  in  the  order  of  their 
dignity,  while  the  background  was  filled  with 
women  and  children.  The  Indians  sat  on  the 
ground  (in  their  own  words),  "reposing  on  the 
bosom  of  their  great  mother."  There  were  proba- 
bly one  thousand  present  at  a  time.  After  smoking 
for  half  an  hour  (a  ceremony  which  with  them 
precedes  all  business),  the  council  was  opened  by  a 
short  address  by  General  Palmer.  Governor 
Stevens  then  rose  and  made  a  long  speech,  setting 
forth  the  object  of  the  council  and  what  was  de- 
sired of  them.  As  he  finished  each  sentence,  the 
interpreter  repeated  it  to  two  of  the  Indians  who 
announced  it  in  a  loud  voice  to  the  rest — one  in  the 
Nez  Perce  and  the  other  in  the  Walla  Walla  lan- 
guage. This  process  necessarily  causes  business  to 
move  slowly." 

In  such  tedious  manner  the  patient  and  pains- 
taking Stevens  explained  the  treaties  he  wished  the 
Indians  to  sign,  clause  by  clause  and  item  by  item. 


INTRODUCTORY 


At  this  stage  of  the  negotiations  the  commissioners 
contemplated  two  reservations. — one  in  the  Nez 
Perce  country  for  the  Xez  Perces,  Walla  Wallas, 
Cayuses,  Umatillas  and  Spokanes ;  one  on  Yakima 
river  for  the  Yakimas,  Palouses,  Klickitats  and 
other  bands.  Two  days  were  consumed  by  the  long 
speeches  of  the  commissioners  upon  the  various 
provisions  of  the  treaty  and  the  price  offered  by  the 
government.  The  third  (Friday)  was  at  the  re- 
quest of  Young  Chief,  given  up  for  a  holiday,  but 
the  Indians  who  theretofore  had  indulged  freely 
every  evening  after  adjournment  of  the  council  in 
sports  of  all  kinds,  remained  quiet  all  that  day,  no 
doubt  deliberating  upon  the  proposals  of  the  com- 
missioners, and  in  the  case  of  the  Cayuses  at  least 
planning  mischief. 

The  next  day,  they  met  as  usual.  After  some 
further  talk  upon  the  treaties  the  commissioners 
urged  the  Indians  to  speak  their  minds  freely,  and 
some  short  speeches  were  made  in  opposition  to 
parting  with  the  lands.  The  speech  of  Peo-peo-mox- 
mox  was  especially  noteworthy  as  a  sarcastic  ar- 
raignment of  the  whites,  a  delicate  intimation  of 
his  distrust  of  the  commissioners  and  an  expression 
of  reluctance  to  accept  goods  in  payment  for  the 
earth. 

That  evening.  Lawyer,  head  chief  of  the  Xez 
Perces,  came  to  Governor  Stevens  with  informa- 
tion of  a  vile  plot  and  a  suggestion  as  to  how  it 
should  be  averted.  Having  become  suspicious  that 
mischief  was  brewing  in  the  camp  of  the  Cayuses, 
he  sent  a  spv  to  discover  their  plot,  and  by  this 
means  found  that  for  several  nights  the  Cayuses 
had  been  considering  the  advisability  of  falling  upon 
and  massacring  all  the  whites  on  the  council  ground. 
They  had,  on  the  day  Young  Chief  had  secured  for 
a  holiday,  definitely  determined  to  strike  as  soon  as 
the  consent  of  the  Yakimas  and  Walla  W'allas  could 
be  obtained.  The  massacre  was  to  form  the  initial 
blow  of  a  war  of  extermination  against  the  white 
race,  the  second  act  of  Iiostility  planned  being  the 
surprise  and  capture  of  the  post  at  The  Dalles.  "I 
will  come  with  my  family,"  said  Lawyer,  "and  pitch 
my  lodge  in  the  midst  of  your  camp,  that  those 
Cayuses  may  see  that  >ou  and  your  party  are  under 
the  protection  of  the  head  chief  of  the  Nez  Perces." 
By  so  doing.  Lawyer  averted  the  danger  to 
Stevens,  his  party  and  guard,  for  the  treacherous 
plotters  were  well  aware  that  an  attack  on  the  whites 
could  hardly  be  made  without  the  killing  of  one  or 
more  of  the  Nez  Perce  defenders,  and  a  consequent 
war  with  that  numerous  and  powerful  tribe.  Hav- 
ing quietly  caused  the  arms  of  the  whites  to  be  put 
in  readiness  against  a  possible  attack.  Governor 
Stevens  proceeded  with  his  council.  Monday,  June 
4th,  was  consumed  for  the  most  part  in  Indian 
speech-making,  but  during  the  next  day  the  commis- 
sioners were  again  the  principal  orators.  Steachus, 
the  friendly  Cayuse,  in  a  short  speech,  declared  his 
unwillingness  to  be  removed  wholly  from  his  own 


country  and  stated  that  his  heart  was  in  one  of  the 
three  jilaces,  the  Grand  Ronde,  the  Touchet  and 
the  Tucanon. 

As  affording  a  glimpse  of  the  inner  workings  of 
the  council.  Kip's  report  of  the  proceedings  of 
Thursday,  June  7th,  is  here  reproduced: 

Thursday,  June  7th.  Mr.  McKay  took  breakfast  with 
us.  He  is  tlie  son  of  the  old  Indian  hnnter  so  often  men- 
tioned in  Irving's  "Astoria,"  and  whose  name  is  identified 
with  pioneer  life  in  this  region. 

The  council  met  to-day  at  12.  and  I  went  into  the 
arbor  and,  taking  my  seat  at  the  reporter's  table,  wrote 
some  of  the  speeches  delivered.  There  is,  of  course,  in 
those  of  the  liuhans.  too  much  repetition  to  give  them 
fully.  1)ut  a  few  extracts  may  show  the  manner  in  which 
those  wearisome  meetings  were  conducted  day  after  day. 

Governor  Stevens. — "My  hrotliers,  we  e.xpect  to  have 
your  hearts  to-dav.     I,ct  us  have  vour  hearts  straight  out." 

Lauxn-.  the  ..Id  X.v  Pirce  chief.— llie  first  part  of. 
his  siiciiii  w.i^  liis|..nc,il,  rclatnii^"  to  the  discovery  of  this 
countr\  1.)  tlu'  .S|..iiii.iiils,  which  is  a  favorite  topic  with 
the  Indian  orators.  In  course  of  it  he  thus  narrates  the 
story  of  Columbus  and  the  egg.  which  he  had  heard  from 
some  of  the  missionaries  : 

"One  of  the  head  of  the  court  said,  T  knew  there  was 
.such  a  country.'  Columbus,  who  had  discovered  it,  said, 
'Can  \-ou  make  an  egg  stand  on  its  end?'  He  tried  to  make 
the  egg  stand,  but  could  not  do  it.  He  did  not  understand 
how.  It  fell  over.  Columbus  then  showed  tliem  all  that 
he  could  make  it  stand.  He  sat  it  down  and  it  stood. 
He  knew  how,  and  after  they  saw  it  done  they  could  do  it." 

He  thus  described  the  manner  in  wdiich  the  tribes  of 
the  East  receded  at  the  approach  of  the  whites : 

"The  re.l  man  traveled  away  farther,  and  from  that 
time  they  kept  traveling  away  farther,  as  the  white  people 
came  up  witli  tlicni.  And  this  man's  people  (pointing  to 
a  Delaware  Indian  who  was  one  of  the  interpreters')  are 
from  that  people.  They  have  come  on  from  the  Great 
Lake  where  the  sun  rises,  until  they  are  near  us  now,  at 
the  setting  sun.  .\nd  from  that  country,  somewhere  from 
the  center,  came  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  that  is  the  way  the 
wdiite  people  traveled  and  came  on  here  to  my  forefathers. 
They  passed  through  our  country,  they  became  acquainted 
our  country  and  all  our  streams,  and  our  forefathers 
used  them  well,  as  well  as  they  could,  and  from  the  time 
of  Columbus,  from  the  time  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  we  have 
known  you.  my  friends ;  we  poor  people  have  known  you 
as  brothers." 

He  concluded  by  expressing  his  approval  of  the 
treaty,  only  urging  that  the  whites  should  act  toward  them 
in  good  faith. 

Governor  Stevens. — "We  have  now  the  hearts  of  the 
Nez  Perces  through  their  chief.  Their  hearts  and  our 
hearts  are  one.  We  want  the  hearts  of  the  other  tribes 
through  their  chiefs." 

Young  Chief,  of  the  Cayuses.  ( He  was  evidently 
opposed  to  the  treaty  but  grounded  his  objections  on  two 
arguments.  The  first  was,  they  had  no  right  to  sell  the 
ground  which  God  had  given  for  their  support  unless  for 
some  good  reason.") — "I  wonder  if  tlie  ground  has  any- 
thing to  say.  I  wonder  if  the  ground  is  listening  to  what 
is  said.  I  wonder  if  the  ground  would  come  alive  and 
what  is  on  it.  Though  I  hear  what  the  ground  says.  The 
ground  says.  'It  is  the  Great  Spirit  that  placed  me  here. 
The  Great  Spirit  tells  me  to  take  care  of  the  Indians,  to 
feed  them  aright.  The  Great  Spirit  appointed  the  roots 
to  feed  the  Indians  on.'  The  Water  says  the  same  thing : 
'The  Great  Spirit  directs  me.  Feed  the  Indians  well." 
The  grass  says  the  same  thing:  'Feed  the  horses  and 
cattle.'  The  ground,  water  and  grass  say,  'Tlie  Great 
Spirit  has  given  us  our  names.  We  have  these  names  and 
hold  these  names.  Neither  the  Indians  nor  whites  have 
a   right   to  change  these   names.'     The  ground   says,   'The 


';/g''';"S'W(W!!j 


GOVERNOR    ISAAC    IXGALI.S    STEVENS 
(First  Governor  of  Washington  Territory) 


EARLY    DAYS    OF   WASHINGTON 


Great  Spirit  has  placed  me  here  to  produce  all  that  grows 
on  me,  trees  and  fruit.'  The  same  way  the  ground  says, 
'It  was  from  me  man  was  made.'  The  Great  Spirit,  in 
placing  men  on  the  earth,  desired  them  to  take  good  care 
of  the  ground  and  to  do  each  other  no  harm.  The  Great 
Spirit  said,  'You  Indians  who  take  care  of  certain  por- 
tions of  the  country  should  not  trade  it  off  except  you  get 
a  fair  price.'  " 

The  other  argument  was  that  he  could  not  understand 
clearly  what  tlicy  were  to  receive. 

"The  Indians  are  blind.  This  is  the  reason  we  do 
not  sec  the  country  well.  Lawyer  sees  clear.  This  is  the 
reason  why  1  d^n't  know  anything  about  this  country.  I 
do  not  see  tin-  olfn-  x.m  lirive  made  to  us  yet.  If  I  had 
the  money  in  in\  linn.l  I  slunild  see.  I  am,  as  it  were, 
blind.  I  am  I)liii(l  .ind  if;ii"r;uit.  I  have  a  heart,  but  can- 
not say  much.  This  is  tlic  reason  why  the  chiefs  do  not 
understand  each  other  right,  and  stand  apart.  Although  I 
see  your  offer  before  me,  I  do  not  luulcrstand  it  and  I  do 
not  yet  take  it.  I  walk,  as  it  were,  in  the  dark,  and  cannot 
therefore  take  hold  of  what  I  do  not  see.  Lawyer  sees 
and  he  takes  hold.  When  I  come  to  understand  your 
propositions,  I  will  take  hold.  I  do  not  know  when.  This 
is  all  I  have  to  say." 

Five  Crows,  of  the  Walla  Wallas. — "I  will  speak  a 
few  words.    My  heart  is  the  same  as  Young  Chief's." 

General  Palmer. — "We  know  no  chief  among  the 
Walla  Wallas  but  Peo-peo-mox-mox.  If  he  has  anything 
to  say  we  will  be  pleased  to  hear  it." 

Peo-peo-mox-mox. — "I  do  not  know  what  is  straight. 
I  do  not  see  the  offer  you  have  made  to  the  Indians.  I 
never  .saw  these  things  which  are  offered  by  my  great 
father.  My  heart  cried  when  you  first  spoke  to  nie.  I  felt 
as  if  I  was  blown  away  like  a  feather.  Let  your  heart  be 
to  separate  as  we  are  and  appoint  some  other  time.  We 
shall  have  no  bad  mind.  Stop  the  whites  from  coming  up 
here  until  we  have  this  talk.  Let  them  not  bring  their 
axes  with  them.  The  whites  may  travel  in  all  directions 
through  our  couiitr\  ;  wr  will  have  nothing  to  say  to  them, 
provided  the>'  <Ii'  nni  linild  houses  on  our  lands.  Now  I 
wish  to  speak  .iIm.mI  L;i\\mt.  I  think  he  has  given  his 
lands.  That  is  what  I  think  from  his  words.  I  request 
another  meeting.  It  is  not  in  one  meeting  only  that  we 
can  come  to  a  decision.  If  you  come  again  with  a  friendly 
message  from  our  great  father,  I  shall  see  you  again  at 
this  place.  To-morrow  I  shall  see  you  again,  and  to-mor- 
row evening  I  shall  go  home.     This  is  all  I  have  to  say." 

General  Palmer. — "I  want  to  say  a  few  words  to  these 
people,  but  before  I  do  so,  if  Kamiakin  wants  to  speak,  I 
would  be  glqd  to  hear  him." 

Kamiakin,  Yakima  chief. — "I  have  nothing  to  say." 

General  Palmer. — "I  would  inquire  whether  Peo-peo- 
mox-mox  or  Young  Chief  has  spoken  for  the  Umatillas? 
I  wish  to  know,  further,  whether  the  Umatillas  are  of  the 
same  heart." 

Owhi.  Umatilla  chief.— "We  are  together  and  the 
Great  Spirit  hears  all  that  we  say  to-day.  The  Great 
Spirit  gave  us  tlic  land  and  measured  the  land  to  us;  this 
is  the  reason  I  am  afraid  to  sav  anvthing  about  the  land. 
I  am  afraid  of  the  laws  of  the  Great  Spirit.  This  is  the 
reason  of  my  heart  being  sad.  This  is  the  reason  I  cannot 
give  you  an  answer.  T  am  afraid  of  the  Great  Spirit. 
Shall  I  steal  this  land  and  sell  it?  or  what  shall  I  do? 
This  is  the  reason  why  my  heart  is  sad.  The  Great  Spirit 
made  our  friends,  but  the  Great  Spirit  made  our  bodies 
from  the  earth,  as  if  thev  were  different  from  the  whites. 
What  shall  I  do?  Shall  'l  give  the  land  which  is  a  part  of 
my  body  and  leave  myself  poor  and  destitute?  Shall  I 
say  I  will  give  you  my  lands?  I  cannot  say  .so.  I  am 
afraid  of  the  Great  Spirit.  I  love  my  life.  The  reason 
why  I  do  not  give  my  land  away  is,  I  am  afraid  I  will  be 
sent  to  hell.  I  love  my  friends.  I  love  my  life.  This 
is  the  reason  why  I  do  not  give  my  land  away.  I  have 
one  word  more  to  say.  My  people  are  far  away.  They 
do  not  know  your  words.    "This  is  the  reason  I  cannot  give 


you  an  answer.     I  show  you  my  heart.    This  is  all  I  have 


to 


Governor  Stevens. — "How  will  Kamiakin  of  Schoom 
speak  ?" 

Kamiakin. — "What  have   1   to  be  talking  about?" 

General  Palmer. — "We  have  listened  and  heard  our 
chiefs  speak.  The  hearts  of  the  Nez  Perces  and  ours  are 
one.  IThe  Cayuses,  the  Walla  Wallas  and  the  other  tribes 
say  they  do  not  understand  ui.  We  were  in  hopes  we 
should  have  but  one  heart.  Why  should  we  have  more 
than  one  heart?  Young  Chief  says  he  does  not  know 
what  we  propose  to  him.  Peo-peo-mox-mox  says  the  same. 
Can  we  bring  these  saw  mills  and  these  grist  mills  on  our 
backs  to  show  the.se  people?  Can  we  bring  these  black- 
smith shops,  these  wagons  and  tents  on  our  backs  to  show 
them  at  this  time?  Can  we  cause  fields  of  wheat  and  corn 
to  spring  up  in  a  day  that  we  may  sec  them?  Can  we  build 
these  schoolhouses  and  these  dwellings  in  a  day?  Can 
we  bring  all  the  money  that  these  things  will  cost,  that 
they  may  see  it?  It  would  be  more  than  all  the  horses 
of  any  one  of  these  tribes  could  carry.  It  takes  time  to 
do  these  things.  We  come  first  to  see  you  and  make  a 
bargain.  We  brought  but  few  goods  with  us.  But  what- 
ever we  promise  to  give  you,  you  will  get. 

"How  long  will  these  people  remain  blind?  We  come 
to  try  to  open  their  eyes.  They  refuse  the  light.  I  have 
a  wife  and  children.  My  brother  here  has  the  same.  I 
have  a  good  house,  fields  of  u  licit.  pMt.iiocs  and  peas. 
Why  should  I  wish  to  leave  tli' in  .in.l  ((niu-  so  far  to  see 
you?  It  was  to  try  to  do  you  k'""1.  '""  }'<"  tlirow  it  awqy. 
Why  is  it  that  you  do  so?  We  all  .^lUiKliines  do  wrong. 
Sometimes  because  our  hearts  arc  bad.  and  sometimes  be- 
cause we  have  bad  counsel.  Your  people  have  sometimes 
done  wrong.  Our  hearts  have  cried.  Our  hearts  still  cry. 
But  if  you  will  try  to  do  right,  we  will  try  to  forget  it. 
How  long  will  you  listen  to  this  bad  counsel  and  refuse 
to  receive  the  light?  I,  too,  like  the  ground  where  I  was 
born.  I  left  it  because  it  was  for  my  good.  I  have  come 
a  long  way.  We  ask  you  to  go  but  a  short  distance.  We 
do  not  come  to  steal  your  land.  We  pay  you  more  than  it 
is  worth.  There  is  the  Umatilla  valley,  that  affords  a 
little  good  land  between  two  streams  and  all  around  it  is 
a  parched-up  plain.  What  is  it  worth  to  you?  What  is 
it  worth  to  us?  Not  half  what  we  have  offered  you  for  it. 
Why  do  we  offer  so  much  .■"  Because  our  great  father 
told"  us  to  take  care  of  his  red  people.  We  come  to  you 
with  his  message  to  try  to  do  you  good,"  etc.,  etc. 

These  extracts  will  give  a  specimen  of  the  kind  of 
"talk"  which  went  on  day  after  day.  All  but  the  Nez 
Perces  were  evidently  disiiulined  to  the  treaty,  and  it  was 
melancholy  to  ^ic  lluir  rrluolance  to  abandon  the  old 
hunting-grounds  of  tluii  f.iihi-rs  and  their  impotent  strug- 
gle against  the  overpowering  influences  of  the  whites.  The 
meeting  closed  to-day  with  an  affecting  speech  by  Governor 
Stevens,  addressed  to  the  chiefs  who  had  argued  against 
the  treaty.     I  give  it  in  part ; 

"I  must  say  a  few  words.  \\v  lirntlicr  and  I  have 
talked  .straight.  Have  all  of  yon  i,ilk..l  n  hkIU?  Lawyer 
has  and  his  people  have,  ami  ilim  lin-nicss  will  be 
finished  to-morrow.  Young  Cliul  s.i\s  Ik  is  blind  and  docs 
not  understand.  What  is  it  that  he  wants?  Steachus  says 
his  heart  is  in  one  of  these  places — the  Grand  Ronde, 
The  Touchet  and  the  Tucanon.  Where  is  the  heart  of 
Young  Chief?  Peo-peo-mox-mox  cannot  be  wafted  off 
like  a  feather.  Does  he  prefer  the  Yakima  to  the  Nez 
Perce  reservation?  We  have  asked  him  before.  We 
ask  him  now.  Where  is  his  heart?  Kamiakin,  the  great 
chief  of  the  Yakimas,  has  not  .spoken  at  all;  his  people 
have  no  voice  here  to-day.  He  is  not  ashamed  to  speak? 
He  is  not  afraid  to  speak?  Tlien  speak  out.  Owhi  is 
afraid  to,  lest  God  be  angry  at  his  selling  his  land.  Owhi, 
my  brother,  I  do  not  think  God  will  be  angry  with  you 
if  you  do  your  best  for  yourself  and  your  children.  Ask 
yourself  this  question  to-night.  Will  not  God  be  angry 
with  me  if   I   neglect   this   opportunity  to   do   them  good? 


INTRODUCTORY 


But  Owlii  says  his  people  are  not  here.  Why.  then,  did  he 
tell  us,  come  hear  our  talk?  I  do  not  want  to  be  ashamed 
of  him.  Owhi  has  the  he;irt  nf  his  people.  We  expect 
him  to  speak  out.  We  expect  tn  JKiir  I'lDni  Kaniiakin  and 
from  Schoom.  The  treaty  will  ha\c  tn  he  drawn  up  to- 
night. You  can  see  it  to-morrow.  The  Nez  Pcrces  must 
not  be  put  off  any  longer.  This  business  must  be  des- 
patched. I  hope  that  all  the  other  hearts  and  our  hearts 
will  agree.  They  have  asked  us  to  speak  straight.  We 
have  spoken  straight.  We  have  asked  you  to  speak  straight ; 
but  we  have  yet  to  hear  from  you." 

The  council  then  adjourned  till  six  o'clock.  In  the 
evening  I  rode  over  as  usual  to  the  Nez  Perces  camp  and 
found  many  of  tbcni  pla>in-  card-  in  their  L.d.nes.  They 
are  the  most  iiueter.ite  -anil ilers.  .„u\  ,i  u.inior  will  some- 
even  his  wi\es.  S.I  that  in  a  snigle  night  he  is  reduced  to  a 
state  of  primitive  poverty  and  obliged  to  trust  to  charity  to 
be  remounted  for  a  hunt.  In  the  other  camps  everything 
seemed  to  be  in  violent  confusion.  Tlie  Cayuse  and  other 
tribes  were  very  much  incensed  against  the  Nez  Perces  for 
agreeing  to  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  but  fortunately  for 
them,  and  probably  for  us,  the  Nez  Perces  are  as  numer- 
ous as  the  others  united. 

Perceiving  that  the  only  hope  of  overcoming 
the  opposition  of  the  Indians  unfriendly  to  the 
treaties,  lay  in  acting  upon  the  suggestion  of 
Steachus,  the  commissioners  decided  to  ofifer  a 
third  reservation  for  the  Cayuses,  Umatillas  and 
Walla  Wallas  in  their  own  country.  The  offer  was 
made  in  council  Friday,  June  8th,  and  explained  in 
a  lengthy  speech  by  General  Palmer.  Some  other 
concessions  of  less  moment  were  also  made  to  the 
Indians,  and  the  result  was  quite  satisfactory.  All 
the  chiefs  gave  their  assent  to  the  treaties  as  modi- 
fied, except  Kamiakin,  who  had  maintained  an  atti- 
tude of  sullen  silence  throughout  the  entire  council 
and  still  obstinately  refused  to  give  the  commis- 
sioners the  slightest  encouragement. 

Just  at  the  moment  when  the  hopes  of  Stevens 
and  Palmer  were  at  their  height  and  a  successful 
termination  of  the  business  in  hand  seemed  visible 
in  the  near  prospect,  a  new  element  of  difficulty 
was  brought  into  the  negotiations.  A  small  party 
was  seen  approaching  with  much  pomp  and  circum- 
stance, painted,  armed,  singing  a  war  song  and 
flourishing  at  the  end  of  a  pole  a  horrible  trophy  of 
a  recent  combat.  The  leader  was  found  to  be  none 
other  than  Looking  Glass,  war  chief  of  the  Nez 
Perces,  who  had  long  been  absent  in  the  buffalo 
country.  He  was  not  effusive  in  his  greeting  of  the 
friends  that  gathered  round  him,  and  soon  mani- 
fested his  anger  at  their  doings  in  a  fierce  little 
speech  delivered  from  the  saddle.  "My  people," 
said  he,  "what  have  you  done?  While  I  was  gone 
>ou  have  sold  my  country.  I  have  come  home  and 
there  is  not  left  for  me  a  place  on  which  to  pitch 
my  lodge.  Go  home  to  your  lodges.  I  will  talk 
with  you." 

Next  day  in  council,  the  evil  influence  of  this 
pettish  old  man  was  keenly  felt.  After  Stevens  had 
again  explained  the  proijosed  treaties  for  his  espe- 
cial benefit,  he  made  a  violent  speech  against  the 
sale  of  the  lands.     The  Cavuses,  read\-  to  withdraw 


their  assent,  strongly  supported  him.  So  emphatic 
were  their  and  his  assertions  that  he  (Looking 
Glass)  was  head  chief  of  the  Nez  Perces,  that  Law- 
yer, apparently  angry,  abruptly  left  the  council  and 
retired  to  his  lodge. 

After  adjournment  the  Nez  Perces  convened 
in  their  camp  and  held  a  council  among  themselves. 
The  Cayuses  did  likewise.  An  exciting  debate  was 
indulged  in  in  the  former  camp,  and  their  council 
waxed  warm,  but  in  its  outcome  Lawyer  was  con- 
firmed as  head  chief  and  Looking  Glass  was  de- 
clared to  be  second  in  authority.  A  paper  was 
prepared  and  sent  to  General  Stevens  affimiing  that 
the  faith  of  the  Nez  Perces  had  been  pledged  and 
the  treaty  must  be  signed. 

Peo-peo-mox-mox  and  Kamiakin  had  signed 
their  respective  treaties  at  the  close  of  the  council 
session  of  June  9th.  Stevens  states  that  the  latter 
was  no  doubt  influenced  by  the  former  to  do  so,  but 
subsequent  events  go  to  show  that  both  signed  the 
treaty  as  an  act  of  treachery,  their  purpose  being 
to  create  in  the  breasts  of  the  whites  a  feeling  of 
security,  while  they  were  perfecting  their  Indian 
confederacy  for  a  fell  swoop  u{)on  the  hated  race. 
Little  remained  to  be  done  except  to  secure  the  sig- 
natures of  the  Cayuses  and  Nez  Perces,  and  when 
council  convened  on  Monday,  June  11th,  Governor 
Stevens  said  simply :  "We  meet  for  the  last  time. 
Your  words  are  pledged  to  sign  the  treaty.  The 
tribes  have  spoken  through  their  head  chiefs, 
Joseph,  Red  Wolf,  the  Eagle,  Ipsemaleecon,  all 
declaring  Lawyer  was  the  head  chief.  I  call  upon 
Lawyer  to  sign  first."  Lawyer  did  so,  then  Look- 
ing Glass,  then  Joseph  and  finally  the  signatures 
were  obtained  of  all  the  subchiefs  and  principal 
men  of  both  tribes,  after  which  presents  were  made 
to  the  different  bands. 

"Thus  ended  in  a  most  satisfactory  manner," 
says  Governor  Stevens'  journal,  "this  great  council, 
prolonged  through  so  many  days — a  council  which, 
in  the  number  of  Indians  assembled  and  the  differ- 
ent tribes,  old  difficulties  and  troubles  between  them 
and  the  whites,  a  deep-seated  dislike  to  and  deter- 
mination against  giving  up  their  lands  and  the  great 
importance,  nay,  absolute  necessity,  of  opening  this 
land  by  treaty  to  occupation  by  the  whites,  that 
bloodshed  and  the  enormous  expense  of  Indian 
wars  might  be  avoided,  and  in  its  general  issuance 
and  difficulty,  has  never  been  equalled  by  any  coun- 
cil held  with  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  United  States. 

"It  was  so  considered  by  all  present,  and  a  final 
relief  from  the  intense  anxiety  and  vexation  of  the 
last  month  was  esj^ecially  grateful  to  all  con- 
cerned." 

The  treaties  negotiated  as  the  result  of  the  great 
Walla  Walla  council  of  18.35  provided  for  the  sur- 
render by  the  Yakimas  of  an  area  some  twenty- 
nine  thousand  square  miles  in  extent,  being 
substantially  that  embraced  in  Chelan.  Yak- 
ima,   Kittitas,    Franklin    and    Adams,    with    large 


THE    YAKIMA    WAR 


portions  of  Douglas  and  Klickitat  counties. 
From  it,  however,  was  to  be  excepted  and 
reserved  the  princely  domain  known  as  the 
Yakima  reservation.  The  Nez  Perces  relin- 
quished the  territory  out  of  which  were  formed  in 
large  part  the  counties  of  Whitman,  Garfield,  Co- 
lumbia and  Asotin,  in  Washington ;  Union  and 
Wallowa,  in  Oregon,  and  Washington,  Nez  Perces 
and  Idaho,  in  Idaho,  retaining  therefrom  a  very 
large  reservation.  This  included  not  only  the  Nez 
Perce  reserve  as  it  was  prior  to  its  opening  a  few 
years  ago,  but  in  addition  large  tracts  between  the 
Alpowa  and  Snake  rivers  and  the  Wallowa  valley. 
That  the  Wallowa  was  originally  included  in  the 
reservation  was  due  to  old  Chief  Joseph,  and  the 
surrender  of  it  in  1863,  against  the  wishes  and  ad- 
vice of  Chief  Joseph,  Jr.,  was  one  of  the  principal 
causes  of  the  Nez  Perce  war  in  1877.  The  Uma- 
tillas,  Cayuses  and  Walla  Wallas,  by  their  treaty, 
gave  up  the  territory  embraced  substantially  in 
Walla  Walla  county,  in  Washington ;  Umatilla  and 
Morrow  counties,  Oregon,  also  parts  of  Union  and 
Gilliam  counties  in  the  latter  state.  Their  original 
reservation  was  but  little  larger  than  that  now 
known  as  the  Umatilla  reserve. 

For  the  whole  vast  area  ceded,  the  Indians  were 
to   receive  about   six   hundred   and   fiftv   thousand 


dollars,  of  which  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
were  to  be  paid  the  Yakimas  in  the  form  of  annui- 
ties, with  salaries  for  the  head  chiefs  of  five  hundred 
dollars  per  aimum  for  twenty  years,  and  some 
special  concessions  in  the  way  of  houses,  imple- 
ments, tools,  etc.  The  compensation  of  the  Nez 
Perces  was  the  same.  The  Umatillas,  Cayuses  and 
Walla  Wallas  were  to  receive  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars ;  each  of  the  head  chiefs  to  have  an  annuity 
of  five  hundred  dollars  for  twenty  years,  and  special 
compensation  in  the  form  of  houses,  tools,  etc. 
Peo-peo-mox-mo.x,  who  was  wily  enough  to  drive 
a  hard  bargain,  was  granted  the  privilege  of  draw- 
ing his  salary  at  once  without  waiting  for  the  treat- 
ies to  be  formally  ratified,  and  was  given  special 
concessions  in  the  form  of  a  yearly  salary  of  one 
hundred  dollars  with  a  house  and  five  acres  of  land 
for  his  son ;  also  three  yoke  of  oxen,  three  yokes 
and  chains,  one  wagon,  two  plows,  twelve  hoes, 
twelve  a.xes,  two  shovels,  a  saddle  and  bridle,  a  set 
of  wagon  harness  and  a  set  of  plow  harness.  Thus 
for  a  mere  pittance,  in  comparison  with  its  present 
value,  was  secured  from  the  Indians  their  possessory 
right  to  a  large  portion  of  eastern  Oregon  and 
Washington  and  northern  Idaho,  a  region  rich  in 
wealth  already  acquired  and  still  richer  in  its  possi- 
bilities. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


The  Walla  Walla  council  successfully  termi- 
nated, Governor  Stevens  passed  on  to  the  north 
and  east  to  continue  the  same  kind  of  negotiations. 
He  had  not  long  departed  before  the  great  Yakima 
war  burst  suddenly  over  the  Columbia  plains ;  and  to 
regions  as  far  remote  as  Puget  sound,  Walla  Walla 
and  Rogue  river,  the  horrors  of  war  were  simul- 
taneously brought.  The  country  was  face  to  face 
with  a  widespread  conspiracy  to  overthrow  white 
occupancy  and  re-establish  the  uninterrupted  reign 
of  Indian  barbarism  over  the  entire  Northwest. 

This  was  the  primary  cause  and  purpose  of  that 
widespread  and  pervading  outbreak.  "While," 
says  Evans,  "many  causes  might  be  suggested  as 
afifecting  the  Indian  mind  and  provoking  hostility 
to  American  occupancy  of  the  country ;  while  it 
was  precipitated  by  the  perfidy  of  Indians  who  just 
before  had   joined   in  treaties   to  allure   the   white 


race  into  a  belief  in  their  security ;  while  those  very 
Indians  went  to  that  council  to  begin  war  there  by 
the  murder  of  the  commissioners — yet  that  war,  so 
far  as  the  Indians  were  concerned,  was  made  on 
their  part,  not  because  of  any  personal  outrages 
conmiitted  by  the  whites,  not  because  of  any  injus- 
tice sought  to  be  inflicted  by  virtue  of  those  treaties, 
not  because  the  terms  of  the  treaties  were  unsatis- 
factory, but  solely  because  it  was  the  Indian  purpose 
to  exterminate  the  white  settlement,  to  force  the 
white  race  to  abandon  the  territory.  That  war  on 
the  part  of  the  Indians  is  perhaps  sanctioned  by 
what  may  be  called  patriotism.  If  merit  it  had, 
then  is  that  merit  obliterated  by  the  perfidious 
cruelty  which  marked  its  declaration  and  com- 
mencement by  them.  On  the  part  of  the  people  and 
authorities  of  the  territory,  the  Oregon- Washington 
Indian  war  resulted  from  repeated  and  unprovoked 


68 


INTRODUCTORY 


outrages  which,  were  committed  by  savages  upon 
unoffending  and  defenseless  white  men,  women  and 
children.  ***=!=  *  i^  ^0  respect  were  any 
citizens  of  those  territories  the  aggressors.  No  act 
of  their  citizens  nor  of  their  officials  provoked  hos- 
tilities. There  was  no  cause  of  complaint  by  the 
Indians,  nor  were  they  afforded  a  shadow  of  justifi- 
cation for  that  outbreak  of  perfidy  and  hate  during 
the  summer  and  fall  of  lcSr)5.  The  only  offense  of 
the  Oregon-Washington  pioneers  in  the  Indian 
estimation  was  that  as  American  citizens  they  were 
in  the  country.  That  presence,  lawful  in  itself, 
was  to  the  Indians  a  standing  menace  that  others 
of  that  race  would  follow  them.  The  war  was 
initiated  by  the  native  population  to  discourage 
immigration  or  American  occupancy.  Forced  upon 
our  people,  it  was  prosecuted  by  them  solely  to  hold 
the  country  for  our  race,  to  protect  the  settlements. 
and  to  effect  a  peace  which  would  be  lasting  and 
enable  the  white  population  then  in  the  country,  and 
those  who  should  come  thereafter,  to  remain  in 
safety.  This  conflict,  so  unexpected  to  the  Ameri- 
can settlers  and  for  which  they  were  so  ill  prepared, 
may  have  been  hastened  by  the  negotiating  of  the 
treaties  and  the  events  which  so  quickly  followed — 
events  which  could  not  have  been  anticipated  by 
an\\  either  Indian  or  white,  who  participated  in 
these  negotiations.  In  no  sense,  however,  were 
these  treaties  the  cause  of  those  hostile  feelings 
which  brought  about  the  war." 

The  argumentative  tone  of  the  foregoing  quota- 
tion was  inspired  by  the  persistent  efforts  of  the 
United  States  army  officials,  with  Major-General 
Wool,  chief  in  command  of  the  Department  of  the 
Pacific,  at  their  head,  to  make  Governor  Stevens 
and  the  citizens  of  Oregon  and  Washington  in  some 
way  responsible  for  the  war.  General  Wool  lost 
no  opportunity  to  slander  the  people  of  the  two 
territories  and  it  has  been  stated  that  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  the  war,  he  proved  himself  a  more  bitter 
enemy  of  Oregon  and  Washington  than  any  of  the 
Indian  savages  in  arms.  The  enmity  between  the 
general  and  Governor  Stevens  is  unsurpassed  for 
venom  in  the  annals  of  the  Northwest. 

Just  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  an  event 
occurred  which  brought  joy  to  manv  hearts.  A 
discovery  of  gold  was  reported  to  have  been  made  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  Fort 
Colville  and  not  a  little  excitement  had  been  aroused 
in  consequence.  It  was  hoped  that  this  would  cause 
the  long-looked-for  large  immigration  of  people 
into  the  territory  and  its  more  complete  settlement 
and  subjugation.  Instead,  it  furnished  the  imme- 
diate occasion  for  the  melancholy  war,  which  did  so 
much  to  retard  development  and  delay  settlement. 
The  young  commonwealth  was  fated  to  pass 
through  a  period  of  trials,  dissimilar  in  many 
respects  to  that  experienced  by  Oregon  in  the  dark 
days  of  the  Cayuse  war,  yet  similar  in  that  it  stirred 


the  hearts  of  the  people  to  their  most  profound 
depths  and  tried  their  mettle  as  with  fire. 

So  great  was  the  feeling  of  security  engendered 
by  the  successful  negotiation  of  the  treaties  at  Walla 
Walla — treaties  which  incorporated  as  one  of  their 
provisions  pledges  of  good  will  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians  toward  the  white  race — that  persons  travel- 
ing from  Puget  sound  to  the  Colville  gold  fields 
hesitated  not  to  pass  through  the  Indian  country 
singly  or  in  small  squads,  ill  equipped  to  repel 
attack.  Soon  rumors  reached  the  settlements  that 
many  such  had  been  murdered  by  Indians,  and  that 
the  Yakimas  had  taken  an  attitude  of  hostility 
toward  white  men.  The  rumors  in  the  cases  of 
Matticc,  Jamison,  Walker,  Eaton,  Cummings,  Huff- 
man, Fanjoy  and  others  being  partially  confirmed. 
Sub-agent  Andrew  J.  Bolon,  then  en  route  to  the 
Spokane  country  to  meet  Governor  Stevens,  turned 
aside  into  the  Yakima  country  to  ascertain  from 
Kamiakin  himself  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  state- 
ments. He  never  returned  to  tell  the  story  of  his 
adventures,  and  as  no  white  man  accompanied  him, 
only  Indian  evidence  could  be  obtained  as  to  what 
occurred.  According  to  this  the  chief  received 
Bolon  in  a  haughty  and  insolent  manner,  whereupon 
the  sub-agent  made  some  threats.  Kamiakin  must 
have  been  deeply  angered,  for  it  is  said  he  directed 
that  Bolon  should  be  killed.  At  any  rate  the  sub- 
agent  was  murdered  in  a  perfidious  and  brutal 
manner,  by  a  son  of  Owhi,  half  brother  of  Kamia- 
kin. Bolon's  horse  .was  also  killed  and  the  bodies 
of  both  were  burned. 

When  the  news  of  this  melancholy  event  became 
known  to  the  whites,  Acting-Governor  Mason,  of 
Washington  territory,  made  a  requisition  upon  the 
military  for  a  force  to  protect  the  route  of  the 
returning  Colville  miners.  Major  Rains,  in  charge 
at  Vancouver,  ordered  Brevet-Major  G.  O.  Haller, 
with  one  hundred  men  and  a  howitzer,  to  proceed 
from  The  Dalles  into  the  Yakima  country,  there  to 
co-operate  with  fifty  men  under  Lieutenant  W.  A. 
Slaughter,  for  the  purpose  of  inquiring  into  the  dif- 
ficulties. The  Indians  were  abundantly  prepared  to 
meet  him.  not  in  council  but  on  the  battle-field. 
Ever  since  the  signing  of  the  Walla  Walla  treaty, 
the  Yakimas  had  thought  of  nothing  but  war.  The 
organizers  of  the  hostile  confederacy  had  steadily 
pointed  out  to  those  inclined  to  be  peaceable  that  for 
fifteen  years  the  whites  had  been  pouring  through 
their  country  into  the  Willamette ;  that  their  purpose 
not  only  to  hold  the  country  but  to  keep  open  the 
routes  of  travel  for  more  to  follow  was  plainly 
manifest ;  that  a  settlement  in  the  Colville  country 
and  an  open  road  thereto  was  an  entering  wedge 
by  which  the  whites  would  gain  possession  of  the 
interior,  and  that  if  anything  was  to  be  done  to 
prevent  white  supremacy  and  the  total  subjugation 
of  the  Indian  race,  it  must  be  done  quickly.  In  con- 
firmation of  their  statements  that  the  whites  were 
determined  to  keep  open  the  route  by  which  should 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


come  iincoiinted  hordes  of  their  race,  they  pointed 
to  the  fact  that  but  recently  United  States  troops 
had  passed  through  their  country  going  to  the  Snake 
river  with  intent  to  protect  the  immigrant  road  from 
Fort  Hall  westward.  A  horrible  massacre  had  taken 
place  there  during  August,  1854,  in  which  all  the 
members  of  an  immigrant  train,  except  one  boy, 
were  murdered  and  outraged  in  the  most  brutal 
manner,  one  woman  being  compelled  to  witness  the 
torturmg  of  her  children  over  a  slow  fire.  To 
prevent  the  recurrence  of  such  acts.  Major  Haller 
had  gone  m  May,  1855.  to  the  scene  of  the  carnival 
of  slaughter.  This  natural  and  praiseworthy  act 
had  furnished  the  Indian  demagogues  with  an 
effective  argument  in  their  philippics  against  the 
white  race.  And  indeed,  though  he  succeeded  in 
his  expedition,  capturing  and  hanging  many  of  the 
perpetrators  of  this  horrible  crime,  the  Indian 
orators  did  not  hesitate  to  publish  assiduously  a 
rumor  to  the  effect  that  he  had  been  cut  off  by  the 
Snakes  and  his  men  all  killed.  Bv  such  false  reports 
and  appeals  to  their  jealousy  and  prejudices,  the 
Yakimas  were  wrought  up  to  the  fighting  point 
and  made  ready  to  bear  their  part  in  the  general 
outbreak.  Similar  arguments  were  used  to  inspire 
other  Indians  from  California's  northern  boundary 
to  the  British  line  with  similar  passions,  and  a  like 
eagerness  to  engage  in  acts  of  hostility. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  Haller  with  his  hand- 
ful of  men  met  a  determined  foe,  well  equipped  for 
battle.    Leaving  The  Dalles  on  October  3,  1855   he 
fell  in  with  the  enemy  three  days  later.    The  Indians 
were  defeated  in  the  first  engagement,  but  on  Sun- 
day, the  :th,  completely  turned  the  tables  upon  the 
whites,  who  were  surrounded  hv  a  large  and  con- 
stantly increasing  force.     These  were  kept  off  by 
ba.TOnet  charges  until  nightfall,  when  a  retreat  back 
to   Ihe  Dalles  was  decided  upon.     A  running  fight 
was  maintained  during  the  next  day,  but  that  night 
the    Indians    suffered    a    repulse,    after    which    die 
whites   were   permitted   to   complete   their   journey 
without  further  molestation.     The  fighting  on  the 
retreat  was  all  done  by  the  advance  guard,  the  rear 
guard    having    taken    another    trail,    by    which    it 
reached  The  Dalles  in  safety.    The  loss  on  the  expe- 
dition was  five  killed  and  seventeen  wounded  though 
much  property  had  to  be  abandoned  or  destroyed 
Lieutenant  Slaughter,  as  soon  as  he  became  aware 
of  the   defeat  of   Haller.   prudently   recrossed   the 
Cascades  to  the  White  river  country. 
T  ^^""^7  ''''^^  °^  October  13,  1855,  United  States 
Indian  Agent  Olney  wrote   from   Walla  Walla  to 
eTOvernor  Curry,  of  Oregon,  as  follows : 
11  '2  ^T^J^  ^'■^'^'  y°"''  attention  to  the  fact  that 
all  the  Indians  north  and  south  of  the  Columbia, 
this  side  of  the   Nez  Perces   and   Spokanes,   have 
either  commenced  open  hostilities  upon  the  whites 
orare  concentrating  their  forces  for  that  purpose.' 
1  just  arrived  at  this  place  this  morning  from  The 


les,  and  find  the  most  alarming 


state  of  affairs 


as  to  the  friendly  relations  heretofore  existing 
between  the  Americans  and  the  Walla  Wallas, 
Palouses,  Umatillas  and  Cayuses.  I  am  doing 
all  in  my  power  to  check  the  gathering  storm ;  but 
I  fear  nothing  but  a  large  military  force  will  do  any 
good  towards  keeping  them  in  check.  The  regular 
force  now  in  the  country  I  do  not  consider  sufficient 
for  the  protection  of  the  settlers  and  the  chastise- 
ment of  the  Indians.  One  thousand  volunteers 
should  be  raised  immediately  and  sent  into  this  part 
of  Oregon  and  Washington  territories.  Delay  is 
ruinous.  Decisive  steps  must  be  immediately  taken. 
They  must  be  humbled ;  and  in  all  conscience  send  a 
force  that  can  do  it  effectually  and  without  delay. 
These  Indians  must  be  tauglit  our  power.  Tlie 
winter  is  the  very  time  to  do  it." 

It  would  seem  that  Major  Rains  took  the  same 
view  of  the  emergency  and  of  the  inadequacy  of 
the  regular  force  to  meet  it  as  did  Mr.  Olney,  for 
he  called  upon  Acting-Governor  Mason,  of  Wash- 
ington territory,  for  two  companies  of  volunteers, 
and   upon   Governor   Curry,  of   Oregon,   for   four.' 
Both  the  Washington  companies,  when  organized, 
were  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States, 
though  It  was  understood  that  one  of  them  should 
be  sent  upon  the  mission  for  which  it  was  raised, 
namely,    the    relief    of    Governor    Stevens.      The 
Oregon   governor   refused   to   have   the   men    who 
volunteered  in   response  to  his  call  mustered  into 
the  regular  service,  so  the  identity  of  the  Oregon 
volunteers    was    maintained    throughout    the    war, 
though  their  leaders  at  all  times  expressed  a  willing- 
ness to  act  in  harmony  with  the  United  States  troops 
for  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  aggressive  warfare 
October   30th    Major   Rains   set   out   from   The 
Dalles  with  a  force  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  regu- 
lars.   November  1st  Colonel  Nesmith  followed  with 
a   force  which   a  few  days  later  was  increased  to 
five  hundred  and  fifty-three  men.     The  experiences 
of  both   regulars  and  volunteers  up  to  November 
12th.   when    both   were   in   camp   at   the   Ahtanum 
mission,   were   summarized   thus   in   a   despatch   of 
that^  date  from  Major  Rains  to  Governor  Mason : 
"Here  we  are  without  a  battle,  except  a  skir- 
mish four  days  since  with  some  forty  Indians  who 
defied  us  as  we  approached  the  Yakima  river.     We 
thought  it  was  the  prelude  to  the  big  battle  with  the 
whole  of  their  force,  and  forded  the  stream  to  an 
island  with  our  mounted  troops,  eighteen  dragoons 
and    eight    prisoners.      Here    we    commenced    the 
action,  firing  on  the  enemv,  and  ordering  up  our 
artillery  and  infantry  to  ford  the  stream.   Our  troops 
made  a  rush  into  the  water,  but,  being  on  foot,  tried 
again  and  again  to  cross  the  river,  but  failed,  the 
rapid  current  sweeping  away  two  of  our  best  men 
who  were  thus  drowned ;  whereupon  I  sent  back  to 
Colonel  Nesmith  for  two  companies  of  volunteers 
who,  with  our  dragoons,  drove  headlong  into  the 
foaming  current,  and  reaching  the  opposite  shore, 
charged  the  enemy,  who  fled  away  over  the  hills 


INTRODUCTORY 


one  of  their  balls  striking,  but  fortunately  not 
wounding,  Colonel  Nesmith's  horse. 

"Late  in  the  afternoon,  after  recalling  all  our 
forces  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Yakima  river,  we 
heard,  some  distance  on  the  plain,  the  reports  of 
small  arms  (indication  of  a  fight),  and,  taking  two 
companies,  we  proceeded  in  that  direction  until  some 
time  after  night,  when,  the  firing  having  ceased, 
we  returned  to  the  edge  of  the  timber  and  bivou- 
acked for  the  night.  Next  day  we  found  a  number 
of  Indians  around  us  on  swift  horses,  who  were 
driven  off  by  our  mounted  volunteer  companies.  As 
we  approached  the  mountain  gorge,  we  found  the 
Indians,  about  three  hundred  in  number,  on  the 
hilltops  beating  their  drums  and  shouting  defiance. 
These  were  soon  driven  from  their  position  and 
scattered  by  discharges  from  our  howitzers.  We 
cut  off  some  of  them  by  a  proper  disposition  of  our 
troops ;  and  two  or  more  were  killed.  We  continued 
our  march  to  this  place,  sweeping  the  plains  with 
our  cavalry,  dispersing,  killing  and  wounding  all 
the  enemy  we  saw,  and  found  the  mission  aban- 
doned. Captain  Maloney  not  having  arrived  in 
conjunction  with  Colonel  Nesmith  (who  himself 
went  in  command),  we  despatched  one  hundred  and 
sixty-eight  volunteers  and  regulars,  on  our  best 
horses,  to  proceed  in  the  direction  of  the  Naches 
pass,  and  ascertain  his  whereabouts.  We  are  await- 
ing their  report ;  for  we  cannot  tell  where  the  large 
body  of  the  enemy  is,  unless  they  have  gone  that 
way  to  attack  Captain  Maloney's  command." 

The  same  incidents  and  those  immediately  fol- 
lowing them  are  narrated  in  greater  detail  in  an 
article  in  the  Portland  Daily  Standard  of  the  time: 

In  the  engagement  at  the  Yakima  river  (mentioned  in 
Major  Rains'  despatch).  Captain  Bennett's  company  (Com- 
pany F)  and  part  of  the  Clackamas  company  (Company  C) 
took  part  and  were  the  first  to  cross  the  river  and  charge 
the  enemy,  who  fled  with  great  rapidity,  so  much  so  that 
the  disabled  state  of  the  horses  of  the  volunteers  rendered 
pursuit  unsuccessful.  Captain  Cornelius'  company  (Com- 
pany D)  having  become  separated  from  the  main  body  of 
the  volunteers  in  the  engagement  at  the  river,  encountered 
a  superior  force  of  Indians  and  fought  them  nearly  a  half 
day.  He  kept  them  at  bay  and  succeeded  in  taking  some 
cattle  and  driving  them  into  camp  that  night.  Two  of  his 
men  were  severely  wounded.  The  damage  inflicted  upon 
the  Indians  was  not  known.  In  the  attack  the  next  day  at 
the  mountain  gorge  spoken  of  by  Major  Rains,  otherwise 
called  the  Two  Buttes.  the  number  of  Indians  was  not  less 
than  five  hundred.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  were 
counted  upon  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  the  remainder  were 
in  the  brush.  By  some  misunderstanding  of  the  orders 
given  to  surround  them,  a  gap  was  left  open ;  and  those 
made  their  escape.  Two  only  were  killed.  Pursuit  was 
of  no  avail. 

The  regulars  and  volunteers  encamped  near  the  mis- 
sion, which,  having  been  abandoned,  it  was  conjectured 
that  the  main  force  of  the  Indians  had  either  gone  to  the 
Naches  pass  to  attack  Captain  Maloney,  or  up  the  Colum- 
bia to  Priests'  rapids.  Colonel  Nesmith.  with  a  command 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  proceeded  toward  the  pass, 
and  after  an  absence  of  three  days  returned  without  hav- 
ing seen  the  enemy.  He  found  the  snow  so  deep  as  to 
prevent  the  forage  of  his  animals,  and  was  compelled  to 


return.  He  found  caches  of  Indian  provisions,  which  he 
destroyed,  and  several  Indian  mares  and  colts,  which  were 
killed,  as  they  would  be  of  no  service  to  the  volunteers. 
Some  wild  Indian  cattle  were  also  found  and  killed,  which 
furnished  subsistence  for  the  troops.  In  and  about  the 
mission  were  found  vegetables  and  a  variety  of  useful 
articles. 

On  Colonel  Nesmith's  return,  a  council  of  officers  was 
held,  by  which  it  was  deemed  inexpedient  to  proceed  to 
Walla  Walla,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  forage,  the  weak 
condition  of  the  animals,  and  the  difliculty  of  crossing  the 
Columbia  with  the  sick  and  wounded.  It  was  decided  to 
return  to  The  Dalles  and  recruit.  After  burning  the  mis- 
sion and  a  house  owned  by  Kamiakin,  the  whole  force, 
regulars  and  volunteers,  took  up  their  line  of  march  for 
Tlie  Dalles.  On  their  way  they  met  Captain  Wilson's 
command  (Company  A)  with  the  pack  train  of  supplies, 
which  train  had  suffered  great  hiss  of  animals  and  supplies 
by  reason  of  the  snows  in  the  mountains,  whicli  in  some 
places  were  four  or  five  feet  in  dcptli.  The  expedition 
reached  the  Klickitat  river,  about  twenty-five  miles  distant 
from  The  Dalles,  on  the  ITth,  and  there  encamped.  The 
most  cordial  co-operation  had  existed  between  the  regular 
and  volunteer  officers.  All  seemed  animated  with  a  com- 
mon interest  in  accomplishing  the  ends  and  objects  of  the 
campaign. 

Mention  should  be  made  of  the  fact  that  while 
Major  Rains  was  af  the  Ahtanum  mission  he 
received  a  letter  from  Kamiakin,  head  chief  of  the 
Yakimas,  making  overtures  of  peace  and  friendship 
on  certain  terms.  The  reply  of  Rains  was  certainly 
vigorous  enough  and  gave  the  chief  an  unequivocal 
statement  of  his  position  and  intentions.  It  read  as 
follows : 

Headquarters   Yakima   Expedition. 
Roman  Catholic  Mission,  November  13,  18.5j. 
Kamiakin,   Hyas   Tyee  of  the   Yakima    Indians: 

Your  talk  by  Padre  Pandezy  is  just  received.  You 
know  me  and  I  know  you.  You  came  among  the  white 
people  and  to  my  house  at  The  Dalles  with  Padre  Pandozy 
and  gave  me  a  horse,  which  I  did  not  take,  as  Panawok 
had  given  Lieutenant  Wood  another  horse  for  him.  You 
came  in  peace — we  come  in  war.  And  why?  Because 
your  land  has  drunk  the  blood  of  the  white  man,  and  the 
Great  Spirit  requires  it  at  your  hand. 

You  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  pray  to  the  God 
of  truth  for  mercy,  and  yet  you  lie  when  you  say  you 
"were  very  quiet,  the  Americans  were  our  friends ;  our 
hearts  were  not  for  war,"  until  Governor  Stevens  changed 
your  feelings ;  for  long  before  the  treaty,  which  you  agreed 
to,  you  proposed  to  the  Walla  Walla  chief.  Peo-peo-mox- 
mox,  to  go  to  war,  and  kill  off  all  the  whites.  He  told  us 
so.  You  have  been  preparing  for  this  purpose  a  very  long 
time ;  and  your  people  agreed  with  the  Cayuses,  at  the 
Walla  Walla  council,  before  the  treaty  was  made,  to  mur- 
der all  the  whites  there,  which  was  only  prevented  by  the 
Nez    Perces    disagreeing. 

You  know  that  you  murdered  white  men  going  to  the 
mines  who  had  done  you  no  injury,  and  you  murdered  all 
persons,  though  no  white  man  had  trespassed  upon  your 
lands.  Yon  sent  me  a  delegation  to  stop  Hamilton  and 
Pierce  from  settling  in  your  country.  I  wrote  them  a 
letter  and  they  left.  You  murdered  your  agent  Bolon  for 
telling  you  the  truth — that  the  troops  would  come  upon 
you  for  these  murders.  Has  his  death  prevented  their 
coming?  I  sent  a  handful  of  soldiers  info  your  country  to 
inquire  into  the  facts.  It  was  not  expected  that  they 
should  fight  you,  and  they  did  right  to  return  back.  Your 
foul  deeds  were  seen  by  the  eye  of  the  Great  Spirit,  who 
saw  Cain  when  he  killed  his  brother,  Abel,  and  cursed  him 
for  it.     Fugitives  and  vagabonds  shall  you  also  be,  all  that 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


remain  of  you,  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  as  well  as  all 
who  aid  or  assist  you,  until  you  are  gone. 

You  say  now,  "If  we  will  be  quiet  and  make  friendship, 
you  will  not  war  with  us,  but  give  a  piece  of  land  to  all  the 
tribes."  We  will  not  be  quiet,  but  war  forever,  until  not  a 
Yakima  breathes  in  the  land  he  calls  his  own.  The  river 
only  will  we  let  retain  this  name  to  show  to  all  people  that 
here  the  Yakimas  once  lived. 

You  say  that  you  will  fight  us  with  thousands,  and  if 
vanquished,  those  of  you  that  remain  will  kill  all  your 
women  and  children,  and  then  the  country  will  be  ours. 
The  country  is  ours  already,  as  you  must  see  from  our 
assembled  army;  for  we  intend  to  occupy  it,  and  make  it 
too  hot  to  hold  you.  We  are  braves,  and  no  brave  makes 
war  with  women  and  children.  You  may  kill  them  as  you 
say,  but  we  will  not;  yet  we  are  thirsting  for  your  blood, 
and  want  your  warriors  to  meet  us,  and  the  warriors  of  all 
tribes  wishing  to  help  you,  at  once  to  come.  The  snow  is 
on  the  ground,  and  the  crows  are  hungry  for  food.  Your 
men  we  have  killed ;  your  horses  and  your  cattle  do  not 
afford  them  enough  to  eat.  Your  people  shall  not  catch 
salmon  hereafter  for  you,  for  I  will  send  soldiers  to  occupy 
your  fisheries,  and  fire  upon  you.  Your  cattle  and  your 
horses,  which  you  got  from  the  white  man,  we  will  hunt 
up,  and  kill  and  take  them  from  you.  The  earth,  which 
drank  the  blood  of  the  white  man,  shed  by  your  hands, 
shall  grow  no  more  wheat  nor  roots  for  you,  for  we  will 
destroy  it.  When  the  cloth  that  makes  your  clothing,  your 
guns  and  your  powder  are  gone,  the  white  man  will  make 
you  no  more.  We  looked  upon  yon  as  our  children  and 
tried  to  do  you  good.  We  would  not  have  cheated  you. 
The  treaty  which  you  complain  of,  though  signed  by  you, 
gave  you  too  much  for  your  lands,  which  are  most  all 
worthless  to  the  white  man ;  but  we  arc  not  sorry,  for  we 
are  able  to  give,  and  it  would  have  benefited  you.  After 
you  signed  the  treaty  with  Governor  Stevens  ;nid  General 
Palmer,  had  you  told  us  that  you  did  not  wish  to  abide  by 
it,  it  would  have  been  listened  to.  We  wanted  to  instruct 
you  in  all  our  learning;  to  make  a.xes,  plows  and  hoes  to 
cultivate  the  ground ;  blankets  to  keep  you  from  the  cold ; 
steamboats  and  steam  wagons  which  fly  along  swifter  than 
the  birds  fly,  and  to  use  the  lightning  which  makes  the 
thunder  in  heavens  to  carry  talk  and  serve  as  a  servant. 
William  Chinook,  at  The  Dalles ;  Lawyer,  chief  of  the  Nez 
Perces;  Steachus,  and  Weattinattitimine,  liyas  tyce  of  the 
Cayuses,  and  many  others  of  their  people,  can  tell  you 
what  I  say  is  true.  You,  a  few  people,  we  can  sec  with  our 
glasses  a  long  way  off,  while  the  whites  are  as  the  stars  in 
the  heavens,  or  leaves  of  the  trees  in  summer  time.  Our 
warriors  in  the  field  are  many,  as  you  must  see :  but  if  not 
enough,  a  thousand  for  every  one  more  will  be  sent  to 
hunt  you,  and  to  kill  you ;  and  my  advice  to  you,  as  you 
will  see,  is  to  scatter  yourselves  among  the  Indian  tribes 
more  peaceable,  and  there  forget  you  ever  were  Yakimas. 

(Signed)  G.  J.  R.mns, 
Major   U.    S.   A.,   Brigadier-General   W.   T.,   Commanding 
Troops   in   the   Field. 

While  these  events  were  transpiring  in  the 
Yakima  country,  a  movement  had  been  made  by 
Major  Mark  A.  Chinn.  who,  with  Company  B, 
Oregon  volunteers,  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Des  Chutes,  where  Company  H,  under  command  of 
Captain  Taylor,  was  encamped.  Proceeding  toward 
the  Walla  Walla  country  with  both  companies,  he 
arrived  at  Wells  Springs  on  the  17th  of  Noveinber. 
Here  he  was  met  by  a  messenger  from  Narcisse 
Raymond,  a  French '-settler  in  Walla  Walla  valley, 
with  the  following  communication  addressed  to  the 
commander  in  charge  of  the  forces  en  route  to 
Walla  Walla : 


November    14,    1855. 

Sir :  However  urgent  and  important  the  news  I  have 
to  communicate,  I  almost  despaired  to  despatch  any  from 
want  of  hands  who  were  willing  to  risk  life  at  this  critical 
time;  but  Mr.  McBean  came  to  my  assistance  and  offered 
the  services  of  his  son,  John,  who,  in  company  with  another 
man,  will  he  the  bearer  of  this.  The  news  is  gloomy  and 
very  different  from  what  I  had  reason  to  expect  when  I 
left  The  Dalles  on  my  way  hither.  Serpent  Jaune  (Peo- 
peo-mox-mox)  has  shown  his  colors,  and  is  a  declared  foe 
to  the  Americans.  He  has  taken  possession  of  the  fort  and 
pillaged  it,  government  as  well  as  Hudson's  Bay  Company's 
property :  has  placed  himself  on  the  south  side  of  the  Walla 
Walla  river,  on  the  hills,  guarding  the  road  with  a  force,  it 
is   said,   of  a  thousand. 

The  young  men  on  the  Umatilla  river  are  disposed  for 
war,  and  John  Whitford  and  Tolman  instigate  them  to  it. 
The  chiefs  of  that  place,  at  least  the  majority  of  them,  are 
on  the  balance,  and  have  not  yet  decided ;  but  Stockalah 
and  Walattelekt,  with  their  people,  have  joined  the  Cay- 
uses, and  are  doing  all  in  their  power  to  have  them  join 
against  the  Americans.  The  chiefs  of  this  valley  have 
remained  firm  and  will  not  join  the  unfriendly  Indians. 
Their  Cduduct  since  Mr.  OIney's  departure  has  been  praise- 
worthy, and  they  did  all  they  could  to  prevent  Mr.  Brooks' 
house  from  being  Inirned  and  pillaged,  but  in  vain.  The 
chief,  Howlish  Wampool,  did  it  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

Two  Nez  Perce  chiefs  now  here,  Joseph  and  Red  Wolf, 
desire  me  to  tell  you  that  all  their  tribe  is  for  peace;  that 
they  will  suffer  no  hostile  Indians  to  remain  among  them. 
In  justice  to  Pierre  (Walla  Walla  chief),  I  beg  to  say  that 
he  stuck  to  his  charge  until  forced  away  by  Serpent  Jaune 
and  his  people,  but  not  until  they  had  robbed  three  differ- 
ent times  out  of  the  fort.  He  was  alone,  and,  of  course, 
could  not  prevent  them.  As  affairs  stand,  it  is  my  humble 
opinion  that  it  might  not  be  prudent  to  make  your  way 
hither  with  the  force  at  your  command  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men.  I  have  requested  the  bearers  of  this 
despatch  to  proceed  to  The  Dalles  with  the  letters  to  the 
respective  addresses  to  Messrs.  Olney  and  Noble ;  and 
placed  as  we  are,  a  mere  handful  of  men,  destitute  of 
ammunition,  the  sooner  assistance  is  tendered  to  us  the 
better,  for  Serpent  Jaune  daily  threatens  to  burn  our 
houses  and  to  kill  us,  and  he  is  not  the  only  enemy  we 
have  to  dread. 

In    haste,    I    remain,    sir. 

Respectfully,    your    obedient    humble    servant, 
Narcisse  Raymond. 
The   Commander-in-charge   coming  to   Fort   Walla  Walla. 

Mr.  Raymond  and  all  the  other  settlers  of  the 
Walla  Walla  and  Umatilla  valleys  had  been  directed 
by  Indian  Agent  Nathan  Olney  to  withdraw  from 
the  country  as  soon  as  a  sufficient  escort  should 
arrive  for  them,  and  it  was  with  intent  to  furnish 
this  escort  that  Major  Chinn  was  marching  when  he 
received  the  startling  intelligence  contained  in  the 
letter  just  quoted.  This  infomiation  determined 
him  to  delay  his  march  until  he  had  received  rein- 
forcements and  artillery,  so  he  moved  next  day  to 
the  Umatilla  and  established  there  a  station  which 
became  known  as  Fort  Henrietta.  It  was  situated 
where  plenty  of  water  and  timber  could  be  obtained, 
as  well  as  sufficient  grass  for  horses,  and  it  con- 
sisted of  a  tract  one  hundred  feet  square,  picketed 
in  with  large,  split  timber,  with  bastions  of  round 
logs  in  two  of  the  angles,  also  two  corrals  for 
horses  and  cattle.  Major  Chinn  sent  at  once  to 
Colonel  Nesinith  for  the  requisite  reinforcements 
and  artillery.     On  the  19th  and  20th  of  November, 


73 


INTRODUCTORY 


the  colonel  sent  forward  three  companies  consist- 
ing of  one  hundred  and  seventy  men.  He  endeav- 
ored to  procure  the  howitzers  from  the  regular 
army,  but  General  Wool  had  just  arrived  on  the 
scene  and  his  advent  brought  to  an  abrupt  termina- 
tion all  hope  of  further  co-operation  between  regu- 
lars and  volunteers.  The  howitzers  were,  of  course, 
refused. 

"The  arrival  of  General  Wool,"  says  Evans, 
"defeated  every  project  which  looked  to  a  winter 
campaign  against  the  Indians.  He  even  suggested 
that  the  combination  of  the  commands  of  Rains  and 
Nesmith,  in  the  Yakima  country,  had  been  injurious 
to  the  service  because  the  Indians  were  so  over- 
awed by  such  a  force,  seven  hundred  men,  that  they 
fled  upon  the  approach  of  the  troops.  General  Wool 
ordered  the  regulars  from  Fort  Dalles  to  Fort  Van- 
couver, except  a  small  garrison.  He  censured  Major 
Rains  for  calling  for  volunteers,  and  also  for  going 
into  the  Yakima  country  to  make  war  against  the 
hostiles.  He  accused  the  territorial  authorities  of 
sinister  and  dishonest  motives.  While  not  accusing 
the  whites  in  Washington  territory  of  murdering 
Indians,  as  he  did  charge  the  whites  with  in  the 
Rogue  river  country,  yet  he  maintained  that  the 
war  should  only  be  carried  on  upon  the  defensive. 
To  any  proposition  of  the  territorial  authorities  to 
chastise  the  Indians  for  past  misdeeds,  he  was 
opposed,  and  should  use  his  eft'orts  to  defeat  them. 
In  fact,  he  was  so  bitterly  prejudiced  against  the 
two  territories,  their  official  authorities,  their  volun- 
teers and  their  people,  that  his  sympathies  were 
entirely  with  that  savage  race  which  it  was  his 
highest  duty  to  keep  in  subjection.  For  the  people 
who  had  the  right  to  rely  upon  him  for  protection, 
he  had  no  word  of  encouragement,  no  disposition 
to  assist.  At  that  time  he  was  a  greater  marplot  to 
the  regaining  of  peace,  and  a  more  bitter  foe  to  the 
Oregon  and  Washington  people,  than  any  hostile 
chief  bearing  arms  against  them." 

However,  such  succor  as  was  in  the  power  of 
Nesmith  was,  as  before  stated,  promptly  despatched 
to  Fort  Henrietta.  The  three  companies  joined 
Major  Chinn  on  the  29th  of  November,  but  the  com- 
mand was  at  once  assumed  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Kelly,  who  accompanied  the  reinforcements.  Decem- 
ber 2d,  Kelly  took  the  field  with  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  designing  to  make  a  swift  march  to 
Fort  Walla  Walla  and  surprise  the  Indians  who 
were  supposed  to  be  in  possession  of  it.  Kelly 
found  "it  had  been  pillaged  by  Indians,  the  build- 
ings much  defaced  and  the  furniture  destroyed." 
Of  his  subsequent  movements  Colonel  Kellv  thus 
writes  in  his  official  report : 

On  the  morning  of  tlie  5tli,  I  despatched  Second  Major 
Chinn,  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  to  escort  the  bag- 
gage and  pack  trains  to  the  mouth  of  the  Touchet.  there  to 
await  my  return  with  tlie  remainder  of  tiie  forces  under 
my  command.  On  the  same  morning  I  marched  with 
about  two  hundred  men  to  a  point  on  the  Touchet   river 


about  twelve  miles  from  its  mouth,  with  the  view  of 
attacking  the  Walla  Walla  Indians,  who  were  supposed  to 
be  encamped  there.  When  I  was  near  to  and  making  to- 
wards the  village,  Peo-peo-mox-mox,  the  chief  of  the  tribe, 
with  five  other  Indians,  made  their  appearance  under  a  flag 
of  truce.  He  stated  that  he  did  not  wish  to  fight ;  that  his 
people  did  not  wish  to  fight;  that  on  the  following  day  he 
would  come  and  have  a  talk  and  make  a  treaty  of 
peace.  On  consultation  with  Hon.  Nathan  Olney,  Indian 
Agent,  we  concluded  that  this  was  simply  a  ruse  to  gain 
time  for  removing  his  village  and  preparing  for  battle.  I 
stated  to  him  that  we  had  come  to  chastise  him  for  the 
wrongs  he  had  done  to  our  people,  and  that  we  would  not 
defer  making  an  attack  on  his  people  unless  he  and  his  five 
followers  would  consent  to  accompany  and  remain  with  us 
until  all  difficulties  were  settled.  I  told  him  that  he  might 
go  away  under  liis  Hag  of  truce  if  he  chose;  but,  if  he  did 
so,  we  would  forthwith  attack  his  village.  The  alternative 
was  distinctly  made  known  to  him;  and,  to  save  his  people, 
he  chose  to  remain  with  us  as  a  hostage  for  the  fulfillment 
of  his  promise,  as  did  also  those  who  accompanied  him. 
He  at  the  same  time  said  that  on  the  following  day  he 
would  accompany  us  to  his  village;  that  he  would  then 
assemble  his  people  and  make  them  deliver  up  all  their  arms 
and  ammunition,  restore  the  property  which  had  been 
taken  from  the  white  settlers,  or  pay  the  full  value  of  that 
which  could  not  be  restored ;  and  that  he  would  furnish 
fresh  horses  to  remount  my  command,  and  cattle  to  supply 
them  with  provisions,  to  enable  us  to  wage  war  against 
other  hostile  tribes  who  were  leagued  with  tlieni.  Having 
made  these  promises,  we  refrained  from  making  the  attack, 
thinking  we  had  him  in  our  power,  and  that  on  the  next 
day  his  promises  would  be  fulfilled.  I  also  permitted  him 
to  send  one  of  the  men  who  accompanied  him  to  his  village 
to  apprise  the  tribes  of  the  terms  of  the  expected  treaty,  so 
that  they  might  be  prepared  to  fulfill  it. 

On  the  (ith,  we  marched  to  the  village  and  found  it 
entirely  deserted,  but  saw  the  Indians  in  considerable  force 
on  the  distant  hills,  and  watching  our  movements.  I  sent 
out  a  messenger  to  induce  them  to  come  in.  but  could  not 
do  so.  And  I  will  here  observe  that  I  have  since  learned, 
from  a  Nez  Perce  boy,  who  was  taken  at  the  same  time 
with  Peo-peo-mox-mox,  that,  instead  of  sending  word  to 
his  people  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace,  he  sent  an  order  for 
them  to  remove  their  women  and  children  and  prepare  for 
battle.  From  all  I  have  since  learned,  I  am  well  persuaded 
that  he  was  acting  with  duplicity,  and  that  he  expected  to 
entrap  my  command  in  the  deep  ravine  in  which  his  camp 
was  situated,  and  make  his  escape  from  us.  We  remained 
at  the  deserted  village  until  about  one  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon ;  and.  seeing  no  hope  of  coming  to  any  terms,  we 
proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the  Touchet  with  a  view  of 
going  from  thence  to  some  spot  near  Whitman's  station, 
where  I  had  intended  to  form  a  permanent  camp  for  the 
winter. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th,  the  command  set 
out  early  for  Whitman's  station,  Peo-peo-mox-mox 
and  the  other  Indian  hostages  being  still  with  the 
white  men.  Soon  after  a  crossing  of  the  Touchet 
had  been  effected,  the  battle  began.  There  is  dif- 
ference of  opinion  as  to  who  fired  the  first  shot. 
Kelly's  report  states  that  the  Indians  did,  but  Gil- 
bert quotes  A.  P.  Woodward  as  asserting  that  to 
his  knowledge  one  Jont,  of  Company  ?>,  committed 
the  first  hostile  act.  The  question  is  of  importance 
only  as  it  bears  upon  the  larger  one  of  whether  or 
not  Peo-peo-mox-mox  and  his  people  were  acting 
in  good  faith  in  negotiating  for  peace.  .At  any  rate 
the  firing  soon  became  general,  and  all  the  com- 
panies   except    A   and    F.    which    were   ordered    to 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


remain  with  the  baggage,  began  chasing  the  Indians 
eagerly.  "A  running  fight  was  the  consequence,  the 
force  of  the  Indians  increasing  every  mile.  Several 
of  the  enemy  were  killed  in  the  chase  before  reach- 
ing the  farm  of  LaRocque,  which  is  about  twelve 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Touchet.  At  this 
point  they  made  a  stand,  their  left  resting  on  the 
river  covered  with  trees  and  underbrush,  their 
center  occupying  the  flat  at  this  place,  covered  with 
clumps  of  sage  brush  and  small  sand  knolls,  their 
right  on  the  high  ridge  of  hills  which  skirt  the  river 
bottom." 

The  few  white  men  who  outran  their  companions 
and  reached  this  vicinity  first  were  compelled  by  the 
murderous  fire  from  savage  guns  to  fall  back,  but 
soon  rallied  and  made  a  charge  upon  the  Indians 
in  the  brush,  in  which  charge  Lieutenant  Burrows, 
of  Company  H,  was  killed,  and  Ca])tain  Alunson, 
Sergeant-Major  Isaac  Miller  and  Private  G.  W. 
Smith  were  wounded.  Reinforcements  of  whites 
arriving,  the  Indians  were  compelled  to  fall  back 
two  miles  to  a  farmhouse,  in  attempting  to  carry 
which  Captain  Bennett,  of  Company  F.  and  Private 
Kelso,  of  Company  A,  were  killed. 

Continuing  the  narrative  of  the  engagement, 
Colonel  Kelly  says  in  his  report :  "Howitzer  found 
at  Fort  Walla  Walla,  under  charge  of  Captain  Wil- 
son, by  this  time  was  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
enemy.  Four  rounds  were  fired  when  the  piece 
burst,  wounding  Captain  Wilson.  The  Indians  then 
gave  way  at  all  points ;  and  the  house  and  fence 
were  seized  and  held  by  the  volunteers,  and  bodies 
of  our  men  were  recovered.  These  positions  were 
held  by  us  until  nightfall,  when  the  volunteers  fell 
slowly  back  and  returned  unmolested  to  camp." 

During  the  first  day's  engagement,  at  about  the 
hottest  part  of  the  action,  an  event  occurred  which, 
though  not  mentioned  in  Kell\  "s  official  report,  has 
been  the  theme  of  niucli  iliscussion.  Peo-peo-mox- 
mox  and  his  companiMns  in  captivity  were,  with  one 
exception,  killed  by  the  guards  and  volunteers  sur- 
rounding them,  and  whether  this  action  was  justi- 
fiable from  the  fact  that  the  prisoners  attempted 
to  escape,  or  was  wholly  unwarranted,  will  never 
be  ascertained  with  certainty.  The  eye  witnesses  of 
the  affair  are  not  in  accord  as  to  the  facts.  Indeed, 
it  is  quite  probable  that  no  one  of  them  is  able  to 
give  an  absolutely  correct  and  detailed  statement  of 
all  that  happened,  such  was  the  confusion  and  ex- 
citement prevailing  at  the  time.  Of  this  aflfair, 
Cilbert  says: 

"The  following  is  an  account  of  it  as  given  to 
the  writer  by  Lewis  Mc^Morris.  who  was  present 
at  the  time  and  saw  what  he  narrated.  The  hospital 
supplies  were  packed  on  mules  in  charge  of  Mc- 
Morris,  and  had  just  reached  the  LaRocque  cabin, 
where  the  first  engagement  had  taken  place.  The 
surgeon  in  charge  had  decided  to  use  it  as  a  hospital 
in  which  to  place  those  wounded  in  the  battle  and 
Mc^lorris  was  unpacking  the  mules.     Xear  it  the 


unfortunate  J.  M.  Burrows  lay  dead,  and  several 
wounded  were  being  attended  to.  The  combatants 
had  passed  on  up  the  valley,  and  the  distant  deto- 
nations of  their  guns  could  be  heard.  The  flag  of 
truce  prisoners  were  there  under  guard  and  every 
one  seemed  electrified  with  suppressed  excitement. 
A  wounded  man  came  in  with  a  shattered  arm 
dangling  at  his  side  and  reported  Captain  Bennett 
killed  at  the  front.  This  added  to  the  excitement, 
and  the  attention  of  all  was  more  or  less  attracted 
to  the  wounded  man,  when  some  one  said:  'Look 
out,  or  the  Indians  will  get  away  1'  At  this  seem- 
ingly everyone  yelled,  'Shoot  'em!  Shoot  'em!'  and 
on  the  instant  there  was  a  rattle  of  musketry  on 
all  sides. 

"What  followed  was  so  quick,  and  there  were 
so  many  acting,  that  McMorris  could  not  see  it  in 
detail,  though  all  was  transpiring  within  a  few 
yards  of  and  around  him.  It  was  over  in  a  minute, 
and  three  of  the  five  prisoners  were  dead,  another 
was  wounded,  knocked  senseless  and  supposed  to 
be  dead,  who  afterwards  recovered  consciousness, 
and  was  shot  to  put  him  out  of  misery,  while  the 
fifth  was  spared  because  he  was  a  Nez  Perce. 
McMorris  remembers  some  of  the  events  that 
marked  the  tragedy,  however,  such  as  an  impression 
on  his  mind  of  an  attempt  by  the  prisoners  to  escape, 
that  started  the  shooting ;  that  everybody  was  firing 
because  they  were  excited,  and  the  target  was  an 
Indian  ;  that  he  saw  no  evidence  of  an  attempt  to 
escape,  except  from  being  murdered ;  that  they  were 
killed  while  surrounded  by  and  mingled  among  the 
whites ;  and  that  but  one  Indian  ofi^ered  to  defend 
his  life.  The  prisoner  oft'ering  resistance  was  a 
powerful  Willamette  Indian  called  'Jim'  or  'Wolf 
Skin,'  who,  having  a  knife  secreted  upon  his  person, 
drew  it  and  fought  desperately.  'I  could  hear  that 
knife  whistling  in  the  air,'  said  McMorris,  'as  he 
brandished  it,  or  struck  at  the  soldier  with  whom  he 
was  struggling.'  It  lasted  but  a  moment,  when 
another  soldier,  approaching  from  behind,  dealt  him 
a  blow  on  the  head  with  a  gun  that  broke  his  skull 
and  stretched  him  apparently  lifeless  upon  the 
ground.  All  were  scalped  in  a  few  minutes,  and 
later  the  body  of  Yellow  Bird,  the  great  Walla 
Walla  chief,  was  mutilated  in  a  way  that  should 
entitle  those  who  did  it  to  a  prominent  niche  in  the 
ghoulish  temple  erected  to  commemorate  the 
infamous  acts  of  soulless  men." 

Gilbert  also  states  that  McMorris'  account  was 
confirmed  by  G.  W.  Miller  and  William  Nixon, 
both  of  whom  were  present. 

A.  P.  M'oodward.  now  living  at  .Athena,  and  who 
was  near  by  when  the  chief  was  killed,  tells  us 
that  the  facts,  briefly  stated,  were  these :  When 
asked  what  should  be  done  with  the  prisoners, 
Colonel  Kelly  had  told  the  guard  he  "didn't  care  a 
damn."  The  prisoners  were  neither  tied  nor  in  any 
way  confined,  but  were  mingled  with  the  volunteers. 
When  the  firing  became  warm,  and  several  wounded 


INTRODUCTORY 


had  been  brought  back  to  where  the  guard  and 
prisoners  were,  some  of  the  troops  became  bathy 
excited  and  called  out.  "Shoot  the  damned  Indians 
and  kill  them !"  Several  shots  were  fired  and  two 
or  three  of  the  Indians  fell,  though  they  were  not 
attempting  to  escape.  Then  Peo-peo-niox-mox 
sprang  off  his  horse,  and  walking  towards  those 
who  were  firing,  said :  "You  don't  need  to  kill  me 
— I  am  not  Jesus  Christ!"  and  with  these  words  he 
fell.  The  biting  sarcasm  of  the  dying  words  of 
Peo-peo-mox-mox,  if  these  were  his  words,  can  only 
be  appreciated  when  we  remember  that  they  were 
uttered  by  a  savage  who  could  not  be  made  to  under- 
stand why  the  white  men  had.  according  to  their 
own  account,  killed  their  own  God.  It  should  be 
stated,  however,  that  in  answer  to  a  direct  question 
as  to  whether  any  such  language  was  used.  Samuel 
Warfield,  the  slayer  of  Peo-peo-mox-mox,  stated 
that  the  only  foundation  for  the  story  was  some- 
thing that  occurred  on  the  evening  previous.  Wolf 
Skin,  he  says,  attempted  to  escape.  He  was  imme- 
diately recaptured  and  while  being  tied  to  prevent 
a  repetition  of  this  attempt,  said :  "That  is  as 
much  as  could  be  expected  of  \ou.  Christ  died  for 
his  people,  and  I  can  die  for  mine,"  whereupon 
one  of  the  volunteers  rejoined.  "Christ  did  not  run," 
raising  a  general  laugh. 

It  is  but  fair  to  add  the  account  of  the  killing 
given  by  i\Ir.  Warfield.  the  man  who  actually  took 
the  life  of  the  Walla  Walla  chieftain.  .At  the 
request  of  the  writer,  he  furnished  the  following 
statement : 

".Amos  Underwood  and  I  were  guards  over  the 
six  Indian  prisoners.  Peo-peo-mox-mox,  Klickitat 
Jimmy,  or  Wolf  Skin,  Nez  Perce  Billy  and  three 
others.  .About  four  o'clock  in  the  evening  there 
were  a  number  of  soldiers  around  the  guard  and 
prisoners.  Word  was  sent  two  or  three  times  for 
those  soldiers  to  come  to  the  front ;  but  they  did 
not  go.  Finally,  Colonel  Kelly  came  and  ordered 
them  to  the  front.  I  said  to  the  colonel,  'I  want 
to  go  to  the  front.  What  will  we  do  with  these 
prisoners?'  He  replied.  'Tie  them  and  put  them 
in  the  house,  if  they  will  submit  to  you :  if  not,  put 
them  in  anyhow.'  Major  Miller  was  there  present 
among  the  wounded,  having  been  shot  in  the  arm. 
Just  at  that  time  Wolf  Skin  pulled  his  knife  from 
his  legging  and  struck  at  Major  Miller,  cutting  his 
arm  as  it  was  thrown  up  to  ward  oflf  the  blow.  In 
an  instant  some  one  broke  a  musket  over  the 
Indian's  head,  killing  him.  Then  the  fight  began. 
Five  of  the  Indian  prisoners  were  killed,  either 
being  shot  or  struck  over  the  head  with  the  guns. 
Peo-peo-mox-mox  being  the  last  one.  T  showed 
him  how  to  cross  his  hands  so  that  I  could  tie  him 
and  put  him  in  the  house  as  the  colonel  had  told 
us,  when  he  grabbed  my  gun  and  tried  to  wrench 
it  around  so  as  to  shoot  me.  I  jumped  back  and 
grabbed  him  by  the  collar  and  threw  him  down, 
still  keeping  hold  of  my  gun.     I  also  shot  at  him. 


but  missed,  he  being  too  close.  He  caught  me  by 
the  breeches  leg  and  tried  to  regain  his  feet.  I 
again  jumped  back  from  him  as  he  tried  to  get  up, 
struck  him  over  the  head  with  my  gun,  settling 
him    for  all   time." 

This  account  of  Mr.  Warfield  is  probably  sub- 
stantially correct  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  it  leaves 
open  the  question  as  to  what  incited  Wolf  Skin  to 
draw  his  knife.  One  of  the  volunteers  confessed 
that  he  became  so  excited  by  the  fact  that  the  whites 
at  the  front  were  being  hard  pressed  and  that  some 
of  them  were  killed  and  wounded  that  he  completely 
lost  his  head  and  rushed  back,  shouting,  "Shoot  the 
Indians  and  kill  them!"  This  and  the  attempted 
tying  of  their  hands  inspired  the  Indians  with  a 
belief  that  they  would  certainly  be  murdered,  caus- 
ing them  to  offer  resistance,  with  the  melancholy 
results  heretofore  given.  If  this  surmise  is  correct, 
neither  the  Indians  nor  their  guards  could  be  very 
much  blamed,  the  real  cause  of  the  tragedy  being 
the  hare-brained  man  whose  wild  shoutings  alarmed 
the  Indian  prisoners.  It  is  hard  to  understand  how 
the  officers  could  justify  their  conduct  in  retaining 
the  Indians  at  all  any  longer  than  they  wished  to 
stay.  They  came  under  flag  of  truce,  and  if  Colonel 
Kelly's  report  is  true,  remained  voluntarily  as 
hostages,  and  when  they  were  no  longer  willing  to 
stay  they  should  have  been  set  at  liberty.  Nathan 
Olney.  the  Indian  agent,  is  quoted  as  having  said : 
"If  you  let  Peo-peo-mox-mox  escape,  our  hides  will 
not  hold  shucks."  Whether  this  was  true  or  not, 
the  whites  were  not  justified  in  retaining  any  advan- 
tage gained  by  disrespect  of  a  flag  of  truce  and  the 
honors  of  war,  and  the  officers  cannot  therefore 
escape  censure  as  being  ultimately  responsible  for 
the  massacre  of  the  Indians. 

Next  day  the  battle  was  renewed.  No  better 
narration  of  its  subsequent  events  can  be  given  than 
that  furnished  by  Kelly's  report,  whic!i  is  therefore 
reproduced  in  c.vtcnso. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  Sth  tiie  Indians  appeared 
with  increased  forces,  amonntinR  to  fully  six  hundred  war- 
riors. They  were  posted  as  usual  in  the  thick  hrush  by 
the  river — among  the  sage  bushes  and  sand  knolls  and  on 
the  snrrotmding  hills.  This  day  Lieutenant  Pillow,  with 
Company  .'\.  and  Lieutenant  Hannon,  with  Company  H, 
were  ordered  to  take  and  hold  the  brush  skirting  the  river 
and  the  sage  bushes  on  the  plain.  Lieutenant  Fellows, 
with  Compan}'  F,  was  directed  to  take  and  keep  posses- 
sion of  the  point  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Lieutenant 
Jeffries,  with  Company  R,  Lieutenant  Hand,  with  Com- 
pany I,  and  Captain  Cornoyer,  with  Company  K.  were 
posted  on  three  several  points  on  the  hills,  with  orders  to 
maintain  them  and  to  assail  the  enemy  on  other  points  of 
the  same  hills.  .\s  usual,  the  Indians  were  driven  from 
their  position,  although  they  fought  with  skill  and  braverv. 

On  the  9th  they  did  not  make  their  appearance  until 
.about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  aTid  then  in  somewhat 
diminished  numbers.  As  I  had  sent  to  Fort  Henrietta  for 
Companies  D  and  E  and  expected  them  on  the  1 0th,  I 
thought  it  best  to  act  on  the  defensive  and  hold  our  posi- 
tions, which  were  the  same  as  on  the  8th,  until  we  could 
get  an  accession  to  our  forces  sufficient  to  enable  us  to 
assail  their  rear  and  cut  off  their  retreat.     An  attack  was 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


made  during  the  day  on  Companies  A  and  H,  in  the  brush- 
wood, and  upon  B  on  the  hill,  both  of  which  were  repulsed 
with  great  gallantry  by  those  companies  with  considerable 
loss  to  the  enemy.  Companies  F,  I  and  K  also  did  great 
honor  to  themselves  in  repelling  all  approaches  to  their 
positions,  although  in  doing  so  one  man  in  Company  F 
and  one  in  Company  I  were  severely  wounded.  Darkness 
as  usual  closed  the  combat  by  the  enemy  withdrawing 
from  the  field.  Owing  to  the  inclemency  of  the  night,  the 
companies  on  the  hill  were  withdrawn  from  their  several 
positions.  Company  B  abandoning  its  rifle  pits  which  were 
made  by  the  men 'of  that  company  for  its  protection.  At 
early  dawn  of  the  next  day  the  Indians  were  observed  from 
our  camp  to  be  in  possession  of  all  points  held  by  us  on 
the  preceding  day.  Upon  seeing  them.  Lieutenant 
McAulifif,  of  Company  B,  gallantly  observed  that  his  com- 
pany had  dug  those  holes,  and  after  breakfast  they  would 
have  them  again;  and  well  was  his  declaration  fulfilled, 
for  in  less  than  an  hour  the  enemy  was  driven  from  the 
pits  and  fled  to  an  adjoining  hill  which  they  had  occupied 
the  day  before.  This  position  was  at  once  assailed.  Cap- 
tain Cornoyer.  with  Company  K  and  a  portion  of  Com- 
pany I,  being  mounted,  gallantly  charged  the  enemy  on 
his  right  flank,  while  Lieutenant  McAnliff,  with  Company 
B,  dismounted,  rushed  up  the  hill  in  the  face  of  a  heavy 
fire  and  scattered  them  in  all  directions.  They  at  once 
fled,  to  return  to  this  battlc-lield  no  more,  and  thus  ended 
our  long  contested  tight. 

The  winter  following  the  battle  of  the  Walla 
Walla  was  an  exceedingly  severe  one,  and  the  suf- 
fering of  the  soldiers  was  sometimes  extreme.  The 
late  W.  C.  Painter,  of  Walla  Walla,  was  wont  to 
describe  his  experience  of  trying  to  sleep  with  scant 
shelter  and  scantier  covering  and  the  thermometer 
at  twenty  below  zero.  Mrs.  Victor  quotes  one  of 
the  volunteers,  whose  name  she  does  not  reveal, 
as  having  said : 

"On  the  night  of  December  21st  the  snow  fell 
from  six  to  eight  inches  deep,  and  the  mercury  stood 
about  twenty  degrees  below  zero.  Xext  morning  it 
fell  to  my  lot  to  go  on  guard.  My  raiment  consisted 
of  an  old  slouch  hat,  an  old  coat,  a  flannel  shirt, 
a  threadbare  pair  of  pants,  and  an  old  pair  of  shoes 
without  socks.  I  had  run  through  my  shoes  during 
the  battle,  but  found  an  old  pair  in  a.  cache  which 
answered  the  purpose.  I  donned  my  raiment,  tied 
a  string  around  my  pants  to  keep  them  from  slipping 
above  my  knees,  and  at  six  o'clock  was  ready  for 
duty.  My  beat  being  one  mile  from  camp,  I  trudged 
along  through  the  snow  until  I  reached  my  station, 
and  then  passed  off  the  time  as  best  I  could.  *  * 
When  I  examined  my  feet,  strange  to  say,  they 
were  not  very  badly  frozen,  only  the  tops  and  sides 
were  raised  up  in  blisters.  Several  of  the  boys 
who  had  no  shoes  took  rawhide  and  sewed  it  up 
in  .shape  something  like  a  moccasin.  This  beat  bare 
feet  to  wade  through  the  snow  with.  But  the  boys 
seemed  to  be  content.  Our  tents  were  small  and 
thin  :  our  blankets  were  smaller  and  thinner.  I  had 
two  of  those  long,  narrow,  thin  blankets,  one  blue 
and  one  green,  that  were  not  long  enough  to  reach 
from  my  nose  down  to  mv  feet,  and  a  saddle 
blanket:  this  constituted  my  bed." 

But  it  is  now  time  to  return  to  Governor  Ste- 
vens, who,  as  hitherto  stated,  had  set  out  for  the 


Blackfoot  country  upon  completing  his  negotia- 
tions at  the  Walla  Walla  council.  Having  succeeded 
in  inducing  the  dreaded  Blackfeet  to  treat  for  the 
sale  of  their  lands  and  started  upon  his  return  to 
Olympia,  he  had  reached  Hellgate  in  the  present 
Montana,  when  a  detachment  of  Xez  Perces  met 
him  and  gave  him  information  of  the  war  and  his 
own  isolated  and  iinperiled  position.  It  would 
require  all  the  tact,  ingenuity  and  daring  of  this 
eminent  man  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  these  multiplied 
dangers  in  safety,  but  the  doughty  governor  was 
equal  to  the  task.  How  he  acted  under  these  trying 
circumstances  may  best  be  told  in  his  own  language : 

The  result  of  our  conference  (with  the  Nez  Perces) 
was  most  satisfactory.  The  whole  party,  numbering  four- 
teen men,  among  whom  were  Spotted  Eagle,  Looking  Glass 
and  Tliree  Feathers,  principal  chiefs  among  the  Nez 
Perces,  expressed  their  determination  to  accompany  me 
and  share  any  danger  to  be  encountered.  They  expressed 
a  desire  that  after  crossing  the  mountains,  I  should  go  to 
their  country,  where  a  large  force  of  their  young  men 
would  accompany  me  to  The  Dalles  and  protect  us  with 
their    lives   against    any    enemy. 

Having  replenished  my  train  with  all  the  animals  to 
be  had,  on  November  14th  we  pushed  forward,  crossed 
the  Bitter  Root  mountains  the  20th,  in  snow  two  and  a  half 
to  three  feet  deep,  and  reached  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mission 
the  2.5th.  taking  the  Coeur  d'Alenes  entirely  by  surprise. 
They  had  not  thought  it  possible  that  we  could  cross  the 
mountains   so   late   in   the   season. 

With  the  Coeur  d'Alenes  I  held  a  council,  and  found 
them  much  excited,  on  a  balance  for  peace  or  war,  and  a 
chance  word  might  turn  them  either  way.  Rumors  of  all 
kinds  met  us  here :  that  the  troops  had  fought  a  battle  with 
the  Yakimas  and  drove  them  across  the  Columbia  towards 
the  Spokanes,  and  that  the  Walla  Wallas,  Cayuses  and 
LTmatillas  were  in  arms,  and  that  they  had  been  joined  by 
a  party  of  Nez  Perces.  The  accounts  were  of  so  contra- 
dictory a  nature  that  nothing  certain  could  be  ascertained 
from  them,  excepting  that  the  several  tribes  below  were  in 
arms,  blocking  up  our  road,  and  had  threatened  to  cut  off 
my  party  in  any  event.  However,  I  determined  to  push 
on  to  the  Spokanes. 

The  Spokanes  were  even  more  surprised  than  the 
Coeur  d'Alenes  on  seeing  us.  Three  hours  before  my  arrival 
they  had  heard  that  I  was  going  to  the  settlements  by  way 
of  New  York.  I  immediately  called  a  council;  sent  to  Fort 
Colville  for  Mr.  McDonald,  in  charge  of  that  post  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company;  sent  also  for  the  Jesuit  fathers  at 
that  point.  They  arrived.  A  council  was  held,  at  which 
the  whole  Spokane  nation  was  represented.  The  Coeur 
d'Alenes  and  Colville  Indians  also  were  present. 

The  Spokanes  and  Colville  Indians  evinced  extreme 
hostility  of  feeling;  .spoke  of  the  war  below;  wanted  it 
stopped ;  said  the  whites  were  wrong.  The  belief  was  cur- 
rent that  Peo-peo-mox-mox  would  cut  ofif  my  party  as  he 
had  repeatedly  threatened.  They  had  not  joined  in  the  war, 
but  yet  would  make  no  promise  to  remain  neutral.  If  the 
Indians  now  at  war  were  driven  into  their  country,  they 
would  not  answer  for  the  consequences ;  probably  many  of 
the  Spokanes  would  join  them.  After  a  stormy  council  of 
several  days,  the  Spokanes.  Coeur  d'Alenes  and  Colvilles 
were  entirely  conciliated  and  promised  they  would  reject 
all  overtures  of  the  hostile  Indians  and  continue  the  firm 
friends    of   the    whites. 

Having  added  to  my  party  and  organized,  etc.,  we 
thence  made  a  forced  march  to  the  Nez  Perce  country. 
Mr.  Craig  had  received  letters  which  informed  me  that  the 
whole  Walla  Walla  valley  was  blocked  up  with  hostile 
Indians,  and  the  Nez  Perces  said  it  would  be  impossible  to 
go   through. 


INTRODUCTORY 


I  called  a  council  and  proposed  to  them  that  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  of  their  young  men  should  accompany  me 
to  The  Dalles.  Without  hesitation,  they  agreed  to  go. 
Whilst  in  the  council  making  arrangements  for  our  move- 
ments, news  came  that  a  force  of  gallant  Oregon  volun- 
teers, four  hundred  strong,  had  met  the  Indians  in  the 
Walla  Walla  valley,  and  after  four  days'  hard  fighting, 
having  a  number  of  officers  and  men  killed  and  wounded, 
had  completely  routed  the  enemy,  driving  them  across 
Snake  river  and  toward  the  Nez  Perce  country.  The  next 
day  I  pushed  forward,  accompanied  by  sixty-nine  Nez 
Perces,  well  armed,  and  reached  Walla  Walla  without 
encountering  any  hostile  Indians.  Tliey  had  all  been 
driven  across  Snake  river  below  us  by  tlie  Oregon  troops. 

It  is  now  proper  to  inquire  what  would  have  been  the 
condition  of  my  party  had  not  the  Oregon  troops  vigor- 
ously pushed  into  the  field  and  gallantly  defeated  the 
enemy. 

The  country  between  the  Blue  mountains  and  the 
Columbia  was  overrun  with  Indians,  numbering  one  thou- 
sand to  twelve  hundred  warriors,  including  the  force  at 
Priests'  rapids  under  Kamiakin.  who  had  sworn  to  cut  me 
off ;  it  was  completely  blocked  up.  One  eflfect  of  the  cam- 
paign of  the  regulars  and  volunteers  in  the  Yakima  country 
under  Brigadier-General  Rains  was  to  drive  Kamiakin  and 
his  people  on  our  side  of  the  Columbia  river,  and  thus 
endanger  our  movement  from  the  Spokane  to  the  Nez 
Perce  country.  Thus  we  had  been  hemmed  in  by  a  body 
of  hostile  Indians  through  whom  we  could  have  only  forced 
our  way  with  extreme  difficulty  and  at  great  loss  of  life. 
We  might  all  have  been  sacrificed  in  the  attempt.  For  the 
opening  of  the  way  to  my  party  I  am  solely  indebted  to 
the  Oregon  volunteers.  Peo-peo-mox-mox,  the  celebrated 
chief  of  the  Walla  Wallas,  entertained  an  extreme  hostility 
toward  myself  and  party,  owing  to  imaginary  wrongs  he 
supposed  to  have  been  inflicted  upon  him  in  the  treaty 
concluded  with  the  Cayuses  and  Walla  Wallas  last  June, 
and  had  been  known  repeatedly  to  threaten  that  I  never 
should  reach  The  Dalles.  He  was  the  first  to  commence 
hostilities  by  plundering  Fort  Walla  Walla  and  destroying 
a  large  amount  of  property  belonging  to  the  United  States 
Indian   department. 

.'\t  Walla  Walla  T  fomul  some  twenty-five  settlers — the 
remainder  having  fled  to  The  Dalles  for  protection.  With 
tliese  were  one  hundred  friendly  Indians.  Siieci.il  Indian 
Agent  B.  F.  Shaw,  colonel  in  the  Washington  territory 
militia,  was  on  the  ground,  and  I  at  once  organized  tlie 
district,  placed  him  in  command  and  directed  him,  if  nec- 
essary, to  fortify,  at  all  events  to  maintain  his  ground 
should  the  Oregon  troops  be  disbanded  before  another 
force  should  take  the  field.  The  Nez  Perce  auxiliaries 
were   disbanded    and    returned   home. 

Thus  we  had  reached  a  place  of  safety  unaided,  except- 
ing by  the  fortunate  movements  of  the  Oregon  troops. 
Not  a  single  man  IkkI  brcn  ]i\ished  forward  to  meet  us, 
and  though  it  was  w  11  known  we  should  cross  the  moun- 
tains about  a  certani  iiin.',  ,,iiil  irrive  at  Walla  Walla  about 
the  time  we  did.  \\'h\  h.is  tins''  Arrangements  had  been 
made'  with  Major  Rains  by  -\ctniL:-(  ;o\ ci  no,-  Afason  to 
push  forward  a  force  undrr  Coloiu  1  Sliaw  lo  meet  me  at 
Spokane  about  the  time  of  my  anuil  tlnrc  ,\  companv 
had  been  enlisted,  organized  and  niarche<i  to  l-'ort  Vancou- 
ver to  obtain  equipments,  rations  and  transportation, 
which  Major  Rains  had  promised  both  Governor  i\Iason 
and  Colonel  Shaw  should  be  i)romptly  furnished  them. 
Some  little  delay  ensued,  and  in  the  meantime  Major- 
General  Wool  arrived,  who  innnediately  declined  equip- 
ping the  company,  as  promised  by  Major  Rains,  and  stated 
that  he  could  not  in  any  maimer  recognize  voliuiteers  or 
furnish  them  equipments  or  transportation,  and  declined  to 
supply  their  places  with  regular  troops,  of  whom,  at  Van- 
couver alone,  were  some  three  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

The  report  then  goes  on  to  make  grave  accu- 


sations against  General  Wool.  "All  history,"  says 
Professor  Lyman,  "abounds  in  instances  of  intense 
personal  feuds  and  disagreements,  but  our  Pacific 
coast  history  seems  to  have  been  especially  fruitful 
of  them.  That  between  General  Wool,  with  some 
of  the  officers  who  echoed  his  opinions,  the  regulars, 
in  short,  on  one  side  and  Governor  Stevens,  sup- 
ported by  the  volunteers  and  the  nearly  united 
people  of  the  territory  on  the  other,  was  particu- 
larly acrimonious."  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  Stevens'  report  showing  the  ground  of  his 
complaint  against  Wool : 

"When  remonstrated  with  by  Captain  William 
McKay,  in  command  of  the  coinpany  to  push 
forward  to  my  assistance,  when  informed  of  the 
object  for  which  the  company  was  enlisted,  and 
that  if  it  was  not  pressed  forward  at  once,  or  if 
some  other  force  was  not  sent.  Governor  Stevens 
and  his  party  would  be  in  the  most  imminent  danger, 
the  general  replied  that  in  his  opinion  the  danger 
was  greatly  exaggerated.  That  probably  Governor 
Stevens  would  be  able  to  protect  himself,  but  if  he 
could  not,  then  Governor  Stevens  could  obtain  an 
escort  from  General   Harney. 

"What  a  reply  was  that!  A  moiety  of  the 
Indians  now  in  arms  had  defeated  a  detachment  of 
one  hundred  United  States  regulars;  Major  Rains 
had  placed  on  record  his  opinion  that  an  insufficient 
force  would  be  defeated  by  these  Indians,  and  my 
party  was  supposed  to  number  no  more  than  twenty- 
five  men.  Yet  Major-General  Wool  very  coolly 
says,  'Governor  Stevens  can  take  care  of  himself.' 
So,  too,  in  the  remark  that  I  could  obtain  aid  from 
General  Harney.  Did  General  Wool  know  that  the 
distance  from  Fort  Benton  to  the  supposed  position 
of  General  Harney  was  greater  than  the  distance 
from  Fort  Benton  to  The  Dalles,  and  that  to  obtain 
aid  from  him  would  require  not  less  than  six  months, 
and  that  an  express  to  reach  him  must  pass  through 
the  entire  breadth  of  the  Sioux?  Such  ignorance 
shows  great  incapacity  and  is  inexcusable. 

"Mr.  Secretary,  Major-General  Wool,  com- 
manding the  Pacific  Division,  neglected  and  refused 
to  send  a  force  to  the  relief  of  myself  and  party 
when  known  to  be  in  imminent  danger,  and  believed 
by  those  who  were  less  capable  of  judging  to  be 
coming  on  to  certain  death,  and  this,  when  he  had 
at  his  command  an  efficient  force  of  regular  troops. 
He  refused  to  sanction  the  agreement  made  between 
Governor  Mason  and  Major  Rains  for  troops  to  be 
sent  to  my  assistance  and  ordered  them  to  dis- 
band. It  was  reserved  for  the  Oregon  troops  to 
rescue  us. 

"The  only  demonstration  made  by  Major  Rains 
resulted  in  showing  his  utter  incapacity  to  command 
in  the  field.  As  has  heretofore  been  said,  his  expe- 
dition against  the  Yakimas  effected  nothing  but 
driving  the  Indians  into  the  ver\  country  through 
which  I  must  pass  to  reach  the  settlements. 

"I    therefore    prefer    charges    against    General 


THE    YAKIMA    WAR 


Wool.  I  accuse  him  of  utter  and  signal  incapacity, 
of  criminal  neglect  of  my  safety.  I  ask  for  an 
investigation  into  the  matter  and  for  his  removal 
from  command." 

In  January,  1856,  Governor  Stevens  reached  his 
capital  at  Olympia  and  found  that  the  storm  of  war 
was  raging  on  the  west  as  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Cascade  range.  In  October,  1855,  the  Indian  situ- 
ation became  threatening,  so  much  so  that  Acting- 
Governor  Mason  called  for  the  organization  of  four 
additional  companies,  to  be  considered  as  a  reserve 
force,  their  members  a  species  of  minute  men,  ready 
for  immediate  action  in  case  of  necessity.  Block- 
houses were  erected  by  the  settlers  and  other  defen- 
sive measures  adopted.  The  war  was  given  incep- 
tion in  the  manner  usual  to  savages,  namely,  by  the 
indiscriminate  massacre  of  defenseless  settlers.  In 
a  letter  dated  November  5th,  Christopher  C.  Hewitt 
thus  describes  the  dire  results  of  the  outbreak  to 
the  unoffending  people  of  White  river,  upon  whom 
the  first  blow  fell. 

"We  started  Monday  morning  (October  29th) 
for  the  scene  of  action.  After  two  days'  hard  work 
we  made  the  house  of  Mr.  Cox,  which  we  found 
robbed.  We  next  went  to  Mr.  Jones',  whose  house 
had  been  burnt  to  the  ground  ;  and  Mr.  Jones,  being 
sick  at  the  time,  was  burnt  in  it.  The  body  of  Mrs. 
Jones  was  found  some  thirty  yards  from  the  house, 
shot  through  the  lower  part  of  the  lungs,  her  face 
and  jaws  horribly  broken  and  mutilated,  apparently 
with  the  head  of  an  axe.  The  bones  of  Mr.  Jones 
were  found,  the  flesh  having  been  roasted  and  eaten 
off  by  hogs.  Mr.  Cooper,  who  lived  with  Mr.  Jones, 
was  found  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from 
the  house,  shot  through  the  lungs.  After  burying 
the  bodies,  we  proceeded  to  the  house  of  W.  H. 
Brown,  a  mile  distant.  Mrs.  Brown  and  her  infant, 
apparently  ten  months  old,  we  found  in  the  well, 
the  mother  stabbed  in  the  back  and  head  and  also 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  left  breast,  the  child  not 
dressed  but  no  marks  of  violence  noticeable  upon  it. 
Mr.  Brown  was  found  in  the  house,  literally  cut  to 
pieces.  We  next  went  to  the  house  of  Mr.  King,  or 
to  the  site  of  it,  for  it  had  been  burnt  to  the  ground. 
Mr.  King  and  the  two  little  children  were  burnt 
in  the  house,  and  the  body  of  Mr.  King,  after  being 
roasted,  had  been  almost  eaten  up  by  hogs.  Mrs. 
King  was  some  thirty  yards  from  the  house.  She 
had  been  shot  through  the  heart  and  was  horriblv 
mutilated.  Three  children  were  saved,  one  the  son 
of  Mr.  King  and  two  of  Mr.  Jones." 

On  hearing  of  the  outbreak.  General  Wool  sent 
additional  troops  and  the  regulars  and  volunteers 
carried  on  such  warfare  with  the  wily  Indians  as 
the  nature  of  the  country  would  permit.  But  the 
winter  season,  which  is  very  rainy  on  the  sound, 
and  the  dense  primeval  forest  that  covered  the  land, 
rendered  campaigning  against  an  elusive  enemy  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  and  unsatisfactory.  In  the  desul- 
tory fighting  which  followed  the  outbreak,  a  num- 


ber of  regulars  lost  their  lives,  among  them  the  gal- 
lant and  manly  Lieutenant  William  A.  Slaughter, 
and  though  losses  were  also  inflicted  upon  the  In- 
dians, little  was  accomplished  toward  the  winning 
of  a  permanent  peace. 

Upon  his  arrival,  Governor  Stevens,  with  his 
usual  vigor  and  resourcefulness,  set  about  the 
onerous  task  of  placing  the  territory  on  a  satisfac- 
tory war  footing.  He  contended  that  the  volunteers 
who  had  been  mustered  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States  had  been  treated  badly,  so  that  it 
was  proper  that  volunteers  thereafter  enlisted  should 
be  under  the  direction  of  the  territorial  authorities 
alone.  As  the  term  of  enlistment  of  those  volun- 
teers called  out  by  Acting-Governor  Mason  was 
about  to  expire,  he  issued  a  proclamation  calling 
for  six  companies,  reciting  as  the  occasion  for  his 
so  doing  that  "during  the  past  three  months  a  band 
of  hostile  Indians  had  been  spreading  alarm 
amongst  the  settlers  residing  on  Puget  sound,  mur- 
dering the  families,  destroying  property,  causing 
claims  to  be  abandoned,  and  preventing  the  usual 
avocations  of  the  farmer,  whereby  a  large  portion 
of  the  territory  had  become  deserted ;  and  positive 
want,  if  not  starvation,  stares  us  in  the  face  during 
the  coming  year." 

Three  days  after  this  proclamation  was  issued, 
an  event  happened  which  effectually  proved  that  the 
call  of  the  executive  was  not  unwarranted.  It  had 
been  impossible  for  the  hostile  Indians  to  secure  the 
co-operation  and  support  of  all  their  race  residing 
upon  the  sound,  many  remaining  friendly  to  the 
whites.  In  order  to  win  over  to  hostility  these 
friendly  and  neutral  tribes,  a  bold  move  was 
determined  upon  by  the  red  men  in  arms,  one 
"utterly  inexplicable,  considering  their  usual  mode 
of  warfare."  At  8 :30  o'clock  in  the  morning  an 
attack  was  made  on  the  town  of  Seattle,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  an  American  armed  vessel 
was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor.  All  day  long 
the  flring  continued.  Two  white  men  were  killed 
and  a  number  of  Indians,  just  how  many  could  not 
be  ascertained,  though  a  shell  from  the  United 
States  ship  (the  Decatur)  is  said  to  have  killed  five. 
The  Indians  were  not  successful  in  their  attempt 
to  seize  the  town.  Had  they  been,  "thereby  would 
have  been  settled  the  question  by  the  great  number 
of  Indians  upon  the  reservations  who  yet  doubted  as 
to  which  party  should  have  their  allegiance." 

The  defeat  on  White  river  of  the  hostile  chief. 
Leschi,  by  a  force  of  friendly  Indians  under  Pat- 
kanim  on  February  15th,  brought  the  war  practically 
to  a  close  in  the  vicinity  of  Seattle  and  the  White, 
Green  and  Snoqualmie  rivers.  Thereafter  the  scene 
of  hostilities  shifted  to  the  Nisqually  country,  where 
Ouiemuth  and  Stehi  were  in  command  of  the  Indian 
enemy.  Colonel  Casey,  of  the  regulars,  was  opposed 
to  them  and  Major  G.  Ha\s,  with  a  battalion  of 
volunteers,  was  ordered  to  the  scene  to  co-operate 
with  them.     March  10th  the  volunteers  had  a  battle 


INTRODUCTORY 


with  the  red  men  on  Connell's  prairie,  the  details 
of  which  were  reported  by  Hays  as  follows: 

At  about  eight  o'clock  this  morning.  Captain  White 
with  his  company  was  ordered  to  tlie  White  river  to  build 
a  blockhouse  and  ferry,  supported  by  Captain  Swindal  and 
ten  privates.  He  had  not  proceeded  more  than  half  a  mile 
from  the  camp  when  he  was  attacked  by  a  large  Indian 
force,  supposed  to  be  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty 
warriors  and  a  large  number  of  squaws.  I  immediately 
ordered  Captain  Henness  to  his  support  with  twenty  men. 
Captain  Henness  moved  with  great  rapidity,  a  tremendous 
volley  of  guns  announcing  his  arrival.  I  became  satisfied 
that  an  additional  force  was  necessary,  and  despatched 
Lieutenant  Martin,  of  Company  B,  with  fifteen  additional 
nten.  The  Indians  by  this  time  were  seen  extending  their 
flank  to  the  left  with  great  rapidity.  I  then  ordered  Lieu- 
tenant Van  Ogle,  Company  B,  with  fifteen  men  to  check 
their  flank  movement,  but  before  he  could  gain  a  position 
they  had  so  extended  their  line  as  to  make  it  necessary  to 
send  another  party  of  twelve  men  under  command  of 
Captain  Rabbeson,  Vho  succeeded  in  checking  them. 
The  fight  by  this  time  extended  the  whole  length  of  our 
line,  and  one  continuous  volley  could  be  heard  from  the 
Indian  gmis  on  the  hill  and  those  of  our  men  in  the  bottom. 
This  firing  continued  some  two  hours.  I  saw  the  advantage 
which  the  Indians  had  in  position,  and  determined  to 
charge  them.  I  ordered  Captain  Swindal  to  charge  them 
from  his  position,  which  was  central,  and  Captain  Rabbe- 
son to  make  a  simultaneous  move  against  their  extreme 
left,  while  Captain  Henness  and  Captain  White  were 
ordered   to   hold   the   position   which   they   occupied. 

This  order  was  promptly  obeyed  and  the  charge  made 
in  the  most  gallant  style  by  Captain  Swindal  against  their 
center,  and  Captain  Rabbeson  against  their  left,  through 
a  deep  slough,  driving  the  enemy  from  their  position  and 
pursuing  them  some  distance  in  their  fliglit.  Captain 
Rabbeson  returned  to  camp,  wliile  Captain  Swindal 
occupied  a  high  ridge  in  the  rear  of  the  main  body  of  the 
Indians.  I  ordered  Captain  Rabbeson  to  join  Captains 
Henness  and  White,  and  directed  Captain  Henness  to 
charge  the  Indians  if  he  deemed  it  advisable.  The  Indians 
in  front  of  Captains  White  and  Henness  were  in  strong 
position  behind  logs  and  trees  and  upon  an  elevation.  It 
was  deemed  too  dangerous  to  charge  them  in  front. 
Captain  Rabbeson  was  ordered  to  join  Captain  Swindal. 
make  a  flank  movement  to  the  right,  and  charge  the  enemy 
in  their  rear.  This  order  was  gallantly  obeyed.  Simul- 
taneously with  this  movement.  Captains  Henness  and 
White  charged  them  in  front.  The  Indians  were  routed 
and  were  pursued  for  a  mile  or  more  along  a  trail  covered 
with  blood.  It  is  believed  that  not  less  than  twenty-five 
or  thirty  were  killed  and  as  many  wounded.  Tliey  had 
been  seen  carrying  ofif  their  wounded  and  dead  from  the 
time  the  fight  commenced  until  it  terminated.  Withes  and 
.  ropes  were  found  on  the  ground  they  occupied,  which  had 
been  used  in  dragging  off  their  dead  into  the  brush.  Hats, 
blankets  and  shirts  were  picked  up  with  bullet  holes  in 
them  stained  with  blood.  They  were  forced  to  give  up 
their  drum,  which  they  abandoned  in  their  retreat.  But 
two  Indians  were  found  dead  on  the  field,  one  of  whom  was 
recognized  as  Chehalis  John.  The  other  was  placed  under 
a  log,  and  has  not  yet  been  examined.  The  Indians  had 
together  their  whole  force.  They  picked  their  own 
ground.  They  brought  on  the  attack  without  being  seen 
by  our  troops.  T  regard  the  victory  of  this  day  as  com- 
plete— a  grand  triumph.  They  exceeded  us  in  numbers 
nearly  if  not  quite  two  to  one,  and  we  whipped  and  drove 
them  before  us.  We  had  four  men  wounded,  all  of  whom 
will    soon   get   well. 

After  this  battle  the  Indians  on  the  sound  were 
never  again  brought  to  a  general  engagement, 
though  there  was  some  desultory  figliting.     On  the 


22<\  of  May,  Lieutenant-Colonel  B.  F.  Shaw,  who 
I  was  then  in  command  of  the  volunteers,  called  a 
council  of  his  officers  to  consider  the  advisability 
j  of  withdrawing  from  the  sound,  leaving  the  regu- 
'  lars  to  maintain  peace,  and  making  an  expedition 
I  into  the  Inland  Empire.     The  council  unanimously 
decided  in  favor  of  the  expedition,  giving  the  fol- 
lowing reasons  for  such  decision : 

"The  mounted  volunteers  having  crossed  the 
mountains,  the  necessity  of  protecting  the  settle- 
ments west  of  the  mountains  devolved  upon  the 
United  States  infantry  commanded  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Casey.  Should  the  volunteers  remain  west 
of  the  mountains,  they  assumed  that  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Casey  would  be  obliged  to  go  east  of  the 
mountains  and  to  join  Colonel  Wright,  and  that, 
while  infantry  were  best  adapted  to  the  service  west 
of  the  Cascades,  the  mounted  volunteers  could 
operate  in  the  regions  east.  The  Yakimas  were  the 
leading  element  of  the  hostile  party.  Their  main 
strength  must  be  broken  before  pursuing  individuals 
or  small  parties.  They  asserted  that  if  Colonel 
Wright  did  whip  the  hostiles  with  infantry,  he  could 
not  follow  them  after  a  fight.  If  the  volunteers 
remained  west  of  the  mountains,  they  were  power- 
less to  check  an  enemy  over  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  off.  The  volunteers  must  make  a  fight  before 
going  out  of  service.  Sufficient  troops  would  still 
remain  west  of  the  mountains  to  protect  the  settle- 
ments. It  was  necessary  that  depots  of  provisions 
should  be  established  in  the  Yakima  country  before 
the  winter.  The  Indians  west  of  the  mountains  had 
been  repeatedly  defeated ;  whilst  those  east  of  the 
mountains  had  never  been  checked." 

In  conformity  with  this  decision,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Shaw  set  out  over  the  Cascades,  via  the 
Naches  pass.  But  before  tracing  his  operations  on 
the  east  side  it  will  be  necessary  to  return  to  the 
Oregon  volunteers  whom  we  left  in  the  Walla  Walla 
country  and  review  their  further  fortunes  and  move- 
ments, as  also  those  of  Colonel  Wright  and  the  reg- 
ulars under  his  command.  Details  of  the  winter 
campaign  of  the  Oregon  volunteer  regiment  need 
not  be  given.  Much  effort  was  expended  in  dis- 
covering caches  of  provisions  and  otherwise  forag- 
ing for  supplies.  The  Indians  in  December  with- 
drew across  Snake  river,  whither  the  volunteers 
could  not  follow  them  for  want  of  boats.  But  in 
February  six  were  constructed  of  whip-sawed 
lumber  and  calked  with  pine  pitch,  and  in  these, 
transported  in  wagons  to  the  place  where  needed, 
the  regitnent  crossed  the  Snake  twenty-five  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Palouse,  dispersing  a  small 
band  of  hostiles  that  opposed  their  crossing,  and 
capturing  their  horses.  .\n  extensive  survey  of  the 
country  between  the  Palouse  and  Columbia  rivers 
was  made,  then  a  part  of  the  command  returned  to 
Walla  Walla,  but  the  main  body  under  Colonel 
Thomas  R.  Cornelius,  who  in  December  liad  suc- 
ceeded Colonel  Xesmith,  resigned,  moved  to  a  point 


THE    YAKIMA    WAR 


on  the  Columbia  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Yakima 
river.  CorneHus  was  delayed  somewhat  in  his  con- 
templated march  into  the  Yakima  country  by  lack 
of  supplies,  but  on  April  5th,  with  two  hundred  and 
forty-one  efficient  men,  he  started.  Next  day  on 
Canyon  creek  the  hostiles  were  met.  No  engage- 
ment took  place  that  night.  The  following  morning, 
however,  Captain  Hembree  with  a  small  detachment 
was  attacked  while  reconnoitering,  and  Hembree 
was  killed,  after  having  despatched  two  Indians,  the 
rest  of  the  squad  escaping  back  to  camp  and  giving 
the  alarm.  Major  Cornoyer  pursued  the  enemy, 
came  upon  them  toward  evening  in  a  fortified 
position,  charged  them  and  killed  six  of  their  num- 
ber. Thus  by  a  loss  of  eight  did  the  red  men  atone 
for  the  killing  and  subsequent  mutilation  of  Hem- 
bree. 

On  the  8th  the  command  set  out  towards  The 
Dalles.  While  encamped  in  the  Klickitat  valley  they 
lost  a  number  of  their  horses,  but  further  than  that 
experienced  no  reverses  en  route  and  inflicted  no 
damage  upon  the  Indians  except  the  killing  of  two. 
In  May  the  regiment  was  disbanded,  but  from  it 
was  formed  companies,  which,  however,  were  also 
mustered  out  in  August. 

We  turn  now  to  the  operations  of  the  regular 
troops  east  of  the  mountains,  during  the  year  1856. 
In  instructions  to  Colonel  George  Wright,  issued  in 
January,  General  Wool  directed  that  two  move- 
ments should  be  inaugurated  as  soon  as  climatic 
conditions  should  permit.  "Expeditions  should  be 
prepared,"  said  he,  "at  the  earliest  possible  moment; 
that  is,  as  soon  as  grass  can  be  obtained,  for  Walla 
Walla  and  the  Selah  fisheries.  As  the  snow  will 
not  allow  the  expedition  to  the  latter  so  early  by 
three  or  four  weeks,  the  one  to  the  former  will  be 
taken  as  soon  as  the  season  will  permit,  with  four 
or  five  companies  and  three  howitzers.  It  is  desir- 
able that  the  expedition  should  be  conducted  with 
reference  to  selecting  a  proper  position  for  a  post, 
and  to  ascertain  the  feelings  and  dispositions  of 
the  several  tribes  in  that  section  of  the  country.  I 
do  not  believe  they  will  continue  the  war  a  great 
while.  The  occupation  of  the  country  between  the 
Walla  Walla,  Touchet  and  Snake  rivers,  and  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Columbia,  will  very  soon  bring 
those  tribes  to  terms.  The  occupation  at  the  proper 
tirne  of  the  Yakima  country  from  the  Ahtanum 
mission,  and  that  on  the  river  above  and  below  the 
Selah  fishery,  will  compel  the  Yakimas,  I  think,  to 
sue  for  peace  or  abandon  their  country." 

It  was  such  instructions  as  these  that  occasioned 
the  unfriendly  criticism  of  the  people  of  the  North- 
vyest.  "Not  a  word,"  observed  Evans,  "as  to  chas- 
tising the  perfidious  murderers  of  our  citizens,  nor 
the  enforcement  of  the  treaties,  nor  for  the  punish- 
ment of  hostile  acts  which  had  destroyed  the  busi- 
ness of  the  country  and  retarded  its  settlement — not 
a  word  as  to  checking  raids  and  depredations  on 
isolated   settlers."     It   was   such   insulting   instruc- 


tions as  that  sent  to  Colonel  Wright  at  a  later 
date — "Should  you  find,  on  the  arrival  of  the  troops 
in  the  Cayuse  country,  that  a  company  is  neces- 
sary to  give  protection  to  the  Cayuse  Indians  from 
the  volunteers,  you  will  leave  a  company  there 
with  a  howitzer" — that  incited  the  positive  hostility 
of  feeling  of  the  people  toward  Wool. 

March  11th  Colonel  Wright  arrived  at  Fort 
Dalles.  By  the  -JOth,  he  was  ready  to,  and  on  that 
date  he  did,  start  for  the  Walla  Wa'lla  country.  The 
folly  of  General  Wool's  orders  became  at  once 
apparent.  Had  Wright  made  a  vigorous  movement 
against  the  ablest  leader  of  the  hostiles,  Kamiakin, 
as  he  doubtless  would  have  done  if  he  had  been 
mstructed  to  reduce  the  belligerent  Indians  to  sub- 
mission, the  Cascades  tragedy  would  not  have 
occurred.  But  the  forces  on  the  Columbia  had  been 
diminished  by  Wool's  directions,  two  of  the  three 
companies  at  Fort  Vancouver  having  been  sent  to 
Steilacoom  about  the  middle  of  March,  and  on  the 
24th  the  company  at  the  Cascades  having  been  sent 
away.  The  movement  of  Wright  up  the  Columbia 
to  The  Dalles  had  brought  it  about  that  a  large 
amount  of  stores  and  supplies  were  temporarily 
at  the  Cascades,  and  for  them  there  was  no  other 
protection  than  a  detachment  of  eight  men  under 
Sergeant  Matthew  Kelly.  The  watchful  Kamiakin 
was  fully  aware  of  the  conditions,  and  had  made 
preparations  accordingly. 

The  settlements  were  on  a  narrow  strip  of  bot- 
tom land  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river.  The  south 
bank  was  precipitous,  affording  no  opportunity  for 
settlement.  A  saw-mill  stood  near  the  upper  end 
of  the  portage;  a  little  below  were  a  number  of 
houses  and  shops,  among  which  was  the  store  of 
Bradford  &  Company.  Directly  in  front  of  this 
building's  site  is  an  island,  and  a  bridge  to  connect 
It  with  the  mainland  was  then  in  process  of  con- 
struction. The  Bradford  Brothers  had  been  for 
some  time  building  a  tramway  or  species  of  wooden 
railroad  between  the  upper'  and  lower  cascades. 
Upon  this  workmen  were  engaged  building  another 
bridge.  There  was  considerable  activity  in  the  little 
village,  whose  importance  the  Indian  war  opera- 
tions had  greatly  increased.  Two  steamers,  the 
Mary  and  the  Wasco,  lay  at  anchor  in  the  river  on 
that  eventful  March  morning,  the  quiet  industry 
of  which  was  to  be  so  rudely  disturbed. 

The  usual  activities  had  just  begun  when  the 
blood-curdling  savage  war  whoop  awoke  the  echoes. 
Then  came  the  sharp  reports  of  many  rifles  all  along 
the  line  of  the  settlements.  Fortunately  an  ex- 
tended account  of  the  attack  on  and  defense  of  the 
Bradford  store  by  one  who  was  present  and  saw 
what  he  narrated  has  been  preserved  for  later 
generations.  It  was  embodied  in  a  letter  by  Law- 
rence W.  Coe,  a  partner  of  the  Bradford  Brothers 
in  their  store,  to  Putnam  T.  Bradford,  who  was 
east  at  the  time : 


INTRODUCTORY 


On  Wednesday,  March  26th,  at  about  8:30  A.  M.,  after 
the  men  had  gone  to  their  work  on  the  two  bridges  of  the 
new  railway,  most  of  them  on  the  bridge  near  Bush's 
house,  the  Yakimas  came  down  on  us.  There  was  a  line 
about  us  from  Mill  creek  to  the  big  point  at  the  head  of  the 
falls,  firing  simultaneously  at  the  men ;  and  the  first  notice 
we  had  of  them  was  the  firing  and  crack  of  their  guns.  At 
the  first  fire,  one  of  our  men  was  killed  and  several  were 
wounded.  Our  men,  on  seeing  the  Indians,  all  ran  to  our 
store  through  a  shower  of  bullets,  except  three,  who  started 
down  the  stream  for  the  middle  blockhouse,  distant  one 
and  a  half  miles.  Bush  and  his  family  ran  to  our  store, 
leaving  his  own  house  vacant.  The  Watkins  family  came 
into  our  store,  after  a  Dutch  boy  (brother  of  Mrs.  Watkins) 
had  been  shot  in  the  house.  Watkins,  Finlay  and  Bailey 
were  at  work  on  the  new  warehouse  on  the  island,  around 
which  the  water  was  now  high  enough  to  run  about  three 
feet  deep  under  the  bridges.  There  was  grand  confusion 
in  the  store  at  first ;  and  Sinclair,  of  Walla  Walla,  going  to 
the  door  to  look  out,  was  shot  in  the  head  and  instantly 
killed.  Some  of  us  commenced  getting  guns  and  rifles, 
which  were  ready  loaded,  from  behind  the  counter.  For- 
tunately, about  an  hour  before,  there  had  been  left  with  us 
for  shipment  below  nine  government  muskets,  with  car- 
tridge boxes  and  ammunition.  These  saved  us.  As  the 
upper  story  of  the  house  was  abandoned.  Smith,  the  cook, 
having  come  below,  and  as  the  stairway  was  outside, 
where  we  dare  not  go.  the  stovepipe  was  hauled  down,  the 
hole  enlarged  with  axes,  and  a  party  of  men  crawled  up ; 
and  the  upper  part  of  the  house  was  secured. 

Our  men  soon  got  shots  at  the  Indians  on  the  bank 
above  us.  I  saw  Bush  shoot  an  Indian,  the  first  one  killed, 
who  was  drawing  a  bead  on  Mrs.  Watkins,  as  she  was  run- 
ning for  our  store.  He  dropped  instantly.  Alexander  and 
others  mounted  into  the  gable  under  our  roof ;  and  from 
there  was  done  the  most  of  our  firing,  as  it  was  the  best 
place  for  observation.  In  the  meantime,  we  were  barri- 
cading the  store,  making  loopholes  and  firing  when  oppor- 
tunity presented  itself.  I  took  charge  of  the  store,  Dan 
Bradford  of  the  second  floor,  and  Alexander  of  the  garret 
and  roof. 

The  steamer  Mary  was  lying  in  Mill  creek;  the  wind 
was  blowing  hard  down  stream.  Then  we  saw  Indians 
running  towards  her  and  heard  shots.  I  will  give  you  an 
account  of  the  attack  on  her  hereafter.  The  Indians  now 
returned  in  force  to  us ;  and  we  gave  everyone  a  shot  who 
showed  himself.  Tliey  were  nearly  naked,  painted  red 
and  had  gims  and  bows  and  arrows.  After  a  while,  Finlay 
came  creeping  around  the  lower  point  of  the  island  towards 
our  house.  We  halloed  to  him  to  lie  down  behind  a  rock; 
and  he  did  so.  He  called  that  he  could  not  get  to  the  store, 
as  the  bank  above  us  was  covered  with  Indians.  He  saw 
Watkins'  house  bum  while  there.  The  Indians  first  took 
out  everything  they  wanted, — blankets,  clothes,  guns,  etc. 
By  this  time  the  Indians  had  crossed  in  canoes  to  the 
island ;  and  we  saw  them  coming,  as  we  supposed,  after 
Finlay.  We  then  saw  Watkins  and  Bailey  running  around 
the  river  side  towards  the  place  where  Finlay  was,  and  the 
Indians  in  full  chase  after  them.  As  our  men  came  around 
the  point  in  full  view,  Bailey  was  shot  through  the  arm  and 
leg.  He  continued  on  and  plunging  into  the  river  swam 
to  the  front  of  our  store  and  came  in  safely,  except  for  his 
wounds.  Finlay  also  swam  across  and  got  in  unharmed, 
which  was  wonderful,  as  there  was  a  shower  of  bullets 
around   him. 

Watkins  came  next,  running  around  the  point ;  and  we 
called  to  him  to  lie  down  behind  the  rocks ;  but  before  he 
could  do  so  he  was  shot  through  the  wrist,  the  ball  going 
up  the  arm  and  out  above  the  elbow.  He  dropped  behind 
a  rock  just  as  the  pursuing  Indians  came  around  the  point; 
but  we  gave  them  so  hot  a  reception  from  our  house  that 
they  backed  out  and  left  poor  Watkins  where  he  lay.  We 
called  to  him  to  lie  still,  and  we  would  get  him  off;  but  we 
were  not  able  to  do  so  until  the  arrival  of  the  troops — two 
days  and  nights  afterwards.     During  this  time  he  fainted 


several  times  from  cold  and  exposure,  the  weather  being 
very  cold ;  and  he  was  stripped  down  to  the  underclothes 
for  swimming.  When  he  fainted  he  would  roll  down  the 
steep  bank  into  the  river;  and,  the  ice-cold  water  reviving 
him,  he  would  crawl  back  under  fire  to  his  retreat  behind 
the  rock.  Meantime  his  wife  and  children  were  in  the  store 
in  full  view,  and  moaning  piteously  at  his  situation.  He 
died   from  exhaustion  two  days  after  he  was   rescued. 

The  Indians  were  now  pitching  into  us  "right  smart." 
They  tried  to  burn  us  out — threw  rocks  and  fire  brands, 
hot  irons,  pitch  wood — everything  onto  the  roof  that  would 
burn.  But  as  the  bank  for  a  short  distance  back  of  the 
store  inclined  towards  us,  we  could  see  and  shoot  the 
Indians  who  appeared  there.  So  they  had  to  throw  for 
such  a  distance  that  the  largest  rocks  and  bundles  of  fire 
did  not  quite  reach  us ;  and  what  did  generally  rolled  off 
the  roof.  Sometimes  the  roof  caught  on  fire ;  and  we  cut 
it  out,  or  with  cups  of  brine  drawn  from  pork  barrels  put 
it  out,  or  with  long  sticks  shoved  off  the  fire-ball.  The 
kitchen  roof  troubled  us  the  most.  How  they  did  pepper 
us  with  rocks !  Some  of  the  biggest  ones  would  shake  the 
house    all    over. 

There  were  now  forty  men,  women  and  children  in 
the  house — four  women  and  eighteen  men  who  could  fight, 
and  eighteen  children  and  wounded  men.  The  steamer 
Wasco  was  on  the  Oregon  side  of  the  river.  We  saw  her 
steam  up  and  leave  for  The  Dalles.  Shortly  after  the 
steamer  Mary  also  left.  She  had  to  take  Atwell's  fence 
rails  for  wood.  So  passed  the  day,  during  which  the 
Indians  had  burned  Inman's  two  houses,  Bradford's  saw- 
mill and  houses,  and  the  lumber  yards  at  the  mouth  of 
Mill  creek.  At  daylight  they  set  fire  to  Bradford's  new 
warehouse  on  the  island,  making  it  as  light  as  day  around 
us.  They  did  not  attack  us  at  night,  but  on  the  second 
morning  commenced  again  lively  as  ever.  We  had  no 
water,  but  did  have  about  two  dozen  of  ale  and  a  few  bot- 
tles of  whiskey.  These  gave  out  during  the  day.  During 
the  niyht,  :i  .^pukime  Indian,  who  was  traveling  with  Sin- 
clair aii'l  w.is  m  tlic  store  with  us,  volunteered  to  get  a  pail 
of  wattr  from  the-  river.  I  consented,  and  he  stripped 
himself  naked,  jumped  out  and  down  the  bank,  and  was 
back  in  no  time.  We  weathered  it  out  during  the  day, 
every  man  keeping  his  post,  and  never  relaxing  his  vigi- 
lance. Every  moving  object,  bush,  shadow  or  suspicious 
thing  on  the  hillside  received  a  shot.  Night  came  again; 
we  saw  Sheppard's  house  burn.  Bush's  house  was  also 
fired,  and  kept  us  in  light  until  four  A.  M.,  when,  darkness 
returning,  I  sent  the  Spokane  Indian  for  water  from  the 
river;  he  filled  four  barrels.  He  went  to  and  fro  like  light- 
ning. He  also  slipped  poor  James  Sinclair's  body  down 
the   slide   outside,   as   the  corpse   was   quite   offensive. 

The  two  steamers  having  exceeded  the  length  of  time 
which  we  gave  them  to  return  from  The  Dalles,  we  made 
up  our  minds  for  a  long  siege,  until  relief  came  from 
below.  The  third  morning  dawned ;  and  lo !  the  Mary 
and  the  Wasco,  blue  with  soldiers,  and  towing  a  flatboat 
loaded  with  dragoon  horses,  hove  in  sight.  Such  a  halloa 
as  we  gave !  As  the  steamers  landed,  the  Indians  fired 
twenty  or  thirty  shots  into  them;  but  we  could  not  ascer- 
tain with  what  effect.  The  soldiers  as  they  got  ashore 
could  not  be  restrained,  and  plunged  into  the  woods  in 
every  direction ;  while  the  howitzers  sent  grape  after  the 
retreating  redskins.  The  soldiers  were  soon  at  our  doors; 
and  we  experienced  quite  a  feeling  of  relief  in  opening 
them. 

Now  as  to  the  attack  on  the  steamer  Mary  on  the  first 
day  of  the  fight.  She  lay  in  Mill  creek,  and  no  fires,  and 
wind  blowing  hard  ashore.  Jim  Thompson,  John  Woodard 
and  Jim  Herman  were  just  going  up  to  her  from  our  store 
when  they  were  fired  upon.  Herman  asked  if  they  had 
any  guns.  No.  He  went  on  up  to  Inman's  house ;  the  rest 
stayed  to  help  get  the  steamer  out.  Captain  Dan  Baugh- 
man  and  Thompson  were  on  shore,  hauling  on  lines  in  the 
upper  side  of  the  creek,  when  the  firing  of  the  Indians 
became  so  hot  that  they  ran   for  the  woods  past  Inman's 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


house.  The  fireman.  James  Lindsay,  was  shot  through 
the  shoulder.  Engineer  Buckminster  shot  an  Indian  with 
his  revolver  on  the  gang  plank,  and  little  Johnny  Chance 
went  climbing  up  on  the  hurricane  deck,  and  killed  his 
Indian  with  an  old  dragoon  pistol ;  but  he  was  shot  through 
the  leg  in  doing  so.  Dick  Turpin,  half  crazy,  probably, 
taking  the  only  gun  on  the  steamer,  jumped  into  a  flatboat 
alongside,  was  shot,  and  jumped  overboard  and  was 
drowned.  Fires  were  soon  started  under  the  boiler  and 
steam  was  rising.  About  this  time,  Jesse  Kempton,  shot 
while  driving  an  ox  team  from  the  mill,  got  on  board ;  also 
a  halflireed  named  Bourbon,  who  was  shot  through  the 
body,  .^ftcr  sufficient  steam  to  move  was  raised,  Hardin 
Chenowcth  ran  up  into  the  pilot  house,  and,  lying  on  the 
floor,  turned  tlie  wlioel  a-:  he  was  directed  from  the  lower 
deck.  It  is  alni...t  ii,,(llr-x  t(.  say  that  the  pilot  house  was 
a  target  for  tlic  Inili.m-  I'he  steamer  picked  up  Herman 
on  the  bank  alinvf.  luinan's  family,  Sheppard  and  Van- 
derpool  all  got  across  the  river  in  skiffs,  and  boarding  the 
Mary  were  taken  to  The  Dalles. 

In  the  same  letter  Mr.   Coe  thus  narrates  the 

incidents   of  the   attack   which   was   made   on  the 

Lower  Cascades  simultaneously  with  that  on  the 
store : 

George  Johnson  was  about  to  get  a  boat's  crew  of 
Indians,  when  Indian  Jack  came  running  to  him,  saying 
that  the  Yakimas  had  attacked  the  blockhouse.  He  did 
not  believe  it,  although  he  heard  the  cannon.  He  went  up 
to  the  Indian  village  on  the  sandbar  to  get  his  crew,  and 
saw  some  of  the  Cascade  Indians,  who  said  they  thought 
the  Yakimas  had  come ;  and  George,  now  hearing  the 
muskets,  ran  for  home.  E.  W.  Baughman  was  with  him. 
Bill  Murphy  had  left  the  blockhouse  early  for  the  Indian 
camp,  and  had  nearly  returned  before  he  saw  the  Indians 
or  was  shot  at.  He  returned,  two  others  with  him.  and 
ran  for  George  Johnson's,  with  about  thirty  Indians  in 
chase.  After  reaching  Johnson's.  Murphy  continued  on 
and  gave  Hamilton  and  all  below  warning;  and  the  fami- 
lies embarked  in  small  boats  for  Vancouver.  The  men 
would  have  barricaded  in  the  warehouse,  but  for  want  of 
ammunition.  There  was  considerable  government  freight 
in  the  wharf  boat.  They  stayed  about  the  wharf  boat  and 
schooner  nearly  all  day,  and  until  the  Indians  commenced 
firing  upon  them  from  the  zinc-house  on  the  bank.  They 
then  shoved  out.  Tommy  Pierce  was  shot  through  the  leg 
in  getting  the  boats  into  the  stream.  Floating  down,  they 
met  the  steamer  Belle  with  Sheridan  and  forty  men.  sent  up 
on  report  of  an  express  carried  down  by  Indian  Simpson  in 
the  morning.  George  and  those  with  him  went  on  board 
the  steamer  and  volunteered  to  serve  under  Sheridan,  who 
landed  at  George's  place  and  found  everything  burned. 

The  timely  warning  by  Indian  Jack  enabled  all 
the  people  to  escape  with  their  lives,  though  the 
houses  were  burned  and  much  government  property 
destroyed. 

But  how  fared  the  middle  blockhouse,  com- 
monly known  as  Fort  Rains?  As  heretofore 
stated  there  were  at  this  place  eight  soldiers  under 
Sergeant  Kelly.  The  commander  of  this  squad 
had  been  warned  the  day  previous  that  Indians  in 
the  vicinity  were  acting  suspiciously  but  gave  the 
matter  no  serious  attention.  When  the  attack  came, 
the  members  of  the  detachment  were  quite  widely 
scattered  and  one  of  the  number,  Frederick  Ber- 
naur,  had  gone  to  the  Upper  Cascades  for  a  can- 
teen of  whiskey.  This  man,  on  attempting  to  re- 
turn, was  shot  through  both  legs,  but  managed  to 


keep  himself  concealed,  supporting  his  failing- 
strength  with  the  whiskey  until  night,  when  he  stole 
into  the  blockhouse.  The  others,  as  soon  as  the 
truth  became  known,  rushed  for  the  protection  of 
the  fortification,  and  all  reached  it  except  Lawrence 
Rooney,  who  was  captured  by  the  Indians.  The 
few  families  in  the  vicinity  of  the  blockhouse  also 
sought  its  protection,  but  were  not  so  fortunate, 
several  of  their  number  being  severely  wounded  in 
crossing  the  line  of  Indian  fire.  "We  had,"  said 
Sergeant  Robert  Williams  in  his  narrative  of  the 
attack,  "seven  wounded  and  three  killed.  Among 
the  latter  was  Mr.  Griswold,  who  might  have  es- 
caped his  death  but  for  his  overconfidence  in  the 
friendliness  of  the  Indians  toward  him.  The  Ger- 
man boy,  Kyle,  mentioned  in  Mr.  Coe"s  narrative. 
was  killed  while  riding  on  horseback  down  the  road 
on  the  hill  in  front  of  us.  The  Indian  that  shot  him 
stood  by  the  side  of  a  tree  close  to  the  road,  his  gun 
almost  reaching  to  the  poor  boy,  who  fell  instantly 
upon  being  shot. 

"Tom  McDowell  and  Jehu  Switzler  and  another 
man  to  me  before  unknown,  were  on  their  way 
from  the  Upper  to  the  Lower  Cascades,  but  before 
they  had  proceeded  far  they  discovered  hostile 
Indians.  Being  themselves  unarmed,  they  made  a 
desperate  effort  to  reach  the  blockhouse,  which 
they  did  in  safety.  They  proved  to  our  small  force 
a  valuable  acquisition.  The  three  gallantly  aided 
us  during  the  defense.  After  they  had  got  in,  the 
door  was  tnade  secure  by  a  bolt,  and  then  a  strong 
chain  was  drawn  tight  across.  That  being  com- 
pleted, we  gave  our  savage  enemy  a  treat  of  canister 
shot,  fourteen  rounds  in  all,  from  our  six-pounder 
gun,  after  which  they  precipitately  retired.  But  we 
still,  while  in  reach,  presented  them  with  a  few 
shells.  They  retired  back  of  the  hills,  out  of  range 
of  our  guns,  to  torture  and  put  to  a  horrible  death 
our  unfortunate  comrade  (Lawrence  Rooney), 
whom  they  had  captured.  We  could  not  see  them 
at  it,  but  we  heard  his  piercing  screams.  After  they 
had  accomplished  this  last  inhuman  and  diabolical 
cruelty,  the  main  portion  left  and  went  to  the  lower 
landing." 

The  second  day  the  Indians  returned  to  the 
siege.  The  men  in  the  blockhouse  were  thus  pre- 
vented from  getting  water,  of  which  the  wounded 
especially  were  in  dire  need.  Their  necessities  were 
relieved  by  the  gallantry  of  Sergeant  Williams  and 
William  Houser,  who  made  their  way  to  a  saloon 
near  by  and  succeeded  in  procuring  some  potables, 
but  no  water,  also  a  small  box  of  crackers.  Next 
morning,  the  third  day  after  the  attack,  relief  came. 

The  movements  by  which  the  horrible  siege  at 
the  Cascades  was  raised  must  now  receive  brief 
treatment.  The  beleaguered  people  managed  to 
send  an  express  to  Colonel  Wright,  who  had  pro- 
ceeded a  few  miles  on  his  wav  to  the  Walla  Walla 
country,  apprising  him  of  what  was  happening  in 
the  rear.     He  forthwith  turned  back.     Word  also 


INTRODUCTORY 


reached  Vancouver,  conveyed  by  fugitives  from  the 
Lower  Cascades,  and  soon  Lieutenant  Philip  Sheri- 
dan, who  later  immortalized  his  name  in  the  Civil 
War,  was  sent  to  the  rescue  with  forty  men.  He 
descended  the  river  in  the  steamer  Belle,  reached 
the  Lower  Cascades  early  in  the  morning  of  the 
27th,  disembarked  the  men  at  a  convenient  place 
and  sent  the  steamer  back  for  volunteer  assistance. 
It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  two  volunteer  com- 
panies were  equipped  in  Portland  and  Vancouver 
and  came  to  the  scene,  but  were  unable  to  engage 
actively  in  any  conflict.  Sheridan's  position,  after 
landing,  was  such  that  he  could  not  advance  upon 
the  Indians  in  his  front  without  crossing  over  a 
narrow  neck  of  ground.  He  soon  learned  that  the 
foe  was  on  this  narrow  strip  also. 

"After  getting  well  in  hand  everything  con- 
nected with  my  little  command,"  says  Sheridan,  "I 
advanced  with  five  or  six  men  to  the  edge  of  a 
growth  of  underbrush  to  make  a  reconnoissance. 
We  stole  along  under  cover  of  this  underbrush  until 
we  reached  the  open  ground  leading  over  the  cause- 
way or  narrow  neck  before  mentioned,  when  the 
enemy  opened  fire  and  killed  a  soldier  near  my  side 
by  a  shot  which  just  grazed  the  bridge  of  my  nose, 
struck  him  in  the  neck,  opening  an  artery  and 
breaking  the  spinal  cord.  He  died  instantly.  The 
Indians  at  once  made  a  rush  for  the  body,  but  my 
men  in  the  rear,  coming  quickly  to  the  rescue,  drove 
them  back;  and  Captain  Dall's  gun  (a  cannon  bor- 
rowed from  an  ocean  steamer)  being  now  brought 
into  play,  many  solid  shot  were  thrown  into  the 
jungle  where  they  lay  concealed,  with  the  effect  of 
considerably  moderating  their  impetuosity.  Fur- 
ther skirmishing  at  long  range  took  place  at  inter- 
vals during  the  day,  but  with  little  gain  or  loss, 
however,  to  either  side,  for  both  parties  held  posi- 
tions which  could  not  be  assailed  in  flank,  and  only 
the  extreme  of  rashness  in  either  could  prompt  a 
front  attack.  My  left  was  protected  by  the  back- 
water driven  into  the  slough  by  the  high  stage  of 
the  river,  and  my  right  rested  securely  on  the  main 
stream.  Between  us  was  the  narrow  neck  of  land, 
to  cross  which  would  be  certain  death.  The  posi- 
tion of  the  Indians  was  almost  the  counterpart  of 
ours." 

Both  belligerents  remained  in  their  respective 
positions  all  day  and  all  night,  but  Sheridan  had  in 
the  meantime  conceived  the  plan  of  crossing  the 
command  in  a  bateau,  which  he  had  brought  with 
him,  to  the  south  side  of  the  Columbia,  make  his 
way  up  the  mountain's  base  to  a  point  opposite  the 
middle  blockhouse,  cross  there  to  the  north  bank 
and  endeavor  to  get  to  the  rear  of  the  Indian  posi- 
tion. How  this  hazardous  plan  was  executed  is 
best  told  in  Sheridan's  own  language: 

"On  the  morning  of  the  28th  the  savages  were 
still  in  my  front,  and,  after  giving  them  some  solid 
shot  from  Captain  Ball's  gun,  we  slipped  down  to 
the  river  bank  and  the  detachment  crossed  bv  means 


of  the  Hudson's  Bay  boat,  making  a  landing  on  the 
opposite  shore  at  a  point  where  the  south  channel  of 
the  river,  after  flowing  around  Bradford's  island, 
joins  the  main  stream.  It  was  then  about  nine 
o'clock  and  everything  thus  far  proceeded  favora- 
bly. But  an  examination  of  the  channel  showed 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  get  the  boat  up  the 
rapids  along  the  mainland,  and  that  success  could 
only  be  assured  by  crossing  the  south  channel  just 
below  the  rapids  to  the  island,  along  the  shore  of 
which  there  was  every  probability  we  could  pull  the 
boat  through  the  rocks  and  swift  water  until  the 
head  of  the  rapids  was  reached,  from  which  point 
to  the  blockhouse  there  was  swift  water. 

"Telling  the  men  of  the  embarrassment  in  which 
I  found  myself,  and  that,  if  I  could  get  enough  of 
them  to  man  the  boat  and  pull  it  up  the  stream  by  a 
rope  to  the  shore,  we  would  cross  to  the  island  and 
make  the  attempt,  all  volunteered  to  go,  but  as  ten 
men  seemed  sufficient,  I  selected  that  number  to 
accompany  me.  Before  starting,  however,  I 
deemed  it  prudent  to  find  out  if  possible  what  was 
engaging  the  attention  of  the  Indians,  who  had  not 
yet  discovered  that  we  had  left  their  front.  I 
therefore  climbed  up  the  abrupt  mountain  side 
which  skirted  the  water's  edge,  until  I  could  see 
across  the  island.  From  this  point  I  observed  the 
Indians  running  horse-races  and  otherwise  enjoying 
tliemselves  behind  the  line  they  had  held  against  me 
the  day  before.  The  squaws  decked  out  in  gay 
colors,  and  the  men  gaudily  dressed  in  war  bonnets, 
made  the  scene  very  attractive,  but,  as  everything 
looked  propitious  for  the  dangerous  enterprise  in 
hand,  I  spent  but  little  time  in  watching  them  and 
quickly  returning  to  the  boat,  I  crossed  to  the  island 
with  my  ten  men,  threw  ashore  the  rope  attached  to 
the  bow  and  commenced  the  difficult  task  of  pulling 
her  up  the  rapids.  We  got  along  slowly  at  first,  but 
soon  striking  a  camp  of  old  squaws,  who  had  been 
left  on  the  island  for  safety  and  had  not  gone  over 
to  the  mainland  to  see  the  races,  we  utilized  them  to 
our  advantage.  With  unmistakable  threats  and 
signs,  we  made  them  not  only  keep  quiet,  but  also 
give  us  much-needed  assistance  in  pulling  vigor- 
ously on  the  tow-rope  of  our  boat. 

"I  was  laboring  under  a  dreadful  strain  of 
mental  anxiety  during  all  this  time,  for  had  the 
Indians  discovered  what  we  were  about,  they  could 
easily  have  come  over  to  the  island  in  their  canoes, 
and  by  forcing  us  to  take  up  our  arms  to  repel  their 
attack,  doubtless  would  have  obliged  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  boat,  and  that  essential  adjunct  to  the 
final  success  of  my  plan  would  have  gone  down  the 
rapids.  Indeed,  under  such  circumstances,  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  ten  men  to  hold  out  against 
the  two  or  three  hundred  Indians ;  but  the  island 
forming  an  excellent  screen  to  our  movements,  we 
were  not  discovered,  and  when  we  reached  the 
smooth  water  at  the  upper  end  of  the  rapids,  we 
quickly  crossed  over  and  joined  the  rest  of  the  men 


THE    YAKIMA    WAR 


who  in  the  meantime  had  worked  their  way  along 
the  south  bank  of  the  river  parallel  with  us.  I  felt 
very  grateful  to  our  old  squaws  for  the  assistance 
they  rendered.  They  worked  well  under  compul- 
sion and  manifested  no  disposition  to  strike  for 
higher  wages.  Indeed,  I  was  so  much  relieved 
when  we  had  crossed  over  from  the  island  and 
joined  the  rest  of  the  party,  that  I  mentally  thanked 
the  squaws,  one  and  all.  I  had  much  difficulty  in 
keeping  the  men  on  the  main  shore  from  cheering 
at  our  success,  but  hurriedly  taking  into  the  bateau 
all  of  them  it  would  carry.  I  sent  the  balance  along 
the  south  bank,  where  the  railroad  is  now  built, 
until  both  detachments  arrived  at  a  point  opposite 
the  blockhouse,  when,  crossing  to  the  north  bank,  I 
landed  below  the  blockhouse  some  little  distance 
and  returned  the  boat  for  the  balance  of  the  men, 
who  joined  me  in  a  few  minutes." 

Hardly  had  Sheridan  landed  and  effected  com- 
munication with  the  beleaguered  blockhouse,  when 
the  advance  of  Wright's  returning  command  under 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Edward  J.  Steptoe  arrived.  .\ 
conference  between  Sheridan  and  Steptoe  resulted 
in  the  former's  being  sent  with  a  reinforcement  to 
the  island  he  had  just  left  to  capture  the  Cascade 
Indians,  who,  it  was  thought,  would  flee  to  the 
island,  while  the  Yakimas  would  retreat  into  the 
interior  of  their  own  country.  .\s  expected,  the 
Yakimas  and  Klickitats  fled  precipitately  on  the  ap- 
proach of  Steptoe's  command,  and  the  Cascades, 
deserted  by  their  quondam  allies,  fell  into  the  power 
of  Sheridan.  Some  of  them  were  tried  by  military 
commission,  tieing  under  treaty,  they  were  ad- 
judged guilty  of  treason  in  fighting  and  nine  were 
summarily  hanged.  The  remainder  of  the  Cascades 
were  kept  on  the  island  under  military  surveillance. 

-April  28th  Colonel  Wright  with  five  companies 
started  into  the  Yakima  country,  and  camping  on 
the  Xaches  river  on  the  18th  of  May,  he  remained 
there  about  a  month.  He  was  visited  at  intervals 
by  chiefs  professing  a  desire  for  peace,  but  the 
Indian  plan  was  to  affect  to  have  two  parties,  one 
wishing  hostilities  to  cease,  the  other  advocating 
the  continuance  of  the  war.  Their  strategy  con- 
sisted in  the  use  of  dilatory  tactics,  playing  one  party 
m  their  own  ranks  against  another  and  making 
representations,  true  or  false,  which  would  stay 
the  hand  of  their  opponent  until  they  could  collect 
sui)p!ies.     In  this  they  succeeded  admirably. 

"The  history  of  Wright's  operations,  as  given  in 
his  reports,"  writes  ■Mrs.  Mctor,  "shows  a  summer 
spent  in  trailing  Indians  from  place  to  place,  from 
fishery  to  fishery,  and  over  mountains  before 
thought  impassable  for  troops,  dragging  after  them 
their  season's  supplies  and  accomplishing  nothing 
but  to  collect  the  noncombatants  of  the  disafi'ected 
tribes  upon  a  reservation  in  Oregon,  where  they 
were  secure  from  the  turmoil  of  war  and  at  liberty 
to  spy  on  either  side." 

.As  before  stated,   Lieutenant-Colonel   Shaw,  of 


the  Washington  volunteers,  started  for  the  Walla 
Walla  country  early  in  June.  Arriving  at  the 
Yakima  country  while  Wright  was  there,  he  offered 
to  co-operate  with  the  regulars,  which  offer  was 
declined.  He  therefore  continued  his  march  to  the 
Columbia  at  a  point  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Uma- 
tilla river.  Seventy-five  men  of  his  command,  under 
Captain  Goif,  had  been  sent  to  co-operate  with 
Major  Layton,  of  the  Oregon  volunteers,  in  raiding 
the  John  Day  country.  By  capturing  horses  and 
supplies,  these  forces  compelled  many  Indians,  some 
of  whom  were  supposed  to  be  hostile  and  some  who 
might  at  any  time  be  induced  to  become  so,  to  seek 
.the  protection  of  the  Warm  Springs  reservation. 

Acting  upon  Governor  Stevens'  instructions  to 
"spare  no  exertion  to  reduce  to  unconditional  sub- 
mission any  hostiles  within  reach."  Colonel  Shaw 
determined  to  attack  a  force  of  the  enemy  whom  he 
ascertained  to  be  encamped  in  the  Grand  Ronde 
valley.  Pushing  rapidly  over  the  mountains,  he 
encountered  the  hostiles  July  ITth,  and  in  a  decisive 
battle  drove  them  as  fugitives  in  every  direction. 
The  story  of  this  fight  is  vividly  told  by  the  colonel 
himself  in  the  follow'ing  language : 

We  arrived  in  the  Grande  Ronde  valley  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  16th  and  camped  on  a  branch  of  the  Grande 
Ronde  river  in  the  timber,  sending  spies  in  advance,  who 
returned  and  reported  no  fresh  signs.  On  the  morning  of 
the  ITth,  leaving  Major  Blankenship.  of  the  central,  and 
Captain  Miller,  of  the  southern  battalion,  assisted  by  Cap- 
tain DeLacy,  to  take  up  the  line  of  march  for  the  main 
valley,  I  proceeded  ahead  to  reconnoiter,  accompanied  by 
Major  Maxon,  Michael  Marchmean,  Captain  John  and 
Doctor  Burns.  After  proceeding  about  five  miles  we 
ascended  a  knoll  in  the  valley,  from  which  we  discovered 
dust  rising  along  the  timber  of  the  river.  I  immediately 
sent  Major  Maxon  and  Captain  John  forward  to  recon- 
noiter and  returned  to  hurry  up  the  command,  which  was 
not  far  distant.  The  command  was  instantly  formed  in 
order ;  Captain  Miller's  company  in  advance,  supported  by 
Maxon's,  Henness'  and  Powell's  companies,  leaving  the 
pack  train  in  charge  of  the  guard  under  Lieutenant  Good- 
man, with  a  detachment  of  Goff's  company,  under  Lieu- 
tenant Wait,  and  Lieutenant  Williams'  company  in  reserve 
with  orders  to  follow  on  after  the  command. 

The  whole  command  moved  on  quietly  in  this  order 
until  within  one-half  mile  of  the  Indian  village,  when  we 
discovered  that  the  pack  train  had  moved  to  the  left,  down 
the  Grande  Ronde  river.  At  this  moment  a  large  body 
of  warriors  came  forward  singing  and  whooping,  and  one 
of  them  waving  a  white  man's  scalp  on  a  pole.  One  of 
them  signified  a  desire  to  speak,  whereupon  I  sent  Cap- 
tain John  to  meet  him,  and  formed  the  command  in  line  of 
battle.  When  Captain  John  came  up  to  the  Indians  they 
cried  out  one  to  another  to  shoot  him,  whereupon  he 
retreated  to  the  command  and  I  ordered  the  four  compa- 
nies to  charge. 

The  design  of  the  enemy  evidently  was  to  draw  us 
into  the  brush  along  the  river,  where  from  our  exposed 
position  they  would  have  the  advantage,  they  no  doubt 
having  placed  an  ambush  there.  To  avoid  this  I  charged 
down  the  river  toward  the  pack  train.  The  warriors  then 
split,  part  going  across  the  river  and  part  down  toward  the 
pack  train.  These  were  soon  overtaken  and  engaged.  The 
charge  was  vigorous  and  so  well  sustained  that  they  were 
broken,  dispersed  and  slain  before  us.  After  a  short  time 
I  sent  Captain  Miller  to  the  left  and  Major  Maxon  to  the 
right ;  tlie  latter  to  cross  the   stream  and  to  cut  them  off 


INTRODUCTORY 


from  a  point  near  which  a  large  body  of  warriors  had  col- 
lected, apparently  to  fight,  while  I  moved  forward  with  the 
commands  of  Captain  Henness  and  Lieutenant  Powell  to 
attack  them  in  front.  The  major  could  not  cross  the  river, 
and  on  our  moving  forward  the  enemy  fled  after  firing  a 
few  guns,  part  taking  to  the  left  and  part  continuing  for- 
ward. 

Those  who  took  to  the  left  fell  in  with  Captain  Miller's 
company,  who  killed  five  on  the  spot,  and  the  rest  were 
not  less  successful  in  the  pursuit,  which  was  continued  to 
the  crossing  of  the  river,  where  the  enemy  had  taken  a 
stand  to  defend  the  ford.  Being  here  rejoined  hy  Captain 
Miller  and  by  Lieutenant  Curtis,  with  part  of  Ma.xon's  com- 
pany, we  fired  a  volley  and  I  ordered  a  charge  across  the 
river,  which  was  gallantly  executed.  In  doing  this  Pri- 
vate Shirley,  ensign  of  Henness'  company,  who  was  in 
front,  was  wounded  in  the  face.  Several  of  the  enemy 
were  killed  at  this  point.  We  continued  the  pursuit  until 
the  enemy  had  reached  the  rocky  canyons  leading  toward 
the  Powder  river,  and  commenced  scattering  in  every 
direction,  when,  finding  that  I  had  but  five  men  with  me 
and  the  rest  of  the  command  scattered  in  the  rear,  most  of 
the  horses  being  completely  e.xhausted,  I  called  a  halt  and 
fell  back,  calculating  to  remount  the  men  on  the  captured 
horses  and  continue  the  pursuit  after  night. 

I  found  the  pack  train,  guard  and  reserve  encamped  on 
a  small  creek  not  far  from  the  crossing,  as  I  had  previously 
ordered,  and  learned  that  a  body  of  the  enemy  had  fol- 
lowed them  up  all  day  and  annoyed  them  but  had  inflicted 
no  damage  beyond  capturing  many  of  the  animals  which 
we  had  taken  in  charge  and  left  behind. 

I  learned  also  that  Major  Maxon  had  crossed  the  river 
with  a  small  party  and  was  engaged  with  the  enemy  and 
wanted  assistance.  I  immediately  despatched  a  detach- 
ment under  Lieutenants  Williams' and  Wait,  sending  the 
man  who  brought  the  information  back  with  them  as  a 
guide.  They  returned  after  dark  without  finding  the 
major,  but  brought  in  one  of  his  men  whom  they  found  hi 
the  brush  and  who  stated  that  one  of  the  major's  men  was 
killed  and  that  the  last  he  saw  of  them  they  were  fighting 
with  the  Indians.  At  daylight  I  sent  out  Captain  Miller 
with  seventy  men.  who  scouted  around  the  whole  valley 
without  finding  him,  but  who  unfortunately  had  one  mail 
killed  and  another  wounded  whilst  pursuing  some  Indians. 
I  resolved  to  remove  camp  the  next  day  to  the  head  of  the 
valley,  where  the  emigrant  trail  crosses  it,  and  continue 
the  search  until  we  became  certain  of  their  fate.  The 
same  evening  I  took  sixty  men,  under  Captain  Henness,  and 
struck  up  on  the  mountains  and  crossed  the  heads  of  the 
canyons  to  see  if  I  could  not  strike  his  trail.  Finding  no 
sign,  I  returned  to  the  place  where  the  major  had  last 
been  seen,  and  there  made  search  in  different  directions 
and  finally  found  the  body  of  one  of  his  men  (Toolev)  and 
where  the  major  had  encamped  in  the  brush.  From  other 
signs  it  became  evident  to  me  that  the  major  had  returned 
to  this  post  by  the  same  trail  by  which  we  first  entered  the 
valley. 

Being  nearly  out  of  provisions,  and  unable  to  follow 
the  Indians  from  this  delay,  I  concluded  to  return  to  camp, 
recruit  for  another  expedition  in  conjunction  with  Captain 
Gofif.  who  had.  I  presume,  returned  from  his  expedition 
to  the  John  Day  river. 

I  should  have  mentioned  previously  that  in  the  charge 
the  command  captured  and  afterward  destroyed  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  horse  loads  of  lacamas,  dried  beef,  tents, 
some  flour,  coffee,  sugar  and  about  one  hundred  pounds  of 
ammunition  and  a  great  quantity  of  tools  and  kitchen  fur- 
niture. We  took  also  about  two  hundred  horses,  most  of 
which  were  shot,  there  being  about  one  hundred  service- 
able animals. 

There  was  present  on  the  ground  from  what  I  saw. 
and  from  information  received  from  two  squaws  taken 
prisoner,  about  three  hundred  warriors  of  the  Cayuse, 
Walla  Walla,  Umatilla,  Tyh,  John  Day  and  Des  Chutes 
tribes,  commanded  by  the  following  chiefs :    Stock  Whitley 


and  Simmistastas,  Des  Chutes  and  Tyh;  Chickiah,  Plyon, 
Wicecai,  Watahstuartih,  Winmiswot.  Cayuses ;  Talikin, 
Cayuse,  the  son  of  Peo-peo-mox-mox ;  Walla  Walla  and 
other  chiefs  of  less   note. 

The  whole  command,  officers  and  men,  behaved  well. 
The  enemy  was  run  on  the  gallop  fifteen  miles,  and  most 
of  those  who  fell  were  shot  with  a  revolver.  It  is  impossi- 
ble to  state  how  many  of  the  enemy  were  killed.  Twenty- 
seven  bodies  were  counted  by  one  individual,  and  many 
others  were  known  to  have  fallen  and  been  left,  but  were 
so  scattered  about  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  count  of 
them.  When  to  these  we  add  those  killed  by  Major 
Maxon's  command  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  we  may 
safely  conclude  that  at  least  fort}'  of  the  enemy  were  slain 
and  many  went  oflf  wounded.  When  we  left  the  valley 
there  was  not  an  Indian  in  it  and  all  signs  went  to  show 
that  they  had  gone  a  great  distance   from  it. 

On  the  21st  instant  we  left  the  valley  by  the  emigrant 
road  and  commenced  our  return  to  camp.  During  the 
night  Lieutenant  Hunter,  of  the  Washington  territory 
volunteers,  came  into  camp  with  an  express  from 
Captain  Got?.  I  learned  to  my  surprise  that  the  captain 
and  Major  Layton  had  seen  Indians  on  John  Day's  river, 
had  followed  them  over  to  Burnt  river  and  had  a  fight  with 
them,  in  which  Lieutenant  Eustus  and  one  private  were 
killed,  and  some  seven  Indians.  They  were  shaping  their 
course  for  the  Grande  Ronde  valley,  and  had  sent  for 
provisions  and  fresh  horses.  I  immediately  sent  Lieuten- 
ant Williams  back  with  all  my  spare  provisions  and  horses 
and  continued  my  march.  On  Wild  Horse  creek  I  came 
across  Mr.  Fites,  a  pack  master  who  had  been  left  in  camp, 
who  informed  me.  to  my  extreme  satisfaction,  that  Major 
Maxon  and  his  command  had  arrived  safe  in  camp  and 
were  then  near  us  with  provisions  and  ammunition.  These 
I  sent  on  immediately  to  Captain  Gofif.  I  learned  that 
Major  Maxon  had  been  attacked  in  the  valley  by  a  large 
force  of  Indians  'on  the  day  of  the  fight :  had  gained  the 
brush  and  killed  many  of  them;  that  at  night  he  tried  to 
find  our  camp,  and  hearing  a  noise  like  a  child  crying, 
probably  one  of  the  captured  squaws,  had  concluded  that 
my  command  had  gone  on  to  Powder  river  and  that  the 
Indians  had  returned  to  the  valley  by  another  canyon.  He 
moved  his  position  that  night  and  the  next  day  saw  the 
scout  looking  for  him.  but  in  the  distance  thought  that  it 
was  a  band  of  Indians  hunting  his  trail.  Conceiving  him- 
self cut  off  from  the  command,  he  thought  it  best  to  return 
to  this  camp,  thinking  that  we  would  he  on  our  way  back 
to  Grande  Ronde  with  provisions  and  ammunition. 

Meanwhile  Governor  Stevens  was  making  every 
effort  to  sustain  the  friendly  faction  of  the  Nez 
Perces  under  Lawyer,  and  in  this  he  was  receiving 
the  hearty  co-operation  of  William  Craig,  a  white 
man  who  had  been  adopted  into  the  tribe.  In  Gov- 
ernor Stevens'  opinion  an  important  incident  in 
preserving  the  friendship  of  the  Nez  Perces  was 
the  holding  of  the  Walla  Walla  valley.  He 
seems  to  have  determined  to  follow'  up  the  moral 
advantage  gained  by  Shaw's  victory  by  holding  a 
council  with  all  the  Indians,  friendly,  neutral  and 
hostile,  whom  he  could  induce  to  meet  him  in  the 
Walla  Walla  country.  Wishing  to  present  a  solid 
front  against  the  Indians  he  endeavored  strenuously 
to  secure  the  hearty  co-operation  of  the  regulars. 
He  accordingly  held  a  conference  with  Wright  at 
Vancouver,  at  which  he  learned  that  the  colonel 
could  not  be  present  in  person  at  the  council  but 
would  send  Lieutenant-Colonel  Steptoe  with  four 
companies  to  reach  the  scene  in  time.  Everything 
seemed  propitious  for  a  friendly  co-operation.     The 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


regular  officers  were,  however,  acting  with  duplic- 
ity, for  they  had  received  orders  from  General  Wool 
such  as  would  prevent  any  real  co-operation  with 
Stevens. 

At  the  close  of  his  pow-wow  campaign  in  the 
Yakima  country,  Wright,  having  failed  to  find  any 
enemy  to  oppose,  had  reported  to  General  Wool  that 
the  war  was  at  an  end.  The  latter  had,  on  the  2d  of 
August,  issued  an  order  to  Wright  in  which  he 
said: 

"The  general  congratulates  you  on  your  suc- 
cessful termination  of  the  war  with  the  Yakimas  and 
Klickitats.  *  *  *  With  the  least  possible  delay 
you  will  conduct  an  expedition  into  the  Walla  Walla 
country.  No  emigrants  or  other  whites,  except 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  or  persons  having 
ceded  rights  from  the  Indians,  will  be  permitted  to 
settle  or  remain  in  the  Indian  country,  or  on  land 
not  ceded  by  treaty,  confirmed  by  the  senate  and 
approved  by  the  president  of  the  United  States,  ex- 
cepting the  miners  at  the  Colville  mines.  Those 
will  be  notified,  however,  that,  if  they  interfere  with 
the  Indians,  or  their  squaws,  they  will  be  punished 
and  sent  out  of  the  country.  It  appears  that 
Colonel  Shaw,  from  Puget  sound,  with  his  volun- 
teers, has  gone  to  the  Walla  Walla  country. 
Colonel  Wright  will  order  them  out  of  the  country 
by  way  of  Fort  Dalles.  If  they  do  not  go  imme- 
diately, they  will  be  arrested,  disarmed  and  sent 
out." 

Had  Stevens  known  of  this  order,  he  would  not 
have  relied  on  the  regulars  for  assistance.  But 
being  ignorant  of  it,  he  proceeded  into  the  heart  of 
the  Indian  country  without  hesitation.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Steptoe  left  The  Dalles  with  four  companies 
August  20th,  and  on  the  5th  of  the  following  month 
he  established  a  camp  five  miles  below  the  council 
ground.  Stevens  had  made  arrangements  for  "send- 
ing home  the  volunteers,  to  be  mustered  out  of 
the  service  on  the  arrival  in  the  valley  of  the  regular 
troops,"  and  thus  unconsciously  saved  Steptoe  one 
task  enjoined  upon  him  by  Wool's  order. 

On  the  evening  of  September  10th,  Governor 
Stevens,  now  ready  for  the  council,  requested  two 
of  Steptoe's  companies  of  troops  and  some  moun- 
tain howitzers.  Steptoe  refused  on  the  ground 
that  he  could  not  furnish  them  in  consistency  with 
the  directions  of  his  superior,  and  Stevens  retained 
Captain  Goff's  company  of  volunteers  as  guards. 
The  council  opened  on  the  11th.  It  was  decidedly 
stormy  from  the  beginning,  and  by  the  13th  con- 
ditions became  so  alarming  that  Governor  Stevens 
again  addressed  Steptoe.  advising  him  that  half 
the  Nez  Perces  were  hostile,  as  were  practically  all 
the  other  tribes,  and  stating  that  he  deemed  a 
company  of  regulars  essential  to  his  safety.  Step- 
toe again  refused  and  advised  the  governor  to 
adjourn  council  to  his  (Steptoe's)  camp.  This 
under  the  circumstances  Stevens  could  not  help  but 
do.     While   en   route  he  met   Kamiakin,   who,   he 


thought,  would  surely  have  attacked  him  had  he 
known  in  time  of  his  intended  march.  "Kamiakin," 
wrote  he  to  the  secretary  of  war,  "had  unquestion- 
ably an  understanding,  as  subsequent  events  showed, 
with  all  the  Indians  except  the  friendly  Nez  Perces 
(al)out  one-half  the  nation)  and  a  small  number  of 
friendly  Indians  of  other  tribes,  to  make  an  attack 
that  day  or  evening  upon  my  camp.  He  found  me 
on  the  road,  to  his  great  surprise,  and  had  no  time 
to  perfect  his  arrangements.  I  had  learned  in  the 
night  that  Kamiakin  had  camped  on  the  Touchet 
the  night  before,  and  that  he  would  be  in  this  day. 
The  council  opened  on  the  10th.  All  the  Indians 
were  camped  near.  Kamiakin  and  his  band  were 
only  separated  from  the  council  grounds  by  a 
narrow  skirt  of  woods  in  the  bottom  of  Mill  creek." 

For  several  davs  more  Governor  Stevens  labored 
in  vain  to  get  the  Indians  to  accept  his  terms  of 
peace,  namely,  that  they  must  throw  aside  their 
guns  and  submit  to  the  justice  and  mercy  of  the 
government,  surrendering  all  murderers  for  trial. 
The  Indians  would  conclude  no  peace  on  other 
terms  than  that  they  should  be  left  in  possession  of 
their  territory  as  before  the  treaties.  On  the  19th 
Governor  Stevens  directed  his  march  westward. 
His  battle  with  the  Indians  on  that  date  and  the 
incidents  of  his  return  were  thus  summarized  in 
his  official  report: 

"So  satisfied  was  I  that  the  Indians  would  carry 
into  eflfect  their  determination,  avowed  in  the  coun- 
cils in  their  own  camps  for  several  nights  previously, 
to  attack  me,  that,  in  starting,  I  formed  my  whole 
party  and  moved  in  order  of  battle.  I  moved  on 
under  fire  one  mile  to  water,  when,  forming  a 
corral  of  the  wagons  and  holding  the  adjacent  hills 
and  the  brush  on  the  stream  by  pickets,  I  made  my 
arrangements  to  defend  my  position  and  fight  the 
Indians.  Our  position  in  a  low  open  basin  five  or 
six  hundred  yards  across  [he  was  attacked  on  what 
is  known  as  Charles  Russell's  ranch]  was  good, 
and  with  the  aid  of  our  corral,  we  could  defend 
ourselves  against  a  vastly  superior  force  of  the 
enemy. 

"The  fight  continued  till  late  in  the  night.  Two 
charges  were  made  to  disperse  the  Indians,  the  last 
led  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Shaw  in  person,  with 
twenty-four  men ;  but,  whilst  driving  before  him 
some  hundred  and  fiftv  Indians,  an  equal  number 
pushed  into  his  rear,  and  he  was  compelled  to  cut 
his  way  through  them  towards  the  camp,  when, 
drawing  up  his  men,  and  aided  by  the  teamsters 
and  pickets  who  gallantly  sprang  forward,  he  drove 
the  Indians  back  in  full  charge  upon  the  corral. 
Just  before  the  charge  the  friendly  Nez  Perces,  fifty 
in  number,  who  had  been  assigned  to  hold  the  ridge 
on  the  south  side  of  the  corral,  were  told  by  the 
enemy  they  came  not  to  fight  the  Nez  Perces  but 
the  whites.  'Go  to  your  camp.'  said  they,  'or  we 
will  wipe  it  out.'  Their  camp,  with  the  women  and 
children,   was   on   a   stream   about   a   mile   distant, 


INTRODUCTORY 


and  I  directed  them  to  retire,  as  I  did  not  require 
their  assistance  and  was  fearful  that  my  men  might 
not  be  able  to  distinguish  them  from  hostiles,  and 
thus  friendly  Indians  be  killed. 

"Towards  night  I  notified  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Steptoe  that  I  was  fighting  the  Indians,  that  I 
should  move  the  next  morning  and  expressed  the 
opinion  that  a  company  of  his  troops  would  be  of 
service.  In  his  reply  he  stated  that  the  Indians 
had  burned  up  his  grass  and  suggested  that  I  should 
return  to  his  camp  and  place  at  his  disposal  my 
wagons  in  order  that  he  might  move  his  whole 
command  and  his  supplies  to  the  Umatilla  or  some 
other  point,  where  sustenance  could  be  found  for 
his  animals.  To  this  arrangement  I  assented  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Steptoe  sent  to  my  camp  Lieu- 
tenant Davidson,  with  detachments  from  the  com- 
panies of  dragoons  and  artillery  with  a  mounted 
howitzer.  They  reached  my  camp  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  everything  in  good  order 
and  most  of  the  men  at  the  corral  asleep.  A  picket 
had  been  driven  in  l)y  the  t-iiemy  an  hour  and  a  half 
before,  that  on  tlu-  liill  soutli  of  the  corral,  but  the 
enemy  was  immediately  dislodged,  and  ground  pits 
being  dug,  all  points  were  held.  The  howitzer 
having  been  fired  on  the  way  out,  it  was  believed 
nothing  would  be  gained  by  waiting  until  morning 
and  the  whole  force  immediately  returned  to  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Steptoe's  camp. 

"Soon  after  sunrise  the  enemy  attacked  the  camp 
but  was  soon  dislodged  by  the  howitzer  and  a  charge 
by  a  detachment  from  Steptoe's  command.  On 
my  arrival  at  the  camp,  I  urged  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Steptoe  to  build  a  blockhouse  immediately,  to  leave 
one  company  to  defend  it  with  all  his  supplies,  then 
to  march  below  and  return  with  an  additional  force 
and  additional  supplies,  and  by  a  vigorous  winter 
campaign  to  whip  the  Indians  into  submission. 
I  placed  at  his  disposal  for  the  building,  my  teams 
and  Indian  employes.  The  blockhouse  and  stockade 
were  built  in  a  little  more  than  ten  days.  My  Indian 
storeroom  was  rebuilt  at  one  corner  of  the  stockade. 

"On  the  2;3d  day  of  September  we  started  for 
The  Dalles,  which  were  reached  on  the  2d  of 
October.    Nothing  of  interest  occurred  on  the  road. 

"In  the  action  of  the  19th  my  whole  force  con- 
sisted of  Goff's  company  of  sixty-nine,  rank  and 
file,  the  teamsters,  herders,  and  Indian  employes 
numbering  about  fifty  men.  Our  train  consisted 
of  about  five  hundred  animals,  not  one  of  which  was 
captured  by  the  enemy.  We  fought  four  hundred 
and  fifty  Indians  and  had  one  man  mortally,  one 
dangerously  and  two  slightly  wounded.  We  killed 
and  wounded  thirteen  Indians.  One-half  of  the 
Nez  Perces,  one  hundred  and  twenty  warriors ;  all 
of  the  Yakimas  and  Palouses,  two  hundred  war- 
riors ;  the  great  bulk  of  the  Cayuses  and  Umatillas. 
and  an  unknown  number  of  the  Walla  Wallas  and 
Indians  from  other  bands  were  in  the  fight.  The 
principal   war  chiefs   were   the   son   of  Owhi,    Isle 


de  Fere  and  Chief  Quoltonee ;  the  latter  of  whom 
had  two  horses  shot  under  him,  and  showed  me  a 
letter  from  Colonel  Wright  acknowledging  his 
valuable  services  in  bringing  about  the  peace  of 
the   Yakimas. 

"I  have  failed,  therefore,  in  making  the  desired 
arrangements  with  the  Indians  in  the  Walla  Walla, 
and  the  failure,  to  be  attributed  in  part  to  the  want 
of  co-operation  with  me,  as  superintendent  of  Indian 
afifairs,  on  the  part  of  the  regular  troops,  has  its 
causes  also  in  the  whole  plan  of  operations  of  the 
troops  since  Colonel  Wright  assumed  command. 

"The  Nez  Perces,  entirely  friendly  last  Decem- 
ber and  January,  became  first  disaffected  in  conse- 
quence of  the  then  chief  of  the  Cayuses,  Ume- 
howlish,  and  the  friendly  Cayuses  going  into  the 
Nez  Perce  country  contrary  to  my  positive  orders. 
I  refused  to  allow  them  to  go  there  in  December 
last,  saying  to  them,  T  have  ordered  the  Nez 
Perces  to  keep  hostiles  out  of  the  country.  If 
you  go  there  your  friends  in  the  war  party  will 
come ;  they  can  not  be  kept  out.  Through  them  dis- 
affection will  spread  among  a  portion  of  the  Nez 
Perces.'  Ume-howlish,  mv  ])ris()ncr,  was  sent  into 
the  Nez  Perce  country  b\  C'iImhiI  \\  right,  and  from 
the  time  of  his  arrival  there'  all  tlic  efforts  made 
by  Agent  Craig  to  prevent  the  spread  of  tlisaffection 
were  aborted.  What  I  apprehended  and  predicted 
had  already  come  to  pass.  Looking  Glass,  the 
prominent  man  of  the  lower  Nez  Perces,  endeav- 
ored to  betray  me  on  the  Spokane  as  I  was  coming 
in  from  the  Blackfoot  council,  and  I  was  satisfied 
from  that  time  that  he  was  only  awaiting  a  favorable 
moment  to  join  bands  with  Kamiakin  in  a  war 
upon  the  whites,  and  Colonel  Wright's  management 
of  aft'airs  in  the  Yakima  furnished  the  opportunity. 

"The  war  was  commenced  in  the  Yakima  on 
our  part  in  consequence  of  the  attempt,  first,  to  seize 
the  murderers  of  the  agent,  I'.oldii.  and  miners  who 
had  passed  through  their  ciinntr\  :  and,  second,  to 
punish  the  tribe  for  making  cuniiiion  cause  with 
them  and  driving  Alajor  Haller  out  of  the  country. 
It  is  greatly  to  be  deplored  that  Colonel  Wright  had 
not  first  severely  chastised  the  Indians,  and  insisted 
not  only  upon  the  rendition  of  the  murderers,  but 
upon  the  absolute  and  unconditional  submission  of 
the  whole  tribe  to  the  justice  and  mercy  of  the 
government.  The  long  delays  which  occurred  in 
the  Yakima,  the  talking  and  not  fighting,  this 
attempt  to  pacify  the  Indians  and  not  reducing  them 
to  submission,  thus  giving  safe  conduct  to  murderers 
and  assassins,  and  not  seizing  them  for  summary 
and  exemplary  punishment,  gave  to  Kamiakin  the 
whole  field  of  the  interior,  and  by  threats,  lies  and 
promises  he  has  brought  into  the  combination  one- 
half  of  the  Nez  Perce  nation  and  the  least  thing 
may  cause  the  Spokanes,  Coeur  d'.\lenes,  Colvilles 
and  Okanogans  to  join  them. 

"I  state  boldly  that  the  cause  of  the  Nez  Perces 
becoming  disaffected  and  finally  going  into  war,  is 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


the  operations  of  Colonel  Wright  east  of  the  Cas- 
cades— operations  so  feeble,  so  procrastinating,  so 
entirely  unequal  to  the  emergency,  that  not  only 
has  a  severe  blow  been  struck  at  the  credit  of  the 
government  and  the  prosperity  and  character  of  this 
remote  section  of  the  country,  but  the  impression 
has  been  made  upon  the  Indians  that  the  people 
and  the  soldiers  were  a  different  people.  I  repeat 
to  you  officially  that  when  the  Indians  attacked  me 
they  expected  Colonel  Steptoe  would  not  assist  me, 
and  when  they  awoke  from  their  delusion  Kamiakin 
said,  'I  will  now  let  these  people  know  who  Kam- 
iakin is.'  One  of  the  good  effects  of  the  fight  is 
that  the  Indians  have  learned  that  we  are  one 
people,  a  fact  which  had  not  been  previously  made 
apparent  to  them  by  the  operations  of  the  regular 
troops. 

"Is,  sir,  the  army  sent  here  to  protect  our  people 
and  punish  Indian  tribes  who,  without  cause  and  in 
cold  blood  and  in  spite  of  solemn  treaties,  murder 
our  people,  burn  our  houses  and  wipe  out  entire 
settlements?  Is  it  the  duty  of  General  Wool  and 
his  officers  to  refuse  to  co-operate  with  me  in  my 
appropriate  duties  as  superintendent  of  Indian 
affairs,  and  thus  practically  assume  those  duties 
themselves?  Is  it  the  duty  of  General  Wool,  in  his 
schemes  of  pacifying  the  Indians,  to  trample  down 
the  laws  of  congress ;  to  issue  edicts  prohibiting 
settlers  returning  to  their  claims  and  thus  for  at 
least  one  county,  the  Walla  Walla,  make  himself 
dictator  over  the  country?" 

From  the  refusal  of  the  Indians  to  treat  with 
Stevens,  and  their  attack  upon  the  party  returning 
from  the  council,  it  would  naturally  seem  that  the 
end  of  the  war  was  still  far  in  the  future.  Not  so, 
however.  Colonel  Wright  proved  more  successful, 
and  yet  not  more  successful,  in  the  efforts  he  soon 
after  inaugurated  to  pacify  the  Indians  than  had 
Stevens.  The  man  who  pursues  the  policy  of  con- 
ceding to  the  adverse  party  all  he  can  ask  can 
hardly  fail  to  be  successful  in  negotiations. 

October  19th  Wright  was  instructed  by  General 
Wool  to  proceed  in  person  at  the  earliest  possible 
date  to  the  Walla  Walla  country  and  to  attend  to 
the  establishing  of  a  post  there.  In  the  order  W'ool 
used  the  following  significant  language : 

"It  is  also  of  the  highest  importance  that  vou, 
the  senior  officer  (the  chief  man),  should  see 'and 
talk  with  all  the  tribes  in  that  region  in  order  to 
ascertain  their  wants,  feelings  and  disposition  to- 
wards the  whites.  Warned  by  what  has  occurred, 
the  general  trusts  you  will  be  on  your  guard  against 
the  whites  and  adopt  the  most  prompt  and  vigorous 
measures  to  crush  the  enemy  before  they  have  time 
to  combine  for  resistance,  also  check  the  war  and 
prevent  further  trouble  by  keeping  the  whites  out 
of  the  Indian  countrv." 

As  to  the  post  above  referred  to,  the  site  selected 
for  it  was  a  point  on  the  bank  of  Mill  creek,  six 
miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Walla  Walla  river. 


The  rest  of  the  order  was  duly  complied  with.  A 
council  was  called  and  forty  Indians  condescended 
to  attend,  practically  all  of  whom  denounced  the 
treaty  of  1855  and  Chief  Lawyer,  of  the  Nez  Perces, 
as  the  one  by  whom,  mainly,  the  Indians  were 
induced  to  sign  it.  Wright  seemed  more  than  will- 
ing to  condone  the  perfidious  wretches  who  signed 
the  treaty  as  a  deliberate  act  of  treachery,  and  then 
when  they  had  lulled  the  whites  into  a  feeling  of 
security,  began  assiduously  the  work  of  dissemi- 
nating hostile  feeling  and  of  organizing  a  general 
war,  for  the  purpose  of  exterminating  or  expelling 
the  white  race.  His  assurance  to  the  Indians  was: 
"The  bloody  cloth  should  be  washed,  and  not  a  spot 
should  be  left  upon  it.  The  Great  Spirit,  who 
created  both  the  whites  and  the  red  men,  com- 
manded us  to  love  one  another.  All  past  differ- 
ences must  be  thrown  behind  us.  The  hatchet  must 
be  buried  and  for  the  future  perpetual  friendship 
must  exist  between  us.  The  good  talk  we  have 
this  day  listened  to  should  be  planted  and  grow  up 
in  our  hearts  and  drive  away  all  bad  feelings  and 
preserve  peace  and  friendship  between  us  forever. 
Put  what  I  say  in  your  hearts  and  when  you  return 
to  your  homes,  repeat  it  to  all  your  friends."  In  his 
letter  to  General  Wool  reporting  the  proceedings  of 
his  council,  Wright  laid  all  the  blame  of  the  war 
upon  the  Walla  Walla  treaties.  "Give  them  back 
those  treaties."  said  he,  "and  no  cause  of  war 
exists." 

Such  maudlin  sentimentality,  such  shameful 
truckling  with  the  enemies  of  those  it  was  Wright's 
duty  to  defend,  seemed  akin  to  treason.  Indignant 
and  hurt,  Governor  Stevens  wrote  to  the  secretary 
of  war:  "It  seems  to  me  that  we  have  in  this 
territory  fallen  upon  evil  times.  I  hope  and  trust 
that  some  energetic  action  may  be  taken  to  stop  this 
trifling  with  great  public  interests,  and  to  make  our 
flag  respected  by  the  Indians  of  the  interior.  They 
scorn  our  people  and  our  flag.  They  feel  that  they 
can  kill  and  plunder  with  impunity.  They  denom- 
inate us  a  nation  of  old  women.  They  did  not  do 
this  when  the  volunteers  were  in  the  field.  I  now 
make  the  direct  issue  with  Colonel  Wright,  that  he 
has  made  a  concession  to  the  Indians  which  he  had 
no  authority  to  make ;  that  b}-  so  doing  he  has  done 
nothing  but  get  a  semblance  of  peace ;  and  that  by 
his  acts,  he  has  in  a  measure  weakened  the  influence 
of  the  service  having  the  authority  to  make  treaties 
and  having  charge  of  the  friendly'lndians.  He  has, 
in  my  judgment,  abandoned  his  own  duty,  which 
was  to  reduce  the  Indians  to  submission,  and  has 
trenched  upon  and  usurped  a  portion  of  mine." 

The  citizens  of  the  two  territories,  Oregon  and 
Washington,  were  thrown  into  a  furor  of  indig- 
nation by  the  conclusion  of  his  shameful  peace.  The 
sacrifice  of  money  and  effort  in  equipping  the  volun- 
teers, the  sacrifices  of  the  volunteers  themselves,  the 
traversing  of  dusty  plains,  the  scaling  of  lofty  and 
forbidding  mountains,  the  sufferings  of  that  dread 


INTRODUCTORY 


winter  campaign  in  the  Walla  Walla  valley,  the  loss 
of  life  and  limb,  the  brilliant  and  well-deserved 
victories  of  the  volunteer  arms — all  these  were  for 
nothing.  The  regular  officers  step  in  and  rob  the 
country  of  all  the  fruits  of  victory,  concede  to  the 
Indians  everything  they  could  ask,  and  then,  to  add 
insult  to  injury.  General  Wool  says  he  hopes  that 
Wright  "warned  by  what  has  occurred,  will  be  on 
his  guard  against  the  whites  and  prevent  trouble  by 
keeping  the  whites  out  of  the  Indian  country,"  and 
that  under  the  existing  arrangements  he  doesn't 
"believe  that  the  war  can  be  renewed  by  the  whites." 

Elwood  Evans,  who  was  himself  a  citizen  of 
Washington  territory  at  the  time  and  a  participant 
in  some  of  its  public  events,  may  be  assumed  to 
have  correctly  summarized  the  general  opinion  of 
the  people  in  the  following  paragraphs  from  his 
history   of   the    Northwest: 

"That  quasi  peace  was  but  the  proclaimed  con- 
tinuance of  the  assurance  by  the  United  States  army 
officers  to  the  hostile  Indians,  'we  came  not  into 
your  country  to  fight,  but  merely  to  establish  posts.' 
It  now  officially  announced  the  close  of  a  war  by 
General  Wool,  which  he  had  never  commenced  to 
prosecute  as  war.  It  was  but  the  unblushing  pub- 
lication of  a  policy  inspired  alone  by  him,  and  exe- 
cuted under  his  orders  by  officers  whom  he  had 
handicapped  in  the  enemy's  country  by  instructions, 
the  observance  of  which  was  but  the  triumph  of 
Kamiakin.  It  was  the  official,  humiliating  conces- 
sion to  the  hostiles  of  everything  that  they  had 
demanded,  or  had  inaugurated  a  war  to  accomplish, 
viz.,  the  keeping  of  white  settlers  out  of  their 
country — save  alone  the  isolated  fact,  that  the 
Indians  had  made  no  resistance  to  or  protest  against 
the  establishment  of  military  posts  within  their  ter- 
ritory. That  failure  to  protest  against  the  erection 
of  posts  was  the  only  evidence  of  passive  submission 
by  the  hostiles :  yet  with  what  avidity  was  the  fact 
seized  by  General  Wool  to  assure  him  that  he  was 
occupying  the  Indian  territon,'  by  his  troops,  and 
that  those  troops  were  remaining  there  in  peaceable 
possession !  What  a  naked  and  barren  victory, 
which  proved  too  much ;  for  it  meant  nothing  except 
that  armed  troops  within  fortified  posts  were  the 
only  white  men  who  could  occupy  such  country. 
It  too  palpably  demonstrated  a  suspension  of  hos- 
tilities patched  up  by  appealing  to  the  Indian :  'Let 
my  troops  stay  here ;  and  I  will  protect  you  and 
keep  out  the  white  settler.' 

"General  Wool,  in  the  execution  of  this  plan  of 
campaign  by  his  army  of  occupation,  not  for  making 
war,  had  effectually  accomplished  the  aim  of  Kam- 
iakin in  the  instigation  of  the  outbreak.  The  com- 
manding general  had  avowed  upon  several  occa- 
sions his  policy  of  protecting  the  hostile  Indians 
against  the  whites,  and  of  expelling  them  from  and 
keeping  them  out  of  the  country.  In  fact,  there 
appears  to  have  been  a  common  object  actuating 
both    Kamiakin    and    General    Wool :      Both    were 


equally  determined  that  the  whites  should  not  settle 
in  nor  occupy  the  country  of  Kamiakin  or  Peo-peo- 
mox-mox ;  both  were  equally  hostile  to  the  volun- 
teers of  the  two  territories,  who  sought  to  save  the 
country  for  white  settlement ;  both  were  averse  to 
any  hostile  demonstrations  against  the  Indians ;  both 
were  willing  that  Governor  Stevens  should  be  cut 
off  and  his  party  sacrificed,  when  official  duty  com- 
pelled his  presence  in  the  Indian  territory ;  both 
alike  cordially  hated  the  people  of  the  two  terri- 
tories. Could  Kamiakin  have  asked  more  than  the 
performance  of  Wool's  orders? — 'Leave  a  company 
and  a  howitzer  to  protect  the  Cayuse  Indians  against 
the  volunteers.'  *  *  *  'Warn  Colonel  Shaw 
and  his  volunteers  to  leave  the  country ;  and  should 
they  fail  to  comply,  arrest,  disarm  and  send  them 
out.'  How  it  must  have  delighted  old  Kamiakin 
when  he  had  interpreted  to  him  that  interdict  against 
white  settlement:  'No  emigrant  or  other  white 
person  will  be  permitted  to  settle  or  remain  in  the 
Indian  country.'  Glorious  duty  for  American  troops 
to  protect  the  blood-stained  murderers  of  our  people, 
to  stand  guard  that  the  spirit  of  treaties  shall  be 
violated,  that  Americans  may  not  occupy  America 
and  every  part  of  its  domain !" 

The  regulars  soon  discovered  that  they  had  been 
crying  "peace,  peace,  when  there  was  no  peace,"  for 
it  was  not  long  until  there  began  to  be  apprehensions 
of  a  renewed  outbreak.  These  conditions  obtained 
throughout  the  entire  year  18.57  and  during  the 
winter  of  that  year  the  Catholic  fathers  reported 
that  they  feared  an  uprising  in  the  spring.  The 
Spokanes  and  Coeur  d'Alenes,  among  whom  the 
emissaries  of  Kamiakin  had  been  spreading  dis- 
affection ever  since  the  peace  had  been  patched  up 
in  18-56,  announced  that  the  soldiers  must  not  show 
themselves  in  their  country.  It  was  the  scheme  of 
the  wily  Kamiakin  to  first  unite  the  tribes  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  whites,  then  draw  a  detachment  of 
soldiers  into  the  country  and  treat  them  as  he 
treated  Haller  in  the  Yakima  valley. 

The  plan  worked  admirably.  He  cultivated  the 
friendship  of  Tilcoax,  a  skilled  Palouse  horse-thief, 
and  induced  him  to  organize  a  pillaging  expedition 
against  the  stock  belonging  to  Fort  Walla  Walla, 
well  knowing  that  sooner  or  later  a  counter  expe- 
dition must  be  made  by  the  soldiers  to  recover  the 
lost  animals.  He  also  caused  the  murder  of  Colville 
miners,  hoping  that  the  whites  there  would  ask  for 
troops.  They  did  call  for  troops.  Their  petition 
could  not  be  disregarded,  and  in  May,  1858,  Colonel 
E.  J.  Steptoe  set  out  to  the  Colville  country,  disre- 
garding the  warnings  of  the  Indians  that  no  whites 
would  be  allowed  to  travel  through  their  lands. 
Steptoe,  or  more  strictly  speaking,  his  subordinates, 
committed  a  most  egregious  and  incomprehensible 
blunder  in  starting  from  Walla  Walla.  On  account 
of  the  great  weight  of  provisions  and  baggage,  a 
brilliant  quartermaster  conceived  the  idea  of  leaving 
behind  the  greater  part  of  the  ammunition,  by  way 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


of  lightening  the  load.  As  Joseph  McEvoy  ex- 
presses it,  the  force  was  beaten  before  it  left  Walla 
Walla. 

The  expedition  was  made  in  May.  The  wild 
torrent  of  Snake  river  was  running  bank  full  from 
the  floods  of  summer  as  the  command  crossed. 
Timothy,  a  chief  of  the  Nez  Perces,  with  a  few 
followers,  was  living  then  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Alpowa,  and  by  his  efficient  aid  the  soldiers  crossed 
the  stream  in  good  order  and  good  time,  and  con- 
tinued on  their  way,  the  brave  old  chief  accompany- 
ing them. 

On  May  16th  the  force  reached  a  place  which 
George  F.  Canis,  on  the  authority  of  Thomas  B. 
Beall,  chief  government  packer  of  the  expedition, 
describes  as  low  and  marshy,  with  big  swales  and 
thickets  of  quaking  asp  abounding,  and  surrounded 
by  hills  without  timber.  Mr.  Beall  locates  the  place 
as  near  the  present  town  of  Spangle.  There  is. 
however,  much  difference  of  opinion  among  the 
survivors  as  to  where  all  this  happened.  But  wher- 
ever it  was,  there  the  Indians  gathered  with  hostile 
intention.  Steptoe,  realizing  the  dangerous  odds, 
decided  to  return. 

The  next  day,  as  the  soldiers  were  descending 
a  canyon  to  Pine  creek,  not  far  from  where  Rosalia 
is  now  located,  Salteese,  sub-chief  of  the  Coeur 
d'Alenes,  came  up  with  an  interpreter  for  a  con- 
ference wdth  Steptoe.  The  chief  was  making  great 
professions  of  friendship,  when  one  of  the  friendly 
Nez  Perces  struck  him  over  the  head  with  a  whip, 
nearly  knocking  him  from  his  horse.  "What  do  you 
mean  by  speaking  with  a  forked  tongue  to  the  white 
chief?''  demanded  the  Xez  Perce  brave.  Salteese, 
very  angry,  rode  away  in  defiant  mood.  No  sooner 
were  the  retreating  forces  well  in  the  canyon  than 
the  attack  was  made.  Second-Lieutenant  William 
Gaston's  forces  were  the  first  to  draw  the  fire  of  the 
enemy.  Steptoe  ordered  Gaston  to  hold  fire.  When 
again  asked  for  orders  he  gave  the  same  command, 
but  Gaston  disobeyed  and  soon  the  firing  became 
general.  Gaston  and  Captain  O.  H.  P.  Taylor  were 
in  command  of  the  rear  guard,  and,  with  amazing 
courage  and  devotion,  kept  the  line  intact,  foiling 
all  efforts  of  the  Indians  to  rush  through.  Thev 
sent  word  to  Steptoe  to  halt  and  give  them  a  chance 
to  secure  more  ammunition.  But  Steptoe  deemed 
it  safer  to  make  no  pause,  and  soon  after  those 
gallant  heroes  fell.  A  fierce  fight  raged  for  pos- 
session of  their  bodies.  The  Indians  secured  that 
of  Gaston,  but  a  small  band  of  heroes,  fighting  like 
demons,  got  the  body  of  the  noble  Tavlor.  One 
notable  figure  in  this  death  grapple  wasDe  May,  a 
Frenchman,  who  had  been  trained  in  the  Crimea 
and  in  Algeria,  and  who  made  havoc  among  the 
Indians  with  his  gun-barrel  used  as  a  saber,  but  at 
last  he,  too.  went  down  before  numbers,  crying. 
"Oh,  my  God,  for  a  saber !" 

At  nightfall  they  had  reached  a  point  as  to  the 
exact  location  of  which  there  is  much  difference  of 


opinion.  Here  the  disorganized  and  suffering  force 
made  camp,  threw  out  a  picket  line  for  defense,  and 
buried  such  dead  as  they  had  not  been  forced  to 
leave.  In  order  to  divert  the  Indians  they  deter- 
mined, having  buried  their  howitzers,  to  leave  the 
balance  of  their  stores.  They  hoped  that  if  the 
Indians  made  an  attack  in  the  night  they  might 
succeed  in  stealing  away.  The  Indians,  however, 
feeling  sure  that  they  had  the  soldiers  at  their  mercy, 
made  no  effort  at  a  night  attack.  But  it  is  stated 
that  Kamiakin,  head  chief  of  the  Yakimas,  urged 
them  to  do  so.  Had  he  carried  his  point,  the  night 
of  May  17,  1858,  would  have  been  one  of  melan- 
choly memory.  Another  massacre  w-ould  have  been 
added  to  the  series  of  frontier  outrages  which  have 
darkened  our  earlier  annals. 

There  was  but  one  chance  of  salvation,  and  this 
was  by  means  of  a  difficult  trail  which  the  Indians 
had  left  unguarded,  as  the  Nez  Perce  chief,  Tim- 
othy, discovered  by  reconnoitering,  the  savages 
rightly  supposing  it  to  be  entirely  unknown  to  the 
whites.  But  by  the  good  favor  of  fortune  or  Prov- 
idence, Timothy  knew  this  pass.  But  for  him  the 
next  day  would  doubtless  have  witnessed  a  grim  and 
ghastly  massacre.  During  the  dark  and  cloudy 
night,  the  soldiers,  mounted  and  in  silence,  followed 
Timothy  over  the  wretched  trail.  Michael  Kinney, 
a  well-known  resident  of  Walla  Walla,  was  in 
charge  of  the  rear  guard,  and  is  our  chief  authority 
for  some  portions  of  this  narrative. 

The  horrors  of  that  night  retreat  were  probably 
never  surpassed  in  the  history  of  Indian  warfare  in 
the  Northwest.  Several  of  the  wounded  were  lashed 
to  pack  animals,  and  were  thus  led  away  on  that 
dreadful  ride.  Their  sufferings  were  intense,  and 
two  of  them,  McCrossen  and  Williams,  suffered  so 
unendurably  that  they  writhed  themselves  loose 
from  their  lashings  and  fell  to  the  ground,  begging 
their  comrades  to  leave  some  weapons  with  which 
they  might  kill  themselves.  But  the  poor  wretches 
were  left  lying  there  in  the  darkness.  During  the 
night  the  troops  followed,  generally  at  a  gallop,  the 
faithful  Timothy,  on  whose  keen  eyes  and  mind 
their  lives  depended.  The  wounded  and  a  few 
whose  horses  gave  out  were  scattered  at  intervals 
along  the  trail.  Some  of  these  finally  reappeared, 
but  most  were  lost.  After  twenty-four  hours  the 
troops  found  that  they  had  reached  Snake  river. 
Here  the  unwearied  Timothy  threw  out  his  own 
people  as  guards  against  the  pursuing  enemy  and 
set  the  women  of  his  tribe  to  ferry  the  force  across 
the  turbulent  river.  This  was  safely  accomplished 
and  thus  the  greater  portion  of  the  command 
reached  Walla  Walla  in  safety  from  that  ill-starred 
expedition. 

A  dramatic  incident  which  occurred  on  the 
evening  of  May  SOth  merits  a  brief  narration.  While 
the  horses  were  being  picketed  and  preparations 
were  in  progress  for  the  night,  the  guards  noticed 
a  cloud  of  dust  in  the  distance.     In  a  short  time  a 


INTRODUCTORY 


band  of  mounted  Indians,  apiiroaching  at  full  gallop, 
came  into  view,  and  the  claltcring  of  the  hoofs  of 
their  horses  and  the  thick  dust  enveloping  them  gave 
the  impression  that  the  little  band  of  soldiers,  which 
had  had  such  trying  experiences  and  now  seemed 
within  reach  of  safety,  was  to  be  literally  wiped 
from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Excitement  ran  high. 
The  soldiers  became  greatly  agitated,  and  orders 
to  prepare  for  battle  were  about  to  be  issued  when 
the  standard  bearer  of  the  oncoming  horde,  noting 
the  confusion  and  mistrusting  its  cause,  flung  the 
stars  and  stripes  to  the  breeze  in  token  of  friendly 
intentions.  When  the  Indians  swarmed  into  camp 
it  was  found  that  the  banner  was  borne  by  none 
other  than  the  ever-faithful  Chief  Lawyer.  In  the 
party  were  some  of  the  sub-chiefs  from  Kamiah  and 
noted  members  of  the  Nez  Perce  tribe.  Steptoe 
declined  to  return  to  the  contest  with  the  hostiles, 
much  to  the  disappointment  of  Lawyer,  who  clearly 
pointed  out  how  Indian  allies  could  be  secured  and 
an  easy  victory  won  over  the  confident  and  exult- 
ing Indians  of  the  Palousc  country.  The  Nez 
Perces  had,  no  doubt,  learned  of  the  defeat  of  Step- 
toe  by  means  of  the  wonderful  system  of  signaling 
in  vogue  among  the  aborigines. 

The  sequel  of  Steptoe's  defeat  furnished  a  more 
creditable  chapter  in  the  history  of  our  Indian  war- 
fare. General  Clarke  at  once  ordered  Colonel 
Wright  to  equip  a  force  of  six  hundred  men,  pro- 
ceed' to  the  Spokane  country  and  castigate  the 
Indians  with  sufficient  severity  to  settle  the  question 
of  sovereignty  forever.  On  .August  15th  Colonel 
Wright  left  Walla  Walla  on  his  northern  campaign. 
In  the  battle  of  Four  Lakes,  fought  on  September 
1st,  and  in  the  battle  of  Spokane  Plains,  September 
.5th,  he  broke  forever  the  spirit  and  power  of  the 
northern  Indians.  Lieutenant  Kip's  description  of 
the  former  fight  is  so  picturesque  that  we  cannot 
resist  the  temptation  to  reproduce  it.     He  says: 

"On  the  plain  below  us  we  saw  the  enemy. 
Every  spot  seemed  alive  with  the  wild  warriors  we 
had  come  so  far  to  meet.  They  were  in  the  pines 
at  the  edge  of  the  lakes,  in  the  ravines  and  gullies, 
on  the  opposite  hillsides  and  swarming  over  the 
plains.  They  seemed  to  cover  the  country  for 
two  miles.  Mounted  on  their  fleet,  hardy  horses, 
the  crowd  swept  back  and  forth,  brandishing  their 
weapons,  shouting  their  war  cries  and  keeping  up 
a  song  of  defiance.  Most  of  them  were  armed  with 
Hudson's  Bay  muskets,  while  others  had  bows  and 
arrows  and  long  lances.  They  were  in  all  the 
bravery  of  their  war  array,  gaudily  painted  and 
decorated  with  their  wild  trappings.  Their  plumes 
fluttered  above  them,  while  beneath  skins  and 
trinkets  and  all  kinds  of  fantastic  embellishments 
flaunted  in  the  sunshine.  Their  horses,  too,  were 
arrayed  in  the  most  gorgeous  finery.  Some  of  them 
were  even  painted  with  colors  to  form  the  greatest 
contrast,  the  white  being  smeared  with  crimson  in 
fantastic  figures,  and  the  dark-colored  streaked  with 


white  clay.  Beads  and  fringes  of  gaudy  colors  were 
hanging  from  their  bridles,  while  the  plumes  of 
eagles'  feathers,  interwoven  with  the  mane  and  tail, 
fluttered  as  the  breeze  floated  over  them,  and  com- 
pleted their  wild  and  fantastic  appearance. 

"'By   Heavens!   it  was  a  glorious   sight   to   see 
The  gay  array  of  their  wild  chivalry.' 

"As  ordered,  the  troops  moved  down  the  hill 
toward  the  plain.  As  the  line  of  advance  came 
within  range  of  the  Minie  rifles,  now  for  the  first 
time  used  in  Indian  warfare,  the  firing  began.  The 
firing  grew  heavier  as  the  line  advanced,  and,  aston- 
ished at  the  range  and  effectiveness  of  the  fire,  the 
entire  array  of  dusky  warriors  broke  and  fled  toward 
the  plain.  The  dragoons  were  now  ordered  to 
charge,  and  rode  through  the  company  at  inter- 
vals to  the  front,  and  then  dashed  down  upon  the 
foe  with  headlong  speed.  Taylor's  and  Gaston's 
companies  were  there  and  soon  they  reaped  a  red 
revenge  for  their  slain  heroes.  The  flying  warriors 
streamed  out  of  the  glens  and  ravines  and  over  the 
open  plains  until  they  could  find  a  refuge  from  the 
flashing  sabers  of  the  dragoons.  When  they  had 
found  the  refuge  of  the  wooded  hills,  the  line  of 
foot  once  more  passed  the  dragoons  and  renewed 
the  fire,  driving  the  Indians  over  the  hills  for  about 
two  miles,  where  a  halt  was  called,  as  the  troops 
were  nearly  exhausted.  The  Indians  had  almost  all 
disappeared,  only  a  small  group  remaining,  appar- 
ently to  watch  the  whites.  A  shell  sent  from  the 
howitzer,  bursting  over  their  heads,  sent  them  also 
to  the  shelter  of  the  ravines.  Thus  the  battle 
ended." 

In  the  battle  four  days  later  on  Spokane  Plains 
quite  a  number  of  the  Indians  were  killed,  and 
Kamiakin,  the  war  chief  of  the  Yakimas,  was 
wounded.  After  resting  a  day  the  forces  moved 
on  up  the  river  and  encamped  above  the  falls. 
While  there  they  were  visited  by  Chief  Gearry,  a 
fairly  well  educated,  rather  bright  Indian,  who  pro- 
fessed to  be  against  the  war.  There  is  reason  to 
doubt  the  sincerity  of  these  representations,  how- 
ever. Colonel  Wright  talked  plainly  to  him,  saying 
that  if  he  and  the  other  Indians  wanted  peace  they 
could  have  it  by  complete  and  unconditional  sur- 
render. On  the  8th  the  march  was  resumed.  About 
ten  miles  east  of  Spokane,  Indians  were  seen  in  the 
act  of  driving  their  horses  to  the  mountains.  The 
horses  were  captured  and  shot,  with  the  exception 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty  picked  ones,  which  were 
kept  for  the  use  of  the  troops.  Defeat  in  battle, 
the  loss  of  their  horses  and  the  execution  of  a  few 
Indians  who  had  participated  in  murders  completely 
humiliated  the  hostile  tribes.  Councils  were  held 
by  Colonel  Wright  at  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mission 
and  with  the  Spokanes,  at  which  it  was  found  that 
the  Indians  were  prepared  to  enter  a  treaty  of  entire 
submission  to  the  whites. 


THE   YAKIMA   WAR 


In  closing  his  extensive  report  of  this  campaign, 
Colonel  Wright  summarized  its  results  as  follows: 

"The  war  is  closed.  Peace  is  restored  with  the 
Spokanes,  Coeur  d'Alenes  and  Palouses.  After  a 
vigorous  campaign,  the  Indians  have  been  entirely 
subdued,  and  were  most  happy  to  accept  such  terms 
of  peace  as  I  might  dictate.  Results:  (1)  Two 
battles  were  fought  by  the  troops  under  my  com- 
mand, against  the  combined  forces  of  the  Spokanes, 
Coeur  dAlenes  and  Palouses,  in  both  of  which  the 
Indians  were  signally  defeated,  with  a  severe  loss 
of  chiefs  and  warriors,  either  killed  or  wounded. 
(2)  One  thousand  horses  and  a  large  number  of 
cattle  were  captured  from  the  hostile  Indians,  all  of 
which  were  either  killed  or  appropriated  to  the 
service  of  the  United  States.  (3)  Many  barns 
filled  with  wheat  or  oats,  also  several  fields  of 
grain,  with  numerous  caches  of  vegetables,  dried 
berries  and  camas,  were  destroyed,  or  used  by  the 
troops.  (4)  The  Yakima  chief,  Owhi,  is  in  irons, 
and  the  notorious  war  chief,  Qalchen,  was  hanged. 
The  murderers  of  the  miners,  the  cattle  stealers, 
etc.  (in  all,  eleven  Indians),  were  hanged.  (5) 
The  Spokanes,  Coeur  d'Alenes  and  Palouses  have 
been  entirely  subdued,  and  have  sued  most  abjectly 
for  peace  on  any  terms.  (6)  Treaties  have  been 
made  with  the  above-named  nations.  They  have 
restored  all  property  which  was  in  their  possession, 
belonging  either  to  the  United  States  or  to  indi- 
viduals.    They  have  promised  that  all  white  people 


can  travel  through  their  country  unmolested,  and 
that  no  hostile  Indians  shall  be  allowed  to  pass 
through  or  remain  among  them.  (?)  The  Indians 
who_  commenced  the  battle  with  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Steptoe  contrary  to  the  orders  of  their  chief 
have  been  delivered  to  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  United  States  troops.  (8)  One  chief  and  four 
men,  with  their  families,  from  each  of  the  above- 
named  tribes,  have  been  delivered  to  the  officer 
in  command  of  the  United  States  troops,  to  be  taken 
to  Fort  Walla  Walla  and  held  as  hostages  for  the 
future  good  conduct  of  their  respective  nations. 
(9)  The  two  mounted  howitzers,  abandoned  by  the 
troops  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Ste]:)t()c,  have  been 
recovered." 

Thus  ended  the  Indian  wars  of  the  fifties  in 
Oregon  and  \\'ashington.  The  era  of  robberies, 
depredations,  murders  and  warfare  was  by  this 
campaign  effectually  brought  to  a  close  in  the 
Yakima  and  Walla  Walla  countries,  making  the 
opening  of  both  to  settlement  possible.  General 
Newman  S.  Clarke,  who  had  succeeded  General 
Wool  in  the  command  of  the  Department  of  the 
Pacific,  and  who,  in  the  earlier  days  of  his  admin- 
istration, had  shown  a  disposition  to  inaugurate  a 
similar  policy,  had  completely  changed  front,  even 
going  so  far  as  to  recommend  the  confirmation 
of  Governor  Stevens'  Walla  Walla  treaties.  These 
treaties   were  confirmed. 


PART    II 

SKAGIT   COUNTY 


PART    II 

SKAGIT   COUNTY 


CHAPTER  I 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


The  first  dawn  of  settlement  on  the  shores  of 
Puget  sound  has  already  had  brief  description  in 
these  pages — the  agricultural  operations  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  the  coming  of  Michael  T. 
Simmons,  the  founding  of  Olympia.  Steilacoom, 
Seattle,  Port  Townsend  and  Bellingham,  the  settle- 
ment on  Whidby  island.  Forces  at  work  to  pro- 
duce the  complete  Americanization  and  subjuga- 
tion of  the  sound  were,  we  have  seen,  first  retarded 
and  then  promoted  in  their  operation  by  the  discov- 
ery of  gold  in  California  in  IS-tS.  Ten  years  later 
they  were  given  fresh  impetus  by  the  discovery  of 
gold  on  Eraser  river,  and  in  1861  they  were  again 
retarded  by  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 

It  was  after  the  Eraser  river  excitement  began 
its  influence  and  before  the  inception  of  fratricidal 
strife  that  the  first  permanent  settler  commenced 
the  task  of  home-building  in  what  is  now  the  county 
of  Skagit.  In  a  land  where  the  sound  of  the  loco- 
motive's whistle  had  never  yet  been  heard,  where 
roads  of  any  kind  were  not  in  existence  and  where 
waterways  were  practically  the  only  means  of 
travel,  it  is  not  surprising  that  an  island  should  be 
chosen  as  the  site  of  this  early  settlement.  Fur- 
thermore, on  Fidalgo  was  one  very  potent  attrac- 
tion to  those  who  would  follow  husbandry  in  a 
densely  timbered  country.  At  the  head  of  Fidalgo 
bay  was  a  fern-covered  prairie  of  considerable 
area,  a  prairie  which  it  is  said  had  been  a 
favorite  camping-ground  with  the  Indian  tribes 
for  unknown  ages.  It  had  early  attracted 
the  attention  of  roving  white  men  from  San  Juan 
county  and  other  settlements  on  the  sound. 
Charles  W.  Beale  tells  us  that  in  the  winter 
of   18.5S-9,   he,   with    Horace   Martin   and   William 


McFarland,  hunted  all  over  Guemes  island,  where 
were  abundance  of  deer  and  other  game,  as  well  as 
thousands  of  wolves,  and  that  in  the  spring  of  1859, 
he,  together  with  his  cousin,  Robert  ]3eale,  Charles 

Pearson,     John     Hughes,     Brown,     and 

Lieutenant  Robert  H.  Davis  (nephew  of  the  cele- 
brated president  of  the  Southern  Confederacy), 
visited  this  fern  prairie  on  a  hunting  expedition. 
Pleased  with  its  appearance,  they  decided  to  estab- 
lish permanent  headquarters  there.  Lieutenant 
Davis  squatted  on  what  is  now  the  Munks  place ; 
Charles  W.  Beale  took  land  adjoining  him  on  the 
north  and  all  united  in  the  task  of  erecting  a  cabin 
on  the  imaginary  boundary  line  between  the  two 
claims,  which  cabin  was  occupied  by  all  for  a  time. 
Soon,  however,  a  relative  of  Davis  came  from  the 
South  and  took  the  dissolute  young  lieutenant  home. 
Davis  gave  up  his  wild  ways,  reentered  the  army 
and  in  the  Civil  War  won  distinction  for  bravery 
and  efficiency  as  a  soldier  in  the  Southern  cause. 
His  place  was  taken  by  William  Bonner,  of  Utsa- 
lady,  who  sold  his  rights  in  December,  1859,  to 
William  Munks,  the  consideration  being  sixty  dol- 
lars and  a  silver  watch.  Mr.  Munks'  residence  on 
the  island  continued  until  his  death,  although  he 
was  absent  considerable  during  the  early  years, 
working  wherever  he  could  find  employment.  It 
is  said  that  Mr.  Munks  always  claimed  to  be  the 
first  permanent  settler  and  that  he  was  very  proud 
of  the  title,  sometimes  ap])lied  to  him,  of  "King  of 
Fidalgo  Island."  His  claim  as  to  priority  of  settle- 
ment is,  however,  disputed. 

Late  in  1859  a  man  named  Josiah  Larry  came  to 
the  island  and  squatted  on  the  place  afterward 
known  as  the  Compton  farm.  Having  put  up  a  cabin 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


of  shakes,  he  departed,  expecting  to  return.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  Enoch  Compton  arrived  and 
thinking  that  Larry  had  abandoned  his  claim  took 
the  place  and  established  a  permanent  residence 
upon  it.  Larry  returned  two  or  three  years  later, 
found  his  place  occupied  and  quietly  retired,  set- 
tling some  time  afterward  on  the  mainland  at  the 
mouth  of  what  is  still  known  as  Joe  Larry's  slough, 
which  forms  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Samish 
flats.  Mr.  Beale  states  that  Munks  and  Compton 
came  together  to  the  island  and  that  the  schooner 
General  Harney*  brought  their  cattle  from  Whatcom. 
Mr.  Compton  has  always  claimed  that  he  settled  on 
Fidalgo  island  at  a  much  earlier  date  than  18.59, 
but  that  circumstances  prevented  his  first  settle- 
ment from  proving  permanent.  He  says  that,  in 
1853,  he  and  one  John  Carr  (or  Carey)  located  on 
what  was  later  the  home  of  the  Munks  family ;  that 
they  built  a  cabin  in  a  grove  and  occupied  it  to- 
gether, one  claiming  the  land  to  the  north  of  the 
cabin,  the  other  that  to  the  south.  Mr.  Compton 
raised  a  crop  of  potatoes  on  his  land,  then  he  and 
Mr.  Carr  went  to  Whatcom  to  work  and  Carr  died 
there. ' 

The  disaffection  of  the  Indians  at  this  time, 
which  finally  crystallized  into  the  war  of  1855-6, 
made  it  unsafe  for  whites  to  dwell  upon  Fidalgo 
island,  so  Mr.  Compton  did  not  return  as  he  had 
intended,  but  remained  near  Whatcom  until  the 
outbreak  of  hostilities,  when  he  volunteered  for 
service  against  the  Indians.  He  was  one  of  the 
men  who  were  engaged  in  the  boundary  survey  and 
it  is  said  that  he  met  Mr.  Munks  while  on  that 
work. 

But  to  return  to  Charles  W.  Beale.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  he  took,  in  the  spring  of  1859,  a 
claim  adjoining  that  which  eventually  became  the 
Munks  place.  He  states  that  he  remained  with  his 
claim  until  1862,  then  placed  it  in  charge  of  his 
cousin,  Robert,  and  went  north.  Returning  after 
a  stay  of  five  years  in  the  British  possessions,  he 
found  that  Robert  Beale  had  become  hard  pressed 
for  funds  and  had  sold  the  place  to  George  Cagey 
for  seventy-five  dollars.  The  subsequent  history 
of  Robert  Beale  may  be  summarized  as  follows : 
After  disposing  of  his  cousin's  rights,  he  purchased 
from  a  man  named  Joseph  Little,  for  the  paltry 
consideration  of  five  dressed  deer  skins,  worth 
about  two  dollars  and  a  half  each,  a  squatter's  title 
to  another  tract  of  land,  and  held  it  until  1869.  He 
then  sold  to  Robert  Becker  for  six  hundred  dollars 
and  went  to  California  for  his  health.  Returning 
later  to  Puget  sound,  he  was  killed  in  combat  with 
a  huge  bear,  which  succumbed  to  the  wounds  in- 
flicted by  his  knife.  Charles  W.  Beale  located 
across  the  bay  from  the  main  settlement,  and  the 
land  which  he  then  took  is  still  occupied  by  him. 
He  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  in  1868,  the 
smoke  from  great  forest  fires  throughout  the  coun- 


try became  so  dense  that  navigators  could  not  see 
a  boat  length  ahead,  and  that  birds,  suffocated  by 
the  thick,  black  smoke-clouds  of  the  upper  air,  fre- 
quently fell  onto  the  decks  of  vessels  and  into  the 
water,  dead.  From  July  16th  to  September  3d, 
there  was  not  a  drop  of  rain,  and  then  came  another 
dry  spell  lasting  till  October  22d.  Crops  did  not 
ripen  that  year  because  of  excessive  smoke  in 
the  atmosphere.  The  summers  during  those  early 
years  were  usually  characterized  by  dense  smoke, 
but  as  civilization  has  advanced  on  the  sound  more 
and  more  care  has  been  taken  to  prevent  great  fires 
in  the  forest,  and  now  the  smoke  seldom  becomes 
thick  enough,  even  during  the  driest  summers,  to 
cause  serious  inconvenience. 

To  make  a  complete  roll  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Fidalgo,  Guemes  and  the  other  islands  of  Skagit 
county  would  be  ne.xt  to  impossible,  but  among  the 
earliest  were  William  Munks,  Enoch  Compton, 
Charles  W.  and  Robert  K.  Beale,  of  whom  mention 
has  already  been  made ;  H.  A.  March,  credited  with 
arrival  in  1863 ;  James  Cavanaugh,  Shadrach  and 
Richard  Wooten,  H.  C.  Barkhousen,  George  Ens- 
ley  and  George  Cagey,  all  coming  between  that  year 
and  1867.  At  that  time  James  Matthews  and  H.  P. 
O'Bryant  were  living  on  Guemes  island,  opposite 
the  site  of  Anacortes. 

A  little  later,  perhaps  about  1869,  came  William 
Allard,  who  settled  near  the  Wooten  brothers  just 
.south  of  the  present  Anacortes ;  Eldridge  Sibley, 
on  the  site  of  the  Nelson  school,  Samuel  McCarty 
and  James  Lathrow.  One  arrival  of  the  later  six- 
ties was  John  T.  Griffin,  who  settled  at  the  head  of 
the  bay.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Almina  Richards  Griffin, 
has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  white  woman 
to  locate  on  Fidalgo  island,  .\ccording  to  Carrie 
M.  White,  she  "was  a  bright,  enterprising  woman 
of  marked  character  and  was  born  and  educated  in 
New  England."  "Leaving  all  her  relations,"  con- 
tinues Miss  White,  "she  started  from  Boston  for 
California  during  the  gold  excitement  in  that  state. 
On  the  ship  in  which  she  rounded  the  Horn  she  met 
in  its  first  mate  her  future  husband,  Mr.  John 
Griffin.  After  life  on  California  gold-fields  Mr.  Grif- 
fin came  in  1864  to  Whatcom,  where  his  wife  fol- 
lowed him  in  about  two  months,  to  take  charge  of 
the  district  school  which  had  been  presided  over  by 
Mr.  Edward  Eldridge.  Mrs.  Griffin  was  the  first 
woman  to  teach  in  Whatcom  county  and  had  charge 
of  this  school  for  about  two  years.  When  she  came 
to  Fidalgo,  the  men  welcomed  her  as  the  first  white 
woman  on  this  island  by  making  a  'bee'  and  clear- 
ing some  land  for  her  and  hers."  It  must  not  be 
supposed  that  the  men  who  preceded  the  Griffin 
family  to  the  island  were  all  celibates.  On  the  con- 
trary, most  of  them  were  married,  but  to  Indian 
women.  The  scarcity  of  white  women  on  Puget 
sound  during  the  early  days  resulted  in  many  alli- 
ances of  white  men  with  the  dusky  aboriginal 
maidens. 


PERIOD   OF    SETTLEMENT 


Other  arrivals  of  the  late  sixties  or  early  seven- 
ties were  William  Deutsch,  Henry  Havekost,  Will- 
iam Gray,  Oliver  Lynch,  Henry  L.  Seebert, 

Walker,  Orlando  Graham,  who  took  a  claim  on  the 
north  end  of  the  island  near  Ship  Harbor  in  1873, 
William  R.  Griffin,  Dr.  W.  Y.  Deere,  G.  W.  Cran- 
dall,  S.  B.  and  C.  Best,  Captain  George  B.  Hill, 
Hazard  Stevens,  son  of  Washington's  first  terri- 
torial governor,  William  H.  Woodard,  Henry  J. 
White,  George  H.  Thomas,  John  Langley,  Thomas 
Sharp,  Mathias  Anstinsen,  Frank  Thorp,  John 
Schultz,  Albert  L.  and  Frank  Graham,  Marcus 
Christianson,  J.  C.  Glover,  and  no  doubt  others. 
Some  of  these,  especially  Hazard  Stevens,  Captain 
Hill  and  William  R.  Griffin,  were  attracted  to  the 
island  by  its  prospect  of  being  the  terminus  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad. 

Miss  White  states  that  when  she  arrived  in  No- 
vember, 18T3,  she  found  only  eight  white  women, 
namely,  Mesdames  H.  A.  March,  G.  N.  Crandall, 
Robert  Becker,  S.  B.  Best,  A.  R.  Griffin,  Jennie 
Howard,  Oliver  Lynch  and  Ada  Lynch  Church. 
The  settlers  of  this  period  on  the  east  side  of  Guemes 
island  whose  names  can  be  recalled  were  Edward 
and  Horace  J.  Ames,  William  Hill,  William  Brun- 
ton  and  Amos  Johnson.  Mrs.  Willfong  became 
the  island's  pioneer  white  woman  about  1872. 

The  occupation  of  these  early  pioneers  was 
farming  mostly.  From  a  diary  kept  by  William 
Munks,  to  which  the  compiler  was  kindly  given 
access,  it  appears  that  in  the  summer  of  1863  he 
raised  oats,  corn  and  wheat,  as  well  as  onions,  po- 
tatoes and  other  vegetables,  also  that  he  made  con- 
siderable butter  and  set  out  apple,  cherry  and  other 
fruit  trees.  Mr.  Munks  also  notes  having  assisted 
some  of  his  neighbors  in  getting  ready  to  raise 
crops. 

Even  before  the  dawn  of  the  _\ear  1870.  some 
farm  machinery  was  in  use  on  Fidalgo  island, 
though  it  was  probably  of  a  primitive  kind.  Mr. 
Munks  had  a  mowing  machine  in  the  spring  of 
1869  and  on  the  8th  of  September  following  he 
bought  a  thresher — a  very  small,  one  horse-power 
concern.  In  the  year  1870,  Mr.  Munks  entered  in 
his  diary  this  item:  "August  29— Bought  stuff  at 
Whatcom."  The  significance  of  the  entry  is  not 
very  clear,  but  it  is  the  opinion  of  some  that  the 
"stuff"  purchased  was  stock  for  the  establishment 
of  the  first  store  on  the  island.  At  any  rate  Mr. 
Munks  did  have  a  store  about  this  time  in  a  board 
house,  situated  at  the  lower  edge  of  his  place.  He 
is  likewise  to  be  credited  with  having  served  as 
Fidalgo  island's  first  postmaster.  His  appointment 
was  received  January  24,  1871;  he  gave  bonds  the 
8th  of  the  ensuing  Februarv  and  was  handed  the 
mail  key  April  .5th.  The  first  mail  was  broug-ht  to 
the  island  by  the  steamer  Mary  Woodruff,  which  is 
thought  to  have  made  her  first  trip  February  25, 
1868.  .Another  steamer  which  visited  Fidalgo  bay 
at  regular  intervals  was  the  Ruby. 


Progress  on  Fidalgo  island  during  the  early 
seventies  appears  to  have  been  quite  rapid.  Its 
lands  were  surveyed  about  1871,  giving  the  old 
pioneers  who  had  long  held  their  property  by  squat- 
ter's right  a  chance  to  secure  a  more  satisfactory 
title,  and  encouraging  others  to  come.  Long  be- 
fore this,  the  agricultural  possibilities  of  these  lands 
had  been  fully  demonstrated.  Excellent  crops  of 
grain,  hay  and  potatoes  were  being  raised  annu- 
ally and  orchards  were  in  full  bearing.  It  is  claimed 
that  at  the  territorial  fairs,  exhibitions  from  the 
island  carried  ofif  more  premiums  than  those  from 
any  other  portion  of  the  territory. 

Practically  all  the  government  land  was  taken 
by  1873,  the  inhabitants  were  enjoying  semi-weekly 
communication  by  steamer  with  the  outside  world, 
while  in  their  own  settlement  they  had  two  stores, 
two  blacksmith  shops,  a  wheelwright's  shop,  a  post- 
office  and  a  good  public  school. 

At  a  very  early  date  certain  facts  and  considera- 
tions which  have  exerted  a  powerful  influence  in 
the  later  history  of  the  island  began  to  make  them- 
selves felt.  The  superior  excellence  of  Ship  har- 
bor had  been  known  perhaps  even  before  the  United 
States  vessel,  Massachusetts,  began  making  it  her 
headquarters — a  circumstance  which  is  said  to 
have  given  it  its  name.  It  did  not  escape  the  notice 
of  the  able  and  energetic  Governor  Isaac  I.  Stevens, 
who  had  been  a  staunch  advocate  of  the  northern 
route  for  the  proposed  railroad  to  the  Pacific.  In 
the  interest  of  this  great  enterprise  he  examined 
carefully  all  the  harbors  of  the  sound  and  de- 
spatched numerous  exploring  expeditions  to  the 
various  passes  through  the  mountains,  "going  over 
the  whole  ground  with  a  zeal  and  thoroughness,  a 
degree  of  enthusiasm  and  pride  in  the  performance 
of  his  great  work  which  for  all  time  have  marked 
Stevens  the  first  hero  of  the  territory."  The  result  of 
this  investigation  was  the  choice  by  Stevens  of  Fi- 
dalgo island  as  the  proper  terminus  and  Ward's 
pass,  at  the  head  of  the  south  fork  of  the  Skagit 
river,  as  the  most  desirable  gateway  to  the  Pacific. 

The  railway  company  did  adopt  that  route  (as 
may  be  learned  from  the  records  of  the  interior 
department)  and  adhered  thereto  until  financial 
difficulties  in  the  early  seventies  all  but  ruined  it, 
compelling  concessions  to  the  Oregon  congressmen 
in  order  to  save  its  land  grant.  Quite  extensive 
land  holdings  along  the  shore  of  Ship  harbor  were 
secured  by  Hazard  Stevens,  son  of  the  governor, 
as  attorney  for  interests  in  close  touch  with  the 
railway  company,  and  the  .^nacortes  farm  was  se- 
cured for  his  mother,  the  governor's  widow.  It 
remained  the  property  of  the  .Stevens  family  until 
1877.  when  the  clouds  became  so  thick  over  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railway  project  that  it  seemed 
the  road  would  never  be  completed  :  then  it  was  sold 
to  Mrs.  Anna  (Curtis)  Bowman,  "the  lady  of  Ship 
harbor,"  who  was  the  first  white  woman  to  settle 
permanently  on  that  part  of  the  island.     She  built  a 


100 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


wharf  and  store  on  her  newly  acquired  property. 
In  1879,  through  the  influence  of  Frances  Fuller 
\'ictor,  a  postoffice  was  established  there  to  which 
the  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Bowman,  slightly  cor- 
rupted in  the  interest  of  euphony,  was  applied,  and 
thus  the  city  of  Anacortes  had  its  inception. 

The  settlement  of  Guemes  island,  just  across  the 
channel  from  tlie  north  end  of  Fidalgo,  began  a 
little  later  than  that  of  its  larger  neighbor.  About 
18G6  Humphrey  P.  O'Bryant  located  on  the  island, 
purchasing  his  claim  for  forty  dollars  of  a  French 
trapper,  who,  it  is  supposed,  was  the  first  settler. 
James  Matthews,  owner  of  the  adjoining  claim,  was 
the  only  other  white  man  there  at  the  time.     About 

1871  came  John  J.  Edens,  a  farmer  and  logger, 
Amos  Johnson  and  John  and  Solomon  Schriver,  in 

1872  and  1873,  and  later  Ames,  Hill  and  Brunton 
before  mentioned.  In  1876  a  copper  prospect  was 
discovered,  which  gave  quite  an  impetus  to  Guemes 

■  island,  causing  the  eyes  of  the  surrounding  settle- 
ments to  turn  in  that  direction.  In  the  winter  of 
1877,  six  experienced  quartz  miners  worked  on  it 
for  a  time,  and  it  is  said  that  specimens  of  the  ore 
taken  to  Portland  by  a  mining  man  named  C.  L. 
Walters  gave  forty-five  dollars  in  copper,  eleven 
dollars  in  gold  and  nine  dollars  in  silver.  On 
O'Bryant's  claim,  opposite  Anacortes,  between  two 
hundred  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  tunnel 
were  driven,  but  the  mines  never  did  become  pro- 
ducers ;  nevertheless,  the  effect  on  the  settlement 
of  this  island  was  felt.  In  1878,  there  were  more 
than  thirty  people  on  its  thirty  square  miles  of  terri- 
tory, most  of  them  in  comfortable  homes.  They 
had  a  precinct  organization,  and  connection  with 
the  outer  world  once  a  week  by  the  staunch  little 
mail  steamer  Despatch.  In  1889,  twenty-eight 
votes  were  cast  in  Guemes  precinct,  twenty-two  of 
which  were  Republican,  the  remainder  Democratic. 
One  of  the  settlers  who  came  to  Guemes  island 
about  1878  was  not  of  the  industrious  and  desirable 
type,  to  which  practically  all  the  others  belonged. 
He  may  have  been  industrious  enough,  hut  in  a 
bad  cause.  This  was  Larry  Kelly,  "King  of  Smug- 
glers." one  of  the  most  notorious  characters  that 
ever  lived  on  Puget  sound,  the  principal  in  many  a 
thrilling  adventure,  many  a  battle  of  wits  with 
custom-house  officers.  He  lived  for  years  in  a  little 
cabin  on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  island,  plying 
his  nefarious  vocation.  He  is  now  in  the  toils, 
having  been  arrested  recently  in  Seattle  for  smug- 
gling- 

Although  the  beginning  of  permanent  settle- 
ment on  the  mainland  was  not  till  after  the  first 
pioneers  had  established  themselves  on  Fidalgo 
island,  the  magnificent  valley  of  the  Skagit  did  not 
escape  notice  entirely,  while  the  country  to  the 
north  and  the  south  was  settling  up.  Indeed  there 
is  very  good  authority  for  the  statement  that  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  appro])riate  a  portion  of  it  as 
early  as  1855.     The  would-be  settlers  were  a  jiarty 


from  Island  county,  consisting  of  Winfield  Ebey,  a 
brother  of  the  well-known  Colonel  I.  N.  Ebey, 
George  Beam  and  wife,  Walter  Crockett  and  Mrs. 
Mary  Wright,  a  sister  of  Colonel  Ebey,  who  after- 
ward became  Mrs.  Bozarth.  All  were  newcomers  to 
the  sound  except  Crockett.  They  were  looking  for 
a  suitable  location  to  run  cattle  and  horses  and 
diought  the\'  had  found  such  a  place  on  the  north 
fork  just  above  the  spot  where  the  bridge  now 
spans  that  stream.  T.  P.  Hastie,  who  was  well 
acquainted  with  them  on  Whidby  island,  says  the 
site  of  their  settlement  is  known  beyond  dispute, 
as  a  large  cedar  tree,  which  is  still  standing,  at  one 
time  bore  the  names  or  initials  of  the  party.  Claims 
were  staked  out  and  preparations  begun  for  the 
erection  of  cabins.  There  is  no  doubt  of  the  inten- 
tion of  these  people  to  form  a  permanent  settlement, 
but  the  execution  of  their  designs  was  cut  short  by 
the  Indian  difficulties  which  culminated  in  the  war 
of  1855-6.  The  ladies  returned  to  Coupeville  in 
haste  after  only  one  night's  stay  in  the  valley,  being 
thoroughly  frightened  b\-  the  unfriendly  demonstra- 
tions of  the  Indians. 

No  doubt  the  Skagit  river  received  many  visits 
from  prospectors  during  the  Frasets  river  excite- 
ment. In  an  old  copy  of  the  Northern  Light  we 
find  the  following  notice  of  one  of  these  gold  hunt- 
ing expeditions:  "Major  Van  Bokkelen,  who  called 
upon  us  Wednesday  (the  date  of  the  paper  is  July 
17,  1858),  informs  us  that  the  day  before  he  left 
Port  Townsend,  A.  S.  Bufifington,  J.  K.  Tukey  and 
others,  old  settlers  of  this  territory,  returned  from 
the  valley  of  Skagit  river.  They  stated  that  in  the 
first  twelve  miles  of  the  river  they  met  with  ob- 
structions consisting  of  three  rafts,  after  passing 
which  they  prospected  the  bars,  and  invariably 
found  gold.  When  the  party  reached  the  forks  of 
the  river  they  went  up  the  northern  branch  to  Mount 
Baker  and  fell  in  with  several  Indian  camps." 
Mr.  Hastie  says  he  remembers  this  party.  While 
they  found  gold  widely  distributed,  it  was  not  in 
paying  quantities. 

It  is  not  easy  to  determine  who  was  the  first  to 
establish  a  permanent  settlement  on  the  mainland  of 
Skagit  county.  The  honor  is  generally  supposed 
to  belong  either  to  Samuel  Calhoun  or  Michael  J. 
Sullivan,  but  there  are  those  who  think  that  both 
these  men  may  have  been  antedated  by  others.  Mr. 
Calhoun,  now  a  resident  of  Hopewell  Cape,  New 
Brunswick,  has  very  kindly  taken  great  pains  to 
write  out  for  the  compilers  an  account  of  his  settle- 
ment and  pioneer  experiences.  He  says  that  while 
working  as  a  shipwright  at  L'tsalady,  he  was  seizetl 
with  a  desire  to  find  out  what  was  across  the  bay  in 
the  gap  he  saw  between  the  hills ;  so.  in  the  spring 
of  18(j3,  he  hired  an  Indian  to  go  with  him  on  an 
exploring  expedition.  The  Indian  had  been  dubbed 
Sam  Gallon  on  account  of  his  having  once  stolen 
a  gallon  of  whiskey  and  swallowed  the  same  in  an 
incredibly   short   time.     Thev  crossed   the   bay   and 


PERIOD   OF   SETTLEMENT 


ascended  Sullivan  slough,  following  the  right-hand 
branch,  to  the  vicinity  of  Pleasant  Ridge,  where,  in 
a  beautiful  red  cedar  grove,  they  encamped  for  the 
night.  Next  morning  Mr.  Calhoun  sent  the  Indian 
with  his  canoe  to  the  mouth  of  the  north  fork, 
while  he  himself  climbed  a  tall  tree  on  Pleasant 
Ridge  and  took  a  view  of  the  surroundings.  "I 
was  fairly  delighted  with  the  prospect,"  he  writes. 
"I  thought  it  the  most  beautiful  sight  that  I  had 
ever  beheld.  'Here,'  I  said  to  myself,  'is  a  country 
within  range  of  my  vision  that  will  support  a  mill- 
ion people.  Here  is  my  home  where  I  shall  spend 
the  remainder  of  my  life.'  "  He  then  made  his  way 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  wading  tule  swamps  and 
creeks,  found  his  Indian,  returned  to  Utsalady  and 
began  preparations  for  settlement. 

The  country  appealed  to  Mr.  Calhoun  as  it 
would  to  few  others  from  the  fact  that  he  was  fa- 
miliar as  a  boy  with  marsh  land  and  had  seen  con- 
siderable diking  done.  He  failed  not  to  note  the 
apparent  richness  of  the  soil,  the  protection  from 
surf  which  the  islands  afforded,  the  nimierous 
sloughs  and  creeks  offering  facilities  for  water 
transportation.  All  in  all  he  considered  those 
Swinomish  tide  lands  the  best  body  of  tide  marsh 
he  had  ever  seen. 

As  the  site  for  his  home,  Mr.  Calhoun  chose  an 
old  Indian  encampment  close  to  Sullivan  slough, 
but  above  the  reach  of  the  tides.  His  claim  is  now 
the  home  of  Isaac  Dunlap.  He  was  fortunate  in 
finding  an  excellent  garden  spot  of  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  acre,  in  which  he  planted  potatoes 
and  garden  seeds  brought  from  Utsalady.  That  fall 
he  had  all  the  vegetables  he  could  use  and  some  to 
give  away.  After  planting  the  garden,  he  went  to 
Utsalady  to  work  for  three  or  four  weeks  and  it 
was  upon  his  return  from  this  trip  that  he  first 
met  Michael  J.  Sullivan.  Mr.  Sullivan  had  settled 
on  a  place  near  by.  He  might  easily  have  been 
there  when  Calhoun  first  came  and  escaped  notice, 
for  had  he  been  a  smuggler  and  hiding  away  from 
custom-house  officers  he  would  have  been  compara- 
tively safe  in  the  secluded  retreat  he  then  occupied. 
Mr.  Sullivan  has  himself  been  interviewed  regard- 
ing the  time  of  his  settlement,  but  he  is  not  now  very 
good  at  remembering  dates. 

In  bringing  lumber  from  Utsalady  to  build  a 
house,  Mr.  Calhoun  came  near  being  shipwrecked, 
but  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  his  Indian  com- 
panion became  paralyzed  with  fear  and  could  render 
no  assistance,  he  managed  by  heroic  exertions  to 
get  his  boat,  his  lumber  and  his  Indian  safelv  to 
shore.  Before  the  close  of  1863,  he  had  bui'lt  a 
house  for  himself  and  assisted  Mr.  Sullivan  to  fix 
up  his.  The  following  spring  the  work  of  diking 
began.  Calhoun  and  Sullivan  together  diked  sixtv 
acres  on  the  latter's  claim  and  Mr.  Calhoun  was 
engaged  in  enclosing  a  forty-acre  tract  on  his  own 
land  when  the  season  closed!  The  white  men  in  the 
other  neighborhoods  of  the  sound  were  very  nuich 

7 


inclined  to  ridicule  these  efforts  to  make  a  farm  on 
nuul  fiats,  where  the  tides  overflowed,  but  when  the 
first  immense  crops  were  harvested  they  saw  their 
error. 

At  the  time  this  settlement  was  made  the  Swin- 
omish Indians  were  in  rather  bad  repute  among  the 
whites.  It  was  said  that  a  year  or  two  before  a 
surveyor  named  Hunt,  while  on  his  way  from  Penn's 
Cove,  Island  county,  to  Whatcom,  was  killed-  by 
them,  they  fearing  he  might  work  some  evil  incan- 
tation upon  them  with  his  instruments.  They  were 
also  credited  with  having  killed  an  old  and  some- 
what insane  man  who  hadbuilt  a  cabin  close  to  the 
banks  of  the  Swinomish  slough,  and  stories  were 
rife  of  persons  who  were  known  to  have  attempted 
a  passage  of  the  slough  and  were  never  heard  of 
after.  But  notwithstanding  all  these  reports,  the 
two  settlers  were  not  molested  by  Indians,  though 
their  old  chief  came  to  Calhoun  after  his  house  was 
built  and  wanted  to  know  what  he  was  going  to 
do  there.  When  informed,  he  said :  "You  must  be 
a  fool.  Don't  you  know  that  in  winter,  when  the 
big  winds  come,  the  water  will  be  two  or  three  feet 
high  all  over  the  ground?"  Mr.  Calhoun  said  he 
knew  it,  but  that  he  intended  to  throw  up  the  earth 
higher  than  that  and  keep  out  the  water.  The  chief 
then  asked  if  he  did  not  know  the  land  belonged 
to  the  Indians.  "No,"  said  Calhoun,  "according  to 
the  idea  of  the  Bostons  the  Indians'  land  is  on  the 
reservation."  The  chief  replied  that  that  was  the 
Bostons'  ciiltiis  iva  wa  (bad  talk)  and  that  he  could 
drive  out  the  white  men  or  kill  them  if  he  chose. 
"That  is  true,"  replied  Calhoun,  "but  if  you  should 
the  soldiers  would  come  with  fire-ships  and  kill 
many  of  you."  The  Indian  admitted  that  such 
would  be  the  probable  result.  He  accepted  Mr. 
Calhoun's  proffered  hand  and  the  friendship  there 
begun  was  never  broken. 

It  was  long  before  the  Swinomish  flats  began 
to  settle  up  with  any  degree  of  rapidity.  Notwith- 
standing Mr.  Calhoun's  glowing  picture  of  them, 
they  were  to  most  people  a  dreary  waste.  "Perhaps," 
writes  Miss  Linda  Jennings,  "few  pioneers  in  the 
history  of  our  country  ever  attempted  to  build  homes 
in  a  more  uninviting  region.  The  people  of  the 
older  settlements  of  the  sound  knew  of  this  stretch 
of  marsh  and  many  of  them  had  seen  it,  but  they 
thought  it  absurd  to  try  to  reclaim  such  a  desolate 
tide-swept  waste.  At  high  tide,  the  Indians  paddled 
their  canoes  wherever  they  wished  over  what  are 
now  the  finest  farms  in  Washington.  The  marsh 
was  ramified  by  countless  sloughs,  big  and  little, 
many  of  them  long  since  filled  and  cultivated  over. 
In  the  summer,  tule.  cattail  and  coarse  salt  grass 
flourished  and  it  was  the  home  of  many  thousands 
of  wild  fowls  and  muskrats^ — an  ideal  hunting- 
ground  for  Indians.  Before  any  one  located  here, 
the  settlers  of  Fidalgo  island  used  to  visit  the  Swin- 
omish in  summer  and  cut  the  wild  grass  for  hay. 
The  first  settlers  were  the  objects  of  much  ridicule 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


from  their  friends  in  thq  neighboring  settlements. 
When  we  consider  the  great  dikes  that  must  be  built 
around  their  claims  we  can  understand  why  it 
seemed  an  almost  impossible  task." 

For  the  first  few  years  Messrs.  Sullivan  and 
Calhoun  were  the  only  white  settlers  in  their  neigh- 
borhood. The  next  permanent  settlers,  Mr.  Calhoun 
sa\  s,  were  John  Cornelius,  Robert  White  and  James 
Harrison.  At  an  early  date  two  men  named  Rollins 
and  McCann,  natives  of  New  Brunswick,  took  what 
afterward  became  the  Dodge  place,  in  Dodge  valley, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  north  fork  of  the  Skagit. 
Thev  are  said  to  have  diked  in  a  few  acres  between 
the  site  of  the  present  residence  on  the  place  and 
George  Aden's.  Thomas  P.  Hastie  says  they  bought 
cattle  of  him  on  Whidby  island  as  early  as  1869  and 
gives  it  as  his  firm  conviction  that  they  antedated 
both  Calhoun  and  Sullivan  in  settlement  in  Skagit 
county.  Shortly  after  1869,  they  disposed  of  their 
land  to  E.  T.  Dodge  and  turned  their  attention  to 
logging,  McCann  on  Camano  island  and  Rollins  in 
Humboldt  county,  California. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  difficulties,  the  Swin- 
omish  country  began  to  settle  up  quite  rapidly  in 
the  late  sixties  and  early  seventies,  when  the  feasi- 
bility of  diking  it,  and  its  immense  fertility  began 
to  be  demonstrated. 

The  first  trading  post  on  the  Swinomish  flats 
was  established  in  May.  ]8('>7,  upon  the  site  of  the 
l^resent  city  of  La  Conner,  by  Alonzo  Low,  now  a 
resident  of  Snohomish.  Low  and  Woodbury  Sin- 
clair engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Snoho- 
mish City  in  1864,  and  opened  the  Swinomish  branch 
as  stated,  with  Low  in  charge.  The  enterprise 
failed,  however,  and  was  abandoned  fourteen 
months  after  its  establishment.  Low  gave  the  build- 
ing to  a  mulatto  named  Clark,  who  lived  with  an 
Indian  woman,  in  consideration  of  Clark  moving 
the  goods  and  a  yoke  of  oxen  (taken  by  Low  in 
payment  of  a  debt)  back  to  .Snohomish.  This  was 
accomplished  by  boat. 

Thomas  Hayes  is  the  next  .Swinomish  trader 
of  whom  we  have  record.  The  exact  time  of  his 
appearance  is  not  known,  but  it  must  have  been 
very  shortly  after  Low  abandoned  the  region  in 
the  summer  of  1868.  It  was  during  his  time  that 
the  Swinomish  postoffice  was  established.  When 
J.  S.  Conner  came,  succeeding  Hayes  (or  Hays), 
this  postoffice  was  either  abandoned  and  the  La 
Conner  postoffice  created,  or  the  name  was  changed 
to  La  Conner. 

Laurin  L.  Andrews,  at  present  cashier  of  the 
Bank  of  La  Conner,  tells  us  that  when  he  first 
visited  the  place  in  the  fall  of  1870,  he  found  at 
what  is  now  La  Conner,  J.  S.  Conner  and  family, 
keeping  a  store  and  postoffice  in  their  residence 
building  which  stood  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by 
Caches'  brick  block  ;  Archibald  Seigf ried  and  family, 
conducting  a  boarding-house  in  a  building  on  the 
site  of  the  Corner  saloon ;  J.  I.  Conner,  a  cousin  of 


J.  S.,  operating  a  little  trading  vessel,  the  True  Blue, 
with  headquarters  at  the  village;  back  on  the  flats, 
Michael  Sullivan,  Samuel  Calhoun,  E.  T.  Dodge  and 
family ;  Robert  White  and  family,  near  Sullivan ; 
Harvey  Wallace,  at  Pleasant  Ridge  ;  James  William- 
son in  the  same  locality ;  John  Cornelius  and  family 
at  Pleasant  Ridge ;  James  Harrison,  on  what  is  now 
the  Armstrong  place ;  and  on  the  reservation.  Dr. 
W.  Y.  Deere,  government  farmer  in  charge  of  the 
Swinomish  tribe.  Deere  was  not  a  physician.  His 
title  was  given  him  on  account  of  his  having  at  one 
time  served  as  a  hospital  steward. 

The  first  white  women  to  settle  on  the  Swinomish 
flats  were  Mrs.  J.  O.  Rudene,  formerly  Mrs.  John 
Cornelius ;  Mrs.  Edwin  T.  Dodge,  Mrs.  Denison, 
Mrs.  Robert  White,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Conner  and  Mrs. 
Archibald  Seigfried.  The  last-named  lady  was  the 
mother  of  the  first  child  born  on  the  flats,  but  un- 
fortunately it  did  not  live.  In  May,  1871,  Maggie, 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  White,  was  born. 
It  is  thought  that  she  was  the  first  white  native  of 
the  flats  to  live,  if  not  the  first  in  the  county.  Mrs. 
Charles  Hubbs,  sister  of  Mrs.  Rudene,  is  deserving 
of  mention  among  the  early  pioneer  women,  though 
her  home  was  on  the  reservation  opposite  La 
Conner,  where  her  husband  was  serving  as  telegraph 
operator. 

The  year  1871  brought  a  number  of  settlers, 
among  them  Isaac  Jennings  and  family.  Those 
settlers  Mr.  Jennings  was  able  to  recall  as  living 
on  the  flats  at  that  time,  in  addition  to  the  ones 
already  mentioned,  were  the  following:  The  [Man- 
chester family,  south  of  La  Conner ;  William  Wood- 
ward, a  bachelor  north  of  La  Conner ;  Edward 
Bellou,  a  bachelor  in  the  same  locality ;  a  bachelor 
known  as  "Pink  Man ;"  the  Terrace  family,  Michael 
Hintz,  James  O'Laughlin,  Charles  Miller,  C.  -A. 
D'Arcy,  G.  W.  L.  Allen,  Isaac  Chilberg,  a  minister 
named  Thompson,  who  used  to  preach  occasionally 
at  the  McCormick  farm,  Laurin  L.  Andrews,  a 
young  merchant  on  the  reservation,  and  Thomas 
Calhoun.  In  addition  to  these  there  were  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Harvey  Wallace,  on  Beaver  marsh,  near 
Pleasant  Rid.ge  ;  Albert  and  Milton  Learner,  brothers 
of  Mrs.  Wallace,  and  John  Wallace.  Mrs.  David 
Leamer,  mother  of  Albert  and  Milton  and  of  Mrs. 
Wallace,  settled  near  Pleasant  Ridge  in  October, 
1871,  and  still  resides  there.  Frederick  Eyre  was 
also  in  the  country,  though  not  a  settler  at  that 
time.  David  Culver  came  to  the  flats  about  1872 ; 
James  Gilliland  was  in  charge  of  the  telegraph 
station  at  La  Conner  in  1872  and  for  many  years 
afterward. 

The  Swinomjsh  settlement  was  not  without  some 
of  the  conveniences  of  civilized  life  in  the  late  sixties 
and  early  seventies.  Already  two  of  the  sound 
steamers  were  contending  for  their  trade,  the  fifty- 
ton  side  wheeler,  Mary  Woodrufif,  John  Cosgrove, 
captain,  and  the  J.  B.  Libby,  John  A.  Suffern, 
captain.    They  plied  between  Seattle  and  Whatcom, 


PERIOD   OF   SETTLEMENT 


via  the  inside  route  as  it  was  called — Swinomish 
slough — making  the  round  trip  every  week.  At  this 
time  the  freight  was  three  dollars  and  a  half  a  ton, 
but  there  were  instances  when  the  fierce  competition 
between  the  two  forced  it  down  to  a  dollar  or  even 
less.  The  service,  however,  was  not  very  satisfac- 
torv.  E.  A.  Sisson  says  the  Libby  often  got  stuck 
on  'the  flats  at  Hole  in  the  Wall  near  La  Conner  or 
at  the  upper  end  of  Swinomish  slough  and  would  lie 
there  contentedly  for  two  or  three  days,  charging 
the  passengers  a  good  rate  for  their  board.  In  the 
spring  of  1868,  Mr.  Calhoun  finished  a  small,  flat- 
bottom  schooner,  named  the  Shoo-Fly,  suited  to 
transferring  logging  camp  outfits,  lumber,  etc.,  in 
shallow  water. 

Another  of  the  conveniences  of  this  early  period 
was  a  telegraph  wire  to  the  reservation.  Mr.  Cal- 
houn says  that  after  the  trans-Atlantic  cable  had 
twice  broken,  people  began  to  think  it  a  failure,  and 
a  telegraph  company  commenced  to  run  a  line  along 
the  coast  through  Washington  territory  to  British 
Columbia  and  Alaska  to  Behring  straits,  expecting 
to  cross  to  Asia  and  thence  to  Europe.  The  subse- 
quent success  of  the  Atlantic  cable  put  an  end  to 
this  scheme,  but  the  Swinomish  people  nevertheless 
had  telegraphic  connections  which  they  would  not 
otherwise  have  enjoyed  for  several  years.  About 
the  middle  si.xties,  a  postoffice  was  established  on  the 
reservation,  making  it  no  longer  necessary  for  the 
pioneers  to  go  to  Utsalady  for  mail.  Still  later  one 
was  secured  on  the  site  of  La  Conner  (it  was  named 
Swinomish  postoffice)  with  Thomas  Hayes  as  its 
first  postmaster. 

The  value  of  the  country  as  a  grain-raising 
district  began  to  be  realized  very  soon  after  diking 
commenced  in  1864.  Mrs.  Rudene,  then  Mrs.  John 
Cornelius,  is  quoted  as  saying  that  when  she  came 
from  Whidby  island  in  IS'es,  Mr.  Sullivan  showed 
her  a  splendid  field  of  oats,  which  he  claimed  were 
the  first  grown  on  the  Swinomish  flats.  In  the  fall 
of  1869,  three  men  had  considerable  crops  of  grain 
to  be  threshed,  Michael  Sullivan,  Samuel  Calhoun 
and  E.  T.  Dodge.  There  was  no  threshing  machine 
on  the  mainland,  so  Mr.  Calhoun  went  to  Whidby 
island  and  brought  men,  horses  and  machine.  Sul- 
livan's crop  was  threshed  first,  then  Calhoun's,  then 
Dodge's.  Calhoun  got  twelve  hundred  bushels  of 
barley  from  twenty-one  acres,  and  both  the  other 
gentlemen  realized  much  better  returns  than  they 
had  expected,  so  the  scoffers  at  those  establishing 
farms  on  the  mud  flats  were  efifectually  silenced.  In 
18T6  Mr.  Calhoun  brought  a  steam  thresher  to  the 
flats,  the  first  that  was  ever  imported  into  western 
Washington,  and  1877  Whitney,  Sisson  &  Companv 
imported  the  second  machine. 

The  north  end  of  Swinomish  flats  was  not  much 
behind  tlie  La  Conner  country  in  settlement.  The 
first  settler  in  the  vicinity  of  Padilla  bay  was  James 
McCIellan,  a  bachelor  from  California,  who  located 
about  the  year  1869  on  the  place  now  known  as  the 


Smith  ranch,  but  which  he  named  Virgin  Cove.  For 
months  his  only  neighbors  were  a  family  of  Indians, 
who  regarded  him  as  an  intnider  on  their  lands,  for 
they  claimed  by  right  of  inheritance  all  the  country 
between  Indian  slough  and  the  Samish  river. 
Several  times  Mr.  McCIellan  thought  these  Indians 
were  plotting  to  harm  him  but  he  put  on  a  bold 
front,  showed  no  fear  and  was  not  molested.  It  is 
almost  certain  that  no  white  family  would  have  been 
so  patient  with  one  whom  they  regarded  a  tres- 
passer. 

McClellan's  first  white  neighbor  was  Jacob  High- 
barger,  who  came  about  ISTO  with  his  Indian  wife 
and  family.  Next  year  McClellan's  former  partner 
in  the  stock  business  in  California,  M.  D.  Smith, 
rejoined  him.  The  partnership  was  renewed.  They 
diked  a  portion  of  their  marsh  land,  but  unfor- 
tunately in  building  the  dike  struck  a  layer  of  sand 
which  permitted  the  salt  water  to  leach  through,  so 
that  good  crops  could  not  be  raised  until  an  outer 
dike  was  built.  In  the  fall  of  1870,  William  H. 
Trimble  took  a  claim  for  himself  and  one  for  G.  W. 
L.  Allen  adjoining  the  farm  of  Smith  &  McCIellan. 
A  year  or  so  later  Allen  built  a  fine  house  on  an 
elevated  site  and  brought  his  family  to  live  in  it. 
In  1873,  Samuel  McNutt  and  Albert  Jennings  took 
claims  which  were  later  purchased  by  John  Ball, 
diked  by  him  and  made  into  a  fine  large  farm.  Jen- 
nings was  a  railway  engineer,  employed  in  Oregon, 
so  the  burden  of  holding  residence  upon  this  prop- 
erty fell  upon  his  wife  and  little  boy. 

Some  time  about  1870  or  1871,  Michael  Sullivan 
sold  for  one  thousand  six  hundred  dollars  at  the 
river  bank  the  crop  of  barley  raised  on  forty  acres 
of  diked  land.  The  story  went  clear  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. R.  E.  Whitney,  E.  A.  Sisson  and  others 
heard  it  and  soon  began  planning  to  migrate  to  the 
sound  basin.  Whitney  arrived  at  Padilla  in  August, 
1873,  bought  the  right  of  a  man  named  White,  filed 
a  preemption,  and  with  Mrs.  Whitney  began  resi- 
dence in  a  pioneer  shack.  For  many  years  after  he 
was  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  great  work  of 
tide  land  reclamation,  one  whose  faith  never 
wavered,  who  knew  no  discouragement.  In  Dec- 
ember following  his  arrival,  he  was  joined  by  two 
cousins,  E.  A.  Sisson  and  A.  G.  Tillinghast,  whom 
he  took  into  partnership,  forming  the  firm  of  Whit- 
ney, Sisson  &  Company.  This  partnership  was 
finally  dissolved  in  1877,  not,  however,  until  it  had 
expended  much  money,  labor  and  effort  in  diking 
land.  The  work  was  discouraging  enough  at  first. 
The  company,  together  with  Trimble,  Highbarger 
and  .'Mien,  constructed  three  miles  of  dike  and 
several  expensive  dams  across  sloughs,  using  seventy 
thousand  feet  of  lumber  and  paying  forty  dollars  a 
month  and  board  for  men.  During  the  winter  of 
1873-4  four  of  these  costly  dams  went  out,  the  salt 
water  was  let  in  and  cultivation  was  delayed  another 
year.  They  were  rebuilt  in  1874,  and  in  187.5  the 
first  crop,  twenty  acres  of  oats,  was  produced.    The 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


destruction  of  the  dikes  was  so  discouraging  to 
Messrs.  Tillinghast  and  Sisson,  that  they  offered  to 
donate  a  year's  work  to  be  allowed  to  withdraw 
from  the  company  neither  owing  nor  owning  a  cent, 
but  Whitney  would  not  listen  to  any  such  propo- 
sition. He  insisted  that  all  go  ahead,  which  they 
finally  decided  to  do. 

In  1873,  Whitney,  Sisson  &  Company  built  the 
old  "White  House"  on  Bay  View  Ridge,  and  as 
showing  some  of  the  conditions  of  life  in  those  days 
it  may  be  related  that  the  lumber  was  brought  from 
Utsalady  by  the  steamer  Linnie,  which  dumped  it 
out  in  the  bay  two  miles  from  land.  The  captain 
did  not  know  the  bay  nearer  shore  and  would  not 
go  in,  but  he  did  not  forget  to  charge  two  dollars 
and  fifty  cents  a  thousand  for  such  service  as  he 
was  willing  to  render.  The  men  rafted  the  lumber 
and  poled  it  to  shore.  On  March  13,  1873,  the 
house  was  raised,  the  entire  neighborhood  being 
present  and  taking  part.  It  still  stands,  a  landmark 
of  the  early  days,  reminder  of  many  a  pioneer 
gathering  and  festive  occasion. 

The  land  around  the  head  of  Padilla  bay  con- 
tained more  peat  and  hence  was  more  difficult  to 
bring  into  cultivation  than  that  contiguous  to  La 
Conner.  Some  of  it  was  so  soft  that,  besides  under- 
draining,  it  required  years  of  time  in  which  to  settle 
so  that  it  would  bear  up  teams  in  the  spring  and 
threshing  machines  in  the  fall.  As  comparatively 
little  of  the  flats  was  diked  in  the  early  seventies, 
there  was  no  communication,  except  by  water,  with 
La  Conner.  For  the  double  purpose  of  avoiding 
danger  in  times  of  rough  weather  and  of  shortening 
the  distance,  a  canal  a  half  mile  long  was  dug,  con- 
necting Indian  and  Telegraph  sloughs. 

While  the  initial  attempts  at  the  development  of 
the  beautiful  archipelago  now  constituting  the 
western  portion  of  Skagit  county,  together  with  that 
of  the  tide  flats  on  the  Swinomish,  were  in  progress, 
enterprising  adventurers  and  fortune  hunters  were 
beginning  to  realize  the  possibilities  of  the  great 
Skagit  valley  above  the  region  of  the  tide  flats. 
Families  soon  followed.  The  first  white  women  to 
reach  the  region  lying  back  of  the  flats,  were  Mrs. 
William  Gage  and  her  two  daughters,  now  Mrs. 
Keen  and  Mrs.  Narl ;  Mrs.  Brice,  Mrs.  Jasper  Gates, 
Mrs.  D.  E.  Kimble  and  Mrs.  M.  J.  Kimble,  soon 
followed  by  Mrs.  Charles  Washburn,  Mrs.  August 
Hartson  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Lanning.  It  is  interesting 
to  recall  that  these  ladies  were  the  first  to  come  to 
that  portion  of  what  is  now  Skagit  county  on  a 
steamboat.  The  little  steamer  Linnie,  on  which  they 
came,  was  the  first  to  reach  the  big  jam  near  Mount 
Vernon,  arriving  late  in  1870. 

The  first  religious  service  ever  held  in  that  com- 
munity was  conducted  by  Charles  Washburn  and 
D.  E.  Kimble  in  a  house  now  owned  by  Mr.  Tink- 
ham.  The  first  baptism  occurred  near  Peter  Vander 
Kuyl's  house  in  a  little  slough  on  the  north  fork  of 
the   Skagit,  Rev.   B.   N.   L.   Davis   performing  the 


ceremony,  and  the  recipients  of  it  being  Mrs. 
Mahala  Washburn,  who  later  became  Mrs.  C.  C. 
Hansen,  now  deceased,  and  Mrs.  Somers,  now  Mrs. 
James  Caches. 

The  first  house  to  be  built  in  the  Skagit  valley 
was  erected  in  1863  on  the  claim  of  W.  H.  Sart- 
well,  now  owned  by  Magnus  Anderson,  about  five 
miles  below  Mount  Vernon.  Among  the  first  settlers 
in  that  same  general  region  were  the  following  upon 
the  south  fork  of  the  river:  Joseph  Lisk,  William 
Kayton,  George  Wilson,  John  Wilbur,  E.  McAlpine, 
L.  Sweet,  A.  G.  Kelley,  R.  I.  Kelley,  J.  Wilson  and 
Joseph  Wilson  ;  and  on  the  north  fork :  John  Guinea, 
William  Hayes,  William  Houghton,  Joseph  Mad- 
dox,  William  Brown,  H.  A.  Wright,  Peter  Vander 
Kuyl,  Franklyn  Buck  and  Magnus  Anderson.  J. 
V.  Abbott,  now  dead,  located  May  5,  18(55,  and  soon 
after  came  David  Anderson,  who  located  on  what 
afterward  became  known  as  the  old  McAlpine  place, 
upon  which  Skagit  City  grew.  It  is  said  by  some 
that  Mr.  Underwood  was  the  first  settler  on  the 
north  fork  locating  in  or  before  1865  on  the  place 
afterward  taken  up  by  Peter  Vander  Kuyl.  We  find 
also  some  conflicting  statements  as  to  who  is  entitled 
to  the  honor  of  being  the  first  white  child  born  on 
the  Skagit.  Some  claim  it  for  the  child  of  Charles 
Washburn,  while  others  claim  that  Oliver  C.  Ting- 
ley,  son  of  S.  S.  Tingley,  born  June  6,  1870,  is 
entitled  to  tha;t  distinction.  The  first  man  already  a 
pater  familias  is  said  to  have  been  Thomas  R.  Jones, 
whose  claim  was  near  that  of  Mr.  Tingley  on  the 
north  fork  of  the  river. 

We  have  already  seen  that  the  first  cabin  in  that 
neighborhood  was  built  by  W.  H.  Sartwell,  who  was 
assisted  in  the  work  by  Orrin  Kincaid  and  Mr. 
Todd.  The  three  men  soon  formed  a  partnership 
and  established  in  the  cabin  a  trading  post  for  the 
purpose  of  exchanging  goods  and  merchandise  with 
the  Indians  for  furs.  The  difficulty  of  purchasing 
goods,  however,  by  reason  of  the  exorbitant  charges 
of  the  wholesalers  at  Seattle  and  Olympia,  who 
wished  to  monopolize  the  Indian  trade  themselves, 
rendered  this  first  mercantile  venture  on  the  Skagit 
unprofitable,  and  soon  after  Mr.  Kincaid  went  to 
California.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Todd  died  and  for 
some  time  Sartwell  was  alone  on  that  immediate 
portion  of  the  river. 

Thomas  P.  Hastie  homesteaded  his  present  place 
near  Fir  in  June,  1870.  coming  over  from  Whidby 
island.  He  lived  on  the  place  on  and  ofif  until  he 
proved  up  in  1872.  In  1870  he  found  the  following 
settlers  in  his  neighborhood :  North  fork  of  the 
Skagit,  Franklyn  Buck,  DeWitt  Clinton  Dennison, 
Gus  Lill,  Samuel  S.  Tingley,  Magnus  Anderson, 
William  Brown,  Joseph  L.  Maddox,  Thomas  R. 
Jones,    Peter    Vander    Kuyl,    Moses    Kane,    John 

Guinea,  Quinby  Clark, Fay,  T.  J.  Rawlins  and 

Charles  Henry ;  south  fork,  Orrin  Kincaid,  living 
on  the  present  Wilson  ranch,  William  Sartwell,  who 
came  with  Kincaid,  on  an  adjoining  ranch,  Joseph 


PERIOD   OF    SETTLEMENT 


Wilson,  William  Johnson,  William  Smith,  Alonzo 
Sweet,  opposite  the  site  of  Skagit  City,  Joseph  Lisk, 
William  Kayton,  George  or  "Long"  Wilson,  Will- 
iam McAlpin,  at  the  site  of  Skagit  City,  and  Will- 
iam Alexander,  who  later  sold  out  to  Robert  and 
W.  L.  Kelly.  William  Brown  had  settled  in  1863 
at  the  mouth  of  the  slough  to  which  his  name  was 
applied,  and  Maddox  about  that  year  also  settled  on 
the  north  fork  just  above  Brown's  slough. 

Beginning  about  1870  there  was  a  rapid  influx  of 
men  with  families  into  tlie  regions  of  the  lower 
Skagit.  At  that  time  it  was  considered  impracti- 
cable to  locate  above  the  big  jam  near  the  site  of 
the  present  Mount  Vernon,  and  most  of  the  settlers 
took  claims  in  the  dense  timber  back  of  the  lower 
river  rather  than  try  the  regions  above  which  have 
since  become  so  attractive.  True  to  the  genuine 
American  idea  those  early  settlers  soon  began  to 
establish  schools,  churches  and  other  civilizing 
agencies.  In  a  building  erected  for  a  barn  on  the 
ranch  of  D.  E.  Kimble  the  first  school  in  the  Skagit 
valley  was  taught  by  Ida  Lanning,  a  daughter  of 
Isaac  Lanning,  who  had  located  near  by  in  1869. 
She  was  followed  a  year  after  by  G.  E.  Hartson, 
afterward  and  until  the  present  time  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Mount  Vernon.  Contemporary 
with  Miss  Lanning  was  Zena  Tingley,  now  Mrs. 
J.  D.  Moores,  who  taught  in  what  afterward  was 
called  Skagit  district,  where  she  gathered  her  young 
charges  in  a  cabin  belonging  to  Joe  Wilson. 

There  were  many  Methodists  among  those  early 
settlers,  and  a  Methodist  organization  was  effected 
about  1870  by  Rev.  M.  J.  Luark,  who  was  soon 
after  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Denison. 

At  that  early  day  Skagit  City  seems  to  have  been 
the  center  of  operations.  At  tlie  Union  hall  in  that 
place  all  manner  of  public  assemblages,  religious 
meetings,  political  conventions,  entertainments.  Good 
Templars'  meetings,  balls  and  socials,  festivals  and 
fairs  were  accustomed  to  gather.  The  Skagit  City 
of  that  time  was  about  half  a  mile  above  its  present 
location.  It  seems  to  have  been  the  general  ren- 
dezvous for  canoes,  scows,  booms  of  logs,  and 
steamboats  in  so  far  as  they  appeared  at  all  The 
removal  of  the  big  jam  from  the  vicinity  of  Mount 
Vernon  a  few  years  later  destroyed  the  prestige  of 
Skagit  City. 

Practically  the  entire  region  then  open  to  settle- 
ment was  heavily  timbered,  and  the  work  of  clearing 
land,  difficult  at  all  times,  was  increased  many  fold 
by  the  lack  of  teams.  To  obviate  this  diiificu'lty  in 
so  far  as  possible  logging  bees  became  the  accepted 
social  and  industrial  means  of  ridding  the  country 
of  unnecessary  timber.  Some  of  the  old  settlers, 
however,  record  their  conviction  that  the  guests  at 
the  logging  bees  used  more  energy  in  disposing  of 
the  bountiful  viands  which  the  host  provided  than  in 
ridding  his  claim  of  the  impeding  logs.  Neverthe- 
less the  pleasure  and  the  social  entertainment 
afforded  by  those  old  logging  bees  was  a  great  com- 


pensation for  the  hard  tread-mill  of  life  at  that  time 
and  place. 

The  nearest  postoffice  during  the  first  period  of 
settlement  on  the  lower  Skagit  was  Utsalady  (mean- 
ing "land  of  berries"  in  the  Indian  tongue),  but  as 
soon  as  possible  La  Conner  became  the  center  of 
mail  service.  Most  of  the  settlers  were  obliged  to 
go  or  to  send  to  Coupeville  to  get  supplies.  A  man 
named  Campbell,  in  1868,  established  a  small  store 
at  the  forks  of  the  river,  where  he  kept  and  disposed 
of  the  standard  goods  for  cash,  a  rather  large 
amount  of  the  latter  being  necessary  to  effect  a 
trade  for  such  patrons  as  had  run  out  of  their 
regular  store.  This  pioneer  storekeeper  of  the 
Skagit  had  the  untoward  habit  of  spirituous  im- 
bibition to  an  unhealthy  degree.  On  one  occasion 
when  he  had  reached  a  satiated  condition,  in  his 
strenuous  efforts  to  handle  a  barrel  of  sugar,  which 
constituted  his  whole  stock  in  trade,  he  managed 
to  dump  it  in  the  river  and  to  follow  it  immediately 
himself.  A  Siwash,  who  was  not  quite  so  drunk, 
extricated  him  from  the  watery  depths.  After  some 
tedious  worji  the  barrel  of  sugar  was  also  landed.  It 
had  absorbed  so  much  water  as  to  be  turned  to 
molasses,  in  which  condition  he  disposed  of  it  at 
advantageous  prices  to  the  hungry  Indians.  Camp- 
bell soon  disposed  of  his  mercantile  interests  to  J.  J. 
Conner,  and  he  in  turn  sold  out  to  D.  E.  Gage, 
who  is  still  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Skagit 
City. 

The  first  date  at  which  the  Skagit  valley  country 
took  any  part  in  an  election  was  1871,  there  being 
at  that  time  but  one  precinct  in  the  entire  valley. 
There  was  a  total  vote  of  sixty-one  in  the  election 
for  delegate  to  congress,  the  candidates  being  that 
silver-tongued  spellbinder,  Selucius  Garfield,  and  J. 
V.  McFadden.  In  spite  of  his  eloquence  and  the 
fascination  which  Garfield  wielded  over  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact,  his  lack  of  steadfast 
principle  and  his  personal  bad  habits  had  by  that 
time  so  affected  his  general  reputation  that  his  com- 
petitor was  chosen. 

In  those  early  days  potatoes  constituted  the  legal 
tender  of  the  community.  In  the  rich  new  lands 
and  the  soft,  moist  climate  of  the  Skagit  and  its 
outlying  islands  these  indispensable  vegetables 
yielded  most  prolifically  and  were  sold  in  large  quan- 
tities to  the  trading  sloops  which  visited  that  part 
of  the  sound.  Money  being  very  scarce  it  became 
a  common  thing  to  accept  potatoes  as  legal  tender. 
Practically  the  only  way  of  getting  out  of  or 
into  the  Skagit  valley  was  by  boat.  Canoes  and 
sailboats  would  frequently  intercept  the  steamer 
Mary  Woodruff,  then  running  from  Whatcom  to 
Seattle  and  stopping  at  Utsalady.  The  fare  at  that 
time  from  L'tsalady  to  Whatcom  was  five  dollars, 
and  it  took  three  days  to  make  the  trip.  There  was 
no  regular  steamboat  service  upon  the  Skagit  river 
itself  until  1874,  when  the  Fanny  Lake,  in  com- 
mand of  Captain  John  S.  Hill,  began  making  regular 


106 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


monthly  trips  between  Seattle  and  Skagit  City. 
Her  arrival  at  the  latter  place  was  the  chief  event 
of  the  month  to  the  inhabitants,  who  always 
gathered  almost  to  a  man,  woman  and  child  to 
witness  it. 

The  great  log  jams  in  the  Skagit  river  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  site  of  Mount  Vernon,  one  extending 
a  mile  above  that  point  and  the  other  about  half  a 
mile  below,  long  prevented  settlement  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  valley,  but  in  1877  Harrison  Clothier  and 
Edward  English  founded  the  town  of  Mount 
Vernon,  Mr.  Clothier  purchasing  ten  acres  of  Jasper 
Gates,  which  he  platted  for  the  purpose.  He  became 
the  postmaster  at  Mount  \'ernon  in  September  of 
1877,  the  mail  being  carried  in  a  skiff  from  La 
Conner  to  Skagit  Cit)'  and  thence  by  foot  to  Mount 
Vernon.  In  187(3  the  great  work  of  removing  the 
jams  on  the  river  had  been  undertaken  by  settlers 
and  loggers  and  two  years  later  the  steamer  Wenat 
made  a  trip  to  Mount  Vernon,  Henry  Bailey  being 
captain. 

The  logging  business,  which  became  so  important 
a  factor  in  the  development  of  the  Skagit  valley, 
seems  to  have  come  into  existence  on  the  lower  river 
as  early  as  1871.  By  the  year  1875  there  were 
hundreds  of  men  engaged  in  logging  at  various 
points  in  the  Skagit  and  Samish  regions. 

For  a  new  region  the  Skagit  valley  seems  to 
have  been  somewhat  singularly  free  from  aft'rays 
and  crimes.  The  only  recorded  murder  of  very 
early  date  occurred  at  Skagit  City  in  the  winter  of 
1869-70.  A  certain  trader  named  John  Barker  had 
come  to  the  valley  during  the  previous  year  and  had 
erected  a  shake  shanty  on  the  island  near  the 
junction  of  the  forks.  Among  other  merchandise 
in  which  Barker  dealt  was  the  ever-present  and 
ever-destructive  whiskey,  with  which  he  supplied 
whites  and  Indians  alike.  Immediately  across  the 
north  fork  a  band  of  Indians  had  established  them- 
selves and  made  some  small  clearings  upon  which 
were  erected  rude  huts.  One  morning  Barker  was 
found  lying  in  his  shanty,  his  throat  cut  and  his 
store  ransacked.  Shortly  afterward  some  goods 
supposed  to  have  been  a  part  of  the  stock  were 
found  in  the  possession  of  Quinby  Clark,  who  lived 
near,  but  before  any  investigation  had  been  under- 
taken, Clark  left  the  region.  It  is  said  that  some  of 
the  south  forkers  formed  a  mob  in  the  meantime 
and  hanged  two  Indians,  supposing  them  to  be  the 
guilty  parties.  It  appeared  by  subsequent  investi- 
gation that  Clark  had  shortly  before  wanted  to  get 
a  squaw  for  whom  thirty  dollars  was  demanded,  and 
that  right  after  the  murder  he  raised  the  necessary 
money.  Also  a  subsequent  investigation  of  the 
store  showed  plainly  that  the  robbery  and  murder 
had  been  committed  by  a  white  man,  for  things 
which  Indians  would  have  taken  were  left  and  those 
wfhich  a  white  man  would  have  taken  were  gone. 
Barker  had  been  a  Mason  and  the  members  of  this 


fraternity  spent  three  years  in  seeking  the  supposed 
murderer,  but  without  avail. 

As  typical  of  the  history  of  the  Skagit  as  well 
as  of  other  pioneer  communities  we  may  well  make 
a  brief  reference  here  to  the  experience  of  D.  E. 
Kimble  and  family,  the  first  home-builders  in  the 
region  adjacent  to  what  is  now  Mount  Vernon. 
Their  fomier  home  had  been  in  Illinois,  whence  Mr. 
Kimble  with  his  wife  and  five  young  children  came 
in  1868  to  Whidby  island.  In  December  of  1869 
Mr.  Kimble,  having  formed  the  impression  that  his 
fortune  would  be  better  made  in  a  new  region  than 
in  the  comparatively  well-settled  Whidby  island, 
came  to  the  Skagit  valley  seeking  a  home.  Earlier 
attempts,  so  Mr.  Kimble  relates,  had  been  broken  up 
by  the  belligerent  Indians  who  made  their  head- 
quarters there.  When  Mr.  Kimble  with  his  family 
located  in  the  region  he  found  sixteen  squaw-men 
in  the  valley,  the  names  of  whom  have  already  been 
given  in  the  list  of  early  settlers.  In  his  quest  for 
a  location  which  should  entirely  satisfy  his  wishes 
Mr.  Kimble  pursued  his  explorations  up  the  river 
to  the  lower  end  of  the  big  jam  and  established  him- 
self upon  the  spot  which  has  been  his  home  ever 
since,  adjoining  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon.  Settlers 
were  obliged  at  that  time  to  go  clear  to  Olympia  to 
file  upon  government  land.  With  the  Kimbles  came 
the  families  of  Jasper  Gates  and  William  Gage,  the 
partA'  chartering  the  steamer  Linnie,  as  already 
narrated,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  their  families 
and  possessions  to  their  new  homes,  paying  fifty 
dollars  for  the  service.  Mr.  Kimble  learned  from 
the  Indians  that  the  big  jam  had  been  in  existence 
from  time  immemorial.  So  solidly  was  this  jam 
packed  that  it  could  be  crossed  at  almost  any  point 
in  its  entire  extent  and  upon  it  had  grown  a  veritable 
forest,  in  some  instances  trees  of  even  two  or  three 
feet  in  diameter  growing  upon  what  was  merely  a 
mass  of  rotten  debris  with  no  lodgment  in  the  earth 
at  all.  Underneath  the  tangled  mass  of  logs,  moss, 
bushes  and  trees  the  impetuous  torrent  of  the  Skagit 
forced  its  way  in  some  places  in  furious  cataracts, 
in 'others  in  deep  black  pools  filled  with  fish,  which 
could,  however,  be  reached  at  very  few  points  by 
sportsmen.  Upon  their  home  carved  out  of  the  wil- 
derness, Mr.  Kimble  and  his  family  toiled  for  all 
those  years  clearing  the  fat.  wet  soil,  setting  out 
trees  and  converting  the  wild  land  into  rich  clover 
meadows  and  garden  tracts,  gradually  accumulating 
a  competency. 

The  settlement  of  the  upper  Skagit  valley,  while 
partaking  of  the  same  general  conditions  which 
operated  in  the  lower,  was  in  the  nature  of  the  case 
later  in  time  and  in  the  main  slower  in  progress 
than  the  portion  of  the  valley  contiguous  to  the 
sound.  It  was,  however,  discovered  at  quite  an  early 
day  that  the  upper  Skagit  valley  was  rich  in  the 
precious  metals  as  well  as  in  coal  and  iron  and  pos- 
sessed also  vast  stores  of  the  finest  timber,  while  the 
land  once  cleared  would  \ield,  under  the  influence 


■              ^      " 

^^^^^H^v       .^^di^^^i^  ^H 

■E..   ■  -^^^ 

pp 

DESCRIPTIVE   AND    HISTORICAL 


PERIOD   OF    SETTLEMENT 


of  the  genial  climate,  the  finest  crops  of  all  kinds. 
Hence  the  more  adventurous  class  of  pioneers  and 
prospectors  early  turned  their  attention  to  securing 
the  advantages  so  lavishly  bestowed. 

A.  R.  Williamson,  one  of  the  first  hop-growers 
in  the  Pu}allup  valley  and  later  the  pioneer  hop- 
grower  of  the  Skagit,  is  credited  with  having  been 
the  first  settler  on  the  upper  Skagit  above  the  jam, 
settling  in  1871,  or,  some  say,  187-.'.  Mr.  William- 
son lived  for  a  number  of  years  near  Lyman,  where 
he  died  November  6,  1883.  The  next  settler  above 
the  jam  appears  to  have  been  Rev.  B.  N.  L.  Davis, 
a  Baptist  minister,  who,  soon  after  Williamson's 
advent,  took  up  his  abode  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  at  the  point  where  the  Great  Northern  bridge 
spans  the  Skagit.  In  1879  Davis  rented  William- 
son's hop  ranch  and  two  or  three  years  later  made 
himself  widely  known  on  the  coast  by  netting  some- 
thing like  forty  thousand  dollars  for  his  hops  one 
season.  Immediately  afterward  he  entered  the  stock 
business  on  an  extensive  scale,  at  one  time  bringing 
seven  carloads  of  registered  Holstein  cattle  to  his 
Skagit  river  ranch  from  the  eastern  states,  thus 
introducing  that  stock  in  this  county.  He  also 
brought  out  some  very  highly  bred  horses  at  this 
time. 

In  1873  Amasa  Everett,  a  native  of  Maine  and 
for  some  time  a  resident  of  Minnesota,  came  to 
Skagit  county,  late  'that  fall  joining  Orlando  Gra- 
ham, another  Minnesotan,  who  had  taken  a  claim  on 
Fidalgo  island  in  the  spring  of  that  year.  These 
men,  together  with  Lafayette  S.  Stevens,  a  Nevada 
miner  who  came  to  the  Skagit  country  about  that 
time  to  prospect,  are  deserving  of  a  special  place  in 
any  history  of  the  Skagit  region,  for  they  were  the 
discoverers  of  the  coal  mines  of  the  upper  valley. 
During  the  summer  of  1874  Graham  and  Everett, 
wiiile  working  on  the  Swinomish  flats,  met  Stevens 
and  the  trio  went  on  an  expedition  in  the  latter  part 
of  September.  1874,  to  the  vicinity  of  what  later 
became  the  site  of  Hamilton.  These  men  had  seen 
samples  of  gold  brought  by  the  Indians  to  the  lower 
river  and  hoped  to  strike  a  fortune  in  the  precious 
metal,  though  Graham,  not  being  a  miner,  said  he 
would  look  for  coal.  Having  reached  the  vicinity 
of  Hamilton  they  learned  from  some  Indians  with 
whom  they  talked  that  there  was  some  sort  of  a 
peculiar  black  metal  in  the  mountains  thereabouts. 
Investigations  showed  this  to  be  coal  and  that  great 
discovery  was  made. 

On  this  trip,  while  prospecting.  IMr.  Everett  was 
struck  by  a  rolling  rock,  which  broke  his  leg.  His 
partners,  called  to  the  place  bv  the  Indian  com- 
jianion  of  Mr.  Everett,  set  the  broken  limb  by  the 
rude  surgery  of  the  frontier,  but  upon  his  return  to 
civilization  the  doctors  deemed  it  necessary  to  am- 
putate it  and  Everett  was  accordingly  taken  to 
.Seattle  by  Graham,  where  the  operation  was  success- 
fully performed.  Stevens  made  regular  trips  in 
and  out  of  the  coal  region  throughout  the  succeed- 


ing winter.  In  the  meantime,  James  O'Laughlin 
and  James  J.  Conner  were  added  to  the  company, 
which  then  filed  upon  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  coal  land.  In  187.5,  finding  reasons  to  believe 
that  the  mines  were  worthy  of  the  investment  of 
capital,  the  partners,  together  with  a  force  of 
laborers,  sunk  a  shaft  a  hundred  feet  in  depth  by 
which  they  took  out  twenty  tons  of  coal,  which  they 
shipped  to  San  Francisco.  They  made  a  number  of 
improvements  of  permanent  value  in  connection 
with  this.  However,  they  were  obliged  to  trans- 
port their  coal  in  canoes  to  the  head  of  the  big  jam. 
There  they  cut  a  road  through  the  forest  two  miles 
in  extent  around  it,  then  loaded  the  coal  upon  the 
steamer  Chehalis,  which  had  come  up  for  that  pur- 
pose. This  coal  mine  remained  comparatively  un- 
developed through  lack  of  capital  for  two  years,  and 
then  Conner,  having  secured  additional  resources, 
pushed  it  successfully  for  a  number  of  years,  ulti- 
mately selling  or  bonding  an  interest  to  San  Fran- 
cisco parties  under  the  name  of  the  Skagit-Cum- 
berland Coal  Company. 

In  October  of  1875  Mr.  Everett,  in  company 
with  Stevens,  Graham  and  John  Rowley,  a  coal 
miner,  went  up  the  river  nearly  to  the  present  loca- 
tion of  Marblemount.  They  found  only  two  settlers 
on  the  river  above  the  jam.  Rev.  B.  N.  L.  Davis, 
who  had  been  for  some  months  stopping  on  a  place 
at  the  site  of  the  present  Great  Northern  bridge, 
and  A.  R.  Williamson. 

The  men  named  were  the  only  settlers  on  the 
river  above  Mount  X'ernon  prior  to  1875,  although 
Lafayette  Stevens  had  staked  out  a  claim  at  what  is 
now  Sterling,  where  he  subsequently  lived,  while 
Otto  Klcment  had  also  staked  a  claim  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Avon,  upon  which,  however,  he  made  no 
permanent  settlement.  The  claim  established  by 
Everett,  in  is;."),  was  at  the  confluence  of  Baker 
river  (formerly  called  the  Nahcullum)  with  the 
Skagit  river,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river ;  while 
Rowley  took  a  place  directly  across  the  Skagit. 
r>oth  erected  cabins,  although  both  at  the  time  were 
bachelors.  The  winter  was  spent  by  Everett  and 
Rowley  in  prospecting  for  gold,  which  they  found 
at  many  points  but  not  in  pa\ing  quantities.  Con- 
trary to  the  general  reputation  of  the  Skagit  Indians, 
these  caused  the  two  "solitary  settlers  no  trouble, 
Everett  having  secured  their  acquiescence  to  his 
staking  a  claim  by  agreeing  to  start  a  store.  At 
first  the  Indians  would  consent  to  his  taking  but  a 
small  piece  of  land,  but  suhsc(|uently,  for  a  consid- 
eration of  tweni\-ti\e  dollars,  allowed  him  to  take 
a  whole  strip  of  boltuni  land  ni  ninety  acres.  Ever- 
ett and  Rowley  went  through  the  usual  experience 
of  early  settlers  in  clearing  of  little  patches  of  land 
and  starting  of  gardens  and  in  splitting  out  shakes 
for  buildings.  I3oth  being  good  carpenters  they 
found  it  profitable  to  split  the  beautiful  straight 
cedar  logs  which  abounded  there  into  doors,  which 
thev  would  take  down  the  river  and  sell  to  the  in- 


110 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


coining  settlers  for  four  dollars  apiece.  They  also 
would  make  cedar  oars,  for  which  they  could  get 
from  boatmen  two  dollars  a  pair.  A  few  years 
later  Rowley  became  noted  also  as  the  discoverer 
of  the  Ruby  Creek  mines. 

Worthy  of  special  notice  in  connection  with  the 
early  settlements  as  pioneers  in  special  callings,  are 
the  following :  John  Cornelius,  a  government  sur- 
veyor who  came  from  Whidby  island  to  the  Skagit 
country  and  surveyed  Lummi  island,  the  Swinomish 
flats,  the  Samish  country  and  the  first  settled  por- 
tion of  the  Skagit  valley  ;  James  Caches,  a  merchant 
of  La  Conner  in  l.s:;i;  Otto  Klement,  the  pioneer 
merchant  of  L>nian ;  Dr.  John  S.  Church,  who 
located  at  La  Conner  in  18T3,  the  first  physician  in 
the  Skagit  valley  ;  and  Dr.  G.  V.  Calhoun,  another 
of  the  earliest  physicians  on  the  flats. 

In  respect  to  the  earliest  logging  undertakings 
in  the  Skagit  country,  it  may  be  stated  that  Dan 
Dingwall  is  believed  to  have  started  a  logging 
camp  on  Samish  island  in  1867.  Two  years  later 
Edward  Barrington  and  James  Follansbee  estab- 
lished a  camp  on  Kayton's  slough  opposite  the 
present  town  of  Fir.  In  187  "2  Thomas  Moore  and 
Alfred  Densmore  located  a  camp  on  the  south  fork 
of  the  Skagit  a  mile  above  the  junction.  The  camp 
of  William  Gage,  a  mile  and  a  half  below  Mount 
Vernon,  was  established  in  18T4.  These  consti- 
tuted the  logging  camps  established  prior  to  1875. 
Mr.  Kimble  informs  us  that  there  were  no  destruc- 
tive forest  fires  until  after  logging  had  been  for 
some  time  in  progress,  the  reason  of  this,  according 
to  his  statement,  being  that  the  timber  in  the  Skagit 
valley  was  so  dense  that  vegetation  never  became 
dry  enough  for  the  fire  to  seize  upon  it,  therefore, 
not  until  logging  had  exposed  the  woods  to  the  sun 
and  wind  and  created  a  mass  of  dead,  dry  limbs  and 
refuse  were  forest  fires  prevalent. 

Several  of  the  pioneers  of  1873  who  located  at 
some  of  the  smaller  points  in  the  valley  may  prop- 
erly be  named  at  this  point.  Among  these  was 
William  Tracy,  of  Edison,  who  filed  on  a  claim 
near  Conway,  although  he  subsequently  abandoned 
it  and  engaged  in  mining  for  several  years ;  Charles 
Villeneuve,  proprietor  of  the  St.  Charles  hotel  at 
Sedro-Woolley,  also  located  on  the  present  site  of 
Conway,  and  Thomas  Jones  located  at  a  point  near 
Villeneuve  on  the  south.  Mrs.  Villeneuve  was  the 
first  white  woman  in  that  neighborhood.  In  a  short 
time  Thomas  Moore,  John  Moore,  Robert  Gage  and 
Mr.  McAlpine  established  themselves  in  the  vicinity 
of  Villeneuve,  both  Thomas  and  John  Moore  being 
accompanied  by  their  wives.  As  illustrating  the 
difficulty  of  carrying  on  improvements  at  that  time 
we  may  note  the  fact  that  it  took  Mr.  Villeneuve 
four  days  to  bring  a  raft  of  sawed  lumber  from 
L'tsalady  to  his  place  on  the  Skagit.  The  house 
which  he  then  built  was  the  first  constructed  of 
lumber  in  that  region.  It  is  stated  by  the  old  settlers 
that  in  the  vicinity  of  what  became  known  in  a  short 


time  as  Mann's  Landing,  now  Fir,  there  was  an  old 
Indian  burial  place.  After  the  usual  custom  of 
the  Indians,  the  bodies  were  wrapped  in  blankets 
and  placed  in  canoes  which  were  sustained  on  plat- 
forms in  the  trees.  The  curious  statement  is  made 
that  some  of  these  Indians  had  long,  fiery  red  hair. 
Mr.  Mlleneuve  conducted  the  first  store  and  post- 
office  at  Conway,  while  his  wife  devoted  herself  to 
establishing  and  maintaining  a  school  for  the  place. 

As  denoting  something  of  the  status  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  railroad  and  the  selection  of  a 
western  terminus,  together  with  the  drift  of  public 
sentiment  about  the  land  grant,  it  is  quite  interesting 
to  observe  in  the  Ilcllingham  Bay  Mail  of  August  2, 
1873,  the  following  resolutions  by  citizens  of  the 
Skagit  and  Whatcom  regions:  "Whereas  the  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad  Company  has  located  its  west- 
ern terminus  at  Commencement  bay  in  Pierce  coun- 
ty, W.  T.,  and  whereas  the  withdrawal  of  lands  for 
the  benefit  of  said  railroad  north  of  Pierce  county, 
to-wit:  in  King,  Kitsap,  Snohomish,  Island  and 
Whatcom  counties,  which  include  vast  coal  fields 
and  large  tracts  of  timber  and  rich  agricultural 
lands ;  and  whereas  said  withdrawal  is  retarding  the 
growth  and  development  of  said  counties  ;  Therefore 
be  it  Resolved,  That  the  interests  of  said  counties 
and  justice  to  the  inhabitants  thereof  demand  an 
immediate  vacation  of  said  withdrawal.  Resolved, 
That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  to 
the  Hon.  Willis  Drummond,  Commissioner  of  the 
general  land  office  and  Hon.  C.  Delna,  Secretary 
of  the  Interior." 

We  find  as  early  as  187:5  the  first  rumblings  of 
the  movement  which,  as  will  be  hereafter  related 
in  full,  eventuated  in  the  division  of  Whatcom 
county  and  the  establishment  of  Skagit.  In  the 
Bellin'gham  Bay  Mail  of  October  S-"),  1873,  a  corre- 
spondent at  La  Conner  makes  mention  of  the  fact 
that  a  petition  had  been  circulated  which  was  en- 
trusted to  Hon.  Walter  Crockett,  a  member  of  the 
legislature  for  Island  county,  calling  upon  the 
legislature  to  pass  a  bill  for  the  erection  of  a  new 
county.  The  petition  names  William  Dean  of  Sa- 
mish, H.  A.  March,  of  Fidalgo,  and  J.  F.  DArcy, 
of  Stillaguamish,  as  commissioners  in  case  the 
county  is  established.  To  offset  this  movement  a 
meeting  was  held  in  Sehome  remonstrating  against 
any  such  action  on  the  part  of  the  legislature. 

As  early  as  1873  the  farmers  upon  the  tide 
lands  of  the  Swinomish  were  beginning  to  be  re- 
warded for  their  exceedingly  hard  toil  in  diking 
and  clearing  those  fertile  swamp  lands.  Some  of 
them  reported  yields  of  over  one  hundred  bushels 
of  oats  to  the  acre  and  several  secured  for  their 
first  crop  from  three  thousand  to  five  thousand 
bushels,  enough  at  the  prices  then  prevailing  to  put 
them  in  comparatively  comfortable  circumstances. 
Among  these  early  farmers  of  the  Swinomish 
whose  crop  yields  are  noted  in  the  Bellingham 
papers    were    Thomas    Calhoun,    John    Cornelius, 


PERIOD    OF    SETTLEMENT 


Michael  Hiiitz  and  James  Harrison.  Very  unfor- 
tunately disaster  followed  hard  upon  the  successful 
crop  season  of  that  year;  for  on  January  18,  1874, 
came  the  famous  high  tide,  as  a  result  of  which 
several  of  the  most  important  dikes  and  dams  were 
destroyed  and  much  destruction  of  property  in  the 
way  of  buildings,  implements  and'  stock  resulted. 
Messrs.  McClellan  and  Seigfried,  together  with 
the  Whitney  and  Sisson  company  of  Padilla,  lost 
their  dikes  and  their  farms  were  covered  with  salt 
water,  which  meant  the  loss  of  at  least  a  year's 
time. 

We  have  now  sketched  the  most  important  facts 
in  the  beginnings  of  the  island  region,  of  the  Swi- 
nomish  flats,  of  the  Padilla  Country,  of  the  lower 
Skagit  and  of  the  upper  Skagit,  and  may  trace  for 
a  few  pages  the  interesting  history  of  the  Samish 
region,  one  of  the  most  productive  and  attractive 
parts  of  this  whole  favored  county.  The  Samish 
valley  consists  of  a  belt  of  tide  lands  skirting  the 
river,  slough,  bay  and  island  all  bearing  the  same 
name.  The  chief  town  of  the  region  and  the  oldest, 
is  Edison,  founded  in  the  early  seventies  upon  land 
originally  located  by  Ben  Samson  and  Edward 
McTaggart.  The  possibilities  of  the  Samish  coun- 
tr}-  had  early  attracted  the  attention  of  explorers, 
one  of  the  earliest  of  these  being  John  H.  Fravel. 
He  passed  through  the  country  as  early  as  1858 
and  was  engaged  for  some  time  in  1861  in  erecting 
poles  for  the  proposed  great  international  telegraph 
line  through  Alaska,  subsequently  taking  up  his 
claim  in  the  year  1871.  His  settlement  was  ante- 
dated, however,  by  others.  There  seems,  also,  to 
be  some  authority  for  the  statement  that  William 
Jarman  established  a  residence  upon  the  prairie, 
which  later  received  his  name,  as  early  as  1866, 
while  Wesley  Whitener  and  John  Gray  began  oper- 
ating a  logging  camp  in  1867  on  what  is  now 
known  as  Blanchard  slough,  and  James  Hutchins 
was  engaged  in  fishing  on  what  afterward  became 
the  Whitehill  place.  Among  the  settlers  of  1869 
may  be  mentioned  Ben  Samson,  William  Wood, 
Daniel  Dingwall,  George  Forbes,  Nathaniel  Mor- 
gan, Watson  Hodge,  John  Straighthoof,  Joseph 
Hall,  John  Cornell,  Captain  John  Warner,  Joe 
Larry,  Ben  Welcher.  William  J.  Brown  and  Thomas 
Hayes.  The  pioneers  of  1870  were  David  Lewis, 
John  Miller,  William  Hanson,  Edward  McTaggart, 
"Big"  Brown.  "Little"  Brown  (W.  J.),  William 
Dean  and  George  Coffin.  The  years  1871  and  1873 
were  marked  by  the  incoming  of  a  great  number  of 
settlers. 

Daniel  Dingwall  seems  to  have  been  the  pioneer 
merchant  of  the  Samish  country,  having  established 
a  store  in  partnership  with  Thomas  Hayes,  in  the 
fall  of  1869  on  Samish  island  adjoining  the  Siwash 
slough.  This  Siwash  slough  was  so  called  from 
the  location  upon  it  of  two  thousand  Siwashes  en- 
gaged in  fishing  and  hunting.  Thev  had  a  house 
twelve  hundred  feet  long  by  seventv-five  feet  wide. 


Thomas  Hayes  remained  in  partnership  with  Ding- 
wall but  a  short  time  and  was  succeeded  in  the 
partnership  by  William  Dean,  who  also  in  a  short 
time  relinquished  his  share  in  the  business  to  Ding- 
wall and  started  a  store  of  his  own  in  1873.  Mr. 
Dingwall  became  postmaster  of  what  became 
known  as  the  Samish  postoffice  in  1870. 

Everything  in  the  Samish  country  depended  on 
the  diking  system  and  this  vitally  important  under- 
taking was  inaugurated  by  John  Muller  in  1871, 
by  whom  sixty  acres  were  inclosed  upon  the  place 
now  occupied  by  Nathaniel  McCullough  near  the 
Samish.  Daniel  Sullivan  reclaimed  a  hundred  and 
sixt}'  acres  during  the  same  year  at  a  cost  of  thir- 
teen thousand  dollars.  Both  Muller  and  Sullivan 
had  land  producing  bountiful  crops  of  oats  in  1872 
and  1873.  Ben  Welcher  introduced  soon  after  a 
diking  machine,  which  was  operated  for  five  dollars 
per  rod,  and  with  this  they  diked  for  Messrs.  Ding- 
wall and  McTaggart.  It  may  be  noted  here  that 
according  to  the  recollection  of  William  Wood  the 
first  diking  done  in  the  Samish  region  was  by 
Messrs.  Wood,  Emery  and  Stevens. 

It  did  not  take  the  settlers  of  the  Samish  long  to 
inaugurate  public  schools.  As  nearly  as  can  be 
ascertained  the  first  school  was  held  in  1873  in  a 
house  belonging  to  Mr.  Cutler  *  on  his  old  claim 
east  of  the  Wood  place,  afterward  occupied  by  Mr. 
Samson.  There  were  seven  scholars  in  the  first 
school,  consisting  of  the  children  of  the  Stevens  and 
Wood  families,  Mary  Stevens,  Mr.  Stevens'  oldest 
daughter,  being  the  teacher.  Two  years  later  a 
regular  district  was  established,  district  number 
eight,  Messrs.  Wood,  Legg  and  Emery  being  the 
first  directors  and  Mr.  Stevens  the  first  clerk. 

Among  the  notable  early  settlers  of  the  Samish 
was  Captain  J.  M.  Warner,  who  was  also  more 
than  a  decade  later  the  earliest  settler  of  the  upper  ' 
Samish,  on  what  is  now  known  as  Warner's  prairie, 
a  region  of  great  fertility  but  so  difficult  of  ap- 
proach by  reason  of  the  dense  timber  and  swamps 
as  not  to  be  inviting  to  settlers. 

Record  has  been  found  of  but  one  crime  during 
that  early  period  of  the  Samish  countrv.  This 
occurred  in  the  summer  of  1873.  The  sla3-er  was 
William  Hanson  and  the  victim  Patrick  Mahoney. 


*NoTE.— Mr.  Cutler,  his  pioneer  associates  on  the 
Samish  say,  was  the  San  Juan  settler  who  precipitated  the 
noted  struggle  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United 
States  for  the  possession  of  that  rich  archipelago.  Cutler, 
it  is  claimed,  killed  the  pig  ever  which  the  initial  litigation 
immediately  sprang  up,  then  fled  by  boat  to  the  mainland, 
finally  making  his  way  down  into  the  almost  primeval 
Samish  region  to  escape  the  officers.  He  died  early  in  the 
seventies  upon  his  claim  there,  leaving  no  heirs  so  far  as 
known.  Among  his  possessions  sold  at  the  time  to  pay 
a  few  debts  he  left  was  the  identical  double-barreled  shot- 
gim,  of  fancy  English  manufacture,  which  Cutler  used  to 
shoot  the  pig.  This  weapon  came  into  the  hands  of  David 
P.  Thomas,  one  of  Cutler's  neighbors,  who  still  resides  near 
Edison,  and  is  prized  by  him  very  highly  as  an  object  of 
historical  interest. 


112 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


Hanson  had  been  in  01yni])ia  to  act  as  a  witness  for 
Daniel  Sullivan  in  land  business.  Upon  his  return 
he  found  reason  to  susjiect  his  Indian  wife  of  ques- 
tionable relations  with  Mahoney,  and  as  a  result 
promptly  emptied  his  shotgun  into  the  latter.  The 
wound  i>roving  fatal,  Hanson  was  tried,  convicted 
of  manslaughter  and  sentenced  to  two  years  in  the 
penitentiary. 

This  year  may  be  regarded  as  closing  the  first 
era  of  settlement  in  the  various  centers  of  i)rogress 


in  that  portion  of  Whatcom  county  which  subse- 
(|uently  became  Skagit  county.  As  is  unavoidable 
in  all  such  cases  where  the  earliest  settlers  have  in 
many  cases  passed  away  and  where  written  records 
have  been  destroyed  and  lost,  statements  are  some- 
what conHicting  as  to  names  and  dates.  We  have, 
however,  endeavored  as  far  as  possible  to  harmonize 
these  conllicts  and  to  present  such  a  continuous  nar- 
rative as  will  he  essentially  correct  both  in  details  of 


CHAPTER  II 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1871-8;? 


In  the  year  ISil  the  effects  of  the  linaneial 
crisis  of  the  preceding  year  in  the  hlast  were  felt 
in  an  especial  degree  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  as 
a  result  of  it  the  Nortliern  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  compelled  to  suspend  building  operations 
and  with  this  suspension  immigration  ceased  in 
great  measure ;  therefore  the  large  speculating  and 
investing  class  which  had  been  coming  to  the  Puget 
sound  region  in  previous  years  and  had  been  dis- 
tributing money  freely  by  purchases  of  many  kinds 
were  for  a  period  after  the  financial  panic  conspic- 
uous for  their  absence.  The  llellingham  P.ay  Mail 
of  August  "^i),  1871,  notes  the  fact  that  not  only  is 
the  local  market  on  Puget  sound  greatly  depressed 
by  those  conditions  but  that  even  their  ordinary 
normal  market  in  San  h^rancisco  is  weakened  by  the 
competition  oi  San  I'^ancisco  firms  and  companies 
who  owned  most  of  the  vessels  used  in  the  carrying 
trade  between  the  sound  and  California.  The  Mail 
expres.ses  the  conviction  that  that  uufortiuiate  con- 
dition of  affairs  will  continue  until  the  building 
ojierations  of  the  Norlheni  Pacific  are  revived, 
and  this  revival  it  deems  depeiuknt  njjon  some  fav- 
orable action  by  congress  on  behalf  of  the  railroad: 
it  therefore  urges  united  action  by  the  jK-ople  of 
the  territory  in  favor  both  of  the  railroad  directly 
and  of  government  aid  for  it. 

The  first  of  the  series  of  efforts  on  the  part  of 
the  people  of  the  Skagit  to  secure  the  removal  of 
drift  and  jams  from  the  Skagit  river  seems  to  have 
been  instituted  in  the  year  187  I.  .\  formal  |ietition 
was  presented  to  congress  at  that  time  asking  for 
an  appropriation  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
for  the  ]wri)ose  of  improving  the  river. 

The   Taimarv    of   Is:,".  w;is  notable  for  a  decree 


The  cold  spell  lasting  from  the  i>th  of  that  month 
to  February  4lh.  A  weather  record  kept  by 
E.  A.  Sisson  gives  three  degrees  above  zero  as  the 
coldest  of  the  period,  but  during  the  entire  time  the 
thermometer  was  below  the  freezing  point  and  at 
one  time  there  was  a  fall  of  several  feet  of  snow. 
This  is  remembered  as  the  severest  spell  of  weather 
to  last  so  long,  in  the  history  of  Skagit  county. 
It  was  followed  by  a  late,  cold  spring,  with  an  ac- 
cumulation of  snow  in  the  mountains  so  great  that 
when  it  was  increased  by  the  autumnal  snowfall 
the  conditions  were  all  provided  for  a  tlootl  in  the 
river  in  case  of  sudden  warm  winds.  The  warm 
winds  came  on  the  ■'.")th  of  Becember,  and  the  Ska- 
git river  had  the  highest  water  known  in  its  history, 
completely  flooding  llu'  Hats  for  the  first  time  since 
their  settlement. 

The  llellingbam  Hay  Mail  of  April  10,  1875. 
presents  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Whatcom  county  in- 
cluding, of  course,  a  valuable  picture  of  the  general 
state  of  affairs  in  the  Skagit  region  at  that  date. 
The  writer  notes  the  reclamation  and  cultivation  of 
a  considerable  part  of  the  tide  flats  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Skagit  river  and  mentions  the  fact  that 
La  Ct)nner,  then  the  base  of  supplies  for  the  entire 
region,  had  three  general  mercliandise  stores  be- 
sides warehouses  and  wharves.  Special  mention 
is  made  of  the  following  men  as  active  in  the  de- 
velopments of  that  period  ;  namely,  Messrs.  Cornier. 
Dodge,  Whitney,  Calhoun,  Sullivan,  Smith,  White, 
Staev,  Poison,  Cornelius,  Mc.\li>ine.  Sartwell,  Mad- 
dow,'  Wallace,  Hall  and  Allen. 

The  writer  also  visited  I'idalgo  island,  noticing 
the   Swinoniish    Indian   reservation   in  the  southern 


SKACilT    COUNTY,    1874- 


part  and  the  white  settlements  in  the  northern, 
classing  the  land  iield  i)y  tiie  latter  as  the  garden 
spot  of  Whatcom  county.  He  made  mention  of 
the  fine  farms  of  Messrs.  H.  C.  Barkhoiisen,  H.  A. 
March,  S.  1!.  Best,  William  Munks,  William  Cran- 
(lall,  II.  J.  White,  J.  A.  Compton,  Robert  Becker, 
Shadrach  Wooten,  H.  Sibley  and  others.  He  also 
crossed  to  Guemes  island  and  visited  the  places  be- 
longing to  Messrs.  Edcns  and  O'Bryant ;  likewise 
<alie<I  at  Cypress  island  on  his  round  and  viewed 
the  well-impruvcd  farms  of  Mr.  Kittles  and  Mr. 
Tillon.  He  found  also,  interesting  improvements 
in  progress  in  the  Samish  country,  observing  what 
he  regarded  as  some  of  the  finest  timber  in  the 
territory,  and  noting  approvingly  the  ranches  re- 
cently reclaimed  and  in  process  of  cultivation  be- 
longing to  Messrs.  Muller,  McTaggart,  Stevens, 
Larry,  Dean,  Dingwall,  Whitehill  and  Legg.  He 
referred  to  the  liellingham  r>ay  stone  quarry  at  the 
foot  of  the  Cluickanut  range,  and  visited  and  de- 
scribed the  coal,  the  stone  and  tlie  timber  lands 
extending  nortlnvanl  to  llie  limits  ol"  wli.at  is  now 
Skagit  county. 

The  progress  of  development  of  the  coal  mines 
is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  on  April  23,  187.'),  the 
company  shipped  its  first  coal  by  the  schooner  Sa- 
liina.  The  cost  of  delivering  that  first  shipment 
below  the  jam  was  about  ten  dollars  per  ton,  which 
was  so  great  as  to  leave  no  profits,  but  in  a  short 
lime  the  construction  of  the  new  road  so  diminished 
I  he  expense  as  to  leave  a  goodly  margin  to  the  com- 
j)any.  After  the  completion  they  were  able  to 
transport  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  tons 
per  month  to  a  shijjping  point. 

A  valuable  reminiscence  by  James  H.  Moores 
preserves  a  statement  of  the  scale  of  prices  in  1876, 
which  may  be  found  interesting  in  comparison  with 
l)resent  prices.  Sugar,  he  says,  was  8  ])Ounds  for 
$1  ;  flour,  $7  a  barrel ;  tea,  50  to  60  cents  per  pound  ; 
nails,  7  cents  a  pound ;  butter,  75  cents  a  pound ; 
hay,  $]■!  per  ton;  oats,  ranging  all  the  wav  from 
$17  to  $;J0  per  ton;  potatoes,  $18  to  $20  per  ton; 
carrots,  .$15  ])er  ton;  salt,  1  cent  per  pound;  beef, 
hardly  obtainable  at  any  price.  Wages  for  ordi- 
nary labor  ranged  from  $-10  to  $75  per  month. 

Reference  has  been  made  in  earlier  pages  to  the 
initial  attemjjts  toward  securing  government  aid 
for  the  great  work  of  opening  the  Skagit  river. 
Tiie  government  agent  estimated  the  probable  ex- 
])ense  of  the  work  at  a  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
( Ireat  credit  is  due  to  certain  citizens  of  the  county 
for  the  initiation  and  final  completion  of  this  task. 
A  company  for  the  purpose  was  organized,  consist- 
ing of  James  Cochrane,  Donald  McDonald,  Marvin 
.Mimiick,  Joe  Wilson,  John  Quirk,  Daniel  Hines, 
Fritz  Dibbern  and  Demiis  Storrs,  Wilson  and  Mc- 
Donald being  the  original  promoters.  To  raise 
money  for  starting  their  undertaking  Wilson  and 
McDonald  mortgaged  two  lots  in  Seattle  belong- 
ing to  Mr.  Wilson.     The  others  joined  at  various 


times  in  the  enterprise.  Their  first  theory  was  to 
reimburse  themselves  by  the  sale  of  the  logs  which 
would  be  loosened  from  the  jam,  but  the  logs 
proved  to  be  so  badly  strained  by  the  pressure  that 
they  did  not  yield  much  merchantable  timber. 

.Another  proposed  inii)rovement  allied  to  the 
removal  of  the  big  jam  was  the  building  of  a  levee 
along  the  north  side  of  the  Skagit  river  from  the 
Sound  waters  to  the  head  of  the  jam.  This  im- 
provement would  be  practicable  if  the  jam  were 
removed.  It  was  estimated  at  that  time  liial  the 
total  cost  of  the  proposed  levee  would  not  exceed 
ten  thousand  dollars,  but  this  proved  to  be  a  gross 
underestimate,  as  the  work  is  not  yet  completed 
and  the  ten  thousand  dollars  has  jiroved  but  a  dro]) 
in  the  bucket. 

The  great  jam  consisted  of  two  divisions,  the 
lower  beginning  at  the  old  Kimble  homestead  be- 
low Mount  X'ernon  and  extending  up  the  river  to 
a  point  about  opposite  the  present  Kimble  resi- 
dence, a  distance  of  perhaps  half  a  mile.  The 
upper  part  of  the  jam  was  considerably  larger,  be- 
ginning about  half  a  mile  above  the  upper  end  of 
the  lower  jam  and  extending  over  a  mile.  The 
lower  one  was  believed  to  be  at  least  a  century  old 
and  was  probably  much  older,  while  the  upper  one 
was  to  all  appearance  of  comparatively  recent  for- 
mation. It  was  increasing  in  size  very  rapidly. 
Dennis  Storrs,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  much 
valuable  information  respecting  this  matter,  states 
that  within  three  \'ears  after  his  arrival  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  of  debris  had  accumulated  at  its  upper 
end.  Beneath  and  between  the  tangled  mass  of 
debris  the  river  was  obliged  to  force  its  passage 
and  in  places  beneath  the  lower  jam  there  were 
twenty-four  feet  of  water  at  the  lowest  stage.  The 
material  of  the  jam  was  mainly  green  timber,  but 
in  many  places  sediment  had  accumulated  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  permit  the  growth  upon  it  of  a 
perfect  jungle  of  brush  and  even  of  large  trees. 
.\t  many  points,  often  concealed  from  the  view  of 
the  explorer  by  brush,  there  were  open  shoots  into 
the  sullen,  treacherous  depths  below.  David  E. 
Kimble  relates  that  on  one  occasion  while  he  was  at 
work  on  the  jam  with  others,  one  of  the  party 
suddenly  disappeared  into  one  of  those  holes.  The 
other  men  rushed  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  a  larger 
expanse  of  water  some  distance  below,  but  Mr. 
Kimble,  remembering  a  small  opening  between  the 
trees  nearer  by,  hastened  to  it.  Just  as  he  reached 
it  he  saw  an  agitation  of  the  debris  at  the  place  and 
thrusting  his  arm  into  the  water  he  grasped  the 
struggling  man  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  him  from 
death. 

Not  only  was  the  big  jam  a  great  impediment  to 
navigation,  but  it  was  also  a  continual  menace  to 
the  fields  and  stock  and  buildings  of  the  settlers  on 
the  lowlands  on  either  side  of  the  river.  On  account 
also  of  the  great  difficulty  of  making  roads  through 
the  forest  this  im]HMlinient  to  river  connmmication 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


almost  prevented  settlement  at  points  on  the  river 
above;  furthermore,  the  removal  of  the  jam  was 
the  sine  qua  iioii  of  the  lumber  industry  above  it. 
The  scanty  resources  of  the  early  settlers  seemed  to 
forbid  their  carrying  the  task  to  completion,  but 
they  made  most  energetic,  even  heroic  and  finally 
successful  efforts  to  meet  the  emergency.  The  ter- 
ritorial legislature  had  sent  memorials  to  congress 
urging  an  appropriation  for  the  opening  of  the  river 
and  Orange  Jacobs,  the  congressional  delegate  in 
1875,  secured  the  sending  of  General  Mickler  to 
investigate  conditions,  but  nothing  resulted  from 
his  visit,  and  it  became  apparent  that  the  settlers 
must,  after  all,  depend  mainly  upon  themselves  for 
accomplishing  the  heavy  task.  The  people  of 
Mount  Vernon  generously  supported  the  efforts  of 
the  company,  whose  initiatory  work  has  already 
been  described,  and  in  the  summer  of  1876  sub- 
scriptions were  started  for  its  assistance.  The 
Northern  Star  of  December  IGth  notes  the  fact 
that  the  men  had  at  that  time  been  working  nearly 
a  year,  had  removed  nearly  a  half  mile  of  the  jam 
and  had  reduced  the  portage  distance  one  and  one 
half  miles.  The  paper  describes  the  magnitude  of 
the  task  by  stating  that  the  men  were  compelled 
to  cut  through  from  five  to  eight  tiers  of  logs,  which 
generally  ranged  from  three  to  eight  feet  in  diam- 
eter, representing  a  total  cutting  out  of  a  space 
thirty  feet  deep.  The  following  paragraph  from 
the  Star,  well  expresses  the  nature  of  the  work  in 
progress:  "To  say  that  the  jam  loggers  are  doing 
their  work  thoroughly  and  well  conveys  no  ade- 
quate idea  of  the  magnitude  and  thoroughness  of 
the  work  done.  What  they  have  received  from  sale 
of  logs  taken  from  the  jam  and  contributions  from 
citizens  will  only  partially  pay  actual  expenses,  yet 
these  men  should  have  more  than  this  as  a 
suitable  recognition  of  their  great  work.  We  think 
the  general  government,  even  if  it  declines  to  grant 
them  a  money  recompense  for  their  services,  could 
well  afford  to  grant  each  of  them  a  whole  section 
of  timber  land  to  be  located  above  the  jam  on  its 
removal  and  upon  proof  of  the  fact  at  the  general 
land  office." 

In  the  progress  of  the  work  the  jam  loggers 
met  with  many  narrow  escapes  from  death  by 
crushing  or  drowning  and  were  subjected  to  con- 
stant losses  of  tools.  Sometimes  Nature  assisted 
and  sometimes  hindered  their  work.  Floods  some- 
times wedged  the  loosened  logs  still  tighter  and 
undid  the  work  of  many  days,  while  on  the  other 
hand  a  flood  in  1877  suddenly  dislodged  a  section 
of  the  jam  which  they  estimated  at  not  less  than 
five  acres  and  carried  it  out  to  sea.  Sometimes 
trees  four  feet  in  diameter  were  snapped  off  like 
so  many  pipe  stems. 

Six  months  were  required  of  these  faithful  and 
enterprising  loggers  to  cut  a  two  hundred  and  fifty 
foot  channel  through  the  lower  jam  and  over  two 
years  more  were  consumed  in  cutting  a  channel  a 


hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide  through  the  upper 
jam.  On  account  of  the  narrowness  of  this  it  was 
two  or  three  times  closed  up  again  by  the  moving 
drifts,  but  with  the  aid  of  the  loggers  above,  a 
passage  way  was  maintained  and  gradually  widened. 
By  the  s'ummer  of  187!)  the  drift  was  sufficiently 
open  to  allow  of  any  ordinary  navigation,  although 
not  for  ten  years  was  the  vast  accumulation  of 
debris  essentially   removed   from  the  river. 

It  should  be  remembered  as  an  added  reason 
for  paying  an  unstinted  tribute  to  the  men  who 
performed  this  great  task  that  at  that  early  day 
they  were  destitute  of  the  modern  agents  which 
would  now  be  employed  for  such  a  task,  such  as 
dynamite,  swinging  frames,  crushers,  etc.  Brain 
and  brawn,  patience  and  judgment,  with  scant}' 
resources  of  mone\-  and  little  financial  gain  then 
or  since,  were  the  distinguishing  features  of  this, 
the  greatest  undertaking  of  the  kind  in  the  history 
of  the  county.  It  is  rather  a  melancholy  reflection 
that  the  stalwart  partners  who  had  undertaken  and 
successfully  executed  their  work  found  themselves 
at  the  expiration  of  their  three  years  of  anxious  and 
harassing  toil  for  the  public  benefit  rather  than  for 
their  own,  each  a  thousand  dollars  in  debt.  About 
the  only  return  which  they  received  was  between 
eight  and  nine  hundred  thousand  feet  of  timber, 
which  was  salable  at  from  four  to  five  dollars  a 
thousand  and  subscriptions  of  eight  hundred 
dollars  from  Seattle  merchants  and  another  of 
several  hundred  dollars  from  settlers  in  the  flats. 
The  vastly  greater  proportion  of  logs  dislodged 
were  worthless  for  commercial  purposes.  Although 
great  interest  was  taken  by  the  general  public  in 
the  work,  and  profuse  expressions  of  praise  and 
gratitude  were  lavished  upon  the  heroes  of  the 
big  jam,  the  actual  contributions  received  amounted 
to  comparativelx-  little.  Congress  has  been  petitioned 
from  time  to  time  to  make  some  recompense,  but 
without  avail  and  not  even  has  opportunity 
been  given  those  men  to  acquire  public  lands  on 
any  special  terms.  The  old  saying  that  republics 
are  ungrateful  is  unfortunately  illustrated  in  this, 
as  in  some  more  noted  cases.  Of  the  seven  men 
who  at  one  time  or  another  expended  their  time 
and  strength  in  the  great  task  of  removing  the 
Skagit  jam,  three  are  still  living,  Joseph  S.  Wilson, 
Dennis  Storrs  and  James  Cochrane.  Fritz  Dibbern, 
Daniel  Hines,  Marvin  Minnick,  John  Quirk  and 
Donald  McDonald  have  passed  away. 

The  year  1876,  which  was  a  great  crop  year  in 
general  throughout  the  Pacific  Northwest,  witnessed 
the  heaviest  shipments  of  grain  from  the  Skagit 
country  known  up  to  that  time.  The  Caches 
Brothers,  merchants  at  La  Conner,  at  one  time 
shipped  fifteen  hundred  and  fifteen  sacks  of  oats 
on  the  steamer  Panama  to  San  Francisco  and  by  the 
steamer  Dakota  three  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
forty,  and  thev  continued  to  make  similar  shipments 


SKAGIT    COUNTY    INDUSTRIES 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1874-83 


every  two  weeks  throughout  the  fall ;  also  shipped 
about  fifty  bales  of  hops  raised  on  the  Skagit  river. 

The  steamer  Libby  was,  during  the  same  season, 
making  a  weekly  trip  from  La  Conner  to  Seattle 
transporting  grain,  while  several  schooners  were 
constantly  engaged  in  carrying  away  the  bountiful 
products  of  the  season. 

At  that  date  there  were  in  the  near  vicinity  of 
La  Conner  the  following  farms  well  diked  and  cul- 
tivated, with  the  following  owners  and  the  amounts 
belonging  to  each :  Michael  Sullivan,  lOt)  acres ; 
J.  S.  Conner,  400 ;  E.  T.  Dodge,  300 ;  Samuel  Cal- 
houn, -3:0;  Dr.  G.  V.  Calhoun,  160;  Walker  &  Gill. 
IGO;  Leando  Pierson,  160;  James  Harrison,  loO ; 
James  Caches,  120;  John  Cornelius,  100;  Thomas 
Lindsey,  100 ;  Culver  estate,  100 ;  Aden  place,  100 ; 
Whitney,  Sisson  &  Company,  130 ;  John  Ball,  40. 
About  two  thousand  acres  additional  within  less 
than  four  miles  of  La  Conner  were  in  process  of 
preparation  for  diking  during  the  next  year.  It 
was  found  at  that  time  that  the  average  cost  of 
building  a  substantial  dike  four  feet  high,  with  a 
base  of  eight  feet  in  breadth  and  two  and  a  half 
feet  wide  at  the  top,  was  two  dollars  per  rod  and 
until  the  dikes  were  solidly  settled  some  additional 
cost,  perhaps  twenty-five  cents  a  rod,  would  be 
necessary  for  repairs  each  year.  It  had  been  dis- 
covered even  prior  to  1876  that  those  dike  lands 
would  yield  astonishing  crops  of  oats,  barley  and 
vegetables,  although  at  the  present  time  the  yield 
is  much  larger  than  at  first.  In  1876  the  average 
for  oats  and  barley  was  sixty  bushels  per  acre, 
while  the  same  lands  at  the  present  time  often  pro- 
duce upwards  of  a  hundred  laushels  on  the  average. 
In  1876  Calhoun  Brothers  alone  sold  four  hundred 
tons  of  oats  and  barley,  besides  retaining  a  con- 
siderable quantity  for  seed  and  home  consumption 
and  losing  about  forty  tons  through  the  wreck  of  a 
vessel,  all  of  this  being  the  product  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres.  E.  T.  Dodge  raised  two 
hundred  tons  of  hay  and  a  hundred  and  fifty  tons 
of  barley  and  oats  on  his  place  during  the  same 
year,  at  the  same  time  making  large  quantities 
of  butter,  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  pounds  per 
cow  a  year,  which  sold  at  forty  cents  per  pound. 

So  remarkable  was  the  yield  of  those  Swino- 
mish  tide  flats  that  the  enterprising  owners  deemed 
it  worth  while  to  publish  sworn  statements  of  the 
yield  upon  certain  places,  some  of  which  statements 
were  published  in  the  Star  of  December  16.  1876. 
Robert  Kennady,  foreman  of  Samuel  Calhoun's 
ranch,  made  affidavit  that  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  yielded  over  fourteen  thousand 
bushels  of  oats,  and  another  field  of  twenty-three 
acres  yielded  over  twenty-three  hundred  bushels. 
J.  S.  Conner  made  affidavit  that  sixty  bushels  of 
barley  and  from  seventy  to  seventy-five  bushels  of 
oats  per  acre  were  the  average  yields  and  he  esti- 
mated that  there  were  upwards  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  acres  in  the  Skagit  valley  and  delta 


which   could   be   made   equally   productive   by   the 
same  cultivation. 

The  correspondent  of  the  Star  of  September 
30,  1876,  gives  a  very  picturesque  account  of  a 
journey  afoot  from  Skagit  City  to  La  Conner,  and 
particularly  of  the  n-gion  about  Pleasant  ridge. 
The  farm  of  John  Cornelius,  bordering  upon  and 
including  a  portion  of  that  ridge,  aft'orded  the 
traveling  correspondent  a  view  so  picturesque  and 
attractive  and  one  giving  such  suggestions  of 
wealth  and  productiveness  that  he  waxes  enthu- 
siastic in  his  encomiums  upon  it.  Immediately 
about  Pleasant  ridge  there  were  at  that  time  the 
following  producing  places:  C.  J.  Chilberg,  160 
acres;  Nelson  Chilberg,  80;  Robert  Kennadv,  160; 
C.  H.  Chamberlain,  160;  Isaac  Chilberg,  160; 
Albert  Learner,  160 ;  Samuel  Calhoun,  160 ;  John 
Cornelius,  120.  Extending  towards  the  Swino- 
mish  and  Sullivan  sloughs  were  lands  ready  for 
cultivation  of  the  following  amounts :  J.  S.  Conner, 
140  acres;  Jerry  Sullivan,  172;  M.  J.  Sullivan,  40; 
George  Aden,  60 ;  the  Culver  estate,  60 ;  Dodge  & 
Lindsay,  200 ;  D.  B.  Jackson,  300 ;  Isaac  Jennings, 
160;  Edward  Ballou,  160;  Charles  Muller,  160; 
Robert  White,  80;  J.  F.  Terrace,  80;  James  H. 
McDonald,  160.  This  made  a  total  in  the  vicinity 
of  Pleasant  ridge  and  thence  onward  toward  the 
sloughs  of  two  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  acres. 

From  the  interesting  and  rapidly  unfolding 
agricultural  developments  of  that  year  we  turn 
our  attention  to  the  mineral  developments  of  the 
upper  valley.  The  Star  of  December  16,  1876,  gives 
an  interesting  account  of  the  original  discovery  of 
the  coal  mines  by  Messrs.  Everett,  Stevens  and 
Graham,  already  described,  and  goes  on  to  prophesy 
that  when  a  prosperous  town  is  built  up  in  that 
vicinity  with  iron  furnaces,  machine  shops,  etc.,  a  • 
railroad  may  join  the  belts  of  land  between  the 
Skagit,  Stillaguamish  and  Snohomish.  .'\t  that 
time  there  had  been  three  claims  located  in  the  coal 
regions,  the  Skagit,  the  Cascade  and  the  New 
Cumberland.  The  coal  had  been  thoroughly  tested 
and  was  found  to  be  of  the  finest  quality,  but  pend- 
ing the  removal  of  the  big  jam  it  was  not  profitable 
to  work  the  veins.  The  Skagit  mine  was  situated 
on  the  east  face  of  the  mountain  directly  above 
the  Hatshadadish  creek  and  within  a  mile  of  the 
landing.  The  coal  vein  dipped  at  an  angle  of  sixty 
degrees.  Three  shafts  had  at  that  time  been  sunk, 
seventy,  twenty-five  and  twenty  feet  deep,  respect- 
ively, with  an  entrance  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
above  the  bed  of  the  creek.  Seven  strata  of  coal  had 
been  uncovered,  each  running  from  two  to  eight 
feet  in  thickness.  The  Cascade  lay  from  one-fourth 
to  one-half  mile  from  the  tunnels  of  the  Skagit 
claim  and  the  entrance  to  it  was  three  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river.  Four  veins 
had  there  been  uncovered,  dipping  at  an  angle  of 
twelve  degrees.    Two  tunnels  had  at  that  time  been 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


driven,  niic  .si'vciily  iiiid  diu'  scvciity-six  ki't  in 
linj^lli.  'I'lu'  ])iiiu-i|)al  vein  lu'iv  w;is  six  fci-t  Uiick 
and  (if  ])nro,  solid  rn.d.  I'lu'  Ni-w  Cunibcrlaiul 
i-laini.  divided  fidin  llu-  ollicrs  i.v  i..irillc  creek, 
was  ojiened  liy  a  Iniinrl  :i  Iniiidnd  and  lifty  feet 
hm^i,  and  tlu-'.o.d  wis  L.tuid  l<.  I.c  ..f  a  (|uality 
(■i|ual  lo  llic  Ik-sI    liir  (nknii;,   fnr^m^  ;in<|  nieclian- 

■Ininiiin  in.m  ilic  (■noiniaKin>;  cmI  devclop- 
iiiniis  1(1  ilidsc  nl  ihe  precious  nielais  we  find  an 
inin.shut;  hisl.Mv  of  Kold  discovery.  Jn  1H77  a 
|Mii\,  (iiiisislin^  of  (  )tlo  Klenu'iil,  t'liarles  von 
I're.sscMliii,  Jiilui  human,  Jnlin  Uovvk'y  and  l'"rank 
Scoll,  s<i  h'llh  fi-oni  MonnI  W-inon  in  canoes 
manned  l.\  Indians  lo  .■xplore  Ihe  iipjier  Skaf^it.  At 
llic  innnlli  ..I  wlial  llu'  Indians  called  (lie  Nalicnl- 
liiiii  Mv.i,  wlii.li  Kleni.iil  i-enanied  I'.aker  river, 
Ihe  |iail\  dcliaikcd  and  Inlldvved  llie  Indian  trail 
lo  llie  liead  of  (lie  Ska^il,  wlience  lliey  crossed  the 
ni.'iin  |■id^;(•  of  the  Cascade  niounlains,  thence  de- 
scending Ihe  canyon  of  (he  Slehekin  lo  Lake  Chelan. 
After  sonic  lime  siieiil  al.oiil  I  ake  Chelan  and  the 
valley  of  the  Methow  lli-v  ivlnmed  lo  the  Skaf^it 
river.  In  Ihe  vicinity  <<i  llie  porla^;e  ihcir  boats 
npMl  and  lliev  InsI  all  tlieir  provisions,  bnl  they 
IoiiikI  llial  "(  ,isc  adc  Cliarlie,"  an  Indian  witli 
^^ll,.ln  lli(\  had  Irll  a  supply  of  provisions  on  tlie 
r..ik(i    inn,  h.id  hceii   falllilnl  lo  his  tnisl  and  after 

plicl  li<mi  Ihrs,'  si. .MS  (  .isr.i.lc  (  liarlii'  then 
lianspdil.-d  Ihciii  III  laiHu's  In  what  r.  ii.i\v  known 
.r.  (  ..MnkiH's  l.indiiii'  .It  llie  he. id  nl  c  .muk-  iiavi^'ation 
nil  Ihe  river,  when'  tliev  hiiill  ,i  lo^  lint  and  inade 
a  set  oi  sluice  lioxcs  (d'  Ininber  cut  out  by  a  whip- 
saw,  with  wliicb  to  iirospcct  for  f-old,  Tliey  fomul 
no  ^dlil  in  that  vicinity  to  aiiioiint  to  anytliing.  At 
the  month  nl  l\iil)\  creek,  however,  tbcy  discovered 
fine  speciiiuiis  n|  ihc  precious  inet;d,  bnt  in  the 
meantime  wiiilei  had  descended  upon  the  mnnnt.ains 
and  the  j,;Toniid  was  cnyned  with  simw,  s,>  the  party 
rclnrncd  lo  Moinil   \'ernnn. 

i''ebrnary  I,  iS'lS,  the  t^old  hunters  resumed 
exiiloratioiis,  the  ii.iitv  this  lime  consistiii)^  of  Otto 
Klenient,  John  I'nnc.ni,  John  Rowley,  Ceorpe 
San^;-er  and  Rolieii  .'^li.iip,  riic\  hrlook  theniselves 
to  a  point  lifteen  miles  Imm  (  inndall's  landint;-  and 
there  discovered  ,i  eniinns  ii.ilnral  fe;iture',  the 
remains  of  a  nalur.al  hridi^c,  indicated  by  the  over- 
han^ini;-  rocks  of  the  canyon,  Ihiildiuf;'  at  that  jioinl 
.•I  cal)in,  which  became  known  as  the  Tniinel  House, 
as  a  place  of  storage  for  tlieir  snrplns  provisions, 
they  repaired  to  Unby  creek,  with  llie  exception  of 
Klement,  who  retnnied  to  Mount  Vernon.  Tills 
expedition  w^is  not  productive  of  ,iny  f;ri'al  discov- 
eries of  gold,  but  indications  were  encouraijinj;- 
enonpli  to  lead  them  and  others  to  return  during' 
llie  sea.son  of  :tS';!)  and  in  that  year  Albert  Uacon 
and  others  put  in  a  wing  dam  and  washed  out  gold 
dust  to  llie  value  of  lifteen  hmidred  dollars,  from  a 
claim    to    which    tlicv    gave    the    name    of    Nip    and 


Tuck.  In  the  meantime  Rowley,  Duncan  and  Saw- 
yer had  o|)ened  a  claim  on  Canyon  creek  ten  miles 
above  Nip  and  Tuck  from  wliicli  they  took  a 
thousand  dollars  in  gold  dust.  John  Sutter  and 
Willard  (!obb  also  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
develoi)ments  of  that  year.  When  the  fortunate 
miners  returned  to  Mount  Vernon  with  their 
l)recious  dust  the  excitement  which  inevitably  fol- 
lows gold  discoveries  broke  out  and  raged  at  fever 
lieat  in  all  the  land  of  the  Skagit.  During  the  close 
of  :l.S<!)  and  the  beginning  of  .1880,  throngs  which 
some  have  estimated  as  high  as  five  thousand,  dis- 
regarding the  rains  and  the  snows  of  winter,  sought 
the  new  Jsldorado  in  canoes,  skifTs,  scows  and  on 
foot.  Much  sulTcring  and  many  accidents,  as  might 
be  exiHcted,  ensued.  David  15all  and  eleven  others 
undertook  to  run  the  portage  in  a  canoe  and  were 
upset  into  the  rushing  lorrent.  Six  of  the  men,  who 
could  swim,  essayed  to  reach  the  shore  individually, 
but  were  all  droyviied,  while  the  other  six,  who  could 
not  swim,  clung  to  the  cinoe  and  were  washed 
ashore  and  saved.  The  bodies  of  the  lost  were 
afterwards  recovered  far  down  the  rapid  river  and 
wen-  buried  on  the  bliifTs  above  Mount  Vernon. 
/MIhtI  1,,  I  Irah.ani,  of  Anacortcs,  who  joined  the 
rush  In  ihcse  niitics,  says  that  fully  four  llioitsand 
men  \isiled  llie  region,  the  majority  of  the  claims 
beiiiL;  on  (  aii\nii  and  Ruby  creeks,  where  al.so  most 
nl  the  wmk  w.is  (Iniic.  I'"ew  of  the  argonauts  real- 
ized llkir  Impes  in  gold  discoveries,  and  later  in  the 
si-ason  llu-  army  broke  nj),  some  of  them  proceeding 
ovi'i-  the  Cascade  mountains  nntil  they  readied  Fort 
I  loi)e,  I!.  C.,  where  they  renewed  their  mining 
operations,  the  renuiinder  descending  the  Skagit 
lo  their  former  places.  Tt  is  recorded  by  some  who 
look  i)art  in  that  sborldived  (piest  for  gold  that  in 
the  spring  of  1880  the  simw  in  ili.il  |.art  of  the  Cas- 
cade mountains  was  from  IweUc  in  ihirly  feet  deep 
and  it  is  as.scrtcd  that  slumps  cm  be  found  there  at 
the  present  time  of  trees  cut  by  men  standing  on 
the  snow,  which  are  from  fifteen  lo  thirty-five  feet 
in  heighl.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Hoods 
of  I  SSI)  were  the  greatest  in  the  history  of  the  Col- 
umbia valley  and  other  regions  fed  from  the  Cas- 
cade mountains,  with  the  cNccplion  of  the  great 
Hood  of   ISDI. 

.Although  the  Rnhy  creek  niiius  did  imt  realize 
fully  the  hopes  of  the  prospectors  lliere  was  in  the 
aggregate  a  very  considerable  quantity  of  gold  dust 
taken  out.  Clothier  &  English,  for  example, 
received  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  in  gold  dust 
in  exchange  for  goods  which  they  sold  at  their 
branch  store  at  Coodall's  landing.  Several  steam- 
boats succeeded  in  stemming  the  strong  current  of 
the  Skagit  as  far  as  the  iiortage,  thus  demonstrat- 
ing the  remark.ible  navigability  of  the  Skagit  river; 
for  I'ortagc  is  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from  the 
month.  An  indirect  result  of  the  Ruby  creek  gold 
escilemenl     was    the    demonstration    of    Ihc    great 


SKACir    COUNTY.    1874-83 


agri- 


cxtcnt  and  vast  resources  m   tinil)i.r  .i 
iiiltiire  of  llie  noble  Skapit  valley. 

The  years  1877  and  ISIS  wne  somewhat 
clouded  by  tbe  general  hard  linu's  wliicli  prevailed 
over  the  entire  country ;  nevertheless  there  was 
steady  progress  in  all  manner  of  improvements. 
Among  various  miscellany  of  those  years  we  gather 
from  the  newspapers  valuable  sketches  oi  the  i)rog- 
ress  of  enterprises  here  and  there  in  all  the 
standard  lines  of  business.  A  correspondent  of  the 
Star  gives  a  glowing  picture  of  the  inherent  beauty 
as  well  as  great  improvemenls  in  the  Hayview 
settlement,  lie  finds  a  steam  thresher  at  work  on 
the  ranch  of  Whitney  &  Sisson,  who  had  at  that 
time  ui)wards  of  ;iO()  acres  under  dike.  In  the  same 
vicinity  W.  H.  Trimble  had  50  acres;  J.  Iligh- 
bargcr,  75;  G.  W.  1..  Allen.  (15;  and  Ball  &  .Smith, 
100.  '{"he  general  yield  in  the  vicinity  t)f  iJayview 
was  eighty  bushels  to  the  acre  of  oats  and  barley, 
except,  rather  curiously,  in  case  of  fall  oats,  which 
crows  had  attacked  in  countless  numbers,  pulling 
up  at  least  one-half  of  ii,  .-md  seriously  diniiuishing 
the  yield. 

The  peripatetic  Star  man  has  jjreserved  an  inter- 
esting picture  of  the  ai)pearanee  of  the  work  in 
progress  at  that  time  upon  the  Skagit  jam.  He 
found  two  flourishing  logging  camps,  one  belonging 
to  Mr.  Hanscomb  and  anotlier  to  William  (jagc. 
lioth  these  men  had  been  enabled  by  the  work  done 
even  at  that  time  on  the  jam  to  get  out  timber  of 
magnificent  quality  previously  unavailable.  The 
correspondent  noticed  one  tree  without  crook  or 
knot  from  which  were  cut  four  twenty-four  foot 
tuts,  scaling  upwards  of  six  thousand  feet  of  clear 
lumber  each.  Both  Mr.  Hanscomb  and  Mr.  Gage 
li.iid  the  highest  tribute  to  the  invaluable  work  of 
the  jam  loggers.  The  correspondent  also  visited 
the  store  just  opened  by  Messrs.  Clothier  &  English 
and  the  hotel  just  built  by  Mr.  Shott,  which 
together  constituted  the  beginnings  of  the  city  of 
Mount  Vernon.  The  correspondent  also  becomes 
acquainted  with  D.  E.  Kimble  and  G.  E.  Hartson, 
pioneer  .settlers  of  that  district,  and  meets  Mrs. 
Jones,  Mrs.  Gage  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Lanning  and  Ida, 
the  daughter  of  the  last  named,  who  were  among 
the  first  white  women  to  reach  the  Skagit  river 
valli-y  above  the  delta,  their  entrance  to  the  region 
being  in  or  jirior  to  1870.  The  correspondent  notes 
the  fact  that  although  he  had  been  all  over  that 
region  but  a  few  months  previous,  he  found  most 
remarkable  changes  accomplished.  He  says  that 
but  six  months  before  the  region  of  the  Nooka- 
eliamps  was  just  beginning  to  be  si)oken  of,  but  at 
tile  lime  of  this  second  visit  there  were  twenty  or 
nil  ire  claims  taken  on  that  stream.  Seven  years 
e.iilior,  he  says,  there  was  scarcely  a  score  of  claims 
in  the  whole  Skagit  valley,  but  in  1877  there  were 
about  .seven  hundred  settlers  in  the  valley,  of  whom 
l»robably  nearly  two  hundred   were  white   women. 

The  earliest  settler  in  the  vieinitv  of   llirdsview 


was  Charles  von  I'ressenlin,  who  ni.ule  his  location 
at  that  point  in  May,  1.S7;.  At  Ihal  lime  lliere  were 
five  settlers  above  him  on  tbe  river  and  two  between 
him  and  Mount  Vernon,  llu'  latter  place  being  his 
postoffice.  The  timber  and  brush  were  so  dense 
upt)n  his  place  that  he  was  conipelled  to  cut  a  i)ath- 
way  even  to  transport  a  .sack  of  Hour  to  his  cabin. 
Ten  million  feet  of  timber  were  cut  from  Mr.  von 
Tresseiilin's  claim,  one  o[  the  first  to  be  logged  on 
the    upp.r    river.       In    ISTS    H.    I).    Minkler    built   a 

w.Her  p..wr,     null    ,e    ,s..nlli    smK'    ,.f    llie    river, 

•■""I  ""■  1"'^'  l"'st..n,ee  on  the  upper  i.v.r  w.'iS 
established  at  llirdsview  in  ISSI),  Mr.  M  inkier  being 
the  first  postmaster.  Indians  in  that  vieinitv  always 
held  th.-il  they  were  not  treaty  Indians,  and  they 
did  nut  ennseiit  to  the  ac(|uisition  of  l.-uid  bv  the 
whites.  \  eciniest  between  the.se  Indians  ;m(i  Mr. 
Minkler  fur  the  mill  site  was  ultimalelv  carried  U> 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  Hitchcock  an<l  leeentlv 
decided  by  him  in  favor  of  the  Indians.  TIk  n.niie 
of  Birdsview  was  not  derived,  as  might  be  snppused, 
from  any  ornithological  connectinn.  Imi  h.ini  the 
factthat'Mr.  Minkler's  first  name,  uin.li  w.i,  Hud 
•sey,  was  commonly  abbreviated  to  llird,  and  jrdiii 
this  the  town  took  its  name.  One  of  the  i)ioneers 
of  Birdsview  still  living  there  is  .August  Kem- 
inerich,  who  located  his  claim  on  l''ebrnar\  II,  ISIS. 
lie  slates  that  it  was  eighteen  \e:iis  l„'f.,re  there 
was  any  contiinious  wagon  m.-id  ddwn  ihe  rivei'. 

in  ])ursuanee  of  this  skeU'li  nl  the  wninns  e.irU 
settlemenls  of  the  Skagit  country  we  ni;i\  \\n\r  iIh- 
beginnings  of  the  Sedro-Woollev  seitUnuiii  .is  lIu' 
work  of  Joseph  1  larl  .-md  l);ivid  ILitew  Ixiili  n.ilives 
of  England  and  the  latter  e\  president  ol  die 
Skagit  I'ioneer  as.soei.itinn,  who  eslal.lislied  ilieni- 
selves  one  mile  southwest  of  the  |)resenl  town  in 
Augu.st,  1h:s.  Mr.  Batey's  wife,  Georgian.'i  l'..iies, 
and  Iwo  sons,  John  Ilem-y  and  Bruce,  joined  liini  in 
IH.so.  James  M.  Yoimg,  John  Duffy,  ■fhonias 
Coiiniev  ,ind  Toni  Taggart  became  t'Slablished  in 
Ihe  same  ve.ir  a  few  miles  east  of  Mr.  Batev's 
location,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  also  William  A. 
Dunlop  and  William  Woods,  former  friends  of 
Mr.  I'.aley,  look  u])  claims  adjoining  him  on  the 
east.  They  found  the  woods  at  that  time  swarming 
with  bears,  cougars,  coons  and  other  wild  animals. 

Other  settlers  of  1878-0  and  IHSO  in  the  npp<-r 
Skagit  valley  were  John  Stewarl,  William  (.ohlson. 
John  Kelly,  Stephen  Benson  and  sons  |eii\  .nid 
Dan,  after  whom   Benson  slough  is  n:mi.'.l.   I.viii.n, 

l^m'n,,'  [•■m'meli  VallNeel"  (  u  Im's  '  ili!!!!^ ''was  lor 
a  liin.'  Ihe  nnlv  while  l.iniilv  on  tJi,-  river  hehv.vn 
Sterling  an<l  j.vnian).  fr.nik  \<.  Il.nnillon,  |ohn 
M.  Roach,  .S.  .S.  Tingl.'y,  .\liel,.„l  and  J.,lnil)av 
and  Josei)h  Zook. 

While  the  settlements  out  of  which  the  towns 
of  Sedro-Woolley,  Hamilton,  Sterling,  Lyman  and 
I'.irdsview  grew  were  thus  sha|)ing  them.selves,  the 
enstomary    organized    inslitntioirs    of    civilized    so- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


ciety  were  in  process  of  formation  in  the  older  por- 
tions of  the  Skagit  country.  Prominent  among 
these  were  the  courts.  We  find  that  the  district 
court  met  at  La  Conner  on  June  4,  1878,  at  which 
time  Hon.  J.  R.  Lewis  was  the  chief  justice,  and 
judge  of  the  third  district  of  the  territory.  G.  W. 
L.  Allen  was  sheriff  of  Whatcom  county  and  How- 
ard H.  Lewis,  clerk.  In  the  absence  of  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney  W.  H.  White,  G.  M.  Haller  was 
appointed  by  the  court  to  handle  the  state's  cases, 
while  Isaac  N.  Power,  Robert  Newman  and  J.  T. 
Bowman  were  appointed  bailiffs.  A  seal  was 
adopted  bearing  as  a  motto  a  sheaf  of  wheat  and  the 
words,  "District  Court  of  Whatcom  county,  W.  T." 
James  F.  D'Arcy  and  John  L.  Dale  were  admitted 
to  practice  law  at  the  bar  of  the  territory;  Fred- 
erick Eyre  and  Edward  McTaggart  were  admitted 
to  citizenship.  The  principal  case  that  came  be- 
fore the  court  at  that  session,  that  of  an  Indian 
named  Taws,  charged  with  murder,  resulted  in  a 
verdict  of  guilty  of  manslaughter  and  a  sentence  to 
five  years  in  the  county  jail.  George  Connor  was 
tried  for  "exhibiting  a  pistol  in  a  rude,  angry  and 
threatening  manner  in  a  crowd  of  two  persons," 
and  upon  conviction  thereof  was  sentenced  to  six 
months  in  the  county  jail  and  a  fine  of  ten  dollars 
and  costs.  Whatcom  county  at  that  time  was  suf- 
fering from  the  inconvenience  of  possessing  no 
county  jail  and  was  obliged  therefore  to  board  her 
prisoners  in  the  Jefferson  county  jail.  In  connec- 
tion with  court  history  it  may  be  noted  that  from 
time  to  time  discussion  of  the  location  of  the  court 
and  with  this  the  allied  question  of  county  division, 
was  agitated.  In  the  Bellingham  Bay  Mail  of  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1879,  we  find  mention  of  the  question  and 
the  varying  propositions  made  as  to  its  settlement. 
Some  proposed  to  abolish  the  United  States  court 
at  Steilacoom  and  to  confer  jurisdiction  on  the 
court  at  La  Conner  for  the  counties  of  Whatcom, 
Snohomish  and  the  proposed  county  of  Allen,  while 
others  advocated  the  establishment  of  the  court  at 
Utsalady.  If  that  measure  could  not  be  effected  a 
dissatisfied  element  in  Whatcom  county  insisted 
that  the  district  court  should  be  abolished  or  re- 
moved to  Whatcom,  which  measure  they  admitted 
would  probably  result  in  a  division  of  the  county 
along  the  line  of  the  Chuckanut  hills.  The  estab- 
lishment of  the  county  seat  at  Whatcom  and  the 
district  court  at  La  Conner  seems  to  have  been  of 
the  nature  of  a  compromise  between  the  chief 
centers  of  population.  It  was  estimated  that  the 
entire  taxable  valuation  of  the  county  was  about 
seven  hundred  thousand  dollars,  about  one  quarter 
of  that  being  north  of  Whatcom.  The  Mail  advo- 
cates great  concessions  to  the  people  of  the  southern 
part  of  the  county,  for  it  prophesied  that  without 
such  concessions  county  division  would  follow  and 
quite  likely  Ferndale  on  the  Nooksack  river  might 
succeed  in  capturing  the  county  seat  of  the  north- 
ern county. 


An  event  of  importance  in  the  development  of 
the  region  was  the  restoration  at  this  time  to  the 
public  domain  of  lands  along  the  unbuilt  portion  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  railroad.  This  was  pro- 
claimed by  a  notice  from  the  general  land  office 
published  in  the  Mail  of  August  2,  1879,  to  the 
effect  that  on  and  after  September  1,  1879,  all  of 
the  odd-numbered  sections  in  the  counties  of  Sno- 
homish, Whatcom,  Island,  Jefferson,  and  part  of 
King,  not  earned  by  the  railroad  company,  should 
be  restored  to  the  public  domain.  The  restored 
sections  as  well  as  the  even-numbered  sections  not 
included  in  the  railroad  grant  were  rendered  sub- 
ject to  preemption  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  except  in  the  case  of 
timber,  coal  or  mining  lands  already  fixed  at  a 
higher  rate.  To  those  who  had  already  purchased 
railroad  lands  at  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  an  acre, 
the  government  granted  a  rebate  of  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  an  acre.  It  had  been  anticipated 
that  this  proclamation  would  produce  a  great  rush 
for  the  acquisition  of  the  lands  indicated,  but  so 
much  of  them  had  already  been  secured  in  antici- 
pation of  the  withdrawal  that  there  was  no  great 
rush.  It  was  estimated  that  the  shortening  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  route  across  the  territory  of 
Washington  reduced  the  amount  of  land  earned 
within  the  forty-mile  limit  by  alwut  four  million 
acres. 

Among  the  interesting  miscellaneous  events 
chronicled  by  the  press  of  that  time  was  the  voyage 
of  the  steamer  Josephine  to  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Skagit.  Captain  Smith  was  the  skipper  of  the  gal- 
lant little  steamer  and  the  party  consisted  of  the  fol- 
lowing persons :  Benjamin  Stretch  of  Snohomish ; 
C.  P.  Farar  of  Seattle;  C.  Dodge  of  the  firm  of 
Ebey  &  Company  of  Seattle ;  Thomas  Prosch  of 
the  Seattle  Intelligencer;  J.  B.  Ball  and  daughter 
of  the  Skagit  river,  and  the  following  from  various 
regions  bound  for  the  gold  mines :  Frank  Cohn, 
William  Tracy,  John  Ryan,  William  Durley,  J.  T. 
Armstrong  and  his  two  sons,  James  H.  and  T.  N., 
J.  D.  Lewis,  Philip  Thomas,  Alonzo  Lowe,  Philip 
Keach,  William  Druitt,  Charles  Sperry,  John 
Carnes,  Albert  Bacon,  Henry  Ellis,  J.  D.  Dowe, 
August  Graham  and  Mr.  Robinson.  Various  other 
people,  on  business  or  pleasure  bent,  joined  the 
steamer  as  she  proceeded  up  the  river. 

There  were  at  that  time  four  trading  points 
upon  the  river,  Mann's  Landing,  three  or  four  miles 
above  the  mouth;  Skagit  City,  four  miles  farther; 
Mount  Vernon,  and  Ball's  Landing,  now  Sterling. 
At  the  last-named  place  the  steamer  stopped  for  the 
night.  On  the  next  day  the  steamer  called  at  Wil- 
liamson's hop  ranch,  and  an  hour  later  at  the  coal 
mines  near  the  present  site  of  Hamilton,  where  a 
distressing  accident  occurred,  casting  a  gloom  over 
what  was  expected  to  be  one  of  the  most  happy 
events  of  the  season.  James  H.  Armstrong,  while 
sitting    insecurely    upon    the    upper    deck    of    the 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1874-g 


steamer,  fell  in  some  manner  into  the  swift  and  icy 
current  and  was  drowned.  Every  effort  was  made 
to  rescue  him,  but  such  was  the  swiftness  of  the  cur- 
rent that  the  boats  which  were  launched  were  up- 
set; life  preservers  thrown  to  the  drowning  man 
failed  to  come  within  his  grasp  and  the  cook  of  the 
steamer  who  bravely  leaped  in  and  tried  to  save 
him  could  not  reach  him  and  was  all  but  drowned 
himself.  Attempts  at  rescue  and  even  the  securing 
of  the  body  proved  to  be  unavailing  and  the  steamer 
proceeded  as  far  as  Minkler's  saw-mill  near  Birds- 
view.  The  water  was  then  at  its  lowest  stage,  or 
the  steamer  might  easily  have  gone  a  number  of 
miles  further  up. 

In  preserving  this  general  picture  of  the  evolu- 
tion of  our  county  we  should  not  neglect  to  notice 
its  social  life.  Pioneers  are  proverbial  for  genial 
hospitality  and  openhandedness.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  in  the  rude  surroundings  and  meager  resources 
of  early  times  there  is  more  of  genuine,  whole- 
souled,  hearty  social  life  than  amid  the  artificial 
make-believes  with  which  the  people  of  more  pol- 
ished and  elegant  conditions  are  obliged  to  surfeit 
themselves.  As  an  illustration  of  the  entertain- 
ments and  reunions  common  in  the  pioneer  settle- 
ments of  Skagit  county,  we  may  draw  upon  material 
furnished  by  a  correspondent  of  the  Mail  during 
the  year  1879,  who  describes  the  meetings  of  a 
literary  society  held  in  a  public  hall  near  the  resi- 
dence of  R.  E.  Whitney  of  Padilla.  Mr.  Whitney 
was  himself  the  president  of  this  society  and  he 
seems  to  have  been  as  efficient  and  helpful  in  the 
social  as  he  is  already  known  in  these  pages  to  have 
been  in  the  business  life  in  his  section.  The  pro- 
gram of  that  society  consisted  of  musical  selections, 
select  readings,  presentation  of  dialogues,  reading 
of  the  "Country  Chronicle,"  the  organ  of  the  so- 
ciety, whose  editor  was  changed  at  each  meeting, 
in  order  to  distribute  the  responsibility,  and  which 
abounded  in  social  gossip,  flashes  of  wit  and  humor 
and  choice  scraps  of  original  poetry.  After  these 
miscellaneous  features  had  been  disposed  of  came 
the  grand  chef-d'oeuvre  of  the  evening,  which  was 
the  debate.  At  Christmas,  1878,  this  society  con- 
ducted a  neighborhood  festival,  at  which  all  the 
ordinary  joys  of  the  season  were  experienced.  An 
introductory  address  by  the  president  and  Christ- 
nias  carols  by  the  singers  were  followed  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  Santa  Claus  with  a  bountiful  supply  of 
the  customary  goodies  for  the  children,  which  the 
adults  did  not  scorn  to  receive,  and  after  this  two 
heavily  laden  trees  yielded  up  their  coveted  loads. 
Mr.  Whitney  rendered  a  piece  entitled  "The 
Wolves,"  which  was  followed  by  a  song,  "Remem- 
ber the  Poor,"  sung  by  Messrs.  R.  E.  Whitney  and 
H.  E.  Dewey  and  Misses  Eva  Baker  and  Letty 
Upson.  Upon  the  statement  by  the  president  that 
there  was  one  suffering  family  in  the  community  a 
generous  contribution  was  immediately  forthcom- 
ing for  the  sake  of  taking  Christmas  to  their  doors. 


After  this  came  songs  and  declamations  for  a  short 
time,  and  then  the  company  all  repaired  to  the 
wide-open  Whitney  mansion,  where  a  bountiful  re- 
past had  been  spread.  After  the  enjoyment  of  this 
essential  feature  of  the  occasion  by  all,  the  even- 
ing's festivities  were  closed  by  the  presentation  of 
"Hamlet's  Ghost"  and  the  perfonnances  of  the 
"Blackville  Club,"  by  most  of  those  present. 

A  melancholy  event  of  the  year  1879  was  the 
accidental  drowning  of  John  Imbler  at  the  Devil's 
Elbow  of  the  Skagit,  opposite  B.  N.  L.  Davis' 
place.  Imbler  had  settled  at  that  point  the  year 
previous  and  was  an  esteemed  pioneer.  He  was 
on  his  way  up  river  to  James  Cochrane's  logging 
camp  when  his  boat  capsized. 

The  business  which  next  to  lumbering  has  be- 
come the  greatest  industry  of  the  Puget  sound 
region  is  of  late  development.  We  refer  to  the 
fishing  industry.  The  sound  and  the  streams  enter- 
ing it,  particularly  the  Skagit,  were  known  from  the 
first  to  be  swanning  with  the  finest  of  salmon,  yet 
there  was  in  the  early  days  no  market  accessible, 
but  an  abundant  supply  of  fish  could  be  secured  for 
local  needs  by  any  one  who  had  a  boat  of  his  own. 
The  pioneer  of  the  fishing  business  on  the  upper 
Skagit  seems  to  have  been  James  H.  Moores.  He 
was  located  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Skagit  just 
above  Mount  Vernon  and  in  1879  he  put  in  the  first 
gill  net  on  the  river,  at  the  head  of  the  channel 
which  opened  into  the  upper  jam.  It  proved  a 
great  success,  he  putting  up  fifteen  barrels  of  his 
first  catch,  which  he  sold  at  ten  dollars  a  barrel. 
The  salmon  caught  there  were  of  what  is  known 
as  the  Tyee  variety,  weighing  as  high  as  forty 
pounds.  The  business,  however,  was  seriously  in- 
terfered with  by  the  Indians,  who  repeatedly  robbed 
the  nets  and  in  the  end  got  away  with  the  nets 
themselves.  Many  others  soon  followed  Mr. 
Moores  in  the  fishing  business,  until  now,  as  is  well 
known,  the  largest  salmon  canneries  in  the  world 
are  located  in  the  western  portion  of  Skagit  county. 

The  year  1880  was  marked  by  the  heaviest  snow- 
fall ever  known  in  the  Puget  sound  country.  Dur- 
ing the  month  of  January  five  feet  of  snow  fell  at 
Seattle,  twenty-six  inches  on  the  Skagit  delta,  two 
feet  and  a  half  at  Mount  Vernon  and  eight  feet  at 
Goodall's  Landing  on  the  upper  Skagit.  As  a  result 
of  the  enormous  accumulation  of  snow  in  the  moun- 
tains the  river  ran  bank  full  throughout  the  summer, 
scarcely  varying  a  foot  in  height  during  a  period  of 
six  weeks.  One  result  of  the  unusual  and  contin- 
uous height  of  the  water  was  the  encouragement  of 
steamboat  navigation,  and  the  subject  of  steamboat 
navigation  leads  up  to  the  fortunes  of  the  Skagit 
mining  district  during  the  year  and  thereafter. 

We  have  sketched  the  progress  of  those  mines 
to  the  year  18S0  and  have  seen  that  the  excitement 
had  collapsed  and  the  thousands  of  gold  seekers 
gathered  there  had  scattered.  Nevertheless  there 
were  a  number  of  men  with  greater  staying  quali- 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


ties  who  remained.  On  Canyon  creek  seven  com- 
panies were  in  existence  and  engaged  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  number  of  ditches  and  flumes.  The 
gold  found  in  that  district  was  of  remarkably  fine 
quality  and  commanded  the  highest  price  for  gold 
dust  at  the  mints.  Nuggets  were  frequently  found 
running  from  five  to  thirty  dollars  in  value.  The 
Ruby  creek  mining  district  was  formed  in  the 
spring  of  1880,  George  Sanger  being  elected  re- 
corder and  a  postoffice  was  established  with  Martin 
Coltenbaugh  as  the  first  carrier,  or  some  say  a  man 
named  Nelson.  He  charged  twenty-five  cents  per 
letter  for  his  services.  In  July  the  Slate  creek 
mines,  which  have  since  become  much  more  pro- 
ductive than  those  of  Ruby  creek,  were  discovered. 
Sanger,  the  first  recorder  mentioned  in  the  forego- 
ing, was  killed  by  a  rock  slide  in  Alaska  in  recent 
years. 

In  July,  1880,  the  steamer  Chehalis,  Captain 
Thomas  Brannin,  made  the  trip  up  the  river  to  The 
Dalles  in  two  days  and  a  half,  attaining  the  highest 
point  ever  reached  by  a  steamboat,  but  a  few  days 
later,  the  Josephine,  Captain  Denney,  reached  nearly 
as  high  a  point.  These  steamers  were  both  of  one 
hundred  tons  burden  and  their  successful  voyage 
demonstrated  the  possibilities  of  navigation  on  the 
Skagit.  One  result  of  the  travel  back  and  forth  to 
the  mines  was  the  demand  for  numerous  way 
stations  and  provision  stores  up  and  down  the 
Skagit  valley.  Amasa  Everett's  place  at  the  mouth 
of  Baker  river  and  David  Batey's  near  the  site  of 
Sedro-Woolley,  together  with  many  other  places 
carved  out  of  the  timber,  met  the  demand  by  becom- 
ing supply  stations,  but  the  largest  mercantile  estab- 
lishment anywhere  above  Mount  Vernon  at  this 
period  was  that  of  Clothier  &  English  at  Goodall's 
Landing,  succeeding  Edward  Goodall,  who  had  had 
for  a  short  time  previously  a  store  at  the  same  place. 
Albert  L.  Graham  says  that  Ruby  City,  laid  out  on 
twenty  feet  of  snow,  likewise  had  a  small  store  for 
a  short  time  during  the  excitement.  The  fare  on 
the  steamers  from  Mount  Vernon  to  the  portage 
was  at  first  twelve  dollars,  subsequently  dropping 
to  eight,  and  it  took  about  two  days  to  make  the 
trip.  While  there  has  been  in  later  years  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  gold  taken  from  the  Ruby  creek 
mines,  they  have  never  attained  the  first  rank  as 
wealth  producers. 

In  1880  Frank  R.  Hamilton  and  wife  settled  at 
the  mouth  of  Baker  river,  his  neighbors  being 
Theodore  Sunter,  a  half  brother  of  Mrs.  Hamilton, 
Eli  Frome,  Amasa  Everett,  Orrin  Kincaid  and  S. 
Anderson.  Sunter's  mother  was  the  first  white 
woman  to  settle  in  the  neighborhood  and  Mrs.  Ham- 
ilton the  next.  While  bringing  a  bull  up  the  river 
at  this  time,  Hamilton  and  Frome  blazed  out  a 
trail  which  in  later  years  became  the  course  of  the 
river  road. 

This  period  of  settlement  was  marked  in  1881 
bv  a  fracas  with  the  Indians  in  connection  with  the 


survey  of  the  government  land,  the  Indians  on  the 
upper  river  objecting  to  the  survey  and  finally 
breaking  the  surveyor's  instruments.  Amasa 
Everett  was  overheard  by  some  of  the  Indians  to 
advise  the  surveyors  to  kill  them  if  they  persisted 
in  their  opposition  and  the  result  was  an  attack  on 
Everett  by  two  Indians.  He,  in  self-defense, 
opened  upon  them  with  his  revolver  and  seriously 
wounded  both,  escaping  in  the  night  down  river 
with  Willard  Cobb  in  a  canoe.  Everett  gave  him- 
self up  at  once  and  was  tried  at  Mount  Vernon  for 
the  shooting,  but  acquitted.  The  general  body  of 
the  Indians  sustained  Everett  and  later  held  a  great 
pow-wow  with  him,  at  which  they  adjusted  their 
differences  by  his  paying  a  small  amount  for  the 
two  Indians  shot  and  the  Indians  paying  him  an 
equivalent  amount  for  things  stolen  from  his  cabin. 
Colonel  Pollock,  a  government  agent,  came  soon 
after  with  an  escort  of  forty  soldiers  under  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Culver  Simons  from  Port 
Townsend,  and  the  local  Indian  agent  to  investigate 
the  trouble.  It  has  been  stated  that  Colonel  Pol- 
lock offended  Mr.  Everett  and  the  Indian  agent  by 
much  boastfulness  and  self-importance,  and  as  a 
consequence  they  arranged  with  the  Indians  to  test 
the  courage  of  him  and  his  party  as  they  went  down 
the  river.  The  Indians  accordingly  located  them- 
selves in  an  ambuscade,  from  which  they  fired 
upon  the  valiant  colonel,  taking  pains  to  land  no 
bullets  dangerously  near  the  boat,  and  the  colonel 
and  party  made  time  down  the  river  which  beat  all 
records  before  or  since.  As  we  shall  see  later  on  it 
was  many  years  before  the  survey  of  the  upper  river 
was  completed. 

The  consequence  of  the  ever-increasing  busi- 
ness and  population  of  the  upper  Skagit  was  a 
memorial  addressed  to  the  postmaster-general  of 
the  United  States  for  improved  mail  facilities, 
which  memorial  was  indited  as  follows : 

MEMORL-^L 


SUS.\N,    W.    T. 

To  THE  Honorable  Postm,\ster-General  of  the  United 
States : 

Your  memorialists,  the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the 
Territory  of  Washington,   respectfully  represent : 

That  the  mail  facilities  afforded  to  the  people  of  the 
northern  portion  of  the  county  of  Snohomish  and  the 
southern  portion  of  the  county  of  Whatcom,  including 
the  valleys  of  the  rivers  Stillaguamish  and  Skagit,  arc 
inadequate  to  the  growing  demands ;  that  the  aforesaid 
tract  of  country  is  rapidly  settling  up,  and  the  commercial 
and  social  interests  of  the  people  demand  increased  and 
more  regular  mail  service.  That  they  are  now  supplied 
once  a  week  from  mail  route  No.  43,108.  The  mail  is  car- 
ried in  small  open  boats  and  often  delayed  by  stormy 
weather. 

That  steamers  ran  regularly  twice  each  week  over 
the  route  hereinafter  proposed,  and  that  the  mail  can  and 
will  be  carried  without  much  expense  to  the  government. 

Therefore,  your  memorialists  pray  that  a  mail  route  be 


M                ^H^^PP^^^^-^ 

iMi 

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^'w^ 

MM 

^C:'Jr'''-'l^ 

■J^B 

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MJ 

'^^j;r'TW(C_^i .imil';,  '1 

■': 

^'^ 

Irff^'  ."^--v.i^'JHuHf.                 <% 

BltE»^      t  -^cnW 

iHk^v               ^^3BK^W^ 

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""^liiili 

\(;i  r  Ki\'i-K  viiavs 


SKAGIT   COUNTY,    1874- 


cstablishcd  with  service  thereon  twice  each  week  from 
Miikiltco  on  route  No.  4:?.108;  thence  to  Tulahp,  thence  to 
Port  Susan,  to  Stanwood.  Utsalady,  Skagit  City,  Mount 
Vernon,    SterHng   and    Lyman,   a   (hslance   of   ahiuit    sixty 


Wherefore,  your  memorialists  as 


hity 


■  I'a>se.l   Ihc   1  liuise  of   Representatives  Nov.  2-',   18K1. 
Geokge  Comegys, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
Passed  the  Council   Nov.  23,  1881. 

II.   F.  Str.mton, 

President  of  the  Council. 
.■\pproved    Nov.   2lt,    m\. 

The  petition  was  duly  ^rallied  and  tlic  now  mail 
route  established. 

The  oat  farmers  of  the  Skagit  wi're  in  the  con- 
dition sometimes  called  being  "in  clover,"  in  their 
crop  sales  of  18H0;  for  the  price  of  that  leading 
staple  of  the  agricultural  section  was  thirty  dollars 
per  ton.  It  is  also  worthy  of  record  that  self-bind- 
ers were  introduced  that  year  for  the  first  time. 
Two  of  these  were  owned  jjy  John  Rail  and  R.  E. 
Whitney  and  two  others  by  parties  whose  names 
seem  to  have  escaped  record.  /\11  were  wire  bind- 
ers. The  prosperity  of  the  farming  class  con- 
tinued right  on  for  the  two  years  following,  and 
in  1882  the  price  of  oats  stood  again  at  thirty  dol- 
lars per  ton,  only  two  dollars  and  a  half  below  the 
highest  San  Francisco  mark.  At  the  same  time 
there  was  much  com])etition  in  the  carrying  trade, 
especially  between  the  O.  R.  &  N.  steamships  and 
the  comiwny  centered  at  Utsalady,  the  latter  em- 
ploying sailing  ships  in  which  they  undertook  to 
transport  freight  for  two  dollars  and  a  qnarler  jx-r 
ton,  a  price  below  the  cost  to  the  steamshiiis.  ,\s 
a  result  of  this  the  farmers  were  making  money 
during  those  years  beyond  any  jirevious  experience. 
At  this  time  their  timothy  hay  was  selling  for 
twelve  dollars  a  ton. 

Hut  continuous  |)rnsperily.  to  adn|ii  the  old 
Greek  superstition,  is  likely  to  incur  the  eiiniity  of 
the  gods  and  we  accordingly  find  that  diu-ing  the 
very  same  year  that  prices  of  jiroducts  were  so 
high  and  freight  charges  .so  low  many  of  the  farm- 
ers suffered  disa.strous  losses  by  the  great  flood  of 
the  summer  of  1882.  The  preceding  winter  and 
spring  had  been  in  a  measure  an  imitation  of  that 
of  1880,  and  a  similar  summer  of  sudden  heat  pro- 
duced the  inevitable  catastrophe.  E.  A.  Sisson, 
to  whose  diary  we  arc  indebted  for  this  and  much 
other  valuable  matter,  has  preserved  a  record  of 
his  impression  that  the  damage  to  the  countrv  was 
greater  than  in  the  flood  of  1880,  although  tlie  lat- 
ter was  a  greater  flood  in  general.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Sullivan's  slough  the  agricultural  district  was 
entirely  under  water  and  the  crops  totally  de- 
stroyed. On  the  Swinomish  the  fine  farrns  of 
Messrs.  Lindsey,  Armstrong,  Poison,  Rail,  Sodcr- 
berg  and  Calhoun  were  overflowed  anrl  crops  de- 
stroyed, while  on  the  r.cavcr  rnar.sb,  five  miles  from 


La  Conner,  the  water  was  higher  than  ever  before 
known,  ^lr.  Leamer"s  i)lace  was  six  feet  under 
water  and  his  crop,  of  course,  entirely  ruined.  The 
dikes  were  broken  down  in  several  places,  and  the 
country  extending  from  the  delta  northward  to- 
ward I'adilla  presented  the  appearance  of  a  vast 
lake.  It  is  estimated  in  the  Northwest  Enterprise 
of  June  lUh  that  about  twenty-five  hundred  acres 
of  land  were  inimdated  and  that  the  loss  sustained 
was  not  less  than  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
upper  vallev  was  not  especially  damaged  by  this 
Hood,  the  river  being  at  least  two  and  one-half  feet 
higher  in  LS^!)  and  1880. 

The  farmers  were  not  the  only  stilTerers  from 
the  great  Hood,  for  the  loggers  sustained  corre- 
siiouding  losses  and  the  north  and  south  forks  of  the 
Skagit  river  were  both  choked  with  drift.  The  jam 
ui)on  the  south  fork  extended  all  the  way  from  the 
.sound  to  b'ir,  a  distance  of  three  miles,  not  only 
the  main  channel  but  what  are  known  as  the  I'Ve.sh- 
water  slough,  the  Deep  slough  and  the  Crooked 
slough  being  choked  to  such  a  degree  as  to  bar 
navigation.  Steamboat  slough,  however,  was  left 
open,  and  through  that  boats  continued  to  pass. 
As  a  result  of  the  creation  of  this  great  jam  a  public 
meeting  was  held  to  inaugurate  measures  for  its 
removal  at  which  Thomas  P.  Ilastie  presided.  A 
committee  of  investigation  reported  that  at  least 
ten  thousand  dollars  would  be  necessary  to  perform 
this  work.  B.  A.  Chilberg,  J.  T.  Wilbur,  Jo.seph 
Wilson  and  Olof  Poison  were  apiiointed  a  com- 
mittee to  solicit  subscriptions  for  this  pu.rjwse. 
About  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  was  subscribed, 
but  after  using  this  .sum  dissensions  arose  in  the 
api)lication  of  the  funds  and  the  prosecution  of  the 
work,  as  a  result  of  which  the  eiiteri)rise  was  finally 
abandoned,  and  the  removal  of  the  drift  was  left  to 
the  oi)erations  of  Nature.  Not  until  the  year  IDO.^ 
did  she  comjilete  her  task  of  removing  the  drift,  but 
it  gradually  disappeared  here  and  lliere  and  new 
channels  were  formed  aroimd  il,  so  that  the  river  is 
now  free  to  the  ingress  and  egress  of  vessels  of 
ordinary  size. 

Attention  has  heretofore  been  devoted  to  a  i)res- 
entation  of  the  developments  in  the  mining  and 
agricultural  interests.  We  must  now  place  beside 
those  another  of  even  greater  magnitude  in  Skagit 
county,  namely,  the  lumbering  interest,  which  had 
been  steadily  advancing  during  the  years  from  ISWi 
onward,  though  the  low  i)rice  of  logs  (four  dollars 
a  thou.sand)  during  the  latter  |iart  of  the  decade  of 
the  seventies  was  somewhat  discouraging  to  the 
industry.  With  the  opening  of  the  year  1883, 
however,  there  was  a  very  marked  rise  in  the  price. 
On  March  21st  there  was  not  a  single  log  left  in  the 
boom  at  Utsalady  and  the  price  offered  reached 
seven  dollars  per  thousand.  The  increased  activity 
in  all  lines  of  enterprise  which  characterized  that 
year  caused  an  increased  demand  for  building  ma- 
terial and  the  logging  business  was  ,-ictivc  ibrough- 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


out  the  year.  The  following  enumeration  of  log- 
ging camps  existing  in  1882  is  derived  from  the 
current  records  of  the  year:  Joel  Miller  upon  the 
eddy  above  the  present  location  of  the  Great  North- 
ern bridge ;  Charles  Jackson  half  a  mile  above  Bur- 
lington ;  Scott  Jameson,  Birdsview ;  Day  Brothers, 
at  Lyman;  J.  B.  Ball,  at  Sterling;  Clothier  & 
English,  at  Blarney  lake  on  the  Nookachamps ; 
Pippin  &  Jacobs,  above  Birdsview ;  Samish  Lumber 
Company,  consisting  of  Richard  Holyoke,  John 
McPherson,  Melburn  Watkinson,  William  Tracy 
and  Martin  Thorpee  at  the  Samish ;  Patrick  McCoy, 
Samish;  Clothier  &  English,  Samish;  Spencer 
Young,  Skagit  delta ;  Millett  &  McKay,  Burlington. 
The  last  named  was  one  of  the  most  extensive  log- 
ging companies  in  the  Puget  sound  basin.  This 
company  acquired  fourteen  hundred  acres  of  land, 
on  which  they  logged  until  1887,  filling  orders  for 
the  Tacoma  Mill  Company.  They  got  out  the  first 
large  order  given  in  this  county  for  cedar  timber, 
consisting  of  six  hundred  thousand  feet  of  logs  at 
five  dollars  and  a  half  per  thousand.  In  August, 
188;i,  Millett  &  McKay  built  the  pioneer  logging 
railway  in  Skagit  county  at  their  Burlington  camp. 
This  company  also  introduced  the  use  of  donkey 
engines  in  handling  logs  in  Skagit  county  and  in- 
augurated the  towing  system  upon  the  Skagit  river, 
the  first  steamer  to  tow'  rafts  under  their  orders  be- 
ing the  Alki,  Captain  McCall,  which  began  opera- 
tions in  1883.  During  the  months  of  July,  August 
and  September,  Inspector  McTaggart  scaled  about 
fifteen  million  feet  of  logs,  while  there  were  still 
awaiting  scaling  at  the  close  of  September  fifteen 
million  more.  It  was  estimated  that  the  total  out- 
put of  logs  for  that  year  was  fifty  million,  with  a 
value  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars.  The  second  logging  railroad  on  the  Skagit 
was  introduced  the  succeeding  fall  by  William 
Gage,  a  road  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length.  These 
roads  were  built  of  3x5  inch  maple  rails,  on  which 
cars  were  used  capable  of  carrying  8,000  feet  of 
tim1)er,  often  more.    It  was  found  that  this  system 


of  handling  logs  constituted  a  great  saving  in  ex- 
pense. It  is  stated  that  there  were  in  active  opera- 
tion during  the  year  1882  fifteen  logging  camps, 
this  enumeration  including  those  given  as  estab- 
lished during  that  year,  and  besides  a  number  of 
those  of  preceding  years.  These  camps  employed 
from  fifteen  to  eighteen  men  each  and  from  ten  to 
twenty-five  yoke  of  oxen. 

The  lumbering  business  of  Skagit  county  up  to 
this  time  had  consisted  mainly  of  logging,  the  logs 
being  taken  to  the  large  mills  at  Tacoma,  Seattle 
and  L'tsalady  for  sawing.  Minkler's  saw-mill  at 
Birdsview  was  the  first  in  what  is  now  Skagit 
county.  In  1882  a  combined  saw  and  grist-mill, 
run  by  water  power  from  Campbell  lake,  was  estab- 
lished by  Frank  Benn  and  Marcus  Christianson  at 
Deception  Pass  and  found  an  immediate  demand  for 
the  products  of  both  grain  and  lumber. 

A  very  deplorable  accident  occurred  at  La 
Conner  on  November  33,  1882,  by  which  one  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  the  Swinomish  slough 
lost  his  life.  On  that  day,  J.  S.  Kelly  was  just 
boarding  the  steamer  from  his  small  boat,  intend- 
ing to  go  to  his  home  on  the  slough,  when  in  some 
manner  the  small  boat  was  turned  about  suddenly 
and  thrown  against  the  side  of  the  steamer.  Mr. 
Kelly  was  precipitated  into  the  water  and  appar- 
ently without  a  struggle  sank  to  rise  no  more.  Late 
that  evening  the  body  was  discovered  and  conveyed 
to  La  Conner,  at  which  place  the  funeral  was  held 
three  days  later  under  the  auspices  of  the  Masons 
and  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Mr.  Kelly  had  come  to  the 
Swinomish  country  from  Island  county  in  1876  and 
had  become  so  respected  and  useful  a  member  of 
his  new  home  that  his  untimely  death  was  a  matter 
of  deepest  regret  to  all. 

With  the  close  of  the  year  1882  was  completed 
another  stage  in  the  evolution  of  the  great  Skagit 
country,  at  that  time  still  a  part  of  Whatcom 
county,  but,  as  we  shall  see,  destined  soon  to  con- 
stitute a  new  county  in  itself. 


CHAPTER  III 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1883-9 


The  multiplication  of  counties  in  one  of  our 
growing  western  states  is  by  a  process  of  fission, 
like  the  propagation  of  the  polyps  and  other  low  or- 
ders of  life.  Upon  the  first  establishment  of  Wash- 
ington territory  there  were  but  four  counties,  Clark, 
Thurston,  King  and  Walla  Walla.  The  vast  areas 
occupied  by  each,  becoming  subject  to  the  inflow 
of  population,  began  to  show  lines  here  and  there 
along  the  streams,  sounds,  bays  and  mountain 
chains,  representing  natural  points  of  separation, 
and  so  almost  immediately  there  began  to  be  the 
pressure  for  division.  With  the  beginning  of  the 
epoch  of  the  eighties,  the  increasing  population 
about  the  mouth  of  that  superl)  stream  of  the  Skagit, 
the  largest  and  finest  of  the  rivers  of  the  sound 
basin,  began  to  feel  that  they  were  paying  a  dis- 
proportionate amount  of  money  into  the  treasury 
and  receiving  benefit  in  inverse  ratio.  The  rugged 
range  of  the  Chuckanut  formed  a  barrier  betwixt 
the  two  parts  of  the  county,  and  along  the  line  rep- 
resented by  that  chain  of  hills  the  battle  for  county 
division  raged. 

The  first  actual  attempt  at  county  division  is 
mentioned  in  the  Northwest  Enterprise  of  Septem- 
ber 15,  1883,  where  reference  is  made  to  the  circu- 
lation of  a  petition  at  La  Conner  for  a  new  county 
out  of  southern  Whatcom.  The  petition  called  for 
a  division  line  on  the  Chuckanut  mountains,  running 
west  thence  between  Cottonwood  and  Guemes 
island,  thus  bringing  Guemes,  Cypress  and  Fidalgo 
islands  into  the  new  county.  The  petition  also  con- 
templated making  La  Conner  the  county  seat. 

The  circulation  of  this  petition  seems  to  have 
excited  the  wrath  of  the  Whatcom  Reveille,  which 
paper  makes  the  observation  that  if  their  friends  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  county  were  spoiling  for 
a  fight  there  was  no  good  reason  why  they  should 
not  have  it.  The  Whatcom  paper  announces  that 
it  will  not  object  to  a  dividing  line  between  town- 
ships 35  and  36,  but  that  to  place  it  a  single  mile 
north  of  that  means  a  fight.  The  Reveille  declares 
that  the  north  half  of  the  county  is  neither  dead  nor 
sleeping  and  that  if  the  southern  half  invites  a  com- 
bat the  north  half  will  buckle  on  her  armor  and  go 
in.  The  paper  also  invites  a  reader  to  stick  a  pin 
into  the  added  proposition  that  the  north  half  will 
go  in  to  win.  It  seemed  to  think  that  the  location 
of  the  district  court  at  La  Conner  was  a  vulnerable 
point  of  attack  in  the  case  of  difference  and  warned 
the  representatives,  both  of  whom   resided   in  the 


southern  half  of  the  county,  to  heed  those 
"pointers." 

This  somewhat  vigorous  onslaught  by  the 
Whatcom  paper  drew  some  caustic  observations 
from  the  Puget  Sound  Mail  and  the  Northwest 
Enterprise.  The  Mail  observes  that  if  the  Reveille 
reflects  the  sentiments  of  the  people  of  the  northern 
half  of  the  county  this  constitutes  an  additional 
argument  for  division,  for  sections  apparently  so 
antagonistic  should  dissolve  partnership.  The  Mail 
rejects  the  "arrogant  assumption  that  the  sun 
rises  and  sets  in  and  about  the  town  of  Whatcom" 
and  declares,  moreover,  that  the  division  line  which 
the  Reveille  would  allow  would  give  the  northern 
county  five  tiers  of  townships  and  the  southern 
only  three ;  also  it  would  cut  the  Samish  settlement 
in  the  center,  cut  Guemes  island  in  the  center  and 
also  cut  through  the  Skagit  river.  Therefore  the 
Mail  insists  that  whenever  county  division  does 
come  it  must  be  along  the  northern  boundary  of 
township  36. 

The  Northwest  Enterprise  seems  to  have  been 
a  sort  of  peacemaker  in  the  controversy  and  to  have 
counseled  a  slow  and  deliberate  investigation.  It 
suggests  that  ambitious  towns  may  be  seeking  local 
benefit  and  ambitious  individuals  may  be  striving 
for  offices,  but  that  hasty  establishment  of  a  new 
county  will  entail  burdens  which  could  well  be 
postponed  for  a  few  years. 

With  the  meeting  of  the  new  legislature  in  the 
fall  of  1883,  Councilman  Power  and  Representative 
Kincaid,  of  the  southern  district  of  Whatcom  coun- 
ty, were  placed  upon  the  standing  committee  on 
county  matters,  and  this  of  course  gave  them  a  good 
opportunity  for  the  introduction  of  such  measures 
as  ultimately  resulted  in  county  division.  Early  in 
the  session  Councilman  Power  introduced  the  ex- 
pected bill  for  the  division  of  Whatcom  county. 
It  contemplated  the  division  line  on  the  Chuckanut 
range  between  townships  36  and  37,  commencing 
ac  the  mid-channel  of  Rosario  straits,  and  provided 
for  a  special  election  of  officers  on  the  second  Tues- 
day of  the  following  January.  H.  P.  Downs,  F.  E. 
Gilkey  and  H.  A.  March  were  named  as  the  com- 
missioners to  conduct  the  election  and  effect  the 
organization  of  the  county.  There  was  also  to  be 
a  division  of  the  public  property  of  the  old  county 
and  the  new  county  according  to  the  taxable  valua- 
tion in  each  section.  La  Conner  was  to  be  the 
county  seat  until  a  majority  vote  of  the  people  of 


128 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


the  new  county  should  otherwise  determine.  The 
court  was  to  be  continued  at  La  Conner  and  What- 
com county  was  to  be  annexed  to  the  proposed  new 
county  for  judicial  purposes.  This  bill  and  partic- 
ularly the  last  clause  of  it  would  seem  to  be  the  red 
rag  to  the  bull,  which  the  Whatcom  Reveille  had 
already  warned  the  people  of  the  southern  part  of 
the  county  from  Haunting. 

The  fight  on  the  division  bill  seems  to  have 
waxed  hot  from  the  time  of  its  introduction.  The 
Puget  Sound  Mail  of  October  20,  1883,  notes  that 
the  most  active  opponent  of  the  bill  was  Council- 
man Hale  of  Thurston  county,  who,  the  paper 
declared,  was  interested  in  real  estate  at  Whatcom 
and  was  hand  in  glove  with  the  delegation  from  the 
"Lime  Kiln"  club  then  lobbying  at  Olympia. 

October  21th  the  council  bill  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  new  county  of  Skagit  was  voted  upon 
in  the  council  and  lost  by  a  vote  of  eight  to  four, 
but  on  November  ]r)th  Kei)rcsentative  Kincaid  in- 
troduced an  identical  bill  into  the  house.  It  passed 
that  body  November  21th  by  a  vote  of  eleven  to 
seven  and  November  28th  the  same  bill  was  pre- 
sented to  the  council  and  passed  b}'  a  vote  of  seven 
to  five.  This  sudden  winning  of  victory  where 
defeat  seemed  assured  is  said  to  have  been  the  re- 
sult of  a  brilliant  coup  on  the  part  of  the  advocates 
of  the  measure.  It  appears  that  after  the  defeat 
of  the  bill  in  the  council  the  Whatcom  lobbyists  had 
gone  home,  and  thereupon  the  new  hill  was  intro- 
duced and  rushed  through  before  they  had  time  to 
find  out  what  was  in  progress. 

The  rather  sudden  and  gratifying  accomplish- 
ment of  the  hopes  of  the  people  of  the  southern 
part  of  Whatcom  county  led  the  Puget  Sound  Mail 
of  December  1st  to  make  some  very  facetious  re- 
marks by  way  of  "rubbing  it  intn"  its  Whatcom 
contemporaries.  The  Klail  dolivers  itself  as 
follows : 

"Verily,  as  our  Whatcom  cniilemporary  has 
truly  remarked,  'he  laughs  best  that  laughs  last.' 
Wherefore  do  we  cachinnate  most  audibly.  To 
make  the  above  more  clear  it  may  be  well  to  state 
that  the  bill  for  the  division  of  Whatcom  county 
has  passed.  Therefore  the  bill,  having  passed 
both  houses,  is  now  the  law  of  the  land ;  and  we 
now  live,  breathe  and  have  our  material  being  in 
the  county  of  Skagit,  which  same  is  in  the  terri- 
tory of  Washington.  As  we  write  this  we  are 
reminded  of  the  fact  that  this  is  Thanksgiving  day. 
Our  friends.  President  Arthur  and  Governor 
Newell,  'biiilded  better  than  they  knew,'  it  strikes 
us,  when  they  named  the  day,  albeit  they  may  never 
have  heard  of  Whatcom  county.  By  the  way, 
where  is  Whatcom,  anyhow?" 

The  bill  which  thus  formally  organized  the 
county  of  Skagit  was  introduced  by  James  N. 
Power  in  the  council  and  Orrin  Kincaid  in  the 
house   and    received    the   apiiroval    of   William    A. 


Newell,  governor  of  the  territory.     The  bill  is  as 
follows : 


To  Cri;.\tk  and  Organize  the  County  of  Skagit. 
Si'ctioii  1.  Be  it  enacted  1)y  the  legislative  assembly 
of  the  territory  of  Washington :  That  all  that  portion  of 
the  county  of  Whatcom,  in  the  territory  of  Washington, 
lying  anil  situate  south  of  the  dividing  line  between 
towuhliips  :V;  and  a?  (conniivncing  at  nii<l-ch:inncl  of  th'e 
Rds.iriii     .li;ill'.    .iihI    niiMiiii;;    <;i ^1  \v',i rd    In    llir    siniljuit    of 

tllr      I      1  ..   .I<lr       I  .Ml-r      ,,l       1,1111      I  ,       hi      lllr      (ll\  l(hng      liuC 

lulu.  >  i;       .11.1     .-iliilv      ..I      W  li.il .Mhl     llir     rMiiuties     of 

Isl.-iiiil  .mmI  :-.iM'l li  li.\  and  llic  saiiu'  is  hnrhy  organ- 
ized into  a  .|Miair  ...iiiiiy,  to  be  known  and  designated 
as  the  coiiMii  ..i  si.  I'lil  :  Provided,  That  so  much  of 
Lummi  and  l.li-a  i  lauds  as  lie  south  of  the  dividing  line 
between  said  lowiislnp.,  M  and  37  shall  belong  to  What- 
com county. 

Sec.  2.  That  H.  P.  Downs,  F.  E.  Gilkcy  and  H.  A. 
March  are  hereby  appointed  a  board  of  commissioners  to 
call  a  special  election  for  coiuUy  officers  f.  a  ,aid  Skagit 
county,  and  to  appninl  the  moessarv  judL;.  aal  m  iH.inrs 
thereof.  Said  election  slialM.e  hrld  on  ih.  ...anl  ha  dav 
in  January,  A.  D.  IWS  I.  .-Mid  iKiliia-  iluTr..!"  J.all  l.a  paMi^lu-d 
in  one  or  more  nru -pap.  is  vmiImh  iha  pia  .m  iiniits  of 
Whatcom  county,  f'n  ai  l.a-i  nun  .  .m-as mua  ua,-ks.  S;ud 
election  shall  be  ciMi.ln.l.  ,|  and  rclinn,  ill.  1. of  inadc  as  is 
now  provided  by  law;  rr..\Hl((l.  Ihal  llu  r.iiirns  shall 
bo  made  to  the  coiiiiiiis,i.ai<a  s  a  l'..rcsaiil,  wli..  hall  .aiuass 
the  returns  and  (UTlara  iIh'  la'snli,  and  i^-ii.'  ..inii.ai.',  u( 
election  to  the  i)ers.ins  sn  clcaUal  di  llic  s.x.i.il  ...nnty 
offices  of  said  Skagit  county  within  ten  days  after  the 
date  of  said  election. 

Sec.  3.  That  the  justices  of  the  peace  and  consta- 
bles, school  and  road  district  officers,  who  are  now  elected 
as  such  in  the  precincts  of  Whatcom  county  hereby  set 
apart  as  Skagit  county,  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby 
declared  justices  of  the  peace  and  constables,  school  and 
road  district  officers  of  Skagit  county. 

Sec.  4.  That  the  district  court,  now  established  and 
holding  terms  at  La  Conner  for  the  territory  embraced 
within  the  present  limits  of  Whatcom  county,  shall  con- 
tinue at  La  Conner  as  the  district  i.  .nil  f.  .r  Ska.i;il  county; 
and  the  county  of  Whatcom  is  li<i.!.\  mn.  \.-.l  in  said 
Skagit  county  for  judicial  and  le.yi  Inn.  |.iii|...srs  and  all 
laws  at  present  applicable  to  the  couiit.\  of  W  lialcom,  rela- 
tive to  the  powers  and  jindndiction  or  otherwise  of  said 
district  court,  shall  continue  in  full  force  and  eflfect  the 
same  as  if  said  counlv  had  not  been  divided  and  the  title 
of  said  coiinu    rlian:.^.d   as  lurrin   pia.vi.Ual. 

Sec.  .".  I  li.ii  III.'  i.Minu  seal  ..f  s.ii.I  .Skagit  county  is 
hereby  temp,  .i  .n  iK  I....1I..I  ai  l.aCoiiiui-,  at  which  place  it 
shall  reniain  iiiilil  l.n-.iud  pcniiaiuiitly  elsewhere  in  said 
county,  by  vole  of  the  qualilied  electors  thereof;  for  which 
purpose  a  vote  shall  be  taken  at  the  next  general  election 
in  1884,  and  the  ofiicers  of  election  shall  receive  said  vote 
and  canvass  the  same  and  announce  the  result  in  like 
manner  as  the  result  of  the  vote  for  county  officers,  and 
the  place  receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes  cast  shall 
be  declared  the  permanent  county  scat  of  tlie  said  county 
of  Skagit :  Provided,  That  until'  siieli  permanent  location 
of  the  county  seat,  the  board  of  coinil\  roinniissi..iiers  shall 
erect  no  public  buildings,  but  shall  nnl  ..r  lease  such 
rooms  for  comity  ofiiccs  as  may  be  lueiss.iry  for  tlie  public 
service. 

Sec.  G.  That  all  taxes  levied  and  assessed  by  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  of  the  county  of  What- 
com for  the  year  1883,  upon  per.sons  or  property  within 
the  boundaries  of  the  county  of  Skagit,  shall  be  collected 
and  paid  into  the  treasury  of  said  Whatcom  county  for  the 
joint  use  of  the  county  of  Whatcom  and  Skagit  as  herein- 
after   provided. 


DKVELOI'ING    TllK   l.UMBI'R    JNDUSl 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1883-9 


Sec.  7.  That  the  county  auditors  of  Whatcom  and 
Skagit  counties  are  hereby  constituted  a  board  of  appraisers 
and  adjusters  of  the  real  and  other  property  of  the  county 
of  Whatcom,  and  for  this  purpose  shall  meet  at  Whatcom 
on  tlie  first  Monday  of  l'\lini.iry,  1884.  They  shall  ap- 
praise the  value  of  tin-  cmhii  h'.use.  safes  and  real  estate 
of  the  county,  and  asorrtain  the  balance  in  the  county 
treasury,  over  and  al)i)\e  Ur  >  .ut-taiidiug  warrants  upon 
said  treasury  at  that  date,  and  shall  aw.ir.l  I.,  llie  county 
ot  Whatcom  one-half  and  to  the  countv  -i  Sl.,!-ii  .me-half 
of  such  property  and  funds  so  appraised  .md  aMirtained: 
Provided,  That  if  both  auditors  can  nut  agree  upon  the 
appraised  valuation  of  such  property  they  sliall  elect  a 
citizen  from  an  ajoining  county  as  arbitrator  to  adjust 
the  difference  between  them.  Then  the  auditor  of  Whatcom 
county  shall  draw  a  warrant  on  the  treasury  of  said  county 
m  favor  of  the  said  county  of  Skagit  for  the  amount  so 
agreed  upon  as  its  proportion  of  the  property :  Provided 
further.  That  all  taxes  remaining  unpaid  upon  property 
within  the  boundaries  of  SI-.:i:4U  .'innii.  at  the  date  of 
settlement  herein  provided  f'n,  -.hall  1h  iinncd  over  to  the 
auditor  of  Skagit  county  tn  be  e.ill.ihd  by  the  proper 
officer  of  said  county  as  now  prcivided  by  law. 

Sec.  8.  The  several  county  ofiicers,  to  be  elected  at 
llie  special  election  provided  for  in  this  act,  shall  qualify 
by  taking  the  oath  of  office  within  ten  days  after  the  date 
of  their  certificate  of  election  so  issued  and  shall  give 
bond  for  the  faithful  performance  of  tlieir  duties,  subject 
to  the  approval  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners  of 
said  Skagit  county,  as  is  now  provided  by  law,  and  shall 
hold  office  until  their  successors  are  elected  and  qualified 
at  the  ne.xt  general  election. 

Sec.  I).  The  board  of  county  commissioners  to  be 
elected  under  the  proxisiniis  of  tliis  act  shall  hold  their 
first  quarterly  meeliuL;  •in  tin-  I'lrst  Monday  in  February, 
A.  D.  1884,  any  two  .it  wlioni  -;liall  constitute  a  quorum 
for  the  transaction  of  l)usiness.  The  said  board  shall  have 
power  to  fill  all  vacancies  occurring  in  said  board,  or  in 
any  county  office  of  said  county  of  Skagit,  by  reason  of 
failure  to  qualify  or  otherwise,  in  the  manner  provided  by 
the  general  laws  of  the  territory :  Provided,  That  the 
board  of  counl\  eomnn-Monrr-  and  other  officers  of  What- 
com county  xhill  r-niiiimr  i,i  ,  m  rcise  and  perform  their 
respective  duties,  for  boili  Whatcom  and  Skagit  county, 
the  same  as  if  not  divided,  until  their  successors  for 
Skagit  county  shall  have  been  elected  and  qualified  as 
herein  provided :  Provided  further.  That  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  of  Whatcom  county  shall  have 
power  to  fill  all  vacancies  by  reason  of  the  resignation  or 
withdrawal  of  any  officer  of  said  county  residing  within 
the  precincts  or  boundary  of  Skagit  county  hereby  set 
apart. 

Sec.  10.  The  auditor  of  Skagit  county  shall  have 
access  to  the  records  of  Whatcom  county  for  the  purpose 
of  transcribing  and  indexing  such  portions  of  the  records 
of  property  as  belong  to  Skagit  county  without  cost,  and 
his  certificate  of  the  correctness  thereof  shall  have  the 
same  force  and  effect  as  if  made  by  the  auditor  of  What- 
com county. 

Sec.  11.  The  counties  of  Whatcom  and  Skagit  shall 
continue  in  their  relation  to  the  counties  of  Snohomish, 
Island  and  San  Juan  in  the  matter  of  legislative  districts 
until   otherwise  provided   by   law. 

Sec.  12.  All  acts  and  parts  of  acts  in  conflict  with 
tlie  provisions  of  this  act  are  hereby  repealed. 

Sec.  13.  This  act  will  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from 
and  after  its  passage  and  approval. 

Approved  November  28,  1888. 

One  of  the  most  serious  disasters  of  the  year 
1SS;3  could  have  been  prevented  bv  the  exercise  of 
greater  care  on  the  part  of  the  bo'iler  inspectors  of 
the  steamer  Josephine,  which  ran  between  Seattle 


and  the  Skagit  river.  January  16,  1883,  just  as 
tlie  passengers  were  eating  dinner  the  boiler  ex- 
ploded, tearing  the  vessel  in  pieces,  so  that  all  but 
the  cabin  and  part  of  the  hull  sank.  Those  who 
remained  on  the  floating  portion  were  rescued  and 
taken  ashore.  There  were  nearly  thirty  people 
on  board  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  including  the 
crew,  over  half  of  whom  were  killed  or  wounded, 
and  many  of  the  bodies  were  not  recovered  for 
several  days.  The  killed  included  the  following: 
Captain  Robert  Bailey,  Purser  John  Turner,  Stew- 
ard, Amador  Bolina,  Assistant  Steward  David 
Sparks,  Deck  Hand  Johnson,  Fireman  Kavenaugh, 
E.  E.  Cannon,  a  -  commercial  traveler  for  Bates, 
Reid  &  Company,  of  San  Francisco,  Sam  Babbit 
and  A.  G.  Kelley,  who  lived  a  few  days  after  the 
accident.  Another  disaster  of  a  similar  nature 
occurred  about  the  same  time,  resulting  in  the  loss 
of  the  steamer  Gem.  A  jury  was  impaneled  to 
inquire  into  the  loss  of  these  boats,  and  the  decision 
was  that  the  accident  on  the  Josephine  was  due  to 
carelessness  of  the  boiler  inspector,  also  to  low 
water  in  the  boiler,  and  that  the  destruction  of  the 
Gem  was  likewise  due  to  carelessness. 

Another  steamboat  disaster  occurred  on  the 
19th  of  April,  when  the  Fannie  Lake,  Captain  Hill, 
ran  into  a  rock  in  Dead  Man's  riffle  on  the  Skagit 
and  knocked  a  hole  in  her  bottom  so  large  that  she 
sank  in  a  few  minutes.  It  does  not  appear  that 
any  one  was  injured.  The  boat  was  subsequently 
raised,  but  with  much  difficulty  and  at  great  ex- 
pense. ^ 

While  these  misfortunes  were  occurring  to  the 
steamers  named,  other  steamers  were  in  process  of 
construction  and  establishment  upon  the  Skagit 
route.  The  W.  K.  Merwin,  named  from  its  builder, 
was  launched  at  Seattle  on  March  22d.  It  is  re- 
corded that  during  the  christening  exercises  Cap- 
tain Olney,  immediately  after  breaking  the  bottle  of 
champagne  over  the  bow  of  the  steamboat,  fell 
overboard.  Another  early  river  steamer  was  the 
James  McNaught,  Captain  Fred  Dwyer.  After 
July  1st  there  was  a  regular  mail  route  on  the 
Skagit  river  which  included  Mukilteo,  Tulalip,  Ut- 
salady.  Fir,  Skagit  City  and  Mount  Vernon. 

The  iinpetuous  torrents  of  the  upper  Skagit  and 
especially  its  chronic  habit  of  going  on  ,a  flood  at 
frequent  intervals  had  caused  enormous  accumula- 
tions of  drift  and  snags  around  the  delta  at  its 
mouth,  forming  quite  an  impediment  to  naviga- 
tion. For  the  purpose  of  remedying  the  difficulty 
an  appropriation  of  twenty  thousand  dollars  was 
made  by  the  United  States  government  for  build- 
ing and  operating  a  snag  boat,  but  it  is  stated  that 
the  money  was  all  used  up  in  constructing  the 
boats  and  that  nothing  was  left  for  operating  them. 

While  improvements  in  the  line  of  steamboat 
navigation  were  in  progress  there  began  to  be 
efforts  looking  toward  proper  means  of  communi- 
cation up  the  Skagit  river.     There  was  at  that  time 


132 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


a  good  trail  along  the  north  side  of  tiic  Skagit  as 
far  as  Baker  river,  and  from  that  point  there  was 
a  passable  trail  to  the  Sauk  river,  where  it  parted, 
one  branch  crossing  the  mountains  to  the  Wenat- 
chee  and  the  other  to  the  Skagit  river  gold  mines. 
These  trails,  tb(nigh  difficult  to  travel,  were  in  con- 
stant use.  The  jilaces  with  postofficcs  or  stores 
along  the  trail  were  Mount  Vernon  (on  the  south 
side  of  the  river),  I'.all's  C^ani]),  Lyman,  VVill)urtoii 
and  r.irdsview.  The  proixDscd  wagon  road  was  to 
unite  those  different  places  and  at  or  near  Miller's 
camp  was  to  be  joined  by  the  La  Cornier  wagon 
road.  The  densely  timbered  character  of  the  region 
made  it  a  difficult  country  for  settlers  to  attain  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  of  life.  The  North- 
west l':nter]>rise  of  May  12,  ]H8;i,  makes  an  ener- 
getic i)lea  in  behalf  of  the  incoming  homeseekers, 
])ointing  out  the  innumerable  trials  and  vexations 
to  which  they  were  subjected,  and  urging  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  light  draught  steamer  service,  with 
head(|uarters  at  I -a  Conner  or  Anacortes,  to  reach 
places  where  it  was  plain  there  were  to  be  flourish- 
ing settlements  in  the  near  future. 

The  summer  of  1883  seems  to  have  been  remark- 
able for  its  extraordinary  dryness.  A  pall  of  smoke 
from  the  raging  forest  fires  hung  over  the  land- 
scai)es  of  I'ugef  sound  and  the  hay  and  oat  croi)S 
were  for  almost  the  only  time  in  the  history  of  the 
innnly  seriously  shortened.  Valuable  timber  was 
desU(')yed  and  several  of  the  logging  camps  were 
inil  into  serious  danger  and  loss.  As  has  usually 
I)e4;u  the  case  these  fires  were  mainly  due  to  the 
carelessness  of  hunters  and  campers.  y\n  army 
worm  pest,  the  worms  working  by  night,  destroyed 
half  the  oat  crop  on  the  Samish  in  188.3,  also  in- 
juring numerous  gardens  on  the  Hats. 

The  i)res.sure  of  the  incoming  immigration  led 
to  a  demand  for  the  surveying  of  the  country  about 
the  river  Sank,  but  the  surveyors  were  attacked  and 
driven  from  the  region  by  the  Indians  living  there- 
abouts. Those  Indians  claimed  that  they  had  never 
been  included  in  any  treaty,  had  never  ceded  their 
lands  lo  the  United  States  and  that  they  would  not 
yield  their  possessions  until  satisfied  by  the  proper 
indemnity  from  the  government. 

The  year  1883  wilnes.sed  also  a  great  advance 
in  the  (jevelopment  of  the  Swinomish  tide  flats, 
lands  which  at  the  present  time  are  one  of  the 
wonders  of  (he  workl  for  their  enormous  produc- 
tion of  oats.  The  I'uget  Sound  Mail  of  October 
27,  1883,  states  that  the  land  under  cultivation 
aggregated  about  ten  thousand  acres  and  that  the 
average  yield  of  oats  was  about  sixty  thirty-six- 
pound  bushels  to  the  acre.  The  average  price  paid 
by  the  buyers  in  1883  was  twenty-seven  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  per  ton.  The  oat  harvest  was  extensive 
enough  to  deni.uid  a  half  do/en  uew  steam  thresh- 
ers in  addition  to  the  ihr/A-u  already  owned  in  the 
neighborhood. 

The  months  of   NoveinluT  and   IVcemlKT.   1883, 


were  marked  by  freshets  on  the  Skagit  river,  which 
caused  much  loss  in  logs,  cattle  and  houses.  The 
water  stood  all  over  the  streets  of  Mount  Vernon 
and  in  places  in  the  valley  reached  a  depth  of  seven 
feet.  The  Hood  being  the  greatest,  however,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  which  was  least  developed, 
the  loss  was  not  great  in  the  aggregate. 

The  drowning  of  Mr.  Walker,  a  pioneer  settler 
living  near  Sauk,  at  the  time  of  this  freshet,  is 
worthy  of  record.  Mr.  Walker,  his  wife  and  three 
flaughters  were  descending  the  river  and  when  at  a 
Ijoint  a  mile  bel6w  Lyman  the  boat  was  upset.  The 
father  successively  swam  with  his  wife  and  two  of 
the  girls  to  safety  and  finally  returned  to  the  boat 
for  the  youngest  daughter,  whom  he  proceeded  to 
take  to  a  nearby  snag.  The  tremendous  clfort  ex- 
hausted him,  however,  so  completely  that  upon 
reaching  the  snag  the  hero  sank  to  a  watery  grave, 
sacrificing  himself  that  his  loved  ones  might  live. 

I'Tom  a  report  prepared  by  ICldridge  Morse,  of 
Snohomish,  and  issued  in  188  1  by  the  federal 
department  of  agriculture  we  learn  that  of  about 
(irj.OOO  acres  of  tide  lands  upon  the  east  side  of 
I'uget  sound  32,000  were  in  Skagit  county,  and  of 
21!)  miles  of  dikes  constructed  prior  to  the  year 
188r),  MO  were  in  the  same  county.  The  total  cost 
of  these  dikes  was  estimated  at  $312,000,  of  which 
^ITfi.OOO  was  expended  in  Skagit  county.  The 
clearing  and  diking  of  these  lands  was  done  largely 
by  cooperation  among  the  farmers  themselves.  One 
very  import.-fnt  work,  however,  both  for  navigation 
and  for  the  diking  of  the  tide  lands,  was  beyond  the 
reach  of  private  enterprise  alone  and  government 
aid  was  demanded  for  its  accomplishment,  namely, 
the  removing  of  snags  and  jams  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Skagit  river  and  the  channel  adjoining.  The 
loggers  took  the  initiative  in  starting  the  work.  In 
response  to  calls  ]niblished  in  the  Mail  and  the  News 
a  meeting  was  called  of  all  interested  parties  at 
Skagit  City  in  June,  1884,  at  which  Dr.  G.  V.  Cal- 
houn was  elected  chairman,  Harrison  Clothier 
secretary,  and  A.  Morrison,  James  Gilligan, 
M.  Anderson,  Michael  McNamara  and  Frank  lUick 
were  ai)])ointed  a  committee  to  solicit  subscriptions; 
Richard  Ilolyoke,  L.  Wallen  and  W.  C.  Ewing  to 
investigate  the  cost  of  removing  the  jam.  It  gives 
the  reader  .something  of  a  conception  of  the  magni- 
tude of  this  undertaking  to  learn  that  the  area  of 
land  which  would  be  affected  by  the  removal  was 
estimated  at  eighty  thousand  acres,  including  the 
swamp  and  timber  land  east  of  the  south  fork  of 
the  Skagit,  together  with  the  delta  of  that  river,  the 
Swinomish  flats,  the  Beaver  and  Olympia  marshes, 
and  the  townsbii)  lying  on  the  Nookachamps  creek. 
At  an  adjourned  meeting  held  on  July  12th,  R.  Hol- 
yokc,  L.  Wallen  and  John  Swcnson  were  appointed 
an  executive  committee  to  take  general  charge  of 
the  work,  and  D.  \i.  Gage  was  appointed  treasurer. 
The  finance  connnittce  reported  that  over  two  thou- 
sand   dollars    had    already    been    subscribed.      The 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1883-9 


iiivcstipfation  committee  recomnieiulcd  that  the  work 
should  inchule  the  removal  of  all  drifts  from  the 
main  river,  that  a  channel  he  freed  from  snags  and 
o])cncd  into  Deep  slough  and  that  a  sheer  boom  be 
placed  opposite  the  head  of  the  slough  in  order  to 
work  all  logs  down  the  slough  and  into  deep  water. 

Although  this  work  upon  the  jam  seems  to  have 
been  started  with  judgment  and  devotion,  it  was 
not  carried  out  in  full.  Resources  were  scanty  and 
dissensions  finally  arose  which  checked  the  work. 
The  Skagit  News  of  September  30th  urged  public 
subscriptions  for  its  continuance,  incidentally  not- 
ing the  fact  that  the  use  of  dynamite  for  blowing 
out  the  logs  had  been  found  a  most  economical  ex- 
pedient. The  issue  of  October  14th  states  that  a 
sudden  flood  had  swept  two  million  feet  of  logs  out 
of  the  river  and  had  then  formed  a  new  jam  a  half 
mile  in  extent  at  the  head  of  the  old  one.  It  urged 
a  combination  of  both  farmers  and  loggeis  to 
undertake  the  essential  task  of  coping  with  the 
(lifticulty.  Mention  is  made  in  a  later  issue  of  the 
same  jiaper  of  the  work  of  the  government 
snag  boat  in  the  removal  of  snags  from  the  river 
all  the  way  from  Lyman  to  its  mouth,  but  (he  work 
was  not  completely  and  thoroughly  accomplished. 

In  sjiite  of  the  obstacles  ])rescnted  by  snags  and 
jams  there  were  three  boats  plying  upon  the  Skagit 
river  in  IKS  I,  the  Quincy,  the  (Jlide  and  the  Wash- 
ington, each  of  which  made  semi-weekly  trips. 

The  logging  business  was,  as  might  be  supposed, 
one  of  very  great  importance  even  at  that  early  day. 
The  lumber  camps  in  operation  in  1881  were  those 
(if  William  Gage,  Thibert  &  Company,  Longfellow, 
three  belonging  to  Hall  at  I'.larney  lake,  Nooka- 
champs  and  Sterling,  rcsj)ectivcly,  Millet  &  McKay, 
Charles  F.  Jackson,  lilock  &  Jackman,  Day 
nrothers,  Clothier  &  English  and  Oliver  /Vnderson. 
The  great  rush  to  secure  farms  and  mines  seems 
to  have  somewhat  curtailed  the  lumbering  business 
at  that  time  and  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year 
the  lumber  market,  being  somewhat  glutted  by  the 
enormous  output  from  different  portions  of  the 
sound,  became  quite  low.  As  elsewhere  noted,  this 
low  condition  of  the  lumber  trade  lasted  for  some 
time  and  in  a  measure  affected  the  prices  of  all 
kinds  of  produce  unfavorably. 

An  Jnrlian  fracas  in  April,  1881,  is  perhaps 
worthy  of  a  passing  notice.  A  well-known  Indian 
named  Charley,  with  a  friend  known  to  the  whites 
as  Jim  Roder,  met  a  certain  Indian  named  Johnnie 
of  the  Swinomish  tribe,  between  wiioni  and  Indian 
Jim  ill  feeling  had  long  existed.  Charley  endeavored 
lo  act  as  peacemaker  between  the  two  enemies  and 
met  with  the  fate  which  unfortunately  f)ften  over- 
takes peacemakers,  for  the  Indian  Johnnie  fired 
upon  him  and  he  fell  apparently  mortally  wounded. 
Jim  followed  the  would-be  assassin  as  he  endeavored 
to  escape  and  attacking  him  with  a  knife  killed  him 
on  the  spot.  Taking  the  still  breathing  Charley 
to  his  boat,  he  carried  him  to  Guemes  islanrl,  where 


as  soon  as  the  death  of  the  Swinomish  Indian  had 
been  discovered  the  members  of  his  tribe  broke 
forth,  demanding  cither  a  ransom  of  two  hundred 
dollars  or  the  life  of  Jim.  The  whites  ui)on  the 
island  interfered,  telling  Jim  and  his  friends  that 
they  would  arm  themselves  if  necessary  to  resist 
any  attack.  The  Swinomish  Indians,  returning  to 
the  Samish,  left  behind  them  the  threat  that  they 
would  nuike  away  with  any  man,  Indian  or  white, 
who  should  venture  to  go  to  their  coimtry  from 
Guemes  island.  The  next  day  the  Guemes  Indians, 
armed  and  painted,  even  the  women  being  armed 
with  knives,  went  to  Anacortes,  taking  the  wounded 
Charley  with  them.  His  wounds  were  very  serious, 
but  did  not  i)rovc  fatal.  Me  was  considered  a  re- 
markably intelligent  and  reliable  Indian  and  was  a 
great  favorite  with  the  whites,  who  felt  much  indig- 
nation at  the  occurrence,  though  it  does  not  appear 
that  anything  further  was  done  to  carry  the  matter 
to  an  issue. 

Now  that  the  question  of  county  division  was 
settled  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Skagit,  they  addressed  themselves  to 
the  execution  of  the  provision  of  the  act  which  had 
l^rovided  for  the  ])crmanent  establishment  of  a 
county  seat,  and  the  inevitable  fight  for  county-seat 
honors,  the  next  topic  in  the  history  of  Skagit 
county,  was  instituted. 

H.  P.  Downs,  who  was  chosen  as  the  first  audi- 
tor of  the  county,  had  his  office  in  the  lower  floor 
of  the  school  building  at  La  Conner,  which  was 
still  the  temporary  county  scat.  The  office  did  not 
at  that  time  own  a  safe  and  the  auditor  used  a  soap 
box,  nailed  on  the  wall  of  his  eight  by  twelve  room, 
for  the  preservation  of  the  county  records.  Mr. 
Downs  recalls  the  surprise  whicji  was  felt  by  most 
of  the  people  that  Mf)unt  Vernon  should  have  ven- 
tured to  enter  the  fight  for  the  county  seat,  for  La 
Conner  was  then  a  place  of  some  size,  while  Mount 
N'ernon  was  but  a  hamlet  buried  in  the  heavy  timber 
along  the  shore  of  the  river.  Mr.  Downs  says  that 
P>.  L.  Martin,  one  of  the  La  Conner  workers,  took 
a  trif)  to  Mount  Vernon  in  the  interest  of  La  Conner. 
Coming  back  utterly  disgusted,  Mr.  Martin  declared 
that  La  Conner  had  no  chance.  "Why,"  said  he, 
"all  they  have  to  do  over  there  is  to  shake  the  bushes 
and  the  voters  come  stringing  out  of  the  woods  in 
all  directions!" 

The  Anacortes  influence  was  thrown  against 
Mount  Vernon.  The  Northwest  l^nterprise  of 
September  27,  1881,  sums  up  the  situation  by  declar- 
ing that  not  above  five  hundred  inhabitants  could  be 
found  on  the  river  above  Mount  Vernon,  including 
farmers,  loggers,  trappers  and  Indians,  while  at 
least  fifteen  hundred  actual  settlers  lived  on  the 
delta  of  the  Skagit  and  the  island  adjoining.  The 
Enterprise  declares,  moreover,  that  the  navigation 
of  the  Skagit  is  so  obstructed  by  jams  and  snags 
that  Mount  Vernon  is  difficult  to  reach,  and  that  the 
cnTiimunitics  along  the  shore  line  of  the  sound  will 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


never  consent  to  the  establishment  of  a  county  seat 
at  Mount  Vernon  merely  to  benefit  that  town  and 
the  straggling  inhabitants  of  the  upper  Skagit  at 
the  expense  of  every  one  else.  At  about  the  same 
date  the  Skagit  News  gave  very  forcible  reasons  for 
the  support  of  Mount  Vernon,  declaring  in  the 
first  place  that  all  the  miners,  together  with  the 
settlers  from  Ruby  creek  to  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
l)referred  that  town;  that  Mount  Vernon  had  the 
l>cst  site,  being  on  the  south  slope  of  an  upland  be- 
yond the  reach  of  floods,  with  room  enough  for 
Seattle  with  Tacoma  at  its  back,  and  moreover  that 
there  was  no  place  in  the  county  which  had  so  large 
a  list  of  heavy  tax-payers.  It  claimed  that  the  river 
was  the  most  important  artery  of  travel  in  the  county 
and  that  the  general  interests  of  all  concerned 
would  be  best  subserved  by  a  county  seat  upon  its 
banks. 

Other  candidates  for  the  county  seat  entered  the 
field  as  the  campaign  proceeded.  Avon,  Bayview 
and  Atlanta  presented  reasons  satisfactory  to  the 
inhabitants  of  each  for  their  superiority  over  all 
other  claimants,  but  the  Skagit  News  continued  its 
very  vigorous  and  skillful  fight  for  Mount  Vernon, 
its  various  issues  for  October  contain  summaries  of 
the  advantages  possessed  by  that  town  and  the  in- 
significant benefits  to  accrue  from  any  other  loca- 
tion. The  campaign  practically  became  Mount  Ver- 
non against  the  field,  and  the  river  people  had  the 
advantage  of  united  action,  whereas  the  coast 
people  were  divided  in  their  allegiance  among 
several  rival  places.  The  result  was  that  at  the 
election,  which  took  place  on  the  4th  day  of  Novem- 
ber. 1884,  Mount  Vernon  received  two  hundred  and 
and  fifty  majority.  The  two  great  features  of  the 
election  seem  to  have  been  the  great  strength  of  the 
combined  river  interest  and  vote  and  the  strong 
sympathy  between  the  Samish  country  and  the  river 
country.  Not  only  was  Mount  Vernon  successful 
in  the  struggle  for  the  county  seat,  but  the  three 
county  commissioners  chosen  were  all  from  river 
precincts. 

The  count\'-seat  question  monopolized  the  at- 
tention of  the  people,  but  inasmuch  as  the  general 
election  held  here  was  the  first  in  Skagit  county  it 
is  a  matter  of  interest  to  record  the  fact  that  the 
vote  on  the  various  officers  denoted  a  very  indepen- 
dent class  of  voters,  for  there  were  both  Democrats 
and  Republicans  elected  b\-  somewhat  surprising 
majorities. 

Among  miscellaneous  news  items  of  interest 
during  that  time  when  the  interests  of  the  people 
of  the  county  were  so  largely  absorbed  in  the  county 
seat  election  we  find  note  of  the  fact  that  the  iron 
ore,  outcropiMngs  of  bituminous  coal,  and  deposits 
of  lime  of  fine  quality  at  various  points  in  Skagit 
county  were  attracting  large  attention  from  capital- 
ists. C.  S.  Torkelson  of  Tacoma  was  at  that  time 
interested  willi  a  number  of  Knglish  capitalists  in 


investigating  these  mines  and  in  projecting  railway 
connection  between  them  and  Ship  harbor. 

The  records  of  December,  l.s,S4,  show  that  the 
weather  was  of  unprecedented  coldness.  Snow  fell 
from  six  to  eight  inches  in  depth  and  the  thermom- 
eter ranged  from  ten  to  twenty  degrees  above  zero. 
People  took  advantage  of  the  unusual  occurrence 
to  extemporize  sleighs  of  every  description,  and  the 
children  and  even  some  of  the  grown  folks  spent 
most  of  their  time  in  coasting  the  streets  and  build- 
ing winter  palaces.  The  unwonted  spectacle  ap- 
peared upon  the  Swinomish  slough  of  a  stranded 
hay  schooner  driven  ashore  by  the  north  wind  and 
high  tide.  There  was  much  suffering  and  loss  of 
cattle  unprovided  with  food  or  shelter.  The  Skagit 
river  was  frozen  and  all  supplies  for  Mount  Vernon 
and  the  upper  Skagit  had  to  be  carried  in  sleighs,  a 
fact  which  gave  intense  satisfaction  to  the  people  of 
La  Conner.  The  cold  period  was  terminated  on 
January  8th  by  the  sudden  bursting  forth  of  the 
characteristic  warm  winds  of  the  Puget  sound 
country  and  the  snow  and  ice  vanished  as  suddenly 
as  they  had  come.  Floods  followed  the  break  up, 
but  these  lacked  two  feet  of  reaching  the  highest 
water  mark  and  no  great  damage  ensued.  As  the 
winter  had  been  conspicuous  for  severity,  the  spring 
following  was  conspicuous  for  the  prevalence  of 
clear  and  beautiful  weather,  there  being,  according 
to  contemporaneous  reports,  seventeen  cloudless 
days,  and  no  rain  whatsoever  at  Anacortes. 

As  the  spring  and  summer  of  1885  progressed, 
the  enterprising  people  of  Skagit  county  turned 
their  attention  again  to  clearing  the  logs  and  jams 
from  the  river  and  continuing  the  work  of  draining 
and  clearing  the  marshes.  The  channel  had  become 
clear  enough  by  May  of  that  year  to  permit  the  pas- 
sage of  steamers.  Much  of  the  money  for  this  pur- 
pase  had  been  raised  by  popular  subscription,  and 
to  Thomas  P.  Hastie  and  Jacob  Hayton  a  large 
share  of  the  credit  for  securing  this  fund  is  attrib- 
uted, especially  to  the  former  who  served  without 
recompense.  While  the  river  was  being  made  suit- 
able for  the  transportation  of  the  products  of  the 
country,  the  farmers  were  busily  engaged  in  prepar- 
ing land  for  the  increase  of  those  products.  Work 
on  the  01ym])ia  marsh  was  in  progress  and  the  Joe 
Larry  slough  was  cleared  out  for  about  two  miles. 
The  cost  of  this  work  was  not  so  great  as  might  have 
been  expected.  The  main  ditches  represented  a  cost 
of  not  to  exceed  a  dollar  an  acre,  while  the  expense 
of  clearing  and  breaking  the  land  and  cutting  the 
lateral  ditches  was  estimated  at  not  over  ten  dollars 
per  acre.  This  marsh,  with  its  sub-divisions,  covered 
an  area  of  about  five  miles  by  three  miles  and  a  half 
and,  as  has  lieen  proven  since,  was  of  the  most  pro- 
ductive nature. 

Some  records  derived  from  the  auditor's  office 
of  the  year  1885  in  respect  to  population  and  valua- 
tion of  property  are  worthy  of  permanent  preser- 
vation.    The  total  population  of  J-^kagit  county  was 


VIEWS   TAKEN   TN   THE   SKAGIT   FORESTS 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    18S3-!) 


given  as  2,816,  of  which  2,618  were  white,  170  half- 
breeds,  26  Chinamen,  and  2  negroes.  There  were 
1.835  males  and  1,081  females.  The  voting  popula- 
tion was  1,501),  and  in  this  number  were  428  women, 
tor  it  must  be  remembered  that  at  that  time  woman 
sutTrage  prevailed  under  territorial  laws.  The 
number  of  married  people  was  825,  while  the  worthy 
scribe  facetiously  records  that  the  number  that 
wanted  to  be  married  was  1,991.  Even  then  the 
Puget  sound  country  was  beginning  to  show  some- 
thing of  the  extraordinary  rapidity  of  increase  in 
population  which  has  so  characterized  it  in  later 
years.  We  find  that  the  per  cent,  of  increase  in 
population  for  the  two  years  prior  to  1885  in  the 
fifteen  counties  then  forming  western  Washington 
was  47.8,  while  the  rate  of  increase  in  Whatcom  and 
Skagit  counties  was  61.1  per  cent.  The  valuation 
of  property  for  the  county  was  given  in  1885  at 
$950,730,  and  the  number  of  names  on  the  roll  was 
over  one  thousand. 

Probably  there  has  never  been  a  summer  in  the 
historv  of  Puget  sound  in  which  destructive  forest 
fires  have  not  raged,  and  the  summer  of  1885  was 
certainly  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Fires  on  Guemes 
and  Fidalgo  islands  swept  through  some  of  the  mag- 
nificent fir  trees  two  or  three  hundred  feet  in  height, 
destroying  not  only  standing  timber  but  wood,  rails, 
fences  and  buildings.  At  the  same  time  the  Samish 
country  was  ravaged  by  destructive  fires.  Over  a 
thousand  acres  of  land  in  that  vicinity  were  swept 
clean  of  all  improvements,  loggers  were  driven  out 
and  all  their  operations  interrupted  for  that  year. 
Clothier  &  English  and  McElroy  were  the  greatest 
sufferers.  These  fires  continued  their  destructive 
work  and  the  entire  sound  country  was  wrapped  in 
a  pall  of  smoke  until  September  26th,  when  drench- 
ing rains  and  southerly  gales  put  out  the  fires, 
cleared  the  smoke,  brought  back  the  sun  and  stars, 
released  the  smoke-beleaguered  ships  and  steamers 
and  ministered  consolation  to  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  sound  country. 

The  reports  which  are  gathered  from  the  Skagit 
News  of  the  harvest  season  of  1885  indicate  that  the 
crops  of  hay,  fruit  and  oats  for  that  year  were  fine 
in  quality  and  large  in  amount.  The  oat  yield  was 
from  eighty-five  to  a  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre, 
in  a  few  instances  much  exceeding  even  the  latter 
figure,  and  there  was  also  a  very  heavy  crop  of  hops, 
but  the  price  of  the  latter  commodity  was  so  low 
that  they  scarcely  paid  for  picking. 

We  find  in  the  Skagit  News  of  October  6th  a 
summary  of  the  logging  business  for  the  vear  1885, 
which  gives  a  total  output  of  204,000  feet  of  logs 
per  day,  divided  among  the  following  camps :  Jack- 
son &  Duncan,  10,000  feet;  Day  Bros.,  18,000; 
McElroy  &  O'Brien,  8,000 ;  L.  B.  Roe,  20.000 ;  Ball 
&  Barlow.  35,000;  A.  H.  Lindstedt,  10.000;  C.  F. 
Jackson,  25.000;  Millett  &  McKay.  35.000;  Long- 
fellow Brothers,  25,000  ;  Clothier  &  English,  18,000  ; 
sundry  smaller  camps.  10.00(1. 


Although  Skagit  county  did  not  take  any  special 
part  in  the  anti-Chinese  demonstrations  which 
marked  the  sound  history  in  1885,  yet  as  both  Skagit 
and  Snohomish  counties,  together  with  all  the  re- 
gions contiguous  to  Seattle  and  Tacoma  where  the 
chief  agitation  occurred,  were  directly  or  indirectly 
affected,  it  is  fitting  that  the  records  of  this  year 
should  embrace  a  brief  view  of  that  event.  '1  he 
following  account  is  condensed  from  that  of  Elwood 
Evans,  in  his  history  of  the  Northwest. 

In  1885  there  were  3,276  Chinese  in  the  territory 
of  Washington,  the  large  majority  being  in  the  chief 
cities  upon  the  sound.  They  were  almost  exclusively 
men  and  were  employed  as  domestic  servants  and 
laborers  in  mines,  railroads  and  public  works  of  all 
kinds.  A  great  prejudice  arose  against  these 
Chinese  laborers  among  white  laborers,  on  account 
of  the  supposed  clannishness  of  the  Chinese  race, 
their  refusal  to  abandon  their  national  peculiarities 
and  their  inability  to  adapt  themselves  to  American 
ideas  and  methods.  A  clamor  arose  that  this 
country  should  be  settled  by  free  American  laborers 
and  that  these  should  not  be  brought  into  competi- 
tion with  Chinese  cheap  labor.  The  Knights  of 
Labor  largely  took  the  initiative  in  this  movement 
and  organized  meetings,  chiefly  of  working  men, 
which  passed  denunciatory  resolutions  and  advocat- 
ed forcible  means,  if  necessary,  to  rid  the  country 
of  Chinamen.  Supporting  this  outcry  were  many 
politicians  and  prominent  citizens  who  thought  that 
they  could  please  the  organized  working  men  by 
joining  in  the  struggle  against  the  Chinese.  The 
congressional  law  prohibiting  the  coming  of  Chinese 
to  this  country  was  at  that  time  in  force  and  the 
agitators  declared  not  only  that  no  more  Chinamen 
should  come  to  the  country  but  that  even  those  here 
should  go. 

The  first  actual  outbreak  against  the  Chinese  oc- 
curred at  Squak  valley  in  King  county  on  the  night 
of  September  5,  1885.  There  were  thirty-seven 
Chinese  hop-pickers  employed  by  Wold  Brothers 
on  their  ranch.  A  certain  number  of  white  men 
and  Indians,  some  being  armed,  went  to  the  ranch 
and  threatened  the  Chinese  with  injury  if  they 
attempted  to  labor.  Wold  Brothers  very  naturally 
protested  against  this  interference  with  their  help 
and  the  party  retired,  declaring,  however,  that  if 
they  found  the  Chinamen  there  after  a  day  or  two 
they  would  drive  them  out.  Two  days  later  a  party 
of  thirty  Chinamen  on  their  way  to  the  Wold  ranch 
were  intercepted  and  so  intimidated  that  they  turned 
back  and  left  the  valley.  That  same  night  a  party 
of  whites  and  Indians  went  onto  the  Chinese  quar- 
ters on  the  Wold  ranch  and  in  response  to  what  they 
claimed  was  a  shot  from  the  Chinese  camp  began 
firing  upon  the  closely  huddled  tents  of  the  China- 
men. Three  Chinamen  were  killed  in  this  foray  and 
the  others  left  the  place.  Those  who  participated 
in  the  riot  and  murder  were  subsequently  indicted 
and  tried,  but  acquitted.     On  the  in'ght  of  the  11th 


SKACrr   COUNTY 


(,f  Si-iili'iiili.T  .-I  liiiilclini;  ...-.■npicl  l.v  Cliiiiaincn 
wdi-kiiiK  l"i  111''  (ticT.nii  liii|.M. vein. Til  (  unipaiiy  in 
the    Cd.-il    iKck    inmc    ".i-.    liiiincl    .nid    alioiit    fifty 

('lliiiani.'li   wriv  iliiv.n   I i  llir  place 

I  |ii(,iij;li()Mt  llif  iiiniiilis  (if  August,  September 
and  (  )(  liihcr  llirir  liad  l)i-<ii  a  coiiliimous  series  of 
lai-KcIv  all.'iidrd  piiMu  nir.liuj^s  at  (i:c  upcra-lioiise 
ill  Tacoiiia  and  l.^irhliihl  processions  licariiip  ban- 
ners wiiieli  displ.ivrd  ..nil  (  liinese  opinions  wori<ed 
ii{,  .1  .Miilinii.il  piililii  r\,  ilciiicnl,  (  )n  Sepleniher 
•.■,,lli  .1,1  .Hill  (  liiiH',,^  ,.iii;M(  :.'.  nu-l  al  Seallle,  which 
,1,.,  |;||,  ,1  ih.ii  III,'  (  Iiinr;,e  iiiiisl  l.c  expelled  from 
III,.   ,,,„i,lM.        \    mas',    iiie.'init;    held   al    Taroina   on 

!,'nin,',llee'\'l'  r,ll'r,'n"was"'appni'nled  io  expel  'lli'e 
CJiinese  liom  |lul  ,ilv.  Noliees  were  serve.l  on  the 
Chinese,  w.nnin;'  lliciii  Io  leave  within  thirty  days. 
The  she'iill  .il  I'lcice  county  announced  to  the  ^ov- 
ci  11,11  al  ili.ii  nine  llial  he  would  lie  al)le  to  preserve 
ihc  pi.ii  ,■  .111,1  would  he  sii|iporte<l  hy  the  citizens  in 
(Mil,  lai,  hnl  in  s|)ile  of  these  assurances  tile  major- 
il\  III  ihe  peo|)le  of  'racoina  were  in  sympathy  with 
llie  anii  Chinese  movement.  I'A'en  the  mayor  had 
hcen  an  aclive  propagandist  of  (he  crnsade  aj,'ainst 
Ihe  CiiinaiiHii  I'cw  people  in  Tacoma,  however, 
siippo.sed  ih.il  llie  llneats  made  would  actually  be 
(■Ncinled,  lull  on  Ihe  iiiornin|,'  of  November  lid,  upon 
.1  ..irii.d  r.iven  1>\  ihe  blowiiif;  of  steam  whistles  in 
(lie  ,,11  shops  and  loimdrv,  several  lnmdred  men 
.isseiiiM,,!  .111,1  luairh.'d  in  line  thron^h  the  city, 
■jjies,.  men  wen!  Io  Ihe  Chinese  <pi;irlers,  packed 
up  111,.  ,M„„ls  of  Ihe  (  )rient.ils  .ind  escorted  them 
Io  l.aUe'vicw  on  Ihe  Norlheni  I'acinc  railroad, 
uIkii.c  Ihey  were  sent  to  I'ortlanil.  Neither  the 
sill  iill  nor  his  deputies  nor  the  city  oHicials  made 
the  .slinhtesl  elTorl  Io  preveiil  (his 'iiioceediiifr.  It 
is,  lu)w<'\'<i .  \\oiili\  ,.i  leiiiembrance  that  no  one 
was  injure,!,  noi  ,lhl  ilic  p.ii  lieip;mls  in  the  riot  .seem 
Io  have  aii\  ,.lli|.|  pnipose  than  the  peacefnl  and 
,pii,.|  iiiii.u.il  of  llie  iiiembers  of  the  obnoxious  race 
Willi, .111  iiiiniv  to  lliiir  persons  or  ])ro|)erly.  After 
ih.il  p,. pill. II  cNcliisiiMi  of  ( ■hin.-unen  from  Tacoma 
ii,>iie  live!  in  Ilial  (  il\  oi  even  in  I'ierce  comity  for 
m.iiiN  \e.iis.  .\  nuiulicr  oi  cili/eiis  were  indicted 
lor  conspiracy  to  inliniid.ile,  under  what  is  known 
as  the  Kn-klnx  act,  but  allhouf^h  the  matter  was 
jiaraded  in  the  courts  for  several  terms,  none  of  tlie 
ca.ses  was  ever  tried.  <  >ii  the  lib  and  (Uli  of  No- 
vember a  number  of  Clini,.,,.  ..Ii.inliis,  toj;-ether  with 
stores  and  residences  fiom  winch  (hoy  had  been 
removed,  were  destroved  bv  tire. 

The  history  of  the  proceedini.'S  in  Seattle,  where 
an  .-mli  Chinese  meetiiit;-  was  held  Noveiiiher  'lib, 
was  vei  V  dillcKMil  from'lhal  ,it  Tacoma.  Those  who 
l.umcl  111,,  ciii.iiciiicni  of  law  were  warned  liy 
the  e\pciience  oi  Ihe  latter  city,  and  took  steps  to 
prevent,  if  possible,  its  repetiti(Mi.  SherilT  John  fl. 
McCraw,  sn!)se(|iientlv  f;iivernor  of  the  state,  sum- 
moned bis  deputies  to"nieet  at  the  court  lu.nse  under 
arms,    and    ouipanies    inider    Captains    (  ireen    and 


llaiiies  were  made  subject  to  his  call.  IVesidcnt 
Cleveland  issued  a  proclamation  declaring  that  an 
emer(.;ency  had  arisen  which  justified  the  employ- 
ment of  military  force  to  sujjpress  domestic  violence 
and  enforce  tlic  execution  of  the  laws  of  the  United 
States,  and  acc()rdin).;ly  ten  companies  of  troops 
were  desiiatcbed  from  Vancouver  to  Seattle.  By 
order  of  Ceneral  John  (iibboii,  commander  of  the 
department,  several  of  these  companies  were  sub- 
secinetitly  ordered  to  Tacoma,  where  they  took  into 
custody,  to  be  escorted  to  Vancouver,  several  citi- 
zens who  had  been  arrested  by  the  United  States 
ni.Msli.il  for  i)articipation  in  the  Tacoma  riot.  At 
llie  direction  of  Ceneral  (iibbon.  Sheriff  McGraw 
oii;.ini/.e(l  his  voliiiiteer  deinilies  into  three  military 
com])anies.  iMfteen  ])ersons  were  indicted  for  con- 
spiracy to  deprive  the  Chinese  of  equal  protection 
of  the  laws  liut  their  trial,  which  was  concluded 
January  10,  IRSfi,  resulted  in  the  acfjuittal  of  all 
parties.  The  (Ith  of  hVbruary  a  mass  meeting  was 
lield  ;it  which  plans  were  formed  which  eventuated 
on  ill,,  iicxi  ,l,i\  in  llie  movement  of  a  large  number 
of  men  to  the  (  limis,.  ipiarlcrs  and  the  is.suance  of 
,111  ,>rder  to  them  that  they  must  leave  Seattle. 
Their  goods  were  packed  ancl  they  were  marched  in 
little  s(|iiads  to  the  wharf  of  the  steamship  Queen 
id'  the  I'acilic  to  be  transported  to  San  iM-ancisco. 
The  leaders  of  the  movement  wei\'  attempting  to 
r.iise  money  to  |)rocure  tickets  for  jKiying  the  fare 
of  Ihe  (liinamen,  but  during  the  afternoon  a  writ 
of  halicas  coipus  was  issued  rccjuiring  Captain 
AlcNan.Kr  ,.|  the  sti'amship  to  i)roduce  the  China- 
men li.lorc  111,,  comt.  lie  responded  that  he  could 
not  in  ,  ,Misei|iience  of  the  mob  in  the  streets,  but 
the  iie\l  m.uiiiiiL;  the  Chinamen  were  brought  before 
the  court  where  most  of  tliem  expressed  their  pref- 
I'lence  to  go  to  S.in  I 'i.iucisco,  hence  were  re- 
turned to  the  .ship.  About  .i  hundred,  however,  pre- 
fi'rred  to  remain  in  Seallle  and  started  to  return  to 
their  former  houses,  whereupon  the  crowd  attempt- 
ed to  drive  them  toward  the  railroad  station. 
Captain  Ceorge  Kinnear's  company  of  deputies 
defended  the  Chinese  and  in  the  struggle  with  the 
mob  which  ensued  one  of  Ihe  latter  was  killed  and 
two  were  wounded.  The  crowd  then  ceased  their 
elTorts  and  the  C'hinese  were  taken  back  to  their 
homes.  As  .-i  result  of  this  fracas  both  Covernor 
S(|iiire  and  I'resident  ('leveland  issued  iiroclama- 
tioiis  declaring  the  cil\  to  be  in  a  state  of  insurrec- 
tion and  under  in.irlial  l.iw.  (ieiieral  C.ibbon  ar- 
rested a  number  of  |iers,>ns  who  had  p.-irticiiiated  in 
the  Seallle  ri,>l,  which  iheivfore  iail.sl  of  its 
purpose. 

.\  similar  attenii)t  was  made  in  ( )lym|)i:i,  where 
live  arrests  were  made.  The  trial  of  these  at  the 
June  term  of  court  resulted  in  the  conviction  of  all 
and  the  sentence  of  each  to  pay  a  fine  of  five  hun- 
dred dollars,  with  the  costs  of  proceedings,  and  to  be 
subjected  to  six  months'  imprisonment.  Thus 
ended  ihe  .icnte  sl.ige  of  anli  Chinese  agit.ition  upon 


SKAGIT   COUNTY,    1883- 


139 


I  'iiget  sound,  but  for  a  number  of  years  the  general 
sentiment  of  the  region  was  strongly  opposed  to 
anv  increase  in  the  Chinese  population,  or  even  in 
ihu  privileges  of  the  members  of  that  race. 

The  year  188G  seems  to  have  been  comparatively 
unproductive  of  special  events  or  changes  in  Skagit 
county,  but  there  was  a  rapid  ongoing  in  all  the 
various  industries.  As  has  happened  probably  every 
>  car  in  the  history  of  Puget  sound,  there  were  high 
tides  and  floods  such  as  people  are  wont  to  think 
tlic  most  remarkable  of  all  time  but  it  would  seem 
from  the  reports  that  on  January  21th  the  really 
higiicst  tide  known  up  to  that  time  since  records 
have  been  kept  swept  the  coast-line  of  the  county. 

I I  overtopped  the  dikes  by  several  inches,  destroyed 
a  great  deal  of  property  and  greatly  damaged  the 
crop  prospects  for  the  ensuing  year.  The  damage 
was  especially  felt  in  the  vicinity  of  Padilla.  Im- 
iiicdiately  following  this  remarkable  tide  occurred  a 
s])cll  of  .severe  cold,  during  which  the  Skagit  river 
was  blockaded  with  ice  and  a  large  part  of  the 
cduntrv  having  been  inundated  by  the  high  tide  and 
ice  having  been  formed  upon  this  Hooded  area,  the 
farmers,  especially  on  the  tide  flats,  were  subjected 
lo  very  serious  inconvenience. 

Among  the  valuable  undertakings  of  the  early 
part  of  the  year  188G  was  that  of  the  Skagit  River 
IV'lejjhone  Company,  incorporated  with  a  capital 
stock  of  five  thousand  dollars,  for  the  purpose  of 
Iniilding  and  operating  a  tele])lione  line  between  the 
mouth  of  the  Skagit  river  and  the  settlements  on  the 
junction  of  the  Sauk  river  with  the  main  stream. 
Unfortunately,  however,  it  failed  vi  realization. 
More  successful  was  the  establishment  of  the  Pacific 
Postal  Telegraph  Comi)any's  line,  built  through 
Mount  Vernon  to  Whatcom,  and  ultimately  connect- 
ing Seattle  with  New  Westminster.  The  first 
operator  u])on  this  line  was  Thomas  Payne,  and  the 
first  telegrai)h  office  at  Mount  Vernon  was  in  Hart- 
son's  ])rinting  office. 

The  following  outline  of  the  mail  contracts  in 
Skagit  county  will  give  the  reader  a  clearer  concep- 
tion of  the  gradual  establishment  of  centers  of 
business  and  communication  in  tiie  ever-growing 
regions  which  comjKxsc  the  county :  Route  43,091, 
from  Seattle  via  Tulalij),  Fir,  Stanwood,  Utsalady, 
and  Skagit  City  to  Mount  Vernon,  a  distance  of 
seventy-five  miles  and  back,  three  times  weekly, 
awarded  to  George  W.  (jorc  for  $2,500 ;  route 
4H,1()|,  from  Skagit  City  to  La  Conner,  ten  miles  and 
hack  once  a  week,  awarded  to  Henry  A.  Wright  for 
$118;  route  'i;5,105,  from  Mount  Vernon  via  Bay- 
view  and  Padilla  to  La  Conner,  twelve  and  a  half 
miles  and  back  twice  a  week,  awarded  to 
W.  J.  McKcnna  for  $18.');  route  4:5,107,  from 
Mount  Vernon  via  Avon,  Sterling,  Lyman  and 
Hamilton  to  P.irdsview,  forty-two  miles  and  back, 
twice  a  week,  granted  to  Adolph  Behrens  for  $690 ; 
route  ■4:{,108,  from  Samish  to  Edison,  seven  miles 
and   back,   three  tinies   a   week,   granted   to  E.   C. 


Brown  for  $135;  route  43,109,  from  Edison  to 
Prairie,  fourteen  miles  and  back,  once  a  week, 
granted  to  J.  M.  Estes  for  $15J9  ;  route  43,098,  from 
Seattle  via  Coupcville,  Phinney,  Oak  Harbor,  De- 
ception, La  Conner,  Eidalgo,  Anacortes,  Guemcs, 
Samish,  BcUingham,  and  Sehonic  to  Whatcom,  a 
hundred  and  forty-three  miles  and  back,  three  limes 
a  week,  granted  to  the  (  ).  U.  &  N.  Company  for 
$5,000. 

As  indicating  something  of  the  accumulation  of 
wealth  in  the  county  and  also  preserving  llie  names 
of  those  who  especially  were  concerned  with  the 
large  property  interests  at  that  lime  a  list  of  all  who 
]3aid  taxes  on  $5,000  or  over  is  given  a  place  here : 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Conner,  $(;0,5()3 ;  Ball  &  Barlow.  $3(i,- 
073;  J.  &  G.  Gaelics,  $-^0,'237  ;  Puget  Mill  Comi)auv. 
$17,f)00;  Samish  Company,  $10, 127  ;  B.  N.  L.  Davis. 
$10,389;  W.  S.  Jameson,  $1(),206;  Hansen  &  Jen- 
sen, $Hi,05();  Clothier  &  ICnglish,  $13,202;  R.  L. 
Kellev,  $13,131  ;  S.  S.  I'.ailey,  $12,970;  Washington 
Mill  Company,  $12,000;  R.  E.  Whitney,  $11,350; 
Mortimer  Cook,  $11,0.38;  Jack.son  &  Walker,  $10.- 
730;  P.lakely  Mill  Company,  $9,750;  Richard  Hol- 
yokc,  $8,180;  1',.  L.  Martin,  $8,050;  Rus.sell  A. 
Alger,  $7,000;  James  A.  (iilliland,  $7,005;  J.  ( ). 
Rudcnc,  $0,993;  Daniel  Sullivan,  $0,784;  R.  H. 
I'.all,  $6,588;  Mrs.  M.  11.  Mailer,  $0,'1.50;  John  Mil- 
ler, .$0,185;  G.  V.  Calhoun,  $5,995;  Olof  Poison, 
$5,071;  William  (iilmore,  .$5,3!)3 ;  E.  ( 1.  Aniens, 
$5,310;  Malcolm  McDougall,  $5,280;  L.  L.  An- 
drews, $5,100;    Michael    Sullivan,   $5,072. 

In  summing  uj)  the  indnslrial  conditions  for  the 
year  now  under  consider.'ition  mention  may  be  made 
of  the  inmieuse  ])roduction  of  oals  u|)on  the  three 
great  oat-producing  districts,  the  Stillagnamish, 
the  Swinomish  and  the  Samish.  Their  combined  ])ro- 
duction  amounted  to  two  hundred  anrl  thirty-two 
thousand  .sacks  of  oats,  over  half  of  which  was 
shipi)cd  to  San  hrancisco.  The  i)rice  ranged  from 
nineteen  dollars  to  twenty-two  dollars  ])er  ton. 

Skagit  county  i)artcx)k  with  the  fUher  ])ortions 
of  the  Puget  sound  country  in  the  railroad  plans 
and  excitement  which  marked  the  closing  jjortion 
of  the  decade  of  the  eighties.  The  Skagit  News  of 
November  30,  1880,  .sets  forth  the  fact  that  Skagit 
valley  will  surely  have  direct  communication  with 
Seattle  at  some  early  |)eriod.  Doubt  was  expressed 
as  to  the  building  of  the  t!anfield  road,  of  which  so 
nnich  was  said  at  that  time,  the  reason  assigned 
being  that  the  Canadian  Pacific  road  would  not 
allow  any  road  to  conned  with  it  which  it  coifld  not 
control.  It  was  pointed  out  that  the  sin-voy  of  the 
Canfield  party  crossed  the  Skagit  near  Sterling  and 
followed  up  the  valley  of  the  N(}()kacham])s,  and  the 
opinion  was  expressed  in  the  paper  that  the  comple- 
tion of  that  road  wotfld  make  an  important  city  out 
of  Sterling,  as  well  as  mark  an  epoch  in  the  history 
of  the  county  in  general. 

It  seems  to  have  becr)me  ajipaii'Ml  w  ith  the  prog- 
ress of  the  new  ye.ir  of  1887  tli.1t  the  Canfield  road 


SKAdir  coiiN'rY 


(11. vl    III,-, I     llii-    ( 

illlllK'IKT:.     U.HiM 

llclliM^liain    I..M 
silliMll.HM.n    Ml     M 
Urn-    i(    iiillM    I.f 


,1,1  tins  l;u-l  ^;;,vr  mm-  Iu  sm,,,.- 
r  Sl<;ij;il  New.  and  ih,  uld 
Kcvcill.',  ill  win.  li  111.-   I..iin<r 

I.I  i..,-i.l  w.Mil.l  n.-v.-r  1)0  bllill. 
.ml  III.-  I:i.  I  llial  all  llic  Scuttle 
,-,.-  Mi.l,  a  l.nil.lniK  up  nf  llu' 
II  V  a-,  w.MiM  f.,ll.nv  liio  oiii 
anli.-l.rs  aim.-,,  mm. I  lli:il  tluTi- 
cli-.l    llial    Sealllc   will    silppnrl 


Scalllc  X-  Wcsl  C.iasl  Uailway  (niii|iaiiv.  It 
lis  I.,  lie  aKifcil  I>V  Im'IIi  papers  e..iniueiiliiif; 
II  III.-  -ail>|.-.l  llial  Canli.'l.l  w.ml.l  s.-ll  lie,  Iran 
.,-    I..    III.-    S.-alll.-    .'<-     W'.-.l    I  ..a-, I         \    -.iiiv.-Mii!; 


(liUiii^;  and  cleiiriii^r  and  transformed  it  into  a  beaii- 
lifnl  and  highly  priMluelive  area,  liy  a  most 
lanieiilahle  aecideni  Mr.  Whitney  was  fatally  in 
jni.-.l  lliiii-  \<-ais  .ifhi  .-nleriiii,'  upon  this  (.(real 
ini.l.-il.ikiiii;.  111  isii.l  III.-  island  was  divided  up 
inl.i  s.-v.-n  laiiiis  .ni.l  s.il.l  j.ir  .alionl  seventy  ihoii- 
s;uid  <|..llars,  an. I  il  is  n.iw  .in<-  ..f  ih.'  K.'inli'ii  si'ots 
..f  lhel-eKi..ii. 


tie.s    W( 
Sl<aj,Mt 


\s 

I  p.ii 

II  aii.l 
1..  III. 

\\. 

il.l    Ih- 

1  II. 1 

ineaiis 

Ihe 

News 

1  of  at 

..I  ,...il  lau.l 
.il  iKMii  this 
111.-    I..-SI    Ih.il 


ver 

•  already  approaching 
i-esnited. 

llu 

records   of   tlic   year 

^ 

(  ..nn.-i      III     .1      sal i. 

..1     Mill.-r    lia.l    ha.l    a 

'A\ 

.linnit;  wliieh  the  for- 
11    with    a    knife.      I'or 

r,,  1 

I's  ciilerin^  the  saloon, 

Il     1 

i.-k.-.l    np    Insl    ;i   hrick 

1      u  Lull     III'     liMl'li-il     -Il 

uli 

.h   i.-aill,-.|  ■rh..inps.)ii 

111.-  SU.iril  .'^aw  Mill  .ni.l  M.niii  l.i.  Iiii  in..  Com 
in.  ..I  uiiu-li  Ih.-  ,,lli..i-,  u.-i,-  .r,  l,.ll..ws'-'  I'l-esi- 
il,    I-     (  ..    Pn^dish  ;   vi.  .-  pi  .--ailriil .  (  Ml.,    kl.nu-nl  ; 

is   e..n.-.-in    maleiiali/.-.l    ml i.-    ..I    llu-    pi.iiu-er 

V  mills    of    the    eoimlv        In    Ihis    e..iineetioii    also 
s  inleresling-  lo  lu.le  lli.il  in  llu-  I'.dl  of  ISSC.  Mor- 
uT  C.uik  esl.-ihlishe.l  al    S.-.li..,   llu-  e..iinlv's  first 
lud.-  mill. 
I'.-ih.ip-.  .1    lilll.-   sk.-l.-h   1.1    111,-    inii.iiL.ilil,-   ,i,-.i 


...n   W  I 


\\\ 


il.-.l    h 


lower  en.l   ..f    I'a.lilla    l.av    is   .ip 
Diirint;-  the   winlir  ..f    ISS;    K'l. 

seven  hnndre.l  .uh-s,  ver\  l.i\ 
dimenll  to  snh.l.i.-.  I,.,  llu-  Mini  ..I  UmiiU  I  \m  .  llum 
.san.l  live  Imiuli..!  ,l,.ll.ii.,,  II.-  ■,p,-ii|  l.-n  lli..n.saiul 
.l..ll.ns  in  i.-.l.immu-  il  II  u.is  ..■.-lu-i  .illv  eon.sid- 
.-i.-.l  l.N   111-,  h  1.11,1-.  .h,  .1  \.-M   iisk\   niuK-il.ikiiiM,  espe- 

h..ii..w  .ill  111.-  iii,.ii,-N    |,„   li,,il,  llu-  l.nul  aiul  Ihe  ini- 
pi.'\.-nu-iil-.,  hill   In  in;,  a  m.m  ol   lii-meiidoiis  eiierf<-y 

auj;nialiii);  a   s\sli-m  ,il    i e.l.im.ili. m  ol    the  laiul  liv 


hrank    H.-iiii.   .i    ln-.l,iii,l,i 

an.l   then   a   .iispi.l,.i,    Im,i1 

■niomp.s.,n.      Ill  111.-  Iivlii    . 

.h-.-w    his    knil.-    .111,1    slal.lu-.l    11.-1111        In    llu-   i-x.il.- 

meiil      ,.|'     111.'      iiH.iii.-iil      llu-     <i,>u.|      imne.l     np.m 

'11 ips.,11  an.l   lu-.iiK    h.-.il   hii .l.-alh  heiore  the 

oHii-.-rs  e.inl.l  im-I  ..,iiIi,.I.  la-iiii  iiaviii};  ilicd  .soon 
all.-r.  111. mips. HI  u.i.  iii,li,-|,,l  |,>i  iiinrder,  and  was 
.Ljiven  a  trial,  al  uliu  li,  ,,mh.ii  \  l,i  wli.-il  w<-re  at  lirsl 
sii|)posed  lo  he  the  faels  m  llu-  ease,  llu-  l(-slim.m\ 
proved  that  Thompson  ha.l  aele.l  in  sel  f  .l.-f,-ns,- 
.111.1  he  w.is  ae(|nittcd  of  the  charKe. 

In  l.ss;  the  lenislatnre  pa.s.sed  a  hill  pr..vi.lin,.; 
Ihal  all  .-onrts  .d'  reeord  should  he  held  al  llu-  .-.mnl\ 
s.-al.  This  eanse.l  llu-  n-ni..val  ..f  llu-  .hsiriel  e.mrl 
ri-.im    I. a    C.miu-i    I.,    .\l.mnl    \  .-rii,.n,   a    \.-i-\    ,t;|-:ili 

ori|.;inal  cotmt\    seal. 

The  lej^isl.alive  sessi.m  n<  l.s.s;  ,s  l,,.,k  iin.ler 
consi(lerali..ii  a  hill  win,  h  i.-viv.-.l  Ihe  ol.l  strn^;-);Ie 
hetwcen  \\'li.il.,mi  .ni.l  .SL.ioji.  ,„„-  pr.ividill^;-  for 
taking;-  the  m,.ii1i  Ii.i  ,,|  hiwnships  in  Ska,!;it  coiint\ 
an.l  r.-sl,,iino  lli.ni  I,.  \\li.il,-,mi.  Tlu-  .Sk.-i-il 
\,-\\s  ,l,-n,miu.-s  lliis  .IS  .111  all.-mpl.-.l  r..l.l.,-i-\  an.l 
.illiihiil,-s  II  .-illu-i  I.,  a  .l.-sii.-  .m  llu-  pail  ..f  llu- 
l,.\Mi  ,.l  WliaL.mi  I.,  sm.illur  llu-  .i.si.irations  for 
,.miil\  s.-al  h. in. IIS  .m  llu-  pari  ..I'  1  .\  n.len,  or  to  the 
Imi.l.-n  ,,t    I. IN. Ill, 111   np,.n    \\h.il.-..iii   ,-oinily    (which 

on  the  (1..11.II  )  .111.1  llu-ii  ,-,ms,-,|n.-iil  .1,-sire  I,,  seeiire 
Ihe  assislaii.,-  ,,1    llu-   n.-h    ,'^.iniish    \all,-\    an.l   ..tlier 


Ihe  W'haU-.Mii 
the  fact  that  al!  the  inh.il 
Cypress  and  ."-^inckiir  li.i.l 
the  IcR-islalnre  askin.i;  .n 
e.mnlv,  allnhnliiiL;  this  slal 


11.-    II..I.-S    uhh    salislaelu.n 
i.ihil.iiils    ,,|    111,'    islands  of 


1,1     Whatcom 
I, I  llu-  removal 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    188:)-!) 


of  the  county  seat  and  district  court  to  Mount 
\\rnon.  It  also  declares  that  (iuemcs  island  will 
join  the  request  for  annexation.  To  these  com- 
iiKiits  of  the  Whatcom  paper  the  Skagit  News  re- 
spnnds  with  characteristic  energy,  and  it  seemed 
that  another  conllict  was  hrewing,  hut  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  the  peoi)le  of  Skagit  the  hill  was  de- 
feated in  the  house  hy  a  vote  of  fourteen  to  seven. 

(  )ne  of  tile  numerous  sleamhoat  accidents  whicii 
siiin  to  have  characterized  the  history  of  the  sound 
occurred  on  the  1st  of  Ajjril,  ]88h'.  The  hoilers 
of  the  steamer  l>oh  Irving  exploded  at  a  point 
called  Hall's  ril'lle  in  the  Skagit  river  one  mile  he- 
low  Sterling.  Hiram  J.  (  )lney,  the  captain,  and 
llirnian  1  laroldson,  the  (ireman,  were  instantly 
killed,  while  a  deck  hand  named  Andrew  Johnson 
and  the  Chinese  cook  were  severely  injured.  The 
engineer  was  the  only  jjcrson  to  esca])e  entirely  and 
even  he  was  severely  shaken  up.  I'orlunately 
there  were  no  ])assengcrs  upon  the  hoat,  an  mnisual 
occurrence,  hut  she  was  heavily  loaded  with  hay 
and  grain,  which,  together  with  the  steamer  itself, 
was  a  total  loss.  C"a])tain  (  )lney  was  well  known 
and  highly  esteemed  upon  the  sound,  wliere  he  had 
been  engaged  in  steanihoaliiig  for  ;i  number  of 
years. 

There  was  a  rapid  development  in  the  upper 
p.irl  of  the  county  during  the  summer  of  1888. 
rile  liltlc  town  of  Lyman  had  become  the  center  of 
a  very  active  pojjulation  of  both  loggers  and  farm- 
ers, and  between  it  and  Moimt  Vernon  there  were 
.seventeen  logging  camj)s,  em])loying  two  hundred 
and  forty-three  men.  Another  region  which 
started  then  upon  a  career  of  development  whicli 
has  rendered  it  one  of  the  attractive  and  jiroductive 
regions  of  the  Skagit  country  was  Walker's  val- 
ley, which  was  settled  by  Iliigh  Walker  in  188K. 
He  and  some  of  the  settlers  who  came  later  spent 
eighty-seven  days  in  cutting  a  road  to  Mount  Ver- 
non. 

Kailn,ads  an.l  nnn.,rs  ..f  railroads  continued 
lo  be  in  the  air.  Senator  Canlield  would  bv  no 
means  admit  that  his  road  was  dead,  and  is  rejiorted 
in  the  Seattle  Enterprise  as  .saying  that  he  exiiected 
to  bnild  from  Seattle  to  Lowell  on  the  Snohomish 
river,  thence  to  the  Skagit  at  a  point  half-way  be- 
tween Mount  Vernon  and  Sterling,  and  from  there 
in  a  straight  line  to  Whatcom.  .Another  companv, 
the  I'nget  .Sound,  Skagit  &  lui.stern.  was  incor- 
I'orated  and  the  articles  of  incorporation  were  filed 
in  the  auditor's  office  on  SeiHember  !(;,  1888,  the 
incori)orators  and  trustees  being  John  Cam|)bell. 
of  ICngland.  and  II.  W.  Wheeler.  [."M.  Moore,  and 
W.  L.  McMillan,  of  Seattle.  The  aim  of  the  com- 
pany was  to  build  a  road  from  liurrow's  bay  in 
Skagit  county  U>  Camp  Si)okane  on  the  Columbia 
river  in  Lincoln  comUy.  Like  man\  .inolber  great 
enterprise  of  that  excited  time,  tliis  rem.ained  n 
I)ai)er  i)roi)osition. 

The  Skagit  X'ews  of  December   10,  1HH8,  quotes 


from  the  Washington  i'armer  an  article  whicli  gives 
so  clear  a  view  of  the  logging  interests  of  Skagit 
county  that  it  seems  worthy  of  reproduction  in 
part.  .Among  other  things  the  writer  describes 
the  Moating  wharf  in  Samish  bay  as  follows;  "It 
is  at  this  lloat  that  one  of  the  most  extensive  log- 
ging camps  in  Washington  territory  receives  its 
su])plies.  This  lloat  is  two  mill's  from  the  end  of 
the  logging  road  known  as  the  Hlanchard  railway 
and  the  road  is  two  miles  from  the  village  of 
luli.son.  The  track  is  four  miles  long,  a  standard 
gauge,  with  steel  rails  and  a  full-Hedged  steam  loco- 
motive and  thirty  logging  cars.  Tlic  camp  works 
an  average  of  ninety  men,  who  get  out  seventy-five 
thousand  feet  of  logs  |)er  day,  working  about  eight 
months  in  the  year,  m.iking  the  amnial  outinit 
eighteen  million  feel,  sold  at  seven  dollars  per 
thousand,  or  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
thou.sand  dollars  per  ainium.  The  jiay-roll  of  the 
camp  is  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  dollars  per 
day.  Jujr  moving  logs  in  places  too  rough  for 
cattle,  two  stationary  donkey  engines  are  used. 
The  com])any  is  now  having  made  a  steam  skidder, 
.such  as  it  uses  in  Michigan  and  California.  The 
contrivance  co.sts  about  ten  thou.sand  dollar.s.  It 
consists  of  a  twenty  horse-jjower  engine,  set  near 
a  marsh  or  deep  ravine,  and  from  it  is  run  a  large 
cable  stretched  tightly  from  tree  to  tree.  ( )n  this 
cable  there  are  three  liietal  carriages,  and  from  them 
dro])  i)rongs  or  grappling  hooks  which  clutch  the 
logs  and  hoist  them  clear  of  the  ground  and  then 
they  are  run  to  the  dumping-])lace." 

The  writer  then  enumerates  eleven  camps  in 
the  vicinity  of  Ivdison  and  I'.ayview  which  em|)loy 
two  hundred  and  twenty  men  and  get  out  thirty- 
eight  million  feet  of  logs  annually.  Upon  the  Ska- 
git river  he  found  nineteen  camjjS  eini)loying  fom- 
hundred  men  and  getting  oiU  eighty  million  feet  a 
year.  He  says  that  the  average  logging  camp  con- 
tains sixteen  men  and  one  team  of  seven  yoke  of 
oxen.  The  total  expense  of  a  camj),  he  .says,  was 
sixty  dollars  jier  day,  and  the  value  of  the  output  a 
hundred  and  fifty  (lollars  |)er  day.  Thus  the  i)ro- 
prietor  would  make  a  profit  of  ninety  dollars  per 
day  upon  his  investment  if  he  owned  the  timber. 
If  he  did  not  own  the  timber  stnmpage  would  cost 
him  sevent_\-five  cents  per  thousan<l. 

Inasnnich  as  the  close  of  the  year  1888  marks 
the  end  of  the  period  of  territorial  history  and  188!t 
witnes.sed  the  inauguration  of  statehood',  it  will  be 
found  of  interest  to  preserve  a  record  here  of  the 
increa.se  in  the  value  of  i)roperly  for  the  years  188:! 
to  18.S8  inclusive. 

188;; 

\'alue  of  l;mds $    ].'),',, 21. 1. 00 

Value    of    improvements 27 ,'.l\C> .00 

\  aine  of  p.rso„;il    pi-oi)ertv \',>S>\:'u  JH) 


Value  of  all  properly.  . 
Total  amount   of  taxes. 


.$    ;)0!),!tI8.00 

(■,,H\r,.'.)\ 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


1884 

Acres    assessed 1"3:J,168 

Acres    improved 9,303 

Value  of  lands $    515,907.00 

Value   of   improvements 95,843.00 

Value  of  jK-rsonal  i)roperty 291,131.00 

Value  of  all  ])roperty $    902,870.00 

Total  amount  of  taxes 16,233.41 

1885 

Acres    assessed 149,548 

Acres   improved 11,375 

Value  of  lands $    530,610.00 

Value  of  improvements 148,777.00 

Value  of  personal  property 284,669.00 

Value  of  all  property $    9.54,056.00 

Total  amount  of  taxes 19,040.43 

188G 

Acres    assessed 182,553 

Acres   improved 12,772 

Value  of  lands $    664,457.00 

Value   of  im]irovemcnts 174,272.00 

Value  of  personal  ])ropcrty 356,651.00 

V.-dne  of  all  property $1,195,380.00 

Total  anioimt  of  taxes 25.4  61.51 

1887 

Acres    assessed 1SS.I36 

Acres    improved 1 1,576 

Value  of  lands $    682,472.00 

Value   of   improvements 183,304.00 

\'ahu'  of  personal  property 379,797.00 

\  aluc  of  all  property $1,345,573.00 

Tola!  .-unouut  of  taxes 25,213.24 


1888 


operly. 


.$i.4(io,(ioi.on 


I'rom  the  available  census  returns  it  appears 
that  the  population  in  1885,  was  2,816;  in  1887, 
3,686;  in  1889,  6,111.  The  immense  preponder- 
ance of  males  over  females  in  the  last  year  is  ob- 
servable, there  hcino;  -|,|0S  of  llie  former  and  1,703 
of  the  latter. 

The  great  event  of  the  year  1S,S9  for  both  the 
territory  of  Washington  and  the  county  of  Skagit 
was  the  acquisition  of  statehood  and  the  constitu- 
tional convention  leading  thereto,  l^or  the  purpose 
of  electing  delegates  to  the  convention  the  territory 
was  divided  into  districts.  The  wrath  of  uiany  peo- 
ple in  Skagit  county  was  aroused  by  the  fact  that  it 
was    divided    between    Wiiatcom   'and    Snohomish 


counties,  thirteen  precincts  being  assigned  to  the 
former  and  ten  to  the  latter.  Skagit  people  seem 
to  have  anticipated  evil  consequences  for  them- 
selves, as  they  were  also  disposed  to  attribute  sinis- 
ter motives  to  somebody  in  thus  smothering  their 
identity  with  their  neighbors  of  the  north  and  south. 
Their  fears,  however,  were  unfounded,  for  at  the 
general  election  held  on  May  14th,  three  Skagit 
county  men  were  chosen:  Harrison  Clothier  and 
Thomas  Hayton  from  the  district  comprising  Sno- 
homish and  southern  Skagit,  and  James  Power  from 
the  district  comprising  Whatcom  and  northern 
Skagit. 

Mr.  Power  became  somewhat  distinguished  in 
the  constitutional  convention  for  the  provision 
which  he  introduced  for  a  confirmation  of  all  United 
States  patent  titles  to  tide  and  overflowetl  lands. 
The  general  practice  of  the  government  had  been 
hitherto  to  yield  such  lands  to  the  states  upon  their 
admission,  therefore  many  considered  the  confirma- 
tion of  these  titles  to  be  in  the  interest  of  land-grab- 
bers upon  the  sound.  Eastern  Washington  dele- 
gates, headed  by  George  Turner,  op])osed  the 
Power  provision  on  that  ground  but  Mr.  Power 
succeeded  in  convincing  the  convention  that  the 
claimants  to  those  tide  lands  were  worthy  citizens, 
that  the  lands  had  in  many  cases  already  been  re- 
claimed, and  that  to  jeopardize  title  to  them  would 
work  a  great  injustice  to  the  settlers.  Snohomish 
and  Skagit  counties  were  the  ones  chiefly  affected 
by  this  provision  and  the  lands  under  consideration 
constituted  some  of  the  fairest  and  most  productive 
portions  of  those  counties. 

A  brief  glance  at  the  resources  of  Skagit 
county,  as  manifested  in  1889,  may  be  fitting  at 
this  point,  .\lready,  probably,  sufficient  attention 
has  been  given  to  the  vast  lumbering  developments 
of  the  decade  then  closing.  They  were  well  known 
to  the  world.  l!ut  the  latent  possibilities  of  the 
coal  and  iron  deposits  upon  the  Skagit  river  were 
little  known  at  that  time.  The  facts  in  relation  to 
this  feature  of  Skagit  county  were  brought  out  in 
a  very  interesting  manner  in  the  form  of  a  printed 
report  by  Muir  Picken,  a  mining  engineer,  and  by 
hiiu  submitted  to  a  senatorial  committee  consisting 
of  .Senators  .\lIison,  Hoar,  Dolph,  Hale  and  Pugh, 
which  met  in  Seattle,  June  1,  1889.  This  report 
states  that  at  Conner's  on  the  Skagit  river  there  are 
three  distinct  measures  of  bituminous  coal  which 
are  upon  the  same  line  passing  through  .\aniamo, 
I'ritish  Columbia,  and  belonging  to  the  cretaceous 
epoch,  being  a  first-class  bituminous  coking  coal, 
r.elow  the  coal  measures,  the  report  contiiuies,  are 
iron  measures  of  a  good  quality  of  brown  hematite 
iron  ore,  carrying  from  forty-five  to  fifty  per  cent, 
of  metallic  iron.  There  were  four  of  these  iron 
lodes  which,  by  their  claimants,  were  styled  re- 
spectively the  Tyee,  the  Mabel,  the  Last  Chance 
and  the  Tacoma.  Mr.  Picken  said  that  the  coal 
:ui(i    iron    region    was    eighty    miles    in    length    by 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1883-9 


twenty-four  miles  in  breadth.  The  Conner  mine 
was  subsequent!)-  bonded  by  the  Skagit-Cumberland 
Coal  Company  of  San  Francisco,  which  sent  W.  A. 
Jones  about  the  1st  of  Alay  to  enter  upon  the  work 
of  development  on  a  large  scale.  lie  built  at  once 
a  Hume  six  hundred  feet  long  with  a  seventy-foot 
head,  carrying  a  volume  of  water  sufficient  to  fill  a 
thirty-inch  pipe,  which  carried  the  water  from  the 
head  to  the  "Knight's"  wheel  of  the  compressor. 
The  compressor  was  sufficiently  large  to  furnish 
four  hundred  and  fifty  horse-power,  by  which  the 
manager  e.xpected  to  run  three  Sj^-inch  Rix 
&  Furth  drills.  The  steamer  Bailey  delivered 
three  loads  of  machinery  which  they  at  once  began 
to  use  in  the  sinking  of  a  tunnel  three  thousand  feet 
deep.  The  supply  of  coal  lay  in  such  a  position 
that  it  could  be  very  cheaply  and  rapidly  brought 
to  the  surface  and  placed  within  reach  of  transpor- 
tation. For  some  reason,  however,  the  Cumberland 
Coal  Company  did  not  remain  permanently  in  the 
business  of  developing  these  properties,  and  they 
have  been  idle  for  many  years.  With  rapidly  in- 
creasing wealth,  population  and  productions,  and 
with  brightening  hopes  for  the  future,  Skagit 
county,  with  her  sister  counties,  joined  the  tri- 
umphant march  into  statehood.  The  event  of  en- 
trance ui)on  statehood  was  one  of  so  great  imjxir- 
tance  that  it  requires  a  brief  account  at  this  point  in 
our  history.  The  i^ossibilities  of  the  territory  of 
Washington  were  obviously  so  vast  to  the  people 
living  within  it  that  they  could  not  understand  the 
comparative  indifference  with  which  the  law-mak- 
ers in  Washington  had  viewed  for  a  number  of 
years  their  eager  demands  to  be  admitted  to  the 
union,  but  the  fact  of  the  case  was  that  the  great 
majority  of  people  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains 
were  then  in  gross  ignorance  of  the  possibilities  of 
the  Pacific  states.  Some  of  them  are  not  much 
better  at  the  present  time.  With  increasing  popu- 
lation, however,  the  pressure  became  too  great  to 
be  resisted  and  on  February  23,  1889,  a  bill  grant- 
ing statehood  to  Washington,  Montana,  North 
Dakota  and  South  Dakota  became  a  law. 

Under  the  enabling  act  seventy-five  delegates 
were  to  be  chosen  from  the  different  portions  of  the 
territory  who  should  meet  in  the  capital  on  the  4th 
of  July  for  the  purpose  of  adopting  a  state  consti- 
tution. The  enabling  act  specified  that  this  consti- 
tution must  be  republican  in  form  and  must  make 
no  distinction  in  civil  or  political  rights  on  account 
of  race  or  color,  and  must  be  in  harmony  with  the 
Constitution  of  tlie  United  States  and  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence.  The  act  also  specified  that 
the  state  constitution  must  provide  for  complete 
religious  toleration,  disclaim  all  right  and  title  to 
all  unappropriated  public  lands  and  to  all  Indian 
tribal  lands,  provide  for  the  assumption  and  pay- 
ment of  the   debts  and   liabilities   i)f   tile   territorV 


and  establish  and  maintain  a  system  of  public 
schools  open  to  all  children  of  the  state  and  free 
from  sectarian  control.  The  act  also  provided  that 
a  constitution  should  be  submitted  to  the  voters  at 
an  election  to  be  held  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  Octo- 
ber, and  that  if  adopted  it  should  be  forwarded  to 
the  president  of  the  United  States  and  if  satisfac- 
tory that  he  should  then  issue  a  proclamation  de- 
claring the  state  admitted  into  the  Union.  The 
enabling  act  also  provided  for  the  transfer  to  the 
state  of  all  the  unapjjropriated  sixteenth  and  thirty- 
sixth  sections  in  each  township  for  the  maintenance 
of  common  schools ;  granted  fifty  sections  of  unap- 
propriated lands  for  the  erection  of  public  buildings 
at  the  capital ;  provided  that  five  per  cent,  of  the 
proceeds  of  the  sale  of  public  lands  which  should 
be  sold  by  the  United  States  subsequent  to  the  ad- 
mission of  Washington  into  the  Union  should  be 
paid  to  the  state  as  a  permanent  school  fund ; 
granted  seventy-two  sections  of  land  for  mainte- 
nance of  a  university ;  granted  ninety  thousand 
acres  for  the  support  of  an  agricultural  college,  and 
one  hundred  thousand  acres  each  for  a  scientific 
school,  a  state  normal  school,  and  for  a  capitol 
building;  and  granted  to  the  state  charitable,  edu- 
cational, ])enal  and  reformatory  institutions  which 
should  be  established,  two  hundred  thousand  acres. 
The  foregoing  were  the  important  provisions  of  the 
enabling  act,  though  there  were  a  number  of  others 
naturally  involved  in  them. 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  enab- 
ling act  the  constitutional  convention  having  been 
duly  chosen,  met  as  specified  on  the  4th  of  July 
and  continued  in  session  till  the  34th  of  August. 
They  then  submitted  the  results  of  their  work  to 
the  voters  for  acceptance  or  rejection.  Two  sep- 
arate articles,  one  providing  for  female  suflfrage 
and  one  for  prohibiting  the  sale  of  intoxicating 
liquors,  were  also  submitted  with  the  constitution. 
The  constitution  was  accepted  by  the  voters  of  the 
territory  by  a  vote  of  thirty-eight  thousand,  three 
hundred  and  ninety-four  to  eleven  thousand,  eight 
hundred  and  ninety-five.  It  was  a  general  matter 
of  surpri.se  that  the  vote  against  acceptance  was  so 
large.  Both  the  woman  suffrage  and  prohibition 
clauses  were  rejected. 

At  twenty-.seven  minutes  past  five  o'clock  on  the 
llth  day  of  December,  1889,  President  Harrison 
signed  his  proclamation  announcing  that  Washing- 
ton had  become  a  state  of  the  Federal  Union.  The 
name  of  President  Harrison  and  that  of  Secretary 
of  State  James  G.  Blaine  were  signed  to  this  proc- 
lamation with  a  pen  made  from  Washington  gold 
in  a  holder  of  ebonized  laurel  made  within  the  state 
of  Washington  itself  for  that  special  purpose ;  and 
the  great  commonwealth  of  Wa.shington  received 
its  just  recognition  as  being  worthy  of  a  place  in 
the  bright  constellation  of  states. 


CHAPTER  IV 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1889-97 


The  winter  of  1889-90  was  a  very  cold  and 
severe  one  in  Skagit  county,  more  so  than  at  most 
other  points  on  the  coast.  "Dad"  Patterson,  a 
well-known  citizen  of  Mount  Vernon,  is  authority 
for  the  statement  that  for  twenty-seven  days  that 
city  was  cut  off  from  all  communication  with  the 
outside  world.  Steamboat  navigation  was  entirely 
blockaded  by  the  masses  of  ice  in  the  river,  and  as 
for  railroads,  there  were  none  in  Mount  \'ernon  at 
that  time. 

With  the  closing  of  the  decade  of  the  eighties 
and  the  opening  of  the  succeeding  one  and  with  the 
entrance  of  Washington  into  statehood,  began  a 
lieriod  in  Skagit  county  the  most  active  and  the 
most  excited  that  that  part  of  the  world  has  ever 
witnessed.  This  activity  and  excitement  were  man- 
ifested in  many  ways;  by  the  rapid  growth  of 
towns,  the  soaring  of  land  above  prices  that  were 
normal  or  even  reasonable,  the  inauguration  of  all 
sorts  of  industrial  enterprises,  the  unprecedented 
rush  of  immigrants.  Concerning  the  last  point  we 
oliserve  the  following  item  in  the  Skagit  News  of 
March  IS,  1S89:  "At  no  time  in  the  past  has  Skagit 
county  received  the  number  of  immigrants  that  are 
now  pouring  in.  Every  boat  comes  loaded  with 
home  seekers.  A  year  from  now  good  available 
government  land  will  be  scarce.  The  prospective 
opening  of  several  railroads  will  assist  materially 
in  the  settlement  of  the  county."  In  fact,  the  activ- 
ity in  railroad  enterprises  was  the  most  noticeable 
indication  of  the  general  activity.  Throughout  the 
county  rights  of  way  were  being  surveyed  and 
graded,  conii-)anies  formed  and  plans  for  railroads 
drawn  up,  many  of  which  roads  were  built  only  on 
pajicr,  though  several  of  them  actually  materialized, 
at  least  in  part.  One  of  the  latter  was  the  Seattle 
&  Northern.  The  company  projecting  this  road 
had  been  incorporated  in  Seattle  in  November, 
1888,  the  incorporators  being  W.  H.  Holcomb,  of 
Portland,  Elijah  Smith,  J.  PI.  Benedict,  Charles  F. 
Tagg,  J.  T.  tilnev.  Prof.  W.  Smith,  E.  L.  Frank 
and  E.  S.  Hoolev,'  of  New  York,  T.  J.  Milner  and 
J.  C.  Haines,  of  Seattle,  and  H.  L.  Tibballs,  Jr.,  of 
Port  Townsend.  The  capital  stock  of  the  company 
was  five  million  dollars,  its  object  to  build  a  rail- 
road from  Seattle  via  Whatcom  to  the  Canadian 
boundary  line  anil  branches  from  the  Skagit  river 
cast  up  that  river  and  the  Sauk  to  Spokane  and 
from  the  Skagit  river  west  via  Fidalgo  island  to 
Ship    harbor    and    Admiralty    PTcad    on    Whidbv 


island.  Only  a  small  part  of  these  extensive  plans 
were  eventually  executed.  Active  work  was  begun 
in  June,  1889,  under  the  management  of  Captain  F. 
Hill  and  by  the  1st  of  August  twenty  miles  of  the 
road  from  Ship  harbor  to  the  Skagit  valley  were 
graded  and  bridged.  This  much  was  required  to 
fulfill  the  terms  of  a  contract  by  which  a  large 
amount  of  land  on  the  islands  was  to  be  acquired ; 
then  the  work  was  suspended  until  the  spring  of  the 
following  year.  Many  of  the  contracts  for  bridges, 
trestles,  telegraph  lines,  cars,  etc.,  were  let  to  the 
Oregon  Improvement  Company,  the  real  financial 
backer  of  the  enterprise ;  others  to  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Bridge  Company  and  to  Tatum  &  Bowen  of 
Portland.  Two  thousand  rails  which  had  been 
lying  on  Ballast  island  were  shipped  north  and  laid 
as  fast  as  possible  and  another  consignment  was 
ordered  from  the  East.  On  August  5th  the  road 
was  put  in  the  hands  of  the  operating  department 
and  regular  trains  commenced  running  daily  be- 
tween Auacortes  and  Sedro,  at  the  latter  of  which 
places  junction  was  made  with  the  Seattle,  Lake 
Shore  &  Eastern  railroad.  The  Seattle  &  North- 
ern continued  to  within  six  miles  of  Hamilton, 
where  it  suddenly  ceased,  to  the  great  distress  of 
the  people  of  that  place,  the  reason  for  the  suspen- 
sion being  that  the  Oregon  Improvement  Company 
was  financially  embarrassed  and  unable  to  continue 
the  work  of  construction.  In  the  early  part  of  Jan- 
uary, 1891,  however,  work  was  resumed  under  the 
direction  of  a  receiver ;  about  two  months  later  the 
track  was  laid  as  far  as  Hamilton  and  soon  after 
trains  were  running  to  that  place.  The  service  on 
the  new  road  was  excellent  and  was  duly  appre- 
ciated by  the  peo]ile  of  the  county. 

The  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  was  pro- 
gressing rapidly  during  this  period.  In  December, 
1889,  a  number  of  contracts  were  let  for  the  clear- 
ing and  grading  of  fifteen  miles  immediately  south 
of  the  Skagit  river  and  thirty  miles  north  of  it. 
Nearly  two  thousand  men  were  put  to  work  on 
these  sections. 

Another  railmad  that  was  iiuite  active  in  the 
Skagit  valley  at  this  time  was  the  Fairhaven  & 
Southern.  There  was  considerable  rivalry  between 
this  road  and  the  Seattle  &  Northern,  also  the  Seat- 
tle, Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  or  West  Coast,  as  this 
branch  of  it  was  generally  designated.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1889,  the  Fairhaven  &  Southern  and  the  West 
Coast  were  both  fighting  for  the  possession  of  a  nar- 


.OGGTXr;"    AND    "CLT'ARING" 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1889-97 


row  pass  around  McMurray  lake.  The  crew  of  the 
former  road  was  encamped  near  and  was  expect- 
ing to  go  to  work  on  the  pass  the  next  day  before 
tlie  otlicr  crew  could  get  to  it,  but  during  the  night 
a  force  of  men  under  Earle  &  McLcod  came  up  by 
pack  train  from  Fir,  went  into  camp  in  the  vicinity 
of  (lie  pass  without  making  any  demonstration  and 
the  next  morning  before  sunrise  made  their  way 
through  the  woods  to  the  pass  and  were  in  full 
possession  fifteen  minutes  before  the  Fairhaven  & 
Southern  crew  arrived.  P>y  this  coup  the  Fair- 
haven  &  Southern  or  Bennett  road,  as  it  was  somc- 
liiiH's  named,  was  deprived  of  this  route,  whicli  it 
was  obliged  to  leave  to  the  West  Coast.  The  first 
train  on  the  Fairhaven  &  Southern  into  Sedro  was 
on  the  34th  of  December,  ]889.  This  railroad  was 
sold  the  following  year  to  the  Great  Northern, 
which  was  beginning  to  spread  its  mighty  arm  over 
the  county.  The  formal  transfer  occurred  on  the 
'?Olli  of  February,  1891.  The  western  branch  of 
the  Great  Northern,  which  was  being  built  at  this 
time,  was  commonly  known  as  the  Seattle  &  Mon- 
tana railroad.  It  extended  from  Seattle  along  the 
coast  through  Mount  Vernon  to  New  Westminster 
in  Tiritish  Columbia.  To  secure  its  construction 
through  their  city  the  citizens  of  Mount  Vernon 
granted  it  a  right  of  way  and  one  hundred  acres  of 
land.  In  September,  1890,  new  camps  were  estab- 
lished all  along  the  line,  so  that  there  was  scarcely 
a  mile  between  Seattle  and  the  Skagit  river  upon 
which  work  was  not  being  done.  In  September, 
1891,  the  track-laying  machine  began  laying  track 
between  the  Skagit  and  .Stillaguamish  rivers,  the 
only  unfinished  section  at  the  time,  and  it  was  com- 
pleted and  the  last  spike  driven  on  the  T2th  of  Oc- 
tober at  a  point  one  mile  south  of  Stanwood,  though 
there  were  still  about  twenty-one  miles  to  be  bal- 
lasted before  trains  could  be  run  over  the  line. 
This  was  finished  in  November.  The  Seattle 
Chamber  of  Commerce  held  an  excursion  on  the 
27th  of  that  month  on  the  occasion  of  the  formal 
opening  of  the  road,  in  a  train  of  nine  coaches  and 
.1  dining-car,  all  gayly  decorated.  Music  was  fur- 
nisJK'd  by  the  First  Regiment  band  of  Seattle.  The 
excursion  proceeded  through  Mount  Vernon,  where 
Judge  J.  T.  Ronald  of  Seattle  delivered  a  short 
address,  and  then  on  to  the  end  of  the  line  at  New 
Westminster.  Thus  was  celebrated  the  opening 
of  an  important  branch  of  one  of  the  greatest  rail- 
roads on  the  continent,  a  oiilroad  which  has  done  as 
much,  perhaps,  as  any  other  one  agency  to  develop 
the  resources  and  stimulate  the  growth  of  the 
Northwest.  Skagit  county,  while  disappointed  in 
in  the  hope  that  the  main  transcontinental  line  of 
llic  Great  Northern  would  traverse  her  territory, 
was  nevertheless  benefited  to  a  very  great  degree 
by  its  close  proximity  and  bv  the  branch  line  con- 
necting with  it.  The  Great  Northern  was  com- 
pleted on  the  6th  of  January,  189.1,  the  last  spike 


being  driven  at  a  point  thirteen  miles  west  of  Stev- 
ens pass  in  the  Cascades. 

Besides  the  substantial  railroads  which  have 
been  mentioned,  there  was  a  multitude  of  others 
which,  as  a  result  of  the  general  excitement  of  the 
times,  were  projected,  but  most  of  which  did  not 
materialize.  One  of  these  was  *  known  as  the 
Samish,  Skagit  Valley  &  Spokane  Railroad  Com- 
pany, incorporated  in  April,  1889,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  three  million  dollars.  On  April  8,  1890, 
the  Ship  Harbor  &  Spokane  Ivills  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  incorporated,  with  a  capital  stock  of  six 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  its  object  to  build  a  rail- 
road from  Puget  sound  to  Spokane.  The  trustees 
were  J.  M.  Buckley,  William  H.  Holcomb  and  J.  K. 
Buckley.  About  the  same  time  a  company  known 
as  the  San  Juan  de  Fuca  Ship  Canal  &  Railroad 
Company  was  incorporated  by  H.  C.  Walters,  John 
Marshall,  Theodore  Wygant,  F.  K.  Arnold,  Lee 
Hofifman  and  William  A.  Bantz,  with  a  capital  of 
two  million  dollars.  This  was  a  boom  scheme  and 
never  materialized  into  anything  substantial.  An- 
other of  the  same  character  was  the  Northwestern 
Railroad  Company,  of  which  the  principal  promotor 
was  Richard  Nevins,  Jr.  This  company  proposed 
to  build  a  railroad  about  one  hundred  miles  long 
with  Mount  Vernon  as  the  center  and  extending 
east  from  that  point  to  the  Hamilton  coal  mines, 
and  west  to  La  Conner,  to  Edison  and  to  a  connec- 
tion with  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern.  Still 
another  boom  scheme  was  the  La  Conner,  Mount 
Vernon  &  Eastern  Railroad  Company,  incorporated 
by  Leonard  C.  Whitfield,  Milton  Van  Dvke  and 
Richard  Hussey,  of  Seattle,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Its  pur- 
I)ose  as  set  forth  was  to  construct  a  railroad  from 
La  Conner  through  the  Cascades  to  the  Columbia 
river. 

By  the  number  and  magnitude  of  these  schemes 
one  can  gain  some  idea  of  the  eager  excitement  into 
which  the  entire  region  was  thrown,  an  excitement 
equaled  at  no  other  time  in  the  history  of  the 
county.  But  it  was  not  confined  to  railroads. 
Every  interest  and  every  industry  partook  of  the 
general  fever.  The  price  of  land  rose  to  unex- 
ampled heights  and  the  number  of  real  estate  trans- 
fers was  greater  than  ever  before.  This  was  par- 
ticularly the  case  with  town  property.  In  this  con- 
nection we  note  the  following  in  the  Skagit  News 
of  January  1,3,  1890:  "At  no  time  in  the  history  of 
the  state  has  there  been  such  a  boom  in  town  lots 
as  at  present.  The  boom  is  not  confined  to  one 
locality,  but  the  whole  sound  country  is  flooded  with 
embryo  towns  and  additions  to  towns  already  es- 
tablished. This  property  is  held  by  active  real 
estate  agents,  who,  in  flaming  advertisements,  paint 
the  glowing  future  of  their  particular  localitv  and 
enumerate  railroads  by  the  score  which  are  partic- 
ularly anxious  to  build  in  their  town.  Of  course, 
m  some  instances,  their  statements  are  warranted 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


by  the  facts,  but  in  a  great  many  cases  the  boom 
originated  in  the  fertile  mind  of  the  real  estate  shark 
who  is  anxious  to  unload  his  property  at  an  enor- 
mous profit.  It  seems  that  so  long  as  there  are 
suckers  the  real  estate  men  will  continue  to  hook 
them.  In  fact,  they  bite  with  such  rapidity  that 
they  fall  over  each  other  in  their  attempt  to  get  at 
the  bait.  There  will  be  a  crash  in  the  real  estate 
market  one  of  these  days  and  many  a  victim  will 
suffer  from  the  effects  of  this  wildcat  speculation. 
The  history  of  the  California  boom  seems  to  have 
conveyed  lio  lesson  to  Washington  investors." 

New  towns  and  additions  to  towns  were  spring- 
ing up  by  the  score.  Every  one  who  had  property 
that  could  be  platted  into  town  lots  had  the  same 
surveyed  and  sold  it  readily  at  an  enormous  profit. 
Plats  of  new  towns  and  additions  were  filed  at  the 
auditor's  office  at  the  rate  of  five  or  six  a  week. 
During  the  period  from  the  1st  of  Januar_\',  1890, 
until  the  middle  of  March  the  following  plats  were 
filed:  Fidalgo,  Birdsview,  Dyer's  plat  of  Lyman, 
Haller's  second  addition  to  Edison,  Riverview  addi- 
tion to  Avon,  Cumberland,  First  addition  to  Sedro, 
Central  addition  to  Sedro,  City  of  Anacortes,  Con- 
over's  plat  of  Anacortes,  Fidalgo  addition  to  the 
city  of  Anacortes,  Fairvicw  addition  to  Anacortes, 
Central  addition  to  Anacortes,  Colver's  addition  to 
Anacortes,  J.  H.  Havekost's  addition  to  Anacortes, 
Grand  View  addition  to  Anacortes,  First  addition 
to  the  city  of  Anacortes,  J.  M.  Moor's  addition  to 
Anacortes,  Hagadorn  &  Stewart's  first  addition  to 
Anacortes.  E.  O.  Tade's  first  addition  to  Anacortes, 
Kyle's  addition  to  Anacortes,  Mrs.  Mary  Eubank's 
first  addition  to  Anacortes,  Kellogg  &  Ford's  addi- 
tion to  Anacortes,  G.  Kellogg's  addition  to  Anacor- 
tes, Pleasant  Slope  addition  to  Anacortes,  King's 
first  addition  to  Anacortes,  Tuttle  &  Buckley's  plat 
of  Anacortes,  Nelson's  addition  to  Anacortes,  Bur- 
don's  first  addition  to  Anacortes,  City  of  North 
Anacortes,  Seattle  Syndicate's  f^rst  addition  to 
Anacortes,  Chapman's  addition  to  Anacortes,  Fi- 
dalgo Bay  addition  to  Anacortes,  Parson's  addition 
to  Anacortes,  Whitney's  first  addition  to  Anacortes, 
Wood's  plat  of  North  Anacortes,  Philips'  addition 
to  the  city  of  Fidalgo,  Carlyle's  addition  to  Fidalgo, 
Bowman's  Central  Ship  Harbor  water-front  i^lat 
of  Anacortes,  Griffin's  first  addition  to  Anacortes, 
Curtis'  first  addition  to  Anacortes,  Beale's  addition 
to  Anacortes. 

It  will  be  observed  that  of  these  forty-two  plats, 
thirty-two  were  in  the  city  of  Anacortes.  It  was 
here  that  the  tumult  and  fever  of  speculation  raged 
fiercest.  People  came  by  trainloads  to  view  the 
town  site  and  pick  up  land  which  they  hoped  to  sell 
in  a  short  time  at  double  or  treble  the  cost.  Fabu- 
lous sums  were  spent  in  these  speculations.  In  a 
few  months  the  population  of  Anacortes  rose  from 
a  few  dozen  to  several  thousand.  Broad  streets 
were  laid  out  and  brick  blocks  erected.  The  city 
was   incorporated   as   a   city   of   the  third   class,   a 


mayor  and  council  were  elected  and  the  other  de- 
partments of  city  government  carried  on.  On  the 
Fourth  of  July,  1890,  a  celebration  was  held  such 
as  had  seldom  or  never  been  seen  before  in  the 
county,  the  fireworks  being  the  most  gorgeous  ever 
displayed  on  that  part  of  the  sound.  Thousands  of 
people  were  present.  Anacortes  was  indeed  a 
most  lively  and  jirosperous  city  until  the  boom 
finally  broke,  when  many  men  were  ruined,  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars  being  lost.  However, 
it  is  now  one  of  the  most  thrifty,  prosperous  towns 
along  the  coast. 

There  were  other  booms  of  much  smaller  di- 
mensions throughout  the  county,  while  some  places 
escaped  them  almost  entirely.  Mount  Vernon,  the 
county  seat,  which  had  been  rather  quiet  for  some 
time,  began  picking  up,  but  in  a  steady  and  healthy 
manner.  The  building  of  the  Great  Northern 
railroad  through  the  city,  for  which  the  citizens 
gave  land  and  cash  to  the  amount  of  sixty-five 
thousand  dollars,  gave  a  great  impetus  to  business 
operations  of  all  kinds.  Its  population  was  be- 
tween nine  hundred  and  one  thousand. 

In  October,  1890,  a  company  was  formed, 
known  as  the  Skagit  County  Agricultural  Society, 
in  which  W.  J.  McKenna  was  one  of  the  prime 
movers.  Its  capital  stock  was  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars,  and  its  object  to  hold  an  annual  comity  fair 
and  stock  competition  at  Bayview.  Many  of  the 
farmers  and  others  interested  jjurchased  stock,  but 
unfortunatel)'  the  enterprise  did  not  succeed. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  county  may  be  indi- 
cated by  the  increase  in  population  since  the  previ- 
ous year.  In  1889  there  were  G.lll  people  in  the 
county;  in  1890,  8,730,  being  an  increase  of  '^,019. 

In  the  winter  of  1889-90  two  important  memo- 
rials were  presented  to  congress  dealing  with  the 
improvement  of  navigation  in  the  Swinomish  chan- 
nel and  Skagit  river.  The  first  was  offered  by 
Representative  Edens  and  was  as  follows : 

"Your  memoralists.  the  legislature  of  the  state 
of  Washington,  would  respectfully  represent  that 
the  growing  commerce  of  Puget  sound,  more  es- 
pecially between  Olympia,  Tacoma  and  Seattle  on 
the  one  hand,  and  La  Conner,  Anacortes.  Fair- 
haven,  Bellingham,  Sehome  and  Whatcom  on  the 
other,  require  certain  dredging  improvements  in 
the  Swinomish  channel,  dividing  Fidalgo  island 
from  the  mainland,  in  Skagit  county,  and  connect- 
ing Skagit  bay  on  the  south  with  Padilla  and 
Bellingham  bays  on  the  north.  This  route  affords 
safe  and  sheltered  navigation  along  the  eastern 
shores  of  Puget  sound  between  the  principal  cities 
above  referred  to.  Owing  to  a  few  bars  in  Swino- 
mish channel,  most  of  the  numerous  steamers  now 
plying  in  these  waters  and  carrying  hundreds  of 
passengers  daily  have  to  go  through  Deception  pass, 
between  Whidby  and  Fidalgo  islands,  which  pass 
being  verv  narrow,  with  perpendicular  rocks  on 
either  side  and  a  swift  raging  current  at  certain 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1889-97 


stages  of  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide,  is  dangerous 
to  navigation.  It  is  therefore  essential  that  Swi- 
nomish  channel  be  improved  so  as  to  avoid  the 
perils  of  the  Deception  pass  route.  Besides  the 
advantage  of  the  Swinomish  channel  as  a  through 
line  from  one  end  of  the  sound  to  the  other,  it  is 
the  local  outlet  for  the  products  of  Skagit  county, 
the  most  important  agricultural  county  of  western 
Washington,  producing,  as  it  does,  some  eight 
thousand  tons  of  hay  and  twenty  thousand  tons  of 
grain  annually.  It  is  estimated  that  one-  hundred 
thousand  dollars  judiciously  expended  in  dredging 
the  channel  would  render  incalculable  benefit  to  the 
commerce  of  Puget  sound ;  and  we  respectfully 
ask  that  congress  appropriate  that  sum  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  in  so  doing  we  only  voice  a  recommenda- 
tion already  approved  and  endorsed  by  the  boards  of 
trade  or  municipalities  of  the  cities  of  Olympia, 
Tacoma,  Seattle,  La  Conner  and  Whatcom,  and 
petitions  numerously  signed  by  the  people  along 
the  line." 

Appropriations  for  the  purpose  stated  in  this 
memorial  were  later  made  by  congress  to  the 
amount  of  about  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  The 
work  was  a  most  important  one  and  added  greatly 
to  the  commercial  importance  of  Skagit  county. 
Almost  at  the  same  time  with  the  above  memorial 
another,  concerning  a  matter  of  almost  equal  con- 
sequence, was  presented  by  Senator  Paine,  which 
read  as  follows : 

To  the  Honorable  the  Senate  and  llonsc  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States: 

Your  memorialists,  the  legislature  of  the  state  of 
Washington,  do  most  earnestly  and  urgently  request  your 
honorable  body  to  appropriate  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars for  the  improvement  of  the  Skagit  river. 

The  Skagit  river,  which  empties  into  Utsalady  bay, 
one  of  the  large  sheets  of  water  forming  Puget  sound,  is 
the  largest  river  in  western  Washington.  Its  drainage 
basin  contains  2,800  .square  miles,  including  300  square 
miles  of  fertile  valley  land  nearly  level,  and  is  covered  with 
dense  forests,  principally  of  fir.  cedar,  spruce  and  cotton- 
wood.  The  river  varies' in  width  from  ."iOO  to  fiOO  feet  and 
can,  by  judicious  expenditure  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  be  made  navigable  for  a  distance  of  90  miles  for 
steamers  drawing  from  five  to  six  feet  of  water.  This 
accom,plished,  Skagit  valley  will  become  one  of  the  most 
productive  and  richest  valleys  in  the  United  States,  and 
will  give  employment  and  support  to  a  population  of  fifty 
thousand  persons.  Its  present  population  is  about  five 
thousand. 

The  iron  ore  already  discovered  and  located  in  the 
mountains,  at  whose  base  the  river  courses,  is  estimated 
by  experts  as  sufficient  in  quantity  and  quality  to  supply 
the  wants  of  the  United  States  for  centuries.  Contiguous 
to  these  iron  mountains  are  vast  deposits  of  limestone. 

The  great  coal  fields  of  Skagit  valley  are  unsurpassed 
in  quality.  The  veins  now  open  and  awaiting  transpor- 
tation facilities,  there  being  no  railroad  in  the  valley,  are 
the  Bennett,  showing  a  thirty-foot  face,  the  Cumberland, 
showing  a  fifteen-foot  face,  and  the  Conner,  showing  a 
twelve-foot  face.  These  three  mines  would,  inside  of 
sixty  days,  if  the  necessary  improvements  prayed  for  are 
made,  furnish  the  nxarkets  of  the  world  1,.W0  tons  of  coal 
daily,  and  the  additional  mines  that  would  be  opened  wo\tld 
swell   the   output   of   coal    in    the    valley   TlOOO   tons   daily. 


The  coal  can  be  floated  down  on  barges  to  Utsalady  bay 
and  then  loaded  on  ocean  vessels  ready  for  shipment  to 
any  port  in  the  world.  Iron,  coal  and  limestone  in  con- 
tiguous mountains  insure  the  building  of  large  iron  works 
in  this  valley. 

The  Skagit  river,  once  made  a  navigable  highway  to 
the  ocean,  will  protect  the  producer  against  exorbitant 
freight  rates  in  the  future,  and  accelerate  the  opening  of 
its   manifold   resources   now   lying   dormant. 

Besides  its  vast  wealth  in  minerals,  there  are  floated 
down  the  Skagit  river  from  fortv  to  fifty  million  feet  of 
logs  yearly.  .       .     ,        , 

Its  soil  is  of  the  richest,  producmg  ui  hay  from  three 
to  four  tons  per  acre ;  oats  from  %  to  130  bushels  per  acre. 
Its  fruits  are  equal  to  those  of  California.  Sugar  beets, 
potatoes  and  other  roots  are  wondrously  prolific  in  growth. 
A  fine  quality  of  tobacco  is  also  raised. 

The  granting  of  the  prayer  of  your  memorialists  will 
open  up  the  vast  resources  of  this  valley,  for  which  your 
memorialists  will  ever  pray. 

About  this  time  there  were  soine  agitations  in 
Fidalgo  and  Guemes  islands  against  the  Chinese. 
A  meeting  was  held  on  December  28th  in  Anacortes, 
at  which  a  number  of  resolutions  were  adopted,  in 
which  were  detailed  at  length  all  the  objections 
against  this  unwelcome  race.  The  principal  ones 
were  that  they  were  non-assimilative,  that  they  sent 
all  their  earnings  to  China  and  were  therefore  a  con- 
stant financial  drain  upon  the  country,  that  their 
cheap  labor  was  ruinous  and  destructive  to  all  com- 
petition, that  their  moral  habits  were  frightful  and 
degrading  to  all  with  whom  they  came  in  contact. 
Therefore  the  citizens  of  Fidalgo  and  Guemes 
islands  jjresent  at  this  meeting  resolved  at  once  to 
take  measures  to  get  rid  of  the  Chinese  who  were 
already  on  the  islands  and  to  ])revent  the  advent  of 
any  more.  Their  action,  however,  ceased  with  the 
resolution,  as  nothing  more  definite  was  ever  done, 
though  the  Celestials  remained  away  from  the 
islands  until  the  establishment  of  the  canneries. 
Even  then  the  eniployers  secured  the  citizens'  per- 
mission to  introduce  Chinese  labor. 

The  logging  industry  was  quite  active  during 
1890,  about  46,000,000  'feet  being  cut  during  the 
season.  Some  327  men  were  employed,  114  o.xen, 
30  horses,  and  25  miles  of  tramway  and  skid  roads. 
The  largest  outfit  in  the  entire  region  was  that  of 
I'.lanchard  &  Sons,  whose  output  was  about 
20,000,000  feet  of  logs.  They  had  a  five-mile  railroad 
of  standard  gauge  and  six  locomotives,  and  the  value 
of  their  rolling  stock  and  improveinents  was 
$100,000.  They  owned  1,400  acres  of  timber  land 
and  employed  100  men.  Other  loggers  in  the 
county,  with  their  outputs,  were  Mitchell  Thibcrt, 
3,000,000  feet:  Vike  &  Company,  1,000,000  feet; 
Clothier  &  English,  5,000,000  feet ;  Eugene  Taylor, 
2,000,000  feet ;  W.  F.  McKav.  6.000,000  feet ;  Reed 
&  Blodgett,  3.000,000  feet;  H.  D.  Cole,  4,000,000 
feet ;  George  O'Brien.  3,000.000  feet ;  and  Ferguson 
Brothers. 

In  the  summer  of  1890  public  attention  was 
attracted  by  an  attempted  highway  robbery,  which 
occurred  on  the  4th  of  .Atignst.    On  the  evening  of 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


that  day  Captain  W.  A.  Jones,  who  had  just  re- 
turned to  Hamilton  from  Seattle  with  the  monthly 
pay  for  the  men  in  the  Skagit-Cumberland  coal 
mines,  crossed  the  river  on  the  ferry  and  started  to 
walk  to  his  office,  which  was  about  a  hundred  rods 
from  the  edge  of  the  river.  He  had  gone  about 
half  the  distance  when  there  suddenly  appeared  in 
front  of  him  a  masked  man  who  leveled  a  revolver 
at  his  head  and  ordered  him  to  throw  u])  his  hands. 
Captain  Jones  had  no  alternative,  so  he  promptly 
complied.  He  was  then  driven  before  the  gun  to 
one  side  of  the  road,  where  the  highwayman  pro- 
ceeded to  blindfold  him,  tie  him  to  a  tree  and  relieve 
him  of  the  money  which  he  was  carrying  to  the 
mine.  This  done  he  warned  him  not  to  make  any 
noise  and  started  back  to  the  road.  He  had  chosen 
a  very  inopportune  time  for  doing  so,  however,  for 
on  stepping  out  of  the  woods  he  walked  into  a  party 
of  miners,  who,  hearing  the  shouts  of  Captain  Jones, 
at  once  attacked  the  robber.  The  latter  immediately 
pulled  his  gun  and  commenced  shooting,  at  the  same 
time  trying  to  make  his  escape,  but  one  of  the  miners 
seized  him  by  the  arm  and  another  hit  him  over 
the  head  with  a  paddle,  knocking  him  down  so  that 
he  was  easily  secured.  The  deputy  sheriff,  T.  F. 
Moody,  soon  appeared  on  the  scene  and  took  the 
fellow  to  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  was  lodged  in 
the  county  jail.  His  name  was  found  to  be  Joe 
Frey.  He  had  been  seen  once  or  twice  in  Hamilton, 
where  he  probably  discovered  the  method  of  pay- 
ment at  the  mines. 

The  men  who  happened  along  in  the  nick  of  time 
and  captured  the  robber  were  Hans  Brendt,  Geo.  A. 
Hanson,  John  D.  Allen,  Samuel  Drake  and  Pat 
McGee.  They  were  each  presented  with  a  hand- 
some revolver  by  the  Skagit-Cumberland  Coal 
Company  as  a  token  of  gratitude   for  their  deed. 

The  year  18!)0  was  also  marked  by  a  smallpox 
epidemic  which  raged  almost  exclusively  among 
the  Indians  during  the  summer.  Scores  of  them 
died  of  the  dread  disease,  the  mortality  being  un- 
usually high.  The  woods  were  full  of  afflicted  and 
dead  Indians.  Corpses  floating  down  the  river  were 
often  seen.  People  at  last  became  afraid  to  venture 
into  the  woods  or  along  shore  and  the  county  hired 
men  to  hunt  for  these  unfortunates  and  attend  them, 
to  bury  the  dead,  and  to  burn  potlatch  houses  and 
other  property  that  the  infection  might  be  stopped. 

The  most  interesting  event  that  happened  in 
the  spring  of  1891  was  the  organization  of  the  Ska- 
git County  Pioneer  Association.  Such  organiza- 
tions are  always  of  the  greatest  interest  in  western 
communities,  where  the  memory  of  early  hardships 
and  early  struggles  and  sacrifices  and  achievements 
yet  remains.  The  pioneers  may  be  passing  away, 
but  they  leave  behind  them  a  memorial  in  their  deeds 
which  will  be  remembered  and  venerated  as  long 
as  memorA'  endures.  The  first  meeting  of  the  old 
settlers  of  Skagit  county  was  held  in  Moimt  Vernon 
on  April  2r)th,  and  Orrin   Kincaid  was  elected  its 


chairman,  G.  E.  Hartson  its  secretary.  A  committee 
was  appointed,  consisting  of  G.  E.  Hartson,  Otto 
Klement  and  B.  N.  L.  Davis,  to  draw  up  a  con- 
stitution. It  was  then  decided  to  postpone  perma- 
nent organization  until  the  next  meeting,  which 
would  be  held  at  Skagit  City  on  June  6th,  when  a 
picnic  and  grand  reunion  would  also  be  held. 

The  6th  of  June  began  unpropitiously,  there 
being  a  down-pour  of  rain  in  the  morning  but  in 
spite  of  this  the  meeting  was  a  great  success.  After 
addresses  by  Hon.  Orrin  Kincaid  and  G.  E.  Hartson 
on  the  object  of  the  organization,  a  recess  was  taken 
for  dinner.  In  the  afternoon  the  meeting  was  again 
called  to  order  and  the  serious  business  of  the  day 
transacted.  The  by-laws  were  first  read  and  adopt- 
ed. These  stated  one  of  the  objects  of  the  organiza- 
tion to  be  "the  preservation  of  data  incident  to  the 
early  settlement  of  Skagit  county."  They  also 
limited  the  membership  to  "all  persons  who  were 
residents  of  Skagit  county  prior  to  and  including 
the  year  18T5,  and  continued  such  residents  for  a 
period  of  at  least  one  year,  and  all  persons  who 
located  claims  in  said  county  prior  to  or  at  any  time 
during  said  year  upon  which  they  have  since  resided 
for  a  period  of  not  less  than  one  year." 

The  date  for  the  annual  meetings  was  fixed  for 
the  first  Saturday  in  August,  the  next  meeting  to  be 
held  in  1893.  The  officers  elected  for  the  first  year 
were :  Hon.  Orrin  Kincaid  of  Mount  Vernon,  presi- 
dent; T.  P.  Hastie  of  Skagit  City,  first  vice-presi- 
dent; J.  H.  Nash  of  Fir,  second  vice-president; 
Jasper  Gates  of  Fir,  third  vice-president;  G.  E. 
Hartson  of  Mount  Vernon,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  members  enrolled 
at  the  first  meeting:  James  H.  Nash,  Thomas  P. 
Hastie,  Clara  Hastie,  William  Gage,  Henry  A. 
Wright,  Charles  Villeneuve,  Richard  Garland,  Peter 
Kuyl,  Etna  Garrett,  J.  M.  Zeiller.  Clarinda  Gates, 
Mary  J.  Fritz,  Ida  Guiberson,  B.  A.  Villeneuve, 
G.  E.  Hartson,  Maggie  Davis,  Laura  Hastie,  Ella 
Washburn,  Eleanor  Jones,  Mary  A.  Jones,  Charles 
W.  Jones,  Augustus  Hartson,  Jasper  Gates,  G.  P. 
Pritchard,  Franklyn  Buck,  Elijah  Watkins,  Otto 
Klement,  J.  V.  Abbot,  Orrin  Kincaid,  Esther  Smith, 
Sarah  Gates,  F.  B.  Watkins,  Mahallah  Hansen. 
James  Abbott,  Emily  L.  Gage,  Mattie  liuck, 
Edward  Jones,  Thomas  J.  Jones,  Maria  Knox,  Mar\ 
Gates.  Matilda  Hartson,  Harrison  Clothier.  Kate  Fl. 
Washburn,  Rebecca  Hartson,  Oliver  Tingley,  J.  R. 
H.  Danir,  S.  G.  Tingley,  D.  L.  McCormick,  William 
Dale,  James  J.  Conner,  N.  P.  Christenson,  Mathilda 
Christenson,  Robert  Christenson,  Laura  Christen- 
son, William  A.  Moores,  D.  E.  Kimble;  honorary 
members,  Mollie  Klement,  C.  C.  Hansen,  William 
Knox. 

In  the  spring  and  sunmier  of  1891  the  question 
of  better  wagon  roads  received  considerable  atten- 
tion. On  May  5th  a  meeting  of  those  interested  in 
this  matter  was  held  in  the  Mount  \'ernon  court- 
house, E.  K.  Matlock  being  chairman.     The  county 


SKAGIT   COUNTY, 


commissioners  were  invited  to  be  present  and  were 
presented  two  petitions  signed  by  several  hundred 
citizens,  the  first  asking  for  an  appropriation  of 
twenty  thousand  dollars  for  the  construction  of  the 
Cascade  and  Monte  Cristo  roads ;  the  other  that  a 
proposition  to  bond  the  county  for  four  per  cent,  of 
its  valuation  in  order  to  raise  money  for  the  im- 
provement of  roads  be  submitted  at  a  special  elec- 
tion. These  projects  were  never  carried  out  as  the 
commissioners  did  not  see  fit  to  make  an  appropria- 
tion of  such  size  for  such  purposes.  The  Monte 
Cristo  road  was  finally  built,  though  neither  Skagit 
nor  Snohomish  county  contributed  much  toward  its 
construction,  the  work  being  done  mostly  by  the 
Monte  Cristo  Mining  Company. 

About  this  time  there  was  a  scheme  advanced  to 
form  a  new  county  out  of  the  eastern  part  of  What- 
com, Skagit  and  Snohomish  counties,  to  be  known 
as  Cascade  county  and  to  have  Sauk  City  as  county 
seat.  This  scheme  was  a  result  of  the  boom  times, 
however,  and  was  never  carried  out. 

On  July  2G,  1891,  occurred  one  of  the  most  de- 
plorable tragedies  in  the  history  of  the  county,  and 
one  which  was  shrouded  in  considerable  mystery. 
It  was  a  shooting  afifair  near  Woolley,  in  which  one 
man,  George  W.  Poor,  a  deputy  sheriff  of  King 
county,  was  killed  outright,  and  two  others,  J.  E. 
Terry,  a  Seattle  ex-policeman,  and  J.  C.  Baird,  an 
inspector  of  customs  at  Woolley,  were  wounded. 
The  facts  as  given  were  these: 

A  band  of  contraband  Chinamen  were  discov- 
ered in  the  vicinity  of  Woolley  and  on  Saturday,  the 
25th,  Inspector  Baird  sent  for  James  Buchanan,  an 
inspector  at  Blaine,  to  come  and  assist  him  in  their 
capture.  On  Sunday  evening  Deputy  Sheriff 
George  W.  Poor  and  Customs  Inspector  Taylor 
Holden  arrived  from  Seattle,  and  happening  to  meet 
Baird,  informed  him  that  they  were  after  some 
Chinamen.  Holden  went  to  the  hotel  at  Sedro, 
while  Poor  went  on  up  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  & 
Eastern  track.  Baird  and  Buchanan  followed  him 
for  .some  distance  and  saw  him  enter  the  woods  and 
soon  after  reappear  in  company  with  J.  E.  Terry 
and  nine  Chinamen.  Baird  went  up  and  com- 
manded them  to  surrender,  saying  that  he  was  a 
United  States  officer.  He  was  answered  by  several 
revolver  shots,  one  of  which  inflicted  a  scalp  wound. 
Baird  and  Buchanan  immediately  returned  the  fire 
so  effectively  that  Poor  was  hit  in  the  heart,  and 
immediately  killed,  while  Terry  was  badly  wounded. 
The  Chinamen  escaped  in  the  meantime  but  were 
captured  the  following  day.  Baird,  Buchanan  and 
Holden  were  all  arrested.  The  jury  at  the  inquest 
held  on  the  body  of  Poor  brought  in  a  verdict  that 
he  met  his  death  by  a  gun-shot  wound  inflicted  by 
J.  C.  Baird,  but  no  charge  was  made. 

The  statements  made  by  the  different  parties 
in  the  conflict  did  not  agree  in  every  particular. 
The  version  given  by  Terry  was  as  follows:  "I 
located  nine   Chinamen  who  had   illegally   crossed 


the  border  and  were  making  southwest.  I  immedi- 
ately sent  for  Taylor  Holden  to  come  up  and  help 
me  take  them.  He  did  come  and  brought  Deputy 
George  Poor  with  him.  I  explained  everything  to 
them  and  a  little  after  ten  o'clock  we  started  down 
the  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  track.  After  going  a 
short  distance  Holden  concluded  to  go  back  and 
watch  Sedro  and  left  us.  I  was  to  make  the  arrest. 
Poor  and  myself  pushed  on,  located  the  Chinamen 
and  placed  them  under  arrest.  We  then  started 
back  to  Sedro  and  had  proceeded  but  a  short  dis- 
tance when  I  made  out  two  men  standing  on  a  little 
knoll  some  little  distance  ahead  of  us.  Almost  im- 
mediately they  began  firing  at  us.  The  first  shot 
went  in  front  of  me  and  I  jumped  sideways.  Then 
I  got  it  in  the  stomach.  I  was  hit  four  times  in  all. 
Poor  cried  out  three  times  :  T  have  these  men  under 
arrest!  I  am  a  deputy  sherifif!"  Then  George  got 
it  and  he  fell  saying,  'He  has  shot  me.'  When  the 
last  bullet  struck  me  I  sprang  into  the  brush.  Then 
I  heard  one  of  the  men  say,  'We  have  killed  him ; 
let  us  get  out,'  and  they  left.  They  went  up  the 
track  and  for  town  on  the  run.  I  knelt  at  George's 
side  and  saw  that  he  was  dead.  I  made  my  way 
back  to  town,  fainting  from  loss  of  blood  as  I 
reached  here.  I  do  not  know  who  did  the  shooting, 
but  I  understand  that  Inspectors  J.  C.  Baird  and 
James  Buchanan  are  the  two  who  did  it." 

According  to  Baird's  story  he  was  convinced  that 
Terry  was  a  smuggler  and  was  trying  to  contrive 
the  escape  of  the  Chinamen.  He  claimed  to  have 
had  previous  proof  of  this,  and  also  that  Holden 
was  implicated  with  him  in  the  smuggling  business. 
His  account  of  the  battle  was  as  follows:  "At  the 
junction  of  the  railroad  and  township  wagon  road, 
as  we  heard  them  coming,  we  hid  in  the  brush,  and 
when  they  came  opposite  I  rushed  out  and  con- 
fronted Terry  with  my  revolver  and  told  him  I  was 
a  deputy  customs  collector  and  arrested  them  in  the 
name  of  the  United  States.  As  soon  as  I  spoke 
each  of  the  men  fired  three  shots  at  me  in  quick 
succession,  and  Buchanan  and  myself  returned  the 
fire.  I  shot  at  them  as  long  as  they  stood  their 
ground,  but  shot  only  at  Holden  and  Terry.  They 
suddenly  took  to  their  heels,  while  Poor  stood  his 
ground  and  shot  me  in  the  head.  It  was  not  a  seri- 
ous wound.  It  stunned  me  and  I  fell  to  the  ground. 
I  then  commenced  firing  at  Poor.  Pretty  soon  he 
dropped  and  at  the  same  moment  I  sprang  upon  the 
prostrate  form.  When  he  fell  he  threw  up  his  hands 
and  said,  'You  have  shot  me  and  I  am  a  deputy 
sherifif!'  They  fired  between  fifteen  and  eighteen 
shots  and  Buchanan  and  I  fired  ten.  I  found  in 
Poor's  pocket  a  false  beard  and  some  colored  eye- 
glasses." 

The  trial  of  Baird  and  Buchanan  for  the  murder 
of  Poor  resulted  in  their  being  exonerated  of  all 
guilt,  and  discharged  by  Judge  Tern'.  The  sym- 
pathy of  the  crowds  that  packed  the  court  room 
seemed  to  be  generally  in  their  favor  and  against 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Holden,  but  a  great  deal  of  sympathy  was  also 
expressed  for  Poor,  who  was  thought  to  have  been 
innocent  of  any  intentional  wrong,  though  perhaps 
the  dupe  of  the  two  men  with  whom  he  was  associ- 
ated  in   the  capture  of  the   Chinamen. 

Collector  of  Customs  Charles  M.  Bradshaw, 
of  Port  Townsend,  upheld  Baird,  considering  that 
he  only  did  his  duty.  Baird  was  retained  in  the 
service,  while  Holden  was  discharged,  though  pre- 
vious to  this  time  Mr.  Bradshaw  had  regarded  him 
also  as  one  of  his  most  trustworthy   deputies. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  18i)l  that  the  Bar  Associa- 
tion of  Skagit  county,  which  is  still  in  active  exist- 
ence and  numbers  among  its  members  all  the  prac- 
ticing lawyers  of  the  county,  was  formed.  A 
meeting  was  held  in  the  court-house  at  Mount 
Vernon  on  September  Sth,  when  organization  was 
effected  and  a  constitution  adopted.  The  following 
officers  were  elected  :  George  M.  Sinclair,  president ; 
B.  B.  Fowle.  vice-president ;  D.  H.  Hartson,  secre- 
tary, and  Thomas  Smith,  treasurer.  A  committee 
on  by-laws  was  appointed,  consisting  of  B.  B. 
Fowle,  Major  Moore  and  J.  Henry  Smith.  The 
charter  members  of  this  association  were  the  fol- 
lowing: George  M.  Sinclair,  Thomas  Smith,  Henry 
McBride,  Major  A.  M.  Moore,  J.  M.  Turner,  B.  B. 
Fowle,  A.  M.  Cunningham,  Wvlie  Jones,  Sevmour 
Tones,  D.  H.  Hartson,  E.  C.  Million,  J.  P.  Houser, 
W.  H.  Perry.  Geo.  A.  Joiner,  W.  Y.  Wells,  J.  C. 
Waugh,  A.  W.  Salsbury,  J.  Henry  Smith,  Frank 
Ouinby  and  Henry  McLean. 

The  year  1891  was  a  rather  unfortunate  one  in 
the  agricultural  line.  The  harvest  season  was  very 
poor,  resulting  in  serious  damage  and  in  some  cases 
almost  total  failure  to  the  hop  and  oat  crops,  and  to 
add  to  the  misfortune  the  price  at  that  time  was  not 
very  high.  The  price  of  land  and  the  demand  for 
it  were  very  good,  however,  as  is  shown  by  the  sale 
of  some  school  land  on  November  '^ith,  at  which 
acreage  to  the  value  of  over  two  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  dollars  was  sold,  the  highest  price  paid 
being  one  hundred  and  twent\-six  dollars  per  acre. 

The  immense  growth  of  the  C(  unity  during  1891 
and  the  two  previous  years  may  be  indicated  by  the 
assessment  rolls.  The  amount  of  land  assessed  was 
372,40,5  acres,  and  the  amount  of  improved  land, 
22,044  acres.  The  assessed  valuation  of  the  land  as 
equalized  by  the  board  of  county  commissioners 
was  $5,229,861 ;  the  equalized  valuation  of  improve- 
ments on  land,  $341,786;  of  town  lots.  $o, 572.936  ; 
of  improvements  thereon,  $401,575;  railroad  track, 
$995,085  ;  personal  property.  $1,003,630.  The  entire 
equalized  valuation  of  all  property  was,  therefore, 
$11,610,873.  This  was  a  tremendous  increase  since 
1888,  at  which  time  the  assessed  valuation,  was 
$1,460,601.  This  increase  was  largely  the  result 
of  the  widespread  and  unprecedented  booms  with 
which  the  county  was  filled  during  this  period  and 
when  these  booms  broke,  there  was  an  immediate 


decline  of  two  or  three  million  dollars  in  the  aggre- 
gate valuation  of  property. 

In  1892  the  county  commissioners  undertook 
two  important  improvements,  namely,  the  building 
of  bridges  across  the  Swinomish  slough  and  the 
Skagit  river  at  IMount  \'ernon.  The  contract  for 
the  first  was  let  to  John  Wilson,  of  Burlington,  for 
four  thousand  six  hundred  dollars,  and  a  contract 
for  piling  the  slough  from  the  bridge  to  the  high- 
lands beyond  was  also  let,  the  successful  bidder 
being  Fred  Ross,  of  Mount  Vernon.  This  work 
was  expected  to  cost  about  three  thousand  dollars. 
The  most  important  bridge  was  that  on  the  Skagit, 
for  which  there  had  long  been  a  demand,  as  there 
was  no  way  to  get  across  the  river  except  by  the 
ferry  or  the  railroad.  The  question  of  building  a 
wagon  bridge  had  come  up  three  years  before,  at 
which  time  the  commissioners  had  submitted  a  prop- 
osition to  levy  a  special  tax  of  one  mill  for  that 
purpose.  The  matter  had  dragged  on,  however, 
until  August,  1892.  when  the  contract  for  the  bridge 
was  finally  let  to  Westerman  &  Yeaton  of  Seattle, 
for  twenty-nine  thousand  dollars.  It  was  expected 
that  it  would  be  completed  by  the  beginning  of  the 
following  year. 

The  year  1892  was  an  exciting  one  throughout 
the  county.  The  old  question  of  county-seat 
removal,  which  has  been  a  burning  one  in  so  many 
counties,  was  the  absorbing  topic  of  the  year.  For 
some  time  a  number  of  cities  had  been  casting  en- 
vious eyes  at  Mount  \'ernon  and  wondering  how 
they  could  gain  the  coveted  honor,  one  of  these 
being  Sedro,  which  by  virtue  of  its  central  position, 
considered  itself  the  most  suitable.  Another  was 
Burlington,  but  the  most  ambitious  and  the  most 
dangerous  aspirant  was  the  famous  .'Knacortes.  It 
is  true  that  the  fortunes  of  Anacortes  were  begin- 
ning to  wane,  that  the  boom  which  had  built  it  had 
passed  its  height ;  nevertheless  it  was  a  dangerous 
rival  and  was  accordingly  feared  by  Mount  Vernon. 

The  fight  put  up  by  Anacortes  was  a  desperate 
one,  for  the  citizens  of  that  place  felt  that  its  pres- 
tige was  at  stake.  They  endeavored  to  prevail 
upon  Sedro  to  withdraw  from  the  race,  but  gener- 
osity is  a  trait  not  generally  present  in  county-seat 
struggles,  and  it  was  not  in  this  case.  In  May  a 
number  of  circular  letters  were  sent  out  from 
Anacortes  to  prominent  citizens  throughout  the 
county,  worded  as  follows: 

.\nacortes.  April  20,   1892. 

Dear  Sir : — The  Anacortes  Business  Men's  Association 
has  been  formed  for  the  e.xpress  purpose  of  removing  the 
county  seat  of  Skagit  county  from  Mount  Vernon  to 
Anacortes. 

This  we  will  undertake  to  do  if  you  will  give  us  your 
aid.  The  executive  committee  have  deemed  it  advisable 
to  request  lot  owners  to  submit  to  an  assessment  of  $10 
a  lot  in  order  to  create  a  campaign  fund  to  carry  on  this 
work  and  we  hope  that  you  will  see  it  to  your  advantage 
cheerfully  to  respond. 

The  fight  will  be  a  "hot  one."  but  we  can  assure  you 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1889-97 


of  its  successful  termination,  provided  the  necessary  en- 
couragement is  given  us.  It  is  not  necessary  to  go  into 
detail  as  to  the  advantages  to  be  gained  by  making  Ana- 
cortes  the  permanent  county  seat  of  Skagit  county ;  it  is 
apparent  to  all,  and  it  is  conceded  that  it  will  be  of  inesti- 
mable benefit  to  the  county  at  large. 

Several  months  ago  a  few  gentlemen  met  informally 
and  discussed  this  subject  and  concluded  our  chances  were 
good.  They  increased  in  number  from  day  to  day,  get- 
ting the  ideas  of  our  best  business  men,  until  they  gained 
in  strength  and  confidence  sufficient  to  warrant  a  perma- 
nent organization,  which  was  effected  in  March,  after  the 
consultation  with  the  managers  of  the  landed  interest, 
who  endorsed  our  plans  and  guaranteed  their  financial  aid. 
Our  membership  now  comprises  all  the  business  men  of 
the  town.  Politics  are  not  "in  it."  We  are  a  unit,  with 
only  one  purpose.  Tlie  executive  committee  have  control 
of  afifairs.  They  worked  quietly  and  systematically,  accom- 
plishing all  desired  ends.  A  vast  amount  of  preliminary 
work  has  to  be  done.  The  committee  has  no  further 
desire  for  secrecy,  and  after  a  careful  canvass  of  the 
county,  are  prepared  to  say  witliout  hesitation  that  we 
will  win  the  fight  with  your  help. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  executive  committee  to  receive 
and  disburse  all  moneys.  The  well  known  character  of 
these  gentlemen  is  a  guarantee  to  you  that  the  business  in 
hand   will   receive   most  careful   attention. 

Kindly  make  your  remittances  to  Mr.  T.  B.  Childs, 
treasurer,  or  to  Bank  of  Anacortes. 

Trusting  you  will  give  us  a  prompt  and  favorable 
reply,  we  are.  Yours  truly, 

H.  D.  Allison,  John  M.  Pl.\tt, 

Secretary    Ex.    Com.  President. 

P.csides  this  letter,  petitions  were  circulated 
throughout  the  county,  asking  that  the  question  of 
the  removal  be  submitted  at  the  next  election,  which 
petitions  were  presented  to  the  county  commission- 
ers in  August.  The  town  of  Sedro  also  circulated  a 
petition  of  similar  import. 

The  people  of  Mount  X'ernon  organized  to  meet 
and  resist  the  opposing  forces.  They  brought  for- 
ward every  possible  objection  to  removal,  the  cost 
of  doing  so,  which  they  claimed  would  be  at  least 
fifteen  thousand  dollars,  though  each  of  the  rival 
towns  proposed  to  pay  that  expense  in  case  of  suc- 
cess; the  loss  of  the  lands  and  buildings  already 
owned  in  Mount  Vernon  by  the  count}-,  the  cost  of 
new  ones  in  a  new  county  seat,  the  central  location 
and  easy  accessibility  of  Mount  \'ernon  and  the 
distance  and  inaccessibility  of  Anacortes.  Further- 
more, Mount  Vernon  claimed  that  Anacortes  was  a 
boorn  town  run  by  a  few  corporations,  and  that  it 
was  in  their  interest  alone  that  the  county  seat  should 
be  removed  thither. 

The  election  at  which  this  momentous  question 
was  decided  was  held  on  November  7th,  and  resulted 
as  follows:  ]\Iount  Vernon,  867  votes;  Anacortes, 
873 ;  Sedro,  636 ;  Burlington,  164.  Anacortes  thus 
received  a  plurality  but  in  order  to  secure  the  re- 
moval, three-fifths  of  all  the  votes  cast  were  neces- 
sary, and  these  none  of  the  cities  succeeded  in 
obtaining,  therefore  to  the  great  joy  and  triumph  of 
Mount  Vernon  and  the  grief  and  tribulation  of  the 
other  towns,  the  county  seat  remained  at  the  former 
place. 


The  population  of  Skagit  county  in  1892  was 
8.960.  being  an  increase  over  1890  of  only  230. 
There  were  almost  twice  as  many  men  in  the  county 
as  women,  showing  the  comparative  newness  of  the 
country.  In  spite  of  the  small  increase  agriculture 
had  evidently  prospered,  for  the  number  of  acres  in 
cultivation  had  increased  from  about  16,000  in  ISOO 
to  about  44,000  in  1892.  The  agricultural  .sections 
had  been  unaffected  to  any  great  extent  by  the 
booms,  but  had  gone  on  developing  steadily  and 
naturally.  It  was  in  the  towns  that  the  full  force 
of  the  booms  was  felt — in  the  towns  like  Anacortes, 
where  real  estate  prices  rose  to  several  times  the  nor- 
mal value  and  then  as  suddenly  dropped.  In  1890 
the  boom  had  been  at  its  height;  now  it  was  begin- 
ning to  collapse  and  premonitions  of  the  hard  times 
which  followed  so  close  on  its  heels  were  beginning 
to  be  felt.  Not  only  in  Skagit  county  but  in  the 
whole  Northwest  many  an  enterprise,  which  had 
begun  during  the  years  of  plenty  with  many  fair 
promises  of  success,  proved  unable  to  sustain  itself 
and  went  down  in  failure. 

The  assessment  returns  for  1892  show  a  valua- 
tion of  $7,769,177,  of  which  the  valuation  on  lands 
with  their  improvements  was  $3,606,001.  and  on 
town  and  city  lots  with  their  improvements,  $2,332,- 
305.  The  following  year  the  assessed  valuation  of 
the  county  was  still  less,  being  only  $6,476,066. 
The  principal  decrease  was  in  town  and  city  lots,  of 
which  the  valuation  was  $1,544,990.  The  reason 
for  this  was  that  much  land  which  had  been  assessed 
the  year  before  as  town  lots  was  now  assessed  as 
acreage  property,  also,  that  owing  to  the  hard  times 
the  price  of  land  was  lower. 

The  winter  of  1892-3  was  noted  all  over  the 
sound  country  for  very  disastrous  floods.  A  great 
amount  of  damage  was  done  to  property  and  rail- 
road traliSc  was  stopped  for  a  week  at  a  time.  The 
first  flood  occurred  in  November.  About  the  middle 
of  that  month  there  was  a  very  heavy  rain-storm, 
and  on  the  night  of  the  18th  a  warm  Chinook  wind 
blew,  which  melted  an  immense  amount  of  snow  in 
the  mountains.  By  the  morning  of  the  next  day 
the  Skagit  river  was  bank  full  and  still  rapidly 
rising.  Millions  of  feet  of  logs  and  a  great  amount 
of  drift  were  brought  down  so  thickly  that  it  was 
impossible  for  the  steamers  to  run.  A  huge  mass 
of  this  drift  lodged  against  the  pier  which  was  just 
being  built  for  the  new  bridge  at  Mount  \'ernon 
and  an  enormous  jam  formed,  which  in  a  short  time 
stretched  clear  to  the  east  bank,  a  distance  of  two 
hundred  feet.  Men  worked  all  night  trying  to 
loosen  it,  but  it  grew  larger  every  moment,  and 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  20th  the  pier  could  stand 
the  strain  no  longer  and  with  a  sudden  snap  gave 
way.  By  midnight  of  the  19th  the  river  was  half 
way  up  the  dikes,  and  men  turned  out  and  worked 
ior  the  rest  of  the  night  strengthening  them  and 
filling  up  the  low  places.  P.ut  their  efforts  were  in 
vain.     By  four  o'clock  the  water  was  running  over 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


the  top  of  the  dike  and  compelling  the  people  hastily 
to  seek  safer  places. 

In  a  short  time  the  entire  sonth  part  of  town 
below  Kincaid  street  was  flooded  to  a  depth  of 
nearly  three  feet  and  the  furnaces  of  all  the  shingle 
mills  in  town  were  submerged,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
electric  works,  which  were  obliged  to  shut  down. 
Below  town  the  dikes  were  destroyed  in  several 
places  and  the  country  for  miles  around  was  flooded. 
The  towns  of  Fir  and  Skagit  City  had  several  feet 
of  water  in  them.  In  the  opposite  direction  Sedro 
and  Hamilton  were  both  flooded  and  considerable 
damage  was  sustained.  Railroads  were  washed  out 
in  every  direction.  No  trains  ran  on  the  Great 
Northern  for  five  days,  and  other  roads  fared 
equally  as  bad.  On  the  Seattle  &  Northern  an 
engine  ran  into  a  washout  and  was  overturned, 
killing  the  fireman,  whose  name  was  Ed  Cole. 
The  flood  was  not  confined  to  the  Skagit  river  but 
extended  to  all  the  rivers  of  western  Washington. 
Considerable  loss  of  stock  was  sustained  throughout 
the  county  and  Dennis  Storrs  lost  several  hundred 
dollars'  worth  of  hops,  but  the  most  serious  single 
loss  was  the  bridge  pier,  upon  which  nearly  two 
thousand  dollars'  worth  of  work  had  been  done. 

In  the  latter  part  of  January  and  the  first  of 
February  another  spell  of  unusual  weather,  in  the 
form  of  a  cold  snap  was  experienced.  The  ther- 
mometer reached  the  lowest  point  in  the  history 
of  the  county,  though  the  cold  weather  did  not  last 
so  long  as  in  the  severe  winter  of  1875.  It  began 
on  January  30th,  when  the  temperature  fell  twenty 
degrees  within  two  hours  and  the  following  morn- 
ing the  thermometer  registered  ten  degrees  below 
zero,  which  was  the  lowest  point  reached.  During 
the  30th  and  31st  the  river  was  full  of  floating  ice, 
which  was  backed  up  at  the  mouth  by  the  tide  and 
formed  a  solid  blockade  which  soon  extended  far 
above  Mount  Vernon.  For  two  or  three  days  the 
thermometer  continued  about  zero,  after  which  the 
cold  slowly  moderated. 

A  project  that  attracted  considerable  attention 
among  the  people  of  Skagit  county  during  the  first 
few  months  of  1893  was  a  proposed  motor  line, 
known  as  the  Mount  Vernon,  Bayview  &  Northern 
railroad.  The  president  of  the  company  was  Har- 
rison Clothier,  the  general  superintendent  J.  B. 
Moody,  and  the  route  as  laid  out  extended  from 
Mount  Vernon  to  Bayview  through  Avon  and 
through  a  tract  of  valuable  timber  land,  which  it 
was  proposed  to  open  up,  also  through  some  fine 
agricultural  land.  Contracts  for  right  of  way  for 
this  road  were  secured  and  quite  a  large  amount  of 
subscriptions  and  subsidies  pledged  by  the  people 
living  along  the  route,  which  subscriptions  and 
promises  of  subsidies  became  void,  however,  as  the 
road  was  never  built. 

There  were  a  number  of  important  court  pro- 
ceedings during  1803.  One  of  them  was  the  trial 
of  David  C.  Moody  for  the  murder  of  ].  F.  Warner, 


a  crime  which  had  been  committed  in  Hamilton  in 
the  fall  of  the  previous  year.  The  facts  in  the  case, 
as  brought  out  in  the  trial  and  published  in  the  cur- 
rent newspapers,  were  as  follows :  J.  L.  Warner 
was  the  owner  of  the  electric  light  plant  of  Hamil- 
ton and  the  power  for  running  this  plant  was  furn- 
ished by  the  shingle  mill  of  Campbell  &  Edwards. 
David  C.  Moody  was  the  night  watchman  at  this 
mill  and  was  also  supposed  to  keep  up  steam  for 
running  the  electric  light  plant,  but  one  night  he 
failed  to  do  this  and  Mr.  Warner  came  over  to  see 
what  was  the  matter.  Moody  said  that  there  was  no 
wood  and  when  Warner  pointed  out  some  that  was 
lying  across  the  street  he  replied  that  it  was  not  his 
business  to  carry  wood.  After  a  few  more  words 
Warner  went  after  Edwards,  one  of  the  owners  of 
the  mill,  who  came  with  him  in  a  short  time  and  the 
altercation  with  Moody  was  renewed.  Finally 
Warner,  losing  patience,  seized  his  adversary  by 
the  neck,  whereupon  Moody  instantly  drew  a  revol- 
ver and  shot  Warner  dead. 

At  the  trial,  which  began  on  the  23d  of  Feb- 
ruary, the  lawyers  for  the  defense.  Million  &  Hou- 
ser,  tried  to  show  that  the  fatal  shot  was  fired  in 
self-defense  and  while  in  fear  of  bodily  injury. 
The  prosecution  was  conducted  by  Prosecuting 
Attorney  Joiner  in  an  able  manner.  The  impression 
created  by  Moody  was  an  unfavorable  one  as  he 
seemed  constantly  afraid  of  committing  hiiuself. 
The  trial  which  lasted  only  three  days,  resulted  in 
a  verdict  of  manslaughter,  and  the  prisoner  was 
sentenced  by  Judge  Henry  McBride  to  nineteen 
years  in  the  penitentiary. 

Another  case  of  great  interest  and  considerable 
intricacy  was  the  famous  one  of  the  Wilbur  Indian 
heirs  for  the  possession  of  their  heritage.  It  ap- 
peared that  Wilbur  had  married  an  Indian  woman 
and  later  an  American  and  now  both  claimed  to  be 
his  heirs.  The  superior  court  decided  in  favor  of 
the  Indian,  as  appears  from  the  following  findings 
of  fact  by  Judge  McBride,  which  form  a  highly 
interesting,  romantic  and  humorous  narrative. 

Having  been  engaged  for.  lo.  these  many  days  in  the 
pleasant  task  of  instrncting  juries  as  to  the  proper  measure 
of  damages  in  horse  trades  and  listening  to  the  plaintive 
appeals  of  those  who  rashly  enter  into  contracts  at  a  time 
when  the  ownership  of  a  town  lot  in  the  impenetrable 
forest  brought  to  the  happy  possessor  visions  of  untold 
wealth,  it  is  a  relief  to  the  heart  to  turn  aside  from  con- 
templation of  these  engrossing  subjects  and  dwell  u|)on  the 
tale  of  innocence  and  love  unparalleled  by  the  evidence  in 
this  case. 

It  appears  that  away  back  in  18GT,  when  many  of  the 
towns,  now  ambitions  for  county  seat  honors,  were  as 
yet  unknown  to  fame,  and  the  swelling  bosom  of  the 
Skagit  was  still  unvexed  by  the  rude  touch  of  floating 
leviathans  of  commerce,  the  deceased,  John  T.  Wilbur, 
hailing  from  the  effete  East,  first  made  his  appearance 
upon  the  scene. 

One  day  in  the  early  summer  of  the  year  aforesaid 
the  said  Wilbur,  while  presumably  in  search  of  clams — 
although  the  evi<lence  is  strangely  silent  upon  the  point — 
espied  sporting  upon  the  sand  spit  near  I'tsalady  a  dusky 


IN    SKACUT    CC)UNTY 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1889-9? 


maiden  of  the  forest,  whose  supple  limbs  had  been  marred 
by  the  heat  of  thirteen  summers,  and  whose  cheeks  were 
uiicaressed  by  aught  save  the  gentle  zephyrs.  Deeply  im- 
pressed by  her  visible  charms  of  person,  and  being  of  a 
bold  and  venturesome  spirit,  he  then  and  there  resolved  to 
have  her  for  his  own.  He  made  a  liberal  offer,  but  she, 
modest  maiden,  not  considering  it  a  good  plan  to  yield 
too  readily,  rejected  with  seeming  disdain  his  amorous 
intention.  He  returned  to  his  lonely  ranch  on  the  Skagit, 
there  to  devise  strategems  new  to  encompass  his  end.  He 
heard  sweetly  guttural  accents  in  the  sighing  of  the  wind, 
:  nil  in  the  floating  mist  he  even  beheld  her  voluptuous 
fnrni.  Later  on,  with  a  retinue  consisting  of  two  noble 
tvi\  men  from  Snehosh — ah,  the  nnisic  of  these  Indian 
names — he  set  out  to  visit  his  sable  enchantress  at  her 
home  upon  tlic  lir-clad  hillside  of  the  Swinomish  reser- 
vation near  the  banks  of  the  murmuring  slough  of  the 
same  name.  Arriving  there  without  incident  worthy  of 
relating,  he  raised  his  former  offer,  now  tendering  her 
parents  the  princely  sum  of  fifty  dollars.  But  they  looked 
coldly  upon  his  suit,  and  the  dutiful  Kitty  would  not  sur- 
render herself  to  his  ardent  embrace  unaccompanied  by 
llie  paternal  blessing.  The  d.itc-  can  not  be  determined 
fr.iui  the  evidence,  hut  Killy,  who  ought  to  know,  says  it 
\\;i-  just  when  the  salmon  were  IxHiuuing  to  run.  Desiring 
1.)  lie  e.xact  in  all  things,  it  occurred  to  the  court  that  it 
might  be  well  to  continue  the  hearing  of  this  case  for  a 
few  years  while  studying  the  habits  of  the  salmon,  but 
the  litigants,  anxious  for  the  spoils,  iplijciii'd.  An  attorney, 
when  a  fee  is  in  sight,  seems  to  care  hut  little  for  scientific 

( )nce  again  he  returned  to  his  lonely  ranch.  There  in 
the    solitude    of    his    cabin,    with    no    one    to    spread    his 

state  of  single  iiiiM.'    .c'lii.      .  imiil   ,ii    Imvlli   li.-  iM,-i-inined 

to  make  our   l;i.l    ,lr  ,,,,,,,  ,,,...  ,  I In      In,,,     lir   would  gO 

ni  st.-ile,  so  lir  .Mii.jilir.l  '■(■|ii|>"  I'.iouM,  wlio  li;i(l  taken 
unto  liiiii.ill  ,1     ,1  will'  a  child  of  the  stream  and  the  forest, 

(  iiH  J,i\  ,1  l\iiiy  lay  upon  the  bank  viewing  her  own 
clianii'^  .1^  rcilicir.l  in  the  water  of  the  Swinomish  she 
was  startled  by  the  approach  of  a  canoe,  containing  one 
amorous  swain,  "Chip"  Brown,  Mrs.  Brown,  and  a  large 
number  of  Indians  from  a  neighboring  tribe,  hired  for  the 
occasion.  On  one  side  were  arranged  Kitty,  her  father, 
mother,  relations  and  friends,  and  Joseph,  tribal  chief; 
on  the  other.  Wilbur,  "Chip"  Brown,  Mrs.  "Chip,"  and 
bis  mercenary  train;  and  the  prize  contended  for  was 
none  other  than  Kitty  herself.  Mrs.  "Chip"  being  detailed 
to  act  as  interpreter,  advanced  to  the  center,  and  the  battle 
of  words,  which  was  to  decide  the  fate  of  the  dusky 
maiden,  began.  The  interpreter,  the  court  is  grieved  to 
say — peace  be  to  her  ashes  ! — abused  her  position  of  trust  to 
descant  upon  the  charms  and  graces  of  Wilbur,  and,  inso- 
much as  she  herself  had  tasted  the  delights  of  wedded 
life  with  a  paleface,  Ikt  words  Irul  p;rc:it  wi-iirlit  'Twas 
long  doubtful  to  which   -.I'l''    m.Ioia    womM   m.  Iim.-,  Imt  at 

an    opportune    monu-ni,     Williur    iMiii.ilf    ,h1\,i ij;    with 

sixty  dollars  in  his  outstnlrh,-,!  |,;i|iii,  ih.-  ImIiI.-  was  won. 
Chief  .Ins,|,1i  iliouyju  the  sale  a  good  one  and  her  father 
was  s:iii,ihJ  Willi  ilio  price;  so  the  money  was  divided 
between  liri  mil,  i.l.itions  and  Kitty,  according  to  the  laws 
of  her  Irilie,   w,e,  .,    wife. 

Counsel  insists  that  the  evidence  is  insufficient  to  war- 
r.iiit  the  conclusion  that  the  marriage  was  according  to  the 
oiistoni  then  in  vogue  upon  the  Swinomish  reservation, 
C(jntending  that  Indian  testimony  i;  iiiircjiahle.  In  their 
zeal  they  seem  to  forget  thai  lli,  i,  inihui,  is  corroborated 
by  that  of  one  of  our  most  (-.1,  , mnl  ,  iii  ,■,,-,,  one  who  has 
served  the  people  in  various  cipe  mh  ..i  inisl.  lie  came 
here  in  1863,  and  his  detailed  i.iieiiM m  ,^\„] Uic  wit- 
ness stand  ought  to  convince  ihe  iim  1  le|iin,il  that  in 
early  days  he  made  a  most  care  I  III  imK  i.i  I  imIi.im  .  iistoms 
relative  to  marriage  and  divoi.e  \\  In  iliei  In,  investiga- 
tions  were   carried   on    for   the   |inrpose   of   satisfying   the 


promptings  of  a  natural  curiosity,  or  took  an  experimental 
turn,  the  court  is  not  advised. 

Immediately  after  the  division  of  the  spoils  the  wed- 
ding feast,  the  memory  of  which  is  cherishecl  as  one  of  the 

1110, t   KloriiMi,  events  in  Ihe  aiin.ils  of  ll,e  Irilie,  took  place. 

W   h   ll        I      le.i     I       lli.il      ,||||.,1      h.ue      l„e,i'      Im,       lilll,-      Bob,     IIOW 


ead    ai 


that   memorable    occasion    they    1 
sugar." 

To  prevent  others  from  becoming  discouraged,  it 
might  be  well  to  add  that  Wilbur  ran  up  the  price,  and 
that  sixty  dollars  is  the  highest  sum  on  record  jiaid  for 
a  wife.  Besides,  Kitty  belonged  to  a  family  of  distinction. 
Neither  should  anyone  who  is  desirous  of  imit.aliug  Wil- 
linr's  e\,iiiii>le  hesitate  over  long  because  his  dusky  enslaver 
-nil  '  \,i'  ivMee.  The  court  recalls  some  fairer  daughters 
oi    I  ve    \\\,.,    said   "No"   more   than    twice,   and — what   is 


According  to  the  customs  of  this  tribe,  good  taste  re- 
quires three  proposals.  The  first  time  the  sighing  swain, 
if  an  Indian,  offers  a  pair  of  blankets  or  a  canoe;  if  a 
white  man,  cash.  The  second  time  he  must  raise  the  an — , 
I  mean,  he  must  increase  the  offer,  and  the  third  time  he 
must  sling  in  some  additional  inducement  in  the  shape  of 
worldly  goods.  The  third  lime  is  the  crucial  test — if  he 
is  rejeekil  then  he  knows  it  will  he  useless  to  apply,  ll 
uill  lie  .ill, lived  that  the  'intulored  denizen  of  the  forest 
h.is  an  aiK.nilage  over  his  paleface  brother  in  this— he 
iiiKlerst.nuls  when  the  word  "No"  is  to  he  taken  in  its 
literal   significance. 

If  the  bargain  turns  ont  to  he  a  had  one  the  husband 
can  return  his  wife  and  reeei\e  hack  his  canoe  or  blankets 
or  whatevi-r  llie  p'ln'hase  price  consisted  of.  This  should 
be  calleil  lo  lie   .iiiiiiiioii  of  our  law-makers. 

Tlu'  iinii  III  iins  marriage  was  three  children,  one 
girl  and  t,^.,  Ih.v  Hie  girl  is  dead,  hut  the  hovs  are  still 
alive  ami    lom    uilli    l.illv    in    lli.-   pelilion   1,,  Ii.im'    r.inKham 

appoillleil     .nil II    Ihil     ol     Ihe     e.l.il,-    .il     llir     ,|eie.i     ei|,     wIlO 

departed    lln      hie      I  ,<iiii,u  ,il    III    l',i,  r        •    leii    le.ii,    ago. 

Sarah  J.  Willcox,  then  in  the  wilds  of  central  New  York. 
Many  a  loving  missive  passed  between  them,  until  finally 
in  187(j  she  came  out  here  and  married  Wilbur,  and  Kitty, 
turned  adrift,  found  .solace  in  the  arms  of  another. 

The  bone  of  contention  between  Mrs.  Wilbur  No.  1 
and  Mrs.  Wilbur  No.  2,  and  their  respective  counsel,  is 
the  ranch,  now  worth  $10,000,  where  Wilbur  and  "Chip" 
Brown  first  devised  the  scheme  that  resulted  in  the  trans- 
lation of  Kitty  from  the  hainits  of  her  childhood  to  the 
abode  of  the  paleface. 

There  is  much  in  this  case  worthy  of  comment,  did  not 
the  stiff  formulas  and  cast  iron  rules  of  law  forbid  an 
excursion  into  the  realms  of  fancy  and  philosophy. 

In  conclusion,  the  court  finds  that  Kitty  is  still  alive 
and  well,  although  somewhat  tanned  by  exposure  to  the 
elements,  and  that  all  the  partii's  lo  this  aelion  w.iiil  the 
ranch. 

These  findings  are  necessarily  brief,  but.  such  as  they 
are,  it  is  hoped  that,  if  this  case  goes  up,  they  may  serve 
as  a  guidance  to  the  supreme  court  in  determining  the 
intricate  (juestious  involved.  lliCNRY  Mc'Brii)K, 

Enter.  Judge. 

Dated  March  -'II.   I.-'H:!. 

While  the  court  iiichilj^'-eil  in  tiiis  vein  of  fanciful 
humor,  it  ttirned  out  to  be  a  dift'erent  case  for  poor 
old  Kitty.  The  ca.se  was  carried  to  the  supreme  court 
where  the  decision  of  the  lower  court  was  reversed. 
The  grounds  for  reversal  and  for  deciding  against 
Kitty  were  that  while  the  marriage  between  her  and 
Wilbur  had  been  made  according  to  the  Indian 
custom,  it  was  nevertheless  void,  since  there  was  a 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


territorial  law  in  effect  at  that  time  prohibiting  the 
inarrias:c  of  white  men  with  Indian  women.  It 
was  true  that  the  law  was  rejiealed  a  short  time 
after,  but  the  marriafje  was  not  repeated,  and  was 
consequently  held  to  be  illegal  and  void,  and  so 
Kitty  went  without  the  inheritance,  though,  by 
compromise,  her  children  received  each  a  portion  of 
the  estate. 

There  were  a  nuniljcr  of  miscellaneous  occur- 
rences during  this  period  which  may  be  briefly 
mentioned.  In  December,  1892,  the  Fidalgo  Eleva- 
tor and  Wafehouse  Company  made  the  largest  ship- 
nifiil  of  (lilts  ever  made  from  the  county.  Ten 
tlmnsaiul  sacks  were  taken  from  Fidalgo  City  and 
tlirre  thousand  four  hundred  from  Anacortes  by  the 
steamer  Umatilla,  and  transported  direct  to  San 
Francisco,  this  being  the  first  season  in  which 
reshipments  were  not  made  at  Seattle  or  Tacoma. 

The  Skagit  County  Shingle  Association  was 
organized  on  the  l^ith  of  January,  185)3,  at  Burling- 
ton, and  all  of  the  twenty-two  mills  in  the  county 
were  either  represented  or  signified  their  intention 
of  joining.  It  was  the  aim  of  the  association  to  act 
in  concert  with  the  state  association.  The  following 
officers  were  elected :  P.  A.  Woolley,  president ; 
E.  A.  Fladd,  vice-president ;  C.  E.  Brand,  secretary 
and  treasurer.  J.  S.  Munday.  of  Fairliaven,  was 
appointed  eastern  agent  for  Si-ai^it  cnnnty  shingles, 
with  headquarters  at  Kansas  litw  Missouri.  The 
output  of  shingles  from  the  count\  at  that  lime  was 
about  sixteen  cars  per  day. 

In  December,  1803,  the  county  commissioners 
negotiated  the  sale  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
funding  bonds  of  the  county.  The  purchasers  were 
E.  H.  Rollins  &  Sons  of  Boston,  and  they  paid  par 
and  a  premium  of  one  thousand  dollars.  The  bonds 
were  payable  in  twenty  years,  but  redeemable  after 
ten  years,  and  bore  interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per 
cent.,  payable  annually. 

The  stringency  in  the  money  market  was  so 
.severe  in  1893  that  the  shingle  manufacturers  were 
obliged  to  adopt  a  scheme  by  which  they  could  keep 
their  mills  in  operation  without  advancing  any 
money.  The  scheme  was  to  deposit  bills  of  lading 
in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Mount  Vernon  when- 
ever a  shipment  was  made,  then  for  seventy-five 
per  cent,  of  the  value  of  these  bills  of  lading  the 
bank  would  issue  certificates,  which  would  be  used 
as  money  and  redeemed  as  soon  as  payment  for  the 
shingles  was  made.  The  shingle  men  used  these 
certificates  or  scrip  for  some  time  with  great  suc- 
cess, but  finally  the  discount  on  them  became  so 
great  that  the  plan  was  abandoned. 

In  spite  of  the  hard  times,  the  county  commis- 
sioners carried  on  a  number  of  important  enter- 
prises, one  being  the  erection  of  a  court-house  on 
the  corner  of  Pine  and  First  streets  on  land  pur- 
chased of  D.  F.  Decatur.  The  plans  of  W.  A. 
-Samnis,  of  .\von,  were  accepted.  The  dimensions 
of  the  Iniilding  were  to  he  fiftv  hv  one  hundred  and 


fourteen  feet,  with  two  stories  and  a  basement,  and 
the  contract  for  its  construction  was  awarded  to 
R.  S.  Downer  and  William  Peacock  for  thirteen 
thousand  five  hundred  and  eighty-five  dollars. 
Work  was  begun  immediately. 

Another  important  improvement  was  the  com- 
pletion of  the  wagon  bridge  across  the  Skagit 
river  at  Mount  Vernon,  which  was  accepted  by  the 
commissioners  and  o])ened  to  the  public  on  June 
19th.  It  is  the  only  wagon  bridge  across  the  main 
river  and  one  of  the  best  constructed  in  the  state. 
The  total  cost  was  thirty-five  thousand  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,  of  which  the  cit\-  of  Mount  Vernon 
paid  ten  thousand  dollars  and  llic  count\   tlie  rest. 

The  crops  of  1893  were  not  very  encouraging. 
The  oat  crop  was  about  up  to  the  average,  but  the 
hops  yielded  little  more  than  half  a  crop,  the  princi- 
pal reason  for  this  being  the  wet  weather  in  the 
spring.  (Jn  the  place  of  Dennis  Storrs,  the  most 
extensive  hop  grower  in  the  valley,  the  yield  was 
about  twelve  hundred  pounds  per  acre,  or  half  the 
ordinary  yield. 

In  the  fall  the  farmers  on  the  lower  Skagit  did 
considerable  work  in  the  way  of  reclaiming  marsh 
lands  by  building  ditches  and  improving  the  drain- 
age system.  Hundreds  of  acres  were  improved, 
which,  without  the  drainage,  were  worth  practi- 
callv  nothing,  but  with  it  from  one  hundred  and 
lift)-  dollars  to  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  These 
improvements  to  agricultural  lands  are  one  of  the 
most  substantial  means  of  adding  to  the  wealth  of 
a  comity.  The  wealth  of  Skagit  county  increased 
in  this  way  during  that  year  about  a  million  dollars. 

In  the  beginning  of  ISO-f  a  temporary  improve- 
ment in  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  county 
became  noticeable.  A  number  of  saw  and  shingle 
mills,  which  had  been  shut  down  for  some  time, 
resumed  operations,  and  a  few  others  that  had  been 
running  light  increased  their  output.  There  was 
also  promise  of  considerable  building.  In  the  spring 
and  early  summer,  however,  Skagit  county  suffered 
from  a  series  of  floods  such  as  had  never  been  seen 
before  in  the  county.  That,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  the  year  of  the  great  floods,  throughout  the 
entire  Northwest,  when  the  Columbia  and  its  tribu- 
aries  broke  all  records  and  overflowed  farms  and 
towns,  causing  incalculable  damage. 

The  Skagit  river  was  not  far  behind.  It  rose 
two  separate  times  ten  inches  higher  than  the  oldest 
settlers  had  ever  known  before.  On  May  24th  the 
water  had  already  risen  .so  high  that  the  levees  in 
the  lower  part  of  Mount  \'ernon  were  in  danger  of 
being  overflowed.  In  the  face  of  this  calamity  all 
the  men  in  town,  of  all  professions,  turned  out  and 
worked  all  night  strengthening  them  and  stopping 
small  leaks  where  the  water  seeped  through,  but  the 
water  rose  higher  and  higher,  and  by  the  following 
morning  a  small  stream  wa?  flowing  into  First 
street.  .\  large  number  of  citizens  immediately 
began   Iniilding  a  dike  to  keep  it    from  going  any 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1889-9? 


159 


further.  The  water,  however,  rose  as  fast  as  the 
dike  did,  and  work  as  hard  as  they  could  their 
efforts  were  in  vain.  About  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  the  dike  near  Jarvis  &  Metcalfs  mill  gave 
way  and  a  short  time  later  the  temporary  dike  in 
the  street  broke  in  a  number  of  places.  Instantly  a 
tremendous  flood  of  water  began  pouring  through 
the  streets  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city.  Fences 
and  sidewalks  were  torn  up  and  more  than  half  the 
people  in  that  part  of  town  were  compelled  to  leave 
their  houses  and  seek  ntiii^v  on  :l  neighboring  hill, 
where  a  large  school  liuildnig  and  several  empty 
houses  were  standing.  l"or  three  days  torrents 
of  water  poured  through  the  town.  Many  of  the 
houses  it  was  impossible  to  reach  without  a  boat. 
In  the  flat  part  of  the  town  only  one  block,  that  on 
which  the  bank  was  situated,  remained  entirely 
above  water.  Many  of  the  sidewalks  floated  and 
were  used  as  bridges  in  getting  around  town.  Bus- 
iness was  entirely  suspended,  the  first  floors  of  many 
of  the  buildings  being  submerged.  Every  one  was 
busy  trying  to  save  his  property  from  being  carried 
away. 

Great  as  was  the  loss  to  the  citizens  it  was  noth- 
ing compared  to  that  sustained  by  the  farmers  lower 
down  the  river,  whose  crops  were  completely  de- 
stroyed. For  days  and  nights  together  they  worked, 
part  of  the  time  waist  deep  in  water,  trying  to  keep 
the  dikes  from  bursting,  and  in  some  places  new 
dikes  were  built  on  top  of  the  old  ones.  At  Gage's 
place  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  the  soil  was  of  a 
quicksand  nature  and  had  to  be  put  in  sacks  before 
it  would  stay.  In  spite  of  the  most  tremendous 
exertions,  some  of  the  men  working  twenty-four 
hours  on  a  stretch,  their  efforts  were  in  nearly  every 
case  useless.  The  raging  torrent  rose  beyond  con- 
trol and,  overwhelming  all  resistance,  inundated  the 
whole  of  the  low  lands  between  Mount  Vernon  and 
the  sound.  The  delta  of  the  Skagit  disappeared. 
At  Dannemiller's  place  below  Avon  the  big  dam 
gave  way,  completely  flooding  the  Reaver  marsh, 
and  the  Olympia  marsh  suffered  a  like  calamity. 

The  railroads  also  suffered  severely,  numerous 
sections  of  track  being  washed  out  on  both  the 
Great  Northern  and  the  Seattle  &  Northern,  and 
trains  were  unable  to  run  for  several  days.  The 
Great  Northern  railroad  bridge  was  constantly  in 
danger  of  being  demolished  by  log  jams  which 
lodged  against  it.  The  wagon  bridge  at  Alount 
Vernon  proved  its  excellence  by  resisting  the  strain, 
though  it  received  some  tremendous  knocks.  At 
one  time  a  large  jam  formed  against  it  which  could 
not  be  dislodged  until  the  steamer  Clan  McDonald 
came  along  and.  by  the  exercise  of  great  skill  on 
the  part  of  its  captain,  succeeded  in  clearing  away 
the  mass  of  logs. 

On  the  28th  the  water  began  to  subside  and  fell 
slowly  about  three  feet,  but  on  the  1st  of  June  it 
turned  again  and  began  to  rise.  The  1st  and  2(\ 
were  i)oth  warm  davs  and  much  snow  was  melted 


in  the  mountains,  so  that  within  three  days  the 
water  was  again  within  an  inch  of  its  previous  mark. 
The  scenes  of  the  first  flood  were  repeated,  but  the 
people,  having  had  the  experience  once,  were  better 
prepared.  The  loss  of  stock  was  considerable,  one 
man.  Captain  Keen  of  Skagit  City,  losing  twenty- 
eight  head  of  cattle  out  of  a  band  of  thirty.  The 
farm  lands  were  again  flooded,  making  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  crops  still  more  irretrievable.  On  the 
2d  a  very  severe  storm  of  wind,  with  thunder  and 
lightning,  swept  over  the  whole  sound  country,  and 
the  steamer  Clan  McDonald,  which  had  just  left 
Seattle  and  was  in  the  midst  of  it,  came  near  being 
swamped.  The  storm  did  not  strike  Mount  Ver- 
non squarely,  but  McMurray,  Montborne  and  Ham- 
ilton got  the  full  benefit,  and  at  the  last  place  the 
Episcopal  church  was  overturned. 

The  Great  Northern  managed  to  run  a  train 
both  ways  between  Mount  Vernon  and  Seattle  on 
the  3d  of  June,  the  first  train  for  several  days  and 
the  last  for  several  more,  as  the  rising  flood  soon 
submerged  a  large  part  of  their  track  for  the 
second  time. 

On  June  7th  there  were  two  unfortunate  drown- 
ing accidents,  the  first  of  which  happened  early  in 
the  afternoon.  N.  P.  Swanberg  was  crossing  Dry 
slough  in  a  canoe  with  his  wife  and  youngest  chiUl, 
when  the  canoe  suddenly  capsized.  The  father,  in 
trying  to  save  his  child,  was  drawn  to  the  bottom 
by  the  current  and  both  were  drowned.  Mrs. 
Swanberg  held  herself  afloat  by  seizing  hold  of  the 
canoe  and  was  rescued  by  two  men.  Mr.  Swanberg 
was  a  farmer  who  had  comfe  from  Sweden  ten 
years  before. 

The  other  accident  partook  in  some  respects  of 
the  nature  of  a  crime.  Four  Indians,  a  man  and 
wife  and  two  children,  were  camped  a  short  dis- 
tance above  Mount  Vernon.  In  the  evening  a  man 
named  Petit  came  along  and  filled  the  Indians  with 
liquor,  after  which  he  claimed  to  be  a  deputy 
United  States  marshal,  scaring  them  so  that  they  all 
four  got  into  their  canoe  and  started  down  the 
river.  In  some  way  the  canoe  was  overturned,  and 
the  man  and  one  of  the  children  immediately  sank 
to  the  bottom,  while  the  woman,  with  the  other 
child,  managed  to  reach  the  shore. 

In  the  middle  of  June  the  river  again  com- 
menced rising,  but  fortunately  the  weather 
remained  cool  and  the  water  went  down  again. 
Many  of  the  farmers,  whose  lands  had  been  flooded, 
had  reseeded  and  were  expecting  fairly  good  crops. 
It  would  seem  as  though  they  had  had  misfortune 
enough  and  might  be  allowed  to  gather  what  was 
left  in  peace,  but  the  river  was  remorseless.  In  the 
first  part  of  July  another  freshet  occurred,  which 
again  flooded  the  farming  country  to  a  depth  in 
many  places  of  several  feet,  this  time  ruining  the 
crops  completely.  The  hops,  which  were  mostly 
on  higher  lands,  did  not  suffer  so  severely,  though 
heavy    losses   of    hops    were    sustained    by    Messrs. 


SKAGIT    CUUXTY 


Wiles  and  IJaimcmillcr  tuar  Avon.  llic  entire 
loss  inllictcd  upon  tlic  people  of  llie  Skaf,Ml  valley 
by  these  floods  was  cstinialed  at  half  a  million 
dollars. 

One  thing  was  shown  conclusively  by  the  disas- 
trous results  of  the  floods,  and  that  was  the  abso- 
lutely necessity  of  substantial  dikes.  A  great  many 
meetings  were  soon  held  to  consider  this  question 
and  to  mature  plans  for  the  construction  of  such 
dikes ;  new  diking  districts  were  organized,  and  the 
work  of  building  barriers  against  the  water  was 
carried  on  during  the  rest  of  that  year  and  the  fol- 
lowing year.  At  the  present  time  the  river  is  sub- 
stantially diked  from  its  mouth  to  points  beyond 
Woollcy,  most  of  the  work  having  been  done  in 
those  years.  Another  matter  that  received  atten- 
tion was  the  necessity  of  a  better  system  of  ditches, 
so  that  water  which  overflowed  or  collected  in  the 
low  places  could  be  readily  drained  off. 

Another  very  important  and  much-needed  im- 
l)rovcmcnt  whicli  was  brought  to  the  minds  of  the 
lieojilc  of  the  Skagit  valley  by  the  great  flood  was 
the  clearing  out  of  the  obstructions  at  and  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Skagit  river.  For  a  number  of  years 
a  large  bar  had  been  forming,  which  had  been  con- 
stantly growing  in  size,  owing  to  the  accumula- 
tion of  snags  and  debris  which  gathered  on  it,  thus 
obstructing  the  channel  and  causing  the  farm  lands 
on  cither  side  to  be  overflowed.  In  addition  to 
that,  navigation  was  rendered  unsafe.  The  people 
of  the  valley  had  at  different  times  contributed 
large  sums,  aggregating  over  one  himdred  thou- 
.sand  dollars,  for  the  improvement  of  the  river, 
while  the  government  had  done  but  little.  A  public 
meeting  was  held  in  Mount  Vernon  on  July  9th,  at 
which  resolutions  were  drawn  up  urging  an  appro- 
priation of  twenty  thousand  dollars  for  the  purpose 
of  clearing  the  river  of  these  obstructions,  of  which 
resolutions  a  copy  was  sent  to  each  member  of 
congress. 

The  Northwest  .Agricultural  Society  was  organ- 
ized at  Whatcom  in  July,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
five  thousand  dollars.  This  society  included  in  its 
field  of  operations  the  three  counties  of  Whatcom, 
Skagit  and  San  Juan,  and  it  was  expected  that  it 
would  prove  of  great  beuelil  to  the  agricultural 
interests  of  these  comities. 

Another  society  of  a  similar  nature  was  formed 
in  the  same  month  at  Mount  X'crnon,  namely  the 
Skagit  Comity  Horticultural  Society,  whose  object 
was  the  advanceiuent  of  knowledge  concerning  hor- 
ticulture and  jiomology.  The  original  members 
were  Mrs.  15.  N.  L.  Davis,  Mrs.  I..  Ward,  George 
Davis,  D.  F.  Decatur,  H.  P.  Downs,  S.  A.  Downs, 
]-:.  Ruck,  F.  C.  Ward.  J.  F.  Cass,  L.  R.  Freeman, 
IT.  A.  March,  A.  G.  tillinghast,  Fred  Eichholtz, 
Oscar  Varny,  L.  D.  Hodge,  F.  L.  Crampton,  J.  P. 
Millett  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Millett.  This  society  gave 
.•m  exhibit  on  September  30tli,  which  was  a  decided 


success  ami  spoke  well  for  the  estlutic  advancement 
of  the  county. 

Another  calamity  must  he  added  to  the  already 
long  list  for  the  disastrous  year  of  1891.  This  was 
a  forest  fire  which  swept  over  the  upper  Skagit  and 
Sauk  valleys  in  the  latter  part  of  August.  Some 
hay  and  many  buildings,  as  well  as  a  great  amount 
of  valuable  cedar  timber  were  burned.  The  fol- 
lo<ving  men  lost  part  or  all  of  their  buildings,  in- 
cluding their  houses,  namely,  on  the  <Sauk,  F. 
Szrinski,  11.  C.  Crockett;  on  the  Skagit,  George 
Perrault,  J.  McCorkendale,  James  Logan,  Frank 
liackus  and  William  Newby.  The  Cascade  school- 
house  also  was  destroyed. 

The  year  1895  opened  with  another  serious  dis- 
aster, on  this  occasion  high  water  coming  not  only 
from  the  mountains  but  from  the  sea  as  well.  On 
January  12th  occurred  the  highest  tide  known  for 
years.  Salt  water  swept  over  the  dikes  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Skagit  covering  the  Swinomish  and 
Samisli  flats  and  all  the  fertile  low  lands  for  many 
miles  along  the  coast.  The  disaster  was  not  con- 
fined to  Skagit  count)'  but  extended  long  distances 
north  and  south,  being  very  severe  in  Snohomish 
county.  The  Skagit  river  was  very  high  at  the 
same  time,  rising  to  within  fifteen  inches  of  the 
high-water  mark  of  the  year  before,  flooding  all 
the  low  lands  south  of  Mount  Vernon,  though  little 
damage  resulted  to  the  agricultural  lands,  owing 
to  the  time  of  year.  It  was  very  different  with  the 
coast  lands,  however,  covered  as  they  were  by  salt 
water,  for  it  would  take  a  year  at  least  to  work  the 
salt  out  of  the  land  so  that  a  normal  crop  could  he 
jiroduced.  Only  a  half  crop  was  raised  that  season 
on  the  flooded  portion  of  the  flats. 

The  Cireat  Northern  track  was  swept  out  in 
several  places  by  the  high  tide  and  no  train  reached 
Mount  Vernon  from  the  south  for  four  days.  The 
Seattle  &  Northern  track  at  Whitney  station  was 
covered  by  three  feet  of  salt  water. 

In  the  first  part  of  August,  1895,  the  western 
part  of  the  county  was  swept  by  forest  fires,  which 
burned  a  number  of  buildings  on  Fidalgo  island, 
and  threatened  the  town  of  Anacortes.  The  Seattle 
&  Northern  trains  were  delayed  by  trees  falling 
across  the  track,  and  the  Seattle,  l.ake  Shore  & 
ICastern  trains  were  sl(i|i|ie(l  altogether  for  several 
days. 

Eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-five  was  alto- 
gether a  very  unfortunate  year.  E.  A.  Sisson,  one 
of  the  most  prominent  farmers  in  the  county  at  the 
jiresent  time,  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  in 
that  year  the  ])rice  of  grain  fell  below  the  cost  of 
producing  it,  in  some  cases  selling  as  low  as  eight 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  ton,  while  the  average 
cost  of  production  was  between  eight  and  nine 
dollars.  He  also  says  that  nearly  every  piece  of 
])ro])crty  in  the  county  was  mortgaged. 

In  the  fall  another  memorial  was  presented  to 
congress,   ]ir;i\ing   for   favorable   consideration  and 


THE    FISH    INDUSTRY 


SKAGIT   COUNTY,   1889- 


immediate  action  on  the  question  of  the  removal  of 
the  obstructions  at  the  mouth  of  the  Skagit,  one  of 
the  most  important  questions  before  the  people  of 
Skagit  county  and  one  demanding  immediate  atten- 
tion. The  reasons  for  removing  the  obstructions 
were  given  fully  and  clearly.  The  memorial  is  of 
interest  and  value,  not  only  in  itself  but  in  the 
information  which  it  gives,  hence  is  here  repro- 
duced in  part. 

MEMORIAL 

To  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives : 

The  undersigned  citizens  of  Skagit  county,  State  of 
\\  a-hington,  believe  that  a  fair  consideration  of  the  condi- 
tiniis  surrounding  the  Skagit  river  and  tributary  country 
will  induce  such  liberal  action  on  the  part  of  Congress  as 
will  meet  the  requirements  of  our  present  environments 
and  prevent  any  disaster  in  the  future  such  as  we  have 
suffered  in  the  past. 

The  surveys  already  made  and  the  map  attached  hereto, 
sustain  the  statement  that  there  are  tributary  to  Skagit 
river  about  forty  townships,  or  over  fourteen  hundred 
square  miles  of  land.  Of  this  large  area  about  one-fourth 
is  strictly  agricultural,  about  the  same  quantity  is  coal  and 
mineral,  and  the  remainder  is  timber  land.  A  large  pro- 
portion of  this  country  is  now,  and  all  of  it,  when  developed, 
must  be  largely  dependent  for  its  commerce  on  this  impor- 
tant river.  It  is  navigable  for  light  draft  steamers  from 
its  mouth  to  Sauk  City,  a  distance  of  about  seventy  miles, 
and  at  some  seasons  to  Marblemount,  fifteen  miles  above 
Sauk  City. 

A  diking  system  has  been  rendered  necessary  by  the 
filling  in  of  the  bed  and  mouths  of  the  river,  from  causes 
which  will  be  explained  and  ought  to  be  remedied.  The 
.system  already  constructed  and  maintained,  embraces  one 
hundred  and  fifty-eight  miles  of  dikes,  and  has  cost  in 
money  and  labor  expended  in  construction  the  large  sum 
of  three  hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand  dollars.  All  of 
this  has  been  expended  by  owners  of  land  in  the  Skagit 
valley,  including  the  residents  of  towns  liable  to  inunda- 
tion. 

Before  the  mouth  of  the  river  began  to  be  obstructed, 
the  accumulating  waters  of  the  greatest  freshets  did  not 
overflow  the  banks.  A  channel  varying  in  depth  from 
twelve  to  twenty  feet  was  a  sufficient  outlet  for  all  the 
water  that  passed  in  swift  torrents  from  the  mountains 
and  highlands  of  the  North  and  East.  Resolute  and  indus- 
trous  settlers  reduced  to  cultivation  the  fertile  lands  of 
the  Skagit  valley,  and  made  subservient  to  man,  the  thou- 
sands of  acres  that  were  a  few  years  since  inhabited  by 
the  beaver,  and  other  animals  whose  pelts  excited  the 
cupidity  of  the  hunter  or  the  Indian.  We  do  not  believe 
that  the  famous  lands  of  the  Nile,  or  any  other  in  the  world 
are  more  fertile  and  productive.  For  years,  these  lands 
without  fertilizers,  have  yielded  an  average  of  one  him- 
dred  bushels  of  oats  to  the  acre,  and  the  hay  crop  on  the 
higher  lands  will  average  four  tons;  fruits  and  vegetables 
grow  in  profusion,  and  their  flavor  and  richness  are  unsur- 
passed. But  all  of  this  has  involved  a  large  expenditure 
of  money  and  unrelenting  toil  and  patience  on  the  part 
of  our  people. 

Unless  the  congress  of  the  United  States  shall  make 
an  appropriation  sufficient  to  clear  out  the  mouth  of  the 
Skagit  river,  a  very  large  proportion  of  this  country  must 
be  abandoned. 

We  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  since  Novem- 
ber, 1892,  the  floods  in  the  Skagit  have  four  times  swept 


over  the  banks,  broken  the  dikes  and  inundated  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  destruction  of  property  by  the 
overflow  of  November,  1892,  and  January,  189.5,  was  not 
very  great,  but  the  overflow  in  May,  1894,  and  June  of 
that  year,  entailed  a  direct  loss  on  the  people  of  the 
Skagit  valley,  as  shown  by  estimates  attached  hereto, 
appro.ximating  one-half  million   of   dollars. 

The  town  of  Wt.  Vernon  was  entirely  flooded,  small 
boats  and  rafts  navigated  the  streets,  and  the  people  were 
driven  from  their  homes  for  safety  in  the  hills.  The 
damage  to  public  and  private  property  was  great,  and 
the  suffering  from  e.xposure  and  sickness  was  distressing. 
All  of  these  overflows  have  been  caused  by  the  ponding  of 
the  water  in  the  river,  resulting  from  the  obstruction  and 
closing  the  channels  of  the  North  and  South  Forks,  above 
mentioned.  There  is  comparatively  little  danger  from  loss 
from  the  overflow  in  the  winter,  but  in  May  and  June, 
when  the  crops  are  most  promising,  the  genial  weather 
and  hot  suns  melt  the  snow  in  the  mountains,  and  the 
creeks  and  small  rivers  and  mountain  streams  empty  their 
waters  into  the  Skagit,  which  sweeps  down  with  terrible 
fury,  completing  its  destructive  mission. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  in  this  section,  and  the  rec- 
ords of  the  War  Department  show,  that  some  years  ago, 
and  when  Washington  was  a  territory  a  large  and  formida- 
ble jam  of  logs,  trees  and  other  debris  had  collected  about 
ten  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  near  where 
Mount  Vernon  now  stands,  entirely  obstructing  navigation. 
At  a  great  expenditure  of  money  and  labor,  the  people  resi- 
dent in  the  Skagit  valley  removed  the  jam.  so  that  steam- 
ers passed  up  and  dow-n  the  river  in  safety.  Under  the 
license  of  Territorial  law,  and  with  the  knowledge  of  the 
officers  of  this  great  government,  obstructions  known  as 
log  booms  have  been  placed  in  the  river  and  near  the 
mouths,  since  which  time  the  difficulties  and  dangers  that 
now  surround  us  have  arisen,  and  have  been  allowed  to 
continue. 

Under  the  law,  the  General  Government  has  ample 
jurisdiction  in  all  matters  affecting  navigable  waters,  and 
we  can  only  accotmt  for  its  failure  to  exercise  that  juris- 
diction in  this  instance,  from  the  neglect  to  bring  the 
matter  to  your  attention,  and  to  press  it  with  the  zeal 
that  its  importance  demands. 

The  earnest  efforts  of  our  people  to  protect  them- 
selves, and  the  temporary  relief  that  has  been  afforded  by 
the  construction  and  maintenance  of  our  diking  system, 
may  to  some  extent  account  for  the  neglect  that  hereto- 
fore surrounded  this  destructive  nuisance,  but  the  situation 
has  now  assumed  such  grave  consequences,  that  it  can- 
not longer  be  overlooked  or  permitted  to  continue. 

Until  the  obstructions  in  the  river,  and  at  its  mouth, 
arc  removed,  the  further  construction  and  maintenance  of 
our  diking  system  cannot  protect  us;  until  the  channel  of 
the  river  shall  be  restored,  as  it  was  before  obstructions 
were  permitted  to  be  made  and  to  stand,  the  navigation  of 
the  Skagit  must  at  all  times  be  uncertain  and  dangerous ; 
and  in  a  very  few  years  must  cease  altogether. 

We  do  not  believe  that  an  intelligent  examination  into 
this  matter  will  show  that  its  importance  has  been  over- 
estimated by  us;  nor  is  this  the  first  time  that  we  have 
endeavored  to  bring  it  to  your  attention.  Memorials  from 
our  people  have  already  been  forwarded  to  congress, 
praying  some  action  on  behalf  of  this  section,  and  at  the 
last  session  of  our  legislature,  a  joint  memorial  of  that 
body  was  unanimously  passed  for  the  same  object. 

Thoroughly  impressed  with  the  justice  of  this  appeal, 
we  respectfully  submiit  it  to  your  good  judgment  and 
earnestly  hope  for  an  early  and  favorable  consideration 
by  your  honorable  bodies,  and  by  such  other  authorities  as 
shall  have  this  matter  in  immediate  charge. 

The  annals  of  Skagit  county  for  1895  were 
darkened  by  a  bloody  shooting  affray,  in  which  one 
man   was   killed   and   three  others   wounded.     The 


164 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


circumstances  were  as  follows :  Edwin  Baldwin  and 
his  stepson,  Ozro  Perkins,  had  been  running  a 
ferry  and  freight  boat  between  Samish  and  Edison, 
as  the  large  steamers  did  not  stop  at  the  latter  place. 
In  the  fall  of  ISitl,  however,  they  abandoned  the 
work,  and  it  was  taken  up  by  John  White  with 
another  boat.  White  employed  as  an  assistant  an 
ex-Confederate  soldier  named  Alonzo  Wheeler. 
Later  on  Baldwin  and  Perkins  decided  to  resume 
operations,  and  when  they  did  so,  the  rivalry  that 
sprang  up  between  the  two  parties  was  intense  and 
bitter,  finally,  on  the  9th  of  August,  1895,  breaking 
out  into  open  and  bloody  warfare.  On  that  day. 
just  before  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  State  of 
Washington,  White  and  Wheeler  started  down  to- 
ward the  warehouse  on  the  wharf  at  Samish.  Just 
then  Baldwin  and  Perkins  appeared,  accompanied 
by  Ulysses  Loop,  a  son-in-law  of  Baldwin,  and  a 
man  named  Worden.  White  and  Wheeler  walked 
along  the  approach  to  the  warehouse  until  they 
arrived  at  the  stairway  leading  down  to  the  place 
where  White  kept  his  boat.  The  latter  then  started 
down  this  stairway,  while  Wheeler  went  on  toward 
the  warehouse.  He  was  soon  overtaken  by  Bald- 
win, Perkins  and  Loop,  and  then  the  firing  began. 
It  could  not  be  ascertained  positively  who  fired  the 
first  shot,  but  it  was  soon  seen  that  Wheeler  was 
seriously  injured  and  was  trying  to  escape.  White, 
as  soon  as  he  heard  the  shooting,  started  to 
Wheeler's  rescue  but  was  knocked  senseless  by  a 
blow  on  the  head  with  an  iron  bar  in  the  hands  of 
Worden.  Wheeler's  pursuers  overtook  him  and 
after  knocking  him  down  beat  and  kicked  him  in  a 
brutal  manner.  At  that  moment  Wharfinger  Dean 
came  up  and  succeeded  in  flrawing  them  oflf,  though 
he  was  himself  threatened  by  them. 

The  scene  on  the  wharf  after  the  battle  was  a 
fearful  one.  Wheeler  was  lying  nearly  dead  with 
three  frightful  bullet  wounds,  one  through  the  right 
lung,  one  through  the  abdomen  and  one  through 
the  ankle ;  he  was  also  bruised  in  many  places. 
White's  scalp  was  torn  open  by  the  blow  on  his 
head.  Baldwin  was  struck  by  two  bullets,  one  on 
the  forehead  and  one  in  the  left  arm.  Perkins  was 
hit  on  the  head  and  on  the  breast.  When  the 
steamer  arrived  Wheeler  was  placed  on  board  and 
taken  to  Anacortes,  where  he  was  placed  under 
medical  treatment.  He  survived  for  a  few  days 
only,  dying  on  the  loth. 

On  the  day  after  the  battle  Sheriff  Perkinson 
went  to  Samish,  where  he  secured  all  the  others  and 
Ijrought  them  to  Mount  Vernon.  The  preliminary 
hearing  was  comi)leted  on  August  17th  before 
Justice  .\nable.  John  White,  who  had  taken  no 
active  part  in  the  conflict,  was  discharged.  Worden 
was  charged  with  assault  with  a  deadly  weapon 
and  bound  over  in  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars. 
.\t  the  trial  following  he  turned  state's  evidence 
and  was  discharged.  The  other  three,  Baldwin, 
i'erkins  and  Loop,  had  also  been  charged  with  the 


same  crime,  but  since  the  death  of  Wheeler  it  was 
changed  to  murder  in  the  first  degree,  and  they 
were  each  bound  over  in  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
dollars. 

The  trial  of  Baldwin,  Perkins  and  Loop  began 
on  October  :iM,  Judge  Henry  AIcBride  presiding. 
It  attracted  considerable  attention  throughout  the 
county.  Eminent  lawyers  appeared  on  both  sides. 
Prosecuting  Attorney  Geo.  A.  Joiner  was  assisted 
by  J.  T.  Ronald,  ex-mayor  of  Seattle,  while  the 
defense  was  conducted  by  Messrs.  Sinclair  &  Smith, 
assisted  by  Colonel  Lindsay  and  Judge  Turner  of 
Seattle.  Two  days  were  consumed  in  securing  a 
jury,  after  which  the  addresses  of  the  counsel  and 
the  hearing  of  the  witnesses  were  begun.  Archie 
McRea,  J.  Lewis  of  Edison,  John  Eckenberger  and 
John  White  all  testified  to  having  heard  Perkins 
and  Baldwin  make  threats  against  the  life  of 
Wheeler  and  a  number  of  other  witnesses  testified 
to  the  bad  feeling  between  the  men.  Captain  Dean 
stated  that  he  .saw  the  fight,  and  that  the  defend- 
ants attacked  Wheeler,  also  that  he  saw  no  revolver 
in  Wheeler's  hands  during  the  melee.  Wheeler, 
in  his  dying  statement,  which  was  accepted  as  evi- 
dence, said  that  he  had  been  attacked  by  the 
defendants  and  struck  with  canes  and  clubs ;  that 
he  tried  to  escape  but  was  closely  pressed ;  that  he 
finally  drew  a  revolver  and  shot  at  Baldwin ;  that  he 
then  ran  around  the  warehouse  but  was  pursued 
and  shot.  The  defense  tried  to  prove  that  Wheeler 
was  the  aggressor  and  that  Baldwin  fired  only  in 
self-defense.  The  defendants  all  stated  that 
Wheeler  fired  the  first  shots,  also  that  he  warned 
them  to  keep  off  the  dock,  claiming,  moreover,  that 
there  was  no  agreement  between  them  to  attack 
Wheeler. 

The  case  came  to  an  end  November  1st,  and  the 
following  day  the  jury  brought  in  a  verdict  of  man- 
slaughter against  all  the  defendants.  They  were 
sentenced  by  Judge  McBride  on  November  13th, 
Baldwin  to  ten  years  in  the  penitentiary,  Perkins  to 
five  and  Loop  to  one  year,  and  each  to  pay  a  fine 
of  one  dollar  in  addition.  The  costs  in  the  case 
amounted  to  two  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  and  five  cents,  besides  the  sheriff's  cost  bill. 

During  the  winter  of  1895-6  a  number  of  at- 
tempts were  made  to  organize  a  county  immigra- 
tion association,  which  attempts  were  not  eminently 
successful.  Officers  were  elected,  as  follows: 
President,  H.  S.  Conner;  vice-president,  F.  L. 
Crampton ;  secretary,  H.  P.  Downs ;  treasurer,  R. 
O.  Welts.  Some  preliminary  work  was  done,  but 
the  support  was  not  enthusiastic,  and  the  enterprise 
gradually  died  out. 

In  1896  there  was  a  movement  to  organize  the 
county  into  townships  according  to  a  state  law  pro- 
viding for  such  organization  whenever  the  inhabi- 
tants elect.  There  was  an  election  held  to  decide 
the  question,  at  which  six  hundred  and  eighty-seven 
votes  were  cast  in   favor  of  township  organization 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1897-1905 


and  four  hundred  and  fifty-five  against,  but  in 
spite  of  this  decided  majority,  the  matter  was  for 
some  reason  allowed  to  drop. 

By  1896  there  had  begun  to  be  considerable 
improvement  in  the  general  condition  of  affairs. 
The  crops  for  that  year  were  very  good,  and  the 
price  of  oats  had  risen  from  ten  dollars  and  fifty 
cents  to  twelve  dollars  per  ton,  but  the  year  did  not 
pass  by  without  the  usual  floods,  which  occurred 
that  season  in  the  middle  of  Novcniiifr.  ( )n  the 
12th  and  13th  Chinook  winds  bk-w.  which  melted 
large  amounts  of  snow  that  had  accumulated  in 
the  mountains,  and  in  a  short  time  the  Skagit  river 
was  raging.  For  a  time  the  water  threatened  to 
overflow  the  new  levees  along  Mount  \'ernon's 
front,  but  a  large  number  of  men  turned  out  with 
picks  and  shovels  and  built  dikes  along  the  top  of 
the  levees.  Ry  these  means  the  town  was  saved 
from  being  flooded.  The  opposite  side  of  the  river 
was  not  equally  fortunate,  however,  for  two  breaks 
occurred,  one  near  F.  C.  Ward's  place,  the  other 
at  the  home  of  Dennis  Storrs,  letting  a  flood  of 
water  over  the  whole  region ;  a  building  at  Hamil- 
ton and  one  at  old  Sedro  were  destroyed  ;  railroad 


traffic  was  suspended  for  nearly  a  week;  six  hun- 
dred feet  of  the  Great  Northern  track  between  the 
bridge  and  Burling'ton  were  washed  out,  while 
between  Mount  Vernon  and  Stanwood  over  a  mile 
was  destroyed. 

An  attempt  at  murder,  of  a  dastardly  and  fiend- 
ish nature,  was  committed  at  Prairie  at  about  two 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  December  5th.  C.  L. 
LePlant,  J.  C.  LePlant  and  L.  B.  Walters  were 
sleeping  soundly  in  one  room  of  the  LePlant 
brothers'  home,  when  some  one  exploded  a  charge 
of  dynamite  under  the  house  and  blew  it  into  splin- 
ter. Strange  to  say,  the  occupants  were  practi- 
cally uninjured,  though  the  floor  of  the  room  was 
entirely  blown  away,  allowing  them  to  drop  to  the 
bare  ground  below.  A  heavy  cook  stove  was 
thrown  from  the  next  room  clear  over  the  bed  and 
fell  next  to  where  the  wall  had  been.  C.  L.  Le- 
Plant was  the  first  to  recover  his  senses  and  he  im- 
mediately dug  the  other  two  out  from  the  mass  of 
debris  to  find  that  fortunately  none  of  them  had 
received  any  worse  injuries  than  a  few  bruises  and 
a  bad  shaking  up.  It  was  never  discovered  who 
the  cowardly  would-be  assassin  was. 


CHAPTER   V 


SKACilT    COUNTY,    1897-1905 


The  year  1897  witnessed  a  general  revival  of 
business  that  was  very  gratifying  after  the  long 
period  of  stagnation,  and  once  more  the  buzz  of  the 
saw-mills  and  the  hum  of  industry  were  heard 
throughout  the  county.  The  Skagit  News  of  July 
26th  says:  "It  is  said  that  these  days  the  Skagit 
county  shingle-mill  men  are  about  as  happy  as 
shingle  men  can  get  over  the  prosperous  condition 
of  their  business  and  the  encouraging  outlook  for 
the  future.  Every  mill  in  the  county  is  running  full 
time  and  many  of  them  putting  in  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  hours  a  day  with  'snags'  of  orders  ahead." 
This  was  a  great  and  very  pleasing  change  from  the 
former  dullness  and  every  one  was  pleased  with  the 
prospect  that  the  back  of  the  hard  times  was  broken 
and  that  business  had  once  more  started  into  life 
and  activity. 

The  attention  of  the  courts  was  occui)ied  for  a 
time  in  1897  by  an  Indian  murder  case.  In  July 
four  Indians,  Charlie  Moses.  Johnnie  Tommy, 
Johnnie  Town,  and  John  Enich,  all  Skagit  Indians, 
were  arrested  for  the  murder,  on  tlie  .->th  of  ?ilav, 


of  Kelly  Annan,  a  Nookachamps  Indian.  At  the 
trial  Johnnie  Town  and  John  Enich  turned  state's 
evidence  and  told  their  story  of  the  killing,  which 
was  as  follows:  The  four  Indians  had  made  a 
drive  of  shingle  bolts  for  Joe  Richardson  from 
Hamilton  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  had  started  back 
in  their  canoes  from  Mount  Vernon  early  in  the 
afternoon,  accompanied  by  their  wives  and  also 
by  Kelly  Annan.  In  the  evening  they  camped 
about  half  a  mile  above  the  Great  Northern  bridge 
and  proceeded  to  fill  up  on  whiskey.  In  a  short 
time  a  quarrel  broke  out  between  Johnnie  Tommy 
and  Kelly  Annan,  in  which  the  latter  threatened  to 
bewitch  the  former.  At  this  moment  Charlie  Moses 
came  up  and  struck  Kelly  Annan  two  blows  on  the 
head  with  an  ax :  then  Johnnie  Tommy  cut  his 
throat  with  a  knife,  whereupon  they  weighted  the 
body  with  a  bag  of  sand  and  sunk  it  in  the  river.  It 
seems  that  Paul  Jesus,  a  brother  of  Kelly  Annan, 
heard  of  the  afifair,  but  was  pacified  by  a  number  of 
presents. 

Charlie    Moses   and    Johnnie    Tommv    admitted 


166 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


being  camped  at  the  place  specified,  but  denied  that 
thev  had  had  any  whiskey  or  that  Kelly  Annan  had 
been  with  them,'  saying  that  they  had  not  seen  him 
for  a  long  time,  f  he^trial  of  the  two  Indians  was 
completed  in  October  and  on  the  12th  they  were 
sentenced  by  Judge  Houser,  Charlie  Moses  receiving 
four  years  in  the  penitentiary  and  Johnnie  Tommy 
five.  The  counsel  for  the  defense,  Messers.  Sinclair 
&  Smith,  appealed  the  case  to  the  supreme  court,  but 
the  final  decision  and  sentence,  delivered  in  April, 
1898,  were  the  same  as  those  delivered  in  the  first 
instance. 

It  was  in  1897  that  the  news  of  the  wonderful 
Klondike  discoveries  caused  such  wild  excitement 
throughout  the  Northwest.  Not  since  the  days  of 
California  had  such  a  fever  of  excitement  been  seen. 
Men  bv  the  hundreds  forsook  their  occupations  and 
joined  the  grand  rush  to  the  gold-fields  of  the  North. 
Skagit  county,  being  on  the  line  of  the  Alaska 
travel,  received  its  full  share  of  glowing  tales  of  gold 
and  wealth  ;  and.  led  by  these  tales,  many  of  her 
citizens  embarked  in  the  search  for  the  gold  and 
the  wealth.  In  July  and  August  a  large  number  left 
for  the  Klondike,  among  them  L.  D.  Metcalf,  Jack 
Papin,  J.  K.  Thomas,  ].  W.  Trilliman,  Joe  Stroud, 
James  Eastwood.  Peter  Jamison,  J.  N.  Parker,  L.  D. 
Ferguson,  Dennis  Storrs,  Fred  Siegel,  Amber  Thi- 
bert,  Im-c(1  P.onchier.  Mark  Rowan.  H.  C.  Frizclle, 
Kcv  ritnian,  I'rank  Stackpole,  T.  M.  Gares,  J.  M. 
McCrcary,  \\'.  S.  Riblett,  Ole  Dickson,  C.  S.  Moody, 
Dr.  ].  X.  Harris,  James  Dunlap,  John  Matson,  John 
Lucicv.  Arthur  Everett,  John  "P.ridcott,  William 
IMoss.  [uhn  Matlev,  Tohn"  Llovd,  b:ngene  Tavlor, 
Fred  Slack,  R.  O.'Welts,  Will  Kn,.x,  V.  A.  Gard- 
ner, W.  E.  Harbert,  all  of  ^l.umt  \  cnmn  ;  Robert 
Woodbum,  Richard  P.all  of  La  Gunner;  Wiley 
Roach  of  Lyman  ;  W.  V.  Wells,  Douglass  Allmond, 
Peter  E.  Nelson,  Daniel  Sullivan  of  Anacortes ; 
George  Reed  of  Burlington ;  William  Hefifron  of 
Hamilton ;  R.  Lambier  of  Sterling,  and  Charles 
McDowell  of  WooUey.  The  Skagit  News  of  Au- 
gust 2d  remarked  that  it  was  only  the  near  approach 
of  winter  that  kept  almost  the  entire  male  popula- 
tion of  Skagit  county  from  joining  the  grand  rush 
and  predicted  that  if  the  favorable  reports  con- 
tinued the  county  would  lie  almost  depopulated  in 
the  spring. 

And  yet  it  is  certain  that  only  a  small  portion  of 
these  hopeful  adventurers  achieved  a  fortune,  while 
those  who  stayed  at  home,  at  least  some  of  them,  did, 
if  we  may  judge  bv  the  following  from  the  Skagit 
News  of  August  9th :  "Talk  about  your  Klondikes, 
they  are  nothing  to  a  fish  trap  among  the  islands 
of  northwest  Washington.  One  trap,  owned  by 
Rolla  Davis,  furnishes  enough  fish  to  keep  the  Ana- 
cortes cannerv  employed  all  the  time.  From  a  sin- 
gle raising  ten  thousand  fish  were  taken,  netting 
its  owner  eight  hundred  dollars,  and  there  were 
twenty  thousand  fish  left  in  the  trap.  Mr.  Davis 
has  a  contract  for  three  years  at  eight  cents  apiece. 


It  is  estimated  that  he  will  clear  thirty  thousand  dol- 
lars this  season." 

In  November  a  most  unusual  and  astonishing 
event  occurred,  namely,  a  flood  in  the  Skagit  river. 
November  ITth  there  was  a  very  warm  Chinook 
wind ;  on  the  following  day  the  river  rose  rapidly, 
and  early  the  next  morning  began  pouring  over  the 
levees.  The  people  of  Mount  \ernon  rushed  out 
and  tried  to  stop  the  flood  by  raising  the  levees,  but 
their  efforts  were  of  no  avail ;  then  they  rushed 
back  to  their  houses  and  places  of  business  and  tried 
to  secure  their  goods  against  damage.  A  few  were 
unsuccessful  even  in  this.  Buildings  were  flooded 
and  sidewalks  torn  up  and  debris  washed  through 
the  streets  all  over  town,  the  southern  part,  as 
usual,  suffering  the  most.  A  break  occurred  there, 
letting  in  a  rush  of  water  which  carried  everything 
before  it  with  tremendous  force.  Several  exciting 
experiences  were  recorded  by  the  News,  probably 
the  most  exciting  being  that  of  Mr,  Winkler,  who 
was  in  his  house  when  the  break  occurred,  directly 
in  the  path  of  the  torrent.  The  house  was  turned 
around  and  broken  in  two.  Mr.  Winkler  didn't 
have  time  to  make  his  escape,  but  was  obliged  to 
jump  up  and  stand  on  the  door-knob  while  the 
water  rose  up  to  his  chin.  At  length  the  door-knob 
broke  off.  so  Mr.  Winkler  swam  to  the  window  and 
cliiulHil  up  astride  of  the  lower  sash.  He  remained 
in  this  position  with  the  water  up  around  his  waist 
f<ir  several  hours,  until  finally  a  boat  was  snubbed 
down  to  him  and  he  was  rescued.  Several  other 
men  were  rescued  from  house-tops  and  stumps,  two 
after  remaining  all  night  on  the  latter. 

Between  Mount  Vernon  and  the  sound  the 
levees  were  overflowed  in  all  directions,  but  fortu- 
nately thq  damage  was  not  very  severe,  being  con- 
fined principally  to  oats  and  hay  which  had  not  been 
placed  high  enough  to  escape  the  water.  The  wagon 
bridge  at  Mount  Vernon,  which  had  stood  so  many 
hard  knocks,  was  injured  by  a  huge  jam  of  logs  so 
that  it  could  not  be  used  for  several  days.  Steam- 
boat slough,  the  only  navigable  channel  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  was  blockaded  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  steamboats  made  their  way  through. 
The  coast-line  of  the  Great  Northern  was  over- 
flowed and  trains  delayed,  but  the  damage  was  not 
so  great  as  usual. 

The  outbreak  of  the  war  with  Spain  in  1898 
was  heralded  in  Skagit  county  by  the  same  enthusi- 
astic patriotism  that  was  shown  in  every  other 
county  in  the  state  and  in  the  LTnion.  A  number  of 
the  young  men  of  Skagit  volunteered  at  once  in  the 
service  of  their  country.  Three  of  them,  Frank  B. 
Lippincott,  George  H.  Caches  and  J.  G  McGlinn 
left  on  the  steamship  Senator  on  May  11th,  and 
those  who  went  at  other  times  were  Edwin  Fred- 
lund,  of  Mount  Vernon ;  William  Chambers  and 
Harry  Craig,  of  La  Conner;  Frank  Brown  and 
Nicholas  Polly,  of  Sedro-Woolley.  Caches  and 
McGlinn  were  enrolled  in  Company   B  of  Seattle, 


SKAGIT   COUNTY,    1897-1905 


167 


Lippincott  in  Company  E  of  North  Yakima,  Fred- 
luncl  in  Company  G,  Chambers  in  Company  H, 
Craig  with  the  First  Idaho  vohmteers,  and  Brown 
and  Polly  also  with  the  First  Washington.  Polly 
was  seriously  injured  at  the  attack  on  Pasig  church 
near  Manila  and  never  recovered  from  the  eft'ects. 
Eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-eight  was  a  pros- 
]ierous  year,  with  good  crops  and  business  activity. 
In  the  fall  the  people  celebrated  their  good  fortune 
bv  holding  a  county  fair,  which  began  October  6th 
and  lasted  three  days,  proving  a  grand  success. 
The  beautiful  and  varied  displays  showed  the  great 
resources  of  Skagit  county  to  be  such  as  the  inhabi- 
tants themselves  liad  not  realized.  The  attendance 
during  the  three  days  was  fully  six  thousand. 

Prosperity  and  excellent  conditions  continued 
through  the  following  year  in  constantly  increasing 
measure.  The  News  of  December  25th  gives  a 
summary  of  the  events  of  the  county  for  that  year 
which  was,  in  part,  as  follows : 

"The  spring  was  very  late  and  many  crops  were 
in  danger  of  being  ruined  by  the  late  rains.  A 
portion  of  the  Olympia  marsh  was  inundated  nearly 
all  year.  We  had  rains  in  July,  a  rather  unusual 
occurrence.  The  ranchers,  however,  had  planted 
their  grain  early  and  a  fairly  good  crop  was  the 
result.  Between  intermittent  showers,  the  merry 
hum  of  the  separators  was  heard  late  into  (Ictober. 
In  some  places  the  grain  was  first  class  and  in 
others  it  was  wiry  and  tough  and  frequently  clogged 
the  machines.  The  yield  of  oats  ran  as  high  as  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  bushels  to  the  acre  in  some 
localities  and  seldom  below  eighty.  The  late  rains 
lodged  the  grain,  and  it  did  not  ripen  as  early  as 
usual.  The  cost  of  harvesting  was  increased  by 
the  necessity  of  hiring  men  to  raise  the  grain.  There 
were  about  twenty-five  threshing  outfits  at  work 
during  the  summer.  Several  new  ones  were  brought 
into  the  county  at  the  commencement  of  the  season. 
The  oats  were  of  a  darker  color  than  usual,  but 
they  were  well  filled  out.  While  the  yield  of  oats 
was  large,  that  of  hay  was  smaller.  In  some  in- 
stances hay  was  ruined  in  the  shock  by  its  being 
too  wet  weather.  The  price  of  hay  ranges  from 
six  dollars  per  ton  upward,  and  oats  from  fifteen 
dollars  per  ton  up. 

"Many  ranchers  are  paying  more  attention  to 
dairying  than  they  have  in  the  past.  Several  of 
them  have  bought  new  separators  and  increased 
their  herds  of  cows.  The  Alaska  trade  has  created 
a  demand  for  packed  butter,  and  a  great  deal  of 
Washington  product  is  shipped  there.  As  a  rule, 
the  farmers  are  getting  better  stock  and  disposing 
of  the  inferior  animals  as  soon  as  convenient.  This 
is  noted  in  horses  as  well  as  in  cattle.  Where  they 
had  light  stock  they  have  in  almost  every  case  been 
replaced  by  a  heavier  animal. 

"The  salmon  industry  has  taken  wonderful 
strides  the  past  year.  The  addition  of  new  canner- 
ies at  Anacortes  brought  up  the  amount  of  salmon 


canned.  Last  year  3,350,000  salmon  were  canned 
in  the  different  canneries  in  the  county.  These 
salmon  filled  205,000  cases,  and  as  there  are  four 
dozen  cans  in  a  case  there  was  a  total  of  9,840,000 
cans.  They  retail  in  the  East  at  25  cents  a  can.  The 
valuation  here  was  about  $1,000,000.  Two  thou- 
sand five  hundred  sacks  of  clams  were  put  up, 
making  a  total  of  7,360  cases.  The  salmon  caught 
on  the  river  was  mostly  sold  to  Seattle  houses  and 
placed  on  ice  and  shipped  East.  The  money  from 
these  drift-net  men  is  no  small  item  in  itself. 

"The  state  hatchery  at  Baker  was  sold  to  the 
government  and  is  now  being  run  steadily.  An 
appropriation  was  made  for  a  hatchery  to  replace 
the  one  sold,  but  Commissioner  Little  has  neglected 
to  put  it  in.  The  Skagit  is  the  largest  river  on  the 
sound  and  is  entitled  to  more  than  a  passing  glimpse 
by  the  fish  commissioner.  More  salmon  ascend  this 
river  than  all  the  creeks  on  the  sound  put  together. 
A  state  hatchery  is  in  operation  at  Samish  lake. 

"The  shingle  and  lumber  industry  in  on  the  in- 
crease. A  large  mill  is  being  equipped  at  Mount 
Vernon.  Seven  hundred  million  shingles  are  being 
cut  each  year,  and  forty-five  million  feet  of  lumber. 
During  the  year  almost  through  there  were  running 
twenty-nine  shingle  mills  and  fourteen  lumber  mills, 
employing  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  men.  To 
supply  these  mills  with  material,  and  also  outside 
mills,  twelve  hundred  men  were  needed  in  the 
shingle  bolt  and  logging  camps.  Business  in  the 
shingle  and  lumber  trade  has  been  quite  brisk  for 
the  past  year.  Good  prices  and  lots  of  orders  made 
the  mill  men  smile. 

"A  railway  line  has  been  surveyed  around 
Chuckanut  mountain  by  the  Great  Northern  and 
active  work  will  soon  commence.  They  have  also 
purchased  a  right  of  way  up  the  Skagit  valley  and 
will  build  up  as  far  as  Sauk.  This  proposed  exten- 
sion means  much  for  the  county." 

The  fall  of  1899  was  rendered  memorable  in 
many  parts  of  the  Union  by  the  return  of  the  soldier 
boys  from  the  Philippines.  Skagit  county  also  had 
its  returning  heroes,  and  a  reception  was  held  in 
their  honor  at  Mount  Vernon  on  November  16th. 
The  soldiers  whose  gallantry  was  thus  honored  were 
Corporal  George  Caches,  Company  B,  First  Wash- 
ington volunteers.  Corporal  William  Chambers, 
Company  H  of  the  same  regiment.  Corporal  Edwin 
Fredlund,  Company  G.  Private  Garfield  McGlinn, 
Company  B,  Private  Frank  B.  Lippincott,  Jr.,  Com- 
pany E,  Sergeant  Harry  Craig,  of  the  First  Idaho 
volunteers ;  also  two  soldiers  not  from  Skagit,  Ser- 
geant McCarty,  Company  H,  Eighth  infantry  and 
Corporal   Abbey,   Company   B,    Fourth   infantry. 

Corporal  Fredlund  had  had  charge  of  the  regi- 
ment signal  service  at  Pasig  church,  during  the  bat- 
tle of  Fay-Tay,  and  also  at  the  advance  on  Morong, 
the  only  times  that  the  Washington  volunteers  were 
ever  used  in  the  special  service.  Private  McGlinn 
had  received  honorary  mention  for  special  merito- 


168 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


rious  services  upon  liis  (liscli:irj;c.  Tlic  reception 
was  held  in  llie  Mount  Vernon  opera-liouse,  the 
chairman  beinj;  Hon.  M.  P.  Kurd.  Eloquent  ad- 
(h-esscs  vvi're  dehvered  by  Hon.  J.  C.  Waugh  and 
Mom.  II.  N'.  Thompson,  and  an  original  poem  enti- 
tled "IIk-  Washington  Volunteer,"  was  recited  by 
llu'  anlluir,  W.  I'".  Robertson.  A  number  of  patri- 
otic uuisical  .selections  were  rendered  by  the  glee 
club,  consisting  of  Professor  David,  Addison  Davis, 
W.  S.  Packard  and  J.  Haddock  Smith. 

There  were  several  important  court  proceedings 
in  IH!)!),  one  of  the  most  noteworthy  being  the  trial 
of  Joe  1  lem-y  for  the  murder  of  Andrew  K.  Jack- 
sou.  The  circumstances  of  the  affair,  as  described 
by  eye-witnesses,  of  whom  there  were  several,  were 
as  follows:  Joe  Henry,  who  was  an  educated  half- 
breed,  was  the  postmaster  at  Urban  on  Sinclair 
island,  or  Cottonwood  island,  as  it  was  also  named. 
TluTc  liad  been  trouble  between  Henry  and  Jackson 
lor  some  time,  (be  latter  apparently  being  the  ag- 
j;ressor.  On  the  morning  of  the  l.'Uh  of  March 
Henry  started  down  to  the  beach  to  get  the  mail 
from  the  steamer  I'.uekeye.  He  had  a  paper  for 
Jackson  which  he  brought  over  to  where  the  latter 
was  standing  and  dropped  at  his  feet,  whereuiion 
Jackson  began  calling  him  vile  names,  followed  him 
<lown  to  the  edge  of  the  water  and  struck  him  a 
lua\\  blow  on  ilie  chest.  Henry  then  picked  up  a 
stone  and  threw  It  at  his  assailant,  which  caused  the 
latter  to  aitaek  him  still  more  violently.  Jackson 
threw  Henry  into  the  water,  forcing  his  head  below 
the  surface  and  striking  him  in  the  face  whenever 
he  tried  to  escaiie.  Innally  the  men  were  separated 
li\  ('.  r..  l.utz.  who  happened  to  be  near  and  Henry 
went  u|i  to  his  hou.se,  secured  a  rille  and  shot  Jack- 
son, who  was  following  him.  through  the  body  so 
that  he  died  in  a  few  niiiuites.  then  gave  himself 
up  to  the  authorities.  .\t  the  trial  the  prosecution 
wa.s  conilucteil  by  (.'ounty  .\ttorney  M.  P.  Hurd, 
assisted  by  1"..  P.  I'.arker  of  Mount  \'eruon,  while 
lion.  John  V.  D.^-e  of  Seattle  and  11.  D.  Allison  of 
Anacortes  appeared  for  the  defense.  It  took  the 
jury  only  fifteen  minutes  to  decide  on  a  verdict  of 
"not  guilty." 

Oi  a  more  serious  nature  was  the  murder  of 
D.  M.  Woodbury,  of  .\nacortes.  at  that  place  on 
September  Tth.  This  was  perhaps  the  most  cold- 
blooded crime  in  the  history  of  Skagit  county,  and 
the  long  and  hard-fought  trial  which  ensued  was 
watched  with  intense  interest.  The  following 
accoimt  of  the  crime  was  written  by  an  eve-witiiess 
and  aiipeared  fir.st  in  the  Seattle  Post-Intelligeneer : 

0,  ^^,  WoiHlliiiry.  :i  proiiiinent  attorney  and  one  of  the 
most  enleniri,<itig  men  of  this  resion,  was  shot  by  Al. 
Hamilton  at  ahont  throe  o'clock. 

Hamilton  hail  a  quarrel  with  Billv  Londerville  and, 
it  is  said,  threatened  to  kill  him.  Londerville,  who  was 
once  on  trial  at  'Paconia  for  shootins  Miles  Rrotten.  a 
|)0licen)an.  complained  to  City  Marshal  Becker  of  his 
threats,  and  Becker  had  intended  lockim;  Hamilton  up 
nntil   he  cooled  off.  hut   Hamilton   resisted'  arrest,  and  as 


he  was  armed  with  a  revolver  and  showed  light,  Becker 
concluded  to  dekiy  taking  him  into  cuNlody  until  a  less 
dangerous  moniiiit.  I'lu-  marshal  st.irleil  up  the  street 
for  help  and  llauultciu  fnllnwod,  nu-.iiiwluk-  nudciug  threats. 
I''inally  the  marshal  reached  tlie  hank  building,  in  which 
City  Attorney  Allison  had  his  office,  and  went  upstairs 
to  sec  the  attorney,  Hamilton  continuing  to  follow.  In 
this  building  are  several  offices,  including  those  of  D.  M. 
\V<iodbury,  Miss  'I'rolson,  the  telephone  agent,  and  Doug- 
l;l^^    AlliiiMiid       \lhiiiind   heard   loud   talking   in   the    hall 

.iiiil  liiKilU   IhmicI  s(.nu-  one  say:     "You  ,  if  vou  move, 

I'll  blow  \. .111  lua.l  off."  At  this  he  rushed  out  of  his 
office  and  I'ouikI  llauiilton  covering  Becker  with  a  revolver, 
the  distance  luiween  the  two  men  being  perhaps  fifteen 
feet.  .Mlniund  advanced  to  within  about  ten  feet  of  Ham- 
ilton, when  the  revolver  was  leveled  at  hiui,  and  Hamilton 
said,  "If  you  move  again,  I'll  kill  you"  this  situation 
lasted  several  seconds,  when  Woodbur>  lanic  (.ut  of  his 
office  and  said:  "What  is  all  this  abmit""  Hamilton 
told  Woodbury  to  throw  up  his  hands,  punctuating  his 
remarks  by  oaths.  Woodbury  started  to  speak  further, 
when  Hamilton  swung  his  revolver  from  .Mlmond  and 
fired,  the  distance  between  the  two  men  being  eighteen 
or  twenty  feet,  and  Woodbury  fell  instantly.  Allmond 
started  forward  to  close  on  Hamilton  as  the  latter  turned 
his  revolver  toward  Woodbury,  but  after  the  shot  was  fired 
Hamilton  quickly  covered  Allmond  again.  Woodbury, 
who  had  fallen,  called:  "Boys,  I'm  shot.  He  has  killed 
me."  After  a  few  seconds  more  Hamilton  glanced  toward 
where  Woodbury  lay  and  Allmond  jumped  backward 
through  a  door  and  to  an  open  window,  where  he  called 
to  people  on  the  street  below  to  send  for  a  physician,  that 
Woodbury  was  shot.  When  he  returned  to  the  hall, 
Hamilton  had  started  to  run  downstairs.  Becker  follow- 
ing. At  the  top  he  collided  with  H.  D.  .-Vllison.  Half-way 
down  he  met  \\.  Kasch.  pointed  the  revolver  at  him  and 
ordered  him  to  get  out  of  the  way.  .-Ks  be  passed,  Ka.sch 
tripped  him  and  he  fell  downstairs.  .\t  the  bottom  Becker 
jumped  on  him  and  at  this  point  Martin  McDonald  came 
in  from  the  outside  and  grabbed  Hamilton's  right  arm  and 
the  revolver  was  taken  away.  Hamilton  was  then  lodged 
in  the  citv  jail  and  taken  later  to  Mount  Vernon  by  Sheriff 
Wells. 

Mr.  \\'oodbin"y  lingered  in  great  pain  until  the 
10th,  when  he  dieil.  Hamilton,  a  man  of  the 
worst  type,  already  had  a  long  record  with  the 
police,  being  known  to  them  under  four  different 
names:  Al.  Hamilton,  Al.  Hawkins,  Al.  Harris 
and  Al.  Thomas.  He  was  said  to  be  a  deserter  from 
the  English  navy.  He  had  committed  numerous 
acts  of  robbery  and  piracy  and  had  been  charged 
with  two  murders,  his  nefarious  operations  extend- 
ing over  the  whole  of  Puget  sound. 

The  court  convened  for  the  trial  of  Hamilton  at 
Mount  N'ernon  Xovember  6th.  and  after  nearly  a 
week  a  jury  was  secured.  The  prosecution  was 
conducted  by  County  .Attorney  Hurd,  assisted  by 
Judge  Mc Bride,  and  the  defense  by  Colonel  Lindsay 
of  Seattle  and  J.  B.  Wright.  The  defense  made  a 
hard  fight  to  convince  the  jury  that  Hamilton  had 
beeti  doped  and  committed  the  crime  while  not  in 
the  full  possession  of  his  senses,  but  the  jury  would 
not  be  convinced,  and  on  Xovember  14th  returned 
a  verdict  of  giiilty  of  murder  in  the  tirst  degree. 
On  Xoveiuber  '21  th  Judge  Houser  sentenced  the 
prisoner  to  be  hanged  on  Friday.  February  9,  1900. 
P.efore  the  execution  took  place,  however.  Colonel 
Lindsay  succeeded   in  securing  a  stay  of  proceed- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY,    1897-1905 


ings,  pending  an  appeal  to  the  supreme  court,  which 
to  the  great  surprise  and  disgust  of  every  one,  re- 
versed the  decision  of  the  superior  court,  the 
grounds  being  that  there  was  an  error  in  the  in- 
structions of  the  trial  judge  concerning  insanity. 
This  decision  necessitated  a  new  trial,  going  over 
the  whole  ground  once  more.  A  change  of  venue 
to  Whatcom  county  was  secured  by  Lindsay  and 
Wright,  and  at  that  place  the  trial  was  held  in 
May,  1901.  It  was  conducted  on  the  same  lines 
as  the  first  and  was  very  hotly  contested.  The  jury 
were  retired  only  thirty-five  minutes  before  they 
rendered  a  verdict  of  guilty  of  murder  in  the  first 
degree.  For  the  second  time  the  death  sentence 
was  passed  upon  Al.  Hamilton,  this  time  by  Judge 
Neterer  on  July  17th.  He  was  sentenced  to  be 
hanged  on  Friday,  August  16th,  but  the  case  was 
again  carried  to  the  supreme  court.  This  time  the 
decision  of  the  lower  court  was  sustained,  and  the 
sentence  of  death  was  carried  out  at  Whatcom  on 
May  23,  1902,  more  than  two  years  and  six  months 
after  the  crime  for  which  he  paid  the  penalty  had 
been  committed.  Hamilton  died  in  a  manner  befitting 
him — without  fear  or  remorse.  He  mounted  the 
scafifold  steadily  and  his  last  word  was  a  curse. 

In  1900  the  branch  railroad  from  Sedro-Wool- 
ley  to  Belfast,  known  as  the  Fairhaven  &  Southern, 
was  torn  up  and  discontinued.  The  branch  from 
Sedro-Woolley  was  leased  and  run  in  conjunction 
with  the  Great  Northern. 

The  Great  Northern  at  this  time  was  beginning 
to  employ  Japanese  laborers  in  its  gangs,  and  the 
citizens  who  were  prejudiced  against  the  Japs,  tried 
to  prevent  their  working.  On  June  25th  a  large 
number  of  Mount  Vernon  citizens  waited  upon  the 
Japanese  who  were  employed  on  the  railroad  and 
requested  them  to  take  their  departure,  which  the 
latter  did  without  delay.  A  few  days  later,  however, 
another  crew  was  sent  up  from  Seattle,  with  the 
request  that  they  be  given  protection.  It  was  re- 
ported that  a  plan  was  formed  to  treat  this  crew  the 
same  as  the  first,  but  it  did  not  mature  and  they  were 
not  molested. 

In  July  the  farmers  of  the  county  were  greatly 
alarmed  by  an  invasion  of  large  multitudes  of 
strange  worms,  later  determined  to  be  the  army 
worms,  which  traveled  in  cohimns  by  night  all  over 
the  western  part  of  the  state,  destroying  every  green 
thing  in  their  path.  They  lasted  several  weeks  and 
the  farmers  began  to  think  they  would  have  no 
crops  left,  but  fortunately  the  damage  was  confined 
to  small  patches  and  consequently  was  not  very 
great  in  Skagit  county. 

A  horrible  accident  occurred  on  September  11th 
on  the  railroad  trestle  south  of  Sedro-Woolley.  One 
of  the  workmen,  who  had  been  drinking  heavily, 
fell  asleep  on  the  track  and  when  the  train  came 
along  he  was  run  over  and  crushed  and  mangled 
in  a  frightful  manner.     He  could  not  be  identified. 


but  it  was  believed  that  he  had  no  relatives  in  this 
country. 

One  of  the  most  sensational  murders  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  county  was  that  of  William  Corsage 
by  his  wife,  Jennie  Corsage,  on  December  14th. 
Corsage,  a  heavy  drinker,  was  in  the  habit  of 
cruelly  abusing  and  maltreating  his  wife,  even 
threatening  several  times  to  kill  her,  and  she  had 
been  in  constant  fear  of  him  during  their  married 
life.  On  the  evening  of  December  14th  he  re- 
turned home  drunk  and  after  mistreating  her 
started  to  go  to  bed.  Mrs.  Corsage  got  a  pistol 
and  shot  Corsage  while  he  was  lying  in  bed,  wound- 
ing him  so  that  he  died  a  short  time  afterward, 
then  immediately  gave  herself  up.  When  speaking 
of  the  crime,  she  said,  as  quoted  by  the  News  of 
December  17th :  "He  came  home  early  in  the  even- 
ing and  commenced  to  abuse  me,  being  in  an  intox- 
icated condition.  He  struck  me  in  the  face  three 
times,  knocking  me  down  and  then  proceeded  to 
kick  me.  I  told  him  that  I  would  leave  him  and  he 
said,  'If  you  do,  I  will  follow  you  and  kill  you ;  I 
would  rather  have  you  take  my  life' — which  I  did 
about  ten  o'clock,  after  he  went  to  bed.  After 
having  a  quarrel  with  him,  I  went  to  the  next  room 
and  after  sitting  there  for  half  an  hour,  a  sudden 
thought  struck  me  to  kill  him.  I  got  his  pistol  and 
going  to  the  door  of  the  room  in  which  he  was 
lying  I  fired  the  shot.  I  am  not  sorry  that  I  killed 
him,  as  he  is  better  off  than  to  live  the  way  he  did." 
The  sympathy  of  the  community  seemed  to  be  on 
the  side  of  the  woman. 

The  trial  of  Mrs.  Corsage  occurred  in  February, 
1901.  The  state  was  represented  in  the  case  by 
Prosecuting  Attorney  Hurd,  and  the  defense  by 
Attorneys  John  F.  Dore  of  Seattle  and  Henry 
McLean  of  Mount  Vernon.  A  number  of  wit- 
nesses, including  a  son  and  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Corsage,  testified  to  the  ill  treatment  of  Mrs. 
Corsage  by  her  husband.  The  defense  argued  that 
the  deed  was  committed  under  an  impulse  of  insan- 
ity, while  the  prosecution  maintained  that  the  wom- 
an was  in  no  danger  when  she  did  the  deed,  but 
had  had  time  to  deliberate  and  therefore  her  action 
was  not  the  result  of  a  sudden  impulse  or  passion. 
The  jury  was  out  fourteen  hours  and  finally  decided 
on  a  verdict  of  manslaughter,  with  a  recommenda- 
tion for  leniency.  Mrs.  Corsage  was  sentenced  on 
March  10th  to  one  year  and  six  months  in  the  state 
penitentiary  and  to  pay  a  fine  of  five  dollars.  Her 
attorneys  asked  for  a  new  trial  but  it  was  denied, 
whereupon  the  case  was  carried  to  the  supreme  court. 

That  the  population  of  Skagit  county  had  been 
growing  constantly  was  evinced  by  the  census  of 
1900.  which  showed  14,872  people,  divided  among 
the  different  precincts  as  follows:  Avon,  718 ;  Bay- 
view,  427;  Belfast,  206;  Birdsview,  .331;  Burling- 
ton, 525;  Cascade,  138;  Cavanaugh,  2;  Clear  Lake, 
500;  Cokedale,  131;  Cullum,  204;  Cypress,  30; 
Ferry,  30  ;  Fidalgo,  99  ;  Fidalgo  Citv,  152  ;  Fir,  699  ; 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Fredonia,  176;  Guemes,  97;  Hamilton,  563;  La 
Conner,  1,083;  Lake,  191;  Lookout,  143;  Lyman, 
353 ;  McMurray,  443 ;  Mansford,  20 ;  Mount  Baker, 
213;  Mount  Vernon,  1,120;  Perley,  8;  Point  Wil- 
liams, 83;  Prairie,  367;  Samish,  744;  Sauk,  251; 
Sedro,  310 ;  Sedro-Woolley,  885 ;  Ship  Harbor,  in- 
cluding Anacortes,  1,483 ;  Sinclair,  21 ;  Skagit,  531 ; 
Tingley,  67 ;  WooUey,  335 ;  Swinomish  Indian  reser- 
vation, 375. 

The  year  1901  was  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
in  the  history  of  the  county.  The  crop  of  oats  was 
immense,  one  of  the  best  ever  known,  and  the  price 
twenty-two  dollars  per  ton.  The  fishing  industry 
also  was  blessed  with  a  season  such  as  it  had  never 
before  known,  the  run  of  salmon  being  so  large 
that  in  some  cases  fish  were  offered  for  one  cent 
apiece  with  no  buyers.  The  canneries  were  obliged 
to  take  the  fish  they  had  contracted  for  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  season  at  fifteen  cents  each.  In  connec- 
tion with  the  fishing  industry  the  following  from 
the  Argus  of  August  3d  is  of  interest:  "Children 
from  ten  to  twelve  years  old  are  making  better 
wages  in  the  canneries  now  than  the  ordinary  lab- 
orer in  the  harvest  fields  of  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state.  The  run  of  salmon  this  year  is  the  largest 
known  in  the  history  of  the  fishing  industry  on 
the  Pacific  coast.  The  output  of  the  canneries  at 
Anacortes  amounts  to  fifteen  thousand  cases  daily, 
which  at  the  low  estimate  of  four  dollars  per  case 
would  be  valued  at  sixty  thousand  dollars  per  day, 
and  the  actual  value  of  the  daily  output  of  the  Ana- 
cortes canneries  will  probably  be  considerable 
more." 

A  good  deal  of  the  attention  of  the  people  of 
Skagit  county  was  occupied  in  1901  by  the  county 
fair  for  that  year,  which  was  held  on  October  3d, 
4th  and  5th.  Early  in  September  a  new  fair  asso- 
ciation had  been  formed  for  the  purpose  of  purchas- 
ing ground  and  erecting  buildings  in  which  annual 
exhibitions  and  sports  would  be  held.  The  capital 
stock  of  this  association  was  fifteen  thousand  dol- 
lars. The  board  of  trustees  selected  to  conduct  the 
business,  consisted  of  fifteen  members,  who,  for  the 
first  year,  were  W.  A.  Lowman  of  Anacortes ;  C.  P. 
Dickey  of  Bay  view :  H.  A.  Alarch  of  Fidalgo;  J.  O. 
Rudene  and  Charles  Nelson  of  La  Conner;  N.  J. 
Moldstad,  E.  C.  Million,  I.  E.  Shrauger.G.W.Reed, 
C.  A.  Risbell.  H.  R.  Hutchinson,  Charles  Clary  and 
William  Dale  of  Mount  Vernon ;  E.  Hammer  of 
Sedro-Woolley,  and  T.  P.  Hastie  of  Skagit  City. 
These  trustees  elected  as  president,  N.  J.  Moldstad; 
secretary,  J.  L.  Anable,  and  treasurer,  I.  E.  Shrau- 
ger.  The  management  of  the  1901  fair  was  placed 
in  the  hands  of  an  executive  committee,  consisting 
of  N.  J.  Moldstad,  I.  E.  Shrauger,  C.  A.  Risbell, 
William  Dale  and  H.  R.  Hutchinson,  with  the  last 
mentioned  as  general  superintendent.  The  time  for 
arranging  and  preparing  for  the  fair  was  brief,  but 
the  managers  did  themselves  great  credit.  While 
the  displays  were  not  of  mammoth  size  thev  were 


very  excellent  and  the  large  number  of  people 
who  attended,  nearly  two  thousand  on  the  last  day, 
were  well  pleased. 

It  was  on  September  6th  that  the  world  was 
shocked  by  the  news  of  the  cowardly  assassination 
of  President  McKinley,  who  breathed  his  last  on  the 
14th.  Memorial  services  at  Mount  Vernon  were 
held  in  the  opera-house  at  eleven  a.  m.,  September 
19th,  under  the  direction  of  the  mayor  and  city 
council.  The  school  children  attended  in  a  body, 
also  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps.  Addresses  were  delivered 
by  Rev.  Arthur  Hale  and  Rev.  Fernando  C.  Eldred. 
All  public  offices  were  closed  during  the  day.  A 
similar  service  was  held  at  Anacortes. 

On  Christmas  night  an  extremely  heavy  wind 
storm  passed  over  Skagit  county  and  the  rest  of  the 
sound  country.  Fences  were  torn  down,  trees 
blown  over,  so  that  trains  were  delayed  for  some 
time,  and  telegraphic  and  telephone  communication 
destroyed,  but  fortunately,  few  houses  were  injured 
and  little  other  damage  was  done. 

The  first  important  event  in  1903  was  a  serious 
railroad  accident,  the  railroad  bridge  between  Mount 
Vernon  and  Burlington  collapsing  on  January  17th, 
as  a  freight  train  was  crossing.  The  engine  was 
nearly  across  when  the  bridge  went  down,  but  the 
bank  was  so  steep  that  the  cab  was  entirely  sub- 
merged. Four  cars,  loaded  with  shingles,  also  went 
into  the  river.  The  engineer,  Thomas  Heathering- 
ton,  of  Everett,  and  the  fireman,  Doren,  of  Everett, 
were  killed,  but  the  brakeman,  McConnehanin, 
escaped  with  a  few  ribs  broken.  The  bridge  had 
been  known  to  be  weak  and  was  being  repaired  at 
the  time  but  was  not  considered  at  all  dangerous. 

The  attention  of  the  courts  was  occupied  during 
part  of  February  by  the  case  of  Charles  Lindgrind, 
accused  of  the  murder  of  George  Leake,  a  very 
sickly  old  man,  on  the  night  of  August  30,  1903. 
The  state  was  represented  by  Prosecuting  Attorney 
Waugli  and  M.  P.  Hurd,  while  Henry  McLean  was 
appointed  by  the  court  to  represent  the  defendant. 
The  principal  witness  was  Charles  Thomas,  who 
testified  to  having  found  Leake  outside  his  house  in 
a  terribly  cut  and  bruised  condition.  Leake  had 
described  the  man  who  had  assaulted  him  so  that  he 
was  easily  identified.  The  injured  man  was  removed 
from  his  house  near  Whitney  to  Fidalgo  island, 
where  he  died  in  a  few  days.  The  trial  of  Lind- 
grind resulted  in  a  verdict  of  guilty  of  murder  in  the 
second  degree. 

There  was  considerable  agitation  during  the  year 
in  regard  to  an  exhibit  from  Skagit  county  at  the 
St.  Louis  Exposition,  and  a  number  of  meetings 
were  held  at  different  times  by  those  interested. 
Patrick  Halloran  of  Edison  was  elected  president 
of  the  World's  Fair  club,  Gus  Hensler  of  Anacor- 
tes, secretary,  and  C.  E.  Bingham  of  Sedro-Woolley, 
treasurer.  The  women  of  the  county  also  organ- 
ized  with   the    following  officers :    President,    Mrs. 


SKAGIT   COUNTY,    1897-1905 


Frederick  Ornes ;  vice-president,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Hou- 
ser;  secretary,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Ropes;  treasurer,  Mrs. 
George  D.  McLean.  The  county  commissioners 
appropriated  one  thousand  dollars  on  condition  that 
two  thousand  dollars  additional  be  raised,  but  the 
question  of  the  exhibit,  unfortunately,  did  not  re- 
ceive the  support  it  deserved  and  would  probably 
have  received  if  it  had  been  brought  before  the 
attention  of  the  public  at  an  earlier  date.  It  had 
been  hoped  to  prepare  a  joint  exhibit  with  Whatcom 
county,  but  on  the  23d  of  February,  the  officers  of 
the  Fair  club  having  already  resigned  it  was  defi- 
nitely decided  not  to  prepare  the  exhibit  and  What- 
com county  was  so  informed. 

There  was  some  excitement  in  Skagit  and  What- 
com counties  in  the  fall  of  1903  about  the  large  ex- 
tensions to  the  forest  reserves  made  in  those  coun- 
ties. These  extensions  interfered  seriously  with 
business  interests  and  with  the  rights  of  settlers, 
so  naturally  a  large  number  of  protests  were  circu- 
lated through  the  two  counties  and  almost  universally 
signed.  These,  when  forwarded  to  Washington, 
resulted  in  most  of  the  withdrawals  being  again 
thrown  open. 

There  were  a  number  of  important  events  dur- 
ing 1904,  which  are  so  recent  that  they  are  still 
fresh  in  the  memory  of  the  inhabitants.  One  of  the 
most  important  was  a  transaction  carried  out  by 
the  commissioners  and  the  county  treasurer,  R.  O. 
Welts,  by  which  bonds  to  the  amount  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  were  refunded,  fifty-eight 
thousand  dollars  of  which  were  held  by  the  state 
and  forty-two  thousand  dollars  by  Eastern  parties. 
They  had  been  issued  on  the  1st  of  December,  1894, 
and  bore  interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent.  The 
state  offered  to  refund  the  bonds,  and  on  June  1st  a 
new  issue  was  made  bearing  interest  of  3^  per  cent. 
By  this  means  a  large  amount  of  interest  was  saved. 
The  new  issue  was  for  twenty  years,  with  the  priv- 
ilege of  refunding  after  the  first  year. 

On  June  20th  the  most  successful  jail  break  in 
the  history  of  the  county  occurred  at  Mount  Ver- 
non, when  three  prisoners  escaped  from  the  county 
jail.  They  were  A.  H.  Johnson,  a  horse  thief,  and 
L.  H.  Garbe  and  George  Reilly,  burglars.  All 
three  of  the  men  were  just  about  to  be  sent  to  the 
state  penitentiary  at  Walla  Walla,  Johnson  and 
Reilly  for  five  years  each  and  Garbe  for  about 
eleven  months,  having  already  served  out  a  good 
share  of  a  two-year  term.  They  had  been  in  an 
attempted  break  about  two  months  before.  They 
were  evidently  furnished  by  friends  on  the  outside 
with  tools  for  their  escape,  with  which  they  drilled 
through  the  bars  of  their  cage,  then,  making  their 
way  to  the  jail  yard,  dug  a  hole  in  the  brick  wall 
through  which  they  effected  their  exit.  A  number 
of  posses  were  immediately  sent  in  pursuit.  John- 
son and  Garbe  were  captured  in  a  short  time  at 
Rockport,  and  Reilly  was  traced  to  the  British  line 
but  escaped  capture. 


One  of  the  most  interesting  and  pleasant  events 
of  the  year  was  a  pioneers'  celebration  and  reunion 
at  Sedro-Woolley  on  August  Cth,  brought  about 
largely  by  the  efforts  of  the  Commercial  club  of 
that  place,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Batey  and  several 
prominent  residents.  Mr.  Batey,  of  Sedro-Woolley, 
acted  as  chairman,  and  Mayor  Bingham  made  the 
welcoming  address.  In  the  morning  a  number  of 
pleasing  speeches  were  delivered  and  anecdotes  of 
early  times  told.  Those  who  spoke  were  Captain 
Fred  Dwyer  of  Lyman,  Commodore  H.  A.  March, 
W.  H.  Burdon  of  Fidalgo  and  Senator  Emerson 
Hammer.  W.  F.  Robertson  also  recited  a  poem  on 
"The  Pioneer."  At  noon  the  meeting  adjourned  to 
a  neighboring  grove,  where  delightful  refreshments 
were  served,  which  the  old  pioneers  enjoyed  to  the 
full,  not  the  least  enjoyed  being  a  load  of  water- 
melons donated  by  Ivlayor  Bingham.  But  the  best 
part  of  the  occasion  was  the  renewing  of  old  friend- 
ships and  old  ties,  as  many  of  those  present  had  not 
seen  each  other  before  for  twenty  or  twenty-five 
years.  In  the  afternoon  a  permanent  pioneers'  asso- 
ciation was  organized,  the  officers  elected  for  the 
year  being :  President,  David  Batey ;  vice-president, 
Mrs.  Georgiana  Batey,  M.  D. ;  secretary,  Charles 
Villeneuve ;  treasurer.  Captain  Fred  Dwyer.  The 
date  set  for  the  next  meeting  was  August  5,  1905. 

Although  anticipating  a  little,  it  may  be  said  that 
the  meeting  was  held  this  year  pursuant  to  adjourn- 
ment and  that  it  proved  an  altogether  agreeable  and 
pleasant  reunion.  The  officers  elected  were: 
Thomas  P.  Hastie,  of  Skagit  City,  president;  Mrs. 
Ira  Brown,  of  Sedro-Woolley,  vice-president ;  E.  A. 
Sisson,  of  Padilla.  secretary ;  and  Patrick  Halloran, 
of  Mount  \'ernon,  treasurer.  The  reports  showed 
a  membership  of  about  one  hundred  and  thirty. 

On  the  16th  of  August  an  unfortunate  fire 
burned  the  steamer  Elwood,  which  was  unloading  at 
Avon  at  the  time,  to  the  water's  edge,  the  crew  nar- 
rowly escaping  with  their  lives.  The  Elwood  was 
owned  by  Captain  H.  H.  McDonald  and  was  one 
of  the  most  popular  boats  on  the  river.  Her  place 
was  taken  by  the  Skagit  Queen,  still  in  operation 
under  Captain  McDonald,  running  between  Mount 
Vernon  and  Seattle. 

The  fourth  annual  county  fair  was  held  October 
5th,  f)th.  7th  and  8th.  The  officers  of  the  fair  asso- 
ciation were :  President,  N.  J.  Moldstad ;  vice-presi- 
dent. William  Dale ;  secretary,  E.  W.  Ferris ; 
treasurer,  I.  E.  Shrauger.  Executive  board :  L.  J. 
Ward.N.  J.  Moldstad,  F.  G.  Pickering, H.  R.Hutch- 
inson, William  Dale.  H.  R.  Hutchinson  was  super- 
intendent of  exhibits  and  L.  J.  Ward  superintendent 
of  races.  The  officers  of  the  ladies'  department 
were :  President,  Mrs.  R.  W.  Williams ;  vice-presi- 
dent, Mrs.  A.  C.  Lewis ;  secretary,  Mrs.  W.  S. 
Packard ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  George  D.  McLean.  The 
exhibits  were  all  excellent. 

The  year  1!104  was  a  very  prosperous  one  for 
the  agriculturist,   the  oat  crop  being  much  better 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


than  that  of  the  year  before,  and  the  price  excep- 
tionally high,  being  twenty-five  dollars  and  twenty- 
six  dollars  per  ton.  The  hay  crop  also  was  good 
and  sold  for  a  fair  price,  while  the  hop  crop  was 
above  the  average  and  the  price  was  very  high, 
rising  to  thirty  cents  a  pound.  The  yield  was  in 
some  cases  a  ton  an  acre. 

The  winter  of  1904-5  brought  a  very  high  tide 
on  the  sound,  which  occurred  on  the  SDth  of  Decem- 
ber. While  it  fell  a  few  inches  short  of  the  high  tides 
of  1886  and  1895  it  was  high  enough  to  overflow 
the  dikes  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  at  La  Conner 
and  cover  that  town  and  many  farms  with  water. 
At  first  it  was  feared  that  the  damage  was  great. 


but  it  turned  out  to  be  inconsiderable.  The  farms 
on  the  delta  suffered  the  most,  some  of  them  being 
covered  with  debris.  A  few  pigs  also  were  lost. 
Occurring  at  the  time  of  year  that  it  did,  it  was 
believed  that  the  salt  would  be  washed  from  the 
ground  by  the  winter  rains,  and  this  supposition 
seems  to  have  been  well  founded  for  the  crops  of 
the  current  year  were  phenomenal.  The  industrious 
people  of  Skagit  county  are  in  the  full  enjoyment 
of  an  abundant  prosperity.  Their  faith  in  the  country 
which  has  caused  them  to  stick  to  it  through  diffi- 
culties and  disaster  and  hard  times,  has  been  abun- 
dantly rewarded,  and  yet  greater  victories  are  to 
be  achieved  in  the  rosy  future. 


CHAPTER  VI 


POLITICAL 


.\lthough  Skagit  county  did  not  come  into  offi- 
cial existence  until  November  28,  1883,  that  being 
the  date  upon  which  Governor  Newell  approved  the 
creating  act,  nevertheless  fur  many  years  previous 
the  lower  half  of  Whatcom  county  was  dominant 
politically.  Nor  was  it  less  prominent  in  paying 
taxes,  wherein  lies  the  principal  cause  of  its  inhab- 
itants seeking  complete  political  independence.  As 
early  as  1878  the  residents  of  the  Swinomish  flats 
and  the  Skagit  valley  had  attained  sufficient  power 
to  secure  the  establishment  of  this  newly  created 
judicial  district's  headquarters  at  La  Conner.  Then 
came  a  more  energetic  movement  for  county  divi- 
sion, which  reached  high  tide  in  1883,  when  Editor 
James  Power,  of  the  Mail  at  La  Conner,  was  elected 
councilman  for  Whatcom,  Snohomish  and  Island 
counties,  and  Orrin  Kincaid  of  the  upper  Skagit 
valley  was  selected  Whatcom  and  San  Juan's  joint 
representative.  The  rest  of  the  county  ticket  elected 
that  year  were:  Commissioners,  B.  H.  Rruns,  John 
J.  Edens  and  Isaac  Dunlap,  Republicans ;  auditor, 
C.  Donovan,  Democrat ;  sheriff,  James  O'Loughlin, 
Democrat ;  treasurer,  William  T.  Coupe,  Republi- 
can;  probate  judge,  Harry  J.  White,  Republican; 
superintendent  of  schools,  G.  E.  Hartson,  Republi- 
can ;  surveyor,  Alexander  Charles,  Republican. 
Both  Power  and  Kincaid  were  also  elected  by 
strong  Republican  majorities. 

Of  those  elected,  at  least  eight  were  residents  of 
this  end  of  the  county.  Thus  fortified,  the  struggle 
for  division  went  forward  with  renewed  vigor,  yet 


so  quietly  that  the  actual  passage  of  the  creating 
act  came  with  a  swiftness  and  a  strength  that  could 
not  be  overcome.  Representative  Kincaid  intro- 
duced the  successful  measure  after  one  brought  in 
by  Councilman  Power  had  met  defeat  in  the  upper 
house  and  the  bill's  opponents  had  considered  the 
project  shelved.  In  this  connection  it  is  worthy  of 
mention  that  Kincaid's  Democratic  opponent  in  the 
campaign  of  1882,  Harrison  Clothier  of  Mount  Ver- 
non, gave  his  whole  support  to  Kincaid  and  his 
colleague  in  the  legislative  struggle  over  the  bill. 

When  the  creation  of  Skagit  was  at  last  effected 
pursuant  to  law.  Special  Commissioners  H.  P. 
Downs,  F.  E.  Gilkey  and  H.  A.  March  met  Decem- 
ber 5,  188:!.  with  Harrison  Clothier  as  acting  clerk, 
and  called  a  special  county  election  to  be  held  the 
second  Tuesday  in  January  following  for  the  pur- 
pose of  selecting  a  full  corps  of  officers.  In 
view  of  the  fact  that  this  election  was  the  first  held 
in  Skagit  county,  the  records  thereof  are  submitted 
in  some  .detail.  The  conventions  of  both  parties 
were  held  at  La  Conner  and  were  unusually  har- 
monious. In  fact,  a  conference  of  Democrats  and 
Republicans  was  held,  as  the  result  of  which  the 
Republicans  made  no  nominations  for  sheriff  and 
assessor,  while  the  Democrats  made  no  nomina- 
tions for  auditor  and  the  office  of  coroner  and 
wTeckmaster.  The  Republicans  met  Saturday,  Dec- 
ember 23,  1883,  with  James  Power  as  chairman  and 
P>.  L.  Martin  as  ^secretary,  full  delegations  being- 
present  from  every  precinct,  except  Sterling.    J.  F. 


POLITICAL 


Dwelley  was  elected  chairman  and  W.  W.  Tinkham 
secretary  of  the  Democratic  convention,  which  met 
on  the  iSth  of  December,  at  the  same  place.  The 
election  passed  off  quietly  Tuesday,  January  the 
Sth,  a  heavy  rain  falling  all  day  long  and  a  light 
vote  being  cast  throughout  the  county.  A  list  of 
the  county  precincts  together  with  the  total  vote  in 
each  for  the  office  of  auditor  is  herewith  given :  La 
Conner,  143  ;  Samish,  30 ;  Fidalgo,  41 ;  Ship  Harbor, 
23;  Guemes,  10;  Mount  Baker,  13;  Skagit.  45; 
Mount  Vernon,  119;  Sterling,  -13;  Upper  Skagit, 
29  ;  Baker,  14  ;  total,  515. 

The  official  vote  as  returned  by  the  board  of  can- 
vassers w^s  as  follows :  Auditor,  H.  P.  Downs, 
Republican,  515,  no  opposition;  sheriff,  James 
O'Loughlin,  Democrat,  490,  no  opposition;  asses- 
sor, James  O'Loughlin,  Democrat,  423,  no  opposi- 
tion ;  treasurer,  John  McGlinn,  Republican,  239,  F. 
D.  Cleaves,  Democrat,  341 ;  probate  judge,  H.  J. 
White,  Republican,  360,  W.  W.  Tinkham,  Demo- 
crat, 212;  superintendent  of  schools,  G.  E.  Hartson, 
Republican,  262,  Miss  Josie  Bradley,  Democrat, 
304;  surveyor,  A.  M.  White,  Republican,  241, 
George  Savage,  Democrat,  333  ;  coroner,  J.  A.  Gilli- 
land.  Re]nihHcan,  3:i().  no  op]i(isition  ;  commission- 
ers, Isaac  Dunlap,  John  J.  Ivlcns,  T.  S.  Newlands, 
Republicans,  :m1,  259  and  2"i7  votes  respectively, 
Harrison  Clothier,  James  Callahan,  E.  Hammond, 
Democrats,  328,  217  and  228  votes  respectively. 

As  provided  for  in  the  act  creating  the  county, 
the  newly  elected  board  of  commissioners,  Isaac 
Dunlap,  John  J.  Edens  and  Harrison  Clothier,  held 
its  first  meeting  February  4,  1884,  at  the  temporary 
county  seat  at  La  Conner.  Permanent  organiza- 
tion of  the  board  was  effected  the  following  day, 
John  J.  Edens  being  chosen  chairman.  The  first 
business  after  the  bonds  of  the  various  county 
officials  had  been  accepted,  was  that  of  receiving  a 
petition  signed  by  J.  M.  Galliher  and  twenty-two 
others,  praying  for  the  establishment  of  a  road  from 
the  end  of  Fourth  street,  in  the  town  of  La  Conner, 
southerly  to  the  hill  opposite  the  town  and  thence 
southeast  to  the  line  between  townships  33  and  34 
north,  range  2  east.  The  board  appointed  Thomas 
F.  TJndsey,  A.  Carlson  and  Lyie  Wallace  viewers 
to  act  with  George  Savage,  county  surveyor,  in 
establishing  this,  the  first  county  road.  This  same 
day  another  road,  leading  from  James  Harrison's 
farm,  via  Dodge  valley,  to  the  Skagit  river,  was 
established  by  the  board.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
also-  that  the  sheriff  was  ordered  to  put  all  prisoners 
to  work  at  hard  labor.  .A.t  the  board's  session  on 
the  Sth,  one  thousand  dollars  were  appropriated  as 
the  county's  share  in  payment  of  the  construction 
of  the  Sullivan  slough  bridge  in  accordance  with 
a  promise  made  the  preceding  .August  by  the  old 
county  board.  This  synopsis  of  the  proceedings 
covers  practically  every  transaction  of  importance 
made  by  the  board  before  its  adjournment  February 


Sth.  Harrison  Clothier  was  detained  from  attend- 
ance at  this  first  session. 

Again  May  5th  the  board  met,  all  the  comission- 
ers  being  present  and  also  H.  P.  Downs,  auditor 
and  ex-officio  clerk.  Ferry  licenses  were  granted 
Porter  Durley,  Milton  B.  Cook,  Frank  Ledger  and 
Thomas  S.  Newlands,  all  operating  on  the  Skagit 
river.  For  the  purpose  of  preserving  one  of  the  old 
rate  schedules,  that  fixed  for  Porter  Durley's  ferry 
at  Skagit  is  herewith  given :  Two  horses  and  wagon, 
loaded,  $1.50;  same  with  empty  wagon,  $1.00; 
horseman,  $0.50  ;  footman,  $0.10  ;  cattle  and  horses, 
loose,  $0.25  each ;  hogs  and  sheep,  loose,  $0.10 ; 
packages,  under  100  pounds  weight,  $0.10  ;  packages 
weighing  over  100  pounds,  $1.50  per  ton. 

The  board  at  this  session  created  nine  new  vot- 
ing precincts,  Franklin,  Padilla,  Point  Williams, 
Avon,  Cullum,  Sauk,  Birdsview,  Prairie  and  Decep- 
tion, .^t  this  session  also  venires  of  jurors  to  serve 
the  district  court  during  the  June  and  December 
terms,  1884,  were  drawn  and  the  lists  are  given 
below : 

(June  term)  Grand — C.  P.  Woodcock,  Noah 
Nelson,  G.  W.  Johnson,  James  Harrison,  J.  B. 
Knox,  G.  E.  Hartson,  O.  N.  Lee,  D.  H.  Byrnes,  W. 
H.  Burton,  Frank  Benn,  G.  W.  L.  Allen,  M.  B. 
Cook,  David  Batey,  John  M.  Roach,  S.  A.  Boyd, 
J.  C.  Beasley,  Xavier  Bartl,  James  Callahan,  Nels 
Christensen,  .\dam  Carlson,  Martin  Dunbar, 
Charles  Moore,  Milas  Galliher,  George  V.  Brann, 
Fletcher  W.  Conn. 

Petit — Frederick  Anderson,  H.  Dewey,  T.  S. 
Hurd.  F.  E.  Gilkev,  H.  W.  Poor,  M.  Anstinson, 
William  Whalie,  W.  J.  McKenna,  J.  V.  Abbott, 
T.  J.  Rawlins,  Adelbert  Ford,  John  Gilligan,  F. 
Storer,  William  Woods,  B.  D.  Minkler,  Charles 
Conrad.  John  Hoffman,  Otto  Kalso,  George  T. 
Jeffries.  S.  W.  Pyle,  David  Fulk,  James  Gilligan, 
R.  H.  Putman,  James  Young  and  James  Caches. 

(December  term)  Grand — L.  L.  Andrews,  J.  P. 
Brewster,  W.  A.  Bell,  C.  F.  Babcock,  James  Eu- 
bank, W.  J.  Brown,  H.  C.  Barkhousen,  William 
Gray,  James  F.  Matthews,  G.  D.  Neville,  Magnus 
Anderson,  Emmet  Van  Fleet,  J.  R.  H.  Davis,  F.  R. 
Hamilton,  H.  E.  Daggett,  Calvin  Alverson,  J.  H. 
Moores,  Charles  Hansen,  John  A.  Bruseth,  R.  H. 
Ball,  J.  D.  Bannon,  Anthony  Barrett,  J.  H.  Chil- 
berg.  Thomas  Crumrine  and  Jasper  Gates. 

Petit — Andrew  Osberg,  C.  Otis,  William  Gear. 
.Allan  ]\IcGibbon,  James  McCain,  Thomas  R.  Jones, 
E.  C.  Brown.  C.  C.  Best,  William  Allard,  William 
B.  Edens,  John  Peterson,  Valentine  Adam,  T.  S. 
Conmey.  .Adam  Huff,  J.  G.  Jenni,  John  Isaacson, 
H.  A.  March,  Edward  .Ames,  George  Maw,  B.  L. 
Martin,  Nelson  Kellev,  P.  C.  Eubank,  O.  N.  Bab- 
cock, S.  P.  Olson  and  Edward  Good. 

The  burning  issue  of  the  campaign  in  the  fall 
of  1884  was  the  question  of  permanently  locating 
the  county  seat.  .As  the  details  of  this  struggle  are 
given  in  full  elsewhere,  it  is  not  necessary" here  to 


1T8 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


enter  into  a  lengthy  account.  La  Conner,  as  the 
oldest  town  in  the  county  and  situated  in  the  princi- 
pal farming  district,  with  easy  access  to  the  sound, 
set  forth  its  claims  for  precedence  in  strong  terms, 
but  within  the  preceding  few  years  the  chief  town 
of  the  Skagit  river  had  come  rapidly  to  the  front  as 
the  trading  center  of  a  small  but  rapidly  growing 
farming  community  and  headquarters  for  a  large 
number  of  extensive  logging  camps  extending  up 
and  down  the  river.  On  the  surface  La  Conner 
appeared  to  have  an  easy  victory,  but,  as  one  de- 
jected La  Connerite  put  it,  "all  you'd  have  to  do  up 
at  Mount  Vernon  was  to  shake  the  bushes  and 
voters  would  scurry  in  from  farms  and  camps  that 
we  didn't  dream  existed."  The  fact  of  the  matter 
was  that  the  valley  had  been  growing  much  more 
rapidly  than  the  inhabitants  of  the  tide  fiats  had 
thought  possible,  and  the  population  of  the  logging 
cani])s  had  been  underestimated.  From  the  follow- 
ing vote  by  precincts,  the  supporters  of  each  town 
and  the  relative  strength  developed  may  be  easily 
seen : 

La  Conner :  Prairie  precinct,  0 ;  Samish,  46 ; 
Point  'Williams,  8;  Mount  Baker,  16;  Padilla,  41; 
La  Conner,  267 ;  Guemes,  39 ;  Ship  Harbor,  32 ; 
Fidalgo,  32  ;  Deception,  31 ;  Franklin,  27  ;  Skagit,  4  ; 
Mount  Vernon,  5 ;  Avon,  12 ;  Sterling,  2 ;  Upper 
Skagit,  4 ;  Birdsview,  1 ;  Cullum,  0 ;  Sauk,  0 ;  total, 
567. 

Mount  Vernon :  Prairie  precinct,  27  ;  Samish, 
72 ;  Point  'Williams,  12 ;  Mount  Baker,  13 ;  Padilla, 
3;  La  Conner,  17;  Guemes,  1;  Ship  Harbor,  2; 
Fidalgo,  4  ;  Deception,  0  ;  Franklin,  9  ;  Skagit,  130  ; 
Mount  Vernon,  253  ;  Avon,  53  ;  Sterling,  58  ;  Upper 
Skagit,  85;  Birdsview,  31;  Cullum,  10;  Sauk,  16; 
total,  796. 

The  Democratic  county  convention  was  held  in 
Odd  Fellows'  building.  Mount  Vernon,  September 
4,  1SS4,  and  a  full  ticket  nominated.  A  little  later, 
Walter  Crockett,  of  Island,  was  chosen  as  this  dis- 
trict's Democratic  nominee  for  councilman,  while 
E.  D.  Warbass,  of  San  Juan,  was  nominated  joint 
representative.  The  Republicans  met  in  La  Conner, 
August  26th,  and  among  other  resolutions  adopted 
one  declaring  in  favor  of  the  forfeiture  by  the 
Northern  Pacific  of  all  unearned  land  grants.  The 
Republican  nominee  for  councilman  was  E.  C.  Fer- 
guson, and  for  joint  representative  from  Skagit, 
Whatcom  and  San  Juan  counties,  Dr.  S.  Manly  of 
Whatcom.  Of  these  candidates  the  Skagit  News 
said  in  its  issue  of  September  16th.  "Both  party 
tickets  are  now  before  the  people  giving  general 
satisfaction  as  much  from  the  even-hauled  distri- 
bution of  offices  over  the  county  as  from  the  ability 
of  most  of  the  candidates  nominated.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  go  through  the  entire  list  of  candi- 
dates. It  is  essential  only  to  say  that  the  county  has 
intelligent,  capable  men  to  manage  its  affairs  and 
we  are  glad  that  such  men  have  been  presented 
by  both   sides."     At  the   election   which   followed. 


Warbass,  with  141  majority  in  Skagit  and  San 
Juan,  was  met  in  Whatcom  by  Manly's  200 
majority  and  defeated ;  Crockett,  carrying  Island, 
Snohomish  and  Skagit  by  358  majority,  was  like- 
wise defeated,  there  being  over  400  majority  against 
him  in  Whatcom.  The  official  vote  in  this  county 
follows : 

Delegate,  J.  M.  Armstrong,  Republican,  653, 
Charles  S.  Voorhees,  Democrat,  706 ;  joint  council- 
man, Walter  Crockett  (elected).  Democrat,  806,  E. 
C.  Ferguson,  Republican,  555 ;  joint  representative, 
Dr.  S.  H.  Manly,  Republican,  623 ,  E.  D.  Warbass, 
Democrat,  711 ;  prosecuting  attorney,  John  J.  Cal- 
houn, Democrat,  844,  L.  V.  Rosser,  Republican, 
534;  auditor,  H.  P.  Downs,  Republican,  1,138,  W. 
W.  Tinkham,  Democrat,  210 ;  treasurer,  F.  D. 
Cleaves,  Democrat,  842 ,  F.  M.  Walsh,  Republican, 
506 ;  sheriff,  James  O'Loughlin,  Democrat,  750 ,  S. 
T.  Valentine,  Republican,  609 ;  assessor,  W.  J.  Mc- 
Kenna,  Republican,  902 ,  John  H.  Chilberg,  Demo- 
crat, 401 ;  probate  judge,  J.  F.  Dwelley,  Democrat, 
652 ,  H.  J.  White,  Republican,  701 ;  superintendent 
of  schools,  G.  E.  Hartson,  Republican,  901 ,  R.  L. 
Jacks,  Democrat,  458 ;  commissioners,  W.  H.  Gil- 
more,  Thomas  P.  Hastie,  D.  B.  Minkler,  Repub- 
licans, 701,  807  and  1,011  votes  respectively,  James 
Gilligan,  G.  W.  L.  Allen  and  P.  Downey,  Demo- 
crats, 774,  232  and  401  votes  respectively ;  surveyor, 
A.  M.  White,  Republican,  565,  G.  A.  Savage,  Dem- 
ocrat, 807 ;  wreckmaster,  J.  S.  Church,  Republican, 
804,  Michael  Hurley,  Democrat,  550 ;  coroner,  J.  S. 
Church,  Republican,  801,  Michael  Hurley,  Demo- 
crat, 550 ;  county  seat,  La  Conner,  567,  Mount 
Vernon,  796 ;  church  tax,  yes,  579,  no,  547. 

In  1885  the  question  of  dividing  Skagit  county 
into  commissioner  districts  coming  before  the 
people  for  consideration,  a  convention  was  held  at 
Mount  Vernon,  December  8th,  for  the  purpose  of 
crystallizing  popular  opinion  on  that  subject.  Of 
69  delegates  apportioned  to  the  various  precincts,  37 
were  present,  6  from  Samish.  3  from  Sterling,  1 
from  Point  Williams.  7  from  Skagit,  3  from  Avon, 
4  from  the  upper  Skagit  and  13  from  Mount 
Vernon.  Augustus  Hartson  acted  as  chairman,  V. 
A.  Marshall  as  secretary.  A  resolution  was  unani- 
mously adopted  as  follows: 

"Resolved,  by  the  people  of  Skagit  county,  in 
convention  assembled,  that  we  are  opposed,  in  the 
present  unsettled  and  undeveloped  condition  of  this 
county,  to  its  division  into  commissioner  districts 
without  due  time  for  consideration  by  the  people, 
but  we  are  in  favor  of  the  legislature  passing  an 
enabling  act  by  which  the  question  of  such  division 
shall  be  submitted  to  the  voters  of  the  county  at 
the  next  general  election."  Byron  Barlow  was 
chosen  to  present  a  copy  of  this  resolution  to 
Skagit's  representative  and  councilman,  and  to  con- 
fer with  them  upon  the  question  considered  by  the 
convention. 

On  the  13tli  of  July,  1886,  a  special  election  was 


POLITICAL 


held  to  determine  in  which  precincts  the  sale  of 
intoxicating  liquors  should  be  allowed  and  in  which 
not  allowed.  Five  precincts  went  for  prohibition; 
Avon,  Franklin,  La  Conner,  Mount  Baker  and 
Deception.  The  remainder,  Birdsview,  Lyman, 
Sterling,  Alpine,  Padilla,  Samish,  Fidalgo,  Ship 
Harbor  and  Guemes  decided  in  favor  of  continuing 
the  license  system. 

As  the  fall  election  approached,  a  new  party 
came  into  being  in  this  section,  the  People's,  com- 
posed of  persons  dissatisfied  with  the  policies  of 
each  of  the  dominant  organizations.  The  Skagit 
division  of  the  party  held  a  county  convention  at 
Skagit  City,  September  20th,  effected  an  organ- 
ization with  Peter  Kuyl,  George  H.  Turner,  John 
Lorenzy  and  J.  N.  Brown  as  its  central  committee, 
and  made  the  following  nominations:  Sheriff, 
John  W.  Duncan ;  assessor,  Peter  Egtvet ;  coroner 
and  wreckmaster,  John  Siegfreid.  For  the  remain- 
ing offices,  the  People's  party  endorsed  Republican 
and  Democratic  nominees.  The  Republicans  con- 
vened at  La  Conner,  August  31st,  the  Democrats 
at  Mount  Vernon,  September  25th.  For  joint  rep- 
resentative for  Skagit  and  Snohomish  counties,  the 
Democrats  put  up  M.  J.  McElroy  of  Stanwood,  the 
People's  party,  D.  O.  Pearson,  also  of  Stanwood, 
and  the  Republicans,  J.  H.  Irvine. 
The  official  vote  was  as  follows: 
Delegate,  C.  M.  Bradshaw,  Republican,  674,  C. 
S.  Voorhees,  Democrat,  390,  W.  A.  Newell,  People's 
partv,  175 ;  prosecuting  attorney,  H.  A.  Fairchild, 
Republican,  707,  T.  C.  Austin,  Democrat,  527; 
joint  councilman,  John  P.  McGlinn,  Republican, 
715,  J.  H.  Lewis,  Democrat,  457 ;  representative, 
J.  H.  Irvine,  Republican,  471,  M.  J.  McElroy,  Dem- 
ocrat, 532,  D.  O.  Pearson,  People's  party,  237; 
probate  judge,  Henry  McBride,  Republican,  550, 
Harrison  Clothier,  Democrat,  683 ;  commissioners, 
Patrick  Halloran,  Republican,  863,  J.  O.  Rudene, 
Republican,  802,  J.  M.  Young,  Republican,  822, 
Jasper  Gates,  Democrat,  332,  Frank  Benn,  Demo- 
crat, 492,  Dan  Sullivan,  Democrat,  312;  sheriff, 
L.  L.  Andrews,  Republican,  694,  John  Purcell, 
Democrat,  549 ;  auditor,  H.  P.  Downs,  Republican, 
807,  S.  P.  Brooks,  Democrat,  430 ;  treasurer,  E.  K. 
Matlock,  Republican,  615,  M.  Hurley,  Democrat, 
613 ;  assessor,  Peter  Egtvet,  People's  partv,  179, 
T.  J.  May,  Democrat,  306,  W.  J.  McKenna,  Repub- 
lican, 745 ;  surveyor,  H.  E.  Wells,  Republican,  854, 
George  Savage,  Democrat,  378 ;  school  superin- 
tendent, R.  O.  Welts,  Republican,  731,  G.  S.  Blake, 
Democrat,  510 ;  coroner,  James  Vercoe,  Republican, 
702,  P.  O'Hare,  Democrat,  417  ;  wreckmaster,  Eli 
Rhoades,  Republican,  692,  P.  O'Hare,  Democrat,  431. 
Skagit  county  in  1888,  according  to  the  official 
count,  cast  1,199  votes,  excluding  one  that  was 
thrown  out  on  account  of  two  ballots  being  folded 
together.  In  1886,  with  woman  suffrage  in  force, 
the  total  vote  was  1,239,  or  only  39  more  than  the 
vote  of  1888.     The   Republicans   were   first   in   the 


field  with  their  ticket,  holding  a  county  convention 
at  Mount  Vernon,  September  1st.  The  Democrats 
met  at  La  Conner  on  the  22d,  while  October  27th 
the  Prohibitionists  made  an  unsuccessful  attempt 
at  Mount  Vernon  to  nominate  a  ticket,  unsuccess- 
ful because  of  an  insufficient  supply  of  candidates. 

The  vote  in  Skagit  is  herewith  presented :  Dele- 
gate, John  B.  Allen,  Republican,  768,  Charles  S. 
Voorhees,  Democrat,  383,  Roger  S.  Greene,  Pro- 
hibitionist, 28;  adjutant-general,  R.  G.  O'Brien, 
Republican,  738,  H.  Butler,  Democrat,  433,  Brown, 
Prohibitionist,  17 ;  brigadier-general,  A.  P.  Curry, 
Republican,  740,  J.  J.  Hunt,  Democrat,  421,  Vroo- 
man.     Prohibitionist,     17 ;     prosecuting     attorney, 

Henry    AIcBride,    Republican,    783,    Austin, 

Democrat,  382 ;  joint  councilman,  J.  B.  Ault,  Re- 
publican, 679,  M.  J.  McElroy,  Democrat,  480 ;  joint 
representative,  John  J.  Edens,  Republican,  789, 
F.  H.  Hancock,  Democrat,  382 ;  probate  judge, 
Charles  Von  Pressentin,  Republican,  608,  F.  D. 
Cleaves,  Democrat,  549 ;  commissioners,  P.  Hall- 
oran, J.  M.  Young,  I.  Dunlap,  Republican,  711, 
779  and  707  votes  respectively,  H.  P.  O'Bryant,  R. 
E.  Cochrehan,  Pat  McCoy,  Democrats,  432,  354 
and  481  votes  respectively ;  sheriff,  E.  D.  Davis, 
Republican,  697,  Thomas  Costello,  Democrat,  473 ; 
auditor,  H.  P.  Downs,  Republican,  615,  M.  Mc- 
Namara,  Democrat,  551 ;  treasurer,  E.  K.  Matlock, 
Republican,  762,  B.  N.  L.  Davis,  Democrat,  409; 
assessor,  W.  M.  Dale,  Republican,  596,  James 
O'Loughlin,  Democrat,  573 ;  surveyor,  Henry  Vin- 
ing.  Republican,  831,  George  Savage,  Democrat, 
17  ;  school  superintendent,  T.  R.  Hay  ton,  Republi- 
can, 748,  G.  S.  Blake,  Democrat,  423 ;  coroner, 
James  Vercoe,  Republican,  752,  Doctor  Gilkey, 
Democrat,  121 ;  wreckmaster,  M.  B.  Dunbar,  Re- 
publican, 709,  Samuel  Ginnett,  Democrat,  456. 

The  call  for  delegates  to  a  constitutional  con- 
vention to  be  held  at  Olympia  in  July,  1889,  in 
anticipation  of  early  statehood,  necessitated  the 
holding  of  a  special  election  in  Skagit  the  latter 
part  of  May.  This  county  was  embraced  in  both 
the  16th  and  17th  districts.  Only  876  votes  were 
cast  in  the  county,  which  was  nearly  one-third  less 
than  that  cast  at  the  preceding  general  election.  In 
the  16th  district,  James  Power,  Edward  Eldridgc, 

Laws,  De  Mattos, McGinnis  and  J. 

J.  Weisenberger  received^  respectively,  813,  570, 
152,  413,  559  and  736  votes,  electing  Power  of 
Skagit,  and  Weisenberger  and  Eldridge  of  What- 
com. The  vote  in  the  17th  district  resulted:  Har- 
rison Clothier,  565;  Thomas  Hayton,   394;  Albert 

Schooley,   373;  Comegys,  350,  and   Griffiths, 

321 ;  electing  Clothier  and  Hayton  of  Skagit  and 
Schooley  of  Snohomish. 

The  result  of  the  fall  election  showed  an  in- 
creased Republican  majority.  The  Skagit  county 
convention  met  at  Mount  Vernon,  Thursday, 
August  39th,  and  selected  as  its  standard  bearers: 
Thomas  Pavne  of  Mount  Vernon,  for  state  senator ; 


180 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


J.  J.  Edens,  of  Guemes,  and  B.  D.  Minkler,  of 
Lyman,  for  representatives ;  and  J.  B.  Moody, 
county  clerk.  The  Democrats  held  their  conven- 
tion at  the  same  place,  September  3d,  and  placed 
in  nomination  for  state  senator,  W.  E.  Schricker  of 
La  Conner;  for  representatives,  Harrison  Clothier, 
Mount  Vernon,  Captain  O'Toole,  Birdsview;  for 
county  clerk,  John  P.  Millett.  These  special  tickets 
were  necessitated  by  the  entrance  of  Washington 
into  statehood. 

The  official  vote  was  as  follows :  Representative 
to  congress.  John  L.  Wilson,  Republican,  955, 
Thomas  Griffiths,  Democrat,  501 ;  governor,  E.  P. 
Ferry,  Republican,  949,  Eugene  Sample,  Democrat, 
566 ;  lieutenant-governor,  Charles  E.  Laughton,  Re- 
publican, 956,  L.  H.  Plattor,  Democrat,  560;  secre- 
tary of  state,  Allen  Weir,  Republican,  956,  W.  H. 
Whittlesey,  Democrat,  563  ;  state  treasurer,  A.  A. 
Lindsley,  Republican,  957,  M.  Kaufman,  Democrat, 
560;  state  auditor,  Thomas  M.  Reed,  Republican, 
968,  J.  M.  Murphy,  Democrat,  551 ;  attorney- 
general,  W.  C.  Jones,  Republican,  957,  H.  J. 
Snively,  Democrat,  561 ;  superintendent  public  in- 
struction, R.  B.  Bryan,  Republican,  809,  J.  H. 
Morgan,  Democrat,  579 ;  land  commissioner,  W. 
F.  Forrest,  Republican,  958,  Goodell,  Demo- 
crat, 562  ;  supreme  judges,  R.  O.  Dunbar,  Repub- 
lican, 966,  E.  P.  Hoyt,  Republican,  956,  T.  L. 
Stvles,  Republican,  931,  T.  J.  Anders,  Republican, 
955,  E.  D.  Scott,  Republican,  956,  W.  D.  White, 
Democrat,  556,  J.  L.  Sharpstein,  Democrat,  561, 
J.  B.  Reavis,  Democrat,  558,  J.  P.  Judson,  Demo- 
crat, 562,   Frank  Ganahl,  Democrat,  557 ;  superior 

judges,  J.  J.  Weisenberger,  Republican,  888,  

Winn,  Democrat,  636 :  county  clerk,  J.  B.  Moody, 
Republican,  936,  J.  P.  Millett]  Democrat,  577  ;  state 
.senator,  Thomas  Payne,  Republican,  768,  W.  E. 
Schricker,  Democrat,  734 ;  representatives,  B.  D. 
Minkler.  Republican,  885,  John  J.  Edens,  Repub- 
lican, 928,  Harrison  Clothier,  Democrat,  675,  Cap- 
tain W.  D.  O'Toole,  Democrat,  520 ;  for  the  consti- 
tution, 1.173,  against  the  constitution,  ill ;  for  woman 
suffrage,  404,  against  woman  suffrage,  944 ;  for 
prohibition,  499,  against  prohibition,  846 ;  state 
capital,  Olympia,  1,209,  North  Yakima,  42,  Ellens- 
burg,  81,  Seattle,  17;  bridge  tax,  yes,  335,  no,  734. 

The  campaign  of  1890  was  initiated  early  in 
July  by  the  organization  of  the  Skagit  County  Dem- 
ocratic Society  with  the  following  officers :  Fred 
Pape,  president;  Samuel  L.  Bell,  vice-president; 
W.  E.  Schricker,  treasurer ;  John  Doser,  secretary ; 
executive  committee,  the  president,  vice-president, 
secretary  and  the  following:  H.  Clothier,  Captain 
W.  D.  O'Toole,  R.  E.  Cochrehan,  William  Murdock, 
H.  D.  Wells,  J.  C.  Beasley  and  Robert  Sharp.  The 
club  did  good  work  and  no  doubt  to  its  efforts  is 
due  much  credit  for  the  victories  won  by  the  party 
later  in  the  year.  The  Democrats  held  their  countv 
convention  at  .A^nacortes,  Wednesday,  October  1st. 
The   Republicans  convened   in   the  same  city   Sat- 


urday, September  20th,  both  parties  placing  com- 
plete tickets  in  the  field.  The  struggle  was  waged 
upon  national  issues  for  the  most  part. 

The  official  vote  follows :  Representative  in  con- 
gress, John  L.  Wilson,  Republican,  983,  Thomas 
Carroll,  Democrat,  708,  Abernathy,  Prohibitionist, 
72 ;  state  capital,  Ellensburg,  108,  North  Yakima, 
66,  Olympia,  1,501;  state  senator,  Samuel  Bell, 
Democrat,  785,  John  J.  Edens,  Republican,  1,007, 
Haggard,  Prohibitionist,  94 ;  representatives,  G.  E. 
Hartson,  Republican,  750,  William  McKay,  Repub- 
lican, 1,112,  W.  E.  Schricker,  Democrat,  932,  J.  B. 
Wiley,  Democrat,  504,  Flagg,  Prohibitionist,  97, 
Gray,  Prohibitionist,  84 ;  auditor,  T.  R.  Hayton, 
Republican,  705,  Fred  Pape,  Democrat,  1,097,  Skal- 
ing^,  Prohibitionist,  84 ;  sheriff,  E.  D.  Davis,  Repub- 
lican, 1,122,  Sharp,  Democrat,  717,  Elliott,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 62 ;  treasurer,  B.  N.  L.  Davis,  Democrat, 
1,018,  R.  O.  Welts,  Republican,  779,  Decatur,  Pro- 
hibitionist, 78 ;  clerk,  W.  T.  Lucas,  Democrat,  624, 
J.  B.  Moody,  Republican,  1,191,  Dudley,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 66 ;  assessor,  James  Becraft,  Democrat, 
751,  W.  M.  Dale,  Republican,  1,038,  Breese,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 72  ;  county  attorney,  H.  D.  Allison,  Re- 
publican, 663,  Seymour  Jones,  Democrat,  1,074,  E. 
C.  Million,  Independent,  47,  Spear,  Prohibitionist, 
97 ;  surveyor,  W.  J.  Brown,  Democrat,  652,  A.  G. 
Mosier,  Republican,  1,010,  White.  Prohibitionist, 
209 ;  superintendent  of  schools,  J.  W.  Gilkey,  Dem- 
ocrat, 875,  J.  M.  Shields,  Republican,  885,  Howell, 
Prohibitionist,  103 ;  commissioners,  first  district,  F. 
W.  Conn,  Democrat,  911,  O.  Smith,  Republican, 
777,  Best,  Prohibitionist,  116;  commissioners, 
second  district,  J.  T.  Mason,  Republican,  859, 
Charles  Moore,  Democrat,  865,  Daggett,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 86 ;  commissioners,  third  district,  C.  von 
Pressentin,  Republican,  926,  George  Savage,  Dem- 
ocrat, 835 ;  coroner,  A.  C.  Lewis,  Democrat,  679, 
Doctor  Tozier,  Repubhcan,  1,048,  Walter,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 87. 

The  campaign  of  1892  is  noted  in  the  political 
history  of  Washington  as  being  its  most  memorable 
struggle,  with  the  possible  exception  of  that  of 
1904.  In  Skagit  county  the  campaign's  asperities 
were  accentuated  by  a  county-seat  fight  in  which 
Mount  \^ernon,  Anacortes,  Sedro  and  Burlington 
were  the  rival  candidates.  As  is  usually  the  case  in 
presidential  years,  party  lines  were  very  distinctly 
drawn  upon  national  issues  and  dominated  local 
politics.  Party  organizations  within  the  state  had 
by  this  time  been  matured,  consequently  the  cam- 
paign was  carefully  planned  and  methodically 
carried  on.  Here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  state,  torch- 
light processions  illumined  the  night  and  enthu- 
siastic mass  meetings  addressed  by  noted  speakers 
were  frequently  held. 

As  to  the  county-seat  fight  it  is  sufficient  at 
this  point  to  say  that  Mount  Vernon's  rivals  were 
comparatively  new  towns,  which  had  grown  with 
remarkable  rapidity   during  the   preceding  two   or 


POLITICAL 


three  years,  and  that  each  presented  its  claims  in 
the  strongest  light  possible.  However,  under  the 
provisions  of  the  constitution,  a  three-fifths  vote 
was  necessary  to  re-locate  a  county  seat,  and  this 
proved  Mount  \'ernon's  salvation.  Sinclair,  Cypress, 
Guemes,  Ship  Harbor,  Fidalgo,  Fidalgo  City  and 
Point  Williams  precincts  went  solid  for  Anacortes. 
casting  only  three  votes  for  Sedro  and  one  for 
Mount  Vernon.  Of  the  other  twenty-five  precincts. 
Mount  Vernon  cast  367  votes  for  itself,  Sedro  and 
Woolley  267  votes  for  Sedro,  and  Burlington  cast 
84  votes  for  itself.  The  total  vote  was :  Anacortes, 
873;  Mount  Vernon,  867;  Sedro,  636,  and  Burling- 
ton, 164.  The  county  seat  was  therefore  retained 
by  Mount  Vernon  and  no  effort  has  since  been  made 
to  remove  it. 

The  year  1893  marked  the  advent  of  the 
People's  party  upon  the  political  stage.  A  county 
organization  was  formed  in  Skagit  at  Mount 
\'ernon,  August  6th,  at  which  E.  L.  Clark  presided 
as  chairman  and  G.  W.  Angel  acted  as  secretary. 
In  accordance  with  the  recommendation  of  this 
medium  the  party  held  a  county  convention  at 
Burlington,  Friday,  September  3d,  and  placed  in 
nomination  a  complete  ticket.  Reform  and  more 
extended  participation  in  the  business  and  social 
life  of  the  country  by  municipalities  and  the  central 
government  were  the  slogans  of  this  new  third 
party.  However,  the  People's  party  in  this  county 
in  1892  did  not  rise  above  third  place,  and  did  not 
elect  a  single  candidate  except  John  Lorenzy  as 
constable  in  the  Mount  Vernon  precinct. 

Republicans  met  in  county  convention  at  Bur- 
lington Saturday.  July  30th,  while  the  Democrats 
convened  at  the  same  place  a  week  later.  Both 
parties  placed  unusually  strong  tickets  in  the  field. 
The  Prohibitionists  cast  only  seventy  votes  in 
Skagit  county  in  1893.  a  falling  off  of  nine  votes  in 
two  years,  showing  that  this  party  was  an  unim- 
portant factor  in  the  campaign.  One  of  the  prom- 
inent local  features  this  year  was  the  struggle  for 
judicial  honors  in  this  district,  because  of  the 
creation  of  a  new  judicial  district  out  of  the  counties 
of  Skagit  and  Island.  Henry  McBride  had  been 
appointed,  March  10,  1891,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  transfer  of  Judge  Winn  to  Whatcom  county. 
Under  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  a  new  judge 
must  be  elected  at  the  next  succeeding  election  to 
fill  the  unexpired  term,  so  it  was  necessary  to  elect 
two  judges,  one  for  the  regular  term  and  another 
to  act  until  the  9th  of  January,  1893.  By  mutual 
agreement  E.  C.  Million  of  Mount  Vernon  was  the 
only  man  placed  in  nomination  for  the  short  term. 
He  served  a  little  more  than  a  month,  holding  court 
during  the  greater  part  of  that  time  and  handling 
several  important  cases. 

The  official  vote  of  Skagit  county  was  as  follows : 
President,  Harrison,  Republican,  i.24S.  Cleveland, 
Democrat,  943,  Weaver,  People's  party,  665,  Pro- 
hibitionist   candidate,    70 ;    congressmen,    William 


Doolittle,  Republican,  1.137,  J.  L.  Wilson,  Repub- 
lican, 1,303,  "Thomas  Carroll,  Democrat,  898,  James 
A.  Munday,  Democrat,  877,  M.  F.  Knox,  People's 
party,  668^  J.  C.  Van  Patten,  People's  party,  683, 
Newberry,  Prohibitionist,  69,  Dickinson,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 69  ;  governor,  John  H.  McGraw,  Repub- 
lican. 1,103,  Henry  J.  Snively,  Democrat,  793,  C. 
W.  Young,  People's  party,  899,  Roger  S.  Greene, 
Prohibitionist,  139 ;  lieutenant-governor,  Frank  H. 
Luce.  Republican.  1.146,  Henry  C.  Willison,  Demo- 
crat. 851,  C.  P.  Twiss,  People's  party,  746,  D.  G. 
Strong,  Prohibitionist,  86  ;  state  auditor,  Laban  R. 
Grimes,  Republican,  1,148,  Samuel  Bass,  Democrat, 
873,  Charles  C.  Rudolph,  People's  party,  694, 
Christian  Carlson,  Prohibitionist,  73  ;  secretary  of 
state,  James  H.  Price,  Republican,  1.167,  John  Mc- 
Reavy,  Democrat,  864,  Lyman  Wood,  People's 
party,  703,  W.  H.  Gilstrap,  Prohibitionist,  69; 
treasurer,  A.  Bowen.  Republican,  1.000,  Harrison 
Clothier,  Democrat,  l.lol,  W\  C.  P.  Adams, 
People's  party,  650,  G.  W.  Stewart,  Prohibitionist, 
(53  :  attorney-general,  W.  M.  C.  Jones,  Republican. 
1,188,  Richmond  H.  Starr.  Democrat,  860,  Govnor 
Teets.  People's  party,  677,  Everett  Smith,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 78;  superintendent  of  public  schools. 
Charles  W.  Bean.  Republican,  1,158,  John  H.  Mor- 
gan, Democrat.  876,  John  M.  Smith,  People's  party, 
681,  W.  M.  Heiney,  Prohibitionist,  71;  land  com- 
missioners, W.  T.  Forrest,  Republican,  1,181,  Free- 
born S.  Lewis,  Democrat,  867,  T.  M.  Callaway, 
People's  party,  091,  R.  M.  Gibson,  Prohibitionist, 
67  ;  public  printer,  Oliver  C.  White.  Republican, 
1,183,  Joseph  A.  Bordon,  Democrat,  851,  A.  J. 
Murphy,  People's  party,  670.  W.  H.  Boothroyd. 
Prohibitionist,  71;  judges  of  supreme  court,  Elmon 
Scott,  Republican,  1,187,  Thotnas  J.  Anders,  Repub- 
lican, 1,109.  William  H.  Brinker,  Democrat,  850. 
Eugene  K.  Hanna,  Democrat,  787,  Frank  T.  Reid. 
People's  party,  699,  G.  W.  Gardner,  People's  party, 
647  :  judge  of  superior  court,  ].  N.  Turner.  People's 
part\-.  1>)48,  E.  C.  Million!  Democrat,  775,  H. 
McBride,  Republican.  1,558 ;  representatives,  M.  P. 
Hurd.  Republican,  1,398,  J.  B.  AIcMillin,  Republi- 
can, 1,019,  Jackson,  Democrat.  884.  William 

D.  O'Toole.  Democrat,  954,  O.  Ball,  People's  party, 
663,  E.  L.  Clark,  People's  party,  718  ;  county  audi- 
tor, Fred  Blumberg,  Republican,  938,  F.  E.  Pape, 
Democrat,  1,434,  George  Crosby,  People's  party, 
510  ;  sheriff,  E.  H.  Vaughn,  Republican,  996,  James 
O'Loughlin,  Democrat,  1.307.  L.  A.  Boyd,  People's 
party,  674 ;  prosecuting  attorney,  George  A.  Joiner, 
Republican,  1,373,  I.  E.  Shrauger.  Democrat.  814, 
J.  P.  Houser,  People's  party,  687  ;  assessor,  H.  C. 
Howard,  Republican.  1,333.  W.  T.  Lucas.  Democrat, 
938,  G.  M.  Reed.  People's  party,  593 ;  superinten- 
dent of  schools,  J.  M.  Shields,' RepuWican,  1,090. 
J.  W.  Gilkey,  Democrat.  1,038,  Mrs.  McKenzie, 
People's  partv,  683  ;  clerk.  George  A.  Noble,  Repub- 
lican, 1,111,  P.  S.  Hogan.  Democrat,  1.180,  G.  W. 
Angell.  People's  party.  573;  treasurer.  James  Dun- 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


lap,  Republican,  1,292,  Albert  Taylor,  Democrat, 
954,  Eichholtz,  People's  party,  575;  sur- 
veyor, J.  W.  Meehan,  Republican,  1,229,  J.  C.  Par- 
sons, Democrat,  861,  R.  H.  Stevens,  People's  party, 
673 ;  coroner,  W.  B.  Dunbar,  Republican,  1,260,  J. 
A.  Dorman,  Democrat,  838,  L.  A.  Blackwell,  Peo- 
ple's party,  634 ;  commissioner,  first  district,  John 
Dale,  Republican,  1,096,  F.  W.  Conn,  Democrat, 
943,  Frazer,  People's  party,  787;  com- 
missioner, second  district,  J.  W.  Dicks,  Republican, 
1,241,  Fred  Graham,  Democrat,  630,  H.  A.  Wright, 
People's  party,  871 ;  commissioner,  third  district, 
John  Sutter,  Republican,  1,388,  R.  E.  Cochrehan, 
Democrat,  756.  J.  B.  Wiley,  People's  party,  575; 
wreckmaster,  Tom  Sharp,  Republican,  l,03i,  John 
Benson,   Democrat,  707. 

Notwithstanding  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Peo- 
ple's party  during  the  next  two  years  the  balance 
of  power  remained  with  the  Republicans  in  the 
campaign  of  1894,  as  the  power  of  the  Democratic 
party  declined  proportionately.  From  this  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  new  third  party  was  drawing  its 
recruits  principally  from  Democratic  ranks,  fore- 
shadowing the  complete  merger  of  the  two  parties 
two  years  later  when  the  fusion  ticket  swept  county 
and  state. 

The  Republicans  were  first  to  hold  their  con- 
vention, assembling  at  Sedro,  September  6th.  A 
full  ticket  was  nominated.  Of  local  interest  are 
the  fifth  and  sixth  planks  of  the  platform  adopted, 
which  read  as  follows: 

"Resolved,  That  we  pledge  the  best  efforts  of 
our  representatives  in  the  state  legislature  to  use 
all  honorable  means  to  secure  an  appropriation  for 
opening  a  public  highway  through  the  Cascade 
range  for  the  connection  of  Skagit  county  with  the 
mineral  stores  of  that  mountainous  range  and  the 
agricultural  districts  of  Okanogan  and  Stevens 
counties. 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  conven- 
tion that  the  assessment  of  real  estate  of  this  county 
annually  imposes  an  unnecessary  expense  and  bur- 
den on  our  citizens,  and  that  our  representatives 
be  instructed  to  use  their  utmost  endeavors  to  secure 
an  amendment  to  our  laws  so  that  an  assessment 
of  real  property  be  made  not  oftener  than  once  in 
three  years." 

The  senatorial  district  convention  was  held  at 
Anacortes,  September  29th,  and  Fred  C.  Harper,  of 
San  Juan  county,  nominated. 

On  the  22d  of  September  the  Democrats  and  the 
Populists  convened  respectively  in  Anacortes  and 
Burlington,  holding  harmonious  conventions.  No 
local  issues  of  especial  importance  were  brought 
out  by  either  party.  From  the  official  vote,  which 
follows,  the  results  at  the  polls  may  be  ascertained : 
Judge  supreme  court,  R.  O.  Dunbar,  Republican, 
1,165,  M.  J.  Gordon,  Republican,  1,110,  J.  L. 
Sharpstein,  Democrat,  489,  Thomas  N.  Allen, 
Democrat,  466,  J.   M.  Ready,  People's  party,  952, 


H.  L.  Forest,  People's  party,  900;  state  senator, 
Fred  C.  Harper,  Republican,  1,039,  Fred  E.  Pape, 
Democrat,  670,  E.  C.  Nordyke,  People's  party,  981 ; 
representatives,  Herbert  S.  Conner,  Republican, 
1,174,  A.  M.  Moore,  Republican,  1,097,  Chas. 
Moore,  Democrat,  428,  John  J.  See,  Democrat,  512, 
John  Z.  Nelson,  People's  party,  1,050,  W.  T.  Mor- 
rison, People's  party,  912 ;  prosecuting  attorney, 
George  A.  Joiner,  Republican,  1,144,  D.  M.  Wood- 
bury, Democrat,  485,  J.  P.  Houser,  People's  party, 
1,034  ;  commissioner,  second  district,  L.  L.  Andrews, 
Republican,  596,  N.  W.  Carpenter,  Democrat,  303, 
Grant  Knight,  People's  party,  441  ;  commissioner, 
third  district,  Thomas  Conmey,  Republican,  247, 
George  A.  Henson,  Democrat,  133,  John  P.  Flick, 
People's  party,  282  ;  county  clerk,  F.  B.  Lippincott, 
Republican,  1,045,  Paul  S.  Hogan,  Democrat,  876, 
William  T.  Flagg,  People's  party,  771;  auditor,  V. 
J.  Knapp,  Republican,  945,  Harrison  Clothier, 
Democrat,  711,  Hiram  Hammer,  People's  party, 
1,034;  sherifif,  P.  J.  Maloney,  Republican,  1,032, 
James  O'Loughlin,  Democrat,  594,  W.  E.  Perkin- 
son.  People's  party,  1,066  ;  treasurer,  James  Dunlap, 
Republican,  1,266,  Daniel  Sullivan,  Democrat,  415, 
Oscar  Ball,  People's  party  996 ;  assessor,  H.  C. 
Howard,  Republican,  1,126,  F.  W.  Conn,  Democrat, 
618,  N.  S.  Cody,  People's  party,  936;  school  super- 
intendent, W.  B.  Davis,  Republican,  1,254,  Lewis 
Sandell,  Democrat,  390,  J.  P.  Edwards,  People's 
party.  1,020;  coroner,  M.  B.  Dunbar,  Republican, 
1,212,  J.  A.  Dorman,  Democrat,  463,  John  W.  Ben- 
son, People's  party,  946 ;  wreckmaster,  Thomas 
Sharp,  Democrat,  596,  A.  J.  Crookham,  People's 
party,  985 ;  surveyor,  J.  W.  Meehan,  Republican, 
1,167,  H.  H.  Barber,  Democrat,  632,  J.  T.  Lohr, 
People's  party,  852. 

In  political  circles  the  year  1895  in  this  state 
was  marked  by  the  formation  of  a  notable  geograph- 
ical combination,  known  as  the  Northwestern  County 
.Association.  It  \vas  occasioned  by  the  candidacy  of 
Honorable  John  S.  McMillin,  of  San  Juan  county, 
for  the  United  States  senate.  He  was  defeated  by 
John  L.  Wilson,  but  the  political  combination  then 
formed  for  his  support  remains  to  this  day.  Among 
its  prominent  achievements  were  the  selection  of 
Henry  McBride  of  Skagit  as  lieutenant-governor, 
and  Albert  Mead  of  Whatcom  as  governor  in  1904. 

The  spectacular,  epoch-making  campaign  of 
1896  is  still  vivid  in  the  memory  of  all  but  the  very 
young.  There  have  been  few  campaigns,  probably, 
which  have  so  completely  engrossed  public  atten- 
tion and  which  have  so  profoundly  stirred  the 
American  people.  For  two  things  it  will  take  a 
most  important  place  in  .American  history  if  for 
nothing  else,  namely,  the  apparently  permanent 
settlement  of  the  financial  policy  of  the  United 
States  and  the  institution  of  what  has  been  termed 
the  "campaign  of  education,"  whose  most  promi- 
nent feature  is  the  distribution  of  an  almost  incom- 
prehensible amount  of  printed  matter. 


POLITICAL 


The  local  Republicans  initiated  the  campagn 
Tuesday,  August  11th,  in  Skagit  News  hall,  Mount 
Vernon,  by  the  organization  of  a  McKinley  club, 
with  a  charter  membership  of  seventy-five.  Its 
officers  were:  President,  G.  E.  Hartson;  vice-presi- 
dent, W.  F.  Patten ;  secretary,  Frank  Farrar ; 
treasurer,  W.  S.  Ribblett ;  executive  committee, 
James  Kean,  A.  L.  Crawford,  J.  F.  St.  John,  R. 
W.  Williams  and  J.  W.  Prilliman.  The  county 
convention  was  held  in  Mount  Vernon  five  days 
later.  As  was  expected,  the  silver  question  resulted 
in  the  organization  under  one  banner  of  all  who 
favored  Bryan's  financial  doctrine.  The  People's 
party,  the  great  mass  of  Democrats  and  the  Silver 
Republicans  united  here  in  Skagit,  as  elsewhere  in 
the  United  States,  forming  a  fusion  party.  The 
Fusionists  held  their  county  convention  at  Burling- 
ton, September  30th,  and  nominated  a  ticket  com- 
posed of  seven  Populists,  four  Democrats  and  two 
Silver  Republicans.  Later  J.  P.  Houser.  a  former 
member  of  the  People's  party,  was  nominated  for 
the  superior  judgeship  of  this  district,  while  the 
Republicans  selected  Henry  McBride  for  the  same 
position. 

At  the  polls  on  election  day  the  Fusionists 
swept  the  county,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  official 
vote  which  follows :  Presidential  electors,  L.  B. 
Andrews,  Solomon  Smith,  John  N.  Conna,  W.  K. 
Kennedy.  Republicans,  1.36S,  1,265,  1,361  and 
1,255  votes  respectively,  Thomas  Burke,  George 
Stapleton,  Yancey  C.  Blalock,  Wilbur  S.  Year- 
sley,  Democrats,  50,  45,  41  and  40  votes  respectively, 
Nathan  Caton,  Isaac  Maxwell,  John  B.  Hart,  De- 
witt  C.  Newman,  People's  party,"  1,573,  1,564,  1,557 
and  1,554  votes  respectively,  D.  T.  Denny,  J.  J. 
Ashby,  R.  F.  Whittum,  O.  G.  Gist,  Prohibitionists, 
28,  22,  22  and  21  votes  respectively,  Chas.  Goddard, 
Boyd  Teeter,  John  B.  Redford,  P.  H.  Peter,  Na- 
tional party,  3,  3,  2  and  3  votes  respectively ;  repre- 
sentatives in  congress,  S.  C.  Hvde,  Republican, 
1,217,  W.  H.  Doolittle,  Republican,  1,346,  James 
Hamilton  Lewis,  People's  party,  1,646,  William  C. 
Jones,  People's  party,  1,593,  C.  A.  Slayer,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 27,  Martin  Olsen,  Prohibitionist,  20 ;  gov- 
ernor, P.  C.  Sullivan,  Republican,  1,306,  John  R. 
Rogers,  People's  party,  1,615,  R.  E.  Dunlap,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 64 ;  lieutenant-governor,  John  W.  Arra- 
smith.  Republican,  1,248,  Thurston  Daniels,  Peo- 
ple's party,  1,580,  T.  A.  Shorthill,  Prohibitionist,  39, 
A.  C.  Dickinson,  National  party,  3 ;  secretary  of 
state,  James  H.  Price,  Republican,  1.381,  Will  D. 
Jenkins,  People's  party,  1,564,  C.  L.  Haggard,  Pro- 
hibitionist, 32  ;  treasurer.  J.  A.  Kellogg.  Republican, 
1.27  2,  C.  W.  Young,  People's  party.  1.563,  John 
Robin,  Prohibitionist,  38 ;  auditor,  J.'  E.  Frost,  Re- 
publican, 1,284,  Neal  Cheetham,  "  People's  party, 
1,554,  C.  C.  Gridley,  Prohibitionist.  30 ;  attorney- 
general,  E.  W.  Ross,  Republican,  1,397,  Patrick  H. 
Winston.  People's  party.  1.531.  Everett  Smith, 
Prohibitionist,   48;   judge   supreme   court,   John    P. 


Hoyt,  Republican,  1,357,  James  B.  Reavis,  People's 
party,  1,585,  E.  H.  Livermore,  Prohibitionist,  38; 
commissioner  public  lands,  William  T.  Forrest,  Re- 
publican, 1,326,  Robert  Bridges,  People's  party, 
1,596,  A.  E.  Flagg,  Prohibitionist,  45 ;  superinten- 
dent of  public  instruction,  E.  L.  Brunston,  Repub- 
lican, 1,331,  Frank  J.  Browne,  People's  party,  1,600, 
C.  E.  Newberry,  Prohibitionist,  43 ;  state  printer, 
O.  C.  White,  Republican,  1,365,  Gwin  Hicks,  Peo- 
ple's party,  1,571,  Homer  L.  Bull,  Prohibitionist, 
33 ;  state  representatives,  R.  H.  Ball,  Republican, 
1,161,  Emerson  Hammer,  Republican,  1,301,  Frank 
Wilkeson,  People's  party,  1,586,  John  Z.  Nelson, 
People's  party,  1,538;  superior  judge  for  Skagit 
and  San  Juan,  Henrv  McBride,  Republican,  1,370, 
J.  P.  Houser,  People's  party,  1,604;  sheriff,  W.  E. 
Gilkey,  Republican.  1.324,  J.  P.  Millett,  People's 
party,  1,637  ;  clerk,  F.  B.  Lippincott,  Republican, 
1,178,  L.  A.  Boyd,  People's  party,  1,671;  auditor, 
E.  S.  Dodge,  Republican,  1,396,  H.  Hammer,  Peo- 
ple's party,  1,583;  treasurer,  W.  R.  Wells,  Republi- 
can, 1,376,  Oscar  Ball,  People's  party,  1,498;  prose- 
cuting attorney,  M.  P.  Hurd,  Republican,  1,358,  I. 
E.  Shrauger,  People's  party,  1,507  ;  assessor,  J.  J. 
Stiles,  Republican,  1,345,  Paul  S.  Hogan,  People's 
party,  1,617;  superintendent  of  schools,  W.  B. 
Davis,  Republican,  1,306,  B.  R.  McElreath,  Peo- 
ple's party,  1,583;  surveyor,  C.  H.  x\llerton.  Repub- 
lican, 1,264,  Henry  Gay,  People's  party,  1,587;  cor- 
oner, B.  R.  Sumner,  Republican,  1,369,  J.  L. 
Hutchison.  People's  party,  1,5^6;  commissioner, 
first  district,  John  Dale.  Republican.  1,197,  Gus  Hen- 
sler.  People's  party,  l,(i(M  ;  commissioner,  third  dis- 
trict. Otto  Klement,  Republican,  1,355,  A.  H. 
Rogers,  People's  party,  1,503;  wreckmaster,  D.  H. 
Byrnes.  Republican,  1.463  ;  for  constitutional  amend- 
ment, 786,  against  constitutional  amendment,  475 ; 
for  township  organization,  687,  against  township 
organization,  455. 

The  sun  of  the  People's  party  reached  its  zenith 
in  1896,  however,  and,  politically,  the  year  1898  is 
noted  as  marking  the  beginning  of  its  decline.  The 
Democrats.  Populists  and  Silver  Republicans  met 
in  joint  convention  at  Burlington,  August  20th,  and 
after  a  spirited  debate,  fusion  was  effected,  except 
in  the  case  of  a  large  number  of  Populists  who 
bolted  and  formed  an  independent  aggregation.  As 
finally  agreed  upon  the  Populists  were  granted  the 
state  senatorship  and  the  county  offices  of  auditor, 
assessor,  clerk,  one  county  commissioner,  both  repre- 
sentatives, superintendent  of  schools,  surveyor  and 
coroner. 

The  bolters,  commonly  known  as  "middle-of- 
the-roaders,"  held  a  convention  at  Burlington  Sat- 
urday, October  1st,  nominated  a  full  ticket,  which 
polled  so  few  votes  as  to  be  hardly  classed  as  a 
party,   and   adopted   the   following   platform: 

"Whereas,  We  have  seen  with  sorrow  and  indig- 
nation the  late  People's  party  convention  of  the 
state  of  Washington  and  of  the  county  of  Skagit 


184 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


turned  over  soul  and  body  to  the  Democratic  party 
of  said  state  and  county,  by  the  most  disreputable, 
high-handed  and  outrageous  proceedings  that  ever 
disgraced  any  political  convention  in  the  state  of 
Washington  or  in  the  county  of  Skagit. 

"Whereas,  The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many 
footprints  of  the  blackest  trails  of  absolute  de- 
bauchery and  abject  shame  which  marked  the  pro- 
ceedings of  those  bodies  and  the  latent  and  obscure 
movements  preceding   it: 

"First,  the  neglect  and  refusal  of  the  chairman 
of  the  state  central  committee  and  members  thereof, 
in  our  own  and  several  of  the  counties,  in  not  giving 
the  proper  information  in  calling  the  state,  county 
and  primary  election,  the  design  of  which  was  to 
keep  the  true  reformers  from  the  polls  and  attend- 
ing the  elections. 

"Second,  the  packing  of  the  caucuses  in  the  most 
scandalous  manner,  wherein  sinister  aims  and  means 
were  used  that  life-long  reformers  in  nearly  every 
couHty  and  precinct  were  displaced  and  over-ridden 
by  men  who  were  never  known  to  vote  the  reform 
ticket. 

"Third,  we  point  to  the  unprecedented  and  scan- 
dalous action  of  the  court-house  caucus  that  ap- 
pointed the  committees  of  three  Fusionists  each  in 
every  precinct,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  reformers 
out  of  the  county  and  state  conventions,  thereby 
giving  the  Democrats  absolute  control. 

"Fourth,  we  point  to  the  unprecedented  action 
of  the  chairmen  of  the  committees  of  the  county 
convention  in  using  every  device  in  their  power  to 
subserve  the  combination  bosses,  under  circum- 
stances calculated  to  suppress  a  free  expression  on 
the  part  of  true  reformers ;  and  combining  and  con- 
spiring to  have  our  deliberations  squashed  and 
flooded  by  a  lot  of  fusion  hirelings  and  Democratic 
bosses. 

"Fifth,  that  every  cunning  and  device  known  to 
man's  intelligence  and  ingenuity  has  been  and  is 
being  brought  to  bear  by  the  ring  bosses  and  their 
agents  to  tear  down  and  destroy  and  annihilate,  if 
need  be,  the  Rural  Home,  the  only  reform  paper  in 
the  county. 

"Now,  therefore,  in  view  of  the  above  facts,  we 
declare  that  we  repudiate  the  whole  proceedings  of 
the  county  convention,  and  declare  to  the  county 
that  the  result  of  the  triple  convention  held  in 
P.urlington,  Skagit  county,  Washington,  on  the 
•^Oth  day  of  August,  1898,  does  not  express  the 
sentiments    of    the    reformers    of    Skagit    county." 

The  Republicans  met  at  Woolley,  September- 
10th,  and  nominated  their  standard  bearers.  The 
campaign  was  a  comparatively  quiet  one  and  on 
election  day  the  following  vote  was  cast  according 
to  the  official  returns  of  the  board  of  canvassers: 
Representatives.  Francis  W.  Cushman.  Republican, 
1.329,  Wesley  L.  Jones.  Republican,  l.:^21.  James 
fTamilton  Lewis,  Fusionist.  1.31o.  William  C.  Jones, 
Fusionist.  1,086,  C.  L.  Haggard.  39.  A.  C.  Dickson, 


36,  Walter  Walker,  32,  M.  A.  Hamilton,  31;  judge 
of  supreme  court,  T.  J.  Anders,  Republican,  1,387, 
Mark  A.  Fullerton,  Republican,  1.363,  Benjamin 
I*".  Hueston,  Fusionist,  1,078,  Melvin  M.  (jodman, 
I'usionist,  1,044,  Thomas  Young,  62,  Thomas 
Lawry,  44 ;  state  senator,  Emerson  Hammer,  Re- 
publican, 1,474,  John  Z.  Nelson,  Fusionist,  1,042 ; 
state  representatives,  N.  H.  L5eals,  Republican, 
1,4;!4,  J.  H.  Parker,  Republican,  1,414,  Frank  Wil- 
keson.  Populist,  1.017,  Charles  Hide,  Populist,  1,067  ; 
sheriff,  Edwin  Wells,  Republican,  1,368,  J.  P.  Mil- 
lett,  Populist,  1,044,  William  E.  Perkinson,  Inde- 
pendent, 162;  clerk,  James  Haddock  Smith,  Repub- 
lican, 1,314,  L.  A.  Boyd,  Populist,  1,238;  auditor. 
Grant  Neal,  Republican,  1.387,  W.  T.  Flagg,  Popu- 
list, 1,151 ;  treasurer,  James  Dunlap,  Republican, 
1,529,  J.  T.  Squires.  Populist.  1,034  ;  prosecuting 
attorney,  M.  P.  Hurd,  Republican,  1,359,  I.  E. 
Shrauger,  Populist,  1,191;  assessor,  William  Dale, 
Republican,  1,340,  Grant  Knight,  Populist,  1,207 ; 
school  superintendent,  Susan  Lord  Currier,  Rei)ub- 
lican.  1.413,  B.  R.  McElrcath.  Populi.st.  1.1 4S; 
surveyor,  John  W.  Meehan,  Republican,  1,373, 
Henry  Gay,  Populist,  1,145 ;  coroner.  James  Vercoe, 
Republican,  1,414.  A.  Garl.  Populist.  1.073;  com- 
missioner, first  district,  Melville  Curtis,  Republi- 
can, 1,392.  Ernest  Kasch,  Populist,  1,106;  commis- 
sioner, second  district,  W.  J.  Henry,  Republican, 
1,418,  H.  A.  Dannemiller,  Populist,  1,107  ;  for  single 
tax  amendment,  512.  against  single  tax  amendment, 
1,001;  for  woman  suffrage,  714,  against  woman 
suffrage,  905. 

The  Fusionists  held  their  count\  convention  in 
1900  at  Mount  \ernoii,  .Saturda\ .  August  ISth, 
adopting  the  name  of  the  old-time  party,  however. 
A  month  later  at  the  state  Democratic  convention 
in  Seattle,  Ex-Judge  E.  C.  Million  of  Mount 
Vernon  was  nominated  as  a  justice  of  the  supreme 
court.  The  Republicans  of  Skagit  were  likewise 
honored  by  having  one  of  their  number.  Henry 
McBride,  also  of  Mount  Vernon,  selected  as  the 
party's  candidate  for  lieutenant-governor.  Their 
county  convention  was  held  at  Mount  Vernon,  July 
28th.  In  comparison  with  the  preceding  national 
election  that  of  1900  was  somewhat  undemonstra- 
tive, although  it  is  noticeable  that  when  election  day 
arrived  a  full  vote  was  cast  by  a  people  seriously 
intent  upon  correctly  solving  the  problem  of  self- 
government. 

The  vote  in  Skagit,  as  officially  returned  by  the 
canvassing  board,  was :  Presidential  electors.  Re- 
publican, 1,814,  Democrat.  1.220.  Prohibition,  65, 
Social  Labor.  29.  Social  Democrat.  115;  represen- 
tative in  congress.  Francis  W.  Cushman.  Repub- 
lican. 1.762.  We.slev  L.  Jones,  Republican,  1.763, 
1'.  C.  Robertson,  Democrat.  1,244.  J.  T.  Ronald, 
Democrat.  1,191,  Guy  Posson,  Prohibitionist.  62, 
J.  A.  Adams.  Prohibitionist.  55.  Walter  Walker, 
Social  Laborite.  29.  Christian  F.  La'rson.  Social 
Laborite,  31,  William  Hogan,  Social  Democrat,  111, 


POLITICAL 


Herman  F.  Titus,  Social  Democrat,  112;  judge  of 
supreme  court,  Wallace  Mount,  Republican,  1,694, 
R.  O.  Dunbar,  Republican,  1,760,  E.  C.  Million, 
Democrat,  1,329,  Richard  Winsor,  Democrat,  1,243, 
Everett  Smith,  Prohibitionist,  64,  Thomas  Young, 
Social  Laborite,  39,  Frank  Martin,  Social  Laborite, 
36,  D.  M.  Angus,  Social  Democrat,  106,  J.  H.  May, 
Social  Democrat,  104 ;  for  judge  of  supreme  court 
(unfinished  term  of  Merritt  J.  Gordon),  William  H. 
White,  Democrat,  1,361 ;  governor,  J.  M.  Frink, 
Republican,  1,611,  John  R.  Rogers,  Democrat,  1,434, 
R.  E.  Dunlap,  Prohibitionist,  63,  William  Mc- 
Cormick,  Social  Laborite,  24,  W.  C.  B.  Randolph, 
Social  Democrat,  115;  lieutenant-governor,  Henry 
McBride,  Republican,  1,680,  William  E.  McCroskey, 
Democrat,  1,313,  C.  I.  Hall,  Prohibitionist,  70,  Matt 
Matson,  Social  Laborite,  37,  E.  S.  Reinert,  Social 
Democrat,  106;  secretary  of  state,  Samuel  H. 
Nichols,  Republican,  1,749,  James  Brady,  Demo- 
crat, 1.347,  J.  W.  McCay,  Prohibitionist,  70.  Will- 
iam Hoag,  Social  Laborite,  25,  James  H.  Ross, 
Social  Democrat,  114;  state  treasurer,  C.  W.  May- 
nard.  Republican,  1,758,  W.  E.  Runner,  Democrat, 
1,338,  C.  C.  Gridley,  Prohibitionist,  75,  Eric  Norl- 
ing.  Social  Laborite,  22,  J.  J.  Fraser,  Social  Demo- 
crat, 114;  auditor,  John  D.  Atkinson,  Republican, 
1,765,  L.  J.  Silverhorn,  Democrat,  1,234,  A.  W. 
Steers,  Prohibitionist,  68,  F.  B.  Graves,  Social 
Laborite,  37,  Charles  S.  Wallace,  Social  Democrat, 
117;  attorney-general.  W.  B.  Stratton.  Republican, 

1.739,  Thonia.^  Wiiico,  Democrat,  1.340,  Ovid  A. 
Byers.  rrnliiliitionisi,  ;  1,  JmIui  I'.llis.  Social  Laborite, 
30,  David  Phipps,  Social  I  )cm(icrat.  114;  superin- 
tendent public  instruction.  R.  I!.  LSryan,  Republican, 

1.740,  Frank  J.  Browne.  Democrat,  1,367,  A.  H. 
Sherwood,  Prohibitionist.  63,  Raymond  Blond, 
Social  Laborite.  26.  John  A.  Kingsbury,  Social 
Democrat,  111 ;  commissioners  public  lands, 
Stephen  A.  Callvert,  Republican,  1,745,  O.  R.  Hol- 
comb.  Democrat,  1,233,  J.  C.  McKinley.  Prohi- 
bitionist, 75,  W.  L.  Noon,  Social  Laborite,  30, 
Jerome  S.  Austin.  Social  Democrat,  115;  state 
representative.  J.  M.  Harrison,  Republican,  1.738, 
F.  O.  Ehrlich,  Republican,  1.663.  Will  A.  Lowman, 
Democrat.  1,327.  George  A.  Heusen,  Democrat, 
1.331;  judge  of  superior  court.  George  A.  Joiner, 
Republican.  1.585,  J.  P.  Houser,  Democrat.  1,539; 
sheriff,  Edwin  Wells,  Republican.  1,846.  J.  P.  Mil- 
lett.  Democrat.  1,389;  clerk,  J.  H.  Smith,  Repub- 
lican, 1,814,  W.  A.  Hammack.  Democrat.  1,311 ; 
auditor,  Grant  Neal,  Republican,  1.901,  F.  R. 
Shafer,  Democrat,  1,246;  treasurer,  R.  O.  Welts, 
Republican,  1,688,  John  L.  Anable,  Democrat,  1,444; 
prosecuting  attorney,  M.  P.  Hurd,  Republican, 
1.88.8,  John  L.  Corrigan.  Democrat.  1.343  ;  assessor, 
William  Dale,  Republican,  1.773,  John  W.  Martin, 
Democrat,  1,350 ;  school  superintendent,  Miss  Susan 
Lord  Currier.  Republican,  1.910,  Miss  Phi  Smythe. 
Democrat,  1,830;  surveyor.  John  Meehan,  Repub- 
lican. 1.743,  Henry  Gay,  Democrat,  1,380;  coroner' 


B.  R.  Sumner,  Republican,  1,743,  A.  C.  Lewis,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,337 ;  county  commissioner,  second  district, 
W.  J.  Henry,  Republican,  1,866,  Charles  Nelson, 
Democrat,  1,374;  commissioner,  third  district,  D. 
M.  Donnelly,  Republican,  1,722,  Norris  Ormsby, 
Democrat,  1,378. 

Before  the  next  campaign,  Skagit  county  was 
honored  by  the  elevation  of  Henry  McBride  to  the 
governor's  chair,  Governor  John  R.  Rogers  having 
died.  He  entered  upon  a  notable  term  in  January, 
1903,  during  which  he  became  the  recognized  leader 
of  the  railroad  reform  forces  in  the  state.  Febniary 
6th  following  his  induction  into  office.  Governor 
McBride  appointed  Grant  Neal,  auditor  of  Skagit 
county,  to  membership  in  the  state  board  of  audit 
and  control.  The  county  commissioners  appointed 
Fred  Bluniberg  to  fill  the  resulting  vacancy  in  their 
board. 

The  Republican  county  convention  was  held  at 
Anacortes,  August  30,  1902;  the  Democrats  con- 
vened at  Sedro-Woolley,  September  13th,  and  the 
Socialists,  who  this  year  entered  the  lists,  met  at 
Sedro-Woolley  on  the  36th  of  September.  The 
Socialists  made  no  nominations  for  the  offices  of 
prosecuting  attorney,  superintendent  of  schools  and 
surveyor.  The  Prohibitionists  also  held  a  county 
convention,  August  36th,  at  Mount  Vernon,  but 
did  not  place  a  full  county  ticket  in  the  field  or 
make  legislative  nominations.  The  party  polled  a 
very  small  vote,  which  does  not  appear  in  the 
official  returns  presented  below : 

Judge  of  the  supreme  court,  Hiram  E.  Hadley, 
Republican,  1,945,  James  Bradley  Reavis,  Democrat, 
1,045,  Thomas  Neill,  Socialist,  157,  William  J. 
Hoag,  Social  Labor,  14 ;  representatives,  Wesley 
L.  Jones,  Francis  W.  Cushman,  William  E.  Humph- 
rey, Republicans,  1,933,  1,935  and  1.904  votes  re- 
spectivelv.  George  F.  Cotterill,  O.  R.  Holcomb, 
Frank  B'.  Cole,  Democrats,  1,104,  1.067  and  1,081 
votes  respectively,  J.  H.  C.  Scurlock,  D.  Burgess, 
George  W.  Scott,  Socialists,  163,  155  and  163  votes 
respectively,  A.  H.  Sherwood,  W.  J.  McKean.  O. 
L.  Fowler,  Populists,  37,  38  and  35  votes  respec- 
tively, Jense  C.  Martin,  William  McCormick,  Hans 
P.  Joergensen,  Social  Laborites,  14,  15  and  14  votes 
respectively ;  state  senator.  Emerson  Hammer,  Re- 
publican, 1,790,  A.  C.  Lewis,  Democrat.  1,388;  state 
representatives,  F.  O.  Ehrlich,  N.  J.  Moldstad,  E. 
E.  Butler,  Republicans,  1,465,  1.563  and  1,634  votes 
respectivelv.  Pat  McCov,  C.  P.  Dickey,  W.  G. 
Beard,  Democrats,  1,643,  1,413  and  1,373  votes 
respectively.  E.  E.  Spear.  J.  C.  Stone,  Emil  Herman. 
Socialists.  156,  154  and  149  votes  respectivelv; 
sheriff,  C.  A.  Risbell.  Republican,  1,579.  E.  L. 
Rowland.  Democrat.  1.513,  E.  W.  Thurston.  Social- 
ist, 150.  George  Heathman.  Populist.  31 ;  clerk.  W. 
B.  Davis.  Republican.  1.834.  J.  H.  Chilberg.  Demo- 
crat. 1.365.  H.  J.  Brann,  Populist.  35;  auditor.  Fred 
L.  Bluniberg,  Republican,  3.003,  John  Melkild. 
Democrat,    1,070,    L.    W.    Smith,    Socialist,    l-".:  : 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


treasurer,  R.  O.  Welts,  Republican,  1,968,  Daniel 
Sullivan,  Democrat,  1,115,  Fred  Keino,  Socialist, 
145;  prosecuting  attorney,  J.  C.  Waugh,  Republi- 
can, l,tS35,  John  L.  Corrigan,  Democrat,  1,469,  Will- 
iam H.  Perry,  Populist,  33;  assessor,  F.  F.  Wil- 
lard.  Republican,  1,744,  Charles  Elde,  Democrat, 
1,370,  John  Batdorf ,  Populist,  34 ;  superintendent  of 
schools,  J.  Guy  Lowman,  Republican,  1,674,  Annie 
McGreal,  Democrat,  1,354;  surveyor,  T.  G.  Hastie, 
Republican,  1,480,  Henry  Gay,  Democrat,  1,627; 
coroner,  B.  R.  Sumner,  Republican,  1,799,  J.  M. 
Warner,  Democrat,  1,190,  S.  P  Walsh,  Socialist, 
135;  commissioners,  first  district,  Melville  Curtis, 
Republican,  1,506,  Nick  Beesner,  Democrat,  1,622; 
commissioner,  third  district,  D.  M.  Donnelly,  Re- 
publican, 1,523,  George  A.  Henson,  Republican, 
1,577.  David  Evans,  Socialist,  108,  Warren  W. 
Bagley,  Populist,  28. 

The  death  of  Sherifif  Risbell  in  August,  1904, 
made  the  appointment  of  a  citizen  to  fill  that  position 
necessary,  and  when  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners met  it  named  W.  A.  McKenna,  a  well-known 
Republican  of  Mount  Vernon,  for  the  place. 

The  Republican  party  held  its  county  conven- 
tion April  16,  1904,  at  Sedro-Woolley.  In  the 
platform  that  was  adopted  the  following  plank 
appears  endorsing  the  candidacy  of  Governor  Mc- 
Bride,  who  aspired  to  be  his  party's  nominee  for 
the  gubernatorial  chair: 

"We  heartily  commend  the  fearless  and  ener- 
getic administration  of  Governor  Henry  McBride, 
the  tribune  of  the  people,  and  endorse  the  policy 
that  he  has  pursued  in  trying  to  secure  a  more 
equitable  division  of  taxes  between  the  railroads 
and  other  property  owners,  and  safe-guarding  the 
interests  of  the  people  from  unjust  encroachments 
of  great  corporations.  We  approve  the  campaign 
for  justice  to  the  people  of  the  state  of  Washington 
being  pursued  by  Governor  McBride,  and  we  in- 
struct our  delegates  to  the  state  convention  to  be 
held  on  May  11th  to  use  all  honorable  means  to 
secure  his  nomination  as  governor  of  the  state  of 
Washington." 

The  story  of  McBride's  defeat  in  the  convention 
at  Tacoma  is  a  matter  of  state  history  too  recent 
to  necessitate  rehearsing.  Upon  the  death  of  the 
convention's  nominee  for  sheriff,  C.  A.  Risbell, 
Charles  Harmon  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

The  Democrats  held  two  conventions ;  one,  the 
first,  April  30th,  to  select  delegates  to  choose  state 
delegates  to  represent  Washington  at  the  national 
convention  held  in  St.  Louis,  and  another,  July 
30th,  to  place  the  regular  legislative  and  county 
ticket  in  nomination.  From  the  abstract  of  the 
official  returns  given  below  the  names  of  the 
victorious  local  candidates  may  be  easily  gleaned 
and  an  accurate  idea  obtained  of  the  present  politi- 
cal complexion  of  Skagit: 

Presidential  electors,  Samuel  G.  Cosgrove,  L. 
B.    Nash,    George    W.    Bassett,    Al.    L.    Munson, 


Herman  D.  Crow,  Republicans,  3,031,  3,023,  3,033, 
3.021  and  3,014  votes  respectively,  Fred  Thiel, 
John  C.  Carney,  John  Trumbull,  J.  S.  Darnell, 
Simon  Peter  Richardson,  Democrats,  880,  880,  876, 
878  and  876  votes  respectively,  DeForest  Sanford, 
O.  Lund,  D.  M.  Angus,  P.  R.  Pratt,  D.  G.  Crow, 
Socialists,  284,  283,  282,  384  and  282  votes  respec- 
tively ;  representatives,  William  E.  Humphrey, 
Wesley  L.  Jones,  Francis  W.  Cushman,  Republi- 
cans, 2,893,  3,886  and  2,900  votes  respectively, 
Howard  Hathway,  James  Anderson,  W.  T.  Beck, 
Democrats,  1,002,  1,010  and  1,007  votes  respectively, 
T.  C.  Wisewell,  H.  D.  Jory,  George  Croston, 
Socialists,  260,  260  and  260  votes  respectively; 
judges  of  supreme  court,  Frank  H.  Rudkin,  Mark 

A.  Fullerton,  Republicans,  2,866  and  2,951  votes 
respectively,  Alfred  Battle,  Democrat,  1,052,  Will- 
iam McDevitt,  D.  W.  Phipps,  Socialists,  256  and 
256  votes  respectively ;  governor,  Albert  E.  Mead, 
Republican,  2,647,  George  Turner,  Democrat,  1,377, 
D.  Burgess,  Socialist,  255 ;  lieutenant-governor, 
Charles  E.  Coon,  Republican,  2,673,  Stephen  Jud- 
son.  Democrat,  1,343,  Sigmund  Roeder,  Socialist, 
339 ;  secretary  of  state,  Samuel  H.  Nichols,  Repub- 
lican, 3,807,  P.  Hough,  Democrat,  1,079,  George  E. 
Boomer,  Socialist,  242 ;  treasurer,  George  G.  Mills, 
Republican,  2,798,  George  Mudgett,  Democrat, 
1,092,  Bernard  Goerkes,  Socialist,  336 ;  auditor, 
Charles  W.  Clausen,  Republican,  2,798,  R.  Lee 
Purdin,  Democrat,  1,071,  A.  F.  Payne,  Socialist, 
243 ;  attorney-general,  John  D.  Atkinson,  Repub- 
lican, 2,778,'  Charles  H.  Neal,  Democrat,  1,117, 
O.  C.  Whitney,  Socialist,  246 ;  commissioner  of 
public  lands,  E.  W.  Ross,  Republican,  2,805,  Van 
R.  Pierson,  Democrat,  1,085,  J.  F.  LaClerc,  Social- 
ist,   243 ;   superintendent   of   public   instruction,   R. 

B.  Bryan,  Republican,  2,736,  Walter  D.  Gerard, 
Democrat,  1,132,  Frances  C.  Silvester,  Socialist, 
239 ;  state  representatives.  R.  Lee  Bradley,  Repub- 
lican. 2.449,  N.  J.  Moldstad,  Republican,  2,484,  J. 
O.  Rudene,  Republican,  2,419,  Pat  McCoy.  Demo- 
crat, 1,673.  J.  C.  Stitt.  Democrat,  1,529,  W.  A. 
Lowman.  Democrat,  1,564,  Wiltse  Brown,  Socialist, 
217,  E.  E.  Spear,  Socialist,  217;  judge  of  superior 
court,  George  A.  Joiner,  Republican,  2,513,  J.  P. 
Houser,  Democrat,  1.488 ;  sherifif,  Charles  Harmon, 
Republican,  2,972.  Charles  E.  Storrs,  Democrat, 
1,002,  Frank  Day,  Socialist,  216  ;  county  clerk,  W. 
P..  Davis,  Republican,  2.759,  George  Chapman, 
Democrat,  1,182,  Beecher  Koch,  Socialist,  213; 
auditor,  Fred  Blumberg,  Republican,  2,496,  E.  W. 
Ferris,  Democrat,  1,493,  L.  W.  Smith,  Socialist, 
201 ;  treasurer,  Patrick  Halloran.  Republican, 
2,409.  Fred  E.  Pape,  Democrat,  1,574,  Jordon 
Johnson,  Socialist,  210 ;  prosecuting  attorney,  J.  C. 
Waugh.  Republican,  2,338.  C.  P.  Gable,  Democrat, 
1.640;  assessor.  F.  F.  Willard,  Republican,  2,764, 
A.  D.  Quint,  Democrat,  1.156.  John  Shannon, 
Socialist.  208 ;  superintendent  of  schools,  J.  Guy 
Lowman,  Republican,  2,757,  T.  H.  Look,  Democrat, 


- - 

] 

1    w 

1 

CITIES  AND  TOWNS 


1,234;  surveyor,  John  W.  Meehan,  Republican, 
2,702,  S.  D.  Temple,  Democrat,  1,223,  George 
Savage,  Socialist,  213;  coroner,  J.  C.  LeI'lant,  Re- 
publican, 2,381,  George  Moran.  Democrat,  1,535, 
W.  H.  Benson,  Socialist,  217;  commissioners,  first 


district,  James  Dunlap,  Republican,  2,456,  Nick 
Beesner,  Democrat,  1,555,  J.  A.  Kennedy,  Socialist, 
196;  commissioner,  second  district,  R.  M.  Moody, 
Republican,  2,533,  John  H.  Weppler,  Democrat, 
133,  A.  B.  Coriel,  Socialist,  200. 


CHAPTER  VII 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


MOUNT    VERNON 

Mount  \'ernon,  the  capital  of  Skagit  county,  has 
had  even  more  than  the  usual  vicissitudes  of  a  new 
city  upon  Puget  sound  and  of  a  county  seat.  Many 
of  the  events  in  connection  with  the  struggle  of 
this  town  to  secure  and  retain  the  location  of  the 
county  seat  are  detailed  in  the  general  chapters  of 
the  history  of  Skagit  county.  It  is  rather  our  pur- 
pose in  this  sketch  of  the  city  itself  to  give  more 
of  what  may  be  called  its  dnnicstic  life,  its  scenic 
environment   and   its   husiru'ss   opportunities. 

It  may  be  said  first  of  all  that  Mount  Vernon 
has  a  beautiful  and  attractive  location.  The  site 
adjoins  and  in  part  includes  elevations  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  desolating  floods,  with  which  the  snow- 
fed  Skagit  at  times  harries  the  fertile  valley.  The 
river  itself,  so  swift  in  all  its  upper  parts,  is  brought 
to  comparative  calm  a  few  miles  above  Mount  Ver- 
non by  the  influence  of  the  ocean  tides ;  and  by  im- 
provements in  the  removal  of  snags  and  drift 
the  town  is  at  all  times  accessible  to  steamers  of 
large  size.  Surrounding  Mount  Vernon  on  all 
sides  lie  beautiful  and  fertile  lands  originally 
clothed  with  a  dense  forest,  but  redeemed  by  the 
hand  of  industry  and  rendered  productive  to  a 
degree  which  has  caused  the  town  itself  to  become 
the  most  important  distributing  center  in  all  the 
region  about. 

Mount  \'ernon  is  somewhat  peculiar  among  the 
cities  of  the  sound  in  that  it  combines  the  charac- 
teristics of  a  seaport,  of  an  agricultural  and  horti- 
cultural center  and  of  a  distributing  point  for  both 
mines  and  lumber  camps. 

To  Jasper  Gates  and  Joseph  F.  Dwelley  is  to 
be  credited  the  first  settlement  upon  any  part  of 
the  land  upon  which  Mount  Vernon  now  stands. 
Gates  preceding  Dwelley  a  short  time.  That  was 
in  the  year  1870.  Several  settlers  joined  them- 
selves to  the  community  within  the  next  year,  and 
in  1872  there  was  a  sufiicient  number  of  children 


in  the  pioneer  community  to  demand  a  school.  A 
hut  originally  built  for  a  barn,  just  below  what  is 
now  D.  E.  Kimble's  place,  was  the  location  of  the 
first  school.  After  one  term  had  been  taught  in 
that  building  the  district  built  a  log-cabin  school- 
house  on  the  Wells  place,  afterward  the  property 
of  George  W,  Rowley.  The  first  teachers  in  this 
cabin  were  Ida  Lanning,  G.  E.  Hartson  and,  after 
an  interval  of  a  year,  L.  M.  Wood.  It  may  be  said 
in  connection  with  the  log  school-house  that  it  was 
used  until  1880,  when  it  gave  way  to  a  frame 
school-house  erected  on  the  bench  of  land  near 
the  present  residence  of  Dr.  H.  P.  Downs.  After 
four  sessions  of  school  had  met  in  the  new  build- 
ing it  was  superseded  by  a  building  erected  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill  upon  land  afterward  on  the  Great 
Northern  riglit  of  way.  Still  later  this  building, 
in  turn,  was  replaced  by  the  elegant  brick  struct- 
ure upon  the  Mount  Vernon  heights,  and  it  is  now 
used  as  a  part  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Commercial 
club  building. 

Turning  back  again  from  this  brief  glance  at 
the  evolution  of  the  school  buildings  in  the  town, 
we  may  take  up  the  thread  of  our  narrative  by 
noting  the  fact  that  the  actual  founding  of  the 
town  of  Mount  Vernon  was  in  March,  1877. 
Messrs.  Clothier  &  English  may  be  called  the 
godfathers  of  the  new  town,  inasmuch  as  they 
were  responsible  for  the  laying  out  of  the  town 
site  and  for  bestowing  upon  it  the  sacred  name 
of  the  spot  where  the  father  of  our  country  now 
lies  entombed.  The  first  town  site  embraced  but 
ten  acres,  and  that  was  purchased  of  Jasper  Gates 
by  Clothier  &  English  for  one  hundred  dollars, 
Messrs.  Clothier  &  English  brought  a  small  stock 
of  goods  to  their  new  home  and  are  therefore  enti- 
tled to  be  called  the  pioneer  business  men  of  the 
place.  So  conspicuous  a  part  did  these  two  .gen- 
tlemen, both  collectively  and  individually,  bear  in 
the  entire  history  of  their  town  that  is  fitting  to 
draw  upon  the  valuable  reminiscences  with  which 


190 


SKAGIT    COUx\TY 


they  have  furnished  us  in  connection  with  that 
period  of  the  history.  Harrison  Clothier  came  to 
Skagit  county  in  September,  1875.  He  returned  a 
year  later  and  became  the  teacher  of  the  school 
on  the  Kimble  place  named.  He  had  but  twenty 
pupils.  At  that  time  W.  H.  Fouts  was  the  county 
superintendent  of  schools. 

After  completing-  his  term  of  school  in  Febru- 
ary, 1877,  Mr.  Clothier,  believing  the  place  a  good 
one  for  gathering  a  profitable  trade,  associated  with 
himself  a  former  pupil  in  their  home  in  the  same 
eastern  state,  E.  G.  English.  The  location  of  the 
little  store  with  which  Kle.'-srs.  Clothier  &  English 
inaugurated  the  business  history  of  Mount  Vernon 
was  upon  the  land  where  the  creamery  now  stands. 
At  that  time  the  shore  extended  some  forty  or  fifty 
feet  further  into  the  river  than  at  present  and  there 
was  a  small  island  near  the  store.  The  bank  of  the 
stream  began  washing  away  in  1880  and  the  proc- 
ess of  erosion  has  continued  until  it  is  now  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  creamery  building.  The  town 
site  as  laid  out  by  the  pioneer  merchants  consisted 
of  two  tiers  of  blocks,  the  street  upon  the  river 
bank  being  called  Front  street  and  the  next  one 
back  Main  street.  The  entire  town  site  was  densely 
•covered  with  timber  and  brush.  The  plat  of  that 
original  town  site  was  never  dedicated  by  its  own- 
ers and  through  the  negligence  of  the  surveyor  it 
was  never  recorded.  In  188.5  a  new  plat  was  made 
and  filed. 

The  first  residence  built  upon  the  town  site  was 
that  of  William  Brice.  This  was  located  upon 
Mr.  Brice's  claim  on  the  north  edge  of  the  town 
site.  Two  logging  camps  were  established  upon 
this  old  Brice  claim.  One  of  these  was  operated 
by  Joseph  Hanscomb,  David  and  Robert  Horn 
and  the  other  by  William  Gage. 

The  march  of  improvement  in  the  little  settle- 
ment continued  and  in  November  of  1877  Mr. 
Clothier  was  appointed  postmaster.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded four  years  later  by  his  partner,  E.  G. 
English. 

In  the  natural  course  of  events  restaurants. 
saloons  and  hotel.=i  tread  hard  upon  the  heels  of 
the  first  store.  Jonathan  Shott  seems  to  have  been 
the  pioneer  hotel-keeper.  His  first  hotel  was 
located,  in  the  spring  of  1877.  on  the  east  side  of 
Front  street  near  the  store.  It  seems  not  to  have 
been  a  palatial  edifice,  inasmuch  as  its  total  cost 
did  not  exceed  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  But 
the  habitues  of  the  place  were  not  very  numerous 
nor  were  they  overly  fastidious  in  their  tastes. 
Martin  Coltenbaugh,  who  had  been  a  cook  at  the 
Gage  logging  camp,  built  a  hut  next  to  Shott's 
hotel  which  he  used  as  a  restaurant.  Sad  to  relate, 
but  inevitable,  this  same  building  was  opened  at 
the  beginning  of  the  next  year  by  John  A.  Bievel 
as  a  saloon. 

Those  were  primitive  days  in  a  business  way. 
The   principal   trade   done   by   Clothier  &   English 


was  in  handling  furs  and  hides.  Sometimes  as 
high  as  thirty-five  or  forty  dollars'  worth  of  beaver 
skins  would  be  received  at  the  store  in  a  single 
day.  There  was,  however,  very  little  money  in 
circulation. 

The  transportation  business  was  also  in  the 
same  primitive  condition  as  other  things.  The  big 
jam  on  the  Skagit  river  interfered  at  that  time 
with  the  passage  of  steamboats,  although  the  lum- 
ber used  in  the  construction  of  buildings  at  .Mount 
Vernon  in  the  year  1877  was  brought  up  by  the 
little  steamer  Fanny  Lake.  Nevertheless  the  un- 
certainty in  the  movements  of  steam.boats  com- 
pelled the  mail  carriers  to  go  from  Mount  Vernon 
to  Skagit  City  in  a  canoe.  Jasper  Gates  was 
awarded  the  contract  in  1877  to  carry  the  mail 
weekly  upon  this  canoe  route.  He  received  for  his 
services  the  bountiful  salary  of  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents  per  week.  This  amount  from  the  gov- 
ernment was  supplemented  by  a  subsidy  from 
Clothier  &  English. 

The  little  hamlet  of  Mount  \^ernon  seems  not 
to  have  made  extraordinary  progress  during  the 
year  1878.  But  one  dwelling  house  was  erected 
during  that  year,  and  that  was  by  John  Gilligan, 
a  logger.  The  year  1879  seems  to  have  witnessed 
some  additions  to  the  population  of  the  town,  and 
Michael  McNamara  felt  justified  in  erecting  a 
new  hotel  built  of  rough  lumber,  at  a  cost  of  a 
few  hundred  dollars,  upon  the  second  lot  south 
of  the  store  and  christened  the  Ruby  house.  This 
name  was  derived  from  the  newly  discovered  Ruby 
creek  mines,  which  played  an  immense  part  in  a 
short  time  in  the  development  of  the  entire  region. 
A  drug  store  was  erected  at  about  the  same  time, 
conducted  by  Dr.  D.  Y.  Deere. 

The  excitement  attending  the  mining  discov- 
eries on  Ruby  creek  made  the  year  1880  one  of 
much  growth  in  the  little  town,  but  the  mining 
resources  did  not  prove  to  be  stable  and  the  col- 
lapse of  the  excitement  left  a  dead  calm  again 
brooding  over  the  forests  of  Skagit.  A  new  hotel, 
however,  known  as  the  Mount  Vernon  hotel,  had 
been  erected  by  Clothier,  English  &  Klement  dur- 
ing the  busy  season. 

On  the  first  day  of  January,  1881,  there  was 
a  permanent  population  of  about  seventy-five  peo- 
ple. New  logging  camps  were  established  near 
the  town  by  Oliver  Anderson,  and  Moore  &  Dens- 
more;  but  the  logging  business  was  at  that  time 
not  profitable  on  account  of  the  very  low  price 
of  logs,  which  during  the  most  of  the  period  was 
only  four  dollars  a  thousand. 

Among  sundry  interesting  things  called  to  mind 
from  that  early  epoch  by  Air.  Clothier  is  one  of 
the  famous  flag  pole  of  Mount  Vernon.  A  short 
time  before  the  Fourth  of  Julv,  1877,  Mr.  Clothier 
was  standing  in  company  with  John  Lorenzy  on 
what  bv  courtesy  and  great  expectations  they  desig- 
nated as  Front  street,  looking  at  a  beautiful  green 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


cedar  tree  six  feet  in  diameter  at  tlie  base  and 
rising  as  straight  as  an  arrow  into  the  sky  to  a 
height  of  more  than  two  hundred  feet.  Lorenzy, 
ahhoti<Th  a  man  then  sixty  years  old,  proposed  to 
trim  the  limbs  from  this  tree  and  transform  it  into 
a  flag  pole.  It  wae  a  difficult  thinq;  to  accomplish, 
particularly  as  at  the  times  of  his  attempts  the 
tree  was  swaying  in  a  high  wind.  But  he  suc- 
ceeded in  his  purpose,  and  upon  the  Fourth  of 
July  Old  Glory  flew  from  a  position  one  hundred 
and  forty-seven  feet  above  the  ground.  This  was 
the  regular  flag  pole  of  the  village  until  July, 
1891.  At  that  time  th6  great  fire  which  raged  in 
and,  about  Mount  Vernon  so  damaged  the  historic 
landmark  that  it  was  necessary  to  saw  it  oflF.  With 
tears  in  his  eyes  Mr.  Lorenzy  felled  the  stateh' 
staff,  to  which  he  had  attached  the  flag  fourteen 
years  before. 

In  every  growing  community  we  may  expect 
'  to  find  fraternal  orders.  Even  in  the  rude  begin- 
nings of  Mount  Vernon  in  1RS2  we  find  that  the 
Odd  Fellows  were  moving  with  characteristic  en- 
ergy in  the  formation  of  the  first  lodge  in  that  part 
of  the  county.  It  was  formally  instituted  on 
October  14th.  A  large  delegation  of  prominent 
members  of  the  order  were  present  to  assist  in 
instituting  this  lodge.  Among  them  were  Gov- 
ernor Newell.  T.  N.  Ford,  Judge  Hewitt  and  Cap- 
tain George  D.  Hill.  The  officers  chosen  for  this 
lodge,  known  as  Mount  Vernon  lodge.  No.  3.3, 
were  H.  C.  Leggett,  N.  G. ;  Henry  Cooper.  V.  G. ; 
Philip  Bartlett,  secretary,  and  David  O'Keefe, 
treasurer.  At  about  the  same  time  a  lodge  of 
Masons  was  organized  at  Skacrit  City,  but  shortly 
afterward   moved    to    Mount    ^'ernon. 

The  years  1S83  and  1884  seem  to  have  con- 
stituted a  period  of  beginnings  in  many  respects, 
for  during  that  time  the  first  physician,  Dr.  H.  P. 
Montborne,  the  first  firm  of  lawvers,  McNaught 
8i  Tinkham.  the  first  l->,1-■>rlr^■  in  rhar.TA  of  Vik 
Lung,  the  first  barber,  L.  B.  Knauss,  and  the  first 
meat  market,  in  charge  of  Moody  &  Hendricks, 
came  into  existence.  More  important  in  many 
respects  than  any  other  enterprise  of  that  time  was 
the  establishment  of  the  Skagit  News,  to  which 
much  credit  is  due  for  preserving  the  facts  of  local 
history,  which  ever  S;ince  its  establishment  has 
taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  its  section, 
and  which  has  been  especially  conspicuous  in  the 
energy  with  which  it  has  striven  fnr  the  advance- 
ment of  it.<5  town.  This  important  paper  was  estab- 
lished in  March,  1884,  by  William  C.  Ewing,  a 
son  of  General  Ewing,  who  had  come  from  New 
York  to  grow  up  with  the  new  West.  Mr.  Ewing's 
first  office  was  over  the  store  of  Clothier  &  English, 
and  in  many  ways  they  as.sisted  him  in  his  under- 
taking. 

Schools  and  churches  must  not  be  forgotten 
in  any  summary  of  the  events  of  one  of  our  towns. 
We  find  the   school   censusi  of  June   21,   1884,   to 


show  an  enrollment  in  the  district  of  forty-five, 
nineteen  boys  and  twenty-six  girls.  C.  H.  Kimble 
was  clerk  of  the  district  and  E.  D.  Davis  was  the 
teacher.  The  first  church  organization  was  effected 
in  that  same  fruitful  year  of  1884.  April  27th 
was  the  date,  the  church  was  of  the  Baptist  denom- 
ination, and  the  clerg}'man  who  organized  it  was 
Rev.  F.  B.  Homan.  It  was  not  until  five  years 
later,  however,  that  there  was  any  church  building. 
( )n  the  I'th  of  November,  1SS9,  a  very  comfort- 
able and  tasty  church,  built  at  a  cost  of  two  thou- 
sand five  hundred  dollars,  was  dedicated  by  the 
Baptist  denomination.  The  Methodists  effected  the 
organization  of  a  small  class  in  1886,  and  in  June 
of  1890  dedicated  a  church,  the  value  of  which 
was  estimated  at  three  thousand  dollars.  During 
the  period  in  which  these  church  societies  were 
without  buildings  they  maintained  services*  in  the 
public  school  or  the  Odd  Fellows'  hall.  The 
Christian  church  was  the  third  in  Mount  Vernon 
and  cost  about  two  thousand  dollars.  These  three 
may  be  called  the  pioneer  churches  of  the  city. 
Those  of  later  date  will  be  referred  to  hereafter. 

Of  all  the  early  buildings  in  Mount  Vernon 
probably  the  most  interesting  and  costly  was  the 
Odd  Fellows'  hall.  This  was  used  as  the  first 
public  town  hall,  also  as  a  court-house  for  a  time 
and  as  the  meeting  place  of  all  the  churches  not 
provided  with  church  edifices.  This  building  is 
still  standing  on  Main  street  and  may  of  all  others 
be  called  the  historic  spot  of  Mount  Vernon.  It 
\\-as  dedicated  on  April  27.  ISS.").  The  event  of 
the  various  ceremonies  of  the  day  and  the  festivities 
of  the  evening  constituted  the  most  notable  occur- 
rence of  the  kind  up  to  that  time  in  the  history 
of  the  town.  There  were  a  number  of  visitors 
from  other  towns.  The  steamer  Glide  brought  a 
number  of  members  of  the  grand  lodge  from  Seat- 
tle. It  then  made  a  special  trip  to  La  Conner, 
bringing  from  there  nearly  forty  Odd  Fellows 
and  Daughters  of  Rebekah.  The  Arrow  came 
from  Utsalady  with  an  additional  instalment,  while 
the  Josephine  transported  a  delegation  of  the  fra- 
ternity from  Snohomish.  Not  only  by  steamer 
but  by  small  boats  visitors  gathered  at  Mount 
\'ernon.  and  not  only  by  water  but  bv  team,  horse- 
back and  afoot,  farmers,  loggers  and  miners  gath- 
ered to  participate  in  the  ceremonies.  The  oration 
was  delivered  by  J.  T.  Ronald  and  was  received 
with  great  profit  and  interest  by  the  audience. 
Captain  George  D.  Hill  officiating,  the  ceremony 
of  dedication  then  took  place.  The  four  heralds 
were  R.  C.  Allen,  of  the  north,  D.  Young,  of  the 
south,  .A..  E.  Hummer,  of  the  east,  and  J.  W. 
Belyea,  of  the  west.  Thus  took  place  an  event  long 
remembered  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  little  burg. 

The  selection  of  Mount  Vernon  in  November, 
1884,  by  the  voters  of  the  county  as  a  permanent 
county  seat  may  be  said  to  have  sealed  the  destiny 
of  the  town  and  to  have  rendered  its  place  secure. 


192 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


The  peculiar  advantage  held  by  Mount  Vernon 
and  demonstrated  both  in  this  struggle  with  La 
Conner  and  the  subsequent  struggle  with  Anacortes 
was  due  to  its  central  location  with  reference  to 
the  mining,  logging  and  farming  communities  of 
the  eastern  and  central  part  of  the  county  and  to 
the  fact  that  while  not  upon  the  shore  of  the  sound 
it  was  sufficiently  accessible  to  it  to  enable  it  to 
partake  of  the  advantages  of  the  sound  towns. 
Its  success  in  the  fight  for  the  county  seat  was  due 
also  to  its  solid  support,  whereas  its  various  rivals 
had   divided   and   conflicting  constituencies. 

After  the  turning  of  the  years  1SS4  and  188.T 
it  may  be  said  that  the  first  era  of  Mount  Vernon 
was  passed  and  that  its  subsequent  history  was  of 
the  nature  of  normal  and   substantial  evolution. 

Business  enterprises  of  increasing  magnitude 
shaped  themselves  in  the  year  1887  and  thence 
onward.  One  of  the  most  important  movements 
affecting  the  general  progress  of  the  community 
was  the  foundation  of  the  Skagit  Saw-mill  and 
Manufacturing  Company.  This  is  especially  inter- 
esting by  reason  of  the  fact  that  it  was  a  popular 
movement,  ilUistrative  of  the  true  American  in- 
stinct of  getting  in  and  creating  values  by  the 
initiative  of  the  community  without  waiting  for 
outside  aid.  The  meeting  in  which  the  movement 
started  was  a  public  one  held  in  the  office  of  the 
probate  judge  at  Mount  Vernon  on  the  16th  of 
April,  1887.  H.  P.  Downs  having  been  chosen 
chairman  and  H.  Clothier  secretary,  a  bodv  of 
directors  consisting  of  E.  G.  English,  H.  P.  Downs, 
Otto  Klement,  Jasper  Gates,  G.  E.  Hartson,  E.  K. 
Matlock  and  O.  Kincaid,  were  elected  to  file  arti- 
cles of  incorporation.  It  was  voted  to  fix  the  value 
of  shares  in  the  corporation  at  fiftv  dollars,  and  to 
issue  four  hundred  non-assessable  shares,  thus 
making  the  capital  stock  of  the  corporation  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  A  year  passed  before  the  organ- 
ization reached  a  definite  business  status  and  in 
June,  1888,  an  agreement  was  made  between  the 
corporation  and  David  F.  Decatur  which  provided 
that  the  citizens  of  the  place  should  provide  twenty- 
seven  hundred  dollars  for  the  purchase  of  a  mill  site 
and  the  construction  of  a  boom  for  holding  logs. 
Mr.  Decatur  on  his  part  'agreed  to  build  a  saw- 
mill which  should  have  a  boiler  of  at  least  eighty 
horse-power  and  should  include  a  planer  and  shin- 
gle machine,  and  to  operate  the  same  for  a  period 
of  five  years.  Mr.  Decatur  had  come  a  short  time 
previous  from  Boston  and  seemed  to  be  an  ener- 
getic and  capable  man.  The  machinery  for  the  mill 
was  brought  from  Seattle  and  when  established 
had  a  cutting  capacity  of  thirty-five  thousand  feet 
per  day.  The  outfit  included  the  planer  and  shin- 
gle mill  stated  and  also  a  lath  mill,  the  shinele  mill 
having  a  capacity  of  fifty  thousand  shingles  per 
day.  When  nm  at  its  full  capacity  the  mill  would 
require  the  services  of  forty-four  men.  The  estab- 
lishment of  this   enterprise  had  a  very   important 


bearing  on  the  concentration  of  buainess  at  Mount 
Vernon.  Mr.  Decatur,  however,  retained  his  inter- 
est but  a  short  time  and  then  sold  his  rights  to 
Clothier  &  English  in  partnership  with  Dunham 
&  Collins.  The  latter  two  gentlemen  took  charge 
of  the  mill  and  proceeded  to  operate  it  with  suc- 
cess and  profit. 

While  these  attempts  at  the  founding  of  a 
great  saw-milling  enterprise  were  in  progress. 
Mount  Vernon  was  alive  to  the  vital  need  of  secur- 
ing railroad  connections.  The  citizens  of  the  place 
took  up  this  vital  subject  with  the  same  energy 
that  had  characterized  their  previous  undertak- 
ings. A  mass  meeting  was  held  on  July  31,  1889, 
to  consider  the  question  of  offering  some  induce- 
ments to  some  one  of  the  railroads  to  build  to 
Mount  Vernon.  Colonel  Hufty  was  elected  chair- 
man and  F.  D.  Cleaves  secretary  of  this  meeting. 
A  committee  was  appointed  to  receive  contribu- 
tions and  to  negotiate  with  the  railroad  companies 
with  respect  to  the  location  of  their  lines.  Of  the 
results  of  the  great  period  of  railroad  construction 
of  that  time  sufficient  notice  has  already  been 
taken  in  the  general  chapters  on  county  history. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  Great  Northern  railroad, 
in  response  to  the  generous  contributions  of  the 
people  of  the  place,  built  their  line  through  the 
town  and  constructed  buildings  which  have  been 
of  great  business  advantage  to  the  county-seat  city. 
A  strenuous  effort  was  made  by  the  citizens  of  the 
town  to  secure  the  location  of  the  Seattle,  Lake 
Shore  &  Eastern  railroad.  A  very  liberal  subsidy 
amounting  to  four  hundred  acres  of  land  and  one 
hundred  and  thirty  town  lots  and  six  thousand  and 
three  hundred  dollars  in  cash  was  secured.  The 
estimated  value  of  this  subsidy  at  that  time  was 
about  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  but  all  persons 
well  informed  considered  that  the  completion  of 
the  railroad  would  at  least  treble  its  vahie.  But, 
as  the  event  proved,  this  railroad,  acquired  soon 
after  by  the  Northern  Pacific,  passed  several  miles 
east  of  Mount  Vernon,  making  Sedro-WooUey  its 
special  point. 

Naturally  allied  with  railroad  connections  are 
telegraphic  connections.  In  Noveml^er  of  1890  a 
third  telegraphic  line  was  completed,  connecting 
Mount  Vernon  with  Seattle.  With  the  establish- 
ment of  railroad  and  telegraph  communications. 
Mount  \'ernon  fairly  entered  upon  her  second  stage 
of  progress.  Tliroughout  the  years  1888  and  1889 
the  incoming  tide  of  home-seekers  and  prospectors 
for  business  and  of  parents  seeking  school  advan- 
tages for  their  children  so  overtaxed  the  capacity 
of  the  place  in  respect  to  buildings  as  to  lead  cap- 
italists to  consider  as  never  before  the  profits  of 
building.  There  was  much  public  discussion  of 
the  need  of  a  building  and  loan  association, 
although  it  was  some  time  before  this  need  was 
met.  At  that  time  there  were  hundreds  of  men 
employed  in  the  various  logging  camps  surround- 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


ing  the  town  whosic  wages  ranged  from  forty  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  per  month 
with  board,  and  whose  needs  in  business  and  social 
ways  were  beginning  to  constitute  a  great  stock 
in  trade  for  the  town.  As  a  result  of  this  pressure 
for  buildings  Captain  M.  A.  McCall,  a  pioneer  of 
1878,  erected,  in  the  summer  of  1889,  the  first 
brick  building  in  Blount  Vernon  or,  in  fact,  in  the 
county.  This  building  cost  about  eight  thousand 
dollars,  and  is  occupied  at  the  present  time  by  the 
First  National  bank.  During  the  next  year  Clothier 
&  English,  J.  F.  St.  John,  Jasper  Gates  and  Mrs. 
McCall  entered  upon  the  construction  of  brick 
buildings.  All  of  this  new  building  led  to  such  a 
demand  for  materials  as  greatly  to  increase  the 
steamboating  trade  of  the  river,  so  that  in  1889 
there  were  no  less  than  fifteen  steamboats  plying 
upon  the  river  between  Mount  Vernon  and  the 
sound. 

The  next  natural  stage  in  the  development  of 
our  town  was  incorporation.  By  the  time  that  the 
city  had  reached  a  population  of  one  thousand  there 
had  become  a  general  demand  that  it  should  lay 
aside  the  bib  and  tucker  of  infancy  and  put  on  the 
grown  clothes  of  cityhood.  But  when  application 
was  made  to  the  district  court  for  incorporation. 
Judge  Hanford,  being  of  the  opinion  that  the  gen- 
eral incorporation  law  was  unconstitutional,  de- 
clined to  grant  the  petition.  However,  the  matter 
did  not  rest  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  held 
on  March  2.5,  1889,  a  board  of  trustees,  E.  G. 
English,  C.  D.  Kimball,  J.  B.  Moody.  Jasper  Gates 
and  G.  E.  Hartson,  were  designated  by  vote  of  the 
meeting  for  the  proposed  city.  Judge  Hanford  still 
refusing  to  sign  the  articles,  the  matter  was  obliged 
to  rest  until  the  inauguration  of  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington and  the  revision  of  the  incorporation  law. 
Accordingly,  on  Febniary  11,  1890,  a  public  meet- 
ing was  held  for  resuming  the  work  of  incorpora- 
tion. Of  this  meeting  H.  P.  Downs  was  elected 
chairman  and  G.  E.  Hartson  secretary.  The  senti- 
ment of  the  meeting  was  in  favor  of  incorporation 
under  the  old  law,  but  it  appears  that  this  was 
subsequently  reconsidered  and  changed.  Jasper 
Gates,  E.  G.  English.  Otto  Klement,  Captain  Deca- 
tur and  J.  B.  Moody  were  then  chosen  trustees 
to  define  the  boundaries  of  the  proposed  incorpora- 
tion, circulate  petitions  for  signatures  and  present 
the  matter  in  due  form  to  Judge  Winn  at  the  next 
session  of  court. 

In  April  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  board 
of  county  commissioners  asking  that  all  necessary 
steps  be  taken  to  organize  the  citv  under  the  act 
of  the  state  of  Washington  of  1890.  This  petition 
was  headed  bv  D.  F.  Decatur.  Mrs.  Ida  Priest.  J.  L. 
Anable,  J.  R  St.  John  and'V.  E.  Campbell," and 
contained  one  hundred  and  one  additional  signa- 
tures. When  presented  to  the  commissioners  a 
flaw  was  discovered,  in  that  no  notice  had  been  filed 
stating  the  time  when  the  petition  was  to  be  pre- 


sented to  the  board.  At  a  special  meeting  of  the 
commissioners  the  amended  petition  was  favorably 
acted  upon,  and  it  having  likewise  received  the 
approval  of  the  court,  June  "27.  1S90,  was  desig- 
nated as  the  date  for  the  first  city  election  in 
Mount  Vernon. 

At  this  election  the  proposition  for  incorpora- 
tion carried  by  a  vote  of  eighty-seven  to  twenty- 
five,  and  the  following  city  officers  were  chosen : 
Mayor,  C.  D.  Kimball ;  councilmen,  J.  B.  Moody, 
G.  E.  Hartson,  L.  R.  Martin,  M.  McNamara  and 
William  Murdock ;  treasurer,  V.  E.  Campbell.  This 
first  council  met  on  July  7th — all  being  present, 
the  members  were  duly  inducted  into  their  offices — 
and  appointed  the  following  additional  officers  of 
the  city  government:  F.  E.  Pape,  police  judge; 
E.  H.  Vaughn,  marshal,  and  F.  G.  Pickering, 
clerk. 

As  all  the  people  of  the  state  of  Washington 
are  aware,  some  of  them  painfully  so,  the  years 
1890  and  1891  were  boom  years.  Mount  Vernon, 
however,  went  through  less  of  the  wildcat  specula- 
tion than  almost  any  other  of  the  towns  of  Puget 
sound.  The  solid  and  substantial  nature  of  her 
resources  caused  less  dependence  on  speculative 
excitement,  and  therefore  during  the  boom  years 
she  soared  less  and  fell  less  than  any  other  town 
in  the  county,  with  the  possible  exception  of  La 
Conner.  Those  two  eventful  years  were  marked 
by  several  most  important  advances.  Among  other 
important  enterprises  we  may  note  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Mount  Vernon  Electric  Light  and 
Motor  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars.  Its  board  of  directors  was 
composed  of  A.  Behrens  and  Harrison  Clothier  of 
Mount  Vernon,  and  G.  E.  Brand,  J.  R.  McKinley 
and  H.  B.  Thistle  of  Fairhaven.  The  company 
put  in  an  excellent  plant  and  operated  it  to  the 
advantage   of  both    themselves   and   the   city   until 

I  the  present  owners  bought  them  out. 

j  Additional  enterprises  inaugurated  at  the  same 
period  may  be  summarized  as  follows:  First 
National  bank  of  Mount  Vernon,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  .$.50,000 ;  The  Skagit  Saw-mill  and  Manu- 
facturing Company,  with  a  plant  costing  $30,000 
and  a  capacity  of  forty  thousand  feet  of  lumber 
a  day ;  the  planing  mill  of  J.  A.  Hammack,  at  a 
cost  of  $3,000 ;  Stephenson's  grist  mill,  the  first  in 
the  county,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000 ;  the  Cascade  steam 
laundrs',  owned  by  Tash  &  Head,  at  a  cost  of  $2.. 500  : 
the  cigar  and  confectionery  store  of  C.  G.  High- 
tower,  $600;  grocery'  store  of  Frank  Ashcroft, 
$5,000 ;  dry  goods  store  of  A.  Kristoferson,  $4,000 ; 
clothing  store  of  E.  Galb  &  Company,  $6,000; 
Grand  Central  hotel  of  S.  Bacon,  furnished  at  a 
cost  of  $3,000 ;  the  Great  Northern  hotel  of  G.  N. 
Smiley,  with  furniture  of  an  equal  value ;  the  hard- 
ware store  of  R.  A.  Drake,  $3,000 ;  Hotel  Brooklyn, 
in  charge  of  Blanche  Lorenzy,  with  furniture  worth 
$3,000 ;  the  Cash  grocery  company  of  John  Gray. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


$4,000;   dry  goods  and  grocery  store,  in  charge 
of  Mrs.  M.  McDowell ;  Jacob  Hayton's  dry  goods 
and  grocery  store,  $6,000;  A.  S.  Bailey's  furniture 
store,  $3,000 ;  the  new  newspaper,  the  Mount  Ver- 
non  Chronicle,   $2,000;   R.    K.    Dunham,   tailoring 
establishment,   $1,000;  J.   E.   Longfellow,   harness 
and  saddlery  store.  $1.500 ;  C.  L.  Sweenev.  bakerv. 
$1,000;    Cook    &   Miller,   bakery.    $600;Cassel    & 
Sheehy,  Washington  restaurant,  $500;  Harry  Vine, 
restaurant,  $500 ;  Hottel  &  Zwinden,  Castle  saloon, 
$;i.500:  Ward  &  Hurley,  saloon.  $'?.000.    The  fol- 
lowing new  business   buildings   also  were   erected 
during  that  period:    The  Behrens  &  Moodv  block 
at  a  cost  of  $6,000 ;  the  St.  John  block,  at  a  cost  of 
$4,000,  with  a  one-storv  business  building  adjoin-  j 
ing,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000  ;'the  block  of  Captain  M.  D.   [ 
McCall,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  with  the  Cash  grocery  i 
store  adjoining,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000;  the  two-storv  | 
building  of  V.  E.  Campbell,  at  a  cost  of  $3,500';  j 
the  two-storv  building  of  A.   S.  Bailev,  at  a  cost  t 
of  $1,600;  E.  H.  Vaughn's  two-story 'building,  at  I 
a  cost  of  $"2,()00 :  the  remodeling  of  the  Cirand  Cen-  \ 
tral   hotel,   owned   by   Carpenter   &   Pickens,   at   a 
cost  of  $4,000;  the  Great  Northern  hotel,  erected 
bv  I.  AI.  Sniilev.  at  a  cost  of  $:>.0()0  ;  the  two-story 
building  of  G.  E.  Hartson.  at  a  cost  of  $2,500;  the 
postoffice  building  of  C.  D.   Kimball,  at  a  cost  of 
$4,000;  the  two-story  block  of  A.  M.  Elkins.  at  a 
cost  of  $:i,000.     During  the  same  year  a  hnu'lred 
and  one  residences  were  erected  at  a  cost  of  about 
$85,000. 

While  private  enterprise  was  doing  so  much 
for  the  advancement  of  the  city,  the  city  govern- 
ment was  improving  a  number  of  the  streets  by 
grading  and  sidewalking.  at  a  total  expenditure 
of  about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  As  may  well 
be  supposed  the  result  of  this  period  of  great  activ- 
ity was  to  transform  the  raw  and  somewhat  ragged 
town  into  one  of  comfort  and  beautv. 

In  the  midst  of  this  period  of  animation  and 
prosperity  a  great  disaster  befell  the  citv  in  the 
fonn  of  a  fire.  This  was  Mount  Vernon's  first 
big  fire.  This  occurred  in  the  early  morning  of 
July  13,  1891.  The  fire  originated  in  the  north 
wing  of  the  Washington  hotel.  The  hotel  was 
entirely  consumed,  together  with  fifteen  business 
buildings  and  two  residences,  representing  a  total 
loss  of  about  forty  thousand  dollars,  with  compar- 
atively little  insurance.  The  part  of  the  city  cov- 
ered by  the  fire  was  the  oldest  business  portion. 
Unfortunately  the  fire  engine  had  been  broken  a 
few  days  before  and  hence  the  fire  company  was 
powerless.  The  steamer  Bailey,  which  most  fortu- 
nately was  lying  at  the  wharf.'  saved  the  city  from 
almost  entire  destruction.  One  of  the  deck  hands 
of  the  Bailey,  whose  name  was  Herbert  Comb'; 
is  mentioned  most  gratefully  by  the  people  of 
Mount  Vernon  for  his  heroism  in  climbing  to  the 
top  of  the  warehouse  with  the  fire  hose  and  retain- 
ing his  position  within  twelve  feet  of  the  fire,  which 


was  so  intense  that  his  clothing  caught  fire,  yet 
he  still  retained  his  post  until  the  crisis  was  past 
and  the  fire  had  been  checked  at  the  dangerous 
point.  Jack  McGraw,  G.  B.  Allen  and  Purser  Fox 
seem  to  have  been  equally  deserving  of  praise  for 
their  bravery  in  fighting  successfully  to  a  stand- 
still a  fire  which  threatened  to  obliterate  entirely 
the  county-seat  city. 

The  great  expectations  of  the  people  of  Mount 
\'ernon  as  to  the  completion  of  the  Great  Northern 
railroad  were  realized  August  12,  1891.  The  track- 
laying  machine  had  entered  the  city  limits  the  night 
before  and  at  ten  o'clock  of  that  day  the  rails  were 
laid  across  Kincaid  street,  the  principal  thorough- 
fare of  the  city.  Just  as  the  first  rail  crossed  the 
street  a  signal  was  given,  the  fire  alarm  turned  on, 
the  church  bells  rang  and  thirty  steam  whistles 
added  their  wild  toots  to  the  general  burst  of 
sound.  From  the  throats  of  the  assembled  and 
excited  hundreds  there  went  up  a  general  shout 
of  jubilation  at  the  long-expected  fulfillment  of 
the  dream  of  railway  connection  with  the  world. 

The  same  active  year  of  1891  witnessed  also 
the  construction  of  the  present  school  building. 
It  was  built  upon  a  lot  purchased  by  the  city  from 
John  P.  Millett  for  the  sum  of  six  hundred  dollars. 
The  contract  price  of  the  building  was  twelve  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  the  contract  was  awarded  to 
W.  J.  Henry. 

In  connection  with  the  construction  of  build- 
ings it  is  ver\-  fitting  to  notice  briefly  the  erection 
of  the  present  Mount  Vernon  opera-house.  This 
was  built  during  the  summer  of  1892,  Messrs, 
Peacock  &  Dalton  being  the  architects  and  build- 
ers. This  opera-house  would  be  a  credit  to  a  very 
much  larger  city  than  Mount  \'ernon.  The  audi- 
torium is  fifty  by  sixty  feet  in  floor  space,  and  thirty 
feet  in  height.  The  seating  capacity  of  the  theater 
is  eight  hundred  and  fifty,  while  the  stage  covers 
an   area,  twent}--three  by  fifty   feet. 

Among  the  various  organizations  of  public  ben- 
efit which  marked  the  period  of  progress  was  the 
Board  of  Trade  or.  as  it  became  ultimately  known, 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  A^arious  preliminary 
efi^orts  during  the  years  1890  and  1891  finally  event- 
uated in  1892  in  a  formal  organization.  M  the 
first  regular  meeting  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
a  membership  of  forty-four  was  duly  recorded 
and  the  following  officers  chosen  :  President.  H.  P. 
Downs ;  vice-presidents,  T.  N.  Turner,  G.  E.  Hart- 
son.  J.  P.  Millett.  M.  D.  McCall.  The  executive 
committee  chosen  consisted  of  Otto  Klement.  J.  N. 
Turner.  G.  E.  Hartson.  C.  F.  Moody  and  Jacob 
Hay  ton. 

There  is  little  to  record  of  the  dark  year 
of  1893.  To  all  appearance  in  Mount  Vernon,  as 
in  other  towns  of  our  state,  people  have  little  satis- 
faction in  recalling  the  events  of  that  down-hill 
time. 

One  abortive  and   samewhat   comical   event  is 


CITIES    AND   TOWNS 


recalled  by  the  citizens  of  the  time,  and  that  is  a 
mass  meeting  on  April  24,  1894,  in  accordance 
with  dodgers  distributed  throughout  the  day  which 
were  as  follows : 

"mass    meeting  * 

"A  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Mount  Vernon 
is  hereby  called  to  meet  to-morrow,  Tuesday  even- 
ing, April  24th,  at  half  past  eight  o'clock  at  the 
court-house  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the 
present  depressed  financial  and  commercial  condi- 
tion of  the  land. 

"Free    seats   reserved    for   the   ladies. 

"Speeches  by  leading  business  men. 

"This  meeting  is  for  all,  regardless  of  party." 

This  meeting  was  not  open  to  the  charge  of  be- 
ing a  packed  meeting,  for  no  chairman  or  committee 
of  organization  or,  in  fact,  any  one  at  all  to  run  it 
had  been  provided.  The  court-house  was  crowded 
almost  to  suffocation  and  after  vain  attempts  to 
elect  a  chairman  and  frame  some  plan  of  discussion 
the  meeting  broke  up  amid  tumultuous  laughter 
and  general  disorder.  The  question  of  who  called 
that  meeting  became  one  of  the  stock  conundrums 
in  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon. 

During  the  same  summer  an  enterprise  was 
undertaken,  as  the  result  of  the  popular  need  and 
a  popular  demand,  which  was  of  much  interest  and 
much  importance  in  the  growth  of  the  city.  This 
was  the  construction  of  the  new  dike.  The  great 
flood  of  1894  had  inundated  the  lower  parts  of  the 
town  and  had  also  caused  much  damage  to  the 
farmers  on  the  fiats.  A  i^art  of  tlie  money  neces- 
sary for  this  essential  work  was  raised  by  public 
subscription.  The  dike  as  finally  constructed 
extends  from  Ledger  hill  to  a  connection  with 
other  dikes  «hich  now  make  a  continuous  levee  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Skagit  river.  The  work  was  com- 
pleted in  November,  1894,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
it  added  a  hundred  ncr  cent,  to  tlie  value  of  tlie 
farms  protected  by  it. 

Another  public  enterprise  of  the  same  period 
was  the  effort  for  the  establishment  of  a  city  water 
system.  A  special  election  was  held  on  November 
30th  upon  the  proposition  of  issuing  bonds  for 
the  establishment  of  such  a  system.  This  proposi- 
tion was  carried  by  a  vote  of  ninety-six  against 
fift\'-nine,  only  two  votes,  more  than  the  required 
three-fifths  majority.  But  though  thus  approved, 
the  attempt  at  a  city  water  system  failed,  on  account 
of  the  inability  to  float  bonds  during  those  hard 
times.  After  an  unsatisfactory  experience  of  sev- 
eral years  an  excellent  water  system  was  estab- 
lished in  1902  by  the  Alount  \'ernon  Water  and 
Power  Company,  of  which  X.  M.  Hill  is  the  local 
manager.  Water  is  obtained  from  springs  issuing 
from  the  hills  east  of  town  and  is  stored  in  a 
concrete  reservoir  at  an  elevation  of  about  one 
hundred  and  forty  feet  above  the  river.     It  affords 


a  plentiful  supply  of  pure  water  and  furnishes 
excellent  fire  protection. 

Mount  Vernon  occupies  an  unfortunate  pre- 
eminence in  respect  to  the  number  and  destructive- 
ness  of  the  fires  that  have  occurred.  We  have 
already  narrated  the  first  of  these.  It  was 
followed  by  a  number  of  others.  On  April  20, 
lS!)."i.  the  shniglc  mill  owned  by  the  Mount  X'ernon 
Shingle  and  Lumber  Company  was  destroyed  with 
a  loss  of  twenty-one  thousand,  dollars,  with  an 
insurance  of  six  thousand  and  eight  hundred  dol- 
lars. The  loss  of  this  mill  was  a  heavy  blow  to 
the  productive  interests  of  the  town.  On  August 
12th  of  the  same  year  the  Pioneer  shingle  mill  was 
wiped  out,  representing  a  loss  above  the  insurance 
of  about  three  thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars. 
Pursuing  the  fire  history  of  the  town  to  the  present, 
we  find  that  on  .Anril  2.  is!),*^.  there  was  a  destruc- 
tive fire  in  the  Cloud  &  Hufty  block,  from  which 
the  St.  John  block  and  adjoining  buildings  were 
also  reached  by  the  flames.  There  was  a  total  loss 
in  this  fire  of  fifteen  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  partially  covered  by  insurance.  On 
September  28,  1900,  the  old  original  town  of  Mount 
Vernon  was  entirely  destroyed.  The  historic 
Clothier  &  English  store,  the  Ruby  house  and  the 
Mount  Vernon  house  were  the  victims  of  this  fire. 
It  was  attributed  by  the  public  either  to  drunken 
Indians  or  hoboes.  Still  again  a  visitation  of  what 
writers  with  lurid  imaginations  often  refer  to  as 
the  "fire  fiend"  destroyed  a  business  block  occu- 
pied by  the  New  York  Racket  store.  The  Mount 
Vernon  Mercantile  Company's  store  and  the  Davis 
Hardware  store  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street 
ignited  before  the  fire  engine  had  gotten  i'lto 
working  order  and  caused  a  loss  to  its  various 
occupants  of  nearly  twenty  thousand  dollars,  par- 
tially covered  by  insurance.  .Still  again  on  Novem- 
ber 25,  190.3,  a  fire  raged  in  Mount  Vernon,  destroy- 
ing the  Golden  Rule  department  store,  the  Salva- 
tion Army  barracks,  and  the  second-hand  store  of 
J.  L.  Hayes.  A  high  wind  caused  this  to  threaten 
the  entire  town,  but  the  exercise  of  prompt  and 
skilful  work  by  the  fire  department  checked  the  fire 
in  the  midst  and  saved  the  city  from  any  large  loss. 

The  first  years  of  the  new  century  have  wit- 
nessed a  steady  and  substantial,  though  not  rapid 
gain  on  the  part  of  the  capital  city  of  Skagit 
county.  The  vast  timber  and  mineral  resources 
of  the  county,  as  elsewhere  narrated,  have  offered 
opportunities  for  both  capitalists  and  laborers  and 
Mount  Vernon  has  received  its  full  share  of  the 
influx  of  both  classes.  All  lines  of  activity  have 
met  with  substantial  rewards  and  especially  it  may 
be  noted  that  the  public  and  social  life  of  the  city 
has  steadily  progressed.  A  more  perfectly  organ- 
ized Commercial  club  was  inaugurated  in  Novem- 
ber of  190.-?.  This  took  the  place  of  the  old  Board 
of  Trade  and  has  been  a  success  from  its  start. 
The    officers    chosen    at    its    first    regidar    meeting 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


were :  Colonel  B.  Hiifty,  president ;  Dr.  F.  B. 
West,  vice-president ;  E.  W.  Ferris,  secretary ; 
D.  H.  Moss,  Jr.,  treasurer.  The  governing  board 
consisted  of  Doctor  Cassel,  J.  A.  Munch,  N.  J. 
Moldstad,  E.  P.  Barker  and  M.  P.  Hunt.  This 
club  now  occupies  a  home  in  the  business  part 
of  the  city  which  contains  reading  room,  library, 
card  room,  reception  parlors,  billiard  room  and 
bowling  alley.  This  is  one  of  the  most  infliuential 
organizations  in  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon. 

The  fraternities  of  Mount  Vernon,  of  whose 
inception  we  gave  a  brief  mention  on  an  earlier 
page,  have  gone  on  increasing  to  the  present  day 
until  there  are  now  the  following  orders:  The 
Mount  Vernon  lodge,  No.  23.  of  the  Odd  Fellows ; 
Skagit  Valley  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  recently  con- 
solidated with  the  former;  the  Mount  Vernon 
Masonic  lodge;  the  Skagit  lodge.  No.  18,  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias ;  Lodge  21  of  the  Rathbone 
Sisters;  the  D.  A.  Russell  Post,  No.  35,  of  the 
W.  R.  C;  Mount  Baker  lodge,  No.  36.  A.  F.  & 
A.  M. ;  Mount  Vernon  chapter,  No.  17.  R.  A.  M. ; 
Woodmen  of  the  World,  Mount  Vernon  camp. 
No.  374  ;  Brotherhood  of  American  Yeomen,  Home- 
stead No.  298;  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles.  Moun- 
tain Aerie  No.  261 ;  Mount  Vernon  union  of 
W.  C.  T.  U. ;  M.  W.  A.,  camp  6,307 ;  A.  O.  U.  W., 
lodge  No.  64 ;  Order  of  Washington,  Success  union 
136;  Lodge  of  Rebekahs. 

We  gave  earlier  in  this  sketch  a  narration  of 
the  building  of  the  pioneer  churches  of  the  city. 
Those  were  the  Methodist,  Baptist  and  Christian. 
Other  churches  have  been  added  from  time  to  time 
until  the  city  is  now  well  supplied  with  churches. 
These,  with  their  pastors,  are  at  the  present  time 
as  follows:  Episcopal,  Rev.  F.  C.  Eldred ;  Meth- 
odist, Rev.  A.  W.  Brown ;  Baptist.  Rev.  Harrv 
Ferguson;  Catholic,  Rev.  Father  M.  J.  Woods'; 
Swedish  Baptist.  Rev.  .Andrew  Swartz ;  Free  Meth- 
odist, Rev.  S.  P.  Westfield;  Ignited  Presbyterian, 
Rev.  G.  E.  Henderson:  Christian,  without  settled 
pastor  at  present;  Salvation  Army.  All  of  these 
churches  have  buildings  except  the  Free  Meth- 
odist. 

We  have  made  frequent  reference  to  the  news- 
papers of  Mount  Vernon.  These  at  the  present 
time  are  the  Skagit  News-Herald,  issued  each 
Monday,  Ralph  C.  Hartson  editor  and  manager; 
the  Argus,  issued  Fridays  by  Frederick  C.  Ornes, 
publisher  and  editor;  and  the  Puget  Sound  Post, 
a  semi-weekly  established  in  the  fall  of  1905, 
Charles  A.   Taylor  editor.     All  are  Republican. 

From  the  vitally  imoortant  aspect  of  its  educa- 
tional developments  Mount  Vernon  mav  well  be 
a  source  of  pride  to  its  inhabitants.  It  has  an 
excellent  school  building  of  the  value  of  fourteen 
thousand  dollars,  and  rents  three  buildings  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  additional  schools  demanded 
bv  the  rapidlv  growing  population.  There  is  an 
excellent   high    school    under    the    management    of 


Professor  G.  A.  Russell.  This  high  school  main- 
tains a  regular  four-year,  up-to-date  course,  which 
entitles  its  pupils  to  admission  to  the  best  colleges 
in  the  state.  The  total  number  of  pupils  enrolled 
during  the  year  closed  was  five  hundred  and  fifty- 
four.  In  addition  to  the  public  schools  there  is 
an  excellent  business  college,  known  as  the  Mount 
Vernon  business  college,  under  the  management 
of  Professor  F,  S.  Wolfe. 

Of  the  six  banks  now  in  existence  in  Skagit 
county  the  only  national  bank  is  situated  in  Mount 
\'ernon.  This  is  the  First  National  bank  of  Mount 
Vernon  and  it  was  established  on  March  3,  1891, 
being  the  successor  of  the  Skagit  River  bank,  started 
three  years  earlier  by  J.  A.  Cloud  and  Colonel  B. 
Hufty.  The  ofiicers  of  the  bank  at  the  present 
time  are  D.  H.  Moss,  Jr..  president ;  R.  G.  Hanna- 
ford.  cashier,  and  W.  S.  Packard,  assistant  cashier. 
It  gives  one  some  conception  of  the  substantial 
nature  of  business  in  Mount  Vernon  to  learn  that 
the  deposits  of  this  bank  amounted  to  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty-three  thousand  two  hundred  and 
thirteen  dollars  in  May,   1905. 

As  a  matter  of  permanent  interest  we  present 
herewith  a  summary  of  the  business  houses  and 
industries  of  Mount  Vernon  at  the  present  date, 
1905.  Mills:  Siwash  Shingle;  Little  Mountain 
Shingle  Company  (lumber  also)  ;  Cedardale  Lum- 
ber Company  (lumber  only).  (It  may  be  said  in 
connection  with  the  Siwash  Shingle  mill  that  it 
is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  state,  cutting  nearly 
two  hundred  thousand  shingles  per  day.)  Cement 
stone  block  factory,  W.  S.  Anable ;  wood-working 
factory.  Maris  &  Bowron;  undertaking  parlors, 
F.  H.  Stackpole ;  house  movers,  Kimble  &  Elkins ; 
wood  yard,  E.  D.  Kimble ;  fish  market,  Lewis  Hat- 
ter ;  musical  instruments :  Sam  Berger ;  William 
Evans ;  abstract  offices :  Skagit  County  Abstract 
Company,  F.  G.  Pickering,  manager :  Dale  &  Shea ; 
insurance  and  real  estate :  C.  P.  Whitney ;  G.  W. 
Marble ;  J.  Haddock  Smith ;  shoe  repairing  shop, 
L.  Kempf;  harness  and  saddle  store,  John  Neigh- 
barger ;  boat-building  esitablishment,  P.  J.  Pritch- 
ard ;  bicycles  and  repairing  stores:  F.  T.  Schoon- 
over;  L.  L.  Luce;  crockery  store,  William  McAllis- 
ter ;  books,  stationery  and  sundries :  Postoffice  Book 
store,  G.  E.  Hartson,  proprietor:  Kimball  &  Son; 
W.  B.  Ropes ;  paints,,  oils  and  wall  paper.  Hooper 
&•  Decker  Company;  bank.  First  National;  jewelry: 
J.  Petzelberger ;  A.  J.  Schirrmann ;  photographers: 
Stephens  &  Whitney:  Mrs.  L.  R.  Martin;  W.  F. 
Robertson ;  cigar  factory.  Airs.  Henry  Lange ;  bot- 
tling works,  William  Harbert ;  livery  stables : 
Frank  Esser ;  The  River  Front,  by  Robert  H.  John- 
son ;  veterinary  hospital.  Dr.  C.  S.  Phillips,  D.  V.  S. ; 
feed  store  and  wharf.  W.  E.  Harbert :  blacksmiths : 
C.  W.  Crawford;  J.  W.  Norton;  W.  F.  Storie ; 
machine  shop  and  foundry,  Walter  McNicol :  farm 
implements,  W.  F.  Storie;  gentlemen's  furnishing 
store,    F.    E.    Hunt ;    hardware :    Davis    Hardware 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


Company;  T.  R.  Hayton ;  shoes.  Jacob  Anderson; 
Racket  store,  L.  L.  Cotton  ;  restaurants :  Popular, 
J.  S.  Anderson;  Olympia  Cafe,  Joinville;  Louvre 
Cafe,  W.  T.  Johnston ;  Miller  Cafe,  Frank  Monda- 
han;  drug  stores:  Mount  Vernon,  J.  A.  Munch, 
proprietor;  the  Owl,  Union  Drug  Company.  D.  B. 
Hall,  manager;  pool  and  billiard  room,  W.  H. 
Perry;  lunch  counter.  Frank  Bellaire ;  furniture 
and  second-hand  goods  :  D.  F.  Orcutt ;  J.  B,  Laugh- 
lin;  T.  L.  Hayes;  W.  H.  Wilgus ;  meat  markets: 
Patterson,  Parker  &  Company;  West  Brothers; 
Joseph  Ouandt;  groceries  and  bakeries:  N.  B, 
Johnson  &  Sons ;  P.  J.  Pedersen ;  groceries :  B.  D. 
Moody:  Mount  Vernon  Trading  Union  (co-opera- 
tive) ;  groceries  and  shelf  hardware,  E.  Branch- 
flower;  general  merchandise:  Golden  Rule  Depart- 
ment store:  ]\Iount  \"ernon  Mercantile  Company; 
F.  H.  Thome;  barber  shops:  James  Kean ;  L.  R. 
Martin;  Bailey  &  Cook;  confectioneries:  A.  B. 
Pierce;  A.  H.'  Montgomery:  Mrs.  M.  S.  Frizell ; 
Larrv  Parkinson;  Charles  Anable ;  tailor  shops: 
C.  R.  Rings ;  Karl  Schoeffle ;  A.  C,  Malcolm ;  John 
Kendall ;  dry  goods  :  N.  J.  Moldstad  ;  G.  W.  More- 
Ian  ;  transfer  companies :  Merchants' :  Mount  Ver- 
non :  express  agency,  George  Lassley ;  laundries : 
Skagit  Steam  Laundry;  Lee  Yan ;  Blount  \^ernon 
Electric  Light  Company,  W.  H.  Franklin,  man- 
ager :  Mount  A'ernon  Water  and  Power  Company, 
Norman  Hill,  manager ;  Sunset  Telephone  and  Tel- 
egraph Company.  D.  L.  Savidge,  manager:  Postal 
Telegraph  Company,  I.  D.  Miller,  manager:  Inde- 
pendent Farmers'  Telephone  Company,  D.  B.  Hall, 
manager  (this  Independent  Telephone  Company  is 
one  of  the  most  interesting  and  successful  enter- 
prises in  the  county)  ;  boarding  houses:  Mrs.  Etta 
Ford:  Mrs.  John  Carfield;  Mrs.  F.  S.  Spooner; 
^frs.  Anna  Nelson  ;  lodging  houses :  Mrs.  Sophie 
Claussen :  Mrs.  N.  E.  Pickens ;  George  Moran ; 
hotels :  ^filler  hotel ;  Costello  &  Wood  :  The  Louvre, 
William  Patterson :  The  Kimball,  Mrs.  C.  D.  Kim- 
ball :  The  ]\Iount  Vernon.  George  Sidney ;  Spring- 
brook  Gardens.  H.  R.  Hutchinson  &  Son:  Shetland 
Pony  Farm.  Fred  Blumberg. 

One  of  the  large  enterprises  of  the  city  is  the 
Mount  Vernon  creamery,  organized  April  1.  1904. 
This  is  under  the  management  of  Jules  Fredlund. 
William  Harbert  is  president  of  the  company  and 
Robert  Fredlund  vice-president  and  treasurer. 
This  is  the  largest  creamery  in  the  county,  putting 
out  sixteen  thousand  pounds  of  butter  per  month. 

We  should  mention  here  the  Skagit  County  Fair 
Association,  under  whose  management  is  a  fine 
race-course  on  the  southern  edge  of  the  city  limits, 
with  convenient  buildings  and  grandstand  and  fine 
grounds.  N.  J.  Moldstad  is  president  and  E.  W. 
Ferris   secretary  of  the  association. 

The  postmaster  of  INIount  Vernon  is  G.  E.  Hart- 
son  ;  assistant.  Mrs.  Mathilda  Hartson.  There  are 
five  free  rural  delivery  lines. 

The  following  professional  men  may  be  named 


here :  Lawyers :  Smith  &  Brawley,  Hurd  &  Brickey, 
Shrauger  &  Barker,  Million  &  Houser,  David  Ham- 
mack, ''McLean  &  Wakefield,  J.  C.  Waugh,  E.  W. 
Ferris;  physicians:  Drs.  A.  C.  Lewis,  R.  J.  Cassel, 
A.  J.  Osterman,  J.  W.  Alkire;  dentists:  W.  M. 
King,  W.  D.  Good;  civil  engineer,  John  W. 
Meeham. 

The  present  city  government  of  Blount  Vernon 
consists  of  the  following:  Mayor.  I.  Shrauger; 
treasurer,  R.  G.  Hannaford ;  clerk.  Charles  E.  Kim- 
ball;  attorney,  David  Hammack ;  marshal,  William 
Zimmerman ;  council,  Benjamin  Dav.  A.  G.  Young, 
F.  H.  Stackpole,  E.  S.  Phipps.  W.  F.  Storie.  There 
is  an  efficient  volunteer  fire  company,  of  which 
John   Kauble   is  chief. 


In  the  tremendous  tide  of  progress  and  increase 
of  wealth  and  population  which  characterize  the 
present  decade  we  scarcely  realize  the  small  and 
what  would  seem  to  us  of  the  present  the  slow 
beginnings  of  the  pioneer  towns  of  thirty  or  forty 
years  ago.  Yet  those  seemingly  slow  beginnings 
marked  the  true  heroic  age  of  our  history.  In  the 
hardships,  loneliness,  warm-hearted  hospitality  and 
pathos  of  the  pioneer  communities  we  find  all  that 
is  noblest  and  best  in  the  traits  of  our  common 
humanity  and  particularlx  (if  typical  American  life. 
Therefore  not  one  of  tiic  tnwns,  large  or  small,  not 
even  one  of  the  hamlets  ur  isolated  farm-houses 
or  lumber  camps  lacks  its  record  of  interest  and 
of  value. 

Each  town  of  which  we  here  present  a  sketch 
has  its  own  peculiar  claim  to  our  attention.  La 
Conner,  the  subject  of  the  present  review,  is  dis- 
tinguished among  the  towns  of  its  section  for  busi- 
ness stability,  the  natural  outgrowth  of  its  immedi- 
ate surroundings. 

Although  many  explorers  and  sailors  had  looked 
upon  the  scenes  which  now  are  so  fair,  no  one  had 
deemed  it  worth  while  to  land  and  permanently 
establish    himself   until    1807. 

The  first  trading  post  on  the  Swinomish  flats 
was  established  in  May.  IStiT.  upon  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  La  Conner,  by  Alonzo  Low.  now  a 
resident  of  Snohomish.  Low  and  Woodbury  Sin- 
clair had  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Snohomish  City  in  1864.  and  opened  the  Swinomish 
branch,  as  stated,  with  Low  in  charge.  The  enter- 
prise failed,  however,  and  fourteen  months  after 
its  institution  was  abandoned.  Low  gave  the  build- 
ing to  a  mulatto  named  Clark,  on  condition  that 
he  would  move  the  goods  and  a  yoke  of  oxen  (taken 
b\  Low  in  payment  of  a  debt)  back  to  Snohomish. 
This  was  accomplished  by  boat. 

Thomas  Hayes  is  the  next  Swinomish  trader 
of  whom  we  have  record.  The  exact  time  of  his 
appearance  is  not  known,  but  it  must  have  been 
verv   shortlv   after   Low   abandoned   the   region    in 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


the  summer  of  1868.  It  was  during  his  time  that 
Swinomish  postoffice  was  established.  Then,  in 
1869,  John  S.  Conner  and  his  wife,  Louisa  A. 
Conner,  came  from  Olympia  by  boat  to  the  point 
upon  which  the  town  subsequently  grew.  Mr. 
Conner  purchased  the  Indian  trading  post  at  that 
point  from  Mr.  Hayes  and  Swinomish  postoffice  was 
either  abandoned  and  La  Conner  postoffice  estab- 
lished or  there  was  a  change  of  name.  The  mercan- 
tile business  inaugurated  by  I\Ir.  Conner  at  the  time 
of  the  purchase  of  this  trading  post  became  the 
foundation  of  the  new  town.  On  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1870,  Mr.  Conner  brought  his  entire  family  to 
the  point,  Mrs.  Conner  being  the  only  white  woman 
at  that  time  in  that  community,  and  Mr.  Conner 
the  first  permanent  settler.  Mr.  Conner  was  born 
in  Ireland  in  the  year  1838,  and  had  acquired  an 
excellent  education,  being  qualified  to  pursue  the 
varied  avocations  of  lawyer,  teacher,  farmer  and 
merchant.  As  he  looked  abroad  at  the  surround- 
ings of  his  new  home  he  saw  with  prophetic  vision 
the  possibilities  of  the  future.  The  town  which  he 
could  see  in  his  mind's  eye  lay  along  the  Swinom- 
ish slough,  just  across  which  stretched  the  beauti- 
ful alternating  hills  and  plains  of  Fidalgo  island. 
Lying  immediately  between  Swinomish  slough  on 
the  west  and  Sullivan  slough  on  the  east  rose  a 
picturesque  rocky  hill,  from  which  extended  an 
entrancing  scene  of  primitive  beauty.  Beyond 
Sullivan  slough  extended  the  delta  of  the  Skagit 
river,  green  and  beautiful  with  its  marsh  grass  and 
tangles  of  brush  and  occasional  strips  of  timber, 
yet  to  all  appearance  unavailable  for  farming  pur- 
poses by  reason  of  the  overflowing  tides  and  floods. 
Yet  Mr.  Conner  could  anticipate  the  reclamation 
of  those- fertile  tracts  and  could  see  then  as  plainly 
as  we  can  now  a  beautiful  little  city  clustering 
about  the  base  of  the  rocky  acropolis  to  supply  the 
needs  of  a   future  great   population. 

In  1870  La  Conner  postoffice  succeeded  the  old 
Swinomish  postoffice.  Mr.  Conner  becoming  the 
postmaster.  The  name  was  derived  from  the  ini- 
tials of  Mrs.  Conner's  name  as  a  prefix  to  the 
family  name  of  Conner.  The  land  upon  which  the 
town  was  located  was  taken  up  by  J.  J.  Conner,  a 
cousin  of  J.  S.,  in  1872,  and  in  the"  same  year  the 
town  itself  was  laid  out  by  him.  Subsequentlv  he 
sold  the  town  site  to  his  cousin.  J.  S.  Conner,  who 
from  that  time  was  the  principal  proprietor  of  the 
place.  It  may  be  noted  in  this  connection  that  J.  S. 
Conner,  after  having  successfully  engaged  in  many 
enterprises  connected  with  the  development  of  the 
place  and  the  region  adjoinins:  and  having  accu- 
mulated an  extensive  fortune,  died  in  188.5  and  was 
succeeded  in  the  management  of  his  great  estate 
by  his  son,  Herbert  S..  now  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent citizens  of  the  place.  Mrs.  Conner  is  .still 
living  upon  the  spot  which  she  has  seen  grow  from 
a   wilderness   to   a   flourishine   communitv. 

From  A.  G.  Tillinghast.  who  came  to  La  Conner 


in  December,  1872,  we  derive  a  picture  of  the 
condition  of  the  little  place  at  that  time.  Directly 
across  the  Swinomish  slough  lay  the  Indian  reser- 
vation in  charge  of  John  P.  McGlinn.  L.  L.  An- 
drews was  conducting  a  trading  post  at  the  agency, 
and  on  that  side  there  was  then  a  substantial  little 
wharf.  On  the  La  Conner  side  the  only  buildings 
in  existence  were  the  store  and  house  of  Mr.  Con- 
ner, a  little  hotel  kept  by  Mr.  Marsden,  a  tin  shop 
managed  by  James  O'Laughlin  and  a  blacksmith 
shop  by  a  man  called  Abner  McKean.  A  telegraph 
office  was  also  located  at  the  agency  in  charge  of 
James  A.  Gilliland.  the  linesman  being  James  Will- 
iamson. In  1873  there  arrived  at  the  little  place 
two  men  who  have  been  most  intimately  connected 
with  the  business  development  of  the  town.  These 
were  James  and  George  Caches.  They  purchased  the 
store  of  Mr.  Conner  and  from  that  time  on  con- 
ducted the  leading  mercantile  establishment  of  that 
part  of  the  county.  They  were  in  partnership  until 
the  year  1900,  when  George  retired  from  the  busi- 
ness, leaving  James  in  entire  control.  It  early 
became  apparent  that  the  land  in  the  near  vicinity 
of  La  Conner  would,  in  case  diking  operations 
were  successful,  become  very  valuable.  It  is  a 
matter  of  some  surprise  to  find  that  within  the 
very  next  year  after  Mr.  Conner's  arrival  he  had 
reclaimed  a  small  body  of  land,  from  which  he 
began  shipping  oats  and  barley  in  1874.  To  illus- 
trate the  immense  advance  in  prices  of  those  Swi- 
nomish tide  lands  it  may  be  said  that  a  place  of 
a  hundred  and  twenty  acre.S'  two  miles  and  a  half 
from  La  Conner  was  sold  in  1873  for  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  that  same  place  could  not  now 
be  purchased  for  less  than  fifteen  or  twenty  thou- 
sand. In  187-1  the  Caches  brothers  began  making 
shipment?  of  grain  on  a  larger  scale  than  had  been 
known  before,  the  first  of  a  great  series  of  ship- 
ments which  has  continued  uninterruptedly  and 
increasingly  to  the  present  day. 

Like  other  portions  of  the  archipelago  the  lands 
adjoining  the  Swinomish  slough  were  subject  to 
a  very  great  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide.  At  flood 
tide  the  slough  is  navigable  by  vessels  of  not  more 
than  nine  feet  draught,  while  at  low  tide  there  is 
water  enough  for  small  boats  only.  This  condition 
of  navigation  led  to  efforts  from  early  days  to 
secure  congressional  appropriations  for  improving 
the  channel.  In  1890  congress  appropriated  $122,000 
for  the  improvement  of  the  slough  and  the  dredg- 
ing of  the  bars  at  either  end.  During  the  present 
year  (190.5)  Major  Millis.  United  States  engineer 
at  Seattle,  has  asked  for  an  appropriation  of 
$1.50.000  in  order  that  he  may  continue  the  im- 
provements on  a  larger  scale.  Inspector  Thomas 
Huddleson  estimates  the  value  of  exports  passing 
through  the  slough  in  the  ^•ear  1903  at  $959,000 
and  the  imports  at  $.514.000 ;  for  the  vear  1904. 
exports  $1,330,000  and  imports  $464,000.  The 
bulk  of  this  great  trade  is  handled  at  La  Conner. 


CITIES    AXD    TOWxXS 


203 


As  we  set  this  fact  of  the  present  beside  the  busi- 
ness conditions  of  1873  we  form  some  conception 
of  the  prodigious  percentage  of  increase  in  the 
trade  of  the  place. 

In  taking  up  again  the  thread  of  the  narrative 
in  respect  to  business,  developments  we  may  note 
than  in  1875  another  prominent  business  man  of 
La  Conner,  Joseph  F.  Dwelley,  came  to  the  place 
and  opened  a  furniture  store.  Throughout  the 
decade  of  the  seventies  business  and  professional 
men  were  adding  themselves  to  the  population  and 
.in  1878  we  find  the  following  list  derived  from  the 
Snohomish  Star  of  March  6th:  Hotels,  the  La 
Conner,  J.  J.  Conner,  proprietor;  the  Maryland 
House,  John  McGlinn,  proprietor;  general  merchan- 
dise stores.  Caches  Bros,  and  L.  L.  Andrews;  boat 
builders.  Church  &  Bowman,  Potter  &  Chandler; 
drug  store,  Joseph  Alexander;  physicians,  Drs. 
T.  C.  Mackey,  I.  N.  Powers  arid  J.  S.  Church; 
lawyers,  W.  R.  Andrews,  A.  W.  Engle  and  L. 
Thomas.  The  same  paper  contains  an  item  of  a 
political-social-business  nature  worthy  of  a  passing 
notice.  It  seems  that  there  was  an  attempt  at 
that  time  to  start  a  Chinese  laundrv'  in  the  town. 
Public  sentiment  was  against  it  and  the  Washing- 
ton literary  society,  which  met  in  the  public  hall, 
and  to  attend  which  members  came  from  all  over 
the  flats  when  the  weather  did  not  forbid,  took  up 
for  debate  the  question  of  the  Chinese  laundry. 
After  a  heated  discussion  an  agreement  was  signed 
by  which  those  present  pledged  themselves  to  dis- 
courage by  every  lawful  means  the  admission  of 
Chinamen  to  the  place  and  to  abstain  from  employ- 
ing in  their  own  houses  the  Chinese  in  any  capacity 
whatever. 

From  the  nature  of  its  location  La  Conner  is 
a  steamboat  town  rather  than  a  railroad  town. 
From  the  time  of  its  founding  to  the  present  there 
have  been  steamboats  and  sail  boats,  canoes,  row- 
boats  and  SfCOws  of  every  size  and  order,  and  at 
the  present  time  there  is  daily  steamboat  commu- 
nication with  all  the  principal  ports  of  the  sound. 
The  town  is  well  provided  with  wharves  and  ware- 
houses and  in  all  respects  the  shipping  interest  is 
of  a  promising  character :  and  with  the  completion 
of  the  government  improvements  heretofore  re- 
ferred to  the  town  will  be  as  accessible  as  any  in 
the  entire  sound  region.  Although  there  is  as  yet 
no  railroad  to  the  place,  one  franchise  for  a  railway 
has  already  been  granted  and  another  company  is 
about  to  apply  for  a  franchise. 

We  may  complete  this  account  of  the  business 
growth  of  La  Conner  from  the  earliest  times  by 
incorporating  here  the  following  list  of  professional 
and  business  men  and  firms  of  the  present  time: 
Physicians:  Dr.  G.  E.  Howe.  Dr.  A.  R.  Bailey: 
dentist.  Dr.  J.  N.  Harris :  lawyer,  J.  S.  Corrigan  ; 
general  merchandise:  James  Caches.  T.  A. 
Livingston  &  Company:  The  Fair  Depart- 
ment   Store.  I\TcGowan  &  Coddiiigton  :    groceries : 


L.  W.  Vaughn  &  Son,  Nelson  &  Pierson ; 
meat  markets :  The  West  Butchering  Com- 
pany ;  T.  C.  Boyd  &  Company ;  hardware  and  im- 
plements :  Poison  Implement  and  Hardware  Com- 
pany; drug  stores:  D.  B.  Hall;  La  Conner 
Drug  Store;  millinery:  Mrs.  W.  H.  Parsons; 
machine  shop,  blacksmith  and  repairing:  Roseland 
&  Hamburg  Bros. ;  confectionery  stores :  Henry 
Peterson,  Frank  Brown,  Mrs.  George  Hall ;  ware- 
house and  storage :  La  Conner  Warehouse  Com- 
pany, owned  by  the  farmers  of  the  region  and  hav- 
ing a  capacity  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand sacks  of  grain ;  Chilberg  Warehouse,  D.  L. 
McComiick,  R.  H.  Ball ;  dry  goods  and  furnish- 
ings:  B.  L.  Martin;  restaurants:  W.  H.  Angel, 
The  Farmers';  jewelry:  H.  Humphrey;  undertak- 
ing parlors :  J.  E.  Peck ;  harness  shop  and  imple- 
ments :  H.  W.  Rock ;  blacksmith  shop :  Blade  & 
Seagren ;  bicycle  and  repairing  store :  Peter  Win- 
gren ;  barbers :  J.  P.  Johnston,  W.  H.  Boyce,  George 
Linkhardt ;  merchant  tailors  :  J.  G.  Almberg,  Mitch 
Clossen ;  photographer :  O.  J.  Wingren ;  storage 
and  commission  house:  Guy  W.  Conner,  who  also 
acts  as  agent  for  the  La  Conner  Trading  and  Trans- 
portation Company,  running  a  daily  line  of  boats 
to  Seattle,  the  Fairhaven  being  the  regular  passen- 
ger steamer ;  drv  goods  and  clothing  store :  C.  & 
S.  Goldsmith;  hotels:  Hotel  McGlinn,  J.  P.  Mc- 
Glinn, proprietor;  Hotel  La  Conner,  Mrs.  J.  Gipple, 
proprietor ;  Alma  House ;  Puget  sound  seed  gardens 
and  store :  A.  G.  Tillinghast ;  livery  stable :  R.  L. 
Richardson  :  boot  and  shoe  store :  G.  E.  Wersen  ; 
junk  store :  R.  A.  Coffer. 

One  of  the  most  important  business  concerns 
of  La  Conner  is  the  La  Conner  Lumber  Company, 
of  which  J.  C.  Foster  and  N.  G.  Turner  are  the 
proprietors.  This  consists  of  a  saw-mill  with  a 
capacity  of  twenty  thousand  feet  of  lumber  a  day, 
with  a  shingle-mill  attachment.  This  mill  has  had 
rather  an  interesting  history  in  that  it  was  a  semi- 
public  enterprise.  It  was  inaugurated  in  1889  by 
a  joint  stock  company  known  as  the  Pleasant  Ridge 
Mill  and  Threshing  Company.  In  1900  this  mill, 
then  having  come  into  possession  of  Ezra  Brothers, 
was  burned.  The  citizens  of  La  Conner  bought 
the  site  and  remains  of  the  machinery  for  thirteen 
hundred  dollars  and  gave  a  long  lease  as  a  subsidy 
to  Foster  &  Turner,  who  constructed  the  present 
mill. 

La  Conner  is  well  supplied  with  electric  power, 
telephone  service  and  water  system.  The  electric 
power  is  the  property  of  the  La  Conner  Electric 
Light  and  Power  Company,  of  which  Peter  Win- 
gren is  the  manager.  The  plant  was  establi.shed  in 
1893  by  J.  S.  Bartholomew,  who  sold  out  the  same 
year  to  Mr.  Wingren.  The  telephone  system  is 
ample,  consisting  of  two  different  plants,  one.  the 
.Skagit  \'alley  Telephone  Company,  with  eleven 
separate  lines  operating  out  of  La  Conner,  estab- 
lished in  190?  by  Frederick  Eyre,  who  is  still  acting 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


as  secretary  of  the  company ;  the  other,  the  Sunset 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company,  of  which 
Henry  Peterson  is  the  local  manager.  The  water 
works  of  La  Conner  are  in  the  hands  of  the  La 
Conner  Water  Works  Company,  of  which  the  prin- 
cipal stockholders  are  ex-Governor  McBride  and 
H.  S.  Conner,  Peter  Wingren  being  the  manager. 
The  water  supply  is  derived  from  springs  on  the 
Swinomish  reservation  and  is  piped  across  the 
slough  and  pumped  to  a  reservoir  upon  the  hill.  The 
citizens  are  now  actively  agitating  the  question  of 
municipal  ownership  of  their  water  system.  Re- 
cently J.  G.  Foster  was  granted  a  franchise  to 
establish  a  new  system,  taking  its  water  from  the 
Skagit  river. 

Passing  from  the  business  enterprises  of  La 
Cot\ner  to  its  municipal  history,  we  find  that  like 
several  of  the  towns  of  the  region  La  Conner  has 
passed  through  the  stages  of  incorporation,  disin- 
corporation  and  reincorporation.  On  November  20, 
1883,  the  legislative  act  incorporating  the  city  was 
approved  by  the  governor  and  became  a  law.  This 
provided  for  incorporation  with  the  following 
limits :  "All  of  the  plat  of  the  town  of  La  Conner, 
as  recorded  in  the  office  of  the  auditor  of  Whatcom 
county,  together  with  an  addition  of  six  hundred 
feet  on  the  southern  end  of  said  plat  of  the  same 
width  as,  and  extending  in  the  same  general  direc- 
tion as,  said  plat ;  also  an  addition  of  sixty  rods  on 
the  northern  end  of  said  plat  of  the  same  width  as, 
and  extending  in  the  same  direction  as,  said  plat ; 
all  of  the  above-described  land  being  and  lying  in 
section  36,  township  34  north  range  2  east  in 
Whatcom  county."  The  legislative  act  named  as 
temporary  officers :  Mayor,  L.  L.  Andrews ;  coun- 
cil, G.  V.  Calhoun,  B.  L.  Martin,  James  Caches, 
J.  S.  Church  and  F.  S.  Poole ;  marshal,  Cylon  Otis ; 
clerk  and  assessor,  Sophus  Joergensen. 

The  impression  gained  ground  during  the  years 
immediately  following  incorporation  that  the 
town  had  been  a  little  hasty  in  assuming 
cityhood  and  as  the  result  of  a  petition 
signed  by  a  majority  of  the  citizens  the 
legislature  passed  an  act,  approved  January  6, 
1886,  to  repeal  the  old  act.  After  this  repeal  the 
town  remained  without  organization  until  the  close 
of  the  year  1888.  On  December  10th  of  that  year 
by  the  direction  of  the  district  court  incorporation 
was  effected  and  the  following  trustees  appointed 
by  Judge  Bovle:  Perrv  Poison,  J.  S.  Church,  B.  L. 
Martin,  R.  H.  Ball  and  W.  E.  Schricker.  This 
was  but  a  temporary  organization  and  in  1890  a 
petition  was  presented  to  the  trustees  of  the  town 
to  provide  for  municipal  incorporation  under  the 
new  state  law,  as  a  result  of  which  May  2d  was 
designated  as  the  date  for  an  election  upon  the 
question  of  reincorporation.  The  election  was  held 
on  the  date  designated  and  resulted  favorably  to 
incorporation.  On  Mav  24th  a  regular  municipal 
election  of  officers  was  held,  resulting  in  the  choice 


of  G.  V.  Calhoun  for  mayor,  W.  E.  Schricker, 
Perry  Poison,  H,.  S.  Conner  and  James  Caches  as 
councilmen ;  L.  L.  Andrews  as  treasurer.  The  city 
officials  of  La  Conner  at  the  date  of  this  publica- 
tion are  as  follows  :  R.  H.  Ball,  mayor ;  J.  S.  Church, 
clerk ;  J.  L.  Corrigan.  attorney ;  E.  R.  Anderson, 
treasurer;  I.  F.  Savage,  marshal:  A.  L  Dunlap, 
J.  H.  Chilberg,  N.  A.  Nelson,  Ole  Wingren  and 
W.  E.  Schricker,  councilmen.  In  connection  with 
the  municipal  life  of  La  Conner  it  may  be  noted 
that  the  city  owns  a  comfortable,  two-story  frame 
building  for  municipal  purposes,  which  stands  upon 
the  hill  opposite  the  Catholic  church.  It  was  built 
fourteen  years  ago.  There  is  also  a  fraternal  hall 
built  in  1890  by  th^  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows  at 
a  cost  of  six  thousand  dollars,  which  is  used  as  a 
place  of  public  gatherings  of  all  sorts. 

One  of  the  most  important  agencies  in  any  city 
is  its  newspapers.  Few  communities  in  the  state 
of  Washington  are  lacking  in  that  indispensable 
factor  in  public  influence.  La  Conner's  newspaper 
is  the  Puget  Sound  Mail,  one  of  the  best  weekly 
papers  in  the  state,  edited  by  F.  L.  Carter  and 
published  by  Carter  &  Carlson.  It  is  the  oldest 
paper  north  of  Seattle,  having  been  originally  estab- 
lished at  Whatcom  in  1873  and  removed  to  La 
Conner  in  187 9  by  its  founder,  J.  W.  Power. 

Perhaps  the  one  feature  of  every  new  Western 
town  in  which  the  general  body  of  citizens  takes 
the  greatest  interest  is  the  school  system.  La  Con- 
ner is  not  behind  other  towns  of  her  order  in  the 
character  of  her  schools.  The  first  public  school 
in  the  vicinity  of  La  Conner  was  organized  in  the 
fall  of  1873,  Dr,  J.  S.  Church  being  the  first  teacher, 
and  the  first  location  being  the  old  house  belonging 
to  Isaac  Jennings  northeast  of  the  town.  The  direct- 
ors of  the  first  school  were  L.  L.  Andrews  and  Rob- 
ert White.  Among  the  pupils  of  that  earliest  school 
were  H.  S.  Conner,  two  girls  of  the  Jennings  family, 
four  children  of  the  D'Arcy  family,  two  of  the 
Miller  family  and  two  children  of  Robert  White. 

Mrs,  J,  F,  Dwelley  taught  a  private  school  in 
La  Conner  proper  in  1875.  and  the  same  year 
David  Culver  succeeded  her.  It  is  quite  probable 
that  J.  S.  Conner's  private  school,  maintained  by 
him  in  his  own  home  principally  for  the  use  of  his 
own  family,  preceded  both  Mrs,  Dwelley's  and 
Mr.  Culver's  schools.  J.  D.  Lowman,  who  has 
since  become  one  of  Seattle's  prominent  citizens, 
was  one  of  Mr.  Conner's  early  tutors.  The  first  pub- 
lic school  within  the  limits  of  La  Conner  was  opened 
by  Miss  Ida  Learner,  now  Airs.  E.  A.  Sisson,  of 
Padilla,  in  January,  1876,  being  held  in  a  small 
building  on  the  site  of  McGlinn's  hotel.  The  fol- 
lowing May  she  resigned. 

The  district  did  not  own  a  school  building 
until  1876,  In  that  vear  a  building  erected  the 
year  before  by  the  Grangers  was  purchased  by  the 
district  and  used  thence  onward  until  the  erection 
of  the  present  building.     The  present  commodious 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


and  well-equipped  edifice  was  completed  in  1903, 
its  total  cost  having  amounted  to  about  six  thou- 
sand two  hundred  dollars.  The  present  enrollment 
of  pupils  in  the  eight  grades  of  the  primary  and 
grammar  school  departments  is  a  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-two. The  high  school  was  organized  in  1896 
and  has  an  enrollment  at  the  present  time  of  fifty. 
The  high  school  provides  a  curriculum  of  four 
years  and  stands  in  the  same  grade  as  to  work 
with  other  high  schools  of  the  state,  being  upon 
the  accredited  list  of  the  colleges  of  the  state.  The 
faculty  of  the  high  school  consists  of  W.  A.  Nich- 
olas, principal  and  instructor  in  science  and  civics ; 
Zoe  Keith,  instructor  in  mathematics  and  Latin, 
and  Lena  Tucker,  instructor  in  history  and  English. 
The  instructors  in  the  lower  grades  are  May  B. 
Pickett,  Anna  F.  Miller,  Helen  M.  Simpson  and 
Lucy  A.  Cook. 

As  is  the  case  with  all  our  Western  communi- 
ties. La  Conner  has  a  full  quota  of  churches  and 
other  fully  organized  religious  agencies.  The  first 
church  service  ever  held  in  La  Conner  was  in  the 
summer  of  18T1.  This  was  conducted  by  a  Presby- 
terian minister  named  Thompson.  In  the  following 
year  Rev.  B.  N.  L.  Davis,  of  the  Baptist  denomina- 
tion, who  had  located  on  a  claim  near  the  present 
site  of  the  Great  Northern  bridge,  and  who  was 
actively  engaged  in  ministerial  work  throughout  the 
Skagit  valley,  made  occasional  visits  to  the  La 
Conner  region  for  the  purpose  of  holding  services. 
The  Baptist  church  building  was  dedicated  in  188-1 
by  Rev.  A.  B.  Banks.  A  new  church  was  built  at 
a  cost  of  between  five  and  six  thousand  dollars  in 
liiO.i,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Harry  Ferguson. 
The  Methodists  also  were  represented  soon  after 
by  Rev.  J.  N.  Denison,  widely  known  at  that  time 
and  since  as  an  indefatigable  church  organizer 
throughout  western  Washington.  The  various 
church  services  were  held  in  the  town  hall  or 
school  building  at  first,  or  when  these  were  not 
available  some  one  of  the  hospitable  homes  of  the 
early  settlers  was  open  without  regard  to  denomina- 
tion. 

In  Atwood's  "Glimpses  of  Pioneer  Life"  we 
find  an  interesting  reference  to  the  first  coming  of 
Mr.  Denison  to  La  Conner.  The  writer  relates  that 
Dr.  J.  S.  Church,  while  passing  along  a  street  or 
what  then  passed  for  a  street,  saw  a  young  man, 
evidently  a  newcomer,  sitting  in  front  of  a  store  and 
upon  inquiry  the  young  man  introduced  himself 
as  J.  N.  Denison,  a  Methodist  preacher,  appointed 
to  succeed  Rev.  M.  J-  Luark,  who  had  been  the 
first  Methodist  preacher  in  that  circuit,  although  it 
would  not  appear  that  Mr.  Luark  had  actually  held 
services  in  La  Conner.  According  to  Atwood's 
narrative  this  first  visit  of  Mr.  Denison  was  in 
1874.  Dr.  Church  at  once  took  the  stranger  home 
with  him  and  the  Sunday  following  he  conducted 
service  in  the  house  of  Airs.  Conner.  The  Meth- 
odist pastors  on  the  Skagit  circuit  for  some  years 


after  that  were  Revs.  C.  Derrick,  Thomas  McGill, 
B.  F.  Van  Deventer  and  W.  B.  McMillin.  Mr.  Van 
Deventer  entered  upon  the  construction  of  the  pres- 
ent Methodist  church  building  in  1883.  This  was 
completed  and  dedicated  by  Rev.  J.  N.  Derfson, 
December  6,  1885.  The  first  church  building 
erected  in  La  Conner  was  the  old  Catholic  church 
in  1872  under  the  direction  of  Father  Prefontaine, 
of  Seattle,  and  the  money  for  this  pioneer  church 
was  secured  largely  by  the  efforts  of  Mrs.  Louisa 
A.  Conner,  who  solicited  among  the  farms  and  log- 
ging camps  on  all  sides.  The  old  church  is  aban- 
doned at  the  present  time.  The  churches  now  exist- 
ent in  La  Conner  are  the  Catholic,  Rev.  Matthew 
Woods,  rector ;  the  Bethesda  Baptist  church,  E.  B. 
Pace,  pastor ;  the  Methodist  church,  George  Amey, 
pastor,  and  the  Swedish  Lutheran  church,  G.  A. 
Anderson,  pastor. 

Like  all  our  other  towns.  La  Conner  is  well  pro- 
vided with  fraternal  organizations.  The  ]\Iasons 
seem  to  have  been  the  pioneers  in  the  establishment 
of  lodges,  having  effected  an  organization  January 
6,  1883.  This  first  lodge  met  in  the  upper  story 
of  Dwelley's  furniture  store.  The  name  of  the 
lodge  was  Garfield  lodge,  from  the  name  of  Presi- 
dent Garfield,  who  had  died  the  preceding  year  at 
the  hands  of  an  assassin.  The  first  officers  of  that 
lodge  were  Thomas  J.  Rawlins,  master;  J.  S. 
Church,  S.  W. ;  W.  A.  Stevens,  J.  W. ;  S.  B.  Best, 
S.  B. ;  J.  A.  Gilliland,  J.  D. ;  Sophus  Joergensen, 
treasurer ;  L.  L.  Andrews,  secretary.  Other  lodges 
have  grown  up  in  the  town  with  the  process  of 
time  and  there  are  at  the  present  time  the  follow- 
ing, with  the  chief  officers  of  each:  W.  of  W.,  La 
Conner  camp.  No.  449,  G.  H.  Lane,  C.  C. ;  E.  R. 
Anderson,  clerk.  I.  O.  G.  T.,  Oatland  lodge.  No. 
81,  Clara  Hughes,  C.  T. :  Glen  Otis,  secretary.  M. 
W.  A..  La  Conner  camp.  No.  8973,  W.  A.  Carlson, 
consul ;  J.  P.  Johnston,  clerk.  Royal  Neighbors, 
Howard  camp.  No.  1409,  Mattie  Valentine,  oracle; 
Mrs.  Charles  Martin,  recorder.  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Delta 
lodge.  No.  32.  D.  B.  Hall,  N.  G.;  E.  E.  Stotler, 
secretary.  Rebekahs,  Esther  lodge.  No.  33,  Pearl 
Bates,  N.  G. ;  Airs.  I.  A.  Dunlap,  secretary.  Ma- 
sons, Garfield  lodge.  No.  41,  J.  N.  Harris,  W.  N. ; 
L.  L.  Andrews,  secretary.  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Swinomish 
lodge.  No.  17,  Joe  Otis,  M.  W. ;  J.  F.  Dwelley,  sec- 
retarv.  G.  A.  R.,  Larabee  post.  No.  18,  Robert 
Moore.  P.  C. ;  J.  F.  Dwelley,  adjutant.  W.  C.  T.  U., 
Mrs.  Rhoda  Caches,  president;  Mrs.  G.  A.  Gwyer, 
secretary. 

Among  the  most  important  institutions  of  La 
Conner  and  indeed  of  the  entire  Skagit  country 
is  the  Skagit  County  bank,  a  private  institu- 
tion, the  oldest  in  Skagit  county,  established  in  1886 
by  W.  E.  Schricker.  This  bank  occupies  a  fine, 
two-story  brick  building  in  the  main  comer  of  the 
town,  the  first  brick  building  erected  in  the  town. 
This  bank  has  a  paid  up  capital  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars  and  at  the  present  time  a  surplus  of  thirty 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


thousand  dollars.  It  has  its  correspondents  in  Se- 
attle, Portland,  Chicago  and  New  York,  and  from  all 
points  of  view  it  is  the  most  important  financial  insti- 
tution in  that  part  of  Skagit  county.  The  cashier, 
W.  E.  Schricker,  and  the  assistant  cashier,  L.  L. 
Andrews,  have  commended  themselves  in  a  peculiar 
degree  to  all  the  people  of  the  community  for  their 
broad  and  liberal  policy,  for  their  courteous  con- 
duct of  business  and  for  the  genuine  good  influence 
which  they  have  in  every  phase  of  the  city's  life. 

La  Conner  is  to  be  felicitated  on  her  compara- 
tive freedom  from  any  kind  of  disasters.  But  two 
fires  of  any  account  have  occurred  in  the  towm  and 
even  these  were  not  of  serious  moment.  One  of 
these  in  early  years  destroyed  the  old  McGlinn  hotel 
and  another  on  July  5,  1900,  destroyed  the  saw-mill 
operated  by  Ezra  Brothers.  Although  there  have 
been  several  disastrous  floods,  notably  those  of  1880, 
1884  and  1894,  and  several  high  tides,  which 
wrought  more  or  less  damage,  yet  there  has  been  no 
destruction  of  property  by  the  elements  at  any 
time  sufficient  to  check  seriously  the  march  of  im- 
provement. 

Of  the  famous  multiplex  struggle  for  the  pos- 
session of  the  county  seat,  in  which  La  Conner,  Ana- 
cortes  and  Mount  Vernon  bore  the  leading  part,  suf- 
ficient notice  has  been  taken  heretofore.  Suffice  it  to 
say  in  brief  that  upon  the  creation  of  Skagit  county 
in  1SS4  La  Conner  became  the  county  seat  and 
retained  that  position  until  Mount  \'ernon  gained 
it  by  the  vote  of  the  county.  But  although  thus  de- 
prived of  the  official  headship  of  the  county,  La 
Conner  has  continued  to  be  one  of  the  wealthiest, 
most  substantial  and  attractive  places  in  western 
Washington.  Its  present  population  is  estimated  in 
the  recent  publication  of  the  state  board  at  seven 
hundred  and  fifty,  representing  a  substantial  gain 
over  the  preceding  years. 

ANACORTES 

None  of  the  Puget  sound  cities  has  had  more  to 
excite  our  interest  than  Anacortes,  "The  City  of 
Necessity."  or  the  "Magic  City."  Its  history,'  be- 
yond that  of  any  other  city  in  the  Northwest,  is 
wrought  with  incidents  of  romance  and  excitement 
almost  incredible.  It  has  passed  from  insignifi- 
cance to  prominence  and  from  one  extreme  to  an- 
other with  singular  rapidity. 

The  geographical  location  of  Anacortes  is  an 
excellent  one  for  a  large  city.  Situated  as  it  is  on 
the  northern  end  of  Fidalgo  island  on  Guemes 
channel,  it  forms  the  natural  outlet  for  the  entire 
region  of  country  tributary  to  the  Skagit  river.  It 
is  nearer  the  entrance  of  Puget  sound  than  any 
other  port  on  the  sound.  The  harbor  is  deep 
enough  for  the  largest  ocean  vessels,  the  depth 
being  from  nine  to  twelve  fathoms  in  the  middle 
and  not  less  than  four  or  five  near  shore.  Con- 
cerning this  channel  we  give  the  following  extract 


from  an  article  in  the  Northwest  Enterprise  of 
January  20,  1883,  by  Amos  Bowman,  a  civil  en- 
gineer, a  government  geologist  and  engineer  and 
one  of  the  first  settlers  on  the  island : 

"Aside  from  its  central  location  on  the  water 
of  the  Fuca  Mediterranean,  on  the  eastside  main- 
land, or  continental  shore,  and  the  head  of  Fuca 
strait,  where  all  other  imaginable  approaches  by 
land  or  sea  must  either  meet  or  pass,  the  first 
feature  to  impress  itself  upon  the  mind  of  the  ob- 
server is  the  fact  that,  standing  anywhere  you  like 
upon  the  Fidalgo  shore,  Ship  harbor  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  being,  as  it  really  is,  for  all  practical 
purposes,  a  perfectly  land-locked  harbor.  The 
second  striking  circumstance  is  the  fact  that  from 
this  sheltered  body  of  water  are  seen  radiating 
five  or  six  different  channels,  or  water  ways,  each 
of  them  possessing  individual  merits,  either  of 
direction  for  local  commercial  traffic  or  of  facility 
of  approach  for  coasting  and  sea-going  craft  from 
any  direction,  north,  south,  east  or  west.  Here  a 
smuggler  or  a  pirate  might  lurk,  if  he  designed 
striking  in  any  direction.  These  peculiarities,  com- 
bining a  perfectly  land-locked  shore  with  a  series 
of  outlets  in  all  desirable  directions,  make  Ship 
harbor,  with  its  accessory  good  qualities,  the  best 
harbor  on  Puget  sound  and  rank  it  among  the  best 
in  the  world.  For  facility  of  approach  from  the 
open  sea  it  is  unequaled  for  the  reason  that  Fuca 
strait  is  itself  unequaled  as  an  approach  to  more 
sheltered  waters  from  the  open  sea ;  the  prevailing 
direction  of  the  winds  in  regard  to  it  and  the  wide 
unobstructed  entrance  leaving  for  it  every  weather 
fair  to  come  and  go.  Coasters  from  north  to 
south,  or  from  south  to  north,  making  use  of  Fuca, 
Rosario  and  Johnstone  straits,  have  not  a  mile  to 
go  out  of  their  way  to  approach  a  common  point, 
the  nearest  by  any  practicable  route  from  the  salt 
water  to  the  great  interior  valleys  of  the  Columbia 
and   Frazer  rivers." 

Anacortes,  or  Ship  harbor,  as  it  was  named  at 
that  time,  was  in  early  days  practically  a  dense 
forest.  The  earliest  settlers  came  about  1860,  and 
were  Messrs.  William  Munks,  Enoch  Compton, 
H.  P.  O'Bryant,  Charles  W.  Beale  and  Shadrach 
and  Richard  Wooten.  Others  came  in  later,  in- 
cluding Orlando  Graham  and  sons,  Albert  L.  and  . 
Frank,  William  Allard,  T.  Henrj'  Havekost, 
Alfred  Bowen.  George  M.  Johnson  and  a  few 
others.  In  1876  Amos  Bowman  came.  It  is  to 
this  man  above  all  others,  perhaps,  that  Anacortes 
owes  its  existence.  He  and  his  wife  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres,  built  a  wharf  and  a 
store  and  established  a  postoffice  and  newspaper. 
His  most  important  and  effective  work  was  prob- 
ably the  printing  of  a  map  of  Puget  sound  and 
the  region  around  Anacortes,  predicting  its  rail- 
road future.  This  map  he  scattered  broadcast  in 
1882  and  the  years  following,  with  noteworthy 
results.     In  1877,  upon  the  establishment  of  a  post- 


CITIES    AND   TOWNS 


office  at  this  point,  as  narrated  elsewhere,  Anacor- 
tes  received  its  name.  It  is  derived  from  the  maiden 
name  of  the  Mrs.  Anna  (Curtis)  Bowman. 

Anacortes  first  came  into  prominence  in  the 
seventies  as  a  prospective  railroad  terminus,  and 
concerning  this  the  following  account  is  given  by 
Mr.  Bowman  in  the  Anacortes  Progress  of  August 
14,  1890 :  "Tacoma  came  into  view  as  a  terminus, 
as  every  one  knows,  from  purest  accident.  The 
great  undertaking  of  building  the  Northern  Paci- 
fic railroad  encountered  the  financial  storms  of 
187";;  and  got  shipwrecked;  and  Tacoma  was  the 
port  which  saved  the  enterprise.  It  is  also  well 
known  by  all  the  older  citizens  that  the  Northern 
Pacific  railway  graders  had  already  passed  Tacoma 
some  six  or  seven  miles  across  the  Puyallup  and 
into  the  valley  of  the  Stuck  river,  when  'Skookum' 
(Elijah)  Smith  and  General  Sprague  were  dele- 
gated to  bviy  up  lands  at  the  nearest  available  point 
on  Puget  sound,  at  which  to  make  the  terminal  im- 
provements which  were  required  by  the  act.  in  order 
to  hold  the  land  grant.  At  that  time  "Skookum' 
Smith,  General  Sprague,  General  Hazard  Stevens, 
Captain  George  D.  Hill,  B.  B.  Tuttle  and  \ictor 
Tull,  with  some  others,  had  already  secured  the  en- 
tire water  front  of  Ship  harbor,  and  had  so  far  ar- 
ranged matters  that,  but  for  the  panic,  the  Northern 
Pacific  would  undoubtedly  have  built  their  line  and 
located  their  terminal  works  at  Anacortes.  Other 
cliques,  however,  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Company 
had  bought  up  lands  all  along  the  route  with  ter- 
minal pretensions.  Among  these  were  Holmes  har- 
bor, Coveland,  Coupeville,  all  on  the  inner  side  of 
Whidby  island,  and  the  northern  end  of  Whidby 
island  fronting  on  Deception  pass.  Other  persons 
outside  the  Northern  Pacific  Company  had  laought 
up   Mukilteo.     *     *     * 

"It  was  in  18T6  that  the  Canadian  Pacific  explor- 
ations first  solved  the  problem  of  the  Canadian  route. 
I  was  engaged  in  geological  exploration  in  connec- 
tion with  the  government  railway  exploration  and 
was  then,  for  a  short  time,  a  resident  of  Seattle.  My 
knowledge  of  the  Northern  Pacific  approaches  to 
Fuca  straits,  along  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Vic- 
toria Hudson's  Bay  men.  of  the  agricultural  impor- 
tance of  this  country  around  the  outlet  of  the  Skagit, 
attracted  my  attention  to  this  place.  On  examining 
the  harlx)r  for  terminal  purposes,  which  was  the 
first  work  I  did  here,  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to 
find  every  condition  around  the  "Anacortes  place' 
nearly  perfect,  and  in  the  spring  of  1877  I  purchased 
it  from  Miss  Maud  Stevens,  of  Boston,  a  sister  of 
General  Hazard  Stevens,  for  the  sum  of  one  thou- 
sand dollars.  I  immediately  began  making  improve- 
ments in  earnest,  looking 'to  its  final  development 
for  railway  purposes.  My  own  education  and  ex- 
perience as  a  civil  and  mining  engineer  enabled  me 
to  work  straight  to  the  mark.  Everybody  knows 
how  the  publication  of  the  "Northwest  Enterprise' 
and   its   circulation   of   the   "map   of   Fuca's   sea   or 


Puget  sound'  accomplished  the  work  of  spreading 
information  of  the  claims  of  Ship  harbor  for  railway 
purposes  on  the  sound.  The  'Enterprise,'  now  the 
"Progress'  newspaper,  placed  that  map  in  the  hands 
of  every  western  railvva\-  engineer  and  railway  com- 
pany and  director  between  Xew  York  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, including  everybody  else,  who  had  eyes  to  see, 
in  Oregon  and  Washington.  Among  these  people 
James  McNaught  and  Henry  V'illard  were  inter- 
ested parties,  being  in  a  position  to  know  all  about 
the  earlier  steps  taken  at  this  place  regarding  ter- 
minal matters. 

""Perhaps  I  have  not  done  full  justice  to  myself, 
however,  in  stating  that  Ship  harbor  had,  at  the 
time  of  my  settlement  here,  gone  completely  out  of 
sight  and  out  of  memory  almost  as  a  terminal  prop- 
osition. Bringing  it  to  the  notice  of  Villard  and 
the  McNaughts  appeared  to  most  people  to  be  en- 
tirely de  novo — except  for  the  assertions  of  the 
'Enterprise,'  rather  magnifying  the  connections  of 
the  Jay  Cooke  regime  with  Ship  harbor  in  1870-7"3. 
In  truth,  no  official  connection  nor  action  of  an\ 
kind  was  ever  had,  going  further  than  the  initiator} 
steps.  These  were  unofficial,  but  they  were  genuine  ; 
and  to  this  day  it  is  very  confidently  asserted  by  the 
participants  from  the  spoken  words  of  leading  offi- 
cials that  they  would  surely  have  landed  the  ter- 
minus on  these  shores  had  not  Jay  Cooke  failed.  It 
is  my  belief  that  neither  the  McNaughts  nor  Villard 
would  have  given  a  thought  to  Ship  harbor  in  188"<!- 
88  had  its  claims  not  been  definitely  and  prominently 
brought  into  notice  by  the  "Northwest  Enterprise' 
with  its  map.  It  did  its  work  of  advertising  effect- 
ually and  enconomically.  The  "newspaper  in  the 
woods'  had  a  history  that  will  bear  telling. 

'"I  myself  procured,  about  1878,  the  original 
Northern  Pacific  map  and  profile  from  Fidalgo 
island  by  way  of  Skagit  pass  and  Wenatchee  river 
to  the  big  bend  of  the  Columbia,  made  about  1873. 
The  surveys  were  made  by  engineers  Brown,  Ward 
and  Til  Sheets  at  different  times  in  the  years  preced- 
ing 1872.  I  found  them  buried  among  other  North- 
ern Pacific  records  in  the  old  Tacoma  terminal 
building,  now  the  freight  house,  on  the  dock  at 
Tacoma.  They  were  considered  of  so  little  conse- 
quence that  they  were  given  to  me,  a  stranger,  with- 
out hesitation.  Among  the  numerous  parties  that 
visited  Anacortes  in  the  first  few  years  after  the 
publication  of  the  'Enterprise'  and  its  map  (from 
1883  to  1886)  were  M.  V.  B.  Stacy,  Henry  Villard, 
James  and  Joseph  McNaught  and  John  L.  Howard. 

'"Nearly  all  of  the  prominent  people  who  are  now 
identified  with  Anacortes  first  appeared  upon  the 
scene  at  that  time.  About  1885  Villard  sent  agents 
here  to  procure  terminal  facilities,  and  who  did  act- 
ually procure,  quietly  and  silently,  under  Mr.  Stacy's 
management,  about  three  thousand  acres  by  pur- 
chase. The  work  was  done  chiefly  by  Frank  Seidell, 
of  Seattle,  with  the  assistance  of  Orlando  Graham. 
Stacv  first  came  to  me  and  I  recommended  Graham 


210 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


as  a  valuable  coadjutor  for  acquiring  properties  in 
the  interest  of  a  railway  enterprise.  While  I  dis- 
tinctly remember  this  fact  along  with  the  proposi- 
tion to  buy  me  out  for  ten  thousand  dollars  (not 
entertained),  I  had  no  further  knowledge  of  the 
enterprise  and  was  not  a  confidant  of  the  projectors. 
The  McNaughts  figured  in  it  a  little,  1  think,  but 
subordinately.  A  large  number  of  the  most  promi- 
nent men  of  Puget  sound  were  brought  into  con- 
nection with  it  by  Mr.  Stacy,  \early  all  the  older 
Northern  Pacific  landholders  had  sold  out  except 
Captain  George  D.  Hill  and  Ivlward  L.  Shannon. 
About  that  time  Villard's  financial  difficulties  inter- 
vened and  again  nullified  tJiis  second  land  scheme  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  people  at  Ship  harbor. 

"In  1888  the  present  railway  building  was  begun  ; 
originally  by  VV.  H.  Holcomb  of  the  Oregon  Rail- 
way and  iSJavigation  Company,  of  Portland,  and 
Milner  of  the  Oregon  Improvement  Company,  of 
Seattle.  I  had,  for  half  a  dozen  years,  ceased  ex- 
penditures at  Anacortes,  though  not  entirely  the 
circulation  of  the  'Enterprise"  map ;  leaving  it  and 
time  to  do  the  work — that  of  populating  the  back 
country  before  doing  anything  further.  I  was 
engaged  on  P>ancroft's  history  at  San  Francisco 
and  afterward  was  tracing  the  coal  measures  in 
P>ritish  Columbia  when  word  came  to  me  that  these 
men  were  in  search  of  me  and  would  initiate  rail- 
road works  on  condition  of  receiving  a  certain  land 
grant.  This  rc(|uircd  grant  of  about  two  thousand 
acres  was  raised  ciiicll\  by  myself  and  wife,  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  Albert  Taylor,  Orlando  Graham  and 
H.  P.  O'Bryant,  tramping  over  Fidalgo  and  Guemes 
islands  for  about  three  weeks,  with  Messrs.  Cal- 
houn and  Hopkins  as  notaries.  The  non-resident 
water  front  owners  at  Seattle  had  been  previously 
trained  in  line  by  the  McNaught  P.rothers  and  E. 
L.  Shannon.  The  entire  subsidy  of  about  twenty- 
five  hundred  acres  of  land  will  have  been  earned  by 
the   Oregon   Improvement   Company   August   15th. 

"Almost  immediately  after  the  signing  of  the 
subsidy  contract  a  revolution  took  place  in  the  com- 
pany, or  railway  building  organization,  which  under- 
took the  contract  for  building  thirty  miles.  Milner 
and  Holcomb  were  both  slu-lvcd.  and  the  Oregon 
Improvement  Company,  with  Elijah  Smith  at  the 
head,  came  to  the  front.  After  January  1,  1889, 
to  date,  Elijah  Smith  and  the  Oregon  Improvement 
Company  have  carried  out  the  work  and  brought 
us  out  of  the  woods  to  our  present  flattering  status, 
as  the  terminus  of  at  least  one,  and  probably  two 
or  three  transcontinental  railroads. 

"The  business  was  initiated  bv  Holcomb  and 
Milner  as  a  Union  Pacific  enterprise.  Milner  and 
Harry  Tibbals,  Jr.,  represented  that  they  were  in- 
structed by  their  superiors  as  managers  controlled 
by  the  Northern  Pacific.  The  engineers  who  laid 
out  the  road  were  Messrs.  Williams  and  Temple: 
they  came  here  from  Denver  and  Omaha,  as 
Northern  Pacific  engineers,  and  are  now  engaged 


on  the  Union  Pacific  near  Olympia.  Milner  is  now 
superintendent  of  the  Great  Northern.  They  are  all 
personally  interested  in  the  success  of  Anacortes, 
and,  although  referred  to  last  in  this  connection, 
ought  to  have  been  mentioned  first."  . 

In  1882  the  following  establishments  were  in 
operation  at  Anacortes :  Amos  P>owman  &  Com- 
pany, civil  and  mining  engineering,  pile  driving, 
scow  building,  real  estate,  loans,  etc..  notary  public, 
general  store;  E.  Hammond,  ship  builder;  J.  C. 
Sullivan,  pile  driver  and  builder;  Edward  Mc- 
Taggart,  notary  public;  E.  Sibley,  justice  of  the 
peace,  wagon  shop  and  wheelbarrow  factory ;  (_). 
Harolson,  boots  and  shoes;  William  Allard,  black- 
smith and  tinsmith ;  Mrs.  (J.  Harolson,  carpet 
weaving. 

The  only  means  of  communication  between  Ana- 
cortes and  the  outside  world  at  that  period  of  her 
history  was  by  water.  Practically  every  one  upon 
Fidalgo  and  the  other  islands  of  the  group  had  his 
own  row-boat  or  sail-boat  and  was  com])aratively 
independent  in  reaching  any  desired  point.  I'.ut  we 
find  as  early  as  April  "^(5.  1879,  reference  by  the 
r>ellingham  Bay  Mail  to  the  fact  that  Messrs.  Bow- 
man &  Johnson  had  put  up  a  wharf,  which  stood 
between  what  is  now  Ocean  dock  and  Q  street. 
From  that  point  the  steamers  Phantom  and  Tacoma 
were  gathering  a  boom  of  logs  bound  for  the 
Tacoma  mills. 

With  the  establishment  of  I'nited  States  mail 
service  there  came  to  be  regular  steamship  routes 
to  Anacortes,  and  in  iss-.'  wc  find  that  the  Chehalis, 
Captain  Brownfield,  the  WclcoiiK-.  Captain  Brannin, 
and  the  Dispatch,  Captain  .Monroe,  were  making 
regular  trips  to  and  from  Seattle,  Whatcom.  Port 
Townsend  and  Semiahmoo.  The  Northwest  Enter- 
prise informs  us  in  April  of  188:!  that  three  first- 
class  steamers  were  stopping  at  Anacortes  four 
times  a  week  each,  two  of  them  carrying  mails. 
The  Hope  seems  to  have  been  the  leading  steamer 
of  the  fleet.  In  December  of  the  same  year  a  tri- 
weekly mail  service  on  the  Seattle,  Anacortes  and 
Whatcom  route  went  into  effect.  The  steamers 
were  the  Washington,  the  Idaho  and  the  Evangel. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  Captain  Beecher  was 
master  of  the  Evangel.  The  year  1883  witnessed 
also  the  completion  of  the  first  large  wharf  at  Ana- 
cortes, a  structure  a  hundred  feet  long,  having  a 
runway  the  same  length.  John  C.  Sullivan  being  the 
builder.  Wages  seem  to  have  been  good  at  that 
time,  as  the  carpenters  on  the  wharf  received  five 
dollars  per  day. 

With  the  steady  increase  in  business  came  the 
demand  for  a  regularly  platted  town  site.  This 
important  work  was  executed  by  H.  B.  Gates, 
assisted  by  G.  Gerhard  and  a  staff  of  five  men. 
This  first  town  plat  was  on  the  island  opposite 
Kelly's  Point  and  occupied  a  belt  of  about  two  miles 
fronting  the  Guemes  channel  and  extending  back 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile.     The  avenues  were 


VIKWS     TAKKN    ON    FIDALGO    ISLAND 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


a  hundred  feet  wide  and  the  cross  streets  eighty 
feet.  The  original  plan  contemplated  a  grand 
avenue  two  hundred  feet  wide  running  the  whole 
length  of  the  island. 

From  the  Northwest  Enterprise  of  October  6, 
l.S!S;i,  we  gather  the  fact  that  the  town  site  enter- 
prise, though  promoted  directly  by  Messrs.  M.  V. 
B.  Stacy,  James  McXaught,  P.  H.  Lewis,  John 
Collins  and  others,  was  in  reality  under  the  control 
of  officials  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany. This  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  earlier 
observations  upon  the  designs  of  that  company, 
which  has  assumed  such  gigantic  proportions  in 
later  years,  to  secure  terminals  upon  Puget  sound. 
It  forecasts,  also,  the  condition  which  was  to  result 
in  such  boundless  expectations,  feverish  booms  and 
blasted  hopes  in  the  history  of  Anacortes  a  few 
years  later. 

After  the  first  era  of  development  upon  Fidalgo 
island,  of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  a  compara- 
tive calm  seems  to  have  brooded  over  the  beautiful 
archipelago,  but  it  was  destined  to  be  broken  by 
the  tremendous  activities  which  sprung  suddenly 
into  existence  with  the  great  boom  period  of  1889 
and  the  years  immediately  following.  The  idea  had 
been  taking  shape  in  the  minds  of  a  number  of 
people  that  the  terminus  of  the  first  transcontinental 
railroad  would  be  upon  Fidalgo  island  and  during 
the  year  1889  a  sufficient  number  of  people  became 
possessed  with  the  same  idea  at  the  same  time  to 
precipitate  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  booms 
known,  even  in  that  time,  upon  Puget  sound.  That 
was  the  heroic  age  of  Anacortes.  Those  beautiful 
solitudes  extending  from  Cap  Sante  to  Deception 
pass,  upon  which  a  few  farmers,  lumbermen,  store- 
keepers and  steamboat  men  had  been  carrying  on  a 
quiet,  though  substantial  trade,  became  suddenly 
transformed  into  one  of  the  most  typical  of  all 
typical  western  boom  towns,  where  the  boomer 
boomed,  the  promoter  promoted,  the  gambler 
gambled,  the  grafter  grafted,  and  the  sucker  sucked. 
In  1886  a  considerable  portion  of  Fidago  island 
was  still  government  land.  Even  land  with  title  was 
held  usually  at  no  more  than  from  $-2.0n  to  $10.00 
per  acre.  In  the  early  part  of  1889  a  jirice  of  $90, 
$100  or  $150  per  acre  began  to  be  the  common 
thing,  while  within  a  few  months  later  prices  began 
to  soar  to  $300,  $400  or  $500,  or  almost  anything 
that  the  owner  had  the  nerve  to  ask,  for  apparently 
purchasers  were  willing  to  take  land  with  no  ques- 
tions asked  and  with  unmeasured  hopes  of  the 
future.  It  was  the  general  impression  at  that  time 
that  the  Northern  Pacific,  the  Union  Pacific  and  the 
Canadian  Pacific  were  going  to  make  a  race  for 
Anacortes. 

The  name,  the  "Magic  City,"  seems  to  have  been 
acquired  during  that  period  by  Anacortes,  and 
indeed  the  development  of  the  city  during  a  period 
of  about  nine  months  was  such  as  to  justify  the 
name.    \\'e  find  it  recorded  in  a  contemporary  paper 


that  in  January  of  1890  there  was  a  population  of 
40,  on  February  1st  of  500,  on  March  1st  of  2,000 
and  on  March 'l5th  of  3,000.  In  1889  there  were 
practically  no  buildings  or  street  improvements.  A 
year  later  Anacortes  had  2  completed  wharves  and 

3  more  under  construction,  3  miles  of  graded  streets, 
2   banks,   3   saw-mills,    2   sash   and   door   factories, 

4  grocery  stores,  3  general  merchandise  stores,  3 
drug  stores,  3  boot  and  shoe  stores,  8  tobacco  stores, 
2  stationery  and  book  stores,  3  bakery  and  confec- 
tionery stores,  a  three-story  brick  printing-house,  12 
hotels,  a  theater,  a  costly  school-house  projected, 
several  churches,  27  real  estate  houses,  2  news- 
papers, the  Daily  Progress  and  the  Anacortes 
American,  besides  the  other  customary  miscel- 
laneous lines  of  business.  During  a  period  of  less 
than  a  year  it  was  estimated  that  there  were  ex- 
pended the  following  sums :  On  clearing  of  land, 
$250,000;  street  improvements,  $100,000;  new 
buildings,  $500,000 ;  water-works  and  street  rail- 
ways, $300,000 :  railroad  terminals  and  wharves 
$270,000;  or  a  total  of  nearly  a  million  and  a  half 
dollars. 

During  the  first  era  of  the  boom  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  population  was  obliged  to  live  in 
tents.  The  Anacortes  Progress  of  February  15, 
1890,  notes  the  fact  that  there  were  141  houses  and 
110  tents,  with  a  population  of  2,110,  with  additional 
floaters  to  the  number  of  about  200.  That  was  a 
palmy  period  for  steamboats  nmning  to  Ship  harbor, 
they  carrying  passengers  by  the  hundreds,  many  of 
them  beyond  their  lawful  capacity. 

Lots  dnrii^  that  period  went  up  almost  to 
fabulous  prices.  In  the  business  portion  of  the  city 
lots  thirty  by  one  hundred  feet  sold  as  high  as  three 
thousand  dollars.  Acreage  tracts  on  Burrows  bay 
brought  twelve  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  Even 
Hat  island.  Burrows  island  and  Cypress  island, 
though  merely  volcanic  rocks  rising  almost  sheer 
from  the  water,  were  eagerly  purchased  by  specu- 
lators as  city  property. 

Even  in  that  period  of  excitement  and  feverish 
speculation,  there  were  some  prophecies  of  possible 
"busted"  booms.  The  Skagit  News  of  April  28, 
1890,  lifts  a  voice  of  warning  to  the  effect  that  the 
boom  was  at  the  point  of  collapsing.  The  reporter 
asserts  that  he  found  at  that  writing  a  population, 
aside  from  railroad  laborers,  of  only  five  hundred. 
In  spite,  however,  of  the  reaction  which  seems  to  be 
indicated,  the  reporter  prophesied  a  steady  and  con- 
tinual growth  in  all  manner  of  legitimate  improve- 
ments. One  thing  which  led  the  observers  of  that 
time  to  anticipate  substantial  growth  was  that  some 
of  the  shrewdest  investers  in  Seattle  and  elsewhere 
were  largely  interested  in  Anacortes  real  estate. 
Among  such  we  find  mention  of  Governor  Ferry, 
John  Collins,  P.  H.  Lewis,  Judge  Hoyt,  John  Mc- 
Graw,  Jesse  George,  Kinnear  brothers.  Governor 
Squire,  General  Sprague,  Allen  C.   Mason,  Dexter 


214 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Horton,  Arthur  Denny,  James  McNaught,  Judge 
Roger  S.  Greene  and  M.  V.  B.  Stacy. 

A  matter  of  interest  in  connection  with  the 
growth  of  Anacortes  is  the  various  plats  of  the 
original  town  and  the  successive  additions,  which 
ultimately  became  piled  up  to  a  bewildering  extent. 
It  would  appear  from  the  records  of  the  auditor's 
office  of  Skagit  county  that  the  first  regular  plat 
was  filed  about  January  1,  1889,  by  C.  H.  Shaw, 
to  cover  a  town  known  as  Ship  harbor.  This  plat 
comprised  the  southeast  34  of  the  southeast  34  of 
section  21,  township  35,  range  1,  adjoining  Guemes 
passage.  A  year  later  a  plat  was  filed  in  the 
auditor's  office  which  contained  five  acres,  divided 
into  two  blocks  by  a  street  eighty  feet  wide,  each 
block  containing  twenty-two  lots,  thirty  by  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet.  This  plat  was  filed 
by  C.  T.  Conover,  and  is  stated  by  the  Skagit  News 
of  January  13,  1890,  to  be  the  true  original  plat 
of  the  city  of  Anacortes.  However,  the  railroad 
company's  plat,  filed  on  the  21st  of  January,  1890, 
contained  two  hundred  blocks  and  constituted  an 
enormously  larger  area  for  city  purposes. 

Addition  followed  addition,  until  by  the  close  of 
the  year  1890  there  were  sixty-three  regularly 
platted  additions  filed  in  the  auditor's  office. 

The  great  primary  impelling  agency  of  the  boom 
at  .-\nacortes  was  railroads.  It  was  the  expectation 
that  Anacortes  would  become  a  transcontinental 
terminal,  which  caused  the  swarms  of  investors  to 
gather  upon  Fidalgo  island.  The  Oregon  Improve- 
ment Compan\-  entered  upon  the  construction  of  a 
railroad  from  Anacortes  to  the  Skagit  coal  mines 
in  1888.  The  force  of  nearly  one  thousand  was 
under  the  direction  of  Captain  F.  .\.  Hill.  The 
course  taken  by  this  pioneer  railroad  was  from  the 
northwestern  end  of  the  island,  about  one  mile  from 
Green  point,  whence  it  pursued  a  generally  south- 
eastward direction  toward  Fidalgo  bay.  It  emerged 
on  the  bay  shore  near  Lamb  creek,  whence  it  fol- 
lowed in  a  southeasterly  direction  the  shore-line  to 
Weaverling's  spit,  where  a  trestle  four  thousand  feet 
in  length  spanned  the  bay  to  Munk's  place.  Its 
direction  from  there  was  south  of  east  to  the  Swin- 
omish  slough,  across  which  a  drawbridge  was  con- 
structed to  Telegraph  island  and  thence  to  the  main- 
land on  the  Whitney  place;  from  there  the  road 
continued  directly  east  to  the  Skagit  river.  This 
road,  the  Seattle  &  Northern,  was  a  standard  gauge 
and  extended  from  .\nacortes  to  Hamilton,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty-six  miles. 

The  great  question  just  at  that  time  seems  to 
have  been  whether  or  not  the  Northern  Pacific 
would  build  into  .\nacortes.  A  meeting  was  held 
on  April  11,  1890,  in  the  office  of  D.  .\.  McKenzie  & 
Company,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  first  defi- 
nite move  toward  securing  a  subsidy  to  induce  the 
Northern  Pacific  to  build  into  the  town  and  locate 
tenninal  buildings.  The  company  proposed  to  carry 
out  these  plans  if  they  could  have  a  subsidv  of  five 


hundred  acres  of  land.  The  Progress  of  August 
14,  1890,  quoting  from  the  Seattle  Post- Intelligencer, 
states  that  the  Northern  Pacific  had  concluded  a 
contract  for  the  acquisition  of  the  Seattle  & 
Northern,  and  through  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  & 
Eastern,  which  crossed  the  Seattle  &  Northern  at 
Woolley,  the  Northern  Pacific  trains  could  at  once 
enter  Anacortes,  and  this  established  its  position 
as  the  lower  sound  terminus  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  railroad.  The  Northern  Pacific  dock,  depot 
and  freight  house  were  completed  on  the  last  day 
of  October  at  a  cost  of  about  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars.  On  November  SSth  the  official  consum- 
mation of  making  Anacortes  a  terminus  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  railroad  was  celebrated  by  a  great 
excursion  from  Portland  and  points  upon  the  upper 
sound.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  railroad 
company  accomplished  this  work  thirty-five  days 
ahead  of  the  time  stipulated  in  the  land  subsidy 
donation  of  five  hundred  acres.  Elijah  Smith  is 
quoted  as  saying  at  that  time:  "By  this  deal  Ana- 
cortes at  last  becomes  the  sound  terminus  of  the 
Northern  Pacific.  Anacortes  was  selected  as  the 
terminus  by  Jay  Cooke  and  Engineer  J.  Milner 
Roberts,  but  the  plans  were  defeated  by  Cooke's 
failure.  Afterward,  under  the  ascendency  of  Mr. 
Villard,  the  plan  was  again  endorsed  by  General 
Thielson,  but  defeated  by  the  Tacoma  land  syndi- 
cate element  in  the  Northern  Pacific  management." 

It  is  a  matter  worthy  of  preservation  that  an 
order  was  issued,  dated  Portland,  Oregon,  .April 
23,  1891,  signed  jointly  by  A.  S.  Dunham,  president 
of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern,  and  J.  M. 
Hannaford,  general  manager  of  the  Northern 
Pacific,  providing  that  all  transcontinental  business 
destined  for  Anacortes  should  be  subject  to  the  same 
rates  and  regulations  as  that  for  Seattle  and  Ta- 
coma. This  order  might  perhaps  be  considered 
the  formal  recognition  of  .\nacortes  as  a  terminal 
point. 

While  this  vitally  important  work  of  securing 
transcontinental  connections  was  in  progress  of  con- 
summation, an  electric  railway  was  in  progress  from 
Anacortes  to  Fidalgo  City.  The  articles  of  incor- 
poration for  the  Anacortes  and  Fidalgo  City  Elec- 
tric Railway  were  filed  in  June,  1890,  providing  for 
a  capital  stock  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  and  having  the  following  officers :  Presi- 
dent, Joshua  Pierce ;  vice-president,  H.  S.  Colver ; 
secretary,  C.  B.  Holman  ;  treasurer,  Julius  S.  Potter. 
The  company  secured  a  land  subsidy  from  interested 
property  owners  on  condition  that  they  should  com- 
plete the  road  by  January  1,  1891.  There  were 
some  delays  in  securing  rails,  but  nevertheless  the 
work  was  completed  and  the  first  car  run  from 
Anacortes  to  Fidalgo  City  on  March  29,  1891.  The 
total  expenditure  for  this  road  was  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  total  length  of  road  about 
thirteen  miles,  .\lthough  thus  built  under  such 
favorable  auspices,  the  reaction  following  the  boom 


ISli    CANNING    PLANT.    ANACORTES 


ii;n  SCHOOL  building,  anacortls 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


so  affected  business  that  the  road  was  abandoned 
as  soon  as  the  land  subsidj-  had  been  safely  secured. 

Another  ambitious  local  line  was  projected  by 
a  company  of  which  T.  B.  Childs  was  president, 
Frank  W.  Spear  vice-president,  C.  R.  Donnell  sec- 
retary and  Amos  Bowman  treasurer.  This  was  to 
be  known  as  the  Anacortes  Skagit  motor  line  and 
was  to  include  three  lines  north,  east  and  south 
from  Bayview  and  ultimately  to  reach  La  Conner. 
This  project,  however,  never  materialized. 

While  the  work  of  railroad  construction  was 
thus  absorbing  a  great  part  of  the  attention  of  the 
people  at  Anacortes,  they  were  by  no  means  indif- 
ferent to  the  fact  that  their  steamboat  connections 
were  even  more  important.  The  Progress  of  March 
15,  1890,  gives  an  interesting  item  in  respect  to  the 
arrival  of  the  great  ocean  steamer,  Umatilla,  under 
Captain  Holmes.  The  steamer  arrived  on  March 
11th  and,  being  the  first  ocean  steamship  that  had 
landed  at  the  Anacortes  wharf,  about  a  thousand 
people  were  present  to  greet  her.  This  event  was 
looked  upon  as  a  great  triumph  for  the  reason  that 
sonie  jealous  rivals  had  represented  that  large  ships 
could  not  enter  the  bay.  The  regular  sound 
steamers  at  that  time  making  landings  at  Anacortes 
were  the  Idaho,  Hassalo  and  Sehome,  of  the  Union 
Pacific  system  ;  the  State  of  Washington,  Fairhaven 
and  Skagit  Chief,  of  the  Pacific  Navigation  Com- 
pany, and  the  Washington  and  Eliza  Anderson,  of 
the  Puget  sound  and  Alaska  route. 

With  the  rapid  growth  of  Anacortes  came  the 
important  question  of  municipal  incorporation.  The 
first  steps  in  this  direction  were  taken  February  8, 
1890,  when  a  mass  meeting  was  held  to  consider 
the  advisability  of  incorporating.  J.  L.  Romer  was 
elected  president  and  J-  B-  Fithian  secretary  of  the 
meeting.  A  unanimous  resolution  was  adopted  in 
favor  of  immediate  incorporation.  In  November 
a  petition  was  prepared  by  E.  G.  Caldwell  and  W. 
E.  Jones,  which  was  signed  by  a  large  number  of 
residents  and  presented  to  the  county  commissioners. 
The  corporate  limits  as  proposed  in  this  petition 
included  all  that  part  of  Fidalgo  island  north  of  the 
southern  line  of  section  27,  township  35  north, 
range  1  east,  extending  from  Burrow's  bay  east  to 
Padilla  bay.  The  commissioners  accepted  this 
petition  and  the  first  city  election  was  held  January 
28,  1891.  The  total  vote  cast  was  555  and  resulted 
in  the  election  of  the  following  officers :  Mayor, 
George  F.  Kyle ;  councilmen,  W.  W.  Bailey,  Ben- 
jamin Goodwin,  Thomas  A.  Long,  Cicero  C.  Park- 
man,  Rienzi  E.  Whitney  and  F.  V.  Hogan ;  treas- 
urer, Austin  Lathrop ;  assessor,  Henry  C.  Howard  ; 
health  officer,  Dr.  R.  Armstrong.  There  were  353 
votes  in  favor  of  incorporation  and  39  against. 

.\nacortes  did  not  become  a  citv,  however,  with- 
out some  difficulty.  In  February  an  injunction 
against  incorporation  was  filed  by  Elijah  Smith,  the 
chief  grounds  being  lack  of  legal  procedure.  This 
injunction  was  granted  by  Judge  Hanford,  and  con- 


sequently entirely  new  proceedings  were  necessary. 
They  resulted  in  final  success. 

May  21st  another  election  was  held.  The  results 
of  this  election  were  as  follows :  Mayor,  F.  V. 
Hogan;  councilmen,  W.  W.  Bailey,  R.  E.  Whit- 
ney, A.  P.  Sharpstein,  John  Semar,  T.  H.  Ander- 
son, W.  H.  Johnson  ;  treasurer,  John  Piatt ;  assessor, 
W.  G.  Beard;  health  officer,  J.  M.  Mettler;  city 
clerk,  Paul  W.  Law ;  attorney,  Wiley  E.  Jones ; 
marshal,  Richard  Trafton ;  chief  of  police,  W.  V. 
Wells ;  engineer,  J.  C.  Otis ;  street  commissioner, 
John  McCracken.  Another  injunction  was  averted 
only  by  all  the  candidates  for  councilmen  signing 
an  agreement  not  to  tax  that  portion  of  the  city 
west  of  sections  23  and  26  for  five  years.  A  grand, 
though  rather  impromptu  display  and  celebration 
was  held  on  May  2Sth  in  commemoration  of  the 
successful  incorporation  of  the  city.  Several  of 
the  newly  elected  officers  inaugurated  their  term 
in  a  brilliant  manner  by  making  speeches. 

A  very  important  organization  established  about 
this  time  was  the  chamber  of  commerce,  the  first 
meeting  of  which  was  held  on  June  11,  1890. 
The  capital  stock  of  the  organization  was  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars.  The  men  who  signed  them- 
selves as  incorporators  and  trustees  at  this  meet- 
ing were  R.  E.  Whitney,  E.  H.  Morrison,  H.  M. 
Benedict,  J.  M.  Piatt,  A.  Bowman  and  A.  Taylor. 
Captain  F.  V.  Hogan  and  J.  L.  Romer  added  their 
names  a  few  days  later.  The  officers  elected  were : 
President,  F.  V.  Hogan ;  vice-president,  R.  E. 
Whitney ;  secretary,  B.  Goodwin ;  treasurer,  John 
M.  Piatt. 

The  school  facilities  of  .\nacortes  were  at  first 
naturally  somewhat  limited.  The  first  school  build- 
ing was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1883,  the  money 
being  raised  by  a  special  tax.  This  school  became 
known  as  the  Nelson  school,  and  is  still  in  use. 
On  March  10,  1890,  as  the  number  of  children  had 
become  vastly  increased,  a  school  was  organized 
under  Mrs.  S.  F.  Griffith.  The  finest  school  build- 
ing in  the  city  is  the  high  school  building,  known 
as  the  Columbian  school,  which  was  built  in  1891 
at  a  cost  of  something  over  sixty  thousand  dollars. 
It  is  a  fine  three-story  building  with  a  basement, 
dimensions  one  hundred  and  five  by  one  hundred 
and  twentv-six  feet.  The  school  board  consisted  of 
Noah  Nelson,  H.  C.  Hutton  and  C.  R.  Donnell, 
with  W.  J.  Hagadorn  clerk.  More  recently  a  third 
school-house  has  been  added,  known  as  the  Robert- 
son school,  erected  four  years  ago.  There  are 
four  teachers  in  the  high  school  at  the  present  time, 
Fred  D.  Cartwright  being  the  superintendent,  seven 
in  the  Columbian  school,  two  in  the  Nelson  school 
and  one  in  the  Robertson  school. 

There  were  two  newspapers  in  operation  during 
the  boom  times,  the  Progress  and  the  American,  the 
latter  of  which  is  still  a  potent  factor  in  the  life 
of  the  community.  The  former  was  a  daily  owned 
by  Amos   Bowman   and  was   the   successor  of  his 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


former  paper,  the  Northwest  Enterprise.  The 
Progress  was  established  in  1890,  and  the  American 
also  appeared  that  year,  its  first  issue  coming  out 
on  May  15th.  The  proprietors  were  Douglass 
Allmond  and  Fred  H.  Boynton. 

The  two  banks  of  Anacortes  did  a  rushing  busi- 
ness during  1891  and  1893.  The  first  one  was  the 
private  bank  of  John  M.  Piatt,  the  pioneer  banker  of 
the  city.  On  the  7th  of  September,  1801,  this  bank 
was  organized  as  a  state  bank,  with  a  capital  of 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  under  the  name  of  Bank  of 
Anacortes.  J.  M.  Piatt  was  appointed  president 
and  manager;  F.  A.  Hill,  vice-president,  and  H. 
L.  Merritt,  cashier.  The  First  National  bank  of 
Anacortes  was  organized  in  November,  1890,  with 
a  paid  up  capital  of  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The 
officers  were :     President,  Fred  Ward  ;  cashier,  H. 

E.  Perrin;  assistant  cashier,  V.  J.  Knapp.  The 
directors  were  Fred  Ward,  Henry  J.  White,  Geo. 

F.  Kyle,  E.  L.  Shannon  and  H.  E'  Perrin.  During 
the  liard  times  of  189;?  and  following  lx)th  these 
banks  failed,  the  Bank  of  Anacortes  first,  with 
practically  a  total  loss. 

The  great  boom  broke  almost  as  suddenly  as  it 
had  begun.  Times  were  very  quiet  in  the  latter  part 
of  1891,  and  the  following  year  the  town  was  sus- 
tained chiefly  by  a  fight  for  the  county  seat.  This 
fight  has  been  described  at  greater  length  else- 
where. In  1893  the  hard  times  struck  Anacortes 
with  full  force  and  many  were  the  ruined  fortunes 
and  hopeless  failures  scattered  along  the  shores  of 
Fidalgo  bay.  Business  was  completely  paralyzed 
and  the  spark  of  life  left  in  Anacortes  was  feeble 
indeed.  However,  a  spark  did  remain,  which  was 
fanned  by  a  few  devoted  souls  who  had  confidence 
in  the  future  of  the  place.  Its  excellent  harbor 
and  manufacturing  facilities  were  such  that  a  re- 
vival of  a  more  substantial  nature  was  almost 
certain. 

In  the  late  nineties  a  number  of  fish  canneries 
were  established  at  Anacortes,  the  Fidalgo.  Bell 
Irving  owner  and  Frank  Lord  manager,  being  the 
pioneer  institution.  These  were  followed  a  little 
later  by  saw-mills  and  shingle  mills.  These  enter- 
prises stimulated  others  and  gradually  Anacortes 
again  entered  upon  the  road  to  substantial  pros- 
perity. In  1900  the  population  was  given  as  one 
thousand  four  hundred  and  seventy-six.  At  the 
present  time  it  is  about  four  thousand.  A  great 
part  of  the  recovery  and  recent  developments  are 
due  to  the  energetic  and  faithful  work  of  the  Com- 
mercial club,  whose  present  officers  are:  President, 
W.  T.  Odlin ;  secretary,  C.  W.  Brandon ;  assistant 
secretary,  Lee  E.  Dodge ;  treasurer,  R.  J.  Petersen ; 
executive  committee,  R.  Lee  Bradley,  H.  H.  Soule, 
Charles  Templer.  The  city's  two  codfish  plants 
are  yearly  curing  and  shipping  one-half  the  Bering 
sea  codfish  used  in  the  United  States.  Anacortes 
has  nine  large  fisheries,  six  salmon  canneries,  two 


codfish  plants  and  one  cold  storage  plant.  The 
salmon  canneries  consist  of  the  Alaska  Packers 
Association,  with  a  capacity  of  100,000  cases  yearly ; 
the  Fidalgo  Island  Packing  Company,  the  pioneer 
in  this  line,  with  a  capacity  of  100,000  cases  yearly ; 
the  Northern  Fisheries  Company  with  a  capacity 
of  100,000  cases  yearly  ;  the  Apex  Canning  Company 
with  a  capacity  "of  35,000  cases  yearly ;  the  White 
Crest  Canning  Company  with  a  capacity  of  30,000 
cases  yearly,  and  the  Porter  Fish  Company  with  a 
capacity  of  75,000  cases  yearly.  The  Pacific  Cold 
Storage  is  of  large  capacity  and  ships  every  \ear 
many  thousands  of  pounds  of  fresh  salmon  which 
are  put  in  mild  cure  and  prepared  for  the  German 
market.  There  are  seven  shingle  mills  which  cut 
1,300,000  shingles  daily;  three  large  box  factories 
and  three  saw-mills,  one  with  a  capacity  of  175,000 
feet  daily,  another  with  a  capacity  of  100,000  feet 
daily  and  a  third  with  a  capacity  of  50,000  feet 
daily.  Two  of  the  box  factories  are  among  the 
largest  on  the  coast  and  the  third  is  of  average 
size.  The  city  has  one  planing  mill  of  modern 
capacity,  also  a  fine  creamery,  a  fruit  cannery  and 
cider  vinegar  factory. 

Anacortes  has  two  banks,  the  Citizens'  bank, 
established  in  1899  by  W.  T.  Odlin  &  Company,  the 
present  managers  and  owners,  and  the  Bank  of 
Commerce,  established  in  June,  1904,  by  Messrs. 
E.  S.  Martin  and  W.  G.  Smith,  with  a  capital  of 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  The  oflficers  of  this 
bank  are:  President,  J.  H.  Mason;  vice-president, 
John  Ball;  cashier,  E.  S.  Martin;  assistant  cashier, 
W.  F.  Coulson. 

Two  wharves,  that  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Steam- 
ship Company,  the  pioneer  and  largest  one,  and  that 
erected  in  recent  years  by  Melville  Curtis,  one  of 
the  city's  prominent  pioneer  business  men,  handle 
the  buik  of  the  shipping.  Thousands  of  sacks  of 
oats  from  the  flats,  scores  of  cargoes  of  fish,  boxes, 
coal  and  general  merchandise  pass  over  these  docks 
annually,  the  business  increasing  by  leaps  and 
bounds  in  recent  years. 

Of  the  present  efficiently  organized  city  govern- 
ment. W.  T.  Odlin  is  the  head,  serving  his  second 
term  as  mayor.  The  city  owns  an  excellent  city 
hall,  constructed  of  brick  and  two  stories  high, 
which  also  houses  a  fire  equipment. 

There  are  five  churches  in  Anacortes,  the  Pil- 
grim Congregational,  Rev.  Horace  J.  Taylor, 
pastor;  Westminster  Presbyterian,  Rev.  W.  A. 
Stevenson,  Ph.  D.,  pastor;  Christ  Church,  Episco- 
palian, Rev.  R.  H.  Barnes ;  St.  Mary's,  Catholic, 
Rev.  Father  Le  Roux;  First  Methodist  Episcopal. 
Rev.  W.  S.  Hanlein.  There  is  also  a  Christian 
Science  society.  The  first  of  these  to  be  established 
was  the  Pilgrim  Congregational  church,  which  was 
incorporated  in  November,  1887,  by  M.  Louise 
Taylor,  Horace  J.  Taylor,  Jemima  Hagadorn. 
George  Hagadorn  and  Carrie  M.  White.  The  West- 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


minster  Presbyterian  church  society  built  a  church 
building  in  1891.  Amos  Bowman  donated  two  lots 
for  this  purpose  fronting  on  Fifth  and  Sixth  streets. 
The  Methodist  church  was  also  built  about  the  same 
time. 

The  various  fraternal  lodges  are  well  repre- 
sented at  Anacortes.  The  first  to  come  into  existence 
was  that  of  the  Good  Templars,  who  were  organized 
on  April  13,  1890,  by  Grand  Chief  Templar  Bushell. 
On  January  23,  189i,  the  Masonic  lodge  was  organ- 
ized and  Island  Lodge  No.  74,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
was  instituted  jNIay  15th,  of  the  same  year. 

The  full  list  of  lodges  in  active  operation  at 
Anacortes  at  the  present  time,  is  as  follows :  I.  O. 

0.  F.,  Anacortes  Lodge,  No.  94;  Rebekah  Lodge, 
Mt.  Erie,  No.  85;  W.^O.  W.,  Tyee  camp,  No.  453, 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  Anacortes  Lodge,  No.  78 ;  F.  O.  E., 
Anacortes  aerie.  No.  249 ;  K.  of  P.,  Island  Lodge, 
No.   74;   F.  and  A.   M.,   Fidalgo  Lodge,   No.   77; 

1.  O.  F.,  Anacortes  Lodge,  No.  1173;  D.  of  H., 
Anacortes  Lodge,  No.  19;  K.  O.  T.  M.,  Fidalgo 
Tent,  No.  96;  L.  O.  T.  M.,  Anacortes  Lodge,  No. 
29 ;  W.  C.  T.  U. ;  M.  W.  A.,  Anacortes  Lodge,  No. 
9635;  G.  A.  R.,  General  Emorv  post.  No.  (37;  W. 
R.  C,  Martha  Washington  Circle,  No.  6 ;  I.  L.  M. 
and  T.  A.,  Local,  No.  522 ;  A.  O.  of  F.,  Court  Ana- 
cortes, No.  9000;  I.  O.  G.  T.,  Anacortes  Lodge, 
No.  5. 

Anacortes  is  supplied  with  a  water  system,  which 
was  inaugurated  by  the  Oregon  Improvement  Com- 
pany in  1891.  In  1901  the  people  being  dissatisfied 
with  their  water  supply,  met  and  subscribed  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  the 
water  works  and  vesting  the  control  of  it  in  a 
citizens'  committee.  Lender  the  operation  of  this 
committee,  it  was  in  the  following  year  brought 
under  the  control  of  the  present  company,  of  which 
the  officers  are  Douglass  Allmond,  president;  P.  E. 
Nelson,  vice-president,  E.  P.  Barker,  secretary,  and 
Gus  Hensler,  treasurer.  The  same  company  con- 
trols the  electric  light  system. 

Anacortes  has  an  active  and  efficient  volunteer 
fire  service,  the  organization  of  which  dates  back 
to  1890.  For  a  city  that  has  had  the  remarkable 
ups  and  downs  of  Anacortes,  there  is  little  to  record 
in  the  way  of  disaster  of  fire  and  flood.  The  most 
notable  of  the  fires  occurred  in  1891  and  1902.  The 
first  of  these,  on  December  25th  of  1891,  resulted  in 
the  destruction  of  Bowman's  hotel  and  the  Bayside 
building.  That  of  1902  was  on  August  11th  and 
resulted  in  the  destruction  of  an  entire  block  of 
business  houses  on  the  west  side  of  Commercial 
avenue  between  Second  and  Third  streets.  Nothing 
but  the  horoic  work  of  the  volunteer  firemen  saved 
the  entire  business  part  of  the  city  from  destruction. 
Fortunately  the  buildings  destroyed,  with  their  con- 
tents, were  quite  fully  covered  by  insurance,  so  the 
local  loss  was  relatively  small,  being  only  about  six 
thousand  dollars. 


SEDRO-WOOLLEY 

In  no  town  in  Skagit  county  is  there  a  more 
pleasing  appearance  of  thrift  than  in  Sedro-Woolley, 
a  town  of  clean,  gravelly  streets,  pleasant,  home-like 
and  handsome  residences,  a  progressive  populace, 
energetic  business  men,  magnificent  scenic  environs 
and  much  tributary  wealth.  The  visitor  who  now 
surveys  the  town  and  surroundings  and  looks  upon 
the  distant  scene  can  hardly  realize  that  had  he 
visited  the  place  a  few  years  earlier  his  view  would 
have  been  cut  off  by  the  stately  conifers  only  a  few 
rods  distant  from  the  center  of  the  town  (a  forest 
primeval  except  for  the  logging  roads  radiating 
from  the  village)  and  that  stumps  everywhere  would 
have  told  of  a  time,  not  far  in  the  past,  when  the 
small  town  site  itself  was  a  forest — the  home  of  the 
deer,  the  bear  and  the  cougar ;  at  times,  perhaps, 
the  scene  for  a  night  of  the  nomadic  Indian's  camp. 
No  boomer's  art  has  wrought  the  change.  It  has 
come  speedily,  to  be  sure,  but  in  response  to  the 
demands  of  progressive  industry,  a  result  of  acquis- 
itiveness seeking  its  legitimate  satisfaction,  the  out- 
growth of  natural  wealth,  appropriated  in  a  natural 
way. 

Though  the  Sedro-Woolley  of  to-day  is  a  town 
of  comparatively  recent  growth,  it  is  after  all  not 
far  from  three  decades  since  the  first  settlement  was 
made  upon  its  site  and  about  two  since  the  insti- 
tution of  its  first  place  of  business.  In  August, 
1878,  David  Batey  and  Joseph  Hart  began  hewing 
out  homes  in  that  part  of  the  Skagit  valley  jungle ; 
a  month  later  these  pioneers  of  civilization  were 
joined  by  William  Dunlop,  and  before  the  close  of 
the  year  William  Woods  had  added  himself  to  the 
community's  population.  A  little  later  came  Mr. 
Batey's  family.  Mr.  Batey's  wife.  Dr.  Georgiana 
Batey,  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  pioneer  phy- 
sician in  the  region  and  one  of  the  first  in  the 
county.  The  existence  of  these  few  home-builders 
was  at  first  very  precarious,  and  the  clash  with  the 
opposing  interests  of  the  lumbermen  was  constant. 

The  pioneer  town  builder  did  not  arrive  until 
1884.  This  was  Mortimer  Cook,  a  somewhat  eccen- 
tric man,  but  possessed  of  no  little  ability  to  win 
success  in  the  commercial  and  industrial  world.  In 
1885  he  opened  a  general  store  in  the  first  build- 
ing erected  in  what  later  became  known  as  Sedro. 
of  which  structure  David  Batey  has  the  distinction 
of  having  been  the  builder.  It  faced  on  what  was 
afterward  known  as  Water  street,  x^t  the  same 
time  Cook  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  upon  which 
the  town  was  later  platted,  buying  it  from  W.  Scott 
Jameson,  the  Port  Gamble  mill  owner,  who  had 
"scripped"  it  some  time  before.  Mr.  Cook's  great 
ambition  was  to  bestow  upon  the  new  town  a  name 
such  as  no  other  town  in  America  should  have,  and 
if  such  could  be  found  he  cared  little  whether  or 
not  it  was  euphonious  or  elegant.  He  eventually 
concluded  to  name  the  place  "Bug,"  and  even  went 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


so  far  as  to  direct  that  goods  shipped  from  Seattle 
be  consigned  to  that  address.  Mr.  Batey  painted 
the  name  on  a  sign  which  was  then  hung  on  the  end 
of  the  building  at  the  boat  landing.  One  settler 
wished  the  town  named  "Charlotte,"  it  is  said,  and 
went  so  far  as  to  have  a  sign  with  that  name  painted 
in  Seattle.  About  this  time  some  one  suggested 
that  the  syllable  "hum"  would  probably  be  affixed 
by  outsiders  in  jest;  furthermore,  Mrs.  Cook  and 
other  ladies  interested  strenuously  objected  to  the 
undignified  name,  and  the  founder  of  the  town  was 
prevailed  upon  to  accept  the  name  Sedro,  a  corrup- 
tion of  the  Spanish  word  for  cedar.  Mrs.  Batey 
is  said  to  have  discovered  the  name  in  an  old  Spanish 
dictionary  she  had  and  to  have  suggested  it.  Certain 
it  is  that  the  name  is  not  only  euphonious  but  very 
apt,  as  innumerable  cedars  of  magnificent  form  grew 
originally  on  and  around  the  site.  Its  peculiar 
spelling  was  adopted  to  satisfy  Mr.  Cook's  insistent 
desire  for  uniqueness. 

On  January  1,  1886,  a  postofifice  was  established 
at  Sedro  with  Mr.  Cook  as  postmaster,  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  he  built  a  large  shingle  mill 
on  the  bank  of  the  river :  the  first  in  the  county  and, 
it  is  claimed,  the  first  on  the  sound  to  ship  shingles 
East.  The  mill  was  a  ten-block  with  one  hand 
machine  and  would  have  produced,  if  operated  ac- 
cording to  present  methods,  not  far  from  two  hun- 
dred thousand  shingles  daily,  but  owing  to  the  inex- 
perience of  the  crew  not  more  than  eighty  thousand 
were  cut.  A  wharf  was  built  on  the  river  about 
simultaneously  with  the  mill.  The  next  business 
house  to  be  established  at  Sedro  was  the  store  of 
Smith  Brothers  on  Jameson  avenue,  at  that  time, 
1889,  a  mere  clearing  in  the  timber.  The  same 
spring  the  Sedro  Drug  Company,  of  which  A.  E. 
Holland  was  manager,  put  up  a  drug  store.  Thus 
was  inception  given  to  the  town. 

The  years  1889-90  were  lively  ones  at  wSedro. 
the  effects  of  the  general  boom  being  felt  there  as 
well  as  elsewhere  on  Puget  sound.  Three  rad- 
roads  were  in  process  of  construction,  the  Fairhaven 
&  Southern,  upon  which  trains  were  running  into 
Sedro  by  Christmas,  1889 ;  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern,  now  the  Northern  Pacific,  and  the  Seattle 
&  Northern,  now  a  part  of  the  Great  Northern 
system.  All  of  these  roads  crossed  in  the  vicinity 
of  Sedro.  Naturally  a  great  impetus  to  business 
enterprises  of  various  kinds  was  imparted  by  this 
railroad  activity. 

One  of  the  first  things  to  be  done  in  an  ambitious 
and  progressive  town  is  to  plat  plenty  of  land  into 
streets,  alleys  and  lots,  and  this  was  done  at  Sedro 
with  a  vengeance.  The  original  town  site  company 
was  anticipated  in  its  designs  by  Norman  R.  Kellv, 
who  owned  the  land  adjoining  Cook's  town  site  on 
the  north.  The  county  archives  show  that  Kelly 
filed,  April  29,  1889.  a  plat  of  the  town  of  Sedro, 
and  the  following  January  platted  the  first  addition. 
The  plat  of  old  Sedro  was  filed  for  record  October 


17,  18"89,  by  the  Fairhaven  Land  Company,  of  which 
Nelson  Bennett  was  the  head.  This  company  had 
made  an  arrangement  by  which  it  should  take  Cook's 
forty  acres,  eighty  acres  from  William  Woods  and 
a  like  amount  of  William  Dunlop's  liomestead.  plat 
the  whole  into  town  lots,  exploit  the  town,  divide 
the  proceeds  of  its  sales  with  the  in-iLiinal  land 
owners,  and  at  the  end  of  eighteen  months  divide 
the  property  remaining  unsold.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  Kelly's  plat  was  the  first  filed,  his  part 
of  the  town  was  usually  referred  to  as  "Kelly's 
plat  of  the  town  of  Sedro,"  or  sometimes  as  Kelly- 
ville,  while  the  Fairhaven  company's  portion  was 
for  a  time  at  least  considered  the  town  proper. 
There  were,  of  course,  a  number  of  additions  to 
the  town  as  originally  platted. 

A  large  number  of  business  enterprises  were 
started  at  this  time,  especially  during  the  summer  of 
1889,  including  many  saloons  and  dance  halls. 
Before  the  completion  of  the  railroads  most  of  the 
lumber  for  building  purposes  was  brought  down  the 
river  from  Lyman  and  Birdsview.  The  Sedro  Press, 
in  its  first  issue,  that  of  April  18,  1890,  gives, 
through  its  advertising  columns,  an  incomplete  sum- 
mary of  the  business  establishments  of  the  town, 
which  is  of  permanent  interest.  In  the  general 
merchandise  business  were  mentioned  Mortimer 
Cook  and  the  Sedro  Mercantile  Company,  of  which 
latter  K.  S.  and  O.  S.  Paulson  were  proprietors. 
The  real  estate  business  was  represented  by  Hugh 
Harrod,  F.  S.  Crosby  &  Company,  Thomas  Smith, 
Fairhaven  Land  Company,  managed  by  Joseph  M. 
Blain  ;  Devin  &  Mosier,  and  A.  E.  Holland.  The 
Sedro  dray  line  was  under  the  proprietorship  of 
Martin  Gillespie.  Thomas  Smith  was  the  only 
lawyer  mentioned.  There  was  no  dearth  of  hotels, 
however.  The  Sedro.  first  of  all  in  time,  built  in 
February.  1890,  and  managed  by  McDonald  &  Rees  : 
the  Seattle,  b>'  Sigmund  Clein  ;  the  Delmonico,  by 
Mrs.  Martha  La}'den.  and  the  Bank  Fxcliange  hotel, 
by  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Frederichs.  were  all  bidding  for 
business,  and  moreover  the  Fairha\eii  Land  Com- 
pany was  at  that  time  building  a  new  liotel.  The 
dressed  meat  business  was  represented  b\-  Robert 
Grossman.  There  were  two  painting  establishments. 
A.  W.  Rounds  and  J.  C.  Haynes  proprietors  respec- 
tively ;  the  hardware  business  was  represented  bv 
Waltz  &  Bell,  while  Woods  &  Company  kept  a 
furniture  store.    There  were  four  restaurants  listed, 

managed  respectively  by  Smith  &  Barr,  Carr, 

Wallace  Andrews  and  j-  A.  Vernon ;  also  the  lodg- 
ing house  of  Henry  Waterman.  A.  G.  Mosier  and 
H.  S.  Devin,  in  addition  to  their  real  estate  busi- 
ness, conducted  an  engineering  and  surveying  busi- 
ness. P.  H.  Smith  &  Brothers  had  opened  their 
store  and  were  also  engaged  in  railroad  contracting. 
Flagg  &  Tozer  advertised  as  druggists.  A  Sedro 
ferry  company,  organized  by  Joseph  M.  Blain  and 
A.  E.  Holland,  is  mentioned  as  having  done  good 
service   by   bringing   the   lake   country   into   closer 


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)K()-\VO()LLEY,    WASHINGTON 


INDUSTRIAL    FORCES    INVADE   THE    PRIMEVAL    FORESTS 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


connection  with  the  town.  The  First  Bank  of  Sedro. 
Edwin  C.  Foltz,  manager,  and  W.  J.  Thompson,  of 
Tacoma,  president,  was  also  doing  business  in  April, 
1890.  In  1890,  also,  David  Batey  and  Joseph  Hart 
organized  the  Sedro  Saw  and  Planing  Mill  Com- 
pany and  erected  an  extensive  plant  near  the  town. 
Later  a  shingle  department  was  added.  Unfor- 
tunately this  important  enterprise  was  destroyed  by 
fire  a  few  years  later. 

It  will  give  the  reader  a  clearer  apprehension  of 
the  topography  of  this  town  to  know  that  the  old 
town  of  Sedro  was  located  upon  the  river  and  that 
the  old  Fairhaven  &  Southern  railroad,  now  aban- 
doned, passed  directly  to  and  through  it,  Sedro 
being  the  terminus.  In  1890  the  Fairhaven  & 
Southern  built  a  depot  in  Sedro  between  McDonald 
and  Cook  avenues,  a  structure  twenty-four  by  sixty 
feet,  saiil  to  have  been  a  better  depot  building  than 
those  at  that  time  in  Seattle  and  Tacoma,  tliough  if  the 
truth  be  frankl}-  admitted  that  was  saying  very  little. 
After  having  existed  about  a  year  and  a  half  in  all  the 
glory  of  a  booming  town  and  after  attaining  a  popu- 
lation of  about  five  hundred  people,  the  old  town 
relapsed  into  a  condition  which  has  been  designated 
by  an  eminent  statesman  as  one  of  "innocuous 
desuetude.'"  This  collapse  seems  to  have  been  the 
result  of  the  establishment  of  Kelly's  town,  lying 
northwesterly  from  the  old  town.  The  town  of 
Woolley  made  its  start  at  a  point  still  further  north- 
west. The  Fairhaven  &  Southern  railroad  almost 
exactly  bisected  all  three  of  these  town  sites,  while 
the  Seattle  &  Northern  and  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern  crossed  each  other,  and  also  the  Fairhaven 
&  Southern,  exactl\-  in  the  center  of  Woolley. 

.A.  prominent  factor  in  the  development  of  Sedro 
and  the  adjoining  community  at  that  era  was  the 
Sedro  Land  &  Improvement  Company,  incorporated 
in  the  summer  of  1890,  its  chief  members  being 
W.  S.  Jameson,  E.  O.  Graves,  W.  E.  Bailey,  (korge 
H.  Heilbron,  Abraham  Barker,  J.  B.  Alexander, 
John  Craig  and  C.  B.  Wood.  It  had  during  the 
summer  of  1890  a  hundred  men  engaged  in  clearing 
and  grading  the  streets.  This  corporation  attested 
their  confidence  in  the  community  by  shortly  after- 
ward erecting  three  immense  modern  blocks  in 
Kelly's  town,  which  would  rival  the  buildings  of 
the  present.  The  Hotel  Sedro,  costing  probably  six 
thousand  dollars,  occupied  one  corner,  while 
opposite  it  stood  the  Pioneer  block,  providing 
quarters  for  the  company,  the  bank,  a  drug  store 
and  the  printing  office,  besides  private  offices.  A 
little  south  on  the  same  street  the  company  built 
the  Washington  block,  the  home  of  Paulson 
Brothers'  store,  the  postoffice  and  other  business 
enterprises.  The  Pioneer  was  the  largest  of  the 
buildings.  They  were  all  destroyed  by  fire  during 
the  middle  nineties,  their  loss  being  niourned  as  a 
great  disaster. 

The  first  regular  election  in  Sedro  occurred  on 
the  -Ith  of  March,  1891,  and  resulted  in  the  election 


of  the  following  city  officers:  Mayor,  George  W. 
Hopp;  councilmen,  A.  E.  Holland,  George  Bros- 
seau,  A.  G.  Mosier,  Gus  Pidde,  A.  A.  Tozer ;  treas- 
urer, Edwin  C.  Foltz.  The  vote  for  incorporation 
was  seventy-two ;  against,  three. 

An  item  of  general  interest  in  connection  with 
Sedro  is  the  fact  that  a  vigorous  effort  was  made  to 
enter  the  town  as  a  candidate  in  the  county-seat 
contest  of  1892.  J.  B.  Alexander,  Thomas  Smith, 
H.  L.  Devine,  W.  A.  Woolley  and  A.  B.  Ernst  con- 
stituted the  committee  in  charge  of  the  campaign, 
and  it  is  stated  that  over  thirty  thousand  dollars 
were  raised  to  meet  campaign  expenses.  When 
the  election  took  place  it  was  found  that  Sedro  had 
polled  over  six  hundred  votes,  taking  third  place, 
and  being  but  little  behind  Anacortes  and  Mount 
Vernon. 

In  connection  with  this  period  in  the  history  of 
Sedro  it  is  also  interesting  to  note  the  establishment 
of  St.  Elizabeth's  hospital,  the  first  institution  of  its 
kind  in  the  county.  Upon  the  decline  of  the  old 
town,  the  Hotel  Sedro  was  transformed  into,  the 
institution  above  named  and,  considering  the  time, 
was  a  remarkably  well-equipped  one,  well  managed. 
Dr.  M.  B.  Mattice  was  placed  in  charge  with  Dun- 
can Ferguson  as  nurse  and  Mrs.  Huntley  as  matron. 
This  hospital  is  still  in  existence  anrl  in  a  thriving 
condition. 

But  while  all  these  developments  were  in 
progress  in  Sedro,  a  rival  for  the  trade  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  had  been  springing  up,  one  des- 
tined to  handicap  for  a  time  the  development  of  the 
pioneer  town,  but  later  to  join  with  it  in  the  out- 
working of  a  nobler  destiny  than  either  could  hope 
to  have  achieved  alone.  This  was  Woolley.  Prob- 
ably the  first  public  mention  of  it  was  a  reference 
in  the  Skagit  County  Logger  of  April  24,  1890,  in 
which  the  paper  stated  that  a  new  town  was  start- 
ing at  the  junction  of  the  railroads,  which  would, 
presumably,  be  named  Hilltown.  However,  its 
founder,  Philip  A.  Woolley,  says  that  his  plans  had 
been  shaping  themselves  for  months  before  that. 

In  September,  1889,  shortly  after  coming  to  the 
sound,  Mr.  Woolley  purchased  from  Ole  Bozarth 
and  George  Nelson  a  timber  claim  which  they  in 
turn  had  purchased  from  Chris  Olson,  the  tract 
consisting  of  forty-four  acres.  Of  a  man  named 
Moore,  he  purchased  forty  more,  all  of  which  he 
platted  June  3,  1890,  as  the  town  site  of  Woolley. 
There  was  no  haphazard  about  this  enterprise,  for 
Mr.  Woolley  had  become  aware  of  the  lines  which 
the  railroads  would  follow  through  the  vallev.  In 
the  fall  of  1889,  on  the  unplatted  tract,  he  had 
already  commenced  the  construction  of  a  combina- 
tion saw  and  shingle  mill  with  a  capacity  of  forty 
thousand  feet  of  lumber  and  two  hundred  thou- 
sand shingles  a  day,  the  first  work  being  the  cutting 
of  ties  for  the  Great  Northern.  The  Fourth  of  July, 
1890,  witnessed  a  celebration  at  the  mill  yards  which 
might  be  considererl  as  the  christening  ceremony  of 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


the  new  town.  On  that  day,  in  the  presence  of  prob- 
ably forty  people,  a  fir  flag  pole  one  hundred  and 
four  feet  in  height  was  raised,  from  the  top  of  which 
a  new  flag,  presented  by  Mr.  WooUey,  soon  floated. 
At  Sedro,  that  same  day,  the  Fourth  was  celebrated 
by  the  trimming  of  a  cedar  tree  to  a  height  of  two 
hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  as  a  flag  pole.  That 
accomplished,  Old  Glory,  forty  by  sixteen  feet  in 
size,  manufactured  by  the  ladies  of  the  community, 
was  flung  to  the  breeze  amid  the  acclamations  of 
the  patriotic  spectators. 

Woolley  postoffice  was  established  about  August 
1,  1890,  the  mails  at  first  being  carried  up  from 
Sedro  on  the  backs  of  Mr.  Woolley's  sons.  The 
first  street  to  take  any  regular  shape  was  Northern 
avenue,  opposite  the  proposed  site  of  the  union 
depot,  but  Metcalfe  street,  leading  to  Sedro,  later 
became,  as  it  is  at  the  present  time,  the  leading 
thoroughfare  of  the  town.  Next  after  Mr.  Wool- 
ley's  various  buildings,  the  first  business  structure 
was  one  of  the  omnipresent  saloons,  this  one  being 
erected  by  J.  W.  Peake  in  May,  1890.  Soon  after 
Douglass  &  Ormsby  erected  a  drug  store,  and 
Doherty's  meat  market  was  opened.  The  first  hotel 
in  Woolley  was  known  as  the  Keystone,  built  and 
managed  by  a  man  named  Carr,  and  in  1891,  Mr. 
Waldron,  of  Fairhaven,  built  the  Osterman  house, 
which  received  its  name  from  the  lessee  who  ran  it 
for  several  years.  In  addition  to  Woolley's  mill  at 
Woolley,  and  Batey  &  Hart's  mill  on  Batey  slough, 
Davison  &  Millett,  in  1890,  opened  a  third  near  by 
the  others. 

The  first  city  election  in  Woolley  took  place  in 
1891,  upon  its  incorporation,  and  resulted  in  the 
election  of  the  following  officials:  Mayor,  William 
Murdock ;  treasurer,  William  Doherty  ;  councilmen, 
Norris    Ormsby,    David    Moore,    George    Gregory, 

Goosie ;  clerk,   Philip  Woolley.     This  was  a 

temporary  election,  however,  and  was  followed  in 
December  by  the  regular  one.  which  resulted  as 
follows:     Mayor.   Philip  A.   Woolley;  clerk.   Rev. 

Rouse;  treasurer,  William  Doherty;  council- 
men,  Philip  Woolley,  William  Cook,  Norris  Ormsby, 

Robertson. 

One  active  agency  in  the  concentration  of  busi- 
ness in  the  vicinity  of  Woolley.  after  the  decline  of 
the  old  town  of  Sedro,  was  the  development  on  a 
large  scale  of  the  Bennett  coal  mines,  six  miles 
northeast,  now  known  as  the  Cokedale  property, 
which,  together  with  the  three  saw-mills  near  the 
town  and  two  additional  ones  a  few  miles  away, 
created  such  a  demand  for  labor  that  by  the  summer 
of  1891  there  were  probably  not  less  than  two  thou- 
sand men  engaged  in  work  in  the  community.  At 
the  same  time  the  establishment  of  trains  on  the 
three  railroads  centering  there  brought  Woolley 
especially  into  very  close  connection  with  the  out- 
side world,  really  a  remarkable  asset  of  such  a  young 
town.  That  social  progress  was  being  made  rapidly 
is  evidenced   by   the   organization.   Mav   24,   1891, 


of  Mount  Baker  Lodge,  No.  73,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
at  Woolley,  with  forty-eight  charter  members.  As 
officers  there  were  elected:  J.  Y.  Terry,  past  chan- 
cellor; W.  T.  Lucas,  C.  C. ;  A.  F.  Means,  V.  C. ; 
H.  E.  Dennis,  prelate ;  W.  T.  Odlin,  M.  at  A. ;  P. 
L.  Woolley,  M.  of  F. ;  D.  E.  Moore,  M.  of  E. ;  A.  B. 
Ernst,  K.  of  R.  and  S. ;  G.  T.  Gregory,  O.  G. ; 
Andrew  Wilson,  I.  G. 

Woolley  was  visited  by  several  disastrous  fires 
in  the  early  part  of  its  career,  one  of  the  first  being 
May  26,  1891,  and  resulting  in  the  total  destruction 
of  the  Hotel  Alexandria,  at  a  loss  of  about  $3,500, 
the  insurance  being  $1,400.  April  26,  1893,  occurred 
a  far  more  serious  fire  in  which  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  business  part  of  the  town  was  consumed, 
entailing  a  loss  of  nearly  $20,000,  only  partly  cov- 
ered by  insurance.  The  fire  started  in  some 
mysterious  manner  in  the  saloon  of  Joseph  Mat- 
thews. The  heaviest  losers  were  Austin  &  Ruel, 
hotel  building  and  contents,  loss  $5,000.  insurance 
$1,300;  Davison  &  Millett,  loss  $4,000,  being  the 
buildings  occupied  by  J.  W.  Peake,  Central  meat 
market.  Chamberlain  Brothers  and  William 
Doherty,  insurance,  $2,800 ;  F.  A.  Douglass,  drug 
store  and  stock,  loss  $3,500,  insurance  $1,000 ;  Ford 
&  Hosch,  saloon,  $2,.500,  insurance  $1,500;  J.  C. 
Ames,  barber  shop,  loss  $250 ;  Ben  Willard,  res- 
taurant, $250,  and  many  others,  who  suffered  in  a 
less  degree. 

These  losses,  combined  with  the  general  depres- 
sion which  hung  like  a  heavy  nimbus  cloud  over  the 
entire  industrial  world  from  1893  to  the  close  of 
1896,  effectually  checked  the  rapid  growth  of  both 
Sedro  and  Woolley.  The  rivalry  between  the  two 
towns,  which  had  existed  from  the  inception  of  the 
latter,  continued  almost  unabated  during  the  years 
of  industrial  standstill,  but  as  time  went  on  it 
became  apparent  to  the  discerning  that  the  best 
interests  of  both  would  be  better  conserved  by 
mutual  co-operation  and  a  less  active  indulgence  in 
the  ignoble  passion  of  jealousy.  The  folly  of  main- 
taining two  municipal  governments  with  two  sets 
of  officers  must  have  impressed  the  citizens  of  both  ; 
furthermore,  it  is  said  that  a  "Twin  City  Business 
league"  was  at  work  in  the  interests  of  the  union 
and  harmony.  Toward  the  close  of  the  nineties, 
after  the  financial  clouds  had  moved  away  and  the 
rays  of  the  sun  of  prosperity  were  again  lighting 
and  warming  towns  and  country,  a  definite  move- 
ment was  inaugurated  for  a  formal  joining  of  hands. 
One  matter  upon  which  it  was  hard  to  agree  was 
that  of  a  name  for  the  new  town.  "What's  in  a 
name?"  asks  Shakespeare.  "A  rose  by  any  other 
name  would  smell  as  sweet,"  but  a  change  of  name 
means  loss  of  identity — oblivion — and  it  is  a  trait 
of  human  nature  to  war  against  that.  The  represen- 
tatives of  either  place  were  unwilling  that  their 
home  town,  for  which  they  had  struggled  and 
planned  should  be  nominally  wiped  off'  the  map. 
Several  votes  were  taken  to  decide  whether  the  name 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


should  be  Sedro,  Woolley,  Denver  or  something  else, 
but  those  who  were  defeated  in  the  elections  refused 
to  abide  by  the  result.  It  was  eventually  agreed 
that  the  name  should  be  a  union  of  the  two  old 
names,  as  the  town  should  be  a  union  of  the  two 
old  towns,  and  the  postal  authorities,  though  ex- 
ceedingly loath  to  permit  the  postoffice  to  bear  a 
long,  hyphenated  name,  finally  acquisced  in  the 
interest  of  harmony. 

December  G,  1898,  a  petition  asking  that  steps 
be  taken  toward  union  was  presented  to  the  county 
commissioners  and  pronounced  legal  and  acceptable. 
An  election  was  then  held  to  decide  the  matter, 
which  resulted  in  favor  of  the  union  and  incorpor- 
ation, so  the  two  towns  were  duly  incorporated  by 
the  commissioners  December  19,  1898,  under  the 
name  of  Sedro-Woolley.  The  amount  of  land  em- 
braced in  the  limits  of  the  new  town  was  580.5 
acres.  The  first  officers  elected  to  serve  were: 
Mayor,  Xorris  Ormsby  ;  treasurer,  William  Doherty; 
councilmen,  D.  M.  Donnelly,  Henry  Hosch,  Charles 
MUeneuve,  M.  B.  Mattice  and  F.  A.  Douglass. 

Since  the  union  the  progress  of  Sedro-Woolley 
has  been  more  than  satisfactory,  even  beyond  the 
hopes  of  its  citizens.  During  1901  new  buildings 
were  put  up  to  the  value  of  $70,000,  while  improve- 
ments to  buildings  amounted  to  $32,450.  For  the 
year  ending  March  1,  1903,  $65,000  were  spent  in 
building  improvements,  exclusive  of  the  cost  of 
sidewalks,  fences,  etc.  One  of  the  most  important 
improvements  was  an  excellent  water  system,  which 
was  begun  in  1902,  and  recently  completed  at  a 
cost  of  about  $25,000.  The  system  includes  eight 
miles  of  mains  and  has  a  capacity  of  not  less  than 
350,000  gallons  per  day,  which  is  several  times  more 
than  is  needed  at  present.  The  water  is  secured 
from  the  mountains  lying  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Skagit,  being  piped  across  that  broad  river.  An 
electric-light  plant  was  also  constructed  at  a  cost 
i)f  about  $25,000,  and  twelve  arc  lights  placed  on 
the  streets  as  a  commencement.  One  of  the  most 
important  industries  established  at  this  time  was  the 
iron  works,  which  cost  $10,000,  and  upon  which 
$10,000  more  have  since  been  expended.  Other 
recent  industries  worthy  of  special  mention  are  the 
cement  works  of  Smith  &  Munro  and  a  brick- 
making  plant,  with  a  capacity  of  35,000  bricks  a  day. 

In  accordance  with  American  ideals,  the  school 
made  its  appearance  in  the  towns  of  Sedro  and 
Woolley  simultaneously  with  the  appearance  of  set- 
tlers. The  pioneer  school  of  Sedro  was  held  in 
1889,  upon  the  segregation  of  the  district,  in  the 
old  home  of  William  Woods,  near  the  residence  of 
Charles  LeBallister,  and  was  taught  by  William 
Bell.  Mr.  Bell's  wife  was  formerly  Edith  Peck. 
A  peculiar  feature  of  this  pioneer  school-house  was 
the  use  of  both  the  lower  and  upper  floors,  when  the 
sudden  influx  of  population  came,  under  one  teacher, 
whose  desk  was  placed  on  a  platform  arranged  so 
that  he  could  look  after  both  floors  at  the  same  time. 


Mrs.  P.  A.  Woolley  is  entitled  to  the  distinction  of 
having  taught  the  first  school  in  Woolley,  it  occupy- 
ing the  rear  end  of  the  commissary  house  belonging 
to  the  mill.  This  was  in  the  summer  of  1890.  She 
had  twenty-two  pujMls  at  one  time,  some  of  whom 
walked  a  distance  of  two  miles  through  the  heavy 
timber  to  enjoy  the  privileges  offered.  There  was  as 
yet  no  district  incorporated  and  Mrs.  Woolley 
generously  contributed  her  services  for  the  public 
good.  A  new  term  was  opened  in  November,  1890, 
George  Raymond  being  the  teacher.  The  upper 
story  of  the  cook  house  was  used  as  the  school 
room  this  time,  and  Mr.  Woolley  himself  bore  a  large 
share  of  the  expense  of  maintaining  the  school.  In 
the  spring  of  1891  the  district  was  formally  organ- 
ized, the  first  board  of  directors  being  David  Moore, 
George  Gregory  and  Frank  Douglass.  Mr.  Woolley 
erected  a  building  for  day  school,  Sunda_\-school 
and  church  purposes,  but  it  was  superseded  soon 
as  a  school-house,  although  used  for  seven  years 
for  Sunday-school  purposes,  during  all  of  which 
period  Mrs.  Woolley  served  as  superintendent. 

The  present  school  system  of  the  city  is  an 
excellent  one,  the  teachers  being  among  the  best  in 
the  county.  There  are  two  buildings  in  the  con- 
solidated district,  vtalued  with  their  contents  at 
twenty-eight  thousand  three  hundred  dollars,  and 
during  the  last  school  year  there  was  an  average 
enrollment  of  497  pupils,  of  whom  228  were  boys 
and  269  girls.  The  teachers  were:  Ira  Gerdon, 
principal ;  Mary  Parcell,  Edith  Monoir,  Sadie  Hub- 
bell,  Queenie  Stair,  Margaret  Campion,  Elsie  Pct- 
turam,  Clara  Burkee,  M.  J.  Hyde,  Violet  Bourgett, 
Leota  Meredith ;  and  in  the  kindergarten,  Alice 
Harrison.  The  high-school  building  is  a  handsome 
structure,  situated  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  city. 

The  city  has  four  churches,  the  Presbyterian, 
of  which  Rev.  George  H.  Haystead  is  pastor ; 
Methodist,  Rev.  J.  H.  Carter,  pastor;  Baptist,  with 
a  non-resident  pastor,  and  Catholic,  Rev.  Vr. 
George  S.  Vangoethen.  Of  these,  among  the  first 
to  be  organized  was  the  Presbyterian,  the  first 
services  being  held  in  1889  in  an  old  tent  shack  at 
old  Sedro  by  Rev.  George  Raymond.  The  charter 
members  were  Mrs.  George  A.  Brosseau,  Mrs. 
Mortimer  Cook,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gill  and  Mrs.  Gillis, 
the  first  named  of  whom  still  resides  at  Sedro- 
Woolley.  The  First  Presbyterian  church  was  built 
near  the  hospital  in  1892.  There  was  another  society 
of  the  same  denomination  in  Woolley  which  held 
services  at  first  in  the  rear  end  of  P.  A.  Woolley's 
store.  It  was  known  as  the  House  of  Hope  society 
and  its  charter  members  were:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  P.  A. 
Woolley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Culp,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hegg, 
Miss  Ivate  Woolley  and  W.  A.  Woolley.  When  the 
combination  school  and  church  building  was  erected 
by  Mr.  Woolley,  services  were  held  in  it.  In  1897 
these  two  societies  merged  and  the  old  First  church 
was  removed  to  its  present  location  and  remodeled, 
the  structure  and  furnishings  now  being  worth  at 


226 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


least  four  thousand  dollars.  The  Baptists  were 
organized  in  1891  with  twelve  or  fifteen  members  by 
Rev.  E.  G.  Wheeler,  the  travcliriQ-  evangelist,  and 
services  were  held  for  a  Inni;  tiiiu-  in  an  old  store, 
bought  for  the  purpose.     The  tirsl  resident  pastor 

was  Rev.  Rouse.     The  Catholic  church  is  of 

more  recent  date,  being  established  only  about  three 
years  ago. 

However,  the  pioneer  church  society  of  the  com- 
munity is  the  Methodist,, organized  in  1884  by  Rev. 
W.  B.  McMillan  at  the  home  of  David  Batey.  There 
were  sixteen  charter  members.  Immediately  the 
Bateys  gave  the  use  of  their  old  home  for  church 
purposes  and  for  the  Sunday-school,  and  that  was 
used  until  1886.  The  first  service  held  in  Sedro 
was  held   in  that  year  at   the  home   of   Mortimer 

Cook  by  Rev. Dobbs  of  Whatcom.  After  being 

held  successively  at  the  VanFleet  school-house  and 
in  the  old  Sedro  hotel,  services  were  at  last  trans- 
ferred to  the  societ)'s  own  building,  erected  in 
1892  in  the  First  Addition  to  Sedro,  where  it  still 
remains.  The  building  is  the  best  of  its  kind  in  the 
city,  valued  at  approximately  five  thousand  dollars. 

There  are  two  excellent  newspapers  in  Sedro- 
Woolley,  the  Skagit  County  Times  and  the  Skagit 
County  Courier,  the  former  published  and  edited 
by  W.  H.  Pilcher,  the  latter  owned  by  Foster  & 
Totten,  U.  E.  Foster  being  the  editor.  Both  are 
well-equipped  offices.  The  Courier  has  recently 
installed  a  txpesetting  machine. 

The  present  city  officers  are :  Mayor,  C.  E.  Bing- 
ham :  councilmen,  M.  B.  Mattice,  C.  C.  \''illeneuve, 
George  Ratchford,  W.  W.  Caskey,  David  Donnelly, 
F.  R.  Fowler,  J.  B.  Holbrook ;  clerk,  H.  Hammer ; 
city  attorney,  I.  H.  Seabury ;  treasurer,  Q.  P.  Reno ; 
day  marshal,  J.  C.  Munro ;  night  watchman,  Jasper 
Holman ;  street  superintendent,  H.  H.  Shrewsbury. 
The  fire  department  is  a  good  one,  consisting  of 
two  companies,  of  which  Jasper  Holman  is  chief. 
It  manifested  great  efficiency  in  the  last  serious  fire 
which  occurred  on  May  5,  1900,  resulting  in  the 
burning  of  seven  store  buildings.  It  was  only  by 
the  heroic  efforts  of  the  fire  department  that  the 
bank  building  and  several  others  were  saved.  The 
loss  approximated  seven  thousand  dollars,  a  portion 
of  which  was  covered  by  insurance. 

The  fraternal  orders  are  well  represented  in 
Sedro-Woolley  by  the  F.  &  A.  M.  and  O.  E.  S. : 
K.  of  P.  with  a  uniform  rank;  I.  O.  O.  F.  and 
encampment,  D.  of  R. ;  A.  O.  U.  W.,  D.  of  H., 
M.  W.  A.,  R.  N.  A.,  Eagles,  Ancient  Order  of  For- 
esters, Order  of  Pendo.  Besides  these  there  are 
several  clubs :  The  Commercial ;  the  Hoo-Hoo,  as 
the  lumberman's  association  is  named ;  the  Shingle 
Weavers'  union;  W.  T.  Sherman  Post  No.  41.  and 
the  W.  R.  C,  and  the  women's  societies,  P.  E.  O. 
and  W.  C.  T.  U. 

There  are  a  number  of  large  lumber  and  shingle 
mills  in  and  near  the  city,  among  them  being  the 
Heininger's  with  a  capacity  of  150,000  shingles  per 


day;  Burns'  Shingle  Company's,  90,000  per  day; 
Green  Shingle  Company's  two  mills,  300,000 ; 
Clark  &  Lennon's,  150,000';  D.  J.  Cain  &  Company's, 
80,000 ;  J.  M.  Hoyt's,  80,000 ;'  Sterling  Mill  Co'm- 
pany's,  150,000;  Sedro  Shingle  Company's,  100,000; 
Grand  Rapids  Shingle  Company's,  150,000,  and  the 
Childs  Lumber  Company's.  There  are  also  a  num- 
ber of  logging  camps  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  business  men  and 
establishments  in  the  city  at  the  present  time :  K.  S. 
Paulson,  general  merchandise ;  George  Wicker, 
blacksmith;  W.  J.  Thompson,  livery;  J.  W.  Kyle, 
groceries ;  J.  W.  Nance,  bicycles,  guns,  etc. ;  J.  W. 
Hayson,  jeweler;  Third  street  market,  C.  Mc- 
Donald, proprietor ;  home  bakery,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Wal- 
lace;  Charles  Howe,  manufacturing  shoe  dealer; 
Peoples'  market,  Paul  Paluski,  proprietor ;  the 
Leader  grocery,  Earl  Boynton,  proprietor ;  J.  W. 
Peake,  tailor;  John  Ross,  confectionery  and  cigars; 
Skagit  Furniture  Company,  Ennis  &  Taylor ;  Cres- 
cent bottling  works,  James  Clark ;  Popular  restau- 
rant, Fred  Wack ;  First  National  bank,  August 
Peterson,  president,  Fred  -Bentley,  cashier,  Henry 
Johnson,  assistant  cashier ;  A,  M.  Devener,  under- 
taker;  Stark  &  Huffman,  tailors;  Sedro-Woolley 
Harness  Company,  L.  S.  Livermore,  manager;  D. 
Dalton,  confectionery  and  cigars ;  Skagit  Realty 
Company,  H.  L.  Devin  and  C.  J.  Wicker;  Grand 
Rapids  Shingle  Company,  John  Munro,  president 
and  manager ;  P.  Boynton  &  Son,  general  merchan- 
dise ;  Ames  &  Davis,  barbers ;  Jacob  Lederle,  con- 
fectionery and  cigars  ;  Joseph  Lederle,  shoemaker  ; 
A.  E.  Holland,  druggist ;  C.  E.  Bingham  &  Com- 
pany, bankers,  C.  E.  Bingham,  president,  O.  P. 
Reno,  cashier,  William  West,  assistant  cashier ; 
Fritsch  Brothers,  hardware  and  furniture ;  Frye, 
Bruhn  &  Company,  wholesale  butchers ;  C.  M.  Cole, 
bakery;  R.  K.  Dunham,  tailor  and  employment 
agency;  Union  Mercantile  Company,  general  mer- 
chandise. Senator  E.  Hanmier,  president,  F.  A. 
Hegg,  W.  W.  Caskey,  A.  W.  Davison  and  J.  C. 
Roe ;  Mott  &  Company,  druggists,  Paul  Rhodius, 
manager;  Caddington  &  McGowan,  dry  goods  and 
clothing ;  Frank  Benecke,  newsdealer ;  Central 
barber  shop,  Sid.  C.  Hoover,  proprietor;  William 
Thomsen,  cigar  factory ;  Charles  Nye,  confectionery 
and  cigars  ;  Mrs.  F.  Herron,  millinery ;  P.  C.  Adams, 
gents'  furnishings  ;  .\.  D.  Bauer,  shoes  and  repair- 
ing;  Sedro-Woolley  Tea  Coni|)any.  P.  C.  Philips, 
proprietor;  M.  Levy,  gents'  fnrnishings  ;  E.  Reno, 
bicycles  and  sporting  goods;  (  )siennan  hotel,  Hugo 
Bauman,  proprietor;  J.  W.  Sadler,  paints  and  wall 
paper;  C,  J.  Cramer,  jeweler;  Harris  Condy, 
jewelry ;  Todd's  meat  market,  William  Todd,  prop- 
rietor ;  W.  B.  Pigg,  confectionery  and  cigars ;  Orian 
Hightower,  confectionery  and  cigars;  Morris 
Schneider,  dry  goods  and  clothing ;  Howard  & 
Reynolds,  general  merchandise ;  F.  A.  Douglass, 
druggist;  Pressentin  Hardware  Company,  O.  K. 
Pressentin,     manager ;      Sedro-Woolley      Transfer 


CITIES    AND    TOWxNS 


Company,  J.  B.  Holbrook  and  Xorris  Ormsby ; 
Frank  J.  Hoehn,  livery;  Ratchford  &  McCabe, 
blacksmith ;  Skagit  Improvement  Company,  electric 
lights  and  water,  William  Morgan,  president; 
Sedro-Woolley  Iron  Works,  foundry  and  machine 
shop,  F.  R.  Faller,  president.  Clay  Gould,  secretary ; 
Cory  Shingle  Company,  Philip  Cory,  president; 
I-'orest  House  hotel,  Mrs.  J.  Hubbell ;  Pioneer  lodg- 
ing house,  Henry  Hosch,  proprietor;  Vendome 
hotel,  Frank  Bergeron,  proprietor;  K.  W.  Rings, 
tailor  shop;  R.  McKay,  barber  shop ;  Skagit  Com- 
mission Company,  hay,  grain  and  feed,  John  Gould, 
proprietor  ;  Keystone  hotel,  Charles  Hill,  proprietor  ; 
Cira}-'s  Harbor  lodging  house,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Chapman, 
proprietor ;  Sedro-Woolley  creamery,  Robert  E. 
Reid,  manager ;  Sedro  Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Com- 
pany, Dave  Donnelly,  manager ;  Sedro-Woolley 
I'.ottling  works,  A.  C.  Kick,  manager ;  D.  R.  Kinsey, 
photographer  ;  Mrs.  Hastings,  photographer  ;  steam 
laundry,  Ed.  Burns,  proprietor ;  attorneys :  Gable  & 
Seabury,  Wilbra  Colman,  William  Perry ;  Morrow 
Credit  Companv,  T.  J.  Morrow,  president;  dentist. 
T.  S.  Baldridge';  M.  B.  Mattice.  M.  D. ;  C.  C.  Har- 
"baugh,  M.  D. ;  C.  M.  Frazer,  M.  D. ;  B.  F.  Brooks. 
M.  D. ;  dray  line,  C.  Ingham ;  Shrewsbury  Lumber 
Company,  H.  H.  Shrewsbury,  manager. 

From  the  foregoing  general  review  of  the  busi- 
ness establishments  of  .Sedro-Woolley,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  town  has  all  the  staple  lines  well  rep- 
resented and  has  not  a  little  manufacturing,  with  the 
stimulus  to  commercial  prosperity  which  a  pav  roll 
always  gives.  The  railroad  connecting  it  with  Rock- 
port  makes  it  the  natural  outlet  for  the  rich  up-river 
country  with  its  wealth  of  timber  and  agricultural 
products  and  whatever  the  future  may  win  from  the 
coal  and  iron  deposits  there.  A  goodly  share  of  the 
prosperity  which  flows  from  the  development  of 
Skagit  valley's  great  natural  resources  will  always 
come  to  Sedro-Woolley.  afiving.it  permanence  and 
the  sinews  of  growth.  The  rapidity  with  which  it 
has  grown  in  recent  years  is  seen  from  the  fact 
that  in  1900  it  had  eight  hundred  and  eighty-five 
inhabitants  and  on  July  1,  1904,  according  to  a 
reliable    census,    two    thousand    one    hundred    and 


twent)-.  Perhaps  it  would  be  too  much  to  say  that 
the  town  is  maintaining  this  ratio  of  increase,  but 
it  is  still  forging  ahead  at  a  rapid  pace.  It  has  much 
to  render  it  attractive  to  the  home  builder,  a  beauti- 
ful site,  broad  streets,  well  laid  out,  a  thrifty  citi- 
zenship, good  school  facilities  and  a  large  and 
increasing  number  of  elegant  modern  homes. 


THE   T.\LE    OF    TWO    CITIES. 

On  the  banks  of  the  mighty  Skagit, 

In  the   haunts  of  the  Siwash   and   shig, 

Some  time  in   the   early   eighties 

Rose  a  brisk  little  town,  called  Bug. 

There  are  tales  of  the  valor  and  prowess 
Of  these  knights  of  the  saw  and  the  a.x. 

\\'ho  made  through  the  forest  primeval 
Tlie  first  irretraceable  tracks. 

Tliere  are  tales  of  soul-stirring  adventure ; 

Of  bears   that   were  bigger   than  barns; 
Of    salmon    of   whale-like   proportions — 

But  I  cannot  spin  all  of  these  yarns. 

.\nd  the  little  town  grew  so  pretentious 
That  it  no  longer  fitted  its  name : 

So.  out  of  regard   for  the  cedars. 
It   finally   Sedro   became. 

Now.  to  the  northeastward  of  Sedro, 
Rose  WooUey ;  and  lo !  there  began 

A   strife   that   was   long  and   unhappy — 
Raging  fiercely,  as  clan  against  clan. 

But    Woolley    kept   creeping   southeastward, 
And  Sedro  kept  creeping  northwest 

Until   it  grew  plain  to  all  people 
That  peaceable  union  was  best. 

So  they  formally  buried  the  hatchet 
And  all  was  henceforward  serene ; 

For  the  two  became  Sedro-Woolley, 
\\'ith  only  a  hyphen  between. 

And  I  sing  of  a  glorious  future, 

Well  worthy  the  deeds  of  the  past : 

Here's  three  cheers  for  our  own  Sedro-Woolle\'- 
Long  may  its  prosperity  last ! 


Mrs.  W.  T.  Odlin. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


CITIES  AND  TOWNS  {Continued) 


BURLINGTON 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1882  that  John  P.  Millett 
and  William  McKay  entered  the  dense  forest  of 
cedar,  spruce,  fir  and  smaller  timber  and,  disturb- 
ing the  deer,  bear  and  cougar,  erected  a  shack  and 
made  ready  for  the  establishment  of  a  logging  camp 
on  the  ground  upon  which  now  stands  the  impor- 
tant town  of  Burlington.  From  a  viewpoint  mid- 
way between  the  town  of  to-day  and  the  solitary 
shack  of  1882,  one  gains  an  interesting  glimpse  of 
the  beginnings  of  Burlington  as  it  stepped  toward 
its  seat  in  the  sisterhood  of  Skagit  county  com- 
munities. Such  a  viewpoint  was  enjoyed  by  the 
editor  of  the  Skagit  News  when  in  the  issue 
of  his  paper  of  July  27,  1891,  he  recorded  his  visit 
to  Burlington  in  the  following  language : 

"After  taking  a  walk  over  town  we  found  a  num- 
ber of  fine  new  buildings,  some  completed,  others 
under  course  of  construction  and  some  just  being 
commenced.  One  of  the  most  notable  buildings, 
and  one  which  is  nearing  completion,  is  a  large  two- 
story  building;  the  lower  room  is  to  be  used  as  a 
school-room  and  the  upper  one  for  a  hall.  The 
building  is  being  put  up  by  the  town  company  to 
be  used  for  public  schools  until  a  district  school 
building  can  be  built.  Arrangements  are  being 
made  to  vote  bonds  at  an  early  date.  The  enroll- 
ment of  school  children  in  the  district  is  upward  of 
seventy-five.  The  M.  E.  church  has  the  founda- 
tion laid  for  quite  a  large  building,  which  will  be  a 
beautiful  structure  when  completed.  A  couple  of 
foundations  have  already  been  laid  for  warehouses 
near  the  railroad  crossing,  in  which  grain  and  farm 
products  will  be  stored  for  shipment.  The  Sedro 
Mercantile  Company  moved  into  their  two-story 
building  about  four  weeks  ago,  with  a  $10,000  stock 
of  general  merchandise.  The  proprietors.  Poulson 
Brothers,  were  not  at  home,  but  from  all  appear- 
ances we  should  judge  that  they  were  doing  a  good 
business.  On  Fairhaven  avenue  the  Rowley  house 
is  located,  with  A.  Rowley  as  proprietor.  It  is  a  fine 
two-story  building:  near  it  on  the  same  avenue 
JAr.  Rowley  is  just  completing  another  two-storv 
building  which  will  be  fitted  up  for  a  billiard  hall, 
and  his  entire  business  is  run  on  a  strictly  tem- 
perance basis.  The  Burlington  house,  on  Ana- 
cortes  avenue,  is  a  two-story  building,  and  run 
imdor  the  management  of  W.  A.  Gould.    The  house 


seemed  to  be  well  patronized.  Opposite  the  Bur- 
lington house  is  located  Shaughnessy's  restaurant, 
with  Thomas  Shaughnessy  at  the  helm.  He  has 
also  five  acres  in  the  town  site  which  is  nearly  all 
under  cultivation.  His  potatoes  are  as  fine  as  can 
be  found  in  the  county.  We  next  called  at  the 
Pioneer  store  of  T.  G.  Wilson,  the  future  postmaster 
of  Burlington.  Mr.  Wilson  carries  a  large  stock 
of  general  merchandise,  and  is  making  a  specialty 
of  handling  giant  and  Judson  powders.  He  is 
doing  a  good  business.  Information  has  been  re- 
ceived from  Washington  City  that  the  postoffice 
would  be  established  in  a  few  days." 

Before  turning  back  in  point  of  time  to  a  consid- 
eration of  the  first  period  in  the  development  of 
Burlington  from  a  logging  camp  site  to  its  position 
at  the  time  the  editor  wrote  the  statements  quoted 
above,  it  may  be  well  to  record  a  few  annotations 
which  will  fix  in  the  mind  of  the  reader  acquainted 
with  the  present  day  Burlington  the  buildings  and 
men  referred  to  by  the  editor.  The  town  company 
building  referred  to  is  now  the  Maccabee's  hall,  and 
it  stood  first  on  Orange  street.  The  Sedro  Mercantile 
Company's  store  building  had  been  erected  in  1890 
by  Joseph  Woods  &  Company.  Mr.  Shaughnessy, 
starting  a  year  after  the  visit  of  the  editor,  was 
proprietor  of  a  butcher  shop  and  meat  market  for 
several  months  and  in  1S9;>  he  built  the  World's 
Fair  saloon  and  hotel,  now  the  Great  Northern. 
Mr.  Wilson  had  bought  ait  Mr.  Burton,  who  es- 
tablished the  business  only  the  spring  previous  to  the 
editor's  visit,  and  Mr.  Burton  had  embarked  in  the 
general  store  business  onlr  the  year  before. 

The  shack  built  by  John  P'.  Millett  after  the 
establishment  of  the  Millett  &  McKay  logging  camp 
late  in  the  fall  of  1S82  was  the  first  human  habita- 
tion on  the  ground  where  the  people  of  Burlington 
live.  It  was  located  a  little  to  the  southwest  of  the 
junction  point  of  the  railroads  of  to-day.  and  in  it 
Mr.  Millett  and  his  family  lived  until  late  in  the 
eighties.  The  first  timber  claims  on  the  site  of 
the  present  town  of  Burlington  were  taken  early 
in  the  year  1883.  William  McKay  held  the  land, 
which  included  Little  Mamtain.  while  across  the 
line  where  Fairhaven  avenue  has  since  been  made 
was  the  claim  of  Larry  Gilfoy.  on  which  Mr.  Mil- 
lett's  cabin  was  erected  and  on  which  the  railway 
station  of  the  present  day  lias  since  gone  up.  Look- 
ing from  Anacortes  avenue  across  the  Gilfoy  claim. 


""       -   '.^"'2l.?^^T-:,'.. 

-.    ^.-^""^S'^Jgu"    ,.      "'     - 

'  ,  '            ■*■  •  '.rV'v  ,    ■      •    ■                        ""   " 

r      a                **            '■            ^ 

IN    SKAGIT    COUNTY 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


one  could  see  the  land  of  "Smoky"  Smith,  while  in 
the  same  direction,  with  Little  Mountain  as  the 
viewpoint,  one  beholds  the  land  which  formed  the 
Millctt  timber  claim. 

There  was  little  done  in  the  way  of  settlement 
of  the  land  during  the  period  when  timber  and 
logging  were  the  chief  industries.  Isolated  facts 
concerning  this  period  of  development  have  been 
obtained  from  an  article  from  the  pen  of  Frank 
Umbarger,  which  appeared  in  the  School  Bulletin  in 
the  issue  of  March,  1903.  Mrs.  John  P.  Millett 
was  the  first  white  woman  to  reside  in  the  locality 
of  Burlington.  The  best  of  the  timber  was  logged 
from  the  town  site  by  Mr.  McKay  in  1883,  but  it 
was  not  until  the  closing  days  of  1890  that  he 
platted  the  town  site,  recording  his  plat  on  New 
Year's  Day  of  1891.  It  was  in  the  summer  of  1890 
that  the  first  railroad  train  passed  through  Burling- 
ton over  the  Seattle  &  Northern.  Though  the  Great 
Northern  was  not  surveyed  until  that  year,  its 
through  trains  were  running  early  in  1891.  The 
first  saw-mill  was  erected  by  T.  L.  Fox  in  the 
winter  of  1890-1,  and  in  the  latter  year  Dale  & 
Company  manufactured  the  first  shingles,  using  a 
threshing  machine  engine  for  power.  It  was  about 
this  time  that  the  first  saloon  was  opened  in  the 
place.  Burton  &  Son  establishing  it  on  Anacortes 
avenue  in  buildings  which  were  consumed  by  fire 
on  Christmas  night.  189(i.  The  first  postoffi'ce  at 
Burlington  was  established  early  in  the  year  1891, 
T.  G.  Wilson  being  the  first  postmaster.  The  school 
district  was  established  May  1,  1891,  Miss  Clara 
Garl  being  the  first  teacher. 

The  advent  of  the  railroad  gave  a  great  impetus 
to  the  settlement  of  the  town  of  Burlington  and 
vicinity,  for  it  afiforded  transportation  for  men  and 
merchandise.  While  Burlington  has  never  felt  the 
impetus  of  boom  days  nor  the  depression  of  col- 
lapsed booms,  its  growth  as  a  commercial  center 
opened  with  the  orderly  laying  out  of  the  town 
site  in  1891  and  the  subsequent  advertising  of  its 
natural  advantages  and  resources  by  the  town  site 
company.  Soon  after  Mr.  McKay  had  platted  his 
logged  off  land,  George  D.  McLean,  then  a  resident 
of  Mount  Vernon  and  the  western  agent  of  Roswell 
Skeel  of  New  York  City,  purchased  fourteen  hun- 
dred acres  of  Mr.  McKay's  property  and  com- 
menced the  formation  of  the  town  site  company.  T. 
W.  Soules  of  Mount  Vernon  secured  an  interest  in 
the  companv  and  Mr.  McKay,  by  the  terms  of  the 
purchase  of  his  land,  retained  an  interest,  but  in 
the  course  of  a  short  time  all  interests  were  ab- 
sorbed by  Mr.  Skeel.  The  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  which  were  platted  into  the  town  site  proper 
were  placed  on  the  market  at  low  figures  and  the 
mducements  held  out  were  attractive  to  prospective 
buyers  who  noted  the  natural  resources  of  the  con- 
tiguous territory  and  saw  the  advantages  to  accrue 
from  the  development  of  railway  traffic.  The  one 
thousand   one  hundred   and   sixty   acres  remaining 


out  of  the  original  purchase  from  Mr.  McKay  have 
been  divided  into  one,  five  and  ten-acre  tracts  and 
placed  on  the  market  as  suburban  property  at 
prices  low  enough  to  warrant  purchase  for  purposes 
of  residences,  small  farms  and  market  gardens. 
Thus  was  the  settlement  of  Burlington  as  a  center 
of  activity  made  easy  b}-  the  men  who  controlled 
the  land  where  the  town  has  grown. 

But  Burlington  is  more  than  an  artificial  town 
site  and  the  creation  of  real  estate  speculation.  It 
possesses  advantages  not  surpassed  and  only  occa- 
sionally equaled  as  a  place  of  permanent  commercial 
activity.  Being  the  junction  point  of  the  Seattle, 
Bellingham  &  Vancouver  and  the  Rockport,  Bur- 
lington &  Anacortes  branches  of  the  Great  North- 
ern system,  the  town  is  easy  of  access  for  commerce 
from  outside  points.  The  railroads  have  tapped  the 
sources  of  agricultural  production  in  the  vicinity 
by  making  possible  the  easy  transportation  of  the 
yield  of  the  fields,  while  at  the  same  time  they  have 
made  easy  of  access  articles  of  consumption.  Lying 
to  the  northwest  of  the  town  is  the  Olympia  farming 
district,  a  large  area  of  rich  and  fertile  agricul- 
tural lands,  which,  though  more  recently  brought 
to  the  attention  of  settlers  than  some  other  sections 
of  Skagit  county,  are  none  the  less  remarkable  for 
their  powers  of  production.  To  the  west  and  south, 
extending  to  the  Skagit  ri\cr.  are  other  rich  farming 
lands  which  arc  rapidl\  becoming  productive 
and  conveying  their  xields  to  the  central  ship- 
ping point  at  Burlington.  To  the  northeast  and 
east  of  the  town  the  land  is  less  settled,  though  scat- 
tered through  the  tract  of  timber  are  to  be  found 
numerous  smaller  holdings  of  farm  land  which  are 
sending  their  products   to  town. 

As  early  as  1893  the  inhabitants  of  Burlington 
proposed  incorporation  as  a  municipality.  The 
movement  failed  because  the  community  could  not 
muster  the  required  population.  The  subject  of 
incorporation  Ia\-  dormant  for  a  number  oif  years 
and  no  organized  movement  was  inaugurated  until 
June  Ifi,  1902,  when  Burlington  became  a  town  of 
the  fourth  class.  The  first  mayor  was  F.  W.  Weide- 
man.  and  the  first  city  council  was  composed  of 
Zachariah  Warfield,  Orson  Pease,  William  Hurley. 
Michael  Hogan  and  David  Koch.  At  the  time  of 
incorporation  the  town  census  showed  that  two 
hundred  and  sixty  persons  composed  the  popula- 
tion. Burlington  now  has,  some  say,  three  times 
that  many,  and  the  cause  of  this  influx  of  people 
lies  solely  in  general  conditions.  No  municipal 
works  have  as  yet  been  undertaken  by  the  town, 
yet  much  progress  in  the  way  of  street  grading  and 
i.mprovement  has  been  made.  A  stone  crusher  has 
been  purchased  at  a  cost  of  five  hundred  dollars 
and  is  in  operation  every  day  in  preparing  rock  for 
macadamizing  the  principal  streets  of  the  town. 
A  quarry  situated  within  the  town  limits  furnishes 
rock  of  a  quality  very  desirable  for  road  building 
and  the  streets  are  kept  in  good  condition. 


232 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


The  present  officers  of  Curlington  are:  Mayor, 
I.  J.  Howe ;  treasurer.  A.  E.  Henry ;  clerk,  D.  Ben- 
nett;  attorney,  George  D.  Greene;  councilmen,  J. 
R.  Koch,  G.  E.  Heathman,  Sr.,  W.  H.  Whitney,  F. 
Fritsch  and  John  Forst ;  pohce  judge,  O.  A.  Pease; 
marshal,   V.   Tourtillotte. 

The  railroad  has  been  a  very  important  factor 
in  the  rapid  development  of  the  town  of  Burlington 
and  of  the  farming  country  of  which  the  town  forms 
the  chief  center.  The  first  depot  of  the  Seattle  & 
Northern  was  erected  in  1890  and  stood  at  the 
crossing  of  Anacortes  avenue.  The  first  building 
of  the  Great  Northern  was  erected  the  following 
year  and  was  a  mere  shack  at  the  Orange  avenue 
crossing.  One  Sunday  morning  a  few  years  later 
the  people  of  Burlington  awoke  to  find  that  they 
had  a  new  railway  station,  the  fine  structure  which 
had  stood  at  Bellville,  two  miles  north  of  Burling- 
ton and  on  the  line  of  the  Great  Northern,  hav- 
ing been  moved  during  the  night  on  flat  cars  and 
brought  down  to  the  junction  of  the  two  roads 
at  Burlington.  The  removal  of  this  depot  had  not 
been  heralded  and  the  citizens  of  Burlington  were 
as  much  surprised  as  was  Samuel  Bell,  on  whose 
land  it  had  been  built  as  a  part  of  right  of  way  con- 
sideration. This  building  did  duty  as  a  union  sta- 
tion until  it  was  burned,  when  the  present  structure 
was  erected.  The  town  enjoys  excellent  railway 
and  transportation  facilities,  the  number  of  daily 
passenger  trains  being  ten.  There  are  six  trains  on 
the  Seattle  line,  three  each  way,  and  four  on  the 
Skagit  valley  branch,  two  being  trains  from  and  to 
Anacortes.  Communication  is  maintained  with 
Sedro-Woolley,  five  miles  up  the  vallev,  by  a  twice- 
a-day  stage  service,  operated  by  Ira  lirown. 

To  turn  again  to  the  development  of  commer- 
cial activity  in  Burlington,  the  first  business  building 
in  the  town  was  the  twin  structures  already  referred 
to  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Anacortes  and  Fair- 
haven  avenues,  occupied  as  store  and  saloon  by  E. 
D.  Burton  &  Son.  The  building  was  erected  in  the 
spring  of  1890  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  Christ- 
mas night,  1896.  In  1891  the  Sedro  Mercantile 
Company  established  itself  in  the  Joe  \\'oods  & 
Company  building,  which  was  later  occupied  by 
Emerson  Hammer  and  is  now  the  home  of  Thomas 
Collins'  saloon.  In  the  same  summer  F.  W.  Weide- 
man  opened  a  hardware  store  on  Orange  street, 
just  west  of  Anacortes  avenue.  While  this  was 
going  on  a  building  was  erected  at  the  intersection 
of  Orange  street  and  Anacortes  avenue  by  a  man 
who  left  town  before  engaging  in  business.  In 
1891  the  first  meat  market  in  the  town  was  opened 
liy  John  Deneke  &  Brother.  Among  the  mutations 
of  the  years  which  have  elapsed  since  the  first  busi- 
ness houses  were  established  have  been  changes  in 
the  character  and  importance  of  the  thoroughfares 
of  the  settlement.  At  one  time  Orange"  street 
seemed  destined  to  be  the  leading  business  street  of 
Burlington,   but   it   had   to   give   wa\-   before   Ana- 


cortes avenue,  which  in  its  turn  has  seen  the  great- 
est business  activity  transferred  to  Fairhaven  ave- 
nue. The  years  of  these  early  business  ventures 
were  those  of  feverish  activity  regarding  the  des- 
tiny of  the  town  on  the  part  of  the  pioneer  mer- 
chants. At  the  close  of  the  year  1891  there  were 
probably  not  over  three  hundred  people  in  Burling- 
ton, but  with  the  coming  of  the  following  years 
more  settlers  arrived  in  the  surrounding  country, 
transportation  facilities  opened  up  and  business 
man  and  farmer  alike  knew  that  Burlington  had 
come  to  stay.  The  subsequent  history  of  the  town 
has  been  one  of  steady  and  conservative  advance- 
ment. 

It  has  been  only  within  comparatively  recent 
years  that  manufacturing  has  flourished  in  Bur- 
Hngton,  but  at  present  the  town  boasts  of  three 
shingle  mills,  which  are  capable  of  turning  out 
220,000  shingles  per  diem.  The  O.  L.  Bridgeman 
mill  was  established  in  1901  and  has  a  daily  capac- 
ity of  60,000.  ■  The  Burlington  Alill  Company,  un- 
der the  management  of  David  Bennett,  established 
in  1901,  is  turning  out  100,000  shingles  each  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  Burlington  Electric  Company's 
mill  was  established  in  1901  by  local  people  and  has 
a  capacity  of  60,000  shingles  daily.  In  connection 
with  the  last-named  establishment,  of  which  I.  J. 
Howe  is  the  manager,  there  is  operated  an  electric 
plant  which  cost  $10,000,  and  which  furnishes  pub- 
lic and  private  lighting. 

A  list  of  the  leading  establishments  of  the  town 
at  this  date  would  include  the  following :  Hotels : 
the  Northern,  with  C.  H.  Harpst  as  proprietor; 
the  Travelers'  Home,  built  in  1903,  with  Orson 
Pease  as  proprietor,  and  the  Ludin  house,  operated 
by  .Albert  Ludin ;  lodging  houses,  Mrs.  Madge 
Warfield  and  Thomas  Shaughnessv  ;  general  stores  : 
J.  F.  Shilder,  established  inV.iOO:  F.  W.  Weideman, 
established  in  1891.  and  nnw  dealing  in  paints,  oils 
and  house  furnishings,  in  addition  to  the  original 
hardware  business,  and  J.  H.  Knutzen  &  Son,  who 
succeeded  to  the  business  of  E.  K.  Barnard  in 
September  of  1901;  confectionery  stores:  Harry 
Knutzen  ;  Otto  Engbaum  ;  Chamberlain  &  Company, 
and  Mrs.  Ada  Rusk ;  meat  markets.  Burton  & 
Knutzen  and  Ebeling  Brothers :  barber  shops,  E. 
M.  Simpson  and  J.  O.  Forst :  tailor.  A.  Lindbery ; 
drug  store.  A.  E.  Henry,  established  in  June,  1903; 
physician.  Dr.  Fred  S.  Schacht ;  attorney  at  law, 
George  D.  Greene ;  dry  goods.  W.  F.  Schacht ; 
millinery,  Mrs.  John  Doughty:  bicycle  shop,  E. 
Reno,  with  E.  A.  Tucker  as  manager;  Racket 
store,  J.  B.  Koch;  blacksmith,  T-  W.  Clark;  con- 
tractor and  lumber  dealer.  R.  H.  Ilopkins ;  three 
saloons.  The  old  town  site  company  is  still  in  ex- 
istence, with  George  D.  AIcLean  as  general  man- 
ager, I.  J.  Howe  as  resident  manager,  and  Ros- 
well  Skeel  of  New  York  proprietor. 

Burlington  has  an  opera  house  with  a  seating 
capacity  of  several  hundred.     The  opening  of  the 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


Skagit  State  bank  in  May  of  1905  filled  a  want  long 
felt  by  the  business  people  of  the  town  and  vicin- 
ity. The  Burlington  Journal  is  another  one  of  the 
semi-public  institutions  in  which  the  citizens  take 
pride  and  interest.  This  paper  was  established  in 
1899  by  H.  L.  Bowmer  &  Son,  but  in  the  beginning 
of  190.5  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Thomas  Howe. 

Since  that  May  day  of  1891  when  Miss  Clara 
Garl  opened  the  first  school  in  Burlington,  the 
school  has  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  local 
politics  of  the  town.  In  1892  a  commodious  new 
school,  two  stories  high,  with  basement,  was  erected. 
It  has  since  been  rebuilt,  and  now  has  eight  com- 
modious rooms.  There  is  talk  of  the  erection  of  a 
high  school  in  the  near  future. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  growth  of  the  town 
its  people  recognized  the  need  of  the  tempering 
effect  of  religious  influences  and  services  and  in 
1891  two  thousand  dollars  were  raised  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  a  church  for  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal denomination.  A  substantial  frame  build- 
ing resulted,  to  which  in  more  recent  years  a  par- 
sonage has  been  added  at  a  cost  of  eight  hundred 
dollars.  The  society  is  entirely  out  of  debt.  Rev. 
J.  W.  Kern  is  pastor.  The  Episcopal  denomina- 
tion is  represented  by  St.  Mark's  church,  which 
has  a  neat  frame  structure,  built  several  years  ago 
at  a  cost  of  two  hundred  dollars.  As  yet  there  is 
no  resident  rector,  but  the  organization  is  kept  up 
by  the  members  and  already  more  ambitious  plans 
for  work  are  talked  of  by  the  leading  adherents  of 
the  church.  There  is  also  a  society  of  Catholics  in 
Burlington  which  receives  ministrations  at  intervals 
from  visiting  priests.  The  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Zion  church  society  was  organized  last  year  and 
a  frame  edifice  with  stone  foundation  was  erected. 
The  pastor  is  Rev.  Theodore  Goeswein,  whose  work 
is  meeting  with  a  hearty  response  on  the  part  of 
the  church  membership. 

Of  fraternal  organizations  Burlington  has  her 
quota.  The  Odd  Fellows  are  represented  by  Bur- 
lington lodge.  No.  19,  and  Valley  lodge.  No.  67, 
Daughters  of  Rebekah.  The  Maccabees  have  a 
local  tent  and  an  auxiliary  hive.  Burlington  camp. 
No.  8996.  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  was  or- 
ganized on  the  2ith  of  July,  1904.  and  now  has  a 
membership  roll  containing  twenty-eight  names. 


At  various  points  in  this  work  we  have  described 
the  character  of  the  lands  in  western  Skagit  county 
bordering  the  sound.  We  have  seen  the  great  de- 
velopment which  these  regions  have  enjoyed 
through  the  diking,  clearing  and  cultivating  of  the 
rich  lands  subject  to  overflow  which  border  the 
streams,  sloughs  and  iplets  of  that  portion  of  the 
county.  We  have  also  seen  how  the  timber  re- 
sources, the  pastoral  resources  and  the  commercial 
resources  work  there  hand  in  hand  with  the  agricul- 


tural, thereby  producing  a  variety  of  industries  and 
a  general  strengthening  of  enterprise  such  as  can- 
not be  easily  matched  in  many  other  portions  of  the 
state.  In  natural  response  to  demands  created  by 
these  varied  industries  there  have  grown  up  at  many 
places  small,  yet  active  and  enterprising  towns, 
which,  even  more  than  the  large  cities,  represent 
the  vital  forces  concerned  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
great  state  of  Washington. 

A  type  of  these  numerous  small  towns  may  be 
found  in  Edison,  located  in  the  far-famed  Samish 
valley  in  Skagit  county.  Edison,  which  derives  its 
name  from  that  of  the  "Wizard  of  Menlo  Park,"  is 
located  upon  both  sides  of  the  north  branch  of  the 
Samish  river,  which  is  also  called  Edison  slough. 
It  is  about  a  mile  from  the  bay  and,  at  high  tide,  is 
accessible  to  steamers  of  medium  draught.  Im- 
mediately around  the  town  is  the  reclaimed  tide 
land,  while  rising  slightly  above  those  lands  is  a 
belt  of  fertile  valley  densely  timbered  in  its  native 
state,  but,  cleared  first  by  the  hands  of  the  loggers 
and  then  of  the  fanners,  now  a  rich  farming  region. 
A  few  miles  to  the  south  of  it  lies  the  picturesque 
Bayview  ridge,  and  at  about  an  equal  distance 
northward  may  be  seen  the  green  heights  of  the 
Chuckanut  hills.  Far  to  the  eastward,  dominating 
the  entire  landscape,  tower  the  majestic  peaks  of 
the  Cascade  mountains. 

Edison's  beginnings  may  be  said  to  date  from 
the  year  1869,  when  several  settlers  took  up  their 
abode  on  the  tide-swept  flats  and  began  reclaim- 
ing them  from  the  sea.  Among  these  men  were  Ben 
Samson,  who  took  the  claim  upon  which  the  town 
site  of  Edison  was  later  platted.  A  year  later  came 
Edward  McTaggart,  who  settled  immediately  north- 
west of  Samson  and  adjoining  him.  Gradually 
others  gathered  around  this  nucleus  until  the  set- 
tlement became  so  large  that  a  postofiice  was  de- 
manded. To  further  this  project  Mr.  McTaggart 
called  a  meeting  for  the  consideration  of  the  mat- 
ter. It  was  held  at  the  AIcTaggart  place  March 
26,  18T6,  forty-six  settlers  being  present,  and  a  peti- 
tion drawn  and  signed  asking  for  the  creation  of 
Edison  postofiice  with  Edward  McTaggart  as  post- 
master, he  suggesting  the  name  of  Edison  in  honor 
of  the  celebrated  electrician.  The  ofiice  was  estab- 
lished the  following  June  with  Swen  Johnson  as  the 
first  mail  carrier.  For  a  long  time  the  office  was 
kept  in  the  house  of  D.  P.  Thomas,  situated  in  a 
little  grove  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  slough 
opposite  Samson's  place. 

The  opening  of  the  postoffice  naturally  led  to  the 
establishing  of  a  trading  post  for  the  convenience  of 
those  on  the  flats,  the  honor  of  being  the  pioneer  mer- 
chant belonging  to  Captain  A.  J.  Edwards,  a  sloop 
trader.  His  little  store  was  opened  about  the  year 
18S0,  or  perhaps  a  year  later,  directly  on  the  slough, 
occupying  a  small  tract  of  land  donated  for  the 
purpose  bv  Mr.  McTaggart.  Mr.  McTaggart  savs 
that  Dan  Dingwall  built'  Edison's  first  hotel  in  1883 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


on  a  little  tract  of  his  (McTaggart's)  claim  ad- 
joining that  on  which  the  store  stood,  though  some 
claim  that  this  hotel  was  erected  a  little  earlier. 
At  any  rate,  Dingwall  did  erect  a  hotel  and  lodging 
house  there  about  that  time  especially  for  the  con- 
venience of  his  force  of  loggers  at  work  on  the 
slough. 

Not  very  long  after  this  Dingwall  failed  and 
through  foreclosure  proceedings  his  property  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Colonel  Granville  O.  Haller,  the 
well-known  Coupeville  pioneer,  who  also  at  the 
same  time  came  into  possession  of  Samson's  claim. 
Upon  a  part  of  that  property,  the  Samson  land. 
Colonel  Haller,  in  1.S86,  platted  the  original  Edison 
town  site,  consisting  of  only  four  acres  or  even 
less.  More  land  has  been  platted  from  time  to 
time  by  the  Haller  interests,  which  still  own  the 
greater  portion  of  the  site,  as  also  much  surrounding 
property.  A  small  tract  of  the  McTaggart  claim 
is  also  included  in  this  site. 

Settlement  in  those  early  years  progressed  slowly 
as  the  reclamation  of  the  flats  and  the  densely 
timbered  bench  lands  was  expensive.  All  traveling 
was  done  in  canoes,  row-boats  and  flat-boats,  says 
Mr.  McTaggart,  as  the  flats  were  so  badly  cut  up 
by  sloughs  and  the  ground  was  so  slimy  and  spongy 
that  land  traveling  was  an  impossibility.  In  1885 
a  bridge  was  built  across  the  south  branch  of  the 
Samish,  half  the  cost  being  paid  by  the  county  and 
half  by  the  settlers,  the  latter's  portion  being  guar- 
anteed by  Mr.  McTaggart.  Just  previous  to  this 
in  the  year  1881,  the  settlers  built  another  bridge 
across  the  North  Samish  near  Edison,  using  cedar 
logs  for  bents  and  cedar  logging  for  flooring. 
William  Dean  did  the  pile  driving.  This  bridge 
proved  a  valuable  improvement  indeed.  A  dike 
was  also  early  completed  across  the  flats  to  Samish 
island,  alifording  the  interior  easy  connection  with 
the  Seattle-Whatcom  steamers  on  the  sound,  and 
ferry  boats  established  between  the  island  and  the 
mainland.  The  late  Swen  Johnson  was  the  first 
ferryman,_  followed  by  Joseph  and  Charlie  Mat- 
thews, William  Brown  and  son  and  John  White  suc- 
cessively. Too  much  praise  cannot  be  given  those 
early  navigators,  for  the  labor  of  rowing  against 
tides,  winds  and  during  storms,  waiting,  etc.,  was 
extremely  exhausting  and  trying. 

The  Bellingham  Bay  Mail  of  April  37,  1878, 
contains  a  mention  of  the  prospective  immediate 
establishment  of  the  town  and  postofifice  at  Edison. 
In  the  Skagit  News  of  February  9,  1886,  we  find 
mention  of  the  place  as  a  "lively  little  town,  beauti- 
fully situated  on  Edison  slough."  It  is  there  stated 
that  William  Gilmore  had  become  the  leading  mer- 
chant and  was  doing  at  that  time  an  immense  gen- 
eral merchandise  business  with  the  entire  region 
thereabouts.  We  learn  from  other  sources  that 
Mr.  Gilmore,  with  his  three  sons,  William  N.,  John 
A.  and  Hugh  J.,  had  come  to  Edison  from  Seattle 
in  the  summer  of  1882.    He  bought  out  the  pioneer 


store  of  A.  J.  Edwards,  which  was  situated  almost 
behind  the  present  Gilmore  store.  Mr.  Gilmore  con- 
ducted this  business  until  1900,  when  his  death 
occurred  and  the  business  passed  into  the  hands 
of  his  two  oldest  sons,  who  continue  it  to  the  pres- 
ent. In  1884  Thomas  Cain's  saloon  and  Boyce  & 
Churchill's  store  were  erected.  A  year  later  Boyce 
sold  out  his  interest  to  Churchill,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded in  turn  by  John  Doser.  This  business  seems 
to  have  undergone  many  changes,  W.  H.  Peters,  W. 
E.  Gilkey  and  George  Zimmerman  conducting  it  by 
turns;  and  in  1891,  having  in  the  meantime  fallen 
again  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Doser,  the  store  was 
burned  but  rebuilt  by  Doser  two  years  later,  still 
again  becoming  the  property  of  Wheeler  Brothers 
of  Blaine.  Among  other  early  business  men  of  the 
place  was  Howard  J.  Lee,  who  sold  out  subse- 
quently to  Iddins  &  Company,  who  still  conduct 
the  business.  Charles  Taggart  and  W.  E.  Gilkey 
were  in  partnership  in  the  mercantile  business  from 
1891  to  1896,  when  Taggart  retired  and  Gilkey 
conducted  the  business  until  1903,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  E.  E.  Rodgers,  who  still  conducts  the 
business.  Among  the  other  early  business  enter- 
prises may  be  mentioned  that  of  Dave  Webble,  who 
became  the  first  blacksmith  in  1885.  The  next  ho- 
tels to  be  started  after  that  of  Dingwall  were  the 
Edison  hotel  of  1884  or  1885  and  the  Union  hotel 
in  1887.  The  former  was  conducted  by  Michael 
Glenden  until  its  destruction  by  fire  in  1891.  The 
proprietor  of  the  Union  hotel  was  Thomas  Cain 
and  he  is  still  in  business  at  the  old  stand. 

We  learn  that  in  1886  D.  P.  Thomas  was  acting 
as  justice  of  the  peace  and  also  as  postmaster. 
There  were  at  that  time  also  four  inails  a  week, 
three  from  Samish  and  one  from  Prairie.  The  mail 
from  Prairie  was  carried  on  horseback  and  that 
from  Samish  by  row-boat  across  the  bay,  a  dis- 
tance of  five  miles. 

The  year  1888  was  marked  by  the  coming  to 
Edison  of  the  first  physician  of  the  place,  Dr.  j.  L. 
Jackson.  In  March,  1891,  the  first  druggist  ap- 
peared in  the  person  of  O.  A.  Loomis,  His  store 
was  burned  in  ls!i:;,  Itut  was  rohuilt  in  1895  and 
George  Halloran  purchased  thv  liu>incss. 

On  January  '.' .l.  Ism:!.  Rdisnn  was  visited  bv  a 
disastrous  fire.  This  fire  originated  in  the  ware- 
house of  Colonel  Haller  and  quickly  spread  to  ware- 
houses belonging  to  Orrin  Smith  and  John  Doser, 
together  with  the  general  merchandise  store  of  the 
latter,  including  all  its  contents.  Thomas  Cain's 
saloon.  Loomis's  drug  store  and  J.  A.  Jonak's  har- 
ness shop  were  destroyed  also,  with  all  their  con- 
tents. This  was  the  only  serious  fire  which  ever 
visited  the  town  and  it  entailed  a  loss  of  about 
twenty  thousand  dollars.  The  burned  buildings 
were,  however,  soon  replaced  and  the  prosperity  of 
the  place  was  not  afifected. 

During  the  years  following  the  foundation 
period  of  which  we  have  spoken  Edison  has  gone 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


on  with  steady  improvement  corresponding  to  the 
growth  of  the  country  immediately  tributary  to  it 
until  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  substantial  and 
well  built  of  the  small  villages  of  the  county.  The 
different  lines  of  enterprise  which  have  been  dem- 
onstrated to  be  singularly  successful  in  the  region 
round  about  are  farming,  gardening,  dairying,  log- 
ging and  milling.  The  Samish  flats  produce  the 
most  prolific  crops  of  hay,  oats,  fruit  and  vegetables. 
Among  the  last  it  has  been  shown  that  sugar  beets 
of  the  finest  quality  can  be  produced  and  there  has 
been  much  talk  of  starting  a  beet-sugar  factory  in 
the  town.  The  farmers  live  in  elegant  homes  and 
have  all  the  surroundings  to  make  life  attractive 
and  prosperous. 

The  dairy  ranchers  are  equally  prosperous  with 
the  general  farmers,  since  the  rich,  succulent  grasses 
and  clovers  of  the  land  redeemed  from  the  swamps 
and  forests  will  maintain  cattle  throughout  the  year 
so  generously  that  cows  have  been  known  to  pro- 
duce milk  to  the  value  of  six  dollars  per  month  for 
the  whole  twelve  months. 

\Mthin  three  miles  of  Edison  are  located  four 
large  mills,  the  Winner  mill  at  Bow,  the  Sound 
shingle  mill  above  Bow,  the  Blanchard  shingle  and 
saw-mill  a  short  distance  north  of  Edison,  and  the 
Edison  mill  company's  establishment  in  Edison  it- 
self. In  addition  to  the  great  business  opportuni- 
ties of  the  land  are  equally  remunerative  ones  upon 
and  under  the  water.  Great  quantities  of  salmon, 
besides  herring  and  smelt,  are  found  in  the  waters 
of  the  sound  and  the  sloughs  connected  with  them. 
One  special  industry  which  is  in  process  of  in- 
auguration at  Edison  is  the  oyster  business.  The 
shallow  waters  adjoining  Samish  island  furnish  the 
natural  home  for  the  very  finest  of  these  luscious 
bivalves  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  this 
business  will  rival  that  of  Olympia  or  Toke  Point. 

Turning  to  the  special  business  directory  of 
Edison,  we  find  one  of  the  most  important  to  be 
the  steamboat  business.  The  steamers  Clara  Brown 
and  Edison  make  regular  trips,  besides  which  other 
boats  call  as  business  justifies,  while  a  continual 
stream  of  sloops,  scows  and  small  boats  may  be 
seen  in  the  sloughs  and  bay.  The  business  enter- 
prises of  the  town  proper  are  as  follows :  General 
merchandise :  John  Berentson,  Gilmore  Brothers  & 
Company,  Iddins  Brothers  &  Company ;  hardware, 
Unger  &  Loop:  blacksmith  shops:  Klesper  &  New- 
land,  A.  Lindquist:  hotels:  the  Edison,  ^Irs.  A.  J. 
Whittle:  the  Central,  JMrs.  Thomas  Toner;  drug 
store,  George  Halloran ;  confectionery,  Oscar  A. 
Loomis  ;  livery,  Lamaster  &  Englebretson  ;  doctors  : 
Dr.  Josiah  Jones ;  J.  L.  Jackson  :  contractors :  John 
A.  White  ;  Patrick  Callopy  ;  Silas  Daniels  :  harness 
shop,  J.  A.  Jonak ;  real  estate  and  insurance,  James 
A.  Halloran :  barber,  Edward  Watkinson ;  meat 
market,  Kosack  &  Triebess ;  Edison  creamen-,  F. 
M.  Kaupish,  manager,  expending  four  hundred 
dollars  a  week  for  cream ;  Edison  Lumber  Company, 


Lockhart  &  Roberts,  proprietors ;  the  Samish  Water 
and  Supply  Company,  consisting  of  Thomas  Cain, 
G.  O.  Halier,  Robert  P.  Carter,  Patrick  Smith  and 
John  Doser,  organized  in  1890,  reorganized  in  1901 
and  providing  an  excellent  water  supply  from 
Whitehill  creek  on  Chuckanut  mountain  three  and 
a  half  miles  north  of  the  town. 

The  social  and  mental  life  of  Edison,  as  repre- 
sented by  its  schools,  churches  and  fraternal  orders, 
is  such  as  to  be  highly  gratifying  to  the  fortunate 
inhabitants  of  the  place. 

The  first  school  district  was  organized  in  1874. 
The  first  school  building  is  still  standing  in  front 
of  the  Hall  place  directly  east  of  town.  The  land 
upon  which  it  was  built  was  donated  by  John  Mor- 
gan and  the  materials  for  the  building  were  con- 
tributed by  William  Dean,  Edward  McTaggart  and 
Daniel  Dingwall.  The  first  teacher  was  Charles 
Setzer,  who  came  there  from  Orcus  island.  The  old 
building  was  used  until  the  erection  of  the  present 
structure  in  1892,  when  it  was  turned  into  a  ware- 
house, which  use  it  still  fulfills.  The  present  at- 
tractive and  well-located  building,  standing  upon 
the  bank  of  the  river  and  surrounded  with  beautiful 
trees,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand  dollars 
and  located  upon  land  given  for  the  purpose  by 
Colonel  Halier.  The  district  has  now  maintained 
for  a  year  a  union  high  school.  The  school  board 
at  present  consists  of  John  Gilmore,  John  Dale  and 
Nicholas  Shumaker.  The  present  principal  is  Pro- 
fessor A.  Knapp  and  the  assistants  W.  A.  Robinson 
and  Mrs.  W.  A.  Robinson.  The  enrollment  of 
scholars  for  the  past  year  was  sixty-one. 

There  are  three  churches  in  Edison,  the  Cath- 
olic, the  Lutheran  and  the  Congregational.  The 
Congregational  was  the  pioneer  in  time,  being 
founded  in  1889  by  Rev.  George  Baker,  but  the 
church  building  was  not  erected  until  1892.  The 
Catholic  church  was  both  organized  and  established 
in  the  present  church  building  in  1890.  This  church 
is  now  conducted  in  connection  with  the  La  Conner 
church  in  charge  of  Rev.  Father  Woods.  The 
Lutheran  church  is  located  at  a  point  two  miles 
south  of  Edison,  but  ministers  to  the  members  of 
that  denomination  in  and  around  the  town.  The 
present  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  is  Rev. 
W.  A.  Hughes,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Baker  May  1, 
1905. 

The  fraternities  of  Edison  are  the  Edison  lodge. 
No.  45,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the  Fraternal  L^nion,  No. 
154.  The  former  was  organized  February  21,  1887, 
with  five  charter  members,  Jacob  Harden.  Edward 
Ames,  W.  E.  Gilkey,  D.  P.  Thomas  and  W.  H. 
Ewen.  In  1890  this  lodge  erected  the  Odd  Fellows' 
hall,  which  is  also  employed  as  a  place  of  public 
gatherings.  The  present  officers  are :  C.  N.  Iddins, 
P.  G. ;  J.  A.  Jonak,  N.  G. :  Dr.  Josiah  Jones,  V.  G. ; 
J.  E.  Bland,  secretary,  and  A.  S.  Lockhart,  treas- 
urer. There  are  now  twenty-nine  members.  The 
Fraternal  Union  consists  of  forty  members,  and  its 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


officers  are:  George  Halloran,  fraternal  master;  J. 
R.  Cowell,  justice,  and  J.  E.  Bland,  secretary. 


The  site  of  Bow,  a  thriving  young  village 
on  the  Great  Northern,  seven  miles  north 
of  Burlington  and  on  the  eastern  edge  of 
the  Samish  region,  was  homesteaded  by  Will- 
iam J.  Brown  in  1869.  In  1899  the  Great 
Northern  railway  placed  a  corps  of  surveyors 
in  this  region,  who  ultimately  ran  a  line  from  Belle- 
ville via  Brown's  place  to  the  extreme  western 
point  of  Chuckanut  mountain,  thence  up  the  shore 
to  Bellingham.  This  survey  was  later  adopted  and 
in  1901  the  railway  company  began  building  this 
"cut-off,"  finishing  it  the  following  year,  and  soon 
thereafter  abandoning  the  old  route  over  the  moun- 
tain further  east.  To  furnish  the  Samish  district, 
recognized  as  one  of  the  richest  sections  of  the 
county,  with  a  new  station  in  place  of  the  one 
abandoned,  the  company  established  Bow.  It  erected 
a  station  building  in  the  fall  of  1902,  and  appointed 
Henry  Christianson  resident  agent.  From  the  es- 
tablishment of  this  station  the  real  existence  of  the 
village  dates. 

However,  before  the  building  of  the  railroad 
there  had  been  a  small  settlement  near  Bow,  known 
locally  as  Brownsville.  It  resulted  from  the  build- 
ing of  a  saw-mill  on  the  Brown  place  in  1892  by 
the  Howard-Butler  Company,  and  the  erection  the 
same  year  of  a  school-house  nearby.  Several  log- 
ging camps  in  the  surrounding  region  contributed  to 
the  stability  of  the  settlement,  and  gradually  the 
number  of  ranchmen  in  the  district  increased.  The 
postoffice  did  not  come  until  July,  1901,  or  until 
after  the  railroad  had  been  assured,  and  the  service 
did  not  commence  until  just  one  year  later,  when 
E.  E.  Heusted  assumed  the  duties  of  postmaster. 
The  postoffice  and  station  were  named  Bow,  at  the 
suggestion  of  Mr.  Brown,  after  the  great  Bow 
railroad  station  of  London.  England. 

The  same  year  the  postoffice  was  opened  Ben 
Gardner  built  the  Bow  hotel,  first  known  as  the 
Gardner  house.  The  next  spring,  McDougall  & 
Brown  built  a  saloon  and  that  summer  W.  Nelson 
Crenshaw  established  the  Bow  department  store  in 
a  shake  house.  At  that  time,  also,  the  Winner  Shin- 
gle Company  built  a  shingle  mill  on  the  Brown 
farm,  thus  giving  the  town  proper  its  first  industry. 

By  1904  Mr.  Brown  concluded  that  the  time 
was  ripe  for  the  formal  institution  of  a  town,  so 
platted  twelve  acres  of  his  ranch  into  the  town 
site  of  Bow.  E.  E.  Heusted  opened  a  grocerv 
store,  a  saloon  was  built,  George  McMillan  erected 
a  blacksmith  shop  and  Shadel  &  Smith  placed  their 
meat  market  in  service,  all  before  the  close  of  the 
year  1904. 

Since  the  first  of  the  present  year  Bow  has 
added  to  its  business  establishments  another  general 


store,  a  public  hall,  a  restaurant  and  a  bicycle  shop, 
besides  securing  two  rural  free  delivery  routes  at- 
tached to  the  postoffice.  As  it  is  the  only  railroad 
station  between  Burlington  and  Whatcom  county, 
naturally  its  shipping  and  traffic  are  of  considerable 
magnitude.  The  town  has  connection  by  stage  twice 
a  day  with  Edison,  which  lies  three  miles  west,  al- 
most on  the  bay. 

A  summary  of  the  business  houses  of  Bow 
would  include  the  following :  General  stores,  W.  N. 
Crenshaw,  W.  H.  Benson ;  grocery  and  postoffice, 
E.  E.  Heusted ;  hotel  and  livery  stables,  John  Peter- 
son ;  restaurant,  Mrs.  T.  D.  Welch  ;  blacksmith  shop, 
George  McMillan;  meat  market,  Shadel  &  Smith; 

barber    shop,    bicycle    store,    Christianson; 

two  saloons,  also  the  shingle  mill  of  the  Winner 
Shingle  Company,  capacity  eighty  thousand  a  day, 
Alexander  McGaskill,  manager.  Patrick  McCoy's 
large  logging  camp  lies  only  a  mile  south. 

Aside  from  its  strategic  location  as  a  business 
and  shipping  point.  Bow  has  a  rich  tributary  farm- 
ing country,  which,  however,  is  not  very  extensively 
improved  at  the  present  time. 


Avon  has  never  known  a  railroad  boom,  some- 
thing rather  unusual  for  a  town  on  the  western 
frontier  and  in  the  Puget  sound  country.  It  is  the 
result  of  a  demand  on  the  part  of  a  prosperous 
farming  community  for  a  central  point  where  sup- 
plies may  be  obtained  and  where  the  products  of  the 
rich  fields  may  be  marketed.  Without  the  advan- 
tage of  the  railroad,  it  has  become  a  thriving  town, 
being  the  shipping  point  for  such  of  the  produce 
of  the  fecund  Olympia  marsh  as  does  not  demand 
shipment  by  rail,  and  the  supply  point  for  a  con- 
siderable area  of  rich  country. 

In  its  early  days  Avon  permitted  no  saloons. 
Some  stormed  at  this,  but  the  men  with  power 
looked  about  them  to  the  rich  agricultural  prospect 
and  held  firmly  the  conviction  that  a  town  could 
be  made  without  the  drawing  forces  of  the  bar 
and  the  bottle.  Their  faith  has  been  justified  and 
the  people  may  now  pride  themselves  on  the  fact 
that  Avon  is  what  it  is  without  artificial  forcing  of 
any  kind. 

'The  first  setder  on  Avon's  site,  W.  H.  Miller, 
came  and  took  up  land  about  1882.  The  town 
builder,  however,  was  A.  H.  Skaling,  who,  a  little 
later,  bought  a  part  of  Miller's  land.  Settlers 
poured  into  the  Olympia  marsh ;  they  needed  sup- 
plies ;  there  was  no  transportation  save  by  the 
river,  and  Mr.  Skaling  opened  his  pioneer  store 
October  27,  1883.  The  new  trading  point  was  thus 
noticed  by  the  Northwest  Enterprise : 

"Avon  is  the  name  of  the  new  town  which  has 
been  platted  by  A.  M.  White  of  Anacortes  on  the 
great  bend  of  the  Skagit  river,  three  miles  above 
Mount  Vernon,  on  the  property  of  A.  H.  Skaling, 


CITIES    AND   TOWNS 


and  a  new  store  and  postofiltce  have  been  opened 
there.  A  hotel  has  also  been  erected,  kept  by  W.  A. 
Pitts.  The  steamer  Ouincy  brings  the  mails  to  the 
place  twice  a  week  from  Seattle.  A.  M.  Flag-g  is 
constructing  a  residence  at  this  place  and  will  en- 
gage in  boat  building.  The  nearest  approach  of  the 
C)lymi)ia  marsh  to  the  Skagit  is  at  Avon,  and  the 
place  is  destined  to  become  the  shipping  point  of 
that  productive  region." 

A  little  later  the  Skagit  News  of  .\pril  S,  1884, 
contained  an  advertisement  which  read  : 
"a  temper.\nce  town 
"The  new  Town  of  Avon 
"is  situated  on  the  great  bend  of  the   Skagit  and 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river.     It  is  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  the  La  Conner,  Bayview  and  Olympia  marsh 
roads  with  the  river  roads;  all  of  which  roads  lead 
to   rich   agricultural   districts.      '^      *      *      *     This 
town    has   been    started   on    temperance    principles. 
A  clause  in  the  deeds  prohibits  the  sale  of  liquor 
on  the  premises.     A  lodge  of  Good  Templars,  hav- 
ing over  fifty  members,  has  just  been  established. 

"Apply  to  Arthur  H.  Skaling." 

Naturally  one  of  the  first  things  demanded  by 
the  people  of  a  temperance  town  would  be  a  church, 
and  the  first  movement  for  such  an  institution  was 
thus  chronicled  in  the  Skagit  News  of  March  11, 
1884 : 

"At  the  meeting  of  the  Avon  conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  three  hundred  and 
thirty  dollars  were  subscribed  for  the  erection  of 
a  church  at  that  place.  A.  H.  Skaling  has  donated 
a  lot." 

At  the  time  the  above  was  written  a  "city  direc- 
tory" of  Avon  would  have  read  something  like  this : 
A.  M.  Flagg.  boat  builder ;  William  A.  Pitts,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Avon  hotel ;  .\.  H.  Skaling.  proprietor 
general  store.  But  the  earnestness  of  the  early 
Avonites  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in  August 
of  1884  the  foundations  of  the  church  edifice  had 
been  laid  and  Rev.  W.  McMillan  was  at  work  as 
pastor  actively  in  the  field.  Though  the  clause  in 
the  deeds  relating  to  absence  of  liquor  license  has 
been  revoked  by  the  owners  of  the  town  site,  the 
fact  remains  that  there  is  not  a  saloon  in  the  town. 

In  July,  1889.  the  business  establishments  at 
.^von  consisted  of  the  general  stores  of  A.  H.  Skal- 
in*,  the  pioneer  merchant,  and  of  the  Graham 
Brothers,  H.  W.  and  Fred  S.,  who  had  just  come 
in ;  the  meat  market  of  T.  N.  Ovenell :  the  imple- 
ment store  of  J.  W.  Dicks,  and  the  Pitts  hotel.  Two 
years  later  the  Skagit  News  described  the  situation 
in  and  around  Avon  as  follows : 

"Surrounded  by  highly  productive  fanns  and 
magnificent  forests  of  fir  and  cedar,  Avon  reaps 
golden  harvests  from  these  sources.  The  land  is 
with  little  excention  level  and  covered  with  a  deep, 
rich,  black  soil,  and  the  land  settled  upon  by  the 
early  pioneers  is  a  blooming  and  productive  garden. 


and  is  a  rich  reward  to  the  settlers  who  were  will- 
ing to  come  into  the  wilderness  a  few  years  ago 
and  endure  privations  and  hardships.  Until  re- 
cently there  has  been  a  lack  of  saw-mills  at  Avon, 
and  consequently  lumber  had  to  be  shipped  in  on 
the  river  from  other  points.  Some  of  the  early 
settlers  built  their  houses  out  of  hand-made  boards, 
or  'shakes,'  and  many  lived  in  the  primitive  log 
cabin.  This  period  is  passed  now,  however,  as  two 
saw-mills  with  a  cutting  capacity  of  thirty  thou- 
sand feet  each  day,  and  a  shingle  mill  with  a  cut- 
ting capacity  of  forty  thousand  per  day  are  run- 
ning-" 

The  mills  mentioned,  the  first  ventures  in  their 
respective  lines  in  Avon,  were  those  since  well 
known  as  the  establishments  of  M.  B.  Jacobs.  The 
town  hall,  now  known  as  Liberty  hall,  was  erected 
in  1886  and  was  then  considered  an  ornament  to 
the  town,  of  which  few  of  its  contemporaries  of 
equal  size  could  boast.  In  1891  the  Avon  Record 
was  published  and  was  rated  as  an  excellent  paper 
for  a  town  of  its  size,  but  its  editor,  W.  E.  Boyton, 
saw  fit  to  discontinue  after  a  time  and  go  elsewhere. 
In  those  days  A.  H.  Skaling  had  a  full  line  of  goods 
for  a  general  merchandise  store.  Blumberg,  Miller 
&  Company  kept  a  full  line  of  groceries,  crockery, 
glass  and  queensware.  The  mills  were  giving  em- 
ployment to  about  fifty  men.  A.  M.  Flagg  had  a 
drug  store,  with  confectionery  and  cigars.  Dr.  A. 
C.  Lewis,  who  had  come  to  Avon  from  Ketchum, 
Idaho,  was  the  only  physician  in  the  town.  W.  L. 
Duncan  was  proprietor  of  a  billiard  hall  and  store 
for  the  sale  of  tobacco  and  cigars,  as  well  as  soft 
drinks.  Miss  M.  F.  Graham  had  opened  a  mil- 
linery store  which  was  credited  with  having  "the 
largest  stock  of  goods  of  any  establishment  of  the 
kind  on  the  Skagit  river."  Graham  Brothers  had 
a  general  merchandise  establishment  in  town,  one 
of  the  largest  warehouses  on  the  river,  a  two-story 
building  in  which  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  met,  and  another  furnishing  a  home  for 
the  Avon  Cornet  band.  The  firm  was  also  owner 
of  the  North  Avon  addition,  where  Avon  business 
touches  the  Anacortes  branch  of  the  railroad.  Mar- 
tin &  Co.  w^as  operating  the  Avon  Soda  and  Bot- 
tling works,  which  were  furnishing  all  kinds  of 
soft  drinks  to  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state. 
Fred  Wills  and  William  Pitts  owned  and  ooerated 
a  stage  line  to  Mount  Vernon  and  in  connection 
conducted  a  livery  stable.  W.  A.  Ferrell  was  the 
town  blacksmith.  J.  H.  Reylea  had  recently  come 
from  San  Francisco  and  commenced  the  wagon- 
making  business.  The  furniture  trade  was  repre- 
sented by  G.  Antenen  &  Company.  William  Girth 
was  proprietor  of  a  restaurant.  Such  was  Avon 
in  1891,  and  such  she  was  for  a  period  of  years. 

More  than  a  decade  passed  and  in  1905  the 
Argus  published  a  story  of  the  revivification  of 
.\von.  saying  that  "the  sleepiness  of  the  old  town 
has  vanished  and  in  its  place  one  sees  the  energy 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


and  enthusiasm  that  go  hand  in  hand  with  pro- 
gress." An  examination  of  the  roster  of  business 
houses  is  one  means  of  determining  the  difference 
between  the  town  of  the  present  time  and  the  town 
as  it  was  in  1891,  yet  one  finds  the  names  now  which 
were  prominent  in  the  days  of  the  earher  period. 
W.  A. 'Pitts  still  runs  the  Avon  hotel,  and  has  com- 
petition in  the  establishment  of  Charles  Kinsey. 
The  general  stores  are  those  of  J.  W.  Hall,  H.  W. 
Graham  &  Company  and  W.  A.  Ferrell,  who  has 
left  his  forge  and  anvil  for  the  counter  and  count- 
ing room.  A.  M.  Fairley  has  a  butcher  shop,  con- 
fectionery store  and  barber  shop.  C.  S.  Alvord  has 
succeeded  Mr.  Ferrell  as  leading  blacksmith. 
Charles  DuVall  is  engaged  in  the  business  of  mak- 
ing shoes  to  order  and  repairing  old  footwear. 

Formerly  the  chief  business  street  of  Avon  lay 
along  the  top  of  the  dike ;  now  the  main  business 
thoroughfare  of  the  town  is  on  the  street  next  back 
from  the  old  dike  and  running  parallel  with  it.  The 
change  commenced  with  the  removal  of  the  old 
Liberty  hall  to  the  new  street,  and  gradually  the 
street  has  become  lined  on  both  sides  with  stores 
and  business  houses.  A  big  warehouse  is  in  pro- 
cess of  construction  where  Brunswick  street  leads 
down  to  the  river,  next  to  the  branch  of  Lily  & 
Bogardus.  The  Avon  Mill  Company,  originally 
composed  of  H.  W.  Graham,  H.  M.  Gibson  and 
John  and  Robert  Wiley,  who  erected  the  mill  in 
1903,  is  one  of  the  big  establishments  of  the  present 
Avon.  The  proprietor  is  J.  W.  Hall,  who  turns 
out  sixty  thousand  shingles  a  day  and  furnishes 
employment  to  fifty  men. 

In  educational  matters  the  people  of  Avon  have 
ever  been  alert.  From  the  time  the  first  school  was 
opened  in  this  section,  the  subject  of  maintaining  ade- 
quate facilities  for  the  training  of  the  minds  of 
the  young  has  been  uppermost  in  the  thought  of 
the  taxpayers  and  the  public  spirit  of  the  people  has 
not  lagged.  Mrs.  Amelia  (Watt)  Waikle  taught  the 
first  school  in  the  Avon  district  in  a  building  stand- 
ing on  the  river  front,  and  now  occupied  as  a  resi- 
dence by  the  Gibson  family.  This  school-house 
was  replaced  in  188(5  by  a  neat  frame  building  which 
did  duty  for  the  district  until  in  1892  the  present 
structure  was  erected.  In  1890  the  old  building 
was  considered  to  be  inadequate,  and  the  following 
year  a  bond  issue  of  six  thousand  dollars  was  voted, 
but  another  one  thousand  dollars  was  required  be- 
fore the  present  handsome  building  was  completed. 
The  afl^airs  of  the  school  are  administered  very 
acceptably  by  the  present  board,  composed  of  Frank 
A.  Jewett,  president ;  H.  B.  Randall  and  B.  R.  Sum- 
ner, clerk. 

Hardly  had  Avon  been  settled  when  church 
sentiment  became  felt,  which  resulted  in  the  erec- 
tion of  a  building  for  the  Methodist  church,  Rev. 
L.  E.  Worman  being  pastor.  The  edifice  was  dedi- 
cated in  August,  1887,  the  auditorium  being  packed 
to  the  doors.    The  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached 


by  Rev.  Mr.  Moore,  presiding  elder  of  the  Wyom- 
ing, New  York,  district.  The  sum  of  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  was  raised  on  dedication  day 
alone,  the  demand  for  church  services  being  so 
great  that  contributions  were  freely  given  by  those 
who  were  not  of  the  same  formal  faith  as  the  de- 
nomination named.  Architecturally  the  edifice  is 
a  credit  to  the  town,  while  under  the  ministrations 
of  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  S.  S.  Guiler,  the  church 
work  is  progressing  in  a  spiritual  way.  In  1886 
persons  affiliated  with  the  Episcopal  church  erected 
a  small  house  of  worship,  costing  several  hundred 
dollars. 

At  the  present  time  Avon  boasts  of  a  lodge  of 
but  one  of  the  larger  fraternal  organizations. 
Avon  lodge,  No.  789,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  was  organized  in  1SS4  and  has  ever  since 
been  in  a  flourishing  condition.  Its  progress  has 
been  coextensive  with  that  of  the  town  and  its  lead- 
ing members  are  leading  men  of  Avon.  The  present 
roster  of  officers  is :  Past  grand,  H.  H.  Allen ;  noble 
grand,  George  Morris,  Jr. ;  vice  grand,  F.  E.  Tucker ; 
secretary,  G.  C.  Berger;  financial  secretary,  J.  Guy 
Lowman ;  treasurer,  Paul  Singer ;  trustees,  Anton 
Blair,  George  Hopper  and  M.  McLean ;  chaplain, 
W.  C.  Singer.  There  is  also  a  flourishing  chapter  of 
the  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  Olive  Branch  lodge.  No. 
169,  organized  in  1905,  with  the  following  officers: 
Noble  grand,  Mrs.  M.  McLean ;  vice  grand,  Mrs. 
B.  R.  Sumner;  secretary.  Miss  Hannah  Isaacson; 
treasurer,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Ferrell;  chaplain.  Miss  May 
Muman. 

Avon  has  a  sister  town,  which  might  also  be  said 
to  be  her  alter  ego,  namely.  North  Avon,  the  plat 
of  which  was  filed  in  1890  by  H.  W.  and  Fred  S. 
Graham,  who  for  the  purpose  bought  land  of 
Thomas  Wilkins,  which  was  part  of  the  old  Enbark 
homestead.  The  Grahams  erected  the  first  store  at 
the  point  where  the  railroad  comes  nearest  to  Avon, 
in  1891,  and  very  shortly  after  secured  a  postoffice, 
W.  T.  Flagg  becoming  the  first  postmaster.  At  one 
time  the  new  town  seemed  destined  perhaps  to  sur- 
pass Avon,  but  the  financial  depression  of  the  early 
nineties  distracted  business  from  the  place,  though 
it  still  serves  as  the  railway  shipping  point  for 
Avon.  The  contiguous  territory  is  rich  in  timber, 
which  is  fast  giving  way  to  farms.  The  main  sup- 
port of  the  town  is  the  Avon  Lumber  Company's 
saw-mill,  which,  with  its  accompanying  logging 
camp,  gives  employment  to  many  men.  The  com- 
pany owns  and  operates  a  railway  between  its  camp 
and  the  mill. 


A  beautiful  situation  on  the  shore  of  the  mag- 
nificent Padilla  bay,  upon  whose  bosom  ships  of 
commerce  are  always  to  be  seen — this  is  the  chief 
charm,  the  most  valued  possession,  the  most  pro- 
nounced   characteristic    of    Bayview.      But    being 


CITIES    AND   TOWNS 


located  at  the  place  where  Bayview  ridge  slopes 
southward  to  the  famed  Swinomish  flats,  with  the 
rich  farm  lands  of  the  Samish  flats  just  across  the 
ridge,  it  has  plenty  of  resources  in  its  immediate 
neighborhood.  On  the  highlands  of  the  ridge  itself 
many  fine  farms  have  already  been  made,  and  the 
home-builder  is  following  closely  in  the  wake  of 
the  logger,  who  is  still  busy  in  the  forests  of  the 
ridge. 

Of  the  incipiency  of  Bayview.  its  oldest  pioneer, 
W.  J.  McKenna.  has  given  the  following  concise 
account : 

"In  1882  D.  A.  Jennings  was  doing  a  whole- 
sale grocery  business  in  Seattle.  He  also  operated 
and  supplied  several  logging  camps  on  the  sound. 
One  of  the  camps  he  supplied  was  at  Bayview, 
owned  and  operated  by  Powell  &  Horndon.  this 
being  the  pioneer  camp  in  that  vicinity.  Being 
anxious  to  extend  his  business,  in  May,  1882,  he  re- 
quested me  to  find  a  suitable  location  for  a  branch 
store,  and  suggested  that  I  visit  Fidalgo  bay,  where 
Alunks  had  offered  a  store  for  sale.  Upon  this 
proposition,  however.  I  reported  adversely,  as  much 
of  the  goods  were  old.  the  price  was  high  and  the 
trade  limited. 

"After  investigating  the  surrounding  country, 
it  was  found  that  the  site  of  Bayview  was  situated 
at  about  the  geographical  center  of  a  rich  fanning 
region,  the  Swinomish  flats  being  on  the  south, 
the  Samish  flats  on  the  north  and  the  Olympia 
marsh  only  three  and  a  half  miles  east.  The  ridge, 
surrounded  by  these  flats  and  the  bay.  was  estimated 
to  contain  at  least  eight  hundred  million  feet  of 
fir,  cedar  and  hemlock  timber.  Jennings  was  al- 
ready interested  in  a  camp  on  the  bay, 
so  I  reported  favorably  upon  the  establish- 
ment of  a  store  on  the  ridge.  T^Ir.  Jen- 
nings and  I  agreed  upon  terms,  after  which  I  se- 
lected a  site.  The  present  location  was  chosen  be- 
cause there  the  land  sloped  easily  to  the  water  and 
was  convenient  of  access. 

"Archibald  Siegfried,  of  La  Conner,  was  the 
owner  of  the  land  and  from  him  for  fifty  dollars  I 
purchased  one  acre.  On  this  were  immediately 
erected  a  saloon,  which  was  rented  to  Harry 
Botcher;  a  small  hotel,  operated  by  C.  S.  Allen, 
and  store  and  dwelling  for  my  own  use.  We  then 
secured  a  postoffice,  of  which  Mrs.  McKenna  be- 
came the  first  postmistress.  The  mail  was  brought 
from  La  Conner  once  every  week  at  first,  generally 
coming  by  boat. 

"In  1884  I  induced  Mr.  Siegfried  to  plat  two 
blocks  of  eight  lots  each,  which  was  duly  surveyed 
and  the  plat  filed  for  record  April  7,  1884." 

Thus  Bayview  came  into  existence.  In  188G 
William  Moeller  built  a  saw-mill,  which  he  later 
sold,  and  two  years  afterward  George  L.  and 
Thomas  Butler,  brothers,  erected  a  shingle  mill 
near  by.  This  mill  is  now  owned  by  J.  C.  Stitt. 
The  town  secured  an  additional  merchant  in  Febru- 


ary, 1887,  in  the  person  of  Martin  Coltenbaugh, 
who  at  the  same  time  commenced  a  thirteen-year 
term  as  postmaster.  That  year,  also,  C.  A.  Norton 
built  the  Roy  hotel  and  M.  M.  Jones  opened  the 
pioneer  blacksmith  shop.  The  Bayview  hotel  was 
erected  by  Phil  Bartlett  a  short  time  later. 

With  the  general  industrial  revival  in  1889,  Bay- 
view  began  to  grow  rapidly.  Thirty  or  forty  build- 
ings, a  saw-mill,  and  the  Methodist  church  are  re- 
ported to  have  been  added  within  a  period  of  twelve 
months.  The  year  previous  Mr.  Siegfried  had  been 
induced  to  plat  more  of  his  land,  with  the  result 
that  sixteen  blocks  were  added  to  the  site.  J.  C. 
Stitt  and  C.  P.  Dickey  put  up  a  saloon  in  1889, 
which  tliey  sold  in  1899,  immediately  afterward  in- 
stituting a  large  general  store  and  logging  camp 
and  commencing  to  operate  the  old  Butler  shingle 
mill.  H.  D.  Detweiller  also  entered  the  mercantile 
business  at  Bayview  in  1888.  So  rapidly  did  the 
town  grow  during  the  next  few  years  that  in  March. 
1894,  W.  J.  McKenna  and  T.  B.  Elliott  purchased 
the  rest  of  the  Siegfried  farm  and  platted  Mc- 
Kenna &  Elliott's  addition.  This  property  is  still 
retained  by  Mr.  McKenna  and  the  Elliott  heirs. 

After  the  hard  times  Bayview  experienced  the 
revival  of  prosperity  that  came  to  the  whole  coun- 
try and  has  since  been  steadily,  if  slowly,  growing. 
The  population  of  the  town  proper  is  now  in  excess 
of  three  hundred  people. 

Bayview  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  largest  log- 
ging concerns  in  the  state,  the  Ballard  Lumber  Com- 
pany, whose  mills  are  at  Ballard.  The  company 
operates  a  railway  four  miles  long,  built  four  years 
ago  to  tap  the  eastern  end  of  Bayview  ridge,  the 
terminus  being  at  the  bay  near  the  town.  The  daily 
output  is  between  sixty-five  thousand  and  seventy- 
five  thousand  feet  of  cedar,  fir  and  spruce,  and  the 
number  of  men  employed  is  between  fifty  and  sixty, 
who  are  under  the  direction  of  manager  F.  A.  Doty. 
The  company  owns  about  one  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred acres.  Estimates  place  the  amount  of  mar- 
ketable timber  yet  standing  on  this  great  ridge  at 
fully  one  hundred  million  feet.  Joseph  C.  Stitt  also 
operates  a  small  camp  on  the  ridge,  and  in  town 
a  shingle  mill  of  fifty  thousand  capacity.  This  mill 
is  practically  new.  Tugs  and  other  boats  of  medium 
draft  reach  the  town  easily  at  high  tide. 

A  daily  stage,  operated  by  E.  C.  Osborn,  gives 
Bayview  convenient  connection  with  Whitney  sta- 
tion, three  miles  away. 

The  school  district  of  the  town  is  one  of  the  most 
progressive  in  the  county,  maintaining  an  eight- 
grade  school  and  in  association  with  district  No. 
1.3.  a  union  high  school.  The  school-house  was 
built  in  1889  at  a  cost  of  eight  hundred  dollars,  and 
stands  on  block  seventeen  of  Siegfried's  first  addi- 
tion. The  property  is  now  valued  at  nearly  two 
thousand  dollars.  Last  year  the  enrollment  was 
ninety-one.  The  teachers  are  T.  H.  Look,  principal, 
Mrs.'M.  M.  Look  and  Lois  M.  Baxter. 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


Bayview  also  has  a  Methodist  church,  estab- 
lished in  1889,  with  Rev.  B.  F.  Brooks  as  its  first 
pastor.  Rev.  R.  AI.  Schoonmaker  is  its  pastor  at 
this  date.  It  has  a  handsome,  commodious  church 
edifice,  erected  at  a  cost  of  perhaps  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

One  of  the  important  factors  in  the  life  of  this 
community  is  Bayview  lodge,  No.  12S,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
organized  in  1S9:;J.  In  1901,  at  a  cost  of  two  thou- 
sand three  hundred  dollars,  it  built  a  public  hall, 
a  very  creditable  building  for  a  town  of  Bayview 's 
size.  '  The  fraternity  also  owns  the  local  cemetery. 
L.  L.  Inman  is  the  present  past  grand ;  Edward 
Commrine,  noble  grand:  John  Monroe,  vice  grand; 
W.  J.  McKenna,  secretary;  J.  C.  Stitt,  treasurer, 
and  W.  J.  McKenna,  J.  L'.  .Stitt  and  A.  P.  Walker, 
trustees. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  Bayview's  business 
houses  and  professional  men ;  General  stores,  W.  J. 
McKenna,  J.  C.  Stitt;  hotel,  the  Bayview,  C.  P. 
Dickey ;  livery,  Robert  Barr ;  restaurant,  T.  H. 
Look  ;  meat  market.  Perry  Gabriel ;  blacksmith  shop, 
William  Ouiglev  ;  CdiiU'CtinncrN .  Harry  McMillan; 
two  saloons;  contr.ictor.  \.  ( '.  I'aulson;  postmaster 
and  notary  pul)lic,  \\  .  J.  McKenna;  physician,  J. 
H.  Fairleigh. 

CLi;.\Rr.AKE 

Along  the  lines  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  through 
the  central  portion  of  Skagit  county,  lies  a  chain 
of  three  small  lakes,  picturesquely  set  in  a  densely 
timbered  basin  among  the  hills.  Better  inland  mill 
sites  are  not  to  be  found  or  more  convenient  log- 
ging facilities,  while  the  natural  beauty  of  the  re- 
gion is  marked. 

Only  one  of  these  little  lakes,  however,  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  agricultural  area  of  any  considerable 
extent,  and  that  is  Clear  lake,  the  most  northerly  of 
the  chain,  upon  the  western  shore  of  which  is  the 
town  bearing  the  same  name.  The  railroad  passes 
by  on  this  side  of  the  lake  and  between  it  and  the 
railroad  is  Clearlake's  principal  thoroughfare,  in 
fact,  most  of  the  town.  Perhaps  three  hundred  and 
fifty  people  constitute  the  aggregate  population. 

As  yet  the  town  is  unincorporated,  though  it 
probably  soon  will  be.  The  main  dependence  of  the 
inhabitants  is  the  logging  and  milling  industry, 
though  agriculture  is  not  neglected. 

Robert  Pringle,  in  1S7;,  settled  upon  the  quarter 
section  of  which  the  Clearlake  town  site  is  a  portion, 
becoming  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  in  that  vicin- 
ity. The  same  year  John  Isaacson  took  a  claim  at 
the  north  end  of  the  lake,  and  in  ISTS  John  Dart 
became  a  permanent  settler  there,  but  until  the  Se- 
attle, Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  came  through  in  1S90 
there  was  not  even  a  postoffice  in  the  valley. 

With  the  building  of  that  railroad,  however,  fur- 
nishing a  convenient  outlet  to  the  region's  products, 
came  a   sudden  ambition  for  larger  things.    Hence, 


in  the  spring  of  1890,  Jacob  Bartl  platted  fifteen 
acres  of  the  Pringle  claim,  which  he  had  secured, 
established  a  store  and  in  April  became  the  first 
postmaster  of  Clearlake  postoffice. 

The  town  site  was  originally  named  Mountain 
Mew.  The  following  year  Alexander  Smith  erected 
a  hotel,  now  the  Stevens  house,  on  the  site,  and  Day 
Brothers,  Michael  and  John,  built  Clearlake's 
pioneer  sliini;k-  mill. 

Thus  was  given  inception  to  the  present  bustling 
town,  which  grew  ven,-  slowly  at  first,  partly  on  ac- 
count of  its  close  proximit)'  to  Sedro  and  Woolley, 
only  two  or  three  miles  north.  In  1894  Charles 
Eagan  and  Robert  Lannigan  succeeded  Smith  in  the 
hotel,  and  another  change  in  the  middle  nineties  was 
the  retirement  of  Mr.  Bartl  in  favor  of  Niles  &  Rey- 
nolds. This  store  came  into  the  hands  of  its  pres- 
ent owners  in  1899,  when  Niles  &  Revnolds  sold  out. 
The  Day  Brothers  were  also  succeeded  by  John  Mc- 
Master,  and  he  later  by  the  Bratnober-Wait  Lumber 
Company,  while  in  recent  \ears  still  a  new  firm 
has  acquired  the  mill  property,  the  Clearlake  Lum- 
ber Company. 

With  the  revival  of  prosperous  times  in  the  late 
nineties,  Clearlake  began  to  grow,  and  it  has  been 
growing  steadih-  since.  The  mill  was  enlarged  from 
time  to  time,  new  logging  camps  started,  more  land 
was  transformed  into  farms  and  all  along  the  line 
greater  activity  was  manifested. 

The  Clearlake  mill,  saw,  planing  and  shingle 
combined,  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  county  and 
gives  employment  to  probably  a  hundred  men  or 
more.  The  main  buildings  were  erected  three  years 
ago  and  the  plant  is  equipped  with  modern  ma- 
chinery. F.  H.  Jackson,  of  .Seattle,  is  president  of 
the  company;  M.  M.  Cole,  resident  manager  and 
superintendent.  This  concern  also  conducts  a  large 
general  store,  boarding  house,  etc.  Two  large 
camps  on  the  hill  west  of  Clearlake  are  controlled  lay 
this  fimi,  employing  from  one  hundred  and  fift\-  to 
two  hundred  men.  At  times  the  monthly  payroll 
of  Clearlake  has  reached  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 
A  mile  and  a  half  below  the  town  the  Clear  Lake 
Shingle  Company,  R.  H.  Kellogg,  manager,  oper- 
ates a  shingle  mill  also. 

G.  A.  Chapman,  connected  with  Beddall's  store, 
estimates  the  amount  of  hay  raised  in  Clear  lake  val- 
ley at  two  hundred  and  fiftv  tons,  and  of  oats  one 
hundred  tons.  Large  quantities  of  cherries,  apples, 
plums  and  berries  are  also  produced. 

Clearlake's  business  houses  may  be  listed  as  fol- 
lows :  General  stores :  W.  O.  Beddall,  Clearlake 
Lmnbcr  Company,  Starland  &  Boye ;  hotels :  the 
Stevens,  Lafayette  S.  Stevens,  proprietor;  the  Cen- 
tral, J.  A.  Frederick,  proprietor ;  meat  market,  Alex- 
ander McDonald;  bakery.  .\.  J.  Grierson  ;  confec- 
tionery and  barber  shop,  Thomas  McEwen  ;  three 
saloons.  W.  O.  Beddall  is  postmaster  and  J.  A.  Sis- 
son  station  agent. 

The  town  is  fortunate  iii  possessing  good  edu- 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


cational  facilities.  The  first  school  in  district  No. 
33,  was  a  rough  shack  built  of  split  boards,  erected 
in  1889.  Upon  this  site  five  years  ago  the  district 
built  a  neat  three-room  structure  at  a  cost  of  one 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  During  the  past  year 
the  school  has  been  und.er  the  control  of  F.  P.  Mc- 
Greal,  principal,  Mrs.  F.  P.  McGreal  and  Miss  Nel- 
lie Morrow.  Last  year  one  hundred  and  thirty  chil- 
dren were  enrolled. 

In  1903  the  Methodists  erected  a  handsome 
church  building  in  the  town,  over  which  the  Sedro- 
Woolley  pastor  has  charge  and  a  little  later  the  Con- 
gregationalists  built  their  church  home.  Rev.  A. 
Lennox  is  the  resident  Congregational  minister. 

m'murr.w 

Chief  among  McMurray's  industries  and  the 
principal  support  of  the  population  is  the  immense 
plant  of  the  Atlas  Shingle  and  Lumber  Company. 
This  institution  covers  several  acres  of  ground  on 
the  lake  shore  at  the  northern  end  of  town.  Since 
the  old  mill,  McMurray's  original  saw-mill,  came 
into  the  hands  of  the  present  company  about  nine 
years  ago  it  has  been  practically  rebuilt  and  thor- 
oughly modernized  until  it  is  now  counted  one  of 
the  best  plants  on  the  sound.  Between  fifty  thou- 
sand and  seventy  thousand  feet  of  lumber  are  cut 
daily,  in  addition  to  an  average  output  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  shingles.  As  the  prosper- 
ity of  this  industry  has  varied  so  has  that  of  Mc- 
Murray.  but,  since  for  nearly  a  decade  now  this  mill 
has  been  operated  almost  continuously  and  has  been 
gradually  increasing  its  scope,  the  town  has  likewise 
steadily  advanced  from  a  mere  hamlet  during  the 
hard  times  to  its  present  thrifty  condition. 

But  while  the  business  institution  referred  to  in 
the  foregoing  furnishes  the  main  dependence  of  the 
town's  three  hundred  or  three  hundred  and  fifty 
inhabitants,  it  is  not  the  sole  support.  Just  over  the 
hill  to  the  west  lies  the  English  Logging  Company's 
large  camp,  one  of  the  largest  in  this  region  of  the 
sound:  southward  up  the  track  is  a  large  shingle 
mill  at  Ehrlich  station,  and  several  small  inde- 
pendent loggers  are  engaged  in  the  vicinity.  Only 
a  short  distance  east  is  the  rich  upper  Pilchuck  val- 
ley, a  timber  and  farming  section.  A  few  new  farms 
are  scattered  at  other  points  along  the  lake  or  on 
the  surrounding  bench  lands.  Furthermore,  Mc- 
Murray  is  a  pleasant,  healthy,  pretty  place  and  has, 
therefore,  attracted  to  it  some  whose  main  object 
was  home-building. 

Lake  McMurray  lies  at  the  extreme  lower  end 
of  the  chain  of  lakes  along  the  Northern  Pacific's 
route  through  the  central  portion  of  Skagit  county. 
It  is  a  small  body  of  fresh  water,  nerhaps  two  miles 
in  length  by  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  and  ver}' 
deep.  The  valley  is  narrow  and  in  its  original  con- 
dition was  heavily  timbered  with  cedar,  fir  and 
spruce,  principally  cedar.     The  cool,  limpid  waters 


of  this  typical  mountain  lake  abound  with  fish,  fur- 
nish a  fine  field,  for  boating  and  other  aquatic  sports 
and,  best  of  all,  afiford  the  logger  and  manufacturer 
superior  advantages. 

It  was  because  of  the  presence  of  such  a  heavy 
virgin  forest  beside  a  lake  which  was  adapted  for 
manufacturing  purposes  and  which  in  addition  was 
prepossessing  to  would-be  home-builders  that  Mc- 
Murray came  into  existence  in  1890.  When  the  sur- 
veyors of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  staked 
their  line  along  the  shore,  it  was  at  once  a  foregone 
conclusion  that  a  town  must  soon  come  into  exis- 
tence there.  Immediately  a  town  site  company  was 
organized  with  Dr.  Marcus  Kenyon  at  its  head, 
which  platted  McMurray,  so  named  in  honor  of  the 
pioneer  settler  of  its  shores.  The  site  selected  was  on 
the  western  shore,  near  the  southern  end  of  the  lake. 
There  the  land  rises  gently  from  the  water's  edge 
to  a  broad  plateau.  The  topography  of  the  spot 
is  well  suited  for  town  purposes,  the  bench  land 
giving  it  a  commanding,  well-drained  site,  looking 
westward  across  the  beautiful  sheet  of  water  toward 
the  snow  ranges  of  mountains. 

Before  the  construction  companv  had  reached 
the  lake,  McMurray's  growth  began.  A  thirty- 
room  hotel  was  nearly  completed  the  first  summer 
by  Dr.  Kenyon  ;  M.  E.  Berridge  was  doing  a  general 
merchandise  business,  and  his  father-in-law,  Oscar 
Ball,  had  opened  the  postoffice  before  regular  trains 
were  running.  This  is  said  to  be  rather 
a  remarkable  case  of  rapid  town  building, 
the  only  recorded  instance  of  a  Puget  sound 
inland  town,  inaccessible  by  steamboats  or 
wagon  roads.  reaching  such  an  advanced 
development  ahead  of  the  regular  freight  traffic.  In 
the  fall  the  railroad  company  built  a  substantial 
depot  costing  two  thousand  dollars  and  before  win- 
ter set  in  trains  were  running  regularly  over  the 
line. 

The  McMurray  Cedar  Lumber  Company  began 
erecting  its  plant  in  the  fall  of  1890,  also,  and  fin- 
ished it  the  following  spring.  It  was  a  modern  com- 
bination mill  with  a  lumber  capacity  of  sixty  thou- 
sand and  a  shingle  output  of  seventy-five  thousand 
a  day,  whose  operation  involving  the  employment  of 
a  large  force.  The  new  hotel  was  managed  by  a 
man  named  Luce  until  the  fall  of  1891,  when  W.  H. 
Hall  took  charge;  he  also  put  in  the  pioneer  meat 
market  in  October  of  that  year.  The  town  grew 
rapidly  until  hard  times,  when  it  sufl^ered  severely. 

However,  with  the  passing  of  the  old  mill  into 
the  hands  of  the  Atlas  Lumber  and  Shingle  Com- 
pany in  1896,  and  the  rejuvenation  of  that  indus- 
try a  little  later,  McMurray  began  to  revive.  It  has 
grown  steadily  since  and  assumed  a  permanent 
place  as  one  of  the  substantial  smaller  commercial 
centers  of  Skagit  county. 

The  town  has  suffered  from  only  one  severe  con- 
flagration. This  was  occasioned  by  the  burning  of 
a  portion  of  the  Atlas  plant  in  April,  1901.     The 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


timely  arrival  by  special  train  of  the  Snohomish  City 
fire  engine  with  Charles  Slater  and  Frank  Benway 
in  charge  prevented  the  destruction  of  the  entire 
plant  and  perhaps  saved  the  town.  As  it  was,  the 
less  was  at  least  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

At  the  time  Mc Murray  was  founded  an  effort 
was  made  by  the  Medina  Land  and  Quarry  Com- 
pany to  establish  the  town  of  Medina  on  the  lake 
opposite  McMurray.  This  enterprise  failed,  how- 
ever, the  only  two  buildings  erected  never  having 
been  occupied. 

McMurray's  professional  men  and  business 
houses  are  :  Physician,  Dr.  William  Teepell ;  post- 
master, Mrs.  George  La  Rock ;  station  agent,  T.  H. 
Copestick;  Atlas  Shingle  and  Lumber  Company, 
Charles  E.  Patten,  manager ;  general  stores : 
Hughes  &  Blake;  Starlund  &  Boie ;  hotels:  Mrs. 
H.  D.  Plattner,  Harry  Donovan  ;  meat  market,  N.  G. 
Seegebarth;  bakery  and  confectionery,  Mrs.  George 
Keys;  barber  shop,  Edson  Sturgeon,  and  three  sa- 
loons. 

The  pioneer  school  of  McMurray  was  taught 
by  Miss  Thomas,  of  Riount  Vernon,  in  a  small 
dwelling  in  the  fall  of  1891.  The  next  year  the  dis- 
trict built  a  school-house  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand 
dollars,  which  is  still  used.  Professor  Charles  Vin- 
ger  and  wife  have  had  charge  of  this  school  for  the 
last  three  years.  In  1903  the  Congregationalists 
erected  a  handsome  church  edifice,  and  they  have  re- 
cently called  a  minister.  The  Catholics  also  have  a 
chapel  in  the  town.  The  only  fraternities  repre- 
sented at  present  are  the  Maccabees  and  Foresters, 
whicli  have  thriving  local  lodges. 

MONTBORNE 

This  little  mill  town  lies  on  the  east  shore  of  Big 
lake,  the  middle  lake  in  the  chain  which  occupies 
the  central  portion  of  Skagit  county.  The  Nelson 
&  Neal  Lumber  Company  operate  a  large  mill  there 
which  furnishes  practical'lv  the  entire  support  of  the 
village. 

It  is  also  a  station  on  the  Northern  Pacific,  and 
has  a  postoffice  and  general  store. 

Dr.  H.  P.  Montborne,  the  pioneer  physician  of 
Mount  Vernon,  settled  on  this  land,  upon  which 
the  town  bearing  his  name  stands,  in  1.SS4.  and  in 
1S90  sold  the  claim  to  the  Virginia  Land  and  Town- 
site  Company,  of  which  A.  S.  Dunham,  president 
of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  Railway  Com- 
pany, became  president.  A  depot  was  inimediatelv 
established,  and  in  1891  a  postoffice  secured.  Sev- 
eral different  companies  have  operated  mills  at 
RTontborne,  the  site  being  very  favorable  for  mill- 
mg  purposes.  It  is  an  attractive,  beautifully  situ- 
ated little  town. 

HAMILTON 

The  ruins  of  long-unused  business  buildings  in 
Hamilton  tell  of  a  past  exceeding  the  present. "  The 
towering  mountains  of  coal  and  iron  just  across  the 


river,  the  mountains  of  timber  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion giving  prophecy  of  a  future  far  surpassing 
past  or  present,  while  the  great  beauty  of  the  level 
town  site,  dry  and  clean  at  all  seasons,  will  permit 
the  building  of  an  attractive  as  well  as  a  busy  and 
prosperous  city  when  the  time  is  full  for  the  devel- 
opment of  its  tributary  wealth. 

About  the  year  1877  William  Hamilton  filed 
on  the  land  that  is  now  the  town  site.  In  1884  he 
put  in  a  general  merchandise  establishment,  encour- 
aged by  the  activity  in  the  coal  region  just  across 
the  river,  but  the  village  did  not  grow  much  until 
1889.  In  that  year,  however,  it  took  a  wonderful 
start.  Among  the  promoters  of  its  development 
were  McNaught  Brothers,  C.  B.  McDowell,  H.  C. 
Pettit,  J.  W.  Dermont,  Colonel  Wilkinson  and  J.  C. 
Carlton.  It  speedily  became  a  thriving  place  with 
perhaps  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants  within  its  bor- 
ders and  in  the  country   surrounding. 

The  Skagit  County  Logger  tells  us  that  in 
November,  1889,  Hamilton  had  a  steam  saw  and 
shingle  mill,  a  water-power  feed  mill,  two  livery 
stables,  a  general  merchandise  store,  a  news- 
paper, a  blacksmith  shop,  two  hotels,  a  school-house 
and  a  public  hall.  Two  stages  left  the  town  daily, 
one  for  Mount  Vernon,  the  other  for  up-river 
points.  Lots  ranged  in  price  from  seventy-five  to 
two  hundred  dollars. 

In  the  spring  of  1890,  the  Hamilton  Town  Site 
and  Land  Conapany  was  incorporated,  with  a  board 
of  trustees  consisting  of  twelve  influential  capital- 
ists of  Butte,  Seattle,  Fairhaven  and  Hamilton.  It 
is  stated  that  during  the  week  ending  June  5.  1890, 
that  company  sold  thirty  thousand  dollars'  worth 
of  real  estate.  Very  early  in  1891  steps  were  taken 
looking  toward  incorporation.  At  a  meeting  held 
January  17th,  J.  B.  Wiley,  census  enumerator,  sub- 
mitted his  report  showing  that  he  had  found  three 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  people  within  the  pro- 
posed corporate  limits.  The  4th  of  the  ensuing 
March,  by  a  vote  of  forty-eight  to  thirty-four,  the 
people  decided  upon  incorporation,  and  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected :    Mayor,  J.  B.  Wiley ; 

treasurer,   Graves ;   councilmen,   Thomas 

Miller,  C.  G.  Shepard,  I.  C.  Richardson,  W.  H. 
Dexter,  C.   B.   McDowell". 

The  >ear  1891  was  one  of  great  activity  and 
prosperity  due  to  the  mines  and  the  building  of 
the  Seattle  &  Northern  Railroad.  It  was  assumed 
from  the  efforts  of  the  Great  Northern  to  secure 
a  half  interest  in  the  town  site  that  that  company 
expected  to  do  great  things  for  the  development 
of  Hamilton.  It  was  claimed  that  an  arrangement 
had  been  entered  into  whereby  the  Great  Northern 
undertook  to  connect  Hamilton  with  its  Puget  sound 
system  during  the  year,  and  hearts  beat  high  with 
hope  that  not  only  this  would  be  done,  but  that  the 
road  would  be  extended  to  Sauk  and  in  a  short  time 
through  the  mountains  to  a  connection  with  its 
great  transcontinental  system. 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


Unfortunately  the  hopes  then  entertained  were 
doomed  to  disappointment.  The  mines  shut  down, 
the  hard  times  came  on,  a  portion  of  the  town  near 
the  river  suffered  greatly  from  floods  and  a  decline 
began,  lasting  yet.  The  Great  Northern  is  a  reality, 
to  be  sure,  but'  it  has  not  proved  the  developer  that 
was  expected.  The  rates  demanded  by  it  for  trans- 
porting logs  are  considered  prohibitive  by  lumber- 
men, causing  many  of  them  to  shut  down.  While 
this  and  the  inactivity  in  the  tributary  mines  are 
verv  depressing,  it  is' clear  that  present  conditions 
cannot  last  always.  So  magnificent  is  the  timber 
that  the  loggers  have  begun  surveying  for  a  rail- 
road to  a  point  on  the  river  from  which  logs  can 
safely  be  transported  by  water  to  the  sound.  They 
assert  that  unless  the  Great  Northern  establishes 
a  reasonable  rate  they  will  surely  build  their  own 
road.  In  either  case  the  town  will  profit  by  the 
increased  activity  which  must  come.  The  iron  and 
coal  will  not  always  go  begging  and  when  their 
development  commences  in  good  earnest  a  splendid 
city  will  spring  up  on  this  magnificent  town  site. 

A  list  of  the  present  business  houses  and  busi- 
ness men  of  Hamilton  at  the  present  time  would 
include  the  following :  Bank  of  Hamilton,  J.  Yung- 
bluth  &  Company,  proprietors :  drug  store,  J.  H. 
Smith  :  confectioner\\  Morris  Hamilton  ;  Hamilton 
Herald,  Hans  J.  Bratlie,  publisher ;  the  Yellowstone 
restaurant  and  saloon,  P.  Jacobino,  proprietor; 
J.  R.  Baldridge's  saloon  ;  g'roceries, Thomas  Conboy  : 
dry  goods,  Frank  Wyman ;  hardware,  general  mer- 
chandise, etc.,  the  Eagle  Shingle  Company ;  the 
Seattle  saloon  and  hotel,  E.  R.  Whitney,  proprie- 
tor; the  Washington  hotel,  Mrs.  M.  Ferbrache,  pro- 
prietress ;  meat  market,  Fred  Shannon,  proprietor ; 
harness,  paints,  etc.,  P.  Gabel ;  livery  stable,  W.  W. 
Raymore.  Four  miles  above  the  town  is  the  J.  T. 
Hightower  Lumber  Company's  plant  and  there  is 
also  a  logging  camp  in  the  vicinity  in  operation  at 
present.  Dr.  R.  G.  Kellner  practices  medicine  and 
surgery  in  the  town  and  surrounding  country.  At 
the  time  of  the  writer's  visit,  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal society,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Henry 
Harpst,  was  erecting  a  neat  little  church.  The 
Catholics  also  have  a  local  organization  and  a  resi- 
dent priest.  The  town  has  an  excellent  public 
school,  presided  over  last  3'ear  by  four  instructors. 
G.  W.  Wilson  is  postmaster. 


Baker  is  an  upper  Skagit  valley  village,  situ- 
ated on  the  Great  Northern  Railway  at  the  junction 
of  the  Skagit  and  Baker  rivers,  from  the  latter  of 
which  it  receives  its  name.  At  this  point  there  is 
not  at  present  very  extended  development,  but  with 
such  rich  resources  as  exist  in  the  surrounding 
country  the  day  of  larger  things  cannot  be  far 
distant. 

The  foothills  and  slopes  of  the  Cascades,  lying 


in  close  proximity,  have  as  yet  lost  only  a  fraction 
of  their  marketable  timber;  the  minerals  hidden 
beneath  these  forests  have  scarcely  been  scratched 
by  the  pick,  while  the  valleys  are  being  cultivated 
in  but  a  few  spots.  At  Baker  lake,  about  twenty- 
five  miles  up  the  river,  the  government  maintains 
an  extensive  fish  hatchery. 

Just  across  the  river  from  the  town  of  Baker 
a  great  cement  mine  is  now  being  developed  by  a 
syndicate  which  proposes  to  erect  on  the  ground  a 
mill  capable  of  producing  twelve  hundred  barrels 
a  day.  In  fact,  at  this  writing,  a  crew  of  more 
than  a  hundred  men  is  engaged  in  building  a  great 
dam  on  Baker  river  and  flumes  for  utilizing  the 
immense  water  power,  while  side  tracks  have  been 
laid  and  the  site  is  ready  to  receive  the  mill.  The 
enterprise  is  a  substantial  one  and  bids  fair  to 
create  of  itself  a  thrifty,  populous  commvmity.  A 
comparatively  new  bridge  spans  the  Baker  near  its 
mouth,  connecting  the  town  with  the  proposed 
cement  works  on  the  old  Amasa  Everett  ranch  on 
the  west  side  of  the  river. 

Upon  the  sloping  plateau,  reaching  perhaps  a 
height  of  between  a  hundred  and  a  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  above  the  rivers,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Baker  river,  which  forms  the  site  of  Baker,  Richard 
Challanger  settled  in  1S8S.  Two  years  later  Magnus 
iMiller  bought  the  claim  from  Challanger  and  made 
permanent  residence  thereon,  building  a  dwelling 
large  enough  to  accommodate  occasional  travelers 
through  that  isolated  region.  The  next  year  the 
community  built  a  school-house  on  John  Benson's 
place  on  the  Skagit  a  short  distance  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Baker,  and  in  1892  Baker  postoffice 
was  established  on  Miller's  place. 

In  this  stage  of  development  the  embni^o  town 
remained  for  nearly  ten  years,  or  until  the  Great 
Northern  was  extended  up  the  valley,  passing 
through  the  Miller  place.  About  this  time  Wil- 
son M.  Aldridge  came  to  the  mouth  of  Baker  river 
with  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  and  estab- 
lished the  pioneer  store  near  the  postoffice,  the 
year  of  his  arrival  being  1900.  A  year  later  the 
Baker  River  Lumber  Company  erected  a  mill  along 
the  railroad  at  the  Miller  place,  which  added  impe- 
tus to  the  town's  growth,  resulting  in  the  establish- 
ment of  another  store  (owned  by  the  company), 
and  a  saloon,  and  increasing  the  population  con- 
siderably. This  mill  is  operating  steadily,  cutting 
from  one  hundred  thousand  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  shingles  a  day,  but  no  lumber. 
Last  year  a  school-house  was  built  in  town  and 
Miss  Carrie  Leggett  employed  as  its  first  teacher. 

The  town  institutions  may  be  said  to  consist 
of  two  general  stores,  that  of  W.  M.  Aldridge  and 
that  of  the  Baker  River  Lumber  Company ;  hotel, 
operated  by  Magnus  Miller ;  postofifice,  of  which  he 
is  also  postmaster ;  a  shingle  mill,  two  saloons,  a 
large  cement  works  just  across  the  river,  and  a 
school-house. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


SAUK    CITY 

As  early  as  1884  a  postoffice  was  established 
at  Sauk  City.  In  January,  1889,  a  large  portion 
of  the  little  village  which  had  sprung  up  there  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  Only  one  building,  it  is  said, 
was  left  standing,  the  store  of  George  Perrault,  but 
many  of  the  destroyed  residences  were  at  once  re- 
built. The  following  November  forty  acres  were 
platted  into  town  lots  and  a  larger  area  was  divided 
into  five  and  ten-acre  tracts,  which  were  offered 
for  sale  soon  after.  During  1890,  Thomas  F. 
Moody  of  Hamilton  and  J.  W.  Sutherland  of  Fair- 
haven  purchased  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  across  the  Skagit  from  Sauk  postoffice  from 
Messrs.  Sutter.  McLoud  &  Byers ;  their  object 
being  to  start  a  town.  In  August  surveying  was 
begun  and  negotiations  were  opened  for  a  saw- 
mill, which  would  furnish  materials  for  the  build- 
ings. Moody  &  Sutherland  merged  their  interests 
with  those  of  a  wealthy  corporation  in  February, 
1891,  and  it  appeared  that  a  grand  onward  move- 
ment for  the  place  had  begun. 

At  that  time  it  seemed  evident  that  with  the 
energy  and  wealth  of  its  promoters,  with  th6  agri- 
cultural and  logging  interests  that  would  naturally 
center  there  and  with  its  close  proximity  to  the 
mineral  stores  of  the  Skagit.  Cascade  and  Sauk 
rivers,  it  must  necessarily  become  a  town  of  no 
little  importance.  The  site  selected  was  decidedly 
advantageous,  being  at  the  head  of  the  Skagit 
valley  and  at  the  foot  of  Sauk  valley,  on  a  piece  of 
ground  lying  in  moderately  high  terraces,  the  lower 
one  of  which  was  above  high-water  mark. 

But  with  all  these  advantages,  and  with  the 
railroad  it  now  enjoys,  the  growth  of  the  place 
has  been  slow,  owing  to  the  comparative  slow- 
ness in  the  development  of  its  tributary  industries. 
The  business  houses  established  there  at  present 
are:  The  Sauk  Mercantile  Company,  dealers  in 
general  merchandise,  two  hotels,  two  saloons,  a 
butcher  shop,  a  tailor  shop,  a  shingle  mill  with  a 
daily  capacity  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  thou- 
sand and  a  postoffice.  The  place  is  supplied  with 
a  good  public  school.  As  yet  no  denomination  of 
Christians  has  established  itself  in  Sauk,  but  a 
Sunday-school  is  maintained. 

ROCKPORT 

The  present  terminus  of  the  railroad  from  Ana- 
cortes  through  the  Skagit  valley  to  the  foot  of  the 
Cascades  is  Rockport,  on  the  Sauk  river,  near 
Sauk  City.  For  many  years  a  hotel  has  been 
maintained  there  by  Al.  Von  Pressentin  and  a  few 
goods  may  also  have  been  carried  by  him.  but  the 
little  town  is  comparatively  young,  not  over  five  or 
six  years  old.  Until  very  recently  the  people  resid- 
ing in  the  vicinity  had  to  go  to  Sauk  for  their  mail, 
but  they  now  have  a  postoffice  in  their  mid.st.    The 


business  establishments  of  the  place  at  present  are 
Al.  Von  Pressentin's  hotel ;  Charles  Comforth's 
restaurant;  Horace  Claibom's  saloon;  Al.  Von  Pres- 
sentin's general  store;  Wm.  H.  Parry's  livery  sta- 
ble; a  large  mill  boarding  house  run  by  A.  Young; 
the  Hawkeye  Shingle  Company's  mill,  capacity  one 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand ;  the  Rockport  Shin- 
gle Company's  plant,  capacity  fifty  to  sixty  thou- 
sand ;  a  public  school,  and  a  depot,  with  a  telegraph 
and  express  office. 

CEMENT    CITY 

This  town  site  was  platted  only  the  last  of  July. 
1905.  The  writer  visited  it  about  that  time  and 
watched  the  streets  being  staked  out  and  men  at 
work  installing  a  water  system.  Only  one  building- 
had  been  erected  on  the  site,  that  of  O.  C.  Miller. 
manager  of  the  new  cement  works. 

This  town  has  been  planned  as  a  home  for  the 
large  number  of  people  who  are  shortly  to  be  em- 
ployed at  this  place  in  mining  the  raw  cement  and 
refining  it. 


This  thrifty  little  hamlet  is  situated  at  the  ex- 
treme southern  portion  of  Fidalgo  island,  near  the 
western  end  of  Deception  pass.  The  original  name 
of  this  postoffice  was  Deception,  and  it  was  created 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighties.  There  was  nothing 
except  the  postoffice  at  the  place  until  1889,  when 
every  available  town  site  on  Fidalgo  island  was 
purchased  and  platted  as  fast  as  surveyors  could  do 
the  work.  F.  J.  Carlyle  and  George  Loucke,  in 
18S9,  secured  holdings  at  Deception  and  almost  im- 
mediately platted  them  as  Fidalgo  City,  three  hun- 
dred and  forty-one  blocks  being  surveyed.  About 
the  same  time  Legh  R.  Freeman,  publisher  of  the 
Washington  Farmer,  laid  out  another  tract  of  land 
near  by,  calling  his  town  Gibraltar.  A  newspaper 
report  of  the  time  states  that  at  the  opening  sale  of 
lots.  November  oth,  two  hundred  and  fifty-two  of 
the  Fidalgo  City  lots  were  sold  and  forty-seven  at 
Gibraltar.  January  9,  1891,  the  name  of  the  post- 
office  was  changed  to  Fidalgo  and  Miss  Mary  E. 
Loucke  appointed  postmistress.  As  this  name  was 
in  conflict  with  that  of  the  old  postoffice  on  Fidalgo 
bay,  the  department  almost  immediately  again 
changed  the  name — this  time  to  Fidalgo  City.  This 
name  remained  until  after  the  Spanish-American 
War,  when  the  old  name  was  abandoned  and  the 
present  one,  that  of  the  gallant  admiral,  chosen. 

In  1891  an  electric  motor  line  was  built  from 
Anacortes  south  to  Fidalgo  City  and  cars  made  two 
trips  over  it.  The  enterprise  was  premature,  how- 
ever, and  really  completed  simply  to  secure  a  large 
land  bonus  promised  the  company.  This  old  road- 
bed may  still  be  seen,  but  the  iron  has  long  since 
been  removed. 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


Fidalgo  City,  or  Dewey's,  pioneer  merchants 
were  W.  H.  Halpin  and  C.  J.  Carlisle,  the  former 
establishing  the  first  store  at  the  time  the  town  was 
laid  out.  Without  attempting  to  note  minutely  the 
changes  from  time  to  time,  it  is  sufficient  to  say 
that  the  present  merchant  and  postmaster,  Albanus 
D.  Quint,  came  to  Dewey  in  189T  and  opened  his 
store.  Dewey  is  a  pleasantly  situated  little  place, 
and  when  Fidalgo  island  becomes  a  great  man- 
ufacturing point,  it,  too,  will  enjoy  a  vigorous 
growth. 

WHITNEY 

This  little  hamlet  lies  on  the  Anacortes  branch 
of  the  Great  Northern  railway,  perhaps  a  mile  south- 
east of  Padilla  bay,  in  the  northern  portion  of  the 
famous  Swinomish  flats.  There  is  a  station  there 
of  which  Mrs.  E.  Mendenhall  is  in  charge.  She 
also  keeps  the  postoffice,  and  in  connection  with  it 
a  small  store.  The  only  other  business  establish- 
ment of  the  place  is  a  hotel  and  saloon,  conducted 
by  Anderson  Brothers.  A  daily  stage  line  is  also 
operated  between  Whitney  and  La  Conner,  six  miles 
south. 

The  postoffice,  which  is  still  known  as  Padilla, 
was  established  in  1883  in  the  old  village  of  Padilla, 
a  mile  north  of  the  railroad,  with  A.  G.  Tillinghast 
as  postmaster.  With  the  building  of  the  railroad  in 
1890  this  pioneer  hamlet  was  abandoned  and  what 
business  was  there  removed  to  Whitney  station. 
Miss  Emma  Jenne  became  postmistress  about  1891 
and  shortly  afterward  Olven  Fulk  built  the  Ander- 
son hotel  and  saloon.  Whitney  was  named  in  honor 
of  Rienzie  E.  Whitney,  who  was  one  of  Skagit's 
most  worthy  pioneers,  the  founder  of  the  Padilla 
settlement  and  the  man  who  reclaimed  Whitney's 
island  near  the  station. 


The  above  is  the  name  of  a  station  on  the  Ana- 
cortes division  of  the  Great  Northern  railway  at  a 
point  where  it  crosses  Fidalgo  bay,  two  miles  south- 
east of  Anacortes.  At  the  time  of  the  great  Fidalgo 
island  boom  in  1890  William  Munks  platted  the 
town  on  a  portion  of  his  old  homestead  and  quite 
a  business  center  sprang  up  at  the  place.  A  preten- 
tious hotel  was  erected  by  Mr.  Munks  himself  and 
a  large  store  was  established  by  Henry  C.  Bark- 
honsen.  These  were  not  the  pioneer  houses,  how- 
ever, for  Fidalgo  postoffice  was  the  second  one 
created  in  Skagit  county  and  Mr.  Munks  had  main- 
tained a  trading  post  'at  his  place  since  the  late 
sixties.  With  the  collapse  of  the  boom  in  189-?,  and 
the  arrival  of  hard  times,  Fidalgo  gave  up  its  ambi- 
tion to  become  a  city  and  ultimately  the  land  was 
remanded  to  fanning  purposes.  The  postoffice  was 
discontinued  a  few  years  ago,  and  now  all  that  re- 
mains of  the  town  is  a  few  deserted  buildings  and 
the  railroad  station. 


Although  merely  a  hamlet,  a  trading  center  in 
the  delta  of  the  Skagit  river.  Fir  is  a  place  of  his- 
toric interest  in  Skagit  county.  At  present  there  is 
a  postoffice,  of  which  Colonel  Charles  F.  Treat  is 
postmaster ;  two  general  stores,  one  belonging  to 
Colonel  Treat,  the  other  to  Edward  Osborn ;  George 
Mann's  hotel  and  a  saloon. 

Mann's  Landing,  as  Fir  was  first  named,  had  its 
inception  in  the  logging  industry.  When  that  busi- 
ness began  to  assume  large  proportions  on  the  Skagit 
during  the  middle  seventies,  extensive  boom  facil- 
ities became  a  necessity  at  the  river's  mouth,  the 
maintenance  of  which  in  turn  required  great  crews 
of  men.  So  it  was  only  natural  that  in  1876  C.  H. 
Mann  should  have  opened  a  store  upon  his  claim 
near  by.  It  being  conveniently  situated  upon  the 
shore,  boats  at  once  began  making  calls  there,  and 
very  shortly  the  point  became  known  as  Mann's 
Landing.  Its  location  is  upon  the  north  bank  of  the 
south  fork  channel,  opposite  Conway,  and  perhaps 
three  and  a  half  miles  from  the  sound.  Contem- 
poraneously with  the  establishment  of  Mann's  store, 
came  a  small  hotel  owned  by  Mann  and  kept  by 
Mrs.  John  Anderson,  and  the  postoffice  of  Fir,  of 
which  Mr.  Mann  was  postmaster.  At  that  time 
Skagit  City  was  the  only  town  on  the  river.  Mount 
Vernon  being  no  larger  than  Fir  for  several  years. 
As  headquarters  for  loggers  and  the  constantly  in- 
creasing number  of  settlers  who  were  reclaiming 
the  fertile  bottom  lands  at  the  delta,  Fir  throve  vig- 
orously, and  became  a  typical  frontier  community. 

About  1883  Magnus  Anderson  replaced  Mann's 
old  hotel  by  a  substantial,  two-story  building,  of 
which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Villeneuve  first  took 
charge.  Soon  afterward  the  Morting  house  was 
erected.  Just  at  this  period  in  the  hamlet's  history 
Skagit  county's  first  disastrous  fire  wiped  out  every 
business  building  at  the  place,  the  losses  reaching 
approximately  seventeen  thousand  dollars,  with 
small  insurance.  The  buildings  were  at  once  rebuilt 
and  business  reestablished.  Friday,  April  10,  1885, 
is  the  date  of  this  conflagration.  Eight  years  later 
Mr.  Mann  again  sufi'ered  the  destruction  by  fire  of 
his  store  buildings,  the  loss  this  time  reaching,  ac- 
cording to  the  Skagit  News,  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars,  with  eleven  thousand  dollars  insurance. 
Since  that  disaster  Fir  has  prospered  without  un- 
toward incident.  Many  fishing  boats  on  the  sound 
make  headquarters  at  Fir  and  Conwav. 


Conway  lies  on  the  southeastern  bank  of  the 
Skagit  river,  opposite  Fir,  and  is  the  southernmost 
Skagit  county  station  on  the  Great  Northern's 
coast-line.  Its  population  does  not  exceed  fifty, 
there  being  only  a  postoffice,  hotel,  store  and  two 
saloons  there.  A  ferry  connects  Conway  with  Fir, 
virtually  making  them  one  community. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Thomas  P.  Jones  and  Charles  Villeneiive  settled 
upon  and  near  the  site  of  Conway  in  l.S7;5,  but  not 
until  1886  did  the  latter  establish  the  pioneer  store 
on  the  land.  In  1891  the  Great  Northern  came 
through,  designating  this  point  as  a  station.  There- 
upon Mr.  Jones  platted  the  town  site  of  Conway 
upon  a  portion  of  his  land.  Mr.  Villeneuve  bought 
four  lots  and  in  1893  erected  the  present  store 
building.  A  heavy  flood  in  189-t  all  but  destroyed 
the  place.  Two  years  later  Mr.  Villeneuve  leased 
his  store  to  William  Bonser,  who  retained  posses- 
sion two  years,  finally  returning  the  business  to  its 
owner.  Magnus  Anderson  succeeded  Mr.  Villen- 
euve a  year  and  a  half  later  and  was  in  turn  re- 
cently succeeded  by  John  Melkild  who  still  conducts 
the  general  store.'  The  wealthy  Skagit  delta  flats 
surround  the  town,  furnishing  its  main  support. 

SKAGIT   CITY 

The  history  of  Skagit  City  is  so  interwoven  with 
the  general  history  of  Skagit  county  that  only  a 
brief  niention  will  be  necessary  here.  This  historic 
place,  the  oldest  settlement  and  business  point  on 
the  Skagit  river,  is  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
main  river  about  four  miles  below  Mount  Vernon 
and  a  mile  below  the  junction  of  the  north  and  south 
forks.  It  is  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Skagit  delta, 
surrounded  on  every  side  by  one  of  the  richest  farm- 
ing regions  in  the  Northwest.  Practically  the  whole 
region  is  in  cultivation.  The  river  here  is  broad  and 
deep,  furnishing  facilities  for  extensive  steamboat 
navigation  and  general  boating,  all  of  which  is 
taken  advantage  of  by  numerous  river  boats.  A 
ferry  is  maintained  by  the  county  at  this  point  for 
the  convenience  of  the  public. 

Like  a  typical  river  town,  Skagit  City  was  built 
along  the  dike,  the  business  houses  being  built  in  a 
row  facing  the  water,  beginning  with  Barker's 
single  trading  post  in  1869.  Ten  years  l^ter  Skagit 
City  was  a  thrifty  village  with  hotels,  stores,  saloons, 
school,  church  and  other  public  buildings.  For  a 
few  years  it  continued  to  grow,  but  with  the  rise  of 
Mount  \ern(Mi  the  older  town  gradually  began  to 
decline,  losing  its  business  houses  to  Mount  Vernon 
one  by  one.  .\t  present  only  one  remains,  the  gen- 
eral store  of  D.  E.  Gage,  who  succeeded  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  to  the  original  establish- 
ment. Even  the  postoffice  has  been  discontinued, 
the  rural  free  delivery  routes  taking  its  place.  The 
Skagit  Queen,  Captain  H.  H.  MacDonald,  calls  at 
the  wharf  when  occasion  requires. 

The  town  site  was  platted  on  the  old  homestead 
of  W.  H.  McAlpine,  one  of  the  earliest  of  Skagit's 
pioneers.  Originally  the  McAlpine  dwelling  and 
Barker's  store  stood  further  up  the  river,  near  the 
point  a  few  hundred  yards  above  the  present  build- 
ings. Heavy  floods  have  partly  washed  away  the 
old  site. 

Skagit  City  is  associated  with  so  much  of  impor- 


tance and  interest  in  connection  with  the  early  days 
of  Skagit's  settlement  that  it  will  always  live  in  local 
history.  Its  mission  as  a  town,  however,  seems  to 
have  been  fulfilled. 


"Otto  Klement  has  laid  off  the  town  of  Lyman. 
The  lots  are  fifty  by  one  hundred ;  alleys  seventeen 
feet ;  streets  sixty  and  eighty-two.  The  site  is  one 
above  all  overflow,  level  and  dry.  Our  county  sur- 
veyor, George  Savage,  has  done  the  platting  and 
excellent  work  is  the  result." 

Such  is  the  account  in  the  Skagit  Ne\ys  of  Octo- 
ber 28,  188-1:,  of  the  inception  of  Lyman  as  a  town. 
The  first  store  in  the  place  had  been  erected  before 
this  by  Mr.  Klement.  If  the  town  site  proprietor 
expected  a  rapid  growth  for  his  new  burg  he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment,  but  the  town,  by  1889, 
consisted  of  the  first-class  general  merchandise  store 
of  B.  D.  Minkler,  the  Lyman  hotel,  run  by  a  man 
named  Quinn,  a  livery  stable,  a  town  hall  and  a 
church. 

Notwithstanding  its  splendid  location  in  the  heart 
of  a  fine  agricultural  section,  with  a  fine  belt  of 
timber  on  one  side  and  great  deposits  of  coal  and 
iron  on  the  other,  Lyman  seems  to  have  received 
relatively  little  attention  from  the  town  site  boomer 
during  the  early  nineties,  nor  has  it  had  a  specially 
rapid  growth  at  any  time.  Of  the  three  roads  ex- 
pected to  pass  through  it  in  1890,  but  one  has  mater- 
ialized, the  Seattle  &  Northern,  now  the  property 
of  the  Great  Northern.  This,  however,  is  already 
of  inestimable  advantage  and  will  be  of  still  greater 
when  the  development  of  the  mines  begins  in  good 
earnest.  The  town  at  present  consists  of  the  follow- 
ing business  enterprises:  Lyman  hotel  and  saloon, 
Duffy  &  Egan's  saloon,  Henry  Hurshman's  general 
merchandise  store  and  hotel,  the  Hitchcock-Kelly 
Lumber  Company,  Vanderford  &  Minkler  Shingle 
mill,  a  K.  of  P.  hall,  a  postoffice  and  a  railway  depot. 

STERLING 

Jesse  B.  Ball  founded  the  town  of  Sterling  in 
1878,  by  establishing  a  large  logging  camp  and  trad- 
ing post  at  that  point.  The  site  lies  at  a  great  bend 
in  the  Skagit  river,  two  miles  below  Sedro-Woolley, 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  river.  Then,  and  for  many 
years  afterward,  Sterling  was  the  chief  town  in  the 
valley  above  Mount  Vernon  and  was  the  head  of 
regular  steamboat  navigation.  The  forests  sur- 
rounding the  town  and  up  the  valley  were  a  paradise 
for  loggers,  and  Sterling  was  considered  headquar- 
ters, making  it  for  the  first  few  years  an  important 
place. 

In  1886  the  Skagit  Railway  and  Lumber  Com- 
pany succeeded  Ball.  This  concern  enlarged  even 
upon  his  extensive  operations,  employing  a  small 
army   of   men    and    carrying   a    stock   of   general 


CITIES   AND    TOWNS 


247 


merchandise  ranging  from  forty  thousand  dollars 
upward.  The  town  had  this  camp  and  store,  a 
hotel,  a  livery  stable,  a  church  and  a  school-house 
in  1889,  and  perhaps  seventy  to  eighty  permanent 
residents.  That  year,  however,  marked  the  be- 
ginning of  Sterling's  end,  as  Sedro  began  its 
wonderful  growth,  Woolley  was  platted  and 
the  railroads,  just  constructed  throughout  the 
county,  began  drawing  trade  from  the  river. 
\\lien  what  is  now  the  Skagit  valley  branch  of  the 
Great  Northern  came  up  the  valley.  Sterling  was 
not  touched  by  it,  a  fact  which  further  accelerated 
the  decline  of  the  little  river  town.  To-day  there 
is  a  station  called  Sterling,  but  the  old  town  is 
merely  a  memory. 


The  postoffice  of  Warner's  prairie,  northwest  of 
Burlington,  is  Thome,  established  in  VMH).  It  is 
named  in  honor  of  the  postmaster,  Woodbury  J. 
Thome,  who,  with  his  wife,  settled  on  their  home- 
stead in  1895. 

EHRLICHS 

A  postoffice  and  station  on  the  Bellingham 
branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific  railway,  between 
Montbome  and  McMurray.  Hughes  &  Blake  oper- 
ate a  general  store,  besides  which  there  are  two  or 
three  small  shingle  mills  in  the  vicinity. 


For  the  purpose  of  preserving  in  history  some 
data  concerning  pioneer  Skagit  towns  and  post- 
offices  which  never  realized  a  permanent  existence, 
we  mention  the  following: 

Eagle  Harbor,  a  postoffice  established  on 
Cypress  island  in  1881,  with  E.  Hammond  as  post- 
master. No  business  buildings  were  ever  erected 
or  mails  ever  delivered. 

Bancroft,  a  town  laid  out  around  Alden  Acad- 
emy, Fidalgo  island,  in  188.3,  by  Rev.  E.  O.  Tade. 
It  was  so  named  in  honor  of  Hubert  Howe  Ban- 
croft, the  author  of  the  Pacific  Coast  series.  An 
unsuccessful  enterprise,  which  never  progressed  be- 
yond the  sale  of  a  few  lots. 

Bessemer,  north  bank  of  the  Skagit  river  above 
Birdsview.  Platted  by  Harrison  Clothier  in  1890, 
at  the  time  the  Cokedale  mines  were  opened.  A 
town  in  name  only. 

Atlanta,  on  Samish  island  near  Point  Williams. 
Platted  by  ex-Sherii?  G.  W.  L.  Allen  in  1883.  He 
erected  a  two-story  hotel,  established  a  store,  se- 
cured a  postoffice  and  built  an  extensive  wharf,  but 
failed  in  his  larger  purpose.  This  was  the  extent 
of  the  town's  growth. 

Other  postoffices  in  the  county  according  to  the 
last  United  States  postal  guide  are :  Belfast,  Belle- 
ville, Biglake,  Birdsview,  Cypress,  Fravel,  Fre- 
donia.  Lookout.  JMansford,  Marblemount,  Milltown, 
Minkler,  Prairie,  Samish,  Urban  and  Van  Horn,  all 
of  which  are  thriving  centers  of  the  lumber,  mining 
or  agricultural  industry. 


PART    III 

SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


MOUNTAIN    AND    STREAM 


PART    III 

SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


CHAPTER  I 


SETTLEMENT   AND   ORGANIZATION 


Away  back  in  the  early  fifties,  when  the  Indians 
still  held  by  right  of  possession  all  the  land  on  which 
are  the  cities  of  Seattle,  Everett,  La  Conner,  Bell- 
ingham  and  other  prominent  towns  of  the  sound, 
the  first  permanent  white  settlement  in  Snohomish 
county  was  made.  The  site  of  this  settlement  was 
Tulalip  bay,  the  settlers  were  John  Gould,  who  died 
recently  on  Whidby  island,  a  Frenchman  named 
Peter  Goutre  and  a  few  others ;  the  purpose  of  these 
stout-hearted  pioneers  was  to  utilize  the  splendid 
water  power  in  operating  a  saw-mill ;  the  date  of 
their  settlement  is  believed  to  be  1853. 

The  saw-mill  was  built  as  planned.  Nothing  oc- 
curred to  interfere  seriously  with  its  successful  oper- 
ation until  January  22,  1855,  when  the  celebrated 
Governor  I.  I.  Stevens  held  a  council  with  the 
D'Wamish  and  allied  tribes  of  Indians.  The  result 
of  this  convention  was  the  cession  to  the  United 
States  of  a  vast  domain,  from  which,  however,  was 
reserved  to  the  Indians  a  tract  of  land  including  the 
very  spot  on  which  this  pioneer  saw-mill  stood.  As 
a  result  the  mill  was  condemned  by  the  government, 
which  bought  it  at  an  appraised  valuation.  It  still 
stands  on  its  original  site,  a  monument  to  the  enter- 
prise of  its  pioneer  builders,  and  a  great  curiosity. 
But  it  is  more  than  a  relic  of  the  past ;  more  than  a 
curiosity,  for  in  the  hands  of  Indian  operators,  it 
is  still  doing  good  work  for  the  agency. 

The  wide-spread  Indian  outbreak  which  fol- 
lowed the  negotiation  of  Governor  Stevens'  several 
treaties  with  Oregon  and  Washington  tribes,  pre- 
vented settlements  in  Snohomish  county  during  the 
years  1855-6,  if  any  such  were  contemplated.  The 
war,  however,  brought  white  men  to  the  country, 
thereby  extending  a  knowledge  of  its  resources  and 


perhaps  influencing  settlement  at  a  later  date.  For 
a  general  outline  of  operations  against  the  Indian 
confederated  tribes  in  this  celebrated  race  struggle, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  a  previous  chapter.  The 
seat  of  war  on  the  sound  was  King  and  Pierce 
counties,  but  it  was  thought  best  to  send  troops  to 
the  Snohomish  river  to  confirm  the  neutrality  of  the 
Snoqualmies  and  other  tribes  who  made  their  homes 
in  this  vicinity,  and  to  circumscribe  the  hostile  area 
as  completely  as  possible.  With  this  end  in  view, 
Colonel  I.  N.  Ebey,  of  Whidby  island,  raised  a  com- 
pany of  volunteers  at  Port  Townsend,  and  in  No- 
vember, 1855,  came  with  them  to  the  Snohomish 
country.  Patkanim,  a  friendly  Snoqualmie  chief, 
piloted  the  company.  It  was  transported  to  the 
Snohomish  river  by  the  schooner  A.  Y.  Trask,  Cap- 
tain Horton,  which  was  towed  by  the  little  iron 
steamer  Traveler,  Captain  John  E.  Burns.  The 
Traveler  was  probably  the  first  steamer  that  ever  en- 
tered the  Snohomish.  Ascending  to  the  head  of 
what  has  ever  since  been  known  as  Ebey  slough, 
they  built  there  a  primitive  log  fortfication,  named 
by  them  Fort  Ebey,  where  they  remained  until  the 
next  spring.  The  fort  was  never  compelled  to  en- 
gage in  active  hostilities,  offensive  or  defensive,  but 
after  Patkanim's  battle  on  White  river,  in  which  he 
surprised  and  routed  the  hostiles,  the  heads  of  fallen 
foes  were  brought  to  the  Snocjualmie  river,  thence 
in  canoes  to  Fort  Ebey,  where  the  victorious  war- 
riors came  ashore  with  their  horrid  trophies  on 
sticks.  Setting  these  in  the  ground,  they  proceeded 
to  execute  a  war  dance  in  the  presence  of  the  volun- 
teers. 

In  the  spring  of  1856,  Fort  Ebey  was  abandoned. 
Many  of  the  men  who  had  constituted  its  garrison, 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


enlisted  in  Captain  Smalley's  company,  which  was 
then  being  raised  at  Port  Townsend  and  Dunginess, 
and  which,  with  Captain  Samuel  Howe's  Whidby 
island  company  and  Captain  Peabody's  Whatcom 
county  volunteers,  constituted  the  Northern  battal- 
ion. Colonel  Ebey,  the  leader  of  the  expedition,  re- 
turned to  his  home  on  Whidby  island,  where  on  the 
night  of  the  11th  of  August,'  ISSI,  he  was  perfid- 
iously murdered  by  the  dread  Northern  Indians. 
The  perpetrators  of  the  horrible  outrage  were  a 
party  of  Kakes,  who  dwell  as  far  north  as  the 
fifty-eighth  parallel.  During  the  day  they  had  re- 
ceived kind  treatment  from  their  intended  victim, 
who,  coming  out  of  his  house  that  night  in  response 
to  their  call,  was  treacherously  shot  and  then  be- 
headed. U.  S.  Marshal  George  W.  Corliss  and  his 
wife  were  guests  in  the  Ebey  home  at  the  time. 
They  escaped  while  the  Indians  were  parleying,  only 
to  fall  victims  to  these  or  other  Northern  Indians 
at  a  later  date. 

Quite  a  number  of  the  Fort  Ebey  soldiers  were 
so  favorably  impressed  with  the  Snohomish  valley 
during  their  winter's  stay,  that  they  later  returned 
and  became  pioneer  citizens  of  the  county.  There 
was,  however,  no  permanent  settlement  by  white 
men  until  1859,  if  we  except  Rev.  1"..  C.  Chirouse's 
Catholic  mission.  Harry  Spithill  was  here  in  1858, 
in  what  is  now  the  Tualco  settlement,  but  he  was 
in  no  sense  a  settler  at  that  time,  though  he  has 
been  in  the  county  ever  since  and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Marysville.  Others  were  here  even  before  that 
date,  three  white  men  being  in  Snohomish  county 
in  1855. 

Without  violence  to  truth  it  may  be  said  that 
the  real  settlement  of  the  county  began  in  1S59,  and 
that  its  immediate  cause  was  the  inception  of  opera- 
tions on  the  proposed  military  road  from  P'ort  Steil- 
acoom  to  Fort  Bellingham.  A  number  of  progress- 
ive men  at  the  former  point,  watchful  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  improve  their  condition  and  at  the  same 
time  build  up  the  country,  conceived  a  plan  of  build- 
ing a  ferry  and  a  town  at  the  point  where  the  road 
would  cross  the  Snohomish.  Accordingly  they 
formed  a  species  of  syndicate,  consisting  of  Rogers 
&  McCaw,  Ferguson  &  Rabbeson  and  Colonel 
Wallace,  all  residents  of  Steilacoom.  E.  T.  Cady 
was  sent  out  as  the  representative  of  the  first  two : 
Hiel  Barnes  of  Ferguson  &  Rabbeson  and  E.  H. 
Tucker  of  Colonel  Wallace ;  and  all  were  instructed 
to  acquire  and  hold  for  their  principals  squatters' 
rights  to  the  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  proposed 
ferry.  Cady  took  what  later  became  known  as  the 
Sinclair  portion  of  the  Snohomish  town  site ;  Barnes 
what  is  now  the  western  part  of  Snohomish  and 
Tucker  the  land  now  known  as  the  Harvey  place 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river. 

The  military  road  was  extended  northward  to  a 
point  beyond  the  Stillaguamish  in  1859,  but  the  next 
congress,  instead  of  voting  an  appro])riation  for  its 
completion  to  I'ort  Bellingham,  concluded  to  abol- 


ish both  that  and  the  fort  at  Steilacoom.  This  action 
naturally  put  an  end  to  road  building  by  the  govern- 
ment. 

The  consequent  set-back  to  the  plans  of  the  Steil- 
acoom syndicate  caused  all  its  members  to  withdraw 
except  Rabbeson  &  Ferguson,  the  latter  of  whom 
came  to  the  river  about  the  first  of  March,  18t)0,  and 
took  the  place  Hiel  Barnes  had  been  holding  for  him 
and  Rabbeson.  A  few  others,  mostly  young  men 
who  had  been  engaged  on  the  military  road,  settled 
on  the  river. 

About  simultaneous  with  the  settlement  of  Cady, 
Barnes  and  Tucker  at  Snohomish  City,  was  the 
founding  of  Mukilteo  by  Morris  H.  Frost,  collector 
of  customs  at  Port  Townsend,  wiho  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  J.  D.  Fowler,  and  sent  him  to  that  point 
with  lumber  and  other  materials  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  store  and  hotel.  For  man)-  years  this 
was  the  only  store  on  the  sound  between  Seattle 
and  Ctsalady.  The  proprietors  enjoyed  a  very  large 
trade  with  Indians  and  settlers,  and  it  was  the  hope 
of  the  friends  of  Mukilteo  during  the  early  days 
that,  owing  to  its  excellent  location,  it  would  de- 
velop into  one  of  the  leading  commercial  centers 
of  the  sound.  But  circumstances  were  against  it; 
its  trade  was  drawn  to  other  points  and  eventually 
the  store  was  closed,  though  the  hotel  continued  to 
be  a  favorite  winter  resort  for  loggers. 

At  the  time  of  its  first  settlement  the  territory 
now  constituting  Snohomish  county  was  included 
in  Island  county.  E.  C.  Ferguson  hunted  up  for 
the  writer  a  cop\-  of  the  returns  of  an  election  held 
in  Snohomish  City,  July  9,  ISGO,  in  which  seven- 
teen votes  were  polled,  the  names  of  tht  voters  being 
as  follows:  Z.  F.  Wheat,  John  Cochrane,  A.  J. 
Bailev,  Andrew  Johnson,  Jacob  Summers,  John  C. 
Riley,  T.  P.  Carter,  Patrick  Doyle,  Salem  Woods, 
Hiel  Barnes,  H.  McClurg,  Benjamin  Young, 
George  Allen,  William  Hawkins,  Francis  Dolan, 
Charles  Short  and  E.  C.  Ferguson.  It  is  believed 
that  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  reaching  the  island, 
the  ballots  of  these  men  were  never  sent  in  to  the 
county  seat  and  never  included  in  the  official  re- 
turns. 

The  pioneer  settlers  of  the  Snohomish  and  Sky- 
komish  valleys  early  determined  to  seek  a  remedy 
for  the  inconvenience  of  their  situation  at  such  a 
great  distance  from  their  county  seat.  In  the  fall 
of  1860,  a  petition  was  circulated  and  received  the 
signatures  of  twenty-five  persons,  praying  that  all 
that  portion  of  Island  county  situated  on  the  main- 
land between  King  and  Whatcom  counties  (there 
was  no  Skagit  county  then)  should  be  organized 
into  a  separate  county  to  be  known  as  Snohomish. 
While  the  bearer  of  this  petition  was  on  his  way  to 
Olympia  he  learned  that  the  prayer  of  the  petition- 
ers had  already  been  granted.  The  facts  were  that 
potential  political  influences  had  been  at  work  to 
secure  a  larger  representation  in  the  legislature  for 
the   northwestern   part   of   the   territory ;   therefore 


SETTLEMENT    AND    ORGANIZATION 


an  act  creating  Snohomish  county  was  readily 
passed.  The  date  of  its  approval  by  the  governor 
is  January  14,  1861.     Its  full  text  is  as  follows : 

AN   ACT 
To   Create   and    Organize   Snohomish    Countv. 
The   Legislative  Assembly   of   the  Territory   of   Washing- 
ton do  Enact  as  Follows : 

Section  1.  The  boundaries  of  the  county  of  Snoho- 
mish shall  be  as  follows:  Beginning  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  county  of  King,  being  at  the  point  where 
township  line  north  of  township  No.  2(i  strikes  Puget  sound 
waters,  thence  running  due  east,  by  said  north  line  to 
township  26,  to  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  mountains, 
thence  northerly,  by  the  said  summit,  till  it  strikes  the 
easterly  continuation  of  the  eighth  standard  parallel,  thence 
due  west,  by  the  said  parallel,  till  it  strikes  the  channel  of 
the  waters  near  the  mouth  and  southward  of  the  Skagit 
river,  thence  by  the  channel,  running  eastward  of  Camano 
or  McDonald's  island,  and  through  Port  Susan  bay,  and 
leaving  Gedney's  island  to  the  east,  thence  southerly  to 
the  place  of  beginning. 

Sec.  2.  The  county  seat  of  said  county  shall  be  and 
remain  at  Muckelteo  (or  Point  Elliot),  in  said  county; 
Provided,  That  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  said 
county  may  locate  their  county  seat  at  any  other  point  in 
said  county  at  the  next  general  election. 

Sec.  3.  The  following  named  officers  of  said  county 
are  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  fulfill  the  various 
duties  authorized  by  law.  after  being  duly  qualified ;  to-wit : 
Sheriff,  Jacob  Summers;  county  commissioners,  E.  C. 
Ferguson,  Henry  McClurg,  John  Harvey;  auditor,  J.  D. 
Fowler;  judge  of  probate,  Charles  Short;  treasurer,  John 
Harvey;  and  they  shall  continue  to  fulfill  the  said  duties 
until  the  next  general  election  and  their  successors  become 
qualified.     Passed  January  14,   1801. 

LYMAN    SHAFFER, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
P.VUL    K.    HUBBS, 
President  of  the  Council. 

A  census  of  legal  voters  in  the  county  in  1861  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  E.  C.  Ferguson,  who 
kindly  loaned  it  to  the  writer.  As  there  were  no 
white  women  and  children  in  the  county  at  this  time, 
all  the  residents  were  legal  voters,  and  a  list  of  them, 
if  complete,  would  constitute  a  list  of  the  earliest 
pioneers  of  Snohomish.  These  men  were:  H. 
McClurg,  a  farmer  ;  George  Kelsey,  farmer  ;  George 
Rouse,  farmer;  Henry  lieachman.  farmer;  James 
Hayes,  blacksmith;  Benjamin  ^'«>ung,  farmer;  J. 
liott,  farmer;  George  .Mien,  f:irnKT  ;  William  Haw- 
kins, farmer;  George  Walker,  farmer;  Francis 
Dolan,  cabinet  maker;  F.  Fisher,  farmer;  George 
Saunders,  carpenter ;  John  Richard,  farmer  ;  Jacob 
Wilson,  farmer;  Charles  Short,  farmer;  William 
Pollard,  sailor;  Samuel  Howe,  farmer;  John  Har- 
vey, farmer;  J.  P.  Voisard,  farmer;  E.  T.  Cady. 
machinist;  E.  C.  Ferguson,  carpenter;  John  Alex- 
ander, carpenter;  Charles  Thompson,  farmer;  A. 
Davis,  farmer,  and  James  Long,  farmer.  Of  these 
E.  C.  Ferguson.  George  Kelsey,  James  Haves, 
George  Saunders,  George  Walker,  and  William 
Hawkins  are  still  in  Snohomish  county  ;  H.  McClurg 
is  in  British  Columbia  and  John  .Alexander  is  a 
resident  of  King  county.     The  whereabouts  of  some 


of  the  others  are  unknown,  but  the  majority  have 
been  gathered  unto  their   fathers. 

This  list,  although  purporting  to  cover  the 
county,  seems  not  to  include  the  residents  of  Mukil- 
teo  precinct,  who,  in  the  election  of  July  8,  1861, 
cast  ten  votes,  the  voters  being  Nicholas  Nelson, 
Peter  Landervale,  H.  D.  Morgan,  William  King, 
Thomas  Dickson,  J.  F.  Guerin,  J.  D.  Fowler,  P.  H. 
Ewell,  Eugene  Jasper  and  C.  M.  Stillwell. 

As  in  most  other  parts  of  the  Northwest  so  in  the 
Puget  sound  country,  the  discoveries  of  the  indomi- 
table prospector  had  an  important  influence  upon 
early  history.  Late  in  the  fifties,  gold  had  been 
found  in  the  Fraser  river  country  of  British  Col- 
umbia. A  rush  followed  bringing  Whatcom  county, 
Washington,  into  immediate  prominence  and  causing 
a  town  of  ten  thousand  inhabitants  to  spring  up  in  a 
few  months.  The  boom  proved  very  ephemeral, 
however  and  the  town  disappeared  as  quickly  as  it 
had  arisen,  but  thousands  of  disappointed  fortune 
hunters  were  cast  adrift,  and  many  of  them  became 
citizens  of  the  various  counties  of  Puget  sound. 

A  little  later  came  the  Similkameen  excitement, 
also  in  British  Columbia,  which  received  not  a  little 
attention  from  the  Puget  sound  settlements,  includ- 
ing those  on  the  Snohomish  river.  Late  in  the  fall 
of  1859,  E.  C.  Ferguson  and  others  sent  E.  T.  Cady 
and  a  man  named  Parsons  up  the  Snohomish  and 
Skykomish  to  spy  out  a  trail  across  the  mountains 
toward  the  new  Mecca  of  the  gold-hunting  pil- 
grims. When  they  reached  the  summit  of  the  range 
they  returned,  it  being  very  late  in  the  season  and 
the  snow  too  deep  for  the  further  pursuit  of  their 
project.  The  pass  they  visited  has  ever  since  been 
known  as  Cady's  pass. 

From  original  documents,  it  appears  that  no 
little  interest  was  manifested  in  this  scheme  of 
building  a  trail  across  the  mountains.  A  subscrip- 
tion dated  February  29,  1860,  in  which  the  signers 
agreed  to  pay  E.  C.  Ferguson  and  S.  McCraw  the 
sums  set  opposite  their  names  to  be  applied  to  the 
opening  of  this  trans-Cascade  road,  was  signed  by 
the  following  persons :  W.  H.  Wallace,  A.  B.  Rab- 
beson,  S.  McCraw  &  Rogers,  Egbert  H.  Tucker,  E. 
C.  Ferguson,  D.  V.  Waldron,  A.  F.  Byrd  and  John 
H.  Scranton,  and  the  sums  subscribed  ranged  from 
fifty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  and  aggre- 
gated eleven  hundred  dollars.  Another  subscrip- 
tion to  the  same  project  was  circulated  in  Port 
Townsend  and  received  twenty-nine  signatures, 
the  pledges  aggregating  over  nine  hundred  and 
eighty  dollars  in  cash  and  property  of  various  kinds. 
A  long  list  of  men,  including  three  Indians,  worked 
on  the  road  from  three  to  sixty-eight  days.  In  Au- 
gust, 1860,  Ferguson  and  Cady  started  for  the  mines 
with  pack  animals.  Going  over  the  mountains  by 
Cady  pass,  they  descended  the  Wenatchee  river  to 
the  Columbia,  and  went  up  that  to  the  Okanogan 
river,  which  they  ascended  to  the  vicinity  of  Okano- 
gan lake.     They  then  crossed  into  the  Kettle  river 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


country  of  British  Columbia,  and  surveyed  the  min- 
ing situation.  Finding  the  prospects  rather  dis- 
couraging, they  soon  returned.  That  ended  the 
trail  proposition. 

In  1862  another 'census  of  Snohomish  county 
was  taken  by  Salem  A.  Woods,  the  sheriff,  which 
showed  the  status  of  the  county's  population  to  be 
as  follows : 

NAME  NATIVITY  AGE 

Frank  Dolan, Albany,  N.  Y 25 

George  Allen, Mt.  Rose,  Scotland   ...35 

Patrick   McDoyle, Norfolk,  Va 33 

Andrew  Johnson, Sweden    33 

William  Hawkins,. . . .  ..Vermillion    24 

George  Kelsey, L.  I.,  N.  Y 33 

George   Rouse, Ypsilanti,  Mich 25 

Frank   Buck, Pennsylvania   37 

Peter  Voisard, Stark  county,  Ohio  ...  .31 

Charles   Short, St.  Louis,   Mo 36 

John    Harvey, Devonshire,  England    .  .  30 

George   Walteer, Cambridge  Port,  Mass.. .33 

E.  F.  Cady,* Utica,  N.  Y 34 

D.  W.  Browning, Holland    40 

Jas.    Hayes, Liverpool,  England 34 

P.  J.  Fields, Franklin  county,  Mass.. .30 

George    Saunders, England    30 

George   Fisher, Utica,  N.  Y 39 

John  Richards, France    29 

George   Walker, 39 

John    Faust, Holland    30 

E.  H.  Thompson, Wisconsin    33 

Rev.  E.  C.  Chirouse, .  . .  France    .40 

George    Blanchard, France    42 

John   Gould, New  Jersey   38 

Thomas   Dixon, Iowa    28 

P.   G.  Landerville, Montreal,  Canada    58 

D.  Brigham Waster  county,  ]\Iass  ..  .55 

M.  H.  Frost New  York    .' 55 

J.  D.  Fowler, New  York  24 

Thos.    Hare, New  York  33 

Thos.   Ermine, New  York  47 

Jas.  A.  Gilliland, Charleston,  S.  C 25 

P.  H.  Ewell, Missouri    23 

C.  M.  Stillwell, Massachusetts    38 

P.    Golascher, Massachusetts    40 

A.  Davis, Franklin  county,  N.  Y....34 

E.  C.  Ferguson, New   York   City    29 

Henry   McClurg Pennsylvania    29 

John   Cochrane, Westfi'eld,  N.  Y 31 

Benj.  Young South  Carolina   36 

William    McDonald, Scotland    49 

S.    A.    Woods, Fredonia,  N.  Y 31 

Jas.   Long, Baltimore,  Md 28 

Charles  Taylor, Maine   30 

♦Initials  should  be  E.  T. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  name  of  not  one 
woman  or  child  appears  on  the  list.  Family  ties 
were  unknown  in  Snohomish  county  at  the  time, 


and  there  were  no  social  organizations  such  as  ob- 
tain in  older  and  more  civilized  communities.  The 
country  was  still  practically  in  the  hands  of  the 
aboriginal  savages,  and  of  the  forty-four  pioneers 
of  civilization  whose  names  appear  on  the  census 
roll  of  1862,  quite  a  number  had  been  constrained 
to  adopt  some  of  the  customs  and  habits  of  their 
Indian  neighbors.  The  great  timber  resources  of 
the  county  had  not  yet  begun  to  be  developed ; 
agriculture  on  any  considerable  scale  was  out  of 
the  question  as  the  country  was  covered  with  a 
dense  forest,  and  there  was  little  to  attract  men  and 
families.  The  single  men  who  were  here  obtained  a 
livelihood  by  clearing  up  small  tracts  of  river  bot- 
tom land  and  raising  vegetables,  chiefly  potatoes 
thereon.  Their  products  were  transported  by 
sail  boats,  scows  and  various  kinds  of  primitive 
craft  to  Port  Gamble,  where  the  saw-mills  afforded 
a  market  for  them.  The  canoe  was  the  great 
agent  of  short  distance  locomotion,  and  continued 
to  be  for  many  years  afterward. 

So  far  as  known  the  first  white  woman  who 
ever  remained  for  any  considerable  length  of  time 
in  Snohomish  county  was  Mrs.  Thompson,  who 
with  her  husband  and  family  abode  for  a  while 
at  the  home  of  E.  C.  Ferguson.  A  little  later  J. 
L.  Clark,  with  his  wife  and  family,  settled  about 
a  mile  below  Snohomish  City,  on  what  was  after- 
ward known  as  the  Little  place,  but  the  first  white 
woman  to  establish  a  permanent  residence  in  the 
county  was  Mrs.  W.  B.  Sinclair.  She  is  still  one 
of  its  esteemed  citizens,  her  home  having  been  in 
Snohomish  City  continually  since  the  spring  of 
1865,  when  she  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Ellis  came  on  the 
steamer  Mary  Woodruff  from  Port  Madison.  The 
husbands  of  these  ladies  had  made  their  way  to 
Snohomish  in  December,  1864,  Mr.  Ellis  to  give 
inception  to  the  logging  industry  in  the  vicinity  of 
Snohomish  City,  as  superintendent  for  Amos  Phin- 
ney  &  Company  of  Port  Ludlow.  The  Sinclair 
family  bought  from  a  squatter  the  land  upon 
which  E.  T.  Cady  had  first  located,  and  which  is 
now  a  part  of  the  Snohomish  city  town  site. 

Up  to  1864,  settlement  in  the  county  was  limited 
to  the  valley  of  the  Snohomish  and  Skykomish 
rivers  and  the  vicinity  of  Mukilteo,  but  in  the  fall 
of  this  year,  began  the  setdement  and  subjuga- 
tion of  lands  contiguous  to  the  other  important 
waterway  of  the  county,  the  Stillaguamish  river. 
The  honor  of  pioneership  in  this  locality  is  thought 
to  belong  to  Henry  Marshall,  but  he  was  very 
soon  followed  by  a  number  of  others.  Gardner 
Goodrich  states  that  when  he  came  in  the  fall  of 
1864  to  cruise  the  country  in  search  of  a  satis- 
factory logging  site,  he  found  on  the  river  Henry 
Marshall,  Captain  Daniel  Marvin,  George  Nevels, 
Willard  Sly,  a  Portuguese  known  as  John  Silva, 
and  on  Hatt  slough  a  man  named  Cummings. 
These  men  were  all  either  single  or  married  to 
Indian  women,  except  Captain   Marvin,   to  whose 


SETTLEMENT   AND    ORGANIZATION 


wife,  Mrs.  Maria  L.  Marvin,  belongs  the  honor 
of  being  the  first  white  woman  to  settle  perma- 
nently upon  the  Stillaguamish.  She  says  that  she 
and  her  husband  and  son,  Frank,  accompanied  by 
Willard  Sly,  arrived  from  Port  Madison  about 
the  first  of  November,  1S64,  having  come  in  a 
scow  which  the  captain  had  built  for  the  purpose 
of  transporting  them.  They  made  their  home  in 
the  scow  until  a  little  shack  could  be  erected  for 
their  accommodation.  Fortunately,  the  Indians 
were   friendly. 

Captain  Marvin  and  family  settled  about  four 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Stillaguamish.  Owing 
to  the  captain's  ill  health,  the  burdens  and  priva- 
tions of  pioneer  life  rested  still  more  heavily  upon 
his  courageous  helpmeet  tlian  they  otherwise 
would.  Mrs.  Marvin  was  compelled  to  remain  at 
home  constantly,  and  for  three  years  she  saw  not 
the  face  of  a  single  white  woman.  Late  in  the  fall 
of  1867  her  isolation  from  persons  of  her  own  color 
and  sex  was  temporarily  relieved  by  the  arrival 
from  Utsalady  for  a  visit  of  Alexander  Graham 
and  his  white  wife.  The  next  spring  this  family 
settled  near  the  Marvins,  and  a  few  months  later 
Daniel  Thurston  and  family  came,  swelling  the 
number  of  white  women  on  the  Stillaguamish  to 
three.  As  long  as  they  stayed  Mrs.  Marvin  had 
congenial  company  of  her  own  sex,  but  the  Thurs- 
tons  eventually  moved  away  and  the  Grahams 
took  up  their  residence  on  Hatt  slough,  leaving 
her  again  isolated.  True  there  were  by  this  time 
white  women  on  the  flats  at  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
but  Mrs.  ^Marvin  seldom  saw  them,  as  her  house- 
hold duties  and  the  additional  responsibilities 
growing  out  of  her  husband's  illness  made  it  im- 
possible to  visit  them  often.  For  the  honor  of 
pioneership  she  paid  most  dearly  in  the  sacrifice 
of  almost  all  social  pleasures,  but  she  bore  her 
privations  heroically  and  is  deserving  the  highest 
respect  and  commendation. 

For  a  number  of  years  after  the  first  settlers 
arrived,  the  population  of  the  Stillaguamish  val- 
ley increased  very  slowly,  but  a  settler  or  two 
arrived  almost  every  year.  With  iMr.  Goodrich 
in  1SG4  came  James  H.  Perkins,  who  bought 
Henry  ^^larshall's  right  to  the  first  claim  staked  out 
in  the  Stillaguamish  country.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  engaged  in  logging  and  general 
trading.  Eventually  he  embarked  in  a  hotel  and 
saloon  business  in  Florence,  and  he  is  thus  engaged 
at  this  date.  In  186.5  or  '6,  Robert  Fulton  settled 
about  a  mile  up  the  river  from  the  old  Marshall 
place.  Later  he  squatted  on  the  island  opposite 
Stanwood,  putting  up  a  small  saloon  there,  which 
he  soon  sold  to  John  Gould,  who  in  turn  was 
succeeded  by  George  Kyle.  When  Centerville 
postoffice,  the  first  in  the  valley,  was  established 
Kyle  was  appointed  postmaster. 

Other  settlers  of  the  middle  and  late  sixties 
were  James  Cuthbert,  who  located  just  above  the 


Goodrich  place;  Thomas  S.  Adams,  on  the  river 
above  Martin's;  P.  A.  Peterson,  just  above  the 
present  Florence,  and  John  and  Robert  Robb,  also 
above  Florence.  About  18T0,  Gardner  Kellogg, 
a  Seattle  druggist,  settled  on  Hatt  slough,  staking 
out  his  claim  in  the  night  to  get  ahead  of  some 
other  would-be  squatter.  At  this  time  railroads 
were  first  talked  of,  and  as  many  thought  the  road 
from  the  east  must  pass  through  the  Stillaguamish 
valley,  a  new  interest  was  taken  in  that  part  of 
Snohomish  county.  In  1870,  or  thereabout,  Peter 
Wilkinson,  John  McDonald,  William  Hunt,  William 

B.    Moore,    Frank   H.    Hancock,   Bradley 

and  Thomas  Ovenell  settled  on  the  flats.  These 
combined  and  gave  inception  to  the  diking  in- 
dustry by  building  a  long  fortification  against  the 
sea.  The  practicability  and  profit  of  oat  raising  on 
tide-marsh  lands  had  been  already  demonstrated 
in  what  is  now  Skagit  county,  so  all  the  settlers 
on  the  Stillaguamish  flats  began  cultivating  this 
crop  as  soon  as  their  diked  lands  were  in  readiness. 

Owing  to  a  fortunate  circumstance  it  is  possi- 
ble to  enumerate  practically  all  those  who  settled 
in  the  Stillaguamish  country  prior  to  187-3,  thus  pre- 
serving the  names  of  those  earliest  pioneers.  For 
the  purpose  of  avoiding  disputes  among  themselves 
over  lines,  boundaries  of  claims,  etc.,  the  settlers 
paid  three  dollars  each  to  S.  Mi.  Morgan,  C.  E., 
to  make  a  map  of  the  countr)-,  which  should  be 
filed  in  the  land  office  at  Olympia.  A  copy  of 
this  map  is  still  in  the  possession  of  Gardner  Good- 
rich. It  shows  that  claims  were  taken  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  by  J.  Hicks,  A.  L.  Densmore, 
T.  J.  Moores,  A.  H.  Moores,  W.  B.  ]\Ioore,  Wil- 
liam Hunt.  J.  Gage  Green,  John  McDonald,  Thomas 
Ovenell,  Peter  Wilkinson,  Robert  Freeman,  Henry 
Oliver,  J.  H.  Irwin,  James  Calden,  J.  A.  Palmer, 
N.  Perfield,  Charles  Palmer,  William  Butler,  John 
Silva,  Peter  Harvey,  Captain  Daniel  Marvin, 
George  Nevels,  John  Brady,  John  Gilchrist,  C. 
Livingston,  P.  A.  Peterson,  Dr.  Rhodes,  C.  J.  Low, 
and  one  other  whose  name  is  illegible  on  the  map, 
and  whom  nobody  seems  able  to  remember.  On 
the  south   side  were  George   Kyle,   William  Kyle, 

David  Kellogg,  Gardner  Goodrich,  J.  Crebs, 

Anderson,  Gardner  Kellogg,  Tames  Cuthbert, 
Willard  Sly.  E.  Graham,  J.  H.  Perkins,  John 
Dymont  and  H.  G.  Dewey.  South  of  Hatt's  slough 
were  William  Douglass.  James  Hatt,  James  Long, 
Thomas  Adam,  George  Belden,  John  Le  Ballister, 
J.  W.  Fendlason.  A.  Grant,  David  Munson, 
Peter  M.  Smith,  Ross  P.  Shoecraft,  a  surveyor,  on 
Lake  Howard,  and  Martin  Woolsey,  near  Lake 
Shoecraft.  This  included  every  settler  north  of 
the  reservation  line. 

The  master  industn.'  of  Snohomish  county, 
namely  the  appropriation  and  elaboration  of  its 
timber,  had  its  beginning  at  a  very  early  date. 
The  first  saw  mill  within  its  borders,  that  now  in 
use  by  the  Tulalip  agency,  has  already  been  men- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


tioned.  The  nomadic  hand  logger  also  began  his 
operations  early,  and  sometime  in  1863  Smith  & 
Wilson  started  to  log  with  oxen  on  Brown's  bay, 
two  miles  north  of  Edmonds.  To  the  best  of  Mr. 
Smith's  knowledge  and  belief  this  was  the  first 
camp  of  any  magnitude  and  the  first  in  which  oxen 
were  employed  on  the  Snohomish  coast.  This 
firm  used  ten  oxen  and  about  fifteen  men. 

In  September,  1863,  Smith  &  Wilson  moved 
to  the  site  of  Lowell,  where  they  found  two 
squatters  named  Frederick  Dunbar  and  Burlingham 
Brown,  the  former  of  whom  had  an  Indian  wife. 
These  men  had  settled  on  their  claims  about  1861. 
They  sold  their  rights  to  the  loggers,  who  forth- 
with commenced  operations,  becoming  the  pioneers 
of  the  industry  on  the  Snohomish  river.  In  1865, 
Mr.  Smith  bought  out  his  partner,  Wilson.  He 
logged  uninterruptedly  on  the  sites  of  Lowell,  Ever- 
ett and  Marysville,  and  on  various  parts  of  Ebey 
slough  until  1891,  when  he  sold  his  interests.  From 
the  shores  of  Ebey  slough  he  took  one  hundred 
million  feet  of  logs. 

The  next  outfit  on  the  lower  river,  to  the  best 
of  Mr.  Smith's  recollection,  was  that  of  James 
Long  and  Ale.xander  Spithill,  who  operated  on 
Spithill's  slough  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1864, 
also,  George  and  Perrin  Preston,  brothers,  com- 
menced logging  a  mile  below  Snohomish  City,  and 
late  the  same  year  the  Ellis  camp,  previously  re- 
ferred to,  began  operations.  The  Prestons  took 
land  at  Blackman's  point  after  Spithill  left.  Run- 
nels &  Duvall  followed  Long  and  Spithill  on  the 
slough,  establishing  their  camp  at  a  place  known  as 
Hog  'Em,  three  miles  up  from  Marysville,  where 
they  remained  from  about  1864  to  1866,  moving 
then  to  the  Stillaguamish.  Jerome  Berry,  Arthur, 
Steven  and  William  McLean,  M.  T.  White  and 
others  soon  after  established  camps  on  the  river, 
slough  and  reservation,  and  when  the  wealth  of 
timber  in  the  country  became  generally  known, 
other  camps  came  in  fast.  Ulmer  Stinson,  E.  C. 
Ferguson,  Isaac  Cathcart,  James  Duvall,  John 
Elwell  and  Ross  Brothers  were  among  the  first  on 
the  river  above  Lowell,  and  camps  were  early  estab- 
lished as  high  up  as  the  Snoqualmie  and  Skykom- 
ish  rivers.  The  price  of  logs  in  the  early  days 
ranged  from  five  to  ten  dollars  a  thousand.  Oxen 
were  used  exclusively  for  power,  and  camps  having 
ten  or  twelve  of  them  expected  to  put  in  about 
three  millions  a  year.  The  average  output  of  the 
county  from  1863  to  1870  was  probably  thirty 
millions  annually,  though  during  the  first  two  or 
three  years  it  was  probably  between  ten  and  fifteen 
millions. 

Though  Frost  &  Fowler's  hotel  and  trading 
station  was  established  at  Mukilteo  at  a  very  early 
date,  and  though  it  soon  became  a  popular  resort 
for  loggers,  the  lumbering  industry  seems  not  to 
have  gained  a  foothold  there  as  early  as  on  Ebey 
slough,  and  the  Snohomish  and  Stillaguamish  rivers. 


However,  George  Foster  had  a  large  camp  there 
probably  as  early  as  1867,  and  in  the  seventies 
Tamlin  Elwell,  Blackman  Brothers,  E.  D.  Smith, 
M.  H.  Frost  and  possibly  others  logged  in  that 
locality. 

It  should  be  noted  that  when  E.  D.  Smith 
arrived  in  September,  1863,  he  found  one  Dennis 
Brigham  in  possession  of  a  claim  e.xtending  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  along  the  water  front  of  Everett 
harbor,  where  some  of  the  most  valuable  property 
in  the  city  now  is.  In  1864  a  telegraph  line  was 
built  to  Bellingham  and  Edward  Kromer,  who  came 
to  act  as  operator,  took  a  claim  next  to  Brigham's. 
He  sold  forty  acres  about  1888  to  an  Englishman 
named  Edmund  Smith,  and  the  rest  at  a  later  date 
to  Rucker  &  Swalwell.  Kromer  and  Brigham  were 
the  first  permanent  settlers  on  the  site  of  Everett. 
Some  time  before  the  fall  of  1863,  also,  the  site  of 
Ferry  &  Baker's  saw  mill  was  taken  by  a  squaw 
man,  and  later  James  Entwisstle  and  an  old  French- 
man took  the  site  of  East  Everett.  Nicholas  Code 
was  likewise  one  of  the  men  who  missed  fortune 
by  failing  to  stay  with  it. 

Mr.  Smith  also  recalls  that  in  1863  Charles  See- 
bart  was  occupying  a  claim  on  the  flats  opposite 
Lowell.  He  will  be  remembered  by  all  old  pioneers 
as  the  man  who,  in  1871,  was  murdered  with  Hn 
ax  and  horribly  mutilated  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
by  his  own  son,  a  boy  of  about  nineteen.  The 
murderer  was  captured  in  Seattle  and  tried  for  the 
crime,  but  acquitted  on  the  ground  that  he  was 
not  a  responsible  person. 

Eldridge  Morse,  one  of  the  counsel  in  the  case, 
told  the  writer  of  the  rather  singular  tactics  pursued 
in  this  trial.  He  says  the  defense  brought  the  boy's 
mother  from  California  to  testify  that  while  the 
boy  was  yet  in  intra-uterine  life,  his  father  abused 
his  mother  shamefully.  The  theory  of  counsel  was 
that  the  efifect  of  this  harsh  treatment  upon  the 
mother's  mind  influenced  the  mind  of  the  unborn 
child,  causing  an  unconquerable  aversion  to  and 
fear  of  the  father ;  that  the  boy  was  so  thoroughly 
frightened  by  some  threats  made  just  previous  to 
the  murder  that  he  considered  his  own  life  in  dan- 
ger and  knew  of  no  avenue  of  escape  but  to  kill 
his  father.  L^ndoubtedly  the  boy  was  of  unsound 
mind. 

An  important  incidental  result  of  the  establish- 
ment of  Mr.  Smith's  first  camp  on  the  Snohomish 
was  the  removal  of  obstructions  to  navigation  and 
the  opening  of  the  way  for  the  coming  of  the 
steamboat.  The  first  boom,  in  being  driven  down 
the  river,  encountered  so  many  snags  and  other 
obstructions  that  it  was  almost  lost.  The  logging 
firm  therefore  concluded  to  use  Steamboat  slough 
for  driving  purposes.  Trees  had  fallen  into  this, 
inter-locking  with  each  other  where  it  was  narrow 
and  almost  cutting  oflf  craft  of  any  kind,  but  Smith 
sent  men  along  each  bank  to  saw  off  the  trees  and 
remove  them,  thus  opening  it  to  navigation.     This 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    18':  0-89 


was  in  the  spring  of  186-t.  Not  long  afterward 
boats  began  to  visit  the  river,  the  Zephyr,  Captain 
Wright  and  the  NelHe  being  the  first  to  make  regu- 
lar trips  upon  it.  Sailing  vessels  also  came  up  the 
river  at  intervals  during  the  early  years,  among 
them  the  schooner  Minnehaha,  of  which  Captain 
Clendenning  was  master. 

Previous  to  September,  ISGli.  the  Atridge 
brothers,  three  in  number,  were  engaged,  on  the 
slope  just  north  of  where  Everett  now  is.  in  taking 
out  spars  for  the  French  government.  Their  camp 
was  a  temporary  one.  Next  year  they  spent  some 
time  on  Nevels  slough,  in  the  Stillagxiamish  covmtry, 
getting  ready  to  log,  but  for  some  reason  abandoned 
their  project  before  even  the  preliminary  work  was 
completed.  About  two  years  later  Thomas  Run- 
nels took  hold  of  their  abandoned  claim  in  good 
earnest,  becoming  the  pioneer  logger  of  the  Stilla- 
guamish.     Of  the  men  employed  by  him  in  1867, 


several  later  became  well  known  citizens  of  the 
county,  among  them  being  Gardner  Goodrich, 
James  Cuthbert,  James  de  Valle,  William  Whit- 
field and  James  H.  Perkins.  Runnels  sold  to  J.  C. 
Record  in  1868,  or  very  early  in  1869. 

Logging  operations  on  the  Stillaguamish  were 
not  nearly  so  extensive  during  the  early  years  as 
on  the  Snohomish 'and  the  sloughs.  There  were, 
however,  a  number  of  small  camps  there  during 
the  early  seventies,  among  them  those  of  Peter 
Harvey,  near  the  Record  claim,  James  Long  on  the 
river  above  Florence,  and  Olson  &  McFadden, 
two  miles  above  Florence.  James  Hatt  was  the 
pioneer  logger  of  Port  Susan  bay,  starting  proba- 
bly in  1863,  to  take  out  timber  for  the  Utsalady 
mill.  William  Douglass  succeeded  him,  about  1866, 
and  Hatt  filed  on  a  claim  and  engaged  in  farming 
and  saloon  keeping. 


CHAPTER  II 


CURRENT   EVENTS,    1870- 


Naturally  the  earliest  years  of  Snohomish 
county's  history  were  years  of  slow  development, 
the  devotees  of  each  industry  being  held  back  by 
the  feebleness  of  other  related  or  complementary 
industries,  and  all  by  absence  of  speedy  transpor- 
tation. The  extent  of  the  logger's  activity  was 
limited  by  the  lack  of  milling  facilities,  which  could 
not  come  in  a  day,  and  the  development  of  agri- 
culture would  have  been  measured  by  the  limits  of 
the  local  market,  had  not  the  extreme  difficulty  of 
preparing  the  soil  for  the  seed  most  effectually 
established  its  bounds.  But  the  pioneer  days  were 
very  important  ones,  if  they  were  necessarily  days 
of  small  things.  The  early  settlers  for  the  most 
part  displayed  a  goodly  quantity  of  public  spirit, 
evincing  a  willingness  to  encourage  to  the  extent 
of  their  ability  any  proposed  industry.  Naturally 
attempts  to  start  saw  mills  were  early  made.  The 
first  to  be  built  in  the  county  after  the  Tulalip  mill 
was  erected  by  David  Livingston  and  his  two 
brothers  about  1863.  It  was  situated  between 
Mukilteo  and  the  site  of  the  present  Everett,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  former  point.  Several 
vessels  were  loaded  with  its  products  but  it  could 
not  compete  with  the  large  mills  on  the  west  side 
of  the  sound  in  the  general  market  and  there  was 
no  local  demand,  so  it  soon  ceased  operations.  As 
early  as  1866,  the  settlers  of  Snohomish  City  and 


vicinity  made  a  bold  attempt  to  secure  a  saw  mill 
in  their  midst,  well  knowing  that  such  would  be 
valuable  not  alone  in  itself,  .but  for  the  encourage- 
ment it  would  lend  the  logging  industry,  which  in 
turn  would  have  the  double  effect  of  furnishing  a 
market  to  the  farmer  and  assisting  him  in  the 
laborious  task  of  clearing  the  timber  from  the  soil. 
The  evidence  of  this  praiseworthy  attempt  is  fur- 
nished by  an  act  in  the  territorial  session  laws  of 
1866,  "to  Incorporate  the  Snohomish  City  Mill 
Company,"  the  substance  of  which  was  as  follows : 

Section  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  Legislative  Assembly 
of  the  Territory  of  Washington,  That  Clark  Ferguson, 
W.  B.  Sinclair,  M.  L.  King,  John  Harvey,  E.  C.  Ferguson 
and  Charles  Short  be  and  are  hereby  appointed,  under  the 
direction  of  a  majority  of  whom  subscription  may  be 
received  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Snohomish  City  Mill 
Company  hereby  incorporated,  and  they  may  cause  books 
to  be  opened  at  such  times  and  places  as  they  shall  direct, 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  subscriptions  to  the  capital 
stock  of  said  company,  first  giving  thirty  days'  notice  of 
the  time  and  places  of  taking  such  subscriptions,  by  pub- 
lishing the  same  in  some  newspaper  in  this  territory,  or  by 
posting  notices  thereof  in  not  less  than  three  public  places 
in   Snohomish  county. 

Sec.  2.  The  capital  stock  of  said  company  shall  be 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  in  shares  of  twenty-five  dollars 
each,  and  as  soon  as  one  hundred  shares  of  the  capital 
stock  shall  be  subscribed,  and  ten  per  cent,  of  the  amount 
thereof  actually  paid  in  or  secured  to  the  said  company, 
the  subscribers  of  .said  stock,  with  such  other  persons  as 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


shall  thereafter  associate  with  them  for  that  purpose,  their 
successors  and  assigns,  shall  be  and  they  are  hereby  created 
and  declared  a  body  corporate  and  politic  by  the  name  and 
style  of  the  Snohomish  City  Mill  Company,  with  perpetual 
succession,  and  by  that  means  shall  be  capable  in  law  of 
purchasing,  holding,  selling,  bargaining  and  conveying 
estate  real,  personal  and  mixed;  have  a  common  seal  which 
they  may  alter  or  renew  at  pleasure,  and  generally  may  do 
all  and  singular,  the  matters  and  things  which  an  incor- 
porated company  may  by  law  do. 

Sec.  8.  The  said  company  shall  have  power  to  locate 
and  construct  a  mill  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  a  small 
creek  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Snohomish  river,  and  on 
the  land  claim  now  held  by  E.  C.  Ferguson,  in  Snoho- 
mish county,  to  be  determined  by  vote  of  the  stockholders 
holding  a  majority  of  the  stock  of  said  company,  who  shall 
be  represented  in  person  or  by  proxy  at  a  special  meet- 
ing called  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  the  location  of  said 
mill. 

Sec.  12.  This  act  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force 
from  and  after  its  passage. 

Passed  the  House  of  Representatives  January  9,  1866. 
EDWARD  ELDRIDGE, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
Passed  the  Council  January  10,  1866. 

HARVEY    K.    HINES, 
President  of  the  Council. 
Approved  January  18,   1866. 

WILLIAM    PICKERING, 
Governor   of   the   Territory   of   Washington. 

For  the  first  decade  or  more  of  settlement  in 
Snohomish  county,  the  assessed  vakiation  of  prop- 
erty was  very  sHght.  In  1863  it  amounted  to  but 
little  more  than  eleven  thousand  dollars  divided 
among  forty-four  persons.  In  18?0  it  was  one 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  thousand  five  hundred 
and  seventy  dollars,  of  which  all  but  nineteen  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  seventy  dollars  was  on  per- 
sonal property.  The  reason  for  the  slight  valuation 
of  realty  was  that  practically  all  the  land  except 
a  few  quarter  sections  at  Edmonds  was  still  really 
the  property  of  the  United  States  government,  and 
not  subject  to  taxation,  what  was  in  control  of 
settlers  laeing  held  first  by  squatter's  right  and  later 
under  the  homestead  and  preemption  laws.  About 
three  townships  in  the  vicinity  of  Mukilteo  were 
early  surveyed.  Upon  them  grew  some  of  the  finest 
timber  in  the  county,  hence  much  of  this  land  was 
a  great  temptation  to  the  Puget  Mill  Company, 
which  in  the  latter  sixties  and  early  seventies  ac- 
quired title  to  it  in  the  usual  way.  The  first  tract  of 
land  on  the  Snohomish  river  above  its  mouth  for 
which  a  deed  was  procured  was  the  preemption 
claim  of  E.  C.  Ferguson,  who  offered  final  proof  in 
February,  1871.  Between  that  date  and  1875,  quite 
a  number  of  claims  were  patented,  and  about  1873 
patents  began  to  be  secured  by  settlers  on  the  Still- 
aguamish. 

According  to  the  ninth  census,  that  of  1870, 
the  population  of  Snohomish  county  was  then  599 
persons,  of  whom  529  were  white,  the  remainder 
being:  Indians,  G5 ;  Chinese,  3;  free  colored,  2. 
The  local  enumerator,  Hon.  Edward  Eldridge,  is 


also  quoted  as  authority  for  the  statement  that  the 
county  at  this  time  was  supporting  one  pauper  at 
an  expense  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  dollars 
per  annum,  and  that  the  industries  of  the  county, 
aside  from  agriculture,  were  the  Eagle  Brewery 
at  Mukilteo,  one  camp  getting  out  ship  knees,  four- 
teen logging  camps  and  five  shingle  factories.  By 
the  last  mentioned  are  meant  places  where  one  or 
more  men  were  engaged  in  splitting  cedar  shingles 
by  hand.     There  were  no  shingle  mills  at  this  date. 

During  1870,  eleven  persons  died  in  Snohomish 
county,  none  of  whom  were  women,  nor  did  any 
woman  succumb  to  the  dread  reaper  until  the  next 
year,  when  Mrs.  A.  Peden  was  drowned  near  the 
head  of  Ebey  slough,  through  an  accident  to  a 
canoe  in  charge  of  Charles  Low,  who  afterward 
commanded  the  well  known  steamer  Nellie.  The 
first  woman  to  die  of  disease  was  Mrs.  M.  W. 
Packard,  whose  demise  occurred  December  12,  1875. 
The  next  was  Mrs.  Eldridge  Morse,  March  10, 
1876.  The  simple  reason  for  the  apparently  small 
mortality  among  women  was  the  fact  that  there 
were  very  few  women  in  the  county  d.uring  the 
first  decade  and  a  half  of  its  existence.  The  seeds 
of  the  higher  civilization,  with  its  family  ties,  its 
schools  and  churches  and  other  social  organizations 
had  been  sown,  to  be  sure,  both  on  the  Snohomish 
and  the  Stillaguamish,  but  a  very  large  proportion 
of  the  population  consisted  of  single  men,  who  had 
no  special  abiding  places,  but  went  wheresoever 
the  fortunes  of  the  lumber  camps  might  lead  them. 

When  the  county  was  first  organized  all  its 
litigation  above  the  jurisdiction  of  the  justices  and 
judge  of  probate  was  carried  on  in  Port  Town- 
send,  but  by  an  act  approved  January  25,  1868,  the 
counties  of  King.  Kitsap  and  Snohomish  were  made 
a  sub-district  of  the  third  judicial  district,  and 
given  a  court  at  Seattle.  By  the  legislature  of 
1875-6.  litigation  was  still  further  cheapened  and 
rendered  convenient  by  the  establishment  of  a  dis- 
trict court  of  the  coimty  of  Snohomish,  of  which 
court  the  first  session  was  held  in  INIarch,  1876, 
J.  R.  Lewis,  chief  justice  of  the  territory,  pre- 
siding. 

Tlie  year  1874  is  remembered  by  E.  D.  Smith 
as  one  of  imusual  severity.  He  states  that  the  ther- 
mometer indicator  began  to  descend  about  Decem- 
ber 15th,  and  that  by  Christmas  one  could  skate 
the  entire  length  of  the  lower  Snohomish  river. 
He  remembers  this  especially  because  a  dance  was 
given  in  his  hotel  about  that  time,  which  was  at- 
tended by  a  number  of  ."^nohomish  people  who 
came  down  on  the  ice.  When  the  break-up  came, 
about  six  weeks  after  the  beginning  of  the  cold 
snap,  ice  a  foot  thick  floated  down  the  river,  form- 
ing regular  jams  in  places.  This  was  the  severest 
winter  since  the  notable  one  of  1860-61,  when  the 
entire  Northwest  was  imprisoned  by  the  frost  king 
for  months. 

While  there  was  a  general  financial  depression 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1870-89 


261 


throughout  the  country  at  large  following  the  panic 
of  1873,  its  unwelcome  influence  was  not  felt  in 
Snohomish  county.  At  this  time  everything  was 
in  too  primitive  a  state  for  a  panic  to  have  much 
effect.  Nobody  had  great  wealth ;  nobody  was  in 
debt;  there  were  no  deferred  payments  falling  due 
to  be  paid  in  appreciated  currency  and  there  was 
no  "confidence"  to  be  lost,  except  confidence  in  the 
future  of  the  country.  Furthermore,  there  was  no 
intimate  dependence  upon  the  outside  world;  hence 
little  or  no  movement  of  local  conditions  in  sympa- 
thy with  general  conditions.  The  years  1870  to 
1S7G  inclusive  were  years  of  no  little  activity  in 
the  development  of  the  lumber  industn'  of  Sno- 
homish county  and  the  sound  generally,  giving 
encouragement  to  primitive  agriculture,  which 
developed  concomitantly. 

As  heretofore  stated  there  were  fourteen  log- 
ging camps  in  the  county  in  1870.  By  1876,  the 
number  of  camps  had  nearly  doubled,  and  it  is 
safe  to  assume,  that  owing  to  improvements  in 
method  and  increase  in  the  average  number  of  men 
and  oxen  employed,  the  output  had  increased  in  a 
much  greater  ratio. 

According  to  statistics  of  the  logging  industry 
of  Snohomish  county  compiled  by  Sheriff  Benjamin 
Stretch  and  published  in  the  Northern  Star  of  June 
24,  1876,  the  following  camps  were  then  in  opera- 
tion on  the  Snohomish  river  and  its  tributaries, 
namely,  those  of  William  Stockton,  eight  oxen, 
eight  men ;  Charles  Taylor,  ten  oxen,  eight  men ; 
Bennett  &  Flattan,  sixteen  oxen,  twenty  men ;  Fred 
Foss,  eight  oxen,  eight  men ;  Blackman  Brothers, 
eight  oxen,  four  mules,  ten  men ;  J-  B.  Roberts, 
twenty-two  oxen,  nineteen  men ;  Stephen  Hogan, 
eight  oxen,  eight  men ;  J-  Ross  &  Company,  twenty 
oxen,  twenty  men ;  H.  Mills,  eighteen  oxen,  seven- 
teen men;  W.  S.  Jamieson,  fourteen  oxen,  eight 
men ;  IMowatt  &  Hinman,  eight  oxen,  seven  men ; 
E.  D.  Smith,  fourteen  oxen,  fourteen  men ;  Warren 
Smith,  ten  oxen,  twelve  men ;  William  Hawkins, 
eight  oxen,  six  men  ;  Ulmer  Stinson,  ten  oxen,  ten 
men ;  Tamlin  Elwell,  eight  oxen,  ten  men.  Besides 
these  there  were  on  the  Snoqualmie  river,  in  King 
county,  the  following  loggers,  who  floated  all  their 
logs  down  the  Snohomish,  and  made  Snohomish 
City  their  business  center,  namely,  Wilbur  &  Clark, 
twelve  oxen,  twelve  men  ;  Elwell  &  Son,  twelve  oxen, 
fourteen  men ;  James  Duvall,  ten  oxen,  eight  men ; 
Frank  Duvall,  ten   oxen,   eight  men. 

Camps  in  the  county  off  the  Snohomish  or  its 
tributaries  were :  M.  H.  Frost,  ten  oxen,  eight  men, 
at  Mukilteo;  George  Bracket,  ten  oxen,  ten  men,  at 
Ten  Mile  Point,  and  the  following  on  Port  Susan 
bay  or  in  the  Stillaguamish  region,  namely,  Thomas 
Runnels,  twelve  oxen,  eight  men;  Finlason  &  INIun- 
son,  ten  oxen,  eight  men  ;  Follansbee  &  Company, 
twelve  oxen,  eight  men;  James  Long  &  Company, 
ten  oxen,  eight  men;  J.  H.  Record,  twelve  oxen, 
twelve  men;  W.  B.  Moore,  twelve  oxen,  eight  men. 


Counting  the  four  camps  on  the  Snoqualmie  river 
above  the  King  county  line  we  have  a  total  of 
twenty-eight  camps,  three  hundred  and  twenty-two 
oxen  and  three  hundred  and  seven  men.  It  was 
estimated  that  they  would  cut  in  1876  more  than 
fifty  million  feet  of  logs.  The  market  was  good 
that  year  and  the  loss  in  driving  the  logs  down  the 
river  was  much  less  than  usual. 

Of  no  little  importance  to  the  settlements  on 
the  Snohomish  and  its  tributaries  was  the  building 
of  a  saw  mill  in  1876  on  the  Pillchuck  about  a  mile 
from  Snohomish  City.  In  July  P.  M.  Bennett 
arrived  with  his  family  from  Missouri,  and  very 
soon  afterward  a  partnership  was  formed  between 
him  and  his  old  friend,  L.  H.  Witter,  for  the  purpose 
of  engaging  in  a  general  milling  business.  The 
firm  of  Bennett  &  Witter  lost  no  time  in  getting 
to  work,  and  by  December  the  mill  was  in  operation. 
The  first  board  sawed  by  it  was  presented  to  the 
Snohomish  Atheneum  for  preservation  as  a  sou- 
venir. It  was  the  intention  of  Messrs.  Bennett  & 
Witter  to  put  in  a  feed  and  grist  mill  also,  and  so 
build  up  the  grain-raising  industry  in  the  Snohom- 
ish valley,  but  this  part  of  their  plan  was  never 
carried  into  effect,  as  the  development  of  agriculture 
at  the  time  did  not  warrant  it,  nor  have  subsequent 
developments  established  the  practicability  of  wheat 
production  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

On  the  Stillaguamish  flats,  however,  a  splendid 
success  was  rewarding  pioneer  experimenters  in  the 
growing  of  cereals,  and  there  was  much  activity 
there  during  the  middle  seventies  in  consequence. 
From  the  Star  of  October  7.  1876,  we  quote  the  fol- 
lowing :  "Farmers  on  the  Stillaguamish  flats  are  lay- 
ing out  a  great  deal  of  money  in  ditching  and  fen- 
cing, adding  greatly  to  the  beauty  and  value  of  their 
ranches.  The  county  road  across  the  flats  is  being 
constructed  in  a  thorough  manner.  A  ditch  is  dug 
each  side  of  the  road  and  the  dirt  is  thrown  into 
the  center  and  leveled,  forming  a  very  solid,  even 
and  dry  road  bed.  Fences  are  built  most  all  the 
way  of  lumber,  which  adds  greatly  to  the  appear- 
ance of  the  country\" 

The  paper  just  quoted  has  also  preserved  for  us 
some  statistics  furnished  by  one  of  the  prominent 
residents  of  the  Stillaguamish  country,  which  will 
convey  a  very  good  idea  of  the  extent  to  which 
the  agricultural  development  had  progressed  by  the 
fall  of  1876.  He  stated  that  Henry  Oliver  had 
about  a  hundred  acres  in  cultivation,  thirty  of  which 
were  in  grass,  the  rest  in  grain ;  that  Peter  Wilkin- 
son had  one  hundred  and  eighteen  acres,  seventy- 
five  of  which  were  in  barley  and  oats ;  Thomas 
Ovenell,  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  fifteen  in 
grass,  the  rest  in  grain ;  J.  McDonald,  eighty  acres, 
twenty  in  grass,  the  rest  in  grain ;  William  Hunt, 
forty  acres,  nearly  all  grain ;  W.  B.  Moore,  one 
hundred  acres,  half  grass,  half  grain ;  F.  Hancock, 
sixty-five  acres,  twenty  grass,  the  rest  grain;  Mrs. 
J.  Bradley,  J.  V.  Cook  and  Peter  Gunderson  about 


262 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


forty  acres  each,  nearly  all  in  grain ;  O.  _B.  Iverson, 
thirty-five  acres  of  grain  on  George  F.  Kyle's  place. 
The '  farmers  named  were  dwellers  on  the  marsh 
and  all  this  acreage  had  required  diking  before  it 
could  be  cultivated.  The  same  gentleman  is  author- 
ity for  the  statement  that  Oliver  Thompson  had 
about  one  hundred  and  forty  head  of  hogs  to  sell 
and  Peter  Wilkinson  sixty  or  seventy  head ;  also 
that  a  thousand  pounds  of  butter  would  be  produced 
above  that  required  for  home  consumption.  He  also 
stated  that  a  large  amount  of  additional  land  was 
being  diked  by  Messrs.  Haller,  Hancock.  Hunt, 
McDonald,  Moore,  Ovenell,  Wilkinson  and  Iverson, 
and  that  the  amount  of  arable  land  would  be  greater 
next  year  by  some  three  hundred  acres.  The  pro- 
duct of  grain  and  hay  on  the  marsh  he  estimated 
at  thirty-five  thousand  bushels  of  the  former  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  tons  of  the  latter.  He 
thought  that  the  two  hundred  acres  of  land  culti- 
vated on  Hall's  slough  and  up-river  would  produce 
a  hundred  tons  of  hay  in  excess  of  that  required  for 
home  consumption,  besides  a  large  quantity  of 
vegetables  and  a  little  grain.  The  potato  crop  was 
reported  as  very  poor  both  on  the  river  and  on  the 
marsh  at  its  mouth. 

.\t  this  time  the  Stillaguamish  settlement  con- 
sisted of  some  twenty-five  families,  about  a  half 
dozen  bachelors  keeping  house,  and  four  logging 
camps. 

The  year  under  review  was  one  of  rapid  im- 
provement in  the  transportation  facilities  enjoyed  by 
Snohomish  county  points.  When  the  Snohomish 
river  settlers  first  came  they  had  to  depend  almost 
entirely  upon  their  canoes  and  small  boats  for  the 
transportation  of  themselves  and  their  goods  to  and 
from  places  on  the  sound.  Later  sound  boats  of 
lighter  draught  began  visiting  them  occasionally  and 
eventually  the  time  came  when  they  could  depend 
upon  receiving  a  call  from  a  steamboat  at  least 
once  a  week  on  the  average.  As  the  commercial 
importance  of  the  up-river  settlements  increased 
the  interest  of  freight  and  passenger  hunting  craft 
increased  also,  until  by  1876  Snohomish  City  was 
visited  at  frequent  intervals  by  at  least  three  dif- 
ferent boats,  the  Fanny  Lake,  Captain  J.  S.  Hill, 
the  Zephyr  and  the  Yakima,  giving  connection  with 
Seattle  three  or  four  times,  the  Stillaguamish  and 
Skagit  rivers  one  to  three  times  and  Port  Gamble 
and  several  other  points  at  least  once  weekly. 

No  review  of  the  events  of  the  year  1876  in 
Snohomish  county  would  be  complete  without  men- 
tion of  the  first  newspaper  of  the  county,  the  North- 
ern Star,  which  came  into  existence  early  in  Jan- 
uary. Its  editor,  Eldridge  Morse,  and  his  assistant, 
Dr.  A.  C.  Folsom.  were  both  men  of  unusual  liter- 
ary and  scientific  attainments,  and  the  paper  they 
issued  was  exceedingly  ambitious  in  many  ways, 
too  much  so,  perhaps,  for  the  patronage  it  could 
hope  to  secure  in  a  new  and  struggling  community. 
It  attempted  to  keep  its  readers  informed  on  the 


progress  of  scientific  knowledge,  threw  open  its 
columns  for  a  free  discussion  of  all  the  problems 
of  past  and  present,  including  religion,  and  labored 
in  season  and  out  for  the  spread  of  information 
regarding  the  resources  and  possibilities,  not  alone 
of  Snohomish  county,  but  of  the  whole  sound  coun- 
try. Undoubtedly  it  did  much  during  the  two  and 
a  half  years  of  its  existence  for  the  increase  of 
population  and  encouragement  of  local  enterprise. 

The  Star  was  not  a  month  old  when  it  became 
its  sad  duty  to  chronicle  the  most  melancholy  event 
in  the  history  of  the  county  up  to  that  time.  Jan- 
uary 25th  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  Horace 
Low,  Clayton  Packard,  Arthur  Batt  and  Charles 
Elwell,  the  first  two  of  whom  were  employed  in 
the  Star  office,  started  for  a  lake  a  mile  from  town 
for  the  purpose  of  indulging  in  an  hour's  skating. 
By  the  time  they  reached  the  lake  the  short  winter 
day  was  drawing  to  its  close,  and  the  on-coming 
darkness  made  it  impossible  for  them  to  discover 
a  sheet  of  thin  ice  which  skaters  at  an  earlier  hour 
had  carefully  avoided.  The  young  men  had  no  more 
than  begun  to  enjoy  the  sport,  when  Low  and  Batt 
broke  through.  In  an  instant  their  companions 
came  to  the  rescue,  but  though  they  made  brave 
efforts,  they  were  unable  in  the  darkness  to  find  a 
pole  to  extend  to  the  struggling  men,  or  to  reach 
them  on  the  ice.  At  one  time  Packard  got  within 
ten  feet  of  Batt.  by  crawling  on  his  abdomen,  but 
the  ice  gave  away  under  him,  and  he  could  go  no 
further.  When  the  survivors  saw  that  all  was  over 
they  lost  no  time  in  returning  to  town  and  giving 
the  alarm.  The  people  turned  out  en  masse,  with 
grappling  hooks  and  lanterns,  improvised  a  rude 
raft,  and  by  midnight  procured  the  bodies. 

In  the  fall  of  1877.  a  severe  epidemic  of  diph- 
theria visited  Snohomish  county.  The  first  to  take 
down  with  the  dread  disease  was  George  D.  Smith 
then  on  the  river  a  mile  above  Lowell,  now  a  resi- 
dent of  .Snohomish.  Samuel  Howe,  on  Ebey  slough, 
lost  five  children ;  James  \^ance.  two  miles  above 
Lowell,  lost  his  entire  family  of  three :  and  Mrs. 
Clark,  near  Snohomish,  lost  three  little  girls.  It  is 
said  that  all  the  children  in  the  Lowell  school  dis- 
trict except  two  died  of  the  disease ;  and  there  were 
fatalities  also  at  other  points  along  the  river  and 
in  Snohomish  City.  In  all  seventeen  succumbed  to 
its  ravages.  It  was  what  is  known  as  black  diph- 
theria,  a   particularh-   virulent  type. 

While  the  .Snohomish  county  pioneers  enjoyed 
a  period  of  great  prosperity  and  relative  advance- 
ment notwitlistanding  the  general  depression  ensu- 
ing upon  the  panic  of  1873,  the  wheels  of  progress 
were  most  efifectually  blocked  in  1877.  In  the  four 
interv'ening  years,  the  sound  country  had  come  into 
close  touch,  through  the  ocean,  with  the  outside 
world.  Its  large  milling  companies  had  succeeded 
in  creating  a  demand  for  their  lumber  in  Mexico 
and  some  of  the  South  .\merican  states,  in  .A^ustra- 
lia  and  the  Orient,  and  even  in  the  earliest  davs. 


CURRENT    EVENTS.    1870-89 


263 


they  had  enjoyed  a  lucrative  trade  with  California. 
Through  a  variety  of  causes,  much  of  the  demand 
from  all  these  countries  was  cut  off.  except  such  as 
came  from  China  and  the  Sandwich  islands.  The 
result  was  that  in  the  early  months  of  18T7  there 
was  almost  no  sale  for  logs  at  any  price,  and  the 
consequence  was  a  paralysis  of  industry  of  all  kinds. 
The  physical  difficulties  encountered  by  loggers  were 
fewer  than  usual,  hardly  any  of  the  product  being 
lost  through  floods  and  the  like,  but  the  market  was 
so  badly  demoralized  that  in  June  many  of  the 
loggers  were  talking  seriously  of  suspending  opera- 
tions. For  several  months  not  a  dollar  came  onto 
the  Snohomish  river  from  the  sale  of  logs :  the 
farmers  were  in  no  better  circumstances  than  the 
woodsmen,  as  they  must  wait  for  the  price  of 
products  sold  by  them  to  logging  camps  until 
returns  could  be  secured  from  the  mill  men.  In 
the  good  times  just  past,  all  classes  had  forged 
ahead  confidently,  contracting  debts  ad  libitum,  and 
the  outstanding  obligations  greatly  increased  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation.  Before  the  day  dawned, 
practically  the  entire  timber  product  of  Snohomish 
river  was  involved  in  litigation  and  millions  of  feet 
of  logs  at  Priest's  Point  were  in  the  hands  of  the 
sheriff,  with  thousands  of  dollars  of  costs  against 
them.  Late  in  November  there  came  a  marked 
improvement  in  conditions.  The  price  of  logs  rose 
to  five  dollars  a  thousand,  and  before  the  end  of 
the  year  the  great  booms  of  logs  at  Priest's  Point 
were  disposed  of  for  cash,  the  debts  against  them 
were  paid  and  there  was  joy  again  for  a  brief 
season  among  the  residents  on  the  Snohomish. 
Times,  however,  continued  dull  for  a  few  years 
afterward. 

From  the  governor's  message  to  the  legislature 
in  the  fall  of  1877,  it  would  seem  that  conditions 
throughout  the  territory  generally  were  not  so  bad 
as  on  the  Snohomish.     He  said : 

No  event  of  an  extraordinary  character  has  transpired 
within  our  territory  since  the  adjournment  of  the  legisla- 
tive assembly.  Our  people  have  enjoyed  iminternipted 
heahh.  Our  progress  in  wealth  and  population  has  been  as 
rapid  as  could  have  been  e.xpected,  and  under  the  circum- 
stances must  be  regar'ded  as  eminently  satisfactory.  Our 
isolated  position  and  the  great  distance  to  be  traveled,  and 
the  large  expense  incurred  by  immigrants,  will  necessarily 
operate  to  retard  our  advancement  until  a  continuous  line 
of  railroad  to  the  Eastern  states  is  secured.  Our  agri- 
cultural, manufacturing  and  mining  industries  have  been 
unusually  prosperous,  and  when  we  contrast  our  financial 
.condition  and  business  prosperity  with  that  of  other 
localities,  we  can  realize  how  highly  we  are  favored.  Here 
the  laborer  has  received  remunerative  wages ;  capital  has 
been  profitably  employed;  manufactures  have  increased; 
the  earth  has  yielded  abundant  harvests  and  all  depart- 
ments of  business  have  been  successfully  prosecuted,  while 
in  other  portions  of  our  country  wide-spread  financial 
trouble,  embarrassment  and  distress  have  prevailed.  Man- 
ufacturers have  ceased  operations,  capital  has  been  with- 
drawn from  usual  avenues  of  investment  and  has  lain 
idle :  the  laboring  classes  have  been  unemployed  or 
engaged  at  diminished  wag:es,  and  thousands  have  been 
reduced  to  destitution.     Capital  and  labor  which  should  be 


joined  in  the  closest  bonds  of  union  have  been  arrayed 
against  each  other  in  deadly  hostility.  .^  conflict  which 
recently  occurred  between  these  forces,  extending  over 
many  states,  reaching  almost  to  the  proportions  of  a  civil 
war,  requiring  the  combined  power  of  the  national  and 
state  governments  to  suppress  it,  occasioned  the  loss  of 
many  valuable  lives  and  the  destruction  of  millions  of 
dollars  of  property.  From  like  calamities  we  have  been 
happily  exempted ;  for  which  we  should  be  profoundly 
grateful  to  Him  who  governs  and  controls  the  destinies 
of  nations   and   individuals. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  187  7  was  the  year 
of  the  celebrated  Nez  Perce  war  in  Northern  Idaho, 
when  the  disaffected  Nez  Perce  and  Salmon  river 
Indians,  with  renegades  from  other  tribes,  went 
on  the  rampage,  massacring  a  number  of  men, 
women  and  children  on  Salmon  river  and  Camas 
prairie,  defeating  Colonel  Perry  at  White  P>ird.  and 
after  suffering  defeat  at  the  hands  of  General  O.  O. 
Howard  on  the  Clearwater,  leading  him  a  long  and 
memorable  chase  through  the  Lolo  pass  into  Mon- 
tana and  Wyoming  and  to  Bear  Paw  mountain, 
where  they  were  captured  by  General  Miles.  It  was 
feared  that  the  number  of  liostiles  would  be  swelled 
bv  reinforcements  from  other  tribes,  until  they 
would  far  out-number  any  force  that  Howard  could 
muster,  hence  Governor  Terry,  of  \\'ashington  terri- 
tory, offered  to  raise,  organize,  clothe,  suljsist,  arm, 
equip  and  transport  to  his  assistance  five  hundred 
volunteers,   whenever  he   should  call   for  them. 

Upon  learning  of  this  act  of  the  governor,  the 
following  calls  were  at  once  issued  by  citizens  of 
Snohomish  county : 

Whereas,  Governor  Terry  has  tendered  the  services  of 
five  hundred  volunteer  militia  to  General  O.  O.  Howard, 
now  in  the  field,  to  assist  him,  whenever  he  may  require 
their  services ;  In  behalf  of  great  numbers  who  have 
offered  to  volunteer  for  this  war,  we  request  all  so  dis- 
posed to  meet  at  the  lower  .\theneum  hall  on  Sunday 
evening.  July  8,  1877.  at  six  o'clock  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  a  volunteer  militia  company,  elect  their  officers, 
and  be  subject  to  the  order  of  the  governor  for  immediate 
service  in  the  field,  whenever  called  upon  by  him. 


Lou    Be.^ch, 
J.  H.  Pl.\skett. 


Jas.  Hood. 

johx  d.  m0rg.\n. 


Whereas,  an  Indian  outbreak  is  threatened  by  the 
Klickitat  and  other  Indians  near  the  Snoqualmie  pass, 
and  if  such  an  event  should  take  place,  this  valley  would 
be  defenseless.  We  call  on  our  fellow  citizens  to  meet  at 
the  lower  hall  of  the  .A.theneum  on  Sunday.  July  8th  at 
six  p.  m.  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  militia  company, 
electing  officers,  etc..  and  take  the  necessary  steps  to  secure 
arms,  etc.,   for  home  protection. 


a.  c.  folsom, 
Henry   Jackson, 
H.  A.  Gregory, 

W.   M.   TiRTLOT, 


T^.  C.  Ferguson. 
R.    Haskell, 
M.  W.   Packard, 
H.  W.  Light. 


\Vm.    Whitfielh. 

Pursuant  to  the  calls  above  quoted,  a  meeting 
was  held,  of  which  E.  C.  Ferguson  was  elected 
chairman  and  Dr.  .A..  C.  Folsom  secretary.  Two 
docuinents  were  drawn  up.  one  for  the  signatures 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


of  those  wishing  to  volunteer  for  service  in  the 
Idaho  Indian  war  and  one  for  those  willing  to  join, 
support  and  maintain  a  home  organization  of  a 
permanent  character.  The  former  document  re- 
ceived twenty-one  signatures;  the  latter  quite  a 
number,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  secure 
further  signatures  to  each.  It  is  stated  that  two 
strong  companies  were  organized,  but  fortunately 
the  active  services  of  neither  were  demanded  by 
the  exigencies  of  the  war. 

While  the  logging  industry  was  not  very  vig- 
orous in  the  year  1878,  and  times  were  relatively 
dull,  there  was  no  cessation  of  activities  on  the 
farms  of  the  county,  which  were  slowly  increasing 
in  size,  number  and  importance.  On  the  Skykom- 
ish  were  a  number  of  good  farms,  some  of  them 
including  prairies  of  small  size,  the  principal  ones, 
perhaps,  being  the  farm  of  Salem  Woods,  on 
Wood's  prairie,  and  those  of  J.  Cochran,  S.  Peter- 
son and  George  Richardson.  At  Park  Place  a  new 
town  had  recently  been  started  by  Salem  A.  Woods. 

Though  there  was  but  one  new  settler  added  to 
the  Pillchuck  settlement  between  Snohomish  and 
Dubuque's  during  the  year  (William  White  who 
purchased  the  improvements  of  Ed  S.  Gregory), 
considerable  progress  was  made  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  farms  already  located.  About  this 
time  or  not  many  years  afterward  settlement  began 
in  the  Granite  Falls  and  Hartford  regions.  On 
the  Snohomish,  the  farmers  were  also  busy  in 
extending  their  improvements,  while  the  Stilla- 
guamish  pioneers  continued  earnestly  the  work  of 
subduing  and  turning  to  the  uses  of  man  the  natural 
resources  of  their  section.  Perhaps  one  of  the 
most  iniportant  achievements  in  this  section  was 
the  opening  of  the  Stillagviamish  jam,  about  six 
miles,  by  the  river  channel,  from  D.  O.  Pearson's 
store  in  Stanwood.  Work  was  begun  in  removing 
this  obstruction  to  navigation  April  11,  1877,  by 
Frank  Ledger,  J.  H.  Matthews  and  Jesse  Jones. 
There  were  no  saw  logs  in  the  jam,  hence  they  had 
to  depend  for  remuneration  for  their  labor  entirely 
upon  the  subscriptions  of  those  interested,  which 
aggregated  only  four  hundred  and  twenty-two  dol- 
lars. As  the  jam  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length 
and  very  deep,  cedar  and  spruce  trees  being  piled  on 
top  of  each  other  in  almost  every  conceivable  way, 
it  was  the  opinion  of  good  engineers  that  the  open- 
ing of  the  river  would  be  the  work  of  several 
years.  However,  by  cutting  and  removing  the  logs 
from  one  side  only,  and  allowing  the  rest  a  chance 
to  work  loose  and  float  away,  the  task  was  accom- 
plished in  a  few  months.  In  November,  1877,  the 
main  jam  went  out  and  early  in  January  following 
the  work  was  completed  so  that  it  was  thought  there 
was  no  danger  that  another  jam  would  form.  Very 
soon  after  this  obstruction  -^vas  removed,  there 
were   about  twenty-five   settlers   above   its   site. 

For  the  purpose  of  comparison,  as  well  as  to 
presence  the   facts  themselves,   an  abstract  of  the 


assessor's  census  for  the  year  1877,  and  that  for 
the  year  1878,  may  here  be  given.  The  former 
shows  :  Number  of  dwellings,  219  ;  number  of  white 
males,  635 ;  number  of  white  females,  328 ;  of  col- 
ored males,  25  ;  of  colored  females,  13  ;  of  males  for- 
eign born,  190  ;  females,  37  ;  number  of  persons  mar- 
ried, 299 ;  unmarried,  342 ;  number  born  within  the 
year,  18 ;  married  .within  the  year,  12 ;  attended 
school  within  the  year,  150 ;  illiterate,  30 ;  total  pop- 
ulation. 1,001 ;  number  of  male  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  twenty-one  years  old  and  over,  414 ;  total 
value  of  real  estate  belonging  to  residents,  $134,- 
455;  to  non-residents,  $90,124;  personal  property, 
$106,494. 

The  assessor's  census  for  1878  shows :  Number 
of  dwellings,  271 ;  increase  over  the  previous  year, 
52;  number  of  families.  167;  of  white  males.  677; 
gain  in  the  year,  42  ;  of  white  females,  341 ;  gain,  13  ; 
number  of  Chinese,  17 ;  of  colored  males,  3 ;  of  col- 
ored females,  4 ;  of  citizens,  448 ;  of  males  foreign 
born,  210  ;  of  females  foreign  born,  57  ;  total  popula- 
tion, 1,042 ;  gain  in  the  year,  41.  The  total  popula- 
tion of  the  county  in  1880,  according  to  the  United 
States  census  was  1,387. 

In  May,  1879,  the  Northern  Star  suspended  pub- 
lication. This  may  be  considered  a  great  misfor- 
tune to  Snohomish  county,  as  the  paper  was  tireless 
in  its  efforts  to  make  the  county's  resources  and 
those  of  the  whole  sound  country  widely  known 
throughout  the  American  union.  To  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  the  region  for  this  purpose,  its  editor 
traveled  thousands  of  miles  in  steamboats,  canoes, 
sailboats  and  on  foot,  writing  descriptions  of  what- 
ever he  saw  for  publication,  and  compiling  statistics 
at  first  hand  of  the  redeeming  of  tide  marsh  lands, 
the  extension  of  agriculture,  the  results  of  experi- 
ments in  farming,  the  productiveness  of  different 
soils,  etc.  He  also  noted  everything  which  might 
shed  light  upon  the  geology  of  the  region  and  made 
himself  the  possessor  of  such  information  as  en- 
abled him  to  contribute  in  1883  an  exhaustive  article 
on  the  Puget  sound  region,  to  a  government  publica- 
tion on  the  tide  marshes  of  the  United  States.  This 
report  has  been  referred  to  heretofore  in  these  pages 
in  connection  with  Skagit  county,  but  a  few  statis- 
tics from  it  touching  the  tide  lands  of  Snohomish 
county  are  essential  to  the  completeness  of  this  nar- 
rative. 

The  report  states  that  the  tide  marsh  lands  in 
Snohomish  county  south  of  the  Snohomish  river 
consist  principally  of  a  tract  of  nearly  a  hundred 
acres  at  Twelve  Mile  Point,  near  the  King  county 
line,  a  marsh  of  similar  area  at  Ten  Mile  Point 
and  one  of  fifty  acres  on  Point  Elliott,  the  aggregate 
amount  diked  being  about  fifty  acres. 

"On  the  Snohomish,"  continues  the  report,  "is 
the  greatest  amount  of  unreclaimed  tide  land  to  be 
found  at  any  one  place  on  Puget  sound.  The  log- 
ging indfistrv  has  carried  settlements  up  the  river, 
and  hundreds  of  farms  have  been  cleared  out  of 


[N    SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1870-89 


267 


heavy  timber,  while  the  tide  marshes  have  been  al- 
lowed to  lie  unimproved  or  to  fall  into  the  hands  of 
speculators.  The  Snohomish,  near  its  mouth,  di- 
vides into  crooked  channels,  forming  islands  in  the 
delta.  The  main  channels  converge  but  do  not 
meet,  some  flowing  into  Priest  Point  bay,  which 
opens  toward  the  south  or  southwest.  Ebey  slough, 
the  first  channel  to  branch  off  from  the  main  river, 
is  twenty-five  miles  long,  while  a  straight  line  from 
its  head  to  its  outlet  is  only  six  miles.  On  the  main 
river,  one  mile  below  the  head  of  Ebey  slough,  is 
the  town  of  Lowell.  From  Lowell,  a  fresh  water 
marsh  extends  eight  miles  in  a  southeasterly  direc- 
tion. The  main  portion  of  this  marsh  is  south  of 
Snohomish  City  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river.  In  son:e  places  it  approaches  to  within  a  few 
rods  of  the  river,  while  at  others  it  is  a  half  mile 
or  more  back.  This  marsh  contains  ten  thousand 
acres  and  is  nearly  all  held  by  settlers.  Some  ten 
miles  of  ditches  and  canals  have  been  dug,  but  none 
of  it  will  be  diked. 

"On  the  south  side  of  the  main  river  are  tide 
marshes  amounting  to  one  thousand  acres,  equally 
divided  between  open  and  spruce  marsh.  At  Pres- 
ton's Point,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  a  tract  of  fifty 
acres  has  been  perfectly  diked.  The  tide  lands  of 
the  delta  additional  to  the  above  are  about  five  thou- 
sand two  hundred  acres  open  and  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  spruce.  The 
timber  on  one  thousand  acres  of  this  spruce  marsh 
will  not  seriously  increase  the  cost  of  reclaiming. 
We  have  a  total,  then,  in  round  numbers,  of  eight 
thousand  acres  of  open  and  spruce  tide  marsh  in  the 
delta  of  the  Snohomish  and  on  the  south  side  of  the 
main  river. 

*  *  *  * 

"Dr.  H-  A.  Smith  settled  on  Smith's  island  in 
the  delta  in  1864.  In  that  year  and  the  following 
he  enclosed  sixty-five  acres  by  a  dike  of  ten  feet  base, 
four  feet  high,  two  feet  wide  on  top  and  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  long.  *  *  *  In  the  spring  of 
186.5.  he  began  cultivating  the  ground,  set  out  an 
orchard,  sowed  grass  seed.  etc.  The  trees  were 
free  from  moss  and  bore  abundantly.  Rutabagas, 
mangel  wurzels,  turnips,  cabbage,  cauliflowers,  car- 
rots, parsnips,  rhubarb,  asparagus,  etc..  all  flour- 
ished. Potatoes  planted  in  drills  and  covered  only 
with  straw  and  barnyard  refuse  yielded  an  excellent 
crop.  Everything  went  forward  successfully  as  long 
as  Dr.  Smith  remained  on  the  place,  but  in  1870 
other  engagements  took  him  away  and  he  never  re- 
turned. The  tide  gates  became  choked  and  the  land 
flooded.  Grass  and  trees  were  soon  ruined,  and 
finally  in  1877,  the  dike  burst. 


"Between  the  main  river  and  Union  slough, 
above  the  cut-off  which  connects  them,  a  tract  of 
forty  acres  has  been  diked.  The  dike  is  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  rods  long,  seven  feet  wide  at  the 


base  and  three  feet  high,  and  cost,  including  slough 
dams,  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  rod.  Within 
eighteen  months  nearly  all  the  vacant  land  in  that 
vicinity  has  been  located  by  settlers. 

"Between  Union  slough  and  Steamboat  slough 
are  two  tracts  of  diked  land,  amounting  to  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres.  In  1883  twenty  acres  on  one 
of  these  tracts  produced  eighty  tons  of  oat  hay  and 
eight  acres  gave  thirty  tons  of  timothy  hay.  The 
other  tract,  containing  about  seventy  acres,  was 
diked  eight  years  ago.  The  dike  is  three  and  one- 
half  feet  high,  eight  feet  at  the  base,  a  mile  and  a 
half  in  length,  and  cost  one  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  For  several  years  this  place  was  well  cared 
for  and  yielded  abundant  crops  of  oats,  wheat  and 
hay.  Now  no  one  lives  on  it.  the  tide  gates  and 
boxes  are  choked,  and  salt  water  has  killed  most  of 
the  tame  grass. 

"Between  Steamboat  slough  and  the  main  river 
two  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres,  in  different  tracts, 
are  enclosed  by  dikes  five  and  one-half  miles  long, 
which  cost  four  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  It  would  require  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred dollars  to  put  all  these  dikes  in  good  condi- 
tion. On  Mr.  McAllister's  island  most  of  the  tide 
land  contains  peat,  with  more  sand  and  less  clay 
than  the  Stillaguamish  flats.  About  two  thousand 
five  hundred  acres  of  this  island  are  open  prairie,  on 
which  a  red-top  grass  grows  from  three  to  seven 
feet  higli.  *  *  *  *  Qn  McAllister's  island  three 
lots  amounting  to  thirty-one  acres  are  protected 
by  five  hundred  and  thirty  rods  of  dike,  which  cost 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty  dollars. 


"The  Snohomish  delta,  between  the  main  river 
channel  and  Ebey  slough,  contains  about  seven  thou- 
sand acres  of  the  tide  marsh,  of  which  all  but  one 
thousand  acres  is  nearly  free  from  timber.  To  re- 
claim two  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  of  this  delta, 
in  small  parcels,  over  seven  miles  of  dikes  have  been 
constructed,  at  a  cost  of  six  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred dollars.  An  additional  expenditure  of  two 
thousand  dollars  would  be  required  to  put  all  these 
dikes  in  good  repair.  The  seven  thousand  acres  of 
tide  lands  in  the  delta  would  require  for  their  pro- 
tection, under  one  management,  forty  miles  of  dikes, 
which  would  cost  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Without 
concerted  action  the  length  of  dikes  would  be  dou- 
bled, and  their  cost  increased  in  a  much  greater 
ratio. 

"Ebey  slough  is  so  crooked  that  tide  lands  on 
the  right  bank  are  found  south,  east  and  north  of 
the  slough.  From  its  head  to  Priest's  Point,  on  the 
right  bank,  is  a  total  of  about  three  thousand  five 
hundred  acres  of  tide  marsh,  of  which  two  thou- 
sand acres  are  free  from  timber  or  nearly  so.  Out  of 
this  whole  body  fifty-two  acres  are  enclosed  by  dikes 
one  and  a  half  miles  long,  which  cost  nine  hundred 
and  fiftv  dollars.     The  total  area  of  tide  marsh  in 


268 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


the  Snohomish  valley  is  about  eleven  thousand  five 
hundred  acres.  Not  over  three  thousand  acres  of 
this  is  encumbered  with  sufficient  timber  to  increase 
materially  the  cost  of  reclaiming.  To  protect  all 
this  land  seventy  miles  of  dikes  would  be  required. 

"The  tide  marshes  of  the  Snohomish,  in  compar- 
ison with  others,  have  the  following  advantages: 
No  part  of  them  is  more  than  two  miles  from  navi- 
gable tide  water,  and  steamboats  can  receive  and  dis- 
charge freight  at  every  farm.  Much  of  the  land  re- 
quires but  little  dike,  and  drainage  would  never 
be  expensive.  Nearly  all  of  it  is  sheltered  from  the 
waves,  so  there  is  no  surf  to  destroy  the  dikes.  It  is 
nearly  all  fresh  water  marsh  and  ready  for  cultiva- 
tion as  soon  as  diked. 


"The  Stillaguamish  marshes  are  next  northward. 
Halt's  slough  cuts  across  from  the  Stillaguamish, 
six  miles  above  its  mouth,  to  Port  Susan  bay,  a  dis- 
tance of  three  miles.  On  the  south  side  of  this 
slough  is  a  marsh  of  six  hundred  acres,  bounded  on 
the  west  of  Port  Susan  bay,  south  and  east  by  high- 
land, and  north  by  the  slough,  except  when  tim- 
ber lands  above  tidal  overflow  intervene.  *  *  *  * 
The  tract  south  of  Hatt's  slough  is  sedimentary 
clay,  mixed  with  vegetable  matter.  There  is  no 
peat  in  it.  The  grass  which  grows  wild  here  is 
like  that  north  of  the  Nisqually  and  on  the  Samish 
flats ;  a  hardy  grass,  which  grows  some  eighteen 
inches  high,  seeds  very  thickly,  and  looks  like  blue 
grass.  Each  summer  about  one  hundred  cattle 
and  as  many  sheep  get  most  of  their  living  from  this 
tract. 

"The  highest  storm  tide  during  the  last  nine- 
teen years  was  in  January,  1868,  when  it  rose  from 
fourteen  to  twenty-six  inches  above  Mr.  Adam's 
marsh.  The  marsh  along  the  shores  of  Port  Susan 
bay  is  from  six  to  twelve  inches  lower. 

"Of  the  marsh  land  in  the  Stillaguamish  delta, 
that  is  between  Hatt's  slough  and  the  Stillaguamish 
river,  that  on  the  north  bank  of  the  slough  will  aver- 
age from'  eight  to  twelve  inches  higher  than  that 
near  the  mouth  of  the  main  river  and  toward  Stan- 
wood.  *  *  *  *  -pi^ig  Stillaguamish  delta  comprises 
all  lands  between  the  main  river  and  Hatt's  slough, 
amounting  to  two  thousand  and  ninety-five  and 
three-quarters  acres  by  the  United  States  land  sur- 
veys. Of  this  over  one  thousand  six  hundred  acres 
may  be  classed  as  tide  marsh,  including  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  brush  and  spruce  marsh.  There  are 
three  grades  of  land  running  across  the  delta — river 
bottom  at  the  upper  end,  spruce  marsh  across  the 
middle,  and  open  tide  marsh  prairie  on  the  front. 
The  diking  of  the  tide  marsh  prairie  shuts  off  all 
salt  water  and  leaves  nothing  but  river  overflow  to 
contend  with.  This  comes  in  from  back  of  the  tide 
marsh  through  the  timber.  It  does  not  occur  while 
crops  are  growing,  and  will  not,  for  some  time  at 
least,  be  excluded  :  but,  as  will  be  seen,  it  has  a 


strong  claim  for  recognition  in  all  plans  for  the  re- 
clamation of  delta  marshes.  The  tide  marsh  prairie 
of  the  delta  is  divided  into  two  nearly  equal  parts 
by  a  slough  which  at  times  of  high  freshets  in  the 
Stillaguamish  discharges  a  volume  of  water  into 
Port  Susan  bay  nearly  equal  to  that  carried  by  the 
main  channel.  In  1879  and  1880  a  dam  was  built 
across  the  slough,  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand  four 
hundred  dollars,  which,  in  connection  with  a  dike 
a  mile  and  a  half  long,  costing  two  dollars  and 
seventy-five  cents  per  rod,  was  intended  to  protect 
a  large  tract  from  salt  water  overflow.  About  three 
thousand  dollars  were  invested  in  dike,  dam  and 
preparation  for  the  first  crop,  when  a  freshet  carried 
the  dam  out  and  the  attempt  was  abandoned. 

"At  Stanwood  the  Stillaguamish  river  divides, 
one  channel  flowing  nearly  due  south  into  Port 
Susan  bay,  the  other  northwest  into  Skagit  bay. 
These  channels  and  Davis'  slough  constitute  the 
boundaries  of  Leque's,  sometimes  called  Iverson's 
island,  which  contains  about  four  hundred  acres, 
all  of  it  open  tide  marsh  prairie.  Being  situated  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river  it  received  so  much  drift 
on  the  lower  portion  that  nearly  one  hundred  acres 
are  unfit  to  be  diked.  The  drift  is  not  only  on  the 
surface,  but  extends  down  indefinitely  like  a  jam. 

"The  improved  portion,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres,  is  enclosed  by  a  dike  six  hundred  rods 
long,  eight  feet  wide  at  the  base,  three  and  a  half 
feet  high  and  three  feet  wide  on  top,  which  cost 
one  thousand  three  hundred  and  forty  dollars,  be- 
sides about  two  hundred  and  eighty  dollars  for 
dams  in  eight  sloughs.  These  sloughs  were  from 
tliree  to  eight  feet  deep  below  level  of  tide  marsh 
and  are  from  six  to  twenty  feet  wide.  The  total 
cost  of  dikes,  dams  and  repairs  has  been  about  one 
thousand  nine  hundred  dollars  for  one  hvmdred  and 
twenty-one  acres.  When  most  of  this  dike  was 
built,  in  1878  and  18T9,  average  wages  for  diking 
were  about  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  day  and 
board. 

*  *  *  * 

"The  tide  lands  between  the  Stillaguamish  and 
the  Skagit  in  Snohomish  and  Skagit  counties  form 
one  continuous  tract.  In  two  townships  north  of 
the  Stillaguamish  there  are  about  three  thousand 
five  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  tide  marsh,  of 
which  three  thousand  acres  are  free  from  timber 
and  high  enough  to  dike,  and  three  hundred  acres 
are  covered  with  spruce  or  brush.  The  remainder  is 
too  low  for  profitable  diking.  East  of  the  town  of 
Stanwood  is  Record's  slough,  which  extends  to  the 
highland,  and  into  which  many  million  feet  of  saw 
logs  have  been  hauled.  On  each  side  of  this  slough 
is  spruce  tide  marsh.  None  of  the  marsh  between 
Record's  slough  and  the  main  river  is  diked.  West 
of  Stanwood,  Stillaguamish  slough,  about  fifty  feet 
wide,  runs  nearly  due  north  towards  the  Skagit. 
Between  it  and  the  main  river  is  an  island  contain- 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1870-89 


269 


ing  six  hundred  acres,  of  which  one  hundred  and 
fifty  are  diked  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  more  are 
suitable  for  diking.  The  Stillaguamish  flats  include 
all  the  lands  from  Stanwood  to  the  Skagit  river,  a 
distance  of  some  five  miles ;  but  the  lands  north  of 
the  Snohomish  county  line  will  be  separately  de- 
scribed. It  is  about  four  miles  from  Stanwood 
north  to  the  county  line.  The  tract  includes  about 
two  thousand  five  hundred  acres  of  tide  marsh,  most 
of  which  is  under  dike  and  nearly  all  free  from  brush 
or  timber.  *  *  *  *  The  southernmost  channel 
of  Skagit  river  is  called  'Tom  Moore's  Steamboat 
slough.'  From  this  a  slough  deepened  and  ex- 
tended southward  to  the  highland  is  called  'Tom 
Moore's  Logging  slough.'  All  tide  lands  south 
and  west  of  Tom  Moore's  Logging  slough  are  usu- 
ally considered  a  part  of  the  Stillaguamish  flats. 
The  greater  part  of  this  land  has  been  but  recently 
diked  and  much  of  it  is  still  uncultivated." 

The  report  gives  a  large  number  of  statistics 
of  crop  yields  secured  by  different  individuals  in 
different  years,  but  only  the  general  summaries  are 
of  special  interest  at  this  date.  The  total  number  of 
acres  of  tide  marsh  in  Snohomish  county  is  esti- 
mated at  eighteen  thousand,  the  number  of  miles  of 
dike  at  thirty-seven  and  the  cost  at  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  The  following  table  of  grain  and  hay 
raised  on  the  Stillaguamish  tide  lands  from  1878  to 
1883  is  of  special  interest: 

GR.MX.  HAY. 

Year.  Acres.  Bushels.  Acres.  Tons. 

1878 670  37,000  250  650 

1879 810  54,000  260  640 

18S0 880  40,200  275  660 

1881 750  37,000  475  1,000 

1883 710  35,000  700  1,450 

1883 660  40,000  825  1,775 

In  1880  the  yield  was  largely  decreased  by 
freshets,  which  drowned  out  the  grain,  and  in 
studying  the  table  it  is  well  to  remember  also  that 
twice  the  stock  was  kept  on  the  Stillaguamish  tide 
lands  that  was  kept  in  1878. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  there  was 
no  standstill  among  the  Snohomish  county  pioneer 
agriculturists  during  the  latter  seventies  or  the 
early  eighties.  These  were  years  of  extremely  hard 
times,  however,  the  lumber  market  being  demor- 
alized so  as  to  force  a  great  curtailment  in  the  log- 
ging industry,  upon  which  everything  else  in  the 
sound  country  was  so  completely  dependent. 

William  Whitfield,  who  was  then  sheriff  and  as- 
sessor, says  the  times  were  quiet  in  1882.  but  there 
must  have  been  a  considerable  revival  before  the 
close  of  that  year,  for  in  July  the  Seattle  Daily 
Herald  made  the  statement:  "There  is  work  for 
fully  five  hundred  men  in  the  various  logging  camps 
of  the  sound  and  rivers.  At  present  nearly  all  of 
the  camps  are  running  with  short  crews,  which  is 


greatly  to  be  regretted,  for  logs  are  in  great  demand 
at  the  mills,  as  high  as  seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
per  thousand  feet  being  offered.  The  mills  being 
short  of  logs  are  not  running  to  their  full  capacity, 
which  makes  lumber  scarce  and  thus  prevents  the 
amount  of  building  that  would  otherwise  be  done. 
In  a  word,  business  is  cramped  in  every  direction 
on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  labor." 

Conditions  throughout  the  territory  were  gener- 
ally very  good,  as  shown  by  an  estimate  of  the  prob- 
able exports  from  Washington  published  by  the 
Seattle  Post-Intelligencer,  which  placed  them  at 
over  nine  hundred  cargoes  of  fifteen  hundred  tons 
each.  The  population  of  the  territory  was  only 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand.  This 
prosperity,  which,  of  course,  included  Snohomish, 
is  further  indicated  by  the  Eye  of  March  27,  1883, 
which  says :  "The  whole  of  Washington  territory 
is  infused  with  new  life,  and  possessed  of  an  activ- 
ity, even  during  the  winter,  that  is  largely  in  excess 
of  anything  heretofore  witnessed  in  any  country. 
Its  population  is  being  rapidly  augmented  and  its 
resources  developed  in  a  more  than  corresponding 
degree.  The  producer  finds  a  ready  and  remunera- 
tive market  for  all  that  he  can  raise.  These  mar- 
kets are  growing  larger  every  day,  so  that  those 
who  have  soil  to  cultivate  need  have  no  fear  of  a 
profitable  disposition  of  their  crop.  A  careful  read- 
ing of  our  exchanges  from  Washington  ter- 
ritory shows  a  demand  for  all  kinds  of  labor 
at  good  wages  more  than  equal  to  the  supply." 

The  healthy  growth  of  Snohomish  county  in 
particular  is  shown  by  the  tax  returns,  which  placed 
the  valuation  of  ta.xable  property  in  the  county  for 
the  year  1882  at  $436,126,  which  was  an  increase 
over  the  previous  year  of  $60,969. 

The  lumber  industry  was  recovering  very 
rapidly  from  its  weak  condition  of  a  short  time 
before.  Since  1879  the  price  of  logs  had  advanced 
from  $3.50  per  thousand  feet  to  $7.00,  with  a  much 
greater  demand,  and  the  number  of  men  employed 
was  three  times  as  large.  All  the  mills  were  run- 
ning full  swing  and  the  ring  of  the  ax  and  the 
buzz  of  the  saw  were  heard  throughout  the  county. 
There  was  one  mill  that  cut  250,000  feet  of  lumber 
a  day  and  several  that  exceeded  100,000  feet.  The 
shipments  of  lumber  from  the  county  averaged 
about  twenty  million  feet  a  month,  while  the  pro- 
duction for  the  home  market  was  about  half  a 
million. 

There  were  a  number  of  new  enterprises  under- 
taken in  connection  with  the  lumbering  industry 
in  the  year  1883.  One  of  them  was  the  construc- 
tion of  a  flood  dam  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Stevens, 
by  which  the  water  could  be  raised  six  feet,  thus 
enabling  the  Pillchuck  river  to  be  raised  so  that 
logs  could  be  driven  during  the  low  water  of 
summer.  There  were  millions  of  feet  of  lumber 
that  could  be  moved  in  this  way.  The  estimated 
cost  of  the  dam  was  $1,500. 


270 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


The  largest  lumbering  concern  in  the  entire 
region  was  that  of  the  Blackman  Brothers,  on  the 
Snohomish  river.  This  enterprising  firm  was  the 
originator  of  many  notable  improvements.  One 
of  the  most  notable  was  a  logging  car  truck,  the 
patent  for  which  was  secured  in  March,  1882. 
Steam  was  applied  to  this  and  vastly  more  work 
was  done  than  had  been  done  before  on  the  old  skid 
roads  with  mules  and  oxen.  These  trucks  immed- 
iately became  very  popular  and  were  used  exten- 
sively throughout  the  county  and  territory.  About 
thirty  were  in  use  on  the  Snohomish  and  the  neigh- 
boring streams. 

Another  enterprise,  of  a  different  nature  but  also 
very  useful  in  the  progress  of  the  valley  of  the  Sno- 
homish, was  a  ferry  built  by  W.  M.  Pattison  across 
the  Skykomish  river  not  far  from  its  mouth. 
Between  this  river  and  the  Snoqualmie  just  above 
their  junction  a  beautiful  and  productive  settlement 
was  rapidly  springing  up.  They  had  had  no  com- 
munication with  Snohomish  except  by  boat,  but 
after  the  completion  of  the  ferry  the  two  places 
were  connected  by  wagon  road,  which  was  of  great 
benefit  to  both. 

In  the  meantime  the  county  was  rapidly  growing 
in  population.  We  learn  from  the  Eye  of  April 
11,  1883,  that  every  steamer  brought  a  crowd  of 
strangers  from  abroad,  who  came  to  gain  a  know- 
ledge of  the  resources  of  the  country  and  to  look  for 
homes.  A  large  percentage  of  these  people  were  so 
pleased  with  the  country  that  they  remained  and 
helped  to  develop  it.  A  particularly  earnest  and 
progressive  class  of  immigrants  was  a  colony  of 
Scandinavians  who  had  settled  some  years  pre- 
viously on  the  Stillaguamish  river  at  and  near  the 
town  of  Stanwood.  They  were  all  steady  and  in- 
dustrious people  and  had  already  made  themselves 
comfortable  homes  out  of  the  forest.  They  had 
churches  and  schools  and  were  altogether  a  very 
desirable  class  of  citizens. 

During  the  summer  of  1883  a  great  deal  of  work 
was  done  on  the  marsh  lands  south  of  Snohomish 
City  en  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  These 
marshes  have  already  been  described  at  some  length. 
Unimproved  they  were  entirely  worthless,  being 
covered  with  a  foot  or  two  of  water  and  producing 
nothing  but  hardback;  but  with  this  water  drained 
off  they  immediately  became  very  productive  and 
very  valuable.  The  settlers  combined  and  ran  par- 
allel ditches  across  this  marsh  from  the  highlands 
to  the  river.  There  were  three  main  ditches,  the 
Stevenson-Larrimer  ditch,  the  William-Dietman 
ditch,  and  one  from  Asa  Davis"  place  on  the  high- 
land to  James  Vance's  on  the  river.  These  three 
ditches  were  of  about  equal  length,  aggregating 
something  over  six  miles,  and  were  about  a  mile 
apart.  They  were  from  four  to  eight  feet  wide 
and  from  four  to  seven  feet  deep,  being  large 
enough  in  some  places  to  convey  produce  to  market 
by  means  of  a  canoe.    A  number  of  smaller  ditches 


were  built  intersecting  the  large  ones,  by  whicji 
means  the  water  was  effectually  drained  from  the 
land.  By  this  enterprise  considerably  over  five 
thousand  acres  of  excellent  land  were  reclaimed  and 
in  the  course  of  time  put  under  productive  cul- 
tivation. 

There  was  also  under  course  of  construction  a 
wagon  road  from  the  southern  edge  of  the  marsh 
south  nine  miles  to  Lake  Washington  through  a 
region  of  new  and  rapidly  growing  settlement.  This 
road  was  undertaken  by  private  persons,  the  com- 
missioners not  being  sufiiciently  persuaded  of  its 
value  to  give  any  assistance.  It  was  also  expected 
that  a  road  would  be  built  across  the  marsh  to  a 
point  opposite  Snohomish  City,  where  a  ferry  would 
be  established,  and  thus  Snohomish  would  be  distant 
from   Seattle  by   land   only  twenty-three  miles. 

In  October  a  work  of  great  importance  was 
done  by  the  government  under  the  direction  of 
William  F.  Hedges,  namely,  blasting  out  the  snags 
and  obstructions  from  the  Snohomish  river.  These 
snags  had  long  been  a  great  menace  to  shipping 
and  a  cause  of  much  loss  and  misfortune  to  loggers. 
One  snag  alone  had  cost  them  several  thousand 
dollars  by  breaking  their  booms  and  sending  their 
logs  out  to  sea.  It  was  therefore  cause  of  great 
rejoicing  to  them  to  see  these  agents  of  destruction 
removed. 

On  August  23d  the  town  of  .Stanwood  was  the 
scene  of  a  serious  shooting  affray.  It  appears  that 
a  number  of  men  were  engaged  in  playing  poker 
in  James  Caldon's  saloon,  among  them  Lo  Rogers 
and  Tom  Devlin.  A  friend  of  the  latter  named 
Tom  McFarlane,  who  was  not  playing,  asked  him 
to  quit,  thus  angering  Rogers,  who  told  the  intruder 
to  mind  his  own  business  and  clear  out.  McFarlane 
replied  that  he  was  not  talking  to  him.  whereupon 
Rogers  drew  a  revolver  and  shot  McFarlane  through 
the  shoulder.  He  then  flourished  his  revolver 
around  his  head  and  declared  that  he  was  ready  for 
anyone  else  who  wanted  some  of  the  same  treat- 
ment. There  was  no  sheriff  at  Stanwood  or  anyone 
who  wished  to  assume  that  office,  so  Rogers  suc- 
ceeded in  making  his  escape. 

During  February  of  that  winter  the  Snohomish 
river  was  frozen  up  so  solidly  that  navigation  was 
impossible  and  for  a  period  of  nearly  two  weeks 
all  communication  by  water  with  the  outside  world 
was  cut  off.  No  mail  was  received  and  no  news 
except  what  was  brought  from  the  neighboring 
farms  and  villages  by  private  conveyance.  The  first 
boat  to  reach  Snohomish  was  the  Merwin,  with  a 
long  list  of  passengers  and  freight  and  a  large 
amount  of  mail.  She  ran  aground  before  reaching- 
the  city  and  was  unable  to  get  oft'  before  the  next 
morning,  but  no  serious  mishaps  occurred.  She 
was  heartily  welcomed  by  the  people  of  Snohomish, 
who  were  greatly  rejoiced  that  the  blockade  had  at 
last  been  broken. 

The  spring  of  1881  witnessed  some  difficulties. 


CURRENT   EVENTS,    18T0- 


between  a  number  of  Skykomish  Indians  and  a 
family  named  Taylor,  who  were  living  on  the  Sky- 
komish near  the  mouth  of  the  Sultan.  The  cause  of 
the  trouble  was  that  the  Indians  were  accustomed  to 
allow  their  dogs  to  range  freely  on  the  Taylor 
place,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  latter,  who  finally 
shot  one  of  the  dogs.  The  Indians,  in  a  rage,  at 
once  put  on  their  fighting  costumes  and  went  to 
seek  satisfaction.  They  drew  up  at  the  Taylor  place 
with  a  great  flourish  of  bowie  knives  and  huge 
threats  of  vengeance,  but  Mr.  Taylor  was  not  so 
scared  as  they  expected.  On  the  contrary,  he  went 
after  his  revolver  and  advised  them  to  withdraw. 
This  the  Indians  declined  to  do.  At  this  juncture 
the  mother  of  Mr.  Taylor,  who  was  a  lady  of  nearly 
sixty,  stepped  between  him  and  one  of  the  Indians 
named  Sultan  John,  who  seemed  to  be  a  leader 
among  the  red  skins.  Just  then  a  squaw  tried  to 
seize  Mr.  Taylor's  revolver  and  it  was  discharged, 
the  ball  striking  Mrs.  Taylor  on  the  arm  and  in- 
flicting a  very  painful  wound.  Shortly  after  this 
the  Indians  withdrew  but  soon  returned  and  posted 
themselves  in  convenient  places  near  the  house  and 
commenced  to  take  shots  at  anyone  who  might  show 
his  head.  They  kept  this  up  for  the  rest  of  the  day 
but  fortunately  no  one  was  hit,  though  there  were 
several  narrow  escapes.  The  fight  was  at  length 
terminated  when  one  of  the  Taxlor  brothers  suc- 
ceeded in  hitting  Sultan  John,  whose  hiding  place 
Ix'hind  a  pile  of  logs  was  revealed  by  the  smoke 
from  his  gun. 

The  next  day  Sultan  John,  wlio  was  nut  seriously 
hurt,  and  his  comrades  went  to  town,  where  they 
represented  that  they  had  been  cruelly  hijured  and 
sought  protection  from  their  white  oppressors. 
Taylor  swore  out  warrants  against  the  Indians  on 
the  charge  of  assault  with  deadly  weapons,  but 
before  anything  further  was  done  it  was  decided 
that  nothing  would  be  gained  by  prosecuting  them 
and  accordingly  a  pow-wow  was  held,  at  which  the 
Indians  agreed  to  pay  the  costs  already  incurred, 
on  condition  that  they  be  released.  They  were  very 
glad  to  get  ofi"  so  easv. 

We  can  hardly  blame  the  Indians  for  being  on 
unfriendly  terms  with  the  whites,  who  were  so 
rapidly  taking  possession  of  their  old  homes.  This 
region  of  the  Skykomish  in  particular  was  rapidly 
changing  from  the  haunts  of  the  native  Americans 
to  the  cultivated  farms  and  the  pleasant  homes  of 
white  settlers.  Up  and  down  the  banks  of  the  river 
was  farm  after  farm,  highly  cultivated  and  pro- 
ducing rich  harvests,  in  some  cases  as  much  as 
four  and  five  tons  of  hay  to  the  acre  and  three 
hundred  and  more  bushels  of  potatoes  to  the  acre 
and  other  things  in  proportion.  Seven  miles  from 
Snohomish  City  was  the  little  town  of  Park  Place 
on  the  Skykomish,  opposite  the  rich  and  rapidly 
growing  Tualco  settlement  in  the  forks  of  the  Sky- 
komish and  Snoqualmie.  With  this  settlement  Park 
Place  was  connected  by  means  of  William  Patti- 


son's  ferry.  From  Pattison's  place  to  Fern  Blufif 
a  wagon  road  was  built  in  lf<83,  which  made  it 
possible  to  traverse  in  an  hour  the  distance  that  had 
previously  required  an  entire  day. 

Between  Snohomish  City  and  Park  Place  were  a 
number  of  fine  farms,  among  them  being  those  of 
J.  H.  Plaskett,  Hiram  Thomas,  McNaught  &  Blan- 
chard,  ]\Irs.  Mary  Evans,  Jacob  Boyer,  Mr.  Holm, 
H.  Frederickson,  J.  A.  Cedergreen,  Charles  M. 
Cedergreen,  William  Hawkins  and  G.  T.  Sorenson. 
In  the  near  vicinity  of  Park  Place  were  the  premises 
of  jMessrs.  Ta\'lor,  Pierce,  McDougall  and  Mc- 
Clurg,  and  also  that  of  Mrs.  George  Allen.  Between 
there  and  the  mouth  of  the  Sultan  river  were  several 
other  valuable  farms,  including  those  of  ]\Iessrs. 
Peterson,  Cochran,  Richardson,  Salem  Woods  and 
John  Elwell.  We  see  by  the  number  and  exceflence 
of  these  ranches  that  agriculture  was  fast  becoming 
one  of  the  foremost  industries  in  the  county. 

Other  industries  also  were  assuming  proportions 
considerably  larger  than  heretofore,  notably  that  of 
stock  raising.  We  note  in  the  Eye  of  March  14, 
1883,  that  twenty  quarters  of  beef  were  shipped  to 
Seattle  by  George  W.  Borst,  of  the  Snoqualmie. 
This  may  not  seem  to  be  an  important  item  until 
we  remember  that  only  a  few  years  previous  prac- 
tically all  the  beef  used  in  Snohomish  county  was 
imported  from  Seattle.  Now  there  was  not  only 
enough  for  all  local  consumption,  but  some  to 
export  as  well.  There  were  grazing  lands  in  the 
county,  which,  when  utilized  to  their  fullest  capacity, 
would  be  capable  of  maintaining  thousands  of  cattle 
and  sheep. 

The  year  1884  was  a  dull  one  for  the  logging 
industry.  The  price  of  logs  fell  so  low  that  as  early 
as  the  first  of  June  eight  logging  camps  out  of 
eighteen  on  the  Snohomish  and  its  tributaries  ceased 
operations,  and  several  others  shortly  after  did  the 
same.  However,  the  depression  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness had  no  such  demoralizing  effect  upon  the 
entire  community  as  it  had  produced  in  the  latter 
seventies,  for  hnnbering  was  no  longer  the  one 
grand  industry  upon  which  all  other  industries  were 
dependent.  While  still  of  course  the  most  exten- 
sive and  important  industry  of  the  county,  it  no 
longer  held  absolute  sway  over  the  others.  Agri- 
culture had  risen  with  tremendous  strides  to  a 
position  nearly  equal  to  it.  Consequently,  when  this 
depression  came  upon  the  lumber  business  and  cries 
of  "hard  times"  were  issuing  from  the  lips  of  the 
hunbermen,  the  rest  of  the  community  sustained 
itself  in  a  way  that  was  highly  gratifying.  Building 
and  other  activities  continued  much  as  usual,  ft 
was  a  sign  of  great  progress  and  increasing  stability 
that  the  county  was  no  longer  dependent  entirely 
upon  one  industry. 

There  was  considerable  building  going  on  in 
the  city  of  Snohomish.  The  finest  looking  struc- 
ture was  the  Cathcart  opera  house,  the  lower  floor 
of  which  was  fitted  as  a  bar  and  billiard  hall.    There 


272 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


were  two  principal  hotels,  kept  respectively  by  Isaac 
Cathcart  and  J.  W.  Knapp.  The  principal  business 
establishments  were  those  of  the  Snohomish  Trad- 
ing Company,  Blackman  Brothers,  Comegys  &  Ves- 
tal, H.  F.  Jackson,  all  with  general  merchandise, 
and  John  T.  Stevenson,  with  dry  goods.  The  finest 
residence  in  the  city  at  that  time  was  probably  that 
of  Charles  Jackson,  a  wealthy  logging  man. 

In  the  early  part  of  June,  1884,  the  Pillchuck 
and  Stillaguamish  wagon  road  was  completed.  This 
had  been  begun  on  the  14th  of  March  under  the 
direction  of  B.  C.  Schloman.  The  county  commis- 
sioners had  appropriated  four  hundred  dollars  for 
the  road,  but  this  sum  had  covered  less  than  half 
the  cost.  The  rest  was  paid  by  private  parties.  The 
road  was  a  very  important  one,  traversing  as  it 
did  a  region  of  rich  agricultural  lands  and  opening 
up  thousands  of  acres  to  settlement.  Land  hunters 
immediately  flocked  in  and  many  valuable  claims 
were  taken  up.  The  country  at  either  end  of  this 
road,  that  is,  the  Stillaguamish  and  Pillchuck 
valleys,  was  already  beginning  to  be  quite  exten- 
sively settled.  While  the  farms  were  as  yet  only 
partially  cleared,  the  prospects  for  developing  one 
of  the  most  productive  agricultural  districts  in  the 
Northwest  were  very  bright.  The  work  and  pri- 
vation involved  in  clearing  and  cultivating  these 
heavily  timbered  lands  was  extreme,  but  the  ener- 
getic settlers  of  Snohomish  proved  themselves  equal 
to  it. 

Mining  operations  during  the  decade  of  the 
eighties  were  not  very  extensive.  The  old  Silver 
City  mines  were  practically  abandoned.  In  fact  the 
only  mines  that  were  worked  to  any  extent  were 
on  the  Sultan  river.  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
placer  digging  on  the  bars  of  that  stream,  especially 
by  Chinamen,  who  made  from  one  dollar  to  two 
dollars  a  day.  In  the  spring  of  1884  considerable 
excitement  was  caused  by  the  incorporation  of  the 
Sultan  River  Mining  Company,  which  was  com- 
posed principally  of  Seattle  capitalists,  among  whom 
were  Dr.  Mondy,  L.  H.  Griffith,  J.  W.  George,  E. 
M.  Small,  Dr.  J.  A.  Beach  and  others.  The  hold- 
ings of  this  company  consisted  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  placer  diggings  on  the  Sultan  river 
between  five  and  six  miles  from  the  mouth.  At 
this  point  the  river  made  a  sharp  horseshoe  bend, 
which  had  been  caused  by  a  large  land  slide  some 
years  before.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  company 
to  dig  a  ditch  between  the  two  ends  of  the  horse- 
shoe, a  distance  of  only  ninety  rods,  thus  turning 
the  river  and  exposing  the  river  bed  for  a  length  of 
a  mile  and  a  half.  It  was  thought  that  this  river 
bed  was  very  rich  in  gold  and  it  was  this  that  the 
company  expected  to  work.  These  mines  were  not 
more  than  thirty  miles  by  the  traveled  road  from 
Snohomish  City  and  were  therefore  very  easy  of 
access. 

In  the  summer  of  1884  occurred  the  first  move- 
ments  in    Snohomish    countv    in    the    direction    of 


railroads.  The  question  of  railroads  was  not  such 
a  vital  one  in  Snohomish  as  in  some  other  counties, 
several  of  which  were  held  back  many  years  because 
of  the  lack  of  them.  Snohomish,  unlike  these 
counties,  was  provided  with  navigable  rivers,  by 
which  commerce  could  be  carried  on  with  other 
parts  of  the  sound.  However,  as. the  county  devel- 
oped, as  its  more  remote  sections  were  settled  up 
and  as  its  trade  relations  covered  a  wider  terri- 
tory, the  need  of  better  transportation  facilities 
became  evident  and  received  early  attention. 

On  August  5th  of  that  year  appeared  the  pros- 
pectus of  a  proposed  railroad  to  be  built  and 
operated  by  a  corporation  known  as  the  "Snake 
River,  Priest  Rapids  and  Puget  Sound  Railroad  and 
Navigation  Company."  The  offices  of  this  company 
were  at  Snohomish  City,  and  the  officers  were  E.  C. 
Ferguson,  president ;  J.  H.  Plaskett,  vice-president ; 
Isaac  Cathcart,  treasurer;  C.  H.  Packard,  record- 
ing secretary ;  J.  L.  McDonald,  corresponding  sec- 
retary. The  proposed  route  of  the  road  was  set 
forth  in  the  prospectus  as  follows:  "The  recent  sur- 
veys of  Major  Truax  and  others  in  the  Lo-lo  pass 
demonstrate  it  as  the  most  available  portal  into 
Washington  territory,  connecting  with  the  crossing 
of  Snake  river  near  its  junction  with  the  Clearwater, 
thence  across  the  prairie  to  the  Columbia  river  at 
Priest  rapids,  up  the  Kittitas  valley  via  Thorp's 
cabin,  along  the  Yakima  river,  skirting  Lake  Kiche- 
las,  thence  along  the  Snoqualmie  river  and  down  the 
northeast  bank  of  the  Snohomish  river  to  the  harbor 
of  Tulalip,  on  Puget  sound."  The  advantages  of 
such  a  route  were  depicted  in  glowing  terms  and 
for  a  time  things  looked  very  encouraging,  but  as 
is  usually  the  case  with  any  new  enterprise,  actual 
developments  were  slow  in  coming,  and  it  was 
several  years  yet  before  a  railroad  was  seen  in  Sno- 
homish county. 

The  year  1884  was  on  the  whole  a  very  pros- 
perous one.  Governor  Squire,  in  his  annual  report 
to  the  secretary  of  the  interior,  gave  the  products 
of  the  county  for  the  year  as  follows :  Wheat,  3,400 
bushels;  oats,  G3,000;  barley,  7,200;  potatoes,  150,- 
000;  apples,  15,000;  plums 'and  other  fruits,  5,000; 
hay,  8,000  tons  ;  hops,  15  tons  ;  live  stock :  horses  and 
mules,  400 ;  neat  cattle,  4,500 ;  swine,  1,500 ;  sheep, 
25,000 ;  orchard  trees  in  the  county,  17,000 ;  manu- 
factured products,  3,800,000  feet  of  lumber;  sash 
and  doors,  brick,  boots  and  shoes,  blacksmith's  work 
and  furniture,  total  value,  $64,500.  Assessed  value 
of  property  in  the  county,  $60  l.-Ti;-? ;  county  tax 
levy,  19  mills;  population,  estimated,  ■.M-'iO,  number 
of  school  districts,  17;  school  houses,  i:". ;  number  of 
school  children,  668.  As  a  matter  of  comparison 
it  may  be  observed  that  the  assessment  valuation  of 
the  property  had  a  great  deal  more  than  doubled 
since  1874,  being  at  that  time  $350,610. 

In  1885  the  lumber  business,  which  had  been 
under  a  cloud  the  year  before,  began  to  brighten. 
Many  mills  on  the  rivers  and  along  the  coast  re- 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1870-89 


273 


Slimed  operations  and  by  the  middle  of  summer 
most  of  the  mills  in  the  county  were  running  full 
blast.  While  the  price  of  logs  was  not  yet  as  high 
as  it  had  been  a  few  years  before,  expenses  were 
less  and  profits  about  the  same  as  they  had  been. 
There  were  several  large  logging  camps  near  Sno- 
homish City,  the  largest  of  which  was  that  of  the 
Blackman  Brothers,  who  were  putting  into  the  water 
about  forty  thousand  feet  of  logs  per  day.  This 
camp  was  on  the  Snoqualmie,  six  miles  above  Sno- 
homish. Six  miles  below  the  city,  on  Ebey  slough, 
was  the  camp  of  E.  D.  Smith,  who,  with  a  crew  of 
about  thirty  men,  put  in  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
thousand  feet  per  day.  Hulburt's  and  Stinson's 
camps  were  also  busy,  putting  in  about  twenty 
thousand  feet  each.  These  were  only  a  few  of  the 
many  camps  scattered  throughout  the  county,  so  it 
is  easy  to  see  that  the  logging  industry  was  reviv- 
ing quite  rapidly. 

In  August,  Blackman  Brothers  met  with  a 
serious  disaster.  This  was  no  less  than  the  burning 
out  of  their  entire  camp.  The  fire  was  started  by 
I.  Cathcart,  on  whose  land  they  were  working,  for 
clearing  purposes,  but  it  got  beyond  his  control  and 
spread  so  fast  that  the  men  had  great  difficulty  in 
saving  themselves  and  the  teams.  The  camp  itself 
was  completely  burned  with  many  of  their  tools; 
also  the  logging  railroad,  which  had  been  com- 
pleted only  two  months  before  at  a  cost  of  nearlv 
six  thousand  dollars,  was  all  destroyed  except  about 
two  hundred  yards  near  the  landing.  Besides  these 
losses  a  great  deal  of  timber  was  burned,  but  in 
spite  of  this  disaster  the  energetic  and  dauntless 
Blackman  Brothers  immediately  made  preparations 
to  open  another  camp. 

About  a  month  later  another  misfortune  of  a 
different  kind  happened  to  the  loggers.  The  river 
rose  suddenly  and  the  Pillchuck  boom  broke,  letting 
oyer  a  million  and  a  half  feet  of  logs  go  down  the 
river.  Quite  a  lot  were  turned  into  Ebey  slough, 
but  others  were  gathered  in  on  the  way  down,  in- 
cluding about  a  hundred  thousand  belonging  to  E. 
D.  Smith,  so  that  altogether  about  two  million  feet 
went  out  to  sea,  most  of  them  drifting  into  Port 
Susan  bay.  The  steamer  Lone  Fisherman  was  im- 
mediately put  to  work  with  a  large  crew  of  men 
picking  up  the  logs.  About  three-fourths  of  them 
were  finally  recovered.  The  heaviest  losers  in  this 
misfortune  were  E.  Hagerty  and  Clark  Brothers, 
both  of  whom  lost  several  hundred  thousand  feet. 
In  a  short  time  a  new  sheer  boom  was  put  in  oper- 
ation at  Deadwater  by  Messrs.  Tompkins  &  Pearl, 
wliich  was  a  great  protection  against  any  more  such 
calamities. 

The  first  sawed  shingle  ever  made  in  the  county 
was  produced  by  Blackman  Brothers'  mill  October 
26th.  This  was  the  beginning  of  an  industrv  which 
later  became  one  of  the  largest  in  the  entire 'section. 
Blackman  Brothers  and  Mortimer  Cook,  of  Sedro, 
Skagit  county,  were  the  men  who  introduced  the  red 


cedar  shingle  of  Puget  sound  in  the  markets  of  the 
east. 

In  the  meantime  agriculture  was  taking  bigger 
strides  than  ever.  While  not  strictly  a  grain  country, 
such  things  as  hay,  hops  and  vegetables  could  be 
raised  very  successfully.  The  Tuaico  settlement  in 
the  forks  of  the  Skykomish  and  Snoqualmie  was 
rapidly  developing  and  assuming  the  appearance  of 
a  rich  agricultural  community.  Farms  were  being 
cleared  or  partially  cleared  at  the  rate  of  about  ten 
acres  a  year  for  each  farm.  Considerable  cattle 
were  raised.  Among  the  largest  and  best  farms 
were  those  of  Messrs.  Johnson,  Harriman,  Foye, 
Spurrell,  Phelps,  Fitzmaurice,  Taylor,  Tester, 
Detering  and  Austin. 

The  marsh  south  of  Snohomish  was  also  pro- 
gressing well.  As  an  example  of  the  fertility  of  the 
soil  there  the  Eye  gives  a  description  of  a  piece  of 
ground  thirty-three  yards  long  and  thirty  wide 
belonging  to  Peter  Hovardson,  who  raised  upon  it, 
in  1885,  331  bushels  of  potatoes,  a  ton  of  turnips, 
4  bushels  of  beets,  1><  bushels  of  parsnips,  4  bushels 
of  corn,  and  about  half  a  ton  of  squash,  and  besides 
all  this,  18  bushels  of  apples  and  pears  on  the  trees 
in  that  piece  of  land,  less  than  half  an  acre.  Most 
of  the  farmers  on  the  marsh  had  from  fifteen  to 
fifty  acres  of  improved  land,  which  they  were  grad- 
ually increasing.  There  was  about  five  hundred 
acres  in  cultivation  that  year,  but  it  was  expected 
that  that  amount  would  be  doubled  the  following 
year.  Most  of  the  marsh  trade  went  to  Lowell, 
there  being  no  direct  communication  with  Snoho- 
mish. There  were  about  fifteen  miles  of  ditches, 
including  side  ditches,  which  very  effectually  drained 
the  water  from  the  land.  The  cost  of  the  ditches 
had  been  about  ten  thousand  dollars. 

Among  the  principal  farms  on  the  marsh  were 
those  of  Messrs.  Drew,  who  had  the  finest  dwelling 
in  that  part  of  the  countv,  John  Stecher,  S.  O. 
Woods,  F.  Fletcher,  B.  Walthers,  A.  Davis,  W.  W. 
Larrimer,  W.  J.  Watkins,  G.  W.  Stevenson,  H. 
Gray  and  Peter  Hovardson.  The  first  complete 
threshing  machine  ever  brought  into  the  Snohomish 
valley  was  lirought  from  Seattle  in  September, 
188-3,  by  W.  J.  Watkins.  who  owned  one  of  the  best 
farms  on  the  marsh.  This  machine,  which  was  a 
horse-power,  was  at  once  put  at  work  on  the  farms 
of  its  owner  and  his  neighbors. 

In  the  governor's  report  for  the  year  he  gave  an 
estimate  of  the  products  and  we  note  a  rise  over  the 
previous  year  in  everv  particular.  They  were  given 
as  follows:  Wheat,  5,000  bushels;  oats,  80,000; 
barley,  10,000;  potatoes,  20,000;  hay,  9,000 
tons;  hops,  20  tons;  live  stock,  horses  and 
mules,  700 ;  neat  cattle,  6,000 ;  swine,  2,000 ;  sheep, 
4,000.  The  estimated  output  of  logs  was  70,000,000 
feet.  We  also  learn  that  there  was  one  steam  saw 
mill,  one  water  saw  mill,  and  one  sash  and  door 
factory,  the  value  of  whose  products  was  $95,000. 
The  population  of  Snohomish  City  was  700,  that  of 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


the  county,  2,475.  The  assessed  vakiation  of  real 
estate  was  $401,902;  of  improvements,  $110,802, 
and  of  personal  property,  $100,982,  making  a  total 
of  $079,740.  This  was  an  increase  over  the  pre- 
vious year  of  $75, -'384. 

The  middle  eighties  all  over  the  sound  were  ren- 
dered lively  by  anti-Chinese  agitations.  As  there 
were  but  few  Chinamen  in  Snohomish  county,  the 
agitation  against  them  was  less  bitter  than  else- 
where on  the  sound.  September  19,  1885,  however, 
a  mass  meeting  of  citizens  was  called,  at  which  a 
number  of  speeches  against  the  Chinamen  and  some 
few  in  their  favor  were  made,  but  nothing  definite 
was  attempted.  The  next  morning  another  meeting 
was  held,  even  more  informal  and  unsystematic  than 
the  first.  At  this  it  was  voted  unanini()usl\-  that  the 
Chinese  must  go  and  that  a  committee  of  three  be 
appointed  by  the  chairman  so  to  inform  the  China- 
men of  Snohomish.  Those  called  upon  to  serve  on 
the  committee  refused  to  act,  however,  and  nothing 
was  accomplished  but  discussion. 

Early  the  next  year  matters  were  brought  to  a 
successful  conclusion.  On  February  9th  a  commit- 
tee of  citizens  visited  the  Chinese  and  requested 
them  to  make  preparations  for  an  early  departure. 
The  Chinamen  made  no  resistance,  most  of  them  be- 
ing willing  to  go.  The  following  morning  about 
twenty  of  them  went  on  board  the  steamer  Cascade 
and  were  seen  no  more  in  the  vicinity  of  Snohomish. 
A  few  of  the  bosses  remained  a  day  or  two  longer 
to  sell  out  their  stock  and  settle  their  affairs. 

An  incident  occurred  on  the  lOth  which  indi- 
cated the  rabid  antipathy  which  had  arisen  against 
the  Chinese  on  a  part  of  a  few  of  the  more  violent 
citizens.  A  quantity  of  gunpowder  was  set  oflf 
under  a  corner  of  a  wash  house,  in  which  three 
Chinamen  still  remained.  Fortunately  no  damage 
was  done  except  to  scare  the  Celestials  and  arouse 
the  indignation  of  the  sober-minded  citizens.  The 
Chinese  exodus  from  Snohomish  was  one  of  the 
most  quiet  and  peaceful  in  the  Northwest,  thev  being 
too  few  in  number  to  make  any  serious  resistance, 
even  had  they  been  so  disposed.  Nearly  every  one 
in  the  county  was  glad  when  they  were  gone. 

One  of  the  first  important  things  that  attracts 
our  attention  in  1886  was  the  opening  of  the  new 
road  across  the  marsh  and  south  to  the  King  county 
line  where  it  intersected  the  Seattle  road.  This 
afforded  direct  communication  between  Seattle  and 
Snohomish.  The  road  had  first  been  petitioned  for 
some  two  years  before  and  had  been  under  the  con- 
sideration of  the  county  commissioners  for  that 
length  of  time,  hanging  fire  for  a  variety  of  reasons, 
most  of  them  very  poor  ones.  The  cost  to  the 
petitioners,  who  bore  nearl}-  the  whole  expense,  was 
over  two  thousand  dollars  in  money  and  labor. 

One  of  the  most  prosperous  regions  on  the  sound 
in  1886  was  the  Stillaguamish  valley,  which  was 
being  rapidly  occupied.  Settlements  were  scattered 
along  the  river  for  thirty  miles  or  more.     Wages  in 


the  logging  camps  were  nearly  one-fourth  better 
than  in  Snohomish,  ranging  from  forty  to  one  hun- 
dred dollars  per  month.  Hard  times  were  almost 
unknown.  The  two  principal  settlements  in  the 
valley  were  at  Stanwood,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Stilla- 
guamish, and  at  Florence,  three  miles  above.  The 
latter  town,  though  nearly  twenty  years  younger 
than  its  rival,  was  already  pushing  hard  for  the 
supremacy.  It  contained  a  large  general  merchan- 
dise store,  which  was  run  by  Frank  Norton,  who 
was  also  the  postmaster  of  the  place ;  a  good-sized 
hotel,  managed  by  Frank  Carrin,  a  large  public  hall, 
and  about  half  a  dozen  other  buildings,  including 
residences. 

There  was  a  very  different  state  of  affairs  at 
Granite  Creek,  concerning  which  an  article  appears 
in  the  Eye  of  April  24th.  There  were  two  thousand 
men  there  and  two  hundred  houses,  but  half  the 
houses  were  for  sale  at  less  than  cost  and  half  the 
men  had  mining  claims  for  sale.  The  best  claims 
did  not  average  more  than  two  dollars  per  day  to 
the  man  and  snow  prevented  prospecting.  Pro- 
visions were  very  high,  flour  being  $5.00  a  sack, 
bacon  30  cents  a  pound,  beans  12  cents,  tea  $1.00, 
beef  10  cents,  tobacco  $1.00,  and  syrup  $3.00  a 
gallon.  In  short  the  report  which  the  Eye  gave  was 
very  discouraging. 

The  growth  of  the  county,  however,  cannot  be 
judged  by  one  over-boomed,  under-developed  min- 
ing district.  A  good  way  to  judge  of  growth  is  to 
study  the  land  entries,  and  in  this  respect  the  section 
of  country  of  which  Snohomish  was  a  part  surpassed 
any  other  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  amount  of  land 
entered  in  the  Puget  sound  districts  from  July,  1882, 
to  June,  1880,  was  one  million  one  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  acres. 

In  July  and  August  of  this  year  there  were  a 
great  many  forest  fires  throughout  the  county.  The 
weather  had  been  dry  for  so  long  that  a  fire  was  a 
very  dangerous  thing.  More  than  one  logging  camp 
and  even  farm  was  threatened  and  many  crews  had 
to  stop  work  and  fight  the  flames.  The  fires  were 
finally  checked,  however,  without  much  damage 
having  been  done. 

An  unfortunate  accident  occurred  in  January, 
1887,  on  the  Stillaguamish,  between  Stanwood  and 
Florence.  Robert  Heney  was  living  some  distance 
back  from  the  river  on  a  plateau  which  had  been 
formed  by  a  landslide  some  years  before.  It  was 
just  at  the  foot  of  a  large  bluff.  During  the  night 
a  huge  mass  of  earth  and  rock  broke  loose  and 
started  down  the  bluff.  It  would  not  have  struck 
the  house  but  for  three  immense  stumps  which 
turned  the  slide  so  that  it  caught  the  house  and 
ground  it  to  pieces,  crushing  the  unfortunate  man 
within  and  burying  him  beneath  the  debris.  The 
body  was  recovered  and  buried  at  Stanwood  by  the 
Odd  Fellows  and  Knights  of  Labor,  of  which  organ- 
izations Heney  had  been  a  member. 

In    1887    railroad    matters    as:ain    came    to    the 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1870-89 


front  and  assumed  much  more  definite  shape.  On 
the  13th  of  April  the  Seattle  &  West  Coast  Rail- 
way was  incorporated,  with  a  capital  stock  of  one 
million  dollars.  The  officers  of  the  company  were 
Henry  Crawford,  Jr.,  president;  Henry  Crawford, 
Sr.,  vice-president;  W.  J.  Jennings,  secretary  and 
treasurer.  The  principal  offices  were  at  Seattle. 
The  object  of  the  company  was  to  construct  and 
operate  a  railroad  and  telegraph  line  from  Seattle 
to  the  most  convenient  point  on  the  Canadian  border 
for  a  junction  with  the  Canadian  Pacific.  The 
junction  with  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  was 
to  be  at  the  mouth  of  Bear  creek  near  Woodenville. 
The  route  as  laid  out  entered  the  Snohomish  valley 
just  below  Fiddler's  bluff,  crossing  the  river  to 
Snohomish  City  and  from  there  proceeding  north 
past  Lake  Beecher  to  the  Canadian  boundary,  which 
was  eighty-five  miles  from  Snohomish.  Several 
hundred  men  were  immediately  put  to  work  at 
various  points  along  the  line  and  work  was  carried 
on  as  rapidly  as  possible.  Operations  were  con- 
tinued all  summer  especially  on  the  sections  between 
Seattle  and  Snohomish  and  Snohomish  and  Lake 
Beecher. 

In  December  the  contract  for  completing  the 
entire  road  was  let  to  Sinclair  &  Company,  of  New 
York,  contractors  who  built  three  hundred  miles  of 
the  Canadian  Pacific.  By  the  terms  of  the  agree- 
ment the  unfinished  portion  was  to  be  completed 
and  the  rest  constructed  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
northern  terminus  of  the  road,  where  connection 
would  be  made  with  the  Canadian  Pacific,  was  not 
yet  determined  more  definitely  than  that  it  would  be 
either  New  Westminster  or  Hope,  both  of  which 
places  were  about  twelve  miles  from  the  boundary. 
The  contractors  took  hold  of  the  work  with  an 
energy  and  zeal  that  promised  its  speedy  completion. 
A  cargo  of  rails  was  on  its  way  from  England  and 
every  preparation  was  being  made  to  lay  them  as 
soon  as  they  arrived.  People  of  a  sanguine  dis- 
position were  confident  that  Snohomish  would  be 
connected  with  the  east  by  a  through  train  in  the 
course  of  a  year. 

Another  railroad  enterprise  had  been  started  a 
short  time  before  this  one  known  as  the  Belling- 
ham  Bay  Railroad.  It  was  headed  by  Senator  Can- 
field,  D.  B.  Jackson  and  a  number  of  San  Francisco 
capitalists.  A  franchise  was  secured  and  other  pre- 
parations made  for  the  construction  of  the  road, 
but  it  failed  to  materialize. 

The  year  1887  was  a  very  profitable  one  for  the 
lumber  industry.  That  year  marked  the  beginning 
of  the  immense  trade  with  all  parts  of  the  world 
which  has  since  grown  to  such  huge  proportions. 
Not  only  was  the  local  demand  for  lumber  greater 
than  ever  before  but  foreign  contracts  were  made 
faster  than  they  could  be  filled.  The  price  of  logs 
advanced  to  seven  dollars  per  thousand  and  rough 
lumber  to  twelve.     The  wages  of  woodmen  in  the 


camps  were  from  forty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  per  month  with  board. 

Blackman  Brothers'  mill  produced  that  year 
about  ten  million  shingles,  most  of  which  were 
shipped  east,  and  four  million  feet  of  lumber.  Their 
success  in  shipping  their  products  east  induced 
others  to  follow  their  example  and  in  a  short  time 
the  eastern  demand  was  greater  than  the  supply. 

The  greatness  of  the  demand  for  logs  may  be 
shown  by  the  following  incident.  In  1879,  E.  Mc- 
Taggart  had  been  appointed  government  scaler  for 
the  Puget  sound  district.  The  mill  men,  however, 
would  not  accept  his  measurements,  which,  though 
their  accuracy  was  not  questioned,  averaged  about 
five  per  cent,  higher  than  their  own.  The  mill  men 
had  the  logging  men  under  their  thumb  so  that  the 
latter  were  compelled  to  submit,  but  in  1887  the 
demand  for  logs  became  so  great  that  the  loggers 
could  dictate  their  terms,  and  one  of  their  terms 
was  that  McTaggart's  measurements  be  accepted. 
The  Puget  Mill  Company  was  the  first  to  accept 
them  and  was  then  followed  perforce  by  the  rest  of 
the  mills  in  the  country. 

In  the  fall  another  broken  log  boom  was  chron- 
icled. It  occurred  on  the  Stillaguamish  river,  which 
rose  suddenly  on  account  of  warm  rains  and  brought 
down  a  drive  of  ten  million  feet  of  logs.  The 
pressure  against  the  boom  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
caused  it  to  give  way  and  about  two  million  feet 
went  out  to  sea,  though  most  of  them  fortunately, 
were  picked  up  by  the  steamers  Daisy,  Susie  and 
Seattle  and  a  crew  of  drivers. 

About  the  same  time  an  important  enterprise  in 
connection  with  mining  was  undertaken,  namely, 
the  building  of  a  road  along  the  upper  Skykomish 
and  the  north  fork  of  the  same  river  to  Silver 
creek,  about  fifteen  miles  above  the  forks.  The  road 
was  built  by  the  Snohomish  and  Similkameen  Trail 
and  Wagon  Company,  of  which  Henry  Stephens 
was  president.  It  opened  up  a  large  section  of  good 
mining  country  and  was  for  that  reason  very 
valuable. 

Indians  attract  our  atttention  again  at  this  time. 
A  bartender  at  Park  Place  named  Oscar  Drew  was 
in  the  habit  of  selling  whisky  to  some  of  the 
Indians  near  Tualco.  During  a  drunken  spree  two 
of  these  Indians,  Sam  Patch  and  Harriman's  Bill, 
murdered  a  squaw.  The  indignation  of  the  law- 
abiding  people  was  aroused  and  they  secured  the 
arrest  of  Oscar  Drew  as  well  as  of  the  two  mur- 
derers. Drew  pleaded  guilty  and  was  given  a  stiflf 
sentence  while  the  Indians  also  received  their 
deserts. 

The  population  of  Snohomish  county  in  1887 
was  3,138,  being  nearly  double  what  it  was  two 
years  before.  The  agricultural  productions  were 
oats,  112,000  bushels ;  barley,  14,000;  potatoes,  287- 
000;  hav,  13,000  tons;  hops,  42  tons;  apples  and 
small   fruits.  280,000  bushels. 

The  value  of  all  taxable  property  was  $1,0.12,333, 


276 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


having  increased  $316,762  since  the  year  before. 
We  give  below  a  Hst  of  property  holders  who  paid 
taxes  on  $5,000  and  over,  and  the  amount  of  taxes 
which  they  paid.  J.  B.  Ault,  $52.00;  Edwin  G. 
Ames,  $234.99;  Blackman  Bros.,  $671.46;  S.  J. 
Burns,  $70.48;  John  A.  Brawley,  $83.78;  A.  A. 
Brockwav.  $158.74;  John  Brvggar,  $89.94;  Isaac 
Cathcart,' $404.19;  W.  S.  Clav.  $69.36;  J.  P.  Come- 
ford,  $105.20;  Comegys  &  Vestal,  $109.74;  Che- 
nook  Boom  Company,  $74.88 ;  William  Douglass, 
$110.80;  L.  G.  Ferguson.  $107.88;  Yates  Ferguson, 
$218.27;  R.  M.  Folsom,  $57.10;  A.  W.  Foye, 
$58.80;  Henrv  Gable,  $50.00;  John  Gilchrist, 
$54.40;  Andrew  Hagertv,  $162.80;  Henrietta  M. 
Haller,  $84.40 ;  Edward  N.  Hamlin,  $54.90 ;  F.  H. 
Hancock.  $85.68;  Chas.  Harriman,  $54.00;  John 
Harvey  estate,  $52.90  ;  J.  B.  Havnes,  $96.00 ;  John 
Hilton,  $59.60;  Augustus  Hines',  $59.79;  Marv  L. 
Hughs,  $58.73  ;  ].  H.  Irvine,  $180.00 ;  C.  F.  Jack- 
son, $63.08 ;  H.  T.  Jackson,  $66.00 ;  Andrew  John- 
son, $78.00;  John  Krischel,  $65.88;  Lake  Superior 
&  Puget  Sound  Land  Company,  $173.50 ;  James 
Long,  $82.90;  Charles  H.  Low  estate,  $335.20; 
Wilfiam  McGee,  .$r,9.r,8 ;  T.  D.  Merrill,  $158.74; 
M.  McCauley,  $(iO.T.':  ^^■illiam  McPhee,  $56.88; 
Nicholson  &  Hanson,.'*;:.  1. 13  ;IIenry01iver,$123.S9  ; 
C.  M.  Ovenell,  H^rn.l'.t -.  V.  X.  Ovenell,  $52.19; 
Marv  L.  Packanl.  SM.VS;  llarriette  Parkhurst, 
$64.88  ;  D.  O.  PeaiMiii,  .-^lt:..:;(i :  F.  E.  Phelps,  $63.59  ; 
J.  H.  Plaskett,  $55.56;  Port  Blakely  Mill  Company, 
$2,196.06  ;  Puget  Mill  Company,  $3,306.10  ;  Pacific 
Postal  Telegraph  Company,  $50.00;  Sinclair  estate, 
$52.88;  Jasper  Sill.  ,Ss|.:i-};  E.  D.  Smith,  $396.12; 
M.  B.  Smith.  $6I.,M>:  C.  Stinson,  $143.70;  William 
Tester,  $79.79;  Cxrus  \\:ilker,  $109.04;  William 
Whitfield,  $76.68;  Henry  S.  Wilson,  $66.00;  C.  F. 
Yeaton,  $94.59. 

The  year  1888  opened  up  very  brightly.  A  con- 
stant stream  of  immigrants  and  homeseekers  came 
in  on  every  boat.  Everywhere  could  be  seen  men 
looking  over  the  land  and  looking  for  suitable 
places  to  settle  and  bring  their  families  and  friends. 
We  observe  the  following  in  the  Eye  of  May  19th: 
"The  rush  of  immigration  to  Snohomish  county  is 
unprecedented,  and  the  woods  along  the  proposed 
line  of  the  West  Coast  railroad  norfh  from  Snoho- 
mish are  full  of  homeseekers.  Eighteen  claims  be- 
tween Pillchuck  and  the  Stillaguamish  are  said  to 
have  been  filed  on  in  two  days."  These  homeseek- 
ers scattered  in  all  directions  throughout  the 
county,  settling  especially  in  the  northern  parts 
along  the  Stillaguamish  river  and  its  forks  and  on 
the  Pillchuck  and  new  lands  east  of  the  Pillchuck. 

On  the  first  of  February  Snohomish  experi- 
enced an  earthquake,  which,  while  not  at  all  serious, 
was  violent  enough  to  shake  the  windows  and  break 
a  few  ornaments  in  the  houses.  Even  this  was 
very  unusual. 

A  sad  accident  occurred  on  the  north  fork  of 
the  Stillaguamish  near  the  mouth  of  the  upper  Pill- 


chuck on  April  15th.  O.  B.  Vancel  was  crossing 
the  river  in  a  canoe  with  three  young  ladies,  Lillie 
Wheeler,  Ella  Aldridge  and  Annie  Thompson.  On 
the  way  over  Mr.  Vancel 's  hat  was  lost  overboard 
and  while  he  was  trying  to  recover  it,  the  canoe 
was  drawn  into  a  riffle  and  capsized,  throwing  the 
occupants  into  the  water.  There  were  a  number  of 
their  friends  on  the  shore  but  it  was  impossible  to 
render  them  any  assistance  as  there  was  no  boat 
at  hand.  The  struggling  people  were  unable  to 
reach  the  shore  in  the  swift  water  and  were  carried 
down  for  some  distance  until  they  were  drawn  into 
an  eddy  and  disappeared.  Mr.  Vancel  had  come 
from  Kansas  about  a  year  before  and  was  quite 
prominent  in  the  community.  The  accident  cast  a 
gloom  over  the  whole  valley. 

The  lumber  business  had  by  this  time  arrived  at 
that  sta.ge  of  development  when  combinations  and 
trusts  are  formed.  The  mill  men  were  the  first  to 
adopt  this  measure,  hoping  thereby  to  raise  the  price 
of  lumber  and  lower  the  price  of  logs.  They  made 
an  arrangement  among  themselves  by  which  a  log- 
ger could  sell  his  logs  only  to  one  mill.  This  of 
course  enabled  the  mill  to  fix  the  price.  It  was  a 
scheme  which  did  not  altogether  meet  with  the  en- 
thusiastic support  of  the  loggers,  who  formed  an 
organization  of  their  own  for  mutual  protection  and 
to  baffle  the  schemes  of  the  m^U  men.  Among  the 
prominent  loggers  who  met  at  Seattle  for  this  pur- 
pose were  S.  Coulter  of  North  Bay,  J.  R.  McDon- 
ald of  Satsop,  Dudley  Blanchard  of  Samish,  Day 
Brothers  of  Skagit,  'l.  C.  Ellis  of  Olympia,  T. 
(  )'r.rien  of  Stuck,  A.  Currie  of  Lake  Washington, 
K.  1).  Smith  of  Lowell,  Blackman  Brothers,  I.  Cath- 
cart, I".  Stinsdu,  George  Ladd  and  William  Illman 
of  Snohomish.  The  whole  Puget  sound  region  was 
well  represented.  The  organization  was  perfected  on 
March  29th,  when  the  following  officers  were 
elected:  Dudley  Blanchard,  of  Samish,  president; 
J.  R.  McDonald,  of  Satsop,  vice-president ;  H. 
Clothier,  of  Skagit,  secretary ;  Terrence  O'Brien,  of 
Stuck,  treasurer.  The  executive  board,  which  was 
to  have  charge  of  affairs  for  the  first  six  months, 
was  composed  of  the  above  officers  and  Isaac  Cath- 
cart. of  Snohomish.  It  was  not  the  purpose  of  the 
organization  to  fi.x  the  price  of  logs  or  to  do  any- 
thing to  make  a  breach  between  themselves  and  the 
lumber  manufacturers.  They  wished  the  relations 
between  them  to  be  of  the  most  friendly  nature, 
but  they  desired  to  retain  the  privilege  of  selling 
where  and  when  they  pleased.  They  also  estab- 
lished in  Seattle  a  loggers'  headquarters,  which  they 
placed  in  charge  of  Mat.  J.  McElroy.  It  was  his 
duty  to  collect  information  and  statistics  concern- 
ing the  logging  industry  and  present  these  in  the 
form  of  a  report  at  monthly  meetings  of  the  loggers. 
In  this  way  everything  of  interest  to  them  could  be 
readily  ascertained  and  they  could  regulate  their 
business  by  it.     This  organization  was  not  only  of 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1870-89 


great  benefit  to  the  loggers  themselves  but  to  the 
entire  population  as  well. 

The  shingle  industry  was  increasing  rapidly. 
During  the  spring  two  new  mills,  each  with  a  cap- 
acity of  about  thirty  thousand  a  day,  were  built, 
one  at  Edmonds  and  the  other  near  Stanwood. 

In  November  the  largest  log  drive  ever  seen  on 
the  Snohomish  river  up  to  that  time  was  made.  It 
contained  over  twenty-two  million  feet. 

During  the  year  1888  great  activity  in  railroad 
building  was  manifested.  The  Seattle  &  West 
Coast  Company  continued  the  construction  of  their 
line.  The  people  of  Snohomish  put  up  twenty-seven 
hundred  and  thirty  dollars  for  the  right  of  way  for 
this  road  in  order  to  insure  its  construction  through 
their  city.  On  March  29th  a  deal  was  transacted 
by  which  the  Seattle  &  West  Coast  road  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern,  and 
under  the  new  management  work  was  carried  on  as 
fast  as  possible.  The  big  cut  at  Fiddler's  Bluff  was 
finished  on  April  29th.  This  was  the  heaviest  piece 
of  work  on  the  entire  line,  containing  thirty-five 
thousand  yards,  mostly  of  solid  rock.  With  the 
completion  of  this  cut  the  grading  was  practically 
completed  between  Seattle  and  Snohomish  and 
ready  for  the  la\ing  of  the  track.  Eighteen  hun- 
dred tons  of  steel  rails  had  already  been  ordered 
from  the  east,  which  would  be  enough  to  extend 
several  miles  beyond  Snohomish.  The  bridge 
across  the  marsh  was  finished  in  May  and  the  one 
across  Snohomish  river  begun  about  the  same  time, 
the  contractors  for  the  latter  being  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Bridge  Company.  It  was  to  be  three  hundred 
and  eighty  feet  long,  including  a  draw  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet.  This  bridge  was  completed 
during  the  summer  and  trains  were  running  from 
Seattle  to  Snohomish  by  October,  but  in  the  latter 
part  of  that  month  a  misfortune  occurred  which  de- 
la\ed  traffic  for  the  rest  of  that  year.  It  was  the 
old  tale  of  a  rise  in  the  river,  the  Pillcbuck  boom 
giving  way  and  about  three  million  feet  of  logs 
pressing  down  against  the  bridge,  which,  unable  to 
withstand  the  strain,  toppled  over  and  was  carried 
down  the  river  in  three  sections,  which  were  later 
recovered  and  taken  back.  The  bridge  was  rebuilt 
as  soon  as  possible,  but  was  not  finished  until  near 
the  end  of  December. 

In  the  meantime  engineers  were  busy  through- 
out the  summer  in  laying  out  routes  for  the  division 
north  of  Snohomish  and  hundreds  of  men  were 
engaged  in  clearing  and  grading  the  routes  that  had 
already  been  chosen.  A  hundred  men  were  em- 
ployed on  the  four-mile  section  just  north  of  Snoho- 
mish, and  large  numbers  on  other  sections.  It  was 
decided  to  cross  the  Canadian  line  at  Lander's  Land- 
ing, to  which  point  the  Canadian  Pacific  would  run 
an  extension  from  Vancouver  to  connect  with  the 
West  Coast  line. 

In  August  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern 
Company  experienced  some  difiicultv  at  the  hands 


of  ex-Senator  Canfield,  president  of  the  Bellingham 
Bay  Railroad  and  Navigation  Company,  which  had 
projected  a  railroad  to  run  parallel  with  the  Seattle 
&  West  Coast  line  and  several  miles  west  of  it. 
Senator  Canfield  secured  an  injunction  against  the 
West  Coast  road  forbidding  the  construction  of 
bridges  across  any  of  the  rivers,  claiming  that  this 
would  be  an  infringement  of  his  own  rights  and 
franchises.  The  West  Coast  road,  however,  held 
a  territorial  charter  in  accordance  with  the  regular 
laws  of  the  United  States,  and  moreover  their 
bridge  plans  had  been  approved  by  the  secretary  of 
war,  so  they  were  secure  in  their  position  and  the 
injunction  of  Senator  Canfield  was  not  followed  by 
any  serious  results. 

'The  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  had  also 
under  process  of  survey  at  this  time  a  route  from 
Spokane  by  way  of  Cady  pass.  Extensive  plans 
were  made,  but  they  failed  to  develop  into  anything 
more  substantial.  The  actual  railroad  never  ap- 
peared. 

During  1889  the  construction  of  the  line  between 
Snohomish  and  Canada  was  carried  on  vigorously 
at  both  ends.  The  cost  of  clearing  and  construction 
was  about  twenty-one  thousand  dollars  a  mile  and 
the  entire  cost  of  the  njad  and  equipment  was 
estimated  at  two  million  dollars.  Hy  October  the 
track  had  arrived  opposite  Marysville  and  bids  for 
ties  to  continue  it  to  the  Stillaguamish  were  adver- 
tised for.  At  the  northern  end  the  work  was  pro- 
gressing equally  well.  In  December  contracts  for 
clearing  and  grading  thirty  miles  north  of  the  Skagit 
river  and  fifteen  south  of  it  were  awarded  in  five 
sections  to  Smith  Brothers,  A.  W.  Moore,  Clem- 
ents &  Bradford,  M.  J.  Heeney  and  McLeod  & 
Earle.  This  work  was  to  be  done  by  July  of  the 
next  year,  and  it  was  expected  that  connection  with 
the  Canadian  Pacific  would  be  made  as  early  as  the 
first  of  September,  1890. 

We  have  had  but  few  crimes  to  chronicle  in 
these  pages,  because  few  were  committed.  How- 
ever, there  was  one  lapse  in  this  year  which  may 
be  mentioned.  On  the  night  of  March  29th  three 
men  broke  into  the  store  of  M.  W.  Packard  &  Son 
and  blew  open  the  safe  with  a  charge  of  powder. 
They  took  from  it  about  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  dollars  in  cash,  as  well  as  notes,  deeds  and  other 
papers.  They  did  not  have  long  to  enjoy  their  gains 
however,  as  they  were  promptly  captured  and  put 
in  a  safe  place. 

The  Stillaguamish  valley  was  making  itself  pro- 
minent in  several  ways  during  1889.  It  was  grow- 
ing rapidly.  The  town  of  Stanwood  had  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants,  and  Florence  and 
other  smaller  villages  along  the  river  were  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  The  valley  of  the  north  fork 
also,  though  not  yet  surveyed,  was  quite  thickly  set- 
tled. Six  years  before  there  had  not  been  a  settler 
in  the  valley.  Now  there  were  two  postofiices,  Glen- 
dale   and   Allen,   and   two   school   districts.      Fruit 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


raising  was  one  of  the  principal  industries,  being  one 
for  which  the  region  was  specially  suited.  Excellent 
specimens  of  iron  ore  were  found  in  this  valley. 
On  the  south  fork  also  valuable  mineral  deposits' 
were  discovered,  including  silver  and  iron  and  an 
excellent  grade  of  granite.  A  company  was  formed 
known  as  the  Stillaguamish  Mining  Company  to 
operate  these  mines.  Considerable  quantities  of 
coal  were  also  found.  In  speaking  of  the  Stillagua- 
mish valley  W.  J.  Watkins,  of  Franklin,  a  gentle- 
man of  large  experience,  declared  it  to  be  the  richest 
section  in  agricultural  lands  and  timber  in  the 
county. 

All  this  growing  wealth  Snohomish  county  was 
in  danger  of  losing.  There  was  a  movement  on 
foot  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  that  year,  originating 
at  Stanwood,  to  withdraw  a  strip  of  country  across 
the  entire  northern  end  of  the  county  and  attach 
it  to  Skagit  county.  The  reason  for  the  disaffec- 
tion among  the  Stillaguamish  people  was  their  dis- 
tance from  the  county  seat  and  the  difficulty  of 
reaching  it.  They  had  long  been  asking  for  a  good 
county  road  but  the  commissioners  had  delayed  so 
long  to  provide  them  with  one  that  they  lost  pa- 
tience and  expressed  their  feelings  by  the  secession 
movement.  Matters  were  finally  arranged  in  an 
amicable  manner,  however,  and   the  vallev  of  the 


Stillaguamish  remained  within  the  limits  of  Snoho- 
mish county. 

There  was  considerable  mining  excitement  dur- 
ing that  last  year  of  the  eighties.  It  was  in  1889, 
that  the  famous  Silver  Creek  mines  first  began  to 
attract  widespread  attention.  They  had  indeed  been 
discovered  nearly  twenty  years  before,  but  had 
never  been  worked  to  any  extent.  They  were 
found  to  be  very  valuable,  assays  averaging  as  high 
as  from  eighty  dollars  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
dollars  per  ton  of  silver.  During  six  months  about 
eighty  claims  were  taken  up,  a  number  of  which 
were  worked  actively  all  summer.  Several  com- 
panies of  eastern  capitalists  were  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  operating  Silver  Creek  mines. 

The  progress  of  Snohomish  county  had  up  to 
this  time  been  quite  remarkable.  Her  industries 
had  grpwn  so  that  one  of  them  at  least  commanded 
the  markets  of  the  world.  She  was  dependent  not 
on  one  industry,  but  on  several,  of  the  most  diver- 
sified kinds,  and  this  rendered  stability  and  pros- 
perity much  more  certain,  making  it  possible  for 
Snohomish  to  continue  progressing  even  in  the 
midst  of  hard  times  in  which  so  many  counties  were 
well-nigh  overwhelmed.  But  this  was  only  the  be- 
ginning. With  the  opening  of  the  new  decade 
commenced  a  period  of  growth  and  development 
more  active  than  at  any  previous  time. 


CHAPTER  III 


CURRENT   EVENTS,     1889-97 


Amid  much  else  of  deep  interest  and  importance 
Snohomish  county  has  had  two  events  common  to 
most  of  the  counties  of  this  state ;  to-wit,  railroad 
development  and  a  great  struggle  over  the  location 
of  the  county  seat.  In  some  degree  the  historv  of 
the  county  for  the  decade  of  the  nineties  is  made 
up  of  the  development  of  these. 

The  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  railroad 
was  at  the  beginning  of  1890  pushing  forward  with 
all  speed  an  extension  of  their  line  from  Snohomish 
to  the  Stillaguamish  valley.  This  valley  was  one 
of  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  in  the  county  and 
was  being  rapidly  put  under  cultivation.  The  new 
railroad  was  of  immense  value  both  to  it  and  to 
Snohomish,  which  drew  a  large  part  of  its  trade. 

As  we  have  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter,  there 
-was  much  growth  in  the  mining  industries  of  Snoho- 


mish county  in  the  year  1889.  Discoveries  of  iron, 
coal  and  granite  were  made  in  various  parts  of  the 
county,  but  the  great  bonanza  was  struck  at  Silver 
creek,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  north  fork  of  the 
Skykomish  river.  Here  both  silver  and  gold  were 
found  in  great  quantities  and  of  a  high  grade.  The 
current  newspaper  discussions  of  that  year  denote 
a  great  confidence  in  the  future  of  Snohomish  as  a 
result  of  mining  enterprises. 

In  connection  with  these  developments  there 
came  also  into  view  the  unfoldings  of  a  great  growth 
in  manufacturing  and  agricultural  pursuits.  Rum- 
blings of  county  division  troubles  were  also  in  the 
air.  The  people  of  the  Stillaguamish  valley  were  de- 
sirous that  a  strip  the  entire  length  of  the  county 
should  be  taken  from  Snohomish  county  and  at- 
tached to  Skagit,  the  main  cause  of  dissatisfaction 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1889-97 


being  their  remoteness  from  the  county  seat.  But 
in  spite  of  these  troubles  Snohomish  county  entered 
the  year  1890  with  her  pulses  beating  with  hope 
and  with  prognostications  of  rapid  growth  in  all 
lines  of  enterprise. 

Reference  to  the  papers  of  January,  1890,  shows 
the  progress  of  railroads.  A  struggle  seemed  then 
in  progress  between  the  Northern  Pacific  and  the 
Union  Pacific,  both  of  which  had  had  their  eyes  on 
the  Puget  sound  country  for  a  long  time  but  had 
been  afraid  to  commence  operations.  At  length, 
however,  the  Northern  Pacific  announced  their  in- 
tention to  survey  the  country  between  Seattle  and 
the  Canadian  Pacific,  and  it  was  then  discovered  that 
the  Union  Pacific  had  already  surveyed  the  same 
territory.  Open  hostility  immediately  broke  out, 
and  the  conflict  which  ensued  gave  promise  of  being 
one  of  the  most  bitter  and  protracted  in  the  railroad 
histor}-  of  the  United  States.  Great  things  for 
Snohomish  and  the  regions  adjoining  were  then  an- 
ticipated from  this  rivalry  between  the  two  great 
railroad  systems. 

The  Great  Northern  railroad,  to  whose  subse- 
quent operations  so  much  of  the  industrial  condi- 
tions of  Snohomish  county  have  been  due,  was  at 
that  time  in  embryo  only,  and  the  expected  great 
developments  of  the  Union  Pacific  were  not  fully 
realized.  But  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern 
Avas  actively  engaged  in  tracklaying  north  of  Snoho- 
mish City,  from  which  point  it  was  extending  a 
branch  to  the  Stillaguamish  valley,  one  of  the  rich- 
est agricultural  districts  in  western  Washington. 
It  was  also  preparing  to  strike  out  eastward  from 
IMachias,  a  new  town  six  miles  north  of  Snohomish. 
Machias  received  quite  a  boom  from  the  fact  that  it 
was  thought  it  would  be  the  intersection  of  the  Se- 
attle, Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  and  the  Great  Northern, 
•which  was  extending  its  line  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

In  the  meantime  the  progress  of  railroad  con- 
struction in  the  Whatcom  country  was  attracting  the 
attention  of  Snohomish  people  in  an  almost  equal 
degree  with  that  of  their  own  region.  The  Fair- 
haven  &  Southern  railroad  was  in  progress  of  con- 
struction from  New  Westminster  to  Seattle  and 
from  Sedro  up  the  Skagit  valley  and  into  the  Cas- 
cade range. 

We  find  by  reference  to  the  papers  of  July  4th 
that  the  hand  of  the  Great  Northern  railroad  was 
beginning  to  appear  in  the  persons  of  Vice-Presi- 
dent Clough  and  Chief  Engineer  Beckler,  who,  in 
-company  with  officials  of  the  Seattle  &  Montana 
railroad,  had  at  that  time  just  returned  from  a  jour- 
iie>-  on  the  shore  of  the  sound,  and  as  a  result  of 
their  observations  they  decided  to  run  the  line  of 
the  Seattle  &  Montana  railroad  from  Seattle  via 
Man'sville  to  crossings  of  the  Stillaguamish  and 
Skagit  rivers,  a  distance  of  seventy-two  miles.  It 
was  also  determined  to  let  contracts  on  July  10th 
for  the  construction  of  that  amount  of  road  together 
with  bridges  across  the  two  rivers. 


Work  on  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  rail- 
road, under  the  Seattle  &  Eastern  Construction 
Company,  was  in  the  meantime  being  pressed.  The 
line  from  Snohomish  north  to  the  Skagit  was  nearly 
completed  except  for  a  number  of  bridges,  that 
over  the  Stillaguamish  being  delayed  by  high  water. 
There  were  also  bridges  to  be  built  across  the 
Skagit  and  both  forks  of  the  Nooksack  and  the  Pill- 
chuck.  Connection  tracks  were  already  laid  to  the 
Fairhaven  &  Southern  railroad  and  also  to  the  Se- 
attle &  Northern  line. 

While  the  public  attention  was  centered  largely 
upon  the  vitally  important  matter  of  railroad  con- 
struction, it  must  not  be  supposed  that  other  in- 
terests were  neglected.  Far  to  the  contrary.  The 
plucky,  pushing  type  of  people  who  have  made  our 
western  communities  do  not  sit  down  and  wait 
for  transportation  facilities  without  getting  some- 
thing ready  to  transport.  "Things  were  doing" 
in  other  directions  as  well  as  railroads  in  Snohomish 
in  those  days. 

Eighteen  hundred  and  ninetv  was  a  great  year 
for  immigration  to  the  sound  in  general  and  Snoho- 
mish did  not  lack  its  share.  The  vast  and  varied 
resources  of  the  region  drew  the  attention  of  this 
incoming  flood  of  settlers.  Great  tracts  of  fertile 
agricultural  lands,  vast  forests  of  the  best  timber 
in  the  world,  mountains  supposed  to  be  full  of  gold, 
silver,  iron,  lead  and  coal — these  were  attractions 
which  brought  such  a  multitude  of  settlers  as  had 
not  been  known  before.  They  quickly  cleared  their 
land  and  brought  forth  magnificent  crops  of  hav. 
fruit,  vegetables  and  berries.  The  lack  of  good 
roads  had  long  been  a  great  hindrance  to  the  growth 
of  the  county  and  had  been  the  means  of  keeping 
away  many  prospective  settlers.  The  important 
question  of  better  roads  was  taken  up  and  soon 
there  was  great  improvement  along  this  line. 

Mineral  resources  must  come  in  for  their  full 
share  of  attention.  The  largest  quarry  of  granite 
in  Washington  was  located  on  Granite  falls  on  the 
south  fork  of  the  Stillaguamish,  sixteen  miles  from 
Snohomish  City.  The  quality  of  the  granite  taken 
from  this  quarry  was  inferior  to  none  in  the  United 
States.  It  was  owned  and  operated  by  the  Still- 
aguamish Mining,  Milling  and  Prospecting  Com- 
pany. 

In  regfard  to  the  gold  and  silver  mines  of  the 
county,  the  Sun,  of  August  99,  1890.  has  the  follow- 
ing quotation  from  Hon.  L.  W.  Getchell,  one  of 
the  most  experienced  mining  men  of  the  Pacific 
coast :  "In  my  opinion  -Snohomish  countv  has  the 
richest  mining  district  in  the  LTnited  States.  I 
have  been  all  through  the  mining  districts  of  New 
Mexico,  Nevada  and  California,  and  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  IMonte  Cristo  surpasses  all  of  them."  In 
the  Seattle  Journal  of  the  same  date  appears  the 
following,  referring  to  the  same  mines :  "Cali- 
fornia, Nevada,  Colorado,  Arizona  and  Montana 
can  testify  to  the  wonderful  impetus  given  to  them 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


by  mining  discoveries.  The  great  excitement 
caused  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Austraha  will 
be  remembered.  Compared  with  recent  discoveries 
in  this  state,  however,  these  finds  are  but  pigmies. 
Experienced  mining  men  have  no  hesitancy  in  say- 
ing that  the  new  find  is  the  largest  and  the  richest 
that  has  ever  been  made  and  that  one  hundred  dol- 
lars to  one  dollar  will  be  taken  out  in  comparison 
with  the  others."  A  company  was  organized  with  a 
capital  of  five  million  dollars  to  work  some  of  these 
mines,  numbering  among  its  members  many  of  the 
richest  men  of  the  large  Eastern  cities  as  well  as 
some  of  the  Western  capitalists.  A  company  of 
San  Francisco  men  was  also  formed,  with  claims 
adjoining  these. 

The  lumbering  and  agricultural  resources,  as 
well  as  possibilities  of  beautiful  and  attractive 
homes,  were  beginning  to  excite  deep  and  wide- 
spread interest.  A  ride  over  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern  railroad  from  Snohomish  to  the  Stilla- 
guamish  river  in  1890  would  have  revealed  many  a 
possibility  of  attractive  and  profitable  locations. 
Machias.  six  miles  from  Snohomish,  was  the  center 
of  a  promising  farming  district.  Hon.  L.  W.  Get- 
chell  was  the  proprietor  of  the  town  site  and  under 
his  energetic  supervision  many  improvements  were 
in  progress,  while  the  railroad  company  were  en- 
gaged in  erecting  suitable  depot  buildings  and  ware- 
houses. 

Arlington,  at  the  junction  of  the  forks  of  the 
Stillaguamish  river,  and  now  a  beautiful  little  town 
of  nearly  two  thousand  inhabitants,  had  at  that  time 
but  fifty  people,  but  was  already  carrying  on  an 
active  business  in  connection  with  the  railroading 
and  other  developments  of  the  region.  Thomas 
Moran  was  constructing  a  large  hotel  and  J.  W. 
McLeod  was  establishing  a  large  store.  A  rival  to 
Arlington  then  existed  in  the  form  of  Haller  City, 
but  it  has  since  been  absorbed  by  the  superior 
growth  of  Arlington.  Anyone  seeing  the  develop- 
ments in  milling,  dairying  and  gardening  now  in 
progress  in  the  vicinity  of  Arlington  would  find  it 
hard  to  realize  the  wildness  of  the  country  in  the 
year  1890. 

An  interesting  picture  of  the  condition  of  the 
lumbering  business  in  1890  is  derived  from  an 
article  by  L.  R.  Freeman  in  the  Washington  Far- 
mer of  August  1,  1890.  Among  much  other  inter- 
esting matter  there  is  a  description  of  Cathcart's 
mill  about  six  miles  south  of  Snohomish.  The  mill 
at  that  time  was  supplied  with  logs  from  the  timber 
lands  immediately  adjoining,  in  the  logging  of 
which  thirty  oxen  and  fourteen  mules  were  being 
employed,  while  about  seventy  men  were  at  work 
in  the  logging  camps  and  at  the  mill.  Besides  the 
lumbering  business  Mr.  Cathcart  carried  on  at  that 
time  a  mercantile  business  of  from  eighty  thousand 
to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  year,  and  he 
cut  three  hundred  tons  of  hay  upon  his  meadow 
skirting  the  Snohomish  river. 


Another  great  lumbering  establishment  of  that 
period  was  that  of  Blackmah  Brothers.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  destruction  of  a  former  mill  by  fire 
in  the  previous  year  this  firm  built  a  very  elaborate 
mill  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars,  situated  about  a  mile  south  of  the 
town  of  Snohomish.  This  mill  had  a  capacity  of 
a  hundred  thousand  feet  of  lumber,  a  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  shingles,  and  forty  thousand 
laths  per  day,  and  their  planer  could  handle  forty 
thousand  feet  of  lumber  per  day.  Besides  this,  the 
same  firm  had  a  complete  sash  and  door  factory,  and 
in  all  a  hundred  and  seventy-five  men  were  on  its 
pay-roll. 

The  wages  usually  paid  common  laborers  at 
that  time  in  the  lumber  camps  ranged  from  thirty 
dollars  to  thirty-five  dollars  per  month  for  common 
labor,  while  skilled  laborers  received  from  two 
dollars  to  four  dollars  per  day.  In  the  logging 
camps  the  usual  pay  for  skidders  was  forty  dollars 
per  month,  while  choppers  received  seventy-five 
dollars  per  month  and  teamsters  from  ninety  dollars 
to  one  hundred  dollars. 

Among  other  enterprises  of  that  time  was  the 
sash  and  door  factory  of  Morgan  Brothers,  the 
sash  and  door  factory  of  the  Snohomish  Manufac- 
turing Company,  the  shingle  mill  of  Mudgett  & 
Sons,  the  brick  yard  of  E.  Bast,  and  the  factory  of 
Cyrus  H.  Knapp. 

Meanwhile  the  cloud  of  the  coming  county-seat 
struggle  was  beginning  to  darken  the  sky  of  Sno- 
homish City.  We  find  the  Sun  of  May  16th  voicing 
the  fears  of  the  residents  of  the  old  town,  and  urg- 
ing them  to  renewed  exertion,  saying:  "Unless  the 
people  awaken  to  realize  the  condition  in  which  we 
are  now  resting  so  quietly,  it  will  be  everlastingly 
too  late  to  oppose  the  forces  that  will  combine  to 
acconiplish  the  measure  at  the  appointed  time." 
The  people  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county  were 
disappointed  at  having  failed  in  their  attempt  at 
secession,  and  somewhat  disafifected  toward  Sno- 
homish City,  claiming  that  thev  were  discriminated 
against  at  every  opportunity.  There  were  a  number 
of  new  towns  springing  up  rapidly  along  the  lines 
of  the  railroads,  three  of  which  were  named  by  the 
Sun  as  possible  aspirants  for  countv-seat  honors. 
One  of  them,  Mukilteo,  was  a  booming  town  on 
Port  Gardner  bay ;  another,  Marysville,  was  at  the 
mouth  of  Ebey  slough.  It  is  the  only  one  of  the 
three  that  has  at  the  present  time  a  population  of 
more  than  five  hundred.  The  last  was  the  enter- 
prising town  of  Machias,  six  miles  -north  of  Sno- 
homish City.  It  is  rather  curious  that  amid  the 
towns  named  and  feared  as  rivals  by  the  Sun  the 
one  which  was  destined  to  capture  the  county  seat 
is  not  named;  that  is.  Everett.  The  fact  is  that 
Everett  was  not  in  existence  at  that  time.  In  spite 
of  the  agitation  for  relocation  the  contract  for  the 
construction  of  a  new  court-house  at  Snohomish 
was  let  in  the  middle  of   Tulv,  to  Daniel  Warner, 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1889- 


283 


of  Seattle,  for  twenty-three  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  forty  dollars. 

Turning  again  to  the  omnipresent  question  of 
railroads,  we  find  this  striding  on  with  seven-league 
boots.  The  Sun  of  July  25th  gives  an  interview 
with  President  Oakes,  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  in 
which  he  says :  "The  Northern  Pacific  Company 
has  purchased  a  little  more  than  a  majority  of  the 
capital  stock  of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  East- 
ern Company,  that  is,  about  three  million  dollars 
out  of  the  five  million  dollars,  and  has  leased  the 
property  on  the  basis  of  a  guaranty  of  six  and 
three-fourths  per  cent,  interest  on  the  outstanding 
bonds,  and  a  further  issue  of  bonds  necessary  to 
complete  the  line  to  the  international  boundary,  a 
total  of  about  five  million  dollars.  The  annual 
rental  will  be  eighty  thousand  dollars.  The  North- 
ern Pacific  will  enter  upon  the  above  operation  of 
the  Seattle  road  on  the  25th  ult."  On  August  1st 
President  A.  S.  Dunham,  of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern,  was  quoted  as  follows :  'T  received 
official  information  by  telegram  from  New  York  this 
morning  that  the  Oregon  Transcontinental  Company 
has  bought  a  majority  of  the  Seattle.  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern  Railway  Company,  but  neither  the  road 
nor  the  franchise  has  been  purchased.  The  same 
policy  will  be  carried  out  as  heretofore,  and  no 
change  will  be  made  in  the  management.  The  par- 
ties interested  in  the  road  retain  their  interest,  and 
this  purchase  of  stock  merely  adds  to  the  financial 
strength  of  the  company  by  combining  the  strength 
of  the  two  parties."  A  week  later  the  purchase  of 
the  Seattle.  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  bonds  by  the 
Oregon  Transcontinental  Company  was  ratified  by 
their  directors;  also  the  agreement  to  sell  to  the 
North  American  company  tne  assets  of  the  Oregon 
Transcontinental  Company  to  the  amount  of  forty 
million  dollars. 

\\"hile  these  transactions  were  being  negotiated, 
construction  work  was  uninterrupted.  The  bridge 
of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  across  the 
Stillaguamish  was  completed  and  the  larger  one 
across  the  Skagit  was  nearing  completion.  The 
Seattle  &  Montana  road  let  a  number  of  contracts 
for  the  construction  of  their  line  from  Seattle  north 
along  the  beach  to  the  junction  of  the  Fairhaven  & 
Southern  and  the  Canadian  Pacific.  An  extension 
south  to  Portland  was  also  under  consideration. 

The  Great  Northern  people  were  ven,^  active  at 
this  time,  pushing  forward  their  transcontinental 
line  as  fast  as  possible.  They  had  not  yet  chosen 
a  pass  through  the  Cascades,  though  they  had  had 
them  all  surveyed  and  had  them  under  careful  con- 
sideration. The  Indian.  Cady.  and  Wenatchee 
passes  were  the  most  important,  and  it  was  gener- 
ally supposed  at  the  time  that  the  Cady  pass  would 
be  chosen. 

It  became  obvious  that  the  question  of  the  loca- 
tion of  the  railroad  was  going  to  have  a  great  bear- 
ing on  real  estate  investments.    And  it  mav  be  noted 


here,  as  a  general  philosophical  observation,  that 
there  is  no  great  progress  without  some  admixture 
of  feverish  speculation  and  grafts  and  schemes  and 
booms  of  every  sort.  Puget  sound  experienced 
both  the  progress  and  the  scheming  in  their  most 
acute  forms.  The  crop  of  imaginations  and  schemes 
and  promoters'  enterprises  was  sowed  thick  and 
far,  the  seasons  and  conditions  of  the  next  few  years 
favored  a  luxuriant  growth  and  the  crop  of  "busted" 
booms  and  withered  hopes  during  the  vears  1892-97 
was  vast  and  varied.  But  as  we  all  know  the  solid 
resources  of  the  wonderful  region  of  Puget  sound 
and  of  the  whole  state  of  Washington  carried  them 
through  the  "great  depression"  to  a  new  era  of 
boundless  accomplishment  without  permanent  loss. 

There  were  exciting  times  in  the  summer  and  fall 
of  1890.  Just  exactly  what  the  railroads  were  going 
to  do  was  a  mystery,  and  one  that  everybody  was 
trying  to  solve.  Real  estate  agents  were  eager  to 
get  in  on  the  ground  floor.  Capitalists  hurried  to 
and  fro  looking  over  the  land  and  holding  private 
conferences  with  railroad  officials.  Everywhere 
was  an  air  of  momentous  secrecy.  Many  thought 
that  ]\Iukilteo  or  some  other  point  on  Port  Gardner 
bay  would  be  the  western  terminus  of  the  Great 
Northern  railway  and  that  in  a  few  years  there 
would  be  a  great  city  there.  Every  foot  of  land 
around  the  bay  was  bought  up  at  fabulous  prices. 
Everyone  was  afraid  of  being  too  late.  It  looked 
as  though  transcontinental  trains  would  be  running 
through  Snohomish  county  in  another  year  and  even 
the  most  conser^-ative  were  of  the  opinion  that  a 
period  of  immense  prosperity  was  in  store  for  Sno- 
homish. 

The  progress  of  Snohomish  county  during  the 
decade  of  the  eighties  may  be  most  clearly  denoted 
by  a  brief  summary  of  the  wealth  and  population 
in  1890.  The  following  is  condensed  from  an  ab- 
stract of  the  assessment  published  in  the  Sun  of 
September  5th.  The  value  of  horses,  mules  and 
asses  was  $65.982 ;  cattle,  $89,632 ;  sheep  and  hogs, 
$6,530;  the  value  of  all  personal  property,  including 
the  live  stock  given  above,  was  $671,4:31.  The  value 
of  the  real  estate  was  $3,027,18-4;  improvements, 
$309,596.  The  grand  total  of  all  assessed  property 
was  thus  $4,008,211.  As  compared  with  previous 
j-ears,  this  showed  an  immense  growth.  The  assess- 
ment in  1888  was  $1,200,000;  in  1889.  $1,610,922. 
The  population  in  1890  was  8,514,  distributed  pretty 
evenly  throughout  the  county.  Snohomish  City  was 
the  largest  town,  with  1.993  inhabitants. 

The  new  year  of  1891  opened  brightly  in  Sno- 
homish. The  new  court-house  was  nearly  ready 
for  occupancy,  and  from  the  description  in  the  Eye 
it  seems  to  have  been  a  "marvel  of  beauty  and  con- 
venience." It  was  finely  located  on  the  highest 
spot  in  the  city  and  commanded  a  magnificent  view 
of  the  surrounding  country.  The  building  itself 
was  an  imposing  structure,  sixty-four  by  one  hun- 
dred and  four  feet,  with  two  stories  and  a  base- 


284 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


ment,  built  principally  of  brick  but  with  some  stone 
and  costing  about  thirty-two  thousand  dollars.  The 
inside  accommodations  were  very  elegant  and  com- 
modious. While  larger  than  was  really  needed  at 
the  time  it  was  expected  that  the  county  would  soon 
grow  so  as  to  require  it.  It  was  felt  that  the  erec- 
tion of  this  court-house  precluded  all  possibility  of 
changing  the  county-seat. 

The  lumber  interests  of  Snohomish  county  were, 
as  they  still  are,  her  greatest  asset.  The  lumber 
trust,  however,  had  such  a  grip  upon  it  as  seriously 
to  impede  its  natural  evolution.  Those  in  control 
of  the  trust  were  men  living  in  other  parts  of  the 
country,  whose  only  interest  in  the  lumber  districts 
of  Puget  sound  was  to  gather  in  their  immense 
wealth  while  doing  nothin'g  in  return  to  build  them 
up  or  develop  their  other  resources.  As  long  as 
Snohomish  was  in  the  grasp  of  this  vampire 
trust  its  progress  was  retarded  to  an  immeasurable 
degree.  In  1891  a  number  of  mills  were  shut  down, 
as  the  trust  believed  they  would  lose  money  if  oper- 
ated. The  lumber  outlook  for  that  year  was  rather 
unpromising. 

Snohomish  county  was  visited  on  ]\Iarch  12, 
1891,  by  a  remarkable  storm,  said  to  be  the  worst 
in  seventeen  years.  It  was  very  severe  along  the 
coast  between  Edmonds  and  Port  Gardner  bay. 
The  Seattle  &  Montana  railway  track,  which  was 
built  onlv  a  few  feet  above  high  water  mark,  was 
overflowed  by  four  huge  tidal  waves,  which 
followed  each  other  at  intervals  of  about  twenty 
minutes.  Four  miles  of  track  was  completely  de- 
molished, the  damage  amounting  to  nearly  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  At  Edmonds  and  at  Mukilteo  the 
towns  were  partly  flooded  and  considerable  loss 
was  sustained,  while  not  a  little  damage  was  done 
to  shipping  in  various  parts  of  the  sound.  While  not 
of  long  duration  the  storm  was  very  severe.  It 
lasted  only  from  early  morning  to  ten  o'clock  of 
the  l-2th. 

Railroad  building  progressed  steadily  throughout 
the  year.  The  Great  Northern  engineers  completed 
the  survey  described  in  the  Eye  of  March  21st  as 
follows :  "The  Great  Northern  engineers  have 
completed  the  line  from  Stevens  pass  to  Snohomish. 
It  crosses  the  Skykoinish  near  Dean,  runs  a  little 
north  of  Monroe  and  along  the  north  side  of  La 
Grand  marsh  to  Snohomish.  The  engineers  are 
now  engaged  in  running  another  line  from  the 
Skykomish  crossing,  through  Monroe,  along  the 
south  side  of  the  marsh  to  a  point  near  Fiddler's 
Bluflf,  where  it  is  possible  the  road  may  cross  the 
Snohomish  two  miles  above  this  city;  running 
thence  to  Mukilteo  via  Lowell." 

Bv  this  time  the  line  of  their  entire  transconti- 
nental road  was  practicallv  located.  The  plans 
and  recommendations  of  Engineer  J.  F.  Stevens 
were  adopted,  and  the  route,  as  described  in  the 
Sun  of  May  22d,  was  as  follows:  "It  ascends  the 
Wenatchee  twenty-five  miles  to  the  rapids,  called  the 


Tumwater,  and  thence  runs  across  country  to  the 
left  fork  of  Mason  creek,  which  carries  it  to  the 
summit  through  Stevens  pass  at  an  elevation  of 
three  thousand  three  hundred  feet,  where  is  a  tun- 
nel two  and  three-fourths  miles  long  through  the 
mountain.  Once  upon  the  western  slope  it  descends 
one  of  the  forks  of  the  Skykomish  to  the  Snohomish 
and  running  down  that  river  strikes  the  first  salt 
water  at  Port  Gardner  on  Puget  sound,  connecting 
with  the  Seattle  &  Montana." 

On  November  26th  the  contract  for  the  construc- 
tion of  this  portion  of  the  road  was  let  to  Shepard, 
Henry  &  Company.  It  was  to  be  under  the  general 
charge  of  Engineer  J.  F.  Stevens.  Employment 
would  be  given  to  between  two  thousand  and  three 
thousand  men  and  the  cost  would  be  about  one  mil- 
lion five  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

With  other  railroad  construction  the  then  new 
way  of  electric  railroading  was  receiving  attention, 
and  the  Snohomish  &  Port  Gardner  Electric  Motor 
Company  was  incorporated.  The  incorporators 
were  E.  C.  Ferguson,  Andrew  Hagarty,  Ulmer  Stin- 
son,  J.  J.  Folstad,  H.  Blackman,  F.  M.  Headlee  and 
E.  D.  Smith.  The  capital  stock  was  one  million  dol- 
lars, and  the  purpose  of  the  company  was  to  build 
and  operate  an  electric  railroad  from  Snohomish  to 
Port  Gardner,  running  through  the  town  of  Lowell, 
and  also  extending  a  branch  northward  to  Lake 
Stevens. 

Progress  on  the  Seattle  &  ]\Iontana  railroad  may 
be  chronicled  by  noting  the  driving  of  the  last 
spike  in  October,  two  miles  north  of  the  Stillaguam- 
ish  river.  It  was  about  two  weeks  later,  however,, 
before  the  road  was  actually  completed  and  regular 
trains  run. 

The  Snohomish,  Skykomish  &  Spokane  railroad, 
or  as  it  was  more  commonly  called,  the  Three  S 
road,  was  the  center  of  considerable  interest  in 
1891.  The  road,  as  originally  projected,  was  to  ex- 
tend from  Snohomish  east  to  Spokane,  but  when 
Everett  started  up  it  was  proposed  to  extend  the 
road  to  Port  Gardner  bay.  July  16th  work  was 
commenced  on  the  extension,  which,  according  to 
program,  was  to  be  completed  in  one  himdred  and 
twenty  days.  By  the  19th  the  contractors.  King  & 
Dickinson,  had  a  force  of  two  hundred  men  em- 
ployed. Much  of  the  capital  stock  of  this  company 
was  held  by  the  Everett  Land  Company,  and  event- 
ually the  road  passed  into  the  hands  of  Henry 
Hewitt,  who  made  it  a  part  of  the  Everett  &  Monte 
Cristo  line. 

That  the  citizens  of  Snohomish  county  were 
alive  to  their  business  interests  and  appreciated  the 
necessity  of  keeping  up  with  the  procession  is 
evinced  by  a  public  meeting  held  April  Sth  for  the 
purpose  of  furthering  the  advancement  of  the  place. 
The  personnel  of  the  meeting  included  many  since 
and  now  prominent  in  the  afifairs  of  the  county.  The 
meeting  was  attended  bv  men  from  the  entire 
countv,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the  organization 


CURRENT    E\'EXTS,    1889-97 


numbered  nearly  two  hundred  members.  At  this 
meeting  the  following  officers  were  elected :  Presi- 
dent, j\I.  S.  Swinnerton.  of  Marysville;  vice-presi- 
dent E.  C.  Ferguson,  of  Snohomish ;  secretary,  M. 
J.  Hartnett,  of  Snohomish ;  treasurer,  W.  P.  King- 
ston, of  Edmonds.  The  executive  was  to  consist  of 
one  member  from  each  county  precinct,  elected  by 
the  residents  of  that  precinct.  The  members  who 
were  chosen  at  the  first  meeting  were :  L.  V.  Stew- 
art of  Edmonds,  A.  B.  Palmer  of  Arlington,  W.  B. 
Shaw  of  IMarysville,  C.  B.  Hvson  of  Fernwood, 
T.  W.  Currie  of  Allen,  J.  F.  Stretch  of  Wallace, 
A.  H.  Eddy  of  Hartford,  Alexander  Robertson  of 
Florence,  H.  M.  Shaw  of  Sultan.  Robert  Allen, 
H.  C.  Comegys  and  Councilman  Spurrell  of  Sno- 
homish. The  objects  of  the  organization,  as  stated 
in  the  constitution,  were  to  acquire,  preserve  and 
disseminate  valuable  statistics  and  infonnation  con- 
cerning, and  to  foster  and  advance  the  commercial, 
manufacturing,  agricultural  and  other  public  inter- 
ests of,  the  county  of  Snohomish. 

Among  other  enterprises  of  the  summer  of  1S91 
was  what  may  be  called  the  formal  opening  of  navi- 
gation on  the  rivers  above  Snohomish.  This  was 
celebrated  by  an  excursion  on  May  8Tth  from 
Snohomish  to  Sultan,  given  by  the  Sultan  Improve- 
ment Company.  A  little  after  twelve  o'clock  the 
little  steamer  Minnie  M.,  with  her  load  of  enthusi- 
astic guests,  swung  into  the  river  and  seven  hours 
later  reached  the  town  of  Sultan,  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Sultan  and  Skykomish  rivers,  where  they 
were  warmly  welcomed.  This  event  was  not  only 
interesting  as  a  pleasure  excursion,  but  important 
as  commemorating  another  step  in  the  progress  of 
the  county. 

Mining  occupied  a  great  share  of  the  attention 
of  Snohomish  people  during  the  busy  and  important 
year  of  1891.  The  most  important  mining  districts 
were  the  Silver  Creek  and  Monte'  Cristo.  similar  in 
formation  and  the  nature  of  deposits,  being  separa- 
ted only  by  a  narrow  mountain  chain.  This  sepa- 
ration, however,  necessitated  the  shipping  out  of 
products  by  different  routes,  that  of  the  Monte 
Cristo  to  the  north  and  that  of  the  Silver  Creek 
mines  to  the  south.  The  two  districts  comprised 
nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  square  miles.  The 
entire  region  was  filled  with  most  promising  silver 
and  gold  prospects  and  mines,  the  richest  in  the 
entire  district,  apparently,  being  the  \'andalia, 
specimens  of  which  assayed  as  high  as  two  hundred 
and  eighty  dollars  in  silver  and  forty  dollars  in 
gold.  The  cost  of  opening  the  mines  was  compara- 
tively slight,  probably  nowhere  exceeding  ten  dol- 
lars a  foot,  and  in  many  cases  being  considerable 
less.  Facilities  for  development  were  plentiful  and 
close  at  hand,  such  as  timber,  water  power,  etc., 
but  the  greatest  difficulty  was  in  reaching  the  mines. 
The  trails  were  very  bad  and  the  mountains  very 
rugged,  so  that  they  were  practically  inaccessible 
to   any   but   the   most   sturdy   mountaineers.      The 


county  commissioners  of  Snohomish  county  agreed 
to  make  an  appropriation  of  several  thousand  dol- 
lars for  building  new  roads  and  improving  the  old 
ones,  but  they  were  very  slow  about  doing  so.  Fi- 
nally the  Ewing-Williams  Company  built  a  road 
almost  entirely  at  their  own  expense  from  Sauk 
City  to  the  Monte  Cristo  district.  When  good  roads 
were  finally  completed  there  was  great  activity  in 
both  the  Monte  Cristo  and  the  Silver  Creek  mines, 
hundreds  of  miners  and  prospectors  entering  them 
every  week  from  Seattle  and  other  points. 

The  regions  around  Granite  Falls  and  east  of 
there  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Stillaguamish  were 
also  beginning  to  attract  considerable  attention.  At 
Granite  Falls  a  new  mining  district  was  organized, 
comprising  all  the  territory  about  that  place.  The  ex- 
citement of  the  mining  discoveries  had  transformed 
Granite  Falls  into  an  active  and  bustling  town,  and 
the  general  store  there  was  doing  a  rushing  business 
in  fitting  out  miners  and  prospectors.  A  town  site 
had  been  platted,  a  saw  mill  was  in  operation  and 
an  immense  electric  light  and  power  plant  was  in 
process  of  construction. 

At  Silver  Gulch,  twenty-five  miles  east,  appear- 
ances were  very  promising,  for  while  there  were  no 
mines  there,  a  number  of  prospects  had  been  par- 
tially developed  with  excellent  results.  The  Eye,  of 
September  1.2th,  in  describing  this  region,  said : 
"It  is  safe  to  assert — and  this  is  the  unanimous  ex- 
pression of  old  time  Nevada,  Colorado  and  Cali- 
fornia miners — that  in  no  district  yet  discovered 
have  there  been  found  such  surface  indications,  so 
much  ore  in  sight."  There  were  a  number  of  claims 
on  Mineral  Hill,  between  the  Stillaguamish  and 
Sultan  rivers,  which  were  very  promising.  Ore 
from  one  of  them,  the  Little  Chief,  in  Boulder  Can- 
on, assayed  three  hundred  and  thirty  dollars  in 
gold  and  fifty-five  dollars  in  silver.  This  region 
was  very  easy  of  access,  being  only  about  forty-five 
miles  from  Marysville,  with  a  good  trail  about  to  be 
put  through.  It  is  a  region  of  great  beauty  and 
grandeur.  The  mountains  are  rugged  and  pre- 
cipitous, and  in  the  heart  of  them  is  Green  lake,  or 
Copper  lake,  as  it  was  also  named.  Its  color  is  a 
deep  green,  caused  by  copper  ooze  from  the  sur- 
rounding mountains. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July  Snohomish  county  was 
visited  by  a  party  of  Easterners,  including  Philip 
Armour,  of  Chicago,  H.  Armour,  of  New  York,  of 
the  great  Armour  Packing  Company,  W.  A. 
Armour,  of  Kansas  City,  of  the  same  company,  I. 
Kincaid,  of  New  York,  and  a  number  of  other  cap- 
italists, who  were  shown  around  by  Henry  Hewitt. 
Jr.,  of  Tacoma,  president  of  the  Everett  Land  Com- 
pany. They  were  very  favorably  impressed  with 
the  great  possibilities  of  Snohomish  county  and  an- 
nounced their  intention  of  establishing  a  number  of 
manufactories  on  Port  Gardner  Bay.  As  a  result 
of  this  visit  and  on  the  advice  of  the  capitalists,  the 
"Three  S"  railroad  company  decided  to  extend  im- 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


mediately  their  line  to  Galena,  so  as  to  reach  the 
Silver  Creek  mining  district. 

So  much  activity  in  railroading  and  mining 
could  not  but  be  followed  by  similar  energy  in 
other  directions,  and  we  find  a  host  of  undertakings 
in  progress  during  the  summer  of  the  year  1891. 
One  of  the  most  important  of  these  was  the  paper 
mill  at  Lowell,  a  huge  structure,  86x540  feet  and 
three  stories  high.  It  was  being  erected  by  the  New 
York  &  Pennsylvania  Company,  the  largest  paper 
company  in  the  United  States,  and  was  to  manu- 
facture paper  of  all  kinds  and  grades.  When  in  full 
operation  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hun- 
dred men  would  be  employed.  The  capital  stock 
was  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  and  the  directors 
of  the  enterprise  were  H.  Hewitt,  L.  D.  Armstrong, 
Gardner  Colby,  C.  W.  Wetmore,  H.  H.  Hewitt  and 
Walter  Oakes. 

Of  other  manufacturing  enterprises  accom- 
plished and  projected,  one  of  the  largest  was  the 
Granite  Falls  Electric  Power  Company,  which  was 
incorporated  on  June  23d.  It  was  the  purpose  of 
this  company  to  build  a  large  plant  at  Granite  Falls 
on  the  Stillaguamish  and  furnish  power  by  cables 
to  Snohomish,  Port  Gardner  and  other  surrounding 
towns  for  lighting  and  other  purposes,  and  also  to 
furnish  power  to  run  the  Snohomish  and  Port  Gard- 
ner Electric  raihva}-,  as  well  as  the  manufacturing 
establishments  along  the  Snohomish  river. 

The  town  on  Port  Gardner  Bay  was  rapidly 
assuming  large  proportions,  and  it  was  confidently 
expected  that  it  would  become  the  metropolis  of  the 
Northwest.  A  number  of  weighty  capitalists  were 
interested  in  developing  it  and  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars  were  being  spent  in  clearing  and 
other  preparations  for  business  operations.  Huge 
docks  also  were  built;  indeed  all  operations  there 
seemed  to  be  on  a  vast  scale.  There  were  several 
large  manufacturing  enterprises  projected  at  or  near 
Port  Gardner,  besides  the  paper  mill  already  men- 
tioned, among  them  a  huge  saw-mill  with  a  capacity 
of  two  hundred  thousand  feet  per  day  and  em- 
ploying two  hundred  men  in  the  mill  alone.  Nail 
and  Steel  works,  which  would  employ  from  four 
hundred  and  fifty  to  seven  hundred  men,  a  beet- 
sugar  factory,  three  large  brick  yards,  a  smelter, 
and  the  Whale-back  Steel  Barge  works,  whose 
purpose  was  to  build  a  line  of  steel  freighters, 
and  operate  them  in  the  Oriental  trade  and 
Pacific  Coast  commerce  generally.  The  works 
would  employ,  when  ready  for  operation,  about 
seven  hundred  men.  Besides  these  enterprises  there 
were  many  others  oi  less  magnitude,  such  as  hotels, 
stores,   boarding  houses,   etc. 

Not  only  was  private  capital  in  process  of  in- 
vestment and  private  promoters,  speculators,  inves- 
tors and  managers  in  every  line  hurrying  with  eager 
quest  to  seize  the  golden  opportunities  lying  open 
on  all  sides,  but  the  city  and  the  county  of  Snoho- 
mish were  acting  in  their  social  and  official  capac- 


ities to  promote  the  general  interests.  On  Septem- 
ber 5th  an  election  was  held  in  Snohomish  City  to 
consider  the  proposition  of  bonding  the  city  for  the 
purpose  of  raising  money  for  new  water  works. 
The  result  was  almost  unanimous  in  the  affirma- 
tive. The  works  were  to  be  constructed  on  the 
Pillchuck  creek,  from  which  the  water  supply  would 
be  drawn.  They  would  be  large  enough  to  supply 
about  twenty-eight  thousand  five  hundred  people. 
The  estimated  cost  was  fifty-two  thousand  dollars. 

Considering  the  general  rush  and  activity  of  the 
year  1891  and  the  great  influx  of  people  of  all  kinds 
from  all  sorts  of  regions  and  with  all  sorts  of  aims, 
the  volume  of  criminal  records  is  remarkably  small. 
We  discover,  however,  some  comment  in  the  press 
of  the  time  upon  the  case  of  David  Montgomery, 
who,  on  the  4th  of  January,  was  accused  of  the 
murder  of  Oscar  Trask.  The  two  men  had  met  on 
a  road  near  Snohomish  and  the  former  had  shot 
the  latter  a  number  of  times,  inflicting  fatal  wounds. 
The  evidence  in  the  case  showed  that  Montgomery 
had  previously  had  an  excellent  reputation  while 
that  of  Trask  was  quite  the  reverse.  Trask  had 
held  a  grudge  against  Montgomery  for  some  time 
on  account  of  some  petty  grievances,  and  he  had 
continually  abused  him  and  treated  him  to  all  man- 
ner of  indignities,  and  had  done  his  best  to  pro- 
voke a  fight  with  him.  The  jury  held  that  Mont- 
gomery was  justified  and  on  June  10th  he  was 
acquitted. 

We  also  find  that  the  unsavory  case  of  Reverend 
Father  F.  X.  Guay  occurred  at  this  time.  He  was 
the  pastor  of  the  Catholic  church  of  Snohomish  City 
and  was  guilty  of  "unspeakable  indecencies."  About 
sixty  people,  including  many  of  his  own  church, 
captured  him  and  decorated  him  with  a  coat  of  tar 
and  feathers,  and  some  hours  later  a  large  crowd 
saw  him  off  on  the  train. 

The  progress  of  Snohomish  county  since  early  ■ 
days  is  summarized  in  a  special  edition  of  the  Sun 
as  follows :  In  18T0  no  real  estate  was  owned  in 
the  county  except  a  little  near  Mukilteo.  The  entire 
valuation  of  all  property,  real  and  personal,  was  not 
over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  In  1880,  it  was 
about  ten  times  that  and  in  1890  about  forty  times. 
In  1880  the  number  of  acres  of  land  assessed  was 
80,270,  in  1890,  252,475.  The  amount  of  land  as- 
sessed as  town  lots  in  1891  was  about  ten  times 
what  it  was  ten  years  before.  Practically  all  the 
real  estate  was  held  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county,  the  eastern  part  being  rocky  and  mountain- 
ous. In  these  mountains,  however,  was  vast  wealth 
in  the  nature  of  mines,  which  were  verv  extensively 
developed  in  1891  and  the  succeeding  years. 

The  year  1891  was  perhaps  the  most  active  in 
the  history  of  Snohomish  county  prior  to  the  break- 
ing of  the  hard  times  and  the  consequent  arresting 
of  a  good  many  of  the  great  enterprises  launched 
in  the  first  era  of  railroad  development.  The 
"boom"  which  had  raged  with  such  energy,  burst 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    ]889- 


in  the  next  succeeding  two  years  and  the  shores  of 
Puget  sound  were  strewn  with  the  wreckage;  yet 
in  spite  of  financial  disasters  and  disappointments 
the  entire  region  went  on  to  the  logical  evolution 
of  its  destiny.  It  was  obvious  that  the  superb  re- 
sources of  Snohomish  county  would  not  long  lie 
idle. 

It  was  very  remarkable  and  indeed  a  great  mani- 
festation of  the  managing  ability  of  James  J.  Hill 
that  the  Great  Northern  railroad  went  right  on 
with  its  development.  And  this  too  without  a  cent 
of  subsidy  from  the  United  States  government, 
which  the  other  transcontinental  lines  had  had  in 
great  measure. 

The  year  1892  was  a  quiet  one  in  most  lines,  but 
work  on  the  Great  Northern  railroad  continued 
through  the  summer  of  that  year  and  in  the  autumn 
the  gap  between  the  eastern  and  western  divisions 
was  rapidly  closing  in  at  the  summit  of  the  Cas- 
cades. Though  there  was  from  one  to  three  feet 
of  snow  in  the  mountains,  the  work  of  tracklaying 
was  uninterrupted.  Chief  Engineer  E.  H.  Beckler 
and  his  assistant,  John  W.  Stevens,  were  in  charge 
of  the  work.  In  November  Vice-president  Clough, 
of  St.  Paul,  made  a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  road. 

The  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  road  was  also  in 
active  progress.  Rails  were  laid  from  Hartford  to 
Granite  Falls  and  the  bridge  across  the  Stillagua- 
mish  at  that  point  was  rapidly  nearing  completion, 
but  higher  in  the  mountains  floods  had  washed  out 
a  large  part  of  the  grading  and  had  delayed  con- 
struction for  nearly  three  months.  Above  the 
snow  line  it  was  impossible  to  continue  during  the 
winter,  but  below  that  point  work  was  pushed  on 
without  delay.  The  division  between  Everett  and 
Snohomish  was  nearly  completed  and  it  was  ex- 
pected that  a  regular  train  service  would  soon  be 
established. 

Among  the  general  enterprises  of  Snohomish 
county,  mining  made  some  advances  in  spite  of 
the  depression.  One  large  corporation  in  parti- 
cular was  formed  known  as  the  Stillaguamish  and 
Sultan  Alining  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
three  million  dollars,  of  which  a  large  part  was 
taken  by  English  capitalists,  represented  by  Richard 
Sykes,  of  Alanchester.  The  president  of  the  com- 
pany was  James  Sheehan,  of  Seattle,  and  the  secre- 
tary Alexander  H.  Morrison,  of  Snohomish.  The 
mines  which  they  controlled  were  the  Hoodoo  and 
the  Little  Chief  group  in  the  Stillaguamish  district 
between  the  Silver  Creek  and  Monte  Cristo  regions. 
They  were  supposed  to  be  very  valuable  mines, 
there  being,  it  was  claimed,  three  million  tons  of 
ore  in  sight,  according  to  the  estimates.  The  plans 
of  the  company  included  the  construction  of  branch 
railroads  from  the  Great  Northern  and  Monte 
Cristo  lines  to  the  mines,  the  establishment  of  a 
concentrator  and  other  appliances  by  which  they 
could  be  worked  to  their  fullest  extent. 

Among  the  miscellaneous  happenings  of  the  year 


1892  was  one  which  exhibited  the  capacity  of  the 
people  of  Snohomish  to  apply  the  spirit  of  their 
own  laws  in  dealing  with  some  of  the  low  dives 
which  grew  up  along  the  shores  of  the  sound  during 
its  period  of  most  active  growth.  From  the  Tribune 
of  September  Gth  we  glean  an  account  of  such  an 
occurrence  just  prior  to  that  date.  On  the  line  of 
the  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  railroad,  just  north 
of  Granite  Falls,  a  man  named  Monnohan  had  been 
running  a  disreputable  saloon  and  dance  hall.  The 
people  of  the  neighborhood  had  lost  all  patience 
with  him  and  his  den  and  one  day  a  large  number  of 
men,  many  of  them  armed,  entered  and  forcibly 
ejected  him  from  it  and  advised  him  to  seek  other 
climes.  Then  they  proceeded  to  demolish  the  win- 
dows, furniture  and  everything  breakable  on  the 
premises.  After  satisfying  themselves  in  this  way, 
they  inserted  a  charge  of  dynamite  and  blew  up 
the  entire  building,  leaving  not  a  wrack  behind; 
then  they  went  to  another  in  the  vicinity  and  notified 
the  proprietor  to  leave  inside  of  twenty-four  hours 
or  his  place  would  also  be  blown  up. 

In  the  latter  part  of  November  there  were  extra- 
ordinary and  disastrous  freshets,  extending  through- 
out the  county.  The  Snohomish  river  rose  in  some 
places  over  twenty  feet.  Old  inhabitants  claimed 
that  it  rose  higher  than  at  any  time  since  187'2.  The 
entire  flat  south  and  west  of  Snohomish  City  was 
flooded  to  a  depth  of  several  feet,  the  Great  North- 
ern track  was  completely  submerged  and  the  rail- 
road bridge  was  in  imminent  danger  of  being  swept 
away  by  several  million  feet  of  logs  and  other  deb- 
ris which  pressed  against  it.  Fortunately,  however, 
it  bore  the  strain.  The  bridge  across  the  Stillagua- 
mish at  Granite  Falls  was  less  fortunate,  being 
swept  away  by  the  flood,  as  was  every  bridge  on 
the  line  of  the  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  railroad 
between  Granite  Falls  and  Silverton.  Besides  that 
considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  road  bed.  At 
the  town  of  Stanwood,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Still- 
aguamish, the  water  rose  in  the  streets  to  a  height 
of  several  feet.  A  number  of  houses  near  Snoho- 
mish were  washed  away  and  many  had  to  be  aban- 
doned, being  filled  with  water.  Altogether  the 
amount  of  damage  throughout  the  county  was  very 
considerable,  but  the  loss  of  human  life  was  slight, 
only  one  man,  George  Meader,  being  drowned. 

To  add  to  the  various  troubles  of  the  times  an 
epidemic  of  smallpox  invaded  the  region.  The 
disease  was  specially  prevalent  in  the  railroad  camps, 
but  precautionary  measures  were  taken  to  prevent 
its  spread  and  it  did  not  become  very  serious. 

Almost  with  the  coming  in  of  the  new  year  of 

1893  the  great  event — great  for  the  Pacific  Coast 
and  even  for  the  world  in  general,  but  especially  so 
for  the  state  of  Washington  and  most  of  all  for  the 
county  of  Snohomish — of  completing  the  Great 
Northern  railroad  occurred.  This  road,  under  the 
extraordinary  administration  of  "Jim"  Hill,  took 
such  a  place  at  once  in  the  commercial  world  and 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


its  various  operations  since  have  attracted  so  much 
attention  in  both  poHtics  and  transportation  that  its 
completion  and  the  inauguration  of  its  transcon- 
tinental business  may  well  be  set  down  as  marking 
one  of  those  epochs  of  which  we  have  many  in  the 
history  of  our  state. 

The  last  spike  was  driven  on  January  Gth,  thir- 
teen miles  west  of  Stevens  pass,  on  the  summit  of 
the  Cascades.  There  were  no  imposing  ceremonies 
held  on  that  occasion,  and  the  only  officials  of  the 
company  present  were  General  Superintendent 
Shields  and  Superintendent  Farrell.  Jim  Hill  and 
others  had  been  expected  but  were  unable  to  be 
present.  Merely  with  the  shrieks  of  the  engines  and 
the  shouts  of  the  two  hundred  workmen  was  the 
great  work  finished.  It  had  been  begun  at  Havre  on 
October  20,  1890,  and  was  finished  in  the  Cascades 
on  the  Gth  of  January,  1893. 

During  the  spring  other  enterprises  connected  in 
a  general  way  with  railroads  were  started,  one  of 
them  being  the  Stillaguamish  Construction  Com- 
pany, of  which  the  incorporators  were  G.  L.  Man- 
ning, A.  D.  Schultz,  J.  B.  Thurston,  J.  S.  Houghton, 
Anna  C.  Schultz  and  E.  J.  Thurston.  The  objects 
of  the  company  were  numerous  and  varied ;  namely, 
to  construct  and  operate  railways  in  Snohomish  and 
Skagit  counties,  to  establish  electric  power  plants, 
and  to  construct  residences,  water  works  and  simi- 
lar enterprises. 

Turning  from  the  industrial  to  the  various  mis- 
cellaneous happenings,  we  find  that  the  small-pox 
season,  which  had  opened  quite  brilliantly  during  the 
last  months  of  the  previous  year,  was  still  continuing 
and  in  its  progress  involved  a  steamboat  man  in  a 
manner  worth  recording.  This  steamboat  man  was 
the  captain  of  the  steamer  Cascade.  He  had  brought 
a  small-pox  patient  from  Everett  to  Snohomish  a 
few  days  before  and  consequently  the  authorities  of 
the  latter  place  instructed  the  officers  to  pre- 
vent his  landing  on  his  next  trip.  As  soon  as  the 
Cascade  hove  in  sight  the  captain  was  informed  that 
he  might  as  well  not  attempt  to  make  a  landing.  He 
thought  differently,  however;  but  as  often  as  his 
rope  was  thrown  onto  the  wharf  it  was  knocked  off 
by  the  officers.  This  continued  for  some  time  with 
hard  words  on  both  sides  until  finally  the  captain 
gave  up  and  backed  down  the  river  about  a  third 
of  a  mile,  where  he  landed  and  went  on  shore.  He 
was  promptly  arrested  and  was  about  to  be  placed 
in  jail  when  he  protested  that  his  boat  was  not  safe 
where  it  was  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  return, 
saying  he  would  not  attempt  to  land  again.  He  was 
accordingly  sent  back  and  in  a  very  short  time  made 
his  departure  for  Everett  and  was' not  seen  again. 

Hard  times  and  hard  weather  seem  to  have 
drawn  a  wail  from  the  people  of  the  sound  in  gen- 
eral, and  we  find  those  of  Snohomish  to  have  joined 
the  general  chorus.  In  February  the  ground  was 
covered  with  two  and  a  half  feet  of  snow  and  the 
mercury  dropped  as  low  as  twelve  and  fourteen  be- 


low zero.  This,  with  the  hard  times,  made  things 
rather  dreary.  The  Tribune  of  April  20th  laments 
in  the  following  terms:  "Hard  times!  Hard 
times!  There  is  scarcely  a  town  on  the  Pacific 
coast  but  what  is  crowded  with  idle  men,  men  of  all 
trades  willing  and  ready  to  take  any  kind  of  employ- 
ment they  can  get  and  at  almost  any  kind  of  wages. 
There  are  to-day  in  Snohomish  almost  two  men  for 
every  job  of  work  there  is  to  do,  and  all  other  towns 
in  this  vicinity  are  crowded  with  idle  men,  and  still 
there  are  advertising  schemers  all  over  the  country 
who  are  continually  getting  men  to  come  here  from 
the  East." 

The  criminal  classes  seem  to  have  been  quite  ac- 
tive during  this  year.  In  the  spring  quite  a  ripple  of 
excitement  was  caused  by  the  escape  of  four  pris- 
oners from  the  county  jail,  when  no  one  was  around 
except  a  son  of  the  janitor  at  the  court  house.  One 
of  the  prisoners.  Jack  Mears,  who  was  in  for  for- 
gery, had  escaped  the  previous  summer  but  had  been 
recaptured.  He  had  been  tried,  but  through  an  er- 
ror of  the  court,  was  not  yet  sentenced.  The  others 
were  still  awaiting  trial  for  various  crimes :  James 
Richardson  for  robbery,  Charles  Terry  for  grand 
larceny  and  John  Handy  for  assault  and  robbery. 

But  the  most  notable  court  proceedings  of  this 
entire  time  were  in  connection  with  the  celebrated 
case  of  John  White  and  four  other  men  for  the  mur- 
der of  George  Schultz  and  Frederick  Smith.  This 
is  probably  the  most  cold-blooded  and  dastardly 
crime  in  the  annals  of  Snohomish  county.  Its  story 
in  brief  is  as  follows : 

A  few  years  previous  George  Schultz  and  his 
sister,  Helen  Schultz,  were  living  with  their  parents 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Here  the  girl  married  a  well 
known  musician  of  the  city  whose  name  was  John 
Kuntz.  In  a  short  time  they  decided  to  come  West, 
so  the  three,  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Kuntz  and  George 
Schultz,  emigrated  to  Seattle.  They  soon  became 
dissatisfied  with  the  life  of  the  city,  however,  and 
moved  to  a  "home  in  the  forest"  on  Woods'  creek, 
about  ten  miles  northeast  of  Snohomish.  Some  two 
years  later  I\Ir.  Kuntz  met  a  Gemian  friend  in 
Seattle  named  Frederick  Smith,  who  finally  went  to 
live  with  the  Kuntzes. 

About  the  time  that  Mr.  Kuntz  settled  on 
Woods'  creek  there  also  settled  in  the  vicinity  an 
English  sailor  of  the  name  of  John  White,  also  a 
family  of  the  name  of  Robinson.  All  these  people 
with  others  living  near  got  together  and  decided  to 
build  a  road  from  Mr.  Kuntz's  place,  past  White's 
place,  to  the  main  road  to  Snohomish,  on  which  the 
Robinsons  lived.  After  the  road  was  completed 
White  conceived  the  idea  of  exacting  toll  from  those 
who  traveled  on  his  part  of  the  road.  Naturally 
everyone  refused  to  submit  to  this,  and  White,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  Robinsons,  who  took  his  part, 
commenced  to  obstruct  the  road  by  felling  trees 
across  it.  The  land  in  that  neighborhood  was  un- 
surveved  and  no  one  had  any  title  to  it. 


CURREXT    EVENTS,    1889-97 


It  was  the  custom  of  ^Ir.  Kuntz  to  pass  over  this 
road  twice  each  week  on  his  wa}-  to  and  from 
Machias,  where  he  took  the  train  for  Seattle.  After 
his  departure  John  ^^'hite  and  the  Robinsons  would 
obstruct  the  road  so  as  to  make  it  impassable,  but 
just  before  his  return  Schultz  and  Smith  would 
clear  it  again,  so  that  he  could  get  home.  Thej' 
kept  this  up  without  making  am-  particular  com- 
plaint, for  two  years.  Finally  White  and  the  Rob- 
insons became  exasperated  and  resolved  to  end  the 
matter. 

On  December  •22,  1892,  Schultz  and  Smith 
cleared  the  road  as  usual  and  in  the  afternoon  re- 
turned to  it  to  see  that  Kuntz  got  through  all  right. 
They  had  not  been  gone  more  than  ten  minutes  when 
]\Irs.  Kuntz  heard  two  shots.  She  immediately  ran 
after  them,  following  their  tracks  in  the  snow,  and 
found  them  about  half  a  mile  from  the  house  lying 
dead.  The  snow  in  which  they  lav  gave  no  evidence 
of  a  struggle.  They  had  evidently  been  shot  from 
ambush.  The  presence  of  the  snow  was  a  very 
unfortunate  circumstance  for  the  murderers,  as  it 
contradicted  their  story  of  a  struggle  and  the  ulti- 
mate killing  of  the  unfortunate  men  in  self  defense. 
It  is  probable  that  the  murder  of  Kuntz  was  also 
planned  but  not  earned  out. 

After  the  crime  the  murderers  went  to  town 
and  delivered  themselves  up.  They  depended  on 
AMlliam  Robinson,  one  of  the  family,  who  had  been 
in  the  plot  but  had  not  taken  part  in  the  crime,  to 
prepare  the  people  to  regard  the  killing  as  the  re- 
sult of  a  quarrel  brought  on  by  Kuntz  and  Smith, 
and  to  intimidate  any  witnesses  who  might  offer 
to  testify  against  them.  But  for  the  snow-fall  and 
the  skill  of  the  prosecution  this  plan  might  have 
succeeded. 

Those  who  were  accused  of  the  murder  were 
John  White,  James  Robinson,  the  father  of  the 
famfly,  a  man  over  sixty  years  old,  Williain  Rob- 
inson, George  Robinson  and  John  Livingston,  an 
adopted  son  of  the  family. 

John  White,  the  first  one  tried,  was  arraigned  on 
June  19th.  He  was  defended  bv  Junius  Rochester 
and  A.  D.  Warner  of  Seattle.  W.  H.  R.  McMartin 
and  W.  C.  Morris  of  Snohomish,  while  the  prosecu- 
tion was  in  the  hands  of  Prosecuting  Attorney  L.  C. 
Whitney,  and  his  deputy,  A.  D.  Austin.  The  trial 
lasted  twenty-two  days,  resulting  at  last  in  a  verdict 
of  murder  in  the  first  degree.  White  was  sentenced 
to  be  hanged  on  December  22d.  A  gallows  was 
erected  and  all  preparations  made,  but  a  stay  of 
proceedings  was  granted  at  the  last  moment' and 
later  another  trial  was  held.  The  case  was  not 
finally  concluded  until  INIarch  1.  189-5,  when  he 
pleaded  guilty  of  manslaughter  and  was  sentenced 
to  ten  vears  in  the  state  penitentiary  at  Walla 
Walla. 

The  second  trial,  which  occurred  in  September, 
1893.  was  that  of  James  Robinson,  indicted  for  the 
murder  of  George  Schultz.     Prosecuting  Attorney 


Whitney  was  assisted  in  this  trial  by  Colonel  T.  V. 
Eddy,  The  prisoner  was  defended  by  James  Ham- 
ilton Lewis,  who  worked  on  the  feelings  of  the  jury 
so  successfully  that  a  verdict  acquitting  the  de- 
fendant was  rendered.  Robinson  was  immediately 
rearrested,  however,  for  the  murder  of  Frederick 
Smith.  He  was  tried  again  in  the  spring  of  1894, 
being  defended  this  time  by  Hon.  G.  A.  Allen,  and 
was  found  guilty  of  murder  in  the  second  degree. 
On  October  18,  1803,  the  trial  of  the  two  boys 
George  Robinson  and  John  Livingston,  was  begun. 
Judge  Whitney  was  again  assisted  by  Colonel  T.  V. 
Eddy,  and  A.  D.  Warner  appeared  for  the  defense. 
The  result  was  a  conviction  of  manslaughter  and 
a  sentence  to  eighteen  years  in  the  penitentiary. 
The  last  trial  was  that  of  \Mlliam  Robinson,  who 
was  also  found  guilty  of  manslaughter  and  sen- 
tenced to  eighteen  years  in  the  penitentiary. 

The  interest  manifested  in  these  trials  was  in- 
tense, and  day  after  day  the  court  room  was  crowded 
to  its  fullest  capacity.  Accounts  of  the  proceedings 
were  published  far  and  wide.  The  time  occupied 
by  the  series  of  trials  was  seventy-eight  days.  The 
prosecution  was  conducted  in  a  very  able  manner 
by  Prosecuting  Attorney  Whitney  and  his  assis- 
tants, and  Judge  Denney  presided  in  a  manner  that 
was  eminently  just  and  highly  satisfacton.'.  The 
strain  of  these  long  trials  was  very  severe  and  it 
was  a  great  relief  to  have  them  concluded. 

The  subjoined  statement  of  the  results  of  the 
assessor's  estimate  will  convey  an  accurate  con- 
ception of  the  general  condition  of  financial  affairs 
in  1893,  the  panic  year.  The  report,  submitted 
August  14th,  showed  the  total  listed  value  of  land 
to  be  $.5.028,14.1,  and  the  improvements  $361.-590, 
making  the  total  of  lands  and  improvements  $-5,389,- 
735.  The  value  of  all  town  lots  was  $2,712,984 
and  the  improvements  on  them  $672,524,  making  a 
total  of  $3,385,508.  The  value  of  all  personal  prop- 
erty amounted  to  $1,828,730,  of  railroad  tracks 
and  rights  of  way,  $731,238.  Therefore  the  total 
value  of  all  property  in  the  county  was  $11,435,211. 

The  value  of  incorporated  towns  was  as  follows : 
Everett  had  surpassed  Snohomish  and  was  now  the 
largest  in  the  county  with  a  total  taxable  property 
of  the  value  of  $3,031,920.  Snohomish  came  next 
with  $1,138,197,  Then  followed  Edmonds,  with 
$161,49G,  and  Marysville,  with  $103,242. 

The  total  taxable  property  for  1893  was  $10,- 
175.180,  while  that  of  the  previous  year  was  $9,933.- 
822.  showing  an  increase,  in  spite  of  the  hard  times, 
of  $241,258.  The  increase  since  1890  was  very 
great,  the  valuation  at  that  time  being  only  a  trifle 
over  four  million  dollars. 

In  addition  to  the  general  disturbing  conditions 
the  Pacific  Northwest  suffered  specificallv  from 
floods.  That  was  the  year  in  which  the  Columbia 
and  its  tributaries  passed  all  previous  records  for 
high  water  and  strewed  their  shores  with  wreck- 
age of  farms,  towns  and  fortunes.     The  Columbia 


290 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


floods  were  due  to  the  melting  snows  of  the  high 
mountains  and  did  not  come  till  sumxner.  The 
floods  on  Puget  sound  were  earlier  and  we  find  that 
the  winter  of  1893-4  was  marked  with  disasters 
from  an  overplus  of  water.  The  farmers  on  the 
low  lands  suffered  especially,  in  many  cases  fences 
being  carried  away,  debris  scattered  over  the  fields, 
fall  seeding  spoiled  and  other  damage  done.  The 
marsh  lands  around  Snohomish  City  were  over- 
flowed several  tiniies  during  that  winter,  causing 
loss  each  time. 

With  the  opening  of  spring  there  was  something 
of  a  revival  in  business  in  Snohomish  county,  the 
irrepressible  American  instinct  of  progress  evi- 
dently struggling  to  assert  itself.  In  February  the 
great  concentrator  of  the  United  Concentration 
Company  of  Monte  Cristo  and  Everett  was  com- 
pleted at  the  former  place,  and  the  superintendent 
of  the  mill,  W.  C.  Nicholson,  rapidly  got  things 
into  shape  so  that  work  could  be  begun.  This  enter- 
prise meant  a  great  deal  in  the  development  of  the 
great  mines  of  the  Monte  Cristo  district. 

Public  improvements  also  were  in  progress, 
among  them  work  on  the  road  across  the  marsh 
near  Snohomish  City,  which  had  been  begun  before 
but  had  been  delayed.  Messrs.  Morgan  and  Will- 
iams took  the  matter  in  hand  and  circulated  a  sub- 
scription paper,  by  which  quite  a  sum  was  raised, 
the  county  also  appropriating  a  generous  amount. 
This  road  had  long  been  a  great  necessity  and  its 
benefits  were  correspondingly  great.  Events  like 
these  produced  a  noticeable  brightening  in  condi- 
tions, though  the  times  continued  dull  enough. 

The  steamboat  trade  on  the  Snohomish,  Sky- 
komish  and  Snoqualmie  rivers  was  quite  brisk. 
There  were  seven  steamboats  that  made  regular 
trips,  and  though  none  of  them  were  very  large  the 
aggregate  business  done  by  them  amounted  to  con- 
siderable. The  largest  of  the  seven  was  the  Mable. 
run  by  Captain  E.  A.  Swift  between  Snohomish 
and  Seattle,  capacity  something  over  one  hundred 
tons.  The  Lilly  was  towing  for  the  logging  firm  of 
Mosher  &  McDonald.  The  Clara  Brown  made 
three  trips  a  week  between  Snohomish  and  Shelton, 
stopping  at  Seattle,  Tacoma  and  other  points.  She 
was  in  charge  of  Captain  Hansen.  The  up-river 
freight  was  handled  by  the  Echo,  Captain  INIcMil- 
lan,  and  the  Mame,  Captain  Pinkerton,  the  latter 
of  which  had  once  made  a  trip  to  within  a  mile  and 
a  half  of  the  falls  of  the  Snoqualmie,  the  farthest 
any  steamboat  had  ever  gone  on  that  river.  There 
were  two  boats  plying  between  Snohomish  and 
Everett,  the  Katherine,  and  the  Mikado,  the  former 
being  run  by  Captain  J-  C.  O'Conner.  A  steamboat 
was  operated  by  Great  Northern  contractors, 
carrying  supplies  from  Snohomish  to  Sultan. 

Trade  was  picking  up  in  all  directions  and  the 
business  outlook  was  brightening  very  perceptibly. 
All  the  shingle  mills  of  the  county  were  starting  up, 
the  demand  for  labor  was  greater,  money  was  not 


so  tight,  and  the  prospect  in  general  was  very  en- 
couraging. 

The  year  1894  will  go  down  in  history  as  the 
year  of  the  "Great  Strike,"  for  the  entire  United 
States  was  for  months  in  the  throes  of  the  series 
of  commotions  radiating  from  the  great  earthquake 
centers  of  Chicago.  The  waves  from  the  central 
area  of  disturbance  began  to  shake  the  industries 
of  Puget  sound  in  the  summer  and  we  glean  from 
the  Tribune  of  July  7th  that  the  local  lodge  of  the 
American  Railway  Union,  embracing  the  section 
men  of  Hartford,  McMurray,  Snoqualmie  and 
Woodinville,  went  on  a  strike.  They  met  in  Snoho- 
mish, forty-two  members  being  present.  After 
much  discussion,  many  of  the  men  being  reluctant 
to  quit  work,  the  question  of  striking  was  put  to 
vote  and  it  was  decided  to  do  so  by  only  one  ma- 
jority. T.  C.  Shields,  a  bridge  tender,  immediately 
withdrew  from  the  union,  preferring  to  hold  his  job. 
The  strikers  were  quiet  and  orderly,  no  attempt 
being  made  to  prevent  non-union  men  taking  their 
places. 

Among  the  miscellaneous  events  worthy  of  pre- 
servation during  this  time  was  a  sad  accident  which 
occurred  on  the  evening  of  July  11th.  Miss  Jennie 
Jordan,  a  teacher  at  the  Lake  Stevens  school,  and 
Miss  Olive  Illman,  the  daughter  of  W.  H.  Illman, 
ex-county  commissioner,  were  bathing  in  Lake 
Stevens.  Neither  of  them  could  swim.  Suddenly 
Miss  Illman  found  herself  in  deep  water,  and  her 
companion,  Miss  Jordan,  cried  for  help  and  went 
as  fast  as  possible  to  assist  her.  The  cry  was 
heard  by  Professor  Sinclair,  out  rowing  with  two 
ladies,  who  immediately  went  to  the  place  and  man- 
aged to  seize  Miss  Jordan  as  she  was  going  down 
for  the  third  time.  The  ladies  held  her  while  he 
dove  for  Miss  Illman.  It  was  several  minutes 
before  her  body  was  recovered.  Miss  Jordan  fi- 
nally regained  consciousness,  but  all  efforts  to  revive 
her  unfortunate   companion   were   unsuccessful. 

At  this  period  in  its  history,  Snohomish  county 
was  in  the  throes  of  the  count\'-seat  removal  strug- 
gle. Business  had  tended  to  center  at  Everett  on 
account  of  the  wealth  of  men  interested  there  and 
its  magnificent  location — in  many  ways  the  finest 
on  Puget  sound,  not  excepting  the  Queen  City  and 
the  City  of  Destiny.  Ambitious  for  all  they  could 
get,  the  people  of  the  new  city  naturally  had  aspira- 
tions to  enjoy  that  priority  which  results,  or  is 
supposed  to  result,  from  the  location  of  the  county 
seat,  hence  the  struggle.  We  shall  endeavor  to 
give  as  succinctly  as  possible,  in  what  may  be  called 
the  first  chapter  of  it.  that  taking  place  in  1894,  the 
events  connected  with  this  long  struggle  between 
Everett  and  Snohomish. 

The  question  began  to  be  discussed  early  in  the 
spring  of  the  year  just  mentioned.  Many  people 
in  the  county  had  in  some  way  conceived  the  idea 
that  Snohomish  took  no  interest  in  anything  beyond 
her  own  limits  or  in  anything  that  did  not  advance 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1889-97 


her  own  ends,  and  for  this  reason  they  became 
eager  to  have  the  county  seat  changed  to  the 
younger  town  of  Everett.  Everett  also  claimed 
the  right  to  have  the  county  seat  because  of  its 
being  the  largest  city  in  the  county,  and  because 
of  its  fine  location  and  prospects  of  becoming  an 
important  commercial  center.  T4ie  Snohomish  peo- 
ple, on  the  other  hand,  raised  many  objections  to 
the  proposed  removal,  the  most  important  of  them 
being  that  Snohomish  was  situated  in  the  center  of 
population  and  was  more  easily  accessible  than 
Everett,  also  that  the  cost  of  removal  would  be  a 
great  expense  to  the  county,  and  that  the  court 
house  which  had  been  built  only  a  few  years  before 
and  was  valued  at  over  fifty  thousand  dollars  would 
be  lost  and  another  one  would  have  to  be  built  at 
a  large  cost.  To  meet  this  last  objection  the  people 
of  Everett  voted  by  a  large  majority  to  bond  the 
city  for  thirty  thousand  dollars  which  they  proposed 
to  apply  to  the  building  of  a  court-house. 

In  the  county  election  held  in  November  the 
principal  issue  was  the  question  of  removal.  It  oc- 
cupied the  minds  and  thoughts  of  the  voters  to  a 
degree  that  no  county  question  had  ever  done 
before,  and  every  phase  of  it  was  discussed  and 
rediscussed  with  the  utmost  thoroughness.  The 
fight  throughout  was  a  very  bitter  one.  Both  sides 
did  everything  in  their  power  to  gain  votes,  and 
many  means  were  employed  which  in  a  less  bitter 
campaign  would  not  have  been  resorted  to. 

After  the  election  it  was  claimed  that  a  large 
number  of  the  votes  cast  in  the  Port  Gardner  pre- 
cinct in  favor  of  Everett  were  fraudulent,  and  D. 
S.  Swerdfiger,  the  auditor  and  a  member  of  the 
canvassing  board,  refused  to  deliver  the  returns 
for  counting.  He  gave  as  his  reason  that  he  was 
convinced  that  the  votes  were  fraudulent  and  that 
b>  allowing  them  to  be  counted  he  would  become 
a  party  to  the  fraud,  which  he  did  not  propose  to 
do.  The  Everett  lawyers  appealed  to  the  superior 
court  for  a  writ  of  mandamus  compelling  the 
votes  to  be  counted,  and  after  the  case  had  been 
argued  very  ably  and  fully  on  both  sides  for  some 
time  the  writ  was  granted.  The  Snohomish  law- 
yers immediately  gave  notice  of  appeal  to  the  su- 
preme court  from  that  part  of  the  writ  applying 
to  the  votes  on  the  county-seat  question.  They 
had  no  objection  to  other  votes  being  counted. 

On  November  26th  the  canvassing  board,  com- 
posed of  Judge  Whitney  and  Quinton  E.  Friars 
of  Everett  and  D.  S.  Swerdfiger  of  Snohomish, 
met  for  the  vote  counting-.  The  votes  on  the 
county  officers  were  read,  but  Swerdfiger  refused 
to  produce  those  on  the  county-seat  question,  say- 
ing that  the  matter  had  been  appealed.  He  was 
overruled  by  the  two  other  members,  however,  and 
the  work  of  canvassing  was  begun,  but  Judge 
Sapp  of  Snohomish  soon  secured  an  injunction 
from  the  court  prohibiting  the  canvassing  of  these 
votes,  and  the  board  adjourned. 


Early  in  December  the  board  again  met  to  con- 
tinue the  work  of  canvassing.  At  this  meeting  the 
Everett  lawyers  made  the  same  allegations  against 
South  Snohomish  that  had  previously  been  made 
by  the  Snohomish  lawyers  against  Port  Gardner 
district.  When  the  returns  from  South  Snohomish 
were  presented  by  Auditor  Swerdfiger,  Judge 
Whitney  refused  to  count  them,  saying  that  they 
were  manifestly  fraudulent.  Friars  moved  that 
they  be  thrown  out  altogether,  but  Swerdfiger 
would  not  produce  any  other  returns  until  these 
should  have  been  counted.  The  other  members 
of  the  board  refused  to  do  this  and  Swerdfiger 
applied  for  a  writ  of  mandamus  requiring  them 
to  do  so.  A  writ  was  issued  commanding  them  to 
show  cause  for  their  refusal  to  count  the  returns 
of  South  Snohomish,  to  which  Sullivan,  for  Ever- 
ett, interposed  a  demurrer  on  various  grounds  but 
was  over-ruled.  The  Everett  lawyers  applied  for 
time  in  which  to  prepare  their  affidavits  and  were 
given  two  days,  at  the  expiration  of  which  the  case 
came  up  for  hearing.  A  number  of  witnesses  were 
examined,  one  of  whom,  Robert  Cairns,  an  election 
inspector,  testified  that  the  duplicate  poll  book  of 
his  precinct  had  been  stolen  from  his  house  and  also 
that  he  had  been  offered  a  sum  of  money  to  swear 
that  the  South  Snohomish  votes  were  fraudulent. 
This  was  flatly  denied,  however,  by  the  man  who 
was  accused  of  offering  the  bribe.  After  consider- 
able argument  the  writ  of  mandamus  was  granted 
by  the  court  and  the  board  was  obliged  to  proceed 
with  the  canvass. 

Judge  J.  G.  McClinton,  of  the  superior  court 
of  Clallam  county,  who  presided  over  these  cases, 
was  much  impressed  by  the  legal  talent  displayed. 
He  said  to  a  representative  of  the  Leader,  "T  believe 
there  are  no  abler  lawyers  in  the  state  than  there 
were  there."  Everett  was  represented  by  ex-Gov- 
ernor L.  K.  Church,  Judge  A.  K.  Delaney,  F.  M. 
Brownell  and  N.  D.  Walling,  all  of  Everett,  and 
Judge  Crowley  and  P.  C.  Sullivan  of  Tacoma. 
Snohomish  was  represented  by  Judge  Sapp,  Fred 
Lysons  and  S.  H.  Piles,  of  Seattle. 

At  this  point  in  the  proceedings  and  after  count- 
ing the  returns  from  South  Snohomish,  which  were 
unusually  large,  it  seemed  as  though  Snohomish 
would  win,  and  the  people  of  that  town  were  over- 
joyed. But  it  soon  developed  that  their  joy  was  a 
little  premature.  Including  the  votes  of  South 
Snohomish,  the  number  cast  against  removal  was 
2,151,  while  the  vote  for  removal  was  3,010,  leav- 
ing Everett  without  the  necessary  three-fifths  ma- 
jority. But  the  county  commissioners  decided  to 
throw  out  the  returns  from  both  South  Snohomish 
and  the  Port  Gardner  district,  in  both  of  which 
there  had  been  suspicion  of  fraud  and  in  both  of 
which  the  returns  had  been  contested,  those  of  the 
former  by  Everett,  those  of  the  latter  by  Snoho- 
mish. This  gave  Everett  the  necessary  three-fifths, 
and  consequently  the  county  commissioners  ordered 


292 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


the  county  offices  removed  to  that  place  on  the 
2] St  of  January  of  the  following  year.  It  was  now 
the  turn  of  Everett  people  to  rejoice  and  they  did 
so  with  a  vim  that  certainly  spoke  well  for  their 
municipal  patriotism,  but  which  succeeded  only  in 
exciting  the  contempt  of  the  people  of  Snohomish, 
who  were  confident  that  the  commissioners  would 
not  be  sustained  by  the  court  in  their  decision. 

The  question  of  the  location  of  the  county  seat 
was  by  no  means  settled  with  the  election  of  1894, 
and  we  find  that  with  the  coming  on  of  the  year 
1895  a  new  move  was  made  by  the  party  in  favor 
of  retaining  the  government  of  the  county  at  Sno- 
homish. This  was  an  appeal  filed  by  County 
Treasurer  Lawry,  in  which  he  stated  at  great 
length  all  the  objections  to  the  order  of  the  board 
of  commissioners.  The  chief  of  these  were  that  the 
commissioners  had  not  canvassed  the  returns  them- 
selves but  had  simply  taken  the  results  of  the  can- 
vassing done  by  the  canvassing  board,  that  they 
had  not  met  with  the  canvassing  board  on  Novem- 
ber 16th  as  they  claimed  to  have  done.  He  charged 
also  that  they  attempted  to  reject  the  South  Sno- 
homish returns  on  the  ground  that  they  were  fraud- 
ulent after  they  had  already  been  pronounced  genu- 
ine by  the  superior  court.  This  appeal  was  dis- 
missed by  Judge  Ballinger.  Immediately  afterwards, 
however.  Commissioner  Krieschel  filed  a  petition 
for  an  injunction  restraining  the  county  officers 
from  removing  their  offices  to  Everett,  which  in- 
junction was  granted. 

The  legal  decision  of  the  issue  was  not  reached 
till  July  2.3,  189.5.  Everett  appealed  against  the 
decision  of  Judge  Ballinger  and  the  case  was 
carried  to  the  supreme  court.  It  was  heard  on 
May  11th  and  a  decision  rendered  on  the  25th  of 
July,  holding  in  substance  as  follows:  That  a 
county  official  or  a  private  tax-payer  may  main- 
tain suit  for  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  is  deter- 
mined by  reference  to  the  case  of  Rickey  vs.  Will- 
iams, which  dealt  with  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat  of  Stevens  county.  But  in  the  present  case  it 
was  proved  that  the  county  commissioners  did  not 
canvass  the -returns  nor  did  they  receive  the  poll 
books,  although  most  of  them  were  present  at  the 
canvass  by  the  canvassing  board,  of  which  their 
chairman  was  an  ex-officio  member,  and  they  thus 
ascertained  the  results.  Also  the  commissioners 
held  no  meeting  while  the  canvassing  board  was  in 
session.  They  had  not  directly  ascertained  the 
number  of  votes  cast,  which  it  was  their  duty  to  do ; 
therefore  the  election  was  irregular  and  of  no 
effect.  With  these  conclusions  the  opinion  of  the 
court  sustained  the  decision  of  the  lower  court 
granting  an  injunction  restraining  the  county 
offices  from  being  removed  to  Everett. 

This  was  a  decided  victory  for  Snohomish  and 
was  heralded  as  such.  Great  celebrations  and  re- 
joicings were  held,  with  parades  and  bands  of 
music  and   speeches   of   congratulation   and   every- 


thing that  could  add  to  the  general  jubilee.  It 
ended  up  with  a  grand  free  ball,  which  was  the 
most  joyous  event  of  the  occasion. 

But  this  was  not  the  end.  Another  action  was 
taken  in  the  fall,  which  was  largely  a  repetition  of 
what  had  already  been  gone  over.  The  com- 
missioners again,  on  October  2d,  ordered  the 
county  offices  to  be  removed,  and  again  suit  was 
brought  to  restrain  them.  The  case  was  heard 
on  November  18th.  This  time  Everett  rather 
gained  the  advantage,  and  thence  on  it  pressed 
that  advantage  to  the  utmost.  The  fight  was 
still  waged  long  and  bitterly  on  both  sides,  and 
it  was  many  months  before  the  final  result  was 
reached,  but  at  last  Snohomish  acknowledged  her- 
self beaten  and  in  the  beginning  of  1897  the  county 
offices  and  records  were  removed  from  that  city 
to  Everett. 

Meanwhile  during  the  year  1895,  one  of  the 
results  of  the  period  of  depression  was  the  failure 
of  the  Puget  Sound  National  Bank,  of  Everett, 
which  had  been  doing  a  small  business  ever  since 
the  panic  of  1893.  In  July  the  directors,  Messrs. 
Taylor  and  Hayward,  discontinued  business.  Some 
of  the  county  funds  were  in  this  bank,  but  they 
were  eventually  recovered  without  serious  loss, 
and  the  bank's  accounts  were  settled  with  little 
loss  to  the  depositors. 

In  the  autumn  of  1895  occurred  another  of 
those  notorious  murder  cases  which  so  frequently 
have  their  origin  in  saloons  and  gambling  dens 
and  for  the  proper  trial  of  which  the  good  people 
of  our  communities  tax  themselves  more  than  for 
schools  and  churches.  Two  hours  after  midnight 
a  man  named  William  Kinney,  but  more  com- 
monly known  as  "Texas  Jack,"  was  in  the  Gold 
Leaf  saloon  imbibing  very  freely.  Between  him 
and  the  bartender,  William  Wroth,  or  "Omaha 
Bill,"  there  was  a  feud  of  long  standing.  "Omaha 
Bill"  had  also  been  imbibing  considerable  and  the 
result  was  that  the  feud  broke  into  a  hot  fight. 
"Omaha  Bill"  threatened  to  shoot  "Texas  Jack" 
if  he  did  not  depart  and  he  carried  out  his  threat, 
shooting  him  three  times,  once  in  the  heart.  Wroth 
was  immediately  arrested  and  placed  in  the  county 
jail.  In  December  his  trial  came  off.  He  was  pros- 
ecuted by  Prosecuting  Attorney  Heffner  and 
Deputy  A.  W.  Hawks,  and  defended  by  Messrs. 
Winstock  and  Allen;  The  trial  resulted  in  a  ver- 
dict of  manslaughter. 

The  discovery  of  the  body  of  Alex  Beamish 
in  December  cleared  up  a  mystery  of  nine  years' 
standing.  He  had  left  his  home  one  afternoon  in 
1886  and  had  not  been  seen  since.  Foul  play  was 
suspected,  but  no  one  was  accused.  The  body  or 
rather  skeleton  was  found  about  two  miles  from 
his  home  near  Getchell  by  a  man  who  was  clearing  a 
trail,  and  was  identified  by  the  clothing,  which 
was  still  preserved,  and  a  number  of  small  articles. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  year  1896  there  be- 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1889-97 


gan  to  be  something  of  a  revival  of  business. 
Though  prices  were  still  at  bed-rock,  the  dullness 
and  lack  of  hope  which  had  characterized  the  two 
previous  years  began  to  pass  in  a  measure  and  the 
awakening  energies  of  the  people  began  to  mani- 
fest themselves  in  the  long  accustomed  channels  of 
mining,  lumbering,  clearing  of  land,  railroading, 
steamboating  and  the  other  ways  in  which  the  en- 
tire sound  country  is  so  well  adapted  to  lead.  Noth- 
ing can  be  seen  more  typical  of  our  great  American 
democracy  than  the  manner  in  which  the  people 
individually,  after  loss  or  disaster,  set  themselves 
to  work  to  repair  their  broken  fortunes  and  enter- 
prises. The  elasticity  and  resourcefulness  of  a 
genuine  western  community  is  certainly  surprising. 

As  might  be  expected  the  mining  industries  of 
Snohomish  county  were  about  the  first  to  show  the 
tendency  of  recuperation.  Early  in  February  a 
meeting  was  held  of  all  persons  interested  in  mines 
and  mining  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  an  as- 
sociation whose  object  should  be  the  advertisement 
and  development  of  the  mining  industry  of  Sno- 
homish county.  Most  of  the  mineral  districts  of 
the  county  were  represented.  The  officers  elected 
at  the  first  meeting  were :  President.  A.  W.  Hawks ; 
vice-president,  F.  M.  Headlee ;  secretary.  C.  L. 
Clemans ;  assistant  secretary,  George  James ;  treas- 
urer, A.  I\I.  Farrah.  The  various  committees  were 
as  follows :  Executive  committee.  Judge  T.  C. 
Denney.  C.  H.  Packard,  W.  R.  Booth,  A.  W.  Frater, 
Oliver  AlcClean ;  reception  committee,  A.  \V.  Fra- 
ter. Judge  J.  C.  Denney,  C.  W.  Graham ;  advertis- 
ing committee,  Hon.  S.  Vestal.  C.  H.  Bakeman. 
U.  B.  Loose.  Lot  Wilbur,  Peter  Laque :  finance 
committee,  Hon.  E.  C.  Ferguson,  William  Whit- 
field, A.  D.  Austin,  E.  E.  Lenfest,  William  Kittell. 
It  was  hoped  that  similar  organizations  would  be 
formed  at  other  points  in  the  county  and  that  a 
general  organization  embracing  the  entire  region 
would  be  formed. 

By  this  time  the  mines  were  starting  up  very 
energetically.  A  large  force  of  men  were  at  work 
in  the  Stillaguamish  district,  and  one  Monte  Cristo 
company  was  taking  out  over  a  hundred  tons  of  ore 
daily,  most  of  which  was  carried  by  ponies  to  the 
railroad  and  then  taken  to  Everett  or  Tacoma, 
where  smelters  were  located. 

On  July  2d  a  large  mining  transaction  was 
carried  through,  which  involved  twelve  claims  in  the 
Silverton  copper  district,  owned  by  H.  Kennedy, 
Thomas  Johnson,  Jack  Johnson  and  Ludwig  Lunde- 
lin.  The  property  was  purchased  by  parties  from 
Trail  creek  and  New  York,  who  united  and  formed 
the  Deer  Creek  Gold  and  Copper  Mining  Company. 
The  price  paid  is  supposed  to  have  been  one  million 
dollars. 

This  was  only  one  of  manv  such  transactions. 
Outside  capitalists  were  becoming  interested  in  the 
Snohomish  mines :  many  investments  were  made, 
and  the  mining  districts  were  enjoying  an  activity 


greater  than  ever  before.  Another  transaction  in 
the  Silverton  district  was  the  sale  of  a  number  of  . 
valuable  claims  by  M.  Montan  and  L.  Lundelin  to 
the  Clecr  Creek  Copper  and  Gold  Mining  Company, 
the  incorporators  of  which  were  Dr.  Lyons  of 
Seattle.  J.  J.  Smith  of  New  York,  L.  Lundelin  of 
Silverton    and    M.    Montan. 

With  the  coming  on  of  summer  and  the  oppor- 
tunity of  extensive  prospecting  some  new  discov- 
eries were  made.  In  the  Monte  Cristo  mine  a  long 
tunnel  was  sunk  which  struck  ore  in  a  ledge  several 
feet  wide,  which  was  a  continuation  of  that  struck 
by  a  tunnel  a  thousand  feet  above  and  also  of  the 
outcropping  at  the  surface  about  two  thousand  feet 
above  that.  Thus  it  was  proved  conclusively  that 
there  was  an  immense  amount  of  ore  of  excellent 
grade  in  the  mine  and  all  doubts  about  its  great 
value  were  removed.  Rich  strikes  were  also  re- 
ported from  Martin  creek.  Some  of  the  mines 
which  were  being  developed  in  this  region  were 
the  Deer  Creek  Company's  claims,  the  Violet  mine, 
the  New  York  and  the  Bradford.  At  Index  also 
and  Miller  river  work  was  being  done,  and  in  some 
of  these  places  roads,  which  were  very  necessary 
to  the  development  of  the  properties,  were  being 
constructed. 

A  new  interest  in  agriculture,  which  is,  after  all. 
in  spite  of  all  the  fascinations  of  mining,  the  great 
essential,  permanent  dependence  of  a  community, 
also  began  to  manifest  itself.  Farmers  and  dairy- 
men became  interested  in  the  new  device  known  as 
a  silo,  by  which  grain  and  feed  may  be  kept  green 
all  winter.  It  had  been  introduced  into  Snohomish 
county  a  few  years  previous,  being  first  used  by 
Mr.  Alvord  and  others  on  White  river.  These  were 
followed  by  David  Sexton  near  Snohomish  and  C. 
B.  Miller  and  H.  J.  Andrus  of  Machias  and  others 
in  diflferent  parts  of  the  county.  All  these  silos 
were  very  successful  and  the  introduction  of  them 
attracted  considerable  attention.  Dairj'ing  too,  for 
which  the  shores  of  Puget  sound  and  especially  the 
sheltered  and  fertile  vallevs  of  Snohomish  county 
present  such  especial  attractions,  received  a  new 
impetus  about  this  time,  and  many  of  the  ranchers 
were  increasing  their  herds  to  from  forty  to  seventy 
head. 

The  ready  revolver  was  not  entirely  in  innocuous 
disuse  during  the  year  1896,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 
following  incident :  A  Jewish  peddler  named  Na- 
than Phillips  was  walking  along  the  railroad  track 
near  Monte  Cristo  depot,  carrying  a  satchel  filled 
with  several  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  jewelry, 
when  he  was  suddenly  attacked  by  a  miner  named 
Dave  LeRoy.  They  struggled  for  a  few  minutes 
over  the  possession  of  the  satchel,  when  LeRoy 
suddenly  pulled  a  revolver  and  shot  the  peddler, 
inflicting  two  dangerous  wounds.  Then,  seizing 
the  satchel,  he  ran  down  the  track.  The  deed  was 
witnessed  by  several  men  and  a  pursuit  was  imme- 
diately organized,  but  the  man  was  familiar  with  the 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


surrounding    country    and    managed    to    make    his 
escape. 

The  Snohomish  river,  too.  felt  the  need  of  at- 
tracting a  httle  special  attention  at  this  stage  of 
development  and  "went  on  a  rampage"  as  a  result 
of  the  extraordinary  fall  rains.  The  floods  were 
said  to  be  the  worst  in  the  history  of  the  county. 
The  losses  in  the  city  itself  were  not  very  severe, 
but  on  the  marshes  and  low  lands  along  the  edge 
of  the  river  terrible  damage  was  inflicted.  Hun- 
dreds of  head  of  live  stock  and  poultry  were  lost, 
as  well  as  many  tons  of  hay,  and  in  some  cases  en- 
tire farms  were  covered  several  feet  deep  with  de- 
bris and  drift,  while  many  buildings  were  destroyed. 


The  railroads  were  all  very  heavy  losers,  the  Great 
Northern  especially  suffering  all  along  the  line. 
Above  Index  a  quarter  mile  of  track  was  washed 
out  as  well  as  a  number  of  bridges,  and  between 
Index  and  Sultan  there  were  eight  wash-outs.  The 
Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  road  also  suffered  heav- 
ily. In  the  mountains  stretches  of  track  were  com- 
pletely destroyed,  as  well  as  one  tunnel.  Trains 
were  held  up  for  nearly  a  month.  In  the  mining 
districts  it  was  impossible  to  get  provisions  and 
scores  of  miners  came  down  to  the  towns  to  stay 
until  the  trains  could  get  through  again.  The  de- 
struction along  the  Skagit  river  was  even  worse 
than  that  along  the  Snohomish. 


CHAPTER  IV 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1897-1905 


By  the  opening  of  1897  a  new  era  may  be  said 
to  have  commenced  in  the  development  of  Snoho- 
mish county.  The  long  period  of  hard  times  was 
fairly  passed.  The  Cape  Horn  of  storms  had  been 
doubled  and  the  favoring  breezes  of  a  boundless 
Pacific  of  new  achievements  were  beginning  to  waft 
on  the  enterprises  of  an  opening  era,  the  second 
era  of  growth  to  our  state,  one  which  has  not  yet 
been  checked,  and  which  all  indications  seem  to 
show  will  not  soon  be  checked. 

There  had  come  to  Snohomish  county  during 
the  decade  previous  a  class  of  population  of  re- 
markably high  grade  and  general  intelligence,  a 
class  capable  of  great  things  in  their  various  lines  of 
endeavor.  For  instance,  the  legal  ability  centered 
there  and  drawn  there  by  important  cases  was 
such  as  to  excite  comment.  A  great  array  of  this 
legal  talent  was  displayed  in  the  case  of  Hart  vs. 
Rucker,  which  was  a  very  long  and  closely  con- 
tested one.  It  began  by  the  purchase  by  Rucker 
of  some  school  land,  on  which  Hart  had  a  saw-mill 
and  other  improvements  worth  forty  thousand  dol- 
lars. It  was  claimed  by  the  plaintiff  that  Rucker 
undertook  to  pay  for  these  improvements,  but  when 
the  value  of  the  land  declined  that  he  changed  his 
mind  and  refused  to  do  so.  Hart  then  sued  him. 
The  jury  decided  for  the  defendant,  but  the  case 
was  appealed  and  stretched  out  for  a  long  period 
before  it  was  finally  settled.  A  number  of  brilliant 
lawyers  appeared  in  this  case.  The  plaintiff.  Hart, 
was    represented    by    Messrs.     Stiles,    Stevens    & 


Tillinghast,  Seymour  &  Prichard  of  Tacoma  and 
Coleman  &  Hart  of  'Snohomish.  Rucker  was 
represented  by  P.  C.  Sullivan,  B.  S.  Grosscup,  A. 
F,  Burleigh,  D.  J.  Crowley,  Frank  Brownell,  A.  D. 
Austin  and  W.  P.  Bell.  Practically  all  these  men 
were  leading  members  of  their  profession  in  the 
county  or  even  in  the  state. 

We  have  already  narrated  the  stages  in  the 
county-seat  imbroglio.  The  last  act  was  accom- 
plished in  the  beginning  of  this  year  by  removing 
the  court   records  to   Everett. 

As  usual  the  mining  interest  was  a  leading  one 
and  long  strides  were  being  taken  in  the  develop- 
ment of  that  industry.  A  number  of  promising 
mines  were  being  opened  up  in  Silverton  and  the 
near  vicinity.  The  Tribune  of  March  19th  gives 
an  interview  with  D.  D.  Besse,  a  mining  man  of 
that  district,  in  which  he  describes  some  of  those 
mines.  The  following  account  is  condensed  from 
that  interview :  The  Bonanza  Queen,  according  to 
surface  assays,  had  five  million  dollars;  the  Double 
Eagle,  about  half  as  much,  and  the  Bell  and  Crown, 
Helena  and  others  about  equal  to  the  Double 
Eagle.  In  the  White  Horse  district  on  the  north 
fork  of  the  Stillaguamish  and  the  Buckeye  gulch 
were  also  valuable  properties.  Across  the  hill 
was  the  St.  Louis  copper  mine,  which  after  all 
expenses  left  a  net  profit  of  fifteen  dollars  per  ton. 
The  Hoodoo  was  a  mine  in  which  English  capital 
was  largely  interested  and  in  1897,  eighty-five 
thousand  dollars  had  been  invested  in  tunnels  and 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1897-1905 


crosscuts.  The  Forty-five  was  a  mine  whose  ore 
assayed  one  hundred  and  seven  dollars  per  ton. 
As  a  result  of  all  these  developments  Silverton  re- 
ceived quite  a  boom,  and  at  this  time  twenty 
houses  were  being-  built  besides  two  hotels  and  two 
stores. 

In  the  fall  the  mining  prospects  were  better 
than  ever.  The  largest  mine,  the  Monte  Cristo, 
controlled  by  Colby,  Hoyt,  Rockefeller  and  other 
capitalists,  was  being  very  extensively  developed 
and  was  becoming  very  productive.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania was  perhaps  second  in  size  and  a  great  deal 
of  work  was  also  being  done  on  it  at  this  time, 
especially  in  the  digging  of  crosscuts.  The  "Forty- 
five"  and  the  Independent  were  both  ready  to  com- 
mence shipping  ore.  The  railroads  were  progress- 
ing in  a  way  very  favorable  to  the  development 
of  the  mines,  although  owing  to  the  floods  and 
the  lowness  of  the  roadbeds  a  great  deal  of  damage 
and  consequent  delay  occurred.  The  work  of  A.  E. 
Haber  of  the  Great  Northern  was  of  special  benefit 
to  the  mining  camps. 

The  development  of  the  dairying  business  in 
the  Snohomish  river  valley  was  indicated  in  a 
gratifying  manner  by  the  rapid  enlargement  of 
the  Snohomish  creamery  and  cheese  factory,  which 
institution  was  paying  something  like  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars  a  month  for  milk  and  was  proving  of 
incalculable  value  not  only  to  the  ranchers  and 
dairymen  of  the  vicinity  but  to  the  entire  business 
community. 

The  greatest  question  of  this  year  in  many  re- 
spects was  that  of  the  forest  reserve.  On  Febru- 
ary 22d  President  Cleveland  made  an  order 
creating  a  number  of  forest  reserves,  one  of  the 
largest  of  which  was  in  Washington.  It  extended 
from  the  4<8th  to  the  49th  parallel  and  from  the 
120th  to  the  122d  degree  of  longitude,  an  area  of 
about  seven  thousand  two  hundred  square  miles,  in- 
cluding more  than  half  of  Whatcom,  Skagit  and 
Okanogan  counties  and  some  of  the  northern  part 
of  Snohomish.  The  order  forbade  all  trespassing 
on  these  lands. 

The  people  of  Washington  were  at  once  greatly 
excited  about  this  reserve.  In  Snohomish,  as  well 
as  in  some  of  the  other  counties,  it  included  large 
areas  of  mineral  lands  which  might  be  made  very 
productive.  While  the  order  would  not  afifect  such 
claims  as  were  already  made,  provided  all  the  re- 
quirements of  law  had  been  fulfilled,  it  would  pre- 
vent the  development  of  any  further  claims,  and 
would  of  course  hinder  the  progress  of  the  counties 
affected  and  the  state  in  general  to  an  extent  be- 
yond calculation.  Congress  passed  a  bill  modifying 
it,  but  the  bill  was  pocket  vetoed  by  the  president. 
In  May  the  Sundry  Civil  bill  passed  the  senate  with 
an  amendment  revoking  President  Cleveland's  or- 
der. The  amendment  failed  in  the  house  however, 
but  a  substitute  was  passed  by  both  houses,  which 
was  signed  by  President  AIcKinley,  who  had  now 


taken  office.  It  suspended  Cleveland's  order  until 
March  1.  1898,  until  which  time  the  land  would 
be  restored  to  public  occupancy.  After  March  1st 
the  order  would  again  take  effect  but  in  a  form 
greatly  modified  and  improved,  the  principal  im- 
provement being  that  such  lands  as  were  more 
valuable  for  minerals  and  agriculture  than  for  for- 
ests should  not  be  included  in  the  reserve.  Also 
settlers  and  miners  and  prospectors  should  be 
allowed  the  liberty  of  the  reserve  and  should  be 
allowed  to  use  timber  and  stone  under  certain 
regulations.  The  law,  as  thus  modified,  was  no 
longer  a  menace  to  the  development  of  the  country 
and  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  people  of 
Snohomish   and   the   other   counties   affected. 

The  troubles  of  the  Puget  Sound  National 
Bank,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  failed  the 
year  previous,  were  adjusted  at  this  time.  The 
county  had  a  claim  against  this  bank  of  $12,487.30. 
In  settlement  of  this  claim  the  county  received 
$5,037.30  in  cash  and  the  bank  fixtures,  valued  at 
$2,450.00,  making  a  total  of  $7,487.30. 

The  appealed  trial  of  William  Wroth  also 
came  off  at  about  this  time.  Owing  to  a  technic- 
ality and  some  crooked  work  he  was  found  "not 
guilty,"  although  at  his  previous  trial  he  had  been 
proven  guilty  and  sentenced  to  ten  years  in  the 
state  penitentiary. 

Snohomish  was  visited  by  a  number  of  dis- 
asters in  the  fall,  among  them  the  usual  flood, 
which  was  even  more  severe  this  time  if  possible 
than  before.  Warm  winds  melted  many  feet  of 
snow  in  the  mountains  and  the  streams  swelled  to 
raging  torrents,  tearing  out  bridges,  destroying 
roadbeds  and  doing  great  damage  to  property. 
The  Everett  and  Alonte  Cristo  road  was  a  heavy 
sufferer,  great  stretches  of  its  track  being  utterly 
demolished,  and  several  bridges  were  torn  out, 
including  those  over  the  Sauk  and  Stillaguamish 
rivers.  The  Great  Northern  road  also  suffered 
severely.  As  a  result  of  these  railroad  disasters 
the  mines  were  prevented  from  shipping  out  their 
ore  and  were  obliged  to  shut  down,  thus  entailing 
great  loss  upon  them. 

On  November  25th  a  wreck  occurred  on  the 
Seattle  &  International  road  near  Cathcart.  A 
freight  train  was  running  in  two  sections,  and  the 
engine  of  the  second  getting  out  of  water,  un- 
coupled from  the  cars  and  started  for  Woodenville 
Junction  to  obtain  it.  The  brakes  on  the  cars  were 
set  but  something  went  wrong  with  them  and  the 
train  started  on  the  down  grade  at  a  speed  that 
was  soon  beyond  control.  The  brakemen  all 
jumped  off.  The  train  broke  into  three  pieces, 
the  first  of  which  jumped  the  track  at  Blackman's 
switch,  throwing  the  cars  off  on  both  sides;  the 
second  went  on  for  some  distance  and  finally 
stopped,  while  the  third  was  wrecked  near  Cath- 
cart, eight  or  ten  cars  being  smashed  to  pieces. 
No  one  was  killed,  but  Foreman  Fowler,  who  was 


296 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


sleeping  at  Blackinan's,  where  the  first  part  of  the 
train  left  the  track,  was  injured  by  being  cut  rather 
badly  about  the  face. 

The  Everett  and  Monte  Cristo  railroad,  which 
had  been  partially  destroyed,  was  not  entirely  re- 
built that  year.  This  was  very  unfortunate  for  the 
mines  but  in  the  meantime  various  malce-shifts  were 
employed  to  provide  transportation.  A  wagon  was 
run  from  Granite  Falls  to  Robe,  and  from  there 
to  Silverton  a  pack-train  was  run  by  McElroy  & 
Lee  of  the  latter  place. 

About  this  time  the  idea  of  establishing  a  power 
plant  at  the  falls  of  the  Stillaguamish  was  ad- 
vanced. An  experienced  engineer  visited  them 
and  pronounced  them  capable  of  fifteen  thousand 
horse  power,  which  would  be  sufficient  to  run  the 
railroad  to  Monte  Cristo,  the  Everett  and  Lowell 
street  cars,  and  the  various  factories  along  the  road, 
also  to  provide   light   for  nearby   cities. 

Another  year,  1898,  dawned  on  Snohomish  and 
the  rest  of  the  sound  country  under  constantly 
brightening  auspices.  In  every  aspect  the  con- 
ditions of  industry,  transportation  and  immigration 
were  improving.  In  the  important  field  of  railroad 
enterprise  we  find  that  the  Seattle  &  International 
road  was  the  object  of  a  sharp  fight  between  the 
Northern  Pacific  and  Canadian  Pacific.  The  Cana- 
dian Pacific  had  been  quietly  trying  for  some  time 
to  gain  control  of  the  Seattle  &  International  and 
as  soon  as  the  Northern  Pacific  discovered  this  it 
hastened  to  forestall  its  competitor.  The  Northern 
Pacific  had  a  number  of  important  reasons  for 
acquiring  this  road  and  early  in  this  year  it  suc- 
ceeded  in   doing  so. 

Bearing  both  upon  the  general  fact  of  railroad- 
ing and  also  upon  the  mining  enterprises  of  the 
region  was  the  projected  railroad  to  the  famous 
Sultan  district.  This  road  was  to  be  built  bv  the 
Sultan  Valley  Railway  Company,  which  was  organ- 
ized in  Seattle  on  February  3d.  The  capital  stock 
of  the  company  was  one  million  dollars  and  the 
incor]3orators  were  Nathan  B.  Jones,  a  Snohomish 
mining  man,  Fred  Hinckley,  Frank  S.  Grififcth 
and  W.  F.  Brown.  The  enterprise  was  backed  by 
the  Forty-five  Consolidated  Mining  Company  and 
supported  by  the  Sultan  and  Stillaguamish  Mining 
Company.  It  was  the  purpose  of  the  new  organiza- 
tion to  build  a  road  from  Everett  to  the  upper  end 
of  the  Sultan  basin,  commencing  first  on  the  portion 
between  the  eastern  end  and  Sultan  City  on  the 
Great  Northern.  They  expected  to  use  the  surveys 
already  made  by  the  Sultan  and  Stillaguamish 
Company  a  few  years  before.  This  railroad  would 
be  of  immense  value  to  the  mines  of  the  Sultan 
valley,  which  had  long  been  retarded  by  the  lack 
of  proper  transportation  facilities.  The  Great 
Northern  was  twenty  miles  distant  and  a  high 
ridge  separated  them  from  the  Everett  tl^  Monte 
Cristo  at  Silverton.  The  Forty-five  Company 
built  a  trail  over  this  ridge,  wliicli,  however,  was 


not  very  satisfactory.  The  mines  were  naturally 
immensely  rich  but  such  obstacles  as  these  were  a 
great  detriment  to  their  best  development.  With 
the  proposed  railroad  they  could  ship  out  all  their 
ore  easily  and  quickly  and  the  benefits  would  be 
almost  inconceivable. 

With  the  general  revival  of  all  things  came  also 
into  the  field  the  Canadian  Pacific  railroad,  which 
secretly  sent  a  party  of  engineers  to  find  a  suitable 
route  through  the  western  part  of  the  county  to 
Seattle.  A  little  flurry  was  also  caused  by  the  re- 
port that  a  road  was  to  be  built  from  Portland  to 
Snohomish  by  the  Vanderbilts.  This  proved  to  be 
only  a  report,  however. 

Some  court  proceedings  in  connection  with  the 
Rockefeller  interests  in  the  Monte  Cristo  mining 
districts  attracted  attention  in  April,  1898.  J.  B. 
Crooker,  representing  the  Rockefeller  interests, 
filed  suit  in  the  superior  court  against  the  Pride  of 
the  Mountains  and  Mystery  mining  companies,  pe- 
titioning also  that  William  C.  Butler,  superintendent 
of  the  companies,  be  appointed  receiver.  This 
petition  was  granted.  Bonds  against  the  two  com- 
panies aggregated  two  hundred  and  twenty-four 
thousand  dollars. 

The  important  business  of  shingle  making,  one 
of  the  largest  industries  in  the  county,  received  a 
new  impetus  at  this  time.  The  market  had  been 
rather  light  but  in  February  and  March  the  price 
of  shingles  rose  considerably,  as  well  as  the  demand. 
The  price  of  bolts  increased  to  from  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  to  three  dollars,  and  the  price  of  labor 
rose  proportionately.  All  the  mills  were  running 
full  tilt,  and  a  number  of  large  new  mills  were  being 
started,  one  of  them  at  Snohomish  and  two  at 
Monroe,  where  also  the  mill  of  S.  A.  Buck  was 
rebuilt.  A  new  mill  was  also  being  built  at  Wallace 
by  Frank  D.  Black  of  Seattle,  and  there  was  a  like 
activity  in  the  Stillaguamish  valley  and  other  parts 
of  the  county.  .^11  of  these  mills  were  large  and 
important  concerns. 

The  outbreak  of  war  with  Spain  had  its  place 
in  Snohomish  county  annals  the  same  as  in  those 
of  every  other  county  in  the  United  States,  and 
a  number  of  the  young  men  of  the  county  offered 
their  services  in  the  armies  of  the  country.  Drills 
were  held  regularly  and  cver\-  prcji.iration  made  for 
going  to  the  front  when  tlu'  lime  should  come. 
The  officers  at  the  time  were  ( iu.s.  Moran,  captain; 
Will  Kikendall,  first  lieutenant:  Wallace  Canfield, 
second  lieutenant.  The  Snohomish  volunteers 
combined  with  those  from  Whatcom  to  form  a  com- 
pany. On  the  28th  of  June  they  took  their  depar- 
ture for  that  place  on  their  way  to  Tacoma  to  take 
the  physical  examination  and  if  qualified  to  be  en- 
listed. A  large  number  of  friends  and  citizens 
gathered  to  bid  them  farewell,  and  patriotic  songs 
were  sung  and  patriotic  speeches  made.  Mayor 
Ferguson  presided. 

Those  who  went  to  Whatcom  were  Gus.  Moran, 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1897-1905 


Bert  Moran,  A.  D.  Colburn,  Charles  O'Conner, 
Frank  Niles,  Harvey  Smith,  Vay  Stewart,  Ernest 
Bleech,  Wilham  Kikendall,  L.  A.  Patric,  Grant 
\Mlson,  Paul  Langdon,  H.  V.  Landfehr,  W.  H. 
Parcels  and  J.  S.  Howell.  Some  of  these  failed 
to  pass  the  examination  and  were  sent  back,  but 
most  of  them  enlisted. 

The  court  proceedings  of  the  year  1898  were  not 
especially  notable,  with  the  exception  of  those 
which  arose  out  of  the  famous  Connella-Nelson 
shooting  affray,  in  which  the  latter  was  killed. 
Connella.  was  the  editor  of  the  Everett  News  and 
Nelson  was  a  wood  and  coal  dealer.  The  quarrel 
between  the  two  men  had  its  inception  at  the 
Republican  convention  in  Everett,  when  a  picture 
of  Congressman  Lewis,  which  was  hanging  on  the 
wall,  was  torn  down.  James  Connella  made  some 
comments  on  the  deed  in  his  paper  and  cast  some 
personal  slurs  on  Ole  Nelson,  which  the  latter 
resented,  hence  the  ill-feeling.  The  two  men  met 
on  the  night  of  October  10th  on  the  sidewalk  near 
Hafferkorn's  cigar  store,  and  an  altercation  en- 
sued, in  which  Connella  was  thrown  to  the  ground. 
While  in  a  prostrate  position  he  drew  his  revolver 
and  shot  Nelson,  inflicting  a  wound  which  a  few 
hours  later  proved  fatal. 

Connella  was  immediately  arrested  and  held 
over  for  the  superior  court.  The  trial  occurred  in 
King  county,  owing  to  a  strong  feeling  against  the 
prisoner  in  Snohomish.  The  prosecution  was  con- 
ducted by  Prosecuting  Attorney  Naylor  and  Hon. 
J.  T.  Ronald  of  Seatde,  and  the  defense  by  J-  A. 
Coleman  and  Alessrs.  Cooley  &  Horan  of  Everett 
and  J.  E.  Dore  of  Seattle.  The  result  of  the  trial 
was  very  unexpected,  being  a  verdict  of  acquittal, 
the  jury  evidently  holding  that  the  deed  was  done 
in  self-defense.  ^ 

The  first  event  of  the  year  1899  was  an  indigna- 
tion meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Everett  over  the 
acquittal  of  James  W.  Connella  of  the  murder  of 
Ole  Nelson.  The  whole  proceeding  was  denounced 
as  "corrupt  and  ignorant"  and  the  verdict  as  "dan- 
gerous and  pernicious  in  its  results  and  effects 
upon  society."  They  also  called  upon  Judge 
F.  T.  Reid  to  make  amends  by  resigning  his  office. 
Probably  as  a  result  of  this  Connella  disappeared 
from  Everett,  after  disposing  of  his  interest  in  the 
News   to  James   Logie. 

The  mines  again  attract  a  large  share  of  our 
attention  as  a  part  of  the  general  ongoing  of  prog- 
ressive Snohomish  during  the  year  1899.  The  first 
important  event  was  a  big  deal,  by  which  the  Pride 
of  the  ^lountains  and  the  Monte  Cristo  mines 
passed  into  the  hands  of  John  D.  Rockefeller  and 
a  few  of  his  friends.  The  price  of  the  first  of  the 
two  mines  was  $167,501.95  and  that  of  the  other 
$100,569.99.  Rockefeller  also  gained  control  of  the 
United  Concentration  Company's  holdings,  and  the 
three  companies  were  consolidated  into  one  large 
corporation.    Holders  of  stock  in  the  old  companies 


retained  their  interest  in  the  new  one  by  paying  an 
assessment  of  about  one  hundred  and  one  dollars 
and  fifty  cents  on  each  thousand  shares  of  old  stock. 
As  a  result  of  this  enterprise  mining  affairs  through- 
out the  county  received  a  great  impetus.  Work 
which  had  been  abandoned  was  once  more  resumed. 
The  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  railroad,  being  backed 
by  the  new  company,  started  the  work  of  rebuild- 
ing, and  a  general  resumption  was  the  order  of  the 
day. 

About  this  time  the  mines  of  the  Index  district 
began  to  attract  considerable  attention.  They  had 
not  yet  been  developed  to  any  great  extent,  but 
what  had  been  done  gave  promise  of  great  things. 
Ore  from  the  property  of  the  Index  Mining  Com- 
pany assayed  ninety-eight  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per 
ton,  which  was  much  higher  than  had  been  ex- 
pected. New  and  promising  finds  were  constantly 
being  made. 

The  lumbering  interests  partook  of  the  onward 
march  and  we  find  that  in  April  an  association  was 
formed  at  Everett  of  the  shingle  men  of  the  county, 
known  as  the  Snohomish  County  Shingle  Manu- 
facturers' Association.  Most  of  the  shingle  con- 
cerns in  the  county  joined  it,  among  them  being 
the  following:  Lincoln  Shingle  Company,  Mich- 
igan Shingle  Company,  M.  J.  Durgan,  Northern 
Lumber  Company,W.  C.  Sparks.  Smith  Manufac- 
turmg  Company,  Marysville  Shingle  Company,  C. 
Rabel  &  Sons,  August  Holmquist,  Eggert  &  John- 
son, Canedy  Brothers,  John  Anderson  &  Company, 
Buck  Lumber  &  Shingle  Company,  Morgan 
Brothers,  Neally  &  Day,  McCulIoch  Shingle  Com- 
pany, Washita  Lumber  Company,  J.  P.  Caithness, 
Rice  Lumber  Company,  Linnett  Brothers,  Manley 
&  Church,  E.  J.  Anderson,  Ira  Joy,  E.  J.  McNeley 
and  Atlas  Lumber  Company.  The  officers  of  the 
association  were  George  C.  Benjamin,  president; 
F.  L.  Meares,  secretary,  and  A.  J.  L^phus,  treas- 
urer. 

The  shingle  and  lumbering  industry  was  per- 
haps the  most  extensive  in  the  county.  The  Pacific 
Lumber  Trade  Journal  for  June  gave  statistics 
concerning  the  mills  of  the  state  of  Washington 
and  it  was  shown  that  Snohomish  county  had  sixty- 
four,  which  was  more  than  one  fourth  of  all  the 
mills  in  the  state  and  thirteen  more  than  Whatcom, 
the  next  highest,  had. 

Snohomish  agricultural  interests  received  a 
severe  blow  in  the  excessive  rains  in  August.  A 
great  deal  of  hay  that  was  not  yet  under  cover 
was  destroyed  and  much  of  the  standing  grain, 
which  was  nearly  ready  to  be  harvested,  was 
■knocked  down.  Little  more  than  half  a  crop  was 
saved. 

In  spite  of  these  misfortunes  the  enterprising 
people  of  Snohomish  county  launched  the  first 
autumnal  fair  since  the  early  fairs  in  the  seventies 
and  it  seems  to  have  been  a  great  success.  It  was 
opened  on  October  11th  by  a  speech  by  Hon.  Fran- 


300 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


cis  H.  Rrowiitll,  and  closed  on  the  1  Itli.  ( )no  of  the 
]>articiilar  attiactions  was  a  series  oi  liiic  horse 
races. 

The  midsununer  of  ISSl'J  witnessed  anotlier 
shootinjj  affray  at  Everett.  It  aiJjiears  that  a  man 
named  Henry  Monty  had  deserted  his  family  and 
anotlier  man  named  Simon  J.  Fox  iiad  been  living 
with  them.  Monty,  on  returning  iiomc  from 
Seattle,  found  this  out  and  went  in  search  of  Fox, 
whom  he  discovered  at  home  and  proceeded  to 
knock  down  several  times.  Fox  then  went  into 
the  house  and  getting  a  gun,  warned  his  assailant 
to  leave,  which  Monty  refused  to  do.  Fox  then 
fired  into  the  ceiling  but  Monty  still  remained  and 
I'ox  fired  again  inflicting  a  severe  wound  in  the 
right  breast.     Monty  died  a  short  time  afterward. 

It  is  the  human  lot  to  meet  w^ith  accidents,  and 
we  discover  a  peculiar  instance  during  the  spring 
of  1899  at  Iwerctt.  The  Great  Northern  freight 
was  just  pulling  out  when  it  was  discovered  that 
one  of  the  rear  cars  was  on  fire.  The  car  just 
behind  it  was  filled  with  powder,  so,  as  the  fire  was 
beyond  control,  they  had  to  be  uncoupled  and  left 
behind.  Soon  a  tremendous  explosion  occurred, 
and  one  of  the  cars  next  the  powder  car  was 
shattered  and  blown  a  hundred  feet  up  the  track. 
This  car  contained  three  tramps,  one  of  whom  was 
killed  :  while  the  others  were  badly  hurt.  The  in- 
jury to  the  track  was  slight. 

The  closing  year  of  the  century,  1900,  was 
characterized  by  a  special  activity  in  the  lumber 
industry  in  Snohomish  as  well  as  in  adjoining 
counties.  There  was  great  prosperity  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  state  and  an  unprecedented  building 
era  in  the  farming  sections,  as  well  as  in  all  the 
towns  and  cities.  This  created  a  great  local  demand 
for  lumber,  while  conditions  abroad  incident  to 
development  in  the  Orient  produced  a  larger  for- 
eign market  than  ever  before.  All  these  things  com- 
bined to  produce  the  greatest  activity  of  many  years 
in  all  lumber  enterprises  and  other  lines  of  industry 
fell  into  the  same  general  state  of  hopefulness. 
The  Everett  Land  Company  was  reorganized. 
Timber  was  a  very  good  price  and  large  tracts  of 
timber  lands  were  sold.  Agricultural  lands  also 
were  in  ever  increasing  demand  and  ranching  con- 
tinued to  become  steadily  more  profitable.  Cattle 
and  sheep  raising  also  received  more  attention 
than  ever  before,  and  large  areas  of  land  which 
had  been  entirely  unimproved  were  now  devoted  to 
stock,  which  made  them  more  valuable  for  other 
purposes  as  well. 

Mining  also  was  in  progress.  .\n  arrangement 
was  made  between  the  Forty-five  Mining  Company 
and  the  Puget  Sound  Reduction  Company  by 
which  the  railroad  to  Silverton  was  \o  be  rebuilt 
and  the  Forty-five  was  to  sup])ly  three  thousand 
tons  of  ore  a  month. 

Of  the  railroad  changes  chronicled  by  the  cur- 
rent  newspa]iers  of  the  >ear,   the  most   important 


was  the  purchase  bv  the  Northern  Pacific  of  the 
track  and  right  of  way  of  that  jwrt  of  the  Everett 
and  Monte  Cristo  road  between  Everett  and  Sno- 
homish. The  reason  for  the  purchase,  as  given  by 
President  Mellen  in  a  dispatch  to  the  Seattle  Post- 
Intelligencer  was  "to  secure  more  terminals  for  its 
growing  Pacific  Coast  business."  It  was  expected 
that  the  Northern  Pacific  would  do  a  great  deal 
toward  building  up  the  county,  and  these  expecta- 
tions have  been  largely  realized. 

The  criminal  calendar  had  its  customary  entry 
during  the  period  of  1900.  Une  of  the  most  cow- 
ardly crimes  in  the  history  of  the  county  was  com- 
mitted on  the  night  of  May  19th  of  that  year. 
I'rank  Whited,  a  laborer  from  Idaho,  was  waiting 
for  the  train  at  Monroe  when  he  was  accosted  by 
three  men,  and  he  had  talked  to  them  a  while  when 
suddenly  they  ordereil  him  to  throw  up  his  hands, 
lie  complied  and  they  robbed  him  of  all  his  valu- 
ables, then  shot  him  in  the  back  and  left  him  in  an 
empty  box  car  to  die.  .\fter  a  lime  Whited  man- 
aged to  crawl  out  and  reached  a  nearby  store, 
where  his  wound  was  taken  care  of.  He  was 
afterward  taken  to  the  Monroe  hotel. 

Sheriff  Zimmerman  immediately  set  out  in  pur- 
suit of  the  highwaymen  and  in  a  few  days  succeeded 
in  cai)turing  them  near  Wiulock.  He  took  them  to 
.Monroe,  where  they  were  positively  identified  by 
their  victim.  The  names  of  the  men  were  W.  F. 
Howard,  Charles  Stewart,  and  George  Wilson. 
They  were  placed  under  five  thousand  dollar  bonds, 
in  default  of  which  they  were  put  in  the  county 
jail  at  Everett  to  await  their  trial,  which  came  off 
on  the  9th  of  July.  The  evidence  was  absolutely 
conclusive  and  the  men  were  convicted  of  highway 
robbery  and  sentenced  to  twenty  years  at  hard 
labor  in  the  state  penitentiary  at  Walla  Walla. 

Snohomish  county  at  this  time  was  growing 
rapidly  in  population,  the  United  States  census  of 
that  year  giving  it  2,'^,950,  which  was  exceeded  by 
only  five  other  coimtics  namely.  King,  Spokane, 
Pierce,  Whitman  and  Whatcom.  The  gratifying 
fatt  was  heralded  in  the  Tribune  of  February  22d 
that  immigration  was  beginning  in  real  earnest. 
This  was  the  logical  result  of  the  preceding  years 
of  great  activity  and  it  in  turn  caused  the  waves 
of  pro.sperity  to  roll  on  with  added  power.  In  one 
day  the  Northern  Pacific  and  Great  Northern 
brought  over  fifteen  hundred  homcscekers  to  Puget 
sound. 

(^ur  old  friends,  the  miners,  come  in  f(jr  a  large 
share  of  attention  at  this  period.  The  St.  Louis 
mine,  which  had  been  susjiended  since  the  washout 
on  the  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  railroad  three  years 
before,  which  road  had  only  recently  been  rebuilt, 
was  sold  to  a  new  company  which  incorporated  un- 
der the  name  of  the  Conservative  Mining  Company. 
This  mine  was  situated  near  the  Silverton  on  Deer 
Creek.    The  ])resident,  Frank  M.  Evans,  at  once  put 


CURRENT    F.VENTS,    1897-190.- 


301 


a  force  of  men  at  work  in  charge  of  H.  W.  Ilorton, 
of  Snohomish. 

In  the  Mining  Record  of  February,  John  Tow- 
ers, a  mining  expert,  had  a  long  article  descriptive 
of  the  Index  district.  He  says  in  part,  "The  cop- 
per ores  of  the  district,  and  held  in  these  lodes  or 
veins,  are  varied — chalcocite,  chalcopyrite  and  hor- 
ite,  the  three  important  ores  of  commerce  pre- 
dominating and  being  pretty  evenly  distributed. 
The  gangue,  more  or  less  mineralized,  is  either 
quartz  or  an  altered  or  metamorphosed  granite. 
The  rich  sulphides  are  in  the  form  of  pay  streaks. 
Chalcopyrite  occurs  in  massive  chutes,  and  as  the 
gangue  also  carries  values,  concentration  is  neces- 
sary for  economic  reasons."  He  also  says,  "There 
are  more  properties  of  merit  in  this  camp  than  in 
any  other  camp  of  similar  size  and  equal  age. 
Quite  a  number  are  being  actively  developed,  the 
usual  element  of  mining  uncertainty  being  elimin- 
ated in  some  of  them  and  entirely  so  in  a  few." 

In  the  fall  the  Ethel  mine  built  a  concentrator 
with  tram-ways  and  automatic  filling  and  dumping 
cars,  so  that  the  cost  of  delivering  a  hundred  tons 
a  day  to  the  concentrator  was  reduced  to  four  cents 
a  ton  or  less. 

In  October  the  famous  Bonanza  Queen  copper 
mine  was  sold  to  D.  F.  Morgan,  of  Minneapolis,  re- 
presenting the  Bell  Telephone  Company,  for  one 
inmdred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  mine  had 
been  located  some  ten  years  before  by  J.  F.  Bender, 
Angus  Sutherland  and  L.  W.  Lockwood,  who  re- 
ceived a  large  share  of  the  purchase  price.  One  of 
the  conditions  of  the  transaction  was  that  a  five- 
drill  compressor  plant  be  immediately  installed  and 
not    less    than    forty    men    employed    continuously. 

The  harvest  of  1901  showed  gratifying  results 
of  the  industry  of  the  rancher,  the  year  having 
])een  a  good  one  for  the  agriculturist  as  well  as 
for  the  miner  and  the  lumberman.  The  weather 
had  been  exceptionally  fine  and  as  a  result  the 
crops  were  above  the  average.  Hay  yielded  from 
three  to  five  tons  per  acre  and  was  worth  from 
eight  to  ten  dollars  per  ton ;  oats  averaged  about 
a  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre,  some  going  over  a 
hundred  and  fifty  bushels,  and  it  sold  for  about 
twenty-five  dollars  per  ton  ;  potatoes  yielded  from 
eight  to  twelve  tons,  in  some  cases  going  consider- 
ably higher,  and  they  were  worth  something  over 
twenty  dollars  a  ton.  Farm  products,  such  as  but- 
ter, eggs,  etc.,  were  in  good  demand  and  sold  at  a 
fair  price,  the  demand  for  all  kinds  of  produce  being 
generally  greater  than   the  supply. 

There  was  hardly  as  extensive  work  in  railroad- 
ing as  in  some  of  the  previous  years,  but  we  find, 
as  one  important  event,  that  tracklaying  on  the 
Arlington-Harrington  branch  of  the  Northern  Pa- 
cific was  completed  about  the  last  of  May.  Trains 
began  running  on  schedule  time  on  June  10th. 

Several  peculiar  accidents  marked  the  year  of 
1901,  one  of  which  occurred  at  the  Cascade  lumber 


and  shingle  mill  on  July  13th.  The  mill  was  run- 
ning at  full  speed,  when  suddenly,  with  a  tremen- 
dous explosion,  the  great  ten-foo't  fly  wheel  burst 
and  scattered  wood  and  iron  a  distance  of  a  hun- 
dred feet.  There  were  forty  men  in  the  mill  at 
the  time  but  by  a  miracle  no  one  was  injured.  The 
damage  to  the  mill  was  about  two  thousand  dollars. 

In  August  an  accident  occurred  on  the  Northern 
Pacific  road  at  Snohomish.  A  freight  train  and  a 
work  train  were  standing  on  the  bridge,  when  a 
number  of  loaded  freight  cars  up  the  track  broke 
loose  and  smashed  into  them.  Two  of  the  bridge 
crew,  Walter  Dense  and  vVrthur  Palmer,  were  on 
one  of  the  standing  cars,  and  when  they  were 
struck  were  thrown  a  distance  of  fifty  feet,  sustain- 
ing very  severe  injuries,  each  breaking  both  his 
legs  and  Palmer  also  crushing  his  elbow.  The 
injured  men,  after  having  their  hurts  attended  to, 
were  taken  to  Seattle,  where  they  were  placed  in 
the  hospital. 

One  of  the  events  which  most  occupied  the 
minds  of  the  people  of  Snohomish  during  the  early 
part  of  1902  was  the  famous  Malvern  murder  case. 
The  body  of  Mrs.  Malvern  was  discovered  in  a 
building  occupied  by  the  Snohomish  hand  laundry, 
and  her  husband,  Joe  Malvern,  otherwi.se  known  as 
Glessing  Payne,  was  arrested  on  suspicion  of  being 
him.self  the  criminal.  The  coroner's  jury,  consist- 
ing of  Messrs.  Whitfield,  Wilbur,  Spurrell,  Andrus, 
W.  D.  Harlan,  and  Lysons,  brought  in  a  verdict  to 
the  efifect  that  the  woman  had  come  to  her  death  by 
a  bullet  wound  from  the  hand  of  Malvern  himself. 
His  own  testimony  had  established  the  conviction  in 
the  minds  of  the  jury  which  resulted  in  that  verdict. 
According  to  Malvern's  statement  his  wife  was 
temporarily  insane  and,  without  cause  or  action  on 
his  part,  had  shot  herself  while  standing  beside  the 
bed  on  which  he  himself  was  lying.  The  damaging 
part  of  his  testimony  was  in  trying  to  account  for 
the  fact  that  the  pistol  was  found  just  where  him- 
self claimed  to  have  been  lying,  for  he  asserted  that 
his  wife,  after  shooting  herself,  had  thrown  the 
weapon  into  that  position.  When  the  verdict  of  the 
coroner's  jury  was  brought  in  Malvern  was  very 
much  perturbed  and  upon  a  close  examination  after- 
ward by  Deputy  Sheriff  Brewer  he  endeavored  to 
change  his  story.     He  was  bound  over  for  trial. 

The  trial  began  on  May  2(\  and  was  ojjened  by 
Prosecuting  Attorney  Cooley  on  the  part  of  the 
state.  Attorney  Cooley  admitted  to  the  jury  that 
his  evidence  would  be  entirely  circumstantial,  but 
declared  that  he  was  able  to  prove  Malvern's  guilt. 
The  chief  witnesses  for  the  prosecution  were  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Johnson,  Willie  Thierson.a  thirteen- 
year-old  boy,  and  Dr.  McCready. 

Additional  testimony  was  educed  to  show  that 
twice  before  Malvern  had  made  attem])ts  upon  the 
woman's  life.  The  defense  brought  a  number  of 
witnesses  to  try  to  show  that  there  had  been  no 
difficulty  between  the  husband  and  wife  and  that 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


there  was  no  reason  to  suppose  that  Malvern  was 
in  possession  of  any  kind  of  a  deadly  weapon  im- 
mediately prior  to  the  occnrrence. 

After  volumiiimis  totimuny  had  been  given  and 
extended  pleas  made  li\  huth  the  prosecution  and 
the  defense,  the  jury  (leliberated  for  twelve  hours 
upon  the  case,  at  the  end  of  which  time  they 
brought  in  a  verdict  of  murder  in  the  second  degree. 
It  was  stated  that  at  first  eight  of  the  jurors  favored 
a  verdict  of  murder  in  the  first  degree  and  the  result 
was  finally  secured  as  a  compromise.  Malvern's 
lawyers  took  an  appeal  to  the  supreme  court,  but 
the  court  affirmed  tlie  verdict  and  Malvern  was 
sentenced  to  a  term  of  twenty  years  in  the  state 
penitentiary  at  Walla  Walla. 

A  very  serious  accident  happened  on  the  Snoho- 
mish Logging  Company's  road  on  the  Sth  of  May, 
1902.  The  engine,  hauling  a  load  of  logs,  liroke 
through  the  trestle  near  (  )wen  ^^'illiams'  place.  The 
engineer,  M.  J.  Riley,  was  instantly  killed  :  the  head 
brakeman,  A.  L.  Kittle,  was  so  seriously  injured 
that  lie  died  within  two  hours,  and  Frank  Tomlin- 
son,  scaler  for  the  Seattle  Cedar  Company,  was 
also  badly  hurt. 

As  soon  as  the  train  had  plunged  into  the  gap 
of  the  broken  bridge  word  was  sent  to  the  camp 
and  an  engine  was  despatched  with  several  men  to 
bear  relief,  but  by  a  curious  fatality  the  relief 
engine  became  uncontrollable  on  account  of  the 
slippery  condition  of  the  track  and  was  piled  up 
upon   the   ruins  of  the  preceding   train. 

One  of  the  most  important  events  in  railway 
circles  in  the  autumn  of  1903  was  a  transfer  of 
the  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  railway  to  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railway  Company. 

A  very  extensive  mining  transaction  took  place 
in  December  of  the  same  year,  namely,  the  con- 
solidation of  the  Helena  and  bornite  groups  of  thirty 
claims  at  the  head  of  Clear  creek  near  Silverton, 
and  their  transfer  to  the  American  Mining  and 
Milling  Company,  which  had  been  organized  a  short 
time  previous  by  Seattle  and  English  capitalists, 
among  whom  were  J.  W.  Chise  and  John  Pierce. 
These  two  gentlemen  had  had  much  experience  in 
mining,  and  Mr.  Chise,  as  the  representative  of  an 
English  syndicate,  invested  several  million  dollars 
in  Washington  mining  pro])erty.  The  property  cov- 
ered by  this  transaction  was  a  high  grade  copper 
proposition  said  by  experts  to  be  equal  to  the  famous 
United  Verd  mine  in  Arizona. 

The  mining  interests  were  active  during  the 
ensuing  year  and  we  find  record  in  the  Tribune  of 
August  21st  to  the  efifect  that  Charles  Sweeney  of 
Spokane  had  purchased  the  Everett  smelter  and  the 
Alonte  Cristo  mines.  It  was  stated  that  the  company 
represented  by  Mr.  Sweeney  had  a  capital  of  thirty 
million  dollars  and  was  backed  by  the  Goulds  and 
Rockefellers.  The  company  at  the  same  time  made 
e.xtensive  purchases  in  mining  regions  adjoining 
Spokane  and  in  the  Cocur  d'Alene  district  of  Idaho. 


The  value  of  the  purchase  in  Snohomish  county  was 
estimated  at  more  than  two  million  dollars.  Some- 
what to  the  surprise  of  the  people  of  Snohomish  the 
smelter  and  Monte  Cristo  mines  were  sold  by  Mr. 
Sweeney  in  October  following  to  the  American 
Smelting  and  Refining  Company. 

The  years  1903  and  thence  following  were  fruit- 
ful in  all  manner  of  trolley  car  rumors  and  enter- 
prises. A  public  meeting  was  called  in  the  early 
part  of  1903  at  Snohomish  to  discuss  the  formation 
of  a  company  for  building  a  people's  trolley  line 
from  Snohomish  to  Cherry  Valley.  As  a  result  of 
the  plans  and  discussions  there  Messrs.  Crippen, 
Snyder,  Hall,  Gorham,  Foster  and  Clemens  asked 
the  city  for  a  franchise  through  Snohomish.  The 
plan  of  this  company  was  that  it  should  be  under 
community  control  and  carried  out  in  the  interests 
of  the  public. 

The  franchise  was  accordingly  granted  by  the 
city  of  Snohomish  and  the  county  soon  after  granted 
a  similar  franchise  over  certain  county  roads  and 
crossings.  The  city  council  of  Monroe  granted  also 
a  franchise  through  the  streets  of  that  place.  Some 
trouble  seems  to  have  arisen  from  the  fact  that  the 
city  attorney  of  Monroe  tried  to  introduce  a  provi- 
sion that  if  any  other  company  should  begin  laying 
rails  inside  the  city  limits  of  Monroe  prior  to  the 
company  just  organized  that  the  latter  company 
would  be  compelled  to  purchase  the  rights  of  the 
other  company  or  surrender  its  own  franchise.  The 
committee  from  Snohomish,  however,  presented  the 
matter  in  such  a  light  that  the  Monroe  attorney 
failed  of  his  efforts.  Mr.  Colburn  was  in  charge  of 
the  survey  of  the  line  between  Snohomish  and 
Monroe.  He  found  the  farmers  in  the  direction  of 
Cherry  A^alley  to  be  quite  enthusiastically  favorable 
to  the  creation  of  the  proposed  line. 

.While  this  enterprise  was  in  progress  the  trolley 
between  Snohomish  and  Everett  had  been  com- 
pleted and  during  the  final  days  of  November,  1903, 
the  cars  ran  for  the  first  time  on  the  line.  J.  T. 
McChesney  was  one  of  the  most  active  promoters 
of  this  enterprise.  An  arrangement  was  made  with 
the  Northern  Pacific  Company  by  which  the  trolley 
cars  were  run  on  the  old  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo 
track,  which  had  been  acquired  a  short  time  pre- 
viously by  the  Northern  Pacific.  The  Northern 
Pacific  also  turned  over  all  passenger  and  express 
traffic  except  the  Monte  Cristo  to  the  trolley  com- 
pany. 

During  the  spring  of  1904  trolley  enterprises 
continued  unabated.  Franchises  were  being  se- 
cured for  lines  from  Seattle  to  Everett,  thence  to 
Snohomish,  Cherry  Valley,  Falls  City,  Issaquah, 
Renton,  and  around  the  south  end  of  Lake  Wash- 
ington to  Seattle  again,  thus  forming  a  complete 
loop.  The  franchises  were  granted  on  condition 
that  the  work  be  completed  in  three  years.  The 
Snohomish-Cherry  Valley  Trolley  Company,  which 
was  but  a  part  of  this  extensive  undertaking,  was 


CURRENT    EVENTS,    1897-190.5 


303 


incorporated  in  April  with  a  capital  of  one  million 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Among 
the  most  active  supporters  of  this  line  were  Messrs. 
Colburn,  Hall,  Brown  and  Snj-der.  This  year  also 
saw  the  organization  of  companies  for  the  con- 
struction of  other  parts  of  the  same  system,  in- 
cluding the  Everett-Seattle  route  and  the  Seattle, 
Kenton  &  Tolt  road.  More  recently  a  number  of 
other  schemes  have  been  advanced,  including  the 
construction  of  a  trolley  line  from  Bellingham  and 
also  one  from  Snohomish  to  Monroe.  While  only 
a  small  proportion  of  the  trolley  enterprises  of 
the  last  few  years  have  materialized  thus  far  the 
talk  still  continues  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  in  the 
near  future  much  greater  developments  along  those 
lines  will  be  carried  out. 

Among  the  accidents  recorded  for  the  year 
1903  was  a  wreck  on  the  Great  Northern  trestle  a 
mile  east  of  Lowell,  in  which  engineer  Archie 
Connelly  was  killed  and  fireman  A.  M.  Sparks 
wounded.  The  accident  occurred  in  March.  The 
trestle  was  being  repaired  and  the  train,  which  was 
a  freight,  was  flagged,  but  was  not  stopped  in  time 
and  the  engine  went  through.  Fireman  Sparks 
escaped  death  by  jumping,  but  Connelly  was  caught 
in  some  way  and  scalded  to  death.  The  train 
was  moving  at  a  slow  rate  and  none  of  the  cars 
left  the  track. 

The  annals  of  this  year  are  blackened  by  a 
number  of  crimes,  the  most  serious  being  the  mur- 
der of  Fred  Alderson  by  Angus  J.  McPhail.  These 
men  were  rival  saloon  keepers  of  Darrington.  A 
renewal  of  McPhail's  license  was  denied  by  the 
commissioners  on  the  ground  that  his  place  was 
disorderly.  McPhail  held  Alderson  responsible  for 
this  and  on  the  11th  of  May  walked  into  Alderson's 
saloon  and  while  the  latter  was  stooping  down  shot 
him  in  the  head.  Alderson  fell,  and  after  firing 
another  shot  into  the  body,  jMcPhail  fled  to  the 
woods  but  later  returned  and  gave  himself  up. 
Alderson  was  known  as  a  peaceful  citizen,  while 
McPhail  had   a  bad   record. 

The  trial  occurred  in  the  latter  part  of  October 
and  occupied  nearly  two  weeks,  the  defense  at- 
tempted to  establish  the  insanity  of  the  accused. 
The  jury  was  out  all  night  and  on  the  seventh  bal- 
lot agreed  on  a  verdict  of  murder  in  the  first  degree. 
]\IcPhail  afterward  made  an  attempt  on  his  own 
life  with  a  pair  of  shears,  and  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing a  flesh  wound  in  his  neck  which,  however,  did 
not  prove  fatal.  An  appeal  to  the  Supreme  court 
was  taken  by  Colonel  Hathaway,  counsel  for  the 
defense,  and  the  iudgment  of  the  lower  court  was 
affirmed.  Judge  Black  pronounced  the  death  sent- 
ence and  subsequently,  December  8,  190.5,  I\IcPhail 
was   executed. 

Another  serious  crime  was  the  murder  of  Henry 
Hots  in  December.  1903,  near  his  home  on  Black- 
man's  lake.  Hots  and  a  neighbor.  P.  L.  Shubert, 
had  been  having  trouble  with  chicken  thieves,  and 


had  made  an  agreement  to  keep  a  close  lookout 
for  them.  On  the  night  of  December  22d  August 
Shubert  discovered  one  of  the  thieves  just  as  he 
was  taking  flight,  and  immediately  shouted  out  to 
Hots  who  rushed  out  of  his  house  with  his  gun.  In 
a  few  moments  Shubert  heard  two  revolver  shots 
and  shortly  after  Mrs.  Hots  crying  out  that  her 
husband  was  shot.  The  thief  had  evidently  run 
upon  Hots  and  when  ordered  to  stop  had  fired  his 
revolver  with  the  result  that  Hots  was  instantly 
killed.  The  victim  of  this  crime  was  forty-five 
years  old  and  had  been  a  resident  of  Snohomish 
for  three  years,  having  come  thither  from  Arkan- 
sas. He  left  a  wife  and  four  children.  His  mur- 
derer was  never  apprehended. 

The  rapid  growth  in  material  wealth  at  this  time 
is  shown  by  a  glance  at  the  assessor's  books,  which 
indicate  an  increase  of  taxable  lands  for  1903  over 
1902  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  Twenty 
thousand  acres  of  land  appeared  on  the  books  which 
were  not  there  before. 

One  melancholy  event  occvirred  in  1903.  On 
the  4th  of  April,  Joe  Boggio  and  Mike  Gray,  two 
miners,  were  attempting  to  make  their  way  from 
the  Bornite  mine  to  Darrington,  a  distance  of  about 
twelve  miles.  They  thought  that  the  tramway  had 
been  completed  for  about  six  miles,  but  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact  there  was  nothing  more  than  a  blazed 
trail  for  nearly  the  whole  distance.  The  snow  was 
deep  and  after  going  about  seven  miles  Boggio 
became  so  exhausted  that  he  was  unable  to  pro- 
ceed :  then  they  turned  back,  but  Boggio  was 
unable  to  go  more  than  half  a  mile,  so  Gray  left 
him,  after  giving  him  his  coat,  and  started  back 
to  camp  alone.  When  night  overtook  him,  he 
could  only  keep  from  freezing  to  death  by  walking 
around  a  tree  till  daylight.  The  following  day 
he  reached  camp,  and  at  once  sent  a  miner  named 
Fred  Peterson  out  after  Boggio.  The  latter  had 
wandered  away,  however,  and  his  tracks  being 
covered  by  snow  Peterson  could  not  find  him. 
When  the  news  reached  Darrington  a  party  con- 
sisting of  B.  Gallagher,  Elmer  Burns,  T.  Gibson, 
L.  Barnett,  Thomas  Dorgan,  E.  Tamhill  and  two 
miners  went  in  search  of  the  unfortunate  man,  and 
after  enduring  hardships  which  prostrated  most 
of  the  searchers  they  finally  succeeded  in  finding 
the  body  of  Boggio  where  he  had  perished  in  a 
pool  of  shallow  water.  It  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  the  body  was  taken  to  Darrington,  where  it 
was  buried. 

A  railroad  disaster  occurred  on  the  2d  of  May 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Index.  A  Great 
Northern  freight  train  left  the  track  on  account 
of  the  rails  being  spread  by  the  heat  of  the  sun. 
and  twelve  cars,  loaded  with  steel  rails,  were  piled 
up,  some  of  them  being  smashed  to  pieces.  The 
engineer  was  seriously  injured. 

This  seems  to  have  been  a  period  replete  with 
railroad  accidents  in   Snohomish  countv.     On  the 


304 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


5th  of  February,  1905,  a  serious  accident  occurred 
to  a  work  train  on  the  Monte  Cristo  branch  of  the 
Northern  Pacific.  The  train  was  derailed  at  a  point 
about  one  and  a  half  mijes  beyond  Robe,  and  the 
engine  whistle  being  broken,  escaping  steam  scalded 
six  men.  The  engineer,  Robert  E.  Love,  and  the 
fireman,  C.  Carstensen,  lived  only  a  few  hours  after 
receiving  the  injury.  The  survivors.  John  Carhon, 
John  Potts  and  Guy  Bartlett,  who  were  bridgemen, 
and  William  Hestor,  who  was  the  engine  watchman, 
were  taken  to  Seattle  and  placed  in  the  hospital. 
William  Hestor  subsequently  died,  but  the  others, 
after  much  sufifering,  slowlv  recovered.  Deputy 
Coroner  Bakeman,  in  reporting  upon  this  accident, 
avoids  attributing  fault  to  anyone  and  states  that 
this  was  one  of  those  mysterious  accidents  that  can 
not  be  explained. 

And  still  there  were  more  to  follow.  Only 
fifteen  days  later  a  loaded  logging  train  on  the 
Canon  Lumber  Company's  new  road  near  Robe  ran 
away,  jumped  the  track,  and  was  speedily  trans- 
formed into  a  mass  of  twisted  iron  and  broken 
splinters.  The  cause  of  this  seems  to  have  been  the 
clogging  of  the  sand  box  and  the  consequent  sliding 
of  the  train  while  descending  a  steep  grade.  The 
train  passed  successfully  around  several  curves,  but 
when  near  the  foot  of  the  hill  upon  a  sharper  curve 
than  any  yet  passed  the  train  jumped  the-  track.  Tlie 
crew  having  been  notified  by  signals  from  the  engine 
that  the  train  was  beyond  control  began  jumping 
off,  the  engineer  being  last  to  leave  his  post.  No 
one  of  the  crew  was  injured,  although  the  speed 
of  the  train  at  the  moment  that  it  left  the  track  was 
so  great  that  the  engine,  striking  a  hemlock  tree 
nearly  three  feet  in  diameter,  broke  it  squarely  off. 
The  loss  in  this  case  fortunatelv  was  not  of  men  but 


of  materials,  the  value  of  the  equipment  destroyed 
being  not  less  than  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  un- 
fortunately for  the  company  this  was  uninsured. 

One  more  tragedy  in  this  portion  of  the  history 
remains  to  be  recorded,  one  which  occurred  on  the 
irth  of  January,  1905.  Pete  Hansen,  the  fourteen- 
year-old  son  of  Fritz  Hansen,  was  out  with  another 
boy  named  Claude  Johnston  near  the  trolley  turn 
table  in  Snohomish,  engaged  in  hunting  a  knife. 
Johnston  had  in  his  possession  a  gun  which  Hansen 
asked  to  take,  and  in  some  way  the  gun  was  dis- 
charged while  being  passed  from  the  one  to  the 
other  and  the  ball  passed  through  Hansen's  neck. 
Dr.  Munn  of  Marysville,  the  coroner  of  the  county, 
came  to  hold  an  inquest,  but  the  testimony  of  wit- 
nesses who  were  present  so  clearly  proved  that  the 
shooting  was  accidental  that  an  inquest  was  deemed 
unnecessary.  The  unfortunate  boy,  as  well  as  the 
famil)-  to  which  he  belonged,  had  borne  an  excellent 
reputation  and  the  tragedy  was  a  great  shock  to  the 
community  in  which  they  lived. 

We  complete  herewith  the  view  which  we  have 
been  endeavoring  to  give  throughout  the  preceding 
pages  of  the  magnificent  county  of  Snohomish. 
From  the  superb  islands  of  Whidby  and  Camano  on 
its  western  border  to  the  glistening  crests  of  Glacier 
Peak,  ten  thousand,  four  hundred  and  thirty-six 
feet  above  sea  level,  it  is  one  succession  of  sublime 
and  beautiful  scenes,  of  overflowing  resources 
adapted  to  every  species  of  human  activity,  and  con- 
taining a  population  not  easily  matched  for  intel- 
ligence, enterprise  and  patriotism.  With  all  of  these 
advantages  of  location,  of  resources,  and  of  the 
character  of  its  fifty  thousand  people,  Snohomish 
county  enters  upon  the  twentieth  century  with  un- 
bounded hopes  and  prospects  for  a  great  future. 


CHAPTER   V 


POLITICAL 


The  political  history  of  Snohomish  county  is 
replete  with  interest.  There  is  enough  of  the  per- 
sonal element  in  it  and  enough  of  sensation  to  en- 
chain the  attention.  Rarely  has  the  game  of  local 
politics  been  played  anywhere  with  greater  earnest- 
ness or  greater  skill  than  have  been  exhibited  at 
times  in  this  county  and  rarely  have  personal  con- 
tests been  characterized  by  greater  bitterness.  The 
writer,  however,  feels  constrained  to  touch  some  of 
the  most  sensational  incidents  but  lightly,  as  this 
game,  like  war,  is  played  in  the  dark,  and  it  is 
well  nigh  impossible  to  come  into  possession  of 
all  the  facts  so  completely  as  to  make  detailed  nar- 
ration safe.  The  conscientious  writer  will  take  no 
chances  where  a  possible  misunderstanding  of  facts 
might  do  some  innocent  person  irreparable  injury. 
For  this  reason  little  will  be  attempted  here,  further 
than  to  present,  as  fully  as  the  state  of  the  county 
records  will  permit,  the  results  of  the  different 
elections. 

By  the  creating  act,  heretofore  quoted,  the 
officers  appointed  until  the  election  were  as  follows : 
Sheriff,  Jacob  Summers ;  county  commissioners, 
E.  C.  Ferguson,  Henry  McClurg,  John  Harvey ; 
auditor,  J.  D.  Fowler;  probate  judge,  Charles  Short ; 
treasurer,   John    Harvey. 

It  appears  from  the  commissioners'  record  that 
all  these  gentlemen  accepted  the  honors  conferred 
upon  them  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  their  re- 
spective offices,  though  Summers  resigned  the 
shrievalty  in  May  and  Salem  Woods  was  appointed 
in  his  stead. 

No  official  returns  of  early  elections  are  avail- 
able at  this  date;  none  such  are  in  existence;  but 
from  the  commissioners'  record  it  appears  that  the 
following  persons  qualified  and  discharged  the 
duties  of  their  respective  offices  during  the  first 
decade  and  a  half  of  the  county's  existence,  namely, 
auditors.  J.  D.  Fowler,  E.  C.  Ferguson,  J.  E.  Clark, 
W.  G.  Bradley,  M.  W.  Packard,  David  Sheridan, 
who  left  the  county  in  the  fall  of  1874  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  W.  H.  Ward;  treasurers,  John  Harvey, 
George  Walker,  W.  B.  Sinclair,  Robert  Barrett. 
M.  W.  Packard,  by  appointment  to  succeed  Bar- 
rett resigned,  John  Batt  and  Thomas  F.  Marks; 
sheriffs,  Jacob  Summers,  Salem  Woods,  Samuel 
How  (F.  L.  Dunbar  was  elected  but  failed  to 
furnish  a  satisfactory  bond),  Charles  Seybert  and 
Benjamin  Stretch;  probate  judges,  Charles  Short, 
W.  B.  Sinclair,  George  Greenwood,  by  appointment, 


John  Barrett,  M.  W.  Packard  and  R.  Haskell ;  com- 
missioners, E.  C.  Ferguson,  H.  McClurg,  J.  D. 
Fowler,  John  Harvey,  P.  H.  Ewell,  F.  M.  Smith, 
Salem  Woods,  Franklin  Buck,  Charles  Harriman, 
N.  B.  Fowler,  P.  J.  Fields,  P.  C.  Preston,  E.  D. 
Smith,  by  appointment,  E.  D.  Smith  by  election, 
James  Long,  j\l.  H.  Reeves,  M.  T.  Wight  and 
George  Kyle.  Some  of  these  held  the  same  office 
more  than  once,  and  a  few  several  times. 

In  1876,  the  Republican  territorial  and  county 
nominees  were:  Delegate  to  congress.  Orange 
Jacobs;  prosecuting-attorney,  William  A.  Inman ; 
joint  councilman,  E.  C.  Ferguson ;  representative, 
O.  B.  Iverson ;  sheriff,  Benjamin  Stretch ;  auditor, 
John  Swett;  probate  judge,  H.  D.  Morgan;  treas- 
urer, J.  D.  Morgan;  county  commissioners,  J.  D. 
Irvine,  L.  H.  Witter,  M.  T.  Wight;  school  super- 
intendent, Hugh  Ross;  coroner,  A.  C.  Folsom. 

The  Democratic  ticket  was :  Delegate  to  con- 
gress, J.  P.  Judson ;  prosecuting  attorney,  W.  H. 
White;  joint  councilman,  M.  H.  Frost;  represent- 
ative, H.  W.  Light;  sheriff,  H.  Blackman;  auditor, 
J.  Swett;  probate  judge,  J.  N.  Low;  treasurer,  T. 
F.  Marks;  county  commissioners,  William  Whit- 
field, Charles  Harriman,  F.  H.  Hancock;  school 
superintendent,  J.  Town;  county  surveyor,  J.  T. 
Cotton;  coroner,  A.  C.  Folsom. 

The  election  ensuing  resulted  as  follows :  Dele- 
gate to  congress,  Jacobs,  Republican,  224,  Judson, 
Democrat.  143  ;  representative,  Iverson,  Republican, 
196,  H.  W.  Light,  Democrat,  153 ;  joint  councilman, 
(with  Whatcom  and  Kitsap  counties)  E.  C.  Fergu- 
son, Republican,  237,  M.  H.  Frost,  Democrat.  113 ; 
prosecuting  attorney,  W.  A.  Inman,  Republican, 
182,  W.  H.  White,  Democrat,  181;  for  constitu- 
tional convention,  305,  against  46;  auditor,  John 
Swett,  on  both  tickets,  353 ;  sheriff,  Benjamin 
Stretch,  Republican,  226,  H.  Blackman,  Democrat, 
137 ;  county  commissioners,  Whitfield,  Democrat, 
218;  Harriman,  Democrat,  210;  Irvine,  Republican, 
163;  Witter,  Republican,  159;  Hancock,  Democrat, 
158;  Wight,  Republican,  154;  tieasurer,  Morgan, 
Republican,  221,  Marks,  Democrat,  139,  Low,  1; 
probate  judge,  Morgan,  Republican,  239,  Low, 
Democrat,  114;  school  superintendent,  James  Town, 
Democrat,  183,  Hugh  Ross,  Republican,  169,  scat- 
tering, 2 ;  county  surveyor,  J.  T.  Cotton,  Democrat, 
158,  no  opposition;  coroner,  A.  C.  Folsom  (on  both 
tickets)    305,  scattering  32.     The  precincts  of  the 


306 


SNOHO:\IISH    COUXTY 


county  at  this  time  were:  Snohomish,  Tualco, 
Lowell,    Packwood,    Mukilteo   and    Centreville. 

H.  D.  Morgan,  probate  judge,  soon  resigned 
and  Royal  Haskell  was  appointed. 

In  1878,  the  Democrats  met  at  Snohomish  City, 
yVugust  31st,  and  nominated  the  following  county 
ticket:  Representative,  H.  Blackman ;  sheriff  and 
assessor,  William  Whitfield;  auditor,  John  H. 
Swett;  treasurer,  Lot  Wilbur;  probate  judge,  E.  H. 
Nicoll;  coroner,  Dr.  Taggart;  superintendent  of 
schools,  Dr.  T.  W.  McCoy. 

The  Republicans  convened  September  7th  and 
nominated  the  following  as  their  candidates:  Rep- 
resentative, O.  B.  Iverson;  county  commissioners, 
J.  H.  Irvine,  W.  H.  Ward  and  C.  H.  Stackpole; 
probate  judge,  R.  Haskell;  sheriff,  J.  H.  Plaskett; 
auditor,  H.  A.  Gregory ;  treasurer,  E.  C.  Ferguson ; 
school  superintendent,  T.  W.  McCoy ;  surv^eyor,  W. 
T.  Brown;  corroner,  Oliver. 

The  official  returns  of  this  election  we  have  not 
been  able  to  find,  but  from  the  commissioners' 
books,  it  appears  that  the  following  qualified  by 
furnishing  a  suitable  bond,  or  otherwise,  and  en- 
tered upon  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices: 
Treasurer,  Lot  Wilbur ;  sheriff,  William  Whitfield ; 
auditor,  John  Swett ;  surveyor,  W.  F.  Brown ; 
county  superintendent,  T.  W.  McCoy;  probate 
judge,  M.  W.  Packard  (probably  by  appointment)  ; 
commissioners,  F.  H.  Hancock,  John  Davis,  C.  H. 
Stackpole. 

Official  records  of  the  result  of  the  election  held 
in  November,  1880,  are  also  lacking,  but  from  the 
official  directory  published  by  the  Snohomish  Eye  in 
its  initial  issue,  January  1,  1882,  it  would  appear 
that  the  following  either  were  elected  in  1880,  or  ap- 
pointed to  fill  the  places  of  those  who  were  elected, 
namely,  sheriff,  William  Whitfield;  auditor,  H.  A. 
Gregory;  treasurer.  Lot  Wilbur;  probate  judge, 
A.  Hulbert;  surveyor,  William  F.  Brown;  school 
superintendent,  C.  A.  Missimer ;  commissioners,  H. 
D.  Morgan,  E.  D.  Smith,  T.  Ovenell. 

Preparatory  to  the  campaign  of  1882,  the  Re- 
publicans held  their  convention  at  Snohomish  City, 
September  9th.  The  territorial  and  district  tickets 
and  the  county  ticket  there  named  were  as  follows : 
Delegate  to  congress,  Thomas  H.  Brents ;  brigadier- 
general,  M.  A.  McPherson ;  adjutant-general,  R. 
G.  O'Brien ;  quartermaster-general,  J.  H.  Smith ; 
commissary-general,  C.  B.  Hopkins ;  prosecuting 
attorney,  third  judicial  district,  C.  M.  Bradshaw; 
joint  councilman,  James  Power;  joint  represent- 
ative, E.  C.  Ferguson ;  county  commissioners,  J. 
Rhoades,  G.  Austin,  H.  F.  Jackson ;  auditor,  J.  H. 
Plaskett;  sheriff,  Benjamin  Stretch;  treasurer,  I. 
Cathcart ;  school  superintendent,  A.  H.  Eddy ;  pro- 
bate judge,  J.  G.  Swafford  ;  coroner,  C.  Taftzerson ; 
surveyor,  J.   P.   Anderson. 

The  Democratic  county  ticket  was :  Sheriff, 
John  Swett ;  treasurer.  Lot  Wilbur  ;  auditor.  William 
Whitfield;    probate    judge,    II.    Blackman;    county 


commissioner,  Stillaguamish  district,  T.  S.  Adams; 
middle  district,  E.  C.  Ferguson;  upper  district, 
Isaac  Peer;  school  superintendent,  Mrs.  L.  W. 
Bell;  surveyor,  J.  Van  Bowen.  Committee  to  con- 
fer with  the  counties  of  Island,  Whatcom  and  San 
Juan  for  selection  of  nominees  for  joint  council- 
man and  joint  representative,  H.  Blackman,  Clark 
Ferguson  and  William  Romines.  Mr.  Blackman 
withdrew  from  the  ticket. 

There  was  also  a  third  ticket  in  the  field  this 
year,  the  People's  which  was  as  follows:  Auditor, 
J.  H.  Plaskett;  sheriff,  W.  W.  Howard;  treasurer. 
Lot  Wilbur;  probate  judge,  J.  Swafford;  county 
surveyor,  C.  A.  Missimer.  W.  W.  Howard  with- 
drew. 

The  election,  which  was  held  November  7th, 
resulted  as  follows :  Delegate  to  congress,  Thomas 
H.  Brent,  Republican,  330,  Thomas  Burke,  Demo- 
crat, 180 ;  brigadier-general,  M.  A.  McPherson, 
Republican,  335,  Samuel  Vinson,  Democrat,  166; 
adjutant-general,  R.  G.  O'Brien,  Republican,  334, 
L.  DeBeau,  Democrat,  164,  Burke,  1 ;  quarter- 
master-general, J.  H.  Smith,  Republican,  335,  J. 
W.  Bomer,  Democrat,  165 ;  commissary-general,  C. 
B.  Hopkins,  Republican,  335,  W.  A.  Wash,  Demo- 
crat, 165 ;  prosecuting  attorney,  third  judicial  dis- 
trict, C.  M.  Bradshaw,  Republican,  345,  W.  H. 
White,  Independent,  5 ;  joint  councilman,  James 
Power,  Republican,  290,  H.  Blackman,  Democrat, 
207 ;  joint  representative,  E.  C.  Ferguson,  Repub- 
lican, 301,  Peter  De  Jorup,  189,  H.  Blackman, 
Democrat,  1 ;  county  commissioners,  J.  Rhodes, 
Republican,  349,  A.  Austin,  Republican.  292,  H. 
Jackson,  Republican,  230,  Clark  Ferguson,  Demo- 
crat, 252,  Isaac  Peer,  Democrat,  189,  T.  S.  Adams, 
Democrat,  137,  William  Whitfield,  Democrat,  1 ; 
auditor,  J.  H.  Plaskett,  Republican,  290,  William 
Whitfield,  Democrat,  202 ;  sheriff,  Benjamin 
Stretch,  Republican,  233,  J.  H.  Swett,  Democrat, 
120,  W.  B.  Stevens,  Independent,  31 ;  treasurer,  I. 
Cathcart,  Republican,  257,  L.  Wilbur,  Democrat, 
230;  school  superintendent,  A.  H.  Eddv,  Republi- 
can, 184,  Mrs.  L.  W.  Bell,  Democrat,  '301.  C.  A. 
Missimer,  3 ;  probate  judge,  J.  G.  Swafford,  Repub- 
lican, 3.34,  G.  Walker,  Democrat,  153;  coroner,  C. 
Taftzerson,  Republican,  341,  G.  Walker,  Democrat, 
1,  T.  R.  Lytic,  Democrat,  2.  D.  Marvin,  Democrat. 
1;  surveyor,  J.  P.  Anderson,  Republican,  181,  J. 
Van  Bowen,  Democrat,  135,  C.  A.  Missimer,  In- 
dependent,  140. 

The  Republican  ticket  in  1884  was  as  follows: 
Delegate  to  congress,  J.  M.  Armstrong:  adjutant- 
general,  R.  G.  O'Brien ;  brigadier-general,  William 
Peel ;  commissary-general,  H.  W.  Livingston  ;  quar- 
termaster-general, D.  B.  Jackson  ;  prosecuting  at- 
torney, Richard  Osborn ;  joint  councilman,  E.  C. 
Ferguson ;  joint  representative,  Charles  Terry ; 
probate  judge,  J.  W.  Halbert;  countv  commission- 
ers. H.  W.  Illman,  P.  Peterson,  D.  F.  Sexton ; 
sheriff  and  assessor,  W.  W.   Howard ;  auditor,    J. 


POLITICAL 


H.  Plaskett;  treasurer,  Isaac  Cathcart;  surveyor, 
A.  J\I.  Hawkins;  school  superintendent,  ]\Irs.  E.  C. 
Granger;  coroner,  S.  J.  Burns. 

The  Democratic  nominees  were :  Delegate  to 
congress,  Charles  S.  Voorhees;  brigadier-general, 
James  McAuliff;  adjutant-general,  W.  E.  Ander- 
son; commissarj'-general,  George  Simon;  quarter- 
master-general, Frank  Hand ;  prosecuting  attorne_v, 
J.  T.  Ronald;  joint  councilman.  Walter  Crockett; 
joint  representative,  T.  B.  Neely;  sheriff  and 
assessor,  William  Whitfield  ;  auditor,  R.  M.  Folsom  ; 
treasurer,  John  Swett;  probate  judge,  E.  Boesche ; 
county  commissioners,  Charles  Harriman,  J.H.Con- 
dit,  N.  E.  Preston;  surveyor,  John  Nailor;  school 
superintendent,  D.  W.  Craddock ;  coroner,  William 
Deering. 

September  20th  a  "People's"  convention  was 
held  at  Stanwood,  the  object  of  which  was  set 
forth  in  the  following  resolutions  adopted  at  a 
previous  meeting: 

"Whereas,  the  political  parties  controlling  the 
political  affairs  of  Snohomish  county  for  the  last 
few  years  having  become  corrupt  in  the  eyes  of  the 
people,  and  are  headed  by  rings  and  cliques  which 
are  considered  dangerous  to  the  interests  of  the 
people,  and  Whereas,  a  great  deal  of  dissatisfac- 
tion is  expressed  against  said  rings  and  cliques,  and 
their  actions ;  therefore  be  it.  Resolved  that  we  the 
people  of  Snohomish  county  in  mass  convention 
here  convened,  hereby  repudiate  all  and  several  of 
the  nominations  and  actions  of  said  rings  and 
cliques,  and  nominate  a  ticket  from  the  people." 

The  following  county  ticket  was  nominated: 
Auditor,  Robert  Folsom;  treasurer,  Isaac  Cath- 
cart; sheriff"  and  assessor,  Benjamin  Stretch;  pro- 
bate judge,  J.  G.  Swafford;  school  superintendent, 
]\Irs.  E.  C.  Granger ;  surveyor,  H.  H.  Ames,  county 
commissioners,  P.  A.  Peterson,  Charles  Harriman, 
E.    S.    Murphin ;   coroner,    William    Deering. 

The  result  of  the  election  appears  from  the  fol- 
lowing official  returns  for  the  year:  Delegate  to 
congress,  J.  M.  Armstrong,  Republican,  429 ;  C.  S. 
Voorhees,  Democrat,  587;  adjutant-general,  R.  G. 
O'Brien.  Republican,  612,  W.  G.  Anderson,  Demo- 
crat, 407;  brigadier-general,  William  Peel,  Repub- 
lican, 618,  James  McAuliff,  Democrat,  404  ;  quarter- 
master-general. D.  B.  Jackson,  Republican,  518, 
Frank  Hand,  Democrat,  481 ;  commissarj'-general. 
H.  W.  Livingston,  Republican,  614,  George  Simon, 
Democrat,  310,  Simon  Burg,  Independent,  96 ;  pros- 
ecuting attorney,  Richard  Osborn,  Republican,  496, 
J.  T.  Ronald,  Democrat,  519 ;  joint  councilman,  E. 
"C.    Ferguson,    Republican,    506,    Walter    Crockett, 

Democrat, ;     joint     representative,     Charles 

Terry,  Republican,  529,  T.  B.  Neely,  Democrat, 
486;  probate  judge,  J.  W.  Halbert,  Republican. 
297.  E.  Boesch,  Democrat,  254,  J.  G.  Swafford, 
Independent,  463 ;  county  commissioners,  H.  W. 
Illman,  Republican,  297,  D.  F.  Sexton,  Republi- 
can, 463,  P.  A.  Peterson,  Republican,  474,  Charles 


Harriman,  Democrat,  574,  J.  H.  Condit,  Democrat, 
399,  N.  E.  Preston,  Democrat,  293,  S.  S.  Murphin, 
Independent,  257 ;  sheriff"  and  assessor,  W.  H. 
Howard,  Republican.  287,  William  Whitfield, 
Democrat,  300,  Benjamin  Stretch.  Independent, 
430;  auditor,  J.  H.  Plaskett,  Republican,  604,  R. 
M.  Folsom,  Democrat,  414;  treasurer,  I.  Cathcart, 
Republican,  748,  J.  H.  Swett,  Democrat,  256;  sur- 
veyor, A.  M.  Hawkins,  Republican,  582,  John 
Nailor,  Democrat,  227,  H.  H.  Ames,  Independent, 
192 ;  school  superintendent,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Granger, 
Republican,  546,  D.  W.  Craddock,  Democrat,  465 ; 
coroner,  S.  J.  Burns.  Republican,  381,  William 
Deering,  Democrat,  601 ;  church  property  tax,  ves. 
530,  no,  238. 

The  question  of  having  Snohomish  county  di- 
vided by  the  annexation  to  Skagit  of  two  tiers  of 
townships  along  the  northern  border  of  the  county 
had  been  quietly  but  vigorously  agitated  in  the 
precincts  of  the  lower  Stillaguamish  and  in  parts 
of  Skagit  county  for  some  time,  and  it  was  claimed 
that  this  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  formation  of  the 
Independent  ticket.  The  movement  was,  of  course, 
obnoxious  to  all  other  parts  of  Snohomish  county, 
but  the  precincts  which  sought  segregation.  The 
position  of  Skagit  county,  and  no  doubt  of  many 
persons  in  the  Stillaguamish  country  was  thus  set 
forth  in  December,  1884,  by  the  Skagit  News: 

"The  Stillaguamish  valley  has  played  but  little 
part  heretofore  in  the  politics  of  Snohomish  county. 
The  richest  part  of  the  country,  it  is  well  settled  by 
intelligent  people,  yet  so  complete  is  its  separation 
from  the  other  section  that  its  voice  has  been  little 
heeded  in  the  Republican  convention,  but  on  elec- 
tion day  it  has  exhibited  what  the  Eye  considers 
party  virtue  and  supported  the  regular  nominees. 
This  last  election  is  but  a  type  of  the  usual  division 
of  offices,  every  one  in  the  county  being  appro- 
priated by  men  south  of  this  river.  The  valley  was 
given  a  wide  berth  and  was  expected  to  sleep  until 
the  next  election.  Its  candidate  for  commissioner 
defeated,  it  is  to  pay  the  taxes  as  heretofore,  and 
in  return  the  county  allows  it  to  put  on  its  own 
roads  only  that  part  of  the  taxes  that  cannot  be 
collected  in  money.  Paying  more  than  its  share  of 
taxes,  according  to  population,  it  can  have  neither 
office  nor  road.  This  district  is  not  one  whit 
better  than  if  the  county  seat  were  located  in  the 
extremity  of  Patagonia. 

"For  six  years  or  more  this  river  has  sought  to 
be  cut  off  from  Snohomish  county.  Twice  has  this 
proposition  appeared  in  the  legislature.  Yet  the 
Eye  thinks  Snohomish  county  duped  because  this 
people,  already  determined  on  the  independent 
movement,  supported  Walter  Crockett  for  council- 
man, hoping  to  obtain  justice  from  the  next  legis- 
lature. 

"The  case  is  admitted  when  the  Eye  says  the 
people  of  the  southern  part  of  the  country  would 
not  object  to  this  division  could  they  obtain  a  like 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


quantity  from  King  county.  For  such  a  trade 
'agreeable  and  beneficial  to  all  concerned'  the  Eye, 
however,  has  no  hopes.  So  it  insists  on  the  Still- 
aguamish  remaining  as  a  province  of  Snohomish 
county  rather  than  to  see  it  become  a  part  of  Skagit, 
which  its  location,  its  business  and  the  unanimous 
wish  of  its  people  would  declare  it. 

"If  this  southern  belt  of  Snohomish  county,  four 
townships  wide,  cannot  support  itself,  it  has  no  right 
to  withhold  self  government  from  this  fertile  region. 
The  Stillaguamish  would  come  to  Skagit  without 
one  public  work  to  show  for  its  long  subjection  to 
Snohomish   county." 

The  campaign  of  1886  in  Snohomish  county 
was  a  fiercely  fought  one.  For  a  year  or  more 
the  Eye  newspaper  had  been  criticising  Sherii? 
Benjamin  Stretch  with  great  vehemence,  and  ac- 
cusing him  of 'dereliction  in  not  turning  delinquent 
taxes  collected  by  him  into  the  county  treasury. 
At  the  time  of  the  election  a  suit  was  pending 
against  Sheriff  Stretch  for  more  than  two  thousand 
dollars,  claimed  to  be  due  the  county  from  this 
source.  The  editor  of  the  Eye  claimed  the  Re- 
publican party  was  in  the  hands  of  a  ring  with 
Stretch  and  Isaac  Cathcart  at  its  head.  Stretch 
nevertheless  received  the  nomination  of  the  Repub- 
licans, whose  convention  was  held  September  4th. 
The  other  nominees  were :  Delegate  to  congress, 
Charles  M.  Bradshaw,  of  Port  Townsend ;  joint 
councilman,  J.  P.  McGlinn,  of  La  Conner;  joint 
representative,  J.  H.  Irvine,  Stanwood ;  treasurer, 
Isaac  Cathcart;  auditor,  J.  H.   Plaskett ;  assessor, 

C.  J.  Murphy ;  probate  judge,  J.  G.  Swafford ;  sur- 
veyor, George  James;  school  superintendent,  J.  W. 
Heffner;  commissioners,  P.  Leque,  G.  J.  England, 
A.  Austin  :  coroner.  Dr.  J.  D.  Morris. 

The  Democrats  held  their  county  convention 
September  2.5th  and  placed  in  nomination  the  fol- 
lowing: Sheriff,  L.  H.  Cyphers;  treasurer,  S.  M. 
Knapp ;  auditor,  D.  M.  Craddock ;  assessor,  A. 
Leamer;  probate  judge,  J.  G.  Swafford;  surveyor, 
Charles  Anderson ;  school  superintendent,  J.  I. 
Griffith ;  commissioners,  J.  Sill,  C.  D.  Lloyd,  D.  W. 
Evans.  The  territorial  and  district  nominees  of 
their  party  in  this  campaign  were :  Delegate  to  con- 
gress, Charles  S.  Voorhees,  of  Colfax  ;  joint  council- 
man, J.  H.  Lewis,  of  Seattle;  joint  representative, 
J.  M.  McElroy,  of  Samish ;  prosecuting  attorney, 
J.  T.  Ronald,  of  Seattle. 

The  People's  ticket  was  as  follows :  Delegate  to 
congress,  William  A.  Newall ;  joint  representative, 

D.  O.  Pearson,  of  Stanwood;  sheriff,  L.  H.  Cyp- 
hers; treasurer,  S.  M.  Knapp;  auditor,  D.  W. 
Craddock;  assessor,  P.  Larson;  probate  judge,  A. 
M.  Hawkins ;  surveyor.  C.  L.  Anderson ;  school 
superintendent,  J.  I.  Griffith ;  commissioners,  N.  P. 
Leque,  S.  D.  Lloyd,  J.  H.  Halbert. 

The  result  of  the  election  may  be  seen  from  the 
official  returns,  which  follow.  Stretch,  as  will  be 
seen,  was  somewhat  badly  defeated.     School  super- 


intendent, Griffith,  Democrat,  574,  Heffner,  Re- 
publican, 642 ;  surveyor,  Anderson,  Democrat,  715, 
James,  Republican,  498 ;  assessor,  Larson,  People's, 
503,  Murphy,  Republican,  691 ;  treasurer,  Knapp, 
Democrat,  716,  Cathcart,  Republican,  460;  auditor, 
Craddock,  Democrat,  665,  Plaskett,  Republican, 
558;  sheriff.  Cyphers,  Democrat,  835,  Stretch,  Re- 
publican, 386  ;  county  commissioners,  Evans,  Demo- 
crat, 578,  Sill,  Democrat,  515,  Lloyd,  Democrat, 
757,  Austin,  Republican,  437,  England,  Republican, 
363,  Leque,  Republican,  776,  Halbert,  People's,  128; 
probate  judge,  Hawkins,  People's,  507,  Swafford, 
Republican,  523 ;  representative,  Pearson,  People's, 
265,  McElroy,  Democrat,  528,  Irvine,  Republican, 
379 ;  councilman,  Lewis,  Democrat,  495,  McGlinn, 
Republican,  690 ;  prosecuting  attorney,  Ronald, 
Democrat,  558,  Newlin,  Republican,  550 ;  delegates, 
Newell,  People's,  95,  Voorhees,  Democrat,  559, 
Bradshaw,  Republican,  540. 

The  case  of  the  county  against  Stretch  was 
settled  out  of  court  late  in  December,  1886,  by  an 
agreement  between  Stretch  and  his  attorney  and 
the  district  attorney  that  Stretch  should  pay  to  the 
county  all  delinquent  taxes  shown  on  the  roll  of 
1884,  except  such  as  were  uncollectable  at  the  time 
he  received  the  roll.  They  found  that  of  the  two 
thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  for  which 
suit  had  been  brought  Stretch  had  collected  and 
turned  in  about  one  thousand  three  hundred  dol- 
lars with  the  lawful  interest  thereon;  also  from 
the  returns  of  the  different  road  supervisors  that 
four  hundred  and  forty-two  dollars  of  the  amount 
sued  for  had  been  worked  out  on  roads.  The 
total  to  Stretch's  credit  was  $1,742.60.  The  bal- 
ance deemed  collectable  by  the  district  attorney  was 
$445.61,  for  which  the  ex-sheriff  gave  his  note, 
endorsed  by  two  citizens  as  sureties,  and  payable 
in  sixty  days.  The  costs  in  the  court  were  also 
taxed    against    Stretch. 

The  Republican  nominees,  territorial,  district 
and  county,  in  1888,  were :  Delegate  to  congress, 
John  B.  Allen ;  brigadier-general,  A.  P.  Curry ; 
adjutant-general,  R.  G.  O'Brien ;  prosecuting  attor- 
ney, W.  W.  Newlin;  joint  councilman,  John  B. 
Ault;  joint  representative,  J.  J.  Edens ;  auditor,  F. 
H.  Lysons;  sheriff,  R.  V.  Thompkins ;  treasurer, 
Charles  Lawry ;  probate  judge,  J.  G.  Swafford; 
school  superintendent,  J.  W.  Heffner;  surveyor, 
P.  Leque ;  assessor,  John  Rhoades ;  commissioners, 
D.  S.  Baker,  A.  M.  "Pritchard,  F.  E.  Phelps;  cor- 
oner, U.  Stinson. 

The  Democratic  nominees  were :  Delegate  to 
congress,  C.  S.  Voorhees ;  brigadier-general,  J.  J. 
Hunt;  adjutant-general.  H.  Butler;  prosecuting  at- 
torney, E.  F.  Blaine ;  joint  councilman,  M.  J. 
McElroy;  joint  representative,  F.  H.  Hancock; 
auditor,  D.  W.  Craddock ;  sheriff,  L.  H.  Cyphers ; 
probate  judge,  James  Burton ;  superintendent  of 
schools,  J.  R.  Winn ;  surveyor,  C.  H.  Anderson ; 
assessor,    Jasper    Sill;    coroner,    William    Deering; 


POLITICAL 


commissioners,  I.  N.  Mudgett,  W.  R.  Stockbridge, 
James  Roberts;  treasurer,  S.  M.  Knapp. 

The  vote  was  as  follows :  Delegate  to  congress, 
J.  B.  Allen,  Republican,  805,  C.  S.  Voorhees,  Demo- 
crat, 473,  R.  S.  Greene,  Prohibition.  13;  brigadier- 
general,  A.  P.  Curry,  Republican,  837,  J.  J.  Hunt, 
Democrat,  469 ;  adjutant-general,  R.  G.  O'Brien, 
Republican,  818,  H.  Butler,  Democrat,  471 ;  prose- 
cuting attorney,  W.  W.  Newlin,  820,  E.  F.  Blaine, 
Democrat,  486 ;  joint  councilman,  J.  B.  Ault.  Repub- 
lican, 854,  j\I.  J.  McElroy,  Democrat,  447;  joint 
representative,  J.  J.  Edens,  Republican,  841,  F.  H. 
Hancock,  Democrat,  461 ;  auditor,  F.  H.  Lysons, 
Republican,  655,  D.  W.  Craddock,  Democrat,  645 ; 
sheriff,  R.  V.  Thompkins,  Republican,  838,  L.  H.' 
Cyphers,  Democrat,  47"2;  treasurer,  C.  Lawry,  Re- 
publican, 743 ,  S.  M.  Knapp,  Democrat,  562 ;  pro- 
bate judge,  J.  G.  Swafford,  Republican,  806 ; 
James  Burton,  Democrat,  505 ;  superintendent  of 
schools,  J.  W.  Heffner,  Republican,  806,  J.  R. 
Winn,  Democrat,  491 ;  assessor,  J.  Rhoades,  Repub- 
lican, 820,  O.  B.  McFadden,  Democrat,  487;  com- 
missioners, D.  S.  Baker,  Republican,  778,  A.  M. 
Pritchard,  Republican,  707,  F.  E.  Phelps,  Republi- 
can, 724,  W.  R.  Stockbridge,  Democrat,  466,  I. 
N.  Mudgett,  Democrat,  524,  J.  B.  Roberts,  Demo- 
crat, 510;  coroner,  U.  Stinson,  Republican,  820, 
William  Deering,  Democrat,  460 ;  surveyor,  P. 
Leque,  Republican,  836,  C.  H.  Anderson,  Demo- 
crat.  466. 

The  admission  of  the  territory  to  the  Federal 
sisterhood  made  it  necessary  to  hold  an  election 
October  3,  1889.  At  this  time  the  precincts  of  Sno- 
homish county  were  :  jMukilteo,  Edmonds,  Florence, 
Stanwood,  Stillaguamish,  Kent  Prairie,  Marysville, 
Lowell,  Fernwood,  Beecher  Lake,  Snohomjsh,  Pil- 
chuck.  Portage,  Park  Place,  Tualco,  Sultan,  Moun- 
tain, North  Fork,  Highland,  Bear  Creek,  Lake  and 
Gold  Bar.  The  result  of  this  election  in  this  county 
was :  Congressman,  John  L.  Wilson,  Republican, 
882.  Thomas  Griffiths,  Democrat,  652 ;  governor,  E. 
P.  Ferry,  Republican,  880,  Eugene  Scrapie,  Demo- 
crat, 659  ;  senator.  Vestal,  Republican,  852,  Crad- 
dock, Democrat.  680 ;  representatives.  Eddy, 
Republican,  796,  Robertson,  Republican,  828,  Whit- 
field. Democrat,  631,  McPhee,  Democrat.  746; 
clerk.  Roscoe,  Republican,  796,  J.  V.  Bowen,  Demo- 
crat. 7:i6 ;  judge,  Weisenberger,  Republican,  677, 
J.  R.  Winn.  Democrat,  840 ;  for  state  capital.  Olym- 
pia.  982.  Ellensburg,  335,  North  Yakima,  88;  for 
prohibition  464,  against  prohibition  821 ;  for 
woman  suffrage,  399,  against  woman  suffrage,  939  ; 
for  the  constitution,  1.202.  against  constitution.  130. 

The  Republican  county  convention  of  1890  was 
held  September  20th,  and  the  following  were  de- 
clared the  candidates  of  the  party  for  "the  various 
offices :  County  clerk,  C.  T.  Roscoe.  Jr. ;  attorney, 
J.  W.  Heffner;  county  surveyor,  Elmer  Lenfest; 
school  superintendent,  H.  B.  Dixon;  sheriff,  C.  C. 
Thornton ;  auditor,  F.  H.  Lysons,  treasurer,  Charles 


Lawry;  assessor,  John  F.  Rhodes;  members  legis- 
lature, D.  O.  Pearson  and  A.  W.  Frater;  county 
commissioners,  J.  W.  Armstrong,  L.  R.  Hillery, 
J.  L.  Brown;  coroner.  Dr.  Limerick. 

The  date  of  the  Democratic  county  convention 
of  1890  was  September  27th,  and  the  nominees 
were:  Sheriff,  James  Burton;  treasurer,  Samuel 
Knapp;  auditor,  George  R.  Ruff  (a  Republican); 
coroner,  Dr.  J.  S.  Mcllhaney;  superintendent  of 
schools,  A.  B.  Rogers ;  representatives,  H.  B.  Myers 
and  J.  W.  Fraine;  county  clerk,  W.  M.  Alien; 
prosecuting  attorney,  J.  W.  Miller;  assessor,  D. 
Evans;  commissioners,  Fred  Anderson,  M.  F. 
Shea,  J.   L.   Morgan;   surveyor,   C.   H.  Anderson. 

The  official  returns  of  the  election  show  the 
following  as  the  results  in  this  county:  For  state 
capital,  Ellensburg,  94,  North  Yakima,  41,  Olym- 
pia,  1,436.  For  congress,  Abernathv,  Republican, 
85,  Carroll,  Democrat,  668,  Wilson.  Republican, 
1.017;  representatives,  Fraine,  Democrat,  799, 
Frater,  Republican,  956,  Myers,  Democrat,  611, 
Pearson,  Republican,  795;  sheriff.  Burton,  Demo- 
crat, 1,043,  Thornton,  Republican,  811 ;  clerk,  Allen. 
Democrat,  595,  Roscoe,  Republican,  1,236;  auditor, 
Lysons,  Republican,  802,  Ruff,  Democratic  nominee, 
1030  (Ruff  though  Democratic  nominee  was  a 
Republican)  ;  treasurer,  Kjiapp,  Democrat,  746, 
Lawry,  Republican,  1,049 ;  prosecuting  attorney, 
Heffner,  Republican,  1,049,  Miller,  Democrat,  765; 
assessor,  Evans,  Democrat,  742,  Rhodes,  Republi- 
can, 1,027;  superintendent  of  schools,  Dixon,  Re- 
publican, 1,072,  Rogers,  Democrat,  676 :  surveyor, 
Anderson,  Democrat,  782,  Lenfest,  Republican, 
1,000;  coroner.  Limerick,  Republican,  1,129,  Mcll- 
haney, Democrat,  630 ;  commissioners,  Anderson, 
Democrat,  1,035,  Armstrong,  Republican,  738, 
Brown,  Republican,  964,  Shea,  Democrat,  744,  Hil- 
lery, Republican,  962,  Morgan,  Democrat,  770;  On 
proposition  of  bonding  the  county  for  the  construc- 
tion of  roads,  yes,  987,  no,  564. 

In  the  election  of  1893  the  People's  party  ap- 
peared for  the  first  time  as  a  forceful  organization  in 
Snohomish  county  politics,  though  its  principles 
had  been  advocated  for  some  time  before.  The 
nominees  of  the  county  convention  were :  State 
senator.  Jay  Ewing;  representatives,  John  Farrell, 
James  Burton ;  auditor,  J.  A.  Davis ;  clerk,  John 
Jones ;  treasurer,  H.  G.  York ;  sheriff,  John 
McShane;  superintendent  of  schools,  J.  N.  Sinclair; 
assessor,  T.  B.  McNeil;  prosecuting  attorney,  T. 
J.  Dooley. 

The  Democratic  county  convention  made  the 
following  nominations :  State  senator,  J.  E.  Mc- 
Manus ;  representatives,  S.  J.  Marsh,  Fred  Ander- 
son ;  sheriff,  James  Hagan ;  treasurer,  M.  F.  Shea ; 
auditor,  D.  S.  Swerdfiger ;  prosecuting  attorney,  L. 
C.  Whitney;  clerk.  Paul  B.  Hyner;  school  superin- 
tendent. Rev.  G.  H.  Feese ;  assessor,  W.  J.  Gillespie ; 
coroner,  Dr.  O.  V.  Harris ;  surveyor,  W.  J.  Crocken  ; 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


commissioners,  Thomas  Moran,  Q.  M.  Friars  and 
Don  W.  Evans. 

The  county  ticket  of  tlic  RepubHcan  party  was: 
State  senator,  S.  H.  Nichols ;  representatives,  J.  W. 
Alolique,  Cris.  T.  Roscoc ;  auditor,  D.  S.  Baker ; 
clerk,  Robert  Hulbert ;  treasurer,  C.  L.  Lawry ; 
sheriff,  F.  Gierin ;  prosecuting  attorney,  W.  H.  R. 
McMartin ;  superintendent  of  schools,  B.  H.  Dixon ; 
assessor,  Peter  Leque ;  surveyor,  J.  B.  Carothers ; 
coroner.  Dr.  S.  B.  Limerick ;  commissioners,  C.  J. 
Murphy,  E.  L.  Hollenbeck,  H.  W.  Illman. 

The  county  Prohibitionists  placed  the  following 
ticket  in  the  field :  Representatives,  Rev.  O.  L. 
Fowler,  Rev.  John  Kager ;  auditor,  Gus  Sorrensen ; 
clerk,  George  W.  Frame ;  treasurer,  John  Spencer ; 
sheriff,  Edward  Buber;  superintendent  of  schools. 
Rev.  J.  W.  Dorrance ;  assessor,  W.  E.  Collins ; 
coroner,  A.  Folsom;  commissioners,  J.  W.  Myers, 
Guy  Pearson,  J.  A.  Davis. 

An  abstract  of  the  official  count  follows :  Gov- 
ernor, McGraw,  Republican,  1,388,  Snivclv.  Demo- 
crat, 1,311,  Young,  Populist,  1,704,  GreciK-,  Prohi- 
bition, 118;  lieutenant-governor.  Luce,  Rcpulilican, 
1,412,  Wilson,  Democrat,  1,321,  Twiss,  Popuhst, 
1.480,  Strong,  Prohibition,  106;  secretary  of  state, 
Price,  Republican,  1,456,  McReavey,  Democrat, 
1,335,  Wood,  Populist,  1,462,  Gilstrap,  Prohibition, 
00:  state  treasurer,  Bowen,  Republican,  J,4.")."i, 
Clothier,  Democrat,  1,350,  Adams,  Populist,  1,4:5:, 
Stewart,  Prohibition,  89  ;  state  auditor.  Grimes,  Re- 
publican, 1,443,  Baso,  Democrat,  1,347,  Rodolph, 
Populist,  1,429,  Carlson,  Prohibition,  93;  attorney- 
general.  Jones,  Republican,  1,468,  Starr.  Democrat, 
1,323,  Teats,  Populist,  1,443,  Smith,  Prohibition, 
92 ;  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  Bean,  Re- 
l^ublican,  1,466,  Morgan,  Democrat,  1,341,  Smith, 
Populist,  1,406,  Heiney,  Prohibition,  94;  commis- 
sioner of  public  lands,  Forrest,  Republican,  1,461, 
Lewis,  Democrat,  1,326,  Callaway,  Populist,  1,429. 
Gibson,  Prohibition,  89 ;  state  printer.  White,  Re- 
]5ublican,  1,448,  Borden,  Democrat,  1,318,  Alurphy, 
Populist,  1,502;  superior  judge,  Denn\,  Reptihlican. 
1,574,  Coleman,  Democrat,  1,368,  Hca'^lKc,  I '.  iimli'^t, 
1,386;  state  senator,  Nichols,  Repulilican.  I,:;i2, 
McManus,  Democrat,  1,525,  Ewing,  Populist,  1.399, 
Haggard,  Prohibition,  90,  Morris,  Independent,  19  : 
representatives,  Roscoe,  Republican,  1,512,  Molique. 
Republican,  1,281,  Anderson,  Democrat,  1,440, 
Marsh,  Democrat.  1.182,  Farrell,  Populist,  1.280, 
Burton,  Populist.  1,504.  Fowler,  Prohibition.  80, 
Kager,  Prohibition,  80,  Sinclair,  Independent, 
2;  county  auditor.  Baker,  Republican.  1.339, 
Swerdfiger,  Democrat,  1,561,  Davis,  Populist, 
1,358,  Sorrenson,  Prohibition,  77;  county  clerk, 
Hulbert,  Republican,  1,588,  Hyner,  Democrat, 
1,370,  Jones,  Populist,  1,310,  Frame,  Prohibition, 
0 ;  treasurer,  Lawry,  Republican,  1,496,  Shea,  Dem- 
ocrat, 1,307,  York,  Populist,  1,429;  sheriff,  Gierin, 
Republican,  1,357,  Hagan,  Democrat,  1,958,  Mc- 
Shane,  Populist,   1,117;  prosecuting  attorney,   Mc- 


Martin, Republican,  1,332,  Whitney,  Democrat, 
1,438,  Dooley,  Populist,  1,481 ;  superintendent  of 
schools,  Dixon,  Republican,  1,332,  Sinclair,  Populist, 
2,648,  Dorrance,  Prohibition,  104 ;  assessor,  Leque, 
RepubHcan,  1.562,  Gillespie,  Democrat.  1,395, 
McNeil,  Popuhst,  1,239,  Collins,  Prohibition,  63; 
surveyor,  Carothers,  Republican,  1,486,  Crocken, 
Democrat,  1,398,  Cooley,  Populist,  1,357;  coroner, 
Limerick,  Republican,  1,377,  Harris,  Democrat, 
1,365,  Thompson,  Populist,  1,370,  Folsom.  Prohibi- 
tion, 76 ;  commissioners,  first  district.  Murphy,  Re- 
publican, 1,346,  Moran,  Democrat,  1,568,  Douglass, 
Populist,  1.106,  Allen,  Prohibition,  192  ;  second  dis- 
trict, Hollenbeck,  Republican,  1,126,  Friars,  Demo- 
crat, 1,417,  Fourtner,  Populist,  1,249,  Pearson,  Pro- 
hibition, 102 ;  third  district,  Illman,  Republican, 
1,344,  Evans,  Democrat.  1,440,  Smallman.  Populist, 
1,142,  Davis.  Prohibition,  88. 

In  December,  1893,  a  serious  quarrel  between 
Prosecuting  Attorney  Whitney  and  the  county  com- 
missioners culminated  in  the  former's  bringing  an 
action  in  the  superior  court  for  the  removal  of  the 
latter  from  office.  The  complaint  charged  the  board 
with  malfeasance,  misfeasance,  corruption  and  mis- 
demeanor in  office.  It  contained  five  specifications. 
the  substance  of  which  was  that  the  board  had 
conspired  with  certain  persons  unknown  to  monop- 
olize the  retail  liquor  business  in  Monte  Cristo  and 
Silvcrton,  had  held  unnecessary  special  sessions  and 
unduly  prolonged  regular  ones,  contrary  to  law, 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  as  much  county  money 
into  their  own  private  purses  as  possible,  and  had 
procured  the  auditor  to  issue  warrants  illegally  and 
corruptly  in  a  number  of  instances. 

The  case  came  on  for  hearing  before  Judge 
Denny  in  February.  The  defendant  commissioners 
demurred  to  the  complaint  on  the  ground  that  it 
cHd  not  state  facts  sufficient  to  constitute  a  cause  of 
action,  which  demurrer  the  court  sustained,  dismiss- 
ing the  action.  An  appeal  was  taken  to  the  supreme 
court,  which,  December  27,  1894.  sustained  the 
ruling  of  the  lower  court,  settling  the  matter  finally 
in  favor  of  the  commissioners. 

The  Democratic  county  convention  of  the  year 
1894  met  at  Everett,  September  13th,  and  placed  in 
nomination  the  following  persons  :  Representatives, 
James  Currie,  William  McPhee :  prosecuting  attor- 
ney, L.  C.  Whitncx' :  auditor.  Fred  S.  Anderson: 
sheriff,  James  Il.it^aii:  clerk,  E.  E.  Johnson; 
treasurer,  Jasper  ."^ill :  assessor,  H.  B.  Myers;  sup- 
erintendent of  schools.  H.  Turner ;  surveyor.  J. 
Nailor ;  coroner,  J.  T.  Rogers ;  commissioners,  I.  C. 
Carpenter,  Q.  E.  Friars,  William  Whitfield. 

The  Populists  held  their  convention  next  day 
and  their  candidates  were  :  Treasurer.  H.  G.  York ; 
auditor,  J.  A.  Davis ;  prosecuting  attorney,  F.  M. 
Headlee;  clerk,  Alex.  Ewing;  assessor,  Thomas 
Jensen;  representatives,  C.  Joergenson,  J.  N.  Sin- 
clair ;  sheriff,  J.  C.  IMitchell ;  county  superintendent, 
James   Brady ;    surveyor,   J.   J.    Sheehan ;   coroner, 


POLITICAL 


T.  F.  Thompson;  commissioners,  O.  Tiedmen,  H. 
H.  Whittam  and  John  Kreschell. 

The  Republican  ticket  was  as  follows :  Clerk  of 
the  court,  Robert  A.  Hulbert ;  auditor,  Peter  Leque ; 
prosecuting  attorney,  J.  W.  Heffner ;  superintendent 
of  schools,  H.  J.  Langfitt ;  treasurer,  W.  W.  Mish ; 
surveyor,  J.  B.  Carothers ;  coroner.  Dr.  T.  Keefe ; 
representatives,  Colonel  T.  V.  Eddy,  Captain  L.  H. 
Coon. 

The  principal  struggle  in  this  campaign  was  over 
the  proposed  removal  of  the  county  seat  from  Sno- 
homish to  Everett.  The  details  of  the  legal  battle 
which  followed  the  election  have  been  set  forth  at 
sufficient  length  in  former  pages  of  this  work. 
Everett  eventually  succeeded  in  winning  the  prize, 
though  the  official  returns,  given  below,  show  a 
failure  to  obtain  the  required  majority  of  votes. 

This  election  resulted  as  follows:  For  consti- 
tutional amendment,  1,819 ;  against,  447 ;  for  con- 
.gress,  Hyde,  Republican,  1,145,  Doolittle,  Republican, 
1,169,  Heuston,  Democrat,  442,  Cayton,  Democrat, 
4-21.  Adams,  Populist,  1,145,  Van  Patten,  Populist. 
1,036;  judges  of  supreme  court,  Gordon,  Repub- 
lican, 1,904,  Dunbar,  Republican,  1.801,  Sharpstein, 
Democrat,  745,  Allen,  Democrat,  751,  Forrest,  Pop- 
ulist, 1,561,  Ready,  Populist,  1,517;  representatives, 
Eddv,  Republican,  1,953,  Coon,  Republican.  1,776, 
Currie,  Democrat,  5,411,  McPhee,  Democrat,  1,008, 
Joergenson,  Populist,  1,743,  Sinclair,  Populist,  1,73"2, 

Allen,    Prohibition,    ,    Dorrance,    Prohibition. 

;  auditor,  Leque,  Republican.  1.923,  Anderson, 

Democrat,  963,  Davis.  Populist,  1,710,  Kager.  Pro- 
hibition,   ;   sheriff.   Brown,  Republican,   1,387, 

Hagan,  Republican,  2,064,  jMitchell,  Populist,  1,422, 
Collins,  Prohibition,  ;  clerk,  Hulbert,  Repub- 
lican, 2,217,  Johnson,  Democrat,  1,260,  Ewing,  Pop- 
ulist,   1,218,    Myers.    Prohibition,   ;    treasurer, 

Mish,  Republican.  2.138,  Sill.  Democrat,  592,  York, 
Populist,  1.926,  Williams,  Prohibition,  ■ — -;  pros- 
ecuting attorney,  Heffner,  Republican.  1,758,  Whit- 
ney, Democrat,  1,284,  Headlee,  Populist,  1.606;  as- 
sessor, McEwan,  Republican,  1,827,  Mvers,  Demo- 
crat, 1,191,  Jensen,  Populist,  1,440,  Williams,  Pro- 
hibition, • — — •. 

The  financial  stringency  which  had  obtained  since 
the  panic  of  1893,  caused  especial  interest  in  the 
national,  state  and  county  election  of  1896.  The 
money  question  was  uppermost.  For  months  before 
the  election,  almost  everybody  was  discussing 
political  issues  with  a  fervor  perhaps  never  before 
known  in  a  campaign  in  the  West.  Men  carried 
little  books  of  statistics  in  their  vest  pockets,  and 
plenty  of  arguments  at  their  tongues'  ends.  The 
amount  of  knowledge  and  grasp  of  the  subjects  at 
issue  which  most  men,  even  in  the  ordinary  walks 
of  life,  possessed  was  truly  astonishing. 

The  People's  party  was  the  first  in  the  field 
with  a  ticket,  holding  its  convention  July  25th. 
Later,  however,  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  Populists  to  unite  witli  the  Democrats  in  one 


tremendous  effort  to  vanquish  the  common  enemy, 
the  Republicans.  Fusion  carried,  the  ticket  upon 
which  the  two  parties  united  being  the  following : 
Senator,  J.  A.  Davis ;  commissioners,  C.  Joergen- 
son, L.  C.  Whitney;  representatives,  A.  D.  Warner, 
John  G.  Fritz ;  sheriff,  Daniel  Currie ;  auditor,  T. 
E.  Headlee;  treasurer,  H.  G.  York;  superintendent 
of  schools,  R.  E.  Friars;  prosecuting  attorney,  J. 
H.  Naylor;  clerk,  C.  P.  Clark;  coroner,  George 
Bakeman;  assessor,  Percy  H.  Palmer;  surveyor,  B. 
C.  Majors. 

For  the  struggle  against  the  combined  forces  of 
these  two  parties,  the  Republicans  chose  the  follow- 
ing as  their  standard  bearers  in  the  county :  Sheriff, 
C.  F.  Knapp ;  clerk,  J.  S.  Bartholomew ;  prosecuting 
attorney,  L.  H.  Coon;  auditor,  Peter  Leque;  sur- 
veyor, A.  G.  Barney ;  assessor,  John  McEwan ;  sup- 
erintendent of  schools,  H.  J.  Langfitt;  treasurer, 
Jacob  Hunsacker;  state  senator,  T.  B.  Sumner, 
"representatives,  F.  B.  Stickney,  F.  H.  Darlin.g ; 
coroner.  Dr.  J.  E.  Stauffer;  commissioners.  J.  W. 
Furness.  Charles  Neimeyer,  Jr. 

Following  is  an  abstract  of  the  official  returns 
of  the  elections:  For  constitutional  amendment, 
1.225,  against  constitutional  amendment,  772;  presi- 
dential electors,  Andrews,  Republican,  1,871,  Smith, 
Republican,  1,837,  Conna,  Republican,  1,835,  Ken- 
nedv.  Republican,  1,833,  Burke,  Democrat,  83, 
Stapleton,  Democrat,  69,  Blalock,  Democrat,  70, 
Yearsley,  Democrat,  74,  Caton,  Fusionist,  2,775, 
Maxwell,  Fusionist,  2,719,  Hart,  Fusionist,  2,713, 
Newman,  Fusionist,  2,701,  Denney,  Prohibitionist, 
43,  Ashby,  Prohibitionist,  38,  Whittum,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 42,  Gist,  Prohibitionist,  38,  Goddard, 
Nationalist,  2,  Teeter,  Nationalist,  1,  Redford, 
Nationalist,  1,  Peter,  Nationalist,  1 ;  for  congress, 
Flyde,  Republican,  1,782,  Doolittle,  Republican, 
1.813,  Lewis,  Fusionist.  2,843,  Jones,  Fusionist, 
2,736,  Salver,  Prohibitionist,  49,  Olsen,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 42,  Mix,  Nationalist,  5;  judges  supreme 
court,  Hoyt,  Republican,  1,824,  Reavis,  Fusionist, 
2,752,  Livermore,  Prohibitionist,  48;  governor,  Sul- 
livan, Republican,  1,846,  Rogers,  Fusionist,  2,707, 
Dunlap,  Prohibitionist,  111 ;  judge  of  superior  court, 
Denny,  Republican,  1,887,  Reid,  Fusionist,  2,739; 
state  "senator,  Sumner,  Republican,  1,895,  Davis, 
Fusionist,  2,706;  representatives,  Phelps,  Republi- 
can, 1,909,  Bell,  Republican,  1,793,  Warner, 
Fusionist,  2,716,  Fritz,  3,622;  sheriff,  Knapp,  Re- 
publican, 1,821,  Currie,  Fusionist,  2,822  ;  clerk,  Bar- 
tholomew, Republican,  1,839,  Clark,  Fusionist, 
2,783 ;  auditor,  Leque,  Republican,  3,156,  Headlee, 
Fusionist,  3,486 ;  assessor,  McEwan,  Republican, 
2,002,  Palmer,  Fusionist,  2,630;  treasurer,  Hun- 
sacker, Republican,  1,820,  York,  Fusionist,  2,807; 
prosecuting  attorney.  Coon,  Republican,  1,965, 
Naylor,  Fusionist,  2,658 ;  school  superintendent, 
Langfitt,  Republican,  1,836,  Friars,  Fusionist,  2,790 ; 
surveyor,  Barney,  Republican,  1.891,  Majors,  Fu- 
sionist, 2,706 ;  coroner,  Stauffer,  Republican,  1,886, 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Bakeman,  Fusionist,  3,721;  commissioners,  first 
district,  Furness,  Republican,  1,925,  Joergenson, 
Fusionist,  2,685;  third  district,  Neimeyer,  Repub- 
lican, 1,891,  Whitney,  Fusionist,  2,699. 

In  1898  the  Republicans  were  once  more  com- 
pelled to  give  battle  to  the  united  forces  of  the 
Democrats  and  Populists,  who  again  fused.  The 
campaign  was  comparatively  quiet,  though  the  race 
between  some  of  the  rival  candidates  was  close 
enough  to  sustain  the  interest.  The  vote  of  the 
county,  for  state  and  local  officers  was  as  follows: 
For  tax  amendment,  1,054;  against  tax  amend- 
ment, 1,383;  for  suffrage  amendment,  1,110;  against 
suflfrage  amendment,  l,4!t6;  for  congress,  Francis 
W.  Cushman,  Republican,  1,873, Wesley  L.  Jones, 
Republican,  1,788,  James  H.  Lewis,  Fusionist, 
2,071,  William  C.  Jones,  Fusionist,  1,879;  judges 
supreme  court,  T.  J.  Anders,  Republican,  1,873, 
Mark  A.  Fullerton,  Republican,  1,848,  Benjamin  F. 
Heuston,  Fusionist,  1,852,  Melvin  M.  Godman,  Fu- 
sionist, 1,828;  state  representatives,  J.  H.  Langfitt, 
Republican,  1,918,  C.  A.  Missimer,  Republican, 
1,839,  Elmer  E.  Johnson,  Fusionist,  1,920,  C.  L. 
Clemans.  Fusionist,  1,879;  sheriff,  Peter  Zimmer- 
man, Republican,  1,949,  Dan  Currie,  Fusionist, 
1,876 ;  clerk,  U.  L.  Collins,  Republican,  2,054,  Percy 
H.  Palmer,  Fusionist,  1,728  ;  auditor,  T.  W.  Brokaw, 
Republican,  1,814,  T.  E.  Headlee,  Fusionist,  1,975  ; 
treasurer,  J.  Hunsacker,  Republican,  1,885,  H.  G. 
York,  Fusionist,  1,942 ;  prosecuting  attorney,  W.  P. 
Bell,  Republican,  2,002,  J.  H.  Naylor,  Fusionist, 
1,788 ;  assessor,  A.  D.  Stevenson,  Republican,  2,126, 
C.  P.  Clark,  Fusionist,  1.695 ;  superintendent  of 
schools,  H.  P.  Niles,  Republican,  1,780,  R.  E.  Friars, 
Fusionist,  2,012;  surveyor,  J.  F.  Birney,  Republi- 
can, 1,902,  B.  C.  Majors,  Fusionist,  1,904;  coroner, 
E.  A.  Stafford,  Republican,  1,922,  George  Bakeman, 
Fusionist,  1,866 ;  commissioner  second  district,  W. 
M.  Ross,  Republican,  1,908,  James  Brady,  Fusion- 
ist, 1,867 ;  commissioner  first  district,  Iver  Johnson, 
Republican,  1,969,  W.  A.  Douglas,  Fusionist,  1,813. 

By  1900  the  Populists  seem  to  have  lost  their 
identity  in  Snohomish  county  as  a  separate  party, 
and  the  battle  was  once  more  between  the  veteran 
bearers  of  opposing  political  standards,  the  Repub- 
licans and  Democrats. 

The  vote  for  national,  state  and  local  officers  in 
the  county  is  found  to  have  been  as  follows :  Pres- 
ident, William  McKinley,  Republican,  2,961,  W.  J. 
Bryan,  Democrat,  2,480 ;  representative  in  congress, 
Cushman,  Republican,  2,889,  Jones,  Republican, 
2,856,  Robertson,  Democrat,  2,519,  Ronand,  Dem- 
ocrat, 2,505 ;  governor,  Frink,  Republican,  2,578, 
Rogers,  Democrat,  2,875  ;  secretary  of  state,  Nichols, 
Republican,  2,824,  Brady,  Democrat,  2,578 ;  state 
senator,  Sumner,  Republican,  2,963,  Ferguson, 
Democrat,  2,440 ;  state  representatives,  Gorham, 
Republican,  2,853,  Ferguson,  Republican,  2,791, 
Joergenson,  Democrat,  2,416,  Hiatt,  Democrat, 
2,464;  judge  of  supreme  court,  Denny,  Republican, 


2,720,  Padgett,  Democrat,  2,798;  sheriff,  Zimmer- 
man, Republican,  3,011,  Kelly,  Democrat,  2,430; 
clerk,  Collins,  Republican,  3,032,  Hatfield,  Demo- 
crat, 2,395 ;  auditor,  Ross,  Republican,  2.877,  Win- 
gard,  Democrat,  2,585 ;  treasurer,  Lawry,  Repub- 
lican, 2,940,  Johnson,  Democrat,  2,553  ;  prosecuting 
attorney,  Cooley,  Republican,  3,000,  Headlee,  Dem- 
ocrat, 2,521;  assessor,  Stevenson,  Republican, 
3,047,  Bouck,  Democrat,  2,384;  superintendent  of 
schools,  Campbell,  Republican,  2,027,  Small,  Dem- 
ocrat, 2,186,  Bailey,  Independent,  1,346 ;  surveyor, 
Birney,  Republican,  2,930,  Springer,  Democrat, 
2,570  ;  coroner,  Bakeman,  Republican,  2,862,  Andrus, 
Democrat,  2,505 ;  commissioner,  second  district, 
Fleming,  Republican,  2,877,  Currie,  Democrat, 
2,541 ;  commissioner,  third  district.  Stretch,  Repub- 
lican, 2,850,  Whitney,  Democrat,  2,548;  for  consti- 
tutional amendment,  1,862 ;  against  constitutional 
amendment,  337. 

The  Republicans  were  first  in  the  field  in  1902, 
holding  their  county  convention  in  the  Central  opera 
house  at  Everett,  July  29th.  The  ticket  nominated 
was  as  follows :  state  senator,  S.  T.  Smith ;  repre- 
sentatives, 49th  district,  B.  H.  Morgan,  Joseph 
Ferguson ;  sheriff,  Frank  P.  Brewer ;  clerk,  George 
W.  Adamson ;  treasurer,  Charles  L.  Lawry ;  auditor, 
W.  M.  Ross ;  prosecuting  attorney,  H.  D.  Cooley ; 
assessor,  E.  M.  Allen ;  superintendent  of  schools,  T. 
A.  Stiger ;  coroner,  Charles  H.  Bakeman ;  surveyor, 
J.  F.  Birney ;  commissioner,  first  district,  S.  G. 
Buell ;  commissioner,  third  district,  J.  A.  Stretch. 

The  Democratic  county  convention  met  at 
Everett,  September  11th  and  chose  as  its  standard 
bearers :  Senator,  nineteenth  district,  Fred  S.  An- 
derson, Snohomish ;  representatives,  forty-eighth 
district,  Charles  G.  Smythe,  Everett,  John  F. 
Warner,  Sultan ;  forty-ninth  district,  D.  G.  Benny, 
Stanwood,  E.  C.  Bissell,  Monroe;  sheriff,  Sandy 
Thompson ;  treasurer,  H.  G.  York ;  prosecuting 
attorney,  Howard  Hathaway;  auditor,  Charles 
Slater ;  assessor,  Harry  Boyd  ;  school  superintendent, 
Mrs.  R.  A.  Small;  clerk,  Joseph  Bird;  surveyor, 
Ed.  Peterson ;  coroner.  Dr.  A.  B.  Marion ;  wreck- 
master,  Peter  Meehan ;  commissioner,  first  district, 
John  Hamilton  ;  commissioner,  third  district,  J.  H. 
Smith. 

The  official  vote  is  herewith  presented :  Repre- 
sentatives, J.  R.  Grayhill,  Socialist,  135,  C.  W.  Sea- 
right,  Socialist,  144,  William  E.  Moore,  Democrat, 
865,  C.  G.  Smythe,  Democrat,  1,005,  N.  G.  Craigne, 
Republican,  1,841,  H.  Johnston,  Republican,  1,711 ; 
representatives,  forty-ninth  district,  Lewis  Gotham, 
Socialist,  234,  F.  H.  Vanderhoff,  Socialist,  374,  E. 
C.  Bissell,  Democrat,  831,  A.  Waterhouse,  Dem- 
ocrat, 855,  Joseph  Ferguson,  Republican,  1,917,  B. 
H.  Morgan,  1,897;  auditor,  R.  Rossiger,  Socialist, 
335,  Charles  Slater,  Democrat,  1,631,  W.  M.  Ross, 
Republican,  3,975;  sheriff,  W.  O.  McLaughlin, 
Socialist,  315,  Alexander  Thompson,  Democrat, 
2,358,    A.    P.    Brewer,    Republican,    3,353;    clerk. 


POLITICAL 


313 


August  Stehr,  Socialist,  344,  J.  Bird,  Democrat, 
1,673,  G.  AI.  Adamson,  Republican,  3,861 ;  treasurer, 
John  Morris,  Socialist,  309,  H.  G.  York,  Democrat, 

1.988,  C.  L.  Lawry,  Republican,  3,86-3;  prosecuting 
attorney,  H.  Hathaway,  Democrat,  1,987,  H.  D. 
Cooley,  Republican,  3,667 ;  assessor,  H.  O.  Boyd, 
Democrat,  1,878,  E.  M.  Allen,  Republican,  3,700; 
superintendent  of  schools,  R.  A.  Small,  Democrat, 
2,777,  T.  A.  Stiger,  Republican,  3,000 ;  surveyor, 
Edwin  Peterson,  Democrat,  1,916,  J.  F.  Birney,  Re- 
publican, 3,775 ;  coroner,  F.  R.  Hedges,  Democrat, 
1,652,  C.  H.  Bakeman,  Republican,  3,886 ;  wreck- 
master,  Peter  Meehan,  Democrat,  1,773;  commis- 
sioner, first  district,  Thomas  Jensen,  Socialist,  331, 
John  Hamilton,  Democrat,  2,059,  S.  G.  Buell,  Re- 
publican, 3,-47  5  ;  commissioner,  third  district,  George 
Menzel,  Sociahst,  319,  J.  H.  Smith,  Democrat, 
2,537,  J.  F.  Stretch,  Republican,  3,072. 

So  recent  was  the  campaign  of  1904  that  its 
details  are  generally  known,  and  a  rehearsal  of  party 
platforms  unnecessary.  It  has  gone  down  in  history 
as  one  of  the  hardest  fought  state  contests  ever  held 
in  Washington,  in  which  the  Republicans  had  an 
overwhelming  lead.  The  struggle  centered  in  rail- 
road taxation  and  traffic  regulation.  In  Snohomish 
county,  the  Republicans  assembled  at  a  spring  con- 
vention, held  at  Everett,  Thursday,  April  28th  and 
selected  delegates  to  the  Tacoma  state  convention 
and  the  county  ticket.  The  Democratic  convention 
was  also  held  at  Everett.  July  23d.  Both  parties 
made  full  nominations.  As  will  be  seen  from  the 
following  official  returns,  only  one  Democrat 
escaped  defeat,  W.  W.  Black,  candidate  for  judge 
of  the  superior  court  in  this  district :  Electors,  John 
Ovall,  Prohibitionist,  252,  De  Forest  Sanford, 
Socialist,  593,  Fred  Thiel,  Democrat,  1,405,  Samuel 
G.  Cosgrove,  Republican,  6,025 ;  governor,  A.  H. 
Sherwood,  Prohibitionist,  269,  D.  Burgess,  Socialist, 
435,  George  Turner,  Democrat,  2,930,  Albert  E. 
Mead,  Republican,  4,633 ;  congressmen,  Henry 
Brown,  Prohibitionist,  247,  Ferd.  B.  Hawes, 
Prohibitionist,  261,  George  Croston,  Socialist,  521, 
H.  D.  Jory,  Socialist,  522,  T.  C.  Wiswell,  Socialist, 
529,  W.  T.  Beck,  Democrat,  1,846,  James  J.  Ander- 
son, Democrat,  1,865,  Howard  Hathaway,  Demo- 
crat, 2,021,  F.  W.  Cushman,  Republican,  5,463, 
Wesley  L.  Jones,  Republican,  5,425,  William  E. 
Humphrey,  Republican,  5,299 ;  judge  of  supreme 
court,  D.'W.  Phipps,  Socialist,  256,  William  Mc- 
Devitt,    Socialist,    524,    Alfred    Battle,    Democrat, 

1.989,  M.  A.  Fullerton,  Republican,  5,536,  Frank 
H.  Rudkin,  Republican,  5,321 ;  lieutenant-governor, 
William  H.  Shields,  Prohibitionist,  257,  Sigmund 
Roeder,  Socialist,  464,  Stephen  Judson,  Democrat, 
2,410,  Charles  E.  Coon,  Republican,  4,911 ;  secretary 
of  state,  James  McDowell,  Prohibitionist,  258, 
George  E.  Boomer,  Sociahst,  487,  P.  Hough,  Dem- 
ocrat, 2.017,  Samuel  H.  Nichols,  Republican,  5,298 ; 
treasurer,  Guv  Possom,  Prohibitionist,  261,  Bernard 


Goerkes,  Socialist,  480,  George  Mudgett,  Democrat,. 
3,062,  George  G.  Mills,  Republican,  5,229;  auditor, 
Clint  C.  Gridley,  Prohibitionist,  260,  A.  F.  Payne, 
Socialist,  482.  R.  Lee  Purdin,  Democrat,  2,045,. 
Charles  W.  Clausen,  Republican,  5,238;  attornev- 
general,  O.  C.  Whitney,  Socialist,  490,  Charles  H. 
Neal,  Democrat,  2,143,  J.  D.  Atkinson,  Republican, 
5,177 ;  land  commissioner,  W.  H.  Lichtv,  Prohi- 
bitionist, 242,  J.  F.  La  Clerc,  Socialist,  484,  Van 
R.  Peirson,  Democrat,  2,037,  E.  W.  Ross,  Repub- 
lican, 5,231 ;  superintendent  public   instruction,   A. 

B.  L.  Gellerman,  Prohibitionist,  244,  F.  C.  Sil- 
vester, Socialist,  479,  Walter  D.  Gerard,  Democrat, 
2,165,  R.  B.  Bryan,  Republican,  5,090;  superior 
court  judge,  W.  W.  Black,  Democrat,  4,244,  John 
S.  Denney,  Republican,  3,576 ;  representatives,  48th 
district,  B.  A.  Sand,  Prohibitionist,  119,  O.  H.  Gun- 
hus.  Prohibitionist,  122,  J.  K.  Reece,  Socialist,  194, 
L.  T.  Smith,  Democrat,  1,353.  E.  W.  Husted,  Demo- 
crat, 1,387,  H.  L.  Strobridge,  Republican,  3,343, 
J.  A.  Falconer,  Republican,  2,466 ;  representatives, 
49th  district,  George.  D.  Smith,  Prohibitionist,  135, 

E.  H.  Blair,  Prohibitionist,  136,  F.  H.  Vanderhoof, 
Socialist,  260,  Arthur  Morris,  Democrat,  256,  S. 
Shoultes,  Democrat,  1,057,  W.  E.  Smith,  Democrat, 
1,068,  John  A.  Theurer,  Republican,  2,513,  B.  H. 
Morgan,  Republican,  2,561 ;  senator,  38th  district, 
M.  M.  Smith,  Prohibitionist,  136,  Adam  Joergenson, 
Democrat,  1,457,  Charles  Voorhis,  Socialist,  191, 
Thomas  B.  Sumner,  Republican.  3,308 ;  auditor, 
Dan  Silcox,  Prohibitionist,  263,  R.  Roesiger,  So- 
ciahst, 488,  Samuel  Vestal,  Republican,  5,594,- 
sheriff,  J.  E.  Deupree,  Prohibitionist,  358,  J.  W. 
Morris,  Socialist,  488,  B.  E.  Hilen,  Democrat,  2,540, 
Frank  P.  Brewer,  Republican,  4,946 ;  clerk,  H.  H. 
Manley,  Prohibitionist,  290,  C.  W.  Belknapp,  So- 
cialist, 495,  George  W.  Adamson,  Republican, 
5,629 ;  treasurer,  Benjamin  R.  Baker,  Prohibitionist, 
248,  P.  Donahue,  Socialist,  457,  C.  Joergenson,  Dem- 
ocrat, 3,101,  William  R.  Booth,  Republican,  5,267; 
prosecuting  attornev,  R.  J.  Faussett,  Prohibitionist, 
354,  A.  M.  Yost,  Socialist,  468,  E.  W.  Bundy, 
Democrat,  3,086,  James  W.  Hartnett,  Republican, 
5,317 ;  assessor,  A.  M.  Ferrell,  Prohibitionist,  252, 

C.  L.  Whiting,  Socialist,  479,  J.  M.  Morgan,  Demo- 
crat, 2,158,  Edwin  M.  Allen,  Republican,  5,147; 
superintendent  of  schools,  Ulysses  Jeans,  Prohibi- 
tionist, 286,  T.  A.  Stiger,  Republican,  5,767 ;  sur- 
veyor, August  Stehr,  Socialist,  462,  James  Flynn, 
Democrat,  2,180,  Elmer  E.  Lenfest,  Republican, 
4,837 ;   coroner,   Johns   Nuhs,   Socialist,  439,   John- 

F.  Jerread,  Democrat,  3,244,  Clarence  E.  Munn, 
Republican,  4.191 ;  commissioners,  1st  district,  J. 
W.  Blankley,  Socialist,  440,  Hugh  Allen,  Democrat, 
2.398.  Nils  Sather.  Republican,  4,869 ;  commission- 
ers, 2d  district,  R.  C.  Nichols,  Independent,  436, 
Tohn  Spencer,  Prohibitionist,  183,  C.  A.  Rottluff, 
Socialist,  418,  T.  N.  Scott,  Democrat,  2,540,  Alva 
H.  B.  Jordan,  Republican,  4,528. 


CHAPTER  VI 


CITIES    AND   TOWNS 


The  factors  in  the  growth  of  a  great  city  may  be 
reduced  to  two,  its  local  advantages  of  site  and  im- 
mediate surroundings,  and  its  position  with  refer- 
ence to  the  connnorcial  world.  When  we  have,  as 
in  the  case  of  Corinth,  Syracuse,  Carthage,  Tyre 
and  Sidon  of  the  ancient  world,  Venice,  Genoa  or 
Lisbon  of  the  middle  ages,  or  Antwerp,  Liverpool, 
or  New  York  of  the  modern  era,  a  combination  of 
the  greatest  local  advantages  with  the  greatest  ac- 
cessibility to  the  world  of  trade  and  enterprise,  we 
find  some  one  of  the  monumental  cities  of  the  world 
an  inevitable  result.  It  is  the  conviction  of  un- 
biased observers  that  Puget  sound  affords  a  greater 
number  of  sites  adapted  to  great  cities,  with  quick 
and  easy  communication  with  all  the  great  central 
stations  of  the  world's  commerce,  than  does  any 
other  body  of  water  in  the  United  States,  if  not  in 
the  world. 

Already  the  legitimate  outgrowth  of  the  con- 
ditions referred  to  have  manifested  themselves  in 
the  growth  upon  the  shores  of  Puget  sound  of  a 
number  of  cities  which  seem  destined  to  attain  large 
population  and  wealth.  Of  the  relative  advantages 
in  local  site  and  in  commercial  connections  of  these 
various  cities  this  is  not  the  place  to  speak.  It  may 
suffice  to  say  that  each  of  them  has  its  peculiar  con- 
veniences, attractions,  resources  and  commercial 
connections.  Each  has  also  its  peculiar  history. 
\Vhatcver  may  be  said  of  the  others  this  may  be 
said  of  Everett,  that,  while  the  baby  of  them  all  in 
]X)int  of  age,  it  has  had  a  rapidity  and  energy  of 
growth  which  have  caused  the  rest  of  them  to  rub 
tiieir  eyes  and  stare  at  the  infant  prodigy  among 
cities  as  if  it  were  expanding  like  the  figures  in 
some  Eastern  romance  under  the  wand  of  a  com- 
pelling genius. 

In  1890  there  was  a  beautiful  bay,  a  sightly  hill 
covered  with  timber,  a  magnificent  view  of  distant 
mountains  and  winding  streams,  — no  city.  In  1905 
the  bay  is  there,  the  hill  is  also  there,  but  the  timber 
has  vanished  and,  in  its  stead  from  hundreds  of 
pleasant  homes  and  animated  streets  a  population 
of  twenty-two  thousand  people  looks  forth  upon  the 
same  distant  mountains  and  winding  streams  and 
sees  the  streams  and  shores,  scenes  of  a  restless 
activity  which  may  perhaps  be  paralleled  but  can- 
not be  surpassed  at  any  point  upon  the  western 
Mediterranean. 

Betwixt   the   two   ends   of   this   brief   space   of 


fifteen  years  lies  all  the  history  of  that  epic  of  our 
world,  the  creation  of  a  Western  city.  Everett  has, 
like  her  sister  cities  of  the  sound,  received  various 
picturesque  nicknames,  but  the  one  in  most  common 
vogue  is  perhaps  "City  of  Smokestacks."  While 
not  the  most  picturesque  name  that  could  be  de- 
vised this  is  an  appropriate  one,  for  Everett  cer- 
tainly has  attained  the  most  conspicuous  place  of 
any  of  the  sound  cities  as  the  location  of  manufac- 
turing interests.  But  lest  it  should  be  thought  that 
its  other  interests  are  less  it  may  be  emphasized  here 
that  this  city  is  also  notable  for  transportation 
facilities  both  by  rail  and  water  or  for  the  interests 
of  shipping,  fishing,  horticulture,  and  agriculture. 

Turning  to  the  history  of  the  founding  of  this 
young  giant  among  our  Washington  cities,  we  find 
that  the  beautiful  peninsula  early  attracted  to  its 
forested  shores  the  pioneers  of  Puget  sound,  though 
the  settlement  was  a  small  one.  First  of  these  men 
came  Dennis  Brigham,  whose  arrival,  as  near  as  can 
be  ascertained,  was  but  little  less  than  half  a  century 
ago.  He  took  as  his  claim  a  strip  of  land  stretching 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length  along  what  is  now 
the  Bayside  district  of  the  city.  A  little  later  came 
Erskine  D.,  commonly  known  as  Ned  Kromer,  who 
took  a  claim  adjoining  Brigham  on  the  south. 
Kromer  was  in  charge  of  the  telegraph  line  at  this 
lioint, — that  Asiatic  overland  line  so  daringly  con- 
ceived in  the  early  sixties  and  so  substantially  begvni. 
Neil  Spithill,  along  the  Snohomish  river;  John 
Davis,  at  Blackman's  point;  Ezra  Hatch,  near  the 
site  of  the  Great  Northern  viaduct  on  Hewitt  av- 
enue ;  John  King,  at  the  site  of  Robinson's  mill ; 
William  Shears  and  a  man  named  Clark  were  other 
early  settlers  on  Everett's  site.  In  1883  came 
Edmond  Smith,  who  bought  160  acres  from  Brig- 
ham and  occupied  the  tract  as  a  ranch  until  the 
progress  of  the  city  drove  him  out. 

The  year  1889  really  marks  the  beginning  of 
Everett's  history,  for  in  that  year  the  idea  of 
building  a  town  upon  the  peninsula  first  took  sub- 
stantial form.  In  the  fall  Wyatt  J.  Rucker,  his 
brother  Bethel  J.,  and  their  mother  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Rucker  arrived,  she  becoming  the  community's 
pioneer  white  woman.  The  Rucker  brothers,  form- 
erly residents  of  Tacoma,  had  been  strongly  at- 
tracted by  the  harbor  advantages  presented  by  Port 
Gardner  bay,  and  that  year  quietly  made  extensive 
soundings.  A  little  later  Wyatt  J.  Rucker  pur- 
chased Edmond  Smith's  farm.  Soon  William  G. 
Swalwell  became  associated  in  the  acquisition  of 


EVERETT,    WASHINGTON 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


land  upon  the  peninsula  and  in  1890,  Frank  B. 
Frida)'  joined  the  Httle  group.  Together  they  began 
an  active  campaign  to  secure  land.  W.  J.  Rucker 
took  as  his  homestead  forty  acres  lying  at  the  foot 
of  Hewitt  avenue  on  the  bay;  Mr.  Friday  filed 
on  160  acres  east  of  Rucker's  claim,  while  Mr. 
Swalwell  took  forty  acres  at  the  eastern  end  of 
Hewitt  avenue.  A  great  deal  of  the  land  in  the 
vicinity  had  been  taken  prior  to  that  time  by  log- 
gers and  a  considerable  region  had  already  been 
logged  off.  None  to  amount  to  anything,  however, 
had  been  brought  under  cultivation.  E.  D.  Smith 
was  engaged  at  the  time  in  logging  in  the  vicinity 
of  Lowell,  while  Messrs.  Crow  and  McShane  were 
operating  near  the  site  of  the  present  smelter, 
which,  it  is  said,  was  at  that  time  a  wild,  stump- 
ridden  spot.  In  order  that  the  town  builders  might 
have  sufficient  land  for  their  purposes,  E.  D.  Smith 
afterward  sold  them  one  tract  and  donated  another 
tract.  In  thus  contributing  substantially  to  the 
founding  of  the  city  of  Everett  he  was  actuated  by 
the  same  public  spirit  which  has  characterized  all 
his  acts  during  his  long  residence  in  the  county. 
In  the  course  of  the  next  few  months  the  Rucker 
group  had  acquired  title  to  something  like  eight 
hundred  acres  of  land.  Without  losing  any  time 
they  entered  with  an  energy  which  characterized  all 
their  subsequent  operations  upon  the  improvement 
of  their  places. 

As  soon  as  the  Ruckers  had  secured  sufficient 
land,  the  town  of  Port  Gardner,  Everett's  pre- 
decessor, was  laid  out  by  W.  J.  and  B.  J.  Rucker, 
the  papers  being  dated  August  22,  1890.  This 
little  would-be  city  occupied  fifty  acres,  embracing 
what  is  now  the  choicest  property  in  the  Bayside 
section  of  Everett.  Its  promoters  were  deeply 
in  earnest.  They  even  had  their  eye  on  the 
county  seat  and  went  so  far  as  to  reserve  a  block 
of  the  site  for  the  court-house  purposes,  to  be  do- 
nated when  the  time  arrived.  Curiously  enough, 
this  court-house  site  lies  only  a  short  distance 
from  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  county  building. 
To  promote  substantial  buildings,  the  Rucker  broth- 
ers offered  Englebert  Bast,  a  subsidy  of  fi\e  lots 
if  he  would  erect  a  two-story  brick  block  at  Port 
Gardner. 

But  alas  for  Port  Gardner's  aspirations  !  Before 
the  project  was  well  under  way,  before  the  plat 
was  recorded  at  Snohomish  (it  had  been  held  in 
abeyance  at  the  request  of  the  Ruckers),  a  new  and 
mightier  town-site  enterprise  appeared,  backed  by 
fiirces  so  powerful  and  so  anxious  to  control  the 
])eninsula  that  the  Pnrt  Gardner  was  abandoned, 
its  promoters  in>li'a(]  la!<ing  an  interest  in  laying 
the  foundations  of  l^vciett.  and  contributing  freely 
of  their  land  as  subsidies. 

Early  in  1890,  Henry  Hewitt,  Jr.,  of  Tacoma, 
came  to  the  Everett  peninsula.  He  had  excited  to 
n  degree  the  interest  of  Charles  Colby  of  New  York 
(  'it\'  in  the  founding  of  a  city  somewhere  upon  the 


peninsula  as  a  location  for  the  steel  barge  enterprise 
and  other  extensive  plants  in  which  Mr.  Colby  and 
associates  were  interested.  As  a  representative  of 
Mr.  Colby,  John  F.  Plummer  inspected  the  proposed 
site  in  company  with  Mr.  Hewitt  and,  as  a  result 
of  the  visit  and  reports,  the  Colby-Hoyt  syndicate, 
backed  by  Rockefeller  money,  decided  to  prosecute 
their  plans  and  commissioned  Mr.  Hewitt  and  his 
agents  to  secure  the  land  necessary  for  the  build- 
ing of  a  great  city. 

To  hide  the  real  object  of  acquiring  so  large  an 
amount  of  land  in  a  body,  it  was  given  out  by  the 
promoters  that  they  intended  erecting  a  saw-mill 
with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  thousand  feet 
daily,  and  that  a  branch  to  it  would  be  built  from 
some  point  on  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern 
then  being  constructed   inland. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  in  the  history  of  Everett 
that  it  was  founded  for  the  express  purpose  of 
maintaining  industrial  organizations  on  a  great 
scale.  It  is  said  that  the  group  of  capitalists  of 
whom  Mr.  Colby  was  the  head  had  first  intended 
locating  their  enterprise  at  Anacortes,  but  not  find- 
ing property  at  such  prices  as  they  deemed  satis- 
factory and  fair,  they  looked  further,  with  the 
result  that  the  magnificent  location  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Snohomish  river  was  eventually  chosen. 

In  the  fall  of  1890  the  agents  of  the  New  York 
syndicate  completed  a  bargain  with  Messrs. 
Rucker,  Swalwell  and  Friday  by  which  they  se- 
cured the  half  interest  held  by  Messrs.  Swalwell 
and  Friday  in  the  eight  hundred  acre  tract  pre- 
viously described  and  besides  this  one  half  of  the 
remainder  from  Mr.  Rucker  as  a  subsidy.  A  part 
of  this  tract  was  still  in  the  condition  of  unpatented 
homestead,  but  at  the  earliest  possible  moment  the 
claimants  commuted  their  entries  and  thus  with 
little  delay  the  large  area  indicated  passed  into  the 
entire  possession  of  the  syndicate. 

In  November,  1890,  the  Everett  Land  Company 
was  incorporated,  Henry  Hewitt,  Jr.,  being  chosen 
president.  During  the  winter  of  1890-91  there  were 
some  transactions  in  real  estate,  but  the  majority 
of  people  in  the  vicinity  did  not  have  entire  confi- 
dence that  the  great  plans  which  had  been  hinted  at 
in  various  ways  would  materialize  and  hence  there 
was  no  special  speculation.  In  the  spring  of  1891 
the  work  of  clearing,  grading,  surveying  and  platt- 
ing the  town  site  was  begun  with  a  large  force  of 
men  and  steadily  pursued  thenceforward.  It  be- 
came apparent  to  all  that  there  was  large  capital 
behind  the  work  and  as  a  natural  consequence  the 
advance  guard  of  the  eager  army  of  speculators 
and  investors  and  settlers  began  to  turn  their  at- 
tention to  the  stately  site  upon  Everett  peninsula. 
One  very  fortunate  result  of  the  extensive  acquisi- 
tion of  land  by  the  syndicate  was  that  the  entire  city 
was  laid  off  in  accordance  with  a  general  plan  which 
has  been  adhered  to  since,  so  that  the  misfitting 
streets  and   irregular   additions   which   characterize 


318 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


so  many  of  our  new  towns  have  been  avoided  in 
Everett. 

The  land  company,  however  seemed  to  take  its 
time  for  platting  and  laying  out  the  city  site  and 
there  was  great  demand  for  some  land  that  could 
be  purchased  and  brought  into  immediate  use. 
Therefore  in  September,  1891,  Mr.  Swalwell  placed 
upon  the  market  what  was  known  as  Swalwell's 
first  addition.  This  addition  was  laid  out  at  the 
river  bank  on  the  eastern  end  of  Hewitt  avenue 
and  was  composed  mainly  of  land  purchased  from 
the  Neil  Spithill  homestead.  It  was  platted  by  the 
Swalwell  Land,  Loan  &  Trust  Company,  which 
practically  represented  the  financial  interests  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swalwell.  At  the  time  of  placing 
this  Swalwell  addition  upon  the  market  the  only 
residents  upon  the  tract  were  the  Swalwell  and 
Spithill  families.  The  house  in  which  Mr.  Swalwell 
lived  at  that  time  is  still  standing  upon  Maple 
street  just  south  of  Hewitt  avenue  directly  at  the 
rear  of  the  Pioneer  drug  store  building.  Mr.  Spit- 
hill and  his  family  were  living  on  a  claim  di- 
rectly north  of  the  other. 

The  books  still  in  possession  of  Mr.  Swalwell 
show  that  W.  N.  Webster  was  the  first  purchaser, 
his  purchase  consisting  of  two  lots  on  Hewitt 
avenue  near  the  river.  The  price  paid  was  one 
thousand  dollars.  The  customary  terms  of  purchase 
of  lots  were  fixed  at  one-third  down  and  the  re- 
mainder in  one  and  two  year  payments.  The 
business  of  the  company  was  transacted  in  a  little 
office  which  stood  on  Chestnut  street  just  ofif 
Hewitt  avenue. 

Improvements  began  almost  immediately  on  a 
large  scale  along  the  river  side.  The  Swalwell 
company  built  a  ten  thousand  dollar  wharf  at  the 
foot  of  Hewitt  avenue  and  up  and  down  the  avenue 
and  along  the  river  front  tents,  shacks,  huts  and 
rough  frame  structures  seemed  fairly  to  grow  out 
of  the  ground,  so  rapidly  did  the  process  of  build- 
ing take  place.  Within  ten  days  a  thousand  people 
were  gathered  and  all  the  quaint  and  exciting 
features  of  a  boom  city  were  in  progress.  Unlike 
many  of  our  boom  towns,  however,  there  was  never 
a  pause  in  the  growth,  for  within  a  year  five  thousand 
were  actively  engaged  in  making  permanent  homes. 
In  fact,  beyond  any  city  of  the  state  of  Washington, 
Everett  seems  to  have  been  created  out  of  hand 
with  a  definite  purpose  of  city  construction  and 
organization;  therefore,  the  frequent  era  of  law- 
lessness and  instability  never  was  in  this  city.  Few 
crimes  are  recorded  of  that  foundation  stage. 
Church  services  seem  to  have  been  inaugurated  by 
various  denominations  almost  at  once  and  the 
usual  meeting  place  was  in  the  land  company's 
office.  A  public  school  building  also  was  erected 
on  Broadway  avenue. 

In  December,  1801,  Mr.  Swalwell  laid  out  a 
second  addition  which  included  the  larger  part  of 


his  homestead.  Some  conception  of  the  real  estate 
market  of  that  time  may  be  formed  from  the  fact 
that  on  the  first  day  of  sale,  December  4th,  the 
transfers  amounted  to  ninety-eight  thousand  dollars. 
Lots  to  the  value  of  about  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  were  sold  in  these  two  additions  within  a 
few  weeks. 

The  river  side  seems  to  have  been  the  first 
point  of  rapid  improvement,  but  in  a  short  time  two 
tracts  bordering  the  bay  were  placed  upon  the  mar- 
ket and  the  rush  of  buyers  turned  in  that  direction. 
The  bay  side  settlement  seemed  soon  to  become 
somewhat  of  a  rival  of  that  of  the  river  side,  but 
in  a  short  time  the  two  parts  became  amalgamated 
and  their  common  interests  led  to  a  common  growth. 
It  is  recalled  by  some  of  the  old  settlers  that  for 
a  short  time  the  only  communication  between  the 
bay  side  and  the  river  side  was  a  trail  which  passed 
across  the  chief  location  of  the  present  Everett  on 
fallen  trees.  There  was  at  that  time  a  postoffice 
at  the  bay  side  near  the  Rucker  residence,  which 
was  on  the  right  of  way  of  the  Great  Northern 
railway  between  Hewitt  and  Pacific  avenues  near 
the  present  water  tank. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  a  correct  list  of 
all  the  men  who  started  into  business  in  that 
earliest  period  of  Everett's  history.  As  one  of  the 
old  timers  expresses  it,  a  score  of  men  were  trans- 
acting business  almost  before  the  ink  on  their  pur- 
chase papers  was  dry.  Among  the  earliest  business 
establishments  may  be  mentioned  the  Pioneer  drug 
store,  in  charge  of  George  Woodrufif,  E.  M.  Metz- 
ger's  general  merchandise  store,  a  combination  store 
and  lodging  house  in  charge  of  C.  W.  Miley,  a  store 
conducted  by  B.  E.  Aldrich,  a  furniture  store  be- 
longing to  J.  H.  Mitchell  and  a  number  of  saloons. 
A  number  of  steamboats  at  that  time  began  making 
regular  trips  to  Everett,  among  them  the  State  of 
Washington,  the  Greyhound,  the  W.  K.  Merwin, 
the  City  of  Quincy,  the  Washington,  the  Mable 
and  the  Anna  M.  Pence.  They  were  said  to  have 
been  loaded  down  to  the  guards  every  day. 

Mrs.  B.  L.  Mitchell,  the  lady  who  was  appointed 
postmistress  of  the  new  town  on  Port  Gardner  bay, 
informs  us  that  it  was  named  Everett  in  honor  of 
Everett  Colby,  a  son  of  the  head  of  the  syndicate 
which  founded  the  town.  LTpon  repairing  to  her 
future  home  Mrs.  Mitchell  found  no  one  living 
there  except  the  Rucker  famil>'.  Mrs.  Emma  Hol- 
land, Daniel  Sinclair,  John  King,  Richard  Cleary, 
and  Messrs.  Miley  and  Henderson,  who  had  just 
opened  their  store  on  the  shore  of  the  bay  below 
the  Rucker  place.  The  store  occupied  a  rough 
frame  building  made  of  unpainted  and  unplaned 
boards  between  which  were  wide  open  cracks.  Mrs. 
Mitchell  arranged  to  open  the  postoffice  in  that 
building  and  for  a  time  lived  there  with  the  Miley 
family.  The  postoffice  was  opened  for  business  in 
Julv  of  1891.  Mrs.  Mitchell  makes  mention  of  the 
great  activity  of   the   Everett   Land   Company   to- 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


gether  with  the  Rucker  Brothers  in  the  clearing 
of  the  town  site,  laying  out  streets  and  otherwise 
inaugurating  the  city  that  was  to  be. 

The  postoffice  remained  in  the  Miley  building 
until  the  winter  of  1891-93,  when,  as  it  was  becom- 
ing apparent  that  both  the  bay  side  and  the  river 
side  settlements  were  sure  ultimately  to  merge,  it 
was  agreed  by  both  portions  of  the  budding  city 
that  the  posto'ffice  should  be  established  upon  the 
crest  of  the  hill  at  the  point  where  Hewitt  avenue 
passes  over  it.  A  two-story  frame  building,  which 
still  stands,  was  accordingly  erected  there  upon  a 
lot  owned  by  Mr.  Mitchell  at  the  corner  of  Hewitt 
avenue  and  Lombard  streets.  The  tremendous 
influx  of  population  made  the  business  of  the  post- 
office  very  heavy  and  difficult  to  handle.  Four  per- 
sons were  kept  constantly  busy  and  in  a  short  time 
it  was  found  that  two  delivery  windows  kept  open 
nearly  all  the  time  could  not  accommodate  the  crowds. 
Inasmuch  as  the  office  was  up  to  that  time  recog- 
nized only  as  a  country  office  without  allowance  for 
clerk  hire  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  determined 
to  provide  an  extra  man  at  a  cost  of  fifty  dollars 
a  month  to  assist,  but  even  then  the  postoffice 
accommodations  were  entirely  inadequate  to  the  de- 
mand. After  having  thus  inaugurated  the  post- 
office  business  of  Everett,  Mrs.  Mitchell  lost  her 
position  by  reason  of  political  changes,  and  O.  E. 
Reay  was  appointed  postmaster. 

in  the  Eye  of  November  16,  1891,  mention  was 
made  of  the  great  improvements  in  and  about  Ever- 
ett, particularly  in  the  vicinity  of  Lowell.  It  is 
stated  that  the  paper  mill  then  in  process  of  erection 
was  expected  to  be  the  largest  in  the  United  States. 
There  was  also  an  excellent  hotel  known  as  the 
Taper  Mill  hotel  which  was  used  as  headquarters 
of  the  paper  mill  company. 

The  road  from  Lowell  to  Everett  was  in  that 
paper  declared  to  be  the  worst  in  the  entire  county. 
Immense  quantities  of  lumber  were  hauled  over 
this  from  Smith's  mill  to  the  new  buildings  in  pro- 
cess of  erection  at  the  bay  side  and  river  side  set- 
tlements, and  many  times  the  wheels  of  these 
heavily  loaded  wagons  would  sink  to  the  hubs  re- 
quiring six-horse  teams  to  pull  them  out. 

The  correspondent  of  the  Eye  on  that  occasion 
says  that  the  first  thing  which  he  recognized  as 
part  of  Everett  was  the  Sherman  &  Morris  brick- 
yard. At  Swalwell's  Landing,  as  he  called  it,  he 
obtained  a  good  view  of  the  business  buildings 
which  then  were  going  up  on  all  sides.  He  thought 
that  rents  were  very  high  in  that  part  of  Everett,  in- 
asmuch as  a  building  twelve  by  sixteen  feet  used  for 
a  dry  goods  and  clothing  store  rented  for  eight 
dollars  per  month,  while  an  adjoining  building 
which  had  attained  the  colossal  proportions  of  ten 
by  twelve,  and  had  a  tent  roof,  rented  for  six  dollars 
per  month  for  use  as  a  boot  and  shoe  store.  These 
buildings  were  distinguishable  from  each  other  by 
numbers  written  over  the  doors.    A  number  of  neat 


cottages  had  been  erected  at  various  places  along 
Hewitt  avenue.  The  attention  of  the  correspondent 
was  divided  between  the  mud  of  his  immediate 
surroundings  and  the  beautiful  distant  scenery. 
He  describes  Hewitt  avenue  as  a  mile  and  a  half 
long  and  a  hundred  feet  wide.  It  certainly  had  the 
making  of  a  magnificent  street,  as  has  been  demon- 
strated since.  The  correspondent  makes  mention  of 
a  small  store  in  possession  of  P.  K.  Lewis,  from 
which  there  was  a  beautiful  view  of  Hat  island, 
with  Camano  and  Whidby  islands  and  part  of 
Mukilteo  in  the  distance. 

At  that  time  the  nail  factory  was  projected  to  be 
located  midway  between  the  western  terminus  of 
Hewitt  avenue  and  the  old  Western  Union  telegraph 
office.  The  land  was  in  process  of  being  cleared  at 
that  time  and  as  a  result  litter  of  even,'  conceivable 
sort  was  lying  on  all  sides  waiting  for  fire  to  remove 
it.  The  correspondent  thought  there  were  about  forty 
families  at  that  time  in  Swalwell's  addition  besides 
several  hundred  laborers  who  were  engaged  in  clear- 
ing and  grading  and  who  lived  in  shacks  and  tents 
in  various  parts  of  the  town. 

So  rapidly  had  Everett  progressed  during  the 
first  year  of  its  existence  that  in  the  Northwest 
magazine  of  February,  1892,  E.  V.  Smalley  speaks 
as  follows :  "A  year  ago  nobody  believed  that  it 
would  be  possible  to  create  a  new  town  on  Puget 
sound.  Tacoma  was  already  a  town  of  forty-five 
thousand,  while  only  twenty-seven  miles  away  by 
water  was  Seattle  with  about  the  same  population, 
both  important,  established  commercial  centers.  At 
the  extreme  lower  or  northern  end  of  the  soimd 
were  the  twin  cities.  New  Whatcom  and  Fair- 
haven,  with  probably  ten  thousand  people,  while  on 
the  western  side  of  the  sound  was  Port  Townsend 
with  about  four  thousand  population  and  a  superb 
harbor.  Olympia,  the  handsome  capital  city,  had 
experienced  a  remarkable  growth  from  a  village  to 
a  bustling  town  of  six  or  seven  thousand  people. 
Many  efiforts  to  start  new  towns  on  real  estate 
speculations  had  proven  abortive,  and  indeed  there 
were  perhaps  a  dozen  such  still  born  cities  to  be 
seen  by  travelers  on  the  sound.  When,  therefore, 
early  in  1891  it  was  announced  that  an  effort  would 
be  made  to  establish  a  city  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Snohomish  river,  only  thirty  miles  north  of  Seattle, 
people  generally  looked  forward  to  chronicling  a 
fresh  failure.  This  would  have  been  the  case  had 
the  town's  foundation  been  land  speculation,  but  the 
founders  of  Everett  started  the  town  on  a  wholly 
different  basis.  They  had  plenty  of  money  and  were 
determined  first  to  create  great  solid  enterprises 
that  would  support  a  population.  This  was  some- 
thing new  and  unparalleled,  a  radical  departure 
from  the  old  method  of  clearing  a  site,  building  a 
wharf  and  hotel,  and  then  calling  for  industries  and 
population. 

"The  history  of  Everett  on  the  high,  handsome 
peninsula  at  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish,  as  told 


SNOHOMISH   COUxMTY 


mc  on  the  spot,  is  about  as  follows :  Two  years  ago 
the  leading  capitalists  interested  in  the  great  steel 
barge  whaleback  shipyard  at  Superior,  Wisconsin, 
sent  Captain  McDougall,  the  inventor  of  this  novel 
style  of  vessel,  to  the  Pacific  coast  to  look  into  the 
matter  of  establishing  a  similar  shipyard  at  some 
point  on  Puget  sound.  The  captain  returned  and 
reported  that  profitable  employment  could  be  found 
for  the  whalebacks  in  the  Pacific  coast-carrying 
trade.  A  rumor  of  an  intention  to  duplicate  the 
famous  Superior  plant  at  some  point  on  the  sound 
set  all  the  sound  cities  and  towns  at  work  to  secure 
the  prize.  The  company  wanted  plenty  of  level 
land  with  good  water  frontage,  but  this  was  very 
difficult  to  secure  at  any  of  the  large  towns  except 
at  a  heavy  price.  The  result  of  the  first  investiga- 
tion was  that  it  was  almost  settled  at  one  time  that 
the  plant  would  go  to  Fidalgo  near  Anacortes,  in 
favor  of  which  strong  influence  had  been  brought  to 
bear.  The  leading  capitalists  interested  in  the 
whaleback  enterprise  were  Charles  L.  Colby  and 
Colgate  Hoyt,  directors  of  the  Northern  Pacific, 
Charles  W.  Wetmore  and  John  D.  Rockefeller,  of 
the  Standard  Oil  Company.  *  *  *  As  the  plants 
broadened  and  matured  it  was  determined  to  secure 
manufacturing  concerns  of  exceptional  solidity,  and 
until  these  different  plants  were  ready  for  business 
to  sell  no  lots.  In  this  way  the  enterprise  was 
placed  on  a  much  higher  basis  than  that  of  land 
speculation.  Nobody  was  invited  to  settle  in  the 
town  till  there  was  business  to  do  which  would 
support  a  population. 

"Arrangements  were  made  last  summer  by  the 
Everett  Land  Company  for  the  immediate  establish- 
ment of  the  following  manufacturing  concerns : 
first,  the  Pacific  Steel  Barge  Company,  to  build 
the  McDougall  model;  second,  a  paper  mill  that 
would  rank  with  the  largest  in  the  world,  to  manu- 
facture a  superior  grade  from  the  spruce  and  Cot- 
tonwood on  the  rivdr;  third,  a  wire  nail  mill,  to 
make  nails  from  steel  bars  imported  by  the  ship  load 
from  Belgium;  fourth,  a  large  saw-mill.  Work 
was  begun  at  once.  The  buildings  of  the  ship  yard 
are  rapidly  going  up  and  I  saw  on  the  2-lth  of 
February  a  huge  fir  timber  placed  in  position  upon 
which  the  keel  of  the  first  Pacific  whaleback  was  to 
be  laid.  The  .saw-mill  has  been  temporarily  held 
back  because  of  so  many  small  mills  being  erected." 

The  surveying  and  platting  of  the  site  of  Everett 
was  probably  the  most  accurate  and  complete  of  that 
of  any  of  the  sound  cities.  On  account  of  the  har- 
mony of  the  operations  and  plans  of  the  founders 
of  the  city  it  was  possible  to  give  the  survey  a 
completeness  and  consequently  to  impart  to  the 
town  site  a  symmetry  of  which  the  beauty  and  con- 
venience of  the  present  city  are  most  gratifying 
results.  Richard  Nevins,  Jr.,  of  Seattle,  was  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  topographical  engineers  who  laid 
out  the  town  site.  He  had  had  extensive  experience 
in  surveying  tide  lands  and  harbor  lines,  and  had 


surveyed  the  sites  of  Anacortes,  Detroit,  Mukilteo 
and  Port  Angeles.  The  chief  additions  made  to 
the  original  plat  of  the  city  of  Everett  during  its 
first  year  were  Swalwell's  first  addition.  East  Ever- 
ett, Everett  Land  Company's  first  addition  and 
Friday's  first  addition.  Many  additions  were  sub- 
sequently made  so  that  there  now  stand  recorded 
ninety-five  different  plats. 

In  the  Eye  of  December  2G,  1S9L  mention  is 
made  of  the  arrival  of  the  whaleback  steamer,  C. 
W.  Wetmore,  laden  with  iron  to  be  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  another  whaleback  at  Everett.  There 
was  in  the  cargo  also  a  supply  of  machinery  for  the 
nail  factory  and  paper  mill.  Great  curiosity  was 
felt  by  the  people  of  the  sound  in  this  curious  look- 
ing craft.  The  fact  was  recognized  also  that  she  was 
intimately  associated  w-ith  the  very  purpose  for 
which  Everett  was  founded,  the  whaleback  yards 
being  one  of  the  vital  enterprises  of  the  new  place. 

Throughout  the  fall  and  winter  of  1891,  great 
numbers  of  men  and  quantities  of  material  arrived, 
and  the  work  of  grading  the  city  and  equipping 
the  great  factories  which  were  to  be  the  foundations 
of  the  industries  of  the  place  went  rapidly  forward. 
The  contractor  in  charge  of  the  grading  work  was 
J.  H.  Morrison.  The  labor  of  grading  seems  to 
have  been  first  directed  toward  Hewitt  avenue,  cer- 
tainly to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  avenues 
in  the  West. 

Mention  is  made  in  the  Eye  of  October  3d  of 
work  upon  the  foundation  of  the  Wire,  Nail  and 
Steel  works  and  the  immense  warehouse  of  the  land 
company  four  hundred  feet  in  length.  At  right 
angles  with  the  warehouse  were  the  other  company 
buildings  which  were  to  be  used  for  various  purposes 
in  connection  with  the  .Steel  and  Iron  works  and 
factory.  The  contract  provided  for  the  completion 
of  these  immense  buildings  within  a  year.  It  is 
scarcely  understood  even  at  the  present  time  how 
extensive  were  the  plans  and  how  minutely  arranged 
were  the  details  of  the  great  enterprises  inaugurated 
at  Everett  fourteen  years  ago.  The  company  was 
al.so  engaged  at  the  same  time  in  putting  up  a 
splendid  hotel,  three  stories  high,  with  basement, 
lis  by  122  feet  in  size,  completely  surrounded  bv 
verandahs  and  equipped  in  every  respect  as  a 
thoroughly  modern  hotel. 

The  Great  Northern  railroad  was  completed  to 
Everett  in  the  fall  of  1891  and  trains  began  mak- 
ing more  or  less  regular  trips  in  November.  The 
exceedingly  important  part  which  the  Great  North- 
ern railroad  was  to  bear  in  the  development  of 
Everett  and  the  entire  sound  country'  was  beginning 
to  become  apparent  in  the  fall  of  1891.  It  became 
known  at  that  time  that  J.  J.  Hill  and  the  English- 
men, I,ord  Mount  Stephens  and  Sir  Donald  A. 
Smith,  were  heavy  owners  in  the  stock  of  the  land 
company.  This  company  had  acquired  not  only  a 
thousand  acres  of  town  site  but  also  about  three 
thousand  acres  of  tide  lands  adjoining.     In  most 


"ARM    ()[•    II.    C.    ANDI'IRSON,    SlANWOd 


IN     I  III-:    II  \KI'.()R.    I'A' 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


cases  tlic  company  had  been  buying  up  these  lands 
quietly  at  comparatively  low  prices. 

We  derive  from  J.  H.  Mitchell  some  data  as  to 
the  earliest  business  men  of  the  river  side  of  Everett 
which  are  worthy  of  preservation.  Among  the 
pioneer  grocers  were  B.  E.  Aldrich,  W.  A.  Usher, 
]).  F.  Powers  and  E.  W.  Metzger.  Arthur  A. 
Lailey  operated  a  fruit  stand,  E.  Kirmes  was  the 
pioneer  jeweler,  A.  A.  Brodeck  dealt  in  gents'  furn- 
ishing goods,  W.  N.  Webster  was  a  leading  dry 
goods  merchant,  while  Henry  Sahlinger  was  the 
first  clothier.  The  pioneer  hotel,  known  as  the 
Everett,  was  built  in  1891  and  operated  by  August 
Johnson.  It  still  stands  on  Everett  avenue  near  the 
Snohomish  bridge.  George  and  John  F.  Hart,  who 
were  engaged  in  the  saw-mill  business  on  the  river, 
built  the  Hart  hotel  and  opera  house  upon  the  cor- 
ner of  Pacific  avenue  and  Maple  street.  This  build- 
ing is  still  standing  and  is  known  as  the  Van  Horn 
house.  The  public  hall  part  of  it  was  the  main  re- 
source of  Everett  for  many  years  for  public  gather- 
ings. Among  the  noted  resorts  in  pioneer  Everett 
was  a  saloon  with  the  sanguinary  nick  name,  the 
"Bucket  of  Blood,"  built  without  doors,  of  which 
Fritz  &  Heeny  were  the  proprietors.  This  was 
located  at  the  corner  of  Hewitt  avenue  and  Market 
street  near  the  river  and  was  among  the  early 
buildings  of  the  river  side.  The  name  was  given 
because  of  the  large  amount  of  blood  shed  there. 

Not  until  about  the  fall  of  1893  did  the  l)ay  side 
settlement  begin  to  equal  that  of  the  river  side,  and 
in  fact  the  latter  was  the  real  center  of  tlic  tnwn 
uiiiil   about   1900. 

/Vmong  the  various  recortls  of  interest  in  the 
early  history  of  Everett  we  find  in  the  Everett 
Times  of  December  17,  1891,  a  story  of  the  founding 
of  Everett  as  related  by  Henry  Hewitt,  Jr.  This 
gives  so  fully  and  furthermore,  preserves  so  per- 
fectly the  .spirit  of  the  era  to  which  it  belonged  that 
we  give  a  liberal  extract  from  it.  Mr.  Hewitt  first 
mentions  the  numerous  places  in  Washington  and 
(  'regon  which  he  visited  looking  for  a  location  for 
the  great  enterprises  with  which  he  was  connected, 
;md  then  continues  as   follows : 

"I  came  along  to  the  mouth  of  tiie  SnolKunish 
river  and  went  by  boat  up  the  diflorcnt  ch.'uniels 
a  number  of  miles  above  Snohomish  to  the  forks 
Iff  the  Skykomish,  then  back  and  landed  in  the 
harbor  of  Port  Gardner.  I  there  took  private 
soimdings  of  the  harbor  and  found  it  to  be  the  best 
on  the  sound  in  our  opinion.  After  making  these 
investigations  we  skirted  the  Puget  sound  shore 
hack  to  Tacoma.  We  decided  that  the  harbor  of 
Port  Gardner  would  be  a  splendid  place  for  a  city 
if  railroads  could  be  induced  to  run  there,  especially 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  no  city  was  located  at  the 
mouth  of  such  a  large  valley.  At  that  time  the 
-Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  railroad  was  just 
entering  Snohomish  and  was  the  nearest  railroad. I 
Inirther  explorations  convinced  me  tliat  the  timber! 


country  back  of  us  was  exceptionally  rich  and  I 
immediately  began  buying  on  the  Snohomish  and  its 
various  tributaries.  Then  being  convinced  that  the 
Skykomish  pass  would  eventually  be  used  by  an\- 
railroad  passing  the  mountains  between  the  Cana- 
dian Pacific  and  the  Northern  Pacific  I  decided  that 
Port  Gardner  had  a  future. 

"When  I  found  that  the  Great  Northern  was 
going  to  build  a  line  from  New  Westminster  to 
Portland  I  immediately  began  buying  the  land  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish  river.  I  interested 
a  large  nuinber  of  New  York  capitalists,  including 
Charles  L.  Colby,  Colgate  Hoyt,  John  D.  Rockefel- 
ler, Barney  Smith,  and  the  American  Steel  Barge 
Company  and  many  other  Eastern  capitalists  of 
note  and  wealth.  I  was  instructed  to  buy  up  all  the 
land  in  and  about  that  vicinity  without  limit  as  to 
price  or  quantity.  We  have  purchased  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  nine  thousand  acres.  We  feel  confident 
that  a  large  city  is  our  future.  We  have  fresh  water 
navigation  for  ocean  vessels  for  eleven  miles  above 
Port  Gardner.     *     *     * 

"Investigating  the  outer  harbor  of  Port  Gardner 
I  find  that  we  have  sjjlendid  anchorage  about  one 
mile  by  five,  not  exceeding  from  forty-five  to  ninety 
feet  of  water,  with  a  clay  bottom,  making  anchorage 
as  good  as  at  any  point  on  Puget  sound.  The 
largest  vessel  may  come  up  and  anchor  and  ride 
without  the  slightest  danger.    *    *    * 

"The  present  stock  companies,  including  the 
Everett  Land  Company,  which  are  now  eontrolleil 
by  the  promoters  of  the  enterprise,  have  a  sub- 
scribed capital  of  two  million,  three  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  which  includes  four  hundred  thousand 
for  the  paper  mill,  three  hundred  thousand  for  the 
nail  works  and  six  hundred  thousand  for  the  steel 
barge   works." 

The  pioneer  bank.  Bank  of  Everett,  opened  its 
doors  for  business  in  December  of  that  same  busy 
year  of  1891.  It  had  a  capital  stock  of  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  and  its  officers  were :  president,  John 
E.  McManus ;  vice-president,  A.  C.  Peters ;  cashier, 
C.  B.  Stackpole ;  trustees.  R.  M.  Mitchell,  M.  Swart- 
out,  W.  F.  Brown,  Englebert  Bast,  N.  B.  Dolson, 
A.   C.   Peters  and  John   E.   McManus. 

During  the  third  week  of  December,  1891,  there 
were  incorporated  four  companies,  each  with  a 
capital  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  as  follows :  The 
Everett  Water  Coinpany,  Everett  Street  Railway 
Company,  Everett  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Com- 
pany, and  Everett  Light  and  Power  Company.  These 
corporations  were  organized  to  utilize  the  rights  and 
privileges  reserved  by  the  owners  of  the  city's  site 
at  the  time  of  duplication. 

The  rapidity  of  growth  of  Everett  during  the 
first  year  of  its  existence  is  well  indicated  by  sorne 
figures   pertaining   to   the   postoffice.      In  '  August, 

1891,  the  business  transacted  amounted  to  .$5.28. 
In  December  of  the  same  vear,  $96.28 ;  in  Tanuarv. 

1892,  $159.00,  and  in  May  of  1892,  $402.10. 


324 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


The  Presbyterian  denomination  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  erected  the  first  church  in  Ever- 
ett. This  was  begun  in  March,  1892,  and  carried 
forward  to  completion  during  the  summer  follow- 
ing. This  church  was  placed  upon  a  lot  donated 
■by  Mr.  Swalwell  just  north  of  Hewitt  avenue. 

The  first  months  of  1S92  were  marked  by  the 
inauguration  of  several  important  enterprises.  The 
Bayview  hotel  was  opened  on  January  1-lth,  under 
the  management  of  James  Casey.  The  building 
and  furniture  cost  about  forty  thousand  dollars. 
During  the  same  month  regular  daily  mail  service 
began  over  the  coast  line  of  the  Great  Northern 
railroad,  and  in  February  the  Sunset  Telephone 
Company  began  installing  the  first  telephone  system. 
About  that  time,  also,  a  large  force  of  men  were  at 
■work  upon  the  Monte  Cristo  railroad  to  the  newly 
opened  mines.  The  Hewitt-Lombard  bank  was 
organized  and  opened  its  doors  for  business  in 
February  of  the  same  year. 

With  the  opening  of  the  year  1893  Everett  was 
becoming  so  much  of  a  city  and  the  hopes  and 
expectations  of  its  inhabitants  were  so  boundless, 
that  there  was  a  general  movement  in  the  direction 
of  organized  municipal  life.  The  building  known 
as  the  "Wigwam,"  a  rough,  barn-like  structure, 
erected  in  1893  by  Clark  &  Company  at  the  corner 
of  Hewitt  and  Wetmore  streets,  began  to  be  used 
as  a  general  public  gathering  place  and  as  a  center 
of  the  civic  life  of  the  town. 

On  March  19,  1893,  this  movement  resulted  in 
a  general  election  of  citizens  to  represent  the  dififer- 
ent  portions  of  the  town,  constituting  a  committee 
of  twenty-one  to  act  as  an  informal  council  until 
such  time  as  incorporation  should  be  effected.  The 
members  of  this  committee  were  as  follows :  From 
Lowell.  E.  D.  Smith,  E.  H.  Hallebeck,  E.  D.  Tnger- 
■soll  and  A.  S.  Pruden ;  East  Everett,  W.  O.  Hay- 
den,  S.  L.  Gates,  A.  H.  Gamel,  James  Hambly,  C. 
W.  Caddigan,  D.  E.  Powers,  C.  D.  Sweeney,  W.  G. 
Swalwell,  E.  L.  Bogart,  George  Noyes  and  J.  S. 
Borland ;  West  Everett,  J.  H.  Mitchell,  J.  J.  Maney. 
P.  K.  Lewis  and  J.  P.  Murphy ;  Barge  Works,  W. 
M.  Ross  and  G.  L.  Lazier.  This  committee  chose 
as  officers  the  following :  president,  C.  D.  Sweeney ; 
vice-president,  A.  H.  Gamel ;  treasurer,  W.  G.  Swal- 
well ;  secretarv,  E.  L.  Hallenbeck ;  assistant  secre- 
tary, E.  T.  Bogart. 

A  week  later  the  volunteer  fire  service  of  Ever- 
ett became  established  by  the  formation  of  three 
companies:  The  Everett  Volunteer  Fire  Engine 
Company,  No.  1,  consisting  of  forty  members  with 
W.  J.  Gillespie  as  president;  Fire  Company  A,  with 
thirty-nine  members.  James  Hambly  being  the 
president;  and  the  Everett  Volunteer  Flook  and 
Ladder  Company,  No.  1,  of  which  Dr.  O.  N.  Mur- 
dock  was  chosen  president.  These  various  com- 
panies have  maintained  their  existence  for  many 
years  and  become  important  factors  in  the  protec- 
tion of  the  citv. 


Li  April,  1892,  a  movement  took  shape  and 
culminated  on  the  27th  of  that  month  in  the  organi- 
zation of  a  business  men's  association.  A  group 
of  the  prominent  business  men  gathered  in  the 
office  of  the  Swalwell  Loan  &  Trust  Company  and 
proceeded  to  organize  by  the  election  of  J.  R.  Haw- 
ley  as  president,  and  a  board  of  directors  consisting 
of  James  Hambly,  N.  M.  Neeld,  J.  P.  Murphy, 
George  J.  Sherrv,  W.  M.  Ross,  George  L.  Hutchins, 
R.  M.  Mitchell,  C.  D.  Sweeney,  C.  B.  Stackpole  and 
Captain  Hayden. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Business  Men's  Association 
on  June  8th  it  was  decided  to  reincorporate  as  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Everett.  A  hundred  and 
twenty-three  members  subscribed  their  names  and 
took  up  at  once  the  question  of  incorporating  and 
building  a  chamber  of  commerce  building.  The 
incorporators  were  J.  R.  Hawley,  Schuyler  Duryee, 
W.  G.  Swalwell,  A.  Gamel  and  Samuel  H.  Nichols. 
During  the  year  a  contract  was  awarded  to  R.  C. 
Jordan  for  erecting  a  building,  at  a  cost  of  $11,800, 
on  the  corner  of  Oak  and  Wall  streets. 

Growing  directly  out  of  these  various  civic 
movements  there  was  presented  to  the  county  com- 
missioners on  February  17,  1893,  a  petition  asking 
for  incorporation  of  the  city  of  Everett.  By  reason 
of  differences  arising  in  respect  to  the  boundary 
lines  action  was  deferred  until  at  a  public  meeting 
on  February  23d  the  opposing  factions  compro- 
mised by  agreeing  to  except  from  the  city  limits  all 
the  manufacturing  district  and  tide  lands  and 
adopted  boundaries  drawn  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
carry  out  that  agreement. 

Upon  the  presentation  of  the  amended  petition 
to  the  board  of  commissioners  they  acted  at  once 
favorably  and  incorporated  the  city  under  those 
modified  boundary  lines.  April  37th  was  designated 
as  the  date  of  election  and  as  a  preparation  for  this 
a  number  of  tickets  were  placed  in  the  field.  There 
were  two  citizens'  tickets,  a  people's  party  ticket, 
and  a  Republican-Democratic  fusion  ticket.  Nearly 
nine  hundred  voters  were  registered,  but  over  a 
hundred  of  these  failed  to  vote.  Incorporation  was 
carried  by  a  vote  of  six  hundred  and  seventy  to 
ninety-nine  and  the  fusion  ticket  prevailed,  though 
the  mayor  received  but  three  majority.  The  follow- 
ing is  the  list  of  city  officers  chosen  at  that  first 
city  election  in  Everett:  Mayor,  Thomas  Dwyer, 
Democrat ;  treasurer,  James  Hambly,  Republican ; 
attorney,  H.  D.  Cooley,  Republican;  clerk,  C.  P. 
Clark,  Republican;  marshal,  Dennis  Crowe,  Peo- 
ple's party ;  health  officer.  Dr.  O.  V.  Harris,  Demo- 
crat; assessor,  Charles  Reed,  Fusionist;  councilmen, 
W.  G.  Swalwell,  J.  T-  IManev,  Samuel  H.  Nichols, 
O.  N.  Murdock,  W.  J.  Gillespie,  S.  E.  Thayer, 
C.  A.  Swineford. 

The  first  meeting  of  this  first  city  council  of 
Everett  was  held  in  the  "W^igwam"  on  May  Sth. 
The  following  evening  a  meeting  was  held  at  which 
the  mayor  delivered  an  inaugural  address  and  estab- 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


lished  the  office  of  the  city  engineer,  the  city  pohce 
department  and  the  department  of  street  commis- 
sioner. By  vote  of  the  council  L.  A.  Nicholson 
was  appointed  city  engineer,  F.  C.  Tubbs,  street 
commissioner,  Julian  L.  Shay  police  judge,  and 
George  A.  Shea  captain  of  the  city  police  force. 
May  19th  the  council  authorized  the  purchase  of  a 
suitable  equipment  of  fire  apparatus.  At  a  meet- 
ing in  October  the  city  council  contracted  for  a 
new  building  to  be  used  as  a  city  hall  to  be  erected 
on  the  corner  of  Broadway,  just  east  of  Hewitt 
avenue.  This  building  with  some  improvements 
is  still  employed  for  muncipal  purposes. 

As  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  to  anyone  who 
saw  Everett  during  those  years  or  to  anyone  who 
has  read  these  pages,  the  years  1891  and  1893  were 
ones  of  tremendous  activity.  Yet  it  was  not  of  a 
feverish  or  speculative  sort.  On  the  other  hand 
the  vast  enterprises  under  way  and  the  fact  that  a 
permanent  population  of  laborers  as  well  as  of  busi- 
ness and  professional  men  were  engaged  in  the 
erection  of  permanent  and  substantial  buildings, 
as  well  as  in  the  inauguration  of  every  species  of 
solid  industrial  activity,  saved  Everett  from  the 
collapse  which  beset  many  less  substantial  places 
during  the  hard  times  soon  to  come.  Everett  was 
indeed  too  solidly  constructed  to  suffer  serious  back- 
sets, although  in  common  \yith  all  other  Pacific 
coast  cities  the  movement  of  her  active  life  was 
checked  for  a  time.  During  the  two  years  prior 
to  the  panic  enterprises  were  undertaken  and  events 
occurred  of  such  amount  and  variety  that  it  would 
transcend  our  limits  to  mention  even  a  tithe  of  them. 
We  can  record  here  but  a  few  of  the  business  under- 
takings and  events  which  were  of  the  most  impor- 
tant bearing  upon  the  progress  of  the  city. 

Among  these  miscellaneous  events  of  importance 
we  find  record  of  the  contract  made  by  the  Everett 
Land  Company  with  Hoge  &  Swift  of  Portland, 
agents  of  the  American  Tube  &  Iron  Company  of 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  to  lay  three  and  a  half  miles 
of  water  mains.  The  contract  was  completed  on 
June  1,  1892.  On  the  first  of  May  the  great  steel 
barge  works  were  finished.  This  immense  manu- 
factory was  built  on  two  thousand  piles,  upon 
which  was  planking  a  thousand  feet  long  and  two 
hundred  feet  wide.  We  find  also  an  item  in  the 
I-'verett  Times  to  the  effect  that  the  first  brick  build- 
ing on  the  bay  side  division  of  Everett  was  begun 
on  February  29th,  the  owner  being  Mathew  P. 
Zindorf. 

At  about  the  same  time  the  gigantic  nail  works 
were  inaugurated  and  entered  upon  active  life. 
April  21,  1892,  witnessed  the  installation  of  the 
two  mammoth  engines,  which  were  set  in  operation 
by  a  touch  from  the  hands  of  two  children.  Agnes 
r)uryee  and  Alec  Campbell.  Upon  the  arrival  of 
the  Orbis  from  Amsterdam  with  a  cargo  of  steel 
wire  all  preparations  were  made  for  the  actual  pro- 
duction of  nails  and  on  May  11th,  in  the  presence 


of  hundreds  of  interested  spectators,  the  first  nail 
was  manufactured  from  a  silver  dollar  furnished 
by  Manager  Whitney.  The  first  keg  of  nails  was 
shipped  to  the  New  York  office  of  the  company, 
after  which  an  order  for  two  carloads  for  Schwab- 
acher  Brothers  of  Seattle  was  entered  upon  and 
completed  in  two  days. 

The  following  brief  enumeration  of  the  manu- 
facturing establishments  at  Everett  in  the  summer 
of  1892  will  give  the  reader  some  conception  of  the 
vast  gathering  of  industrial  interests  at  the  place : — 
Pacific  Steel  Barge  Company,  Puget  Sound  Wire 
Nail  &  Steel  Company,  Puget  Sound  Paper  &  Pulp 
Company,  Everett  Chair  Company,  Smith  Lumber 
Company,  Dewey  Lumber  Company,  Hart  Lumber 
Company,  Industrial  Mill  Company,  Everett  Tile 
works.  Bast  Brick  works,  Sherman  &  Wasson  Brick 
works,  Everett  Mill  Company,  Parminter  &  Robin- 
son, Darling  &  Allen,  Everett  Sand  &  Brick  Com- 
pany, Blackman  Brothers  Shingle  factory.  These 
works  had  a  combined  capital  of  $1,753,000,  em- 
ployed 925  men,  with  a  monthly  pay  roll  of  $72,100, 
and  a  monthly  product  of  the  value  of  $310,000. 

From  the  issue  of  the  Everett  Times  of  Decem- 
ber 8,  1892,  wc  Irani  that  about  five  million  dollars 
was  expended  during  the  year  in  investments  in 
the  various  manufacturing  establishments,  business 
blocks  and  residences,  street  improvements  and 
public  buildings.  From  the  same  paper  we  learn 
that  the  following  banks,  named  in  order  of  age,  and 
having  a  combined  capital  of  $475,000,  were  then 
doing  business  in  Everett :  Bank  of  Everett,  Hew- 
itt-Lombard bank,  Rucker,  First  National,  Everett 
National,  Fidelity  Trust  &  Savings  bank,  and  Puget 
Sound  National. 

During  the  summer  of  1892  the  first  brick  build- 
ing on  the  river  side,  a  splendid  three  story  struc- 
ture on  the  corner  of  Hewitt  avenue  and  Pine 
street,  was  erected  by  W.  G.  Swahvell,  at  a  cost  of 
thirty  thousand  dollars. 

Three  immense  enterprises  were  taking  shape 
during  this  same  period,  viz.,  the  smelter  plant  of 
the  Everett  Reduction  Company,  the  completion  of 
the  overland  line  of  the  Great  Northern  railroad, 
and  the  completion  of  the  Everett  &  IMontc  Cristo 
railroad,  which  was  itself  tlie  most  important  ad- 
junct to  the  operations  of  the  great  smelter.  One 
million,  four  hundred  tlidusand  brick  were  em- 
ployed in  building  the  smelter  and  were  provided 
by  the  Everett  Brick  &  Tile  Company.  The  im- 
portance of  this  great  metal  refinery  may  be  real- 
ized from  the  fact  that  Seattle  offered  a  subsidy 
of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  its  establish- 
ment at  that  city.  The  offer  of  eighty  acres  of 
land,  however,  in  East  Everett,  was  considered 
more  advantageous  by  the  company.  The  capital 
stock  of  this  company  was  nine  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  held  by  New  York  capitalists,  who  also 
controlled  the  Three  S  road  and  its  extension  to 
the  mines,  the  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  road. 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


The  Great  Northern  Railroad  Company  com- 
pleted its  through  line  and  ran  its  first  overland 
passenger  train  from  St.  Paul  in  June,  1893,  and 
on  the  25th  of  that  month  the  first  train  passed 
through  Everett.  This  was  indeed  an  event  of 
great  moment  to  the  new  town  and  the  entire  state. 

Another  valuable  industry  was  established  in  the 
closing  months  of  189S,  namely  the  Everett  tan- 
nery, owned  by  Bardeen,  Perrin  &  Company,  still 
in  operation.  It  employs  hemlock  bark,  being  the 
only  tanner}'  in  the  state  to  make  use  of  this  kind 
of  bark. 

An  important  event  of  the  same  busy  year  was 
the  official  listing  by  the  Everett  Lancl  Company 
of  their  lots  in  the  bay  side  district.  This  region 
had  been  held  back  by  the  land  company  and  Rucker 
Brothers  until  the  great  industrial  enterprises  of  the 
place  should  be  started.  On  March  1st  they  placed 
on  the  market  two  thousand,  one  hundred  lots  of  the 
main  site  of  Everett.  These  lots  were  sold  under 
the  restriction  that  each  purchaser  should  erect  a 
building  of  the  value  of  at  least  one  thousand  dol- 
lars, but  with  this  restriction  the  lots  were  sold  on 
very  easy  terms.  The  amount  of  money  paid  for 
lots  sold  during  the  summer,  together  with  the  in- 
vestments required  to  comply  with  the  building  re- 
strictions, was  $3,584,-400. 

The  growth  of  the  schools  of  Everett  during 
this  same  period  kept,  pace  with  that  of  the  in- 
dustrial enterprises.  In  September,  1891,  there  was 
one  school  building  and  two  teachers.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1S92,  there  were  nine  school  houses  with  ten 
teachers  and  six  hundred  pupils. 

One  of  the  notable  events  of  1893  was  a  legal 
contest  before  a  special  jury  of  the  Superior  court 
of  Snohomish  county  upon  the  question  of  the 
appraisement  placed  by  the  tide  land  commissioners 
upon  the  tide  lands  adjoining  Everett.  The  pro- 
prietors of  the  town  site  desired  to  use  a  portion 
of  the  tide  lands  as  a  fresh  water  harbor,  and  while 
the  case  was  pending  in  the  courts  action  in  that 
direction  as  well  as  the  incorporation  of  the  city 
was  delayed.  At  the  final  trial  the  special  jury 
decided  that  the  act  of  the  tide  land  commissioners 
in  raising  the  appraisement  by  twelve  thousand  dol- 
lars was  not  justified  and  that  therefore  the  lands 
must  be  sold  at  the  former  figure.  The  settlement 
of  this  question  removed  a  great  obstacle  to  the 
growth  of  the  city.  At  about  the  same  time  the 
suit  of  Charles  F.  Jones  to  recover  possession  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  a  part  of 
the  Everett  Land  Company's  holdings,  was  decided 
in  favor  of  the  company  and  this  at  once  removed 
another  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  the  city. 

The  year  1893  was  marked  by  the  beginning  of 
work  on  the  Great  Northern  railroad  tunnel  under 
the  city,  by  the  completion  of  the  street  car  system 
belonging  to  the  Everett  Electric  Railway  Company, 
which  ran  its  first  cars  on  July  3(1,  and  by  the  in- 
auguration of  regular  train  service  on  the  Everett 


&  Monte  Cristo  railroad.  Another  event  of  far 
different  nature  was  the  establishment  of  the  Ever- 
ett hospital.  This  was  the  work  of  a  devoted  com- 
pany of  Everett  women,  and  their  invaluable  labors 
were  recognized  by  the  board  of  trustees  in  the 
appointment  of  a  board  of  lady  managers,  at  the 
head  of  which  was  Mrs.  Augusta  Plummer  Foster. 
The  association  built  a  substantial  home  upon 
Broadway  avenue,  but  by  reason  of  the  subsequent 
establishment  of  the  Catholic  hospital  and  still 
another  by  Mrs.  Friday,  the  Everett  hospital  build- 
ing was  sold  to  the  Norwegian  school  known  as  the 
Bethenia  high  school  and  the  furniture  to  INIrs. 
Friday,  who  has  retained  the  name  of  the  Everett 
hospital  to  the  present  time. 

The  disastrous  state  of  business  throughout  the 
country  during  the  years  189;5-4-5  produced  a 
temporary  suspension  of  operations  in  nearly  all 
of  the  great  manufacturing  plants  of  Everett  and 
several  of  the  banks  met  the  fate  which  came  to 
so  many  banking  institutions  throughout  the  state, 
but  in  spite  of  these  disasters  the  barge  works 
launched  the  magnificent  steamship.  City  of  Everett, 
on  October  24,  1894.  It  was  a  gala  day  for  Everett, 
and  it  was  estimated  that  not  less  than  twelve  thou- 
sand people  witnessed  the  launching  of  this,  the 
first  whaleback  built  upon  the  Pacific  coast.  At 
twenty-eight  minutes  past'  two  in  the  afternoon 
Superintendent  Calderwood  gave  the  signal  and  five 
axmen  severed  the  ropes  which  held  the  ship  in 
position  upon  the  ways.  As  she  started  to  glide 
into  the  water  a  young  lady.  Miss  Katrice  Lentzy, 
broke  the  traditional  bottle  of  champaign  over  the 
bow  and  said,  "I  christen  thee  City  of  Everett. 
God  speed  thee."  The  ship  glided  into  the  bay  with- 
out the  slightest  mishap,  eloquent  speeches  were 
delivered  by  Judge  Delaney  and  Governor  McGraw, 
and  a  general  jubilee  accompanied  this  notable 
event. 

In  spite  of  the  retardation  of  industry  through 
the  hard  times  there  was  an  immense  amount  of 
traffic  at  the  port  of  Everett.  During  the  year 
ending  June  30.  189G,  the  total  exports  by  water 
amounted  to  23,320  tons,  valued  at  $1,538,583. 
There  were  exported  by  rail  94,856  tons,  valued  at 
$610,000.  The  total  imports  bv  water  and  rail  were 
122,015  tons,  valued  at  $1,185',937. 

A  work  of  incalculable  value  to  Everett  is  the 
harbor  improvement  in  charge  of  the  United  States 
government,  the  primary  object  of  which  is  to  ex- 
cavate a  harbor  at  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish  river 
which  may  serve  as  a  fresh  water  harbor.  The 
primary  motive  leading  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  the  municipality  of  Everett  to  urge  this  upon 
the  general  government  is  the  well-known  fact  that 
ships  which  have  become  covered  with  barnacles 
upon  their  ocean  voyages  become  cleaned  by  lying 
for  a  few  days  in  a  fresh  water  harbor  and  thus 
avoid  the  large  expense  for  dry  dockage  entailed 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


upon  ships  which  are  confined  to  salt  water.  With 
this  is  the  equally  important  fact  that  piles  driven 
in  fresh  water  are  not  subject  to  the  devastations 
of  the  teredo,  which  has  made  necessary  the  ex- 
penditure of  enormous  sums  to  maintain  wharves 
upon  salt  water  fronts.  The  Snohomish  river  has  a 
delta  consisting  of  several  channels  entering  the  bay 
through  strips  of  low  lands  and  upon  the  first  in- 
spection of  the  proposed  site  by  the  founders  it 
became  apparent  that  proper  work  could  result  in 
the  creation  here  of  a  magnificent  fresh  water  har- 
bor. Lieutenant  Symons,  of  the  United  Coast  and 
Harbor  service,  was  detailed  by  the  government  to 
examine  and  report  upon  the  propriety  of  govern- 
ment appropriation  for  this  purpose.  His  report 
was  adverse  to  making  an  appropriation  at  first,  on 
the  ground  that  traffic  did  not  yet  justify  it  and  that 
it  was  essentially  a  matter  of  local  interest.  But 
the  people  of  Everett  were  persistent  in  their  de- 
mands upon  government  for  attention  to  this  pro- 
posed great  work,  and  on  November  4,  1893,  the 
Secretary  of  War  granted  permission  to  the  Everett 
Land  Company  to  construct  works  designed  to 
produce  a  fresh  water  basin  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Snohomish  river.  As  time  passed  on  and  as  the  im- 
portance of  Everett  as  a  shipping  center  increased 
an  interest  in  it  was  elicited  which  finally  resulted  in 
a  definite  plan  of  harbor  improvement  under  the 
government  and  appropriations  have  been  made 
systematically  and  work  carried  on  right  down  to 
the  present  time. 

In  1901  congress  made  an  appropriation  of  three 
hundred  and  ninety-two  thousand  dollars  to  continue 
the  work  already  begun.  The  harbor  as  now  in  proc- 
ess of  excavation  is  to  be  four  and  a  half  miles  in 
length  and  five  hundred  feet  wide.  At  the  salt 
water  entrance  there  is  a  pond  fifteen  hundred  feet 
square.  The  harbor  is  built  after  the  pattern  of  the 
harbor  at  Kingstown,  Ireland.  For  commercial  ad- 
vantage, completeness  of  equipment,  beauty  of 
appearance  and  general  interest  in  every  feature  of 
its  development,  this  is  one  of  the  most  notable 
improvements  anywhere  undertaken  within  the 
United   States. 

An  event  of  great  moment  in  the  business  of 
Everett  was  the  organization  of  the  Everett  Im- 
provement Company  in  January,  1900,  and  its 
acquisition  of  all  the  landed  interests  formerly  con- 
trolled by  the  Everett  Land  Company.  That'  great 
company,  after  having  borne  such  an  important 
part  in  the  founding  and  upbuilding  of  the  city, 
operating  its  various  industries  throughout  the  hard 
times,  at  last  succumbed  to  the  pressure,  passed  into 
the  hands  of  a  receiver,  and  finallv  reverted  to  its 
original  founder,  John  D.  Rockefeller.  Its  holdings 
were  purchased  after  long  but  successful  negotia- 
tions, in  December,  1899  by  W.  J.  Rucker  acting 
as  the  agent  of  the  James  J.  Hill  interests,  and 
almost  immediately  the  Everett  Improvement  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  by  the  purchasers.     In  1901 


the  Improvement  Company  acquired  the  Everett 
Railway  &  Electric  Company's  plant  and  later  the 
property  of  the  water  company.  In  the  spring  of 
1905  these  two  properties  were  consolidated  under 
the  title,  the  Everett  Railway,  Light  &  Water  Com- 
pany. 

The  first  three  years  of  the  present  decade  have 
been  characterized  by  a  tremendous  growth  in  every 
feature  of  the  industrial  life  of  Everett.  Not  only 
has  its  manufacturing  output  and  its  commercial 
activity  increased  by  leaps  and  bounds,  but  the 
business  of  agriculture  and  horticulture  in  the  parts 
of  Snohomish  county  accessible  to  it  has  increased 
to  correspond.  It  has  been  discovered  that  the 
soil  in  the  valley  of  the  Snohomish  and  even  the  log- 
ged-ofif  uplands,  which  were  thought  formerly 
not  to  be  productive,  are  the  natural  habitat  of 
berries,  vegetables,  fruits  and  grasses.  The  tre- 
mendous disaster  which  was  brought  upon  the  mi- 
ning business  by  the  great  flood  of  1897,  which 
obliterated  the  Everett  &  Monte  Cristo  railway,  and 
as  a  result  of  which  the  mining  business  lay  dormant 
for  a  time,  has  been  overcome  and  the  work  of 
mining  and  of  smelting  has  developed  not  a  little. 
The  lumber  and  shingle  business  of  the  city  has 
attained  enormous  proportions,  for  Everett  is  un- 
surpassed among  all  the  towns  on  Puget  sound  in 
the  timber  resources  within  its  reach  and  in  facili- 
ties for  handling  and  shipping  the  manufactured 
products. 

While  these  great  essential  productive  enter- 
prises of  the  city  are  adding  their  millions  yearly  to 
its  accumulated  wealth,  the  citizens  have  been  in 
the  forefront  in  the  use  which  they  have  made  of 
their  swiftly  increasing  resources.  Magnificent 
business  blocks,  fine  public  buildings,  beautiful 
private  residences,  attractive  church  buildings, 
commodious  and  elegant  school  buildings,  and  am- 
ple and  well  kept  streets  attest  the  general  high 
standard  of  aspiration  and  achievement  among  the 
citizens  of  Everett. 

A  general  outline  of  the  public  school  system  of 
the  city  may  be  given  as  follows :  The  city  super- 
intendent is  Professor  D.  A.  Thornburg.  The 
schools,  with  the  principals  and  the  number  of 
teachers  in  each  are  as  follows :  High  school, 
Ellis  H.  Rogers  and  eight  teachers ;  Monroe,  J.  E. 
Van  Allsburg  and  eight  teachers ;  Jeflferson,  J.  F. 
Knight  and  eleven  teachers ;  Lincoln,  L.  J.  Camp- 
bell and  sixteen  teachers ;  Garfield,  A.  H.  Sherwood 
and  thirteen  teachers ;  Jackson,  W.  N.  Whitelaw 
and  ten  teachers.  Besides  these  principal  school- 
houses  there  are  three  small  ones  known  as  the 
Thirty-seventh  street,  the  Smelter  school  and  the 
Eighteenth  street  school.  The  buildings  have  an  ag- 
gregate value  of  $270,712.  During  the  past  year 
there  was  a  total  enrollment  of  3,121  children, 
though  the  school  census  footed  up  a  total  of  4,145. 
The  number  of  teachers  employed  was  seventy- 
three.     The  members  of  the   school  board  at   the 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


present  time  are,  president  John  C.  Curran ;  vice- 
president,  W.  R.  Stockbridge;  E.  N.  Metzger,  M. 
M.  Smith,  F.  M.  Kennedy,  and  as  secretary,  Charles 
K.  Green.  The  present  school  system  is  in  mar- 
velous contrast  with  the  rough  wooden  structure 
with  its  one  teacher  and  ten  pupils  which  con- 
stituted the  public  school  system  of  Everett  in  the 
first  part  of  1891. 

An  equally  striking  contrast  would  be  afforded 
by  a  comparison  of  the  present  churches  of  the 
city  with  the  church  facilities  of  fourteen  years 
ago.  According  to  Atwood's  "Glimpses  of  Pioneer 
Life"  the  first  preaching  service  in  Everett  was 
held  in  the  real  estate  office  of  Mr.  Swalwell  by 
A.  H.  Marsh,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Marysville,  and  that  was  in  the  year  1891. 
The  churches  of  the'present  time  are  as  follows  :  Cath- 
olic Bayside  church,  H.  P.  Saindon,  rector ;  Church 
of  our  Lady  of  Perpetual  Help,  Rev.  Charles  Clae- 
sens;  First  Baptist,  Rev.  J.  A.  Bessiguie ;  Evangel- 
ical Association,  Rev.  E.  D.  Hornschouch ;  United 
Brethren.  Rev.  E.  D.  Burton ;  First  Methodist,  Rev. 

A.  B.   Chapin ;  First  German   Methodist,  Rev.  H. 

B.  Mann ;  Congregational,  Rev.  J-  R-  Knodell ; 
Gennan  Baptist,  Rev.  Adolph  Guenther ;  Swedish 
Baptist,  Rev.  C.  D.  Scott;  Christian,  Rev.  O.  W. 
McGaughey;  Zionist,  Rev.  Earnst ;  Unitarian,  Rev. 
W.  G.  Elliott ;  Trinity  Episcopal,  Rev.  John  Brann ; 
First  Presbyterian,  Rev.  Herbert  Thompson  ;  United 
Presbyterian,  Rev.  R.  L.  Lanning ;  Zion  Norwegian, 
Rev.  Benjamin  A.  Sand;  Swedish  Lutheran,  Rev. 
B.  N.  Thoren ;  Norwegian  Lutheran,  Rev.  P.  O. 
Laurhammer;  German  Lutheran,  Rev.  H.  G. 
Schmelzer;  the  Norwegian,  Rev.  L.  C.  Foss ;  Uni- 
tarian, Rev.  O.  G.  Nelson,  pastor. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  four  banks :  the 
American  National,  of  which  the  president  is  J.  T. 
McChesney ;  Bank  of  Commerce.  W.  R.  Stock- 
bridge,  president;  Everett  Trust  &  Savings  Bank 
W.  J.  Rucker,  president;  First  National,  W.  C. 
Butler,  president.  Their  last  statements  show 
them  to  be  in  an  unusually  healthy  financial  con- 
dition. 

Everett  abounds  in  clubs,  and  of  these  four  are 
of  the  gentler  sex ;  namely,  the  Anoka,  the  Lowell 
Book  club,  the  Woman's  Book  club  and  the  Ever- 
ett Ladies'  club.  Of  other  clubs  we  may  mention  the 
Cascade,  the  Everett  Baseball  club,  the  Everett 
Lacrosse  club,  Everett  Tennis  club,  Snohomish 
County  Rod  and  Gun  club. 

There  is  a  strong  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  with  an  elegant 
building  and  regularly  organized  classes.  There 
is  also  a  new  city  library,  costing  $25,000,  which 
bears  the  name  of  the  great  library  donor,  Andrew 
Carnegie.  Among  the  city's  miscellaneous  schools, 
are  the  Acme  Business  College,  School  of  Elocu- 
tion and  Physical  Culture,  Everett  Commercial 
College,  Everett  School  of  Music,  and  a  kindergar- 
ten in  charge  of  Miss  Caroline  Saunders. 

Naturally  one  of  the  most  important   lines   of 


business  in  Everett  is  the  system  of  wharves  and 
docks.  These  are  as  follows :  Ocean  dock,  at  the 
foot  of  Pacific  avenue ;  City  dock,  at  the  foot  of 
Hewitt  avenue ;  Fourteenth  street  dock.  Merchant's 
dock,  at  the  foot  of  Hewitt;  Weyerhauser  Timber 
Company's  dock,  Railroad  avenue;  Riverside  Mill 
Company's  wharf,  foot  of  Everett  avenue;  Spithill 
wharf,  foot  of  California;  Washington  Produce 
Company's  dock,  foot  of  Hewitt  on  the  river  side. 
Everett  abounds  in  societies  and  fraternities. 
There  are  two  lodges  of  Good  Templars  and  three 
W.  C.  T.  U.  organizations.  Of  the  secret  orders  we 
may  mention  Everett  Lodge,  No.  52,  United  Work- 
men; the  Degree  of  Honor,  No.  48;  B.  P.  O.  E., 
No.  479 ;  Brotherhood  of  American  Yeomen,  No 
493 ;  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  No.  522  and  No. 
1.220;  Danish  Brotherhood  of  America,  No.  131; 
Foresters  of  America,  No.  57  ;  Fraternal  Brother- 
hood, No.  233 ;  Order  of  Eagles,  No.  13 ;  G.  A.  R. 
John  Buford  Post,  No.  84;  W.  R.  C,  No.  10; 
Ladies  of  the  G.  A.  R. ;  Red  Men,  Pillchuck  Tribe, 
No.  43;  Degree  of  Pocahontas,  No.  11;  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Foresters,  No.  3,111 ;  Order  of  Lions, 
No.  142 ;  five  lodges  of  Odd  Fellows ;  three  of  Re- 
bekahs ;  Knights  of  Columbus.  No.  763 ;  three 
lodges  of  Knights  of  Pythias ;  Rathbone  Sisters, 
No.  2G;  K.  O.  T.  M.  tent  No.  4 ;  L.  O.  T.  M.  hive 
No.  2;  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Securities,  No.  1,103  ; 
two  lodges  of  Masons ;  R.  A.  M.  No.  24 ;  Royal  and 
Select  Masters,  No.  8 ;  Knights  Templar ;  Order 
Eastern  Star,  No.  33;  Modern  Brotherhood  of 
America,  No.  958;  Modern  Maccabees,  No.  1,161; 
M.  W.  A.,  No.  5,385 ;  two  lodges  of  Royal  Neigh- 
bors ;  Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  No.  456 ; 
Order  of  Washington ;  Royal  Arcanum,  No.  1,798 ; 
Royal  Highlanders,  No.  320;  Royal  Tribe  of 
Joseph,  No.  5 ;  Sons  of  Herman,  No.  7 ;  Tribe  of 
Ben  Hur,  No.  20;  three  lodges  of  Woodmen  of 
the  World  and  two  of  the  Women  of  Woodcraft. 
The  city  also  has  six  well  organized  and  prosperous 
musical  societies.  It  possesses  in  the  Everett 
theater  on  Colby  avenue  one  of  the  most  beautiful, 
substantial  and  well-equipped  play-houses  in  the 
state. 

As  is  perhaps  almost  needless  to  state,  Everett 
has  practically  limitless  shipping  connections  and 
has  also  at  her  own  doors  the  Great  Northern  rail- 
road and  by  means  of  a  short  connecting  line  the 
Northern  Pacific  and  through  the  latter  connection 
with  the  Canadian  Pacific. 

As  might  be  expected  from  a  city  whose  inhabi- 
tants are  principally  industrial,  Everett  has  a  large 
number  of  well  organized  trades  unions.  There  are 
twenty-five  of  these,  representing  every  leading  oc- 
cupation. 

Everett  has  three  strong  newspapers.  The  Daily 
Herald,  issued  evenings,  is  under  the  management 
of  J.  B.  Best,  with  F.  E.  Wyman  as  editor-in-chief. 
The  Morning  Tribune,  successor  to  the  Everett 
Evening  Record,  is  under  the  business  management 


VIEWS    AT    EVERETT    AND    AT    SNOHOMISH 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


of  W.  R.  Connor  and  is  edited  by  S.  E.  Wharton. 
The  Labor  Journal  is  pubHshed  weekly  by  the  News 
I'ublishing  Company,  A.  J.  Morrow,  proprietor,  M. 
W.  Sills  editor. 

So  rapid  a  summary  of  the  history  and  resources 
of  this  remarkable  city  has  of  necessity  omitted 
many  things  worthy  of  record.  We  may  only  say, 
as  Edmund  Burke  said  of  the  American  colonies, 
"Such  is  the  strength  wilh  which  population  shoots 
in  that  part  of  the  world,  tiial,  state  the  numbers 
as  high  as  we  will,  while  the  dispute  continues  the 
exaggeration  ends.  While  we  are  discussing  any 
given  magnitude  they  are  grown  to  it." 

With  vital  and  essential  resources  of  the  most 
ample  sort,  with  commercial  connections  which 
bring  the  world  to  her  very  doors,  with  both  out- 
ward appearance  and  inward  worth  of  which  she 
may  well  be  proud,  with  sons  and  daughters  whose 
ambition  and  industry  may  well  make  them  worthy 
successors  of  the  fathers  and  mothers  who  have 
transformed  the  wilderness  in  these  few  years  into 
the  habitations  which  we  now  behold,  the  city  of 
Everett  sits  like  a  queen  upon  her  stately  throne, 
expecting  each  year  to  add  more  wealth  to  her  cof- 
fers and  more  jewels  to  her  crown. 

SNOirOMlSII 

As  the  beginnings  of  Snohomish  City  were  prac- 
tically identical  with  the  beginnings  of  Snohomish 
county,  they  have  already  been  adverted  to  in  these 
pages.  When  E.  C.  Ferguson  came  in  March,  1860, 
he  brought  with  him  a  small  stock  of  goods  to  be 
sold  to  the  few  white  settlers  who  were  already  on 
the  river  and  those  who  might  come,  as  well  as  to 
the  Indians.  He  kept  store  for  a  year  or  so,  but 
his  finances  were  greatly  depleted  in  building  trails 
and  in  making  his  expensive  and  fruitless  trip  to 
the  Kettle  river  mining  country,  and  he  was  forced 
to  retire  from  the  mercantile  business.  The  next 
store  was  started  by  W.  B.  Sinclair,  who  came  in 
December,  186 i,  in  which  month  and  year  also 
came  Isaac  Ellis,  foreman  for  the  Port  Ludlow  Mill 
Company,  who  shortly  afterward  gave  inception  to 
the  logging  industries  at  Snohomish.  Mr.  Sinclair 
continued  in  the  mercantile  business  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  eventually  Mr.  Ferguson,  the  pioneer 
merchant,  again  started  up  and  Sinclair  soon  after 
retired. 

As  the  first  settlers  of  the  town  and  county  were 
all  bachelors,  and  as  but  few  families  came  during 
the  sixties,  there  was  no  occasion  for  the  organi- 
zation of  a  school  until  1869.  In  that  year,  however. 
Miss  Robie  Willard  taught  for  one  short  term  the 
very  few  children  then  resident  in  Snohomish  City. 

The  slowness  of  the  development  of  Snohomish 
and  vicinity  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  although 
Cady,  Barnes  and  Tucker  were  sent  out  by  the  Fort 
Steilacoom  parties  for  the  express  purpose  of  found- 
ing a  town,  and  though  Mr.  Ferguson  never  gave 


up  the  project,  and  though  the  county  seat  was 
located  at  Snohomish  by  vote  of  the  people  in  1861, 
it  was  not  thought  worth  while  to  lay  out  a  town  site 
until  1871.  In  that  year,  however,  E.  C.  Ferguson 
and  W.  B.  Sinclair  platted  portions  of  their  home- 
steads, aggregating  a  little  over  fifty  acres  in  all, 
into  streets,  alleys  and  town  lots.  Five  years  later 
the  village  consisted  of  two  general  merchandise 
stores,  two  hotels,  a  saloon,  a  postofifice,  a  shoe  shop, 
a  barber  shop,  about  thirty  dwelling  houses  and 
perhaps  one  hundred  and  fifty  people.  In  January, 
1873,  a  literary  society  had  been  organized,  known 
as  the  Atheneum,  which  proved  to  be  quite  a  factor 
in  the  social  and  intellectual  life  of  the  town.  It 
prospered  wonderfully  under  the  nurturing  care  of 
Eldridge  Morse  and  others  and  in  1876  was  said  to 
possess  one  of  the  best  scientific  libraries  and  the 
finest  museum  in  the  territory.  The  corner  stone 
of  the  Snohomish  Atheneum  building  was  laid 
on  the  5th  of  June  of  the  year  mentioned,  and  the 
hopes  and  purposes  of  its  founders  were  thus  glow- 
ingly set  forth  in  the  Northern  Star  of  the  time: 

"If  I  mistake  not,"  said  the  editor,  "the  character 
of  the  settlers  of  the  Snohomish,  and  I  have  devoted 
years  to  the  study  of  their  character,  they  represent 
the  pioneers  of  civilization  and  of  thought  more 
fully,  and  have  cut  loose  from  the  shackles .  of 
bigotry  and  intolerance  to  a  degree  scarce  ever 
equaled  in  a  community  of  similar  size.  They  take 
a  leading  position  in  representing  the  most  advanced 
thought  and  culture  of  our  day ;  and  the  work  we 
now  have  in  hand  is  to  erect  this  edifice  as  a  temple 
of  science,  of  literature  and  of  art,  as  a  means  of 
carrying  out  more  fully  the  work  of  this  our  repre- 
sentative society,  the  Snohomish  Atheneum.  *  *  * 

"Undoubtedly  the  expenditure  required  in  com- 
pleting this  our  cherished  enterprise  will  be  a  severe 
tax  upon  all  of  us,  yet  will  be  cheerfully  borne,  and 
no  portion  of  its  beneficial  work  will  be  left  un- 
accomplished. Let  the  work  of  our  Atheneum 
continue  as  in  the  past,  only  with  manifold  increased 
powers  for  usefulness,  to  instruct,  to  improve  and 
elevate  the  human  mind,  to  form  enlarged  concep- 
tions, and  true  and  noble  ideas.  It  will  wage  unceas- 
ing war  upon  ignorance  and  its  allies ;  it  will  make 
itself  as  well  as  its  generous  supporters  known,  and 
their  influence  felt  afar  off.  It  will  shape  the 
thoughts  and  actions  of  our  whole  people  so  that 
though  this  building  may  become  dust  and  ashes : 
though  the  treasures  of  literature,  art  and  science 
we  may  here  accumulate  may  be  scattered  by  the 
hands  of  time,  and  this  place  where  we  are  about 
to  erect  this  noble  building  may  be  forgotten  or  even 
the  existence  of  the  Atheneum  may  be  lost  in  the 
progress  of  time,  yet  its  efi^ect  in  moulding,  elevat- 
ing and  improving  the  minds  of  those  subject  to  its 
influence  will  be  felt  through  all  coming  time." 

Other  institutions  which  had  become  established 
in  the  town  prior  to  1876  were  the  Union  Presby- 
terian church,  whose  (juaint  old  edifice  stood  until 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


very  recently  beside  the  splendid  new  one,  the  Sno- 
homish Free  Religious  Association,  the  Snohomish 
County  Agricultural  Society,  the  Snohomish  Tele- 
graph Company,  the  Snohomish  Cemetery  Associa- 
tion, and  last  but  by  no  means  least  the  Northern 
Star,  which,  though  then  in  its  first  year  was  a 
large,  five-column,  eight-page  weekly  paper,  all 
home  print,  with  an  overflowing  ambition  to  be  truly 
lepresentative  not  alone  of  Snohomish  and  vicinity, 
but  of  the  entire  sound  country. 

At  this  period  in  the  development  of  Snohomish 
county,  agriculture  was  in  its  infanc}',  and  practi- 
cally the  only  industry  was  logging.  Snohomish 
was  little  more  than  a  welj  developed  logging  camp, 
and  it  was  i  i  perfect  sympathy  with  the  logging 
intere-sts.  When  logs  sold  readily  at  a  good  price, 
times  were  lively  and  everybody  happy  and  hopeful, 
but  when  logs  were  a  drug  on  the  market,  there 
was  a  local  panic  with  all  the  stagnation  and  retro- 
gression that  the  word  implies.  While  logs  were  quot- 
ed at  from  five  to  five  and  a  half  dollars  per  thousand 
in  1877,  a  price  which,  with  cheaper  feed  for  oxen 
and  better  facilities,  would  have  been  fairly  good. 
not  a  single  log  was  marketed  from  the  Snohomish 
river  from  spring  to  December,  and  the  elYect  on  the 
town  may  be  imagined.  Before  the  year  closed, 
however,  a  demand  came  for  logs  and  tlu-  pressure 
was  relieved.  Yet  the  population  of  Siinhnmish 
remained  at  a  standstill  numerically  fur  the  four 
years  following  1876,  if  the  Star's  estimate  of  popu- 
lation at  the  beginning  of  that  period  was  correct, 
for  according  to  the  United  States  census  of  18S0, 
Snohomish  liad  just  one  hundred  and  forty-nine 
people. 

Times  were  c[uiet  throughout  the  years  1880 
and  1881,  yet  it  is  but  fair  to  assume  that  the  town 
made  some  advancement  during  that  period,  though 
there  is  a  great  dearth  of  extant  records,  and  details 
of  the  period  are  lacking. 

An  important  acquisition  of  the  year  18S2  for 
Snohomish  was  the  Eye  newspaper,  whose  initial 
number  appeared  January  11th.  The  proprietors  of 
the  unpretentious  little  sheet  were  H.  F.  Jackson 
and  C.  H.  Packard,  the  first  to  embark  in  journalism 
in  the  town  since  Eldridge  Morse's  more  ambitious 
paper,  the  Star,  had  made  its  valedictor\-  bow  in 
187!).  The  Eye  was  only  a  four-page,  four-column 
paper  at  first,  somewhat  smaller,  as  its  salutatory 
editorial  admitted,  than  the  New  York  Herald  or 
the  London  Times,  but  destined  to  increase  in  size 
and  power  as  the  growth  of  the  town  justified,  and 
continue  a  potent  advocate  of  political  purity  and 
material  progressiveness  for  many  years. 

It  w-as  in  1882  also  that  Blackman  Brothers,  who 
subsequently  did  so  much  for  the  manufacturing 
interests  of  the  town,  began  the  erection  of  their 
first  saw-mill,  which  was  to  be  operated  by  steam 
power  and  to  have  a  capacity  of  fifteen  thousand 
feet  or  more  per  diem.  Completed  in  ISS."?,  it  was 
improved  in  the  spring  of  1884,  by  the  addition  of 


machinery  and  appliances  for  the  manufacture  of 
sash,  doors,  mouldings,  etc. 

With  the  dawn  of  the  eighties  the  old  "logging 
camp,"  as  Snohomish  was  later  styled,  entered  upon 
an  era  of  prosperity  and  substantial  development, 
though  to  one  looking  backward,  the  increase  in 
population  of  these  years  seems  small  enough.  The 
Eye  of  February  28,  1883,  gives  us  an  insight  into 
the  condition  of  things  at  that  early  period.    It  savs : 

"During  the  past  week,  seventeen  lots  were  sold 
in  Snohomish  City,  western  part,  by  the  town  site 
proprietor's  attorne\-,  and  the  demand  is  still  good. 
It  is  confidently  asserted  by  those  who  are  in  a 
position  to  know  that  every  lot  in  the  original  plat 
will  be  disposed  of  before  the  present  year  has  run 
one  half  its  course.  We  hope  the  suggestions  of 
the  E}'e,  in  regard  to  buildings  to  let,  will  be  put 
into  effect,  and  that  new  buildings  will  be  erected 
on  each  of  these  lots.  Dwellings  are  in  demand. 
In  several  houses  there  are  three  or  four  families 
living.  Fifteen  or  twenty  houses  could  be  rented 
at  the  present  time,  and  before  fall  twice  that 
number.  Mr.  Ferguson  informs  us  that  in  a  few 
weeks  he  will  lay  off  an  addition  to  Snohomish 
City,  north  of  the  east  end.  on  the  flat,  which  con- 
tains forty  acres.  He  will  also  lay  off  in  five-acre 
lots  a  tract  containing  sixty  acres,  lying  north  of 
the  new  addition  and  also  on  the  flat.  *  *  *  He 
further  informs  us  that  he  will  probably  plat,  this 
fall,  an  addition  to  the  west  end  of  about  forty 
acres,  which  will  give  Snohomish  an  area  of  about 
two  hundred  and  twenty  acres." 

By  1885  the  place  had  grown  to  a  town  of  six 
hundred  inhabitants  and  was  the  possessor  of  two 
fine  church  edifices,  the  Presbyterian  and  Methodist, 
a  good  public  school,  two  hotels,  two  restaurants 
with  bakery  and  confectionery  stores  attached,  a 
good  theater  building,  two  public  halls,  four  general 
merchandise  stores,  one  dr\-^  goods  store,  one  tin 
and  hardware  store,  a  grocery  store,  two  meat 
markets,  a  millinery  store,  a  jewelry  store,  two  boot 
and  shoe  estahlishnients,  twd  l)lacksmith  shops,  a 
steam  saw-mill  with  a  capacity  (if  twenty  thousand 
feet  daily,  a  furniture,  sash  antl  door  factory,  a  real 
estate  office,  express  and  telegraph  offices,  five 
saloons,  a  Chinese  laundry  and  a  number  of  good 
private  residences. 

Throughout  1886,  building  operations  progressed 
steadily,  and  the  structures  were  mostly  of  a  per- 
manent character,  though  the  advance  was  not  quite 
so  marked  as  in  the  preceding  twelvemonth.  In 
]887  the  growth  of  Snohomish  was  greater  in  pro- 
portion to  population  than  that  of  any  other  town 
on  the  sound,  the  cost  of  improvements  being  forty- 
five  thousand  dollars.  It  was  during  this  year  that 
the  first  system  of  water  works  was  instituted  in  the 
town  and  it  was  during  this  year  also  that  Snoho- 
mish City  began  seriously  to  wrestle  with  railroad 
]iroblems,  though  the  railway  situation  had  been 
watched  with  interest  for  \-ears.     Al)out  the  middle 


CITIES    AXD    TOWNS 


333 


ot  December  a  mass  railway  meeting  was  held  in 
Odd  Fellows'  hall  "to  discuss  railroad  and  other 
questions  relating  to  the  future  prosperity  of  the 
town."  Of  this  meeting  H.  S.  Spurrell  was  elected 
cliairman  and  C.  H.  Packard,  secretary,  whereujion 
E.  C.  Ferguson  stated  the  specific  objects  of  the 
convocation.  He  told  the  story  of  a  conversation 
with  President  Canfield.  of  the  P.ellingham  liay  and 
ISritish  Columbia  Railroad  Company,  in  which  that 
worthy  informed  him  that  a  good  location  for  his 
l)roposed  road  had  been  found  passing  through 
tlie  country  via  Marysville  and  Lowell.  Mr.  Fer- 
guson argued  the  superior  advantages  of  a  road 
further  back  from  the  sound,  passing  through 
Snohomish  City,  and  the  outcome  of  the  con- 
versation was  a  proposition  by  President  Can- 
field  to  build  through  Snohomish  provided  a 
bonus  of  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  town  lots 
should  be  given.  Later,  Mr.  Ferguson  and  two 
other  leading  Snohomishites  met  the  Seattle. 
Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  ofiicials,  who  offered  to  build 
a  branch  to  Snohomish  if  the  right  of  way  and 
depot  grounds  were  furnished.  Mr.  Ferguson  and 
his  associates  secured  the  right  of  way  from  all  but 
three  persons  along  the  line,  by  the  payment  from 
their  private  purses  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and 
they  were  now  asking  that  others  interested  in  the 
town  should  furnish  funds  to  complete  the  purchase. 
Clark  Ferguson  and  H.  Blackman  were  appointed 
to  circulate  a  subscription  list  among  the  business 
men  and  others,  that  the  needed  funds  might  be 
secured. 

The  prospect  of  a  railroad  had  a  decidedly  stim- 
ulating effect  upon  business  enterprises  and 
speculation  in  town  and  county.  "At  Snohomish," 
said  the  Seattle  Press  in  September,  1887.  "every- 
thing betokens  prosperity.  The  foundations  of  a 
new  brick  bank  have  been  laid,  and  the  building, 
when  finished,  will  be  a  credit  to  the  builder  and 
the  city.  All  kinds  of  business  are  in  a  flourishing 
condition,  everyone  is  busy.  The  merchants  are 
tliriving  and  consequently  happy." 

The  railroad,  anticipated  in  ISST,  became  an 
accomplished  fact  in  1S8S.  Throughout  the  whole 
of  the  latter  year  the  main  topic  of  interest  was  the 
doings  of  the  right  of  way  clearers,  the  graders,  the 
bridge  builders  and  the  track  layers.  The  long 
expected  first  train  crossed  the  bridge  near  town  at 
'.1 :30  in  the  morning  of  September  l.ith,  the  memor- 
able event  being  witnessed  by  a  large,  enthusiastic 
and  joyous  crowd.  In  commemoration  of  the  occa- 
sion the  Eye  published  the  following  verses  from 
tlie  pen  of  its  agricultural  editor,  George  W.  Head : 

^'At  the  sound  of  the  whistle  of  cars  on  the  bridge 

Men,  women   and  children   did   run, 
Each    screaming  aloud  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

The  Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  is  done. 

''A  town  that  for  years  has  been  counted  as  dead 
To  new  business  and  Hfe  will  soon  come, 


We  all  can  have  wealth  to  go  where  we  please 
Now  the  Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  is  done. 

"Our  moss  covered  mayor  can  live  at  his  ease, 
He  can  wear  a  plug  hat  and  drink  rum, 

And  advance  fifty  dollars  the  price  of  each  lot 
Now  the  Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  has  come. 

"Old  bummers  and  drones  can  take  a  back  seat 
And  give  way  to  new  blood  that  will  come. 

They've  all  had  their  day  and  their  goose  will  be  cooked, 
When  the  Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  is  done. 

"New  sidewalks  and  bridges  the  village  will  have 

And  all  business  will  go  with  a  hum. 
From  village  to  city  our  growth  will  be  quick. 

Now  the  Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  has  come. 

"We  surely  will  build  a  new  court-house  and  jail 
And  we'll  take  care  of  tramps  if  they  come ; 

It  will  furnish  some  work  for  the  marshal,  you  see. 
When  the  Lake  Shore  and  Eastern  is  done." 

Citizens  of  Snohomish  were  rejoicing  at  this 
time  in  the  railroad  blessings  that  had  already  come 
to  them,  and  they  were  also  looking  for  the  early 
completion  of  the  road  to  \'ancouver,  B.  C,  and  for 
the  branching  off  of  the  trans-Cascade  division  at 
their  town,  which  would  make  Snohomish  the  con- 
necting point  of  two  great  highways  of  travel. 
During  this  important  year,  the  town  incorporated, 
and  inaugurated  extensive  improvements,  among 
them  a  system  of  water  works.  A  national  bank 
was  established :  the  finest  hotel  north  of  Seattle 
was  built;  an  electric  light  company  was  organized; 
also  a  fire  department  and  a  building  and  loan 
association.  A  shingle  mill  with  a  capacity  of 
about  forty  thousand  commenced  operations, 
and  another,  to  have  a  capacity  of  fifty  thou- 
sand was  in  course  of  construction,  while  the 
old  mill  was  so  enlarged  and  improved  as 
to  double  its  capacity.  In  proportion  to  size, 
more  building  was  done  than  in  any  other 
to\\  n  in  western  Washington,  the  building  improve- 
ments aggregating  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  railroad  improvements 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 

P.y  1S8!)  Snohomish  boasted  of  three  general 
merchandise  stores,  four  groceries,  four  hardware 
and  tin  stores,  three  dry  goods,  two  fruit  and  con- 
fectionery, two  book  and  stationery,  two  jewelry, 
three  furniture,  two  pharmacies,  five  meat  markets, 
five  hotels,  one  crockery  and  glassware  store,  three 
liver\-  and  sale  stables,  a  fruit  and  fish  stand,  five 
restaurants,  two  harness  shops,  one  machine  and 
wagon  shop,  four  blacksmith  shops,  three  churches, 
a  fourteen  thousand  dollar  brand  new  school- 
house,  an  opera  house.  Odd  Fellows'  and  Masonic 
halls,  a  photograph  gallery,  three  saw-mills,  two 
shingle  mills,  two  sash  and  door  factories,  two  brick 
}ards,  an  abundant  supply  of  water  for  domestic 
and  protective  purposes,  belonging  to  the  Snoho- 
mish Water  Company  ;  and  elect^ric'lights,  fiu-iiished 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


by  the  Snohomish  Electric  Light,  Power  &  Gas 
Company. 

Manufacturing  activity  was  great.  Blackman 
Brothers'  plant,  recently  improved  and  extended, 
with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  thousand  feet  of 
lumber,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
shingles,  one  hundred  doors  and  as  many  window 
frames,  was  busy  continuously.  The  same  was  true 
of  Dow  &  Stevens"  mill,  capacity  thirty  thousand 
to  forty  thousand,  of  Morgan  Brothers'  factory, 
of  the  Snohomish  Manufacturing  Company's 
capacious  plant,  of  J.  B.  Nolls'  and  I.  N.  Mud- 
gett  &  Sons'  shingle  mill,  of  Pearsall's  steam  brick 
manufactory,  which  had  a  capacity  of  thirty-five 
thousand  brick  a  day  and  of  E.  Bast's  yard, 
capacity  six  to  eight  thousand  brick.  The  num- 
ber of  men  engaged  in  manufacturing  and 
as  skilled  laborers  throughout  the  town  ex- 
ceeded two  hundred;  many  more  were  engaged 
in  teaming,  freighting  and  the  like,  while  five  hun- 
dred men,  most  of  whom  claimed  Snohomish  as 
their  home,  were  at  work  in  the  woods  in  regions 
tributary  to  the  town,  to  say  nothing  of  those 
employed  in  clearing  land,  developing  the  agricul- 
tural resources  of  the  surrounding  country,  etc. 

The  era  of  rapid  development,  which  came  with 
the  certainty  that  railroad  building  was  about  to 
begin,  continued  throughout  the  whole  of  1890, 
though  the  spring  of  that  year  was  'somewhat 
quieter  than  usual,  especially  for  transient  men,  and 
those  whose  affairs  were  not  established  on  a  sub- 
stantial basis.  The  influence  of  the  Port  Gardner 
real  estate  excitement  was  distinctly  felt.  As  was 
natural,  country  property  to  westward  of  Snoho- 
mish, between  that  and  the  expected  ocean  port, 
soared  skyward  in  price.  Great  quantities  of  farm 
land,  improved  and  unimproved,  were  bonded,  and 
sales  at  prices  ranging  from  one  hundred  to  two 
hundred  dollars  an  acre  were  frequent.  At  the  same 
time,  men  were  asking  themselves  what  would  be 
the  effect  upon  Snohomish  of  the  building  of  a  large 
city  so  near,  and  as  none  could  foresee  clearly,  an 
element  of  uncertainty  existed. 

But  while  the  halting  conservatives  may  have 
been  troubled  with  fears  "and  forebodings,  tlie  gen- 
eral opinion  was  that  the  amount  of  business  done 
in  Snohomish  would  not  be  greatly  lessened  by  the 
new  city,  though  its  character  must  needs  be 
changed'  radically.  Progress  was  the  slogan  of  the 
surrounding  countn',  and  the  progressive  citizens 
of  Snohomish  could  not  lag  behind.  As  the  year 
advanced,  they  threw  whatever  apprehension  of 
evil  any  of  them  may  have  had  to  the  winds  and 
joined  heartily  in  the  progressive  movement.  Early 
in  the  summer,  the  Robinson-Cyphers  block  was 
completed,  and  a  correspondent  of  the  Seattle  Post- 
Intelligencer,  writing  in  July,  stated  that  excava- 
tions were  then  completed  and  the  brick  was  on  the 
ground  for  the  Burns  block,  which  was  to  be  a  two- 
story  building  with  a  basement,  and  to  cost  seven 


thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  The  same  writer 
tells  us  that  a  great  many  expensive  residences  were 
either  in  process  of  erection  or  just  turned  over  by 
the  contractors. 

A  special  edition  of  the  Snohomish  Sun  furnishes 
a  list  of  buildings  erected  in  Snohomish  in  1S!)0  with 
the  estimated  value  of  each,  from  which  it  ajipcars 
that  more  than  two  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
dollars  were  thus  invested  in  a  single  twelvemonth. 
The  list  includes  the  county  court-house,  which  cost 
thirty  thousand  dollars. 

The  law  imder  which  Snohomish  was  incorpo- 
rated as  a  village  in  1888  having  been  declared  null 
and  void  in  the  spring  of  1890,  the  town  was  for  a 
time  without  municipal  government  of  any  kind,  but 
eventually  it  was  reorganized  under  the  new  law  as 
a  city  of  the  third  class.  The  temporary  officers 
were  as  follows:  Mayor,  H.  Blackman;  council- 
men,  James  Burton,  W.  M.  Snyder,  Lot  Wilbur,  D. 
W.  Craddock,  H.  D.  Morgan :  city  clerk,  J.  V. 
Bowen;  city  attorney,  F.  M.  Headlee  ;  city  treasurer, 
Charles  L.  Lawry  ;  marshal,  William  l'.ni\\n;  city 
engineer,  George  James  ;  health  officer.  Dr.  S.  B. 
Limerick  ;  street  commissioner,  A.  Van  Buren  ;  city 
assessor,  E.  K.  Crosby.  They  took  up  with  energy 
the  work  of  general  improvement  of  the  city.  It  is 
stated  that  contracts  for  street  grading,  planking, 
sidewalk  huililing,  etc.,  to  the  amount  of  eighty 
thousand  dollars  were  at  once  let.  They  also  greatly 
improved  the  fire  protection  of  the  city  by  the  in- 
stallation of  a  new  fire  engine  and  other  fire  fighting 
apparatus. 

Great  was  the  activity  in  and  around  Snohomish 
at  this  time  in  the  development  of  manufacturing 
industries.  Blackman  Brothers  were  erecting  a  mill 
fifty  by  three  hundred  feet  with  two  wings  each  fifty 
by  one  hundred  feet  in  place  of  the  plant  destroyed 
by  fire  the  preceding  September.  At  Cathcart,  four 
miles  south  of  Snohomish,  a  shingle  mill  and  steam 
saw-mill  were  put  in  operation,  while  within  the 
limits  of  the  town  the  water  power  saw-mill  and 
factory  of  Morgan  Brothers  and  the  Snohomish 
Manufacturing  Company  were  in  full  blast,  turning- 
out  lumber,  sash  and  doors,  blinds,  mouldings  and 
all  kinds  of  house  furnishing  materials.  Many  other 
enterprises  were  contemplated  at  this  time,  among 
them  a  steam  pulp  mill.  Manufacturing  improve- 
ments in  and  around  Snohomish  in  1890  were  enum- 
erated as  follows:  Snohomish  iNIanufacturing- 
Companv,  $1-4,000;  Snohomish  Lumber  Company, 
$25,000  ;' Electric  Light  improvement,  $20,000  ;  Cath- 
cart's  saw-mill  at  Cathcart,  $25,000;  Cathcart's 
shingle  mill  at  Cathcart,  $5,000  ;  Pearsall's  brick  and 
tile  works,  $10,000 ;  work  on  Blackman  Brothers'' 
mill,  $15,000;  Dubuque's  saw-mill.  $15,000;  Missi- 
mer  &  Illman's  mill,  $5,000;  E.  D.  Smith's  mill  at 
Lowell,  $10,000;  total  $144,000.  It  was  expected 
that  Blackman  Brothers'  plant,  when  completed, 
would  cost  nearlv  $300,000.  It  consisted  of  a  saw- 
mill, lath  mill,  sash  and  door  factory,  machine  shop. 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


335 


turning  lathe  and  dr_y  kiln.  Power  was  to  be  fur- 
nished by  three  mammoth  engines,  and  the  mills 
were  to  have  a  capacit}'  of  one  hundred  thousand 
feet  of  lumber  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  shingles  per  diem. 

The  year  1891  brought  some  rather  serious  dis- 
asters to  Snohomish.  About  midnight  on  the  9th 
of  June,  the  existence  of  fire  in  Blackman  Brothers' 
mill,  in  South  Snohomish,  was  announced  by  a 
chorus  of  blasts  from  factory  whistles,  and  a  sleep- 
ing populace  was  awakened  to  the  fact  that  the 
plant  in  which  the  towns-people  had  such  just  cause 
for  pride  was  falling  a  victim  to  the  great  destroyer. 
Little  could  be  done  to  stay  the  fury  of  the  flames 
and  soon  nothing  was  left  of  the  once  splendid 
plant  but  broken  and  heat-warped  machinery, 
charred  embers,  ashes  and  the  tall  smoke  stack, 
standing  like  a  lone  sentinel  in  the  midst  of  the 
desolation.  The  loss  was  estimated  at  from  one  hun- 
dred thousand  to  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars, not  covered  by  insurance  and  some  that  fell 
upon  the  insurance  companies.  The  owners  of  the 
mill  had  been  burned  out  about  a  year  and  a  half 
before,  at  a  loss  of  nearly  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  hence  this  disaster  was  especially  discourag- 
ing to  them,  but  it  bore  heavily  also  upon  the  town, 
which  had  been  deriving  not  a  little  benefit  from 
the  money  distributed  by  this  large  enterprise. 
While  inferior  in  size  to  some  other  plants  on  the 
sound,  this  mill  took  rank  among  the  most  com- 
pletely equipped  and  conveniently  arranged. 

The  mill  was  in  charge  of  a  watchman  who 
claimed  to  have  gone  over  the  entire  premises  on  a 
tour  of  inspection  about  five  minutes  before  twelve. 
Finding  everything  all  right  he  went  to  his  midnight 
lunch,  to  which  he  had  hardly  sat  down,  when  he 
lieard  the  alarm.  Rushing  out  to  ascertain  the  cause, 
he  saw  flames  issuing  from  the  engine  room,  and 
on  more  minute  examination  he  found  it  to  be  all 
ablaze.     The  origin  of  the  fire  is  unknown. 

The  19th  of  August  the  peaceful  little  city  was 
again  startled  by  the  dread  alarm  bell.  The  fire  this 
time  was  found  to  be  in  a  frame  building  owned 
by  Rufus  E.  Patterson  and  occupied  in  front  by 
Kistler  &  Company,  a  grocery  firm,  and  by  the 
bakery  of  B.  Zonstein  in  the  rear.  The  assertion 
has  been  made  that  ten  persons  were  asleep  in  the 
second  story  of  the  building  at  the  time  and  that 
these  effected  their  escape  with  difficulty  by  jump- 
ing from  the  second  story  window  to  the  awning 
and  descending  thence  to  the  ground  by  ladder. 

The  firemen  reached  the  scene  with  due  alacrity, 
but  experienced  much  difficulty  in  finding  a  hydrant 
to  which  they  could  attach  their  hose.  At  la-st  con- 
nection was  obtained  two  blocks  away,  but  the  pres- 
sure was  not  sufficient  to  force  water  through  such 
a  length  of  hose,  and  not  until  the  entire  pressure 
from  the  main  could  be  brought  to  bear  on  the 
hydrant,  did  tiie  firemen  succeed  in  obtaining  a 
stream  to  play  on  the  flames. 


Meanwhile  the  dread  scourge  was  getting  in'  its 
work  most  effectually.  The  entire  block  was  de- 
stroyed as  was  also  an  adjoining  dwelling,  occupied 
by  F.  Imo,  who,  however,  succeeded  in  saving  most 
of  his  household  goods.  The  loss  was  estimated  at 
six  thousand  dollars,  distributed  as  follows:  Mr-. 
Patterson,  $3,000,  insured  for  $2,000;  Kistler  & 
Company,  $2,000,  insurance  $1,500  and  B.  Zonstein, 
$1,000. 

The  city  government  in  1891  was  in  the  hands  of 
E.  C.  Ferguson,  mayor;  James  Pearl,  I.  Cathcart, 
C.  H.  Bakeman,  W.  H.  Ward,  U.  Stinson  and  II. 
Spurrell,  councilmen ;  T.  E.  Marks,  city  clerk;  J. 
A.  Coleman,  city  attorney;  Charles  L.  llawry,  city 
treasurer ;  William  Brown,  marshal ;  H.  C.  Comegys, 
city  assessor ;  Dr.  S.  B.  Limerick,  health  officer  and 
John  Swett,  street  commissioner.  Unfortunately  a 
somewhat  serious  official  quarrel  developed  before 
these  gentlemen  had  been  long  at  the  helm.  The 
city  council  brought  charges  against  Marshal 
Brown,  accusing  him  of  dishonesty  and  peculation, 
and  although  they  subsequently  became  convinced 
that  they  could  not  convict  him  and  withdrew  the 
charges,  yet  they  dismissed  him  'from  his  office. 
The  case  was  taken  into  the  court  and  the  marshal 
reinstated,  whereupon  the  council  again  arraigned 
him,  gave  him  a  trial  before  their  own  body,  found 
him  guilty  and  again  dismissed  him.  It  seems  that 
Brown  did  not  care  to  appeal  this  time,  but  he 
declined  to  turn  over  the  properties  of  his  office 
until  his  bondsmen  were  released.  Thereupon,  safe 
breaking  experts  were  sent  for,  and  one  day  about  the 
1st  of  October,  two  gunsmiths  arrived  from  Seattle, 
having  come  for  the  purpose  of  opening  the  safe 
in  which  these  properties  were  kept.  This  they  did, 
in  the  presence  of  Cleveland  and  three  others,  two 
of  them  officers.  As  the  two  gunsmiths  were  about 
to  return  next  morning,  they  were  arrested  and 
taken  into  Justice  Griffith's  court,  where  they  waived 
examination  and  gave  bonds  in  the  sum  of  three 
hundred  dollars  each  to  appear  before  the  superior 
court.  Brown  claimed  that  the  safe  was  the  prop- 
erty of  the  county  and  was  simply  loaned  to  him  by 
the  commissioners  for  use  during  his  term  of  office. 

One  of  the  great  achievements  of  1891  and  the 
following  year  was  the  establishment  of  the  city 
water  system.  Before  this  time  water  had  been 
supplied  in  a  rather  unsatisfactory  manner  by  a 
private  company.  At  a  meeting  held  June  20,  1891, 
the  council  decided  to  construct  a  immicipal  system 
and  the  matter  was  a  live  issue  until  late  in  1893, 
when  the  water  works  were  completed.  They  con- 
sisted of  two  double  action  pumps  with  an  aggre- 
gate capacity  of  two  hundred  thousand  gallons  per 
diem ;  a  reservoir  of  five  hundred  thousand  gallons 
capacity,  miles  of  mains  and  laterals ;  a  large  num- 
ber of  hydrants,  well  distributed,  etc. 

Although  there  was  no  real  boom  in  .Snohomish 
during  the  latter  eighties  and  the  early  nineties, 
building  activity  was  great  and  the  increase  in  pop- 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


Illation  rapid.  The  Tribune  of  September  22,  1892, 
tells  us  that  many  unfinished  buildings  were  then  in 
course  of  construction  in  the  city  and  many  more 
in  contemplation,  among  the  former  being  the 
Dorrance  Academy,  which  was  located  on  Avenue 
A.,  between  First  and  Second  streets.  The  claimed 
population  of  the  town  in  188S  was  eight  hundred, 
in  1890  it  was  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-five,  and  no  doubt  the  same  ratio  of  increase 
was  almost  if  not  altogether  maintained  during  the 
ensuing  two  years. 

Such  being  the  condition,  the  financial  depres- 
sion of  1893  might  be  expected  to  come  as  a  special 
shock  to  Snohomish.  It  did  give  the  speed  of  the 
car  of  progress  a  rather  sudden  check,  but  the  re- 
action was  not  so  pronounced  as  one  would  expect. 
The  Tribune  tells  us  that  considerable  building  was 
still  going  on  in  various  parts  of  Snohomish  in 
July,  1893,  and  that  times,  though  quiet,  were  far 
better  than  in  many  other  localities.  It  is  a  signifi- 
cant fact  that  not  one  of  the  Snohomish  banks  was 
even  shaken  by  the  financial  storm  of  1893,  while  all 
the  business  houses  managed  to  weather  the  gale. 

But  the  year  did  not  pass  without  bringing  to 
Snohomish  its  share  of  disaster.  On  the  last  day 
of  January,  t,he  fire  alarm  warned  the  people  that 
something  was  wrong,  and  it  soon  became  generally 
known  that  the  Great  Northern  saloon,  on  the  corner 
of  First  street  and  Avenue  A,  was  on  fire.  The 
cause  of  the  conflagration  is  a  matter  upon  which 
reports  differ,  but  the  one  that  seemed  plausible 
was  that  the  dead  and  dry  remains  of  fir  boughs, 
which  had  once  served  to  adorn  the  ceiling  of  the 
room,  caught  from  the  stove  pipe,  causing  the  entire 
interior  to  become  enveloped  in  a  flash.  There  must, 
from  some  cause,  have  been  undue  delay  in  turning 
in  the  alarm,  for  though  the  firemen  responded  with 
alacrity,  the  building  was  all  ablaze  inside  and  out, 
when  they  arrived.  Further  delay  in  beginning  the 
struggle  with  the  destroyer  was  caused  by  the  fact 
that  the  nearest  hydrant  was  frozen  up.  By  the 
time  connection  was  secured  with  one  a  block  away. 
Kirk's  furniture  store  had  caught  and  was  being 
rapidly  consumed,  but  soon  two  streams  were  play- 
ing upon  the  flames,  and  presently  a  third  began  its 
work,  the  frozen  hydrant  near  the  fire  having  been 
thawed  out  by  placing  a  barrel  over  it  and  building 
a  fire  inside.  For  some  reason  it  was  impossible  to 
get  a  heavy  flow  of  water  and  for  a  while  appear- 
ances were  that  the  entire  row  of  buildings  on  that 
side  of  the  street  would  be  wiped  out  of  existence. 
Finally  the  engine,  whose  pumps  were  frozen  up, 
was  gotten  into  action  and  from  that  time  on  the 
fortunes  of  the  battle  belonged  to  the  firemen,  who 
brought  the  career  of  the  flames  to  an  abrupt  end. 

The  saloon  was  entirely  destroyed  as  was  also 
a  small  barber  shop,  while  Kirk's  establishment  was 
damaged  to  the  extent  of  fifteen  hundred  or  two 
thousand  dollars.  This  loss  was  covered  by  insur- 
ance, but  Mr.  Kirk  himself  suffered  a  loss  of  about 


two  thousand  dollars  in  stock  and  household  goods 
destroyed  or  damaged  by  fire  and  water.  The  loss 
of  the  Great  Northern  saloon  was  fully  covered  by 
insurance. 

Again  in  the  fall  the  consuming  elements  went 
on  the  rampage  in  Snohomish,  destroying,  early  in 
the  morning  of  September  16th,  the  Bakeman  block 
and  Rice  &  Gardner's  meat  market.  The  efforts  of 
the  fire  department  were  prompt,  efficient  and  well 
directed  but  the  location  of  the  fire  was  such  that  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  get  water  to  the  hottest 
point. 

"The  flames,"  says  the  Tribune,  "rolled  out 
under  Rice  &  Gardner's  building  and  the  fish  market 
until  the  west  and  south  sides  of  these  two  buildings 
were  a  mass  of  flames.  Chief  Allen  kept  his  men 
hard  at  work  and  it  was  thought  for  a  while  that 
all  of  the  buildings  would  be  partially  saved,  but  the 
fire  had  burned  so  long  in  the  top  basement  that  the 
south  side  wall  was  burned  through  and  after  giving 
a  few  cracks  and  lurches  that  warned  the  firemen 
to  get  out  of  the  way,  the  tall  structure  toppled  over 
toward  Gittlesohn  i3rothers'  clothing  store,  carry- 
ing the  little  fish  market.  Rice  &  Gardner's  store 
and  Lang's  fruit  stand  with  it.  The  whole  thing 
landed  at  the  bottom  of  the  gulch.  The  firemen  kept 
pouring  water  on  the  burning  ruins  until  ten  o'clock 
this  morning,  when  the  last  of  the  fire  was  extin- 
guished. 

"When  the  fire  was  discovered,  the  smoke  was 
so  thick  in  the  building  that  nothing  could  be  gotten 
out  and  the  loss  is  consequently  very  heavy.  Out  of 
Bakeman  &  Company's  immense  stock  of  furniture, 
it  is  very  doubtful  if  one  hundred  dollars'  worth  of 
goods  are  left.  Their  stock  filled  the  two  large 
basements  and  the  first  floor,  while  the  second  floor 
was  occupied  by  Headlee  &  Headlee,  lawyers ;  Dr. 
J.  L.  McCain,  dentist ;  Dr.  Thomas  Keefe,  physician  . 
L.  H.  Coon,  citv  attornev  and  W.  T.  Elwell,  citv 
clerk." 

Little  was  saved  by  any  one  of  these  gentlemen, 
but  fortunately  Mr.  Elwell  succeeded  in  finding  most 
of  the  city  record  books,  though  somewhat  scorched 
and  water-soaked.  The  losses  were  substantially  as 
follows:  C.  H.  Bakeman  &  Company,  building, 
$8,000,  insurance,  $4,000;  C.  H.  Bakeman  &  Com- 
pany, stock,  $9,.500,  insurance,  $4,-500  ;  Rice  &  Gard- 
ner,'building  and  stock,  $2,400.  insurance,  .$1,000; 
W.  T.  Elwell,  $250;  Headlee  &  Headlee,  $4,000; 
Dr.  Keefe,  $3,000;  Dr.  McCain,  $1,000;  L.  H. 
Coon,  $1,000. 

This  fire  was  undoubtedly  of  incendiary  origin, 
for  the  smell  of  burning  kerosene  could  be  distinctly 
noticed  by  those  who  first  arrived,  though  none  was 
kept  or  used  in  the  building,  and  it  was  observed 
that  the  first  flame  was  of  a  blue  color.  About  nine 
weeks  previous,  fire  had  been  discovered  in  the  same 
part  of  the  same  building,  at  about  the  same  hour 
of  the  morning,  indicating  that  some  fiend  was  de- 


SNOHOMISH,    WASHINGTON 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


icnnined  upon  its  destruction  for  his  own  malicious 
purposes. 

"When  sorrows  come,  they  come  not  single 
spies,  but  in  battalions.'"  The  same  seems  to  be 
true  of  misfortunes  generally.  Two  weeks  had  not 
])assed,  before  Snohomish  was  again  roused  by  the 
cry  of  fire.  Norbett  Barrett's  wholesale  liquor  store 
this  time  being  the  spot  where  the  destroying  demon 
began  the  attack.  The  fire  company  had  trouble 
in  getting  ready  for  defense,  some  one  having  tam- 
])ered  with  the  cocks  on  the  engine,  and  before  efifec- 
tive  resistance  could  be  offered.  King's  grocery 
store  was  ablaze.  But  this  time  the  victory  was  on 
the  side  of  the  fire  fighters,  with  their  five  batteries 
of  water  and  the  fire  was  confined  to  the  two  build- 
ings, neither  of  which  was  a  total  loss,  although  the 
liquor  house  was  nearly  so.  Barrett's  loss  in  goods 
destroyed  was  heavy  and  King's  grocery  was  badly 
water-soaked.  Both  these  men  carried  insurance, 
as  did  also  F.  Blackman,  w^ho  owned  the  building 
occupied  by  Barrett. 

The  financial  depression,  which  wrought  such 
widespread  stagnation  in  industrial  circles  through- 
out the  United  States  in  1894,  was  not  so  potent  for 
evil  in  Snohomish  as  in  many  other  towns  of  the 
sound.  Its  business  failures  during  the  twelve- 
month numbered  only  two,  and  one  of  the  bankrupt 
firms  was  able  to  resume  operations  almost  immed- 
iately. Its  banks,  which  stood  the  crash  of  1893, 
were  in  an  excellent  condition.  There  was  consid- 
erable industrial  activity  in  and  around  the  town 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  year  and  not  a  little 
street  grading  and  other  municipal  improvement  was 
undertaken.  The  Tribune  tells  us  that  during  1894 
the  following  amounts  of  lumber  were  cut  by  the 
Snohomish  lumbermen,  namelv,  William  Hulbert. 
C.OOO.OOO  feet;  Cvphers  &  Stinson,  4,000,000  feet; 
E.  H.  Elwell,  1,000,000;  William  McGee,  :!,000,000; 
Arthur  McShane,  1,500,000;  Butler  &  Meredith, 
:!00,000:  Geirin  &  Pearl,  3,000,000;  Solberg.  l.r.OO,- 
OOO;  McDonald  Brothers,  1,000,000;  JMosher  &  Mc- 
Donald, 1,200,000;  Frank  Witherell,  600,000.  "Our 
mills,"  says  the  same  paper,  "converted  much  of  this 
into  shingles  and  lumber,  while  the  remainder  found 
a  market  elsewhere.  Buck  &  Sons  shipped  56.000,- 
OQO  shingles  and  the  Standard  Mill  Company,  prior 
to  the  fire  in  July,  cut  10,000,000  shingles  and 
2, 560,000  feet  o"f  lumber,  while  Mudgett  Brothers 
cut  16,000,000  shingles  and  J.  F.  Webber  &  Com- 
pany, 14,000,000." 

The  fire  in  July,  referred  to,  was  that  which 
resulted  in  the  entire  destruction  of  the  Standard 
mill,  a  splendid  lumber  and  shingle  producing  plant 
belonging  to  Logget  Brothers  &  Evans,  of  Seattle. 
When,  during  the  afternoon  of  the  19th.  the  fire 
began  its  operations,  the  mill  was  as  dry  as  tinder, 
and  the  flames  spread  so  rapidly  that  the  men  at 
work  in  the  mill  had  to  flee  for  their  lives,  many  of 
them  without  their  coats  and  hats.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  fire  originated  under  the  fire  box.  as  the 


flames,  when  first  seen,  were  near  the  engine.  The 
mill  was  beyond  saving  when  the  fire  alarm  was 
rung,  but  the  department  did  efficient  work  in  pre- 
venting the  flames  from  spreading.  The  loss  in 
buildings,  machinery  and  lumber  amounted  to  about 
sixty-five  thousand  dollars.  Only  thirteen  days 
previous,  the  dry  kiln  of  the  same  plant  had  taken 
fire  and  the  building  and  the  shingles  and  cedar 
lumber  stored  therein  had  been  greatly  damaged. 

This  was  the  only  important  fire  in  1894,  except 
that  in  Young  &  Tennant's  store  in  October,  which 
greatly  damaged  the  building  and  destroyed  over 
two  thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods. 

Early  in  189.")  a  somewhat  important  point  for 
many  of  the  citizens  of  Snohomish  was  scored  in 
the  district  court  of  the  county,  when  Judge  Denny 
sustained  the  demurrer  of  the  defendants  in  the  suit 
of  the  Haskell  heirs  z's.  Elwell,  Ford  and  Clay.  The 
question  at  issue  was  one  that  had  received  con- 
siderable attention  in  the  county  for  five  or  six 
years,  the  title  of  the  holders  to  a  large  amount 
of  real  estate,  including  the  Clay  fann,  adjoining 
Snohomish  and  Clay's  addition  to  the  town,  being 
in  jeopardy.  The  contention  of  the  plaintififs  was 
that  they  were  owners  of  a  half  interest  in  all  this 
property,  inasmuch  as  their  mother,  at  the  time  of 
her  death,  was  the  possessor  of  an  undivided  half 
interest,  which  Mr.  Haskell  had  no  power  to  convey. 
The  defense  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  1878, 
the  year  of  Mrs.  Haskell's  demise,  the  law  of  the 
territory  was  that  a  wife's  community  property 
passed  at  her  death  to  her  husband  ;  that  the  law 
by  which  her  children  could  inherit  from  her  did 
not  come  into  force  until  the  following  year.  The 
contention  of  the  defendants  was  sustained  by  the 
court  to  the  great  relief  of  the  many  citizens  who 
had  purchased  portions  of  this  property  and  built 
homes  upon  it.  The  total  value  at  issue  was  nearly 
fifty  thousand  dollars. 

The  citizens  of  Snohomish  seem  to  have  had 
much  better  success  in  their  efiforts  to  throw  oE  the 
blighting,  withering  influence  of  the  wide-spread 
financial  depression  than  many  other  towns  of  the 
Northwest.  In  the  sjjring  of  1894,  they  began 
reaching  out  for  a  creamery  and  secured  a  propo- 
sition from  a  man  named  Alexander,  of  Kent,  to 
locate  a  four  thousand  dollar  plant  in  their  midst 
provided  they  would  give  him  a  five-year  lease  on  an 
acre  and  a  half  of  land  and  a  suitable  building.  The 
bonus  was  speedilv  forthcoming,  and  the  plant  was 
secured.  In  the  fall  of  1895,  C.  H.  Knapp  proposed 
to  build  another  saw-mill  if  the  people  would  assist 
him  with  a  site  and  a  cash  bonus.  Both  w-ere  con- 
tributed promptly,  notwithstanding  the  extreme 
scarcity  of  money.  In  1896,  traveling  men  and 
others 'who  visited  Snohomish  united  in  pronoun- 
cing it  the  best  small  town  in  the  state,  and  when 
prosperity  returned,  it  was  ready  to  resume  the 
march  of  progress  at  its  wonted  pace. 

One  of  the  achievements  of  the  year  1897  was 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


the  completion  of  the  big  ten-block  mill  of  the 
Snohomish  Shingle  Company,  which  began  opera- 
tions July  14th.  Snohomish  citizens  had  watched 
the  building  of  this  big  mill  with  almost  a  personal 
interest,  on  account  of  having  subsidized  it  liberally, 
and  because  they  expected  much  help  from  it  to  the 
community  in  general.  The  mill  proper  had  a  floor 
space  of  fifty  feet  square,  while  the  dry  kiln  was 
capable  of  holding  a  million  shingles.  The  power 
was  furnished  by  a  seventy-five  horse-power  engine, 
supplied  by  boilers  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  horse 
power.  The  enterprise  gave  employment  directly 
to  about  forty  men  in  the  plant  itself  and  in  tlie 
woods. 

But  Snohomish  had  hardly  gained  this  enter- 
prise when  it  temporarily  lost  another.  J.  T.  Weber 
&  Company,  who  had  manfully  stemmed  the  tide  of 
adversitv  in  1S93,  when  they  lost  thirteen  thousand 
dollars  in  the  Duniway  failure,  and  throughout  the 
four  years  of  depression  which  followed  were 
forced' to  the  wall  in  1897,  after  the  price  of  shingles 
had  risen  and  prosperity  was  again  abroad  in  the 
land.  On  the  19th  of  August  they  suspended  oper- 
ations, assigning  to  the  crew  the  shingles  on  hand 
in  payment  of  labor  claims.  The  disposition  of  this 
firm  to  do  the  right  thing  by  their  creditors  has 
never  been  questioned.  By  their  pluck,  energy  and 
business  acumen,  they  had  succeeded  for  years, 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  in  keeping 
their  paper  at  par,  and  for  several  months  prior 
to  the  suspension  they  had  been  working  over  time, 
turning  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  shingles 
a  dav.  Another  year  of  prosperity  and  a  little  more 
leniency  on  the  part  of  those  to  whom  they  looked 
for  their  timber  supply  would  have  put  them  on  a 
firm  footing,  but  casli  was  demanded  for  timber, 
and  this  at\he  time  they  were  unable  to  pay.  The 
mill  resumed  operations  in  April,  1898,  under  the 
management  of  a  new  firm,  Maughlin  Brothers. 

In  Mav,  1900,  the  fire  demon,  who  seems  to  have 
an  implacable  enmity  against  the  saw-mill  men  of  Sno- 
homish, made  a  fierce  attack  upon  the  "Ten-block," 
destroying  the  big  dry  kiln  between  the  mill  and  the 
Great  Northern  depot,  despite  the  efforts  of  the  fire 
companv.  Only  a  few  thousand  shingles  were 
saved.  'The  loss  amounted  to  alnMit  li\e  thousand 
dollars,  only  six  hundred  dollar.-,  of  which  was  cov- 
ered by  insurance.  It  is  said  that  there  was  delay 
in  getting  the  fire  apparatus  out,  owing  to  a  report 
that  the  alarm,  sounded  by  mill  whistles,  was  a  false 
one ;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  kiln  could  have  been 
saved  even  if  the  fire  company  had  made  the  best 
time  possible. 

There  were  many  indications  of  good  times  in 
Snohomish  during  1901.  The  population  within 
the  limits  of  the  town  and  contiguous  thereto  was 
increasing  as  a  result  of  the  immigration  of  home- 
seekers  from  the  middle  West,  and  the  result  was  an 
infusion  of  new  life  and  new  hope.  It  was  stated 
in  an  issue  of  the  local  newspaper  about  the  1st  of 


May  that  more  homes  had  been  built  or  bought  in 
Snohomish  in  the  preceding  six  months  than  in  five 
years  previous  to  the  beginning  of  that  period.  Dur- 
ing the  spring  months  the  electric  light  company 
was  busy  disposing  of  the  machinery  in  its  old  plant, 
and  getting  its  new  plant  in  running  order,  its  new 
machinery  installed  and  everything  in  readiness,  as 
one  of  its  members  expressed  it,  "to  give  the  best 
service  in  the  state." 

A  very  pleasant  event  of  the  year  was  the  pre- 
sentation to  the  city  by  library  association  ladies  of 
the  sightly  and  splendid  property  now  in  use  for 
library  purposes  and  as  a  species  of  public  play 
ground.  The  formal  dedication  and  presentation 
of  the  deed  occurred  on  the  evening  of  July  12th 
on  the  lawn,  which  was  brilliantly  illuminated  for 
the  occasion.  The  presentation  speech  was  made 
by  C.  W.  Gorham,  who  in  the  course  of  his  remarks 
read  the  simple  warranty  deed  conveying  to  the  city 
of  Snohomish  lots  numbered  one,  two,  seven  and 
eight  and  the  west  half  of  lot  six  in  block  numbered 
eleven,  Snohomish  City,  eastern  part,  and  condition 
"that  the  above  described  premises  shall  be  used 
for  a  free  public  library  and  for  city  and  pul)lic 
park  purposes,  and  that  no  jail,  stable,  or  fire  station 
shall  be  erected  thereon,  and  that  no  intoxicating 
liquors  or  intoxicating  beverages  be  ever  allowed 
on  said  premises."  Mayor  Turner,  as  the  legal  rep- 
resentative of  the  city  formally  accepted  the  prop- 
erty. 

This  was  the  pleasant  culmination  of  a  very 
praiseworthy  effort  on  the  part  of  the  ladies  of  the 
library  association,  beginning  the  November  pre- 
vious. It  had  long  been  the  ambition  of  an  element 
in  Snohomish  to  have  a  fine  library  in  their  midst. 
From  the  time  when  Morse.  Ferguson,  Dr.  Folsom 
and  others  organized  and  financed  the  Snohomish 
Atheneum,  a  reading  room  or  library  had  been  main- 
tained at  various  times.  It  was  thought  that  the 
failure  to  establish  anything  of  a  permanent  char- 
acter was  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  the  library 
had  no  permanent  home,  so  in  November,  1900,  a 
number  of  ladies  put  their  heads  together,  elected 
Mrs.  T.  F.  Thompson  their  manager  and  began  the 
struggle  to  obtain  and  pay  for  a  suitable  building. 
It  was  found  that  the  Jackson  property,  at  the  cor- 
ner of  First  and  Cedar  streets  could  be  had  at  a 
cost  of  about  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 
The  ladies  engaged  heroically  in  a  strenuous  effort 
to  secure  this  large  sum,  soliciting  subscriptions 
among  business  men,  giving  entertainments  and 
benefits,  etc.  The  county  cnmmissioners  were  im- 
portuned to  remit  back  taxes  on  the  property  in 
part  and  gcner<nislv  did  so.  To  clear  the  title  and 
secure  inununit\-  from  the  possibility  of  litigation 
in  the  future  the  matter  had  to  be  taken  into  the 
courts,  but  John  Watterson  Miller  kindly  gave  his 
services  as  attorney  free;  so  this  was  done  at  no 
great  cost.  All  the  money  necessarv  was  eventually 
raised  :  the  property  was  secured ;  the  deed  was  pre- 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


sented  to  the  city,  as  heretofore  stated,  and  to-day 
.Snohomish  is  in  possession  of  a  commodious  library, 
with  all  the  newspapers  and  periodicals  in  its  read- 
ing; room  and  a  goodly  and  constantly  increasing 
number  of  well  chosen  books  on  the  shelves.  The 
lawn,  also,  is  a  valuable  possession,  furnishing  a 
small  public  park,  and  a  sightly,  pleasant  place  for 
outdoor  entertainments,  social  gatherings,  games, 
etc. 

In  ]\Iay,  1901.  work  was  begun  by  the  Snoho- 
mish Brick  &  Tile  Company  on  their  plant  near 
Snohomish  and  by  September  they  were  turning 
out  a  superior  quality  of  bricks,  for  which  there  was 
a  ready  demand.  This  was  perhaps  the  most  im- 
portant industry  started  in  the  town  during  the  first 
year  of  the  new  century. 

The  year  1901  did  not  pass  without  a  fire  in 
Snohomish.  About  four  o'clock  one  morning  very 
early  in  September,  it  was  discovered  that  Buck's 
dry  kiln  was  on  fire,  and  the  department  was  speed- 
ily summoned  and  speedily  came.  There  was  some 
delay  in  getting  water,  and  before  connection  with 
a  good  strong  pressure  could  be  secured,  the  build- 
ing was  doomed.  The  loss,  which  included  also 
575,000  shingles,  was  covered  in  part  by  insurance. 
In  making  a  fierce  fight  to  save  as  much  as  possible 
of  the  movable  stock,  Merton  Hewitt.  John  Pup- 
plett,  G.  N.  Cochran  and  William  Hesche  sus- 
tained more  or  less  serious  injuries,  the  first 
mentioned  having  an  arm  broken. 

A  much  more  serious  disaster  befell  the  city  in 
November,  1902,  when  a  terrible  explosion  occurred 
in  the  power  house  of  the  electric  light  company, 
killing  one  man,  seriously  injuring  a  second,  badly 
bruising  a  third,  and  reducing  the  building  to  a  mass 
of  ruins.  At  4:15  in  the  afternoon  of  the  fatal  day. 
Superintendent  R.  L.  Padden,  Engineer  Adam  An- 
derson, J.  C.  Shumaker  and  John  Mulliken  were 
working  around  the  plant,  Padden  and  Anderson  at 
the  boilers,  when  boiler  No.  1  exploded.  A  piece  of 
flying  iron  struck  Mr.  Padden  in  the  head,  knock- 
ing him  twenty  feet,  and  of  course  killing  him  in- 
stantly. Mr.  Anderson,  who  was  on  top  of  another 
toiler,  tightening  some  bolts,  was  thrown  to  the  rear 
of  the  building  and  buried  in  debris.  Mv.  Mulliken 
Avas  digging  a  hole  at  the  rear  of  the  building  at  the 
time.  He  too  was  buried  deep  under  brick  and 
boards,  but  assistance  soon  arrived  and  both  he  and 
Anderson  were  rescued  and  taken  to  their  homes. 
The  latter  was  seriously  injured. 

The  cause  of  the  explosion  has  never  been  ascer- 
tained. Many  old  engineers  examined  the  wreck, 
but  not  one  was  found  who  could  advance  a  prob- 
able theory  to  account  for  the  disaster.  The  men 
in  charge  had  been  connected  with  the  plant  for 
A  ears,  and  were  considered  thoroughly  competent. 
The  boilers  also  had  been  declared  in  perfect  con- 
dition a  year  before,  when  the  Electric  Company 
liad  entered  into  contract  with  the  city  to  take 
charge  of  its  pumping  plant  and  have  the  use  of 


its  boilers.  It  was  one  of  those  strange  accidents 
which  sometimes  occur  to  machinery,  and  for  which 
the  best  mechanics  are  at  a  loss  for  an  explanation. 
The  company  was  fully  insured,  so  there  was  but 
little  delay  in  the  work  of  getting  ready  for  resump- 
tion of  business. 

But  notwithstanding  this  serious  and  very  re- 
grettable disaster,  Snohomish  made  substantial 
gains  during  the  year  along  many  lines,  especially 
in  the  direction  of  building  substantial  homes.  It 
was  claimed  that  more  people  owned  their  own 
homes  in  the  city  than  in  any  other  in  western 
\\'ashington,  about  six-sevenths  of  the  houses  being 
the  property  of  the  occupants  and^  generally  free 
from  debt  or  mortgages. 

The  forward  movement  continued  with  unslack- 
ened  pace  during  1903,  and  the  years  following  and 
still  continues.  Any  observing  person  in  Snohomish 
to-day  will  see  that  the  town  is  not  at  a  standstill 
by  any  means,  neither  is  it  in  a  fever  of  excite- 
ment such  as  attend  a  building  or  real  estate  boom. 
It  is  simply  improving  every  day  adding  here  a 
little  and  there  a  little :  becoming  more  and  more 
substantial  and  attractive  and  more  and  more  a 
city  of  homes.  Though  shaken  to  the  foundations 
by  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  and  the  building 
of  a  metropolis  in  its  near  vicinity,  it  has  fully  re- 
covered from  the  shock  and  is  demonstrating  that 
the  resources  which  originally  called  it  into  exis- 
tence are  sufficient  to  sustain  it  and  supply  the 
sinews  of  continued  growth.  At  this  writing,  the 
carpenters  are  busy  on  an  excellent  three-story  hall 
for  the  Eagles  fraternity,  and  carpenters,  masons 
and  millwrights  are  at  work  putting  up  a  capacious, 
up-to-date  lumber  and  shingle  mill,  of  w^hich  any 
city  might  well  be  proud. 

With  the  prosperity  which  has  blest  the  first 
years  of  the  century,  has  come  also  a  full  share  of 
disaster.  Almost  every  year  has  had  its  destructive 
fire,  those  of  the  last  and  the  present  seasons  being 
quite  severe.  In  1904  the  victim  of  the  fire  fiend's 
fury  was  the  Cascade  Cedar  Company's  mill  and 
that  special  object  of  the  wrath  of  the  fates,  the 
electric  light  company's  plant.  The  entire  loss  was 
sixty-five  thousand  dollars.  This  year  the  Cyclone 
mill  has  fed  the  flames,  together  with  the  new  plant 
of  the  unfortunate  electric  company,  the  date  of  the 
disaster  being  Sunday,  June  ISth.  The  light  com- 
pany, with  its  usual  pluck  and  energy,  went  to  work 
before  the  ashes  had  cooled  to  arrange  for  a  re- 
sumption of  service.  A  dvnamo  was  secured  from 
Everett  and  olaced  in  position  ;  a  temporary  building 
was  erected,  the  boiler  and  engine  from  the 
burned  building  were  placed  in  position  and  re- 
paired and  within  a  week  the  current  was  again 
coursing  over  the  wires.  The  mill,  which  was  a 
ten-block,  with  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  a  dav,  will  not  be  rebuilt. 

I'ndoubtedly  the  loss  of  this  worthy  enterprise 
would  have  weighed  more  heavily  upon  the  spirits 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


of  the  people  of  Snohomish  were  it  not  that,  a  short 
time  before  the  fire,  work  had  been  begun  on  another 
mill  which,  when  completed,  will  more  than  take  the 
place  of  the  unfortunate  Cyclone.  Pride  in  the 
new  plant  will  be  heightened  by  the  fact  that  the 
people  will  owe  it  solely  to  their  own  enterprise. 
A  number  of  the  local  business  men  have  incorpo- 
rated under  the  name  of  the  Cascade  Lumber  Com- 
pany, purchased  the  lease  and  other  rights  of  the 
old  Cascade  Cedar  Company  and  are  building  a 
splendid  mill,  modern  in  all  its  appointments,  to  be 
equipped  with  brand  new  machinery  throughout 
and  to  have  a  capacity  of  from  sixty  thousand  to 
one  hundred  thousand  feet  of  lumber  and  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  shingles  per  diem. 

With  a  brief  description  of  the  Snohomish  of  the 
present,  this  already  too  lengthy  review  may  be 
drawn  to  a  close.  Business  houses  in  the  town  are 
so  numerous  that  it  is  difficult  to  list  them  all,  but 
they  include  three  drug  stores,  two  second  hand 
stores,  a  racket  store,  five  groceries,  four  meat 
markets,  a  fish  market,  a  steam  laundry,  a  number  of 
fruit  and  cigar  stores,  two  bakeries,  four  shoe 
stores,  two  book  stores,  two  hardware  stores,  three 
or  four  hotels,  several  lodging  houses,  six  or  more 
restaurants,  twelve  saloons,  two  banks,  a  cold  stor- 
age, several  warehouses,  a  wood  yard,  a  coal  yard, 
a  tea  store,  four  barber  shops,  two  furniture  stores, 
one  crockery  store,  an  iron  foundry,  an  electric  light 
plant,  a  printing  office  from  which  issues  the 
Weekly  Tribune,  a  job  office,  several  carpenter  and 
shoe  shops,  and  in  or  near  town  two  saw-mills, 
besides  the  large  one  now  being  erected,  four 
shingle  mills,  a  furniture  factory,  a  brick  yard,  a 
grist  mill,  a  bottling  works,  a  bicycle  repair  shop, 
a  bowling  alley,  undertaking  parlors,  a  creamery, 
bakeries,  two  logging  company's  offices,  telegraph 
offices,  express  offices,  etc.  There  are  two  Odd 
Fellows'  halls  and  one  Masonic  hall  in  the  town 
and  a  fine  Eagles'  hall  is  in  building  as  before 
stated.  The  professions  are  represented  by  six 
physicians  and  surgeons,  two  dentists,  and  four 
practicing  attorneys  and  there  are  two  justices  of 
the  peace  and  one  police  judge. 

Snohomish  has  three  excellent  public  schools, 
Central  high  school,  the  Ludwick  and  the  Emerson, 
also  two  overflow  schools  in  rented  buildings.  It 
is  thought  that  the  teaching  force  in  these  schools 
is  not  inferior  in  qualification  and  general  ability 
to  that  of  any  other  town  of  the  size  in  the  state. 
Puget  Sound  Academ\-,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Congregational  churches,  is  also  located  here. 

The  church  organizations  of  the  city  are  the 
Presbyterian,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Bapti.st,  Episco- 
pal, Lutheran,  Congregational,  Free  Methodist  and 
Christian  Scientist.  Of  these  the  Presbyterian  is 
said  to  have  the  distinction  of  being  not  only  the 
oldest  in  Snohomish  county  but  one  of  the  very  old- 
est in  the  state.  The  dedication  on  March  5th  of 
the  current  year  of  its  splendid  new  church  edifice 


called  forth  a  historical  article  in  the  Tribune  from 
which  the  following  paragraphs  are  quoted,. 

"In  187.5  this  settlement  had  a  population  of 
about  one  hundred  souls,  and  brave,  honest,  hopeful, 
big-hearted  men  they  were.  John  R.  Thompson,  a 
home  missionary  in  Olympia  heard  of  them  and 
with  the  true  missionary  spirit  determined  to  go  to 
see  them;  so  one  day  in  18T5  a  trading  vessel  put 
him  off  at  the  mouth  of  "Sleeping  Waters"  (Indian 
designation  for  the  Snohomish  river)  where  the 
city  of  Everett  now  stands.  He  came  with  his  pack 
up  the  river  trail — the  rivers  are  always  the  first 
highways  of  civilization. 

"The  preacher  was  ferried  across  the  river  and 
lodged  that  night  in  a  saloon  to  which  was  attached 
a  hotel.  He  found  the  people  without  a  church, 
but  ready  to  listen  to  his  message.  He  secured  the 
use  of  "The  Blue  Eagle,"  a  dance  hall  on  the  river 
and  there  preached  the  gospel.  It  is  said  of  Mr. 
Thompson  that  he  sat  in  the  hotel-saloon  and 
watched  a  game  of  cards  during  the  early  part  of 
the  evening  and  after  a  while  interrupted  the  game 
and  said  'Now  boys,  when  you  finish  that  hand,  I 
want  you  to  come  down  to  the  hall  and  hear  nie 
preach.'  They  went.  He  organized  the  L^nion 
Presbyterian  church  with  seven  members. 

"The  next  year  he  came  again  and  with  the 
help  of  the  board  of  church  erection  and  the  com- 
munity, which  gave  both  dollars  and  labor,  the  old 
Presbyterian  church  was  erected.  Many  of  the 
builders  of  the  old  church  live  here  yet.  Among 
them  are  the  following:  Robert  Hughs,  Francis 
Phelps,  G.  D.  Smith,  Tamlin  Elwell,  E.  C.  Fergu- 
son, Lot  Wilbur,  John  Hilton,  Robert  Parsen,  J.  .\. 
Cedargreen,  Lam  Elwell.  Judge  Ward  was  for  many 
years  the  choir  leader ;  he  is  still  the  most  sought- 
for  singer  in  this  county.  Leslie  Packard,  then  a 
small  boy,  was  janitor." 

The  Methodist  was  the  next  after  the  Presbyte- 
rian to  organize  and  erect  a  building  and  the  other 
churches  have  followed  in  due  course.  They  are 
for  the  most  part  well  supported  by  the  church- 
going  community,  vital,   active  and   efficient. 

Like  most  of  the  towiis  in  the  West,  Snohomish 
has  the  fraternal  spirit  well  developed,  and  is  abun- 
dantly supplied  with  lodges.  The  pioneer  of  them  all 
is  that  ancient  fraternity,  the  Masonic.  Centennial 
Lodge  No.  35,  having  been  establisiied  Decem- 
ber 16,  1876.  In  a  very  interesting  address  deliv- 
ered on  the  twenty-fifth  aniii\-ersary  of  this  date. 
William  Whitfield  gave  the  names  of  the  first  offi- 
cers and  members  as  follows :  H.  D.  Morgan. 
W.  M. ;  Hugh  Ross,  S.  M. ;  William  Whitfield,  J. 
W. ;  Charles  Baker,  G.  G.  England,  E.  Blackman, 
J.  E.  Getchell,  R.  D.  Hilton,  E.  S.  Gregory,  S.  O. 
Woods,  George  Plumb,  A.  A.  Blackman,  H.  Black- 
man,  W.  H.  Deering,  and  J.  C.  Gregory.  The  first 
lodge  room,  he  says,  was  in  an  old  building,  since 
torn  down,  opposite  the  First  National  Bank  build- 
ing, and   the   furnishing  of  the   room   was  accom- 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY    TOWNS 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


plished  by  the  aid  of  other  lodges  and  friends.  From 
the  first  the  lodge  enjoyed  a  prosperous  career. 
June  12,  1891.  a  chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  was 
formed  and  March  22.  1892,  is  the  date  of  the  in- 
stitution of  Golden  Rod  Chapter,  O.  E.  S. 

In  February,  18TS,  Snohomish  Lodge  No.  12, 
I.  O.  O.  F.  was  organized  in  what  was  then  the 
Masonic  hall.  It  held  regular  sessions  there  until 
the  summer  of  1879,  when  its  own  hall  was  com- 
pleted. There  are  now  two  lodges  of  Odd  Fellows 
in  Snohomish  and  an  encampment,  also  two  lodges 
of  the  ladies'  auxiliary  society,  the  Rebekahs.  A  large 
number  of  other  fraternities  have  been  instituted 
since  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  among  them 
the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Degree  of  Honor.  Forest- 
ers of  America,  ilodern  Woodman,  Royal  Neigh- 
bors, the  Eagles,  who  are  now  building  a  fine  new 
hall.  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  Sons  of 
Veterans,  Knights  and  Ladies  of  the  Maccabees, 
Royal  Highlanders,  Order  of  Pendo  and  others. 
Here  also  are  a  number  of  non-secret  societies  and 
clubs,  including  the  Commercial  club,  Cosmopolis 
club,  and  the  Hiu  Wawa,  the  last  a  women's 
society. 

Snohomish  enjoys  a  picturesque  and  favorable 
location.  On  a  clear  day  a  view  may  be  had  from 
an  elevated  position  of  Alounts  Baker  and  Rainier, 


with  the  connecting  range  between  them,  that  is 
hard  to  equal  anywhere,  while  the  crest  of  the 
classic  Olympics,  dim  and  indistinct  in  the  distance 
is  also  visible.  The  hills  back  from  the  river  furn- 
ish excellent  sites  for  beautiful  homes,  and  these 
have  been  utilized  to  the  fullest  by  an  esthetic, 
home-loving  and  thrifty  people.  An  eminently 
satisfactory  street  car  service  between  Snohomish 
and  Everett  makes  it  possible  for  the  people  to 
enjoy  all  special  attractions  that  may  come  to  .the 
latter  city,  hence  the  residents  of  Snohomish  have 
many  of  the  advantages  which  only  those  who  live 
in  cities  of  considerable  size  may  ordinarily  enjoy, 
while  retaining  all  those  which  are  supposed  to 
attend  life  at  some  distance  from  the  busy  whirl. 
Snohomish  is  no  longer  seriously  influenced  by  an 
ambition  for  metropolitan  proportions.  It  is,  how- 
ever, much  more  than  a  residence  and  educational 
town  and  always  will  be.  With  two  transcontinen- 
tal railroads  and  two  branch  lines  and  with  the 
river  to  fall  back  on  always  in  case  of  a  ruinous 
rise  in  freight  charges  or  any  discrimination  against 
it  in  the  matter  of  rates,  it  has  decided  advan- 
tages as  a  business  point.  Its  prosperity  rests  on  a 
substantial  and  permanent  basis ;  its  future  is  cer- 
itainly  bright. 


CHAPTER  VII 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS      (Conlinucd) 


MARYSVILLE 

In  the  progress  of  this  history  we  find  occasion 
to  describe  mining  centers,  lumbering  centers, 
manufacturing  centers,  commercial  and  agricul- 
tural centers.  There  are,  however,  locations  which 
combine  several  of  these  great  primary  industries. 
Such  a  point  is  Marysville.  Adjacent  to  this  city 
is  a  wide  area  of  agricultural  land,  both  upland  and 
tide  land,  capable  of  the  most  flattering  returns 
to  every  expenditure  of  labor  and  capital.  Upon 
these  lands  has  stood  and  to  a  large  extent  still 
stands  one  of  the  most  magnificent  timber  belts, 
fir.  spruce,  cedar,  hemlock,  to  be  found  in  the  state 
of  Washington,  unrivalled  as  it  is  in  timber  re- 
sources. ^Mineral  belts  of  unknown  value  are  near 
at  liand.  Within  sight  of  the  town  stretch  the 
waters  of  Port  Gardner  bav  and   Port  Susan  bav 


with  their  myriad  resources  of  fish,  of  navigation 
and  of  commerce,  and  to  cap  the  climax  there  is 
every  facility  for  the  establishment  of  manufac- 
turing enterprises  in  wood  and  iron.  Correlative 
with  all  these  advantages  is  transportation,  both  b\' 
water  and  by  rail,  which  place  the  city  in  constant 
communication  with  every  part  of  the  country. 

This  attractive  and  promising  little  city  is 
located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish  river,  just 
at  the  entrance  of  the  northern  branch  of  that 
river  into  the  inlet  which  constitutes  a  portion  of 
Port  Gardner  bay.  Immediately  west  of  the  town 
lies  the  Tulalip  Indian  reservation.  South  of  it 
at  a  distance  of  nine  miles  is  the  superbly  located 
city  of  Everett.  The  Great  Northern  railroad 
passes  directly  through  the  town. 

With  this  brief  glance  at  the  appearance  which 
Marysville    might    present    to    the    traveler   of    the 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


present  day  we  may  turn  back  a  few  years  and  in- 
quire by  whom  and  under  what  circumstances  it 
received  its  foundation. 

We  soon  learn  that  the  father  of  Marysviile  was 
James  P.  Comeford,  for  many  years  one  of  the  most 
active  promoters  of  enterprise  in  the  city  and  still 
living  there  in  a  hale  old  age,  although  having  re- 
tired from  business.  Mr.  Comeford  went  to  'the 
Tulalip  Indian  reservation  as  Indian  agent  in  the 
spring  of  1873.  His  attention  was  soon  drawn  to 
the  possibilities  of  improvement  in  the  region  im- 
mediately adjoining  the  reservation  and  he  accord- 
ingly sought  to  purchase  a  tideland  claim  from 
John  Stafford  on  the  farther  side  of  Ebey  slough. 
He  found  that  Truman  Ireland  and  Louis  Thomas, 
who,  together  with  Stafford,  had  taken  claims  at 
that  point  in  the  early  sixties  and  had  already  done 
a  large  amount  of  logging  upon  them,  had  made 
such  an  agreement  that  it  was  necessary  to  buy 
all  the  claims,  if  any.  Accordingly  Mr.  Comeford 
purchased  the  three  claims,  together  with  another 
belonging  to  Captain  Renton  of  Port  Blakely,  all 
together  constituting  a  tract  of  twelve  Iiundred  and 
eighty  acres,  for  a  total  outlay  of  four  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars. 

For  three  years  after  making  this  purchase  ^Ir. 
Comeford  engaged  in  logging  the  uncut  portion  of 
his  land  and  conducting  the  trader's  post  at  Tulalip, 
from  which  he  supplied  as  many  as  eighteen  camps 
on  the  reservation.  In  September,  1877,  he  decided 
to  establish  himself  permanently  upon  his  tract  of 
land.  Moving  to  the  present  site  of  Marysville  he 
erected  a  store  upon  what  is  now  Front  street,  on 
the  south  side  just  west  of  the  old  Johnson  hotel 
and  near  the  reservation  line.  He  built  also  a 
small  dock  upon  Ebey  slough  and  an  addition  to  his 
building  for  hotel  and  warehouse  purposes.  Feel- 
ing the  need  of  a  postoffice  in  his  new  location,  and 
there  being  no  white  people  there  to  sign  a  petition 
to  that  end,  Mr.  Comeford  secured  enough  Indians 
to  sign  Yankee  names  to  a  petition  which  he  headed, 
to  make  a  respectable  list  of  petitioners  and  thus 
secured  the  establishment  of  a  postoffice  during 
the  winter  following  his  establishment.  About  this 
time  James  Johnson  and  Thomas  Lloyd  of  Marys- 
ville, California,  visited  Mr.  Comeford  and  while 
there  requested  that  if  he  founded  a  town  he  would 
name  it  after  their  home  place.  He  assented  to  this 
request  and  thus  the  name  of  Marysville  became 
•established.  Messrs.  Johnson  and '  Lloyd  subse- 
quently became  permanent  citizens  of  the  place. 
For  four  or  five  years  Mr.  Comeford  was  obliged 
to  carry  the  mail  himself  from  the  steamboat  land- 
ing on  Steamboat  slough  one  and  a  quarter  miles 
distant  from  the  postoffice.  Frequently  he  had  to 
wade  three  feet  deep  in  the  marshes.  The  first 
steamboat  to  carry  the  mail  was  the  Chehalis.  The 
Nelly,  buih  at  Snohomish,  afterward  carried  the 
mail  for  many  years.  There  were  no  settlers  at 
all  then  in  the  vicinity  of  IMarvsville  and  the  busi- 


ness was  entirely  supplying  the  numerous  logging 
camps. 

After  the  buildings  already  referred  to,  the  next 
was  one  constructed  by  Mr.  Comeford  for  a  hotel 
in  1883.  This  he  called  the  Marysville  hotel;  it 
is  now  occupied  by  William  Turner  as  a  saloon. 
Although  not  completed  until  1883,  the  floor  of  this 
building  had  been  finished  by  Mr.  Comeford  and 
a  band  of  Siwashes  on  the  evening  of  July  3,  1883, 
with  the  special  intent  that  it  be  ready  for  use  on 
the  glorious  Fourth.  A  great  crowd  of  people, 
mainly  loggers  and  Indians,  gathered  at  that  time 
to  participate  in  the  celebration.  The  chief  features 
of  this  were  the  reading  of  the  Declaration  by  an 
eleven  year  old  boy,  Ronoldo  Packwood,  and  a 
performance  by  Will  Morris  upon  the  first  bicvcle 
that  had  ever  been  seen  in  that  region.  These  per- 
formances were  followed  by  a  grand  feast,  which 
in  turn  was  succeeded  by  dancing  throughout  the 
day  and  night  following.  In  1884  Mark  Swinner- 
ton  and  Henry  Myers  bought  out  Mr.  Comeford's 
store  business,  which  thev  operated,  until  1900. 

In  the  fall  of  1889  Mr.  Comeford,  while  out 
duck  hunting,  encountered  a  party  laying  out  a 
town  on  Port  Gardner  bay,  and  thinking  he  might 
as  well  follow  suit  he  proceeded  to  survey  and  lay 
out  forty  acres  of  his  land  for  a  regular  town 
site.  There  was  at  first  some  rivalry  between  the 
embryo  towns,  but  the  harbor  advantages  of  Everett 
were  of  such  a  nature  that  Marysville  was  soon  out 
of  the  race. 

Railroad  building  became  the  order  of  tlie  dav 
in  1889,  1890  and  1891.  The  Seattle,  Lake  Shore 
&  Eastern  railroad  was  built  four  miles  east  of 
]\Iarysville  in  1889  and  in  connection  with  the  new 
demands  on  trade  thus  created  the  railroad  con- 
tractor purchased  and  used  the  old  Comeford  store, 
Swinnerton  &  Myers  building  a  new  one  on  Front 
street.  The  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  railroad 
was  subsequently  acquired  by  the  Northern  Pacific. 
The  attention  of  the  people  of  Marysville  was 
therefore  turned  toward  the  I'airhaven  &  South- 
ern railroad  as  offering  their  best  chance  for  rail- 
load  connections.  A  subsidy  of  a  hundred  and  twen- 
t>  acres  of  land  was  raised  for  that  road  and  the 
supposition  was  that  it  would  locate  a  depot  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  town.  The  road,  however,  was 
acquired  by  the  Great  Northern,  which  decided  to 
pass  through  the  heart  of  Marysville  and  asked  for 
right  of  way  and  depot  grounds  upon  the  new 
site.  A  tract  of  thirty-five  acres  was  accordingly 
donated  for  that  purpose.  The  railroad  was  com- 
pleted through  the  place  and  the  depot  constructed 
in  1891. 

Times  were  active  in  Marvsville  during  the  time 
of  the  completion  of  the  railroad.  In  1890  there 
was  a  population  of  about  two  hundred  people.  The 
steamer  Nelly  was  at  that  time  making  regular 
trips  in  charge  of  Captain  Charles  Lowe.  In  com- 
mon with  the  other  towns  ^larysville  enjoyed  the 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


boom  of  1890,  lots  rising  as  high  as  a  thousand 
dollars  in  the  business  portion  of  the  town,  and  in  i 
common  also  with  the  other  towns,  it  suffered  a 
disastrous  collapse  two  years  later.  ' 

In  spite  of  the  business  reaction  and  hard  times  [ 
there  had  been  established  at  Marysville  some  per- 
inanent  industries  which  were  the  forerunners  of  the 
large    enterprises    of    the    present    day.      In    1887  | 
the  first  manufacturing  establishment,  a  small  saw-  ' 
mill,   with  a  capacity  of   from   three   thousand   to 
five  thousand  feet  of  lumber  per  day,  was  inaugu-  j 
rated  by  E.  G.  Anderson.    This  building  stands  on 
Front  street  a  block  east  of  the  Great  Northern  rail- 
road and  is  still  in  business.     In  the  fall  of  1888 
Carl  Ford  built  a  small  shingle  mill  with  an  up- 
right  machine,   the   power   of   which    was   an   old 
threshing  machine  engine.     This  was  located  near 
the  reservation  line  and  a  half  mile  back  from  the 
water   front.     In   1889   Cox  Brothers   erected  the  [ 
second  shingle  mill  in  the  town  on  Second  street  ; 
near  the  reservation  line.     In  1890  Stevens  &  Robe 
l)ut  in  the  third  shingle  mill  in  the  lower  portion  of 
.\nderson's  saw-mill.  j 

Although    prior    to    the    year    1890    there    was 
scarcely  enough  population  in  Marysville  to  entitle  ; 
it  to  tile  name  of  a  town  yet  the  region  tributary  ; 
to  it  had  already  attained  a  considerable  degree  of  ! 
cultivation.     A  correspondent  of  the  Eye  of  March 
K5,  1886,  preserves  for  us  a  pleasing  picture  of  a 
steamboat  ride  on  the  steamer  Nelly  from  Snoho- 
mish to  Marysville.     He  describes  the  scenery  of 
the    Snohomish    as    unfolded    from    the    steamer's 
deck  as  indescribably  grand.     Giant  fir  and  spruce 
trees  were  to  be  seen  "more  grand  than  the  historic 
trees    that   beckon    the    weary    traveler    along    the 
Lebanon.      Beautiful    farms   are   to   be    seen   upon  j 
every    hand,    and    the    lowing    of    cattle    in    green  | 
meadows   and   the   gathering   of   sheep   and   swine  \ 
upon  the  banks  of  the  river  forcibly  reminds  one  I 
that  he  is  indeed  traversing  civilization,  where  only  j 
a  few  years  ago  was  nothing  but  a  wild  wilderness, 
inhabited   only  by   the  various  tribes  of   Indians." 
'i'his   correspondent   describes   his   hearty   old-time 
welcome    at    the    Marysville    house,    kept    by    iMr. 
Comeford,   and   his   observations   about   the   town, 
which    he    regarded    as    the    future    metropolis    of 
Snohomish  county.     He   was  especially  impressed 
by  the  beauty  of  the  natural  park  two  miles  from 
the  town  which  he  expected  would  become  the  fair 
ground  and  race  course  of  the  county.     Directly 
across   from  Ebey  slough  he  viewed  some  of  the 
finest  reclaimed  lands  in  the  territory,  and  he  de- 
clares that  there  were  thousands  of  acres  of  equalh- 
good  land  awaiting  the  hand  of  industry  to  make 
ihem  homes  for  added  thousands  of  people.     He 
also  found  the  logging  business  in  the  vicinity  ac- 
tive. Blackman   Brothers,  two  miles   from   Marys- 
ville being  just  at  the  point  of  instituting  an  engine 
service    upon    their    logging    road.      The    site    of 
Marysville  and  much  land  in  its  vicinitv  had  been 


logged  by  that  veteran  logger,  so  frequently  men- 
tioned in  these  annals,  E.  D.  Smith. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Sun  of  June  2T,  1890, 
tells    us    that    Marysville    at    that    time    contained 
forty-seven    dwellings,    fourteen    business    houses, 
two  shingle  mills  and  one  saw-mill.     A  large  sash 
and  door  factory  was  in  process  of  erection.     The 
business  houses  of  the  town  at  that  time  were  the 
following:  Mark  Swinnerton,  general  merchandise 
and  farm  implements ;  H.  B.  Myers,  general  mer- 
chandise and  drugs ;  Fisher  &  McDonald,  groceries 
and  provisions ;   S.   VV.   Holland  &  Company,  real 
estate ;  E.  L.  Holt,  proprietor  of  the  Johnson  hotel ; 
E.    W.    Burns,    proprietor    of    the    Pacific    hotel ; 
Charles    Trousdale,    livery    stable    and    telegraph 
operator;  Edmund.  Smith,  hardware  and  farm  im- 
plements ;  Major  Smith,  meat  market ;  A.  R.  Somer- 
ville,    shoemaker ;    L.    McCorkindale,    blacksmith ; 
Cox    Brothers,    shingle    mill;    Anderson,    Plate    & 
Curtis,  saw-mill;  Stevens  &  Sparks,  saw-mill.     Dr. 
J.  S.  Mcllhaney  was  the  practicing  physician  of  the 
place,  C.  H.  Schaefer  the  postmaster.    The  farmers 
in  the  vicinitv  were  enjoying  great  prosperity,  par- 
ticularly those  engaged  in  raising  berries,  for  which 
:   the    soil    and    climate   of    Marysville    is    peculiarly 
',   adapted.     The  correspondent  states  that  the  town 
!   was  well  provided  with  schools,  churches,  debating 
societies  and  other  social  and  literary  advantages. 
There  was  also  an  excellent  band  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Prof.  John  Hilton.     D.  S.  Quinn  was  en- 
gaged at  the   time   in   the   construction   of  a  new 
wharf  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length.     Mark 
Swinnerton    was    also    constructing   a    wharf    and 
warehouse  adjoining  his  store.     There  was  a  third 
wharf  at  that  time  belonging  to  Mr.  Steele. 
j         The  vast  body  of  fertile  lands,  both  tide  lands, 
higher  valley  land  and  upland  susceptible  of  the  fi- 
!  nest   horticultural   products,   constituting,   as   some 
I   estimated,    about    twenty-five    thousand    acres    im- 
mediately tributary  to  Marysville,  led  to  the  applica- 
tion to  her  of  the  name  of  the  "Garden  City"  of  the 
sound.     Besides  the  great  staples  of  oats  and  hay 
common  to  all  the  tide  lands  were  vegetables,  ber- 
:   ries  and   fruits   of  every   sort,   which   found   their 
]   shipping  point  at  Marysville.     In  the  year  1890  the 
i   steamers   City   of   Quincy   and   Mabel   made   daily 
I   trips    to    Seattle    and    intermediate    points.      The 
population  in  the  year  1890  was  estimated  by  this 
i   visitor  at  four  hundred.     There  was  an  enrollment 
of  eighty  children  in  the  public  schools.     Although 
I   there  was  at  that  time  no  church  building  in  the 
town,  there  were  regular  services  maintained  by  the 
Methodist  and  Catholic  denominations. 

A   correspondent   of  the   Tribune   of   May   17. 

1894.  looks  in  upon  the  prosperous  little  town  of 

I   Marysville  and  finds  that  in  spite  of  the  hard  times 

'   it   was  making  a  substantial  gain  in  all   standard 

]  lines  of  business.     The  Stimson  Lumber  Company 

had  become  an  important  factor  at  that  time  in  the 

development  of  the  logging  business.     They  opera- 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


ted  a  logging  railroad  seven  miles  in  length,  having 
headquarters  at  Marysville.  The  shingle  mills  at 
that  time  were  under  the  control  of  Anderson  & 
Eesmer  and  Stevens  Brothers  &  Ladd.  These 
firms  together  employed  about  forty  men  and  cut 
about  two  hundred  thousand  shingles  per  day.  In 
that  year  Dr.  J.  F.  Hawkins  was  the  physician 
of  the  town,  Judge  Sisco  was  the  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  the  Marysville  bank  had  been  estab- 
lished, of  which  C.  E.  Olney  was  president  and 
S.  F.  Smith  cashier.  The  Marysville  Globe  was 
the  newspaper  of  the  town  at  that  date,  independent 
in  politics  but  with  a  Democratic  editor,  Steve 
Saunders. 

Like  the  other  ambitious  villages  of  Washington 
state,  Marysville  aspired  to  the  rank  of  a  city,  and 
in  1891  became  incorporated  as  a  city  of  the  fourth 
class.  The  first  council  meeting  was  held  on 
March  20,  1891,  and  the  first  officers  of  the  city 
were  as  follows :  Mayor,  Mark  Swinnerton ;  coun- 
cil, Henry  Plate,  H.  B.  Myers,  C.  H.  Schaefer,  Ale.x. 
Spithill,  Ednumd  Smith;  clerk,  M.  F.  Shea;  treas- 
urer; David  A.  Ouinn.  In  1901  the  city  erected 
a  city  hall  at  a  cost  of  twenty-seven  hundred  dol- 
lars, having  a  fire  department  in  the  lower  floor. 
As  a  municipality  Marysville  has  had  an  exception- 
ally quiet  and  well-ordered  life. 

The  Methodist  church  seems  to  have  been  the 
pioneer  religious  organization  of  the  town.  Marys- 
ville was  part  of  the  Snohomish  circuit,  of  which 
Rev.  A.  J.  McNamee  was  pastor.  In  1891  Rev. 
W.  C.  Hockett  became  pastor  and  built  a  three 
thousand  dollar  church,  which  was  dedicated  in 
August.  1891.  The  charter  members  of  that  church 
were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  L.  Chesney,  Lestella  Bed- 
ford, Maria  Ladd,  Mrs.  E.  Munson.  Annie  Munson, 
Mary  Munson,  Edwin  Norum,  Mary  E.  Pease, 
Alice  Pease,  Vesta  Pease,  Nellie  Robins  and  Rose 
Stevens.  In  1903  Rev.  L.  J.  Covington  became 
jmstor  of  the  Methodist  church.  The  Catholic 
church  was  built  in  1895,  the  Congregational  in 
1898  and  the  Baptist  during  the  present  year,  190.5. 

One  of  the  foremost  factors  in  the  business  life 
of  the  city  at  present  is  the  Marysville  State  Bank, 
occupying  a  fine  brick  building  erected  in  the  fall  of 
1904  on  Cedar  and  Second  streets  at  a  cost  of  eight 
thousand  dollars.  S.  T.  Smith  is  president.  C.  E. 
Olney  vice-president  and  E.  E.  Colvin  cashier.  The 
deposits  amount  to  $120,000,  the  loans  and  dis- 
counts. $75,000;  cash  available,  $60,000.  We  find 
a  number  of  milling  and  shingle  enterprises  at  and 
near  Marysville.  Of  the  shingle  mills  there  are  the 
Smith  Manufacturing  Company,  with  a  capacity  of 
a  quarter  of  a  million  shingles  per  day ;  the  Ebey 
]\Iill  Company,  with  from  a  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand to  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  shingles  per 
day ;  the  Harrington  Shingle  Company,  a  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  shingles  per  day  ;  the  Dex- 
ter Mill  Company,  seventy-five  thousand  to  a  hun- 
dred thousand  shingles  per  day ;  Marysville  Shingle 


Company,  two  hundred  thousand  shingles  per  day. 
besides  sixty  thousand  feet  of  lumber.  The  above 
mills  are  all  located  within  the  city  itself.  The 
following  are  within  a  few  miles:  the  Marysville 
Company,  one  hundred  thousand  shingles;  the 
Summit  Mill  Company,  fifty  thousand;  J.  A.  Ken- 
nedy, fifty  thousand;  Barlow  Shingle  Company, 
one  hundred  thousand ;  Nelson  Lumber  Company, 
thirty  thousand  feet  of  lumber  per  day ;  Kruse 
Brothers  &  Roberts,  thirty  thousand  feet  of  lumber 
per  day.  The  Stimson  Logging  Company,  whose 
terminus  and  booms  are  in  Ebey  slough,  is  an 
important  factor  not  only  in  the  lumber  business 
but  also  in  the  transportation  business.  During 
the  current  summer  they  incorporated  the  Marys- 
ville &  Northern  Railway  Company,  and  by  means 
of  their  road  not  only  tapped  one  of  the  finest 
bodies  of  timber  in  the  country  but  make  connection 
with  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad  at  Arlington 
and  thus  bring  the  town  into  connection  with  a 
second  transcontinental  line. 

Of  the  miscellaneous  lines  of  business  in  Marys- 
ville we  find  the  following:  Drug  stores,  Edgar 
H.  Blair,  C.  Teager;  paints  and  wall  paper,  Charles 
A.  Anderson ;  meat  markets,  Carl  A.  Gehlhaar , 
Bertois  Packing  Company,  George  A.  Hauschen; 
hardware,  Myers  &  Turner ,  Smith  &  Asbery ,  Mc- 
Corkindale ;  blacksmith  shops,  Harrj'  Bowman ,  L. 
McCorkindale ;  stationery  stores,  Harry  A.  Rath- 
von ,  Mrs.  Matson ;  photograph  gallery,  W.  J. 
Wood ;  billiard  hall,  Louis  Swanson ;  fruit  and  con- 
fectionary store,  A.  E.  Heider;  livery  stable,  Allen 
&  Delano ;  bicycle  store,  Samuel  Andrews ;  shoe 
store,  Myers  Shoe  Company;  poultry  market.  Dex- 
ter N.  Fowler;  jeweler,  James  Harbridge;  real 
estate  and  insurance,  Steve  Saunders;  F.  G.  Mer- 
rick ;  general  merchandise  stores,  F.  L.  Bartlett , 
C.  T.  Conrad,  M.  A.  Guy,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Webster, 
Hagen;  feed  store,  C.  N.  Schumacher;  undertaker, 
Charles  Schaefer ;  restaurants,  Mrs.  T.  Stahl ,  Mrs. 
John  Overton,  T.  N.  Hoyt,  Mrs.  Thomas,  C.  F. 
Morehead;  hotels,  the  Florence,  W.  E.  Sauntry , 
the  Marysville,  W.  W.  Howard ;  tailor,  Carl  Rohde ; 
shoe  shop,  William  Tyson ;  barber  shops,  Henry 
Ludwigsen ,  Charles  Raymond  ;  foundry,  William 
White ;  grocery  stores,  O.  G.  Hagen ,  George 
Hauschen. 

The  electric  light  system  belongs  to  the  Everett 
Railway,  Light  &  Water  Company,  W.  W.  Glazier 
being  manager.  Marysville  is  now  supplied  with  a 
waterworks  system  under  control  of  a  private  cor- 
poration, which  brings  water  in  pipes  from  a  spring- 
five  miles  east  of  the  town. 

The  public  schools  of  Marysville  are  a  just 
source  of  pride  to  her  citizens.  Beginning  with  a 
rude  school  house  on  the  present  Woods  farm  two 
miles  east  of  Marysville  in  1885,  the  public  school 
accommodations  of  the  place  have  evolved  into 
the  present  elegant  brick  structure,  built  in  189'? 
at  a  cost  of  about  ten  thousand  dollars. 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


349 


The  municipal  officers  are  as  follows:  Mayor, 
C.  T.  Conrad;  councilmen,  W.  F.  Harrington,  W. 
II.  Roberts,  J.  Regan,  J.  P.  Comeford  and  C.  E. 
Olney;  clerk,  M.  Swinnerton;  treasurer,  C.  A. 
Doan;  police  judge,  F.  C.  Merrick;  marshal,  Austin 
McDonald;  attorney,  B.  E.  Padgett.  There  is  a 
volunteer  fire  department,  of  which  Edward  Con- 
rad is  chief. 

The  churches  of  Marysville  with  their  present 
pastors  are  as  follows:  Baptist,  Rev.  W.  C.  King; 
Catholic,  Father  P.  Card;  Congregational,  Rev.  O. 
L.  Anderson;  ]\Iethodist,  Rev.  H.  G.  Ward. 

Marysville  has  a  large  list  of  fraternities,  and 
these  with  the  chief  officers  at  present  are  the  fol- 
lowing: W.  O.  W.,  Jeffery  Hilton,  C.  C. ;  J.  W. 
George,  clerk ;  Royal  Neighbors  of  America,  Mrs. 
Nettie  Secrist,  oracle;  Mrs.  M.  McRae,  recorder; 
Foresters  of  America,  O.  H.  Tyson,  C.  R. ;  O.  J. 
Morrison,  F.  S. ;  Fraternal  Knights  and  Ladies, 
G.  E.  Benjamin,  com. ;  Mrs.  George  Johnson,  secre- 
tary; Masons,  C.  E.  Munn,  W.  M. ;  M.  Swinnerton, 
S.  W.;  M.  W.  A.,  C.  H.  Schaefer,  clerk;  D.  C. 
Somers,  V.  C. ;  Degree  of  Honor,  Mrs.  Alma  Cum- 
berland, C.  H. ;  Mrs.  H.  A.  Rathvon,  recorder; 
Odd  Fellows,  R.  V.  Delano,  N.  G. ;  Austin  Mc- 
Donald, V.  G. ;  Order  of  Pendo,  Mrs.  Harrington, 
councillor;  Mrs.  Mav  Davis,  secretary;  Women  of 
Woodcraft,  Mrs.  T.  Raymond,  G.  N. ;  Mrs.  George 
Allen,  clerk ;  Brotherhood  of  American  Yeomen, 
O.  H.  Tyson,  H.  F. ;  F.  G.  Merrick,  cor.;  Daugh- 
ters of  Rebekah,  Mrs.  Emma  Myers,  N.  G. ;  Miss 
Mertie  Myers,  secretary;  International  Shingle 
Weavers'  Union,  D.  J.  Noonan,  president;  William 
Ross,  financial  secretary,  Ferd  Brady,  recording 
secretary. 

Last  but  not  least  among  the  organized  institu- 
tions of  Marysville  is  the  newspaper,  the  Marysville 
Globe,  published  every  Friday  and  edited  by  O.  L. 
Anderson.  This  is  a  bright,  newsy  paper,  indepen- 
dent in  politics,  and  thoroughly  devoted  to  the  up- 
building of  the  town. 

The  population  of  Marysville  is  estimated  in 
the  recent  publication  of  the  State  Secretary's 
office  at  twelve  hundred.  This  comparatively  small 
population  gives  one  little  hint  of  the  extensive 
business  carried  on  in  this  city.  One  might  travel 
far  without  finding  a  more  energetic,  attractive, 
and  altogether  desirable  communitv  than  Marys- 
ville. 

STANWOOD 

If  the  reader  of  these  records  will  kindly  take 
his  map  in  hand  while  he  reads,  he  will  discover 
a  large  number  of  rivers  issuing  from  the  towering 
snow  peaks  of  the  Cascade  range.  By  reason  of 
the  great  snow  fall  and  rain  fall  in  those  mountains 
these  streams,  though  short,  convey  large  bodies  of 
water.  Their  upper  parts  are  foaming  torrents, 
often  milk  white  from  the  grinding  of  the  glaciers 


upon  the  lofty  peaks.  In  their  middle  reaches  they 
are  usually  impetuous,  yet  in  many  instances  navi- 
gable by  light  draft  steamboats.  Their  lower  parts, 
subjected  to  the  influence  of  the  ocean  tides,  are 
commonly  deep  and  still  and  afford  almost  bound- 
less opportunities  for  boat  traffic.  Among  these 
streams,  with  such  a  history  as  we  have  sketched, 
we  find  the  Snohomish  and  the  Stillaguamish  trav- 
ersing Snohomish  county.  About  the  deltas  of 
these  streams  and  extending  for  a  number  of  miles 
along  their  banks  are  extensive  tide  lands.  These 
lands  constitute  the  most  extensive  body  of  such 
lands  in  the  state  next  to  those  of '  Skagit  county. 
As  has  been  developed  at  various  points  in  this  work, 
these  tide  lands,  when  drained,  are  of  enormous 
productiveness  for  every  species  of  grain,  fruit 
and  vegetable  to  which  the  climate  is  adapted.  These 
lands  are  the  home  of  the  small  farmer,  for  on  a 
tract  of  from  five  to  twenty  acres  it  is  possible  to 
make  as  good  a  living  as  could  be  derived  from  a 
quarter  section  of  ordinary  farm  land.  A  dense 
population  is  therefore  certain  to  arise  upon  these 
surpassingly  fertile  tracts  of  land.  We  now  behold 
those  regions  in  their  making.  Co-extensive  with 
the  development  of  these  agricultural  belts  is  the 
lumbering  interest  of  the  same  region,  for  in  theirna- 
tive  state  these  lands  are  densely  timbered.  Therefore 
the  region  which  the  lumberman  had  culled  of  its 
splendid  logs  the  farmer  afterward  enters,  and  by 
clearing  and  burning  the  refuse  of  the  logging 
camps  he  provides  a  place  for  permanent  and  beau- 
tiful homes.  As  a  natural  result  of  these  con- 
ditions there  have  been  founded  and  are  now  being- 
founded  numerous  towns  along  the  Snohomish  and 
Stillaguamish  rivers  and  along  the  railroads  which 
now  traverse  Snohomish  county  in  all  directions. 
Near  the  mouth  of  the  beautiful  Stillaguamish  we 
find  a  small  town  which,  for  its  population,  is  one 
of  the  most  wealthy  and  well  built  places  in  the 
county. 

This  town  is  Stanwood.  Like  the  other  towns 
of  this  region  Stanwood  had  its  origin  in  the 
necessities  and  incentives  of  the  early  lumbering 
and  trading  necessities  of  the  decades  of  the  sixties 
and  seventies.  The  first  settlement  of  any  kind  in 
the  vicinity  of  what  is  now  Stanwood  was  'a  .saloon 
and  trading  post  put  up  by  Robert  Fulton  in  186G 
on  Florence  island  at  its  most  westerly  point  on 
Davis  slough.  In  the  summer  of  that  year  John 
Gould  bought  out  Fulton  and  was  himself  followed 
in  turn  by  George  Kyle,  who  took  a  claim  there  and 
got  a  postoffice  established  which  was  known  as 
Centerville,  Kyle  himself  being  the  postmaster.  The 
mail  was  brought  from  Utsalady.  At  some  time 
prior  to  1873  the  postoffice  was  moved  to  Robert 
Freeman's  place  just  below  the  present  site  of 
Stanwood,  still  retaining  the  name  of  Centerville. 
In  1873  H.  Oliver  took  up  a  homestead  on  the  land 
now  occupied  by  the  greater  portion  of  the  town. 
In   1875  James   Caldon  bought  out   Freeman   and 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


established  a  hotel  and  saloon  on  the  river  three 
hundred  yards  below  the  present  town,  his  place 
being  known  as  the  Pioneer.  In  a  few  years  Peter 
McLaughlin  and  Michael  McNamara  purchased 
Caldon's  interests,  but  on  account  of  failing  to  make 
good  their  financial  obligations  were  obliged  to 
surrender  it  to  Caldon  in  1882,  and  from  that  time 
on  Caldon  again  managed  the  establishment.  In 
1876  a  man  destined  to  have  an  important  connec- 
tion with  the  town  and  vicinity  arrived  at  the  little 
hamlet.  This  was  Mr.  D.  O.  Pearson.  Mr.  Pear- 
son brought' lumber  with  which  he  intended  building 
a  store  to  supply  the  logging  camps  upon  the  river 
above.  Leasing  a  tract  of  land  for  five  years  he 
erected  a  wharf,  a  building  for  a  store  and  a 
warehouse.  His  store  was  a  substantial  structure 
which  still  stands  just  opposite  his  present  store. 
On  April  4,  1877,  he  brought  and  opened  up  in  his 
store  a  stock  of  goods  of  the  value  of  from  four  to 
five  thousand  dollars.  Two  years  later  G.  H.  Irvine 
built  a  store  on  Main  street,  the  same  building 
which  is  now  used  by  S.  A.  Thompson  for  his 
general  merchandise  business. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Pearson  had  been  ap- 
pointed postmaster  and  had  changed  the  name  of 
Centerville  to  that  of  Stanwood  in  compliment  to 
his  wife,  that  being  her  maiden  name. 

Other  buildings  were  added  as  the  necessities 
(if  the  growing  community  seemed  to  demand.  To 
supply  the  raging  thirst  which,  even  in  spite  of  the 
.salubrious  climate  of  Puget  sound,  seems  to  have 
tormented  the  inhabitants  of  most  of  those  early 
towns,  H.  Oliver  built  and  conducted  the  O.  K. 
saloon.  Peter  McLaughlin  became  the  pioneer 
blacksmith  at  about  the  same  time,  his  blacksmith 
shop  being  on  the  present  site  of  John  Hall's  livery 
stable.  Within  a  year  or  so  after  entering  upon 
this  business  Mr.  McLaughlin  died  and  his  wife 
Rose  opened  a  hotel.  At  about  the  same  time  an- 
other saloon  was  established  by  Samuel  Gilpatrick 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Palace  hotel.  About  the 
year  1882  Andrew  Tackstrom  established  a  shoe 
shop  and  A.  E.  Klaeboc  opened  a  drug  store.  Henry 
W.  Poor  opened  the  second  blacksmith  shop  about 
1884. 

Until  the  year  1887  Mr.  (  )liver,  the  original 
town  proprietor,  had  sold  lots  sini])lv  In-  metes  and 
bounds,  but  in  that  year  William  K.  .Sidckbridge, 
who  had  come  to  Stanwood  from  PuNallup.  Ixiusht 
out  all  the  Oliver  holdings  and  in  the  Idlldw  iiii; 
year  laid  out  a  town  site  of  twenty  acres.  This  was 
surveyed  by  Peter  Leque  and  filed  on  September  .'s, 
1889,  as  a  plat  belonging  to  William  R.  Stockbridge 
and  his  wife.  Augusta  i\I.  Stockbridgc. 

During  the  last  years  of  the  decade  uf  the 
eighties  the  little  town  made  rapid  improvement. 
During  that  time  M.  A.  Goodykoontz  established 
his  present  hardware  store,  and  at  about  the  same 
time  the  second  hotel  in  Stanwood,  known  as  the 
Melbv  House,  was  erected,     .^bo^t  the  rear  1800 


Louis  H.  Smith  opened  the  third  general  store  in 
the  town,  selling  out  in  a  few  years  to  George  J. 
Ketchum,  who  still  conducts  the  business. 

The  railroads  and  rumors  of  railroads  which 
marked  that  time  had  the  same  effect  upon  Stan- 
wood as  upon  the  other  towns  of  the  county.  The 
Stanwood  people  endeavored  to  secure  the  con- 
struction of  the  Fairhaven  &  Southern  railroad 
directly  through  the  town  site  in  1891  by  offering 
a  subsidy  of  four  thousand  dollars.  The  railroad 
people,  however,  did  not  see  it  to  their  interest  to 
accept  the  proposition  and  the  line  now  passes  a 
mile  east  of  the  town.  During  the  period  of  the 
boom  Messrs.  Pearson  and  Ketchum  laid  out  forty 
acres  of  land  as  an  addition  to  Stanwood  in  the 
direction  of  the  railroad,  but  they  never  sold  a  lot. 

Those  years  which  we  have  sketched  so  rapidly 
were  years  of  greater  progress  in  the  country  round- 
about than  in  the  town  itself.  It  appears  from 
correspondence  which  we  find  in  the  Eye  of  August 
2,  1884,  that  that  year  witnessed  the  garnering  of 
immense  crops  of  oats  and  hay  upon  the  fertile 
lands  about  Stanwood,  while  great  quantities  of 
the  finest  fruit  and  vegetables  rewarded  the  toil  of 
the  settlers.  This  correspondent  speaks  with 
especial  admiration  of  the  orchard  owned  by  Mr. 
Gardner  Goodrich  about  two  miles  above  Stanwood 
on  the  river. 

Stanwood  suffered  a  severe  blow  on  May  2, 
1892,  by  a  fire  which  broke  out  in  Armstrong's 
hotel  on  Market  street.  Thirteen  buildings  in  the 
central  part  of  the  little  town  were  destroyed. 
There  was  no  means  of  fire  protection  and  as  a 
result  the  citizens  were  helpless  except  for  the  valu- 
able aid  of  the  steamer  William  F.  Munroe,  which 
happened  to  be  lying  at  the  wharf  at  the  time.  The 
heaviest  losses  sustained  in  this  fire  were  those  of 
John  LI.  Armstrong  by  the  destruction  of  his  hotel, 
and  L.  H.  Smith,  who  lost  his  general  merchandise 
store  across  the  street  from  the  Armstrong  hotel. 
Both  these  buildings,  however,  were  insured, 
whereas  many  of  the  smaller  ones  destroyed  carried 
no  insurance.  One  rather  comical  incident  is  re- 
called by  the  old  timers  and  that  is  that  the  members 
of  the  Good  Templars  lodge,  in  session  at  the  time, 
rushed  from  their  hall  clad  in  the  regalia  of  the 
order  and  rendered  most  efficient  service  in  help- 
ing Air.  Arnistning  save  his  stock  of  whiskey. 
.Aniimg  (itlier  buildings  burned  in  this  fire  was  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  church.  The  burned  area  was 
rebuilt  almost  inimediatel\-  and  Stanwood  has  never 
since  had  another  fire. 

Carrying  our  vision  down  from  the  early  history 
of  the  town  to  the  present,  we  find  that  it  has  had 
a  steady,  healthy  growth  correlative  with  that  of 
the  rich  and  varied  region  surrounding  it.  The 
year  1898  was  one  of  the  most  important  in  the 
history  of  the  place,  for  it  marked  the  inauguration 
of  the  fishing  business  at  the  mouth  of  the  Still- 
aguamish.     The   cannery   established   at  that   time 


Mr 

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IN   THE   STANWOOD   SECTION 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


has  continued  to  be  one  of  the  best-conducted  on  the 
sound  and  an  important  agent  in  the  distribution 
of  trade.  The  first  installment  of  fish  for  this  can- 
nery known  as  the  Friday  fish  cannery,  consisted  of 
a  thousand  fish,  which  were  converted  into  seven 
thousand  cans  of  extra  quality  canned  salmon.  The 
cannery,  as  first  opened,  had  a  capacity  of  between 
four  and  five  thousand  cases  per  day  and  employed 
fifty  men. 

Stanwood  became  an  incorporated  town  of  the 
fourth  class  in  September,  1903.  The  first  officers 
chosen  were  the  following:  Mayor,  D.  O.  Pearson; 
councilman,  O.  R.  Allen,  Ira  Galloupe,  Iver  John- 
son, H.  Hafsted,  Charles  Chadbourne.  The  fol- 
lowing year  the  municipality  erected  a  town  hall  on 
the  corner  of  Irvine  and  Oliver  streets  at  a  cost 
of  seven  hundred  dollars.  The  town  has  not  yet 
acquired  its  own  water  system,  and  that  necessity 
is  furnished  by  water  works  installed  in  1888  by 
II.  Orchard,  now  owned  by  Peter  Harvey,  deriv- 
ing its  supply  from  Lake  Young,  four  miles  distant. 

Although  enjoying  steamboat  connections  of  a 
very  convenient  and  economical  nature,  the  citizens 
of  Stanwood  felt  that  they  could  not  afford  to  let 
the  Great  Northern  railroad,  only  a  mile  distant, 
be  neglected,  and  accordingly  a  steam  suburban 
line  of  standard  track  connects  the  town  with  the 
station.  This  line  was  built  and  is  managed  by  John 
W.  Hall. 

There  is  as  yet  no  general  electric  lighting 
system  in  the  town,  but  R.  J.  McLaughlin  operates 
a  private  plant  at  his  shingle  mill  and  has  under- 
taken to  furnish  lights  to  buildings  in  various  por- 
tions of  the  town. 

The  reader  will  fonn  a  better  impression  of  the 
opportunities  of  business  in  this  town  when  he 
learns  something  of  the  great  production  of  the 
tide  flats  immediately  adjoining  it.  It  is  estimated 
that  the  oat  crop  exported  from  Stanwood  in  1905 
amounted  to  about  sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
hay  crop  about  twenty  thousand. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  business  enterprises 
of  Stanwood  is  the  co-operative  Creamery  Associa- 
tion. This  conducted  a  business  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars  during  the  year  past.     Its  ofiicers  are  N.  P. 

Leque,  president ;  Nelson,  vice-president ;  O. 

Fjerlie,  secretary ;  Andrew  Anderson,  treasurer  and 
manager.  It  is  estimated  that  the  output  of  this 
creamery  for  the  current  year  will  exceed  two  hun- 
dred thousand  pounds. 

The  lumbering  business  centering  in  Stanwood 
is  one  of  its  most  important  features.  The  Stan- 
wood Lumber  Company's  mill,  of  which  A.  S. 
Howard  is  president  and  manager  and  C.  D.  Bennie 
is  secretary  and  treasurer,  has  a  capacity  of  twenty 
thousand  feet  per  day  and  employs  fifteen  men  the 
year  round.  R.  J.  McLaughlin's  shingle  mill  em- 
ploys fifteen  men  and  manufactures  a  hundred  thou- 
sand shingles  per  day.  Those  two  mills  are  located 
directly  in  the  town.     Within  a  short  distance  are 


five  other  mills,  as  follows :  John  Hall's  shingle  mill, 
manufacturing  150,000  shingles  per  day;  Manlev 
&  Church  shingle  mill,  65,000;  Benedict's  shingle 
mill,  48,000;  Becker's  shingle  mill,  60,000;  Cedar 
Home  Lumber  Company,  75,000  shingles  and  20,- 
000  feet  of  lumber.  The  majority  of  the  business 
done  by  these  mills  centers  in  Stanwood. 

Mr.  Pearson  estimates  the  commerce  of  Stan- 
wood at  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  a 
year. 

Of  the  general  lines  of  business  in  Stanwood 
we  make  the  following  summary.  Hardware 
stores :  Stanwood  Hardware  Company,  Peter 
Leque,  president,  Iver  Johnson,  manager;  general 
merchandise,  D.  O.  Pearson,  George  J.  Ketchum, 
People's  Union,  S.  A.  Thompson  &  Company : 
physicians,  Urs.  O.  R.  Allen  and  D.  McEachern  ; 
dentists,  Drs.  Joseph  Mondy,  E.  L.  Hogan ;  black- 
smith and  wagon  works,  Ole  Aalbu ;  photographer. 
J.  T.  Warbass;  harness  store  and  shoes,  A.  Jack- 
strom;  fruits  and  confectionary,  H.  L.  Hewitt,  W. 
B.  Norris,  A.  E.  Hall ;  meat  markets.  The  People's 
Union,  in  charge  of  Ole  Berge ;  the  Frye-Bruhn 
Company,  Andrew  Olson,  manager;  builders  and 
contractors,  Plett  &  Paddock;  teamsters,  Ben  Wil- 
lard ;  Drugs,  Klaeboe  Drug  Company ;  tailor, 
Benjamin  Stoulp;  livery,  J.  W.  Hall;  millinery, 
Mrs.  May  Watson ;  postoffice  book  store  and  post- 
office,  A.  E.  Hall,  postmaster;  restaurants,  Mrs.  L. 
Edwards,  John  Wickdall ;  hotels,  Hotel  Stanwood, 
I.  L.  Galloupe,  proprietor,  the  Palace,  W.  H.  Con- 
ners,  the  Melby,  O.  K.  Melby ;  miscellaneous  stores. 
Novelty  store,  E.  A.  Dimmick ;  furnishings  and 
jewelry,  K.  Knudson ;  laundries,  Mrs.  S.  Miller, 
Chinese  laundry;  undertaker,  Ben  Willard ;  bak- 
ery and  restaurant, — 'Patterson ;  lawyer,  G.  N. 
Mitchell. 

There  is  a  good  hospital  at  Stanwood  known  as 
the  O.  R.  Allen  hospital,  established  last  year  by 
Dr.  O.  R.  Allen.  There  are  two  telephone  com- 
panies, the  Sunset  Telephone  Company,  of  which 
Martha  Matthews  is  the  local  manager,  and  the 
Farmers'  Mutual  Telephone  Company,  of  which 
Grace  Love  is  manager. 

The  regular  steamboats  making  stops  at  Stan- 
wood are  the  steamer  Lily,  William  Cole,  captain, 
and  the  Skagit  Queen,  H.  H.  McDonald,  captain, 
stopping  at  Stanwood  three  times  weekly.  Captain 
McDonald  has  been  for  fifteen  years  on  the  route 
between  Mount  Vernon  and  Seattle,  stopping  at 
Stanwood  and  other  points,  and  has  been  a  great 
factor  in  lowering  rates  of  traffic. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  things  in  connection 
with  the  business  enterprises  of  Stanwood  is  the 
co-operative  association  known  as  the  People's  Union, 
incorporated  in  April,  1903.  This  association  con- 
ducts a  store  and  a  meat  market.  Both  have  been 
a  great  success.  The  store  was  conducted  at  an 
expense  of  eight  per  cent,  of  the  gross  earnings, 
paid  an  interest  of  one  per  cent,  on  the  paid  up 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


shares,  and  had  a  surplus  of  over  two  thousand 
dollars  at  the  expiration  of  the  first  sixteen  months. 
The  officers  of  this  association  are,  president. 
Christian  Joergenson ;  vice-president,  Andrew 
Anderson ;  secretary,  O.  A.  Prestrub ;  directors, 
C.  F.  Hanson  and  H.  Thorson ;  manager  and  treas- 
urer, E.  G.  Keep. 

Stanwood  has  a  well-conducted  bank,  known  as 
the  Bank  of  Stanwood,  which  was  organized  in 
August,  1904.  It  occupies  a  brick  building  at  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Broadway  streets.  The  offi- 
cers are  H.  C.  Anderson,  president;  Peter  Leque, 
vice-president ;  W.  C.  Brokaw,  cashier ;  S.  A. 
Thompson,  assistant  cashier. 

Stanwood  has  had  well  conducted  schools  from 
the  beginning  of  its  history.  The  first  schoolhouse 
was  erected  about  1880  and  is  now  occupied  as  a 
residence  by  John  Carlson.  The  first  teacher  in 
Stanwood  was  Ella  Granger.  The  present  school 
building  was  constructed  in  1892  at  a  cost  of  five 
thousand  dollars.'  It  is  a  well  built  structure,  con- 
taining six  rooms,  and  occupies  a  sightly  location 
upon  ample  grounds  owned  by  the  district  at  the 
northern  edge  of  the  town.  The  present  directors 
are  C.  R.  Durgan  and  George  J.  Ketchum.  A.  S. 
Howard,  clerk.  The  public  schools  provide  ten 
grades  of  instruction,  the  last  two  being  in  a  union 
high  school  composed  of  districts  four  and  eighteen. 
The  teachers  at  present  in  the  Stanwood  schools  are 
Catherine  Anderson,  principal,  Harry  T.  Raymond, 
Effie  Bates  and  Jessie  Havens.  The  enrollment  of 
the  year  closed  was  a  hundred  and  sevent}-. 

As  seems  to  have  been  usually  the  case  in  this 
region,  the  Methodists  were  the  pioneers  in  relig- 
ious work,  the  first  church  services  being  conducted 
in  1877  by  C.  Derrick  at  the  home  of  F.  H.  Hancock 
and  wife.  At  a  later  time  Rev.  B.  F.  Van  Deven- 
ter  held  regular  services  at  Stanwood  as  a  part  of 
the  Skagit  circuit.  Later  Rev.  A.  Atwood  served 
in  the  same  field.  The  present  Methodist  church 
building  was  erected  in  1889  under  the  pastorate 
of  Rev.  M.  C.  Van  Tyne.  The  present  pastor  of 
this  church  is  Rev.  E.  B.  Reese,  who  divides  this 
charge  with  Florence.  The  strong  Norwegian 
population  of  Stanwood  is  represented  by  the  Luth- 
eran Trinity  church,  the  first  society  of  which  was 
organized  in  1876.  The  first  church  built  by  this 
denomination  in  1879  was  burned  in  the  fire  of  1892. 
A  new  church  was  erected  in  1890,  which  has  be- 
come the  meeting  place  of  a  strong  denomination. 
The  pastor  at  the  present  time  is  Rev.  H.  M. 
Tjernagel. 

The  present  city  government  of  Stanwood  is 
composed  of  the  following  officers :  D.  O.  Pearson, 
mayor;  Carl  Ryan,  clerk;  K.  Knudson,  treasurer; 
George  Mitchell,  attorney;  A.  Tackstrom,  O.  R. 
Allen,  George  Ketchum,  j.  W.  Hall,  N.  R.  Olson, 
councilmen. 

Any  account  of  one  of  our  towns  would  be  in- 
complete without  a  full  reference  to  the  representa- 


tion of  the  press.  Stanwood  possesses  an  excellent 
weekly  newspaper,  in  the  Stanwood  Tidings,  pub- 
lished every  Friday.  Lane  &  Clemens  are  the 
publishers  and  Charles  T.  Price  is  the  editor. 


The  shore  line  uf  Snohomish  county  from  Ever- 
ett southward  is  mainly  one  long,  bold  headland  not 
available  for  town  sites.  But  almost  at  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  county  lies  the  beautiful  and  en- 
ergetic little  city  of  Edmonds  upon  one  of  the 
most  attractive  sites  anywhere  upon  the  shores  of 
the  sound.  Upon  a  gentle  slope  rising  from  the 
water  to  a  succession  of  benches,  singularly  well 
adapted  for  the  building  of  a  town,  this  pleasant 
little  city  cannot  fail  to  arrest  the  attention  and 
preserve  the  interest  of  the  traveler.  Not  only  is 
the  location  a  beautiful  one,  but  the  view  in  all 
directions  is  one  of  the  finest.  The  magnificent 
expanse  of  Admiralty  inlet  lies  to  the  westward, 
beyond  which  stretch  the  timbered  slopes  of  Kitsap 
county,  while  high  above  all  tower  the  serrated 
heights  of  the  Olympic  mountains.  At  first  sight 
the  breadth  of  the  harbor  upon  which  Edmonds 
lies  would  suggest  the  possibility  of  heavy  winds 
and  seas,  but  experience  shows  that  the  harbor  is 
seldom  visited  by  severe  storms  and  that  the  facili- 
ties for  wharfage  and  anchorage  are  of  the  best. 

It  does  not  require  a  very  vivid  imagination  to 
picture  to  oneself  the  time  when  this  w^ell-built  town 
of  eleven  hundred  people  will  be  multiplied  by  twenty, 
thirty  or  fifty  and  the  magnificent  beach  and  sightly 
slopes  above  will  be  dotted  with  residences,  manu- 
factories and  business  establishments  of  every  sort. 
Truly  Edmonds  has  all  the  conditions  necessary  for 
the  creation  of  one  of  the  large  cities  of  Puget 
sound.  And  it  may  be  interjected  in  this  connection 
that  while  Puget  sound  will  doubtless  follow  the 
ordinary  course  of  human  experience  in  that  some 
one  large  city  will  predominate  over  all  others,  yet 
there  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  a  discerning 
observer  that  this  naturally  finest  commercial  region 
of  the  world  ofifers  unusual  facilities  for  the  main- 
tenance of  a  large  number  of  splendid  cities  not 
greatly  differing  in  wealth  and  population.  There 
can  be  no  question  that  Edmonds  will  ultimately 
occupy  a  place  in  the  list  of  superb  cities  with 
which  the  shores  of  Puget  sound  will  soon  be 
marked.  While  the  manufacturing  and  shipping 
resources  of  this  place  attract  first  attention,  yet 
on  the  logged  off  lands  adjoining  there  are  all  the 
natural  resources  for  a  highly  developed  agricul- 
tural region. 

Edmonds  already  has  excellent  transportation 
connections,  being  upon  the  coast  line  of  the  Great 
Northern  railroad  and  having  four  passenger 
trains  each  day.  Steamers  in  any  numbers  may  visit 
her  wharves  and  even  at  the  present  time  one  of 
the   fast  steamers  of  the   sound   connects   the   city 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


35.J 


six  times   a  day  with   the   large   cities   north   and 
south. 

Turning  from  the  bright  present  of  this  city 
to  a  brief  view  of  its  history  we  learn  that  the  site 
upon  which  the  town  is  now  located  is  a  part  of 
the  original  pre-emption  claim  of  Pleasant  H.  Ewell, 
whose  patent  bears  date,  October  10,  18(J6.  On 
March  25,  1870,  Mr.  Ewell  sold  his  place  for  two 
hundred  dollars  to  Morris  H.  Frost,  Jacob  D.  Fow- 
ler and  Nat  B.  Fowler.  It  was  thought  by  the 
purchasers  to  be  a  good  agricultural  location,  al- 
though being  partially  timbered.  Mr.  Ewell  had 
built  a  log  cabin  on  the  first  bench,  which  was 
doubtless  the  first  building  erected  anywhere  in  that 
vicinity. 

In  ISTO  there  came  a  man  destined  to  have  a 
prominent  part  in  the  history  of  Edmonds.  This 
was  George  Brackett.  .  He  found  a  man  named 
Daniel  Hines  making  shingles  at  that  time.  Mr. 
Hines  afterward  located  on  what  is  now  the  Potts 
place  two  miles  south  of  town.  It  seems  to  have 
been  of  the  nature  of  an  accident  that  Mr.  Brackett 
located  here.  He  was  going  across  the  bay  in  a 
canoe  and  on  account  of  rough  weather  landed  and 
tlius  had  the  opportunity  to  observe  the  superb 
location  and  to  form  the  impression  that  it  would 
sometime  become  the  site  of  an  important  city. 
However,  he  did  not  remain  at  that  time,  but  re- 
turning in  two  years  found  Thomas  F.  Kennedy 
living  on  the  shore  just  north  of  the  Ewell  place. 
J.  C.  Purcell  had  also  located  a  claim  on  the  tide 
lands  adjoining  the  Ewell  place  on  the  south.  In 
1876,  while  Mr.  Brackett  was  engaged  in  logging 
at  Ballard,  he  purchased  the  original  Ewell  claim 
of  Messrs.  Frost  and  Fowler  for  six  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  He  at  once  entered  into  the  logging 
business  on  his  claim  and  also  put  in  ditches  for  the 
purpose  of  draining  the  marshy  flat  upon  the  first 
bench.  He  built  a  house  upon  the  site  now  occu- 
pied by  his  modern  residence. 

In  accordance  with  the  usual  method  of  pro- 
cedure the  next  step  in  the  growth  of  the  town  was 
the  establishment  of  a  postofifice,  Mr.  Brackett  be- 
ing the  first  postmaster.  Mr.  Brackett  was  an 
admirer  of  Senator  Edmunds  of  Vermont,  and 
desired  to  name  the  new  founded  place  after  him. 
but  through  an  error  in  writing  the  o  instead  of  ! 
the  u  was  inscribed  in  the  government  records,  ! 
and  hence  the  name  thus  appears. 

There  was  little  improvement  in  the  place  until 
1883,  when  Mr.  Brackett  put  up  a  building  for  a 
postofifice  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Com- 
mercial hotel ;  also  built  the  first  wharf  a  little 
north  of  the  present  wharf.  Soon  after  Mr.  Brack- 
ett brought  a  stock  of  goods  into  his  postofifice 
building  and  so  became  the  first  merchant  of  Ed-  I 
monds. 

On  August  23,  1884,  the  plat  of  Edmonds  was 
dedicated  bv  George  Brackett  and  wife,  Etta  E. 
Brackett.     This  plat  embraced  an  area  two  blocks 


in  breadth  and  five  blocks  deep  extending  inland 
from  the  old  wharf.  In  February,  1885,  Mr.  Brack- 
ett sold  his  store  business  and  turned  over  the  post- 
ofifice to  Matt  E.  Hyner.  The  next  addition  to  the 
business  resources  of  the  town  was  the  City  hotel, 
erected  by  Charles  Dietz  in  1887.  This  was'located 
on  Front  street  and  was  recently  burned.  Two 
years  later  the  Bishop  hotel,  now  called  the  Olympic 
View  hotel,  was  built  by  the  Edmonds  Improve- 
ment Company,  of  which  James  H.  Bishop  was 
president.  In  1888  the  store  of  Johnson  &  Ash- 
croft,  now  occupied  by  Otto's  saloon,  was  built,  and 
in  the  same  year  Fred  L.  Brown  established  a 
cigar  factory.  Eighteen  hundred  and  eighty-nine 
was  marked  by  the  establishment  of  the  first  drug 
store  by  John  N.  Martin  and  by  the  very  impor- 
tant fact  that  in  that  year  Mr.  Brackett  erected 
at  his  wharf  the  first  saw-mill  of  the  place,  a  mill 
of  a  capacity  of  twenty-five  thousand  feet  of  lumber 
per  day.  This  mill  carried  on  an  excellent  business 
tmtil  1883,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Messrs. 
Codd  &  Dwyer  leased  this  mill  and  added  to  it  a 
shingle  machine.  In  the  same  year  of  1889  two 
brick  yards  were  established  on  the  old  Hines  place 
south  of  town  by  the  Wells  Brick  Company  and 
Bryant  &  Stanley. 

Eighteen  hundred  and  ninety  will  be  recalled 
by  everyone  as  marking  the  height  of  the  boom. 
In  that  year  a  very  important  step  was  taken  in  the 
progress  of  Edmonds  by  the  establishment  of  the 
Minneapolis  Realty  and  Investment  Company,  of 
which  James  H.  Bishop  was  president,  Galin  H. 
Coon  vice-president  and  manager,  D.  B.  Ward, 
secretary  and  treasurer,  and  several  other  Minne- 
apolis men  stock  holders.  This  company  purchased 
four  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  of  land  of  Mr. 
Brackett,  embracing  the  site  of  Edmonds  and  land 
adjoining.  Mr.  Brackett  still  retained  a  hundred 
acres  of  his  land  and  received  thirty-six  thousand 
dollars  for  the  part  sold.  The  company  made  a 
new  plat  of  the  town  which  provided  for  a  strip 
nine  blocks  in  breadth  by  six  deep.  The  men  in 
this  company  formed  in  a  short  time  a  new  organ- 
ization known  as  the  Edmonds  Land  &  Improve- 
ment Company.  The  chief  undertakings  of  the  new 
corporation  were  the  erection  of  the  Bishop  hotel 
already  referred  to,  and  the  construction  of  a  new 
ocean  wharf.  The  building  now  used  for  the  post- 
office  was  also  erected  by  that  company  as  their 
office  building.  As  is  only  too  well  known  by  most 
of  the  people  then  resident  in  Edmonds  and  the 
rest  of  the  sound  country,  the  boom  was  soon 
followed  by  the  crash  and  among  many  of  the  prom- 
ising enterprises  that  "went  broke"  was  that 
Minneapolis  company.  Its  career  came  to  an  end 
and  by  foreclosure  of  mortgage  the  property  re- 
verted to  Mr.  Brackett.  The  hard  times  of  course 
checked  all  manner  of  speculative  enterprises,  but 
Edmonds  being  so  comparatively  small  and  new  a 
place,  having  at  that  time  only  two  or  three  hundred 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


inhabitants,  and  also  having^  such  bountiful  and 
substantial  resources  in  sight,  suffered  less  than 
most  of  her  neighbors,  and  has  since  gone  on  with 
a  steady,  substantial  growth,  with  no  backward 
stages. 

We  find  that  Edmonds,  during  that  foundation 
period  of  her  history,  was  attracting  the  attention 
of  one  of  the  omnipresent  correspondents  of  the 
Sun.  for  in  the  issue  of  that  excellent  paper  for 
December  25,  1889,  we  find  a  good  description  of 
the  place  and  its  surroundings.  Particular  mention 
is  made  of  the  fact  that  the  bight  in  the  shore 
line  known  as  Brown's  bay,  was  so  well  protected 
by  Ten  Mile  point  from  the  heavy  south  winds  of 
winter  as  to  be  an  excellent  harbor  for  vessels  and 
also  a  good  location  for  log  booms.  The  fine  tim- 
ber was  also  noticed  as  furnishing  material  enough 
for  several  saw-mills  for  years.  The  establishment 
of  orchards  and  farms  in  the  region  immediately 
adjoining  is  also  noticed.  Mention  is  made,  too, 
of  the  inexhaustible  supply  of  the  finest  of  clay, 
for  the  utilization  of  which,  as  we  have  seen,  two 
large  brick  yards  were  established  that  year.  A 
discovery  of  a  coal  vein  within  three  miles  of  Ed- 
monds was  also  chronicled  by  the  same  correspon- 
dent. With  a  good  eye  for  all  the  beauties  of  scenery 
he  did  not  fail  to  notice  the  magnificent  distant 
marine  and  mountain  views  visible  from  Edmonds 
upon  which  the  visitor  of  the  present  day  wishes 
to  exhaust  the  panegyrics  of  language.  He  also 
calls  attention  to  the  fine  location  of  Edmonds  for 
attracting  steamboat  traffic,  since  practically  all 
steamboats  up  and  down  the  sound  could  easily 
land  with  but  little  additional  expenditure  of  time 
and  trouble.  He  observes  that  there  was  a  school 
of  fifty  pupils,  one  incorporated  church,  the  Con- 
gregational, and  an  excellent  public  hall,  started 
by  the  Edmonds  Public  Hall  Company,  of  which 
Dudley  Brown  was  president  and  Frank  Ashcraft 
manager.  It  appears,  however,  that  Mr.  Brackett 
completed  that  structure,  which,  after  having  served 
for  some  time  as  a  house  of  worship  for  the 
Free  Methodists,  became  and  is  still  used  as  a  public 
hall. 

The  building  activity  in  Edmonds  was  so  great 
in  1890,  and  particularly  its  steamboat  facilities 
were  so  good,  and  upon  the  completion  of  the  Great 
Northern  railroad  its  rail  connections  were  so  con- 
venient, and  in  addition  to  these  advantages  its 
attractiveness  as  a  manufacturing  center  was  so 
marked,  that  it  was  believed  by  many  at  that  time 
that  it  would  have  an  undisputed  march  to  the  head 
of  the  column  of  all  the  cities  north  of  Seattle. 
Such  was  the  conviction  expressed  in  the  Sun 
special  of  1890.  But.  as  has  of  course  been  devel- 
oped in  later  times.  Everett  was  destined  to  attain 
that  coveted  pre-eminence. 

In  the  same  active  year  of  1890  A.  C.  Allen 
olatted  the  site  of  North  Edmonds,  consisting  of 
rifty  acres  of  land  laid  out  in  lots  of  fifty  by  a  hun- 


dred feet,  with  streets  of  eighty  feet  in  breadth. 
Mr.  Allen  also  erected  a  three  story  hotel  known  as 
the  Alameda,  now  used  as  a  residence.  The  smalt 
stone  pier  at  the  same  point  was  built  at  that  time. 
Among  other  enterprises  inaugurated  by  Mr.  Allen 
at  that  period  was  the  Snohomish  nursery.  Among 
the  citizens  of  North  Edmonds  at  that  time,  besides 
A.  C.  Allen,  the  proprietor,  were  Willard  M. 
Allen,  J.  N.  Currie,  H.  G.  Chase,  Fred  McKilligan. 
M.  J.  Berg  and  O.  C.  Sorenson.  The  proposition 
was  made  by  the  proprietor  of  North  Edmonds  to 
give  both  a  residence  lot  and  a  business  location 
to  anyone  who  would  guarantee  to  establish  a 
mill  or  a  factory. 

Turning  from  the  Edmonds  of  the  past  to  that 
of  the  present  we  may  say  that  anyone  seeking 
either  pleasure  or  profit  might  well  make  this  com- 
ing city  of  Snohomish  county  and  its  attractive 
surroundings  a  prolonged  visit ;  but  we  will,  if  you 
please,  run  through  it  somewhat  more  rapidly  than 
inclination  would  justify  and  see  with  our  own  eyes 
what  the  rising  young  city  now  contains.  We  find, 
first  of  all,  an  excellent  water  system.  This  is 
owned  at  the  present  time  by  Yost  &  Sons,  pur- 
chased by  them  of  W.  D.  Perkins,  who  in  turn  had 
bought  the  pioneer  system  started  by  Mr.  Brackett. 
Mr.  Brackett  had  secured  on  March  3,  1893,  a 
franchise  from  the  city  council  to  put  in  a  system 
of  water  works  at  the  place.  The  system  has  been 
much  enlarged  and  improved  in  recent  years  and  not 
only  furnishes  an  excellent  supply  of  water  but 
affords  thorough  fire  protection.  The  water  sup- 
ply is  drawn  from  springs  upon  the  hill  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  from  the  city.  Edmonds  also  possesses 
an  electric  light  plant,  which,  when  developed  ac- 
cording to  present  plans,  will  furnish  abundant 
light  for  both  street  and  residence  purposes. 

We  find  that  this  ambitious  young  city  has  been 
for  fifteen  years  incorporated  as  a  city  of  the  fourth 
class.  Its  birth  into  that  order  of  cities  took  place 
in  August,  1890,  and  the  first  officers  were  the 
following:  Mayor,  George  Brackett;  clerk,  Frank 
Ashcraft:  marshal,  F.  H.  Darling;  police  judge. 
George  P.  Bartlett ;  street  commissioner,  James 
Ault ;  treasurer,  T.  C.  Roscoe  ;  councilmen,  William 
Plumber,  Wellington  Smith,  Peter  Schreiber,  Fred 
L.  Brown  and  Captain  W.  H.  Hamlin.  In  early 
times  the  council  meetings  were  held  in  Brackett 
hall.  At  the  present  time  the  municipal  building 
on  Fifth  street  is  used  as  Council  Chamber.  The 
present  city  officers  are  the  following :  Mayor,  James 
Prady,  city  clerk,  George  M.  Lyda;  marshal,  C.  T. 
Roscoe ;  treasurer,  W.  H.  Schumacher ;  street  com- 
missioner, Eric  A.  Wickland ;  councilmen,  L.  P. 
Arp,  C.  J.  Carlson,  Z.  Howell,  W.  J.  Rowe  and 
Russell  Mowat. 

Among  the  other  important  public  institutions 
is  the  Edmonds  Chamber  of  Commerce,  having 
a  membership  of  fifty.  Its  president  is  Zopher 
Howell  and  secretary,  Col.  S.  F.  Street.    This  is  a 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


very  active  organization  and  is  accomplishing  much 
for  the  city. 

Taking  up  the  general  lines  of  business  in  Ed- 
monds we  may  note  that  there  is  an  active  though 
not  large  agricultural  community  immediately  sur- 
rounding it.  As  in  most  other  cities  of  the  sound 
the  foremost  business  is  wood  and  lumber.  An 
enormous  business  is  done  in  the  handling  of  cord 
wood  and  shingle  bolts.  It  is  estimated  by  F.  H. 
Darling  that  during  the  past  fifteen  years  at  least 
a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  wood  has 
passed  over  the  Edmonds  city  dock.  One  boat 
alone,  the  Greyhound,  has  taken  a  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  wood.  This  city 
wharf  is  now  owned  by  a  corporation  consisting 
of  A.  M.  Yost.  S.  J.  Mothershead,  George  jNI.  Bart- 
lett,  Samuel  Foultner  and  F.  H.  Darling,  the  last 
named  being  manager.  This  wharf  has  been  ex- 
tended from  time  to  time  until  it  now  extends 
three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  shore.  The 
steamers  City  of  Everett  and  Telegraph  have  been 
making  regular  trips  thrice  daily  to  Edmonds  from 
Seattle  and  Everett,  though  the  Telegraph  has  been 
now  transferred  to  the  Columbia  river. 

The  lumber  and  shingle  business  centering  at 
Edmonds  is  of  vast  extent,  embracing  seven  large 
mills,  all  of  which  manufacture  shingles  and  several 
in  addition  saw  lumber.  These  mills  with  their 
daily  capacity  are  as  follows :  A.  M.  Yost  & 
Sons,  70,000  shingles  and  20,000  feet  of  lumber; 
Edjnonds  Shingle  Mill,  owned  by  Charles  Peterson 
and  Chris  Anderson,  .50,000  shingles ;  Western 
Shingle  Company.  100,000  shingles;  George  H. 
^lowat  &  Company,  120,000  shingles;  Mowat  Lum- 
ber Company,  70,000  shingles  and  70,000  feet  of 
lumber ;  Keystone  Mill  Company.  100,000  shingles ; 
James  Brady,  70,000.  Besides  these  lumbering 
establishments  there  are  two  others  three  miles 
distant  which  are  tributary  to  Edmonds.  These 
are  the  Echo  Lake  Shingle  Mill  and  Lake  McAleer 
Lumber  Company. 

In  visiting  Edmonds  we  find  ourselves  unusually 
fortunate  in  the  matter  of  hotels,  there  being  two 
uncommonly  good  ones,  the  Olympic  View,  man- 
aged by  (3.  W.  Johnson,  and  the  Commercial, 
managed  by  A.  Johnson.  A  journey  through  the 
town  discloses  to  us  a  number  of  rustling  business 
men,  whose  occupations  and  business  may  be  sum- 
marized as  follows:  General  merchandise  stores.  W. 
H.  Griffith,  Rasmus  R.  Konnerup,  W.  H.  Schu- 
macher ;  hardware  stores,  Edmonds  Hardware  Com- 
pany, Adolph  Cahen  and  Cyrus  Drew,  proprietors ; 
blacksmiths,  L.  McBride,  J.  M.  Kennedy ;  barbers, 
Ayling  &  Pursel ;  saddlery,  Andrew  Simondson ; 
physicians,  O.  W.  Schmidt,  H.  W.  Hall ;  meat  mar- 
kets. Otto  &  Shank,  Mothershead  &  Waddle;  hay 
and  feed  store,  George  Hales ;  Edmonds  Bakery, 
Henry  Boshhart ;  notions  and  school  supplies,  J.  C. 
Holmes ;  transfer  and  express,  Ed  Woodfield ;  drug 
store,  H.  C.  Hansen ;  cigar  factory,  Fred  L.  Brown ; 


cigar  store,  L.  C.  Engle;  real  estate  and  insurance 
offices,  Frederick  L.  Brown,  Col.  S.  F.  Street, 
Erben  &  Howell ;  plumbing  shop,  Zophis  Konnerup  : 
dentist.  Dr.  W.  C.  Mitlan. 

There  is  a  prosperous  banking  institution,  the 
Bank  of  Edmonds,  organized  in  January,  1905. 
This  is  a  private  bank,  and  the  directors  are  J.  N. 
Otto.  O.  W.  Johnson.  W.  H.  Schumacher  and  W. 
H.  Phelps.  W.  H.  Schumacher  is  president  and 
W.  PI.  Phelps  cashier. 

Edmonds  is  provided  with  excellent  churches, 
the  Catholic,  Congregational,  the  Free  Methodist 
and  the  Swedish  Methodist.  The  first  of  these 
churches  in  organization  and  in  building  was  the 
Congregational,  organized  in  1890  by  Rev.  O.  L. 
Fowler.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Frank  T.  Bent- 
ley.  The  Catholic  congregation  has  just  com- 
pleted a  new  church  building.  Their  pastor  is  Rev. 
Father  O'Brien.  The  Free  Methodists  are  led  by 
Rev.  J.  F.  Leise  and  worship  in  a  church  erected  in 
1898.    The  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  is  Rev. 

Johnson,  and  this  congregation  also  possesses 

a  building,  dedicated  in  1904. 

Edmonds  is  not  lacking  in  that  other  essential 
of  a  well  ordered  community ;  to-wit,  a  newspaper. 
The  Edmonds  Review  fills  this  indispensable  need. 
This  enterprising  paper  was  founded  in  August, 
1904,  and  is  published  every  Friday  by  M.  T.  B. 
Hanna.     In  politics  it  is  independent. 

The  fraternal  organizations  of  Edmonds  are  the 
Edmonds  lodge.  No.  96,  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  the 
Crystal  Rebekah  lodge.  No.  (i5 ;  a  lodge  of  the 
Woodmen  ;  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters,  No. 
09 ;  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  North  Star,  No.  69. 

There  remains  only  to  speak  of  the  public  school 
system  of  the  city,  and  we  find,  as  we  might  expect 
of  such  a  progressive  community,  that  the  town 
of  Edmonds  maintains  a  school  system  which  may 
well  be  a  source  of  gratification  to  its  citizens.  The 
Edmonds  school,  district  number  15,  was  organ- 
ized in  1884  with  twelve  pupils.  It  was  then 
housed  in  a  little  building  between  Third  and 
Fourth  streets  on  a  site  now  occupied  by  Dr.  Hall, 
donated  for  the  purpose  by  Mr.  Brackett.  Miss 
Box.  of  Tacoma,  was  the  first  teacher.  In  1891  the 
Realty  company  led  thereto  mainly  by  the  influence 
of  Mr.  Brackett,  donated  half  a  block  to  the  district 
for  a  new  school  building.  This  was  a  very  con- 
venient and  attractive  building,  for  the  purpose  of 
erecting  which  the  district  issued  bonds  to  the 
amount  of  ten  thousand  dollars.  The  building  oc- 
cupies a  sightly  spot  and  aflfords  room  for  six 
grades.  In  addition  to  this  main  building  there  are 
three  small  buildings  with  one-room  departments 
to  provide  for  the  increasing  numbers  of  the  dis- 
trict. The  curriculum  of  the  public  school  pro- 
vides for  a  two-year  high-school  course.  The 
enrollment  of  pupils  for  the  last  year  was  two 
hundred  and  ninety-one.  The  Meadowdale  school 
is    in    charge    of    W.    H.    Cook;    the    Burleson 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


school  of  Miss  Hattie  Capron ;  and  the  Combine 
school  is  at  the  present  writing  awaiting 
an  appointment.  One  item  worth  noting  in 
connection  with  the  schools  of  Edmonds  is  the  fact 
that  this  district  was  the  first  in  the  count)'  to  adopt 
the  free  text-book  system. 

Edmonds  has  suffered  but  one  fire  of  sufficient 
moment  to  require  record,  and  this  was  on  August 
1,  1905.  The  loss  was  but  six  thousand  dollars, 
with  partial  insurance. 


Intimately  associated  with  the  metropolis  of 
Snohomish  county  and  partaking  of  many  of  the 
same  advantages  of  location,  as  well  as  of  the 
intelligent  and  progressive  type  of  its  population, 
is  the  beautiful  little  city  of  Lowell.  Like  so  many 
of  the  other  towns  of  western  Washington  the 
town  of  Lowell  originated  in  the  requirements  of 
the  logging  business.  The  first  location  upon  the 
site  of  the  present  city  was  effected  in  September, 
1863,  by  Eugene  D.  Smith  and  Otis  Wilson.  Es- 
tablishing there  the  pioneer  logging  camp  of  the 
Snohomish  river,  they  also  acquired  squatters' 
rights  to  the  claims  of  Frederick  Dunbar  and  Bur- 
lington Brown.  These  men  belonged  to  the  class 
commonly  denominated  "squaw  men"  and  made 
locations  at  that  point  in  1861.  Dunbar's  house  was 
just  behind  the  present  Lowell  wharf,  while  Brown's 
was  nearly  at  the  present  site  of  the  paper  mill. 
Dunbar's  claim  was  in  Township  28  and  Brown's 
in  Township  29.  The  township  line  separating 
the  two  claims  now  passes  almost  through  the 
center  of  the  town. 

The  first  attempt  at  any  kind  of  a  structure  at 
that  point,  aside  from  those  of  the  logging  com- 
pany, was  made  by  Reuben  Lowe  about  1866.  He 
put  up  a  squaw  dance  hall  on  the  Snohomish  river. 
In  1870  Lowe,  together  with  Martin  Getchell,  deter- 
mined to  secure  the  land  originally  squatted  upon 
by  Dunbar.  Mr.  Smith  not  having  tried  to  file  on 
the  land.  By  a  compromise  Lowe  was  allowed  to 
file  a  pre-emption  claim  and  as  soon  as  the  patent 
was  issued  he  sold  the  claim  to  Baker  and  Jameson, 
and  from  them  Smith  again  in  turn  purchased  the 
property. 

While  the  contest  over  the  ownership  of  the 
claim  was  in  progress  Mr.  Smith  established  a  store 
just  back  of  the  wharf  and  in  front  of  the  present 
Great  Northern  hotel.  Mr.  Smith  erected  that  pio- 
neer mercantile  building  in  1869  and  soon  after  built 
the  first  wharf.  In  1871  the  postoffice  was  estab- 
lished and  Mr.  Smith  appointed  postmaster.  This 
position  he  held  for  twenty-one  consecutive  years. 
The  name  of  Lowell  was  applied  by  the  department 
to  the  place  at  the  request  of  Reuben  Lowe,  who 
was  a  native  of  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  and  wished 
thus  to  perpetuate  the  name  of  his  home  town  in 
his  new  western  home. 


The  site  upon  which  the  new  town  was  located 
is  a  somewhat  hilly  one,  though  with  the  beautiful 
Snohomish  river  conveniently  at  hand  and  navigable 
for  steamboats  of  any  ordinary  size.  The  town  was 
not  platted  until  1884.  E.  D.  Smith  and  his  wife, 
Margaret  B.  Smith,  were  the  town-site  proprietors 
and  filed  the  plat.  The  surveying  was  done  by  Will- 
iam Jameson. 

In  1874  Mr.  Smith  continued  his  building  opera- 
tions by  erecting  on  the  hillside  back  of  the  store 
a  two-story  frame  building  which  became  the  first 
hotel  in  the  place  and  was  known  as  the  Lowell 
hotel.  This  building  is  still  standing.  At  about 
the  same  time  Mr.  Smith  also  erected  a  blacksmith 
shop.  If  we  may  be  allowed  to  anticipate  a  little 
we  may  say  that  in  1889  Mr.  Smith  also  erected  the 
first  saw-mill  in  the  place. 

The  great  activity  of  1889  and  1890  resulted  in 
a  great  growth  in  the  little  place  and  in  1890  and 
1891  we  find  Mr.  Smith  again  energetically  engaged 
in  building.  His  additional  structures  consisted  of 
a  wing  to  his  store,  a  large  warehouse,  a  new  wharf 
and  the  Great  Northern  hotel.  That  hotel  was 
for  the  time  a  very  costly  and  elaborate  affair,  cost- 
ing about  fourteen  thousand  dollars.  Messrs.  Inger- 
soll  and  McDonald  about  the  same  time  built  a 
lodging  house  and  a  small  grocery  store. 

The  railroad  known  as  the  "Three  S"  road  was 
built  through  Lowell  in  1891  and  a  year  later  the 
town  became  the  Pacific  coast  terminus  of  the 
Great  Northern.  The  paper  mill  was  built  at  about 
the  same  time,  the  supposition  being  that  Lowell 
would  be  incorporated  with  Everett.  This  expecta- 
tion has  not  been  realized,  however,  for  Lowell  has 
always  maintained  a  separate  corporate  existence 
and  postoffice. 

The  paper  mill  just  referred  to  is  one  of  the 
most  important  enterprises  of  the  place.  There  are 
about  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  men  and  women 
constantly  employed,  and  it  may  be  said  in  fact  that 
the  industrial  life  of  the  town  depends  very  largely 
upon  this  paper  mill. 

After  the  depressing  influences  of  the  period  of 
the  hard  times  had  passed  Lowell  went  on  rapidly 
with  increasing  business  and  population ,  and  has 
now  attained  a  population  of  about  one  thousand. 

Lowell  has  both  steamboat  and  railroad  connec- 
tions, together  with  a  street-car  line  to  Everett,  and 
Snohomish.  Located  between  Everett  and  Snoho- 
mish it  can  avail  itself  of  the  advantages  of  both 
I  the  larger  towns,  while  at  the  same  time  it  con- 
ducts a  surprisingly  large  amount  of  business  with 
the  population  in  its  immediate  vicinitv. 

The  saw-mill  erected  by  E.  D.  Smith  in  1889 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  creosote  factory. 
This  mill  had  a  capacity  of  sixty  thousand  feet  of 
lumber,  besides  many  laths  and  shingles;  but  in 
1895  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  entailing  a  loss  upon 
its  owner  of  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  A  new 
mill  was  erected  upon  the  same  location  by  Messrs. 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


Foley,  Adams  and  Crosby.  The  new  mill  had  a 
capacity  of  twenty-five  thousand  feet  per  day,  but 
it  too  was  burned  in  1898. 

The  creosote  factory,  to  which  reference  was 
made,  was  built  by  the  Puget  Sound  Creosote  Com- 
pany, of  which  P.  F.  Dundon  is  the  principal  owner. 
The  first  structure  for  the  creosote  factory  met 
with  the  same  fate  that  had  befallen  the  saw-mills, 
but  has  recently  been  followed  by  another  plant 
located  upon  the  same  spot  by  successors  of  the 
Puget  Sound  Creosote  Company. 

Turning  again  from  present  conditions  to  the 
records  of  the  past  and  glancing  at  the  history  of 
education  in  Lowell  we  find  that  the  pioneer  school 
was  established  in  1873.  There  were  only  six  pupils, 
and  they  met  in  a  little  vacant  building  belonging  to 
Mr.  Smith,  at  the  foot  of  the  Main  street  of  to-day. 
The  first  teacher  was  Mrs.  Hercanus  Blackman. 
In  ISSO  Mr.  Smith  gave  the  land  on  which  to  build 
a  new  school  building  located  on  what  is  now 
Second  street.  In  1893  the  present  elegant  school 
building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  twenty-three  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Lowell  has  but  one  church  edifice,  and  this  was 
built  in  1890  by  means  of  public  subscription  as  a 
union  church.  It  was  used  then,  as  it  still  con- 
tinues to  be  used,  by  the  Methodist  and  Congrega- 
tional denominations. 

Mr.  Smith,  whom  we  have  seen  to  be  the  pioneer 
in  so  many  enterprises  in  Lowell,  also  established 
the  water  works  in  the  early  nineties.  He  trans- 
ferred his  rights  to  this  property  to  the  Everett  Im- 
provement Company,  which  now  supplies  the  town. 
The  company  is  at  present  engaged  in  installing 
hydrants  for  fire  protection  and  otherwise  improv- 
ing the  water  system. 

The  paper  mill  is  the  great  source  of  the  busi- 
ness prosperity  of  Lowell.  This  enterprise  was 
steadfastly  maintained  throughout  the  period  of 
the  hard  times  and  thereby  did  much  to  sustain  the 
industrial  activity  of  the  place.  A  similar  character 
of  stability  has  pertained  to  the  saw-mill,  logging 
camps,  lime  industry,  creosote  works,  and  the 
business  enterprises  in  general  of  the  place,  and 
this  has  given  a  feeling  of  confidence  on  the  part  of 
the  people  which  has  been  of  the  highest  value  in 
the  progress  of  the  town. 

Lowell  has  been  comparatively  free  from  dis- 
asters by  flood  and  flame,  though  by  no  means  en- 
tirelv  preserved  from  losses  by  fire.  The  most 
serious  of  these  was  the  destruction  of  the  saw-mills 
and  creosote  plant  to  which  reference  has  already 
been  made.  In  addition  to  that  we  find  record  of 
a  fire  on  the  34th  of  July,  189o,  which  destroyed 
five  wooden  buildings  on  Second  street.  The  build- 
ings destroyed  were  the  grocery  store  of  Tuttech 
Brothers,  the  dwellings  of  ]\Irs.  Samuel  Holland 
and  H.  Harmon,  the  Holland  House,  owned  by  Mrs. 
Alice  Holland,  and  the  old  school  building.  By  vigo- 
rous effort  the  fire  was  confined  to  these  five  build- 


ings, but  if  it  had  passed  beyond  their  limits  it 
would  almost  certainly  have  taken  the  entire  lower 
part  of  the  town.  In  April  of  1901  there  was  an- 
other fire  which  resulted  in  the  burning  of  a  ware- 
house and  store  building  belonging  to  Buckly  & 
Company.  The  loss,  though  being  quite  consider- 
able, was  almost  entirely  covered  by  insurance. 

Lowell  has  never  become  an  incorporated  city. 
Although  so  near  Everett  as  to  be  somewhat  of  a 
suburb  to  the  larger  place  it  has  maintained  a 
separate  individuality  which  seems  likely  to  con- 
tinue for  some  time  to  come. 

ARLINGTON 

Near  the  confluence  of  the  Skykomish  and  the 
Snoqualmie  rivers,  on  a  magnificent  natural  town 
site,  is  the  rapidly  growing  town  of  Monroe.  Some- 
what similarly  situated  near  the  forks  of  the  two 
branches  of  the  Stillaguamish,  on  an  equally  mag- 
nificent natural  town  site  is  Arlington,  one  of  the 
best  and  most  progressive  little  cities  in  all  the 
sound  country.  The  two  towns  named  are  analo- 
gous in  several  respects,  the  most  noticeable  of 
which  is  that  in  the  last  two  or  three  years  they 
have  each  enjoyed  a  most  remarkable  growth,  the 
one  multiplying  its  population  by  five,  the  other 
by  two. 

In  the  pioneer  days  of  any  community  the  chief 
highways  of  transportation  are  the  rivers  and 
streams,  hence  the  lands  along  the  banks  of  these 
are  the  first  settled  and  pioneer  trade  centers  are 
necessarily  riparian. 

Arlington  came  into  existence  as  a  result  of  the 
building  of  the  railroad,  yet  it  stands  practically  on 
the  same  spot  it  would  have  occupied  had  it  been 
built  at  an  earlier  date;  when  the  streams  deter- 
mined the  location  of  towns.  It  tlius  enjoys  about 
all  the  advantages  of  situation  which  an  inland 
town  can  have,  its  waterways  penetrating  far  into 
the  forest  and  furnishing  a  cheap  means  of  trans- 
porting shingle  and  saw  timber  to  its  mills,  while 
the  railroad  gives  it  for  its  finished  product  easy 
access  to  the  markets  of  the  world. 

For  a  number  of  years  there  were  two  ambitious 
towns  near  the  confluence  of  the  North  and  South 
forks  of  the  Stillaguamish.  Haller  City  and  Arling- 
ton, and  although  it  must  have  been  plain  to  ever>'- 
one  that  the  two  must  some  day  become  one.  if 
either  amounted  to  anything,  yet  there  was  a  spirited 
and  at  times  bitter  rivalry  between  them.  Haller 
City  was  a  little  the  older  of  the  twain.  Its  first 
store  was  started  about  1888  by  Tvete  &  Johnson. 
During  the  summer  of  1889.  A.  L.  Blair,  of  Stan- 
wood. "started  a  movement  for  the  opening  of  a  road 
from  Silvana  to  "The  Forks,"  and  the  loggers  and 
others,  tired  of  the  exorbitant  charges  of  Indians 
for  canoe  freighting,  gave  the  scheme  their  hearty 
support  and  co-operation.  The  result  was  that  the 
road   was   very   soon    an   accomplished    fact.      Mr. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Blair  brought  the  first  load  over  it  with  an  ox  team. 
So  great  was  the  demand  for  goods,  that  this  pioneer 
freighter  kept  two  yoke  of  oxen  going  almost  con- 
tinuously that  summer,  while  Bert  Crawford  ran 
a  tri-weekly  wagon  stage  and  did  some  freighting 
with  horses. 

In  the  fall  of  188!),  the  White  House  hotel  was 
Iniilt  in  Haller  City  by  Lee  Rogers  and  Al.  Dins- 
more,  and  this  with  Tvete  &  Johnson's  store  and  Al. 
Gifford's  logging  camp  constituted  Haller  City, 
while  just  across  the  river  was  the  Likens  blacksmith 
shop.  This  development  had  come  in  anticipation 
of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  railroad, 
whose  preliminary  survey  had  been  made.  Late 
tliat  fall  the  railroad  company  gave  earnest  of  its 
intention  to  push  ahead  by  sending  a  camp  of  men 
to  clear  the  right  of  way.  and  on  the  13th  of  June. 
1S;)0,  the  construction  train  reached  the  site  of 
Arlington.  The  first  freight  train  came  on  the  23d 
of  July. 

It  was  in  1890,  that  Arlington  proper,  as  distin- 
guished from  Haller  City,  had  its  start.  The  man 
who  platted  the  latter  town  was  Maurice,  son  of  the 
well-known  military  man,  Granville  O.  Haller. 
Maurice  Haller  had  acquired  the  land  for  this  pur- 
pose from  one  John  Irving,  who  had  secured  it 
from  Lou.  Smith,  the  man  to  whom  it  had  been 
conveyed  by  United  States  patent.  While  the 
town  was  yet  in  its  early  infancy,  Maurice  Haller 
was  accidentally  drowned,  and  his  town-site  interests 
passed  to  three  persons,  by  whom  they  were  con- 
veyed to  three  others,  namely,  Theodore  Haller,  a 
brother  of  Maurice,  Simon  Rumph  and  a  Swede  of 
the  name  of  Andrud.  From  them,  the  title  passed, 
in  1892,  to  Charles  B.  Hills,  of  Seattle,  who  still  has 
it,  A.  L.  Blair  being  his  agent. 

Had  Maurice  Haller  lived,  the  history  of  Haller 
City  might  have  been  different  in  several  important 
respects  from  what  it  now  is ;  possibly  the  rival 
town  might  have  been  platted  as  an  addition  to  it, 
doing  away  with  all  strife  and  jealousy.  As  it  was. 
Earl  &  McLeod,  who  were  contractors  on  the  rail- 
road, Irought  forty  acres  from  Al.  Gifford  and 
platted  a  new  town  site,  to  which  they  gave  the  name 
of  Arlington.  Between  it  and  the  Haller  City  town 
site  was  a  forty-acre  tract,  held  by  two  rival  claim- 
ants, Thomas  McMann,  and  a  man  named  Stephens. 
The  unsettled  condition  of  this  land  made  it  im- 
possible for  the  two  towns  to  grow  together  and 
become  one  during  the  early  days,  and  the  inevi- 
table struggle  for  prizes  soon  had  its  inception. 
Both  wanted  the  railway  depot,  of  course.  It  could 
not  be  located  half  way  between  them  on  account 
of  the  Stephens-McMann  dispute,  hence  a  struggle 
for  its  possession  was  inevitable.  Arlington  won. 
The  next  difficulty  was  over  the  location  of  the 
schoolhouse.  The  same  cause  was  operative  (and 
perhaps  there  were  other  causes)  to  prevent  an 
amicable  agreement,  and  the  outcome  was  the  divi- 
sion of  the  district,  so  that  each   might   have   its 


own  school.  As  a  result  both  towns  were  deprived, 
for  several  years,  of  the  first  class  educational  ad- 
vantages they  might  otherwise  have  had.  Fortu- 
nately this  error  was  eventually  corrected  by  the 
reuniting  of  the  two  districts,  when  at  last  the 
towns  wisely  decided  to  come  together. 

At  first  Haller  City  grew  more  rapidly  than  its 
rival.  Before  the  close  of  1890,  two  saloons  had 
been  started  with  lunch  rooms  in  connection ;  A. 
L.  Blair  had  put  up  a  shed  for  the  accommodation 
of  teams,  furnishing  grain  and  hay ;  the  town-site 
company  had  built  a  saw-mill,  Ed.  Walker  had  built 
the  present  Walker  house,  a  large  four-story  build- 
ing, Teagar's  drug  store  had  been  started,  L.  B. 
Roe  had  put  in  a  four-story  hotel.  W.  J.  Brounty 
had  a  meat  market  and  the  Times  newspaper  had 
come  up  from  Stanwood  and  established  itself  in 
the  cabin,  which  had  been  Lou.  Smith's  pioneer 
home.    A  number  of  residences  had  also  been  built. 

The  first  business  in  Arlington  was  the  Still- 
aguamish  Star,  which  sent  forth  its  first  issue  on 
the  9th  day  of  August,  1890.  Thomas  Moran,  how- 
ever, had  an  "eating  tent,"  where  meals  might  be 
obtained,  but  the  man  without  his  blankets  must 
go  to  Haller  City  for  lodging,  or  make  himself  as 
comfortable  as  possible  in  a  hollow  stump.  Tvvd 
days  later  than  the  Star,  the  store  of  Earl  &  McLeod 
began  business,  though  its  building  was  not  com- 
pleted and  the  shelving  was  not  all  in.  Next  came 
F.  P.  Bonney's  saloon,  and  a  little  later  the  first 
meal  was  served  in  Thomas  Moran's  handsome 
three-story  hotel,  "The  Arlington."  That  same  fall 
John  Z.  Jones  opened  a  general  merchandise  store. 
Hill  &  Moran,  a  hardware  store  and  McMillan  & 
Rideout  and  E.  K.  Molden  restaurants.  The  first 
daily  mail  enjoyed  by  the  settlers  of  the  upper  Still- 
aguamish  came  with  the  establishment  of  the  Arling- 
ton postoffice  November  29,  1890.  The  volume  of 
business  done  in  Arlington  during  the  first  five 
months  of  its  existence  was  relatively  very  great. 
"The  total  amount,"  says  the  Snohomish  Sun  in  its 
special  edition  of  January,  1891,  "foots  up  to  almost 
fifty-seven  thousand  dollars,  nearly  seventy-five 
per  cent,  of  it  being  spot  cash.  In  addition 
to  this  the  railroad  company  has  done  an 
almost  equal  amount  of  business  at  the  Arling- 
j  ton  station,  the  ticket  sales  amounting  to 
$4,031,  while  the  freight  receipts  ran  up  to 
$47,438.71,— a  total  of  $51,460.71,  and  a  grand  total 
for  the  first  five  months  of  Arlington's  existence  of 
$108,500,  in  round  numbers.  *  *  *  There  is  now- 
being  put  in  here  a  shingle  mill  with  a  capacity  of 
45,000  a  dav  and  a  saw-mill  with  a  capacity  of 
20,000  feet  a  day. 

*     *  Arlington  has  three  miles  of  finely 

graded  streets,  the  work  all  being  paid  for  by  the 
owners  of  the  town  site." 

Before  the  hard  times  came  both  Haller  City  and 
Arlington  made  a  very  rapid  growth,  the  population 
of  the  two  in  1893   being  about  five  hundred.     The 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


Mc  Mann-Stephens  contest  was  eventually  decided 
by  the  former's  buying  the  latter  out;  hence  the 
barrier  which  separated  Arlington  and  Haller  City 
was  removed,  and  the  way  opened  for  their  mani- 
fest destiny, — ultimate  reunion.  They  remained 
apart,  however,  until  the  return  of  good  times  in 
1897,  when  some  of  the  principal  business  houses 
of  Haller  City  moved  to  Arlington,  among  the  num- 
ber being  Teagar's  drug  store. 

The  financial  depression  of  1893-6  did  not  cause 
stagnation  in  Arlington  as  in  many  other  towns  of 
the  Northwest.  The  development  of  these  years  was 
relatively  slow,  to  be  sure,  but  it  was  unceasing 
and  substantial.  In  February,  1897.  under  the  head, 
"A  Lively  Town,"  the  Snohomish  Tribune  had  the 
following  to  say  regarding  it : 

"Arlington,  so  say  the  S.  &  I.  train  men,  is  the 
liveliest  station  on  the  line ;  and  indeed  the  fresh, 
white  lumber  of  new  buildings  as  it  glistens  in  the 
sun  does  give  the  town  a  singularly  industrious 
air.  Kelley  &  Company's  saw-mill,  is  almost  its 
only  manufacturing  industry,  but  Arlington  is  be- 
coming recognized  more  as  a  social  and  commercial 
center  for  the  smaller  places  around  it.  *  *  * 
Quite  a  number  of  new  buildings  went  up  last  sum- 
mer, and  several  more  are  now  in  progress.  Mr. 
McGilligan  has  a  fine  dwelling  house  well  under 
way,  and  on  the  hill  back  of  the  town  is  the  new 
Catholic  church,  which  will  soon  be  ready  for  dedi- 
cation. 

"Strolling  along  its  one  short  sidewalk,  the  visitor 
meets  with  many  lumbermen  and  mill  men  from 
stations  north  and  south,  as  well  as  ranchers  from 
far  up  and  down  the  river ;  and  for  no  reason  ap- 
parent to  the  casual  observer,  the  little  town  seems 
to  prosper  amid  the  general  depression  of  the  times." 

It  is  needless  to  state  that  the  town,  which  had 
made  progress  during  the  period  of  financial 
stringency,  forged  ahead  with  increased  momentum, 
when  the  sun  of  prosperity  once  more  illumined  the 
heavens.  It  received  a  slight  check  in  1899.  how- 
ever, when,  on  the  morning  of  July  29th.  the 
shingle  department  of  the  Arlington  Lumber  Com- 
pany's plant  was  destroyed  by  fire,  together  with 
the  mill  office,  the  residence  of  A.  Gififord,  the 
boarding  house  and  Kranshoff's  and  Kennedy's 
blacksmith  shops.  As  these  buildings  were  in  the 
heart  of  the  city,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that 
the  fire  was  kept  from  spreading  to  other  blocks. 
The  mill  was  valued  at  eight  thousand  dollars,  and 
was  only  insured  to  the  extent  of  one  thousand 
dollars.  The  lessee.  W.  R.  Sutherland,  to  whom  the 
stock  belonged,  estimated  his  loss  at  five  thousand 
dollars  less  fifteen  hundred  dollars  insurance. 

Belief  was  current  at  the  time  that  a  logger 
named  Murphy,  who  entered  the  mill  about  mid- 
night in  an  intoxicated  condition,  was  cremated  in 
this  fire.  Several  persons  heard  shrill  screams 
soon  after  the  alarm  was  sounded  and  this  circum- 
stance, together  with  the  disappearance  of  Murphy, 


were  thought  to  argue  that  he  had  met  a  terrible 
fate. 

According  to  the  United  States  census  of  1900. 
there  were  853  people  in  Arlington.  It  must  be 
remembered,  however,  that  at  that  time  the  town 
was  not  incorporated ;  its  limits  were  not  defined  and 
the  enumerator  had  a  wide  latitude  in  judging  how 
much  should  be  included  in  his  report.  It  is  said 
that,  being  interested  in  booming  the  town  as  much 
as  possible,  he  made  the  most  of  his  opportunity. 

This  must  have  been  true,  for  although  Arling- 
ton continued  to  grow  steadily  during  the  ensuing 
three  years,  the  enumeration  made  in  1903,  for  the 
purpose  of  incorporation,  showed  a  population  of 
only    800,    within    the    proposed    corporate    limits. 
j  These  included  Haller  City.    Taking  this  cnumera- 
I  tion  as  substantially  accurate,  and  there  is  no  rea- 
j  son    to    doubt    its    accuracy,    the    population    of 
Arlington  has  more  than  doubled  in  the  past  two 
j  years   for  a   recent   school   census   shows   that   the 
I  people  now  living  in  Arlington  number  about  one 
I  thousand  seven  hundred. 

j         The  present  industrial  and  commercial  develop- 
ment of  the  town  may  be  seen  from  a  list  of  its 
I  business    establishments    and    business    men.      Its 
I  general  stores  at  this  writing  are  those  of  Johnson 
&  Wick,  Funk  &  Law.  N.  K.  Tvete,  John  Z.  Jones. 
G.  W.  Wallsteed,  C.  C.  Brown ;  confectionery  and 
i  cigar  stores,  G.  F.  Heiss,  John  Woods  &  Company, 
I  Allen  Brothers.  Vanderhoof  &  Smith;  bakeries  G. 
,  T.  Wallsteed.  Mrs.  M.  E.  Crotser;  bowling  alley, 
!  J.  F.  Wood  &  Company :  drug  stores,  the  C!)wl,  J. 
B.  Riley,  proprietor,  the  Arlington  Drug  Company's 
and  Mrs.  M.  C.  Teagar's ;  department  store,  Peter- 
[  son  Brothers ;  gents'  furnishing  goods  and  shoes. 
i  Chris  Duer ;  hardware,  the  Moran  Hardware  Com- 
;  pany.    Allen    Hardware    and    Plumbing    Company 
I  plumbers.  Hoover  &  Dunn ;  jewelry,  P.  F.  Larsen. 
the  Kay  Jewelry  Company  and  D.   S.   Pruitt.  the 
last  mentioned  dealing  also  in  groceries;  furniture, 
G.  W.    Mayberry  and   Thomas   Moran,   the   latter 
carrying    it    in    connection     with    his    hardware ; 
harness  and  saddlery,  S.  H.  Preston,  K.  Jesperson; 
racket  goods  and  wall  paper ;  Mrs.  F.  W.   Price : 
livery,    Arlington    Livery    &    Transfer    Company, 
Chadburn  &  Archer ;  hotels.  Walker  House,  Thomas 
Dorgan.  proprietor ,  the  Commercial,  O.  L.  Allen, 
the    Arlington,    Fred    English ,    the    White    House 
Cafe,    Joseph    Britton ,    the    Grand    Central.    Mrs. 
Minnie  Kinyon ,  the  Evergreen.  I'rank  Miller,  and 
the  Twin  City.  H.  Bremer:   photograph  galleries. 
L.  Kirk  and  J.  E.  Asplund  ;  blacksmith  shops,  Frank 
Kranskoff.  J.  W.  Gales :  barber  shops,  George  May- 
berry,  E.  C.  Pantzke ;  meat  markets,  the  Snohomish 
Grocery  Company's,  the  Daisy.   W.  J.   Brounty  & 
Son,  proprietors ,  the  City,   George  Murphy,  pro- 
]  prietor:  Arlington  carpet  weaver.  C.  M.  McCaulley: 
j  Arlington   State  Bank,   C.  E.  Bingham,  president, 
!  A.  E.  Holland,  vice-president,  R.  S.  Bloss,  cashier; 
I  the  Arlington  Commission  Company ;  bicycle  repair 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


shop,  L.  B.  Thomas,  proprietor;  lumber  yards, 
the  Arlington  Lumber  Company  and  the  Williams 
Lumber  Company;  restaurants,  the  Two  Jacks,  the 
Seattle  Chop  House;  millinery,  Miss  Kate  Pearl, 
Mrs.  C.  C.  Brown,  Mrs.  H.  Townsend;  tailor  shops, 
Paul  Hoppe,  M.  Ferris ;  carriage  store,  Jasper  Sill ; 
shingle  and  saw-mills  within  and  in  the  vicinity, 
Lincoln  Mill  Company,  Smith  Brothers,  proprietors, 
Brown  &  Koontz,  the  Arlington  Shingle  Company, 
L.  A.  Wheeler,  president;  the  Verd  Cedar  Company, 
William  Verd,  proprietor;  the  Arlington  Lumber 
Company,  Albert  Brown,  manager;  the  American 
Red  Cedar  Shingle  Company ;  the  Arlington  Water 
&  Light  Company,  Crippen  &  Mescher,  proprietors ; 
the  Arlington  Laundry  Company's  steam  laundry; 
I.  C.  Peterson's  turning  and  carpenter  shop ;  cream- 
ery and  cold  storage,  the  Arlington  Co-operative 
Association  ;  Thomas  Jensen,  president,  W.  0.  New, 
manager ;  the  Valley  Gem  Dairy  &  Bottling  Works, 
C.  H.  Wrage ;  postmaster,  C.  H.  Jones ;  newspaper, 
the  Arlington  Times,  C.  L.  Marsli,  editor  and  pro- 
prietor. There  are  also  eleven  saloons  in  Arlington. 
Its  professional  men  include  physicians,  Drs.  J.  E. 
Phelps,  E.  M.  Adams,  W.  F.  Oliver,  E.  Mohrmann ; 
graduate  nurse,  Margrathe  Mohrmann ;  dentists,  E. 
K.  Adams,  E.  W.  Turner;  lawyers,  L.  N.  Jones,  E. 
N.  Livermore.  Its  dealers  in  real  estate  are  A.  L. 
Blair,  Jones  &  Toles  and  Brumby  Brothers  &  Hud- 
son, and  C.  L.  Marsh  is  a  regularly  appointed 
United  States  land  commissioner. 

The  churches  that  have  been  established  in 
Arlington  are  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  Rev. 
Charles  A.  Owens,  pastor ;  Free  Methodist,  Rev.  G. 

W.  Escher;  Norwegian-Lutheran,  Rev.  Dale; 

Baptist,  Rev.  J.  J.  Ticker,  and  the  Catholic,  with  no 
resident  pastor,  but  supplied  by  Father  O'Brien,  of 
Snohomish.  Local  lodges  or  camps  of  the  following 
fraternities  have  been  organized  and  are  being 
maintained,  namelv,  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  D.  of  H.,  M. 
W.  A.,  W.  O.  W.',  Women  of  Woodcraft,  I.  O.  O. 
■R,  Rebekahs,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  O.  E.  S.,  Modern 
Brotherhood  of  America,  the  Fraternal  Brother- 
hood and  the  F.  of  A.  The  shingle  weavers  and 
engineers  have  unions,  and  the  Women's  Christian 
Temperance  Union  and  the  Loyal  Temperance 
League  each  maintain  local  organizations  in  the 
town. 

The  most  important  event  in  the  recent  history 
of  Arlington  was  the  building  in  1900  and  1901  of 
the  Arlington-Darrington  branch  railroad,  about 
twenty-eight  miles  long.  The  only  trains  being  nm 
over  the  road  at  this  writing  are  tri-weekly  accom- 
modation trains,  which  are  not  specially  satisfactory 
to  passengers,  yet  the  road  is  developing  a  magnifi- 
cent section  of  county  along  the  north  fork,  bring- 
ing its  wealth  of  lumJaer  and  shingles  to  the  market 
of  the  world,  and  encouraging  the  development  of 
its  great  agricultural  possibilities  and  causing  a 
great  influx  of  population,  all  of  which  is  more  or 
less  tributary  to  Arlington.     It  is  als<i  lending  en- 


couragement to  the  development  of  the  Darrington 
copper  producing  belt,  which,  if  indications  are  to 
be  trusted,  has  a  grand  destiny  in  store  for  it. 

With  a  splendid  site,  magnificent  natural  drain- 
age, great  tributary  wealth  of  timber  and  agriculture 
and  mines,  a  progressive  people,  a  record  of  past 
achievement  of  which  it  has  cause  to  be  proud,  the 
young  town  of  Arlington  looks  out  upon  the  future 
with  confidence  that  it  is  destined  to  occupy  no 
second  place  among  the  inland  towns  of  northwest- 
ern Washington. 


It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  a  more  sightly 
location  for  a  town  than  that  occupied  by  Monroe. 
Near  it  is  the  spot  named  by  the  early  settlers, 
"Park  Place,"  because  of  its  park-like  beauty,  and 
the  site  of  the  present  town  is  scarcely  inferior  in 
natural  attractiveness  to  that  so  justly  celebrated 
from  the  earliest  times.  Indeed,  Park  Place  may 
reasonably  be  considered  a  part  of  Monroe,  though 
not  included  in  the  corporate  limits,  for  the  semi- 
rural,  semi-urban  homes,  wdiich  are  a  prominent 
characteristic  of  Monroe,  extend  all  the  way  to 
Park  Place,  making  the  two  a  unit  in  fact,  if  not 
in  law.  Not  content  with  bestowing  transcendent 
beauty  upon  this  favored  spot.  Nature,  in  her 
partiality  to  it,  gave  also  the  elements  of  wealth 
with  a  lavish  hand.  The  statement  has  been  made 
that  if  Monroe  were  considered  the  center  of  a 
circle,  with  a  radius  ten  miles  long,  more  natural 
resources  would  be  included  than  in  a  circle  of  like 
area  described  about  any  other  town  in  the  state. 
Plowever  this  may  be,  it  is  certain  that  the  natural 
wealth  tributary  to  Monroe  is  indeed  great.  Sit- 
uated in  the  celebrated  Forks  country  not  far  from 
the  confluence  of  the  Skykomish  and  Snoqualmie 
rivers,  it  is  the  natural  trading  point  for  the 
splendid  valleys  of  these  waterways,  valleys  rich 
in  timber,  rich  in  agricultural  achievements  and 
still  richer  in  agricultural  possibilities.  It  also  en- 
joys the  trade  of  Woods  creek,  another  tran- 
scendently  rich  section,  and  of  course  has  a  right 
to  its  share  of  the  trade  of  the  Snohomish  valley. 
While  Monroe  is  certainly  not  to  be  classed  with 
those  temporary  towns  which  depend  entirely  upon 
tl;e  timber  and  disappear  as  soon  as  the  work  of 
the  logger  and  the  mill  man  is  done,  its  rapid 
development  during  the  past  few  years  has  been  due 
to  the  great  activity  in  the  lumbering  industry.  So 
very  abundant  is  the  timber  contiguous  to  it,  that 
even  were  this  its  only  resource,  it  would  have 
assurance  of  a  long  life,  but  the  demands  of  the 
multitudinous  manufacturing  population  which  must 
some  day  establish  itself  around  this  gateway  to 
the  Pacific  will  cause  the  splendid  agricultural 
jjossibilities  of  its  tributary  bottom  lands  to  be 
developed  to  the  utmost,  giving  it  assurance  of 
immortality  as  a  town. 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


At  least  as  early  as  1878,  the  desirableness  of 
Park  I^lace  as  a  site  for  a  town  was  appreciated, 
and  it  is  said  that  some  efforts  were  made  by  Salem 
Woods  to  start  one  there.  Little  resulted  from 
these  efforts,  however,  for  J.  A.  Vanasdlen  tells  us 
that  when  he  came  in  October,  1889,  a  saloon,  which 
had  been  maintained  there  previously,  was  closed, 
and  that  there  were  only  two  small  buildings  in 
the  place.  Mr.  Vanasdlen  brought  with  him  a 
stock  of  general  merchandise,  starting  the  first 
store.  In  1890  he  secured  the  establishment  of  a 
postoffice,  to  which  the  name  "Monroe"  was  ap- 
plied and  of  which  he  continued  to  be  master  for 
the  ensuing  seven  years.  In  the  fall  of  1889  came 
also  Ladd  &  Elliott,  who  opened  a  large  hotel  and 
a  saloon.  The  next  business  was  the  blacksmith 
shop  of  George  Beaton,  established  in  the  spring 
of  1890,  about  which  time  the  town  site  was  platted. 

The  development  of  1891  consisted  of  a  small 
grocery  store  of  J-  W.  Halvert,  the  butcher  shop 
of  Shannahan  &  Chitwood ;  the  hotel  of  John  John- 
son, and  a  large  public  hall  building,  while  about 
one  mile  below  town  C.  Dubuque  &  Son  built  and 
began  operating  what  is  now  known  as  the  Stocker 
saw-mill.  Here  the  growth  of  Park  Place  was 
arrested  by  the  location  of  the  Great  Northern 
railway,  which  passed  about  a  mile  from  the  town, 
making  it  evident  that  the  location  of  the  business 
part  must  be  changed. 

Mr.  Vanasdlen,  who  was  the  first,  at  least  in 
later  times,  to  locate  in  the  old  town,  was  also  the 
first  to  move  to  the  new  site.  He  and  John  Stretch 
platted  what  was  known  as  Tye  City,  so  named 
after  the  man  who  he  says  was  the  real  locating 
engineer  of  the  Great  Northern,  though  John  F. 
Stevens  is  usually  credited  with  having  accom- 
plished that  task.  Tye  City  was  platted  on  Mr. 
Stretch's  homestead,  now  the  northeastern  part  of 
Monroe.  Its  name  has  fallen  into  disuse,  while  the 
name  of  the  old  town  and  the  first  postoffice  sur- 
vives. Mr.  Stretch  tells  us  that  the  name  of  the 
railroad  station  originally  was  Wales,  but 
that  the  name  "Monroe"  was  substituted  on 
his  solicitation.  The  next  building  after  Van- 
asdlen's  to  move  to  the  railroad  was  Elliott 
Brothers'  saloon ;  then  John  Brady  bought  and 
moved  the  pioneer  blacksmith  shop,  which  is  still 
in  use.  The  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
purchased  the  old  hall  building  and  brought  it  to 
the  new  town,  where  it  was  utilized  for  lodge  and 
social  purposes  until  destroyed  by  fire.  John  John-  j 
son  also  move^  his  hotel  building,  that  which  is  now 
occupied  by  the  First  and  Last  Chance  saloon.  The 
last  building  to  be  moved  was  placed  in  the  new 
town  about  five  years  ago. 

In  the  meantime,  new  buildings  were  being 
erected  continuously  until  the  depression  of  1893 
and  subsequent  years  caused  a  pause  in  general  de- 
velopment and  progress.  Though  Monroe  revived 
as  did  almost  all  other  towns  in  the  sound  countrv, 


as  soon  as  good  times  came,  its  population  in  the 
fall  of  1902,  when  it  incorporated,,  was  only  300 
persons.  A  year  or  two  before  it  had  suffered  se- 
verely from  a  fire,  supposed  to  be  of  incendiary 
origin,  which  started  under  the  roof  of  the  I.  O.  O. 
F.  hall,  and  did  not  stay  its  ravages  until  the  whole 
of  the  main  business  block,  the  one  numbered  forty- 
one  on  the  Monroe  Land  &  Improvement  Company's 
plat,  was  in  ashes.  A  complete  list  of  the  losses 
cannot  be  attempted  here,  but  the  principal  ones 
were:  Independent  Order  of  Od4  Fellows,  $3,000 
to  $1,000;  Henry  Dennis,  $800  or  $1,000;  J.  E. 
Dolloff,  $G,000  or  $7,000;  H.  M.  Treadwell,  $2,000; 
B.  L.  Monck,  $3,000,  insurance  $1,000 ;  E.  F.  Wel- 
bum,  $1,000;  John  Brady,  $2,000;  Lot  Wilbur, 
of  Snohomish,  $800  to  $1,000;  George  Mack,  $3,- 
000;  W.  R.  Pearsall,  $1,000.  Slight  losses  were 
also  sustained  by  persons  in  other  blocks.  Mr. 
Vanasdlen's  three  buildings  were  scorched,  the  loss 
being  $11G.  fully  covered  by  insurance. 

The  destroyed  buildings  were  speedily  replaced, 
mostly  by  the  men  who  sustained  the  losses,  but  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  located  their  fine  new  hall  building  in 
another  block  nearby. 

Since  Monroe  was  incorporated  very  late  in 
1902,  it  has  multiplied  its  population  by  five.  The 
people  will  not  admit  that  there  has  been  any  boom, 
but  contend  that  all  this  growth  is  the  legitimate 
result  of  developments  in  the  rich  timber  lands  con- 
tiguous and  in  agriculture.  Monroe's  population  is 
conservatively  estimated  at  fifteen  hundred  within 
the  corporation  limits,  while  in  the  immediate  vicin- 
ity of  the  town  are  at  least  a  thousand  more. 

The  main  occupations  of  the  people  in  the  coun- 
try immediately  tributary  are  lumbering  and  farm- 
ing, the  former  business  having  the  ascendency  at 
present.  The  manufacturing  establishments  in  the 
vicinity  are  those  of  Stephens  Brothers,  incorpo- 
rated, producers  of  rough  and  dressed  lumber, 
shingles,  sash  and  doors,  moldings,  etc.,  E.  Milton 
Stephens,  president,  Elmer  E.  Stephens,  vice-presi- 
dent, B.  F.  Bird,  secretary;  the  Monroe  Water  & 
Light  Company,  A.  H.  Buck,  president;  the  Mon- 
roe Mill  Company,  S.  A.  Buck,  president;  August 
Holmquist,  shingle  manufacturer;  W.  E.  Stocker, 
lumber  and  shingle  manufacturer;  John  Johnson, 
lumber  manufacturer. 

Many  of  the  farmers  are  engaged  in  the  pro- 
duction of  milk  foi  the  two  creameries  of  Monroe, 
namely,  Weinstein  &  Company's,  Charles  Hanson, 
manager,  and  the  Monroe  Creamery,  W.  E.  Bar- 
tholomew, proprietor.  The  reputation  of  the  Forks 
country,  in  which  Monroe  is  situated,  for  the  pro- 
duction of  berries  and  small  fruits  has  long  been 
established.  Adjoining  the  town  is  a  berry  fann  of 
some  fifty-five  acres,  while  within  and  around  it 
are  many  small  tracts  on  which  raspberries,  black- 
berries, strawberries,  etc.,  may  be  seen  growing  in 
great  perfection  and  abundance.  It  is  highly  prob- 
able that  in  future,   when  the  development  of  the 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


sound  country  shall  demand  it,  this  entire  region 
will  be  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  small  fruits. 
The  population  it  will  then  sustain  will  number 
many  thousands. 

One  of  the  institutions  in  which  Monroe  takes 
special  pride  is  its  annual  district  fair,  which  last 
year  was  held  late  in  August.  Under  the  head  of 
"Welcome,"  its  president  and  directors  wrote,  in 
their  published  premium  list  for  1904,  the  following : 

"The  pride  that  the  citizens  of  Monroe  and  its 
neighborhood  and  the  directors  feel  in  this  little 
fair,  using  that  term  in  its  endearing,  not  its  dimin- 
utive sense,  is  such  a  sentiment  as  binds  communi- 
ties closer,  unifies  their  action,  rejoices  in  every 
one's  achievement,  and  teaches  that  the  success  of 
one  is  the  prosperity  of  all.  We  take  honest  pride 
in  the  belief  that  our  town  of  Monroe  and  vicinity 
will  appear  to  visitors  of  both  occasions  to  have 
made  a  greater  and  more  permanent  growth  since 
the  first  local  fair  a  year  ago  than  any  other  place 
in  Snohomish  county.  Nor  is  the  reason  for  that 
growth  for  from  immediate  view;  the  very  situa- 
tion and  evironment  of  the  town  is  its  capital  stock, 
paid  up  non-assessable,  open  to  all  who  will  with 
honest  work  or  honest  capital  draw  upon  it,  and 
over  and  above  all,  stock  incapable  of  diversion, 
not  subject  to  graft.  We  welcome  impartially  all 
who  come.  To  those  on  pleasure  bent  we  promise 
a  good  time;  to  ihe  merely  curious  much  that  will 
interest ;  to  those  with  the  more  serious  thought  of 
location  or  investment,  food  for  earnest  consider- 
ation. 

Besides  those  already  mentioned,  the  established 
businesses  of  Monroe  are  as  follows :  Monroe  State 
Bank,  E.  M.  Stephens,  president,  A.  J.  Agnew,  vice- 
president,  C.  L.  Lawry,  cashier ;  Stephens  Hospital, 
Dr.  L.  L.  Stephens,  proprietor;  hotels,  Hotel  Pear- 
sail,  R.  J.  Stretch,  proprietor;  the  Washington,  Mrs. 
I.  Van  Horn,  the  Hotel  Monroe.  J.  L.  Wallace, 
Hotel  Northern,  Mrs.  Emma  Bell ;  real  estate,  J. 
A.  Vanasdlen,  E.  T.  Bascom ;  the  Monroe  Land 
Company,  S.  E.  Tallman  &  Son,  J.  McKean,  town- 
site  agent ;  general  stores,  P.  Sjostrom,  Monroe 
Qothing  Company,  Harrv  Weller,  manager,  Charles 
Knosher  &  Brother,  Warner  &  Harris,  J.  E.  Dolloff 
&  Company,  Moody's  Racket,  Sherman  J.  Moody, 
proprietor,  also  another  racket  store ;  drug  stores, 
E.  A.  Roberts  and  W.  E.  Mansfield ;  the  Monroe 
Furniture  store,  J.  A.  Vanasdlen  and  Nellis  Francis, 
proprietors;  shoe  stores,  Prescott  &  Company  and 
the  Monroe  Shoe  Store,  Mrs.  Wilma  Cedergreen, 
proprietor;  C.  E.  Ritchie,  jeweler;  barber  shops, 
Mrs.  Tillie  Hewitt,  the  Pioneer,  H.  J.  Dennis,  pro- 
prietor. H.  A.  Barnhart,  the  latter  mentioned  also 
a  dealer  in  jewelry ;  Monroe  Livery,  Feed  and  Sale 
Stable,  J.  P.  Joos,  proprietor.  Metropolitan  Livery 
and  Feed  Stable,  B.  J.  Dougherty,  meat  market, 
Charles  F.  Elwell ;  millinery,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Holcomb; 
Monroe  Hardware  Company,  Monck  &  Evans,  pro- 
prietors ;  confectionery,  tobacco  and  stationery,  A. 


B.  Spraw  &  Company ;  stationery,  Thomas  W. 
Stranger;  confectionery,  cigars  and  notions,  W.  R. 
Pearsall;  W.  D.  Bruce,  cigars  and  tobacco;  whole- 
sale and  retail  dealers  in  meats,  groceries,  and  farm 
implements,  Bruhn  &  Henry,  Inc. ;  restaurants, 
Olympia  Cafe,  Monroe  restaurant,  Charles  E.  Cun- 
ningham, proprietor,  and  two  others ;  the  Mercer 
blacksmithing  and  repairing  shop ;  Andrews  &  Sons, 
blacksmithing  and  repairing;  the  Pioneer  Cyclery; 
A.  Strandberg,  shoemaker;  Bradley  Williams,  con- 
tracting painters  and  paper  hangers ;  tailors,  James 
Holmes,  John  Veith ;  Star  bakery  and  grocery ;  A. 
H.  Lemon,  dealer  in  wood,  coal,  brick,  cement,  etc. ; 
Roberts  Brothers,  manufacturers  of  ice  cream  and 
dealers  in  ice ;  Monroe  bakery,  J.  P.  Schmitt,  pro- 
prietor ;  carpenter  shop,  John  Harris ;  Joseph  Den- 
nis, pioneer  drayman ;  Andrew  Lindquist,  building 
contractor;  J.  E.  Stirton,  contracting  carpenter; 
photograph  gallery,  D.  W.  Funk,  now  leased  to  the 
Rigby  sisters;  second-hand  store,  J.  H.  Hoffer; 
James  Farmer,  builder  and  plasterer;  Monroe  hand 
laundry,  John  Uhey,  proprietor;  plumbing  and  tin- 
smithing,  J.  T.  MacKenzie ;  postmaster,  R.  H.  Sta- 
pleton ;  veterinary  surgeon,  G.  L.  Wainwright ;  har- 
nessmaker,  E.  H.  Nims;  saloons,  Bank  Liquor 
store,  J.  L.  Wallace,  proprietor.  Rainier,  W.  C. 
White,  proprietor,  Olympia  bar.  Peter  Suhl,  pro- 
prietor. Horseshoe,  Malone  &  Donovon,  proprietors. 
First  and  Last  Chance,  Charles  Dickson,  proprietor, 
Gardell  &  Bloom ;  newspapers,  Monroe  Monitor,  E. 

C.  Bissell,  publisher,  Washington  Transcript,  G.  W. 
Head,  publisher;  dentist,  Dr.  R.  S.  Stryker;  physi- 
cians, Drs.  L.  L.  Stephens  and  Harry  K.  Lum ;  at- 
torneys, L.  C.  Whitney  and  E.  T.  Bascom. 

One  church,  the  Methodist  Episcopal,  W.  J. 
Rule,  pastor,  has  established  itself  in  the  town,  and 
there  are  a  number  of  fraternities,  including  the  K. 
O.  T.  M.,  L.  O.  T.  M..  L  O.  O.  F.,  Rebekahs,  M. 
W.  A.,  I.  O.  G.  T..  and  F.  of  A.  Monroe  has  excel- 
ent  common  and  high  school  facilities. 

The  town  was  incorporated  late  in  1902.  It  en- 
joys city  water,  electric  lights,  and  other  advantages 
which  it  could  not  have  without  incorporation.  Its 
municipal  interests  are  at  present  in  the  keeping  of 
the  following  officers  :  Mayor,  W.  J.  Williams  ;  coun- 
cilman, P.  W.  Anderson,  R.  J.  Stretch,  B.  L.  Monck, 
E.  Milton  Stephens,  W.  C.  White ;  clerk,  E.  C.  Bis- 
sell ;  treasurer,  E.  A.  Roberts ;  marshal.  E.  P.  Shipp ; 
attorney,  L.  C.  Whitney;  police  judges,  William 
Sawyer  and  John  A.  Swett. 

GR.\NITE  F.\LL.S 

Situated  on  the  Monte  Cristo  branch  of  the  Nor- 
thern Pacific  railroad,  at  its  point  of  entrance  into 
the  rich  upper  Stillaguamish  river  valley  and  located 
on  the  narrow  plateau  dividing  that  valley  from  the 
Pilchuck  on  the  south,  Granite  Falls  occupies  a  com- 
manding position  as  a  commercial  center.  While 
these  valleys  are  not  of  great  area,  when  fully  devel- 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


oped  they  will  support  a  large  farming  community 
and  in  the  meantime  their  timber  is  a  great  producer 
of  wealth.  Their  minerals  have  already  been  so  en- 
ergetically exploited  as  to  give  the  district  an  im- 
portant position  among  those  of  the  Northwest. 
From  the  West  the  trade  of  both  valleys  for  many 
miles  around  comes  to  Granite  Falls.  The  land  is 
similar  to  that  at  Arlington,  especially  adapted  for 
dairying  and  gardening.  Recently  a  $4,500  bridge 
was  built  over  the  Stillaguamish  a  mile  below  town, 
bringing  the  Jorden  country  with  its  well  known 
farms  and  zinc  properties  into  close  communication 
with  the  city. 

The  geological  survey  gives  the  town's  altitude 
as  396  feet  and  that  of  Mount  Pilchuck,  ten  miles 
east,  as  just  a  trifle  over  a  mile.  The  valley  of  the 
Stillaguamish  is  much  lower  than  that  of  the  Pil- 
chuck. It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  beautiful, 
noble  waterfall  of  the  former  stream,  from  which 
the  town  derives  its  name,  lies  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  up  the  river  and  is  about  to  be  transformed  'by 
the  corporation  which  owns  it  into  a  great  power 
producer. 

Long  before  there  were  any  white  settlements 
on  the  Stillaguamish-Pilchuck  plateau  the  neck  of 
land  embracing  the  town  site  was  known  as  the 
"portage"  among  Indians  and  pioneers.  It  lies  be- 
tween the  waters  of  the  county's  largest  rivers,  the 
Pilchuck  being  a  branch  of  the  Snohomish.  In  1884 
the  first  actual  settlers  arrived,  William  M.  Turner 
and  F.  P.  Kistner,  the  former  coming  first.  Turner 
took  for  his  claim  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section 
18,  Township  30  north,  Range  7  east,  and  Kistner 
took  the  quarter  section  adjoining  on  the  south. 
A  year  later  W.  H.  Davis  took  the  piece  west  of 
Kistner's  and  in  1886  Robert  Wright  homesteaded 
the  quarter  adjoining  Turner  on  the  west  and  Davis 
on  the  north.  At  that  time  these  places  were  cov- 
ered in  part  by  forest,  in  part  by  a  large  "burn," 
the  latter  giving  it  an  added  attraction  for  settlers. 

When  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  came 
through  Snohomish  county  in  1889,  these  settlers, 
together  with  a  few  who  had  joined  them,  loggers 
and  trappers,  secured  a  post-office,  John  L.  Snethan 
becoming  the  first  postmaster.  The  mail  was  car- 
ried over  occasionally  from  Getchell.  In  August, 
1890,  deeming  the  little  settlement  then  ripe  for 
local  commerce,  Mark  Swinnerton,  of  Marysville, 
established  a  store  on  Kistner's  homestead,  near  the 
junction  of  the  four  original  claims,  or  a  few  yards 
beyond  the  schoolhouse  on  what  is  now  the  main 
street  of  the  town.    T.  K.  Robe  erected  the  building. 

The  next  step  in  the  town's  progress  was  the  [ 
platting  of  the  site.  Eighteen  blocks  were  laid  out,  j 
twelve  on  Wright's  land  and  six  on  the  Davis  place. 
Although  the  recorded  plat,  dated  August  4,  1891, 
bears  the  names  of  Henry  W.  and  Abbie  D.  Davis 
and  Robert  Wright,  S.  W.  Holland  and  T.  K.  Robe 
were  the  real  promoters  of  the  town.  In  1891,  also, 
George  C.  Monroe  put  in  a  grocery  store  and  a  few 


months  later  work  was  begun  by  James  Roycroft 
on  the  Granite  Falls  hotel,  a  two-story  frame  struc- 
ture. It  was  completed  and  opened  before  the  rail- 
road builders  reached  the  place.  Blackman  Brothers, 
late  in  the  fall  of  1891,  erected  a  tie  mill  near  the 
town  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  Everett  & 
Monte  Cristo  road.  Later,  in  1893,  they  built  a  large 
saw-mill  and  shingle  plant  at  Blackman's  lake,  but 
unfortunately  these  important  industries  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire  a  year  later.  The  railroad  reached 
the  town  October  16,  1892,  and  the  following  spring, 
a  station  was  established.  During  this  period  of 
construction  work,  Granite  Falls  became  a  bustling, 
populous  camp. 

Swinnerton  was  succeeded  in  1892  by  Anderson 
&  Davis,  the  former  of  whom  shortly  acquired  the 
property,  erected  the  town's  pioneer  shingle  mill, 
a  double  block,  and  organized  the  Granite  Falls 
Manufacturing  and  Mercantile  Company.  T.  K. 
Robe  kept  a  store  for  a  time  in  1893.  His  building 
began  to  be  used  about  1895  by  Dr.  Frank  Chappell 
as  a  drug  store.  In  the  spring  of  1897  Percy  Par- 
minter  built  a  double  block  shingle  mill  a  short  dis- 
tance east  of  town  and  in  1898  he  established  the 
little  store  which  has  since  developed  into  B.  E. 
Chappell's  large  mercantile  house,  having  passed  in- 
to the  latter's  hands  in  1902.  J.  H.  Boyd  and  T.  K. 
Robe  also  entered  business  in  1898  at  Granite  Falls, 
the  former  succeeding  the  mercantile  company.  That 
concern  had  actually  closed  its  doors  for  several 
weeks  during  the  hard  times,  leaving  the  settlement 
without  a  business  house.  Boyd  sold  to  Morgan  & 
Goodrich  a  few  years  later,  and  subsequently  this 
firm  became  the  present  Granite  Falls  Mercantile 
Company.  T.  K.  Robe  and  George  Whitcher  also 
operated  a  store  during  the  latter  nineties. 

In  1900  the  town  had  perhaps  fifty  or  sixty  peo- 
ple, Boyd's  and  Palminter's  general  stores,  Dr. 
Chappell's  drug  and  hardware  store,  the  post-office, 
railroad  station  and  four  tributary  shingle  mills; 
Palminter's,  Shafer  Brothers'  on  the  Pilchuck, 
Swartz  &  Stacey's  east  of  town,  and  Anderson's 
pioneer  mill,  which  had  been  removed  to  what  is 
now  Sobey.  A  general  awakening  came  with  the 
opening  of  the  century.  Settlers  mvaded  the  forest 
to  commence  the  hewing  out  of  homes,  miners  came 
in  numbers  to  bring  to  light  the  mineral  treasures 
of  the  district,  lumbermen  attacked  the  heavy  timber, 
installing  mills  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber  and 
shingles,  and  to  supply  all  and  handle  the  growing 
commerce  came  merchants,  tradesmen  and  profes- 
sional men.  For  four  years,  beginning  with  1900, 
the  population  of  Granite  Falls  has  doubled  each 
twelve-month, — a  remarkable  growth,  yet  a  sub- 
stantial one  justified  by  the  resources  of  the  region. 
It  has  become  a  town  of  first  importance  on  the 
Monte  Cristo  line  and  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
best  small  cities  in  the  country. 

The  pioneer  school  of  Granite  Falls  was  opened 
in  Robert  Wright's  old  cabin,  half  a  mile  northwest 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


of  town,  and  was  taught  by  Miss  Eva  Andrus.  After 
two  terms  there,  the  school  was  removed,  in  1889, 
to  a  temporary  shack  house  erected  on  the  site  oi 
the  present  building,  Mr.  Kistner  having  donated 
a  block  of  land  there  to  the  district.  When  Holland 
became  the  owner  of  the  place,  he  confirmed  the 
title  to  district  No.  21.  Charles  Gregory  first  taught 
this  school.  The  present  school-house  was  erected  in 
1893  at  a  cost  of  $5,000  and  to  it  an  "L"  has  re- 
cently been  added,  doubling  its  size.  The  district, 
embracing  thirty-six  square  miles,  also  had  another 
school-house  at  Sobey's  mill,  known  as  the  Outlook 
school. 

Granite  Falls  also  maintains  two  thriving  churcK 
organizations,  the  Congregational  and  the  Catholic, 
both  of  which  have  substantial  church  homes.  The 
former  was  established  five  years  ago  and  practically 
since  its  inception  has  been  under  the  able  charge 
of  Rev.  Campbell  W.  Bushnell.  The  Catholics  erect- 
ed their  church  building  in  1903.  They  are  minis- 
tered to  at  intervals  by  a  priest  from  Snohomish. 

The  fraternal  spirit  is  strong  in  the  town.  Three 
years  ago,  in  the  summer  of  1902,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,000,  a  combination 
hall  and  opera  house,  and  next  year  the  Odd  Fellows 
expect  to  put  up  a  $5,000  building  suited  to  the  same 
purposes.  The  societies  and  lodges  of  the  town 
are  as  follows:  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
Roval  Neighbors,  Woodmen  of  the  World,  Women 
of  Woodcraft,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Rebakahs,  Foresters  of 
America,  Court  of  Honor.  Independent  Order  of 
(iood  Templars,  Order  of  Lions,  Shingle  Weavers' 
Cnion,  G.  A.  R.,  and  the  Women's  Relief  Corps. 

July  25,  1903,  the  Granite  Falls  Post  was  started 
in  the  town  by  Niles  &  Moore.  Two  years  later  it 
came  into  the  possession  of  its  present  proprietors, 
Frank  Niles  and  R.  G.  Messner,  the  former  being 
its  editor.  The  Post  is  a  most  worthy  little  paper 
which  enjoys  the  full  respect  and  patronage  of  the 
community. 

The  city  is  soon  to  have  an  electric  light  plant, 
to  be  installed  in  connection  with  a  new  shingle  mill 
by  O.  Lewis,  of  Snohomish.  A  franchise  has  been 
granted  and  at  this  writing  poles  are  being  set. 

November  8,  1903,  Granite  Falls  became  a  city 
of  the  fourth  class.     Its  first  officers  were :  Mayor, 

B.  E.  Chappell;  councilmen,  J.  H.  Fox,  J.  G.  Luckev, 
D.  I.  Carpenter.  L.  H.  Messner  and  W.  H.  Earl; 
clerk,  C.  T.  Smith;  treasurer.  Dr.  Frank  Qiappell ; 
marshal,  L.  A.  Clinton.  The  present  corps  of  city 
officials  are  as  follows:  Mayor,  D.  I.  Carpenter; 
clerk,  C.  T.  Smith ;  treasurer.  Dr.  Frank  Chappell ; 
marshal,  L.  E.  Luckey;  councilmen,  Dan  Ashe,  A. 
S.  Critse,  Emil  Mongraine,  William  Fredregill,  and 

C.  E.  Willoughby.  The  Robe  building  adjoining 
the  post-office  is  occupied  as  a  city  hall. 

There  are  nearly  a  dozen  mills  in  and  around 
Granite  Falls.  Robe  &  Menzel  operate  a  modern 
plant,  just  south  of  town,  erected  in  1902,  consisting 
of  a  saw-mill  with  a  daily  output  of  :!0,000  to  40,- 


000  feet,  planing  m.ill  and  lath  factory.  Of  shingle 
mills  there  are  eight :  Sobey  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, a  mile  and  a  half  west ;  Chappell  Shingle  Com- 
pany, a  mile  north  ;  Sullivan  Brothers,  two  and  a 
half  miles  west:  Fred  Johnson,  three  miles  west; 
Sobey  Manufacturing  Company,  a  mile  south  :  Ewald 
Brothers,  two  miles  east ;  Swartz  &  Stacy,  three 
miles  east  and  the  Best  Shingle  Company,  three 
miles  northeast,  all  large  establishments.  Besides 
these,  the  Lane  Logging  Company  operates  a  camp 
five  miles  down  the  valley,  employing  forty  or  fifty 
men,  and  the  Starr  Logging  Company  is  opening 
an  immense  camp  three  miles  northwest,  which  will 
use  two  miles  of  steam  railway  and  employ  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men. 

Only  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  town,  directly  on 
the  railroad,  lies  the  well  known  Wayside  copper 
property,  one  of  Snohomish  county's  few  producing 
mines.  Between  forty  and  fifty  men  are  employed 
in  its  operation. 

A  list  of  the  business  men  and  establishments 
of  the  present  town  would  include  the  following: 
The  Commercial  Bank,  J.  B.  Gibbons,  cashier,  es- 
tablished in  June,  1905;  the  Granite  Falls  Post; 
general  stores.  Granite  Falls  Mercantile  Company, 
of  which  J.  L.  Shumway  is  president,  E.  L.  Knapp 
vice-president,  and  F.  R.  Morgan  secretary-treasur- 
er; Granite  Falls  Co-Operative  Union,  F.  P.  Ander- 
son manager ;  dry  goods  and  groceries,  B.  E.  Chap- 
pell, William  Harding  &  Company ;  hotels.  Com- 
mercial, W.  H.  Earl  proprietor.  Granite  Falls  House, 
Mountain  View,  Ralph  PuUen  proprietor,  Park 
House,  Fred  Stacey  proprietor ;  drugs  and  hard- 
ware. Dr.  Frank  Giappell ;  drug  store,  Samuel 
Yerkes ;  hardware,  Ashe  Brothers,  Willoughby  & 
Gallaugher;  book  store,  E.  E.  Knapp:  jewelry  store, 
Charles  Gourdon:  millinery.  Vincent  Rinard  ;  tailor 
shop,  F.  Wilson :  blacksmiths,  Ashe  Brothers :  meat 
market,  Bruhn  &  Henry ;  shoe  store,  Fred  Brush ; 
shoe  repairing,  Igrac  Dezort ;  real  estate,  insurance, 
etc.,  Charles  Smith,  A.  P.  Waterhouse,  E.  G.  South- 
well :  transfer  company.  E.  E.  Doolittle :  barber 
shops,  H.  H.  h"i>kc,  L.  D.  Baker ;  confectionery, 
fruits,  etc.,  W.  W.  Robe,  P.  W.  Laughead,  William 
Freregill ;  cigar  factory,  Henry  Bogaske ;  postmas- 
ter, A.  C.  Robe :  physicians.  Dr.  Frank  Chappell, 
Dr.  William  Green. 

January  1,  1903,  Granite  Falls  had,  by  actual 
count,  155  people ;  a  year  later  its  population  was 
350  and  the  census  taken  by  the  Post  January  1, 
1905,  showed  a  population  of  670.  Since  that  date 
the  growth  of  the  town  has  been  steady  and  rapid, 
and  with  all  its  tributary  resources,  and  all  the  means 
already  installed  for  developing  them,  there  would 
seem  to  be  no  reason  why  this  rapid  increase  should 
not  continue  indefinitelv. 


A  convenient,  central  location  on   the  overland 
route  of  the  Great   Northern   railway  through  the 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


Skykomish  valley,  a  rich  tributary  region  as  yet 
slightly  developed,  an  abundance  of  progressive 
public  spirit,  plenty  of  private  enterprise,  these  are 
some  of  Sultan's  most  valuable  assets.  Upon  these 
pillars  the  inhabitants  of  the  present  town  are  surely 
and  steadily  erecting  a  more  pretentious  structure. 
Sultan  is  the  oldest  town  on  the  Skykomish  river, 
which  adds  to  its  interest  and  importance. 

The  Sultan  river,  draining  the  Sultan  mineral 
district  and  an  extensive  timbered  area,  flows  into 
the  Skykomish  at  the  western  edge  of  the  village, 
which  lies  along  the  northern  bank  of  the  latter 
stream.  As  yet  the  fertile  valley  lands  at  this  point 
are  covered  for  the  most  part  by  timber,  though  there 
are  numerous  farms  and  ranches  in  various  stages 
of  development  and  considerable  dairying  is  carried 
on.  Monroe,  the  metropolis  of  the  valley,  is  located 
only  four  miles  further  down  the  Skykomish  and 
between  these  two  towns  the  country  is  well  settled 
by  prosperous  farmers,  who  are  rapidly  converting 
the  forest  lands  nito  cultivated  acres. 

Sultan's  pioneer  settler  is  John  Nailor,  who  came, 
with  his  Indian  wife,  in  1880,  settling  upon  the  town 
site.  He  erected  his  cabin  on  the  bank  of  the  slough. 
At  that  time  the  placer  mines  of  Sultan  river  were 
being  worked  by  a  considerable  number  of  men,  a 
condition  which  scx)n  gave  inception  to  the  settle- 
ment at  the  river's  mouth.  In  1885  Sultan  post- 
office  was  established  with  Mr.  Nailor  as  postmaster, 
the  name  being  taken  from  that  of  the  river,  which 
in  turn  is  thought  to  have  been  derived  from  a  pio- 
neer Indian  resident.  Sultan  John.  The  Pioneer 
hotel  was  erected  by  Mr.  Nailor  in  1888. 

In  1889  the  little  town  began  to  take  more  defin- 
ite shape.  William  B.  Stevens  arrived  at  this  time 
and  he  and  his  wife,  Agnes  Stevens,  purchased 
twenty  acres  of  the  Nailor  homestead  and  platted 
the  track  into  the  town  site  of  Sultan  City,  the  dedi- 
cation being  dated  October  19,  1889.  Mr.  Stevens 
also  bought  the  Nailor  hotel,  and  at  once  established 
a  small  store,  thus  initiating  his  town  site  project 
in  earnest.  To  these  holdings  he  added  in  1890  an- 
other large  tract  also  acquired  from  Mr.  Nailor. 

Dr.  J.  L.  Warren  put  in  a  drug  store  in  lS90, 
and  that  year  McDevitt  &  Davis,  of  Olympia,  suc- 
ceeded Stevens  in  the  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness. Before  the  close  of  1890  Stone  &  Ewing  were 
operating  a  saw-mill  of  twelve  thousand  feet  ca- 
pacity, on  the  site  of  the  present  depot.  The  next 
year  T.  W.  Cobb  &  Company,  general  merchants; 
Shaw  Brothers,  clothiers  and  dry  goods  merchants ; 
Dr.  M.  L.  York,  dentist  and  barber;  B.  F.  Mc- 
Pherson,  furniture  dealer;  H.  M.  Baker,  real  estate 
dealer  and  executor  of  the  Stevens  estate;  Beebe 
&  Son,  blacksmiths ;  George  Childs,  laundryman ; 
Solomon  Hufford,  and  Mummey  &  Bernard,  butch- 
ers, and  A.  W.  Hawks  also  located  in  the  town.  I 
Two  hotels,  the  Sultan,  E.  M.  Taylor  proprietor, 
and  the  Skykomish,  D.  B.  Lewis  proprietor,  were 


also  added,  and  in  1891,  too,  H.  M.  Shaw  estab- 
lished the  Sultan  City  Journal. 

While  construction  work  on  the  Great  Northern 
was  in  progress  during  the  latter  part  of  1891  and 
in  1892,  Sultan  City  was  used  as  a  supply  station  by 
the  contractors.  As  a  result,  between  eight  hundred 
and  one  thousand  people  were  congregated  there 
for  several  months  during  the  busiest  season.  Three 
river  steamers  plied  regularly  between  Sultan  and 
down-river  points :  the  Minnie  M.,  the  Monte  Cristo 
;  and  the  Florence  Henry,  the  latter  built  especially 
I  for  the  Sultan  trade ;  all  were  stern  wheelers.  The 
distance  between  Snohomish  City,  the  lower  ter- 
minus of  the  lines,  and  Sultan  City  is  sixteen  miles. 
For  at  least  two  years  boats  made  occasional  trips 
to  this  up-river  metropolis,  hidden  away  in  the 
woods,  though  the  railroad  reached  the  place  in  the 
fall  of  1892  and  a  station  was  established. 

Of  course  the  financial  panic  of  the  middle  nine- 
ties destroyed  the  town's  prosperity,  bringing  dis- 
aster to  its  business  houses  and  distress  to  its 
citizens,  but  they  did  not  become  completely  dis- 
couraged. Never  did  a  little  band  of  townsmen 
work  more  unselfishly  together.  In  April,  1895, 
these  citizens  organized  the  Sultan  Millsite  &  Im- 
provement Company,  capital  $1,000,  officered  as  fol- 
lows:  president,  George  Mann;  vice-president, 
John  Nailor,  secretarf;  A.  W.  Bower,  treasurer; 
A.  C.  Williams.  Water  rights  and  rights-of-way 
were  located,  ditches  dug,  flumes  installed  and  a 
small  tract  of  land  within  the  town  limits  was  pur- 
chased. Then  a  lease  of  this  ground  and  power 
was  offered  as  a  subsidy  to  any  mill  company  which 
would  install  a  plant.  Keefe  &  Perkins,  of  Machias. 
accepted  the  offer  and  immediately  erected  a  double 
block  shingle  mill,  employing  sixty  to  seventy  men. 
The  mill  prospeied,  new  mills  were  added,  and 
Sultan  City  gradually  threw  off  the  incubus  of  hard 
times  and  became  a  substantial,  growing  town. 

Sultan  was  incorporated  June  10,  1905,  as  a  city 
of  the  fourth  class.  The  census  taken  at  the  time 
showed  a  population  of  four  hundred  people.  At 
the  election  which  followed  officers  were  elected  as 
follows:  Mayor,  H.  M.  Meredith;  clerk,  Thomas 
W.  Musgrove ;  treasurer,  Eli  Marsolais ;  council- 
men,  John  F.  Warner,  G.  V.  Pearsall,  E.  A.  Beebe, 
George  W.  Fowler.  J.  T.  .A.twood  is  marshal  and 
A.  L.  Peterson  street  commissioner. 

The  pioneer  school-house  was  built  in  1890  witH 
money  voluntarily  subscribed.  The  site  was  that  of 
the  present  structure  and  Miss  Matie  Warren  was 
the  first  teacher.  The  old  building  was  replaced  in 
1891  by  a  fine,  frame  school-house,  costing  perhaps 
thirteen  hundred  dollars. 

There  are  seven  fraternal  orders  in  the  town: 
the  Odd  Fellows,  Rebekahs,  Modern  Woodmen, 
Royal  Neiglibors,  Foresters  of  America,  Royal 
Highlanders,  and  the  Order  of  Pendo.  Sultan 
Lodge  No.  193,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized  in  1902 
and  the  year  following  it  built,  at  a  cost  of  si.xteen 


368 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


hundred  dollars,  a  combination  fraternal  home  and 
public  hall,  the  only  institution  of  the  kind  in  the 
town. 

A  unique  industry  of  Sultan  is  a  trout  farm, 
established  about  two  years  ago  by  the  Commercial 
Trout  Company,  composed  of  local  capitalists, 
headed  by  H.  M.  Meredith.  This  plant  is  situated 
on  the  Sultan  river,  two  miles  above  town,  and  is 
apparently  destined  to  achieve  a  great  success. 
L.  E.  Mayhall,  ex-state  fish  commissioner,  is  in 
charge  of  the  enterprise.  About  a  mile  above  Sul- 
tan on  the  Skykomish  the  state  maintains  one  of  its 
numerous  hatcheries  in  charge  of  Henry  Baldridge, 
which  utilizes  one  set  of  traps  in  the  Sultan  river, 
and  operates  a  branch  station  further  up  the  main 
stream. 

The  largest  logging  firm. in  the  region  is  the 
Sultan  Logging  &  Railroad  Company,  U.  K.  Loose 
president,  operating  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  town. 
This  company  employs  a  hundred  men  constantly 
and  uses  its  own  private  railway  system,  connecting 
with  the  Great  Northern  at  Sultan  Junction.  The 
camp  of  the  Wallace  Lumber  Company,  another 
large  concern,  lies  on  Housladen  lake,  only  three 
miles  north  of  Sultan.  On  Sky  slough,  near  the 
river,  the  Creekwood  Manufacturing  Company, 
Leon  Johnson  &  Son  proprietors,  is  operating  a 
plant  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  various  wood 
novelties.  The  Murett  Shingle  Company  has  a 
plant  of  fifty-five  thousand  capacity  at  Winter's 
lake,  north  of  tov.  n ;  the  Superior  Mill  Company 
operates  a  shingle  mill  of  from  ninety  thousand  to 
one  hundred  thousand  capacity;  and  a  still  larger 
shingle  plant  is  that  of  Robinson  &  Idema,  right  in 
the  town.  As  heretofore  stated.  Sultan  is  also 
headquarters  for  the  Sultan  Basin  mining  district 
and  the  well  known  Forty-Five  mine,  Nathan  Jones, 
in  charge  of  the  Pinkham  interests,  residing  at 
Sultan. 

September  7,  1905,  John  A.  Swett,  of  Sno- 
homish, established  the  Star,  Sultan's  representa- 
tive in  the  newspaper  field,  a  folio  sheet,  politically 
independent. 

The  business  houses  and  professional  men  of  the 
town  at  present,  other  than  those  heretofore  men- 
tioned, are  embraced  in  the  appended  directory : 

Hotels,  the  Suitan,  A.  L.  Peterson  proprietor. 
Pioneer,  G.  V.  Pearsall  proprietor;  general  stores, 
John  F.  Warner,  William  Cook,  G.  V.  Pearsall,  Eli 
Marsolais;  drug  store  and  notions,  T.  J.  Atwood ; 
physician  and  proprietor  private  hospital,  Dr.  F.  S. 
Sandborg;  physician.  Dr.  Thomas  W.  Musgrove; 
attorney-at-law,  real  estate,  E.  T.  Bascom;  black- 
smiths, E.  A.  Beebe  &  Son;  livery,  Wellington  & 
Baldwin;  meat  markets,  E.  M.  Taylor,  G.  V.  Pear- 
sall ;  shoe  store,  Joseph  LePage ;  plumbing,  J.  C. 
Holmes;  barber  shop,  Louis  Richel ;  carriage  re- 
pairing, Wellington  &  Baldwin;  station  agent,  H. 
Duree ;  postmaster,  T.  J.  Atwood. 


Similar  to  Stanwood  in  its  general  surround- 
ings and  in  the  nature  of  the  occupations  to  which 
it  is  open  is  the  village  of  Florence.  This  pleasant 
little  place  is  located  upon  the  south  bank  of  the 
Stillaguamish  river  three  and  a  half  miles  by  boat 
and  two  miles  by  road  east  of  Stanwood.  It  is  lo- 
cated upon  what  may  be  called  the  delta  of  the 
river  created  by  the  sediment  brought  down  through 
ages  by  that  stream  and  by  the  spreading  channels 
with  which  it  enters  the  waters  oi  the  sound.  A 
few  miles  above  Florence  the  main  river  divides 
and  a  channel  known  as  Hat  slough  leaves  it  toward 
the  South.  A  little  below  Florence  the  river  is  again 
divided,  what  is  known  as  South  slough  parting 
from  it.  Thus  between  the  main  river  and  the  two 
sloughs  and  the  waters  of  the  sound  lies  a  beautifLil 
and  fertile  island.  This  is  known  as  Florence  island. 
The  town  of  Florence  is  at  the  head  of  regular 
steamboat  navigation  on  the  Stillaguamish  river. 

The  town  of  Florence  has  the  distinction  of  oc- 
cupying a  site  upon  the  first  claim  ever  taken  on  the 
Stillaguamish  river,  that  of  Harry  Marshall  in  the 
year  1864.     In  186G  James  H.  Perkins  came  to  the 
!  «ame  point  to  take  charge  of  the  pioneer  logging- 
camp  of  Reynold  and  Duvall,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  he  purchased  Marshall's  right  and  became  a 
permanent  resident  of  the  place.     He  is  still  living 
i  there.    Mr.  Perkins  at  one  time  platted  a  town  site, 
1  but  this  was  subsequently  recalled  and  the  village 
has  grown  without  any  regular  town  lots. 

By  reason  of  its  convenient  and  pleasant  location 
Mr.  Perkins'  claim  and  others  which  were  soon 
taken  adjoining  seemed  to  invite  the  creation  of  a 
I  business  center,  but  not  until  1884  did  any  one  take 
j  advantage  of  the  opening  offered.  In  that  year 
F.  E.  Norton  erected  a  store  and  warehouse  and 
brought  in  an  excellent  stock  of  goods.  At  the  same 
time  the  postoffice  was  established,  with  Mr.  Norton 
as  postmaster.  It  is  said  that  the  name  of  Florence, 
which  he  applied  to  the  place,  was  that  of  his  old 
sweetheart.  In  the  fall  of  1884  a  hotel  known  as  the 
Corinth  was  built  by  Messrs.  Coltenbaugh  &  Car- 
rins.  At  about  the  same  time  Messrs.  Oually,  Ole 
Nass,  James  Hall,  Hans  Lawsons  and  Captain  Mar- 
vin erected  comfortable  dwelling  houses.  In  1885 
Mr.  Perkins  built  the  Florence  hotel.  The  excellent 
business  which  Mr.  Norton  had  inaugurated  in 
Florence  was  purchased  by  Jasper  Still  in  1888,  and 
he  sold  out  in  turn  a  year  later  to  the  present  owner, 
E.  A.  Hevly. 

During  the  decades  of  the  eighties  and  nineties 
much  of  the  land  adjoining  the  town  of  Florence 
was  cleared  of  the  stumps  which  had  been  left  there 
by  the  operations  of  loggers,  and  small  and  well 
tilled  farms  succeeded.  Also  the  tide  lands  were 
j  diked  and  cleared  and  brought  into  a  high  state  of 
j  productiveness.  There  has  seldom  been  any  injury 
to  these  lands  by  flooding,  and  the  lot  of  the  farmers 


CITIES    AXD    TOWNS 


there  is  an  unusually  pleasant  one.  Enormous  crops 
of  oats  and  hay  are  produced,  the  oats  yielding  an 
average  of  a  hundred  bushels  to  the  acre.  In  late 
years  cattle  raising  and  butter  making  has  become 
a  prominent  industry  and  many  of  the  ranchers 
have  large  herds  of  the  choicest  grades  of  cattle. 
Almost  every  farm  upon  the  island  may  be  reached 
by  the  steamboats  that  ply  upon  the  sloughs  and 
hence  the  transportation  question  is  solved  without 
any  further  difficulty. 

A  number  of  important  shingle  mills  are  con- 
tiguous to  Florence  and  bring  much  business  to  the 
place.  Of  these  we  may  mention  the  shingle  mill 
of  John  Hall,  of  Manley  &  Church  and  the  Florence 
shingle  mill,  which  together  make  three  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  shingles  a  day.  At  the 
western  end  of  Florence  island  Port  Susan  bay  is 
located  the  Port  Susan  logging  company,  which 
employs  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  operates  a 
steam  railroad  with  three  locomotives.  Florence  is 
the  headquarters  tor  the  supplies  of  this  company. 
At  the  present  time  the  following  are  the  business 
men  of  Florence :  J.  H.  Perkins,  proprietor  of  the 
Florence  hotel ;  E.  A.  Hevly,  general  merchandise 
store;  Walter  J.  Hogan  and  J.  H.  Perkins,  saloons; 
Joseph  Dolph,  barber  shop;  John  Heeney,  black- 
smith ;  Peter  Satra,  livery  stable ;  Alexander  Rob- 
ertson, Justice  of  the  Peace,  a  position  which  he  has 
held  for  fifteen  years ;  S.  A.  Satrum,  postmaster. 
Florence  has  the  advantage  of  a  large  public  hall, 
which  is  owned  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Perkins.  There  is  a 
regular  stage  line  making  two  trips  a  day  to  Stan- 
wood,  of  which  Peter  Satra  is  the  proprietor. 

There  are  two  well-built  little  churches  in  the 
town,  the  Methodist  and  the  Lutheran,  which  are 
ministered  to  in  both  cases  by  the  pastors  resident 
at  Stanwood. 

Florence  has  an  excellent  school  with  a  good 
building,  built  in  the  early  nineties  and  having  re- 
ceived an  addition  during  the  last  year.  The  teach- 
ers are  Mrs.  R.  A.  Small,  principal,  and  Mrs.  L.  J. 
Havens,  and  Miss  Kristine  Thomle,  assistants.  It 
is  recalled  by  the  old  settlers  that  the  first  school  in 
the  neighborhood  was  taught  by  Kate  Bradley  in  a 
little  house  on  the  Sly  farm. 

In  the  beauty  of  its  location  and  in  the  constantly 
developing  country  about  it  and  in  the  growing  in- 
terests of  lumbering  and  navigation  which  center 
there,  as  well  as  the  progressive  social  and  mental 
life  of  the  people,  the  village  of  Florence  may  be 
considered  as  a  genuine  American  community. 


One  of  the  very  oldest  towns  in  Snohomish 
county,  Mukilteo  is  well  known  to  all  pioneers  of 
Puget  sound.  Its  splendid  location  on  salt  water 
for  years  encouraged  the  hope  and  expectation  that 
it  must  certainly  become  a  city  of  no  little  magni- 
tude and  importance,  but  circumstances  have  been 


against  it  from  the  beginning  and  so  far  all  its 
aspirations  for  great  things  have  been  disappointed. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  the  Puget 
sound  country  is  still  in  its  infancy  and  that  the  fu- 
ture of  any  town  with  a  frontage  on  a  good  harbor, 
while  it  cannot  be  clearly  seen,  is  yet  perceived  to  be 
a  wearer  of  bright  and  glowing  colors. 

The  founders  of  Mukilteo  were  J.  D.  Fowler  and 
Morris  H.  Frost  ,who  formed  a  partnership  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  a  general  business  where  the 
town  now  is  before  Snohomish  county  was  organ- 
ized. Frost  was  a  custom  house  officer  at  Port 
Townsend.  In  traveling  over  the  sound  in  discharge 
of  his  duties,  he  noticed  the  many  points  in  favor 
of  this  spot  as  a  site  for  a  town.  He  called  the  at- 
tention of  Fowler,  who  was  then  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness at  Ebey's  Landing,  on  Whidby  island,  to  the 
opportunities  there  presented,  and  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  him  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  gen- 
eral store,  hotel  and  saloon  business  at  that  point. 
Frost  took  the  land  which  forms  the  site  of  the  town 
and  Fowler  a  claim  adjoining  him  on  the  north. 
They  went  to  work  at  once  and  soon  had  some 
rough  buildings  erected.  That  in  which  the  store 
was  kept  remained  on  its  original  site  until  1890, 
when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  In  its  stead  was  built 
a  large  frame  structure,  which  is  still  in  use  as  a 
saloon.  The  original  hotel  building  is  standing  at 
this  date,  forming  a  part  of  the  present  postoffice 
building. 

Frost  &  Fowler,  besides  conducting  a  general 
hotel,  merchandise  and  saloon  business,  also  en- 
gaged in  logging  and  fishing  and  some  time  in  the 
middle  sixties  erected  a  brewery,  which  was  burned 
about  1883,  and  was  never  rebuilt.  For  many  years 
Frost  &  Fowler  shipped  beer,  berries,  fish  and  ice 
from  the  Snohomish  river  to  all  points  on  the  sound 
in  their  three  sailing  vessels,  the  Tibbals,  the  Pigeon 
and  the  Gazelle.  Fowler  was  the  active  partner  of 
the  firm.  Frost  coming  to  Mukilteo  only  occasion- 
ally during  the  early  years,  though  later  he  lived 
there. 

The  original  name  of  the  place  was  Point  El- 
liott, but  when  Mr.  Fowler  came  he  renamed  it 
"Mukilteo,"  which  in  the  local  Indian  language 
means  "good  camping  ground."  A  town  was  platted 
along  the  water  front  about  1861,  but  the  plat  was 
never  recorded  and  is  believed  lO  be  lost.  The 
original,  recorded  plat  was  filed  by  Louis  K.  Church 
and  wife  in  June,  1890. 

Mukilteo's  first  telegraph  office  came  as  early 
as  1864,  when  the  line  was  built  northward  from 
Seattle  to  Whatcom.  Mr.  Fowler  was  the  first  post- 
master. His  commission  was  issued  by  Postmaster 
General  Montgomery  Blair,  June  24:,  1862,  and  it  re- 
cites that  Jacob  D.  Fowler  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Mukilteo,  county  of  Snohomish,  Wash- 
ington territory,  and  took  the  oath  of  office  March 
26,  1862.  Fowler  continued  to  serve  as  postmaster 
until  1891,   when    he    was    succeeded  by  William 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


Hazard.  L.  H.  Foster  was  Hazard's  successor  and 
on  April  5,  1898,  he  handed  the  office  over  to  Mrs. 
Louisa  Sinclair,  daughter  of  J.  D.  T'owler.  The 
postoffice  has  therefore  been  in  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Fowler  or  a  member  of  his  family  from  18G2  to  the 
present  date,  except  for  one  comparatively  short 
period. 

One  of  the  promising  industries  of  the  early 
days  at  Mukilteo  was  a  salmon  cannery,  put  up  on 
the  point  by  George  Myers  &  Company  in  1877. 
It  is  said  that  this  cannery  proved  a  fair  success, 
until  the  heavy  snows  of  the  winter  of  1877-8  broke 
down  the  structure,  when  the  plant  was  removed  to 
Seattle.  It  is  claimed  to  have  been  the  i)ioneer  can- 
nery of  Pit  ■■-'i  sound. 

Some  five  years  later,  a  company  headed  by 
Frank  Tuttle  erected  another  cannery  at  Mukilteo, 
larger  than  the  Myers  plant  and  much  better 
equipped,  but  it,  too,  moved  away  after  successful 
operation  for  two  seasons. 

About  the  yeai  1877,  Frost  &  Fowler  became 
somewhat  involved  financially,  owing  to  the  prevail- 
ing hard  times,  and  their  property  was  placed  in 
the  hands  of  M.  V.  B.  Stacey,  of  Seattle,  as  trustee. 
George  Myers,  who  was  formerly  in  charge  of  the 
pioneer  cannery,  rucceeded  the  old  firm  as  store 
keeper  and  hotel  proprietor.  Stacey  made  an  effort 
to  build  up  the  town,  whose  fortunes  were  waning 
rapidly  at  the  time,  hut  had  no  permanent  success 
and  the  old  town  mnde  no  progress  to  speak  of  for 
many  years. 

In  18!)()  Mukilteo  had  quite  a  boom,  owing  partly 
to  the  general  industrial  revival  which  followed  the 
admission  of  the  territory  to  statehood,  but  more 
directly  to  its  prospects  of  becoming  the  Puget 
sound  terminal  of  the  transcontinental  railroad. 
Several  additions  were  platted  and  much  land  was 
sold,  but  the  town  was  once  more  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment. Furthermore  in  1891,  the  Port  Gard- 
ner boom  connnenced,  resulting  in  the  rapid  up- 
building of  the  city  of  Everett  and  taking  away  from 
the  ancient  town  all  hope  of  a  rapid  development  in 
the  near  future.  The  people  were  left  just  as  they 
had  been  before  the  dawn  of  the  railway  era,  de- 
pendent almost  entirely  upon  the  fishing  and  logging 
industries. 

For  many  years  prior  to  1903,  the  population 
of  Mukilteo  did  not  exceed  seventy-five  or  eighty, 
but  in  the  year  mentioned  the  Mukilteo  Lumber 
Company  erected  and  began  operating  a  large  saw- 
mill, causing  a  rapid  increase  in  the  number  of  resi- 
dents of  the  place.  The  present  population  is  about 
two  hundred  whites  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  Jap- 
anese, most  of  whom  are  employed  in  the  mill.'  This 
large  institution  naturally  brought  new  buildings 
and  new  business  houses  and  gave  a  decided  im- 
petus to  general  progress.  At  the  time  of  the 
writer's  visit  (September  11,  lOOn,)  three  ships 
were  loading  in  the  harbor,  one  of  tlicni  a  great  irun 
freighter  from  London,  England. 


It  is  fitting  to  add  a  further  word  regarding  this 
mammoth  mill.  It  is  not  inferior  in  size  to  any  on 
the  sound,  its  capacity  being  two  hundred  thousand 
feet  in  ten  hours.  It  is  also  equipped  for  manufac- 
turing all  the  Li-products,  such  as  lath,  etc. ;  indeed 
it  is  one  of  the  most  modern  in  its  appointments  as 
well  as  one  of  the  largest  in  all  the  world.  The 
company  is  officered  by  M.  J.  Clark,  president;  E. 
A.  Nickerson,  vice-president,  manager  and  treas- 
urer and  O.  B.  Whitney,  secretary. 

There  is  another  saw-mill  at  Mukilteo,  that  of 
Ira  Heath,  which,  though  small,  adds  its  contribu- 
tion to  the  prosperity  of  the  town.  The  leading 
general  store  is  that  of  the  Mukiltoe  Mercantile 
Company  (Gilkey  &  Runkel),  who  established  their 
business  May  1,  1904,  succeeding  the  Mukilteo 
Lumber  Company,  which  had  previously  kept  a 
store  for  the  convenience  of  its  employees.  Other 
business  establishments  are:  Meat  market,  Mc- 
F.eath  &  Russell;  barber  shop,  W.  O.  McAllister; 
candies  and  notions,  J.  P.  Brennan ;  general  mer- 
chandise, N.  J.  Smith;  three  hotels,  confectionery, 
cigars,  etc.,  Dan  Wood;  real  estate,  M.  W.  Smith. 
.\.  D.  Brooks  is  in  charge  of  the  railway  station. 

The  Mukiltoe  public  school  district  was  organ- 
ized in  May,  1874,  and  a  young  man  named  Rogers 
was  its  first  teacher.  During  the  boom  days  a  mag- 
nificent, three-story  frame  school,  one  of  the  hand- 
somest in  Snohomish  county,  and  one  large  enough 
for  a  town  of  two  thou.sand  inhabitants,  was  erected. 
It  is  now  used  as  a  lodge  room,  church  and  public 
hall  as  well  as  for  school  purposes. 


There  are  few  niorr  |)iclnresi|iu'ly  sitnate<l  vil- 
lages in  the  sound  country  llian  index,  it  lies  along 
the  overland  route  of  the  (ireat  Northern  immedi- 
ately above  the  junction  of  the  north  and  south 
forks  of  the  Skykomish  rivers,  at  the  very  base  of 
the  Cascades.  Here  the  Skykomish  valley  is  quite 
narrow  and,  shut  in  by  the  gradually  rising  hills,  and 
with  its  heavy  t-mber,  dense  foliage  and  dashing 
mountain  stream,  is  alike  attractive  to  the  home- 
builder  and  the  sportsman.  During  the  summer 
season  this  region  is  frequented  by  hosts  of  recrea- 
tion seekers. 

But  scenery  and  climate  are  not  Index's  only 
assets.  Besides  being  the  home  of  two  large  mills 
engaged  in  cutting  lumber  and  shingles,  it  is  the 
headquarters  of  the  Index  and  Silver  creek  mining 
districts,  which  contribute  not  a  little  to  the  support 
of  the  town.  At  the  present  time  a  Seattle  syndi- 
cate, the  Mineral  City  Power  and  Transportation 
Company,  is  planning  to  tap  the  latter  district  and 
the  immense  body  of  timber  lying  on  the  north  fork 
of  the  Skykomish  and  its  branches  with  an  electric 
railway.  Engineers  are  now  in  the  field  under  the 
direct  supervision  of  the  president,  O.  O.  Rowland, 
who  expects  to  begin  construction  work  before  the 


CITIES   AND   TOWNS 


vear  1905  comes  to  a  close.  The  opening  of  this 
rich  mining  district  will  undoubtedly  cause  a  healthy- 
business  revival. 

Amos  D.  Gunn,  the  founder  of  Index,  came  to 
the  site  in  April,  ]8;»0,  and  upon  the  ground  where 
his  residence  now  stands  opened  a  little  way  sta- 
tion for  the  benefit  of  travelers,  miners  and  claim 
seekers.  The  following  spring  he  filed  on  seven 
placer  claims  lying  at  the  forks  of  the  river,  upon 
which  the  town  of  Index  was  platted,  April  '.^4, 
18!)3,  by  Amos  D.  and  Persis  E.  Gunn,  after  patents 
had  been  issued  to  Mr.  Gunn.  He  also  secured  a 
postofifice  in  the  spring  of  1891,  becoming  the  first 
postmaster.  After  the  line  of  the  Great  Northern 
had  been  definitelv  determined,  considerable  activ- 
ity began  to  manifest  itself  at  Index,  which  shortly 
became  a  construction  depot  and  the  home  of  a  small 
mill  engaged  in  sawing  ties  and  bridge  timbers. 
The  railroad  reached  Index  from  the  west  in  Oc- 
tober, lS9"i,  and  the  following  February  through 
connection  with  Spokane  was  established  by  a  junc- 
tion of  the  rails  at  Madison  hot  springs,  just  west 
of  the  summit.  After  platting  the  town,  j\lr.  Gunn 
sold  a  half  interest  to  the  Everett  Terminal  Land 
and  Milling  Company,  whose  successors  still  retain 
what  is  left  of  that  portion.  That  corporation  be- 
came involved  in  litigation  as  a  result  of  the  finan- 
cial panic  of  1893  and  for  many  years  its  affairs 
were  sadly  entangled,  but  they  have  now  been  ad- 
justed. 

The  original  Gunn  hotel  was  burned  July  22, 
1893,  together  with  every  building  in  the  town  ex- 
cept the  depot.  Mr.  Gunn  then  built  the  Hotel  In- 
dex, in  which  he  also  maintained  a  small  store. 
During  the  next  four  years  this  combination  busi- 
ness constituted  the  commercial  portion  of  the  town, 
but  in  189T  Andrew  I.  Indredson  put  in  a  general 
store,  and  shortly  afterward  came  a  saloon.  Fol- 
lowing the  opening  in  1898  of  the  well  known  Cop- 
per Bell  and  Sunset  copper  mines  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Index  came  a  decided  boom  period  for 
tliat  section.  It  is  estimated  that  fully  a  thousand 
prospectors  and  miners  made  Index  headquarters 
that  summer,  the  town  becoming  a  vast  field  of 
tents  and  shacks — a  typical  frontier  mining  camp. 
That  year  witnessed  the  establishment  of  John  A. 
Soderberg's  general  store,  now  owned  by  Baitingcr 
cS:  Ulrichs,  Isaac  Korn's  drug  store,  the  building  of 
the  Bush  and  Grand  Pacific  hotels  and  the  erection 
of  a  saw-mill  by  a  man  named  Haybrook. 

In  November,  1902,  the  town  received- a  seriotis 
setback.  About  half  past  three  o'clock  one  Satur- 
day morning,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  Sunset  lodging 
house,  conducted  by  Harry  Hoback  above  his  sa- 
loon. Six  men  were  sleeping  in  the  hotel,  all  of 
whom  managed  to  escape  except  James  Kelly, 
whose  body  was  fcund  among  the  ruins.  As  near 
as  the  facts  could  be  ascertained  by  the  coroner, 
Kelly  had  retired  late  on  the  previous  evening, 
thoroughly  tired  out  by  a  walk  from  the  mines  at 


Galena.  He  had  evidently  started  for  the  stairway 
upon  being  awakened,  but  was  suffocated  before 
effecting  his  escape.  Besides  the  Sunset  lodging- 
house,  E.  Saindon"s  barber  shop,  the  Korn  drug 
store,  C.  R.  Reckling's  assay  office  and  a  restaurant 
building  owned  by  L.  H.  Foster,  of  Mukilteo,  were 
destroyed. 

At  the  present  time  Index  has  a  population  of 
between  two  and  three  hundred,  though  during  the 
summer  season  there  is  a  large  floating  population 
also.  The  past  two  years  have  witnessed  an  in- 
crease of  at  least  fifty  per  cent,  in  the  growth  of  the 
town  with  excellent  prospects  of  this  rapid  growth 
continuing.  A  small  but  complete  water  works  sys- 
tem was  installed  by  John  E.  Soderberg  two  years 
ago,  water  being  obtained  from  a  spring  north  of 
town  and  carried  in  eight  inch  mains.  Incorpora- 
tion will  probably  be  the  next  move  of  importance. 
The  larger  of  the  two  mills  is  that  owned  by  Syl- 
vester Smith  and  located  in  the  town  limits.  It  is  a 
combination  saw  and  shingle  plant  of  forty  thousand 
feet  lumber  capacity,  and  perhaps  sixty  thousand 
shingles  daily,  erected  in  1901.  Mr.  Smith  is  now 
preparing  to  install  a  lighting  plant  to  supply  his 
mill  and  the  town.  The  other  mill  saws  lumber 
only,  its  capacity  being  about  25,000  feet  a  day.  It, 
too^  was  erected  in  1904.  H.  J.  Miller,  of  Chehalis, 
is  owner  and  manager.  In  addition  to  these  indus- 
tries, John  O.  Soderberg  operates  a  granite  quarry 
along  the  Great  Northern,  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
below  town,  in  which  seventy  men  arc  employed 
most  of  the  time.  This  quarry  is  nov.  engaged  in 
supplying  material  for  the  construction  of  the  new 
federal  building  in  Seattle.  The  remaining  business 
institutions  are  as  follows :  General  store,  Baitin- 
ger  &  Ulrich ;  grocery  and  meats,  C.  E.  Lewis ; 
drugs  and  assay  office,  C.  R.  Redding;  hotels,  the 
lUish,  C.  N.  Bush  proprietor.  Index,  H.  E.  Johnson 
proprietor,  and  Grand  Pacific,  Mrs.  Julia  Russell, 
]5roprietress ;  confectionery,  Ross  Phillips ;  station 
:  agent,  T.  A.  Skalley;  po.s'toffice,  Miss  P.  E.  Gunn, 
postmistress.  The  Index  Miner,  published  by  C.  W. 
Gorham,  of  Snohomish,  is  a  valuable  little  paper, 
now  in  its  seventh  volume. 

In    1892   the   Index   school   district,   road   district 

j  and  voting  precinct  were  established,  but  not  until 

j  the  spring  of  1891  do  we  find  record  of  the  holding 

of  a  term  of  school.    At  that  time  Miss  Lena  Gunn 

commenced  teaching  in  a  portion  of  the  dwelling 

now  occupied  by  R.  C.  Van  Vechtan,  and  taught 

two    successive    terms.      The    present    school-house 

I  was  erected  in  1899  at  a  cost  of  $400,  and  in  it  forty 

pupils  are  now  registered,  the  teachers  being  Mrs. 

Belle  Dermady  and  Miss  Clara  Beach.     The  Con- 

gregationalists,  who  are  now  engaged  in  building  a 

chapel,  have  held  regular  services  in  Index  for  the 

'  past  year  and  a  halt.    The  town's  public  hall,  erected 

I  by  the  Red  Men  three  years  ago  at  a  cost  of  $2,000, 

is  a  handsome,  substantial  structure  that  is  a  credit 

both  to  the  order  and  to  the  community. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Charles  Niemeyer,  Sr.,  one  of  the  earliest  pio- 
neers of  the  Pilchuck  valley,  is  the  man  who  secured 
from  the  United  States  government  title  to  the  land 
upon  which  the  town  of  Machias  has  been  built. 
Mr.  Niemeyer  was  one  of  a  number  of  men  who  in 
1877  surveyed  the  township  in  which  it  it  located, 
namely.  Township  29  north.  Range  6.  He  filed  upon 
this  land  the  following  year.  At  this  date  there  was 
not  a  road  up  Pilchuck  worthy  the  name,  much  less 
a  railroad,  and  the  time  when  the  conveniences  of 
civilization  would  be  enjoyed  by  the  Pilchuck  pio- 
neers seemed  indeed  remote.  Before  locating  his 
family  upon  their  new  home,  Mr.  Niemeyer  assisted 
his  neighbors,  Horace  Andrus  and  W.  A.  Clark,  in 
cutting  out  a  possible  road  up  the  valley,  and  over 
this  he  brought  his  household  goods  and  small  chil- 
dren in  a  sleigh  drawn  by  oxen.  The  white  popula- 
tion of  the  valley  at  this  time  consisted  of  Messrs. 
Niemeyer,  Clark  and  Andriis,  already  mentioned, 
the  two  Dubuques,  Gregory  and  Fred  Foss,  but 
there  were  many  Indians,  especially  just  across  the 
Pilchuck  from  Mr.  Clark's,  where  there  was  a  large 
camp.  A  little  later  the  country  began  settling  quite 
rapidly,  among  these  who  came  being  the  Granite 
Falls  pioneers  and  a  German  settlement  near  Hart- 
ford, and  long  afterward,  when  the  building  of  the 
railroad  became  a  certainty,  every  available  acre 
was  speedily  appropriated. 

The  contract  by  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niemeyer 
granted  the  right  of  way  to  the  railroad  company 
was  executed  October  4,  1888.  The  road  was  built 
soon  after  that  date  and  early  in  1890  the  town  was 
started  by  L.  W.  Getchell  and  others,  who  bought 
for  the  purpose  eighty  acres  of  land  from  Mr.  Nie- 
meyer. 

Before  this  time,  a  postoffice  named  Rudd  had 
been  established  in  the  vicinity  and  a  store  was 
maintained  by  C.  B.  Miller,  but  the  first  business 
house  opened  in  the  town  proper  was  the  grocery 
and  supply  store  of  A.  Sapp,  who,  for  a  number  of 
years,  enjoyed  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  writer  was  in  his  place  of 
business  in  1896,  and  distinctly  remembers  that 
though  the  country  was  then  just  emerging  from  a 
four-year  period  of  great  financial  depression,  Mr. 
Sapp  and  his  assistants  were  rushed  with  work  fill- 
ing orders  that  were  pouring  in  upon  them. 

Of  course,  one  of  the  first  essentials  of  an  am- 
bitious new  town  in  a  timber  country  is  a  saloon, 
and  Machias  was  not  long  without  its  vendor  of 
grog.  A  blacksmith  shop,  another  prime  requisite, 
was  early  started  by  Samuel  Cox.  The  main  sup- 
port of  the  town  was  the  logging  and  shingle  manu- 
facturing industries,  both  of  which  received  a 
mighty  impetus  from  the  building  of  the  railroad, 
but  the  dull  times  which  followed  so  hard  upon  the 
starting  of  Machias  prevented  it  from  securing  the 
splendid  early  development  which  it  might  otherwise 


have  had.  Mr.  Sapp's  first  competitor  in  the  mer- 
cantile business,  aside  from  a  very  small  candy 
store,  was  A.  H.  Boyd,  who,  after  a  few  years,  was 
succeeded  by  W.  H.  Moore.  The  third  general 
store  was  started  by  one  Frank  Smith,  who  went  out 
of  business  after  trying  it  for  a  year  or  more. 
George  C.  Thomas  succeeded  him,  but  he  also  re- 
tired after  a  brief  experience,  leaving  the  field  open 
for  Frank  King,  who  is  in  the  grocery  business  in 
Machias  at  this  date. 

It  is  believed  that  the  first  hotel  was  kept  by 
Samuel  Long  in  connection  with  a  saloon,  but  very 
early  in  the  history  of  Machias  came  Mrs.  Frances 
Miller,  who  opened  a  hotel  in  a  building  belonging 
to  Mr.  Sapp.  This  hotel  is  still  maintained,  though 
it  is  now  in  the  hands  of  another  proprietress. 

At  the  present  writing  there  is  within  the  limits 
of  Machias  the  business  houses  of  W.  H.  Moore, 
dealer  in  dry  goods  and  notions ;  of  A.  Sapp,  dealer 
in  groceries,  hardware,  boots  and  shoes,  etc. ;  of  F. 
King,  grocer;  the  restaurant  of  Mrs.  Ed.  Rogers: 
the  Hotel  Machias,  Mrs.  Flora  Curry,  proprietress; 
the  blacksmith  shop  of  James  Haze ;  the  meat  mar- 
ket of  Nathan  Carpenter ;  the  Machias  athletic  hall ; 
a  Congregational  church,  R.  H.  Parker,  pastor;  a 
two-room  school-house,  in  which  last  year  R.  H. 
Britton  and  John  St.  John  presided  as  teachers  ;  two 
saloons  and  a  barber  shop  recently  established. 

There  is  a  very  considerable  population  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Machias,  employed  in  the  mills 
and  camps.  The  m.ain  reliance  of  the  town  is  lum- 
bering. John  Anderson  &  Sons  have  a  shingle  mill 
near ;  the  Bolcom  Bartlett  Mill  Company  has  three 
mills  not  far  from  town,  and  about  a  mile  away  is 
the  Hulbert  Lumber  Company's  logging  camp, 
which  employs  some  thirty  men.  Saturday  even- 
ings, after  the  work  of  the  week  is  done,  the  shingle 
weavers  and  lumber  men  flock  into  Machias,  making 
it  a  very  lively  place  for  the  time  being. 


This  thrifty  little  industrial  center,  along  the  main 
line  of  the  Great  Northern  four  miles  above  Sultan 
City,  is  one  of  the  rapidly  growing  towns  of  the 
Skykomish  valley.  It  is  the  home  of  the  Wallace 
Lumber  and  Manufacturing  Company,  which  is 
operating  one  of  the  most  complete  milling  plants 
in  the  county  and  has  a  monthly  payroll  of  approxi- 
mately nine  thousand  dollars,  and  employs  in  all 
departments  an  average  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
men.  With  this  extensive  industry  as  its  main  sup- 
port and  the  commerce  drawn  from  a  steadily  in- 
creasing agricultural  community.  Startup,  or  Wal- 
lace, as  it  is  also  named,  has  gained  the  reputation 
of  being  a  substantial  and  prosperous  place. 

For  ten  years  prior  to  1899  Startup  consisted  of 
merely  a  trading  hamlet.  Along  in  the  middle 
eighties  F.  M.  Sparlin  homesteaded  the  site,  erect- 
ing a  dwelling  large  enough  to  serve  as  a  way  sta- 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS 


tion  for  travelers  up  and  down  the  valley.    In  1889 
John  F.  Stretch  arrived  and  established  a  store  with 
hotel   in   connection;    with   his   wife   and   William 
Wait  he  dedicated  the  town-site  March  21,  1890; 
a  little  later  A.  C.  Reeves  put  up  another  store  and  i 
hotel  and  these  establishments  constituted  the  prin- 
cipal  business   part    of    Wallace    when   the   Great 
Northern  came  through  in  1892.     The  succeeding 
financial  stringency  set  the  village  back  to  one  store 
and  Sparlin's  place,  the  former  being  conducted  by  | 
H.  J.  Langfit,  successor  to  Mr.  Stretch.    The  build-  j 
ing  of  the  saw-mill  at  Wallace  in  1899  inaugurated  i 
a  new  era  in  the  town's  history,  and  as  that  enter- 
prise has  expanded  from  time  to  time  the  town  has 
enjoyed  a   proportionate  expansion. 

The  business  of  the  town  is  done  b'y  the  follow-  | 
ing  establishments  :    The  plant  of  the  Wallace  Lum- 
ber and  Manufacturing  Company,  including  a  saw-  ! 
mill  with  sixty  thousand  feet  capacity,  shingle  milt  ' 
with  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  capacity,  plan- 
ing and  lath  mills,  all  but  the  first  named  occupying 
yards  within  the  town  limits ;    two  general  stores, 
those  of  T.  E.  Lewis  and  Armstrong  &  Burkhold, 
the  former  being  the  older ;    two  hotels,  the  Forty- 
five,  conducted  by  F.  M.  Sparlin,  the  original  owner  , 
of  the  town-site,  and  the  Wallace,  built  three  years  \ 
ago  by  J.  R.  Giddings ;   W.  J.  Webster's  meat  mar- 
ket, established  in  1901 ;    a  livery  stable,  owned  by 
J.  R.  Giddings  also:    L.  L.  Ramala's  jewelry  store; 
C.  D.  Shaw's  blacksmith  shop ;   two  confectioneries 
owned  by  Combs  &  Lewis  and  H.  G.  Cinnamon  re- 
spectively ;  and  a  barber  shop,  conducted  by  the  lat- 
ter gentleman.     Mr.  Lewis,  a  pioneer  of  1891,  is 
also  postmaster. 

Two  churches  and  a  good  school  promote  the 
moral,  educational  and  social  welfare  of  Startup. 
Of  the  churches,  the  Methodist  is  the  older,  having 
been  erected  in  1898 ;  its  present  pastor  is  Rev. 
H.  C.  Wilson.  The  Baptist  house  of  worship  was 
erected  in  1901  and  is  presided  over  by  Rev.  Adolph 
Guenther.  In  1893  the  main  portion  of  the  present 
neat  school-house  was  erected,  superseding  a  small 
shack.  Two  additions  have  since  been  added,  the 
last  in  1904,  giving  the  building  four  rooms. 

Down  to  the  year  1901  the  postoffice  and  rail- 
road station  bore  the  name^of  Wallace,  but  trouble 
caused  by  confusing  it  with  Wallace,  Idaho,  at  that 
time  led  the  depaitment  to  suggest  to  the  citizens 
the  adoption  of  another  name.  This  they  did,  choos- 
ing Startup  in  recognition  of  the  part  their  fellow 
townsman,  the  manager  of  the  mills,  had  taken  in 
upbuilding  the  town. 

MONTE  CRISTO 

The  business  center  of  the  rich  mining  district 
in  eastern  Snohomish  from  which  it  takes  its  name 
is  Monte  Cristo,  a  small,  picturesque  village  buried 
in  the  heart  of  the  Cascade  range.  Notwithstand- 
ing its  isolated  location,  at  an  altitude  of  four  thous- 


and feet  above  sea  level,  a  standard  gauge  railroad 
connects  it  with  the  outside  world,  the  Monte  Cristo 
branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific.  Three  trains  ar- 
rive and  depart  each  week  at  present. 

Monte  Cristo's  founding  was  contemporane- 
ous with  the  beginnings  of  active  development  in 
the  district  in  1891.  That  summer  a  postoffice  was 
established  with  Owen  McDevitt  as  postmaster. 
The  Monte  Cristo  Mercantile  Company,  A.  J.  Ag- 
new  manager,  opened  the  pioneer  store  in  the  old 
log  cabin  still  standing  just  east  of  the  present  store, 
and  the  Monte  Cristo  Alining  Company  built  a  hotel, 
the  Monte  Cristo,  which  stood  back  of  the  Royal 
hotel.  A  saw-mill  was  also  installed  by  the  mining 
company  near  the  hotel  and  store.  The  next  season 
Jacob  Cohen  opened  another  hotel,  the  Pride,  and 
a  number  of  other  business  enterprises  were  insti- 
tuted. With  the  arrival  of  the  railroad  in  1893,  the 
building  of  an  immense  concentrator  and  heavy 
work  at  the  mines,  the  town  attained  a  population 
of  perhaps  four  hundred. 

February  24,  1893,  is  the  date  upon  which  the 
town-site  was  formally  dedicated  by  Joseph  L. 
Colby  as  president  and  Charles  F.  Rand  as  secretary 
of  the  Monte  Cnsto  Mining  Company.  One  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six  lots  were  laid  out  on  portions 
of  Junction  Placer  claims  Nos.  one,  two  and  three 
at  the  junction  of  Glacier  and  Seventy-six  creeks. 
This  place  is  probably  the  nearest  approach  to  a 
flat  there  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mines  and  works, 
and  that  is  more  accurately  described  as  a  rolling 
hillside. 

The  fortunes  of  the  town  have  varied  in  sym- 
pathy with  those  of  the  camp  and  need  not  be  en- 
tered into  here  as  they  have  been  fully  treated  else- 
where. W^ith  the  revival  of  extensive  operations  now 
being  inaugurated,  Monte  Cristo's  business  enter- 
prises will  likewise  expand,  keeping  pace  with  the 
prosperity  of  its  only  supporting  industry. 

At  present  the  Monte  Cristo  Mercantile  Com- 
pany, of  which  J.  M.  Kyes  is  manager,  maintains  a 
large  general  store ;  Jacob  Cohen  and  Mrs.  Sheedy 
are  proprietors  of  a  most  excellent  modern  hotel, 
the  Royal;  besides  which  the  town  has  a  saloon 
and  a  barber  shop.  A  comfortable  little  school- 
house  is  in  charge  of  Miss  Francis  Moncrief,  five 
pupils  being  the  enrollment. 


Silverton  lies  on  the  Monte  Cristo  branch  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  in  the  heart  of  the  Silverton  min- 
ing district,  which  has  been  described  at  length  in 
the  chapter  dealing  with  the  mines.  As  with  Monte 
Cristo,  the  history  of  the  town  is  practically  iden- 
tical with  that  of  the  district.  At  present  the  busi- 
ness of  the  town  consists  of  two  general  stores,  Will 
McDonough's  and  O.  L.  Lee's ;  two  hotels,  the  Sil- 
verton. of  which  Robert  Murray  is  proprietor,  and 
that  of  D.  N.  Price;  and  three  saloons.  Robert 
McDonough   is  postmaster.     There  is  also  a  tele- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


graph  and  express  office  at  Silverton.  A  thriving 
school  is  maintained  with  Miss  Hogg  as  teacher. 

Shortly  after  the  first  prospects  were  opened  in 
1891,  a  meeting  was  held  by  the  miners  at  whicH 
the  district  was  christened  the  Stillaguamish  Mining 
District  and  the  settlement  Silverton,  the  date  of  this 
meeting  being  August  26,  1891.  The  following  win- 
ter a  town-site  was  established  by  Qiarles  McKen- 
zie,  Parker  McKenzie,  J.  B.  Carrothers,  William 
Whitten  and  John  F.  Birney,  and  the  fortunes  of 
the  place  since  have  risen  and  fallen  with  those  of 
the  mines,  upon  which  the  inhabitants  depend  almost 
entirely  for  their  support.  Several  of  the  more 
prominent  properties,  including  the  Bonanza  Queen, 
the  Bornite,  and  Imperial,  have  recently  undergone 
extensive  development  and  expect  soon  to  begin 
shipping.  The  Bonanza  Queen  has  installed  a  tram 
and  is  already  for  immediately  placing  its  copper 
ore  upon  the  market,  so  that  a  revival  is  looked  for 
very  soon.  Silverton  also  has  a  new  two  hundred 
and  fifty-ton  concentrator  on  the  Independence 
property  near  the  town,  but  pending  an  adjustment 
of  business  matters,  this  fine  plant  is  idle. 

Silverton  is  reached  thrice  a  week  by  train.  In 
the  summer  season  it  is  considerable  of  a  fishing  and 
health  resort.  The  altitude  is  only  half  that  of 
Monte  Cristo,  fifteen  miles  further  up  the  line,  or 
about  two  thousand  feet. 

DAKRINGTON 

Nowhere,  perhaps,  in  all  Snohomish  county  is 
there  a  more  transcendently  beautiful  spot  than 
that  which  forms  the  town-site  of  Darrington. 
Though  at  the  very  doorstep  of  the  Cascades,  and 
sitting  at  the  feet  of  that  magnificent,  towering, 
snow-capped  and  glaciated  peak  known  as  White 
Horse,  with  other  grand  mountain  uplifts  in  the 
near  prospect,  it  is  itself  remarkably  level, — a  fact 
which  makes  the  bounding  mountain  sides  seem  all 
the  more  rugged  and  grand.  A  growth  of  small 
evergreen  trees  helps  to  beautify  the  landscape,  but 
at  the  same  time  hides  from  view  the  Sauk  river, 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  streams  in  the  state, 
which,  coming  from  its  remote  sources  in  the  Cas- 
cades, passes  to  the  right  of  Darrington,  around  the 
base  of  Gold  mountain  and  away  to  a  junction  with 
the  Skagit.  The  town-site  is  on  the  gravelly  di- 
vide between  it  and  the  head  waters  of  the  north 
fork,  which  flov/  in  a  very  different  direction, 
reaching  the  sea  through  a  more  southerly  channel. 
Its  inspiring  scenery,  its  refreshingly  cool  summer 
climate,  its  proximity  to  the  mountains  and  to  rush- 
ing mountain  torrents  would  seem  to  indicate  future 
favor  and  fame  for  Darrington  as  a  summer  resort. 
It  is  not  without  an  agricultural  basis,  and  a  good 
one,  but  its  hope  of  greatness  rests  upon  the  valua- 
l)le  minerals  which  lie  buried  in  the  depths  of  the 
neighboring  mountains,  outcropping  in  places  to  in- 
cite to  effort  the  prospector  and  the  miner.  Most 
active  of    these  developers    are    the  owners  of  the 


Bornite  copper  mine,  which  is  situated  some  twelve 
miles  from  Darrington,  and  connected  with  it  by 
tramway.  They  are  now  running  a  tunnel  three 
thousand  feet  long  to  strike  the  ledge  at  a  great 
depth,  thus  testifying  their  faith  in  the  merits  of 
their  property  by  spending  large  sums  of  money  in 
its  development.  Should  they  begin  shipping  ore  in 
December,  as  they  hope  to  do,  and  should  they  real- 
ize the  returns  they  have  every  reason  to  expect, 
there  will  probably  be  great  activity  among  the  other 
mine  owners  of  the  Darrington  district,  with  a  con- 
sequent stimulus  to  growth  in  the  *-.own  itself. 

While  many  prospectors  and  miners  came  to  the 
Darrington  region  in  the  early  nineties,  and  later  a 
number  of  homesteads  were  taken,  among  them 
those  of  S.  B.  Emens,  George  Knudson,  Lester  K. 
Alvord  and  Fred  Olds,  the  town  did  not  begin  to 
be  developed  until  the  building  of  the  Darrington 
branch  was  assumed.  Since  then  it  has  been  pro- 
gressing steadily,  though  somewhat  slowly,  for  no 
town  depending  largely  upon  copper  mining  can 
hope  to  develop  rapidly  at  first,  the  opening  of  mines 
of  this  character  being  so  very  expensive  and,  where 
capital  is  lacking,  necessarily  attended  with  such 
long  and  discouraging  delays. 

The  business  establishments  of  Darrington  at 
I  this  writing  consist  of  the  general  stores  of  the  Dar- 
!  rington  Mercantile  Company  and  Montague  and 
Moore ;  a  hotel ;  the  saloon  and  lodging  house  of 
Joe  Chenier;  the  Eagle  saloon,  Kennan  Bros.,  pro- 
prietors ;  a  saw-mill  with  a  capacity  of  forty  thous- 
and daily,  owned  by  the  Sauk  Lumber  Company;  a 
tie  mill,  owned  by  Seymour  Brothers ;  a  railway  de- 
pot, postoffice  and  a  number  of  residences. 


About  three  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Arlington, 
on  the  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  is  the  small  lum- 
bering village  known  as  Bryant.  The  first  settlers 
in  the  neighborhood  were  Samuel  Erdahl  and  Carl 
Berge,  who  filed  on  their  land  and  made  settlements 
upon  it  some  time  in  the  latter  eighties.  In  1893 
Charles  Verd  and  Thomas  Sanders,  under  the  firm 
name  of  the  Bryant  Lumber  and  Shingle  Company, 
began  operations  in  the  locality,  building  a  shingle 
mill  and  inaugurating  a  logging  plant.  Recently 
this  company  sold  its  mill  and  a  logging  railroad 
about  five  miles  long,  with  what  land  and  timber  it 
had,  to  the  Stimson  Lumber  Company,  who  are  now 
building  a  railroad  to  IMarysville.  to  secure  an  out- 
let to  the  sea  for  their  lumber.  The  road  is  de- 
signed primarily  for  the  conveyance  of  logs,  but 
under  the  terms  of  its  charter,  the  lumber  company 
is  required  to  carry  passengers  and  freight  and  in 
all  respects  comply  with  the  law  regulating  common 
carriers. 

The  building  of  the  road  will  make  Bryant  a 
junction,  and  will  no  doubt  give  quite  an  impetus  to 
the  town.  At  present  it  consists  of  a  general  mer- 
chandise store,  a  pool  room  and  a  number  of  small 


CITIES    AND   TOWNS 


dwelling  houses,  all  belonging  to  the  mill  company ; 
a  railway  depot;  a  postoffice.  Miss  Mary  Sumner, 
postmistress;  a  saloon  and  a  few  farm  houses. 


About  the  year  1889  a  postofifice  was  established 
on  the  North  'Fork,  to  which  the  name  Allen  was 
given  in  honor  of  John  B.  Allen,  delegate  to  con- 
gress. Soon  after  a  town  near  Tacoma  was  named 
Allyn,  and  to  avoid  missending  of  mails,  the  name 
of  the  North  Fork  postoffice  was  changed  to  Oso. 
No  town  was  thought  of  at  that  time  nor  for  years 
afterward,  but  wl-en  the  .\rlington-Darrington  rail- 
road was  built,  it  began  to  assume  greater  import- 
ance. At  present  there  are  here  the  dry  goods  and 
grocery  store  of  A.  L.  Cogswell,  who  also  has  the 
postofifice;  the  grocery  store  of  Robert  Wheeler; 
Schwager  &  Nettkton's  shingle  mill,  j\I.  G.  Con- 
over's  hotel;  Aldridge  &  Prathier's  meat  market 
and  a  public  hall,  and  two  saloons,  owned  respec- 
tively by  F.  H.  Covey  and  Dan  McGillivray. 

CICEKO 

One  of  the  lumbering  towns  on  the  Darrington 
railroad  is  Cicero,  in  which  the  milling  firm,  known 
as  the  Heath-Morley  Company,  is  the  moving  spirit. 
This  firm  has  a  saw-mill  in  the  town  and  a  store  and 
hotel.  Stephen  Cicero  also  has  a  store,  in  which  is 
the  postoffice,  Mrs,  Cicero  postmistress ;  Nain  &: 
Flemming  keep  a  saloon  and  the  O.  M.  Robertson 
Shingle  Company  operate  a  shingle  mill. 

M.\LTBY 

The  land  upon  which  Maltby  is  located  was 
homesteaded  by  a  man  named  Dunlap  in  18ST.  The 
fall  of  the  ensuing  year  a  postoffice  named  Yew  was 
established,  but  at  a  later  date  the  name  was  changed 
to  Maltby.  It  has  a  mill  with  a  capacity  of  ten 
thousand  feet  of  lumber  and  thirty-five  thousand 
shingles  a  day ;  two  general  stores,  a  hotel,  a  sa- 
loon, a  cobbler's  shop ;  a  school,  established  about 
1889,  and  a  Congregational  church ;  and  it  is  the 
shipping  point  for  the  product  of  the  Advance 
Shingle  Company  of  Cathcart.  There  is  some  agri- 
cultural land  in  the  vicinity,  but  the  main  support 
of  the  town  is  the  lumbering  and  logging  industry. 

HARTFOIiD 

The  junction  point  of  the  Bellingham  and  Alonte 
Cristo  divisions  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  founded  in 
1891,  at  the  time  the  first  named  division  was  being 
constructed.  A  year  later  the  construction  of  the 
other  branch  made  Hartford  a  junction  point. 
James  V.  Vanhorn  and  wife  Kate  platted  the  town- 
site  June  23,  1891,  and  soon  thereafter  a  thriving 
village  sprung  into  existence.  Fire  destroyed  the 
place  early  in  September,  1901,  wiping  out  the  four 
lauildings  constituting  the  business  center,  including 
J.  W.  Phillips'  general  store,  B.  E.  Lee's  saloon,  and 
his  hotel.     However,  new  buildings  soon  replaced 


those  burned  and  to-day  there  are  the  usual  business 
houses  to  be  found  in  a  village  of  perhaps  seventy- 
five  people.  Lake  Stevens,  a  growing  summer  re- 
sort, lies  only  half  a  mile  away. 


Situated  just  west  of  tunnel  No.  six  on  the 
Monte  Cristo  branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  a  vil- 
lage of  comparatively  recent  establishment,  the 
home  of  the  Canon  Lumber  Company.  This  con- 
cern operates  an  extensive  plant  employing  proba- 
bly a  hundred  men.  The  company's  mills,  store  and 
a  saloon  constitute  the  business  of  the  place.  The 
name  of  the  postoffice  is  taken  from  that  of  the 
town-site's  pioneer  settler.  Granite  Falls  lies  eight 
miles  west  along  the  same  road. 


A  station  on  the  Monte  Cristo  branch  of  the 
Northern  Pacific,  just  west  of  Hartford.  The  life 
of  the  community  is  to  be  found  in  the  Sobey 
Shingle  Company's  plant.  A  school  and  postoffice 
are  maintained. 

GOLD  B.^R 

Gold  Bar  is  a  thrifty  saw-mill  town  of  between 
two  and  three  hundred  people,  in  the  Skykomish 
valley  along  the  overland  line  of  the  Great  Northern 
railway,  twenty-nine  miles  east  of  Everett.  Platted 
September  18,' 1900,  by  the  Gold  Bar  Improvement 
Company,  it  has  grown  very  rapidly  and  is  now 
among  the  substantial  villages  of  the  county.  A 
two-story  school-house  has  been  erected  in  which 
forty-three  pupils  receive  instruction,  besides  which 
the  town  enjoys  good  telephone,  telegraph  and 
transportation  facilities.  As  the  timber  lands  be- 
come available  for  agricultural  purposes,  many  small 
farms  are  coming  into  cultivation,  thus  furnishing 
additional  support  for  Gold  Bar.  Last  year  eight 
hundred  and  eighty-six  cars  of  lumber  and  shingles 
were  shipped  from  this  point,  which  is  indicative  of 
the  town's  volume  of  business.  The  Gold  Bar  Lum- 
ber Company  operates  an  extensive  lumber  and 
shingle  plant  there. 

ME-\DO\\'D.\LE 

This  is  a  newly  settled  community  on  the  Great 
Northern  coast  line  and  Puget  sound,  between 
Mukilteo  and  Edmonds.  It  has  a  station,  a  hand- 
some and  unique  log  cabin  hotel,  a  postoffice  and  a 
school  with  fifty  pupils.  It  is  beautifully  situated  at 
one  of  the  most  inviting  points  along  the  east  shore 
of  Puget  sound  and  is  rapidly  developing  berry, 
fruit  and  gardening  industries. 

Those  commercial  centers,  possessing  postofifices, 
not  fully  described  in  the  preceding  portion  of  this 
chapter  on  the  cities  and  towns  of  Snohomish  county 
are :  Cedarhome,  Edgecomb,  Fortson,  Getchell, 
Goldbasin,  Hazel,  Jorden,  Lochsloy,  Norman,  Pil- 
chuck,  Sisco,  Three  Lakes,  Trafton  and  Tulalip. 


PART    IV 

SUPPLEMENTARY 


i'URES'l-,    MOUNTAIN    AND    STRRAM 


PART    IV 

SUPPLEMENTARY 


CHAPTER  I 


DESCRIPTIVE 


The  Puget  sound  country  is  one  of  Nature's 
challenges  to  the  children  of  the  world.  To 
aboriginal  man  it  cried  "Come  in  and  subdue 
the  land  and  possess  it."  He  accepted  its 
gratuities  of  fish  and  clams  and  game  and 
berries,  but  failed  to  answer  the  challenge.  The 
wealth  of  its  forests  might  remain  there  forever 
for  all  of  him.  He  lacked  the  strength  to 
stretch  forth  his  hand  and  possess  it.  The  call 
of  its  rich  valleys  and  tide  marshes  was  inaudible 
to  his  savage  ear.  The  treasures  of  its  granite 
mountains  made  their  appeal  in  vain.  They 
were  there  for  the  man  with  granite  in  the  fiber 
of  his  being.  The  iron  in  their  depths  was  for 
a  race  with  iron  in  its  blood.  Their  hidden  gold 
was  for  those  with  some  of  the  golden  in  their 
characters,  and  he  who  would  have  their  copper 
must  have  the  virtues  of  copper  and  not  its 
color  only.  The  grand  land-locked  sea  of  water, 
the  enticing  crystal  rivers,  mirroring  the  wealth 
of  foliage  along  their  banks  and  stooping  to 
meet  them,  failed  utterly  to  incite  the  savage  to 
the  construction  of  nobler  craft  than  his  pigmy 
canoe.  To  this  he  clung  until  he,  too,  became  a 
pigmy,  dwarfed  in  stature,  misshapen  and  dis- 
torted in  body,  deteriorated  and  disennobled.  In 
no  way  commensurate  with  the  prodigious 
country  he  called  his  own,  he  failed  to  see  the 
opportunities  she  held  out  to  him,  much  less  to 
grasp  them.  The  country  has  cast  him  out  with 
the  mark  of  unworthiness  upon  his  brow.  vShe 
has  given  her  vineyards  to  the  charge  of  other 
and  worthier  husbandmen.  The  graves  of  his 
people  are  the  heritage  of  the  stranger,  and  as 
he  looks  out  over  the  vast  Pacific  upon  the 
peclining  sun  he  sees  in  it  a  type  of  the  decline 
of  his  own  race,  never  again  to  rise.     Vanquished 


and  vanishmg,  he  must  take  what  satisfaction  he 
can  out  of  the  traditional  glories  of  the  misty 
past,  for  the  future  holds  for  him  no  golden  bow 
of  promise. 

To  the  pioneer  navigator,  the  country  sent  its 
challenge.  He  came,  he  saw,  but  did  not  con- 
quer. He  accepted  the  challenge  as  far  as  the 
waters  were  concerned.  He  threaded  the  innu- 
merable channels,  sounded  their  depths,  gave 
them  names,  wrested  them  from  the  domain  of 
the  unknown  and  added  them  to  the  domain  of 
the  known,  then  called  his  work  good.  The 
sea  was  his  field  of  fame,  and  with  the  land  he 
would  have  naught. 

To  the  fur  trader,  also,  the  challenge  of  the 
country  came.  He,  like  the  Indian,  was  willing 
to  accept  gratuities,  but  not  to  make  returns. 
He  failed  to  meet  the  challenge.  He  did  not 
measure  up  to  the  fullness  of  the  stature  of  the 
men  and  women  she  desired  for  her  chosen 
people,   and  she  cast  out  him  also  as  unworthy. 

There  is  no  place  for  the  sluggard  or  the 
weakling  in  the  sound  basin.  Its  prizes  are 
many  and  rich,  but  they  are  for  the  strong,  the 
vigilant,  the  active,  the  stout  of  heart.  They 
must  be  won  by  force  or  not  at  all.  The 
country  itself  is  a  type  of  the  men  and  women  it 
will  have  for  its  own.  Hemmed  in  between  the 
Olympics  on  the  west  and  the  lofty  Cascades  on 
the  east,  it  partakes  of  the  ruggedness  of  its 
mountain  boundaries,  while  almost  everywhere 
over  its  surface  is  a  dense  growth  of  giant  firs 
and  cedars  and  hemlocks,  in  places  excluding 
almost  entirely  from  the  soil  the  sun's  light  and 
warmth. 

The  mild  climate,  the  long  growing  season, 
the  abundance  of  rain  cause  vegetation  to  spring 


382 


SUITLEMICNTARY 


fortli  in  almost  tropical  luxuriance.  A  tangled 
network  of  small  trees  and  shrubs  and  vegetable 
growths  made  exploration  exceedingly  difficult 
to  the  pioneer.  If  he  ventured  away  from  the 
waters  of  the  sound  or  the  rivers  and  streams 
llowing  into  it,  he  must  hew  out  his  pathway  with 
an  axe.  To  the  lumberman  it  offered  its  most 
obvious  attractions  but  it  placed  in  his  way  grave 
difficulties.  The  timber  near  the  water  could 
be  easily  secured.  When  that  was  gone,  he 
must  face  the  problem  of  getting  the  giants  over- 
land to  water.  The  solution  of  this  problem 
called  for  great  natural  skill  in  engineering  and 
much  ingenuity.  Its  practical  working  out  has 
placed  the  sound  country  at  the  head  in  all  the 
United  States  in  the  perfection  of  logging  rail- 
roads and  scientific  appliances  for  the  transpor- 
tation of  timber.  Yet  no  appliances  and  no 
ingenuity  can  obviate  the  necessity  for  the 
hardest  kind  of  physical  labor.  Let  no  weakling 
enter  the  lumber  camps. 

The   barriers   in   the   way  of  him  who  would 
earn  his  living  by  agriculture  were  even  greater 
than  those  which  confronted  the  logger.      If  he 
niade   his  home  on   the   tide  marshes,    he   must 
build    a  breastwork   against   the   sea;    if  in   the  j 
river    bottoms   he    must   protect   his  crops  from  ! 
overflow;    if   on    any    lowlands    he    must  drain. 
Wherever  he  went,   he  must  remove  the    dense  i 
forest  of  towering  conifers  and  the  tangled  net- 
work of  variegated  undergrowth,  before  he  could 
begin   to  secure   a   return  in  crops  and  then  he  : 
must  continue  the  battle  with    stumps,    stumjis 
everywhere,  stumi)s  so  small  that  the  plowshare  I 
would  overturn  them  and  stumps  so  large   that 
houses  might  be  built  upon  them.      Me,  too,  might 
eni])loy  the  forces  of  nature  in  his  battle.     Appli- 
ances might  be  invented  and  pressed  into  service.   , 
Powder  and  dynamite  might    give  him  the    use  | 
of  their  illimitable  power;  but  in  no  way  could 
he  avert  from  himself  a  full  and  abundant  meas- 
ure of  the  curse  pronounced  upon  Adam. 

For  the  prospector,  also,  the  country  had  its 
array  of  drawbacks.  To  him  there  were  no 
terrors  in  its  ])rofound  solitudes.  He  could  hew 
through  its  interminable  forest  mazes  a  trail  for 
himself  and  his  ])ack  horse,  and  he  could  find 
water  in  abundance  wherever  he  might  wan- 
der. But  the  difficulty  came  in  the  develop- 
ment of  his  prospects  when  discovered.  The 
ores  are  for  the  most  part  refractory,  requir- 
ing great  capital.  The  barriers  of  isolation 
from  the  world  without  were  hard  indeed  to 
break.  The  building  of  roads  was  nowhere 
fraught  with  greater  difficulty.  The  wait  for 
results  was  nowhere  longer. 

Rugged  in  aspect,  replete  with  difficulties, 
the  terror  of  the  timid,  the  despair  of  the  weak, 
the  sound  country  yet  held  and  still  holds  inspira- 
tion and  hope  unlimited  for  a  people  brave  and 
sturdy  and  stalwart,  like  unto  its  own  grand  self. 
To   such  it  opens  wide  its  doorway;  for  such  it 


holds  the  richest  treasures,  the  most  abundant 
rewards. 

With  all  its  rigors,  the  aspect  of  this  land  is 
not  a  frowning  and  forbidding  one.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  is  more  inviting  than  that  of  almost 
any  other.  For  the  richness  and  grandeur  of  its 
scenery,  it  might  challenge  comparison  with  the 
most  famous  of  earth's  resorts;  in  some  respects 
it  is  without  a  peer. 

A  forest  growth  the  like  of  which  can  nowhere 
else  be  found  in  North  America  supports  itself 
upon  its  sturdy  bosom,  clothing  it  in  colors  most 
pleasing  to  the  eye,  softening  its  roughness, 
hiding  away  the  unsightly.  vSo  deep  and  per- 
sistent is  its  verdure  that  it  has  won  for  the  state 
the  familiar  name  of  "livergreen,,"  a  fitting  sobri- 
quet so  far  as  the  western  part  is  concerned, 
for  nowhere  will  one  find  more  abundant  green 
of  every  shade.  Wherever  you  look  there  are 
vistas  of  verdure.  Destroy  the  timber  and 
shrubbery,  burn  them  with  fire,  and  presently 
Nature,  hurrying  to  resent  the  injury  and  repair 
the  damage,  has  again  covered  the  blackened 
earth  and  the  charred  remains  with  her  own 
favorite  color.  If  a  forest  giant,  too  ambitious, 
rearing  too  lofty  and  too  large  a  crown,  is  con- 
quered in  a  battle  with  the  elements,  she  covers 
its  carcass  with  lichen  and  moss.  A  blackened 
stump,  or  a  heap  of  rubbish  is  speedily  enfolded 
in  verdure.  Almost  irresistible  is  this  rush  of 
green.  Each  unused  nook,  each  sequestcreil 
spot,  it  claims  for  its  very  own.  It  will  fight  for 
possession  in  the  streets  of  the  towns  and  peep 
at  pedestrians  through  the  cracks  in  the  walk. 

Grand,  indeed,  is  a  view  of  this  verdure-clad 
region  from  a  commanding  eminence.  It  has 
been  the  writer's  privilege  to  look  upon  some  of 
the  sublimest  scenes  in  all  this  northwestern 
wonderland,  but  nowhere  has  he  beheld  anything 
more  entrancing  in  its  magnificence  and  pictur- 
esque beauty  than  the  view  which  may  be  had  on 
a  clear  evening  from  an  elevated  location  in  the 
little  city  of  Snohomish.  Far  to  the  southward 
is  grand  old  Mount  Rainier,  snow-clad,  rose- 
tinted  by  the  subdued  touch  of  the  evening 
sunlight,  mightiest  effort  of  the  mountain  Babel- 
builders  to  pierce  the  heavens  with  a  spire. 
Away  to  the  northward  is  old  Mount  Baker,  indis- 
tinct in  the  distance  and  almost  hidden  from 
your  sight,  while  uniting  the  two  and  passing  far 
to  eastward  of  your  viewpoint  is  the  first  range 
of  the  Cascades,  its  outline  broken  and  tattered 
with  rugged  protuberances,  yet  possessing  withal 
a  subdued,  dreamlike  beauty.  To  the  westward, 
just  over  the  tree-tops,  is  the  blue  crest  of  the 
classic  Olympics,  still  more  indistinct,  still  more 
dreamlike,  much  less  rugged  in  aspect,  while 
between  the  two  ranges,  forming  the  foreground 
of  the  picture,  is  one  great  sea  of  verdure  over- 
flowing in  its  profusion  and  abundance.  Match- 
less the  scene,  yet  there  is  lacking  from  it, 
because  wholly  invisible  from  our  viewpoint,  the 


DESCRIPTIVE 


region's  most  sublime,  most  characteristic  fea- 
ture, that  marvelous  inland  sea,  wonder  of  the 
world,  the  far-famed  Puget  sound. 

And  those  famous  sunsets!  "Tell  me,"  said 
one  of  the  country's  own  poets,*  "where  is  there 
a  land  in  which  the  darkest  day  of  winter  flings 
her  dull  coverings  at  evening  and  lays  the  pure 
flaming  gold  of  her  heart  over  the  whole  country, 
sea  and  mountains,  as  it  does  on  Puget  sound. 
Every  land  may  occasionally  have  a  gorgeous 
sunset;  and  then,  when  one  does  stray  in  unex- 
pectedly, how  the  whole  country  comes  and  stares 
at  it,  and  how  the  newspapers  rave  over  it,  and 
liow  they  look  at  each  other  and  trot  out  that 
old,  weary  'Talk  about  Italy,'  until  our  own  ears 
and  eyes  and  nerves  fairly  tingle!  But  think — 
only  think! — of  a  land  where  each  evening  from 
si.x  o'clock  until  ten  in  summer,  and  from  four 
until  six  in  winter,  the  whole  western  sky  and 
the  sea  that  dances  beneath  are  one  flaming, 
tremulous,  dazzling  glow  of  blended  and  blend- 
ing gold,  purple,  scarlet,  orange,  green,  blue, 
opal  and  pearl — shifting,  fading,  melting,  burn- 
ing, until  one's  breath  almost;  fails  in  a  very 
ecstasy  of  passionate  admiration  of  it.  Column 
on  column  of  amethyst  and  pearl  pile  up  and 
stand  toppling  ready  to  fall  in  the  clouds;  and  in 
the  far  distance  of  the  rainbow-tinted  tunnel, 
one  sees  the  sun — a  great  wheel  of  flaming  gold 
—laying  his  trembling  rim  upon  the  low,  grace- 
ful fir  trees  reaching  upward  quiet  arms,  until 
each  fine,  spicy  needle  stands  out,  clear  and 
delicate,  against  the  luminous  background. 
And  many  and  many  a  time,  while  the  west  is 
light  with  sunset  fires  into  the  clear  blue  east 
rises  slowly  the  harvest  moon — silver  and  cool 
and  large — whitening  and  softening  everything 
before  her. 

"Sometimes,  too,  when  there  is  a  mist  brood- 
ing upon  the  bosom  of  these  blue  waters,  all  the 
tinted  sun  and  cloud  rays  sinking  through  it, 
touch  it  to  life  and  vivid  color,  till  it  seems  one 
vast  distance  of  trembling  thistle-down,  blown 
this  way  and  that  by  the  strong,  salt  sea-winds. 
The  'Sunset'  state!  There  is  temptation  to  the 
lover  of  beauty — and  who  does  not  love  beauty? — 
in  the  name.  I  have  seen  the  laborer,  toiling 
with  bared  breast  and  swelling  muscles  at  the 
huge  walls  of  rock  cliffs  with  pick  and  mallet, 
pause  and  turn  wondering,  wistful  eyes  across 
the  sparkling  waves  to  the  glory  of  the  dying 
day;  I  have  seen  the  true  artist  stand  with  dim 
eye  and  hushed  breath — speechless — awed  into 
insignificance  before  the  painting  that  God  "has 
swung  before  His  children,  saying:  'Come  the 
rich  and  the  poor,  the  young  and  the  old,  the 
strong  and  the  feeble,  the  saint  and  the  sinner — 
come  one  and  all!'  Here  is  a  painting  traced  on 
heaven  such  as  no  man  can  copy  and  no  man  can 
buy.  The  veriest  beggar  that  crawls  the  earth 
may  drink  in  the  glory  of  this  scene  side  by  side 

"Klla  Hieginson. 


with  the  king,  if  he  only  has  the  simple  love  of 
beauty  and  of  Nature's  God  in  his  heart.  It  is 
free — for  the  gold  of  the  earth  cannot  buy  the 
gold  of  heaven!  O!  you  who  love  this  land — let 
it  be  our  own  'Sunset'  state!" 

Another  of  the  powerful  allurements  of  the 
sound,  one  which  appeals  most  potently  to  the 
people  of  less-favored  climes,  is  the  mildness  and 
equa'oility  of  all  its  seasons.  Damp  and  mild  in 
winter,  damp  and  mild  in  spring,  dry  and  mild 
in  summer;  ideal  in  autumn';  it  never  shocks  by 
extremes  of  either  heat  or  cold.  No  sunstrokes, 
no  blizzards,  no  cyclones;  plenty  of  special 
indulgences  from  the  loving  hand  of  Nature;  few 
diseases  of  climatic  origin. 

These  are  some  of  the  inducements  which  the 
sound  basin  offered  a  people  bold  enough  to 
undertake  its  conquest, — scenery  magnificent, 
climate  approaching  the  ideal,  prizes  rich  and 
alluring,  abundant  rewards  for  abundant,  well- 
directed  industry,  a  future,  limitless  in  its  possi- 
bilities. With  its  billions  of  feet  of  timber 
awaiting  the  woodman's  axe,  tHe  boundless 
Pacific  sending  its  mighty  arm  and  hand  and 
multiplied  fingers  hundreds  of  miles  inland,  as  if 
reaching  for  the  commerce  of  a  great  state,  and 
anxious  to  bear  its  natural  wealth  upon  its  own 
broad  bosom. — with  all  these  advantages  the  chal- 
lenge of  the  country  could  not  long  remain  un- 
taken  however  great  the  labors  and  the  sacrifices 
of  the  battle.  For  three  score  years  now  the  con- 
flict has  continued.  Victory  has  attended  the 
invading  arms.  The  forest,  the  sea,  the  soil  and 
the  mountains  have  been  forced  to  give  up  their 
treasure;  cities  rich  and  populous  have  sprung  up 
in  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  and  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  past  are  as  nothing  compared  with 
those  yet  to  be. 

The  course  of  future  development  may  be  a 
matter  of  some  uncertainty — the  future  is  always 
uncertain — but  it  can  hardly  fail  to  pursue  three 
separate  lines,  development  of  the  maritime, 
development  of  manufacturing,  development  of 
intensive  agriculture.  The  awakening  of  the 
Pacific  is  fraught  with  great  interest  and  great 
meaning  for  the  Puget  sound  country,  the  natural 
northern  gateway  to  the  Orient.  Nature  has 
endowed  this  country  with  a  wide,  deep  and  safe 
sea. path,  extending  its  entire  length,  ramifying 
through  it,  reaching  to  the  very  heart  of  a  great 
state,  furnishing  abundant  harbors  everywhere. 
This  is  the  first  indication  of  a  grand  maritime 
destiny  for  the  region  tributary  to  the  sound. 
The  awakening  of  Alaska  has  meant  much  for 
this  region.  One  great  advantage  of  the  posses- 
sion of  that  gold-bearing  peninsula  by  the  United 
States,  one  pregnant  with  meaning  to  Puget 
sound  citizens,  has  but  recently  come  to  light. 
It  forms  the  second  indication  of  a  maritime 
destiny  for  our  land.  ,  Within  the  last  two  years 
a  voyage  of  discovery  under  the  direction  of  the 
United  States  government  has  been  completed. 


384 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


"its  results  were  momentous.  "In  the  opinion  of 
naval  experts,  nothing  in  the  explorations  of  the 
past  hundred  years  equals  it  in  importance." 

"The  discovery  is  that  in  the  long  chain  of 
Aleutian  islands,  stretching  westward  from  the 
Alaska  mainland  almost  across  the  Pacific,  there 
is  a  succession  of  harbors;  that  they  are  safe  and 
open  throughout  the  year;  that  they  are  unob- 
structed by  rocks,  and  that  the  channel  to  some 
of  them  is  so  deep  and  commodious  that  half  a 
dozen  fleets  could  enter  them  simultaneously. 

"In  the  event  of  war,  should  a  squadron  flying 
the  flag  of  the  United  States  start  for  Chinese 
waters,  it  could  stop  every  night  in  a  safe  Amer- 
ican anchorage  until  it  reached  Attu  island, 
nearly  four  thousand  miles  west  of  Puget  sound. 
Steaming  from  that  distant  island  outpost  of  the 
United  States,  our  men  of  war  could,  within  a 
short  run,  reach  the  center  of  the  contested  seas 
of  Asia.  The  ownership  of  an  archipelago  reach- 
ing far  outward  toward  Asia,  and  indented  with 
many  convenient  harbors,  is  a  national  asset  of 
incalculable  future  value. 

"Without  consulting  a  globe,  or  following  the 
ocean  track  of  trans- Pacific  steamers,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  comprehend  the  vast  future  importance  of 
these  re-discovered  Aleutians.  It  is  a  shorter 
distance  between  Oriental  and  Pacific  coast 
points  by  way  of  the  great  northern  circle  route, 
which  skirts  the  southern  shores  of  the  Aleutian 
islands,  than  it  is  straight  across  the  Pacific.  All 
the  American,  British  and  Japanese  vessels  from 
Puget  sound  to  Yokohama,  and  some  even  from 
San  Francisco,  select  the  northern  route.  In 
fact  the  few  inhabitants  of  the  Aleutian  islands, 
now  harvesting  the  first  fortunes  from  this  archi- 
pelago, report  that  it  is  almost  a  daily  occurrence 
to  sight  steamers  moving  between  Japan  and 
America. 

"Maps  issued  by  the  hydrographic  ofiBce  of 
the  United  States  reveal  "that  a  straight  line 
drawn  from  San  Francisco  to  Yokohama  measures 
4,7i)l  miles,  while  just  south  of  the  Aleutian 
chain,  is  only  4,r)36  miles  in  length.  A  straight 
line  from  Port  Townsend  to  Yokohama  is  4,575 
miles  long,  while  the  way  by  the  Aleutian  circle 
is  only  4,240  miles.  Similarly  the  trip  from  San 
Francisco  to  Manila,  by  way  of  Midway  islands 
and  Guam  is  6,578,  while  the  more  northerly 
voyage  under  the  Aleutian  islands  is  6,241 
miles."* 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  in  the  develop- 
ment of  a  great  oriental  commerce,  to  which  the 
United  States  is  impelled  by  every  consideration 
of  self-interest,  every  impulse  toward  the  achieve- 
ment of  its  highest  national  greatness  and  to 
which  it  has  unmistakably  committed  itself  by 
the  retention  of  the  Philippines,  the  sound 
country  is  destined  to  have  a  part  first  in  extent 
and  importance.  If  China  is  to  become  a  wheat- 
eating  nation  and  the  United  States  is  to  assist  in 

♦Harold  Bolce  in  Booklovers  for  April.  1904. 


feeding  her,  the  wheat  must  go  out  through  the 
ports  of  the  sound;  if  the  awakened  Orientals- 
demand  our  manufactures  the  sound  will  furnish 
their  ports  of  departure.  It  will  do  more;  it  will 
produce  its  full  share  of  manufactured  articles- 
at  home.  Nowhere  is  there  a  country  better 
suited  to  manufacturing  than  this.  It  has  water 
power,  and  fuel  in  abundance.  For  the  textile 
industries,  its  climate  would  seem  to  be  ideal. 
Its  transportation  facilities  are  superior  to  those 
of  any  other  port  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific;  its 
harbors  for  shipping  are  everywhere. 

Long  years  ago,  before  Japan  had  begun  her 
march  toward  civilization,  before  Russia  had 
become  a  factor  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific, 
while  China  was  yet  deep  in  the  sleep  of  ages  and 
our  own  coast  was  in  its  early  morning  of  settle- 
ment, in  a  moment  of  inspiration  William  H. 
Seward  uttered  these  words:  "Henceforth 
European  commerce,  European  politics,  European 
thought  and  European  activity,  although  actually 
gaining  force,  and  European  connections,  al- 
though actually  becoming  more  intimate,  will 
nevertheless  relatively  sink  in  importance;  while 
the  Pacific  ocean,  its  shores,  its  islands  and  the 
vast  region  beyond,  will  become  the  chief  theater 
of  events  in  the  world's  great  hereafter." 

The  day  of  the  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy  is. 
at  hand  and  in  the  grand  unfoldment  of  the 
commercial  destiny  of  the  Pacific,  Puget  sound 
beholds  its  future,  brilliant  as  one  of  its  own 
summer  sunsets.  New  Yorks,  Chicagos,  Phila- 
delphias  and  Baltimores  of  this  new  commerce 
there  must  be,  and  who  is  too  blind  to  discern 
that  the  shores  of  this  matchless  inland  sea  must 
have  their  share  of  these? 

SKAGIT  COUNTY 
The  necessity  for  the  foregoing  brief  review 
is  sufficiently  apparent.  While  the  two  counties- 
which  form  the  subject  of  this  work  are  but  a 
part  of  the  sound  basin  they  are  an  integral  part 
with  all  the  general  characteristics  of  the  whole, 
having  the  same  physical  aspects,  possessing  in 
common  with  several  other  counties  the  ranges- 
of  the  lordly  Cascades,  and  in  common  with  all 
the  waters  of  Puget  sound,  traversed  by  the 
same  railroads,  linked  to  all  by  the  closest  ties- 
of  trade  relationship,  rejoicing  in  a  common  hope, 
a  common  destiny.  It  is  fitting,  however,  that 
more  extended  notice  be  given  the  immediate 
theme  of  the  volume,  and  that  the  special  fea- 
tures and  special  industries  of  these  two  counties 
of  the  sound  be  traced  with  some  minuteness 
and  detail.  The  more  northerly  of  the  twain 
and  the  larger  in  area  is  Skagit  county,  the 
mainland  of  which  is  bounded  by  the  Eighth  and 
Ninth  standard  parallels,  north,  the  summit  of 
the  Cascades  and  the  sound.  The  county  also 
includes  Fidalgo,  Guemes,  Cypress  and  a  number 
of  other  islands,  its  total  area  being  one  thousand! 
eight  hundred  and  seventy-four  square  miles. 


DESCRIPTIVE 


Perhaps  the  most  important  feature  in  its 
topography  is  the  Skagit,  the  largest  stream 
flowing  into  Puget  sound.  The  course  of  this 
noble  river  through  the  Cascade  mountain 
region  is  marked  by  all  the  wildness  and  fierce- 
ness of  flow  characteristic  of  mountain  streams, 
while  its  environs  are  grand  indeed.  Upon 
emerging  from  the  mountains,  the  river- at  once 
lays  aside  its  superfluous  impetuosity  and  as- 
sumes an  air  of  great  dignity  and  calm,  though 
it  still  presses  onward  to  the  sea  at  no  sluggard's 
pace.  Swelled  by  tribute  from  the  majestic 
Sauk,  the  turbulent  Baker  and  a  number  of  other 
streams  of  less  magnitude,  it  becomes  a  broad 
river,  navigable  by  almost  any  kind  of  craft,  with 
sufficient  propelling  power  to  overcome  the  force 
of  its  current.  Naturally  this  river  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  earliest  visitors  to  what  is  now 
.Skagit  county.  Some  of  the  prospectors  and 
adventurers  who  rushed  into  the  Fraser  river 
country  in  1858,  made  superficial  reconnoissances 
of  the  Skagit  and  its  tributary  streams.  The 
old  Northern  Light,  a  newspaper  published  in 
Whatcom  during  the  first  boom  on  Bellingham 
bay,  a  few  copies  of  which  have  come  down  to 
our  time  as  slight  relics  of  the  past,  describes  at 
least  one  such  exploration.  It  tells  us  that 
Milton  F.  Mounts  and  a  company  of  prospectors, 
entered  the  mouth  of  what  they  called  the  Skat- 
skat  in  a  canoe  and  navigated  the  river  for  seventy 
miles,  making  several  portages  on  account  of  the 
accumulations  of  driftwood.  They  saw  large 
droves  of  deer  and  elk  on  its  banks,  as  well  as 
an  abundance  of  other  game.  They  failed  not 
to  note  that  the  lands  in  its  valley  were  rich  and 
well  adapted  to  agriculture,  nor  did  they  fail  in 
their  quest  for  gold,  for  they  informed  the  editor 
that  they  found  it  everywhere  though  the  waters 
were  high,  preventing  them  from  giving  the 
bars  a  thorough  test. 

But  long  before  the  first  white  man  had 
plowed  its  turbid  waters  or  turned  admiring  eyes 
to  the  beauty  of  its  verdure-clad,  forested  shores, 
or  cast  an  envious  glance  at  the  lavish,  natural 
wealth, — ages  before, — the  river  had  begun  its 
work  for  man.  Joining  forces  with  its  parent, 
the  glacier,  it  has  been  patiently  carrying  to  the 
sea  the  silt  and  sand  and  volcanic  ash  and  pul- 
verized rock  of  whatever  kind;  the  rich  grist  of 
Nature's  mill.  This  it  threw  into  the  waters  of 
the  sound,  which,  as  if  resentful  of  the  offense, 
attempted  to  hurl  it  back  at  the  river.  The 
struggle  between  fresh  water  and  salt,  between 
tide  and  current,  went  on,  the  river  continually 
proving  victorious  on  account  of  its  superior 
activity  and  persistence,  until  a  large  domain 
was  won  from  the  sea.  Indeed  it  has  been 
claimed  that  long  reaches  of  the  present  river 
beds  of  the  sound  basin  were  once  arms  of 
the  sound.  Perhaps  in  the  dim  past  the  sea 
covered  the  entire  area  of  what  is  now  the  valley 
of  the  Skagit,   laving  the  feet  of  the  lofty  Cas- 


cades. Perhaps  the  impetuous  mountain  tor- 
rents, bearing  debris  in  their  rushing  floods, 
gradually  filled  up  that  arm  of  the  sea,  forming 
the  valley  we  now  behold.  Certainly  such  a 
process  has  been  carried  on,  is  being  carried  on 
at  the  present  day,  though  the  e.xtent  of  its  past 
achievements  may  be  a  matter  of  opinion.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  not  alone  the  Skagit  delta,  but  the 
Swinomish  flats,  the  Samish  country  and  prac- 
tically all  the  rich  agricultural  land  in  Skagit 
county,  along  the  shore  of  the  sound,  were 
formed  by  the  Skagit  river  and  its  ally  in  the 
work,  the  Samish. 

It  was  not  until  after  the  dawn  of  the  sixties 
that  white  men  came  to  take  advantage  of  the 
great  beneficial  labor  of  the  rivers  and  to  hasten 
the  consummation  of  their  processes  The  work 
of  these  men  has  been  adverted  to  elsewhere  It 
stands  as  a  monument  to  their  persistency,  their 
ambition  and  their  worth,  and  none  will  grudge 
to  the  pioneer  diker  of  these  flats  the  splendid 
reward  he  is  receiving  for  his  patience  and  his 
toil.  How  splendid  that  reward  is  will  appear 
presently.  The  land  he  thus  won  from  the 
domain  of  the  tides  is  so  rich  and  prolific,  yields 
such  abundant  returns  for  the  labor  bestowed 
upon  it,  that  the  fortunate  ones  who  possess  it 
refuse  to  set  a  price  upon  their  holdings.  They 
are  wealthy  beyond  an  equal  number  of  agricul- 
turists anywhere  else  on  the  surface  of  earth. 
With  a  soil  that  will  never  fail  of  its  annual  har- 
vest of  hay  or  of  oats,  with  a  climate  that 
approaches  the  ideal,  with  all  the  refinements  of 
an  advanced  civilization  in  their  midst,  with  a 
market  hungry  for  their  products,  with  the  sound 
at  their  front  door  and  extending  its  arms  to  their 
granaries,  with  plenty  of  means  to  farm  econom- 
ically and  successfully,  they  are  indeed  kings  and 
princes  in  the  earth.  Protected  from  the  heavy 
seas  of  the  straits  of  Fuca  by  the  natural  break- 
waters of  Whidby  and  Fidalgo  islands,  they 
have  little  to  fear  from  damage  to  their  dikes, 
although  occasionally  a  breach  is  made  and  a  sec- 
tion of  the  country  is  flooded,  entailing  great  loss. 
The  flat  is  traversed  by  sloughs  from  the  sound, 
navigable  at  high  tide  by  vessels  of  moderate 
draft  permitting  them  to  sail  up  to  the  granaries, 
built  for  the  purpose  along  the  slough  bank,  and 
receive  cargoes  of  grain.  "These  steamers, 
when  seen  moving  through  the  sloughs,  with 
only  their  upper  works  and  smokestacks  visible, 
present  a  verj-  strange  appearance,  apparently 
floating  on  the  growing  grain." 

The  Swinomish  flat  is  said  to  contain  between 
twenty  and  twenty-five  thousand  acres  reclaimed 
by  dikes  and  divided  into  farms.  The  Samish  flat 
is  somewhat  smaller  in  area,  though  equally  pro- 
ductive. It  lies  about  the  town  of  Edison  and 
extends  from  the  Chuckanut  range  to  within  a 
few  miles  of  Bayview.  Beaver  marsh,  which 
has  been  credited  with  an  area  of  twelve  to  fif- 
teen thousand  acres,  lies  just  back  of  Swinomish 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


flats,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  a  narrow 
neck  extending  around  the  extremity  of  Pleasant 
Ridge.  It  never  was  tide  land,  but  had  to  be 
reclaimed  from  the  overflow  of  the  Skagit  by  a 
long  levee.  It  is  claimed  that  Olympia  marsh, 
further  north,  is  of  about  equal  area.  Its  recla- 
mation is  of  more  recent  date  than  that  of  the 
other  marsh  land  in  its  vicinity,  it  having  been 
ditched  only  about  seventeen  years  ago,  and 
cleared  of  brush  a  year  later. 

The  people  of  these  various  communities  have 
a  soil  as  productive  as  that  of  Holland,  and  a 
climate  as  mild,  while  they  possess  a  tremendous 
advantage  over  their  Dutch  brethren  in  that  the 
enormou.-.  wealth  of  their  lands  flows  into  the 
pockets  of  a  comparative  few,  whereas  the  popu- 
lation of  Holland  is  more  dense  than  that  of  any 
other  country  in  Europe. 

"From  the  summit  of  the  northern  extremity 
of  Pleasant  Ridge,  a  few  miles  back  of  La  Conner 
can  be  seen  a  landscape  of  agricultural  beauty 
and  wealth  unequaled  in  Washington.  The 
entire  Swinomish  flats  and  Beaver  marsh  are 
visible  from  here,  stretching  out  to  the  right  and 
the  left  without  a  rise  or  a  depression,  a  sea  of 
verdure  as  smooth  as  a  mirror,  dotted  with  resi- 
dences, barns  and  granaries  and  the  light  verdure 
of  trees  and  shrubbery.  To  the  northwest  in 
the  blue  distance  rise  the  peaks  of  (iuemes,  Orcas, 
Fidalgo,  Cypress  and  other  islands,  between 
which  the  vision  extends  through  endless  azure 
vistas  over  the  (iulf  of  (Georgia.  To  one  used  [ 
to  a  landscape  clad  in  the  somber  verdure  of  our 
coniferous  forests,  this  view  in  the  summer  time 
when  the  face  of  the  country  is  veiled  in  the  I 
lighter  green  of  growing  grain  and  deciduous  | 
trees,  or  later,  when  the  grain  turns  to  harvest 
gold,  has  an  effect  most  novel  and  charming." 

Furnished  by  sea  and  sound  with  the  cheapest  i 
transportation  known,  the  residents  of  the  flats  f 
of   Skagit  county   need   pay   no  subsidies  to  rail-  | 
roads.     They  are,  however,    most  deeply   inter- 
ested in  the  improvement  of   Swinomish  slough, 
and  the   inner  passage.     The    difficulties  in  the 
way  of  its  navigation  have  long  been  a  menace 
to  their  interests..     The  slough  is  entered  through  j 
a  tortuous  opening  aptly  styled  the  "Hole  in  the 
Wall,"   and  when  the  vessel    is  once  inside,   its 
difficulties    commence.      It  twists  and    turns   in 
curious  fashion,  seemingly  executing  some  occult 
and  intricate  design.       If  the  pilot  is  skilful  and 
the   tide    high    and    fortune    favors,    it    will    get 
through  all   right,  but   many   and   many  a   time 
have  steamers  grounded,  compelling  a  long  wait 
for  tides  and  bringing  down  bitter  maledictions 
from  irate  passengers  on  the  inoffensive  town  of 
La  Conner. 

Agitation  for  the  relief  from  these  annoyances 
began  many  years  ago;  indeed  almost  simultane- 
ously with  the  inception  of  settlement  in  the  La 
Conner  country.  So  far  adequate  relief  has  not 
been  afforded,  but  something  has  been  done  by 


our  generous  and  vigilant,  if  sometimes  tardy, 
government.  In  accordance  with  the  river  and 
harbor  act  approved  September  Ifl,  LSSX),  Captain 
T.  W.  Symons  made  a  preliminary  survey  for  a 
channel  one  hundred  feet  wide  and  four  feet 
deep  at  low  water,  from  Skagit  bay  to  deep  water 
in  Padillabay.  The  following  appropriations  have 
been  made:  Act  of  Julv  13,  LS!)2,  $2r),()0():  act  of 
August  18,  1S!)4,  $25,()b0;  act  of  June  3,  1890, 
$25,000;  act  of  March  3,  LS!)!),  $2(1,000;  act  of 
June  13,  1!)02,  $30,000..  Of  this  amount  $50,000 
were  expended  up  to  1890  in  dredging  the  slough 
from  "Hole  in  the  Wall"  to  Padilla  baj'.  The 
rest  has  been  spent  in  dams,  dikes,  etc.,  south 
of  La  Conner,  and  has  now  been  nearly  all  used. 
In  accordance  with  the  recommendation  of 
Inspector  Thomas  Huddleston  an  additional 
$50,000  has  been  appropriated  for  expenditure 
during  the  fiscal  year  beginning  July  1,  1!)05. 
Major  John  Millis,  of  the  U.  S.  A.  engineers,  at 
Seattle,  has  just  recommended  an  appropriation 
of  $149,430  for  the  improvement  of  Swinomish 
slough.  Major  Millis  considers  the  four-foot 
channel  wholly  inadequate  and  is  planning  for  a 
much  deeper  one  such  as  will  permit  the  entrance 
of  moderate  draft  vessels  at  any  time.  A  ship 
canal  through  the  slough  would  cost,  it  is  esti- 
mated, between  two  and  three  million  dollars, 
but  there  is  a  possibility  that  it  will  some  day  be 
built,  nevertheless.  At  any  rate  the  improve- 
ment of  the  inner  passage  for  the  accommodation 
of  smaller  vessels  is  a  work  of  great  and  pressing 
importance,  for  the  two  outer  passages  between 
the  northern  and  southern  portions  of  Puget 
sound  are  both  more  or  less  dangerous  and  ditli- 
cult  for  such  craft.  The  route  through  Rosario 
strait  and  the  main  sound,  to  the  west  of 
Whidby  island  and  Admiralty  inlet,  is  frequently 
rendered  dangerous  by  heavy  seas.  The  route 
through  Rosario  strait.  Deception  pass,  Skagit 
bay  and  Saratoga  passage  is  subject  to  the  same 
objection  and  is  further  rendered  objectionable 
by  the  exceedinglv' swift  currents  during  the  high 
tides.  It  is  therefore  apparent  that  the  improve- 
ment of  the  inner  passage,  the  shortest  as  well 
as  the  safest  of  the  three,  is  a  matter  of  more 
than  local  interest. 

In  order  to  provide  the  mariners  of  the  lower 
sound  with  better  lighting  facilities,  the  govern- 
ment is  at  present  erecting  a' very  substantial 
lighthouse  on  Burrow's  island  near  the  outer 
entrance  of  (Iuemes  channel,  to  cost  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  This  will  light  the  straits. 
Deception  pass,  Bellingham  channel  and  Rosario 
strait,  in  addition  to  (niemes  channel. 

The  old  Skagit  jam,  near  where  Mount  \'ernon 
now  is,  formed  the  dividing  line  between  what 
are  termed  locally  the  upper  and  lower  Skagit 
valleys.  It  cwnspired  with  numerous  other 
obvious  causes  to  delay  the  settlement  of  the 
upper  valley  until  the  lower  was  quite  generally 
pre-empted,     hence     the     development   of     the 


DESCRIPTIVE 


country  above  Mount  Vernon  is  a  number  of  years 
behind  that  below,  though  the  upper  country, 
since  the  building  of  the  railroads,  has  been 
forging  ahead  at  a  lively  pace.  Its  length  prob- 
ably exceeds  seventy  miles;  its  width  varies 
greatly,  the  environing  mountains  approaching 
sometimes  within  a  few  miles  of  each  other  and 
then  recede  again,  until  they  are  ten  miles  or 
more  apart.  While  the  upper  valley  does  not 
compare  with  the  Skagit  delta  and  the  Swinomish 
Hats  in  point  of  agricultural  development,  it  is 
in  many  parts  scarcely  less  rich  in  its  possibilities. 
The  writer  has  seen  oats  right  under  the  brow 
of  the  Cascades  which  could  hardly  be  surpassed 
around  La  Conner  or  anywhere  else.  Further- 
more, the  upper  valley,  when  cleared  of  timber, 
is  suited  to  more  diversified  crops  than  is  the  tide 
land  nearer  the  sound.  The  soil  is  warm,  sandy 
and  rich, — a  mixture  of  vegetable  mold  and  rock 
sediment  from  the  mountains,  easily  cultivated 
and  of  great  depth,  capable  of  producing  cereals 
of  all  kinds,  vegetables,  fruits,  berries,  etc.,  etc., 
in  abundant  quantities,  of  the  finest  quality  and 
of  many  varieties. 

But  the  hope  for  the  future  of  the  valley  rests 
upon  more  than  one  foundation.  Much  of  the 
timber  in  the  river  bottom  has  been  removed,  to 
be  sure,  but  on  the  environing  hills  and  moun- 
tains are  belts  of  coniferous  trees,  still  untouched, 
which  will  yield  billions  of  feet  of  saw  timber, 
billions  of  shingles.  In  some  of  these  same 
mountains,  beneath  the  roots  of  the  trees,  are 
great  ledges  of  coal  and  iron.  For  miles  in  the 
mountains  across  from  Hamilton  iron  may  be 
found  almost  anywhere.  The  development  of 
both  these  industries  has  long  been  delayed, 
owing  to  a  variety  of  causes,  none  of  which  go 
to  the  merits  of  the  minerals  themselves.  Their 
([uality  seems  to  stand  the  tests  of  the  mineralo- 
gist. These  mines  cannot  remain  idle  always, 
and  when  their  development  is  begun  in  good 
earnest,  the  Skagit  valley  will  teem  witii  a 
numerous  population. 

What  has  been  said  of  the  valley  is  true  in  the 
main  of  all  the  tributary  valleys;  those  of  Baker, 
Cascade  and  Sauk  rivers  and  Nookachamps 
creek.  All  are  possessed  of  a  great  wealth  of 
timber;  all  have  agricultural  possibilities  as  yet 
undeveloped;  some  may  prove  rich  in  minerals. 
The  topography  of  the  Nookachamps  has  a 
charm  all  its  own,  arising  from  the  presence  of 
numerous  lakes,  beautiful  as  can  be  imagined, 
reflecting  the  dark  green  foliage  of  their  heavily 
timbered  shores,  and  withal  possessed  of  great 
economic  value  in  the  facilities  they  afford  for 
the  transportation  of  timber  and  its  manufacture 
into  lumber.  On  the  shores  of  some  of  these 
lakes  considerable  towns  have  sprung  up,  as 
Montborne  on  Big  Lake  and  McMurray  on  the 
lake  of  that  name. 

The  eastern  part  of  the  county  is  traversed 
by    the    Cascade    mountain    range,    which    is   of 


inestimable  value  for  its  climatic  effect,  inter- 
cepting the  vapors  from  the  Pacific  and  precipi- 
tating them  as  rain  on  their  western  side. 
These  mountains  may  be  said  to  be  the  parents 
of  all  the  rest  of  the  county.  They  are  the  birth- 
place of  the  smaller  rivers  and  streams;  their 
pulverized  and  decomposed  rock  and  ash  enter 
into  the  composition  of  the  soil;  by  intercepting 
a'nd  condensing  the  escaping  moisture,  they  have 
caused  the  growth  of  the  vast  bodies  of  timber 
not  alone  on  their  own  surfaces  and  foothills,  but 
on  the  valley  between  them  and  the  sound;  they 
are  the  main  hope  of  the  prospector  and  miner; 
while  to  the  sportsman,  the  seeker  of  pleasure  or 
recreation  and  the  lover  of  Nature  at  her  wildest 
and  her  grandest,  they  are  a  never  failing  foun- 
tain of  delight. 

Of  the  county's  island  possessions,  Fidalgo  is 
easily  the  chief.  Though  classed  as  an  island,  it 
has  all  the  advantages  of  an  intimate  connection 
with  the  mainland,  being  separated  only  by  a 
narrow  slough,  which  has  been  bridged  without 
difficulty  so  that  one  may  drive  across  with  a 
team  or  ride  over  safely  on  a  Great  Northern 
train.  The  island  is  likewise  in  close  connection 
with  a  number  of  other  islands,  being  separated 
from  Cruemes,  Cypress,  Burrows,  Allen,  Cotton- 
wood, Hat,  Hope  and  Samish  only  by  narrow 
passages,  all  of  which  are  navigable.  During 
the  boom  days  in  Anacortes,  property  on  many 
of  these  islands  showed  a  marked  upward  tend- 
ency in  price,  moving  in  sympathy  with  the  great 
center  of  interest,  for  indeed  the  scheme  of  the 
town  builders  was  comprehensive  enough  to 
embrace  a  future  "Venice  of  America,"  covering 
not  alone  Fidalgo,  but  all  the  neighboring  islands. 
Had  it  succeeded,  there  would  be  plenty  of  seats 
for  American  doges,  a  grand  new  world  inviting 
conquest  by  American  gondoliers. 

While  there  was  no  warrant  for  the  extrava- 
gant expectations  of  the  boom  days,  the  reasoning 
in  favor  of  Fidalgo  island  as  a  favorable  site  for 
a  great  seaport  town  was  of  undeniable  force. 
It  was  pointed  out  in  1SS7  that  "a  vessel  bound 
up  sound  to  .Seattle  must  use  a  tow-boat  and 
waste  considerable  time.  The  tow-boat's  charge 
is  three  hundred  dollars;  and  during  the  time  lost 
all  the  officers  and  crew  are  on  pay,  making  the 
total  cost  seven  hundred  dollars  more  for  a  sailing 
vessel  to  go  to  Tacoma  or  Seattle  then  to  Ship 
harbor."  This  and  other  arguments  in  favor  of 
the  long-talked-of  town  have  lost  none  of  their 
cogency  with  the  flight  of  time.  Should  the 
Great  Northern  extend  its  Anacortes-Rockport 
road  over  the  mountains  to  a  connection  with  its 
eastern  system  and  make  Anacortes  its  Pacific 
coast  terminal,  other  roads  would  be  obliged  to 
build  into  Anacortes  and  establish  terminals 
there  also,  in  order  to  compete  successfully  for 
the  ocean  trade.  The  result  upon  the  town's 
growth  may  be  easily  imagined. 

Skagit  county  can  claim  high  rank  among  the 


;rpri.i:Mi-.x  r.\Rv 


counties  of  the  sound  in  point  of  diversity  of 
natural  elements  of  wealth,  but  its  clear  promi- 
nence over  all  others  is  in  tide-land  reclamation 
imd  the  production  of  tide-land  crops.  Its  suc- 
cess in  these  has  gained  it  a  fame  which  is  more 
than  statewide  and  more  than  nation-wide.  It 
is  claimed  that  nowhere  else  on  the  earth's 
surface  can  be  found  an  equal  area  which  will 
produce  equal  yields  of  oats.  There  is  no  dearth 
of  authentic  accounts  of  phenomenally  larjje 
yields.  In  ISSS,  a  tract  of  twelve  and  one-half 
acres  on  the  Conner  pre-emption  yielded  one 
hundred  and  fifty-six  and  one-half  bushels  an 
acre.  The  same  year  a  twenty-acre  tract  on  the 
Sullivan  place  yielded  one  hundred  and  fifty-two 
and  two-thirds  bushels.  In  ISHU  ten  acres  of 
E.  A.  Sisson's  land  yielded  one  hundred  and 
sixty-eight  bushels  an  acre,  counting  thirty-two 
pounds  a  bushel  and  this  year  (IdOrO  eighty-two 
acres  averaged  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thirty-twopound  bushels.  In  I'.HU,  William  Arm- 
strong raised  over  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
bushels  to  the  acre  on  a  four-acre  piece  which  had 
been  cultivated  at  least  twenty-five  years,  while 
on  the  Conner  place,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
county,  Lewis  Seigfried,  produced  one  hundred 
and  ninety-five  thiriy-two-pound  bushels  to  the 
acre,  the  same  year,  on  a  seven-acre  field. 
Herbert  S.  Conner  tells  us  that  in  18S);?  twelve 
acres  of  his  father's  land  produced  one  hundred 
and  fift3'-six  thirty-six-pound  bushels  an  acre, 
which  is  equivalent  to  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  and  a  half  bushels  according  to  the  present 
thirty-two-pound  standard;  that  a  portion  of  this 
crop,  together  with  a  sworn  statement  of  the 
yield,  was  sent  to  the  Columbian  Exposition  at 
Chicago  and  won  first  award  for  the  state. 
"Another  yield  of  unusual  proportions,"  says  Mr. 
Conner,  "was  a  recent  one  on  our  farm  near  Stan- 
wood,  under  the  management  of  John  Hanson. 
There  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  produced  an 
average  of  forty-six  sacks  to  the  acre,  which 
would  mean  about  one  hundred  and  forty-nine 
bushels  under  the  thirty-two-pound  standard." 

But  no  section  of  country  can  achieve  and 
maintain  a  lasting  reputation  on  phenomenal 
yields  alone.  It  takes  large  average  yields  over 
a  wide  area,  repeated  through  a  term  of  years  to 
form  the  basis  of  a  permanent  renown,  and  on 
just  such  a  basis  does  the  fame  of  this  oat  belt 
rest.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  entire  belt, 
one  acre  with  another,  the  results  of  good  farm- 
ing averaged  with  those  of  bad,  no  allowance 
whatsoever  being  made,  has  repeatedly  returned 
a  yield  per  acre,  which  in  other  communities 
could  scarceh'  be  had  on  a  small  patch  and  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances.  Perhaps  the 
average  for  the  entire  belt,  since  it  was  first 
devoted  extensively  to  oat  production,  has  never 
fallen  below  seventy-five  bushels.  It  seldom 
falls  below  eighty  and  often  reaches  a  hundred. 
Herbert  S.  Conner  says  that  the  average  oat  crop 


for  the  past  few  years  has  been  little  less  than 
one  hundred  bushels.  It  must  not  be  assumed 
that  oats  are  the  only  product  of  this  land.  It 
is  scarcely  less  famous  for  the  production  of  hay 
as  a  subsidiary  and  sometimes  as  an  alternate 
crop.  Indeed  most  of  the  farmers  of  the  Hals  are 
believers  in  diversified  industry,  and  in  addition 
to  the  enormous  returns  they  receive  from  the 
sale  of  their  oats,  get  much  additional  revenue 
from  the  land  in  the  pasture  it  affords  for  live- 
stock. On  a  recent  trip  over  the  Rockport- 
Anacortes  branch,  the  writer  saw  several  fields 
of  hay  in  the  Swinomish  country  which  could  not 
fail  to  average  at  least  four  tons  per  acre,  and  it 
is  said  that  six-ton  yields  are  not  specially 
uncommon.  The  Argus  is  authority  for  the 
statement  that  S.  P.  Kendall  last  year  harvested 
one  hundred  and  twenty-two  tons  from  twenty 
acres.  The  average  price  of  this  hay,  which  is 
mostly  a  mixture  of  timothy  and  clover,  was 
ten  dollars  per  ton  in  1!HU.  E.  A.  Sisson  says 
his  farm  has  averaged  four  tons  to  the  acre  for 
the  past  ten  years.  The  average,  Mr.  Conner 
says,  is  from  three  to  five  tons,  generally  nearer 
five  than  three.  T.  P.  Hastie  says  he  raised  a 
crop  of  timothy,  some  of  which  was  eight  feet  four 
inches  tall.  It  would  completely  hide  a  sixteen- 
hand  team. 

An  idea  of  the  diversity  and  quantity  of  the 
products  of  the  oat  belt  may  be  gained  from  a 
perusal  of  statistics  compiled  by  U.  S.  Engineer 
Thomas  H.  Huddleston  for  the  calendar  year 
ISHU.  Compiled  for  the  purpose  of  determining 
the  advisability  of  appropriating  money  for  the 
improvement  of  Swinomish  slough,  they  only 
include  those  products  which  pass  through  that 
channel,  hence  are  not  complete  for  the  whole 
tide  marsh  area,  let  alone  the  county.  They 
show  an  exportation  of  2r>  tons  of  agricultural 
implements,  value  §11,000;  43  tons  of  butter, 
$30,000;  IS  tons  of  fruit.  $720;  3(U  tons  of  fish, 
$109,1-20;  •2ri,000  tons  of  grain,  $025,000;  14.000 
tons  of  hav,  $ir>4,000;  12  tons  of  hides,  S2,0ri2; 
20  tons  hops,  $15,()00;  To  tons  live-stock,  $l(i,SOO; 
39r>  tons  merchandise,  $!)S,750;  '24  tons  poultry, 
$5,760;  00  tons  potatoes,  $1,200;  IS  tons  cabbage 
seed,  $4,0S0;  o  tons  wool,  $S40;  21,000  dozen 
eggs,  $4,200;  3S, 000,000  feet  logs  (board  meas- 
ure), $22S,000;  3,100,000  feet  lumber,  $24,000. 
From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  value  of  all  the 
exports  exceeds  $1,300,000.  Imports  for  tlie 
same  period  according  to  the  same  authority, 
consisted  principally  of  agricultural  implements, 
binding  twine,  coal,  flour,  fruit,  grain  bags, 
grain,  gravel,  hardware,  iron  work,  ice,  live- 
stock, machinery,  general  merchandise,  paper, 
potatoes,  paints  and  oils  and  wagons,  and  were 
valued  at  $430,352. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  the  pro- 
duction of  cabbage  seed  is  an  important  industry 
of  the  flats.  The  well-known  A.  d.  Tillinghast 
was  the  one  who  introduced  it  into  the  county. 


DESCRIPTIVE 


391 


He  is  certainly  the  leading  spirit  in  this  as  in 
other  garden-seed    production;   at   the    present 
time  and  for  years  he  has    been  widely  known 
throughout    Washington   and  other   states   as   a 
successful  seedsman.     Through  him  Charles  E.   i 
Wightmen,  of  Avon,    sells  to  Ferry  &  Company  , 
of   Detroit,   Mich.,  a  very  large  quantity  of  the  | 
*'Sure    Head"  variety    of  cabbage;  indeed  it    is  i 
claimed,   a  quantity  sufficient   to  supply  practi-  , 
cally  the  entire  market  of  the  United  States. 

While    the   Skagit    country  is   not  especially 
noted  as  a  fruit-raising  region,  yet  it  produces 
large  quantities  of  apples,  pears,  plums,  cherries 
and  other  fruits  indigenous  to  this  climate.     A 
small    amount    is    being    exported    annually    to 
points    on    the    Pacific.     As    the    bench    lands 
become. cleared,  horticulture  will  become  a  more 
important  factor  in  Skagit's  commerce.     In  this  i 
connection  it  is  worthy  of  note  to  speak  of  the  i 
county's  pioneer  nursery.     Albert  L.  and  Frank 
Graham,  pioneers  of  Fidalgo  island,  established  ! 
this  amlDitious  industry  on   that  island   in  JSS4, 
under  the  name  of  the  Anacortes  Nursery.      They 
carried  a  general  stock,  grown  directly  from  the 
seed,   utilizing    ten    acres.     One    year    this  firm 
grafted     ten    thousand     apple    trees    and    their  i 
average  annual  sales  during  the  ten  years  of  the 
nursery's    existence    are    estimated    by    A.     L.   I 
Graham    at    five    thousand  trees,   in  addition    to 
specialties   and    berry    bushes.      Mr.    Graham  is 
still  one  of   the  county's  leading  horticulturists, 
having   a  twelve-acre   orchard   of   mixed    fruits. 
H.    R.    Hutchinson    &    Sons   of    Mount   \'ernon 
are  the  proprietors  of   a  large  celery  farm  which 
is  rapidly  becoming  widely  and  favorably  known. 

As  a  by-product  of  fruit  raising,   the  vinegar  . 
industry  has  also  made  its  appearance  in  Skagit  , 
county.       David  Batey    established  a  factory  at  \ 
Sedro-Woolley  in  ISOS  and   is  producing  a   very 
creditable  product,  his  plant  being  enlarged  year 
by  year. 

Reliable  statistics  of  agriculture  in  other  parts 
of  Skagit  county  are  not  obtainable.  The  agri- 
cultural and  horticultural  resources  are  not  fully 
developed  outside  of  the  marshland  districts,  nor 
inside  of  them,  for  that  matter,  but  the  amount 
of  land  cleared  and  cultivated  is  increasing  very 
rapidly.  Outside  the  oat  belt  diversified  farming 
and  stock  raising  are  in  vogue  everywhere.  In 
places  the  difficulty  of  clearing  off  the  timber 
necessitates  the  intensive  cultivation  of  lands 
already  cleared,  but  crops  of  all  kinds  yield  so 
bountifully  and  pay  so  well,  that  the  farmer 
usually  gets  an  abundant  reward  for  the  cost  and 
labor  of  clearing.  The  logger,  who  has  lent  so  ■ 
much  encouragement  to  agriculture  by  furnish-  ' 
ing  local  markets  for  all  the  products  of  field  and 
herd,  is  rendering  it  a  further  service  by  remov-  ^ 
ing  the  heavy  timber,  so  that  the  smaller  growth 
can  be  slashed  and  burnt  off,  the  land  seeded  to  ' 
clover,  orchard  grass  or  some  other  forage  plant, 
and  a  pasture  for  cattle,  horses  and  sheep  created. 


As  the  process  of  denudation  progresses,  the 
live-stock  industries  will  naturally  increase.  An 
idea  of  their  extent  at  this  writing  may  be  had 
from  the  assessor's  summary  for  Jii04,  which 
certainly  possesses  one  virtue  in  a  marked  degree, 
the  virtue  of  conservatism.  It  shows  horses, 
mules  and  asses  in  the  county,  2,Jil7,  value 
$103,505;  cattle,  H,'.)]'.),  value  $120,053;  sheep, 
.3,9Hi,  value  $7,829;  hogs,  1,458,  value  $4,033. 

The  lumbering  industry  in  Skagit  county 
dates  back  to  a  very  early  period.  It  was,  how- 
ever, somewhat  overshadowed  in  interest  during 
the  pioneer  days  by  the  absorbing  occupation  of 
tide-land  diking  and  cultivation,  hence  never 
achieved  the  pre-eminence  it  enjoyed  in  Snoho- 
mish county.  However,  the  business  of  logging 
and  lumber  manufacture  has  long  been  a  great 
source  of  wealth  and  "the  end  is  not  yet."  All 
the  activity  of  the  many  logging  camps,  logging 
railways,  saw-mills  and  shingle  mills  for  more 
than  three  decades  has  not  resulted  in  the  remov- 
al of  half  the  merchantable  timber  from  Skagit 
county.  According  to  United  States  government 
reports,  there  were  in  l'.i()2,  eleven  billion,  ninety 
eight  million,  one  hundred  and  eleven  thou- 
sand feet  still  standing  of  timber  considered 
merchantable  according  to  present  standards. 
"There  is  no  question,  however,"  says  the 
report,  "that,  as  is  the  case  in  the  eastern  white 
pine,  a  much  larger  amount  will  ultimately  be 
realized,  for  several  reasons:  First,  the  stand- 
ard will  certainly  be  lowered,  so  that  instead  of 
using  only  one-third  of  the  tree  two-thirds  may 
be  used,  and  many  small  trees  now  destroyed  by 
fire  in  the  culled  areas  will  be  cut;  second,  spe- 
cies not  now  used  may  come  into  the  market; 
third,  areas  now  considered  inaccessible  will 
serve  as  sources  of  supply;  fourth,  the  new 
growth  on  cut  and  burned  areas  will  reach 
merchantable  size  long  before  the  old  growth  is 
exhausted." 

It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  Skagit  county 
would  be  an  important  lumber  producing  re- 
gion for  many  years,  even  if  its  lumbermen 
were  confined  to  their  own  county  for  their 
raw  material.  They  are  not,  however,  for 
much  timber  outside  of  the  county  must  pass 
through  it  on  its  way  to  a  market  and  much 
of  it  will  no  doubt  be  manufactured  in  the 
county's  mills.  The  end  of  the  lumber  industry 
is  certainly  not  in  sight  at  this  date. 

A  good  general  idea  of  the  present  status  of 
lumbering  in  Skagit  county  may  be  had  from 
statistics  of  the  industry  kindly  furnished  by  the 
assessor.  These  show  the  following  logging 
camps:  English  Lumber  Company,  Conway, 
four  railroad  engines,  125  men:  Tyee  Logging 
Company,  Conway,  which  also  logs  by  rail,  75 
men;  Dickey  &  Angel,  Fredonia,  35  men;  Clear 
Lake  Lumber  Company,  Clear  Lake,  two  railroad 
engines.  125  men;  Lyman  Lumber  Company, 
two  railroad   engines,  75  men;  Bradsbury  Log- 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


ging  Company,  Sedro-Woolley,  25  men;  Patrick 
McCoy,  Edison,  one  locomotive,  six  miles  of 
railroad,  three  donkey  engines,  50  to  (iO  men; 
Ballard  Lumber  Company,  Bay  View,  one  loco- 
motive, three  miles  of  railroad,  40  men;  Hough- 
ton Lumber  Company,  McMurray,  125  men.  At 
the  present  time  the  Blanchard  Lumber  Company, 
on  Blanchard  slough,  is  not  operating  its  mills 
and  camps,  but  it  deserves  mention  both  on 
account  of  the  long  period  of  time  during  which  it 
has  followed  the  business  of  logging  on  the 
sound,  and  on  account  of  its  having  been  the  first 
company  in  the  county,  indeed  the  first  in  the 
sound  country,  to  use  an  all  steam  outfit.  Per- 
haps mention  should  also  be  made  of  the  Alger 
Logging  Company,  which  some  time  in  the  later 
eighties  bought  out  the  Samish  Logging  Co'n- 
pany  and  moved  the  outfit  to  McElroy  slough, 
where  for  years  it  operated  very  extensively.  It 
sold  in  15)00  to  the  Lake  Whatcom  Logging 
Company.  It  is  said  that  whatever  may  have 
been  the  failures  of  R.  A.  Alger,  as  secretary  of 
war,  he  was  one  of  the  most  skilful  managers  of 
a  large  lumbering  company  that  ever  operated  on 
the  sound. 

The  saw-mills  now  operating  in  Skagit  county, 
with  the  location  and  daily  capacity  of  each,  are 
as  follows:  A.  W.  Fox's  ,  Fredonia,  10,000  feet; 
Gorton  Brothers',  Bay  View,  (i.OOO;  Cedardale 
Lumber  Company's,  Mount  Vernon.  15,000: 
North  Avon  Lumber  Company's,  20,000:  La  Con- 
ner Lumber  Company's,  10,000;  Edison  Lumber 
Company's,  10,000:  Clear  Lake  Lumber  Com- 
pany's, S5,000;  Fidalgo  Mill  Company's,  Ana- 
cortes,  40,000;  Hightower  Lumber  Company's, 
Hamilton,  15,000;  Tower  Mill  Company's,  Van 
Horn,  25,000;  Butler  Brothers',  Bow,  15,000; 
Atlas  Lumber  &  Shingle  Company's,  McMurrav, 
S0,000;  Nelson  &  Neal's,  Montborne,  75,000; 
Day  Lumber  Company's,  Big  Lake,  100,000; 
Lyman  Lumber  &  Shingle  Company's,  45,000; 
W.  M.  Rodger's.  Anacortes,  75,000;  Jacobs  & 
Harpst's,  Avon.  10,000;  North  Avon  Lumber 
Company's,  25,000;  D.  J.  Cain  &  Company's, 
Thorn  wood,  40,000;  Great  Northern  Lumber 
Company's,  Anacortes,  100,000. 

Inception  was  given  to  the  shingle  mill  busi- 
ness in  Skagit  county  by  Mortimer  Cook  in  the 
fall  of  18N(i.  Mr.  Cook  deserves  the  further  and 
greater  honor  of  having  been  one  of  the  very 
first  who  introduced  the  red  cedar  shingle  of 
Puget  sound  to  the  markets  of  the  middle  western 
states,  thereby  starting  a  trade  which  has  grown 
to  enormous  proportions,  and  contributing 
immensely  to  the  development  of  the  entire 
sound  basin.  As  a  result  shingle  mills  are 
abundant  in  every  accessible  part  of  western 
Washington.  That  Skagit  county  is  not  behind 
in  the  extent  to  which  this  industry  has  been 
developed  will  appear  from  the  following  list  of 
mill  men  and  companies  operating  at  present: 
Hawley  Mill  Company,  Milltown,  125,000;  Green 


Shingle  Company,  Sedro-Woolley,  two  mills. 
200,000;  Baker  River  Lumber  Company,  125,000; 
Hatch  Bonser  Mill  Company,  Milltown,  SO. 000; 
Siwash  Shingle  Company,  Mount.  A'ernon,  180,- 
000;  Fidalgo  Island  Shingle  Companv,  Anacortes, 
50,000;  Cleary  Brothers,  Belleville,  .55,00(1;  Sterl- 
ing Mill  Company,  Sedro-Woolley,  100,000;  Sulli- 
van Shingle  Company,  Sauk,  100,000;  Boyd 
Shingle  Company,  Sauk,  125,000;  Rockport 
Shingle  Company.  Marblemount,  30,000;  Hawk- 
eye  Shingle  Company,  Sauk,  125,01)0;  Baty 
Shingle  Company,  Anacortes,  150,000;  Burpee 
Brothers  Company,  Anacortes,  125,000;  Ana- 
cortes Shingle  Company,  150,000;  P.  E.  Berard 
Shingle  Company,  150,000;  Little  ;Mountain 
Shingle  Company,  Mount  A'ernon,  130,000;  Win- 
ner Shingle  Company,  Bow,  75,000:  Allen  Roray 
Company,  Bow,  75,000;  Blanchard  Shingle  Com- 
pany, Fravel,  50,000;  Kalberg  &  Schaffer,  Bow, 
50,000;  Belfast  Manufacturing  Company,  KW.OOO; 
Castle  &  McKay,  Bow,  60,000;  De  Can  &  Yorks- 
ton,  Wickersham,  50,000;  Clear  Lake  Shingle 
Company,  100,000;  Clear  Lake  Lumber  Com- 
pany, 200,000;  Burke  &  McLean,  Anacortes, 
150,000:  James  H.  Cavanaugh,  Anacortes.  150,- 
000;  Burlington  Mill  Company,  50.000;  F.  N. 
Hatch,  Conway,  33,01)0;  Burns  Mill  Company, 
Sedro-Woolley.  100,000;  J.  M.  Hoyt,  Prairie, 
60,000;  T-  D-  Cain,  Prairie,  60,000;  James  Van 
Horn,  Van  Horn,  125,000;  O.  K.  Shingle  Com- 
pany, Van  Horn.  125,000;  J.  W.  Hall,  Avon, 
50,000;  Butler  Brothers,  Bow,  75,000;  George 
Heathman,  Burlington,  20,000;  McLeod  eV-  But- 
lers, Desmond,  60,000;  Pingree  &  Day,  Ehrlich, 
125,000;  J.  C.  Stitt,  Bay  View,  45,000;  Lyman 
Lumber  &  Shingle  Company,  125,000;  Minkler  & 
Vanderford,  Lyman,  65,000;  Hitchcock-Kelley 
Company,  Lyman,  50,000;  North  Avon  Lumber 
Company,  100,000;  Grand  Rapids  Shingle  Com- 
panv, Sedro-Woolley.  100,000;  J.  A.  Childs,  Ly- 
man, 100,000;  Taylo'r  &  Ristine,  Lyman,  100,000; 
Puget  Single  &  Lumber  Companv,  Milltown, 
30,000;  Williams  &  Henry,  Milltown,  30,000; 
Hawkeye  Shingle  Companv,  Rockport,  100,000; 
Clark  &  Lennon,  Sedro-W'oollev,  125,000;  Ner- 
drum  &  Meddaugh.  Sedro-Woolley,  100,000; 
Woolley  Shingle  Company,  40,000. 

The  mineral  wealth  of  Skagit  county  is  in  a 
verv  undeveloped  condition  notwithstanding  its 
existence  has  been  known  for  many  years.  The 
two  principal  minerals  are  coal  and  iron,  though 
discoveries  have  not  been  limited  to  these  by  any 
means.  More  effort  has  been  expended  upon  the 
coal  veins  than  any  of  the  other  minerals,  perhaps 
more  than  on  all  of  them  put  together,  yet  the 
output  of  coal  from  the  county  has  never  been 
great,  notwithstanding  the  somewhat  wide  distri- 
bution of  outcroppings  and  the  fairness  of  their 
promise. 

"In  the  western  half  of  Skagit  county." 
says  the  report  of  the  Washington  geological 
survey    for    1902,    "coal    measures    outcrop    at 


DESCRIPTIVE 


a  number  of  places.  Surrounding  these  out- 
crops, as  a  rule,  there  are  small  coal  basins, 
which  seemingly  have  never  been  connected 
but  have  always  been  separated  one  from 
another.  In  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
county,  the  large  coal  field  of  Whatcom  county 
extends  into  Skagit  for  a  little  way.  A  mile 
west  of  Thornwood  on  Samish  river,  there  is  an 
outcrop  of  coal  where  a  little  development  work 
has  been  done.  Immediately  east  of  Montborne 
there  is  a  small  area  of  coal  measures  with  a  few 
coal  outcrops.  Near  Cokedale  and  Hamilton 
there  is  in  each  case  a  coal  measure  area  in 
which  well-known  veins  of  coal  occur. 


"At  the  town  of  Cokedale  a  coal  mine  has 
been  in  operation  for  a  number  of  years.  The 
mine  is  located  at  the  extreme  Northern  limit  of 
the  coal  basin,  the  lowest  vein  of  coal  being  but 
a  few  feet  from  the  schist  which  lies  below.  The 
coal  measures  of  Cokedale  outcrop  along  the 
northern  boundaries  of  the  district,  but  for  the 
most  part  they  are  covered  by  the  alluvial 
deposits  of  the  Skagit  river.  The  district  is  not 
believed  to  be  a  large  one  extending  from  Coke- 
dale southward  to  the  Skagit,  and  in  an  east  and 
west  direction  from  near  Lyman  to  a  point  a 
little  way  beyond  Sedro-Woolley. 

"At  the  Cokedale  mine  three  veins  of  coal 
are  found,  viz.,  the  north  or  Klondike  vein,  the 
middle  vein  and  the  south  vein.  The  north  vein 
is  the  lovvest  one  in  the  series  and  has  a  thickness 
varying  from  ten  to  twedty-five  feet;  the  middle 
vein  lies  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  above  the 
north  vein,  stratigraphically,  and  has  a  thickness 
of  from  four  to  eight  feet,  with  an  average  of  six 
feet;  the  south  vein,  lying  forty  feet  above  the 
middle  vein,  has  a  thickness  varying  from  six 
inches  to  two  and  a  half  feet.  *  *  *  j^,  (-j^g 
deformation  of  the  coal  measures,  the  coal  was  so 
greatly  broken  that  in  mining  it  is  obtained  only 
in  small  pieces,  and  never  in  large  lumps.  It  is 
a  good  coking  coal,  and  a  large  part  of  it  is  made 
into  coke.  The  coal  is  all  passed  through 
washers  after  leaving  the  mine;  the  coarser  part 
is  then  used  for  steaming  and  domestic  purposes, 
while  the  finer  part  is  taken  directly  to  the  coke 
ovens  near  by.  Forty  ovens  are  now  in  place. 
They  are  of  the  beehive  pattern,  each  having  a 
capacity  of  five  tons.  In  1901  the  output  of  the 
Cokedale  mine  consisted  of  12,013  tons  of  coal 
and  r),S(>6  tons  of  coke,  and  in  1902  it  consisted 
of  19,017  tons  of  coal  and  (301  of  coke." 

The  coal  measures  in  the  Cokedale  region 
were  first  uncovered  by  Lafayette  Stevens  about 
187S,  some  four  years  after  he  with  Amasa  Everett 
and  Orlando  Graham  discovered  the  coal  veins 
at  Hamilton.  Stevens  first  associated  with  him 
J.  B.  Ball,  B.  A.  Marshall  and  a  man  named 
Smith  and  proceeded  to  develop  the  prospects, 
but  capital  was  lacking  and  little  more  than  to 


acquire  property  in  the  district  could  be  attempted 
though  one  tunnel,  three  hundred  feet  in  length, 
was  driven.  When  the  Fairhaven  &-  Southern 
railroad  was  built  from  Whatcom  to  Sedro  in 
1SS9,  Nelson  Bennett  and  his  associates,  under 
the  name  of  the  Skagit  Coal  &  Transportation 
Company,  acquired  the  property  and  immedi- 
ately began  extensive  developments.  C.  X. 
Larabee  bought  Bennetfs  interest  in  1891. 
Under  his  management  the  mining  of  coal  in  that 
locality  became  an  enterprise  of  considerable 
magnitude.  In  1894  shipping  by  rail  was  begun 
and  the  next  year  forty  coke  ovens  were  installed 
at  an  expense  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  It 
was  at  this  time  that  the  town  of  Cokedale 
sprang  up.  From  1894  to  1S98  the  mines  pro- 
duced heavily.  In  the  early  nineties,  James  J. 
Hill,  of  the  Great  Northern,  bought  a  quarter 
interest  in  the  properties  and  in  1N99,  his  road, 
under  the  name  of  the  Skagit  Coal  &  Coke  Com- 
pany, acquired  the  entire  property.  It  was 
operated  continuously  until  May,  1904,  since 
which  time  nothing  has  been  done.  Six  thousand 
acres  are  embraced  in  the  Cokedale  property. 

A  few  miles  to  eastward  of  Cokedale  is  the 
Hamilton  district  or  Hamilton  field  as  it  is 
called.  "The  rock  outcrops  of  the  Cokedale  and 
Hamilton  districts  are  separated  by  the  broad 
alluvial  plain  of  the  Skagit,  and  it  is  not  known 
at  the  present  time  whether  the  coal-bearing 
rocks  extend  from  one  district  to  the  other.  At 
several  places  in  the  Hamilton  district  coal  veins 
of  commercial  importance  are  known  to  outcrop. 
Upon  some  of  these  veins  considerable  develop- 
ment work  has  been  done  and  in  times  past  some 
coal  has  been  mined  and  sold.  The  coal  is  of 
good  quality  and  of  a  variety  that  may  be  made 
into  coke. " 

The  story  of  the  discovery  of  coal  in  the 
mountains  just  across  the  river  from  Hamilton 
has  been  already  told.  J.  J.  Conner  says  he  first 
learned  of  the  existence  of  coal  in  that  vicinity 
from  an  Indian  chief,  and  that  it  was  at  his 
(Conner's)  suggestion  that  Amasa  Everett, 
Orlando  Graham  and  the  others  investigated  this 
coal  region.  Subsequent  to  their  discovery,  a  com- 
pany was  organized  by  Mr.  Conner  and  others, 
some  of  them  Seattle  people,  to  exploit  the  coal, 
but  nothing  resulted  from  their  efforts.  Mr. 
Conner  then  obtained  entire  control  of  the  prop- 
erty, and  in  1S80  mined  and  shipped  a  hundred 
tons  for  the  supply  of  blacksmiths,  but  the  local 
demand  was  limited  and  no  further  efforts  in  this 
direction  were  made.  In  1885,  F.  J.  Horsewell, 
an  employee  of  certain  San  Francisco  men, 
obtained  from  Mr.  Conner  a  working  bond  on  a 
part  of  the  property.  The  Skagit  Cumberland 
Company  was  incorporated,  much  stoj:k  was  sold 
to  English  capitalists  and  by  borrowing  addi- 
tional money,  funds  were  raised  to  operate  on  a 
large  scale.  Toward  the  close  of  the  eighties 
they  got  started  in  good  earnest,  and  for  two  or 


,aii<:ntary 


three  years  a  large  force  of  men  was  employed, 
an  air  compressor  and  other  machinery  were 
installed  and  two  tunnels,  three  hundred  and 
eight  hundred  feet  respectively,  were  run. 

Meantime,  however,  the  company  had  become 
involved  in  litigation  with  Mr.  Conner,  who 
claims  they  tried  to  defraud  him  of  his  proj^erty, 
and  a  shut  down  eventually  resulted.  About 
this  time  Henry  Wood,  agent  for  the  Northern 
Pacific  Company,  investigated  the  property. 
Having  satisfied  himself  as  to  its  merits,  he 
offered,  on  behalf  of  his  principals,  three-tiuart- 
ers  of  a  million  dollars  for  the  holdings  of  the 
Skagit  Cumberland  Company  and  Mr.  Conner, 
the  latter  to  receive  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  company  would  not  sell,  and 
for  seven  years  litigation  between  them  and 
Conner  continued.  Conner  says  that  the  entire 
property  is  now  in  the  hands  of  himself  and  his 
associates  and  that  they  are  able  and  willing  to 
sell  to  any  person  or  corporation  with  the  means 
and  experience  to  operate  the  mine.  Recently 
a  deal  seemed  on  the  point  of  materializing  by 
which  English  capitalists  were  to  purchase  this 
Hamilton  property  entire,  together  with  Mr. 
Conner's  iron  interests,  in  all  five  thousand  two 
hundred  and  eijjhty  acres  of  mineral  land,  on 
which  are  one  hundred  and  fifty  million  feet  of 
timljcr,  for  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It  is 
said  that  the  purchasing  agent  went  so  far  as  to 
■enter  the  bank  in  New  York  to  draw  his  check 
for  the  first  payment,  but  the  deal  fell  through 
nevertheless.  The  reason  for  the  purchaser's 
sudden  change  of  mind  is  unknown,  but  Mr. 
Conner  thinks  he  was  influenced  from  his  orig- 
inal intention  by  railroad  interests. 

Tn  March,  iSSO,  iron  was  discovered  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hamilton,  but  across  the  river  from 
that  town,  by  J.  J.  Conner.  He  had  tests  made 
of  the  ore,  and  in  1S8I  succeeded  in  interesting 
David  Lester,  R.  F.  Radabaugh,  General  vSprague 
and  others,  who  formed  the  Tacoma  Steel  &  Iron 
Company,  in  the  property.  Two  tons  of  ore 
were  shipped  to  Philadelphia,  where  a  satisfac- 
tory test  was  made  and  a  capitalist  willing  to 
back  the  enterprise  found  in  the  person  of  C.  B. 
Wright.  On  learning  that  Tacoma  was  to  have  a 
steel  and  iron  plant,  Seattle  became  exceedingly 
jealous.  Some  of  her  citizens  at  once  chartered 
a  steamer,  proceeded  to  the  mines,  jumped  the 
various  unpatented  claims  and  took  possession 
generally.  Before  Conner's  title  could  be  (juieted, 
the  deal  had  fallen  through.  It  is  said  that 
Tacoma  got  revenge  on  vSeattle  a  few  years 
later  when  iron  works  were  about  to  be  estab- 
lished at  Kirkland,  by  cutting  off  transportation 
through  her  influence  with  the  Northern  Pacific. 
Certainly  the  Kirkland  plant  failed  to  mate- 
rialize. 

In  ISiK)  Conner  negotiated  a  sale  of  his  iron 
property  to  Nelson  Bennett  for  fifty-five  thousand 
dollars,  but  this  deal  failed  on  account  of  Senator 


Canfield's  having  placed  a  cloud  on  the  title. 
The  cloud  was  later  removed  by  an  agreement 
with  Canfield's  administratri.K.  In  the  early 
nineties,  D.  H.  Oilman,  attempted  to  exploit 
Washington  iron  by  starting  a  car-building 
establishment  which  should  utilize  iron  from  the 
local  mines.  He  failed  financially,  losing  every- 
thing. Some  years  ago.  Homer  H.  Sweeney,  of 
McKeesport,  Pennsylvania,  took  up  the  iron 
matter,  secured  the  Irondale  plant  at  the  head  of 
Port  Townsend  bay,  and  commenced  turning  out 
a  fine  product.  Mr.  Conner  shipped  him  four 
hundred  tons,  but  the  cost  of  the  ore  to  him 
proved  too  great,  on  account  of  heavy  freight 
charges.  The  ambitious  plans  of  Mr.  Sweeney 
were  cut  short  by  his  death,  he  having  been  one 
of  the  victims  of  the  Clallam  disaster,  and  the 
mineral  interests  of  Washington  thereby  sus- 
tained an  incalculable  misfortune. 

In  just  such  ways,  the  development  of  the  iron 
industry  in  Skagit  county  has  been  prevented. 
Iron  veins  extend  from  Iron  mountain,  near  Ham- 
ilton, up  the  Skagit  for  miles,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  of  the  abundance  of  the  mineral.  The 
estimated  amount  of  iron  ore  in  Conner's  prop- 
erty alone  is  twenty  million  tons.  It  cannot  be 
developed  by  its  present  owners,  owing  to  their  ■ 
lack  of  capital,  and  so  far  every  proposed  sale 
to  men  of  means  has  failed  to  materialize.  None 
of  the  various  reasons  for  these  failures  seem  to 
go  to  the  merits  of  the  property.  Mr.  Conner 
says  that  when  Prof.  Cherry,  a  friend  of  Carne- 
gie, who  had  charge  of  ore  tests  at  the  Colum- 
bian exposition,  made  an  analysis  of  a  sample  of 
Hamilton  ore,  he  was  impressed  with  the  desir- 
ability of  making  a  working  test.  This  he  did. 
He  succeeded  in  making  a  bar  of  steel  two  inches 
square  and  eighteen  inches  long,  which  he  pre- 
sented to  Dr.  G.  \'.  Calhoun  stating  that  there 
was  only  one  other  mine  in  the  United  States 
which  furnished  ore  from  which  steel  could  be 
made  in  this  manner.  Usually  it  is  necessary  to 
mix  ores  from  different  mines  in  order  to  produce 
steel.  He  expressed  himself  as  willing  to  invest 
heavily,  if  the  mine  was  what  it  appeared  to  be, 
and  asked  Dr.  Calhoun  to  investigate.  He  never 
lost  interest  in  Washington  iron  from  that  date 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  Many  analyses  of 
the  Hamilton  iron  have  been  made,  differing 
slightly  in  results.  One  of  them  shows:  Iron, 
52.1)0  per  cent.  ;  silica,  20  15;  sulphur,  .0.")!);  phos- 
phorous, .039;  manganese,  5.40;  alumina,  2.70; 
lime.  3.10. 

In  the  same  general  region,  near  the  mouth 
of  Baker  river,  Amasa  liverett  discovered  a 
cement  clay,  which  is  being  utilized  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  causing  an  influx  of  people  and  the 
laying  out  of  a  town  known  as  Cement  City. 
The  value  of  the  clay  was  discovered  by  accident. 
Mr.  Everett  was  showing  a  lime  ledge  to  an 
expert,  when  the  latter  dropped  a  remark  about 
some  of  the  clay  which  had  been  built  into  fire- 


MT.    BAKF.R    AND    Ml'.    RAINIER 


DESCRIPTIVE 


397 


places,  saying  it  was  more  valuable  for  cement 
than  it  was  for  brick.  Everett  "took  the  hint," 
and  while  trying  to  sell  his  lime  ledge  in  New 
York,  showed  also  a  sample  of  the  clay.  The 
ultimate  result  was  the  formation  of  the  Wash- 
ington Portland  Cement  Company,  and  the 
inception  of  development  work  on  a  large  scale. 
The  company  is  now  employing  all  the  men  it 
can  get,  building  a  twelve  hundred  barrel  plant 
and  it  is  expected  that  next  y^r  the  capacity  of 
the  plant  will  be  doubled. 

Talc  is  another  mineral  tliat  exists  in  quantity 
in  Skagit  county.  One  deposit  was  discovered 
by  an  old  prospector  named  George  Neal,  who 
later  associated  with  himself  Robert  Moore  and 
A.  M.  Searight  and  secured  a  lease  of  the  school 
land  on  which  the  main  body  of  talc  was  located. 
With  Fletcher  Brothers,  who  had  secured  a  tract 
of  talc  land  adjoining,  they  incorporated  a  com- 
pany and  began  to  prospect  the  property 
thoroughly.  It  is  said  that  their  labor  has 
demonstrated  that  the  mineral  exists  in  almost 
inexhaustible  quantities  and  is  of  high  quality. 
The  property  is  located  near  Bow  on  Samish  bay 
within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  Great  Northern 
railroad.  The  company  is  getting  ready  for 
active  operations  as  rapidly  as  possible.  There 
are  also  valuable  deposits  of  talc  near  Marble- 
mount,  for  the  elaboration  of  which  T.  M.  Alvord 
&  Son  have  erected  a  water-power  mill,  the  only 
talc  mill  in  the  county  at  present. 

Discoveries  of  asbestos,  graphite,  mica  and 
other  minerals  have  been  made  from  time  to 
time  in  various  parts  of  Skagit  county  as  well  as 
of  lead,  nickel  and  the  precious  metals.  In  the 
summer  of  1S90,  there  was  much  excitement 
over  the  discovery  of  rich  bodies  of  ore  near  the 
head  of  Cascade  river,  and  over  the  sale  of  one 
mine  to  Eastern  parties  for  a  reputed  price  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  There  are  a 
number  of  prospects  in  this  Cascade  district  as 
yet  undeveloped,  and  to  the  north  and  east  in 
Whatcom,  Okanogan  and  Chelan  counties  are 
several  mineral  belts  of  no  little  promise. 

The  taking  and  canning  of  various  kinds  of 
salt-water  fish  is  another  Skagit  county  industn,- 
of  enormous  and  constantly  growing  proportions. 
The  waters  of  the  sound,  the  gulf,  the  straits 
and  adjacent  ocean  teem  with  cod,  herring,  stur- 
geon, anchovies,  flounders,  perch,  halibut,  shad, 
sole,  bass,  salmon,  smelts,  etc.,  as  well  as 
oysters,  clams,  shrimps,  crabs  and  other  varieties 
of  shell  fish.  There  is  profit  for  the  experienced 
fisherman  who  engages  in  the  capture  and  pre- 
paring for  market  of  any  of  these  varieties,  but 
salmon  catching  and  canning  far  surpass  any 
of  the  other  fishing  industries  in  magnitude 
and  importance.  Seven  of  the  largest  salmon 
canneries  on  Puget  sound  are  located  in  Skagit 
county,  and  their  product  runs  high  into  the 
millions  of  cans.  "The  actual  number  of  cans 
manufactured  in  Anacortes, "  says  the  American 


of  June  15,  1905,  "is  as  follows:  Northern 
Fisheries  Company,  4,500,000;  Alaska  Packers 
Association,  5,000,000;  Fidalgo  Island  Packing 
Company,  3,000,000;  Porter  Fish  Company, 
2,500,000,  or  a  total  of  15,000,000  cans  manu- 
factured in  Anacortes  during  the  year  1905. 
This  is  the  total  product  of  the  can -making  plants 
of  this  city,  but  it  is  not  the  total  amount  of  cans 
used.  The  White  Crest  and  Apex  canneries  buy 
their  cans  already  made,  which  adds  to  the 
number  used  about  2,000,000  more  cans,  or  a  total 
of   17.000,000    cans. 

"The  seventh  cannery  at  Anacortes  is  that 
of  Will  A.  Lowman,  who  employs  forty-five 
white  men  and  fifty  Chinamen,  turning  out  about 
50,000  cases  annually. 

The  first  run  of  salmon  begins  about  the 
middle  of  April.  Although  these  are  caught 
and  utilized,  they  are  inferior  in  value  to  the 
sockeye,  whose  season  commences  aboiit  July 
15th.  Humbacks,  silver  salmon  and  steelheads 
follow,  none  of  which  are  comparable  to  the 
sockeye,  but  with  them  all  the  season  lasts  about 
ninety  days. 

In  order  to  render  the  salmon  industry  per- 
manent by  conserving  the  supply  of  fish  the  state 
has  enacted  strict  laws  regulating  the  distance 
between  fish  traps,  seins,  gill  nets,  etc.,  that  a 
sufficient  number  to  keep  up  the  supply  of  young 
salmon  may  be  allowed  to  spawn.  Furthermore 
there  are  twenty  fish  hatcheries  in  the  state, 
which,  it  is  estimated,  turn  out  one  hundred  and 
forty  million  young  salmon  annually.  A  very 
large  proportion  of  these  return  to  the  parent 
stream  in  from  two  and  a  halt"  to  four  years,  and 
many  of  them  are  taken  by  Skagit  county  fisher- 
men while  on  their  way. 

The  Baker  Lake  Salmon  Hatchery  which  is 
located  on  Baker  Lake  at  the  head  waters  of  the 
Baker  river,  one  of  the  main  tributaries  of  the 
Skagit,  was  established  about  ten  years  ago  by 
the  Washington  State  Fish  Commission  and 
operated  by  them  for  about  three  years  when  it 
was  sold  to  the  United  States  government.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  stations  that  the 
Bureau  of  Fisheries  operates,  as  it  is  on  one  of 
the  very  few  streams  which  the  sockeye  ascend 
in  numbers  to  warrant  artificial  propagation.  It 
is  of  course  very  expensive  to  run  owing  to  its 
geographical  location,  being  situated  eighteen 
miles  from  Baker,  a  small  town  on  the  Great 
Northern  railroad,  and  reached  only  over  a 
rugged  mountain  pony  trail.  The  buildings  are 
all  constructed  from  lumber  split  out  with  a  froe, 
the  main  hatchery  being  one  hundred  feet  by 
forty  feet  and  fitted  up  with  one  hundred  sixteen- 
foot  salmon  troughs. 

The  Bureau  also  operates  a  small  sub-station 
at  Birdsview  on  the  Skagit  river  and  the  two 
stations  together  have  an  annual  output  of  about 
twenty  million  fry  including  the  following 
species:  Sockeye,  Quinnat  and  silver  salmon  and 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


Steelhead  trout.     The  plant  is  under  the  super- 
intendency  of  Henry  O'Malley. 

While  the  habitat  of  the  cod  is  the  northern 
seas,  the  work  of  preparation  for  market  may  as 
well  be  done  in  more  genial  climes.  Anacortes 
is  the  possessor  of  a  mammoth  plant  fitted  up 
for  cod  curing  purposes— that  of  the  Robinson 
Fisheries  Company.  This  was  organized  in 
IS97  as  the  Robinson-Colt  Company  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  fertilizers  and  iish  oil.  In  1900  ihe 
size  of  the  plant  was  greatly  increased.  In  1904 
the  company  reorganized,  assumed  its  present 
name  and  launched  out  into  the  codfish  business. 
It  has  enjoyed  great  prosperity  and  a  phenom- 
enal growth,  the  result  of  much  care  in  treating 
the  fish,  much  thought  in  perfecting  drying 
methods  and  miich  effort  in  introducing  Pacific 
coast  codfish  in  the  markets  of  the  East.  The 
company  is  also  using  the  skins  of  the  fish  in  the 
manufacture  of  liquid  glue. 

With  a  word  about  the  oyster  industry,  this 
brief  review  of  the  fisheries  may  be  brought  to  a 
close.  Inasmuch  as  a  large  part  of  the  Samish 
oyster  beds  are  under  control  of  Bellingham 
people  their  product  -is  very  often  credited  to 
Whatcom  county.  In  reality,  however,  not  a 
single  oyster  was  ever  raised  in  Washington 
north  of  Samish  bay.  These  oysters  belong  to 
Skagit  county,  and  they  form  one  of  its  important 
assets.  "When  I  came  here,  I  was  dum- 
founded,"  said  Superintendent  A.  II.  Brown,  of 
the  Bellingham  Oyster  Company,  "to  find  the 
residents  of  Skagit  county  so  ignorant  of  the 
wealth  that  lay  within  the  very  palms  of  their 
hands.  Skagit  county,  with  its  eighteen  hundred 
acres  of  oyster  lands  (which  is  far  in  excess  of 
any  other  county  of  Puget  sound),  had  hardly 
been  touched  by  white  men.  The  Indians  and 
poachers  had  for  years  scraped  the  Samish  flats 
and  had  put  them  in  a  deplorable  state  until 
about  two  years  ago  (1902),  when  they  were 
bought  up  by  individuals,  and  today  there  are  one 
hundred  acres  of  oyster  lands  under  cultivation  in 
Skagit  county.  There  are  few  who  realize  what 
this  means,  and  it  is  but  the  beginning  of  what 
is  destined  to  be  one  of  Washington's  greatest 
industries."  Mr.  Brown  considers  the  Samish 
oyster  far  superior  to  the  Olympia,  or,  in  fact,  to 
any  other  bivalve  in  Washington.  His  company 
is  also  importing  and  cultivating  Japanese  and 
Eastern  oysters.  i 

P'rom    the     foregoing    incomplete    and    very 
imperfect  outline  of  Skagit  county's  resources,  it 
will  be  seen  that  they  are  very  diverse,  very  rich   ! 
and  practically  limitless  in  their  possibilities  of  | 
development.       Agricultural     lands    of     almost  j 
unparalleled  richness,  timber  equal  to  the  finest 
in    America,   plenty    of   coal    and    iron    of    good 
quality,  bright  prospects  for  the  development  of 
other  minerals,  plenty  of  talc  and  pulp  wood  for 
the  supply  of  paper  mills,  abundance  of  fish  of  I 
all  varieties,  a  climate  mild,  healthful  and  suited 


to  the  textile  industries  and  all  other  lines  of 
manufacture,  as  well  as  to  the  rearing  of  all 
kinds  of  live  stock,  safe  and  commodious  harbors, 
water  power  in  abundance,  at  the  front  door  a 
sea  just  starting  into  world-wide  commercial 
importance,  trans-continental  railways  entering 
at  the  back  door  and  competing  for  her  trajJe — 
these  are  the  possessions  of  Skagit  county,  the 
basis  of  her  present  prosperity  and  the  solid 
foundation  of  her  hope  for  the  future. 

SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 
To  the  south  of  Skagit,  and  between  it  and 
King,  is  Snohomish  county,  which  also  has  for 
its  eastern  boundary  the  summit  of  the  Cascades, 
and  its  western  the  sound.  The  salt  water  and 
the  mountains  here  approach  a  little  nearer  each 
other  than  further  north,  making  Snohomish 
county  somewhat  shorter  from  east  to  west  than 
Skagit;  and  though  it  enjoys  a  greater  frontage 
on  Puget  sound,  than  its  northern  neighbor  it  is 
a  little  smaller.  Its  superficial  area  is  one  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  fift"y-one  square  miles. 
While  the  pride  of  Skagit  county  is  its  tideland 
development,  that  of  Snohomish  is  most  justly 
the  S])lendid  achievements  of  its  loggers,  lumber- 
men and  shingle  manufacturers,  achievements 
which  have  placed  it  in  the  front  rank  among 
lumbering  communities.  Snohomish  is  one  of 
the  banner  counties  of  the  sound  basin  for  the 
magnificence  of  its  natural  covering  of  timber, 
many  ([uarter  sections  yielding  eight  or  ten 
million  feet  of  merchantable  saw  logs,  some  even 
more,  while  comparatively  few  have  had  less 
than  three  millions.  The  timber  is  very  widely 
distributed  over  its  entire  surface,  prairies  being 
few  and  relatively  insignificant,  though  some  of 
them  are  of  great  agricultural  value,  and  the 
only  other  untimbered  acres  being  the  rocky 
crests  of  a  few  lofty  mountain  peaks. 

As  is  true  of  all  other  countries  on  the  east 
side  of  the  sound,  its  most  striking  physical 
features  are  the  deep  salt  sea  along  its  western 
border,  and  the  lofty  Cascades,  which  occupy  its 
entire  eastern  part,  and  cover  nearly  half  its 
area.  Much  of  its  present  importance  and  hope 
for, the  future  is  due  to  its  location  on  the 
strategic  Puget  sound,  giving  it  immediate 
access  to  the  rapidly  developing  markets  of  the 
Pacific,  and  making  it  a  participant  in  whatever 
the  future  may  have  in  store  for  this  singularly 
favored  region.  So  many  are  the  natural  har- 
bors of  Puget  sound  that  almost  every  town  on 
its  shore  may  have  one,  but  it  is  claimed  that  of 
Everett  is  in  some  respects  superior  to  any 
other,  even  to  those  of  Seattle  and  Tacoma. 
Notwithstanding  the  bitter  county-seat  fight  of 
the  middle  nineties  between  Snohomish  City  and 
Everett,  it  may,  perhaps,  be  safely  said  that  it  is 
the  ambition  of  the  entire  county  to  build  on 
Port  Gardner  bay,  a  great  maritime  and  manu- 
facturing center,  and  no  doubt  the  highest  good 


DESCRIPTIVE 


of  the  county  at  large  demands  that  this  be 
done. 

The  Cascade  mountains  are  of  value,  not 
alone  for  their  billions  of  feet  of  merchantable 
timber,  and  for  the  marvelous  effect  they  have 
upon  climatic  conditions,  but  for  the  great 
wealth  of  hidden  treasures  they  are  known  to 
contain.  Much  of  their  timber  is  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  lumberman  at  present,  being 
included  along  with  other  bodies  of  timber  in 
Snohomish  and  neighboring  counties  in  a  gov- 
ernment forest  reserve,  but  the  law  does  not 
prohibit  mining,  nor  prevent  the  taking  of 
sufficient  timber  for  that  purpose,  so  the  develop- 
ment of  their  mineral  deposits  is  now  in  progress. 

Another  physical  feature  of  transcendent 
importance  is  the  two  river  systems  of  the 
county.  These  are  somewhat  similar  in  several 
respects.  Both  have  westerly  currents  and 
both  consist  of  a  short  river  formed  by  the  con- 
fluence of  two  others,  the  branches  heading  in 
the  Cascades.  The  Stillaquamish  pours  its 
water  into  the  sound  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  the  county.  Its  north  fork  drains  the  west 
half  of  the  extreme  northern  part  while  its  south 
fork  rises  well  toward  the  center  of  the  county. 
Between  the  two,  which  unite  near  Arlington,  is 
a  large  body  of  country,  including  tlie  western 
spur  "of  the'Cascade  range,  the  spur  m  which  is 
the  celebrated  White  Horse  mountain,  nearly 
seven  thousand  feet  high.  Rising  deep  in  the 
Cascades,  flowing  northwesterly  until  it  rounds 
the  base  of  Gold  mountain,  and  separated  at 
Darrington  from  the  waters  of  the  north  fork  by 
a  narrow  divide  is  the  Sauk  river,  one  of  the 
noblest  streams  in  the  sound  basin.  It  continues 
its  northerly  course  until  its  waters  unite  with 
those  of  the  Skagit. 

The  drainage  of  the  southern  part  of  the 
county  consists,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  magni- 
ficent and  beautiful  Snohomish  river  and  the  two 
equally  magnificent  streams  which  unite  to  form 
it,  the  Snoqualmie  and  the  Skykomish.  Both 
of  the  smaller  streams  rise  in  King  county,  hence 
have  a  northerly  as  well  as  westerly  course,  but 
the  Skykomish  belongs  principally  to  Snohomish, 
while  the  Snoqualmie  is  largely  a  King  counly 
stream.  It  has,  however,  contributed  very 
materially  in  the  past  to  the  wealth  and  pros- 
perity of  this  county.  Its  logs  have  sought  an 
outlet  through  the  Snohomish  river,  and  the 
trade  relationship  of  its  rich  valley  with  our  sec- 
tion has  been  very  intimate.  Its  sublime  water- 
fall where  its  current  leaps  perpendicularly 
downward  through  nearly  two  hundred  feet  of 
space  is  a  source  of  pride  to  the  whole  sound 
country. 

One  of  the  pleasing  physical  features  of 
Snohomish  county  is  its  multitude  of  miniature 
lakes.  Just  north  of  the  Tulalip  Indian  reserva- 
tion and  between  the  Great  Northern  railroad 
and   the  sound  is  a    splendid    cluster,   including 


Lakes  Goodwin,  Shoecraft,  Crabapple,  Cranberry, 
Ki,  Howard,  Martha  and  others.  A  short  distance 
west  of  Machias  is  Stevens  lake,  cutting  out 
portions  of  several  sections  while  well  distributed 
over  the  surface  of  the  county  are  many  smaller 
bodies  of  fresh  water,  among  them  being  Roe- 
siger.  Chaplain,  Plowing,  Panther,  Storm,  Silver, 
McAleer,  Mud,  Conner,  Bosworth,  Upper  and 
Lower  Twin  and  Riley.  Each  of  these  magni- 
ficent lakes,  with  the  towering  evergreens  on  its 
banks  and  the  water  lilies  and  other  plants 
growing  thick  near  its  border,  forms  a  scene  of 
rare  attractiveness  and  beauty. 

The  country  being  covered  thick  with  tlie 
finest  timber  and  possessed  of  two  great  rivers 
whose  tributary  streams  penetrate  far  into    the 

j  heart  of  the  forest,   furnishing  easy  conveyance 

'  to  market,  it  is  not  surprising  that  lumbering 
should  early  take  first  place  among  the  industries 
of  Snohomish  and  that  it  should  continue  to  hold 

1  pre-eminence  through  all  the  years  of  the  coun- 

j  ty's  history. 

I  For  forty  years,  now,  the  logger  and  the  mill 
man  have  been  at  work,  yet  the  time  seems  far  in 
the  future  when  the  timber  supply  of  the  county 
will  begin  to  show  the  first  signs  of  exhaustion. 
According  to  United  States  government  report 
issued  in  1902,  there  were  then  only  2')'2  square 
miles  of  logged  off  lands  in  the  county;  the 
burned  area  was  only  119  square  miles  in  extent 
and  the  timberless  area  28,  while  on  I,2r)2  square 
miles,  the  timber  was  still  standing.  Of  course 
much  of  this  timber  is  inaccessible,  some  being 
remote  from  established  routes  of  transportation 
and  still  more  reserved  by  the  government.  The 
report  estimates  the  amount  of  timber  still  in 
the  county  in  feet,  board  measure,  as  follows: 
red  fir,  7, 3r)(;,  337,000;  cedar,  2,050,630,000; 
hemlock,  1,055,737,000;  lovely  fir,  214,742,000; 
white  fir,  04,423,000;  Engelmann  spruce,  42,955,- 
000;  other  species,  107,371 ,000;  total,  10,892,195,- 
000.     The  average  stand  per  acre  on  the  timbered 

I  area  was  estimated  at  13,500  feet  board  measure. 
From  time  to  time  in  the  past  remarkably 
large  trees  have  been  discovered  in  different 
parts  of  the  sound  country  and  noticed  in  the 
local  press.  Near  Snohomish  is  a  large  cedar, 
through  which  a  passage  way  has  been  cut  and 
a  bicycle  path  constructed.  Photographers  have 
striven  to  surpass  one  another  in  producing 
artistic  pictures  of  it  and  they  and  the  engraver 
and  the  printer  have  succeeded  in  advertising  it 
quite  widely  over  the  country.  The  bicycle  tree, 
as  it  is  called,  is  a  source  of  much  pride  to  the 
people  of  Snohomish  City  and  vicinity,  who  have 
surrounded  it  with  a  wire  netting  to  save  it  from 
the  pocket  knives  of  the  thoughtless.  It  is  much 
more  celebrated  than  its  nearest  neighbor  on 
the  other  side  of  the  county  road,  which,  how- 
ever, greatly  surpasses  it  in  size,  being  more 
than  sixty  feet  in  circumference,  while  the  bicycle 
tree  is  probably  not  more  than  forty-five. 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


In  1890,  the  Seattle  Press  called  attention  to 
a  tree  on  Ulmer  Stinson's  land  three  miles  east 
of  Snohomish  City,  which  was  twenty-three 
feet  in  diameter,  indeed  much  greater  than  that 
at  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  tree  had 
been  hollowed  by  the  action  of  fire  and  there 
were  indications  that  the  room  inside  had  been 
used  as  a  camping  place  by  Indians  from  time 
to  time.  It  was  estimated  that  this  tree  was 
more  than  one  thousand  years  old,  for  eight  hun- 
dred rings  had  been  counted  on  a  much  smaller 
tree  near  by. 

In  its  issue  of  June  19,  1891,  the  Snohomish 
Sun  quoted  the  Arlington  Times  as  saying: 

"The  largest  tree  in  Snohomish  county,  prob- 
ably, is  a  cedar  which  stands  a  little  way  from 
the  Kent's  Prairie  and  vStanwood  road,  about  six 
miles  from  Arlington.  A  party  of  nine  went 
down  from  this  place  last  Sunday  to  satisfy 
themselves  of  the  truth  of  what  were  regarded 
by  them  as  exaggerated  reports  of  its  size.  It 
has  been  claimed  that  the  tree  is  ninety-nine 
feet  in  circumference,  but  the  measurement 
taken  Sundaj'-  shows  it  to  be  only  sixty- eight 
feet.  If  measured  around  the  roots  and  knotty 
protuberances  the  tree  would  likely  measure  the 
ninety-nine  feet  claimed  for  it,  but  that  is  not  a 
fair  test.  Sunday's  measurement  was  as  close 
to  the  body  of  the  tree  as  a  line  could  be  drawn. 
About  seventy-five  feet  from  the  ground  the 
tree  forks  into  four  immense  branches.  Just 
below  the  forks  is  a  big  knot  hole  and  five  of  the 
party  climbed  up  and  made  an  exploration  of 
the  inside  of  the  tree,  which  is  a  mere  shell, 
though  still  green.  A  peculiar  feature  which 
they  noticed  was  that  the  tree  is  barked  on  the 
inside  the  same  as  on  the  outside." 

The  largest  trees  in  the  sound  country  are 
cedars  and  usually  hollow,  but  some  very  large, 
solid  fir  trees  have  been  found  and  reported  to 
the  local  press.  The  Skagit  News  states  that  in 
April,  1888,  Joseph  Cozier  put  a  log  into  Baker 
river  forty-eight  feet  long,  which  scaled  one 
hundred  and  eight  inches  at  the  top  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty  at  the  butt  and  contained 
thirty-two  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty-eight 
feet  of  lumber.  J.  P.  McCoy  told  one  of  the  com- 
pilers that  he  cut  a  fir  on  the  banks  of  the 
Samish  from  which  five  logs  were  made,  with  an 
aggregate  lumber  content  of  twenty-four  thou- 
sand feet,  and  doubtless  much  larger  stories  could 
be  told  by  other  logging  men  in  consistency 
with  literal  truth. 

Sections  of  the  big  trees  of  Snohomish,  Skagit 
and  other  counties  of  the  sound  have  been 
exhibited  at  the  different  world's  fairs  and  at 
numerous  smaller  expositions  in  various  parts  of 
the  country,  and  they  have  invariablj''  attracted 
much  attention.  In  Snohomish  county's  exhibit 
at  the  Lewis  &  Clark  Centennial,  recently 
concluded  at  -Portland,  was  a  cross-section  of  a 
tree  thirteen  feet  in  diameter.     The  cross-section 


was  about  a  foot  thick,  with  its  upper  surface 
polished  so  as  to  make  a  smooth  floor.  On  it 
were  several  other  cross-sections  of  smaller  trees, 
some  of  which  had  been  shaped  into  stools,  while 
others  were  carved  into  comfortable  chairs.  A 
typewriter  desk  was  also  there  made  by  taking  a 
cross-section  about  four  feet  long  and  three  feet 
thick,  standing  it  on  end  and  cutting  away  a 
place  for  the  knees.  On  a  high  chair  beside  it 
sat  a  stenographer  to  whom  any  one  wishing  to^ 
dictate  letters  might  do  so  without  charge. 
Naturally  this  novel  exhibit  was  the  center  of 
much  interest,  and  no  doubt  it  gave  to  many  a 
resident  of  the  less-favored  East  a  new  vision  of 
the  glory  and  wealth  of  occidental  America. 

The  importance  of  Snohomish  county  as  a 
lumbering  country  rests,  however,  not  upon  its 
forest  giants,  though  it  has  them  in  abundance, 
but  rather  upon  the  thick  stand  of  ordinary  trees 
from  two  to  six  feet  in  diameter,  which  covers 
the  timbered  area.  An  outline  of  the  methods 
by  which  the  huge  logs  were  in  the  past  and  now 
are  transported  from  the  forest  to  the  rivers  or 
the  railroads  may  be  of  interest.  The  modus, 
operandi  of  handling  logs  in  the  woods,  like  most 
other  processes,  has  been  one  of  development. 
The  most  primitive  method  was  that  of  the  hand 
logger  who  traveled  over  the  sound  and  its 
tributary  streams  in  his  boat  or  canoe,  established 
a  temporary  camp  wherever  he  might  find  a 
cluster  of  trees  close  to  the  water's  edge,  felled 
them  into  the  water  or  so  near  it  that,  when  cut 
into  logs,  they  could  be  rolled  in  with  peavey  or 
jackscrew,  and  final!)'  floated  them  to  the 
nearest  satisfactory  market.  The  hand  logger 
also  operated  upon  river  jams  or  wherever  the 
timber  could  be  profitably  handled  with  no  other 
than  hand  power  and  by  the  use  of  a  few  simple 
tools  such  as  saws,  axes,  handspikes,  peaveys, 
jackscrews,  etc. 

The  men  who  logged  in  this  way  probably 
did  so  because  without  money  to  purchase  an 
outfit,  rather  than  from  want  of  knowledge  of  a 
better  method. 

Even  in  the  earliest  days  of  the  industry  on 
Ptiget  sound,  oxen  were  used  in  taking  out 
timber,  and  they  furnished  practically  the  only 
power  employed  by  lumbermen  until  the  middle 
or  latter  eighties.  A  man  wishing  to  engage  in 
the  business  would  first  look  up  a  suitable  loca- 
tion within  convenient  reach  of  water  where 
there  was  sufficient  timber  to  keep  him  busy  for 
a  number  of  years.  This  found,  his  next  con- 
sideration was  a  logging  team,  for  which  he  must 
go  to  the  farming  districts.  None  but  large, 
young  cattle  girting  not  less  than  seven  and  a 
half  feet  would  satisfy  his  requirements,  but  if  a 
steer  was  suitable  in  other  respects,  he  cared 
little  how  wild  or  vicious  he  might  be  as  his 
teamster  would  take  a  pride  in  "bringing  up 
standing  with  a  round  turn"  the  wildest  and 
seemingly  most  incorrigible  animal. 


DESCRIPTIVE 


401 


In  a  moderately  large  camp  the  crew  would 
consist  of  a  foreman,  a  teamster,  two  fallers,  two 
sawyers,  two  skidders,  two  swampers,  two 
barkers,  a  hand  skidder,  a  hook  tender,  a  skid 
greaser,  a  landing  man,  a  cook  and  perhaps  two 
or  ihree  extra  hands,  and  the  wages  paid  were 
about  as  follows:  Teamster,  $100  to  $125  a 
month:  foreman,  $100;  fallers,  skidders,  hook 
tenders  and  sawyers,  $70  to  $80;  swampers,  $55 
to  $(■)();  all  others  from  $40  up.  To  earn  these 
stipends,  however,  the  men  had  to  be  experienced 
woodsmen,  familiar  with  all  the  requirements  of 
the  work  they  might  undertake  to  do. 

An  outfit  secured  and  a  crew  hired,  the  logger 
would  charter  a  steamer  to  convey  all  to  the 
scene  of  operations.  The  day  of  departure  was 
one  of  hustle,  hilarity  and  excitement.  The 
vessel's  cargo  would  consist  of  a  motley  array  of 
miscellaneous  equipage — lumber  for  the  camp, 
barn  and  sleeping  sheds,  baled  hay  and  ground 
feed  for  the  oxen,  provisions  and  general  mer- 
chandise in  large  quantities,  blacksmithing  tools, 
yokes,  boom-chains,  anchors,  jackscrews,  cables, 
pike  poles,  axes,  saws,  shovels,  peaveys,  etc., 
etc.  On  reaching  their  destination  men  and  oxen 
would  disembark,  the  provisions  and  tools  would 
be  piled  up  on  the  shore,  and  soon  all  hands 
would  be  busy  in  erecting  sheds,  setting  up  the 
cook  stove  and  making  other  preliminary  arrange- 
ments. Before  a  week  had  passed  a  thriving  village 
would  have  sprung  up  in  the  heart  of  the  forest. 

As  soon  as  everything  was  set  in  order  the 
entire  crew  would  be  put  to  work,  constructing 
a  landing  and  various  main  roads  into  the 
timber.  The  preliminary  clearing  away  of 
brush  ai»d  debris  was  the  duty  of  the  swampers. 
Skidders  followed,  smoothing  up  the  ground 
with  shovels  and  putting  in  the  "skids,"  or 
timbers  ten  to  eighteen  inches  in  diameter  and 
twelve  to  sixteen  feet  long. 

These  were  arranged  across  the  road  and  half 
or  more  than  half  buried  in  the  ground,  then 
chipped  out  at  or  near  the  center  to  form  a  run- 
way for  the  logs.  They  must  needs  be  set  care- 
fully, according  to  certain  lines  and  natural 
principles  or  the  road  would  be  a  failure,  and  in 
a  rough  country  no  little  engineering  skill  was 
required  of  the  skidder.  When  the  landing  was 
ready  and  roads  were  constructed  sufficient  to  war- 
rant a  start  in  taking  out  timber,  the  fallers, 
sawyers,  teamsters  and  other  men  would  be 
assigned  to  the  specific  duty  for  which  they 
were  hired,  leaving  the  skidders  to  carry  on  all 
further  road  building  alone. 

In  falling  timber  what  are  called  spring 
boards  were  and  still  are  universally  employed. 
These  are  heavy  plank-like  pieces  of  wood,  five 
feet  long,  about  a  foot  wide  at  one  end  and  five 
or  six  inches  at  the  other,  smooth  on  their  upper 
surfaces,  with  a  horse-shoe  shaped  piece  of  iron 
riveted  to  the  small  end.  To  permit  their  use 
deep  notches  are  cut  into  the  tree  to  be  felled  at 


a  convenient  height  above  the  ground,  so  shaped 
that  when  the  little  ends  of  the  spring  boards  are 
fitted  into  them,  the  boards  will  have  a  horizon- 
tal position.  The  notches  are  also  shaped  to- 
permit  the  outer  end  of  the  spring  board  to  be 
moved  from  side  to  side  as  convenience  may 
require,  while  the  toe-calk  of  the  horse-shoe 
shaped  iron  before  mentioned  sinks  into  the 
upper  surface  of  the  notch  and  prevents  the 
spring  board  from  slipping  out  and  falling  to 
the  ground.  The  advantages  of  these  contriv- 
ances are  obvious.  They  give  the  fallers  a  level 
surface  to  stand  upon  while  at  work  and  enable 
them  to  cut  the  tree  at  such  a  height  above  the 
ground  that  the  tough  protuberances  and  "churn 
butt"  are  in  most  instances  left  in  the  stump.  If 
large  trees  had  to  be  felled  by  men  standing 
on  the  ground,  it  would  probably  be  necessary  in- 
many  instances  to  cut  away  four  or  five  feet  fromi 
the  butt,  so  that  the  first  log  could  be  hauledi 
over  the  road  without  tearing  up  the  skids. 

Standing  on  their  spring  boards,  the  fallers 
make  a  shallow  incision  with  their  saw  on  the 
side  toward  which  the  tree  is  to  fall,  cut  away 
with  axes  some  of  the  timber  above  this  so  as  to- 
form  a  scarf,  then  turning  around  and  swinging 
their  spring  boards  back,  take  up  their  saw- 
again  and  cut  toward  the  scarf  until  the  tree  is 
ready  to  fall.  By  the  scarf  in  front  and  the  use 
of  steel  wedges  behind  the  direction  in  which 
the  tree  shall  fall  may  be  very  largely  controlled, 
and  skill  in  this  work  consists  in  so  felling  the 
timber  that  it  may  not  be  broken  on  striking  the 
ground  and  may  be  "yarded  out"  with  the 
greatest  possible  facility.  It  is  interesting  to 
watch  the  men  at  work  on  a  large  forest  giant. 
The  merry  music  of  the  saw  gives  place  at  inter- 
vals to  the  measured  strokes  of  the  heavy  mallets- 
as  the  steel  wedges  are  hammered  into  the  cut; 
sawing  and  hammering  continue  alternately  for 
some  time.  Finally  a  spasmodic  quivering  is- 
noticed  in  the  topmost  twigs,  the  death  shudder 
of  the  giant  of  ages:  a  few  parting  strokes  are 
given  the  wedges;  the  tree  starts  downward, 
slowly  at  first;  the  fallers  call  out  the  last  word' 
of  warning  as  they  jump  from  their  spring  boards 
and  rush  back  to  a  place  of  safety  from  the 
falling  branches;  there  is  a  crashing  sound  as 
limbs  from  the  tree  itself  and  limbs  from  sur- 
rounding trees  are  torn  off  by  the  force  of  the 
fall;  finally  an  awful  crash,  accompanied  by  a 
trembling  of  mother  earth  for  yards  around, 
announces  the  completion  of  the  tragedy  of  the 
forest. 

The  sawyers  come  next  and  cut  the  tree  into 
logs,  one  man  operating  a  saw.  This  part  of 
the  programme  would  not  be  difficult  if  the  tree 
would  always  lie  in  an  ideal  position,  but  it  sel- 
dom does,  and  sometimes  much  skill  and  inge- 
nuity are  required  to  prevent  splitting  the 
timber,  or  to  overcome  its  tendency  to  bind  on 
the    saw.     Occasionally    it    is  necessary    to    saw 


SUPPLEMEiNTARY 


from  the  bottom  up,  a  difficult  feat,  but  one 
usually  accomplished  b}'  standing  a  forked  stick 
against  the  tree  in  which  the  saw  rests  back 
downward  while  being  operated. 

In  order  to  reduce  friction  on  the  skids  a  por- 
tion of  the  bark  must  be  removed  from  the  logs, 
and  to  do  this  is  the  work  of  the  barkers.  In 
the  summer  season,  when  the  sap  is  circulating, 
the  bark  comes  off  very  freely.  At  such  times 
it  was  and  still  is  customary  to  remove  it  all,  but 
in  winter,  when  the  bark  sticks,  only  that  on  the 
"riding"  side  of  the  log  is  removed.  To  find 
this  particular  side  is  the  part  of  the  barker's 
duty  that  requires  experience  and  skill. 

The  use  of  the  donkey  engine  in  the  woods 
has  modified  considerably  the  duties  of  the  hook 
tender  and  has  removed  the  necessity  for  much 
of  the  swamping  and  hand  skidding,  but  in  the 
days  of  logging  by  oxen,  it  was  necessary  to 
clear  away  brush  and  debris  and  make  a  rough 
pathway  for  the  oxen  from  the  skid  road  to  the 
timber.  This  was  the  work  of  the  swampers. 
The  hand  skidder  supplied  small,  temporary 
skids  to  facilitate  "yarding,"  while  the  duty  of 
hook  tender  was  to  "snipe"  the  log  (as  round- 
ing off  with  a  sharp  axe  the  end  to  go  ahead 
was  called),  to  hitch  the  team  to  it  by  driving 
into  it  the  large  dog  hook  on  the  end  of  the  ox 
chain  and  otherwise  to  assist  the  teamster  in 
yarding  out.  If  the  log  was  in  an  awkward 
position  or  had  to  come  up  a  steep  hill  so  that 
the  team  could  not  pull  it  on  a  direct  haul,  a 
block  and  tackle  was  used.  This  consisted  of  one 
or  more  pulleys  and  a  large  rope  or  wire  cable. 
The  end  of  the  cable  was  attached  to  a  tree  or 
^tump  in  the  direction  the  log  was  to  be  moved, 
the  block  itself  was  attached  to  the  log  and  the 
team  pulled  on  the  other  end  of  the  cable.  This 
arrangement  doubled  the  power,  and  if  a  still 
greater  purchase  was  necessary  it  could  be  had 
by  the  use  of  additional  pulleys.  The  logs  were 
"yarded"  to  the  skid  road  one  at  a  time,  but  a 
considerable  number  of  logs  varying  with  their 
size,  the  power  of  the  team  and  other  conditions, 
could  be  taken  over  the  skid  road  to  the  landing. 
To  facilitate  hauling  on  the  road,  the  skids  were 
carefully  swept  after  each  "turn,"  and  for  the 
purpose  of  further  reducing  friction,  the  skid 
greaser  walked  between  the  team  and  the  fore- 
most log  and  gave  each  skid  as  he  came  to  it  a 
brush  of  oil.  As  the  timber  logged  in  those  days 
was  close  to  the  water's  edge,  the  skid  roads 
naturally  had  a  general  down  grade,  so  that 
gravity  assisted  the  team  in  getting  the  big  logs 
to  the  landing.  Sometimes  in  starting  a  load 
and  often  in  yarding  what  is  called  a  samson  was 
used.  This  is  a  piece  of  timber  about  three 
feet  long  set  up  in  front  of  the  log  and  under  the 
draft  chain,  in  such  a  way  that  when  the  chain 
tightens  it  has  a  lifting  effect,  and  overcomes  any 
tendency  of  the  log  to  plow  into  the  ground  or  to 
butt  against  a  skid. 


Such  in  general  was  the  logging  method  in 
the  vogue  prior  to  and  during  the  middle 
eighties,  though  the  process  might  be  varied 
somewhat  to  suit  special  conditions  or  the  fancy 
of  individual  operators. 

It  is  thought  that  Blackman  Brothers,  of 
Snohomish,  deserve  credit  for  having  introduced 
more  improvements  and  appliances  in  the  hand- 

!  ling  of  logs  than  any  other  firm  of  loggers  on 
Puget  sound.  The  Blackmans  were  mechanics 
by  nature  and  training,  also  possessed  in  a  high 
degree  the  inventive  faculty. 

Very  early  in  the  eighties  they  took  out  a 
patent  on  a  huge  logging  truck,  designed  to  run 
on  wooden  rails,  which  came  into  quite  general 
use  in  the  camps  of  the  sound  country.  It  was 
hauled  at  first  by  horses,  but  at  a  later  date  by 
steam,  and  eventually  was  superseded  by  the 
steam  logging  railroad  which,  in  its  highest 
development,  is  not  essentially  different  from 
the  railroads  in  use  throughout  the  country  for 
general  freight  and  passenger  transportation. 

It  is  said  that  Peter  Boyce,  now  of  Roosevelt, 
in  Snohomish  county,  was  the  first  to  employ  the 
donkey    engine    successfully    in    yarding    in   the 

!  woods,  and  that  he  did  so  in  Blackman  Brothers' 
camp.       The    donkey  is  an  engine  with  a  huge 

I  wooden  platform  for  a  base,  the  whole  on  large 

j  wooden  runners.      By  means  of  a  cable  fastened 

I  to  a  tree  or  stump,  it  can  pull  itself  around  from 
place  to  place,  and  when  in  proper  position  and 

!  securely  fastened,  it  develops  such  tremendous 
power  that  almost  anything  it  may  be  hitched  to 

I  has  to  come  regardless  of  intervening  obstacles. 

j  The  use  of  the  donkey  in  the  woods  and  the 
steam  railroad  between  there  and  the. point  to 
which  the  timber  is  to  be  delivered,  has  revolu- 
tionized the  logging  industry,  and  brought  into 
the  market  large  bodies  of  timber  which  were 
utterly  inaccessible  to  loggers  employing  only 
oxen,  horses  or  mules.  While  most  of  the 
logging  on  the  sound  to-day  is  done  by  steam,  in 
some  camps  heavy  draft  horses  are  still  used,  but 
the  days  of  the  ox-team  and  the  shouting,  profane 

1  "bull-puncher"  are  gone  forever. 

During  the  early  days  it  was    customary    to 

j  float  almost  all  logs  cut  on  the  east  side  of  the 
sound  down  the  rivers  to  salt  water,  then  tow 
them  to  the  west  side  where  all  the  large  saw- 
mills were  located.  But  for  many  years  now  Sno- 
homish county  has  had  mills  of  its  own,  and  since 
the  advent  of  the  railroads  these  have  increased 
in  number  and  capacity  until  it  has  been  sug- 
gested that  Snohomish  might  now  very  properly 

;  be  given  the  nick-name  of  "Mill"  county.  In 
190,")  the  assessed  valuation  of  saw,  shingle  and 
other  wood  working  mills  exceeded  $;r>0(l,(MH),  and 
they  are   not   assessed   at  their   full  value  by  a 

I  long  way.     The  Weyerhauser  Lumber  Company 

j  leads  off  with  a  valuation  of  $59,0(X);  then  come 
the  Clark  Nickerson  Lumber  Company,  $54,000; 
the    Mukilteo    Lumber    Company,    $51,500;  the 


DESCRIPTIVE 


403 


Three  Lakes  Lumber  Company,  $28,500;  Parker 
Brothers  &  Hiatt,  $22,500;  Eclipse  Mill  Com- 
pany, $16,500;  Ferry  Baker  Lumber  Company, 
$16,500;  Wallace  Lumber  &  Manufacturing 
Company,  $13,400;  Gold  Bar  Lumber  Company, 
$12,400;  and  the  Mitchell  Lumber  Company, 
$11,000. 

A  complete  list  of  the  saw- mills  of  Snohomish 
county  without  shingle  mills  in  connection  is  as 
follows:  E.  J.  Anderson's,  capacity  20,tHK)  feet 
per  diem  ;  Arlington  Lumber  Company's,  20,000; 
Clark  Nickerson  Lumber  Company's,  160,000; 
Cedarhome  Lumber  Company's,  80,000;  Crescent  ! 
Lumber  Company's,  20,000;  Dexter  Mill  Com- 
pany's, 15,000;  John  Johnson's,  5,000;  Kruse 
Brothers',  15,000;  Lake  McAleer  Lumber  Com- 
pany's, 20,000;  G.  H.  Mowatt  &  Company's, 
15,000;  Marysville  Shingle  Company's,  40,000; 
Maughlin  Brothers',  20,000;  Morgan  Brothers', 
35,000;  Robe  Menzel  Lumber  Company's,  30,000; 
Stanwood  Lumber  Company's,  Sauk  Lumber 
Company's,  30,000;  Smith  Lumber  Company's,  i 
25,000;  W.  E.  Stocker's,  10,000;  Seymore  i 
Brothers',  5,000;  Summit  Saw-mill,  5,000;  | 
Totham-Nelson  Lumber  Company's,  10,000; 
A.  M.  Yost's,  10,000;  Hydraulic  Power  &  Mill 
Company's.  5,000.  The  saw-mills  with  shingle 
mills  in  connection  are  those  of  the  Canon 
Lumber  Company,  Eclipse  Mill  Company,  Ferry 
Baker  Lumber  Company,  Gold  Bar  Lumber 
Company,  Gray  Lumber  Company,  Heath- 
Morley  Company,  Mukilteo  Lumber  Company, 
Mitchell  Lumber  Company,  Parker  Brothers  & 
Hiatt,  Silver  Lake  Shingle  Company,  Stephens 
Brothers,  Three  Lakes  Lumber  Company.  Wal- 
lace Lumber  &  Manufacturing  Company,  T.  H. 
Williams  &  Company,  Weyerhauser  Timber 
Company. 

The  shingle  manufacturing  industry  is  much 
younger  than  logging  and  lumbering,  but  it  has 
had    a   rank    growth,    encouraged    by   the   great 
demand    of    the    Eastern    states    for    red    cedar  ; 
shingles.     The  Blackman  Brothers  in  Snohomish 
county  and  Mortimer  Cook  in  Skagit  were  leaders  i 
in  introducing  the  sound  shingles  in  the  middle 
West,  and  to  them   is  due    a    large    measure    of 
credit  for  the  building  up  of  the  splendid  shingle 
industry  and  the  very  important  etfect  it  has  had 
on    the     general    development    of   the    country,   j 
Prior    to    about    1.SS6    there     were    no    shingle  ! 
mills  in  the  sound  basin;  now  there  are  eighty- 
three   in    Snohomish    county  alone,    in   addition 
to  those  in  connection  with  the  saw-mills.    Tliese  I 
are  the  property  of  the  following  firms  and  indi-  | 
viduals:  ; 

American  Red  Cedar  Shingle  Company, 
capacity  90,(^00  a  day;  Advance  Shingle  Com- 
pany, 80,000;  Arlington  Shingle  Companv, 
50,000;  Arlington  Shingle  Company,  110,000;  i 
John  Anderson,  90,000;  Anderson  Brothers, 
40,000;  C.  A.  Blackman,  120,000;  Brady  Shingle 
Company,    60,000;    Barlow     Shingle     Company,   i 


40,000;  Bass  Shingle  Company,  90,000;  Best 
Shingle  Company,  60,000;  Big  Three  Shingle 
Company,  40,000;  Bolcom  Bartlet  Mill  Company, 
80,000;  Bolcom  Bartlet  Mill  Company,  120,000; 
Bryant  Lumber  &  Shingle  Company,  90,000;  F. 
H.  Benedict,  40,000;  Carpenter  Brothers,  100,- 
000;  Cavelero  Mill  Company,  140,000;  Chappel 
Shingle  Company,  40,000;  Coomljs  Lumber 
Company,  90,000;  Cooper  &  Aplin,  90,000;  Cras 
&  Larson,  40.000;  Carlson  Brothers,  180,000; 
Dorgan  Brothers,  60,000;  Edmonds  Red  Cedar 
Shingle  Company,  80,000;  Eby  Mill  Company, 
90,000;  Edgecomb  Mill  Company,  (;0,000;  E. 
Eggert,  120,000;  Ewald  Brothers,  90,000;  Ford 
Shaw  Lumber  Company,  110,000;  Florence 
Shingle  Company,  90,000;  Fenton  &  Kimbal, 
()(),()00;  Fortson  Shingle  Company,  80,000;  Grace 
Mill  Company,  90,000;  John  Hals,  120,000;  Han- 
son Timber  Company,  90,000;  Hartford  Shingle 
Company,  110,000;  Hazel  Lumber  Company, 
110,000;  G.  K.  Hiatt,  1()0,000;  August  Holin- 
quist,  120,000;  Harrington  Shingle  Company, 
100,000;  Wilson  Hill,  60,000;  Keystone  Mill 
Company,  80,000;  J.  A.  Kennedy,  90,000;  G.  J. 
Ketchum,  40,000;  Lake  Riley  Shingle  Companv, 
40,000;  R.  A.  Lauderdale,  80,000;  Lincoln 
Shingle  Company,  100,000;  Lea  Lumber  Com- 
pany, 120,000;  Lochloy  Shingle  Company, 
60,000;  Mann  Shingle  Company.  120,000;  R.  J. 
McLaughlin,  90,000;  Monroe  Mill  Company, 
120,000;  Maughlin  Brothers,  140,000;  Marley  & 
Church,  90,000;  Marysville  Shingle  Company, 
90,000;  Meuret  Shingle  Company,  40,000;  James 
McCulloch,  120,000;  Neukirchen  Brothers, 
60,000;  Newcomb  McCall  &  Company,  60,000; 
T.  H.  Parker,  140,000;  Puget  Shingle  cS:  Lumber 
Company,  200,000;  Rainier  Cedar  &  Shingle 
Company,   120,000;  Robinson  &  Idema,  100,000. 

It  is  not  claimed  that  the  capacities  assigned 
are  absolutely  accurate,  but  they  are  given  by 
Assessor  E.  M.  Allen  as  close  conservative  esti- 
mates. 

In  this  connection  it  is  proper  to  mention  the 
sash  and  door  factories  of  the  county  which  are 
owned  and  operated  by  the  following  companies 
and  individuals,  namely:  Arlington  Shingle 
Company,  John  Anderson,  American  Lumber  & 
Manufacturing  Company,  G.  W.  Mowatt  &  Com- 
pany, Marysville  Shingle  Company,  Snohomish 
Shingle  Company,  J.  Swartz,  Totham-Nelson 
Lumber  Company,  Wheelihan  Weidauer  Com- 
pany Western  Shingle  Company,  A.  M.  Yost. 

From  what  has  already  been  said  in  these 
pages  regarding  the  mines  of  the  county  it  must 
be  evident  to  the  reader  that  they  have  from  the 
first  given  great  promise.  While  it  is  frankl}' 
admitted  that  so  far  their  promise  has  not  been 
fulfilled,  there  is  no  good  reason  for  discourage- 
ment, for  if  the  mineral  belt  has  not  been  proven 
by  development,  so  far  as  it  has  been  carried,  to 
be  one  of  great  merit,  the  contrary  has  certainly 
not  been  shown.       Furthermore,  there  are  many 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


good  reasons  for  the  slowness  of  the  region  in 
coming  to  the  front  other  than  lack  of  merit. 

In  an  interesting  article  on  the  mines  of  this 
section  Hon.  Albert  W.  Mclntre  calls  attention  to 
the  fact  that  many  meritorious  districts  in  Colo- 
rado, California,  British  Columbia  and  elsewhere 
had  the  same  experience.  They  were  once  un- 
known to  fame  and  had  to  struggle  through 
ignorance,  scepticism  and  poverty.  He  also  de- 
nies that  there  is  any  antecedent  improbability 
that  a  great  mining  industry  may  be  developed 
in  the  Snohomish  county  Cascades  arising  out  of 
geological  conditions. 

"It  was,"  said  he,  "the  writer's  good  fortune, 
last  August  at  the  session  of  the  American  Min- 
ing Congress  held  at  Portland,  Oregon,  to  meet 
Prof.  J.  S.  Diller,  of  the  United  States  Geo- 
logical -Survey,  and  personally  of  the  highest 
authority  in  economic  geology.  Recognizing  my 
opportunity,  I  asked  Dr.  Diller  whether  there 
was  anything  to  justify  the  statement  I  had 
heard  more  than  once  very  dogmatically  made  in 
Seattle,  I  think,  to  the  effect  that  there  was  no 
use  of  looking  for  mines  in  the  Cascades  because 
the  geological  conditions  were  wrong.  Dr. 
Diller  answered  that  there  was  nothing  to  justify 
such  a  statement  but,  on  the  contrary,  that  suffi- 
cient disturbances  had  occurred  in  those  moun- 
tains to  produce  the  necessary  fractures  and  that 
the  vein  contents  or  deposits  were  mineral  as  in 
other  like  regions;  that  this  was  apparent  from 
the  fact  that  there  were  mines  to  the  north  and 
the  south  of  us  (in  the  Cascades)  and  further 
that  reports  of  the  geological  survey  in  the  field 
indicated  that  doubtless  upon  development  our 
part  of  the  Cascade  range  would  be  found  fully 
as  rich." 

The  mineral  belt  of  Snohomish  county  is 
roughly  speaking  twenty  miles  wide  and  thirty- 
six  long,  covering  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
county  and  including  the  Darrington,  Monte 
Cristo,  Goat  Lake,  Silver  Creek,  Troublesome, 
Sultan  and  Stillaguamish  districts.  "Beginning 
near  the  north  line  of  the  county  in  the  Darring- 
ton districts  in  a  schist  country  rock,  chalcopyrite 
occurs  carrying  gold  in  veins  up  to  one  hundred 
feet  wide,  between  diorite  or  porphyry  and  slate 
walls.  These  are  low  grade  ores.  On  White 
Horse  mountain,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sauk 
river,  the  country  rock  is  granite.  Copper  occurs 
as  bornite  in  the  veins  with  good  values.  Pyrrho- 
tite  often  occurs  on  the  surface.  The  ores  run  from 
sixteen  dollars  to  eighty-four  dollars  in  value. 
Darrington  seems  to  be  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
copper  belt.  Silverton,  about  twelve  miles  due 
south  of  Darrington,  is  well  in  the  copper  belt, 
which  seems  to  run  from  a  point  somewhat  west 
of  Darrington  through  the  Silverton  district, 
although  perhaps  the  center  line  is  to  the  west 
of  Silverton.  This  mineral  belt  continues  almost 
directly  to  Mount  Index,  thence  toward  Mount 
Stewart,     running    roughly    parallel    to    a    line 


between  those  mountains  and  somewhat  to  the 
west  of  it.  Granite  is  the  country  rock  about 
Silverton,  although  the  veins  often  occur  between 
diorite  and  granite,  and  also  in  the  diorite.  The 
ore  is  chalcopyrite  carrying  gold  values  and  silver 
when  galena  occurs. " 

Among  the  pioneer  prospectors  of  the  Dar- 
rington districts  were  Soren  Bergenson,  Knute 
Neste,  Charles  Burns,  George  Knudson,  B.  C. 
Schloman,  John  Robinson  and  William  Giesler, 
who  went  in  about  1890  and  located  numerous 
mining  claims  near  the  head  waters  of  the  north 
fork.  Almost  southeast  of  the  town  of  Darring- 
ton stands  Gold  mountain,  with  the  Sauk  river 
laving  its  southwestern  base.  Upon  it  something 
like  one  hundred  claims  are  said  to  have  been 
located  between  1895  and  1900.  The  formation 
is  slate  with  porphyry  dykes,  and  the  ore  is  iron 
sulphurets  carrying  gold,  copper  and  other 
minerals.  On  the  southwest  side  is  the  Myrtle 
C.  group,  with  four  hundred  feet  of  development " 
work ;  and  just  south  of  it  is  the  Blue  Bird. 
Both  these  properties  are  owned  by  the  Blue  Bird 
Consolidated  Mining  Company.  North  of  the 
Myrtle  C.  is  the  Forest  Lode,  discovered  by  S.  B. 
Emens,  but  now  owned  by  the  Darrington  Mining 
and  Reduction  Company  of  Seattle.  About  three 
hundred  and  sixty  feet  of  development  work  has 
been  done,  but  for  the  past  two  years  the  prop- 
erty has  stood  idle.  On  the  west  slope,  a 
thousand  feet  up,  is  the  Burns  group  discovered 
by  Charles  Burns,  which  in  1900  was  bonded  to 
Montana  capitalists  for  thirty  thousand  dollars. 
It  was  sold  two  years  ago  to  J.  G.  English  of 
Danville,  Illinois,  and  is  now  in  litigation.  The 
Sauk  River  Mining  Company  has  a  group  of 
claims  on  the  northeast  slope  of  this  mountain, 
with  several  hundred  feet  of  development  work, 
and,  it  is  said,  a  fine  body  of  ore  on  the  dump. 
On  this  mountain  also  are  the  properties  of  the 
Huron  Mining  Company,  adjoining  the  vSauk 
River  Company's  on  the  east;  the  Frank  Lode 
claims  on  the  northeast  end;  the  Harley  Gold 
Mountain  Mining  &  Smelting  Company,  and 
Hawkinson  &  Snider.  Considerable  develop- 
ment work  has  been  done  on  some  of  these  prop- 
erties, and  almost  all  promise  well. 

Jumbo  mountain,  about  two  miles  south  of 
Darrington,  is  of  a  porphyry  and  schist  formation 
and  its  ores  are  sulphates  carrying  copper,  gold, 
lead  and  other  metals.  On  its  east  side  Knudson 
Brothers  have  seventeen  claims,  with  ore  assay- 
ing from  three  dollars  to  seventy  dollars  per  ton 
but  in  recent  years  they  have  done  nothing  but 
assessment  work.  The  Keywinder  group,  located 
by  Bergenson  Brothers,  Charles  Burns,  Knute 
Neste  and  George  Knudson,  has  between  five  and 
six  hundred  feet  of  development  work  done  on  it 
and  has  made  some  good  showings.  A  mile 
southeast  of  the  Keywinder  is  the  Hunter  group, 
with  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  developments, 
now    owned    by    Charles    Burns,    while   on    the 


ON    PUGET   SOUND 


DESCRIPTIVE 


western  slope  of  the  mountain  in  Cedar  Basin,  are 
several  properties  owned  by  James  Smith,  Charles 
Hudson,  Martin  Evert,  James  Elwood  and  John 
Spangler.  These  are  said  to  be  high  grade  cop- 
per and  lead  properties  but  at  the  present  noth- 
ing but  assessment  work  is  being  done  on  them. 

White  Horse  mountain,  three  and  a  half 
miles  southwest  of  Darrington,  whose  highest 
peak  is  7,000  feet  high,  and  which  is  glaciated  in 
places,  is  also  the  site  of  some  promising  prop- 
erties. The  formation  is  gray  granite  and  ande- 
site,  the  contact  extending  north  and  south 
through  the  center  of  the  peak,  with  slate 
lapping  up  on  the  north  side  and  porphyry 
dykes  in  several  of  the  north  spurs.  On  its  east 
slope  are  the  Coffin  &  Mallet  mines,  owned  now 
by  Samuel  Nichols  of  Everett,  said  to  be  rich  in 
lead,  gold  and  silver.  The  Buckeye  basin,  on 
the  northeast  slope  of  the  mountain  contains  over 
twenty  mining  claims  carrying  copper,  lead,  gold, 
silver  and  other  metals.  They  are  now  known 
as  the  Roosevelt  group,  having  been  relocated 
last  year  by  Charles  Burns.  It  is  said  that  there 
are  also  some  valuable  mining  locations  in  and 
around  Wellman  Gulch  on  the  north  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  near  the  base  of  White  Horse  is 
the  Schloman  mine,  with  one  hundred  feet  of 
development  work,  a  gold  and  copper  proposition, 
sold  recently  to  A.  L.  Purdy,  of  New  York. 
Jasper  Sill,  S.  S.  Stevens,  and  Charles  Wrage, 
of  Arlington,  have  valuable  locations  on  the 
north  slope  of  the  mountain,  yielding  lead, 
copper,  gold  and  silver  and  on  the  southwest 
side,  J.  W.  Morris  has  five  prospects. 

Almost  south  of  Darrington,  and  some  twelve 
miles  distant  is  the  celebrated  Bornite  mine, 
owned  by  the  Bornite  Gold  &  Copper  Mining 
Company,  of  Bangor,  Maine.  It  is  by  far  the  best 
developed  of  all  the  properties  in  the  Darring- 
ton country,  many  thousands  of  dollars  having 
been  spent  in  the  construction  of  a  tramway  to 
connect  it  with  the  railway  at  Darrington,  in  the 
harnessing  of  water  power  and  the  installation  of 
aerial  trams,  air  drills,  air  compressor,  electric 
lights,  etc.,  also  in  work  on  the  ore  body  itself. 
At  the  time  of  the  writer's  visit  to  the  district,  a 
tunnel  was  being  driven  under  contract  three 
thousand  feet  to  strike  the  ledge  some  twelve 
hundred  feet  down.  Charles  G.  Austin,  of 
Seattle,  who  is  interested  in  the  company,  states 
that  he  expects  to  ship  ore  about  the  first  of 
December,  1905.  He  also  informed  the  writer 
that  ore  from  this  mine  is  of  a  quality  that 
smelters  desire;  hence  either  the  smelter  at 
Everett  or  that  at  Tacoma  will  gladly  reduce  it 
for  one  dollar  and  eighty  cents  a  ton.  As  soon 
as  the  Bornite  mine  begins  shipping  there  will 
no  doubt  be  a  great  revival  of  interest  in  the 
Darrington  district,  which  will  probably  result 
in  the  development  of  other  producers.  A 
branch  road  from  the  Northern  Pacific  at  Arling- 
ton gives  the  district  a  convenient  outlet. 


South  of  the  Darrington  district  the  mineral 
belt  widens  out  considerably.  This  central  por- 
tion has  been  rendered  readily  accessible  by  the 
construction  of  the  Everett  and  Monte  Cristo 
railroad,  now  owned  by  the  Northern  Pacific. 
The  Monte  Cristo  branch  leaves  the  Bellingham 
division  at  Hartford,  follows  the  Pilchuck  a  short 
distance,  then  the  south  fork  of  the  Stillaguamish 
to  its  head  waters,  passing  thence  through  Bar- 
low pass  to  the  south  fork  of  Sauk  river,  which 
it  ascends  to  the  junction  of  Glacier  and  Seventy- 
six  creeks.  In  less  than  fifty  miles  of  road  six 
tunnels  have  been  constructed,  one  nearly  a  third 
of  a  mile  in  length.  Four  per  cent,  grades  are 
numerous  and  in  one  place  there  is  a  six  per  cent, 
rise ;  that  is  to  say,  the  road  climbs  317  feet  to  the 
mile.  The  final  ascent  to  Monte  Cristo  is  accom- 
plished by  means  of  a  switchback.  The  tunnels 
are  all  between  Granite  Falls  and  Robe  station, 
in  the  canon  of  the  Stillaguamish,  and  just  below 
the  latter  point  a  half  mile  of  concrete  road  bed 
has  been  found  necessary  as  the  canon  is  here 
a  deep  gorge,  through  which,  in  flood  time,  wild 
torrents  race  madly  with  their  burdens  of  debris. 

The  scenery  from  the  entrance  of  the  Stilla- 
guamish caiion  onward  is  everywhere  grand, 
but  it  increases  rapidly  in  sublimity  and  impres- 
siveness  as  the  train  proceeds.  In  no  part  of 
their  course  are  the  Cascades  without  scenic 
charm,  but  at  Monte  Cristo  they  present  their 
wildest,  most  fascinating,  most  overwhelming 
aspect.  The  town  lies  in  a  sort  of  basin,  sur- 
rounded by  a  complex  of  precipitous  ridges, 
thousands  of  feet  in  altitude,  their  bases  laved 
by  rushing  crystal  creeks;  their  crests  crowned 
with  perpetual  snow.  From  the  glaciers  of  this 
region  come  Glacier  and  Seventy-six  creeks, 
which,  uniting  at  the  foot  of  a  bold,  sheer  head- 
land known  as  Wilmans  peak,  together  form  the 
south  fork  of  the  magnificent  Sauk,  noblest 
tributary  of  the  mighty  Skagit. 

The  first  mining  property  one  reaches  in 
traveling  eastward  on  the  Monte  Cristo  branch 
is  the  Wayside,  on  the  extreme  western  edge  of 
the  copper  belt,  just  two  miles  east  of  Granite 
Falls,  its  supply  point.  The  ore  carries  copper, 
silver  and  gold,  in  the  proportion  of  six  parts 
each  of  the  first  two  to  one  of  the  yellow  metal. 
There  are  two  veins,  the  Phoenix  and  the  Red- 
bird,  about  900  feet  apart,  the  former  of  which 
is  developed  by  200  feet  of  tunnel  and  several 
open  cuts,  the  work  of  the  original  locators  years 
ago;  the  latter  by  1,500  feet  of  tunnels  and  one 
shaft  down  212  feet,  and  being  sunk  to  a  depth 
of  300  and  raised  100  to  a  new  tunnel  to  be  driven 
into  the  hillside  above  the  railroad  track.  A 
cross-cut  will  then  be  run  to  connect  the  main 
tunnel  with  the  Redbird  vein  at  a  depth  of  300 
feet.  A  compressor,  hoisting  works  and  electric 
light  plant  are  now  being  operated  at  the 
tunnel's  mouth  and  it  is  expected  that  when  the 
improvements  now  contemplated  are  completed, 


408 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


the  company  will  supplj'  Granite  Falls,  as  well 
as  the  mine,  with  light  and  power.  C.  M. 
Carter,  who  has  been  superintendent  of  the  mine 
for  the  past  four  years,  states  that  last  winter 
the  mine  shipped  1,2(10  tuns  of  ore  which 
averaged  thirty  dollars  to  the  ton,  while  several 
cars  went  as  high  as  fifty-four  dollars.  From 
fifty  to  seventy-five  men  are  employed. 

The  Wayside  was  discovered  by  H.  H.  and 
James  Humes,  of  Seattle,  shortly  after  the  rail- 
road was  built  up  the  Stillaguamish.  They 
expended  about  eight  thousand  dollars  in  devel- 
opment work.  In  l!)()2  they  sold  to  Dr. 
Alexander  DeSoto,  who  at  once  transferred  a 
half  interest  to  J.  J.  Habecker  and  his  associates 
of  Philadelphia.  They  expended,  it  is  said,  forty 
thousand  dollars  within  a  few  months.  Subse- 
ciuently  the  property  was  acquired  by  a  stock 
company,  headed  by  Mr.  Habecker,  which  has 
been  pushing  developments  with  vigor  and 
plans  to  continue  so  doing. 

Farther  east  is  the  Silverton  district,  one  of 
the  best  known  in  the  county.  Granite  is  the 
country  rock,  the  town  of  Silverton  being  very 
near  the  center  of  a  belt  of  granite  several  miles 
wide,  extending  a  little  east  of  north  and  west 
of  south.  This  copper-bearing  granite  formation 
has  been  traced  from  the  north  fork  of  the  Stilla- 
guamish, southward  across  White  Horse  moun- 
tain, the  south  fork  valley  and  the  vSultan,  Silver 
creek  and  Index  districts  to  the  head  of  Miller 
river  in  King  county.  The  ledges  carry  chal- 
copyrite.  bornite,  iron  pyrites,  and  arsenical  iron 
and  are  rich  in  copper,  gold  and  silver,  while 
occasional  bodies  of  galena  are  found.  The 
Silverton  district  was  opened  in  1N!)()  and  18!)1 
as  a  result  of  the  Monte  Cristo  excitement.  In 
the  summer  of  the  latter  year  the  Hoodoo  ledge 
of  pyritic  ore  was  located  by  Abe  Gordon  and 
Fred  Harrington,  and  a  few  days  later  William 
and  James  Hanchett  staked  out  the  Independent 
on  Silver  Gulch,  a  great  ledge  carrying  arsenical 
iron  and  galena.  Before  the  close  of  the  season 
George  Hall  and  W.  M.  Molesque  discovered 
the  Anacortes  ledge,  now  known  as  the  Imperial; 
then  the  Bonanza  Queen  was  staked  out  on  Long- 
mountain  by  J.  F.  Bender,  Z.  W.  Lockvvood  and 
J.  O.  Marsh.  The  district  was  organized  August 
2(),  18'.)1,  and  during  the  winter  following,  the 
town  of  Silverton  was  founded  by  Charles  and 
Parker  McKenzie,  J.  R.  Carrothers,  William 
Whitten  and  J.  F.  Birney,  who  cut  a  pack  trail 
to  Hartford  in  November.  In  1892,  a  wagon 
road  was  constructed  down  the  valley  and  the 
Monte  Cristo  railroad  was  graded  to  the  town  and 
beyond  to  Barlow  pass.  That  year  also  the 
Helena  ledges,  on  the  divide  between  Deer  and 
Clear  creeks,  were  discovered  by  Louis  Lundlin, 
John  Jackson  and  Thomas  Johnson,  and  the 
Perry  creek  claims  by  Theodore  Lohr.  In  IS'.K) 
it  was  found  that  the  mineral  belt  extended  over 
Long   mountain    to  Martin  creek,   and    in  July, 


18!)(i,  an  asbestos  deposit  was  opened  on  the 
divide  at  the  heads  of  Deer,  Martin  and  Clear 
creeks,  by  R.  C.  Myers  and  Louis  Callihan. 

At  present  there  is  only  one  property  ready 
to  ship  in  the  Silverton  district,  the  Bonanza 
Queen,  although  several  other  mines  have  in  the 
past  shipped  rich  ore  and  could  be  doing  so  now 
if  they  were  not  shut  down  pending  reorganiza- 
tion. The  Bonanza  Oueen  group  comprises  ten 
claims,  owned  by  the  Bonanza  Oueen  Mining 
Company,  S.  A.  Warner,  manager.  The  main 
ledge  of  this  great  copper  property  on  which  are 
four  claims,  crops  out  sixty  feet  wide  in  a  gulch 
running  down  Long  mountain  to  Deer  creek. 
Until  the  present  owners  took  the  property 
recently,  two  tunnels,  one  three  hundred  feet 
long  and  the  other  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
along  this  outcrop  constituted  the  major  portion 
of  the  development.  Now  the  main  working 
tunnel  is  eleven  hundred  feet  in  length  Twenty- 
six  men  are  employed  at  the  mine  and  in  building 
a  surface  tram  to  the  railway  about  a  mile  above 
town.  The  company  expects  to  be  shipping  by 
the  middle  of  October.  The  principal  value  in 
this  mine  is  its  large  body  of  high-grade  copper 
ore.     A  compressor  plant  is  operated. 

The  Bornite  mine,  previously  mentioned,  is 
likewise  on  Long  mountain,  but  as  its  produce 
will  go  out  through  Darrington,  over  the  Dar- 
rington  branch,  it  has  been  noticed  in  connection 
with  the  Darrington  district. 

The  Imperial  Company  has  been  employing, 
for  over  a  year,  several  men  on  its  property,  the 
Anacortes  group,  which  lies  on  a  ledge 
paralleling  the  great  Independence  vein.  The 
property  has  made  an  excellent  showing  of 
arsenical  iron,  galena  and  copper.  It  is  owned 
by  li^verett,  Marysville  and  Monroe  people. 

What  is  perhaps  the  most  prominent  property 
in  the  camp  lies  idle  at  present,  pending  the 
adjustment  of  internal  matters.  This  is  the 
Copper  Independent  group,  right  at  the  town  of 
Silverton.  The  main  ledge  crops  to  a  width  of 
sixty  feet  in  the  bed  of  a  gorge  running  toward 
the  mouth  of  Silver  gulch.  Four  levels  have 
been  run  in  the  vein,  developing  it  t]uite  thor- 
oughly. Two  years  ago  a  threehundred-ton 
concentrator,  with  modern  equipment,  was 
erected  in  the  river  at  the  town,  and  operated 
for  a  few  days,  but  it  has  ever  since  lain  idle  and 
no  further  development  work  has  been  done. 
Boston  capitalists  own  the  group.  The  Indepen- 
dent is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  camp's  sub- 
stantial properties  and  universal  regret  is 
expressed  that  its  owners  have  seen  fit  to  sus- 
pend operations. 

Just  over  the  divide  to  the  south  in  the  Sultan 
basin  lies  the  noted  "Forty-five"  mine,  nearer 
Silverton  as  the  eagle  flies  but  tributary  to 
Sultan  City  is  the  Skykomish.  Both  districts 
receive  benefit  from  its  activity,  the  main  offices 
"being  at  Silverton  in  charge  of  Chester  F.  Lee, 


DESCRIPTR'E 


409 


manager,  while  the  -heavy  shipping  goes  in  and 
out  by  way  of  Sultan  creek.  Extensive  opera- 
tions are  about  to  be  instituted  by  the  owners, 
the  Lydia  E.  Pinkham  estate. 

Hundreds  of  claims  have  been  located  in  the 
Silverton  district  upon  many  of  which,  in  addi- 
tion to  those  mentioned,  assessment  work  (and 
in  some  cases  much  more  than  assessment  work) 
is  being  done.  Among  the  more  prominent 
groups  and  claims  which  have  been  considerably 
developed,  but  which  for  one  reason  and  another 
are  idle  at  present  are  the  following:  Hoodoo 
group,  Cleveland,  Helena,  Eclipse  Bell  &  Crown, 
Big  Four,  Hannah,  Copperhead,  Asbestos, 
Arlington,  Deer  Lake  and  Eureka. 

Such  were  the  difficulties  of  access  to  the 
Monte  Cristo  district  before  the  building  of  the 
railroad  that  very  few  of  the  earliest  prospectors 
ventured  far  into  its  rugged  retreats.  In  1889, 
however,  an  adventurous  mining  man  named 
Joseph  Pearsall,  came  to  the  region.  Pearsall 
had  left  the  school  room  in  1878  to  go  to  Lead- 
ville,  and  had  since  traveled  extensively  in  search 
of  gold,  winning  laurels  wherever  he  went  for 
his  intrepidity  and  daring.  These  characteristics 
naturally  impelled  him,  when  he  came  to  the 
Snohomish  mineral  belt,  to  push  boldly  forward 
over  the  bonds  of  the  unknown,  so  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  a  congenial  spirit,  named  Frank 
W.  Peabody,  and  together  they  began  their 
explorations.  Ascending  Silver  creek  to  its 
source,  they  climbed  to  the  top  of  Silver  Tip 
peak,  whence,  for  the  first  time,  they  surveyed 
the  majestic  mountainous  complex  all  around 
them.  Carefully  they  scanned  with  their  glasses 
the  cliffs  and  mountain  sides  in  search  of  indica- 
tions of  mineral.  They  noticed  great  stains  of 
red  everywhere  due  to  the  presence  of  oxidized 
iron  and  finally  far  across  the  chasm  of  Seventy- 
six  creek,  Pearsall's  sharp  eye  descried  a  glit- 
tering streak  on  Wilmans  ridge,  which  he  look 
to  be  galena.  He  lost  no  time  in  descending  the 
mountain,  and  making  his  way  to  the  spot,  there 
finding  to  his  great  satisfaction  that  his  surmise 
as  to  the  character  of  the  find  was  indeed  correct. 
The  ledge  was  a  large  one  twenty  to  thirty  feet 
wide.  He  staked  out  a  claim  for  himself  and 
Peabody,  naming  it  "Independence  of  177(),"  in 
memory  of  the  fact  that  he  had  got  his  first 
glimpse  of  the  mineral  on  the  4th  of  July. 
Without  making  public  their  discovery  Pearsall 
and  his  partner  went  forthwith  to  Seattle  to 
interview  the  Wilmans  Brothers,  who  were 
friends  of  Peabody.  They  had  recently  con- 
cluded a  highly  successful  venture  in  Park  City, 
Utah,  extracting  a  half  million  dollars  in  less 
than  a  year  from  a  mine  that  had  been  aban- 
doned, hence  had  plenty  of  means  at  their  com- 
mand. J,  M.  Wilmans  grub  staked  the  two 
prospectors  and  sent  them  back  to  explore  the 
region  thoroughly,  and  locate  everything  in 
sight,    promising   to   push   any   worthy   prospect 


they  might  find.  They  took  sixteen  or  seventeen 
claims,  among  them  the  Monte  Cristo,  Pride  of 
the  Woods,  Pride  of  the  Mountains  and  Mystery. 
Samples  brought  back  by  them  to  Seattle  assayed 
twenty-seven  dollars  in  gold  and  silver,  for  which 
only  they  were  tested.  In  September  F.  W. 
Wilmans  joined  Pearsall  and  Peabody  in  another 
locating  trip  which  lasted  until  winter  set  in.  In 
September  Pearsall  and  Peabody  determined  to 
explore  the  stream  to  its  mouth,  and  they  spent 
seven  days  in  so  doing,  cuttmg  their  way 
through  the  forest,  wading  or  swimming  when 
necessary  and  subsisting  toward  the  last  on  rais- 
ins, nuts  and  berries.  Finally,  exhausted  and 
half  starved,  they  reached  a  farmhouse,  nine 
miles  above  Sauk  City,  and  learned  that  the 
river  they  were  descending  was  none  other 
than  the  celebrated  Sauk. 

On  their  return  in  April,  1S!)0,  the  miners 
named  the  camp  "Monte  Cristo. "  They  erected 
on  the  Seventy-six,  the  first  cabin  in  the  region, 
and  during  the  summer  they  cut  a  trail  to  Silver 
creek.     The  cabin  is  still  standing. 

The  second  party  to  enter  the  Monte  Cristo 
district  consisted  of  Andrew  Lochrie,  Newton 
Anderson,  and  C.  H.  Packard,  the  last  mentioned 
of  whom  grub  staked  the  two  others,  also,  at  a 
later  date,  James  Lillis,  Oliver  McLean  and  Ben 
James.  The  Packard  party,  which  went  in  in 
May,  1890,  located  the  Sidney,  Philo,  Rantoul, 
Whistler  and  O.  &  B.  groups. 

Before  the  season  of  IS'JO  came  to  a  close  the 
richness  and  extent  of  the  district  were  fully 
known,  and  plans  were  matured  to  handle  a 
large  proposition.  The  Wilmans  soon  bought 
out  Peabody  for  seven  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars  and  Pearsall  for  forty  thousand  dollars. 
They  interested  their  brother,  S.  C.  Wilmans, 
and  others,  finally  associating  with  themselves 
Colonel  Thomas  Ewing,  Judge  H.  G.  Bond,  of 
Birmingham,  Alabama,  L.  S.  Hunt,  H.  C.  Henry 
and  Edward  Blewett.  A  wagon  road  was  built 
that  season  from  Sauk  City  by  way  of  the  Sauk 
river  to  the  camp.  It  is  said  to  have  cost  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  An  air  compressor  and  other 
machinery  were  brought  over  this  road  and  duly 
installed  upon  the  Pride- Mystery  group. 

While  prospecting  in  the  summer  of  ISill, 
Fred  Anderson  and  F.  M.  Headlee  discovered 
Barlow  pass.  They  communicated  this  fact  to 
the  Wilmans  Bond  Company,  which  had  placed 
a  corps  of  engineers  on  the  Sauk,  and  the  com- 
pany had  the  pass  investigated.  It  was  found 
to  afford  a  practicable  gateway  to  Monte  Cristo; 
also  that  the  route  via  the  south  fork  of  tlie 
Stillaguamish  was  preferable  to  any  other. 

Meanwhile  Judge  Bond  had  been  striving  to 
interest  in  Monte  Cristo  what  is  known  as  the 
Colby-Hoyt  or  Rockefeller  syndicate,  which  was 
at  the  time  engaged  in  an  effort  to  build  a  large 
manufacturing  city  on  Port  Gardner  bay.  He 
aventually  induced  them  to  purchase  a  control- 


410 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


ling  interest  in  the  Monte  Cristo,  Pride  of  the 
Mountains  and  the  Rainy  Mining  Companies,  the 
deal  being  closed  in  the  fall  of  ISfll,  after  three 
searching  examinations  of  the  property  had  been 
made,  the  last  by  Alton  L.  Dickerman,  an  expert 
of  national  repute.  Although  at  the  time  less 
than  three  hundred  feet  of  development  work  had 
been  done  in  the  entire  district,  so  well  exposed 
were  the  veins  by  the  action  of  natural  forces 
that  the  experts  could  pass  intelligently  upon 
the  merits  of  the  camp;  so  it  happened  that  three 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  half  cash, 
were  paid  for  properties  which,  under  other  cir- 
cumstances, would  be  considered  mere  prospects. 

The  Rockefeller  syndicate  was  not  long  in 
commencing  operations  on  a  gigantic  scale,  and 
it  continued  to  push  developments  with  vigor 
throughout  the  entire  period  of  the  hard  times. 
The  railroad  was  built  to  Silverton  in  1892,  and 
to  Monte  Cristo  the  following  spring,  at  a  cost  of 
over  two  million  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  fur- 
nishing transportation  for  the  ore;  a  smelter, 
costing  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars 
was  built  at  Everett  by  the  same  interests  under 
the  name  of  the  Puget  Sound  Reduction  Com- 
pany, and  at  the  mines  a  concentrator  was  built, 
a  double  section  mill  with  a  capacity  of  three 
hundred  tons  every  twenty-four  hours.  It  is  run 
by  a  two  hundred  horse-power  engine,  which  also 
operates  a  one  hundred  horse-power  generator, 
furnishing  power  and  light  to  the  mines. 

Until  late  in  18!)7  the  Rockefeller  Company 
and  others  interested  pushed  developments  and 
operations  with  vigor,  maintaining  a  lively  camp, 
but  m  November  a  disastrous  flood  on  the  Still- 
aguamish  so  damaged  the  road  bed  as  to  stop 
traffic  permanently.  Of  course  this  caused  a 
suspension  of  operations  all  along  the  line,  and 
for  three  years  there  was  little  activity  in  the 
Monte  Cristo  or  Silverton  districts.  When  in 
July,  1900,  trains  again  commenced  running, 
operations  at  the  mines  were  begun  immediately, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  there  was  great  activity 
in  the  district,  W.  M.  Wilmans,  one  of  its  original 
promotors  and  now  a  leading  operator,  believes 
that  the  total  production  of  the  camp  to  date 
must  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  300,000  tons, 
and  states  that  some  of  the  ore  has  run  as  high 
as  $100  to  the  ton,  while  very  little  has  fallen 
below  $15.  For  years  the  shipping  and  smelting 
charges  were  $9.50  a  ton,  but  now  they  are  down 
to  $5.  Developments  have  proven  the  existence 
of  a  great  series  of  ledges  of  refractory  ore  of 
low  or  medium  grade,  and  that  this  ore,  when 
economically  mined,  will  pay  fair  profits  on  the 
necessary  capital.  Ore  is  now  being  shipped 
without  concentration  or  other  treatment,  but  it 
is  admitted  that  the  only  practical  way  to  operate 
successfully  on  a  large  scale  is  to  treat  the  ore 
at  least  once  on  the  ground,  thereby  saving 
freight  and  securing  to  the  mine  owners  at  least 
oneof  the  valuable  bi-products,  arsenic. 


At  present  there  are  only  three  mines  in  the 
district  shipping  ore.  the  justice,  the  Rainy  and 
the  Sidney.  The  Justice  Gold  Mining  Company, 
of  which  J.  M.  and  F.  W.  Wilmans  are  principal 
owners,  is  operating  the  old  Thomas  property, 
first  worked  by  the  Golden  Cord  Mining  Com- 
pany, which  the  Justice  absorbed.  Fourteen 
claims  comprise  the  group,  lying  mainly  on 
Wilmans  mountain  between  Glacier  and  Seventy- 
six  creeks,  just  above  town.  The  main  claim  in 
the  group  and  the  one  for  which  the  company  is 
heading,  is  the  Oneida,  through  which  runs  the 
mother  lode.  This  great  vein  is  to  be  tapped  by 
the  Thomas  crosscut  on  Glacier  gulch,  now  being 
driven  with  all  possible  speed.  From  this  tunnel 
the  ore  shipments  are  being  made  regularly.  It 
is  eight  hundred  feet  and  when  it  shall  have 
gone  four  hundred  feet  more  the  Oneida  will  be 
tapped  at  a  depth  of  three  thousand  feet.  No 
other  mine  in  the  district  will  have  anywhere 
near  this  depth  and  if  the  ore  proves  to  be  there 
as  expected,  the  question  of  permanency  with  the 
depth  will  be  answered  most  satisfactorily.  The 
Thomas  vein  will  average  six  feet  in  width,  with 
a  pay  streak  of  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  feet, 
carrying  arsenical  iron,  gold,  silver  and  some 
copper.  Wilmans  Brothers  located  these  claims 
in  1S90  and  developed  them  until  about  1895, 
when  they  left  the  camp. 

Something  over  seven  years  later  they 
returned,  to  remain.  Chiefly  through  their 
efforts  the  Justice  Gold  Mining  Company  and 
later  the  Potomac  Mining  Company,  were 
organized,  the  latter  only  eighteen  months  ago. 
The  first  step  taken  toward  placing  the  camp  on 
an  economic  basis  was  the  harnessing  of  Glacier 
falls,  a  mile  above  the  town  of  Monte  Cristo, 
where  a  vast  stream  of  water  falls  four  hundred 
and  six  feet  in  half  a  mile.  To  develop  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  horse  power  the  Justice 
Company  laid  a  pipe  line  with  twelve  inch  head 
to  a  plant  on  the  creek  below  erected  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1904.  The  plant  consists  of  two  compres- 
sors, also  two  Puthill  water  wheels  and  a  two 
hundred  and  twenty  volt,  thirty-five  ampere 
Erickson-Wyman  dynamo  which  supplied  both 
the  Justice  and  Rainy  mines.  Six  thousand  dol- 
lars covered  the  cost  of  utilizing  that  magnificent 
water  power,  only  a  portion  of  which  is  harnessed. 
Why  the  old  Monte  Cristo  Company  maintained 
an  enormous  steam  plant  within  almost  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  present  Justice  plant,  importing 
coal  at  heavy  cost,  is  one  of  the  puzzles  of  Monte 
Cristo's  history. 

On  the  other  side  of  Glacier  creek,  a  little 
below  the  power  plant,  is  the  main  tunnel, 
entering  the  Rainy  mine,  which  is  now  operated 
by  the  Potomac  Mining  Company.  This  group 
of  seven  claims,  discovered  in  1890  by  the 
Wilmans  Brothers,  and  sold  to  the  Rockefeller 
Syndicate  in  the  fall  of  1891,  was  purchased  at 
sheriff's  sale  about  two  years  ago,  for  something 


DESCRIPTIVE 


like  $6,000.  The  present  company  was  organized 
with  H.  C.  Henry  of  Seattle,  H.  F.  Balch  of 
Minneapolis,  and  VV.  M.  and  F.  W.  Wilmans  as 
stockholders.  They  proceeded  at  once  with 
developments,  and  have  a  six  hundred  foot 
tunnel  and  a  shaft  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  in 
depth,  the  workings  being  one  thousand  feet 
below  the  Thomas  tunnel,  though  but  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  feet  below  the  apex  of  the  Rainy 
vein.  This  vein  is  full  twenty  feet  wide  in 
places,  with  a  pay  streak  varying  from  two  to 
eleven  feet,  really  an  unusual  showing.  Its  ore 
is  said  to  run  four  or  five  dollars  richer  than  that 
in  the  Thomas  vein,  or  in  the  vicinity  of  twenty 
dollars  a  ton.  That  the  Rainy  is  producing  rich 
ore  cannot  be  questioned,  but  as  both  the  Poto- 
mac and  the  Justice  are  close  corporations,  defi- 
nite official  figures  are  not  easy  to  obtain. 

Fifteen  men  are  employed  at  the  Rainy  at 
present,  and  forty  at  the  Justice,  both  of  which 
crews  are  to  be  shortly  doubled,  it  is  said.  New 
modern  tramways  connect  both  mines  with  the 
terminal  bunkers  at  the  railroad  tracks.  One  of 
the  sights  at  the  camp  is  these  numerous  cable 
trams,  stretching  hundreds  of  feet  across  gulches 
and  trailing  gracefully  down  the  movintain  sides 
to  the  ore  bunkers. 

Frank  W.  Peabody,  before  mentioned  as  one 
of  the  discoverers  of  the  district,  is  now  success- 
fully operating  the  Sidney  in  Seventy-six  basin, 
and  is  just  beginning  to  ship.  A  six-hundred- 
foot  double  track  tunnel  is  being  driven  on  the 
Sidney  claim,  which  is  expected  to  tap  the  main 
vein  at  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet.  Then 
Peabody  will  drift  to  the  eastward  along  the 
vein,  gaining  a  foot  in  depth  for  every  foot 
driven.  The  ore  will  average,  perhaps,  fourteen 
dollars,  the  values  running  about  like  these  in 
the  other  mines  of  the  camp.  From  the  tunnel 
in  the  mountain  side,  a  shoot  carries  the  ore  to 
Seventy-six  creek,  where  it  is  loaded  in  small 
cars,  and  run  over  a  three-foot  gauge  wooden 
tramway,  a  third  of  a  mile  from  Monte  Cristo. 
This  group  was  originally  located  in  1S90,  by 
Lochrie  and  Anderson,  while  prospecting  on 
C.  H.  Packard's  grubstake.  Subsequently  Pea- 
body bought  it,  but  not  until  quite  recently  has 
any  extensive  development  work  been  done  on 
the  property. 

The  district's  newest  mine  is  the  Mackinaw, 
situated  on  the  divide,  southwest  of  Monte 
Cristo,  perhaps  three  miles.  Everett  parties  are 
developing  it.  It  is  said  that  a  ledge  twenty-one 
feet  through  has  been  cut,  assaying  twenty-five 
dollars.  Several  hundred  feet  of  tunnel  have 
been  driven.  A  reorganization  of  the  company 
is  now  in  progress. 

One  of  the  oldest  properties  in  the  district  and 
yet  one  only  slightly  developed  is  the  Philo, 
comprising  four  claims.  A  long  tunnel  is  being 
driven,  now  in  five  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  which 
will  tap  the  main  ore  body  at  great  depth.     Three 


shorter  tunnels  have  been  driven  from  time  to 
time  at  higher  levels.  The  mine  is  equipped 
with  a  cable  tram  connecting  with  the  main 
Pride-Mystery  line  from  the  summit  of  Mystery 
hill  to  the  railroad. 

The  Rantoul  group  consists  of  four  claims 
located  about  five  hundred  feet  north  of  and 
parallel  with  the  Pride-Mystery  and  adjoining 
the  Philo,  another  shipper. 

The  vein  is  a  large,  well  defined  and  strong 
one  that  outcrops  in  several  places  from  the 
Keystone  at  an  elevation  of  three  thousand 
five  hundred  feet  to  the  Merchant  at  an  elevation 
of  six  thousand  feet.  On  the  latter  the  outcrop 
is  sixteen  to  twenty  feet  wide.  These  claims 
cover  a  region  on  the  western  side  of  Cadet 
mountain  from  its  base  at  Glacier  creek  to  the 
summit.  The  outcrop  which  has  made  the 
property  noted  in  local  mining  circles  is  on 
the  Rantoul.  Here  the  main  vein  from  six 
to  fourteen  feet  wide  is  exposed  for  a  dis- 
tance of  four  hundred  feet,  where  snowslides 
and  a  small  stream  have  "blocked  out"  the  ore. 
The  paystreak  is  one  to  three  feet  wide  where 
exposed  by  tunnels  and  open  cuts.  In  1N92  this 
property  was  bonded  for  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  to  the  Colby-Hoyt  syndicate,  but  the 
financial  panic  prevented  the  complete  consum- 
mation of  the  deal.  A  new  two-hundred-foot 
tunnel  lower  down  to  cross-cut  the  main  ore 
body,  is  now  being  driven  by  the  Packard  Min- 
ing Company,  Incorporated,  owners  of  the  mine. 
A  compressor  plant  and  a  small  crew  of  men  are 
employed  in  this  work  at  present.  The  old  Pride 
tramway  is  being  used.  C.  H.  Packard,  the 
secretary  and  superintendent,  is  one  of  the  dis- 
trict's pioneer  operators  and  has  been  active  for 
fifteen  years  in  its  development. 

Owned  by  the  same  company  is  the  Whistler 
group  of  three  claims  located  about  fifteen  hun- 
dred feet  north  of  the  Rantoul-Keystone,  noted 
for  the  high  grade  of  ore  found  in  a  shoot  almost 
as  large  as  that  on  the  Rantoul.  This  group 
adjoins  the  famous  mine  of  the  Penn  Mining 
Company  just  over  the  divide  in  the  Goat  Lake 
district,  which  may  tunnel  through  this  divide 
via  the  Whistler  claim  to  gain  an  outlet  at  Monte 
Cristo.  Both  groups  lie  on  the  same  vein.  A 
short  tunnel  and  open  cuts  constitute  the  de- 
velopment in  the  Whistler. 

Although  closed  down  for  the  past  two  years, 
the  Monte  Cristo  Mining  Company's  property  is 
worthy  of  mention  here.  It  consists  of  twenty- 
eight  claims,  including  mill  sites  and  placers  in 
the  caiion,  and  mineral  locations  in  Glacier, 
Seventy-six  and  West  Seattle  gulches.  In 
Glacier  gulch  the  ledges  run  nearly  north  and 
south  between  walls  of  diorite  and  granite;  in 
Seventy-six  gulch  their  course  is  northeast  and 
southwest  between  diorite  and  basalt;  and  in 
West  Seattle  gulch,  north  and  south  with  both 
walls  of  diorite.     The   ledge   matter  is  silicious 


412 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


porphyry.  Thousands  of  feet  of  work  have  been 
done  upon  these  different  properties,  but  the 
main  development  is  tunnel  No.  3,  topping  the 
Pride-Mystery  group  from  the  west  face  of 
Mystery  hill.  This  tunnel  has  been  driven  three 
thousand  feet  through  the  hill  and  under  Glacier 
creek  into  the  Pride  claims.  It  is  expected  that 
the  entire  group  of  claims  in  that  region  will 
eventually  be  worked  through  this  tunnel  when 
operations  are  resumed.  A  fine  cable  tram  sys- 
tem, thousands  of  feet  in  all,  carries  the  ore  to  the 
mill  and  bunkers  at  Monte  Cristo.  Ore  with  as 
high  values  as  one  hundred  dollars  has  been 
taken  from  the  Pride.  A  considerable  galena 
streak  has  been  opened  in  Mystery  hill,  but  the 
main  values  lie  in  the  arsenopyrite,  gold  and 
silver  as  elsewhere  in  the  district.  That  this 
great  property  should  be  closed  is  of  course  a 
misfortune  to  the  camp.  John  D.  Rockefeller 
and  his  associates  have  patented  all  the  claims 
and  still  retain  possession  of  the  great  original 
ledges  which  have  brought  fame  and  credit  to 
Monte  Cristo. 

There  are  large  numbers  of  partially  devel- 
oped mines  in  the  district  upon  which  at  present 
but  little  is  being  done.  Prominent  among 
these  is  the  O.  &  B.,  lying  on  the  Silver  Lake 
divide.  Considerable  work  was  done  upon  this 
well-known  property  during  the  nineties  and  sev- 
eral hundred  tons  of  rich  ore  were  shipped,  but 
in  recent  years  it  has  lain  idle.  The  hills  are 
dotted  with  prospect  holes,  and  one  can  find 
stringers  bearing  mineral  almost  anywhere. 

No  attempt  will  be  made  here  even  to 
enumerate  these,  much  less  to  describe  each  in 
detail.  Enough  has  been  said  to  indicate  in  a 
general  way  the  character  of  the  district.  Cer- 
tainly there  is  much  foundation  for  the  hope  that 
IMonte  Cristo  will  yet  take  rank,  and  shortly, 
among  the  famous  producers  of  the  Northwest. 

The  Goat  Lake  mining  region  is  usually  con- 
sidered a  part  of  the  unorganized  district  of  Monte 
Cristo,  but  is  separated  from  the  basin  of  that 
name  by  a  high  divide.  It  is  the  eastern  exten- 
sion of  the  Monto  Criste  mineral  belt  and  lies 
at  the  headwaters  of  the  north  fork  of  the  Sauk 
and  on  Goat  lake,  from  which  it  takes  its  name. 
The  lake,  which  is  less  than  a  mile  long,  empties 
into  the  south  fork  of  the  Sauk.  The  mountains 
at  its  head  and  on  each  side  are  veined  with 
mineral.  The  formation  is  syenite,  granite  and 
schist,  cut  by  dikes  of  porphyry,  quartz  and 
slate.  The  principal  ledges  run  in  an  easterly 
and  westerly  direction,  and  vary  in  character 
from  a  clear,  white,  slightly  mineralized  quartz  to 
a  very  dark  quartz  carrying  much  gold,  also  a 
fine  grained  arsenopyrite,  also  gray  copper, 
galena  and  sometimes  charcopyrite.  Gold  and 
silver  occasionally  predominate. 

Discoveries  on  Goat  lake  were  first  made  in 
August,  1891,  when  Bishop  located  the  Foggy 
and  parallel   ledges   on  the   divide   between    the 


lake  and  the  north  fork.  Many  valuable  veins 
have  been  uncovered  since,  but  the  Foggy  lode 
and  its  branches  are  the  only  ones  that  have 
been  developed  to  any  great  extent.  The 
Foggy,  however,  has  the  distinction  of  being  the 
most  thoroughly  developed  of  any  in  the  county, 
there  being  in  the  neighborhood  of  fifteen  thou- 
sand feet  of  work  upon  it.  It  has  been  stated 
that  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars  have  been  expended  upon  this  mine,  but 
no  official  figures  are  at  hand.  Certain  it  is  that 
ever  since  1901  a  large  crew  of  men  has  been 
employed  almost  continuously  blocking  out  the 
ore,  it  being  the  policy  of  the  company  to 
develop  the  property  very  thoroughly  before 
attempting  to  ship.  The  ledge  is  known  to  be  a 
large,  true  one  at  a  depth  of  a  thousand  feet, 
similar  in  character  and  value  to  that  of  the 
Pride  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain.  A 
compressor  of  several  drills  capacity  and  an 
electric  light  plant  are  among  the  operating 
equipments.  The  present  manager,  W.  M. 
Mackintosh,  deserves  the  credit  for  the  develop- 
ment of  this  mine,  he  being  the  man  who 
enlisted  the  interest  of  several  Pittsburg  capital- 
ists, and  associated  them  with  himself  in  the 
work.  The  Penn  Mining  Company  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  progressive  in  the  mining 
operations  of  Snohomish  county. 

That  portion  of  the  mineral  belt  which  lies 
too  far  south  to  be  tributary  to  the  Monte  Cristo 
railroad  is  traversed  by  the  main  line  of  the 
Great  Northern.  The  passenger  journeying 
eastward  on  that  road  enters  the  first  mining 
district  at  Sultan.  Placer  mining  is  carried  on 
from  the  confluence  of  the  river  with  the 
Skykomish  to  the  big  canon  twelve  miles  above, 
where  the  river  emerges  from  a  deep  gorge, 
above  which  is  Sultan  basin,  the  site  of  the 
Wallace  camp.  Naturally  the  ancient  river  beds 
are  richest  in  deposits  of  the  yellow  metal.  The 
gold  is  in  flakes  and  nuggets  of  small  size,  the 
largest  reported  weighing  only  twelve  dollars 
and  fifty  cents,  but  it  is  of  great  fineness,  its 
average  value  being  seventeen  dollars  and  eighty 
cents  an  ounce.  So  far  the  simple  sluice  system 
of  saving  the  metal  is  in  vogue.  In  early  days 
some  rich  cleanups  were  made,  but  in  late  years 
from  three  dollars  to  five  dollars  to  the  man  is 
considered  a  good  average. 

At  present  but  few  men  are  employed  in  the 
district.  The  extensive  properties  of  the  DeSoto 
Mining  Company  at  Horseshoe  Bend  have  not 
been  worked  since  1902,  though  they  were  the 
scene  of  extensive  operations  in  the  latter 
eighties  and  early  nineties,  a  tunnel  one  thou- 
sand feet  long  being  driven  about  this  time  for 
use  as  a  tail  race.  The  company  has  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-six  acres  of  placer  ground 
which  was  patented  about  ISSS.  Four  miles 
above  Sultan  the  Sultan  Placer  Mining  Company 
is  at   work  with   a  force  of   twelve   men  on   two 


DESCRIPTR'E 


claims,  sluicing.  An  average  of  from  three 
dollars  to  five  dollars  per  diem  to  the  man  is 
reported.  Henry  C.  Williams,  a  pioneer,  is  oper- 
ating on  a  small  scale  on  the  old  Habacker  prop- 
erty, and  it  is  estimated  that  from  thirty  to  forty 
other  men  work  the  placers  along  the  river  every 
winter,  commencing  as  soon  as  the  fall  rains  and 
snows  furnish  sufficient  water. 

.  From  the  Sultan  mining  section  Wallace  dis- 
trict was  cut  off  in  LSUU,  mainly  for  the  purpose 
of  segregating  the  quartz  interests  of  the  Sultan 
river  and  Wallace  creek  from  the  placer  country. 
The  new  district  is  bounded,  north  by  the  Silver- 
ton  divide,  east  by  the  Silver  creek  district, 
south  by  the  Skykomish  river  and  west  principally 
by  the  Sultan  district.  The  country  rock  on  the 
west  side  is  a  kind  of  diorite  and  on  the  east 
granite,  the  contact  of  the  two  running  north 
and  south  through  Copper  lake.  .  In  the  diorite 
region  the  strike  of  mineral  veins  is  usually  east 
and  west,  but  when  the  granite  country  is 
entered  the  ledges  run  north  and  south  as  at 
Monte  Cristo  and  Silver  creek.  Developments 
show  that  the  ledges  increase  in  size  and  richness 
with  depth. 

By  far  the  leading  property  in  the  district  and 
one  of  the  foremost  in  all  northwestern  Washing- 
ton, is  the  Forty-five,  Consolidated,  which  con- 
sists of  thirty-two  claims  at  Marble  pass,  owned 
by  the  L.  E.  Pinkham  estate.  The  mine  has 
recently  been  bonded  by  the  Magus  Mining  Com- 
pany, of  Seattle,  under  an  eighteen-month  agree- 
ment, and  will  be  developed  extensively  during 
the  next  few  months. 

Four  parallel  ledges  run  through  the  claims, 
namely,  the  Forty-five,  the  Forty-five  Xo.  7,  the 
John  L.  and  the  Bryan.  The  first  mentioned, 
which  is  the  main  ledge,  is  seven  feet  wide  at  a 
depth  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  with  a  pay- 
streak  of  pyrites  and  galena,  carrying  gold  and 
silver  in  high  values;  the  John  L.  is  a  three-foot 
vein  of  arsenical  iron  carrying  about  five  dollars 
in  silver;  Forty-five  No.  7,  an  eighteen-inch 
ledge,  is  of  the  same  general  character  as  the 
John  L.,  while  the  Bryan  has  two  feet  of  gold 
and  silver  bearing  pyrites  and  galena.  As  high 
as  twelve  per  cent,  lead  ore  has  been  taken  out 
The  development  work  on  this  property  is  exten- 
sive. On  the  Forty- five  ledge  there  are  four 
openings,  one  of  210  feet  on  the  Hard  to  Beat 
claim  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  group;  80  feet 
on  the  Duepree,  the  next  claim  to  the  west,  and 
a  series  of  tunnels  on  the  Magnus.  Cross  cut 
tunnel  No.  1  is  the  highest  opening  and  from 
it  a  drift  of  240  feet  has  been  made  along  the 
vein.  Tunnel  No.  2,  220  feet  lower,  is  233  feet 
long,  with  a  drift  !)00  feet,  sloped  and  connected 
with  the  workings  of  No.  1  above.  Here  also  is 
a  shaft  135  feet  in  depth,  with  two  drifts,  one  at 
the  75  foot  level  and  one  at  130  feet.  A  steam 
hoist  operates  the  shaft  at  present,  but  a  gaso- 
line plant  is  being  installed.      Eight  hundred  feet 


lower  down  on  the  vein  is  tunnel  No.  3,  now  being 
driven,  and  400  feet  below  it  again  is  No.  4,  onlj- 
30  feet  in  length  at  this  writing,  but  being  rapidlj' 
extended.  It  will  strike  the  Bryan  ledge  before 
reaching  the  Forty-five.  The  fifth  tunnel  is  also 
in  course  of  construction,  SOO  feet  below  No.  4, 
which  will  strike  the  Bryan  and  Forty-five  at 
great  depth.  The  company's  equipment  includes 
an  air  compressor,  a  small  saw-mill,  and  an  elec- 
tric light  plant,  while  an  aerial  tramway,  two 
thousand  feet  in  length,  connects  the  mine  with 
the  Monte  Cristo  railroad  at  Silverton,  just  over 
the  Stillaguamish  divide.  Next  spring  the  com- 
pany expects  to  utilize  the  water  of  Copper  lake 
in  developing  twelve  thousand  horse  power  at 
the  mine.  The  machinery  will  be  taken  in  this 
winter  from  Sultan.  At  the  present  time  twelve 
men  are  employed,  but  thirty-five  have  been  en- 
gaged all  summer  and  at  least  twenty  will  be 
required  for  the  winter  campaign.  Charles  F. 
Lee,  with  offices  at  Silverton,  is  the  engineer  in 
charge  and  Nate  B.  Jones,  of  Sultan,  is  superin- 
tendent of  the  saw-mill  and  of  transportation. 

The  history  of  this  mine  goes  back  to  the 
spring  of  1891,  when  George  Hall  and  W.  M. 
Moleque  located  the  Forty-five  claim.  About  the 
same  time  James  and  Ambrose  Duepree  staked 
out  the  Ninety-five  group,  adjoining,  on  the  same 
ledges.  Under  various  managements  these  prop- 
erties were  worked  separately  until  the  season 
of  1897,  when  a  coalescence  was  effected  under 
the  name  of  the  Forty-five,  Consolidated.  In  all 
more  than  one  hundred  and  two  thousand  dollars 
worth  of  ore  has  been  shipped  from  the  property, 
and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  mine 
will  be  a  heavy  producer  for  generations  to  come. 

Another  notable  property  of  the  district  is  the 
Little  Chief,  lying  in  the  basin  south  of  the 
Forty-five,  a  low  grade  copper  proposition  of 
enormous  proportions,  concerning  which  little  is 
known  by  the  general  public.  A  great  knob  of 
ore  fully  one  hundred  feet  wide  projects  from 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  giving  evidence  of 
the  existence  of  an  immense  deposit  beneath. 
Some  tunnel  work  has  been  done  and  a  great 
deal  of  prospecting,  the  results  of  which  are 
known  only  to  those  interested.  It  is  claimed 
that  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  spent 
upon  this  property  by  the  English  syndicate  that 
owns  it,  but  nothing  has  been  done  during  the 
seven  years  last  past. 

On  other  properties  of  the  district  than  those 
just  described  only  desultory  work  is  being  done 
at  present,  owning  to  lack  of  transportation  facil- 
ities. The  Cornucopia  group  of  two  claims,  just 
west  of  Copper  lake,  is  undergoing  some  slight 
developments. 

The  next  district  east  is  the  Index,  which, 
roughly  speaking,  lies  on  and  between  the  two 
forks  of  the  Skykomish  for  a  distance  of  several 
miles  above  their  confluence  at  the  base  of  Index 
mountain.     The  country    to  the  eastward    is  so 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


rugged  and  difficult  of  access  that  the  prospector 
has  not  yet  definitely  determined  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  copper  belt,  but  the  town  of 
Index  appears  to  be  a  little  west  of  the  center  of 
the  belt.  The  developed  portion  of  the  Index 
district  is  compact  and  easily  accessible  from  the 
Great  Northern  or  by  wagon  road  and  the  camp 
has  the  further  advantage  of  being  at  a  com- 
paratively low  altitude,  most  of  the  properties 
being  less  than  a  thousand  feet  above  sea  level 
and  a  few,  such  as  the  Copper  Bell,  Sunset  and 
Ethel,  at  little  more  than  half  that  elevation. 

Only  five  miles  west  of  Index,  and  practically 
on  the  line  of  the  Great  Northern  is  the  well 
known  Copper-Bell  mine,  embracing  fifteen 
claims.  For  five  years  past  this  group  has  been 
steadily  worked  with  the  result  that  a  producing 
mine  has  been  developed.  More  than  five  thou- 
sand feet  of  tunnels,  shafts  and  uprises  have 
been  made  and  at  a  depth  of  two  thousand  feet 
the  veins  have  proven  true  and  as  large  and  rich 
as  ever.  A  thirty-six-drill  compressor  operates 
half  that  number  of  drills  at  present.  Last 
summer  a  forty-ton  concentrator  was  built  and 
since  its  installation  steady  shipments  have  been 
made  to  the  Tacoma  smelter.  Thirty  men  are 
employed  in  and  around  the  mine,  the  main  force 
being  engaged  in  driving  a  long  tunnel,  which 
is  now  in  something  like  two  thousand  five 
hundred  feet.  This  is  the  working  tunnel.  The 
ore  lies  in  two  immense  veins,  occurring  in  gran- 
ite, the  Copper-Bell  twenty  feet  wide  and  the 
Jumbo  with  twice  that  width.  Copper  is  the 
predominating  value,  though  a  small  amount  of 
gold  and  silver  are  also  found.  The  ore  is  low 
grade,  running  between  two  and  three  per  cent, 
in  copper  and  concentrating  ten  into  one,  chal- 
copyrite  constituting  the  pay  streak.  In  charac- 
ter and  value  the  copper  ores  of  this  mine  and 
district  are  similar  to  those  of  Butte,  Montana. 

The  Gray  Brothers,  L.  W.  and  C.  H.,  dis- 
covered the  Copper-Bell  mine  during  the  middle 
nineties  and  operating  under  the  name  of  the 
Copper-Bell  Mining  Company,  themselves  opened 
the  smaller  vein  with  a  four-hundred-foot  tunnel. 
Three  years  ago  the  property  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Metropolitan  Life  Insurance  people, 
who  organized  the  Bunker  Hill  Mining  and 
Smelting  Company.  This  corporation  has 
expended  a  large  sum  upon  its  property,  bringing 
it  to  an  advanced  stage  of  development.  Wilbur 
Morris  is  manager. 

Six  miles  up  the  north  fork  of  the  Skykomish 
is  another  copper  property,  owned  by  the  Sunset 
Copper  Mining  Company,  Incorporated,  W.  H. 
Baldwin,  general  manager.  The  mine  has  been 
extensively  developed,  but  for  more  than  a  year 
has  been  shut  down  on  account  of  litigation. 
The  veins  are  known  to  be  rich  in  bornite  and 
chalcopyrite,  averaging  perhaps  four  per  cent, 
copper.  There  are  a  number  of  ledges  running 
through  the   thirty  claims  which  constitute  the 


group,  the  largest  being  the  Sunset  vein,  which 
is  twenty-five  feet  wide.  A  compressor  has  been 
built  on  Trout  creek  a  mile  above  its  confluence 
with  the  north  fork,  and  tunnels  and  uprises 
aggregating  two  thousand  feet  have  been  driven, 
the  working  tunnel  being  a  cross-cut  six  hundred 
feet  in  length  near  the  level  of  the  creek.  A 
depth  of  between  five  and  six  hundred  feet  has 
been  gained.  Seven  years  ago  a  surface  tram  of 
wood  with  iron  straps  on  the  rails,  was  con- 
structed from  the  mine  to  the  railroad  at  Index 
at  a  cost  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 

Just  across  the  river  from  the  Sunset  is  the 
Ethel,  which  embraces  between  thirty-five  and 
forty  claims.  The  ledge  has  been  located  for 
over  three  miles.  In  quality  the  ore  is  of  the 
same  generally  as  that  found  elsewhere  in  the 
district,  except  that  it  carries  copper  glance  and 
some  good  silver  values.  .Several  car  loads  of 
concentrates  have  been  shipped,  some  of  which 
are  said  to  have  netted  to  the  mine  owners  as 
high  as  three  thousand  dollars  each.  A  surface 
tramway,  three  thousand  feet  long,  carries  the 
ore  from  the  mine  to  an  eighty-ton  concentrator, 
erected  two  years  ago  on  the  river.  This  splen- 
did, modern  plant,  together  with  compressors, 
light  works  and  a  saw-mill,  constitutes  the 
principal  equipment  of  the  mine  at  present.  The 
main  tunnel  is  nearly  three  thousand  feet  long 
and  has  several  uprises,  but  another  tunnel  of 
about  equal  length  opens  the  ledge,  higher  up  on 
the  mountain.  The  vein  is  said  to  be  fully 
twenty  feet  wide.  For  some  reason  the  Penn- 
sylvania Company  which  owns  the  Ethel  has 
allowed  it  to  stand  idle  for  the  past  year. 

Four  miles  south  of  Index  and  a  mile  from  the 
south  fork  is  the  property  of  the  Buckeye  Copper 
Company,  in  the  development  of  which  eight  men 
are  being  employed  at  this  time.  They  are  driv- 
ing a  cross-cut  tunnel  to  tap  the  main  ledge  and 
have  already  run  eight  hundred  of  an  estimated 
thousand  feet.  At  a  depth  of  a  thousand  feet  the 
ledge  is  between  four  and  five  feet  wide  and  has 
a  pay  streak  of  perhaps  not  more  than  twelve 
inches,  though  very  rich,  carrying  copper  glance 
or  almost  pure  copper.  Thomas  Mclntyre  is  the 
company's  manager. 

The  Index  Mining  Company,  consisting  of 
Shohomish  men,  is  developing  a  rich  glance 
and  bornite  property  four  miles  up  the  south 
fork.  More  than  seven  hundred  feet  of  tun- 
neling has  been  driven  and  a  vein  of  eight  to  ten 
feet  of  concentrating  ore  uncovered. 

On  Gunn's  mountain  a  rich  chalcopyrite  mine 
is  being  opened  by  the  Gun's  Peak  Mining  Com- 
pany, which  has  already  driven  eight  hundred 
feet  of  tunneling.  Many  other  properties  and 
prospects  in  this  district  are  receiving  more  or 
less  development  work  from  time  to  time,  among 
them  the  Helena,  on  the  north  fork;  the  Uncle 
Sam,  three  miles  southeast  of  Index;  the  Mer- 
chant-Townsend    group  and    the    Nonpareil    on 


DESCRIPTIVE 


Trout  creek,  the  Acme  near  the  Ethel  and  the 
Columet,  six  miles  southeast  of  Index. 

The  history  of  the  Silver  Creek  district  was 
thus  outlined  by  L.  K.  Hodges  in  1897: 

"The  first  mineral  location  of  which  there  is 
any  record  was  the  Norwegian,  made  in  1874  by 
Hans  Hansen,  who  carved  the  name  and  date  on 
a  tree,  showing  that  the  claim  ran  up  the  moun- 
tain on  the  left  bank  from  a  point  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  forks  of  the  creek.  Shortly  after- 
ward a  man  named  Johnson  discovered  a  cropping 
of  iron  pyrites  on  the  bank  of  the  creek  and 
mistaking  it  for  gold,  located  the  Anna.  He 
then  carried  the  news  to  Snohomish,  causing  a 
stampede  among  the  loggers  all  along  his  route, 
and  induced  E.  C.  Ferguson,  Theron  Ferguson, 
Lot  Wilbur  and  William  Whitfield  to  spend  two 
or  three  thousand  dollars  in  building  an  arrastre 
on  the  present  site  of  Mineral  City." 

"Prospecting  really  began  in  1882  when  the 
late  Elisha  H.  Hubbart  cut  a  trail  to  Galena, 
relocated  the  Anna,  with  the  Trade  Dollar  on  the 
extension  and  the  Morning  Star  on  the  Parallel 
ledge  to  the  north.  Discoveries  then  followed 
one  another  in  rapid  succession  until  in  1890 
there  was  quite  a  boom,  and  the  towns  of 
Mineral  City  and  Galena  were  established,  a  trail 
having  been  meanwhile  cut  through.  It  was 
during  the  four  succeeding  years  that  the  road 
was  cut  from  Index  to  Galena,  partly  by  the 
county  and  partly  by  the  miners." 

In  the  Silver  creek  district,  the  principal 
mine  in  operation  at  present  is  that  of  the  New 
York-Seattle  Copper  Mining  Company,  consisting 
of  a  group  of  twelve  claims  on  the  east  fork  of 
Silver  creek.  It  is  predominantl}^  a  copper 
proposition,  the  principal  mineral  being  chal- 
copyrite,  but  it  also  has  its  values  in  gold  and 
silver.  Three  ledges,  parallel  to  each  other, 
extend  through  the  group  to  tap  and  open  which 
a  thousand  feet  of  developments  have  been  made. 
Since  the  property  came  into  the  hands  of  its 
present  owners  four  years  ago  fifteen  to  twenty 
men  have  been  employed  continuously.  The 
equipment  of  the  property  includes  an  air  com- 
pressor and  saw-mill,  and  the  erection  next 
spring  of  a  concentrator  is  contemplated  by  the 
company's  plan.  The  east  fork  of  Silver  creek 
furnishes  plenty  of  water  power.  Of  this  com- 
pany H.  D.  Cowden,  of  New  York,  is  the  present 
president  and  Philip  Hingston  is  manager. 

A  mile  farther  up  the  east  fork  is  the  Bonanza 
Mining  &  Smelting  Company's  group  of  fourteen 
claims.  The  ore  in  this  mine  is  more  of  the  type 
found  in  the  Monte  Cristo  basin,  the  values  being 
in  gold,  silver  and  arsenical  iron.  Ten  tunnels, 
of  an  aggregate  length  of  two  thousand  feet, 
have  blocked  out  an  immense  ore  body  which 
will  return  heavy  dividends  as  soon  as  transpor- 
tation facilities  are  furnished  to  the  district.  A 
small  force  of  men  .is  still  at  work  in  this  mine 
under  the  management  of  Charles  Lovejoy. 


Another  mine  in  the  Silver  creek  district  upon 
which  work  is  being  done  constantly  is  the  ' 
Ontario,  two  miles  above  Galena.  The  ore 
carries  gold,  silver  and  lead  as  its  principal 
values  and  requires  concentration.  Some  of  it 
is  said  to  run  as  high  as  a  thousand  ounces  of 
silver  to  the  ton.  A.  P.  Michaud,  the  company's 
manager,  is  now  engaged  with  a  force  of  men  in 
driving  a  tunnel  and  sinking  a  shaft. 

The  Lucky  Day  group  lies  on  the  high  divide 
just  south  of  Monte  Cristo.  Six  leads,  parallel- 
ing each  other,  pass  through  the  six  claims  con- 
stituting the  property,  carrying  copper,  gold  and 
silver  in  moderate  quantities.  One  small  lead 
is  very  rich.  Developments  are  all  on  the  Lucky 
Day  claim,  where  a  hundred-foot  tunnel  has  been 
driven,  with  a  seventy-five-foot  uprise  in  one 
place  and  a  shorter  uprise  in  another.  There  are 
also,  on  the  claim,  a  number  of  open  cuts.  The 
tunnel  is  now  being  extended  by  a  small  force  of 
men  under  direction  of  Manager  James  Peccalo, 
who  expects  to  open  up  a  large  ledge. 

At  the  Orphan  Boy,  in  the  same  mountain, 
four  men  are  at  work  this  season,  extending  the 
tunnel  and  otherwise  developing  the  property. 
Seven  claims  constitute  the  group,  on  all  of 
which  high  values  in  gold,  silver  and  arsenical 
iron  are  known  to  exist,  the  ore  being  of  the 
same  general  character  as  that  which  occurs  in 
the  Monte  Cristo  district,  of  which  Silver  creek 
is  in  reality  only  an  extension.  The  Copper 
Chief,  lying  near  the  Ontario,  carries  gold,  silver 
and  arsenopyrite,  but  little  or  no  copper.  At 
present  a  long  tunnel  is  being  driven  to  tap  the 
ledge  at  depth.  The  Monte  Carlo  group,  two 
miles  above  Galena,  is  also  being  developed 
slowly  at  this  writing,  and  it  already  has  three 
tunnels.  Some  work  is  in  progress,  too,  on  the 
Seattle  &  Aurora,  Consolidated,  the  Libby  and 
the  National  groups  near  Mineral  City,  and  the 
Trolley,  Ohio,  Corona  and  Victory  in  and  around 
Galena.  On  Troublesome  creek,  which  empties 
into  the  north  fork  of  the  vSkykomish  just  above 
Silver  creek,  no  activity  is  being  manifested  at 
present,  though  the  region  is  counted  a  rich  one. 
Many  years  ago  a  German  syndicate  installed  a 
compressor  plant  upon  a  property  in  the  locality 
and  developed  it  sufficiently  to  secure  patents, 
then  discontinued  operations  entirely.  The 
great  need  of  the  Silver  creek  district  is  a  rail- 
road, and  this  the  Mineral  City  Power  and 
Transportation  Company  are  planning  to  supply. 
They  expect  to  build  a  road  from  Index  to  Trout 
creek  in  1905,  and  thence  to  Mineral  City  in 
1906.  Should  they  do  so  a  tremendous  impetus 
will  be  given  to  mining  operations  in  the  entire 
country  contiguous  to  their  lines. 

In  any  description  of  mining  development  in 
Snohomish  county,  due  credit  should  be  given  to 
the  influence  of  the  Everett  smelter,  for  in  a 
country  of  base  ore  propositions,  convenient 
access  to  such  a  plant  is  the  sine  qtia  non  of  mining 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


activities.  The  plant  was  started  about  1892, 
but  was  not  ready  for  operation  until  some  two 
years  later.  The  capacity  is  two  hundred  and 
fifty  tons  of  ore  daily,  and  it  is  supplied  with  the 
latest  appliances  for  the  accomplishment  of  its 
purpose  in  an  expeditious  and  satisfactory  man- 
ner. "The  business  of  the  Reduction  Company 
is  the  smelting  of  gold,  silver,  lead  and  copper; 
the  refining  of  lead  and  the  making  of  dore  bars. 
The  latter,  it  may  be  explained  for  those  not 
familiar  with  the  terms  used  in  the  business,  is 
a  bar  of  precious  metal,  gold  and  silver  mixed, 
which  is  nine  hundred  and  ninety  parts  fine  out 
of  one  thousand,  or  exceeds  that  proportion. 
This  is  the  work  of  the  refining  department. 
The  ordinary  smelter  simply  reduces  ores  and 
turns  out  a  pig  of  metal,  that  is  principally, 
almost  wholly,  lead.  By  the  refining  process  the 
gold  and  silver  are  made  into  a  dore  bar,  and  this 
needs  only  the  separation  of  the  two  to  give  the 
actual  bullion  of  commerce.  The  finished  prod- 
uct of  this  plant,  therefore,  is  pig  lead,  and  this 
is  refined  to  a  degree  not  excejled  by  any  other 
refinery  in  the  United  States."  This  smelter  also 
has  the  splendid  distinction  of  having  in  connec- 
tion with  it  the  only  arsenic  plant  in  the  Amer- 
ican republic. 

Although  the  leading  industry  of  Snohomish 
county  always  has  been  and  still  is  lumbering, 
and  although  the  development  of  agriculture  has 
been  necessarily  slow  on  account  of  the  great 
body  of  timber  which  covered  the  face  of  the 
country,  yet  the  agricultural  possibilities  of  this 
section  were  long  since  demonstrated  in  part. 
In  1S74  the  Snohomish  County  Agricultural 
Society  was  organized,  and  for  five  successive 
years  afterward  fairs  were  held  annually.  Each 
year  selections  from  the  county  exhibit  were  sent 
to  the  territorial  fair  at  Olympia  and  each  year 
without  a  single  exception  the  county  carried  off 
first  premium  for  its  display  of  fruits  and  vege- 
tables, though  in  competition  with  all  other 
counties  of  the  state.  The  dull  times  of  the 
latter  seventies  put  the  society  out  of  existence, 
otherwise  the  record  might  have  been  main- 
tained indefinitely.  i 

The  Stillaguamish  flats,  perhaps  the  largest 
and  best  developed  body  of  farm  land  in  the 
county,  is  in  almost  all  respects  similar  to  the 
Swinomish  flats  of  Skagit  county,  whose  agricul- 
tural possibilities  have  been  previously  described, 
and  all  that  has  been  said  about  the  phenominally 
large  yields  of  oats,  hay  and  other  products  in 
the  Swinomish  country  may  be  applied  with 
equal  truth  to  the  Stillaguamish  tide  land.s.  The 
principal  difference  is  that  the  latter  are  much 
smaller  in  area  than  the  Skagit  county  flats. 
The  marsh  lands  of  the  Snohomish  river  are  not 
yet  as  fully  developed  as  those  on  the  Stillaguam- 
ish, but  they  furnish  extensive  areas  of  grass 
land  upon  which  dairy  cattle  are  kept,  and  in  the 
course  of  time  they   will   be  fully   reclaimed  and 


drained  and  converted,  no  doubt,  into  vegetable 
gardens.  Experience  has  proven  that  there  is 
but  little  land  in  Snohomish  county  not  adapted 
to  some  form  of  agriculture,  aside  from  the  Cas- 
cade mountain  areas.  The  river  bottoms  will 
produce  oats,  hay,  vegetables  and  almost  all 
other  products  of  the  temperate  zone,  while  the 
highlands  are  specially  adapted  to  the  production 
of  clover  and   other  vetches,  fruits,  berries,    etc. 

The  heavy  timber  and  the  difficulty  of  clear- 
ing land  have  forced  the  development  of  inten- 
sive agriculture  from  the  beginning,  and  the 
adaptability  of  the  soil  and  climate  to  that 
industry  has  been  abundantly  proven.  "Persons 
familiar  with  farming  here,"  says  the  last  report 
of  the  State  Bureau  of  Statistics,  referring  to 
Snohomish  county,  "never  recommend  operating 
on  over  twenty  acres  and  many  do  better  on  less, 
unless  dairying  or  general  farming-  on  a  large 
scale  is  contemplated.  The  country  is  suited 
to  intensive  farming  and  careful  attention  to 
small  acerage.  A  ten-acre  tract,  farmed  on 
intensive  principles,  will  support  ten  to  fifteen 
cows,  and  the  cost  of  butter  fat  need  not  exceed 
two  cents  per  pound.  A  good  herd  will  average 
from  three  hundred  pounds  to  three  hundred 
and  twenty  pounds  of  butter  to  the  cow  per  year. 
A  five-acre  tract  in  fruit  and  berries  should  pro- 
duce four  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  Poultry 
farming  or  truck  gardening  as  a  specialty  offers 
excellent  inducements.  The  rapid  improvement 
of  the  rural  districts  of  the  county  by  way  of 
good  roads,  trolley  lines,  'phones  and  rural  free 
delivery  is  making  the  agricultural  life  attrac- 
tive." 

In  an  article  in  the  Everett  Daily  Herald  of 
August  27,  1!)U4,  J.  F.  Littooy,  fruit  inspector 
for  Snohomish  county,  says  that  the  county  is 
especially  adapted  to  the  production  of  red 
clover,  the  great  fertilizer.  Italian  rye  grass, 
oats,  which  yield  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and 
forty  bushels  to  the  acre,  potatoes,  which  yield 
from  five  to  fifteen  tons  an  acre,  hops,  which  yield 
three-quarters  of  a  ton  to  an  acre,  cabbage  and 
cauliflower  seeds,  bulbs,  cranberries,  celery, 
tomatoes,  peas,  corn,  carrots,  mangles,  sugar  beets 
and  rutabagas.  "All  varieties  of  fruit,  except 
the  citrus  fruits  do  well  here,"  he  tells  us,  "and 
especially  is  this  the  home  for  small  fruits. 
Strawberries  yield  from  8()()  to  C(M»  crates  of  24 
pounds  each  an  acre;  raspberries,  300  to  TOO; 
blackberries,  400  to  700;  currants,  400  to  800; 
gooseberries,  300  to  ."iOO.  "  Thousands  of  acres  of 
logged  off  land,  much  of  it  of  excellent  quality, 
are  available  at  reasonable  prices  to  home- 
seekers.  The  excellent  market  afforded  for 
poultry,  eggs,  and  all  kinds  of  fruits,  berries  and 
garden  vegetables  by  the  logging  and  lumbering 
camps  cannot  fail  to  hasten  the  clearing,  and 
cultivation  of  all  this  land,  and  Snohomish  county 
may  reasonably  expect  a  ijpeedy  and  splendid 
agricultural  development. 


DESCRIPTIVE 


One  direction  in  which  great  strides  have  been 
made  in  the  past  few  years  is  dairying.  In  1899 
there  were  nine  creameries  making  170,010  pounds 
of  butter;  in  1900  the  number  had  increased  to 
14  and  the  product  to  214,126  pounds;  in  1904, 
there  were  28  creameries,  producing  821,541 
pounds  of  butter,  and  the  number  and  capacity 
are  rapidly  increasing. 

Snohomish  county  has,  of  course,  its  share  in 
the  fish  industry  of  the  sound,  and  its  ports  are 
the  homes  of  numerous  fishing-craft,  yet  nowhere 
is  salmon  catching  and  canning  made  anything 
like  the  industry  it  is  on  Fidalgo  island.  The 
county  is,  however,  ahead  of  its  sisters  in  possess- 
ing a  unique  plant  for  fish  culture,  that  of  the 
Commercial  Trout  Company,  Incorporated.  The 
company  was  organized  in  1902,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  fully  paid. 
It  has  ever  since  been  engaged  in  installing  a 
mammoth  trout  farm,  two  miles  west  of  Sultan. 
Already  fifty  thousand  dollars  have  been 
expended  on  the  plant,  and  improvements  and 
enlargements  are  still  in  progress,  a  force  of 
eleven  men  being  employed  at  present.  The 
water  supply  is  secured  by  means  of  a  dam  in  Sul- 
tan river,  from  which  a  flume  three  by  four  feet, 
with  a  capacity  of  thirty-seven  thousand  gallons 
a  minute  extends  three  thousand  five  hun- 
dred feet  to  the  plant.  The  plant  proper  consists 
of  a  hatching  and  propagating  shed  forty  by  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet,  in  which  the  spawn  is 
treated  in  the  same  manner  as  at  state  salmon 
hatcheries.  The  fry  is  kept  in  octagonal  tanks, 
five  feet  in  diameter,  until  developed  sufficiently 
to  be  turned  into  the  outside  ponds,  which  are 
thirty  in  number,  and  each  about  fifty  feet  in 
diameter.  Grading  of  the  fish,  according  to  size,  ' 
is  an  important  part  of  the  work,  owing  to  their  I 
cannabalistic  habits,  and  for  this  purpose,  a  trap 


is  used.  To  provide  a  flow  of  water  free  from 
sediment,  the  company  is  constructing  a  thirty 
acre  settling  pond,  which  will  also  furnish  a 
home  for  mature  fish.  A  refrigerator  will  also  be 
installed.  It  is  expected  to  make  the  first  ship- 
ment of  trout  about  January  1,  1906,  and  to  place 
on  the  market  a  million  mature  fish  annually 
thereafter. 

,  In  the  development  of  large  manufacturing 
industries,  Snohomish  county  has  already  made 
long  strides.  In  all  parts  of  its  territory  the  hum 
of  machinery  may  be  heard,  saw-mills,  shingle 
mills,  sash  and  door  factories,  and  other  wood- 
working plants  being  greatly  in  the  ascendency, 
of  course.  Everett,  the  county's  seaport  and 
commercial  center,  was  originally  designed  as  a 
manufacturing  city,  "a  city  of  smokestacks, "  and 
though  its  barge  v/orks  are  out  of  service,  it  has  a 
pulp  and  paper  mill  turning  out  twenty-two  tons  of 
book,  writing  and  wrapping  paper  daily,  and  giv- 
ing employment  to  upwards  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  persons;  a  smelter  employing  more  than  one 
hundred  men  ;  the  only  arsenic  plant  in  the  United 
States;  an  iron  foundry,  with  a  large  pay-roll, 
plenty  of  saw-mills,  and  other  factories  of  less 
magnitude.  Saw-mills,  shingle  mills,  flour  and 
feed  mills,  brick  plant,  machine  shop,  foundries, 
breweries,  stove  works  and  emery  wheel  factory, 
a  trunk  factory,  wagon  works,  concentrator, 
creameries,  etc.,  constitute  the  manufacturing 
plants  of  the  county  at  present,  but  there  is  no 
reason  why  plants  of  many  other  varieties  should 
not  be  installed  in  course  of  time,  increasing  the 
county's  pay-roll  and  population  many  times. 
Here  is  a  climate  specially  fitted  for  the  textile 
industries,  and  for  all  other  lines  of  manufacture; 
here  are  almost  limitless  water  powers,  ready  to 
be  harnessed,  and  here  at  the  front  door  are  the 
markets  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  II 


EDUCATION 


Citizens  of  the  state  of  Washington  need  not 
be  ashamed  of  their  schools,  public  and  private. 
While  it  is  not  possible  that  a  state  so  new  as 
this  should  provide  educational  facilities  equal  in 
all  respects  to  those  of  the  older  states,  we  may 
justly  claim  that  in  the  basis  which  has  been  and 
is  being  laid,  and  in  the  prospects  which  this  foun- 
dation assures,  the  state  of  Washington  has  every 
reasonable  certainly  of  attaining  a  front  rank 
among  the  states  of  the  Union.  Indeed  at  the 
present  time  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the 
Western  states  have  less  illiteracy  than  those  of 
any  other  portion  of  the  United  States.  Nebraska 
and  Iowa  in  the  older  West  and  Oregon  and 
Washington  upon  the  Pacific  coast  stand  at  the 
head  of  the  column  in  freedom  from  illiteracy. 
This  high  standing  of  our  new  states  is  due  in 
part  to  the  fact  that  almost  all  of  their  immi- 
grants had  already  acquired  the  essentials  of 
education  before  coming  here  and  partly  to  the 
fact  that  it  has  been  the  pride  of  Western  com- 
munities to  maintain  good  schools  from  the 
pioneer  epoch  to  the  present. 

We  purpose  in  this  chapter  to  give  a  sketch  of 
the  history  and  present  condition  of  the  schools 
in  the  two  counties  which  constitute  the  subject 
of  this  work.  It  is  fitting,  however,  at  the 
outset  to  outline  briefly  for  the  benefit  of  the 
general  reader  the  provisions  of  public  education 
in  the  state  as  a  whole,  for  the  educational  history 
of  Skagit  and  Snohomish  counties  is  essentially 
one  with  that  of  the  other  counties  of  the  state. 

Washington  has  had,  both  as  a  territory  and  as 
a  state,  generous  provision  for  public  education. 
Although  during  territorial  days  the  scanty  popu- 
lation and  isolation  from  all  great  centers  pro- 
duced of  necessity  somewhat  narrow  conditions, 
yet  even  then  the  ambition  and  energy  of  the 
early  settlers  and  their  willingness  to  sacrifice 
something  of  outward  ease  for  the  mental  fur- 
nishing of  their  children  made  their  early  schools 
fit  ancestors  of  the  more  elaborate  and  well- 
equipped  schools  of  the  present  time.  Since  the 
isolated  and  scantily  settled  territory  entered 
into  statehood,  with  its  international  connections, 
its  great  and  rapidly  growing  cities,  its  phenom- 
enal development  of  all  sorts  of  industry,  and  its 
inrush  of  wealth  and  population,  the  vital  instru- 
mentalities of  public  education  have  not  been 
neglected,  and  indeed  have  more  than  held  their 
own  in  the  forward  and  upward  movement. 

The  state  of  Washington  provides  four  great 


departments  of  public  education.  The  base  of 
the  pyramid  is  of  course  the  common  schools, 
the  next  the  high  schools,  followed  by  the  nor- 
mal schools,  and  these  in  turn  by  the  state  college 
and  university. 

When  Washington  became  a  state  the  enabling 
act  provided  that  sections  sixteen  and  thirty- 
six  in  each  township  should  be  set  apart  to  create 
an  irreducible  fund,  the  income  from  which 
should  be  employed  for  the  common  schools.  In 
addition  to  this  regular  income  there  is  a  state 
school  tax  and  a  district  school  tax.  For  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1904,  the  total  receipts  for  the 
maintenance  of  common  schools  in  the  state 
was  $5, (U9, 315. 98.  Of  this  the  amount  expended 
for  teachers'  wages  was$2,24(),t)G2.48.  The  total 
value  of  school  property  in  the  state  at  the  period 
covered  by  the  same  report  was  $8,732,990.  The 
school  population  of  the  state  for  the  same  period 
was  19(5,347,  and  the  total  attendance  for  the 
same  time  was  101,651.  Comparing  the  year 
1904  with  1903,  we  find  an  increase  in  the  three 
items  of  receipts,  of  valuation  of  school  property, 
and  of  number  of  pupils  of  about  ten  per  cent. 
The  report  of  the  state  superintendent  for  the 
year  1905  is  not  accessible  at  this  writing,  but  it 
is  understood  that  the  gain  of  1905  over  1904  is 
even  more  than  ten  per  cent. 

The  total  number  of  high  schools  in  the  state 
is  105,  with  an  attendance  of  7,202.  These  are 
conducted  largely  by  teachers  of  college  or 
university  training  in  addition  to  specific  normal 
school  training;  are  provided  with  excellent  and 
in  many  cases  costly  buildings,  and  have 
adequate  equipment  in  libraries  and  scientific 
apparatus. 

There  are  three  state  normal  schools,  located 
respectively  at  Cheney,  at  Whatcom  and  at 
EUensburg.  The  enrollment  of  students  in  these 
three  institutions  was  for  the  year  ending  June  30, 
1904,  678,  and  the  value  of  the  grounds,  buildings 
and  equipment  of  the  three  was  approximately  a 
million  dollars. 

Of  higher  institutions  of  learning  the  state 
provides  the  state  college  at  Pullman  and  the 
state  university  at  Seattle.  The  former  is  com- 
posed of  two  institutions  with  two  separate 
sources  of  revenue,  the  first  being  the  agricul- 
tural college  department  and  the  second  the 
school  of  science.  As  an  endowment  for  the 
combined  purposes  the  United  States  has 
provided  a  hundred  and  ninety  thousand  acres  of 


EDUCATION 


land,  together  with  an  annual  appropriation 
from  the  Morrill  and  the  Hatch  funds,  which,  in 
addition  to  the  state  appropriation,  provide  an 
income  of  about  ninety-five  thousand  dollars  a 
year.  This  institution  has  a  faculty  in  all 
departments  of  fifty,  and  a  total  of  enrollment 
for  the  year  closed  of  about  750.  The  value  of 
grounds,  apparatus,  buildings  and  library  in  the 
state  college  is  three  hundred  and  twenty-three 
thousand  dollars. 

The  state  university,  established  in  IS61,  and 
having  for  a  number  of  years  a  precarious 
existence  and  a  small  and  irregular  number  of 
pupils,  has  enjoyed  for  a  period  of  six  or  eight 
years  past  a  development  hardly  equaled  by 
that  of  any  other  state  university  in  the  Union. 
When  the  first  legislature  of  Washington  terri- 
tory assembled  in  lS-'')4  Governor  Isaac  I.  Stevens 
recommended  that  congress  be  memorialized  to 
appropriate  land  for  a  university.  Congress 
granted  the  request  by  the  appropriation  of  two 
townships  of  land  for  such  an  institution.  After 
some  abortive  attempts  at  establishing  two 
universities,  the  legislature  of  1861  definitely 
established  it  at  Seattle,  and  on  May  21,  1801. 
the  corner-stone  of  the  first  building  was  laid. 
During  the  following  winter  actual  teaching  was 
begun.  Not  until  the  administration  of  the 
seventh  president,  Dr.  A.  J.  Anderson,  was  real 
college  work  undertaken.  The  income  was 
meagre  until  the  establishment  of  statehood,  but 
from  that  time  on  the  legislatures  have  provided 
generous  appropriations.  In  1803  the  magnifi- 
cent location  on  Lake  Washington  was  provided, 
and  two  years  later  the  beautiful  and  convenient 
buildings  now  constituting  the  main  part  of  the 
university  structures,  though  added  to  from  time 
to  time,  were  occupied.  The  approximate  worth 
of  the  grounds,  buildings,  apparatus  and  library 
of  the  state  university  is  one  million,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  faculty 
number  twenty-seven,  and  the  enrollment  of 
students  was  about  nine  hundred  during  the  year 
just  closed.  By  reason  of  its  location  near  the 
metropolis  of  the  state,  its  ample  equipment,  its 
proximity  to  one  of  the  most  beautiful  lakes  in 
the  world,  and  the  character  of  the  instruction 
given  by  its  well-selected  faculty,  the  State 
University  of  Washington  is  already  becoming 
an  institution  of  recognized  importance  and  is 
destined  to  be  at  no  distant  day  one  of  the  lead- 
ing institutions  of  the  United  States. 

From  this  bird's  eye  view  of  the  systems  of 
public  education  in  the  state,  we  turn  to  take  up 
specifically  the  educational  work,  past  and  pres- 
ent, in  the  counties  of  Skagit  and  Snohomish. 

The  school  system  of  vSkagit  county  may  be 
considered  as  having  begun  with  the  year  1SS4, 
when  the  county  itself  was  organized  from  the 
southern  half  of  Whatcom  county.  Nevertheless 
it  is  fitting  that  we  learn  from  the  records  of  the 
latter-named    county   something  of    the  pioneer 


age  of  schools  in  that  area  which  is  now  known 
as  Skagit.  There  seem  to  have  been  no  schools 
taught  prior  to  the  year  1872.  That  year  was 
marked  by  the  opening  of  several  schools  in 
pioneer  communities,  all  of  which  seem  to  have 
been  taught  in  private  houses  or  in  little  shacks 
erected  in  the  first  place  for  some  other  purpose. 
As  far  as  we  can  learn  the  first  district  on  the 
Skagit  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1872.  The 
school  board  consisted  of  William  Sartwell, 
Orrin  Kincaid  and  "Little"  Johnson.  This 
school  was  held  in  Sartwell's  original  log  cabin, 
a  building  so  low  that  even  the  children  could 
hardly  get  in  without  stooping.  There  were 
seven  pupils  and  the  teacher  was  Zena  Tingley, 
who  afterward  became  Mrs.  J.  H.  Moores.  The 
length  of  term  at  that  time  was  but  three 
months.  This  school  was  housed  for  two  years 
thereafter  in  an  old  cabin  on  John  Kelley's 
homestead,  now  occupied  by  Peter  Egtvet.  Sub- 
sequently, by  tlie  efforts  of  Mrs.  C.  C.  Ville- 
neuve,  who  went  around  to  the  lumber  camps 
with  a  Siwash  pilot,  lumber  was  procured  and  a 
new  building  erected  upon  an  acre  of  land 
donated  for  the  purpose  by  Mr.  Kelley.  By 
reason  of  a  difference  between  the  people  of  the 
north  and  south  sides  of  the  river,  this  acre  of 
land  with  the  school  building  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Egtvet  and  the  pioneers  erected  a 
new  schoolhouse  at  the  delta  on  John  Wilbur's 
place.  This  was  used  for  a  number  of  years, 
until  a  separate  district  was  established  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river.  Among  the  teachers  in 
the  old  Wilbur  school  were  G.  E.  Hartson  and 
Mrs.  Kate  Washburn. 

Another  one  of  the  pioneer  schools  was  that 
at  Pleasant  Ridge,  opened  in  July,  1872.  This 
school  was  held  in  Albert  Leamer's  house,  and 
the  teacher  was  Ida  Leamer,  at  that  time  but 
fifteen  years  old.  It  is  worthy  of  special  notice 
that  this  girl,  now  Mrs.  E.  A.  Sisson,  secured 
the  first  teacher's  certificate  ever  granted  in  the 
present  boundaries  of  Skagit.  Her  certificate 
was  granted  by  Dr.  W.  T.  Deere,  then  superin- 
tendent of  schools  for  Whatcom  county  and 
residing  near  the  present  site  of  Anacortes.  It 
seems  to  be  a  question  whether  Miss  Leamer's 
school  did  not  open  at  a  little  earlier  date  than  that 
of  Miss  Tingley  previously  mentioned.  The 
directors  of  this  first  Pleasant  Ridge  school  were 
James  Harrison,  John  Cornelius  and  Charles  J. 
Chilberg.  The  pupils  were  Fanny,  Mary  and 
Edward  Chilberg,  William  and  Arthur  Cornelius, 
and  Edgar  Stacey.  The  next  term  of  this  same 
school  was  held  in  Mr.  Harrison's  residence,  and 
was  also  taught  by  Miss  Ida  Leamer. 

Still  another  of  the  pioneer  schools  may  be 
noticed  briefly,  namely  that  in  the  Padilla  dis- 
trict. This  was  opened  in  April,  1877,  in  a  little 
school  building  erected  by  Richard  Ball,  who 
also  provided  it  with  desks  and  other  necessary 
equipment.     It  was  located  on  the  present  Purdy 


i-.mi'h.  then  o\viic>l  l>v  Simlli  .uul  M^ricll.m. 
riu-  ihstfut  was  uumluT  llnnocii  of  Wli.itcniu 
coimty  iiiul  it  inolmU-vl  the  ttMiitory  (lom  V\v- 
douia  north  to  |oe  l.arrv's  slou>;h  iiiui  to  the  Iniv. 
Tlie  fust  toticiuM-  was  Kellt-  l'.Ulriai;e.  now  Mis, 
John  I'Mens  of  Hfllin).;haiu  ()tlu>r  ti\u'hois  of 
the  early  pevioil  wftf  r.uiif  I'lr.ih.mi  .uul  luuily 
Hai^iulorn. 

Another  of  the  pioneer  schools  was  that  just 
below  Mount  X'ernon  in  the  neinhborhooil  of 
whioh  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Isaac  Lanninj;  were  pio- 
neers, Kla  Lanninj;,  then  a  ^irl  of  only  sixteen, 
taujjht  the  lirst  school  in  that  district,  dnrini;-  the 
snniiuer  of  IS7','. 

Turninjj  to  the  upper  Skai^it  roj;ion  we  find 
the  first  school  district  orjiani/cd  there  to  have 
included  the  Sterling,  Wilson  and  Sedro  settle- 
ments. The  year  of  its  organization  was  l.S.S;!, 
and  the  directors  were  David  lUitey,  Daniel 
Benson  and  Enunett  \'an  Fleet;  the  clerk,  ].  M. 
Smithson.  The  school  met  in  a  cedar  shack 
>lonaled  to  the  district  by  1.  B,  Ball.  Eva  Wal- 
lace wart  the  tirst  teacher,  'Phe  Sedro  district  was 
formed  by  a  division  from  the  one  just  described 
in  ISM!. 

While  the  foundations  of  the  school  system 
were  thus  beinjj  laid  on  the  mainland,  the 
islands,  whose  general  developmei\t  at  that  time 
was  faster,  hud  acquired  better  educational 
facilities.  On  Fidaljjo  island  in  ISS','  there  were 
three  school  districts.  The  first  was  that  ot 
Anacortes,  which  had  an  enrollment  of  twenty- 
seven  pupds  and  was  in  charge  of  ICmily  Haga- 
dorn,  now  Mrs.  Kdward  Stuart,  of  Anacortes, 
There  was  also  a  school  in  the  Best  district  in 
charge  of  Ailelbert  \'an  Valkenberg,  and  one  in 
the  Fidalgo  district  near  Munk's  Landing.  This 
Inst-nameil  school  was  organiaed  about  IST.'i, 
Miss  Belle  F.ldred,  of  Whatcom,  teaching  it  that 
year. 

Schools  were  organised  at  about  the  same  time 
on  Guemes  island,  but  not  nntil  ISSh  was  there  a 
building  for  school  purposes.  In  that  year  a 
comfortable  schoolhouse  was  erected  on  the  faru\ 
of  William  lulens,  the  means  for  which  were 
dt>nated  bv  the  ranchers,  with  the  exception  of  a 
hundred  and  sixty  dollars  appropriated  from  the 
public  school  fund.  In  speaking  of  this  school 
the  Northwest  Knterprise  urges  a  new  subscrip- 
tion "for  desks  and  seats  such  as  will  not  break 
the  backs  of  the  rising  generation." 

The  lirst  teachers'  examination  held  in  pres- 
ent Skagit  county  occurred  during  the  adminis- 
tration of  1,  M.  Bradley,  the  last  superintendent 
of  Whatcom  prior  to  county  division.  The 
examining  board  consisted  of  Henry  McBride, 
Kiuily  llagailorn  aud  Josephine  Bradlev.  Second 
^rade  certificates  were  granted  to  ^Ir.s.  |ohn 
Chilberg,  15va  Wallace,  May  Bradley,  Sdith 
Peck  and  Alice  Foster;  and  a  third  grade  to 
Leila  Turner. 

l'\n-  ft  pictvire  of  early  conditions  in   school 


.ill.iiis  wi-  j;'^'<"  lu'icwith  some  of  tiic  priiu-i|i.il 
fc.uurcs  in'tlic  report  o(  llu-  voar  INS,",  hv  C.  V.. 
Ihutson,  superintendent  of  schools.  The  dis- 
tricts at  that  time  were  as  follows,  with  the 
number  of  i>upils  in  each:  Swinomish,  'J'J; 
Fidalgo,  :!7;  Skagit.  I'J;  L.i  (.\umer.  !l(l;  Isl.nul. 
L'3;  Krie,  -JS;  Samish.  lit;  JetTerson.  35;  Wash- 
ington, ST;  Lincoln,  7;5;  I'^ranklin,  r>0;  Lyman. 
43;  Bavview,  i'>4;  IMeasant  Ridge,  "J3;  t'alhouu. 
;!7;  Fir,  21I;  Sterling,  :U);  Wooten,  37;  River- 
side, (it;  Harmony,  'Jli;  Guemes,  3r>;  Minklcr, 
IS;  Warner,  l.'i;  C'ooper,  IS;  Orilla,  34.  Thciv 
was  a  total  of  twenty-five  districts,  with  nine 
hundred  and  .seventy  children  of  school  age. 
For  the  same  period  there  were  twentv-two 
teachers.  The  avt^r!lge  length  of  time  for  whicli 
schools  were  provided  was  four  and  tme-half 
months.  The  number  of  sclioolhonses  in  the 
county  was  twenty  of  which  three  were  built 
during  lSSi">.  The  anumnt  of  money  raised  for 
school  purpo.ses  was  $r),tlSH.(ii).  The  estimated 
value  of  school  grounds,  houses  and  apparatus 
was  $4, 743. '..')■>.  The  average  salary  paid  male 
teachers  per  month  was  $40. 1(1,  and  the  average 
salary  of  female  teachers  was$3S..S!), 

To  the  report  just  given  we  may  append  the 

I  districts  established  during  the  remainder  of  the 

'  decade    as    follows;      Lyman,    ISSli;    Hamilton 

t  having  succeeded  to  the  place  formerly  occupied 
bv  the  Lvman  district;  Sedro,  ISSfi;  Cypress, 
1SS7;  Ridgewav,  ISS7;  Centerville,  ISSS;  Bav- 
view, ISSS;    Tiiigley.  ISSS;    iMear    Lake,    ISsit; 

j  Sauk,     ISS'.t;     Yomig.     ISSi);     Cedardale.     ISDO; 

!  liibralter.  lSiU>. 

The  records  of  1SS(>  show  .i  material  incre.i;>e 
in  every  respect,  except  the  average  salary  paid 
teachers.  The  total  amovint  of  money  raised  for 
school  purposes  was  six  thousand  eight  hundred 

;  and  seventy-two  dollars  and  seventy-seven  cents. 

I  Thirty-one  teachers  were  employed.  The  average 
number  of  months  taught  was  five,  schoolhonses 

I  built  during  the  year  were  four,  the  estimated 
value  of  school  pn^iperty  was  seven  thousand,  five 

I  hundred  ami  thirty-nine  dollars  and  eighty  cents, 
and  the  number  of  pupils  in  the  county  of  school 
age  was  one  thousand,  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
one. 

The  year  LSS(5  was  marked  by  an  event  which 
could  not  fail  to  be  of  interest  in  the  education.d 
progi-ess  of  the  cminty.  This  was  the  organi.'.i- 
tion  of  a  teachers'  association,  effected  at  Avon, 
August  10,  1SS(5.  ],  B.  Moody  was  chosen 
president  and  May  I'iradley  secretary.  It  was 
provided  that  regular  meetings  should  be  held 
on  the  second  Saturdays  of  February.  May, 
August  and  November. 

Reference  to  occasional  reports  of  superin- 
tendents during  the  period  beween  ISS(>  and  the 
present  date  gives  us  a  cle.'irer  conception  of  the 
advancement  of  all  things  educational  during 
that  time.  We  find  the  report  of  J.  M,  Shields, 
superintendent  for  the  year  ending  Juue3i>,  ISIM. 


shows  tlu-  rollowin;;  suium.iri.-s :  NiuuluT  ..f 
ohiKircu  ol"  srliool  .li^o,  -J.*!;-,',  o(  wlik-li  1,S<S  won- 
oMrolk-a  in  tlie  puiilio  scliools.  TIk-  ii'iimbor  of 
piiiiils  in  pi-ivMto  schools  li;ul  ^jreatly  iiicri-asoil, 
houii;  then  '.U.  'Plu-  miniborof  teachers  eniployoil 
w.is  HO.  All  nii-nibcrs  of  tho  tcaohiiij;  profession 
will  be  _i;ratilieil  to  see  tiiat  there  was  a  marked 
advance  in  the  salaries,  tiiose  of  male  teachers 
iiavinj;  readied  $51.70  and  of  feniale  teachers 
$l().tH).  The  averajje  miniber  of  months  of 
school  was  f>.S7.  of  school  districts  in  the  ciumtv, 
17,  of  school  bnildinj;s,  ;!(>,  and  tiie  total  value  of 
school  property,  $C.-J,-J7;{. 

t.'onsidtinj;-  a>;ain  tlu-  reports  of  superintend- 
ents, and  lakin.n- the  year  ISDS  as  the  middle 
period  between  the  date  last  i;ivcn  ant!  (he 
present,  we  lind  that  snperintendent  K.  L. 
MclClreath  sunimari/.es  the  educational  status  as 
follows:  Number  of  children  of  school  a,i;o,!{,fi-S, 
of  which  'J, MS  were  enrolled  in  the  public 
schools;  Di")  teachers  were  employed;  the  avciai^e 
number  of  months  tauijht  was  ."i.^O  and  tlic  total 
value  of  school  property  was  $i;l  t.tKl".'. 

The  report  of  Superintendent  J.  Cl.  l.owman 
for  the  year  ending-  June  ;J0,  isioi,  the  latest 
icport  accessible  at  this  writini;',  j;ives  the  t(Ual 
number  of  chiUlren  in  the  ct)unty  as  ri,(VJ();  l.sri 
bciu);  enrolled  in  the  public  schools.  It  is  rather 
interesting'  to  note  that  the  number  of  the  two 
sexes  are  .almost  exactly  cnual,  2,  lOU  males  and 
'J,-U()  females  beinj;-  enrolled.  The  number  of 
teachers  employed  durini;  the  year  was  l."i."),  and 
the  averaj;e  salary  of  the  male  teachers  was 
$i\H\{\.  and  of  the' female  teachers,  $r>!5  00.  The 
avera,i;e  number  of  months  tauj^lit  was  ".(KP.?. 
Tin-  number  of  school  districts  in  the  county  was 
SO.  .ind  the  number  of  school  buildin,v;S,  71.  The 
tot.d  v.due  of  all  school  propertv  was  ,|!lS7.(i;l:.'. 
and  amount  I'aid  out  by  the  couu'tv  for  all  school 
purposes  was  $1  I7,(ii;!.7;!.  i  >iu'  other  inter- 
estini;  class  of  statistical  matter  not  incorporated 
in  pre\ious  reports  pertains  to  tiie  character  of 
the  ccitilicues  licUl  by  the  teachers  of  the 
com.lv.  These  .ue  ,is  follows:  Number  of 
tc.ichcrs  luildim;  st.ile  or  territorial  certilicates 
or  diplom.is,  7;  number  holiliny;-  diplomas 
from  normal  dep.ntutent  of  stiitc  university,  1  ; 
number  holdinj;  eertilie:ites  frt)m  state  norm.al 
schools,  '.';  number  luddin^;'  lirst  j^rade  county 
certiliiMtes,  LTi;  iiuudier  holdinj.;  second  ^rade 
county  rrrtilicates,  7-1;  number  holdinj;-  third 
;; r.idc  county  certilicates,  27;  number  havinj; 
tempoi.iry  lu-rniits,  12.  These  statistics  indicate 
a  very  ^;reat  increase  in  all  the  essentials  of 
school  resources,  as,  amount  of  school  property, 
lenjvth  of  period  taught,  proportionate  nmuber  of 


not  only  .Slcaj^it  counl 
\V.ishiii};ton  has  evinci 
<'ducalion  UN  a  neeessa 


.urowtli  of  \u^h  .sch.H.ls.  The  first  hi^;h  school  or- 
j;,iui.-,cd  in  the  county  w.is  at  Mount  \ernon.  At 
the  present  time  there  are  eijjht  hijjh  schools.  Of 
these,  three.  Mount  \'ernon,  Sedro-Woolley  and 
La  (.'onner,  maintain  fidl  four  years'  courses  in 
lMi,i;lish,  classical  and  scientific  studies.  The 
Anaeortes  hii^h  school  oilers  three  years  of  work, 
wliile  Hayview,  Hamilton,  Hurlin,i>tou  and  ICdison 
provide  two  years  each,  in  addition  to  these  the 
foUowinji'  districts  maintain  somethiti};'  in  addi- 
tion to  the  rcj^idar  oi).jht  j;rades  of  common 
school  work:  Pleasant  Kidj^e,  Kir,  Avon,  I-yman, 
Clear  Lake,  McMurray,  Conn  and  MilUown. 

Some  evidence  of  the  ambition  and  thorouj»h- 
nessof  the  Skai;it  schools  has  been  shown  diirinjj 
the  current  year  by  the  fullness  and  excellence 
of  their  exhibit  at  the  I^ewis  and  Clark  fair. 
One  thinj;  worthy  of  special  note  was  that  the 
fourth  and  fd'th  .grades  of  the  Anaeortes  school 
sent  as  a  contribution  an  orijjinal  melody  of  both 
words  and  music,  said  by  ^ooil  judges  to  be  of 
hiyh  quality  for  children  of  such  an  ai;e. 

There  are  few  counties  of  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington uniirovided  with  some  kind  of  |n-ivate 
scliools,  which,  in  im[iortant  respects,  supplement 
and  )»ive  special  aim  to  the  facilities  provided  by 
the  public.  Skagit  county  has  had  its  share  of 
such  institutions.  The  first  of  these  was  what 
became  known  as  AUlen  academy.  There  is 
consider.able  interestini;-  history  involved  in  this 
institution,  althou.v;h  the  forces  which  sustained  it 
afterward  turneil  their  energies  in  another 
directiiin.  In  November,  1S77,  Rev.  E.  O.  Tade, 
a  Conj;re.i;ational  minister,  came  in  a  schooner 
called  the  Fidal.uo  Traveler  to  Fidaljio  island. 
lie  h.id  for  his  purpose  the  organization  of  a 
small  colom-  .ind  the  establishment  of  a  Christian 
school  .ifter  tlu-  p.itternof  the  New  ICn^laud  or 
Ohio  academies.  In  tlu-  vear  foUowin^j'  his 
arrival  at  Fidal,L:o  Isl.ind  Mr.  Tade  erected  a 
buildiuj;-  and  dedicated  the  school.  It  was 
located  about  two  miles  si>uth  of  Anaeortes. 
This  school  was  subcquentlv  uiuler  the  manajje- 
ment  of  Professor  A.  T.  iUirnell,  formerly  of 
Oberlin.  Althou>;h  Aldeii  Ae.ulemy  m.iiut.i'incd 
its  existence  for  only  four  \'e:us  it  seems  to  li.i\c 
■secured  the  favorable  attention  of  all  the  pcople 
in  th.it  portion  of  the  county.  The  est.d>lish- 
meul    of    I'll;;.!     Sounil    Academy,    tirst     locatcil 

Snohomish,  of  which  we  sh.ill  sped;  in  .inothci- 
place,  led  to  the  ab.iiuloiimeiu  oi  AMeu  .\c.id<-mv. 
The  bnildinjj'  wasemploved  lor  .i  time  .is  .i  public 
school,  l^irrie  (irah.im  beiu,-;  tlu-  tc.iclu-r,  but  at 
the  lu-eseut  time  the  buildin.i;  is  used  .is  a  resi- 
deiu-e  bv  Mrs.   R.   1',.  Whitney. 

More  recentiv  tliere  has  become  establislied 
.1  pnv.ilc  iiistitiiliou  known  as  tlu-  I'orest  Home 
liidu:.lii.il  .AiMdcmw  This  institution  is  under 
the  couiiol  of  th<'  ,Scv<-iUh  Ifiv  Adventist  church 
.uul  is  lociicd  two  .iiul  .1  h.ili  miles  from  Mount 
\  iTiiou.      I'he     msiiiuiiou    possesses    thirty-live 


424 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


acres  of  fertile  land  and  has  already  erected  sev- 
eral excellent  buildings  and  is  making  prepara- 
tions for  adding  to  its  equipment.  Each  pupil 
is  required  to  devote  two  and  a  half  hours  a  day 
to  industrial  work.  The  head  of  this  institution 
is  L.  I.  Stiles.  In  addition  to  the  industrial 
education  offered  this  academy  offers  instruction 
in  all  the  common  English  and  scientific  branches 
taught  in  high  schools. 

From  whatever  point  viewed  the  educational 
advantages  of  Skagit  county  may  well  be  a  source 
of  pride  to  her  citizens  and  approbation  by  her 
neighbors. 

We  now  direct  our  attention  to  the  educa- 
tional history  of  Snohomish  county.  Snohomish 
county  originally  constituted  one  school  district. 
This  was  district  number  one  and  centered  at 
Snohomish  City.  District  number  one  was 
organized  in  the  year  1S69  and  the  first  school 
was  opened  in  what  afterward  became  known 
as  the  Blue  Eagle,  situated  on  the  bank  of  the 
Snohomish  river,  on  the  west  side  of  Union 
avenue.  This  building  has  few  rivals  in  Sno- 
homish county  for  the  number  of  uses  to  which 
it  has  been  put.  Employed  at  one  time  as  a 
church,  where  the  soul  of  man  was  filled  with 
truth,  it  became  a  restaurant,  where  the  stomach 
of  man  was  somewhat  indifferently  supplied  with 
physical  nourishment.  Becoming  afterward  a 
saloon,  it  served  the  most  effective  purpose  that 
its  proprietors  could  devise,  to  the  destruction  of 
both  soul  and  stomach.  It  afterward  served  a 
sentence  for  a  term  of  years  as  a  dance  house,  to 
be  rescued  from  this  use  and  fitted  as  a  store. 
It  subsequently  degenerated  to  the  status  of  a 
wash  house,  and  after  that  ceased  its  active  life. 
It  seems  not  to  have  been  long  employed  for 
educational  purposes,  for  within  a  year  or  two 
the  district  constructed  a  very  creditable  school 
building  on  lots  donated  for  the  purpose  by  Mrs. 
M.  L.  "Packard.  That  building  fulfilled  the 
needs  of  the  district  until  1S>S7,  when  it  was  sup- 
plemented by  an  addition  the  same  size  as  itself, 
and  a  year  later  an  excellent  school  building  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  fourteen  thousand  dollars 
which  has  since  been  the  main  school  building 
of  Snohomish.  District  number  two  was  organ- 
ized from  district  number  one  in  1S70,  having  at 
that  time  about  twenty  pupils.  The  year  1872 
was  marked  by  the  organization  of  district 
number  three,  the  Florence  district,  and  number 
four,  the  Stanwood  district.  Florence  was  pro- 
vided with  an  excellent  school  building  almost 
from  the  first,  the  building  also  being  employed 
as  a  church,  but  it  was  a  number  of  years  before 
Stanwood  erected  a  building  adequate  to  its 
growing  needs.  The  first  teacher  in  the  Florence 
district  was  Kate  Bradley,  and  the  school  was 
held  in  Sly's  workshop.  There  were  no  white 
children  at  that  time,  all  the  pupils  being  half 
breeds.  For  the  next  year  a  schoolhouse  of 
cedar  shakes  was  used,   each  family  providing 


desks  for  its  own  children.  Terzy  Bigelow  was 
the  first  teacher  in  this  building.  The  next  year 
the  people  of  Florence  developed  so  much  ambi- 
tion as  to  build  and  equip  the  best  schoolhouse 
in  that  part  of  the  county.  The  first  Stanwood 
school  was  opened  in  1876  and  was  taught  by 
Mrs.  Carolina  Christianson,  followed  by  Kate 
Bradley. 

The  process  of  subdivision  went  on  and 
Lowell   district,  number  five,    was  organized   in 

1873.  As  is  common  in  our  early  communities, 
the  schoolhouse  was  also  used  as  a  church  and 
public  gathering  place.  Mukilteo  was  the  next 
to  join   the  procession   as  district   number  six  in 

1874.  The  Mukilteo  school  was  provided  with 
an  excellent  building  at  a  cost  of  eight  hundred 
dollars,  furnished  with  patent  seats,  and  well 
supplied  with  charts,  maps  and  blackboards. 
District  number  seven  embraced  Tualco  and  the 
region  immediately  about.  This  also  was  pro- 
vided almost  at  first  with  a  comfortable  and 
well-equipped  school  building.  The  eighth  dis- 
trict, which  became  known  as  Krischell's,  was 
organized  in  1875. 

We  find  the  report  of  the  superintendent  of 
schools  for  the  year  1875  notes  the  fact  that  at 
that  time  there  were  eight  districts  in  the  county, 
in  six  of  which  schools  had  been  maintained  for 
an  average  term  of  three  and  two-thirds  months. 
District  number  one,  embracing  Snohomish  City, 
contained  nearly  half  the  children  in  the  county, 
having  in  that  year  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
of  school  age.  The  amount  apportioned  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  district  was  $'J()4.()7. 

The  development  of  the  educational  system 
of  Snohomish  county  did  not  differ  widely  from 
that  of  the  other  counties  of  our  state.  With  the 
inflow  of  population  district  after  district  was 
established,  building  after  building  erected, 
length  of  period  taught  increased,  added  facilities 
in  the  way  of  library  and  apparatus  provided, 
high  schools  established  here  and  there,  and  a 
great  onward  impetus  given  to  all  the  educational 
forces  of  the  county. 

The  report  of  Superintendent  Dixon  in  the 
year  1N91  comments  somewhat  unfavorably  upon 
the  imperfect  reports  of  school  clerks  and  their 
apparent  inability  to  present  full  and  complete 
statistics.  Superintendent  Dixon  also  notes  the 
glut  in  the  market  for  teachers  and  as  a  means 
to  avoid  this  condition  he  recommends  a  more 
difficult  standard  of  examination.  There  were 
at  that  time  2,828  children  of  school  age  in  the 
county,  of  which  2,0r)0  were  enrolled  in  the 
public  schools  and  127  in  private  schools.  There 
were  67  teachers  in  the  county,  the  male  teach- 
ers receiving  an  average  salary  of  $53.30  and  the 
female  teachers  $45.30.  The  total  valuation  of 
school  property  at  that  time  was  $56,207,  and 
the  schools  were  maintained  on  an  average  five 
and  four-tenths  months.  The  fifty  districts  of 
the  county  were  provided  with  thirty-nine  school 


EDUCATION 


buildings.  The  outlay  of  the  schools  during  that 
year  was  $24,846.00.  During  that  year  ten  girls 
and  twenty-seven  young  men  undertook  the 
examination  for  first  grade  state  certificates,  one 
only  being  successful,  namely.  Royal  J.  Tilton, 
of_  Arlington.  Although  Superintendent  Dixon 
was  somewhat  critical  of  the  educational  condi- 
tions of  his  county  at  that  time,  he  anticipated 
great  improvements  in  the  future.  His  hopes 
seem  to  have  been  realized,  sooner,  perhaps,  than 
he  expected. 

We  find  the  report  of  Superintendent  R.  E. 
Friars,  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1898,  to 
show  a  very  great  gain  over  the  condition  of  the 
preceding  years.  For  the  period  covered  by 
that  report  the  number  of  school  children  in  the 
county  was  reported  as  5,002,  of  which  4,338 
were  enrolled.  The  number  of  teachers  em- 
ployed was  143,  of  which  10  held  state  certificates, 
39  first  grade,  39  second  grade  and  55  third 
grade.  The  estimated  value  of  school  property 
in  that  report  was  $221,815,  and  the  average 
length  of  the  school  year  six  and  one-half 
months.  The  report  notes  115  pupils  in  high 
schools.  The  number  of  school  districts  in  the 
county _  had  increased  to  78  and  the  number 
of  school  buildings  to  75.  The  total  expendi- 
tures of  the  schools  of  the  county  for  the  year 
amounted  to  $()9,9S5.(J(). 

Passing  over  the  intervening  period  and  tak- 
ing up  the  report  of  Superintendent  Thomas  A. 
Stiger,  for  the  period  ending  June  30,  1904,  we 
find  that  the  number  of  children  of  school  age 
had  increased  to  10,812,  the  number  enrolled  to 
8,712,  the  average  length  of  the  school  year  to 
eight  months,  and  the  number  of  teachers  to  213. 
The  average  salary  paid  to  male  teachers  had 
attained  the  sum  of  $r)2.00  and  to  female  of 
$52.00.  The  number  of  pupils  in  attendance  at 
the  high  schools  was  397,  and  at  the  private 
schools,  220.  Nine  new  school  buildings  had 
been  erected  during  that  year,  making  a  total 
of  ninety-five  buildings  in  the  ninety-one  districts 
of  the  county.  The  estimated  value  of  school 
property  was  $419,582.  Six  high  schools  and  six- 
teen graded  schools  were  reported.  Of  the  213 
teachers  of  the  county,  22  held  state  diplomas,  2 
had  certificates  from  the  normal  department  of 
the  state  university,  7  had  elementary  diplomas 
from  state  normal  schools,  and  fourteen  from 
the  advanced  course  of  the  normal  schools.  Of 
those  authorized  to  teach  by  county  certificates, 
77  possessed  first  grade,  05  second  grade  and  12 
third  grade.  The  total  amount  expended  for 
school  purposes  for  the  year  was  $210,081.  (i4. 

In  addition  to  the  excellent  service  rendered 
to  the  rising  generation  of  Snohomish  count}'  by 
the  public  schools,  there  is  opportunity  for  educa- 
tion along  special  lines  or  under'  particular 
auspices  afforded  by  several  first  class  private 
institutions. 

The  most  prominent  of  the   private  institu- 


tions of  the  county  is  Puget  Sound  Academy, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Congregational 
churches  of  western  Washington.  It  was  incor- 
porated under  the  laws  of  the  territory  on 
September  4,  1880.  Its  location  at  that  time  was 
Coupeville,  in  Island  county. 

After  having  done  work  of  a  high  grade  for 
twelve  years  it  was  decided  to  relocate  the 
academy  at  Snohomish.  The  moving  of  the 
county  seat  from  Snohomish  to  Everett  left 
vacant  the  county  building,  which,  largely  by  the 
beneficence  of  the  Ferguson  Brothers,  was 
secured  for  the  use  of  the  academy.  The  loca- 
tion of  the  academy  is  sightly  and  convenient, 
while  the  view  of  the  Olympics  and  Cascades, 
and  towering  over  all.  Mount  Ranier,  the  King  of 
themoiintains.is  one  of  combined  beauty  and  sub- 
limity hard  to  match  even  upon  Puget  sound. 

Puget  Sound  Academy  provides  courses  of 
study  in  classical,  scientific  and  English  branches 
in  addition  to  a  high  grade  business  course.  At 
the  present  time  the  faculty  consists  of  Rev. 
William  Worthington,  principal  and  instructor 
in  Greek,  history  and  Bible;  Charles  A.  Palmer, 
instructor  in  science  and  mathematics;  Bess  \'an 
Boskirk,  preceptress  and  instructor  in  English, 
French  and  physical  culture;  Linnie  May  Marsh, 
instructor  in  Latin  and  German;  C.  A.  Wilbur, 
instructor  in  stenography,  typewriting  and  book- 
keeping; Rev.  Carlton  Merritt  Hitchcock,  direc- 
tor of  musical  conservatory  and  instructor  in 
piano  and  pipe  organ;  Catherine  Williams, 
instructor  m  piano;  Florence  Brown,  director  of 
Art  department;  and  Mrs.  Martha  McKay, 
matron  of  boarding  department. 

With  a  faithful  and  thorough  faculty,  a  body 
of  ambitious  and  capable  students  and  a  location 
in  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  beautiful  town 
of  Snohomish,  Puget  Sound  Academy  certainly 
may  be  regarded  as  upon  the  high  road  to  a  career 
of  prosperity  and  usefulness  such  as  will  fulfill 
the  generous  aims  and  high  hopes  of  its  founders 
and  constituents.  At  present  an  effort  is  being 
made,  and  not  without  success,  to  raise  a  fifty 
thousand  dollar  endowment. 

Of  aims  somewhat  similar  to  those  of  Puget 
Sound  Academy  was  the  academy  inaugurated 
by  the  people  of  the  Presbyterian  denomination 
under  control  of  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Dorrance. 
This  institution  was  established  in  1891,  and 
received  the  name  of  the  Dorrance  Academy. 
Its  purpose  was  to  provide  thorough,  practical 
and  Christian  education  in  the  customary  lines 
of  academic  courses,  besides  a  practical  business 
education. 

The  Dorrance  Academy  was  convened  first 
on  June  2,  1891,  in  the  basement  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  The  growing  patronage  of  the 
institution  soon  led  to  a  demand  for  more  com- 
modious quarters,  and  Mr.  Dorrance  set  to  work 
with  great  energy  to  secure  the  funds  and  put 
into  execution  the  erection  and  equipment  of  a 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


building  which  was  at  that  time  a  great  credit 
to  the  town  of  Snohomish. 

In  1893  Mr.  Dorrance  resigned  his  appoint- 
ment as  pastor  in  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
order  that  he  might  devote  all  his  energies  to  the 
building  up  of  Dorrance  Academy.  Everything 
seemed  to  portend  a  permanent  and  successful 
career  for  the  institution,  but  circumstances 
subsequently  led  Mr.  Dorrance  to  decide  to 
remove  to  California,  and  as  a  result  of  the 
withdrawal  of  the  head  of  the  institution  and 
its  main  inspiration,  the  history  of  Dorrance 
Academy  came  to  an  end.  It  had  accomplished 
much  good  during  its  existence  and  its  discontinu- 
ance was  a  source  of  great  regret  to  the  citizens 
of  Snohomish. 

There  are  located  in  the  city  of  Everett  two 
church  academies  which  have  attained  a  high 
grade  and  extensive  patronage.  First  of  these 
is  the  Academy  of  St.  Dominic,  a  select  boarding 
and  day  school  for  girls  and  young  women.  It 
was  founded  in  1900  and  is  under  the  control  of 
the  Dominican  sisters.  The  location  is  an  attrac- 
tive and  favorable  one  on  the  corner  of  Cedar 
street  and  Everett  avenue.  Its  central  aim  is  to 
give  an  education  which  shall  be  at  once  thorough 
and  artistic.  As  in  all  institutions  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  Catholic  denomination,  special  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  the  refinements  of  domestic  life  and 
to  the  fine  arts.  The  course  comprises  four  years 
of  study  in  the  standard  branches  besides  offer- 


ing a  thorough  commercial  course.  The  number 
of  pupils  is  rapidly  increasing,  the  enrollment  of 
1900  having  been  one  hundred  and  thirty-four 
while  that  of  1904  was  three  hundred. 

The  other  church  school  in  Everett  is  the 
Bethania  High  School  and  College.  This  institu- 
tion is  under  the  control  of  the  Norwegian-Luth- 
eran church,  and  is  located  on  Broadway  avenue. 
The  business  manager  of  the  institution  is  Rev. 
B.  A.  Sard,  and  the  principal  of  the  scholastic 
department  is  P.  J.  Christens.  This  institution 
has  so  commended  itself  to  the  favor  of  the 
people  of  the  Norwegian  race  and  churches  in 
Snohomish  county  that  plans  are  already  in  prog- 
ress for  the  establishment  at  Everett  of  a  large 
collegiate  institution  to  be  known  as  the  North- 
west Norwegian  College.  If  carried  out  according 
to  hopes  and  expectations  this  will  be  such  an 
institution  as  to  redound  to  the  credit  of  the  city 
in  which  it  is  located. 

The  limits  of  space  have  compelled  summar- 
iiiing  in  a  dry,  brief  manner  the  essential  facts 
in  the  history  of  both  public  and  private  educa- 
tion in  the  counties  of  Snohomish  and  Skagit. 
The  work  may  indeed  be  considered  in  its 
incipiency,  and  yet  so  much  has  been  accom- 
plished as  to  establish  the  certainty  that  these 
two  fair  counties  will  not  lag  behind  their  sister 
counties  in  the  great  task  of  securing  to  the 
children  the  education  and  the  discipline  de- 
manded by  the  strenuous  times  in  which  we  live. 


CHAPTER  III 


THE  PRESS  OF  SKAGIT  AND  SNOHOMISH  COUNTIES 


PUGET   SOUND  MAIL 

The  oldest  newspaper  in  western  Washing- 
ton, north  of  Seattle,  is  the  Mail  now  published 
at  La  Conner,  Skagit  county,  but  originally  estab- 
lished in  the  old  town  of  Whatcom  more  than 
thirty-two  years  ago.  To  have  reached  such  an 
age  would  in  itself  have  been  a  distinction  in  a 
state  where  so  many  changes  have  taken  place 
in  so  few  years;  to  be  known  also  as  the  pioneer  of 
journalism  in  this  section  is  an  added  distinction. 

In  his  salutatory,  appearing  in  the  initial 
number  July  5,  1S73,  James  A.  Power,  founder, 
publisher  and  editor,  remarks  among  other 
things: 

"With  this,  the  first  number  of  the  Belling- 


ham  Bay  Mail,  we  greet  the  citizens  of  Whatcom 
county.  Trusting  in  their  generous  promises 
liberally  to  patronize  and  support  a  newspaper 
published  within  their  precincts  and  specially 
devoted  to  their  interest,  we  have  undertaken 
the  task  of  establishing  one  for  them.  The 
necessity  for  such  an  enterprise  has  been  seri- 
ously discussed  during  the  past  few  months  by 
gentlemen  who  have  a  special  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  the  county  and  in  the  development  of 
its  resources.  These  men  were  constantly  in 
receipt  of  letters  from  different  parts  of  the 
Eastern  states  asking  for  information  in  regard  to 
the  country  bordering  Bellingham  bay.  Had 
there  been  a  paper  published  here  the  necessity 
for  this  correspondence  would  not  exist.     *     *     * 


THE    PRESS 


427 


"A  very  large  percentage  of  the  settlers  com- 
ing to  Washington  territory  have  designs  on 
Whatcom  and  Bellingham  bay.  Their  anticipa- 
tions in  regard  to  this  place  may  be  a  little  too 
sanguine,  but  present  indications  point  to  it  as 
one  most  likely  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad 
Company  will  select  for  their  terminus.  As 
they  have  put  under  contract  one  hundred  miles 
of  track  from  Tenino,  which  takes  the  road 
Olympia  and  Seattle,  there  would  seem  to  be 
only  one  or  two  more  eligible  points  left  for 
them  to  determine  upon.  Our  citizens,  however, 
are  willing  to  submit  the  natural  and  commercial 
advantages  of  their  locality  with  those  of  any 
other  on  the  sound  to  the  impartial  judgment  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  and 
patiently  await  the  result. 

"In  adopting  a  title  for  our  paper  we  were 
quite  'at  sea'  until  a  happy  thought  struck  us  it 
ought  to  be  called  after  the  beautiful  bay  upon 
whose  borders  our  town  is  situated,  and  which, 
for  exquisite  scenery  and  ample  harbor  facilities 
to  accommodate  the  commerce  of  many  nations, 
challenges  the  admiration  of  tourists  from  all 
parts  of  the  world. 

"We  will  add  that  the  Mail  will  be  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  but  while  upholding  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  Republicanism,  it  will 
advocate  any  and  all  praiseworthy  measures 
proposed  by  parties  and  individuals  holding 
opposite  political  opinions." 

Nor  has  the  Mail,  during  its  long,  prosperous 
existence  materially  swerved  from  the  course 
mapped  out  in  the  preceeding  paragragh.  Able, 
aggressive,  possessing  constructive  power,  dis- 
pensing the  news  of  the  time  fully  and  interest- 
ingly, the  Mail  early  assumed  an  important  place 
in  the  life  of  the  territory  and  became  a  factor  in 
its  upbuilding.  Its  influence  upon  the  progress 
of  the  northern  part  of  the  sound  has  been  deeply 
felt  for  nearly  a  third  of  a  century,  and  especially 
has  it  been  instrumental  in  shaping  the  destinies 
of  Whatcom  and  Skagit  counties. 

With  the  decline  of  the  erstwhile  city  of 
Whatcom  into  a  straggling  village  late  in  the 
seventies,  Mr.  Power  decided  to  remove  his' 
paper  to  La  Conner,  then  a  growing  town  in  a 
rapidly  developing  country.  Accordingly  the 
first  week  in  September,  1S79,  the  plant  was 
transferred,  and  September  13th  resumed  publi- 
cation under  the  name  of  the  Puget  Sound  Mail. 
Mr.  Power  continued  to  devote  his  abilities  and 
energy  to  the  Mail  until  April,  1884,  when 
Walsh  &  Riggins  leased  it,  Riggins  remaining  in 
the  firm  only  a  short  time,  however.  October  1, 
ISS'i,  Power  sold  the  property  to  the  Mail  Publish- 
ing Company,  and  thereafter,  Henry  McBride, 
later  to  become  governor  of  Washington,  and  R. 
O.  Welts,  were  the  fir.st  editors  and  managers. 
McBride  and  Welts  retamed  control  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1S87,  when  the  stock  passed  into  the 
hands  of  Fred  Leroy  Carter  and  June  Hender- 


son, they  immediately  assuming  charge.  Four 
years  later  Mr.  Henderson  retired  from  the 
company  and  was  succeeded  by  George  E. 
Knapp,  son  of  Gov.  Knapp  of  Alaska.  Hender- 
son left  the  state  subsequently,  studied  law,  and 
is  now  on  the  bench  in  Boulder  county,  Colorado. 
Speaking  of  the  Mail  in  1891  at  the  time  of  Mr. 
Henderson's  retirement,  a  contemporary.  The 
Skagit  News  said:  "Always  courteous  with 
those  who  differ  with  it  in  opinions,  never 
descending  to  throw  mud  or  abuse  at  other 
journals  who  did  not  agree  with  its  editorial 
utterances,  the  Mail  has  achieved  a  reputation 
for  fairness  and  honesty  of  purpose  which  com- 
mands the  respect  of  every  citizen  of  Skagit 
county."  A.  J.  Morrow  succeeded  Knapp  in 
October,  1892,  taking  charge  of  the  mechanical 
department,  and  was  connected  with  the  Mail 
until  May,  1901,  when  he,  too,  stepped  out, 
selling  his  interest  to  W.  A.  Carlson,  an  experi- 
enced newspaper  man  who  had  been  with 
the  News-Herald,  of  Mount  Vernon,  for  three 
years  previously.  Messrs.  Carter  and  Carlson 
at  present  constitute  the  Mail  Publishing  Com- 
pany, the  former  serving  the  paper  as  editor. 
The  plant  occupies  a  commodious  office  erected 
in  1889  to  take  the  place  of  the  original  La  Con- 
ner office,  which  is  now  used  by  James  Caches 
as  a  barn.  In  1873,  the  form  of  the  Mail  was 
that  of  a  five-column  folio,  and  had  a  patent 
outside,  the  subscription  price  demanded  being 
three  dollars  a  year.  With  varying  periods  of 
prosperity,  the  size  has  changed,  and  at  the 
present  time  the  paper  is  in  folio  form.  The 
Mail  is  La  Conner's  only  representative  in  the 
newspaper  field  and  is  deservedly  popular  among 
those  with  whom  it  comes  in  closest  contact. 

THE  SKAGIT  NEWS-HERALD 

Shortly  after  the  bill  creating  Skagit  county 
had  become  a  law  and  the  new  county  a  reality 
early  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1884  there  came 
one  day  to  the  straggling  up-river  hamlet  named 
Mount  Vernon,  a  young  man  of  distinguished 
parentage,  anxious  to  win  his  way  in  the  new 
West.  The  fortune  seeker  was  William  C. 
Ewing,  a  son  of  General  Ewing,  of  New  York. 
At  that  time  there  were  but  two  newspapers  in 
the  county,  the  Mail  at  La  Conner  and  the 
Enterprise  at  Anacortes,  while  the  thrifty  river 
metropolis,  ambitious  as  it  was  in  a  political 
way,  too,  had  no  representation  in  the  newspaper 
field  whatever.  Young  Ewing  believed  he  saw 
an  opening,  canvassed  the  situation  thoroughly 
and  finally  decided  to  give  the  venture  a  trial. 
Clothier  &  English,  the  leading  merchants  and 
proprietors  of  the  town  site,  furnished  a  room 
over  their  store  free  of  charge  and  assisted  very 
substantially  in  launching  the  Skagit  News,  the 
first  copy  of  which  appeared  Tuesday,  March  4, 
1884,  with  William  C.  Ewing  as  publisher  and 
editor. 


428 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


In  his  salutatory,  Mr.  Ewing  said,  among 
other   things: 

"The  character  of  this  paper  is  indicated  by  its 
title.  It  is  intended  to  make  the  publication  of 
news  the  principal  feature.  To  that  end  such 
papers  as  we  can  get  by  exchange,  purchase  or 
loan  will  be  fed  to  our  shears;  and  we  shall 
chronicle  the  doings  of  the  people  in  this  and  the 
neighboring  rivers  with  as  much  industry  as  we 
can  bring  to  bear.  *  *  *  Our  quota  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  county  will  be  the  recording  of  the 
deeds  of  the  actors.  *  *  *" 

Nor  did  he  fail  to  keep  his  promises,  for  the 
News  speedily  became  an  acknowledged  news 
conveyor  of  merit  and  a  distinct  force  in  the  new 
county.  It  was  Mount  Vernon's  powerful  advo- 
cate in  the  county  seat  struggle  that  same  fall 
and  to  it  no  little  credit  is  due  for  the  victory 
which  came. 

But  the  talented  young  editor  did  not  remain 
long  at  ]\Iount  \'ernon  for  September  29,  ISSo, 
G.  E.  Hartson,  one  of  the  valley's  oldest  pio- 
neers, although  then  a  young  man  who  had  been 
elected  superintendent  of  schools,  assumed 
charge  of  the  News.  It  is  stated  that  Ewing 
remained  in  newspaper  work  and  ultimately 
attained  a  high  position  in  his  profession. 
About  this  time  also  the  size  of  the  page  was 
increased  from  four  to  six  columns,  with  added 
length,  and  a  new  face  type  was  added  to  the 
plant.  The  new  editor  brought  to  the  paper  a 
vigorous  policy,  ability  and  a  wide  knowledge 
of  the  surrounding  country,  all  of  which  contrib- 
uted to  the  success  and  progress  of  the  enter- 
prise, the  paper  developing  as  the  county  itself 
grew.  With  the  entrance  of  the  News  upon  its 
iifth  volume,  a  new  Campbell  news  press  was 
installed,  marking  an  important  epic  in  the 
journal's  history.  The  plant  was  at  that  time 
located  in  its  own  building  on  Main  street,  the 
structure  being  a  portion  of  the  present  residence 
of  Mr.  Hartson. 

Although  Mr.  Hartson  devoted  his  personal 
attention  to  the  News  to  as  great  an  extent 
as  possible  during  the  next  few  years,  he  was 
assisted  by  various  local  editors,  among  them  Al. 
Sebring,  who  later  became  well  known  in  Pnget 
sound  newspaper  circles.  Mr.  Sebring  retired 
in  1N95  to  establish  a  Populist  journal,  using  the 
plant  of  the  defunct  Avon  Record.  January  4, 
1S97,  the  Skagit  Valley  Herald,  which  had  been 
published  for  some  time  past  by  Ed.  C.  Suiter 
at  Mount  Vernon,  was  consolidated  with  the 
News,  forming  the  present  News- Herald,  the 
proprietorship  being  vested  with  Mr.  Hartson. 
The  consolidation  was  a  success  and  under  this 
name  the  paper  has  appeared  steadily  since. 
Three  years  ago,  September  15,  1902,  Ralph  C. 
Hartson,  a  son  of  the  proprietor,  succeeded  his 
father  as  editor  and  manager  of  the  enterprise 
and  is  at  present  occupying  the  same  positions. 
Mr.  Hartson  is  a  graduate  of  the  Mount  Vernon 


schools  and  acquired  the  rudiments  of  newspaper 
making  in  the  office  over  which  he  now  presides. 
The  fact  that  the  News-Herald  is  the  oldest 
newspaper,  save  one,  in  the  county  speaks  vol- 
umes for  its  stability  and  the  position  it  has  won 
in  the  hearts  of  the  public.  It  is  still  issued  as  a 
weekly,  Monday  being  the  publication  day,  and 
appears  as  a  four-page  folio.  Politically,  it  is 
Republican  and  has  been  since  its  inception 
twenty-one  years  ago. 

The  plant  is  supplied  with  presses,  paper 
cutter,  and  other  necessities  of  a  well  conducted 
country  office,  in  charge  of  J.  C.  Merritt,  fore- 
man. It  is  situated  on  Main  street  in  the  build- 
ing adjoining  the  postoffice.  One  of  the  most 
valuable  assets  of  the  News-Herald  is  its 
complete,  well  bound  files,  to  which  the  com- 
pilers of  this  work  are  indebted  for  much 
information  concerning  the  history  of  the  city 
and  county. 

MOUNT  VERNON  ARGUS 

Few  of  the  smaller  cities  of  the  state  can 
boast  of  a  newspaper  as  ably  edited  and  neatly 
printed  as  the  journal  whose  name  appears  at 
the  head  of  this  article.  Frederick  K.  Ornes, 
the  publisher  and  editor,  is  a  newspaper  man  of 
varied  and  long  experience  and  is  ably  assisted 
in  his  work  by  his  wife,  Mrs.  Susan  Currier 
Ornes,  who  is  recognized  as  a  talented  writer  in 
addition  to  being  an  educator  of  state  reputation. 
An  eight  page  paper,  all  printed  at  home,  is 
issued  each  week.  Recently  the  Argus  has 
erected  a  handsome,  two-story  frame  building  in 
the  business  center  of  the  city,  all  of  the  lower 
floor  of  which  it  will  occupy  with  its  offices  and 
mechanical  department.  The  plant  is  a  modern 
one,  in  both  news  and  job  departments.  In 
political  matters  the  Argus  is  Republican, 
though  liberally  disposed  toward  all,  and  is  a 
strong  moral  force  in  the  community  it  covers. 

The  Argus  is  the  outgrowth  of  several  of  the 
county's  pioneer  newspapers.  The  first  of  these 
was  the  Mount  Vernon  Chronicle,  E.  K.  Matlock 
and  W.  H.  McEwen,  publishers  and  editors, 
whose  initial  number  appeared  Friday,  July  24, 
1891.  as  an  eight  column  folio,  all  home  print. 
Its  plant  was  a  modern  and  an  expensive  one, 
and  its  columns  show  unmistakable  ability. 
However,  the  following  February,  the  Chronicle 
practically  went  down  before  financial  distress, 
and  was  purchased  by  a  stock  company,  known 
as  the  Democratic  Publishing  Company,  com- 
posed of  T.  B.  Neely,  president;  Frank  Quinby, 
secretary-treasurer;  E.  C.  Million,  J.  N.  Turner, 
W.  E.  Schricker,  A.  P.  Sharpstein,  J.  P.  Millett 
and  Thomas  Smith.  James  A.  Power,  formerly 
publisher  of  the  Puget  Sound  Mail,  became  the 
editor  and  manager,  and  the  paper's  name  was 
changed  to  the  Democrat,  its  politics  changing 
at  the  same  time.      Elden  W.  Pollock  succeeded 


THE    PRESS 


Mr.  Power  and  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Wil- 
liam M.  Sheffield.  December  30,  1892,  the  name 
was  again  changed,  this  time  to  the  Post.  Num- 
erous vicissitudes  followed,  culminating  in 
October,  1893,  in  the  failure  of  the  stock  com- 
pany and  the  sale  by  mortgage  foreclosure  of  the 
property  to  Mr.  Pollock,  though  his  right  to  the 
plant  was  contested  in  the  courts  subsequently 
without  success.  Jay  B.  Edwards  took  hold  of 
the  Post  in  March,  1894.  The  next  important 
step  in  the  life  of  the  enterprise  was  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Post- Argus  in  August,  1897,  by  Mr. 
Edwards,  as  the  successor  of  the  Post,  its  politics 
still  remaining  Democratic.  Later  that  year,  in 
November,  the  old  Record,  a  journal  established  a 
short  time  previously  for  campaign  purposes,  was 
consolidated  with  the  Post-Argus,  Mr.  Edwards 
still  remaining  at  the  head  of  the  combination. 
In  1899,  the  files  indicate  that  H.  L.  Bowmer  is 
steering  the  destinies  of  the  property,  but  he 
did  not  remain  long,  selling  to  Jessup  &  Jessup 
that  spring.  This  firm  conducted  the  paper, 
then  known  simply  as  the  Argus,  only  a  short 
time,  A.  Z.  Jessup  assuming  the  owersliip.  The 
next  change  in  proprietorship  took  place  April 
24,  1903,  when  the  Argus  Publishing  Company, 
composed  of  Frederick  L.  Ornes  formerly  of  the 
Anacortes  American,  and  Al.  Sebring,  of  Mount 
Vernon,  purchased  it,  the  latter  merging  into 
the  plant  the  old  Acme  Printing  Company.  Still 
another  printing  company  was  absorbed,  how- 
ever, the  Riverside  Publishing  Company,  W.  B. 
Russell  retiring.  Mrs.  Ornes  at  once  took  charge 
of  the  Argus  as  editor.  In  May  the  name  of  the 
paper  was  changed  to  the  Mount  Vernon  Argus 
and  at  the  same  time  its  political  faith  was 
changed  to  Republican.  During  the  county  fair 
of  1903,  the  Argus  issued  a  daily,  the  second  one 
ever  issued  in  Skagit  county,  the  old  Anacortes 
Progress  having  been  the  pioneer  in  that  line. 
Subsequently  Mr.  Sebring  retired  from  the  firm, 
leaving  the  property  solely  in  the  hands  of  the 
present  publisher. 

PUGET  SOUND  POST 

In  the  belief  that  Skagit  county  afforded  room 
for  another  wide-awake  newspaper,  an  indepen- 
dent semi-weekl}-,  the  Post,  was  brought  into 
existence  at  Mount  Vernon,  September  19,  1905, 
by  the  Post  Publishing  Company,  of  which 
Charles  W.  Taylor  is  manager  and  editor.  Nor, 
at  this  writing,  do  the  hopes  and  beliefs  of  the 
founders  appear  to  have  been  without  substan- 
tial foundation,  for  the  Post  is  rapidly  winning 
its  way  into  the  good  will  of  the  people  and  has 
already  obtained  recognition  as  among  the  lead- 
ing country  publications  of  the  sound.  Its  six 
pages  are  printed  exclusively  at  Mount  Ver- 
non, being  issued  Tuesdays  and  Fridays,  and 
typographically  as  well  as  editorially  the  ear 
marks  of  skilled  workmanship  are  easily  discern- 


ible. A  special  feature  of  the  Post's  work  is 
its  plan  of  thoroughly  illustrating  the  resources 
and  special  scenic  features  of  the  county  in  addi- 
tion to  its  comprehensive  descriptive  articles. 
Mr.  Taylor  is  a  man  of  wide  and  successful 
experience  in  journalism  and  has  been  identified 
with  many  ambitious  publications  in  the  East 
as  well  as  the  West. 

THE  SK.\GIT  COUNTY  COURIER 

The  youngest  of  Sedro-Woolley's  newspapers 
is    the    Courier,    Foster  &   Totten   proprietors, 

published  weekly.  Politically  it  is  Republican. 
U.  E.  Foster,  formerly  with  the  Journal  and 
Herald  at  Norfolk,  Nebraska,  and  later  with  the 
News  at  Plainview  in  the  same  state,  is  the 
founder  of  the  Courier.  He  issued  the  first 
number  May  1,  1901,  and  remained  sole  owner 
of  the  enterprise  until  June  1,  1902,  when  he 
sold  a  half  interest  to  his  present  partner,  W.  H. 
Totten,  of  Fullerton,  Nebraska,  the  firm  name 
being  changed  to  the  Courier  Publishing  Com- 
pany. The  Courier  has  been  a  success  from  the 
start  and  is  steadily  attaining  to  still  greater 
success.  In  the  summer  of  1905,  the  plant 
received  a  most  valuable  addition  in  the  shape  of 
a  simplex  typesetting  machine,  costing  approxi- 
mately $2,000,  the  only  other  typesetting 
machine  in  the  county  being  that  of  the  Ameri- 
can at  Anacortes. 

THE  SK.A.GIT  COUNTY  TIMES 

Sedro-Woolley's  oldest  paper  now  being 
issued  is  the  Skagit  County  Times,  established 
in  the  old  town  of  Woolley  early  in  February, 
1S91,  by  Messrs.  Henshaw  &  Lucas,  as  a  six 
column  quarto.  Democratic  in  its  politics.  Wool- 
ley  had  been  platted  but  little  more  than  a  year 
and  was  then  at  the  height  of  its  boom  period. 
Subsequently  the  Times  passed  entirely  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Henshaw,  and  in  1892  into 
possession  of  the  Sedro  Land  &  Improvement 
Company,  which  removed  the  journal  to  the 
adjoining  town  of  Sedro.  During  the  next  eight 
j-ears  J.  B.  Alexander,  practically  its  owner, 
leased  the  property  at  different  times  to  Walter 
Gillis  and  Seneca  Ketcham,  the  latter  of  whom 
died  at  Woolley,  and  in  1901  to  A.  C.  Edwards. 
Mr.  Edwards  was  succeeded  in  December,  1902, 
by  W.  H.  Pilcher,  a  Kansan,  who  is  the  present 
publisher  and  editor.  Mr.  Pilcher  possesses  a 
good  country  plant,  which  is  comfortably  housed 
in  a  neat  office  in  the  business  portion  of  the  city. 
The  Times  appears  as  a  four  column,  twelve 
page  sheet  of  convenient  size,  and  by  the  able, 
conservative  manner  in  which  it  is  conducted, 
reflects  credit  upon  all  associated  in  its  produc- 
tion. It  is  now  an  ardent  advocate  of  Republican 
principles.  One  great  disaster  has  overtaken  the 
Times    in     its    comparatively     long    existence, 


430 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


namely,  a  fire  in  1895,  which  ruined  a  portion  of 
the  plant  and  burned  the  files.  In  point  of  age, 
the  Times  ranks  third  among  the  newspapers  of 
Skagit  county. 


ANACORTES  AMERICAN 

Sole  representative  of  the  press  on  Fidalgo 
island,  survivor  of  a  dozen  predecessors  and  con- 
temporaries, third  oldest  journal  in  Skagit  county, 
for  more  than  fifteen  years  the  American  has 
held  its  course  unfalteringly  and  it  is  now  reaping 
a  deserved  reward.  Because  of  the  checkered 
fortunes  which  have  marked  the  life  of  the  city 
and  island,  the  American  has  had  unusual  odds 
to  contend  against,  but  despite  all  obstacles,  the 
high  standard  set  in  the  beginning  has  been 
closely  adhered  to.  Few  weeklies  in  the  state 
to-day  can  truthfully  claim  superiority  in  any 
respect,  or  boast  the  possession  of  so  modern  and 
complete  a  plant. 

The  pioneer  hamlet  on  Guemes  channel  had 
just  donned  the  mantle  of  cityhood  when,  early 
in  April,  1«90,  Douglass  Allmond  and  F.  H. 
Boynton  arrived  on  the  scene.  AVith  them,  from 
the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Northern  Pacific, 
they  brought  probably  the  largest  single  ship- 
ment of  printing  material  that  had  entered 
Washington  up  to  that  time.  Two  cars  carried 
the  machinery,  type,  etc.,  valued  at  approxi- 
mately ten  thousand  dollars.  By  hard  work  the 
outfit  was  finally  installed  in  a  fine  two-story 
building  on  the  corner  of  Tenth  street  and 
Avenue  M,  which  had  early  in  May  been  erected 
for  its  occupation,  and  on  Thursday,  Maj'  15th, 
the  initial  number  was  struck  off.  It  consisted  of 
eight  six-column  pages,  all  printed  at  home,  well 
filled  with  news  items  and  editorial  matter  and 
carrying  a  gratifying  amount  of  advertising. 

The  venture  was  an  immediate  success.  The 
American's  independence  and  aggressiveness, 
coupled  with  its  modern  methods,  won  golden 
opinions.  By  June  12th,  according  to  the  sworn 
statement  of  its  publishers,  it  had  a  circulation 
of  four  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty  copies. 
The  files  of  this  period  are  a  complete  diary  of 
the  community's  progress  and  condition  during 
the  remarkable  boom  of  1890  and  1891.  There 
was  no  more  progressive  institution  in  the  city 
than  the  American,  certainly  none  with  more 
faith  or  more  courage  in  living  up  toitsconvictions. 

Mr.  Allmond  was  left  alone  in  the  business 
after  August  12,  1892,  when  his  partner  with- 
drew. During  the  years  of  depression  the  career 
of  the  American  was  in  sympathy  with  the  career 
of  Anacortes.  Once,  when  the  gloom  was 
darkest,  Mr.  Allmond  tells  of  going  on  a  two- 
weeks'  fishing  trip,  leaving  the  "devil"  to  issue 
the  editions  with  purely  plate  matter.  But  the 
American  had  patience  and  persistence  and  not 
infrequently  its  issues  were  filled  with  articles  of 
various  kinds  in  addition  to  local  news. 


Mr.  Allmond  continued  to  conduct  the  Amer- 
ican with  assistance  from  time  to  time  until  the 
spring  of  1902,  when  Frederick  Ornes  succeeded 
him.  About  the  same  time  prosperity  came  to 
Anacortes,  thus  encouraging  the  business  greatly. 
The  American's  present  editor  and  publisher, 
Frank  Barnett,  acquired  the  property  January  1, 
1904,  succeeding  Mr.  Ornes,  who  became  the 
publisher  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Argus. 

A  year  later  the  American  absorbed  the 
Sentinel,  and  at  present  it  is  the  city's  only 
newspaper.  Under  Mr.  Barnett's  aggressive 
management  the  American  has  won  the  con- 
fidence and  good  will  of  its  community  and  has 
attained  an  enviable  position  among  the  news- 
papers of  the  state.  A  daily  edition  with 
associated  press  despatches,  etc.,  is  contemplated; 
indeed  has  been  partly  provided  for  by  the  recent 
installation  of  a  typesetting  machine.  The  plant 
and  offices  occupy  the  whole  ground  floor  of  a 
brick  block  on  the  main  thoroughfare  of  the  city. 
The  plant  is  modern  and  comprehensive,  thor- 
oughly in  keeping  with  the  policy  of  the  manage- 
ment. In  politics,  the  paper  has  been  constant 
in  its  adherence  to  Republican  principles. 

SCHOOL  BULLETIN 

The  Skagit  School  Bulletin,  as  its  name 
implies,  was  founded  as  a  technical  newspaper, 
devoted  to  educational  interests,  particularly  to 
those  of  Skagit  county.  It  was  established  in 
September,  1900,  by  Miss  Susan  Lord  Currier, 
now  Mrs.  Frederick  Ornes,  and  was  published 
by  her  during  her  four  years'  service  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  schools  of  Skagit  county.  The 
Bulletin,  under  her  inspiration,  soon  became 
recognized  as  a  very  able  exponent  of  school 
matters  in  general  and  an  exceedingly  bright, 
breezy  little  monthly,  attaining  a  large  circula- 
tion. Some  of  its  special  issues  were  noteworthy 
for  their  great  excellence.  The  Bulletin's  first 
home  was  at  Anacortes,  from  which  it  was 
removed  to  Mount  Vernon,  the  county  seat, 
where  it  is  still  published.  Recently  the  journal 
passed  into  the  hands  of  C.  O.  Bradshaw,  of 
Bradshaw's  Business  College,  Mount  Vernon. 

HAMILTON     HERALD 

Nearly  four  years  ago  the  present  Hamilton 
Herald  came  into  existence,  its  founder  and  pub- 
lisher being  H.  F.  Wilcox.  It  was  then  a  four- 
page,  six-column,  patent  inside  paper.  After 
editing  it  for  two  years,  Mr.  Wilcox  sold  to  Hans 
J.  Bratlie,  who  still  publishes  it.  At  present  it 
is  a  seven-column  folio  with  a  patent  inside.  In 
politics,  as  in  all  else,  it  is  independent. 

SKAGIT  COUNTY  LOGGER 

Pioneers  of  the  upper  Skagit  valley  well 
remember  this  peculiarly  named  journal,  which 


THE    PRESS 


431 


was  closely  identified  with  the  exciting  times  of 
the  early  nineties  in  that  section.  It  was 
founded  May  23,  1NS9,  at  Hamilton,  by  Messrs. 
W.  H.  Willis  and  B.  J.  Baker.  An  old  army 
press  was  first  used,  and  other  facilities  were  in 
proportion,  yet  the  first  numbers  of  the  logger 
are  quite  attractive  typographically.  Their  pages 
are  filled  with  exceptionally  good  articles, 
presenting  an  interesting,  vivid  account  of  the 
period.  None  of  the  political  organizations  were 
favored,  the  policy  of  the  owners  being  to 
maintain  political  independence.  At  that  time 
Hamilton  was  enjoying  a  strenuous  growth. 

In  July  of  the  following  year  the  paper  was 
sold  to  Edward  Suiter  and  H.  C.  Parliament,  ex- 
perienced newspaper  men  ;  they  at  once  placed  the 
journal  in  the  Republican  column,  and,  August 
8,  1890,  changed  its  name  to  the  Hamilton 
Herald.  The  Herald  passed  through  the  whole 
range  of  journalistic  vicissitudes  during  the  next 
five  years,  finally  yielding  the  struggle  in  the 
spring  of  1896.  At  this  time  it  was  the  Populist 
organ  of  the  county. 

AVON    RECORD 

The  Avon  Record  was  established  in  February, 
1891,  as  a  six-column  folio  at  Avon,  by  James 
Power  and  W.  A.  B.  Sehl,  the  former  acting  as 
editor,  the  latter  as  business  manager.  It  was 
discontinued  upon  the  advent  of  hard  times. 

The  Sauk  City  Star  was  another  newspaper 
product  of  the  rapid  development  of  the  upper 
Skagit  during  the  early  nineties.  Established  at 
Sauk  City  in  June  1891,  it  remained  there  until 
September,  1894,  then  was  moved  by  Editor 
Mitchell  to  Hamilton  and  conducted  as  a  Hamil- 
ton paper  until  its  suspension  a  year  or  so  later. 

Another  up-river  newspaper  of  short  life  was 
the  Birdsview  Bell,  pubhshed  by  H.  A.  McBride 
in  1891. 

NORTHWEST    ENTERPRISE 

Inseparably  connected  with  the  early  history 
of  Anacortes  and  the  romance  of  Fidalgo  island, 
is  the  Northwest  Enterprise,  the  second  news- 
paper established  in  Skagit  county.  The  story 
of  the  Enterprise  is  in  itself  a  most  interesting 
one. 

When  Amos  C.  Bowman,  late  in  the  seventies, 
conceived  the  idea  that  some  time  a  great 
maritime  city  should  make  Fidalgo  island  famous, 
he  at  once  set  to  work  with  a  will  to  found  that 
city.  No  man  could  probably  have  shown 
greater  zeal  than  he  did  in  the  upbuilding  of 
Anacortes  from  the  time  his  pioneer  store  was 
erected  and  the  postoffice  shingle  displayed  until 
his  death.  In  1882,  the  inhabitants  of  Anacortes 
might  almost  have  been  counted  on  one's  fingers, 
so  few  were  there,  and  no  newspaper  could 
possibly  have  existed  on  the  income  from  the 
community  alone.     A  small  settlement  on  Fidalgo 


bay,  a  few  scattered  settlers  in  different  parts  of 
the  island  and  the  resurrected  hopes  of  Ana- 
cortes ultimately  being  chosen  as  the  Pacific 
coast  terminus,  constituted  the  chief  assets  of 
any  newspaper  that  might  have  the  monumental 
courage  to  enter  such  a  field. 

Yet,  Saturday,  March  25,  1882,  the  first  num- 
ber of  the  Enterprise  was  issued  in  half  sheet 
form,  sixteen  inches  in  length,  with  four  pages 
of  five  columns  each,  the  outside  pages  being 
"patent."  A  pretentious  title  decorated  the  first 
page,  wherein  was  pictured  a  steamer  tied  up 
at  an  immense  wharf,  alongside  of  which  stood 
a  railroad  train,  while  stevedores  were  busily 
engaged.  The  mechanical  work  of  the  entire 
issue  was  neatly  executed.  From  the  intro- 
ductory remarks  made  in  this  initial  number  by 
the  publishers,  Alf.  D.  Bowen  and  F.  M.  Walsh, 
one  may  gain  some  idea  of  the  paper's  aims  and 
purposes: 

"With  this,  our  first  number,  we  present  to 
the  people  of  Whatcom  and  adjoining  counties, 
the  Northwest  Enterprise,  hoping  it  will  meet 
the  approbation  and  kindly  support  of  all  those 
that  are  directh-  or  indirectly  interested  in  the 
development  of  the  new  Northwest.  The  Enter- 
prise will  be  run  on  independent  principles,  will 
advocate  all  enterprises  that  may  lead  to  more 
rapid  and  permanent  settlement  of  the  Puget 
sound  country;  it  will  work  for  the  interests  of 
Whatcom  and  San  Juan  in  particular.  Island 
and  Snohomish  counties  in  general,  and  the 
whole  Northwest  over  all;  it  will  work  to  promote 
our  educational  facilities,  and  to  perfect  the  pos- 
tal, custom-house  and  transportation  service  of 
our  district. 

"We  shall  publish  general  items  of  news  from 
all  parts  of  the  country,  as  well  as  to  try  and 
give  a  good  local  report  from  throughout  the 
county,  and  shall  endeavor,  with  the  aid  of  our 
patrons,  to  make  it  a  leading  weekly  newspaper 
of  the  Northwest. 

"Thinking  this  introduction  will  meet  the 
approval  of  all,  and  pointing  out  the  stand  which 
we  take,  we  will  begin  our  career,  hoping  our 
subscribers  and  advertisers  may  grow  rich  and 
prosperous  out  of  the  Enterprise." 

From  time  to  time  the  size  of  the  paper  was 
changed,  doubtless  reflecting  the  financial  con- 
dition of  its  owners.  A  noteworthy  feat  of  this 
pioneer  office  in  1882  was  the  publishing  of  an 
original  map,  portraying  the  Puget  sound  region 
quite  minutely  and  setting  forth  the  advanta- 
geous location  of  Anacortes  with  reference  to  rail- 
way movements.  Mr.  Bowman  himself  drafted 
this  map  and  engraved  the  lithograph  plates, 
while  the  Enterprise  did  the  printing  and  mount- 
ing. The  result  was  an  accurate,  handsome 
map  of  which  many  a  modern  office  might  well 
feel  proud.  These  maps  were  sent  all  over  the 
United  States  and  were  a  mighty  factor  in  first 
advertising  Anacortes  to  the  world. 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


The  Northern  Pacific  failing  to  build  its  line 
to  the  lower  sound,  thus  deflecting  immigration 
from  this  region,  the  Enterprise  gradually 
accepted  the  inevitable.  In  January,  1883,  the 
business  was  transferred  by  Bowen  &  Walsh  to 
its  chief  patron,  Mr.  Bowman,  who  placed 
George  Riggins  in  charge.  Slowly  the  Enter- 
prise dwindled  in  its  service,  but  still  persisted 
courageously  until  its  publication  became  a 
spiritless  labor  and  an  increasing  financial  bur- 
den to  Mr.  Bowman. 

The  last  number,  bringing  to  a  close  the 
fourth  volume,  is  dated  Saturday,  March  13, 
188(i,  and  contained  not  more  than  two  sticks 
(about  four  inches)  of  local  composition.  Thus 
came  to  a  close  the  life  of  this  old  pioneer  news- 
paper, but  it  was  not  barren  of  substantial 
results.  It  had  a  mission  which  was  modestly 
accomplished.  Three  years  later  the  island 
teemed  with  struggling  humanity,  clearing  away 
the  forests  and  laying  the  foundations  for  the 
present  city  of  Anacortes. 

AN,.\CORTES     PROGRESS 

When  finally  prosperity  dawned  upon  Ana- 
cortes in  18S9,  the  first  newspaper  to  fill  the 
usual  demand  in  American  communities  for  a 
local  journal  was  the  Progress.  The  first  num- 
ber appeared  August  3,  1889,  with  C.  F.  Mitchell 
as  publisher  and  editor.  From  the  beginning 
the  Progress  was  a  wide-awake,  progressive, 
able  factor  in  the  city's  development.  In  August 
there  was  a  mere  handful  of  buildings  grouped 
around  the  ocean  wharf;  by  January,  1890,  the 
town  had  several  hundred  inhabitants  and  build- 
ings were  going  up  over  an  immense  area  on  the 
whole  northern  side  of  the  island.  The  city 
grew  with  wonderful  rapidity,  so  rapidly  that 
the  publishers  of  the  Progress  in  February,  1890, 
considered  the  field  large  enough  to  support  a 
daily,  and  on  the  11th  of  that  month,  the  Daily 
Progress  appeared.  Its  issue  was  hailed  with 
delight  by  an  enthusiastic  public,  which  gladly 
paid  twenty-five  cents  a  week  for  its  delivery  to 
their  homes  or  places  of  business.  A  few  weeks 
later  the  Progress  claimed  to  have  the  second 
largest  printing  establishment  on  the  sound,  a 
doubtful  claim,  but  indicating  that  it  did  possess 
an  extensive  plant.  Anacortes  continued  to 
grow  by  leaps  and  bounds,  and  with  it  all  the 
Progress  kept  pace,  as  a  perusal  of  its  interesting 
old  files  shows.  W.  H.  McEwen  took  the  daily 
in  April,  1890,  Mr.  Mitchell  remaining  with  his' 
weekly. 

At  last,  however,  the  reaction  came  with 
deadly  effect,  and  January  22,  1892,  the  city's 
second  pioneer  newspaper,  both  weekly  and 
daily,  simultaneously  suspended.  There  was  no 
tinge  of  bitterness  in  the  valedictory;  in  fact,  a 
great  future  for  Anacortes  was  prophesied. 
While  it  lived,  the  Progress  undoubtedly  chron- 


icled the  development  of  Anacortes  impartially 
yet  loyally  and  optimistically. 


Among  Fidalgo  island's  other  pioneer  news- 
papers which  for  one  reason  and  another  have 
long  since  joined  the  silent  majority,  are  the 
following:  Washington  Farmer,  founded  by 
Legh  R.  Freeman  in  1889  at  Gibraltar;  Ana- 
cortes Courier,  by  J.  B.  Fithian,  successor  to  the 
Progress  in  1892;  the  Anacortes  News,  published 
by  C.  F.  Mitchell  a  short  period  during  the  middle 
nineties;  Skagit  County  Churchwork,  H.  L. 
Badger,  about  1895;  the  Anacortesan  in  1902, 
surviving  but  a  few  months;  and  the  Sentinel. 

The  Anacortes  Sentinel  was  established  vSept. 
9,  1903,  as  a  Republican  paper,  by  A.  G.  Morse, 
formerly  superintendent  of  the  city  schools. 
During  the  campaign  of  1904,  Thomas  <S:  Davis 
conducted  the  journal,  having  succeeded  Morse 
in  August  of  that  year,  but  December  1,  1904, 
transferred  it  to  Frank  Barnett.  Mr.  Barnett 
merged  it  into  his  newspaper,  the  American. 

SEDRO    PRESS 

The  first  newspaper  to  be  published  in  the 
town  of  Sedro-Woolley  was  the  Sedro  Press, 
whose  home  was  in  Sedro.  George  W.  Hopp 
instituted  this  venture  April  18,  1890,  and  from 
a  copy  of  the  first  number  it  is  evident  that  the 
publisher  understood  newspaper  making,  edito- 
rially as  well  as  typographically,  although  the 
sheet  was  only  a  seven-column  folio  with  patent 
insides.  The  Press  survived  five  years  or  until 
the  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

THE     NORTHERN    STAR 

Much  interest  always  centers  around  the  first 
enterprise  of  a  given  kmd  in  any  community.  If 
the  Northern  Star  had  no  other  claim  to  attention 
than  that  it  was  the  first  newspaper  to  establish 
itself  in  Snohomish  county,  it  would  certainly 
elicit  the  interest  of  the  student  of  local  history. 
One  would  be  disposed  to  wonder  at  the  courage 
of  any  man  who  might  undertake  the  publication 
of  even  a  little  local  sheet  in  a  small,  struggling, 
pioneer  logging  community  in  the  heart  of  a 
dense  forest,  and  to  admire  his  success  in  case  he 
succeeded.  Imagine,  then,  the  surprise  of  one 
who  peruses  the  files  of  the  Star  and  finds  that  in 
the  town  of  Snohomish,  in  January,  1870,  when 
the  dense  forest  was  scarcely  a  stone's  throw 
from  any  part  of  the  village  and  the  stumps 
were  still  standing  in  the  streets,  a  paper  began 
to  make  its  appearance  which,  for  literary  excel- 
lence, variety  of  subjects  treated  and  general 
ability  might  safely  challenge  comparison  with 
the  best  and  brightest  weekly  papers  of  the  pres- 
ent time. 

"1  shall  endeavor,"  said  the  editor  in  his  sal- 
utatory, "to  make  the  Northern  Star  represent 
fully  the  interests  of  Snohomish  and  afford  aid 


THE   PRESS 


in  the  development  of  all  praiseworthy  enterprises 
of  this  community.  I  do  not  intend  to  use 
patent  insides  or  outsides  for  the  paper,  feeling 
that  I  have  already  sufficient  support  raised  to 
get  along  without  such  aid,  and  preferring  to 
make  my  own  selections  from  ample  means  at 
my  command.  After  being  fairly  under  head- 
way, in  addition  to  local  matter,  1  shall  try  to 
give  the  latest  telegraphic  news  of  the  day,  as 
fully  as  it  is  given  by  any  in  the  territory." 

The  man  who  took  upon  his  shoulders  this 
great  task  was  Eldridge  Morse,  who  is  still  a 
resident  of  the  county.  He  was  assisted  during 
the  first  months  by  Dr.  A.  C.  Folsom,  whose  life 
story  is  briefly  told  in  another  portion  of  this 
volume.  Morse  and  Folsom  were  the  pioneer 
professional  men  of  Snohomish,  the  one  being  a 
lawyer,  the  other  a  practitioner  of  medicine. 
Both  were  possessed  of  more  general  culture  and 
literary  and  scientific  knowledge  than  perhaps 
any  other  men  in  the  county  at  the  time,  and 
more  than  one  would  expect  to  find  among 
pioneers  of  a  logging  village  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest  primeval. 

With  men  of  such  resources  at  the  head  of 
the  Star,  things  were  accomplished  which  under 
other  conditions  would  have  been  impossibilities. 
The  paper  fulfilled  all  of  its  editor's  promises. 
It  did  much  more.  It  published  original  descrip- 
tive articles  about  the  various  points  of  interest 
and  various  enterprises  established  around  the 
sound  country.  Its  columns  were  ever  open  to 
almost  any  writer  who  had  anything  inoffensive 
to  say.  Its  eight  large  pages  were  always  well 
filled  with  telegraphic  and  local  news,  scientific 
articles,  religious  discussions,  etc.,  etc.,  and  its 
files  give  as  vivid  and  perfect  a  picture  of  the  life 
of  its  community  and  the  sound  during  the  period 
of  its  existence  as  it  is  possible  for  cold  print  to 
convey.  The  intellectual  contests,  literary  aspira- 
tions, social  life,  political  battles,  and  industrial 
achievements  of  the  early  days — -all  are  portrayed 
with  great  ininuteness  and  fidelity  to  truth.  The 
few  remaining  copies  of  this  old,  pioneer  paper 
should  be  preserved  as  a  treasure  in  a  fire  proof 
vault,  for  the  sake  of  the  light  they  cast  upon 
a  most  interesting  period  in  the  history  of  Snoho- 
mish county  and  the  sound. 

The  effect  of  this  paper  upon  the  settlement 
and  development  of  the  country  cannot  be  esti- 
mated at  this  late  date.  It  is  safe  to  assume, 
however,  that  the  Star  itself  did  not  vary  from 
the  truth  when  it  claimed  that  its  descriptions 
were  always  considered  authoritative  by  the 
press  and  people  of  the  territory;  that  business 
men  had  been  guided  by  its  suggestions  in  their 
investments;  that  its  accounts  of  the  resources 
of  the  .Skagit,  Stillaguamish  and  Nooksack 
valleys  induced  the  permanent  establishment 
of  direct  and  regular  stream  communication 
between  those  sections  and  the  older  business 
centers    of   the    sound,    and    that   of    the    great 


number  of  people  it  had  induced  to  make  Wash- 
ington territory  their  home,  none  had  ever  com- 
plained that  its  descriptions  had  misled  and 
deceived  them,  but  that  on  the  contrary  they 
united  in  testifying  that  they  had  been  assisted 
by  the  information  furnished,  so  they  knew  at 
once  what  to  do  when  they  arrived. 

One  noticeable  feature  about  the  Star  is  that 
it  more  than  almost  any  other  paper  of  its  time 
of  which  the  writer  has  knowledge,  avoided  undue 
virulence  in  its  utterances  and  everything  like 
personal  abuse.  When,  however,  it  was  forced  to 
measure  swords  with  its  rivals  in  the  journalistic 
field,  it  did  so  with  spirit  and  skill,  and  when  in 
May,  1879,  it  decided  to  suspend  publication,  it 
could  truthfully  say:  "The  Star's  record  has 
been  fair  and  honorable.  It  has  compelled 
respect  from  its  enemies.  It  has  silenced  the 
voice  of  ridicule.  Of  all  its  numerous  rivals  and 
former  enemies,  not  one  is  left  in  a  situation  to 
boast  of  his  attacks,  or  to  rejoice  at  its  downfall. 
Its  course  has  been  such  as  to  convert  most  of  its 
enemies  into  sympathizing  friends  and  well- 
wishers  for  its  prosperity.  There  are  few  even 
of  those  who  have  wished  it  ill  but  will  be  sorry 
for  its  departure,  while  thousands  of  friends 
will  miss  it  as  their  trusted  representative." 

Perhaps  this  is  as  good  a  place  as  any  to  give 
a  brief  outline  of  the  career  of  the  man  who 
stood  at  the  helm  of  the  Star  during  the  three 
years  and  more  of  its  existence,  and  by  the 
power  of  whose  personality  it  was  what  it  was. 
Eldridge  Morse  was  born  in  Wallingford,  Con- 
necticut, April  14,  1847.  His  family  was  of 
Puritan  stock,  one  of  his  ancestors,  John  Moss 
(the  name  was  spelled  Moss  originally),  having 
come  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Massachu- 
setts. Moss,  the  pioneer  American  geographer, 
and  S.  F.  B.  Morse,  the  inventor  of  the  tele- 
graph, were  among  his  descendants. 

Eldridge  Morse  received  his  early  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town.  Being 
raised  upon  a  fruit  and  vegetable  farm,  he 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  market  gardening  and 
intensive  farmmg,  and  this  has  been  his  most 
constant  pursuit  since,  though  he  has  been 
engaged  in  several  others  at  difjerent  times. 

Being  only  fourteen  years  old  the  day  Fort 
Sumter  fell,  he  did  not  have  part  in  the  heavy 
fighting  of  the  Civil  War,  though  on  the  Gth  of 
April,  18(5."),  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  Battalion 
of  Engineer  Troops,  U.  S.  Regular  Army,  and 
for  three  years  thereafter  he  served  as  a  soldier, 
acquiring  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  theory 
and  art  of  war.  He  had  inherited  a  taste  for 
the  military,  both  his  maternal  and  his  paternal 
ancestors  for  hundreds  of  years  back  having 
been  soldiers  in  France,  England  and  America, 
rendering  faithful  and  efficient  service  in  their 
day  and  generation.  He  served  in  Virginia, 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  New  York  harbor,  and 
was  finally  discharged  in  California,  after  which 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


he  returned  to  Wallingford.  He  regrets  that 
he  did  not  enter  Yale  College  at  this  time. 
What  he  did  do  was  to  move  westward  to  Albia, 
Iowa,  where  he  taught  school  and  followed  other 
occupations,  meanwhile  studying  law.  In  April, 
1869,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Iowa  bar,  and  next 
year  he  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws 
from  Michigan  University,  where  he  studied  not 
only  law  but  medicine  and  the  science  of  geology. 

In  May,  1870,  Mr.  Morse  opened  a  law  office 
at  Albia,  Iowa,  in  partnership  with  Judge  W.  P. 
Hammond.  It  was  there  on  the  2Gth  of  April, 
1871,  that  he  was  first  married,  the  lady  being 
Martha  A.  Turner.  His  eldest  son,  Edward  C, 
who  is  now  a  metalurgist  and  mining  engineer 
of  note  in  Alaska,  was  born  there  April  1,  1872. 

In  September,  1872,  Eldridge  Morse  set  out 
for  the  Puget  sound  country,  coming  by  way  of 
San  Francisco.  He  reached  Snohomish  October 
26,  1872,  and  his  home  has  been  in  Snohomish 
county  ever  since.  In  1873  he,  with  E.  C.  Fer- 
guson, W.  H.  Ward,  Dr.  A.  C.  Folsom  and 
others,  organized  the  Snohomish  Atheneum,  the 
first  literary  and  scientific  society  in  the  county. 
A  year  or  so  later  the  Snohomish  County  Agri- 
cultural Society  was  organized.  Much  of  the 
labor  of  organizing  and  sustaining  these  and 
other  societies  fell  upon  Mr.  Morse,  who, 
between  1873  and  1877,  with  the  help  of  his  asso- 
ciates, raised  thousands  of  dollars  for  public  pur- 
poses. By  1875  the  museum  and  scientific 
library  of  the  Atheneum  v/ere  the  best  in  the 
territory,  but  the  hard  times  of  1877,  by  destroy- 
ing all  the  "public  spirit"  of  the  community, 
resulted  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Atheneum,  the 
agricultural  society  and  other  public  institutions 
in  which  Morse  was  deeply  interested. 

For  a  number  of  years  after  the  suspension  of 
the  Star,  Morse  devoted  himself  to  travel  and 
investigation.  In  1881,  he  furnished  H.  H.  Ban- 
croft, of  San  Francisco,  for  his  series  of  Pacific 
Coast  histories,  three  thousand  five  hundred  pages 
of  manuscript.  From  1883  to  1887  S.  H.  Piles, 
now  United  States  senator,  and  Morse  did  most 
of  the  law  business  of  Snohomish  county,  usually 
being  on  opposite  sides  in  contested  cases.  In 
18S4,  Morse  prepared  a  special  report  upon  all 
the  tide  marsh  lands  of  the  territory  for  the 
Department  of  Agriculture,  which  was  so  highly 
pleasing  to  Hon.  B.  Loring,  United  States  Com- 
missioner of  Agriculture,  that  he  paid  double  the 
agreed  price  for  it.  Beginning  in  the  year  1889, 
Morse  wrote  for  the  Eye  a  series  of  articles  on 
the  history  and  resources  of  Snohomish  county 
and  the  sound  country  generally.  He  says  that 
his  article  of  this  series  on  the  Clyde  river 
improvement  and  its  lesson  for  Snohomish 
county  attracted  the  attention  of  Henry  Hewitt, 
Jr.,  and  resulted  in  the  founding  of  Everett. 
Later  the  Everett  Land  Company  requested 
Morse  to  write  the  substance  of  that  article  for 
use   as  a  foundation   upon   which   to   base   their 


application  for  twenty  thousand  dollars  for 
Everett  harbor  improvements.  He  did  so  and 
the  appropriation  was  speedily  secured. 

Retiring  from  the  practice  of  law  in  the  latter 
eighties,  Mr.  Morse  devoted  himself  to  agricul- 
ture and  by  1892  he  had  a  valuable  farm.  This, 
however,  he  lost  during  the  hard  times,  for  those 
were  times  when  a  very  little  debt  would  fre- 
quently carry  oflf  a  very  large  property.  He  has 
not  been  able  since  to  recover  himself  financially 
and  at  the  present  time  he  is  not  the  owner  of 
very  much  property,  aside  from  his  library  and 
manuscripts.  His  third  wife  died  in  1900,  leav- 
ing him  with  five  small  children,  whom  he 
supports  by  raising  and  selling  vegetables. 

Eldridge  Morse  is  one  of  the  unusual  char- 
acters of  whom  Snohomish  county  has  had  a 
goodly  share.  His  overmastering  passion  for 
the  acquisition  of  general  knowledge  has  pre- 
vented his  putting  the  concentrated  effort  into 
any  one  thing  which  would  have  enabled  him 
to  win  what  the  world  would  esteem  success. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  been  an  exceed- 
ingly voluminous  reader  and  his  readings  have 
taken  a  very  wide  range.  From  his  tenth  year 
he  has  spent  several  hours  a  day  devouring  the 
contents  of  books.  Before  entering  the  army  he 
read  hundreds  of  volumes  of  theological,  historic 
and  biographical  literature.  In  the  army  he 
read  military  histories,  medical  text  books,  works 
on  military  engineering,  army  tactics,  etc.,  as  well 
as  treatises  on  geology  and  other  branches  of 
science.  In  later  years  he  attacked  the  Encyclo- 
pedia Britannica,  but  found  it  unprofitable  read- 
ing in  his  stage  of  mental  development,  so  laid 
it  aside  for  Chambers'  Cyclopedia,  Appleton's 
Cyclopedia  of  American  Biography  and  other 
works,  after  a  perusal  of  which  he  again  took  it 
up  and  read  it  through  twice,  making  full  notes 
on  its  contents.  He  has  devoted  much  time  to 
the  reading  of  books  which  are  usually  used  for 
reference  only,  such  as  government  reports  on 
geological  surveys,  army  reports,  etc.  Being 
possessed  of  a  marvelous  memory,  he  has  very 
much  of  the  information  thus  acquired  at  his 
tongue's  end  and  he  can  discourse  entertainingly 
for  hours  on  any  subject,  clothing  his  thoughts 
in  English  of  almost  classical  purity  and  vigor. 


After  the  suspension  of  the  Star  in  1879,  the 
city  of  Snohomish  was  without  a  paper  until 
January  11,  1882,  when  the  first  issue  of  the  Eye 
appeared.  It  came  partly  in  response  to  the 
encouragement  lent  such  enterprises  in  timbered 
areas  by  the  law  requiring  notices  of  final  proof 
upon  timber  land  to  be  published  in  the  paper 
nearest  to  the  tract  sought  to  be  purchased.  It 
was  a  four-page,  four-column  weekly,  not  much 
larger  than  as  many  pages  out  of  a  large  quarto 
volume,  but  it  was  all  the  advertising  patronage 


THE    PRESS 


justified.       Its  founders  and  editors  were   H.  F. 
Jackson  and  C.  H.  Packard. 

In  their  salutatory  address,  these  gentlemen 
said:  "We  do  not  intend  to  apologize  for  the 
publication  of  the  Eye — even  if  it  is  not  at  first  so 
large  as  the  New  York  Herald  or  the  London 
Times — for  it  is  but  the  natural  result  of  the 
increasing  demands  of  our  people  for  a  live 
county  paper.  If  we  do  not  succeed  in  supply- 
ing those  demands  in  a  manner  that  is  acceptable 
to  each  and  every  one,  it  will  not  be  our  fault. 
As  it  is  impossible  to  please  all,  we  will  try  to 
please  ourselves.  An  article  may  receive  the 
approbation  of  a  whole  community,  with  but  one 
exception,  and  that  one  will  rave  and  tear  around 
and  call  us  idiots,  simply  because  we  happen  to 
write  or  copy  from  an  exchange  something  that 
does  not  just  suit  his  esthetic  tastes.  That's  all 
right.      We  expect  as  much. 

"We  did  not  start  this  enterprise  because 
time  hung  heavily  on  our  hands,  nor  for  the 
glory  that  is  said  to  permeate  the  atmosphere 
surrounding  a  country  newspaper  office,  but  to 
make  a  paying  success  of  it  to  our  patrons, 
advertisers  and  ourselves. 

"We  will  spare  our  readers  the  usual  lengthy 
program  of  what  we  intend  to  do  as  a  moulder 
of  public  opinion.  But,  before  proceeding  further, 
it  will  be  well  to  remark  parenthetically  that 
in  all  questions  which  may  come  up,  politi- 
cal and  otherwise,  we  will  be  independent  (not 
neutral),  impartial  and  truthful. 

"The  Eye  will  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the 
best  interests  and  pleasures  of  the  people  of  the 
territory  in  general  and  of  this  county  in  partic- 
ular, and  we  will  endeavor  to  lay  before  our 
readers,  in  a  newsy  and  readable  manner,  all 
matter  of  general  interest.  Its  columns  are  open 
to  all  who  couch  their  communications  in  re- 
spectful language,  and  avoid  personalities. 

"Thanking  our  friends  and  patrons,  who  have 
contributed  beyond  our  expectations  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  enterprise,  and  with  the  earnest  hope 
they  will  not  be  disappointed,  we  submit  number 
1,  volume  1,  of  the  Eye  for  inspection,  and  will 
with  modest  blushes  listen  respectfully  to  the 
compliments  and  comments  expected  to  flow  in 
return  from  advertisers,  subscribers  and  ex- 
changes." 

]Modest  in  its  pretensions  at  first,  the  paper 
steadily  improved  in  size  and  influence.  In 
1883,  it  was  increased  to  a  five-column  folio  with 
the  length  of  columns  considerably  extended. 
Two  years  later  the  columns  were  again  in- 
creased in  length  and  two  more  added,  making 
the  paper  decidedly  larger  than  it  had  been  and 
more  than  twice  the  size  of  its  first  number. 
In  July,  ]S!)1,  the  most  important  advance  of  all 
was  made,  a  tri-weekly  edition  being  commenced, 
which  was  delivered  in  Snohomish  by  carriers. 
Subscription  rates  were  five  dollars  per  annum. 

The  Eye  was  issued    by  Jackson   &   Packard 


until  January  17,  1883,  when  Mr.  Jackson  retired. 
About  the  same  time  C.  A.  Missimer  became 
interested  in  the  paper,  and  his  connection  with 
it  lasted  until  May,  1884,  at  which  time  the 
partnership  was  dissolved  and  C.  H.  Packard 
became  sole  proprietor.  A  little  later  Charles 
F.  Packard  bought  an  interest,  which  he 
retained  for  a  year,  selling  then  to  his  brother, 
the  senior  partner  of  the  firm.  George  E. 
McDonald  was  prominently  connected  with  the 
paper  in  lS!)l-2-3,  but  not  as  owner,  or  part 
owner.  The  Eye  suspended  publication  in  1897, 
and  the  young  man  who  had  been  editor  for 
fifteen  and  a  half  years  gave  his  attention  to 
mining  in  the  Cascades,  though  not  deserting 
the  newspaper  business  entirely. 

During  all  the  years  of  its  existence  the  Eye 
was  a  valiant  advocate  of  clean  politics,  and  very 
outspoken  in  its  condemnation  of  corruption  in 
public  officials.  Its  editor  was  a  true  and  ardent 
friend  of  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  best 
interests  of  Snohomish  City  and  county.  The 
files  of  this  old  paper  are  indeed  valuable  for  the 
interesting  side-lights  they  throw  upon  the 
developments,  the  current  happenings  and  the 
political  squabbles  and  campaigns  which  go  to 
make  up  the  history  of  Snohomish  county. 

SNOHOMISH    TRIBUNE 

The  predecessor  of  the  Tribune,  the  Snoho- 
mish Sun,  was  started  in  the  summer  of  1888, 
by  the  Sun  Publishing  Company,  with  George 
W.  Head  as  manager.  It  must  have  received 
great  encouragement  as  a  weekly,  for  on  July  5, 
1889,  when  it  was  little  more  than  a  year  old,  it 
announced  that  in  about  two  weeks  the  first  issue 
of  the  Daily  Sun  would  appear.  "It  will,"  said 
the  announcement,  "in  every  way  be  a  first  class 
journal,  containing  the  telegraphic  despatches 
up  to  within  a  few  minutes  of  going  to  press. 
Nothing  will  be  left  undone  to  make  the  editorial 
and  local  departments  of  the  Daily  Sun  spicy, 
interesting  and  instructive.  We  can  say  without 
egotism,  that,  considering  all  things,  this  is  the 
greatest  undertaking  in  the  history  of  the  county 
and  the  results  that  will  follow  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. A  brand  new  job  plant,  costing 
several  thousands  of  dollars  has  been  ordered,  and 
will,  in  a  few  days,  be  in  a  position  to  turn  out  any 
kind  of  work  brought  to  us.  The  first  issue  of  the 
Daily  Sun  will  be  a  large  one,  and  will  be  distrib- 
uted free  to  every  home  in  and  around  the  city." 

No  one  conversant  with  the  situation  would 
deny  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking,  yet 
though  the  daily  did  not  appear  quite  as  soon  as 
was  expected,  it  did  appear,  and  continued  to 
make  its  appearance  regularly  for  several  years. 
A  weekly  was  also  published. 

In  March,  1891,  the  Sun  Publishing  Company 
sold  to  Mussetter  Brothers,  the  plant,  patronage 
and  good  will  of  their  paper,  and  the  purchasers 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


announced  that  while  they  would  always  con- 
tribute their  mite  to  the  furthering  of  the  inter- 
ests of  the  commonwealth,  their  primary  aim 
would  be  to  advance  Snohomish  county  first, 
knowing  that  their  own  prosperity  was  the 
natural  sequence  of  the  prosperity  of  the  county 
of  their  adoption. 

No  more  eloquent  commentary  on  the  abound- 
ing prosperity  of  city  and  county  could  be 
found,  than  the  fact  that  the  daily  was  not  only 
able  to  sustain  itself,  but  in  May,  1891,  to 
increase  its  size  to  eight  pages. 

"A  resident  of  Snohomish  .  can  truthfully 
assert,"  said  the  paper  itself,  "that  it  is  the 
only  city  in  the  United  States  with  a  population 
of  three  thousand  that  has  an  eight-page  daily 
paper  in  which  all  but  three  of  the  advertise- 
ments are  contracted  for  by  the  year." 

But  the  overflowing  prosperity  of  the  county, 
due  to  the  inception  and  progress  of  railroad 
building,  could  not  contintie  always  and  the  Sun 
was  eventually  compelled  to  content  itself  with 
a  tri-weekly  instead  of  a  daily  edition,  the 
weekly,  of  course,  being  continued  as  formerly. 
Late  in  July,  1892«  the  Sun  plant  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Ed.  E.  Warner,  whose  first  issue 
appeared  August  2d.  The  politics  of  the  paper, 
which  had  always  been  Republican,  remained 
unchanged,  but  the  name  Tribune  was  substi- 
tuted for  Sun,  and  by  that  name  the  paper  has 
ever  since  been  known.  With  the  change  of 
ownership  came  no  change  in  editorial  control, 
George  W.  Head  remaining  in  charge  as  for- 
merly. 

March  14,  1S93,  Head  and  M.  J.  Hartnett 
assumed  control,  but  about  the  first  of  the 
ensuing  July,  the  connection  of  the  former  with 
the  Tribune  ceased  entirely,  and  Hartnett  became 
soliciting  agent  for  the  owner,  Ed.  E.  Warner. 

Gorham  &  Clemans  purchased  the  paper 
October  21st  of  the  same  year,  and  from  that 
date  until  1896,  the  year  of  the  strenuous  free 
silver  campaign,  the  two  continued  to  edit  it 
jointly.  Then,  however,  joint-editorship  became 
no  longer  possible;  as  Mr.  Clemans  identified 
himself  with  the  advocates  of  free  coinage,  while 
Mr.  Gorham  supported  the  St.  Louis  platform  in 
its  entirety,  gold  standard  plank  and  all. 

It  became  necessary  for  Mr.  Gorham  to 
assume  the  entire  editorial  management  of  the 
paper,  while  Mr.  Clemans,  though  retaining  his 
interest,  devoted  himself  to  mining  matters. 
Their  partnership  was  finally  dissolved  in  Sep- 
tember, 1S98,  when  C.  W.  Gorham  became  sole 
proprietor. 

The  next  change  of  management  came  in 
1899.  Mr.  Gorham  announced  in  the  issue  of 
July  28th  that  he  had  sold  the  paper  to  W.  H. 
Dopp  and  Richard  Buschell,  Jr.,  of  Seattle,  and 
that  with  feelings  of  mingled  pain  and  pleasure 
he  would  bid  farewell  to  journalism  for  a  time  at 
least.     But  in  the  Tribune  of  November  9,  1900, 


his  name  again  appears  at  the  head  of  the 
editorial  column,  and  he  continued  in  full  charge 
until  the  duties  of  the  office  of  state  printer,  to 
which  he  was  elected  in  November,  1904,  made 
it  necessary  for  him  to  withdraw.  He  is  still 
owner  of  the  paper,  but  has  entrusted  the  local 
management  to  J.  F.  Seaman.  Mr.  Gorham  is 
also  proprietor  of  the  Index  Miner,  a  paper 
devoted  especially  to  the  mineral  interests  of  the 
Cascades. 

EVERETT    DAILY    HERALD 

As  is  the  case  with  so  many  successful  news- 
papers, the  story  of  the  Herald  is  a  tale  of  the 
survival  of  the  fittest,  for  it  has  been  built  upon 
the  ruins  of  other  aspiring  but  not  entirely  suc- 
cessful journals.  In  perhaps  no  other  line  of 
business  is  this  merger  process  more  marked  than 
in  journalism  for  many  good  reasons  patent  to 
every  able  newspaper  man  and  not  necessary  to 
here  discuss. 

In  the  fall  of  1891,  W.  B.  Shay,  formerly 
owner  and  publisher  of  the  Marysville  Leader, 
came  to  Snohomish  City  during  the  lively  period 
in  that  town  just  preceding  the  Everett  boom, 
and  commenced  the  publication  of  the  Snoho- 
mish Republican.  The  following  year,  j\Iarch 
8d,  J.  W.  Frame  established  the  Democrat,  on 
the  ruins  of  the  Republican  and  for  some  months 
devoted  himself  personally  to  its  publication. 
However,  the  next  February,  Representative 
Frame  turned  the  management  over  to  Major  B. 
F.  Smythe  and  a  little  while  afterward  the  plant 
was  leased  to  Smythe  and  Charles  Morath. 
About  the  same  time  that  the  Republican  came 
into  existence,  J.  W.  Gunn  issued  the  first 
number  of  the  Independent  at  Snohomish.  Both 
papers  remained  at  Snohomish  only  a  compar- 
atively few  years,  removing  one  after  the  other 
to  the  growing  city  of  Everett.  A  merger  soon 
followed,  the  new  paper  coming  out  as  the  Inde- 
pendent, which  became  a  very  substantial  and 
able  journal,  though  the  succeeding  years  were 
dark  ones  in  Everett's  history  and  the  life  of  a 
newspaper  was  more  uncertain  than  the  weather. 

Then  came  the  Everett  Daily  Herald,  S.  A. 
Perkins,  the  Tacoma  syndicate  man,  publisher, 
and  S.  E.  Wharton,  now  of  the  Everett  Morning 
Tribune,  editor.  This  new  bidder  for  the  favor 
of  the  public  absorbed  the  old  Independent,  thus 
ending  the  career  of  that  sheet.  The  first  num- 
ber of  the  Daily  Herald  appeared  Monday, 
February  11,  1901,  and  the  first  issue  of  the 
weekly,  February  Ki,  1901.  At  one  jump  Everett 
secured  a  cosmopolitan  paper  of  eight  pages 
and  with  excellent  press  service.  The  Herald 
offices  were  at  281 G  Rucker  avenue,  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  business  district  of  the  city. 
Everett  was  then  enjoying  its  second  especially 
prosperous  period  and  in  the  marked  revival 
following   the  years  of   depression   the   Herald 


THE   PRESS 


437 


secured  its  full  share  of  business.  In  June,  1903, 
F.  E.  Wyman,  formerly  of  Duluth,  assumed  the 
editorial  management  of  the  Herald,  and  under 
his  able,  reliable  guidance  the  Herald  continued 
its  forward  movement.  September  1,  1905,  a 
syndicate  of  Everett  business  men  at  the  head  of 
which  was  James  B.  Best,  who  had  been  business 
manager  of  the  Herald  for  some  time  previously, 
organized  the  Daily  Herald  Company  and  pur- 
chased the  property  from  Mr.  Perkins.  The 
purchase  included  a  handsome  steel  and  pressed 
brick  building,  erected  in  1903  at  the  corner  of 
Colby  avenue  and  Wall  street,  costing  $2.j,()()0, 
which  is  occupied  by  the  Herald  and  Tribune 
offices.  j\Ir.  Best  was  elected  president  and 
manager  of  the  new  company  and  Thomas  J. 
Dillon,  formerly  with  the  St.  Paul  Globe,  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Wyman  as  editor. 

In  addition  to  the  substantial  home  occupied 
by  the  Herald,  said  to  be  the  first  newspaper  on 
Puget  sound  to  have  erected  its  own  building, 
the  company  possesses  one  of  the  most  complete 
plants  in  the  state,  though  it  is  exceeded  in  size 
by  a  few  others.  It  includes  a  battery  of  three 
linotypes,  a  double  feed  Dispatch  news  press, 
and  a  new  Miehle  book  press,  costing  three  thou- 
sand dollars,  the  finest  type  of  book  press 
manufactured.  The  Herald  owns  the  franchise 
in  Everett  for  the  evening  service  of  the  Asso- 
ciated Press  and  with  the  Post-Intelligeucer,  of 
Seattle,  controls  the  morning  franchise.  In 
July,  1905,  the  sworn  circulation  of  the  daily  was 
given  by  the  publishers  at  four  thousand  two 
hundred  and  fifty,  which  speaks  highly  of  the 
rapid  strides  this  journal  has  made  during  its 
short  existence  and  is  a  fine  testimonial  to  its 
popularity.  Since  its  inception  the  Herald  has 
been  a  staunch  advocate  of  Republicanism. 

THE    MOKMNG    TRIBUNE 

Everett's  morning  daily  is  the  Tribune,  S.  E. 
Wharton  editor,  published  by  the  Morning 
Tribune  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Wharton  is 
president  and  W.  R.  Connor,  vice-president  and 
manager,  E.  E.  Perry  acting  as  secretary.  It 
is  an  eight-page  sheet,  issued  every  day  in  the 
week  except  Monday,  using  a  private  telegraphic 
press  service  from  the  main  news  centers  of  the 
West,  and  affording  a  local  service  such  as  one 
might  expect  to  find  in  a  daily  with  such  a  field 
around  it.  Politically,  the  Tribune  is  Repub- 
lican. 

The  Tribune  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  old 
Evening  Record,  established  in  the  fall  of  1900 
as  the  successor  of  the  Everett  Times,  one  of 
the  city's  trio  of  pioneer  journals,  the  others 
being  the  old  Herald  and  the  News.  Thus,  in  this 
way,  the  Tribune  may  trace  back  its  lineage  to 
the  year  1891,  in  December,  when  the  bay  side 
district  of  Everett  did  not  have  half  a  dozen 
business  houses  on  it.     The  history  of  the  Times 


is  given  elsewhere  in  this  chapter.  B.  F.  Sher- 
wood, receiver  of  the  Record,  sold  the  property  at 
receiver's  sale,  June  17,  1905,  to  S.  E.  Wharton, 
formerly  editor  of  the  Daily  Herald.  Mr.  Whar- 
ton changed  the  name  to  the  Morning  Tribune 
upon  resumption  of  publication  of  the  paper 
after  fire  had  seriously  damaged  the  plant,  July 
4th.  At  that  time  the  Record  was  being  pub- 
lished in  the  basement  of  the  Colby  building  on 
Hewitt  avenue.  From  the  Colby  block  the  new 
Tribune  went  into  the  Herald  building,  where  it 
is  still  located,  occupying  handsome,  commodious 
quarters  in  this  fine  block.  October  1,  1905,  the 
Morning  Tribune  Company  was  incorporated 
with  S.  E.  Wharton  as  president  as  heretofore 
stated. 

The  Tribune  leases  the  linotype  machines  and 
press  of  the  Herald  at  night,  but  has  its  own 
composing  rooms.  A  private  news  service  from 
the  various  large  centers  of  the  West  furnishes 
the  most  important  news  to  its  subscribers,  while 
the  local  field  is  closely  covered.  Sundays  from 
twelve  to  sixteen  pages  are  issued.  The  ener- 
getic, skilful  policy  adopted  by  the  management 
is  bearing  fruit  for  the  advertising  and  subscrip- 
tion patronage  is  steadily  increasing. 

THE    LABOR    JOURNAL 

The  official  paper  of  the  Everett  Trades 
Council  and  the  successor  of  one  of  the  city's 
oldest  newspapers  is  the  journal  whose  name 
forms  the  caption  of  this  review.  The  Everett 
News  was  founded  by  J.  W.  Connella  at  Swal- 
well's  Landing,  toward  the  close  of  the  year  1890, 
and  early  attained  the  reputation  of  being  an 
able  newspaper  devoted  to  the  upbuilding  of  the 
new  metropolis  on  the  sound.  Mr.  Connella 
remained  the  leading  spirit  of  the  journal  for 
many  years.  The  present  News  Publishing 
Company  is  owned  by  A.  J.  Morrow;  the  editor 
of  the  Journal  being  M.  W.  Sills,  who  is  also 
president  of  the  Trades  Council.  The  Journal 
appears  every  Thursday  and  is  published  in  com- 
modious offices  in  the  Greenberg  block,  2902 
Wetmore  avenue.  The  usual  size  of  the  Journal 
is  a  six-column  folio  and,  as  might  be  expected, 
its  typographical  work  is  of  an  exceptionally 
high  standard. 

ARLINGTON    TIMES 

The  Arlington  Times,  which  on  the  1 5th  of 
July  last  issued  the  thirty-eighth  number  in  its 
sixteenth  volume,  was  founded  at  Stanwood  as 
the  Stillaguamish  Times,  by  George  Morrill,  who 
moved  to  Haller  City  in  1890.  From  that  date 
until  1894  it  was  published  under  the  name  of  the 
Haller  City  Times.  Early  in  its  career  it  bought 
out  the  Star,  the  pioneer  paper  of  Arlington, 
thus  acquiring  for  its  own  the  entire  field  of  the 
upper  Stillaguamish.     In  1894,  it  was  purchased 


438 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


by  C.  L.  Marsh,  who  has  ever  since  been  its 
proprietor  and  publisher. 

When  the  Times  moved  to  the  Forks,  that 
region  was  in  its  infancy,  and  for  a  brief  period, 
the  paper  had  to  content  itself  with  the  shelter 
of  a  tent.  It  antedated  the  Star,  the  pioneer 
paper  of  Arlington  proper,  of  which  the  well- 
known  newspaper  man,  George  W.  Frame,  was 
one  of  the  moving  spirits.  Its  files  contain  a 
practically  complete  record  of  the  upper  Still- 
aguamish  country  from  the  advent  of  the  railroad 
to  the  present  time.  It  has  chronicled  the 
various  happenings  among  the  pioneer  citizens; 
their  successes  and  failures,  the  accidents  which 
befell  them,  their  social  pleasures,  the  births, 
deaths  and  marriages  among  them,  etc.,  etc. 
Even  the  history  which  was  made  before  its 
advent  has  been  quite  fully  preserved  by  the 
publication  of  reminiscences  from  the  pens  of 
the  oldest  residents  and  by  reporting  the  pro- 
ceedings of  pioneer  reunions  and  the  like. 

Thoroughly  familiar  with  the  past  of  his 
town  and  section,  familiar  also  with  its  great 
resources,  developed  and  undeveloped,  and  in 
close  sympathy  with  the  genius  of  its  people, 
the  editor  of  the  Times  is  certainly  well  equipped 
for  the  duty  which  lies  nearest  his  hand,  while  a 
firm  faith  in  the  future  of  the  country  makes 
him  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  a  boldly  progres- 
sive policy  along  all  lines. 

MONROE    MONITOR 

The  pioneer  paper  of  the  thriving  town  of 
Monroe  is  the  Monitor,  a  four-page,  six-column 
weekly,  all  printed  at  home.  It  was  established 
January  14,  1898,  by  Major  B.  F.  Smith,  as  a 
four-page,  five-column  weekly.  About  a  year 
later  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  E.  C.  Bissell,  its 
present  proprietor  and  editor.  The  plant  is 
eqiiipped  with  a  Vaun's  Ideal  hand  press,  two  job 
presses,  an  abundant  stock  of  type,  etc.  The 
paper  is  loyally  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
Monroe  and  vicinity,  but  strives  to  be  duly  rep- 
resentative of  the  whole  county  and  to  give  its 
readers  a  synopsis  of  general  news.  In  politics, 
it  maintains  an  independent  stand. 

THE    WASHINGTON    TRANSCRIPT 

This  is  a  new  paper  recently  established  in 
Monroe,  but  its  founders  and  publishers,  G.  W. 
and  H.  P.  Head,  are  well  known  to  the  news- 
paper fraternity  of  Snohomish  county  and  the 
sound.  The  Transcript  is  an  eight-page,  six- 
column,  patent-inside  weekly,  Republican  in 
politics.  It  is  printed  in  large  clear  type  and 
presents  an  attractive  appearance.  Its  news 
columns  are  well  filled,  while  the  abundance  of 
advertising  which  adorns  its  pages  proclaims  its 
popularity  among  the  local  business  men  as  a 
medium  of  publicity. 


GRANITE  FALLS  POST 

Established  July  25.  1903,  by  Frank  Niles 
and  A.  R.  Moore  in  the  little  village  of  Granite 
Falls,  the  Post  in  the  short  time  that  has  elapsed 
since  that  date  has  made  a  most  excellent  record. 
It  has  kept  pace  with  the  progress  of  the  town 
and  has  taken  no  small  part  in  forwarding  that 
progress.  Its  columns  are  filled  with  news, 
alert,  ever  looking  toward  the  moral  and  com- 
mercial progress  of  the  community  and  its  adver- 
tising columns  indicate  that  it  is  strongly 
supported  by  the  people.  The  plant,  occupying  a 
building  by  itself  on  Main  street,  is  well 
equipped  for  a  country  office.  Politically,  the 
Post  is  independent.  Although  founded  by 
Niles  &  Moore,  the  enterprise  was  conducted  by 
Niles  alone,  by  Messner  Brothers  and  by  R.  G. 
Messner  successively  until  July,  1905,  when  the 
present  firm  composed  of  Frank  Niles  and  R. 
G.  Messner  took  it.  Mr.  Niles  has  charge  of  the 
editorial  department,  Mr.  Messner  of  the  me- 
chanical. Both  are  young  men  of  energy  and 
ability. 

INDEX    MINER 

C.  W.  Gorham  publishes  the  Miner,  now  in 
its  seventh  volume,  which  is  a  little  weekly 
reflecting  the  doings  of  the  community  and 
advertising  to  the  world  the  resources  possessed 
by  that  mining  and  lumber  center.  The  printing- 
is  done  at  Snohomish. 

STANWOOD  TIDINGS 

Of  several  newspapers  which  have  so  hope- 
fully aspired  to  permanence  at  Stanwood,  only 
the  Tidings  survives.  It  may,  indeed,  be  con- 
sidered the  successor  of  the  others. 

The  Times  was  Stanwood's  first  paper.  It 
was  founded  late  in  the  year  1SS9  by  George 
Morrill,  an  enterprising  young  man,  who  made 
of  it  a  bright,  influential  little  weekly.  About 
two  years  later.  Editor  Morrill  concluded  that 
the  newly  opened  Arlington  region  further  up 
the  Stillaguamish  ofi:'ered  better  business  advan- 
tages, so  removed  the  plant  to  that  point. 

In  the  fall  of  1890,  F.  S.  and  D wight  Stevens 
placed  another  paper  in  the  Stanwood  field  left 
vacant  by  the  removal  of  the  Times,  but  this 
journal  had  only  a  short  life,  though  a  life  by  no 
means  devoid  of  useful  accomplishment.  Then 
in  1897  the  Press  appeared,  and  for  several  years 
was  published  by  different  ones,  among  the  last 
being  O.  S.  Van  Olinda  in  1902.  But  it,  too, 
went  the  way  of  its  predecessors.  The  Post  was 
another  product  of  the  early  nineties. 

The  Tidings  appeared  about  June  1,  1903,  its 
founders  being  Lane  &  Clemens,  the  latter,  H.  A. 
Clemens,  acting  as  manager  and  editor.  Mr. 
Clemens  has  since  succeeded  to  the  entire  owner- 
ship of  the  paper.     The  columns  of  the  Tidings 


THE    PRESS 


reflect  graphically  the  enterprise  and  thrift  of 
the  community,  in  both  news  and  advertising 
departments,  while  the  typographical  work  is 
highly  meritorious.  In  size  the  Tidings  is  a  six- 
column  folio,  all  printed  at  home.  In  political 
complexion,  it  is  Republican.  The  plant  and 
office  occupy  a  comfortable  frame  building  on 
Main  street. 

THE  EDMONDS  REVIEW, 

an  eight-page,  five-column  weekly,  published  bv 
Mrs  M.  T.  B.  Hanna  and  edited  by  F.  H. 
Darling,  reflects  the  social  and  religious  life  in 
and  about  that  progressive  Snohomish  county 
town.  Two  features  make  the  Review  unique  in 
local  journalism,  the  fact  that  it  is  managed  by 
a  lady,  and  that  its  home  is  out  over  the  waters 
of  Puget  sound,  the  office  being  in  the  city  wharf 
building. 

The  Review  was  established  Friday,  August 
T),  1904,  by  Richard  Bushell,  Jr.  He  guided  its 
destinies  during  the  first  five  months,  until  it 
came  into  the  hands  of  its  present  publisher. 
Politically  the  Review  is  independent.  At  pres- 
ent the  mechanical  work  is  done  in  Everett, 
though  a  plant  will  doubtless  be  installed  at 
Edmonds  soon. 

THE  MARVSVILLE  GLOBE, 

the  sole  occupant  of  the  journalistic  field  in  the 
substantial  city  of  Marysville,  was  founded  by 
T.  B.  Hopp,  February  2,  18!)2,  and  since  that 
date  has  appeared  continuously.  Mr.  Hopp  dis- 
posed of  the  business  a  year  later  to  Steve 
Saunders,  who  guided  its  destinies  for  nearly 
eight  years,  the  most  discouraging  period  of  its 
life.  The  great  financial  panic  threatened  to 
end  its  existence  again  and  again,  but  still  its 
doughty  publisher  held  fast  until  at  last  pros- 
perity "dawned.  In  November,  1!)()1,  Richard 
Bushell,  Jr.,  arranged  to  purchase  the  plant,  but 
in  May,  1904,  withdrew  from  the  business,  being 
succeeded  by  Frank  Tallmau.  Mr.  Tallman 
remained  in  possession  of  his  lease  until  the  fol- 
lowing October,  when  it  was  turned  over  to  O. 
L.  Reynolds  and  George  D.  Reynolds.  Four 
months  later  the  latter  retired,  leaving  the  busi- 
ness in  sole  possession  of  Mr.  Anderson,  who  is 
still  editor  and  publisher.  He  was  formerly 
engaged  in  publishing,  and  came  to  Marysville 
from  Seattle.  In  addition  to  his  newspaper 
work  he  is  also  filling  the  pulpit  of  the  local 
Congregational  church.  In  the  hands  of  this 
experienced,  talented  man,  the  Globe  is  a  worthy 
paper,  editorially  as  well  as  typographically.  It 
is  ever  exercising  to  its  best  ability  those  func- 
tions peculiar  to  the  newspaper.  Politically  it 
is  independent,  though  from  its  birth  until 
recently  it  had  been  Republican. 

The  Globe  occupies  a  neat  office  on  the  main 


business  street  of  Marysville,  and  is  well 
equipped  with  presses,  type,  paper  cutter  and 
other  accessories  of  a  country  establishment. 
The  old  plant,  together  with  all  of  the  files,  was  • 
destroyed  by  fire,  excepting  two  forms  of  type, 
in  February,  1902. 

SULTAN  STAR 

Like  most  thrifty  towns  of  its  size,  Sultan  has 
its  hustling  weekly  newspaper,  in  this  case  the 
Star,  a  four-page  folio,  six  columns  wide.  John 
A.  Swett,  formerly  of  Snohomish  and  one  of  the 
county's  pioneers,  although  a  comparatively 
young  man,  established  the  Star,  September  1, 
1905.  Its  columns  are  newsy,  interesting  and 
wholly  devoted  to  portraying  the  life  of  the  sur- 
rounding community  and  to  promoting  the  best 
interests  of  Sultan  and  the  public  generally. 

EVERETT  TIMES 

Intimately  associated  with  the  history  of 
Everett  almost  from  its  earliest  beginnings,  and 
a  material  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  city  by 
the  sea,  was  the  Everett  Times.  For  nearly 
thirteen  years  it  reflected  the  life  of  this  com- 
munity, partook  of  its  successes  and  suffered  its 
reverses.  To  have  done  this,  considering  the 
vicissitudes  that  Everett  has  experienced  during 
its  fourteen  years  of  existence,  is  certainly  a 
somewhat  noteworthy  feat. 

While  yet  the  bay  side  portion  of  the  city  was 
simply  a  slashing  in  the  forest  with  few  streets 
marked  through  the  fields  of  stumps  and  brush, 
with  only  one  small  store,  a  postoifice  and  a  lodg- 
ing house,  and  these  all  in  one  rough  building, 
the  home  of  the  Times  was  erected  on  the  site 
by  permission  of  the  Everett  Land  Company. 
That  was  early  in  December,  1891,  before  the 
original  plat  of  Everett  was  thrown  open  to  the 
public.  In  Swal well's  three-month-old  town  on 
the  river,  two  newspapers  had  been  established  a 
little  earlier  in  the  fall,  the  News  and  the  Herald, 
but  the  Times  was  the  pioneer  of  the  bay  side. 
Its  first  number  appeared  Thursday,  December 
17,  1891,  and  was  in  every  way  an  unusually 
creditable  issue.  Its  publisher  was  the  Times 
Publishing  Company,  composed  of  W.  P.  Rice, 
president;  James  M.  Vernon,  vice-president, 
treasurer  and  manager;  S.  F.  Robinson,  secre- 
tary. Mr.  Vernon  was  practically  the  head  of 
the  enterprise,  as  he  was  both  editor  and  manager. 
He,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Rice,  had  come  to 
Everett  from  Port  Payne,  Alabama,  where  he 
had  been  publisher  and  editor  for  some  time  pre- 
vious of  the  Herald,  one  of  the  strongest  weeklies 
in  that  section  of  the  country.  In  his  salutatory, 
Editor  Vernon  announced  that  the  political  com- 
plexion of  his  journal  would  be  liberal  Republi- 
can, and  to  this  it  remained  true  until  the  end. 

Except    to    state  that  the  Times  was  always 


440 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


progressive,  of  unswerving  faith  in  the  destiny 
of  its  home  city,  aggressive,  able  and  public 
spirited,  we  shall  not  dwell  on  its  life  during  the 
next  ten  years.  In  February,  1901,  Mr.  Vernon 
relinquished  his  ownership  and  guidance  of  the 
Times  to  Bower  &  Lowton,  who  soon  after  began 
publishing  the  Daily  Times.  In  a  short  time, 
however,  they  leased  the  daily  paper  to  R.  A. 
Grant  and  several  associates,  who  changed  its 
name  to  the  Record.  Then  Paul  W.  Custer 
conducted  the  daily  for  a  brief  period.  Finally 
Hubbard  Hunt  and  Horace  Peters  secured  both 
the  Times  and  the  Record  properties  and  they 
continued  to  issue  the  Times  as  a  weekly  and  the 
Record  as  a  daily.  In  May,  1904,  however,  a 
new  policy  was  adopted  whereby  the  weekly 
was  discontinued,  thus  bringing  to  an  end  the 
career  of  that  pioneer  newspaper.  The  daily 
is  still  published,  under  the  name  of  the  Morning 
Tribune,  its  name  having  been  changed  recently. 
To  the  old  files  of  the  Times  we  are  indebted 
for  much  valuable  information  concerning  early 
days  in  Everett. 

EVERETT  HERALD  (Discontinued) 

Everett's  first  newspaper  was  known  as  the 
Herald  and  is  spoken  of  in  high  terms  by  those 
who  remember  this  pioneer  journal.  Its  publi- 
cation was  begun  at  Swalwell's  Landing,  Decem- 
ber 10,  1S91,  within  a  few  weeks  after  the  influx 
of  population  set  in,  by  James  M.  Bradley, 
formerly  of  Tacoma.  A.  B.  Bailey,  formerly 
with  the  Tacoma  Globe,  became  the  Herald's 
city  editor,  and  C.  H.  Boynton,  also  formerly 
with  the  Globe,  assumed  the  responsibilities  of 


the  business  management.  With  this  array  of 
talent  it  was  but  a  short  time  before  the  Herald 
climbed  to  a  high  position  among  its  contem- 
porary journals  of  the  state.  For  many  years  it 
was  Everett's  official  paper.  The  hard  times 
were  the  principal  cause  of  its  discontinuance 
about  1895. 

THE    EDJIONDS    CHRONICLE, 

which  was  discontinued  in  1S92,  upon  the  com- 
plete destruction  of  the  property  by  fire,  appeared 
first  in  the  spring  of  1890,  published  and  edited 
by  Hartnell  &  Lintz.  At  that  time  Edmonds 
was  enjoying  its  great  boom,  and  it  was  through 
the  activity  of  the  town-site  owners,  the  Minne- 
apolis Realty  &  Investment  Company,  that 
Hartnell  &  Lintz  were  led  to  enter  the  field  at 
that  point.  The  plant  occupied  a  handsome, 
substantial,  two-story  frame  building,  erected 
for  its  use  by  the  Realty  &  Investment  Company. 
During  the  two  years  of  its  existence,  the 
Chronicle  won  for  Messrs.  Hartnell  &  Lintz  a 
commendable  reputation  as  capable  newspaper 
men. 

Following  the  abandonment  of  the  Chronicle, 
came  the 


another  weekly,  whose  initial  number  appeared  in 
July,  1893.  J.  Hartson  Dowd  was  its  founder 
and  publisher.  However,  the  Lyre  could  not 
weather  the  financial  storm  of  that  period  and 
soon  sank  to  rise  no  more. 


CHAPTER  IV 


INDIANS   OF    SKAGIT    AND    SNOHOMISH    COUNTIES 


There  are  in  Skagit,  Snohomish  and  adjoining 
counties  five  small  Indian  reservations,  four  upon 
the  shore  of  the  sound  and  one  somewhat  inland, 
yet  so  near  the  coast  as  to  be  subject  to  essen- 
tially the  same  conditions.  The  leading  one  of 
these  reservations,  bsing  the  headquarters  for  the 
agency  and  its  schools,  as  well  as  being  the 
largest  both  in  area  and  population,  is  the  Tula- 
lip.  The  Tulalip  reservation  is  immediately 
north  of  Port  Gardner  bay,  its  entire  southern 
and  western  line  bordering  that  bay  and  the 
adjoining  portions  of  the  sound.  The  eastern 
line  of  the  reservation  just  reaches  the  city  of 
Marysville. 

The  Swinomish  reservation  occupies  the 
southeast  peninsula  of  Fidalgo  island,  separated 
from  the  town  of  La  Conner  by  the  Swinomish 
slough. 

The  Lummi  Indian  reservation  is  in  Wliatcom 
county  upon  the  peninsula  lying  between  Lummi 
bay  and  Bellingham  bay. 

The  Port  Madison  reservation  is  adjoining  the 
town  of  that  name  and  about  eighteen  miles  dis- 
tant from  Seattle.  It  was  at  this  reservation 
that  the  old  chief,  whose  name  is  now  preserved 
in  the  city  of  Seattle,  lived  and  died. 

The  fifth  of  these  reservations  is  a  very  small 
one  but  well  located,  being  in  the  heart  of  the 
fertile  White  river  valley  about  twenty-five  miles 
distant  from  Seattle.  This  reservation  is  known 
as  Muckleshoot. 

These  reservations,  though  some  of  them  are 
thus  outside  of  the  limits  of  Skagit  and  Snoho- 
mish counties,  all  center  in  the  principal  one  of 
the  number,  Tulalip,  and  therefore  for  purposes 
of  description  may  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the 
area  under  consideration. 

These  reservations  are  of  great  interest  to  the 
historical  student,  for  the  reason  that  they  origi- 
nated in  the  great  convention  held  at  Makilteo 
on  January  22,  1855.  This  great  meeting  was 
one  of  a  number  of  similar  gatherings  held  at 
different  places  throughout  the  territory  of 
Washington  by  Governor  Isaac  I.  Stevens  for  the 
purpose  of  negotiating  treaties  with  the  Indian 
tribes.  These  treaties  were  followed  in  many 
instances  by  desperate  wars  and  the  scattering  of 
some  of  the  tribes  and  the  breaking  up  in  some 
instances  of  the  treaty  limits  planned  by  Gov- 
ernor Stevens,  but  in  the  main  the  reservation 
limits  agreed  upon  in  those  various  great  con- 
ventions still  exist.      The  convention  at  Mukilteo 


was  held  with  the  D'  Wamish  and  allied  tribes  of 
Indians.  It  created  the  agency  and  sub-agencies 
of  Tulalip  and  by  its  terms  the  Indians  agreed 
to  relinquish  to  the  United  States  all  their  right 
to  the  lands  included  within  the  area  bounded  as 
follows:  Beginning  at  a  point  on  the  eastern 
side  of  Admiralty  inlet  known  as  Point  Puldy 
about  midway  between  Commencement  and 
Elliott  bays,  thence  eastwardly  to  the  summit  of 
the  Cascade  range  of  mountains,  thence  north- 
wardly along  the  summit  of  that  range  to  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  of  latitude,  thence  west 
along-  said  parallel  to  the  middle  of  the  Gulf  of 
Georgia,  thence  through  the  middle  of  said  gulf 
and  the  main  channel,  through  the  canal  De 
Haro  to  the  straits  of  Fuca,  crossing  the  same 
through  the  middle  of  Admiralty  inlet  to 
Suquamish  Head,  thence  in  a  general  course 
along  the  divide  between  Hood's  canal  and 
Admiralty  inlet  around  the  foot  of  Vashon  island 
eastwardly  to  the  place  of  beginning,  including 
all  the  islands  within  those  boundaries.  As  will 
be  seen  the  area  thus  outlined  embraces  practi- 
cally all  the  large  cities  of  the  sound  region  north 
of  Tacoma  and  is  of  a  prospective  value  beyond 
computation. 

The  government  on  its  part  agreed  to  estab- 
lish four  specified  reservations  of  the  five  now 
embraced  under  the  general  order  of  the  Tulalip 
agency.  It  stipulated  moreover  that  Tulalip 
should  be  made  the  location  of  an  agriculti:ral 
and  industrial  school  for  all  the  Indians  west  of 
the  Cascade  mountains,  a  school  which  was  to 
have  a  capacity  of  educating  a  thousand  Indian 
children.  ■  The  pledge  of  the  government  called 
for  the  equipment  of  this  school  within  a  year 
and  its  maintenance  for  at  least  twenty  years. 
It  is  a  rather  melancholy  reflection  upon  the 
carelessness  of  the  great  American  government 
in  dealing  with  Indians  that  this  school  was  not 
established  until  a  year  ago,  and  then  with  facili- 
ties for  only  seventy-five  children. 

The  devotion  of  missionaries  of  the  church, 
to  whose  oversight  this  group  of  reservations  was 
committed,  that  is,  the  Roman  Catholic,  has  been 
a  partial  substitute  for  the  failure  of  government. 
There  is,  in  fact,  in  connection  with  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Catholic  mission  schools,  a  most 
interesting  historical  record  to  preserve.  The 
St.  Paul  of  the  Catholic  church  in  Washington 
was  Father  Chirouse.  He  was  one  of  those 
devoted  men  who  forget  self  absolutely  in  their 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


desire  to  minister  to  the  needs  of  their  fellow 
men  and  to  carry  out  some  great  aim  of  their 
religious  order.  The  first  mission  of  this  self- 
sacrificing  priest  was  on  the  Yakima  in  1847. 
His  work  at  that  point  received  the  enthusiastic 
plaudits  of  Theodore  Winthrop,  author  of  that 
brilliant  book  "Canoe  and  Saddle."  Driven 
from  the  Yakima  by  the  Indian  war  of  1S55, 
Father  Chirouse  took  up  his  location  at  Olympia 
at  the  mission  of  the  Oblate  Fathers.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1S5T,  he,  in  company  with  Father 
Durieu,  went  to  Tulalip  and  started  a  mission 
school  with  five  girls  and  six  boys.  In  1858  they 
moved  to  the  point  which,  from  their  location, 
became  known  as  Priest  Point.  The  fine  orchard 
and  garden  which  they  there  established  became 
famous  throughout  the  country  at  that  early  time 
and  afforded  means  of  subsistence  for  many  of  the 
Indian  children  whom  they  gathered  there.  It 
may  be  remarked  in  passing  that  Priest  Point 
afterward  became  the  general  rendezvous  of 
all  the  loggers  of  the  Snohomish,  Skagit  and 
Stillaguamish  rivers.  In  18()4  the  mission  school 
was  removed  from  Priest  Point  to  its  present 
site  upon  Tulalip  bay,  where  it  became  known 
as  the  Mission  of  St.  Ann,  and  was  maintained 
until  July  1,  1901.  This  noble  work  of  the  good 
Catholic  fathers  has  kept  the  Tulalip  Indians 
from  entire  destitution  of  training,  and  it  is 
devoutly  to  be  hoped  that  the  government  will 
now  prove  true  to  its  plighted  faith  by  establish- 
ing at  once  such  institutions  as  may  fulfill  the 
promise  of  those  benevolent  schools  of  the 
fathers. 

Upon  the  closing  of  the  mission  school  a  small 
school  was  opened  under  government  control  in 
the  mission  building,  but  this  building  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  the  spring  of  1!)()2  and  the 
government  authorities  decided  to  abandon  the 
old  site  and  erect  a  new  school  building  at  the 
agency.  This  location  is  a  fine  one  for  the  pur- 
pose of  the  school  as  well  as  for  the  agency  itself. 
There  is  a  tract  of  three  hundred  acres  set  apart 
originally  for  the  purpose,  directly  fronting 
Tulalip  ba}'',  of  the  finest  nature  imaginable  for 
the  purpose  of  grounds  and  buildings.  Moreover, 
as  an  inspection  of  a  map  will  show,  the  central 
location  of  Tulalip  affords  a  specially  desirable 
point  for  centralizing  the  whole  governmental 
work  in  connection  with  the  Indians  of  the  sound. 
The  wharfage  facilities  are  also  of  a  high  order, 
and,  all  in  all,  the  site  is  a  very  fortunate  one  for 
such  of  the  native  tribes  as  still  remain  to  take 
advantage  of  this  tardy  provision  for  their  better- 
ment. 

The  school  in  the  new  building  was  opened 
January  23,  1905,  just  a  half  century  after  the 
creation  of  the  treaty  which  provided  for  the 
establishment  of  a  school  ten  times  as  large 
within  one  year.  However,  though  so  unfor- 
tunately delayed  and  even  now  so  inadequate  in 
size,  this  Tulalip  school  is  an  excellent  one  in  so 


far  as  it  goes.  It  is  designed  to  afEord  both 
scholastic  and  industrial  education.  It  provides 
boarding,  housing,  clothing,  teaching  and  care 
for  the  children  ten  months  in  each  year.  Each 
pupil  spends  half  his  time  in  the  schoolroom  and 
half  in  the  manual  training  department.  Both 
boys  and  girls  are  to  be  taught  the  plain  English 
branches  in  the  class  room,  while  the  boys  in  the 
industrial  department  are  to  receive  instruction 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  the  manual  trades. 
The  girls  are  to  be  taught  cooking,  sewing, 
housekeeping,  nursing  and  other  domestic  arts. 

The  employees  of  the  school  at  the  present 
time  are  a  superintendent,  matron,  principal 
teacher,  assistant  teacher,  industrial  teacher, 
latmdress,  seamstress,  cook,  engineer,  laborer 
and  night  watchman.  The  intention  is  that 
as  soon  as  possible  the  school  shall  be  made  self- 
supporting  by  the  industrial  work  actually 
carried  on. 

Among  other  equipments  the  school  is  pro- 
vided with  a  fire  department,  consisting  of  a  hose 
company  and  a  chemical  company.  There  are 
four  fire  stations  inside  the  building  and  three 
outside,  affording  full  fire  protection.  Fire  drills 
are  held  regularly  in  order  to  test  the  apparatus 
as  well  as  to  drill  the  boys  in  the  qualities  of 
mind  and  body  necessary  to  efficiency.  This 
school,  though  only  in  its  inception,  has  gained 
the  hearty  approval  of  the  people  who  are  famil- 
iar with  its  operation,  and  it  affords  much  hope 
that  something  of  what  was  originally  planned 
for  these  Paget  sound  Indians  may  yet  be 
attained.  The  present  agent.  Dr.  Charles  M. 
Buchanan,  is  emphatically  the  right  man  in  the 
right  place,  having  a  clear  conception  of  the 
needs  of  his  charge  and  practical  as  well  as 
philanthropic  views  upon  the  subject  of  Indian 
education. 

Turning  from  the  school  to  the  Indians  them- 
selves we  find  that  the  Indians  gathered  at  the 
Tulalip  reservation  are  fragments  of  a  number 
of  broken  bands  whose  names  in  the  native  ver- 
nacular are  almost  unpronounceable  by  an 
American,  and  hence  have  been  softened  down 
to  their  present  sound.  The  name  Tulalip  is  a 
corruption  of  the  Indian  Duhhaylup  and  signifies 
the  landlocked  nature  of  the  harbor.  The  leading 
tribes  there  gathered  are  the  Sdohobsch  and  the 
Sdoqualbhu.  The  former  name  has  become  the 
Snohomish  of  our  own  speech  and  the  latter  has 
become  the  Snoqualmie.  The  Sdoqualbhu  are 
declared  in  the  native  legend  to  have  come  hither 
from  the  moon,  which  their  name  signifies. 

The  Tulalip  Indians  are,  with  few  exceptions, 
canoe  and  fishing  people.  Their  living  is  derived 
from  the  salmon,  flounders,  crabs,  clams,  inussels, 
etc.,  of  the  sound,  and  its  beaches,  to  some  extent 
supplemented  by  the  wild  berries  which  they 
find  in  the  woods.  Although  their  reservation 
contains  some  land  of  the  best  quality  it  is 
densely  timbered  and  to  prepare  it  for  cultivation 


THE    INDIANS 


would  require  heavy  labor  in  clearing  and  grub' 
bing  such  as  most  of  the  Indians  are  entirely  1 
incapable  of.  Therefore  the  aim  of  the  various 
agents  has  been  to  train  the  Indians  in  economi- 
cal and  efficient  ways  of  taking  and  disposing  of 
fish  and  other  marine  products  rather  than  to 
expend  useless  energy  in  endeavoring  to  make 
farmers  of  them.  The  agents  who  have  been  in 
charge  prior  to  Mr.  Buchanan  were  Michael  T. 
Simmons  from  1S53  to  ISOO,  then  Captain  Hill, 
who  was  in  charge  from  that  date  to  LS72  and 
was  succeeded  by  James  P.  Comeford,  who 
retained  the  post  for  two  years  and  was  succeeded 
by  ISIajor  Edmond  Mollett  who  remained  in 
charge  for  about  a  year,  then  gave  way  to  Dr. 
Alfred  N.  Marion.  Short  terms  of  service  were 
filled  after  this  by  John  O.  Keane,  Edwin  Eells, 
Patrick  Buckley, 'Chester  C.  Thornton,  Daniel  C. 
Govan  and  Edward  Mills.  Dr.  Buchanan  came 
first  as  physician  in  ISO-I:  and  became  agent  in 
1901.  The  burning  of  the  records  of  the  agency 
several  years  ago  has  destroyed  some  data  neces- 
sary to  a  continuous  narrative.  It  is  believed, 
however,  that  for  a  short  time  in  1870  Father 
Chirouse,  whose  great  work  has  already  been 
detailed,  acted  definitely  as  agent  at  this  reser- 
vation. Some  of  the  records  which  have  been 
preserved  of  the  early  days  in  Tulalip  history 
show  encouraging  progress  in  the  labors  of  the 
reservation.  Thus  a  report  of  Captain  George 
D.  Hill,  dated  September  1,1  S70,  records  the  fact 
of  the  building  of  a  new  wharf,  the  fencing  of 
twelve  acres  of  ground,  the  planting  out  of  eight 
hundred  fruit  trees,  the  raising  of  between  fifteen 
and  twenty  tons  of  potatoes,  six  tons  of  oats,  two 
tons  of  peas,  and  two  thousand  head  of  cabbage. 
This  report  also  mentions  the  fact  that  there 
were  sixty  children  in  attendance  at  the  school. 

As  at  present  outlined  the  Tulalip  reservation 
contains  twenty-two  thousand  four  hundred  and 
ninety  acres  of  land,  all  except  four  hundred 
acres  of  which  has  been  allotted  to  individual 
holders.  The  census  of  1904  shows  a  population 
of  four  hundred  and  sixty-five.  The  area  of  the 
Swinomish  reservation  is  seven  thousand  one 
hundred  and  seventy  acres,  all  of  which  except 
ninety,  reserved  for  school  purposes,  have  also 
been  allotted.  The  Swinomish  Indians,  like 
those  of  the  Tulalip,  derive  their  living  mainly 
from  fishing  and  have  become  reasonably  pros- 
perous financially.  There  are  said  to  be  now 
practically  no  "blanket  Indians"  on  either 
reservation. 

Upon  these  reservations  Indian  courts  are 
maintained  to  try  small  offenses,  with  Indians 
presiding  over  them  as  judges.  Fines  are  im- 
posed either  in  the  form  of  money  or  specified 
amounts  of  road  work.  As  another  proof  of  the 
possibility  of  intelligent  labor  on  the  part  of 
Indians,  we  may  relate  the  facts  connected  with 
the  building  of  a  bridge  across  the  stream  known 
to    the    whites   as    Sturgeon    creek  'and    to    the 


Indians  as  Duh-kwih-ty-id-sid-dub  slough.  This 
bridge  is  in  the  near  vicinity  of  Marvsville.  It 
is  four  hundred  feet  in  length  by  twenty  in  width 
and  is  not  only  substantial  but,  for  a  bridge 
structure,  of  very  attractive  appearance.  It  was 
built  in  1903  by 'five  full-blood  Tulalip  Indians. 
Not  only  did  these  Indians  construct  the  bridge 
itself,  but  they  built  their  own  pile  driver,  which 
they  operated  with  horse  power,  and  the  manage- 
ment of  which  was  superintended  by  one  of  their 
own  number  named  William  Shelton.  The  only 
part  taken  by  a  white  man  in  any  manner  was 
the  drawing  of  the  plans  by  Agent  Buchanan. 
The  total  cost  in  cash  of  the  bridge  to  the  gov- 
ernment was  only  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
and  good  mechanics  declare  that  the  actual  worth 
of  the  bridge  is  not  less  than  three  thousand 
dollars.  They  state,  moreover,  that  it  is  an 
object  lesson  in  skilful  bridge  building.  This 
single  fact  is  enough  to  substantiate  the  claim 
that  rational  industrial  training  and  stable 
methods  of  administration  will  elicit  the  best 
efforts  of  Indians  as  of  other  people  and  that 
these  offer  the  only  true  avenue  to  the  peaceful 
and  economical  solution  of  the  Indian  problem. 

Of  the  three  other  Indian  reservations 
included  under  the  management  of  the  Tulalip 
agency,  the  Lummi  reservation  contains  12, 31:^ 
acres  of  land,  the  most  of  which  is  allotted,  and  a 
population  of  385.  The  Muckleshoot  reservation 
contains  3,367  acres,  practically  all  of  which  is 
allotted,  and  which  has  a  population  of  153.  The 
Port  Madison  reservation  contains  7,284  acres,  of 
which  about  three-fourths  is  allotted,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  1G5. 

Worthy  of  some  special  mention  in  connection 
with  all  of  these  Indians  is  the  basket  making 
industry.  Since  the  present  fad  for  the  collection 
of  Indian  baskets  there  is  a  large  demand,  which 
the  squaws  of  these  tribes  endeavor  to  supply. 
The  material  of  which  they  make  them  is  partly 
the  tide  grass  of  the  sound  shores  and  partly  the 
"squaw  grass"  which  grows  in  such  profusion  at 
the  base  of  the  snow  mountains,  especially  of 
Mount  Rainier.  The  labor  of  gathering  the 
material  and  weaving  these  baskets  is  so  great 
that  the  poor  squaws  receive  a  comparatively 
scanty  remuneration  for  their  patient  toil. 

It  may  be  said  in  general  terms  that  the 
United  States  government  and  the  white  race 
owe  much  to  the  majority  of  the  Indians  gathered 
at  these  reservations,  and  particularly  at  the 
Tulalip  reservation.  These  Indians  never  took 
part  in  the  earlj'  wars  against  the  whites.  It  is 
affirmed  by  those  competent  to  judge  that  no 
Indians  ever  cost  the  government  less  or  gave 
the  government  more  than  the  Tulalip  Indians. 
Contrary  to  the  impression  entertained  among 
many  of  their  white  neighbors,  these  Indians  are 
not  a  source  of  expenditure  in  any  considerable 
degree  to  the  government.  For  years  they 
have  been  practically  self-supporting,   receiving 


SUPPLEI^IENTARY 


neither  rations  nor  other  supplies.  Aside  from 
the  school  now  started  the  government  is  doing 
nothing  for  them.  Not  only  does  the  govern- 
ment owe  a  debt  ot  gratitude  to  these  Indians 
themselves,  but  also  to  some  of  their  early 
teachers,  particularly  Father  Chirouse,  whose 
influence  is  said  to  have  led  some  of  the  doubtful 
tribes  into  a  policy  of  peace  instead  of  war  during 
the  troublous  times  of  early  settlement. 

It  is  fitting  to  incorporate  in  the  conclusion  of 
this  chapter  a  few  words  upon  the  earliest  white 
settlements  and  enterprises  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tulalip.  Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the 
settlement  of  Priest  Point  in  1857  by  the  Catholic 
Fathers,  but  this  was  antedated  four  years  by  a 
group  of  pioneers,  the  leader  of  whom  was  John 
Gould,  who  lately  died  at  Coupeville.  Mr. 
Gould,  with  a  few  associates,  established  a  saw- 
mill upon  Tulalip  bay  in  ]8.-)3,  two  years  prior  to 
the  establishment  of  the  Tulalip  agency.  Upon 
the  establishment  of  the  reservation  the  govern- 
ment condemned  the  holdings  of  the  white 
settlers,  paying  for  them  at  an  appraised  valua- 
tion. With  the  other  property  the  old  mill  was 
taken  by  the  government.  It  is  a  historical 
curiosity,  having  one  of  the  old  style  upright 
saws,  slow  and  cumbersome,  but  still  capable  of 
doing  excellent  work  in  the  hands  of  the  Indian 
employees. 

There  were  also  a  number  of  post  traders 
whose  establishments  passed  over  from  the  era 
of  the  Indians  to  that  of  the  whites.  Prominent 
among  those  early  traders  were  Messrs.  Laurin 
L.  Andrews  and  J.  S.  Hill,  who  conducted  the 
trading  post  at  Tulalip  in  18(59.  A  little  later 
John  Carney  conducted  the  same  business 
These  post  traders,  as  well  as  the  agents  and 
other  employes  of  the  reservations,  went  in  sev- 
eral instances  from  the  reservation  work  to  take 
up  locations  and  become  prominent  men  in  the 
growing  settlements  open  to  white  occupation  in 
their  vicinity. 

A  detailed  account  of  the  habits  and  customs, 
ceremonials,  legends,  etc.,  of  the  Tulalip  Indians 
cannot  here  be  attempted,  but  that  something  of 
their  peculiarities  and  the  problems  concerning 
them  may  be  made  known  to  the  reader,  space 
ina}^  here  be  given  for  two  excellent  articles  from 
the  able  pen  of  Dr.  Charles  Milton  Buchanan,  the 
present  agent,  a  man  who  has  devoted  much 
study  to  the  Puget  sound  Indians,  so  much 
indeed  that  he  is  winning  a  national  reputation 
for  his  contributions  to  the  fund  of  general  knowl- 
edge concerning  them. 

THE  INDIAN:    HIS  ORIGIN  AND  LEGENDARY  LORE* 

The  whole  breadth  and  depth  of  our  broad 
domain  is  dotted  with  latter  day  homes  of  the' 
Indian,  for  comfortable  and  comforted  he  dwells 


*Published  original 
diiced  by  permission. 


in  Overland  Monthly.     Repro- 


to-day  on  the  reservations  set  aside  for  his  exclu- 
sive use  by  a  kindly,  a  paternal  and  a  powerful 
government.  The  high  hills,  the  lowly  valleys, 
the  broad  plains,  the  long  accustomed  hunting 
grounds,  all,  all  now  know  him  no  more. 
Gradually  he  has  been  swept  back  by  the  increas- 
ing floods  of  civilization,  until  it  became  neces- 
sary to  guarantee  him  a  sure  and  positive  foothold^ 
or  else  to  drive  him  from  the  continent  into  the 
sea.  So  to-day  this  great  and  once  powerful  race 
remains  little  else  than  so  much  flotsam  and 
jetsam  upon  the  tides  of  time,  water-logged  by 
civilization  and  sluggishly  jostled  by  the  currents 
of  life  where  they  touch  it  at  all.  Still  never 
for  an  instant  does  the  kindly  and  watchful 
government  lose  its  interest  in  its  dusky  wards, 
nor  does  it  ever  relax  its  endeavor  to  raise  this 
people  from  degradation  to  a  full,  enlightened 
and  civilized  citizenship. 

What  of  the  origin  of  this  strange  race? 
Whence  came  they?  What  are  they?  What  has 
been  their  history?  The  future — what  will  it  be? 
It  is  easy  indeed  to  ask  these  questions.  Can  we 
reply  to  them? 

It  has  been  said  that  the  curability  of  a  dis- 
ease is  in  an  inverse  ratio  to  the  number  of 
positive  specifics  proposed  for  its  cure.  So  it 
happens  that  pulmonary  tuberculosis,  one  of  the 
most  deadly  and  intractile  of  all  diseases,  is 
famed  for  the  legion  of  specifics  and  "sure 
cures,"  which  trail  in  its  wake  to  mock  the 
limitation  of  the  power  of  the  physician  over  the 
disease.  So,  too,  with  the  proofs  of  the  origin 
of  "Poor  Lo."  Their  name  is  legion;  there  are 
almost  as  many  opinions  as  there  are  minds  and 
in  all  frankness  it  must  be  admitted  that,  how- 
ever diverse  in  intent,  however  chimerical  they 
may  seem  at  first  sight,  not  one  but  can  put 
forth  some  shadow  of  reason  at  least,  as  an 
excuse  for  its  being.  It  is  true  that  many 
theories  have  been  advanced  upon  this  perplex- 
ing point;  but  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact 
that  many  of  them  are  as  yet  but  theories — so«ne 
of  them  not  even  that,  being  the  merest  and 
baldest  hypotheses. 

It  is  a  favored  notion  among  ethnologists  that 
primitive  man  in  America  was  not  a  "son  of  the 
soil,"  but  an  emigrant  from  Asia  in  those  da_\-s 
when  the  star  of  empire  had  not  yet  taken  its 
westward  way.  In  support  of  this  contention 
many  statements  are  put  forth.  They  point  to 
the  chain  of  Aleutian  Islands  which  dot  the  sea 
between  the  two  continents  and  speak  of  them 
as  the  peaks  of  the  partially  submerged  volcanoes 
and  mountains  of  that  isthmus  which  once  pos- 
sibly formed  the  tangible  connecting  link  between 
the  eastern  and  western  hemispheres.  Here  are 
the  people,  and  there  is  the  way,  say  the  adher- 
ents of  this  view,  though  there  are  other  circum- 
stances which  are  apparently  confirmatory.  It 
is  indeed  a  matter  of  much  more  moment  than  is 
superficially  apparent    and    it    has  occupied    the 


THE   INDIANS 


447 


most  careful  attention  of  the  Morris  K.  Jesup  and 
other  expeditions  of  recent  years.  It  is  several 
years  now,  also,  since  Monsieur,  le  Docteur, 
E.  T.  Hamy,  a  French  anthropologist,  discussed 
in  an  address  the  subject  of  the  spread  of  the 
yellow  race  from  eastern  Asia.  He  claimed  to 
recognize  eight  distinct  types,  including  not  only 
the  Chinese,  Turks  and  certain  Siberian  tribes, 
but  also  the  Aleuts  of  the  Alaskan  side  of  Bering 
Strait  and  the  Esquimaux  of  northeastern  Green- 
land. He  expressed  utmost  confidence  in  the 
belief  that  one  or  more  waves  of  emigration  had 
not  only  extended  from  Siberia  across  Arctic 
America,  but  also  further  southward,  penetrating 
down  into  the  very  heart  of  the  continent.  So 
far  as  America  is  concerned,  his  argument  is 
based  chiefly  upon  resemblances  between  the 
skulls  and  other  bones  of  the  races  of  both  shores 
of  the  Pacific.  But  for  the  matter  of  that,  even 
we,  at  the  present  day,  can  see  in  the  living 
Indian  some  traces  of  what  appears  to  be  a 
Mongolian  strain — such  as  the  tint  of  the  skin,' 
the  tendency  here  and  there  to  "almond  eyes" 
and  perhaps  most  marked  of  all,  the  high  cheek 
bones.  But  the  evolutionist  in  reply  says  that 
both  races  live  or  lived  upon  the  shores  of  the 
same  great  ocean,  under  very  similar  conditions 
(or  what  were  probably  so  then).  How  far,  then, 
may  not  similarity  of  environment  have  produced 
similarity  of  habit  and  speech  (for  the  Hon.  W. 
"Wickershaw  of  Tacoma  affirms  that  there  is  a 
similarity  in  speech),  and  how  far  might  not 
similarity  of  environment  and  habit  induce  and 
produce  similarity  of  physical  structure?  And 
so  we  have  gone  in  a  circle.  We  have  reached 
our  starting  point  and  we  find  the  question 
thrown  as  wide  open  as  ever. 

A  further  theory  of  forced  rather  than  volun- 
tary migration  has  been  suggested.  This  is  put 
forward  upon  the  basis  that  a  spirit  of  enterprise, 
restlessness,  or  adventure,  coupled  with  the 
overcrowding  of  old  homes  (which  often  explain 
the  peaceful  invasions  of  new  territory),  might 
have  been  factors  in  this  hypothetical  peopling  of 
America  by  the  Asiatics.  It  was  in  the  year 
1S!)(I  that  the  German  investigator,  Sittig,  wrote 
upon  "Compulsory  Migrations  in  the  Pacific." 
In  this  instructive  paper  he  calls  attention  to  the 
fact  that  there  are  a  large  number  of  recorded 
instances  in  which  both  boats  and  ships  have 
been  carried  out  of  their  course  to  distant  lands. 
Scores  of  voyagers  in  the  region  of  the  trade 
winds  were  wafted  westward,  so  he  claims,  from 
the  Gilbert  Marshall  Tonga  and  Samoan  groups 
of  islands.  It  is  to  be  noted  also  that  further 
north  the  Kuro  Shiwo,  the  great  Japanese  Gulf 
Stream,  which  laves  our  coast  with  its  benefi- 
cent tides,  had  carried  shipwrecked  or  storm- 
tossed  sailors  from  China  and  Japan  to  the  shores 
of  Alaska  and  elsewhere  in  the  Pacific  Northwest, 
even  as  Eric  the  Red  was  once  wafted  across  the 
broad  Atlantic  from  Iceland  to  Greenland.      Sittig 


argued  that  if  a  few  cases  of  thiskind  had  occurred 
within  the  short  period  for  which  any  record  is 
obtainable,  it  seems  probable  that  many  more 
may  have  happened  of  which  the  story,  the 
record,  has  been  lost.  But  from  its  very  nature 
such  migration  must  of  necessity  have  been 
limited  and  intermittent,  and  even  if  it  did  occur 

I  at  all,  still  the  inexplicable  question  recurs,   was 

I  it  sufficient  to  found   a  new   race  or  merely   to 

!  infuse  a  new  strain  into  the  old  one? 

i  These  are  a  few  of  the  arguments  which  are 
used  to  substantiate  the  belief  that  primitive 
man  in  America  was  an  emigrant  from  Asia. 
But  we  have  shown  how  the  arguments  are 
answered,  in  part  at  least,  by  those  who  do  not 
hold  to  the  theory  and  how,  when  direct  rebuttal 
is  not  to  be  had,  one  question  is  answered  by 
another  equally  pertinent.  There  are  two  sides 
of  the  shield,  and  perhaps  no  one  in  this  country 
at  least,  is  better  able  to  express  an  opinion  than 
Major  J.  W.  Powell,  of  the  United  States  Bureau 
of  Ethnology,  for  it  is  the  work  of  his  bureau  to 
delve  and  dig  and  gather  material  of  this  nature, 
and  he  has  directly  at  hand  the  fruits  of  years  of 
such  scientific  labors.      He  says  upon  this  point: 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  prove  that  aborigi- 
nal .America  was  peopled  from  .\sia  by  way  of  Bering 
strait,  and  a  vague  belief  of  this  nature  has  spread  widely, 
but  little  scientific  evidence  e.xists  to  sustain  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  investigations  in  arch:eology  have  made  it 
clear  that  man  was  distributed  throughout  the  habitable 
earth  at  some  very  remote  time  or  times,  in  the  very  lowest 
stage  of  human  culture,  when  men  employed  stone  tools 
and  other  agencies  of  industry  of  a  like  lowly  character, 
and  that  from  this  rude  condition  men  have  advanced  in 
culture  everywhere,  but  some  to  a  much  greater  degree 
than  others.  The  linguistic  evidence  comes  in  to  sustain 
the  conclusions  of  archeology,  for  a  study  of  the  languages 
of  the  world  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  devel- 
oped in  a  multiplying  of  centers,  that  languages  of  distinct 
stocks  increase  in  number  as  tribes  of  lower  cidture  are 
found,  and  that  probably  man  was  distributed  through  the 
world  anterior  to  the  development  of  organized  or  gram- 
niatic  speech. 

There  are  those  also  who  from  a  combination 
of  religious  and  sentimental,  but  far  from  scien- 
tific, reasons  claim  that  the  North  America 
Indians  are  the  direct  descendants  of  the  lost 
tribes  of  Israel,  Scientists  generally  contend 
that  this  is  nothing  more  than  a  pleasing  myth.  ' 
And  yet  it  is  a  very  poor  theory  indeed  which 
cannot  muster  some  show  of  truth.  No  idea, 
however  wild  or  improbable,  need  suffer  for  lack 
of  some  slight  semblance  of  foundation  in  fact. 
And  so  it  seems  astounding  when  we  read  the 
book  of  Deuteronomy  (xx\  :  5,  et.  seq.),  and  also 
the  book  of  Ruth.  As  we  read  we  are  struck  with 
amazement,  for  here  is  described  and  prescribed 
a  custom  strikingly  similar  to  the  Indian  custom 
of  sbah-loth-sid,  as  it  existed  when  the  white  man 
first  came  into  the  Indian  country,  and  as  it  still 
exists  to-day  in  some  places  where  civilization  has 
touched  the  race  with  a  lightsome  stroke.  The 
Biblical   passages  refer  to  the  old  levirate  law 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


It  is  interesting  also,  in  passing,  to  note  that  the 
same  custom  is  found  among  the  Hindoos. 

Again,  in  many  respects  the  legends  of  the 
Indians  of  Puget  sound  marvelously  duplicate 
some  of  the  features  of  the  mythologies  of  the 
beauty-loving  Greeks  and  of  the  more  sensual 
Romans.  At  death  the  soul  is  ferried  across  a 
barbaric  styx  by  an  equally  barbaric  Charon,  and 
thus  reaches  the  ski-u-swaht-ih-liuh-tid,  or  the 
land  of  the  departed  spirits.  The  analogy  might 
be  continued.  Even  those  least  interested  in  the 
subject  can  recognize  the  strong  resemblance 
between  the  Latin  and  the  French  et  and  the 
Snohomish  cla,  both  of  which  are  identical  in 
meaning.  Bad,  baba  and  papa  are  variant  forms 
of  the  word  father  in  Snohomish  (for  in  this 
Indian  tongue  the  letters  h,  iii  and  p  are  practi- 
cally identical,  having  approximately  the  same 
phonetic  valuation;  thus  the  English  word  sir 
might  be  rendered  equally  correct  in  vSnohomish 
as  se-ab,  se-a>n  or  sc-ap).  The  analogy  that  exists 
between  the  English  and  the  variant  Snohomish 
forms  is  obvious.  And  indeed  baba  and  papa  can 
also  be  foiind  occasionally  in  the  Latin  and  in, 
the  French,  as  well  as  in  English.  The  Snoho- 
mish kilo  and  the  Latin  cito  are  ii/uoii  et  idem  in 
their  meaning.  The  Italian  says  adesso  and  the 
Snohomish  says  adessa.  The  Italian  says  cosi  (so 
or  thus),  and  the  Yakima  says  cos  or  ikosi.  The 
Italian  »ta  (still)  is  the  Snohomish  nta  or  e/na 
(still)  also.  The  old  lr\ih  pi  or  si  (she)  is  the  Sno- 
homish se  (or  si  with  the  French  phonetic  valua- 
tion). In  the  old  Irish  or  (Erse)  tongue  we  find 
all  of  the  gutturals  and  the  hard  consonants  that 
abound  in  the  Snohomish  tongue  (and  the  basic 
principles  of  the  Snomohish  tongue  are  those  of 
most  of  the  Indian  tongues  of  Puget  sound,  many 
being  dialectic  variants  of  one  common  tongue). 
Moreover,  there  are  a  great  number  of  Irish  and 
Snohomish  words  as  well  as  roots  which  have  the 
same  meaning.  The  words  for  heavy  and  black- 
berry are  strikingly  similar;  so  also  the  word  for 
permission  and  this, — even  without  the  interven- 
tion of  Grimm's  law.  The  resemblance  between 
the  Erse  guala  and  the  Snohomish  ^i^/W<7/'  (shoul- 
der) is  obvious.  So  also  that  between  the  Erse 
tiomtia  (a  will)  and  the  Snohomish  or  Klickitat 
teinva.  The  German  da  is  exactly  the  Snohomish 
da  or  ta.  The  English  send,  the  German  scfiden 
and  the  Snohomish  send  or  tsend  bear  their  rela- 
tionship visibly.  And  so  this  idea,  this  mere 
suggestion,  might  be  expanded  to  the  tedious 
proportions  of  a  volume.     Let  this  suffice. 

What  then  and  where  then  is  the  origin  of  the 
Indian?  We  have  seen  that  theory  might  be 
piled  upon  theory  until  the  whole  dizzy  structure 
fell  to  earth  of  its  own  weight  and  mightiness. 
But  again  occurs  the  question, — it  will  not  down. 
The  Indian,  what  is  he,  whence  is  he?  Is  he 
Mongal,  Tartar,  Turk,  Jew,  German,  French, 
Irish,  Latin,  Hindoo?  I  know  not, — do  you? 
What  do  I  think?     Well  my  opinion  is  a  matter 


of  very  small  moment  indeed,  but  since  all  of 
the  theories  appear  to  be  true,  at  least  in  part  if 
not  in  toto,  why  not  call  them  all  true  and  be 
done  with  it?  Could  anything  more  strikingly 
indicate  than  these  variant  and  various  theories 
that  the  Indian  belongs  to  the  whole  universal 
race  of  mankind,  that  the  common  blood  of 
brotherhood  leaps  within  our  veins,  that  he  is 
brother  to  the  whole  wide  world?  All  signs 
point  infallibly  therefore,  whatever  else  they 
may  indicate,  to  the  fact  that  he  is  the  child  of 
^the  ages,  one  of  the  numerous  progeny  of  old 
Mother  Earth,  and  that  the  secret  of  his  primi- 
tive origin  is  locked  up  beyond  our  ken  together 
with  the  great  and  coeval  mystery  as  to  the 
origin  of  life,  whether  by  special  creation  or  by 
evolution.  Whence  he  came  we  do  not  know. 
But  it  is  certain  that  he  has  inhabited  this  conti- 
nent for  a  very  long  period  of  time,  long  enough 
to  have  established  here  a  people,  a  race,  well 
differentiated,  and  concerning  whose  purity  and 
whose  antiquity  at  least  there  can  be  no  question. 
It  may  be  that  the  countless  resemblances  which 
have  been  so  often  traced  to  all  peoples  are 
fortuitous,  though  that  may  not  be  stated  as  a 
positive  fact.     Powell  has  said: 

It  may  be  that  the  unity  of  the  human  race  is  a  fact  so- 
profound  that  all  attempts  at  a  fundamental  classification 
to  be  used  in  all  the  departments  of  anthropology  will  fail, 
and  that  there  will  remain  multifarious  groupings  for 
the  multifarious  purposes  of  the  science,  or  otherwise 
expressed,  that  languages,  arts,  customs,  institutions  and 
traditions  may  be  classified,  and  that  the  human  family  will 
be  considered  as  one  race. 

But  what  has  the  Indian  to  say  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  his  origin?  Alas,  he  has  no  written 
tongue,  and  therefore  no  ponderous  and  dusty 
tomes,  heirlooms  of  the  ages,  that  we  might 
consult  upon  the  subject.  Still  he  has  the 
imperishable  traditions  of  his  race.  He  must  go- 
back  to  his  abundant  and  never  failing  legendary 
lore,  which  teaches  him  that  man  was  once  an 
anitnal  and  that  thence  he  came,  in  which  view 
he  would,  no  doubt,  have  the  indorsement  of 
Mr.  Darwin  and  his  friends.  Verily,  verily, 
there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun! 


Ever  since  the  days  of  Columbus  have  we 
placed  about  "Poor  Lo,"  the  robe  of  romance,  if 
we  have  not  decked  his  brow  with  the  halo  of 
saintliness.  Columbus  found  them  a  simple, 
peaceful,  almost  harmless  folk,  but  he  left  them 
not  so.  What  did  the  old  world  bring  to  the 
new?  Small  need  have  we  to  blame  them  that 
they  learned  too  well  the  lessons  of  treachery, 
bloodshed,  deceit,  lust  and  greed  which  the 
Spanish  conqtiistadores  taught  them.  Their  his- 
tory is  pathetic.  I  have  used  the  term  history, 
though  we  must  remember  that  the  barbaric  clio 
of  the  Occident  hardly  yet  knew  either  quill  or 
tablet,  for  she  dwelt   in  a  realm  of  fancy   where 


THE    INDIANS 


44a- 


not  yet  had  come  the  graphic  arts.  These  people 
had  no  written  tongue,  therefore  no  need  for 
waxen  tablets,  papyrus,  vellum,  parchment,  or 
paper.  Naught  had  they  save  those  imperishable 
records  which  experience  or  memory  has  stored 
away  in  the  wonderful  mind  of  man  as  treasures 
to  be  gloated  over  at  leisure.  By  word  of  mouth, 
from  father  to  son,  through  countless  generations, 
have  they  handed  down  their  changeless  and 
unchangmg  legendary  lore,  at  once  the  history 
and  the  literature  of  a  great  people — great  at 
least  in  their  own  peculiar  way.  Hoary  and  old, 
these  traditions  come  to  us  with  the  dust  of  the 
ages. 

The  legends  of  these  simple  folk,  of  these 
children  of  Nature,  teem  with  the  adventrires,  the 
haps,  the  mishaps,  the  loves,  the  hates,  the 
ambitions,  the  desires,  the  kists  and  the  fates 
which  befell  the  present  race  of  animals  in  that 
dim,  distant,  dusky  "once-upon-a-time.  "  These 
tales  were  replete  with  the  craft,  cunning  and 
immorality  of  Spce-yoiu,  the  Fox,  the  vulgar 
ambitions  and  greedy  lust  of  Bus-chub,  the  Mink, 
the  vain  and  empty  boastfulness  and  conceit  of 
Kcm<-uks,  the  Raven,  the  wisdom  and  sagacity  of 
Kiki,  the  Blue  Jay,  the  modesty  and  worth  of 
Sgivul-liihb.  the  Plieasant,  the  modest  merits  of 
tiny  Tzit-Tzcese,  the  Warbler,  the  Terrors  and 
powers  of  the  awful  and  all-powerful  Whny- 
kivah  dee,  the  Thunder  Bird,  the  wiles  of  PiiUh- 
chub,  the  Wildcat,  the  sorrows  of  Sboh-kzoali, 
the  Crane,  the  deceit  and  duplicity  of  Hoh-hwy, 
the  Little  Diver,  the  might  and  brutality  of 
Knb-kdh-datc-suJi,  the  great  giant  who  ate  people, 
and  many,  many  others,  for  their  name  is  truly 
legion. 

By  reason  of  environment,  the  aborigine  of 
the  Pacific  Northwest  is  either  huntsman  or 
fisherman,  or  both.  Therefore,  it  is  expected 
that  these  vocations  and  their  associations  should 
play  an  important  part  in  the  evolution  of  their 
aboriginal  mythology.  Such  in  fact  we  find  to 
be  the  case.  The  legends  are  fairly  peopled  with 
the  birds  of  the  air,  the  beasts  and  creeping 
things  of  the  woods  and  plains,  as  well  as  the 
mammals  and  fish  of  the  briny  deep,  with  all  of 
which  they  were  familiar,  and  many  of  which 
became  actual  participants,  as  it  were,  in  the 
Indian's  very  life-history.  But  all  through  this 
legendary  race,  this  people  of  the  mythland,  runs 
a  broad  and  most  palpable  streak  of  human 
nature,  which  sufficiently  attests  the  earthly  and 
earthy  origin  of  both  the  tales  and  the  adven- 
tures which  they  portray.  All  of  which  seems 
but  to  indicate  that  the  mythical  individuals,  in 
spite  of  the  glamour  or  romance  thrown  about 
them  and  the  endorsement  of  tradition,  are  but 
mortals  masquerading  in  the  guise  of  the  brute 
creation,  like  the  ass  in  the  lion's  skin,  or  like 
erstwhile  gods  of  high  Olympus  come  to  earth 
again.  For  they  are  all,  every  one,  creatures  of 
like  passions  as  ourselves  and  molded  from  the  ' 


selfsame  clay,  and  in  recounting  their  deeds  the 
untutored  savage  but  repeats  the  lesson  which  he 
has  learned  from  the  ages,  when  he  "Holds  the 
mirror  up  to  Nature,"  instead  of  following  the 
custom  of  many  latter-day  raconteurs  who  hold 
Nature  up  to  the  mirror.  Of  a  truth,  these 
legendary  heroes  and  heroines  are  not  altogether 
inhabitants  of  the  cold  and  misty  land  of  mysti- 
cism— not  they  indeed!  Through  their  veins, 
leaks  the  warm,  red  tide  of  life  tumultuous,  lusty 
and  strong,  singing,  as  it  runs  its  course,  of  ambi- 
tion and  its  fruition,  of  envy,  lust  and  love,  of 
affection,  of  hate  and  all  the  changing  emotions 
which  have  ever  served  to  sway  the  human  heart 
or  to  dominate  the  human  mind.  And  so  springs 
into  being  this  great  picture  whose  colors  brightly 
glow  from  the  vast  but  intangible  scroll  whereon 
is  depicted  the  history  of  mankind. 

So  it  happens  that  in  the  vvinter  season,  wheni 
comes  the  moon  of  GuUi-beck  (the  big  moon  of 
feasting — it  is  a  lunar  month,  as  all  their  months, 
were,  in  the  neighborhood  of  our  December), 
which  some  prefer  to  call  Shuk-seei-scl--,vahss  (put 
up  the  paddle),  the  canoes  are  drawn  high  upon 
the  beach.  It  is  then  that  the  paddles  are  put. 
by  and  the  craft  are  carefully  groomed,  like 
marine  race-horses,  and  then  snugly  housed, 
between  rush-mat  and  cedar-shake,  high  above 
the  reach  of  even  the  greatest  tides.  The  season 
has  come  when  the  winds  sweep  madly  down  to 
smite  the  luckless  wayfarer  and  the  sharp  edges 
of  the  wind-whipped  rain  cut  keenly,  like  a  knife, 
if  indeed  any  one  is  so  foolish  as  to  be  abroad  at 
such  a  time.  There  is  no  son  of  Sdoliobsh  who- 
does  not  know  that  it  is  no  fit  season  for  hunting, 
nor  for  fishing,  nor  indeed  for  any  pursuit  which 
may  take  one  out  of  doors  for  any  length  of  time. 
And  since  the  woods  and  the  waters  have 
become  deserted,  each  lodge,  each  ah-lahl 
becomes  populous  with  braves  and  gay  with  jest, 
song  and  story,  for,  of  a  truth,  this  is  not  the 
season  of  the  sad  heart.  "Lo"  is  by  no  means 
the  mirthless  stoic  which  the  white  man's  fancy 
dreams  him  to  be. 

It  has  come — the  winter,  the  time  of  feasting. 
The  great  communal  houses  are  filled  to  over- 
flowing, well-nigh  to  bursting.  It  is  now  that 
the  winter  stores  will  be  subjected  to  havoc  in 
the  days  and  nights  of  feasting,  when  each  one 
takes  his  leisure  and  incidentally  his  fill  of  food. 
It  is  then,  too,  that  the  old  people,  barbaric  bards 
of  old,  tell  again  to  embryonic  brave  and  squaw 
all  those  tales  of  glory,  the  wonderful  traditions 
of  the  past,  which  have  been  handed  down  from 
father  to  son  since  the  time  when  the  world  was 
young,  and  the  animals  were  such  a  race  of 
braves  and  warriors  as  man  has  never  since 
beheld,  nor  is  likely  to  behold  again.  It  is  at 
this  time  that  the  weird,  wild  historian  of  the 
West  is  at  his  best  and  in  his  fullest  glory.  No 
one  fears  the  sharp  tooth  of  the  gale  howling 
dismally  without — in  sooth,   no  one  hears  it,  for 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


all  are  too  intent  on  the  story.  The  heavy  rains 
beat  down  upon  the  shakes  till  they  tremble  be- 
neath the  mighty  impulse,  and  the  dripping  gusts 
come  swirling  down  the  great  smoke-hole  which 
gaps  and  yawns  in  the  roof  like  a  mighty  cavern  of 
black.  Up  leaps  the  great  flame  and  the  cloud 
of  smoke  to  meet  the  challenge  of  the  rain  and 
wind,  and  dying  in  vapors  of  mist  the  moisture 
without  may  not  reach  within.  And  then,  per- 
chance, they  think  of  Suh-hn'ay  and  how  he 
brought  the  great  floods  in  the  long  ago;  how  the 
winds  and  waters  both  rose  at  his  magic  song, 
and  never  ceased  to  do  his  bidding  while  one  of 
his  enemies  lived. 

Or  perhaps  the  unaccustomed  lightnings  may 
flash  and  the  thunders  roll  as  the  rain  beats 
steadily  down  upon  the  oozing  earth.  Then 
their  thoughts  will  dwell  upon  the  awful  Whay- 
k-wah  dec,  the  terrible  Thunder-bird,  from  whose 
pinions  the  thunders  roll,  from  whose  eyes  the 
lightning  fires  flash,  and  from  whose  feet  the 
rushing  rains  reek  forth  upon  a  patient  earth. 
Or  mayhap  when  the  rain  is  done  the  sun  will 
shine  again  in  his  accustomed  place  in  the  heav- 
ens. Great  bats  wheel  their  lazy  flight  through 
the  liquid  ether,  but  high  above  is  painted  the 
great  Koh-baIi-c]md  (rainbow),  a  wonderful 
^skdh-Idli-liC-toot  (a  supernatural  thing)  glowing 
with  awesome  beauty  in  the  shiik-szvahi-ili-liuh- 
lid  (land  above).  And  so  the  winter,  with  its 
short,  rainy  days  and  its  long,  dark  nights  would 
be  whiled  away  in  song  and  story.  No  tedious  j 
moment  would  mark  its  flight. 

When  at  last  it  happened  that  the  good  season 
of  summer  returned,  that  the  rains  ceased  and 
the  sun  lingered  longer  and  warmer  in  the  heav- 
en above,  then,  with  the  long,  warm  days  and 
the  short  bright  nightscrystalline  with  stars — Oh, 
then  it  is  glorious  to  be  alive,  then  is  the  time  to 
hunt,  to  trail  the  bear,  to  stalk  the  deer,  to  snare 
the  salmon,  and  to  lure  the  seal!  Then  is  the 
golden  time  of  all  the  year,  when  Kature  yields 
her  liarvest  with  abundant  hand.  Then  the 
squaws  garner  food  against  the  time  when 
Nature  will  again  wear  a  forbidding  face,  against 
the  time  of  feasting  and  song, — for  all  must  come 
again  even  as  day  must  be  followed  by  night. 
And  all  day  long  the  children  sport  on  the  sands 
of  the  beach  and  the  lazy  camp  fires  send  upward 
their  straggling  trails  of  smoke,  while  the  clams 
blush  brown  at  its  fumy  kiss.  Day  after  day  the 
great  piles  of  fern-root  are  parched  and  the  cainas 
baked.  Stores  of  spay-koolts  (tubers  of  a  variety 
of  Sagittaria — they  resemble  potatoes,  and  hence 
potatoes  are  known  by  the  same  name — spay- 
koolls  in  Snohomish,  and  zvapato  in  the  Chinook 
jargon)  are  gathered  in.  It  is  the  season  when  all 
the  racks  of  Sclntli-tlaliks  are  red  with  the  drying 
fish,  and  the  air  is  heavy  with  the  oily  aroma  of 
salmon.  And  other  racks  than  those  of  Scliidi- 
ilahks  are  bending  beneath  their  burdens  of  berries 
drying  in  the  open  air  and  sunshine,  that  the  sun 


may  the  better  steal  away  the  perishable  and 
juicy  fragrance  and  thus  preserve  them  against 
the  time  of  need. 

But  whether  it  be  summer  or  winter,  whether 
it  be  rain  or  shine,  dew  or  frost,  hail  or  snow, 
heat  or  cold,  all  the  time  is  a  happy  time, 
whether  it  be  the  time  for  food  or  the  season  for 
feasting  upon  it.  What  boots  it?  Is  it  Winter? 
Then  let  us  feast  and  be  merry  together  while  we 
may,  for  the  summer  will  soon  come  again  and 
the  winters  too  in  their  turn!  Is  it  Summer? 
Then  let  us  live  while  we  live  and  prepare  against 
the  time  of  mirth  and  feasting.  Why  should  we 
grieve  for  a  day  or  a  season?  Let  us  make  the 
most  of  each  day  as  it  comes  and  squeeze  every 
enjoyment  out  of  it,  for  when  we  die  we  are  dead 
a  long  time.  O  barbaric  sage  of  the  sands! 
Who  taught  you  the  subtle  purports  of  your  phil- 
osophy? Can  it  be  that  Divine  Nature,  who 
schooled  Plato,  taught  Aristotle,  educated  Epic- 
tetus,  trained  Zena,  taught  you  also  in  that  self- 
same school  of  experience  and  made  you  also, 
perhaps,  the   peer  of  them  all? 

Ah,  but  the  legends!— those  legends,  the 
hoary  heirloom  of  time,  bequeathed  by  those 
ages  when  History  wove  neither  warp  nor  woof 
in  her  yet  unfashioned  loom,  those  ;tons  when 
Clio  had  not  yet  found  her  quill  nor  dreamed  of 
her  scroll.  Who  can  reproduce  them  as  they  are, 
save  when  they  come  to  him  a  natal  birthright, 
the  heritage  of  the  ancients?  Who  can  hope  to 
match  the  savage  at  his  art?  But  it  is  a  treasure 
by  no  means  to  be  despised  even  at  second-hand. 
So  in  the  telling  of  them  let  us  not  despise  the 
version  told  by  proxy;  for  not  all  of  us  may  hear 
them  at  first  hand  nor  understand  them  as  they 
are,  garbed  in  their  natural  dress  of  uncouth  but 
poetic  Snohomish,  or  other  tongue  of  the  children 
of  Nature.  Let  us  remember  that  half  a  loaf, 
which  is  said  to  be  better  than  no  bread. 

It  is  night,  and  all  are  seated  in  circle  about 
the  comfortable  blaze  which  sheds  its  mystic  fire- 
light over  all,  transforiuing  things  with  a  subtle 
alchemy  altogether  its  own.  See  the  bard  as  he 
sits  in  the  midst  of  the  dusky  circle  of  hearers. 
The  eyes  glisten  with  eager  anticipation  and  each 
ear  is  strained  with  the  very  personification  of 
rapt  attention.  The  fire  dies  down  to  smoldering 
coals  and  fitfully  spurts  into  flames  and  dies  back 
to  its  dull  glow  again.  The  thin  line  of  smoke 
trickles  upward  through  the  smoke-hole  in  the 
roof.  Inthe  distance  some  lone  dog  howls  dis- 
mally. See  the  bard!  Keep  your  eyes  fixed 
upon  his  face.  His  strong  features  are  silhou- 
etted boldly  against  a  very  background  of  light, 
and  the  fire  of  prophecy  seems  to  glow  within  his 
eagle  eye  as  he  scans  the  circle.  The  mystic 
shadows  draw  figures,  on  the  sand  and  on  the 
walls.  There  is  a  subtle  spell  working  some- 
where, somehow — how,  where,  why?  Let  it 
suffice  that  it  should  be,  and  note  the  skill  of  this 
uncouth  man  as  he  plies  his  imaginary  brush  in 


THE    INDIANS 


very  masterpieces  of  word-painting.  See  how  he 
loses  no  opportunity  "to  point  a  moral  or  adorn 
a  tale!"  In  the  midst  of  the  fire  of  talk  see  how 
he  mingles  and  weaves  strands  of  philosophy, 
morality  and  ethics!  So  beneath  the  magic 
touch  and  subtle  skill  of  the  aboriginal  academi- 
cian these  legends  of  prehistroic  adventures 
become,  in  spite  of  occasional  gross  lapses  from 
virtue  into  vulgarity,  veritable  sermons  in 
allegory.  To  those  who  do  not  really  know 
"Poor  Lo"  as  he  actually  exists,  it  seems  singu- 
lar to  note  how  high  an  appreciation  he  has  (in 
the  abstract  if  not  in  the  concrete),  of  all  that  we 
more  cultured  creatures  have  long  deemed 
desirable  in  the  up-building  of  character. 

Indeed,  it  is  often  surprising  to  find  one  so 
wild,  so  free,  with  natural  bents  unchecked, 
becoming  a  moralist  in  the  rough,  for  we  must 
always  do  him  the  justice  to  judge  him  by  his 
own  standards,  and  not  by  ours.  Entirely  in 
theory,  and  largely  in  practice,  he  may,  and 
indeed  does,  become  a  surprising  (at  least  so  it 
seems  to  us)  idealist.  Though  often  again,  and 
alas,  he  finds  himself,  like  many  more  noted  and 
less  dusky  preachers,  running  far  short  of  his 
ideals.  He  is  not  skilled  in  the  subtleties  of 
Paley,  nor  filled  with  the  esoteric  mysteries  of 
Lecky ;  he  probably  never  heard  of  Zena,  of  Plato, 
of  Aristotle;  he  does  not  know  that  such  men 
existed,  nor  indeed  that  he  himself  is  an  unsus- 
pected and  unsuspecting  philosopher.  But  like 
our  own  refreshing  and  invigorating  Emerson,  he 
hitches  his  wagon  to  a  star,  however  much 
betimes  it  may  trail  in  the  dust,  the  star-dust  of 
the  universe.  It  is  surprising  how  these  stories 
have  passed  unchanged  through  the  ages,  as  the 
rock-ribbed  hills.  Down  through  generation 
after  generation  have  they  come  with  no  altera- 
tion in  their  essential  features,  and  not  even  for 
the  yoimg  have  vices  been  changed  to  virtues. 
What  though  the  garb  of  words  may  have 
changed  with  each  speaker,  as  the  garb  of  man 
may  change  with  every  passing  fashion, — the 
meat  remained  the  same;  the  marrow  was  there; 
they  remained  unchanged  and  unchanging 
through  all  time. 

This  was  the  education  of  the  Indian  youth. 
Here  was  his  kindergarten,  his  school,  his  acad- 
emy, college,  university,  his  all.  Here  he 
learned  such  lessons  as  youth  learns  in  every 
clime  and  beneath  every  skj- — nay,  more,  for  the 
lessons  of  his  youth  did  not  have  to  change  with 
adolescence.  He  learned  things  just  as  they 
were,  no  matter  how  young  he  might  he  nor  how 
inexperienced  in  worldly  wisdom  and  wickedness. 
He  was  taught  to  know  that  vice  and  sin  existed 
in  the  world,  and  why  they  existed,  and  how  each 
sin  bore  with  it  its  own  punishment,  while  "vir- 
tue is  its  own  reward."  So  that  the  lessons 
which  Dame  Experience  taught  him  in  his  later 
years  were  but  coiatinuations  of  those  lessons 
which   he  learned   with   lisping  lips  in  his  baby- 


hood at  his  mother's  knee  or  in  his  father's 
arms.  The  Book  of  Life  was  not  sealed  to  him 
at  any  time,  it  was  his  to  read  at  all  times  and  at 
all  ages.  I  do  not  presume  to  say  whether  it  was 
better  so  or  not;  1  am  content  to  chronicle  fact 
rather  than  create  fiction.  It  was  by  means  of 
these  legends  that  the  young  were  educated,  and 
by  means  of  which  they  became  inculcated  with 
those  manly  attributes  and  those  maidenly  vir- 
tues which  were  considered  desirable  above  all 
else  by  his  tribesmen  and  his  people.  So  he 
grew  up  hand  in  hand  with  Life  and  Experience. 
Human  virtues,  vices,  passions  and  weaknesses 
were  ascribed  to  the  members  of  the  animal 
kingdom  which  were  most  familiar  to  the  people, 
and  thus  was  acquired  the  dramatis  pcrsome  of 
those  domestic  comedies  and  tragedies  recounted 
and  re-enacted  for  ages  in  the  lodges  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Nature.  Great  moral  lessons  (from  their 
own  standpoint,  at  least),  v/ere  thus  taught  by 
the  qualities  given  to  their  heroes,  heroines  and 
villains  of  the  brute  creation.  I  say  "villains" 
advisedly,  for  aboriginal  literature  was  by  no 
means  devoid  of  them.  They  stalked  through 
the  legends,  plotted,  pursued,  succeeded,  failed, 
or  were  punished  in  the  end,  exactly  as  happens 
with  their  brethren  of  the  modern  drama  and 
stage. 

Take  them  all  in  all,  these  stories  and  tales  of 
the  redmen  are  but  the  stories  of  human  vices 
and  virtues  as  old  as  time.  They  are  the  trage- 
dies— and  let  us  hope  more  often  the  comedies 
also — whicli  life  has  ever  been  repeating  through 
her  various  mouthpieces  since  she  first  endowed 
them  with  a  lusty  being  and  since  Time  and  Man 
first  began  to  co-exist  and  doubtless  they  will 
continue  to  exist  as  long  as  flesh  and  blood  con- 
tinue to  endure  the  shock  of  the  ages.  We  must 
remember,  too,  that  the  Indian  is  a  man  like 
ourselves  in  all  of  his  primitive  emotions,  perhaps 
only  lacking  in  the  culture  which  is  accustomed 
to  hide  but  not  eradicate  those  ineradicable  emo- 
tions. He  is  simply  an  edition  of  mankind  bound 
in  red— perhaps  not  an  edition  dc  luxe,  as  some 
would  say,  but  certainly  one  that  has  served  to 
withstand  the  wear  and  tear  of  time  as  well  as 
the  wars,  onslaughts  and  feuds  of  intertribal 
warfare.  And  certainly  we  can  all  afford  to 
indulge  the  hope  that  we  may  long  see  copies  of 
this  edition  of  a  great  master-work  upon  the 
shelves  of  Life's  large  library. 

And  so  it  happens  that  the  narration  of  these 
legends,  so  ancient  that  their  origin  is  undreamed 
of  even  by  the  Indian  himself,  forms  at  once  the 
education,  the  histor}-,  and  the  literature  (and  in  a 
sense,  the  very  life  history)  of  the  aborigine  with 
whom  they  deal. 

CANOES,   CANOEING  AND  CANOE  BUILDING 

What  the  horse  is  to  the  Indian  of  the  plains, 
even  so  is  the  canoe  to  the  aborio-ine  of  the  Pacific 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


Northwest,  for  he  belongs  to  a  race  of  fisher  folk, 
and  hence  is  amphibious — indeed  his  better  half 
may  be  termed  aqueous  without  any  great  stretch 
of  either  the  truth  or  imag-ination.  Very  slowly 
is  the  canoe  being  supplanted,  though  gradually; 
here  and  there  the  white  man's  boat  is  encroach- 
ing, co-eval  with  the  march  of  the  white  man's 
methods,  the  white  man's  implements  and  the 
white  man  himself.  For  this  reason  the  race  of 
canoe  builders,  learned  in  their  cunning  craft,  is 
slowly  disappearing  and  it  need  be  no  cause  for 
wonder  that  the  right  hand  of  the  aborigine  is 
forgetting  its  whilom  cunning,  both  in  wood  craft 
and  sea  craft. 

It  requires  little  imagination  to  follow  graphi- 
cally with  the  mind's  eye  the  evolution  of  the 
canoe.      Is  it  not  Dryden  who  says: 

Some  log,  perhaps,  upon  the  waters  swam 
An  useless  drift,  which,  rudely  cut  within 

And  hollowed,  first  a  floating  trough  became 
And  'cross  some  riv'let  passage  did  begin. 

We  can  readily  picture  primitive  man  navigat- 
ing the  fringe  of  water  bordering  the  shore,  his 
gallant  craft  a  drifting  tree  or  log,  and  his  means 
of  propulsion  comprising  only  that  afforded  by 
sticks  or  poles — or,  perhaps,  when  the  wind  blew 
favorably,  he  found  it  advantageous  to  hoist  a 
fragment  of  brush  as  a  sail.  We  can  easily  imagine 
that  he  was  not  long  in  discovering  that  the  pad- 
dle was  mightier  than  the  pole,  and  that  it  gave 
more  speed  in  return  for  an  expenditure  of  less 
exertion;  moreover,  it  did  not  compel  him  to 
limit  his  excursions  to  the  shallow  water  near 
the  shore.  Nor  in  his  primitive  sailing  could  he 
have  been  over  long  in  discovering  that  skins 
stretched  upon  poles  would  waft  his  log  along 
better  than  brush.  But  the  log  itself  was  unsea- 
worthy  and  rolled  in  rough  water  unbearably. 
To  overcome  this  he  split  the  log  in  half,  in  order 
to  be  rid  of  the  imstable  top  hamper.  This  made 
such  an  improvement  in  seaworthiness  that  he 
straightway  began  to  hollow  the  log  out,  not  only 
to  make  it  still  lighter  but  also  to  make  room  for 
himself  and  the  fruit  of  his  forays.  It  was,  as 
the  poet  himself  very  practically  sings: 

In  shipping  such  as  this  the  Irish  kern 

And  untaught  Indian  on  the  stream  did  glide 

Ere  sharp-keel'd  boats  to  stem  the  tide  did  learn, 
Or  fin-like  oars  did  spread  from  side  to  side. 

The  many  refinements  which  have  since 
sprung  into  existence  have  been  so  decidedly 
advantageous  that  to-day  we  would  hardly  recog- 
nize in  the  slender  and  handsome  race  canoe  the 
offspring  of  our  primitive  progenitor's  unwieldy 
and  unpromising  log. 

As  canoe  builders  the  Indians  of  British  Col- 
umbia are  acknowledged  to  excel  all  others  among 
the  tribes  adjacent  to  Puget  sound,  at  least  in 
the  making  of  the  large,  so-called  "Chinook" 
canoe;  it  is  from  such  source  that  most  of  the 
Indians  of  the  vicinity  obtain  their  craft,  either 


by  barter  or  by  purchase.  Not  that  good  builders 
do  not  exist  among  our  own  Indians  of  the  sound 
country,  but  they  do  not  exist  as  a  distinctive 
class  and  the  few  instances  are  only  sporadic 
cases,  like  the  proverbial  exceptions  that  prove 
the  rule.  The  British  Columbia  Indians  for  some 
reason  do  not  seem  to  have  adopted  the  methods 
of  civilization  to  quite  the  same  extent  as  their 
brethren  on  this  side  of  the  line.  They  of  the 
"other  side"  still  adhere  to  many  of  their  old  cus- 
toms, habits  and  occupations  and  they  have  not 
suffered  themselves  totally  to  forget  the  knack  of 
canoe  building  and  the  skill  of  sea  craft  and  this 
adds  another  to  the  already  large  and  growing 
list  of  so-called  "lost  arts,"  consequently  their 
canoes  are  in  more  or  less  demand,  and  fine,  large 
Chinook  canoes  in  good  condition  frequently 
bring  as  high  as  one  hundred  dollars  or  even 
more.  Yet  they  can  also  be  obtained  at  a  very 
much  more  reasonable  figure,  so  that  they  may 
be  classed  as  necessities  or  luxuries  as  suits  the 
case. 

It  is  in  the  making  of  the  Chinook  canoe  that 
the  British  Columbia  Indians  excel,  for  the 
others  are  made  almost  universally  over  the 
sound;  indeed  wherever  an  Indian's  shack  may 
dot  the  beach. 

Some  well-known  authorities  consider  the 
birch-bark  canoe  to  be  the  very  highest  type  of 
aboriginal,  nautical  craft,  but  in  very  many 
instances  the  canoes  in  common  use  by  the 
natives  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  equal  and  indeed 
often  excel  it.  Indeed  the  birch-bark  canoe 
is  only  superior  in  lightness,  ease  of  repair  and 
in  portability;  this  latter  property  allowing  it 
to  be  carried  from  place  to  place  with  ease.  But 
here  in  the  tide-water  region,  where  rocky 
beaches  are  as  common  as  sandy  ones,  the  con- 
stant dragging  of  the  canoe  down  to  low  water 
and  up  out  of  reach  of  high  water,  would  wear  it 
to  pieces  in  a  very  short  time.  Certainly  the 
native  craft  of  the  Northwest  are  more  sub- 
stantial and  long-lived  and  the  reason  is  obvious, 
when  it  is  considered  that  they  are  fashioned  out 
of  one  entire  piece  of  solid  wood.  Yet  the  wear 
and  tear  incident  to  their  ordinary  usage  is  very 
great,  and  in  spite  of  their  apparent  invulnera- 
bility, they  cannot  be  continually,  carelessly  or 
roughly  handled.  They  demand  careful  treat- 
ment, for  their  creation  is  an  arduous  task,  and 
any  roughness  in  beaching  the  canoe  on  a  rocky 
coast,  or  any  severe  shock  may  split  it  from  end 
to  end,  and  cavalier  treatment  is  thus  promptly 
resented.  In  case  of  injury  the  work  of  repair  is 
comparatively  difficult,  because  of  the  non-plastic 
and  unyielding  nature  of  the  substance  from 
which  it  was  fabricated,  whereas  the  work  of 
repair  in  the  case  of  a  birch-bark  canoe  is  speed- 
ily and  readily  effected  by  bark  patches. 

The  canoes  of  Puget  sound  may  be  classified 
into  four  different  and  distinct  types  or  models, all 
of  which  are  made  from  a  single  piece  of  wood  (al- 


THE    INDIANS 


most  invariably  white  cedar),  and  vary  in  length 
from  five  and  ten  feet  to  fifty  and  sixty,  the  longest 
and  largest  even  of  race  canoes  very  rarely  exceed- 
ing the  latter  figure.  When  thoroughly  seasoned 
this  cedar  is  exceedingly  light  and  comparatively 
easy  to  work,  and  only  well-  seasoned  timber  is 
used  in  the  construction  of  such  craft.  It  is  selected 
as  free  from  blemishes  and  imperfections  as  possi- 
ble. After  felling  the  tree,  a  dead  and  seasoned 
tree,  or  else  after  finding  a  suitable  windfall  in 
the  forest  or  a  drifted  log  of  suitable  size  and 
condition  upon  the  beach,  it  was  flattened  upon 
top  and  roughly  shaped,  either  with  an  axe  or  an 
adz.  Before  the  advent  of  the  white  man  and  his 
superior  utensils  of  metal,  the  flattening  was 
effected  by  splitting  the  log  by  means  of  a  stone 
maul  and  a  wedge  fashioned  from  tough  elk  horn, 
or  else  of  stone,  and  all  of  the  subsequent  work 
of  rough  shaping  and  finer  finishing  was  accom- 
plished by  means  of  a  small  '' pec-yali-knd,"  or 
hand  adz,  to  be  mentioned  and  described  further 
on.  Then  the  work  of  hollowing  or  cutting  away 
the  interior  began.  In  earlier  days  much  of  this 
work  was  accomplished  by  means  of  slow  fires 
built  upon  the  top  of  the  log  and  kept  constantly 
and  carefully  under  watch  and  control,  so  as  to 
cause  them  to  burn  down  into  the  substance  of 
the  log  with  slowness  and  uniformity.  Now, 
however,  the  axe  or  adz  roughly  and  certainly 
more  surely  and  speedily  effects  the  same  end. 
When  the  burning  had  proceeded  sufficiently  the 
fires  were  extinguished  and  the  interior  scraped, 
or  rather  "pecked,"  for  the  latter  word  is  much 
more  truly  descriptive  of  the  actual  process  used. 
This  work  was  and  still  is  done  by  means  of  what 
is  practically  a  small  hand  adz,  called  by  the 
bnohomish  Indians  a  " pct'-ynh-knd."  It  was  made 
by  lashing  a  sharpened  piece  of  elk  horn,  or  of 
flint,  obsidian  or  other  hard  stone,  suitably  shaped 
to  a  small  wooden  handle  made  from  the  forks  of 
a  sapling.  The  lashing  was  effected  either  by 
means  of  wrappings  of  withes  of  wild  cherry  bark 
wound  tightly  and  evenly,  sometimes  over  a  slight 
layer  of  pitch  or  balsam,  or  else  by  means  of  deer 
thongs  bound  on  while  fresh  or  wet  and  allowed 
to  dry  and  harden  in  place.  Sometimes  strips  of 
buckskin  were  used,  but  they  proved  a  much 
more  unsatisfactory  form  of  fastening  than  eitlier 
of  the  other  two.  The  use  of  wild  cherry  bark 
withes  was  much  more  common  among  the  tribes 
bordering  upon  salt  water,  while  the  fastenings 
of  deer  thongs  were  used  almost  exclusively  by 
the  tribes  dwelling  more  inland  than  the  former. 
Nowadays  the  use  of  elk  horn,  or  of  stone  for  the 
cutting  or  chiseling  blade  has  been  discarded  and 
old  files  (shcctsiun)  or  old  broad  bladed  knives 
are  sharpened  like  chisels  and  then  lashed  to  sim- 
ilar handles  as  of  yore.  This  is  the  chiefest  and 
most  important  instrument  in  the  whole  of  the 
canoe-builder's  armamentarium  and  with  it  he, 
the  canoe- builder  {dus-f'y-yit'').  goes  carefully, 
slowly  and  laboriously  over  the  whole  surface  of 


the  canoe,  with  each  hlovj  ,oi  the  pee-yah-hid  r&- 
moving  only  a  thin  and  tiny  flake  of  wood  not 
much  larger  than  a  man's  thumb  nail.  This 
process  is  continued,  internal  and  external,  until 
the  whole  surface  of  the  canoe  has  received  his 
tender  ministrations  and  passes  satisfactorily 
beneath  his  careful  and  critical  scanting. 
Then  fires  are  again  built  inside  and  outside 
of  the  canoe  and  allowed  to  smoulder  and  to 
char  the  wood  slightly.  The  pee-yah-kud  is 
again  called  into  requisition,  and  the  same  roii- 
tine  followed  until  a  satisfactory  degree  of  thin- 
ness and  finish  is  secured.  The  firing,  in  addition 
to  clearing  away  and  hollowing  out  the  center, 
is  supposed  to  season  the  timber  thoroughly  and 
to  act  as  a  safeguard  against  subsequent  sun- 
cracking  or  warping.  Frequently  a  final  finisli  is 
given  with  the  curved  knife,  and  this  is  some- 
times followed  by  a  scraping.  The  curved  knife 
is  not  an  aboriginal  instrument,  being  of  compara- 
tively recent  origin,  certainly  subsequent  to  the 
time  when  the  pah-stud  totobsch  (white  man) 
brought  steel  and  iron  to  the  ken  of  the  natives. 
They  found  these  metals  to  be  so  well  adapted  to 
their  uses  that  they  have  ever  since  discarded  the 
stone  or  elk  horn  of  their  former  and  crude  imple- 
ments. 

After  the  completion  of  the  canoe,  it  is 
"spread"  and  braced  by  several  thwarts  or  cross 
pieces,  the  latter  being  lashed  to  the  sides  or  to 
the  gunwale  by  means  of  withes  of  wild  cherry 
bark  and  serve  to  prevent  further  spreading, 
shrinking  or  warping.  With  the  larger  canoes 
the  soft  cedar  was  carved  into  a  common  and  char- 
acteristic form  of  prow,  which  to  my  mind,  resem- 
bles nothing  more  than  it  does  a  small  terrier  or 
watch  dog,  with  ears  erect,  on  the  alert  to  scent 
a  foe  and  give  the  alarm.  Not  infrequently  the 
Indian  further  ornamented  the  prow  by  carving 
upon  it  his  family  totem. 

If  the  craft  is  to  be  painted,  as  is  customarj% 
then  the  charred  surface  is  scraped  free  from  all 
semblance  of  charcoal  and  the  paint  applied.  As 
a  rule  not  more  than  three  colors  at  most  are  used 
in  canoe  decoration  (red,  black  and  yellow)  and 
more  often  only  two  (red  and  black)  are  used, 
red  for  the  interior  and  black  for  the  exterior. 
This  latter  system  of  coloring  is  almost  universal, 
the  little  color  decoration  of  the  black  exterior 
being  in  red.  These  consist  merely  of  eyelike 
dots  upon  the  prow,  a  few  stripes  at  the  base  of 
it,  and  a  few  diagonal  stripes  at  the  stern.  If  the 
craft  is  not  to  be  painted,  then  it  is  left  invested 
with  its  slight  carbonaceous  scale  of  burned  wood 
as  a  protection  from  decay  and  from  the  ravages 
of  barnacles  and  other  crustaceans. 

Sometimes,  in  spite  of  every  possible  precau- 
tion a  defective  log  is  chosen  and  the  defects  are 
not  discovered  until  the  canoe  is  so  near  comple- 
tion that  it  would  be  a  waste  of  both  time  and 
endeavor  to  discard  it.  A  new  problem  confronts 
poor     diis-py-yuk    (canoe-builder),    for    his    new 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


canoe  that  has  not  been  launched — or,  indeed, 
even  finished — needs  repairs,  for  the  process  used 
is  exactly  similar  to  that  of  repair  when  damage 
results  from  the  natural  usage  of  the  craft.  The 
defective  conditions  that  may  be  encountered  are 
obviously  numerous.  For  example  the  wood  may 
be  found  to  be  knotty;  in  some  instances  the 
knots  may  become  loosened  and  drop  out,  leaving 
gaping  holes  that  would  be  fatal  to  the  buoyancy 
of  any  kind  of  boat.  Eut  dus-py-yitk  is  not  cast 
down;  he  does  not  despair,  but  goes  bravely  to 
work  to  ream  out  of  each  hole  any  of  the  unsound 
wood  that  may  remain.  He  then  fashions  sound 
plugs  of  wood,  hammers  them  home,  trims  them 
off  and  gives  them  their  final  finish.  Or  perhaps 
a  decayed  streak  may  be  met  in  the  interior  of  the 
log  and  he  is  called  upon  to  restore  its  lost  integ- 
rity. In  such  a  case  the  defective  portion  is 
exactly  duplicated  from  another  piece  of  wood, 
and  when  finished  it  is  tennoned  into  the  place  of 
the  defective  part,  which  has  been  thoroughly 
removed.  Hence  it  may  happen  that  while  the 
finished  canoe  is  in  intent  a  single  piece  of  wood, 
it  may  in  reality  quite  often  consist  of  a  dozen 
different  pieces  so  cleverly  and  snugly  fitted 
together  that  not  even  the  keen  eyed  waters  may 
be  able  to  find  the  joints,  search  hovv  they  may. 

For  bailing  out  his  canoe  the  Indian  uses  a 
very  picturesque  and  simple  bailer  (kzi'ad-giL'ild), 
fashioned  from  cedar  bark,  cedar  wood  and  withes 
of  wild  cherry  bark.  A  piece  of  cedar  bark  nearly 
two  feet  long  is  taken;  this  piece  is  about  six 
inches  in  width.  Placing  it  with  the  concave  side 
up — that  is,  the  inner  surface  of  the  bark — it  is  cut 
across  and  nearly  through  about  six  inches  from 
each  end.  The  cutting  is  not  for  the  purpose  of 
division,  but  merely  to  facilitate  bending  the 
bark  at  these  places  without  breaking  it.  These 
end  pieces  are  then  turned  perpendicularly  up, 
crinkled  together  at  each  end,  and  split  slightly 
to  allow  the  insertion  of  a  cedar  stick  for  a  handle, 
which  is  then  lashed  firmly  on  with  withes  of 
wild  cherry  bark,  and  the  kiL'ad-gwild  is  com- 
pleted. This  forms  a  very  serviceable  implement, 
and  one  that  always  strikes  the  artistic  fancy  of 
white  persons  who  see  it  for  the  first  time. 

As  has  been  previously  said,  there  are  four 
types  of  canoes  used  by  the  Indians  in  navigating 
the  waters  of  Puget  sound.  At  least  two  of  the 
four  have  no  English  names  which  are  at  all  dis- 
tinctive, and  therefore  we  must  fall  back  upon  the 
graphic  and  gutteral  Snohomish  (Indian)  tongue 
for  their  names.  The  four  types  are  (1)  the  tlie 
or  shovel-nosed  canoe;  (2)  sUc-u'hattl;  {o)  sice- 
wliectll;  (-1)  ah-oli-tiiss,  or  "Chinook-canoe."  The 
second  type  is  quite  uncommon  and  the  first 
comparatively  so.  By  far  the  commonest  forms 
are  the  third  and  fourth,  each  of  which  has  its 
own  advantages  and  disadvantages  which  espe- 
cially adapt  it  to  its  own  peculiar  uses. 

The  tlie,  or  "shovel-nose,"  is  very  well  de- 
scribed by  its  name.     It  is  not  pointed  at  either 


end;  it  is  a  double  ender,  each  end  being 
flattened  and  in  shape  very  like  the  bowl  of  a 
large  coal  shovel.  The  tlie  is  used  almost  exclu- 
sively for  river  navigation,  is  exceedingly  swift 
when  properly  manned  and  propelled,  but  is  not 
so  commonly  seen  now.  It  is  the  simplest  and 
most  primitive  form  of  canoe;  is  undoubtedly 
the  primary  form  of  craft  from  which  the  others 
were  derived  in  a  process  of  evolution. 

The  stce-ivliecttl  is  usually  small.  It  is  a 
light,  easily  propelled  craft,  but  quite  unsteady, 
bobbing  around  upon  the  surface  like  a  cork,  or 
an  Z'gg  shell,  and  therefore  it  is  unsuited  to  the 
stress  of  rough  or  windy  weather.  It  is  used  for 
hunting  and  fishing  chiefly  and  is  commoner  on 
sheltered  bodies  of  water.  It  is  very  common 
indeed  and  may  be  seen  all  over  Puget  sound. 
We  can  easily  imagine  it  to  be  evolved  from  the 
primary  form  of  the  tlie  by  a  sharpening  of  stem 
and  stern  and  the  modeling  of  the  former  into  a 
cut  water,  thus  making  it  more  wieldy,  more 
rapid  and  slightly  more  seaworthy. 

The  stec-zvliattl  is  a  type  almost  obsolete.  It 
has  a  projecting,  squarely  cut  prow,  cut  squarely 
away  beneath  instead  of  the  curve  of  the  stcc- 
ivhccttl,  which  it  markedly  resembles.  In  the 
evolution  of  this  form  the  stcc-ivheettl  becomes 
less  slender  and  tapering  and  the  pi'ow  is  angular 
instead  of  gracefully  curved. 

The  ali-oli-tuss  is  usually  larger,  heavier,  more 
stable  and  much  more  seaworthy  than  all  the 
other  forms.  It  is  therefore  the  craft  more  gen- 
erally used  for  traveling  and  transportation,  for 
which  purposes  its  greater  carrying  capacity  and 
its  comparative  stability  peculiarly  fit  it.  It  is 
the  model  followed  in  the  building  of  all  race 
canoes  and  war  canoes  and  therefore  represents 
the  very  highest  type  in  the  evolution  of  the 
canoe  of  this  vicinity. 

For  the  propulsion  of  these  canoes,  paddles  of 
two  different  kinds  are  used,  one  for  men  and  one 
for  women,  and  fashioned  preferably  from  alder 
wood.  Both  forms,  however,  were  furnished 
with  small  cross-pieces  or  cross-bars  at  the  end  of 
the  handles,  which  were  necessary  for  the  proper 
manipulation  of  the  paddles.  The  essential 
difference  between  these  two  forms  is  in  the 
blades;  the  paddle  for  the  man  and  called  the 
man's  paddle  (totolnch  i7-'.<ukss)  having  a  longer 
and  narrower  blade  with  a  more  sinuously  curved 
border  than  the  woman's  paddle  {lali-dic-cU- 
ivass),  which  was  shorter  and  broader  and  rather 
more  gracefully  curved  as  to  the  border  and  edge. 
While  the  men  customarily  use  their  own  paddles 
and  the  women  their  own,  yet  in  race  canoes  or 
war  canoes,  or  in  large  craft  manned  by  a  num- 
ber of  braves  and  where  speed  is  desired,  the 
shorter  and  broader  woman's  paddle  is  almost 
universally  used.  In  addition  to  the  paddle  most 
of  the  canoes,  especially  the  larger  ones,  are  pro- 
vided forward  near  the  first  thwart  with  step  or 
chock   for  a   light  mast  which  usually  carries  a 


ON  THE  TULALIP  AND  SWINOMISH  INDIAN  RESERVATIONS 


THE    INDIANS 


457 


square  or  spritsail  to  be  used  in  sailing  before 
the  wind.  It  is  well-nigh  impossible  to  indulge 
in  either  beating  or  tacking,  for  the  canoes  have 
no  keels  and,  because  of  their  smooth  and  broadly 
rounded  bottoms,  any  attempt  to  beat  results  in 
slipping  away  rapidly  to  leeward. 

To  "the  uninitiated  it  seems  almost  border- 
ing on  witchery  to  see  an  old  Indian  seated  in  the 
stern  of  his  light  canoe,  troll  trailing  astern,  con- 
tinually paddling  on  one  side  of  the  canoe  only 
and  yet  going  straight  ahead  in  a  relatively 
straight  line,  when,  apparently,  by  all  the  can- 
nons of  kinetics  he  should  be  traveling  in  a 
beautiful  circle.  The  manner  of  effecting  this  is 
very  simple  indeed  and  consists  solely  in  trailing 
the  paddle  rudder-fashion  after  every  couple  of 
strokes  and  thereby  correcting  the  natural  ten- 
dency of  the  craft  to  turn  in  response  to  an 
impulse  continually  directed  from  one  side. 

There  is  also  another  method  of  paddling  used 
by  hunters  or  others  when  it  is  desirable  to  mask 
all  the  sound  made  by  the  paddle.  To  accomplish 
this  the  blade  is  kept  continually  in  the  water  and 
its  motion  is  directed  as  though  cutting  figures 
of  eight.  All  noise  from  rippling  or  the  dipping 
of  water  from  the  uplifted  paddle  is  avoided  and 
the  craft  is  forged  slowl}-  and  silently  ahead  upon 
the  unsuspecting  quarry  much  as  a  propeller 
would  supply  motive  power. 

While  the  canoe  is  necessarily  a  tricky  and 
imstable  craft,  yet  its  stability,  when  properly 
handled,  even  under  adverse  stress  of  wind  and 
weather,  is  something  remarkable.  Nevertheless 
travel  in  rough  and  stormy  weather  is  avoided 
as  far  as  it  is  possible  to  do  so. 

No  celebration  of  any  magnitude  on  Puget 
sound  is  considered  altogether  complete  if  it  has 
not  down  on  the  programme  an  Indian  canoe  race 
— and,  indeed,  even  a  " kloochman  race,"  kloocJi- 
iiian  being  the  Chinook  word  for  woman.  Thus 
often  may  the  original  American  be  seen  enthu- 
siastically celebrating  the  birthday  of  the  nation 
of  his  supplanter  and  benefactor.  The  model  of 
the  race  canoe  is  generally  the  same  as  that  of 
the  ordinary  Chinook  canoe  (or  rt://-(7/!-//«.s),  except 
that,  as  becomes  a  racer,  they  are  more  slender, 
light,  clean  and  well  trimmed — indeed  the  racer 
craft  is  so  very  suggestive  of  speed  and  a  fine 
blooded  and  well  groomed  race  horse  that  it  could 
be  easily  picked  out  on  sight.  The  lines  which  are 
graceful  and  light  in  the  extreme,  themselves 
speak  of  the  swiftness  which  they  give  to  the  canoe. 
The  racers  are  fashioned  with  infinite  care,  pride 
and  labor,  and  the  hull  is  worked  at  inside  and  out 
until  it  remains  but  the  merest  shell  of  cedar  wood. 
They  are  exceedingly  unsteady,  however,  and  the 
marvel  is  that  they  can  be  kept  right  side  up  long 
enough  to  complete  a  most  exciting  race  with 
eleven  strong,  swarthy  and  brawny  braves,  com- 
pletely carried  away  by  their  enthusiasm  and 
fairly  leaping  in  their  seats  in  the  earnestness  of 
their  effort  to  force  the  frail  form  through  the 


resisting  tide.  As  the  slender  craft  is  urged 
along  with  incredible  swiftness  it  is  not  by  any 
means  unlike  a  huge,  black  marine  monster  cran- 
ing its  head  as  it  flies  over  the  water — and  the 
fantastically  carven  prow  does  not  serve  to  dispel 
any  such  illusion.  In  a  race  recently  held  over 
a  three-mile  course,  the  winning  crew  ran  at  the 
rate  of  three  miles  in  nine  minutes,  or  twenty 
miles  an  hour,  a  rate  which  would  indicate  speed 
even  in  a  steamboat. 

In  the  great  majority  of  races  the  course  is 
not  straight  away,  but  go  and  return,  rounding 
some  stake  boat  and  then  coming  back  again  to 
the  point  of  starting.  Many  such  racesr>are  won 
by  means  of  the  very  trick  which  Ben  Hur  played 
so  successfully  in  the  famous  chariot  race  in  Gen- 
eral Wallace's  excellent  novel.  Indeed  the  fine 
Tulalip  race  canoe  was  built  especially  for  just 
such  a  trick.  As  might  be  imagined,  a  craft  of 
such  length  (the  Tulalip  canoe  is  forty-four  feet 
long),  though  it  may  be  remarkably  agile  and 
swift  in  running  straight  ahead,  would  from  its 
very  length,  find  much  impediment  in  making  a 
quick,  sudden  or  close  turn  or  other  similar  man- 
euver. Noticing  and  appreciating  this  difficulty, 
it  was  very  properly  conceived  that  such  a  weak- 
ness might  be  largely  overcome  by  cutting  away 
the  bottom  of  the  canoe  fore  and  aft  and  leaving 
it  much  deeper  in  the  center  than  at  either  end. 
When  made  in  this  fashion,  the  canoe  in  turning  is 
practically  pivoted  on  its  center  and  is  enabled  to 
come  about  with  remarkable  facility.  With  such 
a  canoe  and  by  just  such  means  as  were  used  by 
Ben  Hur,  the  Tulalip  crew  was  enabled  in  a 
Fourth  of  July  race  in  Seattle,  some  years  ago,  to 
beat  the  famous  crack  crew  from  Victoria,  B.  C, 
much  to  the  surprise  of  the  former  and  to  the 
disgust  of  the  latter. 

In  the  olden  days  the  canoe  was  all  in  all  to 
the  Indians  of  Puget  sound  and  its  tributaries. 
As  a  child  it  was  his  first,  if  not  his  only,  toy. 
The  greater  portion  of  his  boyhood  was  spent  in 
mastering  its  mysteries  and  learning  its  tricks, 
and  the  secret  of  compelling  it  to  become  his  will- 
ing servant.  In  manhood  it  was  the  means  by 
which  he  obtained  shelter,  support,  covering  and 
nourishment  for  his  family,  for  seldom  was  an 
excursion  made,  pedatory  or  otherwise,  except 
through  the  agency  of  the  inevitable  canoe.  Out- 
side of  it  the  aborigine  was  a  fish  out  of  water, 
ungainly,  awkward  and  ill  at  ease.  Inside  of  it 
he  was  master  of  all  he  surveyed.  Small  wonder, 
indeed,  that  among  these  tribes  the  art  of  canoe 
building,  in  the  days  of  long  ago,  was  carried  to 
a  remarkable  degree  of  perfection  for  a  so-called 
savage  race  and  in  spite  of  the  crudeness  of  the 
implements  afforded  the  barbaric  artisan. 

As  the  Indian  lived  in  his  ci^ft  in  life,  so  also 
he  dwelt  in  it  in  death,  for  canoe  burial  was  the 
common,  and  indeed  the  universal,  custom  among 
the  fisher  folk  of  the  Pacific  Northwest.  When 
a  man  went   down  to  death   in   those   days,  after 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


wrapping  the  body  in  blankets  or  rush  mats,  it 
was  placed  in  the  largest  canoe  belonging  to  the 
deceased  warrior.  A  smaller  canoe  was  placed 
bottom  upward  inside  of  the  first,  and  served 
as  a  covering  and  protective  for  the  body,  and 
then  the  whole  was  left  in  the  locality  devoted 
to  the  dead,  either  upon  a  light  scaiTolding,  or 
else  hauled  high  in  the  tree  tops,  where  the  dead 
and  departed  brave  was  left,  literally  and  meta- 
phorically unable  to  "paddle  his  own  canoe." 

What  an  impressive  sight  is  such  a  flotilla  of 
the  dead  bound  upon  that  last  and  spectral  jour- 


ney to  the  dark  beyond.  Here,  with  gentle 
motion,  they  sway  in  the  tree-tops  as  though  in 
their  native  element,  and  one  might  almost  think 
that  they  do  not  bear  the  departed  in  their  last, 
eternal  and  dreamless  sleep.  Over  them  the 
swaying  trees  murmur  runic  requiems  of  eld. 
Afar  off,  from  below,  is  wafted  the  sound  of  the 
crooning  of  the  surf,  as  it  sends  its  streamers  of 
salty  spume  to  die  on  high  upon  the  sands  of 
the  beach.  Even  the  breakers  are  moaning  a 
perpetual  lullaby,  for  the  sea  is  tender  to  her 
own. 


CHAPTER   V 


REMINISCENCES  AND  POETICAL  SELECTIONS 


REMINISCENCE  OF  TWENTY"  FIVE  YE.^RS  AGO 


On  the  third  day  of  May,  ]8S(),  I,  with  my 
husband  and  little  three-year-old  daughter,  bade 
adieu  to  every  familiar  face  and  scene  in  our 
native  home  of  Fleetville,  Lackawanna  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  started  West  to  make  us  a 
home  in  the  forest  somewhere  in  the  Puget 
sound  country.  I  shall  never  forget  that  sad 
morning.  Several  kind  friends  and  neighbors 
had  called  to  say  goodbye,  but  1  could  not  say 
one  word.  As  my  husband  helped  me  to  get  my 
wraps  on  and  half  carried  me  out  to  the  wagon 
more  than  one  suppressed  sob  reached  my  ear. 
A  brisk  drive  to  the  station  and  we  had  started 
West.  The  lovely  morning  and  beautiful  scenery 
soon  drove  away  all  feeling  of  homesickness.  As 
neither  of  the  three  northern  lines  were  then  built 
we  came  via  the  Central  Pacific  to  San  Francisco. 
There  we  took  passage  on  the  ocean  steamer 
Oregon  for  Portland.  After  stopping  there  a 
day  or  two  we  went  back  down  the  Columbia 
river  to  Kalama,  then  took  the  train  for  Tacoma, 
then  on  to  Seattle  by  boat. 

As  a  'bus  drove  us  to  the  Occidental  hotel 
(then  a  plain  wooden  structure)  I  remarked  that 
it  was  strange  that  they  would  call  so  small  a 
place  a  city,  for  it  looked  to  us  more  like  a  coun- 
try village,  with  the  streets  not  all  cleared  of  the 
stumps,  and  such  big  stumps  with  notches  cut  in 
them,  which  excited  our  curiosity.  As  the  last 
letter  we  had  received  from  Mr.  Van  Fleet's 
brother  Luther  was  written  from  Sterling,  on 
Skagit  river,  we  took  passage  on  the  steamer 
Chehalis   for  that   place.     I  was  a  little  abashed 


to  find  that  I  was  the  only  woman  on  board  the 
boat  with  at  least  forty  men  bound  for  the  Ruby 
creek  gold  fields.  However,  I  soon  found  that 
they  were  kindly  disposed,  well  bred  and  intel- 
ligent men.  One  of  them  gave  me  a  paper  to 
read  which  contained  glowing  accounts  of  the 
gold  being  discovered  at  Ruby  creek.  One  day 
and  night  on  the  steamer  and  we  were  landed  at 
Ball's  logging  camp,  instead  of  a  village  as  we 
had  e.Kpected  to  find.  A  man  clerking  in  the 
little  log  store  at  the  camp,  Mr.  Smith  by  name, 
soon  made  himself  known  and  invited  me  in  to 
meet  Mrs.  Welch,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Ball.  She 
was  the  only  white  woman  in  camp,  in  fact  the 
only  white  woman  anywhere  .in  the  vicinity. 
She  was  very  kind,  and  as  I  was  quite  weary 
after  our  twenty  days'  travel,  she  soon  prevailed 
upon  Mr.  Van  Fleet  to  let  me  stay  with  her  until 
the  next  steamer  would  go  up  the  river.  The 
next  morning  Mrs.  Welch  showed  me  the  two 
large  rafts  her  father  had  made.  There  had 
been  four  feet  of  snow  on  the  level  that  winter 
and  as  they  knew  the  snow  was  very  deep  on  the 
mountains  they  were  afraid  of  an  overflow.  She 
also  pointed  out  to  me  the  high  water  marks  that 
were  then  plainly  discernible  on  nearly  all  the 
trees  about  six  feet  up  from  the  ground. 

We  spent  the  first  three  months  with  brother 
Luther  on  the  place  now  owned  by  Ira  Brown, 
then  pre-empted  the  claim  we  still  own  and 
moved  in  our  shanty  which  was  built  from  split 
cedar.  Several  families  of  Indians  were  our 
nearest  neighbors.  Jerry  Benson  and  his  father 
Stephen  Benson  were  our  nearest  white  neigh- 
bors; next  came  William  Woods,  William  Dunlap, 
Joseph   Hart  and   Mr.  Batey.     The  place  where 


REMINISCENCES 


459 


Sedro-Woolley  now  stands  was  a  vast  unbroken 
forest,  owned  principally  by  Scott  Jameson. 
The  Woolley  portion  was  still  government  land. 

There  were  no  roads,  no  schools,  no  churches 
— in  fact  no  white  woman  except  Mrs.  Welch  in 
Sterling-,  and  no  white  children.  I  lived  here 
five  years  before  I  saw  a  horse.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  December,  ISSO,  a  Chinook  wind  caused 
the  river  to  rise  very  rapidly.  As  we  had  never 
lived  near  a  river  before,  but  had  read  of  great 
overflows,  we  concluded  it  best  to  be  on  the  safe 
side,  so  Mr.  Van  Fleet  built  a  platform  up  about 
twelve  feet  in  a  large  hollow  cedar  stub,  and 
split  cedar  boai-ds  so  we  could  go  on  up  Oil  feet  if 
necessary.  Some  of  the  neighbors  had  rafts  tied 
to  trees  close  by,  others  had  a  canoe  securely 
fastened  to  the  house.  When  the  water  was  at 
its  highest  point  we  had  a  heavy  earthquake 
shock,  which  was  a  startling  experience. 

People  settled  mainly  along  the  banks  of  the 
river  at  first.  The  voting  place  for  those  who 
lived  above  the  township  line,  which  runs 
through  Sedro- Woolley,  was  at  Lyman;  below 
this  line  it  was  at  Mount  Vernon. 

Our  only  mode  of  travel  was  by  canoe  or 
steamer.  The  Chehalis,  Josephine,  Daisy  and 
Nellie  made  regular  trips  up  the  river  and  as  the 
river  was  high  all  through  the  summer  of  1880, 
sometimes  they  went  as  far  as  Portage,  above 
Sauk,  with  miners  and  supplies. 

A  postoffice  had  just  been  established  at  Mr. 
Ball's  camp,  called  Sterling,  but  there  was  no 
regular  mail  carrier.  Any  one  that  happened  to 
be  coming  up  from  Mount  Vernon  brought  the 
mail.  Scott  Jameson  owned  the  logging  camp 
farthest  up  the  river,  it  being  a  mile  above  Ster- 
ling and  in  charge  of  Charles  Harmon,  foreman. 

We  felt  fully  prepared  to  work  hard  and  fare 
poorly  a  few  years  and  the  reality  did  not  fall 
short  of  our  expectations,  but  we  had  not  realized 
how  lonely  life  would  be  before  we  had  neigh- 
bors, schools,  etc.  Sundays  especially  were  very 
dreary.  When  we  grew  tired  of  reading  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  roam  around  in  the  forest 
and  listen  to  the  singing  of  the  birds  and  the 
chatter  of  the  squirrels.  In  August,  Mrs.  David 
Batey  came  into  our  midst.  Two  other  ladies 
also  resided  in  Sterling  the  latter  part  of  the 
summer  and  fall,  namely,  Mrs.  Millan  and  Mrs. 
Scott,  but  as  they  did  not  stay  long  there  were 
but  four  of  us  white  women  here  for  some  time. 
We  used  to  visit  each  other  frequently  and  had 
pleasant  times.  As  there  were  four  children  of 
school  age  in  our  respective  families  our  principal 
topic  of  conversation  was  how  to  get  the  old 
bachelors  married  off  or  families  enough  in  the 
neighborhood  so  we  could  have  a  school.  I  well 
remember  how  we  worried  and  fretted  when  we 
learned  that  Mr.  Batey  had  located  two  more 
bachelors  in  the  neighborhood,  namely  Charles 
Wicker  and  Will  Mitchell.  But  soon  Mr. 
Wicker's  friends  began  to  come  from  the  East, 


which   soon   convinced   us  that  no   mistake  had 
been  made  in  locating  them  here. 

We  had  not  lived  here  very  long  when  an  old 
Indian,  Pawquit-zy  by  name,  called  to  have  an 
understanding  with  us.  As  he  could  talk  neither 
English  nor  Chinook  he  brought  a  young  Indian 
along  to  interpret  for  him.  After  the  old  man 
had  talked  and  gesticulated  for  some  time,  the 
j'oung  Indian  told  us  that  he  had  said  we  had  no 
right  here.  That  all  the  land  from  the  head  of 
Sky-you  slough  to  the  mouth  of  the  Batey  slough 
belonged  to  him,  had  belonged  to  his  father  and 
his  grandfather  for  many  years.  Mr.  Van  Fleet 
quietly  remarked,  "Oh,  tell  him  white  man  cut 
down  trees  and  raise  potatoes  to  trade  to  Indian 
for  fish. "  This  pleased  the  old  man  and  he  went 
away  in  better  humor.  We  learned  afterward 
that  other  Indians  were  afraid  to  hunt,  fish  or 
trap  on  the  old  man's  ground.  The  old  Indian 
kept  a  fish  trap  in  the  creek  near  us  and  used 
frequently  to  bring  us  a  nice  mess  of  fish.  In 
the  spring  of  ISSl  Mr.  Van  Fleet  and  two  other 
white  men  went  down  on  the  flats  to  buy  cattle, 
and,  on  account  of  having  to  open  up  the  trail  in 
many  places,  were  gone  several  days  longer  than 
they  had  expected  to  be.  I  got  out  of  wood  and 
one  of  my  Indian  neighbors,  finding  it  out, 
brought  his  wife  and  sister  up  to  help  me  in  the 
house  while  he  cut  up  a  nice  lot  of  wood  for  me. 
This  was  but  one  of  the  many  acts  of  kindness 
shown  us  by  them. 

The  cows  lived  on  browse  and  did  very  well. 
We  sold  butter  to  the  logging  camps  for  a  good 
price.  In  the  fall  we  turned  them  upon  the  low 
ground  to  winter  on  rushes.  They  came  out  nice 
and  fat  in  the  spring.  In  June,  1882,  we  had 
quite  an  overflow  in  which  we  lost  our  cow. 
Then  in  November,  1883,  came  another  big  over- 
flow in  which  we  lost  six  head  of  cattle,  so  we 
concluded  it  best  to  keep  them  off  the  low  ground 
as  much  as  possible.  By  that  time  we  had  a 
large  enough  clearing  so  we  could  raise  hay 
enough  to  winter  them  at  home. 

Frequently  when  I  was  busy  with  my  work  I 
would  hear  the  door  open  cautiously  and  in  would 
walk  several  Indians,  men,  women  and  children. 
Our  little  daughter  would  entertain  them  by 
showing  them  pictures  in  her  books,  and  after 
watching  me  work  a  while  they  would  leave  as 
unceremoniously  as  they  had  entered.  One  day 
when  there  was  quite  a  crowd  of  them  there, 
five  or  six  of  their  dogs  began  playing  havoc  with 
my  flowerbeds.  We  asked  them'if  they  couldn't 
keep  the  dogs  off  of  them,  whereupon  the  men 
and  women  called  the  dogs  to  them,  held  and 
beat  every  dog  to  death,  then  threw  them  on  a 
log  heap.  We  tried  to  expostulate  but  it  was  no 
use.  They  said  the  dogs  were  no  good  anyway. 
Doubtless  you  can  imagine  I  was  a  little  nervous 
when  they  left. 

One  day  an  Indian  woman  and  her  daughter 
were  here,  when,  in  looking  at  the  pictures  in  a 


460 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


book,  they  came  across  the  picture  of  the  Savior 
on  the  cross.  The  woman  knelt  down  and  for 
some  time  seemed  to  be  praying,  then  she  told 
her  daughter  the  story  of  the  crucifixion.  I 
could  not  understand  a  word  she  said,  but  by  the 
moaning  of  the  daughter  and  the  look  of  conster- 
nation on  her  face  1  think  the  mother's  descrip- 
tion must  have  been  very  good.  She  showed 
how  the  nails  were  driven  in  the  hands  and  feet, 
the  crown  of  sharp  thorns  pressed  upon  the  brow, 
the  spear  thrust  in  the  side  and  the  blood  flowing 
away.  I  would  liked  to  have  talked  to  her  to 
ascertain  if  she  really  understood  that  the  par- 
doning blood  was  shed  for  her,  but  could  not. 
There  were  several  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  Puget 
sound  country  and  each  tribe  seemed  to  be  at 
enmity  with  all  the  rest.  It  was  a  common 
occurrence  for  one  Indian  to  kill  another  Indian. 
The  white  people  never  molested  them  in  this 
lawlessness  among  themselves.  When  an  Indian 
had  been  killed  one  of  his  friends  would  kill  one 
of  the  murderer's  friends,  never  being  particular 
to  get  the  guilty  one,  thus  keeping  all  the 
Indians  in  perpetual  fear  for  their  lives.  We 
have  frequently  seen  an  Indian  "poling"  his 
canoe  up  the  river,  sounding  the  death  cry  which 
would  seem  to  echo  from  hill  to  hill,  and  cause 
every  Indian's  face  to  blanch,  for  he  knew 
when  he  heard  that  cry  that  at  least  one  of  his 
friends  was  dead. 

They  lived  principally  on  dried  salmon,  these 
Indians,  which  was  also  legal  tender  with  them. 
They  did  not  bury  their  dead  in  the  ground,  but 
built  platforms  upon  poles  and  laid  their  dead  up 
to  decay,  or  else  put  them  in  old  canoes  and  ran 
the  boats  off  into  the  brush.  One  of  their  plat- 
form resting  places  was  on  Sky-you  island,  and 
a  lot  of  their  skeletons  rested  in  old  canoes  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Batey  slough.  All  of  the  old 
Indians  had  flat  heads.  They  thought  that  they 
would  not  be  bright  if  their  heads  were  not 
pressed  or  bound  to  a  board  when  they  were 
infants.  Usually  a  "potlatch"  was  held  once  a 
year.  Sometimes  there  would  be  several  hun- 
dred Indians  in  attendance  and  usually  several 
would  be  killed  before  their  jubilee  broke  up. 
At  a  "potlatch"  the  Indian  who  could  give  away 
the  most  presents  would  be  chief  the  ensuing- 
year. 

One  July  afternoon,  when  I  was  out  picking 
strawberries  in  the  garden  an  Indian  that  I  sup- 
posed to  be  at  the  Potlatch  gathering  called  and 
asked  for  milk  for  his  babe.  He  was  quite 
excited,  told  me  his  wife  was  dead,  had  been 
poisoned  at  the  gathering;  how,  several  years 
before,  her  parents  sold  her  to  a  Siwash  she 
did  not  love.  She  ran  away  frotn  that  man  and 
came  and  was  his  wife.  How  she  was  lying  on 
her  back  at  daybreak  in  their  tent  at  the  Potlatch 
when  her  first  man  came  and  poured  something 
down  her  throat.  She  was  soon  taken  with  con- 
vulsions and  died.     Then  the  Indian   said,  "Me 


kill  him."  I  said,  "Oh,  no,  I  wouldn't  do  that." 
He  showed  me  his  dirk  knife  which  he  carried  in 
his  belt,  and  said,  "Me  did  kill  him.  Siwashes 
all  stand  around  in  big  circle:  in  less  than  an 
hour  me  had  him  all  cttt  up."  I  gave  him  the 
milk,  but  as  the  babe  had  never  seen  milk  before 
he  would  not  touch  it. 

Wild  animals  were  quite  plentiful;  frequently 
the  deer  tracks  along  the  trail  would  look  like  a 
flock  of  sheep  had  been  there,  and  many  were  the 
venison  dinners  we  used  to  have.  One  morning 
we  found  a  fawn  running  with  the  calves  in  the 
yard.  Pheasants  were  very  numerous,  often 
thirty  or  forty  in  a  flock.  When  Mr.  Brown  used 
to  take  down  the  gun  to  kill  them  to  fry  for 
breakfast  I  would  say,  "Now  don't  kill  more 
than  five  or  six  for  you  know  they  will  waste." 
Bruin's  tracks  were  all  around  in  the  cattle  trails. 
We  used  to  see  them  occasionally,  but  they 
would  always  run,  and  never  did  us  any  harm. 
Mr.  A'an  Fleet  killed  several  of  them,  but  he  can 
tell  the  bear  stories  better  than  I  can. 

Wildcats  and  hawks  were  a  constant  menace 
to  our  chickens.  After  being  bothered  several 
months  I  concluded  to  try  to  shoot  them  myself, 
and  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  many  a 
pheasant  and  hawk  drop  at  the  report  of  my 
shotgun,  but  can  only  boast  of  killing  one  wild- 
cat. The  cat  would  come  every  day  and  take  a 
chicken  or  two  until  half  our  flock  was  gone.  Mr. 
Van  Fleet  would  leave  his  work  and  watch  for  the 
cat  by  the  hour,  when,  off  in  another  direction,  a 
chicken  would  squall.  Finally,  one  morning 
when  his  patience  was  exhausted,  he  asked  me 
to  watch  while  he  went  to  Mount  Vernon  after- 
strychnine  to  poison  him  with.  All  day  long  in 
the  hot  sun  I  sat  and  watched  a  log  which 
spanned  the  creek.  A  large  hawk  came  and  lit 
on  a  stub  over  my  head,  which  was  too  big  a 
temptation.  I  fired,  but  missed  him.  Quite 
indignant  with  myself  I  loaded  the  gun,  thinking 
that  I  would  be  a  great  one  to  shoot  at  a  wild- 
cat. But  about  sundown,  happening  to  look 
toward  the  house,  T  saw  the  wildcat  sitting  par- 
tiallj'  behind  a  stump  watching  me.  I  walked 
up  to  within  two  rods  of  the  stump,  then  paused, 
when  the  cat  came  slowly  creeping  forth  from  the 
other  side  of  the  stump.  I  took  a  step  so  I  could 
see  more  of  him  and  said  to  myself,  "Mr.  Wild- 
cat I  own  a  few  of  those  chickens,"  and  fired. 
My  little  girl  then  came  running  down  and  cried, 
"Oh  !  mamma!  you  have  killed  the  wildcat.  Oh ! 
don't  he  look  frightful,  though?"  Yes,  our 
trouble  was  ended.  I  ran  with  my  little  girl  to 
the  nearest  neighbors,  a  half  a  mile  away,  for- 
getting in  my  excitement  to  leave  the  gun  at 
home,  which  quite  frightened  Mrs.  Benson  as  we 
rushed  in.  "I  have  killed  the  cat,"  I  cried. 
"Oh,  good!"  was  her  reply.  They  came  back 
up  with  us  and  George  Benson,  then  a  lad  of  12 
years  of  age,  hauled  it  to  the  house  for  us.  The 
strychnine,  however,  came  handy  to  use  to  poison 


REMINISCENCES 


the  cougars  that  came  for  our  hogs.  But  for 
fear  1  am  writing  for  the  waste  basket  I  will 
change  the  subject. 

We  still  have  an  agreement  paper  which  reads 
as  follows: 

"Dec.  2,  1884. 

"We,  the  undersigned,  do  agree  to  give  two 
days'  work  on  the  road  between  Batey's  home- 
stead house  and  the  Van  Fleet  bridge  in  road 
district  No.  29.  Emmett  Van  Fleet,  Charles 
Wicker,  Will  Mitchell,  George  Benson,  G.  O. 
Wicker,  William  Woods,  David  Batey,  W.  A. 
Dunlap,  A.  Johnson,  E.  M.  Barnes,  J.  Greenhagen, 
August  Poke,  G.  W.  Wiseman." 

They  did  the  first  work  on  that  section  of  the 
road  after  the  surveying  was  done  by  Mr. 
Savage.  In  1883  a  school  district  was  established 
at  Sterling,  which  included  the  new  Sedro- 
Woolley  and  Wilson  districts.  Mr.  Batey,  Mr. 
D.  Benson  and  Mr.  Van  Fleet  were  appointed 
directors,  and  Mr.  Smithson  clerk.  Miss  Eva 
Wallace  began  the  first  school,  which  was  fin- 
ished by  Miss  Turner.  In  1886  the  district  was 
divided  and  the  Sedro  district  formed,  which 
included  the  Wilson  district.  Mrs.  Ira  Brown 
went  around  with  a  subscription  paper  and 
received  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  a  day 
and  a  half  to  furnish  material  for  the  new  school- 
house.  The  work  on  the  biiilding  was  also 
donated,  and  Miss  Fairy  Cook  employed  as 
teacher.  Rev.  Mcilillan  delivered  the  first  ser- 
mon  in  Sterling,  Rev.  Dobbs  in  Sedro. 

^lortimer  Cook  came  among  us  in  1884, 
employed  Mr.  Batey  to  build  a  residence  and 
store,  and  made  arrangements  to  apply  for  a 
postoffice  and  christen  the  place  "Bug." 

I  did  not  like  the  name,  so  persuaded  several 
of  our  neighbor  women  to  go  with  me,  and  talk 
to  Mr.  Cook  about  it.  We  found  him  seated  (m 
a  pile  of  lumber,  whittling.  We  told  him  we  had 
lived  here  several  years  in  peace  and  quiet  and 
had  come  to  protest  against  his  calling  the  new 
postoffice  "Bug."  After  scratching  his  head 
a  while  he  remarked,  "Don't  suppose  you 
ladies  will  sign  my  petition  for  the  postoffice 
then?"  I  replied,  "Never.  How  our  letters 
would  look  addressed  to  '  Bug ! '  "  He  said  that  he 
had  just  received  a  letter  from  his  wife  in  Santa 
Barbara;  that  she  didn't  like  the  name  and  was 
afraid  it  would  soon  be  changed  to  "Humbug;" 
further,  that  she  didn't  think  she  would  come 
until  the  place  had  a  better  name. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "seeing  Bug  doesn't  suit 
the  ladies  the  name  shall  be  changed."  The 
next  time  I  saw  him  he  asked  how  the  name 
Sedro  would  do,  said  it  was  the  Spanish  word  for 
"cedar."  We  all  thought  it  a  very  good  name  so 
our  postoffice  was  named  Sedro.  I  sometimes 
wonder  if  our  town  would  now  be  called  Bug- 
WooUey  had  the  name  not  been  changed.  Mr. 
Cook  also  built  and  operated  the  first  shingle 
mill  in  Skagit  county.     His  wife  and  two  daugh- 


ters came  in  June,  1885,  and  were  the  first 
women  to  reside  in  Sedro  proper.  But  the  work 
done  by  Mr.  Cook,  like  Mr.  Ball's  work  in  Ster- 
ling, is  fast  being  obliterated. 

And  so  methought  'twill  quickly  be 
With  every  mark  on  earth  of  me; 
A  wave  of  dark  oblivion's  sea 

Will  sweep  across  the  place 
Where  I  have  trod  the  sandy  shore 
Of  time,  and  been  to  be  no  more— 
Of  me,  my  day,  the  name  I  bore. 

And  leave  no  track  or  trace. 
Sedro-WooUey,  Dec.  10,  1000. 

SOME  UPPER  STILL.4GUAMISH    HISTORY 

During  a  Fourth  of  July  address,  delivered 
many  years  ago,  it  was  Charles  Sprague  who 
said:  "Not  many  years  ago  where  you  now  sit, 
surrounded  by  all  that  exalts  and  embellishes 
civilized  life,  the  rank  thistle  nodded  in  the  wind, 
and  the  wild  fox  dug  his  hole  unscared  *  *  *  * 
and  the  Indian  lover  wooed  his  dusky  maid." 

This  eloquent  sentiment  well  applies  to  the 
Stillaguamish  valley  so  far  as  the  dog  salmon- 
scented  Siwash  amorita  are  concerned,  but  the 
rank  thistle  came  with  the  thrifty  Canadian  and 
the  wild  fox  was  not  in  evidence  at  all. 

Until  the  year  1884  the  North  Fork  of  the 
Stillaguamish  River  was  called  "Starve-Out- 
Valle_v, "  for  the  reason  that  up  to  that  time  all 
the  settlers  were  bachelors,  who  went  in  with 
packs  of  blankets  and  provisions,  and  by  the  time 
that  a  shake  shanty  had  been  built,  a  few  trees 
had  been  cut,  the  "last  bit  of  bacon  was  in  the 
pan,  fried,"  the  last  batch  of  sour  dough  was 
baked  on  the  coals  in  a  cedar  board  fireplace,  the 
pack-strap  settler  hailed  a  passing  Siwash  canoe 
and  went  to  Stanwood  for  another  pack  of  sup- 
plies. Many  never  returned  and  the  places  were 
taken  by  others,  who  in  time  abandoned  them. 
And  thus  the  hopeful  bachelor  came  and  the 
hungry  bachelor  went  until  a  woman  demon- 
strated that  a  human  being  could  not  only  exist 
on  the  products  of  the  North  Fork,  but'  could 
live  there  for  eighteen  years  and  grow  stouter  all 
the  time.  Historians  have  been  too  loud  in  their 
praises  of  what  the  forefathers  have  done,  and 
far  too  silent  in  their  hints  that  the  foremothers 
were  there.  The  womanless  settlement  of 
Jamestown  was  abandoned  by  the  faint-hearted 
men.  Some  turned  pirates  and  some  wanted  to 
burn  the  town;  while  at  Plymouth,  where  the 
Pilgrims  landed  on  a  frozen  shore,  where  but 
seven  persons  were  able  to  nurse  the  sick  and 
bury  the  dead,  and  where  they  dug  more  graves 
than  they  builded  houses — not  a  faint-hearted 
Pilgrim  returned  with  the  Mayflower  in  the 
spring,  because  the  women  were  there. 

On  the  first  day  of  March,  1884,  Mr.  and  :\Irs. 
Collingwood,  Ed.  Fisher  and  a  Mr.  Parks  pitched 
their  tents  at  the  McEwan  place,  three  miles  up 
the  North  Fork,  and  took  possession  of  an  aban- 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


doned  bachelor  cabin.  They  had  been  taken  up 
the  river  in  a  canoe  by  Siwash  John  Friday  and 
his  kloochman  and  reached  the  place  the  third 
day  after  leaving  Stanwood.  That  night  a  heavy 
snow  fell  and  the  next  day  the  men  began  to  cut 
a  heavy  trail  to  Mr.  Collingwood's  homestead 
claim,  three  miles  to  the  westward,  which 
required  eleven  days.  Then  the  cabin  was  built, 
the  supplies  packed  in  and  Mrs.  Collingwood — 
the  first  white  woman  of  the  North  Fork — took 
her  canine  body  guard,  "Shep,"  and  moved  into 
her  first  forest  home.  Mr.  Parks  located  on  the 
D.  S.  Baker  place,  and  during  the  summer  James 
McCuUough  took  up  the  claim  that  is  now  occu- 
pied by  the  river  a  mile  west  of  Cooper's  shingle 
mill,  and  George  Moore  located  the  present 
Brazelton  place  and  relinquished  it  to  that  family 
a  year  later. 

On  the  fourth  of  July,  1884,  a  picnic  was  held 
at  Kent's  place,  on  the  prairie  that  bears  his 
name.  Tliose  present  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kent, 
Mrs.  Kent's  father  and  mother,  Ed.  Lewis  and 
wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Condent  who  lived  on  the 
present  Armstrong  place,  and  two  fruit  tree 
agents.  The  household  of  Collingwood  was 
invited,  but  Ed.  Fisher  went  to  Stanwood  to 
work  for  Chilly  Pete,  while  the  others  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  when  they  were  yet  a  great 
way  off,  Mr.  Condent,  who  was  a  Mormon 
preacher,  went  and  killed  the  fatted  calf  (which 
in  this  case  was  a  fatted  lamb),  and  there  were 
feasting  and  sack  races. 

During  August  of  that  year  the  Collingwoods 
commuted  the  homestead  and  moved  to  the  place 
now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Collingwood,  taking  it  as 
a  pre-emption.  Here  she  and  "Shep"  lived  for  a 
week  in  a  half-finished  house,  while  Mr.  Colling- 
wood was  running  a  threshing  machine  on  the 
Stanwood  Flats,  and  the  working  men  were 
away  building  cabins  on  their  claims. 

The  year  1884  brought  a  number  of  claim- 
takers.  Among  them  were  Jay  Lock,  who 
helped  Mr.  Collingwood  clear  a  garden  spot, 
and  James  Shields,  who  located  the  Hildebrand 
place.  Mrs.  Collingwood  helped  him  to  build  his 
cabin,  which  is  still  standing  just  below  the  rail- 
road bridge,  across  the  river  from  the  Harmon}' 
schoolhouse. 

Christ  Fisher  located  the  (Confederate)  John 
Hamilton  place;  John  Jerro  the  Fox  place; 
Allen  &  Hubbard  the  Grant  place;  Timothy 
Ryan  the  Dixon  place,  and  Dan  McMillan  the 
place  where  Mr.  Hayton  now  lives.  The  follow- 
ing January  Mr.  McMillan  was  married  in  Seattle 
and  while  making  a  thirty-mile  wedding  tour  on 
foot,  after  leaving  the  steamer  at  Stanwood,  they 
were  benighted  on  the  island  below  Silvana  and 
camped  in  a  hollow  stump.  Mr.  Hildebrand 
located  on  the  Setzer  place  in  1886,  which  he 
soon  abandoned,  and  bought  out  Jim  Shields. 
After  continuous  residence  and  somewhat  exten- 
sive improvement  he  died  there  in  189G. 


Malachi  Ryan  located  the  place  that  he  still 
owns,  in  May,  1885,  and  the  same  year  John  Han- 
cock located  the  Frailey  place,  William  Connors 
the  upper  Hayton  place  and  John  C.  Ward  the 
place  that  is  now  owned  by  Harley  Aldridge. 
Mrs.  Hancock  died  suddenly  in  the  summer  of 
1887,  and  her  body  was  taken  in  a  canoe  to 
Stanwood  for  burial. 

In  February,  1886,  D.  S.  Baker,  then  living 
on  White  River,  saw  a  letter  in  the  P. -I.,  writ- 
ten by  James  McCullough,  in  which  he  extolled 
the  Stillaguamish  valley  as  the  home-hunters' 
haven,  but  suggested  that  "picnic  settlers  were 
not  wanted. "  The  next  day  he  met  Mr.  Parks, 
bought  his  claim  and  moved  from  Tacoma  to 
Florence  in  a  sailboat.  Thence  he  came  up  the 
river  in  a  canoe,  landing  on  the  1st  day  of  March. 
He  was  elected  county  commissioner  in  1888,  and 
four  years  later,  like  one  of  Old  Mother  Goose's 
thrifty  heroes,  having  stored  his  larder  shelves 
with  a  surplus  of  bread  and  cheese,  he  went  to 
London,  or  rather,  to  Litchfield,  Minnesota,  and 
got  him  a  wife. 

The  year  1886  brought  the  McEwans,  but 
recently  from  Scotland;  Thomas  Jefl:erson, 
Hiram  Monty,  the  Fox  brothers.  Christ  Christer- 
son,  who  took  the  abandoned  Grant  place;  Mr. 
Richards,  George  Morrison,  who  took  the 
Aldridge  claim;  Fabian  Sorrial  (the  Old  French- 
man) took  the  place  where  Joe  Hollongsworth  now 
lives  and  carried  fruit  trees  on  his  back  from  Stan- 
wood to  his  claim,  thirty-five  miles  away.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  is  now 
in  the  Washington  Soldiers'  Home  at  Orting. 
The  same  year,  J.  H.  Armstrong  took  the  claim 
that  is  now  the  town  site  of  Oso,  and  John  D. 
Wilson,  another  bachelor  located  his  present  place. 
Three  years  later,  Mrs.  Jessie  Wilson  and  her 
three  girls  came,  and  like  prudent  and  practical 
people,  they  each  proved  up  a  homestead  and 
then  married. 

In  January,  1887,  Captain  Oliver  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dixon,  having  bought  the  Tim  Ryan 
claim,  landed  in  the  snow  from  a  Siwash  canoe, 
and  in  April  the  lies  were  canoed  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Pilchuck,  having  bought  the  Armstrong 
claim.  The  same  month  William  Aldridge,  the 
pioneer  of  the  Kansas  colony,  arrived  and  took 
the  abandoned  Morrison  claim,  and  was  speedily 
followed  by  Robert  Wheeler,  Ed.  HoUoway, 
John  Renfro  and  L.  C.  Prather,  John  Grant, 
Henry  Frailey,  who  bought  the  Hancock  place; 
John  Burch,  J.  W.  Kern,  I.  B.  Yancil  and 
Thomas  Bond.  The  advance  guard  of  the  Michi- 
gan settlers  came  the  same  year,  including  the 
Damons  and  the  Lillies,  the  Ciceros,  the  Stevens, 
Martin  Everett  and  C.  A.  Hudson,  who  came  in 
1889. 

On  April  21st  of  that  year,  Leroy  Fry  and 
his  family  reached  his  present  homestead  in  a 
canoe  and  had  to  stand  in  it  and  cut  the  brush 
before  he  could  find  room  to  land  and  pitch  his 


REMINISCENCES 


tent.  After  he  had  paid  the  Indians  he  had  sixty 
cents  left  and  was  four  hundred  dollars  in  debt. 
Now  he  has  a  fine  farm  and  a  big  house,  comes 
to  town  with  his  big  team,  has  a  railroad  station 
just  across  the  river  and  "money  to  burn."  So 
much  for  Stillaguamish  thrift. 

In  1.SS8,  Daniel  and  Hector  McKilligan  and 
Joe  Ferguson  established  a  logging  camp  on  the 
South  Fork,  and  the  next  year  the  McKilligans 
took  claims  adjoining  John  D.  Wilson's.  It  was 
while  the  same  firm  was  logging  these  lands  in 
LSflO,  that  Mr.  Daniel  McKilligan  lost  his  life  by 
being  struck  by  a  flying  cable. 

The  summer  of  ISIIT  brought  two  canoe  loads 
of  real  "picnic  settlers"  from  Kansas  City.  The 
women  were  gowned  in  silk  and  were  beribboned 
and  befeathered.  The  men  wore  silk  hats, 
Prince  Albert  coats  and  kid  gloves.  They 
camped  on  the  Emerson  place,  built  half  of  a 
house,  and  one  day  they  hailed  a  fleet  of  Siwash 
canoes  and  floated  down  to  tide-water,  with 
mildewed  hopes  and  fallen  feathers. 

With  this  year  a  series  of  fatal  accidents 
began.  John  Sandberg,  John  Nordwell  and 
Charles  Johnson  were  in  a  canoe  near  the  Baker 
place,  when  it  split  on  a  snag  and  Mr.  Sandberg 
was  carried  under  a  drift  and  drowned.  His 
body  was  found  some  months  later  in  a  slough 
on  Jim  Dorsey's  place.  In  April,  1888,  Mr. 
Vancil,  Miss  Aldridge,  Miss  Wheeler  and  Miss 
Thompson  were  drowned  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Pilchuck  by  the  overturning  of  a  canoe.  The 
bodies  were  all  recovered,  the  last,  that  of  Mr. 
Vancil,  having  been  found  at  the  Grant  place, 
four  miles  from  the  place  of  the  accident.  The 
fall  of  1889,  T.  D.  Lillie  was  killed  at  the  Hamil- 
ton place  by  a  falling  tree. 

Charles  Sandberg  came  and  took  his  dead 
brother's  claim  and  the  next  year  went  to  Seattle 
and  brought  his  bride.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Setzer 
having  boiight  the  Henry  Monty  claim,  arrived 
there  on  May  14,  1888,  having  walked  from 
Stanwood,  Mr.  Setzer  carrying  a  two-year-old 
girl  in  a  gunny  sack  on  his  back,  and  another, 
six  months  old,  in  his  arms.  The  burning  tim- 
ber drove  them  out  of  the  trail  at  the  Fox  place 
and  they  got  lost  in  the  woods.  Mr.  Barr  came 
this  year,  and  also  Mr.  George  Esterbrook,  who 
bought  the  McCullough  claim;  and  Mr.  Sipprell 
who  located  adjoining  it  on  the  east.  The 
Trafton  schoolhouse  was  built  in  the  fall  of  1887, 
Mrs.  Jefferson,  nee  Dennis,  being  the  first 
teacher,  and  the  Oso  schoolhouse  the  next  spring. 
Mrs.  Emerson,  nee  Johnson,  taught  the  first 
term.  She  was  brought  from  Stanwood  in  a 
canoe  by  W.  H.  Connors  and  a  Siwash. 

During  the  summer  of  1S89,  a  wagon  trail  was 
opened  from  Stanwood  to  "The  Forks,"  as  this 
locality  was  then  called,  and  Bert  Crawford  ran 
a  tri-weekly  wagon  line  to  Gifford's  camp,  near 
Mr.  Sill's  house  and  Tvete  &  Johnson's  store  in 
the  log  building  that  is  still   standing  near  Mr. 


Sill's  barn.  At  this  time,  Mr.  Likens  built  a 
blacksmith  shop  across  the  river  from  Ford's 
mill,  and  in  the  fall  Lee  Rogers  built  the  White 
House  Hotel,  on  Indian  Gardner's  land,  on  the 
point  between  the  two  branches  of  the  river,  the 
railroad  preliminary  survey  having  been  made 
and  there  being  other  symptoms  of  a  town. 

At  the  election  in  October  of  this  year  that 
adopted  the  state  constitution,  the  people  of  the 
county  voted  to  issue  eighty  thousand  dollars  in 
bonds  for  the  purpose  of  building  bridges, 
including  one  over  the  South  Fork  and  another 
over  the  North  Fork  at  Hildebrand's,  but  owing 
to  a  legal  doubt  the  bonds  were  not  issued  until 
the  case  was  passed  upon  by  the  superior  court, 
four  years  later,  and  the  bridges  were  built  in 
1894. 

During  all  this  time  the  settlers  were  holding 
their  claims  by  "squatters'  rights"  solely,  the 
land  never  having  been  surveyed  by  the  govern- 
ment. Numerous  petitions  asking  for  a  survey 
had  been  sent  to  Washington  city,  and  as  many 
indefinite  promises  had  been  received,  but  it  was 
not  until  the  fall  of  1890  that  George  James,  of 
Snohomish,  came  into  the  woods  with  a  contract 
to  plat  Townships  5  and  7  on  the  North  Fork. 
Then  a  long  year  went  by  before  the  survey  was 
inspected  and  then  another  tedious  wait  until  it 
was  accepted  and  the  Seattle  Land  Office  author- 
ized to  accept  filings  on  claims. 

In  1888  a  special  postoffice  was  established  at 
McCullough 's — special  in  the  sense  that  the 
department  did  not  furnish  a  carrier.  The  set- 
tlers took  turns  in  bringing  the  mail  from  Still- 
aguamish (now  Silvana)  postoffice,  kept  by  Iver 
Johnson.  The  mail  came  once  a  week.  The 
name  of  the  new  oflSce  was  Glendale,  but  the  mail 
for  it,  Glendale,  Oregon,  and  Glendive,  Montana, 
got  mixed  so  often  that  the  name  was  changed 
to  Trafton  after  Mr.  Esterbrook  took  the  office. 
The  next  year,  Allen  postoffice  was  established 
at  Mr.  Bond's  house  at  Pilchuck,  named  in  honor 
of  John  B.  Allen,  who  had  been  elected  delegate 
to  congress.  About  that  time  a  boom  town  near 
Tacoma  was  named  Allyn,  and  Oso  was  substi- 
tuted in  place  of  Allen  for  the  name  of  the 
office. 

In  the  spring  of  1892  a  representative  of  the 
proposed  Monte  Cristo  railroad  secured  contracts 
for  right-of-way  as  far  as  the  Pilchuck,  paying 
twenty-five  cents  as  the  first  payment  for  each 
contract,  and  although  a  viewing  engineer  went 
over  the  route,  it  was  never  surveyed.  Soon 
afterward  a  preliminary  surveying  party  of  the 
Great  Northern  came  through  Indian  pass  and 
down  the  river,  but  all  that  it  left  to  prop  up  our 
fallen  hopes  were  some  mysteriously  marked 
stakes. 


Mr.  Baker  brought  the  first  organ  on  the  North  Fork 
in  a  canoe. 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


Mr.  Brazelton  brought  up  the  first  farm  wagon — in  a 
canoe. 

Mr.  Collingwood  brought  up  the  first  cow  and  calf, 
fording  and  swimming  them  from  bar  to  bar  in  the 
river,  there  being  no  trail  that  they  could  travel. 

Mr.  Setzer  preached  the  first  funeral  sermon,  over  the 
body  of  John  Sandberg,  and  instituted  the  Sunday  school. 

Captain  Oliver  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  and 
officiated  at  the  first  wedding,  the  second  marriage  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brazelton,  after  they  had  been  married  for  thirty 
years.  The  court-hnuse  and  the  record  of  their  marriage 
had  been  burned  ami  thty  wanted  a  record  to  exist. 

A  man  named  Ketcheni  laid  the  foundation  for  a  store 
at  Pilchuck,  in  1889,  and  then  went  down  the  river  and  was 
never  heard  of  again. 

The  Baker  Brothers  opened  the  first  store  at  Oso  in 
the  spring  of  1891.  It  was  sold  to  Carroll  &  Moore  in  1893, 
and  they  added  a  hotel  and  feed  stable. 

The  Wana  postoffice  (named  in  honor  of  Postmaster 
General  Wanamaker)was  established  at  Mr.  Frailey's  in  1892, 
and  lasted  until  the  roads  were  improved  and  bridges  built. 

Hiram  Monty  was  the  first  high  constable  on  the 
North  Fork. 

The  Harmony  School  District  was  established  in  1892, 
the  first  term  was  held  in  John  Fox's  house  (since  burned). 
The  teacher  was  Miss  Amelia  Bond. 

Mr.  Baker  was  the  first  county  officer  elected  on  the 
North  Fork.  The  second  was  Mr.  Dixon,  who  was  elected 
county  superintendent  of  schools  in  1890,  and  the  third  was 
John  McEwan,  county  assessor  from  1895  to  1897. 

The  first  wagon  that  went  in  on  its  own  wheels  was 
taken  up  by  Mr.  Thurston  in  the  fall  of  1889.  He  held  the 
claim  above  the  Hildebrand  bridge  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river.     The  river  at  present  occupies  most  of  the  ground. 

Henry  Hayden  took  the  first  buggy  up  the  river  as  far 
as  Oso  on  Memorial  Day,  1891.  He  drove  from  Fir  on 
the  Skagit  river  with  Miss  Jennie  Grant.  The  South  Fork 
was  so  deep  that  the  horse  swam,  and  the  buggy  was 
carried  across  in  a  canoe. 

Wire  foot-bridges  were  strung  across  the  Pilchuck 
river  at  Oso  in  1891,  and  another  at  Hildebrand's  in  1893. 
When  the  wagon  bridge  was  built  it  was  moved  to  the 
site  nf  Cooper's  mill. 

In  June,  1887,  the  writer  landed  from  ofif  the  steamer 
City  of  Quincy  at  Stanwood,  lodged  at  Mrs.  McLaugh- 
land's  hotel,  where  he  met  Mrs.  Collingwood  who  had 
been  brought  from  the  claim  in  a  canoe  intending  to  go  to 
a  Seattle  hospital.  She  was  put  under  treatment  and 
advised  to  remain  under  the  care  of  Mrs.  McLaughland. 
The  next  day  Mr.  Collingwood  and  the  writer  walked  to 
the  McEwan  place  over  a  trail  that  was  lost  a  half  dozen 
times.  Two  weeks  later  the  writer  went  down  the  river  in 
a  canoe  with  Malachi  Ryan  and  Hugh  McGavet  (now 
deceased)  and  picked  up  Neal  Brown  on  the  way.  His 
second  advent  on  the  river  was  in  September,  1889,  when 
he  came  up  on  Crawford's  so-called  stage,  was  put  down 
at  "The  Forks"  at  dark,  supped  on  canned  goods  and 
crackers  from  Tvete  &  Johnson's  store  and  slept  in  his 
hammock  that  was  hung  on  Liken's  blacksmith  shop,  and 
then  went  over  the  trail  and  took  a  pre-emption  claim  about 
half  a  mile  above  the  site  of  the  Hildebrand  bridge. 

Time  does  not  permit  this  sketch  to  cover  events  later 
than  1890  when  the  railroad  was  built,  for  the  people  came 
so  numerously  after  that  that  it  is  impossible  to  mention 
all.  We  have  yet  to  mention  two  unusual  instances  of  the 
inherent  fortitude  of  women.  Mrs.  Shafifer  moved  on  a 
homestead  claim  twenty-five  miles  from  "The  Forks,"  and 
never  came  out  of  the  woods  until  final  proof  was  made 
five  years  after.  Mrs.  McEwan  went  up  the  river  in  1886 
and  did  not  come  down  again  until  1897.  During  that 
eleven  years  the  railroad  came  and  a  town  grew  up  within 
three  miles  of  her  home. 

During  the  eighteen  years  that  have  gone  since  the 
first  family  began  to  make  a  home  on  the  North  Fork,  fate 
has  brought  many  misfortunes  and  time  has  brought 
many  blessings  ;  and,  yet,  it  may  be  questioned  if  the  fine 
flour  and  the  porterhouse  is  quite  as   palatable  to  the  old 


settler  as  were  sour  dough  and  salt  bacon  to  the  pioneer 
because  it  was  seasoned  with  hope. 

•   W.  F.  Oliver. 
Arlington,  Washington,  July  4,  1902. 

SCRAPS  FROM  A    PIONEER'S  DIARY 

Bv  O.  B.  IVERSON 

Editor  Tidings: — To  fulfill  a  rash  promise 
made  during  my  Christmas  visit  to  Stanwood  I 
send  you  an  account  of  the  discovery  of  the 
Stillaguamish  by  the  Norsemen  in  1876.  I  state 
it  this  way  because  I,  Columbus-like,  lay  claim 
to  being  a  discoverer,  being  the  first  of  that  tribe 
to  navigate  the  waters  of  the  now  so  fainous 
Stillaguamish.  True  there  were  a  few  individ- 
uals from  Maine  and  other  places  who  had  some- 
how stumbled  into  the  country,  and  some  natives 
who  had  "growed"  there.  This,  however,  does 
not  affect  the  validity  of  ni}'  claim  to  discovery 
any  more  than  the  fact  of  previous  discovery 
affects  the  validity  of  the  discovery  of  Christo- 
pher Columbus,  Esq. 

August  3,  1870,  an  expedition  under  com- 
mand of  Ross  P.  Shoecraft,  United  States  deputy 
surveyor,  left  the  capital  of  Washington  in  the 
sloop  Albatross,  Captain  Budlong.  A  rumor  had 
reached  the  ear  of  the  government  that  up  north 
somewhere  a  large  river  with  the  euphonius 
name  of  Stolucwahmish  discharged  its  turbid 
waters  into  Puget  sound,  Port  Susan  bay  or 
Behring  sea. 

Commander  Shoecraft  carried  instructions 
from  the  government  to  find  this  river,  determine 
latitude  and  longitude,  note  topographic,  cliinatic 
and  hydrographic  conditions,  and  incidentally  to 
survey  and  mark  the  boundaries  of  seventy-two 
square  miles  of  land.  This  being  a  United  States 
scientific  expedition  it  was  of  course  equipped 
with  the  usual  instrumentsfor  such  work  and  with 
much  more  than  usual  talent. 

In  order  to  make  this  history  fully  intelligible 
to  the  reader  I  take  the  liberty  in  the  beginning 
to  introduce  the  personnel  of  the  expedition  and 
sketch  in  outline  their  characteristics  and  special 
qualifications.  Ross  P.  Shoecraft,  C.  E.,  from 
Boston,  United  States,  America,  a  scientist  of 
eminent  executive  ability,  held  the  general  com- 
mand. Professor  Washington  P.  Frazier,  of  South 
Bay,  Washington,  second  in  command,  was  a  sci- 
entist of  wonderful  attainments.  He  was  not  only 
an  A.  C.  but  an  L.  L.  D.,  M.  D.,  D.  D.,  Ph.  D.  or 
any  other  combination  you  might  fancy  to  put  up. 
I  think  he  could  speak  any  language  spoken  by 
men  and  some  others.  He  said  he  could  under- 
stand the  crows,  and  I  have  good  evidence  to 
believe  that  he  did.  He  did  understand  the 
natives  and  I  could  detect  no  difference  between 
their  speech  and  that  of  the  crows.  In  short  our 
professor  knew  and  could  do  about  everything — 
anything  he  did  not  know  was  something  which 
had  long  been  forgotten — he  was  the  most  trans- 


REMINISCENCES 


cendent  universal  genius  that  could  safely  be 
allowed  to  run  at  large.  James  McFadden,  a 
good  engineer  and  a  good  fellow.  The  writer  was 
selected  because  of  his  innocence,  having  lately 
arrived  from  Dakota  and  being  therefore  entirely 
innocent  of  knowledge  of  Pacific  coast  conditions, 
hence  qualified  to  give  unbiased  judgments. 

This  completes  the  official  part  of  the  expe- 
dition. There  were,  however,  Tom,  Sam,  Jim, 
Bud  (they  may  have  had  additional  names  to 
me  unknown),  who  will  be  duly  noted  as  the 
account  progresses. 

Anchor  lifted  at  nine  A.  M.  and  before  a  very 
light  breeze  drifted  out  of  the  picturesque  harbor 
of  Olympia.  About  nine  P.  M.  left  Olympia 
harbor  and  entered  Danas  passage  twelve  miles 
from  Olympia  having  sailed  at  the  comfortable 
speed  of  about  a  mile  an  hour.  We  compli- 
mented the  captain  on  the  speed  of  the  vessel. 
Through  Danas  passage  the  tide  currents  ran 
about  six  miles  an  hour  and  the  light  breeze  gave 
barely  steerage  way,  without  rufflng  the  water 
in  the  least.  It  was  smooth  as  glass  and  the 
minutest  details  of  the  wooded  shores  were 
reflected  on  the  glassy  surface.  To  my  inexperi- 
ence it  seemed  like  sailing  through  space  between 
two  worlds,  one  of  them  bottom  side  up.  As  it 
grew  darker  a  phenomenon  to  me  altogether  new 
appeared.  The  phosphorescence  in  the  water 
curling  at  the  bow  and  the  wake  of  the  boat  was 
luminous,  and  looking  into  the  depths  I  could  see 
fish  large  and  small  darting  in  every  direction 
leaving  luminous  zig-zag  streaks  like  pale  streaks 
of  lightning.  I  pointed  out  to  the  company  this 
wonderful  phenomenon,  and  remarked  that  it 
seemed  to  me  that  we  were  riding  a  comet  with 
a  fiery  head  and  tail  through  a  thunderstorm.  I 
was  told  that  if  I  did  not  get  better  before  we 
passed  Steilacoom  (where  there  is  an  insane 
asylum)  they  would  have  to  land  me. 

We  landed  at  Johnson's  point  for  supper. 
This  promontory  with  a  sand-spit  at  its  foot  was 
inhabited  by  Dogfish  Johnson,  an  American  by 
birth,  and  Kanaka  John  from  sunny  Hawaii. 
Their  major  and  minor  responsibilities  were 
enjoying  themselves  digging  and  cooking  clams, 
and  rolling  in  the  sand.  Verily  life  on  Puget 
sound  is  idyllic.  Here  I  first  made  the  important 
discovery  that  the  clam  is  a  sort  of  sea  potato  and 
had  to  be  dug.  I  asked  the  professor  if  the  clam 
was  classed  as  a  vegetable,  whereupon  he 
remarked  that  he  didn't  think  it  advisable  to 
take  me  past  Steilacoom. 

The  professor  had  a  tin  of  alcohol  aboard,  for 
scientific  purposes  of  course.  Jim,  1  think,  had 
found  it  in  landing  and  tapped  it  and  of  course 
divided  it  among  the  other  unofificials,  and  before 
supper  there  were  none  but  the  officers  sober 
enough  to  cook.  The  professor  understood  at 
once  whence  this  hilarity.  He  said  he  didn't 
care  for  the  alcohol,  as  he  could  replenish  at 
Seattle,   but  he  feared  it  might  not  agree  with 


the  boys,  as  he  had  just  poured  it  otf  of  some 
tarantulas  and  centipedes  and  a  gilamonster  he 
had  collected  in  Arizona,  explaining  that  it  had 
not  been  sufficiently  diluted  and  had  dissolved  his 
specimens,  for  which  he  was  sorry.  Well,  it  did 
not  agree  with  the  boys,  nor  stay  with  them,  and 
it  took  along  when  it  left  them  about  all  the  boys 
contained.  Afterward  the  professor  told  me  in 
confidence  that  he  had  bought  the  alcohol  at 
Manns'  drug  store  just  before  we  left  Olympia 
and  that  the  gilamonster  and  other  reptiles  were 
a  myth.  He  said  it  was  a  fine  demonstration  of 
the  power  of  imagination. 

August  4th,  7  A.  M. — Fair  and  delightfully 
cool.  The  cooked  provisions  used  up,  we  made 
the  discovery  that  we  had  no  trained  cook.  Jim, 
who  was  relieved  of  his  portion  of  the  gilamon- 
ster first,  seemed  the  most  fit,  and  was  duly 
installed  with  ceremony.  Jim  meant  well  but  he 
had  no  experience  or  cook  book.  The  professor, 
however,  knew  everything  and  gave  Jim  a  lec- 
ture on  slapjacks.  He  explained  that  cream 
tartar,  an  acid,  and  soda,  an  alkali,  mixed  in 
flour  and  water  would  combine  and  form  carbonic 
acid  gases  and  puff  up  the  flour  like  a  sponge. 
After  the  stuff  was  sufficiently  puffed  he  was  to 
spoon  it  into  a  frypan,  heat  one  side,  flap  it  and 
heat  the  other  side  until  done.  With  these 
instructions  Jim  waded  in. 

Among  the  provisions  we  had  some  very 
unique  bacon.  We  could  never  know  by  the 
sense  of  taste  whether  it  was  fish  or  flesh.  It 
was  neither  or  both.  The  swine  whose  remains 
had  furnished  the  raw  material  had  led  a  sort  of 
vagabond  existence  on  the  sea  shore,  living 
chiefly  on  sea  food,  hence  the  fish  quality.  The 
flesh  quality  was  probably  due  to  heredity.  But 
there  could  be  no  mistaking  the  fat  fried  from 
this  bacon.  It  was  fish  oil  pure  and  simple.  To 
distinguish  it  from  other  fish  oils  we  named  it 
hog-fish  oil,  thus  adding  item  No.  1  to  the 
vocabulary. 

We  were  pretty  hungry  and  Jim's  first  flap- 
jack looked  pretty  good.  It  was  more,  it  was 
beautiful.  A  shining  golden  yellow  disk  turned 
out  of  the  pan.  But,  alas,  it  was  not  edible. 
The  professor  tried  and  he  said  it  tasted  like 
whale-oil  soap.  It  was  not  a  slapjack,  so  we  named 
it  soapjack.  (Item  No.  2.)  Poor  hungry  Bud 
dolefully  remarked  that  all  is  not  gold  that 
glitters.  The  originality  of  this  remark  was 
highly  applauded.  The  professor  and  McFadden 
made  some  edible  slapjacks  and  we  filled  our 
persons  and  proceeded  on  the  voyage. 

We  passed  the  narrow  strait  between  McNeal 
and  Wallace  islands  just  at  sunrise.  Across  the 
bay,  about  five  miles  distant,  extending  from  the 
shore  up  a  gentle  slope  lay  Steilacoom,  a  strug- 
gling village  of  white  houses  among  the  orchards, 
with  background  of  a  dark  purplish  green  forest 
of  young  firs.  Back  of  this  fir  belt  to  the  Cascade 
mountains  the  country  was  shrouded  in  a  fleecy. 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


white  mist,  pierced  by  the  great  ice  cone  of 
Mount  Rainier.  The  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun 
began  to  tinge  the  deep  blue  into  pale  amber, 
illuminating  the  outlines  of  the  cone,  leaving  its 
broad  front  in  partial  shadow.  It  seemed  very 
near,  details  on  its  face  being  plainly  visible. 
Presently  the  margins  turned  golden,  the  shad- 
ows purple,  the  golden  flood  of  light  rolling 
down  the  slope,  dissipating  the  mist,  down  the 
sleepy  slope  of  Steilacoom,  over  the  bay,  turning 
the  light  ripples  on  the  water  into  all  the  colors 
of  the  prism  and  all  the  shades  these  colors  can 
produce,  giving  a  picture  of  such  sublimity  and 
beauty  as  few  mortals  have  beheld,  and  when  the 
professor  spoke  about  getting  out  his  colors  he 
was  at  once  notified  that  if  he  did  he  would  be 
landed  at  Steilacoom  at  once. 


August  6th,  4  P.  M.— From  the  middle  of 
Port  Susan  bay  we  sighted  the  spruce  covered 
lowlands  near  the  mouth  of  the  Stillaguamish. 
Light  wind  and  unfavorable  tide  delayed  us  until 
it  was  quite  dark  when  we  entered,  as  we 
thought,  the  channel  of  the  river.  The  weather 
was  sultry  with  occasional  flashes  of  lightning. 
We  soon  discovered  that  the  current  was  against 
us  and  it  being  dead  calm  we  got  out  and  manned 
the  sweeps  to  propel  the  Albatross  up  the  stream. 
It  was  so  dark  that  we  could  not  see  the  low 
shores,  but  we  could  see  a  large  snag  nearby  and 
it  soon  became  evident  that  we  were  practically 
stationary.  We  double-manned  the  sweeps, 
still  the  snag  seemed  to  stay  by  us.  It  was  now 
quite  dark  and  losing  sight  of  that  spectrous 
snag,  we  worked  the  sweeps  with  renewed 
energy.  About  this  time  I  think  it  was  Sam  who 
noticed  a  peculiar  grating,  crackling  sound  com- 
ing from  the  jib  stay  which  was  wire.  The  pro- 
fessor undertook  to  account  for  it  from  the  fact 
that  there  was  considerable  electricity  in  the 
atmosphere  and  that  it  was  playing  hocus-pocus 
in  the  rigging.  *  *  *  *  Presently  the  water 
left  us,  and  finding  our  craft  fast  on  a  sand  bar 
we  took  in  the  sweeps.  The  electrical  disturb- 
ance also  subsided  and  all  being  tired  we  went  to 
sleep. 

August  7th,  7  A.  M. — On  a  sand  bar  in  the 
middle  of  Davis  slough  with  the  mast  against  the 
telegraph  wire  which  was  strung  across  the 
slough.  How  much  energy  we  used  up  on  this 
wire  in  labor  and  scare  will  never  be  known,  but 
the  electric  phenomenon  was  accounted  for. 

As  the  boat  was  safely  moored  for  several 
hours  until  the  return  of  the  tide  all  the  party 
except  Captain  Budlong  started  for  Centerville 
(now  Stanwood)  across  the  flats.  After  jumping 
or  otherwise  crossing  several  channels  we  were 
about  half  way  across  the  flats,  when  the  profes- 
sor, who  was  in  the  rear,  called  lustily  for  help. 
He  had  disappeared,  that  is,  mostcf  him  had. 
Only  his  intellectual   head  appeared  in  the  grass. 


He  explained  that  he  had  fallen  into  a  blind 
slough  and  was  stuck.  We  pulled  him  out, 
together  with  a  quantity  of  rich  gray  loam.  Soon 
we  came  to  the  river  channel  where  it  forks 
(Leque's  point)  and  after  considerable  expendi- 
ture of  voice  and  wind.  Bob  Freeman,  represent- 
ing the  authorities,  came  across  in  a  boat  and 
offered  us  the  freedom  of  the  city.  We  accepted 
and  embarked  with  him  and  about  9  A.  M., 
August  7,  1S76,  we  took  possession  of  the 
metropolis  on  the  Stillaguamish.  We  were  not 
entrusted  with  the  keys  of  the  city,  I  think 
because  there  were  no  locks. 

The  problem  of  transportation  we  solved 
ultimately  by  employing  a  native  with  the  poetic 
name  of  Slit-lip  Jim,  who  owned  a  number  of 
shovel-nose  canoes  and  several  squaws.  We 
transferred  our  freight  and  passengers  from  the 
Albatross  to  a  couple  of  large  shovel  noses. 
Pointing  their  problematical  prows  up  stream, 
propelled  by  squaw  power,  we  left  the  metropolis 
behind.  I  said  up  stream  which  was  not  true  at 
that  moment,  although  an  hour  before  it  had 
been.  This  seemed  uncanny  but  from  previous 
experience  I  had  become  wise  enough  to  say 
nothing  about  what  I  thought  of  this  strange 
river  that  chose  to  defy  the  law  of  gravity  and 
flow  up  streaiTi  half  of  the  time. 

August  7,  187() — About  dark  we  came  to  the 
big  jam  about  six  miles  up  the  river.  Here  again 
was  something  to  rivet  the  attention  of  the  inno- 
cent from  Dakota.  The  river  at  this  point  was 
about  one  hundred  yards  wide,  but  the  water  was 
out  of  sight.  A  mass  of  trees,  logs,  stumps  and 
brush  and  all  imaginable  kinds  of  drift  filled  the 
river  from  bank  to  bank  for  more  than  half  a  mile. 
Immense  forest  giants  three  hundred  feet  long 
and  ten  to  nineteen  feet  in  diameter  with  all  the 
limbs  and  with  roots  spreading  forty  feet  or 
more,  lying  crosswise,  lengthwise  and  at  all 
angles  locked  and  matted  together,  it  seemed 
that  nothing  but  an  earthquake  could  disturb  it. 
It  seemed  to  be  built  on  the  plan  of  a  crow's  nest 
exactly  and  knowing  that  it  would  now  be  incon- 
venient to  take  me  to  Steilacoom  I  ventured  to 
ask  the  professor  if  he  was  sure  that  it  was  not 
the  work  of  pre-historic  crows.  He  said  he  was, 
but  it  was  unfair  to  ask  such  questions  after  we 
got  beyond  civilization.  On  shore  alongside  the 
jam  was  a  narrow  trail  over  which  we  hauled  the 
canoes  and  carried  the  baggage.  About  dark  it 
commenced  to  rain  and  before  the  portage  was 
made  we  were  thoroughly  wet.  However,  we 
got  up  a  shelter  tent  and  after  the  exercise  we 
had  making  the  portage  and  a  not  especially  rich 
supper,  we  went  to  sleep  as  tired  men  with  good 
consciences    and    digestions    only    can. 

August  8th — Rain.  Just  above  the  jam  the  river 
runs  rapid  among  snags.  With  the  passengers 
aboard  the  canoes  are  too  heavily  loaded  to  navi- 
gate this  box  of  water.  The  professor  took  com- 
mand of  the  fleet  and  we  became  land  forces.    We 


REMINISCENCES 


467 


had  only  about  four  miles  along  the  bank  to  go  to 
the  next  jam  just  above  the  south  slough  and  by 
very  strenuous  labor  we  got  there  before  dark.  We 
got  aboard  the  canoes  and  went  a  short  distance 
up  south  slough  and  made  a  portage  across  a 
narrow  strip  of  land  between  the  slough  and  the 
river  above  the  jam  (about  where  tlie  G.  N.  R. 
R.  bridge  now  is)  and  camped  on  this  point  Aug- 
ust Sth. 

August  9th — River  running  yellow  and  too 
full  of  drift  to  navigate — steady  downpour — con- 
cluded to  wait  and  let  the  river  clear  some.  Only 
feared  that  at  the  rate  tlie  drift  was  coming  the 
river  would  jam  up  to  its  head  before  the  flood 
went  down.     *     *     * 

August  10th — Still  raining  but  less  drift  in 
the  river.  Launched  the  shovel  noses  above  the 
jam  and  proceeded  up  stream.  1  am  now  informed 
that  we  are  above  the  influences  of  the  tide  and 
that  above  this  point  the  Stillaguamish,  like  any 
civilized  river,  runs  down  stream.  We  had  very 
tangible  evidence  directly  as  whole  rafts  of  drift 
bore  down  on  us  and  we  had  to  hug  the  bank 
behind  a  snag  to  let  it  pass.  I  never  saw  more 
tangible  evidence.  In  the  afternoon  we  arrived 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Pilchuck  which  was  free  of 
drift  and  we  made  harbor.  This  is  our  initial 
point  for  the  survey. 

August  11th — Our  point  of  beginning  the 
survey  is  near  the  mouth  of  the  Pilchuck.  Dur- 
ing the  night  we  had  just  enough  clear  sky  to 
get  a  pole  star  observation  and  we  established  a 
meridian  about  fifty  feet  long,  into  a  crab  apple 
jungle.  Next  morning  we  got  some  good  exer- 
cise cutting  through  it.  Crab  apple  is  hard  and 
tough  and  the  trees  were  growing  about  as  thick 
as  they  could  stand  and  were  twisted  and  matted 
together  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  them 
down  after  they  were  cut.  We  simply  had  to 
cut  a  tunnel.  It  took  two  hours  to  cut  three 
hundred  feet  of  line.  This  jungle  terminated  in 
a  swamp  with  about  two  feet  of  water  and  two 
hundred  feet  more  or  less  of  mud.  We  bridged 
across  this  swamp  by  piling  brush  into  it  and 
arrived  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  hill.  This  hillside 
was  completely  covered  with  fallen  timber  and 
progress  on  the  ground  being  impossible  we  took 
the  chipmunk  route.  Each  man  carried  a  pack 
of  fifty  pounds  or  more  and  the  exercise  we  got 
on  this  aerial  ascent  was  decidedly  of  the  stren- 
uous kind.  About  half  way  up  the  hill  Jim 
slipped  and  fell,  Jim  on  one  side  of  the  log  he 
was  walking,  and  his  pack  on  the  other.  There 
he  hung  about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground. 
The  remarks  the  boys  made  to  poor,  hung-up, 
helpless  Jim  were  scandaloiis.  Bud  said  he 
looked  like  the  decorations  on  a  mining  camp 
clothes  line  and  suggested  that  he  be  left  until 
dry.  Sam  said  he  looked  like  a  horse  thief  in  the 
last  act.  But  Jim  being  cook,  we  had  to  have 
him,  and  after  some  maneuvering  we  got  him 
separated  from  his  pack  and  hoisted  back  on  the 


elevated,  and  after  ten  minutes  more  balancing 
we  arrived  on  terra  firma,  at  the  top  of  the  hill. 

From  this  point  we  have  a  magnificent  view 
of  the  valley  of  the  Stillaguamish.  Southward 
across  a  sea  of  tree  tops  the  view  is  bounded  in 
the  far  distance  by  the  horizon — to  the  east  by 
the  ragged  summits  and  ice  fields  of  the  Cas- 
cades, to  the  west  by  Puget  sound,  with  its 
islands,  and  the  Olympic  range,  serrated  and 
snow  streaked,  with  the  bald  head  of  Olympus 
towering  above  Mount  Constance,  Three  Brothers 
and  other  monarchs  of  the  range,  and  in  line  of 
the  straits  the  limitless  expanse  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  This  view  is  not  a  picture,  it  is  a  pano- 
rama. This  I  ventured  to  remark  at  the  time, 
and  for  once  the  professor  agreed  with  me. 

To  the  west  the  view  terminated  at  the  nearly 
solid  wall  of  virgin  forest.  Not  the  mark  of  an 
axe  or  a  foot  print  of  man  anywhere.  Only 
forest  giants  alive  and  dead,  erect  and  prostrate, 
covered  with  damp  moss,  the  atmosphere  charged 
with  the  smell  of  decaying  wood.  It  is  solitude 
personified — no  twitter  of  bird  or  chirp  of  chip- 
munk— -only  vegetation  run  riot  in  the  gloom, 
the  walls  of  giants  excluding  the  rays  of  the  sun 
from  the  struggling  undergrowth  at  their  feet. 
A  break  in  the  clouds  in  the  south  lets  a  flood  of 
sunlight  across  the  valley,  bringing  out  details  of 
the  foliage  in  the  dark  green  mass  of  fir  tops  and 
the  lighter  green  of  the  deciduous  belt  of  trees 
along  the  river  giving  the  valley  a  resemblance  to 
a  dark  green  rug  with  a  lighter  green  serpent 
across  it.  Here  and  there  the  river  appears  like  a 
broken  thread  of  silver.  On  the  side  hill  just 
described  we  found  croppings  of  coal,  a  brown 
lignite.  Later  we  tried  it  for  fuel.  It  made  some 
fire  and  much  smell.  It  is  probably  of  no  value 
except  as  an  indication  that  we  are  in  the  coal 
measures. 

To  continue  Mr.  Iverson's  highly  humorous 
and  interesting  account  of  the  further  experi- 
ences of  this  pioneer  surveying  party  is  foreign 
to  the  purpose  of  our  work.  The  great  signifi- 
cance of  his  "discovery  of  the  Stillaguamish" 
consists  in  the  fact  that  while  engaged  on  this 
survey  he  became  impressed  with  the  possibili- 
ties of  the  country.  His  faith  in  it  and  the 
advertising  he  gave  it  among  his  friends  and 
countrymen  soon  led  to  the  settlement  of  large 
numbers  of  Norsemen  in  the  valley,  and  the 
ultimate  development  of  its  natural  resources  to 
a  degree  which  would  have  been  impossible 
without  the  presence  of  those  industrious  and 
thrifty  Scandinavian- Americans. 

Edison's  gold  excitement 

There  are  few  western  communities  in  prox- 
imity to  mineral  districts  that  have  not  had  their 
hoax  gold  excitements  with  accompanying 
humorous  incidents.  It  is  distinctly  a  Western 
amusement,   never  fails  to  draw,    always  leaves 


468 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


in  its  wake  broad  smiles  and  happy  recollec- 
tions. 

r  Edison  gave  its  "gold  discovery"  comedy  in 
1891.  One  week  of  the  balmy  month  of  May  had 
about  sped  by  when,  on  a  Friday  (unlucky  day), 
a  coterie  of  the  village  wits,  after  long  and 
ardently  canvassing  the  situation,  came  to  the 
unanimous  conclusion  that  a  wholesome  tonic 
was  needed  to  stimulate  life.  The  peace  and  quiet 
that  reigned  on  the  Samish  was  depressing;  the 
limit  had  been  reached.  Nothing  would  wake 
people  up  so  quickly,  so  thoroughly  as  a  gold 
excitement.  That  was  just  the  thing.  Once 
decided  upon,  quick  action  was  taken  and  before 
the  sun  went  down  on  the  seventh  day  of  May, 
the  scenery  was  arranged,  characters  selected 
and  the  play  made  ready  for  performance. 
Several  pieces  of  bronze  and  brass  had  been 
filed  up  and  the  "dust"  scattered  judiciously  as 
well  as  lavishly  over  a  patch  of  ground  on  Pat 
Smith's  place  near  Edison. 

At  ten  o'clock  that  evening,  or  thereabouts, 
the  curtain  rose.  Paddy  Mohr,  a  cook  in  the 
Blanchard  Logging  Company's  camp,  gathering 
around  him  Jack  Cain,  John  Morrison,  Lee 
Byles,  Charlie  Barber,  and  one  or  two  other  kin- 
dred spirits,  announced  the  discovery  of  yellow 
dust  on  Smith's  place  that  afternoon,  exhibiting 
some  "pay  dirt"  to  back  up  his  statements.  Of 
course,  only  a  casual  examination  in  the  shade  of 
a  flickering  lamp  high  against  the  wall  was 
allowed  the  curious,  and  care  was  taken  to  secure 
comparative  secrecy.  "Thought  we'd  let  a  few 
of  you  Samish  fellows  in  on  the  deal  before 
the  news  leaks  out  and  the  whole  country  piles 
in  on  us,"  explained  Mohr. 

It  was  also  suggested  that  then  was  the 
accepted  time  to  stake  a  claim. 

In  small  groups,  by  couplfes  and  sometimes 
singly,  the  gold  seekers  silently  stole  out  into  the 
darkness.  The  news  spread  with  rapidity,  a 
prerogative  of  such  secrets,  and  by  midnight  the 
rush  was  on  in  dead  earnest.  Lanterns  and 
lamps  flitted  over  the  flats  like  frolicking  fireflies. 
Joe  Bland,  the  local  justice  of  the  peace  and 
notary  public,  was  summoned  from  his  warm 
bed  to  draw  filing  papers  before  half  the  hours 
allotted  to  man  for  sleep  had  passed.  Edison 
awoke  earlier  even  than  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 
By  eight  o'clock  twenty  claims  had  been  staked 
on  Smith's  ranch  and  "prospectors"  were 
branching  out  over  the  adjoining  property. 
"Colors"  were  plentiful  and  dirt  began  to  fly 
at  break  of  day.  Soon  quantities  of  the  gold 
began  to  move  toward  town  for  closer  private 
inspection  and  for  the  assayer.  A  sound 
steamer  left  early  for  Seattle  and  one  man,  en- 
thusiastic over  his  good  fortune  and  determined 
to  startle  Seattle  with  the  good  news,  boarded 
the  boat  with  a  coffee  sack  well  filled  with 
the  precious  pay  dirt,  but  before  the  boat 
pulled    out   he   was    persuaded    to  wait   another 


day.  The  name  of  this  excited  individual  is 
omitted  out  of  consideration  to  his  feelings. 
Mining  property  commenced  moving  at  a  good 
figure,  early,  too,  and  quite  a  number  of  claims 
changed  hands  on  surface  showings. 

Thus  the  play  went  on  without  interruption, 
act  by  act.  The  few  who  saw  through  the  plot 
merely  winked  cautiously  at  one  another.  At 
the  opportune  moment,  when  the  comic  had  been 
carried  as  far  as  taste  and  discretion  would  per- 
mit, the  curtain  was  allowed  to  drop,  and  the  star 
actor  explained  in  an  epilogue  the  harmlessness 
and  purport  of  the  little  performance.  Its 
humor  was  appreciated  by  all  the  spectators  and 
those  performers  who  furnished  sport  at  their 
own  expense  soon  forgot  their  chagrin  and  joined 
in  the  general  laugh. 

A  CELEBRATED  ADVERTISEMENT 

Peculiar  interest  attaches  to  the  following 
unique  advertisement  from  the  pen  of  Morti- 
mer Cook,  founder  of  Sedro,  now  part  of  the  com- 
bined city  of  Sedro- Woolley.  The  advertise- 
ment is  illustrative  of  the  writer's  character, 
who,  by  the  way,  attained  unusual  success  in 
business,  and  was  copied  throughout  the  United 
States,  even  in  Europe  it  is  said.  It  was  pub- 
lished in  the  first  issue  of  the  Sedro  Times  in  1890. 

STOREKEEPING 

BY  MORTIMER  COOK 

About  the  lowest  and  most  unprofitable  business  on 
this  earth  is  keeping  a  one  horse  store;  and  the  more 
horses  you  put  on  the  more  dangerous  it  becomes.  Any 
man  with  money,  brains  and  jaw  enough  to  make  a  success 
in  this  line  can  make  ten  times  as  much  in  some  other 
way.  The  average  youth  and  many  beyond  in  years 
think  if  they  can  only  get  a  nice  store  somewhere,  talk 
obsequiously  to  customers,  particularly  the  ladies,  under- 
stand book-keeping,  write  a  nice  letter,  make  out  a  bill 
quickly  and  smartly,  get  insured,  have  a  nice  spread-eagle 
"ad"  in  the  local  paper  that  no  one  ever  sees  or  cares  a 

about  except  themselves,  part  their  hair  in  the  middle, 

etc.,  that  they  are  on  the  high  road  that  leads  to  glory. 

Not  so.  The  sohd  substance  of  this  earth  don't  come 
that  \va}'.  Five  years,  and  nine-tenths  of  these  poor, 
deluded  people  will  be  sunk  deep  in  deeper  moats,  or 
rising  out  of  them,  if  brains  enough,  with  worn  and  dirty 
garments,  looking  dazed  but  wiser. 

Now  as  for  myself,  must  plead  guilty  of  keeping  a 
small  shop  in  Sedro— overflowed  Sedro!  Jumping,  buck- 
ing, floating,  but  always  coming  Sedro.  Kumtux?  Don't 
pretend  to  keep  a  full  stock  of  anything,  always  out  of 
something;  don't  get  goods  by  every  steamer  or  train,  nor 
are  they  all  fresh;  lots  of  things  no  good.  Nor  do  I  for  a 
moment  pretend  to  sell  cheap  or  at  one  price,  or  strictly 
for  cash,  or  otherwise. 

All  the  clerks  are  instructed  to  put  on  such  a  price  as 
they  please,  sizing  every  customer  up,  and  to  get  the  most 
money  out  of  them  possible.  And  finally  if  Fritz  or 
Smash  'em  pays  one  thirty-second  of  a  cent  more  than 
some  other  man,  don't  want  him  to  come  'round  whining. 
Let  him  go  out  and  kick  a  stump  or  improve  his  looks 
"Capit." 

THE  SALMON  AGE 

Benson  creek,  or  slough,  rising  on  Coal 
mountain  just  above  Sedro- Woolley,  and  flowing 


REMINISCENCES 


into  the  Skagit  river  at  the  old  Benson  place,  has 
always-been  noted  as  a  fishing  and  spawning 
stream  despite  its  small  size.  Emmett  Van 
Fleet,  living  on  the  creek  near  its  mouth,  says 
that  years  ago  he  often  speared  as  many  as  four 
hundred  hookbill  salmon  in  two  hours  during  the 
spawning  season.  To  get  a  wagon  load  was  an 
easy  task;  in  fact  the  surrounding  settlers  were 
accustomed  for  a  long  time  to  take  them  away 
by  the  wagon  load  for  use  as  orchard  fertilizer. 
Not  only  was  Benson  creek  full  of  fish  in  season 
but  every  stream  down  to  mere  rivulets  was  alive 
with  the  finny  tribe.  Even  the  dogs  went  fre- 
quently to  these  runways  and  fished  by  the 
hour  apparently  enjoying  the  sport  as  much  as 
men  and  women.  Bears  were  so  fond  of  salmon 
that  they  infested  these  little  shallow  streams  by 
night  as  well  as  by  day  and  in  season  ate  so 
many  fish  that  bear  meat  was  positively  sickening, 
repelling  in  odor  and  taste.  Hogs,  also,  soon 
learned  to  like  the  salmon  and  with  their  glut- 
tonous appetites  more  often  than  not  became 
worthless  as  meat.  The  fact  of  the  matter  is, 
says  Mr.  Van  Fleet,  that  for  a  time  salmon 
threatened  to  embarrass  the  pioneer  along  the 
streams,  strange  as  it  may  seem  to  the  present 
generation. 

AN  INCIDENT  OF    PIONEER  TRAVEL 

Before  the  days  of  transcontinental  railroads 
when  people  westward  bound  had  to  travel  by 
wagon  much  of  the  way  to  the  Pacific,  many 
thrilling  adventures  were  had  by  the  weary 
pilgrims,  many  experiences  which  tried  their 
souls  as  with  fire.  Mrs.  John  Ball,  now  residing 
on  the  Swinomish  flats,  has  a  very  vivid  picture 
on  her  memory's  wall  of  one  such  experience  in 
central  Washington.  She  and  her  husband  and 
family  had  been  camped  for  weeks  in  the  Yakima 
valley  waiting  for  the  genial  warmth  of  spring 
to  melt  the  snow  in  the  mountains  and  call  the 
succulent  grasses  into  being.  At  length  they 
decided  to  press  on.  Indians  warned  them  not 
to  attempt  a  passage  of  the  Yakima  river  as  they 
would  surely  be  drowned,  but  they  heeded  not 
the  warning.  In  making  the  crossing  Mrs.  Ball 
occupied  a  seat  on  a  roll  of  blankets  and  other 
bedding  which  in  turn  was  on  top  of  a  trunk  in 
the  front  part  of  the  wagon.  In  one  arm  she  held 
her  two  small  children,  Amos  and  Globe,  while 
with  the  free  hand  she  led  three  unharnessed 
horses.  Soon  horses,  wagon,  people  and  all 
began  floating  rapidly  down  the  stream  and  it 
looked  as  though  the  prediction  of  the  Indians 
was  about  to  be  fulfilled;  but  at  the  critical 
moment,  when  the  struggle  seemed  lost,  a  tall 
bay  mare  in  front  gained  a  foothold  on  tora 
firma  and  she  brought  all  safely  to    the  land. 

Shortly  afterward  Mrs.  Ball's  nerves  were  put 
to  a  still  more  severe  test.  When  the  family 
reached  Thorp's  Prairie,   her  husband  found    it 


necessary  to  leave  her  alone  with  the  children, 
while  he  went  on  with  an  Indian  guide  to  pro- 
cure a  log  raft  and  prepare  for  the  crossing  of  a 
lake  ahead.  That  evening,  when  the  lonely 
lady  had  milked  the  cow  and  was  just  ready  to 
sit  down  with  the  children  to  supper,  she  heard 
a  dog  bark  and,  looking  in  the  direction  of  the 
sound,  saw  a  dozen  stalwart  Indians  approaching 
rapidly  on  their  fleet  ponies.  In  a  moment  they 
were  all  around  the  camp,  brandishing  knives, 
shouting  their  awful  war  whoops  and  striving  to 
outdo  each  other  in  demonstrations  of  savage 
frenzy.  The  terror  of  the  poor  woman  may  be 
imagined.  Clinging  to  her  dress  were  her 
frightened,  crying  children  ;  around  her  frenzied, 
yelling,  apparently  hostile  savages  and  nowhere 
any  prospect  of  help.  The  situation  was  soon 
relieved,  however,  for  presently  the  Indians, 
obedient  to  some  unknown  impulse,  suddenly 
mounted  their  ponies  and  were  gone. 

It  is  possible  they  may  have  gained  knowl- 
edge of  the  approach  of  white  men,  for  no 
sooner  had  they  disappeared  than  two  came  to 
camp,  much  to  the  relief  of  Mrs.  Ball.  They 
reported  having  seen  her  husband  near  the  lake 
and  told  her  not  to  fear  as  they  would  camp 
nearby  for  the  night  and  afford  her  what  protec- 
tion they  could.  But  her  nervousness  was  not 
entirely  overcome,  and  throughout  the  long, 
lonely  winter  night,  with  her  husband's  old  1859 
six-shooter  in  her  hand  and  the  dog  for  her  com- 
panion she  stood  guard  over  her  sleeping  children 
and  her  belongings.  Next  day  Mr.  Ball  returned 
and  the  journey  was  continued  without  exciting 
incident  until  they  were  safe  in  Skagit  county. 

ALPINE,  THE  DESERTED  VILL.^GE 
By  Elizan  M.  Wallace 

Shade  of  Oliver  Goldsmith,  where  have  I  found 
thee!  Not  in  far  away  English  romance,  but  in 
Skagit  county  at  the  end  of  a  runaway  road,  up 
hill  and  down  dale; — there,  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Cavanaugh  lies  Alpine. 

Lake  Cavanaugh  is  fourteen  miles  northeast 
of  McMurray  and  can  be  reached  only  by  wagon 
road.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  pictur- 
esque lakes  of  our  Northwest,  three  miles  long 
and  a  mile  wide.  It  is  a  nursling  of  the  hills  and 
is  guarded  closely  by  their  wooded  slopes.  Many 
years  ago  an  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  pleas- 
ure resort  at  this  place.  A  number  of  families 
filed  on  the  land  bordering  the  lake,  building  their 
homes  at  the  water's  edge.  Some  erected  very 
comfortable  two-story  houses  of  split  cedar.  The 
most  pretentious  of  these  was  designed  for  a  hotel 
but  was  never  entirely  completed.  A  school- 
house  was  built  and  school  held  within.  A  post- 
office  was  also  established  and  mail  arrived  three 
times  a  week,  being  carried  in  by  way  of  the 
McMurray  road. 

After  a  time  the  homesteads  were  proved  up 


70 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


and  the  owners,  seeming  to  find  the  loneliness 
growing  oppressive,  returned  one  by  one  to  outer 

civilization.  Many  things  were  left  behind  rather 
than  pay  the  expense  and  take  the  trouble  of 
hauling  them  over  the  long,  uneven  road.  In 
the  upper  story  of  Hotel  Cavanaugh  are  beds, 
decaying  carpets,  half  detached  from  the  floors, 
clothing,  old  furniture — habitations  now  of  scurry- 
ing wood  rats.  Below  the  rickety  stairs  are 
kitchen  utensils  and  heavy  dishes  which  the  sum- 
mer camper  may  use  at  pleasure, — if  he  choose. 

Tumble-down  stoves,  tables  and  bedsteads 
add  to  the  internal  desolation  of  this  dilapidated 
building.  Upon  the  edge  of  the  lake,  a  good  boat 
and  two  dugouts  are  lying.  Tacked  on  the  hotel 
door  is  a  cordial  invitation  to  all  comers  to  make 
free  use  of  the  boat,  mildly  requesting  that  oars 
and  oarlocks  be  returned  to  the  house  after  use. 
The  old  schoolhouse,  with  its  once  used  register 
still  within,  still  stands,  so  deserted  one  can 
scarcely  imagine  it  ever  rang  with  merry  chil- 
dren's voices  or  echoed  the  teacher's  bell.  In  the 
old  postoffice,  tmtil  very  recently,  the  old  post- 
office  stamp  remained,  its  impress  bearing  the 
legend,  "Alpine,  August  7,  ISSti,  Washington," 
probably  the  date  of  the  last  receipt  of  mail. 

This  is  Alpine,  the  deserted  village. 

In  the  gardens  Japanese  wineberry  bushes 
bear  fruit  beside  their  country  cousins,  the  salmon 
berries.  Luscious  cherries  and  plums  drop  from 
the  burdened  limbs  to  tangled  grass  in  the  midst 
of  alder  growth  and  young  firs,  while  wild  black- 
berry vines  peep  curiously  in  at  broken  windows. 
Quail  and  pheasants  whir  away  through  the  trees, 
startled  from  their  feeding  places. 

There  is  something  mutely  pathetic  about  it 
all.  The  empty  houses,  haunted  by  ghosts  of 
bygone  memories  and  lying  so  drearily  in  the 
solemn  silence  of  the  hills;  the  tangle  of  wild 
vines  overgrowing  the  door  steps  undisturbed  by 
straying  feet;  the  half  open  doors,  swinging 
like  soldiers'  empty  sleeves;  the  orchards  and 
gardens  springing  up  with  wild  growth.  Nature's 
perpetual  protest  against  the  "invasion  of  her 
domain;  the  old  well  with  curb  caving  in — age 
without  a  staff — all  are  monuments  of  unfulfilled 
human  ambition. 

CAUGHT  IN  A  PUGET  SOUND  BLIZZARD 

The  terrible  experience  of  G.  W.  L.  Allen 
and  his  ten-year-old  daughter,  Minnie,  now  Mrs. 
Paul  Jones  of  Semiahmoo,  during  a  blizzard  which 
swept  this  section  in  1880,  is  vividly  recalled  by 
many  Skagit  county  pioneers. 

Wednesday,  January  7th,  according  to  the 
date  recorded  in  E.  A.  Sisson's  noted  diary. 
Sheriff  Allen,  accompanied  by  his  daughter,  went 
to  Fidalgo  on  business.  Late  in  the  afternoon  he 
headed  his  boat  homeward  across  Padilla  bay. 
Hardly  had  they  gotten  well  started  on  the  five- 
mile  row,  however,   before  a  snow  storm  set  in 


which  soon  became  a  blinding  blizzard.  The 
flakes  of  snow  and  the  darkness,  together  with 
a  high,  cold  wind  from  the  north,  resulted  in 
the  boat's  being  diverted  from  its  course  in  spite 
of  all  that  the  sheriff  could  do,  and  the  result  was 
that  he  landed  at  the  mouth  of  Telegraph 
instead  of  at  the  mouth  of  Indian  slough.  This 
placed  him  on  an  island  embracing  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  in  the  form  of  a  square, 
bounded  by  the  bay.  Telegraph  and  Indian 
sloughs,  and  a  canal  dug  by  the  settlers  in  1S77, 
connecting  the  two  sloughs.  Telegraph  slough 
was  so  named  from  the  fact  that  the  old  Western 
Union's  wires  were  strung  along  its  banks. 

Night  had  now  fallen.  The  storm  raged  with 
unabated  fury,  blotting  out  the  whole  world  from 
view,  though  fortunately  the  temperature  was 
not  dangerously  low.  The  hardy  old  pioneer  and 
his  child  were  not  very  warmly  clad,  and  natur- 
ally they  made  all  haste  to  reach  shelter.  They 
went  straight  across  the  field  to  R.  E.  Whitney's 
place,  which  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  Indian 
slough,  to  the  east,  and  tried  with  all  their 
might  to  attract  attention,  but  without  success. 
The  elements  were  against  them.  Then  they 
struck  out  toward  the  home  of  H.  E.  Dewey,  Mr. 
Whitney's  nephew,  who  lived  on  the  slough 
nearby. 

In  the  darkness  they  missed  the  house,  again 
reaching  Telegragh  slough  after  a  hard  tramp 
lasting  what  seemed  to  them  ages.  In  fact  they 
tramped  around  in  the  deepening  snow,  wet  to  1  he 
skin  and  chilled,  for  hours,  in  futile  efforts  to 
locate  a  house.  As  often  as  they  started  on  a 
course,  they  went  astray.  Ultimately  their  con- 
dition became  so  serious  that  had  they  stopped  to 
rest,  they  must  surely  have  been  overcome  by  the 
cold  and  frozen  to  death,  but  they  tramped  and 
tramped  unceasingly  through  the  long  night. 
Toward  morning  they  reached  Telegraph  slough 
once  more.  Carefully  following  it  to  the  canal, 
they  slowly  and  painfully  followed  that  until  they 
reached  a  point  opposite  James  Calahan's  place 
on  Indian  slough.  Here  the  distance  to  the 
house  was  not  great,  and  after  exhausting  efforts 
by  both  father  and  daughter,  Calahan  was  at 
last  aroused.  He  quickly  responded  with  a  boat 
and  soon  had  the  sufferers  snug  under  his  hos- 
pitable roof.  Only  with  the  utmost  care  and  skill 
were  serious  effects  of  the  exposure  averted  and 
it  was  long  afterward  before  the  recovery  of 
either  of  the  unfortunate  pair  was  complete. 
Mr.  Sisson  found  the  boat  the  next  day. 

REMINISCENCES  OF  AN  EX-INDIAN  AGENT 
By  John  P.  McGlinn 

I  arrived  in  Olympia  from  Logansport,  Indi- 
ana, in  October,  1872,  having  been  appointed 
Indian  farmer  for  the  Tulalip  Indian  Agency  by 
General  R.  H.  Milroy,  superintendent  of  Indian 
Affairs  for  the  territory   of  Washington.      The 


REAIINISCENCES 


471 


white  population  of  the  territory  at  that  time 
numbered  thirty  thousand.  My  arrival  was 
shortly  after  President  Grant's  famous  order 
changing  the  whole  system  of  Indian  govern- 
ment. The  president,  by  an  executive  order, 
divided  the  Indian  agencies  of  the  United  States 
among  the  different  Christian  denominations, 
holding  each  denomination  responsible  for  the 
good  conduct  of  the  Indians,  as  well  as  the 
honest  and  efficient  administration  of  their 
respective  agencies.  Grant's  policy  was  fiercely 
assailed  by  different  factions  of  the  American 
press.  Its  result,  as  foreseen  from  the  start, 
was  that  it  pleased  very  few,  least  of  all  the 
politicians,  and  after  years  of  trial  it  was  finally 
abandoned.  Under  the  new  regime  the  Tulalip 
agency  was  assigned  to  the  Catholic  church  and 
the  Rev.  Father  E.  C.  Chirouse,  one  of  the 
oldest  missionaries  on  the  Pacific  coast,  was 
appointed  Indian  agent. 

Father  Chirouse  was  one  of  the  best  of  men, 
one  of  the  most  unselfish  men  it  was  ever  my 
good  fortune  to  be  associated  with.  He  was  a 
Frenchman  who,  with  other  young  French 
priests  as  zealous  and  as  self-sacrificing  as  himself, 
abandoned  home  and  kindred  to  establish  mis- 
sions and  schools  among  the  Indians  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  One  of  those  missions  was  established  at 
Priest  point,  opposite  the  present  city  of 
Everett,  but  was  afterward  removed  to  Tulalip. 
As  a  linguist  of  the  different  Indian  dialects, 
Father  Chirouse  had  no  equal  on  the  coast.  He, 
with  his  co-laborers,  not  only  taught  the  young 
Indian  the  common  rudiments  of  an  English 
education,  but  compiled  a  dictionary  of  their  own 
language.  The  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Apostle's 
Creed  as  well  as  the  hymns  of  the  church  were 
translated  by  him  into  the  Indian  tongue. 
Father  Chirouse  has  been  dead  many  years,  but 
his  good  works  live,  and  perhaps,  always  will 
live. 

My  first  visit  to  La  Conner  was  in  December, 
1872.  I  was  sent  by  the  agent  to  the  Swinomish 
reservation  on  some  business  in  relation  to  the 
agency  that  has  escaped  my  memory.  There 
were  three  white  people  residing  on  the  reserva- 
tion, L.  L.  Andrews,  the  post-trader,  and  James 
A.  Gilliland  and  wife.  ]\Ir.  Gilliland  was  the 
Western  Union  telegraph  operator.  La  Conner, 
directly  across  the  channel  from  the  Indian 
village,  was  located  on  what  was  at  high  tide  an 
island.  It  is  bold  and  rugged,  the  highest 
elevation  being  about  eighty  feet,  and  must  in 
ages  gone  by  have  been  thrown  up  by  some 
convulsions  of  nature.  The  adult  population  of 
the  place  were  J.  S.  Conner  and  wife,  James 
O'Lcughlin  and  wife,  Messrs.  J.  J.  Conner, 
James  and  George  Gaches,  and  Dr.  Winslow, 
brother  of  Admiral  Wmslow.  There  was  a 
store  and  postoffice  combined,  conducted  by  the 
Gaches  brothers.  J.  J.  Conner  was  owner  of 
the  town-site  claim  and  proprietor  of  the  hotel. 


(The  La  Conner  House).  Mr.  O'Loughlin  had 
started  a  tin  shop  and  J.  S.  Conner  was  diking 
and  improving  his  pre-emption  claim  upon  which 
his  family  resides  at  the  present  time.  I 
attended  a  dance  on  the  evening  of  my  arrival, 
given  in  the  hotel  dining  room.  All  the  ladies 
for  miles  around  were  present.  They  were 
Mrs.  J.  S.  Conner  and  her  daughter,  Ida,  then 
about  ten  years  of  age;  Mrs.  James  O'Loughlin, 
Mrs.  James  A.  Gilliland,  Mrs.  John  Terrace, 
Mrs.  Robert  White,  Mrs.  John  Cornelius  and 
Mrs.  E.  T.  Dodo-e. 


In  the  spring  of  1873  there  came  an  order 
from  the  Indian  Department  at  Washington  that 
all  employees  of  the  government  in  the  Indian 
service  who  were  living  with  Indian  women, 
should  marry  or  be  dismissed  from  the  service. 
There  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Finkbonner, 
who,  at  that  time,  was  a  sub-agent  on  the 
Lummi  reservation.  Mr.  Finkbonner  was  an 
intelligent,  well-educated  man,  who  had  come  to 
the  territory  at  an  early  date  and  had  been  liv- 
ing with  an  Indian  woman  for  years,  in  fact,  had 
a  large  family  of  children  by  her.  He  refused, 
however,  to  marry  the  woman  and  as  a  conse- 
quence was  dismissed  from  the  service.  I  was 
appointed  in  his  place.  The  singular  thing 
about  this  episode  was  that  a  year  later  the 
Masonic  order  promulgated  about  the  same 
order,  that  IMasons  living  with  Indian  women  be 
suspended  from  their  respective  lodges  unless 
they  abandoned  or  married  them.  Mr.  Finkbon- 
ner, who  was  a  Mason  of  high  standing,  decided 
to  marry  his  squaw  rather  than  suffer  dismissal. 
It  was  the  first  wedding  of  a  white  man  to  an 
Indian  woman  that  I  ever  attended.  I  was 
invited  by  Mr.  Finkbonner  to  witness  the  mar- 
riage ceremony  at  his  home  on  the  Gulf  of 
Georgia.  There  were  six  or  seven  of  their 
children  that  sat  down  with  us  at  the  wedding 
breakfast.  The  squaw  men  were  in  those  days 
among  the  leading  people  of  the  sound.  Mr. 
Finkbonner  had  been  treasurer  of  the  county, 
representative  to  the  territorial  legislature  and 
probate  judge.  Charley  Couts  and  John  Plaster, 
both  squaw  men,  were  serving  as  sheriff!  and 
probate  judge  respectively,  when  I  took  charge 
of  the  Lummi  reservation.  John  Plaster's 
squaw  died  shortly  after  my  arrival,  and  on  the 
very  day  of  the  funeral,  the  bereaved  husband 
made  an  offer  of  forty  dollars  for  the  heart  and 
hand  of  her  sister  who  was  then  about  fourteen 
years  of  age.  The  Indian  father  declined  the 
munificent  offer,  telling  the  judge  he  should  be 
ashamed  of  himself — that  the  girl  was  only  a 
child.  Plaster  a  year  or  so  later  married  the 
dusky  maiden.  As  the  territory  increased  in 
population  and  the  white  women  became  more 
numerous,  the  squaw  man  lost  his  social  stand- 
ing  as  well   as    his   political    prestige,  and    as  a 


472 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


consequence  he  was.slowly  but  surely  relegated  to 
the  rear.     To-day  the  squaw  man  is  but  a  memory. 

In  1873,  I  attended  the  first  Fourth  of  July 
celebration  ever  given  in  La  Conner.  While  the 
audience  on  that  memorable  occasion  was  the 
smallest  of  any  like  gathering  I  have  ever  wit- 
nessed, yet  it  made  up  in  patriotic  enthusiasm 
what  it  lacked  in  numbers.  A  man  by  the 
name  of  John  Campbell  was  the  orator  of  the 
day.  Campbell  at  that  time  ran  a  small  trading 
post  at  the  jam  on  the  Skagit  river.  He  was  a 
fluent  and  ready  speaker  and  kept  his  audience 
convulsed  with  laughter  during  the  entire  dis- 
course. His  picture  of  La  Conner  and  its  people 
in  1900  appeared  to  most  of  those  present  as  it 
appeared  to  me,  considering  the  raw  state  of  the 
country  and  our  isolation  from  the  rest  of  the 
world,  "a  pipe  dream,"  a  picture  drawn  from 
a  too  fervid  imagination,  yet  those  who  live  to 
recall  that  epoch  in  our  history  will  agree  that  it 
fell  short  of  the  actual  realization.  Poor  Camp- 
bell did  not  live  long  enough  to  see  any  of  his 
predictions  verified. 

On  a  canoe  trip  up  the  Skagit  river  the  fol- 
lowing year  in  company  with  James  O'Loughlin 
and  wife,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Conner,  James  Caches  and 
Edward  Seigfried,  while  camping  for  the  night 
opposite  the  present  town  of  Hamilton,  Camp- 
bell became  violently  insane.  He  had  retired 
without  the  knowledge  of  the  rest  of  the  party 
some  distance  into  the  forest,  and  startled  his 
companions  from  a  sound  slumber  into  sudden 
wakefulness  by  the  most  piercing,  blood-curdling 
shrieks,  repeating  a  number  of  times,  "Ted- 
auh-an,  Ted-auh-an,"  the  name  of  a  Skagit  river 
Indian.  That  most  of  the  party  were  dreadfully 
alarmed,  not  knowing  or  suspecting  what  really 
had  happened,  goes  without  saying.  It  was  a 
terrifying  moment.  The  wild  and  unsettled 
country,  the  unearthly  shrieks  coming  at  such  an 
hour,  and  in  such  a  place,  completely  unnerved 
them,  making  the  hair  on  their  heads  stand  and 
thrilling  the  blood  in  their  hearts. 

After  locating  Campbell  in  the  woods,  it  was 
all  the  three  men  could  do  to  restrain  him,  but 
fortunately  for  them,  after  the  first  outbreak,  his 
insanity  took  a  milder  form  of  religious  dementia. 
To  induce  him  to  return  to  La  Conner  without 
force  (as  the  ladies  of  the  party  refused  to  pro- 
ceed further  or  return  with  him)  O'Loughlin  hit 
on  the  expedient  of  using  the  writer's  name  to  a 
letter  that  he  clain:ed  he  had  received  from  an 
Indian  courier  from  La  Conner.  The  letter 
requested  Campbell  to  return  to  La  Conner  imme- 
diately as  Father  Chirouse  was  at  the  Swinomish 
reservation  and  wanted  to  see  him.  Campbell 
took  the  bait  without  the  least  suspicion. 


In  the  spring  of  1876  there  were  five  young 
men  who  had  taken  claims  at  the  junction  of 
Baker  river  with  the  Skagit.     I  can  only  remem- 


ber three  of  their  names,  Messrs.  Everett,  Cobb 
and  Sanger.  Shortly  after  locating  their  claims, 
the  Indians,  who  were  jealous  of  this  advance 
guard  of  civilization,  became  very  insolent  and 
even  threatening.  They  landed  one  morning  in 
considerable  force  at  Everett's  home,  where  the 
white  men  were  gathered  for  mutual  protection, 
all  togged  out  in  their  war  paint  and  feathers. 
They  demanded  that  the  whites  abandon  their 
claims  and  move  down  the  river,  that  the  land 
was  theirs,  given  to  them  by  the  great  Soc-la- 
Tyee  (God)  and  that  they  would  resist  any  fur- 
ther encroachment  on  their  lands.  The  settlers 
were  well  armed,  determined  men,  but  knowing 
well  the  temper  of  the  Indians,  very  conciliatory; 
and  fortunately  for  all  concerned  the  matter 
passed  off  without  bloodshed. 

Complaint,  however,  was  made  by  the  young 
men  in  a  letter  to  General  R.  H.  Milroy  at 
Olympia,  stating  the  facts  in  the  case  with  the 
request  that  an  agent  be  sent  up  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible to  settle  the  trouble,  as  owing  to  the  temper 
of  the  Indians,  they  (the  subscribers)  were  in 
danger  of  their  lives.  I  was  selected  to  fill  the 
important  mission.  I  secured  a  couple  of  Skagit 
river  Indians  to  pole  me  up  the  river  in  one  of 
their  shovel-nosed  canoes,  one  standing  in  the 
stern,  the  other  in  the  bow.  The  sound  Indians 
at  that  time  were  afraid  of  the  river  Indians  and 
I  could  not  prevail  on  any  of  them  to  take  me  up 
the  river.  They  said  that  the  Stick  (wood) 
Indians  were  "high-as-machy"  (very  bad).  It 
took  us  three  days  to  reach  Everett's  place.  The 
first  obstacle  we  encountered  was  the  log  jam  be- 
tween the  present  towns  of  East  and  West  Mount 
Vernon.  The  jam  was  fully  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  long.  Trees  of  large  growth  were  growing 
in  many  places  on  it,  proving  conclusively  that 
this  tremendous  obstruction  to  the  navigation  of 
the  largest  river  in  western  Washington  had 
been  the  accumulation  of  years,  before  the  settle- 
ment of  the  country  by  the  whites.  Clothier  & 
English  were  running  the  only  store  in  the  place, 
and  a  Mrs.  Shott  the  hotel,  which  consisted  of 
one  room  and  a  kitchen,  with  a  loft  overhead  for 
the  traveling  public  to  spread  their  blankets. 

I  remember,  after  eating  a  hearty  supper  of 
bacon  and  eggs  (Mrs.  Shott  was  a  good  cook),  I 
reached  the  garret  by  climbing  a  ladder  through 
a  trap  door.  A  tallow  candle  illuminated  the 
room  where  there  were  already  a  dozen  or  so  of 
men  asleep.  The  first  night  out  after  leaving 
the  jam  I  spent  with  a  settler  by  the  name  of 
Williamson,  on  the  present  site  of  Lyman.  Will- 
iamson was  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  hops; 
the  pioneer  of  the  hop  industry  in  Whatcom 
county  (Skagit  county  did  not  exist).  I  slept, 
rolled  up  in  my  blankets  on  an  Indian  mat,  in 
front  of  a  huge  fireplace.  It  had  but  one  jam, 
so  that  logs  of  most  any  length  that  could  be 
brought  into  the  cabin  could  be  burned.  It  was- 
a  great  labor-saving  fireplace. 


REMINISCENCES 


On  my  arrival  at  Mr.  Everett's  cabin,  I  sent 
word  to  the  Sauk  river  Indians  to  come  down 
and  have  a  friendly  talk  with  me.  They  arrived 
next  day  headed  by  John  Wha-wit-can,  their 
head  chief.  We  held  our  council  on  the  banks  of 
the  Skagit  river.  I  spoke  very  plainly,  but 
kindly  to  the  Indians.  I  gave  them  to  under- 
stand that  the  whites  were  acting  within  their 
rights  in  taking  up  homesteads  in  what  they  (the 
Indians)  claimed  as  their  exclusive  territory,  that 
they  had  ceded  all  those  lands  by  the  Point  Elliot 
treaty  in  1855;  that,  as  a  tribe  their  homes  were 
either  on  the  Tulalip  or  Swinomish  reservation 
as  they  might  elect,  and  finally,  that  the  white 
settlers  would  be  protected  in  their  rights  by  the 
strong  arm  of  the  Great  Father  in  Washington. 

The  young  bucks  became  greatly  excited  on 
hearing  my  statement,  and  one  of  the  sub-chiefs 
openly  advocated  force,  but  the  good  counsel  of 
John  Wha-wit-can  prevailed.  They  insisted, 
however,  that  the  white  settlers  should  go  no 
higher  up  the  river.  They  claimed  that  they 
had  never  ceded  their  lands  by  treaty  or  other- 
wise to  the  government  of  the  United  States; 
that  their  Tyees'  did  not  take  any  part  in  the 
Point  Elliot  treaty  and  therefore  were  not  bound 
by  its  compact;  that  Governor  Stevens  fooled  the 
Indians  and  robbed  them  of  their  lands  by  false 
promises  and  citltiis  ictus  (cheap  trinkets),  and 
that  they  would  never  go  on  a  reservation,  so 
our  council  closed,  the  old  chief  presenting  me 
with  a  beautiful  feather  hat  as  a  token  of  his 
regards. 

Several  years  later  and  shortly  after  the 
subsidence  of  the  Ruby  Creek  gold  excitement,  a 
surveying  party  headed  by  Tilt  Sheats,  a  veteran 
surveyor,  was  driven  out  of  the  county  by  the 
Indians.  A  company  of  soldiers  was  sent  up  on 
the  steamer  "Fanny  Lake"  (the  jam  having 
been  removed),  and  remained  most  of  the  sum- 
mer patrolling  the  upper  river.  This  demonstra- 
tion of  force  by  the  government  broke  the  war- 
like spirit  of  the  Indians.  They  saw  that  it  was 
useless,  so  submitted  to  the  inevitable.  There 
is  but  a  remnant  of  this  once  powerful  tribe  left. 
They  were  true  to  their  traditions  and  could  not 
be  induced  to  leave  the  home  of  their  fathers. 

GENERAL  MCDOWELL  AND  CHIEF  BONAPARTE 

The  disposition  to  judge  the  man  by  his  dress 
is  not  confined  to  barbarians  or  savages,  but 
perhaps  the  untutored  Indian  is  even  more  likely 
to  err  in  that  respect  than  his  refined  and  civ- 
ilized white  brother,  who  is  so  frequently  victim- 
ized by  the  immaculately  attired  charlatan.  It 
is  difficult  for  any  of  us  to  realize  that  men  are 
not  always  what  they  seem.  A  dainty  cravat, 
plenty  of  starch,  carefully  creased  pantaloons,  a 
well-fitting  frock  coat  and  a  high  silk  hat,  com- 
bined with  a  studied  dignity  of  bearing,  will  at 
once    place    their    possessor  in  the  ranks  of  the 


distinguished,  while  the  man  in  negligee  attire 
will  have  hard  work  to  impress  anyone  that  he  is 
much  above  the  common  herd,  however  exalted 
his  talents,  high  his  rank,  or  proud  his  name. 

An  amusing  incident  is  related  of  a  failure  of 
negotiations  with  an  Indian  chieftain  on  the  Tul- 
alip reservation,  because  the  representative  of  the 
government  on  that  particular  occasion  had  laid 
aside  his  military  garb  and  was  following  the 
example  of  Grant  at  Appomattox  in  the  matter 
of  dress. 

Many  years  ago,  when  General  McDowell  was 
making  a  tour  of  the  sound,  he  visited  a  number 
of  the  Indian  reservations,  among  them  the  Tul- 
alip in  Snohomish  county.  S.  D.  Howe,  who 
was  then  agent,  received  him  cordially,  and 
wishing  to  gain  as  much  good  as  possible  to  his 
wards  by  the  visit,  called  in  all  the  chiefs  to  the 
agency  buildings  for  a  conference,  stating  that  a 
big  soldier  man  was  there  and  wished  to  see 
them.  The  chiefs  came  at  once,  among  them  one 
whose  name  was  Whonaper,  but  who  was  known  to 
the  whites  as  Bonaparte. 

Now  Bonaparte  was  a  firm  believer  in  the 
fitness  of  things,  and  was  fully  resolved  that  so 
momentous  an  occasion  as  a  conference  between 
himself  and  the  representative  of  the  govern- 
ment should  be  characterized  by  great  dignity 
and  elaborate  display.  Accordingly,  when  he 
entered  the  council  room  accompanied  by  his 
interpreter,  he  was  attired  in  strict  accord  with 
his  notions  of  propriety.  His  habit  consisted  of 
a  pair  of  black  pantaloons;  a  British  red  coat 
with  epaulets,  a  stove-pipe  hat  bedecked  with 
gorgeous  feathers,  a  red  Spanish  sash  about  his 
waist,  in  which  were  partially  concealed  a  brace 
of  old  flint-lock  horse  pistols;  a  long  sword  hung 
at  his  side ;  a  pair  of  unmatched  kid  gloves ;  a  pair 
of  brass-bowed  spectacles  astride  his  nose;  a 
long  cane  with  a  large  brass  head  in  his  hand 
and  a  fancy  necklace  adorned  with  talons  and 
beaks  of  hawks  and  eagles,  the  tooth  of  a  beaver 
and  other  savage  ornaments. 

As  soon  as  the  general  and  the  chiefs  had 
been  introduced  with  due  ceremony,  Mr.  Howe 
addressed  the  assembly  substantially  as  follows: 
"General  McDowell  is  a  very  great  chief  among 
the  soldiers,  the  greatest  chief  of  all;  the  Presi- 
dent has  sent  him  out  here  to  have  a  talk  with  the 
Indians  on  Puget  sound,  and  if  any  of  you  have 
anything  to  say  the  general  would  be  pleased  to 
hear  it,  and  to  repeat  all  you  have  to  say  to  the 
great  chief  at  Washington.  " 

Meanwhile  Chief  Bonaparte  had  been  eyeing 
suspiciously  General  McDowell's  very  ordinary 
suit  of  citizen's  clothing,  and  plainly  sizing  up 
their  owner  very  unfavorably.  For  some  min- 
utes after  Howe  had  ceased  speaking,  not  a  word 
was  said,  but  at  length  Chief  Bonaparte  arose 
with  becoming  dignity,  and  speaking  through  his 
interpreter,  said:  "If  General  McDowell  has 
come  here  to  talk  with  us,  he  must  first  speak." 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


Thereupon  the  general  arose  and  said: 
"The  great  chief,  the  president,  at  Washington, 
had  been  informed  that  the  Indians  were  dissat- 
isfied with  the  treatment  they  had  received  from 
the  Bostons,  and  that  they  had  threatened  to 
fight  and  kill  the  white  settlers  on  Puget  sound. 
I  have  come  out  here  to  inquire  into  the  matter, 
to  find  out  what  is  the  trouble,  and  to  try  to  fix 
up  things  without  killing  each  other.  If  any  of 
the  Bostons  have  molested  or  injured  any  of  the 
Indians,  I  want  to  know  it,  and  I  will  have  them 
punished.  The  great  chief  at  Washington  does 
not  wish  to  fight  and  kill  the  Indians.  I  think 
there  is  room  enough  here  for  all  the  Indians  and 
whites,  and  hope  they  will  live  and  get  along 
peaceably  together." 

Another  silence  followed  this  speech,  then 
Bonaparte  rose  to  his  full  height,  smote  himself 
proudly  on  the  breast,  and  with  great  fire  and 
hauteur  said: 

"Look  at  me!  Do  I  look  like  a  common 
Siwash?  1  am  dressed  as  becomes  a  warrior  and 
a  chief  among  my  people.  Look  at  me!  Do  1 
look  like  the  rest  of  my  people?  I  am  a  chief 
among  my  people  and  my  dress  shows  it.  You 
say  you  are  a  chief,  a  great  soldier  man,  that 
you  have  been  sent  out  here  by  the  great  chief, 
the  president  at  Washington.  I  look  at  you; 
your  dress  is  the  same  as  Mr.  Howe's.  You  look 
the  same  as  any  common  white  man.  I  have 
seen  soldier  chiefs  at  Steilacoom,  and  I  have 
seen  King  George's  soldier  chiefs  at  Victoria,  and 
they  dressed  differently  from  common  people; 
they  dressed  as  I  do;  but  you  dress  the  same  as 
any  worthless  Boston.  I  do  not  believe  you  are 
a  chief  at  all.     I  think  you  lie.     Good  day,  sir." 

Thereupon  the  old  chieftain  strode  out  of 
the  room,  followed  by  all  the  other  Indians, 
abruptly  terminating  the  interview.  The  confu- 
sion of  Mr.  Howe  and  General  McDowell  may 
be  imagined. 

AN  INDIAN   SHAM  BATTLE 

Comparatively  few  white  men,  now  living, 
have  enjoyed  the  opportunity  of  witnessing 
Indian  inter-tribal  warfare,  and  hardly  less 
rarely  have  white  men  witnessed  sham  battles 
among  the  red  men,  yet  David  E.  Kimble,  a 
well  known  pioneer  of  Mount  Vernon,  has  seen 
both  at  his  place  on  the  Skagit  in  early  days. 
It  appears  that"Jim,"  a  "Stick,"  or  Skagit  river 
Indian,  was  foully  murdered  in  the  summer  of 
1874  at  Utsalady  by  the  "Salt  Waters."  The 
affair  caused  intense  excitement  among  the 
"Sticks,"  who  forthwith  commenced  preparations 
to  go  on  the  warpath.  The  killing  of  an  Indian 
was  not  an  incident  of  rare  occurrence,  for  these 
tribal  attacks  were  to  be  counted  upon  as  cus- 
tomary diversions  from  the  routine  of  hunting, 
fishing  and  sleeping;  nevertheless  each  ">iii?)ta- 
loose"    only    recalled    the    past     with     renewed 


bitterness  and  desire  for  revenge.  In  these 
sanguinary  conflicts,  the  sound,  or  salt  water, 
Indians  very  often  came  out  ahead,  but  neither 
tribe  won  complete  victories,  and  the  warfare 
dragged  along  in  Indian  fashion.  At  times  in 
the  conflict  pitched  battles  of  considerable  mag- 
nitude were  fought,  then  the  struggle  would 
again  relapse  into  mere  individual  encounters, 
but  it  never  ceased  entirely  until  the  whites 
became  so  numerous  that  undisturbed  battle 
grounds  could  no  longer  be  found.  To  this  day 
the  sound  Indians  look  down  upon  their  inland 
brothers,  while  the  river  dwellers  have  an  utter 
contempt  for  the  clam  diggers  of  salt  water. 

On  the  occasion  of  Jim's  death,  Thomas 
Craney,  the  Utsalady  mill  owner,  on  whose  prop- 
erty the  murder  took  place,  sent  word  to  the 
"Sticks"  to  come  and  get  the  bod)'.  "Skookum 
Charlie,"  a  chief  of  the  tribe,  with  one  hundred 
warriors  was  found  by  the  messenger  encamped 
at  a  ranchere  near  Campbell's  store  at  Skagit 
City.  A  pow-wow  followed  in  which  all  the 
head  men  participated  and  which  was  still  in 
progress  when  sentinels  came  rushing  in  to 
report  the  arrival  of  the  enemy.  There  was  no 
mistake,  for  swiftly  the  dreaded  war  canoes  came 
around  the  bend  and  set  toward  the  ranchere. 
War  cries,  shrill,  blood-curdling,  ringing  with 
frenzy,  rent  the  silence  of  those  unsettled  soli- 
tudes, alternately  chilling  and  heating  the  blood. 
Full  sixty  half-naked,  painted  Camanos  manned 
their  marvelous  canoes.  The  quick  rhythmic 
stroke  of  the  paddles,  the  stroke  shortening  as 
the  scene  of  battle  was  approached,  sent  the 
high-prowed  boats  through  the  water  by  leaps. 
As  they  neared  the  shore  paddles  were  replaced 
by  weapons  of  all  sorts  and  styles,  the  coxswain 
alone  retaining  his  to  guide  the  speeding  canoe. 
The  most  casual  onlooker  could  observe  at  once 
how  wonderful  was  the  skill  of  these  savage 
boatmen,  how  delicately  responsive  to  their 
slightest  touch  the  long,  narrow  shell,  and  how 
perfectly  graceful  and  at  ease  their  movements. 

Bravely  the  "Sticks"  met  the  attack  from 
behind  trees,  brush,  hillock  and  grass.  With  an 
exultant  yell,  the  attacking  boatmen  swept  up  to 
the  bank,  poured  out  a  volley,  disembarked  and 
rushed  to  the  attack.  The  "Sticks"  took  the 
offensive  the  moment  the  enemy  landed  and 
with  whoops  and  yells  rushed  at  the  Camanos. 
Rifles  cracked,  shot  guns  roared,  pistols  blazed 
forth  the  fury  of  the  combatants,  clubs  and 
missiles  were  hurled  back  and  forth,  but  the 
battle  was  but  for  a  moment.  The  "Sticks"  had 
never  recovered  from  their  surprise,  could  not 
withstand  the  fierceness  of  the  Camanos' 
onslaught,  and  soon  began  a  slow  retreat  into 
the  woods,  endeavoring  to  lure  on  the  foe.  The 
foe  divined  their  game,  however,  and,  having 
accomplished  its  objects  successfully,  rushed  to 
the  waiting  canoes  and  was  soon  going  down 
stream    as   rapidly   as    it   had   come    up,   giving 


REMINISCENCES 


expression  to  its  exultation  in  prolonged  yelling. 

Several  "Sticks"  had  joined  their  forefathers 
in  the  happy  hunting  grounds,  among  them  one 
nearly  blind,  shot  down  by  a  boy  in  revenge  for 
the  supposed  death  at  his  hand  of  the  lad's  father. 
It  was  noticed  that  two  or  three  Camanos  fell 
from  the  canoes  in  the  attack,  but  so  far  as  is 
known  they  were  only  wounded.  Before  the  sun 
went  down  that  night  the  defeated,  chagrined 
"Sticks"  had  gathered  together  their  dead,  and 
over  the  bodies  of  the  fallen  heroes  were  chant- 
ing the  last  sad  dirges.  Shortly  afterward, 
wrapped  in  their  brightest  blankets  and  supplied 
with  food,  clothing  and  trinkets,  the  deceased 
braves  were  carefully  laid  away  in  favorite  canoes 
placed  high  in  the  branches  of  the  nearest  "mim- 
jiloosc"  grove.  Thus  the  first  and  tragic  part  of 
the  incident  was  closed  and  Mr.  Kimble  returned 
to  his  peaceful  task  of  homebuilding  as  though 
nothing  of  moment  had  occurred. 

A  month  later  "Skookum  Charlie,"  leading  an 
immense  band  of  the  "Sticks,"  gathered  from  far 
up  and  down  the  river,  appeared  at  the  Kimble 
cabin.  The  warriors  were  dressed  and  armed  for 
fighting,  fierce  in  expression  and  aggressive  in 
movement.  It  was  plain  that  they  meant  business. 
Mr.  Kimble  had  just  returned  from  a  trip  to  the 
postoffice  and  store  at  La  Conner, — an  arduous 
journey  in  those  times  and  one  seldom  made. 
The  haughty  chief  came  to  the  point,  after  the 
customary  exchange  of  civilities  without  which 
no  Indian  chieftain  ever  proceeds  seriously,  with 
a  request  for  temporary  use  of  Mr.  Kimble's  land 
for  "cultus  nidDitna  poo"  purposes.  In  plain 
English  the  Skagits  wished  to  fight  a  sham  battle 
on  the  ranch,  probably  because  they  had  used  that 
ground  in  former  days  before  the  white  man's 
advent  and  for  the  further  reason  that,  being 
partly  cleared,  it  permitted  of  more  maneuver- 
ing than  was  possible  in  the  woods.  Further- 
more, it  is  evident  that  the  Kimble  place  was 
regarded  as  a  species  of  neutral  zone.  The  sham 
battle  was  not  a  diversion  with  these  Indians,  a 
mere  play.  Its  purpose  was  to  convey  a  challenge 
to  their  enemies,  as  reports  of  it  would  be  carried 
by  special  messenger  to  the  coast,  with  descrip- 
tions of  its  skill,  fierceness,  length  and  other 
details  important  in  judging  of  its  true  signi- 
ficance. 

Just  opposite  the  old  Kimble  home,  separated 
from  it  by  a  narrow,  short  slough,  a  low,  sparsely 
timbered  and  partly  cleared  point  jutted  out  into 
the  river.  Here  the  warriors  made  headquarters. 
The  battle  was  fought  in  three  parts,  or  rather, 
repeated  three  times,  with  brief  impassioned 
addresses  after  each  part  by  "Skookum  Charlie" 
and  leading  braves.  These  savage  orators  spoke 
from  stumps  with  much  impressiveness,  much 
feeling.  There  was  eloquence  in  their  bodies,  in 
the  eye,  which  needed  not  the  interpretation  of 
vocal  language  to  convey  its  meaning  to  the 
spellbound  Kimble  family  who  watched  the  scene 


from  the  cabin.  The  battle  demonstrations  con- 
sisted in  wild  rushes  from  out  the  woods,  the 
firing  of  guns,  fiendish  yells  and  whoops,  beating 
of  war  drums,  and,  to  some  extent,  the  production 
of  physical  distress.  It  was  a  picturesque  affair, 
strange,  intensely  interesting,  weird,  typically 
Indian  in  its  every  phase. 

WHITE  M.\N  VERSUS  INDIANS 

About  two  miles,  by  water,  above  Stanwood, 
or  less  than  three-quarters  of  a  mile  by  trail,  the 
Stillaguamish  makes  a  final  sharp  bend  before 
taking  a  straight  course  for  Florence.  The  point 
of  land  so  form^ed  is  now  the  Goodridge  ranch, 
widely  famed  throughout  the  valley  for  its 
picturesque  location,  its  cherry  orchard  and  its 
hospitable  owners.  When  Gardner  Goodridge 
came  during  the  middle  sixties  to  hew  out  a  home 
in  this  wilderness,  the  natural  beauty  of  the  spot 
and  the  richness  of  its  soil  led  him  to  select  the 
point  as  his  claim,  so  he  plunged  into  the  dense 
jungle  and  a  few  rods  from  the  shore,  erected  his 
cabin,  into  which  he  and  his  faithful  wife  soon 
moved. 

A  little  later  he  commenced  the  gigantic  task 
of  clearing  the  land,  but  immediately  found  an 
obstacle  of  some  consequence  in  hiswa}',  namely, 
an  Indian  burial  ground.  This  lay  just  around 
the  point  above  the  house,  and  with  its  gruesome 
canoe  coffins,  suspended  high  in  the  trees,  was 
anything  but  pleasant  to  the  settler.  To  enable 
the  red  men  to  remove  their  dead,  he  at  once 
gave  ten  days'  notice  of  his  intention  to  clear  the 
ground,  allowing  also  three  days  of  grace.  Back 
came  the  reply  by  special  messenger,  refusing  to 
disturb  the  sacred  dead,  and  challenging  the 
intruding  "Boston"  to  touch  so  much  as  a  hair  in 
that  graveyard.  Should  he  raise  a  hand  against 
the  mighty  braves  whose  bodies  reposed  in  peace, 
said  the  Siwashes,  the  Great  Spirit  would  strike 
him  dead.  He  didn't  dare  to  follow  out  his 
declared  intentions,  said  the  messenger  as  he 
strode  away  in  haughty  anger  and  shoved  his 
canoe  into  the  stream. 

At  once  Goodridge  began  work  on  the  burial 
grove.  Down  came  the  trees,  down  came  dead 
Indians  and  canoes!  When  convenient,  splash 
went  the  honored  dead  with  their  rotting  finery 
and  trappings  into  the  river!  More  of  them  were 
unceremoniously  stacked  up  into  huge  piles  and 
together  with  brush  and  other  debris  went  sky- 
ward in  clouds  of  smoke  and  sparks.  Goodridge 
wasn't  particular.  He  had  offered  the  Indians 
what  he  considered  a  fair  chance  to  preserve  the 
remains  of  their  deceased  friends,  and  upon  their 
refusal,  was  pursuing  the  only  course  he  could  and 
remain  on  the  claim.  So  he  redoubled  his  ener- 
gies in  his  effort  to  finish  the  job  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, for  it  wasn't  pleasant  or  healthy  work, — ■ 
and  he  needed  the  land. 

He  had  been  at  work  two  days,  cutting,  slash- 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


ing,  burning,  destroying  ,  creating  havoc  in  the 
sacred  grove,  when  suddenly  three  full  war  canoes 
waited  upon  him.  Pay  was  demanded  for  the 
destruction  of  the  burial  ground  and  the  dead,  in 
lieu  of  which  blood  alone  would  atone  for  the 
terrible  insult.  Goodridge  quickly  concluded  that 
if  money  would  right  the  wrong  claimed  to  have 
been  committed,  it  could  be  righted  yet  easier; 
further,  experienced  as  he  was  in  dealing  with 
them,  he  thoroughly  understood  them  and  was 
not  afraid  of  their  threats.  So  he  said  he  would 
pay  them  what  was  due  and  started  for  the  cabin 
to  get  the  necessary  supply  of  lead  and  steel 
which  he  purposed  to  offer,  though  he  remem- 
bered that  his  ammunition  supply  was  down  to 
seventeen  shots. 

In  the  meantime  his  wife  remained  on  the 
shore,  talking  with  the  incensed  braves.  She 
herself  was  a  native  woman,  who  had  been  reared 
by  the  chief  of  the  Stillaguamish  tribe,  so  had 
weight  with  her  audience.  Earnestly  she  pleaded 
and  argued,  while  her  husband  hastened  toward 
the  cabin,  dwelling  upon  his  prowess  as  a  fighter 
and  the  large  equipment  he  had  of  guns  and 
knives. 

"' Closhe  mika  clatatva!"  said  she,  "Hi-tjck 
yaka  delea  fnesatche  Boston/  Yika  mi  inn  loose,  citll- 
azvay,  pose  nika  chicka."  (Get  out  just  as  quick 
as  you  can  as  he  is  a  very  bad  Boston  man.  He 
will  kill  the  whole  of  you  when  he  gets  back.) 

The  Indians  believed  her  and  pulled  out 
before  the  terrible  "Boston  man"  appeared  with 
his  array  of  weapons.  Nor  did  they  ever  again 
bring  the  subject  to  his  attention.  Thus  did 
courage  and  a  little  wit,  used  intelligenth'', 
through  one  who  herself  was  convinced  and  faith- 
ful, cow  a  whole  band  of  powerful  savages. 
Thus,  also,  was  many  a  hardy  pioneer  compelled 
to  win  his  way. 

THE  INDIANS  AND  A  TOTAL  ECLIPSE 

Indians,  like  other  primitive  peoples,  are 
wont  to  ascribe  unusual  phenomena  either  to  the 
pleasure  or  the  wrath  of  God,  being  generally 
ignorant  of  any  but  the  commonest  actions  of 
natural  forces.  The  whites  have  many  times 
gained  a  moral  control  over  their  red  brethren 
by  taking  advantage  of  this  ignorance  and  super- 
stition. Charles  C.  Villeneuve  has  related  to  the 
writer  an  instance  where  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun 
was,  sometime  in  the  seventies,  used  to  good 
advantage  to  increase  the  respect  of  the  Indians 
for  the  whites  and  the  moral  ascendancy  of  the 
superior  over  the  inferior  race.  At  the  time  Mr. 
Villeneuve  was  residing  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
spot  on  which  the  town  of  Conway  was  later 
built.  The  Indians  thereabout  were  inclined  to 
be  saucy  and  Mr.  Villeneuve  determined  to  take 
advantage  of  his  foreknowledge  of  the  coming 
eclipse  to  influence  them  to  mend  their  ways  to 
the  mutual  benefit  of  both  races.      He   therefore 


announced  to  some  Indian  visitors,  several 
months  before  the  expected  event,  that  unless 
the  red  men  should  mend  their  ways,  a  great 
shadow  would  obscure  the  sun's  brightness.  Of 
course  the  warning  had  no  effect.  As  the  time 
for  the  eclipse  drew  nearer,  Mr.  Villeneuve 
repeated  his  warnings  and  pleaded  earnestly  with 
them.  Still  no  perceptible  etTect.  A  few  days 
before  the  event,  he  sent  out  messages  saying 
that  his  prediction  would  surely  come  to  pass  and 
inviting  his  red  brethren  to  assemble  at  his  place 
to  witness  it. 

On  that  eventful  day  Indians  came  in  crowds, 
the  throng  eventually  covering  fully  an  acre  of 
ground.  The  whites,  who  were  engaged  in 
threshing  beans  on  the  place,  laid  off  work  as  the 
hour  drew  nigh.  At  noon  the  sun  shone  brightly 
as  ever,  but  directly  afterward  a  haze  overspread 
it,  growing  in  density  until  that  part  of  the 
earth's  surface  was  enshrouded  in  total  darkness. 
As  the  light  faded  the  Indians  became  awe- 
stricken,  and  when  the  farmyard  fowls  began 
preparing  for  retirement,  the  entire  assemblage 
was  aghast  with  terror.  The  warning  of  the 
"Boston  man"  had  come  true.  Excited  and 
humbled,  the  Skagits  surrounded  the  whites, 
imploring  Mr.  Villeneuve  for  protection  and 
beseeching  htm  to  use  the  "Boston  man's  medi- 
cine" at  once.  With  a  few  words  he  calmed 
them,  promised  to  intercede  and  safeguard  them, 
then  retired  to  a  distant  spot  to  lend  greater 
solemnity  to  the  occasion.  Shortly  afterward 
the  dark  mantle  passed  slowly  from  before  the 
face  of  the  sun  to  the  great  joy  of  the  frightened 
red  men.  Some  reforms  did  take  place  and  ever 
afterward  the  Villeneuve  family  was  '" hy-as- 
tycc"  with  the  natives. 

A  siwash's  revenge 

"One  dreary,  cold  night,  late  in  the  fall  of 
1883,"  says  David  Batey,  of  Sedro-Woolley, 
"directly  after  supper,  a  loud,  peremptory  knock 
called  me  to  the  back  door.  I  hastened  to 
respond,  at  once  throwing  open  the  door  to  see 
who  it  was.  In  those  days  callers  at  any  time 
were  scarce,  and  when  they  came  at  night  it 
meant  something  out  of  the  ordinary,  for  travel- 
ing could  then  be  done  only  with  great  danger 
and  difficult}'.  Not  many  cared  to  be  caught 
out  in  our  dark,  endless  forests  after  nightfall. 
Loggers,  a  few  scattered  claim  holders,  occa- 
sional landhunters  or  cruisers,  and  plenty  of 
Siwashes  constituted  our  population  on  the 
Skagit. 

"Well,  my  caller  this  particular  night  all  but 
paralyzed  me.  An  Indian,  George  Buck  byname, 
whom  I  had  often  seen  and  who  lived  on  the  old 
Benson  place  above  me  several  miles,  stood 
before  me.  His  eyes  blazed  with  a  sort  of  fire  I 
didn't  like  to  see,  his  cheeks  were  painted,  his 
hair  was  wildly  disordered  and   his  face,   clothes 


REMINISCENCES 


477 


and  hands  were  stained  with  blood.  He  was  a 
terrible  sight  and  very  much  excited,  yet  calm 
enough  in  his  talk.  Buck  was  known  as  an 
intelligent  Siwash.  above  the  average,  and  was 
not  credited  with  being  a  desperado,  so  I  was  at 
a  loss  and  somewhat  curious  to  know  what  was 
wrong  with  him.  He  wanted  to  borrow  a  lan- 
tern; said  he  was  on  his  way  home,  and  I 
promptly  loaned  it  without  asking  unnecessary 
questions.  As  I  went  out  to  get  it,  many  start- 
ling thoughts  passed  through  my  mind,  and  when 
the  dull  flicker  of  the  lantern  fell  upon  my  com- 
panion's face  and  form  cold  chills  disturbed  me. 
However,  I  pulled  myself  together  to  meet  any 
emergency.  Yet  I  trusted  Buck  and  he  gave  me 
no  grounds  for  suspicion  other  than  his  frightful 
looks.  When  a  man's  in  a  new  country  he  soon 
gets  accustomed  to  sights  and  scenes  that  ordi- 
narily would  shake  his  nerve. 

"Next  morning  I  went  down  to  the  river 
landing,  close  by  the  house,  and  found  my  lan- 
tern. Still  I  did  not  know  the  mystery  of  my 
night  call;  it  only  deepened.  It  was  days  after- 
ward that  I  learned  the  facts,  which  were  as 
follows:  Buck  had,  some  time  previous  to  his 
call,  attended  a  big  potlnlch  on  the  river,  at 
which  one  of  his  family  had  been  killed.  A  feud 
resulted.  The  day  of  his  call,  he  had  killed  one 
of  his  enemies  on  the  Nookachamps,  just  opposite 
my  place.  Murder  had  not  satisfied  his  Indian 
heart,  however;  he  had  gone  further.  With 
a  hatchet  or  an  ax,  he  had  cut  the  dead  enemy 
into  twenty  pieces,  which  he  piled  up  in  the  main 
trail,  with  the  ghastly  head  on  top  of  the  heap. 
This  was  to  Buck  perfect  revenge,  the  most  com- 
plete vindication.  From  the  scene  of  his  bloody 
work,  he  had  come  to  my  place.  He  gathered  his 
family  and  belongings  that  night  and  early  in  the 
morning  left  the  country.  Long  afterward  he 
was  killed  on  the  Samish  by  a  relative  of  the 
Indian  he  had  so  cruelly  murdered  on  the 
Nookachamps. ' ' 

A  HOME-SEEKING  INCIDENT 

Many  of  Skagit's  pioneer  women  took  claims 
in  the  unbroken  forest  which  'they  developed 
after  years  of  toil  and  self-denial  into  fine  farms. 
An  interesting  story  illustrating  the  trials 
frequently  undergone  by  these  aggressive  female 
pioneers  is  related  by  David  Batey  and  wife  of 
Sedro-Woolley.  Some  time  in  1S88,  two  of  the 
young  ladies  of  that  upriver  settlement  decided 
to  secure  claims  on  Samish  lake,  one  of  the  wild- 
est, most  isolated  parts  of  the  county  but  imusu- 
ally  rich  in  soil  and  timber.  Fairie  Cook,  about 
twenty-two  years  old,  the  daughter  of  Mortimer 
Cook,  and  Miss  Louisa  Anderson,  another  young 
lady,  who  had  just  arrived  from  Sweden,  were 
the  claim  hunters.  The  latter  was  at  that  time 
staying  with  her  brother  Nels  at  the  Cook  home. 
In  order  to  reach   the  lake   the  girls  were   com- 


pelled to  make  a  detour  via  Warner's  prairie,  just 
beyond  which  they  arranged  to  meet  Theodore 
Lohr,  a  well-known  land  cruiser. 

Fully  equipped,  the  girls  set  out  early  one 
morning  and  without  unusual  incident  reached 
the  Thorne  ranch  on  the  prairie.  There  they 
spent  the  night,  taking  up  the  trail  again  next 
morning.  They  failed  to  meet  Lohr  at  the 
appointed  rendezvous,  through  a  misunderstand- 
ing, and  soon  became  lost  in  the  forest.  All  day 
they  tramped  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  find  either 
the  cruiser  or  some  familiar  landmark,  but  with- 
out success.  At  nightfall  a  drizzling,  cold  rain 
set  in,  which  drove  them  to  such  shelter  as  they 
could  find  beside  the  trail.  Miss  Anderson  could 
speak  no  English  and  understood  very  little,  and 
Miss  Cook  was  ignorant  of  the  Swedish  language, 
so  their  plight  was  rendered  the  more  pitiable. 
The  two  girls  were  beyond  doubt  facing  a  critical 
situation,  lost,  unprotected,  shelterless,  in  a  dense 
forest  filled  with  wild  beasts  and  prowling  Indi- 
ans, though  the  latter  they  did  not  fear  as  much 
as  the  former.  Already  they  felt  the  pangs  of 
hunger,  for  most  of  the  small  lunch  had  been 
eaten  and  they  dared  not  finish  it  in  so  desperate 
a  straight. 

As  intimated,  they  had  no  firearms  with  which 
they  might  possibly  have  attracted  attention. 
But  they  used  what  they  did  have — a  tin  cup- 
beating  it  continuously  with  a  key  or  sticks 
throughout  the  long,  dark  night.  Miss  Cook 
experienced  great  trouble  in  keeping  her  com- 
panion awake,  which  was  highly  essential  in  her 
cold,  wet  condition.  Once  the  Swedish  maiden 
resisted  all  eiforts  to  arouse  her  until  Miss  Cook 
bit  her  arm  sharply,  frightening  the  poor  girl. 
They  sat  on  a  fallen  log  by  the  trail  most  of  the 
time,  huddled  closely  for  warmth  and  company. 
Thus  the  terrible  night  passed,  an  experience 
never  to  be  forgotten. 

With  the  dawn  of  day  came  new  hopes,  new 
spirit,  renewed  energy,  and  after  traveling  over 
many  miles  more  of  trail,  beating  the  little  cup 
as  they  walked,  they  were  at  last  foimd  by  Lohr, 
who  was  making  a  desperate  search  for  the  lost 
girls.  Their  experience  did  not  deter  the  young 
ladies  from  taking  claims  in  those  selfsame, 
gloomy  woods.  Miss  Cook  is  now  Mrs.  Litchfield 
and  lives  in  Chicago. 

ANCIENT  CHERRY  TREES 

Soon  after  David  E.  Kimble  and  his  family 
came  up  the  Skagit  river  in  the  summer  of  1870, 
they  planted,  just  behind  their  first  rude  cabin, 
in  their  first  little  stump-ridden  patch  of  ground, 
a  few  cherry  trees.  These  he  had  procured  on 
Whidby  island  at  considerable  expense  and 
trouble;  they  were  of  the  Blackheart  variety. 
As  time  passed,  they  grew  into  hardy,  stalwart 
trees,  bringing  cheer  to  the  home  and  yielding 
abundantly  of  their  luscious  fruit.     The  old  cabin 


478 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


at  last  gave  up  its  occupants,  who  went  to  live 
in  a  modern  dwelling  elsewhere  on  the  farm,  and 
the  favorite  old  orchard  was  relegated  to  a  posi- 
tion of  secondary  importance.  Thirty-five  sea- 
sons have  come  and  gone  since  the  cherry  shoots 
were  set  out  in  that  gloomy  forest  and  still  they 
bear  their  annual  crop  of  fruit,  an  abundant, 
unfaihng  crop  of  excellent  quality.  Two  of  the 
number  have  attained  to  mammoth  size.  Meas- 
urements by  the  writer  show  that  one  is  now 
three  feet  and  four  inches  in  diameter,  the  other 
two  feet  nine  inches.  They  are  indeed  a  won- 
derful tribute  to  the  adaptability  of  the  soil  and 
climate  of  the  sound  to  the  growth  of  such  fruit, 
examples  referred  to  frequently  by  the  entire 
community.  Then,  too,  they  are  of  special 
interest  as  being  coeval  with  the  inception  of 
settlement  and  civilization  above  the  delta. 

ONE  PIONEER  WOMAN 

E.  D.  Smith,  Lowell's  well-known  pioneer, 
recalls  an  incident  graphic  in  its  portrayal  of  the 
rugged  life  which  not  a  few  frontier  women  were 
obliged  by  necessity  to  assume.  Among  these 
frontier  women  of  the  county's  earliest  period 
was  Mrs.  Lucinda  Ferris,  who  became  a  settler 
on  the  Snoqualmie  prairie  in  the  early  sixties.  As 
pork  brought  high  prices  at  the  logging  camps, 
the  Ferris  family  gave  much  attention  to  the 
raising  of  hogs,  realizing  handsome  profits  from 
the  business.  One  reason  especially  for  their 
success  was  the  fact  that  their  hogs  were  fattened 
on  peas,  giving  to  the  meat  a  superior  flavor  and 
quality. 

Mrs.  Ferris,  through  the  inability  of  her  hus- 
band to  get  around,  was  compelled  to  do  the 
marketing,  visiting  the  different  camps  along 
the  water  front  in  a  boat.  One  day  about  1867 
or  18(j8,  her  market  boat  arrived  at  the  old  Port 
Gardner  landing.  She  at  once  sold  an  entire  hog 
and  directed  the  Indian  assisting  her  to  deliver 
or  help  deliver  it.  The  poor  Siwash  fumbled 
seriously,  however,  so  enraging  Mrs.  Ferris  that 
she  threw  him  fully  ten  feet  out  of  the  way  into 
the  mud.  Then  she  calmly  shouldered  a  dressed 
porker  weighing  close  to  two  hundred  pounds 
and  proceeded  up  the  bank,  to  the  amazement  as 
well  as  amusement  of  the  few  onlookers  who 
had  been  drawn  to  the  spot.  For  many  years 
this  husky  business  woman  was  a  familiar  char- 
acter on  the  river,  commanding  the  respect  of 
even  the  roughest  with  whom  she  was  compelled 
to  deal. 

ORIGINAL  METHODS  OF  A  POSTMASTER 

Mortimer  Cook,  postmaster  of  Sedro  post- 
office  during  the  first  years  of  its  existence,  was 
as  original  in  certain  of  his  ideas  almost  as  the 
imagination  itself.  His  neighbors  never  knew 
one  moment  what  fantastic  creation  of  his  mind 


would  startle  them  the  next,  but  they  gradually 
came  to  expect  something  unique  at  every  oppor- 
tunity. The  desire  to  be  original  in  his  acts,  to 
avoid  beaten  paths,  was  inherent  in  the  old 
pioneer  and  he  delighted  in  it. 

Naturally  then,  when  one  day  in  the  late 
eighties  the  people  called  for  their  mail  at  the 
little  store  by  the  river,  they  were  not  surprised  to 
find  that  Postmaster  Cook  had  evolved  one  of  his 
ever  forthcoming  new  ideas.  The  window  was 
not  opened  on  schedule  time.  Curiosity  held  the 
customary  knot  gathered  for  the  mail,  and  not  a 
little  speculation  was  indulged  in  as  to  the  cause 
of  the  long  delay.  All  sorts  of  opinions  were 
advanced  and  upheld  by  argument,  for  everybody 
was  certain  that  Cook  had  a  new  scheme  on  foot. 
Finally,  out  from  behind  the  fixtures  came  Cook 
with  several  sheets  of  wrapping  paper  which  he 
posted  conspicuously.  Then  he  retired  whence 
he  came.  "The  sheets  contained  the  names  of 
those  for  whom  there  was  mail  in  the  office,  and 
Postmaster  Cook  would  not  pay  the  slightest 
attention  to  inquiries  unless  a  man's  name  was 
listed.  "Is  your  name  on  the  sheets?"  he  would 
ask,  and  if  a  negative  answer  was  returned,  that 
settled  the  whole  matter.  When  asked  concern- 
ing the  reason  for  this  unheard  of  departure  in 
postofifice  procedure,  he  replied  that  it  took  too 
much  time  to  go  over  the  mail  in  a  useless  search, 
especially  now  that  so  many  new  settlers  were 
coming  in.  He  used  the  sheets  in  spite  of  earn- 
est protests  until  their  compilation  became  too 
great  a  task  longer  to  be  practicable. 

A  CAMPING   INCIDENT 

The  dangers  that  beset  the  camper  among 
the  forests  of  Puget  sound  are  by  no  means  con- 
fined to  wild  beasts  or  the  woeful  effects  of  falling 
rain  upon  the  uninitiated.  When  David  Batey 
and  Joseph  Hart,  Sedro- Woolley's  first  settlers, 
came  up  the  river  in  August,  187S,  looking  for 
locations,  they  had  a  camping  experience  which 
neither  has  forgotten.  They  had  filed  on  claims 
earlier,  but,  on  reaching  Mount  Vernon,  found 
the  land  lay  in  section  36,  so  were  compelled  to 
go  cruising  again.  After  proceeding  as  far  up 
stream  as  Dead  Man's  Riffle,  they  turned  the 
canoe's  prow  down  stream  and  that  night  made 
camp  on  what  became  the  original  site  of  Sedro. 
The  exact  spot  was  at  the  foot  of  an  immense 
cedar  tree  near  where  Cook's  shingle  mill  was  later 
built.  Their  frugal  meal  over,  blankets  spread 
on  a  bed  of  dry  branches  and  foliage,  the  fire 
heaped  high  for  the  night,  and  outfits  safely 
stored,  the  men  retired. 

Just  before  daybreak,  Mr.  Batey  awoke  with  a 
start  having  heard  a  crackling  sound;  his  com- 
rade was  simultaneously  aroused,  and  on  impulse 
the  two  men  jumped  away,  dragging  their 
blankets  after  them.  Down  crashed  twenty  feet 
of  tree  trunk,  followed  instantly  by  an  avalanche 


REMINISCENCES 


of  burning  limbs,  moss  and  other  debris,  com- 
pletely covering  the  erstwhile  bed  of  the  campers! 
The  giant  cedar  had  caught  at  its  base  and  up  its 
rotten  heart  the  fire  had  insidiously  crept,  burst- 
ing out  eventually  through  a  crevice  near  the 
top,  and  burning  off  that  portion  of  the  tree 
which  was  above  it. 

A  STIRRING  INCIDENT  OF    1858 

One  Sunday  in  May,  1858,  Thomas  P.  Hastie 
and  James  Harvick  were  coming  down  the  beach 
at  Brown's  point,  Camano  island,  when  they 
descried  a  war  canoe  swiftly  approaching  the 
shore.  They  were  at  that  time  engaged  in  work 
at  a  nearby  spar  camp  and  had  been  visiting  at  a 
logging  camp.  Quickly  the  two  young  men 
sought  shelter  and  if  possible  concealment,  for 
in  addition  to  the  canoe  they  also  saw  close  by 
them  a  small  band  of  Indians  on  the  beach. 
Within  a  few  minutes  the  war  canoe,  bearing 
fourteen  braves,  armed  with  Hudson's  Bay  flint- 
locks, came  within  hailing  distance,  whereupon 
there  arose  a  terrific  clamor.  War  cry  followed 
war  cry,  gaining  in  intensity  as  the  two  parties 
came  nearer  together.  The  fascination  of  such 
a  sight  can  easily  be  imagined. 

Just  as  the  long  canoe  reached  shallow  water 
and  seemed  about  to  beach  itself,  the  kneeling 
redskin  in  the  stern  gave  a  deft  sweep  of  his 
paddle.  Gracefully  and  with  incredible  swiftness 
the  canoe  swung  broadside  to  the  shore,  paddles 
disappeared  and  in  a  twinkling  a  volley  of  shot 
crashed  out.  Six  of  the  surprised  band  on  shore, 
which  had  been  expecting  different  tactics,  went 
to  the  happy  hunting  ground  without  further 
notice,  while  their  more  fortunate  companions  re- 
turned the  volley  and  retired  to  a  protected  spot. 
The  extent  of  the  harm  done  those  in  the  boat  was 
never  learned  for  the  canoe  retreated  as  swiftly 
as  it  had  attacked,  not  to  reappear  that  day. 

FLOOD  STORY 

Mrs.  Marvin,  widow  of  Captain  Daniel  Marvin, 
recalls  some  interesting  experiences  of  early  days 
on  the  Stillaguamish.  Captain  -Marvin  came  to 
the  valley  in  1864,  as  one  of  its  earliest  settlers, 
and  Mrs.  Marvin  has  the  distinction  of  being  the 
first  white  woman  settler  in  the  country  lying 
between  the  Shohomish  river  and  the  old  city  of 
Whatcom.  For  several  years  she  lived  without 
seeing  any  other  woman  of  her  own  race. 

Once  she  was  left  entirely  alone  in  the  neigh- 
borhood for  two  days  and  nights,  except  for  the 
company  of  little  Frank  Slv,  four  years  old. 
Willard  Sly,  Frank's  father,  Robert  Fulton,  and 
her  husband  went  to  Utsalady,  expecting  to  make 
a  quick  trip,  but  were  delayed,  thus  leaving  the 
lonely  woman  by  herself  among  the  dangers  of 
the  frontier. 

Late  in  the  seventies,  the  Stillaguamish  went 


on  a  rampage,  bringing  disaster  to  all  and  every- 
thing in  its  path.  As  the  water  rose,  the  Marvins 
made  what  preparations  they  could  to  save  the 
stock  and  for  themselves  sought  safety  in  the 
upper  story  of  their  cabin.  They  were  compelled 
to  leave  the  pigs  and  chickens  to  their  fate,  for 
the  flood  came  quickly,  but  were  delighted  later 
to  see  them  floating  on  some  logs  Captain  Marvin 
had  been  burning  in  the  yard  and  to  find  that 
they  eventually  reached  places  of  safety.  As 
long  as  possible,  food  was  cooked  on  the  stove 
downstairs  and  carried  upstairs  to  eat,  but  after 
a  while  the  water  covered  the  fire,  putting  an  end 
to  all  cooking. 

That  night  Sly's  house  went  out  on  the  flood 
as  also  both  his  and  Marvin's  boats,  but  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  Cuthberts  came  by  boat  to  Sly's 
place,  and  fixed  up  his  barn  to  accommodate  both 
families.  Two  days  elapsed  before  the  waters 
receded  sufficiently  to  permit  the  imprisoned  set- 
tlers to  resume  life  on  their  damaged  ranches 
under  normal  conditions  and  the  effects  of  the 
flood  were  keenly  felt  for  many  months. 

A  miner's  story 

An  interesting  story,  dealing  with  a  thrilling 
incident  in  mountain  life  and  concerning  several 
well-known  characters  of  the  upper  Skagit  valley 
in  pioneer  days,  is  related  lay  W.  T.  Odlin, 
cashier   of  the  Citizens'  Bank  at  Anacortes. 

"In  1891,"  says  he,  "while  living  at  Sedro- 
Woolley,  then  in  the  excitement  of  its  great 
boom,  I  sold  a  horse  to  Adam  W.  Davidson,  who 
was  running  a  pack  train  into  the  recently  opened 
Cascade  mining  district.  That  was  years  before 
the  railroad  went  up  the  valley  much  beyond 
Sedro-Woolley,  when  packing  and  boating  were 
profitable  lines  of  work.  We  paid  in  those  days 
from  a  cent  to  a  cent  and  a  half  a  pound  river 
freight  alone  on  goods  to  Sterling  and  Sedro,  and 
often  I've  paid  Siwashes  thirty-five  dollars  a 
canoe,  some  carrying  as  high  as  thirty-three 
hundred  pounds.  Packing  was  still  more 
remunerative. 

"Well,  in  1891,  Tom  Carr,  whom  every  Skagit 
pioneer  knew,  was  working  for  Davidson.  One 
day  he  started  from  Hamilton  for  the  mines  with 
a  pack  of  general  supplies,  including  a  lot  of 
dynamite.  Of  the  latter  article  there  were  sev- 
eral boxes,  fifty  pounds  to  the  box,  packed  on  the 
leader,  my  old  mare.  She  also  had  a  bundle  of 
personal  effects  belonging  to  Jack  Rouse,  one  of 
the  district's  original  miners.  Right  on  the 
slope  of  Lookout  mountain,  the  bell  mare's  pack 
slipped.  This  frightened  her  so  she  commenced 
kicking  and  bucking  with  the  result  that  dyna- 
mite and  Jack's  clothes  soon  began  flying  every 
way.  She  kicked  or  shook  every  box  of  the 
dynamite  open  and  scattered  the  sticks  all  the 
way  to  Colby's  mountain,  a  distance  of  eight 
miles,  with  never  an  explosion. 


480 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


"To  the  further  astonishment  of  Carr,  the 
mules  following  behind  pricked  up  their  ears  in 
joyful  anticipation  apparently,  stopped,  and 
calmly  commenced  eating  the  sticks  of  explosive. 
With  apparent  relish  they  continued  the  strange 
meal  in  regular  mule  fashion,  the  astounded 
packer  meanwhile  keeping  charily  in  the  rear, 
until  their  greedy  appetites  for  the  sweet  morsels 
of  concentrated  hades  were  satisfied.  Carr  said 
long  afterward  in  describing  the  incident  in  his 
humorous  way  that  he  never  touched  one  of  those 
mules  that  whole  summer  long,  even  kept  his  dis- 
tance whenever  possible,  for  fear  the  explosions 
had  been  delayed  for  his  benefit. 

"John  Rouse,  whom  I  have  mentioned, 
starved  to  death  in  the  forests  of  Central  Bolivia 
in  the  summer  of  1900.  But  one  man  out  of  the 
thirty  who  entered  that  plague-stricken  forest 
ever  returned  to  tell  the  tale.  Rouse  was  left  in 
his  hammock  by  this  one  survivor,  who  had  not 
strength  to  remove  him,  a  prey  to  the  kites  and 
buzzards.  Rouse  attained  some  prominence  as  an 
explorer  of  the  upper  Amazon,  Ecuador  and  Peru. ' ' 

THEN  AND  NOW 

"Several  years  ago,"  relates  Harrison 
Clothier,  founder  of  Mount  Vernon,  "I  visited 
Henry  C.  Barkhousen  on  Fidalgo  bay,  one  of  the 
island's  oldest  settlers,  having  come  there  in  1865. 
Among  the  other  interesting  incidents  which  he 
related  that  day  was  one,  simple  in  itself,  but  one 
which  conveys  a  remarkably  graphic  picture  of 
conditions  existing  here  half  a  century  ago. 
Mr.  Barkhousen  said  that  before  he  settled  on 
Fidalgo  island,  he  lived  at  Whatcom  and  for  a 
term  served  as  one  of  the  county's  commissioners. 
At  that  time  Whatcom  county  embraced  what 
are  now  Skagit  and  San  Juan  counties.  At  one 
of  the  commissioners'  sessions  James  Cavanaugh, 
the  assessor,  presented  a  bill  of  sixty  dollars  in 
full  for  services  rendered  in  assessing  the  county. 
The  board  refused  to  allow  it  on  the  ground  that 
it  was  exorbitant.  Think  of  it!  Too  high  for 
traveling  among  all  the  islands  and  up  and  down 
the  long  shore  line  of  the  mainland  and  penetra- 
ting to  the  river  settlements.  Of  course  the  pop- 
ulation was  hardly  sufficient  to  maintain  a  county 
government  in  those  days,  but  it  was  scattered 
■widely.  To-day  the  latest  statistics,  compiled  by 
the  officials  at  Olympia,  show  that  these  three 
counties  have  a  combined  population  of  sixty- 
eight  thousand  and  an  aggregate  assessed 
valuation  of  seventeen  million  seven  hundred  and 
thirty-one  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  seventy- 
one  dollars.  Cavanaugh  was  also  one  of  Fidalgo 
island's  earliest  pioneers,  settling  there  in  the 
early  sixties." 

A  sailor's   PIONEERING 

A.  G.  Tillinghast,  a  Padilla  pioneer  of  1872, 
junior  member  of  the  noted  pioneer  firm  of  agri- 


culturists, Whitney,  Sisson  &  Co.,  now  proprietor 
of  the  Puget  Sound  Seed  Gardens  at  La  Conner, 
tells  an  amusing  incident  illustrating  the  humor- 
ous side  of  life  in  those  early  years. 

It  seems  that  a  young  German,  who  had  run 
away  to  sea  while  a  lad  and  after  drifting  hither 
and  thither  for  many  years,  had  finally  deter- 
mined to  settle  on  Padilla  bay,  at  last  found  a 
satisfactory  location.  About  1873  he  filed  on  a 
claim  on  Bayview  ridge.  As  a  pioneer  he  was  a 
failure,  for  he  couldn't  handle  an  ax,  detested 
the  routine  of  farm  work  and  had  a  sailor's  repug- 
nance to  fighting  his  way  through  timber  and 
mosquitoes.  However,  he  would  not  give  up  his 
notion  of  becoming  a  land  owner,  so  proceeded 
as  best  he  could  to  make  a  slashing  on  his  claim 
and  to  build  a  small  cabin. 

The  day  his  scattered,  kindly  neighbors  came 
to  the  "house-raisin'  "  bee  revealed  a  further 
incompetence  in  the  young  man  for  the  hard, 
crude  life  he  had  undertaken.  When  the  win- 
dowless,  doorless  cabin  had  been  slowly  raised 
tier  upon  tier  to  a  height  of  several  feet  prepara- 
tory to  roofing,  it  was  no  doubt  to  the  uninitiated 
a  rather  forlorn  looking  excuse  for  a  home,  but 
all  were  unprepared  for  the  outburst  of  indigna- 
tion and  suffering  that  came  from  the  cabin's 
owner.  As  he  looked  over  the  logs  and  inspected 
his  future  abode,  with  inexpressible  scorn  and 
solemnity  he  vented  his  feelings  by  a  single 
sentence:  "Mein  fader's  hog  pen  vas  better  dan 
dis  pen  you  haf  built  vor  me." 

A  few  days  later  the  discouraged  young  man 
deserted  his  claim  for  "life  on  the  ocean  wave." 

A  bear  story 

Mrs.  Charles  Villeneuve,  of  Sedro- Wool  ley, 
who  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1871  and  settled  in 
the  timber  on  the  east  side  of  the  Skagit  river  just 
across  from  where  the  little  town  of  Fir  is  now 
located,  tells  of  many  interesting  incidents  of 
those  early  pioneer  days.  The  woods  were  full 
of  bears  and  cougars  then,  as  well  as  Indians, 
and  Mr.  Villeneuve,  as  were  most  of  the  men  in 
those  days,  was  absent  from  home  much  of  the 
time,  from  Monday  morning  until  Saturday 
night,  working  in  the  timber.  Among  the  early 
settlers  many  hogs  were  raised  and  the  Villeneuve 
family  also  kept  quite  a  number. 

One  day  as  Mrs.  Villeneuve  was  at  work  with 
her  sewing  machine  at  one  of  the  windows  (and 
by  the  way  this  sewing  machine  was  the  first 
brought  into  that  section  of  the  county)  a  fine 
large  sow  by  which  they  set  much  store,  passed 
in  front  of  the  window  and  shortly  disappeared 
in  the  tall  skunk  cabbage  which  grows  so  pro- 
lificly  in  the  sound  country.  The  hog  went  in 
the  direction  of  the  river.  As  bears  had  been 
making  great  inroads  upon  the  hogs  at  their 
place  for  some  time  past,  it  occurred  to  Mrs. 
Villeneuve  at  that  moment  how  fortunate  they 


REMINISCENCES 


481 


had  been  to  have  this,  the  finest  of  all  their 
swine,  escape  the  clutches  of  Bruin,  and  what  a 
loss  it  would  be  if  the  bears  should  eventually 
get  her.  At  that  moment  a  terrific  squeal,  full 
of  fright  and  anguish,  rent  the  air  some  fifty 
yards  distant,  and  Mrs.  Villeneuve,  throwing 
aside  the  sewing,  ran  as  rapidly  as  she  could 
through  the  tall  wild  cabbage  toward  the  sound, 
which  continued  without  cessation.  Reaching 
the  edge  of  a  ditch  some  yards  from  the  house, 
she  saw  the  sow  struggling  to  free  herself  from 
a  large  bear,  which  had  pounced  upon  her  back 
and  fastened  its  claws  into  her  front  shoulders. 
Mrs.  Villeneuve  shouted  and  threw  sticks  at  the 
bear,  in  her  solicitude  for  the  pet  hog,  forgetting 
her  fear  of  the  bear  and  the  chances  of  bodily 
harm  to  herself.  The  hog  continued  to  struggle 
to  free  itself,  sending  forth  ear-splitting  and  hair- 
raising  squeals  until  at  last  it  succeeded  in  affect- 
ing its  escape,  but  at  what  a  cost!  The  tough 
hogshide  was  torn  deeply  from  one  shoulder  to 
another  and  in  the  fierce  struggle  was  peeled 
off  in  a  strip  a  foot  wide  back  to  the  tail.  On 
escaping,  the  hog  ran  to  the  river,  dragging  the 
long  strip  of  hide  after  her,  and  jumping  in, 
swam  to  the  other  side,  where  she  was  found 
several  days  later  by  a  hunter.  The  animal  was 
in  a  dying  condition,  so  he  put  it  out  of  its  misery 
by  a  shot  from  his  gun.  The  bear,  on  losing  its 
prey,  had  disappeared  into  the  woods. 

Such  scenes  as  this  were  of  frequent  occur- 
rence in  those  early  daj'S.  The  pioneer  woman 
had  to  be  a  woman  of  nerve  if  she  protected  the 
children  and  her  home,  and  operated  the  ranch 
in  the  absence  of  the  husband,  who  was  com- 
pelled to  leave  home  to  win  bread  and  clothes  for 
the  family. 

ADVENTURES   WITH  BRUIN 

Four  hundred  Skagit  county  bears  is  the  game 
record  of  the  Smith  brothers,  living  near 
Burlington! 

It  is  small  wonder  that  they  are  regarded  with 
something  akin  to  awe  by  the  average  Nimrod 
to  whom  even  half  a  dozen  skins  seem  a  mighty 
accomplishment  in  arms.  If  ever  the  race  of 
Bruins  had  a  clear  case  against  man  it  is  in  this 
instance  surely,  where  whole  families  of  their 
species  have  been  annihilated. 

In  the  days  when  the  Skagit  country  was  still 
roamed  at  will  by  Bruin,  one  of  these  Smith 
brothers,  Reuben,  went  bee  hunting  without  a 
gun,  not  intending  to  go  far  or  be  gone  long. 
Suddenly  he  heard  a  loud  crash  in  a  nearby 
thicket  and  immediately  a  huge  bear  issued. 
The  bee  hunter  thought  the  bear  was  alarmed 
and  retreating,  but  soon  discovered  that  his  judg- 
ment was  erroneous,  to  his  discomfiture.  Di- 
rectly toward  him  came  the  bear,  with  a  growl 
and  a  manner  that  betokened  business.  Smith 
stood  his  ground,  armed   only  with   a  long  club. 


in  hopes  the  enemy  would  retreat.  But  he 
didn't.  On  he  came,  becoming  more  aggressive 
as  he  advanced.  At  last  when  only  a  few  yards 
lay  between  the  foes.  Smith  realized  that  he  must 
act  or  say  goodbye  to  the  world,  so  made  a  furious 
rush,  yelling  his  loudest.  The  bear  stopped 
at  this  demonstration,  and  stood  watching  Smith 
without  apparently  twitching  so  much  as  a  single 
muscle.  Seconds  seemed  to  lengthen  into  hours 
as  man  and  beast  fought  the  battle  with  their 
eyes.  Then,  realizing  his  advantage,  the  veteran 
hunter  lunged  forward  with  his  club,  striking  at 
the  bear,  actually  prodding  him  with  the  end  of 
the  stick.  This  was  too  much  for  the  monstrous 
animal,  something  beyond  his  understanding. 
Sullenly  and  slowly  the  bear  gave  up  the  attack, 
backing  off  guardedly,  but  never  a  chance  to 
retrieve  his  lost  opportunity  did  the  wily  man 
give  him,  and  at  last  Bruin  turned,  defeated,  into 
a  friendly  thicket  and  disappeared  in  the  forest. 
Another  adventure  that  Jlr.  Smith  had  with 
the  bear  family  is  worth  relating.  He  and  his 
brother  were  hunting,  this  time,  when  they  ran 
onto  an  enormous  cedar  tree  in  which  an  old  bear 
and  her  two  cubs  were  living.  The  entrance  to 
the  den  was  about  thirty  feet  above  the  ground. 
Reuben  Smith  determined  to  investigate,  so 
quickly  commenced  the  ascent.  When  approxi- 
mately fifteen  feet  high  he  came  across  a  large 
crack  in  the  trunk  at  which  he  stopped  to  take 
observations  of  the  interior.  This  indiscretion 
nearly  cost  him  serious  injury  for  the  mother 
bear  was  likewise  doing  some  observing,  and 
struck  vigorously  at  him,  just  missing  her  mark. 
A  shot  or  two  soon  disposed  of  her,  however, 
after  which  Smith  climbed,  or  rather  slid,  down 
into  the  tree,  capturing  the  cubs  alive.  His 
brother  was  forced  to  chop  a  large  hole  in  the 
side  of  the  tree  to  free  the  imprisoned  man,  for 
he  had  miscalculated  the  size  of  the  opening. 
But  the  dangers  of  the  adventure  were  offset  in 
the  eyes  of  these  hardy  men  by  the  satisfaction 
of  getting  their  game. 

A  GOOD  COUNTRY  TO  TIE  TO 

Edgar  A.  Sisson's  grandfather  was  renowned 
as  the  best  farmer  in  the  section  of  Pennsylvania 
in  which  he  lived.  Of  course  he  asked  his  grand- 
son to  write  him  fully  concerning  Puget  sound 
as  soon  as  he  had  become  settled.  This  request 
the  young  pioneer  of  1S72  on  the  Padilla  flats 
granted  willingly.  Particularly  did  he  impress 
his  eastern  kinsman  with  a  description  of  the 
luxuriant  grasses  and  foliage  of  the  new  home  by 
the  sea.  Replying,  the  old  gentleman  wrote: 
"If  the  grass  grows  as  you  say  it  does,  it  is  a 
good  country  to  tie  to.  Grass  is  the  foundation 
of  a  good  country  ;  it  is  the  basis  of  agriculture. 
By  all  means  stay  there." 

Young  Sisson  stayed  and  prospered,  becoming 
one   of    Skagit's  most    successful    agriculturists. 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


He  never  forgot  his  grandsire's  unerring  judg- 
ment of  the  country  that  produced  so  lavishly  of 
grass,  nor  have  others  of  his  old  associates  to 
whom  the  story  is  familiar. 

PIRACY  ON  THE  HIGH  SEAS 

A  good  story  is  related  by  E.  C.  Ferguson,  of 
Snohomish,  that  -well  illustrates  the  degree  of 
justice  frequently  meeted  out  to  the  real  or  the 
alleged  criminal,  as  the  case  might  be,  by 
pioneer  justices  of  the  peace,  the  proficiency  of 
the  justices  in  the  knowledge  of  the  law,  and 
the  regard  that  was  had  for  their  verdicts. 
In  the  pioneer  days  of  this  section  transportation 
facilities  were  of  course  lacking.  Some  of  the 
farmers  owned  boats  in  which  farm  products 
(chiefly  potatoes)  were  taken  to  Port  Gamble, 
then  the  principal  market  for  this  part  of  the 
sound  country.  John  Harvey,  whose  farm  was 
just  across  the  river  from  the  present  city  of 
Snohomish,  owned  a  sloop  that  would  transport 
at  one  load  about  two  hundred  bushels  of  pota- 
toes. In  Mr.  Harvey's  employ  was  an  English 
sailor  named  John  Murphy  who  had  deserted  his 
ship,  and  who,  after  several  months  of  labor  on 
the  farm  and  in  the  woods,  began  to  long  again 
for  "a  taste  o'  the  briny  deep"  and  for  a  breath 
of  salt  sea  air.  This  was  in  the  fall  of  the  year 
1867.  Sailor  John  persuaded  Mr.  Harvey  to 
allow  him  to  take  a  load  of  potatoes  to  Port  Gam- 
ble in  the  sloop.  The  trip  was  made  in  safety, 
the  potatoes  sold  and  delivered  and  the  return 
voyage  begun. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish  river  was 
located  a  hotel  and  saloon  owned  and  operated 
by  Perrin  Preston.  While  steering  his  home- 
bound  bark  through  the  deepening  twilight  of 
the  closing  day,  Sailor  John  sighted  the  lights  of 
this  hostelry  which  twinkled  much  more  invit- 
ingly than  did  the  up-river  stars  that  should  have 
guided  the  lone  mariner  to  the  farm  home  of  his 
employer.  Mr.  Murphy  cast  anchor  and  went 
ashore,  thinking  no  doubt  to  find  there  some 
"boon"  companions,  to  take  a  few  social  drinks, 
spin  a  few  sea  yarns,  and  in  due  time  to  return 
to  his  boat  and  continue  the  voyage  home.  But 
the  ratio  of  drinks  to  yarns  being  disproportion- 
ate, "Jack"  soon  became  disabled,  by  no  manner 
of  means  being  able  to  reach  his  boat.  On  awak- 
ing in  the  morning  he  found  to  his  dismay  that 
the  sloop  had  broken  from  its  moorings  and  dis- 
appeared. Instead  of  attempting  its  recovery  he 
resumed  his  carousal,  suffering  no  interruption 
for  two  whole  days,  at  the  end  of  which  time  his 
employer  appeared  on  the  scene,  some  one 
having  in  the  meantime  conveyed  to  Mr.  Harvey 
information  concerning  the  state  of  affairs  at  the 
Preston  place.  Finding  Murphy  dead  drunk  and 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  cargo  of  potatoes 
squandered,  Mr.  Harvey  secured  assistance  and 
went  in  search  of  his  boat  which  he  found 
beached  on  the  island  across  bay  from  Preston's, 


but  which  he  succeeded  in  floating  at  high  tide. 
After  reaching  home  and  figuring  his  loss  on  the 
cargo  of  potatoes,  the  expense  of  getting  his  boat 
back  and  the  considerable  loss  of  time  suffered, 
he  determined  to  have  Murphy  arrested  and  tried 
on  some  criminal  charge;  he  therefore  repaired 
to  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  Peter  Voisard, 
made  his  complaint  and  demanded  a  warrant  for 
Murphy's  arrest.  After  a  careful  hearing  of  Mr. 
Harvey's  story,  Justice  Voisard  was  somewhat 
puzzled  to  know  with  just  what  crime  the  com- 
plaint should  charge  the  defendant,  John 
Murphy;  but  it  was  eventually  decided  that 
"Piracy  on  the  High  Seas"  would  cover  the  case, 
the  warrant  was  issued  and  placed  in  the  hands 
of  a  constable  who  was  forthwith  ordered  to 
"apprehend  the  said  Murphy  and  bring  him  before 
the  justice,  dead  or  alive." 

Murphy  was  located  at  Preston's  place  and 
was  in  due  time  brought  before  Justice  Voisard, 
by  whom  he  was  informed  that  he  had  been 
arrested  on  a  complaint  charging  him  with  piracy 
on  the  high  seas.  Having  entered  a  plea  of  "not 
guilty,"  made  by  the  defendant,  the  justice 
proceeded  to  try  the  case,  taking  the  testimony 
of  Mr.  Harvey  and  two  or  three  others  concern- 
ing the  taking  of  the  sloop  and  cargo  of  potatoes 
by  the  defendant  to  Port  Gamble  and  the  event- 
ual recovery  of  the  sloop  by  its  owner,  as  well  as 
the  squandering  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of 
potatoes  at  Preston's  place.  The  defendant  had 
no  witnesses  and  when  through  with  the  exami- 
nation of  the  witnesses  for  the  state,  the  justice 
proceeded  to  sura  up  the  evidence  and  announce 
his  decision,  which  was  couched  in  the  following 
language:  "I  find  the  prisoner  guilty  as  charged 
and  the  decision  of  this  court  is  that  you  hang 
by  the  neck  until  you  are  dead,  dead,  dead." 

When  being  taken  before  the  justice.  Murphy 
had  asked  Mr.  Ferguson  to  go  with  him  and  see 
that  he  had  a  fair  trial.  When  Justice  Voisard 
announced  this  remarkable  decision,  therefore, 
Mr.  Ferguson  at  once  arose  and  addressed  the 
court.  "Your  Honor,"  said  Mr.  Ferguson,  "you 
have  no  jurisdiction  over  a  prisoner  charged  with 
piracy  on  the  high  seas;  it  is  not  within  your 
province  to  try  such  a  case;  neither  is  it  within 
your  province  as  justice  of  the  peace  to  pass  sen- 
tence of  death  upon  any  man.  As  there  has 
been  no  particular  offense  proven  against  this 
man,  you  have  no  occasion  to  pass  sentence  of 
any  kind  on  him."  "Well,  what  shall  I  do  with 
him?"  asked  the  justice.  "Let  him  go,"  replied 
Mr.  Ferguson.  "Well,"  said  Justice  Voisard, 
"if  I  can't  hang  him,  I'll  turn  him  loose." 

Thus  ended  the  proceedings. 

THE   "judge"  throws   THE  CASE  OUT  OF  THE 
WINDOW 

The  following  is  related  by  U.  S.  Senator 
Samuel  H.  Piles: 

In   the   fall  of   1SS3,  I   located   in   Snohomish 


REMINISCENCES 


county,  this  state,  and  began  the  practice  of  my 
profession.  My  office  was  not  as  luxuriously  fur- 
nished as  one  might  expect.  My  desk  consisted 
of  an  improvised  smooth  board,  one  end  of  which 
was  nailed  to  the  wall,  the  outer  side  being  sup- 
ported by  two  pine  slips;  this,  together  with  a 
stove  of  three  legs,  one  chair  and  a  drug  box, 
constituted  the  whole  of  my  furniture. 

Snugly  ensconced  in  my  office,  I  anxiously 
awaited  a  client  when,  late  one  afternoon,  I  was 
surprised  by  a  knock  at  my  door,  and  in  entered 
a  lean,  long,  lank  individual  who  inquired  if  I 
were  a  lawyer.  Having  satisfied  him  on  that 
score,  he  informed  me  that  some  time  previous 
he  had  been  employed  by  a  neighbor  to  construct 
a  chimney;  that  his  neighbor  had  refused  to 
pay  him,  and  in  consequence,  a  deadly  enmity 
had  grown  up  between  them;  that  a  few  days 
prior  to  his  visit  to  my  office,  his  neighbor  was 
driving  along  a  lonely  road  that  penetrated  the 
magnificent  forest  in  that  county,  and  that 
some  one  had  suddenly  leaped  up  from  the  forest 
into  his  wagon  and  proceeded  to  give  his  neigh- 
bor a  good  choking  from  the  rear,  after  which 
the  unknown  mysteriously  disappeared  into  the 
forest  from  whence  he  came.  His  neighbor  was 
unable  to  ascertain  with  any  degree  of  certainty, 
who  the  villain  was,  but  suspected  the  unfortu- 
nate man  who  stood  before  me.  He  had,  in  con- 
sequence, been  arrested  for  assault  and  battery 
and  would  be  tried  on  the  following  afternoon 
before  a  Norwegian  justice  of  the  peace  who 
lived  some  five  or  six  miles  from  Snohomish  City, 
and  desired  to  know  what  I  would  charge  him  to 
conduct  his  defense. 

I  weighed  the  subject  with  great  care,  as  I 
was  badly  in  need  of  funds  to  liquidate  a  few 
unsettled  demands,  and  told  him  1  thought  ten 
dollars  ought  to  be  cheap  in  view  of  the  serious- 
ness of  the  charge  and  the  long  distance  from 
my  otlfice,  and  explained  the  necessity  of  closing 
my  office,  which  of  course  was  a  great  detriment, 
in  view  of  the  numerous  (?)  clients  I  had.  The 
defendant  looked  at  me,  and  then  at  my  furniture 
in  a  somewhat  dubious  manner  and  remarked 
that  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  was  all  the 
money  he  could  afford  to  pay,  and  inasmuch  as  I 
was  a  new-comer  in  the  county,  I  ought  to  be 
willing  to  take  the  case  at  a  reasonable  figure,  as 
it  would  give  me  great  notoriety,  provided  I 
cleared  him,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  whole 
neighborhood  was  in  arms  over  the  aiTair  and 
would  attend  the  trial  en  inassL.  I  saw  the  force 
of  his  argument  and  finally  consented  to  go. 

The  Hon.  Eldridge  Morse,  the  pioneer  lawyer 
of  Snohomish,  I  learned,  had  been  engaged  to 
prosecute  the  prisoner  and  he,  as  I  subsequently 
learned,  had  taken  his  departure  from  home  that 
afternoon  and  remained  over  night  with  the  jus- 
tice who  was  to  preside  at  the  trial  on  the  follow- 
ing day.  After  the  trial  of  the  case  I  also  learned 
that  Brother  Morse  had  told  the  justice  on  his  visit 


to  his  house,  that  I  had  been  engaged  to  conduct 
the  defense;  that  I  was  nothing  but  a  bluffer, 
that  I  would  blow  a  great  deal  and  explain  the 
law  to  the  justice,  but  for  him  to  pay  no  attention 
to  what  I  said  as  I  knew  nothing  about  the  law, 
except  what  he  had  told  me,  and  that  he  had 
given  me  no  advice  on  the  manner  in  which  I 
should  conduct  the  defense,  and  I  would  be 
entirely  at  sea  during  the  trial. 

It  seemed  that  his  honor  paid  a  considerable 
attention  to  what  my  friend  Morse  had  said,  for 
when  the  defendant  was  arraigned  and  I  arose  to 
make  some  objection  to  the  information  which  1 
discovered  the  court  had  drawn,  his  honor,  with 
great  dignity  said:  "Sit  down,  sir;  you  can't 
run  any  blutf  on  this  court." 

I  tried  to  explain  that  1  had  no  intention  of 
so  doing,  and  that  I  was  compelled,  in  justice  to 
my  client,  to  show  that  his  honor  had  no  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  offense,  owing  to  the  defective  infor- 
mation. This,  however  was  all  in  vain,  and 
the  court  in  peremptory  tones  commanded  me  to 
sit  down,  and  down  I  went,  greatly  humiliated, 
as,  in  truth,  all  the  citizens  of  the  county,  as  it 
looked  to  me,  were  there  and  I  was  very  anxious 
to  make  a  display  of  my  eloquence.  I  was  about 
to  appeal  to  the  justice  from  another  standpoint 
when  I  caught  Brother  Morse's  eye  which  revealed 
the  fact  that  he  had  "seen  the  justice''  before 
the  trial,  and  by  chance,  I  recalled  the  fact  that 
a  section  of  the  code  provided  that  any  attorney 
admitted  to  practice  in  any  of  the  district  courts 
of  the  territory  of  Washington  should  be 
admitted  to  practice  in  all  the  courts  of  the  terri- 
tory, and  that  another  section  provided  that  if 
any  officer  refused  to  perform  any  act  enjoined 
upon  him  by  law,  he  should  forfeit  his  office  and 
pay  a  fine.  I  determined  to  pay  Mr.  Morse  back 
in  his  own  coin. 

Drawing  my  chair  a  little  closer  to  the  justice, 
I  began  to  read  these  sections  in  a  stage  whisper. 
My  interpretation  of  the  fact  was  that  "Any 
attorney  admitted  to  practice  in  any  of  the  dis- 
trict courts  of  the  territory  should  be  allowed 
to  practice  before  a  justice  of  the  peace  who  was 
enjoined  by  law  to  listen  attentively  to  an  attor- 
ney upon  all  occasions,"  that  of  the  second 
section  was  "If  any  justice  of  the  peace,  at  any 
time  fail  or  refuse  to  listen  to  an  attorney,  he 
should  be  removed  from  office,  his  property 
confiscated  and  applied  to  the  support  of  the 
county's  poor." 

I  had  scarcely  finished  the  latter  section  when 
the  justice  exclaimed:  "What's  that?"  Ire-read 
the  latter  section  and  he  looked  somewhat  con- 
fused as  I  arose  and  proceeded  to  make  my 
objections  to  the  information,  and  I  became  so 
eloquent  (?)  in  the  course  of  my  remarks  that  at 
a  proper  pause,  the  justice  asked  me  what  I 
thought  he  ought  to  do  under  the  circumstances. 

I  replied  that  I  did  not  presume  to  advise  his 
honor,  but   the  only   way  I  could   see  out   of  the 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


difficulty,  was  to  throw  the  case  out  of  the  court. 
At  this  point,  Mr.  Morse  tried  to  interrupt  me, 
but  the  court  would  not  permit  it.  His  honor 
evidently  thought  I  used  the  term  "throw  the 
case  out  of  court,"  in  its  literal  sense,  for  I  had 
not  concluded  my  tirade  on  the  information  when 
in  a  fit  of  frenzy,  he  seized  the  papers  and  threw 
them  out  of  the  window,  exclaiming  :  '  'This  case 
is  out  of  court.  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
it.  Mr.  Constable,  adjourn  this  court  to  no  par- 
ticular day." 

Brother  Morse  and  the  audience  were  stupi- 
fied.  My  client  and  I  left  the  court  room,  with 
his  honor  and  Brother  Morse  close  behind.  I 
took  my  client  to  one  side,  received  his  congratu- 
lations and  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  and  told 
him  from  the  earnest  manner  in  which  Brother 
Morse  was  expounding  the  law  to  his  honor,  that 
I  was  afraid  that  the  court  might  reverse  itself, 
and  the  best  thing  for  him  to  do  was  to  beat  a 
hasty  retreat.  The  last  I  saw  of  my  client,  on 
that  occasion,  he  had  vaulted  into  a  saddle  and 
was  imitating  with  a  degree  of  satisfaction, 
Ichabod  Crane,  fleeing  from  the  headless 
horseman. 

MOUNT  RAINIER 

Silent  and  stern,  thou  mighty  peak, 

With  snowy,  frosted  crest, 
Along  thy  canons  eagles  shriek 

Or  soar  from  crag  to  nest. 
Through  thy  lone  wilds  the  panthers  roam 

In  quest  of  sleeping  prey, 
Or  noiseless  steal  back  to  their  home. 

As  morning  heralds  day. 

Great  mount,  I  see  thy  towering  crest. 

By  moonbeams'  straggling  light, 
Like  some  great  guardian  in  the  west 

Who  guards  the  world  by  night; 
Thy  glist'ning  sides  like  sparkling  dew 

My  gaze  untired  holds, 
For  beauteous  sights,  each  fair,  each  new 

Are  in  thy  mantle  folds. 

Oh,  silent  peak,  I  wondering  gaze 

Upon  thy  summit  grand, 
I  see  thee  through  the  moonlight  haze 

As  at  thy  foot  I  stand. 
I  think  upon  the  many  tribes 

Who've  seen  thy  towering  form, 
Who  oft  have  tempted  thee  with  bribes 

To  stay  the  mountain's  storm. 

But  now,  though  clouds  below  thee  spread 

A  mantle  dark  as  night. 
Thy  snowy,  white  and  glistening  head 

Is  wreathed  with  purest  light. 
The  stars  seem  nestling  in  thy  breast, 

Or  gems  in  thy  bright  crown. 
Thou,  like  some  great  king,  regally  dressed, 

Some  monarch  of  renown. 

We're  seen  the  sun  in  beauty  set 

With  brightest  heavenly  glow. 
And  on  thy  side  he  lingered  yet 

As  though  quite  loath  to  go. 
We've  watched  the  twilight  chase  his  beams 

Far  up  thy  shining  side 
From  crag  to  crag  o'er  frozen  streams 

Till  each  fair  ray  has  died. 


Then,  in  the  quiet  hush  of  day. 

Again  thy  watch  thou'dst  keep, 
While  twinkhng  stars  around  thee  play. 

And  earth  seems  all  asleep. 
Oh,  silent  one,  like  human  grief, 

Thou'rt  present  every  hour, 
Thou  watchest  on  without  relief 

Despite  time's  changing  power. 

Watch  over  earth,  thou  mighty  peak, 

Though  lightnings  round  thee  play; 
Or  storm  gods  through  thy  caverns  shriek 

And  clouds  shut  out  the  day. 
Man  sees  thy  feathery  pine  trees  nod 

By  winds  thus  wildly  driven. 
And  learns  from  thee  that  nature's  God, 

Rules  earth  as  well  as  Heaven. 


THE  SWINOMISH  FLATS 

Would  you  know  of  the  sweetest  of  prairies  or  plains. 

Away  from  the  crowded  ways? 
Then  come  from  the  babble  and  clamor  of  tongues; 
Away  from  the  strife  for  the  ladder's  rungs, 

To  the  glory  of  summer  days. 

All  things  are  glad!     The  lark's  song  sweet 

That  peals  through  the  morning's  air, 
Is  telling  the  fragrance  of  new-mown  hay. 
The  blessing  of  God  and  the  smile  of  the  day. 

And  our  bliss  in  a  world  so  fair. 

The  sunshine  sifts  through  the  orchard  trees 

On  the  nodding  clover  below; 
And  the  bright-eyed  quail,  from  her  nest  in  the  grass, 
Watches  the  flickering  shadows  that  pass 

As  the  branches  sway  to  and  fro. 

Sleek  cattle  wander  the  meadows  wide; 

Beyond  them  seas  of  grain 
Are  dimpling  to  gold  'neath  the  touch  of  the  sun 
Rustling  their  joy  for  the  victories  won 

Over  the  winter's  rain. 

Ah!     beautiful  fields  of  the  cloth  of  gold, 

Laden  with  wealth  you  stand — 
The  crowning  meed  of  the  farmer's  toil. 
The  fruit  of  his  care  and  the  fruit  of  his  soil, 

Of  our  sea-wrested  Swinomish  Land. 

For  this  is  a  child  of  the  Puget  sea. 

Snatched  from  the  Mother's  arms, 
And  kept  from  her  home  for  years  and  a  day. 
In  the  service  of  those  who  stole  her  away. 

Till  grown  to  a  maiden's  charms. 

A  new-world  Holland,  but  girded  by  hills — 

By  soft  blue  hills  that  stand 
Like  guardian  angels  by  kind  Heaven  sent 
To  keep  you  in  peace  and  in  quiet  content, 

O  sun-sweet  Swinomish  Land. 

Elzan  M.  Wallace. 


SAILING  OF  THE  WHALEBACK 

God  speed  thee,  gallant  ship,  God  speed  thee  o'er 
The  isle-enchanted  sea,  from  shore  to  shore; 
Sail  on,  DeFuca's  giant  gateway  through. 

Into  the  broad  expanse  of  ocean  blue; 
Then  outward,  onward,  ever  onward  keep. 

Still  hold  thy  course  across  the  pathless  deep 
To  where  the  Island  Empire  proudly  lies 

And  Cathay's  headlands  in  thy  pathway  rise. 


REMINISCENCES 


485 


Sail  on,  'till  o'er  thee  blows  the  spicy  breeze 

From  tropic  isles,  begirt  with  thermal  seas. 
Along  the  world's  broad  belt,  on  India's  tide- 
Four  thousand  miles  of  waters  waste  and  wide- 
Still  on  'till  Africa's  hot  burning  sand 
Before  thee  stretches  limitless  on  either  hand. 


Or,  if  thy  course  to  northward  thou  shalt  shape. 
Sail  on  by  rocky  isle  and  frowning  cape, 

Through  channels  dark,  by  many  a  devious  way, 
Nor  tide  nor  calm,  nor  storm  thy  course  delay. 

Sail  on  until  for  all  thy  ample  store 
Safe  port  is  found  upon  Siberia's  shore. 

Make  not  thy  stay  too  long  on  that  ungenial  strand, 

But  haste  again  to  greet  thy  native  land. 
Thousands  of  friends  thy  safe  return  await 

From  foreign  ports,  deep  lade  with  richest  freight. 
Expectant  eyes  shall  scan  the  isle-set  sea 

The  first  incoming  glimpse  to  catch  of  thee, 
And  grand  Olympus,  from  his  high  estate. 

Shall  give  thee  royal  welcome  to  our  gate. 

Great  pioneer  of  commerce  just  begiin, 

A  thousand  ships  shall  o'er  thy  pathway  run. 
From  each  masthead  our  starry  flag  shall  gleam 

As  o'er  Pacific's  broad  highway  they  steam. 
Proud  Venice  "wed  the  sea"  in  days  of  old; 

The  Great  Republic,  young  and  wise  and  bold. 
Weds  now  the  greater  ocean  of  the  West, 

And  all  the  nations  by  this  bond  are  blest. 

Oh,  harbinger  of  busy  days  to  be — 

In  this  fair  city  by  the  inland  sea — 
Destined  a  wondrous  enterprise  to  lead, 

"City  of  Everett,"  sail  on,  Godspeed! 

R.  K.  Beecham. 
Everett,  Wash.,  February  23,  1895. 


PORT  GARDNER 


Oh!     the  beautiful  bay 

Of  the  inland  sea 
That  reaches  away 

To  the  islands'  lea; 
Without  may  the  breeze 

And  breakers  war 
And  the  billowy  seas 

May  roll  from  afar. 
But  the  ships  sail  in 

With  their  stately  pride. 
And  a  harbor  win 

That  is  safe  and  wide. 


Oh!  the  peaceful  bay 

In  the  islands'  lea. 
For  fair  is  the  day 

O'er  the  landlocked  sea; 
And  the  sun's  rays'  gleam 

On  her  waters  rest, 
And  the  green  isles  seem 

Asleep  on  her  breast; 
Now  the  ships  that  ride 

On  the   peaceful  bay 
In  their  stately  pride 

Sail  out  and  away. 

Oh!     the  glorious  bay, 

Of  the  isle-set  sea. 
Beyond  and  away 

Stand  the  mountains  free. 
And  they  smile  and  they  frown 

In  their  bonnets  of  snow, 


As  they  look  far  down 
On  the  scene  below. 
The  ships  may  keep 

On  their  stately  ride. 

For  the  waters  are  deep 

And  the  harbor  wide. 

R.  K.  Beecham. 
Published  in  the  Everett  Times,  Feb.  6,  1895. 


THE  WILD  CHERRY  TREE 

It  stands  on  the  brow  of  the  hillside  green. 
And  bends  like  a  graceful  plume; 
Its  pale  green  foliage  in  silver  sheen, 
Is  fringed  with  a  wealth  of  bloom. 

At  sunrise  it  gleams  in  the  brilliant  rays, 
A  tree  of  beauty  most  fair; 
At  noontide  it  rests  in  the  dazzling  haze. 
Aglow  with  splendor  rare. 

The  shafts  of  the  sunset  lodge  in  its  boughs. 
Now  crowned  with  a  halo  bright; 
It  sends  its  perfume  to  soothe  restless  brows. 
And  gracefully  waves  "Goodnight." 

Era  M.  Davis,  Mount  Vernon. 


THE  OLD  SETTLER 
(Author  Unknown) 

I've  traveled  all  over  the  country. 
Prospecting  and  digging  for  gold; 

I've  cradled,  hydrauliced  and  tunneled 
And  frequently  I  have  been  sold. 

For  one  that  got  riches  by  mining. 
Perceiving  that  hundreds  grow  poor, 

I  made  up  my  mind  to  try  farming. 
The  only  pursuit  that  is  sure. 


So  I  rolled  up  my  grub  in  a  blanket 
And  left  all  my  tools  on  the  ground 

And  started  one  morning  to  shank  it 

For  the  country  that's  called  Puget  sound. 

Arriving  flat  broke  in  mid-winter, 

I  found  it  enveloped  in  fog 
And  covered  all  over  with  timber 

Thick  as  hair  on  the  back  of  a  dog. 

I  took  up  a  home  in  the  forest; 

I  spent  there  two  years  of  hard  toil. 
I  worked  and  I  slaved  and  I  niggered 

But  never  got  down  to  the  soil. 

I  tried  to  get  out  of  the  country 

But  poverty  forced  me  to  stay 
Until  I  became  an  old  settler, 

Then  nothing  could  drive  me  away. 


But  now  I've  got  used  to  the  climate 
And  I  think  if  a  man  ever  found 

A  place  to  live  happy  and  easy. 
That  Eden  is  on  Puget  sound. 

No  longer  the  slave  of  ambition, 
I  laugh  at  this  world  and  its  shams 

As  I  think  of  my  pleasant  condition, 
Surrounded  by  acres  of  clams. 


SUPPLEMENTARY 


ON  THE  PLAINS 

The  sun  sinks  low, 

The  golden  glow 
Falls  slanting  o'er  the  tawny  plain; 

A  gentle  breeze 

From  far-off  seas 
Blows  gently  o'er  the  wagon  train; 
A  mellow  beauty  softly  reigns— 
'Tis  sunset  on  the  western  plains. 

The  twinkling  stars, 

Through  azure  bars. 
Look  down  upon  the  darkened  plain; 

The  coyote's  cry 

And  night  wind's  sigh 
Are  blended  in  a  long  refrain; 
A  mystic,  wild  enchantment  reigns — 
'Tis  midnight  on  the  western  plains. 

Long  rays  of  light 

Dispel  the  night 
As  slanting  sunbeams  span  the  plain; 

Wild  flowers  fair 

Perfume  the  air, 
While  westward  wends  the  wagon  train, 
The  god  of  day  in  glory  reigns— 
'Tis  sunrise  on  the  western  plains. 

Loiis  P.  Callahan  in  Pittsburg  Dispatch. 


THE  PIONEERS 

In  the  heat  and  the  dust  of  the  alkali  plains. 

Over  desolate  stretches  of  sand. 
They  trudged  by  the  side  of  the  slow  moving  trains. 

The  bullwhip  and  rifle  in  hand. 
Their  eyes  they  had  fixed  on  the  wonderful  West, 

Its  stories  delighted  their  ears. 
And  hope  had  a  nest  in  each  resolute  breast 

Of  those  heroes,  our  brave  pioneers. 

They  knew  of  the  dangers  that  clung  to  the  trail 

That  led  o'er  the  desert's  bleak  waste, 
And,  armed  with  a  courage  that  never  could  fail. 

Those  dangers  they  fearlessly  faced. 
They  slept  'neath  the  stars  by  the  fire's  fitful  light 

Or  watched  o'er  the  grass  feeding  steers 
When  red  peril  lurked  in  the  shadows  of  night 

In  wait  for  those  brave  pioneers. 

The  great  Land  of  Promise  they  fought  for  was  won. 

And  the  victory  flushed  their  brown  cheeks 
When  they  saw  the  red  rays  of  the  evening  sun 

Light  up  the  proud  heads  of  the  peaks. 
Their  glad  lips  were  reeking  with  song  at  the  dawn, 

The  echoes  were  dancing  with  cheers. 
As  the  mountains  in  view  seemed  to  beckon  them  on 

To  the  home  of  the  brave  i 


Long  years  have  rolled  by  since  they  halted  for  rest 

At  the  end  of  their  wearisome  tramp; 
A  city  of  grandeur,  the  pride  of  the  VVest, 

Now  stands  on  the  site  of  their  camp. 
And  dimmed  is  the  light  of  once  keen  flashing  eyes 

As,  ripe  with  the  fullness  of  years. 
They  wait  for  the  call  to  the  trail  to  the  skies 

That  is  blazed  for  our  brave  pioneers. 

James  Barton  Adams. 


THE  BRAVE  OLD  DAYS 

You  will  see  them  meet  on  the  busy  street,  old  fellows  of 

tottering  walk. 
And  the  eyes  grow  bright  with  the  old  daylight  as  their 

old  hands  meet  and  lock. 


And  its  "Hello,  Jim!"  and  its  "Hello,  Tim!"  and  "How 

do  you  do  to-day?" 
And  they  draw  aside  from  the  human  tide  for  a  chat  in 

the  old  time  way. 
They  talk  of  the  time  they  were  in  their  prime  ere  they 

suffered  from  age's  pains. 
Of  the  songs  they  sang  when  the  bullwhips  rang  way  out 

on  the  dusty  plains. 
Of  the  perils   faced  on  the  desert  waste,  of  the  pioneer 

joke  and  jest. 
As  they  trudged  through  sand  to  the  promised  land  in  the 

brave  old  days  of  the  West. 

They  recall  the  frays  of  those  brave  old  days  with  the 

demons  with  skins  of  red, 
Of  the  wagons  "parked"  and  the  guns  that  barked  and 

bit  with  their  teeth  of  lead, 
Of  the  fiendish  yells  and  the  jingling  bells  on  the  ponies 

of  painted  foes. 
Of  the   arrows'  flight  sent  with  arms  of  might  from  the 

spring  of  the  bended  bows. 
And   again   do   they   hear  the  words  of   cheer   from   the 

women  as  brave  as  they, 
The  women  who  shared  the  perils  dared,  young  wives  and 

old  mothers  gray. 
And  as  memories  swarm  how  the  hearts  beat  warm  as  of 

old  in  each  brave  old  breast, 
As  the  pictures  rise  to  their  brave  old  eyes  of  the  brave 

old  days  of  the  West. 

O!  the  joy  and  pain  as  they  live  again  those  scenes  of  the 

stirring  jiast; 

lights  their  e         '        ' 

the  West— at  ] 
And  their  tones  grow  low  as  they  feel  a  blow  from  the 

merciless  hand  of  pain. 
As  they  talk  of  the  braves  they  laid  in  graves  near  the 

camp  of  the  wagon  train. 
Thus  they  often  meet  on  the  busy  street,  those  grizzled 

old  pioneers. 
And  the  pictures  seen  on  the  memory  screen  oft  start  the 

unbidden  tears 
As  the  lips  and  eyes  speak  the  thoughts  that  rise  from 

tlieir  founts  in  each  valiant  breast. 
Of  the  weary  tramps  and  the  firelit  camps  in  the  brave 

old  days  of  the  West. 

James  Barton  Adams. 

THE  EVERGREEN  STATE 

(Air,  "Illinois.") 

We've  a  land  toward  the  setting 

Of  the  far.  Western  sun, 
Name  of  soldier,  statesman,  hero, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Land  of  hill  and  mountain  side. 
Land  of  plain  and  valley  wide. 
Land  of  plenty,  prospect,  pride — 
Washington. 

Zephyrs  soft  o'er  Whitman  sighing, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Constant  requiem  supplying, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Here  Vancouver  came  and  Gray, 
Clark  and  Lewis  led  the  way. 
To  this  land  of  future  day^ 
Washington. 

Land  of  fertile  sunlit  plains, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Mellow  fruit  and  golden  grains, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Wondrous  wealth  of  stream  and  mines. 
Cedar,  fir,  and  giant  pines. 
All  within  thy  vast  confines — 
Washington. 


REMIXISCEXCES 


487 


Here  Columbia  proudly  sweeping, 

Washington,  Washington! 
By  the  graves  of  heroes  sleeping, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Forest,  field,  and  snowy  hill. 
Waterfall  and  sparkling  rill, 
How  these  scenes  with  rapture  thrill — 
Washington. 

Cities  great  and  grand  and  growing, 

Washington,  Washington! 
In  thy  land  with  wealth  o'erflowing, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Walla  Walla  broad  and  fair, 
Everett,  with  balmy  air, 
Bellingham  with  vista  rare — 
Washington. 

Hear  Olympia's  olden  story, 

Washington.  Washington! 
Watch  Wenatchee's  growing  glory, 

Washington,  Washington! 
While  we  "Watch  Tacoma  grow," 
See  Seattle  onward  go. 
How  Spokane's  bright  prospects  glow, 
Washington. 

Bright  the  morn's  first  beams  advancing, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Span  Mount  Carlton's  view  entrancing, 

Washington,  Washington! 

Part  the  mists  on  old  Rainier, 

Signal  "day"  to  Adams  drear, 

And  to  Baker's  summit  clear — 

Washington. 

Where  the  rays  of  twilight  resting, 

Washington,  Washington! 
On  the  wide  Olympic  cresting, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Shade  the  blue  of  Puget  sound. 


Gild  the  wooded  hilltops  round, 
Oh,  what  gardens  doth  abound — 
Washington. 

Where  the  Cascade's  rugged  rending, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Form  Chelan's  bright  bays  extending, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Oh,  the  riches  lavished  there. 
Skylit  blue  of  waters  fair, 
Caverns  deep  and  peaks  in  air — 
Washington. 

Here  the  quiet  Oriental, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Meets  again  the  Occidental, 

Washington,  Washington! 
'Neath  thy  kindly  flag  unfurled, 
Here  by  fate  and  fortune  hurled, 
Thou  the  home  of  all  the  world — 
Washington. 

Future's  eyes  are  toward  the  turning, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Keep  their  altar  fires  still  burning, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Show  the  worth  of  coming  fates, 
Grasp  the  legacy  that  waits, 
Thou  the  queen  of  all  the  states  — 
Washington. 

When  our  last  long  sleep  is  nearing, 

Washington,  Washington! 
Earth  and  loved  ones  disappearing, 

Washington,  Washington! 
May  we  know  that  we  shall  rest. 
On  thy  kind  and  ample  breast. 
Thou  of  all  the  dearest,  best — 
Washington. 

Henry"Herbert  Slater. 
Deer  Park,  Wash.,  March  15,  1906. 


PART   V 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


"Biography  is  the  only  true  history." 

Euicrson. 


"Biography  is  infinitely  more  valuable  than  the 
dumb  statue  or  monument." 

Carlylc. 


SKAGIT  COUNTY 
BIOGRAPHY 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

SKAGIT    COUNTY 


IRA  E.  SHRAUGER,  mayor  of  :\Iount  Ver- 
non, and  senior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Shrau- 
ger  &  Barker,  was  born  in  Parkville,  Michigan,  in 
1858,  the  son  of  Francis  J.  and  Anna  (Umstead) 
Shrauger.  The  father  was  a  descendant  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Dutch  stock.  He  was  a  pioneer  in 
the  state  of  Michigan,  to  which  he  came  with  his 
parents  in  the  early  thirties.  He  followed  railroad- 
ing for  years,  as  conductor  on  the  Rock  Island  sys- 
tem, and  during  the  war  he  carried  the  wounded 
soldiers  into  Rock  Island  on  what  might  be  desig- 
nated an  ambulance  special.  He  also  at  one  time 
was  a  hardware  merchant,  and  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Grand  Army.  He  died  in  1888,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-five.  The  mother,  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1838,  is  now  living  at  Exira.  Iowa.  Having  spent 
the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  city, 
Mr.  Slwauger  came  with  his  parents  to  Audubon 
county,  where  after  a  short  time  they  took  up  their 
permanent  residence  at  Exira,  at  which  place  he  re- 
ceived his  education,  graduating  from  the  Academy, 
and  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  teaching  his  first  term 
of  school.  In  the  succeeding  fourteen  terms  which 
he  taught  he  employed  all  his  leisure  time  in  the 
study  of  law,  and  in  1888  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  Nebraska,  to  which  state  he  had  moved  seven 
years  previous.  For  five  years  he  was  editor  of 
The  Enterprise,  the  leading  paper  of  Humboldt, 
Nebraska,  and  city  clerk  for  the  entire  time  of  his 
residence  there  except  when  serving  as  city  attor- 
ney. In  1890  he  came  West,  first  locating  in  Bell- 
ingham,  where  he  practiced  law  for  eighteen 
months,  and  later  in  Hamilton,  where  he  opened  a 
bank  in  connection  with  his  law  practice.  Elected 
county  attorney  in  1896,  he  came  to  Mount  Vernon, 
since  which  time  he  has  made  that  place  his  home 
and  has  been  connected  with  every  public  enter- 
prise, believing  this  to  be  the  best  town  in  the  coun- 
try and  one  whose  financial  basis  is  especially  wor- 
thy of  praise.  Nominated  a  second  time  for  the 
office  of  attorney,  he  barely  missed  being  elected 
by  sixty-five  votes,  while  other  candidates  on  the 
same  ticket,  the  Fusion,  were  defeated  by  several 
hundred  votes.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
office  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Mr.  E.  P. 
Barker,  and  together  they  have  built  up  a  splendid 
business.  In  1902  he  was  appointed  mayor,  and 
elected  to  the  same  office  in  1904. 


Mr.  Shrauger  was  married  in  Skagit  county  in 
1892,  to  Mayme  Finne,  who  was  born  in  Chicago, 
but  came  with  her  parents  to  California  where  she 
grew  to  womanhood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shrauger  have 
three  children :  Donald  L.,  Clyde  F.  and  Maynard 
F.  Few  members  of  his  party,  the  Democratic, 
have  rendered  it  more  valuable  service  than  has  Mr. 
Shrauger,  who  is  chairman  of  the  county  central 
committee,  and  who  has  represented  the  party  in 
both  county  and  state  conventions,  in  which  his  per- 
sonal popularity  and  wide  practical  knowledge  of 
men  and  affairs  rendered  him  a  prominent  figure. 
The  legal  profession,  of  which  he  is  such  an  able 
member,  has  honored  him  by  electing  him  president 
of  the  bar  association.  As  treasurer  of  the  county 
fair  association,  he  is  in  close  touch  with  the  farm- 
ing interests  of  the  county  and  state.  The  Com- 
mercial club  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  are  pleased 
to  claim  him  as  an  active  member.  The  character- 
istics so  clearly  manifested  in  the  boy-teacher, — 
ambition  and  industry, — joined  to  the  highest  in- 
tegrity, growing  and  developing  with  the  passing 
years,  have  insured  for  the  man  of  to-day  the  ex- 
alted position  which  he  holds  in  town,  county  and 
state. 


DAVID  H.  MOSS,  president  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  the  Bank  of 
Burlington,  was  born  in  Paris,  Missouri,  January 
5,  1876,  of  distinguished  parents.  His  father,  Dav- 
id H.  Moss,  a  native  of  Columbia,  Missouri,  born 
in  1827,  came  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky  ancestors, 
who  were  pioneers  in  Missouri,  where  they  came 
in  1819,  and  were  among  the  first  settlers  in  Saint 
Joseph,  which  at  the  time  of  their  advent  was  only 
an  Indian  trading  point.  The  elder  Moss  was  for 
many  years  a  prominent  factor  in  political  circles 
in  his  state,  where  he  filled  the  offices  of  circuit 
judge  and  attorney  for  many  terms,  and  made  his 
influence  felt  in  the  councils  of  his  party.  A  num- 
ber of  years  since,  however,  he  decided  to  retire 
from  the  onerous  duties  of  public  life,  afid  seek  the 
more  peaceful  comforts  of  his  home  and  fireside, 
holding  alone  the  position  of  president  of  the  Paris 
(Missouri)  National  bank,  one  of  the  solid  finan- 
cial institutions  of  that  state.  The  mother,  Mellville 
(Hollingsworth)    Moss,   was   born   near   Hannibal, 


494 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


Missouri,  and  was  reared  in  St.  Louis.  Her  par- 
ents were  natives  of  Virginia,  but  immigrated  to 
Missouri  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  when 
the  pioneer  instinct  would  no  longer  admit  of  their 
continuing  in  what  to  them  were  the  densely  popu- 
lated regions  of  their  native  state.  They  here  ex- 
perienced fully  the  strenuous  life  of  the  pioneer, 
and  reared  their  family  under  these  conditions  into 
stalwart  manhood  and  useful  womanhood.  How 
happily  changed  are  the  conditions  under  which 
this  worthy  matron  now  lives,  surrounded  with  afflu- 
ence and  social  advantages,  and,  still  better,  enjoying 
tlie  approving  consciousness  of  a  life  well  spent.  The 
youngest  in  a  family  of  eight,  the  subject  of  this 
writing  grew  to  manhood  in  an  atmosphere  of  cul- 
ture and  refinement.  Encouraging  the  fondness  for 
study  which  he  early  manifested,  his  parents  sent 
him  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  to  the  Military 
Academy  at  Booneville,  Missouri,  which  was  at 
that  time  one  of  the  best  educational  institutions  in 
the  state.  He  later  spent  three  years  at  Westmin- 
ster College,  Fulton,  Missouri,  finishing  there  at  the 
age  of  twenty,  at  which  time  he  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  Northwestern  University,  and 
was  graduated  therefrom  in  1899.  Returning  to 
his  home  in  Paris  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
began  the  practice  of  law,  at  the  same  time  being 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  bank.  In  the  spring 
of  1902  he  came  West  to  Billings,  Montana,  having 
accepted  the  position  of  assistant  cashier  of  the 
First  National  bank,  at  that  place,  of  which  his 
brother,  P.  B.  Moss,  is  the  president.  In  March, 
1903,  he  purchased  a  controlling  interest  in  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Mount  Vernon,  in  which 
institution  he  holds  the  honored  position  of  presi- 
dent, and  is  likewise  president  of  the  Bank  of  Bur- 
lington, which  he  has  established  more  recently. 
Capitalized  at  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  with 
loans  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
thousand  dollars,  and  deposits  of  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  the  Mount  Vernon  bank  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  strongest  financial  institutions  in 
Skagit  county. 

On  April  5, 1905,  the  marriage  of  David  H.  Moss 
and  Miss  Annabelle  Arnold,  daughter  of  R.  R. 
and  Ophelia  (Morris)  Arnold,  of  Mexico,  Missouri, 
was  solemnized  at  Billings.  Montana.  Mrs.  Moss 
comes  from  one  of  the  distinguished  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  Missouri,  her  father,  who  is  cashier  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  jMexico,  is  a  man  of  prom- 
inence in  financial  and  political  circles,  and  widely 
known  throughout  the  state.  Second  from  the  last 
of  a  family  of  seven  children,  Mrs.  Moss  has  been 
reared  under  the  very  best  home  and  social  in- 
fluences, with  ample  educational  opportunities  and 
is  qualified  to  fill  with  dignity  and  grace  the  require- 
ments of  home  or  social  life.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church,  of  which  her  husband  is  also 
a  communicant.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Moss  is 
associated  with  the  Elks  and  the  Masons.  With  his 
demonstrated  business  ability,  the  high  position  of 


trust  which  he  is  holding  and  the  full  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  acquaintances,  few  young  men  at  the 
age  of  Mr.  Moss  have  brighter  prospects  for  a  life 
of  influence  and  usefulness. 


PATRICK  HALLORAN.  Among  the  men 
who  have  achieved  success  in  Skagit  county  and  in 
so  doing  have  contributed  not  a  little  toward  the 
general  progress,  is  certainly  to  be  numbered  the 
worthy  and  influential  pioneer  whose  name  forms' 
the  title  of  this  article.  Born  in  the  province  of 
New  Brunswick,  Canada,  in  1846,  he  grew  up  there 
under  pioneer  conditions,  and  naturally  his  chief 
preparation  for  life's  battle  was  the  formation  of 
habits  of  industry  and  self-reliance  which  comes 
with  a  sustained  eiTort  to  clear  up  and  win  a  liveli- 
hood from  a  heavily  timbered  farm.  He  did,  how- 
ever, receive  such  educational  discipline  as  was  to 
be  had  in  the  schools  of  the  parish  in  which  he  was 
born,  and  in  the  larger  school  of  life  in  which  he 
has  since  taken  an  advanced  course,  being  graduat- 
ed with  honors.  A  degree  of  success  in  the  indus- 
trial world  has  been  his  such  as  many  a  man  with 
larger  opportunities  might  envy. 

Mr.  Halloran's  father,  John  Halloran,  was  a 
native  of  county  Limerick,  Ireland,  whence  he  came 
to  New  Brunswick  in  1825.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  was  one  of  the  active  and  forceful  men  in  the 
early  industrial  development  of  that  province,  but 
in  ISfiS  he  moved  to  Alpena,  Michigan,  where  he 
passed  away  some  four  years  later.  Before  coming 
to  America  he  had  served  four  years  in  the  British 
army.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Ellen  (Dawson) 
Halloran,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
who  became  a  resident  of  New  Brunswick  while 
yet  in  earlv  childhood,  died  in  Alpena,  Michigan, 
"in  1896. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  the  Mr.  Halloran  of  this 
article  left  his  New  Brunswick  home  to  seek  the 
favor  of  Fortune  in  the  American  republic,  moving 
first  to  Detroit,  Michigan,  whence,  after  a  brief 
stay,  he  went  to  Alpena.  There  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  lumber  business.  Special  aptitude  and 
ability  in  handling  men,  together  with  industry  and 
steadfastness  of  purpose,  soon  told  in  his  favor  and 
before  long  he  was  entrusted  with  the  general  man- 
agement of  the  work  and  the  direction  of  a  large 
crew.  About  1876  he  determined  to  secure  for  him- 
self the  larger  opportunities  offered  by  the  still  new- 
er West,  so  struck  out  for  the  coast.  He  spent 
brief  periods  of  time  in  Portland  and  Seattle,  and 
about  1877  became  identified  with  the  lumber  busi- 
ness of  Skagit  county,  his  first  place  of  employment 
being  the  vicinity  of  the  site  upon  which  Edison  was 
subsequently  built.  Taking  land  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  the  present  town  he  settled  there  perma- 
nently and  gave  to  that  community  the  benefit  of 
his  labor  and  influence  in  the  direction  of  progres- 
siveness  and  industrial  and  social  development.  For 
twenty  years  he  was  engaged  energetically  in  farm- 


PATRICK    HALLORAN 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ing,  raising  oats,  hay  and  cattle.  In  the  fall  of  1885 
he  was  nominated  by  the  Republican  party  for  the 
office  of  county  commissioner,  and  was  duly  elected 
to  that  position.  So  acceptably  did  he  perform  his 
official  duties  that  he  was  called  to  succeed  himself 
two  years  later,  serving  during  the  four  years  as 
chairman  of  the  board.  In  1900,  he  sold  his  orig- 
inal home,  bought  a  place  in  Edison  and  moved  into 
town  for  the  benefit  of  his  wife's  health.  With 
characteristic  resourcefulness,  he  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  when  farming  was  no  longer 
practicable  for  him,  and  in  190-1  he  was  summoned 
by  the  franchises  of  his  fellow-citizens  to  the  re- 
sponsible office  of  county  treasurer.  He  is  discharg- 
ing his  duties  with  an  eye  single  to  the  public  weal, 
retaining  as  deputy  Ex-treasurer  Welts  that  the 
bepefit  of  a  ripe  experience  may  not  be  lost  to  the 
tax  payer.  In  all  liis  business  ventures  and  activi- 
ties, Mr.  Halloran  has  been  abundantly  successful 
and  the  reward  which  Skagit  county  seldom  fails  to 
bestow  upon  the  industrious  and  sound  of  judgment 
are  his  in  good  measure.  He  has  many  interests 
throughout  the  county,  but  he  values  his  material 
wealth  less  highly  than  the  esteem  and  confidence 
of  his  fellow-citizens  which  have  come  as  a  result 
of  long  years  of  square  and  honorable  dealing.  He 
is  very  loyal  to  all  the  interests  of  Skagit  county, 
taking  a  pardonable  pride  in  its  past  achievements, 
its  present  greatness  and  its  promise  for  the  future. 
Mr.  Halloran  was  married  in  Alpena.  Michigan, 
in  1877,  the  lady  being  Miss  Bridget  McGinty,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  who  moved  to  Canada  with  her 
brothers  when  a  small  girl.  The  fruit  of  their  union 
is  three  children :  James  and  George  at  home  in  Ed- 
ison, and  Mary  Donnelly,  between  them,  in  age,  liv- 
ing at  Sedro-Woolley.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Halloran 
is  a  Chapter  Mason,  and  in  politics  he  is  an  active 
and  loyal  Republican,  having  served  his  party  in 
both  the  capacity  of  county  central  committeeman, 
and  member  of  the  state  committee. 


HON.  JOHN  O.  RUDENE,  the  well-known 
representative  of  Skagit  county,  residing  on  his  fine 
farm  three  miles  east  of  La  Conner,  was  born  in 
southern  Sweden,  Ostergotland  province,  August 
13,  1850.  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Johanna  (Shan- 
strom)  Jacobson,  natives  of  Sweden,  died  there  in 
1862.  Mr.  Rudene  spent  the  first  twenty-three 
years  of  his  life  on  his  father's  farm,  acquiring  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  many  details  of  the 
work,  and  meanwhile  using  to  the  very  best  ad- 
vantage the  educational  opportunities  afiforded. 
.Two  sisters  and  a  brother  had  found  homes  in  the 
United  States,  and  urged  him  to  visit  the  country 
and  to  see  for  himself  the  unlimited  openings  to  be 
found.  This  he  decided  to  do,  and  upon  the  return 
of  his  brother  to  the  United  States  after  a  visit  to 
his  parents  in  Sweden,  he  accompanied  him,  locat- 
ing in  Iowa.  Mr.  Rudene  was  employed  by  his 
uncle,  John   Shanstrom,   for    one   year,    following 


which  he  worked  for  others  in  that  locality  until 
May,  1876,  when  he  came  to  La  Conner,  Washing- 
ton. Beaver  Flats  had  no  farms  at  that  time,  and 
only  the  prophetic  vision  could  see  the  resources 
hidden  beneath  the  waste  of  brush,  stones  and  mud. 
At  the  end  of  two  years  which  were  spent  in  dik- 
ing and  farming  for  Mr.  Calhoun  and  others,  he 
rented  his  present  farm  for  five  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  purchased  the  property.  Meeting 
with  the  success  he  so  richly  deserved,  he  was  able 
in  1881  to  buy  the  Kennedy  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres  which  was  sold  at  administrator's  sale.  Leas- 
ing other  land  until  he  had  four  hundred  acres  un- 
der cultivation,  he  devoted  his  entire  time  to  farm- 
ing for  four  years,  his  principal  products  being  oats 
and  hay,  which  netted  him  a  sufficient  income  to 
meet  all  his  payments  on  the  farm.  For  several 
years  his  brother,  August,  was  in  partnership  with 
him,  but  in  1880  he  bought  out  his  interest.  Mr. 
Rudene  has  three  sisters:  Mrs.  Tina  Osberg,  who 
lives  on  the  Swinomish  slough ;  Carrie  Edmonds  on 
the  Pleasant  ridge,  and  Mrs.  May  Turner,  residing 
in  British  Columbia.  The  brother  August,  men- 
tioned above,  is  now  in  Ballard. 

In  1883  Mr.  Rudene  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mrs.  Bessie  J.  Cornelius,  the  daughter  of  William 
Wallace,  of  Scotch  descent,  who  was  a  prominent 
pioneer  of  Oregon.  Coming  with  her  first  husband, 
Mr.  Cornelius,  to  Skagit  county  at  an  early  date, 
she  has  the  honor  of  being  one  of  the  first  white 
women  to  brave  the  dangers  of  life  in  what  was 
then  almost  a  wilderness.  Still  graver  dangers 
threatened  when,  at  the  death  of  her  husband,  she 
was  left  with  a  family  of  three  little  ones,  without 
adequate  means  of  support.  In  later  years  she  mar- 
ried Mr.  Rudene.  Mr.  Rudene  is  a  trustee  in  the 
Methodist  church,  of  which  both  he  and  his  wife 
are  prominent  members.  The  Odd  Fellows  frater- 
nity of  La  Conner  claims  him  as  an  honored  mem- 
ber, he  being  at  the  present  time  past  grand,  having 
filled  the  chair  of  noble  grand  for  one  term.  Al- 
ways an  active  member  of  the  Republican  party,  he 
was  elected  representative  in  the  fall  of  1901,  at- 
tending the  winter  session  of  the  legislature,  in 
which  his  keen,  practical  knowledge  of  afifairs  made 
him  at  once  a  man  of  influence.  He  was  chairman 
of  the  live-stock  and  dairy  committee,  before  which 
the  widely  discussed  meat  inspector  bill  came  up,  a 
measure  that  was  defeated  largely  because  of  his 
strong  opposition.  Few  men  have  taken  such  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  the  vast  enterprise  of  diking  and' 
draining  this  section  of  the  Northwest  as  has  Mr. 
Rudene,  who  is  drainage  commissioner  for  his  dis- 
trict, and  who  now,  in  connection  with  other  leading 
citizens,  has  on  foot  a  movement  for  the  drainage 
and  dredging  of  the  sloughs  of  that  section  on  a 
most  extensive  scale,  which  when  completed  will  be 
one  of  the  largest  systems  in  the  county.  Mr.  Ru- 
dene is  an  ardent  admirer  of  fine  stock,  and  his 
farm  boasts  some  of  the  best  bred  Durham  cattle 
and  French  Norman  Percheron  horses  to  be  found 


498 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


in  the  county.  A  visit  to  this  well-equipped  farm 
and  the  well-appointed,  hospitable  home  is  evidence 
sufficient,  not  only  of  the  thrift  and  industry,  but 
the  taste  and  refinement  of  its  owners. 


J.  GUY  LOWMAN,  one  among  the  progressive 
and  popular  educators  of  the  state  of  Washington, 
who  in  his  short  life  of  thirty-three  years  has  won 
a  measure  of  success  that  would  satisfy  many  a  man 
of  threescore  and  ten,  was  born  near  the  old  battle 
field  of  Tippecanoe  in  the  vicinity  of  LaFayette, 
Indiana,  February  13,  1872.  His  father,  Jacob  W. 
Lowman,  of  German  ancestry,  born  in  West  Vir- 
ginia in  ISoT,  came  when  a  boy  of  fourteen  to  the 
state  of  Indiana,  and  thus  secured  for  himself  the 
honor  of  being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  state.  At 
the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted,  but 
stricken  with  fever,  was  unable  to  render  any  ac- 
tive service.  Later,  still  longing  to  lift  his  hand  in 
defence  of  his  country's  honor,  he  attempted  to  re- 
enlist,  but  was  rejected  on  account  of  ill  health.  In 
1893,  he  settled  in  Anacortes,  where  he  still  resides, 
ably  filling  the  office  of  police  judge  and  justice  of 
the  peace.  He  also  served  one  term  as  mayor  of 
that  city.  His  parents  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1873,  locating  in  Rock  Creek  County,  Virginia. 
The  mother,  Nancy  A.  (Shigley)  Lowman,  is  a 
nktive  of  the  Buckeye  state,  born  in  Jamestown,  in 
1839,  of  German  parentage,  her  family  being  close- 
ly related  to  the  famous  Captain  Mahan,  the  naval 
author,  whose  ancestors  settled  in  the  United  States 
before  the  Revolution.  Having  received  a  careful 
education,  she  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  teacher. 
She  is  still  living,  at  Anacortes,  the  mother  of  three 
children.  Her  son,  William  A.  Lowman.  owns  and 
operates  the  White  Crest  creamery  at  Anacortes ; 
Effie  L.  is  the  wife  of  Adam  M.  Dilling.  a  prominent 
contractor  in  Anacortes.  Coming  with  his  parents 
to  Iowa  when  five  years  old,  Mr.  Lowman  there 
remained  six  years,  when  they  returned  to  the 
grandfather's  old  home  near  LaFayette,  where  he 
was  born,  his  parents  having  been  there  on  a  visit 
at  that  time,  though  their  home  was  then  at  Canton, 
Illinois.  In  this  atmosphere  of  historic  associations 
he  grew  to  manhood,  working  on  the  farm  and  at- 
tending the  little  country  school,  there  laying  the 
foundation  for  a  lifetime  of  usefulness.  He  began 
his  career  as  a  teacher  in  his  home  county  at  the 
age  of  twenty,  removing  to  Anacortes  in  1893, 
where  he  served  as  substitute  for  a  few  months,  and 
later  taught  in  country  schools,  emplo\ing  all  his 
leisure  moments  in  diligent  study.  He  has  thus  se- 
cured a  splendid  equipment  for  his  life  work,  dem- 
onstrating the  possibility  of  securing  this  higher  ed- 
ucation outside  of  college  walls,  given  the  requisite 
amount  of  ambition,  energy  and  perseverance,  all 
of  which  he  possesses  in  abundant  measure.  For 
three  years  he  was  principal  of  the  Avon  schools, 
tendering  his  resignation  when,  in  1902,  he  was 
elected  county  superintendent  on  the  Republican 
ticket.    Two  years  later,  he  was  re-elected  by  a  ma- 


jority of  fifteen  hundred  votes.  Believing  that 
greater  advantages,  at  a  minimum  cost,  may  be  se- 
cured through  the  consolidation  of  country  schools," 
Mr.  Lowman  has  been  an  earnest  advocate  of  the 
system,  which  he  has  secured  in  one  locality,  while 
in  others,  the  thorough  agitation  of  the  question 
promises  to  bear  fruit  in  the  near  future.  Former- 
ly the  wages  of  teachers  in  Skagit  county  were  far 
below  that  of  the  surrounding  counties;  now 
through  his  influence  they  have  been  raised  to  as 
high  a  scale  as  is  paid  in  an\-  ci unity  of  like  charac- 
ter in  the  state,  and  he  is  justl\  pnnul  of  the  fact. 
Another  progressive  idea  which  he  has  carried  out 
is  the  establisiiment  of  district  association  meetings 
throughout  the  county,  having  for  their  aim  the 
more  intimate  acquaintance  of  teachers  with  their 
patrons  and  with  each  other.  Still  another  example 
of  his  untiring  zeal  may  be  cited :  the  extension  of 
school  district  lines  to  take  in  taxable  land  of  non- 
residents, not  hitherto  within  the  district  boundaries, 
to  the  value  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  He 
has  also  secured  the  adoption  of  free  text  book  sys- 
tem in  a  majority  of  the  schools  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Lowman  was  married  August  29,  1900,  to 
Dixie  M.  Hawkins,  daughter  of  William  and  Tali- 
tha  (Miller)  Hawkins.  Her  father  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Skagit  county,  coming  here  in  1882  and 
taking  up  the  homestead  on  which  he  now  resides. 
A  southerner  by  birth,  he  was  for  many  years  a 
cattle  ranger  in' Texas.  Both  parents  are  still  liv- 
ing. Mrs.  Lowman  is  a  native  of  Arkansas.  To  them 
has  been  born  one  child,  Vivien  G.,  on  October  8, 
1901.  Mr.  Lowman,  as  may  be  inferred,  is  a 
prominent  Republican.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows;  in  religious  belief,  a  Presby- 
terian, of  which  church  he  is  an  active  member. 
Though  devoting  so  large  a  proportion  of  his  time 
exclusively  to  educational  matters,  he  has  yet,  by 
his  wise  investments  become  the  owner  of  a  ranch 
near  Avon,  on  which  he  is  making  extensive  im- 
provements, and  of  numerous  lots  in  Anacortes. 


THO:\IAS  P.  HASTIE,  president  of  the  Skagit 
County  Pioneers'  Association,  belongs  to  that  type 
of  pioneer  citizenship  to  which  the  Republic  owes 
most  and  which  it  most  honors.  With  befitting  mod- 
esty, yet  with  persistent  aggressiveness  and  unfal- 
tering courage,  these  men  have  grimly  led  the  way 
across  plain,  mountain  and  water,  vanquished  the 
hostile  aborigines  and  erected  new  states  in  the  sub- 
dued wilderness.  To-day  bustling  cities  and  thriv- 
ing industrial  and  agricultural  communities,  peopled 
bv  a  happy,  prosperous  population,  dot  these  erst- 
while frontiers, — glorious  monuments  to  their  he- 
roic founders. 

Both  the  elder  Hastie,  Thomas,  and  his  son 
Thomas  P..  are  citizens  of  the  United  States  by 
choice,  but  justly  may  they  be  classed  as  true  Amer- 
icans, as  this  record  will  show.  Born  in  Scotland, 
five  years  after  the  dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
the  father  became  a  resident  of  England  when  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


boy.  There  he  learned  the  stone  cutter's  trade, 
married  and  lived  until  1845.  While  the  family  re- 
sided in  Liverpool,  Thomas  P.  was  born,  March  2, 
1835,  and  was,  therefore,  ten  years  old  when  the 
Hasties  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  establish  a  home  in 
the  new  republic  beyond  the  sea.  On  the  maternal 
side,  Mr.  Hastie  carries  in  his  veins  the  blood  of 
Welsh  ancestors.  His  mother  was  an  exceptional 
woman.  Educated  in  England  to  follow  the  profes- 
sion of  a  trained  nurse,  after  she  came  to  America 
she  followed  it  with  unusual  success  and  is  said  to 
have  never  lost  a  single  case  placed  under  her 
charge.  Her  work  as  a  pioneer  of  the  profession 
in  the  Xorthwest  won  for  her  an  enviable  place. 
Upon  arrival  in  this  country,  the  family  settled  in 
Wisconsin,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming 
and  followed  his  trade  during  the  next  five  years. 
Dane  county  was  their  home,  the  farm  being  situ- 
ated eighteeji  miles  north  of  Madison,  the  state  cap- 
ital. However,  Wisconsin  did  not  satisfy,  and  in 
1850  father,  mother  and  two  sons  joined  the  small 
band  of  immigrants  going  to  seek  new  abodes  in 
far  off  Oregon.  With  ox  teams  and  the  customary 
prairie  schooner  they  took  up  the  trail,  bidding 
farewell  to  the  rapidly  settling  middle  West  to  meet 
whatever  fortune  might  await  them  in  a  new  land, 
surrounded  by  savages  who  did  not  view  with  con- 
tent the  invasion  of  their  domain,  and  isolated  by 
hundreds  of  miles  of  trackless  wilderness.  The 
long,  tedious  journey  was  made  in  safety,  owing  not 
a  little  to  the  noble  McLoughlin's  aid.  Sauvies  is- 
land in  the  Willamette  river  near  its  mouth  became 
their  home  in  the  spring  of  1851,  only  three  years 
after  the  admission  of  Oregon  as  a  state.  The  same 
year  that  the  territory  of  Washington  was  created 
out  of  northern  Oregon,  1853,  the  Hasties  became 
residents  of  Whidby  island,  being  among  its  earliest 
pioneers.  One  of  the  memorable  incidents  in  the 
history  of  that  frontier  community  was  the  brutal 
assassination  of  Col.  Isaac  N.  Eby  by  the  Northern 
Indians  in  1857,  with  the  details  of  which  Thomas  P. 
Hastie  is  perfectly  familiar.  This  event  was  an  im- 
portant one  in  the  history  of  the  state,  and  at  the  time 
created  great  excitement  all  over  the  West.  After  the 
mother's  death  on  the  island,  February  19,  18G3,  the 
elder  Hastie  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  there  lived 
until  he.  too,  was  overtaken  by  death.  As  a  young 
man  Thomas  P..  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  'Wash- 
ington, employed  himself  at  farming  with  his  father 
and  cooking  at  different  saw-mills,  but,  on  the  out- 
break of  the  Yakima  Indian  War  in  1855  he  enlisted 
in  Company  I,  First  Washington  Volunteers.  This 
regiment  saw  service  all  over  the  region  now  em- 
braced by  King,  Snohomish  and  Skagit  counties, 
extending  its  operations  eastward  to  the  headwaters 
of  the  Xisqually  and  Snoqualmie  rivers.  After 
three  months'  service  in  that  company  and  regiment, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Second  Washington  'Vol- 
unteers, and  fought  the  warring  redskins  another 
six  months.  The  winter  of  1856-7  he  stayed  at 
home,  but  when  spring  arrived  he  went  to  Oregon 


and  engaged  in  farming  and  driving  stock  for  three 
years.  The  year  1861  he  spent  as  a  sailor  on  the 
sound  under  command  of  Captain  Barrington. 
When  news  of  the  famous  gold  discoveries  in  the 
Salmon  river  country,  Idaho,  reached  Washington 
the  following  winter,  young  Hastie  joined  the  thou- 
sands streaming  eastward  and  all  through  the  sum- 
mer and  fall  of  1863  wooed  fortune  in  the  gold 
fields  but  without  especial  success.  In  November 
he  was  again  at  home  and  there  assisted  his  father 
and  worked  in  a  saw-mill  at  Utsalady.  However, 
the  army  fever  again  caught  him  and  the  first  of 
the  year  186-1  he  joined  Company  E,  Ninth  United 
States  Infantry  under  whose  colors  he  served  a 
full  enlistment  of  three  years,  being  honorably  dis- 
charged January  26,  1867,  with  the  rank  of  duty 
sergeant.  This  brought  to  an  end  his  military  ser- 
vice, giving  him  the  distinction  of  being  a  veteran 
of  two  wars  in  both  of  which  he  left  a  most  hon- 
orable record. 

From  the  army  he  went  back  to  Whidby  island 
and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  at  Oak  Har- 
bor, which  was  his  home  for  nearly  ten  years.  His 
connection  with  Skagit  county  dates  from  the  year 
1870,  when  he  filed  a  homestead  right  upon  160 
acres  of  the  Skagit  delta.  By  using  the  privilege 
conferred  by  the  government  upon  soldier  appli- 
cants, he  was  able  to  prove  up  on  this  claim  in  1872, 
though  he  did  not  bring  his  family  to  the  Skagit 
until  1877.  Since  that  year  he  has  resided  contin- 
uously upon  the  place.  From  a  quarter  section  of 
marshy,  timbered  bottom  land,  which  one  could 
hardly  penetrate,  it  has  grown  by  degrees  into  a 
highly  improved  estate  of  240  acres  of  as  rich  land 
as  can  be  found  on  Puget  sound,  well  stocked  and 
easily  accessible.  Here  one  may  find  an  oat  field  so 
dense  that  only  by  trail  can  it  be  easily  traversed 
and  with  grain  so  high  that  the  stalks  tower  high 
above  the  heads  of  tall  men.  Mr.  Hastie's  place  is 
noted  for  its  fertility  and  the  able  manner  in  which 
it  is  operated.  He  still  exercises  general  manage- 
ment over  his  estate,  but  with  increasing  age  is  turn- 
ing over  the  more  active  work  to  younger  hands 
and  taking  the  rest  he  has  so  well  earned. 

Mr.  Hastie  and  Mrs.  Clara  (Taylor)  Scott  were 
united  in  marriage  in  Island  County,  Washington, 
December  10,  1867.  She  is  a  native  of  Deadford, 
England,  born  Christmas  Day,  1839,  and  when  a 
girl  of  ten  years  was  brought  by  her  parents  to 
San  Francisco.  In  that  state  she  received  her  edu- 
cation, finishing  at  the  Sisters'  Academy,  of  Benicia. 
To  her  union  with  Mr.  Scott,  three  children  were 
born :  Georgia,  James  B.  and  Henry  W.,  the  latter 
of  whom  is  at  present  serving  as  first  assistant  city 
engineer  in  Seattle.  Mrs.  Hastie  is  a  woman  of  ed- 
ucational attainments,  a  leader  among  those  of  her 
sex  in  Skagit  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hastie  are  the 
parents  of  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  esteemed 
members  of  society.  Thomas  G.,  the  eldest,  is  living 
at  Grand  Forks,  B.  C,  in  the  employ  of  the  Great 
Northern  Railway  Company;  Margaret    R.    is    the 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


wife  of  E.  D.  Davis,  a  prominent  hardware  mer- 
chant of  Mount  Vernon ;  Laura  M.  resides  at  home ; 
and  James  W.  is  also  Hving  at  home.  All  were  born 
on  Whidby  island.  In  fraternal  circles,  Mr.  Hastie 
is  a  prominent  Mason.  For  thirty-three  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  order  and  was  the  first 
master  of  Skagit  county's  pioneer  blue  lodge,  that 
organized  at  Skagit  City.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  belonging  to  Lar- 
abee  Post  at  La  Conner. 

In  public  life  Mr.  Hastie  has  creditably  fulfilled 
every  duty  with  which  he  has  been  entrusted,  and 
has  sacrificed  his  personal  interests  whenever  nec- 
essary. His  first  official  service  was  as  sheriff  of 
Island  county.  Then,  shortly  after  becoming  a  resi- 
dent of  Whatcom  county,  he  was  elected  county 
commissioner  and  was  on  the  board  when  Skagit 
was  created,  taking  a  prominent  part  in  that  mo- 
mentous action.  Subsequently  he  served  several 
years  as  chairman  of  the  Skagit  board.  In  fact  he 
has  for  thirty-five  years  been  closely  identified  with 
the  political,  commercial,  and  educational  progress 
of  the  Skagit  county  and  for  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury with  the  growth  of  the  Northwest.  His  has 
been  a  life  of  usefulness  and  unselfish  purpose, 
gaining  for  him  universal  esteem  and  widespread 
popularity  in  addition  to  a  permanent  place  in  his- 
tory's records. 


HON.  THOMAS  HAYTON.  In  this  notable 
career,  we  see  exemplified  the  true  type  of  Ameri- 
can, the  type  which  has  led  in  nation  building  from 
the  rock-bound  Atlantic  coast  across  a  continent  to 
the  more  hospitable  waters  of  the  Pacific.  Coming 
of  colonial  American  stock,  his  inspiration  and 
patriotism  are  a  heritage.  He  has  courageously  ad- 
vanced settlement  as  a  frontiersman,  in  development 
of  the  natural  resources  he  has  been  among  the  fore- 
most, and  as  a  public  spirited  citizen  and  a  gentle- 
man by  instinct  and  training  he  has  done  his  duty 
by  his  fellows.  The  history  of  Skagit  county  or  of 
Puget  sound  would  be  incomplete  without  mention 
of  the  part  he  has  taken  in  making  it. 

Born  in  Pike  County,  Kentucky,  June  23,  1832, 
he  is  the  scion  of  a  pioneer  family  identified  with 
the  establishment  of  that  commonwealth.  Jacob 
Hayton,  the  paternal  ancestor,  was  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  state  and  traced  his  lineage  back  to  old 
England.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Rebecca  Wedington ;  she  was  a  native  of  Virginia 
of  German  descent.  Both  long  ago  passed  to  the 
great  beyond,  the  father's  death  occurring  in  1864 
on  the  old  Pike  county  homestead.  Early  in  the 
last  century  these  hardy  pioneers  had  crossed  the 
Alleghanies  and  in  the  blue  grass  valleys  of  the 
western  slope  the  better  portion  of  their  lives  was 
spent.  Upon  the  farm  young  Thomas  grew  to  man- 
hood, receiving  his  first  lessons  from  his  mother  and 
later  attending  a  private  school,  where  his  educa- 
tion was  completed.    During  the  latter  years  of  his 


youth  he  began  asserting  his  independence  by  as- 
sisting various  neighboring  farmers  in  gathering  the 
crop,  thereby  gaining  valuable  experience  as  part 
of  his  remuneration  and  by  the  time  he  was  twenty 
he  was  able  to  command  a  share  in  the  crop  for  his 
labor  and  spent  four  years  working  on  this  plan. 
In  September,  1863,  he  answered  his  country's  call 
for  assistance  in  preserving  the  Union,  and,  follow- 
ing Kentucky's  flags,  he  served  faithfully  until  the 
close  of  the  struggle,  mainly  in  Kentucky  and  West 
Virginia.  His  enlistment  was  made  in  Company  D, 
Thirty-ninth  Kentucky  Volunteers;  he  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  October,  18G5,  with  the  rank  of 
corporal.  Libby  prison  was  among  the  horrible  ex- 
periences he  underwent  in  the  army.  After  the  war 
he  returned  to  the  pursuits  of  peace  in  Pike  county, 
but  in  the  spring  of  1868  moved  to  Cass  county, 
Missouri,  and  there  tilled  the  soil  during  the  suc- 
ceeding eight  years.  But  Missouri  was  only  a  tar- 
rying point,  for  in  1876  he  and  his  family  crossed 
the  plains  and  mountains  to  Washington  territory, 
making  the  first  stop  after  reaching  the  promised 
land,  at  Walla  Walla.  There  he  heard  more  vividly 
than  before  of  the  wonderful  region  that  lay  on  the 
shores  of  Puget  sound,  so  determined  to  continue 
his  journey.  He  was  so  well  pleased  with  the 
Skagit  country  that  very  shortly  after  his  arrival  he 
purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  marsh  land  at  the 
river's  delta  and  immediately  began  its  reclamation. 
Diking  and  clearing  and  farming  the  tract  soon 
produced  substantial  results  but  it  required  many 
years  of  unremitting  toil  and  the  expenditure  of 
much  money  to  transform  it  into  its  present  beauti- 
ful, improved  condition.  Later  he  added  a  quarter 
section  of  adjoining  land,  and  now  this  immense 
oat  and  hay  farm  is  one  of  the  finest  on  the  lower 
sound,  a  high  testimonial  to  the  thrift,  perseverance 
and  skill  of  its  owner,  who  has,  however,  retired 
from  all  work  but  the  management  of  his  rich  es- 
tate. It  is  indeed  fitting  that  he  should  be  allowed 
in  his  declining  years  to  garner  the  rewards  that 
should  come  to  the  successful  pioneer  farmer,  and 
enjoy  peace  and  comfort  instead  of  struggle  and 
privation. 

Sarah  E.  Sanders^  a  native  of  Monroe  County, 
Virginia,  the  daughter  of  two  prominent  Virginia 
pioneers,  William  and  Elizabeth  Sanders,  became 
the  bride  of  Thomas  Hayton  in  August,  1852.  Like- 
the  women  of  her  type,  she  was  a  devoted  help- 
meet, mother  and  companion  during  the  entire  span 
of  her  life,  which  ended  November  21,  1896,  in  her 
sixty-third  year.  Besides  her  husband  she  left  six 
sons  and  two  daughters  to  mourn  their  irreparable 
loss  and  perpetuate  her  memory:  Jacob,  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  near  Milton,  Oregon; 
Thomas  R.,  the  well-known  hardware  merchant  of 
Mount  Vernon ;  Henry,  farmer  and  stockman  in 
British  Columbia  ;  George  W.,  farming  near  Brem- 
erton ;  James  B.,  operating  his  father's  place  at  Fir; 
William,  another  prosperous  Skagit  farmer  living 
on  the  Swinomish  flats;  Louisa,  the  wife  of  L.  P. 


THOMAS   HAYTON,   SR. 


;homas  r.  hayton 


MRS.    THOMAS    R.    HAYTON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Hemingway,  now  operating  one  of  the  Hayton 
farms;  and  Cora,  the  wife  of  Alfred  Poison,  also 
engaged  in  farming  near  Fir.  All  are  widely  and 
favorably  known  as  among  the  most  substantial 
citizens  of  this  section.  Mr.  Hayton  is,  of  course,  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  a  dis- 
tinction which  is  growing  less  and  less  common  as 
the  final  roll  call  is  answered. 

As  a  life-long  Republican  Mr.  Hayton  has  ever 
been  active  in  political  matters  and  a  leader  in  his 
party.  For  many  years  he  has  attended  every  coun- 
ty convention  in  an  official  capacity  and  has  served 
at  various  times  as  a  territorial  or  state  delegate. 
His  greatest  public  service,  one  that  has  forever  re- 
corded him  as  one  of  the  real  founders  of  the 
state  of  Washington,  was  as  one  of  Skagit's  three 
representatives  in  the  constitutional  convention  of 
1889.  Comparatively  few  men  secure  such  a  rich 
opportunity  to  leave  their  impress  upon  history  and 
be  it  said  to  Mr.  Hayton's  credit,  he  has  made  the 
most  of  it.  In  years  to  come  his  descendants  will  re- 
member this  service  when  all  else  is  forgotten.  Mr. 
Hayton  has  witnessed  with  his  own  eyes  the  truly 
remarkable  development  of  the  great  Northwest 
during  nearly  three  decades  of  time,  a  portion  of  it 
from  its  primitive  condition,  and  best  of  all,  with  all 
due  modesty,  he  himself  has  taken  a  leading  part  in 
the  wonderful  transformation.  Universally  es- 
teemed and  honored,  he  is  among  northwest  Wash- 
ington's foremost  citizens. 


THOMAS  R.  HAYTON,  founder  and  proprie- 
tor of  the  extensive  hardware  house  which  bears 
his  name,  is  one  of  Skagit  county's  eminently  suc- 
cessful business  men,  and  also  one  of  its  early  pio- 
neers. He  has  been  one  of  the  real  builders  of  the 
county,  hence  is  especially  deserving  of  a  place  in 
these  chronicles. 

Both  the  Hayton  and  the  Sanders  families,  from 
which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  draws  his  blood, 
are  numbered  among  the  prominent  pioneers  of 
Kentucky  and  West  Virginia.  Their  very  first  rep- 
resentatives came  to  America  in  1643,  settling  in 
Rhode  Island.  The  earlier  Haytons  and  Sanders 
formed  a  part  of  that  courageous,  hardy  vanguard 
of  Americans  that  forged  westward  across  the  Al- 
leghanies  in  the  fore  part  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
and  gave  their  lives  to  the  subduing  of  the  fertile 
valleys  of  the  sunny  South  and  to  the  establishing 
there  of  new  homes  and  new  states.  On  this  fron- 
tier, in  June  of  1833,  Thomas  Hayton,  the  father  of 
Thomas  R.,  was  born.  '  When  he  grew  to  manhood 
he  entered  actively  into  the  further  building  of  Ken- 
tucky; later  he  fought  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Union  under  the  banners  of  his  native  state ;  later 
still  he  moved  to  Missouri  and  thence  across  the 
plains  to  Washington,  becoming  one  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty's distinguished  pioneer  citizens.  At  the  sliate  con- 
stitutional convention  in  1889  he  represented  Skagit 
count)^,  and  in  fact  he  has  always  been  identified 


prominently  with  its  public  life;  at  present  he  is  re- 
siding upon  the  old  homestead  on  the  Skagit  delta. 
A  more  detailed  sketch  of  his  life  appears  elsewhere 
in  these  pages.  The  devoted  mother,  only  a  year 
younger  than  her  husband,  laid  down  life's  burdens 
in  the  fall  of  1896.  She  was  the  mother  of  fifteen 
children. 

Thomas  R.^  the  seventh  child  was  born  while 
the  family  resided  in  Pike  county,  Kentucky,  the 
date  of  his  birth  being  January  7,  1863.  Soon, 
however,  he  bade  Kentucky  farewell,  the  Haytons 
removing  to  Missouri,  where  the  lad  received  the 
rudiments  of  his  education.  Then,  only  when  thir- 
teen years  old,  came  the  greatest  event  of  his  boy- 
hood, the  emigration  of  the  family  from  Missouri  to 
Puget  sound.  The  events  of  that  memorable  trip 
across  the  plains  with  prairie  schooner  and  stock, 
during  which  they  were  continuously  facing  hard- 
ships while  passing  through  numerous  regions  still 
in  their  primitive  condition  and  infested  by  dan- 
gerous Indians,  will  ever  be  fresh  in  his  memory. 
Reaching  Seattle,  September  28,  18T6,  the  family 
tarried  there  a  few  days,  then  pushed  northward 
to  the  delta  of  the  Skagit  river,  near  Fir,  where  the 
father  settled.  In  the  converting  of  this  tract  of 
marsh  and  brush  land  into  a  cultivated,  diked  farm 
of  ample  dimensions  Thomas  R.  Hayton  manfully 
took  his  part.  For  the  first  eleven  years  the  place 
could  not  be  reached  by  wagon.  From  the  farm 
and  public  schools  at  the  age  of  twenty  the  young 
pioneer  went  again  to  Seattle,  this  time  to  attend  the 
territorial,  now  the  state  university,  supporting  him- 
self largely  during  this  period  by  teaching  while  not 
in  school.  Eventually  having  been  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1887,  he  returned  to  Skagit  and  engag- 
ed in  teaching  as  a  vocation.  A  year  later  he  was 
called  upon  by  those  among  whom  he  had  grown 
up,  to  serve  them  in  the  capacity  of  superintendent 
of  the  county's  schools,  which  position  he  filled  with 
fidelity  and  credit  for  two  years.  At  the  close  of 
his  term  in  1891,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Thomas  Hurd  and  opened  a  hardware  store  at  La 
Conner.  Two  years  later  A.  I.  Dunlap  was  admit- 
ted to  the  firm  and  as  the  La  Conner  Hardware 
Company  it  was  continued  until  Mr.  Hurd  sold  his 
interest  to  his  partners,  the  firm  name  then  becom- 
ing Hayton  &  Dunlap.  In  the  spring  of  1899  Mr. 
Hayton  absorbed  the  Dunlap  interest.  The  business 
was  moved  to  the  county  seat  in  November,  1901, 
and  two  years  afterward  Mr.  Hayton's  brother 
George  became  a  partner,  the  name  of  the  house 
becoming  the  Hayton  Hardware  Company.  How- 
ever, the  junior  partner  retired  in  the  spring  of 
1905,  again  leaving  the  business  solely  in  the  hands 
of  its  founder.  Step  by  step  the  business  has  pro- 
gressed until  it  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  solid  in- 
stitutions of  the  county. 

On  New  Year's  day,  1890,  Mr.  Hayton  was  unit- 
ed in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  E.  Marshall,  at  El- 
lensburg,  the  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Christena 
(Shaffer)     Marshall.       One    child,    Gladys,    born 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


August  11,  1893,  has  blessed  the  union.  Mr.  Mar- 
shall was  one  of  the  gold  seekers  of  California  in 
the  days  of  '49,  going  there  in  1848.  He  had  been 
a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War,  serving  two  years. 
He  died  in  Calitornia  a  few  years  after  the  birth  of 
his  daughter,  leaving  her  to  be  reared  by  her  moth- 
er. Mrs.  Hayton  was  born  in  California,  March  4, 
1869.  When  five  years  old  she  was  taken  to  Seattle 
by  the  mother,  and  there  received  her  education,  fin- 
ishing it  with  a  course  at  the  University  of  Wash- 
ington. Her  mother  now  resides  at  Mount  Vernon 
with  the  Haytons. 

Mr.  Hayton  is  among  the  leaders  of  the  Republi- 
can party  in  his  section  of  the  state,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  father  in  this  particular.  While  liv- 
ing at  La  Conner  he  served  five  years  as  city  treas- 
urer and  was  also  a  member  of  the  council.  In 
fraternal  circles  he  is  likewise  active,  being  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason  and  a  Woodman  of  the  World.  He  is 
a  deacon  and  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
the  Baptist  church  of  Mount  Vernon.  In  the  course 
of  his  long,  unusually  active  career,  but  yet  only 
fairly  entered  upon,  he  has  gathered  around  him  a 
host  of  warm  friends  and  admirers  who  have  un- 
bounded faith  in  his  sterling  qualities  and  rare  busi- 
ness talents. 


PERRY  POLSON.  The  history  of  Skagit 
county  would  be  incomplete  indeed,  without  mention 
in  a  more  or  less  lengthy  form  of  the  founder  of  the 
Poison  Implement  and  Hardware  Company  of  La 
Conner ;  later  founder  of  the  same  business  in  Seat- 
tle, which  latter  has  grown  and  expanded  until  to- 
day they  are  admittedly  the  largest  business  firm 
handling  implements  and  hardware  in  Seattle,  a 
city  well  to  the  front  in  big  wholesale  and  retail 
business  enterprises  of  all  kinds.  To  outline  briefly 
how  all  this  came  about,  and  give  something  of  the 
sturdy  ancestry  from  whom  the  man  who  accom- 
plished this  drew  the  sterling  characteristics  which 
fitted  him  for  the  goal  attained,  is  the  purpose  of 
this  sketch. 

Born  in  Sweden  July  8,  1854,  to  the  union  of 
Olaf  and  Gunhilda  (Nelson),  Perry  Poison  was 
reared  to  the  age  of  thirteen  on  a  farm  in  the  fath- 
erland, and  there  received  the  rudimentary  educa- 
tion which  was  later  augmented  in  both  the  schools 
of  text-books  and  broad  and  varied  experience  in 
the  land  of  his  adoption.  In  1868  his  father  deter- 
mined to  seek  a  home  for  his  growing  family  in  the 
land  of  promise  across  the  ocean,  which  held  out 
such  flattering  inducements  to  the  worthy,  indus- 
trious poor  man;  and  hither  young  Poison  came 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  to  assist  the  doughty  sire  in 
founding  that  home.  New  to  the  ways  of  the  coun- 
try and  unfamiliar  with  its  strange  language,  there 
were  many  discouraging  and  disheartening  episodes 
in  their  experiences.  After  one  winter  spent  in 
Geneseo,  Illinois,  the  two  proceeded  to  Iowa,  and 
here  the  father  rented  a  farm  near  Ottumwa  and 


sent  for  the  family  to  join  him.  Not  satisfied  with 
the  conditions  there,  the  father  and  son  in  1871  once 
more  set  out  to  seek  their  fortune.  Deciding  to 
cross  the  continent  and  enter  a  new  and  untried 
field,  they  traveled  to  San  Francisco  via  the  Union 
Pacific,  thence  to  Portland  by  steamer  and  from 
there  in  company  with  Paul  Poison,  C.  J.  and  Jo- 
seph Chilberg,  they  walked  to  Olympia.  Here  they 
again  took  ship,  going  to  Port  Townsend,  thence  in 
Indian  canoes  to  Whidby  island,  where  they  hired 
a  sloop  to  take  them  to  Swinomish  (now  La  Con- 
ner), then  a  small  trading  post  on  the  west  shore  of 
the  main  land  of  Whatcom  county.  After  some 
tfme  spent  in  looking  for  a  suitable  location,  the 
father  took  up  land  on  the  tide  flats  on  Brown's 
slough  in  the  Skagit  delta;  and  here  begun  the 
heroic  struggle  in  a  wild  and  new  country  for  home 
and  competency.  How  well  he  wrought,  overcom- 
ing seemingly  insurmountable  obstacles  of  wilder- 
ness and  floods,  laboring  early  and  late,  may  be 
briefly  told  in  the  fact  that  within  a  few  years  the 
Poison  ranch  was  known  far  and  wide  as  the  finest 
farm  stead  in  all  the  country  round  about.  Success 
continued  to  attend  the  father  until  the  time  of  his 
retirement  from  active  duties  to  a  life  of  ease  in  La 
Conner,  where  in  recognition  of  his  integrity  and 
administrative  ability  he  was  thrice  elected  mayor  of 
that  municipality,  and  at  last  in  1903  he  was  gather- 
ed to  his  fathers,  an  honored  and  esteemed  citizen, 
mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. The  worthy  mother  still  lives  in  La  Conner 
at  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy-three. 

Ambitious  and  industrious,  young  Poison  soon 
after  arriving  on  the  sound,  found  a  job  as  chain- 
man  for  John  A.  Cornelius,  who  had  the  contract 
for  surveying  the  meander,  or  shore  line,  from  the 
head  of  Port  Susan  bay,  in  Snohomish  county,  to 
Burrows  bay,  Fidalgo  island.  He  helped  complete 
this  entire  survey,  working  for  Mr.  Cornelius  one 
year.  Two  years  followed  on  the  home  farm,  when 
he  engaged  in  work  for  W.  B.  Moore,  in  his  logging 
camp  on  the  Stillaguamish,  until  the  spring  of  1875. 
At  this  time  the  report  was  rife  of  a  great  trans- 
continental telegraph  line  to  be  put  in  by  the  British 
government,  e-xtending  from  ocean  to  ocean,  which 
would  afford  employment  for  five  years  for  a  vast 
number  of  men.  He  went  with  the  stampede  to 
New  Westminster,  seeking  a  job,  only  to  find  on  his 
arrival  that  the  undertaking  had  been  abandoned. 
He  then  found  employment  with  Meacham  &  Na- 
son,  who  had  a  government  contract  for  bridge 
building  on  the  Quesneele  river  in  the  Cariboo  min- 
ing country,  and  continued  ih  this  firm's  employ  for 
two  and  one-half  years.  During  the  last  year  of 
which  time,  although  but  twenty  years  of  age,  he 
had  full  charge  of  one  of  the  company's  saw-mills 
at  an  advanced  salary.  Having  received  good  wages 
and  saved  his  money,  young  Poison  in  the  fall  of 
1877  returned  to  La  Conner  and  invested  his  earn- 
ings in  a  190-acre  farm,  known  as  the  Harvey  Wal- 
lace ranch,  and  engaged  in  farming.     His  payment 


^^;^Z^l/t.<z^  /7^<^ 


^%^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


511 


oil  the  land  lacked  several  thousand  dollars  of  meet- 
ing the  purchase  price,  and  he  was  forced  to  pay 
the  exorbitant  rate  of  fifteen  per  cent,  interest  on 
four  thousand  dollars,  but  with  that  indomitable 
courage  which  has  won  for  him  the  success  in  later 
life,  he  set  his  face  to  overcome  all  obstacles  and 
gain  ownership  to  the  fine  ranch  he  had  invested  his 
earnings  in ;  and  as  dame  fortune  invariably  suc- 
cumbs to  the  persistent  wooing  of  valor,  this  case 
was  not  an  exception  and  at  last  his  years  of  unre- 
mitting labor  and  economy  were  rewarded  with  un- 
disputable  title  to  the  place.  But  success  had  been 
bought  with  broken  health,  and  he  was  advised  by 
his  physician  that  he  must  take  a  much-needed  rest, 
or  seek  a  less  strenuous  life.  Then  it  was  that  good 
fortune  brought  him  in  contact  with  F.  S.  Poole, 
with  whom  he  formed  a  partnership  in  1885  and  be- 
gan handling  farm  implements,  establishing  them- 
selves at  La  Conner.  After  one  year  he  bought  out 
Mr.  Poole's  interest,  and  the  next  year  took  his 
brother  Nels  in  as  partner  in  the  business,  and  still 
two  years  later,  another  brother,  John,  was  added 
to  the  firm,  when  the  business  was  changed  from 
Perry  Poison  &  Bro.,  and  incorporated  as  the  Pol- 
son  Hardware  Company.  In  1891  the  Wilton 
brothers,  Albert  and  Robert,  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  business,  which  was  incorporated  as  the  Pol- 
son-Wilton  Hardware  Company,  and  a  branch  house 
was  opened  in  Seattle.  The  branch  soon  grew  to 
such  proportions  that  in  189G  Mr.  Poison  moved  to 
Seattle  to  take  charge  of  the  business,  and  one  year 
later  bought  out  his  partners,  the  Wilton  brothers, 
incorporating  the  Poison  Implement  and  Hardware 
Company,  of  which  he  is  the  present  head.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  Seattle  and  La  Conner  business  Mr. 
Poison  is  also  interested  in  the  Wenatchee  Hard- 
ware Company,  in  Chelan  county. 

In  1881  at  Seattle,  the  union  of  Mr.  Poison  and 
Miss  Kate  H.  Hinckley,  daughter  of  Jacob  C.  and 
Margaret  (Dunn)  Hinckley,  was  celebrated.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Poison,  a  native  of  Illinois,  crossed 
flic  plains  to  California  in  1849,  at  the  beginning  of 
that  great  westward  tidal  wave  to  the  newly  discov- 
ered gold-fields.  Mr.  Hinckley,  who  was  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  has  the  distinction  of  having  estab- 
lished the  pioneer  newspaper  of  Shasta  county,  Cal- 
ifornia, and  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  influence 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  that  state.  The 
mother,  a  native  of  Ireland,  was  married  to  Mr. 
Hinckley  in  California,  to  which  state  her  parents 
went  with  the  early  influx  of  gold  seekers,  and  she 
is  at  present  living  in  Seattle.  Mrs.  Poison  was 
born  in  Shasta  City,  California,  August  2,  1857. 
Her  father  dying,  she  and  her  mother  removed  to 
Seattle  in  1870,  where  she  was  educated  in  Terri- 
torial University  and  took  up  the  profession  of 
teacher,  which  she  followed  for  several  years.  She 
is  the  mother  of  four  children,  all  born  in  La  Con- 
ner as  follows:  Minnie  E.,  1882;  Helen  G.,  1884; 
Qlaf  II..  1888,  and  Harold  L.,  189G,  all  living  at 
home.    Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poison  are  mem- 


bers of  the  Methodist  Church,  while  fraternally  he 
is  a  Blue  Lodge  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen,  and  politically  is 
a  staunch  and  unwavering  Republican.  He  also 
holds  membership  in  the  Rainer  club  and  the  Seat- 
tle Athletic  club. 

As  a  lad,  mastering  the  intricacies  of  a  strange 
tongue,  or  chaining  the  shoreline  of  the  sound ;  as  a 
young  man  managing  the  saw-mill  business,  or  wip- 
ing from  his  land  a  large  usurious  mortgage;  as 
business  man  and  manager  of  a  large  wholesale 
trade,  Mr.  Poison  has  ever  displayed  that  remark- 
able aptitude  for  details  and  firm  grasp  of  business 
principles  which  have  brought  to  him  unvarying  suc- 
cess in  all  his  ventures.  Among  his  old  time  friends 
and  acquaintances,  his  successful  life  is  viewed  with 
personal  pride  and  they  claim  him  as  a  strictly 
Skagit  county  production,  accrediting  his  business 
inspirations  to  his  connection  with  the  fertile  soil  of 
the  famous  La  Conner  flats,  and  to  the  invigorating, 
aroma-laden  breezes  from  the  wild  tangled  hillsides. 


HARRISON  CLOTHIER  is  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  Skagit  county  and  one  of  the  early  men 
who  contributed  much  toward  the  development  of 
her  resources.  Whether  as  merchant,  logging  oper- 
ator, promoter  of  a  town  site  or  as  public  ofiicial, 
he  has  been  one  of  the  very  foremost  men  of  the 
community ;  and  now  in  his  retirement  from  the  ac- 
tivities of  life  occupies  a  place  high  in  the  regard 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens.  Mr.  Clotliier  was 
born  in  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  July  9,  1840,  when  the  famous  "Tippecanoe 
and  Tyler,  too"  campaign  was  on.  The  father 
Ebenezer  K.  Clothier,  being  a  strong  adherent  to 
the  principles  of  the  Whig  party  and  an  ardent  ad- 
mirer of  General  William  Henry  Harrison,  named 
his  son  in  honor  of  his  campaign  hero.  Ebenezer 
K.  was  born  on  the  Saratoga  farm,  to  which  his 
father  moved  from  Connecticut  shortly  after  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  becoming  one  of 
the  early  settlers  in  that  county.  The  elder  Clothier 
was  of  English  extraction.  Pie  was  a  very  success- 
ful farmer  and  business  man.  Mrs.  Lucy  (Clothier) 
Clothier,  was  also  born  in  New  York  State  in  1840. 
On  her  maternal  side  she  was  of  English  descent, 
tracing  back  to  the  Smiths  of  Plymouth  Rock 
fame,  while  on  her  paternal  side  she  was  connected 
with  the  family  of  Kings  of  New  York,  prominent 
in  Dutch  society  in  the  early  days  of  the  Empire 
State.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clothier  were  born  five 
children:  Webster,  now  on  the  old  homestead  in 
the  upper  Hudson  valley ;  Harrison ;  Mahlon,  now 
living  in  Nebraska ;  Lydia  J. ;  and  Heman  living  on 
the  old  homestead.  Harrison  Clothier  passed  his 
early  days  on  the  home  farm,  attending  the  com- 
mon schools  and  later  the  high  school.  .'Kt  the  age 
of  twenty-four  he  taught  school  for  several  winters. 
In  1886  he  rented  his  father's  estate,  operating  it 
for  several  years.    He  then  left  home  and  has  never 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


returned  to  the  scenes  of  his  childhood  and  youth. 
He  first  located  at  Trempeleau,  on  the  Mississippi 
river  in  Wisconsin,  where  for  two  years  he  taught 
school  in  winter  and  worked  at  farming  during  the 
summer  seasons.  The  next  four  years  Mr.  Clothier 
passed  at  Farmhill,  near  Rochester,  Minnesota, 
where  he  taught  school  and  did  farm  work.  In 
May  of  1875  he  crossed  the  continent  to  California, 
remaining  en  route  for  a  short  time  at  Reno,  Ne- 
vada. He  tarried  in  San  Francisco  but  a  short 
time  before  determining  to  come  to  the  Puget  sound 
country,  making  the  trip  from  the  California  me- 
tropolis in  September  on  the  steamer  Pacific,  which 
two  months  later  sank  off  Cape  Flattery,  carrying 
down  several  hundred  souls.  Mr.  Clothier  lingered 
in  Seattle  but  a  short  time,  and  on  hearing  of  the 
La  Conner  flats  came  here  with  Samuel  Calhoun 
on  his  schooner.  He  worked  for  Mr.  Calhoun  dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  that  autumn.  Settlements 
were  sparse  then  and  the  Beaver  and  Olympia 
marshes  presented  no  form  of  attraction  and  gave 
no  promise  of  the  richness  which  was  later  to  flow 
from  them.  Mr.  Clothier  did  not  like  the  outlook 
for  farming  those  rich  flats  even  after  the  timber 
was  cleared,  so  in  November  he  went  to  Oregon 
and  taught  a  term  of  winter  school  in  the  Willamette 
valley.  He  passed  the  succeeding  summer  at  Walla 
Walla  and  returned  to  the  sound  late  in  August  of 
1876,  working  during  harvest  on  the  flats.  Novem- 
ber of  that  year  found  Mr.  Clothier  opening  a 
three-months  term  of  school  on  the  Skagit  river  in 
the  pioneer  school-house  standing  on  the  old  Kim- 
ble place.  In  February  in  1877,  deciding  that  there 
was  a  good  opening  for  a  store  on  the  river,  and 
perhaps  even  a  town,  he  joined  with  an  old  Wis- 
consin pupil,  E.  G.  English,  and  together  they  pur- 
chased ten  acres  of  land  of  Jasper  Gates  for  $100 
and  erected  thereon  a  small  store.  They  also  laid 
out  the  first  plat  of  the  town  site  of  Mount  Vernon, 
which  included  then  only  four  blocks.  The  post- 
office  was  secured  in  September  and  Mr.  Clothier 
appointed  the  first  postmaster. 

From  this  time  on  the  firm  of  Clothier  &  Eng- 
lish were  closely  identified  with  the  growth  of  the 
community.  Thev  continued  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness untifin  1891  Mr.  Clothier  withdrew.  In  1881 
the  firm  had  commenced  to  undertake  logging 
operations.  This  venture  grew  to  be  the  principal 
business  of  the  firm,  which  for  a  number  of  years 
operated  two  camps  with  a  most  extensive  business. 
At  one  time  the  firm  owned  between  4,000  and  5,000 
acres  of  timber  land  and  was  widely  known  because 
of  its  enterprise.  In  1880  Mr.  Clothier  participated 
in  the  Ruby  Creek  gold  mining  excitement.  He 
opened  a  branch  of  the  Clothier  &  English  store 
at  Goodell's  Landing  and  bought  half  of  the  gold 
taken  out  of  the  diggings,  amounting  to  about 
$3,800  worth.  In  the^fall  of  1880  Mr.  Clothier  be- 
came auditor  of  Whatcom  county  and  for  two  years 
resided  at  the  county  seat,  leaving  Mr.  English  in 
charge  of  the  firm's  varied  interests.     In  1883  Mr. 


Clothier  was  defeated  by  Orrin  Kincaid,  Repub- 
lican, for  representative,  the  vote  being  very  close. 
Two  years  later  he  was  named  by  the  bill  erecting 
Skagit  county  as  one  of  the  county  commissioners, 
and  was  chosen  by  the  people  to  the  same  office  at 
the  special  election,  serving  one  year.  Mr.  Clothier 
naturally  participated  in  the  contest  for  the  selec- 
tion of  the  county  seat  which  after  a  memorable 
campaign  was  won  by  Mount  Vernon,  where  Mr. 
Clothier's  interests  were  largest,  and  which  he  hacf 
founded.  In  1886,  while  on  a  visit  to  California. 
Mr.  Clothier  was  nominated  and  elected  probate 
judge  of  Skagit  county,  his  home  precinct  accord- 
ing him  the  handsome  vote  of  176  out  of  a  total  of 
186  ballots  cast.  In  1889,  while  the  people  of 
Washington  were  preparing  for  statehood  and  plan- 
ning for  the  adoption  of  the  new  constitution,  Mr. 
Clothier  was  selected  by  Skagit  county  to  repre- 
sent it  in  the  historic  body  of  lawmakers.  He  at- 
tended the  sessions  at  Olympia  and  was  active  and 
influential  in  the  formulation  of  the  state's  funda- 
mental laws.  On  the  death  of  County  Treasurer 
Davis  in  May  in  1891,  Mr.  Clothier  was  appointed 
to  succeed  him  and  served  until  January  of  1893. 
Two  years  later  he  went  to  Anacortes  and  operated 
a  saw-mill  for  a  couple  of  years,  during  that  time 
cutting  the  lumber  for  two  large  canneries  on  Fi- 
dalgo  island.  One  season  he  passed  in  the  mines 
in  the  Kootenai  county  of  British  Columbia.  Mr. 
Clothier  was  chosen  deputy  county  assessor  in  1898, 
on  the  election  of  Assessor  Dale  in  that  year,  be- 
coming chief  deputy.  He  served  four  years  under 
Mr.  Dale  and  during  the  first  term  of  Fred  F.  Wil- 
lard  as  assessor  passed  two  years  as  deputy.  In 
politics  Mr.  Clothier  had  been  a  consistent  Demo- 
crat up  to  the  campaign  of  1898,  when  the  fusion 
of  his  party  with  the  Populists  did  not  receive  his 
support.  Since  that  year  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Republicans.  He  has  always  been  active 
in  the  political  field  and  as  a  man  of  prominence 
has  been  influential  in  political  afi^airs  in  Skagit 
county.  He  served  as  mayor  of  Mt.  Vernon  in 
1891,  resigning  at  the  expiration  of  one  year,  and 
was  a  candidate  for  state  treasurer  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  in  1893.  He  is  a  Mason,  having  joined 
that  order  at  Utsalady  in  1880.  Ill  health  and  other 
unfortunate  circumstances  have  made  great  inroads 
into  Mr.  Clothier's  financial  interests,  but  he  re- 
mains one  of  the  respected  men  of  his  community 
and  of  the  whole  country,  interested  in  all  public 
affairs,  though  unable  to  take  as  active  a  part  as  in 
former  years. 


FREDERICK  LEWIS  BLUMBERG.  Well  to 
the  front  among  the  leaders  in  Skagit  county's  com- 
mercial, political  and  social  life  is  the  esteemed 
citizen  now  serving  as  auditor,  whose  name  forms 
the  caption  of  this  sketch.  For  eighteen  years  he 
has  been  closely  identified  with  the  growth  of  the 
community  experiencing  during  that  period  the  full 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


513 


force  of  its  depressions  as  well  as  participating  in 
its  prosperity. 

He  was  born  July  8,  1864,  in  Ozaukee  County, 
Wisconsin,  the  son  of  John  and  Dorothy  (O'Neal) 
Blumberg.  Upon  the  paternal  side  his  ancestry  is 
German.  John  Blumberg  was  born  in  1825.  After 
acquiring  an  education,  he  left  the  fatherland  in 
1839  to  establish  a  home  in  the  new  world.  In 
Wisconsin  he  finally  cast  his  lot,  married,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  saw-mill  business.  This  line  of  com- 
mercial activity  he  followed  with  marked  success 
until  his  death  in  1898,  while  still  a  resident  of  the 
Badger  state.  When  the  call  to  arms  came  in  1861, 
he  proffered  his  services  to  the  country  of  his  adop- 
tion, and  as  a  member  of  the  Seventeenth  Wiscon- 
sin Volunteers  went  to  the  front  and  served  con- 
tinuously with  the  exception  of  a  short  time  in  the 
fall  of  1863,  when  severe  wounds  necessitated  a 
furlough.  In  yet  another  line  did  this  German- 
American  manifest  his  activity,  namely,  in  public 
life.  He  represented  his  district  several  times  in 
the  legislature  and  was  always  found  sincerely  en- 
deavoring to  discharge  his  official  duties  faithfully. 
Dorothy  O'Neal  Blumberg  was  born  in  Galway 
County,  Ireland,  and  was  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  survive  her. 

With  such  an  ancestry,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find 
that  the  subject  of  this  biography  sought  the  broad 
highway  of  individual  responsibility  while  yet  a  lad 
of  sixteen.  Going  to  Milwaukee,  he  secured  em- 
ployment in  a  wholesale  house  with  which  he  re- 
mained a  year  and  a  half.  From  Milwaukee  he 
then  began  his  journey  westward,  little  thinking 
perhaps  that  he  would  eventually  reach  and  make 
his  permanent  home  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific. 
His  first  stopping  point  was  Iowa,  where  he  farmed 
and  attended  school  in  Bremer  county.  As  soon  as 
he  had  completed  the  work  of  the  public  schools, 
the  ambitious  young  man  entered  the  Upper  Iowa 
University  at  Fayette  and  in  that  institution  com- 
pleted a  course  which  fitted  him  to  take  up  the 
teaching  profession.  He  was  thus  engaged  in  Iowa 
until  1887,  in  that  year  coming  to  Puget  sound  and 
resuming  his  profession  in  Skagit  county.  How- 
ever, the  extraordinary  industrial  activity  which 
swept  over  the  Northwest  in  1889  and  1890  proved 
too  tempting  to  permit  Mr.  Blumberg's  continuance 
in  his  profession,  and  in  the  latter  named  year  he 
entered  the  mercantile  business  at  Avon,  on  the 
Skagit  river  just  above  Mount  Vernon.  Avon 
throve  for  a  time,  but  the  financial  panic  of  1893 
destroyed  its  prosperity  for  the  time  being  and  in 
the  crash  the  Blumberg  store  went  to  die  wall. 
Again  the  young  school  teacher  took  up  the  text 
book  and  the  pointer  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  but 
the  struggle  was  hard  and  bitter.  Brave  hearts  and 
iron  wills  alone  carried  honest  men  through  those 
terrible  times  and  no  man  in  Skagit  county  better 
appreciates  this  statement  than  Mr.  Blumberg.  In 
1895  he  accepted  the  position  of  agent  and  ware- 
house manager  of  the  Oregon  Improvement  Com- 


pany at  Anacortes  in  which  he  remained  until  his 
appointment  as  deputy  county  auditor  under  Grant 
Neal  in  January,  1899.  When  Auditor  Neal  be- 
came a  member  of  the  board  of  control  under  Gov- 
ernor McBride  in  1902,  the  county  commissioners 
tendered  the  appointment  of  county  auditor  to  Mr. 
Blumberg  and  it  was  accepted  by  iiim.  His  party, 
the  Republican,  carried  him  back  to  this  important 
position  at  the  1901  election  and  this  term  he  is 
now  serving  with  credit  to  himself  and  friends.  An 
important  public  action  taken  by  Mr.  Blumberg  in 
recent  years  was  the  platting  of  the  Garden  Addi- 
tion to  Mount  Vernon  in  1903,  all  the  lots  of  which 
have  been  sold. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Blumberg  to  Miss  Allie 
Bartholomew,  the  daughter  of  William  and  Cyn- 
thia (Adams)  Bartholomew,  was  celebrated  at 
Seattle  in  October,  1890.  Her  parents,  both  of 
whom  are  still  living,  are  natives  of  Indiana.  The 
father  enlisted  in  the  army  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  War  and  served  throughout  the  struggle. 
From  private  he  advanced  steadily  and,  having 
taken  up  religious  work,  was  mustered  out  as  chap- 
lain of  the  regiment.  Shortly  afterward  he  married 
and  in  1870  became  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  upon 
Fidalgo  island.  Subsequently  he  returned  to  Indi- 
ana, where  he  now  resides.  Mrs.  Bartholomew  is 
of  Pennsylvania-Dutch  descent.  Allie  Bartholomew 
was  born  in  Indiana  also,  in  1868,  but  two  years 
later  was  taken  by  her  parents  to  Washington, 
where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  Her  public 
school  education  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in 
the  Seattle  high  school,  and  after  graduation,  she 
taught  for  some  time  in  Skagit,  Snohomish  and 
King  counties.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blumberg  are  blessed 
with  five  sons :  Irvine,  born  at  Avon,  December  6, 
1891;  Frank  E.,  at  La  Conner,  January  23,  1894; 
Judson  A.,  at  Anacortes,  January  24,  1896 ;  George, 
at  Anacortes,  September  19,  1898;  and  Edward  F., 
at  Mount  Vernon,  July  18,  1901.  Mr.  Blumberg  is 
affiliated  with  the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Elks, 
in  the  first  of  which  he  has  attained  the  Royal  Arch 
degree.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Episcopal  church,  and  in  fraternal  and  social  work 
have  especially  endeared  themselves  to  all.  Com- 
ment upon  Mr.  Blumberg's  political  activity  is  hard- 
ly necessary  in  view  of  what  has  already  been  said. 

In  bringing  this  sketch  to  a  close,  mention  of 
his  activity  along  an  entirely  different  line  must 
not  be  omitted.  As  a  breeder  and  importer  of  the 
Shetland  pony  Mr.  Blumberg  has  brought  himself 
into  prominence  among  the  fancy  stock"  owners  of 
the  Northwest,  owning  perhaps  the  finest  band  of 
this  species  in  this  part  of  the  Northwest.  In  this 
line  he  is,  moreover,  a  pioneer  breeder  in  Wash- 
ington. Jersey  cattle  also  command  his  especial 
attention.  In  the  career  of  this  farmer,  school 
teacher,  business  man,  public  official,  fancy  stock 
breeder  and  public-spirited  citizen  is  to  be  seen  one 
illustrative  of  the  true  Western  type,  a  life  diversi- 
fied, aggressive    and  tenacious  in  the  face  of  any 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


obstacle.  Upon  these  qualities  in  this  instance  has 
been  builded  a  life  of  usefulness,  honest  purpose 
and  influence  amonji;  its  fellows. 


tllARLl';.S  IL\RMON,  the  efficient  sheriff  of 
Skaj^it  C()uiil\-,  lia.s  been  actively  connected  with  the 
dcvciojinK'iit  of  Washinp;ton  since  his  advent  into 
its  borders  in  its  territorial  days  in  1877,  and  is 
numbered  among  the  pioneer  lumbermen  of  the 
Skagit  river  country.  He  is  a  native  of  Maine,  as 
were  also  his  parents,  lliram  and  Mary  (Gardner) 
Harmon,  and  their  ancestors.  The  father  and  moth- 
er, to  whom  the  home  ties  were  very  dear,  clung  to 
their  native  state  luitil  their  death,  giving  their  best 
energies  to  the  rearing  of  their  family  of  fifteen 
children.  Charles,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof,  assisting  his  father 
at  farming  and  at  tending  the  schools  of  the  home 
comnnmity,  until  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  at  which  time,  1874,  having  heard  of  the 
su])erior  advantages  offered  young  and  ambitious 
men  in  the  Golden  State,  he  crossed  the  continent 
and  entered  the  famous  redwood  forests  of  Hum- 
boldt County,  California,  finding  here  his  first  open- 
ing in  the  business  that  was  henceforth  to  claim 
so  much  of  his  attention  and  energy.  Three  years 
he  spent  in  the  vicinity  of  Eureka,  giving  his  un- 
divided attention  to  logging  and  lumbering,  until 
in  1877,  he  came  up  the  coast  to  Port  Gamble, 
Washington,  where  he  continued  to  follow  logging 
for  two  years.  In  April,  1879,  he  came  to  the  site 
of  Mount  Vernon  and  opened  a  logging  camp  for 
W.  S.  Jameson,  and  has  continued  to  follow  log- 
ging and  lumbering  the  principal  part  of  the  time 
since.  At  the  time  of  the  Ruby  Creek  mining  ex- 
citement he  was  among  the  many  who  participated 
in  the  stampede,  and  like  all  the  other  victims,  came 
away  empty  handed.  Always  an  ardent  Republican, 
and  an  energetic  worker  for  the  furtherance  of  the 
party  principles,  he  was  called  to  the  position  of 
deputy  under  Sheriff  Wells  in  1899,  and  served  with 
hun  for  four  years,  filling  a  like  position  for  two 
years  with  Sheriff  Ri.sbell,  his  successor.  His  faith- 
ful service  as  deputy  so  commended  him  to  the  gen- 
eral public,  that  his  party  proffered  him  the  nomi- 
nation for  sheriff  in  lOO-i,  and  the  choice  was  rati- 
fied by  the  voters  at  the  fall  election  by  a  hand- 
some majority  in  his  favor. 

Mr.  Harmon  was  united  in  marriage  in  Seattle, 
in  1888,  to  Ollie  M.  Carter,  a  native  of  Indiana, 
born  in  1860,  of  German  extraction.  Mrs.  Harmon 
was  educated  in  Indiana,  qualifying  herself  as  a 
teacher,  and  on  coming  to  Washington  prior  to  its 
receiving  statehood,  she  took  up  the  profession  of 
her  choice,  teaching  for  several  years  in  King  coun- 
ty, until  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Harmon  at  the  age 
of  twenty-eight.  To  this  union  have  been  born 
three  children,  Ray,  Abby  and  Don,  all  natives  of 
Skagit  county.  Mr.  Harmon  owns  a  fine  farm  of 
twenty-five    acreSj    situated    within    two    miles    of 


Mount  Vernon,  the  county  seat,  and  here  makes  his 
home  while  attending  to  the  duties  of  his  office.  Of 
a  sociable  disposition  and  an  excellent  "mixer"  with 
all  classes,  Mr.  Harmon  counts  his  friends  by  the 
number  of  his  acquaintances,  and  all,  from  the 
smallest  to  the  greatest,  while  recognizing  in  him 
the  typical  border  sheriff,  who  usually  gets  his  man 
when  he  goes  after  him,  approach  him  without  fear 
or  formality,  knowing  that  they  will  get  from  Char- 
lie Harmon  a  respectful  and  friendly  hearing. 


CHARLES  W.  STEVENSON,  deputy  sherifif 
of  Skagit  county  under  Sheriff  Harmon,  has  been 
a  resident  of  the  Puget  sound  country  since  he  was 
but  twelve  years  of  age,  and  has  taken  an  important 
part  in  the  development  of  the  community  in  whicK 
his  lot  has  been  cast.  He  was  born  .Se]Heniber  20, 
18G3,  in  Cass  County,  Illinois,  his  parents  being 
George  W.  and  Emiline  (Hamilton)  Stevenson.  The 
father,  a  Kentuckian,  removed  to  Illinois  in  the 
early  fifties  and  there  followed  farming  until  1874, 
when  he  immigrated  to  Washington  territory,  be- 
coming one  of  Snohomish  county's  early  settlers. 
His  claim  lay  near  Snohomish  City  and  upon  it  he 
resided  twelve  years  at  the  end  of  which  period  he 
sold  out  and  moved  to  Fidalgo  island.  There  he 
died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  Mrs. 
Stevenson  was  a  native  of  Illinois  and  passed  away 
in  that  state.  Charles  W.,  the  sixth  of  a  family  of 
nine  children,  worked  on  the  farm  in  Snohomish 
county  during  his  boyhood  and  attended  its  pioneer 
schools,  obtaining  as  good  an  education  as  was  pos- 
sible under  the  circumstances.  When  he  was  nine- 
teen years  of  age  his  father  commenced  paying  him 
wages.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty-seven, 
then  rented  a  place  and  cultivated  it  a  year,  there- 
upon going  to  Anacortes,  where  he  and  Lance  Bur- 
don  opened  a  feed  store  and  boat  house.  A  little 
later  he  withdrew  from  the  business  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  Charles  March  in  running  a  con- 
fectionery, a  business  which  was  shortly  afterward 
removed  to  Everett.  Mr.  Stevenson  soon  sold  his 
interest  and  entered  the  logging  camps  of  Skagit 
county.  In  1893  he  returned  to  .'\nacortes  to  accept 
an  appointment  as  city  marshal,  which  position  he 
filled  three  years.  A  year  in  the  fishing  industry 
followed.  The  winter  'of  1898  he  spent  at  Skaga- 
way,  Alaska,  in  the  gold  fields,  but  returned  to  Se- 
attle in  the  .spring  of  1899  and  was  there  employed 
until  the  spring  of  1900,  when  he  again  visited  Alas- 
ka, going  to  Cape  Nome.  In  the  fall  he  came  back 
to  Washington,  and  he  was  engaged  in  the  lumber 
industry  continuously  thereafter  until  March,  1905, 
when  he  accepted  the  deputy  marshalship  of  Ana- 
cortes tendered  him  by  Mayor  Odlin.  A  month  later 
he  resigned  to  take  the  more  responsible  position 
that  he  is  now  so  acceptably  filling. 

At  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  in  1893,  Miss 
Nellie  Dodds  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Stevenson. 
Her  parents  died  when  she  was  an  infant,  after 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


which  she  was  reared  by  an  uncle.  She  and  Mr. 
Stevenson  have  one  son,  Lea  L.,  born  in  Anacortes 
September  19,  1895.  Mr.  Stevenson  is  affiliated 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  in  politics  is  a 
Republican.  His  record  as  an  officer  is  a  highly 
creditable  one,  and  in  all  the  affairs  of  life  his  bear- 
ing as  a  man  and  member  of  society  has  been  such 
as  to  win  him  the  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  has 
been  associated. 


WARREN  SHEA,  of  the  well  known  firm  of 
Dale  and  Shea,  Abstractors,  of  Mount  Vernon,  was 
born  in  Holton,  xMaine,  July  2G,  18G8,  the  son  of 
Charles  and  Maria  (Tompkins)  Shea,  both  of  Eng- 
lish descent.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Wood- 
stock, New  Brunswick,  to  which  section  his  parents 
had  moved  from  Nova  Scotia.  He  came  to  Seattle, 
Washington,  in  1876,  here  following  his  life  occu- 
pation, that  of  lumbering.  Later  he  removed  to 
Whatcom  county,  where  he  died  in  1895.  His  ma- 
ternal ancestors  crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  in 
New  York  long  before  the  Revolution.  Loyalists 
during  the  war,  at  its  close  they  bought  up  large 
land  grants  from  the  soldiers,  owning  at  one  time 
nearly  the  entire  county  of  Tompkins.  Charles 
Shea,  likewise  an  extensive  investor  in  real  estate, 
owned  a  large  part  of  the  town  site  of  Woodstock ; 
while  to  his  father  belonged  the  large  "Shea  Flat," 
about  the  only  level  flat  in  that  locality  of  New 
Brunswick.  The  mother  came  also  of  an  old  pio- 
neer family  of  distinction,  residing  in  Canada  at 
the  time  of  her  birth.  Moving  with  his  parents  to 
Canada  when  five  years  of  age.  Warren  Shea  there 
spent  his  early  years,  securing  his  education,  later 
joining  his  father,  who  had  come  after  his  wife's 
death,  in  1885,  to  the  coast.  His  first  venture  was 
in  the  lumbering  business  at  Lynden,  and  here  he 
remained  two  years.  His  mill  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1891.  When  the  wonderful  discoveries  of 
gold  in  the  Alaskan  fields  were  made  in  1897, 
he  was  one  of  the  first  to  sail  for  the  land  of  prom- 
ise, and  he  assisted  in  loading  the  first  shipment 
of  gold  from  Dawson  which  created  such  wild  ex- 
citement when  it  reached  Seattle.  Dawson  was  then 
only  a  little  mining  camp  numbering  fifty  people 
who,  like  himself,  had  packed  their  outfits  and  entire 
stock  of  provisions  on  their  backs  over  sixteen 
weary  miles.  Subsisting  entirely  on  canned  goods, 
most  of  the  miners  suffered  from  scurvy.  After 
spending  six  years  in  Alaska,  during  which  he  had 
been  quite  successful,  Mr.  Shea  returned  to  his 
native  country  in  1903,  locating  in  his  present  home, 
Mount  Vernon,  where  he  engaged  in  the  abstract 
and  real  estate  business,  forming  a  co-partnership 
with  William  Dale,  his  present  partner. 

Mr.  Shea  was  married  February  17,  1903,  to 
Bella  B.  Soules,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  W.  and 

Eliza  ( )  Soules,  both  born  in  Canada. 

Her  father  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  town 
of  Burlington,  Washington,  and  since  his  residence 


in  Skagit  county  has  devoted  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  to  milling.  He  is  now  the  manager  and 
secretary  of  the  Cedardale  Lumber  Company,  of 
Mount  Vernon,  a  business  man  of  large  influence. 
Her  mother  is  also  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shea  have 
one  child,  Ruth  B.,  born  February  6,  1903,  in 
Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  Shea's  brothers  and  sisters  are 
as  follows:  John  G.,  Smith  S.,  Alice  Bolan,  Helen 
M.  Guiberson,  Charles  E.,  Sarah  McKee,  Frank, 
and  Pauline  B.  Stevens.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic and  Odd  Fellows  fraternities,  and  in  political 
beliefs,  an  adherent  of  the  Republican  party.  In- 
deed there  are  few  in  this  part  of  the  state  who  are 
more  enthusiastic  in  political  matters  than  is  Mr. 
Shea,  always  in  attendance  at  the  Republican  con- 
ventions, in  which  he  takes  a  prominent  place. 
Realizing  the  advantages  to  be  gained  by  united 
effort,  he  lends  the  strength  of  his  influence  to  the 
Commercial  club,  of  which  he  is  a  member.  Of 
Episcopalian  parentage,  he  is  an  attendant  at  that 
church,  of  which  his  wife  is  a  member.  Interested 
in  every  advance  movement  in  local  matters,  the 
owner  of  a  fine  home,  he  is  justly  esteemed  as  one 
of  the  most  progressive  citizens  of  Mount  Vernon. 


WILLIAM  DALE.  To  the  chronicler  of  his- 
torical events,  nothing  lends  more  zest  to  his  work, 
nor  superinduces  a  more  ready  action  of  mind  and 
pen  than  personal  contact  with  the  genuine  pioneer, 
who  has  passed  through  the  real  experiences  of  sub- 
duing nature  in  all  its  primitive  and  unmolested 
forms  of  wild  forests,  wild  beasts  and  wild  men,  and 
who  has  imbibed  the  spirit  of  his  surroundings  and 
had  his  mental  as  well  as  physical  being  broadened 
and  deepened  by  the  free  life,  untrammeled  by  con- 
ventionalities and  social  restrictions.  In  the  sub- 
ject of  this  brief  review  these  happy  conditions 
meet  in  an  unusual  degree.  Born  in  Elk  County, 
Pennsylvania,  May  20,  1852,  of  one  of  the  old  fami- 
lies of  that  prominent  commonwealth,  he  was,  at 
the  early  age  of  six  years,  transplanted  to  the  then 
almost  undeveloped  state  of  Wisconsin,  where  dur- 
ing his  boyhood  and  youth  he  became  inured  to  the 
health  producing  and  muscle  developing  ways  of 
farm  and  lumber  camp  life,  thus  establishing  in  phy- 
sical development  and  mental  training,  the  founda- 
tion for  future  success  in  the  great  Northwest, 
which  later  was  destined  to  become  his  field  of  pio- 
neer operation.  John  Dale,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, a  prominent  lawyer,  was  born  in  Center  Coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  in  181G,  of  Welsh  and  Irish  par- 
ents, who  were  pioneers  of  that  state.  He  became 
a  pioneer  of  Pierce  County,  Wisconsin,  in  1858,  and 
there  practiced  law  and  also  became  an  extensive 
land  owner.  In  the  practice  of  his  profession  he 
became  acquainted  with  Senator  Spooner,  and  this 
acquaintance  later  grew  into  a  warm  and  lasting 
friendship.  In  1873  he  moved  to  Tennessee,  and 
in  1877  became  a  resident  of  Skagit  county,  where 
he  died  in  1878.     During  the  war  he  held  a  com- 


516 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


mission  as  colonel,  serving  as  recruiting  officer  and 
also  as  provost  marshal  in  Wisconsin,  but  was  never 
in  active  army  service.  The  mother,  Massie  (Jor- 
dan) Dale,  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  of 
German  descent,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  oldest 
families  of  the  Keystone  state.  She  survived  her 
husband  eleven  years,  passing  away  in  1889.  In 
July,  187-i,  after  closing  a  year  in  the  Wisconsin 
pineries,  young  Dale,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two, 
turned  his  face  westward,  and  soon  had  his  first 
introduction  into  Skagit,  then  a  part  of  Whatcom 
county.  Without  undue  delay  he  took  up  work  in 
the  lumbering  camps  of  that  region,  which  he  fol- 
lowed continuously  for  eight  years,  working  at  first 
for  others,  but  later  engaging  in  the  same  business 
for  himself.  Plere  he  soon  built  up  a  name  and 
business  known  throughout  a  wide  section  of  the 
coast  coiuitry,  and  won  the  distinction  of  being  one 
of  the  first  extensive  lumber  operators  on  Fidalgo 
island,  thus  inseparably  connecting  himself  with  the 
early  development  and  progress  of  that  section  of 
the  country.  During  this  period  Mr.  Dale  took  up 
a  homestead  in  the  Samish  country,  and  in  the 
course  of  time  transferred  his  attention  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  the  development  of  his  homestead. 
The  tract  he  had  taken  was  what  is  known  as  "tide 
lands,"  and  had  to  be  redeemed  from  the  overflow 
of  salt  water  from  the  sound,  by  extensive  diking, 
entailing  great  expenditure  of  time  and  labor.  This 
was  accomplished,  with  the  gratifying  result  that 
he  became  the  possessor  of  an  expanse  of  land  rich 
and  productive  almost  beyond  belief.  The  pleasure 
of  pursuit,  in  Mr.  Dale's  case,  seemed  to  outweigh 
that  of  possession,  for  no  sooner  had  he  overcome 
the  almost  insurmountable  obstacles  which  had  at 
first  opposed  themselves  to  his  mastery  of  natural 
conditions,  and  had  gratified  his  desire  for  conquest, 
than  he  forsook  farm  life,  leasing  his  land,  and  gave 
his  attention  to  the  manufacture  of  shingles,  estab- 
lishing a  mill  at  the  town  of  Burlington  in  l.'^90,  and 
later,  in  1893,  erecting  a  second  mill  in  J\Iount  Ver- 
non. The  mill  at  the  latter  place  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1894  and  the  business  at  Burlington  was  sold. 
In  1889  Mr.  Dale  was  nominated  by  the  Repub- 
lican party  for  county  assessor,  and  the  choice  of 
his  party  was  ratified  by  the  voters  at  the  polls  that 
fall  by  a  handsome  majority.  He  served  throughout 
two  successive  terms  of  four  years  with  success,  at 
the  same  time  keeping  a  guiding  hand  on  his  busi- 
ness interests  outside.  Again,  in  1898,  he  was  called 
by  a  goodly  majority  to  fill  the  same  position  of 
trust,  serving  to  the  close  of  the  double  term  of 
four  years  with  that  distinguishing  faithfulness 
which  has  ever  marked  his  course  through  life, 
whether  in  public  or  private  aflfairs.  At  the  close 
of  his  official  duties  in  1902,  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Warren  Shea  in  the  abstract,  real  estate 
and  insurance  business,  which  they  are  at  present 
successfully  conducting,  having  established  it  on  a 
solid  business  basis.  Ever  in  close  touch  with  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  county,  and  an  owner 


of  farm  lands  himself,  Mr.  Dale  has  for  a  number  of 
years  owned  and  had  operated  two  first-class  steam 
threshers,  which  as  an  investment  have  proven  any- 
thing but  unprofitable. 

In  1877,  while  following  the  lumbering  industry, 
the  union  of  William  Dale  and  Mary  A.  Stevens 
was  celebrated  in  Skagit  county.  Mrs.  Dale  is  from 
one  of  the  earliest  pioneer  families  of  that  county. 
Her  father,  Edwin  Stevens,  a  millwright  by  trade, 
and  native  of  New  York,  came  to  Skagit  with  his 
family  in  1873,  and  after  an  active  life  of  seven 
years  in  his  newly  adopted  home,  he  laid  down 
the  burdens  of  life,  greatly  regretted  by  all  who 
knew  him.  The  mother,  Rachel  (Herbernson) 
Stevens,  still  survives  her  husband.  To  the  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dale  have  been  born  four  children, 
William  Edwin  and  James  Arthur,  now  farming  in 
British  Columbia ;  Annie  Adelaide  Hunt  and  Ella  R. 
Fredlund.  Politically,  Mr.  Dale  is  a  staunch  Re- 
publican and  ranks  among  the  foremost  in  the  coun- 
cils of  his  party  and  the  shaping  of  its  policies  ;  fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  Past  High' 
Priest  in  the  Masonic  order,  and  in  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  holds  the  position  of  Keeper  of  the  Seals. 
In  the  Commercial  club  of  his  town  Mr.  Dale  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  active  factors,  and 
is  ever  at  the  forefront  of  every  enterprise  that 
makes  for  the  public  weal,  or  carries  on  its  banner 
the  insignia  of  progress ;  which  broad-minded,  pub- 
lic-spirited course  has  won  for  him  the  deepest  re- 
gard, as  well  as  respect  and  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity which  claims  him  as  a  citizen. 


GEORGE  W.  MARBLE,  of  Mount  Vernon, 
well  known  as  a  real  estate  and  insurance  agent,  was 
born  in  Auburn,  Maine,  August  13,  1870.  His 
father,  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  now  living  in  Oak- 
land, California,  is  an  Easterner,  his  ancestors  hav- 
ing lived  for  generations  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  The 
maternal  ancestor,  Emma  (Stewart)  Marble  (now 
Mrs.  Cook)  was  born  on  the  Eastern  coast,  and  is 
at  present  living  in  Tacoma.  Mr.  Marble  came  with 
his  parents  to  Oakland,  California,  in  1874,  he  be- 
ing only  four  years  old  when  they  crossed  the  con- 
tinent to  find  a  home  in  that  land  of  flowers,  which 
must,  indeed,  have  seemed  a  wonderland  after  the 
severe  climate  of  Maine.  Here  and  in  San  Fran- 
cisco he  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life,  in  the  lat- 
ter city  being  for  some  time  employed  in  the  Resi- 
den  iron  works,  in  the  department  of  boiler  mak- 
ing. The  following  three  years  he  was  a  baker  in 
Oakland,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  engaged 
in  the  hotel  and  restaurant  business,  as  cook  and 
waiter,  in  that  city  and  later  in  San  Francisco  and 
Eureka.  In  August,  1891,  he  came  to  Tacoma  there 
entering  a  department  of  the  business  that  has  since 
claimed  his  entire  time.  After  five  years  experi- 
ence in  fire  insurance,  he  came  in  1896  to  Mount 
Vernon,  making  this  his  home  while  he  divided  his 
time  between  the  four  counties  of  Skagit,  Whatcom, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Island  and  Snohomish,  of  which  he  had  the  general 
agency.  Three  years  ago  he  opened  up  an  office  in 
Mount  Vernon  in  the  insurance  and  real  estate  busi- 
ness, continuing  in  that  line  to  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Marble  was  married  in  Mount  Vernon  in 
1900,  his  bride  being  Miss  Margaret  Golden,  who 
came  from  Ireland,  the  land  of  her  birth,  to  the 
United  States  at  the  age  of  nine.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Marble  have  two  daughters,  Eva  Marie  and  ]\Iar- 
garet  L.  Mr.  Marble  is  a  member  of  the  Yeoman 
order  in  Mount  Vernon.  Having  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  by  appointment  for  a  time,  he  was 
elected  to  that  office,  in  1904,  by  the  Republican 
party,  of  which  he  is  a  loyal  member ;  he  resigned 
this  office  in  September,  1905.  By  industry  and  wise 
management  ]\Ir.  Marble  has  built  up  a  good  busi- 
ness, owns  an  excellent  residence  in  ilount  Vernon 
and  is  one  of  her  earnest,  active  citizens. 


JAMES  S.  BOWEN,  a  respected  citizen  of 
^Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  Tioga  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  1S41,  the  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Thorp)  Bowen.  The  father,  of  Scotch  descent, 
was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  but  later  moved  to  Wis- 
consin, where  he  engaged  in  farming  till  the  time  of 
his  death,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight.  The  mother, 
who  traced  her  ancestry  back  to  Revolutionary 
stock,  died  in  Kansas.  Coming  with  his  parents  to 
Wisconsin  at  the  age  of  two,  Mr.  Bowen  remained 
there  for  six  years,  then  returned  to  Pennsylvania 
where  he  lived  with  an  uncle,  and  there  received 
his  education.  Returning  to  Wisconsin,  he  served 
an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  learning  the  car- 
riage making  trade.  Thrilled  with  zeal  for  his  coun- 
try, he  answered  her  call  for  volunteers  when  the 
war  broke  out,  enlisting  December  12, 18C1,  for  three 
years,  assisting  in  the  defeat  of  the  famous  Price 
raid  in  Missouri.  He  was  discharged  February  25, 
18C5,  only  to  re-enlist  in  Hancock's  veteran  corps, 
in  which  he  served  one  year,  receiving  his  final  dis- 
charge in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  1866,  after  which 
he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  there  pursued  his 
former  occupation  until  the  fall  of  1867,  when  he 
moved  to  Cloud  County,  Kansas,  and  took  up  a 
homestead.  Here  he  spent  the  next  two  years,  and 
then  located  in  Concordia,  the  county  seat,  that  he 
might  the  better  discharge  the  duties  of  the  offices 
to  which  he  had  been  elected,  that  of  clerk  of  the 
court  and  register  of  deeds.  Here  he  remained  till 
1875,  when,  after  serving  his  third  term  as  regis- 
ter of  deeds,  and  having  also  occupied  the  office 
of  under  sheriff  and  United  States  marshal  for  a 
number  of  years,  he  retired  from  public  life,  came 
West  and  settled  in  Seattle,  Washington,  where  he 
■engaged  in  various  occupations.  In  1879  he  started 
on  a  trip  east,  made  a  brief  visit  in  Kansas,  and 
then  went  on  to  Washington,  D.  C,  to  accept  a 
position  in  the  Pension  Department,  which  he  held 
for  fourteen  months,  at  which  time  he  resigned  on 
account  of  his  health.     After  spending  some  time 


visiting  points  in  the  east  in  search  of  health,  he 
located  in  Emporia,  Kansas,  where  for  two  years 
and  a  half  he  was  employed  in  the  Pacific  express 
office,  and  then  moved  to  Shoshone,  Idaho,  and  was 
there  connected  with  the  Oregon  Short  Line  as  ex- 
press messenger.  Desirous  of  changing  both  his 
place  of  residence  and  occupation,  he  went  to  Pen- 
dleton, Oregon,  and  there  for  a  time  worked  at  the 
carpenter  trade,  but  later  resuming  the  trade  of  his 
early  manhood,  carriage  making,  which  he  also  fol- 
lowed when  he  later  located  in  Whatcom,  Washing- 
ton. In  1890  he  purchased  a  farm  on  the  Samish 
river  and  resided  there  till  in  1899  he  came  to  his 
present  home.  Mount  \'ernon.  After  an  extended 
trip  to  California  for  his  health,  he  engaged  in  his 
present  business,  that  of  real  estate  and  insurance. 
Mr.  Bowen  was  married,  in  Wisconsin,  in  1860, 
to  Clara  Russell,  to  which  union  five  children  were 
born,  three  of  whom  are  now  living;  James  M., 
Benjamin  W.  and  Walter  G.  In  1887,  in  Pendle- 
ton, Oregon,  he  was  again  married,  his  second  wife 
being  Mrs.  Rebecca  J.  Conley,  the  daughter  of 
Joseph  Rob,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  died  in 
Tacoma  at  the  age  of  ninety-five.  She  was  born  in 
Ohio,  November  21,  1846,  but  came  with  her  par- 
ents to  Iowa  when  quite  young,  and  there  secured 
an  excellent  education.  She  taught  for  several  years 
prior  to  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Conley,  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Pendleton.  Of  their  three  children,  two  are 
now  living,  Cleora  F.  Smith  and  Alberta  A.  Curry. 
Mrs.  Bowen  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Always  an  active  Republican,  Mr.  Bowen  is  at  pres- 
ent police  judge  and  justice  of  the  peace  of  Mount 
Vernon.  He  is  a  honored  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  and  in  business  and  political 
and   social   circles   is   held   in   the   highest   esteem. 


RALPH  C.  HARTSON,  the  editor  and  pub- 
lisher of  the  Skagit  News-Herald,  is  a  native  of 
Skagit  county,  born  on  the  old  Hartson  homestead, 
one  of  the, oldest  places  in  the  valley,  across  the 
river  from  Mount  Vernon,  December  20,  1880,  the 
eldest  of  four  children  of  George  E.  and  Matilda 
(Gates)  Hartson.  The  others  are  Mrs.  Grace  Earl, 
of  Anacortes,  Clifford,  clerk  in  the  Mount  Vernon 
postoffice,  and  Earl  Stanley,  still  living  with  his 
parents.  The  elder  Hartson  came  to  Skagit  county 
in  1871  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers  in  point 
of  residence  in  the  valley.  He  is  the  present  post- 
master of  Mount  Vernon.  When  Ralph  was  six 
years  of  age  his  parents  moved  from  their  farm  into 
town,  his  father  having  purchased  the  Skagit 
News  from  William  H.  Ewing.  Young  Hartson 
obtained  his  education  in  the  local  schools,  being 
graduated  from  the  ninth  grade  in  1895  ;  later  upon 
the  addition  of  two  other  grades  he  resumed  his 
studies  until  the  course  was  completed.  As  a  lad 
he  studied  the  types  in  his  father's  printing  office 
and  soon  advanced  himself  far  enough  to  stand  on 
a  box  in  order  to  reach  the  cases.    He  learned  from 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


experience  the  mechanical  end  of  a  country  news- 
paper and  then  entered  the  editorial  department. 
On  completing  his  course  in  school  he  took  charge 
of  the  composing  and  press  room,  which  position 
he  left  to  become  assistant  postmaster.  In  1902  he 
was  mail  weigher  for  three  months  on  the  Great 
Northern  railway,  resigning  to  accept  a  place  as 
substitute  clerk  in  the  postoffice  at  Seattle.  In  Sep- 
tember of  1903  he  took  entire  charge  of  the  Skagit 
News-Herald,  the  oldest  publication  in  the  Skagit 
valley,  which  he  has  since  conducted  through  the 
vicissitudes  of  newspaperdom. 

In  September,  1904,  the  union  of  Mr.  Hartson 
and  Miss  Edna  Hadfield,  of  Ridgeway,  was  cele- 
brated. Her  father,  George  W.  Hadfield,  was  born 
in  England  and  came  to  the  United  States  when 
a  lad.  In  after  years  he  became  proprietor  of  a 
crockery  store  on  Fulton  street,  IJrooklyn,  New 
York.  He  subsequently  located  in  Seattle,  and  pros- 
pering, built  a  large  store  for  his  crockery  and  fur- 
niture business,  but  his  fortune  was  wiped  out  in 
the  monetary  distress  of  the  early  nineties.  He 
saved  from  the  wreck  his  farm  of  eighty  acres  near 
Mount  Vernon,  to  which  he  retired  in  1898,  since 
which  time  he  has  successfully  carried  on  farming 
and  dairying.  The  mother,  Isabella  (Evans)  Had- 
field, a  native  of  Ireland,  came  to  this  country  when 
a  girl,  and  marrying  in  Brooklyn,  came  west  with 
her  husband.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  living:  Carrie,  Belle, 
Harry,  Gilbert  and  Mrs.  Hartson.  She  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Brooklyn,  Seattle  and  Avon. 
Mrs.  Hartson  is  an  accomplished  musician.  Fra- 
ternally Mr.  Hartson  is  connected  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  Odd  Fellows,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles, 
Rebekahs  and  Rathbone  Sisters.  Politically  he  is 
an  unwavering  Republican. 


GEORGE  E.  HARTSON  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  western  Washington,  having  accompanied  his 
parents  to  that  territory  in  1868,  before  Skagit  coun- 
ty had  existence.  Mr.  Hartson  was  born  in  Troy, 
New  York,  in  July,  1 855,  the  son  of  .Augustus  Hart- 
son, a  native  of  Sharon,  just  over  the  New  York 
state  line  into  Connecticut.  The  elder  Hartson  was 
a  machinist  by  trade.  Pie  followed  his  trade  in  Troy 
and  in  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of  Wiscon- 
sin was  a  pioneer  blacksmith  at  Lodi.  Pushing  on 
to  the  Puget  sound  country,  Mr.  Hartson  arrived 
at  Coupeville  on  November  8,  18G8.  He  came  to 
that  part  of  Whatcom  county  from  which  in  later 
days  Skagit  county  was  formed,  taking  up  a  pre- 
emption claim  one  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of 
Mount  Vernon  in  1871.  Mr.  Hartson  followed 
farming  and  died  in  1892.  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Me- 
loney)  Hartson  was  born  in  Poughkeepsie,  NeW 
York,  and  accompanied  her  husband  across  the  con- 
tinent passing  away  near  Mount  Vernon  in  1892. 
George  E.  Hartson  was  but  thirteen  years  of  age 
on   his   arrival   in   Washington   and   at   once   com- 


menced preparation  for  teaching.  Without  all  the 
advantages  at  his  hand,  he  made  up  in  hard  study 
what  was  lacking  in  facilities  in  the  early  pioneer 
days.  When  but  seventeen  years  old  he  was  granted 
a  certificate  and  taught  in  Skagit  county  for  six 
years,  two  terms  each  year.  In  1885  he  bought  the 
Skagit  News,  a  Democratic  paper  (changing  its 
politics  upon  purchasing  to  Republican),  published 
at  Moimt  Vernon,  and  was  its  editor  and  publisher 
until  1900,  when  he  leased  his  plant  and  accepted 
the  appointment  as  postmaster  at  Mount  Vernon, 
which  position  he  still  fills.  Mr.  Hartson  has 
watched  Skagit  county  and  Mount  Vernon  grow 
from  nothing  into  their  present  populous  and  in- 
fluential positions,  he  himself  contributing  nuich  of 
private  energy  and  public  spirit  to  that  end.  Mr. 
Hartson  has  not  been  without  the  ups  and  downs 
always  present  in  pioneer  days  and  knows  the  ins 
and  outs  of  varying  fortunes. 

In  18(9,  in  Skagit  county,  Mr.  Hartson  mar- 
ried Matilda,  daughter  of  Jasper  and  Clarinda  Gates, 
pioneer  settlers  of  Skagit,  who  still  live  on  a  farm 
near  Mount  Vernon.  It  was  Mr.  Gates  who  took  up 
as  a  homestead  the  land  on  which  that  city  now 
stands,  later  selling  it  out  in  lots  and  buying  his 
present  place.  Mrs.  Hartson  was  born  in  Missouri 
and  came  to  Skagit  county  with  her  parents  when 
she  was  very  young.  Four  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartson :  Ralph  C,  who  succeeded 
his  father  in  the  newspaper  business  and  still  con- 
ducts it;  Grade;  Clifford,  a  clerk  in  the  postoffice; 
and  Earl  Stanley.  Mr.  Hartson  has  twice  served  as 
county  superintendent  of  schools,  one  term  in  What- 
com county  and  the  other  in  Skagit  after  the  divi- 
sion was  made.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a 
Republican  and  active  in  the  councils  of  his  party. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  as  well  as 
the  social  organization  of  lumbermen,  the  Concate- 
nated Order  of  Hoo  Hoo.  Mr.  Hartson  owns  his 
Mount  Vernon  home  and  has  invested  in  real  estate 
in  Seattle  and  other  towns.  His  deputy  in  the  post- 
office  is  Mrs.  Hartson.  Mr.  Hartson  was  secretary 
of  the  old  pioneers'  association  which  was  aban- 
doned several  years  ago,  and  is  now  a  member  of 
the  present  organization  which  held  its  first  meet- 
ing at  Sedro-Woolley  in  the  fall  of  1904. 


CAPTAIN  DAVID  F.  DECATUR,  ex-veteran 
of  the  Civil  War,  carries  in  his  veins  the  blood  of 
many  generations  of  military  and  naval  heroes,  not 
least  in  the  list  of  whom  is  the  famous  Commodore 
Steven  Decatur.  But  if  the  deeds  of  the  many  other 
notables  have  been  eclipsed  by  the  more  brilliant 
exploits  of  this  world-famed  commander,  they  are 
none  the  less  worthy  to  creditable  mention  in  the 
pages  of  history,  as  they  all  emanate  from  the  same 
fountain  head  of  true  manhood  and  worth,  and  have 
been  dominated  by  a  like  spirit  of  loyalty  and 
patriotism.     Born  in  Barrington,  New  Hampshire, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


January  (5,  1838,  David  F.,  the  subject  of  this  re- 
view, claims  as  his  immediate  progenitor  Cyrus  De- 
catur, who  was  ushered  into  this  world  amid  the 
turmoil  of  the  war  of  181r2,  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead, a  portion  of  the  Lafayette  land  grant,  which 
has  been  in  the  family  since  its  conferment  at  the 
close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  upon  his  father, 
John,  for  his  creditable  services  under  General 
Washington.  This  worthy  patriot  was  at  the  noted 
battle  of  Portsmouth,  and  there  received  a  severe 
wound.  The  buildings  erected  upon  this  estate  dur- 
ing the  colonial  times  are  still  preserved  intact,  and 
regular  reunions  of  the  direct  descendants  are  held 
at  stated  periods  at  the  old  homestead,  in  which  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  faithful  participant.  The 
mother  of  Captain  Decatur,  Olive  (Woodhouse), 
was  born  in  the  land  of  the  Scot,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  last  century,  and  came  as  a  small  child  to 
the  United  States  with  her  parents,  settling  at  Sa- 
vannah, Georgia,  where  she  was  reared  to  woman- 
hood with  the  very  best  advantages.  She  departed 
this  life  in  1866,  thirty-one  years  prior  to  the  death 
of  her  husband,  who  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-five.  Captain  Decatur  was  sent  at  an  early 
age  from  his  home  in  New  Hampshire  to  the  Sunny 
South,  and  was  brought  up  in  Savannah,  Georgia, 
by  his  uncle,  Charles  Woodhouse.  Later,  however, 
he  returned  north  for  the  completion  of  his  educa- 
tion. While  reared  in  the  very  hotbed  of  disunion 
sentiment,  young  Decatur  had  Isred  in  the  very  fiber 
of  his  being  distaste  for  slavery,  and  this  sentiment 
was  so  fostered  and  fortified  by  the  prevailing  feel- 
ing which  surrounded  him  while  attending  the 
northern  schools,  that  when  he  returned  south  again 
his  staunch  advocacy  of  national  union  and  the  abo- 
lition of  slave  chattels,  was  not  acceptable  to  the  ul- 
tra southerners  of  his  community,  and  in  1859  he 
was  forced  to  seek  more  congenial  surroundings  in 
the  loyal  atmosphere  of  Toledo.  Ohio.  Going  from 
there  to  Massachusetts  he.  on  August  2-2,  1862,  en- 
listed in  the  Thirty-fifth  Massachusetts  Volunteer 
Infantry,  serving  under  General  Burnsides.  At  the 
noted  battle  of  Antietam,  his  company,  which  bore 
the  colors,  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  from 
which  it  came  forth  with  decimated  ranks  but  a  glor- 
ious record,  however  dearly  bought.  In  this  en- 
gagement the  Captain  received  seven  wounds,  and 
was  sent  to  his  home  to  recover.  He  then  enlisted 
in  the  veteran  reserve  of  Massachusetts,  with  com- 
mission of  captain,  continuing  in  this  position  for 
twenty-two  years,  during  which  time  he  engaged  for 
a  while  in  the  grocery  business  and  also  followed 
landscape  gardening.  December,  1887,  he  came 
west  to  the  Puget  sound  country,  taking  up  his 
abode  in  Mount  Vernon.  Being  forcibly  impressed 
with  the  great  possibilities  in  lumbering,  he  em- 
barked in  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  erecting  the 
first  saw-mill  in  Mount  Vernon  and  that  section  of 
the  county.  This  he  sold  three  years  later,  and  hav- 
ing in  the  meantime  taken  up  a  homestead,  which" 
he  also  disposed  of,  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land 


south  of  the  town  and  engaged  in  agriculture.  Not- 
withstanding the  Captain  is  handicapped  by  the  loss 
of  one  leg,  a  memento  of  his  war  service,  he  is  an 
unusually  active  man,  his  happiness  and  peace  of 
mind,  as  well  as  health,  depending  in  a  great  meas- 
ure upon  so  much  outdoor  exercise  daily,  and  as  a 
result  of  this  and  his  systematic  methods,  he  accom- 
plishes something  in  his  work. 

On  New  Year's  day,  1860,  under  the  very  shadow 
of  Harvard  College,  the  marriage  of  Captain  De- 
catur and  Miss  Kate  Morrison  was  celebrated.  Mrs. 
Decatur  is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Katherine 
Morrison,  of  Scotch  descent.  The  father  traces  his 
ancestry  back  many  generations  among  the  noted 
Highland  chiefs,  one  of  his  forebears  having  fought 
under  William  Wallace,  the  famous  patriot  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  and  still  sacredly  preserved  in 
the  family  are  the  papers  received  by  him  in  recog- 
nition of  his  service.  The  mother,  born  in  Glasgow, 
in  1809,  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety-five.  Mrs. 
Decatur  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Maine,  in 
December  of  1837,  and  has  been  a  wortny  nelpmeet 
in  the  long  and  well  spent  married  life  which  she 
and  husband  have  passed  together,  as  well  as  a 
most  helpful  and  considerate  mother  to  the  three 
children  who  have  blessed  their  union.  William,  the 
oldest  son,  is  a  mail  clerk  on  the  steamer  Seattle, 
plying  between  the  Washington  metropolis  and 
Alaska ;  Alice  Elwyn  Pollock  is  the  wife  of  the  writ- 
er and  newspaper  man  of  that  name  in  Seattle,  and 
Edith  Mabel  is  at  home.  Fraternally  Mr.  Decatur 
is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  and  also  has  the  distinction  of  hold- 
ing membership  in  the  Legion  of  Honor.  To  the 
many  other  qualities  and  characteristics  which  have 
distinguished  Mr.  Decatur,  and  given  him  the 
standing  and  respect  which  he  holds  in  his  com- 
munity, may  be  added  that  of  ultra  progressive- 
ness;  to  see  things  move,  and  move  in  the  right 
direction,  is  the  delight  of  his  life,  and  to  accom- 
plish this  end  he  is  ever  ready  to  step  to  the  front 
and  face  any  and  every  opposing  force. 


CHARLES  P.  WHITNEY,  a  well-known  citi- 
zen of  Mount  Vernon,  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye 
state,  born  at  Akron,  in  1837,  the  son  of  William 
H.  and  Mary  (Bixey)  Whitney.  The  father,  of 
English  descent,  was  himself  a  descendant  of  Yan- 
kee stock  and  claimed  Vermont  as  his  birthplace. 
He  came  to  Ohio  in  early  life  and  in  1839  settled 
in  Columbia  County,  Wisconsin,  becoming  one  of 
the  earliest  pioneers  of  that  section.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  Iowa  in  1888.  The  mother  was  born  in 
New  York  state  and  survived  only  a  short  time  after 
the  removal  of  the  family  to  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Whit- 
ney, of  this  article,  reached  his  majority  in  the 
Badger  state,  receiving  an  education  such  as  the 
schools  of  that  sparsely  settled  frontier  afforded 
and  time  would  permit,  after  which  he  went  to  Wap- 
ello County,  Iowa.    There  he  followed  farming  for 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


a  number  of  years.  In  1873  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Marion,  Marion  County,  Kansas,  there" 
devoting  his  energies  and  abilities  principally  to  the 
real  estate  and  insurance  business  with  good  suc- 
cess. He  came  to  the  Northwest  in  1891  searching 
for  a  more  satisfactory  location,  and,  becoming  im- 
])ressed  with  the  Skagit  country,  established  a  per- 
manent home  at  Mount  Vernon.  He  pursued,  un- 
til 1904,  the  lines  he  had  followed  in  Kansas.  He 
was  then  elected  to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
at  the  hands  of  the  Republican  party  of  which  he 
has  ever  been  a  loyal  member,  and  served  his  fel- 
low citizens  in  that  important  capacity  with  credit 
until  the  fall  of  1905.  He  then  entered  upon  his 
])rescnt  business  as  traveling  salesman  for  the 
Spaulding  lUiggy  Company,  of  Grinnell,  Iowa, 
wliifli  business  carric'd  him  again  across  the  conti- 

Mr.  Whitney  was  married  at  Marion,  Kansas, 
in  187(1,  to  Anna  J.  McLean,  the  daughter  of  Major 
J.  K.  and  Elizabeth  McLean.  Major  McLean  was 
a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and  in  that  struggle  won 
prominence  because  of  his  courage  and  military 
skill.  Mrs.  Whitney  was  born  January  4,  1855.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Whitney  have  a  family  of  five  children : 
Edith  and  Inez,  twins,  born  March  12,  1878;  Leo 
C,  January  13,  1885;  Lois  B.,  July  8,  1888;  and 
George  K.,  June  27,  1890.  Inez  is  now  the  wife  of 
R.  G.  Hanaford,  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Mount  Vernon,  while  her  twin  sister,  Edith,  is 
married  to  W.  M.  King,  a  dentist  of  Mount  Vernon. 
Leo  C.  Whitney  is  engaged  in  newspaper  work  on 
the  sound  and  Lois  B.  is  attending  high  school. 
Mrs.  Whitney  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church 
and  belongs  to  the  Eastern  Star  and  Rathbone 
lodges. 

A  man  of  earnest  purpose,  alile  in  his  business 
and  commanding  the  respect  of  his  associates,  Mr. 
Whitney  is  one  of  the  substantial  factors  in  the 
progress  of  his  coiumunity. 


JOHN  W.  ALKIRE,  D.  O.  No  one  following 
the  trend  of  modern  thought  in  the  field  of  medical 
science  can  fail  to  observe  the  changed  valuation 
placed  upon  medicine  as  a  remedial  agent.  Belong- 
ing to  a  school  that  goes  still  farther,  dispensing  al- 
together with  its  use,  is  Doctor  John  W.  Alkirc, 
the  bright  young  osteopathic  physician  of  Mount 
Vernon,  a  native  of  Greenview,  Illinois,  born  Au- 
gust 5,  .1872.  His  father,  David  Alkire,  a  farmer, 
was  born  in  Menard  County,  Illinois,  in  1825, 
though  his  parents,  of  German  descent,  were  orig- 
inally from  Virginia,  coming  as  pioneers  to  Menard 
county  soon  after  it  was  formed.  His  death  occur- 
red December  4,  1902.  Mary  K.  Alkire,  the  ma- 
ternal ancestor,  born  in  Illinois  in  1842,  was  a  resi- 
dent of  New  York  prior  to  her  marriage,  and  is  now 
living  in  Mis.souri.  Coming  with  his  parents  to 
Nodawav  County,  Missouri,  at  the  age  of  four,  John 
W.   Alkire  there   spent  his  boyhood,  assisting   his 


father  with  the  farm  work  and  meanwhile  attend- 
ing the  common  schools  of  the  county.  Early  evinc- 
ing a  fondness  for  learning,  he  later  attended  the 
high  school  at  Maryvillc,  the  county  seat  of  Noda- 
way, removing  in  1892  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  there 
to  attend  the  Drake  University,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  honor  in  the  scientific  course,  two 
years  later.  Returning  to  Maryville,  he  made  that 
liis  headquarters  for  the  following  two  years  which' 
he  spent  as  a  commercial  traveller.  Believing  that 
a  professional  career  would  afford  a  larger  measure 
of  success  and  satisfaction,  he  went  to  Anaheim,  Cal- 
ifornia, where  an  osteopathic  college  was  then  locat- 
ed, receiving  his  diploma  from  this  institution,  which 
in  the  meantime  was  removed  to  Los  Angeles,  where 
he  finished  his  course  in  the  year  1897.  Thordughly 
equipped  for  his  life  work,  he  opened  an  ofiice  in 
Portland,  and  there  practiced  for  two  and  a  half 
years,  after  which  he  spent  a  short  time  in  Mary- 
ville, coming  at  length  to  Mount  Vernon,  his  pres- 
ent location.  Here  he  may  be  considered  the  pioneer 
in  his  branch  of  the  profession,  for  while  others  have 
made  it  a  location  for  a  few  months,  he  is  the  first 
one  to  build  up  a  large  practice.  Doctor  Alkire  is 
a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has  never 
sought  political  ])re ferment.  He  is  interested  in  real 
estate,  owning  his  home  and  office  in  Mount  Verntin. 
A  thorough  student  and  a  gentleman  of  pleasing 
address,  who  brings  to  his  calling  the  wealth  of 
youth,  ambition  and  enthusiasm.  Doctor  Alkire  is 
rapidly  wimiing  prominence  by  his  splendid  success 
in  his  chosen  iirofession. 


JOHN  L.  ANABLE,  a  well-known  resident  of 
Mount  Vernon,  was  born  at  Three  Rivers,  Michi- 
gan, February  18,  18G4,  the  .son  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Poe)  Anable.  His  father,  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  in  1823,  of  Welsh  and  Irish  parentage,  came 
early  to  the  state  of  Michigan.  Fond  of  travel  and 
adventure,  he  made  the  trip  to  California  by  way 
of  Cape  Horn.  Later  he  returned  to  Michigan,  fol- 
lowing which  he  spent  a  year  in  Kansas.  As  a  car- 
penter and  contractor,  he  was  quick  to  see  and  profit 
by  the  advantages  that  the  West  offered,  and  in  1892 
he  came  to  RIount  Vernon  where  he  still  resides. 
His  wife,  of  German  ancestry,  was  born  in  the  Buck- 
eye state  and  died  in  1877.  Of  her  seven  children 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  oldest.  Mr.  Anable 
attended  the  connnon  schools  of  Michigan,  complet- 
ing his  education  by  a  course  at  the  business  college 
in  Farmer  City,  Illinois.  That  he  might  have  an  nll- 
around  preparation  for  a  successful  life,  he  had 
learned  the  trade  of  brickmaking,  prior  to  the  time 
he  left  home  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  He  has  been 
a  resident  of  Mount  Vernon  since  188G,  which  has 
honored  him  by  electing  him  to  various  offices.  He 
has  been  police  justice,  city  clerk  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  during  Cleveland's  last  admini^ration, 
he  was  postmaster. 

Mr.  Anable  was  married  to  Ida.D.  Kimble  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Mount  Vernon,  August  2,  1891.  Her  father,  David 
E.  Kimble,  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Ohio,  in 
1828.  As  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty, a  sketch  of  his  life  appears  elsewhere  in  this  his- 
tory. His  mother,  Mary  (Bozarth)  Kimble,  a  native 
of  Indiana,  where  she  was  born  February  10,  1845, 
now  lives  in  Mount  Vernon.  Mrs.  Anable  was  born 
in  Washington  June  G,  1875,  acquiring  her  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  the  state.  Mr.  Anable  is  an  in- 
fluential member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
held  the  chairmanship  of  the  Democratic  county 
coinmitee ;  while  fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  owner  and  manager  of 
the  opera  house  of  the  city,  and  is  a  prominent  and 
highly  respected  member  of  the  community. 


MICHAEL  PICKENS  (deceased)  was  one  of 
the  successful  and  highly  respected  citizens  of 
Mount  Vernon  until  his  death  in  1895.  During 
the  eleven  years  of  his  activity  in  this  county  he 
had  accumulated  a  competence  by  his  tireless  en- 
ergy and  application  to  work,  and  he  left  an  ex- 
cellent heritage  to  his  family.  Mr.  Pickens  was 
bom  in  Sullivan  County,  Tennessee,  in  1852,  the 
son  of  John  Pickens,  a  Tennessee  farmer  who 
moved  to  Missouri  in  1853  and  is  still  living  there, 
retired,  at  Green  City.  The  mother,  Ama  Rhada 
(Varney)  Pickens,  was  likewise  a  native  Tennes- 
sean,  who  died  in  Missouri  in  18G0.  Of  this  union 
six  children  were  born :  James,  William,  Michael, 
Thomas,  Jacob  and  Noah.  By  the  second  mar- 
riage of  John  Pickens  there  have  been  born: 
Nancy,  Dora,  Etta,  Ida,  Alice,  Lottie,  Sarah  and 
Naomi.  Michael  Pickens  was  a  farmer  in  Mis- 
souri until  he  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1884  and 
located  with  his  family  north  of  the  Grand  Cen- 
tral hotel  in  Mount  Vernon..  He  was  a  carpenter 
and  by  economy  and  successful  dealings  in  real 
estate  accumulated  property  aggregating  close  to 
$20,000. 

In  1872  Mr.  Pickens  married  in  Sullivan  Coun- 
ty, Missouri,  Miss  MaryE.  Plarland,  daughter  of 
Elijah  M.  Harland,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who 
went  to  Illinois  in  boyhood.  When  twenty-two 
years  of  age,  with  his  newly  wedded  wife,  he  re- 
moved to  Missouri  and  became  a  pioneer  farmer 
of  that  state.  He  died  in  1897.  Mrs.  Pickens' 
mother,  Mrs.  Jane  (Combs)  Harland,  was  a  native 
of  Missouri  and  lived  with  her  parents  until  mar- 
riage. She  died  in  1897,  only  five  days  after  her 
husband  had  passed  away.  To  that  union  fourteen 
children  were  born.  Those  still  living  are:  Sarah 
L.,  Angie  L.,  Stephen  D.,  James  F.,  Henry  Clay, 
Sherman  G.,  Lilian  Sheridan,  Viola  B.  and  Mrs. 
Pickens.  Those  who  have  died  bore  the  names  of 
Edward  T.,  Daniel  A.,  Millard  F.,  Johanna  M.  and 
Cynthia  J.,  the  Jast  named  being  murdered  in  Ok- 
lahoma for  money.  Mrs.  Pickens  was  born  in  Mis- 
souri in  1849  and  lived  with  her  parents  until  her 


marriage  in  1872.  Her  education  in  the  early  days 
was  meager  owing  to  conditions  prevailing  on  ac- 
count of  the  Civil  War.  Mrs.  Pickens  is  the 
mother  of  five  children :  Mrs.  Effie  E.  Fortin, 
Carlos  E.,  John  W.,  George  Washington  and  Edna 
Myrtle.  She  is  an  attendant  of  the  Christian 
church.  Mr.  Pickens  was  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  and  in  politics  a  Democrat.  In  1885 
he  bought  ten  acres  south  of  Mount  Vernon,  pay- 
ing eighteen  dollars  per  acre.  This  land  was  later 
platted  into  town  property,  and  with  two 
acres  purchased  at  another  time  is  known  as 
Pickens'  Addition,  which  has  sold  as  high  as  six 
hundred  dollars  per  acre.  Mr.  Pickens  was  highly 
respected  in  Alount  Vernon  and  recognized 
as  a  man  of  business  sagacity  of  a  high  order. 
Mrs.  Pickens  now  owns  the  Grand  Central  lodging 
house  and  three  residence  properties  in  town.  She 
also  has  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  very  val- 
uable timber  land  in  British  Columbia,  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  Skagit  river  land  near 
Lyman,  and  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  an- 
other part  of  Skagit  county. 


NELSON  W.  CARPENTER  is  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Skagit  county,  who  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  lumber  industry  and  is  now  the  suc- 
cessful manager  of  the  Cedardale  Lumber  Company 
at  Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  born  in  Clin- 
ton County,  Iowa,  in  1855.  His  father,  James  Car- 
penter, a  native  of  Canada,  went  to  Iowa  when  a 
young  man  and  later  moved  to  Kansas.  In  1860  he 
was  a  member  of  the  state  militia  at  Fort  Scott  and 
served  in  that  capacity  during  the  Civil  War.  He 
came  to  Washington  in  1875  and  took  up  land 
three  miles  south  of  Skagit  City.  After  he  had 
cleared  a  part,  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Mount 
Vernon,  where  he  died  in  1901.  The  mother,  Mrs. 
Philey  (Knight)  Carpenter,  was  a  native  of  New 
York  state  who  lived  in  Iowa  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  She  died  when  37  years  old,  the  mother 
of  nine  children.  Nelson  W.  Carpenter  was  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Kansas,  whither  he  had  gone 
with  his  parents  when  seven  years  old.  Remaining 
on  the  home  farm  until  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity, young  Carpenter  engaged  in  farming  on  his 
own  account.  When  his  father  removed  to  Wash- 
ington the  young  man  took  care  of  the  home  place 
until  1877,  when  he  followed  his  father  to  this  state. 
Mr.  Carpenter  at  first  located  a  homestead  on  the 
south  fork  of  the  Skagit  river  and  lived  there  for 
seven  years,  clearing  the  timber  and  protecting  the 
marsh  land  by  dikes.  He  sold  this  farm  and  started 
a  saw-mill  at  Cedardale,  the  second  mill  in  the  coun- 
ty. After  operating  this  mill  for  seven  years,  he 
moved  it  to  Mount  Vernon,  where  it  has  been  turn- 
ing out  lumber  since  1890.  Mr.  Carpenter  is  man- 
ager of  the  mill  and  under  his  guidance  the  business 
has  been  a  successful  one.  In  1895  he  and  M. 
Pickens   built  the   Grand   Central   hotel   at   Mount 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


Vernon.    Mr.  Carpenter  has  at  different  times  dealt 
in  real  estate. 

In  1875,  while  yet  in  Kansas,  Mr.  Carpenter 
married  Miss  Maggie  E.  Springer,  daughter  of 
Charles  Springer,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  went 
to  Kansas  in  the  pioneer  days  before  the  Civil  War. 
Mrs.  Springer  was  of  German  extraction  and  died 
in  Kansas.  Mrs.  Carpenter  was  born  in  Iowa  in 
1858  and  received  her  education  there,  marrying 
when  seventeen  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Car- 
penter have  been  the  parents  of  nine  children,  all 
born  in  Skagit  county,  of  whom  Charles  T.,  Arthur 
L.,  engineer  in  his  father's  mill ;  Nellie  P.,  Laura 
E.,  Maggie  M.,  Mabel  R.  and  Walter  are  living. 
Two  sons  are  dead,  Albert,  who  died  when  he  was 
three  years  old,  and  George,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years.  In  lodge  affiliations  Mr.  Carpenter  is  an 
Odd  Fellow.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  at  Mount  Vernon  in  which  he  is  serving  as 
deacon.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Aside  from 
his  investment  in  the  milling  business,  Mr.  Carpen- 
ter has  timber  land  and  other  valuable  property.  He 
has  built  up  the  lumber  business  of  his  company 
from  the  start  made  at  Cedardale  in  the  pioneer 
days,  to  the  present  successful  plant  now  operating 
in  Mount  Vernon. 

CHARLES  CLINTON  JOHNSON,  of  the 
Skagit  steam  laundry,  was  born  in  Rock  Springs, 
Wyoming,  July  23,  i875,  the  son  of  Charles  Isaac 
and  Hannah  (Hanson)  Johnson,  natives  of  Sweden. 
The  father,  born  in  1850,  immigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1870,  locating  in  Nebraska  where  he  re- 
mained eleven  years,  coming  thence  to  Skagit  coun- 
ty in  1882.  He  still  resides  here,  owning  a  fine  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  acre  farm  valued  at  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  The  mother  was  born  in  1818, 
and  at  the  death  of  her  father  went  to  live  with  an 
aunt.  She  came  to  the  United  States  in  1870.  Slie 
was  married  in  Nebraska  at  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
Unusual  educational  advantages  were  enjoyed  by 
Charles  Clinton  Johnson.  Having  attended  the 
common  schools  of  Washington,  he  entered  the  uni- 
versity, and  had  but  one  more  year  before  complet- 
ing the  course  when  he  decided  to  enter  the  Seattle 
Business  College  in  which  he  took  a  commercial 
course.  He  has  also  a  practical  and  thorougli 
knowledge  of  agricultural  matters,  thus  being 
splendidly  equipped  for  a  successful  business  career. 
Purchasing  the  half  interest  in  the  laundry  owned 
by  Adolph  Anderson,  he  is  now  devoting  his  entire 
time  to  that,  he  and  his  partner,  Oscar  Sundstrom, 
having  already  established  a  reputation  for  doing 
excellent  work.  Mr.  Johnson's  brothers  and  sisters 
are  as  follows:  Ellen  (deceased),  Maggie,  Gus, 
Frederick,  Selma,  Mary,  Emily,  and  Garfield.  He 
is  a  Republican,  though  not  a  strict  partisan.  Of 
the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles  he  is  a  prominent 
member.  An  energetic,  ambitious  young  man,  of 
sound  moral  principles,  he  is  destined  to  become 
one  of  the  influential  members  of  the  community. 


OSCAR  SUNDSTROM,  a  partner  in  the  Skag- 
it steam  laundry,  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  west 
Gothland,  Sweden,  January  17,  1872,  the  son  of 
John  and  Clara  (Olson)  Sundstrom,  also  natives  of 
Gothland,  the  father  born  in  1833,  the  mother  in 
1823.  A  stone  mason  by  trade,  the  elder  Sundstrom 
has  taken  up  farming  in  his  later  years,  still  resid- 
ing in  the  land  of  his  birth.  Left  an  orphan  in 
early  life,  his  wife  grew  to  womanhood  in  the  home 
of  her  guardian,  leaving  it  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage. Spending  the  first  sixteen  years  of  his  life 
at  home,  Oscar  Sundstrom  then  started  for  the 
United  States,  making  the  entire  journey  alone.  He 
located  at  Cadillac,  Michigan,  working  at  various 
occupations  until  1891,  at  which  time  he  went  to 
Seattle.  Two  years  later  he  visited  his  parents  in 
Sweden,  remaining  six  months.  On  his  return  he 
stopped  at  his  former  home  in  Cadillac  for  some 
time,  and  there  found  his  bride.  Having  purchased 
a  farm  in  Snohomish  county  he  made  that  his  place 
of  residence  for  several  years,  moving  at  length  to 
California,  where  his  wife  died  after  four  months' 
sojourn.  Coming  again  to  Snohomish  county,  he 
went  on  the  railroad  as  foreman  for  the  following 
two  years.  In  1903,  he  and  a  brother-in-law, 
Adolph  Anderson,  started  a  laundry  in  Mount  Ver- 
non, Charles  Johnson  purchasing  the  half  interest 
of  Mr.  Anderson  some  time  later.  By  giving  care- 
ful attention  to  the  requirements  of  their  customers, 
and  adhering  strictly  to  upright  principles,  they  are 
building  up  a  fine  business.  Mr.  Sundstrom  has 
brothers  and  sisters  as  follows:  John,  Carl,  Albert, 
Ida,  Emma,  and  Henning  (deceased). 

Mr.  Sundstrom  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Anna  England,  born  in  Paris,  Michigan, 
May  3,  1872.  Of  Swedish  descent,  her  father  is 
Samuel  England,  a  millwright  now  making  his  home 
in  Cadillac,  Michigan.  Mrs.  Sundstrom  was  the 
mother  of  three  daughters:  Hazel  (deceased), 
Myrtle  and  Ruth.  Her  death  occurred  in  California 
in  1901. 

In  Seattle,  September  28,  1901,  Mr.  Sundstrom 
and  Sophia  Sparing  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs. 
Sundstrom  was  born  in  May,  1878.  The  Republican 
party  claims  Mr.  Sundstrom  as  a  loyal  member.  He 
is  also  an  honored  brother  in  the  ^Masonic  frater- 
nity. Active  and  industrious,  the  possessor  of 
vouth,  health  and  ambition,  he  is  one  of  the  most 
promising  young  business  men  of  the  city. 


IRA  T.  PATTERSON,  founder  and  proprietor 
of  Mount  Vernon's  pioneer  meat  business,  and  also 
one  of  Skagit  county's  most  successful  and  popular 
citizens,  is  a  sturdy  son  of  the  Pine  Tree  state. 
Maine  has  furnished  a  host  of  Puget  sound's  pio- 
neers, especially  in  the  development  of  its  magnifi- 
cent timber  interests,  and  among  those  who  made 
Skagit  county  the  field  of  their  activities  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  deserves  prominent  mention.  He  was 
born  August  21,  1861,  to  the  union  of  Chauncey  R. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


523 


and  Catherine  (McCum)  Patterson,  both  of  whom 
are  likewise  natives  of  that  commonwealth,  and  of 
English  and  Irish  lineage  respectively.  By  occupa- 
tion the  father  is  a  lumberman,  though  he  has  also 
been  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  with  good  suc- 
cess. At  present  he  is  one  of  Stanwood's  well- 
known  citizens.  Mrs.  Patterson  is  also  enjoying 
the  contentment  which  comes  of  a  long,  useful  life, 
being  in  her  sixty-ninth  year.  Ira  T.  is  the  fourth 
in  a  family  of  twelve  children.  His  early  educa- 
tional training  and  home  rearing  were  obtained 
while  he  was  yet  living  in  Maine,  and  like  most 
frontier  lads  he  assumed  responsibilities  in  his 
youth.  From  the  age  of  thirteen  until  he  was  eight- 
een, he  worked  in  the  neighboring  lumber  camps. 
Then  he  bade  farewell  to  the  rocky  shores  of  the 
Atlantic  and  sought  fortune  on  the  headwaters  of 
the  Mississippi  in  Minnesota.  There  he  w-as  engaged 
in  logging  until  July,  1887,  when  he  turned  still 
further  westward,  stopping  at  Missoula,  Montana. 
From  the  camps  of  that  region  he  went,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1888,  to  Puget  sound,  where  he  was  employed 
in  various  logging  operations  during  the  next  two 
years.  Then,  with  keen  insight  into  commercial 
conditions,  recognizing  in  the  growing  town  of 
Mount  Vernon  an  excellent  opening  for  a  market, 
he  established  his  present  business,  the  exact  date 
being  July,  1890,  and  this  by  aggressive,  painstak- 
ing methods  he  has  gradually  built  up  until  it  is  one 
of  the  solid  enterprises  of  the  commimity  and  ex- 
tensive in  its  scope. 

Mr.  Patterson  and  Miss  Martha  Schneider  w-ere 
united  by  the  bonds  of  matrimony  at  Mount  Ver- 
non, in  November,  1903,  she  being  at  that  time  one 
of  the  city's  popular  clerks.  Her  father,  Frederick 
Schneider,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  in  business 
a  successful  meat  dealer;  Mrs.  Patterson's  mother 
is  still  living  at  Alma,  Wisconsin.  The  year  1871 
marks  the  date  of  Mrs.  Patterson's  birth  and  in  the 
state  of  Wisconsin  she  was  reared  and  educated. 
One  child,  Ira  F.,  born  in  190-4,  has  blessed  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patterson. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Patterson  is  affiliated  w-ith  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  in  both  of  which  he  is  an  active  worker. 
Recognizing  his  obligations  to  identify  himself  with 
the  public  life  of  his  country,  he  has  ever  responded 
to  the  demands  made  upon  him  and  in  his  party, 
the  Democratic,  he  is  well  known.  Success  in  busi- 
ness and  influence  among  his  fellows  he  has  attain- 
ed by  long  years  of  strict  devotion,  square  dealing 
and  energetic  action,  the  usual  rewards  of  such  a 
life. 


FRANK  H.  STACKPOLE,  undertaker  and 
building  contractor,  is  one  of  Mount  Vernon's  well- 
known  citizens.  A  native  of  Maine,  he  was  born 
in  Albion,  Kennebec  county,  August  21,  1855,  to 
the  union  of  William  and  Caroline  (Wiggins) 
Stackpole.    The  father  enlisted  in  the  Union  army 


in  1861  and  died  in  the  service  that  fall.  His  wife 
survived  until  1896,  her  death  occurring  in  Maine. 
Spending  his  early  years  at  home,  Frank  H.  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
Pine  Tree  state,  going  to  Waterville,  Maine,  to 
learn  the  cabinet  making  trade.  After  remaining 
there  two  years,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  crossed 
the  continent,  and  located  in  San  Francisco  where 
he  followed  his  trade.  His  health  having  failed  he 
went  to  Butte  county,  and  engaged  in  lumbering  in 
the  mountains  for  three  years,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  San  Francisco  to  accept  a  position  in  an 
express  office.  Two  years  later  he  began  farming 
in  the  Joaquin  valley,  making  that  his  home  until 
he  went  to  Seattle  in  the  fall  of  1883.  He  settled 
at  Fir,  Skagit  county,  residing  there  six  years,  then 
coming  to  Mount  Vernon  where  he  h-s  since  lived 
with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  in  Alaska. 
Makmg  the  first  trip  to  that  country  in  1897,  he 
traversed  the  trail,  from  Skagway  to  Bennett  Lake 
in  forty-five  days,  thence  following  the  river  down 
to  Dawson.  The  summer  of  1898  he  spent  in 
Mount  Vernon,  again  seeking  the  gold  fields  of 
Dawson  the  next  year,  going  later  to  Nome,  in  the 
spring  of  1900.  Longing  to  revisit  the  home  of  his 
boyhood,  he  made  a  trip  to  Albion  after  leaving 
Nome  that  fall.  He  made  one  more  trip  to  Alaska, 
in  the  summer  of  1901,  returning  to  Mount  Vernon 
in  November.  After  being  employed  at  his  trade 
for  a  year,  he  purchased  the  undertaking  business 
of  W.  S.  Anable,  and  has  since  combined  the  two, 
devoting  his  entire  time  to  looking  after  these  in- 
terests. In  political  belief  Mr.  Stackpole  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  is  an  active  member  of  the  city  coun- 
cil, lending  his  assistance  to  every  enterprise  that 
will  benefit  the  towm,  and  is  prominent  in  fraternal 
circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In 
addition  to  his  large  business,  he  has  a  substantial 
home  in  the  residence  district  of  the  city.  Public 
spirited,  zealous  of  the  prosperity  and  growth  of  the 
community,  Mr.  Stackpole  is  recognized  as  an  influ- 
ential citizen. 

Melissa  Branch,  of  Waterville,  Maine,  became 
the  bride  of  l\Ir.  Stackpole  at  Seattle,  in  1903.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Emiline  (Rowe) 
Branch,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  beginning 
of  Mr.  Stackpole's  romance  dates  back  to  his  boy- 
hood when  he  and  Miss  Branch  were  school  friends. 
Upon  his  return  to  Maine  from  Alaska  in  1901  this 
friendship  was  renewed  with  the  happy  result  above 
referred  to. 


NELSE  B.  JOHNSON,  senior  member  of  the 
grocery  firm  of  Johnson  &  Sons,  of  Mount  Vernon, 
was  born  in  central  Sweden,  November  16,  1848, 
the  son  of  Johannes  Nelson,  a  farmer  born  in  1811, 
in  Sweden,  in  which  country  he  also  died  in  1887. 
The  mother,  Annie  (Peterson)  Nelson,  was  also 
born  in  Sweden  in  1819,  and  departed  this  life  in 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


1882.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  children:  Peter, 
Neise,  Charlie,  Annie,  Christina  and  Johanna.  It 
is  the  custom  in  Sweden  that  the  oldest  son  inherits 
the  homestead  and  receives  a  good  education, 
whether  any  of  the  others  are  provided  for  or  not; 
and  it  thus  fell  to  the  lot  of  Nelse  to  get  out  and 
hustle  for  himself,  with  but  limited  school  opportu- 
nities. On  leaving  his  father's  home  he  sought  em- 
ployment in  a  lumberyard,  and  then  it  was  that  he 
had  his  first  experience  in  letter  writing,  in  writing 
home  to  his  parents.  After  a  number  of  years  thus 
employed,  he  determined  upon  trying  his  fortune  in 
the  United  States.  He  had  learned  of  the  great 
advantages  here  offered  the  man  of  limited  means 
with  a  strong  desire  to  better  his  condition ;  and 
hither  he  came  in  1880,  settling  first  in  Kansas,  af- 
ter a  brief  trip  through  Nebraska.  For  eleven  years 
he  continued  there,  laboring  under  the  disadvantages 
of  drouth  and  crop  failures,  ever  hoping  for  and  ex- 
pecting a  change  for  the  better ;  only  to  have  those 
hopes  blasted.  His  experiences  in  that  state  are 
anything  but  pleasant  to  look  back  upon.  In  1891 
he  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country,  settling  near 
Skagit  City  on  a  farm  of  twenty-five  acres.  He 
had  but  fairly  started  the  work  of  clearing  this  tract 
of  timber  when  he  met  with  a  serious  accident,  in 
which  both  of  his  legs  were  broken.  For  twenty- 
two  weeks  he  was  confined  to  the  house,  during 
which  time  he  learned  what  it  is  to  have  the  minis- 
trations of  kind  neighbors  and  loving  home  folks, 
and  to  prize  the  same  at  something  like  their  true 
value.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he  insisted  upon 
his  sons  carrying  him  out  to  the  clearing  on  a  chair, 
and  with  that  indomitable  will  and  courage  which 
knows  not  the  words  "give  up,"  he  worked  for 
hours  at  a  time  grubbing  roots  and  brush,  seated 
in  the  chair,  from  which  he  was  unable  to  move. 
It  was  a  full  year  before  he  could  go  about  on 
crutches,  and  four  years  elapsed  before  he  was  fully 
recovered ;  but  during  all  this  period  he  and  sons 
continued  to  work  unceasingly  at  clearing  and  pre- 
paring the  land.  In  the  winter  of  1904  he  and  sons, 
John,  Simon  and  J^red,  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business  in  Mount  \'ernon,  to  which  place  they 
moved. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  first  married  to  Christina  Nel- 
son who  departed  this  life  May  1,  1888.  She  was 
the  motlier  of  the  following  children  :  John,  Simon, 
Emanuel  (deceased),  Fred,  Theodore  (deceased), 
Annie  and  Arthur.  Her  father,  Nelse  Pearson,  still 
lives  in  Sweden,  where  he  was  born  in  1827.  Her 
mother,  Christina  (Anderson)  Pearson,  died  in' 
1881.  To  a  second  marriage  contracted  in  1889  in 
Kansas,  with  Betsy  Carlson,  daughter  of  Magnus 
and  Sesilia  (Nelson)  Carlson,  of  Skagit  City',  the 
following  children  were  born :  Minnie,  Edith, 
Lillv  and  Esther.  She  departed  this  life  near 
Skagit  City,  July  19,  1898.  In  1899  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Mary  (Berg)  Johnson,  widow 
of  J.  P.  Johnson  (deceased),  of  Minneapolis,  Min- 
nesota.    Her  father,  Andrew     Berg,    a    prominent 


citizen  of  Christianstad,  Sweden,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1891,  locating  at  St.  Paul,  Minne- 
sota. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  one  child,  Elsie 
Mary.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  loyal  Republican,  and.  he 
and  the  family  are  active  members  of  the  Swedish 
Baptist  church.  In  addition  to  his  lucrative  grocery 
business  and  building,  Mr.  Johnson  owns  his  farm 
valued  at  five  thousand  dollars,  and  his  town  resi- 
dence. He  fully  realizes  to-day  the  wisdom  of  his 
choice  of  Washington  as  a  home. 


JULES  FREDLUND,  the  young,  energetic 
secretary  and  manager  of  the  Mount  Vernon 
Creamery  Company,  was  born  in  Bergen,  Norway, 
August  31,  1872,  the  son  of  Ingvald  and  Mary 
(Johnson)  Fredlund,  both  natives  of  Norway,  the 
father  born  in  1836,  and  the  mother  the  previous 
year.  The  elder  Fredlund  is  a  carpenter  and  farm- 
er who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1882,  settling 
first  in  South  Dakota,  where  he  lived  for  eight 
years,  after  which  he  came  to  Skagit  county.  Here 
he  bought  land  south  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  since 
then  has  made  it  his  home  except  during  an  extend- 
ed visit  to  his  native  land  in  1899.  Having  spent 
the  first  nine  years  of  his  life  in  Norway,  Mr.  Fred- 
lund came  with  his  parents  to  South  Dakota  where 
he  attended  the  common  schools,  later,  when  the 
family  moved  to  Skagit  county,  assisting  his  father 
and  brothers  in  the  work  of  the  farm.  In  1899  the 
two  brothers  leased  the  father's  farm,  and  Mr. 
Fredlund.  of  whom  we  write,  took  a  course  in  the 
Agricultural  College  of  Madison,  Wisconsin,  after 
which,  having  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  farm  to 
his  brother,  he  went  to  Seattle  and  bought  into  a 
grocery  and  meat  market.  Convinced  at  the  end  of 
a  month  that  he  could  be  more  successful  in  the 
business  for  which  he  had  received  special  training, 
he  disposed  of  his  property,  and  returned  to  Wis- 
consin, there  buying  an  interest  in  a  creamery  in 
Polk  county  which  he  retained  until  1903,  though 
he  did  not  remain  there  the  entire  time.  After  com- 
ing to  Mount  Vernon  and  thoroughly  investigating 
the  situation,  in  the  winter  of  1904  he  aided  in  the 
organization  of  the  present  stock  company  known 
as  the  Mount  Vernon  Creamery  Company,  with  E. 
S.  Phipps.  president,  Robert  Fredlund,  vice-presi- 
dent, and  himself  secretary  and  manager.  Having 
bought  the  interest  of  Mr.  Phipps,  the  two  brothers 
sold  it  later  to  W.  E.  Harbert.  Under  such  wise 
and  careful  management  the  enterprise  has  grown 
rapidly,  and  promises  to  be  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful creameries  in  this  part  of  the  county.  Besides 
the  brother  associated  with  him  in  business,  Mr. 
Fredlund  has  brothers  and  sisters  as  follows:  Al- 
bert, in  Alaska,  near  Dawson;  Joseph,  in  Seattle; 
Anna  Henry,  Edwin  and  John,  residing  in  Mount 
Vernon ;  Mary  Wolf,  near  Mount  Vernon,  and 
Charles  (deceased). 

Mr.  Fredlund  is  a  member  of  the  Eagle  frater- 
nity.    He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Baptist 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


church  in  which  he  holds  the  office  of  trustee ;  and 
politically  he  is  an  active  member  of  the  Republican 
party.  In  addition  to  his  creamery  business  he  has 
a  farm  south  of  town,  stock  in  talcum  mines  and 
in  the  Washington  Fire  Insurance  Company,  all  of 
which  testify  to  his  excellent  business  capabilities. 
Thoroughly  fitted  for  his  work,  familiar  with  the 
details  that  are  especially  important  in  this  line,  as 
time  develops  this  into  the  ideal  dairy  country, 
which  it  is  certain  to  become,  his  future  success  is 
assured. 


JOHX  L.  DOWNS,  a  prosperous  farmer  re- 
siding two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Fir,  was  born 
in  Great  Falls,  New  Hampshire,  April  17,  1865,  the 
only  son  of  Horace  P.  and  Sylvina  A.  (Guptill) 
Downs,  who  were  among  the  oldest  pioneers  in  this 
section  of  the  state  to  which  they  came  in  1878. 
His  father  is  a  native  of  Xew  Hampshire,  born  in 
1840 ;  the  mother  was  born  three  years  later  in 
Maine,  and  died  February  28,  1904.  Just  preced- 
ing this  will  be  found  the  biographies  of  both  par- 
ents who  are  widely  known  in  the  political  and  so- 
cial life  of  the  county.  Having  attended  the  Bun- 
ker Hill  grammar  school  at  Boston.  ■Nlr.  Downs 
came  with  his  parents  to  Mount  "X'ernon  when 
thirteen  years  of  age,  and  here  he  completed  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  the  county.  His  grand- 
father, Paul  Downs,  was  a  shipbuilder  in  Maine,  be- 
queathing, perhaps,  to  this  grandson  his  talent 
along  that  line,  for  Mr.  Downs  early  displayed 
great  skill  in  the  construction  of  boats,  launches, 
and  works  of  a  similar  nature ;  and  is  now  building 
a  gasoline  launch  that  promises  to  be  very  satis- 
factory. During  the  time  his  father  was  in  office, 
the  complete  charge  of  the  farm  devolved  upon  him, 
since  which  he  has  followed  that  work.  Twelve 
years  ago  he  took  up  a  preemption  near  Cedar- 
dale  but  has  never  made  that  his  permanent  home. 

In  1891.     Mr.     Downs     married     Miss     Leona 

Moore,  daughter  of  Thomas  J.  and  Mary  ( ) 

Moore,  who  came  to  this  country  forty  years 
ago,  making  the  trip  in  a  sailing  vessel  by  way  of 
Cape  Horn.  Mrs.  Downs  was  born  at  Fort  Dis- 
covery in  1872.  She  has  one  brother,  George 
Moore,  a  farmer  living  in  Skagit  City.  Both  her 
parents  are  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Downs  have 
three  children:  Mable,  Agnes  and  Isabella.  Like 
his  father,  Mr.  Downs  is  a  Republican,  devoted  to 
the  interests  of  his  party,  but  has  never  sought  po- 
litical preferment  for  himself.  Financially  he  is 
nicely  situated,  owning  his  farm  near  Fir,  and  also 
town  property  in  Mount  Vernon,  while  as  a  citizen 
and  neighbor  he  stands  high  in  his  community. 


DR.  HORACE  P.  DOWNS.  Among  the  many 
prominent  pioneer  citizens  who  have  materially  as- 
sisted in  laying  firm  and  secure  the  foundation 
whereupon  a  better  and  broader  civilization  might 


be  erected  in  Skagit  county,  few  if  any  have  really 
contributed  more  than  has  the  gentleman  whose 
name  furnishes  the  caption  for  this  article,  and 
none  have  left  on  retirement  from  public  and  offi- 
cial duties  a  cleaner  or  more  creditable  record,  a 
heritage  more  to  be  prized  by  the  oncoming  gen- 
erations than  the  dower  of  a  prince.  Qualified  by 
education,  profession  and  temperament  for  leader- 
ship in  a  new  community,  his  worth  was  soon  recog- 
nized and  the  voice  of  the  people  called  him  to  their 
service.  Dr.  Downs  came  among  the  people  as  one 
of  them,  taking  up  land  on  the  tide  flats  a  number 
of  miles  to  the  south  of  Mount  \'ernon,  and  adding 
to  this  by  purchase,  he  engaged  in  the  reclamation 
of  the  same  from  the  sea  without  and  the  river 
floods  witnin,  clearing,  diking  and  cultivating;  lab- 
oring in  season  and  out,  undergoing  the  hardships 
of  flooded  home,  when  for  days  at  a  time  the  house- 
hold goods  were  stored  for  safety  in  the  upper  story 
of  the  house,  while  the  family  sought  shelter  else- 
where ;  loss  of  stock  and  crops,  exercising  Yankee 
ingenuity  in  the  construction  of  floating  pens  for 
the  preservation  of  his  hogs,  and  in  every  way  tak- 
ing the  initiative  against  new  and  unknown  dangers. 
In  the  settlement  of  new  countries,  as  nowhere 
else,  is  the  resident  physician's  presence  appreciat- 
ed, and  the  Doctor's  service  was  a  boon  of  priceless 
value  in  those  days  for  many  miles  around,  since 
it  was  known  that  his  best  skill  was  to  be  had  for 
asking,  without  price.  Born  in  Freedom,  New 
Hampshire,  to  the  union  of  Paul  and  Betsey  (Rol- 
lins) Downs,  the  former  dying  in  1855  and  the  latter 
many  years  later  in  Skagit  county.  Dr.  Downs  re- 
ceived the  best  of  educational  advantages,  attending 
first  the  Great  Falls  high  school,  then  Phillips  Acad- 
emy at  Exeter,  and  later  Bowdoin  College,  in  the 
latter  of  which  he  took  a  medical  course,  and  short- 
ly afterward  began  the  practice  of  his  chosen  pro- 
fession at  Tamworth.  New  Hampshire.  Fifteen 
years  were  then  spent  in  the  city  of  Boston  as  phy- 
sician and  druggist.  Then  in  1878  he  came  to  Skag- 
it county.  Mrs.  Downs'  advent  into  this  country 
ante-dates  that  of  her  husband.  Having  come  west 
to  California  on  a  visit  to  her  father,  she  fell  in 
love  with  the  sound  country,  with  its  salubrious 
climate,  matchless  water  expanse,  and  tangle  of  wild 
beauty  on  hill  and  in  valley,  and  after  writing  an 
enthusiastic  letter  to  the  husband  in  the  east,  filed 
by  power  of  attorney  upon  a  tract  of  tide  land.  This, 
however,  was  lost  to  them  and  other  land  was  taken 
in  its  stead.  Sometime  after  his  arrival  the  Doctor 
was  appointed  as  tide  land  appraiser  by  the  legis- 
lature, and  was  also  called  to  serve  as  county  com- 
missioner of  Whatcom  county  before  the  division 
and  organization  of  Skagit.  When  the  bill  for  the 
division  of  Whatcom  county  passed,  the  Doctor 
was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  by  the  leg- 
islature, to  complete  the  details  of  the  same  and 
settle  up  in  an  equitable  manner  the  interests  of  the 
old  and  new  county.  At  a  special  election  following 
this   he  was   chosen  the  first   auditor  of  the  new 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


county,  and  so  satisfactorily  did  he  conduct  the  af- 
fairs of  his  office  that  he  was  elected  three  terms  in 
succession  to  that  position.  He  also  served  three 
terms  as  deputy  assessor,  and  was  twice  elected 
mayor  of  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon. 

In  1864  Dr.  Downs  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Sylvina  A.  Guptill,  native  of  Maine,  born  in  1843. 
Her  father,  William  N.  Guptill,  practicing  physi- 
cian, was  one  of  the  argonauts  who  made  the  trip 
to  California  on  one  of  the  first  sailing  vessels  to 
round  Cape  Horn  after  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
that  country.  Mrs.  Downs,  who  departed  this  life 
February  28,  1904,  was  a  lady  of  culture  and  re- 
fineinent,  with  unusual  executive  ability,  compe- 
tent to  fill  any  position  social  or  otherwise.  She 
was  known  far  and  wide  for  her  many  excellent 
qualities  of  heart  and  mind,  and  her  decease  was 
sincerely  mourned  by  the  host  of  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances as  a  personal  loss  to  the  community.  In 
her  immediate  family  she  left  the  husband  and 
son,  John  L.,  the  only  child,  who  is  an  extensive 
farmer  on  the  tide  flats,  south  of  Mount  Vernon. 
In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Downs  has  always  been  an 
active  Odd  Fellow,  having  passed  through  all  the 
chairs  of  the  subordinate  lodge,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  lodge.  Politically  he  has  ever  been  a 
stalwart  Republican,  but  never  a  narrow  partisan, 
and  by  this  broad  minded  view  of  matters,  he  has 
won  and  held  as  fast  friends  men  of  like  calibre  in 
the  ranks  of  the  opposing  political  forces.  Re- 
spected and  highly  esteemed  by  a  circle  of  acquaint- 
ances not  confined  to  the  limits  of  his  town,  or  even 
county.  Dr.  Downs,  in  the  decline  of  life,  and  while 
suffering  under  the  affliction  of  a  possibly  fatal  ill- 
ness, from  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  can  look  back  on 
the  well  spent  years  of  his  life  with  gratification 
and  pride,  feeling  that  his  life  has  not  been  lived  in 
vain,  and  with  the  approval  of  his  earthly  course 
by  his  neighbors  and  friends,  he  can  face  the  judg- 
ment of  that  higher  tribunal  with  reasonable  assur- 
ance of  the  applaudit,  "Well  done,  thou  good  and 
faithful  servant." 


ELMER  A.  AXELSON  is  one  of  four  brothers 
who  have  made  an  unqualified  success  of  Skagit 
county  farming  since  coming  from  Sweden.  He  is 
a  successful  grain  and  stock  farmer  two  miles  west 
of  Fir  in  the  Skagit  delta,  one  of  the  rich  agricul- 
tural sections  of  the  county.  Elmer  was  born  in 
Sweden  in  1873,  the  son  of  Axel  W.  Magnuson, 
who  is  still  living  on  the  farm  in  his  native  land. 
The  mother,  Sophia  Nygin,  was  born  at  Atvida- 
barg,  Sweden,  and  is  still  living  with  her  husband, 
both  being  well  advanced  in  years.  She  is  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Axel  W.,  Con- 
rad F.,  Herman  and  Elmer  reside  in  Skagit  coun- 
ty ;  the  others  being  Mrs.  Sophia  Wangberg,  Mrs. 
Amanda  Johanson,  Mrs.  Ella  Gustafson  and  Alben 
Axelson.  Elmer  attended  his  home  school  until 
fourteen  years  of  age.    He  was  ambitious  for  a  lib- 


eral education,  but  circumstances  denied  him  this 
for  a  time  and  he  left  home  to  work  on  a  farm  at 
Norkoping  for  a  year.  A  short  stay  at  the  old  home 
followed  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  found 
himself  at  La  Conner.  He  was  fortunate  on  first 
coming  to  the  United  States  to  be  employed  on  the 
excellent  farm  of  R.  E.  Whitney,  who  was  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  liberal  farmers  of  that  sec- 
tion. He  worked  here  for  six  years,  then  went  to 
work  for  E.  A.  Sisson,  putting  in  seven  years  off 
and  on  with  him.  It  was  during  this  period  of  his 
life  that  young  Axelson  realized  in  part  his  desire 
for  more  education,  and  he  utilized  his  winters  in 
attending  school.  Finally  deciding  to  try  what  he 
could  do  for  himself,  Mr.  Axelson  rented  the 
George  D'Arcy  place,  on  the  Samish  flats,  and 
operated  it  for  two  years.  The  next  seven  years 
were  spent  in  farming  on  Beaver  Marsh  at  the  J. 
S.  Wallace  place.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Axelson 
had  bought  and  sold  a  small  place  by  the  Swinomish 
slough,  making  some  money  on  the  investment  and 
sale.  In  1903  he  purchased  the  Captain  Loveland 
place,  of  160  acres,  all  under  cultivation,  and  has 
since  made  his  home  there. 

June  11,  1903,  he  married  Miss  Gertrude  Mor- 
ris at  Tacoma.  Mrs.  Axelson  is  the  daughter  of 
George  A.  and  Sarah  (O'Donnell)  Morris,  natives 
of  England,  who  came  to  the  United  States  eighteen 
years  ago  and  settled  at  Avon.  Mrs.  Morris  died 
early  in  1905,  but  Mr.  Morris  still  resides  at  Avon, 
living  in  retirement,  having  sold  his  real  estate, 
which  brought  him  considerable  wealth.  Mrs. 
Axelson  was  born  at  Nottingham,  England,  in  1883 
and  came  to  this  country  with  her  parents  when 
only  five  years  old.  She  attended  the  Avon  schools 
and  entered  the  Salvation  Army  when  fifteen,  serv- 
ing for  three  years  in  Spokane  and  Bellingham, 
Washington,  Helena,  Montana,  and  Rossland  and 
Victoria,  British  Columbia.  Before  leaving  the 
army  she  had  been  commissioned  lieutenant.  She 
has  two  children:  Evalina,  born  March  26,  1904, 
and  Lucille,  born  August  10,  1905.  Just  previous 
to  his  marriage,  Mr.  Axelson  realized  the  cherished 
ambition  of  obtaining  a  higher  education  and  pur- 
sued successfully  in  1901  and  1902  a  course  in  the 
Bellingham  business  college,  getting  a  training 
which  he  highly  prizes  as  an  adjunct  of  his  busi- 
ness. In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Axelson  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World  and  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Good  Templars.  He  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics and  with  his  wife  belongs  to  the  La  Conner 
Baptist  church.  Mr.  Axelson  is  one  of  the  pros- 
perous and  up-to-date  farmers  of  the  southwest  sec- 
tion of  the  county. 


HALEY  R.  HUTCHINSON,  prominently 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Blount  Ver- 
non as  the  proprietor  of  the  Spring  Brook  Gar- 
dens, was  born  in  Manchester,  Vermont,  Novem- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ber  16,  1S5S,  the  son  of  Robert  Hutchinson,  of 
French  descent,  who  was  superintendent  of  the  oil 
refinery  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  at  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1S8T.  His  mother  was  Clara  Minerva  (Pren- 
tiss) Hutchinson,  a  native  of  ^tlassachusetts,  whose 
parents  were  the  direct  descendants  of  the  Puri- 
tans. Her  father,  Zachariah  Prentiss,  of  Akron, 
Ohio,  a  man  of  influence  in  that  part  of  the  state, 
at  one  time  owned  as  farm  land  the  present  site  of 
the  city  of  Akron,  in  which  he  still  holds  large  real 
estate  interests.  She  died  in  18T3,  at  the  age  of  thir- 
ty-nine. She  was  the  niece  of  General  Prentiss  of 
historic  memory.  Having  moved  with  his  parents 
to  Cleveland  at  the  age  of  four,  ^Ir.  Hutchinson 
there  spent  the  following  six  years,  and  then  began 
his  career,  when  only  ten  years  old,  working  on  a 
farm  and  in  a  nursery.  He  was  a  resident  of  Ohio 
till  1880,  going  then  to  Chicago  where  he  took 
a  six-year  course  in  mechanical  engineering,  and 
later  locating  in  Grand  Haven,  Michigan.  After 
seven  years  there  in  which  he  was  engaged  in  gar- 
dening and  fruit  farming,  he  removed  to  Placer 
county,  California,  in  1896,  there  pursuing  the  same 
line  of  activity,  together  with  mining.  Convinced 
that  the  country  to  the  northwest  held  desirable 
agricultural  openings,  two  years  later,  with  three 
teams  and  camp  wagons  thoroughly  equipped,  he 
started  overland,  travelling  leisurely,  viewing  the 
country  with  the  purpose  of  locating  when  a  desir- 
able spot  was  found.  The  most  memorable  event 
of  the  journey  was  at  Warm  Springs,  Oregon, 
where  he  witnessed  probably  the  largest  gathering 
of  Indians  ever  held.  Coming  from  all  over  the 
country  they  were  there  holding  a  religious  pow- 
wow, a  scene  which  once  witnessed  can  never  be 
forgotten.  Starting  from  Sacramento  he  reached 
Mount  Vernon  in  the  fall  of  1898,  and  for  two  years 
leased  land  till  he  had  demonstrated  that  this  was 
adapted  to  gardening,  after  which  he  bought  his 
first  land  of  Frank  Hamilton.  He  believed  that 
this  locality  was  especially  suitable  for  the  culture 
of  celery,  tomatoes  and  like  vegetables,  but  it  re- 
quired time  to  prove  to  a  skeptical  public  the 
soundess  of  his  judgment.  Conceded  now  to  be  the 
largest  celery  grower  in  the  state,  cultivating  annu- 
ally two  hundred  thousand  plants,  he  has  establish- 
ed a  reputation  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud. 

^Ir.  Hutchinson  was  married  October  3,  1880, 
to  ^liss  Cozella  Smith,  a  native  of  Sandusky,  Ohio. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hutchinson  have  six  children: 
Haley  S.,  Karl,  Cozella,  Pansy,  Ruby  and  Linnet. 
Haley  S.,  the  oldest  son,  his  father's  partner  in  the 
business,  has  completed  a  two-year  course  at  the 
agricultural  college  at  Pullman,  and  will  remain 
there  for  two  years  more,  studying  veterinary 
science.  His  specialty  is  thoroughbred  stock,  and 
he  owns  at  the  present  time  some  fine  Jersey  cattle 
and  Berkshire  hogs,  in  connection  with  his  father's 
dairy  interests.  Mr.  Hutchinson  has  one  of  the  fin- 
est barns  to  be  found  in  this  section,  having  accom- 
modations   for    forty-eight    cows.      He    owns    a 


creamery  and  finds  a  ready  market  for  his  product. 
In  political  matters  Mr.  Hutchinson  is  an  inde- 
pendent voter.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Woodmen  of  the  World  and 
the  Banker's  Life.  He  and  his  family  attend  the 
Episcopal  church.  Beginning  life  for  himself  at  an 
age  when  most  boys  are  occupied  with  tops,  mar- 
bles and  balls,  his  long  years  of  industry,  enter- 
prise and  skilful  management  have  been  duly  re- 
warded and  to-day  he  owns  seventy  acres  of  bottom 
land,  thirty-five  of  which  are  devoted  to  gardens; 
he  also  owns  fifty  acres  on  the  hills,  where  his  home 
is,  besides  his  greenhouses,  creamery  and  dairy, 
and  he  is  considered  one  of  the  successful  business 
men  of  the  countv. 


DAVID  EVERETT  KIMBLE,  a  pioneer 
among  pioneers,  one  of  the  real  forces  in  the  recla- 
mation of  the  Skagit  valley  from  its  primeval  wild- 
erness, is  the  honored  citizen  whose  life  we  shall 
here  seek  to  concisely  portray.  Upon  the  old  home- 
stead in  the  bend  of  the  river  just  below  Mount 
Vernon,  surrounded  by  peace  and  plenty,  amid  the 
scenes  of  his  most  noteworthy  labors,  he  is  passing 
the  declining  years  of  a  long,  useful  life. 

Aaron  Kimble,  the  father  of  David,  was  a  pio- 
neer of  the  middle  West,  into  which  he  entered  as 
a  lad  of  twelve  from  his  native  state.  New  Jersey. 
In  Ohio  he  learned  the  plasterer's  trade  and  there 
lived  until  1833,  when  he  removed  to  Park  county, 
Indiana.  From  Indiana  he  went  to  INIissouri  eight 
years  later  and  resided  until  his  death  in  1846. 
Nancy  (Snodgrass)  Kimble,  his  wife,  was  born  in 
1813,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  there  lived  with  her 
parents  until  they  went  to  Ohio.  In  that  state  she 
was  married.  She  survived  her  husband  forty 
years,  living  in  Missouri  until  1870,  then  joining  her 
son  at  IMount  Vernon  with  whom  she  lived  until 
the  grim  reaper  overtook  her.  Five  of  their  chil- 
dren are  dead  also :  Vina,  Joseph,  John,  Aaron, 
Newton  and  Mary;  the  remaining  three  are  Mrs. 
Martha  Clifton,  Mrs.  Clarinda  Gates  and  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  May  5,  1828,  on 
the  old  farm  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  but  received 
his  education  and  arrived  at  man's  estate  in  Mis- 
souri. In  1861  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Illinois, 
but  lived  there  only  a  year,  next  going  to  Indiana, 
where  he  ran  a  saw-mill  engine  for  a  time.  Re- 
turning to  Illinois  in  1863,  he  followed  teaming  in 
Cass  county  until  he  came  to  the  Pacific  coast.  The 
trip  across  the  plains  with  his  family  in  1868  was 
filled  with  the  usual  dangers  and  hardships  incident 
to  such  a  trip.  Arriving  at  Puget  sound,  Mr. 
Kimble  immediately  joined  his  wife's  folk  on  Whid- 
by  island  and  resided  nearby  for  several  months. 
At  that  time  what  is  now  Skagit  county  had  barely 
a  score  of  white  settlers  and  the  Skagit  valley  was 
entirely  unoccupied  except  by  a  number  of  white 
men  with  Indian  wives,  living  on  the  delta.  Into 
this  wilderness  Mr.  Kimble  plunged  and  February 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


3,  1869,  staked  out  the  claim  which  is  now  his  home. 
This  place  was  the  furthest  inland  at  that  date 
and  right  at  the  lower  end  of  the  historic  log  jam 
which  blocked  higher  navigation  bv  any  kind  of  a 
boat,  thus  preventing  the  settlement  of  the  inland 
region.  As  the  most  isolated  settler  in  the  county 
Mr.  Kimble  passed  through  a  great  many  interest- 
ing pioneer  experiences.  The  Gates,  Gage  and 
Kimble  families  settled  near  each  other  about  the 
same  time,  shortly  after  the  claims  were  taken  in 
l.S(!9,  being  the  first  white  families  on  the  Skagit. 
However,  settlement  on  the  river  was  extremely 
slow  until  the  removal  of  the  jam  in  1878  and  the 
founding  of  Mount  Vernon  just  above  the  Kimble 
place  about  that  year. 

Mr.  Kimble  was  united  in  marriage  to  Minerva 
Jane  Bozarth  in  Indiana,  Christmas  day,  1862.  She 
comes  of  a  well-known  pioneer  family,  her  father 
having  been  Urvan  E.  Bozarth,  who  settled  on 
Whidby  island  in  1853.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky 
in  1827,  but  left  the  Blue  Grass  state  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  to  live  in  Missouri.  His  death  occurred 
on  Whidby  island  in  1870.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Rice) 
Bozarth  was  a  native  of  Missouri  and  there  reared 
and  educated.  The  Bozarth  family  is  prominent  in 
the  early  history  of  Whidby  island.  Mrs.  Kimble 
was  born  February  2,  1845,  and  reared  by  her 
grandparents,  with  whom  she  lived  until  her  mar- 
riage. A  large  family  has  been  the  fortune  of  this 
union:  Balzora,  born  August  15,  1863  (deceased)  ; 
Edward,  March  18,  1864,  a  well-known  resident  of 
the  lower  valley;  Charles  W.,  September  22, 
]S(;5  (deceased);  Clarinda,  November  20,  1866 
(deceased)  :  Minerva  Elizabeth,  January  24,  1869; 
Nancv  B.,  October  30,  1870 ;  Joseph,  December  25, 
1872;'  Ida,  January  6,  1875;  Zenia,  April  29,  1876; 
George,  March  8,  1879;  Harry,  July  11,  1881; 
Anna,  October  9,  1883 ;  and  Rufus,  January  5, 
1886.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
faith.  Mr.  Kimble  is  a  Democrat,  but  of  late  has 
not  taken  as  active  an  interest  in  politics  as  when 
he  was  younger.  He  has  served  upon  the  local 
school  board  and  in  many  other  ways  shown  his 
public  spiritedness  and  a  desire  to  bear  his  respon- 
sibilities as  a  good  citizen.  The  Kimble  ranch  of 
seventy  acres  well  improved  and  having  upon  it 
more  than  1,000  bearing  fruit  trees  is  a  high  testi- 
monial to  its  owner's  thrift  and  taste,  and  it  is  ap- 
propriate that  he  and  his  wife  should  now  1);  en- 
joying the  fruits  of  their  long,  weary  labors  as 
pioneers  of  that  community. 


ABNER  B.  CORIELL,  one  of  the  heroes  of 
Shiloh  and  Vicksburg,  is  a  native  of  Ohio  where 
he  was  born  at  Portsmouth,  April  7,  1842.  the  son 
of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Beard)  Coriell.  His  fath- 
er, also  born  in  the  Buckeye  state,  in  1803,  grew  up 
on  his  father's  farm,  leaving  it  when  he  began  life 
for  himself  in  the  shoe  trade.  Moving  to  Greenup 
county,  Kentucky,  two  years  later,  he  there  had  a 


tannery  and  shoe  factory,  selling  out  in  1850,  to 
remove  to  Muscatine  County,  Iowa.  Here  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
two.  His  wife,  born  in  the  state  of  Ohio,  in  1803, 
died  four  years  prior  to  her  husband.  Mr.  Coriell 
spent  his  early  years  working  on  the  farm,  first  for 
his  father  and  then  for  others.  Among  the  thousands 
of  young  men  who  in  the  first  flush  of  manhood  an- 
swered the  call  to  arms  in  isci,  none  bore  a  braver 
heart  than  did  Mr.  Coriell,  who  enlisted  September, 
1861,  in  Company  C,  of  the  Sixteenth  Iowa  Infan- 
try. Having  received  a  severe  wound  in  the  arm 
at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  he  was  home  on  a  furlough 
for  six  months,  joining  his  company  at  the  end  of 
that  time,  at  Vicksburg.  Actively  engaged  in  the 
fearful  siege  of  that  city,  he  was  there  discharged 
on  account  of  his  wounds.  After  his  recovery  he 
farmed  for  a  year,  and  then  longing,  perchance, 
for  adventure,  he  crossed  the  plains  by  wagon  to 
Nevada,  later  going  to  Salt  Lake,  where  he  re- 
mained for  some  time.  In  1865,  Virginia  City, 
Montana,  became  his  home  for  a  year,  which  he 
spent  in  mining.  A  trip  from  this  city  to  Omaha, 
Nebraska,  on  horse  back  was  completed  in  fifty- 
five  days,  and  here  he  tarried  for  a  short  time,  go- 
ing thence  to  Iowa,  and  later  accepting  a  position 
as  pilot  on  the  Missouri  river,  which  he  retained 
for  nine  years.  Coming  to  the  state  of  Washing- 
ton in  1875,  his  first  position  was  in  the  mines  at 
Newcastle,  east  of  Seattle ;  this,  however,  was  soon 
given  up,  and  logging  near  Green  river,  substitut- 
ed. In  1876,  he  came  ti)  Mount  Vernon,  and  here 
took  up  a  claim  six  miles  northwest  of  the  city, 
spending  his  time  for  the  next  three  years  on  the 
farm.  A  trip  to  British  Columbia  was  the  follow- 
ing step  in  the  eventful  life  of  Mr.  Coriell,  and 
when,  after  three  years'  residence  there,  he  returned 
to  Mount  Vernon,  he  disposed  of  his  property,  and 
now  resides  with  Mr.  David  Kimble  of  whose  farm 
he  has  the  entire  charge.  His  brothers  and  sisters 
are :  Mrs.  Jane  Coriell.  George,  now  dead,  Sanford, 
Sela,  Louisa  Reed,  Mary  Ann  (deceased),  Charlie, 
James,  Isabelle  Willett,  Mrs.  Lucretia  Pascal  (de- 
ceased). With  such  a  record  behind  him,  it  is  need- 
less to  say  that  Mr.  Coriell  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Grand  Army,  and  one  of  whom  his  com- 
rades are  justly  proud  :  while  his  sterling  character 
has  won  for  him  the  respect  of  his  man\-  acquaint- 
ances. 


EDWARD  DAVID  KIMBLE,  identified  with 
the  logging  interests  of  Mount  Vernon  for  the  past 
twenty  vears,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in  Spring- 
field, March  18.  1863,  the  son  of  David  Everett  and 
Minerva  Jane  (Bozarth)  Kimble,  a  sketch  of  whom 
is  found  elsewhere  in  this  history.  His  father  was 
born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  May  5,  1838 ;  his 
mother,  also  claiming  Ohio  as  her  birthplace,  was 
born  February  10,  1845.  The  parents  are  now  liv- 
ing in  Mount  Vernon.    Coming  with  his  parents  tO' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


this  city  at  the  age  of  nine,  Edward  D.  Kimble 
here  spent  the  following  nine  years,  leaving  home 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the 
Frazier  river  district,  British  Columbia,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  farming.  In  1884  he  took  up  his 
permanent  residence  in  Mount  Vernon,  and  there 
began  the  business  that  has  claimed  his  attention  to 
the  present  time. 

Mr.  Kimble  was  married  at  Boundary  bay, 
British  Columbia,  March  18,  1884,  to  Mary 
Martin,  who  died  the  following  year,  at  Mount 
\'ernon.  To  her  father,  Samuel  INIartin,  of  Indi- 
ana, belongs  the  distinction  of  having  been  one  of 
the  very  first  settlers  in  the  Frazier  river  country 
to  which  he  came  in  1864.  His  home  is  now  in 
Blaine,  Washington,  but  he  spends  much  of  his 
time  farming  in  British  Columbia.  Her  brothers 
and  sisters  are  as  follows :  Charles,  Joseph,  Wil- 
liam. Lucy,  Myrtle,  Isabelle  and  Betsy.  On  No- 
vember li,  1892,  Mr.  Kimble  Was  again  married, 
Mary  Miller  this  time  being  his  bride.  Her  fath- 
er, a  farmer  of  German  ancestry,  died  in  Califor- 
nia three  years  ago.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kimble  have 
three  children :  Emma,  Walter  and  Erwin.  Mr. 
Kimble  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never  sought  politi- 
cal prominence.  He  is  a  member  of  the  American 
Yeoman  fraternity.  His  wife  is  connected  with  the 
Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Kimble,  in  connection  with 
his  logging  business,  owns  an  excellent  wood  saw. 
He  also  rents  a  farm  upon  which  he  resides.  He 
is  the  second  child  in  a  family  of  thirteen,  of  whom 
the  other  members  are :  Belzora,  Charles  W.,  Clo- 
rinda,  Minerva  Elizabeth,  Nancy  B.,  Joseph,  Ida, 
George,  Zenia,  Harry,  Anna  and  Rufus.  A  man 
of  good  business  ability,  honorable  in  all  his  deal- 
ings with  his  fellowmen.  of  strictest  integrity,  and 
one  who  is  at  all  times  animated  by  a  spirit  of  fair- 
ness and  justice,  Mr.  Kimble  holds  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  all. 


GEORGE  MORAN.  Among  the  many  men  of 
foreign  birth  who  have  made  the  United  States  the 
home  of  their  adoption,  finding  therein  success  and 
friends,  must  ever  be  numbered  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Born  in  Ireland  in  1851,  the  fourteenth 
child  of  James  and  Maria  (O'Toole  )Moran,  both 
hatives  of  Ireland,  where  the  father  followed  farm- 
ing, ]\Ir.  Moran  received  his  education  in  the  moth- 
er country.  When  he  had  reached  his  majority,  he 
sailed  for  the  United  States,  where  he  settled  first 
in  Michigan,  following  the  logging  business  there 
for  three  years.  In  May  of  1876,  he  decided  to 
visit  the  wonderful  land  that  lay  beyond  the 
Rockies  and  investigate  the  rich  resources  of  which 
he  had  read.  Locating  in  what  at  that  time  was 
a  part  of  Whatcom  county,  Washington,  there  re- 
maining for  five  years  during  which  time  ha  was 
engaged  in  logging  on  the  Skagit  river,  he  came  at 
length  to  Mount  Vernon  in  June,  1881.  Here  he 
owned  and  operated,  the  Mount  Vernon  House  for 


several  years,  meanwhile  filing  on  a  homestead 
claim  on  which  he  commuted  at  the  end  of  two 
years,  and  also  taking  up  a  timber  claim.  Having 
disposed  of  his  hotel,  he  went  into  the  retail  liquor 
business  in  1890  in  Mount  Vernon,  which  line  of 
trade  still  claims  his  attention.  He  has  made  Mount 
Vernon  his  home  since  1876. 

Mr.  Moran  was  married  in  Mount  Vernon  April 
7,  1885,  to  Margaret  Knox,  the  daughter  of  John 
B.  Knox,  who  came  from  his  native  land,  Scotland, 
to  Washington  territory  in  1875,  where  he  took  up 
a  homestead  near  the  site  of  Mount  Vernon,  his 
present  home.  He  had  successfully  followed  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter  in  the  land  of  his  birth.  Mrs. 
Moran  was  born  in  Arkansas  in  1867,  but  having 
removed  with  her  parents  to  Skagit  county  when 
quite  young,  she  here  received  her  education,  and 
became  a  bride  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Moran  have  one  child,  John  P.,  born  in  Mount 
Vernon,  March  — ,  1888.  A  boy  of  unusual  talents, 
he  is  now  attending  the  Washington  State  Univer- 
sity at  Seattle,  from  which  he  will  graduate  in  the 
class  of  1907,  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen.  Mr. 
Moran  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Democratic 
party  and  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  its  principles, 
to  which  he  has  been  a  lifelong  adherent.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  influence  in  the  following  fra- 
ternities :  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  the  Concatenated  Order  of  Hoo  Hoo. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic church.  In  addition  to  the  homestead  and 
timber  claims  already  mentioned,  Mr.  Moran  is  also 
the  owner  of  several  valuable  pieces  of  property  in 
Seattle.  Among  the  pioneers  of  Skagit  county  Mr. 
Moran  has  a  wide  acquaintance  and  friendship,  and 
as  a  man  of  his  word,  who  will  redeem  a  pledge 
made  or  a  promise  given,  none  take  precedence  over 
him.  Still  in  the  prime  of  life,  he  has  doubtless 
many  years  before  him  in  which  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  hjs  wise  management  and  skilful  industry. 


ANDREW  A.  JOHNSON,  a  prosperous  farm- 
er residing  in  the  Beaver  Marsh  district,  four  and  a 
half  miles  southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born 
in  Sweden  in  1849,  the  son  of  John  and  Anna 
(Pear)  Johnson,  natives  of  the  same  country,  the 
father  having  been  engaged  in  farming  there  until 
his  death.  The  mother  now  resides  with  her  son 
in  Mount  Vernon.  After  securing  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Sweden,  Mr.  Johnson  began 
learning  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  wagon  maker. 
His  father  having  died  when  he  was  a  small  boy, 
he  was  entirely  dependent  upon  his  own  efforts, 
and  having  heard  of  the  superior  advantages  of- 
fered to  young  men  in  the  United  States,  he  came 
thither  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  after  a  brief  stay 
of  four  months  in  Canada,  locating  first  in  Chi- 
cago where  he  arrived  three  days  after  the  great 
fire.  At  the  end  of  eighteen  months  he  took  up 
track    laving   on    the    railroads    in    Wisconsin    and 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Michigan,  and  later  was  employed  in  the  iron  mines 
of  Lake  Superior.  In  the  spring  of  187-1,  he  re- 
moved to  California,  where  he  spent  a  year  and  a 
half  in  the  Napa  valley,  first  on  a  ranch  and  later 
as  a  carpenter  assisting  in  the  construction  of  the 
asylum  of  Napa  county.  In  San  Francisco  he  was 
employed  by  the  same  contractor  for  several 
months,  after  which  he  went  to  Peru,  South  Amer- 
ica, and  there  fell  a  victim  to  disease  and  misfor- 
tune. Homeless,  ill,  destitute  of  money  and  even 
personal  apparel,  all  of  which  had  been  stolen  from 
him,  the  future  seemed  a  blank.  However,  help 
came  in  the  darkest  hour  from  the  fraternal  order 
with  which  he  was  connected,  the  Odd  Fellows, 
who  kindly  secured  his  passage  back  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  rendered  him  financial  assistance  until 
his  health  was  restored  and  he  had  found  a  business 
opening.  As  bridge  builder  for  the  Southern  Pa- 
cific railroad,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  open  the 
work  at  Port  Costa,  going  thence  to  Arizona  as 
foreman  wagon  maker  for  the  same  road,  and  was 
later  employed  by  them  in  building  the  road  from 
Sweetwater  to  within  a  few  miles  of  San  Antonio, 
Texas.  Upon  its  completion  he  went  to  the  Mo- 
have desert  with  the  company  outfit  and  there  fol- 
lowed his  trade  for  six  months  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  returned  to  California  to  assist  his  brother 
who  was  superintendent  of  the  Nevada  dock  at 
Redding,  California.  Having  visited  La  Conner, 
Washington,  in  1883,  he  was  so  favorably  impress- 
ed that  a  year  later  it  became  his  home,  and  here 
for  the  ensuing  eight  years  he  worked  at  his  trade 
and  on  his  farm.  Many  houses  and  barns  in  this 
locality  bear  witness  of  his  skill  as  a  carpenter.  Dis- 
posing of  his  interests  in  1894,  he  bought  his  pres- 
ent farm  near  Mount  Vernon,  and  has  since  made 
this  his  home. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  February  2,  1884,  to 
Miss  Berta  Eliza  Anderson,  a  native  of  Sweden 
who  came  with  her  sister  to  the  United  States  in 
1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  five  children: 
Anna  M.,  Carl  G.,  Alice  (deceased),  Oscar  F.  and 
Arthur  J.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen  at  La  Conner.  Both  he  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  Johnson  is  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Republi- 
can party,  and  has  several  times  been  elected  dele- 
gate to  the  conventions  of  his  party.  Interested  in 
educational  matters,  he  has  given  to  it  time  and  at- 
tention, serving  as  school  director  in  his  district. 
His  fine  farm  of  eighty  acres  produces  from  three 
to  four  thousand  pounds  of  oats,  and  from  four  to 
four  and  one-half  tons  of  timothy,  to  the  acre.  He 
owns  a  good  dairy,  and  sells  the  product  as  cream. 
He  has  recently  built  a  beautiful  new  home,  thus 
surrounding  himself  with  the  evidences  of  the  pros- 
perity he  so  richly  merits.  He  is  known  as  a  pub- 
lic spirited  citizen,  deserving  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  his  many  acquaintances. 


JOHN  JUNGQUIST,  well  known  as  a  farmer 
and  stockman,  residing  three  miles  southwest  of 
Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  central  Sweden  in  1858, 
his  father  being  August  Jungquist,  a  farmer  who 
came  to  this  country  in  1888  and  now  resides  with 
his  son  in  Mount  Vernon.  Hannah  (Swanson) 
Jungquist,  the  mother,  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  and 
came  with  her  husband  to  America,  where  she  died 
in  1901.  Attending  the  common  schools  of  the 
country,  and  serving  two  seasons  of  fifteen  days  - 
each  in  the  army,  as  all  who  pass  the  examinations 
are  required  to  do,  Mr.  Jungquist  spent  the  early 
years  of  his  life.  To  him  as  to  so  many  of  his 
countrymen,  the  United  States  was  a  synonym  for 
opportunity  and  success,  and  thus  having  reached 
his  majority,  he  crossed  the  ocean,  locating  in 
Osage  City,  Kansas,  where  he  worked  in  the  coal 
mines  for  two  years.  Desiring  to  investigate  the 
Northwest,  he  came  to  Seattle  by  way  of  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1883,  found  employment  at  brick  making 
under  the  contractors,  Lewis  &  Ranky,  with 
whom  he  remained  till  October  when  he  filed  on  his 
present  homestead.  So  densely  timbered  was  the 
land  that  only  here  and  there  could  glimpses  of  the 
sky  be  seen.  Wagons  and  roads  were  alike  un- 
known conveniences,  only  one  man  in  all  that  sec- 
tion owning  anything  that  might  by  courtesy  be  des- 
ignated as  a  wagon,  and  he,  Frank  Buck,  had  con- 
structed it,  using  wheels  sawed  out  of  logs.  The 
woods  were  full  of  bears  that  often  came  to  eat  ber- 
ries as  Mr.  Jungquist  toiled  on  clearing  off  the  tim- 
ber. Frequently  he  remained  in  the  woods  for 
weeks  at  a  time,  seeing  no  white  man  except  an  oc- 
casional trapper  making  his  rounds.  Everything 
needed  for  the  work  was  sent  up  the  Skagit  river 
and  packed  to  its  destination. 

Mr.  Jungquist  was  married  January  29,  1891, 
to  Amanda  Wersen,  of  Sweden,  born  February  16, 
1871.  She  came  to  this  country  in  1888,  and  her 
mother  followed  September  14,  1891.  Mr.  and  ]\Irs. 
Jungquist  have  four  children:  Amile,  bom  Janu- 
ary 14,  1893  ;  Iver,  September  14,  1894 ;  Gust.  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1896;  and  Eveylene,  May  27,  1901.  Mr. 
Jungquist  is  an  independent  voter.  His  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  eighty  of  which  are  under 
cultivation,  yielding  excellent  returns  in  oats,  hay 
and  stock,  is  a  substantial  proof  of  years  of  energy 
and  thrift,  while  the  esteem  accorded  him  b\-  his 
fellow-citizens  bears  Vitness  of  his  sterling  worth. 


JOHN  AXEL  LUND,  a  farmer  and  stockman 
residing  six  miles  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  is  a 
native  of  Sweden,  born  near  Lule  in  1859,  the  son 
of  John  A.  and  Elsie  M.  Anderson,  both  born  in 
Sweden,  in  which  country  the  father  also  died  and 
the  mother  still  makes  her  home.  Like  most  of  the 
boys  of  his  country,  Mr.  Lund  spent  his  early  years 
in  gaining  a  thorough  knowledge  of  farming  on  his 
father's  farm,  after  which  he  engaged  in  salmon 
fishing  for  several  years.     Longing  for  adventure, 


J^~i^/±^    /o^ 


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l^./^aJc^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


535 


he  in  company  with  three  sailors  started  for  Aus- 
tralia, when  he  had  reached  his  majority,  but  by 
some  strange  freak  of  chance  they  landed  in  New 
York.  Taking  up  the  work  that  first  presented  it- 
self he  followed  railroading  for  a  few  months,  and 
later  went  to  Chippewa  County,  Wisconsin,  where 
he  began  logging,  remaining  in  that  locality  for 
eight  years.  In  the  spring  of  1889  he  came  West; 
and  after  a  brief  stay  in  Seattle,  proceeded  to  La 
Conner  to  visit  a  friend.  Pleased  with  the  country, 
he  soon  found  a  position  on  a  farm,  retaining  it  for 
six  years,  at  which  time  he  invested  in  his  present 
farm  near  Mount  Vernon.  His  industry  and  thrift 
are  plainly  apparent  in  the  many  improvements 
which  he  has  made  upon  it,  building  new  barns  and 
fences  in  addition  to  a  neat  and  commodious  dwell- 
ing place. 

Mr.  Lund  was  married  January  T,  1897,  to  Miss 
Hannah  E.  Carlson,  who  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
1871,  and  found  a  home  in  the  United  States  in  1890. 
Her  mother  still  lives  in  her  native  country,  where 
her  father  died  several  years  ago.  Two  children 
have  gladdened  the  home  of  ^Ir.  and  Mrs.  Lund, 
Alice  AL,  born  April  31,  1898,  and  Ruby  M.,  born 
April  30,  1902.  Mr.  Lund  is  a  loyal  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  deeply  interested  in 
the  educational  matters  of  the  county,  and  in  his 
position  as  school  director  favors  every  advance 
movement.  It  is  hearty  co-operation  such  as  he 
gives  that  has  made  possible  the  vast  improvement 
everywhere  apparent  in  our  common  school  system. 
Mr.  and  IMrs.  Lund  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Arguing  from  his  own  success  as  well  as 
that  of  others,  Mr.  Lund  believes  Skagit  county  to 
be  the  very  best  county  in  the  world,  as  far  as  his 
travels  have  afforded  opportunity  for  him  to  ob- 
serve. He  is  giving  special  attention  to  short-horn 
cattle,  which  he  is  breeding  extensively.  A  man 
of  earnest  purpose  and  high  principles,  he  worthily 
holds  the  esteem  of  his  acquaintances. 


JOHN  L.  NELSON  was  born  in  1857,  near 
Christianstad.  in  Sweden,  a  country  that  has  given 
to  the  United  States  so  many  of  her  thrifty,  indus- 
trious citizens.  His  parents  were  Nelson  and  Bet- 
tie  (Johnson)  Larson,  natives  of  the  same  country 
in  which  they  spent  their  entire  lives,  the  father 
dying  in  1891  and  the  mother  nine  years  previous- 
ly. Having  substituted  for  his  surname  the  first 
name  of  his  father.  Nelson,  he  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  the  country,  working 
meanwhile  on  his  father's  farm.  Availing  himself 
of  the  greater  opportunities  offered  by  the  United 
States  to  young  men  of  ambition,  Mr.  Nelson 
crossed  the  ocean  in  1880,  arriving  in  Chicago 
August  15th,  when  the  National  Republican  con- 
vention which  nominated  Garfield  for  President 
was  in  session.  That  was  his  introduction  to  the 
country  of  whicli  he  is  now  such  a  loyal  citizen. 
After  working  in  a  tailor  shop  for  a  year,  in  ]March 


of  1881  he  went  to  Sacramento  valley,  California, 
where  he  followed  farming  for  two  years,  coming 
thence  to  La  Conner.  Employed  by  Olif  Poison 
for  some  time,  he  later,  together  with  Mr.  Alquist, 
leased  a  large  farni  on  the  Skagit  delta  which  they 
operated  for  a  year,  turning  it  over  to  the  owner 
at  the  end  of  that  time.  Having  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides,  situated  on  North  Fork, 
Beaver  Marsh,  five  and  one-half  miles  from  Mount 
Vernon,  he  took  up  his  abode  there  in  1885.  It  was 
a  wild,  desolate  country  at  that  time  with  no  roads 
and  no  bridges  spanning  the  turbulent  waters.  The 
few  brave  pioneers  who  made  that  their  home  were 
dependent  upon  the  Indians  to  row  them  over  from 
La  Conner  and  Mount  Vernon  in  scows.  Severe 
floods  often  endangered  their  lives  and  the  property 
they  had  secured  at  the  price  of  such  arduous,  toil. 
At  one  time  while  working  for  Mr.  Poison  the 
water  was  unusually  high,  flooding  the  house  and 
rising  to  the  level  of  the  beds. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  in  December,  1887,  to 
Miss  Hilda  Emanuelson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  whose 
death  occurred  January  11,  1900.  Three  children 
were  born  to  this  union,  Axel,  Emma  and  Carl  A. 
Mr.  Nelson  is  a  public  spirited  man,  interested  in 
the  educational  advantages  of  the  community  in 
which  he  has  been  school  director,  and  now  the  im- 
portant office  of  dike  inspector.  In  political  mat- 
ters he  is  a  firm  believer  in  Republican  principles. 
In  the  Pleasant  Ridge  Methodist  church  no  one 
occupies  a  more  prominent  position  than  Mr.  Nelson, 
who  is  trustee,  class  leader  and  steward.  Own- 
ing forty  acres  under  cultivation,  upon  which  he 
raises  oats  and  hay,  a  stockholder  in  the  Pleasant 
Ridge  Creamery  Company,  he  is  justly  considered 
one  of  the  successful  men  of  the  county,  and  holds 
the  good-will  and  esteem  of  all. 


JOHN  BALL,  pioneer  farmer  and  stock  raiser, 
residing  on  his  extensive  ranch  equidistant  from 
Mount  \'ernon  and  La  Conner  on  the  famous 
Swinomish  Flats,  has  for  years  been  an  active  force 
in  the  progressive  development  of  Skagit  county 
and  the  redemption  of  its  soil  from  nature's  state. 
That  he  has  wrought  well  since  his  first  advent 
within  the  county  precincts  is  evidenced  on  every 
hand.  Born  in  Harrison,  Hamilton  County.  Ohio, 
April  1,  1838,  to  the  union  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
(Wyatt)  Ball,  he  was  there  educated  in  the  schools 
of  his  community  and  learned  the  carpenter  trade, 
working  at  the  bench  with  his  father.  The  elder 
Ball,  a  native  of  England,  was  born  in  1788,  and 
followed  carpentering  and  was  married  in  his  native 
land.  Shortly  after  his  marriage  he  and  his  wife 
came  to  Canada,  and  after  a  brief  stay  there  settled 
in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  in  1836,  where  he  later 
departed  this  life.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was 
bom  in  England  in  1803,  where  she  grew  to  young 
womanhood  and  was  married,  coming  with  her  hus- 
band to  America,  where  she  reared  a  family  of  nine 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


children,  of  which  John  is  the  eldest  living,  and  at 
the  age  of  forty-three,  laid  down  the  burdens  of 
a  well-spent  life,  greatly  mourned.  John  Ball,  at 
the  early  age  of  fifteen  severed  his  connection  with 
home  and  boyhood  scenes  and  started  out  in  the 
world  for  himself,  going  first  to  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri. Here  he  engaged  at  his  trade  for  several 
years,  working  two  years  on  the  government  cus- 
tom house,  then  under  construction.  It  was  at  this 
period,  in  1859,  that  the  great  Pike's  Peak  excite- 
bent  came  up,  and  hither  young  Ball  determined 
to  go  and  seek  a  shorter  road  to  fortune  than  prom- 
ised by  means  of  the  hammer  and  saw.  In  com- 
pany with  forty  other  equally  adventurous  spirits, 
he  negotiated  for  passage  across  the  plains  with  an 
ox  outfit,  the  terms  of  contract  being  $40  each  for 
the  transportation  of  the  luggage  and  provisions, 
the  men  to  walk;  and  the  company  on  their  part 
contracted  to  land  them  at  the  desired  point,  and 
not  to  turn  back  so  long  as  even  one  of  the  party 
insisted  on  going  forward.  This  contract  they  car- 
ried out  even  to  the  paying  of  the  passage  of  young 
Ball  and  another  companion  to  California,  from 
Fort  Laramie,  when  it  was  learned  by  returning 
prospectors  that  the  mining  bubble  had"  burst.  At 
the  Little  Blue  river  the  feed  for  their  cattle  gave 
out,  and  the  grass  not  being  far  enough  advanced 
for  grazing  they  were  compelled  to  lie  over  for  a 
number  of  weeks,  and  here  their  party  was  aug- 
mented by  outfits  delayed  for  similar  reasons,  until 
a  crowd  of  over  one  thousand  people  was  assem- 
bled. Reaching  Fort  Laramie,  they  met  the  dis- 
heartening news  of  failure  at  Pike's  Peak,  and  of 
their  entire  crowd  only  young  Ball  and  one  other 
persisted  in  pushing  on  westward,  and  they  changed 
their  objective  point  to  California.  Enroute  to  Fort 
Laramie  they  rescued  two  men  from  starvation, 
and  found  them  subsisting  on  the  remains  of  a  for- 
mer companion,  whose  death  had  been  determined 
upon  by  lot,  when  the  last  hope  of  rescue  had  left 
them.  Reaching  California  in  the  fall,  Mr.  Ball 
engaged  in  mining,  which  he  followed  for  three 
years,  for  other  parties,  rising  rapidly  from  fore- 
man to  sole  owner  of  a  mine.  In  connection  with 
one  mine  he  constructed  seven  miles  of  ditching  for 
his  own  use  at  his  hydraulic  plant,  which  proved 
a  failure.  Prospering,  however,  in  general,  at  min- 
ing, he  tlicn  decided  to  marry  and  settle  down  to 
the  quiet  life  of  the  rancher,  purchasing  the  Butter- 
fly ranch,  in  Plumas  county,  where  he  engaged  in 
raising  cattle  for  the  mines.  In  May,  1873,  he  sold 
his  ranch  and  came  to  Washington  Territory,  set- 
tling in  Seattle,  where  he  built  a  residence  near 
where  the  court  house  now  stands,  later  moving  to 
Walla  Walla,  where  they  wintered.  Discouraged 
with  the  failure  of  railroad  building,  which  had 
been  expected  at  that  place,  he  bought  a  large  band 
of  cattle,  horses  and  sheep  in  the  spring  and  re- 
turned to  Seattle,  where  he  disposed  of  the  best 
butcher  stock,  and  that  summer  took  the  remainder 
to  the  Swinomish  Flats,  in  Skagit  county,  where 


he  had  in  the  meantime  purchased  a  half  interest  in 
a  ranch  owned  by  his  brother-in-law,  M.  D.  Smith 
and  a  Mr.  McClellen.  This  was  the  first  introduc- 
tion of  horses  in  the  Swinomish  Flats.  Here  he 
resided  for  four  years,  during  which  period,  1876, 
he  purchased  the  right  of  Sam  McNutt  to  a  claim 
and  filed  a  preemption  on  it.  This  preemption,  now 
greatly  added  to  by  purchase,  constitutes  the  home 
ranch.  Selling  out  his  interest  in  the  M.  D.  Smith 
ranch,  he  moved  in  1879  to  the  James  Porter  ranch 
near  Mount  Vernon.  Here  he  made  his  home  until 
1885,  when  he  built  his  present  house  on  his  own 
place,  transferring  his  residence  as  soon  as  the 
building  was  completed,  to  the  home  ranch,  which 
has  since  continued  to  be  the  abiding  place  of  him- 
self and  family.  During  all  these  years  Mr.  Ball 
was  actively  engaged  in  diking,  ditching  and  clear- 
ing the  land  on  his  home  place,  making  the  initia- 
tory improvements  which  have  developed  the  land 
into  its  present  high  state  of  cultivation  and  pro- 
ductiveness. 

The  marriage  of  John  Ball  and  Eleanor  Mary 
Massey  was  celebrated  November  15.  18(;4,  in 
Plumas  County,  California.  Mrs.  Ball's  father, 
ihomas  Massey,  a  merchant  by  calling,  was  born 
in  Shrewsbury,  Shropshire,  England,  where  he  was 
married.  Later  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
settled  first  in  Iowa,  then  in  the  year  1854  crossed 
the  plains  to  California  with  ox  teams.  He  died  in 
1870.  Eleanor  Leake  Massey,  the  mother,  also  a 
native  of  England,  is  now  residing  at  Anacortes, 
at  a  ripe  old  age,  having  passed  safely  through  a 
long  life  filled  with  many  unusual  and  strange  inci- 
dents, to  which  she  recurs  with  becoming  pride. 
Mrs.  Ball  was  born  in  England,  September  30, 
1848,  but  upon  the  removal  of  her  parents  to  the 
United  States,  crossed  the  plains  with  them  at  the 
age  of  five  years,  and  at  the  early  age  of  sixteen 
met  and  married  Mr.  Ball.  She  is  the  mother  of 
four  children,  William  M.,  deceased ;  Thomas  A., 
born  March  12,  1867,  residing  in  Skagit  county ; 
Globe  E.  Woodburn,  born  November  24,  18G8,  all 
three  natives  of  California.  Puget  E.,  the  fourth 
and  last  of  the  children,  was  born  at  La  Conner, 
Washington,  August  21,  1879,  and  was  united  in 
marriage  September  20,  1905,  to  Elizabeth  A. 
l\Iackey,  daughter  of  Timothy  and  Katherine  E. 
(Buckley)  Mackey,  the  former  deceased  and  the 
latter  now  residing  at  Bayview.  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Ball  was  born  in  King  County,  Washington,  in 
1886. 

Politically  J\fr.  John  Ball  is  a  staunch  Repub- 
lican. That  he  has  been  a  successful  business  man, 
is  amply  attested  in  his  large  land  holdings  of  1,083 
acres,  his  well  kept  farm,  stocked  with  high  bred 
draft  and  driving  horses,  sheep  and  cattle,  in  which 
features  of  farm  life  he  is  especially  interested; 
while  in  the  line  of  good  citizenship  his  attainments 
are  evidenced  in  the  universal  respect  and  esteem 
in  which  he  is  held  in  his  community  and  through- 
out the  county. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


EDGAR  P.  GORTON,  a  well  known  farmer 
and  stockman  residing  five  and  one-half  miles  south- 
west of  Mount  Vernon,  is  a  native  of  Scituate, 
Rhode  Island,  born  November  24,  1852,  the  son 
of  Nelson  Gorton,  who  was  for  many  years  inter- 
ested in  the  cotton  and  woolen  factories  in  that 
state,  and  also  followed  farming  to  some  extent. 
He  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  serving  in  the 
Twenty-second  regiment,  Connecticut  Volunteers. 
His  death  occurred  in  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two.  Emila  M.  (Whitman)  Gorton  was  the  moth- 
er, born  in  Rhode  Island  and  now  living  with  her 
son  near  Mount  \'ernon.  His  parents  having 
moved  to  Connecticut  when  he  was  three  years  of 
age,  Mr.  Gorton  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  that  state,  while  also  assisting  his  father 
on  the  farm.  When  the  family  moved  later  to 
Pocahontas  County,  Iowa,  he  came  also,  and  there 
■engaged  in  farming  for  himself,  having  purchased 
a  farm  with  the  means  he  had  so  carefully  laid 
aside  year  by  year.  At  the  end  of  eleven  years,  in 
1885,  he  came  west  to  La  Conner,  locating  on 
Pleasant  Ridge  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
he  took  up  a  homestead  near  Bay  View  and  began 
lumbering.  He  and  his  two  brothers,  Elmer  and 
Walter,  built  a  saw-mill  three  miles  from  Bay  View, 
and  operated  it  for  a  year.  Selling  out  his  interest 
in  the  mill  to  his  brothers,  Mr.  Gorton  bought  his 
present  place  in  the  fall  of  1903,  and  moved  on  it 
the  following  January. 

In  Connecticut,  April  7,  187.3,  Mr.  Gorton  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Prudence  A.  Carpenter, 
born  February  12,  1851,  in  North  Coventry,  Con- 
necticut. Six  children  have  blessed  this  union: 
James,  the  oldest,  now  dead ;  Edith ;  Emma ; 
Henry;  Hazel,  and  Ivy.  Mr.  Gorton  served  for 
five  years  as  deputy  sheriff  in  Iowa.  Realizing 
that  much  of  the  future  greatness  of  our  country  is 
dependent  upon  the  educational  advantages  afford- 
ed by  the  common  schools,  he  gives  this  subject 
careful  attention,  and  is  one  of  the  progressive 
members  of  the  school  board.  In  addition  to  his 
homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Bay 
View  he  owns  fifty  acres  where  his  home  is,  upon 
which  he  raises  hay,  oats  and  stock,  and  may  well 
be  classed  as  one  of  the  prosperous  citizens  of  this 
countv. 


JASPER  GATES,  a  distinguished  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  and  a  pioneer  of  pioneers  in  the 
Mount  Vernon  section  of  Skagit  county,  now  re- 
siding on  his  farm  two  miles  southwest  of  Mount 
Vernon,  was  born  in  Jefferson  City,  Missouri.  April 
9,  1810.  His  father,  Abel  Gates,  was  a  native  of 
New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  born  July  4,  1787. 
As  lieutenant  of  the  Fifth  Rifle  Regiment,  Com- 
pany C,  he  served  under  General  Snellen  in  the 
war  of  1812,  participating  in  the  battles  of  New  Or- 
leans and  White  Plains.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
engaged  in  farming  for  four  years,  then  in  the 
packing  business  in  Missouri,  in  which  state  he  later 


returned  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His  death  oc- 
curred   November    2,    1870.      The    mother,    Mary 

(Bums)  Gates,  born  in  Ireland,  was  the  daughter 
of  a  well  known  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  She 
was  the  mother  of  four  children,  James  A.,  Samuel 
U..  Jasper  and  Acaph.  After  the  completion  of 
his  education,  Jasper  Gates  was  for  several  years 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm, 
owning  one-half  interest  in  it.  Loyally  responding 
to  the  call  of  his  country  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  C,  Twenty-Seventh  Alissouri  Infantry, 
and  like  his  father  before  him,  he  was  soon  in  tlie 
thickest  of  the  fight.  He  received  an  honorable 
discharge  in  Saint  Louis,  in  June,  1865,  having  been 
promoted  from  the  rank  of  private  to  color  ser- 
geant. He  was  actively  engaged  in  the  following 
battles :  Vicksburg,  Grand  Gulf,  Jackson,  Corinth, 
Pea  Ridge,  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Mis- 
sionary Ridge  and  Chickamauga,  and  was  also  one 
of  those  who  made  the  famous  March  to  the  Sea, 
under  Sherman.  At  Resaca,  Georgia,  he  received 
a  severe  wound  that  disabled  him  for  some  time. 
Taking  up  his  residence  in  Adair  county  at  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  remained  there  until  he  came  to 
Skagit  county,  in  1870,  where  he  took  up  as  a  home- 
stead the  quarter  section  of  land  where  Mount  Ver- 
non is  located,  and  where  he  lived  for  twenty-one 
years.  He  moved  on  his  present  property  in  1891. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates  have  seen  frontier  life  in  all 
of  its  phases,  and  have  undergone  many  hardships 
which  will  never  be  recorded. 

_  Mr.  Gates  was  married  in  1860  to  Clarinda 
Kimble,  the  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Nancy  (Snod- 
grass)  Kimble.  Her  father,  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey, was  a  stonemason  and  bricklayer.  He  died 
in  1846.  Her  mother,  a  Virginian,  born  in  1812, 
died  in  Mount  Vernon  in  1886.  Mrs.  Gates  has  the 
following  brothers  and  sisters:  Vina  (deceased), 
Joseph,  John  Aaron,  Newton,  Mary  Catharine  and 
Airs.  Martha  Clifton.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates  have 
eight  children :  Newton  J.,  Mrs.  Matilda  Hartson, 
Mrs.  Mary  Beacon  and  Mrs.  Martha  Jane  Parker, 
of  Mount  Vernon;  Otto  and  William,  at  home; 
Mrs.  Clarinda  Cowell,  living  two  miles  south  of 
Mount  Vernon,  and  Cleon  Emmett.  Mr.  Gates  is  a 
prominent  Republican;  was  sheriff  from  1876  to 
1880,  and  United  States  marshal  from  1880  to  1884. 
He  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic.  The  family  attend  the  Methodist 
church  of  which  Mrs.  Gates  is  an  active  member. 
Reaping  fair  returns  from  his  business  undertak- 
ings, Mr.  Gates  now  owns  fifty-three  acres  of  im- 
proved land,  worth  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
together  with  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  tim- 
ber land  in  Missouri.  Identified  with  the  interests 
of  Mount  Vernon  for  so  many  years,  Mr.  Gates  has 
a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  who  ac- 
cord him  the  highest  respect,  and  among  the  early 
settlers  he  is  accorded  the  distinction  of  being  the 
"Father  of  Mount  \''ernon,"  and  a  pioneer  par  ex- 
cellence. 


538 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


CHARLES  C.  HANSEN.  Few  agriculturists 
of  Skagit  county  have  attained  a  larger  measure 
of  success  than  he  whose  name  initiates  this  biog- 
raphy. Born  in  Denmark,  November  10,  1852,  he 
is  the  son  of  Hans  and  Annie  Sophia  (Carlsen) 
Larsen,  also  natives  of  Denmark.  The  father  was 
born  September  12,  1818,  and  is  still  living  in  the 
land  of  his  birth.  The  mother,  born  July  2,  1820, 
died  in  September,  1876.  She  has  two  other  sons, 
Lors  Peter,  and  Fred  V.  Hansen.  When  a  child 
of  six  and  one-half  years,  Charles  C.  Hansen  began 
the  active  duties  of  life,  herding  cattle  and  sheep 
and  tending  the  geese  on  a  neighbor's  farm.  He 
was  away  most  of  the  summers,  but  spent  the  win- 
ters at  home  till  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  began  farming.  In  18T4  he  decided  to  come  to 
the  United  States  as  so  many  of  his  countrymen 
had  done.  Landing  in  New  York  he  crossed  the 
continent,  locating  in  California  on  a  ranch.  At  the 
end  of  a  year  and  a  half  he  purchased  a  wood  ranch, 
working  on  it  for  six  months,  at  which  time  he 
found  his  health  was  failing.  He  went  at  once  to 
San  Francisco,  and  upon  his  recovery,  spent  the 
following  three  years  nursing  the  sick  in  a  hos- 
pital. In  18?9  he  came  to  Mount  Vernon,  going 
into  partnership  with  his  brothers  on  a  farm.  Three 
years  later  he  invested  in  his  present  property,  situ- 
ated three  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon,  since  mak- 
ing it  his  place  of  residence. 

Mr.  Hansen  and  Mrs.  Mahila  (Stage)  Wash- 
burn were  iinited  in  marriage  March  10,  1882. 
Mrs.  Hansen  was  born  in  New  York  state  in  1846 
and  was  first  married  there.  Her  husband  died  in 
Skagit  county  July  12,  1880.  Two  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union,  Cora  Sophia  and  Birdie 
H.  Mr.  Hansen  is  a  loyal  Republican,  willing  to 
advance  the  interests  of  his  party  by  every  honor- 
able means.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church,  contributing  liberally  to  its  sup- 
port, and  taking  an  active  part  in  all  its  work.  Mr. 
Hansen  is  past  grand  in  the  Odd  Fellows  fraternity, 
which  has  honored  him  by  selecting  him  to  fill  the 
leading  offices  of  the  order.  He  is  also  a  prominent 
Yeoman.  Possessed  of  the  thrift  and  industry  so 
characteristic  of  the  Danish  people,  Mr.  Hansen 
has  been  blessed  with  a  large  measure  of  the  pros- 
perity he  so  richly  deserves.  He  owns  eighty  acres 
of  land,  fifty-one  of  which  are  in  a  fine  state  of  cul- 
tivation, worth  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars per  acre.  The  beautiful  eight-room  house, 
erected  at  a  cost  of  sixteen  hundred  dollars,  bears 
evidence  of  his  taste,  and  is  an  ornament  to  any 
community.  He  has  a  fine  barn  and  out  buildings. 
He  devotes  a  large  share  of  attention  to  dairying, 
now  milking  fourteen  cows,  realizing  from  them  a 
substantial  yearly  income.  The  sterling  qualities 
which  have  insured  his  business  success,  have  at  the 
same  time  given  him  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
his  fellow  men,  thus  rendering  him  a  man  of  influ- 
ence in  the  community. 


PETER  EGTVET.  To  the  Scandanavian 
Americans  Skagit  county  is  especially  deeply  in- 
debted not  only  for  the  pioneer  work  they  have 
done  in  reclaiming  its  rich  marsh  and  forest  lands 
and  converting  them  into  one  of  the  finest,  prettiest 
farming  regions  in  the  country,  but  for  the  pres- 
ent day  part  they  are  taking  in  its  progress.  So 
it  is  with  pleasure  and  a  fitting  sense  of  justice 
that  we  accord  a  biographical  sketch  of  one  of  their 
foremost  leaders  a  place  in  this  history. 

Wisconsin  is  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  April 
25,  1851,  the  date  of  his  birth.  From  far  across 
the  seas,  in  the  year  18-40,  Peter  A.  Egtvet,  the 
father,  emigrated  from  Norway,  where  he  was  born 
in  1798,  to  the  Wisconsin  frontier.  There  with  the 
energy  and  persistence  so  characteristic  of  his  race, 
he  soon  leveled  a  forest  into  a  substantial  farm  and 
later  acquired  wealth  and  influence  in  agricultural 
and  stock  pursuits.  Ingeri  (Selge)  Egtvet  was  also 
a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  1811,  and  there  lived 
until  she  accompanied  her  husband  and  family  to 
America.  Her  death  occurred  in  1893.  Six  chil- 
dren came  of  this  marriage :  Amon  P.  ( deceased ) , 
Sever,  Loui,  Mrs.  Anna  Lee,  Peter  and  Charles. 
To  Peter  came  the  lot  of  the  usual  farmer's  son, 
hard  work  on  the  place  in  every  department  of  la- 
bor, an  education  in  the  common  schools  of  the  dis- 
trict and  the  opportunities  that  come  to  most  young 
men  in  similar  positions.  From  the  age  of  fifteen 
young  Egtvet  devoted  himself  most  assiduously  to 
mastering  every  detail  of  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing, sometliing  that  he  did  not  regret  in  later  years 
when  he  came  to  farm  for  himself.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-three  he  left  the  old  home  to  seek  his  for- 
tune in  the  far  West,  going  first  to  California, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  various  pursuits  for  a 
year  and  a  half.  Then,  his  attention  having  been 
strongly  drawn  to  Puget  sound,  the  y<)ung  man 
came  north  to  the  newly  opened  Skagit  river  valley 
to  the  development  of  which  he  was  to  give  at  least 
the  succeeding  thirty  years  of  his  life.  Securing  a 
claim  near  the  mouth  of  the  great  river,  the  hardy 
settler  began  the  work  of  clearing  and  diking  and 
otherwise  improving  his  farm.  Those  were  days  of 
hardship  and  discouragement,  when  freshets  were 
haunting  nightmares,  and  often  the  labor  of  months 
if  not  years  was  swept  away  in  a  single  night.  In 
1883  he  sold  this  farm  and  purchased  the  tract  of 
land  five  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon  upon  which 
he  still  resides.  In  common  with  most  pioneers, 
Mr.  Egtvet  devoted  a  portion  of  his  earliest  years 
in  Skagit  to  the  logging  industry,  which  furnished 
quick  cash  returns. 

His  marriage  took  place  March  15,  1885,  Miss 
Anna,  a  daughter  of  John  P.  and  Charlotte  (Erick- 
son)  Shamstrom,  becoming  the  bride.  Mr.  Sham- 
strom  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  1815,  and 
he  lived  in  the  old  country  until  1851.  At  that  time 
he  emigrated,  settling  in  Iowa,  where  he  success- 
fully engaged  in  farming  until  his  death,  January 
1,  1900.     His  place  consisted  of  180  acres  of  very 


MR.  AND  MRS.  PETER  EGTVET  AND  THEIR  HOME,  SOUTH  OF  MOUNT  VERNON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


541 


valuable  land.  The  mother,  who  was  born  in 
Sweden,  died  in  Iowa  in  1860.  Mrs.  Egtvet  was 
born  in  Iowa,  January  6,  ISd'i.  and  spent  the  first 
twenty  years  of  her  life  in  that  state.  Then  she 
came  west  to  Seattle  and  made  her  home  with  a  sis- 
ter, Mrs.  Nelson  Chilberg,  at  whose  house  she  was 
married.  She  has  two  other  sisters  living,  Mrs. 
Carrie  G.  Smith  in  Seattle  and  Mrs.  Allie  V.  Gray 
in  Colorado;  one,  Mary  J.  Burnell,  is  dead.  The 
brothers  are  John  A.  and  Perry  G.  Mr.  Sham- 
strom  was  married  a  second  time,  his  bride  being 
Mrs.  Gustava  Burke,  who  was  born  in  Sweden, 
August  8,  1841.  To  this  union  Delia  M.,  Etta  L. 
and  twin  boys,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  were  born.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Egtvet  have  been  blessed  with  three  children, 
the  eldest  being  Clifford,  aged  nineteen  ;  Ashley  W., 
aged  sixteen,  and  Kirby,  aged  eleven.  The  Egtvet 
dwelling  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  Skagit  country 
and  is  pervaded  by  an  atmosphere  of  refinement  and 
progress  that  gives  it  additional  charm.  The  fam- 
ily are  attendants  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr. 
Egtvet  is  affiliated  with  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  in  po- 
litical affairs  is  not  only  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  an  aggressive  and  an  influential 
one. 

His  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  is 
one  of  the  largest  and  best  improved  in  the  Skagit 
basin,  only  twenty-five  acres  not  being  under  culti- 
vation. Cattle  and  horses  in  plenty,  including  a 
picked  dairy  heard  of  milch  cows,  stock  the  place, 
while  an  average  yield  of  crops  is  100  bushels  of 
oats  or  four  tons  of  timothy  hay  to  the  acre.  These 
facts  alone  testify  to  the  skill  which  the  owner  of 
the  farm  possesses  and  to  his  business  acumen.  Fur- 
ther, he  is  also  the  owner  of  a  quarter  section  of 
valuable  Illinois  bottom  land  and  other  interests 
of  various  kinds.  Known  throughout  the  north- 
western portion  of  the  state  as  a  man  of  unques- 
tioned integrity  and  strong  business  ability,  one  who 
has  accumulated  wealth  and  attained  position  by 
his  own  unaided  efiforts,  he  represents  the  type  of 
manhood  upon  which  are  dependent  the  stability  and 
growth  of  our  country. 


OLE  GUNDERSON.  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous and  energetic  farmers  of  Skagit  county,  claims 
Norway  as  the  land  of  his  birth.  His  father,  Gund- 
mun  Tostenson,  born  in  Norway,  May  14,  1814, 
came  to  this  country  in  1800,  finding  a  home  in 
Goodhue  County,  Minnesota.  In  the  spring  of  1867 
he  moved  to  South  Dakota,  being  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  that  state,  in  which  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  dying  there  in  1883.  The  mother,  Jo- 
hanna (Peterson)  Tostenson,  was  born  in  1814,  and 
lived  in  her  native  country,  Norway,  till  her  mar- 
riage. Her  death  occurred  in  South  Dakota  in 
1897.  She  was  the  mother  of  the  following  sons 
and  daughters:  Tosten,  Peter,  Ole,  John  Martin, 
Mrs.  Mali  Olson  (deceased),  and  Mrs.  Martha 
Rekdahl.    Born  July  22,  1852,  Ole  Gunderson  spent 


the  first  thirteen  years  of  his  life  in  the  land  of  his 
nativity,  attending  the  common  schools  in  which  he 
received  the  rudiments  of  an  education.  Immigrat- 
ing with  his  parents  to  the  United  States,  in  1866, 
he  assumed  the  responsibilities  of  life  early,  assist- 
ing his  father  in  the  support  of  the  family,  and  at 
his  death  providing  for  his  mother  during  her  life- 
time. At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  took  up  a  home- 
stead, remaining  in  South  Dakota  till  the  death  of 
his  mother,  after  which  he  came  to  Skagit  county 
in  1897,  and  purchased  his  present  ranch  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres,  paying  sixty-five  dollars 
per  acre. 

Mr.  Gunderson  and  Annie  Maria  Johnson  were 
joined  in  marriage,  May  28,  1880.  Mrs.  Gunder- 
son's  parents  are  Jens  and  Helen  (Trouseth)  Ny- 
troe,  both  of  Norwegian  birth,  who  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding  in  1902.  Her  father,  born  in  Nor- 
way, came  to  America  on  the  same  vessel  that 
brought  Mr.  Gunderson,  locating  in  Minnesota,  and 
later  in  South  Dakota  near  Sioux  Falls,  where  he 
still  lives,  owning  a  two  hundred  and  forty  acre 
farm.  Mrs.  Gunderson  was  born  in  Norway  in 
1846,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  the  United  States 
since  she  was  six  years  of  age,  her  parents  having 
crossed  the  ocean  at  that  time.  Mrs.  Gunderson 
has  five  brothers  and  sisters:  Jens,  Bess,  Nelse, 
Sarah  and  Mary.  Twelve  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gunderson :  Josephine,  Gertie, 
Belva,  James  G.,  Joseph  H.,  Bennie,  Nicholi,  Oscar, 
Ida,  Selma,  Loui  and  Lilian.  The  son  Joseph  was 
injured  in  a  runaway  November  8,  1905,  and  died 
the  following  day.  Mr.  Gunderson  loyally  supports 
the  Republican  party,  and  during  his  residence  in 
North  Dakota  held  numerous  offices.  He  is  deeply 
interested  in  the  educational  affairs  of  the  com- 
munity, now  serving  on  the  school  board.  He  and 
his  family  are  active  members  of  the  Norwegian 
Evangelical  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Gunderson's 
thorough  understanding  of  farming,  combined  with 
his  untiring  energy  and  splendid  management,  has 
placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  successful  farmers 
in  the  Northwest.  He  now  owns  his  fine  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acre  farm,  worth  at  the  lowest  figure 
two  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  besides  eighty  acres 
of  pasture  land.  He  has  large  dairy  interests,  and 
also  devotes  much  attention  to  stock  raising.  One 
of  the  substantial  farmer  citizens  of  Mount  Vernon 
district,  he  has  contributed  his  full  share  to  the 
growth  and  prosperity  of  the  community  which  is 
pleased  to  claim  him  as  a  resident,  and  has  estab- 
lished a  name  for  integrity  and  progressiveness 
equaled  by  few. 


OLE  N.  LEE,  a  well  known  farmer  and  dairy- 
man residing  four  and  one-half  miles  south  of 
Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  Norway,  May  8,  1831. 
His  father  was  Nelse  Johnson  Lee,  a  thrifty  and 
industrious  farmer  in  his  native  land,  Norway,  born 
in  1797.     His  death  occurred  there  in  1878.      His 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


mother,  Ingeborg  (Sonsvold)  Lee,  born  in  Norway 
in  1798,  died  in  1880,  after  a  long  life  devotion  to 
her  family.  She  was  the  mother  of  nine  children, 
John,  Ingebor,  Lars,  Ole,  Christopher,  Nelse,  EU- 
ing,  Mickel  and  Joseph.  Like  most  young  men  of 
his  country,  Ole  N.  Lee  spent  his  early  life  on  the 
farm,  acquiring  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  Norway.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  he 
decided  to  seek  an  opening  in  the  country  to  which 
many  of  his  countrymen  had  immigrated.  Locating 
in  Wisconsin  in  185G,  he  remained  there  for  three 
years,  removing  thence  to  California  in  1859  to  seek 
his  fortune  in  the  mines.  Seventeen  years  later  he 
came  to  Skagit  county,  purchasing  his  present  farm 
in  July,  1876. 

Mr.  Lee  was  married  March  23,  187-1,  to  Anna 
Egtvet,  born  January  17,  1848,  the  daughter  of 
Peter  A.  and  Ingeri  (Selge)  Egtvet,  both  natives 
of  Norway.  Her  father,  born  in  1798,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1846,  his  death  occurring  in  Wis- 
consin. Her  mother  was  born  in  1811  and  died  in 
1893.  Mrs.  Lee  received  her  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  her  native  state,  Wisconsin,  where 
she  lived  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.  The 
other  children  in  the  family  are:  Amund  P.  (de- 
ceased). Sever,  Lars,  Peter  and  Charlie.  Three 
children  have  blessed  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lee:  Nellie  L  P.,  Peter  A.  and  Oscar  E.  Mr.  Lee 
is  an  earnest  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  but 
has  never  cared  to  become  a  politician.  He  and  his 
family  are  identified  with  the  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  Lee's  well  directed  energies  and  tireless  indus- 
try have  crowned  him  with  prosperity.  He  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  bottom  land, 
one  hundred  and  sixty  of  which  are  cleared  and 
Vi'orth  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  His  principal 
products  are  oats  and  hay.  His  dairy  interests  are 
extensive  and  make  large  demands  upon  his  time. 
A  resident  of  Skagit  county  for  nearly  thirty  years, 
Mr.  Lee  has  witnessed  its  remarkable  growth,  en- 
joying, meanwhile,  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
his  fellow  citizens,  who  realize  that  he  has  contrib- 
uted materially  to  the  general  prosperity. 


SWAN  CARLSON,  a  capable  and  energetic 
young  farmer  residing  four  and  one-half  miles 
south  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  the  southern 
part  of  Sweden,  September  2,  1870.  His  father, 
Magnus  Carlson,  who  now  lives  with  him,  was  born 
October  23,  1834,  and  remained  in  his  native  coun- 
try, Sweden,  until  1891,  when  he  came  to  the  Unit- 
ed States,  locating  in  Kansas;  later  he  settled  in 
Washington.  Cecilia  (Nelson)  Carlson,  the  mother, 
was  born  November  18,  1836,  coming  with  her  hus- 
band to  this  country  in  1891,  where  she  now  lives 
with  her  son.  Diligently  applying  himself  to  his 
studies.  Swan  Carlson  completed  his  education  at 
the  age  of  fourteen,  beginning  then  the  active  work 
of  life  on  the  neighboring  farms.  Sailing  for  the 
United   States  before   his   eighteenth   birthday,   he 


landed  in  New  York,  thence  going  to  Nebraska. 
At  the  end  of  three  years  spent  in  -the  employ  of 
farmers,  he  went  to  Seattle,  in  1892,  working  on  a 
steamboat  for  a  year,  following  which  he  moved  to 
Roy,  Washington.  In  1893  he  came  to  the  Skagit 
delta,  making  this  his  home  for  five  years,  or  until 
the  high  water  forced  him  to  seek  a  new  home. 
He  moved  onto  his  present  farm  in  1900.  Mr. 
Carlson's  brothers  and  sisters  are:  Charlie 
M.,  Edward,  Mrs.  Hannah  Leaf,  Otto  and 
Mrs.  Lena  Moores.  Two  brothers,  Nelse  and 
Peter,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Betsy  Johnson,  are  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Carlson  adheres  to  the  Republican 
party,  though  he  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in 
political  matters.  He  is  a  worthy  member  of  the 
American  Order  of  United  Workmen.  The 
Lutheran  church  claims  him  as  a  liberal  supporter. 
Mr.  Carlson  is  farming  on  an  extensive  scale,  rent- 
ing one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  bottom  land 
which  he  works  in  connection  with  his  own  farm  of 
thirteen  acres.  A  man  of  tireless  industry,  he  is 
very  successful  in  his  undertakings,  owning  a  large 
number  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs.  His  principal 
crop  is  oats,  of  which  he  seldom  fails  to  have  an 
unusually  heavy  yield.  A  young  man  of  excellent 
habits,  ambitious  and  energetic,  of  a  genial  tem- 
perament, he  is  deservedly  popular  among  his  ac- 
quaintances. 


RICHARD  GARLAND,  a  dairy  farmer  living 
four  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in 
Canada  in  October,  1847.  His  father,  John  Gar- 
land, was  born  in  Ireland,  but  emigrated  to  Canada 
with  his  parents  when  a  lad.  He  served  a  term  as 
sherifl^  of  his  home  county  and  about  1850  moved 
to  Michigan  and  farmed  until  his  death  in  1862.  As 
an  earnest  of  his  patriotism  for  his  adopted  coun- 
try, Mr.  Garland  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  but 
was  never  mustered  into  service.  Mrs.  Mary 
(Kelly)  Garland  was  also  a  native  of  Ireland.  She 
lived  with  her  parents  until  marriage  and  died  in 
Michigan  in  1886,  the  mother  of  nine  children,  all 
now  dead,  except  William  John,  Charles,  Samuel, 
Thomas,  Robert,  Frank  and  Richard.  Until  seven- 
teen years  of  age  Richard  Garland  attended  school. 
Then  for  eight  years  he  helped  his  father  on  the 
home  farm,  coming  to  the  Pacific  Northwest  in  1875 
and  locating  on  the  Skagit  river.  He  followed  log- 
ging for  twelve  years,  though  in  1879  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  and  added  thirty-one  more  in 
1881.  Mr.  Garland  has  lived  on  the  river  ever  since 
coming  to  Skagit  county. 

In  July,  1886,  Mr.  Garland  married  Miss  Anna 
Knight  of  Skagit  City.  Her  father  was  Andrew 
Knight,  born  in  the  early  days  of  the  development 
of  Indiana.  His  death  occurred  in  Iowa  in  1866, 
after  a  useful  life  as  an  agriculturist.  Mrs.  Gar- 
land's mother,  Melinda  (Neely)  Knight,  is  a  native 
of  Ohio.  She  is  still  living  at  Interbay,  Washing- 
ton, making  her  home  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  May 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


543 


Getts.  Mrs.  Garland  was  born  in  1856,  attending 
school  until  seventeen  years  old  and  living  with  her 
parents  until  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Garland  have  had  seven  children,  James 
Arthur  being  dead.  The  living  are :  Elmer  Curtis, 
Warner  Samuel,  Mary  Etta,  Laura  Ellen,  Clarence 
Richard  and  George  Emil.  Mr.  Garland  is  in  poli- 
tics an  independent  Democrat ;  fraternally  he  is 
a  Mason,  being  past  junior  warden,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
Mr.  Garland's  farming  is  of  general  character,  ex- 
cept that  he  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  roan  Dur- 
ham cattle,  his  herd  now  numbering  forty  head.  He 
has  been  uniformly  successful  and  as  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  his  county  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
solid  men  of  the  communitv. 


THOMAS  GOOD  had  some  very  unusual  ex- 
periences while  getting  settled  in  Skagit  county,  but 
he  mastered  them  and  is  now  owner  of  one  of  the 
successful  stock  and  dairy  farms  in  the  western 
part  of  the  county,  his  place  lying  seven  miles  south 
of  Mount  Vernon  and  three  miles  northwest  of  Fir. 
Mr.  Good  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  and  was 
born  in  1848,  the  son  of  William  and  Rebecca 
(Eddy)  Good,  both  of  whom  came  from  Ireland 
when  children  and  passed  their  mature  years  in 
New  Brunswick.  Until  twenty-one  years  of  age 
Thomas  Good  attended  school  and  worked,  his  chief 
employment  during  the  last  few  years  of  this  period 
being  at  loading  vessels  in  the  harbor.  In  1869  he 
went  to  Oconto  county,  Wisconsin,  and  engaged 
in  logging.  He  later  developed  a  contract  business 
in  loading  lumber.  In  August,  1891,  he  came  to 
Skagit  county  and  bought  his  present  place,  though 
he  did  not  take  up  his  residence  there,  passing  the 
first  seven  years  at  farming  leased  land.  The  farm 
at  that  time  was  in  no  condition  for  cultivation, 
there  being  no  road  up  Dry  slough  and  no  dikes. 
In  clearing  his  land,  Mr.  Good  has  made  use  of 
explosives,  as  well  as  cables  and  teams.  One  of 
his  unpleasant  experiences  came  in  the  spring  of 
1894,  when  he  was  living  on  leased  land  across  the 
slough  from  his  present  home.  For  six  weeks  he 
was  compelled  to  wade  in  water  up  to  his  arm-pits 
to  get  to  the  barn  to  feed  his  stock,  and  he  had  to 
bring  hay  a  mile  and  a  half  in  a  canoe  from  the 
Olof  Poison  place.  This  was  a  necessity  in  order 
to  preserve  his  stock.  At  times  his  cattle  would 
travel  out  on  top  of  the  dike  to  browse  on  the  tops 
of  the  partly  submerged  bushes  growing  on  its 
sides.  On  his  own  place  Mr.  Good  has  proved  to 
be  so  successful  in  diking  that  he  was  selected  as 
a  member  of  the  dike  commission,  and  was  serv- 
ing in  this  capacity  when  the  land  was  secured 
along  the  Skagit  river  from  Fir  to  Skagit  City  for 
the  present  dike,  in  the  construction  of  which  he 
took  an  active  part.  His  district  lies  between 
the  Skagit  and  Dry  slough,  some  twelve  miles  in 
length. 

In   1868,  before   leaving   New   Brunswick,   Mr. 


Good  married  Miss  Hannah  Good,  a  native  of  New 
Brunswick  and  daughter  of  Robert  and  Margaret 
(Simons)  Good.  Edward  and  Jonathan  Good, 
brothers  of  the  younger  Mrs.  Good,  are  pioneers 
of  Skagit  county  and  live  in  the  vicinity  of  Fir. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Good  have  been  born  fourteen 
children,  seven  of  whom  have  died.  The  living  are: 
Adalecia,  William  T.,  Ethel  May  Gates,  Arthur  Al- 
len, Edward  John,  Ella  Maud  and  Etta  Elizabeth. 
Mr.  Good  has  forty  acres  of  his  land  under  culti- 
vation, and  a  great  change  has  been  made  in  the 
property  since  he  first  commenced  operations  in  dik- 
ing and  clearing.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
participating  actively  in  all  conventions  and  public 
meetings.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  While 
nature  presented  serious  obstacles  to  Mr.  Good  in 
his  efiforts  to  establish  himself  on  his  farm,  he  has 
persevered  until  he  has  successfully  reclaimed  his 
land  from  forest  and  flood,  and  is  now  in  a  fair 
way  to  reap  the  benefit  of  his  years  of  struggle  and 
economy  by  the  enjoyment  of  a  substantial  home 
and  a  competency  in  the  declining  years  of  himself 
and  worthy  wife. 


FRANK  BARTL  is  one  of  the  old  time  re- 
spected citizens  of  Skagit  county.  He  was  born  in 
Bavaria  in  February  of  1843,  but  came  to  the  Unit- 
ed States  with  his  parents  when  a  lad.  His  father, 
Francis  Bartl,  born  August  15,  1815,  came  to  this 
country  in  1853  and  settled  in  Wisconsin.  After 
three  years  in  the  Badger  state,  he  removed  to  Mis- 
souri and  passed  eighteen  years  in  farming.  He 
came  to  Skagit  county  in  the  early  seventies,  dying 
soon  after  establishing  himself  here.  Mrs.  Mary 
(Weir)  Bartl  is  a  native  of  Austria.  She  is  still 
living  near  Mount  Vernon.  Frank  Bertl,  ten  years 
after  his  arrival  in  the  United  States  entered  the 
federal  army  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Thirty- 
ninth  Missouri  Infantry.  He  was  honorably  dis- 
charged and  mustered  out  in  July,  1865.  He  came 
to  Skagit  county  with  his  parents  and  worked  on 
the  farm  with  his  father  and  mother  until  1889, 
when  he  purchased  his  present  farm  a  half  mile 
south  of  Mount  Vernon,  which  is  chiefly  devoted  to 
fruit  growing.  While  yet  living  in  Missouri  Mr. 
Bartl  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Tauvel,  a  native  of  that 
state.  Mrs.  Bartl  did  not  live  long  after  marriage 
and  died  in  1872,  leaving  two  children,  Mrs.  Mary 
Gibson  and  Eliza  Bartl,  the  latter  of  whom  is  dead. 
Mr.  Bartl  has  never  remarried  and  is  sustained  in 
his  advancing  years  by  a  granddaughter.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics  and  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  In  church  affiliation  he  is 
a  Catholic.  Mr.  Bartl's  worldly  possessions  consist 
of  three  acres  of  excellent  fruit  land  which  he  oper- 
ates himself.  He  is  a  genial  gentleman,  taking  a 
delight  in  his  fruit  trees  and  his  granddaughter. 
He  is  highly  respected  in  the  community  as  an  up- 
right and  conscientious  man. 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


LEANDER  PALM  is  one  of  the  prosperous 
and  financially  successful  dairy  farmers  of  the 
Skagit  valley,  his  ranch  of  forty-five  acres,  three 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon,  being 
appraised  at  $200  per  acre.  It  is  all  cleared  and 
constitutes  one  of  the  attractive  properties  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Palm  was  born  in  Finland  in  18C0, 
the  son  of  Matthew  and  Sophia  (Hill)  Palm;  the 
former  died  October  22,  1894,  and  the  latter  in 
1883 ;  they  were  likewise  natives  of  Finland,  and 
passed  their  entire  lives  on  the  farm  in  the  old  coun- 
try. Leander  made  his  home  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  fourteen  years  old  and  then  hired  out  to 
neighboring  farmers.  His  nineteenth  and  twentieth 
years  he  passed  in  the  city,  and  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age  left  Finland  for  America.  In  1881 
he  was  in  Elmira,  New  York,  for  several  months, 
and  then  went  to  work  in  the  woods  of  Michigan. 
He  remained  there  for  two  years  and  a  half,  when 
he  came  to  Washington  and  the  Skagit  valley.  The 
first  twelve  years  of  his  life  in  this  state  he  passed 
as  a  farm  hand,  working  for  established  pioneers 
in  the  valley.  He  settled  on  his  present  place  in 
1894  and  has  remained  there  ever  since,  improving 
the  farm  land  and  bringing  it  to  its  present  state 
of  perfection. 

September  29,  1893,  in  Seattle,  Leander  Palm 
married  Miss  Sophia  Jacobson.  Miss  Jacobson  was 
born  in  Finland,  July  14,  1866,  the  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Brita  (Anderson)  Jacobson.  Jacob 
Jacobson  was  born  October  8,  1831.  Brita  Ander- 
son was  born  February  20,  1834,  and  in  1853,  at  the 
age  of  nineteen,  was  married  to  Mr.  Jacobson.  Mr. 
and  iMrs.  Jacobson  never  left  their  native  country, 
Finland.  Mrs.  Jacobson  died  March  27,  189.5  ;  she 
was  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom 
are  living :  their  names  follow :  Johana,  John, 
Andrew.  Mary,  Matts,  Sophia  (Mrs.  Palm),  Greta, 
Lucy,  Simon  and  Jacob.  Mrs.  Palm's  father  still 
lives  in  Finland.  Mrs.  Palm  left  home  when  eight- 
een years  old  and  for  seven  years  worked  out,  in 
Finland.  In  1891  she  came  to  the  Pacific  North- 
west country,  having  brothers  in  Seattle,  and  passed 
two  years  in  that  city.  She  then  married  ]\Ir.  Palm 
and,  removing  with  him  to  Skagit  county,  has  since 
lived  near  Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palm 
have  one  child,  Roy  Axel.  Mr.  Palm  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  political  affiliation  and  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  In  addition  to  his  splendid  or- 
chard, he  has  considerable  live  stock,  chief  in  im- 
portance being  a  herd  of  twenty-one  cattle,  mostly 
milch  cows. 


nuson,  who  died  in  the  old  country  in  1872,  the 
mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom  only  one,  Lena, 
is  dead,  the  others  being  Christina,  Louise,  Sophia, 
Hannah,  John  M.  and  Charles  G.  At  the  early  age 
of  six  years  Charles  left  home  to  work  for  rela- 
tives, in  whose  employ  he  continued  for  eight  years. 
He  then  went  farther  from  home  and  worked  for 
various  Swedish  farmers  until  1885,  when  he  came 
to  the  United  States.  Going  direct  to  Kansas  he 
farmed  there  four  years ;  then  came  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  spending  the  first  two  years  in  Oregon.  From 
Oregon  he  removed  to  Skagit  county,  of  which  he 
is  still  a  resident.  The  land  holdings  of  Mr.  West- 
lund,  situated  three  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Mount 
Vernon,  consist  of  twenty  acres  of  rich  bottom  land, 
which  he  operates  as  a  dairy  and  hay  farm,  and 
on  which  he  has  a  fine  and  profitable  herd  of  dairy 
cows. 

Mrs.  Westlund  was  formerly  Miss  Adla  Eng- 
stron,  daughter  of  Erick  and  Mary  K.  Engstron, 
natives  of  Sweden.  The  mother  is  dead ;  the  father 
still  lives  in  his  native  country.  Mrs.  Westlund 
was  born  in  Sweden  in  1867 ;  after  receiving  her 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  that  country 
she  came  to  America  in  1900,  going  direct  to  Bal- 
lard, King  county,  where  she  made  her  home.  She 
was  married  to  Mr.  Westlund  in  the  fall  of  1905. 
She  has  two  brothers  and  one  sister  in  this  section 
of  Washington :  ]\Irs.  Laura  Anderson,  John  Eng- 
stron. of  the  Skagit  vallev,  and  Gust  Engstron,  of 
Ballard. 

Charles  G.  Westlund  is  essentially  a  self-made 
man,  a  hard  worker  and  one  who  has  little  taste 
for  the  lighter  sides  of  life.  He  is  a  much  respected 
citizen  and  a  man  of  influence  in  his  home  com- 
munity. 


CHARLES  G.  WESTLUND  was  born  in 
Sweden  October  1,  1866,  and  came  to  the  valley 
of  the  Skagit  in  1890 ;  he  has  lived  here  since  that 
date.  His  father  was  John  M.  Westlund,  who  was 
born  in  Sweden  in  1818.  Coming  to  the  United 
States  when  sixty  years  of  age,  he  settled  in  Kansas 
and  died  there  in  1893.     His  wife  was  Annie  Mag- 


ALFRED  JOHNSON  was  born  in  the  central 
part  of  Sweden  in  May  of  1862,  the  son  of  Johannes 
Anderson,  a  successful  farmer,  who  retired  a  few 
years  ago  to  spend  the  remaining  days  of  a  long 
life  at  Forshaga,  Sweden,  where  he  still  lives.  The 
mother,  Mrs.  Lisa  Eleanora  (Anderson)  Johnson, 
was  likewise  of  Swedish  birth ;  she  died  in  her 
native  land  in  1882,  the  mother  of  four  children, 
Alfred,  Herman,  Edwin  and  Miss  Ida  Johnson.  Al- 
fred attended  the  Swedish  schools  until  fifteen  years 
of  age,  and  for  the  following  six  years  worked 
on  his  father's  farm.  Upon  the  death  of  the  moth- 
er, the  home  farm  was  rented  by  Alfred,  who  ran 
it  for  five  years,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
leaving  his  family  in  Sweden  until  he  should  send 
for  them.  In  1888  he  located  in  Mendocino,  Cali- 
fornia, working  as  a  laborer  until  1890,  when  he 
reached  Tacoma.  A  year  was  passed  there,  during 
which  time  he  sent  for  his  family.  He  then  came 
to  Skagit  county  and  worked  at  clearing  land  until 
in  1893  he  bought  and  moved  on  his  present  place 
three  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon, 
where  he  has  since  lived. 


■WILLIAM    GAGE 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


While  living  in  Sweden  in  1883  Mr.  Johnson 
married  Miss  Augaista  Peterson,  daughter  of  Peter 
John  Erickson,  who  remained  in  the  old  country 
until  he  joined  his  son-in-law  on  the  Skagit  in  the 
spring  of  1905.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  the  old 
country  in  1856  and  attended  school  until  twelve 
years  of  age,  marrying  fifteen  years  later.  Of  this 
union  are  the  following  issue:  Hannah  Elizabeth, 
born  in  April,  1884;  Simon  Peter,  April,  1886; 
Isaac  Emmanuel,  April,  1888 ;  twin  boys  ,  Elmer 
Henrv  and  Albert,  February,  1892  ;  Clarence,  May, 
1894;  Carl  Oscar,  July,  1897,  and  Ester  E.,  July 
1900.  Mr.  Johnson  lost  his  first  wife  in  Skagit 
county  in  July,  1903.  He  returned  to  Sweden  in 
the  fall  of  1904.  where  he  met  a  former  schoolmate, 
Elizabeth  Olson,  daughter  of  John  and  Kiza  (An- 
derson) Olson,  who  returned  with  him  to  the  Uni- 
ted States,  where  they  were  united  in  marriage 
February  21,  1905.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in 
Sweden  in  1862  and  on  the  death  of  her  mother 
was  cared  for  by  friends  until  she  was  fifteen  years 
old.  She  then  supported  herself  by  laundering  and 
cared  for  her  father  until  his  death,  keeping  up  the 
old  home  until  her  marriage.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a 
Republican  and  with  his  family  attends  the  Baptist 
church.  His  farm  of  seventy  acres,  forty  of  which 
are  cleared,  is  devoted  to  dairying  and  cattle  rais- 
ing, the  herd  including  eighteen  milch  cows  and 
ten  head  of  stock  cattle.  That  Mr.  Johnson  takes 
an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  his  comnnmity  is 
evidenced  by  his  having  served  four  terms  as  road 
supervisor,  one  term  as  director  of  the  school  dis- 
trict and  one  as  supervisor  of  ditches.  It  has  been 
only  by  hard  work  that  he  has  placed  himself  in 
the  position  of  honor  and  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held  by  his  neighbors,  but  that  sacrifice  has  been 
well  repaid. 


WILLIAM  GAGE.  Even  in  the  Pacific  North- 
west, where  there  are  hundreds  of  men  who  have 
had  more  than  the  allotted  average  of  adventure 
and  strife  before  success  and  quiet  came,  William 
Gage  stands  out  as  a  man  who  has  been  through 
all  the  roughness  of  life  in  pioneer  days  and  now, 
in  the  evening  of  life,  looks  serenely  on  his  past 
and  congratulates  himself  on  his  attainments  in  the 
face  of  hardship  and  endeavor.  Mr.  Gage  came  of 
stock  which  has  always  given  sturdiness  and  forti- 
tude. His  life  embraces  the  span  which  lies  between 
the  birth  of  a  farm  lad  near  Montreal  and  the  mel- 
low days  of  realization  of  things  accomplished 
where  experience  of  others  counted  for  little.  Born 
near  Montreal,  Quebec,  on  September  15.  1842,  Mr. 
Gage  inherited  the  traits  which  made  the  Irish- 
Canadian  immigrants  of  that  day  a  marked  race. 
His  father,  George  Gage,  born  of  Scotch-Irish  par- 
ents, was  a  farmer  until  he  cast  his  fortunes  with 
those  of  the  Western  World  and  settled  in  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence.    His  closing  days  were  spent  with  his  son 


in  Skagit  county,  where  he  died  in  1873.  The 
mother  of  William  Gage,  Agnes  (Eaton)  Gage, 
also  a  native  of  Ireland,  accompanied  her  husband 
to  the  coast  country.  She  also  died  in  Skagit  coun- 
ty. William,  the  seventh  of  her  ten  children,  left 
his  Canadian  home  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  having 
received  whatever  of  schooling  he  was  destined  to 
receive  before  he  left  the  parental  roof.  His  first 
stop  was  in  British  Columbia  where  he  engaged  in 
mining  ventures.  The  year  1863  found  him  in  Cali- 
fornia, still  hunting  fortune  in  the  mining  camp, 
but  one  winter  there  sufficed,  for  in  1864  he  was 
back  in  liritish  Columbia  at  the  mines  of  the  Cari- 
boo district.  Two  years  of  wavering  fortune  fol- 
lowed, after  which  he  decided  to  come  to  the  States, 
settling  on  Whidby  island  in  1867.  Three  years 
later  he  took  up  as  a  preemption  the  land  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  The  establishment  of 
that  home  ,was  accompanied  by  all  the  labor  and 
self  denial  common  to  the  men  who  would  wring 
from  the  huge  forest  a  place  for  cabin  and  crops. 
The  trees  were  large,  the  stumps  hard  to  uproot, 
but  at  last  perseverance  won  the  day,  converting  the 
tract  into  the  fine  farmstead  now  to  be  seen  where 
William  Gage  first  swung  an  axe  thirty-five  years 
ago.  Instead  of  the  big  pines,  firs  and  spruces, 
one  sees  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  cleared 
land,  including  fifteen  acres  of  hop  yard,  two  acres 
of  orchard  and  other  acres  devoted  to  farming  in 
general.  William  Gage  has  made  his  home  on  that 
land  near  Mount  Vernon. 

Mr.  Gage's  helpmeet,  Emily  E.  (Whitford), 
whom  he  married  in  Skagit  county,  is  a  native  of 
Alaska  territory.  They  have  one  adopted  son.  In 
politics  Mr.  Gage  is  a  Republican,  in  church  affilia- 
tion a  Baptist  and  in  fraternal  connection  a  Mason. 
Mr.  Gage's  live  stock  and  farm  proclaim  him  to  be 
one  of  the  prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  county, 
while  his  deeds  entitle  him  to  a  lasting  place  in  its 
history. 


CHARLES  E.  STORRS.  Living  on  his  farm 
two  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon  is  Charles  E. 
Storrs,  one  of  the  progressive  young  farmers  of 
Skagit  county.  Mr.  Storrs  was  born  in  Benton 
County,  Iowa,  in  1872,  the  son  of  Dennis  Storrs, 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  now  of  Skagit  county, 
and  Mary  A.  (Dobson)  Storrs.  Young  Storrs  has 
spent  nearly  his  whole  life  in  Skagit  county,  re- 
ceiving his  education  there.  At  fourteen  years  of 
age  he  commenced  independent  experience  in  life 
by  working  in  the  woods.  However,  he  made  his 
home  with  his  parents  until  twenty-five  years  of 
age.  In  1895  he  purchased  his  present  place,  where 
since  marriage  he  has  made  his  home.  Aside  from 
his  pasture  land,  on  which  he  grazes  his  flocks  of 
sheep,  and  a  sufficient  acreage  for  fodder,  he  has 
seven  and  one-half  acres  of  hops  and  two  acres  of 
excellent  orchard.  His  home  is  a  six-room  modern 
house,  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  in  the  vicin- 


548 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


ity  of  Mount  Vernon.  At  one  time  Mr.  Storrs 
spent  several  months  in  eastern  Washington,  but 
returned  to  the  famihar  scenes  of  Skagit  after  one 
season's  absence. 

Mr.  Storrs  was  married  at  Mount  Vernon  on 
January  2,  1898,  to  Miss  Lottie  Morley,  one  of 
Skagit  county's  estimable  young  women.  Mrs. 
Storrs  is  the  daughter  of  Albert  J.  Morley,  one 
of  those  sturdy  pioneers  who  crossed  the  plains  in 
the  early  days  of  the  influx  to  California. 
He  still  resides  in  California.  Mrs.  Storrs' 
mother  was  Miss  Etta  Payne.  She  is  a 
resident  now  of  Mount  Vernon.  Mrs.  Storrs  was 
born  in  California  in  1877  and  received  her  educa- 
tion in  that  state  and  in  Washington.  She  learned 
the  dressmaking  business  and  pursued  that  avoca- 
tion until  her  marriage  at  the  age  of  twenty.  Of 
this  union  there  are  two  children,  Carl  E.  and  Rollo, 
both  born  at  Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  Storrs  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  has  been  honored  by  the  members  of  his 
party  with  nomination  for.  office,  but  his  Repub- 
lican opponents  have  outnumbered  him  at  the  polls. 
In  1903-4  he  served  as  county  game  warden.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Mr.  Storrs 
has  recently  taken  up  the  subject  of  raising  sheep 
for  the  market  and  for  the  wool,  and  has  a  well 
selected  flock.  The  Storrs  place  is  a  modern  farm 
and  with  its  convenient  buildings  and  improved 
farm  implements  constitutes  one  of  the  most  invit- 
ing farmsteads  of  the  Puget  sound  country. 


MARSH  MILLER  furnishes  an  illustration  of 
what  may  be  accomplished  in  these  United  States  of 
America  by  a  man  of  foreign  birth,  if  he  have 
energy  and  application,  and  the  home  of  Mr.  Miller, 
southwest  of  Mount  Vernon  indicates  in  a  temporal 
way  the  sureness  with  which  he  directed  his  energy. 
Air.  Miller  is  a  native  of  Denmark,  born  on  April 
25,  1857.  Anders  Miller  was  his  father,  but  Marsh" 
was  left  without  fatherly  guidance  at  the  age  of  six 
months.  His  widowed  mother  still  lives  in  Den- 
mark. She  was  Mattie  M.  Christenson.  Marsh 
Miller  received  his  education  in  the  Danish  schools 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  leaving  school 
at  that  time  to  come  to  America  in  1873.  For 
three  years  he  worked  by  the  month  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  the  Centennial  year  found  him  in  Kan- 
sas working  as  a  farm  hand.  He  worked  in  the 
coal  mines  at  Osage  City  for  three  years  and  then 
spent  four  years  at  farming.  In  1883  Mr.  Miller 
came  to  the  territory  of  Washington,  stopping  for 
eight  or  nine  months  in  Seattle,  after  which  he  took 
up  a  ranch  in  Kitsap  county.  Eighteen  months  of 
life  on  this  preemption  had  been  passed  when  he 
decided  to  abandon  his  rights  and  go  to  Skagit 
county.  That  was  in  1885.  For  three  years  Mr. 
Miller  lived  on  Pleasant  Ridge,  leasing  his  place. 
Early  in  September,  1888,  Mr.  Miller  decided  to 
own  a  farm.  He  purchased  his  present  farm  of  110 
acres  of  which  at  that  time  but  five  acres  had  been 


cleared.  He  now  has  75  acres  cleared  and  he  uti- 
lizes the  remainder  of  his  place  as  woodland  pastur- 
age for  his  herd  of  forty-five  cattle.  In  1898  Mr. 
Miller,  falling  a  victim  to  the  mining  fever  which 
raged  in  Washington  at  that  time,  spent  a  year  in 
the  Alaska  gold  fields.  On  his  return  in  1899  he 
again  took  up  the  work  of  developing  his  farm  and 
has  since  lived  there. 

During  his  stay  in  Kansas  Mr.  Miller  met  and 
married  Miss  Christine  Anderson,  daughter  of  Au- 
gust Anderson,  a  native  of  Sweden.  Mr.  Ander- 
son removed  to  Washington  in  1888  and  is  now  a 
resident  of  Skagit  county.  Mrs.  Miller's  mother 
was  Hannah  Anderson,  now  deceased,  a  native  of 
Sweden.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  were  married  at 
Osage  in  1881.  Mrs.  Miller  was  born  in  Sweden 
and  educated  in  the  schools  of  tier  native  land.  Five 
children  have  been  born  to  this  union:  Frank,  Es- 
ther, Mary,  Herbert  and  Hazel,  all  born  in  Skagit 
county  and  all  living  there  at  the  present  writing. 
In  his  political  associations  Mr.  Miller  is  a  Socialist. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  LTnited 
Workmen  and  of  the  Methodist  church.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  by  his  thrift,  his  integrity  and  his 
earnestness  has  won  for  himself  a  place  high  in  the 
esteem  of  the  community.  His  life  work  is  an  in- 
dex of  the  possibilities  in  store  for  the  foreign  born 
lad  in  this  country  of  the  Western  continent. 


JOHN  C.  NELSON,  born  in  Sweden,  March 
27,  1862,  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1870, 
and  has  been  a  resident  of  Skagit  county  for  the 
past  twenty-one  years.  Swan  J.  Nelson,  the  father 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  settled  as  a  Swedish 
immigrant  in  Iowa,  entering  the  employ  of  the  rail- 
roads, in  which  he  continued  until  his  death  in 
1882.  Mrs.  Nelson  was  also  a  native  of  Sweden, 
her  maiden  name  having  been  Christine  Norby.  She 
was  the  mother  of  four  children  of  whom  John  C. 
is  the  youngest.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Iowa  and  after  the  death  of  his  father  continued 
to  live  at  home  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
one.  Then  he  took  up  railroad  work,  as  his  father 
before  him  had  done,  but  after  spending  two  years 
thus  went  back  to  the  farm,  remaining  there  until 
he  left  Iowa  in  1884  for  La  Conner.  There,  with 
his  brother  Charles,  he  leased  the  well  known 
Leamer  place  and  operated  it  four  years.  The 
brothers  then  associated  themselves  in  the  purchase 
of  a  quarter  section  of  undeveloped  land  which  they 
improved  and  worked  during  the  succeeding  four- 
teen years.  In  addition  to  their  former  holdings, 
they  added  by  purchase  in  1892  the  James  Dunlap 
place  upon  which  John  C.  Nelson  now  resides.  The 
long,  successful  partnership  of  the  brothers  came  to 
a  close  in  1902,  by  the  terms  of  which  dissolution 
the  younger  brother  received  a  tract  of  100  acres, 
including  the  house  in  which  he  has  made  his  home 
since  1892,  his  portion  consisting  entirely  of  cleared 
and  improved  land. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Mr.  Nelson  was  married  in  1895  to  Mrs.  Ida 
Dalquist,  the  ceremony  taking  place  in  Skagit  coun- 
ty. Her  father  was  Farth  Norby,  a  Swedish  farm- 
er, who  followed  that  occupation  in  the  old  coun- 
try, where  also  the  daughter  was  born  in  1864,  and 
educated.  She  married  Mr.  Dalquist  in  Seattle, 
and  to  this  union  came  one  daughter.  Alma.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Nelson  have  one  child,  Harold,  born  in 
Skagit  county,  July  25,  1900.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen 
and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  is  affiliated  with 
the  Lutheran  church,  and  in  politics  is  an  active 
Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the  school  board  of 
his  district,  taking  as  deep  an  interest  in  education- 
al affairs,  as  he  takes  in  public  affairs  generally. 
As  a  farmer,  he  ranks  among  the  most  successful 
in  the  Swinomish  country,  which  is  recognized  as 
one  of  richest  spots  on  the  American  continent  and 
one  of  the  world's  leaders  in  oat  production.  A 
feature  of  this  farm  is  a  select  herd  of  Durham 
cattle,  which,  while  numbering  less  than  fifty,  is 
looked  upon  as  one  of  the  finest  herds  in  the  north- 
west by  breeders  of  that  stock.  Almost  needless 
to  say  it  is  a  source  of  great  pride  and  delight  to 
its  owner. 

The  Skagit  Valley  recognizes  in  Mr.  Nelson 
one  of  its  foremost  Swedish-Americans — successful 
farmer,  public-spirited  citizen,  a  man  who  has  won 
his  position  of  influence  strictly  upon  his  merits. 


WILLIAM  HAYTON,  though  less  than  thirty 
years  of  age,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty and  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  the  south- 
western part  of  the  county.  He  was  born  near  Fir 
in  1878,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Sanders) 
Hayton,  who  settled  in  Skagit  county  in  1876.  The 
elder  Hayton  is  a  Kentuckian  by  birth,  who  in  early 
life  went  to  Missouri.  In  the  Centennial  year  he 
crossed  the  plains  to  Washington,  consuming  seven 
months  on  the  trip,  and  bought  a  farm  near  Fir 
on  which  he  has  made  his  home  ever  since,  spending 
the  winter  of  1904-5  in  California.  Mrs.  Hayton 
was  a  Virginian.  She  died  in  Skagit  county  in 
1896.  William  Hayton  received  his  education  at 
Fir  and  remained  at  home  and  in  the  employment 
of  various  farmers  until  when  twenty  years  of  age 
he  went  to  California  for  a  year.  The  year  1900 
found  him  in  Seattle,  employed  by  the  Spokane 
Grain  Company,  where  he  learned  the  feed  busi- 
ness. Six  months  were  spent  at  Fir  and  the  old 
home,  when  he  returned  to  Seattle  and  engaged 
in  the  feed  business  on  his  own  account.  On  dis- 
posing of  this  venture  he  returned  to  Skagit  county 
and  in  the  fall  of  1902  leased  his  present  farm  and 
has  made  his  home  on  it  ever  since,  meeting  with 
excellent  success  in  the  vicinity  of  his  birthplace. 

In  1901  at  Fir  Mr.  Hayton  married  Miss  Emma 
Pryor,  the  ceremony  taking  place  on  Christmas  day. 
Mrs.  Hayton's  father  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  a 
stone  mason  by  trade,  who  went  to  Dakota  and 


died  there  in  1898.  Mrs.  Pryor  was  Hannah  Heis- 
ler.  a  native  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  who  came  to 
Washington  with  her  daughter  when  the  latter  was 
but  seven  years  old.  Mrs.  Hayton  has  been  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Skagit  county.  She  has  one 
child,  Dortha,  born  near  Fir,  in  August,  1904.  Mr. 
Hayton  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church  and  a  Yeoman.  On  his  present 
place  he  has  sixty  head  of  cattle  and  fourteen 
horses,  doing  quite  an  extensive  business  in  live 
stock.  In  addition  to  his  interests  in  Skagit  county, 
he  owns  a  timber  claim  in  Oregon.  Mr.  Hayton 
is  a  young  man  who  enjoys  the  respect  of  the  com- 
mvmity  centering  about  Fir  and  has  already  estab- 
lished himself  as  a  successful  agriculturist  and  stock 
raiser. 


JOHN  W.  KAMB  is  one  of  the  self-made  men 
of  Skagit  county.  Born  in  Finland  in  the  closing 
days  of  our  American  Civil  War,  he  is  to-day  one 
of  the  type  of  adopted  American  citizens  whom  the 
native  born  citizen  is  proud  to  greet  as  brother. 
John  W.  Kamb  first  say  the  light  in  April,  1865, 
and  fourteen  years  later,  his  father,  John  E.  Kamb, 
died  in  the  old  home  across  the  Atlantic,  leaving 
eight  children,  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  second.  The  mother,  Lena  Kamb,  died  in  her 
native  Finland.  John  W.  Kamb,  after  receiving  his 
education  in  the  Finnish  schools,  came  to  the  United 
States  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  settled 
in  the  state  of  Michigan,  where  he  lived  for  two- 
years,  engaging  in  various  lines  of  work.  The 
spring  of  1888  found  him  in  Seattle,  wide  awake 
for  opportunities  in  the  country  of  the  Puget  sound. 
For  a  time  Mr.  Kamb  worked  at  railroading  in 
Snohomish  county,  later  doing  similar  work  at 
Olympia.  Eight  months  in  a  saw-mill  at  Utsalada 
followed,  with  subsequent  work  as  a  member  of  a 
pile  driving  crew.  In  1889  he  was  building  dikes 
on  La  Conner  flats  at  some  seasons  of  the  year  and 
at  others  turning  farm  hand.  It  was  during  this 
period  of  his  life  that  he  learned  the  first  principles 
of  operating  a  farm,  which  he  has  so  successfully 
put  into  practice  during  recent  years.  In  the  fall 
of  1894  Mr.  Kamb  rented  a  small  farm  and  com- 
menced operations  on  his  own  account.  That  was 
the  small  beginning  of  his  present  farm  of  over  100 
acres  of  meadow,  grain  land  and  orchard,  much 
of  which  he  cleared  with  his  own  hands.  Mr.  Kamb 
has  augmented  his  original  purchase  of  eighty  acres 
and  now  has  seventy  acres  in  timothy,  thirty  in  oats 
and  a  small  orchard.  The  oat  land  is  marvellously 
rich  in  the  elements  which  make  for  large  crops,  the 
yield  on  this  section  of  the  Kamb  farm  sometimes 
being  100  bushels  to  the  acre.  Mr.  Kamb  has  a  fine 
eight-room  house.  He  takes  pride  in  his  farm 
buildings,  the  main  barn  being  a  structure  66x114 
feet  in  dimensions. 

In  February,  1900,  Mr.  Kamb  married  Miss 
Sadie   Rutter,   a   native   of   Pennsylvania,   born   in 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


1870.  Her  father,  Robert  Rutter,  was  born  near 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  1847,  of  Welsh-English 
parentage.  The  early  years  of  his  life  were  spent 
in  his  native  state  and  in  1878  he  removed  to  Kan- 
sas, taking  up  a  homestead  on  the  plains.  Eleven 
years  were  passed  in  Kansas  and  in  1889  Mr.  Rut- 
ter came  to  Washington  and  settled  at  Bay  View, 
Skagit  county,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  Mrs. 
Rutter  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state,  her 
parents  being  of  German  and  English  descent.  She 
was  the  mother  of  seven  children,  two  of  whom  are 
still  living.  She  died  in  Kansas  in  1889.  Mrs. 
John  W.  Kamb  was  educated  in  Kansas  and  came 
to  this  state  with  her  father  in  1889,  marrying  when 
thirty  years  of  age.  Of  the  union  there  are  two 
children,  both  born  in  Skagit  county,  Oscar  F.,  born 
in  April,  1902,  and  Leona,  born  in  March,  1905. 
Mr.  Kamb  is  a  Lutheran  in  religious  faith.  As  a 
farmer,  he  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  advantages  of 
stock  raising  on  a  small  farm,  and  is  an  enthusiast 
on  the  subject  of  fine  cattle  and  horses.  He  is  at 
present  making  a  specialty  of  Durham  cattle  and 
heavy  draft  horses.  Essentially  a  self-made  man, 
Mr.  Kamb,  who  had  little  of  the  world's  goods  to 
start  with,  has  become  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
respected  citizens  of  Skagit  county,  of  which 
achievement  he  may  justly  feel  proud. 


BENJAMIN  F.  SNOWDEN  came  to  the 
Skagit  valley  in  1890  and  is  now  one  of  the  well- 
to-do  small  farmers  of  the  county.  His  farm  of 
twenty  acres  of  good  land  is  two  and  a  half  miles 
west  of  Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  Snowden  is  a  native 
of  Missouri,  born  in  Andrew  county  in  1863.  His 
father,  John  Snowden,  was  the  son  of  an  Indiana 
farmer  who  moved  to  Missouri  in  1840,  where  he 
is  still  living.  Mary  (Carson)  Snowden,  the 
mother  of  Benjamin  F.,  was  a  native  of  Missouri 
also,  a  cousin  of  the  famous  scout  of  the  plains. 
Kit  Carson.  Benjamin  Snowden  spent  his  youth 
on  the  farm,  alternately  gaining  an  education  in 
the  Missouri  public  schools  and  helping  his  father. 
On  attaining  his  majority,  he  rented  a  neighbor's 
farm  and  operated  it  for'  five  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time,  having  married,  he  removed  to  Colo- 
rado and  engaged  in  farming  for  two  years.  In 
1889,  his  attention  having  been  called  to  the  rapid- 
ly growing  commonwealth  of  Washington,  he  came 
to  this  state,  and  after  spending  a  year  in  Seattle, 
decided  to  settle  in  the  county  of  Skagit.  There 
he  rented  the  farm  of  Mr.  Brewster,  the  post- 
master at  La  Conner,  and  operated  it  successfully 
four  seasons.  Mr.  Snowden  purchased  ten  acres 
of  land  in  1893  and  cleared  it.  Later  he  bought 
ten  more  acres,  and  these  holdings,  well  stocked 
with  horses,  cattle  and  hogs,  now  constitute  the 
Snowden  farmstead  in  the  Skagit  valley. 

Mr.  Snowden  was  married  in  Andrew  County, 
Missouri,  to  Miss  Mary  Stout,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Stout,  son  of  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 


state.  Mr.  Stout  owns  the  farm  on  which  he  was 
born.  Mary  (Stout)  Snowden  was  born  in  Mis- 
souri on  New  Year's  day,  1870,  and  received  her 
education  in  the  schools  of  her  native  state.  Her 
marriage  took  place  when  she  was  eighteen  years  of 
age.  She  is  the  mother  of  five  children,  Charles, 
Daisy,  Edith,  James  and  Theodore  R.,  ail  of  whom 
were  born  in  the  Skagit  valley,  except  Charles,  who 
was  born  while  his  parents  were  residents  of  the 
Centennial  state.  In  politics  Mr.  Snowden  is  a 
Republican.  The  Snowden  farm  is  one  of  the 
thriftiest  places  in  the  Skagit  valley  and  affords  an 
excellent  illustration  of  what  energy  and  economy 
will  accomplish  in  the  course  of  a  comparatively 
few  years. 


NELS  POLSON.  Few  families  have  been  as 
prominent  in  developing  the  northwestern  part  of 
the  state  or  are  as  well  known  in  the  current  life 
of  this  section  to-day  as  the  family  which  bears  the 
name  standing  at  the  beginning  of  this  chronicle. 
As  pioneers  upon  the  famed  tide  lands  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Skagit  river,  the  Poisons  were  among  the 
very  first ;  as  farmers  they  have  operated  upon  an 
extensive  scale  with  marked  success,  and  in  the 
mercantile  world  they  have  attained  a  high  posi- 
tion, especially  as  hardware  dealers. 

The  founder  of  this  family,  Olof  Poison,  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  from  his  native  land, 
Sweden,  in  1869,  taking  up  his  residence  first  in 
Illinois.  His  wife,  Gunhild  (Nelson)  Poison,  also 
a  native  of  Sweden,  where  they  were  married,  ac- 
companied him  across  the  ocean.  Illinois  did  not 
satisfy  them,  however,  so  they  shortly  pushed  across 
the  Mississippi  into  Iowa  and  there  spent  two  years. 
Still  they  were  not  contented  with  the  opportuni- 
ties presented,  but,  with  that  aptitude  which  is  so 
characteristic  of  the  race,  sought  the  rugged  fron- 
tier and  found  it  upon  the  banks  of  the  Skagit 
river.  Land  was  taken  along  what  is  known  as 
Brown's  slough  and  here,  out  of  the  salt  marsh  and 
tangled  thickets  which  covered  the  flats  was  ulti- 
mately reared  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  state. 
What  this  remarkable  farm  has  cost  in  labor,  money, 
hardship,  and  heartaches  cannot  be  set  down  in  cold 
type,  but  it  has  cost  much.  The  old  folk  retired 
to  a  less  active  life  in  La  Conner  in  1900,  and  there 
the  father  passed  away  three  years  later,  honored 
by  all  who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Poison  is  still  residing 
at  La  Conner.  Of  the  eleven  children,  Nels  is  the 
third  eldest;  he  was  born  July  39,  1857,  in  Sweden. 
In  that  country  and  in  Iowa  and  Washington  he  re- 
ceived his  education,  coming  to  Skagit  county  when 
a  lad  of  fourteen.  Upon  reaching  his  majority,  he 
assumed  the  full  responsibility  of  making  his  own 
living,  engaging  in  farming.  One  year,  that  of 
1885,  he  spent  in  British  Columbia,  but  the  inter- 
vening time  between  1878  and  1887  he  remained  in 
Skagit  county.  That  year  he  entered  the  employ 
of  his  brother,  who  had  established  a  hardware  bus- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


iness  at  La  Conner.  A  year  afterwards,  Nels  join- 
ed his  brother  as  a  partner,  the  firm  becoming  Perry 
Poison  &  Brother.  Again  in  1889  the  title  was 
changed,  this  time  to  the  Poison  Hardware  Com- 
pany, Inc.,  another  brother,  John,  having  entered 
the  business.  Albert  and  Robert  Wilton  purchased 
a  block  of  stock  in  the  spring  of  1892,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  name  again  changing,  this  to  the  Pol- 
son-Wilton  Hardware  Company.  Late  the  same 
year,  Nels  Poison  sold  his  interest,  withdrawing 
from  what  is  now  one  of  the  leading  hardware  and 
implement  firms  on  the  coast,  and  purchased  his 
present  place,  justly  noted  as  among  the  leading 
farms  in  the  county,  though  not  a  large  one.  Of 
his  original  quarter  section  he  has  sold  forty  acres, 
but  the  remainder  he  has  placed  in  a  fine  state  of 
cultivation.  A  modern  dwelling  was  built  by  him 
in  1901,  which  has  greatly  added  to  the  value  and 
comfort  of  the  farm. 

Mr.  Poison's  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Luth, 
daughter  of  Albert  and  Alice  (Campbell)  Luth,  of 
Columbus.  Nebraska,  was  celebrated  at  La  Conner 
Alarch  10,  1891.  On  her  paternal  side,  she  is  of 
German  descent  and  on  the  maternal  of  Irish  lin- 
eage. The  father  was  born  in  Germany  October 
14,  1839,  and  came  to  this  coimtry  when  a  boy  eleven 
years  old,  his  parents  first  residing  in  New  York 
state.  There  he  was  reared,  subsequently  married 
in  Rockland  county  and  when  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War  came,  enlisted  in  the  army.  At  present 
he  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Nebraska. 
Mrs.  Luth  was  born  January  12,  1838.  She  was 
seventeen  years  old  when  she  came  to  the  United 
States  and  five  years  later  was  married.  In  Rock- 
land County,  New  York,  September  14,  1868,  Mrs. 
Poison  was  born.  Her  education  was  obtained  in 
the  common  and  high  schools  of  Nebraska,  to 
which  she  came  when  only  a  year  and  a  half  old. 
At  sixteen  she  began  teaching,  pursuing  that  pro- 
fession in  Nebraska  for  five  years.  In  1890  she  ac- 
cepted a  position  in  the  schools  of  La  Conner,  but 
taught  only  until  her  marriage  the  spring  following. 
The  Poison  home  has  been  blessed  by  the  advent  of 
three  children;  all  born  in  Skagit  countv :  Albert 
W.,  .\pril  l(i,  1893:  Nellie  I.,  December  8,  1895; 
and  Robert  N.,  March  11,  1902.  The  family  church 
is  the  Lutheran.  Mr.  Poison  is  one  of  the  most 
active  men  in  his  party,  the  Republican,  and  is  a 
public  spirited  man  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He 
has  creditably  performed  the  duties  of  director  in 
his  school  district  and  has  contributed  not  a  little 
toward  placing  that  school  on  the  high  plane  it  now 
occupies.  Success  has  crowned  his  efforts  in  every 
line  of  activity  he  has  engaged  in,  private  or  public, 
which,  together  with  his  sterling  character  and  gen- 
ial traits,  has  justly  elevated  him  to  the  position  of 
influence  and  affluence  he  occupies  among  his  fel- 
lows.   

DENNIS  STORRS.  Among  the  men  whose 
names  are  destined  to  retain  a  permanent  place  in  the 


history  of  this  locality,  stands  Dennis  Storrs,  born 
in  Yorkshire,  England,  September  8,  1845,  the  son 
of  Charles  E.  Storrs,  a  carpenter.  His  father  hav- 
ing died  when  Mr.  Storrs  was  very  young,  he  made 
his  home  with  an  uncle  after  his  mother's  re-mar- 
riage. At  the  early  age  of  fourteen,  having  secur- 
ed his  education  in  the  schools  of  England,  he  en- 
tered the  shops  of  the  Great  Northern  railroad  at 
Doncaster,  where  he  acquired  the  trade  of  car  mak- 
ing. His  skill  soon  secured  him  a  position  in  a 
private  car  shop,  which  he  held  until  he  determined 
to  find  an  opening  in  America,  which  he  did  May 
4,  18T0.  Locating  first  in  Mount  Vernon,  Iowa,  he 
removed  a  year  later  to  Benton  count}-,  and  there 
spent  two  years.  In  the  fall  of  18T4,  he  came  to 
Washington,  then  a  territory,  stopping  a  month  in 
Seattle,  and  later  taking  up  his  residence  on  Whid- 
by  island,  where  he  followed  farming.  The  ensu- 
ing fall,  he  took  out  his  citizenship  papers  and  in 
that  same  year,  1875,  filed  on  his  present  home  near 
Mount  Vernon,  then  a  dense  forest,  and  moved 
there  in  the  spring  of  1876.  He  also  took  up  a  tim- 
ber claim  which  he  has  since  sold.  It  was  here  that 
he  was  identified  with  the  undertaking  that  insured 
the  memory,  for  generations  to  come,  of  all  those 
who  participated  in  it.  Originating  far  back  of  the 
memory  of  the  oldest  Indian,  perhaps  as  a  tiny  ob- 
struction that  a  child's  hand  might  then  have  re- 
moved, there  had  formed  in  the  bend  of  the  Skagit 
river  an  immense  log  jam.  Increasing  year  by  year, 
it  caused  the  river  to  overflow  its  west  bank,  and 
was  thus  a  constant  menace  to  the  lives  and  prop- 
erty of  those  residing  on  that  side  of  the  river,  and 
so  gigantic  seemed  the  task  of  removing  the  jam, 
upon  whose  surface  tall  trees  had  grown,  that  it  had 
never  been  attempted.  At  last  in  1876,  a  band  of 
men  among  whom  Mr.  Storrs  was  prominently 
numbered,  decided  that  it  must  be  done,  and  began 
work  at  once,  regardless  of  the  discouraging  proph- 
ecies heard  on  all  sides.  After  three  years  of  ardu- 
ous toil  in  the  face  of  grave  danger,  their  task  was 
consummated  and  the  river  rushed  unimpeded  on 
its  way,  mutely  witnessing  to  man's  power  of 
achievement. 

Mr.  Storrs  was  married  in  England,  November 
10,  186G,  to  Mary  Dobson,  the  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Naoma  (Hewitt)  Dobson,  both  natives  of 
England  where  the  father  was  a  seafaring  man  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  and  where  the  mother  still 
resides.  Mrs.  Storrs,  who  has  five  brothers  and 
sisters,  also  claims  England  as  her  birthplace,  and 
there  she  was  educated.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Storrs  have 
seven  children:  Arthur  and  Florence,  born  in  Eng- 
land; the  latter  now  Mrs.  Fred  Siegel,  wife  of  the 
present  master  of  the  government  snag  boat,  Skag- 
it ;  Charles  E.,  born  in  Iowa ;  Albert  E.,  now  de- 
ceased ;  George  and  Grace,  born  in  Mount  Vernon. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Storrs  adheres  to  Democratic  prin- 
ciples, while  fraternally  he  affiliates  with  the  Odd 
Fellows,  of  which  order  he  has  been  past  grand  for 
a  number  of  years.    During  his  residence  in  Mount 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


Vernon  of  almost  thirty  years,  he  has  witnessed 
wonderful  transformations.  Other  homesteads  be- 
sides his  own  have  responded  to  the  magic  influ- 
ence of  cultivation,  orchards  and  grain  fields  re- 
placing the  forests.  Not  one,  however,  surpasses 
his  own  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres, 
with  its  fine  four-acre  orchard,  and  its  thorough- 
bred cattle  and  horses.  Surrounded  by  all  these  ma- 
terial evidences  of  his  industry  and  skill,  he  is  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  is 
held  in  highest  esteem. 


J.  MADISON  SHIELD  is  one  of  Skagit 
county's  leading  citizens,  whether  as  educator  or  as 
agriculturist.  Turning  in  recent  years  from  the 
profession  of  teaching,  in  which  he  was  eminently 
successful,  he  has  proved  himself  a  man  of  equal 
ability  as  husbandman.  Mr.  Shield  was  born  in 
Butler  County,  Pennsylvania,  June  7,  1857,  of 
Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  His  father,  James  Shield! 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  is  still  living  in 
the  Keystone  state.  Mr.  Shield's  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Amanda  Smith,  is  also  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  by  birth.  Of  her  nine  children  Professor 
Shield,  of  this  article,  is  the  third.  He  early  de- 
veloped the  characteristics  of  a  student  and  after 
preparatory  courses  -.  in  the  graded  and  higher 
schools  entered  Grove  City  College  in  his  native 
state,  graduating  with  the  degree  of  bachelor  of 
science  in  1883.  One  year  of  teaching  in  Pennsyl- 
vania followed,  when  he  came  to  the  Pacific  coast, 
taking  up  his  profession  of  teaching  in  eastern  Ore- 
gon. At  the  close  of  his  first  }'ear  he  decided  to  re- 
turn to  his  Pennsylvania  home  and  to  resume  teach- 
ing there.  He  remained,  however,  but  a  single 
year.  In  1888  he  came  to  the  Puget  sound  coun- 
try, obtaining  a  position  as  principal  of  the  La  Con^ 
ner  schools.  Three  years  later  the  people  of  Skagit 
county  chose  him  as  superintendent  of  their  school 
system,  though  he  continued  to  devote  a  part  of  his 
time  to  teaching  in  La  Conner.  He  was  reelected 
county  superintendent  and  at  the  close  of  his  term 
of  ofiice,  being  ineligible  by  law  for  a  third  term, 
he  moved  to  Mount  Vernon  and  became  principal 
of  the  schools  of  that  city,  which  position  he  filled 
with  eminent  satisfaction  for  five  years.  In  the  fall 
of  1899  Professor  Shield  was  elected  to  the  prin- 
cipalship  of  one  of  the  public  schools  of  Seattle  and 
removed  to  that  city.  After  a  successful  career  of 
three  years  in  Seattle,  though  reelected  for  another 
year,  Professor  Shield  decided  to  return  to  Mount 
Vernon  and  take  up  agriculture.  Following  this  de- 
termination he  tendered  his  resignation  in  1902, 
and  moved  to  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres 
three  miles  west  of  Mount  Vernon,  which  he  had 
purchased  in  1899.  At  that  time  the  land  was  cov- 
ered with  a  heavy  forest.  It  was  not  until  1908 
that  sixty  acres  had  been  cleared  and  the  old  house 
reconstructed  into  a  modern  residence.  In  1892, 
while  serving  as  county  superintendent  of  schools. 


Professor  Shield  married  Miss  Maggie  D.  Calhoun, 
daughter  of  Dr.  George  V.  Calhoun  of  Seattle. 
Dr.  Calhoun  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  He  se- 
lected the  profession  of  medicine  and  obtained  his 
degree  at  the  University  of  Glasgow,  Scotland. 
For  a  time  he  practiced  his  profession  in  New 
Brunswick  and  then  entered  the  service  of  the  Unit- 
ed States  during  the  Civil  War  as  army  surgeon. 
In  1865  Dr.  Calhoun  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
marine  hospital  at  Port  Angeles,  a  year  later  rec- 
ommending the  removal  of  the  institution  to  Port 
Townsend.  Dr.  Calhoun  practiced  his  profession 
for  three  years  in  Seattle  and  in  1875  came  to  La 
Conner  where  he  remained,  a  successful  practition- 
er until  1896  when  he  returned  to  Seattle,  where 
he  still  lives.  Mrs.  Calhoun  was  Miss  Ellen  Mein, 
born  in  England.  She  was  married  in  Halifax, 
Nova  Scotia,  became  a  resident  of  the  United  States 
after  1863  and  of  Washington  when  her  husband 
located  in  this  state.  Her  death  came  in  1898.  Mrs. 
Shields  was  born  during  the  residence  of  her  par- 
ents in  Port  Townsend.  She  attended  the  schools 
of  Seattle  and  finished  her  education  at  the  Annie 
Wright  Seminary  in  Tacoma.  Following  her  grad- 
uation from  that  institution  of  learning,  she  became 
a  school  teacher.  Her  marriage  took  place  in  1892. 
Of  this  marriage  there  is  one  son,  George  Calhoun 
Shield,  born  at  Mount  Vernon  on  March  13,  1895. 
Professor  Shield  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  The 
retirement  of  Professor  Shield  to  his  farm  by  no 
means  completed  his  interest  in  matters  educational 
or  placed  him  out  of  touch  with  all  that  pertains  to 
the  highest  culture.  He  has  carried  to  his  farm 
all  that  was  best  in  his  scholastic  attainments  and 
his  varied  experiences,  whether  on  the  Atlantic  or 
the  Pacific  coast.  With  his  cultured  wife  he  is  pur- 
suing the  avocation  of  a  farmer  because  he  finds  it 
congenial  as  well  as  remunerative,  the  days  of  out- 
door life  mingling  in  excellent  proportion  with  the 
hours  devoted  to  study  and  the  betterment  of  the 
intellectual  man.  The  home  is  one  of  the  best  cul- 
ture and  refinement. 


AHLERT  H.  EGBERS.  From  German  lad, 
through  the  successive  stages  of  man-o'-warsman 
and  able  seaman  to  a  dairy  farmer  in  the  Skagit 
valley,  is  the  life  story  of  Ahlert  H.  Egbers.  He 
was  born  in  Germany  early  in  the  year  1853.  His 
father,  Henry  Egbers,  a  farmer,  died  in  1869  when 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  but  sixteen  years  of 
age.  The  mother,  Gretchen  (Hargen)  Egbers,  had 
eight  children  of  whom  Ahlert  is  third.  Mrs. 
Egbers  died  in  her  German  home  twelve  years  ago. 
Ahlert  Egbers  pursued  the  course  of  studies  pre- 
scribed by  the  German  schools  and  remained  with 
his  mother  after  his  father's  death.  At  twenty  years 
of  age  he  enlisted  in  the  German  navy  and  served 
two  years,  eight  months  and  five  days,  following 
that  experience  as  sailor  on  a  merchantman.  Find- 
ing himself  in  San   Francisco  in  1877  he  left  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


553 


ship  and  made  his  way  to  Washington  Territory, 
settling  in  Island  county.  For  seven  years  he 
worked  for  wages  and  then  rented  a  farm.  In  1885 
he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  leased  a  farm  for 
three  years.  Leases  followed,  of  Mr.  Ball's  place 
on  La  Conner  flats  and  of  Thomas  Barrett's  farm, 
until  in  1899,  he  bought  his  present  farmstead  of 
thirty  acres  three  miles  west  of  Mount  Vernon. 
Then  it  was  virgin  forest  land,  now  it  is  a  well  kept 
farm. 

Mr.  Egbers  married  Miss  Annie  Mahler,  daugh- 
ter of  Gustave  Mahler,  who  emigrated  from  Ger- 
many when  a  young  man  and  settled  in  New  York. 
It  was  in  New  York  that  Mrs.  Egbers  was  born. 
Her  mother,  Annie  (Snakenberg)  Mahler,  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  but  spent  her  last  days  in 
Skagit  county,  dying  at  the  home  of  her  daughter 
in  1903.  Mrs.  Egbers  received  her  education  in 
the  schools  of  New  York.  She  came  to  Washing- 
ton and  was  married  when  thirty  years  of  age.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Egbers  have  three  children,  all  of  whorri 
were  born  in  Skagit  county:  Henry  P.,  Milton  L. 
and  Alice  M.  Mr.  Egbers  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics and  a  member  of  the  German  Lutheran  com- 
munion. The  Egbers  farm  is  well  stocked,  especial 
attention  being  paid  to  dairying. 


JERE^IIAH  THOMPSON  is  a  native  of  the 
north  of  England.  He  was  born  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  1859,  his  father  being  Jeremiah  Thomp- 
son, a  farmer,  and  his  mother  Anna  (Mason) 
Thompson,  also  of  English  birth.  There  were  eight 
children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
fifth.  The  elder  Thompson  died  in  England  in  1887. 
Jeremiah  Thompson  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  England  and  at  the  age  of  eight- 
een years  left  home  for  the  life  of  a  farm  hand,  con- 
tinuing at  that  occupation  for  three  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  period  Mr.  Thompson  left  England  for 
Canada,  reaching  there  in  1881.  Two  and  a  half 
years  were  passed  in  Canada  then  Mr.  Thompson 
returned  to  England  for  one  winter.  Returning  in 
the  early  spring  to  America  he  started  for  the  Pa- 
cific coast,  Tacoma  being  his  destination.  On  his 
arrival  he  obtained  employment  in  the  Puyallup  hop 
fields.  Later  he  went  to  Sumner,  Washington,  and 
passed  four  months  as  a  saw-mill  hand.  Captain 
R.  J.  Yates,  who  owned  a  farm  on  the  White  river, 
offered  him  employment  and  Mr.  Thompson  passed 
two  years  on  the  Yates  farm,  leaving  there  for 
Skagit  county,  where  he  bought  his  present  farm  of 
eighty  acres  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Mount 
Vernon.  At  the  time  of  purchase  the  place  was 
covered  with  the  heaviest  of  timber.  Now  all  but 
twenty  acres  has  been  converted  into  a  modern  farm 
with  thirty  acres  in  oats  and  forty-two  in  grass,  as 
well  as  more  than  an  acre  in  orchard. 

On  October  13,  1886,  Mr.  Thompson  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Lillie  Leigh,  daughter  of  William 
Leigh,  a  native  of  England,  whose  parents  brought 


him  while  a  boy  to  the  state  of  Iowa.  Later  Mr. 
Leigh  went  to  Kansas,  where  he  passed  fourteen 
years,  and  in  1877  the  Leighs  came  to  Washington 
and  settled  on  the  White  river  near  Seattle.  Mrs. 
Leigh,  an  lowan  by  birth,  still  lives  in  Mount  Ver- 
non ;  her  husband  died  near  that  city  in  1897.  Mrs. 
Thompson  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Kan- 
sas, during  the  residence  of  her  parents  in  that 
state,  and  was  only  twelve  years  of  age  when  she 
came  to  Washington.  She  was  married  at  eighteen. 
Of  the  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomp- 
son, the  eldest,  Harvey  J.,  was  born  in  Tacoma, 
December  21,  1887 ;  Mabel  was  born  in  Skagit 
county  April  10,  1889  ;  Ida  M.,  born  in  Skagit 
county  July  16,  1891 ;  Violet  L.,  born  in  Skagit 
county  May  7,  1893 ;  Philip,  born  in  Skagit  county 
April  17,  1897;  and  Agnes  T.,  who  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Thompson  is  an  active  Republican. 
He  has  served  his  school  district  as  director  for  five 
years.  In  addition  to  doing  a  general  farming  bus- 
iness Mr.  Thompson  gives  especial  attention  to  his 
herd  of  Durham  cattle.  The  farm  is  well  improved, 
the  buildings  ample  and  the  whole  composes  a  mon- 
ument to  the  thrift  and  hard  headed  conservatism 
of  Mr.  Thompson  and  his  wife. 


FRED  SLOSSON  is  an  example  of  what  will 
and  pluck,  supplemented  by  an  application  to  work 
in  hand,  can  do.  Out  of  the  woody  wilderness  of 
Puget  sound  he  has  literally  carved  a  handsome 
competence  within  comparatively  few  years.  Born 
in  Pocahontas  County,  Iowa,  in  1872,  the  son  of  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  young  Slosson  has  made 
his  way  since  thirteen  years  of  age.  Oscar  Slosson, 
his  father,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  but  went  to 
Ohio  when  eighteen  years  old.  In  1854  he  removed 
to  Iowa  and  followed  farming.  In  1863  he  went 
to  Pennsylvania  and  there  responding  to  the  call  of 
President  Lincoln  for  volunteers,  enlisted  in  the 
Eleventh  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  and  served 
throughout  the  war  with  that  command.  After  the 
grand  review  and  muster  out,  he  turned  his  face 
once  more  to  the  plains  of  Iowa,  where  he  remained 
until  1878,  when  he  went  to  California.  Hearing 
of  the  Puget  sound  country  Mr.  Slosson  left  Cali- 
fornia after  a  year's  residence,  came  to  Skagit 
county  and  settled  on  a  farm  near  La  Conner,  where 
he  continued  until  his  death  in  190-4.  Julia  (Tous- 
lee)  Slosson  was  the  mother  of  nine  children  of 
whom  Fred  is  the  seventh.  Mrs.  Slosson  was  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  died  at  La  Conner  in  1904. 
Fred  Slosson  received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Skagit  county,  but  did  not  have  the  opportunity 
of  pushing  his  studies  to  the  extent  he  desired.  His 
father  being  of  infirm  health,  the  young  man  was 
early  called  from  school  to  the  sterner  duties  of 
life.  For  the  greater  part  of  his  life  young  Slosson 
has  made  a  business  of  clearing  land  of  the  big  for- 
ests, doing  a  contract  business,  in  which  he  has 
gained  an  enviable  reputation.    When  he  first  com- 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


menced  his  operations  that  section  of  Skagit  county 
where  he  resides  was  a  huge  forest.  It  was  during 
these  years  that  Mr.  Slosson  cleared  his  present 
farm  of  sixty  acres.  Among  the  contracting  enter- 
prises which  he  successfully  carried  to  completion 
was  the  construction  of  four  miles  of  the  Gray's 
Harbor  branch  of  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad, 
which  work  was  finished  in  seven  months.  With 
the  exception  of  one  business  trip  to  Chicago  Mr. 
Slosson  has  remained  on  the  sound  since  he  first 
reached  there. 

In  1895  Mr.  Slosson  married  Miss  Ethel  Tous- 
lee,  daughter  of  Horace  Touslee,  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon of  New  York,  who  came  to  Tacoma  in  1889 
and  one  year  later  moved  to  Skagit  county.  He 
is  now  making  his  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Slos- 
son. Mrs.  Slosson's  mother,  Sarah  (Cable)  Tous- 
lee, a  native  of  Iowa,  is  living  in  Chicago,  where 
she  is  in  the  millinery  and  dressmaking  busi- 
ness. Mrs.  Slosson  was  born  in  Iowa  in  1877  and 
received  her  education  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  She 
was  married  when  eighteen  years  of  age.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Slosson  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Gladys,  a 
native  of  Skagit  county.  In  politics  Mr.  Slosson 
is  a  Republican.  His  farm  is  all  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  includes  five  acres  of  fine  orchard. 
Mr.  Slosson  is  a  lover  of  cattle  and  has  seventy 
head  on  his  place.  He  is  contemplating  raising 
cattle  on  a  larger  scale.  His  home  is  modern  in 
every  way,  with  ample  buildings  and  every  conven- 
ience, showing  taste  and  enterprise.  Few  men  of 
Mr.  Slosson's  age.  starting  under  similar  circum- 
stances, can  give  better  evidence  of  their  success 
from  a  material  standpoint  than  is  displayed  on  his 
well  kept  place,  and  his  value  as  a  neighbor  and  citi- 
zen is  as  fully  evidenced  by  the  respect  and  esteem 
in  which  he  is  held  bv  his  fellow-citizens. 


DARLEY  C.  HAYWARD  was  born  in  Dires- 
ville,  Iowa,  in  May,  1866,  the  son  of  Henry  and 
Ellen  Hayward.  The  elder  Hayward  was  born  in 
England  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  butcher.  Com- 
ing to  the  United  States  when  a  young  man,  he  en- 
listed in  the  Union  army  and  served  until  the  cur- 
tain was  drawn  over  the  Lost  Cause  at  Appomat- 
tox court  house.  Mr.  Hayward  is  still  living  in 
Iowa.  Mrs.  Ellen  (Tilley)  Hayward  was  also  Eng- 
lish by  birth,  but  came  to  this  country  with  her 
parents  and  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Hayward  in  Iowa.  She  is  the 
mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Darley  C.  is 
the  second.  After  finishing  a  course  in  the  schools 
of  Iowa  young  Hayward  for  a  time  cast  in  his  for- 
tunes in  the  meat  business  with  his  father,  but  in 
1886,  when  twenty  years  old,  he  left  home  and 
went  to  Kansas.  After  one  year  on  the  plains  he 
came  to  Washington  and  obtained  employment  on 
the  farm  of  Hyman  Scheurkogle  in  Skagit  county, 
with  whom  he  remained  but  a  few  months.  A  year 
was  then  passed  in  working  in  various  places,  when 


Mr.  Hayward  returned  to  his  first  employer.  This 
time  he  remained  with  Mr.  Scheurkogle  for  three 
years  and  married  his  employer's  daughter. 

In  August,  1893,  the  ceremony  uniting  Darley 
C.  Hayward  and  Miss  Mary  E.  Scheurkogle  was 
performed.  In  a  short  time  Mr.  Hayward  purchas- 
ed twenty  acres  of  the  land  of  Mr.  Scheurkogle  and 
went  to  work  to  clear  it  for  cultivation.  The  big 
trees  have  disappeared  and  in  their  place  is  a  mod- 
est farm  in  excellent  cultivation,  with  orchard  and 
dwelling  house.  Hyman  Scheurkogle  was  born  in 
Holland,  but  at  an  early  age  crossed  the  Atlantic 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Iowa.  In  the  early  sev- 
enties he  came  to  Washington  and  purchased  the 
land  on  which  he  has  ever  since  lived.  His  wife 
was  Sarah  Slosson,  a  native  of  Iowa.  Their 
daughter,  Mary  (Scheurkogle)  Hayward,  was  born 
in  Iowa  August  9,  1879,  but  came  to  Washington 
with  her  parents  when  three  years  old.  Her  educa- 
tion was  gained  in  this  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hay- 
ward are  the  parents  of  three  children,  all  of  whom 
were  born  in  their  present  home:  Minnie  M.,  Fred 
H.  and  Bertha  E.  Mr.  Hayward  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Methodist 
church,  though  not  an  active  communicant.  The 
Haywards  are  very  pleasantly  situated,  with  an  at- 
tractive home,  a  farm  well  stocked  and  every  proba- 
bility for  still  greater  success  than  that  already 
gained  by  them. 


JOHN  EDWARD  CARLSON'S  career  in 
Skagit  county  marks  him  as  a  typical  young  Swed- 
ish-American citizen.  Born  in  Sweden  in  186-i,  he 
remained  on  his  father's  farm  in  the  old  country 
until,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  decided  that 
America  beckoned  him  to  fortune.  Carl  Carlson, 
his  father,  followed  the  son  to  the  United  States  in 
1890  and  is  now  spending  the  evening  of  his  life 
with  the  son.  Johanna  (Johnson)  Carlson,  the 
mother,  died  in  Skagit  county  in  1903.  John  E. 
obtained  his  education  in  the  Swedish  schools  and 
remained  on  the  farm  of  his  parents  until  he  came 
to  this  country  in  1888.  For  seven  years  after  he 
arrived  in  Skagit  county  he  was  in  the  employ  of 
J.  O.  Rudene  as  a  farm  hand,  but  in  1895  bought 
his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  a  little  over  three 
miles  west  of  Alount  Vernon.  At  that  time  the 
land  was  not  all  cleared,  but  it  is  now  entirely  un- 
der cultivation,  half  in  grass  and  a  number  of  acres 
in  garden  produce.  A  fine  seven-room  house  and  a 
good  barn  constitute  the  chief  building  improve- 
ments. 

In  1896  Mr.  Carlson  married  Miss  Ella  Larson, 
daughter  of  Ever  Larson,  a  Swedish  farmer  who 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  a  young  man 
and  settled  in  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  where  he  work- 
ed as  a  machinist  in  the  railroad  shops.  Mr.  Larson 
came  to  Washington  in  1888  and  now  resides  on 
Pleasant  Ridge  in  Skagit  county.  Mrs.  Larson  was 
also  a  native  of  Sweden.     She  died  at  the  Pleasant 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Ridge  home  in  1903.  Mrs.  Carlson  was  born  in 
Sweden  in  1863,  but  came  to  this  country  when  very 
young,  receiving  her  education  in  the  schools  ot 
Minnesota.  She  married  at  the  age  of  thirty-three 
and  is  the  mother  of  Lloyd  A.  and  Louis  E.  Carl- 
son, both  of  whom  were  born  in  Skagit  county.  Mr. 
Carlson  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  a  commun- 
icant of  the  Methodist  church.  His  eighty-acre 
farm  is  in  good  state  of  cultivation  and  is  yielding 
excellent  returns  in  both  crops  and  livestock. 


NELS  ELDE  is  one  of  the  young  Swedish- 
American  citizens  of  Skagit  county  who  are  fast 
making  a  reputation  for  thrift  and  shrewdness  in 
handling  a  farm.  Born  in  Sweden  in  18G5,  he  left 
the  old  home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  to  seek 
his  fortune  in  America.  His  father,  who  likewise 
bore  the  name  of  Nels  Elde,  was  a  farmer  in  Swed- 
en. His  mother,  Eliza  (Magnussen)  Elde,  passed 
her  whole  life  in  Sweden  and  her  remains  are  bur- 
ied there.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  Nels  is  the  youngest.  On  his  arrival  in  the 
United  States  Nels  Elde  came  at  once  to  Washing- 
ton, and  in  Skagit  county  entered  the  employ  of 
his  brother  Charles,  continuing  with  him  for  the 
period  of  six  years.  In  1S93  he  made  a  trip  to  his 
native  land  and  remained  there  one  year.  Four 
years  later  he  bought  his  farm  of  thirty-eight  acres, 
about  four  miles  west  of  Mount  \'ernon  and  resides 
there  now.  When  he  first  placed  foot  on  this  land 
there  were  only  seven  acres  cleared,  the  remainder 
of  his  purchase  consisting  of  brush  and  timber. 
These  have  all  been  removed  and  in  their  place  are 
acres  of  good  plow  land  of  more  than  ordinary  fer- 
tility, potatoes  yielding  as  high  as  thirty-five  sacks 
to  the  acre.  It  was  not  until  a  year  after  his  pur- 
chase that  Mr.  Elde  moved  on  his  place,  the  inter- 
vening time  being  given  over  to  removing  brush 
and  getting  the  land  in  shape  for  cultivation. 

In  1896  Mr.  Elde  married  Christina  Jensen, 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Boel  (Pearson)  Jensen,  now  liv- 
ing in  Skagit  county.  ]\Irs.  Elde  was  born  Septem- 
ber 27,  1873.  She  was  educated  in  the  old  country 
and. crossed  the  Atlantic  when  nineteen  years  of 
age.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Elde,  Ruth,  Lizzie.  Hildur.  Ruby  and  Mildred.  Mr. 
Elde  attends  the  Mission  church.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  in  politics  a 
Democrat.  With  fertile  and  well  tilled  soil, 
abundance  of  livestock,  commodious  buildings  and 
pleasant  and  convenient  home  conditions,  the  Elde 
family  may  well  be  counted  among  the  highly  fav- 
ored of  an  unusually  prosperous  community. 


HON.  JAMES  POWER,  of  La  Conner,  Wash- 
ington, is  a  pioneer  of  this  section  of  the  state,  hav- 
ing come  to  Puget  sound  in  1873.  He  located  at 
Whatcom  and  established  the  Bellingham  Bay  Mail, 


the  only  paper  then  published  north  of  Seattle.  In 
1879  he  removed  to  La  Conner  and  continued  the 
publication  of  the  paper  under  the  title  of  the  Puget 
Sound  Mail,  by  which  name  it  is  still  known,  the 
present  publishers  being  Messrs.  Carter  &  Carlson. 
Mr.  Power  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship at  the  printing  business.  Just  previous 
to  coming  West  he  worked  three  years  in  the  gov- 
ernment printing  office  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Mr. 
Power  had  two  brothers,  Edward  and  Frank,  in  the 
Third  Ohio  Union  Infantry,  while  his  father  served 
in  the  Confederate  army,  in  the  Tenth  Tennessee, 
one  of  the  instances  where  father  and  son  contended 
with  each  other  in  the  Civil  War. 

Mr.  Power  has  always  been  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  pub- 
lic affairs,  having  served  the  public  with  credit  and 
distinction  in  various  positions,  such  as  inspector  of 
customs.  United  States  commissioner,  member  of 
the  territorial  board  of  regents,  member  of  the  leg- 
islature, his  last  public  service  being  as  one  of  the 
framers  of  the  state  constitution.  In  the  legislature 
of  1883,  with  the  able  assistance  of  his  colleague, 
Hon.  Orrin  Kincaid,  now  deceased,  he  procured  the 
division  of  Whatcom  county  and  the  division  of 
the  county  of  Skagit.  These  counties  are  now  two 
of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  state  although  at  that 
time  the  division  met  with  considerable  opposition 
from  citizens  of  the  old  county. 

Mr.  Power  refers  with  satisfaction  to  his  spe- 
cial work  in  the  constitutional  convention  of  1889, — 
the  passage  of  the  provision  confirming  patent  title 
to  tide,  swamp  and  overflowed  lands,  previously 
taken  up  by  bona  fide  settlers.  Owing  to  a  mooted 
constitutional  question  as  to  whether  or  not  the 
general  government  should  have  reserved  such 
lands  from  settlement,  as  a  heritage  for  the  future 
state,  as  such  lands  had  previously  been  granted  to 
other  states,  it  was  deemed  important  to  enter  a 
formal  disclaimer  in  the  constitution.  This  most 
reasonable  proposition  to  quiet  the  settler's  title 
was  met  by  strenuous  opposition  from  the  delegates 
from  eastern  Washington,  led  by  Judge  Turner, 
who  very  speciously  argued  throughout  the  pro- 
tracted debates  that  if  the  state  had  any  interest  in 
these  lands  it  should  not  be  relinquished,  while  if  it 
had  no  such  interest,  a  disclaimer  was  unnecessary ; 
in  any  event  ne  argued  that  the  matter  should  go 
over  for  future  legislative  action.  But  Mr.  Power 
and  other  advocates  of  the  provision  insisted  on 
settling  the  question  then  and  there,  for  all  time, 
and  in  this  contention  thev  were  eventually  success- 
ful. 

"Judge"  Power,  as  he  is  popularly  known,  is 
now  living  in  retirement  on  his  hop  ranch  near  La 
Conner,  Washington. 


SAMUEL  DUNLAP,  though  in  point  of  age 
one  of  the  younger  leading  men  of  the  Skagit  val- 


556 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


ley,  is  nevertheless  a  pioneer  of  that  section  of  the 
Puget  sound  country.  He  was  born  November  22, 
1870,  in  the  state  of  California,  the  son  of  Isaac 
Dunlap,  a  Pennsylvania  farmer  who  later  moved  to 
Iowa.  In  the  latter  state  he  noted  the  tide  of  mi- 
gration to  California  and  joined  it,  traveling  there 
by  mule  team.  In  1877  he  came  to  Skagit  county 
and  purchased  a  place  on  Pleasant  Ridge ;  he  still 
lives  in  the  county.  Mrs.  Susan  (Maxwell)  Dun- 
lap,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Iowa  and 
married  to  Mr.  Dunlap  during  his  residence  in  that 
state.  She  is  still  living,  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Samuel  Dunlap  is  the  sixth.  The 
son,  though  born  in  California,  is  in  reality  a  prod- 
uct of  Skagit  county,  obtaining  his  education  here 
and  growing  to  manhood  in  the  Skagit  valley.  Two 
years  were  passed  by  him  in  educational  pursuits  in 
the  academy  at  Coupeville  when,  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years,  he  went  to  work  for  a  brother.  Two 
years  as  employe  were  followed  by  four  years  of 
farming  on  land  rented  of  his  brother.  At  the  close 
of  this  period  our  subject  bought  forty  acres  of 
heavily  timbered  land  which  he  cleared,  and  a  little 
later  added  the  forty-acre  tract  known  as  the  Wells 
place,  upon  which  he  moved  in  1899.  This  holding 
of  eighty  acres  of  as  good  farm  land  as  lies  in  Ska- 
git county  produces  principally  oats  of  which  the 
yield  is  invariably  large. 

Mr.  Dunlap  married  Mrs.  Hattie  Williams  at  La 
Conner  in  1894.  Her  father,  Richard  Ball,  a  pio- 
neer of  Skagit  county  whose  biography  appears  in 
this  history,  came  to  Washington  and  settled  on  the 
La  Conner  flats  in  the  Centennial  year.  Mrs.  Dun- 
lap's  father  has  served  as  mayor  of  La  Conner  for 
four  years.  Amanda  (Horney)  Ball,  mother  of 
Mrs.  Dunlap,  is  a  native  of  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
born  in  1847.  She  still  lives  in  La  Conner.  Mrs. 
Samuel  Dunlap  was  born  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  on 
New  Year's  day,  1867,  in  the  same  house  which  saw 
the  birth  of  her  father.  She  received  her  educa- 
tion in  the  Skagit  county  schools  and  after  pursu- 
ing a  course  of  study  in  the  Portland  high  school, 
began  teaching  in  Skagit  county  when  seven- 
teen years  of  age  ;  continuing  to  teach  in  the  schools 
here  for  a  total  of  nine  years.  When  twenty  years 
of  age  she  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  A.  C.  Williams, 
whose  death  occurred  two  years  later,  after  which 
she  resumed  teaching.  The  Dunlap  home  is  one  of 
the  pleasant  places  in  the  Skagit  valley  and  its  host 
and  hostess  are  respected  by  all.  The  farm  is  well 
kept  and  with  a  goodly  number  of  horses  and  cattle 
constitutes  one  of  the  solid  properties  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Dunlap  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World.    In  politics  he  is  an  ardent  Republican. 


AXEL  W.  AXELSON.  Prominent  among  the 
hardy  Norsemen  who  have  won  enviable  success  in 
the  industrial  development  of  Skagit  county  is  the 
worthy  citizen  and  successful  farmer  whose  name 
initiates  this  article.     Born  in  Sweden  in  the  year 


1861,  he  passed  there  the  first  twenty-six  years  of 
his  life,  and  his  father,  Axel  W.  Magnusson,  and 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sophia  Nygren, 
are  still  residents  of  that  far-away  northern  land. 
In  1887  he  arrived  in  the  state  of  Iowa,  where  he 
lived  three  years,  coming  at  the  end  of  that  time  to 
Mount  Vernon,  Washington.  His  first  employment 
in  Skagit  county  was  clearing  land,  then  for  three 
years  he  worked  for  R.  E.  Whitney,  building  dikes, 
but  in  the  fall  of  1893  he  went  to  Seattle,  where  for 
some  time  he  was  employed  in  different  brick  yards 
and  by  the  railroad  company.  Returning  at  length 
to  Whitney  island,  near  La  Conner,  he  spent  a  half 
decade  there  in  the  business  of  raising  cabbage  on 
a  five-acre  garden  tract.  The  ensuing  three  years 
were  spent  in  general  farming  first  on  Samish  flats 
and  then  on  the  Beaver  Marsh,  then  three  years  more 
were  spent  in  farming  on  Whitney  island.  In  1901 
he  purchased  his  present  place  in  the  vicinity  of 
Mount  Vernon,  known  formerly  as  the  Lindsay 
farm,  and  to  its  cultivation  and  improvement  he  has 
ever  since  devoted  himself  zealously,  making  a  fine 
farm  and  a  comfortable  home.  Every  acre  is  in 
condition  to  yield  a  crop.  A  convenient,  moderate- 
ly large  house  adds  materially  to  the  value  of  the 
farm  and  the  comfort  of  living  on  it,  while  a  nice 
little  orchard  supplies  fruit  of  all  varieties  for  fam- 
ily use.  Realizing  the  value  of  stock  on  a  farm, 
Mr.  Axelson  keeps  a  goodly  number  of  both  cattle 
and  horses. 

In  Skagit  county  in  March,  1895,  our  subject 
married  Sarah,  daughter  of  James  and  Eliza  (Brad- 
ley) Williamson.  Her  father  is  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, but  at  the  early  age  of  eight  years  came  with 
his  mother  to  the  LTnited  States,  settling  ultimately 
in  Dungeness,  Washington.  Though  deprived  of 
educational  advantages  in  his  youth,  he  has,  by  his 
native  shrewdness  and  application,  accomplished 
more  than  many  more  favored  men,  and  to-day  he 
is  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  La 
Conner,  of  which  he  is  a  pioneer,  having  helped  to 
dike  in  the  land  upon  which  the  town  or  a  portion 
of  it  stands.  Mrs.  Axelson's  mother  was  a  native 
of  Missouri,  but  was  brought  by  parents  to  this 
state  when  only  three  years  old,  and  passed  here  al- 
most her  entire  life.  She  died  in  December.  1903. 
Mrs.  Axelson  was  born  on  La  Conner  flats  May  17, 
1877,  but  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Port 
Townsend,  where  her  family  lived  for  ten  years, 
during  which  time  her  father  was  a  custom  house 
official  under  Bradshaw.  The  children  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Axelson  are  Anna,  Helen,  Herman  and  Kath- 
erine,  all  born  in  Skagit  county.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  in  fraternal 
affiliation  an  Odd  Fellow,  but  he  acknowledges  no 
allegiance  to  any  political  party,  preferring  to  de- 
termine for  himself  without  bias  to  whom  his  sup- 
port should  be  given.  He  is  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial men  in  the  county,  and  in  the  past  few 
years  especially  has  been  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful in  his  line  of  business.    He  belongs  to  that  class 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


of  Europeans  who  are  always  welcome  to  the  land 
of  the  free  because  they  employ  both  brain  and 
brawn  in  pushing  forward  the  industrial  and  social 
progress  of  whatever  community  they  may  choose 
as  a  place  of  abode. 


HARRIS  B.  PECK,  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  successful  men  of  the  Skagit  valley,  was  born  in 
New  Brunswick  in  1846,  the  son  of  a  farmer,  Elias 
Peck,  who  in  his  early  years  had  followed  the  sea 
for  a  livelihood.  He  was  a  native  of  New  Bruns- 
wick and  died  there  in  1875.  The  elder  Mrs.  Peck, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Rachel  Calhoun,  came  of  a 
well  known  New  Brunswick  family.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1865,  when  Harris  was  nineteen  years 
old.  Receiving  his  education  in  the  schools  of  New 
Brunswick,  Harris  B.  remained  at  home  until  he 
was  twent\--one  years  of  age ;  then  he  began  his  in- 
dependent career.  He  first  went  to  Massachusetts 
in  1867,  remaining  there  a  year  and  a  half,  after 
which  he  returned  home  to  care  for  his  father  in  the 
declining  days  of  his  eventful  life.  In  1877  Mr. 
Peck  left  the  rugged  shores  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy 
for  the  balmier  climate  and  superior  advantages  of 
Puget  sound.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  took  up 
forty  acres  of  railroad  land  to  which  he  soon  added 
a  homestead.  Then  followed  a  period  of  buying 
and  selling  land,  during  which  he  materially  in- 
creased his  holdings.  In  1890  he  disposed  of  a 
part  of  his  land  and  invested  in  a  furniture  store  in 
La  Conner,  which  he  directed  for  two  years,  after- 
ward returning  to  his  farm,  then  reduced  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  sixty-five  of  which  were 
cleared.  He  later  acquired  forty  acres  adjoining, 
of  which  thirty-five  were  cleared,  and  in  1903  he 
added  yet  another  forty  acre  tract.  While  Mr. 
Peck's  land  is  adapted  to  general  farming,  he  is 
partial  to  growing  grass  for  hay,  and  only  seven- 
eighths  of  his  land  is  now  under  the  plow. 

Before  leaving  New  Brunswick  Mr.  Peck  mar- 
ried Miss  Susan  West.  After  ten  years  of  wedded 
life  Mrs.  Peck  died  in  Washington  leaving  five 
children.  Mr.  Peck  remained  a  widower  seven 
years,  in  1892  marrying  Miss  Hattie  Crandall  at 
La  Conner.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  Crandall, 
who  was  at  one  time  numbered  among  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  New  Brunswick,  but  is  now  de- 
ceased as  is  also  his  worthy  helpmeet.  Mrs.  Peck 
herself  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  and  in  that 
province  was  reared  and  educated,  receiving  an  un- 
usually broad  literary  training.  She  taught  there 
for  a  number  of  years,  then  removed  to  Boston,  and 
in  1892  came  to  this  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peck  have 
no  children,  but  four  of  the  progeny  of  the  first 
union  are  living,  namely,  Mrs.  Edna  Reay,  resid- 
ing near  Mount  Vernon ;  George,  of  Bellingham ; 
Floyd,  who'  operates  the  home  farm,  and  Mrs. 
Susan  Cole,  also  of  Bellingham.  Mr.  Peck  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  grand  old  men  of  the  Skagit 
country  and  one  of  its  most  prosperous  and  sub- 


stantial citizens,  an  exemplar  of  the  sturdy  quali- 
ties which  make  for  the  best  in  any  American  com- 
munity. He  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  and  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican,  but 
not  specially  active. 


CHARLES  ELDE  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best 
known  of  the  Swedish-American  settlers  of  the 
Skagit  valley.  He  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1857  on 
the  farm  which  had  been  kept  in  the  family  since 
the  year  1640.  His  father  was  Nels  Carlson,  who 
died  many  years  ago  on  the  famous  old  Swedish 
family  homestead.  Mr.  Elde's.  mother  was  Lisa 
Magnusson.  She  also  died  in  her  native  land,  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Charles  is  the 
fifth.  After  passing  through  the  Swedish  schools, 
Charles  Elde  remained  on  the  historic  farm  of  his 
forefathers  until  twenty-three  years  of  age.  In 
1881  he  left  Sweden  and  soon  after  rea.ching  this 
country  went  to  Colorado  and  followed  mining  for 
a  year  and  a  half.  On  Christmas  day  in  1882  he 
reached  Seattle,  traveling  by  boat  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, reaching  there  by  overland  train.  Mr.  Elde 
remained  in  Seattle  but  a  short  time,  going  thence 
to  La  Conner  where  he  was  engaged  at  farm  work 
with  Dr.  Calhoun,  a  year  later  renting  from  that 
gentleman  240  acres  on  the  Sullivan  slough.  For 
ten  years  he  conducted  farming  operations  on  this 
place  and  at  the  close  of  the  term  purchased  from 
Dr.  Calhoun  the  160  acres  five  miles  southwest  of 
Mount  Vernon  on  which  he  has  ever  since  made  his 
residence.  The  land  at  that  time  was  all  under 
cultivation,  but  it  was  without  house  or  farm  build- 
ings. This  is  as  rich  land  as  Skagit  county  boasts 
and  of  it  Mr.  Elde  has  made  one  of  the  best  pro- 
ducing farms  in  the  Pacific  Northwest. 

Mr.  Elde  was  married  in  1898  to  Miss  Nora 
Anderson  of  Seattle,  the  ceremony  taking  place  in 
Victoria,  British  Columbia.  Mrs.  Elde's  father  was 
Andrew  Carlson  and  her  mother  Sophia  Bengt- 
son,  both  of  whom  passed  their  lives  in  Sweden, 
where  Mrs.  Elde  was  born  in  1868  and  where  she 
received  her  education.  Four  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elde,  all  of  them  on  the  farm 
in  Skagit  countv :  Thyra,  born  in  1898  Dagny  M., 
born  in  1900 ;  C.  Tage'.  born  in  1901,  and  Signe  E., 
born  in  1903.  Mr.  Elde  is  an  active  Democrat  in 
his  political  alliance.  He  attends  the  Mission 
church,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  Lutheran  denomi- 
nation. He  is  a  Mason,  a  past  grand  in  the  Odd 
Fellows'  fraternity  and  a  member  of  the  Woodmen 
of  the  World,  the  Elde  place  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  farmsteads  in  the  county,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  very  best  in  point  of  cultivation  and  pro- 
ductiveness. 


FRED  P.  CHELLMAN  is  one  of  the  colony 
of  Swedish  born  American  citizens  who  have  turned 
the  Skagit  forest  into  smiling  farms  and  out  of  the 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


change  have  created  fortunes  for  themselves  and 
their  famihes.  Mr.  CheUman  was  born  in  Sweden 
October  S,  1852,  the  son  of  Peter  and  Marie  Peter- 
son, being  fifth  in  the  circle  of  ten  children.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Peterson  remained  in  their  native  land 
until  death  some  )-ears  ago.  Mr.  Chellman  re- 
mained on  the  home  farm  until  he  was  past  thirty 
years  of  age,  coming  to  America  in  1881.  He  re- 
mained one  summer  in  Colorado  and  then  came  to 
Washington,  his  first  employment  being  in  a  saw- 
mill at  Port  Blakeley.  The  following  winter  he 
passed  at  a  logging  camp  on  the  Skagit,  and  it  was 
during  this  engagement  that  he  selected  a  part  of 
the  heavily  timbered  forest  for  his  future  home.  In 
the  summer  of  1883  he  made  a  filing  on  the  land, 
which  included  some  marsh  land  as  well  as  timber. 
With  his  own  hands  he  has  cleared  the  land  of  its 
trees  and  has  diked  and  drained  the  low  places.  Of 
that  original  160  acres  eighty  are  now  in  grass  and 
a  second  eighty  in  oats,  the  yield  of  both  crops  be- 
ing heavy.  At  a  later  time  l\Ir.  Chellman  added  by 
purchase  eighty  acres  of  cleared  land  to  the  west  of 
his  original  place,  three  miles  south  and  one  mile 
west  of  Mount  Vernon.  He  has  made  his  home 
here  since  1883. 

In  1887  Mr.  Chellman  married  Miss  Annie  L. 
Benson,  who  had  come  to  Washington  that  year 
from  her  home  in  Sweden.  She  was  nineteen  years 
of  age  and  had  received  her  education  in  the  old 
country.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  this 
imion,  Alma  C,  and  Anna  V.  Aside  from  grow- 
ing grasses  and  grains,  Mr.  Chellman  has  turned 
his  attention  with  success  to  the  raising  of  Dur- 
ham cattle  and  has  developed  a  well  selected  herd. 
In  politics  he  places  little  faith  in  party  platforms 
and  party  pledges,  but  considers  the  candidate  and 
casts  his  ballot  for  the  individual  whom  he  believes 
to  be  the  best  qualified  for  a  given  office.  The  fam- 
ily attends  the  Methodist  church.  As  pioneer,  citi- 
zen and  successful  farmer  and  stock  raiser,  Mr. 
Chellman  ranks  well  to  the  front ;  while  as  a  busi- 
ness man  his  present  holdings  in  rich  farm  lands, 
stock,  etc.,  with  his  substantial  home,  fully  attest 
his  executive  ability. 


AXEL  ANDERSON,  well  known  as  a  pros- 
perous farmer,  living  three  and  one-half  miles 
southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  is  a  native  of  central 
Sweden,  born  July  29,  1869.  His  father,  Anders 
Carlson,  a  farmer  born  in  Sweden  in  1828,  was  a 
man  of  influence,  whose  excellent  education  fitted 
him  to  fill  with  honor  the  various  offices  he  held 
to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1875.  Sophia  (Bangt- 
son)  Carlson,  also  of  Swedish  birth,  was  the  mother. 
She  died  in  her  native  land  in  1897.  Making  the 
best  use  of  the  educational  opportunities  afforded 
by  the  common  schools  of  the  country  and  in  the 
meantime  doing  his  share  of  the  farm  work,  Mr. 
Anderson  grew  to  manhood.  Having  brothers  and 
sisters   residing   in   the   United    States   who   wrote 


home  in  glowing  terms  of  the  country  and  its  open- 
ings, he  decided  to  find  a  home  there  also.  He 
reached  Osage  City,  Kansas,  in  1889,  and  began 
work  in  a  coal  mine,  continuing  there  for  a  year, 
at  the  end  of  which  he  came  to  La  Conner  to  accept 
a  position  on  the  farm  of  his  cousin,  Charles  Elde. 
He  and  his  brother,  Nels  Anderson,  bought  a  forty 
acre  farm  and  also  rented  land  which  they  tilled  for 
three  years  until  he  was  offered  the  management 
of  Judge  Powers'  hop  ranch.  He  purchased  his 
present  place  in  1899,  and  has  since  greatly  im- 
proved it,  building  his  cosy,  comfortable  house,  and 
surrounding  it  with  tasteful,  well-kept  grounds. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  April  26,  1898,  to 
Miss  Anna  Sward,  who  was  born  in  the  northern 
part  of  Sweden,  laut  came  to  the  United  States 
when  a  young  girl.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson 
have  had  three  children,  only  one  of  whom,  Carl 
Axel,  is  living.  Mr.  Anderson  has  one  brother, 
Nels.  and  three  sisters,  Christina  Charlstron,  Anna 
Lendblom  and  Nora  Elde.  In  political  matters  he 
is  an  independent  voter.  He  is  a  worthy  member 
of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  Being  a  careful 
manager  he  secures  large  returns  from  his  ranch, 
the  products  of  which  are  hay  and  stock.  Thrifty 
and  industrious,  and  withal  a  man  of  integrity,  he 
commands  the  respect  of  the  entire  community. 


GUST  LENDBLOM,  a  well-to-do  farmer  resid- 
ing three  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Mount 
Vernon,  was  born  in  east  Sweden  September  23, 
1856,  the  son  of  Jonas  and  Anna  Lendblom.  both 
natives  of  Sweden.  Having  served  thirty-six  years 
in  the  army  of  his  native  country,  the  father  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1877,  and  died  here  the  fol- 
lowing year  at  the  age  of  sixty-one.  His  mother 
was  born  in  1815,  and  died  in  Kansas  in  1903. 
The  youngest  of  a  family  of  seven,  Mr.  Lendblom 
has  the  following  brothers  and  sisters :  Anton,  liv- 
ing in  Minnesota;  Carl  T.,  Charlotte,  Lena  and 
Leonard,  all  residents  of  Kansas.  The  first  twenty 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  on  his  father's  farm  in 
Sweden,  acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of  affairs 
that  would  bring  him  success  in  later  years.  When 
the  family  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1877, 
he  first  found  employment  in  Osage  City,  Kansas, 
where  he  worked  in  the  mines  in  the  winters,  and 
at  stone  masonry,  summers.  Thirteen  years  later 
he  went  to  Michigan,  securing  a  position  as  a  stone 
mason  which  he  held  for  two  years,  at  which  time 
he  decided  to  locate  in  the  Northwest.  Coming  to 
Skagit  county  July  20,  1893,  he  rented  a  farm  which 
he  \vorked  until  1899,  when  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent home. 

Mr.  Lendblom  was  married  August  25,  1883,  in 
Osage  City,  Kansas,  to  Miss  Anna  Anderson,  born 
in  Sweden  in  1860,  the  sister  of  Axel  and  Nels  An- 
derson. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lendblom  have  the  follow- 
ing children:  Judith.  Martin  (deceased),  Carl, 
Edith    (deceased),    Lillie,    Edith,    Hugo,    Gunuar, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Hector  and  Rhoda.  The  family  attend  the  Baptist 
church  of  which  both  parents  are  active  members. 
Mr.  Lendblom  is  an  independent  voter,  beheving 
that  to  be  the  surest  means  of  securing  wise  and 
just  legislation.  He  owns  thirty  acres  of  land 
which  he  is  fast  bringing  under  cultivation.  He  is 
interested  in  dairy  matters,  and  sells  his  product 
as  cream.  A  hard  working  honest  man  of  good 
moral  standard,  he  enjoys  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  his  neighbors  and  friends. 


NILS  ERICKSON,  farmer  and  dairyman,  re- 
sides on  his  ranch  four  miles  southwest  of  Mount 
Vernon.  For  generations  his  ancestors  have  been 
natives  of  Sweden,  in  which  country  he  was  born, 
near  Ostersund,  December  6,  1857,  the  son  of  Eric 
and  Elizabeth  (Nelson)  Erickson.  His  father, 
born  in  1840,  is  a  farmer  in  his  native  country.  His 
mother  died  in  1896.  Mr.  Erickson  has  one  sister, 
Anna  Westin,  and  two  brothers,  Peter  and  Lewis, 
all  residents  of  Seattle,  Washington.  Northern 
Sweden,  his  home  for  the  first  twenty-one  years,  is 
a  poor  farming  country,  yielding  only  a  bare  living 
even  with  diligent  labor.  The  many  advantages  to 
be  enjoyed  in  the  United  States  influenced  him  to 
make  his  home  there  in  18TS.  Locating  in  Oberlin, 
Kansas,  he  rented  land  for  a  time,  but  the  severe 
drought  that  brought  dismay  to  so  many  caused  his 
efforts  to  be  almost  a  complete  failure.  Discour- 
aging it  certainly  was,  but  not  disheartening  to  a 
man  of  his  fine  courage.  Securing  from  his  labor 
just  enough  money  to  purchase  a  ticket  to  the  great 
Northwest,  where  man's  success  is  not  so  dependent 
upon  the  ofttinies  fickle  rainfall,  he  came  to  Stan- 
wood,  Snohomish  county,  and  at  once  began 
clearing  land.  The  following  spring,  in  1891, 
he  sent  for  his  family,  who  had  remained 
in  Kansas,  meeting  them  at  Skagit  City,  near  which 
he  bought  a  piece  of  school  land  which  became 
their  home  until  in  1900  when  they  removed  to 
their  present  farm.  It  was  densely  covered  with 
heavy  timber  and  the  task  of  clearing  and  bringing 
it  to  its  present  state  of  cultivation  has  indeed  been 
laborious,  and  has  been  accomplished  entirely  by 
his  own  untiring  efforts.  He  has  ten  acres  in  fine 
condition,  and  all  the  rest  in  pasture  land. 

Mr.  Erickson  was  married  in  Kansas,  January 
10,  1890,  to  Miss  Carrie  Wineburg.  an  acquaint- 
ance who  was  born  in  his  native  parish  in  Sweden, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1878.  Her  par- 
ents were  likewise  natives  of  Sweden,  her  father  fol- 
lowing farming.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erickson  have 
seven  children :  Sophia,  William.  Ellen.  Jennie, 
Alice,  Allrick  and  Harris,  who  attend  the  Swedish 
Baptist  church,  of  which  the  parents  are  members. 
Mr.  Erickson  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  has  filled  the  office  of  road  supervisor,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  was  clerk  and  school  director  in 
his  district,  known  as  the  Harmony  district,  which 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  very  best  in  this  part 


of  the  county.  He  is  a  patron  of  the  Mount  Ver- 
non creamery,  to  which  he  sends  the  milk  from 
eight  cows.  By  industry  and  wise  management  he 
has  won  for  himself  and  family,  under  adverse  con- 
ditions, a  home  and  a  place  in  his  community,  and 
to-day  is  recognized  as  a  worthy  citizen,  holding 
the  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


O.  J.  JOHNSON,  for  many  years  engaged  in 
ministerial  work  in  his  native  land,  Sweden,  and 
also  in  the  United  States,  and  now  a  prominent 
farmer  residing  four  miles  southwest  of  Mount  Ver- 
non, was  born  near  Ostersund,  February  17,  1856. 
His  father,  John  Johnson,  a  farmer  in  Sweden,  was 
born  in  1835,  and  died  in  1888.  The  mother,  Agnes 
(Olson)  Johnson,  was  also  a  native  of  the  same 
country,  dying  there  in  1885.  Having  worked  with 
his  father  on  the  farm,  and  attended  the  public 
schools,  Mr.  Johnson  entered  college  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  taking  a  two  years'  course.  He  then  de- 
cided to  enter  the  ministry  of  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  studied  privately  with  a  professor  of  the  col- 
lege, after  which  he  went  as  traveling  missionary 
for  that  church  for  six  years,  resigning  at  that 
time  on  account  of  his  health.  He  married  soon 
after,  and  purchased  his  father-in-law's  farm  which 
he  owned  until  1888.  Dissatisfied  with  the  political 
conditions  of  his  country,  in  which  the  right  to  vote 
is  purely  a  property  qualification,  no  one  being 
allowed  a  ballot  who  has  not  either  four  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  property  or  an  income  amounting 
to  eight  hundred  dollars,  and  believing  that  Russia 
would  eventually  conquer  the  Scandinavian  people, 
thus  making  the  situation  one  of  far  more  peril,  he 
determined  for  his  children's  sake  to  leave  the  land 
of  his  fathers.  He  had  once  made  a  trip  to  Minne- 
sota, and  had  been  impressed  with  the  superior  ad- 
vantages that  the  United  States  offered,  so  at  this 
time  he  migrated  to  Rawlins  County,  Kansas,  and 
rented  a  farm.  A  year  and  a  half  later,  in  1890, 
he  came  west,  first  to  Stanwood,  Snohomish  coun- 
ty, and  soon  after  to  Skagit  county,  where  he  bought 
land  on  the  Skagit  delta..  In  1899  he  invested  in 
his  present  property  near  Mount  Vernon,  which  hi 
has  greatly  improved,  there  being  then  only  an  or- 
chard on  the  place.  For  two  years,  from  1896  to 
1898,  he  traveled  for  the  Baptist  Publishing  Com- 
pany, selling  their  publications  throughout  the  coun- 
try, and  also  frequently  preaching.  Previous  to 
this  time  he  had  been  pastor  of  the  Swedish  Bap- 
tist church  for  four  years,  1892  and  1896,  which 
pulpit  he  again  filled  for  two  years  after  giving 
up  the  field  work,  tendering  his  resignation  as  pas- 
tor in  1903.  He  believes  that  his  ministry  is  ended, 
and  is  now  devoting  his  entire  time  to  agricultural 
interests.  He  is  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  a  farm- 
ers' co-operative  union,  with  its  own  commission 
merchants  and  its  home  store,  and  has  succeeded 
in  arousing  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  his  plans. 
Several   meetings  have  been  held,  and  the  organ- 


SKAGIT  COUNTY 


ization  elected  the  following  officers :  Mr.  Johnson, 
president;  Andrew  Anderson,  vice-president;  Wil- 
liam Wells,  secretary,  and  Robert  Gunther,  treas- 
urer. He  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  meeting 
held  in  Seattle  in  March,  1905,  in  which  all  the  co- 
operative organizations  in  the  western  part  of  this 
state  were  represented,  and  brought  back  cheering 
reports  of  the  work  done  in  other  places.  He  thinks 
it  will  not  be  long  before  the  organization  here 
and  elsewhere  will  be  perfected,  and  this  will  mean 
much  greater  returns  to  the  farmers  when  their  own 
commission  merchants  handle  their  products  in  the 
Seattle  market. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  in  Sweden  in  1881, 
to  Miss  Carrie  Nelson,  born  in  that  country.  They 
have  two  children,  Jonas,  born  in  Sweden,  August 
12,  1883,  and  Annie  E.,  also  born  there,  in  1887. 
Both  children  have  decided  musical  ability,  playing 
several  instruments  with  proficiency.  Mr.  Johnson 
has  been  school  director  for  some  time,  and  dike 
commissioner  for  one  term.  In  general  appearance 
he  thinks  Skagit  county  resembles  Sweden,  but  is 
vastly  superior  in  every  way,  particularly  in  the  ad- 
vantages offered  to  the  ambitious  poor  man.  An 
earnest,  progressive  citizen,  broadened  by  the 
varied  experiences  that  have  entered  his  life,  Mr. 
Johnson  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the  community 
which  now  claims  him  as  a  resident. 


FRANK  JUNGQUIST,  a  well  known  farmer 
and  dairyman  who  resides  qu  his  farm  four  miles 
southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  came  to  the  United 
States  when  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  His 
father,  August  Jungquist,  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
December,  1835,  and  farmed  there  until  he  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1888,  where  he  now  lives 
with  his  son,  John  Jungquist.  Hannah  (Johnson); 
the  mother,  was  born  in  Tyrunga,  Sweden,  in  1831, 
and  died  in  Alay,  1901.  Mr.  Jungquist,  born  in 
Sweden,  west  of  Jutland,  May  10,  1867,  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  coun- 
try, while  he  also  acquired  a  practical  knowledge 
of  farming.  A  brother,  John,  and  a  sister,  Chris- 
tina, the  wife  of  Marsh  Miller,  being  residents  of 
the  United  States,  he  was  familiar  with  the  oppor- 
tunities to  be  foTind  here,  and  decided  to  make  this 
his  home.  Arriving  in  La  Conner  August  24,  1886, 
he  at  once  found  employment  with  a  thrashing  ma- 
chine, the  first  he  had  ever  seen.  Two  and  a  half 
years  later  he  bought  his  first  real  estate  in  this 
country,  and  in  1899  purchased  his  present  ranch, 
situated  by  the  river  dike.  He  has  remodeled  the 
house,  and  also  greatly  improved  the  farm. 

In  Seattle,  January  29,  1891,  Mr.  Jungquist  was 
married  to  Miss  Ellen  Warsen,  born  November  21, 
1872,  near  Linkoping,  Ostergatlands,  Sweden.  Her 
father,  Anders  Anderson,  a  farmer,  died  Novem- 
ber 26,  1878.  Her  mother,  Johanna  (Johnson), 
was  born  April  15,  1839,  and  came  to  the  United 
States   September   21,    1892.     Mrs.   Jungquist   has 


been  a  resident  of  this  country  since  1890.  Four 
children  have  been  born  to  this  union,  Alice,  Elmer. 
Fredolph  and  Emma.  Mr.  Jungquist  is  a  loyal 
member  of  the  Republican  party.  A  firm  believer 
in  the  common  school  system,  he  advocates  the  em- 
ployment of  the  best  talent  that  can  be  secured 
and  is  ever  found  laboring  to  carry  to  successful 
issue  these  progressive  ideas.  He  lias  a  fine  dairy 
of  twenty  cows  and  in  company  with  his  brother, 
Klos,  owns  a  farm  of  fifty-six  acres,  on  which  is 
located  their  creamery,  bearing  the  name  of  the 
Skagit  City  Creamery,  the  product  of  which  is  eas- 
ily sold  at  the  highest  price.  That  this  portion  of 
the  United  States  is  the  best  possible  location  for  an 
active,  enterprising  man,  is  a  firm  conviction  in  the 
mind  of  Mr.  Jungquist,  and  his  success  certainly 
demonstrates  the  soundness  of  his  judgment. 


OLUF  INMAN  NELSON  (deceased).  When 
after  a  weary  illness  of  eighteen  months  this  promi- 
nent pioneer  died  at  his  home  four  and  one-half 
miles  southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  on   November 

10,  1904,  the  cause  of  truth  and  right  lost  a  brave 
champion,  and  the  community  an  honored  citizen 
and  friend.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  January  15, 
1844,  the  son  of  Inman  and  Kristine  Nelson,  both 
natives  of  that  country,  in  which  the  father  died 
many  years  ago,  and  the  mother  in  1846.  Mr.  Nel- 
son spent  the  first  twenty-four  years  of  his  life  in 
the  home-land,  immigrating  to  the  United  States 
in  1868,  but  returning  in  1873  for  his  bride.  His 
first  home  was  in  Illinois,  thence  he  moved  to 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he  remained  till  1876,  at 
which  time  he  decided  to  go  west.  After  a  year  in 
Seattle,  his  wife  who  had  remained  in  Nebraska, 
joined  him  and  they  came  to  Skagit  county,  near 
La  Conner,  where  he  at  first  rented  land  and 
farmed.  Later  he  bought  a  farm  in  the  Beaver 
Marsh  district,  which  unfortunately  he  was  obliged 
to  give  up  when  the  panic  of  1893  palsied  the 
finances  of  the  nation.  Previous  to  this  he  had  been 
very  successful,  owning  both  the  farm  above  men- 
tioned and  also  the  one  on  which  his  family  now 
resides. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  in  Omaha,  Nebraska, 
June  22,  1872,  to  Miss  Celia  Bainston,  born 
in  Sweden,  April  8,  1847.  Her  father.  Baint  Nel- 
son, was  a  well  known  shoemaker  of  Sweden,  and 
died  in  that  country  in  1900,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three.  Bertha  .Swanson,  her  mother,  also  of  Swed- 
ish nativity,  was  born  in  1806,  and  died  September 

11,  1891.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  were  bom  the 
following  children:  Alfred,  born  March  15,  1878, 
now  attendmg  the  university  at  Seattle,  from  which 
he  will  be  graduated  in  the  class  of  1906  ;  Minnie 
and  Otto,  twins;  Victor  and  Benjamin,  the  latter 
also  attending  school;  and  three  others  now  de- 
ceased. Bravely  taking  up  the  burdens  laid  down 
by  her  husband,  Mrs.  Nelson  has  charge  of  the 
farm  in  the  absence  of  her  eldest  son,  attends  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


561 


the  dairying,  and  also  devotes  time  and  attention 
to  poultry  raising.  During  Air.  Nelson's  life  he 
was  an  earnest  member  of  the  Socialists,  actively 
engaged  in  promulgating  the  doctrines  in  which  he 
so  firmly  believed.  Always  a  man  of  pronounced 
views,  he  had  the  courage  to  adhere  to  his  convic- 
tions, regardless  of  the  cost.  For  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Swedish  ^Methodist  church,  though 
at  the  time  of  his  death  not  connected  with  any  so- 
ciety, he  has  been  a  life-long  student  of  the 
Bible,  and  was  an  earnest  Christian,  following  the 
light  as  he  saw  it. 


GEORGE  J.  WOLF,  a  successful  and  energetic 
farmer  residing  three  and  one-half  miles  south- 
west of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  near  Richland, 
in  Richland  County,  Wisconsin,  November  29,  1860. 
Michael  Wolf,  his  father,  a  native  of  Germany,  in 
which  country  he  followed  the  baker's  trade  for 
many  years,  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  lo- 
cating first  in  Michigan,  and  later,  in  1850,  in  Madi- 
son, Wisconsin,  at  that  time  only  a  small  town. 
Opening  a  bakery,  he  remained  there  for  some  time, 
when  he  moved  to  Richland  county,  having  re- 
married after  the  death  of  his  first  wife.  He  was 
living  there  on  his  own  farm  at  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1870.  Anna  Rosa  (Lassa)  was  the  moth- 
er. Rorn  and  raised  in  Germany,  she  was  first 
married  to  William  Klousie,  after  whose  death  she 
met  and  some  years  later  married  Mr.  Wolf.  She 
died  in  South  Dakota  in  1901,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-four. The  early  life  of  George  J.  Wolf  did 
not  differ  from  that  of  the  average  American  boy, 
as  it  was  spent  on  his  father's  farm  learning  many 
lessons  of  industry  and  economy,  and  attending  the 
common  schools  of  the  state.  The  first  year  after 
he  became  of  age  he  assumed  the  care  of  his  moth- 
er's farm,  going  later  to  South  Dakota,  where  he 
spent  seven  years  in  farming  and  dairying.  In  1891 
he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  bought  his  present 
place,  at  that  time  simply  a  part  of  the  woods, 
wholly  destitute  of  improvements.  For  the  next 
two  years  he  rented  land  which  he  farmed  until 
his  own  could  be  diked,  and  the  task  of  clearing 
it  begun.  Having  been  appointed  dike  commis- 
sioner by  the  county,  he  levied  a  tax  and  con- 
structed what  is  known  as  the  "high  dike"  which 
extends  a  mile.  Then  began  the  work  of  clearing 
his  own  land  and  building  houses  and  barns.  Two 
years  later  he  returned  to  South  Dakota  and  took 
up  a  homestead  in  Buffalo  county,  residing  there 
six  years.  This  property  he  still  owns.  To  his 
former  home  in  Skagit  county  which  he  held  while 
in  Dakota,  he  returned  in  December,  1902,  and  has 
since  given  it  his  entire  attention. 

Mr.  Wolf  was  married  in  South  Dakota,  De- 
cember 4,  1889,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Fredlund,  daugh- 
ter of  I.  J.  and  Maria  (Johnson)  Fredlund.  Her 
father  has  been  a  resident  of  Skagit  county  for 
fourteen  years.     Mrs.  Wolf  was  born  in  Bergen, 


Norway,  in  18(58.  and  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1881.  Her  brothers  are  Jules,  Edward,  Robert 
and  Joseph  Fredlund,  all  living  in  Skagit  county, 
and  Albert  Fredlund,  now  in  Alaska.  Mr.  Wolf's 
own  brothers  and  sisters  are  as  follows :  John  H. 
and  David  M.,  general  merchants  in  South  Da- 
kota, Ado'.ph  G.,  a  banker,  Anna  Rosa  Smith  and 
Dorothy,  all  likewise  residents  of  South  Dakota. 
He  has  three  half-brothers  and  one  half-sister. 
Abraham,  William,  Caroline  and  Charles.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wolf  have  six  children  living  and  one,  David 
F.,  deceased.  They  are  as  follows :  Charles  Wes- 
ley, Jesse  Benjamin,  Ira  J.,  Marie,  Leonard  G.  and 
Edwin  R.  All  the  family  attend  the  ]\Iethodist 
church,  of  which  the  father  and  mother  are  active 
members.  Mr.  Wolf  is  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  was  in  office  while  in  South  Da- 
kota. He  is  now  school  director  and  clerk  in  his 
district.  Intensely  interested  in  the  educational  mat- 
ters of  the  county,  he  agitated  the  building  of  an 
addition  to  the  school  house  in  his  district  and  the 
employment  of  another  teacher,  and  has  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  both  his  plans  carried  out.  It 
is  now  a  graded  school,  and  one  reflecting  credit 
upon  its  officers  and  patrons.  His  farm  of  twenty 
acres  is  in  a  very  desirable  location,  situated  on  the 
corner  opposite  the  school  ground.  He  secured  his 
land  by  clearing  off  another  tract  of  equal  size.  He 
is  devoting  his  time  principally  to  raising  vege- 
tables and  to  his  dairy  interests.  Thrift  and  in- 
dustry are  everywhere  apparent,  and  are  securing 
for  him  a  large  measure  of  success  and  influence. 


JOHN  H.  CARLSON,  a  prosperous  farmer 
living  four  miles  southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  has 
had  a  more  varied  career  than  have  most  young 
men  of  his  age.  Born  in  south  Norway,  near  Chris- 
tiana, November  1,  1867,  he  is  the  son  of  Carl 
Jacobson,  a  native  of  Sweden  who  came  to  Norway 
when  a  young  boy.  and  is  now,  though  nearly 
eighty  years  of  age,  an  engineer  on  one  of  the 
coast  steamers.  Wilhelmina  (Hanson)  Jacobson, 
the  mother,  was  born  in  Norway  about  the  same 
time  that  her  husband  was,  and  is  still  living.  Hav- 
ing attended  the  schools  and  passed  the  examina- 
tion, which  is  required  by  law  in  Norway,  he  also 
afterward  spent  some  time  in  night  schools.  He 
learned  engineering  with  his  father  and  at  eight- 
een began  life  on  the  ocean,  making  eleven  trips 
to  Montreal  on  a  steamer,  and  later  sailing  to  Eng- 
land, the'  United  States  and  other  countries.  This 
practical  experience  on  the  ocean  is  a  preparation 
required  of  all  who  would  enter  the  marine  service 
of  Norway,  to  enter  which  at  that  time  was  his  am- 
bition, one,  however  that  he  entirely  abandoned 
when  he  grew  to  manhood.  In  his  early  teens  he 
had  worked  in  a  bottle  factory,  where  he  became 
quite  proficient  in  the  art  of  glass  blowing.  He 
had  observed  the  resources  and  superior  advan- 
tages   of    the    United    States    when    on    his    ocean 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


voyages  he  had  touched  her  shores,  and  decided  to 
make  this  his  future  home,  which  he  did  in  1888. 
He  intended  to  enter  the  machine  shops  when  he 
arrived  in  this  country,  but  changed  his  plans  and 
was  employed  in  a  paint,  sash  and  door  factory  in 
Oshkosh,  Wisconsin,  the  largest  manufactory  of 
its  kind  in  the  world  at  that  time.  Three  years 
later  he  came  west  to  Bellingham,  then  known  as 
Seahom,  taking  up  carpenter  work  with  contractors 
for  several  years.  He  purchased  his  first  real  es- 
tate in  Ferndale,  which,  after  improving,  he  sold 
some  two  years  later,  at  that  time  locating  in 
Whatcom,  where  he  operated  a  planer  in  a  plan- 
ing-mill  until  he  came  in  1898  to  Skagit  county. 
That  winter  he  and  three  others — O.  J.  Johnson, 
Frank  Jungquist  and  brother,  bought  of  Henry 
Wright  a  100-acre  ranch,  which  was  divided  up, 
the  place  on  which  he  now  resides  falling  to  his 
lot.  There  was  only  an  orchard  on  it  then,  and 
everything  else  in  the  way  of  improvements  has 
been  added  since.  He  built  his  own  house,  barns 
means  to  make  the  improvements  on  his  property, 
and  fences,  and  cleared  off  nearly  the  entire  place. 
In  the  meantime  he  ran  a  donkey  have  sufficient 
hauling  off  logs,  that  he  might  engine,  used  in 
Much  of  the  carpenter  work  in  this  locality  has 
been  done  by  him.  He  and  Nils  Erickson  had  the 
contract  for  the  building  of  the  school-house  in 
Harmony  district. 

Mr.  Carlson  was  married  in  Wisconsin,  July 
28,  1889,  to  Miss  Anna  Edd,  born  in  Sweden,  a 
friend  whom  he  had  known  in  Norway,  and  who 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1888.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Carlson  have  four  children,  Esther,  Ruth,  Elmer 
and  Edna.  In  the  Swedish  Baptist  church  Mr. 
Carlson  is  a  prominent  member,  having  served  as 
treasurer  for  many  years.  The  educational  mat- 
ters of  his  community  receive  his  attention  and 
his  hearty  financial  support.  He  has  a  brother, 
Charles,  who  is  chief  engineer  on  an  ocean  steam- 
er plying  between  the  Philippine  Islands  and  the 
West  Indies.  The  other  members  of  his  family 
are  Emil,  Hildorine  and  Elise.  Mr.  Carlson  has 
twenty-two  acres,  and  devotes  much  time  to  his 
dairy,  now  milking  nine  cows,  and  selling  the  sepa- 
rated cream  to  the  Mount  Vernon  creamery.  Ear- 
nest, ambitious,  and  withal  a  manly  man,  he  is 
highly  esteemed  by  his  many  acquaintances. 


SAMUEL  SCHIDLEMAN,  whose  career  is  a 
fine  illustration  of  what  a  young  man  with  health, 
energy  and  ambition  as  his  only  capital  can  ac- 
complish in  this  splendid  country  of  ours,  was  born 
in  Fulton  County,  Pennsylvania,  near  McConnells- 
burg,  March  if,  1867,  the  son  of  Peter  Schidle- 
man,  a  farmer  who  was  born  in  Germany  and 
died  in  Pennsylvania  thirty  years  ago.  The  moth- 
er, Kate  (Lutz)  Schidleman,  also  of  German  de- 
scent, now  resides  with  her  son  Samuel,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five.    Her  other  children  are  as  fol- 


lows: Henry  (deceased),  Katie  (deceased),  Peter, 
David  (deceased),  Daniel,  John,  Mary,  Lizzie  and 
Philbena.  His  father  having  died  when  he  was 
only  eight  years  old,  Samuel  Schidleman  and  the 
other  children  in  the  family  early  took  up  the  bur- 
den of  life,  acquiring  an  education  in  the  common 
schools  in  the  meantime.  The  farm  was  small  and 
yielded  only  a  meager  living  for  the  large  family. 
It  was  therefore  decided  to  move  to  Knox  County, 
Illinois,  and  thence  the  mother  and  children  went 
when  Samuel  was  sixteen.  He  and  a  brother  did 
the  work  on  the  farm  which  they  secured  for  the 
mother,  and  he  also  worked  for  a  man  who  owned 
a  farm  of  one  thousand  acres.  Two  years  later  he, 
in  company  with  his  brother,  David,  started  west, 
driving  the  entire  distance  to  Utah  in  a  top  buggy, 
locating  at  Askley  valley,  just  across  the  Colorado 
line,  where  they  took  up  farming.  His  brother 
having  gone  on  to  Pocatello,  Idaho,  and  later  to 
Whidby  island,  Mr.  Schidleman  joined  him  there 
in  1888,  and  after  working  out  for  a  time,  began 
farming  for  himself.  Seven  years  later  he  shipped 
his  stock  and  other  goods  to  Skagit  county,  rent- 
ing a  farm  on  Beaver  Marsh,  and  in  1899  pur- 
chased his  present  place,  farming  both  ranches.  He 
moved  on  his  own  farm  in  the  fall  of  1903. 

Mr.  Schidleman  was  married  October  24,  1900, 
to  Jennie  Willis  Adams,  a  native  of  Oregon,  born 
near  Roseburg,  the  daughter  of  an  old  pioneer 
family  who  came  to  that  locality  in  the  early  fifties. 
For  a  number  of  years  Mrs.  Schidleman  was  a 
professional  nurse.  Mr.  Schidleman  is  an  enthusi- 
astic member  of  the  Independent  Democratic 
party.  He  is  a  progressive  citizen,  thoroughly  con- 
vinced of  the  wisdom  of  maintaining  excellent 
schools  and  churches.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  nearly  all  under  cultivation,  upon 
which  he  has  a  good  home,  modern  in  all  its  appoint- 
ments, and  surrounded  by  neat  grounds  that  evi- 
dence both  the  owner's  taste  and  thrift.  A  nice 
home  which  he  has  built  next  to  his  own  for  his 
mother's  use,  is  a  proof  of  his  thoughtful  kind- 
ness. Largely  interested  in  dairying,  he  has  a  fine 
barn  and  thirty  head  of  cattle  of  the  Guernsey 
breed,  the  milk  product  from  which  after  separa- 
tion is  disposed  of  to  the  creamery.  He  also  is  a 
breeder  of  fine  Berkshire  hogs.  He  came  to  the 
sound  with  but  five  dollars  as  the  sum  of  his  pos- 
sessions, and  had  only  his  cattle  and  team  when  he 
settled  in  Skagit  county.  But  with  that  indomi- 
table courage  and  perseverance  which  accept  no 
defeat,  Mr.  Schidleman  has  multiplied  those  meager 
possessions  until  he  now  stands  as  one  of  the  well- 
to-do  farmers  of  the  county,  easily  worth  twelve 
thousand  dollars.  It  is  small  wonder  that  he  is 
a  most  loynl  and  enthusiastic  resident  of  his  coun- 
ty, believing  it  to  be  the  best  on  the  face  of  the 


GEORGE  H.  LAWSON,  one  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty's most  successful  farmers  and  dairymen,  residing 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


six  miles  southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born 
near  Cambridge,  in  Henry  County,  Illinois,  Janu- 
ary 15,  1858.  His  father,  Charles  M.  Lawson,  a 
native  of  Sweden,  was  born  in  1828,  and  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1853,  locating  in  Henry  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  he 
came  to  Washington  in  1897.  He  has  now  retired 
from  active  business,  and  makes  Seattle  his  home. 
His  two  brothers,  August  and  John,  served  in  the 
Civil  War.  Anna  Charlotte  Lawson,  the  mother, 
was  also  born  in  Sweden,  and  now  hale  and  hearty 
at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  is  living  in  Seattle. 
Spending  the  first  years  of  his  life  on  his  father's 
farm,  and  acquiring  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  state,  Mr.  Lawson  reached  his  ma- 
jority in  his  native  state.  Employed  for  a  time 
by  a  brother-in-law,  he  later  bought  a  farm  and 
began  life  for  himself.  Six  years  later  he  sold 
this  property  and  invested  in  another  farm.  In 
1897  he  came  west  to  visit  a  brother,  Alfred  J.  Law- 
son,  living  near  Edison,  and  found  the  country  so 
desirable  that  after  careful  deliberation  he  decided 
to  sell  his  property  in  the  East  and  make  this  his 
permanent  home.  He  reached  Seattle  March  15, 
1901,  came  thence  to  the  Skagit  country  and  to- 
gether they  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  lives, 
the  consideration  being  seventeen  thousand  dollars 
for  the  one  hundred  and  ninety-one  acres. 

Mr.  Lawson  was  married  October  9,  1888,  to 
Tilda  Anderson,  born  in  Henry  County,  Illinois, 
the  daughter  of  Swedish  parents  who  settled  in  that 
state  in  1853.  Her  father  was  Anders  Anderson, 
a  farmer,  who  died  many  years  ago.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lawson  have  two  children,  Charles,  aged  15,  and 
Grace,  aged  13,  both  attending  school.  Mr.  Law- 
son  is  a  trustee  in  the  Pleasant  Ridge  Swedish 
Methodist  church,  of  which  his  wife  is  also  a  mem- 
ber. The  fifth  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy,  and  one,  Emily,  in  later 
life.  Islr.  Lawson  has  the  following  living  broth- 
ers and  sisters  :  Minnie  Gustafson ;  Ellen  Peter- 
son, of  Seattle ;  Alfred  J.,  of  Edison,  Washington ; 
Phebe  and  Augusta,  at  home  in  Seattle.  Mr.  Law- 
son  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  party.  Since 
his  father's  retirement  from  active  duties,  Mr.  Law- 
son  has  had  the  entire  charge  of  the  large  farm, 
and  the  fine  condition  in  which  it  is  kept  is  a  con- 
vincing proof  of  his  skillful  management  and  ex- 
cellent judgment.  One  hundred  bushels  of  oats 
and  four  tons  of  timothy  hay  per  acre  is  the  rec- 
ord of  production  that  he  has  sometimes  made  on 
his  farm.  Situated  as  it  is  right  on  the  bank  of  the 
Skagit  river,  he  has  the  advantage  of  being  able 
to  ship  his  products  from  the  granery  without  the 
trouble  of  hauling  them  to  the  market.  He  has 
large  stock  interests  to  which  he  devotes  much  at- 
tention. He  is  now  breeding  short  horn  cattle  and 
English  shire  horses,  while  also  raising  Berkshire 
hogs.  He  believes  this  to  be  a  much  better  farm- 
ing country  than  Illinois,  or  any  country  with 
which   he   is    familiar,   having   made   more   monev 


in  his  four  years  residence  here  than  he  did  in  the 
previous  ten  spent  in  Illinois.  Lending  the  strength 
of  his  influence  to  educational  matters,  he  was  for 
six  years  school  treasurer  of  his  township  in  Illi- 
nois, and  has  just  retired  from  service  on  the  board 
of  directors  in  his  district.  Thoroughly  familiar 
with  all  the  details  of  farming,  industrious  and  en- 
ergetic, he  is  reaping  the  success  and  honor  that  he 
so  justly  merits. 


NELS  CHRISTENSOxN,  a  pioneer  farmer  of 
Skagit  county,  and  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Pioneers'  Association,  living  five  and  one-half 
miles  southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in 
Lolland,  Denmark,  September  15,  1835.  His  par- 
ents were  Peter  and  Mary  Christenson,  both  na- 
tives of  Denmark,  in  which  country  they  also  died. 
Coming  to  this  country  in  1865,  Mr.  Christenson 
settled  at  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin,  but  soon  removed  to 
Salina,  Kansas.  He  later  took  up  a  homestead  in 
Riley  county,  near  Clay  Center,  upon  which  he 
resided  until  he  came  to  La  Conner,  Washington, 
in  1875.  He  purchased  two  hundred  and  four  acres 
in  Skagit  county,  paying  one  thousand  dollars  for 
the  farm  which  to-day  would  be  worth  twenty-five 
times  that  amount  were  it  still  in  his  possession. 
It  was  then,  with  the  exception  of  twenty-five  acres, 
covered  with  water,  logs  and  brush,  a  typical 
"Beaver  Marsh,"  as  this  section  came  to  be  called 
in  later  years,  entirely  worthless  until  diked,  after 
which  it  is  the  finest  land  to  be  found  in  the 
world.  To  him  belongs  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  man  to  build  dikes  on  the  river  front.  Some 
few  had  been  constructed  in  the  marsh  to  keep 
out  the  salt  and  fresh  water,  but  he  was  the  first 
man  of  sufficient  courage  to  attempt  to  "fence  out 
the  river,"  as  his  undertaking  was  tauntingly  re- 
ferred to  by  some  of  the  less  enterprising  men 
of  that  day.  Succeeding  as  he  knew  he  would,  it 
was  not  long  before  others  followed  the  same 
course,  and  that  tract  of  wonderful  fertility  was 
year  by  year  reclaimed.  It  was  an  arduous  task 
to  construct  the  dikes,  and  even  then  the  work  was 
often  destroyed  by  the  floods  that  would  sometimes 
sweep  everything  before  them.  The  dikes  had 
then  to  be  repaired,  by  planking  them  and  throw- 
ing in  sacks  of  dirt  to  keep  them  from  washing 
away.  Such  a  flood  came  while  Mr.  Christenson 
v/as  building  his  first  dike,  endangering  his  wife 
and  little  ones,  whom  he  rescued  by  rowing  them 
in  a  boat  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  landing 
them  at  the  Charles  Tolber  place.  The  pioneer 
women,  as  well  as  the  men,  had  need  of  brave 
hearts  that  would  not  be  daunted  by  experiences 
of  this  kind.  It  was  a  wild,  rough,  desolate  coun- 
try then,  no  wagons  or  roads,  and  a  horse  was  a 
rare  sight,  the  work  being  almost  entirely  done  by 
oxen.  Trips  were  made  to  La  Conner  and  Ska- 
git City  either  by  boat  or  trail,  and  in  this  way  the 
few  products  the  settlers  had  to  sell  were  carried 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


to  market,  and  exchanged  for  the  necessities  of  life. 
Mr.  Christenson  was  married  in  Kansas  in 
1871,  to  Miss  Matilda  Swanson,  a  native  of  Swed- 
en, born  in  1849.  Having  shared  with  her  hus- 
band the  joys  and  sorrows  of  twenty-two  years, 
she  died  April  12,  1893.  Seven  children  were  born 
to  them  as  follows:  Robert,  living  near  Everett; 
Laura  Armstrong,  near  La  Conner;  Amanda 
Sharfenberg;  Anna,  at  home;  Albert  and  Clifford, 
near  Everett,  and  Edith,  at  home.  Mr.  Christenson 
is  an  honored  member  of  the  Swedish  Methodist 
church,  in  which  he  holds  the  office  of  steward 
and  class  leader.  For  many  years  he  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  educational  affairs  of  this 
locality,  serving  as  director  at  the  time  the  pres- 
ent school-house  was  built,  and  also  many  times 
before  and  since  that  time.  Of  late  years  he  has 
suffered  many  reverses.  In  1895-6,  his  crops  were 
an  utter  failure,  having  been  drowned  out  by  seep- 
age. Prices  were  low,  and  he  was  forced  to  lose 
his  fine  farm,  only  saving  the  small  remnant  upon 
which  he  resides.  As  the  result  of  unselfish  care 
bestowed  upon  another,  he  has  also  suffered  much 
from  ill  health.  Mrs.  Christenson  had  barely  re- 
turned from  a  trip  to  Kansas  whither  she  had  gone 
to  recover  from  a  severe  attack  of  typhoid  fever, 
when  a  man  in  whom  they  were  interested  fell  ill, 
and  together  they  nursed  him,  Mr.  Christenson 
bearing  as  much  of  the  responsibility  as  possible 
that  his  wife  might  not  be  overtaxed.  The  strain, 
however,  proved  fatal  to  her,  and  her  death  to- 
gether with  the  long  weeks  of  nervous  strain 
proved  too  much  for  even  his  fine  constitution.  Un- 
able even  to  walk  to  the  carriage,  he  made  a  trip 
to  Napa,  California,  for  his  health,  but  has  never 
entirely  recovered.  A  man  of  sterling  virtues,  his 
long  residence  has  endeared  him  to  the  citizens  of 
the  county  that  proudly  claims  him  as  a  pioneer. 


BEN  TJERSL.\ND,  a  well  known  farmer  and 
stockman  living  eight  miles  southwest  of  jXIount 
Vernon  and  five  miles  southeast  of  La  Conner,  is 
a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  Lyngdal  on  the  place 
that  had  been  in  the  family  for  generations,  known 
as  Tjersland,  August  31,  185G.  His  father,  Hans 
Berenson,  was  a  farmer  in  Norway  till  his  death 
in  1890.  Gunnel  (Olson),  the  mother,  was  also 
born  in  Norway,  and  died  there  on  the  old  home 
place  in  1901.  Here  Mr.  Tjersland  grew  to  man- 
hood, enjoying  rather  unusual  educational  advan- 
tages as,  in  addition  to  those  afforded  by  the  com- 
mon schools,  he  had  two  terms  of  private  instruc- 
tion. Having  reached  the  age  of  twenty-two  he 
decided  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  United  States 
where  earnest  efforts  such  as  he  was  prepared  to 
put  forth  secured  such  abundant  rewards.  Cal- 
mar,  Iowa,  was  his  first  location,  where  he  spent 
two  years,  after  which  he  went  to  the  pine  forests 
of  Wisconsin  and  followed  logging  and  milling  for 
some  time.    On  May  27,  1884,  he  came  to  La  Con- 


ner, and  was  here  employed  by  Mr.  Currier  for 
one  year,  when  he  purchased  a  wild  claim  on  the 
Olympia  marsh,  paying  twelve  hundred  dollars  for 
it.  The  following  three  years  were  occupied  in 
ditching  and  improving  his  property  which  he  sold 
at  the  end  of  that  time,  leasing  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  on  Beaver  Marsh  at  that  time  almost  a 
wilderness,  there  being  not  more  than  two  hundred 
acres  of  it  cleared.  Three  years  later  he  bought 
his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  the  installment 
plan,  he  agreeing  to  pay  seven  hundred  dollars  each 
year  for  seven  years.  He  had  just  made  the  last 
payment  when  the  hard  times  of  the  early  nineties 
set  in.  On  account  of  the  financial  depression,  he  was 
enabled  to  build  his  present  commodious  house  and 
barns  at  a  nominal  sum.  Moving  on  his  place  in 
1896,  the  succeeding  years  have  been  full  of  unre- 
mitting toil  in  clearing,  draining  and  diking  his 
land,  but  the  marvelous  transformation  wrought 
in  its  appearance  has  well  repaid  the  cost.  Prosper- 
ing as  the  years  slipped  by,  he  has  added  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  to  his  original  farm,  thus 
owning  at  the  present  time  three  hundred  and 
thirty  acres. 

Mr.  Tjersland  was  married  January  6,  1892,  tc^ 
Miss  Lena  Olson,  born  in  Norway  December  2, 
1869.  She  came,  in  1890,  to  the 'United  States, 
where  her  brother,  Tom  Roseland,  resides  in  La 
Conner,  following  the  blacksmithing  trade.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Tjersland  have  the  following  children: 
Oscar,  born  October  26,  1894;  Hilda,  born  Au- 
gust 16,  1897;  Elmer,  born  March  30,  1899.  and 
Henry,  born  March  11,  1902.  Mr.  Tjersland  is  a 
member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  at  La  Con- 
ner. Though  not  an  adherent  of  either  church,  he 
contributes  very  liberally  to  the  support  of  the 
Lutheran  and  Methodist  churches.  He  has  a 
brother.  Mat  Hanson,  living  in  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin. When  the  two  brothers  came  to  this  coun- 
try they  changed  their  names,  the  one  taking  the 
name  of  the  old  homestead,  the  other  the  father's 
first  name,  with  the  accustomed  addition  of  "son," 
which  fact  accounts  for  the  apparent  disagreement. 
In  political  belief  Mr.  Tjersland  is  an  adherent  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  at  all  times  an  advo- 
cate of  the  best  educational  opportunities,  believ- 
ing education  to  be  a  matter  of  vital  importance. 
He  is  giving  especial  attention  to  thoroughbred 
Durham  cattle,  and  is  one  of  the  men  who  assisted 
in  introducing  the  first  good  draft  horse  into  this 
section  of  the  country,  for  which  the  stock  com- 
pany formed  paid  twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  A 
progressive  citizen  who  has  won  his  success  wholly 
by  means  of  his  untiring  energy,  he  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem. 


HENRY  SUMMERS,  whose  career  is  a  con- 
vincing proof  of  the  Shakespearian  philosophy  that 
men  are  masters  of  their  fate,  is  a  farmer,  resid- 
ing eight  miles  southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  and' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


five  miles  southeast  of  La  Conner.  His  father, 
Samuel  Summers,  was  a  weaver  in  England,  where 
he  died  in  185-i.  The  mother,  Jane  (Hussey)  Sum- 
mers, was  born  in  Bradley,  England,  and  died  in 
1853.  Born  in  England  in  North  Bradley  Parish, 
a  suburb  of  Trowbridge,  April  9,  1848,  J\Ir.  Sum- 
mers was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  six  years. 
There  were  five  other  children  in  the  family,  Ellen, 
Sarah,  Samuel,  Joseph  and  his  twin  brother  Ed- 
ward, who,  with  himself,  found  a  home  with  an 
uncle.  Child  labor  was  not  then  prohibited  by  law 
in  that  country,  hence  at  the  age  of  eight,  he  en- 
tered a  cloth  factory  where  he  changed  shuttles 
in  the  hand  looms.  Two  years  later  he  entered 
Brown  and  Palmer's  factory,  employed  as  a  roller 
joiner.  The  long  hours,  from  six  in  the  morning 
till  six  at  night,  must  often  have  been  very  weari- 
some to  the  boy  of  ten,  but  the  small  hands  wrought 
faithfully  at  their  tasks,  and  when  the  day  was  over 
the  night  school  found  in  him  a  diligent  student, 
whose  education  thus  acquired  surpassed  that  of 
many  a  one  enjoying  far  greater  opportunities. 
Later,  having  spent  seven  years  in  the  sizing  de- 
partment of  the  factory,  he  went  to  London  at  the 
age  of  seventeen,  entering  a  warehouse  in  which, 
after  the  first  year,  he  was  a  packer  for  the  foreign 
trade,  handling  many  an  invoice  of  goods  destined 
to  be  carried  on  camels  across  the  Isthmus  of  Suez 
before  the  canal  was  built.  He  was  manager  for  a 
time  of  the  T.  J.  Redate  firm,  located  in  Lawrence, 
Poultney  Lane,  N  N  street,  London,  export- 
ers of  provisions.  He  also  worked  on  George 
street,  close  to  Mansion  House,  and  later  in  Tower 
street.  Two  brothers,  Edward  and  Samuel,  hav- 
ing come  to  the  United  States  in  1871,  locating  in 
La  Conner,  Mr.  Summers  followed  them  three 
years  later,  sailing  from  Liverpool,  England,  in 
the  fall  of  1874.  Having  landed  at  Philadelphia; 
he  crossed  the  continent  to  San  Francisco,  thence 
to  La  Conner  where  his  brothers  had  taken  up  land 
and  were  farming.  In  February,  1875,  he  took  up 
a  quarter  section  one  mile  south  of  Fir,  bringing 
his  family  there  two  years  later.  To  him  belongs 
the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first  bona  fide 
settler  in  that  locality.  Here  in  this  lonely  wilder- 
ness with  only  Siwash  Indians  for  neighbors,  he 
remained  for  six  years,  improving  the  land,  con- 
structing dikes,  planting  and  harvesting  his  crops, 
only  at  the  end  of  this  time  to  see  all  these  fruits 
of  his  toil  swept  away  by  flood.  When  the  log. jam 
above  Mount  Vernon  was  cut  out  the  logs  were 
borne  down  the  river  and  formed  another  jam 
two  miles  in  length,  where  his  land  lay,  thus  caus- 
ing the  river  to  overflow  and  completely  devastate 
his  entire  farm.  A  man  of  less  resolute  will 
would  have  been  overpowered  by  this  disaster, 
which  but  spurred  him  to  renewed  effort.  The  fol- 
lowing three  years  he  worked  out  to  get  means 
sufficient  to  construct  buildings  on  his  present  farm 
on  Pleasant  Ridge,  for  which  he  had  traded  eighty 
acres  of  his  former  claim. 


Mr.  Summers  was  married  in  Melkshaw,  Wilt- 
shire, England,  June  3,  1873,  to  Sarah  Cleverly, 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Johannah  Cleverly,  of 
Melkshaw.  She  was  born  in  March,  1849,'  and 
died  at  her  home  in  Pleasant  Ridge,  December  9, 
1889.  Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Summers,  all  of  whom  are  natives  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty except  the  oldest  one  who  was  born  in  London. 
Their  names  are  as  follows:  William  Joseph, 
Henry,  Annie  Bessner,  John,  Emma  Graham,  Ed- 
ward and  Alice  (deceased).  Mr.  Summers  was- 
identified  with  the  school  board  for  twenty  years, 
and  hired  the  first  teacher  in  school  district  num- 
ber sixteen,  when  Skagit  county  was  still  a  part 
of  Whatcom  county,  and  has  always  been  deeply 
interested  in  educational  matters,  just  nicely  set- 
tled in  his  new  home,  prepared,  after  all  the  years 
of  trial  and  hardship  to  thoroughly  enjoy  these 
more  prosperous  days,  his  brave  companion  fell  by 
his  side,  leaving  to  liis  care  the  family  of  little  ones. 
Always  a  devout  believer  in  the  Bible  and  in  Jesus 
as  a  personal  Savior,  his  faith  stood  even  this  su- 
preme test.  His  unfaltering  courage  and  brave, 
earnest  life  have  won  the  admiration  of  his  fellow 
men,  who  recognize  his  sterling  character. 


ALBERT  SHARFENBERG,  a  successful 
young  farmer  of  Skagit  county,  residing  five  miles 
east  of  La  Conner  and  seven  miles  southwest  of 
Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  Hastings,  Minnesota, 
January  13,  1874.  His  father  is  Joseph  Sharfen- 
berg,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  sought  the  advan- 
tages of  the  United  States,  settling  first  in  Michi- 
gan, then  in  Minnesota,  and  later  in  Washington, 
where  after  a  short  residence  in  Nooksack,  he 
located  permanently  in  Skagit  county  in  1887, 
which  is  still  his  home.  Sophia  Sharfenberg,  his 
mother,  also  born  in  Germany,  is  living.  Mr. 
Sharfenberg's  residence  in  this  state  dates  from 
the  time  he  was  three  years  old,  when  he  came  to 
La  Conner  with  his  parents.  Here  he  attended 
school  as  he  grew  older,  completmg  his  education 
by  a  two  years'  course  at  Coupeville,  after  which  he 
returned  to  the  farm  where  he  worked  till  he  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  acquiring  a  thorough  and 
comprehensive  knowledge  of  all  the  details  of  the 
work,  thus  fitting  himself  for  his  present  position 
of  manager  of  his  father's  extensive  ranch. 

Mr.  Sharfenberg  was  married  February  22, 
189G,  to  Miss  Amanda  Christenson,  born  in  Skagit 
county,  July  3,  1877.  She  i,=  the  daughter  of  Nels 
Christenson,  a  well  known  pioneer  of  this  county, 
whose  biography  appears  elsewhere  in  this  history. 
Mr.  and  Sirs.  Sharfenberg  have  two  children.  Joe 
and  Gladys.  ]\Ir.  Sharfenberg  is  an  enthusiastic 
advocate  of  good  schools,  and  was  for  six  years 
director  in  district  number  eleven.  On  the  fine  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acre  ranch  of  which  he  has  entire 
charge,  he  has  thirty  head  of  cattle;  he  is  milking 
eight  cows,  and  selling  the  separated  cream  to  the 


666 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


Pleasant  Ridge  Creamery  Company.  Possessed  of 
ambition,  industry  and  thrift,  lie  is  meeting  with  ex- 
cellent success. 


JOSEPPI  SHARFENBERG,  a  prominent  citi- 
zen of  Skagit  county  for  tlie  last  thirty  years,  now 
resides  on  his  ranch  situated  four  and  one-half  miles 
southeast  of  La  Conner  and  eight  miles  southwest 
of  Mount  Vernon.  Born  in  tliQ  state  of  Mecklen- 
berg,  Germany,  July  9,  1833,  he  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Foss)  Sharfenberg,  both  deceased,  his 
father's  death  having  occurred  in  1854,  the  moth- 
er's, three  years  later.  Mr.  Sharfenberg,  the  young- 
est of  a  family  of  four,  attended  the  common 
schools  when  he  could  be  spared  from  home,  mak- 
ing the  best  possible  use  of  the  advantages  afforded. 
His  father  being  in  somewhat  straitened  circum- 
stances, he  began  life  for  himself  at  the  early  age  of 
fifteen.  In  18C1  he  decided  to  immigrate  to  the 
United  States  where  he  had  a  brother,  John,  re- 
siding in  Michigan.  His  first  employment  in  the 
new  country  was  railroading  in  Michigan,  and  later 
farming  in  the  same  state.  In  1865  he  removed  to 
Dakota  County,  Minnesota,  where  he  rented  land 
and  engaged  in  farming  for  the  following  ten  years, 
barely  making  a  living.  Convinced  that  the  North- 
west offered  larger  returns  for  earnest  labor,  he 
came  with  his  wife  and  four  children  to  La  Conner 
in  1875,  arriving  with  just  seven  dollars  in  money. 
Undaunted,  however,  by  the  low  state  of  his 
finances,  he  at  once  found  work  with  the  Port  Gam- 
ble Company,  diking  the  Swinomish  flats,  and  was 
cniploycd  here  for  two  years.  At  that  time  there 
were  only  five  or  six  farms  with  dikes,  on  all  this 
vast  area,  Mike  Sullivan  having  been  the  first  man  to 
raise  a  dike  and  harvest  the  first  bushel  of  oats.  Bea- 
ver Marsh  was  a  waste  of  water,  impassable  save  in 
a  few  places.  Later  Mr.  Sharfenberg  rented  a  farm 
in  Dodge  valley,  there  remaining  for  fourteen 
years,  and  in  the  meantime  investing  in  land  on  the 
IBeaver  Marsh  which  was  covered  with  logs,  stumps 
and  willows  that  were  twenty  feet  high.  He  em- 
ployed a  force  of  twenty  Chinamen  for  two  years 
to  clear  the  land  and  get  it  into  condition,  while  he 
was  prospering  on  the  rented  property,  selling  oats 
for  thirty-two  dollars,  and  hay  for  eighteen  dollars 
per  ton.  He  purchased  his  present  ranch  in  Pleas- 
ant Ridge  in  1894,  and  has  since  made  it  his  home. 
Owning  now  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Beaver  Marsh  and  the  re- 
mainder on  the  ridge,  the  wisdom  of  his  judgment 
in  selecting  the  Northwest  for  a  home  has  certainly 
been  demonstrated. 

Mr.  Sharfenberg  was  married  in  Michigan,  Sep- 
tember 23,  1861,  to  Mrs.  Sophia  Gross,  of  German 
nativity,  whose  former  husband  had  been  an  ac- 
quaintance of  his  in  Germany,  where  they  had  work- 
ed together  for  four  years.  Five  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sharfenberg,  as  follows : 
Rachel  Eddy,  living  near  Avcin;  Mary  Stacey,  of 


Bellingham;  George  and  Albert,  living  on  Beaver 
Marsh,  and  one  other  (deceased).  Mr.  Sharfenberg 
is  an  active  and  faithful  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, which  fraternity  has  honored  him  by  electing 
him  to  the  various  offices  and  as  delegate  to  the 
Grand  Lodge.  In  political  belief  he  adheres  to  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  is  always  in  at- 
tendance at  the  caucuses  and  conventions  where  his 
earnestness  and  loyalty  make  him  a  prominent  fig- 
ure. The  cause  of  education  has  always  been  a 
matter  of  great  interest  to  him,  and  he  has  ever 
lent  the  strength  of  his  influence  to  every  advance- 
ment in  this  direction.  Four  years  ago  he  was  par- 
tially paralyzed  on  the  right  side,  being  unable  to 
speak  for  two  days.  That  he  has  so  nearly  recover- 
ed from  it  is  a  matter  of  great  joy  to  his  wide  circle 
of  acquaintances,  who  recognize  in  him  a  man  of 
rare  strength  of  character,  worthy  of  the  highest 
respect  and  honor. 


EDWIN  JOHNSON  is  one  of  the  Skagit  coun- 
ty Swedish  colony  who  has  wrested  an  excellent 
farm  from  the  wilderness  of  forest  with  which  na- 
ture endowed  the  western  slopes  of  the  Cascade 
mountain  range.  He  was  born  in  Wermeland,' 
Sweden,  in  1871,  February  2,  and  came  to  Skagit 
county  as  a  permanent  resident  in  1895.  He  is  the 
son  of  Johannes  and  Liza  Leonora  (Anderson) 
Johnson,  who  remained  in  their  native  land  until 
death.  Mr.  Johnson  was  one  of  four  children  of 
whom  one  brother  is  dead.  The  living  are:  Al- 
fred Johnson,  a  successful  farmer  of  Skagit  county, 
and  Miss  Ida  Johnson.  Mr.  Johnson  attended 
school  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  and  remain- 
ed with  his  parents  on  the  home  farm  until  eight- 
een, occasionally  putting  in  time  for  his  brother. 
After  leaving  Sweden  he  went  to  Mendocino  Coun- 
ty, California,  working  there  in  saw-mill  and  log- 
ging camp  for  a  year.  Pie  then  came  to  Tacoma 
and  was  employed  in  a  sash  and  door  factory  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  leaving  for  the  Skagit  valley. 
Reaching  here  he  put  in  a  short  time  working,  then 
went  back  to  Tacoma  and  worked  in  the  railroad 
shops  there.  One  year  of  that  labor  sufficed  and  he 
came  back  to  Skagit  and  in  1895  purchased  his  pres- 
ent place  of  twenty-five  acres,  three  miles  south  of 
Mount  Vernon.  He  moved  on  this  place  in  1895 
and  has  remained  there  ever  since,  acquiring  also 
twenty  acres  one-eighth  of  a  mile  west  of  his  home 
farm. 

On  Christmas  eve.  1896,  Mr.  Johnson  married 
Miss  Ida  Johnson,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
(Gustafson)  Swanson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swanson  have 
passed  their  entire  lives  in  Sweden,  the  former  dy- 
ing there  in  1905  and  the  latter  still  living  with  a 
daughter  there.  Mrs.  Johnson  is  one  of  seven  chil- 
dren, the  other  six  being  Swan,  Gust,  Peter,  Otto, 
Mrs.  Tilla  Carlson  and  Selma.  After  attending 
school  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  Mrs.  Johnson  came 
to  the  United  States,  accompanying  her  brother^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Gust,  to  Fergus  Falls,  Minnesota,  and  later  to  Far- 
go. North  Dakota,  making  a  livelihood  at  house- 
work. She  came  to  Tacoma  in  1891,  supporting 
herself  until  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have 
three  children :  Abel,  born  in  January,  1898 ;  Hat- 
tie,  born  in  June,  1899,  and  Harry,  born  in  April, 
1901.  The  Johnsons  are  Swedish  Baptists.  Mr. 
Johnson  in  political  affiliation  is  a  Republican.  He 
is  essentially  a  dairy  farmer,  though  his  place  is  well 
stocked  with  horses  and  hogs,  as  well  as  cows  and 
other  stock.  The  home  farm  is  a  matter  of  pride  to 
Mr.  Johnson,  for  he  alone  understands  the  labor  ex- 
pended in  clearing  trees,  underbrush  and  roots,  all 
of  which  he  has  removed  from  so  much  of  the  land 
as  is  cleared  with  his  own  hands.  Part  of  the  land 
has  at  times  been  overflowed,  and  much  damage 
followed  in  the  wake  of  the  waters ;  but  persever- 
ance has  conquered  nature  and  the  Johnsons  are  on 
the  high  road  to  that  prosperity  which  comes  in- 
variably to  those  who  labor  and  wait. 


ANDREW  ANDERSON,  a  prosperous  dairy 
farmer  four  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon,  was 
born  in  Sweden  in  the  year  186"3.  His  father  was 
Andrew  Anderson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  dur- 
ing his  life  worked  at  farming  and  as  a  druggist. 
He  died  in  1865,  when  but  twenty-eight  years  of 
age,  leaving  a  widow  and  three  children.  The  moth- 
er, Mrs.  Johanna  (Yanerson)  Anderson,  has  mar- 
ried again  and  still  lives  in  the  old  country.  The 
Anderson  children  are  Carl,  Lena  and  Andrew.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  remained  in  Sweden  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  going  to  school,  working 
in  a  mill  and  acting  as  stable  boss  for  a  number  of 
years.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  immigrated  to 
the  L^nited  States,  going  to  Michigan,  where  he 
drove  team  for  four  years,  a  part  of  which  time  he 
was  also  inside  man  in  a  mill.  He  arrived  in  Seat- 
tle in  1889,  just  after  the  big  fire,  and  was  employed 
as  teamster  for  two  years,  going  thence  to  Ballard, 
Washington,  where  for  seven  years  he  followed  the 
life  of  a  bolter  in  a  single  mill.  On  leaving  Ballard 
in  1898,  Mr.  Anderson  decided  to  locate  in  Skagit 
county.  He  bought  his  present  place  of  forty  acres, 
seven  acres  being  then  cleared.  In  the  interim  he 
has  cleared  the  remainder  and  added  ten  acres  more 
to  his  holdings. 

While  living  in  Seattle  in  1890  Mr.  Anderson 
married  Miss  Lena  Olson,  daughter  of  Peter  Olson, 
a  saw  filer,  who  has  passed  his  entire  life  in  Nor- 
way. Mrs.  Anderson  has  two  brothers,  August 
and  Victor.  She  was  born  in  1873  and  lived  at 
home  iintil  eighteen  years  old,  when  she  came  to  the 
United  States  and  remained  in  Michigan  for  a  cou- 
ple of  years.  She  then  came  to  Seattle  where  she 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Anderson.  The  An- 
dersons have  five  children:  Charles,  Ellen,  Wal- 
lace, Teddy  and  Howard.  Mr.  Anderson  and  his 
family  attend  the  Swedish  Baptist  church.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics.     His  forty  acres  of  land  is 


all  cleared  and  under  cultivation.  He  milks  nine 
cows  and  has  several  head  of  young  stock,  as  well 
as  horses.  By  perseverance,  energy  and  economy 
he  has  built  for  himself  and  family  a  pleasant  home, 
establishing  himself  well  financially,  and  he  enjoys 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  his  acquaintances. 


GUSTAVE  C.  HOFF,  though  a  man  but  little 
over  thirty  years  of  age,  has  already  made  his  mark 
in  Skagit  county  as  one  of  shrewdness  and  acumen 
in  private  matters  and  also  as  one  who  has  devoted 
time  and  spirit  to  the  public  weal.  Mr.  Hoff  was 
born  in  Dane  County,  Wisconsin,  in  the  summer  of 
1874,  the  son  of  Christian  HofT,  native  of  Norway, 
born  June  16,  1846,  who  came  to  this  country  in 
infancy.  It  was  an  easy  matter  for  Gustavo  Hoff 
to  develop  into  an  active  American  citizen,  having 
the  example  of  his  father  before  him  as  a  guide 
to  the  best  citizenship.  Christopher  Hofif,  his 
grandfather,  laid  the  foundation  o''  his  American 
patriotism  in  the  shock  of  battles  of  the  Civil  War. 
He  enlisted  in  the  Fifteenth  Wisconsin,  a  command 
which  saw  the  severest  fighting  of  any  of 
the  subordinate  commands  in  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland in  the  Civil  War.  Whenever  Rosecranz, 
hood.  Grant  or  Sherman  hammered  at  the  Confed- 
erate lines  in  Tennessee,  the  Fifteenth  Wisconsin 
and  Christopher  Hoff  were  there.  The  private  sol- 
dier and  his  regiment  wrote  their  names  in  history 
at  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Chattanooga  and 
Murfreesboro  and  went  up  Lookout  Mountain  with 
General  Joe  Flooker.  Returning  from  the  war, 
Christopher  HoiT  became  a  farmer  in  Wisconsin 
and  was  successful  in  his  management  of  his  re- 
sources. In  1891  Christian  Hoff  decided  to  come 
to  the  Pacific  Northwest,  locating  at  Lawrence,  in 
Whatcom  county.  He  continued  at  farming  for  six 
years  and  then  entered  mercantile  life,  making  a 
success  in  that  line.  Christian  Hoff's  wife,  Caro- 
line Lunde,  was  born  in  Norway,  in  1836,  and  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1854.  She  became  the 
mother  of  three  children:  Herman  C.  Hoft'  and 
Mrs.  Maggie  Sorenson,  besides  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Gustave  received  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  at  Lawrence  and  Tacoma,  with  a  business 
course  in  the  Pacific  Lutheran  Academy.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  went  to  work  in  shingle 
mills  of  Whatcom  county  for  three  years.  Two 
years  at  farming  followed,  when  he  came  to  Skagit 
county  and  bought  his  present  place  of  eighty  acres 
five  miles  south  of  Mount  Vernon. 

In  June,  1894,  at  Lawrence,  Mr.  Hoff  married 
Miss  Emma  Tollum,  daughter  of  Christian  Tollum, 
a  native  of  Norway,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1871,  and  was  farmer  and  carpenter  in  Minne- 
sota and  Dakota  for  twelve  years.  Later  coming  to 
Whatcom  county  he  now  operates  a  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  bottom  land  near  Law- 
rence. Mrs.  Hoff's  mother  was  born  in  Norway, 
coming  to  this  country  at  eleven  years  of  age.    She 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


is  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Josephine  Hoff,  Anton,  Clara, 
Nelse,  Christian,  Annie  and  Mary  Tollum.  Mrs. 
Hoff  was  born  in  November,  1873,  Hved  at  home 
and  received  her  education  until  she  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  when  she  married.  Three  of  her 
children  are  living:  Cora,  born  in  April,  1895; 
Chester,  liurn  in  Xovcmber,  LSi.lT,  and  Christian, 
born  in  September,  1904.  Another  child,  Alice,  died 
in  infancy.  Mr.  Hoff  is  one  of  the  most  successful 
dairy,  poultry  and  grain  raisers  on  the  sound.  On 
his  eighty  rcres  of  rich  bottom  land  he  has  twenty- 
six  milch  cows,  fourteen  head  of  stock  cattle,  sixty 
head  of  hogs  and  five  hundred  White  Leghorn 
chickens  raised  from  imported  fowl.  Mr.  Hoff  is 
thoroughly  modern  and  up  to  date  in  his  methods, 
using  incubators  in  his  poultry  department  and  per- 
mitting nothing  on  his  place  except  pedigreed  stock, 
of  finest  selection,  for  which  he  is  becoming  noted. 
He  fancies  Jeriey  cattle.  In  politics  Mr.  Hoff  is  a 
Republican.  He  was  a  member  of  the  dike  commis- 
sion which  expended  $3,100  in  building  the  concrete 
flumes  which  drain  land  near  Conway,  the  subject 
of  much  opposition  during  the  period  of  construc- 
tion, but  now  pronounced  the  best  possible  solution 
of  a  much  vexed  question.  In  church  alliance, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoff  attend  the  Lutheran  church. 
Energetic,  aggressive,  and  possessed  of  the  right 
ideas  of  progress,  both  in  private  and  public  mat- 
ters, Mr.  Hoft"s  business  judgment  and  public  spir- 
itedness  are  recognized  and  his  worth  appreciated 
in  the  communitv  which  claims  him  as  a  citizen. 


EMERY  SPAHR  is  one  of  the  extensive  oat 
producers  of  Skagit  county.  He  was  born  near 
York,  Pennsylvania,  in  March,  1868,  but  has 
been  a  resident  of  Skagit  county  since  1893.  He 
is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Spahr  Brothers, 
which  in  the  space  of  five  years  has  developed  a 
large  and  successful  business  in  the  vicinity  of 
]\Iount  Vernon.  The  father,  Emmanuel  Spahr,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  and  has  lived  in  York  County, 
Pennsylvania,  all  his  life,  still  working  at  his  trade 
of  carpenter.  The  mother  is  Amanda  (Beck) 
Spahr,  also  a  native  of  York  county,  and  still  a 
resident  there.  She  is  the  mother  of  eleven  children, 
three  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  living  are  :  Mrs. 
Amanda  Nieman,  Mrs.  Mamie  Stremmel,  Jesse, 
Emery,  David,  George,  Noah  and  Reuben.  Emery 
Spahr  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  place  and 
lived  at  home  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  at 
which  time  he  went  to  Hazleton,  Pennsylvania,  and 
worked  in  the  coal  mines  for  two  and  a  half  years. 
For  a  time  after  reaching  Skagit  county  he  worked 
in  various  places  and  at  various  things,  and  then  in 
company  with  his  brothers,  Noah,  David  and 
George,  purchased  the  present  place  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-three  acres,  six  miles  south  of  Mount  Ver- 
non, and  commenced  farming.  Starting  in  this  ven- 
ture, with  Emery  as  the  senior  partner,  the  assets 
of  the  entire  partnership  five  years  ago  were  $25 


in  cash  and  lots  of  hustle.  They  bought  a  second 
hand  threshing  outfit  and  made  money  enough 
to  secure  the  purchase  of  the  farm.  They 
added  a  hay  baler  to  their  belongings  and  success- 
fully operated  that.  The  old  machines  have  been 
replaced  with  new,  and  the  brothers  are  doing  a 
good  business  with  their  machinery.  In  addition  to 
operating  the  original  land  purchase,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  leased  oat  land  is  farmed  by 
the  partners.  A  few  sheep  have  been  secured  as  a 
nucleus  of  an  extensive  venture  in  sheep  raising. 
Mr.  Spahr  in  politics  is  an  independent.  He  has 
no  lodge  connections  and  is  not  a  member  of  any 
denominational  church.  As  the  head  of  the  firm  of 
Spahr  Brothers,  Emery  has  made  an  enviable  suc- 
cess out  of  what  was  a  very  small  beginning. 


ANDREW  ANDERSON,  whose  dairy  farm  is 
about  four  miles  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  is  not 
one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Skagit  county,  but  he 
is  a  man  who  in  a  little  more  than  a  decade  of  resi- 
dence here  has  established  himself  firmly  in  the 
business  circles  of  the  community  and  has  earned 
for  himself  the  best  regards  of  all  who  come  in  con- 
tact with  him.  Mr.  Anderson  was  born  at  Broden 
in  Sweden  in  1857,  the  son  of  Bent  Anderson,  who' 
came  to  the  United  States  in  middle  life  and  settled 
in  Minnesota,  where  during  twenty  years  of  farm- 
ing, he  accumulated  a  competency  and  is  now  re- 
tired from  active  pursuits.  The  elder  Anderson  was 
married  twice,  the  first  wife  being  Hannah  (Ben- 
son) Anderson,  who  died  in  the  old  country  in  1864, 
leaving  two  children,  Bina  and  Andrew.  The  sec- 
ond wife,  Mrs.  Nellie  (Peterson)  Anderson,  a 
native  of  Sweden,  is  still  living  in  Minnesota,  the 
mother  of  seven  children :  Christina,  John,  Nels, 
August,  Joseph,  Otto  and  Peter.  Andrew  Ander- 
son lived  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  but  left  school  six  years  earlier  to  learn  the 
trade  of  blacksmith,  which  he  followed  until  he 
came  to  this  country  and  commenced  farm  life  in 
Illinois  in  1878.  Eleven  years  were  then  passed  at 
farming  near  Litchfield,  iMinnesota,  Mr.  Anderson 
coming  to  Tacoma  in  1889  and  working  in  a  groc- 
ery. Three  years  later,  in  1893,  he  came  to  Skagit 
county  and  bought  a  place  of  ten  acres,  to  which 
have  been  added  twenty-three  more,  constituting  his 
present  farm  holdings. 

In  1887  while  residing  in  Minnesota  Mr.  Ander- 
son married  Miss  Agnes  Hanson,  daughter  of  Alex- 
ander Hanson,  a  Swedish  carpenter  who  came  to 
the  United  estates  many  years  asro  and  died  in  Idaho 
in  1901.  Mrs.  Hanson  is  still  living  near  Moscow, 
Idaho.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  born  in  1851  and  died 
in  1899,  leaving  two  children,  George  and  Oscar. 
In  1890  at  Tacoma,  Mr.  Anderson  married  again, 
the  second  wife  being  Miss  Olea  Tofte,  daughter 
of  Hanse  Tofte,  a  Norwegian  farmer  who  died  in 
1880.  Mrs.  Mary  (Hanson)  Tofte  is  still  living, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Anderson.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  born  in  1857  and 
lived  with  her  mother  until  her  marriage.  One 
child,  Albert,  has  been  the  issue  of  this  union,  but 
he  died  in  infancy.  In  politics  Mr.  Anderson  is  a 
Democrat  and  is  active  in  the  councils  of  his  party. 
In  lodge  circles  he  is  a  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica. The  Andersons  attend  the  Methodist  church. 
The  thirty-three  acres  of  the  Anderson  farm  are  all 
cleared  and  under  cultivation,  and  a  fine  eight-room 
house  has  been  erected.  Mr.  Anderson's  dairy  herd 
numbers  twenty  head  of  selected  stock.  His  horses 
are  draft  animals  and  sufficient  in  number  for  the 
work  about  the  farm.  Mr.  Anderson  is  one  of  the 
successful  business  men  of  the  community  and  in 
character  stands  very  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fel- 
low-citizens. 


PETER  PETERSON,  engaged  in  farming  in 
the  Skagit  valley  four  miles  southwest  of  Mount 
\'ernon,  is  of  Swedish  birth  and  descent,  born  May 
1,  1846.  His  father,  Peter  Engmunson,  also  follow- 
ed agriculture  in  the  old  country.  Carrie  Engmun- 
son, the  mother,  died  in  Sweden  some  years  ago, 
leaving  five  children  of  whom  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  third  in  age.  Peter  attended  school  until 
he  was  fifteen  years  old,  then  struck  out  for  himself. 
He  obtained  employment  on  neighboring  farms  and 
for  three  years  was  thus  engaged,  then  took  up  the 
life  of  a  sailor.  Seven  years  he  followed  the  sea  or 
until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  twenty-five,  relin- 
quishing that  occupation  in  18T1  to  return  to  the 
farm.  During  the  next  nine  years  he  resided  in 
Sweden,  but  in  1880,  came  to  the  United  States, 
setthng  first  in  Saline  County,  Kansas,  where  he 
farmed  seven  years.  From  there  he  went  to  Min- 
nesota, and  he  spent  two  years  in  that  state,  then 
came  to  Washington.  Skagit  county  attracted  him, 
so  he  rented  a  place  on  the  north  fork  of  the  river, 
but  two  years  later  he  removed  to  Skagit  City, 
where  he  purchased  sixty-six  acres  of  school  land 
and  commenced  improving  it  with  all  the  energy 
and  skill  at  his  command.  Desiring  to  engage  in 
intensive  farming,  he  did  not  wish  so  large  a  farm, 
so  he  sold  all  but  sixteen  acres.  This  tract  he  has 
improved  to  an  unusual  degree,  setting  out  300 
fruit  trees,  erecting  a  small,  comfortable  dwelling 
and  other  buildings,  etc.  To  this  he  has  since 
added  an  adjoining  ten-acre  tract,  secured  by  pur- 
chase. 

While  a  resident  of  Sweden,  in  18T1,  Mr.  Peter- 
son married  Miss  Hanna  Peterson,  who  is  also  a 
native  of  Sweden.  Carl,  the  older  of  their  children, 
born  in  1872,  is  now  living  at  Skagit  City,  but 
Pearl,  born  in  1875,  died  in  the  land  of  her  nativity. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  are  members  of  the  Luther- 
an church,  and  politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  A 
successful  farmer,  a  public  spirited  citizen  and  pro- 
gressive man,  Mr.  Peterson  may  justly  be  classed 
as  one  of  the  builders  of  Skagit  county. 


NELSE  H.  LEE  is  one  of  the  enterprising  citi- 
zens of  the  section  a  few  miles  southwest  of  Mount 
Vernon,  where  he  operates  a  dairy  farm  and  in  the 
course  of  a  very  few  years  has  established  himself 
firmly  as  one  of  the  leading  business  spirits  of  the 
neighborhood.  Mr.  Lee  was  born  in  Norway,  July  19, 
1867,  the  son  of  Hans  N.  and  Bertha  (Nelsen)  Lee, 
born  respectively  in  1837  and  1840,  and  who  are 
still  living  on  the  farm  across  the  sea.  He  is  one 
of  nine  children,  the  others  being  Corina,  Andrew, 
Nellie,  Jacob,  Alete,  Mary,  Inga  and  Oli.  Until  he 
was  fourteen  years  of  age  young  Lee  attended  the 
schools  of  Norway  and  passed  the  four  subsequent 
years  at  the  carpenter's  bench.  He  came  to  this 
country  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Kansas  in  1885  for 
a  short  time,  later  coming  to  Seattle  and  ultimately 
to  Snohomish  county.  For  six  years  he  worked  in 
the  woods,  subsequently  embarking  in  the  hotel  and 
restaurant  business  in  Everett.  This  venture  was 
fairly  successful,  but  after  two  years  Mr.  Lee  de- 
cided to  become  a  farmer.  He  then  came  to  Skagit 
county  and  after  locating  on  twenty  acres,  bought 
the  land  and  has  lived  there  ever  since. 

In  the  same  year  Mr.  Lee  married  Miss  Mary 
Hanson,  daughter  of  Hans  Helda,  a  farmer  and 
school  teacher  of  Norway  who  died  in  that  country 
in  1885.  Mrs.  Olga  Helda  is  still  living  in  the  old 
country.  Mrs.  Lee  was  born  in  Norway,  in  April, 
1864,  one  of  seven  children,  the  others  being  Bert, 
Hans,  Ole,  Mary,  Segrid  and  Rande.  She  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1888,  and  was  working  in  a 
hotel  when  married.  Seven  children  have  been 
born  to  this  union,  of  whom  Olga,  Hattie,  Harold, 
Beatrice  and  Noble  are  living.  In  politics  IMr.  Lee 
is  a  staunch  Democrat,  while  religiously  the  family 
attend  the  Swedish  Methodist  church.  The  Lee 
home  consists  of  a  fine  nine-room  house,  well  locat- 
ed on  their  forty-acre  tract,  fifteen  acres  of  which 
are  cleared,  supporting  twenty-one  head  of  milch 
cows,  and  young  cattle  and  horses  for  carrying  on 
the  farm  work.  Mr.  Lee  has  been  successful  in  all 
his  undertakings  and  is  rated  as  one  of  the  solid  and 
energetic  men  of  his  neighborhood. 


ANDREW  A.  BERGSETH  GELD  was  born 
in  Norwav  June  11,  1857,  the  son  of  Aslak  A.  Berg- 
seth  Geld,' a  man  who  passed  all  his  life  as  a  farmer 
of  Norway,  where  he  was  born  in  1824.  The  mother, 
Gura  Bergseth  Geld,  still  lives  in  the  old  country. 
She  is  the  mother  of  two  children.  Andrew  passed 
his  life  in  Norway,  going  to  school  and  working  on 
the  farm,  until  twenty-nine  years  of  age.  In  1888 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  stopping  at  Fir, 
Skagit  County,  Washington,  first,  where  he  remain- 
ed for  one  year  at  farm  work.  In  1890  he  bought 
fifteen  acres  of  land  which  constitutes  a  part  of  his 
holdings  at  present,  four  miles  southwest  of  Mount 
Vernon.  It  was  then  covered  with  stumps,  but  Mr. 
Bergseth  Geld  has  completely  removed  them,  estab- 
lishing in  their  place  a  dairy  farm.   Recently  he  has 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


added  by  purchase  twenty  acres  and  is  enlarging  his 
dairy  operations.  The  land  is  very  fertile,  and  what 
is  not  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  the  thirteen 
cows  Mr.  Bergseth  Geld  is  now  milking,  is  well 
adapted  for  general  purposes,  and  is  being  utilized  in 
the  raising  of  hogs  and  the  establishment  of  an  ex- 
tensive poultry  ranch. 

In  1886,  while  yet  in  Norway,  Mr.  Bergseth 
Geld  married  Miss  Gura  Bergseth,  daughter  of  Ole 
and  Ingabor  (Udagar)  Bergseth,  both  of  whom 
died  in  their  native  land  in  1888  and  1855,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two,  and  forty-nine,  respectively. 
Mrs.  Bergseth  was  born  in  Norway  and  lived  at 
home  until  her  marriage.  Mr.  Bergseth  Geld  is  a 
Republican  and  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  He  has  erected  on  his  home 
place  a  fine  house  and  takes  much  pride  in  keeping 
his  buildings  in  hne  repair.  His  place  shows  thrift 
as  well  as  energy  and  his  farm  is  well  cared  for  in 
every  particular. 


HIRAM  E.  WELLS  is  one  of  the  numerous 
settlers  of  the  Puget  sound  country  who  came  from 
New  Brunswick  and  brought  with  them  the  ideas 
of  thrift  and  application  to  work  which  is  a  domi- 
nating trait  of  the  people  of  their  native  province. 
Mr.  Wells  was  born  June  21,  1854,  the  son  of  Judas 
Wells.  The  latter's  father  was  originally  one  of  the 
American  colonists,  but  during  the  Revolutionary 
War  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  royalists  and  moved  to 
New  Brunswick.  Judah  Wells  returned  to  the 
States  in  1883,  and  coming  to  Washington  he  took 
up  as  a  homestead  the  land  which  is  now  occupied 
by  Samuel  Dunlap.  He  died  at  La  Conner  in  1899. 
Mrs.  Hannah  (Starratt)  Wells  was  also  born  in 
Nova  Scotia.  She  is  still  living,  making  her  home 
at  La  Conner,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being  the 
eldest  of  her  five  children.  Hiram  E.  Wells  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  New  Brunswick  and  con- 
tinued on  the  old  home  farm  until  eighteen  years  of 
age,  at  which  time  he  apprenticed  himself  to  the 
blacksmith's  trade  for  a  term  of  three  years.  Mas- 
tering the  knowledge  of  the  industry,  he  continued 
at  the  anvil  and  forge  for  two  years,  migrating  to 
Washington  in  1877.  Mr.  Wells  located  in  what  is 
now  Skagit  county,  being  the  first  settler  in  the 
Ridgeway  section  of  that  county.  His  first  place 
was  acquired  by  squatter's  rights  on  railroad  grant- 
ed land,  where,  as  soon  as  it  was  opened  for  settle- 
ment, he  filed  his  homestead.  Mr.  Wells  built  the 
first  road  to  the  old  Isaac  Jennings  place,  and  it  was 
he  who  opened  the  first  trail  from  Ridgeway  to  the 
Skagit  river  country,  four  and  a  half  miles  in 
length.  During  this  period  Mrs.  Wells  was  the  only 
white  woman  in  the  Ridgeway  country.  In  1893 
Mr.  Wells  sold  off  100  acres  of  his  homestead,  all 
of  which  he  had  cleared,  and  moved  to  British  Co- 
lumbia, locating  at  Mission  City.  He  remained 
there  for  seven  years,  directing  his  attention  to 
various  enterprises  and  in  1900  returned  to  his  old 


place  in  Skagit  county.    He  has  now  sixty  acres  of 
cleared  land  and  is  building  up  a  dairy  ranch. 

Mr.  Wells  married  in  New  Brunswick  in  1877, 
Alfreda  L.  Marsters,  the  daughter  of  Thomas 
Marsters,  a  seafaring  man  who  was  lost  at  sea  about 
the  time  his  daughter  was  born.  Mrs.  Wells'  moth- 
er was  Martha  (Canning)  Marsters,  who  is  buried 
in  New  Brunswick.  Mrs.  Wells  was  born  in  Sum- 
merville,  Nova  Scotia,  and  received  her  education 
in  the  schools  of  that  province  and  of  New  Bruns- 
wick. At  the  close  of  her  high  school  course  she 
received  a  first  grade  certificate  and  taught  school 
for  four  years,  leaving  the  teacher's  desk  to  become 
a  bride  and  at  once  start  on  a  honeymoon  trip  across 
the  continent  to  La  Conner  and  Ridgeway.  Nine 
children  have  been  born  to  this  union,  all  but  the 
youngest  being  born  in  Skagit  county.  Thev  are 
Hulet  M.,  Carl  A.,  Effie  C,  Mrs.  Lorna  D.  Aber- 
crombie  of  British  Columbia ;  Lincoln,  Starratt, 
Bruce,  Marsters  and  Lawrence,  the  last  named  born 
during  the  residence  of  his  parents  in  the  province 
of  British  Columbia.  Mr.  Wells  is  a  member  of  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World,  of  the  Grange  and  of  the 
Baptist  church.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  His 
sixty  acres  of  land  are  all  under  cultivation,  half  of 
them  being  in  pasture.  The  nucleus  of  his  dairy 
herd  is  twenty  head  of  the  best  milkers  obtainable. 


THOMAS  G.  LOCKHART,  one  of  the  Skagit 
valley's  prosperous  farmers,  is  an  lowan  by  birth, 
born  in  the  year  1870.  His  father  Samuel,  an 
Ohioan  by  nativity,  went  to  Iowa  when  a  child  and 
there  made  his  home  until  1886,  when  he  bought  his 
present  farm  in  Skagit  county,  upon  which  he  re- 
sides. The  ancestry  of  this  branch  of  the  family  is 
Scotch-Irish.  Mrs.  Mary  (West)  Lockhart,  also  a 
native  of  Iowa,  is  the  mother  of  six  children  of 
whom  Thomas  G.  is  the  oldest.  Coming  to  Skagit 
county  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  having  received 
in  Iowa  a  thorough  education  in  the  public  schools 
supplemented  by  a  high  school  course  at  Sumner, 
young  Lockhart  at  once  went  on  his  father's  farm. 
An  unfortunate  accident  shortly  resulted  in  a  bro- 
ken leg  and  upon  his  recovery  he  was  sent  back  to 
Iowa  where  he  continued  his  studies  a  year  and  a 
half.  Returning  to  Skagit  county  in  1891,  he  first 
became  clerk  in  the  Brunswick  hotel  at  La  Conner. 
Five  months  later  he  went  to  Stevens  County, 
Washington,  and  took  up  a  homestead,  which  he 
sold  four  years  afterward.  Again  returning  to  the 
sound  he  rented  the  Bartlet  place  near  Bay  View, 
operating  it  two  years,  then  in  succession  of  one 
year  leases  worked  the  Leonard  place  on  the  Sam- 
ish  and  the  McCormick  farm  on  the  Swinomish 
flats,  always  meeting  with  success.  In -1900  he  was 
thus  enabled  to  purchase  his  present  substantial 
home  five  miles  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  the 
tract  once  having  been  school  land. 

Mr.  Lockhart  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Rossie  Martin  at  La  Conner  in  1896,  and  to  this 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


union  two  sons  have  been  born :  Martin,  February 
15,  1897,  and  Purcell,  September  21,  1899.  Mrs. 
Lockhart  was  born  in  1876,  her  parents  being  Wil- 
Ham  and  Bettie  (Garner)  Martin,  both  natives  of 
Tennessee.  Mr.  Martin  was  of  German  extraction 
and  hved  for  a  time  in  lUinois.  Both  parents  are 
laid  at  rest  in  the  Southern  hills  they  loved  so  well, 
the  mother  when  her  daughter  Rossie  was  only  six 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Lockhart  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  the  Wood- 
men of  the  World;  the  family  attends  the  Meth- 
odist church.  An  unusually  attractive  home  is  that 
of  the  Lockhart  family,  the  residence  being  modern 
in  construction  and  furnishing,  and  a  spirit  of  prog- 
ress and  culture  pervading  the  atmosphere.  Espe- 
cially does  its  founder  take  a  just  pride  in  the  thor- 
ough equipment  of  his  place  and  in  the  success  he 
has  attained  in  dairying.  It  seems  little  short  of 
incredible  that  such  a  transformation  can  be  made 
in  a  place  as  that  which  has  been  wrought  by  Mr. 
Lockhart.  When  he  came,  the  woods  were  so  dense 
that  he  had  to  clear  a  space  upon  which  to  set  his 
cabin  and  it  was  impossible  to  reach  the  place  by 
road.  Now  he  has  one  of  the  prettiest,  best  im- 
proved places  in  the  community. 


_  FRANK  G.  OLSON  is  another  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty's citizens  who  has  helped  to  convert  her  wild 
lands  and  forest  wildernesses  into  fruitful  farms 
and  prosperous  homesteads.  Born  in  Henry  Coun- 
ty, Illinois,  the  son  of  Olof  T.  Olson,  he  comes  of 
Swedish-American  parentage.  The  elder  Olson  left 
Sweden  when  twenty  years  of  age  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Illinois,  from  which  he  removed  to  Kansas 
in  1872.  In  Kansas  he  spent  the  most  of  his  life, 
coming  to  La  Conner  in  1904  to  make  his  home  for 
the  rest  of  his  days.  Airs.  Bertha  Olson,  the  moth- 
er of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  also  a  native  of 
Sweden,  is  likewise  passing  her  declining  years  in 
Skagit  county.  She  is  the  mother  of  seven  children 
of  whom  Frank  G.  is  the  second.  As  a  lad  young 
Olson  passed  through  the  usual  routine  of  a  farm- 
er boy's  life,  attending  the  common  schools  and  as- 
sisting about  the  farm  until  he  reached  his  majority. 
Then  with  characteristic  faith  in  his  own  sturdy 
ability  to  make  a  home  for  himself,  he  left  the  fields 
of  Kansas  in  1883  and  came  to  Washington,  spend- 
ing the  first  few  days  in  Seattle.  That  summer  he 
spent  in  the  harvest  fields  of  eastern  Washington, 
returning  thence  in  the  fall  to  Puget  sound,  and  vis- 
iting La  Conner.  During  the  subsequent  winter  he 
returned  to  Kansas,  spent  a  year  farming  there,  and 
by  1886  he  was  back  to  Skagit  county.  Only  a  sea- 
son did  he  spend  on  the  coast  this  time,  returning  to 
Kansas,  where  he  was  married.  Taking  up  his  res- 
idence on  the  sound  once  again,  Mr.  Olson  worked 
a  year  at  various  occupations  then  pre-empted  120 
acres  on  the  Sauk  river  near  Sauk  City,  proving 
up  seven  months  later.  From  Sauk  City  he  went 
to  La  Conner  and  erected  a  substantiaf  residence. 


In  1893  he  traded  this  town  property  for  forty  acres 
of  farming  land  and  on  this  tract  he  now  makes 
his  home.  He  has  cleared  it  of  the  forest,  placed 
it  all  under  cultivation  and  erected  a  handsome 
residence  and  substantial  barns  and  other  outbuild- 
ings. 

Mr.  Olson  was  united  to  Miss  Salma  Lindfors  in 
1887,  the  marriage  taking  place  in  Kansas.  She 
is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  1862.  Of  her  par- 
ents only  one,  her  father,  is  living,  his  home  being 
in  the  old  country.  Mrs.  Olson  was  reared  and 
educated  across  the  water,  coming  to  this  continent 
in  1883.  Six  children  have  blessed  her  home,  all 
of  whom,  with  one  exception  (Clara  V.),  were  born 
in  Kansas :  Carl  B.,  born  in  1888 ;  Clara  V.,  in 
Kansas,  in  1890;  Lillie,  1892;  Edna,  1896;  Jose- 
phine, 1900,  and  Earl,  1902.  Mr.  Olson  attends  the 
Lutheran  church,  though  not  affiliated  with  its 
membership,  is  a  member  of  the  Grange,  and  at  the 
polls  votes  independently.  His  thrifty  farm  is  well 
stocked  with  cattle  and  horses,  modern  machinery, 
etc.,  in  keeping  with  the  position  of  their  owner  as 
a  progressive  agriculturist. 


RICHARD  H.  PETH,  one  of  the  successful 
and  substantial  farmers  of  the  country  north  of  La 
Conner,  is  a  native  of  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin, 
born  April  23,  1861.  Like  many  another  of  the 
solid  citizens  of  the  American  states,  he  is  of  Swiss 
extraction,  his  father,  Jacob,  and  his  mother,  Bar- 
bara (Burg)  Peth,  being  both  natives  of  Switzer- 
land. They  immigrated  to  this  country  quite  early 
in  life,  settling  first  in  the  Badger  state  and  later  in 
Nebraska.  In  the  former  commonwealth  Richard 
H.  grew  to  man's  estate.  Being  one  of  six  children 
he  necessarily  had  to  assist  his  father  on  the  farm  as 
soon  as  he  was  able,  but  he  nevertheless  acquired 
a  good  common  school  education.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two  he  left  the  parental  roof,  came  to  Ska- 
git county,  whither  his  brother  John  had  preceded 
him,  and  began  there  an  earnest  struggle  for  a  com- 
petency. He  worked  a  short  time  on  the  farm  of 
D.  L.  McCormick,  then  was  associated  with  his 
brother  for  a  year  and  a  half  at  the  end  of  which 
time,  having  secured  the  necessary  start  and  the 
necessary  knowledge  of  marshland  farming,  he 
rented  a  place  from  Mr.  McCormick  and  began 
operations  on  his  own  account.  Three  years  were 
thus  spent,  then,  in  the  fall  of  1888,  he  bought  a 
quarter  section  on  Samish  flats,  which  he  retained 
a  year.  His  subsequent  operations  consisted  of 
farming  a  ranch  rented  from  his  brother  for  eight 
years,  then  one  he  bought  on  Whitney  island  for 
three  years,  then  one  rented  from  Peter  Downey 
for  two  years,  then  the  sale  of  all  his  interests  in 
Skagit  county  and  a  return  to  his  old  home  in  Wis- 
consin for  a  four-months'  visit,  and  finally  the  rent- 
ing and  subsequent  purchase  of  the  splendid  place 
upon  which  he  now  lives. 

With  the  thrift  and  industry  which  are  charac- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


teristics  of  his  race,  he  has  devoted  himself  untir- 
ingly to  the  improvement  of  this  property  and  the 
installation  upon  it  of'  everything  in  the  way  of 
buildings  and  facilities  which  could  make  it  more 
homelike  or  its  operation  more  convenient  and 
profitable.  He  has  a  fine  home  and  his  efforts  and 
labors  in  Skagit  county  have  been  so  well  reward- 
ed that  he  is  not  likely  to  suffer  in  the  near  future 
for  want  of  worldly  wealth.  His  land  holdings  ag- 
gregate 117  acres  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Peth  was  married  in  1891,  the  lady  being  Miss 
Carrie  E.,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Wilhelmina 
(Myer)  Koenig.  Her  father  was  a  wagon  maker 
of  Germany,  <who  came  as  a  3'oung  man  to  Wis- 
consin where  he  died  November  25,  1903,  and 
where  her  mother  still  lives.  Mrs.  Peth  was  born 
there  in  18G7,  May  18,  was  educated  in  the  local 
schools,  and  lived  there  continuously  until  the  time 
of  her  marriage.  She  was  the  seventh  of  eleven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living.  She  and 
Mr.  Peth  are  parents  of  three  children  :  Hazel,  born 
in  1892;  Fremont  R.,  in  1896,  and  Milburn  M.,  in 
1898.  The  last  mentioned  died  at  the  age  of  six 
months.  In  fraternal  affiliation,  Mr.  Peth  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and 
in  politics  an  active  Republican,  while  his  church 
membership  is  in  the  local  Methodist  Episcopal 
body. 


ROBERT  GUNTHER  is  one  of  the  self-made 
men  of  Skagit  county.  Coming  as  a  young  man 
into  that  district  his  industry  and  foresight  have 
won  him  an  enviable  position.  He  has  gained  a 
competence  within  a  few  years  and  holds  the  re- 
spect of  the  entire  community  in  which  he  lives. 

Mr.  Gunther  is  the  son  of  a  German  millwright, 
Charles  Gunther,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1871.  He  settled  in  New  Jersey,  living  there  for 
thirteen  years,  and  it  was  in  that  state  that  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  born,  the  third  of  eight  chil- 
dren. After  their  stay  in  New  Jersey  the  family 
spent  a  number  of  years  in  Minnesota  and  there 
Mr.  Gunther's  mother,  who,  like  her  husband,  was 
of  German  birth,  died.  From  Minnesota  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  Washington  in  1891.  Charles  Gun- 
ther died  six  years  later  in  California. 

Robert  Gunther  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
New  Jersey  and  Minnesota.  When  seventeen 
years  old  he  took  up  the  trade  of  carpenter  follow- 
ing it  for  four  years  in  Minnesota  and  Washington. 
In  1893  he  went  to  the  La  Conner  flats  and  worked 
on  a  farm  the  three  following  years  for  Isaac  Jen- 
nings. Then  the  young  man  leased  the  Caches  farm 
and  worked  it  for  six  years.  In  1900  he  bought 
his  present  eighty-acre  farm  four  and  a  half  miles 
northwest  of  Mount  Vernon.  At  that  time  only 
ten  acres  had  been  cleared.  Now  the  entire  farm 
is  under  cultivation,  and,  with  its  modern  home  and 
two  large  barns,  constitutes  a  valuable  holding. 

On  New  Year's  day,  1897,  Mr.  Gunther  mar- 


ried Miss  Martha  Singer,  daughter  of  William 
Singer,  a  native-  of  Iowa.  The  Singer  family 
moved  to  Oregon  in  1882,  and  after  living  there 
seven  years,  went  to  La  Conner  in  1889.  Mr.  Sing- 
er at  present  lives  at  Avon,  Skagit  county.  Mrs. 
Singer,  who  is  also  living  at  Avon,  was  Miss  Rose 
Paul,  a  native  of  Minnesota.  Mrs.  Gunther  was 
born  in  the  same  state  in  June,  1881.  As  she  was 
still  young  when  her  family  moved  to  Skagit  coun- 
ty, she  obtained  her  education  there,  and  there,  too, 
was  married  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  Three  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gunther,  Ernest, 
1897;  Ralph,  1899,  and  Paul,  1901. 

Mr.  Gunther  is  a  Yeoman  and  a  Granger.  He 
is  active  in  the  Methodist  church,  being  steward, 
class  leader  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
scliool.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  one 
of  the  trustees  of  the  newly  organized  co-operative 
store  at  IMount  Vernon,  in  fact,  is  recognized  as  a 
man  of  varied  activities,  having  the  confidence  of 
all  who  know  him.  liis  home  is  one  of  refinement 
and  culture. 


NELS  ANDERSON  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  the  Swedish-American  citizens  of  the  western 
part  of  Skagit  county.  He  has  developed  a  mod- 
ern farm  from  heavily  timbered  lowland  and  is  one 
of  the  well-to-do  agriculturists  of  his  section.  Mr. 
Anderson  was  born  in  Sweden  in  186G,  the  son  of 
Anders  and  Sophia  (Dangtson)  Carlson,  both  na- 
tives of  Sweden,  who  never  left  their  native  land. 
]\Irs.  Carlson  was  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  of 
which  Nels  is  ninth  in  order  of  birth.  Mr.  Ander- 
son received  his  education  in  the  Swedish  schools 
and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  chose  Kansas  as  the  place  and 
farming  as  the  means  of  making  a  livelihood.  Two 
years  on  the  plains  followed,  Mr.  Anderson  work- 
ing on  farms.  In  1889  he  came  to  Washington  and 
passed  about  three  years  working  on  farms  in  the 
vicinity  of  La  Conner,  deciding  in  1893  to  pur- 
chase a  place  of  his  own.  He  bought  forty  acres 
of  timber  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Mount  Ver- 
non, which  he  has  converted  into  his  present  farm- 
stead. In  addition  to  removing  the  timber,  Mr. 
Anderson  has  had  to  dike  and  drain  his  land  in 
order  to  bring  it  into  its  present  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. Ten  acres  are  in  grass  and  the  remainder 
for  the  most  part  in  oats. 

In  1898,  at  Tacoma,  Mr.  Anderson  married  Mrs. 
Anna  L.  (Johnson)  Anderson,  daughter  of  John 
and  Hannah  (Carlsted)  Johnson,  natives  of 
Sweden,  who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  the  old 
country.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
1862  and  received  her  education  there,  coming  to 
Tacoma,  Wash.,  when  si.xteen  years  old.  On  the 
death  of  her  first  husband,  a  brother  of  Nels  An- 
derson, she  and  her  children  were  cared  for  by  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  to  whom  she  was  later  mar- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ried.  Of  the  first  union  tliere  are  four  children, 
Rudolph  A.,  Nora,  Robert  and  Herman.  In  poH- 
tics  Mr.  Anderson  is  affiliated  with  the  Democrats, 
but  is  not  very  active.  The  Andersons  attend  the 
■Mission  church.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Anderson 
is  a  Yeoman.  In  addition  to  raising  hay  and  oats 
^Ir.  Anderson  has  a  herd  of  twenty-two  cattle.  He 
has  been  uniformly  successful  in  business  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  sterling  citizens  of  his  com- 
munity. 


WILLIAM  R.  WELLS  has  had  a  career 
marked  with  success,  whether  as  merchant  or  as 
farmer,  and  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  best  citi- 
zens of  Skagit  county.  He  was  born  in  New 
lirunswick  in  ls:,S.  His  father  was  Judah  Wells, 
a  farmer  who  left  New  Brunswick  for  Skagit  coun- 
ty m  jss:;,  and  died  here  in  1899.  The  Wells  are 
(if  Xorman-b'rench  extraction  and  trace  back  to 
William  the  Conqueror  and  the  feudal  barons,  who 
turned  the  tide  of  English  history  at  the  battle  of 
Hastings.  Mrs.  Wells  was  Miss  Hannah  Starratt, 
a  native  of  Nova  Scotia  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry. 
She  is  still  living  at  La  Conner,  the  mother  of  six 
children.  William  R.  Wells  obtained  the  education 
aflforded  by  the  New  Brunswick  schools,  remaining 
at  home  until  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He,  in  com- 
pany with  his  parents  then  came  to  Skagit  county 
in  1883.  For  one  year  young  Wells  helped  his 
father  clear  his  farm  and  then  accepted  employment 
in  the  general  store  of  B.  L.  Martin,  in  La  Conner. 
Here  he  continued  for  four  years  when  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  brother  and  bought  a  gro- 
cery in  La  Conner,  which  was  operated  under  the 
name  of  Wells  Brothers.  After  successfully  con- 
ducting this  business  for  four  years  the  firm  sold 
out  and  William  R.  Wells  accepted  a  deputyship  in 
the  office  of  the  county  treasurer,  which  necessi- 
tated his  removal  to  Mount  Vernon.  At  the  close 
of  his  term  he  returned  to  La  Conner  and  resumed 
the  grocery  business.  After  three  years  he  removed 
to  Sedro-Woolley  and  entered  the  dry  goods  busi- 
ness of  Coddington  &  McGowan,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years.  In  the  spring  of  1902,  leav- 
ing the  mercantile,  he  took  up  agriculture,  remov- 
ing to  the  farm  which  he  had  acquired  in  1891,  the 
present  home  of  the  Wells  family,  four  and  a  half 
miles  west  of  Mount  Vernon. 

Mr.  Wells  has  been  twice  married.  The  first 
wife  was  Miss  Ella  J.  Calhoun,  a  native  of  New 
Brunswick  and  a  cousin  of  Dr.  Calhoun,  well  known 
in  Skagit  county,  Seattle  and  Port  Townsend.  Of 
this  union  there  were  two  children,  both  of  whom 
died  and  are  buried  with  their  mother  in  Mount 
Vernon.  In  1899  Mr.  Wells  married  Miss  Ruth 
Guenther,  daughter  of  Henry  Guenther,  a  native 
of  Germany,  who  on  coming  to  this  country  lived 
in  Buffalo,  New  York  and  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
where  he  was  employed  by  the  Great  Northern  rail- 
road until  his  death  in  1899.  The  mother,  Eliza- 
si 


beth  (Batsle)  Guenther,  was  a  native  of  Germany. 
Mrs.  Wells  was  born  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  in 
1866.  Her  early  education  was  obtained  in  St.  Paul, 
but  after  coming  to  Washington  she  took  a  three 
year  course  at  the  Ellensburg  State  Normal  School. 
Obtaining  a  life  diploma  for  teaching,  she  taught 
school  for  five  years,  abandoning  an  educational 
career  for  married  life.  Two  children  are  the  issue 
of  this  union,  Dorothy  B.,  born  in  Sedro-Woolley 
in  1902,  and  W^illiam  R.,  born  on  the  farm  in  1903. 
Mr.  W'ells  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  in  addi- 
tion to  his  term  as  deputy  county  treasurer  has 
served  several  terms  as  city  clerk  of  La  Conner,  be- 
ing a  popular  and  efficient  public  servant.  In 
church  circles  he  is  a  Baptist  and  in  fraternal  rela- 
tions a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen 
and  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  While  many 
friends  have  regretted  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Wells 
from  public  life,  he  is  well  satisfied  to  operate  his 
farm,  which  consists  of  twenty-two  acres,  all  under 
careful  cultivation.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  his 
dairy  and  stock,  having  fifteen  cattle  at  the  present 
time.  Mr.  W'ells  is  deservedly  popular  and  is  a 
man  of  ability  along  any  line  which  he  chooses  to 
pursue. 


JOSEPH  E.  EWING  has  by  sheer  force  of 
character  and  self-training  advanced  himself  from 
a  farmer  boy  of  Ohio  to  one  of  the  successful  and 
respected  citizens  of  Skagit  county.  With  only  the 
rudiments  of  an  education  possibly  while  a  boy,  Mr. 
Ewing  has  supplemented  the  slight  foundation  thus 
gained  by  hard  private  study  and  has  been  a  suc- 
cessful school  teacher  as  well  as  a  successful  farmer 
and  capable  public  servant.  Mr.  Ewing  was  born 
in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  in  1864.  His  father,  Wil- 
liam A.  Ewing,  was  born  in  Paisley,  Scotland,  in 
1829,  and  came  to  East  Hampton,  Massachusetts, 
when  a  )-oung  man.  He  settled  on  a  farm  in  Ohio 
later  in  life  and  is  still  a  resident  there.  Mrs.  Ew- 
ing, who  was  ]\Iiss  Margrett  T.  Thompson,  a  native 
of  Greenock,  Scotland,  came  with  her  parents  to 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  when  but  two  years 
old.  Her  parents  died  in  Philadelphia,  victims  of 
cholera.  Joseph  E.  Ewing  attended  the  common 
school  in  Ohio  when  a  lad  and  for  several  years, 
while  working  on  his  father's  farm,  found  time  to 
pursue  his  studies  further.  He  was  eventually  suc- 
cessful in  passing  a  teacher's  examination,  and 
taught  school  there  for  some  years,  living  at  the 
old  home.  In  1889  he  came  to  Washington,  and 
worked  on  a  Skagit  county  ranch  for  two  years. 
In  1891  he  purchased  his  present  place  of  forty 
acres,  four  miles  west  of  Mount  Vernon.  The  three 
subsequent  years  were  devoted  to  clearing  his  land 
of  timber  and  ditching  the  low  places.  He  also 
worked  out  for  money  with  which  to  improve  his 
holding.  In  1895  he  had  cleared  enough  of  his 
original  purchase  to  commence  farming  it.    In  1897 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


he  added  twenty  acres,  and  in  the  following  year 
forty  acres  more.  Mr.  Ewing  now  has  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  175  of  which  is  cleared  and 
under  cultivation,  constituting  one  of  the  fine  farm 
properties  of  the  county. 

In  Seattle  in  1895  Mr.  Ewing  married  Miss 
Mary  A.  Osborn,  daughter  of  Henry  H.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Burnett)  Osborn.  Mr.  Osborn  was  born  in 
Ohio  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  and  before  his  death 
in  this  state  in  1899  was  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Indi- 
ana and  Illinois,  later  living  for  eight  years  on  a 
Kansas  farm  before  coming  to  Washington.  Mrs. 
Osborn  was  likewise  an  Ohioan,  dying  in  1872,  the 
mother  of  five  children.  Mrs.  Ewing  was  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Illinois,  in  186-1,  and  received 
her  education  in  the  schools  of  her  home  vicinity. 
Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ewing :  William,  in  189G  ;  Frank,  in  1898  ;  Helen, 
in  1901,  and  Riley  on  Christmas  day,  1902.  Mr. 
Ewing's  public  service  in  Skagit  county  consists  of 
seven  years  as  dike  commissioner  and  as  member  of 
the  school  board.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  Mod- 
ern Woodman  of  America.  The  Ewings  are  Pres- 
byterians. Mr.  Ewing  is  extensively  engaged  in 
raising  stock  on  his  ranch,  as  well  as  carrying  on 
general  farming.  Mr.  Ewing  has  been  successful  in 
whatever  he  has  undertaken  and  is  popular  with 
his  fellows  and  respected  by  all. 


MARTIN  L.  BEST.  Left  an  orphan  at  the  age 
of  four  years,  the  subject  of  this  narrative  was 
thrown  upon  the  sea  of  life  at  an  early  age  with 
no  guiding  hand  but  his  own,  but  that  he  has  suc- 
cessfully stemmed  the  adverse  currents  no  one  who 
knows  him  now  and  sees  his  well  kept  and  pros- 
perous farm  can  deny.  Mr.  Best  was  born  in 
Blount  County,  Tennessee,  in  the  early  part  of  1865, 
the  son  of  Jacob  and  Nancy  (Taylor),  Best.  The 
elder  Best  was  a  North  Carolinian  by  birth  and  lived 
in  that  state  until  he  went  to  Tennessee,  where  he 
followed  farming  for  many  years  and  later  passed 
away  in  peace.  He  came  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch 
stock.  Mrs.  Best,  likewise  a  native  of  the  hills  of 
North  Carolina,  the  mother  of  thirteen  children,  of 
whom  Martin  was  the  youngest.  His  father  dying 
when  the  lad  was'  but  two  years  old,  and  the  mother 
only  two  years  later,  Martin  was  reared  by  an  elder 
sister,  attending  school  until  he  was  sixteen  years 
of  age.  He  then  cut  loose  from  relatives  and  native 
state,  going  first  to  Alabama,  where  he  passed  a 
year.  He  spent  the  following  year  in  Indiana.  At 
this  time  he  heard  of  the  new  Northwest  and  the 
wonderful  opportunities  oflfered  to  energy  and 
push  and  facing  westward,  in  the  early  part  of 
1884  found  himself  on  Fidalgo  island.  He  was  here 
employed  for  a  number  of  months  at  farming,  and 
then  went  to  California  for  a  year ;  but  the  view  he 
had  obtained  of  Skagit  county  still  lingered  in  his 
memory,  and  wooed  by  the  irresistible  charm  of  its 
sweeping  rivers,  forest  covered  hills  and  rich,  ex- 


pansive flats,  he  once  more  returned  to  its  precincts, 
resolved  to  cast  his  fortune  with  its  future,  weal  or 
woe.  He  experienced  some  difficulty  in  getting  an 
independent  start  in  life,  and  continued  to  do  farm 
work  for  a  number  of  years,  making  the  vicinity  of 
La  Conner  and  the  Beaver  Marsh  the  field  of  his 
labors.  However,  in  1895,  he  leased  eighty  acres 
of  school  land  and,  bent  upon  winning  a  deserved 
competency  from  reluctant  Dame  Fortune,  he  be- 
gan clearing  and  ditching  the  same.  It  was  a 
tedious  process,  but  with  that  pertinacity  of  purpose 
which  is  the  dominating  factor  in  the  life  of  every 
successful  man,  he  persevered  in  his  fixed  purpose 
until  the  reward  came. 

At  La  Conner,  early  in  1895,  Mr.  Best  and  Ro- 
wena  Dunlap,  daughter  of  the  pioneer.  Isaac  Dun- 
lap,  were  United  in  marriage.  Air.  Dunlap  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  learned  the 
iron  moulder's  trade.  This  occupation,  however, 
he  later  abandoned  and  sought  emplo\ment  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Iowa  and  Kansas,  in  which  lat- 
ter state  he  was  eminently  a  pioneer.  Not  satisfied 
with  conditions  there,  in  1863  he  started  across  the 
plains  and  mountains  by  the  ox  team  route  to  Cali- 
fornia, the  golden  Eldorado.  After  a  residence 
there  of  fourteen  years,  he  came  to  La  Conner  in 
1877,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Mrs.  Susan 
(Maxwell)  Dunlap,  the  mother,  a  native  of  Iowa, 
of  good  old  Scotch-Irish  stock,  is  still  living  in  peace 
and  contentment  at  her  comfortable  home  near  La 
Conner.  Mrs.  Best,  who  is  a  native  of  California, 
came  to  Skagit  county  with  her  parents  in  1877,  in 
her  sixth  year.  Here  she  received  her  early  edu- 
cation, which  was  later  supplemented  by  a  course  in 
the  Seattle  Female  College,  and  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-two she  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Best.  To 
this  union  have  been  born  three  children,  of  whom 
only  Myrtle,  the  eldest,  born  in  1896,  is  living.  Mr. 
Best  is  a  zealous  Odd  Fellow,  and  has  been  honored 
by  every  official  position  within  the  gift  of  his  local 
lodge,  Delta  lodge  No.  33,  of  La  Conner.  He  is 
also  an  active  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World 
and  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  Mrs.  Best 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Rebekahs.  Politic- 
ally Mr.  Best  is  an  earnest*  exponent  of  Republican 
principles,  ever  active  '  in  furthering  the  interests 
of  his  party.  The  Best  home  consists  of  eighty 
acres  of  well  tilled  rich  bottom  land,  improved  by 
a  substantial  residence  and  commodious  farm  build- 
ings surrounding,  which  stand  as  a  monument  to 
the  enterprise  and  thrift  of  their  worthy  owner. 
His  Jersey  cattle  are  Mr.  Best's  special  pride. 


PETER  E.  JOHNSON  is  one  of  the  successful 
farmers  of  the  rich  lands  to  the  west  of  Mount 
Vernon.  He  began  life  on  his  own  account  when 
but  fourteen  years  of  age  and  by  sheer  hard  work 
and  the  steadiest  application  to  business  has  forced 
himself  to  his  present  position  of  success.  Mr. 
Johnson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  was  born  in  1861,  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


son  of  John  and  Christine  (Pearson)  Johnson.  The 
elder  Johnson  was  a  farmer  and  passed  his  Hfe  in 
the  old  country.  The  mother  is  still  living  across 
the  Atlantic,  the  moth'jr  of  three  children,  of  whom 
Peter  is  the  oldest.  Peter  Johnson's  boyhood  days 
were  those  common  to  all  Swedish  farmer  lads,  at- 
tending school  and  doing  chores  about  his  father's 
place.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six,  he  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  crossed  the  continent  to  La  Con- 
ner and  remained  there  for  a  few  months,  working 
as  a  farm  hand.  The  following  winter  he  went  to 
California  and  engaged  in  railroad  work.  Return- 
ing to  Skagit  county  in  1889  he  did  farm  work  un- 
til he  took  up  a  homestead  in  Chehalis  county  in 
1892.  I\Ir.  Johnson  lived  in  Chehalis  county  for 
two  winters  and  before  he  had  proved  up  on  his 
land  had  a  chance  to  trade  it  for  ten  acres  near  Bay 
View  in  Skagit  county.  He  made  the  exchange 
and  has  made  Skagit  county  his  home  ever  since. 
In  1893  in  Seattle  J\Ir.  Johnson  married  Miss 
Selma  Martin,  daughter  of  Morris  Johnson,  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  the  old 
country  and  received  her  education  there.  She 
come  to  the  United  States  when  she  was  twenty- 
five  years  of  age.  Of  this  union  are  three  children, 
all  born  in  Skagit  county,  Emma,  Herbert  and  Wil- 
liam. In  politics  J\lr.  Johnson  is  a  Republican.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men and  of  the  Lutheran  church.  The  home  place 
of  ten  acres  is  all  in  a  wild  state.  He  raises  cattle 
and  horses,  having  sixteen  head  of  the  former  and 
nine  of  the  latter,  all  good  stock.  He  has  lived  on 
a  leased  farm  of  Peter  Donev's  since  1894. 


WILLIA:\I  J.  CORNELIUS,  a  \vell-known 
farmer,  stockraiser  and  dairyman,  residing  in  the 
Pleasant  Ridge  district  between  Mount  Vernon  and 
La  Conner,  is  one  of  the  oldej.t  and  worthiest  pio- 
neers of  Skagit  county,  though  comparatively  a 
young  man.  He  was  born  on  Whidby  island,  Sep' 
tember  10,  18GT,  when  the  region  now  constituting 
Skagit  county  did  not  boast  a  single  postoffice,  his 
parents  being  John  A.  and  Bessie  J.  (Wallace)  Cor- 
nelius, two  of  the  Northwest's  early  pioneers.  John 
A.  Cornelius,  surveyor  by  profession,  was  born  in 
the  Green  Mountain  state  in  1839,  and  when  only 
twelve  years  of  age  crossed  the  plains  to  Oregon 
City.  Three  years  later,  or  in  1855.  he  came  north 
to  Washington  and  on  Puget  sound  established  his 
home.  Mining  and  surveying  occupied  his  attention 
during  the  next  few  years,  but  he  ultimately  devoted 
himself  almost  entirely  to  his  profession  and  farm- 
ing. Late  in  the  sixties  he  commenced  the  survey 
of  the  sound's  northern  shore  line  and  before  this 
task  was  finished  had  surveyed  nearly  all  of  the 
islands,  the  Samish,  Swinomish,  Skagit  and  Stilla- 
guamish  regions  and  other  detached  sections,  thus 
enabling  the  pioneer  settlers  to  obtain  title  to  their 
claims.  It  is  in  connection  with  this  extensive  work 
that  Mr.  Cornelius  is  best  known  in  Skagit  county 


history,  though  he  is  also  credited  with  becoming 
one  of  the  first  half-dozen  settlers  in  the  Swino- 
mish flat  region,  his  claim  at  Pleasant  Ridge  hav- 
ing been  taken  late  in  ISGS.  After  an  unusually 
active  and  useful  life,  this  pioneer  surveyor  and 
hardy  frontiersman,  in  1884,  passed  away  at  his 
Pleasant  Ridge  farm.  Mrs.  Cornelius  was  born 
in  Oregon  in  1849,  only  a  year  after  that  isolated 
outpost  of  the  American  union  was  admitted  as  a 
territory.  She  was  reared  on  Whidby  island  and 
there  married  Mr.  Cornelius.  After  his  death  she 
became  the  wife  of  J.  O.  Rudene,  and  is  at  present 
residing  at  Pleasant  Ridge.  To  her  is  due  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  white  woman  to  make  per- 
manent settlement  on  the  Skagit  mainland  or  out- 
lying islands,  she  having  come  with  her  husband  in 
1868. 

^Villiam  ]..  therefore,  was  brought  to  the  Ska- 
git country  when  a  mere  infant  and  was  reared  and 
educated  there,  participating  personally  in  the  rec- 
lamation of  the  wild  wastes  of  tide  marsh  and  dense 
forest  jungle.  The  life  of  the  frontier  appealed  to 
him  naturally.  Hard,  unremitting  toil  in  subjugat- 
ing the  land  had  no  terrors  for  him,  and  hardships 
were  but  commonplace  incidents  to  the  young  pio- 
neer. .After  finishing  the  common  school  course, 
he  attended  the  university  at  Seattle,  taking  a  busi- 
ness course,  then  returned  to  his  mother,  with  whom 
he  lived  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
That  year  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account, 
renting  a  place  from  his  step-father,  which  he  has 
since  continued  to  occupy,  gradually  transforming  it 
into  one  of  the  excellent  farms  in  the  locality.  Mr. 
Rudene  and  he  are  also  the  owners  of  a  threshing 
outfit,  which  is  operated  under  the  management  oi 
Mr.  Cornelius. 

Miss  Jennie  R.  Williams,  the  daughter  of 
Charles  H.  and  Ellen  (Crandall)  Williams,  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Cornelius  at  Seattle  in  1888.  Her 
father,  formerly  a  mechanic,  but  now  engaged  in 
farming,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  He  came 
to  Skagit  county  in  1885,  where  he  still  resides, 
but  Mrs.  Williams  died  in  Massachusetts.  Born  in 
the  Bay  state  in  1872,  Airs.  Cornelius  was  early 
taken  to  Pocahontas  county,  Iowa,  where  she  lived 
until  the  removal  to  Washington  in  1885.  Three 
years  later,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  she  was  married. 
Five  children  are  the  fruit  of  this  marriage:  John 
A.,  born  in  May,  1889 ;  Charles  H.,  in  1890 ;  Philip 
R.,  in  1892 ;  Vera,  in  1895,  and  May,  in  1903.  Fra- 
ternally, Mr.  Cornelius  is  affiliated  with  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  in  which  order  he  is  a  past  grand ;  and  with 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  politically,  he  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican. The  family  are  attendants  of  the  Metho- 
dist church.  Of  his  sixty  acres  of  land,  forty  are 
in  cultivation,  while  the  stock  consists  of  seventy- 
five  head  of  cattle.  Jerseys  predominating,  and  four- 
teen fine  horses.  Mr.  Cornelius  is  'a  man  of  force 
in  the  community,  successful  in  his  business  enter- 
prises, and  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  fellow  citizens. 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


MATTHEW  BESSNER,  one  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty's pioneer  citizens,  now  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  at  his  fine  farm  on  the  Skagit  delta,  is  the 
son  of  another  well  known  pioneer  of  this  region, 
John  Bessner.  Born  in  Luxemberg,  Germany,  De- 
cember 5,  1829,  the  elder  man  came  to  the  United 
States  early  in  the  fifties,  settling  ultimately  in 
Minnesota.  There  he  followed  farming  until  1875, 
that  year  coming  west  to  Puget  sound  in  the  hope 
of  bettering  his  condition.  At  Whatcom  he  en- 
tered the  coal  mines,  in  which  he  spent  two  years, 
in  the  meantime  sending  for  his  family  in  1876.  A 
year  later  he  removed  to  the  town  of  La  Conner, 
worked  out  a  year,  then  rented  a  farm  two 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  period  he  bought  a  tract, 
diked  and  sold  it.  In  1880  he  removed  to  the  Ska- 
git delta,  renting  a  half  section  of  school  land,  then 
in  its  wild  condition.  After  many  years  of  toil  and 
hardship,  he  reclaimed  the  entire  tract,  sold  half 
of  it  (he  having  purchased  the  320  acres),  and  on 
the  remainder  successfully  farmed  and  raised  stock 
until  his  death,  February  12,  1905.  Mrs.  Mary 
(Beninger)  Bessner,  his  wife,  also  a  native  of  Lux- 
emberg, was  married  in  Ohio,  and  with  her  hus- 
band underwent  all  the  privations  common  to  pio- 
neer life  on  the  American  frontier.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  April,  1904. 

Matthew  Bessner,  fifth  in  a  family  of  twelve 
children,  was  born  October  16,  1867,  in  Dakota 
County,  Minnesota.  When  only  a  lad  of  nine  years 
he  accompanied  his  mother  and  the  family  west  to 
the  new  home  founded  on  the  shores  of  Puget  sound 
by  the  father,  and  in  Whatcom  and  Skagit  counties 
received  his  rearing  and  education.  He  remained 
at  home  on  the  farm  until  twenty-two,  working  the 
last  year  for  wages,  then  rented  one  of  Edward  Mc- 
Taggart's  farms  near  Edison.  A  year  and  a  half 
later  he  removed  south  to  the  Skagit  delta,  where 
he  rented  a  place  owned  by  a  brother.  Subsequent- 
ly he  rented  land  three  years  from  his  father  and 
following  that  the  old  Rollins  place  for  five  years. 
In  1902  he  purchased  his  present  farm,  embracing 
120  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  there  is  in  that  section, 
upon  which  he  has  erected  an  excellent  seven-room 
dwelling  and  substantial  outbuildings,  thus  giving 
him  a  most  convenient  as  well  as  a  valuable  piece 
of  property.  It  lies  ten  miles  southwest  of  the  coun- 
ty seat.  The  stock  includes  sixty  neat  cattle  and 
nine  head  of  horses. 

Miss  Annie  Summers,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Sarah  (Cleverly)  Summers,  well  known  residents 
of  Skagit  county,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr. 
Bessner,  at  Mount  Vernon,  June  18,  1902.  The 
Summers  family  is  of  English  descent,  both  par- 
ents of  Mrs.  Bessner  being  natives  of  England, 
born  in  1848  and  1849  respectively.  They  became 
early  settlers  in  the  Swinomish  country  and  were 
prominently  identified  with  the  subjugation  of  the 
tide  lands.  A  comprehensive  sketch  of  their  lives 
appears  elsewhere  among  these  biographies.  Mrs. 
Summers  passed  away  at  Pleasant  Ridge,  Skagit 


county.  December  9,  1889.  Mrs.  Bessner  was  born 
near  Fir,  December  17,  1878,  and  is,  therefore,  one 
of  Skagit's  own  daughters.  Her  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  schools  of  her  native  county.  Two 
children  have  blessed  the  union :  Herbert  D.,  born 
April  14,  1903,  and  Mildred  C,  August  27,  1905. 
Mrs.  Bessner  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
her  husband,  a  communicant  of  the  Catholic.  Po- 
litically, he  is  a  Republican,  liberal  in  his  views, 
and  in  matters  of  public  interest  is  ever  active.  Suc- 
cessful in  his  business,  a  citizen  shirking  no  obli- 
gation placed  upon  him,  and  esteemed  by  his  asso- 
ciates, Mr.  Bessner  is  identified  with  that  type 
which  is  steadily  pushing  Skagit  county  to  the  front. 


LARS  DANIELSON,  one  of  Skagit  county's 
substantial  Noi-wegian  citizens,  successful  farmer, 
and  prominent  in  the  development  of  the  Skagit 
river's  delta  from  a  tide-swept  waste  into  its  pres- 
ent stretch  of  grain  fields,  gardens  and  meadows, 
resides  just  west  of  Fir  in  the  very  heart  of  that 
rich  district.  His  birthplace  is  the  northern  part 
of  Xorway.  He  was  born  May  17,  1856,  to  the 
union  of  Daniel  and  Guro  (Johnson)  Johnson,  both 
natives  of  the  same  country.  Both  father  and  moth- 
er have  attained  to  ripe  old  age,  the  former  now 
being  eighty-five  and  the  latter  eighty-three,  and 
still  hale  and  hearty.  They  long  ago  crossed  the 
ocean  and  at  the  present  time  are  living  in  Skagit 
county  with  their  children,  Mr.  Danielson  and  Mrs. 
George  Hansen.  The  youth  of  Mr.  Danielson  was 
spent  upon  the  farm  and  attending  the  common 
schools  of  the  district,  thereby  laying  firm  the  foun- 
dation for  manhood.  When  he  reached  the  age  of 
seventeen,  like  so  many  lads  of  that  sea-faring  peo- 
ple, young  Danielson  left  the  farm  for  the  fishing 
trade,  spending  the  succeeding  four  years  in  that 
industry.  Then  he  joined  a  vessel  and  for  six 
years  sailed  before  the  mast  over  many  seas.  At 
last,  however,  this  part  of  his  nature  apparently  be- 
came satisfied,  he  left  the  sea  and  returned  home. 
After  two  years  with  his  parents,  the  attractions 
of  America  grew  irresistible  to  him  and  in  1882  he 
again  bade  his  native  Norway  farewell,  reaching 
Alichigan  soon  afterward.  There  he  lived  two  years, 
engaged  in  logging,  then  came  direct  to  the  Skagit 
country  and  located  near  Fir,  arriving  almost  simul- 
taneously with  the  creation  of  Skagit  county.  The 
rich  possibilities  of  the  delta  region  appealed 
strongly  to  him,  so  strongly  that  he  bought  eighty 
acre."  of  wild  land  on  an  island  near  Fir.  Apply- 
ing himself  with  vigor  and  perseverance  to  the  work 
of  transforming  this  tract  of  swamp  land  into  a 
farm,  he  soon  had  the  satisfaction  of  watching  the 
cultivated  acreage  grow  little  by  little  into  oat  ancf 
hay  fields  until  finally  the  whole  tract  was  produc- 
ing bountifully.  In  all  he  built  575  rods  of  dike, 
which  is  a  high  testimonial  to  his  industry  and  skill, 
representing  the  toil  of  years  and  the  denial  of  many 
a  comfort.     However,  feeling  that  he  could  better 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


his  condition,  Mr.  Danielson  sold  the  old  place  in 
1903  and  with  a  portion  of  the  proceeds  again  in- 
vested in  land  in  a  more  desirable  location.  This 
tract  is  now  his  home.  When  he  moved  on  it  only 
fifteen  acres  out  of  forty  were  cleared,  but  with 
characteristic  energy  and  perhaps  with  the  pioneer's 
longing  to  be  constantly  conquering  wild  land,  he 
fell  to  work  and  now  has  thirty  acres  in  cultivation, 
a  new  twelve-room,  modern  house,  excellent  barn, 
sheds  and  other  outbuildings,  all  substantially 
fenced. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Danielson  took  place  in 
Skagit  county  in  1885,  Miss  Carrie  Engen,  a 
daughter  of  Lars  and  Lizzie  Engen,  becoming  his 
bride.  Both  parents  lived  and  died  in  Norway, 
where  also  Mrs.  Danielson  was  born  in  1858.  She 
received  her  education  in  the  schools  of  her  native 
country,  remaining  there  until  1881,  at  that  time 
coming  to  California.  Thence  she  came  north  to 
Washington  Territory  in  1884.  To  this  union  five 
children  have  been  born,  the  oldest  of  whom,  Jennie, 
born  in  1886,  died  in  the  fall  of  1904.  The  others 
are  Donald,  Eddie,  Lucy  and  Carl.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Danielson  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Politically,  he  is  identified  with  the  Re- 
publican party.  The  responsibilities  of  American 
citizenship  Mr.  Danielson  has  shouldered  willingly, 
filling  the  offices  of  school  director  and  other  pre- 
cinct positions  at  different  times,  and  at  present  serv- 
ing his  district  as  dike  commissioner.  Dairying  has 
claimed  Mr.  Daniel  son's  special  attention  of  late 
years,  his  efforts  in  this,  as  in  other  branches  of 
agriculture,  meeting  with  excellent  success.  There 
are  in  his  career  many  object  lessons  of  value  to  the 
younger  generation  of  Skagit's  citizenship,  not  the 
least  of  which  is  the  supreme  worth  of  industry, 
perseverance  and  foresight. 


EDW.\RD  CALLAHAN,  the  energetic  young 
farmer  residing  five  and  one-half  miles  northwest 
of  Mount  Vernon,  is  a  native  son  of  Washington, 
born  near  La  Conner,  Skagit  county,  November  15, 
1878,  the  son  of  James  and  Harriett  (Ball)  Calla- 
han. The  father  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  Ska- 
git county,  where  he  came  in  1876,  and  where  he 
still  resides.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  August  28, 
1841,  and  came  with  his  parents,  James  and  Mar- 
garet (Hartigan)  Callahan  to  Canada  when  but  six 
years  of  age,  and  one  year  later  crossed  the  line 
into  the  L'nited  States,  settling  in  Indiana,  where 
he  grew  up  to  young  manhood,  learning  the  cooper's 
trade  under  his  father's  directions.  He  later  en- 
listed in  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  in  Company  G, 
181st  Ohio  Volunteers.  At  the  close  of  the  service 
he  returned  to  Aurora,  Indiana,  and  engaged  at  his 
trade  and  also  served  two  years  as  marshal  and 
was  agent  for  a  sewing  machine  company.  In  1876 
he  set  his  face  westward,  going  first  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, thence  to  Port  Townsend,  where  he  took  boat 
for  Whatcom  county,  of  which  county  his  brother- 


in-law,  M.  D.  Smith,  was  at  the  time  auditor.  He 
went  from  there  to  the  farm  of  Mr.  Smith  on  the 
Samish  Fiats,  where  he  engaged  in  farming,  and 
in  a  short  time  pre-empted  a  tract  of  land  near  Pa- 
dilla,  and  later  purchased  the  land  where  he  still 
resides,  one  of  the  solid  farmers  and  respected  pio- 
neers of  the  county.  The  mother  was  born  in  Ham- 
ilton County,  Ohio,  in  1842,  the  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel and  Mary  (Wyatt)  Ball,  of  English  birth,  who 
settled  there  in  18.36,  where  they  passed  away  many 
)ears  ago.  Edward  is  seventh  in  the  family  of 
eleven  children,  and  was  the  first  child  born  after 
his  parents  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country.  He 
grew  up  on  the  Samish  Flats,  receiving  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  that  community,  and  remained 
at  home  until  twenty-one,  when  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  himself,  renting  forty  acres  of  his  father's 
place.  This  he  still  farms,  but  has  rented  addi- 
tional land,  where  he  resides  and  farms  the  two  to- 
gether. 

Edward  Callahan  and  Annie  Jenne,  were  united 
in  marriage  at  Padilla,  November  27,  1901.  Mrs. 
Callahan  was  born  on  Whidby  island  May  5,  1882, 
the  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  (Half rick) 
Jenne,  who  settled  on  that  island  in  1876,  coming 
eight  years  later  to  the  Swinomish  Flats.  The 
father  was  born  in  Germany,  May  19,  1854,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  at  the  age  of  fourteen. 
He  departed  this  life  in  Skagit  county,  January  3, 
1902.  The  mother  was  born  in  Illinois  September 
14,  1854,  and  was  married  at  the  age  of  nineteen ; 
seven  children  were  born  to  this  union,  of  which 
Mrs.  Callahan  is  the  fifth.  Politically  Mr.  Calla- 
han is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  diversified  farmer,  and 
in  stock  raising  is  breeding  the  Guernsey  cattle.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Callahan  come  of  pioneer  stock  and  are 
themselves  native  productions  of  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington. 


JOHN  CALLAHAN,  residing  on  the  old  Calla- 
han homestead,  immediately  nortli  of  Padilla,  was 
born  in' Ohio,  near  the  Indiana  line,  on  Christmas 
day,  1875,  but  has  no  memory  of  his  native  state, 
having  been  brought  by  his  parents  to  the  Puget 
sound  country  when  but  one  year  of  age.  His 
father,  James  Callahan,  a  native  of  the  Emerald 
Isle,  came  to  the  Western  continent  with  his  par- 
ents in  1847,  at  the  age  of  six  years,  and  he  was 
reared  in  the  state  of  Indiana,  where  his  parents 
settled  in  1848.  He  was  working  at  his  trade  of 
cooper,  when,  in  1861,  the  call  for  troops  was  made 
by  President  Lincoln  to  suppress  the  rebellion,  to 
which  call  of  his  adopted  country  he  promptly  re- 
sponded, enlisting  in  Company  G  of  the  181st  Ohio 
Volunteers,  and  served  with  faithfulness  and  dis- 
tinction until  honorably  discharged.  At  the  end  of 
his  service  he  went  to  Indiana,  where  he  lived  until 
1876,  when  he  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country, 
and  settled  on  the  Swinomish  Flats  in  what  is  now 
Skagit  county,  renting  the  farm  belonging  to  his 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


brother-in-law,  M.  D.  Smith,  who  was  at  that 
time  auditor  of  Whatcom  county.  Later  he  took 
up  land  for  himself  and  also  purchased  a  tract,  on 
which  he  now  resides.  He  has  been  one  of  the  ac- 
tive and  progressive  pioneers  of  the  county.  The 
mother,  Harriett  (Ball)  Callahan,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
May  11,  1842,  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
(Wyatt)  Ball.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Eng- 
land, who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1836,  set- 
tling in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  they  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  their  death.  The  senior  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Callahan  were  married  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  in  18G2,  their  vmion  being  blessed  with  eleven 
children,  of  which  John  is  the  sixth  in  order  of 
birth.  His  schooling  in  Skagit  county  was  supple- 
mented by  a  course  in  the  Wilson  Business  college 
of  Seattle,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  went  to 
work  for  his  brother  James  on  the  farm,  continu- 
ing with  him  for  some  three  years.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  himself,  renting  the  old  home- 
stead of  his  brother  James,  which  he  has  farmed 
for  the  past  five  years. 

Mr.  Callahan  and  Miss  Matilda  Jenne  were 
united  in  marriage  August  7,  1901.  Her  father, 
George  F.  Jenne,  was  born  in  Germany,  May  19, 
1854,  came  to  the  United  States  when  but  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  in  1876  to  the  Northwest,  settling 
on  Whidby  island,  where  he  farmed  for  eight  years, 
and  thence  to  Swinomish  Flats  on  the  mainland. 
He  was  a  man  of  studious  turn,  well  read  and  up- 
to-date  in  current  events.  He  passed  away  Janu- 
ary 3,  1903,  respected  by  a  large  community  of 
friends  and  acquaintances.  Mary  (Halfrick) 
Jenne,  the  mother,  was  a  native  of'  Illinois,  born 
September  14,  1854,  to  the  union  of  Leonard  and 
Catherine  (Mowery)  Halfrick.  Mrs.  Callahan  was 
born  on  Whidby  island,  August  37,  1879,  and  re- 
ceived a  liberal  common  school  education  in  Ska- 
git county.  She  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
two.  She  is  the  mother  of  one  child,  Harriett  M., 
born  in  Skagit  county,  March  33,  1903.  Religious- 
ly Mr.  and  Mrs.  Callahan  are  members  of  the  Catho- 
lic church,  while  in  politics  Mr.  Callahan  is  a  Demo- 
crat. Not  only  pioneers  themselves,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Callahan  come  of  pioneer  stock,  on  both  sides  of 
the  family,  doubly  entitling  them  to  a  place  in  the 
history  of  Skagit  county. 


JOHN  KILL,  the  well  known  owner  of  Deer- 
foot  Farm,  noted  throughout  the  Skagit  country 
for  its  fine  stock,  is  one  of  Puget  sound's  substan- 
tial and  successful  citizens,  justly  deserving  of  a 
place  among  these  records.  Of  German  descent, 
he  himself  was  born  in  the  fatherland,  March  14, 
1861,  the  son  of  Matthew  and  Katrina  (Elges) 
Kill.  The  father  was  a  butcher  by  trade  and  fol- 
lowed it  successfully  until  his  death  in  1898,  while 
still  residing  in  Germany.  Mrs.  Kill  was  the  moth- 
er of  three  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this 


sketch  is  the  youngest;  she,  too,  passed  away   in 
the  old  country. 

After  obtaining  a  common  school  education, 
John  learned  the  butcher's  trade  in  his  fathet's 
shop  and  while  still  in  his  teens  left  home  to  seek  his 
fortune.  He  traveled  throughout  Germany,  Hol- 
land and  France  four  years,  working  at  his  trade, 
returning  when  nineteen  to  the  old  home.  Two 
years  he  remained  there,  then  decided  to  cast  his 
lot  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States  to 
which  so  many  of  his  countrymen  had  come  and 
established  prosperous  homes.  With  this  idea  in 
view,  in  1883  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  proceeded 
to  Dakota  County,  Minnesota.  Si.x  months  of  hard 
work  in  the  wheat  fields  at  fifteen  dollars  per  month 
were  followed  by  two  years  in  the  mines  at  Lake 
Linden,  Michigan,  after  which  he  spent  three  years 
working  at  his  trade  in  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  In 
1887  he  made  his  advent  into  the  Pacific  Northwest, 
his  first  employment  here  being  with  the  Rice  & 
Gardiner  market,  Seattle.  Fire  destroyed  this  busi- 
ness in  August,  1889,  forcing  young  Kill  to  seek 
employment  elsewhere.  This  he  obtained  as  a  ware- 
house man  in  a  hide  and  fur  establishment  of  Seat- 
tle, later  going  on  the  road  for  that  house.  The  year 
1895  witnessed  this  ambitious  young  man  undertake 
an  enterprise  that  called  for  unusual  grit  and  con- 
fidence, namely,  the  establishment  of  a  meat  mar- 
ket at  Juneau,  Alaska.  Success  crowned  his  ef- 
forts and  a  year  later  he  sold  out  for  a  tidy  sum 
and  returned  to  Seattle,  becoming  a  partner  in  the 
firm  of  Hibbard  &  Norton.  This  house  operated 
extensively  during  the  Klondyke  excitement,  Mr. 
Kill  at  one  time  personally  taking  a  drove  of  cattle 
in  to  Dawson  City.  That  was  in  1897.  A  year 
later  the  firm  was  dissolved,  but  Mr.  Kill  continued 
operations  in  the  far  Northwest.  For  a  time  he 
was  engaged  in  taking  provisions  and  stock  into 
Northwest  Territory,  Canada.  In  1899  he  opened 
markets  at  Dawson  City  and  Nome,  being  the  pio- 
neer of  that  business  in  the  latter  city.  When  one 
considers  that  Dawson  City  is  within  the  Arctic 
circle  and  that  Nome  is  far  up  the  Alaskan  coast 
toward  the  land  of  icebergs,  these  business  projects 
become  noteworthy  as  unusual  pioneer  enterprises. 
While  carrying  to  success  his  Alaskan  ventures, 
Mr.  Kill  at  one  time  cleared  $43,C00  in  seven 
months,  a  most  astonishing  record.  Finally,  in 
April,  1900,  he  decided  to  enjoy  his  fortune  in  a 
milder  climate  and  under  less  strenuous  conditions, 
so  he  returned  to  Puget  sound  and  purchased  the 
farm  which  is  now  his  home.  The  tract  embraced' 
IGO  acres  of  highly  improved  Swinomish  flat  land, 
the  equal  of  any  land  in  the  United  States,  and  this 
Mr.  Kill  has  further  improved  until  it  is  now  consid- 
ered one  of  the  very  best  places  in  the  county.  Nat- 
urally fond  of  stock,  he  is  now  engaged  in  breeding 
Shorthorn  cattle  and  Percheron  horses  with  the  idea 
of  becoming  a  leader  in  raising  fine  stock.  His 
Shorthorn  herd  now  consists  of  eighty  head,  while 
in  his  stables  are  twelve  selected  horses.     Mr.  Kill 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


also  intends  to  spare  no  money  or  pains  in  raising 
high  grade  driving  and  trotting  stock. 

The  marriage  of  JMiss  Louisa  Heilser  to  Mr. 
Kill  took  place  at  St.  Paul  in  188T.  Her  parents, 
Tobius  and  Veronicka  (Rettenbacher)  Heilser,  both 
of  whom  are  now  dead,  were  natives  of  Switzer- 
land, the  mother  coming  from  the  canton  of  Tyrol. 
Tobius  Heilser  came  to  St.  Paul  when  a  young  man 
and  there  conducted  a  tailoring  establishment  for  a 
number  of  years.  Louisa  Kill  was  born  in  St.  Paul, 
December  i,  1862,  and  in  that  metropolis  was  rear- 
ed and  educated.  Two  children  have  blessed  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kill:  j\Irs.  Katie  M. 
Tingler.  born  in  St.  Paul,  March  12,  1888,  now  re- 
siding in  British  Columbia;  and  Frederick,  born  in 
Seattle.  July  2,  1897.  The  family  church  is  the 
Roman  Catholic. 

In  fraternal  circles,  Mr.  Kill  is  prominent  as  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  one  of  the 
charter  members  of  the  Arctic  Brotherhood,  an 
Alaskan  fraternity.  He  is  an  active  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party,  always  aggressive  in  dissem- 
inating its  doctrines.  Few  men  are  better  fitted  than 
he  to  succeed  in  his  stock  and  general  farming 
projects,  especially  in  the  former,  and  already  Deer- 
foot  Farm  is  becoming  recognized  for  its  select  cat- 
tle and  horses.  It  is  of  such  men  as  he,  aggressive, 
staple,  capable  and  progressive  men,  that  tfie  back- 
bone of  any  community  is  made  and  this  instance  is 
no  exception  to  the  rule. 


ARTHUR  W.  FLAGG  is  one  of  the  bright 
young  business  men  and  farmers  of  the  Swinomish 
flats  and  is  fast  making  a  name  for  himself  among 
the  members  of  the  community  as  a  success  at  what- 
ever he  undertakes.  He  was  born  in  New  Bruns- 
wick and  came  to  Skagit  county  with  his  parents 
when  eighteen  years  of  age.  His  father,  Benjamin 
Flagg.  also  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  was  in  his 
earlier  days  a  carpenter  by  trade,  but  took  up  farm- 
ing after  coming  to  Washington.  He  is  still  living 
at  Avon.  Mary  (Daggett)  Flagg,  the  mother,  was 
born  in  Xew  Brunswick ;  she  died  on  the  homestead 
near  La  Conner  in  1890,  the  mother  of  four  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Arthur  is  the  oldest.  Arthur  W. 
Flagg  received  his  education  in  New  Brunswick 
before  coming  to  Washington.  His  first  years  here 
were  spent  as  a  farm  hand.  On  becoming  of  legal 
age  he  filed  on  a  preemption  of  eighty  acres  near 
Avon,  selling  out  several  years  after  proving  up. 
In  189]  he  opened  a  drug  store  at  Avon  and  con- 
ducted it  for  five  years,  selling  out  to  go  into  the 
employ  of  the  Hayton-Dunlap  hardware  store  in  La 
Conner.  After  a  year  and  a  half  in  the  hardware 
business.  ]\Ir.  Flagg  bought  a  farm  on  the  Samish 
and  operated  it  for  three  years.  He  sold  out  there 
and  bought  his  present  place  of  eighty  acres  six 
miles  west  of  Mount  Vernon  in  1901. 

In  1893  at  Seattle  Mr.  Flagg  married  Miss  Rose 
Dunlap,  daughter  of  Isaac  Dunlap,  retired  farmer 


and  stock  raiser  near  La  Conner,  a  sketch  of  whom 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mrs.  Susan 
(Maxwell)  Dunlap  was  born  in  Iowa,  and  is  still 
living  near  La  Conner,  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren. Mrs.  Flagg  was  born  during  the  residence  of 
her  parents  in  California,  in  the  last  days  of  1867, 
and  came  to  Ska.git  county  when  ten  years  old.  She 
received  her  education  in  the  schools  of  this  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flagg  have  three  children:  Philip, 
Frank  and  Robin,  all  born  in  this  county.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Flagg  is  an  ardent  Republican.  He  is 
much  interested  in  the  efficiency  of  the  schools  and 
is  serving  a  term  as  clerk  of  the  school  board  of 
District  No.  15.  The  farm  consists  of  sixty-five 
acres  under  cultivation,  the  balance  in  pasture.  Mr. 
Flagg  is  interested  in  stock  raising  and  has  thirty 
head  of  cattle  as  his  chief  venture  in  that  direction. 
By  his  energy,  application  to  business  and  his  ad- 
ministrative qualities,  he  is  building  up  a  handsome 
fortune.  At  the  same  time  he  does  not  confine  all 
his  energies  to  his  private  matters,  but  takes  a  lively 
interest  in  all  afifairs  which  pertain  to  the  betterment 
of  his  community. 


PATRICK  H.  MALOY,  one  of  the  substantial 
farmers  of  the  region  west  of  Mount  Vernon,  has, 
like  many  other  successful  men  and  good  citizens 
of  Uncle  Sam's  domain  the  blood  of  the  warm- 
hearted Celt  in  his  veins,  both  his  parents  being 
natives  of  Ireland.  The  family,  however,  has  long 
been  identified  with  developments  in  the  new  world, 
having  settled  in  southwestern  Illinois  in  its  pioneer 
days,  when  neighbors  were  few  and  far  scattered. 
They  contributed  their  full  share  toward  the  win- 
ning of  Madison  county,  earning  the  honor  that  is 
always  due  to  those  who  convert  the  wilderness  in- 
to an  abode  for  civilization  and  "cause  the  desert  to 
blossom  as  the  rose." 

Born  in  Madison  county,  in  1862,  our  subject 
passed  there  the  first  twenty-one  years  of  his  life, 
assisting  his  parents  in  the  struggle  with  pioneer 
conditions  and  receiving  such  educational  advan- 
tages as  the  primitive  schools  afforded,  also  work- 
ing a  couple  of  years  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. LIpon  attaining  his  majority  he  struck 
out  for  the  West,  and  in  due  time  was  a  resident  of 
Skagit  County,  Washington,  where  he  spent  a  half 
decade,  or  nearly  so,  as  an  employe  on  different 
farms  of  the  flats  country.  His  ambitions  during 
all  this  time  were  for  land  ownership  and  independ- 
ence, however,  and  even  before  he  was  ready  to  bid 
farewell  to  farm  work  for  others  he  had  taken  a 
pre-emption  near  Fredonia,  on  which  he  proved  up 
and  sold  in  1889.  Three  years  before  that  he  had 
engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  account  on  lands 
held  by  leasehold,  achieving  a  very  satisfactory 
success,  and  with  his  profits  and  the  savings  of  his 
years  of  toil  and  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  his  pre- 
emption claim,  he  purchased  in  1889  the  fine  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acre  farm,  six  miles  west  of 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Mount  Vernon,  on  which  he  now  resides.  The 
same  cnergf\-  and  good  judgment  which  enabled 
him  to  secure  the  purchase  price  of  the  land  have 
been  employed  in  its  improvement  and  cultivation, 
with  the  result  that  the  heavy  timber  which  origi- 
nally grew  upon  it  has  been  removed,  the  marshy 
portions  have  been  drained,  and  the  whole  has  been 
converted  into  a  valuable,  profit-yielding  farm.  At 
this  writing  sixty  acres  of  it  are  seeded  to  timothy 
and  fifty-five  to  oats,  while  upon  the  remaining  five 
acres  are  the  farm  buildings  and  yards,  and  a  splen- 
did little  orchard  of  prolific  and  well  chosen  fruit 
trees.  Realizing  the  profit  of  stock  on  the  farm 
and  the  benefit  accruing  therefrom  to  the  land  it- 
self, he  keeps  considerable  herds  of  both  cattle  and 
horses,  all  high  grade  animals. 

Mr.  Maloy  was  married  in  Seattle  in  I887  to 
Miss  Katie  Dwelley,  whose  father,  Joseph  F.,  was 
a  native  of  Boston,  in  which  city  he  worked  as  a 
mechanic  for  a  number  of  years,  eventually  moving 
to  Wisconsin.  He  farmed  in  the  Badger  state  for 
a  time,  then  moved  to  the  Skagit  valley,  becoming 
one  of  its  first  settlers.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Maloy, 
Mrs.  Angeline  (Wells)  Dwelley,  a  native  of  New 
York,  is  at  present  a  resident  of  La  Conner.  Mrs. 
Maloy  has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  first 
white  children  born  in  the  Skagit  valley,  the  date  of 
her  birth  being  1871,  and  inasmuch  as  she 
has  received  her  education  there  and  has  re- 
sided there  all  her  life,  she  is  in  the  fullest  sense  of 
the  word  a  daughter  of  Skagit  county.  She  and 
Mr.  Maloy  are  parents  of  teyi  children,  all  like  their 
mother  natives  of  the  county,  namely:  George,  Jo- 
seph, Clinton,  Aileene,  Lucille,  Edna,  Patrick  H.  Jr., 
Eva,  Vesta  and  Isabel.  The  family  are  communi- 
cants in  the  Catholic  church,  and  Mr.  Maloy  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen 
and  in  politics  a  Republican,  though  of  an  inde- 
pendent turn,  voting  for  the  candidate  always  whom 
he  considers  the  best.  The  ability  to  do  hard  work, 
coupled  with  administrative  capabilities  of  a  high 
order,  is  responsible  for  his  success  in  his  business, 
while  uprightness  and  integrity  have  gained  him  the 
confidence  of  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances. 


GUSTAF  W.  JOHNSON  (deceased),  one  of 
the  thrifty  and  industrious  sons  of  Sweden  whose 
brain  and  brawn  have  contributed  so  materially  to 
the  subjugation  of  Skagit  county  and  the  develop- 
ment of  its  resources,  was,  until  1900,  when  he  died 
from  wounds  received  from  the  horns  of  an  angry 
bull,  numbered  among  the  leading  farmers  of  the 
region  west  of  Mount  Vernon.  He  received  his 
educational  training  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
land,  which,  however,  he  left  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
to  engage  in  a  seafaring  life.  But  he  soon  found 
that  the  sailor's  lot  was  not  what  his  fancy  had  pic- 
tured and  after  six  months'  experience  before  the 
mast  he  returned  to  his  native  land  where  he  re- 
mained contentedly  for  ten  rears.     He  was,  how- 


ever, ambitious  for  larger  opportunities  than  were 
to  be  found  in  any  of  the  old  communities  of  Eu- 
rope so  while  still  in  the  twenties  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  determined  to  conquer  the  difficul- 
ties which  might  lie  in  his  way  and  win  the  largest 
possible  measure  of  success.  His  first  employment 
on  this  side  of  the  ocean  was  in  one  of  the  marble 
quarries  of  Vermont,  but  after  a  short  residence  in 
that  state  he  crossed  the  continent  to  California, 
where,  for  nine  years,  he  worked  continuously  in 
the  logging  camps  of  the  red  wood  forests.  He 
then  came  north  and  spent  some  time  in  Portland 
and  Seattle,  neither  of  which  cities  appealed  very 
powerfully  to  him  or  ofifered  the  opening  he  was 
seeking.  Very  early  in  the  eighties  he  wisely  de- 
termined to  try  his  hand  at  farming  in  the  Skagit 
valley,  so  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  five  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Mount  Vernon, 
to  the  clearing  and  cultivation  of  which  he  devoted 
himself  energetically  and  continuously  until  the  day 
of  his  untimely  taking  off.  At  the  time  of  the  pur- 
chase the  land  had  been  diked,  but  the  timber  was 
still  on  it  and  there  was  the  prospect  of  a  long  hard 
battle  with  stumps,  but  Mr.  Johnson  was  undis- 
mayed. He  went  to  work  with  vigor  and  in  due 
time  had  converted  an  uninviting  place  into  one  of 
the  fine  farms  of  western  Skagit  county.  He  in- 
creased his  realty  holdings  from  time  to  time  as  he 
was  able  until  he  became  the  owner  of  four  hundred 
acres;  and  no  higher  tribute  to  his  untiring  indus- 
try can  be  paid  than  to  state  the  simple  fact  that  all 
this  land  was  in  cultivation  when  he  died.  He  de- 
voted considerable  attention  to  the  raising  of  cattle, 
keeping  always  a  goodly  herd,  and  it  was  one  of  his 
own  animals  which,  suddenly  developing  an  ugly 
temper,  inflicted  the  injury  which  resulted  in  his 
death. 

In  the  city  of  Seattle,  in  1882,  ]\ir.  Johnson  mar- 
ried Miss  Rosna  C.  Erickson,  whose  father,  a  native 
of  Sweden,  is  still  living  in  the  La  Conner  country. 
Her  mother,  Carrie  M.,  was  also  born  in  Sweden, 
but  she  died  in  that  land  when  Mrs.  Johnson  was  a 
child  of  four  years.  Upon  completing  her  educa- 
tion in  the  Swedish  schools,  Mrs.  Johnson  accom- 
panied an  older  sister  to  Iowa,  where  she  grew  to 
womanhood,  coming  thence  to  the  Pacific  coast  a 
short  time  before  her  marriage.  She  has  three 
children,  Morris,  born  in  1882  and  educated  in  the 
La  Conner  school ;  Francis,  born  in  1884,  also  edu- 
cated there,  and  Alice  E.,  born  in  1891.  The  fam- 
ily is  one  of  culture  and  public  spirit,  well  and  fav- 
orably known  in  the  western  part  of  Skagit  county, 
where  they  reside.  It  should  be  mentioned  that, 
during  his  lifetime,  Mr.  Johnson  was  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church  and  in  fraternal  connection  a 
United  Workman,  while  in  political  faith  he  was  a 
Republican. 


HENRY  A.  DANNENMILLER,  a  prosperous 
hop  grower  residing  three  and  one-half  miles  north- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


west  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  Summit  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  July  31,  1859,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Gross)  Dannenmiller.  The  father,  a  farmer,  was 
born  in  Germany,  and  died  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio. 
Also  a  native  of  Germany,  the  mother  grew  to  wom- 
anhood in  Canton,  Ohio,  which  state  is  still  her 
home.  She  is  the  mother  of  nine  children,  six  of 
whom  are  now  living,  and  are  as  follows :  Joseph 
and  William,  living  near  Mount  Vernon,  Andrew, 
near  Seattle ;  Elizabeth  and  Frank,  in  Ohio,  and 
Henry  A.,  whose  name  initiates  this  biography. 
Having  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life  on  the  farm 
and  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state,  Mr.  Dannen- 
miller learned  the  carpenter  and  cabinet  making 
trade,  beginning  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  to  assist 
his  father  in  the  support  of  the  family.  In  April, 
1883,  he  decided  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  great 
Northwest  of  which  he  had  read  so  much,  locating 
in  Seattle  where  he  followed  his  trade  until  1887, 
at  which  time  he  removed  to  Mount  Vernon.  Here 
he  purchased  his  present  place,  together  with  the 
adjoining  one,  the  latter  purchase  being  made  for  a 
brother.  The  country  was  very  wild  at  that  time, 
bears  being  frequently  seen  on  his  farm,  and  occa- 
sioning much  annoyance  by  carrying  off  pigs  and 
chickens.  Those  were  years  full  of  hardships  and 
dangers  that  would  have  brought  dismay  to  one 
less  courageous  than  Mr.  Dannenmiller.  The  flood 
of  1894,  so  well  remembered  by  those  who  were  at 
that  time  living  near  the  Skagit  river,  carried  off 
much  of  his  property,  destroyed  part  of  his  orchard, 
and  rendered  it  necessary  to  move  his  house  to  an- 
other part  of  the  place  in  order  to  save  it,  the  for- 
mer site  being  now  some  seventy-five  feet  out  in 
the  river.  He  and  his  brother  Andrew  worked  the 
two  places  together  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  they  made  a  division,  eacn  farming  sep- 
arately since  that  time.  The  culture  of  hops  claimed 
his  attention  very  soon  after  coming  to  this  locality, 
and  having  built  a  hop  house  for  his  neighbor,  Mr. 
Wilds,  he  used  that  for  drying  his  product  until  he 
was  in  position  to  build  one  for  himself.  Increasing 
his  hop  area  from  year  to  year  he  has  now  seven- 
teen acres  devoted  to  that  business,  and  will  add  five 
acres  this  fall.  With  an  annual  yield  of  about  one 
ton  to  the  acre,  he  has  been  successfull,  though  he 
was  at  one  time  forced  to  sell  his  product  at  three 
and  one-half  cents  a  pound  when  the  actual  cost  of 
production  was  eight  cents  a  pound.  Selling  his 
sheep  and  cows  that  year  to  make  good  the  loss  he 
resolutely  continued  growing  hops,  reaping  the  re- 
ward in  later  years  when  the  price  advanced  to 
twenty-six  cents  a  pound. 

Mr.  Dannenmiller  was  married  June  2,  1891,  to 
Clara  Riplinger,  born  near  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
March  22,  1871,  the  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Kate 
(Einswiler)  Riplinger.  The  father  was  born  in 
France,  July  12,  1832,  and  died  at  La  Conner,  June 
7,  189.5.  The  mother,  a  native  of  Germany,  died  in 
1877.  Seven  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.   Dannenmiller  as   follows :     Alphoncius,   who 


was  accidentally  killed  in  August,  1892,  by  a  fall- 
ing stump  that  had  burned  off  at  the  root;  Paul, 
attending  school  at  home;  Hilda  E.,  Leo,  Howard, 
Herbert  and  Francis,  all  still  at  home.  Mr.  Dan- 
nenmiller is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Catholic 
church  at  Mount  Vernon.  An  enthusiastic  member 
of  the  Democratic  party,  he  was  a  candidate  for 
county  commissioner  in  189G,  but  owing  to  the  Re- 
publican landslide  that  occurred  that  year,  the  entire 
ticket  was  defeated.  Realizing  the  vast  importance 
of  maintaining  good  schools,  he  has  advocated 
every  measure  that  promised  better  advantages, 
serving  for  some  time  on  the  school  board.  Mr. 
Dannenmiller  has  recently  built  a  fine  new  house, 
equipped  with  all  the  modern  conveniences,  a  con- 
vincing proof  both  of  his  prosperity  and  excellent 
taste.  Thrifty,  industrious,  and  a  man  of  sterling 
character,  he  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
his  wide  circle  of  acquaintances. 


CHARLES  TOLLBER,  a  pioneer  of  1869,  and 
one  of  the  large  grain  and  stock  farmers  of  the 
Skagit  valley,  illustrates  in  his  career  what  may  be 
accomplished  by  an  energetic  and  thrifty  citizen  in 
the  Puget  sound  country.  He  was  born  in  Finland 
December  8,  1842,  the  son  of  August  and  Anna 
Tollber.  Educational  advantages  were  not  of  the 
best  in  Finland  in  those  days,  a  matter  which  worked 
to  his  detriment,  and  which  is  a  source  of  deep  re- 
gret to  Mr.  Tollber  in  his  later  days.  When  eight- 
een years  of  age  he  went  to  London,  England,  and 
on  obtaining  a  berth  as  sailor,  followed  the  sea 
until  1868.  when  he  crossed  the  main  to  the  United 
States  and  secured  employment  as  carpenter  in  the 
Port  Blakely  shipyard.  A  year  later  he  came  to 
Skagit  county  and  filed  on  a  homestead.  While 
proving  up,  Air.  Tollber  put  in  considerable  time  at 
seasons  of  the  year  at  his  trade  of  ship  carpenter  at 
various  points  on  the  sound.  Disposing  of  his  orig- 
inal homestead  he  purchased  in  1872  one  of  the 
farms  he  now  owns  on  the  Skagit  delta,  and 
cleared  it  of  timber  and  stumps,  a  herculean  task. 
In  the  early  nineties  he  bought  the  tract  on  which 
he  now  resides,  which  with  the  lower  farm,  consti- 
tutes his  chief  land  holdings  at  the  present  time. 
This  land  is  bottom  soil  protected  by  dikes,  and 
constitutes  very  rich  oat  land. 

Mr.  Tollber  married  Miss  Hannah  Anderson  in 
1872  and  five  children  have  been  born  of  this  union  : 
Carl,  Albert,  Ernest,  Amanda  and  Mrs.  Annie  Han- 
son. Little  is  known  of  Mrs.  Tollber's  people,  she 
having  separated  from  them  years  ago.  The  Toll- 
ber home  is  a  fine  modern  structure,  containing  nine 
rooms,  furnished  in  keeping  with  the  success  and 
position  of  the  progressive  owner ;  with  evidences  on 
every  hand,  not  only  in  the  household  affairs,  but 
in  the  large,  commodious  and  convenient  barns,  of 
the  up-to-date  ideas  that  prevail ;  all  of  which  is 
greatly  in  contrast  with  the  conditions  which  Mr. 
ToKber  met  on  his  first  introduction  into  the  sound 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


country  in  1869.  Among  the  very  first  settlers  in 
what  is  now  Skagit  county,  when  its  vast  forests 
and  wild  waste  of  overflow  lands  had  not  been 
marked  by  the  hand  of  civilization,  he  faced  a  com- 
bination of  conditions  seemingly  sufficient  to  ter- 
rorize the  bravest  heart.  But  the  thing  that  rises 
greater  than  all  obstacles  and  that  will  not  be  stilled, 
is  that  inborn  longing  in  the  heart  of  man  for  "a 
home,"  and  in  this  instance,  as  in  thousands  of 
others,  that  longing  conquered  all  obstacles  and 
wrested  from  that  wild  and  tangled  waste  of  almost 
impenetrable  forest  the  home,  the  heart  desire,  and 
to-day,  I\Ir.  Tollber  is  enjoying  as  a  reward  of  that 
perseverance  and  indomitable  courage  which  never 
accepts  defeat,  an  unfailing  competency  in  his  rich, 
well  tilled  bottom  lands,  with  well  appointed  home, 
devoted  family  and  wide  circle  of  friends,  whose  re- 
spect and  esteem  he  holds.  Politically  Mr.  Tollber  is 
a  staunch  Republican  and  interested  in  the  faithful 
administration  of  the  laws,  and  a  progressive  policy 
in  public  affairs ;  while  religiously  he  is  a  communi- 
cant of  the  Lutheran  church. 


NATHAN  OSTRANDER  is  one  of  the  large 
grain,  dairy  and  stock  farmers  of  the  southwestern 
section  of  Skagit  county,  and  though  his  early  days 
in  the  Puget  sound  country  were  those  of  hardship 
and  difficulties  in  carrying  out  plans,  he  is  to-day  in 
an  enviable  position  as  regards  present  accumula- 
tions and  future  prospects.  Mr.  Ostrander  springs 
from  the  Canadian  branch  of  the  Ostranders, 
and  was  born  near  Toronto,  Ontario,  Oc- 
tober 5,  1870.  His  father,  Urr  Ostrander,  a 
native  Canadian,  has  retired  from  active 
farming,  and  is  now  living  near  Toronto.  Mrs. 
Sarah  (Graham)  Ostrander  was  born  in  Ireland 
and  shares  her  husband's  retirement  from  the  ac- 
tivities of  life.  She  is  the  mother  of  six  children: 
Margaret  Jane,  James.  Elizabeth,  Nathan,  Nelson 
and  Agnes.  Young  Ostrander  remained  with  his 
parents  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  having 
completed  the  school  course  prescribed  by  the  On- 
tario system,  started  out  for  himself,  coming  to 
Skagit  county  in  1889.  He  remained  here,  how- 
ever, but  three  months,  when  he  went  to  California 
and  put  in  five  years  as  railroad  fireman  and  grip 
man.  He  left  San  Francisco  and  took  up  his  per- 
manent residence  in  the  Skagit  valley  in  1894.  In 
that  year  Mr.  Ostrander  started  a  butcher  shop  at 
McMurray  and  continued  to  sell  meat  and  deal  in 
live  stock  up  to  about  six  years  ago.  This  was  the 
period  of  Air.  Ostrander's  difficulties  and  disap- 
pointments. The  country  had  not  been  built  up  with 
roads  and  he  encountered  many  obstacles  in  moving 
his  stock,  suffering  many  losses  owing  to  lack  oi 
good  transportation  facilities ;  all  of  which  obstacles 
he  overcame  and  won  success. 

On  January  18,  1899,  Mr.  Ostrander  married 
Miss  Minnie  M.  Stackpole,  a  native  of  Boston, 
where  she  was  born  February  4,  1871.     Mrs.  Os- 


trander's father  was  Greenleaf  William  Stackpole, 
born  in  the  famous  old  town  of  Berwick,  Maine, 
March  5,  1834.  He  was  a  jeweler  by  occupation 
and  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1874,  dying  here 
twenty  years  later,  respected  and  esteemed  as  a  pio- 
neer and  worthy  citizen.  Mrs.  Mary  J.  (Abbott) 
Stackpole  was  born  in  Albion,  Maine,  in  1834,  and 
preceded  her  husband  several  years  in  the  pioneer 
work  of  the  Skagit  country.  Her  early  experi- 
ences here  were  full  of  excitement  and  danger,  in 
contact  with  floods  and  freshets  and  the  meeting  of 
deprivations  and  hardships  alone  and  unaided.  She 
is  still  living,  at  her  old  home  with  the  Ostranders, 
owning  part  of  the  magnificent  property  in  the  del- 
ta of  the  Skagit,  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Fir.  Dur- 
ing her  many  years'  residence  here  she  has  endear- 
ed herself  to  all  by  her  many  acts  of  kindness  and 
hospitality.  Mrs.  Ostrander  commenced  her  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  Skagit  county, 
where  she  completed  her  preparation  for  entry  to 
the  University  of  Washington,  where  she  completed 
her  education  in  1893,  continuing  to  live  at  home 
with  her  mother  until  marriage.  Five  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union :  Merwin  Stackpole,  Mary 
Ruth,  Theodore,  Elvian,  Nathan  and  Minnie  A. 
The  Ostrander  home  is  a  fine,  commodious  house 
of  twelve  rooms,  furnished  with  care  and  richness 
and  equipped  with  modern  utilities  and  comforts. 
It  is  situated  on  a  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
si.xty-seven  acres,  of  fertile  bottom  land,  be- 
tween the  sound  and  the  Skagit  river.  Mrs. 
Stackpole  is  part  owner  of  the  land,  but  Mr.  Os- 
trander operates  all  of  it  under  a  life  lease.  His 
chief  crop  is  oats,  of  which  he  plans  to  produce  at 
least  three  thousand  sacks  per  year.  A  selected 
part  of  the  farm,  consisting  of  seven  acres,  has 
yielded  as  high  as  five  hundred  sacks  of  oats.  On 
the  glace  are  seventy  head  of  sheep,  si.xty-five  of 
swine  and  fifty  of  young  cattle,  while  twenty  milch 
cows  furnish  their  product  to  the  dairy.  In  man- 
aging this  large  property  Mr.  Ostrander  has  shown 
a  high  degree  of  executive  ability  and  business  acu- 
men. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  The  family 
attend  the  Baptist  church.  A  model  home  and  a 
happy  family  is  that  of  the  Ostranders. 


OLE  LONKE  is  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
Skagit  county,  having  preempted  in  1877  what  is 
now  a  part  of  the  Stackpole  farm  near  Fir.  In 
1879  he  homesteaded  his  present  place  near  Fir  and 
has  remained  on  it  ever  since,  operating  it  success- 
fully as  a  dairy  and  oat  farm.  Mr.  Lonke  was  born 
in  Norway  in  1851,  the  son  of  Andre  and  Ingeberg 
Lonke,  both  of  whom  passed  away  in  the  old  coun- 
try, the  former  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  sixty,  and  the 
latter  in  1858,  aged  forty-eight.  Mr.  Lonke  has 
one  sister,  Mrs.  Manguild  Rockenes.  Young 
Lonke  attended  school  and  assisted  on  his  parents' 
farm  until  twenty  years  of  age,  coming  to  the  Unit- 
ed States  in  1871.    He  first  settled  in  Wisconsin  and 


RESIDENCE  OF  MRS.  MARY  J.  STACKPOLE,  NEAR  FIR,  WASHINGTON 


SWAN    PETER    OLSON 


MRS.    SWAN    PETER    OLSON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


followed  lumbering  there  until  he  came  to  Wash- 
ington and  Skagit  county  in  1ST7.  The  Lonke 
farm,  near  Fir,  consists  of  forty-three  acres  of  well 
tilled  land,  devoted  to  dairying,  growing  oats  and 
ha}-,  and  to  the  poultry  industry.  The  dairy  is  sup- 
ported by  seventeen  head  of  cows,  while  forty-five 
head  of  young  cattle  form  the  live  stocK  division  of 
the  farm.  j\Ir.  Lonke  also  owns  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  tide  lands  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Skagit. 

In  1881  -\Ir.  Lonke  married  Miss  Rosy  Johnson 
at  Seattle.  She  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth Skromdal,  natives  of  Norway  who  never  left 
their  native  land.  Born  in  1859,  Airs.  Lonke  came 
to  this  country  in  1875,  traveling  alone  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. Later  she  came  to  Seattle  and  was  support- 
ing herself  when  she  was  married.  Of  the  union 
have  been  born  seven  children :  Ella,  Edward,  Olga, 
Lillian.  Gertrude,  Ralph  and  Elizabeth,  the  last 
named  having  died  in  recent  years.  In  politics  Mr. 
Lonke  is  a  Republican.  He  is  especially  interested 
in  the  development  of  the  schools  and  the  highways 
of  his  community  and  is  one  of  the  first  to  take  hold 
in  matters  pertaining  to  them.  He  has  served  as 
director  of  schools  and  also  as  road  commissioner, 
and  in  both  has  given  the  most  capable  service.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  As  a  pioneer 
and  active  citizen,  Mr.  Lonke  has  made  his  impress 
in  an  indelible  form  upon  the  community  where  he 
has  lived  so  long  and  wrought  so  well,  and  is  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  substantial  and  upright  men, 
dependable  in  all  respects,  and  highly  esteemed  as  a 
good  neighbor. 


SWAX  PETER  OLSON  has,  during  the  thir- 
ty years  of  his  residence  in  Skagit  county,  built  up 
an  independent  fortune  out  of  the  rich  soil  of  the 
Skagit  valley.  A  native  of  Sweden,  he  lived  there 
until  twenty-one,  and  with  no  experience  in  his 
adopted  country  except  what  could  be  gained  in  a 
residence  of  two  years  in  the  state  of  Iowa,  Mr.  Ol- 
son came  to  .Skagit  county  in  1875  with  no  wealth 
but  his  hands  and  a  determination  to  win,  and  has 
builded  himself  a  fortune  out  of  ceaseless  labor  and 
the  bounties  of  nature.  He  was  born  in  Sweden 
on  New  Year's  day  of  1849,  the  son  of  Olaf  Pol- 
son  and  Johanna  Pearson,  neither  of  whom  ever  left 
their  native  land,  and  where  they  have  since  passed 
away.  On  attaining  to  his  majority  young  Olson, 
unaccompanied  by  relative  or  friend,  crossed  the 
Atlantic  and  in  1871  was  working  for  a  railroad  at 
Ottumwa,  Iowa.  He  remained  there  for  two  years 
and  came  to  Skagit  county,  where  for  three  years 
he  worked  for  others,  all  the  time  planning  for  a 
home  of  his  own.  The  opportunity  came  in  1875, 
and  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  covered  with  stumps  and  timber,  eight  miles 
southwest  of  Mount  Vernon.  Much  of  the  land 
was  subject  to  overflow  at  seasons;  but  he  built 
dikes    and    reclaimed    it.     He    pulled    stumps    and 


felled  timber,  and  to-day  has  every  acre  of  his  old 
time  purchase  under  cultivation,  the  land  proving 
to  be  unusually  fertile  and  productive.  He  has 
watched  opportunities  and  has  added  first  sixty, 
then  one  hundred  and  twenty,  and  more  lately 
ninety  acres.  Oii'ered  a  good  price,  he  disposed  of 
a  forty-acre  tract  some  years  ago.  j\Ir.  Olson's  real 
estate  holdings  now  consist  of  three  hundred  acres, 
all  cultivated  and  all  of  excellent  producing  quality. 
In  1880  at  Seattle  Mr.  Olson  was  married  to 
Miss  Lena  Johnson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  had 
come  to  this  country  with  a  nephew  and  was  work- 
ing at  dressmaking.  Mrs.  Olson's  parents,  John  S. 
and  Hannah  (Carlson)  Johnson,  are  deceased,  dy- 
ing in  the  old  country.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  children.  There  have  been  born  to  ]\Ir.  and 
Mrs.  Olson  eleven  children.  Their  names  and  dates 
of  birth  are:  George  A.,  September  29,  1880;  Swan 
L.,  April  22,  1882;  x\dolph  W.,  October  3,  1884; 
Charles  E.  T.,  October  11,  1886;  Jennie  W.,  Oc- 
tober 6,  1S8S;  Caroline  E.,  September  15,  1889; 
Almeda  C,  August  27,  1891 ;  Edith  A.,  January  8, 
1894.;  Lillie  E.,  July  8,  1897;  Mable  F.,  July  27, 
1899 ;  Austin  E.,  June  11,  1901.  All  were  born  in 
Skagit  Co.  In  politics  Mr.  Olson  is  an  independent 
voter,  selecting  those  for  whom  he  casts  his  ballot 
from  the  various  parties.  He  has  no  lodge  affilia- 
tions and  attends  the  Lutheran  church.  The  Ol- 
son home  is  commodious  and  modern  in  all  of  its 
appointments,  and  is  furnished  with  the  conveni- 
ences, expressive  of  the  ideas  of  an  up-to-date  man 
of  means.  Mr.  Olson  divides  his  attention  between 
dairying,  stock  raising  and  grain  growing,  having 
sixteen  head  of  horses  for  working  the  place.  He 
has  sixty  head  of  cattle,  eighteen  of  which  are  milch 
cows,  supplying  their  product  to  the  dairy,  and  also 
turns  off  a  number  of  nogs  each  year.  A  hard  work- 
er, using  business  acumen  in  all  his  transactions, 
lioeral  in  thought  and  quick  to  comprehend  a  situa- 
tion, Mr.  Olson  is  a  man  who  has  been  eminently 
successful  in  all  his  undertakings  in  life  and  is  to- 
day recognized  as  one  of  the  solid  citizens  of  Skagit 
county,  as  well  as  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers. 


ISAAC  DUNLAP,  during  the  years  of  his  life 
when  he  was  more  actively  engaged  than  at  present 
in  the  management  of  his  large  farm,  was  recognized 
as  a  man  of  great  energy  and  of  wide  accomplishr 
ment,  and  since  retiring  has  lost  none  of  the  respect 
he  had  gained  by  his  industry  and  business  sagacity. 
He  is  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  born  in  November  of 
1832,  the  son  of  James  Dunlap,  who  came  from 
Ireland  and  embarked  in  a  transfer  business  in  the 
Quaker  city  soon  after  his  arrival  in  this  country. 
In  1852  he  removed  to  Iowa  where  he  died  about  a 
year  later.  Isaac's  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  (Moore) 
Dunlap,  was  also  a  native  of  Ireland.  She  survived 
her  husband  but  a  few  years  and  now  rests  beside 
him  in  Iowa.  Isaac  Dunlap  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Pennsvlvania  and  at  the  age 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


of  fifteen  years  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of 
brass  finishing  and  chandelier  making.  He  continu- 
ed at  this  work  for  six  years,  then,  on  the  removal 
of  his  parents  to  an  Iowa  farm,  commenced  his  ca- 
reer as  an  agriculturist.  He  continued  to  manage 
the  old  Iowa  farm  for  a  number  of  years  after  the 
demise  of  his  father,  but  in  18G3  went  to  California 
by  mule  team,  consuming  three  and  a  half  months 
on  the  trip,  he  continued  at  the  work  of  a  farmer 
in  California  until  1877,  then  came  to  Washington 
and  located  on  Pleasant  Ridge,  where  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  farm  land.  He  con- 
ducted this  farm  with  much  success  for  five  years, 
then  bought  the  old  Calhoun  place,  two  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  La  Conner.  This  farm,  which  con- 
sists of  three  hundred  and  sixteen  acres,  was  in 
good  shape  when  he  acquired  it,  but  he  has  made 
many  improvements,  among  them  being  the  dikes. 
The  soil  is  very  fertile,  a  crop  of  one  hundred  bush- 
els of  oats  to  the  acre  being  by  no  means  un- 
usual. A  portion  of  this  land  has  been  pro- 
ducing oats  for  thirty  years,  yet  it  shows  no 
signs  of  deteriorating  in  soil  values.  The  rea- 
son for  this  is  revealed  by  two  wells  which 
have  been  bored  for  Mr.  Dunlap,  each  of  them  be- 
ing sunk  to  a  depth  of  ninety-three  feet,  of  which 
ninety  were  shown  to  be  of  exactly  the  same  char- 
acter as  the  surface  soil.  The  farm  is  now  under 
the  management  of  William  Dunlap,  one  of  his 
sons.  In  addition  to  his  vested  interest  in  the  home 
farm  Mr.  Dunlap  owns  stock  in  the  Poison  Hard- 
ware Company,  which  operates  successful  stores  at 
La  Conner,  Seattle  and  Wenatchee.  In  politics  Mr. 
Dunlap  is  a  Republican.  He  is  especially  interested 
in  local  aft'airs,  having  been  a  delegate  frequently 
to  the  county  and  state  conventions  of  his  party. 
He  served  as  county  commissioner  of  Whatcom 
county  before  the  division,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
board  for  Skagit  county,  later  serving  another  term. 
He  has  also  been  road  supervisor  of  his  district  and 
has  done  much  to  improve  the  county  roads. 

On  Christmas  eve,  1859,  Mr.  Dunlap  married 
Miss  Susan  Maxwell,  daughter  of  Thomas  Max- 
well, an  Iowa  farmer  of  Scotch  descent.  Seven 
children  are  the  result  of  this  union :  James,  farmer, 
near  La  Conner ;  Alexander  I.,  manager  and  stock- 
holder in  the  Poison  Hardware  Company ;  William, 
Samuel,  Mrs.  Mary  Mc  Farland ;  Mrs.  Rosanne 
Flagg  and  Mrs.  Rowena  Best.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dun- 
lap have  twenty  grandchildren.  In  fraternal  circles 
Mr.  Dunlap  is  an  Odd  Fellow.  (  )ne  of  the  foremost 
citizens  of  Skagit  county  in  public  spirit,  and  one 
whose  services  to  the  county  have  extended  over  a 
large  period  of  years  and  been  at  all  times  of  the 
most  worthy  character,  he  has  achieved  a  highly 
enviable  standing  in  the  section  which  knows  hini 
best.  He  enjoys  in  abundant  measure  the  esteem 
and  regard  of  all.  Though  nearly  seventy-three 
years  old,  he  is  still  hale,  active  and  keenly  interest- 
ed in  all  the  afifairs  of  life. 


WILLIAM^  DUNLAP  is  one  of  the  successful 
young  farmers  of  Skagit  county  and  during  the  sev- 
enteen years  he  has  operated  the  large  farm  of  his 
father  has  gained  a  reputation  for  energetic  man- 
agement and  executive  ability.  He  was  born  in  San 
Joaquin  County,  California,  in  August  of  1866,  one 
of  the  seven  children  of  Isaac  and  Susan  (Maxwell) 
Dunlap,  both  of  whom  are  well  known  and  esteemed 
in  Skagit  county.  The  elder  Dunlap  is  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  moved  to  California  in  1863  but 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  prominent  stock- 
men and  farmers  of  western  Skagit  county.  He  is 
living  as  a  retired  farmer,  his  place  being  under  the 
operation  and  management  of  his  son,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  William  Dunlap  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  California  and  completed 
his  courses  of  study  on  coming  to  Washington  when 
eleven  years  old.  He  received  a  careful  training  in 
farm  matters  under  the  broad  instruction  of  his 
father,  and  when  he  attained  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years  assumed  the  management  of  the  property, 
consisting  of  three  hundred  and  sixteen  acres  of 
fertile  land  and  considerable  live  stock. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  year  1893  Mr.  Dunlap 
married  Miss  Winifred  Lockhart,  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel Lockhart,  long  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Iowa, 
who  removed  to  Washington  and  is  still  living  near 
La  Conner.  Mrs.  Mary  (West)  Lockhart  is  still 
living  at  La  Conner.  Mrs.  Dunlap  was  born  in 
Iowa  and  received  her  early  educational  training 
there,  completing  her  studies  after  her  arrival  in 
this  state.  Four  children  have  been  born  of  this 
union :  Stella,  Percy,  Loree  and  Leland.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Dunlap  is  a  Republican  but  devotes  little 
attention  to  the  activities  of  politics,  finding  himself 
pretty  closely  demanded  in  running  the  farm.  In 
the  seventeen  years  that  he  has  managed  the  well- 
known  farm  of  his  father,  Mr.  Dunlap  has  gained 
an  enviable  reputation  as  a  young  business  man  of 
integrity  and  force  of  character.  Lender  his  hand 
the  farm  has  not  deteriorated  and  is  keeping  in  ad- 
vance with  all  improvements  under  modern  farming 
system. 


THOMAS  GATES  is  one  of  the  men  who  after 
participating  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  found 
peace  and  prosperity  in  the  rich  farming  land  of 
the  Skagit  valley.  He  was  born  in  Cole  County, 
Missouri,  on  November  7,  1841,  the  son  of  Abel 
and  Mary  (Burns)  Gates.  The  father  was  born  in 
the  old  Bay  state,  July  -l,  1787,  and  had  reached  the 
stature  of  manhood  when  the  impressment  of 
American  seamen  precipitated  the  War  of  1812. 
Into  this  cause  young  Gates  threw  himself  with  a 
will  joining  Company  A,  Fifth  Rifle  Regiment,  in 
which  he  was  chosen  lieutenant,  and  saw  some  of 
the  hardest  fighting  engaged  in  against  the  British 
at  New  Orleans,  White  Plains  and  elsewhere;  his 
record  on  being  mustered  out  showing  many  deeds 
of  individual  gallantry.     The  elder  Gates  was  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


of  the  early  settlers  in  Missouri,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  packing  business  and  farmed.  He  passed 
through  the  stirring  times  when  that  state  was  the 
battle  ground  of  the  slavery  question,  when  the 
alignment  of  sentiment  between  the  North  and  the 
South  was  first  becoming  drawn,  and  closed  his  life 
there  November  :;,  1S70.  Mrs.  Gates  died  in  Mis- 
souri, in  18SS,  leaving  five  sons:  James,  Thomas, 
Samuel,  Jasper  and  Asaph.  Her  father  also  fought 
in  the  war  of  181"^.  With  the  exception  of  the  time 
he  was  in  the  army,  Thomas  Gates  lived  with  his 
parents  on  the  farm,  attending  school  and  working 
until  he  came  to  Skagit  county,  in  1873,  following 
his  brother  Jasper,  who  had  come  on  to  the  Puget 
sound  country.  Young  Gates  enlisted  in  the  Thirty- 
ninth  Missouri  infantry  as  a  private.  This  regi- 
ment was  in  the  massacre  at  Centralia,  Missouri,  in 
which  four  entire  companies  were  wiped  out  by  the 
attacking  force,  with  the  exception  of  four  men  and 
one  officer.  The  command  did  not  participate  in 
any  of  the  great  campaigns  of  the  war,  but  was 
kept  in  reserve  in  its  home  state,  except  once  they 
were  taken  down  into  Tennessee  and  back  to  home. 
Mr.  Gates  was  mustered  out  in  July,  1865.  On  his 
arrival  in  Skagit  county,  Mr.  Gates  went  to  work 
for  a  short  time  on  Whidby  island,  but  returned 
and  worked  in  the  only  logging  camp  which  at  that 
time  existed  in  the  Skagit  valley.  In  1883  he  pre- 
empted a  place  and  homesteaded  it  later.  With  the 
assistance  of  his  children,  he  cleared  forty  acres 
and  sold  the  remainder  of  the  one  hundred  and 
sixty  contained  in  his  original  filing.  When  Mf. 
Gates  commenced  operations  on  this  land  he  had  the 
only  wagon  in  that  section  of  the  country,  and  no 
roads  to  use  that  on.  Those  were  the  days  of  hard 
struggles  on  the  part  of  the  settlers. 

In  1869,  in  Adair  county,  Missouri,  Mr.  Gates 
married  Miss  Martha  J.  Walters,  daughter  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lewis  and  Betsey  (Day)  Walters,  natives 
of  Tennessee,  who  passed  the  greater  part  of  their 
lives  in  Missouri.  Four  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates,  Mary  Elizabeth,  Nellie  May, 
Ira  Braxton  and  Thomas  J.  Gates.  The  Gates  farm 
contains  forty  acres  of  land,  all  under  cultivation 
and  devoted  to  a  general  farming  proposition, 
amply  stocked  with  horses  and  cattle.  Mr.  Gates 
is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
and  says  that  he  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called  a  Jef- 
ferson Democrat.  His  life  has  been  one  of  earnest- 
ness and  endeavor,  and  as  he  recalls  the  vicissitudes 
through  which  he  has  passed,  it  is  with  a  feeling 
of  deep  satisfaction  and  gratitude  that  he  has  been 
permitted  to  accomplish  as  much  as  he  has  amid 
such   varied   conditions. 


FRANK  A.  JEWETT  comes  of  the  stock  of 
which  pioneers  are  made,  and  of  the  stock  which 
makes  the  best  pioneers.  In  fact,  for  generations 
the  Jewetts  have  been  men  who  opened  up  new 
sections  of  their  country  and  withstood  the  hard- 


ships incident  to  the  work  of  subduing  the  wilder- 
ness. Mr.  Jewett  was  born  in  Sullivan  County, 
Missouri,  in  the  stirring  days  of  the  summer  of 
1861.  His  father,  Johnson  W.  Jewett,  left  the  green 
hills  of  his  native  Vermont  when  fifteen  years  of 
age,  and  with  his  parents  went  into  the  Illinois 
country  not  so  many  years  after  General  George 
Rogers  Clark  and  later  hardy  sons  of  the  Ohio  val- 
ley had  saved  the  country  from  the  British  for  the 
young  republic.  Married  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three,  the  elder  Jewett  followed  the  trail  of  the  early 
settlers  into  the  Northwest,  then  but  recently 
reclaimed  from  Indian  and  foreign  trappers, 
and  located  in  Minnesota.  He  spent  two  years 
in  that  state,  then  he  went  to  Missouri,  be- 
ing one  of  the  pioneer  farmers,  and  resided 
there  until  his  death  in  1888.  Frank  Jewett's 
mother,  a  native  of  New  York,  transplanted 
to  Illinois  until  marriage  and,  accompanving  her 
husband  to  Mmnesota  and  Missouri,  is  still  living 
in  Missouri,  the  mother  of  ten  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Charles,  Joseph,  William,  Cynthia,  Lon,  Ada, 
Alden,  Minnie,  Alvin  and  Frank.  Until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  young  Jewett  remained  at  home,  at- 
tending school  and  working  on  the  farm.  Until 
1883  he  worked  among  the  farmers  of  his  native 
state  and  spent  some  time  in  Kansas.  Before  com- 
ing to  Skagit  county,  in  1887,  he  made  a  brief  visit 
to  his  relatives  and  the  old  home.  His  first  work  in 
the  Puget  sound  country  was  clearing  up  land.  He 
continued  at  this  for  two  years  and  bought  twenty 
acres  five  miles  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  to 
which  he  has  added  ten.  About  half  of  the  thirty 
is  cleared,  the  remainder  being  in  slashing. 

In  1881  Mr.  Jewett  married  Miss  Angle  McAl- 
lister, daughter  of  James  R.  McAllister,  a  Missouri 
farmer  in  those  days,  but  now  a  resident  of  Okla- 
homa. Mrs.  Jewett  was  born  in  Indiana  and  re- 
mained with  her  parents  until  marriage.  Of  this 
union  have  been  born  eight  children,  of  whom  the 
living  are :  Claud,  Edith,  Ray,  Ira,  William,  Jesse 
and  Gladys.  Mr.  Jewett  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics. Having  a  large  family  of  children,  he  has 
naturally  been  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare 
and  betterment  of  the  public  schools  of  his  com- 
munity, and  to  this  end  has  served  for  nine  years 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  The  thirty  acres 
of  his  home  place  are  excellent  land.  Dairying  is 
the  chief  element  of  work,  fourteen  cows  furnish- 
ing the  milk  and  seven  head  of  young  stock  grow- 
ing up.  The  Jewett  home  is  an  eight-room  modern 
house,  well  furnished.  The  barns  and  outbuildings 
are  well  built  and  ample  for  the  purposes  of  a 
dairv  ranch. 


CHARLES  E.  BECRAFT  is  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  the  Mount  Vernon  district  of 
Skagit  county  and  one  of  the  type  of  men  who  ex- 
changed mining  for  agriculture.  He  was  born  in 
Plumas  county,  California,  in  October  of  1855,  the 


592 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


son  of  James  Bccraft,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born 
in  tlie  days  soon  after  Daniel  Boone  had  opened  up 
the  Ohio  valley  and  called  the  attention  of  the  Vir- 
ginians to  its  fertility  and  attractiveness.  The  elder 
Becraft  was  born  near  the  old  Boone  place,  and  as 
a  boy  knew  the  famous  old  pioneer  and  hunter.  In 
1853  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California  and  en- 
gaged in  mining.  In  1890  he  came  north  to  Ore- 
gon and  commenced  to  raise  cattle.  He  is  still 
living  there.  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Holmes)  Becraft,  the 
mother,  was  a  native  of  Indiana  and  was  living  in 
Missouri  when  married.  She  was  the  mother  of 
nine  children.  Charles  E.  Becraft  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Plumas  county,  though 
when  nine  years  of  age  he  commenced  to  alternate 
school  with  work  in  the  underground  mines.  Hear- 
ing of  good  mining  prospects  along  the  Skagit  river, 
he  came  here  to  prospect.  Mining  did  not  repay 
him  for  his  efforts  and  he  worked  at  logging  and 
farming.  In  1889  Mr.  Becraft  took  up  a  pre-emp- 
tion at  McMurray  lake  and  resided  there  for  three 
years,  when  he  came  to  Mount  Vernon  and  bought 
forty  acres  of  land.  After  clearing  seven  acres  of 
it  and  putting  out  three  in  orchard,  Mr.  Becraft 
sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  farm  of  ten  acres 
about  a  mile  northwest  of  town,  where  he  has  made 
his  home  since  1899. 

In  Seattle  in  1883  Mr.  Becraft  married  Miss 
Annie  B.  Snyder,  daughter  of  John  W.  Snyder,  a 
Pennsylvania  farmer,  who  went  to  California  in 
1849.  Pie  later  returned  to  the  East,  but  in  1862 
was  back  in  California,  coming  to  Skagit  county  in 
1890.  In  1903  he  returned  to  California  and  passed 
away  there  a  year  later.  Mrs.  Narcissa  (Murphy) 
Snyder  was  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  now 
living  in  California.  Mrs.  Becraft  was  born  in 
Plumas  County,  California,  in  1803,  and  there  at- 
tended the  schools.  She  came  to  Washington  witH 
a  brother-in-law  in  1883,  met  and  married  Mr.  Be- 
craft. Mr.  Becraft  is  the  father  of  eight  children, 
all  born  in  Skagit  county.  They  are  John  E.,  Re- 
becca, Rachel,  Ruth,  Archibald,  Leo,  Irene  and 
Ethel.  In  politics  Mr.  Becraft  is  a  Democrat.  His 
small  farm  is  all  under  cultivation  and  in  excellent 
condition.  He  has  a  small  herd  of  good  cattle. 
Though  not  one  of  the  Skagit  farmers  who  are 
enjoying  large  estates,  he  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  good  citizens  of  the  community  and  of  unim- 
peachable integrity. 


JAMES  PI.  MOORES,  one  of  the  187G  pio- 
neers of  Skagit  county,  at  the  time  of  whose  advent 
there  was  no  Mount  Vernon  and  only  a  few  primi- 
tive homes  marked  the  invasion  of  civilization  upon 
the  vast  forest  wilderness,  has  seen  the  community 
of  his  choice  developed  from  those  wild  and  inhos- 
pitable conditions  to  its  present  prosperity  and 
wealth,  and  has  himself  kept  pace  with  its  rapid 
strides.  Mr.  Moores  is  a  native  of  Quebec,  born  in 
1850  to  the  union  of  Nathaniel  and  Margaret  A. 


(Sutherland)  Moores,  the  former  a  native  of  MJra- 
michi,  New  Brunswick,  and  a  pioneer  of  Que- 
bec; the  latter  a  native  of  Nashwack,  New  Bruns- 
wick. In  the  home  family  were  thirteen  chil- 
dren to  provide  for,  and  James,  who  was  third 
in  number,  joined  iiis  efforts  with  those  of  his 
parents  to  supply  the  needed  clothes  and  pro- 
visions, and  so  diligently  did  he  apply  himself  that 
he  had  little  time  to  devote  to  matters  of  educa- 
tion, to  his  sore  regret  in  after  life.  Not  until  his 
majority  was  reached  did  young  Moores  start  for 
himself  in  life,  seeking  first  employment  in  a  local 
logging  camp  and  later  spending  four  years  in  Min- 
nesota. In  the  year  1876  he  was  taken  with  the 
northwestern  fever  and  came  to  the  Puget  sound 
country,  via  San  Francisco,  traveling  from  the  latter 
place  to  Port  Townsend  by  boat,  thence  to  Whidby 
island,  and  then  to  Utsalady,  where  he  landed  with- 
out a  friend  or  acquaintance,  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
land.  Pie  here  negotiated  for  passage  to  the  main 
land  in  a  row  boat  and  was  landed  within  Skagit 
county's  borders  for  the  sum  of  fifty  cents.  The 
only  highway  at  that  date  was  the  water,  and  the 
common  means  of  transportation  the  Indian  canoe 
and  the  dugout.  Pie  took  passage  with  a  mail  car- 
rier up  the  Skagit  river  to  the  logging  can;p  of  his 
uncle,  Thomas  Moores,  and  secured  employment 
with  him,  continuing  to  work  with  the  uncle  and  in 
other  logging  camps  for  four  years.  In  the  in- 
terim he  selected  his  present  place  adjoining  the 
town  site  of  Mount  Vernon,  which  at  the  time  was 
railroad  land.  It  having  reverted  to  the  govern- 
ment later,  he  took  it  under  a  homestead  filing,  ancf 
he  has  continued  to  make  it  his  home  since  that 
day.  Years  of  unceasing  labor  in  clearing  the 
dense  forest  and  diking  against  the  floods  of  the 
erratic  Skagit  eventually  won  their  merited  reward 
in  a  good  home,  pleasant  surroundings  and  a  com- 
petency for  the  years  to  come  when  old  age  shall 
step  in  and  forbid  the  continued  struggle. 

In  1878  Mr.  Moores  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Sarah  E.  Thompson,  a  native  of  Marysville,  Cali- 
fornia, born  June  13,  1858.  She  was  educated  in 
California  and  Port  Townsend,  Washington,  to 
which  latter  place  she  removed  with  her  mother  at 
the  age  of  fourteen.  Her  parents  were  William 
and  Martha  (Smith)  Thompson,  natives  of  Iowa, 
who  crossed  the  plains  by  ox  teams  to  California  in 
1849  on  what  might  be  termed  their  bridal  tour. 
Plere  the  former  died,  but  the  latter  passed  away  in 
SKagit  County.  Mrs.  Moores  departed  this  life 
February  13,  'l893.  In  1894  Mr.  Moores  and  Mary 
Wilson  were  joined  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Moores,  a 
lady  of  exceptional  educational  attainments,  has 
followed  teaching  for  many  years  and  holds  a 
life  diploma.  She  is  at  present  one  of  the  in- 
structors in  the  government  school  at  Harlan, 
Montana.  Mr.  Moores'  children  are:  Mrs. 
Alma  LaFond,  living  near  Mount  Vernon ;  Mrs. 
Pearl  Good,  near  Fir;  and  Cora,  Innes,  Leona, 
Claire    and    Gladys,    living    at    home.       In    fra- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ternal  circles,  Mr.  Moores  is  a  Yeoman,  in  pol- 
itics a  Republican,  and  in  church  connections  a  Bap- 
tist. On  his  well-kept  farm  of  eighty-five  acres  he 
has  a  nice  herd  of  cattle,  and  horses  sufficient  for 
his  farm  requirements.  Here  he  lives  in  comfort, 
respected  as  an  honorable  citizen  and  esteemed  as 
a  kind  and  considerate  neisrhbor. 


PETER  ]\IcKINNON  is  one  of  the  farmers  on 
the  outskirts  of  Mount  Vernon,  who  in  a  quiet  way 
is  an  examplar  of  what  may  be  accomplished  in  a 
few  years  by  energy  and  hard  work  in  a  new  coun- 
try. Mr.  McKinnon  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia  in 
1847,  of  Scotch  ancestry.  His  father,  Henry  Mc- 
Kinnon, a  Nova  Scotian  farmer,  died  in  1885.  Mrs. 
Lexie  (McDonald)  McKinnon  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, and  is  now  hale  and  hearty  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety  years.  Of  her  eight  children  Peter 
is  third  in  order  of  birth.  Peter  AlcKinnon  attended 
the  schools  of  Nova  Scotia  until  he  was  twelve  years 
of  age,  when  he  left  home  apprenticed  to  learn  the 
trade  of  blacksmith.  On  becoming  master,  he  went 
to  work  at  blacksmithing  for  a  railroad  and  gradu- 
ally made  his  way  to  IMontreal,  where  he  remamed 
for  three  years.  At  Tarribone  he  put  in  another 
three  years  at  his  trade,  and  in  1885  he  came  to 
Washington  and  settled  at  Mount  Vernon,  in  a 
short  time  purchasing  of  James  H.  Moores  a  tract 
of  twenty  acres  of  land.  He  has  cleared  it  and  put 
it  all  under  cultivation,  making  his  home  there. 
\Vhen  not  needed  on  the  farm,  he  employs  himself 
at  his  trade  in  different  parts  of  the  nearby  coun- 
try. 

In  1877  Mr.  McKinnon,  while  at  Montreal,  mar- 
ried Miss  Satira  J.  Moores,  daughter  of  Nathaniel 
Moores  and  sister  of  James  H.  and  Nathaniel 
Moores.  Jr.,  who  is  now  living  near  Mount  Vernon. 
The  elder  Moores  was  a  native  of  Miramichi,  New 
Brunswick,  but  early  in  life  settled  in  Quebec.  His 
wife,  Margaret  A.  Sutherland,  a  native  of  Nash- 
wack.  New  Brunswick,  was  the  mother  of  thirteen 
children.  Mrs.  McKinnon  was  born  in  New  Bruns- 
wick in  ISfiO  and  educated  in  the  schools  of  that 
province.  She  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven  and  is  the  mother  of  four  children.  Henry, 
Margaret,  Harvey  and  Daniel.  In  church  circles. 
Mr.  McKinnon  is  a  Baptist  and  in  politics  a  Re- 
publican. On  his  twenty-acre  farm  he  has  twenty 
head  of  cattle  and  a  team  of  horses  for  farm  work. 
He  has  the  proverbial  thrift  of  the  Scotch,  from 
whom  he  is  descended,  and  though  his  place  is  not 
large,  he  is  in  good  circumstances  and  enjoys  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


LAWRENCE  HERRLE  is  one  of  the  produce 
farmers  who  is  accumulating  a  fortune  out  of  sup- 
plying the  needs  of  the  residents  of  Mount  Vernon 
and  other  centers  of  population  in  Skagit  county. 
He  was  born  in  1852  in  Elses,  that  territory  which 


was  so  long  held  in  dispute  by  Germany  and 
France,  and  which  has  since  been  awarded  by  the 
fortunes  of  war  to  the  German  emperor.  His 
father,  Anton  Herrle,  was  born  and  died  in  France, 
having  been  born  in  the  year  of  the  battle  of  Water- 
loo. Mrs.  Margaret  (Dannunciller)  Herrle  was 
born  in  Germany,  and  was  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren. Lawrence  Herrle  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Elses  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1872. 
Soon  after  landing  in  New  York  he  went  to  Cin- 
cinnati and  was  employed  in  a  butcher  shop  for 
nearly  a  year,  when  he  went  to  Stark  County,  Ohio, 
and  worked  there  for  a  farmer  for  five  consecutive 
years.  Ten  years  on  a  farm  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  fol- 
lowed, and  in  1887  Mr.  Herrle  came  to  Mourtt  Ver- 
non. He  farmed  for  six  months  and  then  worked 
a  year  in  a  logging  camp.  In  1889  he  purchased 
his  present  place  of  forty  acres,  two  and  a  half 
miles  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  at  once  com- 
menced the  task  of  clearing  it  of  its  big  growth  of 
forest.  In  1900  he  bought  forty  acres  more  adjoin- 
ing his  original  purchase  on  the  northwest,  and 
now  has  fifty  acres  of  excellent  soil  under  close 
cultivation,  the  eighteen  years  of  his  life  on  the 
place  working  wonders  in  the  appearance  of  the 
land. 

While  a  resident  of  Ohio  in  1877,  Mr.  Herrle 
married  Miss  Sarah  Masser,  whose  father  died 
when  she  was  an  infant.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Mary 
(Lauderberg)  Masser,  reared  her  daughter  care- 
fully, giving  her  the  very  best  training,  thus  early 
in  life  equipping  her  for  the  useful  career  of  worthy 
helpmate  and  considerate  mother,  which  she  has  led. 
She  was  eighteen  years  of  age  when  married.  Of 
this  union  there  are  thirteen  children,  William  A., 
Louie,  Frank,  Emile,  John,  Mary,  Celia,  Armenia, 
Agnes,  Martin,  Clarence  and  Martha.  Mary  is  at 
present  attending  college  in  Coventry.  Kentucky. 
The  lierrles  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic 
church.  In  politics  Mr.  Herrle  is  a  Democrat,  but 
does  not  overlook  a  good  candidate  on  an  opposing 
ticket.  In  his  livestock  department  Mr.  Herrle  has 
twenty  head  of  Durham  cattle  and  five  horses.  In 
addition  to  the  usual  crops  of  a  Skagit  county 
farmer,  ^Mr.  Herrle  raises  produce  for  the  markets, 
especially  potatoes.  He  is  a  man  who  has  always 
been  a  hard  worker  and  thrifty,  and  to-day  Mr. 
Herrle  is  one  of  the  highly  respected  citizens  of 
Skagit  county. 


GEORGE  A.  MORRIS.  Few  residents  of 
Skagit  county  have  had  a  more  varied  and  inter- 
esting career  than  he  whose  name  initiates  this  bi- 
ography, a  retired  farmer  residing  two  miles  west 
and  one-half  mile  north  of  Mount  Vernon.  He  was 
born  in  Huntingdonshire,  England,  February  6, 
1844,  and  his  parents  were  Daniel  and  Frances 
(Holdrich)  Morris.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Peterboro,  Huntingdonshire.  England,  born  Febru- 
ary 7,  1805.     After  attending  the  common  schools 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


he  learned  his  trade  of  journeyman  miller,  follow- 
ing it  till  his  death,  in  August,  186G.  The  mother, 
born  in  Dog's  Thorp,  near  Peterboro,  received  her 
education  in  the  schools  of  her  native  town,  where 
she  spent  her  entire  life,  her  death  occurring  in 
1895.  She  was  married  in  1831  and  was  the 
mother  of  twelve  children.  Like  many  of  our  great 
men,  George  A.  Morris  early  assumed  the  practical 
duties  of  life,  working  with  his  father  on  the  farm, 
and  in  the  meantime,  by  diligent  study,  acquiring 
an  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was 
married  and  followed  various  occupations  for  the 
next  ten  years,  until  he  became  organizer  for  int 
National  Association  of  Farm  Laborers,  at  that  time 
presided  over  by  the  late  Joseph  Arch.  A  personal 
friend  and  conferee  of  John  Burns,  he  at  one  time, 
together  with  the  Right  Honorable  W.  E.  Gladstone, 
Charles  Bradlaugh  and  others,  addressed  a  meet- 
ing at  the  memorial  hall  in  Farringdon  street,  Lon- 
don. In  1877  he  was  brought  to  Mobile,  Alabama 
by  Mr.  Murdock,  at  that  time  president  of  the  Mo- 
bile and  Ohio  railroad,  as  a  special  delegate  to  the 
National  Association  of  Farm  Workers,  that  he 
might  investigate  that  locality  and  determine  its 
suitability  as  a  location  for  immigrants.  This  trip 
of  about  a  month  was  a  very  delightful  one.  Ac- 
cepting a  position  in  the  warehouse  of  S.  E.  Hack- 
ett,  wholesale  paper  dealer  in  Nottingham,  England, 
he  remained  there  for  six  and  a  half  years,  estab- 
lishing for  himself  a  reputation  for  faithfulness  and 
ability  that  was  the  envy  of  his  associates  in  the 
business.  He  has  still  in  his  possession  recommenda- 
tions yellow  with  age,  signed  by  Mr.  Hackett,  that 
would  bring  a  thrill  of  pride  to  any  man.  Favor- 
ably impressed  with  this  country  on  his  previ-^us 
visit,  in  1887  he  came  to  the  United  States,  landing 
at  Avon,  Washington.  The  following  August  he 
took  up  a  homestead  at  Mount  Vernon,  comprising 
eighty  acres,  all  of  which  were  densely  timbered. 
After  clearing  off  thirty  acres  of  it  he  sold  the  prop- 
erty, and  is  now  living  on  a  rented  farm. 

Mr.  Morris  was  married  in  1865,  to  Sarah 
O'Donnell,  a  native  of  Boston,  England,  born  April 
11,  1844.  Her  parents  were  Roger  and  Sarah 
(Chandler)  O'Donnell,  the  father  born  in  Donegal, 
Ireland,  and  the  mother  in  Huntingdonshire,  Eng- 
land. The  date  of  her  mother's  birth  was  1819. 
Both  are  long  since  deceased.  Eleven  children  were 
born  in  Nottingham,  England,  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Morris,  as  follows :  Elizabeth  Spink,  Amos,  Harry 
and  Hugh,  all  of  whom  died  in  vouth ;  John  Charles, 
born  July  23,  1871 ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Esther  Mondham, 
Lorn  April  13,  1873,  and  George  O'Donnell,  born 
March  13,  1876,  now  residing  in  Avon,  Washing- 
ton ;  Mrs.  Emma  M.  K.  Allen,  of  Arlington,  Wash- 
ington, born  May  10,  1878;  Mrs.  Gertrude  Axelson, 
of  Fir,  born  August  14,  1883 ;  Nellie  Frances,  born 
August  5,  1885,  at  home,  and  William. 

Mr.  Morris  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Yeo- 
men, and  a  staunch  Prohibitionist.  The  Salvation 
Army    claims   him    as    a   loyal   member.      Earnest, 


thoughtful,  always  true  to  his  convictions,  Mr.  Mor- 
ris enjoys  the  unbounded  confidence  of  his  associ- 
ates. 


LAFAYETTE  EPLIN,  a  thrifty  and  industri- 
ous farmer  residing  two  miles  west  of  Mount  Ver- 
non, was  born  February  20,  1856,  the  son  of  Wil- 
liam and  Luana  (DeFoe)  Eplin,  both  born  in  Cabell 
County,  West  Virginia,  the  father,  January  25, 
1819,  the  mother,  April  16,  1833.  Removing  to 
Meeker  County,  Minnesota,  in  May,  1864,  the  fa- 
ther there  engaged  in  farming,  continuing  in  the 
business  until  1889,  when  he  located  in  Colfax, 
Washington,  where  he  still  lives.  He  was  married 
in  1852,  and  he  and  Mrs.  Eplin  became  parents  of 
eight  children.  After  having  attended  the  schools 
of  West  Virginia,  as  his  parents  had  done,  LaFay- 
ette  Eplin  completed  his  education  in  Minnesota 
upon  the  removal  of  the  family  to  that  state  when 
he  was  a  mere  lad.  He  remained  at  home  assisting 
his  father  on  the  farm  until  he  reached  his  majority, 
going  then  to  Dassel,  Meeker  County,  Minnesota, 
to  accept  a  position  offered  him  by  the  Great  North- 
ern railroad.  He  followed  railroading  for  eight 
years,  then  returned  to  Meeker  county  and  devoted 
his  entire  time  to  farming.  Three  years  later,  hav- 
ing decided  to  find  a  home  in  the  great  Northwest, 
of  which  he  had  read  so  much,  he  sold  his  farm, 
and  started  for  Washington,  arriving  in  Mount  Ver- 
non September  23,  1887.  After  farming  near  Avon 
for  a  year  and  a  half,  he  went  to  Yakima,  where 
he  was  employed  by  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad 
for  three  years.  Returning  to  Mount  Vernon  he 
purchased  a  ten-acre  tract,  all  heavily  timbered,  and 
he  began  at  once  the  arduous  task  of  clearing  it. 
He  brought  three  acres  into  an  excellent  state  of 
cultivation,  and  at  the  time  of  his  demise,  November 
16,  1905,  was  making  a  specialty  of  raising  garden 
products,  at  the  same  time  giving  attention  to  stock 
and  poultry.  He  had  three  brothers,  John,  Charles 
and  one  other,  also  a  sister,  Mrs.  Ella  Massey,  living 
at  Missoula,  Montana;  likewise  a  sister,  Mrs.  Jane 
Clay,  at  Duncan,  Oregon,  and  another,  Mrs.  Way- 
zetta  Ernsberger,  in  Colfax,  Washington. 

Mr.  Eplin  married  at  Litchfield,  Minnesota,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1882,  Mary  King,  a  native  of  Columbia 
County,  Wisconsin,  born  March  25,  1861.  Her 
father^  David  Wilson  King,  born  in  Illinois,  mi- 
grated to  Wisconsin  in  the  early  days,  and  thence  to 
Meeker  County,  Minnesota,  where  he  took  a  home- 
stead. He  was  born  May  19,  1824,  and  died  August 
1,  1895.  The  mother  is' Frances  A.  (Frost)  King, 
a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  born  June  13,  1833, 
and  now  living  in  Meeker  county.  Both  parents 
trace  their  ancestry  back  to  England.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Eplin  have  one  child,  Mrs.  Edith  Lindamood,  born 
in  Meeker  County,  Minnesota,  July  21,  1883,  now 
living  at  Avon,  Washington.  Mr.  Eplin  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  lodge,  number  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four,  at  Cokato,  Minnesota,  in  politics  a  loyal 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Republican,  in  church  membership  an  Episcopalian. 
A  man  of  strict  integrity,  he  was  respected  by  all 
who  made  his  acquaintance. 


JOHN  SCANLAN,  a  prosperous  and  well- 
known  farmer  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  October 
16.  1851,  in  Bayham,  Ontario.  His  father  was 
James  Scanlan.  a  native  of  Langford,  Boon  County, 
Ireland,  born  March  17,  1805.  Having,  received  a 
tliorough  education  in  his  native  country,  he  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1830,  locating  in  Cleveland, 
( )hio,  of  which  he  was  the  pioneer  drayman.  At 
the  time  of  the  Empire  Loyalist  movement  he  went 
to  Ontario,  being  employed  as  lighthouse  keeper  at 
Port  Burwal,  on  Lake  Erie.  Thence  he  moved  to 
Bayham,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
dying  June  G,  1876.  The  mother,  Susan  (Start- 
weather)  Scanlan,  was  born  in  New  York  state  in 
1814,  there  receiving  her  education.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  March,  1853.  The  youngest  of  a  family  of 
six  children,  John  Scanlan  spent  the  early  years  of 
his  life  on  the  farm,  acc^uiring  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Ontario,  and  laying  the  foundation  for 
the  sturdy  manhood  that  was  to  follow.  Thrifty 
and  industrious,  he  was  able  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six  to  purchase  a  fifty-acre  farm,  which  he  cultivated 
for  eleven  years,  meeting  with  the  success  that  his 
untiring  eti'orts  merited.  Being  persuaded  that  the 
rich  resources  of  Washington  offered  a  much  larger 
reward  for  earnest  toil,  he  sold  his  property  and 
moved  to  Palouse,  where  he  farmed  for  three  years. 
Later  he  disposed  of  this  farm,  and  homesteaded 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Cowlitz  County, 
Washington,  remaining  there  for  five  years,  after 
which  he  came  to  Mount  \'ernon.  He  purchased 
there  a  forty-acre  tract,  upon  which  he  made  his 
home,  cultivating  fifteen  acres  and  rearing  fancy 
Durham  cattle,  Berkshire  hogs  and  other  thorough- 
bred livestock  on  the  place,  until  the  fall  of  1905, 
when  he  sold  out  to  purchase  thirty  acres  near  Bur- 
lington. 

Mr.  Scanlan  was  married  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Octo- 
ber 14,  1900.  to  Mrs.  Stella  (Moffit)  Abel,  born  in 
Indiana,  the  daughter  of  Eli  and  Margaret  (Knight) 
jNIoffit.  Her  father,  a  farmer  now  living  in  Mis- 
souri, was  born  in  North  Carolina,  July  14,  1834, 
and  in  early  boyhood  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Indiana,  where  he  was  educated.  Her  mother,  a 
Kentuckian,  born  near  Lexington,  January  3,  1842, 
is  still  living.  Mrs.  Scanlan  has  two  brothers,  one 
living  in  Mount  Vernon  and  the  other  in  Fir,  and 
she  and  Mr.  Scanlan  have  one  child,  Leo  James, 
horn  in  ]\Iount  Vernon  June  10,  1902.  Mr.  Scanlan 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  frater- 
nity at  Genesee,  Idaho,  and  a  liberal  supporter  of  the 
Episcopal  church.  The  business  capabilities  so  early 
manifested  have  developed  as  the  years  passed,  and 
to-day  he  is  known  as  one  of  the  progressive  and 
successful  farmers  of  Skagit  county.    He  owns,  be- 

32 


sides  his  farm,  some  valuable  realty  in  Mount  Ver- 
non. 


ROBERT  C.  COLVIN,  a  man  rich  in  the  varied 
experiences  incident  to  pioneer  life  in  the  far  West, 
was  born  in  Texas  County,  Missouri,  April  27,  1859. 
His  father.  Young  Colvin,  of  Irish  descent,  was  born 
in  northern  Missouri  in  1814,  there  spending  his  en- 
tire life.  His  death  occurred  in  June,  1878.  Grace 
Jane  (Belsford)  Colvin,  the  mother,  was  a  Ken- 
tuckian, who,  after  receiving  her  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  her  native  state,  prepared  her- 
self for  teaching  by  a  course  in  the  Normal  school. 
She  was  for  several  years  a  most  successful  teacher 
in  Missouri.  She  died  in  October,  1889,  after  hav- 
ing been  the  devoted  mother  of  ten  children.  In  ac- 
quiring a  practical  knowledge  of  farming,  and  also 
an  education  in  the  common  schools,  Robert  C.  Col- 
vin spent  the  first  twenty-six  years  of  his  life,  leav- 
ing home  at  that  time  to  be  employed  as  a  farm 
hand.  By  practicing  strict  economy  he  was  able 
ten  years  later  to  purchase  a  claim  which  he  held  for 
a  year,  disposing  of  it  when  he  came  to  Mount  Ver- 
non. He  worked  out  for  the  first  year  after  his  ar- 
rival here,  then  went  up  the  Skagit  river,  thence 
up  the  Sauk  river  fourteen  miles  from  its  mouth, 
where  he  took  up  land.  He  made  the  journey  to 
Sauk  City  by  wagon,  packing  his  goods  on  his  back 
from  there  to  his  destination,  a  distance  of  some 
fourteen  miles.  Ably  assisted  by  his  faithful  wife, 
who  cheerfully  braved  all  discomforts  and  dangers, 
he  constructed  a  tent  oiit  of  blankets  to  serve  as  a 
dwelling  place  till  he  could  build  a  cabin.  There 
were  only  four  white  women  in  all  that  vast  region, 
and  the  nearest  were  a  mile  and  a  half  away,  Indian 
ranchers  being  their  neighbors  on  both  sides.  After 
a  residence  of  a  year  and  a  half,  he  moved  to  West 
Mount  Vernon,  where  he  built  a  house  and  occu- 
pied it  for  a  year.  Later  he  bought  three  and  one- 
half  acres  half  a  mile  from  Mount  Vernon,  cleared 
it  in  two  years,  and  traded  it  at  the  end  of  that  time 
for  city  property  in  the  town.  He  was  employed  in 
logging  camps  most  of  the  time  for  the  next  eleven 
years,  but  in  1903  he  purchased  his  present  property, 
three  acres,  all  now  in  excellent  condition.  He  is 
devoting  especial  attention  to  fruit  and  vegetables, 
which  command  a  ready  sale  on  account  of  their  su- 
perior quality.  He  is  also  a  breeder  of  fancy  BufT 
Leghorns  and  Barred  Plymouth  Rocks,  and  already 
has  established  quite  a  reputation  in  this  line.  Mr. 
Colvin's  brothers  and  sisters  are  as  follows :  Charles 
L.,  engaged  in  logging  in  Mount  Vernon ;  Mrs. 
Laura  A.  Hughes,  living  near  Mount  Vernon;  Mrs. 
Virginia  Anderson,  of  Ballard ;  Joseph  Y.  and 
Henry  E.,  residents  of  the  Indian  Territory. 

Mr.  Colvin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Margaret 
Murr  in  July,  1885.  She  was  born  in  Tennessee, 
February  13,  1858,  of  German  descent,  and  received 
her  education  in  her  native  state,  after  which  she 
went  to  Missouri.  Her  father,  John  Murr,  a  farmer. 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


spent  his  entire  life  in  Tennessee,  the  state  of  his 
birth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colvin  have  two  children, 
Luke,  born  May  23,  1886,  now  at  home;  Dorothy 
Eldora,  August  31,  1903.  Mr.  Colvin  is  a  member 
of  the  Democrat  party,  but  has  never  desired  polit- 
ical preferment.  Believing  that  a  large  proportion 
of  the  inhabitants  of  our  cities  can  be  reached  and 
saved  by  no  other  agency,  he  is  an  earnest  worker  in 
the  Salvation  Army. 


JOHN  C.  MORRIS,  a  popular  and  successful 
farmer  residing  four  miles  north  of  jNIount  \^ernon, 
near  the  Avon  line,  is  a  native  of  Peterboro,  Eng- 
land, born  July  23,  1871.  His  father,  George  A. 
Morris,  is  a  man  of  prominence,  associated  for  many 
years  with  the  well-known  labor  leader,  John  Burns, 
who  is  a  personal  friend  of  his.  In  the  work  of  the 
National  Association  of  Farm  Laborers,  with  which 
he  was  for  many  years  identified,  he  came  in  touch 
with  many  of  the  distinguished  men  of  England, 
Gladstone,  Bradlaugh  and  others,  addressing  meet- 
ings where  they  were  also  on  the  program.  He  was 
born  in  Huntingdonshire,  England,  February  6, 
1844,  but  is  now  living  in  retirement  in  Mount  Ver- 
non. Sarah  G.  (O'Donnell)  Morris,  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  also  a  native  of  England,  the  date  of 
her  birth  bemg  April  11,  1844.  After  a  long  life  of 
devotion  to  husband  and  children,  she  died  March 
30,  1905.  Having  availed  himself  of  the  educational 
advantages  afforded  by  the  schools  of  Avon,  to 
which  point  the  family  had  moved,  John  C.  Morris 
remained  at  home  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-one, when  he  began  work  in  the  logging  camps 
and  mills  of  the  state.  He  was  employed  at  this 
for  ten  years,  then  accepted  a  position  in  the  United 
States  engineering  service,  in  which  he  spent  the 
following  four  years,  receiving  at  the  end  of  that 
time  an  honorable  discharge  and  recommendations 
of  the  highest  order.  He  was  a  member  of  the  party 
that  succeeded  in  removing  the  immense  log  jam 
that  had  formed  in  the  Skagit  river  in  1897,  also 
assisting  in  the  removal  of  obstructions  from  the 
Stilaguamish,  Nooksack  and  Snohomish  rivers,  and 
in  the  construction  of  channels  in  these  rivers.  In 
1904  he  moved  onto  his  present  place  of  twenty 
acres,  which  he  had  owned  for  some  time,  and  he 
intends  now  to  make  that  his  permanent  home.  He 
has  fifteen  aci-es  of  it  in  fine  condition,  the  remain- 
ing five  being  still  uncleared.  He  gives  especial  at- 
tention to  fine  cattle  and  horses,  owning  two  head 
of  Percheron  horses,  and  eleven  head  of  Durham 
and  some  Jersey  cattle.  He  raises  the  finest  pota- 
toes to  be  found  in  the  locality.  At  present  he  is 
employed  as  mate  on  the  United  States  snagboat, 
Skagit.  He  has  one  brother,  George  O.,  also  a  resi- 
dent of  Avon,  and  his  sisters,  all  natives  of  Notting- 
ham, England,  are  as  follows :  Elizabeth  Spink, 
born  February  6,  1866 ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Mondhan,  born 
April  13,  1873,  now  of  Avon ;  Mrs.  Gertrude  Axel- 
son,  born  August  14,  1882,  a  resident  of  Fir ;  Mrs. 


Emma  M.  Allen,  of  Arlington,  born  May  10,  1878 ; 
Nellie  Frances,  born  Augiist  5,  1885,  now  at  home 
in  Mount  Vernon. 

Mr.  Morris  was  married  October  11,  1895,  to 
Daisy  McCain,  the  daughter  of  James  and  Helen 
(Beggs)  McCain.  Her  father,  born  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1844,  was  a  prominent  soldier  in  the  Civil  war, 
enlisting  with  the  Ninth  Illinois  infantry.  At  the 
close  of  four  years'  service,  during  which  time  he 
had  participated  in  some  of  the  most  severe  engage- 
ments of  the  war,  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. Starting  for  the  Pacific  coast  with  an  ox 
team,  he  moved  first  to  Iowa,  thence  to  Nebraska,  at 
length  reaching  Woodland,  California,  where  he 
spent  several  years.  Coming  to  jMount  Vernon  in 
1883,  he  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
the  farm  of  his  son-in-law  being  part  of  the  orig- 
inal claim.  The  old  cabin  is  still  standing  on  it. 
The  death  of  this  well-known  pioneer  occurred  in 
Avon,  in  March,  1891.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Mor- 
ris was  born  in  Illinois  in  1843,  and  died  at  Avon 
in  December,  1880.  Mrs.  Morris,  the  youngest  of  a 
family  of  si.x  children,  has  three  sisters,  Theodora 
H.,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Wilds,  and  Mrs.  Laura  Murray, 
the  latter  two  residing  in  Seattle.  A  brother,  Wil- 
liam, lives  at  Clear  Lake,  Washington.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Morris  have  two  children.  Amy,  born  Novem- 
ber 12,  1895,  and  Helen,  October  8,  1897.  Mr. 
Morris  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  in  which 
order  he  is  past  grand,  also  is  actively  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World,  while  Mrs.  Morris  is  a  member  of  the  Re- 
bekahs,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  the  social  af- 
fairs of  the  lodge.  Mr.  Morris  is  a  loyal  member  of 
the  Democratic  party,  but  aside  from  discharging 
the  duties  of  the  office  of  deputy  assessor  in  1896, 
has  never  accepted  political  preferment.  He  and 
his  family  are  regular  attendants  of  the  Methodist 
church.  Earnest,  industrious,  a  strict  adherent  of 
sound  business  principles,  he  is  destined  to  be  one  of 
the  influential  members  of  the  county. 


ELLSWORTH  M.  STEWART,  an  energetic 
young  farmer  residing  one  mile  west  and  two  north 
of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  Osage  City,  Kansas, 
April  30,  1878,  the  son  of  William  W.  and  Alice  B. 
(Frost)  Stewart,  now  residents  of  Washington. 
His  father,  a  native  of  Wheeling,  West  Virginia, 
born  in  1852,  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio, 
when  he  was  a  boy.  He  came  to  Washington  July 
28,  1903.  The  mother  was  born  in  Ogle  County, 
Illinois,  and  acquired  her  education  in  the  common 
scliools  of  that  state.  She  is  the  mother  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Luella  (deceased);  Mrs.  Ada 
Singer,  living  at  Blarney  Lake,  Washington; 
Charles,  of  Avon;  Fred  and  Peter,  at  home;  Wil- 
liam (deceased),  and  Ellsworth  M.,  whose  name 
forms  the  heading  of  this  biography.  Brought  by 
his  parents  to  Trinidad,  Colorado,  when  but  a  year 
old,  he  later  moved  to  Gallup,  New  Mexico,  remain- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ing  at  home  till  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one. 
Desiring,  like  so  many  other  young  men,  to  begin 
life  for  himself  in  the  West,  where  the  opportunities 
for  success  are  manifold,  he  came  to  Mount  Vernon 
in  1889,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  two  and  a 
half  years,  going  thence  to  Hamilton,  to  accept  a 
position  on  the  railroad.  Three  months  later  he  lo- 
cated in  Yakima,  spending  four  months,  during 
which  he  was  ill  most  of  the  time.  Upon  his  recov- 
ery he  returned  to  Mount  Vernon  and  took  a  con- 
tract for  wood,  the  work  lasting  four  months.  He 
then  worked  on  a  farm  until  his  father  came  to 
Mount  Vernon  in  1902,  when  together  they  pur- 
chased forty-seven  acres  of  land,  all  heavily  tim- 
bered. The  work  of  clearing  the  property  has  oc- 
cupied the  entire  time  of  the  younger  Stewart,  he 
having  at  the  present  time  twenty-five  acres  in  cul- 
tivation. He  owns  some  excellent  stock,  twenty-five 
head  of  Durham  cattle,  hogs  and  horses.  He  also 
devotes  some  attention  to  poultry.  Mr.  Stewart  is 
a  Democrat,  loyally  upholding  his  party  in  every 
way.  He  attends  the  Congregational  church,  con- 
tributing liberally  to  its  support.  Possessed  of 
youth,  health,  ambition  and  industry,  he  is  one  of 
the  promising  young  men  of  the  community,  destined 
to  achieve  a  large  measure  of  success. 


WILLIAM  C.  SINGER,  a  man  who  has  made  a 
success  of  life  in  spite  of  adverse  circumstances  that 
would  have  utterly  discouraged  a  less  resolute  na- 
ture, was  born  in  Iowa,  March  16,  1851.  His  father, 
Herman  H.,  a  native  of  Illinois,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Clayton  County,  Iowa.  IMartha  A. 
(Gould)  Singer,  his  mother,  was  born  in  Vermont 
and  died  March  2,  1881.  After  the  death  of  her 
husband  she  became  the  wife  of  Jesse  B.  Shellham- 
mer.  She  was  the  mother  of  thirteen  children.  His 
father  having  died  when  he  was  but  four  years  of 
age,  William  C.  Singer,  when  a  mere  child  of  nine, 
began  workmg  for  a  family  who  desired  to  adopt 
him.  After  three  years  of  unappreciated  toil  he  ran 
away,  only  to  be  bound  to  another  family  for  three 
years.  At  tne  end  of  that  time  he  began  life  for 
himself,  devoting  his  entire  time  to  farming,  the 
work  that  has  claimed  his  energies  ever  since.  Re- 
maining in  Iowa  till  he  was  twenty  years  old,  he 
then  went  to  Todd  County,  Minnesota,  spending  fif- 
teen years  in  the  state.  Benton  County,  c3regon,  was 
his  following  location,  where  he  took  up  land,  which 
he  later  signed  back  to  the  government,  not  having 
been  able  to  make  it  a  profitable  yield.  He  came  to 
La  Conner  in  1889,  was  employed  by  a  brother  for 
a  year  and  a  half,  after  which  he  bought  a  team  and 
rented  a  farm  on  Beaver  Marsh.  By  thrifty  econ- 
omy he  was  able  four  years  later  to  purchase  his 
present  farm  of  fifteen  acres,  located  3  miles  and  a 
half  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon.  All  heavily  tim- 
bered at  the  time  he  bought  it.  he  has  now  four  acres 
of  it  nicely  cleared,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  dairy- 


ing  and    poultry.      He    has    a   sister,    Mrs.    Sarah 
Horsey,  residing  in  Anacortes. 

Mr.  Singer  was  married  in  1875,  to  Rosetta  Paul, 
the  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Maiy  (Gould)  Paul, 
the  latter  a  native  of  Vermont.  The  eleventh  child 
of  a  family  of  thirteen,  Mrs.  Singer  has  one  sister, 
Mrs.  Jessie  Loomis,  living  at  Avon.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Singer  have  seven  children  as  follows:  Paul  and 
Charles  S.,  married  and  living  in  Avon ;  Airs.  Mary 
O.  Rose,  of  Anacortes ;  Airs.  Alartha  A.  Gunther,  of 
Ridgeway ;  Mrs.  Leila  Walker  ;  William  H.,  at  home, 
and  Rosetta  B.  Mr.  Singer  is  a  well-known  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows.  He  has  always  been  a  loyal 
member  of  the  Republican  party,  and  was  road  su- 
pervisor in  1895.  He  and  his  family  attend  the 
Methodist  church.  An  earnest  and  industrious  citi- 
zen, a  kind  and  accommodating  neighbor,  he  holds 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 


WILLIAM  A.  HAWKINS,  residing  on  the 
eastern  border  of  the  famous  Swinomish  flats,  is 
ranked  among  the  thoroughly  substantial  citizen- 
farmers  of  the  Skagit  country.  He  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  that  region  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, his  advent  antedating  the  organization  of 
Skagit  county,  and  in  that  period  he  has  not  only 
witnessed  but  has  also  actively  participated  in  the 
wonderful  progress  made  by  this  section.  The  in- 
stinct of  pioneership  is  one  of  his  birthrights,  for  his 
parents,  William  and  Mary  (Blanton)  Hawkins, 
were  reared  on  the  frontiers  of  Tennessee  and  spent 
most  of  their  lives  along  the  Texas  border.  The 
elder  Hawkins  was  born  in  1817,  the  son  of  pioneer 
Tennesseans  ;  the  mother  was  born  in  the  same  state 
eight  years  later.  They  became  residents  of  Texas 
early  in  life,  and  there  Mr.  Hawkins  followed  farm- 
ing and  stockraising  until  his  retirement  from  active 
pursuits.  His  death  occurred  January  13,  1905,  in 
liis  eighty-ninth  year,  five  years  after  that  of  hi.s  de- 
voted wife. 

William  A.  was  born  in  Cass  County,  Texas, 
February  23,  1852,  the  seventh  child  in  a  family  of 
twelve.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  in  order  that  he 
might  contribute  something  to  the  care  of  this  large 
family,  he  left  the  paternal  roof  and  sought  the 
western  portion  of  the  state.  There  he  spent  eight 
years  riding  the  range,  during  which  he  often  drove 
cattle  to  Dodge  City,  Kansas,  when  it  bore  the  repu- 
tation of  being  the  toughest  town  in  the  West.  By 
mere  chance  he  finally  drifted  to  Sevier  County,  Ar- 
kansas, which  became  his  home  for  three  years. 
There  he  married  and  entered  the  cattle  business  as 
an  owner  instead  of  an  employe.  From  .Arkansas 
he  went  to  Coffeyville,  Kansas,  lived  there  a  year, 
and  then  returned  to  the  first  named  commonwealth. 
His  next  removal  was  destined  to  be  of  more  than 
ordinary  importance  to  him,  for  it  brought  him  to  a 
new  land,  to  a  new  industry  and  to  a  permanent 
home.    After  encountering  the  usual  difficulties  of  a 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


journey  hundreds  of  miles  in  length,  Mr.  Hawkins 
landed  at  the  little  village  of  Mount  Vernon,  What- 
com county,  February  27,  1882.  Immediately  after- 
ward he  filed  on  a  quarter  section  of  timber  land  six 
miles  west  and  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  that  town, 
and  began  the  erection  of  a  home,  meeting  in  the 
years  which  followed  hardship  and  discouragement 
enough  to  have  daunted  a  weaker  heart .  There  were 
then  no  roads  and  only  the  poorest  trails  to  the  place. 
All  that  he  and  his  family  ate  and  wore  for  the  first 
seven  years  he  packed  upon  his  back  to  the  little 
forest  home,  and  during  all  that  time  the  house  was 
never  left  alone,  lest  some  harm  might  befall  it. 
The  life  was  a  lonely  one  in  many  ways,  the  nearest 
neighbor  for  years  being  three  miles  away,  but  happy 
hearts  made  light  of  the  difficulties  and  dangers, 
finding  in  the  long,  quiet  hours  an  opportunity  for 
that  sweet  companionship  so  lacking  in  the  modern 
life  full  of  complex  and  pressing  duties  and  engage- 
ments. The  woods  abounded  in  all  kinds  of  game, 
a  veritable  hunter's  paradise.  Steadily  working  year 
by  year,  Mr.  Hawkins  has  cleared  and  put  under 
cnlti\  ation  seventy-five  acres,  replacing  the  first  rude 
dweniug  with  an  elegant  home,  modern  in  all  its 
appointments  and  refiecting  the  owner's  tastes.  Al- 
ways planning  for  the  happiness  and  comfort  of  his 
family,  he  intends  to  soon  install  a  private  light  and 
water  plant,  which  will  add  greatly  to  the  conven- 
iences of  his  place.  Like  most  pioneers,  he  has  suf- 
fered reverses,  but  in  the  main  has  been  hi,^-hly  suc- 
cessful and  has  accumulated  a  valuable  property. 
Last  year  he  made  a  trip  to  his  old  Texas  home  and 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  after  which  he  is  more  settled 
than  ever  in  the  conviction  that  Washington  suits 
him  best  of  all.  One  sister,  Mrs.  Susan  Plumlee,  re- 
sides in  Oklahoma,  also  two  brothers,  David  and 
Peter ;  John  and  Ketchum.  the  two  remaining  broth- 
ers, live  in  Texas. 

Mr.  Hawkins  was  married  December  2(),  1880, 
to  Miss  T.  C.  Miller,  a  native  of  Arkansas,  the 
daughter  of  Marshall  and  Louisa  L.  (Glover)  Mil- 
ler. The  father  was  a  native  of  the  far  South,  who 
was  killed  in  battle  while  serving  in  a  Georgia  regi- 
ment during  the  Civil  war.  Mrs.  Miller,  also  de- 
ceased, was  born  in  Georgia  and  was  the  mother  of 
two  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Hawkins  is  the  younger, 
her  birth  occurring  in  October,  1802.  To  the  union 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawkins  five  children  have  been 
born:  Mrs.  Dixie  Lowman,  wife  of  the  county 
superintendent  of  schools :  and  -Mice,  Donnie,  Lucy 
and  William  Lewis,  residing  at  home.  In  public 
afifairs,  Mr.  Hawkins  takes  a  deep  interest.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  identified  with  the  educa- 
tional aflFairs  of  his  district  as  a  member  of  the 
board,  but,  while  still  retaining  his  interest,  has  re- 
tired from  official  activity.  He  is  an  ardent  Demo- 
crat, loyally  and  actively  upholding  the  principles  of 
his  party.  The  family  attends  the  Methodist  church, 
in  which  Mrs.  Hawkins  is  a  zealous  worker.  The 
Hawkins  farm  is  devoted  principally  to  oat  raising. 


but  not  exclusively  so,  as  its  owner  gives  especial 
attention  to  dairying  and  poultry  raising  also. 

A  devoted  husband  and  father,  interested  and 
active  in  the  progress  of  the  community,  thoughtful 
and  honest  in  his  dealings,  and  withal  successful, 
Mr.   Hawkins  is  indeed  a  representative  citizen. 


SILAS  W.  MARIHUGH,  for  many  years  a  res- 
ident of  Washington,  and  now  engaged  in  diversi- 
fied farming  four  miles  west  of  Mount  Vernon,  was 
born  in  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  in  1845.  His 
father,  Russell  Marihugh,  born  iii  Vermont,  was 
residing  in  Ohio  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1880. 
Elizabeth  (Lennox)  Marihugh,  his  mother,  was 
born  in  New  York  City,  and  died  in  1803.  Remain- 
ing at  home  till  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
Silas  Marihugh  then  answered  the  call  of  his  coun- 
try for  volunteers,  enlisting  in  the  One  Hundred 
and  Eighty-second  Ohio  infantry,  under  Captain 
Roemer.  Camping  at  Toledo  for  a  time,  the  regi- 
ment was  then  ordered  to  Columbus  ;  thence  to  Lou- 
isville, Lexington  and  Nashville.  Having  hel])ed  to 
build  Fort  Butler,  it  was  about  to  be  pressed  into 
active  warfare  at  that  point  when  relieved  by  a  col- 
ored regiment  comprising  fifteen  hundred  men,  of 
whom  only  five  hundred  remained  after  the  engage- 
ment. Having-  received  an  honorable  discharge  in 
September,  18C5,  he  returned  to  Ohio,  and  located 
at  Defiance,  working  on  a  farm  until  18G9.  He  then 
went  to  Michigan,  rented  a  farm  and  remained  there 
for  three  years.  The  following  fourteen  years  he 
did  teaming  in  L^nion  City,  Michigan,  after  which 
he  again  rented  land  for  six  years.  Deciding  then 
to  find  a  home  in  Washington,  he  sold  his  posses- 
sions, and  came  to  Bayview,  here  purchasing  two 
lots.  Thirteen  months  later  he  went  to  Cypress 
Island,  still  later  making  Bayview  his  home  again. 
In  1891  he  bought  twenty  acres  of  unbroken  forest, 
beginning  at  once  the  task  of  clearing  it  prepara- 
tory to  building  a  home.  During  his  residence  of 
twelve  years  in  Bayview  he  purchased  forty  acres 
more  of  timber  land,  holding  at  the  present  time 
sixty  acres,  of  which  about  twelve  are  cleared.  He 
rented  his  present  home  in  January,  1901,  and  is 
now  giving  especial  attention  to  dairying  and  grain 
raising.  His  farm  is  well  stocked,  having  on  it  six 
horses  of  excellent  blood,  and  fifty-one  head  of  cat- 
tle, mostly  Durham. 

Mr.  Marihugh  was  married  June  G,  1868,  to  Em- 
ily Merchant,  born  February  19,  1817,  in  Defiance, 
Ohio.  Her  parents  were  Sampson  and  Emily 
(Temple)  Merchant,  both  natives  of  Massachusetts; 
the  father  was  born  in  1811,  the  mother  in  1815.  A 
farmer  and  hotel  keeper,  Mr.  Merchant  made  his 
home  in  New  York  for  a  while,  later  locating  in 
Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1870.  Mrs.  Marihugh  en- 
joyed unusual  educational  advantages,  and  begin- 
ning at  sixteen  taught  for  many  years  in  Ohio  and 
New  York  state.    ^She  died  iii  Ohio  in  1890,  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


mother  of  twelve  cliildreiij  Mrs.  Marihugh  being 
the  seventh  child.  Tiie  others  are  as  follows:  Mrs. 
Susan  Lovell,  of  Ba\view;  Mrs.  Jennie  Verrick, 
William,  Charlotte  and  Joseph  C,  all  residents  of 
Ohio ;  Mrs.  Eva  Frank,  of  Avon ;  Aletta,  living 
with  Mrs.  Marihngh.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marihugh's 
children  are  as  follows :  Clarence  A.  and  Hugh,  at 
Mount  Vernon;  Fred,  at  home;  Mrs.  Blanche  Elli- 
ott, of  Bayview  ;  Daisy,  at  home,  and  two  who  are 
deceased.  Mr.  Marihugh  is  a  member  of  the  Lara- 
bee  post  of  the  Grand  Army  at  La  Conner,  and  is  a 
loyal  supporter  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
served  as  road  supervisor,  and  is  interested  in  edu- 
cational matters,  always  lending  his  hearty  support 
to  any  movement  for  the  betterment  of  the  schools 
of  the  community.  He  and  his  family  attend  the 
I'"piscopal  church.  A  practical  farmer,  thoroughly 
familiar  with  all  departments  of  the  work,  he  is 
winning  a  large  measure  of  success. 


M.  McLEAN,  one  of  the  farmers  residing  one- 
half  mile  west  and  three  miles  north  of  Mount  Ver- 
non, was  born  in  Digby  County,  Nova  Scotia,  No- 
vember 30,  1850.  His  father,  Daniel  McLean,  was 
born  in  the  United  States,  where  he  was  a  ship  car- 
])enter.  and  also  followed  the  trade  in  Nova  Scotia, 
in  which  country  he  died  in  1880.  Abby  (Floyd) 
McLean,  his  mother,  was  also  a  native  of  the  United 
States,  born  in  1820.  Her  death  occurred  April  26, 
]!)05.  Spending  the  first  twenty-one  years  of  his 
life  in  Nova  Scotia,  M.  McLean  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  that  country.  He  then 
came  to  the  United  States,  working  in  a  logging 
camp  until  1877,  when  he  went  to  New  Brunswick 
to  engage  in  farming.  Three  years  later  he  removed 
to  Alaine,  again  working  in  the  woods.  Hearmg 
of  the  vast  opportunities  offered  in  the  great  North- 
west, he  crossed  the  continent,  landing  in  King  coun- 
ty in  May,  1883.  At  the  end  of  a  year  spent  in  the 
lumber  camps,  he  located  in  La  Conner,  then  the 
county  seat,  two  hotels  and  stores  comprising  tl-.e 
entire  business  district.  After  farming  for  two 
years  he  once  more  abandoned  that  employment  for 
logging,  spending  nearly  seven  years  in  the  woods, 
in  King  and  Snohomish  counties.  In  188.5  he  took 
up  a  homestead  on  01ymi)ia  Marsh,  which  he  gave 
U])  later,  going  thence  to  Lowell,  where  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land  and  at  once  began  the  task  of 
clearing  off  the  heavy  timber.  Disposing  of  this 
property  two  years  later,  he  made  a  trip  east,  bring- 
ing his  bride  with  him  upon  his  return  to  the  West 
in  1890.  He  bought  his  present  property  in  1891, 
twenty-five  acres,  all  timbered.  He  has  now  seven- 
teen acres  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  and  devotes 
his  energies  to  diversified  farming,  believing  it  to 
be  the  most  profitable.  He  is  raising  draft  horses, 
and  has  a  nice  herd  of  Jersey  cattle,  and  breeds  fine 
Berkshire  and  Poland  China  hogs.  His  brothers 
and  sisters  are  as  follows:     Mrs.  Clara  Weir,  of 


Annapolis,  Nova  Scotia ;  Mrs.  Abby  Berry  and  Mrs. 
Samira  Peck,  of  Bear  River,  Nova  Scotia ;  Norman, 
of  Grand  Manan,  New  Brunswick ;  Wallace,  of  Sed- 
ro  Woolley,  but  now  in  Blue  Canyon,  Whatcom 
county. 

Mr.  McLean  was  married  at  Grand  Manan,  Sep- 
tember G,  1890,  to  Mrs.  Nellie  Harvey,  born  in  No- 
vember, 185(5,  the  daughter  of  William  and  Rebecca 
(Daggett)  Benson,  both  natives  of  Grand  Manan, 
the  father  born  in  1831,  and  the  mother  in  1830. 
The  latter  is  still  living,  and  the  former  died  Sep- 
tember (),  1905.  The  oldest  of  four  children,  Mrs. 
McLean  has  a  brother  Frank  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Alice 
Fraser,  living  at  Grand  Manan.  .Another  brother, 
Leonard,  died  in  1879.  By  her  former  husband  Mrs. 
McLean  has  two  children,  Harry  ilarvey,  of  Grand 
Manan,  and  Mrs.  Helen  Parker,  of  Mount  Vernon. 
Mr.  McLean  is  a  past  grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows  fra- 
ternity, which  has  honored  him  by  sending  him  to 
the  assembly  of  the  grand  lodge,  of  which  he  is  also 
a  member.  His  wife  is  a  popular  member  of  the 
Rebekahs.  He  has  been  an  active  worker  in  the 
Democratic  party  for  many  years.  The  past  three 
years  he  has  been  dike  commissioner  for  this  dis- 
trict. He  and  his  family  attend  the  Episcopal 
church,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Pioneer  association.  In  addition  to  his  farm.  Mi'. 
McLean  owns  two  city  lots  in  Seattle.  He  has  had 
his  full  share  of  toil,  which  was  cheerfully  per- 
formed, and  to-day  is  crowning  him  with  the  success 
and  prosperity  he  so  richly  deserves. 


THOMAS  J.  McCORMICK,  an  industrious 
farmer  living  one  mile  west  and  three  miles  north  of 
Mount  Vernon,  was  born  near  Saginaw,  Michigan, 
in  Midland  county,  February  23,  1807.  His  father, 
John  McCormick,  a  native  of  Dublin,  Ireland,  was 
for  thirty-five  years  a  sailor,  and  is  now  residing 
with  his  son  in  Avon.  Mary  (Manson)  McCor- 
mick. his  mother,  was  th(i  first  white  child  born  in 
Saginaw,  Michigan,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  No- 
vember 17,  1832.  She  .still  lives  in  the  city  of  her 
birth.  Like  most  young  men,  Thomas  McCormick 
spent  the  early  years  of  his  life  at  home  acquiring 
an  education,  starting  out  for  himself  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three.  Deciding  to  begin  his  business  ca- 
reer in  the  Northwest,  where  wonderful  possibili- 
ties were  waiting  for  earnest,  ambitious  men,  he 
came  to  Hamilton,  Skagit  county,  and  worked  in 
the  woods  for  the  first  six  month.s,  after  which  he 
took  up  a  pre-emption  claim  on  Grandby  creek,  and 
a  timber  claim  near  Hamilton.  Three  years  later, 
having  suffered  an  injury  that  necessitated  the  use 
of  crutches  for  a  year,  he  became  proprietor  of  the 
stage  route  from  North  Avon  to  Mount  Vernon. 
Prospering  in  this  business  he  then  bought  a  livery 
barn  in  Mount  Vernon,  owning  and  operating  it 
for  two  years.  Disposing  of  his  timber  claim,  he 
purchased  his  present  property,  five  acres,  which  he 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


has  greatly  improved,  erecting  a  neat  and  commodi- 
ous house  upon  it.  Later  he  became  the  owner  of  ten 
acres  of  timber  land  adjoining  his  farm,  and  though 
still  conducting  a  livery  and  dray  business  in  Avon, 
he  has  lived  on  his  farm  since  December,  1903,  in- 
tending to  make  it  a  permanent  home.  He  has  about 
ai^  acre  of  fruit  trees,  raising  oats  on  much  of  the 
remainder  of  the  land.  He  owns  a  number  of  driv- 
ing horses,  several  head  of  Jersey  cattle  and  Poland 
China  hogs.  His  half  brother,  F.  E.  Wymen,  is  in 
business  in  Hamilton.  All  the  other  surviving 
brothers  and  sisters  live  in  Michigan. 

Mr.  McCormick  and  Elnora  Noble  were  united 
in  marriage  June  19,  1900.  Fremont  Noble,  the 
father  of  Mrs.  McCormick,  was  born  in  Iowa  in 
1860,  and  for  many  years  was  captain  on  a  govern- 
ment steamboat  running  from  Siou.x  City,  Iowa.  His 
home  is  now  in  Rampart,  Alaska.  Her  mother,  Jane 
A.  (Langlcy)  Noble,  born  in  England  in  1860,  came 
to  the  United  States  in  childhood,  and  now  resides  in 
Marysville,  Washington.  The  oldest  of  four  chil- 
dren, Mrs.  McCormick  was  born  in  Iowa,  July  24, 
1884.  Her  three  sisters  are  as  follows:  Mrs. 
Amelia  McDougall,  of  Avon ;  Elva,  attending  the 
business  college  at  Everett,  taking  a  course  in  short- 
hand, typewriting  and  German ;  Charlotta,  at  Avon. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCormick  have  two  children,  George 
I'remont,  born  October  15,  1901,  and  Arthur  Wil- 
liam, born  May  30,  1904.  Mr.  McCormick  is  a  Yeo- 
man. Though  loyally  adhering  to  Republican  prin- 
ciples, he  has  never  desired  any  political  office.  He 
and  his  family  attend  the  Baptist  church,  contribut- 
ing to  all  its  benevolences.  An  active,  industrious 
citizen,  of  strict  integrity,  Mr.  McCormick  is  mak- 
ing a  success  of  his  various  undertakings,  while  en- 
joying the  confidence  and  esteem  of  those  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact. 


BERNT  J.  FINSTAD  is  one  of  the  energetic 
and  prosperous  .sons  of  Norway  who  have  been 
markedly  successful  since  coming  to  the  land  of  their 
adoption.  Of  a  family  which  had  been  established 
for  generations  in  central  Norway,  Bernt  was  born 
September  25,  1860,  and  was  the  seventh  of  his 
father's  children  to  take  up  their  abode  in  the  United 
States.  His  parents,  Jens  Anderson  and  Bertha 
Hanson  (Verlin)  Finstad,  passed  their  entire  lives 
on  the  home  farm,  dying,  respectively  in  1887  and 
1870.  They  had  eleven  children,  of  whom  Bernt  was 
next  to  the  youngest.  Until  fifteen  years  of  age 
Bernt  Finstad  went  to  school.  At  that  time  he  was 
apprenticed  to  the  tailoring  trade  and  served  for  five 
years.  When  he  was  about  to  establish  himself  in 
liis  native  land,  he  learned  of  the  offerings  of  the 
United  States,  where  he  had  five  brothers  and  a  sis- 
ter. At  their  solicitation  he  came  here  in  the  spring 
of  1880,  being  but  twenty  years  old.  He  located  at 
Chippewa  Falls,  Wisconsin,  and  remained  at  the 
tailoring  trade  there  for  seven  years.    Three  years 


in  a  general  merchandise  venture  at  Washburn,  Wis- 
consin, followed.  On  December  16,  1889,  Mr.  Fin- 
stad arrived  in  the  city  of  Tacoma,  and  the  following 
spring  started  to  work  at  tailoring,  working  one 
year  for  F.  Wollun  and  nine  years  for  Dean  &  Cur- 
tiss,  leaving  then  for  Skagit  county.  At  Mount  Ver- 
non he  decided  to  join  farming  with  his  trade  work, 
and  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  two  and  a  halt 
miles  northwest  of  the  city.  He  at  once  took  up  his 
home  in  the  country  and  has  greatly  improved  the 
farm.  He  supplemented  his  farm  income  by  work- 
ing at  his  trade  in  the  shops  of  Rings  &  Kendall  in 
town. 

In  1887  Mr.  Finstad  married  Kathinka,  daugh- 
ter of  Bernt  and  Julia  (Johansen)  Arneson,  natives 
of  Norway.  Mrs.  Finstad  was  born  in  the  old 
country  in  1868  and  has  two  sisters  in  Washngton, 
Mrs.  Louise  Carlson,  of  North  Yakima,  and  Mrs. 
Otto  Johnson,  of  Tacoma.  One  son  has  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Finstad,  Barnold  Martinius,  in  Ta- 
coma, May  5,  1896.  Mr.  Finstad  is  an  independent 
in  politics,  but  is  a  man  who  considers  it  his  duty  to 
take  an  active  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of  his 
community,  regardless  of  party  affiliations.  Recog- 
nizing the  advantages  of  education,  he  is  a  firm  be- 
liever and  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  betterment  of 
the  schools.  Mr.  Finstad  takes  an  especial  pride  in 
his  farm,  in  which  neatness  and  attractiveness  are 
always  apparent.  His  especial  delight  is  in  his  small 
dairy  establishment,  the  cream  from  his  private  se|)a- 
rator  having  a  reputation  second  to  none  in  the  val- 
ley. At  the  present  time  he  milks  but  ten  cows,  but 
is  developing  his  farm  into  meadow  and  pasture 
land,  with  a  view  to  enlarging  his  dairy.  Mr.  Fin- 
stad has  been  essentially  successful  in  life,  whether 
viewed  as  an  artisan  in  his  tailor  shop,  a  business 
man  competing  in  the  markets,  or  as  a  dairy  farmer. 
He  is  a  good  neighbor,  a  patriotic  citizen  and  a  man 
of  integrity. 


GEORGE  M.  KNISLEY.  Energy  and  th" 
ability  to  readily  and  successfully  adapt  himself  to 
whatever  is  at  hand,  and  at  the  same  time  to  exei  • 
cise  his  powers  of  observation,  are  the  chief  char- 
acteristics of  this  young  man.  In  the  space  of  a 
very  few  years  Mr.  Knisley  has  been  printer,  sol- 
dier, street  car  man,  museum  proprietor  and  rail- 
road bridge  carpenter.  Mr.  Knisley  was  born  in 
Mitchell  County,  Kansas,  in  August,  1878,  the  son 
of  Reuben  Knisley,  hotel  proprietor,  and  Myra 
(Veatch)  Knisley,  both  of  whom  are  still  living  in 
the  middle  West.  As  a  young  man  Mr.  Knisley 
learned  the  trade  of  printer  and  pressman  between 
his  terms  at  school.  When  seventeen  years  of  age 
he  enlisted  in  Coinpany  E  of  the  Twentieth  United 
States  infantry  at  Fort  Leavenworth  in  his  native 
state.  After  two  years  of  garrison  duty  the  regi- 
ment was  ordered  to  Cuba  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Spanish-American  war,  young  Knisley  having  trans- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


601 


ferred  to  Troop  E  of  the  Seventh  cavalry,  under 
Captain  Dent,  a  relative  of  Mrs.  Julia  Dent  Granl, 
wife  of  the  famous  hero  of  Appomattox.  Mr.  Knl.s- 
ley  saw  active  service  at  El  Caney  and  Santiago. 
His  first  enlistment  having  expired  when  his  com- 
mand returned  to  the  States,  young  Knisley  re-en- 
tered the  Twentieth  infantry  and  went  with  it  to  the 
Philippines  for  two  years  and  a  half,  often  being  ou 
the  line  with  the  late  General  Henry  W.  Lawton, 
v.hose  untimely  death  is  universally  lamented.  As 
fighter  and  as  a  member  of  the  hospital  corps,  young 
Knisley  was  in  the  skirmish  near  Paco,  at  the  a.*- 
sault  and  capture  of  JMalabon,  Polo  and  Jolo,  as  well 
as  a  participant  in  some  of  the  expeditions  of  lesser 
note  in  the  Philippines,  later  being  detailed  to  trans- 
port hospital  duty  between  Manila  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. He  received  his  discharge  at  the  Presidio  late 
in  the  year  1901.  For  a  time  he  operated  a  street 
car  in  'Frisco,  and  was  in  the  big  strike  then  going 
on.  Having  collected  while  in  the  Philippines  a 
large,  assortment  of  native  curios,  he  started  a  muse- 
um, continuing  the  exhibitions  for  a  number  of 
months.  His  first  work  in  Skagit  county  was  at 
shingle  bolts,  but  he  left  that  employment  after  a 
short  time  to  join  a  bridge  crew  on  the  Great  North- 
ern railway  in  July,  1903.  In  the  following  Septem- 
ber he  was  offered  the  place  of  bridge  watclnnan  en 
the  same  road,  and  having  previously  purchas-^d  a 
tract  of  land  near  Anacortes,  settled  down  to  a 
quieter  life. 

IMr.  Knisley,  in  October  of  1903,  married  Miss 
Lou  J.  Gilman,  daughter  of  George  B.  and  Florence 
J.  (Brooks)  Gilman,  who  had  settled  in  Skagit 
county  after  coming  from  Mazomanie,  Wisconsin, 
where  ^Irs.  Knisley  was  born.  ]Mr.  Gilman  conducts 
a  merchandise  and  farming  business  in  Skagit  coun- 
ty.    In  politics  ^Ir.  Knisley  is  a  Republican. 


SAMUEL  E.  KERR,  manager  of  the  Fairview 
Dairy  Farm,  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Mount 
Vernon,  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  in  1852, 
but  has  been  a  resident  of  Skagit  county  for  fifteen 
years.  Mr.  Kerr's  father,  Robert  Kerr,  came  from 
a  long  line  of  Scotch-Irish  people  who  were  suc- 
cessful as  bankers,  professional  men  or  agricultur- 
ists. The  elder  Kerr  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
was  early  trained  to  the  business  of  stock  raising 
and  farming.  When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  went 
to  Ohio  and  later  to  Illinois,  where,  in  Montgomery 
county,  he  acquired  large  landed  interests  and  was 
prominent  in  politics  and  in  financial  circles  until 
his  death  in  1889.  The  mother  of  Samuel  Kerr, 
Jane  Hughes,  was  of  Scotch  descent.  She  died 
twenty  years  before  her  husband.  As  a  lad  young 
Kerr  was  not  physically  strong,  and  while  at  Asbury 
college  was  compelled  to  forego  completion  of  his 
course  because  of  ill  health.  On  leaving  college  he 
took  up  the  open  air  life  on  the  farm  and  among 
the  stock.    In  1875  he  went  to  California  and  passed 


two  years  in  various  occupations,  returning  to  Illi- 
nois and  joining  with  his  father  until  the  death  of 
the  latter.  Settling  up  the  estate  of  his  father  as 
executor,  Mr.  Kerr  came  to  Skagit  county  and  set- 
tled at  Anacortes  for  the  four  years  following  1891. 
He  then  came  to  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Vernon  and 
took  charge  of  the  estate  of  B.  L.  Davis,  as  man- 
ager. Joining  with  W.  R.  Williams,  W.  J.  Henry, 
Thomas  Smith  and  County  Clerk  W.  B.  Davis,  Mr. 
Kerr  bought  the  farm  belonging  to  the  Davis  estate 
and  commenced  the  operation  of  the  dairy  farm  busi- 
ness, which  he  still  conducts  with  marked  success. 
In  addition  to  the  dairying  business,  the  company 
conducts  a  department  given  to  stock  raising  and 
another  to  fruit  shipping  and  evaporating,  in  some 
years  handling  many  tons  of  dried  prunes. 

In  1884,  while  yet  a  resident  of  Illinois,  Mr. 
Kerr  married  a  daughter  of  that  state.  Miss  Alice 
Todd,  born  near  Hillsborough  in  1862.  Mrs.  Kerr's 
father  was  Willard  Todd,  now  deceased,  the  father 
of  ten  children:  Alice  (Mrs.  Kerr),  Sarah,  James 
P.,  Mary  J.,  Isabella,  Caroline,  Anna,  Mattie  and 
Eliza  (twins),  and  Alexander  Harvey.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kerr  have  been  born  three  children.  The  old- 
est, Edna,  is  in  the  State  Normal  school  at  Belling- 
ham,  fitting  herself  for  the  profession  of  teacher; 
George  is  in  the  High  school  at  Mount  Vernon,  and 
Hollis  E.  is  at  home.  Mr.  Kerr  is  a  member  of  the 
fraternal  order  of  Yeomen  and  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  He  is  an  independent  in  politics  and  an  ac- 
tive worker  in  the  interests  of  the  school  system, 
giving  his  time  and  energy  and,  whenever  neces- 
sary, of  his  means,  for  the  betterment  of  the  schools 
and  in  behalf  of  higher  education.  The  Fairview 
dairy  property  comprises  over  fourteen  hundred 
acres  of  excellent  land,  and  under  the  shrewd  and 
experienced  management  of  Mr.  Kerr  is  fast  devel- 
oping into  one  of  the  best  stock,  dairy  and  fruit  ven- 
tures in  the  entire  state. 


.  JOHN  FREDERICK  AMSKOLD  is  a  native  of 
Sweden,  but  he  has  been  in  this  country  for  over 
twenty  years.  His  birth  occurred  in  1865,  and  he 
was  the  son  of  Nels  and  Sarah  (Helgra)  Amskold, 
both  of  whom  lived  and  died  in  their  native  land. 
Mrs.  Amskold  was  the  mother  of  four  children : 
Mary,  Christine,  Nels  and  John.  The  last  named 
lived  at  home  and  attended  school  until  he  was  fif- 
teen years  old,  when  he  left  home  to  work  on  farms 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  birthplace.  On  coming  to  this 
country  in  1884,  he  located  in  Kansas  and  there 
took  up  a  homestead.  He  resided  there  and  oper- 
ated it  as  a  farm  for  ten  years,  but  did  not  prosper. 
Selling  out,  he  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1892  and 
bought  twenty  acres  a  mile  west  of  Avon  and  five 
miles  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  paying  $35  per 
acre  therefor.  It  was  covered  with  timber,  a  part 
of  which  was  valuable  for  lumber  purposes.  He  at 
once   set  about  clearing   his   land,   at  first   getting 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


about  five  acres  into  condition  for  cultivation;  he 
has  since  been  gradually  clearing  the  remainder. 

Before  leaving  Sweden  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Ingebor  Edholm,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Lisa  Ed- 
holm,  who  have  never  left  Sweden.  The  father 
died  four  years  ago,  but  the  mother  still  is  living. 
Mrs.  Amskold  is  one  of  three  children  and  is  the 
mother  of  six :  Daniel,  Nels,  Betty,  Gust,  Hetty  and 
Emmus.  Mr.  Amskold  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  a  Lutheran  in  religious  faith.  The  family  home 
is  a  well-built  five-room  house.  While  doing  a  gen- 
eral farming  business,  Mr.  Amskold  devotes  some 
attention  to  dairying.  He  is  developing  his  place 
rapidly  and  will  soon  have  his  entire  farm  under 
cultivation  and  be  able  to  increase  his  products 
along  all  lines. 


SOLOMON  OLSON,  a  dairy  farmer  living  five 
miles  northwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  is  a  man  who  has 
great  capacity  for  hard  work  and  the  faculty  of  mak- 
ing his  labor  increase  his  possessions.  In  his  life 
he  has  farmed  in  the  dry  belt  of  Kansas  and  in  the 
moist  region  of  Puget  sound.  His  father,  Ole  An- 
derson, lived  in  Sweden  all  his  life,  dying  there 
forty  years  ago,  before  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
had  grown  to  manhood.  The  mother,  Annie  (Olson) 
Anderson,  likewise  lived  and  died  in  the  old  coun- 
try. She  was  the  mother  of  five  children.  After 
the  death  of  his  parents,  Solomon  resided  with  his 
brothers  and  worked  in  timber  until  he  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1880.  He  spent  one  year  in  Ne- 
braska, employed  along  various  lines,  and  then 
moved  to  Kansas,  where  he  conducted  a  farm  for 
ten  years.  Drouth  interfered  with  his  prosperity,  his 
crops  not  arriving  at  fruition,  and  the  consequent 
losses  offsetting  what  gains  had  been  made  in  years 
of  plenty.  Mr.  Olson  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1892 
and  leased  a  farm  for  one  year,  at  the  close  of  that 
period  purchasing  twenty  acres  oi  land  which  he 
still  owns.  This  land  was  all  stumps  and  trees,  but 
Mr.  Olson  cleared  and  prepared  it  for  cultivation. 
At  a  later  time  he  added  twenty  adjoining  acres,  and 
now  has  under  cultivation  and  producing  crops  one- 
half  of  his  holding. 

Before  leaving  Sweden  Mr.  Olson  married  Miss 
Engla  Gustina,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Lisa  Gus- 
tina,  farmers.  Mrs.  Gustina  still  lives  in  the  old 
country,  the  mother  of  eleven  children.  Mrs.  Olson 
lived  at  home  until  her  marriage.  The  Olson  home 
is  a  pleasant  one,  the  house  containing  ten  rooms 
and  the  barns  being  large  and  ample.  The  chief  in- 
dustry of  the  Olsons  is  dairying,  twelve  cows  sup- 
plying the  milk,  with  an  equal  number  of  head  of 
young  cattle  growing  up.  Mr.  Olson  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  church. 
He  ;s  well  thought  of  by  his  neighbors  and  has 
earned  the  reputation  of  being  a  hard  worker,  in- 
dustrious, frugal  and  strictly  honest  and  honorable 
in  all  his  dealings. 


FRED  W.  BENEDICT  springs  from  the  fam- 
ily of  that  name,  well  known  in  Niagara  county  and 
other  sections  of  western  New  York.  His  father, 
Alfred  M.  Benedict,  was  born  near  Lockport,  New 
York,  in  1834,  and  was  one  of  the  saw-mill  men  who 
successfully  followed  that  occupation  in  that  state 
before  the  forests  were  cut  off.  He  moved  to  Can- 
ada in  1859,  the  year  of  the  birth  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  and  followed  saw-milling  for  eight  years, 
when  he  was  attracted  to  Michigan  by  the  gradual 
turning  of  the  lumber  world  to  that  state.  After  a 
time  he  took  up  farming  in  the  Peninsula  state,  and 
has  been  very  successful  ever  since.  Mrs.  Mary 
(Lewis)  Benedict  was  also  a  native  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  the  mother  of  eight  children  :  Hiram  A., 
Sarah  A.,  Fred  W.,  Libby,  Frank  H.,  Willis  G., 
Grace  M.  and  Bertha  L.,  the  last  named  having  died. 
Fred  Benedict  received  a  common  school  education 
and  worked  at  home  until,  at  ninteen  years  of  age, 
he  drove  a  team  in  the  woods  of  northern  Michigan. 
Then  for  a  number  of  years  he  followed  various 
avocations,  until  in  1891  he  went  to  Missouri,  where 
he  remained  until  he  came  to  McMurray  and  Skagit 
county.  Here  he  worked  for  several  months  in  a 
shingle  mill  and,  in  company  with  his  brother,  bought 
the  establishment.  They  operated  it  for  a  few 
months  and  then  moved  the  outfit  to  Rockport,  but 
before  getting  the  mill  set  up  for  business  sold  it 
out,  with  a  profit  of  $2,500  on  the  deal.  Mr.  Bene- 
dict then  went  to  the  Clear  Lake  timber  district  and 
sawed  shingles  until,  in  the  spring  of  1904,  he  bought 
his  farm  of  forty  acres  four  and  a  half  miles  north- 
west of  Mount  Vernon.  Here  he  has  lived  ever 
since,  clearing  his  land  and  establishing  a  dairy  farm 
which  promises  to  grow  to  large  proportions. 

In  1882,  while  in  Michigan,  Mr.  Benedict  mar- 
ried Miss  Elma  E.  Allor,  daughter  of  Martin  V.  and 
Lucinda  (p-istler)  Allor,  who  still  live  in  the  state 
of  peninsulas.  Mr.  Allor  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
war,  having  served  four  years  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany E  of  the  Twenty-second  Michigan  Volun- 
teers. Mrs.  Benedict  is  one  of  eight  children,  three 
of  which  are  living,  and  was  born  in  Michigan,  Sep- 
tember 20,  1864.  She  received  her  education  in  the 
Michigan  schools  and  remained  at  home  until  her 
marriage.  She  has  three  children :  Earl  M.,  Harry 
A.  and  Mildred  E.  The  Benedict  home  is  one  of  the 
pleasant  places  of  the  Skagit  valley,  with  commodi- 
ous farmhouse  and  convenient  outbuildings  ample 
for  the  rapidly  increasing  stock.  Mr.  Benedict  at 
the  present  time  does  general  farming  on  the  eight- 
een acres  of  land  he  has  under  cultivation  and  has 
embarked  in  the  dairy  business,  having  a  bunch  of 
young  stock  which  will  soon  be  added  to  the  dairy 
iierd.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Benedict  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  a  man  of 
energy,  a  respected  citizen  and  the  exemplary  head 
of  a  representative  country  home. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


603 


BENJAMIN  FLAGG,  after  a  life  of  hard  work 
and  the  best  endeavor  in  behalf  of  his  family,  is 
living  as  a  retired  farmer  on  his  holdings  four  miles 
northwest  of  Mount  Vernon.  In  Air.  Flagg's  case, 
retirement  from  the  activities  of  farm  life  does  not 
mean  loss  of  activity  in  the  interests  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  makes  his  home.  He  is  one  of 
the  public-spirited  citizens,  modest  and  taking  little 
credit  to  himself  for  good  deeds  done  and  good 
works  accomplished.  He  was  born  in  New  Bruns- 
wick in  1835,  the  son  of  Winslow  Flagg,  who  died 
while  his  son  was  quite  young,  and  Haddasa 
(Woodbury)  Flagg,  a  native  of  Maine,  near  the 
New  Brunswick  border.  Mrs.  Flagg  passed  away 
in  1898.  having  brought  three  children  into  the 
world,  Benjamin  being  the  only  one  now  living.  Mr. 
Flagg  lived  with  his  mother  until  twenty  years  of 
age.  His  life  in  Skagit  county  commenced  in  1882, 
when  he  came  there  with  his  family,  settling  in  the 
solitudes  of  the  forest,  a  part  of  which  he  has  con- 
verted into  cultivated  farm  land. 

In  New  Brunswick  in  1SG2  Mr.  Flagg  married 
Miss  Mary  Daggett,  daughter  of  Mark  Daggett,  a 
native  of  Maine,  who  lived  until  a  few  years  ago. 
Mrs.  Flagg  was  born  in  New  Brunswick  and  lived 
with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.  She  died  in 
1900,  the  mother  of  four  children,  one  of  whom  is 
dead.  The  surviving  are  Arthur  W.  and  Annie,  the 
latter  living  with  her  father  in  his  Skagit  county 
home.  Mr.  Flagg  has  retained  but  five  acres  for  the 
home  of  his  declining  days,  but  still  holds  title  to 
ten  acres  elsewhere.  He  has  in  recent  years  sold 
an  eighty-acre  tract  of  fertile  land  for  $70  per  acre. 
One  of  the  chief  characteristics  of  Mr.  Flagg's  later 
years  is  the  interest  he  manifests  in  the  development 
of  his  community  and  the  activity  along  directions 
of  uplift  to  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  He 
is  recognized  in  the  community  as  a  man  of  the  best 
public  spirit  and  of  the  most  honorable  private  life. 
As  such  he  is  a  power  in  the  neighborhood.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  in  church  circles  a 
Methodist. 


NAPOLEON  FORTIX.  The  thrift,  industry 
and  other  sterling  virtues  which  seem  to  be  the 
legitimate  result  of  work  at  the  anvil  and  forge  have 
been  developed  in  a  very  high  degree  in  the  worthy 
gentleman  whose  life  history  is  the  theme  of  this 
article,  although  now  no  longer  one  may  hear  his 
bellows  blow  or  listen  to  the  measured  beating  of 
his  heavy  sledge,  for  he  has  deserted  the  craft  of 
his  father,  the  craft  he  learned  in  his  boyhood,  for 
the  equally  honorably  and  ofttimes  more  remuner- 
ative and  independent  occupation  of  agriculture.  In 
this  latter  pursuit  he  is  achieving  a  high  degree  of 
success,  the  habits  of  industry  and  carefulness  which 
made  him  a  success  in  the  shop  also  bearing  much 
fruit  when  applied  to  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  the 
rearing  of  livestock. 


The  father  of  our  subject,  Napoleon  Fortin,  Sr., 
was  born  in  Canada  and  spent  there  his  entire  life 
following  the  blacksmith's  trade.  Through  his 
mother  he  could  claim  relationship — blood  relation- 
ship— to  the  sturdy  Swiss  race,  whose  passionate 
love  of  freedom  impelled  them  to  bear  such  a  noble 
part  in  European  affairs,  and  to  evolve  and  estab- 
lish the  most  nearly  perfect  system  of  government  on 
earth.  The  mother  of  the  subject  hereof,  Angel 
(Seymour)  Fortin,  is  likewise  a  native  of  Canada. 
Her  other  children  are:  Thomas,  Daniel, 
Patrick,  Morse,  Xavier  and  Joseph.  Young  Napole- 
on Fortin  lived  with  his  parents  and  attended  schoot 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  old,  then,  in  1884,  went 
to  Marinette,  Wisconsin,  where  he  became  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  blacksmith  shop.  Four  years  later  he 
decided  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  far  West,  so  came 
to  Seattle,  where  he  spent  six  months  canvassing  the 
situation  and  looking  for  a  suitable  opening.  Even- 
tually deciding  on  the  then  hustling  town  of  Mount 
Vernon,  he  opened  a  shop  there,  which  he  continued 
to  operate  until  about  seven  years  ago,  when,  at- 
tracted by  the  possibilities  of  agriculture  as  l:c  saw 
them  in  Skagit  county,  he  decided  to  turn  farmer, 
so  purchased  a  timbered  tract  of  fifteen  acres  two 
and  a  half  miles  north  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  began 
clearing  the  same.  He  now  has  most  all  of  it  in 
shape  for  cultivation  and  the  whole  converted  into 
an  attractive  place,  with  evidences  of  the  thrift  and 
taste  of  its  owner  visible  on  every  hand.  The  house 
is  a  commodious  eight-room  structure,  and  all  the 
outbuildings  are  convenient  and  well  suited  to  their 
various  purposes.  Six  cows  and  a  number  of  young 
cattle  constitute  the  livestock  maintained  on  the  little 
farm  at  present,  but  J\Ir.  Fortin  overlooks  no  source 
of  profit,  and  numerous  stands  of  bees  are  to  be  seen 
about  his  premises,  the  product  from  which  con- 
tributes not  a  little  to  his  gross  income.  His  fine 
orchard  furnishes  cherries,  pears,  apples  and  many 
other  varieties  of  fruit  in  their  season  for  the  local 
market,  of  the  requirements  of  which  he  is  so  well 
aware  that  he  is  able  to  increase  his  profits  very 
considerably  by  purchasing  eggs  and  butter  from 
his  neighbors  and  selling  them  again  to  residents 
of  the  town.  As  might  be  expected,  his  worldly  pos- 
sessions are  increasing,  and  he  now  owns,  besides 
his  home  farm,  a  five-acre  tract  on  Guamish  Island, 
a  lot  in  Anacortes,  three  houses  in  Mount  Vernon, 
etc.,  wliile  the  good  will  and  respect  always  accorded 
to  those  wIk)  win  success  by  their  own  thrift  and 
well  directed  effort  are  also  his  in  abundant  measure. 

Early  in  the  year  1893  Mr.  Fortin  married  Miss 
Effie  Pickens,  whose  father,  Michael  Pickens,  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  came  to  Seattle  in  1884  and 
died  there  eleven  years  later.  Her  mother,  who  was 
born  in  Illinois  in  1849,  is  still  living,  residing  at 
present  in  Seattle.  Mrs.  Fortin  was  born  in  1874. 
She  and  Mr.  Fortin  have  three  children,  namely, 
Clement,  Vernon  and  Joseph  G.,  the  last  mentioned 
born  July  4,  1905. 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


JOHN  J.  PETH.  The  career  of  the  gentleman 
whose  life  history  it  is  now  our  task  to  outline,  fur- 
nishes a  striking  illustration  of  what  energy,  contin- 
uity of  purpose  and  intelligence  can  accomplish 
under  the  favorable  conditions  presented  by  Skagit 
county's  abundant  resources.  Coming  to  Washing- 
ton with  very  little  in  the  way  of  worldly  goods, 
he  applied  himself  with  great  assiduity  to  the  task 
of  winning  his  way  to  independence  and  fortune, 
with  the  result  that  he  now  has  both,  and  he  has 
with  them  the  respect  always  commanded  by  thc^se 
with  force  enough  to  conquer  every  obstacle  which 
may  lie  in  their  pathways  and  to  press  forward  im- 
ctasingly  until  a  worthy  goal  is  reached. 

Mr.  Peth  was  born  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  Wi^.- 
consin,  the  oldest  of  the  ten  children  of  Jacob  J. 
and  Barbara  (Burg)  Peth.  His  father,  a  native  of 
German  Switzerland,  was  born  May  13,  1833,  in 
Canton  Basel,  became  a  settler  of  Wisconsin  du;  mg 
its  pioneer  days,  was  married  there  August  19,  1851, 
and  had  a  part  in  its  early  development.  In  later 
years  he  went  to  Nebraska,  where  his  wife,  who  was 
born  September  28,  1833,  still  lives,  but  he  passed 
away  May  8,  1896.  Our  subject  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  the  Badger  state,  and 
when  nineteen  years  old  struck  out  for  himself,  go- 
ing first  to  Michigan,  where  he  was  employed  a^  an 
engineer  for  over  a  year.  He  then  returned  to  Wm- 
consin,  living  for  a  time  under  the  parental  roof,  '  it 
eventually,  in  1877,  he  turned  his  face  resolutely 
westward,  nor  paused  in  his  journey  until  he  reached 
the  Nooksack  valley,  near  the  northwestern  corner 
of  the  most  northwesterly  state.  For  a  number  of 
years  after  coming  to  the  La  Conner  country  he 
worked  in  various  parts  of  the  county  for  John  Chil- 
berg,  Samuel  Calhoun,  Thomas  Lindsey  and  others, 
making  a  heroic  efifort  to  get  a  start.  In  1881,  after 
having  learned  the  method  of  farming  which  gave 
the  best  results  under  the  local  conditions,  and  hav- 
ing saved  some  means,  he  began  operations  for  him- 
self on  leased  land,  and  by  1883  was  able  to  pur- 
chase the  hundred  and  twenty  acre  tract  upon  which 
he  now  resides.  At  this  time  only  thirty  acres  of 
the  land  were  in  cultivation,  but  Mr.  Peth  went  to 
work  on  the  balance  with  characteristic  energy  and 
in  due  time  had  it  cleared  and  ready  for  the  plow. 
By  the  exercise  of  industry  and  good  judgment  he 
has  been  enabled  to  add  to  his  original  holdings  from 
time  to  time,  until  his  home  place  now  consists  of 
four  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  of  which  all  but  twenty 
are  under  cultivation.  It  is  supplied  with  every- 
thing which  goes  to  make  farm  life  convenient  and 
comfortable,  a  large,  commodious  mansion  house, 
fine  barns,  warehouses,  etc.,  and  its  owner  never 
overlooks  an  opportunity  to  make  its  operation  more 
profitable.  In  this  he  is  influenced  not  so  much  by 
the  desire  of  gain  as  a  wish  to  achieve  the  best  and 
highest  success  in  his  business.  He  realizes  the 
value  of  livestock  on  a  farm,  so  keeps  large  numbers 
of  cattle,  horses  and  sheep.    His  entire  realty  hold- 


ings in  Skagit  county  comprise  thirteen  hundred 
acres,  about  half  of  which  is  in  cultivation.  Those 
who  know  the  value  of  this  land  can  appreciate  more 
fully  than  they  can  who  live  where  land  is  cheaper 
what  it  means  to  have  acquired  all  this,  with  the 
valuable  improvements  upon  it,  by  one's  own  efforts 
and  with  no  start  except  such  as  was  gained  by 
working  for  wages.  The  fact  that  he  accomplished 
so  niuch  proves  Mr.  Peth  to  be  a  man  of  unusuat 
energy,  combined  with  rare  executive  ability. 

In  Seattle,  Washington,  on  December  14,  1899, 
Mr.  Peth  married  Miss  Mary  J.,  daughter  of  Isaac 
and  Mary  J.  (Dove)  Black,  both  natives  of  Ala- 
bama. The  family  went  to  Texas  at  an  early  date, 
and  Mrs.  Black  died  there,  but  Mr.  Black  is  now  a 
resident  of  the  Samish  flats,  having  come  to  Wash- 
ington some  years  ago.  Mrs.  Peth  was  born  in 
Texas,  February  23,  1870,  and  she  received  her  edu- 
cational training  there  and  in  Seattle.  She  and  Mr. 
Peth  are  parents  of  three  children,  namely,  Florence 
M.,  born  September  17,  1900;  John  J.,  Jr.,  October 
30,  1902,  and  George  E.,  January  16,  1904.  While 
working  out  his  splendid  industrial  success  in  Skagit 
county,  Mr.  Peth  has  not  neglected  his  duties  as  a 
man  and  a  citizen,  but  has  taken  a  reasonable  in- 
terest always  in  the  afllairs  of  his  community  and 
county.  He  has  not,  however,  been  in  politics  for 
personal  preferment,  though  he  is  a  loyal  Republican 
and  interested  in  its  caucuses  and  conventions  and 
success.  The  two  ofiices  he  has  consented  to  fill  are 
such  as  a  man  usually  accepts  from  a  sense  of  duty, 
for  the  sake  of  honor  or  emolument.  He  belongs 
to  one  fraternity,  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen. 


DAVID  L.  McCOR:\IICK  is  one  of  the  pioneer 
farmers  of  the  La  Conner  section  of  Skagit  county, 
having  first  located  there  in  the  early  seventies.  He 
comes  of  a  family  which  was  well  known  in  the 
early  days  of  Hocking  Valley,  Ohio.  His  father, 
William  McCormick,  a  Pennsylvania  farmer,  went 
to  Ohio  before  railroads  had  opened  up  that  coun- 
try, took  up  government  land  there  and  farmed  it 
until  his  death  shortly  before  the  Civil  war.  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  (Johnson)  McCormick,  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  West  Virginia,  but  her  parents 
moved  to  Ohio  by  ox  team  when,  she  was  a  small 
child,  and  she  lived  there  to  the  ripe  old  age  of 
ninety-four  years.  David  McCormick  was  born  in 
Perry  County,  Ohio,  in  1850,  and  received  his  school 
training  in  that  state.  He  remained  on  the  home 
place  until  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen,  when  he 
went  to  live  with  an  uncle  in  Iowa,  and  four  years 
later  he  started  for  Washington.  The  trip  by  rail  to 
San  Francisco  occupied  two  weeks.  After  five  days 
at  the  Golden  Gate  he  took  passage  for  Victoria, 
Vancouver  Island,  and  from  there  went  to  Seattle. 
In  company  with  five  others  he  purchased  a  row  boat 
and  rowed  it  to  La  Conner,  where  he  met  Nelson 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Chilberg,  an  old  friend  from  Iowa.  With  him  he 
went  up  the  Nooksack  river  and  located  a  claim, 
which,  however,  he  never  carried  to  patent.  During 
the  following  fall,  having  returned  to  La  Conner, 
he  took  a  pre-emption  claim  four  miles  north  of  the 
city,  and  upon  this  he  lived  at  intervals  until  1877, 
when  he  bought  his  present  place  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  northeast  of  La  Conner,  paying  $10 
an  acre  for  the  cleared  land.  Later  he  sold  his  pre- 
emption land. 

In  1889  Mr.  McCormick  returned  to  Ohio,  and 
there,  in  June,  married  Miss  Margaret  Case,  daugh- 
ter of  Honorable  Oakley  Case,  one  of  the  well- 
known  citizens  of  Hocking  county.  Mr.  Case  was 
at  one  time  editor  of  the  Hocking  Sentinel.  He  was 
elected  probate  judge  of  Hocking  county  in  1860, 
and  served  two  terms  in  that  capacity,  afterwards 
becoming  mayor  of  the  town  of  Logan.  For  a 
term  of  years  he  was  an  influential  member  of  the 
Ohio  legislature ;  he  also  served  as  chief  clerk  under 
Secretary  of  State  William  Bell,  Jr.,  in  1876  and 
ISTT.  3.1rs.  Margaret  (James)  Case,  mother  of 
Mrs.  AlcCormick,  was  a  Virginian  by  birth,  but  was 
taken  by  her  parents  when  a  child  to  the  famous 
Buckeye  state.  Mrs.  McCormick  was  born  in 
Logan,  Ohio,  in  1857,  and  received  her  education 
in  the  schools  of  that  city,  graduating  from  its  High 
school.  For  six  years  she  served  as  toll  collector  on 
the  Hocking  Valley  canal.  Six  children  have  been 
born  to  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  McCormick,  all  during  their 
residence  in  Skagit  county,  namely,  William  F.,  in 
1892;  David  O.,  in  1891;  Margaret  E.,  in  1895; 
George  D.  and  Charles  A.  (twins),  in  1898,  and 
Helen  E.,  in  1900.  Mr.  McCormick  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  church  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican, 
while  in  fraternal  connection  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow. 
Mrs.  ^McCormick  is  a  Rebekah'  and  a  member  of 
the  Order  of  Eastern  Star.  Inheriting  the  qualities 
which  made  his  forefathers  forceful  in  the  pioneer 
days  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  McCormick  has  proven 
himself  one  of  the  sturdy  and  substantial  men  of 
Skagit  county.  Though  thoroughly  public  spirited, 
he  has  manifested  no  special  ambition  for  leadership 
or  political  preferment,  but  has  been  content  with 
membership  in  the  producing  class,  the  men  who, 
without  ostentation,  go  to  work  with  energy  and  ac- 
complish something,  the  men  who  form  the  reat 
strength  of  any  community.  That  he  has  been  an 
active,  earnest  worker  is  evinced  by  the  fact  that 
two  hundred  acres  of  his  tine  farm  land  have  been 
well  cleared  and  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  has  also  gathered  around  his  home  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  which  add  so  greatly  to 
the  pleasures  of  rural  life.  It  is  no  longer  neces- 
sary to  bring  water  for  house  use  in  a  wheel-bar- 
row, as  it  was  when  he  began  the  struggle  with  pio- 
neer conditions,  any  more  than  it  is  now  necessary 
to  navigate  the  sound  in  a  row  boat.  With  plenty 
of  cattle,  horses  and  other  livestock,  sufficient  farm 
machinery  and  an  abundance  of  fertile  land,  he  is 


now  in  a  position  to  carry  on  his  agricultural  oper- 
ations with  satisfaction  and  profit. 


WILLIAM  ARMSTRONG.  Among  the  sturdy 
sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle  who  have  won  success  be- 
cause they  had  the  spirit  and  force  to  emigrate  to 
the  newest  part  of  the  new  world  and  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  opportunities  there  offered,  the  man 
whose  life  record  is  here  to  be  outlined  in  brief  is 
deserving  of  an  especially  honored  place.  Neither 
should  be  denied  to  his  worthy  helpmeet,  a  daughter 
of  the  sunny  South,  her  meed  of  praise  for  faithful- 
ness in  toiling  by  the  side  of  her  husband  until  they 
had  conquered  poverty  and  won  for  themselves  the 
priceless  boon  of  independence.  Affluent  and  re- 
spected, they  doubtless  enjoy  their  wealth  the  more 
from  the  consciousness  that  they  secured  it  by  their 
own  unaided  efforts,  conquering  in  life's  struggle 
with  weapons  of  which  none  need  be  ashamed. 

Mr.  Armstrong  was  born  in  County  Armagh, 
Ireland,  in  1840,  the  youngest  of  the  nineteen  chil- 
dren of  Matthew  and  Elizabeth  (Norton)  Arm- 
strong. When  William  was  ten  years  of  age  the 
family  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  fiist  in 
Wisconsin,  though  they  later  moved  to  Iowa,  be- 
coming one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Fayette  coun- 
ty, that  state.  Both  parents  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age, 
the  father  being  ninety  years  old  when  he  died  and 
the  mother  seventy-two.  William  Armstrong  ob- 
tained the  rudiments  of  an  education  in  his  native 
land,  but  finished  his  schooling  in  Iowa.  Evidently 
desiring  to  do  the  right  thing  by  his  parents,  he  re- 
mained at  home  until  twenty-three,  when  he  de- 
cided to  embark  in  farming  on  his  own  account,  so 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land.  The  ensuing  half 
decade  was  devoted  to  the  improvement  and  cultiva- 
tion of  this,  his  first  home.  Coming  to  the  La  Con- 
ner country  in  1872,  Mr.  Armstrong  and  his  wife 
began  there  a  determined  struggle  to  win  a  foot- 
hold in  the  richest  part  of  the  rich  state  of  Wash- 
ington, and  finding  that  the  best  way  open  to  them 
was  to  avail  themselves  of  the  excellent  wages  that 
were  being  paid,  they  entered  the  service  of  John  J. 
Miller  on  the  Samish  flats,  by  whom  they  were  em- 
ployed for  the  ensuing  nine  years.  Then  they 
worked  three  years  for  R.  E.  Whitney,  on  the  Swin- 
omish  flats.  The  thrifty  hire  of  this  long  period  of 
labor  was  invested  in  land,  or  at  least  a  large  part 
of  it.  At  one  time  Mr.  Armstrong  took  a  claim  on 
the  Samish  flats,  which,  however,  he  subsequently 
abandoned.  In  1882,  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  near  La  Conner,  which  he  has 
brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  which  is 
now  a  very  valuable  property.  In  1888  he  increased 
his  holdings  in  this  vicinity  by  the  purchase  of  two 
hundred  acres  more.  This  tract,  which  adjoined  the 
original  home  on  the  south,  had  been  taken  up  by 
James  Harrison  in  1868,  so  is  one  of  the  oldest 
farms  in  the  county.     It  is  the  land  upon  which,  in 


GOG 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


1900,  Mr.  Armstrong  built  his  magnificent  mansion, 
one  of  the  finest  in  a  section  noted  for  its  fine  homes, 
with  its  large,  roomy  halls,  its  commodious  and 
numerous  rooms  and  its  bath  and  other  modern  con- 
veniences. In  1890  Mr.  Armstrong  bought  another 
piece  of  land,  the  Pearson  place,  containing  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  At 
the  present  time  he  is  farming  two  hundred  ard 
forty  acres  in  all,  and  every  foot  of  this  land  is  in 
an  excellent  state  of  cultivation,  while  fine  stock 
barns  (one  of  which,  built  from  plans  elaborated  by 
himself,  has  no  superior  for  convenience  in  thi 
Northwest),  warehouses  and  other  buildings  permit 
of  its  operation  in  a  highly  satisfactory  way,  at  the 
same  time  furnishing  Mr.  Armstrong  excellent 
means  for  indulging  his  fancy  for  high-grade  Dur- 
ham cattle  and  draft  horses.  The  latter  are  his 
special  delight,  and  his  interest  in  them  has  made 
him  one  of  the  best  judges  of  horseflesh  in  Skagit 
county. 

In  18G4,  in  the  state  of  Iowa,  Mr.  Armstrong 
married  Miss  Mary  I.  Douglass,  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Douglass,  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  Sophia 
(King)  Douglass,  a  native  of  Virginia.  Her  father 
was  at  one  time  a  large  landowner  in  Old  Dominion, 
but  in  1864  he  went  to  Jefiferson  County,  Iowa, 
where  he  died  in  1881.  Her  mother,  who  now  lives 
in  Iowa,  has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  few 
ladies  in  the  United  States  who  still  draw  a  pension 
on  account  of  Revolutionary  war  service.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Armstrong  have  had  five  children,  namely, 
Annie,  the  oldest,  who  died  when  fourteen  years  of 
age ;  Thomas,  drowned  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
months;  William  J.,  born  in  Iowa  in  1870,  and  Guy 
and  Scott  (twins),  born  in  Skagit  county  in  1883. 


GEORGE  F.  JENNE  (deceased).  Of  the  pio- 
neers of  Skagit  county  none  has  manifested  a 
keener  desire  for  the  highest  and  best  things  in 
life  than  has  George  F.  Jenne,  and  perhaps  none 
has  better  merited  the  esteem  and  respect  of  the 
community  in  which  he  lived.  Born  in  Germany, 
he  passed  there  the  initial  fourteen  years  of  his 
life,  enjoying  the  benefits  of  the  public  school  sys- 
tem which  has  made  his  fatherland  famous  the 
world  over.  He  received  ^11  the  education  in  his 
native  land  that  it  is  customary  to  give  to  German 
youths  who  are  not  to  be  prepared  for  professional 
life,  but  was  not  satisfied,  and  after  coming  to  the 
United  States  took  a  course  in  the  schools  of  Illinois. 
Being  of  a  studious  turn  he  continued  his  battle  with 
books  long  after  his  school  days  were  over  and  the 
battle  of  life  was  begun,  and  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence he  in  time  became  an  unusually  well  educated 
and  well  informed  man.  The  date  of  Mr.  Jenne's 
birth  was  May  19,  1854.  In  1868,  he  landed  in  Cal- 
houn County,  Illinois,  and  he  resided  there  and  in 
Green  county  until  1876,  when  he  decided  to  heed 
Horace  Greeley's  advice  and  try  his  fortune  in  the 


West.  His  first  home  in  Washington  territory  was 
on  Whidby  Island,  where  he  farmed  on  land  held  by 
leasehold  for  eight  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
he  had  accumulated  sufficient  means  to  justify  pur- 
chasing a  place  of  his  own.  Accordingly,  in  1884, 
he  came  to  the  Swinomish  flats  and  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  land,  situated  six  miles 
west  and  a  little  'north  of  Mount  Vernon,  to  the  im- 
provement and  cultivation  of  which  he  devoted  him- 
self assiduously  until  his  death,  which  occurred  June 
3,  1902.  He  was  a  very  active  man  in  his  business, 
public  spirited,  broad  minded,  liberal,  just  and  un- 
selfish, hence  one  who  was  naturally  respected  and 
looked  upon  with  favor  by  his  fellow  citizens. 

In  1873,  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Jenne  mar- 
ried Mary,  daughter  of  Leonard  and  Catherine 
(Mowery)  Halfrick,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  The 
father  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  but  in  early  life  de- 
serted his  needle  and  goose  for  farming,  which  oc- 
cupation he  followed  for  a  number  of  years  in  Illi- 
nois. He  was  a  pioneer  of  that  state,  and  his  widow, 
now  seventy-seven  years  old.  still  lives  there,  and 
lias  since  she  was  a  child  of  four.  Mrs.  Jenne  was 
born  in  Illinois,  September  14,  1854,  and  received 
her  educational  discipline  there,  then  married  at  the 
age  of  nineteen.  Her  children  are  :  Jane,  at  home ; 
Lizzie,  wife  of  Fred  Kalso;  John  at  home;  Mrs. 
Tillie  Callahan,  in  Fredonia  ;  Ida  and  Hazel,  at  home. 
Of  these  John,  who,  with  his  mother,  manages  the 
place,  is  a  graduate  not  only  of  the  public  schools 
of  La  Conner,  but  also  of  Wilson's  Modern  Busmess 
college,  of  Seattle.  He  cultivates  the  entire  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
it  yield  an  excellent  profit,  giving  the  major  portion 
of  his  attention  to  cereal  crops,  though  he  keeps  a 
few  head  of  cattle  and  abundance  of  horses  for  all 
the  purposes  of  the  farm.  The  family  are  Presby- 
terians, and  during  his  life  time  Mr.  Jenne  was  an 
Odd  Fellow. 


HARVEY  SMITH,  a  well-known  pioneer  of  La 
Conner,  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  born  in  Al- 
bert county,  January  9,  1862,  the  son  of  Calvin 
Smith,  a  farmer,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in  New 
Brunswick,  the  place  of  his  nativity.  His  mother  is 
Sarah  (Sterrett)  Smith,  born  in  New  Brunswick 
in  1825,  and  is  residing  near  Puyellup,  Pearce  coun- 
ty. Harvey  Smith  spent  his  early  life  at  home,  se- 
curing his  education  in  the  schools  of  that  country, 
and  meanwhile  assisting  his  father  in  the  work  of 
the  farm,  thus  becoming  familiar  with  the  bi;siness 
that  has  claimed  his  entire  attention  for  many  years. 
Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  to  seek  his 
fortune  in  the  West,  he  came  direct  to  La  Conner, 
where  he  took  up  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  the 
Olympia  Marsh,  remaining  nine  years.  He  then  lo- 
cated in  British  Columbia,  working  on  a  ranch  for 
some  eighteen  months,  after  which  he  came  to  Mount 
Vernon  and  was  employed  in  the  same  way  for  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


following  eight  years.  He  now  owns  a  fine  farm  of 
twenty-two  acres,  giving  evidence  of  his  skilful  man- 
agement. Dairying  and  fruit  raising  are  the  two 
features  of  farming  to  which  he  gives  special  atten- 
tion, having  eleven  head  of  cattle  and  about  an  acre 
in  apples,  cherries,  prunes  and  pears.  He  also  de- 
votes some  time  to  poultry  raising.  Thrifty  and 
energetic,  he  is  making  a  success  of  farming,  add- 
ing year  by  year  to  his  possessions. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  December,  1902,  to 
]\Iargaret  Eubanks,  born  in  California.  In  early 
childhood  she  became  a  resident  of  Skagit  county, 
here  receiving  her  education.  Her  parents  are  Win- 
ton  and  Sarah  E.  (Pritchard)  Hobson.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith  have  one  child,  Mildred,  born  October 
12,  1903.  Mr.  Smith  votes  an  independent  ticket, 
believing  that  to  be  the  surest  way  of  securing 
capable  men  for  the  offices  of  the  government.  He 
has  never  had  any  political  aspirations.  Witnessing 
vast  changes  in  this  country  since  he  came  to  it  in 
1883,  when  he  experienced  the  trials  and  hardships 
incident  to  pioneer  life,  he  is  prepared  to  enjoy  the 
comforts  and  advantages  of  to-day. 


S.  FRED  JOHNSON  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  a 
country  that  has  given  to  the  United  States  so  many 
citizens  distinguished  in  every  walk  of  life  because 
of  their  thrift  and  industry.  Born  in  Dalsland,  Jan- 
uary 29,  18(>0,  his  father  was  John  Anderson,  a 
farmer,  born  in  1814.  Annie  (Person)  Anderson, 
his  mother,  was'bcrn  December  25,  1S2T.  in  Sweden, 
and  is  still  living.  His  father  having  died  in  1860, 
S.  Fred  Johnson  early  took  up  the  responsibilities  of 
life,  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  farm  until  he  was 
fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  left  for  America,  the 
land  of  his  dreams.  He  spent  four  years  in  Water- 
ville,  Quebec,  learning  the  cabinet-making  trade,  re- 
ceiving fifty  dollars  for  his  work  the  first  year,  and 
seventy-five  dollars  the  second  year.  One  summer 
he  was  employed  on  a  farm,  nine  dollars  a  month 
being  the  price  then  paid  for  farm  labor.  Locating 
in  Contra  Costa,  California,  he  began  working  at 
his  trade,  but  soon  fell  ill  with  typhoid  fever.  Upon 
his  recovery  he  accepted  a  position  as  carpenter  on 
the  Southern  Pacific  railroad,  his  work  giving  such 
excellent  satisfaction  that  he  was  retained  for  four 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  went  to  San 
Francisco  and  opened  a  furniture  store.  A  year 
later  he  sold  it.  coming  to  La  Conner  and  here  fol- 
lowing his  trade  for  five  years.  In  ISSGhe  took  up 
eighty  acres  where  he  now  lives,  all  swamp  and 
timber  land  at  that  date.  In  the  succeeding  five 
years  he  spent-  fifteen  hundred  dollars  in  improve- 
ments, making  it  his  home  after  he  gave  up  car- 
penter work.  He  now  has  forty  acres  in  cultiva- 
tion ;  the  balance  of  the  farm,  some  of  it  leased  to 
the  North  Avon  Lumber  Company,  is  in  pasture. 
He  has  a  fine  dairy  of  Jersey  and  Holstein  cattle; 
and  is  also  raising  Berkshire  and  Poland-China  hogs. 


An  elegant  home,  lighted  with  acetylene  gas,  and 
equipped  with  all  the  modern  conveniences  and  lux- 
uries, gives  evidence  of  his  care  for  the  welfare  and 
happiness  of  his  family.  He  has  a  brother,  A.  J. 
Johnson,  living  on  Beaver  Marsh. 

INIr.  Johnson  was  married  in  1895  to  Mary  Hol- 
ingberg,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  came  to  Skagit 
county  to  visit  a  brother  and  here  met  her  husband. 
Three  children  have  made  happy  the  home  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Johnson,  as  follows:  Harold,  born  Feb- 
ruary 17,  i896 ;  Abbie  Maria,  born  October  26, 
1898 ;  Ruby,  born  June  1,  1904.  The  family  are  ad- 
herents to  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Johnson  is  an 
honored  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen.  He'  is 
a  loyal  Republican,  who  has  never  sought  or  de- 
sired political  prominence,  choosing  rather  to  serve 
the  country  of  his  adoption  in  the  quiet  walks  of 
life.  Mr.  Johnson  has  not  always  enjoyed  the  suc- 
cess and  prosperity  that  are  his  to-day,  having  suf- 
fered reverses  of  fortune  like  the  majority  of  men. 
Unlike  many,  however,  these  have  but  spurred  him 
to  greater  diligence  and  activity,  have  but  developed 
the  sturdy  manhood  which  was  his  birthright.  In- 
telligent and  upright,  a  man  whose  word  is  as  good 
as  his  bond,  he  is  one  of  North  Avon's  most  re- 
spected citizens. 


JAMES  CALLAHAN  is  a  man  whose  excellent 
business  judgment  and  active  energy  have  placed 
him  in  the  class  of  esteemed  citizens  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty, and  he  now  enjoys  the  confidence  of  a  large 
community.  Mr.  Callahan  is  a  native  of  Ireland, 
but  accompanied  his  parents  to  this  country  and  to 
Indiana  when  but  a  small  lad.  His  father,  James 
Callahan,  was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  a  first  class  ar- 
tisan. His  mother,  Margaret  (Hartigan)  Callahan, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle  and  died  in 
Ohio,  being  the  mother  of  eleven  children  of  whom 
James  is  the  youngest.  After  attending  school  and 
learning  the  cooper's  trade  under  the  instruction  of 
his  father,  Mr.  Callahan  went  to  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, wdien  nineteen,  years  of  age  and  engaged  in 
coopering;  later  going  to  work  at  his  trade  at  Harri- 
son, Ohio.  He  was  here  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War  and  responded  to  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops 
by  enlisting  for  a  short  term  in  the  Seventh  Indiana 
Infantry.  On  the  expiration  of  his  enlistment,  Mr. 
Callahan  immediately  reentered  the  army,  this  time 
choosing  Company  G  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Eighty-First  Ohio  Volunteers.  On  being  mustered 
out  he  returned  to  his  occupation  of  cooper  at  Au- 
rora, Indiana,  and  other  points  in  the  state.  Mr. 
Callahan  served  also  as  city  marshal  of  Aurora  and 
at  one  time  engaged  as  traveling  agent  in  the  sewing 
machine  business.  In  1876  he  came  to  Washington, 
via  San  Francisco,  taking  the  steamer  to  Port 
Townsend  and  thence  by  small  boat  to  Whatcom,' 
where  he  found  his  brother-in-law,  M.  D.  Smith, 
who  owned  a  farm  in  conjunction  with  a  Mr.  Mc- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Clellen  on  the  Swinomish  flats.  ]\Ir.  Callahan  ar- 
ranged to  operate  that  place,  and  did  so  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  during  which  he  filed  on  a  preemption 
of  seventy-six  acres  near  Padilla.  By  degrees  he 
prepared  this  place  for  cultivation,  erected  build- 
ings and  in  1878  commenced  to  live  on  and  cultivate 
it.  He  continued  thus  in  prosperous  condition  for 
nine  years,  when  he  sold  out  to  his  son,  James.  In 
1887  Mr.  Callahan  purchased  his  present  place  of 
one  hundred  acres,  five  miles  northwest  of  Mount 
Vernon,  and  has  resided  here  ever  since. 

In  1862,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Mr.  Callahan  mar- 
•ried  Miss  Harriet  Ball,  daughter  of  Samuel  Ball, 
an  English  mechanic,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1833  and  settled  in  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  following  his  trade  there  and  in  Indiana.  The 
mother,  Mrs.  Mary  (Wyatt)  Ball,  was  also  a  native 
of  England,  and  died  in  Ohio  in  1846,  the  mother 
of  nine  children.  Mrs.  Callahan  was  born  in  Ham- 
ilton County,  Ohio,  in  1842,  there  receiving  her  edu- 
cation and  residing  there  to  the  time  of  her  marriage. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Callahan  have  nine  children :  Mrs. 
Hannah  Eyre,  living  near  Mount  Vernon ;  Mrs. 
Henrietta  Ovenell,  on  the  Olympia  marsh;  Richard, 
also  on  the  Olympia  marsh ;  John,  living  on  his  fath- 
er's first  farm  in  Skagit  county ;  Edward,  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  home  farm;  James,  residing  near  his 
parents ;  and  Albert,  Anna  and  Margaret,  at  home. 
Mr.  Callahan  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  and  is  a  communicant  of  the  Catholic 
church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  though  not 
always  tied  to  party  lines.  Mr.  Callahan's  land 
holdings  comprise  some  three  hundred  acres,  by  far 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  The 
house  is  a  commodious  one,  with  large  barns  and 
outbuildings,  to  say  nothing  of  warehouses.  He  has 
thirty  head  of  cattle  and  eight  horses.  Mr.  Callahan 
is  justice  of  the  peace,  and  one  of  the  honored  citi- 
zens of  his  home  community  as  well  as  of  the 
county. 


SAMUEL  L.  BELL,  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent contractor  in  the  Northwest,  now  resides  on 
his  fine  farm  located  three  miles  north  of  Burlmg- 
ton.  He  was_  born  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  De- 
cember 29,  1838,  his  parents  being  Archibald  and 
Harriet  L.  (Baker)  Bell.  His  father,  a  druggist, 
born  April  29,  1814,  was  a  native  of  Lexington, 
Kentucky.  He  moved  to  Oregon  in  1852,  later  be- 
coming a  well-known  pioneer  of  Skagit  County, 
Washington.  He  died  near  Oregon  City,  April  30, 
1890.  The  mother  was  born  in  Tennessee,  January 
11,  1814,  grew  to  womanhood  in  Virginia,  and  was 
married  November  4,  1834.  Her  death  occurred  in 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  June  27,  1851. 

Leaving  home  with  a  brother  in  the  spring  of 
1853,  Samuel  L.  Bell  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox 
team  from  Saint  Joseph,  Missouri,  to  Fort  Steila- 
coom,    spending   the   winter   in   the   Natchez   pass. 


Near  Astoria,  they  saw  the  cabins  built  by  Lewis 
and  Clark  when  they  made  their  famous  trip,  the 
mess  room  being  then  used  as  a  stable.  After 
spending  a  summer  there,  they  moved  to  Klamath 
County,  Oregon.  Samuel  completed  his  education 
by  a  two  years'  course  at  the  Portland  Academy, 
then  prospected  for  some  time  east  of  the  moun- 
tains. He  then  went  to  California,  where  he  resid- 
ed for  the  ensuing  sixteen  years,  during  which  time 
he  worked  in  a  sash  and  door  factory,  as  foreman. 
Moving  north  he  lived  in  Portland  a  year,  going 
thence  to  Seattle,  still  following  the  manufacture  of 
sash  and  doors  as  a  business.  In  1883  he  came  to 
Burlington,  locating  the  claim  where  he  now  re- 
si'des,  and  he  moved  onto  it  in  1885.  He  contracted 
for  the  erection  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  Hall  in  Edison, 
and  numerous  other  buildings.  Returning  to  Seat- 
tle in  1887,  he  made  the  sash  and  doors  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  First  Methodist  church.  Two 
3'ears  later  he  again  made  his  home  in  Skagit  coun- 
ty, devoting  a  large  amount  of  time  to  contract 
work.  In  1890  he  was  unanimously  nominated  by 
the  Democratic  party  for  the  office  of  state  senator 
from  Skagit  county,  but  was  defeated,  though  he 
polled  225  votes  more  than  the  congressman  on  the 
same  ticket. 

Mr.  Bell  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife, 
Mary  O'Brien,  was  born  in  1840,  and  died  in  Seat- 
tle December  22,  1888.  In  April,  1891,  he  and  J\Irs. 
Mary  E.  Natwick  were  united  in  marriage.  Born 
in  Chicago,  Illinois,  Mrs.  Bell  came  to  Washington 
in  1888.  Her  mother  is  now  living  in  Seattle,  but 
her  father  died  in  1900.  To  this  second  union  two 
children  have  been  born:  Emma  May  and  Bessie 
L.,  both  now  at  Ijome.  Mr.  Bell  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Masonic  order.  He  owns  eighty- 
three  acres,  twenty-two  of  which  are  in  a  fine  state 
of  cultivation.  His  specialty  is  dairying,  and  by 
wise  and  careful  attention  to  its  varied  details,  he  is 
winning  success.  He  is  a  practical,  energetic  farm- 
er, and  a  public  spirited,  progressive  citizen.  Dur- 
ing his  long  residence  in  this  county  he  has  been 
identified  with  its  various  enterprises,  and  he  is  re- 
garded as  one^  of  the  substantial  progressive  mem- 
bers of  the  communitv. 


ANTON  LEHNHOFF,  one  of  Burlington's 
most  progressive  farmers,  was  born  in  Lipstadt, 
Germany,  October  2.7,  1857.  His  parents,  William 
and  Eliza  (Kleinschitzer)  Lehnhofif,  both  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  in  1834,  are  now  residing  in 
New  York  City.  Anton  Lehnhoff  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  his  native  country,  entering 
the  army  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  His  parents 
having  immigrated  to  New  York,  he  went  thither  in 
1881,  at  the  expiration  of  his  required  three  years' 
service.  Working  in  a  hotel  for  a  year,  and  later  in 
a  store,  he  then  owned  a  fuel  yard  which  proved  to 
be   a   sfood   investment.     He  sold   out,   started   for 


A^IOS    BOWMAN 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


the  west,  and  after  spending  some  time  in  Kansas 
and  Texas,  located  in  Pasco,  Washington,  where  he 
found  employment  on  the  railroad  and  in  a  hotel. 
He  became  owner  of  a  livery  barn  and  dairy,  and 
having  decided  to  go  farther  west,  shipped  a  car 
load  of  horses  and  cattle  to  Olympia  marsh  in  1888. 
He  purchased  forty  acres,  which  he  now  cultivates, 
together  with  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rented 
land.  Prior  to  taking  up  his  permanent  residence  on 
his  own  ranch,  he  leased  the  Day  ranch  at  Lyman, 
and  lost  his  entire  crop  one  fall  by  reason  of  the 
floods.  Returning  to  the  marsh  he  rented  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  for  a  year,  moving  to  his 
farm  at  the  end  of  that  time. 

Mr.  Lehnhoff  was  married  in  1891  to  Augusta 
Wagner,  born  in  Germany,  February  27,  1858.  She 
made  the  entire  journey  from  her  native  country  to 
the  state  of  Washington  alone,  to  wed  the  man  of 
her  choice  who  was  here  waiting  for  her,  and  who 
on  account  of  lack  of  funds  was  not  able  to  go  for 
her.  One  seeing  them  surrounded  by  the  prosperity 
that  is  theirs  today,  would  find  difficulty  in  believing 
that  the  money  to  purchase  the  marriage  license  was 
borrowed  from  a  friend.  Her  father,  David  E. 
Wagner,  born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  in  1830,  was  a 
manufacturer  of  steel  tools  till  his  death  in  1876. 
Anestaine  C.  (Mader)  Wagner,  her  mother,  born  in 
1834,  in  Saxony,  is  still  living  in  her  native  town, 
Schmalkalden.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lehnhoff  have  six 
children:  William,  Ernest,  Elsa,  George,  Ruth  and 
May.  Elsa,  a  little  girl  of  nine,  won  the  first  prize 
at  the  county  fair  in  1904,  for  the  best  loaf  of  bread 
and  cake,  a  fact  which  speaks  volumes  for  the  little 
maiden's  culinary  skill,  and  also  for  the  mother's 
wise  instruction.  Mr.  Lehnhoff  adheres  to  no  polit- 
ical party,  voting  each  time  for  the  man.  A  great 
admirer  of  thoroughbred  stock,  he  owns  the  Clyde 
stallion,  "Bobby  Burns,"  the  winner  of  the  first  prize 
at  the  Oregon  state  fair  in  1904;  the  Jersey  bull, 
"Melia  Ann's  Maple,"  registered  66,124,  with  the 
American  Jersey  Cattle  Club,  also  a  prize  winner; 
twelve  head  of  registered  Jersey  stock,  and  sixty- 
three  head  of  graded  stock.  He  has  established  an 
enviable  reputation  as  a  breeder  and  judge  of  fine 
stock.  Keenly  alive  to  the  ever  increasing  demands 
for  thought  and  study  along  agricultural  lines,  he 
is  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  practical  farmers 
of  the  county.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Lehnhoff  are  well 
known  in  social  circles,  and  the  latter  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Baptist  church.  She  enjoys  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  at  one  time  entertained  the  pres- 
ent Emperor  of  Germany  and  Prince  Henry. 


AMOS  BOWMAN  (deceased),  founder  of  the 
town  of  Anacortes.  was  one  of  the  observing  and 
far-seeing  men  who  came  early  to  Skagit  county, 
saw  its  possibilities  and  planned  for  an  agricultural 
and  commercial  empire  on  the  shores  of  Puget 
sound.    Of  these  men    of    action,    who    were    also 


prophets,  Mr.  Bowman  ranked  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most. Ripe  in  experience,  by  profession  a  mining 
and  civil  engineer,  skilled  in  geology  and  a  jour- 
nalist, Mr.  Bowman  possessed  qualifications  for 
exploiting  the  new  country  among  the  people  of 
his  acquaintance  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  bring- 
ing to  the  development  of  this  part  of  Skagit 
county  the  aid  of  Eastern  capital.  Mr.  Bowman 
was  born  in  Blair,  Ontario,  in  1840  and  after 
obtaining  the  rudiments  of  an  education  attended 
Oberlin  University,  one  of  Ohio's  many  collegiate 
institutions,  and  later  the  University  of  the  City 
of  New  York.  He  was  graduated  with  a  degree 
of  mining  and  civil  engineer  at  the  famous 
College  of  Mines  at  Freiburg,  Germany.  He 
also  took  courses  in  the  arts  at  Munich.  While 
in  Europe  Mr.  Bowman  acted  as  special  cor- 
respondent of  the  New  York  Tribune  when  Horace 
Greeley  was  editor,  and  in  this  capacity  saw  service 
in  the  Crimean  War.  He  also  made  a  tour  of  Con- 
tinental Europe  before  returning  to  the  United 
States.  In  1868  Mr.  Bowman  was  in  charge  of  the 
state  geological  survey  of  California  under  Profes- 
sor W  hitney,  remaining  in  that  service  for  a  period 
of  six  years.  Mr.  Bowman  visited  Puget  sound,  en- 
gaged in  a  private  capacity  to  survey  coal  lands. 
Later  he  became  connected  with  the  British  Colum- 
bia division  of  the  Canadian  geological  survey,  re- 
maining in  that  service  for  some  time.  It  was  ow- 
ing to  his  visit  to  Skagit  county  that  he  first  be- 
came impressed  with  the  great  possibilities  here. 
He  had  been  intimately  connected  with  mapping  the 
country  tributary  to  Puget  sound  and  had  traveled 
extensively  over  it,  minutely  observing  conditions  of 
soil,  climate  and  other  natural  endowments  of  the 
section.  Especially  did  he  feel  that  Ship  harbor  on 
Fidalgo  island  was  destined  to  become  a  point  of 
commercial  activity  and  possibly  a  terminus  for  a 
transcontinental  railway.  So  deeply  impressed  was 
he  with  this  idea  that  in  1877  he  purchased  the  land 
whereon  is  now  the  town  of  Anacortes  and  moved 
his  family  here,  bringing  house  and  equipment  by 
steamer  to  this  shore  when  it  was  a  wilderness  be- 
tween the  water  and  the  forest.  Over  the  lintel  of 
this  pioneer  home  and  above  the  door  of  this  lonely 
cottage  he  placed  this  inscription : 

"Ultima  Thule,  utmost  isle. 

Here  in  thy  harbor  for  a  while 

Our  sail  we  furl,  to  rest 

From  the  unending  ceaseless  quest." 
But  Mr.  Bowman  was  not  merely  sighing  for  "a 
lodge  in  some  vast  wilderness ;"  his  prophetic  mind 
saw  that  with  the  powerful  touch  of  publicity  back- 
ed by  the  magic  of  capital,  commerce  would  spread 
its  wings  about  Puget  sound  and  call  at  Ship 
Harbor.  He  erected  a  dock,  established  a  print- 
ing office,  opened  a  store  and  changed  the  name 
of  his  place  to  Anacortes,  the  name  being  but  a 
modification  of  the  name  of  his  wife,  Anne  Curtis. 
Steamboats    touched    at    the    dock,    the    Anacortes 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Enterprise  dropped  periodically  from  the  press, 
the  store  was  patronized  and  settlers  were  at- 
tracted to  the  place.  It  was  not  until  1887,  how- 
ever, that  Mr.  Bowman  felt  that  the  time  was 
ripe  for  exploiting  the  settlement  among  his  cap- 
italistic friends  in  the  east.  At  that  time  there 
was  talk  of  the  Union  Pacific  railway  piercing  the 
Puget  sound  country,  and  in  response  to  a  sum- 
mons Mr.  Bowman  journeyed  to  New  York  to 
negotiate  with  the  controlling  men  of  that  rail- 
road with  a  view  to  the  selection  of  Anacortes 
as  a  terminus.  Two  years  later  the  result  of  Mr. 
Bowman's  negotiations  appeared  in  an  arrange- 
ment by  which  in  consideration  of  one  half  of 
Mr.  Bowman's  land  as  a  subsidy  the  Oregon 
Railway  &  Navigation  Company  agreed  to  make 
Anacortes  a  terminus.  The  story  of  the  subse- 
quent boom  days  is  history,  and  with  the  enact- 
ment of  the  progress  of  that  history  went  the 
picture  which  Mr.  Bowman  had  held  before  his 
vision  for  so  many  years.  The  picture  is  reality 
at  the  present  day,  but  Mr.  Bowman  did  not  live 
to  see  the  figures  leap  into  life.  Of  Mr.  Bowman 
one  writer  has  penned  these  words :  "But  the 
pioneer  of  great  movements  was  destined  not  to 
live  to  see  the  complete  realization  of  his  efforts. 
So  keen  a  foresight  and  so  optimistic  a  character 
must  always  live  in  advance  of  his  time.  Inter- 
ested in  many  projects  of  land  development, 
among  which  was  the  reclamation  of  the  Sumas 
valley  from  the  Frazer  river,  in  which  district  he 
owned  heavily,  Mr.  Bowman  died  at  his  Anacortes 
home  in  1894,  while  Time,  too  slow  for  such  a 
mortal,  was  hearing  year  by  year  the  proof  of 
his    unerring   prophecy." 


HON.  WILLIAM  T.  ODLIN,  mayor  of  Ana- 
cortes and  the  city's  well  known  banker,  has  been 
more  or  less  actively  identified  with  the  public 
life  of  Skagit  county  for  nearly  two  decades. 
Coming  up  the  valley  of  the  Skagit  river  at  a 
time  when  it  could  only  be  reached  by  canoe,  when 
it  was  traversed  only  by  winding  and  sometimes 
almost  impassable  trails,  and  peopled  only  by  scat- 
tered camps  of  loggers,  isolated  homesteaders  and 
a  few  Indians,  he  cheerfully  accepted  the  pioneer's 
life,  throwing  into  it  the  faith  and  energy  which 
have  enabled  him  to  make  the  most  of  opportun- 
ities that  have  since  come  in  his  way.  The  Od- 
lins  were  of  the  earliest  colonial  stock,  the  family 
having  emigrated  from  England  to  the  newly  dis- 
covered continent  in  the  early  part  of  the  Seven- 
teenth century,  the  first  American-born  ancestors 
of  William  T.  having  been  born  in  Boston  in 
1640.  William  T.  Odlin  is  himself  a  native  of 
Ohio;  Dayton  is  his  birthplace  and  November  2, 
1866,  his  birthday.  He  is  the  son  of  Woodbridge, 
and  Elizabeth  (Thompson)  Odlin.  In  1855,  at 
the   age   of  twenty-two,   the   senior   Odlin,   also   a 


native  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  took  up  his  residence  in 
Kansas  and  engaged  in  farming.  Six  years  later, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  great  conflict  between 
North  and  South,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
Kansas  "Jay  Hawk"  regiment,  which  subsequently 
became  part  of  another  regular  command,  and 
served  continuously  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
During  the  progress  of  the  war  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  captain  in  recognition  of  his 
bravery.  During  a  portion  of  the  reconstruction 
period  following  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  Cap- 
tain Odlin  served  as  provost  marshal  of  Cairo, 
Illinois.  His  present  home  is  near  Sedro-Woolley, 
where  he  located  in  1890.  Elsewhere  in  this 
work  his  biography  is  written  at  greater  length 
and  more  in  detail.  Elizabeth  (Thompson)  Od- 
lin was  born  in  Eaton,  Ohio,  in  1831,  and  died 
in  Sedro-Woolley  December  18,  1904,  greatly  be- 
loved by  all  who  knew  her.  After  acquiring  a 
practical  education  in  the  schools  of  his  birth- 
place William  T.  Odlin  began  the  performance 
of  the  active  duties  of  life,  finding  employment 
after  the  age  of  thirteen  in  different  manufactur- 
ing establishments.  In  1887  he  went  to  California 
and  engaged  for  a  year  in  the  lumber  industry  of 
that  state,  coming  then  to  the  northwest  in  further 
search  of  permanent  home  and  fortune.  After  a 
brief  sojourn  in  Seattle,  where  he  arrived  in  1888, 
he  accepted  a  position  in  the  store  of  the  Skagit 
Railway  &  Lumber  Company  at  Sterling,  a  log- 
ging camp  center  on  the  Skagit  river,  assuming 
his  duties  in  January,  1889.  When  the  store  was 
sold  a  year  later  he  became  bookkeeper  for 
Davison  &  Millett  in  their  mill  at  Woolley.  Hav- 
ing established  for  himself  a  reputation  as  a  man 
of  exceptional  business  ability  and  of  strictest  in- 
tegrity, in  March,  1893,  he  was  offered  the  posi- 
tion of  cashier  and  bookkeeper  in  the  bank  of  C. 
E.  Bingham  &  Company;  the  offer  was  accepted 
and  he  continued  to  serve  the  bank  in  this  capacity 
until  November  1,  1899.  At  this  time  he  located 
in  Anacortes  and  established  the  Citizens'  bank, 
of  which  he  is  the  cashier  and  also  a  heavy  stock- 
holder. 

Mr.  Odlin  was  married  in  Sedro-Woolley  in 
189G,  to  Miss  Jessie  Reno,  daughter  of  Lewis 
Q.  Reno,  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  who  died  a 
number  of  years  ago.  Her  mother,  Amelia 
(Nicholas)  Reno,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  is 
still  living,  her  present  home  being  in  this  state. 
Mrs.  Odlin's  native  place  is  Marengo,  Iowa,  and 
the  year  of  her  birth,  1869.  At  Marengo  she 
attended  the  common  schools  and  was  subse- 
quently graduated  from  the  high  school ;  after 
academic  work  in  a  private  school  in  Chicago  her 
education  was  completed  in  the  Colonel  Parker 
school.  For  several  years  prior  to  her  marriage 
she  was  a  very  successful  teacher  in  the  schools 
of  Morgan  Park,  Illinois,  one  of  the  larger  sub- 
urbs of  Chicago ;  she  was  especially  interested  in 


WILLIAM    T.    ODLIN 


D(  )UGLASS  all:mond 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


617 


kindergarten  work.  She  is  a  gifted  writer,  her 
short  stories  appearing  frequently  in  current  mag- 
azines ;  and  she  has  won  a  modest  though  none  the 
less  enviable  reputation  as  a  writer  of  children's 
fiction.  J\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Odlin  have  two  children, 
who  were  born  in  Sedro-Woolley :  Reno,  June  26, 
1897,  and  Richard,  September  30,  1901.  Mr. 
Odlin  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  in 
politics  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party. 
He  has  filled  with  distinguishing  honor  many 
offices  and  positions  of  public  trust  in  his  com- 
munity. For  five  years  he  was  city  treasurer  of 
Sedro-Woolley;  in  1901-2  he  served  as  a  member 
of  the  city  council  of  Anacortes ;  in  December, 
1904,  he  was  called  to  the  mayor's  chair  by  his 
fellow  citizens,  and  he  is  now  president  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  the  discharge  of  his 
varying  duties  and  obligations,  Mr.  Odlin  has 
displayed  characteristic  ability  and  abiding  inter- 
est in  the  welfare  of  town,  county  and  state.  Be- 
sides his  banking  interests,  his  attention  is  en- 
gaged with  real  estate  holdings  throughout  the 
county:  these  include  a  forty-acre  ranch  near 
Sedro-Woolley.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Odlin  are  promi- 
nent in  the  social  circles  of  Anacortes  and  enjoy 
the  good  will  and  esteem  of  the  entire  commun- 
ity.   

DOUGLASS  ALLMOND,  an  influential  cit- 
izen of  Anacortes,  has  been  for  fifteen  years  an 
active  factor  in  the  city's  progress.  He  has  al- 
ways had  faith  in  the  city's  future,  believing  her 
destined  to  become  an  important  commercial  cen- 
ter, and  he  has  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  her 
enter  upon  her  present  era  of  prosperity,  with 
even  larger  possibilities  than  had  been  foreshad- 
owed by  her  founder.  Mr.  Allmond  was  born  in 
Sacramento  County,  California,  in  1863.  He  is 
the  son  of  John  G.  and  Lydia  Dyer  (Douglass) 
Allmond.  John  G.  Allmond  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many who  came  to  the  United  States  in  his  youth 
and  settled  in  western  New  York.  He  made  the 
long  voyage  around  Cape  Horn  in  1849,  settled 
in  California  and  engaged  first  in  mining  and 
afterwards  in  fruit  culture,  being  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  that  important  branch  of  the  industry 
now  so  prominent  in  California's  commercial  life. 
The  elder  Allmond  passed  away  in  1868.  Lydia 
Dyer  Allmond  was  born  in  western  New  York  in 
1822;  she  is  a  descendant  of  William  and  Anne 
Mattie  Douglass,  who  settled  at  Cape  Anne,  Mass- 
achusetts, in  1640.  Mrs.  Allmond  went  to  Cali- 
fornia via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  in  1851,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  resided  near  Sacramento. 
She  came  to  Seattle  in  1882  and  afterwards  to 
Anacortes,  which  is  now  her  home. 

As  a  lad  Douglass  Allmond  learned  to  operate 
a  wood  turning  lathe.  When  thirteen  years  old 
he  began  to  learn  the  printer's  art,  commencing  as 
a  "printer's  devil."     He  came  to  Puget  sound  in 


1882  and  was  one  of  the  old  guard  of  finished 
printers  on  the  Seattle  Post-Intelligencer.  At  a 
later  period  he  was  engaged  in  the  printing  busi- 
ness in  Seattle  with  Wm.  H.  Hughes,  but  the 
memorable  fire  of  1889  destroyed  their  establish- 
ment. In  1887,  with  F.  H.  Whitworth  and  A.  H. 
Shroufe,  he  was  delegated  by  the  naval  commis- 
sion, then  visiting  the  Northwest  for  the 
first  time  with  a  view  to  establishing  a  naval  sta- 
tion, to  appraise  the  lands  now  occupied 
by  the  Port  Orchard  navy  yard.  It  was  in  1890 
that  Mr.  Allmond  located  at  Anacortes  and,  in 
company  with  F.  H.  Boynton,  began  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Anacortes  American.  He  continued 
at  the  head  of  that  journal  until  1902  when  he 
became  interested  in  the  Anacortes  Water  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  is  now  president  and  active 
manager.  This  company  owns  the  water  and 
lighting  systems  of  the  city,  which  under  Mr. 
Allmond's  management  have  been  made  modern 
and  effective  in  all  their  appointments.  Although 
necessarily  much  of  his  time  has  been  devoted 
with  characteristic  energy  to  the  management  of 
his  personal  interests  and  those  of  his  company, 
Mr.  Allmond  has  found  time  for  attention  to  public 
functions  and  th'e  faithful  discharge  of  public  trusts. 
During  Col.  F.  D.  Huestis'  term  as  collector  of  cus- 
toms for  the  District  of  Puget  sound,  Mr.  Allmond 
was  appointed  deputy  collector  by  that  gentleman, 
and  was  re-appointed  under  the  administration  of 
C.  W.  Ide.  It  is  largely  due  to  the  efforts  of  a  very 
few  energetic  and  progressive  citizens,  of  whom 
Mr.  Allmond  is  one  of  the  leading  spirits,  that 
Anacortes  has  recovered  from  its  disastrous  boom- 
day  experiences  and  now  ranks  as  one  of  the 
most  thrifty  cities  in  the  Puget  sound  basin. 


MELVILLE  CURTIS,  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Anacortes,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in 
1849,  the  son  of  Melville  and  Louise  (Allsopp) 
Curtis.  His  father,  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
was  a  paper  maker  by  trade,  who  came  to  New 
Jersey  in  1838,  there  remaining  till  his  death  in 
1860.  The  mother  was  born  in  Quebec,  of  Eng- 
lish descent  and  was  also  married  there.  Her 
ancestors  moved  to  Canada  soon  after  it  became 
an  English  possession.  Educated  in  Canada,  Mel- 
ville Curtis  lived  at  home  till  his  father  died,  then, 
at  the  age  of  eleven,  went  to  his  mother's  rela- 
tives in  the  same  country.  Five  years  later  he  took 
a  four  years'  course  in  mining  and  civil  engineer- 
ing at  Troy,  New  York.  Going  to  Nevada  in 
1871,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Manhat  Min- 
ing Company  as  assayer.  After  demonstrating 
remarkable  ability  and  faithfulness,  he  was  ap- 
pointed general  superintendent  of  the  mines,  re- 
taining the  positon  until,  on  account  of  the  depre- 
ciation in  silver,  the  mines  were  obliged  to  close 
in  1887.     He  removed  to  Mendocino  county,  Cali- 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


fornia,  spent  one  year  in  the  lumber  business,  and 
moved  thence  to  Irondale,  Washington,  where 
he  had  charge  of  the  Puget  sound  iron  furnace. 
Having  invested  in  property  in  Anacortes  in  1885, 
he  made  this  his  home  in  the  spring  of  1890.  He 
was  elected  county  commissioner  in  1898,  serving 
four  years.  He  had  previously  served  the  city  as 
mayor  for  three  years.  Discovering  an  excellent 
opening  in  the  wharfage  business,  he  constructed, 
in  1903,  the  wharf  which  he  now  owns,  and  by 
strict  adherence  to  sound  principles  has  built  up 
a  splendid  trade  in  coal  and  building  supplies.  He 
was  married  in  California  in  October,  1883.  Mr. 
Curtis'  bride  was  Fannie  B.  Wright,  a  talented 
musician  who  received  her  training  in  New  York 
City.  Her  father,  James  A.  Wright,  a  native  of 
New  York,  moved  to  California  in  1848,  via  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  California  and  Nevada.  Her  mother,  Susan 
(Backus)  Wright,  was  a  descendant  of  an  old 
Dutch  family  of  New  York,  the  state  of  her 
birth  and  marriage.  Mrs.  Curtis  was  educated 
in  her  native  state,  California.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Curtis  have  four  children:  Morri,  the  wife  of 
H.  P.  Schmidt,  the  well-known  druggist  of  Ana- 
cortes ;  Louise  and  AUeen,  born  in  Nevada ;  Helen, 
born  in  Port  Townsend.  Mr.  Curtis  is  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  Masonic  and  Knights  of  Py- 
thias fraternities.  He  and  his  family  are  iden- 
tified with  the  Episcopal  church.  A  loyal  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  party,  he  has  advanced  its 
interests  by  every  means  within  his  power.  Few 
residents  of  Anacortes  have  given  so  large  a 
measure  of  time  and  attention  to  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  the  town  as  has  Mr.  Curtis,  who 
has  been  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  twelve 
years  since  its  organization.  He  has  manifested 
a  deep  interest  in  educational  matters,  especially 
during  the  four  years  of  his  service  on  the  school 
board.  Mr.  Curtis'  neighbors  and  friends  recog- 
nize his  sterling  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  and 
both  admire  and  respect  him. 


ALBERT  L.  GRAHAM,  one  of  the  most 
popular  citizens  of  Anacortes,  was  born  in  Dodge 
County,  Wisconsin,  August  2,  1854.  His  father, 
Orlando  Graham,  born  near  Rochester,  New  York, 
in  December,  1826,  was  a  farmer  till  the  call  of 
his  country  for  volunteers  in  the  Civil  War  fired 
him  with  patriotic  zeal.  Enlisting  in  Company  B, 
Fourth  Minnesota  Regiment,  he  was  an  active 
participant  in  the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain, 
and  in  all  the  engagements  in  which  General 
Sherman  was  the  leader.  During  his  service  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  solely 
on  account  of  merit,  and  made  that  famous 
"March  to  the  Sea"  under  his  beloved  general. 
Taking  up  his  former  occupation  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  he  came  to  Washington  in  1873,  locating 


on  Fidalgo  island.  In  1874  Mr.  Graham,  asso- 
ciated with  Amasa  Everett  and  Lafayette  Stevens, 
made  the  discovery  of  the  well-known  Hamilton 
coal  mines  on  the  Skagit,  and  during  all  the  rail- 
road activities  of  the  'seventies  and  'eighties,  he 
was  prominently  identified  with  the  promoters.  As 
a  public  spirited  citizen  he  ranked  high  among 
his  fellow  men  contributing  an  unusual  share  to 
the  development  of  Fidalgo  island  and  the  county 
in  general.  His  death  occurred  in  December, 
1901.  Harriet  (Hatch)  Graham,  the  mother,  was 
also  a  native  of  New  York,  born  near  Rochester 
in  1825.  After  a  long,  useful  life,  she  died  in 
1903.  Albert  L.  Graham  spent  the  first  twenty- 
one  years  of  his  life  acquiring  an  education,  and 
at  the  same  time,  a  practical  knowledge  of  agri- 
culture. Coming  with  his  parents  to  Washington, 
he  took  up  land  near  Burrows  bay,  a  part  of  which 
he  still  owns.  During  the  lifetime  of  his  parents, 
he  shared  with  them  the  fruits  of  his  toil,  cheering 
their  declining  years  with  a  filial  devotion  very 
rare  in  these  modern  days.  He  still  makes  his 
home  on  forty  acres  of  the  old  homestead,  and  he 
also  owns  other  property  on  the  island.  Mr.  Graham 
has  a  brother,  Frank  A.,  living  near  Lake  Camp- 
bell, and  a  sister,  Carrie  A.,  who  makes  her  home 
with  him.  Though  loyally  adhering  to  Republican 
principles,  he  has  never  desired  political  prefer- 
ment at  the  hands  of  his  party.  He  devotes  espe- 
cial attention  to  fruit  raising,  having  on  his  farm 
a  fine  twelve-acre  orchard.  The  son  of  an  honored 
pioneer,  Mr.  Graham  is  very  familiar  with  the 
early  history  of  this  locality,  possessing  a  fund  of 
information  that  can  be  relied  upon  for  accuracy. 
An  earnest,  thoughtful  man,  a  kind  neighbor  and 
friend,  he  is  accorded  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  all  who  are  associated  with  him,  and  may  justly 
be  classed  as  one  of  Fidalgo  island's  most  public 
spirited  citizens  as  was  his  father  before  him. 


JUDGE  GEORGE  A.  JOINER  is  one  of  the 
many  men  of  energy  and  force  who,  stirred  in 
their  early  youth  with  a  consuming  ambition,  have 
chosen  the  strenuous  and  exacting  profession  of 
law  as  a  fit  field  of  labor,  well  knowing  that  while 
it  soon  relegates  to  obscurity  the  incompetent  it 
has  many  prizes  for  men  of  ability  and  determina- 
tion sufficient  to  climb  toward  the  top,  where,  it  is 
said,  there  is  always  room.  Judge  Joiner  has  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  whatever  measure  of 
success  he  has  thus  far  attained  has  been  fairly 
won  by  his  own  eltorts,  circumstances  in  his  case, 
especially  in  early  life,  being  an  opposing  and  not 
an  assisting  force.  Judge  Joiner  is  a  son  of  the 
Empire  state,  born  in  Wolcott,  Wayne  county, 
August  20,  1861.  He  began  life  with  one  asset  of 
great  value,  namely,  a  good  heredity.  His  father, 
Dorous  B.  Joiner,  was  of  pure  Vermont  stock, 
though  born  in  New  York,  and  had  in  his  veins 


MELVILLE   CURTIS 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


621 


the  best  blood  of  the  Green  Mountain  boys.  His 
mother.  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Wilde)  Joiner,  was  a  nat- 
ive of  New  York,  but  her  family  line  extended 
back  to  the  sturdy  Scotch  and  Irish  races. 

Born  on  the  farm  Judge  Joiner  spent  there  the 
years  of  his  early  youth,  attending  the  local  school 
in  term  time,  doing  general  farm  work  and  withal 
building  up  the  constitutional  vigor  and  sturdy 
character  which  have  enabled  so  many  men  from 
the  farm  to  lead  their  seemingly  more  favored 
city  brethren  in  the  race.  When  he  left  the  par- 
ental roof  he  did  so  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring 
a  better  education.  He  attended  the  high  school 
until  fitted  to  enter  the  teaching  profession;  then 
obtained  a  certificate  and  began  spending  his  win- 
ters as  master  of  the  school  room.  By  the  time 
he  reached  his  majority  he  had  fully  decided  that 
the  law  was  the  profession  for  him,  so  commenced 
reading  in  the  office  of  William  Roe.  Later  he 
studied  under  the  direction  of  J.  W.  Hoag  in  his 
native  town,  where  he  received  most  of  his  pre- 
liminary training  for  admission  to  the  bar.  Upon 
gaining  the  right  to  practice,  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  A.  C.  Brink,  at  Wolcott,  which  partner- 
ship he  afterward  caused  to  be  dissolved  that  he 
might  join  forces  with  Col.  Anson  S.  Wood,  one 
of  the  foremost  lawyers  of  central  New  York,  a 
man  of  extended  experience  and  noted  for  his  mas- 
tery of  the  principles  of  law.  That  Judge  Joiner 
was  thought  worthy  of  becoming  the  partner  of 
such  a  man  is  evidence  of  the  success  he  was 
achieving  in  the  profession  of  his  choice. 

Our  subject's  career  in  Skagit  county  began  in 
1890,  when  he  located  in  Anacortes.  He  formed  a 
partnership  with  W.  V.  Wells  there  which  lasted 
for  the  ensuing  five  years,  during  a  part  of  which 
time  Judge  Joiner  served  as  prosecuting  attorney, 
having  been  elected  to  that  office  on  the  Republi- 
can ticket.  His  public  duties  compelled  him  to 
spend  much  of  his  time  at  the  county  seat,  so  at 
length,  in  1895,  he  determined  to  establish  his 
residence  there.  In  1897  he  became  the  partner 
of  Hon.  Henry  McBride,  who  later  became  gover- 
nor of  the  state,  and  he  continued  his  business  con- 
nections with  him  until  1900,  when  he  returned  to 
Anacortes.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  elected 
on  the  Republican  ticket  to  the  office  of  superior 
judge  of  Skagit  and  San  Juan  counties,  a  fact 
which  proves  conclusively  that  his  career  in  private 
practice  and  as  a  public  official  had  been  such  as 
to  win  him  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  his  own 
and  adjoining  communities.  His  majority  at  the 
polls  was  a  handsome  one.  In  1904  the  electors 
of  Skagit  and  San  Juan  counties  gave  a  further 
token  of  their  confidence  in  Judge  Joiner  and  their 
appreciation  of  his  worth  by  re-electing  him  to  the 
superior  judgeship,  and  he  is  discharging  the  du- 
ties of  that  office  at  present,  administering  the  law 
in  such  a  way  as  to  conserve,  just  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, substantial  justice,  whose  seat  is  in  the  bosom 


of  God  and  whdse  voice  is  the  law  of  the  universe. 

While  realizing  the  truth  of  the  maxim  that 
"the  law  is  a  jealous  mistress"  and  devotmg  him- 
self to  its  mastery  to  the  exclusion  of  most  other 
things,  Judge  Joiner  has  always  taken  time  to  per- 
form well  his  duties  as  a  citizen  and  to  help  along 
whatever  seems  likely  to  promote  the  general  weal. 
An  active  Republican  he  has  in  the  past  been  one 
of  the  leaders  in  the  councils  of  that  party,  and 
twice  he  has  represented  it  with  credit  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  central  committee.  Active  also  in 
the  work  of  the  one  fraternity  to  which  he  be- 
longs, he  is  now  a  past  grand  in  the  home  lodge 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

In  April,  1893,  Judge  Joiner  married  Miss 
Josie  M.  Curtis,  of  Anacortes,  daughter  of  the 
late  Dr.  A.  B.  and  Mrs.  Elmina  (Carpenter)  Cur- 
tis, and  they  are  parents  of  one  child,  Anna  E., 
born  February  17,  1895.  The  family  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


RIENZI  EUGENE  WHITNEY  was  among 
the  small  group  of  men  who  first  tried  the  experi- 
ment of  diking  Skagit  county  land  against  the 
encroachment  of  salt  water,  thus  teaching  the 
world  the  value  for  agricultural  purposes  of  the 
rich  lowlands  along  the  shores  of  Puget  sound. 
These  leaders  demonstrated  the  accuracy  of  their 
idea  on  the  Swinomish  fiats,  and  the  demonstra- 
tion has  resulted  in  the  reclamation  of  thousands 
of  acres  of  the  richest  soil  in  the  world.  Skagit 
county,  and  the  Puget  sound  country  in  general, 
owes  much  to  R.  E.  Whitney  for  teaching  the  val- 
ue of  tide  land  fiats  for  the  purpose  of  agriculture. 
Mr.  Whitney  was  born  in  Abington,  Luzerne 
County,  Pennsylvania,  June  5,  1840.  At  an  early 
age  he  was  left  an  orphan  and  went  to  live  with 
an  uncle,  Alvinza  Gardner,  a  rugged  and  extra- 
ordinary character,  an  active  abolitionist,  a  tem- 
perance and  moral  reformer  and  a  man  of  pro- 
nounced convictions.  Contact  with  such  a  charac- 
ter undoubtedly  did  much  to  mold  the  bent  of  the 
mind  of  the  youth ;  at  any  rate,  Mr.  Whitney  in 
after  years  exhibited  many  of  the  traits  of  charac- 
ter possessed  by  his  uncle  and  foster  father.  The 
boy  obtained  his  education  when  not  doing  chores 
at  home;  working  on  Saturdays  and  observing  the 
Sabbath.  He  managed  to  pass  a  few  terms  at  an 
academy,  but  a  college  education  was  denied  him. 
A  characteristic  of  his  early  youth  was  an  earnest 
and  absorbing  desire  for  knowledge,  and  to  that 
end  young  Whitney  employed  toward  an  educa- 
tion many  moments  which  remain  'barren  in  the 
lives  of  most  American  youths  of  the  present  day. 
While  in  attendance  upon  school  young  Whitney 
was  an  ardent  scholar  and  was  invariably  at  the 
head  of  his  classes.  During  his  school  days  he 
was  converted  and  embraced  the  Baptist  faith,  re- 
maining to  the  end  of  his  long  and  active  career 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


a  staunch  adherent  and  exponent  of  the  principles 
of  that  denominational  belief.  Endurance,  activity 
and  courage  Mr.  Whitney  inherited  from  his  par- 
ents, but  at  one  time  in  his  childhood  he  was  phy- 
sically frail  and  delicate.  Once  he  was  given  up 
to  die  and  even  a  shroud  for  his  interment  was 
provided.  Upon  his  recovery  he  commenced  a 
systematic  course  of  physical  training,  muscular 
development  and  lung  exercise  which  counteract- 
ed the  effect  of  disease.  Dieting,  work  on  the 
farm  and  outdoor  occupation  gave  him  the 
strength  and  endurance  which  were  so  valuable  in 
later  years.  During  the  Civil  War  Mr.  Whitney 
twice  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the  Union,  once  in 
the  emergency  service  to  repel  the  rebel  invasion 
of  his  native  state,  and  again  in  the  signal  service. 
Much  of  his  duty  in  the  latter  corps  was  per- 
formed at  Newbern,  North  Carolina,  where  he 
held  a  position  of  great  trust  and  danger  during 
the  closing  days  of  the  struggle. 

While  the  nephew  was  away  from  home  dur- 
ing the  war,  his  uncle  died,  and  the  young  man 
took  up  the  management  of  the  farm,  marrying 
Miss  R.  Augusta  Wall.  He  continued  to  farm 
the  property  for  some  years,  but,  tiring  of  the 
climate  and  the  poor  quality  of  the  soil  as  com- 
pared with  other  sections  of  the  country,  he  went 
to  Barton  County,  Missouri,  and  engaged  success- 
fully in  farming  for  several  years.  During  this 
period  he  became  acquainted  with  a  lawyer  named 
Avery,  who  was  to  change  the  entire  course  of 
Mr.  Whitney's  life  and  direct  him  to  his  later 
operations  in  the  development  of  Skagit  county. 
With  Mr.  Avery  he  formed  a  plan  to  enter  into 
partnership  in  the  banking  business  at  Olympia, 
Washington.  Mr.  Avery  preceded  Mr.  Whitney. 
The  latter  journeyed  via  San  Francisco  and  on  the 
way  up  from  that  city  by  boat  was  bereaved  by 
the  loss  of  his  only  daughter,  who  died  of  small- 
pox. Another  blow  fell  upon  Mr.  Whitney  on  his 
arrival  at  Olympia.  This  was  news  that  owing  to 
the  failure  of  the  Northern  Pacific  railway  to  com- 
plete its  line  to  the  capital  city  it  was  not  deemed 
wise  to  embark  in  the  banking  venture  at  that 
point.  Just  at  this  juncture  Mr.  Whitney  heard 
of  the  tide  lands  of  the  Swinomish  and  visited  this 
country.  In  May  of  1872  he  took  up  a  claim  on 
Indian  slough  near  the  site  of  the  present  village 
of  Padilla,  and  with  his  wife  commenced  life  in 
a  shack  erected  on  the  undiked  marsh  land.  Two 
cousins,  E.  A.  Sisson  and  A.  G.  Tillinghast  joined 
them  in  December  of  that  year.  A  few  small 
bits  of  tide  land  had  been  diked  at  this  time,  but 
it  remained  for  Mr.  Whitney  and  his  cousins  to  in- 
augurate diking  on  a  large  scale.  They  proposed 
to  enclose  five  hundred  acres  of  tide  lands  in  dike 
at  a  time  when  the  project  was  but  experiment  and 
practical  experience  was  unobtainable.  The  Puget 
sound  country  knows  the  result  of  that  experiment 
on  five  hundred  acres  of  Swinomish  flat  tide  lands.   It 


has  been  said  that  those  three  men  were  "the  mud- 
sills of  the  foundation  for  the  builders  of  this  won- 
derful country,"  for  their  failures  pointed  out  mis- 
takes to  those  who  came  after,  and  their  successes 
were  patterns  for  the  later  reclamation  work. 

In  1874  Mr.  Whitney  was  elected  to  the  terri-  _ 
torial  legislature  and  served  in  that  body  most  ac- 
ceptably to  his  constituents,  earning  a  reputation 
for  hard  work,  fearlessness  and  incorruptibility  in 
support  of,  or  antagonism  to,  proposed  measures. 
Two  years  later,  Mrs.  Whitney's  health  becoming 
undermined  by  consumption,  Mr.  Whitney  took 
her  and  their  two  children  to  the  Atlantic  coast 
and  consulted  medical  aid  in  the  chief  centers  of 
the  East,  also  visiting  the  Centennial  Exposition 
at  Philadelphia.  On  the  advice  of  physicians  Mr. 
Whitney  removed  his  family  to  California  and 
settled  in  Colton,  building  the  first  house  in  that 
town.  Here  Mrs.  Whitney  and  her  youngest  child 
died  and  were  buried.  He  very  soon  returned  to 
Puget  sound  and  bought  out  his  partner-cousins,  a 
little  later  diking  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
in  addition  to  the  original  holdings  of  the  partner- 
ship on  Indian  slough  and  connecting  the  two  prop- 
erties by  private  roadway  and  drawbridge  three 
hundred  feet  in  length.  In  1888  Mr. 
Whitney  purchased  and  placed  under  dike  what  is 
known  as  Whitney's  island,  a  tract  of  land  about 
seven  hundred  acres  in  extent.  The  large 
sloughs  required  expensive  dams  and  the 
operation  was  one  of  great  risk,  but  the 
work  was  accomplished  by  Mr.  Whitney,  and 
in  1889  he  had  one  thousand  acres  in 
grass  and  grain.  When  the  railroad  was 
built  Mr.  Whitney  sold  his  old  ranch,  but  retained 
the  new.  About  this  time  he  removed  his  family  to 
their  present  Fidalgo  island  place  anl  turned  mucH 
of  his  attention  to  his  heavy  investments  in  Ana- 
cortes  real  estate.  In  1879  Mr.  Whitney  married 
Miss  Kate  Bradley,  who  still  survives.  Her  father 
was  V.  L.  Bradley.  The  family  was  the  second  white 
family  at  Stanwood,  Snohomish  flats,  going  there 
in  1870.  Mr.  Bradley  died  there  in  1871.  Mrs. 
Whitney  was  born  in  Missouri  in  1855  and  was 
seven  years  old  when  her  father  came  to  Wash- 
ington territory,  setding  on  Whidby  island,  and 
living  there  eight  years.  Mr.  Whitney  met  death  in 
an  accident  in  August  of  1891.  Of  Mr.  Whitney, 
his  character  and  services  to  the  public,  the  La 
Conner  Mail  of  August  G,  1891,  speaks  as  follows: 

"One  of  the  saddest  events  the  Mail  has  been 
called  upon  to  record  is  the  accident  by  which  R. 
E.  Whitney,  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  on  the  Swin- 
omish flats,  was  called  to  his  eternal  reward.  On 
Wednesday  he  was  in  town.  He  returned  to  his 
home  in  Anacortes  after  attending  to  some  busi- 
ness in  La  Conner,  planning  new  enterprises,  etc. 
Friday  morning,  some  of  his  family  desiring  to 
visit  Bayview,  he  started  with  them.  When  but  a 
short  distance  from  the    house,    he    was    thrown 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


violently  from  the  vehicle  to  the  ground,  receiving 
fatal  injuries,  which  before  midnight  carried  him 
to  that  bourne  whence  no  traveler  returns.  The 
remains  were  interred  Sunday  in  the  Anacortes 
cemetery,  an  immense  concourse  being  present. 
]\Iembers  of  the  Anacortes  city  council  attended  in 
a  body,  he  being  an  honored  member.  He  leaves 
a  wife  and  seven  children,  three  being  dead.  He 
was  a  kind  and  indulgent  husband  and  father,  and 
always  anxious  for  all  around  him  to  enjoy  with 
him  every  musical,  social  and  literary  treat  that 
could  be  provided.  He  was  never  idle  or  at  rest 
unless  asleep,  and  spent  few  hours  in  sleep ;  was 
always  fearless  to  speak  or  do  what  he  thought 
right,  and  was  positive  in  his  convictions.  Every- 
thing he  undertook  was  on  so  large  a  scale  that  it 
commanded  public  notice  and  was  of  public  bene- 
fit. His  payroll  was  always  large  and  many  hun- 
dreds of  men  have  worked  for  him,  some  of  whom, 
now  wealthy,  got  their  first  start  in  this  county 
from  wages  earned  of  him.  *****  j^g  j^j^^j  re- 
cently been  giving  his  energy,  mind  and  heart  to 
the  upbuilding  of  a  great  city  at  Anacortes,  in 
whose  future  he  had  unbounded  faith.  He  will  be 
sorely  missed  iii  business  circles,  public  life,  the 
home,  the  Sunday  school  and  social  life  generally." 


JACOB  W.  LOWMAN,  the  popular  police 
justice  and  justice  of  the  peace  of  Anacortes,  is  a 
native  of  West  Virginia,  born  in  Franklin,  May 
14,  1837,  the  son  of  David  Lowman.  The  father, 
a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  German  by  descent,  was 
born  in  Rockingham  County,  Virginia,  in  1808. 
He  died  in  Indiana  in  1888.  Catherine  (Gum) 
Lowman,  the  maternal  ancestor,  was  born  in  the 
same  state  the  same  year,  and  died  August  16, 
1888.  After  completing  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Virginia  and  Indiana,  Jacob  W.  Lowman  en- 
tered his  father's  shop  in  the  latter  state,  became 
thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the  details  of  the  bus- 
iness, and  with  his  father  operated  a  farm  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  enlisted  in  the  Twentieth 
Indiana  Infantry  when  the  war  broke  out,  but  was 
taken  ill  the  following  day,  and  was  unable  to 
go  with  his  company.  When  he  recovered  from 
this  sickness,  he  again  engaged  in  farming,  this 
time  operating  a  place  for  himself.  He  opened  a 
mercantile  house  in  Buckcreek,  Indiana,  in  18(U, 
and  remained  in  this  business  till  ISTl,  when  he 
went  on  the  road  as  a  commercial  traveller. 

He  moved  to  Chicago  where  he  witnessed  the 
terrible  fire  which  destroyed  that  city.  After- 
wards he  went  to  Canton,  Illinois,  where  he  re- 
mained five  years,  then  to  Boone,  Iowa,  his  home 
until  1882,  when  he  returned  to  Indiana  and  pur- 
chased his  father-in-law's  old  home  farm.  In  1885 
he  retired  from  the  road  and  for  seven  years  de- 
voted his  entire  attention  to  farming.  He  sold  his 
place  in  1892,  came  to  Anacortes,  started  a  hoop 


factory  and  sold  out  in  six  months.  During  the 
financial  depression  of  the  'nineties  he  engaged  in 
various  pursuits,  dealing  in  real  estate  to  ^ome 
extent.  He  was  elected  by  the  Republican  party 
to  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  in  1894  and 
has  succeeded  himself  at  each  election  since.  He 
has  held  this  positon  of  trust,  during  his  lifetime, 
for  twenty-seven  years,  a  most  unusual  record. 
Other  honors,  unsought,  have  come  to  him.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  city  council  three  years, 
was  chosen  mayor  of  Anacortes  in  1897,  was  made 
city  treasurer  in  1898,  and  three  times  has  been 
chosen  his  own  successor  to  that  office.  He  always 
has  discharged  his  manifold  duties  with  fidelity, 
and  has  contributed  in  many  ways  to  the  pros- 
perity of  the  community. 

Mr.  Lowman  was  married  in  Indiana  in  1862, 
to  Miss  Nancy  A.  Shigley,  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  (Mahin)  Shigley.  Her  father  was  a 
Virginian,  born  near  Harper's  Ferry  in  1799, 
who  came  to  Ohio  at  an  early  date,  settling  in 
1855  in  Indiana,  where  he  died,  having  spent  his 
entire  life  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  a  Ger- 
man. Her  mother  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1803, 
was  married  in  Ohio,  and  died  in  Nebraska  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety-one.  Mrs.  Lowman  was 
born  in  Green  County,  Ohio,  October  8,  1839.  She 
received  her  education  in  the  schools  of  her  native 
state  and  in  those  of  Indiana,  fitted  herself  for 
teaching  and  entered  that  profession  at  the  age  of 
seventeen.  For  five  years  she  was  one  of  the  most 
successful  teachers  of  Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Low- 
man  have  had  three  children  as  follows:  William 
A.,  born  in  Indiana,  the  well-known  proprietor  of 
the  White  Cress  Cannery  at  Anacortes ;  Effie  L., 
born  in  Indiana,  the  wife  of  A.  M.  Dilling,  a  car- 
penter and  contractor  in  Anacortes ;  James  G., 
born  in  Indiana,  now  the  popular  superintendent 
of  schools  of  Skagit  county,  residing  at  Fredonia. 
Mr.  Lowman  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows. 
His  property  holdings  include  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  timber  land,  his  house  and  two 
lots  in  town,  and  some  real  estate  which  he  rents. 
He  is  an  active,  intelligent,  elderly  gentleman, 
whose  long  years  of  public  life  have  given  him  a 
wide  circle  of  admiring  friends. 


WILLIAM  V.  WELLS.  In  the  professional 
circles  of  Anacortes  no  one  occupies  a  more  en- 
viable position  than  William  V.  Wells,  Attorney 
at  Law.  For  sixteen  years  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  practice  of  the  law  in  the  courts  of  Skag- 
it county  and  elsewhere  and  during  this  period  has 
been  exceptionally  successful  in  the  various  depart- 
ments of  his  profession.  Mr.  Wells  is  a  native  of 
the  state  of  New  York,  the  year  of  his  birth  being 
186G,  and  Mannsville,  Jefferson  county,  the  place 
of  his  nativity.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Lozina 
(Lowry)  Wells,  natives  also  of  the  Empire  state. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


The  elder  Wells  was  of  English,  Irish  and  Scotch 
extraction  and  was  a  successful  contractor  and 
builder  in  his  native  state  till  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1892.  The  mother,  Lozina  Wells,  was  born  in 
1824  and  is  now  living  in  the  old  New  York  home. 
William  V.  Wells  spent  the  first  twenty  years  of 
his  life  in  New  York  state.  There  he  received  his 
early  education  in  the  common  schools  and  in  later 
years  had  the  benefits  of  a  higher  course  of  study 
in  the  seminary  at  Lima.  After  finishing  his  stud- 
ies in  the  New  York  schools  he  decided  to  seek 
a  field  of  endeavor  in  the  West  and  in  1886  found 
his  way  to  Helena,  Montana,  where  for  a  year  or 
more  he  was  employed  in  the  mines  of  that  sec- 
tion. His  natural  inclination,  however,  was  to- 
wards a  professional  career,  and  he  soon  tired  of 
the  life  of  the  miner.  From  Helena  he  went  to 
Jamestown,  North  Dakota,  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
suming his  studies  and  it  was  there  he  began  prep- 
aration for  the  practice  of  the  law.  After  three 
years  of  study  in  the  Jamestown  schools  and  in 
the  law  office  of  Jesse  A.  Frye,  who  was  at  that 
time  a  practitioner  of  Jamestown,  North  Dakota, 
and  is  at  present  United  States  district  attorney 
for  the  state  of  Washington,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1889.  In  February,  1890,  he  came  to 
Anacortes  and  formed  a  law  partnership  with 
Judge  George  A.  Joiner,  the  arrangement  contin- 
uing in  efifect  until  Mr.  Joiner  moved  to  Mount 
Vernon  in  1895.  In  1897  Mr.  Wells  temporarily 
abandoned  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  went 
to  Alaska  where  he  again  donned  the  garb  of  the 
miner,  took  up  again  the  pick  and  pan  and  delved 
for  riches  in  the  hidden  storehouses  of  nature.  At 
the  end  of  four  years  which  were  spent  in  the 
Bonanza  creek  mining  region,  and  during  which 
he  was  very  successful  in  his  operations,  he  again 
became  a  citizen  of  Anacortes.  While  on  a  visit 
to  Anacortes  from  Dawson,  Alaska,  in  1899,  a 
second  partnership  was  formed  with  Judge  Joiner, 
but  was  eventually  dissolved  when  Mr.  Joiner  was 
elected  to  the  bench.  After  disposing  of  his  Alas- 
kan property  in  1901,  Mr.  Wells  again  turned  his 
attention  exclusively  to  his  profession,  becoming  a 
member  of  the  law  firm  of  Quinby  &  Wells,  whose 
practice  is  each  year  becoming  more  extensive  and 
lucrative.  Although  diligently  occupied  with  the 
manifold  cares  and  responsibilities  attaching  to  his 
law  practice,  he  finds  time  for  active  participation 
in  the  affairs  of  church  and  state,  and  to  devote  to 
public  measures  and  outside  private  concerns.  He 
has  faith  in  the  future  of  the  city  and  invested  ex- 
tensively in  her  real  property.  He  is  the  owner  of 
several  brick  blocks  in  Anacortes. 

Mr.  Wells  was  married  in  Anacortes  January 
3.  1894,  his  bride  being  Miss  Daisy  McLean, 
daughter  of  William  and  Anna  B.  (Linn)  Mc- 
Lean, well-known  residents  of  Anacortes.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  McLean  are  natives  of  Mercer  County, 
Pennsylvania.      After    leaving     Pennsylvania     the 


McLeans  lived  in  turn  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
and  in  Leadville,  Colorado,  coming  to  Anacortes 
in  1890.  Mrs.  Wells  was  born  in  Kansas  City, 
Missouri,  August  30,  1873.  She  was  educated  at 
Greenville,  Pennsylvania,  thereafter  living  with 
her  parents  until  her  marriage.  For  a  time  she 
was  one  of  the  most  successful  teachers  in  the 
Anacortes  schools.  She  was  possessed  of  rare 
strength  and  sweetness  of  character  and  her  death 
with  that  of  her  twin  boys  on  the  tenth  of  May, 
1897,  was  the  cause  of  profound  sorrow  through- 
out the  entire  city. 

Mr.  Wells  is  a  communicant  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  having 
been  one  of  its  founders  in  Anacortes,  the  organi- 
zation having  been  efifected  in  1890;  he  has  al- 
ways taken  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the 
church,  and  is  at  present  serving  as  trustee  and  as 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school.  Of  the  Odd 
Fellows  he  is  a  past  grand.  Mr.  Wells  is  a  man 
who  "stands  four-square  to  every  wind  that 
blows"  and  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him  in 
business,  the  church  or  social  life,  are  impressed 
with  the  genuine  strength  of  his  character,  with 
the  superior  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  that  show 
forth  in  all  his  relations  with  others.  His  is  the 
success  that  brings  with  it  the  confidence,  respect 
and  admiration  of  all  classes. 


CHARLES  W.  BEALE,  the  first  white  settler 
on  Fidalgo  island,  a  man  whose  life  has  been  fulf 
of  interesting  events,  was  born  in  Mason  County, 
Virginia,  March  27,  1831.  His  father,  John  W. 
Beale,  a  veteran  of  the  War  of  1812,  was  a  native 
of  Shenandoah  County,  Virginia,  but  eventually 
moved  to  Missouri  and  spent  the  later  years  of 
his  life  there  in  the  home  of  his  son,  dying  at  the 
age  of  ninety-seven.  Anna  M.  (Hereford)  Beale, 
the  mother,  also  a  Virginian,  was  born  in  1800, 
and  died  during  the  terrible  cholera  scourge  of 
1854.  Unusual  educational  advantages  were  en- 
joyed by  Charles  W.  Beale,  who  after  studying  at 
Point  Pleasant,  Virginia,  took  a  commercial  course 
at  Covingtotj,  Kentucky.  Having  completed  his 
college  course,  he  accepted  the  position  of  book- 
keeper with  the  Covington,  Kentucky,  JMill  Com- 
pany, remaining  one  year.  The  following  two 
years  he  held  a  clerkship  on  an  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi river  steamboat,  and  he  was  employed  later 
by  the  B.  T.  Coleman  Company  of  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky, as  bookkeeper.  He  returned  for  a  brief 
visit  to  Covington  in  December,  1851,  whence,  on 
the  3d  of  April,  1852,  he  started  for  Sacramento, 
California,  in  company  with  a  party  from  Cincin- 
nati. The  trip  was  made  by  wagon,  on  horesback 
and  on  foot.  Mr.  Beale  was  stricken  with  moun- 
tain fever  just  as  the  party  reached  the  head  of 
the  Humbolt  river,  but  though  unable  to  sit  up, 
proceeded  on  the  journey,  enduring  tortures  that 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


625 


only  those  who  have  had  a  similar  experience  can 
understand.  When  the  destination  was  reached, 
his  hip  bones  were  almost  exposed,  from  the  con- 
stant jolting  of  the  wagon,  while  his  Hmbs  were 
paralyzed  and  his  hearing  temporarily  destroyed 
by  the  large  quantity  of  quinine  he  had  taken  to 
break  up  the  fever.  It  was  not  till  the  following 
spring  that  he  recovered  sufficiently  to  walk  alone, 
but  with  the  indomitable  courage  so  characteristic 
of  the  man,  he  began  driving  a  freight  team  from 
Green  Valley  to  Petaluma  before  he  was  able  to 
stand  to  harness  his  team.  Upon  recovering  fully 
from  his  illness,  he  went  to  the  placer  mines  of 
Sierra  county,  where  he  remained  five  years.  He 
became  poisoned  by  the  foul,  damp  air  of  the 
mines,  and  was  again  taken  sick,  so  eventually  de- 
cided to  go  to  Yreka,  where  he  engaged  in  busi- 
ness. A  few  months  later  he  sold  out,  and  started 
on  horseback  for  Salem,  Oregon.  There  he  met 
a  friend  with  whom  he  had  crossed  the  plains, 
and  was  induced  by  him  to  go  to  the  Fraser  river 
mining  district  in  British  Columbia,  a  region  then 
believed  to  contain  inexhaustible  riches.  Having 
journeyed  by  boat  from  Portland  to  Victoria,  Brit- 
ish Columbia,  they  crossed  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Fraser  river,  and  ascended  the  river  to  Hope,  in 
a  small  vessel  and  a  canoe.  There  Mr.  Beale  took 
up  a  claim  that  did  not  measure  up  to  his  expecta- 
tions, so  he  bought  a  boat  and  ran  the  same  be- 
tween Hope  and  Yale  until  the  close  of  the  sea- 
son. A  few  days  before  Christmas  that  year,  he 
made  a  trip  to  the  mouth  of  the  Harrison  river  to 
obtain  supplies  from  a  vessel  that  was  supposed 
to  be  in  winter  quarters  there.  He  found  that  the 
vessel  had  gone,  and  after  camping  with  Indians 
over  night,  he  started  down  the  river  to  Port 
Langley.  The  remainder  of  the  winter  he  spent 
on  the  sound.  While  making  the  trip  from  Port 
Townsend  to  Whatcom  in  a  flat  boat,  he  was 
wrecked  in  a  storm,  and  was  obliged  to  walk  to 
Colonel  Eby's  home,  opposite  Port  Townsend.  Af- 
ter cooking  in  a  logging  camp  a  few  weeks,  he 
started  on  a  hunting  trip  with  several  others,  ul- 
timately reaching  Guemes  island.  Owing  to  dis- 
sension in  the  party,  he  and  another  man  started 
homeward,  but  were  caught  in  a  storm  and  barely 
escaped  with  their  lives.  It  was  a  never  to  be  for- 
gotten experience.  While  his  companion  spent 
the  night  in  prayer,  Mr.  Beale  forced  the  fright- 
ened Indians  at  the  point  of  his  water  soaked  gun 
to  paddle  the  canoe. 

It  was  at  the  conclusion  of  this  memorable 
hunting  expedition  that  Mr.  Beale  joined  the  party 
which  will  go  down  in  history  as  forming  the  first 
permanent  white  settlement  in  what  is  now  Skagit 
county.  There  were  five  of  these  hardy,  courag- 
eous frontiersmen,  a'l  hunteis  and  prospectors, 
roving  in  search  of  fortune.  Of  their  experiences 
a  full  account  will  be  found  elsewhere.  They 
landed  on  Fidalgo  island  in  March,  18.59,  and  im- 


mediately made  camp  on  the  fern  covered  prairie 
skirting  the  shores  of  Fidalgo  bay.  There  Charles 
W.  Beale  and  Lieutenant  Davis,  a  nephew  of  the 
famed  president  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  took 
squatters'  claims,  and  erected  a  crude  dwelling. 
J\lr.  Beale  remained  on  his  claim  until  late  in  1862, 
then,  leaving  it  in  charge  of  his  cousin  Robert 
Beale,  went  north  to  the  Cariboo  mines  on  what 
he  supposed  would  be  a  short  trip.  However,  it 
lengthened  out  into  a  five  years'  absence,  and  upon 
his  return  to  the  island  in  1867  he  found  that  his 
cousin  had  sold  the  old  claim.  Undismayed,  Mr. 
Beale  at  once  crossed  the  bay  and  took  another 
quarter  section,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  Of 
the  five  pioneer  settlers  of  Fidalgo  island^  Mr. 
Beale  is  the  only  survivor,  so  far  as  is  known,  and 
is  therefore  entitled  to  the  distinction  of  being 
Skagit  county's  oldest  pioneer.  In  1890  he  had 
his  property  platted  as  Beale's  Maple  Grove  Addi- 
tion to  Anacortes,  and  he  still  retains  two  hundred 
lots.  Mr.  Beale  had  two  brothers  in  the  Civil 
War,  one  a  Confederate  general,  the  other  a  sur- 
geon in  the  Union  army. 

Married  in  1865,  Mr.  Beale  has  raised  a  family 
of  which  any  man  might  well  be  proud.  The  liv- 
ing children  of  Mr.  Beale  are :  Charles  W.  and 
John  R.  of  Anacortes;  Mrs.  F.  L.  Clem,  of  the 
Hotel  Detroit,  Seattle;  Mrs.  R.  E.  BuUick,  whose 
husband,  a  detective  in  the  employ  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific  railroad,  had  the  honor  of  returning  the 
securities  stolen  from  the  company  in  the  famous 
robbery  at  Mission  Junction  ;  George  C  of  Ana- 
cortes ;  Francisco  D.,  a  graduate  of  Carlisle,  now 
in  the  East :  Lucretia,  living  in  Anacortes.  A 
daughter,  Edith,  died  in  Anacortes  in  190.3.  Mr. 
F'.eale  has  been  justice  of  the  peace  in  Anacortes 
for  years.  In  politics  he  is  an  enthusiastic  Demo- 
crat. His  name  is  a  prominent  one  in  the  history 
of  Skagit  county,  of  which  he  has  the  honor  to 
be  the  oldest  living  pioneer.  He  is  a  man  of  im- 
usual  native  intelligence,  good  education  and  broad 
experience ;  is  well  preserved  and  active  for  a 
man  of  his  years,  and  is  in  all  respects  a  worthy 
citizen  of  the  county  whose  settlement  he  gave 
inception. 


PETER  E.  NELSON,  of  Anacortes,  Wash- 
ington, is  a  man  who  has  been  endowed  by  naturft 
with  those  intellectual  qualities  and  personal  trait..- 
of  character  which  inevitably  lead  to  success 
through  whatever  avenue  the  individual  may 
choose  to  pursue  the  laborious  research.  As  a 
youth  in  the  common  schools  of  Illinois  he  dem- 
onstrated his  ability  to  apply  his  mental  energies 
to  a  given  task,  thus  equipping  himself,  in  a  com- 
paratively brief  period,  with  a  practical  education, 
— the  foundation  upon  which  he  has  ever  since 
been  building,  and  building  well.  In  the  after 
vears  of  his  life,  whether  on  the   farm  or  in  the 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


mine,  whether  in  commercial  or  other  business 
pursuits,  the  faculty  of  concentrating  his  mental 
and  physical  powers  for  a  definite  purpose  has  lost 
none  of  its  vigor,  and  for  this  cause  success  has 
come  oftener  than  failure,  the  realization  of  hopes 
oftener  than  disappointment. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  born  in  Sweden  May  23,  1861. 
The  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  were  passed  in 
the  country  of  his  birth  where  his  experiences 
were  not  unlike  those  of  other  boys  who  were  his 
mates  and  peers.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1873  and  for  fifteen  years  made  his  home  in  Il- 
linois, finishing  his  education  in  her  common 
schools  and  finding  employment  on  her  prairie 
farms.  At  the  close  of  this  period  Mr.  Nelson 
decided  to  seek  a  new  location,  desiring  better  op- 
portunities than  those  by  which  he  was  surround- 
ed, and  a  field  for  endeavor  whose  industrial  and 
commercial  channels  were  not  overcrowded  with 
restless  seekers  for  the  treasure  which  brings  con- 
tent or  crowns  the  years  with  success.  He  started 
for  the  Northwest  in  1888;  stopped  for  a  brief 
period  in  Denver,  Colorado,  and  also  in  Seattle; 
but  before  the  close  of  the  year  had  reached  Ana- 
cortes.  Here  he  was  given  a  position  with  the 
United  States  coast  and  geodetic  survey,  then  chart- 
ing the  lower  sound  region,  with  which  he  served 
three  years.  After  this  he  attended  business  college 
at  Portland,  Oregon.  Returning  to  Anacortes  he 
became  assistant  postmaster,  and  during  the  mem- 
orable boom  of  '90  engaged  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness. Later  he  was  a  prospector  in  the  tortuous 
canons  and  on  the  slopes  of  the  Cascades,  being 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  Slate  creek  region.  A 
radical  change  in  occupation  was  when  he  ex- 
changed pick  and  pan  to  assist  in  the  publishing 
of  the  Anacortes  American.  The  next  step  was 
from  printing  ofiice  to  storeroom,  when  he  asso- 
ciated with  J.  G.  Hurd  in  the  grocery  business. 
When  the  Klondike  excitement  broke  out  in  1897, 
Mr.  Nelson  joined  in  the  stampede.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  to  reach  the  now  historic  White  Pass 
trail,  which  was  crossed  after  weeks  of  hardship 
and  danger,  and  in  company  with  other  venture- 
some spirits  built  a  flat  boat  and  made  the  exciting 
voyage  down  the  lakes  and  Yukon  river  to  Daw- 
son, arriving  in  midwinter.  For  five  years  he 
struggled  with  fortune  in  the  northern  v.'ilds— 
driving  dog  team,  mining,  and  participating  in 
many  of  the  stampedes  that  made  the  Klondike 
famous.  He  returned  to  Anacortes  in  1902,  short- 
ly afterward  becoming  interested  in  the  Anacortes 
Water  Company  and  being  elected  its  vice  presi- 
dent, and  he  now  devotes  his  energies  principally 
to  the  water  and  lighting  business.  Although  his 
time  is  well  occupied  with  business  cares,  Mr.  Nel- 
son has  an  enduring  interest  in  public  affairs,  alt 
movements  for  the  betterment  of  general  condi- 
tions having  his  hearty  support.  Although  not  es- 
pecially active  in  political  matters,  the  Republican 


party  candidates  receive  the  benefit  of  his  influ- 
ence and  his  vote.  Besides  his  interest  in  the  local 
water  and  lighting  systems,  Mr.  Nelson  is  interest- 
ed largely  in  city  real  estate,  and  in  the  Slate 
creek  mines. 

The  successful  business  man, — the  man  who 
has  unwavering  faith  in  the  future  of  the  com- 
munity; who  builds  his  home  and  invests  his  capi- 
tal in  the  various  enterprises  that  surround  it; 
who  lends  material  aid  to  progressive  policies, — 
such  a  man  is  an  essential  portion  of  the  bone  and 
sinew  that  build  the  cities  of  any  section  and  makes 
of  them  commercial  and  industrial  centers.  It  is 
to  the  successful  business  men,  with  whom  Mr. 
Nelson  is  justly  classed,  that  Anacortes  is  largely 
indebted  for  the  progress  of  the  last  decade  and 
for  the  commercial  and  industrial  actiyity  of  to- 
day. He  is  a  man  of  sound  principles,  of  untiring 
energy,  capable  in  the  mastery  of  business  details 
and  possessing  ability  as  an  executive.  He  holds 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  immediate  asso- 
ciates as  well  as  of  the  general  public  and  is  well 
worthy  of  prominent  mention  in  the  history  of  his 
home  city,  with  which  his  worldly  interests  are  so 
closely  identified. 


GUS  HENSLER.  The  thriving  commercial 
center  of  Anacortes  holds  no  citizen  who  is  more 
representative  of  that  class  of  practical  business 
men  who  have  brought  about  the  present-day  pros- 
perity of  the  city,  than  he  whose  name  is  introduc- 
tory to  this  brief  biography.  Mr.  Hensler  was 
born  in  Audrain  County,  Missouri,  October  22, 
1861:,  the  son  of  August  and  Catherine  Dorothy 
(Lange)  Hensler,  natives  of  Germany.  Augusf 
Hensler  left  the  Fatherland  for  the  United  States 
in  the  fifties,  settled  in  Missouri,  married  there 
and  made  that  state  his  home  until  1892,  when  he 
immigrated  to  Washington  where. he  passed  away 
eleven  years  later,  aged  sixty-seven.  He  was  of 
German  and  French  ancestry.  His  wife,  is  the 
mother  of  four  children  of  whom  Gus  is  the  old- 
est. One  son  is  deceased  and  two  daughters  are 
living.  Gus  Hensler  acquired  his  education  in 
Fayette,  Missouri,  supplementing  the  common 
school  studies  with  a  course  in  a  denominational 
academy  under  the  supervision  of  the  Methodist 
church.  South.  When  eighteen  years  old,  he  left 
the  parental  roof  and  assumed  for  himself  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  life,  finding  occupation  for  a  time 
as  a  cattle  buyer  for  shippers.  He  bade  farewell 
to  the  environments  of  his  youth  and  earlv  man- 
hood in  1884,  and  in  June,  1889,  landed  at  Seattle. 
During  the  intervening  period  he  was  variously 
employed  as  a  cattle  ranger  and  deputy  sheriff  in 
Harper  County,  Kansas,  and  again  as  a  cattle 
ranger  in  New  Mexico.  He  remained  but  a  few 
weeks  in  Seattle,  finding  his  way  in  July,  1889.  to 
Fidalgo  island,  where  he  purchased  a  relinquish- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ment  and  also  filed  a  preemption  on  land  near 
Anacortes.  Soon  after  his  arrival  on  the  island 
he  became  the  local  agent  of  the  McNanght  Land 
and  Investment  Company  and  is  still  their  repre- 
sentative at  this  point.  He  was  also  engaged  as 
land  agent  for  the  Seattle  and  Northern  railroad, 
being  retained  in  the  same  capacity  by  the  Great 
Northern  when  this  company  acquired  the  rights 
of  the  former  corporation. 

At  Springfield,  Illinois,  August  20,  1890,  Mr. 
Hensler  married  Miss  Annie  Baker,  daughter  of 
James  Baker,  a  locomotive  engineer  who  lost  his 
life  in  a  railroad  accident  about  the  time  of  her 
birth.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Sarah  (Hargraves) 
Baker,  a  native  of  England,  is  still  living  in  the 
Illinois  home.  Mrs.  Hensler  was  born  in  Indiana 
in  1867,  but  the  family  removed  to  Illinois  when 
she  was  young,  and  in  the  latter  state  she  was  edu- 
cated, following  the  common  school  course  with 
several  terms  in  an   Episcopal  school. 

In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Hensler  is  known  li  a 
Blue  Lodge  Mason ;  and  has  served  as  master  of 
his  lodge  for  four  years— 1893-4  and  1903-4.  As 
a  Democrat,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  citv 
clerk  for  the  period  from  1893  to  1897.  He  was 
chairman  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners 
during  the  years  1897-8.  Of  the  city  council  he 
is  now  an  active  member,  with  a  total  service  of 
six  years  in  that  capacity.  During  fifteen  years 
of  residence  in  the  city  he  has  built  up  one  of  the 
largest  real  estate  and  insurance  clienteles  in  the 
county, — an  evidence  of  managing  ability  and 
mental  energy.  He  is  one  of  the  strong  men  of 
Anacortes;  successful  in  his  private  business,  and 
earnest  and  enthusiastic  in  his  support  of  laudable 
public  enterprises.  Firmly  established  in  the  con- 
fidence of  his  immediate  associates  and  of  the  gen- 
eral public,  he  stands  for  the  best  type  of  citizen- 
ship and  is  an  advocate  of  all  measures  having  in 
view  the  material  progress  of  Anacortes  and  con- 
tiguous country,  and  the  betterment  of  the  condi- 
tion of  his  fellow-citizens. 


RICHARD  P.  MINTER  is  one  of  the  best 
known  real  estate  men  and  townsite  promoters  in 
the  entire  state,  having  carried  several  ventures  of 
that  character  to  a  successful  termination  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  Washington.  He  is  also  the  pioneer 
real  estate  man  in  Anacortes,  though  his  work 
has  not  permitted  him  to  remain  continuously  a 
resident  of  the  city.  Mr.  Minter  was  born  in 
Cape  Girardeau  County,  Missouri,  August  12, 
1860.  His  father,  Benjamin  A.  Minter,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  a  farmer,  and  the  son  was 
born  during  the  journey  to  settle  in  Missouri.  Mrs. 
Annie  K.  (Tisdal)  Minter  was  also  a  native  of 
the  Old  Dominion,  the  mother  of  eight  children, 
of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  next  to  the 
youngest.    Richard  Minter's  formal  education  was 


limited  to  three  months  in  the  public  schools,  but 
in  native  gifts  augmented  by  a  mind,  active  and 
retentive  to  what  is  passing,  he  is  richly  endowed 
and  has  acquired  in  the  years  since  childhood  what 
he  was  unable  to  gain  as  a  lad.  When  he  was 
nine  years  old  he  was  at  work  helping  his  father 
pay  for  the  home  and  he  continued  with  his  father 
until  twenty-five  years  of  age.  In  1885  Mr.  Min- 
ter went  to  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  engaged 
in  contract  plastering,  at  the  end  of  a  year  en- 
gaging in  the  real  estate  business  with  Schaffer, 
Lauerman  &  Town.  While  with  them  he  assisted 
in  subdividing  several  tracts  of  land  at  Los  An- 
geles, and  selling  them  off.  He  then  went  to  the 
Santa  Ana  valley,  nine  miles  from  the  city  of  that 
name,  and  started  the  town  of  Fairview,  building 
a  narrow  guage  railroad  for  communication  and 
traffic  with  other  places.  He  returned  to  Missouri 
and  passed  the  year  1888  in  the  state  of  his  nativ- 
ity. On  his  return  to  the  coast  in  1889,  Mr.  Min- 
ter passed  some  time  in  Tacoma  and  in  Spokane 
but  decided  to  settle  in  Ellensburg,  Washington, 
and  go  into  the  real  estate  business.  He  remained 
there  only  a  short  time  and  came  to  Fairhaven, 
Whatcom  county,  entering  the  employ  of  Gover- 
nor Black,  Rettie  Bon  Brothers  and  J.  Warder  in 
the  real  estate  business.  In  1890  he  came  to  Ana- 
cortes, Washington,  opened  the  first  real  estate  of- 
fice in  town  and  sold  the  first  town  lot.  In  190(3 
he  went  to  Snohomish  county  and  in  the  interests 
of  the  Snohomish  Land  Company  in  which  he  was 
a  partner,  bonded  nine  hundred  acres  of  the  town- 
site  of  Everett.  The  company  through  Mr.  Min- 
ter handled  this  property,  the  site  which  ultimate- 
ly became  the  town  of  Lowell  and  outside  prop- 
erty at  Everett.  In  1893  Mr.  Minter  handled  the 
townsite  of  Sultan  City  for  Mrs.  Stevens,  clearing 
a  good  profit  for  the  owner.  In  the  fall  of  that 
year  he  returned  to  Anacortes  and  continued  in 
business  there  until  1897  when  he  accepted  a  prop- 
osition from  Dan  Wilson  to  go  east  of  the  moun- 
tains and  float  the  townsites  of  Davenport  and 
Harrington  in  Lincoln  county  and  Ritzville  in 
Adams  county.  Of  this  work  he  made  another  big 
success  and  by  1901  had  returned  to  Anacortes 
where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  In  company  with 
Ben  Badge,  J.  L.  Romer  and  Soles  &  Molten  he 
purchased  and  named  the  townsite  of  Burlin.gton 
but  sold  out  to  advantage  in  six  weeks.  Mr.  Min- 
ter has  considerable  property  interests  in  Anacortes 
and  in  addition  to  his  realty  business  does  a  good 
business  for  several  insurance  companies.  He  is 
one  of  the  Democratic  leaders  in  that  part  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Minter  is  a  man  of  great  popularity 
which  is  partly  responsible  for  his  success  in  busi- 
ness and  his  influence  in  politics. 


ALFRED  J.  STAGEY,  jintil  recently  a  popu- 
lar resident  of  Anacortes,  was  born  near  Daven- 


'630 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


port,    Iowa,   July   20,   186G,  the   son  of  Alfred   J. 
and   Mary    (Learner)    Stacey.     The  father,  also  a 
native   of   Davenport,   died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
seven,  just  prior  to  the  birth  of  his  son,  and  at  a 
later  date,  the  mother,  who  at  present  is  in  Seat- 
tle, became  the  wife  of  Harvey  K.  Wallace,  now 
deceased.     She  was  born  in  Iowa  in  1845.  Brought 
■by  his  mother  to  Seattle  when  four  years  old,  Al- 
fred  J.    Stacey    lived   with   the   family   there,   and 
later  moved  with  them  to  La  Conner,  where  his 
stepfather    took    a    homestead.      While    in    Seattle 
Mr.  Wallace  was  offered  his  choice  of  a  number 
■of   lots   if   he   would   erect   a   house   upon   it,   also 
forty  acres  in  the  heart  of  the  city  of  to-day  for 
the  trifling  sum     of  three     hundred     dollars,     but 
unable  to  see  the  wisdom  of  accepting  these  offers, 
he  brought  his  family  to  La  Conner,  whence,  seven 
years  later,  he  went  to  California.     Though  a  boy 
of  only  ten   years   at  the  time  of  his   stepfather's 
dejjarture   from    the   country,    Mr.    Stacey   decided 
to  begin  life  for  himself  instead  of  accompanying 
the  family  to  California,  and  hired  out  as  a  farm 
hand.     In  two  years  he  was  able  to  do  a  man's 
work,  receiving,  however,  but  a  mere  pittance,  two 
dollars  and  a  half,  for  an  entire  year  spent  in  dik- 
ing. After  a  year  on  Fidalgo  island,  he  went  to  the 
woods  of  Snohomish  county,  and  worked  one  win- 
ter, attending  school  the  following  summer.    Going 
to   Pleasant  Ridge  he  continued   to  attend  school, 
working  for  his  board,  and  in  this  way  acquired 
a  practical  education,  in  the  face  of  obstacles  that 
would   have   seemed   insurmountable  to  a   less  de- 
termined nature.     At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  and 
a  brother  rented  farms  for  three  years,  after  which 
Mr.  Stacey  attended  the  territorial  university  two 
years.    Returning  to  La  Conner  he  soon  purchased 
forty  acres  of  timber  land.     In  the  spring  of  1888 
he  was  employed  by  R.  E.  Whitney  in  the  reclama- 
tion  of   Whitney's   island,   but   at   the   end   of   the 
second  month  he  was  taken  very  ill  with  inflamma- 
tory   rheumatism,   and    forced   to   sell   his   land   to 
meet  the  expense  of  his  illness.     Upon  his  recov- 
ery he  made  a  brief  vist  to  Iowa,  going  thence  in 
turn  to  Nebraska,  Utah,  and  California,  and  finally 
locating  in   Coupeville,  Washington,  where  he  ac- 
cepted  employment   as   clerk.     After  working   for 
two  years  at  Bayview,  on  the  ranch  owned  by  E. 
A.  Sisson,  he  moved  to  La  Conner,  and  invested  in 
four  acres  of  land,  upon   which  he  built  a  house 
and  barn.     He  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  rais- 
ing cabbage  seed,  there  being  an  excellent  demand 
for  that  product.     The  unusually  severe  winter  of 
1893,  worked  great  hardships  upon  him,  and  when 
his  next  crop  was  ready  for  market  he  found  him- 
self in  debt  to  the  amount  of  $3,350,  but  practicing 
strict  economy,  he  toiled  on  with  characteristic  en- 
ergy, until  he  sold  his  property  in  1901.     He  then 
leased  a   farm   for  four  years,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  third   year   found  he  had  cleared  $1,100,  and 
had  a  bank  account  of  $1,800.     Coming  to  Ana- 


cortes  in  February,  1904,  he  invested  in  real  es- 
tate, a  house  and  two  lots  in  one  part  of  the  town, 
twelve  lots  in  another  locality,  and  a  one-half  in- 
terest in  eleven  other  lots.  He  accepted  a  clerk- 
ship there,  and  remained  at  work  until  the  spring 
of  1906,  when,  having  on  January  27th  traded  his 
realty  to  George  N.  Shumway  for  a  farm  in  the 
Samish  valley,  he  moved  onto  that  place  and  began 
farming. 

Mr.  Stacey  was  married  July  30,  1893,  to 
Susan  B.  Horsev,  born  in  Adair  County,  Iowa, 
December  19,  1870.  Her  father^  P.  W.' Horsey, 
now  residing  in  Anacortes,  is  a  Kentuckian,  born 
in  18-17'.  Sarah  A.  (Singer)  Horsey,  her  mother, 
was  born  in  1849  in  Clayton  County,  Iowa,  and 
is  now  a  resident  of  Anacortes.  She  is  the  mother 
of  eight  children,  Mrs.  Stacey  being  the  second. 
Six  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stacev  as  follows:  Sidney,  April  26,  1893;  Jesse, 
July  'l6,  1894;  William,  July  16,  1896;  Carrie, 
October  18,  1898;  Melvin,  August  5,  1900;  Theo- 
dore C,  April  35,  1903.  Mr.  Stacey  is  a  member 
of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  while  his  wife  is 
a  prominent  worker  in  the  Women's  Christian 
Temperance  Union,  and  in  Martha  Washington 
Circle  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Al- 
though for  many  years  a  loyal  Republican,  Mr. 
Stacey  has  never  accepted  any  political  office. 
He  and  his  family  attend  the  Baptist  church.  A 
man  of  upright  character,  broad  minded,  and  pub- 
lic spirited,  he  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  entire  community. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  A.  MATHESON.  The  re- 
spect and  honor  always  due  and  generally  accorded 
with  cheerfulness  to  the  man  who  has  the  fore- 
sight to  introduce  a  new  industry  and  carry  it  on 
successfully  where  its  possibilities  were  not  before 
recognized  certainly  belongs  in  abundant  measure 
to  Captain  John  A.  Matheson,  the  pioneer  of  the 
cod  fishing  and  packing  industry  of  Anacortes. 
The  captain  came  naturally  by  his  love  for  the 
sea  and  for  the  taking  and  curing  of  the  products 
thereof,  having  been  connected  with  both  since  he 
was  a  lad  of  a  few  summers.  He  was  born  in  a 
maritime  country,  the  province  of  Nova  Scotia, 
Canada,  and  has  in  his  veins  the  blood  of  a  people 
world-famed  for  industry,  thrift  and  forcefulness 
of  character,  the  sturdy  Scotch  race,  for  his  par- 
ents, Donald  and  Flora  Matheson,  were  both  na- 
tives of  the  land  of  Burns  and  Watt.  In  1860, 
when  but  eleven  years  old,  he  forsook  the  school 
room,  and  engaged  in  shore  fishing  along  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  which  line  of  industry  en- 
gaged his  energies  continuously  until  1873.  In 
that  year,  however,  he  removed  to  Provincetown, 
Massachusetts,  and  engaged  in  fishing  on  the 
Grand  Banks,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he  contin- 
ued  to   reside  and  to  pursue  his  chosen  vocation 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


until  1890.  He  then  determined  to  try  his  for- 
tunes on  the  Pacific  coast,  so  sent  his  fishing  ves- 
sel from  New  York  around  the  Horn  to  San 
Francisco,  while  he  himself  journeyed  westward 
overland.  The  vessel  reached  its  destination  very 
early  in  the  year  1891,  and  was  at  once  fitted  out 
for  a  trip  to  Behring  sea  and  sent  to  try  its  for- 
tunes in  the  cod  fisheries  of  the  far  north.  That 
fall  it  returned  to  Anacortes,  where  Captain 
Matheson  had  decided  to  locate,  with  a  goodl\- 
catch,  the  first  ship  load  of  cod  to  enter  a  Puget 
sound  port.  Thus  was  inception  given  to  the  cod 
fishing  and  cod  curing  industry  of  Anacortes,  an 
industry  which  has  ever  since  been  contributing 
its  share  to  the  commercial  prosperity  and  devel- 
opment of  the  town  and  which  promises  in  future 
far  to  surpass  in  importance  the  achievements  of 
the  past.  Captain  Matheson  has  devoted  himself 
almost  without  interruption  to  the  industry  of 
catching  and  curing  the  Behring  Sea  cod  since 
his  arrival  in  Anacortes  in  July,  1891,  though 
during  the  season  of  1898  he  sent  his  vessel  to 
Kotzebue  sound  and  St.  Michaels  on  a  trading 
expedition,  while  he  himself  remained  in  Ana- 
cortes. 

In  Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  the  year  1885, 
Captain  Matheson  married  Miss  Kate,  daughter 
of  Hugh  and  Catherine  (McDonald)  Campbell, 
of  Marble  Mountain,  Cape  Breton,  Nova  Scotia, 
and  of  this  union  two  children  were  born,  namely. 
Flora  M.  and  Catherine  VV.,  both  of  whom  are 
still  at  home.  Mrs.  Matheson  died  in  1895,  and 
the  Captain  has  since  married  Miss  Josephine, 
•daughter  of  Charles  H.  Merry.  She  was  born 
in  Galena.  Illinois,  in  1860.  In  politics  Captain 
Matheson  is  a  Democrat,  in  fraternal  affiliation  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. He  has  contributed  very  materially  to  the 
progress  of  his  home  town  and  Skagit  county  by 
inaugurating  and  carrying  forward  a  valuable  in- 
dustry, and  the  people  of  Anacortes,  who  are  al- 
ways watchful  to  encourage  everything  which  has 
■a  tendency  to  promote  the  local  business  inter- 
•ests,  do  not  fail  to  acord  him  a  prominent  place 
among  those  who  have  been  progressive  forces 
in  the  past  history  of  their  town,  and  who  will 
■continue  to  confer  industrial  blessings  in  the  fu- 
ture. At  the  same  time  they  honor  his  sterling 
integrity  as  a  man  and  his  disposition  to  dis- 
charge always  the  duties  which  devolve  upon  him 
as  a  citizen  and  a  member  of  society. 


WILLIAM  F.  ROBINSON.  The  truth  of 
■the  statement  that  concentration  is  the  secret  of 
success  is  confirmed  in  the  experience  of  the  en- 
terprising gentleman  whose  life  record  is  the 
theme  of  this  review.  Having  prepared  himself 
l\v  early  training  and  experience  for  a  business 
••career,  he  then  devoted  his  entire  mind  and  ener- 


gies to  the  mastery  of  the  fish  industry  and  the 
utilization  of  fish  products,  securing  results  of 
which  any  man  might  well  be  proud.  At  the 
same  time  he  has  been  achieving  an  industrial 
success  for  himself.  He  has  made  discoveries 
which  have  added  to  the  sum  of  the  world's 
knowledge,  thereby  in  a  measure  making-  all  man- 
kind his  debtor  and  earning  a  share  of  that  fair 
fame  which  should  be  accorded  to  all  who  push 
out  into  the  realm  of  the  unknown  and  conquer 
from    it    useful    secrets. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  born  in  Peabody,  Massa- 
chusetts, September  8,  1859,  the  son  of  Benjamin 
and  Catherine  (Murray)  Robinson,  the  former  oi 
whom,  himself  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in 
Gloucester,  in  1829,  was  not  a  little  proud  of  the 
fact  that  he  came  of  the  worthy  and  justly  famed 
stock,  which  had  its  origin  in  America  in  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers.  Some  member  of  the  family 
has  been  a  resident  of  Gloucester,  in  the  old  Bay 
State,  since  1830,  and  some  of  the  Robinsons  have 
been  history  makers  in  a  true  sense,  one  of  the 
most  widely  celebrated  of  them  being  the  Rever- 
end John  Robinson,  whose  family  in  the  year 
1630  came  to  America  after  having  become  famous 
in  history  as  one  of  the  prominent  organizers  in 
the  movement  that  prompted  the  Pilgrims  to  throw 
off  an  orthodoxical  bondage  and  brave  the  dan- 
gers of  a  new  and  almost  unknown  world.  And 
still  later,  1713,  Captain  Andrew  Robinson  of 
Gloucester,  Mass.,  having  constructed  a  vessel 
which  he  masted  and  rigged  in  the  same  manner 
as  schooners  are  at  this  day,  on  her  going  of? 
the  stocks  and  passing  into  the  water,  a  bystander 
cried  out,  "Oh,  how  she  scoons."  When  Robinson 
immediately  replied  "A  schooner  let  her  be,"  from 
which  time  vessels  thus  masted  and  rigged  have 
gone   by   the    name    schooners. 

For  many  years  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
actively  engaged  in  the  handling  of  fish  and  fish 
products  but  he  is  now  spending  his  declining 
years  in  retirement  in  the  state  of  his  nativity. 
The  mother,  who  was  born  in  Halifax,  Nova 
Scotia,  in  1834,  was  of  Scotch-English  extraction. 
Orphaned  at  the  age  of  twelve  by  the  death  of 
her  mother,  she  was  brought  to  Massachusetts, 
where  her  education  was  acquired  and  the  re- 
mainder  of  her   life   was   spent. 

Upon  completing  a  common  school  course, 
William  F.  Robinson  of  this  article,  finished  his 
educational  training  in  the  French  Business  Col- 
lege, of  Boston.  A  restless  ambition  impelled 
him  to  go  on  the  road  as  a  commercial  traveller 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  and  for  the  ensuing  sixteen 
years  he  was  thus  employed.  Grit,  energy  and 
native  ability  failed  not  to  tell  for  success  in  this 
line  of  endeavor,  but  ever  watchful  for  oppor- 
tunities for  advancement  Mr.  Robinson  determined 
to  seek  a  larger  field  for  the  exercise  of  his 
commercial  abilities,  and  the  fish  industry,  the  life 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


work  of  his  father,  with  its  world  wide  possi- 
bihties,  very  naturally  attracted  him.  His  resi- 
dence on  the  Pacific  Coast  dates  from  1893,  when 
he  came  to  San  Francisco  and  established  a  plant 
for  the  manufacture  of  liquid  fish  glue,  a  branch 
of  the  fish  industry  which  has  appealed  to  him 
most  powerfully,  in  which  he  is  a  pioneer  and  to 
which  he  has  contributed  very  materially  by  his 
own  researches  and  discoveries.  This  plant  he 
operated  very  successfully  three  years,  but  he  was 
too  vigilant  to  overlook  the  superior  advantages 
of  the  Sound  country,  with  its  excellent  harbors 
and  its  pro.ximity  to  the  cod  of  the  northern  seas, 
so  in  1896  he  moved  to  Seattle,  where  he  and  N. 
B.  Colt,  whom  he  had  interested  in  his  enterprise, 
formed  a  firm  known  as  the  Robinson  &  Colt  Com- 
pany, Inc.,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  fish 
fertilizer  and  oil.  In  1897  the  business  was 
removed  to  Anacortes,  that  location  offering  su- 
perior advantages  over  any  other  point  on  the 
Sound.  Two  years  later  Mr.  Robinson  purchased 
his  partner's  interest,  but  as  soon  after  sold  it 
again  to  men  in  Seattle,  and  in  January,  1904, 
the  old  company  was  entirely  superseded  by  a  new 
corporation  then  formed  known  as  the  Robinson 
Fisheries  Company,  which  assumed  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  its  predecessor  and  elected  the 
following  officers:  William  F.  Robinson,  presi- 
dent and  manager;  Andrew  Chilberg,  vice  presi- 
dent; A.  H.  Soelberg,  secretary.  The  paid  up 
capital  stock  of  the  concern  is  $100,000.  The 
scope  of  the  business  has  been  materially  widened 
by  these  progressive  men,  the  most  important 
advance  being  the  taking  up  of  the  codfish  trade, 
no  limits  to  the  possibilities  of  which  can  be  fore- 
seen at  this  time.  Two  vessels  of  450  tons  capac- 
ity each  have  been  fitted  up  by  this  enterprising 
firm  to  catch  fish  in  the  waters  of  Behring  Sea 
and  transport  them  to  Anacortes,  where  an  im- 
mense plant  has  been  built  and  equipped  for  the 
purpose  of  curing  the  fish  and  preparing  then] 
for  market.  A  really  superior  product  is  the 
result,  one  which  is  in  demand  not  alone  in  this 
country  but  in  foreign  lands  as  well  and  one 
which  is  rapidly  finding  new  markets  for  itself 
as  its  excellence  becomes  better  known.  Mr.  Rob- 
inson is  still  deeply  interested  in  the  manufacture 
of  liquid  fish  glue,  the  industry  in  which  he  has 
achieved  his  greatest  triumphs,  triumphs  which 
first  made  him  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  fish 
industry,  though  he  has  now  come  to  be  recog- 
nized throughout  the  entire  Northwest  as  authority 
on  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  subject. 

In  the  year  1880  Mr.  Robinson  married  Nellie 
E.  Orne,  who  was  born  in  Gloucester,  Massachu- 
setts, September  13,  1861,  the  daughter  of  Free- 
man and  Mary  (Jeffries)  Orne,  natives  of  Maine 
and  Nova  Scotia  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Robinson  have  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  M.  Traf- 


ton,  born  in  Massachusetts,  December  19,  1883, 
whose  husband  John  E.  Trafton,  is  associated 
with  his  father-in-law  in  the  fish  industry.  They 
also  have  one  son,  Guy  W.,  born  in  Alassachu- 
setts  July  24,  1884;  also  a  grandson,  Ellsworth 
Trafton,  born  in  Anacortes  in  June,  190-2.  Though 
a  very  busy  man,  as  a  man  must  be,  whose  field 
of  business  operations  includes  so  large  a  part  of 
the  earth's  surface  and  who  attempts  the  mastery 
of  an  intricate  and  exacting  industry,  Mr.  Robin- 
son finds  time  to  discharge  his  duties  as  a  good 
citizen  and  public  spirited  member  of  the  com- 
munity, even  consenting  to  accept  and  attend  to 
the  sometimes  vexatious  requirements  of  such 
offices  as  school  director  and  president  of  the 
board  of  school  trustees.  He  is  active  also  in 
fraternal  matters,  though  in  this  direction  he  con- 
fines his  energies  to  the  mastery  of  the  teachings 
of  the  Masonic  order,  that  most  ancient  of  all 
brotherhoods  and  the  parent  of  all.  His  mammoth 
establishment  is  the  most  important  in  the  city 
of  Anacortes  both  in  its  present  accomplishment 
and  its  prospects  for  future  development.  The 
citizens  of  the  progressive  little  seaport  city  recog- 
nize this  as  a  fact  and  are  firm  in  the  belief  that 
great  benefit  will  accrue  to  them  in  particular  and 
to  the  entire  Sound  country  in  general  from  the 
operations  of  Mr.  Robinson  and  his  worthy  asso- 
ciates. 


MRS.  CATHERINE  NELSON,  wife  of  the 
late  Noah  Nelson,  was  born  in  Indiana.  March 
16,  1842,  the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Margaret 
Greenwood,  the  father  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
the  mother,  of  Virginia.  Both  parents  are  de- 
ceased. Growing  to  womanhood  in  the  home  of 
her  parents,  Mrs.  Nelson  acquired  her  education 
in  the  schools  of  her  native  state,  while  at  the 
same  time  becoming  practically  familiar  with  the 
work  incident  to  farm  life. 

In  1863  she  was  united  in  marriage  to  Noah 
Nelson,  a  prosperous  young  farmer  of  Indiana, 
born  June  9,  1839.  After  spending  the  first  three 
and  a  half  years  of  their  wedded  life  in  Indiana, 
they  decided  to  locate  in  IMinnesota  and  in  the 
full  flush  of  youth,  health  and  happiness,  they  soon 
took  up  an  eighty  acre  homestead  in  Wright 
county,  all  heavily  timbered.  They  resided  upon 
it  for  the  ensuing  eighteen  years.  Sharing  her 
husband's  toil  in  the  woods  and  fields,  Mrs.  Nelson 
ably  assisted  in  clearing  the  ranch,  of  which  only 
six  acres  remained  in  timber  when  they  sold  it,  to 
move  to  Washington.  Upon  arriving  here  they 
purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  the  present  town- 
site  of  Anacortes,  and  the  task  of  clearing  was  at 
once  begun.  In  1890,  during  the  phenomenal 
activity  in  real  estate  Mr.  Nelson  platted  the  forty 
acres  he  has  cleared  into  town  lots,  selling  the  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


633 


mainder  of  the  homestead.  He  later  built  a  shingle 
mill,  which  he  operated  for  some  time  but  during 
the  panic  of  the  early  'nineties  he  lost  this  prop- 
erty, and  other  holdings  amounting  to  a  large 
sum.  That  he  could  not  have  foreseen  future 
events  and  thus  availed  himself  of  the  opportunity 
of  making  a  fortune,  was  a  matter  of  ceaseless 
regret  to  him.  He  died  in  Anacortes,  May  29, 
1903.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Nelson  as  follows :  Columbus,  of  Anacortes ;  Mrs. 
Ellen  Burg,  of  Nooksack;  Marion,  who  was 
drowned  two  days  after  the  family  came  to  Ana- 
cortes ;  Charles,  at  home ;  Harvey,  on  Fidalgo 
island ;  ^Irs.  Elva  Welte,  of  Enumclaw ;  John,  at 
Anacortes;  ]\Iark  and  Helen  (deceased);  Mrs. 
Bertha  Gadbois,  of  Anacortes ;  Hugh,  also  of 
Anacortes.  Posessed  of  rare  strength  and  sweet- 
ness of  character,  Mrs.  Nelson  has  endeared  her- 
self to  the  entire  community.  Her  holdings  in- 
•clude  the  block  whereon  is  her  neat  and  com- 
modious nine  room  house,  and  much  other  Ana- 
cortes property  in  the  form  of  houses  and  lots. 


COLU^IBUS  NELSON,  a  well  known  resi- 
dent of  Anacortes,  until  recently  in  the  employ  of 
the  Fidalgo  Lumber  Company,  was  born  in  Grant 
County,  Indiana,  January  25,  1863.  His  father, 
Noah  Nelson,  who  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  born 
June  9,  1839,  in  early  manhood  moved  to  Minne- 
sota. After  farming  there  for  several  years,  he 
decided  to  seek  the  superior  advantages  afforded 
by  the  Northwest  to  young  men  of  industry ;  so 
"came  to  Washington,  locating  in  Anacortes,  where 
he  invested  in  one  hundred  acres  of  timber  land, 
the  present  site  of  the  town,  and  at  once  began 
improving  it.  During  the  boom  of  1890,  he  plat- 
ted the  forty  acres  he  had  cleared,  into  town  lots, 
,  selling  the  remainder  of  the  farm.  About  this 
time  also,  he  was  offered  a  fortune  for  his  hold- 
ings, and  his  refusal  to  sell  was  a  matter  of  life- 
long regret  to  him.  In  the  financial  depression 
flnat  soon  overwhelmed  the  country,  he  lost  heav- 
ily. His  death  occurred  in  Anacortes,  May  29, 
1902.  Catherine  (Greenwood)  Nelson,  the 
mother,  was  born  in  Indiana,  March  16,  1842, 
remaining  at  home  till  her  rriarriage  in  1863. 
Coming  with  her  husband  to  Anacortes  in  1883, 
she  experienced  the  trials  and  dangers  incident 
to  pioneer  life,  nobly  assisting  her  husband  in 
every  possible  way.  She  is  now  an  honored  resi- 
dent   of    Anacortes. 

The  oldest  child  of  a  family  of  eleven,  Colum- 
bus Nelson  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Minne- 
sota in  infancy,  there  growing  to  manhood,  and 
acquiring  his  education  in  the  common  schools. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  began  learning  the 
carpenter's  trade,  and  he  worked  two  years  for 
wages,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  able  to 
take  contracts  for  residences  in  Anacortes,  whither 


he  had  come  at  the  beginning  of  his  business 
career.  Forming  a  partnership  with  his  father  and 
brothers,  he  assisted  in  building  the  shingle  mill, 
which  was  lost  during  the  panic  of  the  'nineties. 
Moving  to  Bellingham,  he  worked  a  year  for  the 
Morris  Hardware  Company,  later  accepting  the 
position  of  saw  filer  in  the  shingle  mill  of  R.  P. 
Thomas,  at  Anacortes.  Returning  two  years  after- 
ward to  Bellingham,  he  was  employed  by  the 
Northwood  Cedar  Company  for  three  years. 
Again  making  Anacortes  his  home,  he  worked  for 
a  time  in  various  mills  in  the  town.  Two  years 
ago  he  became  associated  with  the  Fidalgo  Lum- 
ber Company,  taking  charge  of  filing  the  saws 
used  in  their  extensive  works,  a  position  which 
he  has  filled  with  entire  satisfaction  to  the  com- 
pany until  very  recently. 

Mr.  Nelson  and  Clara  M.  Kale  were  united  in 
marriage  June  12,  1890.  A  native  of  Iowa,  Mrs. 
Nelson  moved  with  her  parents  to  Bellingham  in 
1882.  Her  father,  C.  Stewart  Kale,  was  born 
near  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  February  7,  1848. 
He  located  in  Iowa  in  boyhood,  remaining  there 
until  1882 ;  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Bell- 
ingham. Her  mother,  Charlotte  E.  (McNeal)' 
Kale,  a  native  of  Andover,  Massachusetts,  born 
May  18,  1850,  is  now  residing  at  Everson,  Wash- 
ington. Mr.  Nelson  is  a  loyal  Republican,  but 
has  never  sought  political  prominence.  He  is 
interested  in  real  estate,  owning  six  city  lots  and 
a  neat,  commodious  home,  equipped  with  modem 
conveniences  and  luxuries.  He  also  owns  a  fine 
yacht,  and  he  and  his  wife  enjoy  many  a  sail  on 
the  river.  He  is  a  man  of  industry,  energy,  and 
sterling  worth,  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  his 
many   acquaintances. 


JOHN  NELSON,  a  prosperous  shingle  weaver 
of  Anacortes,  residing  on  Twent}'-third  street,  was 
born  in  Wright  County,  Minnesota,  March  3, 
1877.  His  father,  Noah  Nelson,  a  native  of  In- 
diana, moved  in  early  life  to  Minnesota,  and 
farmed  there  until  1883,  when  he  decided  to  find 
a  home  in  the  Northwest.  Stopping  in  Seattle 
for  a  short  time,  he  then  came  on  to  Anacortes, 
purchasing  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  all  heavily  timbered  with  the  exception  of 
a  four-acre  orchard.  The  town  at  that  time  con- 
sisted of  one  store,  a  hotel  and  several  rude 
dwelling  houses.  During  the  boom  of  1889,  he 
was  offered  the  sum  of  $151,000  for  his  prop- 
erty, but  refused  the  sale.  The  following  year  he 
built  a  shingle  mill  on  his  part  of  the  townsite, 
selling  shingles  at  one  dollar  and  a  half  to  two 
dollars  a  thousand  for  the  first  few  months.  The 
price  having  dropped  to  ninety  cents  per  thousand, 
he  lost  heavily;  he  died  May  28,  1902,  never 
ceasing  to  regret  that  he  had  lost  his  opportunity 
of    making    a    fortune.      Catherine    (Greenwood) 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Nelson,  the  mother,  was  born  March  16,  1842, 
in  Indiana,  growing  to  womanhood  and  receiving 
her  education  in  that  state. 

Brought  by  his  parents  to  Anacortes  when  a 
boy  of  six,  John  Nelson  attended  school  for  ten 
years,  then  entered  his  father's  shingle  mill,  where 
he  worked  until,  on  account  of  the  low  price  of 
the  product,  his  father  went  out  of  the  business. 
After  working  a  short  time  for  B.  D.  Minkler  at 
Lyman,  he  returned  to  Anacortes,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  mills  for  several  months,  after  which  he 
visited  various  towns  in  British  Columbia  and 
Washington.  While  in  the  employ  of  the  Co- 
operative Shingle  Mill  he  had  the  misfortune  to 
lose  all  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand. 
•  Mr.  Nelson  was  married  November  15,  1899, 
and  he  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have  two  children :  Leah 
E.,  born  August  7,  1900,  and  Louie  C.  B.,  Aug- 
ust 24,  1903.  Mr.  Nelson  is  prominent  in  frater- 
nal circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  IModern  Brotherhood  of  America;  his 
wife  is  also  identified  with  this  latter  organization, 
and  with  the  Royal  Circle  of  Foresters.  Mr. 
Nelson  is  a  Republican,  loyally  supporting  his 
party  in  every  way.  Upon  his  return  to  Anacor- 
tes, he  invested  in  ten  city  lots  and  the  neat 
house  where  he  now  lives.  For  the  past  eighteen 
months  he  has  been  with  R.  P.  Thomas,  establish- 
ing for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  for  industry 
and  faithfulness.  A  young  man  of  correct  busi- 
ness   habits,    his    future    success    is    assured. 


ROBERT  P.  THOMAS,  saw-mill  man  and 
merchant  of  Anacortes,  is  one  of  the  prominent 
citizens  of  that  city,  as  well  as  a  man  of  recog- 
nized ability  throughout  the  Northwest  country. 
He  has  been  mayor  of  his  town,  is  a  public  spirit- 
ed gentleman  and  one  who  has  received  honors 
from  his  fellows  and  peers.  Mr.  Thomas  was 
born  in  Philadelphia  in  1861,  the  son  of  Robert 
P.  Thomas,  also  a  native  of  the  Quaker  city, 
whose  forebears  came  to  this  country  with  the 
illustrious  William  Penn.  The  elder  Thomas  was 
born  in  1820  on  the  land  received  under  grant  by 
his  ancestors  from  the  founder  of  Philadelphia 
in  1G82,  which  has  since  been  condemned  by  the 
city  for  park  purposes,  and  forms  a  portion  of 
Fairmount  park.  The  elder  Mr.  Thomas  enlisted 
in  the  Civil  War  in  1861,  and  received  successive 
promotions  until  he  was  killed,  February  7,  1864, 
in  a  skirmish  in  Virginia,  while  ranking  as  col- 
onel. Mrs.  Sarah  (Bacon)  Thomas,  his  wife, 
was  also  a  Philadelphian,  born  in  1822,  and  was 
the  mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest.  Robert  P.  Thomas, 
of  this  sketch,  received  his  education  in  the 
Pordicey  school  of  Philadelphia,  graduating  when 
sixteen  years  of  age  and  at  once  entering  upon 


the  wholesale  drug  business  as  clerk.  After  four 
years'  experience  in  that  line  he  went  (1881)  to 
St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  and  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  serving  two  years 
as  clerk  and  timber  inspector  and  in  1883  be- 
coming general  fuel  and  timber  agent  at  St.  Paul. 
He  served  in  that  capacity  for  nine  years,  resign- 
ing in  1892  and  coming  to  Tacoma.  He  followed 
various  pursuits  for  two  years  and  then  leased 
a  couple  of  small  shingle  mills  near  Tacoma  and 
operated  them  successfully  for  two  years.  At  the 
end  of  this  period,  hearing  of  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  mill  at  Anacortes,  he  came  here  and 
looked  the  proposition  o\-er.  It  was  a  shingle  mill, 
built  in  1891  by  the  Anacortes  Co-operative 
Shingle  Company,  but  had  changed  hands  sev- 
eral times  and  was  then  for  sale  by  the  mort- 
gagees. It  was  the  first  mill  on  Fidalgo  bay.  Mr. 
Thomas  decided  to  purchase  the  mill.  He  oper- 
ated it  as  a  shingle  mill  until  the  summer  of  1900 
when  he  remodeled  it  into  a  saw-mill  and  has  con- 
tinued to  operate  it  ever  since. 

In  1891  Mr.  Thomas  married  Miss  Efiie  Lahr, 
to  whom  one  child  was  born,  Sarah.  In  1902  he 
was  again  married  and  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Colt. 
In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  Mason,  of 
the  Royal  Arch  degree,  a  Mystic  Shriner  and  a 
grand  regent.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and 
active  in  all  party  matters  and  councils.  He  was 
mayor  of  Anacortes  from  1900  to  1903  and  has 
served  in  the  city  council  for  two  years.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Washington  commission  to 
the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition.  Mr.  Thomas 
has  engaged  in  a  wide  field  of  activities,  and  in 
each  of  them  he  has  been  a  leader.  He  has  fine 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart  and  is  a  whole-souled, 
public  spirited  man. 


JAMES  H.  CAVANAUGH  is  a  successful 
mill  man  of  Anacortes  who  has  followed  the  shin- 
gle business  almost  continuously  since  attainiiMf 
the  years  of  manhood  and  who  knows  it  thoroug" 
ly  in  all  its  branches.  He  was  born  in  Albany, 
New  York,  October  3,  1852.  the  son  of  Charles 
Cavanaugh,  who  emigrated  from  Ireland  in  1851 
and  settled  at  Albany,  a  few  years  later  going  to 
Lewis  County,  New  York,  where  he  is  still  living. 
Mrs.  Margaret  (Kenney)  Cavanaugh  was  also  a 
native  of  the  Emerald  Isle  and  was  married 
there.  She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  of 
whom  James  is  the  second  in  order.  James  re- 
ceived ins  education  in  the  schools  of  Albany  and 
Lewis  county,  remaining  at  home  until  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age.  In  1872  he  went  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  began  life  in  the  logging  camps  of 
that  state,  remaining  there  for  two  years,  when 
he  went  to  Michigan  and  took  his  first  steps  in 
the   shingle  mill  business.     Six  years   of  work  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


the  Peninsula  state  were  followed  by  a  year  in  the 
woods  and  with  shingle  mills  in  Arkansas.  In 
1881  he  returned  to  New  York  and  for  six  years 
sawed  timber  for  T.  B.  Baslieu  in  the  Black  river 
section  of  New  York's  wooded  belt.  He  then  re- 
turned to  Arkansas  and  to  the  shingle  business 
until  1894,  when  he  came  to  Washington  and  lo- 
cated at  Francis,  where  he  built  a  shingle  mill  of 
liis  own  and  operated  it,  and  a  tributary  logging- 
camp  for  eight  years.  He  sold  out  in  1903  to  the 
Globe  Lumber  Company,  then  came  to  Anacortes 
and  built  his  present  mill  on  Fidalgo  bay.  The 
output  of  this  mill  is  200,000  a  day. 

In  1877,  at  Greenville,  Michigan,  Mr.  Cava- 
naugh  married  Miss  Addie  Butterfield,  daughter 
of  Myron  Butterfield,  then  a  carpenter  and  now 
a  farmer  in  Arkansas.  The  mother  of  Airs.  Cava- 
naugh,  Mrs.  Mary  (Mason)  Cavanaugh,  was  a 
native  of  Michigan  and  died  in  Arkansas.  Mrs. 
Cavanaugh  was  born  in  the  Peninsula  state  in  1860 
and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  state. 
She  and  Mr.  Cavanaugh  have  seven  children:  Mrs. 
Alary  Aloore,  of  Tacoma ;  AJrs.  Maggie  McNutt, 
of  Tarbo  Bay  ;  Addie ;  Charles  ;  James  ;  Hattie,  and 
Sadie.  The  two  sons  work  in  the  mill  and  are 
their  father's  assistants  in  the  management  of  the 
business.  In  politics  Mr.  Cavanaugh  is  a  Repub- 
lican, in  religion  a  Catholic.  His  previous  mill- 
ing experience  has  been  used  to  the  best  advan- 
tage since  he  came  to  Anacortes  and  his  aiTairs 
are  in  a  very  prosperous  condition.  He  is  a  man 
of  forceful  character,  and  one  of  the  progressive 
citizens  of  Anacortes.  During  the  twelve  years  of 
his  residence  in  Skagit  county  he  has  been  a  promi- 
nent figure  in  commercial  and  industrial  circles, 
at  all  times  lending  the  weight  of  his  influence  for 
the  promotion  of  the  public's  best  interests. 


HON.  R.  LEE  BRADLEY,  representative 
from  Skagit  county  in  the  state  legislature  and 
one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  .Vnacortes.  is 
also  a  native  son  of  Washington,  his  parents  be- 
ing among  the  early  pioneers  of  Puget  sound.  The 
fertile  tide  and  valley  lands,  the  magnificent,  end- 
less forests  of  fir  and  cedar,  and  the  beautiful, 
bold  shored  inland  waters  of  the  sound,  which  dis- 
tinguish this  region  from  all  others  and  render 
it  so  enchanting  to  all  strangers  have  formed  his 
lifelong  environments  and  have  been  his  continual 
inspiration  from  childhood.  Unlike  many,  he  has 
recognized  his  opportunities  and  grasped  them 
without  going  to  a  strange  country,  and  almost 
within  sight  of  his  birthplace  has  won  what  suc- 
cess he  has  attained  thus  far. 

The  little  village  of  Oak  Harbor,  Whidby 
island,  was  the  familv's  home  when  R.  Lee  Brad- 
ley was  born  January  3,  1869.  Valentine  B. 
Bradley,  the  father,  a  Virginian  by  birth,  was,  as 


he  has  been  informed,  a  cousin  of  W.  O.  Bradley, 
the  well  known  governor  of  Kentucky.  Sailing 
from  New  York  in  1863,  the  elder  Bradley  came 
direct  to  Washington  Territory,  by  way  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  located  in  1863  on  Whid- 
by island,  taking  a  homestead  in  the  little  settle- 
ment being  gradually  formed  on  the  peaceful 
shores  of  Penn's  Cove.  At  that  date  Skagit  coun- 
ty's only  settlement  was  a  very  small  one  at  the 
head  of  Fidalgo  bay,  while  the  only  settlements 
on  the  entire  mainland  between  Seattle  and  What- 
com were  trading  posts  at  Mukilteo  and  Snoho- 
mish City.  The  great  tide  flats  for  the  most  part 
were  still  reigned  over  by  Neptune  and  the  sound 
of  the  woodman's  ax  had  as  yet  scarcelv  been 
heard  in  the  virgin  forests.  Even  nine  year's  later, 
when  the  Bradleys  took  up  their  abode  on  the  flats 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Stillaguamish  liver,  the  rec- 
lamation of  those  rich  lands  had  been  barely  be- 
gun and  the  town  of  Stanwood  was  years  from  its 
inception.  Upon  that  pioneer  claim,  the  elder 
Bradley  passed  away  the  same  year  in  which  he 
settled.  Mrs.  Josephine  (May)  Bradley,  the  moth- 
er of  R.  Lee,  was  born  in  Missouri.  She  came 
with  her  husband  to  Washington  In  1863,  shared 
with  him  the  privations  and  dangers  of  pioneer 
life  on  Puget  sound,  and,  hale  and  hearty,  still 
survives  him,  living  in  Anacortes  at  present. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Snolio- 
mish  county  until  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  the 
subject  of  this  review  accompanied  his  mother 
to  La  Conner.  There  he  received  instruction  from 
a  teacher  who  was  later  to  reach  the  foremost  offi- 
cial position  in  his  state,  Henry  McBride,  now  e.x- 
Governor  McBride.  After  supplementing  his  pub- 
lic school  work  by  a  course  in  the  normal  school, 
Mr.  Bradley,  at  that  time  only  fifteen  years  old, 
took  up  the  serious  duties  of  life  on  the  farm  of 
his  brother-in-law,  Rienzi  E.  Whitney,  one  of  the 
leaders  of  his  time  in  this  section  of  the  state. 
Five  years  later,  in  1890,  the  young  man  went  to 
Seattle  and  entered  a  store  as  clerk,  but  a  few 
months  afterward  purchased  from  Mr.  Whitney 
the  farm  on  which  he  had  previously  worked.  He 
farmed  this  place  in  the  Swinomish  flats  twelve 
years  with  marked  success,  selling  it  in  1903  to 
enter  the  mercantile  business  at  Anacortes.  as  the 
successor  of  Lewis  Foss.  As  in  other  lines  of 
activity,  Mr.  Bradley  has  attanied  success  in  this 
venture,  his  business  keeping  step  with  the  advance 
of  that  prosperous  little  seaport.  For  many  years 
a  loyal,  active  Republican,  he  was  honored  by  his 
party  in  1904  by  being  elected  a  representative 
to  the  legislature,  an  office  which  he  is  filling  with 
credit  to  himself  and  those  who  placed  their  trust 
in  him. 

Miss  Jessie  Stearns,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  ^nd 
Mrs.  Earl  H.  Stearns,  of  Edison,  a  full  biograph- 
ical   sketch   of   whom   appears   elsewhere   in   these 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


chronicles,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Brad- 
ley at  Bay  View,  in  1895,  and  thus  two  pioneer 
families  were  united.  Mr.  Stearns,  a  Pennsyl- 
vanian  by  birth  and  descent,  is  a  pioneer  of  Kan- 
sas. He  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1883  and  is  at 
present  a  well  known  Samish  farmer.  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet (Closson)  Stearns,  whose  death  occurred  in 
June,  1905,  was  a  native  of  Kansas,  and  before 
her  marriage  taught  school  several  years.  Com- 
ing with  her  parents  to  Washington  from  Kan- 
sas, where  she  was  born  December  1,  1875,  Mrs. 
Bradley  attended  the  public  schools  here,  complet- 
ing her  education  by  a  course  in  the  normal  at 
Whatcom.  She  then  took  up  the  teaching  profes- 
sion and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  known 
as  one  of  the  most  successful  teachers  in  Skagit 
county.  She  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist church.  Mr.  Bradley  is  affiliated  with  but 
one  fraternity,  the  Odd  Fellows,  being  a  past 
grand  of  Bay  View  Lodge  No.  128.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bradley  are  highly  esteemed  in  social 
circles  for  their  genial,  sterling  qualities,  and  in 
his  sphere  Mr.  Bradley  is  recognized  as  a  leader 
of  ability  and  substantial  virtues. 


JOHN  P.  MILLET,  the  proprietor  of  the  Yen- 
dome  Hotel  in  Anacortes,  is  one  of  the  best  known 
pioneers  of  Skagit  county,  a  man  who  more  than 
once  has  been  compelled  by  the  demands  of  the 
people  to  lay  aside  his  own  affairs  to  accept  pub- 
lic office.  He  was  born  in  Milo,  Maine,  April  26, 
1853,  the  son  of  Christopher  C.  and  Olive  (Sar- 
gent) Millet,  both  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  state. 
The  mother  died  five  years  ago  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four;  the  father  passed  away  when  John 
P.  Aiillet  was  a  boy.  The  young  man  remained 
at  home  faithfully  assisting  his  mother  and  attend- 
ing school  until  1871,  when  he  went  to  Saginaw, 
Michigan,  and  engaged  in  lumbering,  two  years 
later  going  to  Mexico  and  Arizona,  where  he 
found  employment  in  the  mines.  He  came  by  the 
southern  route  to  San  Diego,  California,  thence 
up  the  coast  to  Seattle,  where  he  landed  in  1875. 
Fifteen  years  he  spent  in  logging  camps  on  Hoods 
canal,  and  on  the  Snohomish,  Snoqualmie  and 
Skagit  rivers.  In  1881  he  went  into  business  at 
the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Burlington,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Millet  &  McKay.  A  census 
taken  in  1875  would  have  shown  just  ten  white 
women  in  the  entire  Skagit  valley.  Mr.  Millet  re- 
tired from  the  lumber  business  in  1894  and  in 
1896  was  elected  sheriff.  It  was  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  as  such  officer  that  he  won  not  a 
little  local  fame  for  his  capture  of  "Jack  King," 
a  notorious  burglar.  Sheriff  Millet  had  arrested 
King  in  Mount  Vernon  for  robbing  a  store  in  that 
town,  but  the  miscreant  succeeded  in  breaking  jail 
and  escaping.     Sheriff  Millet  started  on  his  trail, 


and  for  five  months  traced  him  from  place  to  place, 
finally  capturing  him  in  Portland,  Oregon.  The 
splendid  detective  work  of  this  long  pursuit  and 
the  dogged  persistency  with  which  Sheriff  Mil- 
let hung  on  the  trail  of  the  burglar  after  other 
officers  had  given  up  the  chase,  won  for  him  the 
admiration  of  all  who  knew  the  facts.  King  is 
now  in  the  Walla  Walla  penitentiary  under  life 
sentence,  sent  there  from  King  county,  the  first  in 
the  state  to  receive  such  sentence  under  the  law 
permitting  and  directing  that  this  severe  penalty 
be  imposed  on  persons  convicted  of  a  felony  for 
the  third  time. 

Upon  retiring  from  the  sheriff's  office,  Mr. 
Millet  took  up  his  residence  on  a  farm  one  mile 
west  of  Mount  Vernon  which  he  had  purchased 
while  in  the  lumber  business.  He  lived  there  until 
March,  1905,  when  he  sold  the  place,  moved  to 
Anacortes,  and  purchased  the  Hotel  Vendome,  of 
which  he  is  still  the  host. 

Mr.  Millet  was  married  in  1882  to  Miss  Kate 
Ward,  born  in  Wisconsin,  the  daughter  of  Daniel 
Ward.  Her  father,  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  in 
1814,  moved  to  Illinois  in  early  life.  He  frequent- 
ly has  walked  over  the  site  of  the  city  of  Chicago, 
then  a  wild,  desolate  marsh,  giving  no  promise  of 
the  wonderful  metropolis  which  was  to  spring  up 
as  if  by  magic.  He  lived  in  others  of  the  central 
states,  came  to  Washington  in  1874,  and  was  re- 
siding in  Tenino  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1884. 
The  mother,  Mrs.  Jane  (Christian)  Ward,  was 
born  in  New  York  in  1829  and  died  in  1880  at 
Tenino.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Millet:  Maude,  in  March,  1884,  the 
first  white  child  born  in  what  is  now  Burlington, 
then  only  a  logging  camp;  Winfield  S.,  in  Mount 
Vernon,  in  November,  1887;  Robert,  in  Seattle, 
in  October,  1896.  Mr.  Millet  is  prominent  in  fra- 
ternal circles,  being  a  Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow  and 
a  Hoo  Hoo.  He  loyally  supports  the  Democratic 
party.  He  is  a  thorough  and  practical  business 
man,  a  progressive,  public  spirited  citizen,  a  genial, 
open  hearted  neighbor  and  friend.  The  respect 
and  good  will  of  the  commvmity  are  his  in  abun- 
dant measure. 


ROWLAND  E.  DAVIS,  formerly  a  representa- 
tive from  San  Juan  county,  now  superintendent 
and  vice-president  of  the  Porter  Fish  Company, 
of  Seattle,  is  a  resident  of  Anacortes.  Born  Sep- 
tember 21,  1861,  in  Ontario,  Canada,  his  parents 
are  James  L.  and  Amelia  C.  (Barnum)  Davis, 
both  also  natives  of  Ontario,  the  father,  born  in 
1832,  the  mother  in  1840.  They  are  now  living 
in  Victoria,  British  Columbia.  The  oldest  child 
of  a  family  of  eleven,  Rowland  E.  Davis  enjoyed 
the  rare  privilege  of  acquiring  a  large  share  of 
his  education  under  the  instruction  of  his  mother. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


a  very  gifted  woman,  a  graduate  of  the  Toronto 
Normal  School,  in  which  institution  she  was  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  prior  to  her  marriage.  Leaving 
home  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  went  on  board  a 
steamboat  that  he  might  master  the  art  of  navi- 
gation. The  following  sixteen  years  were  spent 
on  the  water,  during  which  he  became  engineer, 
still  holding  an  engineer's  and  a  master's  license. 
Coming  to  Washington,  February  17,  1868,  via  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  he  resided  in  Clallum  county 
two  years,  moving  to  San  Juan  county  in  the  fall 
of  1870.  He,  with  his  father,  made  a  trip  up  the 
Swinomish  slough  in  March,  1868.  Only  one  set- 
tler had  made  a  home  on  the  flats  at  that  time,  and 
seeing  nothing  promising  in  the  vast  desolate 
region,  the  father  returned  to  San  Juan  island, 
on  which  he  had  taken  up  land,  living  there  until 
1903.  In  1896,  recognizing  a  splendid  opening 
in  the  fishing  industry  of  Puget  sound,  Rowland 
Davis  abandoned  agricultural  pursuits,  and  two 
}-ears  later  became  associated  with  George  T. 
Wires  and  Company,  of  Portland,  Oregon,  remain- 
ing with  the  company  till  the  fall  of  1901.  The 
North  American  Fishery  of  Anacortes  having  pur- 
chased this  company's  holdings,  Mr.  Davis  became 
a  partner  in  the  new  firm,  superintending  the  traps 
and  floating  equipments  of  the  company.  When 
the  firm  failed  in  1903,  Mr.  Davis  and  T.  J.  Gor- 
man leased  the  fishing  plant  of  the  Rosaria  Straits 
Packing  Company  for  the  season  of  1904,  purchas- 
ing it  the  winter  of  1901-5,  and  operating  it  under 
the  firm  name  of  the  Porter  Fish  Company  of 
Seattle.  Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  busi- 
ness may  be  formed  from  knowing  the  annual  out- 
put, which  will  amount  this  season  to  7,500  cases 
of  fish,  with  an  approximate  value  of  $335,000. 
Displaying  his  characteristic  energy  and  ability, 
Mr.  Davis  attends  to  the  manifold  responsibilities 
devolving  upon  him  as  superintendent  of  the  busi- 
ness. To  his  accurate  knowledge  and  untiring  zeal, 
the  success  of  the  firm  is  in  a  large  measure  due. 
I\Ir.  Davis  was  married  in  La  Conner  in  1884, 
to  Amelia  D.  Haroldson,  born  in  Lansing,  Iowa, 
in  1865.  Moving  with  her  parents,  Ole  and  Par- 
nella  Haroldson,  to  Fidalgo  island  in  1878,  Mrs. 
Davis  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of  the 
island.  Being  very  deft  with  her  needle,  she  went 
to  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  and  learned  dressmaking. 
Her  father,  a  native  of  Sweden,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing till  his  death  on  Fidalgo  island.  The  mother, 
born  in  Norway,  is  still  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead on  the  island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  have 
the  following  children:  Linwood,  born  on  Lopez 
island,  January  28,  1886 ;  Vivian,  born  in  Fidalgo 
harbor,  in  October,  1889 ;  Carlisle,  born  in  De- 
catur, in  1890;  Naverign  and  Harold,  twins,  born 
in  Decatur,  in  1892;  Don  S.,  born  in  Richardson, 
in  1803  ;  Ruth  E.,  born  in  Decatur,  in  1899.  Mr. 
Davis   is   a  prominent  Blue   Lodge  Mason,  and  a 


member  of  the  Elks  lodge,  No.  93,  of  Seattle. 
His  family  attend  the  Methodist  church,  to  which 
he  is  a  liberal  contributor.  For  many  years  a 
loyal  Republican,  he  was  persuaded,  in  1901,  to 
represent  San  Juan  county  in  the  legislative  halls 
of  the  state,  and  filled  the  office  with  honor.  He 
is  now  chairman  of  the  central  committee  of  Ska- 
git county.  He  is  a  public  spirited  citizen,  one 
who  can  always  be  relied  upon  to  heartily  endorse 
every  advance  movement.  Possessed  of  rare  ex- 
ecutive ability  and  acumen,  combined  with  strict 
integrity,  ]\Ir.  Davis  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  influential  men  of  Anacortes. 


JAMES  T.  MARCH,  a  prominent  lumberman 
residing  just  across  the  channel  from  Anacortes, 
on  Guemes  island,  was  born  in  Knox  County, 
Missouri,  December  26,  1868.  His  father,  David 
L.  March,  the  descendent  of  a  well  known  pioneer 
family  of  Missouri,  was  born  in  that  state,  and  is 
now  residing  with  his  son  on  the  island.  Martha 
(Edens)  March,  the  mother,  is  a  Kentuckian,  and 
also  still  living.  His  father  having  moved  to 
Colorado  in  1877,  James  T.  March  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  that  state.  Coming 
with  his  father  to  Washington  when  nineteen 
years  of  age,  he  worked  in  the  logging  camps  for 
several  years,  then  went  to  Alaska  when  the  news 
of  the  wonderful  gold  deposits  thrilled  the  hearts 
of  men  in  1898.  Two  and  a  half  years  later  he 
returned  to  Anacortes,  pursuing  the  same  business 
that  had  previously  engaged  his  attention,  that  of 
logging. 

Mr.  March  was  married  at  Femdale,  Wash- 
ington, September  3,  1903,  to  Laura  M.  Smith, 
born  January  1,  1875,  in  Whatcom  county.  Her 
parents  are  Henry  and  Alice  (McComb)  Smith, 
pioneers  of  Washington,  now  living  on  Nooksack 
river.  Mrs.  March  received  a  liberal  education, 
supplementing  the  elementary  education  acquired 
in  the  Whatcom  common  schools  by  a  course  in 
the  normal  at  Lynden,  and.  later,  at  Bellingham. 
Completing  her  training,  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
she  began  her  career  as  teacher,  winning  a  large 
measure  of  success  in  the  following  ten  years, 
which  she  devoted  to  the  profession.  Though  not 
actively  engaged  in  politics,  Mr.  March  is  an  ear- 
nest and  loyal  member  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  owns  a  fine  forty  acre  farm  on  Guemes  island, 
well  stocked  and  equipped  with  the  modern  ma- 
chinery necessary  for  successful  farming.  Mr. 
March  is  well  informed  on  all  matters  relating  to 
the  lumber  business,  having  given  it  his  almost 
constant  attention  for  many  years,  and  this  accu- 
rate knowledge,  combined  with  his  natural  energ}% 
will  enable  him  in  the  future  to  secure  still  larger 
returns.  He  is  known  throughout  the  community 
as  a  man  of  thrift,  industry  and  correct  principles. 


638 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


BETHUEL  C.  RANOUS,  millwright  and  car- 
penter, one  of  the  prominent  and  highly  respected 
citizens  of  Anacortes,  was  born  in  Prince  Edward 
County,  Ontario,  March  30,  1834,  the  son  of 
James  Ranous,  a  native  of  the  same  place,  born 
in  1805.  The  elder  Ranous  resided  for  some  time 
in  Wisconsin  and  California,  eventually  returning 
to  Canada  in  1859,  however,  via  Cape  Horn,  but 
he  again  took  up  his  residence  in  the  Golden  West, 
and  was  in  Santa  Ana,  California,  at  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1888.  Mrs.  Rachel  (Courter)  Ranous, 
the  mother,  born  in  New  York  state  in  1810, 
made  her  home  with  a  daughter  in  Prophetstown, 
Illinois,  after  the  death  of  her  husband  until  she 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  ninety.  Bethuel  Ranous 
remained  at  home  for  the  first  fourteen  years  of 
his  life,  then  went  to  New  York  and  served  a 
three  year  apprenticeship  to  the  trade  of  mill- 
wright, then  located  in  Rochester,  New  York, 
whence,  in  1854,  he  returned  to  Canada  on  a  visit. 
He  accompanied  his  father  to  Beloit,  Wisconsin, 
and  five  years  later  started  with  a  band  of  cattle 
across  the  plains  to  Sacramento,  California,  the 
trip  occupying  six  months.  He  wintered  there 
and  in  the  spring  returned  to  Virginia  City,  Ne- 
vada, where  he  had  located  a  claim  on  his  way 
west.  His  property  had  been  jumped  in  his  ab- 
sence and  he  purchased  another  property  which  he 
soon  disposed  of  rather  than  use  force  to  retain 
possession.  While  employed  at  Virginia  City,  he 
learned  that  his  wife,  whom  he  had  left  in  Wis- 
consin, had  started  west  and  was  in  Oregon.  She 
had  written  him  on  her  departure,  but  the  letter 
never  reached  him.  He  immediately  joined  her 
in  Oregon  and  on  returning  in  the  spring  to  Ne- 
vada found  his  property  again  had  been  jumped. 
He  spent  a  few  months  in  Dayton,  Washoe  and 
Reno.  Nevada,  and  worked  a  while  at  his  trade 
in  the  latter  place,  then  for  a  time  carried  freight 
from  Sacramento  to  the  mines,  then  took  charge  of 
the  mill  and  floom  owned  by  Yarrington,  Bliss  & 
Trytle,  in  Carson  City.  In  this  work  he  established 
a  reputation  for  ability  and  industry,  which  secured 
him  the  superintendency  of  the  mills  of  Fair,  Flood, 
McKay  &  O'Brien  at  Reno.  He  next  went  to  Vir- 
ginia City,  later  to  Walker  river,  working  three 
years  at  his  trade.  Later  he  bought  a  livery  busi- 
ness in  Los  Angeles,  California,  which  he  sold 
after  running  it  six  months.  He  crossed  Yuma 
desert  with  a  mule  team,  to  Phoenix,  Arizona,  then 
the  most  notorious  city  of  the  West,  where  he 
was  given  an  important  position  of  foreman  in  the 
construction  of  mills.  His  next  move  was  to  Guy- 
mas,  Mexico,  where  for  two  years  he  built  cars 
for  a  railroad ;  then  he  went  to  Magdalena  and 
built  a  stamp  mill,  returning  to  California  three 
years  later.  He  is  next  found  on  board  a  vessel 
bound  from  San  Francisco  to  Victoria,  then  in 
company  with  the  late  John  Ball  he  took  up  his 


residence  at  Sterling,  Washington.  In  the  fall  of 
1883  he  sailed  up  the  Skagit  river  and  took  a 
homestead  of  160  acres  near  Sauk.  The  next 
year  he  helped  build  the  first  Odd  Fellows  hall  at 
Mount  Vernon,  then  he  located  at  Avon  and  in- 
vested in  eighty  acres  of  land  whrch  he  was  en- 
gaged in  improving  during  his  six  years'  residence 
in  that  locality.  Having  eventually  disposed  of  his 
ranch,  he  purchased  the  Bay  View  Hotel,  and  ran 
it  two  years,  then  rented  it  and  moved  to  Burling- 
ton, thence  to  California  by  team,  making  the  trip 
for  the  benefit  of  his  wife's  health.  Three  years 
later  he  traded  his  hotel  for  real  estate  in  Ana- 
cortes. On  his  return  to  Washington,  which  was 
effected  also  by  team,  he  again  became  a  citizen 
of  Mount  Vernon  and  bought  a  ranch  upon  which 
he  resided  until  coming  to  Anacortes  two  years 
ago. 

Mr.  Ranous  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Mary  (Allen)  Ranous.  Three  chil- 
dren were  born  to  this  union,  two  of  whom.  Leona 
and  Leota,  are  now  residing  in  San  Francisco.  In 
Avon,  in  1880,  he  married  Mrs.  Ellen  J.  Walker, 
whose  first  husband  was  drowned  in  the  river. 
She  is  the  mother  of  the  following  children  by  her 
former  husband :  Mrs.  Winona  Whaley ;  Mrs. 
Maggie  Anderson,  deceased;  Mrs.  Nettie  Ange- 
vine ;  Mrs.  Jennie  Dawson ;  Albert  Walker ;  Mrs. 
Carrie  Castello,  and  Edith,  deceased  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Ranous  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  and  Mrs.  Ranous  is  identified  with  the 
Rebekahs.  Mr.  Ranous  has  been  a  life  long  Re- 
publican but  never  has  had  political  aspirations. 
He  is  a  man  broadened  by  the  varied  experiences 
incident  to  his  life  and  by  his  extensive  travels 
over  the  western  states,  though  Nevada  was  his 
place  of  residence  for  twenty-one  years,  and  he 
has  now  been  in  Washington  for  twenty-two.  In 
the  forty-seven  years  of  his  life  on  the  Pacific 
coast  he  has  naturally  seen  his  share  of  Indian 
warfare,  but,  though  he  has  had  many  narrow  es- 
capes, he  received  no  wounds  at  the  hands  of  the 
red  men. 


HENRY  C.  BARKHOUSEN,  one  of  the  ear- 
liest settlers  on  Fidalgo  island,  was  born  in  Rush- 
ville,  Schuyler  County,  Illinois,  January  15,  1835, 
the  son  of  Conrad  and  Louise  (Pilgrim)  Bark- 
housen,  Prussians  who  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1833.  Henry  was  the  youngest  of  three  chil- 
dren, and  his  father  having  died  when  he  was  an 
infant,  he  early  began  life  for  himself,  securing, 
however,  a  fair  common  school  education.  On  the 
death  of  his  mother,  he  started  for  California  via 
the  Isthmian  route  in  1856.  After  putting  in  a 
short  time  at  mining  he  worked  in  a  blacksmith 
shop  at  Stockton  for  a  time  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  but  in  May,  1858,  he  came  to  Bellingham  bay, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


where  very  shorth'  he  joined  in  the  Fraser  river 
rush  occasioned  by  gold  finds.  Returning  in  a 
short  time  to  Bellingham,  he  lived  there  for  seven 
years.  In  1860  he  was  elected  county  auditor  and 
he  served  two  terms  of  one  year  each,  also  was 
in  the  legislature  in  the  session  of  1SG3-4.  In  ISGo 
he  came  to  Fidalgo  island  and  took  up  the  land 
on  which  he  now  resides.  Mr.  Beale,  William 
Monks,  Enoch  Compton  and  George  Cagey  being 
his  only  neighbors  when  he  arrived,  though  Hiram 
A.  March  came  shortly  after.  He  immediately 
commenced  to  clear  his  land  and,  as  did  the  others, 
to  raise  cattle  and  hogs.  He  has  seen  all  the  im- 
provements made  on  the  island,  and  has  watched 
Anacortes  grow  from  a  wilderness  of  nature  to 
the  present  bustling  town.  The  first  postofifice 
on  the  island  was  established  at  Fidalgo,  about 
one  mile  from  Mr.  Barkhousen's  place,  the  first 
postmaster  being  William  Monks,  and  Mr.  Bark- 
housen  assistant,  though  the  latter  later  became 
postmaster  himself.  In  1890  he  established  a  store 
at  Fidalgo.  but  lost  it  in  the  financial  stress  of 
the  early  nineties. 

Like  many  others  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
Northwest  Mr.  Barkhousen  took  a  wife  from  the 
native  tribes,  marrying  her  according  to  Indian 
ceremony  at  Whatcom  in  1860,  but  unlike  many 
other  white  men  in  similar  relation  he  declined  to 
hold  that  that  marriage  was  not  binding  in  the 
eyes  of  the  law.  He  held  the  relation  sacred  and 
argued  that  an  admission  of  its  lack  of  force  would 
brand  his  children  as  illegitimate.  As  a  result  he 
would  not  be  remarried  according  to  civilized 
usages  and  was  indicted  by  a  grand  jury  for  the 
ofifense  against  statute,  but  was  acquitted  by  Judge 
Greene.  To  this  union  have  been  born  these  chil- 
dren: George,  Maria,  Henry,  Fred,  Isabella, 
Louise  and  Daniel,  all  but  three  of  whom  are  mar- 
ried and  have  homes  of  their  own.  Mr.  Barkhou.s- 
en  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  ever  since  attain- 
ing his  majority,  casting  his  first  vote  for  Millard 
Fillmore.  The  home  farm  consists  of  twenty-four 
acres  of  excellent  land,  situated  five  miles  south- 
east of  Anacortes,  and  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of 
sheep  and  cattle.  Mr.  Barkhousen  is  one  of  the 
respected  citizens  of  the  community,  honored  as 
one  of  the  foundation  builders  of  the  country,  a 
man  of  principle  and  high  integrity. 


WILLIAM  R.  MASSEY,  a  well  known  farm- 
er of  Anacortes,  was  born  in  Plumas  County,  Cali- 
fornia, February  13,  1863,  the  son  of  Thomas  anc{ 
Eleanor  (Leake)  Massey,  both  natives  of  Eng- 
land. Immigrating  to  America  in  18.52,  the  father 
settled  in  Illinois  first,  and  in  1857  crossed  the 
plains  with  an  ox  team  to  California.  He  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life  mining  in  Plumas  county, 
his  death  occurring  in   1871.     The  mother  is  liv- 


ing, at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  with  her  son  Will- 
iam. Acquiring  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
California,  William  R.  Massey  went  into  the  mines 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  being  thus  employed  until 
he  came  to  Washington  in  1892,  and  rented  the 
farm  near  Whitney,  owned  by  John  Ball,  his 
brother-in-law.  He  purchased  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides  in  1899-^one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  situated  on  Fidalgo  Bay.  He  has  forty  acres 
of  it  in  excellent  shape,  and  has  a  fine  orchard  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  trees.  He  devotes  his  time 
to  diversified  farming,  believing  that  this  method 
yields  larger  returns.  A  thoroughly  practical  farm- 
er, well  informed  on  all  matters  relating  to  agri- 
culture, he  is  rapidly  winning  the  success  which  his 
untiring  energy  so  richly  merits. 

^Ir.  Massey  was  married  in  Skagit  county  in 
1897,  to  Mrs.  Jennie  Tuper,  the  daughter  of  Vidd 
and  Birdie  (Johns)  Todd.  Born  in  Minnesota, 
in  1872,  i\Irs.  Massey  received  her  education  in 
that  state,  and  was  there  married  to  her  first  hus- 
band, Mr.  Tuper.  Two  children  were  born  to  this 
first  union.  Mable  and  Ruben.  Mr.  Massey  is  a 
member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  fraternity;  his  wife 
is  a  Rebecca.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Massey  is  a 
Republican.  As  school  director  he  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  educational  affairs  of  the  island. 
A  man  of  sterling  character,  he  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  who  are  in  any  way  asso- 
ciated with  him. 


FRED  H.  MARCH.  Among  the  prosperous 
young  farmers  of  Anacortes  stands  the  one  whose 
name  gives  caption  to  this  biography.  He  was 
born  on  Fidalgo  island,  April  20,  1877,  the  young- 
est child  of  Hiram  A.  and  Katie  (Hilton)  March. 
His  father,  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  in  1826; 
learned  the  stone  mason's  trade  in  New  York  and 
Boston.  After  working  for  some  time  in  the  for- 
mer city  he  went  to  California  in  1853  via  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  remaining  there  until  he  came 
to  Washington  in  1858,  at  the  time  of  the  gold 
excitement  in  the  Frazer  river  district.  He  stopped 
in  Whatcom  for  a  year,  then  took  up  a  claim  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  Fidalgo  island, 
moving  his  family  to  the  island  four  years  later. 
He  devoted  his  time  first  to  fishing  then  to  rais- 
ing cabbage  and  cauliflower  seed.  In  the  early 
sixties  he  was  sheriff  of  Whatcom  county  for  two 
years.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  February  5.  1905, 
he  was  fruit  inspector,  a  position  he  had 
held  three  years.  The  mother  of  Fred  March  was 
born  in  Troy,  New  York,  in  1841,  and  died  April 
2,  1894.  Fred  H.  March  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Anacortes,  and  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  went  to  sea  on  a  sailing  vessel,  the  trip 
lasting  a  \ear.  He  engaged  in  mining  in  the  Cas- 
cades for  a  time,  and  then  returned  to  manage  his 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


father's  ranch,  which  he  now  owns,  having  pur- 
chased it  from  the  heirs  when  the  estate  was  di- 
vided after  the  death  of  the  father.  He  has  fifty 
acres  under  cultivation,  giving  especial  attention  to 
sheep  raising.  He  has  seventy  head  of  a  superior 
breed.  He  also  has  a  fine  orchard  comprising 
three  acres.  His  specialty  is  raising  cabbage,  caul- 
iflower and  pea  seeds. 

Air.  March  was  married  on  Fidalgo  island, 
September  26,  1904,  to  Miss  Bessie  Cook,  born  in 
Kansas  in  1883.  Coming  with  her  parents  to  Ana- 
cortes  in  1890,  she  acquired  her  education  in  the 
schools  of  this  town,  supplementing  the  training 
received  by  a  course  in  the  business  college  at 
Mount  Vernon.  Her  parents,  Frank  and  Nellie 
(Dodson)  Cook,  both  natives  of  Iowa,  are  now 
residing  on  Fidalgo  island.  Mr.  March  is  promi- 
nent in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  past  grand  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
Rebeccas.  Mr.  March  is  a  well-known  Republi- 
can, taking  an  active  part  in  all  political  matters, 
He  is  a  public  spirited  citizen,  deeply  interested  in 
the  growth  and  development  of  the  town,  county 
and  state.  Possessed  of  youth,  health  and  ambi- 
tion, combined  with  strict  integrity,  his  future  suc- 
cess is  assured. 


JOHN  G.  THOxMAS,  a  well-to-do  farmer  re- 
siding five  miles  southeast  of  Anacortes,  was  born 
in  England,  January  7,  1852.  His  father,  George 
H.  Thomas,  born  in  England  in  1829,  immigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1868,  settling  in  turn  in 
Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Kansas  and  Washington.  He 
took  up  land  on  Fidalgo  island  in  1875,  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  on  the  island  thereafter  until  his 
death.  Ann  (Davis)  Thomas,  the  mother,  was 
also  a  native  of  England.  Leaving  his  fatherland 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  John  G.  Thomas  grew  to 
manhood  in  the  United  States,  and  after  reaching 
his  majority  located  in  Whatcom,  Washington,  in 
1873.  He  mined  three  years  in  the  meantime, 
purchasing  the  farm  that  he  now  owns.  In  1876 
lie  went  to  Nanaimo,  British  Columbia,  and  he  spent 
the  next  three  years  in  the  coal  mines  there,  re- 
turning then  to  his  ranch  for  a  short  stay.  He 
followed  mining  also  in  King  county  for  a  few 
months,  then  in  1882,  moved  his  family,  which 
had  been  on  the  farm  during  his  absence  in  the 
mines,  to  Snohomish  county,  near  Everett.  They 
made  their  home  there  for  the  following  eighteen 
years  while  he  was  engaged  in  mining  in  the  vari- 
ous camps.  In  1900,  he  located  permanently  on 
the  island.  He  has  forty  acres  of  farm  land,  ten 
of  which  are  in  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation, 
and  his  place  is  well  stocked  with  cattle,  horses 
and  sheep,  giving  abundant  evidence  of  thrift  and 
good  management. 

Mr.  Thomas  married,  at  Seahome,  Washington, 


in  1896,  Miss  Mary  A.  Thomas,  who  was  born  in 
England  in  1859,  but  who  had  acquired  her  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Iowa  and  Washington. 
Her  parents,  David  P.  and  Catherine  (Holmes) 
Thomas,  both  natives  of  England,  are  now  living 
in  Edison,  Washington,  well-known  pioneers  of 
this  state,  having  come  in  1871.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thomas  have  the  following  children:  David  B., 
born  in  Edison;  William  J.,  in  Nanaimo,  British 
Columbia;  Samuel,  in  King  county;  Katherine,  in 
Skagit  county ;  Edna,  Sarah  R.  and  Annie.  Mr. 
Thomas  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  in  politics  an  active  Republican.  He  has 
been  road  supervisor  and  member  of  the 
school  board,  in  both  of  which  positions  he  gave 
the  community  valuable  service.  He  is  an  active 
and  industrious  man,  of  upright  character,  pos- 
sessed of  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  many  ac- 
quaintances. 


JAMES  M.  DEAN,  one  of  the  most  popular 
agriculturists  of  Anacortes,  residing  one  mile  east 
and  six  miles  south  of  town,  was  born  in  Mans- 
field, Ohio,  September  21,  1855.  His  father,  Ben- 
jamin W.  Dean,  born  in  Ohio  in  1820,  was  one  of 
the  well-known  pioneers  of  that  state.  Mary  J. 
(Harford)  Dean,  the  mother,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  Her  parents  were  of  Holland  Dutch 
descent.  Receiving  his  elementary  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Ohio,  James  M.  Dean  was  later 
graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Mansfield,  then 
being  desirous  of  preparing  himself  for  a  business 
career,  he  went  to  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and 
he  completed  his  course  at  the  National  Business 
College  there  at  the  age  of  twenty-five.  Enter- 
ing a  mercantile  house  in  his  native  town  in  1881, 
he  remained  four  years,  then  accepted  a  position 
as  traveling  salesman.  He  went  to  Kansas  in 
1885,  and  taught  for  the  ensuing  three  years,  then 
moved  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  but  soon  after  this 
he  located  in  Washington,  spending  the  first  sum- 
mer near  Walla  Walla,  and  coming  in  the  fall  to 
Puget  sound,  where  he  purchased  property  oq  Fi- 
dalgo island.  He  handled  lumber  for  a  time,  then 
was  employed  as  a  clerk  in  Anacortes,  but  he  has 
made  his  home  on  the  ranch  for  the  past  seven 
years.  He  is  a  practical  and  progressive  farmer 
who  rapidly  is  winning  success.  He  owns  one- 
eighth  of  a  two  hundred  acre  farm  which  is  well 
stocked  with  thoroughbred  Jersey  cattle,  to  which 
he  gives  his  especial  attention. 

]\Ir.  Dean  and  Miss  Rosalie  Miller  were  united 
in  marriage  on  Fidalgo  island  in  1898.  Mrs. 
Dean  was  born  at  Howard  Lake,  Minnesota,  No- 
vember 2,  1877.  Her  parents  moved  to  the  island 
when  she  was  five  years  old  and  she  acquired  her 
education  in  Skagit  county.  Her  father,  George 
W.  Miller,  born  in  Indiana  in  1845,  went  with  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


641 


parents  to  ]\Iinnesota  when  he  was  eight  years  old. 
As  he  grew  to  manhood  he  learned  the  millwright 
and  carpenter  trade  and  in  1882  came  to  Fidalgo 
island.  He  and  L.  R.  Freeman  have  the  honor  of 
founding  the  town  of  Gibraltar,  this  county,  in 
1889.  He  bought  the  farm  that  his  son-in-law, 
James  M.  Dean,  now  owns,  and  took  up  a  pre- 
emption claim.  He  is  now  living  at  Anacortes. 
:\Irs.  Dean's  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  (Goodsell)  Miller, 
was  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Chloe  J.  Good- 
sell.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dean;  !\Iorris  H.,  in  Skagit  county,  March 
17,  1901;  Charles  M.,  also  in  Skagit  countv,  ISlay 
25,  1903,  and  Mary  E..  September  9,  1905.  Mr. 
Dean  is  a  past  grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  has 
taken  all  the  degrees.  He  and  his  family  attend 
the  jNIethodist  Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  loyal 
Republican  but  never  has  desired  to  enter  the  po- 
h'tical  arena.  A  man  of  unusual  intelligence,  pos- 
sessed of  sterling  virtues  and  a  genial  disposition 
that  attract  men  to  him,  he  is  naturally  one  of  the 
most  influential  citizens  of  the  communitv. 


MARSTON  G.  BEARD,  a  thrifty  agricul- 
turist residing  five  miles  southeast  of  Anacortes, 
was  born  in  Illinois,  July  8,  1844,  the  son  of  Wil- 
son and  Nancy  (Douglas)  Beard,  both  natives  of 
Kentucky.  Having  moved  to  Illinois  in  early  life, 
the  father  made  that  his  home  till  1849,  then  went 
to  California,  and  no  word  has  been  received  from 
him  for  thirty  years.  The  mother's  death  occurred 
in  1865.  ]\Iarston  Beard  spent  his  early  years  in 
the  home  of  an  uncle,  beginning  the  active  duties 
of  life  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  Starting  across  the 
plains  to  California,  he  reached  Missouri,  where 
he  remained  a  year,  then  he  drove  an  ox  team  to 
Salt  Lake  City.  He  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Overland  Mail  Company  there  and  drove  a  stage 
from  that  city  to  Virginia  City  for  the  three  fol- 
lowing years,  .going  then  to  California,  where  for 
the  ensuing  two  and  a  half  years  he  was  engaged 
in  teaming  in  San  Mateo  county.  After  a  trip  to 
New  York  made  via  Panama,  he  returned  to  Illi- 
nois, residing  there  four  years.  In  1874  he 
brought  his  bride  to  the  West,  and  settled  hear 
Snohomish  on  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  home- 
stead, a  wild  timber-covered  wilderness  at  that 
early  date.  The  succeeding  nine  years  were  full 
of  arduous  toil,  amid  difficulties  and  privations 
known  only  to  pioneers,  who  yet  had  their  share 
of  quiet  happiness.  Disposing  of  his  property  iii 
1883,  Mr.  Beard  moved  to  Santa  Barbara,  Califor- 
nia, and  invested  in  land  upon  which  he  set  out  a 
fine  orchard.  He  engaged  in  fruit  raising  fifteen 
years,  then  again  located  in  Washington,  purchas- 
ing five  acres  near  Anacortes,  upon  which  he  still 
resides. 

Mr.  Beard  was  married  in  Illinois,  in  1871,  to 


Sarah  Stevenson,  a  native  of  Illinois,  as  were  also 
her  parents,  George  W.  and  Amelia  (Byerley) 
Stevenson,  now  deceased.  Bequeathing  "to  her 
family  and  friends  the  memory  of  a  useful,  happy 
life.  Mr.  Beard  died  in  1892.  Four  children  were 
born  to  this  union  as  follows :  Mrs.  Carrie  Jacob- 
son  of  Lompoc,  California;  Nellie,  at  home;  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Canfield,  of  Vacaville,  California;  Edwin 
S.,  at  home.  Mr.  Beard  votes  an  independent 
ticket,  and  has  never  had  any  desire  to  hold  office. 
He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  contributing  liberally  to  its  various  benevo- 
lences. As  his  farm  is  especially  adapted  to  rais- 
ing small  fruit,  he  intends  in  the  future  to  devote 
his  time  to  that  branch  of  horticulture,  also  to  en- 
gage in  poultry  raising.  He  is  known  to  be  an 
earnest,  industrious  man,  and  a  loyal  citizen,  who 
holds  the  respect  and  good  will  of  his  many  ac- 
quaintances. 


FR.\NK  N.  WHITE,  a  prosperous  farmer  re- 
siding five  miles  southeast  of  Anacortes,  was  born 
in  Buchanan  County,  Iowa,  February  25,  1864.  His 
parents,  Henry  J.  and  Elizabeth  (Richmond) 
White,  were  born  in  Ontario,  the  father  January 
24,  1826,  the  mother  May  28,  1834.  After  work- 
ing for  a  number  of  years  at  millwrighting  in 
Iowa,  the  elder  White  moved  in  1873  to  Washing- 
ton, and  he  is  now  a  resident  of  Anacortes.  He  is 
in  very  feeble  health  at  present.  The  mother's 
death  occurred  December  21,  1894.  Having  come 
with  his  parents  to  Washington  when  eight  years 
old,  Frank  N.  White  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  this  state.  After  residing  for  a 
time  in  Seattle,  his  father  took  a  preemption  claim 
on  Guemes  island,  and  spent  the  summer  of  1873 
there,  but  that  fall  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three  acres  on  Fidalgo  island  bordering  the 
bay,  part  of  which  is  in  timber  and  sixty  acres  tide 
lands.  That  fall  the  family,  which  had  been  in 
Seattle,  rejoined  him,  casting  their  lot  with  the 
earliest  white  families  to  settle  on  the  island.  The 
father  until  very  recently  owned  this  property,  save 
a  twenty-acre  tract  which  he  sold  to  his  son, 
twenty  acres  of  hill  land  donated  to  the  railroad 
and  seven  and  a  half  acres  given  as  a  bonus  to  the 
electric  car  line  in  the  early  nineties.  Mr.  White 
served  as  probate  judge  of  his  county  in  the  early 
days  and  thus  acquired  the  title  "Judge"  by  which 
he  is  best  known  among  his  old  associates.  During 
the  father's  residence  in  Anacortes,  Frank  White 
and  a  brother  had  charge  of  the  farm  for  a  year, 
after  which  Frank  became  a  member  of  a  coast 
surveying  party.  A  few  months  later  he  located 
in  Seattle,  where  he  was  employed  continuously 
until  1890,  when  he  returned  to  Anacortes  to  re- 
sume work  on  his  father's  farm.  In  March,  1902, 
he  moved  onto  a  twenty-acre  tract  of  the   home 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


ranch  which  he  had  purchased  in  1885,  and  he  has 
since  devoted  his  entire  time  to  diversified  farm- 
ing. He  has  twelve  acres  in  a  fine  state  of  culti- 
vation, and  intends  in  the  future  to  make  a  spe- 
cialty of  fruit  raising. 

]\Ir.  White  was  married  September  3,  1890,  to 
Blanche  Clark,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  M.  and  El- 
len (Learner)  Clark,  both  residents  of  Nebraska. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
White  :  Marguerite,  October  27, 1901 ;  and  Theodore, 
March  5,  1903.  Mr.  White  is  a  Republican,  but 
votes  independently  whenever  he  thinks  he  can 
better  subserve  the  welfare  of  state  or  nation  by  so 
doing.  He  attends  the  Methodist  church,  of  which 
his  wife  is  a  prominent  member.  His  property 
holdings  include  forty-seven  acres  of  farm  land 
and  a  number  of  lots  in  Anacortes.  He  is  an  ac- 
tive, industrious  agriculturist,  a  loyal  and  progres- 
sive citizen,  a  kind  neighbor  and  friend  and  enjoys 
in  abundant  measure  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
the  community  in  which  he  lives. 


THOMAS  SHARPE,  a  popular  and  prosper- 
ous farmer  residing  at  Rosaria,  was  born  in  Ty- 
rone County,  Ireland,  November  12,  1850.  His 
father,  James  Sharpe,  emigrated  from  his  native 
country,  Ireland,  to  the  United  States  in  1853, 
making  his  home  in  turn  in  New  York,  Ohio, 
Iowa  and  Minnesota.  He  located  in  the  last  men- 
tioned state  in  1861,  and  died  there,  March  23, 
1879.  Margaret  (Nelson)  Sharpe,  his  mother,  also 
born  on  the  Emerald  isle,  was  living  with  a  daugh- 
ter in  British  Columbia  at  the  time  of  her  death 
in  1887.  Thomas  Sharpe  left  home  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  and  found  work  on  steamboats  and  rafts 
on  the  Mississippi  river  for  six  years.  He  then 
returned  to  his  home,  where  the  ensuing  three  or 
four  years  of  his  time  were  spent.  Starting  for 
Puget  sound,  July  12,  1875,  he  landed  in  due  time 
at  Port  Townsend,  whence  he  proceeded  to  Whidby 
island.  Undismayed  by  the  fact  that  he  found 
himself  in  debt  to  the  amount  of  twenty-five  dol- 
lars, with  his  usual  energy  he  at  once  sought  and 
found  employment,  and  later  purchased  a  relin- 
quishment to  a  tract  of  land  on  Fidalgo  island, 
which  he  still  owns.  In  1882  he  filed  on  the  home- 
stead which  he  now  farms.  He  has  eighty  acres 
cleared,  and  in  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation, 
devoted  to  diversified  farming.  He  owns  a  mod- 
ern and  well  equipped  threshing  outfit  which  is 
operated  with  profit;  and  it  may  be  well  to  add 
that  each  consecutive  fall  for  thirty-three  years 
Mr.  Sharpe  has  conducted  a  threshing  business. 
He  has  the  usual  quantity  of  stock  found  on  a  well 
managed  farm.  The  location  of  his  elegant  home, 
modern  in  all  its  appointments,  upon  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  spots  to  be  found  in  the  state,  at 
the  head  of  Deception  pass,  speaks  eloquently  of 


his  love  for  beautiful  surroundings.  The  lights  of 
Port  Townsend  and  Victoria,  are  plainly  visible 
from  this  elevation,  and  the  view  is  one  of  cease- 
less charm. 

Mr.  Sharpe  and  Mary  J.  Carr  were  united  in 
marriage  in  1882.  Mrs.  Sharpe  was  born  in 
Guelph,  Ontario,  the  daughter  of  Robert  and  Janet 
(Henderson)  Carr,  now  residing  at  Hamilton, 
Iowa.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ireland  eighty 
years  ago,  and  came  to  Ontario  in  early  life.  Her 
mother,  born  in  the  highlands  of  Scotland,  has 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Four  children 
have  blessed  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sharpe: 
Margaret  Janette,  John  Clififord,  William  Wallace, 
and  Arlie  Matilda,  all  living  at  home.  Mr.  Sharpe 
is  a  firm  believer  in  Republican  doctrines,  but  is  in 
no  sense  a  politician.  For  twenty  years  he  has 
served  on  the  school  board,  a  fact  which  clearly 
indicates  his  deep  interest  in  educational  matters. 
In  religious  faith  he  is  an  Episcopalian.  Possessed 
of  a  genial  disposition  and  many  sterling  virtues, 
he  enjoys  the  largest  measure  of  public  esteem, 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial  and 
leading  citizens  of  the  Fidalgo  island  country, 
as  well  as  one  of  the  most  active  and  enthusiastic 
pioneers. 


WILLIAM  H.  BURDON,  one  of  the  popular 
residents  of  Fidalgo  island,  was  born  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  England,  March  31,  1844,  the  son 
of  Thomas  B.  and  Eleanor  (Miller)  Burdon,  both 
of  English  nativity.  The  father  was  a  well-known 
merchant  of  that  country  who  died  in  18G7.  Wil- 
liam H.  Burdon  was  the  sixth  oi  fifteen  children. 
He  acquired  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Eng- 
land, and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  was  apprenticed  to 
a  butcher,  becoming  thoroughly  familiar  with  all 
the  details  of  that  business  during  the  three  years 
of  his  service.  Having  reached  his  majority  he 
opened  a  butcher  shop  in  Hartlepool,  England,  of 
which  he  continued  to  be  owner  till  1871  when  he 
moved  to  Canada  and  purchased  a  hotel  at  Saint 
Thomas.  Coming  to  Washington  territory  in  1873, 
he  stopped  three  months  at  Port  Madison,  proceed- 
ing thence  to  what  was  then  Whatcom,  where  he 
was  employed  by  the  Bellingham  Bay  Coal  Com- 
pany to  handle  meat.  He  retained  this  position 
till  the  mines  closed  in  1876,  then  moved  to  Fidal- 
go island,  purchasing  thirty  acres  of  land  and  tak- 
ing the  adjoining  forty  acres  as  a  homestead.  Near- 
ly all  was  heavily  timbered  at  that  time,  but  now 
lie  has  thirty  acres  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation. 
He  makes  a  specialty  of  hops,  the  yield  averaging 
one  ton  to  the  acre.  There  still  is  some  fine  tim- 
ber on  his  farm.  During  his  long  residence  Mr. 
Burdon  has  witnessed  some  wonderful  changes  in 
this  locality.  Fidalgo  was  the  only  trading  post 
on  the  island  at  the  time  he  came,  the  now  thriving 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


town  of  Anacortes  did  not  exist,  and  La  Conner 
was  but  a  collection  of  a  few  rude  buildings  with 
a  store  or  two.  There  were  no  roads,  the  travel 
all  being  by  boat.  Having  been  appointed  road 
supervisor,  he  was  instrumental  in  building  the 
first  macadamized  road  on  the  island. 

In  England  in  August,  18G6,  Mr.  Burdon  mar- 
ried Jane  Barker,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England, 
born  October  16,  1844.  Her  parents,  Lancelot 
and  Elizabeth  Barker,  were  both  natives  of  the 
same  shire  and  spent  their  entire  lives  there.  Mr. 
Barker  was  a  successful  veterinary  surgeon.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Burdon  have  the  following  children : 
Thomas  L.,  born  in  England ;  Mrs.  Elifie  Gillispi, 
also  born  in  England,  now  the  wife  of  an  engineer 
and  living  in  Vancouver,  British  Columbia ;  Alice, 
born  at  Whatcom,  living  at  home;  Minnie,  on  Fi- 
dalgo  island,  for  five  years  a  prominent  teacher  of 
Skagit  county,  now  taking  a  four-year  course  in 
Portland,  preparatory  to  entering  the  medical  pro- 
fession;  and  Harry,  born  on  the  island,  now  man- 
ager of  his  father's  farm.  Mr.  Burdon  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  being  past 
grand  of  Anacortes  lodge  which  he  organized  in 
1891,  and  also  having  been  a  member  of  the  grand 
lodge  in  that  year.  He  and  Mrs.  Burdon  are  both 
identified  with  the  Rebekahs  and  their  son  Thomas 
is  also  a  past  grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows.  The  en- 
tire family  attends  the  Episcopal  church.  Mr. 
Burdon  is  an  enthusiastic  Republican.  Intelligent, 
broad  minded,  of  a  genial  disposition,  he  is  a  man 
whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  know,  and  few  possess  a 
wider  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  than  does 
this  honored  pioneer  of  Fidalgo  island. 


ALB  ANUS  D.  QUINT,  the  genial  postmaster 
and  merchant  at  Dewey,  Washington,  was  born  in 
Stark,  Somerset  County,  Maine,  October  4,  1849. 
His  father,  Joab  Quint,  born  in  Maine  in  1807, 
was  a  farmer  and  carpenter.  He  was  captain  of 
a  militia  company  in  his  native  state  in  the  early 
forties.  His  death  occurred  in  1851.  Elizabeth 
(Thing)  Quint,  the  mother,  was  born  in  1813,  in 
Maine.  She  was  the  mother  of  five  children,  all 
of  whom  are  dead  but  the  one  whose  name  heads 
this  biography.  Acquiring  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  state,  Albanus  D.  Quint  then 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  Before  he  was  fifteen 
years  old  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Fourteenth 
Maine  Infantry,  serving  eighteen  months  in  the 
Civil  War,  most  of  the  time  with  General  Sheridan 
in  the  Shenandoah  valley.  Returning  home,  he 
went  to  Wisconsin  in  1868,  where  he  worked  in 
the  woods  and  at  his  trade  for  nineteen  years. 
During  his  residence  in  Wisconsin  he  held  numer- 
ous official  positions,  was  town  clerk  for  three 
years,  justice  of  the  peace  three  terms,  chairman  of 
the   township  board,  and  ex-officio  county   super- 


visor. Coming  to  Washington  in  1887,  he  took  up 
forty  acres  of  land  at  Deception,  a  pre-emption 
claim,  and  made  it  his  home  until  1896.  He  was 
offered  ten  thousand  dollars  for  this  property  dur- 
ing the  boom  at  Anacortes,  but  not  having  proved 
upon  it,  could  not  make  the  sale.  He  was  appointed 
postmaster  at  Fidalgo  City,  formerly  known  as  De- 
ception, now  named  Dewey,  in  1897,  a  position 
which  he  still  holds.  He  owns  and  operates  a 
store  in  connection  with  the  post-office.  For  near- 
ly ten  years  he  has  been  justice  of  the  peace,  aiid 
he  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  school  board. 

Mr.  Quint  was  married  in  Wisconsin,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1878,  to  Mrs.  Jane  Hart,  born  in  Scotland, 
April  11,  1847,  the  daughter  of  John  Cameron. 
Mrs.  Quint  spent  her  childhood  with  her  father  in 
the  West  Indies,  he  being  overseer  of  a  large  plan- 
tation. She  was  first  married  in  Scotland,  and 
there  her  husband  died.  Four  children  were  born 
to  this  union :  Mrs.  Frank  Lampman,  of  Ana- 
cortes;  Mrs.  John  Marshall,  of  San  Francisco; 
John  Hart,  a  well-known  business  man  of  Ana- 
cortes ;  Mrs.  Cora  Iverson,  of  Fidalgo.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Quint  have  two  children:  Mrs.  Maud  Grant, 
of  Astoria,  Oregon,  and  Jesse  Quint,  of  Seattle, 
recently  married.  Mr.  Quint  has  always  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  Democratic  party. 
During  his  long  residence  here  he  has  endeared 
himself  to  the  community  by  reason  of  his  mani- 
fold virtues  and  his  unfailing  kindness  and  cour- 
tesy. He  has  in  his  possession  a  relic  of  priceless 
value,  of  which  the  entire  state  is  justly  proud,  a 
homespun  flag. 

"Perhaps  not  another  flag  in  the  United  States 
possesses  a  more  unique  history  than  does  the  starry 
emblem  owned  by  A.  D.  Quint,  postmaster  at 
Dewey.  This  flag  dates  back  beyond  1790,  in  so 
far  as  the  fabrics  which  compose  it  are  concerned 
and  how  much  usage  the  cloth  it  contains  will 
stand  is  yet  to  be  told  by  future  generations.  The 
blue  part  of  the  flag  was  made  from  hemp  which 
was  combed,  spun,  woven  and  worn  by  Mr. 
Quint's  grandmother  at  her  wedding  in  1790.  The 
red  in  the  flag  is  wool  which  was  dyed,  carded, 
spun,  woven  and  worn  as  an  underskirt  by  Mr. 
Quint's  mother  at  her  wedding  in  1833,  and  the 
white  in  the  flag  is  cotton  woven  by  Mr.  Quint's 
sister  in  the  first  cotton  mill  established  in  the 
state  of  Massachusetts  in  1851,  and  was  worn  by 
her  before  her  death  in  1853. 

"These  relics  were  made  into  an  American  flag 
by  Mr.  Quint's  mother  and  younger  sister  and  was 
used  to  celebrate  the  4th  of  July  at  West  Mills, 
Maine,  in  1861,  and  from  under  it  six  brothers 
and  stepbrothers  enlisted  in  1861  and  fought  until 
1865  in  the  Ninth  and  Fourteenth  Maine  Infantry 
regiments.  This  flag  flew  at  half-mast  for  the  immor- 
tal Abraham  Lincoln  in  the  state  of  Maine.  It 
flew   at   half-mast   for  the   gallant  Garfield  in  the 


G44 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


state  of  Wisconsin,  and  was  draped  in  its  position 
over  the  postoffice  for  the  beloved  McKinley  In 
the  state  of  Washington. 

"At  Dewey,  Washington,  Mr.  Quint's  home, 
and  at  which  place  he  is  the  efficient  postmaster, 
this  flag  is  incased  and  stands  above  the  office  tix- 
tures  fronting  the  door.  In  a  maple  burl  frame 
on  one  side  of  the  flag  is  a  picture  of  Dewey,  de- 
noting the  name  of  the  office,  in  the  center  is  a 
maple  burl  frame  with  a  map  of  Skagit  county,  de- 
noting the  county  in  which  Dewey  is  located,  and 
at  the  other  end  in  a  burl  frame  is  the  picture  of 
Washington,  making  the  display  read,  'Dewey, 
Skagit  County,  Washington.'  Mr.  Quint  had  in- 
tended to  send  this  unique  display  to  the  Louisiana 
Purchase  Exposition  at  St.  Louis,  but  owing  to  the 
failure  of  the  county  display  he  will  not  offer  it  to 
any  other  county. 

"The  lumber  which  constructs  the  frame  work 
which  supports  this  display  was  sawed  by  the  De- 
ception saw-mill,  the  first  in  Skagit  county,  and 
the  maple  burls  which  serve  as  frames  for  the  map 
and  the  pictures  of  Washington  and  Dewey,  are 
native  of  Fidalgo  island.  The  flag  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  is  mounted  would  be  an  excellent 
exhibit  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  such  a 
unique  affair  could  not  be  taken  to  the  exposition.'^ 


CHRISTOPHER  C.  BEST,  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  of  Skagit  county,  living  a  mile  and 
a  half  north  of  Dewey,  was  born  in  east  Tennes- 
see, May  11,  1S34,  the  son  of  Emanuel  and  Susan 
(Tyler)  Best.  His  father,  born  in  Germany,  was 
a  descendant  of  Tennessee  pioneers.  Moving  to 
Missouri  in  1840  he  died  there  a  few  years  later, 
where  the  mother,  who  was  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina, also  passed  away.  Left  an  orphan  at  the  early 
age  of  ten  years,  Christopher  C.  was  forced  to 
begin  the  active  duties  of  life  when  other  boys 
of  his  age  were  occupied  with  balls  and  marbles. 
Employed  by  the  various  farmers  who  had  need  of 
a  bright,  capable  boy,  he  grew  to  manhood,  secur- 
ing his  education  in  the  meantime  by  diligently 
improving  every  opportunity.  In  1857  he  crossed 
the  plains  to  California  with  an  ox  team,  the  jour- 
ney lasting  five  months.  He  remained  in  Califor- 
nia but  a  short  time,  going  thence  to  Yamhill 
County,  Oregon,  where  he  farmed  for  two  years. 
He  then  spent  a  year  in  the  mines  of  southern 
Oregon,  then,  in  1860,  went  to  Walla  Walla, 
Washington,  where  he  remained  a  twelvemonth, 
thereupon  moving  to  Idaho,  in  which  state  he 
mined  for  the  following  fourteen  years.  After  a 
brief  visit  to  Oregon  he  came  to  Fidalgo  island 
in  1875,  and  filed  on  the  homestead  on  which'  he 
still  resides.  He  has  seventy-five  acres,  twelve  of 
which  are  in  cultivation,  four  in  orchard,  and  his 
farm  is  well  stocked  with  cattle  and  sheep. 


On  Fidalgo  island,  August  5,  1890,  Mr.  Best 
and  Mrs.  Lizzie  Pickins  were  united  in  marriage. 
Mrs.  Best,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Costner, 
was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1851,  and  received  her 
education  there.  She  had  two  children  by  her  first 
husband :  Charles  E.  and  Cowan  R.  Pickins,  and 
to  her  and  Mr.  Best  was  born  one  child,  Walter  C, 
a  native  of  Skagit  county,  horn  July  IG,  1891. 
Mrs.  Best  died  on  Fidalgo  island,  June  7,  1894. 
Mr.  Best  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  doctrines  of  the 
Republican  party,  but  has  never  cared  to  hold  po- 
litical office.  In  religion  he  and  his  family  adhere 
to  the  Lutheran  faith.  A  resident  of  this  county 
for  the  past  thirty  years  save  for  a  short  time  spent 
in  Missouri,  he  has  witnessed  the  wonderful 
changes  that  have  taken  place  in  that  time,  and 
enjoys  the  consciousness  that  but  for  the  indomita- 
ble courage  of  brave  pioneers  like  himself,  these 
transformations  would  never  have  been  possible. 
To  the  pioneers  the  younger  generation  owes  a 
debt  of  gratitude  that  can  only  be  paid  by  accord- 
ing them  the  highest  reverence  and  respect. 


JOHN  S.  CONNER.  Among  the  pioneer 
families  of  Skagit  county  who  have  been  promi- 
nent in  its  reclamation  and  development  from  its 
wilderness  condition  to  one  of  civilization,  pros- 
perity and  wealth,  none  has  been  more  active  and 
forceful,  none  more  potent  for  progress,  and  none 
worthier  of  respect  and  esteem  than  that  of  the 
man  whose  name  initiates  this  article.  From  the 
time  of  their  advent  the  Conners  have  been  leaders 
in  the  industrial  conquest  and  social  regeneration 
of  community  and  county,  while  their  influence  has 
been  more  than  state  wide.  With  great  thorough- 
ness they  have  studied  the  problems  presented  by 
local  conditions,  theoretically  and  practically,  and 
so  successful  have  they  been  that  first,  John  S. 
Conner  and  in  turn  his  son,  came  to  be  recognized 
as  an  authority  on  matters  pertaining  to  tide  land 
reclamation  and  to  farming.  The  country  has  re- 
warded them  for  their  abiding  faith  and  interest 
by  pouring  into  their  garners  an  abundance  of  its 
choicest  treasures,  and  they  are  also  rich  in  the 
consciousness  of  having  done  a  good  work  and 
done  it  well,  leaving  an  indelible  impress  of  the 
best  kind  upon  one  of  the  grandest  counties  of  the 
Northwest. 

John  S.  Conner,  was  born  in  Ireland,  but  his 
residence  in  the  United  States  began  when  he  was 
a  young  boy.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Schuylkill 
County,  Pennsylvania,  attending  the  public  schools 
there,  but  the  conditions  surrounding  him  were 
such  that,  quite  early  in  life,  he  was  forced  into 
the  industrial  whirl.  As  a  boy  he  spent  much 
time  driving  a  team  on  the  Schuylkill  canal,  and 
for  a  time  ran  a  boat  of  his  own;  but  nature  had 
framed  him  for  a  nobler  destiny  and,  spurred  by 


^>^t6JS 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


647 


the  promptings  of  ambition,  he  devoted  all  his 
spare  moments  to  study,  with  the  result  that  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  obtained  a  teacher's  certiiicate 
and  was  admitted  to  the  profession. 

During  the  year  1862  Mr.  Conner  started  West 
going  as  far  as  Missouri,  where  he  took  up  land 
and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1863,  John  S.  Con- 
ner was  married  to  Miss  Louisa  A.  Siegfried,  the 
daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Willet)  Siegfried, 
who  became  residents  of  Liberty,  Maryland,  when 
the  daughter  was  four  years  old.  James  Siegfried 
was  a  manufacturer  of  wagons,  buggies  and  farm 
implements.  Miss  Siegfried  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, April  6,  1843  ;  she  was  educated  in  a  private 
school  in  Maryland,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
went  with  her  parents  to  Missouri  where  four  years 
later  she  met  and  married  Mr.  Conner. 

In  1865  he  again  took  up  the  westward  march, 
coming  by  ox  team  to  Colorado  in  which  state,  at 
a  place  ever  since  known  as  Conner's  Springs,  he 
engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  and  supply 
business.  He  also,  for  a  time,  conducted  a  hotel  at 
Central  City,  Colorado.  But  realizing  the  ad- 
vantages of  life  near  the  seaboard  and  knowing 
something  of  the  undeveloped  resources  of  Wash- 
ington territory,  he  came  to  the  sound  country  in 
1869.  The  first  stop  was  made  at  Olympia,  where 
Mrs.  Conner  opened  a  millinery  store,  exposing 
for  sale  goods  which  she  herself  selected  in  San 
Francisco.  A  year  later  they  sold  their  interests 
at  the  capita!  city  and  came  to  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent town  of  La  Conner  of  which  Mrs.  Conner  was 
the  first  white  woman  settler,  and  IVIr.  Conner  the 
first  permanent  merchant,  he  having  established  a 
general  merchandise  store  there  immediately  upon 
his  arrival.  It  was  in  this  pioneer  mercantile  es- 
tablishment that  the  first  postoffice  was  installed, 
through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Conner,  who  had  it 
named  after  his  wife,  combining  her  initials  and 
surname  to  form  "La  Conner."  By  a  continuance 
of  the  same  studiousness  which  had  made  him  a 
successful  and  accomplished  teacher,  this  pioneer 
merchant  had  become  also  a  lawyer,  and  he  soon 
began  to  be  recognized  as  the  leading  man  in  the 
community  and  one  to  whom  it  was  advisable  to 
go  for  counsel  when  in  perplexity  or  doubt.  He 
was  always  willing  to  help  incoming  settlers  not 
only  with  his  valuable  advice  but  when  necessary 
in  a  more  substantial  way,  and  his  open-handed 
generosity  still  is  remembered  with  gratitude  by 
its  recipients  and  others.  In  1873  Mr.  Conner  sold 
his  store  to  the  Gashes  Brothers.  Long  before  this 
he  had  become  interested  in  Skagit  county  realty ; 
in  fact  he  had  taken  a  pre-emption  very  soon  after 
his  arrival.  His  cousin,  J.  J.  Conner,  had  taken 
the  land  which  forms  the  townsite  of  La  Conner 
and  in  1872  had  laid  out  a  town.  This  land  was 
purchased  by  John  S.  Conner  who  thereby  became 
interested  financially  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  town 


of  which  he  had  been  after  all  the  real  founder, 
having  started  its  first  store.  From  this  time  until 
the  day  of  his  death  he  devoted  his  great  energies 
to  the  development  of  La  Conner  and  his  real  es- 
tate in  the  vicinity,  which  last  had  to  be  redeemed 
from  the  sea  by  dikes,  for  at  one  time  it  was  pos- 
sible to  pass  over  it  in  a  row  boat.  He  served  one 
term  as  county  commissioner  when  La  Conner  was 
in  Whatcom  county;  but  his  bent  was  for  indus- 
trial rather  than  for  political  leadership.  His  de- 
mise in  1885  was  felt  to  be  a  decided  misfortune 
to  the  entire  community  while  not  a  few  mourned 
him  as  a  lost  friend  and  benefactor.  He  was  sur- 
vived by  a  widow  and  nine  children:  Herbert  S., 
Frank  J.  S.,  Louis  A.,  Guy  W.,  Martin  A.,  Wil- 
liam W.,  Ida  R.,  now  Mrs.  Wilson  H.  Talbott,  of 
Ellensburg;  Lillian  J.,  now  Mrs.  Sylvester  P. 
Kendall,  of  La  Conner,  and  Mary  Viola.  Since 
the  father's  death,  Louis  and  Martin  have  passed 
away. 

That  Herbert  S.  Conner  is  a  worthy  son  of  his 
honored  father  has  been  abundantly  proven  by  the 
efiicient  way  in  which  he  has  managed  the  parental 
estate  and  carried  on  the  work  since  1885,  when, 
fresh  from  school,  he  was  summoned  by  sickness 
and  death  in  his  household,  to  the  larger  school 
of  life.  His  elementary  education  was  obtained 
from  teachers  provided  by  his  father  in  the  days 
when  there  w'ere  no  public  schools  in  Skagit  coun- 
ty; later  training  was  had  in  the  territorial  uni- 
versity, his  father  moving  to  Seattle  temporarily 
that  the  benefits  of  that  institution  might  be  en- 
joyed. After  leaving  the  Seattle  institution  he  went 
to  Schuylkill  Haven,  Pennsylvania,  and  entered  the 
high  school  from  which  he  was  graduated.  This 
was  followed  by  a  course  in  the  Eastman  Bvisiness 
College  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  where  he  fin- 
ished his  studies  in  1884.  He  was  spending  a  few 
months  near  the  old  parental  home  in  Pennsyl- 
vania when  the  summons  came,  calling  him  to 
California  whither  his  father  had  gone  in  search 
of  health.  While  the  elder  Conner  lingered,  the 
son  was  employed  as  assistant  cashier  in  a  large 
bakery;  but  when  the  father  had  passed  away,  the 
family  returned  to  the  North  and  Herbert  became 
manager  of  the  property  interests.  A  year  after- 
ward they  took  up  their  residence  at  Clover  Lawn, 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  well  known  of  Skag- 
it county  homes.  Possessed  of  exceptional  execu- 
tive ability  Mr.  Conner  has  achieved  an  industrial 
success  of  which  any  man  might  be  proud.  Nor 
has  his  whole  time  been  given  to  the  acquisition 
and  improvement  of  real  estate.  On  the  contrary 
he  is  unusually  public  spirited,  accepting  cheerfully, 
for  the  good  of  the  cause,  such  unremunerative 
offices  as  school  director  and  city  councilman,  and 
always  discharging  the  duties  attaching  to  these 
places  with  exceptional  ability  and  faithfulness. 
In  1894  he  was  called  upon  to  represent  his  district 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


in  the  state  legislature,  which  he  was  able  to  do 
most  efficiently  because  of  his  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  needs  of  his  constituency.  In  1900  he  was 
a  delegate  to  the  national  Republican  convention 
which  placed  in  nomination  jMcKinley  and  Roose- 
velt. 

In  August,  1S98,  ]\Ir.  Conner  married  Miss 
Alma  I.  Grunkranz,  whose  father,  John  Grunkranz, 
lived  for  a  time  in  Nebraska  and  later  was  well 
known  over  the  state  of  Washington  as  a  Seattle 
banker;  his  widow,  nee  Zingre,  still  resides  in  Seat- 
tle. Mrs.  Conner  was  born  in  Fremont,  Nebraska ; 
she  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  state  and 
in  the  Academy  of  the  Holy  Name,  at  Seattle,  be- 
ing graduated  from  the  latter  institution.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Connor  have  two  children. 


RICHARD  H.  BALL  is  one  of  the  men  who 
thoroughly  believes  in  Skagit  county,  and  the  suc- 
cess which  he  has  achieved  since  he  settled  in  that 
county  in  1876,  certainly  justifies  that  opinion. 
Mr.  Ball  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  of 
English  ancestry.  His  father,  Samuel  Ball,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1820,  first  located  in 
Cincinnati,  but  later  moved  to  Harrison,  Hamilton 
county.  His  wife,  Mary  (Wyatt)  Ball,  was  also 
of  English  birth.  She  became  the  mother  of  nine 
children  of  which  Richard  is  the  youngest.  In  the 
stirring  days  before  the  Civil  War,  young  Ball  had 
few  opportunities  to  go  to  school.  However,  he 
had  thoroughly  mastered  the  trade  of  carpenter 
under  his  father's  directions,  when,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  responded  to  the  call  of  his  country, 
enlisting  in  Company  D  of  the  Eighty-third  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  then  rendezvoused  at  Camp 
Dennison.  During  General  Grant's  operations  in 
penning  up  Pemberton  in  Vicksburg,  young  Ball 
was  severely  wounded  on  May  23,  1863,  and  was 
taken  to  the  Washington  hospital  in  Memphis, 
Tennessee,  where  he  was  confined  for  a  number 
of  weeks.  When  in  condition  for  duty,  he  prompt- 
ly rejoined  his  command  in  the  field  and  contmued 
in  active  service  until  mustered  out  at  Galveston, 
Texas,  with  the  chevrons  of  a  sergeant.  Fully  re- 
alizing his  educational  deficiencies,  this  war  vet- 
eran, upon  his  return  home,  entered  the  high  school 
at  Manchester,  Indiana,  diligently  applying  himself 
to  his  studies  while  he  remained  there.  He  later 
went  to  Harrison,  Ohio,  where  he  resumed  his 
trade  of  carpenter  which  he  followed  until  187G. 
At  this  time,  he  was  taken  with  the  Western  fever, 
and  turned  his  face  toward  the  territory  of  Wash- 
ington. He  came  direct  to  the  town  of  La  Conner, 
where  he  landed  in  August  with  three  dollars,  three 
children  and  a  wife.  The  following  spring  he  filed 
on  a  pre-emption  claim  to  forty  acres  and  a  home- 
stead of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  the  tide 
lands.     This  had  to  be  diked,  and  he  begun  work 


on  it  as  soon  as  he  was  able,  working  little  by 
little  until  in  1880  he  had  fifty  acres  protected 
from  the  water.  For  nine  years  he  had  to  use  a 
boat  to  get  to  and  from  his  land,  but  perseverance 
and  hard  labor  at  last  met  their  reward  and  he  was 
able  to  devote  his  time  and  attention  entirely  to  his 
place,  with  the  satisfying  feeling  that  his  labor  had 
been  well  spent.  With  the  exception  of  the  winter  of 
1897-8,  which  he  spent  in  Alaska,  Mr.  Ball,  since  his 
first  arrival  in  Skagit  county,  has  resided  upon  his 
ranch  or  in  the  town  of  La  Conner. 

In  1866  at  Harrison,  Ohio,  Mr.  Ball  married 
Miss  Amanda  Horney,  daughter  of  Perry  Horney, 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  who  for  a  portion  of  his  life 
was  a  painter  and  farmer  in  the  state  of  Indiana. 
Mrs.  Ball  was  born  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  receiv- 
ing her  education  there  and  in  Indiana.  She  and 
Mr.  Ball  are  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom 
only  two  survive :  Mrs.  Hattie  A.  Dunlap  of  Mount 
Vernon,  and  Samuel  Ball.  Mr.  Ball  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  the  latter  of 
which  he  is  especially  prominent,  being  past  grand 
and  the  oldest  member  of  his  home  lodge.  Mrs. 
Ball  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  in  which 
she  has  held  the  office  of  president  of  the  ladies' 
aid  society  for  many  years.  Always  an  active  Re- 
publican, Mr.  Ball  has  for  years  served  his  party 
with  faithfulness  and  zeal  either  as  chairman  or 
member  of  the  county  central  committee,  which  lat- 
ter position  he  now  holds.  Mr.  Ball  has  added  to 
that  original  three  dollars  with  which  he  landed  in 
Skagit  county,  until  he  now  has  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  the  rich  lands  of  Swinomish  flats 
under  cultivation  and  growing  good  crops,  a  tim- 
ber claim  in  Oregon,  a  herd  of  Durham  cattle,  a 
band  of  good  horses  and  other  personal  property. 
His  record  is  certainly  one  of  which  he  may  well 
be  proud.  Like  all  the  pioneers  of  the  flats,  he  has 
had  difficulties  to  contend  with  which  would  have 
overwhelmed  less  resolute  men,  but  Skagit, county 
has  its  rewards  for  the  vigilant  and  the  brave,  and 
Mr.  Ball  is  now  enjoying  those  rewards.  The  same 
qualities  which  made  him  a  worthy  wearer  of  the 
blue,  has  enabled  him  to  win  in  the  stern  battles  of 
later  life.  He  has  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow-citizens,  who  have  attested  their  faith  by 
electing  him  mavor  of  La  Conner. 


HON.  WILLIAAI  E.  SCHRICKER.  If  dUi- 
gence  and  ability  in  private  business,  a  deep,  public- 
spirited  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  community 
and  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
responsible  offices  of  trust  entitle  a  man  to  be  ranked 
as  a  leader  in  his  section  of  the  state,  then  certainly 
William  E.  Schricker  is  entitled  to  such  a  rank.  In 
the  state  legislature,  in  the  courts  of  the  county,  in 
banking  and  business  circles  generally  and  even  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


the  administration  of  the -local  municipal  govern- 
ment and  the  local  schools  his  influence  has  been 
felt  and  everywhere  it  has-been  on  the  side  of  pro- 
gressiveness  and  efficiency.  His  town,  county  and 
state  are  certainly  all  indebted  to  him  and  there  is 
evidence  that,  in  part  at  least,  they  realize  and  ac- 
knowledge the  obligation. 

Like  thousands  of  others  who  have  been  forceful 
in  the  life  of  American  communities,  Air.  Schricker 
comes  of  sturdy  German  stock,  his  parents.  Lorenzo 
and  Mary  ( Ilansen )  Schricker.  being  both  natives 
of  Germany.  They  came  to  America  early  in  life 
and  from  1841  to  1851  the  elder  Mr.  Schricker  was 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Iowa,  but  at 
the  end  of  that  extended  period  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  lumber  business,  organizing  the  Missis- 
sippi Logging  and  Lumber  Company  in  1871. 

William  E.  Schricker,  of  this  article,  was  born 
at  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  1863.  He  received  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
spent  three  years  at  the  Iowa  Agricultural  College, 
and  then  entered  the  Iowa  State  University,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1883.  Being  ambitious 
for  a  still  higher  education  he  then  took  a  post- 
graduate course  in  the  celebrated  Columbia  College 
of  New  York,  also  studying  law.  As  soon  as  he  had 
gained  admission  to  the  bar  he  determined  to  seek 
his  fortune  in  the  West,  and  the  year  188.3  found 
him  in  Seattle,  where  he  and  I.  W.  Adams  together 
opened  an  office.  Next  year  he  removed  to  La  Con- 
ner and  established  himself  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession  there,  also  as  a  negotiator  of  loans.  Ky 
fall  he  had  become  interested  in  a  general  banking 
business  and  two  years  later,  he  took  in  L.  L.  An- 
drews as  a  partner  in  the  Skagit  County  bank 
(which  he  had  previously  organized  and  named), 
an  institution  which  has  continued  in  active  opera- 
tion ever  since,  holding  rank  among  the  solid  mone- 
tary concerns  of  the  state.  But  Mr.  Schricker  never 
abandoned  the  practice  of  his  profession.  On  the 
contrary  he  has  pursued  it  with  great  diligence  and 
success,  building  up  a  very  large  business,  especially 
in  probate  matters,  of  which  lie  makes  a  specialty. 
As  heretofore  intimated,  he  has  taken  much  time 
from  his  dual  occupation  to  devote  to  public  inter- 
ests. He  was  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  to 
membership  in  the  second  state  legislature,  and  so 
satisfactory  was  his  service  that  he  was  ofifered  the 
nomination  for  a  second  term,  but  pressure  of  pri- 
vate business  forced  him  to  decline.  For  fifteen  years 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  La  Conner  city  coun- 
cil, but  perhaps  his  most  valuable  services  to  the 
community  are  those  which  he  has  rendered  to  the 
cause  of  public  education.  A  firm  believer  in  the 
necessity  of  thorough  training  for  the  young,  he  has 
devoted  himself  with  assiduity  and  zeal  to  the  im- 
provement of  the  local  schools,  and  the  efficiency  of 
the  La  Conner  educational  system  is  due  to  his  ef- 
forts more  perhaps  than  to  those  of  any  other  one 


man.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  fifteen  years  and  is  now  chairman  of  that  body, 
also  president  of  the  high  school  governing  board, 
and  until  very  recently  he  was  president  of  the 
board  of  regents  of  the  State  University,  hence  was 
connected  with  the  educational  system  of  Washing- 
ton from  bottom  to  top. 

In  1884  Mr.  Schricker  married  at  Waverly, 
Iowa,  Miss  Josephine,  daughter  of  Nathan  and 
Sarah  Beals.  She  was  a  native  of  Iowa,  a  graduate 
of  Cornell  College,  located  in  that  state,  and  by  pro- 
fession a  teacher.  She  died  in  1897,  leaving  two 
children,  Florence  H.,  now  attending  school  in 
Massachusetts,  and  Ottilie  lona,  a  student  in  the  La 
Conner  high  school.  In  1900  Mr.  Schricker  was 
again  married,  the  lady  being  Miss  Adah  Theresa, 
daughter  of  Edgar  A.  Wright,  of  San  Diego,  Cali- 
fornia. Born  in  Missouri,  she  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated there  and  she  belonged  to  the  teaching  force 
of  that  state  until  a  short  time  before  her  marriage. 
In  fraternal  affiliation  Mr.  Schricker  is  a  Mason  and 
in  politics  an  active  Republican.  Being  a  diligent 
and  successful  man,  he  has  naturally  accumulated  a 
goodly  share  of  worldly  wealth,  his  holdings  includ- 
ing not  a  little  realty  in  Skagit  county  and  valuable 
interest  in  Pennsvlvania  coal  land. 


HONORABLE  LAURIN  L.  ANDREWS, 
banker  of  La  Conner  and  one  of  the  oldest  residents 
of  Skagit  county,  has  spent  nearly  all  of  his  life  in 
the  basin  of  the  sound  and  has  won  recognition  as 
one  of  the  eminent  citizens  of  the  northwestern  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  the  famous  old 
town  of  Bucksport,  Maine,  on  the  fifth  day  of  Janu- 
ary, 1849.  His  father,  Peter  Andrews,  was  a  native 
of  Quebec,  but  when  a  young  man  crossed  the  line 
into  Maine,  where  he  remained  for  a  few  years  fol- 
lowing lumbering  and  farming.  In  the  year  of  1858 
he  came  to  Washington  via  the  Panama  route,  stop- 
ping first  at  Seattle,  then  a  mere  trading  post.  He 
shortly  afterward  took  up  a  claim  on  Cedar  river, 
opposite  the  present  site  of  Renton,  on  which  he 
proved  up  and  later  sold,  moving  to  the  mouth  of 
Black  river  where  he  continued  to  live  for  several 
years.  Returning  to  Seattle  in  1880  he  continued  to 
make  that  place  his  home  until  his  death  in  1885. 
Mrs.  Mary  (Carr)  Andrews,  mother  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Maine.  She  was  the  mother  of  five 
children,  of  whom  only  Laurin  L.  is  now  living.  It 
was  in  Seattle  that  young  Andrews  gained  his  edu- 
cation, first  in  the  public  school  and  later  in  the  Ter- 
ritorial university.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  se- 
cured the  position  of  clerk  in  a  general  merchandise 
store  in  Seattle.  Having  secured  an  insight  into 
the  mercantile  business,  he  severed  his  connection 
with  this  firm  at  the  end  of  a  year  and  a  half  and 
established  a  store  on  the  Tulalip  Indian  reservation 
in  Snohomish  county.     Selling  out  this  business  at 


650 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


the  end  of  the  first  year,  he  opened  a  general  mer- 
chandise store  on  the  Swinomish  reservation  at  a 
point  immediately  opposite  La  Conner,  which  busi- 
ness he  successfully  conducted  for  five  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time,  1876,  he  crossed  over  to  La  Con- 
ner. Here  he  built  up  a  lucrative  business  which  he 
continued  for  ten  years.  In  1888  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  Skagit  County  bank  with  W.  E. 
Schricker.  This  was  the  first  and  only  bank  estab- 
lished in  the  town  of  La  Conner,  and  it  still  bears 
the  original  name  with  which  it  was  christened, 
having,  under  the  guiding  hand  of  its  capable  head, 
passed  safely  through  the  many  vicissitudes  common 
to  such  institutions  in  pioneer  communities,  together 
with  the  great  financial  crisis  of  the  early  nineties, 
and  to-day  stands  recognized  as  one  of  the  solidest 
banking  institutions  in  the  upper  sound  country,  a 
veritable  monument  to  the  sagacity,  wisdom  and 
business  ability  of  its  founders  and  managers. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1875,  in  Whatcom  county, 
Mr.  Andrews  and  Miss  Sarah  E.  Allen  were  united 
in  marriage.  Mrs.  Andrews'  father,  George  W.  L. 
Allen,  was  a  farmer  in  Virginia  in  early  life,  but 
desiring  to  seek  a  new  home  in  the  undeveloped  sec- 
tion, he,  with  other  bold  and  fearless  pioneers, 
crossed  the  plains  in  1852  and  took  up  his  home 
among  the  very  first  on  Whidby  island.  He  later 
came  to  the  mainland  and  took  up  a  pre-emption  ten 
miles  north  of  La  Conner.  Airs.  Hattie  (Packwood) 
Allen,  mother  of  Mrs.  Andrews,  was  born  in  Mis- 
souri and  is  still  living,  at  present  making  her  home 
in  Tacoma.  Mrs.  Andrews  was  born  at  Oak  Har- 
bor, Whidby  island,  in  1856.  She  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Coupeville  and  in  the  high 
school  at  Seattle.  Three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Andrews  are  living,  namely:  George  L.,  born  in 
1876,  now  a  grain  buyer  at  La  Conner,  represent- 
ing Seattle  and  San  Francisco  mills ;  Mary  L.,  born 
in  1878,  living  at  home,  and  Mrs.  Ada  B.  Nicholas 
at  La  Conner,  where  her  husband  is  principal  of  the 
public  schools.  Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrews 
are  Episcopalians,  while  fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen,  and  has  the  distinction  of  hav- 
ing occupied  high  official  positions  in  each  of  those 
orders.  Mr.  Andrews  has  been  a  lifelong  and  ac- 
tive Republican,  and  participates  with  zeal  in  the 
conventions  and  coimcils  of  his  party.  In  1877  he 
was  called  to  serve  for  two  years  in  the  territorial 
legislature,  during  which  time  he  was  instrumental 
in  passing  the  measure  which  established  the  first 
court  in  Whatcom  county.  He  has  also  served  one 
term,  1887-8,  as  sheriff  of  the  county  and  four  years 
as  member  of  the  board  of  county  commissioners. 
Honest  and  upright  in  business,  faithful  and  effi- 
cient in  his  services  as  legislator  and  county  official, 
a  leader  in  organizations  of  a  benevolent  and  fra- 
ternal character,  ever  public  spirited,  and  withal  a 
man  of  affable  and  social  qualities,  Mr.  Andrews  de- 


servedly ranks  among  the  foremost  of  Skagit  coun- 
ty's distinguished  citizens. 


CHARLES  E.  CACHES  is  connected  with  one 
of  the  pioneer  mercantile  establishments  of  the 
county  and  by  his  successful  management  of  the 
business  has  earned  for  himself  the  reputation  of 
being  one  of  the  brightest  young  business  men  of 
Skagit  county.  He  was  born  at  La  Conner  in  No- 
vember, 1882.  His  father,  James  Caches,  the 
founder  of  the  business,  is  a  native  of  England,  who, 
when  fourteen  years  of  age,  left  home  and  went  to 
Australia.  He  obtained  employment  on  a  cattle 
ranch  and  during  the  last  nine  years  of  his  stay  in 
that  country  was  manager  of  the  largest  cattle 
ranch  in  Australia.  In  1869  the  elder  Caches  came 
to  San  Francisco  and  two  years  later  located  at  La 
Conner,  where  in  1873  he  opened  a  general  store 
and  soon  built  up  a  large  business,  which  is  now 
partly  under  the  management  of  his  son.  Just  at 
present  Mr.  Caches  is  visiting  his  old  home  in  Eng- 
land. Mrs.  Rhoda  (Francis)  Caches,  mother  of 
Charles,  came  from  England  when  a  young 
woman  and  was  married  at  La  Conner  in  1877. 
Charles  E.  Caches  received  his  early  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  La  Conner  and  later  grad- 
uated from  the  State  University  at  Seattle,  continu- 
ing for  a  year  after  graduation  as  instructor  in  civil 
engineering.  In  the  summer  of  1902  he  went  to 
Korea  and  China  to  examine  a  mining  property  and 
make  report  to  the  owners.  On  his  return  he  con- 
nected himself  with  his  father  in  business  and  is  now 
in  the  management  of  the  same.  The  Caches  fam- 
ily is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  highly  cul- 
tured families  in  Skagit  county.  Samuel  F.  Caches, 
brother  of  Charles,  is  a  graduate  of  Leland  Stan- 
ford, Jr.,  University  and  from  1900  to  1904  was  in 
the  government  postal  service.  Another  brother, 
George  H.  Caches,  is  manager  of  the  Seattle-What- 
com  Transportation  Company,  with  offices  at  La 
Conner.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  LTniversity 
and  served  with  the  First  Washington  Volunteers 
in  the  Philippine  war.  The  sister,  Mrs.  Eva  Rich- 
ardson, lives  in  Oakland.  California,  where  her  hus- 
band is  connected  with  the  Japanese  consulate.  Mrs. 
Richardson  is  a  graduate  of  the  Boston  Conserva- 
tory of  Music.  The  Caches  family  is  Republican  in 
politics  and  Baptist  in  church  affiliation.  Aside  from 
their  interests  in  the  store  and  the  transportation 
company  they  own  a  fine  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  all  under  cultivation.  The  en- 
tire family  is  one  which  enjoys  and  merits  the  es- 
teem and  confidence  of  the  business  community  of 
Skagit  county. 


EDWARD  BRISTOW,  the  efficient  sub-agent 
in  charge  of  the  Swinomish  Indian  reservation,  is  a 


a^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


man  of  varied  career  and  experiences  and  of  many 
accomplishments.  A  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  he 
is  also  a  veteran  of  the  Indian  service.  He  was 
born  in  Polk  County,  Missouri,  in  18-i4,  the  son  of 
Edward  Bristow,  a  Pennsylvania  farmer  who  moved 
to  Missouri  in  1833,  and  served  in  a  regiment 
which  drove  the  Indians  from  that  territory  for  the 
settlers.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah  (Ashenhurst)  Bris- 
tow, was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  of  Irish  descent.  She 
died  in  Missouri,  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  of 
whom  Edward  is  the  youngest.  Facilities  for  edu- 
cation were  not  common  in  the  days  when  Edward 
Bristow  was  young  and  much  of  his  education  was 
acquired  in  the  stern  school  of  experience  and  by 
observation  and  reading.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 
enlisted  in  a  short-term  regiment,  but  at  the  close  of 
the  period  of  enlistment  went  into  Company  M  of 
the  Eighth  Missouri  Cavalry  and  served  through 
the  war,  being  mustered  out  with  the  chevrons  of  a 
sergeant.  Young  Bristow  was  in  the  battle  of  Prai- 
rie Grove  and  numerous  cavalry  engagements  about 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  At  the  battle  of  Miller's 
Lane.  White  river,  Arkansas,  his  brother  was  fatally 
wounded  by  his  side ;  and  here,  as  at  Ashley  Station, 
where  his  own  horse  was  killed  under  him,  he  es- 
caped unwounded,  like  fortune  attending  him  to  the 
close  of  the  war.  Returning  home  from  the  serv- 
ice, ^Ir.  Bristow  taught  school  for  one  year  and 
for  the  following  two  years  acted  as  constable.  Still 
later  he  served  as  deputy  sheriff.  In  1872  Mr.  Bris- 
tow went  to  California  and  entered  the  government 
Indian  service  as  assistant  blacksmith  at  the  Tule 
River  reservation.  Nine  months  later  he  was  pro- 
moted to  be  head  farmer  on  the  same  reservation. 
In  1880  he  resigned  and  moved  to  Umatilla  County, 
Oregon,  where  for  a  decade  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. On  selling  out  in  Oregon,  he  came  to  Snoho- 
mish county  and  took  charge  of  a  lumber  yard.  In 
1891  Mr.  Bristow  again  entered  the  Indian  service, 
taking  charge  of  the  Swinomish  reservation.  Pie 
left  the  service  again  in  1899,  but  a  year  later  re- 
turned and  was  sent  to  the  Lummi  reservation 
for  two  years  and  then  transferred  to  his 
original  post  in  the  Indian  service,  which  he 
still  holds. 

In  1867  in  Cedar  County,  Missouri,  Mr.  Bris- 
tow married  Miss  Martha  Samsel,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph and  Ellen  (Wilson)  Samsel,  natives  of  Ten- 
nessee, who  went  to  Missouri,  soon  after  their 
daughter  was  born.  Four  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  I\Irs.  Bristow  of  whom  but  one  is  living, 
Mrs.  Stella  Osberg  of  La  Conner.  In  politics  Mr. 
Bristow  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  of  the  Good 
Templars.  The  family  are  Methodists.  Mr.  Bris- 
tow is  the  owner  of  a  two-acre  plat  in  La  Conner 
and  also  of  a  house  and  lot.  He  makes  his  home 
on  the  reservation  and  is  one  of  the  efficient  em- 
ployees of  the  government's  Indian  service. 


W.  AXEL  CARLSON  of  La  Conner  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Mail  Publishing  Company,  owner  of 
the  Puget  Sound  I\Iail,  La  Conner's  representative 
in  the  newspaper  world  of  the  Northwest,  and  is  in 
charge  of  the  mechanical  department.  He  is  a  news- 
paper man  of  experience,  having  known  all  the 
changeful  incidents  of  a  country  newspaper  man's 
life  from  printer's  devil  to  editor. 

Air.  Carlson  was  born  in  1875,  on  a  farm  near 
the  town  of  Olsburg,  Kansas,  the  fourth  of  six  chil- 
dren, his  parents  being  John  A.  and  Charlotte 
(Daniels)  Carlson.  The  father  is  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, who  came  to  America  thirty  years  ago,  settling 
ultimately  upon  the  farm  where  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born.  Mrs.  Carlson  was  born  and  mar- 
ried in  Sweden,  accompanying  her  husband  to  this 
country.  Of  their  six  children,  but  one,  Hilda,  the 
youngest,  is  dead.  The  children  living,  aside  from 
W.  Axel,  are:  John,  living  in  Alberta,  Canada; 
Augustus,  Fred  and  Anna,  all  of  whom  make  their 
home  in  Marysville,  Snohomish  county. 

W.  Axel  Carlson  after  spending  his  early  years 
upon  his  father's  farm,  and  attending  the  common 
schools,  entered  the  office  of  the  Olsburg  News-Let- 
ter as  printer's  apprentice.  He  remained  there  for 
several  years,  steadily  advancing  as  he  gained  ex- 
perience in  the  business  until  he  became  editor  and 
owner.  After  making  the  paper  one  of  the  best  in 
Pottowatomie  county,  he  sold  out,  moving  to  Skagit 
county  and  farming  near  La  Conner  for  two  years. 
But  Mr.  Carlson  has  not  lost  interest  in  newspaper 
work.  He  returned  to  Kansas  and  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  firm  which  published  the  Enterprise  at 
Randolph.  In  1898  he  came  once  more  to  Skagit 
county  and  worked  with  the  News-Herald  at  Mount 
Vernon  for  three  years.  During  the  last  year  of 
that  period,  with  a  partner,  A.  L.  Sebring,  he  pub- 
lished the  paper  under  a  lease. 

In  May,  1901,  Mr.  Carlson  moved  to  La  Con- 
ner and  bought  the  interest  of  A.  J.  Morrow  in  the 
Puget  Sound  Mail,  which  he  holds  at  the  present 
time,  F.  L.  Carter  being  his  partner.  A  sketch  of 
the  Mail  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Mr.  Carlson  is  popular  and  highly  respected  in 
his  community,  a  man  of  probity  of  character  and 
of  intellectual  attainments.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  the  Good  Templars,  and  is  affiliated 
with  the  Methodist  church.  He  is  a  believer  in  the 
principles  of  Republicanism  and  is  active  in  the  local 
councils  of  his  party. 


FRED  LEROY  CARTER  has  been  for  eight- 
een years  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Puget  Sound 
Mail  of  La  Conner,  and  during  that  time  he  has 
built  up  the  circulation  and  established  the  paper  on 
a  substantial  footing.  Mr.  Carter  was  born  in  Dav- 
enport, Iowa,  in  1864,  the  son  of  Dr.  George  W. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Carter,  who  came  to  this  country  from  England 
when  a  lad  of  nine  years  and  settled  in  Genesee 
County,  New  York.  Dr.  Carter  was  graduated  at 
the  head  of  the  class  of  1853  in  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  He  went  to  Iowa  to  prac- 
tice and  followed  his  profession  at  Davenport  until 
1868,  when  he  removed  to  Marshalltown.  After 
twenty-five  years  of  practice  there  he  retired  and  is 
now  living  at  Geneva,  Ohio.  Mrs.  Cordelia  (Parks) 
Carter,  mother  of  Fred  L.,  was  a  native  of 
Genesee  County,  New  York.  She  died  in  Iowa  in 
March  of  1886,  leaving  one  child,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Editor  Carter  was  educated  in  Marshall- 
town,  Iowa,  graduating  from  the  high  school.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  baseball  and  football  teams  of 
that  institution,  both  of  which  were  strong  in  those 
days.  In  1881  Mr.  Carter  took  up  newspaper  work, 
serving  a  year  and  a  half  on  the  Times-Republican. 
He  came  West  at  the  end  of  that  period  on  account 
of  his  failing  health  and  passed  several  months  at 
La  Conner.  Returning  eventually  to  his  old  home, 
he  worked  on  various  papers  at  Marshalltown  for 
two  years.  He  then  came  again  to  La  Conner  and 
in  1887  in  conjunction  with  June  Henderson 
bought  the  Puget  Sound  Mail,  which  was  at  that 
time  being  run  by  Henry  McBride  and  R.  O.  Welts, 
the  former  of  whom  later  became  governor  of 
Washington.  Mr.  Carter  has  been  editor  of  the 
paper  continuously  since. 

In  Marshalltown,  in  August,  1888,  Mr.  Carter 
married  Miss  Georgia  E.  Hughes,  daughter  of 
Charles  Hughes,  who  was  a  native  of  Maryland  and 
a  prominent  mathematical  authority  in  his  day.  He 
lived  until  1903.  Mrs.  Carter's  mother,  Mrs.  Lydia 
(Nichols)  Hughes,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1828 
and  passed  away  in  La  Conner  in  1889.  Mrs.  Car- 
ter was  born  in  West  Liberty,  Iowa,  in  1870,  re- 
ceived her  education  in  the  schools  of  Marshall- 
town,  Iowa,  and  taught  until  her  marriage.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Carter  have  had  two  children:  Leona  M., 
who  died  of  diphtheria  in  1899,  at  the  age  of  ten 
years,  and  Nellie  C,  born  in  La  Conner  on  October 
1,  1892.  Mr.  Carter  is  a  member  of  Camp  449, 
Woodmen  of  the  World,  one  of  the  strongest 
lodges  in  La  Conner,  also  belongs  to  the  Baptist 
church,  of  which  he  is  clerk  at  present.  During  his 
long  career  as  a  newspaper  man  in  Skagit  county 
Mr.  Carter  has  always  held  a  position  in  the  fore- 
front of  the  profession.  Possessed  of  the  public 
spirit  so  characteristic  of  the  journalist,  he  has  ever 
watched  with  a  vigilant  eye  the  interests  of  his  com- 
munity and  state,  and  his  influence  has  always  been 
for  progressiveness  along  every  line. 


JOHN  MELKILD,  general  merchant  and  post- 
master of  Conway,  came  to  Skagit  county  direct 
from  his  native  Norway  in  the  year  1889,  and  has 
since  made  his  home  in  the  valley.     Mr.  Melkild 


was  born  July  3,  1869,  the  son  of  Lars  Melkild,  whO' 
still  lives  on  the  old  family  farm  in  Norway.  The 
mother  is  Ildre  (Apdal)  Melkild,  who  is  also  yet 
living  in  her  native  land.  She  is  the  mother  of  four 
children,  of  whom  John  is  the  only  one  in  the  United 
States.  Until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  young 
Melkild  took  advantage  of  the  offerings  of  school 
and  was  in  regular  attendance.  After  that  age  he 
was  able  to  pursue  his  education  only  for  two  or 
three  months  in  the  winter  season,  working  on  the 
home  farm  during  the  intervals.  In  1889  he  de- 
cided to  come  to  the  United  States  and  suiting  his- 
action  to  his  decision  in  that  year  settled  in  Skagit 
county.  One  year  followed  of  work  on  farms.  Then 
he  entered  upon  a  general  contracting  business,  and 
during  the  decade  in  which  he  bent  his  efforts  in 
that  direction  built  dikes,  dug  ditches  and  engaged 
in  matters  of  public  improvement.  In  1900  he  re- 
linquished the  contracting  work  and  entered  a  store- 
at  Fir  as  clerk,  relinquishing  this  position  after  two- 
years  of  experience  and  purchasing  the  store  and 
stock  of  F.  C.  Anderson  at  Conway.  He  has  refitted 
and  enlarged  the  place,  and  is  now  conducting  one 
of  the  best  and  largest  country  store  enterprises  in- 
the  countv. 

In  May  of  1902  Mr.  Melkild  married  Miss  Alice 
Anderson,  daughter  of  Magnus  Anderson,  one  of 
the  original  pioneers  of  the  Skagit  valley,  who  is 
still  living.  She  has  one  brother  and  three  sisters: 
Frank  C.  Anderson,  Mrs.  Mamie  Hammock,  Mrs. 
Martha  Abrams  and  Miss  Mabel  Anderson.  ln> 
politics,  Mr.  Melkild  is  an  independent  Democrat, 
bound  by  no  party  lines.  His  property  interests  are 
for  the  most  part  included  in  his  store  property  at 
Conway  and  some  real  estate  in  that  town.  It  is- 
worthy  of  note  that  Mr.  Melkild,  after  reaching  the 
age  of  manhood  and  after  getting  well  into  the  re- 
sponsibilties  of  business  life,  in  1897  entered  the 
Lutheran  University  at  Tacoma,  appreciating  the 
superior  advantages  that  would  accrue  from  a  bet- 
ter education  than  he  had  been  able  to  acquire  in- 
youth.  This  incident  of  itself  is  indicative  of  the 
thoroughness,  the  progressiveness  and  the  ideals  of 
the  man. 


GUST  PEARSON  is  one  of  the  younger  mer- 
chants of  La  Conner  who  is  earning  deservedly  a 
reputation  for  business  abilty  and  fair  dealing  to- 
which  is  added  not  only  enterprise  but  also  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  conditions.  Mr.  Pearson  was- 
born  in  Sweden  late  in  the  year  1869,  the  son  of  a- 
farmer  of  that  country.  The  mother,  Elna  (Ander- 
son) Anderson,  is  still  living  in  the  old  country,  the- 
mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  Gust  is  fifth  in- 
order  of  birth.  Mr.  Pearson  obtained  his  education- 
in  his  native  land  and  remained  at  home  with  his 
parents  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age.  In  1883' 
he  came  to  the  United  States  seeking  better  oppor- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


tunities  than  were  offered  in  the  old  home  and 
crossed  the  continent  at  once  to  La  Conner.  The 
first  nine  years  of  his  Hfe  in  this  country  were  spent 
as  a  laborer,  during  which  time  he  was  industrious 
and  frugal.  In  1898  m  company  with  N.  A.  Nelson 
he  decided  to  embark  in  the  grocery  business  in  La 
Conner,  buying  the  store  property.  Patronage  was 
attracted  to  the  new  store  and  the  young  men  stead- 
ily continued  to  prosper  until  1904  when  they  were 
in  a  position  to  enter  their  new  building  and  the 
firm  is  now  enjoying  one  of  the  best  trades  in  gro- 
ceries in  the  town  of  La  Conner. 

In  1900  at  La  Conner  Mr.  Pearson  married  Miss 
Ida  Martin,  daughter  of  Martin  Martin,  a  Swedish 
farmer,  who  is  still  a  resident  of  the  old  country. 
She  came  to  this  country  to  visit  a  sister,  Mrs.  P. 
E.  Johnson,  met  Mr.  Pearson  and  eventually  mar- 
ried him.  Mrs.  Pearson  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
1873  and  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of 
that  country.  In  politics  Mr.  Pearson  is  a  Republi- 
can. In  fraternal  circles,  he  is  a  member  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  being  a  past 
grand,  and  his  wife  a  member  of  the  Rebekahs.  The 
Pearsons  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  In 
the  business  community  of  La  Conner  Mr.  Pearson 
is  recognized  as  a  pleasant,  accommodating  mer- 
chant and  a  young  man  of  ability  and  sterling  in- 
tegrity. 


NELS  A.  NELSON,  a  member  of  one  of  the 
active  grocery  firms  of  La  Conner,  and  a  man  of 
energy  and  push,  was  born  in  the  land  of  Sweden  in 
1864,  to  the  union  of  Nels  and  Mary  (Johnson) 
Nelson,  who  passed  their  lives  in  the  old  country. 
They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  which 
the  subject  of  this  writing  is  the  youngest.  Young 
Nelson,  in  an  educational  way  enjoyed  advantages 
not  always  forthcoming  to  every  boy  brought  up  in 
a  large  family  in  the  old  country.  After  attending 
the  common  schools  in  his  district  he  was  privileged 
to  take  a  course  in  college,  thus  equipping  him  the 
better  to  fight  the  battle  of  life.  Upon  completing 
his  schooling  he  returned  home  for  a  time,  later 
seeking  and  securing  a  position  as  clerk  in  a  general 
merchandise  store  in  Felipstad,  which  he  continued 
to  fill  for  five  years.  Ambitious  to  better  his  con- 
dition, and  understanding  the  circumscribed  con- 
ditions of  the  man  who  attempts  to  rise  in  the  busi- 
ness circles  of  the  old  world,  he  determined  to 
break  loose  from  the  old  moorings,  and  try  con- 
clusions with  fortune  under  the  less  restricted  con- 
ditions of  the  United  States.  He  bought  tickets  for 
this  country  and  came  direct  to  La  Conner,  of  which 
he  had  learned  through  friends.  Life  in  the  land 
of  the  free  he  found  was  not  to  be  one  continued 
round  of  pleasures,  and  good  lucrative  positions 
were  not  to  be  found  every  day,  so  he  took  up  the 
most  available  job  that  came  to  his  hand,  which 


proved  to  be  farming,  and  followed  this  life  in- 
dustriously for  six  years.  Of  a  frugal  disposition 
he  saved  some  money,  and  in  1898  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Gust  Pearson  and  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  in  the  little  city  of  La  Conner, 
buying  the  building  in  which  they  put  their  stock. 
The  effects  of  the  five  years'  training  in  Sweden 
were  not  lost  on  Mr.  Nelson,  as  is  attested  by  the 
manner  in  which  the  business  of  the  new  firm  has 
prospered.  They  are  now  doing  a  thriving  busi- 
ness which  is  growing  with  each  year,  and  they  are 
domiciled  in  their  own  neat  business  house. 

In  1899,  in  La  Conner,  Mr.  Nelson  was  joined 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Paulina  Poison,  daughter  of 
Olaf  Poison,  who  was  a  native  of  Sweden.  He 
came  to  Skagit  county  in  an  early  day,  took  up  land 
adjoining  Brown's  slough,  southeast  of  La  Conner, 
and  prospered  from  the  very  beginning.  His  large 
farm  was  put  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
structural  improvement,  and  was  for  years  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  finest  places  in  Skagit  county. 
Mr.  Poison  died  in  1903.  Gunhild  Poison,  mother 
of  Mrs.  Nelson,  resides  in  La  Conner.  Mrs.  Nel- 
son was  born  in  the  old  country  in  1865  and  came 
to  the  United  States  with  her  parents  when  but 
two  years  of  age.  She  received  a  good  education, 
was  granted  a  certificate  and  followed  teaching  for 
a  time  before  her  marriage.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nel- 
son have  been  born  two  daughters,  Esther  in  1901, 
and  Winifred  in  1903.  Politically  Mr.  Nelson  is 
Republican.  At  the  present  time  he  is  a  member 
of  the  La  Conner  city  council.  In  fraternal  circles 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  while  in  church  connections  he  is  a 
Lutheran.  While  deeply  interested  in  public  mat- 
ters, Mr.  Nelson  finds  little  time  to  devote  to  affairs 
outside  of  his  business  and  town  interests  and  the 
demands  of  his  home  life.  He  is  recognized  as 
honorable  and  upright  and  ever  ready  to  forward 
any  enterprise  for  the  general  betterment  of  condi- 
tions in  his  community. 


OLOF  J.  WINGREN,  a  successful  photogra- 
pher of  La  Conner,  with  a  large  and  lucrative  busi- 
ness, is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  1871,  the  fourth 
of  the  six  children  of  John  and  Petronella  (Pear- 
son) Wingren,  who  lived  on  a  farm  in  the  old  home 
land.  Mr.  Wingren  remained  with  them  until  fif- 
teen, attending  the  local  public  schools,  then  started 
to  learn  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith,  but  he  seemingly 
did  not  care  for  the  handicraft,  for  two  years  later 
he  left  the  man  to  whom  he  was  apprenticed  and 
set  sail  for  the  new  world,  the  promised  land  of 
Europeans.  During  the  ten  months  after  his  ar- 
rival in  Uncle  Sam's  domain  he  worked  in  a  tan- 
nery in  Pennsylvania,  then  he  came  west,  arriving 
at  La  Conner  the  year  that  Washington  was  admit- 
ted to  statehood.     The  ensuing  year  was  spent  in 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


farm  work,  then  two  a  half  years  were  given  to 
blacksmithing,  then  he  opened  a  repair  shop  for 
guns,  bicycles,  etc.,  but  though  he  remained  in  this 
line  of  work  for  seven  years  his  heart  was  not  fully 
in  it,  and  not  a  little  of  his  time  and  attention  was 
given  to  the  study  of  the  art  of  photography  in  all 
its  branches.  Eventually  he  decided  to  give  his 
whole  time  and  attention  to  it,  so  he  opened  a  gallery 
in  La  Conner  and  began  building  up  the  splendid, 
lucrative  business  he  now  enjoys.  A  great  fond- 
ness for  his  art  and  untiring  patience  in  mastering 
its  details  are  the  secrets  of  his  success,  good  work 
and  fair  treatment  bringing  their  reward  in  plenty 
of  patronage.  His  property  interests  include,  be- 
sides his  gallery  and  business,  a  fine  ten-room  house 
and  other  La  Conner  real  estate,  and  he  is  rich  in 
the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
which  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  he  has  been  called 
to  serve  as  councilman  for  the  past  two  and  a  half 
years  in  the  administration  of  the  city's  affairs. 

In  La  Conner  in  the  year  1897,  Mr.  Wingren 
married  Miss  Lena  Swanson,  whose  father,  Bengt 
Swanson,  is  still  living  in  Sweden,  the  land  of  his 
birth,  but  whose  mother  passed  away  when  she  was 
but  two  years  old.  Mrs.  Wingren  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  Swedish  schools,  but  early  in  life  came 
to  the  United  States.  She  died  in  La  Conner  in 
March,  1905,  leaving  one  daughter,  Linnea,  born  in 
April,  1898.  In  fraternal  affiliation,  Mr.  Wingren 
is  a  Woodman  of  the  World,  in  politics  a  Democrat, 
while  his  church  membership  is  in  the  Lutheran  de- 
nomination. 


HYMAN  SCHEURKOGEL,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers who  have  seen  the  country  changed  from  a 
tangled  and  almost  impenetrable  forest  wilderness 
to  a  place  of  happy  homes  and  well  tilled,  pro- 
ductive farms,  and  one  who  has  contributed  his  full 
share  toward  this  development,  is  a  native  of  Hol- 
land, that  land  which  has  done  so  much  to  demon- 
strate the  practicability  of  winning  an  empire  from 
the  sea,  that  land  whose  sons  have  many  times 
proven  their  grit  and  courage  and  splendid  mettle 
at  home  and  abroad.  He  was  born  December  14, 
1846,  the  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  (Vancouver) 
Scheurkogel,  who  were  farmers  by  occupation.  Be- 
ing the  oldest  of  six  children  he  had  to  help,  as  soon 
as  he  was  able,  with  the  work  on  the  home  place, 
but  his  parents  gave  him  opportunity  to  attend  the 
local  schools  and  he  obtained  a  fair  education.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one  he  embarked  for  the  Euro- 
pean's land  of  promise,  and  in  due  time  settled  in 
Pocahontas  County,  Iowa,  where  he  farmed  for  the 
ensuing  nine  years.  In  1877  he  went  to  California, 
whence,  a  year  later,  he  removed  to  Washington, 
landing  at  La  Conner,  August  30,  1878.  Pursuing 
the  same  plan  which  many  other  Skagit  county  pio- 
neers  have   followed,   he   worked  out  among  the 


farmers  for  a  couple  of  years,  learning  the  pecu- 
liarities of  the  country  and  how  best  to  take  advan- 
tage of  them  at  the  same  time  he  was  earning  his 
wages.  He  then  took  up  a  pre-emption  near  Avon. 
For  the  next  fifteen  years  he  devoted  himself  assidu- 
ously to  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  this 
farm,  removing  the  timber  from  sixty  acres  of  it. 
Only  those  who  have  a  realizing  sense  of  the  den- 
sity of  timber  in  western  Washington  can  realize 
the  magnitude  of  this  task.  In  1895  he  sold  all  but 
twenty  acres  of  his  original  claim  and  moved  to 
La  Conner,  where  he  has  since  been  living  in  par- 
tial retirement,  at  least  from  active  participation  in 
the  farming  industry.  In  addition  to  the  twenty 
acres  before  mentioned  he  has  some  valuable  realty 
holdings  in  the  city  of  La  Conner. 

In  1876,  just  before  starting  for  California,  Mr. 
Scheurkogel  married  ]\Iiss  Sarah  Slosson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Oscar  and  Julia  (Tousley)  Slosson,  natives 
of  Ohio,  who  in  the  later  years  of  their  lives  moved 
to  this  count}',  and  who  passed  awav  here  May  6, 
1903,  and  O'ctober  10,  1904,  respectively.  Mrs. 
Scheurkogel  was  born  in  Iowa,  February  16,  1859, 
and  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  that 
state,  where  also  she  taught  one  term,  but  her 
pedagogical  career  was  cut  short  by  an  early  mar- 
riage. She  and  Mr.  Scheurkogel  are  the  parents 
of  one  child,  Mary  E.,  born  in  Iowa  in  July,  1877, 
now  Mrs.  D.  C.  Hayward.  The  family  adhere  to 
the  Baptist  church,  and  in  political  faith  Mr.  Scheur- 
kogel is  a  Republican.  He  is  one  of  the  respected 
citizens  of  the  county,  held  in  high  repute  in  each  of 
the  communities  in  which  he  has  lived  and  wherever 
he  is  known. 


PETER  WINGREN,  machinist  and  proprietor 
of  the  electric  light  and  power  plant  of  La  Conner, 
is  one  of  the  young  men  who  are  bringing  things 
to  pass  for  ihe  betterment  of  their  community  and 
at  the  same  time  establishing  themselves  in  lucra- 
tive business.  Born  December  27,  1866,  in  Sweden, 
the  son  of  John  Wingren,  a  farmer,  Peter  Wingren 
attended  the  schools  of  his  native  land  until  he  was 
thirteen  years  of  age.  At  that  time  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  the  trade  of  machinist  and  had  mastered  it 
at  the  end  of  five  years.  Aside  from  a  natural 
adaptability  for  the  construction  of  machinery,  he 
has  always  been  a  student  of  all  lines  relating  to  his 
trade,  whether  directly  or  indirectly,  and  to  those 
characteristics  Mr.  Wingren  is  indebted  for  the  suc- 
cess he  is  making.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1885  and  first  worked  at  Wilcox,  Pennsylvania, 
as  engineer  in  a  factory.  He  remained  there  for 
four  years  and  in  1889  came  to  Seattle,  becoming 
assistant  engineer  on  a  steamboat.  Early  in  the  year 
1890  he  came  to  La  Conner  and  established  a  ma- 
chine shop.  He  noted  that  the  town  did  not  have 
electric  lights   and  after  canvassing  the  situation 


CL.ay^T~ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


661 


believed  that  there  was  an  opening  for  a  plant.  In 
1893  he  was  so  situated  as  to  embark  upon  the 
venture,  starting  in  a  very  small  way,  running  the 
plant  in  connection  with  his  machine  shop.  Since 
that  time  the  venture  has  grown  to  its  present  pro- 
portions of  thirty-five  arc  and  eight  hundred  incan- 
descent lights.  The  service  is  excellent  and  Mr. 
Wingren  has  incorporated  into  his  plant  all  the  new 
■devices  and  equipments  which  go  with  a  complete 
electric  lighting  establishment.  Since  1893  he  has 
devoted  the  most  of  his  attention  to  the  electric 
light  establishment,  but  he  has  not  suffered  his 
machine  plant  to  lie  idle  and  has  steadily  kept 
adding  improved  machinery  until  he  is  capable  of 
handling  any  work  demanded  in  the  vicinity.  In 
politics  Mr.  Wingren  is  a  democrat.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
is  a  past  grand  of  La  Conner  lodge.  The  only 
relative  Mr.  Wingren  has  in  this  country  is  a 
brother,  who  is  a  photographer  at  La  Conner.  In 
Mr.  Wingren  the  citizens  of  La  Conner  have  one  of 
the  most  enterprising  of  men,  a  thorough  workman, 
a  successful  business  man  and  one  of  whom  the 
community  has  reason  to  be  proud. 


ALVINZA  G.  TILLINGHAST.  The  pioneer 
in  any  industry,  the  experimenter  along  any  useful 
line,  the  trail-blazer  in  any  direction,  the  prover  of 
a  new  adaptability  in  the  local  soil,  the  man  who 
makes  two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  one  grew 
liefore,  is  certainly  to  be  considered  a  benefactor 
and  certainly  deserves  honorable  mention  in  any 
work  which  concerns  itself  with  local  history.  Such 
a  man  is  A.  G.  Tillinghast.  To  him  belongs  the 
splendid  distinction  of  having  introduced  into  Ska- 
git county  the  valuable  and  growing  seed-producing 
industry,  of  having  proven  to  the  world  that  the  soil 
of  the  tide  marsh  flats  is  as  superior  in  that  as  it  is 
in  the  production  of  oats  and  of  having  won  for 
liis  locality  a  national  reputation.  All  this  was  not 
accomplished  without  a  long-continued'  effort  and 
the  exercise  of  much  skill,  not  alone  in  experiment- 
ing with  the  soil,  but  in  introducing  its  products  in 
the  marts  of  the  countr>'.  That  Mr.  Tillinghast  has 
succeeded  is  evidence  irrefutable  of  his  business 
ability  and  versatility. 

Our  subject  is  a  scion  of  an  honorable  and 
somewhat  noted  family,  whose  beginnings  in  Amer- 
ica were  concomitant  with  the  beginmngs  of  the 
Rhode  Island  settlement,  the  Tillinghasts  coming 
over  in  1643,  and  whose  branches  have  established 
themselves  not  aJone  in  Little  Rhody,  but  in  New 
York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  now  on  the  shores  of 
the  mighty  Pacific.  Mr.  Tillinghast,  of  this  article, 
sprung  from  the  Pennsylvania  branch,  and  his 
father,  Stephen,  is  still  resident  of  the  Kevstone 
state.  His  mother,  Tryphena  (Capwell)  Tilling- 
hast, who  was  a  native  of  Rhode   Island,  but  of 

35 


French  extraction,  passed  away  in  1901.  It  was  in 
the  public  schools  of  Pennsylvania  that  Alvinza  G. 
took  his  initial  steps  on  the  roa^  to  learning,  and 
being  an  ambitious  youth,  he  did,  not  pause  in  the 
educational  journey  until  he  had  taken  a  course  in 
the  old  University  of  Lewisburg,  later  changed  in 
name  to  Bucknell  University,  one  of  the  leading  in- 
stitutions of  the  Baptist  denomination.  For  a  year 
and  a  half  after  leaving  school,  he  worked  as  clerk 
in  a  general  store,  which  employment  he  finally  for- 
sook to  enlist  in  a  LInited  States  militia  regiment 
which  had  been  mustered  into  service  to  repel  an 
expected  invasion  of  the  state  by  the  Confederates. 
This  was  in  1863.  As  soon  as  discharged  he  re- 
turned to  the  parental  home  and'  for  the  eight  years 
ensuing  he  worked  on  the  farm.  In  1872,  however, 
he  came  to  Padilla,  Washington,  took  a  pre-emp- 
tion claim,  and,  in  company  with  E.  A.  Sisson  and 
R.  E.  Whitney,  secured  five  hundred  acres  of  land, 
which  the  three  together  diked,  drained  and  brought 
into  a  state  of  cultivation.  After  a  half  decade  had 
been  spent  in  raising  oats  on  this  extensive  tract,  Mr. 
Tillinghast  decided  to  revisit  his  Pennsylvania  home, 
and  before  he  again  set  foot  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington five  years  had  rolled  around.  On  his  return 
to  Padilla  he  engaged  in  good  earnest  in  the  seed 
business,  with  which  he  had  experimented  in  a 
small  way  as  early  as  1873,  raising  some  cabbage, 
carot,  onion,  radish  and  rutabaga  seeds  and  dis- 
covering that  they  were  of  extra  large  size  and 
great  vitality.  In  1883,  he  grew  several  acres  of 
cabbage  seed,  establishing  what  are  now  widely 
known  as  the  "Puget  Sound  Seed  Gardens,"  and 
some  three  years  later  he  issued  his  first  retail  cata- 
logue. He  has  since  been  engaged  in  developing 
and  enlarging  his  industry  and  pushing  his  experi- 
ments in  many  directions  and  as  already  intimated 
the  success  which  has  attended  his  efforts  has  been 
most  gratifying.  In  1890  he  moved  his  seed  store 
to  La  Conner,  where  it  has  ever  since  been.  The 
seasons  of  1904  and  1905  each  required  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  for  Mr.  Tillinghast's  seed  grow- 
ing industry  and  twenty  thousand  catalogues  are 
sent  out  annually  to  advertise  the  product,  about  a 
quarter  of  which  bring  back  orders  for  shipments 
by  mail.  From  one  to  three  carloads  are  sent  east 
each  year  and  the  writer  has  been  informed  that 
practically  the  entire  supply  of  one  variety  of  cab- 
bage seed  for  the  whole  United  States  comes  from 
his  gardens. 

In  1877,  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Til- 
linghast married  Miss  Emma,  daughter  of  William 
and  Alma  (Potter)  Bailey,  both  of  whom  died  when 
Mrs.  Tillinghast  was  quite  young.  She  obtained  a 
good  education,  then  engaged  in  teaching,  in  which 
for  five  years  she  won  marked  success,  being  the 
holder  of  a  splendid  position  in  the  Scranton  high 
school  at  the  time  she  decided  to  abandon  her  pro- 
fession.    She  and  Mr.  Tillinghast  have  one  child. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Francis  P.,  who  graduated  from,  the  La  Conner 
high  school  in  the  class  of  1905.  The  family  are 
adherents  of  the  Baptist  faith,  and  Mr.  Tillinghast 
is  quite  active  in  the  local  church,  of  which  he  is  a 
deacon  and  trustee.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
taking  a  public  spirited  interest  in  affairs  of  local, 
state  and  national  concern,  but  not  ambitious  for 
personal  preferment. 


NEWTON  G.  TURNER,  one  of  the  men  who 
as  boys  learned  their  trade  at  the  carpenter's  bench 
and  have  reached  success  in  the  kindred  lines  of 
contracting  and  milling,  is  one  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  La  Conner  Lumber  Company,  which 
does  an  extensive  business  every  year.  He  came  by 
his  interest  in  the  lumber  business  very  naturally, 
for  his  father,  John  W.  Turner,  who  is  still  living 
at  the  old  home  in  New  Brunswick,  is  a  saw-mill 
man.  His  mother,  Margaret  (Glasgow)  Turner, 
was  a  native  of  St.  John,  New  Brunswick.  She 
was  the  mother  of  five  children,  of  whom  George, 
born  in  18G4,  was  the  second  youngest.  Until  he 
was  sixteen  years  of  age  our  subject  remained  at 
home,  attending  the  local  schools,  but  at  that  age, 
having  learned  much  of  the  carpenter's  trade,  he  set 
out  for  the  United  States  to  seek  his  fortune.  When 
twenty,  he  was  in  Minnesota,  working  at  the  bench 
or  in  logging  camps.  Five  years  were  passed  in 
this  way,  then,  in  1889,  he  came  to  Gray's  Harbor, 
Washington,  where  for  the  ensuing  four  years  he 
was  engaged  in  carpenter  work,  real  estate  transac- 
tions and  contracting.  He  then  turned  his  atten- 
tion in  the  direction  of  the  La  Conner  country,  of 
which  he  had  heard,  and  soon  commenced  opera- 
tions as  a  contractor  there.  Opportunity  eventually 
presenting  itself  to  go  into  a  saw-mill  venture,  Mr. 
Turner  allied  himself  with  J.  C.  Foster  and  erected 
the  mill  which  he  now  operates.  It  has  a  daily  ca- 
pacity of  25.000  feet.  In  the  three  years  of  its 
operation  it  has  been  a  success,  yielding  a  profit  to 
its  owners  and  furnishing  employment  to  a  large 
number  of  men. 

In  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  in  1899,  Mr.  Tur- 
ner married  Miss  Cora  Tingley,  daughter  of  James 
and  Mary  (Peck)  Tingley,  who  have  been  residents 
of  Victoria  for  many  years.  Mrs.  Turner  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  Brunswick,  but  she  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  common  and  high  schools  of  Victoria. 
She  taught  for  several  years  before  her  marriage. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  have  three  children,  all  born 
in  La  Conner:  Victor  in  1900,  Gains  in  1903  and 
Harold  in  1904.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Turner  is 
a  Mason,  in  politics  a  Republican.  A  thorough 
mastery  of  the  details  of  his  business,  gained  by  a 
lifetime  of  strict  attention  thereto,  has  enabled  him 
to  win  an  enviable  success,  especially  since  coming 
to  La  Conner,  while  integrity  and  fair  dealing  have 
gained  him  esteem  as  a  citizen  and  member  of  the 
community. 


HON.  JOHN  P.  McGLINN.  Among  the 
many  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle  who  have  been  force- 
ful factors  in  the  development  of  Skagit  county  and 
the  Northwest,  or  who  have  in  some  way  rendered 
efficient  service  to  some  part  of  this  new  state,  one 
of  the  most  noted  is  John  P.  McGlinn,  who  has 
several  times  filled  high  positions  of  public  trust 
with 'unusual  fidelity  and  ability  and  who,  as  legis- 
lator, has  the  splendid  distinction  of  having  his  name 
connected  with  some  of  the  most  statesmanlike 
measures  that  have  ever  found  a  place  on  the  stat- 
utes of  Washington.  His  parents,  Patrick  and 
Catherine  (Guckien)  McGlinn,  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1852,  bringing  with  them  a  family 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  our  subj(.-ct  was  the  sev- 
enth child.  They  settled  first  in  Butler  County, 
Ohio,  and  later  in  Indiana.  Being  but  six  years 
old  when  he  landed  in  the  United  States,  Mr.  Mc- 
Glinn, of  this  article,  received  his  educational  train- 
ing here  and  became  in  all  respects  a  r.ipresentative 
American.  He  graduated  from  the  academy  at 
Logansport,  Indiana,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and 
thereafter  for  some  years  spent  his  winters  in 
teaching  and  his  summers  at  work  on  the  farm.  His 
residence  in  Washing-ton  dates  back  to  1S;2,  when 
he  took  up  his  abode  in  Olympia ;  and  when,  a  little 
l.;ter,  he  left  that  city,  he  did  so  to  assume  the 
duties  of  sub-Indian  agent  on  the  Lummi  reserva- 
tion. He  continued  in  that  position,  which  also  in- 
cluded charge  of  the  Swinomish  agency,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  indeed  until  the  beginning  of  the  first 
Cleveland  administration.  In  1877  he  established  a 
hotel  in  La  Conner,  the  second  there,  and  the  first 
in  Washington  which  had  no  bar  in  connection. 
The  McGlinn  House,  as  it  was  called,  was  a  popukir 
and  widely  famous  hotel  during  all  the  twelve  years 
of  Mr.  McGlinn's  management  of  it. 

Appointed  Indian  agent  in  1889,  upon  the  elec- 
tion of  Harrison  to  the  presidency,  he  sold  his  hotel 
to  Silas  Galagher  and  went  to  Neah  bay  to  assume 
charge  of  the  Makaha  reservation,  taking  his  fam- 
ily with  hin-..  He  remained  there  until  the  re-elec- 
tion of  Cleveland  once  more  put  him  out  of  the 
public  service.  In  1893  he  moved  his  family  to 
Olympia.  thinking  to  take  advantage  of  the  public 
schools  there  established,  which  were  said  to  be  the 
best  in  the  st.-ile  at  that  time,  but  the  financial  de- 
pression compelled  him  to  move  a  year  later,  and 
he  took  up  his  abode  on  McGlinn  island,  near  La 
Conner,  where  he  remained  continuously  until  1897. 
He  then  purchased  the  two  hotels  of  La  Conner 
and, consolidated  them  under  his  own  personal  man- 
agement, and  he  has  continued  in  charge  of  them 
to  this  day. 

Most  noteworthy  of  Mr.  McGlinn's  public  serv- 
ices were  those  which  he  rendered  subsequent  to 
his  election  to  the  Territorial  Council  in  1878.  Dur- 
ing his  term  he  drew  up,  introduced  and  defended 
with  marked  ability  in  a  hot  debate  the  celebrated 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Jabor  lien  bill,  which  finally  commended  itself 
to  the  good  judgment  of  the  law  makers  and  found 
a  place  on  the  statute  books  of  the  state.  He  also 
introduced  and  carried  through  a  measure  provid- 
ing for  the  removal  of  the  federal  court  from  Pierce 
to  Skagit  county,  thereby  rendering  an  incalculable 
service  to  northwestern  Washington,  which  service 
was  so  thoroughly  appreciated  by  his  constituents 
that  they  presented  to  him  a  handsome  gold  watch. 
In  1S88,  he  was  again  nominated  for  membership 
in  the  Territorial  Council,  but,  popular  though  he 
was,  he  could  not  stem  the  Democratic  tide  which 
swept  the  territory  that  year,  and  James  Hamilton 
Lewis,  his  opponent,  was  elected.  He  had,  however, 
the  very  great  satisfaction  of  having  carried  Ska- 
git and  Snohomish  counties,  something  that  no  other 
Republican  on  the  ticket  was  able  to  do. 

On  Christmas  day,  1874,  Mr.  McGlinn  married 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Barbara  (Fox) 
Benn,  natives  of  Ireland  and  Canada  respectively. 
Her  mother  was,  however,  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch 
extraction.  Her  father  forsook  his  fatherland  for 
America  when  eleven  years  old  and  was  a  farmer 
and  contractor  in  Canada  and  Missouri  until  1874, 
when  he  came  to  Washington.  Mrs.  McGlinn  was 
educated  in  the  state  of  Missouri.  She  and  Mr. 
McGlinn  are  parents  of  six  children :  Thaddeur., 
born  in  187C,  now  living  in  Bellingham ;  Leo  Eu- 
gene, born  in  18'i'!l,  now  living  at  La  Conner;  John 
G.,  born  in  1881,  clerk  in  the  state  penitentiary  at 
Walla  Walla;  Robert  E.,  in  1884,  a  graduate  of  the 
State  University  at  Seattle,  now  professor  of  his- 
tory and  mathematics  in  the  Washington  Academy 
in  Spokane;  Mary  E.,  in  1886,  and  Winifred,  in 
1889.  In  religious  belief  the  family  is  Catholic, 
while  in  fraternal  affiliations  Mr.  ]\lc(;iinn  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Workmen  ;  in  politics  he  is 
a  Republican.  He  is  greatly  interested  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  to  which  he  has  given  efficient  service 
as  a  member  of  the  local  school  board.  He  has  prop- 
erty interests  in  Olympia,  Anacortes,  Whidby  island, 
and  he  owns  the  whole  of  McGlinn  island,  near  La 
Conner.  So  long  has  he  been  active  in  public  life, 
coming  in  contact  with  men  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  that  he  is  unusually  well  posted  on  the  his- 
tory, resources  and  prospects  of  the  county  of  Ska- 
git in  particular  and  the  Northwest  in  general  and 
it  is  always  pleasant  and  profitable  to  converse  with 
him  about  the  interesting  events  and  conditions  of 
the  days  gone  by. 

Before  closing  this  sketch,  a  quotation  from  an 
article  by  Edmund  S.  Meany,  Professor  of  Consti- 
tutional History  in  the  University  of  Washington, 
published  in  the  Post  Intelligencer,  October  8.  1905, 
in  relation  to  the  Swinomish  Indians,  their  history, 
traditions,  etc.,  is  pertinent  to  our  subject.  In  re- 
ferring to  Mr.  McGlinn,  Professor  Meany  writes: 
"Mr.  McGlinn  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  In- 
dian traits.     He  was  in  charge  of  the  Swinomish 


reservation  years  ago,  and  at  one  time  he  was  in 
charge  of  the  Lummi  reservation.  During  the  ad- 
ministration of  Benjamin  Harrison  he  was  Indian 
agent  at  Neah  bay.  While  there  he  was  required 
to  visit  the  villages  of  Hoh,  Quilayute  and  Ozette 
and  to  lay  out  small  reservations  for  them.  When 
Cleveland  was  elected  to  succeed  Harrison,  effort 
was  promptly  made  to  oust  McGlinn  that  the  office 
might  be  had  for  another.  Daniel  Dorchester, 
superintendent  of  the  Indian  schools,  was  sent  to 
investigate  the  case.  He  made  an  extensive  report, 
dated  May  16,  1893,  which  concluded  with  the  fol- 
lowing words:  'Finally,  I  believe  I  may  say,  after 
having  visited  forty-two  Indian  agents  during  the 
past  four  years,  that  Agent  McGlinn  impresses  me 
as  one  of  the  best  I  have  found.  He  is  progressive, 
a  firm  administrator,  a  good  economist,  a  thorough- 
ly honest  man.  This  is  the  universal  testimony  in 
this  region.  He  is  a  liberal  Catholic  religiously, 
unobtrusive  officially  and  very  exemplary  in  life. 
Individuals  who  have  sometimes  been  restive  under 
his  authority,  on  frankly  talking  over  differences,, 
have  found  him  reasonable  and  conciliatory.' 

"Because  of  this  splendid  indorsement  and  be- 
cause of  my  own  regard  for  the  pioneer  proprietor 
of  Hotel  McGlinn,  at  La  Conner,  I  made  it  a  special 
point  to  inquire  about  his  work  on  those  reserva- 
tions during  my  visits  a  dozen  years  later.  In  every 
instance  I  found  his  name  and  his  work  held  in 
high  esteem." 


SAMUEL  CHAMBERS  is  one  of  the  pioneer 
dairy  !iien  of  Skagit  county,  having  established  him- 
self in  1SS9  near  La  Conner.  By  skilful  manage- 
ment (if  his  work  and  careful  attention  to  details  of 
business  Mr.  Chambers  was  able  to  purchase  a  few 
years  ago  the  farm  on  which  he  had  made  his  repu- 
tation as  a  successful  dairy  man.  He  is  a  native  of 
New  York,  born  in  1843.  His  parents,  Chester  L. 
and  Rhoda  A.  (Waterman)  Chambers,  lived  in 
Broome  county  in  that  state  until  their  deaths.  Mr. 
Chambers  is  the  next  to  the  youngest  of  eight  chil- 
dren. He  received  his  schooling  in  the  New  York 
schools,  and  at  twenty-one  years  of  age  was  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account.  He  came  to  Washington 
in  1888,  reaching  Seattle  in  April  of  that  year.  Re- 
maining there  but  a  short  time,  he  came  to  La  Con- 
ner and  worked  at  the  trade  of  carpenter  until  ne 
leased  a  piece  of  ground  and  commenced  his  dairy 
business.  By  industry  and  fair  dealing  he  built  up 
a  good  business  and  in  1893  purchased  the  land  he 
had  been  leasing  for  thirteen  years.  The  place 
comprises  seventy  acres  of  excellent  land,  of  which 
seven  acres  are  in  grass  and  six  devoted  to  the  busi- 
ness of  raising  cabbage  seed. 

In  1867,  while  still  a  resident  of  the  Empire  state, 
Mr.  Chambers  married  Miss  Eliza  J.  Dwight. 
daughter  of  Roswell  and  Olive  (Johnson)  Dwight, 


«r64 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


both  of  whom  were  native  New  Yorkers.  Mrs. 
Chambers  was  born  in  Tioga  County,  New  York, 
and  there  educated.  Eight  children  have  been  born 
of  this  union:  WilHam  Chambers;  Mrs.  Cora 
Summers,  of  Marvsville ;  CHnton  Chambers;  Mrs. 
OUie  McGhnn  ;  Rlioda  ;  Clarence  ;  Harley,  and  Mil- 
dred Chambers.  Mrs.  Chambers  during  her  life 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  She  died 
in  1903.  Mr.  Chambers  has  always  been  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics.  The  home  place  consists  of 
seventy  acres  of  carefully  tilled  land,  a  general 
farming  business  being  pursued  in  addition  to 
dairyirig  and  raising  cabbage  seed.  The  dairy  at 
present  comprises  seventeen  head  of  selected  cows 
and  is  the  chief  department  of  the  farm.  Mr. 
Chambers  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  sterling  men 
of  the  community,  a  man  of  the  best  character  and 
respected  by  all  who  know  him. 


JOSEPH  F.  DWELLEY  is  one  of  the  re- 
spected pioneers  of  Skagit  county,  having  lived 
here  since  1870,  holding  public  office  and  enjoy- 
ing the  respect  of  the  people  who  came  in  to 
settle  up  and  develop  the  coimtrv.  Mr.  Dwelley 
was  born  in  Kittery,  Maine,  and  so  has  crossed  the 
continent  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coast. 
His  father,  George  W.  Dwelley,  a  descendant  of 
the  Dwelleys  who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower, 
was  a  ship  carpenter  of  Marshfield,  Massachusetts, 
who  later  settled  in  Wisconsin  and  died  there.  The 
mother  was  Narcissa  Spinney,  a  native  of  Maine 
and  the  daughter  of  a  privateer  in  the  Revolution- 
ary War  who  lost  his  life  at  sea.  He  was  from 
the  north  of  Ireland,  of  Scotch  descent.  Mr. 
Dwelley  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
Boston  until  the  death  of  his  mother,  when,  at 
twelve  years  of  age,  he  was  bound  out  to  a  shoe- 
maker. Two  years  later  the  lad  ran  away  and 
commenced  work  in  an  iron  foundry,  remaining 
there  until  1859,  when  he  went  to  Calumet  Coun- 
ty, Wisconsin,  and  followed  farming  and  car- 
pentering. At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr. 
Dwelley  enlisted  in  the  Fifth  Wisconsin,  being  the 
first  man  to  enroll  from  Calumet  county.  He 
served  with  the  command  until  1864,  when,  hav- 
ing been  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy,  he  resigned, 
returning  to  his  home  state  with  the  object  of  ra.is- 
ing  a  company  for  the  remainder  of  the  war.  Not 
meeting  with  success.  Lieutenant  Dwelley  went  to 
work  on  a  farm  and  ultimately  leased  farms  for 
operation.  In  February,  1870,  he  came  to  Wash- 
ington and  Whidby  island  and  worked  at  the  trade 
of  carpenter  in  the  vicinity  of  Coupeville.  Cross- 
ing to  the  mainland  and  the  Skagit  river  valley, 
Mr.  Dwelley  filedi  on  a  pre-emption  claim,  on  a 
part  of  which  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon  now 
stands.  By  the  year  1875  he  had  cleared  much  of 
his   land   and  on   selling  it  took   up   his    residence 


in  La  Conner.  At  first  he  worked  at  his  trade  as 
carpenter,  and  then  embarked  in  the  furniture 
business,  which  he  conducted  until  1886  when  he 
was  appointed  postmaster,  holding  that  office  for 
eight  years.  In  1876  he  was  appointed  justice  of 
the  peace  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  and  has  filled 
that  office  ever  since.  Mr.  Dwelley  continued  in 
active  mercantile  operations  until  several  years  ago, 
when  he  retired  and  began  the  work  of  building 
and  operating  boats. 

Mr.  Dwelley,  at  Stockbridge,  Calumet  County, 
Wisconsin,  in  1865,  married  Miss  Angeline  E. 
Wells,  daughter  of  Alonzo  and  Martha  (Bing- 
ham) Wells,  natives  of  New  York  who  had 
moved  to  the  Badger  state.  Mr.  Wells  came  to 
the  Skagit  country  in  1871  and  has  been  living 
at  Coupeville  for  a  number  of  years.  Mrs.  Wells 
is  still  living.  Mrs.  Dwelley  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  but  received  her  education  in  Wisconsin. 
She  is  a  pioneer  school  teacher  in  Skagit  county, 
having  taught  the  first  school  at  La  Conner  in  1876, 
which  was  established  by  subscription.  Three  chil- 
dren of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dwelley  are  living  in  Wash- 
ington :  Mrs.  Kate  Maloy,  born  on  the  Skagit 
river  in  1872,  the  second,  white  child  native  of  that 
section  of  the  country ;  Charles  L.  Dwelley,  a  clerk 
in  the  hardware  store  of  Mr.  Hayton,  at  Mount 
Vernon,  and  Mrs.  Edna  M.  Taggert,  living  in  Bel- 
lingham,  where  her  husband  is  city  ticket  agent  for 
the  Great  Northern  railway.  Mr.  Dwelley  is  one 
of  the  prominent  members  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen  and  an  Odd  Fellow.  In  church 
affiliations  he  is  a  Presbyterian.  In  politics  he  has 
been  a  lifelong  Republican.  He  has  been  a  con- 
stant friend  of  every  movement  which  had  as  its 
object  the  upbuilding  and  betterment  of  the  schools, 
and  to  his  efforts  is  due  much  of  the  development  of 
the  La  Conner  schools  from  the  day  when  Mrs. 
Dwelley  inaugurated  the  first,  school  down  to  the 
present  time.  Mr.  Dwelley  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  an  honorable  man, 
full  of  good  deeds  and  interested  in  every  good 
work. 


GEORGE  N.  SHUMWAY,  until  recently  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  Belfast,  Washington,  was 
born  in  Belchertown,  Massachusetts,  October  13, 
1841,  where  his  forefathers  had  lived  for  about  a 
hundred  years,  the  son  of  John  R.  and  Mary  (Hol- 
land) Shumway.  The  father,  of  French  Huguenot 
descent,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1833.  and 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight.  The  mother,  also  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  was  of  English  extraction, 
and  was  proud  to  recall  the  fact  that  her  parents 
were  pioneers  in  the  state  of  her  birth.  The  oldest 
of  nine  children,  Mr.  Shismway  grew  to  the  age  of 
twenty  on  his  father's  farm,  there  laying  the  fou!i- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


665 


dation  for  a  sturdy  manhood,  and  receiving  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  the  state.  In  re- 
sponse to  the  call  for  volunteers  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Forty- 
Sixth  Massachusetts  Infantrj-,  in  which  he  served 
one  year.  After  a  year  spent  at  home,  he  went  to 
Illinois  and  thence  to  Michigan,  where  he  worked 
three  years  in  a  saw-mill.  The  longing  to  revisit 
his  native  state  caused  him  to  return,  and  the  next 
twelve  years  were  spent  there  operating  a  pitchfork 
and  garden  tool  factory  of  his  own.  But  the  West 
promised  greater  advantages,  so  in  1881  he  came, 
first  to  Oregon,  then  to  Washington,  working  at 
various  occupations  for  the  first  year,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  took  up  his  present  property  as  a 
homestead  claim. 

At  Belchertown,  Massachusetts,  in  1881,  Mr. 
Shumway  and  Mary  M.  Barrett  were  married.  Mrs. 
Shumway  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  October  5, 
1844,  the  daughter  of  Silas  and  Hannah  (Pomeroy) 
Barrett,  both  natives  of  that  state,  in  which  the 
mother  also  died.  Mr.  Barrett,  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  came  west  with  his  daughter  in  1882,  and 
continued  to  reside  here  until  his  death  in  1890.  His 
ancestors  were  pioneers  of  Hinsdale,  Massachusetts, 
coming  during  the  era  of  Indian  wars.  Mr.  Shum- 
way is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Grand  .\rmy. 
He  belongs  to  the  Congregational  church,  while  his 
wife  adheres  to  the  Methodist  faith.  By  dint  of 
hard  work  he  converted  his  fann,  which  was  orig- 
inally timbered  heavily,  into  a  comfortable,  home- 
like place,  with  forty-five  acres  in  hay  and  much  of 
the  rest  in  shape  to  furnish  pasture  for  his  fine  herd 
of  Jersey  cattle.  But  advancing  age  has  made  it 
impossible  to  give  the  place  the  attention  it  should 
have  so  he  has  recently  sold  out  to  good  advantage 
and  purchased  a  pleasant  little  place  in  Anacortes, 
where  he  expects  to  live  in  future. 


JOHN  H.  ROCK,  of  La  Conner,  is  the  pioneer 
harness  maker  of  Skagit  county  and  since  1889  he 
has  established  a  most  successful  business  and 
gained  an  enviable  reputation  for  the  quality  of 
work  turned  out..  Mr.  Rock  was  born  in  Pennsvl- 
vania  in  1829,  of  Scotch  parentage.  His  father  was 
also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  potter  by  trade. 
Mrs.  Rachel  (Bard)  Rock  was  the  mother  of  twelve 
children  of  whom  John  was  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 
Young  Rock  attended  school  up  to  the  time  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  and  had  picked  up  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  printer's  art  outside  of  school  hours. 
But  when  it  came  to  choosing  his  trade  he  selected 
that  of  harness  maker.  In  1856  he  moved  to  Illi- 
nois and  worked  at  his  trade  for  sixteen  years,  going 
to  Iowa  in  1872  for  a  couple  of  years.  He  then 
returned  to  Illinois  and  ran  a  shop  for  six  years. 
In  1882  he  went  to  Dakota,  took  up  a  homestead 
and   followed    farming   until   in    1888   he   came   to 


Washington  and  settled  in  La  Conner.  He  opened 
a  small  shop,  enlarging  as  the  growth  of  business 
warranted.  This  was  the  first  harness  shop  in  Ska- 
git county,  and  the  present  shop  was  erected  in 
1902. 

In  1857,  while  a  resident  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Rock 
married  Miss  Annie  Miller,  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Mary  (Hoover)  Miller,  Pennsylvanians  who  had 
moved  to  Illinois.  Mrs.  Rock  was  born  in  the  Key- 
stone state  and  received  her  education  there.  Of 
this  union  five  children  have  been  born.  Mrs.  Mary 
F.  Irvin  is  living  in  Seattle,  the  wife  of  a  success- 
ful painter;  Harry  W.  Rock  is  a  first-class  harness 
maker,  having  learned  the  trade  of  his  father ;  Wil- 
liam L.  Rock  is  also  a  finished  harness  maker,  hav- 
ing been  schooled  in  the  trade  at  his  father's  bench; 
Mrs.  Emma  McDonald  is  living  in  Seattle,  the  wife 
of  a  fish  market  proprietor;  Edwin  M.  died  in  early 
youth  while  his  parents  were  in  Illinois.  In  fra- 
ternal circles  Mr.  Rock  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  in 
politics  a  Republican.  During  this  time  he  has  made 
investments  in  real  estate  and  owns  both  residence 
and  business  property.  He  is  well  established  in  his 
own  building  with  a  growing  business  and  a  repu- 
tation in  the  community  for  honesty  and  upright- 
ness. 


CHARLES  VALENTINE,  painter  and  paper 
hanger  of  La  Conner,  is  one  of  the  successful  young 
business  men  of  western  Skagit  county,  and  is  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  best  artisans  in  his  line.  He 
is  in  reality  a  product  of  Skagit  county,  though 
born  in  Peru,  Indiana.  He  w^as  only  twelve  years 
of  age  when  his  father  came  to  the  sound  country, 
and  he  has  received  his  education  and  business  train- 
ing here.  His  father,  Samuel  F.  Valentine,  living 
on  a  farm  near  La  Conner,  is  a  Virginian  by  birth. 
He  followed  the  trade  of  tinsmith  until  he  ventured 
into  the  hardware  business  here,  which  he  con- 
tinued for  some  time.  Selling  out  later,  he  has  since 
followed  his  trade  of  tinsmith  with  the  Poison 
Hardware  Company  of  La  Conner.  Mrs.  Emma 
(Holman)  Valentine  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  the 
mother  of  two  children  of  whom  Charles  is  the 
younger.  Our  subject  received  the  rudiments  of 
his  education  before  leaving  Indiana  and  for  six 
years  after  coming  to  Skagit  county  continued  his 
studies.  When  eighteen  years  old  he  became  ap- 
prenticed to  the  trade  of  painter  and  paper  hanger 
and  upon  becoming  master  of  the  same,  three  years 
later,  at -once  took  up  his  calling.  He  passed  one 
year  in  the  Port  Blakely  shipyards,  but  has  since 
lived  at  La  Conner. 

In  1899  Mr.  Valentine  married  Miss  Clara 
O'Loughlin,  daughter  of  James  O'Loughlin,  who 
came  to  this  country  from  Ireland  when  a  lad,  lived 
for  a  time  in  Michigan  and  came  to  Washington  in 
1872.     Mr.  O'Loughlin  has  served  as  assessor  of 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


this  county  and  three  terms  as  sheriff,  being  the 
first  official  in  that  capacity  the  county  had.  He  is 
still  living  on  Beaver  marsh,  near  La  Conner.  Mrs. 
Adell  (Huff)  O'Loughlin  is  a  native  of  Michigan, 
and  is  living  in  Skagit  county.  Mrs.  Valentine  was 
born  near  La  Conner  in  1879  and  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  home  schools.  To  this  union  have  been 
born  four  children,  Charles  T.,  Richmond  E.,  Ivan 
J.  and  an  infant,  Lewis  P.  In  politics  Mr.  Valen- 
tine is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  man  of  good  educa- 
tion, upright  and  honest  and  respected  in  this  com- 
munity. Mr.  Valentine  has  a  house  and  two  lots  in 
town. 


SAMUEL  M.  LOCKHART  lives  on  a  small 
ranch  about  three  miles  northeast  of  La  Conner, 
having  made  his  home  there  since  coming  to  Wash- 
ington in  1887.  He  is  the  son  of  Thomas  G.  Lock 
hart,  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  1814,  who  settled  in 
Cedar  County,  Iowa,  in  1843.  His  claim  there  was 
jumped  and  he  moved  to  Linn  county,  becoming 
the  first  settler  in  that  section  of  the  state.  On  this 
new  place  he  lived  until  his  death  in  1891  at  the 
advanced  age  of  78  years.  He  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  Lettie  (Osborn)  Lockhart,  his  wife,  was 
a  native  of  Indiana.  She  was  the  mother  of  eleven 
children,  of  which  Samuel  was  the  fifth  in  order. 
Samuel  M.  Lockhart  attended  school  in  Iowa  and 
when  twenty  years  of  age  leased  a  farm  for  a  term 
of  five  years.  At  the  close  of  this  period  he  went 
to  California  and  passed  six  months,  thereupon  go- 
ing to  Iowa  and  purchasing  a  small  farm,  where 
he  resided  until  1887.  In  that  year  he  decided  to 
come  to  Washington  and  having  sold  out  in  Iowa, 
moved  to  and  settled  on  the  La  Conner  flats,  where 
he  still  owns  five  and  one-third  acres  of  land,  in- 
cluding an  orchard.  Here  he  has  made  his  home 
since  becoming  a  citizen  of  Washington. 

Mr.  Lockhart  was  married  in  Iowa  in  1868  to 
Miss  Mary  M.  West,  daughter  of  John  West  and 
Sarah  E.  (Howe)  West,  natives  of  Ohio  who 
moved  to  Iowa  and  closed  their  lives  in  that  state. 
Mrs.  Samuel  M.  Lockhart  was  born  in  Ohio  but  at 
the  age  of  six  years  accompanied  her  parents  to 
Iowa,  where  she  received  her  education  and  was 
married  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years.  Six  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lockhart — Thomas 
G.,  residing  with  his  family  in  Skagit  county ;  Mrs. 
Winifred  Dunlap,  Roland  and  Alice,  living,  and 
Effie  and  Eugene  who  died  when  quite  young.  Mr. 
Lockhart  is  an  active  Democrat,  taking  a  keen  in- 
terest in  the  campaigns  of  his  party  and  contribut- 
mg  his  share  toward  their  success. 


PETER  REGENVETTER,  one  of  the  men  who 
have  been  forceful  and  efficient  in  the  agricultural 
development  of  the  La  Conner  country,  is  of  the 


great  multitude  of  the  sons  of  Germany  who,  by 
the  exercise  of  their  characteristic  industry,  patience 
and  sound  judgment,  have  won  success  in  the  new 
world  with  its  abundant  opportunities  for  those  with 
eyes  to  see  them  and  courage  to  grasp  and  utilize 
them.  A  pioneer  of  Skagit  county,  he  has  wit- 
nessed its  development  from  a  time  when  civilization 
had  made  but  slight  inroads  upon  primeval  condi- 
tions to  the  present  day  and  he  has  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  the  transformations  which  have  been 
wrought  since  then  are  in  some  measure  the  result 
of  his  own  labor  and  planning. 

Mr.  Regenvetter  was  born  in  Luxemburg,  March 
28,  1847,  the  son  of  Peter  and  Alargaret^  (Wolf) 
Regenvetter,  both  of  whom  were  likewise  natives  of 
the  Fatherland.  The  former  was  a  tailor  by  trade, 
but  he  gave  much  of  his  time  and  attention  to  agri- 
culture. Coming  to  America  in  1872,  he  settled 
first  in  Minnesota,  but  after  a  half  decade  had  been 
spent  in  that  state  he  removed  to  Washington,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  died  in 
188.3.  Our  subject's  mother  passed  away  in  Gilroy, 
California,  in  the  year  1892. 

During  the  first  thirteen  years  of  his  life,  Mr. 
Regenvetter  of  this  review  remained  at  home  with 
liis  parents,  attendin,;-  Uie  excellent  public  schools 
and  acquiring  a  better  cducaliun  than  could  be  had 
in  the  same  length  of  time  a'most  anywhere  else  in 
the  world.  He  then  determined  to  add  to  his  knowl- 
edge by  travel,  and  the  ensuing  eight  years  were 
spent  in  journeying  over  the  different  countries  of 
Europe,  all  of  which  were  visited  by  him,  though  he 
passed  more  time  in  France  than  in  any  other  one 
country,  remaining  in  Paris  for  several  months.  On 
liis  return  to  Germany  he  spent  two  years  in  the 
army.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  settling  first  in  Nautria,  Dakota 
county,  Minnesota,  where  he  farmed  for  three  years, 
then,  in  1875,  he  came  to  Whatcom,  Washington. 
He  moved  to  La  Conner  flats  a  little  later,  worked 
there  for  two  years  then  spent  two  years  farming 
on  Whidby  Island  near  Coupeville,  after  which  he 
came  again  to  the  Swinomish  country.  This  time 
he  purchased  forty  acres  of  uncleared  and  undiked 
marsh  land  and  began  in  great  earnest  the  batde 
for  a  comfortable  home,  independence  and  a  com- 
petency. He  worked  in  season  and  out,  diking, 
ditching,  clearing  and  cultivating  until  he  had  this 
tract  fully  redeemed  and  yielding  crops,  then,  am- 
bitious for  new  fields  to  conquer,  he  bought  forty 
acres  more  adjoining  which  he  treated  in  the  same 
manner  until  it  too  had  been  brought  to  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  He  has  added  to  his  holdings  from 
time  to  time  since  until  he  is  now  the  owner  of 
nearly  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  all  in  cultivation 
and  all  eqiial  to  the  best  in  the  county.  The  past 
season  he  raised  fifty-five  acres  of  oats  which  yielded 
in  the  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  bushels  to  the 
acre,   and  twenty-five  acres  of  hay  which  gave  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


proportionately  large  yield.  He  has  a  good,  seven 
room  house,  good  barn  and  other  outbuildings  and 
keeps  a  fine  little  herd  of  cattle  as  well  as  plenty  of 
horses  for  the  convenient  operation  of  the  farm.  A 
two-acre  orchard  furnishes  abundant  fruit  of  all 
kinds  for  home  use.  Mr.  Regenvetter  is  certainly 
to  be  congratulated  on  the  splendid  success  he  has 
achieved  in  the  years  of  his  residence  in  Skagit 
county. 

In  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  in  1875,  our  subject 
married  Miss  Christina,  daughter  of  Peter  and 
Christina  (Slater)  Reiter.  Her  parents  were  born 
and  died  in  Germany,  and  she  too  was  a  native  of 
that  country,  but  came  to  America  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two.  She  passed  away  at  her  home  near  La 
Conner  March  3,  1904,  after  having  borne  to  Mr. 
Regenvetter  eight  children,  namely,  Frank  and 
Peter,  twins,  born  in  La  Conner  December  15,  1876 ; 
Annie,  in  Coupeville  in  1881,  now  at  home ;  Mary, 
deceased ;  Jack,  born  in  La  Conner  April  20,  1883, 
now  justice  of  the  peace  of  La  Conner  precinct; 
John,  Katie  and  Emma,  deceased.  The  last  three 
died  of  diphtheria  about  three  years  ago,  the  dread 
disease  taking  them  all  inside  of  two  weeks.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Regenvetter  is  a  Republican  and  in 
reIi2;ious  faith  a  Catholic. 


ISAAC  JENNINGS,  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  successful  farmers  on  the  rich  Swinomish 
Hats,  has  the  distinction  of  being  numbered  among 
the  very  earliest  pioneers  of  his  part  of  the  country, 
his  family  being  the  seventh  to  settle  in  what  is  now 
widely  celebrated  as  the  La  Conner  oat  belt.  When 
he  arrived  the  general  aspect  of  the  country  was  un- 
inviting enough,  but  the  practicability  of  reclaim- 
ing it  had  been  proven,  and  Air.  Jennings  was  not 
the  kind  of  man  to  overlook  an  opportunity  even 
though  it  might  wear  a  forbidding  mein.  His  was 
the  mettle  of  the  true  pioneer.  Homesteading  a 
piece  of  the  soil,  he  gave  himself  to  its  reclamation 
from  the  sea  with  a  whole  heart,  laboring  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  diking,  ditching,  clearing,  culti- 
vating, and  investing  his  surplus  earnings  in  new 
fields  for  the  exercise  of  his  enormous  and  teeming 
energy,  until  he  is  now  numbered  among  the  wealth- 
iest residents  of  a  section  of  country  far  famed  for 
its  abundant  wealth.  His  industrial  success  has 
been  fairly  and  honestly  earned  and  none  will  be- 
grudge to  him  any  whit  of  it,  even  though  it  has 
been  much  greater  in  degree  than  he  could  antici- 
pate or  expect  when  he  began  the  struggle.  On  the 
contrary  all  readily  accord  him  the  admiration  and 
respect  which  of  right  belong  to  those  who  do  some- 
thing worthy  and  do  it  well. 

New  Jersey  is  the  state  of  Mr.  Jennings'  nativity 
and  the  date  of  his  birth  is  1834.  His  parents, 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Carter)  Jennings,  were  like- 
wise natives  of  that  commonwealth  and  lived  there 


all  their  lives.  Both  were  of  English  extraction.  Air. 
Jennings,  of  this  article,  spent  his  first  sixteen  years 
on  the  parental  farm,  attending  school  betimes  and 
acquiring  the  habits  of  thrift  and  industry  which 
have  stood  him  in  such  good  stead  in  later  life.  He 
then  worked  in  a  flouring  mill  in  New  Jersey  for 
fourteen  consecutive  years,  removing  to  Illinois  at 
the  end  of  that  long  period,  where  another  year  was 
devoted  to  the  pursuit  of  the  same  industry.  After 
returning  to  and  remaining  a  short  time  in  his  native 
state,  he  determined  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  west, 
and  in  due  time  he  and  his  family  had  established 
a  home  on  Whidby  island,  Washington.  In  1871  he 
pre-empted  a  quarter  section  of  land  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  'La  Conner,  and  though  it  was 
marsh  land  and  had  to  be  cleared,  diked  and  drained 
before  anything  could  be  raised  on  it,  he  lived 
on  it  for  two  summers  and  one  winter,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Coupeville,  Whidby  island,  remaining 
there  until  final  proof  had  been  made.  In  1873  he 
homesteaded  the  eighty  acres  on  which  he  now  lives, 
and  on  which  are  most  of  the  farm  buildings.  Dur- 
ing these  early  days  the  pioneer  farmers  were  com- 
pelled not  only  to  labor  earnestly  to  fight  back  the 
sea,  as  did  the  Holland  Dutch,  iDut  to  forego  most 
of  the  conveniences  and  pleasures  of  life.  There 
were  few  trails  and  no  roads  and  all  the  comforts 
and  luxuries  which  are  now  enjoyed  in  the  Swin- 
omish country  as  in  few  other  places  were  unknown 
and  scarcely  dreamed  of.  All  these  have  come  as  a 
result  of  the  labor  and  public  spirit  of  the  doughty 
pioneers  of  whom  Mr.  Jennings  is  one.  The  prop- 
erty accumulations  of  all  the  years  of  patient  en- 
deavor spent  by  J\Ir.  Jennings  in  the  La  Conner 
country  include  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  the 
finest  oat  and  meadow  land  in  all  that  section,  very 
favorably  located  and  worth  no  one  knows  how 
much.  It  will  certainly  pay  interest  on  an  enormous 
sum.  He  raises  about  three  hundred  acres  of  oats 
annually  and  keeps  large  numbers  of  live  stock  of 
different  kinds,  but  principally  neat  cattle,  of  which 
he  now  has  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  head. 
A  fine  fifteen  room  house,  tastefully  furnished  and 
supplied  with  all  modern  improvements  and  conven- 
iences, adds  immeasurably  to  the  comfort  of  the 
home  life,  while  excellent  out-buildings  of  every 
variety,  plenty  of  facilities  for  the  expeditious  per- 
formance of  all  necessary  work,  abundance  of  ma- 
chinerv.  etc.,  unite  to  make  the  operation  of  the  farm 
convenient  and  profitable. 

In  the  state  of  New  Jersey  in  1866,  Mr.  Jen- 
nings married  Miss  Margaret,  daughter  of  James 
and  Martha  (King)  James,  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey  respectively.  Mr.  James  was  en- 
gaged in  the  hotel  business  in  the  latter  state  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  eventually  took  up  his  abode 
in  West  Virginia.  His  wife  died  in  New  Jersey  in 
1867.  Mrs.  Jennings,  a  native  of  the  last  mentioned 
state,  was  educated  in  the  local  public  schools,  re- 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


ceiving  a  generous  intellectual  culture.  She  is  pos- 
sessed of  an  inherent  refinement  which  all  the  rug- 
ged experiences  of  pioneer  life  have  been  insuffi- 
cient to  efiface  in  the  least  degree,  and  her  love  of 
the  highest  and  best  things  in  life  has  found  ex- 
pression in  an  earnest  support  of  her  husband  in 
his  efiforts  to  educate  his  children  to  the  extent  of 
his  ability.  These  are  Martha,  Linda,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth O'Leary  of  Seattle,  wife  of  the  master  me- 
chanic of  the  Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Company, 
Helen  Francis,  William  E.,  Margaret  and  Lewis  E. 
One  of  them  is  a  graduate  of  the  state  University, 
others  have  completed  the  course  in  Puget  Sound 
Academy  and  the  youngest  is  now  passing  through 
the  cuirriculum  of  the  La  Conner  high  school. 


MICHEL  J.  SULLIVAN  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Skagit  county  in  the  sense  that  he  was  the 
earliest  settler  there  and  also  in  the  sense  of  being 
the  first  to  develop  the  La  Conner  flats  from  value- 
less marsh  land  sometimes  covered  with  tide  water 
into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  In  1868  Michel  Sulli- 
van came  to  the  country  of  the  Skagit  and  as  he 
learned  of  the  nature  of  things  on  the  flats  carried 
into  execution  his  idea  that  with  proper  drainage 
and  with  control  of  the  tides,  La  Conner  flats  would 
prove  to  be  valuable  farm  land.  It  was  he  who  first 
stuck  a  shovel  into  the  ground  in  reclamation  of 
the  land  from  the  waters  of  the  sound  and  it  was 
he  who  first  put  up  dikes  and  who  raised  the  first 
crop  of  grain  on  this  land  wrested  from  the  tides  of 
old  Ocean.  In  fact  it  was  this  pioneer  work  of  Mr. 
Sullivan  which  demonstrated  that  La  Conner  flats 
were  worth  reclaiming. 

;Mr.  Sullivan  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  the 
son  of  an  Irish  immigrant  who  settled  in  the  old 
Bay  state  and  died  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  a  child.  The  mother  was  born  in  Ireland  also, 
her  maiden  name  being  Eleanor  Shay.  She  was  the 
mother  of  six  children  of  whom  Michel  J.  is  the 
only  surviving  one.  It  was  the  mere  rudiments  of 
an  education  that  young  Sullivan  was  able  to  get  as 
a  young  man,  but  he  was  of  the  stamp  of  men  who 
pick  up  bits  of  information  and  apply  them  as  they 
go  through  life.  Left  an  orphan  in  tender  years, 
he  obtained  a  berth  as  cabin  boy  on  a  ship  which 
rounded  Cape  Horn  and  reached  San  Francisco 
one  hundred  and  twelve  days  out  from  Boston,  and 
at  twelve  years  of  age  stood  on  the  docks  at  San 
Francisco,  wondering  what  was  going  to  happen 
next.  He  obtained  such  employment  as  was  open 
to  lads  of  that  age,  keeping  his  eyes  open  and  his 
faculties  alert.  In  1SG6  he  was  on  Puget  sound  and 
working  in  a  mill  at  Utsalady,  on  Camano  Island. 
Two  years  later  he  had  visited  the  Swinomish  flats, 
as  they  were  called  in  those  days,  and  had  conceived 
his  idea  that  they  were  good  lands  if  once  cleared 
and   protected   from   salt  water.     He   first   took   a 


squatter's  right  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  surveyors  at 
work  filed  a  preemption  claim  and  later  proved  up. 
His  course  was  so  successful  that  many  followed 
him  and  in  1880  all  the  flats  had  been  taken  up.  He 
now  has  three  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  fine  land, 
with  a  modem  house,  excellent  out-buildings  and 
warehouses  on  the  water  front.  He  has  never  torn 
down  the  cabin  he  built  during  his  early  stay  on 
the  flats. 

In  1903  in  Seattle  Mr.  Sullivan  married  Miss. 
Josephine  Smith,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Kather- 
ine  (O'Hare)  Smith,  natives  of  Ireland.  Mrs.  Sul- 
livan was  herself  bom  in  Ireland.  After  securing 
an  education  in  a  convent  she  came  to  La  Conner 
to  Patrick  O'Hare,  an  uncle,  who  has  since  died. 
In  politics  Mr.  Sullivan  is  a  Republican,  but  with  a 
tendency  not  to  support  nominees  who  are  not 
worthy.  The  Sullivans  are  communicants  of  the 
Catholic  church.  This  farm,  the  first  established  out 
of  what  was  understood  to  be  the  worthless  tide 
flats  of  La  Conner,  consists  of  three  hundred  and  fif- 
teen acres  of  the  richest  land  in  the  country.  Seventy 
two  of  its  acres  are  in  hay,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
in  oats  and  the  balance  in  pasture  land.  Mr.  Sulli- 
van raised  some  live  stock,  at  present  having  ten  head 
of  cattle  and  nine  horses.  Aside  from  the  interest 
manifested  in  Mr.  Sullivan  as  the  discoverer  of 
the  value  of  the  La  Conner  flats  for  purposes  of 
agriculture,  he  is  also  regarded  as  a  man  of  sterling 
integrity  and  of  more  than  the  usual  amount  of 
grasp  of  opportunities  in  a  business  way.  The 
homeless  cabin  boy  on  the  quays  of  'Frisco  has  be- 
come a  leading  and  wealthy  citizen  of  one  of  the 
best  counties  in  Northwestern  Washington,  success- 
ful in  business  and  respected  by  all. 


ISAAC  CHILBERG  has  spent  twenty-five  years 
at  farming  in  Skagit  county,  though  he  has  been  a 
resident  of  the  sound  country  since  1871,  a  part 
of  which  time  he  passed  in  mercantile  business.  Mr. 
Chilberg  enjoys  the  respect  of  his  home  community 
and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  staunch  people  of 
the  county.  Mr.  Chilberg  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
1842,  the  son  of  Charles  J.  Chilberg  who  settled  as 
a  pioneer  famier  in  Iowa  in  1S46  and  remained  there 
until  18G3.  The  subsequent  three  years  were  spent 
in  Colorado,  Nevada  and  Oregon.  The  first  five 
years  on  the  sound  were  passed  without  his  family 
and  in  1871  he  returned  to  Iowa  and  brought  them 
to  live  on  a  preemption  he  had  taken  up  near  La 
Conner.  Here  he  continued  to  reside  until  called  to 
his  last  reward  in  1905  in  his  ninety-second  year. 
Mrs.  Hannah  (Johnson)  Chilberg  was  also  a  native 
of  Sweden.  She  passed  away  in  1905  in  her  ninetieth 
year  the  mother  of  ten  children  of  whom  Isaac  was 
fourth.  In  Iowa  Isaac  Chilberg  received  his  educa- 
tion and  when  twenty  years  of  age  went  to  Colorado. 
In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Colorado 'battery. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


and  served  with  that  for  nearly  three  years,  being 
mustered  out  at  Fort  Leavenworth  in  18G5.  Re- 
turning to  Iowa,  he  remained  there  farming  until 
shortly  before  coming  to  Washington  in  1871.  He 
first  settled  in  Skagit  county,  then  a  part  of  What- 
com county,  on  land  taken  up  near  La  Conner.  Two 
years  later  he  went  to  Seattle  and  engaged  in  the 
broom  business,  after  six  months  removing  his 
venture  to  Olympia,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years.  The  year  1879  he  passed  in  Walla  Walla 
and  in  the  following  year  rented  his  father's  farm 
near  La  Conner  and  operated  it  for  over  twenty 
years.  In  186G,  just  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War 
Mr.  Chilberg  married  Miss  M.  E.  Ockerman,  who 
lived  but  a  few  years.  Two  children  were  the  re- 
sult of  the  union,  who  later  in  life  became  Mrs. 
Hannah  F.  Dunlap  and  Mrs.  Marv  Callow,  both  of 
whom  are  now  dead.  In  1883  Mr.  Chilberg  mar- 
ried Christine  Nelson,  a  native  of  Chillcothe.  Iowa, 
who  had  one  child  which  lived  only  eighteen  months, 
and  in  1888  the  second  wife  passed  away.  Mr. 
Chilberg  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  in 
which  he  has  held  the  office  of  steward  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  His 
life  has  been  an  exceedingly  busy  one  filled  with  its 
joys  as  well  as  its  sorrows,  and  now  in  the  evening 
of  life  he  has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  is 
the  recipient  of  the  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him  and  is  the  subject  of  the  well  wishes  of  the 
entire  community. 


FREDERICK  AXDERSON,  a  prominent  far- 
mer and  stockman  residing  nine  miles  southwest  of 
Mount  Vernon,  was  bom  in  Dalsland,  Sweden,  No- 
vember 19,  1848,  the  son  of  Anders  Tohan  and 
Anna  (Erickson)  Swanson,  both  natives  of  Sweden, 
in  which  country  the  father  died  in  May,  1904,  and 
the  mother  some  three  years  previous  to  that  time. 
Acquiring  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  country,  and  meanwhile  assisting  his 
father  on  the  farm,  Mr.  Anderson  spent  the  first 
twenty-two  years  of  his  life.  Influenced  by  a  friend 
\vho  was  then  visiting  his  former  home  in  .Sweden, 
he  decided  to  accompany  him  to  America  upon  his 
return,  to  seek  for  himself  the  wonderful  oppor- 
tunities there  afforded.  Landing  in  Quebec  in  1871, 
he  remained  there  for  one  year,  going  thence  to 
Michigan  where  he  was  employed  in  the  iron  mines 
of  Lake  Superior.  Two  years  later  he  located  in 
Napa  county,  California,  mining  quicksilver  for 
three  years,  and  losing  but  three  days  in  the  entire 
time.  Thrifty  and  industrious  by  nature,  he  had 
accumulated  a  neat  little  sum  of  money  when  in  1877 
he  moved  to  Nanaimo,  British  Columbia,  there  en- 
tering the  Wellington  coal  mines.  In  the  terrible  ex- 
plosion that  occurred  in  these  mines.  April  30,  1879, 
he  was  seriously  injured,  his  life  being  despaired  of 
for  some  time.     That  he  might  have  the  best  medi- 


cal skill  to  be  found,  he  was  sent  to  San  Francisco. 
After  eleven  wean'  months  he  was  able  to  take  up 
active  work  again,  though  carn-ing  with  him  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life  the  marks  of  his  fearful  ex- 
perience. Coming  to  La  Conner  in  1880,  he  rented 
a  farm  of  Watkins  and  Walker,  engaging  in  farm- 
ing, the  work  of  his  early  manhood.  Having  pur- 
chased a  home  in  Sweden  for  his  parents,  from  his 
early  savings,  and  spent  all  the  money  he  had  saved 
in  British  Columbia  in  meeting  the  expenses^  in- 
curred by  his  accident,  save  the  sum  of  one  hun- 
dred dollars,  he  had  practically  to  begin  at  the  foot 
of  the  ladder  again.  Possessed  of  rare  courage  and 
determination,  he  bent  every  energy  to  the  task  be- 
fore him,  that  of  securing  means  to  purchase  a  home, 
and  six  years  later  had  the  satisfaction  of  making 
a  payment  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  on  his  present 
place.  Year  by  year  he  was  able  to  make  the  pay- 
ments as  they  came  due,  and  now  owns  free  of  debt 
his  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and.  thirty-six  acres 
well  improved  and  well  stocked  with  thoroughbred 
cattle  and  sheep. 

In  Tacoma  in  1888.  Mr.  Anderson  and  Christina 
Swanson  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Anderson, 
a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  is.")."),  to  the  union  of 
Sven  and  Maria  K.  Larson,  both  deceased,  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1883.  Three  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union,  Arthur  F.  and  Alice,  both 
at  home,  and  one  deceased.  Mr.  Anderson  has  a 
brother,  E.  M.  Anderson,  living  on  Beaver  Marsh, 
and  two  sisters.  Mrs.  A.  J.  Johnson,  of  Beaver 
Marsh,  and  Matilda  Anderson,  still  living  in 
Sweden.  '  Fraternally  Mr.  Anderson  is  affiliated 
with  the  American  Order  of  United  Workmen.  In 
political  belief  he  is  a  strong  advocate  of  Republi- 
can principles,  lending  the  strength  of  his  influence 
to  every  honorable  means  of  ad.vancing  the  inter- 
ests of  his  party.  The  cause  of  education  has  al- 
ways appealed  very  strongly  to  him,  and  during  his 
long  years  of  service  on  the  school  board  he  has 
advocated  progress  and  improvement.  He  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  With 
the  evidences  on  every  side  of  the  prosperity  that  has 
crowned  his  untiring  energy,  it  would  be  strange  in- 
deed were  he  not  enthusiastic  over  the  opportunities 
afforded  in  this  country  to  the  industrious  poor  man. 
He  has  just  completed  the  erection  of  a  fine  and' 
commodious  residence,  which  is  modem  in  every 
respect,  an  ornament  to  the  tasteful  grounds  sur- 
rounding it.  His  earnest,  upright  life,  commands 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  entire  community. 


OLIVER  C.  CURRIER,  deceased,  was  num- 
bered among  the  respected  pioneers  and  energetic 
men  of  Skagit  county  until  March,  1900.  when  he 
passed  ovit  of  this  life.  During  all  the  years  of  his 
residence  in  the  La  Conner  country  he  maintained' 
a  highly  enviable  reputation  for  integrity  and  up- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


rightness  of  character,  and  the  family  of  which  he 
was  the  head  has  ever  been  and  still  is  counted 
among  the  elite  of  Skagit  covmty's  population.  A 
farmer  for  many  years  prior  to  his  demise,  his  last 
field  of  endeavor  was  the  well  known  Currier  home, 
where  his  widow  and  one  son  still  live,  but  for  an 
extended  period  of  time  in  early  manhood  he  fol- 
lowed the  sea,  and  he  had  the  splendid  distinction  of 
having  served  as  an  officer  in  the  United  States 
Navy  during  the  Civil  War.  Mr.  Currier's  birth- 
place was  York  county,  Maine,  and  the  date  of  his 
birth  was  November  23,  1841.  His  parents,  'Na- 
thaniel and  Sophia  (Clark)  Currier,  were  likewise 
natives  of  Maine,  and  they  passed  their  lives  in  that' 
state,  following  agriculture  as  an  occupation.  He 
lived  on  the  parental  homestead,  assisting  with  th'i 
work  as  he  was  able  and  in  term-time  attending  the 
local  school  until  eighteen,  when  he  went  to  sea. 
His  love  of  adventure  was  to  be  fully  gratified  be- 
fore he  should  return  to  the  life  of  a  land  man  for 
in  due  time  he  enlisted  m  the  navy  as  master's  mate 
and  he  had  part  in  some  of  the  stirring  events  on 
sea  and  river  which  occurred  during  the  great 
American  fratricidal  war.  At  the  close  of  the  strug- 
gle he  left  the  navy,  came  around  the  Horn  to  Cal- 
ifornia and  there  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
but  after  he  had  spent  a  couple  of  years  at  that  he 
returned  to  Maine.  He  was  married  there  in  1870 
and  soon  after  went  to  Cloud  county,  Kansas,  where 
the  ensuing  half  decade  of  his  life  was  passed.  In 
1876  he  removed  to  Skagit  county  and  resumed  liis 
farming  operations,  cultivating  for  the  first  five 
years  the  Alverson  place,  then  purchasing  the  \me 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  which  is  the 
present  home  of  the  family. 

Mrs.  Currier,  whose  maiden  name  was  Augusta 
M.  Kimball,  was  born  in  York '  county,  Maine, 
January  9,  1844,  the  daugther  of  Daniel  and 
Rachel  (Barnard)  Kimball,  both  natives  of  that 
county  and  state.  Her  father,  a  cabinet  maker  by 
trade,  was  an  ardent  temperance  worker,  and  in 
politics  a  very  strong  Republican.  She  received  a 
good  education  in  the  common  schools  of  her  native, 
state  and  in  a  private  institution  of  learning.  Her 
children  are  Mrs.  Susan  Ornes,  born  in  Kansas, 
July  25,  1871,  now  a  resident  of  Mount  Vernon; 
Mrs.  Clara  S.  Hubbard,  born  in  Kansas  August  24, 
1873,  now  living  in  Cedardale ;  and  Oliver  D.,  born 
in  Washington,  August  25,  1877,  at  home  with  his 
mother  and  operating  the  parental  farm.  The 
family  belong  to  the  Methodist  church  and  Mrs. 
Currier  is  an  active  worker  in  the  Relief  Corps. 
Mr.  Currier,  during  his  life  time  was  an  active 
Mason. 


GEORGE  ADIN,  whose  farm  lies  two  and  a 
half  miles  southeast  of  La  Conner,  is  one  of  the 
highly  respected  and  popular  residents  of  that  vi- 


cinity, and  is  typical  to  a  great  extent  of  the  school 
of  fine  old  English  gentlemen.  Much  of  his  life  on 
the  western  continent  has  been  spent  in  mining,  but 
he  has  lived  in  Skagit  since  1870  with  the  exception 
of  one  year.  Mr.  Adin  was  born  in  England,  No- 
vember 16,  1831,  the  son  of  John  and  Annie 
(Fletcher)  Adin.  His  parents  were  farmers  in  the 
old  country  and  had  ten  children,  of  whom  George 
was  fifth.  Mr.  Adin  received  his  education  in  the 
English  schools  and  remained  at  home  until  he  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  At  that  time  he  deter- 
mined to  come  to  America,  California  and  her  mines 
being  his  goal.  He  reached  there  in  1854  and  passed 
several  years  in  mining  ventures.  He  then  obtained 
employment  as  clerk  in  a  general  merchandise  store 
and  continued  there  for  a  year  and  a  half.  At  the 
close  of  this  employment  he  bought  a  mining  claim 
and  worked  it  for  several  years.  He  then  heard  of 
Washington  and  its  many  advantages  and  came  here 
taking  up  cne  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and 
remained  for  one  year,  returning  to  California  on  a 
visit.  The  interests  he  had  acquired  and  the  high 
opinion  he  had  formed  of  the  Skagit  country  were 
sufficient  to  recall  him  after  a  stay  of  a  few  months. 
On  his  return  he  proved  up  on  this  land  and  has 
lived  on  the  place  ever  since.  He  owns  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  good  land,  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  acres  of  it  being  under  cultivation  and  very 
carefully  attended.  Of  Mr.  Adin's  sisters  three  are 
living,  Eliza,  Mary  and  Esther;  a  number  of  the 
family  have  never  left  England.  Mr.  Adin  is  pros- 
perous in  his  farming  operations  and  devotes  some 
attention  to  livestock,  having  nine  head  of  horses 
and  two  cows.  But  his  chief  interest  is  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  soil,  in  which  he  takes  deep  enjoy- 
ment. Mr.  Adin  is  a  true  lover  of  nature,  quiet  in 
manner  and  studious  and  thoughtful  in  habit.  Ever 
unselfish  and  guardedly  considerate  of  others  feel- 
ings, he  holds  the  respect  and  esteem  in  a  marked 
degree   of   his   neighbors   and   acquaintances. 


CHARLES  OLSON  is  one  of  the  successful 
stock  farmers  of  western  Skagit  county  and  one  of 
the  respected  citizens  of  the  community.  Mr.  Olson 
IS  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in  January  of  1865. 
His  father.  Swan  Olson,  is  still  living  in  the  old 
country,  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Mrs.  Hannah 
(Erikson)  Olson,  likewise  a  native  of  Sweden, 
passed  her  entire  life  there,  dying  in  1905  at  a  ripe 
old  age.  Charles  Olson  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Sweden  and  remained  at  home  with 
his  parents  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  at  Salina, 
Kansas,  where  he  remained  for  nearly  two  years. 
He  then  went  to  California  and  worked  in  a  saw- 
mill for  one  season.  He  came  to  Washington  in 
1889  and  for  the  subsequent  eight  years  worked  as 
employe  on  various  farms.    Making  up  his  mind  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


rent  a  farm  and  engage  on  his  own  responsibility,  he 
leased  a  place  near  Marysville  for  two  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  sold  his  interest  there  to  go  to 
Alaska.  In  that  territory  he  followed  mining  for 
half  a  year  and  returned  to  La  Conner.  For  one 
year  after  his  return  Ire  worked  for  IMrs.  Conner  and 
then  leased  the  Alverson  farm,  which  he  operated 
for  three  years.  In  1003  he  leased  the  farm  he  now 
occupies,  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  town. 
Two  of  Mr.  Olson's  sisters,  .A.nnie  and  Mary,  are 
with  him,  keeping  house.  Erick,  a  brother,  is  in 
Idaho,  engaged  in  farming.  The  remaining  mem- 
bers of  the  family  are  still  living  in  Sweden.  They 
are:  Mrs.  Ida  Halmer,  Hendrick,  John  and  twin 
brothers,  August  and  Axel.  In  politics  Mr.  Olson  is 
a  Republican,  and  is  acting  as  supervisor  of  his  road 
district.  Mr.  Olson  and  his  sisters  attend  the 
Lutheran  church.  In  dmnection  with  his  agricul- 
tural work,  Air.  Olson  is  raising  livestock,  having 
now  tifty  head  of  cattle  and  fifteen  of  horses.  The 
farm  is  well  kept  and  in  his  management  of  it  he 
displays  industry  and  business  qualities  of  a  high 
order. 


FREDERIC  GAGE  is  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  the  country  a  short 
distance  southeast  of  La  Conner,  where  he  has  a 
modern  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  IMr. 
Gage  came  direct  to  Skagit  county  from  England. 
He  was  born  in  1850.  Charles  Gage,  his  father,  was 
an  English  farmer  of  sterling  qualities  who  stood 
very  high  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  his  home  people 
and  served  as  guardian  of  the  poor.  His  remains  lie 
buried  beside  those  of  his  ancestors  for  many  gen- 
erations back.  Mrs.  Gage  whose  maiden  name  was 
Marion  Johnson,  is  the  daughter  of  the  captain  of  a 
sea  vessel.  She  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years,  the  mother  of  nine  children,  of  whom  Fred- 
eric is  next  to  the  oldest.  Frederic  Cigc  rocrivod 
a  careful  education  in  an  Englisli  h,  .ardinL;  scIim,  .1 
and  was  trained  to  the  life  of  an  lui-lish  I'.ii miir.; 
gentleman.  He  remained  at  home  until  t\\i'iit\  I'lur 
years  of  age,  assisting  his  father  in  the  ni.in  imiiunt 
of  a  farm  of  between  six  and  seven  hundred  acn-s.  at 
which  time  he  left  home  to  engage  in  farming  on  his 
own  account  and  for  eight  years  operated  a  place  of 
four  hundred  acres  under  a  leasehold.  In  1881  he 
came  to  Washington  territory,  forwarding  his  house- 
hold effects  by  vessel  around  Cape  Horn.  His  first 
venture  in  the  new  country  was  to  lease  and  operate 
a  four  hundred  acre  tract  near  La  Conner,  which 
he  did  with  marked  success  and  profit.  In  188.')  Mr. 
Gage  purchased  his  present  place  and  has  cleared 
and  diked  sixty  acres  of  it. 

In  1875  while  still  a  resident  of  England,  Mr. 
Gage  married  Miss  Eleanor  Louisa  Wiggin,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Wiggin,  a  leading  member  of  the  Phar- 
maceutical Society  of  Great  Britain,  also  Fellow  of 


the  Royal  Society  of  London.  Mrs.  Gage's  mother 
died  when  her  daughter  was  quite  young.  She  was 
educated  in  a  boarding  school,  and  is  a  very  ac- 
complished and  cultured  woman  being  conversant 
with  German  and  French  and  the  literature  of  those 
languages.  She  was  teaching  school  when  married 
at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gage 
have  two  daughters,  both  born  in  England.  One  is 
Mrs.  Louise  R.  \'alentine,  a  resident  of  Seattle,  the 
other  Mrs.  Edith  McNeil,  whose  home  is  on  the 
Skagit  river.  Mr.  Gage  is  a  member  of  the  Episco- 
pal church  and  at  present  is  church  warden.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  a  Republican,  though  not  deeply  inter- 
ested in  political  or  party  affairs.  On  his  farm  he 
has  thirty  head  of  cattle  and  a  number  of  horses. 
The  Gage  home  is  one  of  the  cultured  places  of  the 
county,  .savoring  much  of  the  tastes  and  training  of 
the  old  country  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gage  are  popular 
in  the  community  and  enjoy  the  highest  respect  of 
those  who  know  them. 


JOHN  H.  CHILBERG,  one  of  the  public 
spirited  citizens  of  Skagit  county,  has  made  his 
mark  in  official  life  and  left  his  impress  on  the  busi- 
ness comninnilN-  in  wliirli  In-  \va<  inii\-ed  for  thirty- 
four  \c:irs,  Mr.  (  Inll.rri^'s  liiV  !ia^  l/.-on  one  of  ac- 
tivity in  ililTerml  liiirs,  in  cuii  <.\  which  he  has  been 
conspicuous  as  a  man  of  accomplishments.  He  was 
born  in  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  in  1857,  and  came  to  Wash- 
ington when  a  young  man.  His  father,  Charles 
Chilberg,  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  settled  dur- 
ing Iowa's  pioneers  days  in  that  state,  but  in  1871 
removed  to  Washington  territory.  He  took  up  the 
land  where  his  son  now  resides,  and  died  there  in 
1905  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years.  John 
Chilberg  commenced  his  education  before  leaving 
Iowa  and  later  attended  school  at  Olympia.  He 
passed  much  of  his  time  on  the  farm  and  in  the  em- 
ploMiicnt  of  others  until  he  wa^  twenty-one  years  of 
: -»■  wlun  ho  went  to  Seattle  determined  to  gain 
nil. re  edr.eaticn.  While  pursuing  a  course  in  the 
Slate  L'niversity  he  supported  himself  by  clerking 
in  stores  mornings,  evenings  and  Saturdays.  Re- 
turning to  Skagit  county,  Mr.  Chilberg  turned  his 
attention  to  farming,  but  was  unfortunate  in  losing 
crops  by  floods,  so  in  1886,  he  went  to  Tacoma. 
where  for  some  time  he  was  in  charge  of  a  crockery 
and  glassware  store.  Again  coming  to  Skagit 
county,  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1888  when  he 
went  to  La  Conner  and  started  the  first  saw-mill  in 
that  place.  He  operated  this  until  he  received  an 
appointment  as  postmaster  under  the  Cleveland  ad- 
ministration, then  sold  out.  He  was  postmaster  for 
seven  years.  In  1897  he  went  to  Alaska  and  fol- 
lowed mining  ventures  for  two  years,  returning  then 
to  La  Conner,  where  he  opened  a  confectionery 
store.  This  he  continued  until  the  fall  of  1904.  At 
that  time,  on  account  of  the  advanced  age  of  his 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


father,  he  determined  to  take  up  again  the  life  of  an 
agriculturist,  so  in  March,  1905,  he  moved  on  the 
parental  farm.  The  same  energy  and  ambition 
which  enabled  him  to  work  out  his  own  way  at  the 
territorial  university  and  have  cliaracterized  all  his 
activities  since,  whether  as  farmer,  miner,  grain 
buyer  and  shipper  or  postmaster,  are  winning  suc- 
cess for  him  in  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
his  splendid  hundred-acre  farm. 

In  January,  1878,  Mr.  Chilberg  married  at  What- 
com Miss  Maggie  Jenkins,  whose  father,  John  R. 
Jenkins,  a  native  of  Wales,  moved  to  Washington  in 
1871,  after  living  in  Pennsylvania  for  a  time,  finally 
settling  in  Whatcom  county  and  engaging  in  min- 
ing. Mrs.  Jenkins'  maiden  name  was  Margaret 
Evans  and  she  also  was  a  native  of  Wales.  Mrs. 
Chilberg  was  born  during  the  residence  of  her  par- 
ents in  Pennsylvania,  but  the  major  part  of  her 
education  was  received  in  the  public  schools  of 
Whatcom  and  in  the  territorial  university  at  Seat- 
tle. After  her  course  in  the  latter  institution,  she 
engaged  in  teaching  in  Whatcom,  but  her  career  as 
a  teacher  was  cut  short  by  an  early  marriage.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chilberg  have  had  three  children,  Mrs. 
Alice  Morrow,  living  near  La  Conner ;  Charles,  who 
died  in  infancy,  and  Lawrence  J.,  born  in  1893.  Mr. 
Chilberg  is  prominent  in  Odd  Fellowship,  being  a 
past  grand  of  Delta  Lodge,  No.  33,  and  past  chief 
patriarch  of  Hope  encampment,  No.  10. 


CHARLES  CONRAD  is  one  of  the  Swedish 
born  American  citizens  who  have  easily  adapted 
themselves  to  life  in  this  country,  succeeding  by 
thrift  and  hard  work.  He  was  bom  in  the  old 
country  early  in  the  year  1861,  the  oldest  of  the 
three  children  of  Conrad  and  Ulrika  (Hector)  Con- 
rad, who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  their  native 
land.  Mr.  Conrad  received  his  early  education  in 
the  schools  of  Sweden.  When  twelve  years  of  age 
he  accompanied  an  aunt  to  La  Conner  and  for  a 
time  worked  on  a  dairy  farm.  When  fourteen  years 
of  age  he  determined  to  complete  his  education  and 
went  to  Seattle  for  a  course  in  the  schools  ther^. 
He  returned  to  Skagit  county  and  worked  for  dif- 
ferent farmers  until  in  the  spring  of  188.5  he  first 
leased  the  land  where  he  has  lived  for  twenty  years. 
In  1881  Mr.  Conrad  took  up  a  preemption  and  on 
proving  up  sold  out.  Out  of  the  proceeds  of  his 
farming  of  leased  land,  Mr.  Conrad  in  1896  bought 
a  farm  near  Fir,  which  he  still  owns,  and  operates. 
Being  an  energetic,  ambitious  man  he  has  not  rested 
from  his  labors  until  every  acre  of  his  farm  has  beea 
cleared  of  timber  and  put  in  the  best  condition. 

In  1885  at  Pleasant  Ridge  Mr.  Conrad  married 
Miss  Sophia  M.  Nelson,  who  died  three  years  later 
leaving  two  children  of  whom  one,  Arthur,  born 
June  28,  1888,  is  living.  In  1890  at  Seattle  Mr. 
Conrad  married  again,  his  bride  being  Miss  Ann'e 


B.  Olsen,  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  1866.  Mrs. 
Conrad's  father  is  still  living  in  the  old  country. 
Of  this  union  seven  children  have  been  born,  all  in 
Skagit  county,  namely,  Sophia,  Nellie,  John,  Sadie, 
Dewey,  Rachel  and  Edna.  In  fraternal  affiliations 
Mr.  Conrad  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
LTnited  Workmen,  while  in  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, though  not  very  active.  The  Conrads  attend 
the  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Conrad  has  lived  in  Ska- 
git county  since  1874  and  whether  as  farmhand  or 
as  fanner  has  earned  a  reputation  for  earnestness, 
uprightness  and  energy  of  which  he  may  well  be 
proud.  He  enjoys  in  a  high  degree  the  confidence- 
and  respect  of  his  neighbors  and  those  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact. 


JACOB  MAJERUS.  who  operates  a  farm  seven 
and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  La  Conner,  between 
Brown's  and  Hall's  sloughs,  is  one  of  the  typical  far- 
mers of  that  section  of  the  county,  having  his  place- 
in  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation,  doing  a  general 
farming  business,  but  also  raising  fine  horses.  Mr. 
Majerus  was  born  in  Luxemburg  late  in  the  year 
1856,  the  son  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  (May)  Majerus 
who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  their  native  country. 
Farm  work  and  schooling  occupied  young  Majerus' 
attention  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  determined  to  join  his  older  brother  in  Illinois. 
Letters  from  the  brother  had  done  much  in  the  way 
of  holding  out  promises  of.  success  for  the  young 
man  and  he  came  to  the  LInited  States  in  1875, 
settling  in  Cook  county,  Illinois.  After  a  few  months- 
he  passed  on  to  Minnestoa  and  spent  the  harvest 
season  there.  In  the  closing  days  he  came  to  What- 
com county  with  his  brother,  and  in  Taiuiary  of  the 
Centennial  year  to  the  La  Conner  flats.  For  two 
years  the  brothers  worked  at  dikint;-,  ilitcliing  and 
farm  work  on  the  Conner  and  other  farms  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  La  Conner.  In  those  da>'s  the  country  was 
wild,  and  on  Beaver  marsh  no  diking  or  farming  was 
being  done  except  one  small  place.  Mount  Vernon 
had  not  then  spnmg  into  existence.  In  company 
with  his  brother  and  two  other  Germans,  young 
Majerus  leased  four  hundred  acres  of  land  near  La 
Conner  and  began  farming,  the  venture  being  suc- 
cessful. After  two  years  of  partnership  Mr. 
Majerus  lived  for  two  years  on  the  Mike  Sullivan 
place  and  three  on  the  Conner  farm,  operating  in 
each  instance  under  a  lease.  In  1884  he  bought  his 
present  place  and  in  the  following  year  moved  on  it, 
commencing  to  erect  buildings  and  extend  the  diking 
already  done.  Farming  in  earnest  on  his  own  ac- 
count, Mr.  Majerus  went  to  raisins:  oats,  developing 
hay  land  and  drifting  into  stock  raising. 

'  In  the  summer  of  1887  Mr.  Majerus  married 
Miss  Louise  Gruben,  a  native  of  the  Province  of 
Rhine.  Prussia,  bom  in  1867.  the  daughter  of 
Nichola  and  Catherine  Gruben,  the  latter  of  whom 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


came  to  the  United  States  with  her  son  and  daugh- 
ter and  still  lives  at  Mankato,  Minnesota.  As  to 
Mr.  Majerus'  family,  there  were  ten  children  of  his 
parents,  only  three  except  himself  attaining  adult- 
ship:  Michael,  now  near  Burlington  on  the  Olympic 
marsh  :  Mrs.  Annie  Schmitz,  of  Olympic  marsh,  and 
Annie  Mary.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Majerus  have  seven 
children,  all'at  home  :  Michael,  Annie,  Frank,  Louise, 
Lillian,  Willie,  and  Eva.  The  members  of  the  family 
attend  the  Catholic  church  at  La  Conner.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Majerus  is  a  Democrat.  He  owns  eighty 
acres  of  his  own  land  and  operates  eighty  of  school^ 
land.  He  raises  some  of  the  best  Clydesdales  in  the' 
county,  having  recently  disposed  of  one  team  for 
$550.  Mr.  Majerus  is  a  shrewd,  thrifty  fanner, 
well  liked  and  one  of  the  men  who  are  highly  es- 
teemed in  the  community  for  rigidity  of  purpose  and 
action. 


MORTIMER  COOK  (deceased),  founder  of 
the  old  town  of  Sedro,  out  of  which  has  grown  the 
present  city  of  Sedro-Woolley,  has  been  credited 
with  having  been  the  first  manufacturer  on  the  Pa- 
cific Coast  to  introduce  the  Washington  cedar  shin- 
gle into  the  Eastern  market.  Probably  no  pioneer  of 
Skagit  county  contributed  more  to  its  advancement 
than  this  remarkable  man,  while  his  relation  to  the 
great  shingle  industry  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  will 
forever  identify  him  prominently  with  the  history  of 
this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Cook's  career  in  Skagit  county,  beginning 
with  his  advent  in  June,  1884,  is  but  one  chapter  in 
his  busy  life.  Born  September  15,  1826,  at  Mans- 
field, Ohio,  a  descendant  of  Francis  Cook,  who  came 
to  America  in  one  of  the  first  ships  that  followed 
the  Mayflower,  he  was  the  youngest  in  a  family 
of  thirteen  children.  His  father  was  a  farmer  of 
the  Ohio  valley.  In  1846,  at  the  age  of  nineteen, 
the  young  Ohioan  left  farm  and  school  to  enlist  in 
the  First  United  States  infantry.  While  in  this 
regiment  he  served  throughout  the  Mexican  War 
and  afterward  along  the  border  until  1850,  then  re- 
enlisted,  this  time  for  service  in  the  quartermaster's 
department.  In  1853  he  went  up  the  Pacific  coast 
to  California  by  water  and  horse.  One  of  the  places 
at  which  the  schooner  put  in  for  water  was  Santa 
Barbara,  the  attractiveness  of  which  lingered  so 
graphically  in  his  memorv  that  years  later  he  re- 
turned there  to  live.  After  several  years  in  the 
mines  of  northern  California,  Mr.  Cook  joined  the 
rush  to  Eraser  river  in  1858,  and  at  a  point  on 
Thompson  river,  still  known  as  Cook's  ferry,  he 
built  a  ferry  and  opened  a  general  store,  the  latter  at 
Lytton.  Six  years  later  with  his  fortune  he  re- 
turned to  Mansfield  and  farmed  on  the  old  home- 
stead three  years,  going  thence  to  Topeka  and  Kan- 
sas Citv.  At  the  former  place  he  built  the  first' iron 
toll  bridge  across  the  Kaw  river,  selling  it  in  1871  to 


the  city  of  Topeka  for  $100,000  in  bonds.  With 
this  fortune  he  went  direct  to  Santa  Barbara  and  es- 
tablished the  First  National  bank,  building  also  the 
well-known  Cook  block  of  that  city.  He  became 
president  of  the  bank,  ser\'ing  it  as  such  five  years. 
He  was  twice  elected  mayor  of  the  town.  During 
his  thirteen  years'  residence  his  public  spirit  and 
whole-souled  way  of  entering  upon  anything  he  un- 
dertook identified  him  with  every  improvement  in 
the  growth  of  the  community.  Financial  reverses 
finally  overtook  him  in  southern  California,  how- 
ever, resulting  in  the  loss  of  all  his  property,  even  to 
his  household  goods.  He  soon  accumulated  a  few 
thousand  dollars  and  once  again  commenced  the 
building  of  a  fortune. 

With  this  money  he  came  north  to  Puget  sound, 
selected  the  undeveloped  Skagit  valley  as  the  field 
of  his  operations  and  immediately  began  his  career 
in  this  section.  To  afford  an  outlet  to  the  Skagit 
river  for  two  thousand  two  hundred  acres  of  fine 
timber  land  which  he  had  purchased  he  bought  a 
thirty-four-acre  tract  on  the  river  at  a  point  south 
of  his  timber  land,  where  the  river  was  unusually 
straight.  Here  he  erected  a  residence  and  estab- 
lished a  store  in  1885.  A  post-office  was  secured 
right  away  and,  thus  inception  was  given  to  the  town 
of  Sedro.  This  musical,  appropriate  name  was 
formed  from  the  Spanish  word  for  cedar.  Much 
humor  came  out  of  the  naming  of  the  place,  Mr. 
Cook  at  first  being  detemiined  that  it  should  be 
known  as  Bug.  His  wife,  who  was  ever  a  power 
for  good  in  the  community,  joined  him  the  follow- 
ing year,  June,  1885.  with  their  two  daughters.  In 
the  spring  of  1886  Mr.  Cook  built  what  was  then 
the  largest  shingle  mill  on  the  coast  and  at  the  same 
time  erected  a  drier.  He  was  the  originator  of  the 
idea  of  reducing  the  weight  of  shingles  by  drying 
them  in  order  to  lower  the  freight  sufficiently  to 
warrant  establishing  an  Eastern  market.  The  idea 
was  scoffed  at  by  most  men  who  heard  of  it,  all  sorts 
of  objections  being  raised  against  its  success,  but 
Mr.  Cook  persevered  as  he  always  did,  and  success 
came  to  him.  The  plan  of  drying  shingles  was  sug- 
gested to  him  by  observing  how  much  lighter  a  few 
hand-made  shingles  became  after  lying  by  the  fire- 
place. Then  he  experimented  with  a  bunch,  weigh- 
ing them  before  and  after  dn,'ing.  The  first  East- 
ern buyers  were  skeptical  of  the  cedar's  enduring 
qualities,  of  its  red  streaks,  and  other  features,  biit 
once  they  had  been  given  a  trial,  the  battle  was  won. 
The  first  car  load  went  to  Mansfield,  Ohio,  and 
brought  about  $4  a  thousand.  The  drawbacks  at 
the  mill  were  also  serious — unskilled  labor,  isola- 
tion and  expensive  transportation — but  all  were 
eventually  overcome.  Early  in  1889  Mr.  Cook  sold 
his  timber  land  for  five  times  what  he  paid  for  it 
and  at  the  same  time  the  mill,  McEwen  &  iMc- 
Donald  being  the  purchasers.  About  the  same  time 
the   Fairhaven  &   Southern   railway  was  built  and 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


the  town  of  Sedro  platted,  Mr.  Cook's  thirty-four 
acres  being  embraced  in  the  original  town  site.  In 
the  establishing  of  the  new  town  he  took  an  active 
part,  though  almost  wholly  in  a  business  way.  He 
never  was  a  politician  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the 
word,  but  was  a  lover  of  good  government  and 
never  shirked  his  responsibilities  as  a  citizen. 

Shortly  after  selling  his  timber  and  milling  in- 
terests, Mr.  Cook  invested  in  six  hundred  acres  of 
Olympia  marsh  land,  to  the  draining  and  making  a 
model  ranch  of  which  he  now  devoted  his  exhaust- 
less  energies,  still  retaining  his  store  at  Sedro.  Hard 
times  overtook  him,  however ;  the  ranch  was  lost  to 
him  and  he  again  entered  with  vim  into  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  the  town  of  Woolley,  operating 
this  store  successfully  until  1898,  and  living  to  see 
the  two  rival  towns  merged  into  one  prosperous 
beautiful  little  city  with  a  unity  of  action  and  aims. 

The  last  page  in  his  history  is  consistent  with 
his  eiKrL;\-t'c  life,  for  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  he 
sailed  for  tin  mwly  acquired  Philippines,  to  develop 
the  hard  wood  tiinliei  industry  in  the  Orient.  With 
broken  fortunes  and  delicate  health,  but  with  the 
fire  of  youth,  he  was  steadily  forging  ahead,  when 
the  deadly  malaria  of  the  wooded  regions  attacked 
his  wonderful  constitution.  He  died  in  the  United 
States  Brigade  hospital  at  Iloilo,  November  21, 
1899,  and,  though  thousands  of  miles  from  his  na- 
tive land,  he  yet  was  laid  at  rest  beneath  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  he  loved  so  well.  Though  he  left  no 
riches  in  the  material  sense,  he  left  to  his  family 
and  friends  the  memory  of  an  honest,  square,  blunt 
man,  a  devoted  husband  and  father  and  a  friend 
loyal  to  the  last.  He  was  peculia,r  in  many  ways.. 
and  stories  of  his  eccentricity  are  familiar  to  every 
pioneer,  bat  his  peculiarities  were  but  the  mark  of 
an  exceptionally  strong  personality.  Of  sanguine 
temperament  and  ceaseless  activity,  he  embraced 
his  opportunities  with  such  vigor  and  enthusiasin 
that  he  was  ever  a  leader.  It  is  said  that  he  made 
and  lost  four  large  fortunes.  His  fraternal  affilia- 
tions were  confined  to  Masonry  and  Odd  Fellow- 
ship. The  name  of  Mortimer  Cook  is  still  a  house- 
hold word  in  Skagit  county ;  it  has  been  indelibly 
written  upon  the  pages  of  local  history,  and  de- 
servedly so. 

Mr.  Cook  was  united  in  marriage  January  14, 
18(i5,  to  Miss  Nancy  P.  Pollock,  the  daughter  of  a 
well-known  Mansfield  family,  after  a  long  romantic 
courtship.  She  survives  him  and  is  at  present  re- 
siding with  her  daughter  at  Rockford,  Illinois.  Of 
her  three  children,  all  daughters,  Fairie,  Fanny  and 
Nina,  the  first  and  last  named  are  also  living:  Mrs. 
Fairie  Litchfield,  at  Chicago  ;  Mrs.  Nina  Budlong, 
at  Rockford. 


HON.  CH.^RLES  E.  BINGH.-VM,  banker,  and 
mayor   of    Sedro-WooKey,    is   a   Pennsylvanian   l)y 


birth,  born  in  New  Columbus,  Luzerne  county,  No- 
vember 6,  1862.  Flis  father  was  R.  S.  Bingham, 
an  educator  and  a  native  of  the  Empire  state  who 
located  in  Pennsylvania  about  the  middle  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  The  earlier  years  of  his  pro- 
fessional life  were  spent  as  an  instructor  in  the 
common  and  high  schools  of  New  York  and  P'enn- 
sylvania.  In  18T5  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he 
was  successively  superintendent  of  the  schools  of 
Marengo,  Cedar  Falls,  and  of  Clinton  county. 
Later  in  life  he  became  prominently  connected  with 
the  educational  institutions  of  the  Pacific  coast;  he 
came  to  Tacoma  in  1SS8  and  for  a  number  of  years 
was  superintendent  of  her  schools.  From  Tacoma 
he  went  to  California,  where  he  died  in  1903.  He 
was  of  English  descent.  The  mother  of  Charles  E. 
Bingham,  Sophia  (Brooks)  Bingham,  was  born  in 
Oneida  County,  New  York,  and  is  of  English  and 
Scotch  parentage. 

Charles  E.  F.ingham  received  his  early  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  New  York  and  Iowa  and 
was  eventually  graduated  from  the  Marengo  (Iowa) 
High  School.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  accepted  a 
position  with  the  First  National  Bank  of  Marengo, 
remaining  vvith  the  institution  till  1890.  In  Julv. 
1890,  he  came  to  Sedro,  Washington,  and  opened 
a  private  banking  house  which  was  known  as  the 
Bingham  &  Holbrook  bank.  This  partnership  was 
dissolved  in  1S!)(;,  Mr.  Bingham  purchasing  the  Hol- 
brook interc-ts.  and  .-iiice  that  date  the  establishment 
has  been  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  C.  E. 
Bingham  &  Co.  It  is  one  of  the  most  successful 
and  reliable  banking  institutions  of  this  section  of 
the  state.  Mr.  Bingham's  banking  interests  are  not 
fully  represented  by  the  local  house ;  he  is  president 
and  a  heavy  stockholder  of  the  Arlington  State 
Bank,  of  Arlington,  Washington.  Although  his  life 
has  been  devoted  to  the  advancement  of  his  per- 
sonal business  interests,  in  which  pursuit  he  has 
manifested  a  very  high  degree  of  business  ability, 
yet  he  is  widely  known  as  a  public  spirited  citizen, 
and  has  always  been  deeply  interested  in  all  that 
is  best  in  American  civil  life,  having  a  long  and 
honorable  iccord  of  service  to  his  community  and  of 
devotion  to  the  public  welfare.  Fie  has  been  four 
times  elected  mayor  of  Sedro-Woolley.  Since  locat- 
ing in  Sedro  in  1890  he  has  served  almost  continu- 
ously as  member  of  the  city  council  and  as  mayor, 
first  in  Sedro  and  later  in  the  united  corporation 
of  Sedro- Woolley,  no  movement  for  the  betterment 
of  public  conditions  ever  having  failed  to  enlist  his 
liberal  and  hearty  support. 

In  1883,  while  a  resident  of  Marengo,  Iowa,  Mr. 
Bingham  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  T. 
Reno,  daughter  of  Louis  Q.  and  Amelia  (Nicholas) 
Reno.  Louis  Reno,  of  French  descent,  was  a  mer- 
chant citizen  of  the  Old  Dominion  state,  who  mi- 
grated to  Iowa  in  the  fifties  and  there  followed 
mercantile  pursuits  until  his  death  in  1883.    Amelia 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


675 


Reno,  now  residing  in  Sedro-Woolley,  is  a  native 
of  New  York.  Mrs.  Bingham  was  born  February 
15,  1864,  in  Marengo,  Iowa,  and,  like  her  husband, 
finished  her  education  in  the  Marengo  Higli  School. 
Following  her  graduation  she  taught  school  for  a 
number  of  terms,  giving  up  the  work  at  the  age  of 
twenty  to  become  the  wife  of  Charles  Bingham. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bingham  have  three  sons,  all  born 
in  Sedro:  Ouinbv,  in  Ti'lv,  1892;  Charles  S.,  in 
April,  1891:,  aiid  Albert  H.,  November  7,  1895.  Mr. 
Bingham  is  a  prominent  Mason.  He  is  influential 
in  the  councils  of  the  Republican  party ;  was  a 
Washington  delegate  to  the  National  Republican 
Convention  in  Chicago  in  1904.  Besides  his  prop- 
erty holdings  in  Sedro-Woolley,  he  has  large  in- 
vestments in  the  farm  lands  of  Skagit  county,  these 
evidencing  his  faith  in  the  future  of  his  home  com- 
munity. He  is  recognized  as  a  man  of  exceptional 
executive  ability,  whose  untiring  eiYorts  have  been 
largely  responsible  for  the  rapid  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  town  and  surrounding  country. 
In  all  the  walks  of  life  and  with  all  classes  he  is 
held  in  the  highest  esteem  because  of  his  spirit  of 
devotion  to  the  public  weal  and  for  his  sterling 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  both  as  friend  and  citi- 
zen. 


U.  E.  FOSTER,  postmaster  of  Sedro-Woolley 
and  editor  of  the  Skagit  County  Courier,  has  for 
a  number  of  years  been  connected  with  the  printing 
and  publishing  business,  and  since  he  established  his 
present  paper  has  made  of  it  an  unqualified  success 
and  is  giving  his  constituents  an  able  publication 
Mr.  Foster  was  born  in  Racine,  Wisconsin,  Febru- 
ary 26,  1866,  the  son  of  Isaac  L.  Foster,  a  native 
of  Oswego,  New  York.  The  elder  Foster  early  in 
life  went  Id  \\'isconsin  and  engaged  in  farming.  In 
the  earl\-  days  of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  the 
Twenty-Second  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and  he 
served  through  the  entire  war,  much  of  the  time 
under  Rosecrans,  participating  in  Sherman's  march 
to  the  sea,  sufifering  incarceration  in  Libby  prison, 
and  otherwise  experiencing  the  hardships  of  war. 
After  the  close  of  hostilities  he  moved  to  Iowa  and 
later  to  Ca'ifornia,  and  he  died  at  Long  Beach,  in 
the  latter  state,  in  1902,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 
Mrs.  Betsy  M.  (Titus)  Foster  was  a  native  of 
Kokomo,  Indiana,  of  English  extraction. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  only  child  of  his 
parents  and  he  remained  with  them  on  the  farm 
and  attending  school  until,  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  he  commenced  to  fearn  the  printer's  art  at 
Spencer,  Iowa,  in  the  composing  room  of  the  Clay 
County  News.  After  a  year  as  printer  at  Parker, 
South  Dakota,  Mr.  Foster  tried  railroading,  but 
while  at  Sioux  City  once  more  turned  his  attention 
to  printing.  Pie  went  into  the  newspaper  publish- 
ing business  at  Norfolk,   Nebraska,  first  with  the 


Herald  and  then  with  the  Norfolk  Journal.  Leav- 
ing there  for  Plainview,  Nebraska,  he  passed  seven 
years  as  editor  and  publisher  of  the  News.  In  1901 
he  sold  out  and  came  to  Everett,  and  later  to  Sedro- 
Woolley,  establishing  the  Skagit  County  Courier 
at  the  latter  point  in  the  month  of  May,  in  com- 
pany with  W.  H.  Totten.  Mr.  Foster  has  always 
taken  an  interest  in  matters  political  and  while  liv- 
ing in  Nebraska  served  during  one  session  of  the 
legislature  as  journal  clerk.  In  April,  1904,  he  was 
appointed  postmaster  of  Sedro-Woolley,  the  duties 
of  which  office  he  still  continues  faithfully  and  effi- 
ciently to  discharge. 

In  1886,  at  Spencer,  Iowa,  Mr.  Foster  married 
Miss  Ida  Crozier,  a  native  of  that  state,  born  No- 
vember 22,  1866.  Her  father,  Samuel  Crozier,  was 
in  early  years  captain  of  a  Hudson  river  steamboat, 
and  later  was  in  the  transportation  business  on 
Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario.  He  is  now  living  at  Spen- 
cer, Iowa,  in  retirement.  Mrs.  Foster  is  the  young- 
er of  two  daughters.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Fos- 
ter is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Concate- 
nated Order  of  Hoo  Hoo,  and  the  Dramatic  Order 
of  Knights  of  Khorassan.  He  has  the  honor  of 
having  established  the  first  Republican  paper  in  the 
Sedro-Woolley  section  of  Skagit  county,  and  de- 
veloped it  into  a  journal  of  influence  and  large  cir- 
culation, successful  alike  in  its  editorial  and  job 
printing  departments. 


■  HOWARD  SEABURY.  An  ardent  love  for 
that  profession  which  has  to  do  with  that  which  has 
its  seat  in  the  bosom  of  God  and  whose  voice  is  the 
law  of  the  universe  was  developed  very  early  in  life 
in  the  breast  of  the  rising  young  man  whose  career 
is  the  theme  of  this  article,  and  his  life  story  is 
largely  made  up  of  chapters  dealing  with  his  strug- 
gles under  difficulties  to  obtain  a  deep  and  compre- 
hensive grasp  of  the  principles  of  jurisprudence. 
Success  in  good  measure  has  attended  his  efforts, 
and  it  is  but  reasonable  to  assume  that  the  achieve- 
ments of  the  past,  though  really  noteworthy,  are 
but  trifling  compared  with  those  that  are  yet  to  be. 

Mr.  Seabury  is  a  native  of  Dennison,  Iowa,  born 
September  4,  1874,  the  son  of  I.  C.  and  Eliza 
(Wakeham)  Seabury,  natives  respectively  of  New 
York  state  and  Southampton,  England.  His  father, 
who  was  born  near  Albany,  March  20,  1838,  is  now 
residing  in  the  vicinity  of  Sedro-Woolley.  He  takes 
not  a  litt'e  pride  in  the  fact  that  he  belongs  to  one 
of  the  most  ancient  families  on  the  American  con- 
tinent, his  lineage  being  traceable  through  his  moth- 
er's people,  the  Brewsters,  to  the  Pilgrims  who  came 
from  Europe  in  the  Mayflower.  Our  subject's  moth- 
er, the  date  of  whose  birth  is  August  3,  1848,  came 
to  the  new  world  with  her  parents  in  1855. 

When  four  years  old  Ploward  Seabury,  of  this 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


article,  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Nebraska,  and 
in  Crawford  valley,  Antelope  county,  that  state,  he 
obtained  his  preliminary  educational  training.  Be- 
fore reaching  his  majority  he  had  qualified  himself 
for  school  teaching,  a  line  that  he  followed  for  sev- 
eral years.  But  his  ambitions  took  a  dififerent  trend. 
When  twelve  years  old  he  had,  from  the  Youth's 
Companion,  as  a  premium  for  taking  subscriptions, 
secured  a  copy  of  "Law  Without  Lawyers."  The 
perusal  of  this  book  stimulated  in  him  a  desire  for 
the  further  study  and  practice  of  law,  so  all  through 
his  years  of  teaching  he  had  devoted  his  spare  time 
to  the  reading  of  legal  works.  In  1897  he  came  to 
San  Francisco  where  for  a  time  he  was  employed 
as  claim  agent  for  a  fire  insurance  company,  and 
during  his  stay  in  that  city  he  worked  industriously 
in  spare  moments  at  his  law  books,  keeping  pace 
with  the  students  of  the  Hastings  Law  School,  four 
of  whom  were  accustomed  to  meet  him  and  another 
young  man  regularly  in  the  office  of  J.  N.  Young 
for  mutual  assistance  in  the  common  study.  Later 
Mr.  Seabury  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  fire  in- 
surance company's  interests  in  Missouri,  but  for 
some  reason  the  climate  of  that  state  disagreed  with 
his  health,  and  in  1898  he  returned  to  his  home  in 
the  middle  West.  For  the  next  year  he  was  a  part- 
ner of  M.  H.  Leamy,  a  lawyer  of  Plainview,  Ne- 
braska, but  upon  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in  June, 

1900,  he  severed  his  connection  with  Mr.  Leamy  and 
began  practice  on  his  own  sole  account.     May  3, 

1901,  he  opened  a  law  office  in  Sedro-WooUey, 
where  he  hais  ever  since  practiced.  He  took  in 
as  a  partner  C.  P.  Gable,  and  the  two  practiced  to- 
gether until  May  36,  1905,  when,  on  account  of  ill 
health,  Mr.  Gable  was  obliged  to  retire.  In  the  five 
years  of  his  residence  in  Sedro-Woolley,  Mr.  Sea- 
bury  has  achieved  an  enviable  success  in  his  profes- 
sion, building  up  a  very  good  business,  one  that 
takes  him  into  all  the  courts  of  the  state.  For  the 
past  four  years  he  has  been  city  attorney  of  his  hom.e 
town  and  he  is  also  an  active  worker  in  its  commer- 
cial club.  His  present  standing  in  his  profession 
has  not  been  thrust  upon  him  by  Fortune,  but  has 
come  as  a  legitimate  result  of  hard,  unceasing  work  ; 
and  this  genius  for  prolonged  effort,  together  with 
good,  native  talent  for  the  law,  is  still  his  to  rely 
upon  for  the  accomplishment  of  yet  greater  things 
in  time  to  come. 

In  November,  1901,  Mr.  Seabury  married  Miss 
Margaret  Morrow,  a  native  of  Iowa  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  T.  J.  Morrow,  who  recently  located  in  Sedro- 
Woolley.  Mrs.  Seabury  is  a  graduate  of  Norfolk 
High  School,  Nebraska,  and  for  several  years  pre- 
vious to  her  marriage  was  in  the  teaching  profes- 
sion. She  takes  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of 
the  Sedro-Woolley  Congregational  church.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Seabury  have  one  child,  Esther,  born  Decem- 
ber 18.  1903.  In  politics  Mr.  Seabury  is  a  Repub- 
lican, but  of  somewhat  liberal  views ;  in  fraternal 


affiliations  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Royal  Highlander, 
and  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  L^niformed  Rank  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


PHILIP  A.  WOOLLEY,  founder  of  the  town 
of  Woolley  and  contractor  of  large  experience  in 
varied  lines,  has  been  one  of  the  leading  forces  in 
Skagit  county  and  was  the  first  to  put  ax  to  a  tree 
cm  the  site  of  the  town  which  bears  his  name.  He 
has  made  his  home  in  Washington  since  1889,  but 
his  operations  have  been  widely  extensive  and  not 
confined  to  his  home  county  or  state.  Mr.  Woolley 
was  born  at  Malone,  in  the  St.  Lawrence  valley  of 
New  York,  on  the  17th  of  February,  1831.  He  is 
descended  on  the  paternal  side  from  English  an- 
cestry and  on  the  maternal  side  from  the  German 
and  French,  but  in  each  case  his  forebears  had  for 
generations  been  residents  of  the  United  States, 
many  of  them  occupying  honored  and  useful  posi- 
tions in  life.  The  Woolleys  were  represented  in  the 
Revolutionary  War,  espousing  the  cause  of  the  col- 
onies and  independence.  Mr.  Woolley 's  father.  Dr. 
Emerson  Woolley,  was  for  many  years  a  practicing 
physician  and  representative  citizen  of  Ogdensburg, 
the  chief  city  of  northern  New  York  and  a  promi- 
nent shipping  point  on  the  St.  Lawrence  waterway 
from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the  Gulf.  Mrs.  Magdaline 
(Ulman)  Woolley  was  a  native  of  Morrisburg, 
across  the  St.  Lawrence  in  the  province  of  Ontario. 
The  elder  Woolley  died  in  1880  and  his  wife  two 
years  later.  Their  two  daughters,  sisters  of  the 
subject  of  this  biography,  Miss  Margaret  Woolley 
and  Mrs.  Alice  Chrisler.  are  residents  of  Sioux 
Falls,  South  Dakota.  Philip  A.  Woolley  attended 
the  schools  of  the  Empire  state  until  he  was  eigh- 
teen, when  he  commenced  life  on  his  own  recogni- 
zance. His  first  undertaking  was  a  lumber  contract, 
but  shortly  after  the  completion  of  this  work  he  en- 
tered the  mercantile  business  at  Russell,  Canada, 
where  he  continued  for  a  number  of  years.  While 
in  Russell,  Mr.  Woolley  commenced  to  engage  in 
contracting  work,  so  that  in  1864  he  was  prepared 
to  accept  a  contract  for  railroad  work  at  Escanaba, 
Michigan,  in  the  construction  of  tlie  road  between 
that  point  and  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin.  Three  years 
were  consumed  in  completing  this  work  and  then 
A'Ir.  Woolley  went  to  Grand  Haven,  Michigan, 
where  he  had  a  government  contract  which  occu- 
pied his  attention  and  energy  for  ten  years.  Dur- 
ing this  period  he  also  carried  on  railroad  work.  For 
the  next  subsequent  thirteen  years  Mr.  Woolley 
made  his  headquarters  at  Elgin,  Illinois,  from  which 
place  he  directed  a  great  amount  of  contract  work 
for  the  Chicago  &  Alton  railway.  It  was  in  1889 
that  Mr.  Woolley  came  to  Washington  and  Skagit 
county.  Here  he  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land 
and  so  great  was  his  foresight  and  his  faith  in  the 
future  development  of  the  country  that  amid  tress 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


677 


which  had  never  known  the  ax  he  laid  out  the  site 
of  the  town  which  was  to  bear  his  name,  himself 
felling  the  first  tree  on  the  town  site.  For  a  time 
j\Ir.  \V'oolley  engaged  somewhat  in  mining  and  one 
of  his  enterprises  was  the  construction  of  a  large 
lumber  and  shingle  mill,  which  he  afterward  sold. 
He  has  made  Woolley  his  headquarters  ever  since, 
■continuing  an  extensive  contracting  business  with 
operations  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  In  1901 
]\Ir.  Woolley  secured  the  contract  for  furnishing  all 
the  materials  for  the  Sea  Board  Air  Line,  which 
contract  will  not  terminate  until  ISIOS. 

In  January  of  1857,  while  a  resident  of  Russell, 
Canada.  Mr.  Woolley  married  Miss  Catherine 
Loucks.  daughter  of  Hon.  W.  G.  Loucks,  a  mer- 
chant of  Ottawa,  the  capital  of  the  dominion.  Mr. 
Loucks  was  descended  from  immigrants  from  Lux- 
emburg, Germany,  who  on  settling  in  Canada  be- 
came adherents  to  the  loyalist  cause.  In  his  later 
years  he  was  in  the  civil  service  department  of  the 
Canadian  government.  He  passed  aw-ay  in  March, 
1!)00,  a  prominent  and  highly  respected  citizen  of 
the  community  in  which  he  had  passed  his  life.  Mr. 
and  i\Irs.  \\'oolley  have  two  sons  and  two  daughters. 
The  sons,  William  and  Philip,  are  associated  with 
their  father  in  his  contracting  enterprises  in 
Georgia,  Florida  and  other  Southern  states.  One 
of  the  daughters,  Zaida,  is  the  wife  of  Horace  Pin- 
hey,  a  government  official  of  Ottawa;  the  other, 
Kate,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Harbaugh,  a  promi- 
nent physician  of  Woolley.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr. 
A\'oolley  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  also 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In  re- 
ligious affiliations  he  has  been  a  lifelong  Presbyte- 
rian. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  always 
taken  a  commendable  interest  in  political  matters, 
though  in  no  sense  is  he  an  active  politician.  His 
time  and  attention  are  too  deeply  engrossed  in  the 
management  of  his  business  to  permit  him  being  ac- 
tive in  the  usually  accepted  sense  of  politics.  The 
political  work  for  the  family  is  done  by  Philip 
"V\'oolley,  who  has  .several  times  served  as  secretarv 
of  the  Republican  county  central  committee.  In- 
•ch'.stry,  enterprise  and  public  spirit  have  character- 
ized ]\Ir.  \\'oolley's  life  here  in  the  Pacific  North- 
west, as  they  also  marked  his  career  in  other  parts 
of  the  country.  He  served  as  mayor  of  his  home 
town  two  terms  of  two  years  each. 


CALVIN  L.  FARRAR,  son  of  Rev.  Robert 
Buchanan  Farrar  and  Martha  E.  (Thompson)  Far- 
rar,  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania, 
on  April  a,S,  1875.  His  parents  came  west  in  1881, 
the  familv  stopping  in  Iowa  while  the  father  was 
sent  to  the  Pacific  coast  as  a  Sunday  school  mis- 
sionary of  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  spent  con- 
siderable time  in  Portland,  going  up  the  Columbia 
and  staging  across  to  Spokane  and  Walla  Walla, 


afterwards  visiting  Seattle,  which  was  then,  in  his 
own  words,  "a  thriving  village,"  and  coming  north 
across  Skagit  county  to  Whatcom  (Bellingham). 
•Afterwards  he  returned  east  and  settled  in  Dakota. 
There,  in  the  country  of  cattle  and  wheat,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  lived  most  of  the  time  until  1898 
(except  a  few  winters  spent  in  school  at  Parsons 
College,  Fairfield,  Iowa),  when  he  came  to  Skagit 
county,  settling  at  Mt.  Vernon.  In  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  he  went  to  Ballard  and  obtained  a  posi- 
tion as  tallyman  in  Stimson's  mill,  which  he  held  for 
some  time,  finally  leaving  that  to  engage  in  car- 
penter work  in  Seattle. 

In  1900  he  purchased  the  Robert  Kerr  ranch  at 
Marblemount,  where  he  lived  for  about  five  years. 
He  served  as  deputy  county  assessor  for  the  upper 
Skagit  district  for  the  seasons  of  1901,  1902  and 
1905,  giving  general  satisfaction  to  the  county  offi- 
cials and  to  the  taxpayers.  He  has  spent  a  great 
deal  of  time  in  the  mountains  prospecting  and  is 
now  interested  in  some  very  promising  mining 
daims.  He  was  appointed  a  United  States  forest 
ranger  and  served  during  the  season  of  1903  in  the 
Ruby  Creek  district  of  the  Washington  Forest  Re- 
serve. The  next  year,  as  his  farming  interests  had 
increased,  he  resigned  this  position  and  remained 
on  the  farm,  but  as  he  sold  the  farm  the  next  win- 
ter he  afterwards  took  the  civil  service  examination 
and  was  again  appointed  forest  ranger,  and  in  the 
past  season  (1905)  was  on  special  duty  in  the  new 
additions  to  the  reserve. 

Mr.  Farrar's  father  died  in  1888,  while  pastor 
of  the  Beaver  Creek  Presbyterian  church.  Rock 
county,  Minnesota,  leaving  a  widow,  who  now  lives 
at  Ballard,  and  eight  children,  whose  names  and 
residences  are  as  follows :  Frank  A.,  Ballard,  prin- 
cipal of  the  East  Side  school,  formerly  of  Mt.  Ver- 
non, where  he  was  for  many  jears  editor  of  the 
Skagit  Valley  Herald  and  was  well  known,  through- 
out the  countv  ;  Nellie  F.  Kinnear,  Spokane  ;  Myrta 
A.,  Ballard ;  Robert  W.,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Luella 
M.  Haroldson,  Brookings,  South  Dakota ;  Calvin  L., 
Sedro-Woollev ;  Marv  P.,  Ballard;  Grace  H..  Bal- 
lard. 

The  Farrar  family  are  direct  descendants  of 
James  Farrai',  born  in  England  in  173'/,  who  came 
over  to  America  when  a  boy  and  settled  in  New 
Jersey.  Several  of  the  colonial  Farrars  served  in 
the  French  and  Indian  War  and  Andrew  Farrar, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  when  but  fourteen  years 
old,  went  into  the  Revolutionary  army  as  a  team- 
ster, while  all  his  other  brothers  served  as  soldiers, 
two  of  them  dying  on  the  infamous  prison  ship. 
Jersey.  Mr.  Farrar's  father  was  in  the  theological 
seminary  at  the  time  of  our  Civil  War,  and,  although 
he  was  never  an  able  bodied  man,  yet  he  volun- 
teered as  a  nurse  and  served  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh 
and  in  the  campaign  of  "The  Wilderness"  and  at 
several  other  times. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Farrar  is  a  member  of 
Patrons  of  Husbandry,  Ridg\vay  Grange  14?,  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican,  but  always  votes  for  an  honest  man 
when  one  is  put  up  against  a  rogue.  He  will  always 
oppose  any  man  or  any  policy  that  he  thinks  will 
become  an  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  the  neigh- 
borhood and  for  that  reason  has  often  been  called 
"The  Marhlemount  Agitator." 


HIRAM  HAMMER,  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  Sedro-Woolley  and  a  prominent  educator  of  Ska- 
git county,  has  been  called  upon  to  perform  many 
public  duties,  which  in  every  instance  he  has  done 
with  great  credit  to  himself.  He  was  born  in  Black- 
ford County,  Indiana,  July  11,  1849,  the  son  of 
Peter  Hammer,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  was 
a  mechanic  in  that  state,  but  later  became  a  mer- 
chant in  Indiana,  where  he  passed  away  in  1862,  a 
victim  of  smallpox.  The  mother,  in  maiden  life 
Miss  Mary  Cliandler,  was  of  a  pioneer  Ohio  family, 
her  father  being  an  English  born  Quaker.  She  died 
in  Indiana  when  Hiram  was  eleven  years  old,  leav- 
ing six  children.  Hiram  Hammer  obtained  his  early 
education  m  the  common  schools  of  Indiana,  gradu- 
ating from  a  high  school  and  later  attending  the 
state  normal  at  Bloomington,  Illinois,  but  his  studies 
were  interrupted  by  the  demand  of  the  government 
for  more  troops.  He  felt  the  need  of  his  country 
and  when  only  fourteen  years  old,  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany I,  One  Hundred  Thirty-eighth  Indiana  In- 
fantry. This  was  in  1864,  and  he  served  till  the 
close  of  the  great  struggle,  being  finally  mustered 
out  in  Indianapolis.  In  spite  of  this  serious  inter- 
ference, he  stuck  to  his  determination  to  obtain  a 
thorough  education,  and  during  the  following  years 
he  was  engaged  alternately  in  teaching  and  going 
to  school.  For  twelve  years  he  was  an  instructor  in 
Indiana.  Illinois  and  Kansas,  to  the  last  mentioned 
of  which  states  he  went  in  1871.  There,  in  1879, 
he  was  elected  county  clerk  of  Lincoln  county,  a 
position  which  he  filled  for  six  years.  He  also  was 
two  years  register  of  deeds  and  in  1890  had  the 
responsible  task  of  gathering  mortgage  data  for 
twelve  Kansas  counties,  for  the  United  States  cen- 
sus. Upon  finishing  this  work  he  came  west  and 
for  four  years  after  his  arrival  he  taught  school  in 
different  places  in  Skagit  county.  Fle  was  chosen 
county  auditor  in  1894,  and  served  for  the  ensuing 
four  years,  then  for  half  a  decade  he  was  connected 
with  the  Green  Shingle  Company,  but  he  taught 
again  in  the  school  year  of  190;V4.  He  was  elected 
citv  clerk,  police  judge  and  justice  of  the  peace  of 
Sedro-Woolley  in  1904. 

In  Salina,  Kansas,  in  1877,  Mr.  Hammer  mar- 
ried Miss  Catherine  Doumyer,  daughter  of  Jacob 
Doumyer,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  of  Dutch  de- 
scent, who  became  a  wheat  and  corn  raiser  of  Kan- 


sas. The  mother,  who  in  maiden  life  was  Miss 
Sarah  Baumgartner,  was  also  of  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  origin.  Mrs.  Hammer  was  born  in  the  Key- 
stone state  in  1857  and  received  her  education  there 
and  in  Kansas,  at  one  time  being  a  pupil  of  her  fu- 
ture husband.  Of  this  union  have  been  born  three 
children :  Harriet  A.,  now  wife  of  Hon.  N.  J.  Mol- 
stad,  representative  in  the  last  two  sessions  of  the 
state  legislature,  and  one  of  the  prominent  mer- 
chants of  Mount  Vernon ;  Kathryn  S.,  bookkeeper 
and  stenographer  at  Sedro-Wooley,  and  Hiram  J. 
In  politics  Mr.  Hammer  is  a  Republican  and  in  fra- 
ternal affiliations  a  blue  lodge  Mason  and  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  has  accu- 
mulated considerable  city  property.  l\Tr.  Hammer 
is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  highly  res])ected 
citizens  of  Skagit  county,  a  worthy  representative 
of  his  high  profession. 


SAMUEL  S.  GAY.  the  popular  boarding  house 
man  at  Burn's  mill,  .Sedro-Woolley,  was  born  in 
King  County,  Prince  Edward  Island,  Canada,  Janu- 
ary 26,  187>.'.  His  parents,  Andrew  and  Flora  (Mc- 
Phaii  )  C.iy.  still  are  living  at  his  boyhood  home. 
The  f.illu"-,  wlio  was  born  in  England  in  1837.  has 
spent  his  entire  life  on  the  farm.  The  mother  is  a 
native  of  Nova  Scotia,  born  in  1849.  Like  many 
another  successful  man,  Samuel  S.  Gay  started  for 
himself  at  an  early  age.  He  left  home  at  fourteen 
and  served  a  three-year  apprenticeship  in  a  carpen- 
ter shop,  then  worked  at  his  trade  two  years  in 
North  Dakota  bef6re  coming  to  Washington  in  1893. 
Times  were  hard  and  work  in  his  line  was  scarce, 
so,  with  the  energy  and  determination  so  charac- 
teristic of  the  man,  he  worked  at  whatever  offered 
itself  for  the  first  year,  then  located  at  Cokedale, 
where  he  v/as  employed  at  the  coke  furnaces  three 
years.  He  was  employed  by  the  Pacific  Coast 
Steamship  Company  for  a  year  and  went  to  Skag- 
way,  his  capable  wife  assisting  him  by  cooking  for 
the  company.  Whi'e  in  this  employment  thev  saved 
what  they  could,  laving  the  foundation  for  their  fu- 
ture prosperity.  Eventually  returning  to  Cokedale, 
he  had  charge  of  a  boarding  house  and  store  there 
until  he  sold  the  latter  to  the  company.  A  year 
later  he  sold  the  boarding  house  also  and  purchased 
a  ranch  of  forty  acres  two  miles  east  of  Woolley, 
which,  after  greatly  improving  it,  he  sold  five  months 
later  at  a  good  profit.  He  invested  his  earnings  in 
real  estate  in  Everett,  where  he  still  holds  a  lot  and 
a  two-storv  hotel  on  Rucker  avenue,  a  half  block 
from  Hewitt  street.  Having  rented  this,  he  returned 
to  Cokedale,  where  he  was  employed  by  the  same 
coal  company  until  the  mines  closed.  He  was  with 
the  New  York  Life  Insurance  Company  for  a  year 
afterward,  then  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Burn 
as  manasrer  of  the  boarding  house  at  his  mill,  a  posi- 
tion he  still  retains. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Mr.  Gay  married,  while  living  at  Cokedale,  Miss 
Lena  Johnson,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Mirandy 
(Anderson)  Johnson.  When  Mrs.  Gay  was  four- 
teen her  njolher  died,  and  she  came  with  her  father 
to  Skagit  county,  where  he  since  has  been  a  resi- 
dent. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gay  have  three  children:  Ran- 
dolph, born  October  8,  ISOi ;  Florence,  July  14, 
1898,  and  Arthur  C.  J.,  February  20,  1901.  The 
family  attends  the  Methodist  church  of  which  both 
he  and  his  wife  are  members.  Mr.  Gay  is  a  Re- 
publican and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Republican 
central  committee  and  a  road  supervisor,  discharg- 
ing the  duties  of  these  positions  in  a  creditable  man- 
ner. He  is  a  public-spirited  citizen  whose  influence 
can  be  relied  upon  to  support  anything  for  the  good 
of  his  town  and  county.  He  adheres  strictly  to 
sound  business  principles  and  attends  carefully  to 
the  comforts  of  his  patrons,  thus  establishing  an  en- 
viable reputation  for  (jiis  house. 


WILLIAM  H.  PERRY,  the  well  known  and 
able  attornty-at-law,  has  had  more  varied  and  in- 
teresting experiences  than  have  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
most  residents  of  Sedro-Woolley.  He  was  born  in 
Jefferson  County,  New  York,  May  32,  1850,  the 
son  ot  Holbrook  Perry  of  New  York,  a  prominent 
Horace  Greeley  man  who  died  in  1881  when  sixty- 
one  years  old.  The  mother,  Mary  (Ross)  Perry, 
was  born  in  1825,  a  descendant  of  the  famous  Gen- 
eral Ross  of  England.  She  died  in  August,  18G2. 
The  seventh  child  of  a  family  of  nine,  William  H. 
Perry  began  working  for  himself  when  ten  years 
old,  his  lirst  emp'.oyment  being  6n  a  farm  hoeing 
corn.  For  several  years  he  worked  out  summers, 
returning  home  winters  to  attend  school,  and  later 
he  worked  for  his  board  while  he  continued  his 
education.  By  diligently  improving  every  oppor- 
tunity, he  acquired  an  excellent  preparation  for  the 
profession  he  afterwards  entered.  After  moving  to 
Illinois  he  still  worked  and  went  to  school  until 
1867,  when  he  went  to  Minnesota  as  a  trapper.  He 
remembers  that,  while  on  his  way  to  Fort  Aber- 
crombie  with  a  load  of  flour  to  exchange  for  furs, 
he  was  forced  to  spend  one  terribly  cold  night  in 
his  wagon  because  he  had  failed  to  reach  the  usual 
stoppuig  place,  and  that  his  partner  by  making  a 
grass  fire,  set  the  whole  prairie  afire,  almost  burning 
the  fort.  They  were  badly  cheated  in  their  trade 
and  the  few  furs  they  did  receive  his  partner  shipped 
to  Chicago,  disappearinar  himself.  Mr.  Perry  tork 
a  c'aim  near  Osakis,  Minnesota,  but  abandoned  it 
later  to  go  to  Fort  Wadsworth,  South  Dakota. 
There  he  lived  among  the  same  Indians  who  perpe- 
trated the  horrible  Minnesota  massacre  in  ISfiO.  He 
cut  cord  wood  for  a  living  at  first,  then  drove  oxen 
for  a  contractor  wdio  was  furnishing:  supplies  for 
the  fort.  One  trip  with  the  oxen  he  will  never 
forget.     The  first  night  he  slept  in  an  Indian  tepee 


near  Buffalo  lake,  where  a  war  dance  was  in  prog- 
ress. Two  nights  later  he  was  caught  in  a  blizzard, 
lost  the  trail,  and  was  obliged  to  corral  the  cattle 
and  sleep  as  best  he  could  in  a  sled.  In  the  morning 
he  found  his  boots  frozen  so  stiff  it  was  impossible 
to  put  them  on.  The  rest  of  the  winter  he  cared 
for  his  cattle  and  traded  with  the  Indians  and  in 
the  spring  took  up  a  claim  in  Stevens  county,  Min- 
nesota, which  he  sold  three  years  later.  He  had 
long  cherished  an  ambition  to  enter  the  legal  pro- 
fession, so  now  he  began  reading  Blackstone  and 
later  entered  the  state  university  at  Minneapolis. 
He  applied  himself  too  closely  to  his  books  and 
found  after  two  years  that  his  health  was  fail- 
ing, so  went  to  Illinois  for  a  rest,  but  resumed  his 
study  the  following  spring,  completed  his  course 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  188.3.  He  practiced 
law  three  years  in  Villard,  Minnesota,  then  prac- 
ticed in  Alexandria  in  the  same  state,  then  in  Ham- 
ilton, Washington,  and  finally  in  1895  opened  an 
office  in  Sedro-Woolley,  where  he  still  lives.  He 
has  a  brother,  George  W.  Perry,  who  has  resided 
in  Seattle  since  1887,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Harriett 
Martin,  who  lives  in  Kansas.  Mr.  Perry  became  a 
stanch  Prohibitionist  in  1886  and  has  since  worked 
loyally  for  the  interest  of  that  party.  He  is  a  promi- 
nent worker  in  the  Independent  Order  of  Good 
Templars  and  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist 
church.  He  showed  his  energy  and  ability  as  a  so- 
licitor on  one  business  trip  by  insuring  every  build- 
ing between  Hamilton  and  Sauk.  On  one  occasion 
he  insured  a  house  in  the  afternoon  and  that  night 
it  burned  to  the  ground.  The  next  morning  he  ad- 
justed the  loss,  sending  in  a  claim  for  loss  with  the 
application  for  insurance.  Mr.  Perry  is  an  ener- 
getic man  of  irreproachable  character  who  enjoys 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


MENZO  B.  MATTICE,  M.  D.,  the  pioneer 
physician  of  Sedro-Woolley,  Washington,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Albany,  New  York,  born  April  2,  1855.  He 
is  the  son  of  John  J.  and  Emeline  (Canada)  Mat- 
tice,  natives  and  esteemed  residents  of  the  Empire 
state,  who  were  born  about  the  close  of  the  first 
quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  elder  Mat- 
tice  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  until  the 
year  1861,  w  hen  he  enlisted  in  the  Ninety-first  New 
York  Volunteers,  .for  service  in  the  Civil  War.  Al- 
though among  the  very  first  of  New  York's  patriotic 
citizens  to  answer  the  call  to  arms,  he  was  not  aes- 
tined  to  serve  the  full  time  for  which  he  enlisted. 
Because  of  physical  disability  he  received  an  honor- 
able discharge  from  the  service  in  1863  and  returned 
to  the  North.  He  never  recovered  from  the  effects 
of  disease  contracted  while  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  as  a  soldier  and  died  in  1868. 

Menzo  B.  Mattice  is  the  third  in  a  family  of 
five  children.     The  vears  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


were  spent  in  the  state  of  his  birtli  where  he  also 
received  his  education.  After  a  course  in  the  schools 
of  his  home  city  he  was  graduated  from  the  acad- 
emy at  Fort  Plain  in  the  central  part  of  the  state.  In 
1881  he  received  a  certificate  of  graduation  from  the 
Albany  Medical  (  olU-e  and  soon  afterwards  located 
in  Brookings,  Sniiih  Dakota,  where  he  began  his 
career  as  a  praclirmg  physician.  In  188;i,  at  Brook- 
ings, he  inairied  Miss  Fannie  Plocker,  daughter  of 
James  and  I-'annie  (Spaulding)  Plocker,  the  father 
a  native  of  England,  of  Holland-Dutch  extraction; 
the  mother  born  in  Augusta,  Maine.  James  Plock- 
er was  a  graduate  of  the  Amsterdam  (Plolland) 
University;  was  a  man  of  exceptional  literary  at- 
tainments and  achieved  distinction  in  his  day  as  a 
writer.  He  was  a  pioneer  of  Wisconsin  and  died 
in  that  state.  Mrs.  Plocker  died  at  Brookings, 
South  Dakota.  Mrs.  Mattice  claims  Wisconsin  as 
the  state  of  her  nativity,  the  date  of  her  birth  being 
April  21,  1S58.  There,  in  the  common  schools  and 
in  the  State  Normal,  she  received  her  education. 
Following  her  graduation,  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
she  became  a  teacher,  in  which  profession  she  con- 
tinued for  eight  years,  meeting  with  marked  suc- 
.cess;  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  she  abandoned  her 
work  in  the  schools  and  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Mat- 
tice. 

After  a  residence  of  ten  years  in  lirookings, 
South  Dakota,  Dr.  Mattice  came  to  Washington,  lo- 
cating at  Scdro,  which  afterwards  was  joined  to  the 
town  of  Woolley,  the  two  communities  uniting  in  the 
municipality  of  Sedro-Woolley.  At  the  time  of  his 
coming,  there  was  no  physician  beween  Sedro  and 
Snohomish,  and  the  boundary  of  the  territory  over 
which  his  practice  extended  formed  a  circle  whose 
radius  was  forty  miles  long.  Here  the  Doctor  has 
watched  and  participated  in  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  town  and  the  surrounding  country,  in 
the  meanwhile  contributing  very  materially  to  their 
general  advancement.  He  has  built  up  an  exten- 
sive practice  and  an  enviable  professional  and  social 
reputation.  In  addition  to  caring  for  his  general 
practice  he  has  for  many  years  served  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  as  Company  Physician,  and  as  a 
condition  of  the  pioneering  days  we  may  mention  the 
fact  that  he  was  allowed  the  use  of  the  company's 
"speeder"  in  visiting  patients  living  along  the  right 
of  way.  F'or  a  number  of  years  he  was  company 
physician  for  the  Cokedale  Mining  Company.  Ever 
watchful  of  the  interests  of  his  home  community  he 
has  given  liberal  support  to  all  public  enterprises, 
devoting  his  energies  especially  to  the  advancement 
of  the  schools.  He  has  for  twelve  years  been  an 
active  member  of  the  school  board,  and  is  largely 
responsible  for  their  high  standing  among  the  edu- 
cational institutions  of  the  county.  Both  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Mattice  believe  thoroughly  in  the  advantages 
of  practical  education  as  is  evidenced  by  the  care 
they  are  taking  with  that  of  their  five  children,  here 


named.  The  eldest,  Albert  F.,  who  was  born  in 
Brookings,  South  Dakota,  December  2G,  1884,  was 
first  graduated  from  the  South  Dakota  State  Col- 
lege, and  has  just  received  his  di])loma  from  the 
School  of  Pharmacy  at  the  State  College  at  Pull- 
man, Washington.  He  has  also  devoted  consider- 
able time  to  tlie  study  of  music.  Clyde  M.,  born  in 
the  Dakota  home  January  21,  1S87,  is  now  in  the 
high  school  at  Sedro-Woolley.  Cornelia,  also  born 
in  Dakota,  her  birthday  being  March  i6,  1889,  is 
at  present  a  student  in  the  Pullman  College.  Mil- 
dred and  Menzo,  Jr.,  born  in  Sedro,  the  former 
November  8,  1895  and  the  latter  April  21,  1901, 
are  at  home. 

Dr.  Mattice's  fraternal  connections  are  with 
the  Knights  Templar,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
the  Odd  Fellows ;  he  is  also  prominent  in  the  Ska- 
git County  Medical  Society.  The  family  attend 
the  Presbyterian  church  in  which  the  Doctor  has 
been  a  trustee  since  its  organization.  In  politics  he 
affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  a  stock 
holder  in  the  Citizens  Bank  of  Anacortes  and  in 
the  State  Bank  of  Arlington ;  is  interested  also  in 
the  oyster  beds  at  Bay  Centre.  His  varied  prop- 
erty holdings  and  his  professional  success  make 
him  a  leading  and  influential  citizen  in  financial 
and  professional  circles,  as  well  as  in  the  political 
and  other  public  councils  of  this  section  of  the 
state.  In  church  and  social  circles  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Mattice  have  many  personal  friends,  and  here,  as 
well  as  in  the  more  public  walks  of  life,  they  are 
held  in  the  highest  esteem. 


CHARLES  VTLI.ENEUVE  is  one  of  the  men 
whose  activities  in  Skagit  county  commenced  in  the 
days  when  settlers  were  few  and  communications 
difficult.  He  and  Mrs.  Villeneuve  were  the  real 
pioneers  of  Conway,  where  they  still  have  inter- 
ests, though  living  in  Sedro-Woolley  and  operat- 
ing the  St.  Charles  hotel  in  that  city.  Mr.  Villen- 
euve was  born  in  Ottawa,  Carlton  county,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  province  of  Ontario,  February 
18,  1830.  His  father,  Charles  Villeneuve,  was  a 
native  of  Quebec  where  his  ancestry  had  gone  to 
engage  in  the  fur  trade.  He  took  sides  with  the 
American  revolutionists  when  the  struggles  of  the 
colonists  commenced  with  the  mother  country,  and 
as  one  result  of  this,  the  Villeneuve  estates  were 
forfeited.  Mrs.  Ann  (McKusick)  Villeneuve  was 
a  native  of  Ireland.  Charles,  who  was  the  only  son 
of  his  parents,  attended  school  until  he  was  six- 
teen years  of  age,  and  his  interests  being  in  com- 
mon with  those  of  his  parents,  he  continued  to  re- 
side with  them  long  after  he  had  attained  to  man's 
estate,  but  in  1868,  shortly  after  his  marriage,  he 
went  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  passed  three 
years  in  a  sash  and  door  factory,  his  natural  ability 
with  tools  su])plying  in  a  great  measure  what  he 
had    lacked  in  experience  and  training.    He  finally 


BIOGRArillCAL 


determined  to  come  to  the  Puget  Sound  country 
and  boarded  the  Forest  Queen  for  the  trip  to  Port 
(jamblc,  in  Kitsap  county,  reaching  his  destina- 
tion after  an  exciting  voyage  in  which  the  vessel 
was  driven  200  miles  to  the  south  of  the  Golden 
Gate  on  the  third  day  out  from  San  Francisco. 
At  Port  Gamble  Mr.  Villeneuve  passed  two  years 
in  a  saw-mill,  engaged  in  sawing  and  tallying, 
then  he  went  back  east  and  visited  his  family  and 
friends  for  six  months,  returning  with  his  daugh- 
ters. In  the  fall  of  1873  Mr.  Villeneuve  came  to 
what  is  now  Skagit  county  and  took  up  land 
where  now  stands  the  town  of  Conway.  In  a 
few  months  his  family  came.  On  the  east  side 
of  the  river  at  that  time  were  Big  Wilson,  Little 
Wilson,  Willard  Sartwell,  Orin  Kincaid  and  Billy 
Johnson.  During  the  following  summer  an  Eng- 
lishman named  Marshall  started  a  little  trading 
post  across  the  river  where  Fir  now  stands. 
Marshall  had  to  leave  because  he  was  selling  whis- 
key to  the  Indians,  and  a  Frenchman  named  Long- 
I)re,  who  became  his  successor,  left  after  a  time 
for  the  same  reason,  but  was  later  caught  by  the 
authorities  and  had  to  serve  a  term  in  prison.  The 
stock  of  goods  was  bought  by  Charles  Mann  early 
in  187(),  and  the  steamers,  which  by  that  time  came 
up  the  river  quite  frequently,  gave  the  place  the 
name  of  Mann's  Landing.  Further  up  the  river 
were  Joe  Lisk,  William  Caton,  James  Abbott  and 
John  Wilber,  in  regular  order  toward  Mount  Ver- 
non, all  squaw  men.  Next  came  Thomas  and  John 
Moore  with  their  white  wives,  and  Robert  Gage 
and  McAlpin  came  next  after  them,  all  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river.  To  the  south  was  Tom 
Jones,  who  came  shortly  after  the  Villeneuves. 
There  were  no  roads,  and  travel  was  wholly  by 
boat.  Mrs.  Villeneuve  had  preceded  Mrs.  Tom  and 
Mrs.  John  Moore,  and  was  thus  the  first  white  wo- 
man in  that  section  of  the  county.  At  that  time  on 
the  site  of  Mount  Vernon  were  Mrs.  Jasper  Gates, 
Mrs.  Hartson  and  her  mother,  Mrs.  Kimball  and 
Mrs.  Ford,  the  Washburn  family  not  coming  till 
later.  In  order  to  get  lumber  with  which  to  build 
his  house  Mr.  Villeneuve  went  to  Utsalady,  on 
Camano  island,  made  the  lumljer  into  a  raft  and 
towed  it  behind  his  Whitehall  boat.  The  tides 
greatly  hindered  progress,  and  he  was  four  days 
in  making  the  return  trip.  The  house  built  from 
that  lumber  was  the  first  board  structure  in  this 
section  of  the  country.  A  suggestion  as  to  the 
utter  wildness  of  the  country  may  be  gathered 
from  the  fact  that  on  the  site  of  Mann's  landing 
was  an  old  Indian  burial  place  and  bodies  were 
found  wrapped  in  blankets  and  hung  in  canoes  in 
the  trees,  which  were  removed  by  the  first  two 
traders  because  they  caused  so  great  a  stench. 
Many  of  the  Indians  at  that  time  had  long  fiery 
red  hair. 

January  29,  1868  at  Ottawa,  Ontario,  Mr.  Vil- 
leneuve married  Miss  B.  A.  Treacy,  daughter  of 


William  and  Rachael  (Dagg)  Treacy,  who  were 
of  Irish  descent.  Mrs.  Villeneuve  was  born  in 
Ottawa  in  1847,  the  tenth  of  a  family  of  eleven 
children.  She  and  Mr.  Villeneuve  have  six  chil- 
dren: Mrs.  Drusilla  T.  McGregor;  William  Eu- 
gene, now  in  Alaska ;  Mrs.  Ida  Emogcn  Lloyd, 
wife  of  John  Lloyd ;  Charles  F.  and  Joseph  Benja- 
min, both  of  whom  are  in  British  Columbia ;  and 
Cecilia,  living  at  home.  In  politics  Mr.  Villen- 
euve is  a  Democrat,  always  active  in  attending  the 
conventions  of  that  party  and  prominent  in  its  work. 
He  was  postmaster  at  Conway  for  eight  years, 
during  the  last  three  of  which  he  was  a  resident  of 
Sedro-Woolley  and  conducted  the  post-office 
through  a  deputy.  When  Mr.  Villeneuve  first  set- 
tled on  the  Skagit  where  Conway  now  is,  he 
worked  in  the  woods  and  logging  camps  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  1880  he  sold  out  and  went 
to  Snohomish  county,  taking  up  a  preemption 
near  Stanwood,  but  on  proving  up,  he  came  back 
to  Skagit  county  in  1885.  For  a  year  after  his 
return  he  ran  a  hotel  at  Fir.  Later  he  purchased 
land  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  hard  by  Conway 
and  commenced  to  operate  a  ferry  across  the  Ska- 
git, also  built  the  first  store  in  Conway  and  ar- 
ranged for  keei^ing  boarders.  When  he  attempted 
to  get  a  post-office  located  there,  he  met  with  op- 
position from  the  people  of  Mann's  Landing  who 
looked  with  displeasure  on  the  rival  town  across 
the  river.  In  1897  Mr.  Villeneuve  came  to  Sedro- 
\yoolley  and  built  the  Hotel  Royal,  now  the  Ven- 
dome,  the  largest  hostlery  in  the  city,  in  the  mean- 
time renting  out  his  property  in  Conway  and 
ultimately  selling  it.  In  1903  Mr.  Villeneuve  sold 
the  Hotel  Royal  and  built  the  St.  Charles  which 
he  continues  to  operate.  In  addition  to  his  hotel 
property  he  owns  seven  acres  of  the  town  site. 
During  his  residence  at  Conway  and  in  Snohomish 
county  he  was  justice  of  the  peace ;  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council  at  the  time  of  the  consolida- 
tion of  Sedro  and  Woolley  and  is  still  a  member 
of  that  body,  also  is  secretary  of  the  Skagit  County 
Pioneer  Association.  Mrs.  Villeneuve,  who  is 
deeply  interested  in  education,  was  the  prime  mover 
in  the  establishment  of  the  first  school  built  on  the 
Skagit  river,  the  lumber  for  which  was  brought 
by  boat  at  half  charge  owing  to  Mrs.  Villeneuve's 
individual   effort  and  public  spirited  action. 


OTTO  K.  VON  PRESSENTIN  and  his 
father  are  pioneers  of  Skagit  county,  the  latter  as  a 
farmer  and  the  son  as  a  teacher,  and,  in  more  re- 
cent years,  a  hardware  merchant.  Charles  von 
Pressentin,  the  father,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  de- 
scended from  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  coun- 
try which  dates  back  to  the  thirteenth  century 
without  a  lapse  in  the  family  record.  Mr.  von  Pres- 
sentin came  to  America,  landing  first  at  Quebec; 
but  in  18C7  he  moved  across  the  border  into  Wis- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


consin  and  remained  there  a  short  time  before 
going  to  Michigan.  In  the  Peninsula  state  he 
worked  in  a  logging  camp  and  afterwards  became 
bookkeeper  for  Louis  Sands,  with  whom  he  con- 
tinued for  two  years ;  he  was  also  town  clerk  in 
his  home  town.  In  1877  Mr.  von  Pressentin 
crossed  the  plains  and  came  to  Washington  via 
San  Francisco,  settling  at  Fjirdsview  and  taking  up 
a  homestead.  Mrs.  Wilhelmina  (May)  von  Pres- 
sentin was  also  born  in  Germany  of  an  ancient 
family,  but  as  a  girl  accompanied  her  parents  to 
Michigan  in  1869,  marrying  in  that  state.  She  is 
the  mother  of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are 
living.  Otto  being  the  third.  Otto  von  Pressentin 
was  born  in  Manistee,  Michigan,  June  4,  1876. 
After  his  parents  came  to  Washington  he  at- 
tended scliool  in  P>irdsview  and  prepared  himself 
for  teaching,  in  which  vocation  he  engaged  when 
twenty  years  old,  in  a  school  at  Marblemont.  Two 
years  later,  in  1898,  he  and  his  brother  Paul  opened 
a  general  merchandise  store  in  Marblemont  and 
continued  to  run  it  for  four  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  sold  out  to  his  brother  Paul  and  en- 
gaged with  the  Great  Northern  railway  as  timber 
cruiser.  During  his  business  partnership  with  his 
brother  in  the  general  store,  he  had  been  forest  re- 
serve ranger.  In  1903  Mr.  von  Pressentin  took  a 
two-months'  trip  through  the  eastern  states,  and  on 
his  return,  went  to  work  in  Fritsch  Brothers'  hard- 
ware store.  Six  months  later  he  bought  the  hard- 
ware store  of  R.  Lamont  at  Sedro-Woolley,  which 
business  he  is  conducting  with  marked  success  at. 
the  present  time.  Mr.  von  Pressentin  has  five 
brothers:  Bernhard,  now  in  the  Klondike:  Paul, 
in  the  general  mercantile  business  at  Marblemont: 
Frank,  in  the  hotel  business  at  Marblemont;  and 
Hans  and  Charles  in  the  employ  of  the  govern- 
ment at  the  Birdsview  fish  hatchery.  In  politics 
Mr.  von  Pressentin  is  a  Republican  and  in  church 
relations  a  Lutheran.  He  is  one  of  those  whose 
qualities  are  such  that  he  attracts  men  to  him,  and 
is  very  popular  with  all  classes.  He  is  a  success- 
ful business  man,  full  of  energy-  and  enterprise, 
and  whatever  he  undertakes,  he  throws  his  whole 
soul  into  its  accomplishment. 


J.  WILLIAM  KYLE,  a  well  educated  and 
cultured  gentleman,  proprietor  of  the  Sibley  & 
Kyle  Mercantile  Company  of  Sedro-Woolley,  was 
born  in  Jamestown,  Ohio,  May  25,  1858.  His 
father.  Doctor  Joseph  A.  Kyle,  a  native  of  Green 
County,  Ohio,  born  in  1811,  passed  away  in  188-1, 
after  a  long  and  useful  life.  Mrs.  Sarah  (Mooney) 
Kyle,  the  mother,  was  born  in  1824  in  Indiana  and 
died  in  1895.  Intending  to  follow  his  father's 
profession,  J.  William  Kyle  supplemented  his  excel- 
lent high  school  training  by  a  course  in  the  Kan- 
sas City  Medical  college,  but  on  completing  his 
studies   he   took  up    an  entirely   different    line  of 


work,  entering  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  company,  as  agent.  He  was  ten  years  in 
this  service  in  Kansas  and  ten  more  in  Elgin,  Ore- 
gon, after  which  he  went  to  Portland.  He  soon 
after  accepted  a  position  in  the  Great  Northern 
office  at  Sedro-Woolley,  which  he  held  until  1891, 
when  he  resigned  to  begin  a  mercantile  career. 
He  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Sibley  and  es- 
tablished the  business  of  which  he  now  is  the  sole 
owner,  having  bought  out  the  interest  of  Mr.  Sib- 
ley soon  after  the  partnership  was  formed. 

Mr.  Kyle  married  Lizzie  E.  Farringer  in  Kan- 
sas City  in  1883.  She  is  a  native  of  the  Buck- 
eve  state,  as  also  was  her  father,  Philip  Farringer. 
Her  mother,  Sarah  (Singleton)  Farringer,  was 
born  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  1813  and  died 
in  1873.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kyle  have  two  children 
living,  Edwin,  born  December  21,  1893,  and  Eliza- 
beth, November  15,  1883,  now  a  student  at  the 
Anna  Wright  seminary  in  Tacoma.  Mr.  Kyle 
heartily  endorses  Republican  principles  but  never 
has  had  political  aspirations.  In  religious  faith  he 
is  a  Presbyterian.  He  takes  pride  in  the  fact  that 
he  is  a  descendant  of  the  Covenanters  who  were 
driven  out  of  Scotland  during  the  terrible  perse- 
cutions of  the  seventeenth  centurv.  Besides  his 
business  and  other  real  estate  he  is  the  owner  of 
the  property  of  the  Mortimer  Cook  estate,  com- 
prising twenty-four  city  lots.  He  is  a  man  of  ster- 
ling character,  enjoying  the  entire  confidence  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  and  possessed  of  keen,  practical 
business   abilitv. 


FREDERICK  R.  FALLER,  one  of  the 
skilled  mechanics  of  Sedro-Woolley  and  also  vice 
president  of  the  Sedro-Woolley  Iron  Works,  is  a 
man  of  recognized  ability  in  his  special  line  of  work 
and  a  business  man  of  excellent  standing.  Mr. 
Falser  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  at  Seppen- 
hofer  in  1872.  Matthew  Faller,  the  father,  was 
born  in  England,  but  moved  to  Germanv  when  a 
boy  with  his  parents  and  became  a  bookkeeper  by 
profession.  Mrs.  Helena  (Wetzel)  Faller,  the 
mother,  was  born  in  Germany,  the  daughter  of 
German  parents,  and  continued  to  reside  there 
until  her  removal  to  the  United  States.  She  is  now 
living  at  Everett  with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Sophia 
Creese.  Frederick  Faller  came  to  the  United  States 
with  his  mother  in  18S3  and  lived  in  Illinois  dur- 
ing the  years  of  his  early  youth  and  young  man- 
hood. On  the  com])letion  of  his  education,  he  came 
to  Snohomish  Countv,  Washington,  and  entered 
Sumner's  Iron  Works,  at  Everett  as  apprentice 
to  the  iron  workers'  trade.  In  1900  he  went  to 
Seattle,  and  he  put  in  the  next  year  and  a  half  there 
in  the  shops  of  Moran  Brothers,  shipbuilders.  Com- 
ing to  Sedro-Woolley  in  1903,  he  became  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Sedro-Woolley  Iron  Works, 
accepting  the  position  of  vice-president  of  the  com- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


pany,  and  he  has  devoted  all  his  time  since  then 
to  this  business,  contributing  much  to  the  success 
it  has  attained. 

In  1898  at  Everett  Mr.  Faller  married  Miss 
Myrtle  A.  Havercroft,  daughter  of  Thomas  Haver- 
croft,  an  English  carpenter,  who  is  now  a  resident 
of  Everett  and  janitor  in  the  schools  of  that  city. 
Mrs.  Sarah  (Collins)  Havercroft,  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Faller,  a  native  of  Nebraska,  is  now  living 
in  Everett.  .She  has  four  children,  Mrs.  Faller,  Mrs. 
Eliza  Squires,  Mrs.  Ethel  Hotchkiss  and  Henry 
Havercroft.  Mrs.  Faller  was  born  in  Nebraska 
in  1878  but  received  her  education  in  Everett, 
graduating  from  the  high  school.  She  and  Mr. 
Faller  have  four  children,  Herbert,  Edna,  Freddie 
and  Pearl.  In  politics  Mr.  Faller  is  a  Republican ; 
in  fraternal  affiliation  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order.  He  is  now  serving  in  the  city  council.  He 
owns  a  one-third  interest  in  the  Sedro-Woolley 
Iron  Works,  which  employs  fifteen  men  and  has  a 
payroll  of  -$1,200  a  month.  Since  coming  to  Sedro- 
Woolley  he  has  not  only  established  himself  firmly 
in  business,  but  has  won  popularity  with  all  classes 
of  citizens,  and  is  now  enjoying  in  full  measure  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  those  who  have  been  as- 
sociated with  him. 


D.\RIUS  KINSEY,  the  popular  photographer 
of  Sedro-Woolley,  learned  the  art  before  the  Ska- 
git county  communities  had  developed  sufficiently 
to  warrant  the  establishment  of  a  gallery,  but  as 
soon  as  the  population  increased  enough  to  make  it 
profitable  he  entered  the  business  which  he  and 
Mrs.  Kinsey  have  successfully  conducted  ever 
since.  Mr.  Kinsey  was  born  in  Nodaway  County, 
Missouri,  in  1869,  the  son  of  Edward  j.  Kinsey. 
The  father,  of  German  and  English  descent,  was 
born  in  New  Jersey  in  184-t,  learned  the  trade 
of  carpenter  and  cabinet  maker,  went  to  Missouri 
just  after  the  Civil  War  had  closed,  moved  to 
Barton  county  in  1880,  in  1885  went  to  the  Indian 
territory,  returned  to  West  Virginia  in  1887  and 
two  years  later  came  to  Washington,  locating  at 
Snoqualmie  in  the  hotel  and  mercantile  business ; 
he  died  there  in  1896.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Louisa 
(McBride)  Kinsey,  of  Scotch  lineage,  a  native  of 
Boone  County,  Illinois,  born  in  1846,  became  the 
mother  of  six  children,  Darius  being  the  second. 
Darius  Kinsey  received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Kansas.  He  remained  at  home  until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  old,  when  he  learned  the  artistic 
•and  professional  ends  of  the  photography  business 
and  \vent  to  Seattle.  After  one  year's  experience, 
so  skillful  had  he  become,  he  was  engaged  by  the 
Seattle  &  Lake  Shore  Railroad  company  and  spent 
five  years  taking  views  along  its  line.  In  1895, 
while  temporarily  in  Sedro,  he  conceived  the  idea 
of  establishing  a  branch  gallery  in  that  commun- 
ity, which  he  did  in  1897.     He  rightly  judged  that 


the  place  would  give  good  support  to  a  first  class 
artist. 

In  1896  Mr.  Kinsey  married  Miss  Tabitha 
Pritts,  daughter  of  Samuel  A.  Pritts,  a  Pennsylvan- 
ian,  of  German  descent.  Adam  and  Andrew  Poe 
the  historical  Indian  fighters  were  his  great  uncles. 

Mrs.  Pritts  came  to  Washington  in  1881  and  lo- 
cated at  Nooksack  as  a  farmer.  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
(Berg)  Pritts,  Mrs.  Kinsey 's  mother,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch  stock,  still  is  living  in  the  Sound  coun- 
try. Mrs.  Kinsey  was  born  in  Minnesota,  May  24, 
1875,  and  received  her  education  in  Whatcom  coun- 
ty, this  state,  marrying  when  twenty-one  years  old. 
She  and  Mr.  Kinsey  have  one  child,  Dorothea,  born 
in  Sedro,  May  30,  1901.  Mr.  Kinsey  owns  his 
home.  He  is  a  prominent  worker  in  the  Methodist 
church,  and  superintendent  of  its  Sunday  school. 
He  believes  in  the  dutv  of  the  people  to  abolish  the 
liquor  traffic  and  that  the  only  means  of  doing  it  is 
through  the  Prohibition  party.  Mrs.  Kinsey  also  is 
a  photographer  and  takes  charge  of  the  office.  Mr. 
Kinsey's  camera  is  said  to  be  the  largest  in  the 
state  of  Washington  and  he  is  especiallv  skillful  in 
scenic  work.  He  is  in  great  demand  for  outside 
photography,  while  at  the  same  time  he  and  Mrs. 
Kinsev  have  the  reputation  of  conducting  one  of 
the  best  galleries  north  of  Seattle. 


WILLIAM  J.  THOMPSON,  the  well  known 
liveryman  of  Sedro-Woolley,  was  born  February 
2,  1862,  in  Perth,  Ontario,  which  was  also  the 
birthplace  of  his  parents,  William  C.  and  Margaret 
(Gamble)  Thompson.  His  father,  born  in  1831, 
is  now  a  retired  farmer  living  in  his  native  city, 
his  mother,  born  in  1837,  died"  in  December,  1903, 
after  a  long  life  of  devotion  to  her  husband  aijd 
children.  Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  twenty.  Will- 
iam J.  Thompson  went  to  Assiniboia  and  took  up 
land  near  Moosomin  remaining  three  years.  At 
that  time  no  settler  had  penetrated  farther  into  the 
Northwestern  part  of  Canada.  When  the  North- 
west rebellion  broke  out  in  1885,  he  volunteered 
to  go  as  one  of  Major  Bolton's  scouts,  and  he  was 
in  several  skirmishes  before  the  uprising  was  put 
down.  Having  spent  the  following  winter  in 
Moosomin,  he  went  to  Donald,  British  Columbia, 
where  he  worked  two  years  in  constructing 
bridges  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  railroad  which 
then  terminated  at  that  point.  He  spent  some  time 
in  Vancouver,  later  made  Seattle  his  home,  being 
employed  in  building  docks  there  for  a  year,  after 
which  he  came  to  the  present  site  of  Bellingham. 
He  worked  the  next  three  years  in  logging  camps, 
and  during  the  first  four  years  of  his  residence 
in  Sedro-Woolley  was  also  engaged  in  logging,  be- 
ing manager  of  the  Sterling  Mill  company's  camp. 
Eventually  moving  into  town,  he  opened  the  livery 
barn  that  he  now  owns.  While  convalescing  from 
a  severe  attack  of  appendicitis  in  the  fall  of  1904, 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


he  made  his  first  visit  to  his  old  home  in  the  East 
from  which  he  had  been  absent  twenty-three  years. 

Mr.  Thompson  in  1893  married  Louise  Gra- 
ham, a  native  of  Berlin,  Germany.  Her  father  died 
in  Germany  when  she  was  a  small  girl,  and  she 
immigrated  with  her  mother  to  Michigan,  coming 
later  to  Whatcom  with  a  sister.  Her  mother  died 
in   Michigan  in   1896. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have  two  children, 
Margaret,  born  September  26.  1893,  and  William 
G.,  born  July  31,  1895.  Mr.  Thompson  is  active 
in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
lodge.  Number  90,  and  Truth  lodge.  Number  147, 
Odd  Fellows,  also  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  while  Mrs.  Thompson  is  actively  iden- 
tified with  the  Rebekahs.  In  politics  Mr.  Thomp- 
son is  a  loyal  Republican.  Peculiarly  fond  of 
horses  from  his  boyhood,  he  is  especially  fitted  for 
the  business  that  now  claims  his  attention,  and  in 
which  he  is  winning  marked  success.  He  gratifies 
his  passion  for  fine  horses  by  keeping  the  pedigreed 
stallion  Nortwood,  which  though  never  entered  in 
a  race,  has  paced  a  mile  under  2:17,  and  a  half 
mile  in  1:05;  also  a  pedigreed  gelding,  Teddy  C., 
with  a  record  of  2  :24  as  the  result  of  two  months' 
training.  He  does  not  keep  these  horses  for  rac- 
ing purposes,  but  fimply  because  they  are  splendid 
specimens  of  what  years  of  careful,  scientific  breed- 
ing have  succeeded  in  producing.  Few  men  in  the 
Northwest  enjoy  a  wider  reputation  for  accurate 
knowledge  in  regard  to  horses  than  does  Mr. 
Thompson,  whose  excellent  judgment  is  relied 
upon  by  those  less  familiar  with  the  subject.  A 
man  of  broad  intelligence,  public  spirited,  and 
withal  possessed  of  a  reputation  for  strict  integ- 
rity, he  enjoys  an  enviable  position  in  his  com- 
munity. 

FRANK  J.  HOEHN,  who  gives  his  name  to 
the  livery  and  stage  business  of  F.  J.  Hoehn  & 
Company  of  Sedro-Woolley,  has  had  an  interesting 
and  successful  career  and  has  been  engaged  in 
manv  operations  in  many  parts  of  the  United  States. 
Mr.  Hoehn  is  a  native  of  Posey  Countv,  Indiana, 
born  August  28,  18()4.  His  father,  Blasius  Hoehn, 
was  a  New  Englander  by  birth,  of  French  descent 
and  of  ancient  family,  who  became  a  farmer  in  the 
early  settlement  of  the  Hoosier  state.  Mrs.  Jose- 
phine (Phister)  Hoehn.  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  of' 
German  descent,  the  mother  of  nine  children  of 
whom  Frank  is  the  youngest.  The  others  still 
living  are  Charles,  George  L.  and  Mary,  all  resi- 
dents of  Indiana.  School  and  boy's  work  around  a 
farm  occupied  young  Hoehn  until  thirteen  years  of 
age  when  he  abruptly  left  home  and  started  for 
himself  in  Illinois.  The  year  1877  found  him  in 
Texas  riding  cattle  ranges  for  a  living,  and  he 
continued  at  this  work  three  years,  during  which 
►  time  he  made  frequent  trips  north  to  Niobrara  river 
points  in  Nebraska.    In  this  work  he  was  employed 


by  Irving  Brothers.  He'  was  with  them  in  all  five 
years,  then  entered  the  service  of  the  Chicago  & 
Northwestern  railroad  at  Gordon,  Nebraska,  con- 
tinuing with  the  company  for  a  year  and  a  half  af- 
terward. In  the  fall  of  1886  he  went  to  Douglas, 
Wyoming,  and  entered  the  second  hand  and  bro- 
kerage business,  later  going  to  a  mining  camp 
called  Hartville,  but  eventually  he  determined  to 
try  the  Pacific  coast.  He  started  overland  by  team 
from  Laramie,  Wyoming,  in  July,  wintered  in 
Boise,  Idaho,  resumed  his  journey  in  the  spring, 
stopped  at  Ellensburg,  Washington,  a  short  time 
and  finally  reached  Sedro-Woolley,  February  28, 
1890,  with  fourteen  head  of  horses.  The  Fair- 
haven  &  Southern  railroad  was  under  construction, 
and  Mr.  Hoehn  used  his  horses  in  freighting  and 
packing  for  the  road.  He  did  the  game  when  the 
Cokedale  road  was  built.  For  the  following  three 
seasons  he  dealt  in  horses  which  he  bought  in  the 
Ellensburg  and  North  Yakima  country  and  sold  at 
a  good  profit  in  Skagit  county.  He  spent  one  sea- 
son breaking  horses  on  a  ranch  and  for  four  years 
was  foreman  of  the  Hightower  Lumber  Company's 
logging  camp  and  mill,  and  in  1904  he,  with  J.  T. 
Hightower  and  W.  M.  Kirby  bought  the  livery 
stable  and  business  of  William  Thompson.  It  has 
since  been  managed  entirely  by  Mr.  Hoehn,  his 
partners  being  mill  men.  The  business  is  in  excel- 
lent condition.  It  includes  the  operation  and  own- 
ership of  a  stage  line  between  Sedro-Woolley  and' 
Burlington.  Mr.  Hoehn  never  was  married.  In 
fraternal  circles  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  including 
membership  with  the  Rebekahs  and  in  the  Encamp- 
ment :  he  also  is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Order 
of  Eagles  and  recently  has  joined  the  Masonic  or- 
der. In  political  faith,  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is 
an  active  man.  of  generous  nature,  good  adminis- 
trative ability  and  of  much  shrewdness,  all  of  which' 
qualities  have  contributed  to  his  present  prosperity. 


DANIEL  A.  McGregor,  contractor  and 
builder,  of  .Sedro-Woolley,  Washington,  is  a  native 
of  Bruce  county,  Ontario,  born  December  14,  1868. 
He  is  the  son  of  Angus  and  Catherine  (McLen- 
nan) McGregor,  natives  of  Ontario,  of  Scotch  an- 
cestry. Angus  McGregor,  a  farmer  and  stock  man 
now  living  in  Bruce.  r)ntario.  was  born  December 
14,  isn,  in  Nova  .Scfitia.  His  parents  were  native 
Scotch  Highlanders,  his  great-grandfather  having 
been  a  com])anicn  of  Rob  Roy  and  an  active  parti- 
cipant in  the  councils  of  the  famous  McGregor  clan. 
His  life  companion,^ — still  his  companion  in  the 
Canada  home, — was  born  in  America  in  1852,  and 
is  of  Scotch  ancestry,  tracing  back  to  the  clans  of 
the  Highlands.  She  is  the  mother  of  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  following  are  living:  Daniel 
A.,  of  this  article ;  Richard,  a  stock  dealer  of  Can- 
ada who  ships  to  Buffalo,  New  York,  and  to  Bos- 
ton,   Massachusetts ;    Murdock,   at   present   in    Eu- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


685 


rope;  Angus,  living  in  IManitoba ;  Joseph,  a  bicycle 
expert,  and  Ross,  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  On- 
tario. As  a  lad,  Daniel  A.  McGregor  lived  on  the 
the  home  farm  and  attended  school.  From  the 
common  schools  he  entered  Queen's  College,  Tor- 
onto, and  he  was  graduated  from  IMcAIaster's  Hall 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  with  the  degree  of  B.  A. 
Early  in  life  he  evinced  a  fondness  for  mechanics, 
even  in  his  boyhood  days  being  skilled  in  the  use 
of  tools,  so  much  so  that  at  one  time  he  succeeded 
in  making  an  exc^'llcnt  mndcl  in  miniature  of  his 
grandfather's  mill.  Shortly  after  graduation  he 
went  to  Fargo,  North  Dakota,  and  etigaged  in  car- 
pentering, with  the  idea  of  ultimately  establishing 
himself  as  a  contractor  in  wood  work.  He  spent 
nine  years  in  Fargo  in  contract  carpenter  wnvk  an<l 
in  metal  and  other  fire-proof  roofing,  then,  in  IS!);. 
started  for  the  Klondike  country,  .\rri\ing  in 
Seattle  he  formed  a  company  for  the  purpose  of 
packing  goods  over  the  trail  into  the  mining  regions 
of  Klondike,  himself  investing  $1,700  and  his  part- 
ner $600  in  the  venture.  They  started  at  once  with 
their  first,  and  what  proved  to  be  their  last,  train 
of  loaded  pack  mules.  Skagway  was  their  starting 
point.  Lake  Lindeman  their  destination.  In  at- 
tempting to  get  over  the  White  Horse  pass  the 
whole  outfit  was  swept  down  the  mountain  side  and 
buried  beneath  an  avalanche  of  snow,  Mr.  McGreg- 
or himself  narrowly  escaping  death.  Returning  to 
Seattle  he  spent  two  years  there  in  contract  work, 
coming  then  to  Sedro-Woollew  This  was  in  1899 
and  until  100-2  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
establishing  himself  then  as  a  contractor.  Since 
that  time  he  has  done  the  woodwork  on  every  brick 
building  erected  in  the  city  and  on  many  of  the 
buildings  has  also  had  the  contract  for  the  brick- 
work. 

In  .\pril,  190-2,  Mr.  ^McGregor  married  Miss 
Zella  Villcneuve,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Betsy  A. 
(Treacy)  \'illeneuve,  two  of  the  earliest  settlers  of 
southwestern  Skagit  county  and  at  present  proprie- 
tors of  the  St.  Charles  hotel  in  Sedro-Woolley. 
Mrs.  McGregor  was  born  in  San  Francisco  in  187.3. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGregor  have  been  born  three 
children,  Anna  Catherine,  Helen  and  Charles  Wal- 
lace. Mr.  McGregor  is  a  member  of  the  American 
Yeomen,  and  is  at  present  Foreman  of  the  Home- 
stead,— the  chief  office  in  the  local  branch  of  the 
order.  In  politics  he  affiliates  with  the  Republican 
party,  taking  an  active  interest  in  primaries  and 
conventions.  He  is  proud  of  his  Scotch  ancestry 
and  holds  that  it  makes  a  better  American  citizen 
of  one,  if  one  does  not  forget  old  country  associa- 
tions and  history.  Success  is  crowning  his  efforts 
in  business  life,  and  with  success  have  come  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


JAMES   RITCHFORD,   shin.gle   manufacturer 
of  Sterling,  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  July  23, 


18.50,  but  since  twenty-four  years  of  age  has  re- 
sided south  of  the  international  boundary  line.  He 
is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Skagit  county  who  have 
prospered  with  the  development  of  the  valley's  re- 
sources. His  father,  William  Ritchford,  also  a 
native  of  Canada,  born  in  ISlfi,  died  in  Ontario  in 
1876.  Mrs.  Fli;^aheth  (Wi:kie)  Ritchford.  born 
in  lS2fi,  still  is  livinu'  in  the  province  of  Ontario, 
the  mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  James  is  the 
fourth.  ^^■lK■n  t\vcnt\ -three  vears  old  James  Ritch- 
ford left  liMiiic  and  w .  >rked  in  the  forests  and  mines 
of  California  until  iss:!,  but  in  that  year  Mr.  Ritch- 
ford came  north  to  Seattle,  and  soon  moved  to 
Sterling,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  He  brought 
his  family  up  the  river  in  a  row  boat,  a  mode  of 
tra\'el  which  is  in  sharp  contrast  with  the  present 
manuei-  i>f  traveling  up  and  down  this  rich  valley. 
Mr.  Ritchford  worked  seven  years  in  the  woods, 
then  took  up  ninety  acres  of  land  and  began  farm- 
ing. High  water  in  the  spring  of  1897  swept  away 
all  his  improvements ;  he  then  went  to  work  for 
others  on  the  mill  at  that  time  being  built  at  Ster- 
ling. With  the  beginning  of  the  year  1905,  Mr. 
Ritchford  leased  this  mill,  which  he  now  is  operat- 
ing with  marked  success. 

Air.  Ritclit..nl  married  Miss  Addie  Findley,  a 
native  of  California,  in  1883.  Her  father,  Joseph 
Findley,  crossed  the  plains  in  the  early  days  from 
Illinois.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ritchford  have  seven  chil- 
dren, Adelbert,  Guy.W.,  Janeta,  Royal,  Cecil,  Flor- 
ence and  Muriel.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ritchford  are 
members  of  the  Order  of  Pendo  and  attend  the 
Presbyterian  church.  In  politics  Mr.  Ritchford  is 
independent.  He  owns  five  acres  of  land  adjoinin.g 
the  mill  and  keeps  a  few  cows  and  some  poultry. 
His  good  memory  and  early  associations  have  made 
him  the  possessor  of  inany  interesting  reminis- 
cences of  the  daj's  when  settlers  were  few  and  con- 
veniences meager.  He  has  borne  a  material  share 
in  the  development  of  the  country  in  which  he  has 
made  his  home,  enjoys  the  confidence  of  friends 
and  associates,  and  is  well  entitled  to  a  place  of 
honor  amon.g  the  pioneers  of  Skagit  county. 


-  DAVID  M.  DONNELLY,  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness man  of  Sedro-Woolley  and  for  fifteen  years  a ' 
citizen  of  .Skagit  county,  was  born  in  St.  Clair 
county,  Michigan,  May  12,  1864,  the  son  of  James 
C.  and  Esther  T.  (Norman)  Donnelly;  the  parents 
are  now  residents  of  Skagit  county.  The  elder 
Donnelly  was  born  in  1830  while  his  parents  were 
crossing  the  .\t!antic  to  America  from  the  old  coun- 
try home,  which  was  in  Queens  county,  Ireland. 
He  settled  with  his  family  in  Michigan. — then  a 
territory,  and  eventually  made  a  home  at  Port  Hu- 
ron, where  he  resided  until  coming  to  Skagit  coun- 
ty, \Vashington,  in  1895.  Esther  T.  Donnelly  is  a 
native  of  Queens  Countv.  Ireland,  but  was 
brought   by    relatives    to    Michigan   when    a    small 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


child;  here  until  the  time  of  her  marriage  she  made 
her  home  with  an  uncle  and  aunt.  She  is  the 
mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  David  M.  is  the 
fourth.  It  was  in  St.  Clair  County,  Michigan,  that 
David  M.  Donnelly  received  his  early  education. 
At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  left  the  paternal  roof  and 
began  life  in  its  truest  sense,  as  a  self-supporting 
and  responsible  individual.  He  found  employment 
in  a  logging  camp  of  his  native  state,  beginning  as 
a  helper  in  the  cook's  department,  but  soon  becom- 
ing himself  a  skilled  cook.  For  thirteen  years  he 
followed  the  luiiil)LriiiL;  llusim•S'^  in  Michigan,  leav- 
ing the  state  tlu-n  :u\<\  CMiniii-  w  WaNhington.  He 
settled  first  at  l^disi.n.  .^kagU  county,  and  for  one 
year  worked  for  the  Blanchard  Logging  Company. 
He  followed  this  period  with  a  service  of  one  and 
one-lialf  years  in  the  logging  camp  of  Pat.  McCoy, 
and  then  opened  a  butcher's  market  at  Wickersham. 
Eighteen  months  later  he  removed  to  \\'oolley  and 
purchased  the  meat  market  business  of  Grethus  & 
Burmaster,  managing  the  estahli-hment  successful- 
.ly  until  the  year  1900.  At  tlli^  111110  lir  h..ld  to  Phil- 
lips &  Carstens;  in  190-2  he  ni.mchasid  the  busi- 
ness, which  he  again  sold  out  in  May,  1901. 

The  marriage  of  David  M.  Donnelly  and  Miss 
Marv  A.  Halloran  was  solemnized  in  Skagit  county 
in  ISIM.  :\Irs.  Dnnne'lv  is  the  daughter  of  Pat- 
rick anil  r.riduft  (Mcllinty)  Halloran,  the  former 
a  native  of  Xew  Lirunswick,  of  Irish  parentage, 
and  the  latter  a  native  of  Ireland.  The  mother 
came  to  Canada  with  a  brother  when  a  small  child. 
Patrick  Halloran  was  elected  treasurer  of  Skagit 
county  at  the  fall  elections  of  1901  and  took  charge 
of  the  office  January  1,  1905.  The  biographies 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ha'loran  will  be  found  elsewhere 
in  this  volume.  Mrs.  Donnelly  was  born  in  Michi- 
gan in  1872  and  came  with  her  parents  to  the  Puget 
Sound  country  when  a  child.  Her  education  was 
obtained  in  the  common  schools,  and  in  the  Sister's 
Academy  at  Seattle.  Previous  to  her  marriage 
she  taught  school  for  several  years  and  still  holds 
a  first  grade  teacher's  certificate.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Donnelly  have  three  children :  James  N.,  bom  in 
Edison  August  25,  189ri:  Marv  E.,  in  Woollev 
May  12.  1898,  and  David  M.,  'in  Sedro-Woolley 
in  1904.  In  Mr.  Donnelly  the  fraternal  spirit  is 
■  strong;  he  is  an  active  member  of  the  following 
orders:  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
the  Knights  of  Maccabees,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  the  Yeo- 
men, the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  and  the  Fra- 
ternal Order  of  Eagles.  In  church  membership 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donnelly  are  Catholics.  Mr.  Don- 
nelly owns  a  one-half  interest  in  IfiO  acres  of  land 
on  the  Olympia  marsh  where  he  has  an  extensive 
herd  of  cattle  and  hogs,  held  for  the  supply  of 
his  home  market.  Here  also  he  makes  a  specialty 
•of  the  dairy  business.  He  is  proprietor  of  the  city 
cold  storage  plant  of  Sedro-Woolley.  He  has  al- 
ways been  active  in  the  councils  of  the  Republican 


party  and  was  a  member  of  the  first  town  council 
of  Sedro-Woolley.  In  political,  fraternal  and  com- 
mercial circles  he  is  a  man  of  acknowledged  influ- 
ence. His  business  ability  is  of  the  highest  order ; 
he  is  popular  with  his  fellow  citizens  and  holds 
their  confidence  and  esteem. 


HENRY  H.  DREYER,  one  of  the  prosper- 
ous farmers  of  Skagit  county,  has  lived  a  life  of 
more  than  the  usual  experiences,  embracing  Ger- 
man farm  life,  travel  as  a  sailor  to  nearly  every 
country  of  the  globe,  logging  and  "roughing  it" 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  the  attainment  of  pros- 
perity on  a  Skagit  county  farm.  He  was  born  Oc- 
tober 22,  ]848,  at  Hanover,  Germany,  the  son  of 
Harms  Dreyer,  a  farmer,  born  in  1816.  His  mother 
Treante  (Hines)  Dreyer,  born  in  1812,  is  still  liv- 
ing in  the  old  country,  the  mother  of  six  children 
of  whom.  Henry  is  the  third.  At  the  age  of  sev- 
enteen Henry  H.  Dreyer  left  the  fatherland  with  a 
determination  to  see  the  world,  so  went  to  Eng- 
land and  shipped  as  a  sailor,  following  the  sea 
for  six  years  thereafter  during  which  time  he 
touched  at  ports  of  nearly  every  civilized  nation 
of  the  earth.  In  1873,  while  in  the  harbor  of  San 
Francisco,  he  decided  to  give  up  a  sea-faring  life 
and  become  a  farmer.  He  worked  for  others  seven 
years.  In  1875  he  married,  came  to  what  was  then 
Whatcom  county  and  began  working  in  a  logging 
camp  near  where  Mount  Vernon  now  stands.  After 
a  year  of  this  work  he  went  to  the  Willamette 
valley,  Oregon,  and  remained  nine  months,  return- 
ing then  to  Skagit  county.  In  later  years,  speaking 
of  this  trip  to  Oregon,  of  herself  and  husband. 
Mrs.  Dreyer  jocularly  gave  as  the  reason:  "Mos- 
quitos  drove  us  from  Skagit  county,  and  Willa- 
mette flies  drove  us  back."  After  eight  months 
of  work  in  the  woods  Mr.  Dreyer  preempted  some 
land  and  later  sold  it,  in  the  meantime  having 
taken  a  homestead  on  which  he  still  lives.  His 
new  home  was  in  a  deep  forest  and  it  was  with  dif- 
ficulty that  he  cleared  enough  ground  for  the 
erection  of  a  shack,  twelve  by  sixteen  feet.  He 
still  holds  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  he  took 
at  that  time  and  has  cleared  forty  of  them.  His 
house  is  large  and  commodious,  with  ten  rooms 
and  the  conveniences  of  a  modern  home.  His 
barn  also  is  a  large  building,  its  ground  dimensions 
being  fifty-two  by  sixty  feet. 

May  5,  1875,  Mr.  Dreyer  married  Miss  Alma 
Nash,  a  Massachusetts  girl,  who  went  to  California 
when  sixteen  years  old.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Terry  von  H.  Nash,  a  German,  born  in  1825,  who 
came  to  this  country  and  died  in  the  Bay  state  in 
18G6.  Mrs.  Dreyer's  mother  was  Sarah  (Rumrell) 
Nash,  a  native  of  England,  who  died  in  1899  at  the 
age  of  eighty  years.  Mrs.  Nash  was  the  mother  of 
eight  children,  Mrs.  Dreyer  being  the  sixth.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dreyer  have  been  born  six  children, 


LIAM  A.  IJI'NLOP 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  hving-  are: 
Ernest  H.  T..  born  in  Santa  Clara,  California, 
March  26,  1876,  now  living:  in  Alaska;  Mrs.  Wa- 
neta  T.  Osborne,  born  in  Napa  County,  California, 
February  10,  1879;  Mrs.  i\Iaud  T.  Southennark, 
born  Mav  21,  1881,  near  Sterling,  and  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Dawson;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  Averill,  born 
in  Sterling  August  27,  1883,  and  Wetzel  H.  Dreyer, 
born  Septembe'r  17,  1887,  now  living  with  his  par- 
ents. Mrs.  Dre.ver  has  a  brother  and  sister  living 
in  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Dreyer  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  or- 
ganization he  has  taken  the  encampment  degree; 
and  with  his  wife  he  is  a  member  of  the  Rebekahs. 
In  religious  persuasion  they  are  Methodists,  in 
politics  Mr.  Dreyer  is  a  Republican.  He  has  served 
as  road-master  and  member  of  the  school  board. 
A  believer  in  varied  farming,  he  keeps  fowls  of 
several  varieties,  cattle  of  mixed  breeds,  and  other 
live  stock  of  unusual  strains.  Mr.  Dreyer  has  lived 
a  busy  life,  and  so  closely  has  he  applied  himself  to 
his  work  that  it  was  not  until  recently  that  he 
found  time  to  visit  the  land  of  his  nativity,  which 
he  had  not  seen  f'^r  thirt\'-three  years.  He  con- 
ducts his  business  with  intelligence  and  is  one  of  the 
successful  and  public  spirited  citizens  of  Skagit 
county,-  a  man  always  ready  to  assist  any  needed 
improvement. 


JOHX  KIENS  is  one  of  the  pioneer  fanners 
of  the  section  of  Skagit  county  just  north  of  the 
thriving  city  of  Sedro-Woolley,  and  since  1884  has 
prospered  on  land  he  took  up  in  that  year  and  con- 
verted into  a  home  farm  from  its  native  state  'as  a 
part  of  the  heavy  forest  of  the  Puget  Sound  coun- 
try. Mr.  Kiens  is  a  native  of  Germanv,  born 
November  15.  1851,  the  son  of  Fred  Kiens,  a 
German  miner  who  passed  his  entire  life  in  the 
land  of  his  nativity.  John  Kiens  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  German  schools  before  coming  to  the 
United  States  and  on  reaching  H'inois  in  1872 
learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith,  finishing  what  he 
commenced  while  still  in  his  native  land.  He  then 
went  to  work  on  a  farm  and  remained  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  eleven  years.  In  1884  he  came  to 
Skagit  County.  Washington,  and  took  up  his  pres- 
ent farmstead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  of 
which  he  has  about  twenty  acres  under  cultivation, 
part  of  it  in  orchard.  Mr.  Kiens  is  one  of  three 
children.  Theresa  Kiens,  his  sister,  who  was  a 
Sister  of  Charity,  died  in  Iowa  some  years  ago, 
and  his  brother,  Fred  Kiens,  is  a  farmer,  living 
near  him.  Mr.  Kiens  has  six  head  of  cattle  at  the 
present  time.  As  a  farmer  he  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  conservative  kind,  preferring  the  ordinary 
lines  rather  than  the  speculative  and  unusual.  He 
is  highly  respected  in  his  community,  as  a  man  of 
sterling  manhood,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we 
accord  him  a  place  in  this  work  as  one  of  those 


who,  during  his  residence  of  over  twenty  years  in 
the  county,  has  aided  materially  in  its  development 
and  progress. 


DAVID  BATEY  is  one  of  the  men  who 
know  from  experience  what  pioneer  life  in  Skagit 
county  was,  for  he  and  his  wife  and  family  have 
seen  the  country  developed  from  a  roadless  forest 
with  scarcely  a  human  habitation  into  its  present 
state  of  civilization  and  advancement,  contribut- 
ing not  a  little  to  the  change.  Interwoven  in  the 
history  of  the  county  are  the  lives  of  this  noble 
man  and  woman  and  their  vigorous,  brave  sons  and 
daughter.  They  suffered  privations  and  hardships, 
enjoyed  the  pleasures  and  romances  of  frontier 
life,  shared  their  own  scanty  stores  with  those  who 
had  still  less,  ministered  to  the  sick  and  distressed, 
laid  the  foundation  for  their  future  prosperity  and 
were  the  means  of  bringing  many  other  sturdy 
sett'ers  to  the  community. 

i\Ir.  Batev  was  born  in  Carlise.  Cumberland 
Countv,  England,  May  21,  1849.  He  cannot  re- 
call the  name  of  his  father,  because  the  latter 
d-ed  when  he  was  very  young  and  his  mother, 
Mrs.  Ann  Batey,  remarried,  so  the  memory  of  the 
elder  Batey  faded  from  the  child's  mind.  The  lad 
attended  school  until  twelve  years  of  age,  then 
went  to  work  on  a  farm,  remaining  at  farm  work 
a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  became  apprenticed  to 
the  carpenter's  trade.  He  stood  the  abuse  he  re- 
ceived here  for  a  year,  then  ran  awav  and  for  the 
next  two  years  worked  at  making  pickhandles.  At 
Newcastle  he  completed  his  training  as  a  carpenter 
and  he  worked  at  the  bench  until  1872  when  he  left 
England  for  the  United  States.  He  was  in  Syra- 
cuse. New  York,  one  year  and  in  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska, another,  then  went  to  San  Francisco,  where 
for  the  ensuing  half  decade  he  was  engaged  in 
carpenter  work.  He  was  accompanied  from  Omaha 
to  the  West,  by  William  Dunlop,  whom  he  had 
known  as  a  boy  in  England,  and  at  San  Francisco 
the  two  rejoined  Joseph  Hart,  another  boyhood 
friend.  The  three  became  interested  in  the  sound 
country,  and  in  August,  1878,  Hart  and  Batey  came 
to  what  has  since  been  organized  into  Skagit 
county.  Mr.  Batey  took  up  the  land  where  he  now 
resides;  There  were  no  permanent  settlers  in  his 
neighborhood,  though  a  couple  of  miles  down  the 
river  was  Ball's  logging  camp.  William  Dunlop 
came  a  little  later  and  took  land  adjoining  Mr. 
Batey's.  Mrs.  Batey  came  two  years  later.  Be- 
fore her  arrival  the  men  had  manv  bitter  ex- 
periences. Potatoes  were  scarce  and  had  to  be 
brought  down  the  river  thirty  miles  from  Amasa 
Everett's  place,  while  other  supplies  were  brought 
from  Seattle  by  the  steamer  Gem,  w'hich  sometimes 
did  not  arrive  when  expected,  causing  distress  to 
the  isolated  men.  Sometimes  they  could  catch  fish, 
which  were  a  great  help,  but  often  they  could  not. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


On  one  occasion  Mr.  Hart  became  exhausted  from 
lack  of  food.  To  add  to  their  distress  at  that  time 
fire  destroyed  their  shack,  blankets  and  other  sup- 
plies inchidin.?  a  part  of  their  weapons,  but  Mr. 
Batey  managed  to  shoot  a  duck  and  some  pheas- 
ants, thereby  replenishing  the  larder.  He  also  treed 
three  animals  which  he  afterwards  learned  were 
coons. 

When  the  men  were  ready  to  stock  their  places 
they  had  to  go  to  the  White  river  country  for  their 
cattle  which  were  brought  up  the  Skagit  by  vessel 
to  Frank  Buck's  place,  below  where  Mount  Ver- 
non now  stands,  but  it  took  longer  to  get  the  ani- 
mals from  the  landing  to  the  new  ranches,  than 
to  make  with  them  all  the  rest  of  the  journey 
from  White  river.  Mrs.  Batey  and  her  two  sons 
came  in  1880  and  brought  sunshine  to  the  com- 
munity, but  this  was  not  the  end  of  their  hard- 
ships. At  one  time  one  sack  of  flour  had  to  last  the 
entire  family  three  months.  During  these  years 
Mr.  Batey  worked  some  at  carpentering,  building 
the  first  store  in  Sedro,  for  Mortimer  Cook,  who 
was  determined  to  call  the  new  town,  Bug.  There 
was  much  bantering  over  the  name.  Mrs.  Batey 
was  appealed  to  and  she  suggested  the  word  "Se- 
dro," the  Spanish  for  "Cedar"  which  grew  so  plen- 
tifully in  the  woods.  Her  discussion  of  the  appro- 
priateness of  the  word  was  published  in  the  Skagit 
News  and  was  sent  to  several  eastern  states  by 
Mrs.  Batey's  friends.  Mr.  Batey  painted  a  large 
sign  "Sedro"  and  nailed  it  up  on  one  of  the  build- 
ings. These  circumstances  finally  induced  Mr.  Cook 
to  accept  the  name  "Sedro."  One  man  brought 
from  Seattle  a  large  sign  reading  "Charlotte,"  in 
honor  of  his  daughter,  but  the  other  name  was 
chosen. 

In  1890  Mr.  Batey  and  Mr.  Hart  started  a 
saw-mill  plant  under  the  name  "Sedro  Saw  & 
Planing  Mill."  To  this  plant  later  was  added  a 
shingle  mill  and  the  business  was  continued  by 
Messrs.  Batey  and  Hart  as  a  stock  company.  Just 
as  they  were  beginning  to  see  some  substantial 
profits  in  the  business  and  when  the  plant  was 
running  twenty  hours  out  of  every  twenty-four, 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  a  severe  financial  blow 
to  the  owners.  At  this  time,  also  Mr.  Batey  was  un- 
fortunate enough  to  be  stricken  with  sciatic 
rheumatism  which  kept  him  confined  for  sixteen 
months.  On  his  recovery  in  1898  he  began  the 
manufacture  of  vinegar,  in  which  industry  he  has 
continued  up  to  the  present  time. 

Mrs.  Batey,  whose  maiden  name  was  Georgiana 
Farrar,  was  born  in  Southwestern  Wisconsin,  not 
far  from  Dubuque,  Iowa,  October  2,  1838,  the 
daughter  of  Rev.  Edward  Y.  Williams  and  Mrs. 
Naomi  (Jones)  Williams.  Mr.  Williams  was  a 
native  of  Manchester,  England,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  when  a  young  man.  Both  he  and 
Mrs.  Williams  have  been  dead  many  years.  As  a 
young  woman  Mrs.  Batey,  in  1852,  commenced  to 


study  medicine  with  an  uncle,  Dr.  Steele,  and  she 
finished  her  medical  education  in  Hughes  &  San- 
ford's  Medical  College  in  Keokuk,  Iowa.  She 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  practitioners  of  this  part  of 
the  country,  and  is  today  registered  at  Olympia 
and  at  Mount  Vernon.  She  was  the  only  physician 
in  the  vicinity  of  Sedro  in  the  early  days,  the  near- 
est one  beside  her  being  Dr.  Calhoun  at  La  Con- 
ner, and  she  rendered  invaluable  service  to  the 
early  settlers,  traveling  day  and  night  by  horseback 
and  by  boat,  wherever  called.  She  continued  in 
active  practice  until  about  six  years  ago.  In  those 
days  Mrs.  Batey  was  as  active  in  religious  matters 
as  in  the  practice  of  her  profession,  and  it  was  she 
who  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  securing  the  first 
clergyman  for  Sedro,  giving  her  personal  guar- 
antee of  his  salary.  This  man  was  Rev.  McMillan, 
under  whose  leadership  the  first  church  in  the  vi- 
cinity was  organized.  Mrs.  Batey  was  the  first 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  appointed  by 
Presiding  Elder  Atwood  of  Seattle.  Three  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Batey:  John 
Henry,  living  in  New  Mexico ;  Robert  Bruce,  a 
traveling  insurance  man ;  Mrs.  Susanna  Fuller,  the 
first  white  child  born  in  the  Sedro  community,  now 
living  at  Santa  Rosa,  New  Me.xico,  where  her  hus- 
band is  a  merchant.  ]\Ir.  Batey  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  fra- 
ternity he  is  a  past  grand,  also  belongs  to  the  En- 
campment and  Mrs.  Batey  is  a  Rebekah.  They 
are  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of 
Sedro- Woolley,  and  both  are  prominent  in  the  Ska- 
git County  Pioneers'  Association,  of  which  Mr. 
Batey  is  president  and  Mrs.  Batey  vice-president. 
In  politics  Mr.  Batey  is  an  ardent  Republican  and 
in  former  vears  he  was  active  in  all  the  councils 
of  his  party.  Though  at  one  time  he  operated  a 
dairy  farm,  he  now  is  devoting  his  attention  prin- 
cipally to  the  manufacture  of  apple  vinegar,  his 
factory  being  on  the  south  border  of  Sedro-Wool- 
ley.  He  has  a  large  orchard  and  is  building  up  a 
fine  business.  Formerly  he  owned  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  but  in  the  daxs  of  financial 
distress  following  the  destruction  of  his  lumber  and 
shingle  mill,  he  disposed  of  all  but  sixty-five  acres, 
but  1/e  also  owns  an  addition  to  tlie  city  of  Sedro- 
Woolley  and  considerable  other  town  property.  A 
public  spirited  citizen,  he  donated  to  the  railroad 
company  its  entire  right  of  way  through  his  lands, 
and  in  numerous  other  ways  he  has  manifested  an 
interest  in  the  general  progress.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  energetic  citizens  of  the  county  and  has  done 
more  than  most  others  for  its  development. 

]\lrs.  Batey's  sister,  Mrs.  Isabella  Marean,  of 
Ocala,  Florida,  is  also  a  woman  of  high  intellec- 
tual attainments.  She  is  an  author  of  note  and 
has  written,  under  the  nom  de  plume'  of  Beatrice 
Mareari,  many  works,  one  of  the  most  popular 
being  "The  Tragedies  of  Oakurst,"  which  has  had 
wide  circulation. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


JOSEPH  HART,  a  well  known  and  well-to-do 
himbernian.  and  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of 
Sedro-Woolley,  was  born  in  Durham,  England, 
July  4,  1852,  the  son  of  Robert  and  Barbara 
(Franklin)  Elart.  His  father,  a  native  of  York- 
shire, England,  followed  railroading  until  his  death 
in  1SS3,  and  his  mother,  who  was  born  in  Durham, 
died  in  1809.  Joseph  Hart  left  home  when  four- 
teen years  old  and  spent  two  years  in  the  iron 
works  learning  the  trade  of  machinist,  but  finally 
abandoning  this,  spent  three  years  at  work  in  a 
saw-mill  in  Yorkshire  and  two  in  another  mill  at  his 
own  home.  Pie  then  came  to  America.  After  a 
stay  of  eighteen  months  in  Lyons,  Iowa ;  he  reached 
San  Francisco  in  August,  1874.  where  he  secured 
employment  as  saw  filer  in  a  large  factory.  He 
Avorked  until  the  spring  of  187fi.  then  moved  to  Se- 
attle and  the  White  river  district,  but  in  18T8,  re- 
turned to  San  Francisco  and  met  David  Batey, 
whom  he  had  known  in  England.  The  two  came 
together  to  S-edro,  Washington,  which  then  was  a 
wild  and  desolate  country  with  only  four  white  set- 
tlers on  the  river.  Two  months  later  they  were 
joined  by  \\'illiam  Dunlop  and  the  following  year 
by  \\'ii;iam  Woods.  The  four  brave  pioneers  took 
adjoining  land  and  laid  the  foundation  for  the  pres- 
ent beautiful  town  of  Sedro-Woolley.  Mr.  Plart 
went  to  Seattle  some  years  later,  but  continued  to 
make  yearly  trips  to  the  little  settlement  until  1890, 
when  he  became  a  permanent  resident  here.  He 
and  Mr.  Batey  built  a  saw-mill  that  year,  and  to- 
gether they  operated  it  two  years,  thereupon 
forming  tlie  Sedro  Lumber  &  Shingle  Company. 
When  the  mill  was  burned  in  ]89(i.  Mr.  Hart  re- 
sumed work  in  other  mills,  making  his  home  on  his 
original  farm  of  160  acres,  which  he  still  owns  with 
the  exception  of  three  acres  sold. 

Mr.  Hart  was  married  December  27,  1887.  the 
lady  being  Emma  L.  Anderson,  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, born  in  1863.  Her  father,  Nels  P.  Anderson, 
now  lives  with  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Hart.  The 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  has  been  brightened 
by  the  advent  of  two  children,  Emma  F.,  born  Janu- 
arv  20.  1890,  and  Dolly  B..  August  10,  1896.  Mr. 
Hart  is  a  member  of  the  Pioneer  Association  and 
lie  and  Mrs.  Hart  are  identified  with  the  Order  of 
Pendo.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Plart  is  a  Socialist. 
In  addit'Jin  to  liis  valuable  ranch  he  is  interested  in 
city  property  in  Everett,  also  owns  considerable  live 
stock.  During  his  long  residence  here  he  has  wit- 
nessed a  marvelous  transformation,  in  which  cities- 
and  towns  have  taken  the  place  of  the  dense  forests, 
fulfilling  his  own  prophecies  of  what  the  future 
held  for  this  peculiarly  favored  region.  He  is  rec- 
ognized as  a  broad-minded,  public-spirited  citizen, 
one    of    the    progressive,    substantial    men    of    the 


JOSEPH  WILSON.     Well  at  the  top  of  the 
roster  of  pioneers  of  Skagit  county  is  to  be  found 


the  name  of  Joseph  Wilson,  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical article,  who  first  made  his  advent  mto 
Fidalgo  Island  in  1868,  came  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Skagit  river  in  1869  and  became  a  land  holder  in 
1H70,  at  that  date  taking  up  a  pre-emption  on  the 
lower  Skagit  river.  Here  he  was  living  and  im- 
proving his  land  at  the  time  of  the  murder  of  Bar- 
ker, the  trader,  by  the  Indians,  and  the  summary 
execution  of  the  murderers  by  the  whites.  He  it 
was  who  took  what  there  was  remaining  of  Bar- 
ker's goods  up  to  Whatcom,  the  then  county  seat  of 
ihe  present  Skagit  and  Whatcom  counties,  in  a 
canoe,  and  delivered  them  to  the  authorities.  Born 
in  Sweden  in  1839,  the  son  of  Sven  Monson  and 
Charlotte  Hagland  Monson,  born  respectively  in 
1806  and  1812,  in  the  fatherland,  where  they  I'ived 
until  the  close  of  life  on  their  own  farm  land,  Jo- 
seph was  there  reared  to  the  age  of  seventeen  on 
the  farm,  and  was  instructed  in  the  traditions  of  a 
long  line  of  Swedish  ancestors  as  well  as  in  the  ru- 
diments of  book  learning.  However,  the  former 
seemed  to  make  the  stronger  impression,  the  blood 
of  the  Viking  forebears  coursed  hot  in  his  veins, 
untempered  by  age  and  the  lessons  of  experience, 
and  called  him  to  the  sea.  Hither  he  went  at  the 
age  of  seventeen,  securing  the  consent  of  his  father 
by  agreeing  to  pay  for  the  services  of  an  assistant 
on  the  farm,  and  for  years  he  followed  the  life  of 
the  sailor  before  the  mast  on  the  coast  vessels,  final- 
ly becoming  owner  of  a  vessel  himself,  which  he 
ran  until  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1863, 
shipping  before  the  mast  from  France  to  Boston  on 
an  American  vessel.  For  five  years  he  followed  the 
sea,  shipping  from  the  United  States  to  the  leading 
ports  of  the  world,  first  reaching  San  Francisco  in 
April,  1865,  just  at  the  time  of  the  ('eath  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln.  In  a  trip  to  Shanghai,  China,  he 
was  taken  with  the  smallpox  and  left  by  his  vessel, 
which  he  was  later  enabled  to  join  in  Japan  through 
the  good  offices  of  the  resident  LInited  States  consul 
at  Shanghai,  returning  to  Port  Townsend  in  1868. 
The  transition  from  sailor  to  logger  and  lumber- 
man was  rcaflily  made  by  Mr.  Wilson  and  a  few 
short  weeks  found  him  in  the  logging  camps  of  Fi- 
dalgo, applying  himself  diligently  and  tactfully  to 
the  mastery  of  the  new  calling;  while  only  a  few 
months  later  he  was  settled  on  his  own  pre-emption 
claim  on  Dry  slough,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Skagit, 
now  known  as  the  Good  place,  clearing,  diking  and 
wrestling  energetically  with  all  the  combined  ob- 
stacles, so  familiar  to  the  sturdy  frontiersman  of 
all  ages  and  sections  of  this  recently  vast  wilder- 
ness. At  the  end  of  six  years  the  claim  was  traded 
for  lots  in  the  city  of  Seattle,  and  Mr,  Wilson  be- 
came connected  with  an  enterprise  that  forever  as- 
sociates his  name  with  the  benefactors  of  Skagit 
county  in  a  most  creditable  manner.  After  dispos- 
ing of  his  ranch  he  removed  to  Mount  Vernon,  and 
there  in  connection  with  McDonald,  Hines  and 
Miiinick,  he  conceived  the  idea  of  removing  the  his- 


693 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


toric  log  jam  from  the  Skagit  river.  This  "jam," 
an  accumulation  of  logs,  rolled  upon  each  other  by 
the  force  of  the  swift  river  current,  until  in  places 
they  mounted  to  the  height  of  fourteen  feet  from 
base  to  top,  and  upon  the  surface  of  which  grew 
trees  three  and  four  feet  in  diameter,  had  been  for 
ages  forming,  its  beginning  passing  beyond  the 
knowledge,  and  even  tradition,  of  the  Indians  of 
the  surrounding  country.  The  vast  collection  of 
logs  and  debris  so  changed  the  natural  channel  of 
the  river  as  to  cause  overflow  of  the  rich,  fertile 
valley  and  worked  serious  damage  to  the  settlers 
along  its  course.  The  government  engineers  sent 
to  view  the  situation  had  estimated  the  cost  of  re- 
moval of  this  obstruction  way  up  into  the  tens  of 
thousands  of  dollars,  the  exact  amount  varying 
with  the  dififerent  pioneers  interviewed  from  $25,- 
000  to  $125,000.  However,  the  government  failing 
to  take  action  in  the  matter,  Mr.  Wilson  and  the 
other  bold  spirits  who  became  associated  with  him, 
determined  upon  a  practical  demonstration  of  pa- 
ternalism themselves,  and  at  once  decided  that  they 
would  undertake  the  removal  of  the  jam,  without 
promise  of  reward  from  either  government,  munic- 
ipality or  citizens,  other  than  what  mi^ht  accrue  to 
them  from  the  sale  of  the  logs  upon  their  removal. 
Upon  this  plan  they  began  operations,  the  first  part 
of  February,  1876,  with  but  little  moral  support  and 
few  words  of  encouragement  from  the  citizens  in 
general,  and  no  capital  but  courage  and  muscle 
with  which  to  carry  on  the  enterprise.  Believing 
the  project  to  be  feasible,  and  that  with  sufficient 
funds  to  supply  the  needed  provisions  they  could 
carry  it  to  successful  issue,  Mr.  Wilson  made  a 
trip  to  Whidby  island  to  see  his  old  friend.  Major 
Haller,  who  at  once  fell  in  with  the  idea,  when  pre- 
sented to  him.  and  offered  to  back  Mr.  Wilson  with 
cash  or  his  name  to  the  completion  of  the  enterprise. 
Much  against  the  protests  of  the  Major  he  v.'as 
given  as  security  for  the  first  $200  that  went 
toward  the  removal  of  the  famous  "jam,"  a  mort- 
gage on  the  lots  owned  by  Mr.  Wilson  in  Seattle, 
which  represented  so  many  years  spent  in  hard  la- 
bor on  the  pioneer  claim  on  the  Skagit  river,  and 
which  canceled  mortgage  he  has  in  his  possession 
at  this  writing,  prizing  it  far  beyond  its  original 
cost.  Major  Haller  expected  that  the  government 
would  help  reimburse  the  men  for  their  work. 
From  February  until  August,  Mr.  Wilson  contin- 
ued to  push  the.  work  on  the  jam,  and  on  July  4th 
had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  the  passage 
through  the  lower  jam  in  a  canoe  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jasper  Gates.  Some  intermeddling  at  this  time 
caused  differences  to  arise,  and  in  August  Mr.  Wil- 
son withdrew  from  the  work,  allowing  others  to 
carry  it  on  to  final  completion.  He  lost  $700  and 
his  summer's  work.  For  several  years  following 
this  he  engaged  at  work  in  the  logging  camp  of 
William  Gage  and  on  the  Ford  ranch,  three  years 
of  the  time  operating  a  saloon  in  Mount  Vernon; 


until  in  1885  he  took  up  a  homestead  on  Skiou 
slough,  three  miles  east  of  Sedro-Woolley,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  himself.  Here  he  continued  to 
reside  for  thirteen  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time, 
1898,  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Seattle,  where 
he  has  since  resided,  an  honored  and  respected  citi- 
zen. He  is  the  only  one  of  the  original  promoters  of 
the  removal  of  the  log  jam  living  to-day,  and  is  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  the  founding  of  the  towns 
of  Mount  Vernon,  Sedro  and  Woolley,  and  was  one 
of  the  citizens  who  went  up  the  Skagit  river  to  in- 
vestigate the  Indian  uprising  at  the  time  Amasa 
Everett  shot  the  two  Indians. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  married  in  187G,  the  wife  dying 
a  few  months  after  their  marriage.  He  was  united 
in  marriage  at  Mount  Vernon  in  1882  to  Charlotte 
Beckman,  daughter  of  Gustave  and  Hilda  (Amon) 
Beckman,  both  natives  of  Sweden,  where  they  died 
several  years  ago.  The  father  was  a  teacher  by 
profession.  Mrs.  Wilson  was  born  in  Sweden  in 
18.jb!,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1882.  To 
the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  been  born 
three  children,  Gustave,  Alma  and  Albert,  all  na- 
tives of  Skagit  county.  Mr.  Wilson  is  of  a  retiring 
disposition,  and  little  given  to  talking  of  his  adven- 
tures by  land  and  sea.  He  owns  some  property  in 
Seattle  and  still  retains  a  portion  of  his  homestead 
near  Sedro-Woolley  and  holds  a  position  with  the 
Seattle  Electric  Company.  Well  and  favorably 
known  among  the  pioneers  of  Skagit  county,  it  was 
by  frequent  mention  of  his  name  in  connection  with 
the  early  events  in  the  county  that  the  writer  was 
led  to  interview  I\Ir.  Wilson,  and  thus  spread  on  the 
pages  of  history  the  honorable  part  he  has  taken  in 
helping  to  redeem  Skagit  from  its  v>'ilderness  state. 


WILLIAM  A.  DUNLOP,  the  well  known  pio- 
neer of  Sedro-Woolley,  residing  at  the  foot  of 
Sixth  street,  w;is  born  in  Northumberland  county, 
England,  <  tctdher  '!'>.  Isis.  His  father,  also  a  na- 
tive of  luiLjhniil,  is  a  sti  nirinasnii.  Marjorie  (Alex- 
ander)   Dunldu.   the   mother,  was  likewise  born  in 


England. 


:ed   to  a   carpenter  at  the  age 


of  fifteen,  William  A,  Dunlop  thoroughly  mastered 
the  trade,  working  with  his  employer  three  years 
after  serving  his  prescribed  term.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two  he  went  to  Crook,  England,  and  he 
worked  in  other  portions  of  the  land  of  his  nativ- 
ity tijl  1873,  when  he  emigrated  to  Syracuse,  New 
York.  A  few  months  later  he  went  to  Omaha, 
thence  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  made  his  home 
for  five  years,  making  two  trips  to  Portland,  Ore- 
gon, in  the  meantime.  In  1878  he  made  an  extend- 
ed trip  through  the  Northwest,  coming  up  the 
Skagit  river  on  the  steamer  "Gem"  to  Sedro-Wool- 
ley to  join  Joseph  Hart  and  David  Batey,  old- 
friends  of  his,  who  had  located  there  a  few  months 
previous.  It  was  a  desolate  country,  which,  as  Mr. 
Dunlop  says,  might  have  been  more  aptly  named 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


"Wildenwoolley."  William  Wood  was  the  next  set- 
tler.    With  the  exception  of  the  men  in  a  logging 
camp  at  Sterling,  there  were  no  neighbors  nearer  i 
than  five  miles  at  first,  ana  for  several  years  settle-  | 
ment  was  slow.     Having  pre-empted  one  hundred  j 
and  sixty  acres,  eighty  of  which  he  afterward  sold,  : 
Mr.  Dunlop  at  once  began  the  task  of  clearing  the 
land,  preparatory  to  cultivating  it,  and  by  the  time 
Sedro-Woolley  became  a  town  he  had  cleared  six 
acres.     He  now  rents  the  portion  of  his  farm  that 
is  in  condition  to  cultivate,  and  devotes  his  entire 
time  to  his  trade.     Last  year  he  made  his  first  trip 
east,     visitins:     tlie     St.     Louis     fair,     where     the 
Pioneer  Association  with  which  he  is  identified  was 
formed.     Mr.  Dunlop  is  a  loyal  Republican,  though 
he  has  never  manifested  any  political   aspirations. 
He     is    a    thoughtful,    intelligent     man,     esteemed 
throughout  the  community  as  a  man  of  strict  integ- 
rity. 

FRANK  A.  DOUGLASS,  druggist,  is  one  of 
the  self-made  men  of  Sedro-Woolley,  and  success 
in  his  profession  has  come  to  him  as  a  reward  for 
his  courage  and  strict  application  to  business.  He 
was  born  in  Rock  county,  Wisconsin,  September  16, 
]857.  the  son  of  Albert  C.  Douglass,  a  native  of 
Michigan.  The  elder  Douglass,  when  a  boy  of 
fourteen,  came  with  his  parents  to  the  Badger  state 
and  he  used  to  relate  that  when  en  route  their  wag- 
on and  team  were  mired  at  a  point  now  in  the  heart 
of  the  city  of  Chicago.  He  was  a  butcher  by  trade. 
He  died  in  1S99  in  the  state  where  Frank  A.  was 
born.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  (Beach)  Douglass,  was 
born  in  Connecticut  in  1833,  and  when  a  girl  came 
with  her  parents  to  Wisconsin,  where  she  died  in 
189.3,  leaving  three  children,  of  whom  Frank  A.  is 
the  second.  Frank  A.  Douglass,  when  eleven  years 
of  age,  went  to  Broadhead,  Wisconsin  (where  his 
father  opened  a  butcher  shop  and  meat  market)  and 
received  his  education  there,  entering  a  drug  store 
as  clerk  when  sixteen.  He  thoroughly  mastered 
the  drug  business  by  practice  in  the  store  and  by 
his  own  study  of  pharmaceutical  works.  When 
twenty-one  he  went  to  Oberlin,  Kansas,  to  clerk  for 
Bariteau  Brothers  there,  and  in  a  few  years  he  and 
Frank  Coard  were  able  to  and  did  purchase  this 
store,  which  they  together  conducted  for  twelve 
years.  Mr.  Douglass's  capital  in  this  venture  was 
small,  but  bv  careful  business  methods  and  the  exer- 
cise of  professional  sagacitv,  he  prospered.  In  1890 
he  sold  out  his  Kansas  holdings  and  came  to  Wash- 
insrton,  stopping  at  first  for  a  short  time  at  North 
Yakima,  but  ultimately  proceeding  to  Woolley, 
where  he  opened  the  first  drug  store  in  the  town. 
Increasing  business  demanded  larger  and  better 
quarters,  so  in  1903  he  erected  the  building  his  store 
now  occupies. 

In  1884  Mr.  Douglass  married  Miss  Minnie 
Ormsby,  daughter  of  John  and  Nancy  (Martin) 
Ormsby,  the  former  of  whom  was  killed  in  Iowa  in 


1866  while  sheriflf  of  Fremont  county.  He  was  of 
Irish  descent.  Mrs.  Ormsby,  a  native  of  Indiana, 
died  in  Sedro-Woolley  Oct.  18,  1905.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Douglass  have  had  eight  children,  of  whom 
the  first  two,  John  and  Jennie,  were  in  the  first  and 
second  graduating  classes  of  their  home  high  school, 
and  the  youngest  in  their  respective  classes.  John 
is  now  pursuing  a  course  in  the  Washington  State 
College  at  Pullman.  The  living  children  are :  John, 
born  April  8,  188(; ;  Jennie,  March  21,  1888  ;  Arthur, 
April  6,  1890;  Inez"M.,  August  5,  1892;  Nellie,  on 
New  Year's  dav,  189.5  ;  Frank  H.,  October  17,  1899 ; 
William,  April  2,  1901,  and  Minnie,  May  29,  1905. 
Their  one  deceased  child.  David  L.,  was  born  March 
2,  1897,  and  died  December  31st  of  the  following 
vear.  Mrs.  Douglass's  brother,  Norris  Ormsby, 
proprietor  of  the  Sedro-Woollev  Transfer  Company, 
was  the  first  mayor  of  Sedro-Woolley.  Mr.  Doug- 
lass is  a  charter  member  of  Truth  Lodge,  No.  147, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which  he  has 
been  secretarv  since  its  formation ;  also  belongs  to 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  now  is  clerk 
of  his  camp,  while  Mrs.  Douglass  is  a  member  of 
the  Rebekahs  and  Royal  Neighbors.  In  politics 
Mr.  Douglass  is  a  Republican.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  last  city  council  of  Woolley,  also  of  the  joint 
committee  nliicli  arranged  the  consolidation  of  the 
two  towns  which  compose  the  present  municipal 
corporation.  He  was  the  only  member  of  the  city 
council  who  was  re-elected  in  1899.  He  also  has 
been  town  clerk.  I\Ir.  Douglass  is  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  .Sedro-Woolley,  broad-minded  in 
public  afifairs  and  energetic  in  the  conduct  of  his 
own  business. 


GEORGF  O.  WICKER  is  the  pioneer  black- 
smith of  Sedro-Woolley,  and  has  seen  both  Sedro 
and  Woolley  grow  from  mere  centers  for  loggers 
and  traders  into  the  modern  city  they  now  form. 
He  has  grown  with  the  community  and  has  kept 
abreast  of  all  lines  of  development.  Mr.  Wicker 
was  born  in  Chillicothe,  Iowa,  September  4,  1857, 
the  son  of  Andrew  Wicker,  an  Ohio  stonemason, 
who  became  a  pioneer  of  Iowa  in  1845  and  remained 
in  that  state  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Janet  (Bntin) 
Wicker,  a  native  of  Ohio,  was  the  mother  of  six 
children,  of  whom  George  was  the  fourth.  Our 
subject  attended  the  public  schools  at  Chillicothe  un- 
til sixteen  years  old,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to 
the  trade  of  blacksmith  and  continued  three  years 
at  the  same  forge  until  he  had  mastered  his  trade. 
He  worked  for  himself  at  the  anvil  in  Iowa  until 
1884,  then  came  to  Washington  territory  and  joined 
his  brother  at  Sedro.  He  was  blacksmith  at  the 
Charles  Jackson  logging  camp,  a  year  later  at  the 
ATortimer  Cook  camp  and  in  the  summer  of  1886 
opened  the  first  blacksmith  shop  in  Sedro.  Later 
he  bui't  the  first  shop  at  Woolley  but  sold  out  to 
Mr.  McCabe.     He  followed  his  trade  for  a  num- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


ber  of  years,  working  both  in  camp  and  in  town, 
until  in  l!i04  he  opened  his  present  shop.  He  has 
secured  a  long  list  of  customers  and  secures  some 
of  the  best  trade  in  the  community  which  comes  to 
him  because  of  the  high  quality  of  his  work. 

In  1SS3,  while  still  a  resident  of  Iowa,  Mr. 
Wicker  married  Miss  Maggie  Nelson,  daughter  of 
George  Nelson,  who  was  of  German  birth,  but  was 
educated  and  trained  in  Iowa,  where  he  followed 
the  barber  trade  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Wicker  was 
born  in  Bloomfield,  Iowa,  in  18(i7,  and  received 
her  education  there,  marrymg  when  seventeen  }ears 
old.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wicker  have  been  born  five 
children,  as  follows:  Frank,  January  29,  1885; 
Bessie,  1889;  Mitchell,  181)0;  Edna,  189G ;  Ervan, 
1902.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Wicker  is  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Foresters 
and  the  Royal  Neighbors.  The  family  attends  the 
Methodist  church  and  in  politics  Mr.  Wicker  is  a 
Democrat.  The  "Sedro"  part  of  the  present  name 
of  the  city  was  selected  by  Mr.  and  Airs.  Wicker, 
Mrs.  Batey  and  Mortimer  Cook,  the  name  being  the 
Spanish  for  "Cedar."  Mr.  Wicker  is  a  well-in- 
formed, substantial  and  respected  member  of  the 
community.  

GEORGE  W.  RATCHFORD  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Skagit  county  for  fourteen  years,  during 
which  time  he  has  prospered  in  his  blacksmithing 
and  in  other  employments,  and  he  now  is  one  of 
the  respected  property  holders  of  Sedro-Woolley. 
He  was  born  in  Prescott,  Ontario,  April  17,  1863, 
the  son  of  William  Ratchford.  a  native  of  Quebec, 
born  in  1816.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Wilkie)  Ratchford 
was  the  mother  uf  eight  children  of  whom  George 
was  youngest.  The  death  of  his  father  having  oc- 
curred when  he  was  fourteen,  George  W.  started 
into  the  world  to  fight  his  own  battles  at  that  early 
age.  A  rather  unusual  thing  for  a  boy,  he  rented 
a  farm  and  ran  it  successfully  for  two  years,  finding 
time  to  attend  school  in  winter.  The  next  three 
years  the  young  man  hired  out  to  other  farmers, 
then  he  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmithing,  receiv- 
ing $50  a  year  for  the  three  years  of  his  service  as 
an  apprentice.  He  ran  a  farming  business  again 
for  a  few  months,  then  opened  a  blacksmith  shop 
and  continued  in  the  business  eighteen  months,  re- 
linquishing it  to  take  a  farm  on  which  to  keep  the 
cattle  he  had  been  compelled  to  accept  in  payment 
for  blacksmith  work  he  had  done  for  farmers.  He 
continued  on  the  farm  for  two  years,  then  ran  a  shop 
again  for  a  few  months,  then  crossed  the  continent 
to  Mendocino,  California.  This  was  in  1890.  Af- 
ter passing  a  year  there,  he  came  to  where  Sedro- 
Woolley  has  smce  grown,  finding  Sedro  a  camp  with 
a  mill  in  process  of  erection.  The  Fairhaven  & 
Southern  railroad,  since  abandoned,  has  just  been 
constructed.  He  worked  as  mill  blacksmith  eight- 
een months,  then  spent  two  years  barking  logs  for 
Smith  &  Bechtel  and  for  Matt  McElrov,  then  hav- 


ing met  with  an  accident,  he  came  to  town,  where 
he  worked  three  years  as  driver  for  Hightower 
Brothers.  In  1896  he  entered  into  partnership  with 
Hightower  &  Kirby  in  contracting  single  bolts  for 
the  Green  Shingle  Company,  a  partnership  which 
continued  three  years,  at  the  close  of  which  time 
Mr.  Ratchford  was  bought  out  by  the  others.  He 
thereupon  returned  to  town,  put  up  a  shop,  and  be- 
gan once  more  the  pursuit  of  his  handicraft,  which 
he  has  followed  continuously  since.  He  has  added 
two  more  lots  to  his  holdings  and  has  built  a  fine, 
modern  eight-room  house. 

December  18,  189T,  Mr.  Ratchford  married  Miss 
Clara  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Iowa  and  who  came 
to  the  coast  with  her  father,  Samuel  Miller,  and  her 
brother,  after  her  mother's  death.  Mr.  Miller  was 
a  Virginian  by  birth  but  spent  most  of  his  life  in 
Iowa  before  coming  to  Sedro-Woolley,  where  he 
died  in  1904.  Mrs.  Ratchford's  mother  also  was  a 
Virginian.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ratchford  have  three 
children:  S.  Floyd,  born  June  20,  1898;  W.  Wy- 
man.  May  2,  1900,  and  George  E.,  May  25,  1902. 
In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Ratchford  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  of  Truth 
Lodge,  No.  147,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
while  Mrs.  Ratchford  is  a  member  of  the  Rebek- 
ahs.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  once  served 
in  the  city  council,  having  been  elected  b'y  the  largest 
majority  of  any  one  on  the  ticket.  The  family  at- 
tends the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Ratchford's  real 
estate  holdings  are  all  in  city  property.  He  believes 
in  the  future  of  Sedro-Woolley  and  Skagit  county, 
and  is  contributing  his  mite  toward  the  general 
progress  of  both,  at  the  same  time  retaining  the  re- 
spect of  all  for  his  industry  and  worth. 


NORRIS  ORMSBY,  the  first  mayor  of  Sedro- 
Woolle\',  and  for  the  last  twelve  years  a  member  of 
the  town  council,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in 
Shelby  count\  in  l.s:ii;.  His  father,  John  J.  Orms- 
by,  was  of  Irish  ancestry,  but  a  native  of  Balti- 
more, Fairfield  County.  Ohio.  In  the  sixties  John 
J.  Ormsby  moved  to  Fremont  County,  Iowa;  he 
became  sherifif  of  that  county  and  was  killed  while 
in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties.  The  mother 
of  Norris  Ormsby,  now  residing  with  him  in  Sedro- 
Woolley,  is  Nancy  (Martin)  Ormsby,  a  native  of 
Indiana ;  she  is  the  mother  of  six  children  of  whom 
our  subject  is  second.  Norris  Ormsby  attended  the 
Iowa  schools  until  his  twelfth  year,  at  this  time 
entering  the  employ  of  a  merchant  with  whom  he 
remained  for  three  years.  Close  attention  to  his 
duties  and  the  confinement  necessarily  incident  to 
his  clerkship  afi^ectcd  his  health  to  such  an  extent 
that  a  change  in  his  every  day  life  became  impera- 
tive. He  therefore  severed  his  connection  with 
the  store  and  became  an  attache  of  a  livery  barn, 
remaining  so  employed  for  fourteen  years.  He  then 
removed  to  Nebraska  and  for  two  years  operated 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


a  hotel  at  Odell,  selling  out  the  business  at  the  end 
of  this  period  and  going  to  Kansas,  of  which  state 
he  continued  a  resident  for  three  years  or  until 
1890,  when  he  came  to  Washington.  His  first  stop- 
ping point  was  North  Yakima  in  the  arid  section 
east  of  the  Cascades,  but  in  the  summer  of  the 
year  1891  he  came  to  Woolley  and  forming  a  part- 
nership with  his  brother-in-law,  F.  A.  Douglass, 
opened  a  drug  store.  A  year  later  he  sold  his  in- 
terest in  the  drug  venture  to  Mr.  Douglass  and  at 
once  established  himself  in  the  transfer  and  dray- 
ing  business  which  he  has  ever  since  followed  with 
marked  success. 

May  11,  1879,  while  residing  in  Missouri,  Mr. 
Ormsby  married  Miss  Sena  Taliaferro,  a  native  of 
that  state,  born  in  1859.  She,  however,  received 
her  education  in  the  schools  of  Iowa.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ormsby  have  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Hallie  Hol- 
brook,  wife  of  J.  B.  Holbrook,  a  partner  of  Mr. 
Ormsby  in  the  transfer  business.  In  fraternal  cir- 
cles Mr.  Ormsby  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  a  past  chancellor  of  the  local  lodge ;  in  pol- 
itics he  affiliates  with  the  Democrats.  In  addition 
to  his  transfer  business  he  has  considerable  real 
estate  in  Sedro-Woolley,  a  town  in  whose  future 
and  tributary  wealth  he  has  much  faith.  He  is  a 
business  man  of  superior  ability  and  the  success 
that  has  attended  his  years  has  been  but  the  natural 
result  of  energy  and  application,  of  business  capac- 
ity coupled  with  strictest  integrity  and  a  spirit  of 
fairness  in  all  his  dealings.  He  has  many  personal 
friends  and  holds  the  respect  of  all. 


JAMES  McDonald,  one  of  the  best  known 
and  most  highly  respected  pioneers  of  Sedro-Wool- 
ley, was  born  in  Lanark,  Ontario,  April  14,  1845, 
the  son  of  Archibald  and  Martha  (Kelsey)  McDon- 
ald, both  natives  of  Scotland.  The  father  moved 
to  Canada  in  early  life  and  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  teaching  there  until  his  death  in  1873.  The 
mother,  a  native  of  Glasgow,  died  in  Lanark  in 
1877.  When  only  thirteen  years  old  James  Mc- 
Donald began  to  support  himself,  and  he  earned 
his  first  pair  of  shoes  by  driving  cattle  for  a 
butcher,  of  whom  he  learned  the  trade,  remaining 
with  him  nine  years.  After  spending  twenty-five 
years  in  the  woods  of  Michigan  and  Minnesota,  he 
came  in  1889  to  Mount  Vernon  where  he  worked 
in  a  butcher  shop,  later  opening  a  shop  of  his  own 
in  Sedro.  The  only  homes  there  at  that  time  were 
those  of  William  Dunlop,  William  Woods  and  Mor- 
timer Cook,  a  logging  camp  and  a  few  shacks 
comprising  the  rest  of  the  town.  Soon  after  this 
the  town  boomed  and  real  estate  advanced  with 
amazing  rapidity.  The  following  year  the  town 
of  Woolley  came  into  existence.  Mr.  McDonald 
sold  his  meat  business  at  the  end  of  two  years  and 
for  several  years  thereafter  drove  a  freight  team, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  contracting  and  various 


other  kinds  of  work.  He  has  established  for  him- 
self a  reputation  for  faithfulness  and  ability  that 
secures  for  him  ample  employment. 

In  1873  Mr.  McDonald 'was  married  to  Miss 
Irene  Jewell,  a  native  of  Aroostook  county,  Maine. 
Her  father,  David  Jewell,  bom  also  in  Maine, 
moved  to  Minnesota  when  Mrs.  McDonald  was  a 
young  girl,  farming  there  until  his  death  in  1887. 
Abigail  (Brothers)  Jewell,  her  mother,  was  born 
in  Nova  Scotia,  but  was  living  in  New  Brunswick 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  Her  death  occurred  in 
Maine,  in  1870.  She  was  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren, Mrs.  McDonald  being  the  oldest.  Of  the 
eight  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  AIcDonald 
only  three  are  living:  Alexander,  born  in  1879, 
now  in  Sedro-Woolley;  Mrs.  Flora  Bresee,  born 
in  1881,  residing  in  Sedro,  and  Janette,  born  in 
1891,  at  home.  Mr.  McDonald  loyally  supports 
the  Republican  party,  though  he  never  has  accepted 
office.  He  is  interested  in  real  estate,  owning  eight 
dwellings  in  Sedro,  five  lots  in  Sedro-Woolley,  and 
his  own  commodious  home.  Mr.  McDonald  is 
known  throughout  the  community  as  a  man  of 
thrift  and  industry. 


FREDERICK  J.  JARVIS,  driver  on  the  gro- 
cery wagons  of  Howard  &  Reynolds  of  Sedro- 
Woolley,  is  one  of  the  energetic  and  enterprising 
young  citizens  of  that  city  and  resides  a  short  dis- 
tance west  of  town.  Mr.  Jarvis  is  a  native  of  As- 
toria, Illinois,  born  in  1883,  the  son  of  George  E. 
Jarvis,  an  Englishman,  who  emigrated  to  this  coun- 
try in  1875  and  first  located  in  New  York  as  a  rail- 
road engineer.  The  elder  Jarvis  came  to  Skagit 
county  in  1894,  locating  at  Sedro-Woolley,  where 
he  became  engine  hostler  for  the  Northern  Pacific, 
remaining  in  that  position  until  his  death,  in  the 
summer  of  1902.  Mrs.  Charlotte  (Davis)  Jarvis, 
is  a  native  of  Wales,  and  now  lives  at  Sedro-Wool- 
ley, the  mother  of  five  children,  those  besides  Fred- 
erick being:  Thomas,  Emily,  John  and  William. 
Frederick  J.  Jarvis  graduated  from  the  grammar 
schools  of  Seattle  and  immediately  thereafter  took 
up  the  responsibilities  of  life.  He  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  his  present  firm  for  a  period  of  three 
years. 

In  1904  at  Sedro-Woolley  Mr.  Jarvis  married 
Miss  Nora  McCarthy,  a  daughter  of  Michael  and 
Mary  McCarthy,  and  a  member  of  a  family  of  six 
children,  the  other  members  being :  George,  Mag- 
gie, Thomas,  Lucy  and  Leo.  Mrs.  Jarvis  was  born 
in  Wisconsin  and  received  her  education  in  that 
state,  but  came  thence  to  Skagit  county  with  her 
parents  in  the  fall  of  1903.  In  politics  Mr.  Jarvis 
is  an  independent,  in  lodge  affiliations  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  in  church 
membership  an  Episcopalian.  He  enjoys  the  high- 
est confidence  of  his  employers  and  is  popular  with 
the  people  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact,  admired 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


for  his   energy   and  devotion  to   the   duties  which 
devolve  upon  him. 


GEORGE  COX,  the  superintendent  of  the  Sedro- 
Woolley  Ice  Company's  plant  is  a  man  whose  life 
has  been  one  of  constant  endeavor  and  steady  prog- 
ress. He  was  born  in  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  in 
1850.  the  son  of  James  A.  Cox,  a  vessel  owner  of 
the  Great  Lakes,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-two. 
The  mother,  Mrs.  Emily  (Whiting)  Cox,  also  a 
native  of  the  Peninsula  state,  died  in  the  Centennial 
year,  after  having  borne  eight  children  of  whom 
George  was  third.  When  thirteen  years  old  George 
Cox  left  school  and  started  in  life  for  himself,  be- 
coming a  sailor.  His  first  job  was  as  cook  on  a 
boat  plying  between  Chicago  and  Buffalo,  later  he 
went  before  the  mast,  still  later  he  was  promoted 
to  mate,  and  he  first  became  a  captain  when  on  the 
"Uncle  Sam."  He  afterward  commanded  the 
"Dreadnaught,"  the  "E.  M.  Carrington,"  and  the 
schooner  "Louise,"  remaining  in  charge  of  the  last 
named  for  two  years.  When  he  married  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five  he  left  the  lakes  and  went  to  farming 
in  summer  and  lumbering  in  winter  near  Port 
Hope,  also  studied  engineering.  He  went  to  South 
Dakota  in  1885.  In  1888  he  moved  to  Washington 
and  became  engineer  at  Allen  &  Horton's  mill  in 
Olympia.  After  spending  two  years  there  he  be- 
came engineer  in  the  Olympia  Sash  &  Door  fac- 
tory at  Elma,  Washington,  whence  in  1891  he  came 
to  Everett  to  take  the  position  of  engineer  in  the 
nail  works  in  that  place.  He  afterward  was  engi- 
neer for  the  Rockefeller  smelter  and  for  the  ice 
plant  of  the  Washington  brewery.  Coming  to 
Sedro-Woolley  in  1903,  he  entered  upon  the  duties 
of  engineer  of  the  local  ice  plant  and  he  has  re- 
mained here  ever  since,  later  becoming  superin- 
tendent. 

On  Independence  day,  1875,  Mr.  Cox  married 
Miss  Delia  Birtch,  a  native  of  St.  Mary's  Ontario, 
born  in  1857,  daughter  of  George  Birtch,  a  mill- 
wright. Her  mother,  Mrs.  Matilda  Birtch,  is  still 
living,  making  her  home  in  Everett.  In  fraternal 
associations  IVIr.  Cox  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  LTnited  Workmen  and  Degree  of  Honor, 
also  retains  his  membership  in  the  Shipping  Masters' 
Association,  with  lieadquarters  at  Bufifalo,  New 
York.  Mrs.  Cox  attends  the  Methodist  church.  In 
politics  Mr.  Cox  is  an  ardent  Republican.  In  Sedro- 
Woolley  he  is  known  as  a  painstaking  man  of  ster- 
ling qualities,  one  whose  integrity  never  is  ques- 
tioned. He  is  the  owner  of  considerable  property  in 
Everett. 


SYLVESTER  BURNS,  proprietor  of  the  Sed- 
ro-Woolley steam  laundry,  owns  a  thriving  business 
in  that  city  which  he  has  built  up  by  his  own  energy, 
He  was  born  in  Prairie  City,  Jasper  County,  Iowa,  in 


1859,  the  son  of  Jerome  S.  Burns  who  was  born  in 
Missouri  in  1827.  The  elder  Mr.  Burns  was  a  pio- 
neer farmer  in  Jasper  county  and  crossed  the  plains 
to  California  in  1859  but  soon  returned  to  his  old 
Iowa  home.  In  1888  he  went  again  to  California 
and  now  is  living  at  San  Jose,  where  he  owns  a 
farm.  Mrs.  Mary  (Kuhns)  Burns,  the  mother,  is 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania  of  Dutch  ancestry,  who 
was  taken  by  her  father  and  grandfather  by  ox- 
team  to  Iowa.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jerome  S.  Burns,  eight  of  whom  are 
living,  Sylvester  being  fifth.  Until  twenty-two  years 
old  he  remained  on  the  farm  in  Iowa,  attending 
school  and  passing  the  life  usual  with  farmers'  sons 
in  Jasper  county.  In  1882  he  went  to  Nebraska 
and  remained  two  years,  accompanying  his  father 
to  San  Jose  and  farming  there  for  a  year.  He 
went  to  Lake  View,  Oregon,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
miles  from  railroads,  where  for  two  years  he  was 
in  charge  of  sheep  camps.  He  then  went  to  Port- 
land, then  to  Seattle  and  Port  Townsend.  In  1891 
he  came  to  Sedro-Woolley  and  started  a  laundry, 
having  the  valuable  assistance  of  Mrs.  Burns,  who 
was  a  laundress  by  trade.  He  built  his  laundry, 
operated  it  for  a  year  and  a  half,  and  went  to  Pull- 
man, Whitman  County.  Washington,  where  he  es- 
tablished another  laundry.  He  sold  out  after  ten 
months  and  farmed  four  years  near  Portland.  In 
189G  he  was  in  the  laundry  business  eight  months 
in  San  Jose,  was  in  Seattle  a  short  time,  then  re- 
turned to  Sedro-WooHey,  where  he  still  held  his 
property,  which  he  reopened  in  1900.  He  sold  his 
laundry,  but  the  purchasers  were  burned  out,  and 
Mr.  Burns  bought  what  was  not  destroyed  in  the 
fire  and  erected  his  present  building  in  1903. ,  He 
has  built  up  an  excellent  business,  being  ably  as- 
sisted by  the  practical  knowledge  of  Mrs.  Burns 
who  is  fully  conversant  with  all  branches  of  the 
work. 

In  1889  Mr.  Burns  married  Miss  Emma  Taylor 
Knepp,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  one  of  the  best 
laundresses  in  that  state.  She  was  active  in  her 
husband's  business  until  1903  when  she  was  injured 
by  a  kick  from  a  horse.  Mrs.  Burns  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  Mr. 
Burns  is  a  Republican  and  while  living  in  Oregon 
was  justice  of  the  peace.  Since  living  in  Sedro- 
Woolley  Mr.  Burns  has  been  unusually  successful 
and  claims  to  have  the  best  paying  business  in  the 
citv.  with  the  exception  of  the  bank  and  one  mer- 
cantile establishment.  He  is  highly  respected  and 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  his  fellow  men. 


CHARLES  WARNER.  Foremost  among  the 
men  who  have  taken  advantage  of  the  splendid  bus- 
iness openings  afforded  by  the  great  forests  of  the 
Northwest,  is  Charles  Warner,  born  in  Whatcom 
county,  Washington,  February  6,  1867.  His  fath- 
er.   Captain    John    M.    Warner,    was    a    native    of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Maine,  born  in  1827,  who  spent  his  early  life  on 
the  Great  Lakes  until  1857,  when  he  left  his  boats 
and  took  a  prairie  schooner  for  California.  He 
mined  near  Sacramento  a  year  and  went  to  the 
Fraser  river  mining  district  in  British  Columbia' 
when  the  excitement  there  was  most  intense.  He 
made  a  stake  at  Spencer  Bridge  and  then  went  to 
the  present  site  of  Bellingham,  Washington,  where 
for  six  years  he  was  engaged  in  timbering  the  coal 
mines.  He  moved  to  Samish  and  took  a  home- 
stead where  he  resided  twelve  years,  being  one  of 
the  first  five  settlers  in  that  district.  He  disposed 
of  his  property  at  Samish  and  was  the  first  man 
to  take  land  on  Warner's  prairie,  building  a  twelve 
mile  road  in  order  to  reach  his  property.  Con- 
vinced that  it  was  a  region  of  great  fertility,  he 
endeavored,  but  in  vain,  to  induce  others  to  come. 
Five  years  later,  after  the  real  estate  boom  had 
commenced,  he  was  offered  ten  thousand  dollars 
for  his  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  His  death 
occurred  December  9,  1903,  on  the  prairie  which 
bears  his  name  and  which  for  so  many  years  was 
his  home.  Ellen  Warner,  the  mother,  was  born  in 
British  Columbia  in  1837  and  after  a  long  and  use- 
ful life  died  on  Warner's  prairie  in  1881.  She  was 
the  mother  of  eleven  children.  Remaining  at  home 
until  twenty-two,  young  Charles  Warner  ably  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  support  of  the  family,  but 
was  able  to  spend  but  nine  months  in  school.  He 
applied  himself  diligently  to  study  at  home,  how- 
ever, and  was  able  to  acquire  a  good  business  edu- 
cation. When  he  left  home  he  did  logging  for 
Mortimer  Cook  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by 
Sedro-Woolley.  He  has  followed  logging  much  of 
his  life. 

Mr.  Warner  and  Louise  Yates  were  married 
October  9,  1884.  She  is  a  native  of  British  Co- 
lumbia, the  daughter  of  William  Yates  of  Scotch 
nativity.  He  went  to  Hope,  British  Columbia,  in 
1859,  and  was  employed  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany. He  still  resides  there.  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Yates,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Warner,  was  born  in 
British  Columbia,  where  she  still  lives.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Warner  have  one  child.  Nellie,  born  in  Brit- 
ish Columbia,  September  17.  1887.  Mr.  Warner  is 
a  Forester  and  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
Foresters.  He  is  a  loyal  Democrat  but  never  has 
cared  to  take  an  active  part  in  politics.  After  his 
father's  death,  Mr.  Warner  sold  the  home  place 
on  Warner's  prairie  and  bought  his  present  home 
in  Sedro-Woolley.  Mr.  Warner  is  ambitious  and 
energetic,  a  man  of  much  worth,  popular  in  his 
community.  " 

ADAM  W.  DAVISON  has  spent  his  entire 
life  in  the  atmosphere  of  logging  and  lumbering 
and  now  is  one  of  the  stockholders  and  active  men 
m  the  management  of  the  Green  Shingle  Company 
of  Sedro-Woolley.  He  is  a  man  greatly  admired 
for  his  excellent  business  qualities.     He  was  born 


in  Pennsylvania,  August  17,  1857,  the  son  of  Daniel 
Davison,  a  lumberman  of  that  state.  His  mother, 
Mrs.  Mary  (Pickard)  Davison,  a  native  of  New 
York,  is  still  living  in  Pennsylvania,  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  of  whom  Adam  is  fourth.  The 
Davisons  are  of  German  extraction  but  this  branch 
has  been  in  America  many  years.  Adam  Davison 
acquired  his  education  under  difficulties  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  state,  walking  seven  miles 
to  school,  but  since  those  days  he  has  picked  up, 
by  observation  and  reading,  a  large  amount  of  gen- 
eral information.  When  fifteen  years  old  he  went 
to  the  Michigan  woods  and  worked  three  years, 
then  returned  to  Pittsburg  and  stayed  a  year.  Two 
years  more  were  spent  lumbering  in  Michigan  and 
in  1878  he  came  to  San  Francisco,  later  to  Port- 
land, and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Stetson  &  Post  in  their  mill  at  Seattle.  He 
soon  after  went  to  San  Juan  island,  where  he  was 
employed  by  James  McCurdy  two  years  working  in 
and  around  a  lime  kiln.  He  then  worked  two  years 
on  Vashon  island  in  the  woods  for  Saywood  & 
Meigs,  then  was  made  foreman  of  the  logging 
camp  of  William  Cochran  where  he  remained  two 
years  more,  thereupon  returning  to  San  Juan  is- 
land, where  he  quarried  limestone  until  July,  1890, 
He  then  came  to  Sedro  where  Mortimer  Cook  had 
already  established  a  small  store  and  had  secured  a 
postoffice.  Under  contract  he  took  out  lumber  for 
the  Fairhaven  Land  Company  for  two  years;  thert 
built  a  saw-mill  on  the  Seattle  &  Northern  railroad 
at  Woolley  which  he  operated  for  two  years  more ; 
then  he  moved  his  plant  to  a  location  on  the  Seattle 
&  Lake  Shore  road  where  he  operated  it  half  a 
decade  longer,  eventually  selling  out  to  Shrewsbury 
&  McLane.  He  later  entered  the  logging  business 
in  partnership  with  W.  W.  Caskey,  and  after  three 
years,  both  he  and  Caskey  went  into  the  Green 
Shingle  Company. 

On  San  Juan  island  on  Christmas  eve,  1882, 
Mr.  Davison  married  Miss  Betsy  Firth,  daughter 
of  Robert  Firth,  a  Scotchman  who  had  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  had  come 
to  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  in  1851,  later  taking 
up  his  residence  on  San  Juan  island.  Mrs.  Firth, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Jessie  Grant,  came  to  Vic- 
toria on  her  wedding  tour,  being  six  months  on  the 
overland  journey.  Mrs.  Davison  was  born  and  ed- 
ucated on  San  juan  island.  She  and  Mr.  Davison 
have  nine  children :  Roche  L.,  born  December  21, 
1884;  Irthamore  R.,  August  24,  1886;  Lexie,  Octo- 
ber 13,  1887  ;  Olive  C,  October  8,  1891 ;  Bessie  G.. 
November  27,  1893 ;  Inez  R.,  August  1,  1895  ;  Hazel 
E..  July  14,  1897;  Mary  I.,  March  17,  1901,  and 
Adam  W.,  May  14,  1903.  Mr.  Davison  is  a  Mason, 
which  order  he  joined  when  twenty-one  years  old ; 
he  also  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  In  re- 
ligion he  is  a  Presbyterian  and  in  politics  a  Re- 
publican.   He  is  not  especially  ambitious  politically. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


though  taking  always  the  interest  in  the  pubHc 
affairs  of  his  community  that  a  good  citizen  should, 
and  at  times  manifesting  his  pubhc  spiritedness  by 
accepting  such  offices  as  school  director  and  city 
councilman.  In  the  realm  of  industry  his  ambition 
has  had  its  chief  field  of  activity  and  there  his  hard 
work  and  faithful  endeavor  have  won  an  abundant 
reward.  

FRANK  BRADSBERRY,  logger  of  Sedro- 
Woolley,  has  firmly  established  himself  in  the  busi- 
ness community  of  Skagit  county  in  a  little  more 
than  twenty  years  and  has  formed  for  himself  a 
large  place  in' the  estimation  of  the  public  as  a  man 
of  spirit  and  energy.  He  was  born  in  Missouri  in 
1860,  the  son  of  John  B.  Bradsberry.  a  native  of 
Pennsvlvania  of  Dutch  descent  who  began  life  as  a 
shoemaker  and  later  went  to  Missouri  and  became 
a  farmer.  Mrs.  Nancy  (Tucker)  Bradsberry,  the 
mother,  was  born  in  Indiana,  but  died  in  Missouri 
in  1896.  Young  Bradsberry  was  trained  and 
brought  up  by  his  mother,  the  father  having  died 
when  he  was  but  a  year  old.  He  attended  the  schools 
at  home  and  remained  on  the  farm  with  his 
mother  until  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  at  which 
time  he  went  to  Kansas.  A  year  later  he  engaged 
to  accompany  a  man  who  was  taking  a  band  of 
horses  and  mules  to  Texas,  and  so  well  did  the 
young  man  carry  himself  in  his  part  of  this  work 
that  the  owner  gave  him  entire  charge  of  the  ex- 
pedition and  left  the  outfit  in  western  Kansas. 
Young  Bradsberry  delivered  the  stock  at  Stevens- 
ville,  Texas,  without  a  mishap.  He  then  made  a 
trip  across  the  international  border  into  Mexico, 
but  remained  there  only  a  short  time,  returning 
home  bv  horseback  from  Alma,  Texas,  to  Wichita, 
Kansas,  a  distance  of  about  a  thousand  miles,  and 
at  one  time  experiencing  the  unpleasant  predica- 
ment of  having  his  horse  stolen  at  night  while  he 
slept.  He  spent  a  year  at  the  old  Missouri  home 
and  in  1879  went  to  Colorado,  where  for  a  year  he 
operated  a  logging  camp  for  Joseph  Lamb.  The 
mining  excitement  was  running  high,  and  Mr. 
Bradsberry  put  in  two  years  at  prospecting  in  Utah 
and  Arizona.  In  1881  he  passed  five  months  in  Cal- 
ifornia, but  went  back  to  Colorado  to  work  in  a  saw- 
mill. He  was  there  a  year  this  time,  then  returned  to 
California  for  what  proved  to  be  a  short  stay  before 
coming  to  Washington  in  1884.  In  March  of  that 
year  Mr.  Bradsberry  located  in  the  Skagit  valley, 
and  began  working  in  a  logging  camp  at  Sterling. 
After  three  years  of  this  he  engaged  in  logging  on 
his  own  account  in  the  Sauk  valley  and  he  has 
since  been  in  the  logging  business  in  this  county, 
forming  the  Bradsberry  Logging  Company  in  1901. 

March  30,  1890,  Mr.  Bradsberry  married  Miss 
Marinda  Kelley,  daughter  of  Leander  Kelley,  who 
came  from  Ireland  to  the  sound  country  in  1865  and 
has  since  died  near  Fir.  Mrs.  Bradsberry  is  a  na- 
tive of  Skagit  county,  born  in  1873,  and  educated  in 


the  local  schools.  Three  children  have  been  born  of 
this  union,  Emerson,  George  and  Ernest  Q.  In  fra- 
ternal circles  Mr.  Bradsberry  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the  Concatenated  Order 
of  Hoo  Hoo.  A  Republican  in  politics  and  active  in 
the  councils  of  that  party,  he  has  even  been  called 
upon  to  attend  some  of  its  state  conventions.  The 
Bradsberry  Logging  Company,  of  which  he  is  the 
president  and  manager,  owns  four  thousand  acres 
of  timber  land,  which  is  rapidly  being  converted  into 
farms  as  the  forest  is  removed,  also  the  mill  which 
it  operates  in  Sedro-Woolley.  Mr.  Bradsberry  is  a 
very  public-spirited  man,  a  hard  worker  at  anything 
he  undertakes  and  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
the  community. 


JOHN  LLOYD  is  one  of  the  natives  of  the 
Province  of  New  Brunswick  who  have  prospered  in 
Skagit  county.  He  was  born  in  1868.  His  father, 
Michael  Lloyd,  of  Welsh  extraction,  crossed  from 
Ireland  and  engaged  at  first  in  lumbering  in  New 
Brunswick,  but  late  in  life  took  to  farming.  He 
died  in  189-4.  Mrs.  Lloyd,  the  mother  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  New  Brunswick  of  Irish 
parentage,  and  died  in  that  province  in  1881.  She 
was  the  mother  of  four  children,  Mrs.  J.  P.  Collins 
of  Portland,  Maine ;  William  and  Daniel,  living  on 
the  old  farm  in  New  Brunswick,  and  John,  logger 
and  real  estate  owner  of  Sedro-WooIley,  Washing- 
ton. The  early  life  of  John  Lloyd  was  like  that  of 
other  lads  on  Eastern  farms.  He  attended  school 
some,  helped  with  the  crops  during  harvest, 
and  worked  in  the  woods  in  winter.  When  nineteen 
he  left  home  and  went  to  the  Rice  Lake  district  of 
Byron  County,  Wisconsin,  where  he  spent  one 
season  logging  and  driving.  He  then  passed  some 
time  in  the  lumber  town  of  Stillwater,  Minnesota, 
but  was  working  westward  and  reached  Seattle  in 
July,  1888.  Having  been  connected  with  the  lum- 
bering industry,  he  naturally  looked  for  an  engage- 
ment in  that  line,  so  went  to  the  Skagit  valley,  land- 
ing at  the  mouth  of  the  river  in  the  days  when  there 
was  nothing  there  but  a  logging  camp  dignified  by 
he  name  of  Fir.  The  nearest  mill,  however,  was 
Decatur's  at  Mount  Vernon.  Mr.  Lloyd  found  a 
half  brother,  Michael,  at  Fir,  and  for  him  he  began 
working,  logging  off  the  brother's  claim.  He  also 
took  up  a  homestead  near  Arlington  in  Snohomish 
county,  upon  which  he  proved  up  six  years  later. 
His  homestead  adjoined  that  on  which  James  Cav- 
anaugh  had  filed  and  the  two  men  decided,  while 
improving  their  places,  to  combine  their  efforts, 
working  part  of  the  time  on  one  homestead  and  part 
of  the  time  on  the  other,  Mr.  Lloyd  making  his 
home  with  Mr.  Cavanaugh  and  wife  in  a  shack  they 
had  erected.  Mr.  Lloyd  worked  at  logging  in  Skagit 
county  mostly  until  1897,  when  he  went  to  Alaska, 
with  a  partner,  Eugene  Taylor.  They  each  packed 
eighty-five  pounds  over  the  White  Pass  from  Skag- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


way  to  Lake  Bennett,  and  that  summer  they  put  in 
whipsavving  hmiber,  receiving  six  hundred  dollars 
per  thousand  for  their  product.  With  a  new  part- 
ner, Fitzpatrick,  they  went  the  next  spring  to  Daw- 
son City,  but  returned  to  Mount  Vernon  in  1898. 
Mr.  Lloyd  has  done  a  varied  business,  dealing  in 
any  kind  of  property  which  gave  promise  of  legiti- 
mate profit.  He  has  bought  much  timber  and  from 
it  furnished  bolts  to  shingle  mills. 

In  the  summer  of  1900  Mr.  Lloyd  married  Miss 
Ida  Villeneuve,  who  was  born  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Skagit  river  in  1877.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Bridget  Anna  (Tracy)  Villeneuve,  pio- 
neers of  Sedro-Woolley  and  now  proprietors  of  the 
St.  Charles  hotel  in  that  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lloyd 
have  one  child,  Frances,  born  September  15,  1902. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Lloyd  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias ;  in  religion  he  is  a  Catholic ;  in  politics 
a  Republican.  Mr.  Lloyd's  holdings  now  consist  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  timber  and  forty 
acres  of  farm  land  between  Edison  and  Bay  View- 
together  with  a  number  of  lots  in  Anacortes,  Mount 
Vernon  and  Sedro-Woolley.  He  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  county,  a  man 
who  has  won  success  because  of  the  possession  of 
those  sterling  qualities  so  characteristic  of  many  of 
the  privates  in  the  great  army  of  settlers  that  has 
subdued  the  forests  of  the  Northwest  and  estab- 
lished its  commercial  and  industrial  institutions. 


SAMUEL  E.  SHEA,  liquor  dealer  of  Sedro- 
Woolley,  one  of  the  most  successful  business  men 
of  the  place,  has  prospered  by  buying  and  selling 
Skagit  county  realty.  He  was  born  in  Woodstock, 
New  Brunswick,  August  2,  1852,  the  son  of  Wil- 
liam Shea,  also  a  native  of  Woodstock,  and  of 
Mrs.  Margaret  (McCauley)  Shea,  who  was  born  in 
Springhill,  New  Brunswick.  Both  parents  of  Mr. 
Shea  died  in  the  province  where  they  were  born. 
They  had  ten  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
fifth.  Samuel  Shea  remained  at  home  until  1876, 
then  he  went  to  Wisconsin,  where  two  years  were 
passed  in  the  woods.  He  then  spent  two  years  more 
at  the  old  New  Brunswick  home,  then  a  brief  period 
in  Minnesota,  whence,  in  1883,  he  came  to  Seattle. 
After  a  short  stay  in  the  Queen  City,  he  went  to 
Edison  and  worked  in  the  woods  a  few  months,  re- 
turning eventually  to  Seattle,  but  in  1884  he  was 
again  in  Edison,  this  time  in  the  employ  of  D.  Storrs 
&  Company,  for  whom  he  worked  two  years. 
Thence  he  came  to  Mount  Vernon  and  for  three 
years  was  with  Clothier  &  English  in  the  lumber, 
real  ^  estate  and  mercantile  business,  occasionally 
dealing  in  land  on  his  own  account.  During  this 
period  he  bought  forty  acres  of  land  at  Burlington, 
an  interest  in  land  at  Avon,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  on  Walker  prairie  and  located  two  timber 
claims.  He  sold  these  holdings  to  good  advantage 
and   when   Sedro   was   platted   purchased   property 


there.  He  also  homesteaded  the  land  where  Rock- 
port  now  is  and  by  another  deal  acquired  part  of  the 
Charles  Martin  ranch  at  Clear  Lake,  which  he  still 
owns.  Later  Mr.  Shea  ran  a  camp  for  Kane, 
Shrewsbury  &  McLean,  was  in  the  employ  of 
Parker  Brothers,  spent  a  year  with  the  Lyman  Lum- 
ber Company,  worked  for  Hyatt  &  McMaster  and 
built  the  road  for  the  Hightower  Company  at  Sedro- 
Woolley.  All  Ihis  time  he  kept  his  eyes  open  for 
bargains  in  real  estate  and  was  shrewd  enough  to 
recognize  and  seize  them  when  they  came.  In  May, 
1902,  he  erected  a  building  on  the  lot  bought  earlier 
in  the  history  of  Sedro  and  established  his  present 
business,  opening  one  of  the  finest  establishments  of 
its  kind  in  the  city. 

jMr.  Shea  never  has  married.  In  1903  he  re- 
turned to  his  childhood  home  in  New  Brunswick 
and  renewed  old  acquaintances,  also  spent  two 
months  visiting  at  Houlton,  Bangor  and  Milo  in 
Maine  and  Woodstock,  Frederickton,  Hartland, 
Marysville  and  Stanley  in  his  native  province.  In 
politics  Mr.  Shea  is  a  Republican  but  has  firmly  re- 
fused all  requests  to  accept  public  office.  He  has 
engaged  in  many  lines  of  business  both  before  and 
since  coming  to  Skagit  county  and  has  had  the  abil- 
ity to  prosper  in  all  his  ventures.  At  present  he  is 
erecting  a  modern  six-room  house  in  the  western 
part  of  Sedro-Woolley. 


EMMETT  VAN  FLEET,  living  one  mile  east 
of  Sedro-Woolley,  is  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of 
Skagit  county  who  knew  no  neighbors  but  them- 
selves and  counted  the  later  settlers  as  one  by  one 
they  came  into  that  wilderness  of  trees.  Mr.  Van 
Fleet  was  born  in  Lackawanna  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, January  23,  1849,  his  father,  George  Van 
Fleet,  being  one  of  a  family  long  established  in  that 
section  of  the  Keystone  state.  James  Van  Fleet, 
father  of  George  and  grandfather  of  Emmett,  was 
well  known  in  the  community  and  in  his  honor  the 
postofifice  at  his  heme  was  named  Fleetville.  The 
Van  Fleets  originally  came  from  Holland.  Mrs. 
Lexa  (Thacher)  Van  Fleet,  mother  of  Emmett  Van 
Fleet,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. She  died  two  years  ago  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven.  Emmett  Van  Fleet  attended  school  and  grew 
to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm,  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  and  followed  it  five  years  in  Scranton, 
Pennsylvania.  After  this  he  leased  and  ran  his 
father's  farm  until  he  came  to  his  present  home  in 
1880.  Not  a  white  woman  or  a  white  child  was  then 
in  all  the  section  from  Lyman  to  Sterling,  then 
called  Ball's  logging  camp.  His  nearest  neighbor 
was  Dan  Benson,  well  known  as  a  pilot  on  the 
Skagit  river.  Messrs.  Woods,  Dunlop,  Hart  and 
Batey  were  further  down  the  river.  His  brother, 
Luther  Van  Fleet,  who  had  preceded  him  to  Skagit 
county,  was  to  the  north,  on  what  was  called  the 
"fern  land,"  a  name  given  to  land  burned  over  by 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Indians  where  an  abundance  of  ferns  grew.  There 
were  no  roads  and  few  trails  in  those  days,  and  the 
river  constituted  the  chief  highway.  Mr.  Van  Fleet 
commenced  clearing  his  land  and  bought  cows  with 
which  he  started  dairying.  He  was  much  troubled 
by  bear  and  cougar,  and  killed  many  of  them. 

December  23,  1874,  before  leaving  Pennsylvania, 
Mr.  Van  Fleet  married  Miss  -Eliza  Farnham, 
who  was  born  in  Lackawanna  county,  the  daughter 
of  Granville  and  Harriet  (Sprague)  Farnham.  The 
Farnhams  are  well  known  in  Pennsylvania,  having 
lived  there  on  land  granted  by  the  government  to 
Captain  Eliab  Farnham,  for  his  services  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  when  he  served  as  captain  of  a 
company  of  the  Green  Mountain  Boys.  On  this  land 
now  stands  the  city  of  Hawley,  Pennsylvania.  Cap- 
tain Farnliam's  son,  Eliab,  was  born  in  August  fol- 
lowing the  capture  of  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point 
by  the  Green  Mountain  boys  under  Ethan  Allen, 
and  his  son,  Stephen,  was  the  father  of  Granville 
Farnham,  who  still  is  living.  On  her  mother's  side, 
Mrs.  Van  Fleet  traces  back  to  the  Spragues  of 
Rhode  Island,  who  held  eighty  acres  of  the  city  site 
of  Providence.  The  noted  war  governor  of  Rhode 
Island  was  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Van  Fleet's  mother. 
Mrs.  Van  Fleet  is  the  oldest  of  four  children  and 
is  the  only  one  in  the  west.  The  others  are  Eliab, 
Charles  and  Robert  Farnham.  She  came  west  with 
her  husband  and  was  the  first  white  woman  in  this 
vicinity.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Fleet  have  three  chil- 
dren: Eva,  born  in  Pennsylvania  on  the  last  day 
of  the  Centennial  year;  Ethel,  born  in  Skagit 
county,  August  17,  1887,  and  Earl,  born  here, 
March  30,  1889.  Mr.  Van  Fleet  is  an  Odd  Fellow, 
member  of  Truth  lodge  at  Sedro-Woolley,  and  he 
and  Mrs.  Van  Fleet  are  Rebekahs.  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat  and  active  in  primaries,  and  often  is  sent 
to  county  and  state  conventions.  The  Van  Fleet 
place  contains  140  acres,  is  worked  as  a  general  and 
stock  farm,  and  has  a  highly  productive  orchard. 
Mr.  Van  Fleet  also  has  a  large  colony  of  bees,  his 
stand  last  year  producing  over  a  ton  of  honey.  On 
this  pioneer  farm  was  erected,  years  ago,  the  first 
schoolhouse  in  that  part  of  the  country,  its  owner 
donating  liberally  towards  its  construction.  He  is 
greatly  interested  in  the  schools  and  has  served  as 
school  director.  Mrs.  Van  Fleet  has  many  interest- 
ing reminiscences  of  pioneer  life,  some  of  which  she 
published  in  the  School  Journal,  when  Mrs.  Currier 
Ornes  was  superintendent.  The  article  received 
much  praise  for  its  literary  merit.  Mr.  Van  Fleet 
is  a  loyal  American  citizen  who  is  entitled  to  unlim- 
ited credit  for  the  part  he  took  in  opening  one  sec- 
tion of  the  great  west. 


FRANK  R.  HAMILTON.— Although  there  are 
a  few  men  in  Skagit  county  whose  advent  long  ante- 
dates that  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  yet  that  gentleman  has 


probably  seen  as  much  of  pioneering  and  pioneer 
conditions  as  any  one,  and  he  has  certainly  done  his 
full  share  toward  blazing  trails,  beating  back  the 
forests,  overcoming  the  obstacles  and  ushering  in 
the  better  day.  His  pioneer  experiences  include  the 
management  of  Indians  disposed  to  be  unfriendly, 
for  the  home  of  the  Hamiltons  was  claimed  by  the 
red  men,  their  presence  in  the  upper  valley  was  dis- 
tasteful to  the  members  of  the  inferior  race  who 
foresaw  defeat  in  the  irrepressible  race  conflict,  and 
at  one  time  the  white  settlers  had  good  reason  to 
fear  an  uprising,  but  the  privations  of  the  early  days 
were  bravely  endured,  the  dangers  were  safely 
passed  and  surrounded  by  the  blessings  of  the  civ- 
ilization which  they  helped  to  establish,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hamilton  are  spending  the  evening  of  their 
lives  near  the  thrifty  town  of  Sedro-Woolley,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  abundance  of  everything  which  can 
add  to  their  material  comfort,  and  none  the  worse 
for  the  pictures  of  trying  experiences  which  hang 
on  memory's  wall. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  born  in  Wapello  county, 
Iowa,  in  1857,  the  son  of  William  Hamilton,  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  a  wheelwright  and  carpenter  by 
occupation.  The  elder  Hamilton,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  and  was  bound 
out  and  raised  by  a  strange  family.  He  eventually 
moved  to  Iowa,  whence,  in  1863,  he  crossed  the 
plains  with  ox  teams  to  California,  accompanied  by 
his  family,  and  he  died  in  the  Golden  State  in  1873. 
Our  subject's  mother,  Mary  E.  (Prather)  Hamil- 
ton, who  was  born  in  the  year  1832,  is  still  living 
in  Oakland,  California.  Though  a  native  of  Iowa, 
as  heretofore  stated,  Frank  R.  Hamilton  became  a 
resident  of  the  Pacific  coast  very  early  in  life,  cross- 
ing the  plains,  as  heretofore  stated,  with  his  father 
in  1862.  After  spending  short  periods  of  time  in 
Petaluma  and  Santa  Rosa,  he  moved,  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  years,  to  Nevada,  and  he  finished  his  edu- 
cation and  took  his  first  lessons  in  the  art  of  selling 
goods  behind  the  counter  in  Virginia  City,  that 
state.  He  resided  in  Nevada  until  1880,  though 
making  frequent  trips  to  California,  but  in  the  year 
mentioned  he  put  into  practice  a  resolve  to  leave 
both  states  permanently,  and  with  his  newly  wedded 
wife  to  make  a  home  in  the  wild,  undeveloped  but 
rich  and  promising  Skagit  valley.  He  chose  as  the 
scene  of  his  home-building  venture  a  point  far  up 
the  Skagit  river,  where  it  receives  the  waters  of 
the  Baker,  beyond  the  outmost  bounds  of  settlement 
at  that  time.  His  only  neighbors  were  Mrs.  Ham- 
ilton's half-brother,  Theodore  Sunter,  Mr.  Sunter's 
mother,  Mrs.  luiiily  Glass,  who  was  the  first  white 
woman  to  go  that  far  up  the  river,  Amasa  Everett, 
Orrin  Kincaid  and  a  man  named  Anderson.  The 
family  had  much  ado  to  obtain  subsistence  at  first. 
Mr.  Hamilton  traded  with  the  Indians  and  miners 
and  when  logging  camps  began  to  be  established 
that  far  up  river  sold  them  the  products  of  his  farm, 


SAMUEL   S.    TINGLEY 


MRS.    SAMUEL   S.   TINGLET 


AMASA  EVERETT 


JOHN    SUTTER 


WILLLVM    BARRATT 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


703 


in  this  manner  supporting  his  family.  The  battle 
with  natural  conditions  was  severe  enough  to  try 
the  sturdiest,  but  its  rigors  were  aggravated  by  fear 
of  trouble  with  the  Indians,  who  strenuously  ob- 
jected to  surveyors  and  settlers.  At  one  time  a 
party  of  surveyors,  with  Amasa  Everett  and  Willard 
Cobb,  had  some  difficulty  with  the  Indians  and  two 
of  the  red  men  were  shot  and  wounded,  but  the  dis- 
pute was  settled  without  further  trouble,  much  to 
the  relief  of  all  the  whites,  though  real  security  was 
not  had  till  soldiers  entered  the  country. 

Mr.  Hamilton  kept  steadily  at  the  task  of  devel- 
oping and  opening  up  his  farm  until  by  1897  he  had 
it  in  condition  to  produce  five  hundred  sacks  of 
grain  and  one  hundred  tons  of  hay;  then  disaster 
came.  That  was  the  year  of  the  memorable  flood 
which  did  so  much  damage  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  Skagit  valley.  The  rampant  wa- 
ters surrounded  his  house  and  outbuildings,  com- 
pelling him  and  his  family  to  seek  safety  in  a  canoe, 
while  the  excellent  crops  of  hay  and  grain  went  to 
destruction,  as  well  as  his  forty  head  of  cattle  and 
fifteen  fat  hogs.  After  the  waters  subsided  Mrs. 
Hamilton  and  the  family  went  to  live  on  land  they 
owned  near  Sedro-Woolley ;  later  Mr.  Hamilton 
disposed  of  his  up-river  farm  and  joined  them,  and 
they  have  been  farming  and  stock  raising  in  that  lo- 
cality ever  since.  Their  farm  contains  105  acres  of 
land  in  excellent  condition  for  the  maintenance  of 
stock,  and  they  give  much  attention  to  the  rearing 
and  care  of  high-grade  cattle,  especially  of  the  Jer- 
sey strain. 

Though  he  has  battled  with  the  wilderness  dili- 
gently and  with  great  assiduity,  Mr.  Hamilton  has 
always  taken  time  to  discharge  well  the  duties  which 
have  devolved  upon  him  as  a  good  citizen,  his  public 
spirit  finding  expression  principally  in  efforts  to 
promote  the  cause  of  popular  education  so  far  as 
he  was  able.  For  a  number  of  terms  he  served  on  the 
school  board  of  his  district.  He  also,  several  times, 
consented  to  accept  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace 
of  his  precinct  while  living  in  the  upper  valley. 
He  is  prominent  in  Odd  Fellowship,  having  passed 
through  all  the  chairs  in  his  home  lodge  and  being 
now  a  member  of  the  grand  lodge.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican. 

In  1880  Mr.  Hamilton  married  Miss  Adelaide 
S.  Glass,  a  native  of  Iowa  and  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Emily  (Provost)  Glass.  Mrs.  Hamilton  takes 
a  just  pride  in  her  family  history,  for  her  ancestry 
can  be  traced  in  this  country  back  to  1624,  when 
the  first  Provost  established  himself  on  American 
soil.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual  ability,  a  deep  stu- 
dent of  the  Latin  language  and  very  thoroughly 
versed  in  classic  lore.  He  belonged  to  that  famous 
class  of  Frenchmen  known  as  the  Huguenots,  the 
flower  of  France,  in  expelling  whom  from  her  bor- 
ders, it  is  said,  France  slit  the  veins  of  her  own 
national  life.    The  family  is  well  known  in  the  his- 


tory of  Massachusetts,  and  it  is  worthy  of  mention 
that  the  first  Episcopal  bishop  of  New  York  was  a 
Provost.  One  of  Mrs.  Hamilton's  brothers  enlisted 
in  1861  for  service  in  the  Civil  War  as  a  member 
of  the  Sixteenth  Iowa,  and  he  continued  to  follow 
the  flag  until  the  last  disloyal  gun  had  been  silenced. 
He  spent  two  months  in  Andersonville  prison.  In 
1878  he  settled  near  Baker  river  in  Skagit  county, 
becoming  the  first  settler  in  that  locality,  and  on 
the  10th  of  April,  1881,  he  passed  away  at  La  Con- 
ner. Three  of  Mr.  Hamilton's  brothers  were  also 
veterans  of  the  Civil  War.  Mrs.  Hamilton's  father, 
James  Glass,  was  born  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  but 
early  in  life  came  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  there.  He  was  a  relative  of  A. 
T.  Stewart,  the  well-known  multi-millionaire  mer- 
chant. In  185,5  he  migrated  to  Iowa  and  purchased 
a  thousand  acres  of  land.  He  was  preparing  to  go 
into  the  mercantile  business  there  when  he  was 
caught  in  one  of  the  blizzards  which  are  so  common 
in  some  parts  of  the  middle  west  and  lost  his  life. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  have  two  living  children, 
namely,  James  B.,  the  first  white  child  torn  so  far 
up  the  river,  now  bookkeeper  in  the  bank  of  C.  E. 
Bingham  &  Company  at  Sedro-Woolley,  and  Frances 
A.,  attending  the  high  school  at  present.  One  of 
their  children  died  October  17,  1901,  at  the  age  of 
nine  vears. 


GEORGE  G.  ARNOLD,  farmer,  stock  raiser 
and  dairyman,  seven  miles  east  of  Sedro-Woolley,  is 
a  man  whose  days  have  been  filled  with  the  excite- 
ment which  attends  a  succession  of  reverses  and 
successes,  and  now  in  the  evening  of  life  he  is  en- 
joying the  smiles  of  fortune.  Mr.  Arnold  was  born 
in  Harrison  county.  West  Virginia,  November  14, 
1836,  and  inherits  from  both  sides  of  his  ancestry 
the  blood  of  patriots  and  pioneers.  His  father, 
George  Arnold,  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  moved 
to  Missouri  late  in  life,  and  ultimately  settled  in 
Oregon,  where  he  died  fifteen  years  ago.  He  was 
of  Scotch-English  parentage,  his  mother's  people 
having  settled  in  Albemarle  county,  Virginia,  in 
the  early  days  of  the  colony.  His  father  was  a 
veteran  of  the  War  of  1812.  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Green) 
Arnold,  also  of  English  descent,  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Members  of  her  family  served  both  in 
the  Revolution  and  in  the  War  of  1812.  George 
G.  Arnold  is  the  third  of  her  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren. The  early  years  of  Mr.  Arnold's  life  were 
spent  on  a  farm  and  as  was  often  the  case  in  fami- 
lies living  in  the  states  along  Mason  and  Dixon's 
line,  he  disagreed  with  his  brothers  on  the  issues 
of  the  Civil  War.  He  stood  alone  in  his  family 
for  the  union  cause.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  he 
was  working  on  a  road  building  contract  near 
Charleston,  West  Virginia.  An  argument  arose 
about  the  size  of  the  ball  a  nearb'y  cannon  would 
throw.  He  stepped  to  the  muzzle  of  the  piece  and 
was  measuring  the  bore  when  he  was  placed  under 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


arrest  and  conveyed  to  General  Wise's  headquar- 
ters as  a  spy.  He  made  his  escape  and  had  enlisted 
in  Company  A  of  the  Fourth  West  Virginia  Vol- 
unteer Infantry  before  the  close  of  1861.  He  saw 
service  under  General  Ewing,  was  with  Grant's 
victorious  army  at  Vicksburg,  endured  the  hard- 
ships of  hunger  and  participated  in  the  glories  of 
Sherman's  operations  around  Atlanta  and  on  the 
march  to  the  sea.  After  four  years  of  service  he 
was  mustered  out  at  Wheeling.  All  this  time  three 
brothers  were  wearing  the  Confederate  gray — 
James  S.,  Floyd  and  William  Pitt,  the  last  named 
being  killed  in  the  battle  of  Winchester.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  Mr.  Arnold  returned  for  a  time  to 
Gilmer  county,  West  Virginia,  and  after  marriage 
went  to  Cass  County.  Missouri.  In  1ST3  he  came 
to  Seattle,  which  at  that  time  did  not  number  over 
1,000  inhabitants,  with  bears  plentiful  within  the 
city  limits.  For  twelve  years  he  followed  the  log- 
ging business  at  Seattle,  and  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventies  was  interested  in  the  Ruby  creek  min- 
ing development.  Mr.  Arnold  and  Al.  Spalding 
conceived  the  idea  of  building  a  saw-mill  on  Granite 
creek  and  with  the  help  of  a  third  man  they  car- 
ried a  shaft  weighing  400  pounds  sixty  miles  to  the 
site  of  their  mill  operations.  The  venture  proved 
a  flat  failure  and  only  one  log  was  sawed.  Mr.  Ar- 
nold secured  mining  property  in  company  with 
Colonel  Larrabee,  but  after  financial  losses  with- 
drew from  the  district  to  recoup  in  the  logging 
business.  His  attention  had  been  directed  during 
his  experiences  in  the  Skagit  valley  to  the  possi- 
bilities in  this  county,  and  m  1883  he  moved  here 
and  settled  near  Lyman,  then  only  a  trading  post 
for  barter  with  the  Indians.  He  filed  on  a  home- 
stead, which  he  developed  into  a  farm.  One  of  his 
early  ventures  was  in  hop  raising,  leasing  the  hop 
ranch  of  Alvin  H.  Williamson,  formerly  of  New 
York,  later  a  partner  of  Ezra  Meeker  in  hop  grow- 
ing at  Puyallup.  Mr.  Williamson  was  the  pioneer 
hop  grower  of  Skagit  county,  if  not  of  the  entire 
state.  When  Mr.  Arnold  settled  here  there  were 
no  roads,  and  the  one  trail  in  that  section  passed 
directly  in  front  of  the  spot  on  which  the  present 
Arnold  house  stsnds.  Since  coming  to  Skagit 
county  Mr.  Arnold  has  done  no  logging  except  on 
his  own  farm.  His  early  clearing  was  done  with 
cattle,  six  yoke  of  which  he  brought  with  him  from 
Seattle.  He  it  was  who  had  the  first  team  of  horses 
in  this  section.  After  he  had  become  settled,  he 
turned  his  own  place  into  hops  and  became  one  of 
the  big  producers  of  that  product  in  this  county, 
twice  harvesting  a  crop  worth  $15,000.  In  some 
years  reverses  would  sweep  away  the  profits  of  pre- 
ceding years  and  for  that  reason  Mr.  Arnold  quit 
hop  raising  several  years  ago.  Mr.  Arnold  for- 
merly owned  160  acres  of  land,  but  he  has  disposed 
of  half  of  it.  He  has  a  fine  herd  of  selected  milch 
cows  and  engages  in  dairying. 

April   5,    1866,   in   West   Virginia,  Mr.   Arnold 


married  Mrs.  Mary  Nutter,  born  in  the  Old  Do- 
minion, daughter  of  Thomas  and  Martha  McDaniel, 
natives  of  that  state,  of  English  descent.  Mr.  Mc- 
Daniel was  a  colonel  in  the  Civil  War.  Mrs.  Arnold 
was  a  widow  with  three  children  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Arnold,  and  by  him  she  is  the 
mother  of  three  others,  Olive,  Laura  and  Albert. 
By  her  former  husband  her  children  are  William, 
Thomas  and  Mary,  the  first  named  being  dead.  The 
name  of  her  first  husband  was  Davis.  In  fraternal  , 
circles  Mr.  Arnold  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  politics  he  is  an 
active  and  ardent  Democrat.  He  has  served  as 
committeeman  and  has  attended  every  county  con- 
vention of  his  party,  save  one,  since  coming  to 
Skagit  county.  Mr.  Arnold  served  as  member  of  the 
school  board  for  many  years,  but  retired  in  1901.  He 
alwavs  has  been  active  in  work  for  the  schools  and  has 
contributed  liberally  toward  building  schoolhouses. 
Mr.  Arnold  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Skagit 
county,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 
He  is  just  such  a  man  as  one  would  picture  who  knew 
of  the  vicissitudes  through  which  he  has  passed. 


SAMUEL  SIMPSON  TINGLEY,  farmer  and 
stock  rasier,  located  across  the  river  from  Lyman, 
is  one  of  the  very  earliest  settlers  of  Skagit  county 
and  a  man  who  has  had  a  remarkably  active  career. 
Mr.  Tingley  was  born  at  Violet  Brook,  Aroostook 
county,  Maine,  February  12,  1836,  the  son  of  John 
C.  Tingley,  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  He  be- 
came a  farmer  and  shipbuilder  in  the  Pine  Tree 
State,  whence  in  later  years  he  removed  to  Skagit 
county,  and  he  died  in'  Skagit  City  in  1896.  The 
elder  Tingley  had  three  brothers  in  the  battle  of 
Lundy's  Lane,  in  the  War  of  1812,  one  of  whom 
was  on  the  side  of  the  British.  Mrs.  Sophia 
(Boline)  Tingley,  mother  of  Samuel,  was  also  a 
native  of  Maine.  Samuel  S.  Tingley  lived  on  the 
home  place  until  ten  years  of  age,  when  he  was 
bound  out  to  learn  the  trade  of  machinist.  He 
worked  two  years  in  the  shop,  then  spent  a  like 
period  on  a  boat,  learning  to  handle  steam ;  then 
he  shipped  for  deep  water  work,  and  in  1859  was 
on  Puget  sound  helping  to  build  the  revenue  cutter, 
I.  I.  Stevens.  After  working  a  year  and  a  half,  he 
started  home  in  1861  to  attend  a  military  school, 
and  while  on  his  way  fell  in  with  the  Tenth  Maine 
Infantry  at  Eastport  en  route  to  the  front  for  serv- 
ice in  the  Civil  War.  The  ardor  of  young  Tingley 
was  so  fired  that  he  at  once  enlisted  in  the  com- 
mand. A  short  time  later,  in  company  with  some 
400  others,  he  was  transferred  to  the  engineer  corps 
and  he  continued  in  that  line  of  duty  and  in  the 
secret  service  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After 
spending  some  time  in  Pennsylvania  he  came  around 
the  Horn  on  the  old  Continental,  and  landed  at  San 
Francisco,  later  coming  to  Puget  sound  on  the 
George  Washington,  and  going  to   Port  Orchard, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


where  he  was  engaged  in  shipbuilding.  In  1867 
Mr.  Tingley  went  to  the  mouth  of  the  Skagit  river, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  north  fork,  and  took  up  a 
claim.  Messrs.  Abbott  and  Sartwell  were  the  orrly 
men  on  the  south  fork  at  that  time,  though  up  by 
La  Conner  were  Mike  Sullivan  and  Sam  Calhoun, 
both  of  whom  had  some  land  diked  in.  Mr.  Ting- 
ley  went  to  diking,  soon  had  a  small  farm  in  cul- 
tivation, and  lived  there  until,  in  1879,  the  Ruby 
^creek  excitement  lured  him  away.  In  the  winter  of 
1880-1  he  came  to  Mount  Vernon,  built  a  black- 
smith shop  and  moved  his  family  to  that  town. 
Three  years  later  he  came  up  to  his  present  place, 
which  he  had  taken  in  1880  while  timber  cruising 
for  Clothier  &  English,  and  commenced  clearing 
and  raising  stock.  Mr.  Tingley  has  done  consider- 
able logging  and  has  also  been  in  demand  for  build- 
ing ferries,  having  had  a  hand  in  the  construction 
of  nearly  every  boat  of  that  character  on  the  river. 
His  experience  in  the  army  engineer  corps  also 
makes  him  almost  indispensable  in  raising  boats 
which  sink  on  the  Skagit. 

In  1867,  at  Portland,  Oregon,  Mr.  Tingley  mar- 
ried Miss  Maria  Kinney,  a  native  of  Canastota, 
New  York.  She  was  one  of  the  seventy-five  school 
teachers  who  came  around  the  Horn  through  the 
influence  of  A.  S.  Mercer  in  behalf  of  the  schools 
of  the  Northw-est  in  1867.  It  so  happened  that  Mr. 
Tingley  met  her  on  the  trip  of  the  Continental  com- 
ing to  San  Francisco  on  the  same  boat.  Mrs.  Ting- 
ley died  in  1874,  leaving  two  children,  Ida  and 
Oliver,  The  present  Mrs.  Tingley  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1840,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Herman 
and  Elizabeth  ( Easterbrook )  Knapp,  and  received 
an  excellent  education,  not  the  least  part  of  which 
was  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  use  of  drugs  and 
medicine.  Mrs.  I'ingley  was  a  widow  ap  the  time 
of  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Tingley  and  had  one  son, 
Warren  Taylor.  She  had  come  west  in  1872.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tingley  have  been  born  five  children : 
Mary  Elizabeth,  graduate  of  the  Whatcom  Normal 
School  and  for  six  years  a  school  teacher;  Hiram 
B.,  Henry,  Martha,  now  acting  matron  of  the 
Sedro-Woolley  hospital,  and  Lillian,  a  trained  nurse 
by  profession.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Tingley  is 
a  Mason.  In  politics  he  is  a  protection  Republican, 
sufficiently  active  to  attend  all  local  conventions 
and  to  serve  as  committeeman.  The  present  Ting- 
ley farm  consists  of  200  acres,  ten  of  which  are  in 
fine  orchard.  The  house  is  a  homelike  structure 
built  in  Southern  style,  and  suggestive  of  hospitality 
and  comfort,  with  fireplace,  fur  rugs,  literature  in 
abundance  and  musical  instruments  of  many  kinds. 
The  Tingley  family  is  one  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment, possessing  especial  aptness  in  music.  During 
her  residence  in  Skagit  county  Mrs.  Tingley  has 
frequently  been  called  upon  to  administer  to  the 
suffering  and  her  knowledge  of  nursing  and  medi- 
cines has  proven  of  great  assistance  to  the  settlers. 


especially  in  the  early  days,  when  no  call  upon  her 
skill  and  sympathy  went  unheeded.  Among  the 
Skagit  county  pioneers  few  antedate  Mr.  Tingley 
in  point  of  arrival,  and  few  have  been  more  active 
in  affecting  the  many  changes  making  for  develop- 
ment and  progress,  and  few  are  better  known 
throughout  the  county. 


AMASA  EVERETT,  now  farmer  and  stock- 
man and  town  site  owner  at  Baker,  Washington,  is 
a  pioneer  of  Skagit  county  and  one  of  the  men  who 
discovered  the  agricultural  value  of  the  upper  val- 
ley and  also  its  mineral  deposits.  He  is  one  of  the 
men  who,  coming  here  in  the  early  days,  have  con- 
tributed much  to  the  laying  of  foundations  in  Skagit 
count}\  Mr.  Everett  was  born  in  Washburn,  Aroos- 
took county,  Maine,  June  3,  1849,  the  son  of  Lyman 
Everett,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  born  in  1803, 
of  English  descent,  who  died  in  1865.  His  ihother. 
Mrs.  Regina  (Sperry)  Everett,  was  a  native  of 
Switzerland,  of  German  parentage,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  when  a  child.  She  died  in  1890,  the 
mother  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  Amasa  was 
tne  ninth  in  order.  Young  Everett  grew  to  man- 
hood in  the  woods  of  Maine  and  followed  lumber- 
ing in  that  state.  On  the  death  of  his  father  he 
took  charge  of  the  logging  camp  and  operated  it 
successfully,  but  at  the  age  of  nineteen  left  for 
Minnesota,  where  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering  for 
three  years.  The  summer  of  1874  he  spent  at  La 
Conner,  Washington,  and  that  fall  commenced 
prospecting  in  the  upper  Skagit  valley.  It  was  Mr. 
Everett  who  discovered  the  coal  deposits  at  Hamil- 
ton. Finding  his  first  bits  of  coal  on  the  high  hill,  he 
carried  the  samples  out  in  his  hat.  While  on  this  ex- 
pedition Mr.  Everett  met  with  the  misfortune  which 
cost  him  the  loss  of  a  leg.  He  was  drinking  from 
a  creek  when  a  landslide  occurred  and  a  large  boul- 
der struck  and  broke  the  bones  of  the  limb'.  An 
Indian  was  with  him  at  the  time  and  the  red  man 
was  sent  for  Lafayette  Stevens  and  Orlando  Gra- 
ham, the  other  members  of  the  prospecting  party. 
On  their  arrival  they  tore  up  a  shirt  and  splinted 
the  member,  but  later  Seattle  surgeons  had  to  am- 
putate it.  The  prospectors,  in  company  with  J.  J. 
Conner,  who  had  grubstaked  them,  formed  a  com- 
pany for  developing  the  coal  find  and  spent  several 
thousand  dollars  in  sinking  a  shaft.  They  went 
down  120  feet  and  sent  a  quantity  of  the  coal  taken 
from  the  excavation  to  San  Francisco  for  a  test, 
which  proved  it  to  be  excellent  for  blacksmith  pur- 
poses. Air.  Everett  finallv  abandoned  the  work 
after  having  given  James  O'Laughlin  a  half  interest 
in  his  share.  In  the  fall  of  1875  Mr.  Everett  came 
further  up  the  valley  on  a  prospecting  tour.  He  had 
no  intention  of  taking  up  land,  but  built  a  cabin  at 
the  mouth  of  Baker  river  and  put  in  a  garden, 
which  so  prospered  that  he  did  not  care  to  leave 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


it.  For  five  years  he  prospected  and  worked  at  the 
trade  of  carpenter  during  a  part  of  the  year,  in 
order  to  maintain  himself,  at  the  same  time  clearing 
a  little  of  his  land  at  intervals,  until  the  place  finally 
developed  into  proportions  large  enough  that  it 
might  be  denominated  a  ranch.  In  1879,  in  com- 
pany with  William  Cobb,  Mr.  Everett  grubstaked 
a  party  consisting  of  Charles  von  Pressentin,  Jack 
Rowley,  John  Sutter  and  John  Duncan  to  look  into 
the  Ruby  creek  district.  The  prospectors  brought 
out  large  nuggets,  but  big  boulders  in  the  ground 
interfered  with  anything  like  success  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  placer  mines.  Mr.  Everett  did  not 
travel  into  the  mining  country,  but  remained  at 
home  ranching,  at  which  he  made  money,  but  his 
profits  were  all  consumed  by  the  miners,  who  stam- 
peded out  from  Ruby  creek  after  the  boom  broke. 
In  1880,  after  government  surveyors  had  arrived 
in  the  upper  valley  and  had  had  trouble  with  the 
Indians,  who  broke  the  instruments,  Mr.  Everett 
advised  the  surveyors  to  kill  a  few  red  men  if  they 
did  not  let  the  whites  alone.  Two  Indians  heard 
this  statement  and  advice  of  Mr.  Everett,  and  in  a 
spirit  of  vengeance  entered  his  house  and  attacked 
him  with  knives.  He  stopped  one  with  a  b'ullet  in 
the  jaw  and  shot  the  other,  "Bill"  by  name,  in  the 
body.  The  savage  continued  to  athancc  and  Air. 
Everett  shot  him  the  second  time,  after  which  both 
he  and  the  other  Indian  lay  apparentlv  dead,  but 
both  recovered.  The  surveyors  sent  to  Port  Town- 
send  for  soldiers  and  Mr.  Everett  gave  himself  up 
to  the  authorities  at  Mount  Vernon.  On  the  trial 
he  was  acquitted,  many  of  the  Indians  testifying  to 
the  bad  character  of  those  who  had  attacked  him.  A 
big  powwow  was  held,  and  on  Mr.  Everett's  pay- 
ing $20  for  each  of  the  Indians  shot  matters  were 
patched  up  and  he  was  on  friendly  terms  with  them 
ever  after ;  they  in  their  turn  reimbursed  him  for 
depredations  committed.  In  the  aftermath  of  the 
incident  numerous  agents  were  sent  out  by  the  gov- 
ernment to  investigate  the  occurrences,  one  of 
whom,  a  Colonel  Pollock,  bragged  considerably  of 
his  bravery  and  aggressiveness.  To  try  him  Mr. 
Everett  and  an  Indian  agent  assembled  some  In- 
dians behind  an  ambuscade  on  the  river  bank  as  the 
brave  colonel  passed  down  the  river  in  boats.  A 
volley  from  the  ambuscade,  directed  to  the  rear  of 
the  boats,  was  sufficient  to  send  the  doughty  colonel 
hustling  down  the  river  out  of  range.  Mr.  Everett 
continued  to  work  his  ranch  and  in  1885  discovered 
a  ledge  of  marble  on  his  place  which  he  considered 
was  valuable  for  lime  manufacture.  He  also  found 
a  deposit  of  clay  from  which  he  built  two  brick  fire- 
places. In  1904  an  expert,  examining  the  marble 
and  clay,  said  that  the  clay  was  more  valuable  for 
cement  than  for  brick.  The  upshot  of  this  incident 
was  that  E.  C.  Miller,  acting  for  what  is  now  known 
as  the  Washington  Portland  Cement  Company,  re- 
cently bought  forty-five  acres  of  the  land,  and  he  is 


now  arranging  for  the  erection  of  a  large  plant  at 
the  point.  Mr.  Everett  has  platted  a  town  site 
called  Cement  City  and  is  soon  to  put  lots  in  it  on 
the  market. 

October  21,  1891,  at  Seattle  Mr.  Everett  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Seeger,  a  native  of  Germany, 
daughter  of  Frederick  and  Charlotte  (Harding) 
Seeger,  the  latter  of  whom  is  still  living  in  the  old 
country,  the  mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom 
Mrs.  Everett  is  next  to  the  youngest.  She  came 
to  this  country  in  1888  and  settled  in  Wisconsin. 
She  and  Mr.  Everett  have  five  children:  Leonard, 
born  in  1892;  Nina,  in  1893;  Elva,  in  1895;  Ed- 
ward, in  1898,  and  Ruth,  in  1904.  In  politics  Mr. 
Everett  is  an  ardent  Republican  and  an  attendant 
at  most  conventions.  He  has  long  been  a  member 
of  the  school  board  and  is  an  earnest  advocate  of 
the  betterment  of  schools.  He  owns  and  operates 
eighty-five  acres  of  land  and  is  in  very  good  circum- 
stances, financially,  and  also  enjoys  the  respect  of 
the  community  in  which  he  has  played  so  active  a 
part. 


JOHN  SUTTER,  of  Sauk,  has  had  much  to  do 
with  the  opening  up  of  the  upper  Skagit  valley,  and 
by  reason  of  years  spent  in  the  hills  prospecting 
for  mineral  wealth  probably  is  more  familiar  with 
the  Cascade  mountains  and  their  western  foothills 
than  any  other  man  now  living.  He  has  been  a 
pioneer  in  every  line  of  activity  known  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  Skagit.  Mr.  Sutter  was  b'orn  in  Maine 
January  12,  1849,  the  son  of  James  and  Catherme 
Sutter.  Of  his  mother  he  knows  little.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  Ixiirn  in  1797,  who  went 
to  Maine  when  a  very  young  man  and  led  the  life  of  a 
lumberman  and  farmer  there  until  his  death  fifty-two 
years  ago.  John  Sutter  is  the  only  child  of  his  par- 
ents who  is  now  living.  Fie  left  home  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  going  to  Pennsylvania,  where  for  four 
years  he  followed  the  lumber  business.  In  1870  he 
went  to  Florida  and  he  was  connected  with  the  lum- 
ber industry  of  that  state  for  the  next  two  years. 
He  then  went  to  Dakota  and  started  for  the  Black 
Hills,  but  the  government,  owing  to  Indian  troubles, 
stopped  the  wagon  train  and  refused  it  permission 
to  go  on.  Mr.  Sutter  then  went  to  California, 
whence  after  a  short  time  he  came  on  to  Washing- 
ton. He  first  stopped  at  Port  Townsend,  but  soon 
went  thence  to  Port  Gamble,  where  he  put  in  two 
years  working  on  a  logging  boom.  He  moved  to 
Sauk  in  the  centennial  year  and  lived  there  for  the 
ensuing  twenty-seven  years,  coming  to  his  present 
place,  five  miles  east,  in  1903.  He  was,  however, 
absent  in  Alaska  for  a  time  in  1898  and  had  some 
experience  in  mining  and  logging  there.  Though 
he  has  always  made  his  home  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  valley,  he  has  put  in  much  time  prospecting.  In 
1876,  in  companv  with  John  Rowley,  George  E. 
Sanger  and  Will  Cobb,  he  went  into  the  Baker  river 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


district  and  located  some  quartz  mines,  and  it  was 
during  one  of  his  trips  to  this  region  that  Mr.  Sut- 
ter explored  Baker  lake,  gaining  the  distinction  of 
being  the  first  white  man  to  do  this.  Of  the  quar- 
tette of  men  mentioned,  who  did  much  prospecting 
together,  Mr.  Sutter  and  Will  Cobb  only  are  living, 
the  latter  in  Seattle.  Sanger  lost  his  life  on  Porcu- 
pine creek,  Alaska,  and  Rowley  died  in  Arizona.  In 
company  with  Rowley  and  Frank  Scott  Mr.  Sutter 
prospected  in  the  Ruby  creek  district  in  1876,  four 
years  prior  to  the  excitement  which  later  attracted 
many  to  the  diggings.  Rowley,  Cobb  and  Sanger 
had  come  up  the  river  just  a  few  days  before  Sutter 
got  there  and  the  four  men  were  almost  insepar- 
able for  years  afterward.  Mr.  Sutter  has  not  been 
active  in  prospecting  since  1892,  having  settled 
down  to  the  life  of  a  farmer.  He  owns  1(50  acres 
of  land,  of  which  forty  are  cleared,  and  on  which 
he  has  built  a  fine  seven-room  house.  He  has  thirty 
head  of  cattle,  an  equal  number  of  sheep  and  horses 
enough  for  the  operation  of  his  farm.  An  incident 
of  Mr.  Sutter's  early  days  on  the  upper  Skagit  was 
the  piloting-  of  the  steamer  Chehalis  from  Sauk  to 
the  portage  sixteen  miles  above  Marblemount. 
Captain  Brannon  had  brought  his  steamer  up  as 
far  as  Sauk,  but  being  unfamiliar  with  the  channel 
of  the  river  above  that  point  hesitated  about  con- 
tinuing. He  eventually  sent  for  Mr.  Sutter,  who 
pointed  out  the  channel  and  showed  the  way  safely 
to  the  destination.  Mr.  Sutter  enjoys  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  reliable  in  all  ways  and  is  highly  re- 
spected by  the  people  of  his  community.  Probably 
no  man  is  so  familiar  with  the  trailless  country 
around  the  head  waters  of  the  Skagit  and  its  tribu- 
taries as  this  old-time  pioneer  and  prospector. 

In  1897  Mr.  Sutter  married  Alice  Wilson, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Wilson,  one  of  the  very  oldest 
settlers  in  Skagit  county,  having  come  to  the  region 
during  the  Eraser  river  excitement  of  1858,  "and 
having  located  in  the  county  two  years  later.  He 
died  there  in  1893.  Mrs.  Sutter  was  born  on  the 
Skagit  river  in  1875  and  acquired  her  education  in 
the  schools  of  the  county. 


WILLIAM  BARRATT,  living  across  the  river 
from  Marblemount,  is  one  of  the  men  who  have 
secured  a  competence  since  coming  to  Skagit  county 
and  are  well  satisfied  with  the  good  fortune  which 
directed  them  to  this  part  of  the  country.  He  is  a 
native  of  London,  England,  born  Januarv  13,  1851, 
the  son  of  Alexander  Barratt.  The  elder  Barratt 
was  born  in  London  in  18-20  in  the  house  in  which 
his  father  before  him  had  first  seen  the  light  of  day. 
He  is  still  living  in  the  English  capital  and  run- 
nmg  a  shoe  store  there.  Mrs.  Sarah  (Montgomery) 
Barratt,  the  mother  of  William,  was  a  native  of 
Scotland,  but  was  taken  when  a  mere  child  bv  her 
parents  to  London  and  lived  there  until  her  death 


in  1904.  William  Barratt  has  three  brothers  and 
one  sister,  Alexander  B.,  Qiarles,  James  and  Sarah. 
Young  Barratt  grew  up  in  the  world's  metropolis, 
went  to  work  when  very  young  and  so  was  unable  to 
obtain  more  than  a  meager  education.  He  lived 
with  his  parents  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  alone  and  settled  in 
Canada,  in  which  country  he  remained  three  years, 
working  on  farms  in  the  summers  and  at  the  shoe 
bench  in  the  winters.  In  1873  he  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  put  in  eight  years  driving  team  and  fol- 
lowing various  lines  of  occupation.  In  1884  he 
came  to  Washington,  stopping  at  Seattle  for  a  time, 
and  then  coming  to  Mount  Vernon.  Here  he  com- 
menced driving  a  logging  team  for  Clothier  &  Eng- 
lish, and  he  continued  at  that  line  of  work  for  seven 
years,  then  came  up  the  river,  took  a  pre-emption 
near  Sauk  and  lived  there  three  years,  moving  on 
to  his  present  place  in  1891.  He  has  resided  here 
ever  since. 

In  1878,  while  living  in  Chicago,  Mr.  Barratt 
went  back  to  Canada  and  married  Miss  Maggie 
Glover,  daughter  of  David  Glover,  a  native  of  Can- 
ada, a  farmer  who  had  moved  to  Marlette,  Michi- 
gan, where  he  still  resides,  having  accumulated 
sufficient  of  this  world's  goods  to  live  the  life  of 
a  retired  gentleman.  Mrs.  Catherine  (Ramsay) 
Glover,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Barratt,  is  a  native  of 
Scotland,  but  came  to  America  when  a  girl  after 
receiving  her  education  in  the  land  of  her  nativity. 
For  a  time  after  coming  to  Canada  she  worked  out. 
She  is  still  living,  the  mother  of  six  children :  Arch- 
ibald, Martha,  Maggie;  William,  Mary  and  David. 
Mrs.  Barratt  was  born  August  15,  1861,  and  was 
educated  in  the  Canadian  schools,  living  with  her 
parents  until  her  marriage.  She  and  Mr.  Barratt 
have  five  children :  William  A.,  Barbara  L.,  Cleve- 
land, Charles  W.  and  lola  M.  In  politics  Mr.  Bar- 
ratt is  a  Republican  and  in  fraternal  affiliations  an 
Odd  Fellow.  The  Barratt  farm  consists  of  120 
acres  of  excellent  land,  half  of  which  is  under 
cultivation,  the  whole  being  now  valued  at  $8,000. 
Upon  it  are  fifteen  head  of  cattle  and  five  horses 
at  present.  In  addition  to  his  farm  Mr.  Barratt  has 
a  half  interest  in  four  good  mineral  claims  on  the 
Skagit  river.  Many  changes  have  taken  place  since 
he  came  to  Skagit  county.  The  railroad  at  the  time 
of  his  arrival  had  not  reached  Mount  Vernon  and 
but  a  very  little  diking  had  been  done.  The  town 
site  had  not  been  fully  laid  out  and  no  roads  worthy 
of  the  name  had  been  b'uilt.  In  the  Sauk  country 
there  were  no  roads  and  no  trails,  so  Mr.  Barratt 
had  to  bring  his  family  here  in  a  canoe,  taking  four 
days  to  pole  up  from  Mount  Vernon.  He  was  in- 
strumental in  establishing  the  school  at  Sauk  and 
later  the  schools  at  Rocky  Creek  and  at  Marble- 
mount, and  he  has  further  manifested  his  interest 
in  popular  education  by  serving  as  school  director 
for  sixteen  years.  He  cleared  his  own  land  by  hand. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


The  distinction  is  his  of  having  put  in  the  first  cat- 
tle ferry  at  Marblemount,  his  present  farm  being 
across  the  river  from  that  town.  Mr.  Barratt  is 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  up-river  commu- 
nities and  is  respected  and  honored  by  his  fellows. 


JAMES  M.  YOUNG,  farmer  and  stock  raiser, 
living  seven  miles  east  of  Sedro-Woolley,  is  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  the  upper  Skagit  valley  who  has 
participated  in  all  the  changes  which  have  taken 
place  in  the  county  since  he  came  in  1878.  His  un- 
erring foresight  told  him  twenty-seven  years  ago 
of  the  future  of  that  section  and  he  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  laying  the  foundation  of  a 
prosperous  community.  He  was  born  in  Ireland  in 
1845,  the  son  of  Hamilton  and  Sarah  (Mitchell) 
Young,  who  came  to  z\merica  when  James  was 
eighteen  and  settled  in  Dearborn  county,  Indiana. 
They  died  in  Kansas  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury ago.  James  was  the  oldest  of  seven  children 
and  on  coming  to  this  country  commenced  the  life 
of  a  farmer.  At  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  went 
into  the  brick  manufacturing  business,  in  which  he 
continued  until  he  moved  to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  in 
1868.  Seven  years  later  he  went  to  Nevada  and 
worked  in  the  timber  two  years,  then  came  to  Skagit 
county  and  located  on  his  present  place.  Messrs. 
Duffey,  Connrey  and  Lagget  were  his  nearest  neigh- 
bors, and  Mount  Vernon  was  the  only  postoffice 
within  reach.  The  only  white  women  in  that  sec- 
tion were  Mrs.  Minkler  and  Mrs.  Charles  von  Pres- 
sentin,  but  Mrs.  Van  Fleet  and  Mrs.  Batey  came 
soon  after  and  located  down  the  river.  Mr.  Young 
helped  cut  the  first  road  to  where  Sedro  afterwards 
grew  up,  all  travel  before  that  time  being  b'y  canoe 
on  the  river.  Soon  after  he  arrived  there  was  an 
Indian  scare  and  the  men  gathered  at  the  logging 
camps  and  stood  guard.  The  country  was  a  wilder- 
ness of  timber  with  bears  everywhere.  He  spent 
parts  of  his  first  few  years  working  in  the  logging 
camps  and  the  rest  of  the  time  clearing  the  timber 
from  his  land. 

In  1890  in  Seattle,  Mr.  Young  married  Miss 
Mary  Matthews  Cochrane,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (McKibbin) 
Cochrane,  the  eleventh  of  their  fifteen  children.  In 
1905  Mr.  Young  sold  seventy  of  his  170  acres,  in- 
cluding improvements  and  most  of  his  live  stock, 
and  he  has  since  built  a  handsome  new  home.  Mr. 
Young  is  a  member  of  the  Sedro-Woolley  lodge  of 
the  Order  of  Pendo.  His  services  and  good  judg- 
ment have  been  in  demand  in  the  county  where  he 
has  been  called  upon  to  fill  the  offices  of  road  super- 
visor, clerk  of  the  school  board  and  twice  the  office 
of  county  commissioner.  While  he  was  in  the  lat- 
ter position  the  new  county  jail  was  built.  He  has 
manifested  his  deep  interest  in  popular  education  by 
at  all  times  favoring  tax  levies  for  school  purposes. 


Mr.  Young  has  been  an  active  man  and  a  success- 
ful one,  enjoying  the  respect  of  the  pioneers  and 
the  confidence  of  the  newcomers. 


WILLIAM  WOODS  is  a  well-educated  and 
well-read  farmer  who  has  resided  in  Skagit  county 
for  twenty-six  years  and  has  a  good  stock  farm 
adjoining  Sedro-Woolley  on  the  east.  He  was  born 
January  17,  1835,  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland.  His 
father,  William  Woods,  born  in  1810,  spent  his  life 
in  Ireland,  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death  in 
1843.  Ellen  (McLaughlin)  Woods,  the  mother, 
also  of  Irish  nativity,  was  born  in  1812  and  died  in 
Syracuse,  New  York,  in  November,  1891.  William 
Woods,  though  only  a  b'oy  of  eight  when  his  father 
died,  bravely  shouldered  the  responsibilities  of  life 
and  relieved  his  mother  of  much  of  the  care  of  the 
farm,  remaining  at  home  until  nineteen,  when  he 
found  he  could  be  spared.  He  then  went  to  Eng- 
land and  obtained  a  position  as  furnace  man  in  a 
chemical  manufacturing  establishment,  where  his 
work  was  so  satisfactory  that  his  employers  were 
glad  to  keep  him  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  determined  to  return  to  America.  After  a 
visit  of  a  month  with  his  mother  at  her  home  he 
crossed  to  Quebec,  in  which  province  he  was  em- 
ploxed  for  a  year  on  a  farm  and  for  another  year 
in  a  mill.  He  then  went  to  Syracuse,  New  York, 
and  worked  twelve  years  there  for  a  salt  company. 
In  1875  he  removed  to  California.  He  stayed  in 
Colfax  for  the  winter,  then  went  to  San  Francisco, 
and  thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  operating  a  hoist- 
ing works  in  Knoxville  for  nine  months,  and  spent 
a  year  in  the  mines  of  Southern  California.  He 
had  heard  much  of  the  Puget  sound  country  and 
having  finally  determined  to  investigate  it  for  him- 
self, came  here  in  1878.  After  working  for  a  time 
in  the  logging  camps  of  Hood's  canal  he  moved  to 
Sedro-Woolley  in  the  fall  of  that  year  and  took 
147  acres  of  land  under  the  pre-emption  act.  His 
present  home  is  a  part  of  this  claim.  During  the 
boom  he  sold  ten  acres  of  this  land  for  $8,000,  re- 
ceiving one-half  of  the  purchase  price  at  the  time 
of  the  sale.  When  the  financial  crash  came  he 
bought  back  the  property  on  a  tax  sale.  Later  he 
divided  the  land  with  the  man  who  had  purchased 
it  and  presented  him  with  the  mortgage  he  held 
on  it.  This  transaction  is  characteristic  of  the 
straightforward  dealings  which  have  established  his 
reputation.  Neighbors  were  few  in  the  first  year 
of  his  residence  in  the  valley,  Joseph  Hart,  David 
Batey  and  William  A.  Dunlop  being  the  only  men 
living  within  seven  miles.  Mrs.  Van  Fleet,  who 
came  two  years  later,  was  the  first  white  woman 
on  that  part  of  the  river.  Mr.  Woods  is  an  inde- 
pendent Democrat  and  has  been  several  times  the 
recipient  of  honors  at  the  hands  of  his  party,  hav- 
ing been  the  second  mayor  of  Sedro-Woolley,  a 
member   of   the   city   council   and   more   than   once 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Democratic  central  committeeman.  He  is  an  ad- 
herent of  the  CathoHc  faith.  Prosperity  has  at- 
tended his  efforts  until  to-day  he  is  one  of  the  well- 
to-do  residents  of  the  county.  He  owns  100  acres, 
seven  of  which  are  cleared  and  under  cultivation, 
also  some  good  town  property.  He  raises  beef  cat- 
tle on  the  home  place. 


FRED  KIENS,  a  farmer,  a  half  mile  north  of 
Sedro-WooUey,  has  made  a  success  of  farming  in 
Skagit  county,  at  the  same  time  winning  by  de- 
crees the  high  respect  and  esteem  of  his  neigh- 
bors and  all  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 
Mr.  Kiens  was  born  in  Germany  January  9,  1859, 
the  son  of  Fred  Kiens,  a  miner,  who  never  left  the 
F"atherland.  The  mother  died  when  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  two  years  of  age.  Fred  Kiens  re- 
ceived his  early  education  in  Germany,  and  after 
completing  it  remained  on  the  parental  farm  until 
eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  a  steel  fac- 
tory. He  was  there  for  the  next  three  years,  leav- 
ing' only  to  take  up  the  military  service  incumbent 
on  every  able-bodied  male  citizen  of  Germany. 
After  he  had  served  the  required  number  of  years 
in  the  Kaiser's  army  he  returned  to  the  steel  fac- 
tory, determined  to  save  money  until  he  should  have 
enough  with  which  to  come  to  America.  Having 
realized  his  ambition  in  about  six  months,  he 
crossed  to  the  United  States  in  1883  and  settled  in 
Illinois,  but  after  eight  months  there  he  came  to 
Skagit  county,  arriving  in  April,  1884,  and  tooft  up 
the  land  comprising  his  present  home  farm.  He 
has  since  lived  on  this  place,  and  has  acquired  an- 
other farm  also,  making  his  holdings  at  present 
aggregate  260  acres,  eighty  of  which  are  under 
cultivation  and  producing  the  crops  for  which  Ska- 
git county  is  famous. 

In  Seattle  in  1885  Mr.  Kiens  married  Miss  Mary 
Teal,  daughter  of  Bert  Teal,  a  farmer  of  Germany. 
Mrs.  Kiens  was  born  in  the  old  country  in  1859  and 
received  her  education  there.  She  had  known  her 
husband  before  he  left  Germany  and  when  he  was 
so  situated  as  to  justify  marriage,  the  old  acquain- 
tance was  renewed  and  she  traveled  across  an  ocean 
and  a  continent  to  be  wed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kiens  are 
the  parents  of  seven  children,  all  born  in  Skagit 
county:  Dena,  Frank,  Lizzie,  John,  Anna,  Joseph 
and  Alary.  In  fraternal  connections  Mr.  Kiens  is 
a  member  of  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men  and 
in  church  membership  a  Catholic.  While  in  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican  generally,  he  is  not  bound 
so  strictly  by  party  ties  as  to  overlook  a  good  can- 
didate on  the  opposing  ticket.  In  addition  to  a  few 
horses  for  farm  purposes,  Mr.  Kiens  keeps  twenty- 
five  head  of  cattle.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
solid  conservative  farmers  of  the  Sedro-Woolley 
section  of  Skagit  county  and  he  enjoys  the  full  con- 
fidence of  his  neighbors. 


PLIN  V.  McFADDEN,  farmer  and  stock 
raiser,  residing  a  mile  and  a  quarter  east  of  Sedro- 
Woolley,  is  one  of  the  Skagit  county  men  who  with 
their  own  hands  have  cleared  their  farms  and 
turned  the  heavy  forest  into  pleasant  and  profit- 
able dwelling  places.  Mr.  McFadden  was  born 
near  New  Philadelphia,  Ohio,  September  21,  1849, 
the  son  of  Wilson  McFadden,  whose  father  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Guernsey  county,  later  mov- 
ing to  Harrison  county.  Wilson  McFadden  was 
of  Scotch-Irish  descent  and  died  in  1892  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four.  Mrs.  Tilitha  (English)  McFadden 
was  a  native  of  Harrison  county,  descended  from 
Pennsylvanians  of  Irish,  Scotch  and  English  ex- 
traction. Plin  V.  was  next  to  the  youngest  of  her 
ten  children.  Lhitil  fourteen  years  old  he  attended 
school  in  Ohio  and  worked  on  the  farm,  but  in  1863 
on  his  parents'  removal  to  Iowa  he  accompanied 
them.  A  little  later,  when  still  a  young  boy,  he  en- 
listed in  the  Thirty-sixth  Iowa  Infantry  and  in  the 
closing  days  of  the  Civil  War  saw  service  in  Ar- 
kansas. On  his  return  to  Iowa  he  operated  a  ferry 
near  Ottumwa  on  the  Des  Moines  river.  He  came 
to  Skagit  county,  Washington,  in  1885  and  bought 
of  Mortimer  Cook  his  present  farm.  The  place  at 
that  time  was  without  improvement  and  the  forest 
was  so  dense  th^t  his  only  glimpses  of  the  sky  were 
from  directly  overhead.  Clearing  the  place  was  a 
great  undertaking  and  at  times  Mr.  McFadden  was 
discouraged,  but  matters  brightened  as  soon  as  he 
had  cleared  enough 'for  a  garden  and  had  set  out 
an  orchard.  When  not  engaged  in  clearing  his 
place  he  worked  in  logging  camps,  returning  home 
only  at  the  end  of  the  week.  Those  were  trying 
days  for  Mrs.  McFadden.  Bears  were  plentiful  and 
would  come  to  the  house,  driving  away  the  dogs 
and  compelling  the  brave  woman  to  bar  doors  and 
windows  for  her  protection.  In  such  times  she  had 
as  companion  in  trouble  her  neighbor,  Mrs.  George 
Wicker,  and  the  two  managed  to  keep  away  the 
wild  beasts. 

September  22,  1872,  while  still  living  in  Iowa, 
Mr.  McFadden  married  Miss  Olive  A.  Wicker,  a 
native  of  Wapello  county,  and  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  JenettH  (Butin)  Wicker.  Her  father,  at  dif- 
ferent times,  was  merchant,  bricklayer  and  farmer, 
and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Wapello  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McFadden  have  four  living  children: 
Lillie  Pearl,  Anna  Belle,  Edith  C.  and  Cecil  C, 
the  last  of  whom  was  born  in  Washington.  Mr. 
McFadden  is  a  Democrat  and  an  active  worker  in 
the  party,  attending  primaries  and  conventions.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  first  Democratic  county  con- 
vention after  Skagit  county  was  formed  from  a 
portion  of  Whatcom  county.  He  has  been  a  direc- 
tor of  schools  and  is  an  ardent  advocate  of  better 
education.  As  a  farmer  he  has  been  successful. 
His  live  stock  consists  of  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep, 
the  latter  being  of  the  Cotswold  breed.  He  is  ex- 
perimenting with  Angora  goats,  keeps  bees  and  has 


SKAGIT   COUNTY 


a  good  orchard.  Mr.  McFadden  is  highly  thought 
of  by  his  neighbors  and  is  one  of  the  leading  men 
of  the  community. 


JAMES  M.  HARRISON,  dairy  farmer,  living 
two  miles  east  of  Sedro-Woolley,  came  to  Skagit 
county,  bought  land,  and  with  his  own  hands 
changed  an  uninviting  tract  into  a  modern,  highly 
unproved  farm.  He  is  a  native  of  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  born  November  4,  1855,  the  son  of  John  Har- 
rison, who  still  is  living  on  the  old  homestead, 
which  was  taken  by  his  father,  Joseph  Harrison, 
in  1816.  The  Harrisons  are  of  English  parentage. 
Mrs.  Euphemia  (Patterson)  Harrison,  the  motber 
of  James  M.,  was  born  in  the  same  county  and  was 
a  schoolmate  of  the  lad  who  afterwards  became 
her  husband.  She  is  of  Scotch  descent.  She  is 
still  a  resident  of  Ohio,  the  mother  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  living,  all  in  the  East  ex- 
cept the  subject  hereof.  James  M.  Harrison  lived 
on  the  farm  and  attended  school,  which  included 
a  short  course  in  college,  until  eighteen  years  old, 
when  he  commenced  to  teach  and  he  taught  for  five 
years,  then  he  and  his  father  built  a  drain  and  tiling 
factory  on  the  home  farm,  which  he  operated  eight 
years,  after  which  he  bought  a  half  interest  in  his 
grandfather's  place,  but  continued  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  factory,  becoming  an  expert  on  the  sub- 
ject of  drainage  and  kindred  matters.  In  1885  he 
delivered  an  address  on  this  subject,  which  has  been 
incorporated  in  the  Ohio  state  history.  Mr.  Har- 
rison spent  the  year  1887  in  California  with  an  in- 
valid brother,  and  on  his  return  sold  his  interests 
in  Ohio,  moving  to  Skagit  county  in  the  spring  of 
1889.  He  purchased  the  pre-emption  claim  of  Mr. 
Moody  of  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  A  cabin  was  the  only  evidence  that  the 
property  had  been  located,  though  some  timber  had 
been  removed.  Mr.  Harrison  personally  has  done 
all  the  work  of  improvement  on  this  place,  which 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  acres,  thirty 
of  which  are  cleared  and  the  rest  in  pasture.  In 
1893  he  sold  one  hundred  cords  of  shingle  bolts  and 
hauled  them  to  Batey's  mill. 

In  1880,  while  yet  living  in  the  Buckeye  state, 
Mr.  Harrison  married  Miss  Ora  E.  Holmes,  daugh- 
tei-  of  George  W.  and  Mary  (Quiplever)  Holmes, 
both  natives  of  Pennsylvania  of  Dutch  stock.  Mrs. 
Harrison  was  born  in  1859.  She  is  the  mother  of 
three  children:  George  H.,  Elmina  and  John.  Mr. 
Harrison  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  in  politics  is  an  influential  meml>er  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  attending  primaries  and  conven- 
tions, and  in  1901  representing  his  district  in  the 
lower  house  of  the  state  legislature.  He  is  deeply 
interested  in  schools,  has  been  president  of  the  pub- 
lic school  board  and  a  director  of  the  district;  also 
has   spent   some  time  organizing  new   school   dis- 


tricts. Besides  his  home  place  he  has  a  farm  on 
the  Skagit  river  of  nearly  the  same  acreage.  His 
cattle  are  of  the  roan  Durham  breed,  good  milkers 
and  good  for  beef.  He  milkes  thirteen  head  and 
separates  his  cream  at  home.  He  also  raises  fine 
fruit  of  many  varieties  and  has  a  large  stand  of 
bees  which  thrive  well  and  produce  highly  in  this 
county.  In  addition  to  his  activity  on  the  farm  and 
in  educational  matters,  Mr.  Harrison  keeps  abreast 
of  the  times  and  is  well  informed.  He  is  in  de- 
mand in  political  campaigns,  is  an  interesting  and 
forceful  speaker  and  has  delivered  addresses  in 
nearly  every  school-house  in  the  county.  Mr.  Har- 
rison has  large  private  interests,  but  finds  much 
time  to  give  to  public  affairs  where  his  assistance 
is  in  great  demand. 


JOHN  KELLEHER,  a  thrifty  and  industrious 
farmer,  residing  two  and  one-half  miles  northwest 
of  Sedro-Woolley,  was  born  in  Killamey,  Ireland, 
August  19,  1803,  the  son  of  Maurice  and  Julia 
(Crean)  Kelleher,  also  natives  of  Ireland.  The 
father,  born  in  1818,  was  a  farmer  in  his  native 
country  till  his  death  in  1881.  The  mother,  emi- 
grating to  the  United  States  after  the  death  of  her 
husband,  died  in  1903,  after  a  lifetime  of  devotion 
to  her  family.  She  was  the  mother  of  twelve  chil- 
dren. After  acquiring  his  elementary  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  the  country,  John  Kelleher 
studied  for  some  time  under  a  private  instructor, 
thus  enjoying  unusual  advantages.  On  coming  with 
his  mother  to  this  country  in  1881,  after  the  death 
of  his  father,  he  located  in  Massachusetts,  where 
he  worked  as  helper  in  a  blacksmith  shop  for  four 
years.  He  then  decided  to  investigate  the  superior 
advantages  offered  by  the  Northwest,  so  moved  to 
Washington  in  1885.  He  stopped  a  short  time  in 
Olympia  and  Tacoma,  then  came  on  to  Mount  Ver- 
non, filing  on  a  pre-emption  claim  on  the  Olympia 
marsh"  that  fall.  Three  years  later  he  took  up  his 
present  property,  then  a  wilderness,  and  he  has 
made  it  his  home  for  the  past  seventeen  years. 
Toiling  arduously  year  by  year,  he  has  cleared  off 
eighty  acres,  but  he  has  now  sold  of¥  all  of  the 
homestead  except  fifty  acres.  No  finer  land  can 
be  found  in  the  state  than  this  portion  of  his  ranch, 
which  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  raising  fruit  and  oats. 
His  four-acre  orchard  yields  the  choicest  varieties 
in  the  market.  He  has  a  splendid  dairy  and  a 
number  of  horses.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Kelleher 
advocates  the  single  tax  principle,  adhering  to  no 
party.  He  is  a  hearty  supporter  of  the  Catholic 
church,  to  which  he  belongs.  The  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen  claims  him  as  a  worthy  mem- 
ber, and  he  is  also  identified  with  the  Good  Tem- 
plar lodge.  Being  of  a  happy,  genial  disposition,, 
he  makes  friends  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact, while  his  untiring  energy  and  careful  manage- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ment  have  made  him  one  of  the  successful  and  well- 
to-do  farmers  of  this  locality. 


HANS  PETER  SORENSEN  is  developing  an 
excellent  farm  in  an  untraveled  part  of  Skagit 
county,  where  he  will  own  a  handsome  and  valuable 
property  when  transportation  comes.  His  place  is 
eight  miles  east  of  Sedro-Woolley  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river,  where  cougar,  bear  and  deer  are 
found.  Until  a  year  ago  he  could  come  and  go 
only  by  canoe  and  brought  in  his  supplies  in  the 
same  way.  Now  there  is  a  road.  Mr.  Sorensen 
was  born  in  Omaha,  Nebraska,  April  30,  1874,  the 
son  of  Peter  Sorensen,  who  was  born  in  Denmark 
about  sixty  years  ago,  came  to  the  United  States 
when  a  young  man  and  ultimately  took  up  land 
where  his  son  now  is  living.  This  was  in  1880.  He 
had  been  a  tailor  before  coming  to  the  West,  and 
later  he  moved  into  Sedro-Woolley  and  re-entered 
the  business.  He  now  lives  in  Oakland,  Califor- 
nia. His  wife,  Mrs.  Christina  (Petersen)  Soren- 
sen, a  native  of  Denmark,  died  in  America  in  1901, 
the  mother  of  three  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Chris- 
tina Johnson  and  Hans  Peter  Sorensen  are  living. 
The  latter  attended  the  schools  of  San  Francisco 
until  thirteen  years  old ;  also  went  to  school  in 
Skagit  county  after  his  parents  came  here.  When 
he  came  there  was  no  town  of  Woolley.  The  chief 
industry  of  the  farm  has  been  cattle  raising  and 
growing  peas,  hay  and  oats.  Recently  thirty-three 
head  of  cattle  were  sold  at  a  good  price. 

In  1903  Mr.  Sorensen  married  Miss  Carolina  B. 
Moe,  a  native  of  Norway,  born  at  Trondhjem  in 
1883,  and  educated  in  the  old  country.  Her  parents, 
Ole  and  Beret  (Einersen)  Moe,  were  natives  of 
Norway,  the  father  a  brickmason.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sorensen  have  two  children,  Harry,  born  May  21, 
1903,  and  Nels,  born  March  20,  1905.  In  politics 
Mr.  Sorensen  is  a  Republican  and  generally  is  a 
delegate  to  conventions.  He  has  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  for  two  years  and  had  been  on  the 
school  board  several  years  prior  to  1905,  taking  an 
active  interest  in  the  improvement  of  the  schools 
of  the  neighborhood.  The  Sorensen  place  contains 
two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  unusually  fertile 
land.  Mr.  Sorensen  is  a  bright  young  man,  certain 
that  the  future  will  make  his  place  one  of  great 
value,  hence  quietly  developing  it  and  biding  his 
time. 


JAMES  SCOTT,  farmer  and  stockman,  four 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Sedro-Woolley,  on  the  Ly- 
man road,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  section  of 
the  county  and  has  watched  the  development  of 
the  community  from  a  forest  land  to  a  country  of 
farms  and  homesteads.  Mr.  Scott  was  born  in  Ire- 
land of  Scotch  parentage  November  15,  1843*.     His 


father,  John  Scott,  was  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, who  moved  to  Ireland,  and  later,  in  1844,  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania. 
Mary  Ann  (Thompson)  Scott  was  a  native  of 
Scotland  and  after  marriage  followed  the  fortunes 
of  her  husband,  both  dying  in  Pennsylvania.  Nine 
children  were  born  to  them :  Joseph,  Mary  Ann, 
John,  Robert,  Margaret,  Jane,  Nancy,  James,  Sam- 
uel and  Thomas.  James  lived  with  his  parents 
until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age  and  during  the 
Civil  War  was  employed  by  the  government  in  the 
construction  corps.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  en- 
listed in  the  regular  army  and  served  a  term  of 
three  years,  seeing  Indian  fighting  with  the  Sioux. 
On  receiving  his  discharge  he  farmed  in  Dakota 
for  a  time  and  then  passed  the  greater  part  of  a 
3  ear  in  California.  Then  followed  work  in  a  log- 
ging camp  at  Olympia,  this  state,  and  in  1875  he 
came  to  Skagit  county  and  located  on  a  place  up 
the  river  near  Hamilton.  For  a  number  of  years 
he  followed  prospecting  and  mining,  during  which 
time  he  located  some  of  the  coal  claims  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Hamilton,  but  lost  valuable  property  there 
through  the  rascality  of  his  partner.  In  1892  he 
returned  to  his  homestead  and  lived  there  until  he 
sold  out  in  1897  and  purchased  the  place  on  which 
he  is  still  living. 

In  politics  Mr.  Scott  is  a  Socialist  and  in  fra- 
ternal circles  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  has  173  acres  of  land,  forty  of  which  are 
cleared.  He  has  two  horses  and  twenty-five  head 
of  stock  cattle  in  addition  to  six  milch  cows.  His 
cattle  are  of  the  Durhai*  breed  and  one  of  his 
horses  is  descended  from  the  famous  Messenger. 
He  is  a  well-to-do  farmer  who  has  prospered  by 
conscientious  work  and  upright  dealings. 


WOODBRIDGE  ODLIN,  retired  farmer  and 
lawyer,  two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Sedro-Wool- 
ley, has  had  a  career  of  more  than  the  usual  ac- 
tivity and  excitement  and  is  now  spending  the  even- 
ing of  his  life  on  a  Skagit  county  farm.  Mr.  Odlin 
comes  of  a  family  which  has  a  record  for  energy 
and  public  service,  and  his  own  life  has  shown  him 
no  unworthy  member  of  that  family.  Mr.  Odlin 
was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  1833,  the  son  of  Peter 
Odlin,  a  native  of  Trenton,  New  Jersey.  The  elder 
Odlin  was  prominent  in  legal  and  political  circles 
in  Ohio  and  was  the  law  partner  of  Robert  C. 
Schenck,  at  one  time  representative  of  the  United 
States  at  the  court  of  St.  James.  He  served  in 
the  lower  house  and  the  senate  of  Ohio  and  was 
a  member  of  one  of  the  electoral  colleges.'  For 
thirty-two  years  he  was  president  of  the  bank  at 
Davton,  now  the  Dayton  National  bank.  His 
father,  Peter,  was  a  sea  captain  and  owner  of  West 
India  merchantmen  which  were  impressed  into  the 
federal    service    during   the    War   of    1812,   he   re- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


ceiving  pay  for  them.  Mrs.  Ann  Maria  (Ross) 
Odlin,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Phil- 
adelphia, to  which  city  her  mother  had  gone  from 
her  home  in  Washington,  D.  C,  during  the  cholera 
epidemic  of  1797.  Her  people  came  from  the  stock 
of  the  Perrys,  of  which  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard 
Perry,  the  hero  of  Lake  Erie,  was  one.  She  died 
in  1873,  the  mother  of  nine  children,  of  whorr 
Woodbridge  was  the  fifth  in  order  and  the  oldest 
son.  Young  Odlin  grew  up  in  Dayton,  attended 
the  schools  and  graduated  from  Kenyon  College  at 
Gambier,  Ohio,  afterwards  taking  up  the  study  of 
law.  He  went  to  Wabaunsee  county,  Kansas,  in 
J  85(5,  when  Kansas  was  a  territory,  and  took  up  a 
claim  a  short  distance  west  of  the  Pottawatomie  In- 
dian reservation.  At  the  time  of  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Pottawatomie  troubles  and  the  Civil  War, 
Mr.  Odlin  was  in  Junction  City  and  received  ap- 
pointment as  United  States  district  attorney  for  six 
counties  of  Kansas.  He  had  been  prosecuting  at- 
torney for  Wabaunsee  county  for  a  term  and  a 
half  prior  to  this.  But  when  the  war  actually 
broke  out  Mr.  Odlin  enlisted  in  Company  E  of  the 
Second  Kansas  Infantry,  which  was  organized  even 
before  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops.  He  was  com- 
missioned third  lieutenant,  but  resigned  to  return 
to  Kansas  and  raise  a  regiment,  which  he  did,  the 
Second  Kansas  Cavalry.  He  rose  through  succes- 
sive promotions  from  private  to  captain.  His  serv- 
ice included  the  battle  of  Wilson's  creek,  where 
General  Lyon  was  killed.  At  about  this  time,  while 
carrying  dispatches  from  General  Lyon  to  Fort 
Leavenworth,  Mr.  Odlin  was  arrested  as  a  spy  by 
Price's  men,  taken  to  Independence  and  tried  by  a 
court-martial  in  the  court-house,  the  finding  being 
a  sentence  of  death.  Mr.  Odlin  pleaded  for  the 
three  enlisted  men  with  him  and  agreed  to  acknowl- 
edge his  guilt  if  they  were  held  as  prisoners  of 
war.  The  scaffold  was  built  under  the  very  window 
where  the  prisoner  was  confined.  Owing  to  ill- 
ness he  was  attended  by  a  physician,  and  through 
him  the  prisoner  got  word  to  Fort  Leavenworth  of 
his  predicament.  He  was  rescued  by  Captain  Sully 
and  General  Thayer  on  the  morning  of  his  intended 
execution.  The  soldiers  entered  Independence  but 
two  hours  before  high  noon,  the  time  set  for  his 
execution. 

Mr.  Odlin  suffered  cruelties  and  indignities  at 
the  hands  of  Price's  men,  being  forced  by  punches 
in  the  back  to  stand  by  the  window  and  watch  the 
progress  of  the  construction  of  the  gallows  upon 
which  he  was  to  be  hanged.  They  even  went  so 
far  as  to  suspend  a  sandbag,  in  effigy  of  a  man, 
from  the  same  rope  which  was  to  stretch  his  own 
neck  in  a  few  hours.  After  the  death  of  General 
Lyon  Mr.  Odlin  served  as  a  scout  under  Genera! 
Blunt.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Prairie 
Grove,  under  that  leader,  a  severe  engagement,  in 
which  he  was  slightly  wounded.     He  was  sent  at 


one  time  to  St.  Louis  in  charge  of  military  pris- 
oners and  improved  this  opportunity  to  visit  his 
brother,  James  H.  Odlin,  a  captain  in  charge  of 
troops  at  Cairo,  Illinois.  Here  he  was  made  pro- 
vost marshal  of  the  district  of  Cairo  under  General 
Braman  and  while  acting  in  this  capacity  secured 
thirty-two  steamers  which  were  used  in  conveying 
supplies  to  Sherman's  army  just  prior  to  its  march 
to  the  sea.  In  later  3'ears  Mr.  Odlin  was  in  the 
secret  service  and  he  was  finally  mustered  out  at 
New  Orleans  in  April,  1865.  Shortly  after  his  re- 
turn from  the  south  he  went  to  Ohio,  where  he 
lived  until  he  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1889,  and 
located  on  his  present  place ;  here  he  has  resided 
ever  since. 

In  1854  in  Ohio  Mr.  Odlin  married  Miss  Lizzie 
Thompson,  a  native  of  Preble  county,  Ohio,  daugh- 
ter of  Andrew  and  Susan  (Johnson)  Thompson. 
The  mother  was  a  first  cousin  of  President  Andrew 
Johnson.  Mrs.  Odlin  died  in  December,  1904,  just 
after  she  had  celebrated  her  golden  wedding.  She 
was  the  mother  of  three  children :  Mrs.  Eleanor  J. 
Pelham  of  Washmgton,  D.  C. ;  William  T.  Odlin, 
president  of  the  Citizens'  bank  of  Anacrotes,  and 
mayor  of  that  city;  and  Harry  N.  Odlin,  now  re- 
siding in  Vancouver,  British  Columbia.  In  frater- 
nal circles  Mr.  Odlin  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  thirty- 
second  degree  Mason.  He  was  born  a  Whig  and 
raised  a  Republican  and  has  not  wavered  in  his 
party  allegiance.  Since  the  death  of  his  wife  he 
has  retired  to  his  farm  and  gives  his  attention  to 
raising  hogs  and  fine  horses.  Mr.  Odlin  has  never 
drawn  a  pension  and  will  not  consent  to  accept  any- 
thing along  that  line  from  the  government.  In  his 
early  days  in  this  county  he  was  more  active  than 
at  present  and  served  as  road  supervisor  for  a  num- 
ber of  terms,  traveling  facilities  when  he  first  came 
not  admitting  of  wagon  traffic.  Under  his  super- 
vision the  "Cook  road,"  accredited  with  being  a 
fine  piece  of  work,  was  constructed;  also  the  Odlin 
road,  which  is  named  for  him.  Mr.  Odlin  is  highly 
esteemed  by  his  neighbors,  is  an  entertaining  man, 
with  a  host  of  friends  among  his  many  acquain- 
tances. During  his  sixteen  years  of  residence  in 
Skagit  county  he  has  been  identified,  directly  or  in- 
directly, with  many  of  the  steps  taken  in  the  course 
of  its  development  and  progress.  Among  business 
and  professional  men  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance, 
and  in  these  circles  as  elsewhere  he  is  known  as  a 
man  of  superior  intellectual  attainments  and  gen- 
erous public-spiritedness. 


JOHN  EGELKROUT,  dairy  farmer,  two  miles 
west  of  Sedro-Woolley,  is  one  of  the  energetic 
young  men  of  the  central  part  of  the  county  and  a 
man  who  has  made  his  way  in  the  world  with  very 
little  assistance  from  others.  He  educated  himself 
for  civil  engineering,  but  relinquished  that  for  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


life  of  a  prosperous  Skagit  county  agriculturist. 
Mr.  Egelkrout  was  born  in  Germany,  November  30, 
1S69,  the  son  of  Nicholas  and  Sophia  (Hero)  Egel- 
krout, neither  of  whom  left  their  native  land.  He 
is  one  of  two  children,  having  a  brother,  George 
Egelkrout.  As  a  lad  he  attended  the  common 
schools  and  the  high  school  in  Germany,  intending 
to  prepare  himself  for  a  career  as  civil  engineer; 
but  the  death  of  his  father  spoiled  his  plans  and 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  worked  as  a 
farmhand  in  Indiana  for  four  years.  With  the 
money  thus  earned  he  took  a  course  in  school  in 
Cincinnati  and  came  to  Washington  in  1889.  He 
went  to  Birdsview  and  later  took  up  a  homestead 
on  the  Baker  river.  He  worked  in  logging  camps 
on  the  upper  Skagit  and  at  odd  times  improved  his 
land.  He  had  cleared  fifteen  acres  when  a  portion 
of  his  land  was  included  in  the  forest  reserve.  This 
fact  and  the  isolation  of  his  land  determined  him 
to  sell  out.  Mr.  Egelkrout  then  purchased  his 
present  place  in  the  Lindsay  tract  in  1902.  It  was 
unimproved,  but  he  has  built  a  house  and  barns  and 
converted  the  place  into  an  attractive  farmstead. 

In  1891  Mr.  Egelkrout  married  Miss  Myrtle 
Reidhead,  a  native  of  Minnesota,  born  in  1882,  the 
daughter  of  Pearl  and  Lydia  Reidhead.  Mrs.  Reid- 
head makes  her  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Egelkrout. 
To  this  union  have  been  born  two  children,  Mildred 
and  Alma.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Egelkrout  is 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Egelkrout 
is  one  of  the  men  who  firmly  believe  in  increasing 
the  efficiency  of  the  schools,  and  he  works  in  their 
interests.  His  home  farm  consists  of  forty  acres 
of  land,  which  is  chiefly  devoted  to  dairying.  His 
herd  consists  of  six  milch  cows,  and  his  dairy  is 
modern  in  its  equipment.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
high  standing  in  the  community  and  enjoys  the  best 
of  repute  among  the  men  of  the  business  and  social 
life.  Possessing  the  will  to  do  and  the  ability  to 
direct,  he  is  making  a  success  of  the  industries  in 
which  he  is  now  engaged,  and  being  a  man  of  cor- 
rect principles  and  strict  integrity,  he  will  ever  com- 
mand the  respect  which  is  now  accorded  him  by  all 
with  whom  he  is  associated. 


GEORGE  WHEELER,  dairy  farmer,  two  miles 
west  of  Sedro-Woolley,  is  one  of  the  young  farm- 
ers of  the  community  who  have  made  a.  recent  start 
in  farm  life  in  Skagit  county:  but  he  is  already 
recognized  by  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact 
as  a  man  of  integrity  and  sincerity  of  purpose, 
promising  success  as  the  years  go  bv.  Mr.  Wheeler 
is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  October  9.  1870, 
of  Yankee  stock.  His  father,  Cvrenius  Wheeler, 
is  living  in  the  vicinitv  of  Sedro-'Woollev,  but  the 
mother,  Mrs.  Abigail  (Bragg)  Wheeler,  died  in 
1900.     Mr.  Wheeler  is  one  of  seven  children.     His 


parents  moved  to  Minnesota  when  he  was  a  year 
old  and  he  grew  up  there  and  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools.  At  eighteen  years  of 
age  he  started  for  himself,  working  on  farms  for 
several  years  and  then  buying  a  place  in  Wadena 
county.  He  remained  there  until  1898,  when  he 
sold  out  and  came  to  Bellingham.  He  lived  in  the 
Whatcom  county  city  for  two  years,  working  at  va- 
rious lines  of  occupation.  He  then  came  to  Skagit 
county,  went  to  the  Baker  river  and  engaged  in  the 
shingle  bolt  camps  for  a  time.  Then  in  company 
with  his  brother-in-law,  John  Egelkrout,  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  a  short  distance  west  of  Sedro- 
Woolley  and  has  lived  there  ever  since. 

July  4,  1893,  Mr.  Wheeler  married  Miss  Alma 
Reidhead,  who  was  born  in  Minnesota  in  1876,  the 
daughter  of  Pearl  and  Lydia  Reidhead.  Of  this 
union  have  been  born  two  children:  Pearl,  born 
November  5.  1S97,  and  Ruby,  born  July  8,  1905. 
In  church  affiliation  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheeler  attend 
the  Methodist  Episcopal.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  is  now  serving  as  clerk  of  the  school 
board.  In  his  dairy  business  Mr.  Wheeler  has 
seven  cows  and  separates  the  cream  before  putting 
it  on  the  market.  He  is  a  young  man  who  is  just 
getting  well  started  in  Skagit  county  and  enjoys  the 
respect  and  well  wishes  of  all  who  know  him,  a  man 
of  energy  and  definite  purpose  in  life,  possessing 
those  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  which  ultimately 
lead  to  success.  He  believes  in  the  future  of  his 
home  county,  takes  an  interest  in  educational  mat- 
ters and  in  general  progressive  movements,  and 
must  of  necessity  become  a  man  of  influence  in  the 
councils  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


SIGURD  IVARSON.  farmer  and  ferryman, 
five  miles  east  of  Sedro-Woolley,  is  one  of  the  pop- 
ular Scandinavian-American  citizens  of  Skagit 
county,  who  is  much  respected  by  those  who  meet 
him  and  are  acquainted  intimately  with  him.  Mr. 
Ivarson  was  born  in  Norway  August  18,  1859,  the 
son  of  Ivar  and  Ragnild  (Quiten)  Ivarson,  natives 
of  the  land  of  fjords,  who  never  left  their  native 
shores.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children  be- 
sides Sigurd,  Mrs.  Carrie  Hanson  and  Ivar  Ivarson. 
Sigurd  lived  with  his  parents  and  attended  school 
in  boyhood,  but  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  came 
to  the  United  States  and  located  in  Wisconsin.  He 
worked  in  the  logging  camps,  in  the  saw-mills  and 
on  the  railroads  from  1883  to  1885,  moving  to  Ska- 
git county,  Washington,  in  the  last  named  year. 
He  located  on  a  farm  two  and  a  half  miles  east  of 
Sedro-Woolley  on  the  river  and  remained  there  un- 
til 1900,  when  he  came  to  his  present  place  of  ten 
acres  and  engaged  to  operate  Anderson's  ferry.  Mr. 
Ivarson's  later  years  have  been  much  clouded  by 
the  death  of  his  brother  by  drowning  in  the  river 
in  1889.  The  brother  had  come  to  ths  United  States 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


seven  years  prior  to  Sigurd's  arrival  and  the  two 
had  come  to  Skagit  county  and  had  been  insepar- 
able. In  politics  Mr.  Ivarson  is  a  Democrat  and  in 
church  adherence  a  Lutheran.  He  owns  ten  acres 
of  land,  three  of  which  are  cleared,  and  he  makes 
his  home  there.  This  little  farm  and  the  revenue 
received  from  the  county  for  operating  the  ferry 
together  give  Mr.  Ivarson  a  very  good  living.  He 
is  pleasant  and  genial,  a  faithful  soul  and  to  those 
who  gain  his  confidence  reveals  himself  as  a  worthy 
man.  A  reliable  and  esteemed  citizen  of  his  locality, 
he  is  entitled  to  honorable  mention  in  the  history 
of  his  home  county. 


DAVID  ROSS,  residing  one  mile  west  of  town, 
is  one  of  Sedro-Woolley's  prosperous  farmers  who 
is  making  a  success  of  life.  He  was  born  March  18, 
1847,  in  Rosshire,  Scotland,  which  also  was  the 
birthplace  of  his  parents,  Alexander  and  Christina 
(Ross)  Ross.  The  father,  all  his  life,  was  an  agri- 
culturist in  his  native  land.  Both  died  at  their  old 
home,  he  ten  years  ago  and  she  in  1900.  Young 
David  Ross  remained  at  home  for  the  first  twenty- 
four  years  of  his  life,  acquiring  an  education  in  the 
schools  of  Scotland.  In  1872  he  came  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  made  his  headquarters  for  fourteen 
years,  during  which  time  he  followed  various  pur- 
suits. He  worked  in  a  wood  and  coal  yard  for  six 
months,  was  employed  in  a  saw-mill,  then  on  a  farm 
in  the  San  Jose  valley.  He  managed  a  farm  for 
three  years  in  San  Rafael,  then  returned  to  San 
Francisco  and  with  his  brother  purchased  a  wood 
and  coal  yard  which  they  owned  four  years.  He 
bought  a  hay  press  and  for  two  seasons  furnished 
baled  hay  under  contract.  He  took  advantage  of 
numerous  opportunities  in  California,  then  in  1884 
came  to  Skamania  county,  Washington,  and  took  a 
homestead  which  he  occupied  for  six  years  and  par- 
tially cleared.  In  May,  1891,  he  bought  a  few  acres 
of  land  in  Lyman,  Skagit  county,  which  he  farmed 
with  his  brother.  Later  he  came  to  Sedro-Woolley 
and  purchased  his  present  fine  property,  which  con- 
sists of  forty  acres  with  a  splendid  orchard  of  700 
trees;  also  rented  the  adjoining  place  of  160  acres. 
He  still  holds  his  homestead,  but  has  disposed  of 
his  Lyman  property. 

Mr.  Ross  and  Miss  Hannah  Anderson  were 
united  in  marriage  October  2,  1886.  Mrs.  Ross 
was  bom  in  Sweden  January  16,  1849,  the  daughter 
of  Andrew  and  Hannah  (Jones)  Johnson,  both  na- 
tives of  Sweden.  Her  father  was  born  and  has 
lived  all  his  life  in  South  Rarum.  where  he  has  been 
a  farmer  and  a  packer  of  fish  and  meat.  The 
mother,  born  in  1827,  three  years  before  the  father, 
died  in  her  native  land  in  1890,  leaving  six  children, 
of  whom  Mrs.  Ross  is  the  oldest.  Mr.  Ross  is  a 
popular  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  lodge  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  while  Mrs. 


Ross  is  a  Lutheran.  He  is  a  Republican,  but  never 
has  sought  office  at  the  hands  of  his  party.  He  is 
a  holder  of  considerable  property  and  is  making  a 
specialty  of  dairying,  having  thirty-five  head  of  Dur- 
ham stock,  besides  horses,  Berkshire  hogs,  and  other 
high  grade  live  stock.  He  is  a  man  of  upright 
character,  thrifty  and  industrious,  who  is  achieving 
a  large  measure  of  success,  and  at  the  same  time  is 
enjoying  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow 
citizens. 


WILLIAM  O.  GREGORY,  the  genial  post- 
master and  merchant  of  Burlington,  was  born  De- 
cember 24,  1844,  in  Portage  county,  Ohio,  fifty-five 
miles  east  of  Cleveland,  which  was  also  the  birth- 
place of  his  father,  William  Gregory,  an  engineer, 
who  died  in  Michigan  in  1880.  His  mother,  Mary 
L.  (White)  Gregory,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  died 
in  Michigan  in  1846.  Left  motherless  at  the  age 
of  two,  William  O.  Gregory  was  adopted  by  a  fam- 
ily in  Michigan  with  whom  he  lived  until  he  was 
seventeen,  then  started  out  for  himself  as  a  railroad 
employee.  Of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind,  he  was 
able  after  two  years  service  with  the  railroad  to  ac- 
ceptably fill  the  position  of  engineer  in  a  saw-mill, 
and  he  followed  the  lumber  business  for  twenty 
years.  Leaving  Michigan,  the  state  that  had  been 
his  home  for  so  many  years,  he  came  to  what  is  now 
Burlington,  then  only  a  tiny  hamlet  consisting  of  a 
few  rude  shacks,  a  hotel,  store  and  a  shed  used  for 
a  depot.  He  found  employment  as  engineer  in  the 
shingle  mill  of  Larson  and  Luddington  for  the  first 
two  years  and  a  half;  then  served  as  mail  carrier 
for  four  years.  He  received  the  appointment  of 
postmaster  at  the  end  of  that  time,  which  public  po- 
sition he  still  fills  with  eminent  satisfaction.  Having 
met  the  losses  incident  to  most  business  careers, 
Mr.  Gregory  has  not  always  known  the  prosperity 
that  is  his  to-day.  He  now  owns  five  lots  and  a 
neat,  commodious  house. 

Mr.  Gregory  was  married  in  August,  1865,  to 
Fannie  Ledwill,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Her  father  was 
Robert  Ledwill,  lx>rn  in  Ireland.  Coming  to  this 
country  in  early  life,  he  settled  in  Ohio,  there  en- 
gaged in  farming  till  the  time  of  his  death,  some 
sixteen  years  ago.  Her  mother  is  Rachel  (Wilcox) 
Ledwill,  born  in  New  York.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gregory 
have  one  child,  Mrs.  Emma  Read,  of  Burlington. 
Mr.  Gregory  is  past  grand  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows order,  of  which  he  is  an  active  and  prominent 
member.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gregory  are  actively  iden- 
tified with  the  Congregational  church,  while  she  ij 
one  of  the  moving  spirits  in  the  Rebekahs.  Pol- 
itically Mr.  Gregory  is  a  staunch  Republican,  but, 
with  that  commendable  spirit  which  so  generally 
characterizes  the  American  citizen,  his  zeal  is  tem- 
pered with  moderation  and  fairness  toward  his 
neighbor  of  opposing  views.     Ever  a  firm  believer 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


in  educational  progress,  he  was  for  six  years  con- 
nected with  the  school  directorate  of  his  community, 
in  which  capacity,  as  in  his  entire  connection  with 
the  community,  he  has  contended  for  advancement, 
and  is  justly  esteemed  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  of 
Burlington. 


JESS  H.  KNUTZEN,  the  prominent  merchant, 
farmer  and  creamery  man  of  Burlington,  was  born 
m  1850,  in  Schleswig,  Germany,  the  birthplace  of 
his  parents,  Hans  C.  and  Annie  (Peterson)  Knut- 
zen.  His  father,  a  manufacturer  of  brick,  was  born 
in  180?,  and  continued  to  reside  in  the  old  country 
until  his  death  in  ISS-t.  His  mother  was  born  in 
1816,  and  after  a  lifetime  of  devotion  to  husband 
and  family  of  seven  children,  died  in  1886.  Leav- 
ing home  at  the  age  of  fifteen  to  become  a  sailor, 
Jesse  H.  Knutzen  spent  seven  years  on  the  sea,  re- 
ceiving frequent  promotions  until  he  was  at  last 
captain  of  the  vessel.  He  then  decided  to  find  a 
home  in  the  United  States,  and  came  first  to  Chi- 
cago, where  he  worked  at  whatever  he  could  find  to 
do  for  the  first  year,  then  went  to  Buena  Vista 
county,  Iowa.  Employed  on  a  farm  the  first  year, 
he  then  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  which  he  farmed  for  twelve  years.  During 
that  time  he  became  the  owner  of  a  second  farm 
comprising  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  Dispos- 
ing of  all  his  property,  he  came  to  Washington  in 
1891,  first  settling  in  Fidalgo,  and  later  on  Olympia 
Marsh,  there  renting  a  farm.  The  first  season  he 
put  in  twenty-five  acres  of  oats,  increasing  the  acre- 
age to  one  hundred  and  fifty  the  second  year.  The 
first  two  years  the  crop  was  a  partial  failure  owing 
to  its  tardy  maturity  and  the  frequent  rains.  The 
third  year  he  rented  another  farm,  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  entirely  covered  with  brush.  Pur- 
chasing a  mowing  machine,  which  he  used  to  cut 
down  the  brush,  he  cleared  the  entire  farm  in  the 
course  of  a  year.  In  the  fall  of  1895  his  barn,  con- 
taining five  head  of  horses  and  one  cow,  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  also  five  thousand  sacks  of  grain 
just  thrashed.  The  flood  of  the  following  year,  so 
well  remembered  by  the  inhabitants  of  that  part  of 
the  state,  caused  him  the  loss  of  three  thousand  sacks 
of  grain.  Meeting  this  accumulation  of  reverses 
with  the  uncomplaining  fortitude  so  characteristic 
of  the  man,  Mr.  Knutzen  toiled  on,  and  in  1898 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Two  years 
later  he  opened  a  creamery  on  Olvmpia  Marsh, 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire  July  24,  1905.  He 
opened  his  present  store  in  1901. 

In  1873  Mr.  Knutzen  and  Mattie  Hanson  were 
united  in  marriage  at  the  old  home,  where  both  had 
been  born.  Her  parents  were  Hans  F.  and  Annie 
K.  Peterson,  also  natives  of  Schleswig,  Germanv. 
The  father,  born  in  1809,  died  in  1854.  The  date 
of  the  mother's  birth  was  1811,  that  of  her  death 


1883.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knutzen  have  seven  children, 
as  follows :  Chris,  born  in  1874 ;  Hans  F..  born  in 
1875 ;  Alfred  P.,  born  in  1876 ;  William  G.,  born 
in  1878;  George  F.,  born  in  1880;  Edward  H., 
born  in  1882,  and  Harry  S.,  born  in  1887,  all  of 
them  claiming  Iowa  as  their  native  state.  The 
youngest  son,  a  graduate  of  Anacortes  Business 
college,  is  now  in  the  postoffice  at  Burlington.  Mr. 
Knutzen  is  a  loyal  member  of  the  Republican  party. 
For  five  years  he  was  dike  commissioner,  an  office 
which  he  filled  with  great  credit  to  himself.  He 
has  also  given  his  services  to  the  educational  mat- 
ters of  the  community,  serving  for  some  time  on 
the  school  board.  He  and  his  family  attend  the 
Lutheran  church.  The  entire  family  being  inter- 
ested in  the  business,  Mr.  Knutzen  and  his  sons 
farm  one  thousand  acres,  six  hundred  devoted  to 
oats,  the  remainder  to  hay.  They  have  an  immense 
dairy,  consisting  of  two  hundred  head  of  cattle,  own- 
ing also  thirty  draft  horses,  forty  sheep  and  one 
hundred  Poland-China  hogs.  Mr.  Knutzen  owns 
the  store,  creamery  and  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  which  yield  him  a  large  annual  in- 
come. A  successful  agriculturist,  a  capable  and 
honorable  business  man,  Mr.  Knutzen  holds  an  en- 
viable position  in  the  community. 


WILLIAM  HURLEY.  Among  the  successful 
shingle  manufacturers  of  Skagit  county  is  the  well 
known  Burlington  citizen  whose  name  gives  title  to 
this  biographical  record.  For  twelve  years  past  he 
has  been  identified  in  various  capacities  with  the 
shingle  industry  of  this  section  of  Puget  sound  and 
for  nearly  fifteen  years  he  has  resided  in  Skagit 
county  and  partaken  in  its  general  development. 
Under  the  firm  name  of  Hurley,  Marshall  &  Ritch- 
ford,  he  and  his  associates  are  now  operating  a  well- 
equipped  mill  of  medium  capacity,  having  leased,  on 
January  1,  1905,  the  plant  of  the  Sterling  Mill  Com- 
pany, situated  on  the  Skagit  river  three  miles  above 
Burlington. 

Mr.  Hurley  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  at  Ha- 
vana, October  6,  1857,  and  comes  of  good  old 
pioneer  American  stock.  Originally  his  people  came 
to  America  from  Ireland  and  England.  John  Hur- 
ley, the  father  of  William,  was  born  in  New  Jersey 
in  1822.  When  a  young  man  he  sought  a  home  in 
the  newly  opened  country  beyond  the  Alleghanies, 
settling  on  the  frontier  of  Illinois  and  engaging  in 
farming.  At  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  he  is 
still  living  in  that  state.  Julia  (Baldwin)  Hurley, 
his  wife,  was  one  of  Ohio's  pioneer  daughter's, 
Cleveland  having  been  her  birthplace.  She  passed 
away  in  1889  at  an  advanced  age.  To  this  union 
eight  children  were  born,  of  whom  William  Hurley, 
of  this  review,  is  the  fourth  child.  Until  he  was 
twenty-eight  years  old  he  resided  with  his  parents, 
assisting  his  father  on  the  farm  and  in  a  business 


ri6 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


way,   after   finishing    his    education    in  the  pubhc 
schools  of  the  district.     He  then  leased  a  place  and 
operated  it  four  vcars,  selling  out  in  1889  to  go  west 
as  his  father  had  done  half  a  century  earlier.    While 
living  in   Illinois   he    had    learned   mechanical   en- 
gineering,   so    when    he    reached    Jackson    County, 
Oregon,  on  the  very  shores  of  the  Pacific,  he  to6k 
up  this  trade  as  an  occupation  and  during  the  next 
two  years  was  thus  engaged  in  southern  Oregon. 
Believing  the   Puget  sound  offered  greater  oppor- 
tunities than  Oregon,   however,  in  1891,  he  came 
north  to  Skagit  county,  settling  first  at  La  Conner, 
where  he  pursued  his  trade  three  years.    He  became 
a  resident  of  the  little  village  of  Burlington  in  1894, 
while  it  was  only  a  junction  point,  hardly  more  than 
a  hamlet,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  months 
spent  in  Santa  Rosa,  California,  in  1897,  has  lived 
there  ever  since.     With  characteristic  public  spirit 
and  energy,  he  early  became  prominent  in  the  com- 
munity and  when   Burlington  was  organized  as  a 
city  he  was  selected  as  one  of  its  first  councilmen. 
In  a  modest  though  forceful  way  Mr.  Hurley  has 
continued   his   public   activities    for   the   betterment 
and  development  of  his  home  city  with  profit  to  his 
fellow  citizens.     His  home  is  one  of  the  coziest  and 
most   hospitable   in   Burlington,   around   which  has 
grown   a   wide   circle    of    acquaintances   and   loyal 
friends.     From  189-4  until  the  organization  of  the 
present  firm,  Mr.  Hurley  was  connected  with  the 
Sterling  Mill  Company,  principally  as  engineer,  ex- 
cepting during  his  absence  in  the  South.    In  political 
matters  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party, 
though  a  man  of  liberal  views  on  all  subjects,  who 
believes  first  of  all  in  good  government  by  com- 
petent, honest  men. 

JMiss  Lizzie  Shaupaugh,  a  native  of  Illinois,  too, 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Hurley  in  1886,  while 
residing  in  Kansas.  Her  father  and  mother,  both  of 
whom  died  many  years  ago,  were  pioneers  of  Illinois 
and  descended  from  American  forbears.  Four  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hurley,  all 
of  whom  are  at  home:  Uquinna,  born  September 
14,  1887,  employed  at  present  in  the  Skagit  State 
bank  at  Burlington;  Qine  W.,  Nellie  B.  and  Wil- 
lard. 


ORSON  PEASE,  hotel  proprietor,  is  one  of  the 
old  settlers  of  Burlington,  where  he  has  lived  and 
prospered  for  fifteen  years.  Webster  Pease,  his 
father,  was  born  in  New  York  in  1810  and  moved 
to  Illinois  in  early  life,  crossing  in  1845  into  Iowa, 
where  he  secured  deeded  government  land  which 
was  sixtv  miles  from  the  nearest  postoffice.  Orson 
Pease's  ninthrr  was  Lucy  (Older)  Pease,  born  in 
Connecticut  in  islS.  She  was  the  mother  of  eight 
children.  Orson  being  third  and  one  of  a  pair  of 
twins.  He  was  born  in  Illinois  May  14,  1848.  He 
lived  at  home  until  twenty-six.  when  he  married  and 


leased  an  Iowa  farm,  living  in  different  parts  of 
the  Hawkeye  state  until  1890,  when  he  came  to 
Burlington  and  erected  the  first  dwelling  in  fhe 
town.  It  was  a  logging  camp  and  its  only  build- 
ing was  occupied  by  a  saloon.  The  Great  Northern 
railroad  was  clearing  its  right  of  way.  Mr.  Pease 
has  some  interesting  reminiscences  of  those  early 
days.  The  smallest  coin  used  was  the  twenty-five 
rent  piece,  called  "two-bits."  On  his  arrival  he 
was  asked  to  do  some  work  and  was  greatly  sur- 
prised at  an  ofl"er  of  two  dollars  and  a  half  a  day 
and  board ;  he  had  been  accustomed  to  seyenty-fi\e 
cents  in  Iowa.  At  one  time  he  worked  as  a  butcher 
for  McKay  &  Millet.  They  would  kill  a  steer 
wherever  they  found  him  and  haul  him  into  camp  on 
a  skid,  selling  chunks  of  the  carcass  cut  out  of  the 
hide  to  customers  along  the  trail.  The  skid  road 
was  the  best  highway  in  those  days.  Wild  black- 
berries were  plentiful,  but  the  picker  had  to  carry 
liis  gun,  for  there  was  "a  bear  in  every  clump  of 
lierry  bushes." 

While  living  in  Iowa,  Mr.  Pease,  in  1874.  mar- 
ried Miss  Caroline  Beaver,  who  was  born  in  Wis- 
consin in  18.56.  She  died  in  1883,  the  mother  of  four 
children :  Henry,  horn  in  1875,  now  a  resident  of 
Burlington;  Erve,  born  in  1877,  now  living  at  Fri- 
day Harbor ;  IMyrtie,  born  in  1879,  who  died  when 
twelve  years  old,  and  Clair,  born  in  1881,  now  living 
in  North  Dakota.  In  1890  Mr.  Pease  married  Miss 
M.  E.  Thomas,  daughter  of  Daniel  Thomas,  a  native 
of  Ohio  who  moved  to  Iowa  and  late  in  life  came 
to  Burlington,  where  he  died  in  1901.  Mrs.  Pease's 
mother  was  Philena  (Foote)  Thomas,  born  in  Ohio 
in  1839,  now  spending  the  evening  of  her  life  in 
Burlington.  Mrs.  Pease  is  one  of  twelve  children. 
Of  this  second  marriage  there  have  been  born  three 
children,  Roy,  Mossey  and  Fay,  the  second  dying 
when  five  years  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pease  are  Mac- 
cabees and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 
The  family  attends  the  Baptist  church.  In  politics 
Mr.  Pease  is  an  active  Repulilican.  For  six  years 
he  filled  the  difficult  position  of  road  supervisor  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  neighbors  and  later  was  a 
member  of  the  city  council  for  two  terms.  He  owns 
his  hotel  and  twenty  city  lots.  Mr.  Pease's  integrity 
has  made  him  popular  among  the  citizens  of  Bur- 
lington, who  are  glad  to  have  his  wise  counsel  in 
the  city  government. 


ALBERT  LUNDIN,  one  of  the  successful  hotel 
men  of  Burlington,  was  born  at  Stromsholm, 
Sweden,  in  October,  1849,  and  first  came  to  Skagit 
county  in  1883.  His  father,  Lars  Erick  Lundin,  was 
in  the  government  employ  as  an  expert  in  stock  rais- 
ing, his  special  study  being  horses.  He  died  at  his 
Stromsholm  home,  just  outside  of  Stockholm,  in 
1860.  Five  children  were  born  to  Lars  and  Anna 
Lundin,   all   now    deceased   except   Albert   and   his 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


brother  Carl,  who  is  gardener  at  the  Swedish  capital. 
As  a  lad  young  Lundin  attended  the  common  schools 
and  assisted  at  gardening,  later  following  the  occu- 
pation of  coachman.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1SG9,  reaching  Chicago  in  June.  He  had  not  ex- 
pected to  remain  in  this  country,  but  receiving  an 
offer  of  employment  he  engaged  to  the  McCormick 
miplement  house  and  continued  there  for  several 
years,  later  entering  a  grocery  for  two  years  until 
1874,  when  he  went  to  Michigan  and  followed  lum- 
bering for  nine  years.  His  last  engagement  there 
was  with  Saling,  Hanson  &  Co.,  of  Creeling,  by 
whom  he  was  sent  to  the  Puget  sound  country  to 
cruise  timber.  Following  that  year  he  alternately 
cruised  and  drove  logs  on  the  Skagit  river,  settling 
down  in  Mount  Vernon.  In  1890  he  moved  to  Bur- 
lington, built  his  present  home  and  entered  upon  his 
career  as  hotel  keeper.  Two  years  from  1898  to 
1900  were  spent  at  prospecting  and  mining  ventures 
at  Dawson  and  Nome,  Alaska.  Some  of  his  claims 
were  good,  but  on  the  whole  his  Alaskan  experi- 
ences netted  him  but  little. 

In  1888  Mr.  Lundin  married  Miss  Anna  Beck- 
man,  a  Swedish  girl  who  came  to  this  country  two 
years  before,  and  who  has  three  sisters  here,  Mrs. 
Charlotte  Wilson,  Mrs.  Alma  Bramm  and  Mrs. 
Clara  Peterson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lundin  have  one 
child,  Carl  Gustav  Albert  Lundin,  born  March  8, 
1889.  Mr.  Lundin  is  a  member  of  the  Mount  Ver- 
non lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. In  politics  he  is  an  active  Republican,  not 
seeking  office  but  doing  work  in  the  interest  of  his 
party  at  caucus,  primary  and  convention.  Mr.  Lun- 
iHn  is  an  ardent  exponent  of  the  view  that  the 
school  system  cannot  be  too  good  or  too  effective,  and 
his  service  as  a  member  of  the  school  directorate 
is  but  one  instance  of  his  earnestness  in  this  matter. 
Mr.  Lundin's  real  estate  holdings  consist  of  a  half 
block,  which  includes  his  hotel  property. 


OLE  JOHNSON.  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that 
many  of  the  most  successful  farmers  of  the  North- 
west are  natives  of  the  Scandinavian  peninsula,  as 
is  he  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of  this  biog- 
raphy. Born  in  Norway  April  15,  1858,  his  parents 
were  John  and  Josie  (Ingobar)  Johnson,  born  like 
their  ancestors  for  generations,  in  Norway.  The 
father  died  there  in  1902,  the  mother  i'n  1890. 
Starting  out  for  himself  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  Ole 
Johnson  spent  three  years  on  a  farm,  acquiring  the 
practical  knowledge  that  was  to  prove  so  valuable 
m  later  life.  Many  of  his  countrymen  having  found 
homes  in  the  United  States,  he  decided  to  seek  his 
fortune  here  also,  coming  to  Wisconsin  when  sev- 
enteen years  old.  Working  in  the  woods  as  team- 
ster for  the  first  three  years,  he  then  went  to  Seat- 
tle, locating  in  La  Conner  five  months  later.     He 


rented  sixty  acres  of  land,  farming  it  for  five  years, 
then  rented  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
Three  years  later,  having  met  with  success  in  his 
previous  business  ventures,  and  having  found  that 
lie  could  handle  still  a  larger  acreage,  he  rented 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  for  four  years. 
Prior  to  this,  however,  he  had  invested  in  sixty 
acres  on  Beaver  Marsh,  which  he  made  his  home  at 
the  expiration  of  the  four  year  lease,  renting  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining  his  farm.  At  the 
end  of  the  fifth  year,  he  moved  to  his  present  home, 
situated  just  north  of  Burlington,  renting  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  December  28,  1890,  to 
Hannah  Erickson,  who  made  the  trip  from  her  na- 
tive land,  Sweden,  to  the  state  of  Washington,  en- 
tirely alone,  in  the  year  1888.  Her  father,  Erick 
Erickson,  came  to  Washington  in  1893,  locating  in 
La  Conner,  this  being  his  home  at  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1901.  His  wife  still  resides  here.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnson's  children  are  as  follows :  Minnie, 
Alma,  Axel,  Hulda,  Olga,  Eveline,  and  an  infant 
son,  who  died  July,  1905.  Mr.  Johnson  is  an  hon- 
ored member  of  the  American  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  In  political  belief  he  is  a  Republican. 
Always  interested  in  educational  matters,  he  served 
one  year  on  the  school  board.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a 
thoroughly  practical  farmer,  giving  personal  atten- 
tion to  the  details  of  the  work  on  his  extensive  farm. 
He  is  thus  able  to  secure  much  larger  returns  than 
would  be  possible  were  the  responsibility  delegated 
to  others  less  familiar  with  the  duties,  or  less  con- 
scientious in  the  performance  of  them.  He  has  now 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  in  grain  and 
pasture.  His  splendid  dairy  of  one  hundred  Dur- 
ham cows  yields  a  substantial  yearly  income.  His 
farm  is  also  stocked  with  draft  horses,  Berkshire 
hogs  and  fine  poultry.  He  raises  only  the  best  stock, 
believing  that  to  be  the  only  kind  that  it  is  profit- 
able to  keep.  It  must  be  gratifying  to  Mr.  Johnson 
to  sometimes  remember  that  he  has  secured  his 
present  business  standing  wholly  by  his  own  efforts, 
and  that,  too,  in  the  face  of  heavy  losses.  The  flood 
of  1894,  remembered  by  many  residents  of  La  Con- 
ner, swept  over  his  farm,  devastating  the  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acre  oat  field  that  he  had  just  seeded 
and  the  hay  fields  upon  which  he  was  dependent  for 
the  winter's  supply  of  hay,  causing  a  loss  of  more 
than  a  thousand  dollars.  Redoubling  his  energies  in 
the  succeeding  years,  he  is  now  enjoying  the  reward 
of  his  earnest  efforts.  A  man  of  strict  integrity,  and 
noble  impulses,  he  commands  the  respect  of  all  who 
are  associated  with  him  either  in  a  social  or  business 
way. 


T.  NELSON  OVENELL,  the  well  known  and 
piosperous  farmer  residing  just  at  the  edge  of  Bur- 
lington, was  born  on  Whidby  island  August  25, 
1861,  the  son  of  the  distinguished  pioneers,  Thomas 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


P.  and  Nancy  Adelaide  (Miller)  Ovenell.  The 
father  was  born  in  England  in  1835,  and  came  to 
Whidby  island,  Washington,  in  1858.  His  death 
occurred  in  California.  The  mother,  born  in  Con- 
necticut in  1838,  came  with  her  parents  to  Whidby 
island  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  the  trip  from  New 
York  to  San  Francisco  via  Cape  Horn  occupying  six 
months  and  ten  days.  There  were  only  a  few  other 
white  families  on  the  island  at  that  time.  When 
fifteen  years  old,  his  parents  having  moved  to  La 
Conner,  T.  Nelson  Ovenell  did  a  large  share  of  the 
farm  work,  being  able  to  assume  the  entire  charge 
of  the  farm  at  the  time  his  step-father,  Joseph 
S.  Kelly,  was  drowned,  five  years  later.  Three 
years  afterwards  he  purchased  a  seventy-five  acre 
farm  at  Stanwood,  living  there  for  several  years. 
He  then  sold  it,  and  leased  the  adjoining  property. 
In  1889  he  located  in  Avon,  he  and  A.  D.  Fraser 
purchasing  together  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  the  vicinity  of  Burlington.  In  19(M 
the  partnership  was  dissolved  and  Mr.  Ovenell  has 
since  farmed  his  eighty  acres  alone. 

On  June  2,  1890,  Mr.  Ovenell  and  Hattie  Cal- 
lahan were  united  in  marriage.  Born  in  Aurora, 
Indiana,  Mrs.  Ovenell  came  with  her  parents  to  La 
Conner  in  1876.  Her  father,  James  Callahan,  was 
born  in  Limerick,  Ireland,  and  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  Indiana  when  a  child.  He  later  came  to 
Washington,  and  now  lives  at  Fredonia.  Her 
mother,  Harriet  E.  (Ball)  Callahan,  is  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  in  Harrison  county.  She  is  the  mother 
of  nine  children.  Mrs.  Ovenell  being  the  second.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ovenell  have  four  children.  Bertha  E., 
born  May  15,  1891 ;  James  T.,  born  February  21, 
1893;  Albert  R.,  born  April  18,  1898;  George  E., 
born  April  4,  1900.  Mr.  Ovenell  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 
He  loyally  adheres  to  Republican  principles.  The 
members  of  the  family  are  regular  attendants  of  the 
Catholic  church.  Identified  for  so  many  years  with 
this  state,  Mr.  Ovenell  has  had  an  opportunity  of 
observing  some  remarkable  fluctuations  in  real 
estate  values.  When  he  located  in  La  Conner  there 
were  no  roads,  the  only  way  of  traveling  being  by 
boat.  Land  which  to-day  cannot  be  purchased  for 
less  than  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre  could  not 
then  be  sold  at  any  price.  Believing  in  the  future  of 
Avon,  he  bought  his  farms,  and  the  years  1891-2 
demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  his  course,  for  he  could 
then  have  sold  his  lands  for  thirty  thousand  dollars. 
The  three  succeeding  years  witnessed  hard  times 
and  a  surprising  depreciation  in  real  estate,  and  he, 
like  many  others,  was  forced  to  dispose  of  a  portion 
of  his  land  to  save  the  remainder.  The  prices  have 
again  changed,  however,  and  the  land  is  once  more 
steadily  rising  in  valuation ;  in  the  meantime  it  is 
yielding  him  a  fine  yearly  income.  Being  known 
throughout  the  community  as  a  man  of  industry, 


skill  and  strict  integrity,  Mr.  Ovenell  has  a  host  of 
warm  personal  friends. 


MRS.  NANCY  A.  KELLY,  daughter  of  pio- 
neers and  herself  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  Skagit 
county,  is  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  March  18, 
1838.  Her  parents,  Caleb  and  Esther  M.  (Pierce) 
Miller,  both  born  in  Massachusetts,  made  the  trip 
from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  via  Cape  Horn  in 

1853,  the  journey  occupying  six  months  and  ten 
days.  After  a  three  weeks'  visit  in  San  Francisco, 
they  came  to  Whidby  island,   arriving  January  2, 

1854.  Here  they  were  met  by  two  sons,  who  had 
preceded  them  to  the  sound  country.  There  were 
then  only  a  few  white  families  on  the  island,  their 
other  neighbors  being  Indians  whose  language  was 
utterly  unintelligible  to  them.  They  were  forced 
to  learn  Chinook  in  order  to  be  able  to  make  them- 
selves understood.  The  dauntless  courage  of  the 
pioneer  father  has  been  the  theme  of  many-  a  song 
and  story,  but  fewer  pens  have  written  the  equal 
bravery  of  the  pioneer  mother.  Left  alone  while 
the  husband  and  father  toiled  in  the  dense  forests 
to  make  a  clearing,  often  with  a  family  of  little  ones 
around  her,  she  must  learn  to  still  the  wild  beatings 
of  her  heart  when  dusky  faces  presented  themselves 
at  her  door,  or  entered,  uninvited,  the  little  home. 
Self-reliant,  resourceful  and  cheerful  must  she  b'e 
when  illness  threatened  the  little  circle,  for  many 
miles  intervened  between  herself  and  the  nearest 
physician.  She  might  not  even  anticipate  the  visit 
of  a  kind,  sympathetic  neighbor,  ready  with  helpful 
suggestions.  Small  wonder  that  such  an  ancestry 
produced  a  character  so  worthy  of  emulation  as  that 
of  the  one  whose  biography  we  are  privileged  to 
chronicle.  Living  with  her  parents  till  her  marriage 
to  Thomas  P.  Ovenell  in  1860,  Mrs.  Kelly  became 
familiar  with  all  the  dangers  and  difficulties  incident 
to  pioneer  life.  She  was  divorced  from  Ovenell  in 
1864,  was  married  to  Joseph  S.  Kelly  in  1865,  and 
in  1867  went  with  her  husband  to  White  river,  re- 
turning to  Whidby  island  six  months  later.  They 
remained  on  the  island  till  1876,  when  they  moved 
to  the  Swinomish  flats.  He  farmed  there  till  Octo- 
ber, 1882,  when  he  was  drowned  in  the  Swinomish 
slough.  Upon  his  death  Mrs.  Kelly's  son,  T.  N. 
Ovenell,  rented  the  farm  and  also  managed  her  af- 
fairs when  she  moved  to  Stanwood.  Five  years 
later  she  came  to  Avon,  purchasing  her  present 
property,  located  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  city, 
and  consisting  of  thirty  acres  partially  cleared.  She 
is  also  interested  in  Avon  city  property,  owning 
two  blocks.  Mrs.  Kelly  has  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Ella 
R.  Larrison,  of  Preston,  California.  Her  husband, 
Mr.  Kelly,  was  a  native  of  England,  born  in  White- 
haven in  1839.  His  death  occurred  at  La  Conner 
in  1882.  He  was  a  Mason  and  member  of  the  An- 
cient Order  of  LTnited  Workmen.     Mrs.  Kelly  is  a 


MRS.  NANCY  A.  KELLEY 


L:DEinCK    KAT 


MRS.     FREDERICK    KAT.FO 


OLE   J.   nORSETH 


MRS.    III. I-:    .7.    riORSKTH 


JOHN    B.    GATES 


^^m 

GEOROE  J.   HANSON 


MRS.    GEORGE  J.   ITANSON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


prominent  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  A  ca- 
pable, energetic  woman,  possessed  of  peculiar  gifts 
and  graces,  she  is  one  of  the  best-known  residents 
of  Skagit  county. 


OTTO  KALSO,  a  leading  farmer  of  the  Bay 
View  district  and  a  man  who  has  won  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  all  because  of  his  sterling  qualities,  is 
a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  18.5G.  His  father, 
Frederick  Kalso,  was  born  in  Germany  and  spent 
his  early  manhood  there,  working  on  the  farm, 
learning  the  trade  of  shoemaking  and  attending  the 
German  schools,  but  when  still  quite  young  he  set 
sail  for  the  new  world.  Settling  in  Iowa  county, 
Wisconsin,  he  commenced  business  there  as  a  shoe- 
maker, from  which  peaceful  occupation  he  was  sum- 
moned to  participation  in  the  stirring  events  of  the 
Civil  War.  He  had  objected  to  military  service  in 
his  native  land,  feeling  it  an  injustice  that  he  should 
be  required  to  spend  some  of  the  best  years  of  his 
life  in  the  army  to  help  maintain  the  peace  of  Eu- 
rope, but  when  needed  to  support  a  cause  he  con- 
sidered just  he  was  quick  to  respond.  Answering 
the  first  call  of  President  Lincoln  upon  the  people 
of  Wisconsin,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G  of  the 
twenty-seventh  regiment,  and  thereafter  until  the 
close  of  hostilities  he  followed  the  flag  wherever  it 
might  lead.  The  war  over,  he  took  a  homestead  in 
Iowa,  and  for  the  ensuing  eleven  years  he  was  num- 
bered among  the  agriculturists  of  that  state,  but  in 
ISn  he  came  to  Washington.  He  lived  in  Blaine, 
Whatcom  county,  for  a  brief  period  of  time,  then 
came  to  the  Swinomish  flats  country,  purchased  a 
tract  of  eighty-five  acres  a  mile  and  a  quarter  south 
of  Bay  View  and  identified  himself  permanently 
with  the  agricultural  industry  in  Skagit  county.  His 
original  home  in  the  vicinity  of  Bay  View  is  still  his 
place  of  abode,  and  in  April  of  the  current  year  he 
celebrated  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  wedding. 
Though  now  far  on  in  life's  journey  he  is  hale, 
hearty,  active  and  keenly  alive  to  all  that  is  going 
on  around  him.  None  enjoys,  in  a  fuller  measure, 
the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the  people  of  his 
neighborhood.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Hen- 
rietta (Hintz)  Kalso,  was  also  a  native  of  Germany 
and  was  educated  there.  She  was  the  parent  of  nine 
children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living,  namely, 
Otto,  Fred,  JMrs.  Emma  Hoppner  and  Mrs.  Minnie 
Crumrine. 

Otto  Kalso,  of  this  article,  though  born  in  Wis- 
consin as  before  stated,  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Iowa.  He  has  always  remained 
with  his  parents,  never  marrying,  and  at  present  he 
resides  with  his  father  and  brother  Fred  in  the 
pleasant  family  home  near  Bay  View.  He  has, 
liowever,  accumulated  property  interests  indepen- 
dent of  this  home  and  in  which  no  other  person  has 
any  share ;  indeed  his  separate  estate  includes  some 


of  the  finest  land  in  an  exceedingly  rich  country, 
the  site  of  Whitney  station  being  his.  For  a  number 
of  years  after  purchasing  this  tract  in  1883  he  cul- 
tivated it  himself,  but  recently  he  has  been  leasing 
it  to  other  farmers.  It  contains  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  Mr.  Kalso  belongs  to  the  Lutheran 
church  and  in  political  faith  is  a  Republican.  His 
influence  in  the  community  is  always  on  the  side  of 
progressiveness,  good  government  and  social  good 
order,  and  his  industry,  force  and  business  ability 
make  him  a  potential  factor  in  the  industrial  life  of 
his  community  and  county. 


FRED  KALSO.  Among  the  young  men  who 
are  carrying  forward  with  efficiency  and  success  the 
work  so  well  begun  by  their  pioneer  fathers  in 
Skagit  county  is  Fred  Kalso,  who,  though  born  in 
Iowa,  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  son  of  the 
West,  having  accompanied  his  parents  to  Washing- 
ton when  only  four  years  old,  and  having  acquired 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  this  state.  He  is  a 
brother  of  Otto,  and  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Hen- 
rietta (Hintz)  Kalso,  to  whom  more  extended  refer- 
ence has  been  made  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Like 
his  older  brother  he  has  always  made  his  home  with 
his  father,  but  his  agricultural  operations  extend 
beyond  the  bounds  of  the  parental  farm,  and  at 
present  he  is  cultivating  some  two  hundred  acres  of 
rich  Skagit  county  land.  Ever  since  his  twenty- 
second  year  he  has  been  in  full  charge  of  the  home 
place.  His  intimate  knowledge  of  the  peculiarities 
of  Skagit  county  marsh  land,  gained  by  concentrat- 
ing the  efforts  of  a  lifetime  to  the  mastery  of  this 
species  of  farming,  and  his  natural  industry,  steadi- 
ness and  business  ability  have  enabled  him  to 
achieve  an  excellent  success  as  an  agriculturist. 
Born  in  1873,  he  is  still  a  young  man,  yet  he  already 
has  a  start  in  life  such  as  many  have  striven  in  vain 
for  years  to  secure,  and  a  standing  among  agricul- 
turists that  many  nearly  twice  his  age  might  envy. 

In  is'.Hi,  at  I'adilla,  Washington,  Mr.  Kalso  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth  Jenne,  whose  father,  George 
Jenne,  was  a  successful  farmer  on  the  Swinomish 
flats  until  his  death  in  the  year  1902.  Though  born 
on  Whidby  island,  Mrs.  Kalso,  like  her  husband, 
acquired  her  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Skagit  count}'.  She  and  Mr.  Kalso  have  two  chil- 
dren, Melvin,  born  in  1807.  and  Willie,  Iwrn  in  1898. 
In  politics  Mr.  Kalso  is  a  Republican,  somewhat  ac- 
tive in  the  work  of  his  party  but  not  ambitious  for 
personal  preferment,  though  he  is  serving  at  present 
as  dike  commissioner. 


OLE  J.  BORSETH,  of  Fir,  is  one  of  the  solid, 
substantial  business  men  of  south  Skagit  county, 
who  since  coming  here  in  1882  has  accumulated  con- 
siderable of  this  world's  goods  in  Skagit  real  estate 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


operations  and  in  other  fortunate  and  well  consid- 
ered investments.  Nominall)',  Mr.  Borseth  is  a 
farmer  at  Fir,  but  his  holdings  there  represent  but  a 
small  part  of  his  estimated  wealth.  He  was  born 
in  Christiansund,  Norway,  on  May  7,  1857,  the  son 
of  Johan  J.  and  Marit  ( Jordal)  Borseth,  who  died 
in  their  native  land,  the  former  in  1883,  aged  sixty- 
seven,  and  the  latter  in  1873,  aged  fifty-three.  Four 
children  survive,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  and 
Marit,  both  in  the  United  States,  and  Magnhild  and 
Brit,  both  in  Norway.  Ole  Borseth  lived  at  home 
and  attended  school  until  he  was  sixteen  years  old. 
He  entered  the  military  college  at  Christiania  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one  and  at  the  close  of  a  three  years' 
course  he  left  the  army,  coming  to  the  United  States 
in  1882,  settling  in  Michigan.  He  remained  there 
for  seven  months,  working  in  lumber  camps,  and 
then  came  to  Fir  and  worked  in  a  logging  camp  for 
MX  years.  He  was  of  a  speculative  turn  of  mind 
and  determined  on  dealing  in  real  estate.  He  platted 
land  at  the  town  site  of  Woolley  and  dealt  in  land 
in  a  very  successful  manner.  In  1S90  Mr.  Borseth 
spent  three  months  in  his  old  home  in  Xorway  and 
on  his  return  bought  a  store  at  Fir,  which  he  con- 
ducted with  marked  success  until  in  1902  he  sold  his 
stock  and  leased  the  store  to  C.  F.  Treat.  While 
running  the  store  he  continued  dealing  in  real  estate 
at  Sedro-WooUey  and  investing  his  capital  judi- 
ciously. Early  in  1905  he  sold  out  all  his  real  estate 
holdings  except  twenty-five  acres,  which  he  still  re- 
tains as  a  farm  and  home  place. 

In  1891  Mr.  Borseth  married  Miss  Dordi  Fur- 
seth,  a  native  of  Christiansund,  Norway,  born 
February  18,  1867.  Her  parents,  Ole  and  Brit 
(Oien)  Furseth,  yet  reside  on  their  old  Norwegian 
homestead.  Mrs.  Borseth  remained  with  her  par- 
ents until  1890,  when  she  came  to  the  United  States 
with  Mr.  Borseth  on  his  return  to  Skagit  county, 
and  they  were  united  in  marriage  at  Fir.  Of  this 
union  there  are  eight  children,  John  Daniel,  Bertha 
Malinda,  Mabel  Gudrun,  Ole  Alfred,  Marit  Sigfrid, 
Nils  Bernhard,  Clara  Dorthe  and  Gladys  Olina.  In 
fraternal  circles  Mr.  Borseth  is  an  Odd  Fellow, 
being  now  a  past  grand.  The  family  attends  the 
Lutheran  church.  While  Mr.  Borseth  has  been  un- 
usually successful  in  his  speculative  ventures  and 
has  built  up  quite  a  fortune,  he  is  the  last  man  to 
boast  of  his  achievements  or  make  unusual  display 
of  the  same.  On  his  twenty-five  acre  home  he  has 
a  good  dwelling,  furnished  in  a  comfortable  manner 
and  with  every  convenience  afforded.  Among  his 
investments  in  recent  years  are  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  timber  land  in  Oregon.  If  Mr.  Bor- 
seth has  a  hobby  it  may  be  said  to  be  the  advance- 
ment of  the  effectiveness  of  the  schools.  He  has 
served  as  school  director,  giving  his  time  and  energy 
to  increase  their  efficiency.  He  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  having  his  home  school  at  Fir  graded  and 
placed  on  its  present  footing  in  the  schools  of  the 


county.  Mr.  Borseth  is  a  quiet  and  unassuming 
man,  though  one  of  great  energy  and  accomplish- 
ment, and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  factors 
for  progress  and  advancement  in  the  community. 


JOHN  B.  GATES.  Much  that  recalls  times  of 
trouble  for  the  American  Union  is  suggested  by  the 
life  of  the  late  John  B.  Gates,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Skagit  county  and  Whidby  island,  who  died  January 
12,  1905,  after  a  career  full  of  years  of  activity  and 
of  good  deeds.  At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Gates 
resided  on  the  place  he  had  cleared  of  the  virgin 
forest  and  that  is  now  the  home  of  his  widow  and 
those  of  his  children  who  still  surround  her.  Mr. 
Gates  was  a  native  of  Missouri,  born  in  Pike  countv 
on  October  6,  1831.  His  father  was  Abel  Gates,  a 
native  of  Massachusetts  and  a  son  of  Colonel  Gates 
of  Revolutionary  fame.  It  was  in  the  schools  of 
Missouri  that  John  B.  Gates  gained  his  education, 
and  it  was  there  also  that  he  imbibed  the  spirit  of 
loyalty  to  the  cause  of  the  Southern  states  in  their 
great  conflict  with  the  American  Union.  The  year 
1SG2  found  him  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army, 
in  which  he  served  throughout  the  war,  rising  to  a 
sergeancy   in   his   company. 

At  the  close  of  the  conflict  he  returned  to  his 
native  state,  bringing  with  him  a  bride  of  South 
Carolina,  Sarah  Turner,  whom  he  had  married  at 
Hamburg  in  the  Palmetto  state  in  the  closing  days 
of  the  Lost  Cause.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates  resided  in 
Missouri  until  1871,  when  they  came  to  Washing- 
ton and  took  up  a  homestead  near  Mount  Vernon, 
the  place  now  sheltering  Mrs.  Gates  and  on  which 
she  has  had  many  unusual  experiences  incident  to 
pioneer  life  in  a  new  country.  For  five  years  much 
of  Mr.  Gates'  time  was  spent  on  Whidby  island, 
working  for  others,  but  during  that  time  he  cleared 
twenty-three  acres  and  commenced  the  orchard  and 
meadow  land  home  which  was  his  until  death.  Rob- 
ert Turner,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Gates,  was  a  native 
of  Dublin,  Ireland,  coming  to  the  United  States 
with  his  parents  when  eighteen  years  of  age.  The 
Turners  settled  in  Edgefield  county,  South  Caro- 
lina, and  resided  there  until  their  death.  At  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Turner  cast  his  for- 
tunes with  those  of  the  Confederacy  and  during 
the  engagement  resulting  in  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter 
received  a  wound  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died. 
Mrs.  Turner,  the  mother  of  Airs.  Gates,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Wales,  but  came  to  South  Carolina  with  her 
parents  when  a  child.  Mrs.  Gates  was  born  in  South 
Carolina  and  received  her  education  there.  She  was 
twenty-four  years  of  age  when  she  married.  To  the 
union  ten  children  were  born :  John,  Robert,  Ed- 
win, Lamora,  Adaline  and  Dortha.  all  deceased; 
David  and  Henry  A.,  at  home,  and  two  married 
daughters.  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Moore  and  Lillian  M. 
Slosson,    having   homes,    respectively,   near    Mount 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Vernon  and  on  Whidby  island.  The  family  gener- 
ally are  Methodists,  though  David  has  embraced  the 
Catholic  faith.  John  B.  Gates'  widow  is  still  living 
on  the  land  which  her  husband  wrested  from  its  na- 
tive state  to  become  one  of  the  farm  homes  of  the 
Puget  sound  country.  She  vividly  remembers  her 
early  days  on  that  ground,  the  woods  alive  with 
wild  beasts,  and  recalls  with  distinctness  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  many  of  her  domestic  ani- 
mals were  carried  off  under  her  very  eyes  by  the 
bears.  She  has  lived  to  see  the  wilderness  of  trees 
turned  into  human  habitatious.  the  wild  creatures 
disappear,  and  to  note  the  work  done  by  herself  and 
her  husband  in  effecting  the  transformation  from 
forest  to  family  fireside. 


FRANKLIN  BUCK  transplanted  to  the  shores 
of  Puget  sound  the  traditions  of  Bucks  County, 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  hardihood  which  is  given 
the  Pennsylvania  Dutch.  His  present  home  is  three 
miles  southwest  of  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  has 
developed  from  a  homestead  a  fine  farm  of  more 
than  half  a  hundred  acres.  Mr.  Buck  was  born 
in  the  Keystone  state  on  September  5,  1837,  his 
father  being  Henry  Buck,  son  of  the  Buck  of  Penn- 
sylvania who  in  the  years  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion gave  his  name  to  the  famous  county.  Judice 
(Wetcel)  Buck,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  also  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  stock.  She 
gave  the  world  ten  sturdy  children,  of  whom  Frank- 
lin is  seventh  in  order  of  birth.  Franklin  Buck  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  schools  of  Pennsylvania 
and  did  not  leave  the  parental  roof  until  after  he 
had  attained  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  had  be- 
come thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  tobacco  trade. 
He  left  home  then  to  enter  the  government  service 
as  teamster,  in  which  he  continued  for  two  years, 
to  later  re-enter  the  tobacco  trade  in  Chicago  and 
St.  Louis.  After  two  years  in  the  tobacco  business 
Mr.  Buck  decided  to  try  his  fortunes  on  the  Pacific 
coast  and  started  overland  by  ox  team  in  1855 
across  the  plains  on  a  trip  that  consumed  four 
months  before  San  Francisco  was  reached.  Reach- 
ing California  in  the  wake  of  the  "Forty  Niners," 
he  spent  eighteen  months  pursuing  wealth  in  the 
gold  districts  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1856-7.  The 
following  year,  while  in  San  Francisco,  he  learned 
of  the  Puget  sound  country  in  "Old  Oregon"  to 
the  north  of  the  Columbia.  Mr.  Buck's  first  stop 
on  the  sound  was  at  Steilacoom,  where  he  entered 
a  logging  camp  and  remained  "until  18C1.  Tiring  of 
the  life  of  a  logger  he  went  to  the  Snohomish 
river,  where  he  took  a  pre-emption  claim  on  unsur- 
veyed  land,  remaining  there  until  1808.  His  name 
appears  on  the  census  roll  of  that  county  taken  in 
1862.  In  the  year  1868  he  returned  to  his  native 
state,  traveling  via  the  Panama  route,  but  stayed  at 
the  old  home  only  eight  months.     The  spirit  of  the 


West  called  him  and  he  spent  the  summer  of  1869 
in  Kansas.  Puget  sound  drew  him  further  west  the 
following  spring,  when  he  took  up  the  homestead 
which  is  now  his  farm  home. 

Mr.  Buck  married  a  native  of  Skagit  county  and 
to  the  union  there  have  been  ten  children,  all  but 
one  of  whom  are  living:  Martha  Jane  Fellows  and 
Sarah  A.  Church,  of  Qear  Lake;  Emma  A.  Payne, 
of  Mount  Vernon,  and  Mamie,  Dora,  Joseph,  Frank, 
Henry  and  Edward,  living  at  home.  A  married 
daughter,  Elizabeth,  is  dead.  Mr.  Buck  is  a  Re- 
publican and  in  an  early  day  served  as  justice  of 
the  peace  and  county  commissioner  of  Snohomish 
county.  Fraternally,  his  affiliation  is  with  the  Ma- 
sonic order.  His  farm  is  an  illustration  of  what 
may  be  carved  out  of  the  woody  wilderness  of  the 
western  slope  of  the  Cascades,  having  its  dairy,  or- 
chard and  general  sections,  a  typical  Skagit  county 
farmstead.  Mr.  Buck  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of 
his  fellows  as  a  successful  business  man  and  an  ex- 
emplary exponent  of  American  civilization  and 
American  energy. 


GEORGE  J.  HANSON  has  transplanted  the 
ideas  of  Maine  to  the  country  of  Puget  sound,  and 
much  of  the  thrift  of  the  most  easterly  state  in  the 
Union  is  to  be  seen  about  his  place  in  the  country  of 
the  great  gulf  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Much  of  this  is 
the  result  of  the  first  transplanting  of  Maine  tradi- 
tions by  the  father,  James  Hanson,  who  was  born 
in  Ripley  and  lived  there  until  he  came  to  Sno- 
homish county  more  than  twenty  years  ago.  The 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Maine.  George  J.  Hanson  was  born  in 
Maine  in  1860,  and  was  a  lad  of  very  few  years 
when  his  father  entered  the  ranks  of  the  Thirteenth 
Maine  infantry  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  serv- 
ing for  thirteen  months.  The  son  came  with  the 
father  to  Snohomish  county,  and  his  mother,  Mrs. 
Emiline  (Whitney)  Hanson,  resided  with  him  until 
her  death  in  1895.  She  was  the  mother  of  ten  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  living,  namely,  Eliza,  Emma, 
May,  George,  Charles  and  Frank.  For  a  time  after 
coming  to  Snohomish  county  George  J.  Hanson 
joined  with  his  father  in  leasing  a  farm.  At  the 
close  of  that  lease  period  he  took  with  his  brother  a 
similar  lease  and  they  remained  together  until  they 
came  to  Skagit  county  in  1896.  Then  George 
bought  forty  acres,  which  with  one  hundred  and 
twenty  since  purchased  constitutes  the  Hanson  home 
of  the  present  time. 

In  1890  Mr.  Hanson  married  Miss  Lena  Gordon, 
daughter  of  Stephen  and  Nancy  Gordon,  both  na- 
tives of  Maine,  the  former  still  living,  the  latter 
having  passed  away  there  twelve  years  ago.  Mrs. 
Hanson  was  herself  a  native  of  Maine,  born  in 
IST.".  One  child  was  the  fruit  of  this  union,  a  son 
named  Guy.    Mrs.  Hanson  passed  away  in  1895  and 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


seven  years  later  Mr.  Hanson  married  Miss  Anna 
Snook,  a  native  of  Kansas,  the  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Ellen  Snook,  and  one  of  a  family  of  five,  her  brother 
and  sisters  being  Bert  Snook,  Mrs.  Nellie  Dean, 
Mrs.  Rita  Johnson  and  Mrs.  Cora  Dean.  Mrs. 
Hanson's  mother  is  still  living  at  Mount  Vernon. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Han- 
son, Vesta  and  Marie.  The  Hanson  farm  is  well 
improved,  fifty-five  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  being  under  cultivation.  The  house  is  a  mod- 
ern eight-room  structure,  with  all  up-to-date  im- 
provements. On  the  home  place  are  twenty-five 
cows,  forty-three  head  of  stock  cattle,  horses  and 
colts,  hogs  and  other  live  stock.  In  addition  to  this 
place  Mr.  Hanson  operates  rented  land,  raising 
about  three  thousand  sacks  of  oats  per  year  in 
Skagit  county.  He  is  the  inventor  of  a  dike-build- 
ing machine  with  which  he  has  built  one  hundred 
and  fifty  rods  of  dike  on  his  own  property.  He  is 
a  raiser  of  hay  and  has  baled  more  of  that  com- 
modity than  any  other  man  on  Snohomish  county 
land,  in  one  year  having  put  up  as  many  as  two 
thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  tons.  In  all 
the  years  since  he  left  his  native  state  Mr.  Hanson 
has  lost  none  of  the  Maine  idea  of  public  spirit. 
With  all  the  weight  of  management  of  his  affairs  he 
does  not  forget  his  duty  to  the  community  at  large, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  public  spirited  citizens  in  the 
Skagit  valley.  He  is  one  of  the  reliable  men  of  the 
community  and  is  large  hearted  and  liberal  in  his 
dealings  with  his  fellow  men.  In  politics  he  is  an 
advocate  of  Republican  principles. 


WALTER  S.  BURTON,  one  of  the  active  busi- 
ness men  of  Burlington,  was  born  in  Lapeer  county, 
Michigan,  October  Ifi,  1870,  the  son  of  Esquire  D. 
Burton,  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army  and  now  a 
resident  of  Skagit  county.  The  elder  Burton  is  a 
native  of  New  York,  but  had  gone  to  Michigan  be- 
fore the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war.  Responding 
to  Lincoln's  call  for  volunteers,  young  Burton  en- 
listed in  the  Eighth  Michigan  infantry  and  saw 
some  rough  service  while  his  regiment  was  with 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  General  McClellan, 
and  in  later  campaigns.  Notwithstanding  his  many 
exposures,  chief  of  which  was  when  the  Eighth 
Michigan  was  badly  cut  up  at  Bull  Run,  Mr.  Burton 
was  never  wounded.  After  the  war  Mr.  Burton 
returned  to  Michigan  and  remained  there  until  1876, 
when  he  moved  to  New  York  and  was  there  until 
February,  1882,  when  he  crossed  the  continent, 
going  first  to  San  Francisco  and  thence  coming  to 
Skagit  county,  where  in  August  he  located  at  Mount 
Vernon  and  engaged  in  market  gardening.  He 
later  took  up  land  at  Avon,  but  is  now  residing  on 
land  of  which  he  has  a  life  lease  from  his  son,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  The  elder  Burton's  first  wife 
was  Svlvia  Burton,  the  mother  of  one  child,  WaltCi 


S.  She  departed  this  life  in  1872,  and  the  husband 
remarried.  Walter  S.  Burton  was  only  twelve  years 
of  age  when  he  began  life  for  himself,  working  m 
California  for  a  few  months  prior  to  his  arrival  with 
his  father  in  Washington.  His  first  work  in  Skagit 
count}',  as  a  mere  boy,  was  greasing  skids  for  log- 
gers below  Mount  Vernon.  He  "logged"  on  the 
site  of  Burlington  before  there  was  any  settlement, 
and  the  trees  were  thick  upon  the  land.  He  fol- 
lowed the  woods  and  timber  until  he  was  nineteen 
years  old,  attending  school  whenever  he  had  the 
chance.  His  first  venture  in  business  for  himself 
was  the  purchase  of  a  hay  baling  outfit,  which  he 
successfully  operated  on  the  Olympic  marsh  for 
twelve  seasons,  during  which  he  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  seventeen  acres  of  land  on  the  marsh. 
About  this  period  Mr.  Burton  erected  the  first  build- 
mg  in  Burlington,  in  which  for  a  year  he  operated 
a  general  mercantile  business  whicii  he  later  sold 
to  Thomas  -Wilson,  now  of  Anacortes,  returning 
to  his  farm.  During  the  days  of  his  connection 
with  logging,  Mr.  Burton  worked  for  such  well- 
known  men  as  William  Gage,  Ball  &  Barlow  and 
William  McKay.  He  was  one  of  the  stockholders  in 
the  Burlington  shingle  mill  and  for  three  years  sup- 
plied it  with  bohs.  Early  in  1905  Mr.  Burton 
formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Knutzen  and  opened 
the  City  meat  market  in  Burlington,  since  which 
time  he  has  purchased  the  entire  business  and  has 
also  become  interested  in  the  Burlington  electric 
light  plant,  of  which  he  is  a  trustee. 

In  1899  Mr.  Burton  married  Miss  Sarah  M. 
Ward,  born  in  Hartland,  Niagara  county,  New 
York,  in  1881,  June  3,  the  daughter  of  Jabez  and 
Mary  J.  (Vanorman)  Ward,  both  of  whom  were 
of  English  descent.  Mr.  Burton  is  one  of  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  while 
Mrs.  Burton  is  a  member  of  the  ladies'  auxiliaries 
to  those  orders,  being  secretary  of  the  Rebekahs 
and  record  keeper  in  the  Maccabees.  In  politics 
Mr.  Burton  is  a  Republican.  In  addition  to  his  meat 
business  Mr.  Burton  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  acres  three-quarters  of  a  mile  west 
of  Burlington. 


SANDS  C.  PETTIT  is  one  of  the  successful 
contractors  and  builders  of  Burlington.  He  was 
born  in  Orleans  county,  New  York,  September  21, 
1855,  the  family  name  being  one  well  known  in  that 
part  of  the  Empire  state.  His  father  was  Charles 
P.  Pettit,  born  in  New  York  in  1818.  The  father 
went  to  New  York  city  when  a  young  man  and  con- 
ducted a  successful  business  as  a  commission  mer- 
chant, later  going  to  Orleans  county,  and  in  1867  to 
Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  until 
his  death  in  1897.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
(Schofield)  Pettit,  a  cousin  of  Major  General  J.  M. 
Schofield,   was  born  in   New   York  city  June   16, 


BIOGRx\PHICAL 


1831.  She  was  the  mother  of  three  children,  two 
of  whom  are  hving.  She  died  June  14,  1885. 
Young  Pettit,  at  sixteen,  began  to  learn  the  car- 
penter's trade,  working  in  the  summer  and  attend- 
ing school  during  the  winter.  He  was  graduated 
when  eighteen  from  the  state  normal  school  at  Lake 
City,  Minnesota,  and  a  few  months  later  completed 
a  business  course  at  the  Minneapolis  Commercial 
college.  Leaving  school  he  worked  a  short  time  at 
his  trade,  then  went  to  Dexter,  Minnesota,  where 
he  opened  a  grocery  and  drug  store.  He  also  con- 
ducted a  lumber  and  wheat  buying  business  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Alexander  Stewart,  who  is  now 
president  of  the  Monarch  Elevator  Company.  He 
continued  in  this  business  three  years,  when  he  dis- 
posed of  his  interests  and  went  to  Australia.  After 
remaining  almost  a  year,  he  returned  to  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  then  went  to  Eureka,  where  he  stayed  a  year 
and  a  half;  then  moved  to  Seattle  and  secured 
three  building  contracts,  upon  which  he  was  en- 
gaged six  months.  He  was  afterward  in  La  Conner 
for  five  months,  and  has  resided  in  this  county  con- 
tinuously since  that  time,  with  the  exception  of 
about  sixtv  davs,  in  1S98,  while  on  a  trip  to  the 
East. 

Mr.  Pettit  was  married  October  2,  18T6,  to  Miss 
Mary  Arnold,  who  was  born  June  16,  1857,  and 
who  died  December  27,  1886.  She  was  a  graduate 
of  the  Minnesota  Normal  school,  and  taught  in  sev- 
eral schools  of  that  state.  Her  parents,  J.  Wesley 
and  Harriet  (Hyde)  Arnold,  both  were  natives  of 
Ohio,  the  father  born  in  1825,  the  mother  ten  years 
later.  Mr.  Arnold,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  died  in 
1902  in  Minnesota,  where  Mrs.  Arnold  still  lives. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pettit  have  two  children.  Lee,  the 
elder,  was  born  June  -i,  1875.  He  graduated  at 
Carlton  college  at  Northfield,  Minnesota,,  and  now 
is  studying  law  at  Pasadena,  California.  Charles 
Wesley  was  born  October  27^  1877.  When  sixteen 
he  graduated  from  the  state  normal,  at  seventeen 
from  the  state  university,  and  a  few  months  later 
from  Carleton  college.  He  received  his  diploma 
from  the  Minnesota  State  Medical  college  in  1902 
and  now  is  practicing  medicine  in  Minneapolis.  In 
1892  Mr.  Pettit  purchased  eighty  acres  of  timber 
land  on  San  Juan  island,  which  he  has  leased  to 
A.  C.  Brown.  S.  C.  Pettit  has  made  Burlington 
his  home  for  ten  years.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason, 
being  a  member  of  Spring  Valley  lodge,  No.  57, 
North  Star  chapter,  at  Chatfield,  Minnesota.  He  is 
a  staunch  Republican  and  in  Minnesota  held  the 
offices  of  county  assessor  and  county  commissioner. 
He  is  a  man  of  genial  disposition  and  sound  judg- 
ment, popular  with  all  who  know  him. 


DAVID  KOCH,  millwright  and  carpenter  as 
well  as  successful  small  farmer,  is  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  the  city  of  Burlington.     He  was  born  in 


Stark  county,  Ohio,  March  22,  1835,  and  resided 
there  until  he  reached  his  majority.  He  was  the 
son  of  John  and  Mary  (Buchtel)  Koch,  natives  of 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1792  and 
1795  respectively.  The  father  in  early  life  removed 
to  Ohio  and  in  1847  to  Indiana,  where  he  died  in 
is;4.  Mr.  Koch,  his  wife,  died  in  1865,  the  mother 
of  twelve  children,  of  whom  David  was  the  tenth. 
When  he  readied  the  age  of  twenty-one  David  Koch 
selected  the  trade  of  millwright  and  apprenticed 
himself,  receiving  fifty  dollars  a  year  for  the  two 
years  of  his  service.  He  followed' this  calling  until 
the  Civil  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  D  of 
the  Twenty-third  Missouri  infantry,  under  Captain 
Robertson.  His  first  fight  was  at  Shiloh,  where  he 
was  captured  by  the  Confederates;  he  was  released 
on  parole  and  exchanged  after  six  months.  He  im- 
mediately returned  to  his  command.  Young  Koch 
fought  bravely  at  Iron  Mountain  and  at  Rawley,  his 
regiment  later  being  joined  to  General  Sherman's 
corps,  participating  in  the  operations  around  At- 
lanta and  in  the  famous  march  to  the  sea.  He  was 
in  twelve  of  the  hardest  fights  connected  with  the 
siege  of  Atlanta.  His  last  battle  was  at  Jonesboro, 
and  he  was  mustered  out  at  Savannah,  Georgia,  De- 
cember 30,  1864.  He  returned  to  Missouri  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  resumed  his  trade  and  followed  it 
for  twelve  years.  He  then  went  to  Hastings,  Neb- 
raska, where  he  resided  thirteen  years,  leaving  there 
for  the  state  of  Washington.  On  his  arrival  at 
Burlington  he  found  it  to  be  "merely  a  hole  in  the 
woods,"  as  he  expresses  it.  He  took  a  pre-emption 
clami  and  relinquished  it  to  his  son,  later  taking  a 
homestead  in  the  vicinity  of  Burlington,  which  he 
still  retains,  having  cleared  a  small  part  of  it.  A 
five  acre  tract  and  one  of  twenty  acres  also  are 
among  the  holdings  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Koch.  Mrs. 
Koch  owns  the  five  acre  place,  which  she  paid  for 
by  the  earnings  of  two  cows,  purchased  in  1893. 

Mr.  Koch  married  Miss  Sarah  Garl  April  1, 
1860.  She  was  born  in  November,  1842,  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Sarah  (Buchtel)  Garl,  natives  of 
Summit  County,  Ohio.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Koch 
have  been  born  six  children,  of  whom  four  are  liv- 
ing, John  B.  Koch,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Cressey,  Abra- 
ham A.  Koch  and  Mrs.  Rose  E.  Hamilton.  Mr. 
Koch  is  a  member  of  W.  T.  Sherman  post.  No.  97, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  at  Sedro-Woolley. 
He  is  a  Republican  and  served  in  the  first  city  coun- 
cil of  Burlington.  Mrs.  Koch  is  a  Congregation- 
alist.  There  are  nine  head  of  Jersey  and  Holstein 
cattle  in  the  Koch  dairy  and  White  Wyandotte  and 
Leghorn  chickens  are  raised.  Mrs.  Koch  is  a  lover 
of  flowers  and  has  a  great  variety  of  beautiful  ones 
in  her  garden.  She  has  a  dozen  varieties  of  cactus, 
some  of  them  of  giant  size.  The  flower  beds  at  this 
home  have  a  reputation  which  extends  all  over 
Skagit  countv.     Mr.   Koch's   life  record  is  one  of 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


which  any  man  may  be  proud — a  rich  legacy  to  his 
posterity. 


THOMAS  SHAUGHNESSY,  of  Burlington, 
was  b'orn  in  Tipperary,  Ireland,  November  11,  18-15, 
one  of  the  two  children  of  Michael  Shaughnessy 
and  Annie  (Burke)  Shaughnessy.  Of  his  parents 
Mv.  Shaughnessy  has  little  record,  he  having  left 
home  at  the  age  of  ten  years  to  find  support  for 
himself.  For  five  years  the  lad  made  his  living  by 
doing  odd  jobs  in  different  parts  of  his  native  isle. 
In  18G0  he  set  out  for  Liverpool,  England,  where 
he  worked  for  about  two  years,  leaving  for  New 
York  in  1862.  The  young  man  was  anxious  to  see 
the  world,  preferring  not  to  remain  in  one  place, 
so  alternately  traveling  and  earning  his  livelihood, 
he  passed  the  years  until  1880  in  different  parts  of 
the  Southern  and  Western  states,  arriving  in  the 
Pacific  Northwest  in  that  year.  _  For  seven  years  he 
followed  railroad  work  in  British  Columbia,  and 
then  made  his  headquarters  in  Seattle.  It  was  about 
this  time  that  a  big  development  boom  was  on  at 
Anacortes,  and  thither  Mr.  Shaughnessy  went  and 
remained  until  1891,  but  did  not  lose  any  money  in 
the  speculations.  He  was  the  representative  of  the 
Oregon  Improvement  Company  for  a  time.  After 
leaving  Anacortes  Mr.  Shaughnessy  took  the  con- 
tract for  clearing  the  timber  from  the  town  site  of 
Burlington.  There  were  only  three  houses  there 
when  he  commenced  operations.  When  his  con- 
tract was  completed  he  decided  to  remain  in  Bur- 
lington and  embarked  in  the  meat  business,  opening 
a  market  there  and  continuing  to  run  it  for  several 
months.  He  then  took  up  the  liquor  trade  and 
opened  the  World's  Fair  saloon,  which  he  has  con- 
ducted until  the  present  time.  Fle  has  been  away 
from  Burlington  for  an  extended  stay  but  twice 
since  he  located  there.  In  1903  he  made  a  trip  to 
Ireland,  remaining  three  months  on  his  native 
island.  A  year  later  he  crossed  the  continent  to 
Fall  River,  Massachusetts,  where  he  visited  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  ?\Iary  -V.  Murtagh,  in  her  home 
there.  Mr.  Shaughnessy  is  a  member  of  the  For- 
esters of  America.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and 
of  the  type  which  has  never  held  or  desired  public 
office ;  in  religious  faith  he  is  a  Catholic.  During 
his  residence  in  Burlington  Mr.  Shaughnessy  has 
accumulated  valuable  property,  including  five  acres 
of  land  a  half  mile  southeast  of  the  town,  his  saloon 
property,  a  hotel  and  two  store  buildings.  The  suc- 
cess that  has  come  to  him  is  evidence  of  his  ability 
as  a  business  man,  and  of  the  possession  of  other 
traits  of  character  necessary  in  anyone  who  success- 
fully courts  prosperity. 


JAMES  M.  NORRIS,  after  a  number  of  years 
of   construction    work    in    connection    with   the    es- 


tablishment of  two  of  the  transcontinental  railway 
systems,  has  settled  down  to  the  life  of  a  farmer  on 
the  outskirts  of  Burlington.  He  was  born  near 
Belleville,  Hastings  county,  Ontario,  September  29, 
181)1.  His  father  was  a  native  of  New  Foundland, 
born  in  1821.  Matthew  Norris  spent  many  years  of 
his  early  life  as  a  sailor  on  the  great  lakes,  but 
eventually  settled  down  in  the  province  of  Ontario, 
where  he  died  in  1885.  His  wife,  Rhoda  (Freder- 
ick) Norris,  was  born  in  Ontario  in  1825,  where  she 
is  still  living.  She  is  the  mother  of  ten  children,  of 
whom  James  M.  is  the  youngest.  Young  Norris 
left  home  when  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age  and 
engaged  in  the  work  of  constructing  snowsheds  for 
the  Canadian  Pacific  railway.  This  work  ultimately 
brought  him  to  Donald,  British  Columbia,  where  he 
br.ilt  warehouses  and  helped  put  up  snowsheds  in 
the  Selkirk  mountains.  The  fall  of  1881!  found  him 
in  Ashland,  Wisconsin,  where  he  went  to  work  for 
the  Lake  Shore  railroad.  He  continued  with  this 
company  until  the  following  July,  when  he  engaged 
with  another  road,  with  which  company  he  had 
charge  of  the  construction  of  bridges  for  more  than 
a  }ear.  Mr.  Norris  then  spent  some  time  at  Esca- 
naba,  Michigan,  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago,  Mil- 
waukee &  St.  Paul  road.  A  few  months  later  he 
went  to  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  and  there  engaged 
himself  to  the  Great  Northern  road,  the  scene  of 
his  operations  being  at  Minot,  North  Dakota.  He 
was  transferred  to  Teton,  Montana,  and  remained 
with  the  Great  Northern  for  two  years.  A  little 
later  he  was  in  Spokane,  Washington,  and  assisted 
in  the  erection  of  the  Auditorium  theater,  at  that 
time  the  largest  structure  in  that  city.  He  next 
went  to  Portland,  Oregon,  and  after  a  short  time 
to  Seattle,  where  he  made  his  headquarters  for  a 
number  of  months,  during  which  he  was  connected 
with  the  San  Francisco  Bridge  Company.  He  then 
came  to  Skagit  county  and  Burlington,  where  he 
bought  five  acres  of  land  which  to-day  constitute  a 
part  of  his  home  farm.  He  worked  for  a  time  for 
the  Great  Northern  on  the  portion  of  the  road  be- 
tween Everett  and  Spokane.  Mr.  Norris  was  at- 
tacked by  the  Alaskan  fever  and  put  in  two  and  a 
half  years  there,  doing  fairly  well.  In  the  days  of 
1896,  when  Rossland,  British  Columbia,  was  boom- 
ing, Mr.  Norris  went  there  and  engaged  in  timber- 
ing the  property  of  the  C.  &  K.  Mining  Company. 
Upon  the  completion  of  that  work,  he  spent  some 
time  in  the  Cariboo  mining  country,  returning 
home  to  Burlington  in  1900.  He  made  a  purchase 
of  land  adjoining  his  former  holding  and  has  now 
forty-five  acres  of  cleared  land,  with  five  acres  of 
orchard  and  considerable  meadow.  Mr.  Norris 
does  a  dairying  business,  thirty-five  head  of  Dur- 
ham cattle  constituting  his  present  supply.  He  has 
horses  and  raises  pigs,  also  paying  attention  to  poul- 
try, having  black  Minorcas  and  buff"  Leghorns  in 
his  chicken  yards. 


m 


KVNDER   D.   FRASEU 


WILIJAM   H.   ITALPIN 


JOHN  LEWI 


THOMAS  D.  THORNE,  D.  D.  WOODBURY  J.  THORNE       MRS.  ADEEIA  I.ATHROP  THORNE 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Xovember  19.  1884,  Mr.  Norris  married  Miss 
Marv  A.  Stewart,  a  native  of  the  province  of  On- 
tario. Her  father.  Alexander  Stewart,  died  during 
the  year  of  her  birth.  1863.  Mrs.  Eliza  (Crosby) 
Stewart  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  Decem- 
ber 26,  1836,  but  in  childhood  went  to  Ontario, 
where  she  still  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norris  have 
si.x  children :  Murny  E.,  Grace  B.,  Stewart  M., 
Pearl  R.,  Guy  J.  and  Ross  H.  Mrs.  Norris  is  a 
member  of  the  Ladies  of  the  Maccabees  and  of  the 
Rebekahs.  Mr.  Norris  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  The 
family  is  affiliated  with  the  Presbyterian  church. 
The  Norris  home  is  one  of  the  pleasant  ones  of 
Skagit  county,  having  all  modern  conveniences  to 
he  seen  in  any  suburban  farmhouse.  Mr.  Norris  is 
making  a  success  of  life  and  is  well  esteemed  by  all 
his  associates. 


WILLIAjM  henry  HARRISON  CRESSEY 
was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  April  30, 
1839.  His  parents,  William  and  Jane  (Borman) 
Cressey,  were  natives  of  Lincolnshire,  England, 
who  came  to  the  L^nited  States  within  two  years 
rfter  the  downfall  of  Napoleon  at  Waterloo.  By 
occupation  the  older  Cressev  was  a  pattern  and 
model  maker  in  iron  foundries.  After  a  short  stay 
in  New  Jersey  he  moved  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
had  the  distinction  of  introducing  into  this  country 
through  his  employers,  Morris  &  Tasker,  the  use 
of  the  small  pipes  so  familiar  at  the  present  time 
for  conveying  gas  for  the  purposes  of  illumination. 
The  idea  he  had  brought  from  England,  and  he  in- 
troduced it  while  he  was  constructing  the  first  fur- 
naces for  the  manufacture  of  gas  in  Philadelphia. 
The  first  gas  system  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  was  in- 
stalled by  him.  During  the  Kansas  excitement  Mr. 
Cressey  went  to  that  state  and  he  resided  for  a  time 
at  Lawrence,  but  left  there  just  before  the  raid  of 
the  famous  guerrilla  leader  and  bandit,  Quantrell. 
He  returned  to  Lawrence  in  1868  and  died  there  a 
few  months  later.  The  Cresseys  are  an  ancient  fam- 
ily in  Lincolnshire,  tracing  their  ancestry  for  two 
and  a  half  centuries  in  English  history.  Mrs.  Jane 
Cressey  died  in  1861.  Nine  children  were  born  to 
this  couple,  of  whom  the  living  at  present  are  Mrs. 
Rachel  P.  Mills  of  Philadelphia,  George  G.  Cres- 
sey of  Philadelphia,  and  William  H.  H.  Cressey  of 
Burlington,  Washington. 

William  H.  H.  Cressey,  of  whom  this  is  written, 
followed  the  movings  of  his  parents  while  a  youth, 
going  to  school  and  working  in  the  foundries.  He 
also  accompanied  his  father  to  Kansas.  In  1860, 
when  twenty  years  old  and  a  resident  of  the  Quaker 
city,  he  heard  the  first  call  of  Lincoln  for  volun- 
teers, and  less  than  two  days  after  he  had  entered 
the  ranks  of  the  Twentieth  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
sometimes  known  as  the  "Scott  Legion."    A  month 


later  the  command,  under  General  Paterson,  was  in 
Virginia,  a  part  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  His 
baptism  of  fire  came  at  Falling  Waters,  the  scene  of 
the  first  fight  of  the  war  on  the  soil  of  the  Old  Do- 
minion. At  the  close  of  his  two-year  enlistment 
young  Cressey  was  mustered  out  and  at  once  re- 
turned to  the  iron  works  of  Morris  &  Tasker,  with 
whom  he  continued  fifteen  years.  In  the  course  of 
the  years  which  followed  Mr.  Cressey  worked  at 
his  trade  in  the  railroad  shops  at  Pittsburg  and  Al- 
toona,  Pennsylvania.  He  came  west  in  1890  and 
settled  in  Skagit  county,  living  for  one  year  at  Ana- 
cortes.  He  later  bought  land  a  mile  southeast  of 
Burlington,  upon  which,  with  the  help  of  his  sons, 
he  cleared  at  first  enough  for  his  home,  and  after 
moving  upon  it  he  cleared  enough  more  to  permit 
the  keeping  of  a  small  dairy.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  his  dairy  and  stock  raising  enterprises,  now 
grown  to  handsome  proportions.  He  furnishes 
cream  to  the  creamery  company. 

In  1865  Mr.  Cressey  married  in  Philadelphia 
Miss  Rachel  P.  Walton,  daughter  of  Amos  H.  and 
Sarah  (Whartnaby)  Walton.  The  Walton  family 
was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Philadelphia.  It 
located  originally  at  Beybrey,  and  has  since  been 
prominent  in  that  part  of  the  state,  Harry  Walton, 
at  the  time  of  this  writing,  being  speaker  of  the 
lower  house  of  the  Pennsylvania  legislature.  Nine 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cressey: 
Robert  S.  Y.,  George  G.  and  William,  all  of  whom 
reside  near  their  father  in  Skagit  county;  Lewis  W., 
living  at  Marysville,  Snohomish  county;  and  Madge 
F.  and  Victor  Hugo,  living  on  the  home  farm.  Of 
the  deceased  children,  B.  C.  True  Cressey  died  at 
Newark,  Ohio,  of  yellow  fever  contracted  during 
his  service  with  the  Twentieth  United  States  In- 
fantry in  Cuba,  where  the  young  man  participated 
in  the  battles  of  El  Caney  and  Santiago.  Mr.  Cres- 
sey is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public and  has  served  as  commander  of  D.  A.  Rus- 
sell Post,  No.  35.  at  Mount  Vernon;  also  has  the 
distinction  of  having  been  a  Blue  Lodge  Mason  for 
forty  years.  In  politics  Mr.  Cressey  is  an  active 
Republican.  He  has  served  his  party  as  central 
committeeman,  but  has  done  more  for  his  friends 
in  a  political  way  than  for  himself.  He  served  as 
assistant  superintendent  of  the  Baker  lake  govern- 
ment fish  hatchery,  holding  this  position  three 
years.  As  might  be  expected  of  a  man  who  has 
had  such  varied  experiences  in  life,  Mr.  Cressey 
is  well  posted  on  all  current  questions,  keeping 
abreast  of  the  times  in  everything  useful.  Since 
leaving  the  iron  trade  he  has  devoted  his  study  to 
stock  raising  and  dairying,  and  his  sons,  residing  on 
their  own  farms,  have  the  benefit  of  his  advice  and 
experience.  Mr.  Cressey,  a  man  full  of  years  and 
honor,  occupies  a  large  place  in  the  esteem  of  those 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


SKAGIT  COUNTY 


ALEXANDER  D.  FRASER.  Among  those 
who  have  witnessed  the  wonderful  transformations 
wrought  in  Skagit  county  in  the  last  twenty-five 
years  stands  he  whose  name  initiates  this  biography. 
He  was  born  in  Pictou  county,  Nova  Scotia,  May 
2,  1861,  the  son  of  John  and  Ellen  Fraser,  both 
natives  of  Glasgow,  Scotland.  The  father  was  born 
in  1819,  becoming  a  resident  of  the  United  States 
in  early  life.  His  death  occurred  here  in  1904,  that 
of  his  wife,  some  nine  years  previous,  in  1895.  The 
fourth  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  Alexander  D. 
Fraser  relieved  his  parents  of  his  support  when  but 
fourteen  years  of  age,  hiring  out  to  a  saw-mill  com- 
pany for  three  years,  then  teaming  for  a  railroad 
the  following  two  years.  Returning  to  his  old  home, 
he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  in  a 
blacksmith  shop,  becoming  a  partner  in  the  business 
at  the  expiration  of  that  time.  Six  months  later 
he  sold  out  his  interest,  going  to  Charlottetown,  on 
Prince  Edward  island,  where  he  did  teaming  for  a 
brick  manufacturer.  Influenced  by  the  accounts  of 
the  wonderful  mineral  deposits  of  California,  he 
went  there  later,  locating  in  Sierra  county.  Three 
months  of  mining  having  satisfied  him  that  his  trade 
yielded  a  more  certain  income,  he  moved  to  Nevada 
county  and  was  employed  at  blacksmithing  for  the 
next  four  years.  In  1880  he  went  to  Seattle,  then 
a  town  of  less  than  three  thousand  inhabitants,  re- 
maining during  the  summer.  Spending  the  follow- 
ing eighteen  months  in  San  Francisco,  he  then  came 
to  La  Conner,  hiring  out  on  a  ranch  for  five  years. 
He  and  his  employer,  T.  Nelson  Ovenell,  having 
formed  a  partnership,  they  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  timber  and  marsh  situated  one 
mile  north  of  Burlington.  The  nearest  road  being 
two  miles  from  the  ranch,  it  was  impossible  to  drive 
a  team  on  it.  When  at  last  a  road  had  been  built 
to  the  ranch,  it  was  necessary  for  the  horses  to 
wear  "tule"  shoes  to  keep  them  from  sinking  in  the 
mire.  Dissolving  the  partnership  in  1897,  Mr. 
Fraser  continued  the  work  of  draining  and  clearing 
his  farm,  now  having  eighty  acres  in  cultivation. 
He  has  built  a  neat,  convenient  seven-room  house, 
a  barn  seventy-six  by  twenty  feet,  and  a  granary 
and  workshop,  each  forty  by  twenty  feet. 

Mr.  Fraser  was  married  May  3,  1894,  to  Altha 
Scott,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  as  were  her  parents, 
Albert  H.  and  Eliza  (Prather)  Scott,  who  came  to 
Washington  in  1880  and  are  now  living  in  La  Con- 
ner. Two  children  have  brightened  the  home  of 
Mr.  and  Airs.  Fraser :  Alice  Rosina,  born  February 
28,  1895,  and  Bessie,  born  May  2,  1897.  Mr.  Fraser 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Maccabee  fraternity; 
his  wife  is  actively  identified  with  the  Order  of 
Pendo.  Both  regularly  attend  the  Methodist 
church,  contributing  liberally  to  its  support.  Mr. 
Fraser  is  a  Republican,  has  held  the  office  of  road 
supervisor,  and  was  for  some  time  a  member  of  the 
school  board,  there  manifesting  his  deep  interest  in 


the  educational  affairs  of  the  community.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  business  undertakings, 
owning,  in  addition  to  his  fine  farm,  a  house  and 
twelve  lots  in  Burlington,  where  he  now  resides, 
having  sold  his  stock  and  rented  his  farm.  Decem- 
ber 23,  1905,  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the 
business  of  the  Burlington  Mercantile-Grocery  Com- 
pany, to  which  he  is  now  directing  his  attention. 
Inheriting  the  ability  and  force  of  character  pos- 
sessed by  his  Scotch  ancestry  in  such  a  marked  de- 
gree, Mr.  Fraser  is  a  man  of  influence  in  his  com- 
munity and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the 
entire  countv. 


JOHN  LEWIS,  farmer,  three  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  respected  and  es- 
teemed young  men  of  the  community.  He  is  the 
son  of  one  of  the  pioneers  of  .Skagit  county,  and 
though  not  a  native,  is  in  reality  a  product  of  this 
section  of  the  sound  country.  Here  he  received  his 
education  and  here  he  is  making  a  home  for  him- 
self and  a  reputation  for  probity  and  forcefulness. 
Mr.  Lewis  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  January  11, 
1874.  His  father,  the  late  John  T.  Lewis,  was  a 
native  of  Wales,  born  August  16,  1819 ;  he  re- 
mained in  that  country  until  he  was  married,  then, 
in  ISGO,  came  to  the  United  States,  eventually  Ich 
eating  in  Pennsylvania.  He  came  to  Washington 
in  the  fall  of  1877  and  settled  at  Seahome,  What- 
com county,  where  he  worked  in  the  coal  mines  for 
three  months.  Coming  then  to  the  Samish  flats, 
he  rented  a  place  of  his  brother,  taking  up  the 
present  home  of  his  sons,  Alfred  and  John,  in  1879. 
It  was  then  a  wilderness,  Mrs.  Lewis  being  one  of 
the  first  white  women  in  that  part  of  the  county. 
Seven  years  were  spent  here  by  the  elder  Lewis, 
then  he  returned  east,  and  he  died  in  New  York 
four  years  later.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs. 
Mary  T.  (Daniels)  Lewis,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  Wales,  died  in  Skagit  county  February  2,  1900, 
aged  seventy  years,  three  months  and  five  days.  Of 
her  children,  Alfred  is  the  fifth  and  John  the  young- 
est. The  others  are  Ann,  wife  of  David  Richards, 
born  in  Wales  and  now  living  in  South  Africa ;  Mrs. 
Elvira  Thomas,  who  died  in  Pennsylvania;  John 
D.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  in  Penn- 
sylvania ;  David  T.,  living  in  New  York ;  Mrs. 
Emma  Lynch  of  Seattle;  Lewis,  living  at  Sylvana, 
Snohomish  county ;    William,  living  in  Seattle. 

John  Lewis  received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Skagit  county,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since  he 
was  three  years  old.  When  he  was  thirteen  he  went 
to  work  in  the  logging  camps  and  he  continued  to 
work  in  the  woods  until  1895,  when  he  began  farm- 
ing in  company  with  his  brother,  Alfred.  They 
have  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  thirty-five  of  which 
are  under  cultivation.  On  the  home  farm  are  raised 
cattle  and  sheep ;    it  is  also  well  stocked  with  work 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


horses.  The  Lewises  are  developing  their  place 
into  one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  country.  Being 
of  pioneer  ancestry  and  possessing  high  intellectual 
and  moral  qualifications,  they  are  well  equipped  for 
success  in  this  rich  field  of  endeavor.  The  future 
is  full  of  promise  for  them.  By  their  fellow-citi- 
zens they  have  long  been  classed  with  the  reliable 
and  substantial  members  of  the  community.  Ready 
ever  to  bear  his  share  of  the  public  burdens,  the 
subject  of  this  review  is  now  discharging  with 
faithfulness  the  duties  of  the  unremunerative  and 
often  thankless  office  of  school  director.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  political  faith. 


WILLIAM  H.  HALPIN,  a  resident  of  Wash- 
ington for  the  past  twenty-five  years,  now  engaged 
in  farming  near  Campbell  lake,  was  born  in  Wilkes- 
barre,  Pennsylvania,  June  23,  1842.  His  father. 
Patrick  D.  Halpin,  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  1818, 
emigrated  to  America  in  early  life,  and  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Mexican  War.  His  death  occurred  in 
1858.  The  maternal  ancestor  was  Eunice  P. 
(Woolley)  Halpin,  born  in  New  York,  December 
1.  1814.  After  a  long,  useful  life  she  died  in  1898 
The  oldest  of  a  family  of  four  children,  William  H. 
Halpin  began  his  career  at  the  early  age  of  twelve 
years,  working  on  a  farm,  and  in  the  meantime,  by 
diligent  improvement  of  every  opportunity,  secur- 
ing his  education  during  the  winter  months.  Six 
years  later  he  ran  a  "Yankee"  huckster  wagon,  his 
first  business  venture.  Having  learned  the  cooper's 
trade  later,  he  worked  at  that  three  years,  going 
then  to  Virginia  City,  Montana,  in  the  spring  of 
1865,  where  he  spent  two  years  in  the  mines.  Not 
as  successful  in  finding  a  fortune  in  the  mines  as 
he  had  hoped  to  be,  he  turned  his  attention  to  ranch- 
ing on  the  Jefiferson  river,  and  raised  cattle  for 
some  time.  He  next  located  in  Helena,  devoting 
his  time  to  market  gardening.  Going  by  boat  from 
Fort  Benton  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  he  proceeded  to 
Lamars,  Iowa,  and  established  the  Northwestern 
nursery.  The  destructive  grasshoppers  that  in- 
fested that  region  during  the  summer  and  the  se- 
vere weather  of  the  following  winter  caused  him  to 
fail  in  this  enterprise  and  return  to  gardening. 
Lured  by  the  tales  of  the  wonderful  fertility  of  the 
land  of  the  Northwest,  he  sailed  for  Puget  sound 
from  San  Francisco.  After  a  short  residence  on 
Fidalgo  bay,  he  settled  near  Seattle,  but  soon  re- 
turned to  Fidalgo,  taking  up  a  homestead  which  he 
sold  at  the  opportune  time  during  the  boom.  For 
three  years  he  was  in  business  at  Deception,  now 
known  as  Dewey.  He  purchased  fifteen  acres, 
property  which  he  still  owns,  and  at  once  began 
clearing  it.  He  has  it  now  in  fine  shape,  with  a 
three-acre  orchard  that  yields  him  a  substantial  re- 
turn each  season.     His   farm  is  well  stocked  with 


Holstein  and  Jersey  cattle  and  a  large  band  of  fine 
sheep. 

Mr.  Halpin  and  Hannah  R.  Seid  were  married 
at  Des  Moines,  in  1876.  A  native  of  Germany,  Mrs. 
Halpin  came  with  her  parents  to  Iowa  at  the  age 
of  fifteen.  Her  father,  William  F.  Seid,  met  his 
death  by  falling  down  a  coal  shaft  in  his  own  mine 
in  Iowa.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halpin  have  two  children : 
William  S.  and  Ida  R.,  both  born  in  Iowa  and 
now  at  home.  Mr.  Halpin  is  a  well-known  Repub- 
lican, though  he  has  never  sought  office.  He  is 
deeply  interested  in  the  educational  affairs  of  the 
community,  and  he  has  served  on  the  school  board, 
advocating  progressive  ideas.  He  and  his  family 
attend  the  Methodist  church.  His  genial  nature 
and  recognized  industry  and  enterprise  secure  for 
him  the  lasting  esteem  of  his  many  acquaintances. 


WOODBURY  J.  THORNE,  one  of  Thorn- 
wood's  most  popular  and  prosperous  farmers,  was 
born  in  Lewiston,  Maine,  May  G,  1851.  His  father, 
Thomas  D.  Thorne,  D.  D.,  born  August  29,  1815,  at 
Lewiston,  Maine,  traces  his  ancestry  back  in  an  un- 
broken line  to  the  sixteenth  century.  To  him  be- 
longs the  honor  of  having  been  the  first  alderman 
of  Lewiston,  and  the  first  Republican  in  either  that 
city  or  Auburn,  he  having  identified  himself  with 
that  party  in  1854.  He  has  given  to  his  son  the 
genealogical  record  of  the  family.  Jane  M.  (Mer- 
rill) Thorne,  the  mother,  was  also  a  native  of 
Lewiston.  Her  death  occurred  many  years  ago. 
Late  in  life  the  elder  Thorne  remarried,  Mary  H. 
Bickford  becoming  his  wife,  and  to  this  second 
union  one  child  was  born,  Harry,  now  residing  in 
Auburn,  Maine.  Both  Dr.  Thorne  and  his  wife  are 
living. 

By  diligently  applying  himself  to  his  studies, 
Woodbury  J.  Thorne,  of  this  article,  acquired  a 
good  education  while  yet  a  boy,  and  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  had  completed  an  apprenticeship  to  the 
bricklaying  trade,  which  he  followed  till  he  went  to 
San  Francisco  in  1877.  He  was  employed  in  a  shoe 
factory  in  the  Golden  Gate  city  for  seven  years, 
then  opened  a  fruit  and  produce  store,  a  business 
which  he  conducted  successfully  for  the  ensuing 
twelvemonth.  Eventually  selling  out  his  interests 
in  San  Francisco,  he  came  to  Skagit  county,  Wash- 
ington, and  took  as  a  homestead  the  farm  he  now 
owns.  After  clearing  off  a  small  place  in  the  dense 
forest,  he  built  a  house  upon  this  land,  and  this  has 
been  his  home  ever  since,  though  at  times  he  has 
been  employed  temporarily  in  other  parts  of  the 
county.  In  1890  he  made  a  three  months'  visit  to 
his  old  home  in   Maine. 

Mr.  Thorne  was  married  April  5,  1892,  the 
lady  being  Adelia  M.  Lathrop,  a  native  of  Cam- 
bridge, Vermont,  and  a  member  of  an  illustrious 
family  the  lineage  of  which  can  be  traced  directly 


733 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


to  the  time  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scotts.  One  mem- 
ber of  the  family  was  a  high  priest  in  the  Queen's 
court,  and  at  the  time  of  her  capture  by  the  British 
was  in  extreme  peril.  The  manner  of  his  escape 
was  indeed  novel.  He  caused  himself  to  be  con- 
cealed in  a  hogshead  and  to  be  shipped  on  a  vessel 
about  to  sail  for  America,  nor  was  he  released  from 
his  voluntary  imprisonment  until  far  out  to  sea. 
Two  brothers  of  this  celebrated  progenitor  held 
military  positions.  The  coat  of  arms  which  was 
his  as  a  member  of  the  royal  court  is  now  in  the 
Boston  museum.  Mrs.  Thome's  father,  a  black- 
smith of  the  old  school,  skilled  in  many  arts  not 
taught  to  the  apprentice  of  to-day,  also  a  manufac- 
turer of  tools,  farm  implements,  carriages,  etc.,  who 
also  had  a  salesroom  in  Montreal,  went  to  Califor- 
nia in  1850  and  made  his  home  there  for  four  years, 
thereupon  returning  to  Vermont,  whence  he  later 
moved  with  his  family  to  Wisconsin.  He  made  his 
home  in  that  state  for  a  number  of  years,  but  ulti- 
mately located  in  South  Dakota,  spending  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  there.  He  died  in  1885.  His 
forefathers  were  prominent  in  Revolutionary  times, 
one  of  them  especially  being  made  famous  through 
his  associations  with  the  illustrious  Miles  Standish. 
Maria  Louisa  (Newton)  Lathrop,  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Thorne,  who  was  born  in  Vermont  August  8, 
1813,  was  the  daughter  of  a  well-known  physician, 
a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  college.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  November,  1888. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thorne  there 
have  been  three  children,  the  oldest  of  whom,  born 
January  29,  1893,  died  when  five  davs  old.  Marion 
Adelia."  born  September  30,  1895,  died  March  26, 
1899,  while  L.  Seth  Weston,  born  July  6,  1897,  is 
still  living.  Mrs.  Thorne  was  appointed  postmis- 
tress at  Thornwood  at  the  time  the  office  was  opened 
in  1900,  and  has  discharged  the  duties  of  the  posi- 
tion in  a  very  capable  manner  ever  since.  For 
twenty  years  she  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of 
Wisconsin,  South  Dakota  and  Washington.  She  is 
a  devoted  worker  in  the  Good  Templars'  lodge  and 
an  active  member  of  the  Congregational  church, 
while  Mr.  Thorne  adheres  to  the  Baptist  faith.  Mr. 
Thorne  is  a  member  of  the  Pioneer  Association  and 
in  fraternal  affiliation  a  prominent  Mason.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican,  firmly  believing  in  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  the  party.  His  holdings  con- 
sist of  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  acres  of  land, 
fifty  of  which  are  in  crops  and  pasture,  and  he  i.^ 
giving  much  attention  to  dairying,  keeping  always 
a  fine  herd  of  Jersey  cattle.  Uniting  with  his  un- 
questioned ability  and  industry  a  generous,  upright 
character,  he  naturally  holds  the  abiding  esteem  of 
his  fellow-citizens. 


cote,  Winnischick  county,  Iowa,  in  1863.  His 
father,  Stoller  Stevens,  was  of  Norwegian  birth, 
but  came  to  the  United  States,  became  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  Winnischick  county,  and  died  there 
in  1870  at  the  age  of  fifty.  His  widow,  Rachel,  has 
since  married  and  lives  in  Iowa.  Tobias  Stevens 
was  the  oldest  of  his  parents'  children;  his  sister 
Betsy  has  died,  but  two  others,  Mrs.  Sarah  Jacob- 
son  and  Stena  Stevens,  are  still  living.  Mr.  Stevens 
passed  the  life  of  a  farmer  youth,  going  to  school 
and  working  on  the  farm,  until  he  was  twenty-three 
and  then  spent  a  year  in  Minnesota,  after  which  he 
came  to  Skagit  county.  He  was  at  La  Conner  for  a 
year,  working  on  the  dikes.  In  company  with  Jacob 
Hogan  he  bought  a  place  on  Olympia  Marsh,  but 
later  sold  out  to  his  partner.  Some  time  was  later 
passed  in  work  on  different  farms,  after  which  he 
made  a  trip  to  his  old  Iowa  home.  He  remained 
there  but  a  short  time  and  on  his  return  bought  his 
present  one  hundred  and  sixty-acre  farm,  one  mile 
north  of  Burlington,  and  traversed  by  the  Great 
Northern  railway.  Mr.  Stevens'  most  exciting  ex- 
periences were  during  his  occupancy  of  the  Olympia 
Marsh  land.  The  uncleared  portion  was  under  wa- 
ter and  covered  with  brush,  which  afforded  plenty 
of  shelter  to  bear  and  other  game,  which  came  near 
the  houses.  It  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  sus- 
pend work  for  a  moment  and  bring  down  a  bear  or 
a  deer.  The  first  threshing  on  the  marsh  was  done 
by  Ovenell  &  Troser  on  the  land  now  owned  by  Mr. 
Stevens.  Mr.  Stevens  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  He  owns 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  over  one  hun- 
dred of  which  are  under  cultivation.  The  raising 
of  short  horn  cattle  is  his  specialty,  and  his  produc- 
ing herd  numbers  twenty-eight  head.  He  also 
breeds  Norman  horses  and  has  an  interest  in  one 
of  the  finest  stallions  of  that  species  on  the  coast. 
In  addition  to  these  branches.  Mr.  Stevens  owns  and 
operates  during  the  season  a  threshing  outfit.  By 
honorable  dealings  with  his  fellow-men  he  has  es- 
tablished for  himself  a  reputation  with  which  any 
man  may  be  well  satisfied,  and  he  enjoys  the  good 
will  and  esteem  of  all  his  associates. 


TOBIAS  STEVENS,  one  of  the  farmers  and 
stock  raisers  of  Skagit  county,  was  born  at  North- 


GEORGE  G.  CRESSEY  has  the  kind  of  grit 
and  perseverance  which  could  develop  ninety  cents, 
his  sole  wealth  in  the  spring  of  1890,  into  the  holc!'- 
ings  of  farmer,  promoter,  landowner  and  man  of 
independence  in  1905.  His  younger  days  in  Penn- 
sylvania indicated  that  he  had  the  energy  which 
constitutes  one  of  the  chief  characteristics  of  a  suc- 
cessful man.  He  was  born  in  Philadelphia  March 
6,  1869,  the  son  of  William  H.  H.  Cressey,  iron 
worker  and  union  soldier  of  the  Civil  War,  now 
farmer  and  cattle  raiser  near  Burlington.  The 
mother  was  Rachel  Walton,  daughter  of  Amos  II. 
Walton,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Philadelphia, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


^33 


the  history  of  whose  family  constitutes  m«ch  of  the 
history  of  the  early  days  of  the  Quaker  city. 

When  seven  years  old  George  Cressey  was  in 
Forest  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  in  the  country 
schools  he  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education, 
making  his  home  with  his  grandfather.  While  at- 
tending school  he  walked  through  the  woods  three 
miles,  with  no  house  in  sight,  in  order  to  secure  in- 
struction. A  number  of  years  were  spent  in  Forest 
county  in  school  and  doing  what  work  the  lad  could 
find.  At  the  age  of  eleven,  while  living  near  Brad- 
ford in  the  oil  district,  he  took  a  contract  to  cut 
wood  for  the  oil  drillers,  and  had  the  perseverance 
to  carry  out  his  agreement.  Later  he  engaged  in 
peeling  tanbark  for  a  tannery.  When  the  family 
moved  to  Marionville,  Forest  county,  the  hamlet 
had  no  railroad,  and  until  the  establishment  of  a 
postoffice  the  mails  were  carried  twenty-two  miles 
on  horseback.  It  was  about  this  time  that  young 
Cressey  entered  the  employ  of  L.  S.  Clough,  now 
■one  of  the  largest  manufacturers  of  hardwood  prod- 
ucts in  the  East.  He  managed  the  cabinet  shop  for 
Clough  for  a  time  and  was  foreman  when  the  For- 
est county  industry  was  established.  It  was  through 
the  efforts  of  Mr.  Cressey  that  large  tracts  of  hard 
native  wood  were  located,  and  these  locations  were 
the  commencement  of  the  policy  of  buying  up  all 
the  hardwood  land  obtainable.  About  this  time,  in 
dull  seasons,  Mr.  Cressey,  acting  as  guide  for  hunt- 
ing parties,  turned  his  knowledge  of  woodcraft  to 
advantage.  It  was  perhaps  during  these  trips  Mr. 
Cressey  acquired  his  desire  to  get  away  from  Penn- 
sylvania. At  any  rate,  with  his  brother  Will,  he 
left  his  home  state  and  went  to  ^linnesota,  a  little 
laier  following  the  westward  course  into  Montana, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1890  the  brothers  stood  in 
Seattle  and  counted  ninety  cents  in  their  pockets, 
all  their  worldly  possessions.  On  May  23d  of  that 
year  they  reached  Anacortes  on  the  boat  "Sea- 
home,"  Judge  Joiner,  the  well-known  jurist,  being  a 
passenger  on  the  same  boat.  The  first  job  obtained 
was  transferring  railroad  iron  at  the  time  of  the 
construction  of  the  Seattle  &  Northern  railroad. 
During  the  boom  in  Anacrotes  Mr.  Cressey  turned 
his  hand  to  any  kind  of  work,  felling  timber  as  an 
employe  of  Lathrop,  later  doing  similar  work  by 
contract,  or  filing  saws.  Wages  were  good  and  the 
brothers  saved  their  money,  and  in  February,  1891, 
bought  the  place  they  now  occupy,  east  of  Burling- 
ton, into  which  town  the  Great  Northern  was  then 
•completing  its  road.  Mr.  Cressey  has  made  his 
home  on  this  farm  ever  since,  though  much  of  his 
time  is  required  in  Seattle,  where  he  has  large  in- 
terests, located  chiefly  in  West  Seattle  and  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Washington,  to  develop  and  pro- 
mote. 

Mr.  Cressey,  in  February,  1895,  married  Miss 
Alice  Koch,  a  native  of  Johnson  county,  Missouri, 
who  came   to   Skagit   county   with   her   parents   in 


1890.  Mrs.  Cressey's  father  is  a  carpenter  and 
built  the  greater  part  of  the  substantial  business 
section  of  Burlington.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War,  having  served  over  three  years  in  the  Twenty- 
third  iMissouri  regiment.  He  and  Mrs.  Koch  are 
of  German  descent,  though  the  families  have  been 
in  this  country  for  generations.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cressey  have  four  children :  Leonore  R.,  Jefferson 
K.,  Georgia  G.  and  Donald  C.  In  politics  Mr.  Cres- 
sey is  an  active  Republican.  He  has  served  as  con- 
stable, deputy  assessor,  member  of  the  road  com- 
mission, road  overseer,  notary  public  and  deputy 
postmaster.  He  has  a  deep  interest  in  the  schools 
and  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  when 
the  Burlington  school  building  was  completed. 
With  his  father  and  brothers,  Mr.  Cressey  promoted 
the  incorporation  of  Burlington  and  was  active  in 
extending  the  town  limits  to  take  in  territory  and 
population  not  first  included.  They  also  were  in 
the  first  telephone  and  electric  light  companies. 
Hard  work,  alertness  and  adaptability  to  whatever 
lay  at  hand  are  the  chief  elements  which  have  con- 
tributed to  the  success  which  has  crowned  the  ef- 
forts of  this  young  man. 


HARLTON  R.  UMBARGER  of  Burlington 
and  his  heroic  mother  have  had  eventful  lives  in 
their  struggle  against  poverty  and  western  hard- 
ships, the  story  of  their  bravery  and  endurance  be- 
ing a  romance  of  Civil  War  days  and  pioneer  life. 
Mr.  Umbarger  was  born  in  Sauk  county,  Wiscon- 
sin, September  21,  1863,  and  when  two  years  old 
was  taken  by  his  fearless  mother  to  Iowa,  traveling 
by  ox  team.  Samuel  LTmbarger,  the  father,  was 
born  in  Wisconsin  and  died  in  New  Mexico  in  1865 
while  a  member  of  Company  C,  Third  United  States 
Cavalry.  Mrs.  Mary  (Rowley)  Umbarger,  the 
mother,  even  before  the  death  of  her  soldier  hus- 
band, was  called  upon  to  prpvide  for  her  children. 
What  she  accomplished  proves  her  to  be  a  woman 
of  remarkable  perseverance  and  force  of  character. 
She  was  b'orn  in  1841:  of  sturdy  Pennsylvania  stock. 
While  her  husband  was  in  the  army  she  purchased 
on  credit  a  yoke  of  oxen,  placed  her  children  in  the 
wagon,  and  wielding  trie  whip  herself  started  for 
Fort  Dodge,  Iowa.  Under  her  rights  as  a  soldier's 
wife  she  filed  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Po- 
cahontas county,  Iowa,  which  became  hers  in  her 
own  name  on  the  death  of  her  husband.  On  this 
western  homestead  this  remarkable  woman  was 
able  to  care  for  her  children,  manage  a  farm  and 
go  to  school  in  order  to  prepare  herself  to  teach, 
which  she  did  for  thirty  years  in  Iowa  and  Wash- 
ington. In  1883  she  heard  that  a  brother  whom 
she  had  not  seen  for  thirty  years  was  at  La  Conner, 
Washington,  and  there  she  went,  leaving  her  boys, 
then  grown,  in  charge  of  the  Iowa  farm.  She  found 
her  brother  and  remained  in  Washington,  teaching 


sk:agit  county 


first  near  La  Conner,  then  opening  the  first  school 
at  Avon.  Her  oldest  son  came  to  Washington  and 
took  up  eighty  acres  at  Fredonia.  A  cousin  was 
working  in  the  woods  at  Burlington  for  McKay  & 
Alillet,  and  to  him  young  Umbarger  went  one  day 
to  deliver  some  mail.  While  talking  with  the  cousin 
a  gun  slipped  from  a  log  and  was  discharged,  the 
ball  entering  young  Umbarger's  throat,  killing  him 
instantly.  The  shock  nearly  killed  the  mother.  She 
was  forced  to  take  charge  of  his  claim,  on  which 
she  proved  up.  Later  she  was  quite  successful  in 
land  speculations.  In  1888  she  married  James  Mc- 
Cain, an  ex-soldier,  who  died  in  1891.  She  lived  with 
her  stepchildren  until  the  McCain  estate  was  set- 
tled, when  she  returned  to  Avon  and  resided  until 
failing  health  compelled  her  to  accept  a  home  with 
her  son,  Harlton,  who  had  come  to  Washington. 
She  died  June   28,   1901. 

Harlton  R.  Umbarger  remained  seven  years  on 
the  Iowa  farm  after  his  mother  came  to  Washing- 
ton, when  he  followed  and  did  teaming  for  a  year 
at  Woolley ;  then  moved  to  Burlington,  built  for 
himself  a  small  house  and  began  hauling  shingle 
bolts  for  the  new  mill  of  T.  L.  Fox  &  Son.  He  and 
his  mother  bought  eighty  acres  on  the  Olympia 
marsh,  to  which  place  he  moved  in  1895.  He  was 
unfortunate  here  and  the  place  was  lost  under  a 
mortgage.  He  returned  to  Burlington;  then  went 
to  Whatcom  county  and  prospected  on  Canyon 
creek,  hiring  out  his  team  of  horses  at  Burlington, 
where  their  earnings  were  the  chief  support  of  the 
family  during  his  absence.  Those  horses  now  are 
pensioners  on  the  Umbarger  place,  fondly  remem- 
bered for  their  services  in  days  of  need.  Mr.  Um- 
barger prospected  four  years,  during  that  time  pur- 
chasing two  acres  at  Burlington,  partly  on  time. 
He  cleared  enough  for  a  house  which  he  built  and 
has  since  occupied.  At  one  time  he  would  have 
lost  his  home  property  but  for  a  fortunate  sale  of 
a  mining  claim  which  gave  him  just  enough  money 
to  make  the  needed  payment.  The  claim  never 
amounted  to  anything. 

Mr.  Umbarger  was  married  November  4,  1885, 
to  Miss  Frances  E.  Thomas,  daughter  of  Daniel 
Thomas,  an  early  Iowa  settler,  who  came  from 
Ohio.  In  1891  Mr.  Thomas  came  to  Burlington 
and  died  here,  March  4,  1901.  Philena  (Foote) 
Thomas,  mother  of  Mrs.  Umbarger,  native  of 
Ohio,  is  now  living  in  Burlington.  She  has  been 
the  mother  of  twelve  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Um- 
barger have  six  children  :  Clarence,  born  August 
18,  188G:  Frank,  born  September  1,  1888;  Mary 
P.,  born  May  23,  1890;  Ellsworth,  born  April  29', 
1893;  Bernard,  born  February  11,  1895,  and  Gol- 
dine,  born  July  26,  1896.  Mr."  and  Mrs.  Umbarger 
are  members  of  the  Maccabees ;  in  politics  Mr.  Um- 
barger is  a  Republican  and  has  served  a  term  in 
the  city  council.  The  home  farm  consists  of  thirty- 
two  acres,  chiefly  used  for  pasturing  a  herd  of  fine 


Holsteins.  Harlton  R.  Umbarger,  since  the  time 
his  mother  left  him  on  the  old  Iowa  homestead,  has 
had  a  career  of  endeavor  and  disappointment,  but 
the  sagacity  and  determination  which  he  inherited 
from  his  mother  have  enabled  him  to  overcome  all 
obstacles  and  he  now  is  recognized  as  a  successful 
man. 


WILLIAAI  CRESSEY,  Jr.,  one  of  the  pros- 
perous young  farmers  near  Burlington,  is  a  native 
of  Philadelphia,  born  May  17,  1872.  William  H.  H. 
Cressey,  his  father,  born  in  1839,  is  also  a  native  of 
the  Quaker  city,  where  he  followed  the  trade  of  a 
moulder.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  now 
living  in  Burlington.  Rachel  P.  (Walton)  Cressey, 
the  mother  of  William,  Jr.,  likewise  was  born  in 
Philadelphia,  springing  from  the  well-known  fam- 
ily of  Walton,  which  is  prominent  in  Eastern  Penn- 
sylvania. She  has  had  eight  children,  of  whom 
VVilliam  is  the  fourth.  Mr.  Cressey  of  this  review- 
left  home  when  eighteen  and  was  in  Anacortes  dur- 
ing the  boom  days  of  that  town.  He  arrived  in 
the  city  at  four  o'clock  one  morning  and  at  seven 
o'clock  had  secured  a  position  and  was  at  work. 
Two  months  after  reaching  Anacortes  he  took  a 
contract  to  clear  land  and  completed  the  work  in 
six  months,  making  a  good  profit  on  the  venture. 
He  then  came  to  Burlington,  bought  ten  acres  of 
timbered  land  and  erected  the  house  in  which  he 
is  now  living.  The  financial  depression  of  the  early 
nineties  fell  heavily  on  the  young  man  and  stripped 
him  of  everything  but  his  home  and  his  land.  Years 
of  sulifering  followed,  one  of  the  most  trying  ex- 
periences being  when  he  was  beaten  out  of  land  on 
which  he  had  taken  homestead  rights. 

In  1900  Mr.  Cressey  married  Miss  Maud  Thomp- 
son, daughter  of  Charles  Thompson,  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  who  passed  much  of  his  life  in  the 
states  of  Illinois  and  Nebraska  and  later  in  Wash- 
ington. He  is  now  living  at  Burlington,  this  state. 
Mrs.  Cressey  is  a  native  of  Illinois  and  during  her 
school  days  there  fitted  herself  for  teaching,  which 
vocation  she  followed  at  Clear  Lake  and  other 
places  in  Washington  until  her  marriage.  She  and 
Mr.  Cressey  have  had  two  children,  Luzelle,  born 
October  15,  1901,  who  died  when  one  week  old,  and 
Madge  L.,  born  January  19,  1903.  Mr.  Cressey 's 
home  farm  consists  of  thirty  acres,  and  is  devoted 
largely  to  the  growing  of  fruit,  though  he  does  gen- 
eral farming,  and  raises  Chester  White,  Berkshire 
and  Poland  China  hogs.  He  has  triumphantly  re- 
covered from  the  efTects  of  the  hard  times.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  Republican  poli- 
tics and  has  the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first 
clerk  of  the  city  of  Burlington.  He  is  a  man  of 
splendid  ability,  capable  of  adapting  himself  with 
ease    to   whatever  task    is    before  him,  and  is  rec- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ognized  as  one  of  the  successful  and  wide-awake 
3'oung  men  of  the  vicinity  of  Burlington. 


WILLIAM  H.  MILLER  is  one  of  the  pioneer 
farmers  of  Skagit  county,  having  resided  here  since 
]S?4.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  January  13,  1845,  the 
son  of  George  W.  and  Margaret  (Weaver)  MiUer, 
natives  of  Ohio,  both  of  whom  died  in  Skagit 
county.  Mr.  Miller,  the  elder,  passed  away  near 
Mount  Vernon  in  1890  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years,  while  ]\Irs.  Miller  succumbed  to  the  dread 
reaper  at  Burlington  five  years  later,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-seven.  William  H.  Miller  is  the  fourth  of 
ten  children.  In  18G1  he  enlisted  for  the  Civil  War 
in  Company  A  of  the  First  Missouri  Cavalry,  Cap- 
tain Jackson  commanding.  He  was  with  his  regi- 
ment at  the  battles  of  Lone  Jack  and  Lexington  and 
carried  his  saber  all  through  Price's  raiding  in  Mis- 
souri. He  was  wounded  during  the  engagement  of 
Mine  creek,  receiving  a  bullet  in  the  side  of  the 
head.  After  being  mustered  out  at  Benton  bar- 
racks in  St.  Louis,  he  made  his  home  in  Sullivan 
County,  Missouri,  where  he  worked  at  farming  for 
seven  years.  In  1874  he  came  to  the  site  of  the 
present  Mount  Vernon,  finding  at  that  time  only 
five  white  families  on  .the  Skagit  river.  About  ten 
years  were  passed  in  various  logging  camps,  then 
Mr.  Miller  took  up  land  where  Avon  now  stands, 
but  he  sold  his  holding  in  1891  to  purchase  his 
present  farm  one  mile  east  of  Burlington  on  the 
railroad.  The  farm  is  all  cleared  and  under  culti- 
vation. Mr.  Miller  gives  his  attention  chiefly  to 
fruit  raising,  though  he  has  considerable  meadow 
and  raises  many  vegetables. 

In  186C  Mr.  Miller  married  Miss  Mary  Kim- 
ball, whose  father,  David  Kimball,  still  lives  near 
Mount  Vernon.  Mrs.  Miller  was  born  in  Septem- 
ber, 1848.  She  is  the  mother  of  four  children,  the 
last  of  whom,  William,  died  in  1875  at  the  age  of 
one  year.  The  surviving  children  are  Mrs.  Viola 
A.  Swauk,  who  lives  near  Burlington ;  Nathaniel 
Miller  of  Burlington  and  Mrs.  Annie  Bell  Slater, 
who  lives  on  her  father's  farm.  Mr.  Miller  is  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  in 
politics  is  a  Republican.  He  has  been  deputy  sheriff 
and  constable  of  his  home  precinct.  A  man  of 
worth  and  influence  in  the  community,  he  enjovs 
the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  of  Skagit  county. 


CHARLES  A.  LINDAMOOD  is  one  of  the  hus- 
tling young  men  of  Skagit  county,  combining  farm- 
ing with  the  business  of  contracting  in  land  clear- 
ing. He  was  born  in  Illinois  March  8,  1879,  and 
came  to  Washington  with  his  father  in  1890.  The 
elder  Lindamood,  whose  given  name  is  Washing- 
ton, was  born  in  Ohio  March  8,  1837.  He  was  a 
successful  farmer  and  was  one  of  the  immigrants 


who  were  attracted  to  this  state  soon  after  it  was 
received  into  statehood.  He  is  still  living  at  Bur- 
lington. Mrs.  Lindamood,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Hannah  Smith,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  died 
there  in  1886,  leaving  five  children,  of  whom 
Charles  A.  was  the  youngest.  On  coming  to  Wash- 
ington young  Lindamood  went  to  Avon  and  worked 
on  various  farms  for  four  months.  Later  he  bought 
forty  acres  of  timber  land  a  mile  and  a  half  south- 
west of  Burlington  and  he  has  made  his  home  there 
ever  since.  Ten  acres  are  now  cleared,  two  of 
which  are  in  orchard,  the  remainder  being  given 
over  to  dairying,  of  which  business  Mr.  Lindamood 
has  made  a  special  study,  intending  ultimately  to 
develop  this  line  of  activity  to  a  greater  degree. 
About  the  first  of  the  year  1905  Mr.  Lindamood 
joined  with  G.  C.  Drown  in  the  purchase  of  a  don- 
key engine  outfit  for  clearing  land  of  trees  and 
stumps,  and  since  that  time  they  have  been  doing  a 
contracting  business  in  this  line. 

Mr.  Lindamood  has  never  married,  but  finds 
pleasant  company  in  the  family  of  his  brother  John, 
who  lives  on  an  adjoining  farm.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Washington ;  in  poli- 
tics a  Republican.  His  dairy  stock  at  present  con- 
sists of  Durhams  and  Guernseys,  in  all  twenty 
head,  and  he  also  keeps  other  live  stock,  horses, 
hogs,  etc.  He  is  a  young  man  of  energy  and  in- 
tegrity who  is  well  respected  and  whose  future 
holds  good  promise  of  success. 


JOHN  B.  LOCKWOOD  has  a  pleasant  place 
three  miles  northeast  of  Burlington,  on  the  road  to 
Sedro-Woolley,  where  he  owns  forty  acres  of  ex- 
cellent land.  He  was  born  in  Hillsdale,  Michigan, 
August  3,  1846,  and  before  coming  to  Washington 
spent  most  of  his  life  in  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota. 
He  is  the  son  of  Levi  Lockwood,  a  native  of  St. 
Lawrence  county.  New  York,  born  in  1818,  who 
moved  to  Michigan  and  later  to  Wisconsin,  dying 
in  South  Dakota  in  1886.  Mrs.  Thankful  (Jenkins) 
Lockwood,  born  in  Vermont  in  1822,  was  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  John  B.  is  the 
second.  She  died  in  1880.  Until  he  was  twenty- 
seven  years  old,  John  B.  Lockwood  lived  with  his 
parents,  then  he  married  and  took  his  father  and 
mother  into  his  own  home.  Prior  to  this  time  he 
had  worked  at  threshing  during  the  harvest  sea- 
sons and  in  the  woods  in  the  winters.  After  mar- 
riage he  sold  the  old  farm  in  Wisconsin  and  moved 
to  South  Dakota,  where  he  took  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land,  which  he  held  for  fourteen 
years.  He  resided  on  this  place  two  years,  then 
moved  to  Millbank,  South  Dakota,  and  went  into 
the  farm  implement  business,  which  he  conducted 
with  success  for  eight  years,  part  of  that  time  being 
also  deputy  sheriff.  After  disposing  of  his  imple- 
ment store,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  opened  a 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


grocery  and  meat  market  in  Ashland.  After  a 
year  and  a  half  there  he  returned  to  Millbank  and 
ran  a  livery  business  for  three  years.  He  spent  the 
next  four  years  leisurely  travehng  with  his  family 
through  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri  and  Arkansas  in 
quest  of  farm  land  in  a  milder  climate  than  where 
they  had  lived.  He  had  sold  his  real  estate  before 
starting  on  this  trip.  He  remained  at  some  places 
several  months,  looking  over  the  country  or  taking 
contracts,  but  eventually  he  returned  to  Minnesota, 
satisfied  that  what  he  wanted  was  not  in  any  of  the 
states  he  had  visited.  The  following  spring  he 
came  to  Washington  and  purchased  fifty-five  acres 
of  partly  cleared  land  near  Burlington.  Of  this 
land  a  spring  freshet  took  away  three  acres,  twelve 
he  sold  and" forty  he  retains.  His  land  is  so  rich 
that  he  does  not  need  it  all,  and  being  an  adept  in 
intensive  agriculture,  he  is  satisfied  to  cultivate  only 
four  acres  and  says  he  could  make  a  good  living 
ofif  the  product  of  half  that  much. 

In  1873  Mr.  Lockwood  married  Miss  Flora 
Southard,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  1851,  the 
daughter  of  James  W.  Southard,  a  Pennsylvanian, 
born  in  1825,  who  later  removed  to  Wisconsin.  Mrs. 
Mary  (Hanna)  Southard,  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Lockwood,  was  born  March  7,  1837,  and  died  in 
Burlington  March  20,  1899.  She  and  Mr.  Southard 
had  come  to  Skagit  county  in  1890.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lockwood  have  been  born  five  children:  Er- 
nest Jay,  March  12,  1875,  now  living  in  North 
Dakota;  James  E.,  May  20,  1877,  at  home  with 
his  parents;  Mrs.  Winnie  Brider,  December  29, 
1878;  J.  Fay,  May  6,  1881;  and  Mrs.  Genevieve 
Rund'quist,  June  18,  188;;.  Mr.  Lockwood  makes  a 
specialty  of  growing  garden  produce  and  small 
fruit,  but  also  carries  on  a  small  dairy  business  and 
raises  poultry.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  The 
family  attends  the  Methodist  church,  in  the  Ladies' 
Aid  Society  of  which  Mrs.  Lockwood  is  an  active 
worker.  Mr.  Lockwood  is  a  UMiaiccfnl  man  of 
energy  and  good  business  aliilii\  ;  onr  who  is  actu- 
ated by  honorable  motives  in  all  Ins  dealings  with 
others,'  and  therefore  enjoys  their  esteem  and  good 
will. 


RUDOLPH  PULVER,  one  of  the  foremost 
among  the  popular  and  successful  farmers  of  Bur- 
lington, is  a  native  of  Switzerland,  as  were  his 
parents,  Rudolph  and  Katrina  (Von  Kauel)  Pulver. 
The  father,  born  in  1820,  followed  farming  until 
his  death  in  1888.  Mrs.  Pulver,  born  in  1819, 
passed  away  in  1871,  the  honored  mother  of  eight 
children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
the  second.  Rudolph  Pulver,  the  son,  was  born  in 
Berne  canton  June  25,  1853.  He  remained  at  home 
nineteen  years,  attending  the  schools  of  the  country 
and  acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of  farming. 
By  the  time  he  was  twenty,  however,  he  had  served 


at  diflferent  times  in  the  army,  his  entire  time  of 
service  amounting  to  two  years.  When  he  left 
home  he  found  employment  on  a  farm,  then  drove 
a  mail  wagon  four  years,  then  accepted  a  position 
as  coachman  at  the  Steinburg  hotel,  situated  at  the 
famous  pleasure  resort  at  the  Jungfrau,  in  the  val- 
ley of  Lauterbrunner.  For  four  years  he  viewed 
the  matchless  Alpine  peak,  resplendent  with  the 
snows  of  countless  centuries,  and  he  still  carries 
with  him  a  never-to-be-forgotten  picture  of  its 
grandeur.  He  was  married  in  this  charming  spot, 
and  he  and  his  wife  the  following  spring  came  to 
New  York,  then  to  Richway,  Pennsylvania,  where 
for  eighteen  months  he  was  employed  in  a  tannery. 
He  came  to  Mount  Vernon  in  1881  and  worked  for 
Peter  Lee  in  Skagit  City  two  months,  then  rented 
for  two  years  the  ranch  owned  by  D.  Storrs.  At 
the  end  of  this  time  he  took  a  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  Olympia  marsh,  and 
during  his  first  four  years  there  he  packed  all  his 
family  supplies  on  his  back  from  Mount  Vernon. 
Few  young  women  of  to-day  would  be  willing  to 
make  the  trip  which  Mrs.  Pulver  made  in  June, 
188G,  when  she  went  to  this  new  home.  In  high 
rubber  boots  she  waded  three  miles  through  the 
water,  while  her  husband  carried  the  children.  It 
was  a  year  and  a  half  before  she  saw  another 
woman  of  her  own  race  and  two  years  and  a  half 
before  she  left  this  home.  This  farm,  which  con- 
sisted of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  was  densely 
covered  with  brush,  and  elk,  deer  and  bears  fre- 
quently came  to  the  house.  Now  there  are  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  cleared  land  with  eighty  in  crops. 
One  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pnlver's  boys  was  the  first 
white  child  born  on  the  Olympia  marsh.  During 
the  panic  Mr.  Pulver  sold  oats  for  seven  dollars  a 
ton  and  hay  for  three  dollars  and  a  half  a  ton,  but 
since  then  he  has  prospered.  He  has  a  fine  twelve- 
room  house  and  two  large  barns  on  his  ranch.  He 
devotes  special  attention  to  raising  oats,  hay,  cattle 
and  horses,  being  the  owner  of  fifty-two  head  of 
fine   Durham   and   Guernsey   stock. 

Mr.  Pulver  and  Miss  Anna  Ammeter  were  mar- 
ried in  1881  in  Switzerland.  Mrs.  Pulver  was  born 
in  18(51.  Her  parents  were  Peter  and  Anna  (Boss) 
Ammeter,  both  natives  of  Switzerland,  where  the 
father  was  a  well-known  farmer,  stockman  and 
cheesemakcr  till  his  death,  April  19,  1905.  The  moth- 
er died  August  25,  1900.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pulver  have 
had  eight  children:  Anna,  born  December  4,  1882; 
Rudolph,  May  24,  1885;  Fred,  December  19,  188fi; 
Peter,  February  10,  1890;  Mary.  April  14,  1893; 
Edward,  April  14,  1893 ;  Lena,  December  20,  1897 ; 
Frank,  March  19,  1902.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr. 
Pulver  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  order 
and  the  Maccabees,  and  in  politics  he  is  an  active 
Republican,  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the 
party.  He  and  'his  family  attend  the  Lutheran 
church.     Mr.  Pulver  is  one  of  the  substantial  citi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


zens  of  Skagit  county,  surrounded  by  evidences  of 
the  prosperity  which  has  rewarded  his  years  of  toil, 
and  is  also  rich  in  the  respect  and  esteem  of  the 
coniniunity. 


MICHEL  iMAJERUS,  a  well-to-do  farmer  of 
of  Skagit  county,  residing  two  and  one-fourtli 
miles  west  of  Burlington,  was  born  in  Luxemburg, 
Germany,  in  November,  1847.  His  parents,  Nicho- 
las and  Mary  (May)  jVIajerus,  were  born  in  the 
same  part  of  Germany,  and  there  spent  their  entire 
lives.  The  oldest  child  of  a  family  of  ten,  Michel 
Majerus  remained  at  home  till  he  reached  the  age 
of  twenty-four,  assisting  his  father  in  the  support 
of  the  family,  and  meanwhile  attending  the  common 
schools  in  which  he  received  his  education.  His 
first  work  away  from  home  was  in  a  quarry  in 
France,  where  he  spent  three  years.'  Desiring  to 
visit  the  United  States,  he  sailed  for  New  York 
in  LSil,  giiing  at  once  to  Chicago,  and  he  soon 
found  employment  twenty-five  miles  out  of  the  city. 
Four  years  later  he  went  to  low-a,  thence  to  Dakota 
and  Minnesota,  residing  in  the  latter  state  a  year, 
at  the  end  of  which  period  he  came  to  the  Puget 
sound  country.  After  a  brief  stay  in  Seattle  and 
Whatcom,  he  located  in  La  Conner,  hiring  out  to 
John  Conner  to  construct  ditches  on  the  Conner 
ranch.  The  following  year  he  and  a  brother  and 
two  other  men  rented  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
and  they  farmed  it  for  two  years,  during  which 
they  met  with  excellent  success.  Having  dissolved 
partnership,  Mr.  Majerus  took  a  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  held  for  five 
years,  selling  it  just  prior  to  his  removal  to  Samish. 
He  then  invested  in  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres 
of  marsh  land,  and  began  the  arduous  task  of  dik- 
ing and  improving  it,  making  it  his  home  for  the 
ensuing  twenty  years.  He  still  owns  the  property. 
Thirteen  years  ago  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
school  land,  but  in  the  succeeding  years  permitted 
his  title  to  lapse,  and  now  rents  the  property.  He 
has  it  all  cleared,  and  has  been  using  it  for  raising 
hay,  intending,  how^ever,  in  the  near  future  to  sow 
it  to  oats.  He  has  a  brother,  Jake,  who  lives  on 
the  north  fork  of  the  Skagit  river.  Mr.  Majerus 
is  a  loyal  Republican,  but  has  never  sought  any  po- 
litical office.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Catholic  church.  A  man  of  intelligence  and  good 
judgment,  he  is  one  of  the  respected  residents  of 
the  county,  and  one  of  those  who  have  won  a  com- 
petence by  skillfully  making  use  of  the  advantages 
it  offered. 


GEORGE  A.  BROSSEAU,  formerly  engaged 
in  railroad  work,  both  in  the  East  and  in  the  West, 
now  a  successful  farmer  residing  between  Burling- 
ton and  Sedro-Woolley,  was  born  in  Chittenango, 


New  York,  December  22,  1847.  His  father,  Luke 
Brossea'u,  was  born  in  Quebec.  Canada,  February 
2!),  LSv'd.  moving  tn  New  \'(>rk  in  early  life,  there 
owning  and  dperaling  a  hlacksniith  sli(ip  in  connec- 
tiiin  witii  ;i  l!\er_\-  stalile.  His  death  nccurred  Sep- 
tember 3,  1887.  The  mother,  Jane  (Hood)  Bros- 
seau,  was  born  March  30,  1824,  and  died  Septem- 
ber 12,  1891.  Remaining  at  home  the  first  twenty- 
two  years  of  his  life,  George  Brosseau  attended  tlie 
schools  of  the  state,  acquiring  a  practical  educa- 
tion, of  which  he  has  made  excellent  use.  Entering 
the  shops  of  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern 
railroad  as  car  inspector,  he  remained  for  eighteen 
\ears  in  the  employ  of  the  road  at  Adrian  and 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  establishing  for  himself 
an  enviable  reputation  for  skill  and  faithfulness.  He 
started  for  Seattle  August  29,  1888,  making  only 
a  brief  stop  there,  however,  as  he  went  on  to  Ta- 
coma  to  accept  a  position  on  the  Northern  Pacific 
railroad.  Wearying  of  that  kind  of  employment, 
he  went  to  Coupeville,  on  Whidby  island,  renting 
3  farm  of  eight  hundred  acres  for  a  year;  later, 
after  a  three  months.'  visit  to  California,  moving  to 
Sedro.  He  purchased  ten  acres  wbere  he  now  lives, 
adding  seventeen  acres  of  timber  land  to  his  original 
farm  some  years  afterward.  He  now  has  eighteen 
acres  in  cultivation,  eight  of  which  are  in  orchard. 
He  has  built  a  neat,  convenient  six-room  house,  a 
barn  and  fruit  dryer,  and  otherwise  greatly  im- 
proved the  ranch  which  he  devotes  to  diversified 
farming.  Mr.  Brosseau  has  witnessed  great 
changes  in  the  town  since  he  came  to  it.  He  was 
present  at  the  first  Fourth  of  July  celebration  held 
here,  a  unique  feature  of  which  was  the  hoisting  of 
a  flag  sixteen  by  forty  feet,  made  by  the  ladies  at 
the  home  of  Mrs.  Brosseau,  the  flagpole  being  a 
cedar  tree  two  hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  in 
height  stripped  of  all  its  branches.  During  the  first 
summer  the  town  consisted  principally  of  saloons 
and  dance  halls.  The  first  Presbyterian  service  was 
held  in  a  partly  furnished  saloon,  with  a  bar  in  the 
same  building.  The  first  church  was  built  by  the 
members  of  the  congregation,  the  men  making 
board  walls  and  the  ladies  a  roof  of  canvas,  this 
serving  as  a  house  of  worship  for  nearly  a  year. 
'Mrs.  Brosseau  is  the  only  surviving  member  of  that 
early  congregation.  Perhaps  the  most  impressive 
sight  at  that  time  was  the  burning  of  immense  fir 
trees,  the  grandeur  of  which  can  never  be  sur- 
passed by  the  most  elaborate  modern  fireworks. 

Mr.  Brosseau  and  Edna  Parsons  were  united 
in  marriage  March  2,  1870.  Born  in  Woodstock, 
^Michigan,  December  23,  1849,  Mrs.  Brosseau  is  the 
daughter  of  Hiram  Parsons,  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  December  2(3,  1803.  He  followed  farming  till 
his  death  on  October  7,  1850,  at  Woodstock,  Michi- 
gan.- Her  mother,  Sarah  A.  (Loss)  Parsons,  was 
born  in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  November  10, 
1807,  and  died  in  Adrian,  Michigan,  March  2,  1884. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


She  was  the  mother  of  five  children,  Mrs.  Brosseau 
being  the  youngest.  Two  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brosseau,  Dwight  M.,  born  Janu- 
ary 9,  1871,  now  living  at  Bellingham;  Frank  L., 
born  January  13,  1873,  now  deceased,  his  death  oc- 
curring at  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  November  15, 
1879.  Mr.  Brosseau  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board,  cheerfully  giving  his  time 
and  attention  to  educational  matters,  which  he 
deems  of  such  vast  importance.  He  and  his  family 
are  identified  with  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  is 
a  man  of  sterling  worth,  honored  and  esteemed  by 
all  who  come  in  contact  with  him,  either  in  busi- 
ness or  social  relations. 


FAYETTE  L.  JONES,  a  well-known  farmer 
and  stockman,  residing  two  miles  west  and  one 
south  of  Sedro-Woolley,  was  b'orn  in  Waseca 
county,  Minnesota,  May  20,  1869.  His  father, 
James  E.  Jones,  was  born  in  England,  where  for 
twenty-five  years  he  was  connected  with  the  navy. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1861,  settling  in 
Minnesota,  where  he  died  August  7,  1905,  at  the 
age  of  ninety.  Louisa  (Brossard)  Jones,  the 
mother  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  New  York  in 
1845,  and  is  still  living.  She  bore  to  her  husband 
eleven  children.  Fayette  L.  Jones  spent  the  early 
years  of  his  life  at  home,  securing  an  education  and 
assisting  his  father  in  the  support  of  the  family. 
Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  worked  for 
a  few  months  on  a  farm,  coming  to  Sedro  in  De- 
cember, 1890.  He  worked  for  the  first  two  years 
in  the  woods  and  mills ;  also  leased  five  acres  of 
land,  which  he  cleared  during  the  first  year,  and 
which  he  held  for  half  a  decade.  Eventually  he  re- 
turned to  the  East,  expecting  to  make  that  his 
home,  but  found,  as  so  many  others  do,  that  West- 
ern life  has  an  almost  irresistible  charm  for  those 
who  have  once  known  it.  After  a  few  months'  visit 
he  came  again  to  Sedro,  and  invested  in  ten  acres 
of  timber  land,  to  which  he  soon  added  sixty  acres 
more,  and  of  the  whole  he  already  has  twenty  acres 
cleared  and  in  cultivation. 

Mr.  Jones  was  married  in  December,  1898,  to 
Vera  E.  Brosseau,  born  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  the 
daughter  of  Frank  and  Anna  (Moll)  Brosseau. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Chittenango,  New  York,  in 
1854,  and  died  at  Sedro-Woolley  in  1897,  while  her 
mother,  born  in  Sherrell,  New  York,  in  1849,  is 
still  living  at  Clear  Lake.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  have 
two  children,  Leslie  R.,  born  August  18,  1900,  and 
Marie  A.,  August  11,  1904.  Another  son.  Earl  B., 
born  February  15,  1903,  died  April  27,  1903.  Mr. 
Jones  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  In  political  belief  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, supporting  the  party  in  every  possible  way. 
He  keeps  only  the  best  stock  on  his  farm,  fifteen 
head   of   thoroughbred   Durham   cattle,    twenty-five 


Cotswold  and  Lincoln  sheep,  Poland  China  hogs 
and  several  horses.  He  is  a  practical  farmer,  ear- 
nest and  energetic,  familiar  with  the  various  de- 
partments of  the  work,  and  he  is  meeting  with  the 
success  that  his  efforts  so  richlv  merit. 


EDWARD  D.  SOUTHARD,  now  residing  two 
and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Sedro-Woolley, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Skagit  county  for  fifteen 
years,  having  first  located  at  the  old  town  of  Ster- 
ling. He  has  inherited  from  pioneer  ancestors  the 
perseverance  and  fortitude  that  have  made  success 
possible  under  frontier  conditions ;  also  the  superior 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart  that  inspire  confidence 
and  command  respect.  Mr.  Southard  is  a  native  of 
Buffalo  county,  Wisconsin,  born  September  13, 
1864,  the  son  of  James  W.  and  Mary  (Hanna) 
Southard,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  James  W. 
Southard  was  born  May  9,  1824;  he  spent  his  youth 
and  early  manhood  in  the  Keystone  state,  but  in 
the  early  forties  began  the  life  of  the  pioneer  in 
Wisconsin.  Thirty-five  years  later  (1879)  he  re- 
moved to  Grant  county,  South  Dakota,  where  he 
farmed  for  eight  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period 
he  went  to  Becker  county,  Minnesota,  remaining 
there  until  1890,  when  he  came  with  Peter  his  son  to 
Sterling.  Mary  (Hanna)  Southard  was  born  in  Ly- 
coming County,  Pennsylvania,  March  7,  1827,  and 
after  a  long  and  useful  life  passed  away  at  Sterling 
March  20,  1899.  She  came  to  Washington  with 
the  subject  of  this  review  and  rejoined  her  husband 
at  Fidalgo  City. 

Edward  D.  Southard  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  his  native  state,  but  he  con- 
tinued his  studies  for  some  time  after  the  family 
located  in  South  Dakota,  which  change  of  residence 
was  made  in  his  fifteenth  j^ear.  He  began  the  ac- 
tive and  independent  discharge  of  life's  responsibili- 
ties in  1886,  when  he  filed  on  a  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Minnesota.  After  farm- 
ing the  place  for  four  years  he  signed  a  relinquish- 
ment to  another  for  a  consideration,  having  decided 
to  locate  in  the  Northwest,  where  he  believed  the 
possibilities  of  success  to  be  greater  for  one  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  than  in  the  Minne- 
sota wheat  region.  In  the  summer  of  1890  he 
started  West,  arriving  at  Fidalgo  City  July  19th, 
and  at  once  securing  employment  in  a  saw-mill. 
Three  months  later  he  settled  on  the  place  that  is 
now  his  home,  having  eventually  secured  it  by  pur- 
chase after  the  government  had  completed  its  sur- 
vey. The  location  is  near  the  former  town  of  Ster- 
ling, whose  site  was  absorbed  by  the  Skagit  river. 
To  the  original  purchase  Mr.  Southard  has  added 
fourteen  acres,  and  the  whole  has  been  transformed 
from  a  forest  into  a  valuable  farm  and  comfortable 
home.  Here  he  is  engaged  profitably  in  diversified 
farming  and  stock  raising,  fruit  growing  and  dairy- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


rso 


ing.  The  rapid  changes  of  the  past  two  decades 
are  nowhere  more  apparent  in  visible  results  than 
in  this  portion  of  Skagit  county,  and  no  farm  shows 
more  plainly  the  results  of  method  and  industry 
than  that  of  Mr.  Southard. 

While  the  care  of  the  details  of  his  operations 
keeps  Mr.  Southard  busily  employed  at  all  seasons, 
he  yet  finds  time  for  attention  to  the  public  affairs 
of  neighborhood  and  county,  in  which  he  is  always 
interested.  He  is  not  a  politician  in  an  active  way 
and  has  never  been  a  seeker  for  political  prefer- 
ment ;  but  he  supports  the  Democratic  party  with 
his  influence  and  vote.  He  has  won  and  will  al- 
ways holds  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  because 
of  his  integrity,  honesty  of  purpose  and  fairness  in 
his  dealings  with  others ;  his  name  will  always  be 
associated  with  the  names  of  those  who  have  con- 
verted the  forests  and  swamps  of  the  Skagit  into 
fertile  fields,  thus  making  possible  the  building  of 
towns,  cities,  industries  and  homes  for  a  happy 
people. 


MRS.  ELIZABETH  JEWELL,  a  practical 
farmer  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Burlington,  is  one 
of  the  women  of  Skagit  county  who  are  active  in 
the  management  of  good  farming  property  and  have 
shown  themselves  possessed  of  executive  ability  of 
a  high  order.  She  was  born  in  Sherman,  Maine,  in 
1849,  the  daughter  of  John  McCarron,  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  came  to  Canada  when  a  lad  and 
worked  at  farming  and  lumbering  in  Canada  and 
Maine,  dying  in  the  last  mentioned  place  in  1876 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet (Kearns)  McCarron,  was  born  in  Dublin, 
Ireland,  in  1800  and  died  in  Maine  in  1889,  the  pe- 
riod of  married  life  covered  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Carron being  forty-seven  years.  Of  this  union 
there  were  eight  children,  of  whom  the  living  are 
Thomas  McCarron,  Mrs.  Rose  A.  Hogan,  Mrs. 
Catherine  R.  Patterson,  Mrs.  Margaret  Finnegan, 
Airs.  Ellen  Duffy,  John  McCarron  and  Mrs.  Jewell. 
One  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Goodwin,  is  now  dead. 
Mrs.  Jewell  lived  with  her  parents  until  her  mar- 
riage at  Benedicta,  Maine,  in  1877,  to  Qiarles 
J.  Jewell,  whose  father,  Jacob  Jewell,  a  native  of 
Maine,  died  when  his  son  was  a  small  boy.  His 
mother,  Mrs.  Elathier  (Stuart)  Jewell,  is  still  liv- 
ing in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  Charles  J.  Jewell 
was  born  Septeml>er  27,  1850,  and  lived  at  home 
until  his  marriage.  Coming  to  Skagit  county  in 
1886,  he  located  at  Lyman,  and  he  has  lived  at  dif- 
ferent places  in  the  county  up  to  the  present  time 
and  has  been  a  factor  in  the  development  of  the 
county.  Mrs.  Jewell  is  the  mother  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  the  living  are  Frederick  V.,  Walter  S., 
Charles  E.,  Wallace  X.,  Emma  E.,  Elizabeth  G. 
The  names  of  the  deceased  are  John,  Harry  A.,  John 
Ira  and  James  D.     Active  in  the  management  of 


the  farm  as  his  mother's  assistant  is  Walter  S. 
Jewell,  the  second  oldest  of  the  living  sons  of  Mrs. 
Jewell.  The  farm  work  done  is  general  in  char- 
acter, the  fifty  acres  being  all  under  cultivation. 
The  dairy  consists  of  five  cows.  Mrs.  Jewell  in  the 
time  since  she  has  had  the  management  of  the  farm 
has  proved  herself  to  have  great  business  ability. 
In  church  affiliations  the  Jewells  are  Catholics. 


GEORGE  McMILLIN,  dairy  farmer  and 
breeder  of  thoroughbred  cattle,  two  and  a  half  miles 
northeast  of  Burlington,  is  one  of  the  newcomers 
to  Skagit  county,  but  has  already  gained  for  himself 
a  prominent  place  in  the  community.  He  was  born 
in  Dark  county,  Indiana,  March  15,  1859,  the  son 
of  Edward  and  Mary  E.  (Mott)  McMillin.  Ed- 
ward McMillin  was  a  native  of  Gallia  county, 
Ohio,  the  son  of  a  pioneer  of  that  state,  but  later 
removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  died  in  1881.  Mrs. 
McMillin,  the  mother  of  George,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  of  Dutch  descent,  the  daughter  of  a 
blacksmith.  She  had  two  brothers  in  the  Civil  War. 
George  McMillin  is  one  of  five  children  and  the 
only  one  who  is  living  in  the  West.  When  he  was 
but  a  lad  his  parents  removed  to  Taylor  county, 
Iowa,  and  there  he  received  his  education,  attend- 
ing school  in  winter  and  working  on  the  farm  in 
summer.  He  left  home  at  seventeen  years  of  age 
to  do  for  himself,  and  married  at  twenty-three.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  operated  a  rented  farm  in 
Iowa  county  in  the  center  of  the  state.  Early  in 
January,  1899,  he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  bought 
his  present  place  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
At  that  time  seventy  acres  had  been  slashed  or 
partly  slashed,  and  there  was  an  old  house  on  the 
place  and  a  very  few  other  improvements,  but  un- 
der Mr.  McMillin's  management  it  has  become  one 
of  the  most  attractive  and  valuable  farms  in  the  en- 
tire section. 

In  1883  ill  Iowa  Mr.  McMillin  married  Miss 
Mary  Alice  Hartley,  who  was  born  August  15, 
1861,  in  Allamakee  county,  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  Hartley,  natives  of  England.  Mrs.  Hartley 
is  still  living  at  Tacoma.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McMillin 
have  one  child,  Martin  L.  Roy,  born  in  1887.  In 
fraternal  affiliation  Mr.  McMillin  is  an  Odd  Fellow; 
in  politics  a  Republican.  He  served  as  constable 
for  ten  years  in  Iowa  and  was  for  five  years  mar- 
shal of  Ladora.  He  began  his  dairy  and  breeding 
herds  with  thoroughbred  short  horns  which  he 
brought  from  Iowa.  He  has  stock  in  the  Sedro- 
Woolley  creamery,  and  after  separating  the  milk 
from  his  twenty-four  milch  cows  disposes  of  his 
cream  to  that  establishment.  He  has  also  dealt  in 
horses  to  some  extent  and  has  disposed  of  eight 
carloads  he  shipped  into  this  country.  The  McMil- 
lin farm  is  a  part  of  the  old  Mortimer  Cook  hold- 
mg.  which  consisted  of  a  whole  section.     Both  Mr. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


and  Mrs.  McMillin  like  Skagit  county  far  better 
than  the  Iowa  place  and  hold  that  with  an  equal 
amount  of  work  better  returns  come  to  the  farmer 
than  in  the  prairie  state.  Mr.  McMillin  is  a  genial 
man,  a  hard  worker,  energetic  and  respected  by  his 
fellows  in  business  and  in  general  society. 


PETER  SCHMITZ,  one  of  Burlington's  popu- 
lar citizens,  has  won  his  present  prosperity  in  the 
face  of  almost  overwhelming  adversity.  He  was 
born  in  Luxemburg,  Germany,  August  22,  1857, 
his  parents  being  John  and  Margueretta  (Ryferts) 
Schmitz,  also  natives  of  Germany.  The  father,  a 
dye  worker,  died  in  1861 ;  the  mother  in  1874. 
Left  fatherless  when  he  was  but  four  years  old, 
Peter  Schmitz  began  early  to  support  his  mother 
and  himself,  at  twelve  years  of  age  hiring  out  to 
neighboring  farmers,  who  were  very  willing  to  lend 
a  hand  to  the  sturdy,  energetic  boy.  Six  years 
later  he  found  employment  in  the  mines  and  smelt- 
ers of  that  country,  proving  so  valuable  a  worker 
that  he  was  retained  for  five  years.  After  a  year's 
residence  in  France,  he  sailed  for  America  in  1880, 
reaching  Chicago  in  the  fall  and  proceeding  at  once 
to  Michigan.  He  soon  went  to  St.  Louis,  where 
he  worked  for  a  butcher  one  winter,  going  thence 
to  Springfield.  Illinois,  the  following  summer.  Re- 
turning to  Michigan  he  worked  at  logging  another 
season,  then  moved  to  Iowa,  and  later  to  Belleville, 
Illinois,  mining  in  the  latter  state  for  four  years. 
Having  spent  the  two  succeeding  years  in  the  mines 
of  Iowa,  he  then  went  to  Dakota,  but  failed  to  find 
a  position,  so  was  forced  to  walk  to  Livingston, 
Montana.  He  worked  on  the  railroad  there  a  few 
months,  then  took  charge  of  a  number  of  men  work- 
ing in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park.  Later,  how- 
ever, he  went  once  more  to  Iowa  and  resided  there 
one  winter,  deciding  then  to  go  to  the  mines  of 
Roslyn,  Washington,  where  he  worked  eight  con- 
secutive years,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  on  account 
of  labor  troubles,  he  went  back  to  Montana.  A  year 
later  he  came  to  Edison,  Washington,  and  married 
a  lady  who  had  a  forty-acre  farm  and  upon  this 
they  made  their  home.  The  years  that  followed 
were  full  of  trials  and  disappointments  sufficient  to 
daunt  the  courage  of  a  less  determined  nature.  Sev- 
eral times  floods  devastated  the  farm,  destroying  in 
a  few  hours  the  work  of  many  months,  the  most 
severe  one  causing  him  a  loss  of  $1,.")00.  The  stock 
had  to  be  driven  to  the  hills  for  safety,  water  was 
sufficiently  deep  all  over  the  marsh  to  float  an  ordi- 
nary steamboat,  and  the  current  was  so  swift  that 
fording  was  impossible.  A  neighbor  rescued  the 
family  on  a  raft.  The  water  did  not  subside  for  a 
week.  Another  season  the  flood  from  the  melting 
sno\.  o  in  the  mountains  completely  ruined  a  hay 
crop  amounting  in  value  to  another  $1,500,  but  not- 
withstanding all   these   reverses,   Mr.    Schmitz   has 


prospered  and  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  forty 
acres  in  pasture,  and  a  half  interest  in  a  warehouse 
in  North  Avon.  Upon  his  home  place  he  has  built 
a  cosy  six-room  house  and  a  barn  forty  by  seventy 
feet.  He  has  his  farm  well  stocked  with  fine  cattle 
and  horses. 

Mr.  Schmitz  was  married  in  1896  to  Annie  Ma- 
jerus,  who  was  born  in  Luxemburg,  Germany,  and 
who  came  alone  to  America.  Her  parents  are  dead, 
the  mother  having  passed  away  in  1903  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schmitz  have  one 
child,  Alfred  M.,  born  January  16, 1899.  Mr.  Schmitz 
is  identified  with  no  political  party,  preferring  to 
vote  each  time  for  the  man  whom  he  considers 
to  be  the  best  qualified  to  fill  the  office,  and  as  for 
himself  he  has  never  had  any  political  aspirations. 
He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
church.  A  man  of  recognized  skill  and  industry, 
a  loyal  citizen  and  kind  neighbor,  he  holds  an  en- 
viable position  in  the  community. 


CHARLES  H.  WILLIAMS,  farmer  and  dairy- 
man, three  miles  south  of  Edison,  has  had  a  very 
interesting  career  which  covers  work  as  a  lad  in  a 
knitting  factory  in  Connecticut,  service  as  a  volun- 
teer in  the  Civil  War,  and  experience  as  a  farmer 
in  Iowa  and  Washington.  Mr.  Williams  was  born 
in  Wallington,  Connecticut,  in  1848,  the  son  of 
David  and  Caroline  (Chamberlain)  Williams,  farm- 
ers of  the  Nutmeg  state,  and  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  subject  hereof  is  sixth.  After 
attending  the  common  schools  Charles  W.  went  to 
work  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  in  a  knitting  fac- 
tory, and  he  was  employed  there  for  the  next  four 
years,  then,  in  the  month  of  December,  1862,  he 
enlisted  in  the  First  Connecticut  heavy  artillery, 
and  he  served  continuously  thereafter  till  the  sur- 
render of  Lee  at  Appomattox.  The  war  over,  he 
went  back  to  his  old  work  in  the  knitting  factory, 
remaining  until  1878,  then  going  to  Iowa,  in  which 
state  he  farmed  for  seven  years.  In  1885  he  came 
to  Washington  and,  locating  at  La  Conner,  put  in 
a  number  of  months  in  work  at  different  places  on 
the  flats.  The  following  year  he  filed  on  his  pres- 
ent place.  It  was  a  dense  forest ;  no  trail  led  to  it, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  carry  in  his  first  stove  on' 
his  back.  He  has  lived  there  since  that  time  and 
has  cleared  enough  to  permit  of  the  establishment 
and  operation  of  a  dairy  business. 

In  1869,  in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  Mr.  Will- 
iams married  Miss  Ellen  Crandall,  daughter  of 
Aldon  B.  Crandall,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and 
by  occupation  a  farmer.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Rachel 
(Usher)  Crandall,  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
but  died  in  Connecticut.  Mrs.  Wiliams  was  born- 
in  the  latter  state  in  1847  and  received  her  educa- 
tion there.     She  died  December  20,   1904,  leaving- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


three  children:  Airs.  Jennie  R.  Cornelius,  who  is 
living  on  Pleasant  Ridge ;  Charles  Henry  Williams, 
Jr.,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Inman,  who  is  living  at  home. 
In  politics  Mr.  Williams  is  a  Democrat.  His  home 
place  consists  of  eighty  acres  of  land  and  his  dairy 
herd  numbers  twenty  head.  Here  he  is  spending 
the  remaining  days  of  his  life,  in  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances, and  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him.  The  twenty 
years  of  his  life  in  Skagit  county  have  been  full  of 
earnest  endeavor,  entitling  him  to  share  with  his 
fellow-citizens  the  honor  of  having  developed  a  con- 
siderable section  of  the  Northwest  from  its  prime- 
val state  into  a  region  of  fertile  farms  and  comfort- 
able homes.  His  name  must  ever  be  associated  with 
the  names  of  those  who  are  responsible  for  the  won- 
derful progress  of  Skagit  county. 


EARL  H.  STEARNS,  of  Edison,  has  been 
identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Skagit 
county  since  1883,  practically  since  the  organization 
of  the  county,  and  is  at  present  one  of  the  Samish 
district's  well-known  farmers.  By  birth  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  state,  he  was  born  in  Wayne  county. 
May  9,  1853,  to  the  union  of  Sheldon  H.  and  Mary 
J.  (Monroe)  Stearns,  both  Pennsylvanians  also. 
The  elder  Stearns  was  born  in  1822  and  resided  in 
Pennsylvania  until  1855,  at  that  time  settling  in 
Jones  county,  Iowa,  where  he  spent  ten  years.  In 
1865  he  removed  to  Linn  county,  Kansas,  still  pur- 
suing farming  as  a  vocation,  and  four  years  later 
secured  a  rich  claim  on  the  newly  opened  Osage 
reservation,  now  Chautauqua  county,  Kansas.  He 
took  a  prominent  part  in  developing  the  new  region 
and  there  resided  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Stearns,  the 
mother,  was  born  in  1830,  and  is  at  present  living 
in  Whatcom  county.  The  subject  of  this  review 
is  the  second  of  her  children  and  an  only  son.  His 
rearing  and  education  were  received  in  Iowa  and 
Kansas  for  the  most  part,  so  that  he  is  practically 
a  Western  product.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he 
commenced  to  do  for  himself,  the  first  year  operat- 
ing his  father's  farm.  He  was  engaged  in  farming 
in  Chautauqua  county  until  1883,  at  that  time  emi- 
grating to  the  Pacific  Northwest.  The  Skagit  coun- 
try appealed  most  strongly  to  him,  so  he  rented  the 
Byron  house  on  the  Swinomish  flats.  The  next 
year  he  rented  E.  A.  Sisson's  farm  at  Padilla  for 
a  period  of  three  years,  upon  the  conclusion  of 
which  he  went  into  the  Samish  district,  purchasing 
fifty  acres  there.  Three  years  later  he  sold  this 
tract  to  John  Harrell  (now  it  is  the  property  of 
Nick  Bessner)  and  made  a  three  months'  trip  back 
to  Kansas.  Upon  his  return  he  bought  what  is 
known  as  the  Cook  place  at  the  mouth  of  Joe  Lar- 
ry's slough,  and  there  resided  until  1891,  when  he 
removed  to  Bay  View  to  obtain  better  educational 
advantages    for   his    children.       In   1808    he   rented 


Otto  Kalso's  place  near  Whitney  station,  which  was 
his  home  for  the  ensuing  five  years,  or  until  the  fall 
of  1903.  He  then  purchased  eighty  acres  two  and 
a  half  miles  south  of  Edison,  and  to  this  he  has 
devoted  his  energies  and  skill  since  the  spring  of 
1904.  It  is  all  in  cultivation,  producing  oats  and 
hay,  one  of  the  highly  improved  farms  of  the  Samish 
ar.d  consequently  of  more  than  ordinary  value  and 
this,  too.  in  one  of  the  richest  farming  regions  in  the 
United  States.  The  place  is  equipped  with  modern 
machinery,  is  well  stocked  and  well  improved  with 
buildings,  all  denoting  progress  and  energy  on  the 
part  of  the  owner. 

Miss  Margaret  A.  Closson  became  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Stearns  in  Chautauqua  County,  Kansas,  in  1875. 
She  was  a  native  of  the  Hoosier  state,  born  in  June, 
1834,  and  when  a  little  girl  lost  both  her  father  and 
mother  by  death.  Grandparents  reared  her  to  young 
womanhood.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  she  commenced 
teaching  in  Iowa  and  was  engaged  successfully  in 
that  calling  when  married  four  3'ears  later.  Coming 
west  with  her  husband  she  shared  with  him  the 
vicissitudes  of  pioneer  life  and  the  successes  of  later 
years,  but  at  Seattle,  June  3,  1905,  succumbed  to  an 
operation,  an  irretrievable  loss  to  a  devoted  family 
and  an  unusually  wide  circle  of  friends.  Of  the  four 
children  born  to  this  union,  Mrs.  Jessie  Bradley, 
the  wife  of  R.  L.  Bradley,  prominent  merchant  of 
Anacortes  and  state  representative  from  his  district, 
is  the  oldest ;  she  was  born  in  Kansas*  November 
20,  1ST5.  Clinton  E.,  now  living  at  Edison,  was 
born  in  Kansas  February  5,  1880;  Mrs.  Kathryn 
McCullough,  wife  of  Charles  McCullough,  the  well 
known  Samish  farmer,  born  April  15,  1881,  is  also 
a  native  of  Kansas ;  and  Claudia  is  one  of  Skagit's 
daughters,  born  May  29,  1892.  Both  older  daugh- 
ters received  a  good  education  and  previous  to 
marriage  taught  in  the  public  schools.  A  spirit  of 
progress  and  culture  pervades  the  Stearns  home; 
success  and  esteem  have  followed  in  the  wake  of 
Air.  Steam's  numerous  activities,  placing  him 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  his  community. 
His  wife  and  children  are  members  of  the  Aletho- 
dist  church  and  he  has  been  a  life-long  believer  in 
the  Universalist  faith. 


JAAIES  J.  SULLIVAN,  hop  grower  one  mile 
east  of  Belfast,  is  one  of  the  successful  and  pros- 
perous men  of  Skagit  county,  a  man  who  has  ob- 
tained his  worldly  possessions  by  his  own  energy 
and  ability.  He  was  born  in  Cork  settlement,  New 
Brunswick,  April  17,  1870,  the  son  of  John  and 
Alargaret  (Donovan)  Sullivan,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  New  Brunswick  and  died  there  a  num- 
ber of  years  ago.  Young  Sullivan  received  a^om- 
mon  school  education  in  New  Brunswick,  tWn  in 
1889  came  to  Edison,  Washington,  going  to  work 
at  once   for  his   uncle,   Daniel    Sullivan.      He    re- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


mained  in  his  employ  for  seven  years,  then  leased 
sixty  acres  of  land  on  Jarman  prairie.  Seventeen 
acres  of  this  land  are  in  hops  and  part  of  the  rest 
in  hay,  the  two  being  the  principal  crops  of  the 
farm. 

In  1900  Mr.  Sullivan  married  Miss  Phoebe  Ches- 
sie,  a  native  of  Hanwell  settlement,  New  Bruns- 
wick, born  in  1876.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Eph- 
raim  and  Frances  (Burgoyne)  Chessie,  farmers  of 
the  province,  until  they  came  to  Washington  and 
settled  in  Skagit  county,  on  Jarman  prairie.  Mrs. 
Sullivan  is  one  of  their  seven  daughters,  all  of 
whom  reside  on  Jarman  prairie  or  in  its  vicinity. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sullivan  have  three  children:  John 
A.,  Daniel  L.  and  Phoebe  L.  In  politics  Mr.  Sul- 
livan is  an  Independent,  in  church  membership  a 
Catholic.  He  raises  some  live  stock,  havmg  eight 
head  of  draft  horses,  fifteen  hogs  and  twenty-five 
head  of  cattle,  some  of  the  last  named  being  for 
dairy  purposes.  Mr.  Sullivan  is  an  active  man,  one 
of  energy  and  shrewdness.  He  is  one  of  the  popu- 
lar men  of  his  community,  respected  by  all  for  his 
excellent  traits  of  character. 


DANIEL  P.  SULLIVAN,  living  one  mile  east 
of  Belfast,  is  one  of  the'  successful  young  farmers 
of  the  community  and  has  already  established  him- 
self on  a  firm  business  footing  in  Skagit  county  as 
an  agriculturist  and  stock  raiser.  He  was  born  in 
the  Cork  settlement  in  New  Brunswick,  January  12, 
1873,  the  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Donovan) 
Sullivan,  who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  the  gulf 
province  and  died  a  number  of  years  ago.  Daniel 
P.  Sullivan  received  a  common  school  education  in 
New  Brunswick  and  in  the  summer  of  1888  came 
to  Washington,  settling  at  Edison,  where  he  passed 
eight  years  at  work  on  the  farm  of  his  uncle,  Daniel 
Sullivan.  At  the  end  of  that  period  the  young  man 
leased  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  on  Jarman 
prairie,  fifty  of  which  are  in  grain,  the  remainder 
devoted  to  pasturage.  While  his  chief  crop  is  hay 
and  oats,  he  raises  considerable  live  stock.  Mr. 
Sullivan  has  remained  in  Skagit  county  ever  since 
his  first  coming  with  the  exception  of  trips  back 
to  liis  old  home  in  New  Brunswick,  the  first  in  1894 
and  the  second  in  1899. 

In  the  latter  year  in  New  Brunswick  Mr.  Sul- 
livan married  Miss  Frances  Chessie,  born  in  Han- 
well, New  Brunswick,  in  1878,  daughter  of  Eph- 
raim  and  Frances  (Burgoyne)  Qiessie,  natives  of 
New  Brunswick  and  farmers  there  until  they  came 
to  Washington.  They  are  now  living  on  jarman 
prairie.  For  a  few  months  after  her  marriage  Mrs. 
Sullivan  remained  in  New  Brunswick,  while  her 
husband  returned  to  Skagit  county  and  arranged 
for  their  home.  Air.  and  Mrs.  Sullivan  have  two 
children,  Ephraim  L.  R.  and  James  Wesley.  In  pol- 
itics Mr.  Sullivan  is  a  Republican,  but  aside  from 
serving  as   road   supervisor   he   has   never  held   or 


sought  office.  The  family  are  adherents  of  the 
Catholic  faith.  Aside  from  raising  crops  of  hay 
and  oats  Mr.  Sullivan  raises  live  stock,  keeping 
sixty  head  of  graded  cattle,  a  few  horses,  a  number 
of  hogs,  etc.  Mr.  Sullivan  is  one  of  the  bright 
young  men  of  the  community,  a  man  of  energy  and 
accomplishment,  enjoying  the  respect  of  all  for  his 
innate  qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 


AL  BENSON  is  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
successful  farmers  of  the  Edison  region  of  Skagit 
county,  his  home  place  being  a  mile  and  a  half 
south  of  town.  He  has  seen  some  of  the  pioneering 
life  of  the  early  eighties,  but  in  recent  years  has 
been  comfortably  situated  on  his  own  property. 
Mr.  Benson  was  born  in  Norway  April  13,  1869, 
the  son  of  Aleck  Benson,  a  Norwegian  farmer  who 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1903  and  is  now  living 
with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Anderson.  Mrs.  Carrie 
(Sorneson)  Benson,  the  mother,  was  a  native  of 
Norway  and  passed  her  entire  life  there.  She  had 
five  children.  Young  Benson  attended  the  com- 
mon schools,  remaining  at  home  until  he  was  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  determined  to  come  to 
the  United  States.  He  arrived  on  the  La  Conner 
flats  in  1884  and  at  once  went  to  work  on  the'  farm 
of  John  Ball,  by  whom  he  was  employed  for  two 
years,  then  he  was  engaged  for  successive  terms  of 
one  year  each  by  Patrick  Smith  and  Daniel  Sul- 
livan. Three  years  of  work  for  his  brother,  Ben, 
followed;  then  Mr.  Benson  obtained  a  lease  of  a 
farm  from  John  Miller.  After  operating  this  for 
two  years  he  was  in  a  position  to  buy  a  place  of  his 
own.  What  he  chose  was  raw  land,  but  he  has 
cleared  eighty  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres  in  the  tract  and  now  has  an  excellent  farm  on 
which  he  raises  oats  as  his  principal  crop.  On  this 
place  Mr.  Benson  has  lived  since  1899. 

In  1900  at  Whatcom  Mr.  Benson  married  Miss 
Serena  Anderson,  daughter  of  Anders  and  Hannah 
(Nelson)  Sorneson,  who  are  still  living  in  Norway. 
Mrs.  Benson  was  born  in  1874  and  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Norway.  On  her  arrival  in 
the  United  States  she  went  first  to  Minnesota.  She 
and  Mr.  Benson  have  four  children,  Agnes,  Her- 
man, Esther  and  Walter.  In  politics  Mr.  Benson  is 
a  Republican  and  in  religion  the  family  belongs  to 
the  Lutheran  church.  Since  he  has  been  farming 
for  himself  Mr.  Benson  has  exhibited  good  business 
judgment  and  he  has  become  recognized  as  one  of 
the  successful  men  of  the  community.  In  live  stock 
he  has  sixteen  cattle  and  eight  head  of  horses.  It 
has  been  by  the  exercise  of  energy  and  economy 
that  Mr.  Benson  has  placed  himself  in  the  position 
of  independence  he  now  enjoys  and  his  career  in 
Skagit  county  is  like  that  of  many  another  young 
man  coming  from  foreign  shores,  who,  by  strict  at- 
tention to  business,  have  placed  themselves  in  a  few 
>ears  in  an  enviable  position.     He  has  the  fruit  of 


NELS   ANDERSON 


FLETCHER  W.   CONN 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


his  years  of  toil  about  him,  and  is  also  rich  in 
tlie  confidence  and  respect  of  those  who  have  been 
his  associates  and  co-laborers. 


ANDREW  S.  JOHNSON,  living  two  and  a 
half  miles  southwest  of  Edison,  one  of  the  large 
farmers  of  tliat  section  of  the  county,  has  gained 
possession  of  his  holdings  and  attained  his  prom- 
inent place  in  the  business  community  by  hard 
work,  aggressiveness  and  commercial  acumen.  He 
was  born  in  Norway  December  3,  1854,  the  son  of 
Soren  and  Annie  (Larsen)  Johnson,  neither  of 
whom  left  their  native  land,  dying  there  some  years 
ago.  The  elder  Johnson  was  a  pilot  and  fisherman. 
Young  Johnson  received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Norway,  but  at  the  age  of  seventeen  left  the  land 
of  fjords  for  the  United  States.  On  his  arrival 
here  he  went  to  Minnesota  and  passed  two  years  at 
farm  work  there,  then  moved  to  Wisconsin  and 
worked  as  farmhand  for  four  years  in  that  state. 
In  1880  he  went  to  Norton  county,  Kansas,  where 
lie  passed  two  and  a  half  years.  Returning  to  Min- 
nesota at  the  end  of  that  period  he  worked  on  a 
farm  there  for  one  summer,  then  went  to  Duluth, 
where  he  followed  the  Lake  Superior  fisheries  for 
a  number  of  years.  In  1883  he  made  a  trip  to  the 
old  countr)-,  returning  the  next  year.  In  1888  he 
came  to  Edison  and  went  to  work  for  Nels  Richard, 
from  whom  he  took  a  contract  to  clear  five  acres  of 
land.  On  the  completion  of  this  Mr.  Johnson  en- 
tered the  employ,  successively,  of  William  Gilmore 
and  Daniel  Sullivan,  for  short  terms,  and  in  the  fall 
of  that  year  he  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  of  Will  Gilkie,  near  Edison,  which  he 
at  once  commenced  to  clear.  The  whole  tract  is 
now  in  cultivation.  Later  Mr.  Johnson  bought  forty 
acres  of  F.  W.  Conn  and  this  tract  also  is  cleared. 
Afterwards  he  acquired  forty  acres  of  Mr.  Ames, 
and  still  later  he  bought  of  Mr.  Watson  the  place 
on  which  he  now  lives.  After  clearing  about  eighty 
acres  he  slashed  eighty  more  and  evidently  desiring 
a  still  larger  field  for  his  teeming  energy  he  has, 
since  coming  upon  this  place,  increased  his  holdings 
by  the  purchase  of  twenty  acres  that  formerly  be- 
longed to  Curtis  Loop.  It  has  been  only  since  1903 
that  Mr.  Johnson  has  maintained  his  home  on  its 
present  site. 

In  l!)ii:!  at  Whatrom  j\Ir.  Johnson  married  Miss 
Louise  Ondal,  daughter  of  Swvend  and  Bertha 
(Nelson)  Ondal,  who  are  still  living  in  their  native 
Norway.  Mrs.  Johnson,  born  in  1877,  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  her  native  land  and  came  to 
Washington  in  1902.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  are  Lu- 
therans and  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr.  John- 
son's real  estate  holdings  now  comprise  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres,  two  hundred  of  which  are  un- 
der cultivation,  and  upon  which  he  raises  hay  and 
oats  principally,  but  he  also  keeps  forty  head  of  cat- 
tle.   He  has  mining  interests  in  British  Columbia  in 


addition  to  his  farming.  Mr.  Johnson  was  compara- 
tively a  poor  man  when  he  first'  came  to  Skagit 
county,  but  his  ability  to  work,  his  business  fore- 
sight and  his  penchant  for  taking  advantage  of 
every  opening,  have  combined  to  put  him  in  an  ex- 
cellent financial  position.  He  commands  the  respect 
of  all  with  whom  he  had  business  dealings  and  is 
personally  popular  with  those  with  whom  he  comes 
in  contact.  Not  many  of  the  citizens  of  Skagit 
county  have  accomplished  so  much  in  the  work  of 
developing  its  varied  industries  and  in  making  of  it 
a  region  of  comfortable  homes  and  splendid  farms, 
as  has  Andrew  S.  Johnson. 


RASMUS  S.  JOHNSON,  a  farmer  just  south 
of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  strong  men  of  that  section 
of  the  county,  and  has  built  up  a  highly  successful 
farming  business  there.  He  was  born  in  Norway 
early  in  1851,  the  son  of  Soren  Johnson,  who  was 
a  Norwegian  pilot  and  fisherman.  Mrs.  Annie 
(Larsen)  Johnson,  also  a  native  of  Norway,  was 
the  mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  next  to  the  youngest.  Rasmus  S. 
Johnson  received  the  education  afl^orded  by  the 
common  schools  of  Norway  in  the  middle  of  the  last 
century,  and  when  but  fifteen  commenced  the  life  of 
a  sailor.  He  continued  to  follow  the  sea  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  then  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Waseca  county,  Minnesota, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  for  two  and  a 
half  years.  He  then  returned  to  the  old  country 
and  again  entered  upon  the  sailor's  life,  remaining 
for  four  years,  but  in  1878  he  came  once  more  to 
the  United  States.  That  same  year  he  took  a  pre- 
emption claim  in  Norton  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
remained  for  two  and  a  half  years,  going  thence  to 
Duluth,  Minnesota.  Jor  the  eight  'years  ensuing 
he  followed  fishing  on  Lake  Superior.  In  the  fall 
of  1889  he  came  to  Washington  and  settled  on  the 
Samish  flats,  where  he  was  engaged  in  fishing  and 
farming  alternately  until  1898.^  He  then  joined  in 
the  rush  to  Alaska  and  remained  in  the  North  min- 
ing for  a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  returned  to 
Skagit  county  and  embarked  once  more  in  the  fish- 
ing business,  which  he  followed  until-he  bought  his 
present  place  in  the  fall  of  1900.  It  consists  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  of  the  original  purchase 
and  twenty  which  have  been  added  since.  His  spe- 
cial crops  are  oats  and  hay. 

In  1889  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  Mr.  Johnson  mar- 
ried Miss  Johanna  Lund,  daughter  of  John  and 
Christina  Lund.  She  passed  away  after  having 
borne  him  two  children,  and  in  1903  at  Seattle  he 
married  Miss  Anna  Benson,  daughter  of  Ben  and 
Carmelena  (Orneson)  Benson,  natives  of  Norway. 
Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  the  old  country  and  re- 
ceived her  education  there,  but  later  came  to  Wis- 
consin, and  thence  to  Seattle.  She  and  Mr.  John- 
son have  one  child,  Berger,  born  October  17,  1903. 


746 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Mr.  Johnson's  children  by  his  first  wife  are  Rntll 
and  Samuel,  both  natives  of  Skagit  county.  In  pol- 
itics Mr.  Johnson  is  independent.  He  takes  a  lively 
interest  in  the  cause  of  popular  education  and  has 
served  as  school  director  of  his  home  district.  He 
has  a  fine  eight-room  house  and  excellent  outbuild- 
ings and  in  all  respects  his  place  is  well  improved, 
furnishing  not  a  little  satisfaction  to  its  owner.  Mr. 
Johnson  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  sterling  citizens 
of  the  county,  a  man  who  may  he  depended  on  to 
do  the  right  thing,  and  to  contribute  his  share  to- 
ward the  promotion  of  the  common  weal  whenever 
opportunity  oflfers. 


NELS  ANDERSON,  farmer  and  stock  raiser 
two  miles  and  a  half  southeast  of  Edison,  has  dem- 
onstrated his  capabilities  by  going,  within  compara- 
tively few  years,  from  the  position  of  farmhand  to 
that  of  proprietor  of  a  large  and  successful  farming 
and  stock  raising  business.  He  now  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  his  community.  Mr. 
Anderson  was  born  in  Norway  May  9,  1871,  the 
second  of  the  seven  children  of  Anders  and  Hannah 
(Nelson)  Sorneson,  both  of  whom  are  still  living 
in  the  old  country.  After  attending  school  until  he 
was  seventeen  years  of  age,  young  Anderson  deter- 
mined to  come  to  the  United  States.  He  stopped 
for  a  short  time  in  Minnesota  and  put  in  eight 
months  fishing  on  Lake  Superior;  then  came  to 
Washington  and  the  Samish  flats.  Here  he  worked 
for  Charles  Motson  and  Michael  Myers  for  nearly 
two  years ;  then  he  went  to  Whatcom  county,  where 
he  followed  the  fisherman's  occupation  for  nine 
years.  In  1898  Air.  Anderson  bought  his  present 
place  of  three  hundred  and  ninety-four  acres,  which 
was  covered  with  heavy  timber.  He  has  now  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  this  cleared  and  is  raising 
hay  and  oats  and  giving  much  attention  to  hve  stock. 

In  1899  on  the  Samish  flats  Mr.  .Anderson  mar- 
ried Miss  Celia  Benson,  daughter  of  Altag  Benson, 
a  native  of  Norway,  who  is  now  making  his  home 
with  his  daughter,  her  mother  having  died  in  the 
old  country.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  born  in  Norway 
in  1873  and  attended  the  schools  there,  coming  to 
Washington  when  eighteen  years  of  age.  She  and 
Mr.  Anderson  have  two  children :  Helen,  born  in 
19(13,  and  Carl,  in  1901.  The  family  attends  the 
Lutheran  church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Anderson  is  a 
Republican.  His  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  this 
section  of  Skagit  county  and  is  being  operated  ac- 
.  cording  to  modern  methods.  While  the  chief  agri- 
cultural crop  consists  of  hay  and  oats,  Mr.  Ander- 
son has  gone  in  quite  heavily  for  raising  Hereford 
cattle  for  the  markets.  His  herd  at  present  consists 
of  two  hundred  and  twelve  head  of  tliat  breed.  Mr. 
Anderson  is  wide  awake  and  active  in  watching  his 
business  interests.  He  has  done  much  toward  sup- 
plementing  his   early   education,   becoming   one   of 


the  well-informed  men  of  the  community,  while  his 
business  methods  are  honorable  and  such  as  to  win 
h.im  esteem.  In  short,  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  immigrant  of  a  score  of  years 
ago  developed  into  an  aggressivt  and  public  spiritect 
American  citizen, — a  man  of  inielligence  and  integ- 
rity who  has  succeeded  because  of  inborn  strength 
of  character  and  native  ability  to  remove  obstacles 
from  his  path  and  to  choose  well  the  road  to  inde- 
pendence. 


FLETCHER  W.  CONN,  farmer,  two  and  a  half 
miles  south  of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  prosperous  agri- 
culturists of  Skagit  county.  He  was  one  of  the- 
early  settlers  and  his  career  illustrates  the  possibili- 
ties in  Skagit  for  a  man  of  energy  and  application. 
Mr.  Conn  is  a  native  of  the  province  of  Ontario,. 
Canada,  born  February  14,  1850,  the  son  of  Wesley 
Conn,  a  Canadian  carpenter,  whose  father  was  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  Ontario.  Mrs.  Hester  (Black- 
burn) Conn  was  also  a  native  of  Canada  and  passed 
all  her  life  there.  She  was  the  mother  of  eleven 
children,  of  whom  the  subject  hereof  is  the  second. 
Fletcher  W.  Conn  received  his  education  in  the  On- 
tario schools,  remaining  at  home  until  he  was  six- 
teen years  old,  when  he  went  to  New  York  state- 
and  spent  a  year  in  farm  work.  The  ensuing  twelve- 
month was  passed  in  the  lumber  woods  of  Michigan, 
then  Mr.  Conn  went  to  New  York  city  and  engaged 
as  a  sailor.  He  followed  the  sea  for  the  next  six 
years,  reaching  San  Francisco  in  1872,  where  at  a 
later  date  he  bade  farewell  to  a  seafaring  life.  He 
remained  in  the  California  metropolis  for  some  time,, 
but  in  the  Centennial  year  came  thence  to  the  Puget 
sound  country.  His  first  summer  in  this  region  was 
spent  on  Whidby  island  in  the  lumber  trade,  but  in 
the  fall  he  moved  to  the  Samish  flats  and  took  up  a 
homestead,  upon  which  he  lived  for  the  eight  years 
ensuing,  eventually  selling  out  to  Mr.  Shumaker 
and  purchasing  his  present  place.  Mr.  Conn  had 
his  first  farm  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  His 
new  place  was  wild  when  he  bought  it  and  the  pro- 
cess of  clearing  and  putting  the  land  into  shape  had 
"to  be  gone  through  once  more  by  him,  but  he- 
bravely  faced  the  task  and  now  has  it  in  excellent 
condition. 

In  the  summer  of  1877,  at  Whatcom,  Mr.  Conn 
married  Miss  Ida  A.  Gilkey,  daughter  of  Franklin 
E.  Gilkey,  a  Pennsylvania  farmer  who  subsequently 
left  the  Keystone  state,  farmed  in  Kansas  for  a  time, 
came  to  W'ashington  in  1875,  and  no\^  is  a  resident 
of  Snohomish  county.  Mrs.  Eliza  (Bowen)  Gilkey 
was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state  and  married 
there,  but  died  in  Skagit  county  in  1898.  Mrs.- 
Fletcher  W.  Conn  is  likewise  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  went  to  Kansas  in  childhood  and  was 
educated  there,  preparing  herself  for  the  teaching 
profession,  which  she  followed  for  a  time  after  com- 
ing to  Washington.    She  is  a  member  of  the  Metho- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


(list  cluirch.  The  followins  children  have  been  born 
to  Air.  and  Mrs.  Conn:  Mrs.  Maud  Streeter  of 
Skagit  county;  George,  at  home;  Mrs.  Annie  Kerr, 
hving  near  her  father's  home  ;  Frank,  recently  re- 
turned from  a  sojourn  of  eighteen  months  in  the 
Philippines,  followed  by  a  year  and  a  half  in  Ari- 
zona ;  Bert,  in  the  Okanogan  country  of  British 
Columbia ;  Cliiiford,  at  home :  Raymond,  in  the 
British  Columbia  Okanogan  country ;  Charles,  Will- 
iam, Ralph,  Fred  and  Bessie.  In  fraternal  circles 
Mr.  Conn  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  past  grand;  in 
politics  an  independent,  choosing  candidate,  not 
party.  He  served  as  county  commissioner  in  1891-2. 
The  Conn  homestead  now  contains  ninety  acres  of 
excellent  land,  all  but  fifteen  of  which  are  under 
cultivation.  Mr.  Conn  has  twenty  head  of  cattle 
and  other  live  stock.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent 
men  of  the  vicinity  of  Edison  and  has  made  a  great 
success  on  the  Samish  flats ;  is  capable  as  a  man- 
ager, honorable  in  all  his  dealings  with  others,  actu- 
ated always  by  worthy  motives  ;  and  possessed  of 
the  esteem  of  iiis  fellow  citizens. 


BERENT  A.  BENSON,  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  the  Edison  section  of  Skagit  county,  his 
place  being  three  miles  southwest  of  town,  has  made 
an  unqualified  success  since  coming  here,  through 
application  to  business  and  watchfulness  for  oppor- 
tunity. He  was  born  in  Norway  June  13,  1860,  the 
eldest  of  the  si.x  children  of  Aleck  and  Carlen  (Sor- 
enson)  Benson.  The  mother  died  in  Norway,  but 
the  father  is  living  with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  N.  .Ander- 
son, in  Skagit  county,  though  now  seventy-five 
years  of  age.  Young  Benson  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Norway.  He  remained  at 
liomc  until  twenty  years  of  age,  then  came  to  the 
United  States  and  the  first  five  months  of  his  stay 
liere  were  spent  in  the  employ  of  an  unclt  in  Min- 
nesota. Two  years  and  a  half  followed  in  the  fish- 
eries of  Lake  Superior,  then  in  1884,  Mr.  Benson 
came  to  the  Puget  sound  country.  After  a  short 
stop  in  the  Hood's  canal  section  he  came  to  the 
Swinomish  flats,  where  he  worked  on  the  farm  of 
John  Ball  for  three  years,  then  leasing  Swan  John- 
son's farm  on  the  Samish  flats.  Next  he  took  up  a 
place  on  the  Olympia  marsh,  where  he  remained 
imtil  189().  The  succeeding  five  years  he  jiassed  in 
fishing,  his  ventures  proving  successful  financiallv, 
but  in  1901  he  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  fishing 
business  and  bought  his  present  place,  at  once  going 
extensively  into  oat  raising.  For  lum  to  reap  a 
hundred  bushels  to  the  acre  of  this  cereal  is  no  un- 
common thing. 

In  1901  on  the  Samish  flats  Mr.  Benson  married 
Miss  Clara  Boe,  daughter  of  Olaus  and  Enger 
(Orestad)  Boe,  both  of  whom  are  living  in  Nor- 
way. Mrs.  Benson  was  born  in  Norway  in  1881 
and  received  her  education  there.  She  and  Mr. 
Benson  have  two  children,  Carl,  born  in  1902,  and 


Enga,  in  1904.  In  church  membership  the  Bensons 
are  Lutherans ;  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  served  as  road  supervisor  of  his  district  and  is 
now  dike  commissioner.  In  addition  to  his  two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-seven  acres  of  Skagit  county  land. 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  which  are  under 
cultivation,  he  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
Oregon.  In  live  stock  he  has  ten  head  of  cattle 
and  eight  horses.  Mr.  Benson  is  considered  a 
wealthy  man,  his  success  in  the  industrial  world  be- 
ing due  solely  to  his  business  ability  in  putting 
through  his  ventures  both  in  fishing  and  in  agricul- 
ture. He  is  personally  popular  and  highly  esteemed 
by  those  who  know  him,  and  the  results  he  has  ac- 
complished in  the  development  and  progress  of  this 
section  of  the  Northwest  entitle  him  to  enrollment 
among  the  substantial,  progressive  men  of  the 
country. 


JAMES  NEELY,  farmer,  four  miles  south  of 
Edison,  is  one  of  the  respected  men  of  his  commun- 
ity and  though  not  one  of  the  large  land  holders  is 
successful  and  prosperous  in  his  business.  He  is  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  Clarion  county  in 
1847,  the  son  of  Jacob  Neely,  a  native  of  the  Key- 
stone state  and  a  potter  by  trade,  who  eventually 
settled  in  Illinois.  When  the  Civil  war  broke  out 
the  elder  Neely  enlisted  in  the  Thirty-seventh  Iowa 
volunteer  infantry,  known  as  the  gray  beard  regi- 
ment, and  he  served  until  sickness  overtook  him. 
His  death  occurred  in  Alton,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Neely, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Priscilla  \\  alters,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  and  died  in  Iowa,  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  review 
is  the  youngest.  James  Neely  attended  the  schools 
of  Iowa  after  his  parents  removed  to  that  state.  At 
sixteen  years  of  age,  his  father  having  just  died,  he 
started  to  do  for  himself  and  he  passed  the  next 
four  years  at  farm  work,  then  went  to  work  in  the 
coal  mines  at  Flagler  and  continued  there  until 
1886,  when  he  came  to  Washington.  His  first  em- 
ployment in  the  new  state  was  furnished  by  John 
Poison  near  La  Conner  and  later  he  worked  for 
Charles  Elder.  In  1888  he  moved  to  Edison,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  Howard  saw-mill  for  two 
years,  leaving  to  enter  the  McCoy  logging  camp,  in 
which  he  remained  one  year  then  and  later  two  and 
a  half  years.  Upon  leaving  this  camp  he  bought 
his  present  farm.  Of  tlie  eighty  acres  in  his  original 
purchase  he  has  cleared  twenty  and  sold  twenty. 
For  the  two  years  from  18!)(;  to  1898  he  operated  a 
leased  farm  on  the  Olympia  marsh,  then  he  went  to 
Sedro-Woolley,  but  in  1899  he  moved  back  to  his 
own  farm. 

In  18?6  at  Pella,  Marion  county,  Iowa,  Mr. 
Neely  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Horn,  daughter  of 
Elias  and  Mary  (Blodgett)  Horn,  natives  of  Ohio, 
whose  lives  were  spent  as  farmers  in  Indiana  and 
Iowa ;  they  passed  away  in  the  latter  state.     Mrs. 


748 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Neely  is  the  third  of  their  ten  children.  She  was 
born  in  Ohio  in  1857,  but  received  her  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Iowa  and  in  Central  univer- 
sity. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neely  have  had  two  children : 
Edward,  born  in  Iowa  in  1877,  died  in  Skagit  county 
in  1900 ;  and  Lois,  born  in  Skagit  county  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1901.  In  politics  Mr.  Neely  is  a  Republican. 
He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  church  at 
Bayview  and  at  present  one  of  the  trustees  of  that 
organization.  His  home  place  consists  of  sixty 
acres,  upon  which  he  keeps  a  considerable  number 
of  live  stock.  He  is  highly  respected  in  the  com- 
munity, being  an  earnest,  efficient  man,  active,  in- 
dustrious and  capable  and  a  forceful  factor  in  the 
promotion  of  every  cause  which  appeals  to  him  as 
worthy. 


ANDREW  J.  MOORE  is  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  and  successful  business  men  of  the  district 
just  to  the  south  of  Edison.  His  chief  occupation  is 
logging  and  in  that  he  is  accumulating  money  read- 
ily and  has  been  doing  so  since  he  was  twenty  years 
of  age.  Mr.  Moore  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada, 
in  1876,  the  son  of  Andrew  D.  Moore,  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  was  brought  when  an  infant  to  Can- 
ada, where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  became  a 
farmer.  He  migrated  to  Washington  in  1888,  set- 
tled in  Skagit  county  and  is  still  living  there  near 
Bayview.  Mrs.  Isabella  (McGillivray)  Moore,  who 
was  born  in  Scotland  and  brought  to  Canada  by  ner 
parents  when  she  was  very  young,  is  also  living 
near  Bayview.  Andrew  J.  Moore  was  twelve  years 
of  age  when  he  came  to  Skagit  county  with  his  par- 
ents, and  he  received  the  most  of  his  education  there. 
At  twenty  he  commenced  work  in  a  logging  camp 
and  thereafter  he  was  employed  in  various  localities 
until  1900,  when  he  went  into  the  logging  business 
for  himself  on  the  Joe  Leary  slough.  He  continued 
there  two  years,  then  bought  a  place  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  for  the  sake  of  the  timber 
standing  on  it.  Having  moved  onto  this  place  in 
1902,  he  has  since  logged  off  much  of  the  timber  and 
has  cleared  about  half  the  land. 

In  1901  at  Vancouver,  British  Columbia,  Mr. 
Moore  married  Miss  Maggie  Young,  daughter  of 
George  Young,  who  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada, 
in  1844,  to  Scotch  parents,  and  on  reaching  young 
manhood  became  a  mechanic.  He  is  now  living 
with  Mrs.  Moore.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Jessie  (Mc- 
Gillivray) Young,  a  native  of  Canada,  is  living  at 
present  in  Montana.  Mrs.  Moore  was  born  in 
Canada  in  1877  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Alanitoba.  She  and  Mr.  Moore  have  two  children, 
William  J.,  born  in  1902,  and  John  W.,  in  1904.  In 
church  memljership  Mr.  Moore  is  a  Presbyterian 
and  in  politics  a  Republican.  While  heretofore  he 
has  directed  most  of  his  attention  since  the  purchase 
of  his  place  to  the  timber  upon  it,  he  has  cleared 
enough  to  start  an  excellent  farm.     His  stock  at 


present  consists  of  ten  head  of  cattle  and  eight 
horses.  Mr.  Moore  is  a  level  headed  business  man, 
as  is  shown  by  his  career,  and  is  possessed  of  those 
sterling  qualities  which  command  the  esteem  of  all 
classes  of  citizens.  In  the  history  of  Skagit  county 
his  name  will  be  associated  with  the  development  of 
the  greatest  industry  of  the  Northwest,  and  with 
those  of  the  men  who  have  been  most  active  and 
successful  in  its  upbuilding. 


EDWARD  REED,  whose  farm  lies  two  miles 
east  and  two  south  of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  young 
men  who  have  made  an  unqualified  success  since 
coming  to  Skagit  county.  Beginning  his  industrial 
career  as  a  boy  in  the  logging  camps,  he  is  now 
operating  with  ability  a  farming  venture  of  his  own. 
He  was  born  in  Sweden  March  5,  1872,  the  sixth 
of  the  twelve  children  of  Charles  Reed,  a  native  of 
Sweden,  who  is  now  living  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Mrs.  Frederika  (Anderson)  Reed,  the  mother,  also 
a  native  of  Sweden,  died  in  her  Iowa  home.  Young 
Reed  obtained  his  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  land,  but  has  added  much  thereto  since  com- 
ing to  this  county.  At  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
began  working  in  the  logging  camps  of  Skagit 
county  and  he  remained  at  that  employment  ten 
years.  In  1901  he  purchased  his  present  place  of 
eighty  acres,  which  was  all  in  timber  at  the  time  he 
acquired  it,  but  he  now  has  ten  of  it  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  the  timber  has  been  removed  from  the  re- 
mainder. He  has  made  his  home  on  the  place  since 
he  purchased  it. 

In  1901  while  on  a  trip  to  Iowa  Mr.  Reed  mar- 
ried Miss  Emma  Linderson,  third  of  the  six  children 
of  Otto  R.  and  Ida  (Johnson)  Linderson,  natives 
of  Sweden  who  came  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  in  Iowa  in  1866  and  are  still  living 
there.  Mrs.  Reed  was  born  in  Jefferson  county, 
Iowa,  in  1875  and  was  educated  there,  teaching 
school  for  several  terms  prior  to  her  marriage.  She 
and  Mr.  Reed  have  one  child,  Earl,  born  in  Skagit 
county,  February  27,  1902.  The  family  are  adher- 
ents to  the  Lutheran  faith  and  in  politics  Mr.  Reed 
is  a  Republican.  He  has  eight  head  of  cattle  and 
one  horse.  Though  one  of  the  less  extensive  farm- 
ers of  the  community,  Mr.  Reed  is  just  now  begin- 
ning to  get  good  returns  from  his  place  and  the  fu- 
ture looks  bright  for  him,  as  he  is  a  young  man  of 
thrift  and  character  and  possesses  the  qualifications 
whicli  will  enable  him  to  win  his  share  of  the  good 
things  the  rich  Skagit  country  has  in  store  for  men 
of  application  and  energy. 


JOHN  W.  JACKSON,  whose  farm  lies  five  miles 
southeast  of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  early  settlers  in 
this  part  of  Skagit  county,  having  been  identified 
with  the  Samish  flats  and  vicinity  since  1888.  He 
was  born   in   Harrison   county,    Indiana,    May   15, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1853,  the  son  of  Silas  Jackson,  whose  people  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  that  section  of  the 
Hoosier  state.  Mrs.  Lewene  (Horner)  Jackson,  a 
native  of  Indiana  also,  who  died  in  1873,  was  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  John  W.  is  the 
oldest.  Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
Indiana  schools.  He  remained  at  home  until  reach- 
ing his  majority,  then  went  to  Illinois,  but  after 
spending  a  year  at  farm  work  there  he  went  back 
to  his  native  state.  He  worked  in  an  Indiana  coal 
mine  for  a  time,  then  rented  a  farm  and  he  con- 
tinued to  till  the  soil  of  the  Hoosier  state  until  1887, 
after  which  he  spent  sixteen  months  in  Elk  County, 
Kansas.  In  1888  he  came  to  Washington  territory 
and  located  in  the  Samish  country,  and  he  worked 
as  a  farm  hand  on  the  river  and  flats  until  January 
of  1903,  when  he  bought  his  present  place.  The 
entire  farm  is  slashed  and  a  part  of  it  is  in  cultiva- 
tion. 

In  1875  in  Indiana  Mr.  Jackson  married  Miss 
Ellen  Colegrove.  daughter  of  James  C.  and  Martha 
(!\lason)  Colegrove,  New  Yorkers  who  came  to 
Indiana  in  their  early  years,  but  passed  most  of 
their  lives  in  Kansas,  where  they  are  still  residing. 
Mrs.  Jackson,  born  in  1860,  was  a  native  of  the 
Hoosier  state  and  received  her  education  there. 
She  died  in  Kansas  May  12,  1887,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren: ;\Irs.  jMartha  Moore,  now  in  Kansas;  Mrs. 
Maiemie  Easley,  now  of  Skagit  county ;  Mrs.  Cora 
Anderson,  of  Kansas,  and  Mrs.  Lizzie  McCoskey, 
also  of  the  Sunflower  state.  In  politics  Mr.  Jackson 
is  a  strong  Republican  and  an  active  party  worker, 
but  for  himself  has  sought  no  preferment,  though 
he  has  served  as  dike  commissioner  of  Samish  flats 
district  No.  5.  He  is  a  type  of  the  men  who  came 
to  Skagit  county  in  the  early  days  to  carve  for- 
tunes from  its  forests  and  river  valleys.  He  pos- 
sesses in  a  marked  degree  those  personal  traits  of 
character  which  lead  to  ultimate  success  in  whatever 
field  of  endeavor  the  possessor  chooses  to  expend 
the  energies  of  his  mind  and  body.  He  has  won  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow-men  by  the  exercise  of  a  spirit 
of  fairness  in  all  his  dealings,  and  by  the  application 
of  correct  principles  and  sound  judgment  in  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  advancement  of  the  gen- 
eral interests  of  the  community. 


MICHAEL  SPAULDING.  whose  pleasant 
place  of  eighty  acres  lies  four  miles  south  of  Edison, 
is  one  of  those  early  Skagit  county  settlers  who  have 
seen  the  wilderness  changed  into  a  land  of  rich  gar- 
dens, waving  grain  and  well  fed  cattle.  In  this 
transformation  he  has  done  his  share.  He  was  born 
in  Switzerland  April  23,  1865,  the  son  of  John  and 
Annie  Spaulding,  both  citizens  of  the  Alpine  re- 
public who  came  to  America  while  he  was  still  an 
infant  and  found  a  home  in  Erie  county.  New 
York,  not  far  from  Buffalo.  The  father  had  been  a 
farmer  in  the  old  country  and  continued  to  till  the 


soil  in  his  new  home,  while  the  boy  went  to  school, 
helped  on  the  farm  and  grew  to  manhood.  Both 
parents  now  are  dead.  The  young  man  was  en- 
gaged in  railroad  wqrk  for  a  year  in  Minnesota  and 
Dakota  and  came  west  in  188G.  He  came  direct  to 
Skagit  county,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  In 
1890  he  filed  on  a  homestead  near  Birdsview  and 
lived  there  five  years,  during  which  period  he  was 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  logging.  He  next 
spent  several  years  in  and  around  La  Conner,  work- 
ing four  years  for  J.  O.  Rudene.  In  1900  he  bought 
a  place  on  Beaver  marsh  which  he  held  five  years 
and  sold  to  P.  Person.  Mr.  Spaulding  purchased 
his  present  farm  in  June,  1905.  This  tract  is  ex- 
ceedingly fertile  and  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  that  part  of  the  county.  Mr.  Spaulding  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics.  He  never  has  married.  He 
is  well  to  do,  amiable  by  nature  and  popular  in  his 
community,  one  of  the  county's  stalwart  citizen 
farmers. 


WILLIAM  GEESAMAN,  a  farmer  one  mile 
east  and  four  miles  south  of  Edison,  is  a  man  who 
within  the  past  few  years  has  literally  chopped  a 
home  for  himself  and  family  out  of  the  virgin  forest. 
Where  once  the  monarchs  of  the  woods  stood  in 
their  solitude  has  arisen  one  of  the  cozy  small  farms 
of  which  Skagit  county  boasts,  and  the  transforma- 
tion has  been  effected  by  Mr.  Geesaman  since  1895. 
He  was  born  in  Allen  county,  Indiana,  of  Penn- 
sylvania Dutch  stock  February  1,  1864,  the  youngest 
of  the  thirteen  children  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Work) 
Geesaman.  The  elder  Geesaman  was  born  in  the 
Keystone  state  in  1815,  and  in  1833  began  clearing 
up  a  home  for  himself  in  Ohio.  He  later  went  to 
Indiana  and  still  later  to  Iowa,  where  he  died  in 
1882.  Mrs.  Geesaman,  the  mother,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio. 

William  Geesaman  of  this  review  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Cedar  county,  low-a. 
He  remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age,  then  \vent  to  Kansas  and 
spent  a  year  in  nursery  work.  Subsequent  years 
were  passed  at  dififerent  lines  of  employment,  in- 
cluding farming,  until  in  1890  he  came  to  Washing- 
ton and  located  on  the  Samish  flats.  His  first  year 
in  this  state  was  passed  as  a  laborer,  but  in  1892  he 
leased  the  Nick  Beaser  place  for  one  year.  Two 
years  were  then  spent  as  lessee  and  operator  of  the 
Mike  Myers  farm,  after  which  Mr.  Geesaman  went 
to  Samish  island  for  a  year  and  a  half.  In  1895  he 
bought  his  present  place  of  forty  acres,  which  at 
that  time  was  covered  with  heavy  timber  and  dense 
brush.  The  thirty-two  acres  of  it  which  are  cleared 
are  considered  equal  to  the  best  land  on  the  marsh 
— land  which  in  1901  produced  an  average  of  one 
hundred  and  thirtv  bushels  of  oats  to  the  acre. 

At  Eureka,  Kansas,  in  1888,  Mr.  Geesaman 
married  Miss  Annie  McKibben,  daughter  of  Joseph 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


McKibbin,  a  native  of  Ireland  who  came  to  the 
United  States  when  nine  years  of  age.  He  served 
in  the  Civil  war  as  a  member  of  the  Eleventh  Iowa 
volunteers.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Geesaman,  Mrs. 
Eliza  (Chase)  McKibbin,  was  born  in  Illinois. 
Mrs.  Geesaman  is  the  second  of  five  children.  She 
was  born  in  Cedar  county,  Iowa,  in  1868  and  edu- 
cated in  the  Iowa  schools,  but  when  nineteen  years 
of  age  went  to  Kansas,  where  she  met  and  married 
Mr.  Geesaman.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geesaman  have  two 
children:  Pearl  E.,  born  in  Kansas  in  1889,  and 
Florence  E.,  born  in  Skagit  county  in  1890.  In 
fraternal  circles  Mr.  Geesaman  is  an  Odd  Fellow 
and  his  wife  is  a  Rebekah ;  in  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  has  manifested  his  public-spirited  interest 
in  the  cause  of  education  by  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  school  board.  Mr.  Geesaman  is  a  hard 
worker,  thrifty,  energetic,  public  spirited  and  suc- 
cessful in  all  the  walks  of  life.  His  home  is  one  of 
the  pleasantest  places   in   Skagit  county. 


JOHN  HUSTON  WILSON  is  one  of  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  the  Edison  country  of  Skagit 
county.  As  a  young  man  he  took  charge  of  his 
father's  interests  in  this  county  and  is  showing  his 
energy  and  good  management,  his  ability  to  make 
a  success  of  the  business  he  is  now  pursuing.  He 
was  born  in  Marysville,  Tennessee,  in  the  spring  of 
1875,  the  son  of  Samuel  C.  Wilson,  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, born  in  1850,  who  later  became  a  farmer  in 
Illinois  and  ultimately  moved  to  Skagit  county, 
Washington,  settling  on  La  Conner  flats  in  1887. 
He  is  now  in  business  in  Bellingham.  Mrs.  Annie 
(Martin)  Wilson,  also  a  native  of  Tennessee,  is 
the  mother  of  three  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  is  the  oldest.  John  H.  Wilson  at- 
tended school  in  Illinois,  from  which  state  he  came 
to  Washington  with  his  parents  when  he  was  twelve 
years  of  age.  He  passed  his  life  in  work  for  his 
father  until  he  was  twenty-six,  when  he  took  charge 
of  the  place  on  the  Samish  flats  and  commenced  to 
make  a  specialty  of  raising  hay  and  oats,  the  latter 
yielding  not  less  than  one  hundred  bushels  to  the 
acre.  For  the  seven  years  of  his  stewardship  he  has 
been  successful  as  a  grower  and  marketer  and  in 
everything  relating  to  the  business. 

In  January  of  1901  on  the  Swinomish  flats  Mr. 
Wilson  married  Miss  Pear!  Sisson,  daughter  of 
E.  A.  and  Ida  L.  Sisson,  of  whom  mention  is  made 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mrs.  Wilson  was  born  in 
Bayview  in  the  summer  of  1877,  and  received  her 
education  in  the  schools  of  Skagit  county  and  in  the 
Baptist  seminary  in  Seattle.  She  and  Mr.  Wilson 
have  one  child,  Carroll  S.,  born  in  April  of  1903. 
The  family  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church  and  in  pol- 
itics Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Republican,  though  of  the  in- 
dependent type,  which  considers  the  qualification  of 
the  candidate  and  is  not  bound  always  by  party  bias. 
Mr.  Wilson  keeps  six  horses  and  a  few  cows,  but  is 


not  a  stock  raiser,  preferring  to  confine  his  energies 
to  cereal  production.  He  has  some  interests  hs  a 
stockholder  in  coal  mines  in  .Maska. 

In  the  cultivation  and  management  of  his  excel- 
lent eighty-acre  farm,  he  has  been  very  successful, 
applying  his  abundant  energy  in  a  way  to  achieve 
the  best  results ;  and  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he 
demeanors  himself  in  a  manner  calculated  to  win 
and  retain  the  esteem  and  contidence  of  his  fellow 
citizens. 


FREDERICK  C.  KUNZMANN,  whose  place 
lies  some  two  miles  west  of  Edison,  has  been  in 
Skagit  county  since  1882,  and  has  been  steadily  in- 
creasing in  worldly  possessions  and  the  esteem  of 
the  c(JiiiHnmil\  since  his  arrival.  He  is  now  the  pro- 
priiiiii  III  :m  excellent  farming  business.  Mr.  Kunz- 
niaiiii  wa-^  Imvn  in  Germany  in  the  spring  of  1853, 
the  son  of  Jacob  and  Caroline  (Kleiber)  Kunzmann, 
farmer  folk  who  never  left  their  fatherland.  Fred- 
erick Kunzmann,  fifth  of  their  eight  children,  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  German  schools,  which 
he  attended  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  At 
that  time  he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  brick- 
layer and  continued  at  the  same  until  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  was  considered  to  have  mastered  the 
craft.  The  next  nine  years  were  passed  in  brick- 
laying in  Germany,  then,  in  1880,  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  Wisconsin,  After  fol- 
lowing liis  trade  for  one  summer  in  the  Badger 
state,  he  came  to  California  and  passed  a  summer 
there  on  a  farm,  then  came  to  Whatcom  county  and 
worked  one  winter  in  the  woods.  In  the  spring  of 
1882  he  came  to  the  Samish  flats,  where  he  worked 
for  wages  on  a  farm  for  the  ensuing  six  years,  at 
the  end  of  which  period  he  purchased  a  place  two 
miles  south  of  Edison,  consisting  of  eighty  acres, 
vvliich  he  cleared,  and  on  which  he  lived  until  190-1, 
when  he  leased  the  H.  S.  Conner  place.  He  farmed 
there  two  years,  but  at  present  is  living  on  the 
George  Hoffman  ranch. 

In  1889  Mr.  Kunzmann  married  Miss  Anna  G. 
Wieber,  daughter-  of  Conrad  and  Elizabeth  (Isa- 
riel)  Wieber,  both  of  whom  lived  and  died  in  the 
old  country.  Mrs.  Kunzmann  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  the  summer  of  1863  and  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  the  old  country.  She  and 
Mr.  Kunzmann  have  three  children:  William  H., 
born  in  1S!)():  Caroline  E.,  in  1892,  and  Carl  F.,  in 
1S!M.  all  of  whom  are  natives  of  the  Samish  flats. 
In  fraternal  affiliation  Mr.  Kunzmann  is  a  member 
of  the  Fraternal  Union  of  America ;  in  church  mem- 
bership he  is  a  Lutheran,  and  in  politics  a  Demo- 
crat. For  nine  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board,  and  he  has  also  served  the  public  as 
dike  commissioner.  Cattle  sufificient  to  supply  the 
home  with  dairy  commodities  and  ten  head  of 
horses  are  maintained  on  his  farm. 

Manifesting  abundantly  the   thrift   which    is    so 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


prominent  a  characteristic  of  the  sons  of  Germany, 
and  possessed  of  an  enviable  reputation  for  integ- 
rity of  character,  Mr.  Kunzmann  maintains  a  high 
standing  among  his  neighbors  and  fellow-citizens  as 
a  worthy  and  forceful  member  of  society. 


NELSON  B.  RICHARDS,  one  of  the  sturdy 
agriculturists  of  the  valley  in  the  vicinity  of  Edison, 
came  to  Skagit  county  when  the  country  was  new 
and  has  carved  his  fortune  out  of  the  then  wilder- 
ness of  woods.  His  farm,  located  four  miles  south- 
west of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  prosperous  places  of 
Skagit  county.  Mr.  Richards  was  born  in  Fulton 
county,  Illinois,  in  September  of  1859.  His  father, 
John  V.  Richards,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  became  a  resident  of  Illinois 
in  the  early  fifties.  Mrs.  Sarah  (Crowley)  Rich- 
ards, mother  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Ohio. 
Of  her  seven  children.  Nelson  B.  was  the  sixth,  and 
he  was  but  six  years  old  at  the  time  of  her  death. 
Young  Richards  received  his  educational  discipline 
in  the  Illinois  schools.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
was  sent  to  his  uncle's  stock  ranch  in  Texas,  where 
he  remained  three  years.  Returning  then  to  his 
native  state,  he  put  in  three  years  as  a  farmhand, 
then  went  to  Kansas  City,  where  for  two  years  he 
worked  in  a  packing  house.  He  spent  the  next 
year  in  railroad  work  in  Arizona,  then  spent  seven 
months  in  California.  In  the  fall  of  1881  he  came 
to  Washington  and  entered  the  employ  of  R.  E. 
Whitney,  with  whom  he  stayed  three  years.  In 
1887  his  present  home  place  was  bought,  then  all 
raw  land,  now  all  in  cultivation  and  with  excellent 
buildings  erected  upon  it.  Mr.  Richards  has  made 
this  his  home  ever  since,  except  for  three  years, 
when  he  leased  the  place. 

In  1893,  at  Victoria,  B.  C,  Mr.  Richards  mar- 
ried Miss  Lydia  Price,  daughter  of  Thomas  Price, 
a  merchant,  native  of  Wales,  who  came  around  the 
Horn  in  the  early  sixties  in  a  sailing  vessel  to  Vic- 
toria, in  the  employ  of  the  British  government,  in 
whose  service  he  helped  blaze  the  first  trail  into  the 
Cariboo  mining  district.  Mr.  Price  died  in  Skagit 
county.  Mrs.  Jane  (Howells)  Price,  mother  of 
Mrs.  Richards,  was  also  a  native  of  Wales.  She 
died  in  Bayview  in  1893.  Mrs.  Richards  was  born 
in  Westminster,  British  Columbia,  in  August  of 
1865,  and  received  her  education  in  a  Victoria  con- 
vent. She  came  to  Skagit  county  with  her  mother 
in  1887.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Richards  is  an 
Odd  Fellow,  in  church  membership  a  Presbyterian 
and  in  politics  a  Republican.  At  presnt  he  is  serv- 
ing as  clerk  of  the  school  board.  Mrs.  Richards 
adheres  to  the  Episcopalian  faith.  The  Richards 
home  is  on  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  of  which  are  under  cultivation,  the  re- 
mainder being  excellent  timber  land.  In  live  stock 
Mr.  Richards  has  twenty  head  of  cattle,  ten  horses, 
3.  number  of  sheep,  etc.     He  is  considered  one  of 


the  strong-  men  of  the  county,  a  farmer  of  ability 
and  skill  and  in  all  the  relations  of  life  a  man  of 
unquestioned  integrity. 


LINUS  ABBOTT  is  one  of  the  men  of  pure 
Yankee  stock  who  have  helped  in  the  work  of  turn- 
ing Skagit  county  from  a  wilderness  into  a  com- 
munity of  agriculture  and  farm  homes.  His  life 
has  been  one  of  travel,  yet  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  he  has  been  a  successful  farmer  in  the 
Puget  sound  country.  Mr.  Abbott  was  born  in 
Windsor  county,  Vermont,  in  1843,  the  son  of 
Elam  Abbott,  whose  father,  Daniel,  settled  at  Stock- 
bridge,  Vermont,  among  the  very  first  settlers,  and 
there  founded  the  Stockjaridge  branch  of  the  Abbott 
family.  Elam  Abbott  was  born  at  Stockbridge  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1805,  died  June  22,  1895,  and  was  buried 
in  the  Sunnyside  cemetery,  Coupeville.  The  mother, 
Mrs.  Roxey  (Ellison)  Abbott,  born  February  24, 
ISotj,  was  likewise  of  Vermont  nativity;  she  died 
February  14,  1885,  the  mother  of  nine  children,  of 
whom  Linus  was  ne.xt  to  the  youngest.  At  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  after  attending  school,  Linus  Ab- 
bott sailed  from  New  York,  bound  for  San  Fran- 
cisco, via  the  Panama  route.  The  trip  occupied 
forty-nine  and  one-half  days.  The  first  year  and 
a  half  of  young  Abbott's  life  in  California  was  spent 
in  farming  and  dairying  at  Bloomfield.  In  the 
fall  of  1863  he  came  north  to  Victoria,  spending 
but  a  short  time  there  before  going  to  Seattle.  The 
following  year  Mr.  Abbott  returned  to  Victoria, 
and  he  followed  the  carpenter  trade  there  for  a 
twelvemonth,  or  until  he  went  to  Coupeville,  Whid- 
by  island,  where  he  passed  three  years  at  farming. 
The  year  1868  found  him  first  at  St.  Helens,  Ore- 
gon, and  later  working  at  the  carpenter's  bench  in 
San  Francisco.  Again  coming  north,  he  located 
at  Napton,  on  the  Columbia  river,  in  Washington, 
and  helped  build  a  saw-mill,  remaining  there  eight 
months.  At  this  time  he  decided  to  go  back  to  the 
Green  Mountain  state,  and  there  for  a  number  of 
years  followed  agriculture.  But  the  sound  still  at- 
tracted him,  and  in  March  of  1879  he  returned  to 
Coupeville,  where  he  leased  a  farm  and  was  en- 
gaged in  tilling  the  soil  for  seven  years.  Early  in 
1886  Mr.  Ab"bott  came  to  Skagit  county  and  rented 
a  farm,  also  purchased  eighty  acres  of  wild  brush 
land  from  R.  H.  Ball.  Sixty  acres  of  this  were 
cleared  and  brought  under  cultivation  when  Mr. 
Abbott  also  bought  the  relinquishment  of  C.  Dicks, 
filed  on  it  as  a  pre-emption  and  later  moved  there. 
On  his  acquisition  of  this  land  it  was  largely  in 
brush  and  had  only  a  cabin  in  the  way  of  improve- 
ments. After  clearing  sixty  acres  of  it,  he  pur- 
chased forty  more  lying  west,  which  had  been  part 
of  the  E,  S,  Jones  homestead. 

March  30,  1874,  while  residing  in  Vermont,  Mr. 
Abbott  married  Miss  Lucy  S.  Putnam,  born  Octo- 
ber 5,  1849,  of  good  old  Yankee  stock.    Her  father 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


was  Ezra  N.  Putnam,  whose  father  was  a  soldier 
of  the  War  of  1812,  and  a  relative  of  General  Israel 
Putnam  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Mrs.  Lucy  (Wash- 
burn) Putnam,  her  mother,  was  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, springing  from  old  pioneer  stock  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state.  Mrs.  Abbott  received  her  educa- 
tion in  Vermont,  eventually  graduating  from  the 
State  Normal  school  at  Randolph,  then  following 
the  teaching  profession  until  her  marriage.  She 
died  in  Skagit  county,  October  6,  1889,  and  was 
buried  in  the  Sunnyside  cemetery  near  Coupeville. 
She  was  the  mother  of  five  children :  Mrs.  Mary 
L.  Callahan,  who  lives  near  Fredonia ;  Hollis  R., 
Nelson  S.,  Hattie  R.  and  George  W.,  the  last  named 
dying  in  infancy.  July  30,  1891,  Mr.  Abbott  mar- 
ried Miss  Harriet  L.  Underwood,  the  daughter  of 
Jonas  Ralph  Underwood,  who  was  born  in  Susque- 
hanna county,  Pennsylvania,  October  4,  1828.  He 
was  a  pioneer  in  Kansas  prior  to  the  Civil  War.  At 
the  beginning  of  hostilities  he  enlisted  in  Company 
F,  Thirty-second  Iowa  Volunteers,  and  died  Octo- 
ber 12,  1863,  after  serving  a  little  over  one  year. 
The  mother,  Harriet  Louisa  (Lewis)  Underwood, 
was  also  born  in  Susquehanna  county,  the  date  be- 
ing September  22,  1836,  and  is  now  a  resident  of 
Skagit  county.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Underwood 
she  became  Mrs.  Waters.  Mrs.  Abbott  was  born 
in  DeKalb  county,  Illinois,  May  17,  1863,  received 
her  education  in  Kansas,  graduated  from  Gould 
college  and  followed  teaching  for  several  years,  un- 
til her  marriage.  She  died  June  15,  1903,  and  was 
buried  in  Sunnyside  cemetery.  Two  children  sur- 
vive, Lucy  A.  and  Louisa  R. 

Politically  Mr.  Abbott  affiliates  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  In  addition  to  the  pursuit  of  the  other 
forms  of  agriculture,  he  devotes  much  time  to  stock 
raising,  making  a  specialty  of  hogs,  of  which  he  has 
at  present  one  hundred  and  fifty  head;  but  he  also 
has  a  fine  herd  of  cattle  and  a  number  of  good 
horses.  His  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
are  all  under  cultivation  and  are  so  systematically 
farmed  as  to  reflect  great  credit  upon  the  worthy 
owner.  Mr.  Abbott  has  the  energy  and  push  neces- 
sary to  win  success  in  a  business  way,  and  also  is 
possessed  of  that  afifable,  sociable  turn  which  wins 
and  maintains  for  its  possessor  a  high  place  in  the 
regard  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


GEORGE  HOFFMAN,  a  farmer  residing 
southwest  of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  men  who  have 
deserted  the  shoemaker's  last  and  hammer  for  the 
farmer's  plow  and  harrow.  His  experiences  since 
coming  to  the  United  States  cover  numerous  states, 
at  last  to  become  those  of  a  pioneer  in  the  woods  of 
Skagit  county.  Mr.  Hofifman  was  born  in  Germany 
in  the  summer  of  1835,  the  son  of  John  and  Mar- 
garet (Decker)  Hofifman,  who  passed  all  their  lives 
in  the  old  country.  They  were  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren,   George   and   a   girl,   who    died    in    infancy. 


George  Hoffman  received  his  education  in  the  old 
country,  then  served  a  three-year  apprentice  to  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  commencing  when  but  fourteen 
years  of  age.  On  the  completion  of  this  term  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  and  he  spent  the  first 
two  years  of  his  residence  here  at  work  at  his  trade 
in  New  York  city.  In  1864  he  began  pursuing  his 
calling  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  remaining  there 
for  the  next  two  years.  At  Wheeling,  West  Vir- 
ginia, he  remained  four  years,  and  in  Chattanooga 
two  years ;  then,  in  1872,  he  came  West  to  Dayton, 
Washington.  After  remaining  in  the  Columbia 
county  town  two  years,  he  came  on  to  Seattle,  where 
he  spent  the  next  twelvemonth.  He  then  went  to 
eastern  Oregon,  and  remained  a  year,  thereupon 
coming  to  La  Conner.  Soon  after  arriving  in  that 
town,  he  came  over  on  the  Samish  flats  and  filed  on 
a  homestead,  upon  which  he  has  resided  since  1879. 
At  that  time  the  land  was  covered  with  brush,  but 
he  went  to  work  with  energy  and  in  due  time  got 
it  ready  for  the  crops  of  the  farmer.  Mr.  Hoffman 
has  never  married.  In  church  membership  he  is  a 
Catholic ;  in  political  faith  a  Democrat,  believing 
that  in  that  party  is  more  independence  than  in  any 
other  political  organization.  Mr.  Hoffman,  while 
leading  a  very  quiet  life,  is  one  of  the  respected  and 
esteemed  citizens  of  his  community. 


BENGT  JOHNSON,  living  a  half  mile  south- 
east of  Milltown,  is  one  of  the  prominent  men  of 
that  section  of  Skagit  county,  and  he  has  amassed 
his  present  property  only  after  much  discourage- 
ment and  in  the  face  of  many  obstacles.  His  life 
has  been  a  useful  one  and  in  his  carrer  he  has  given 
his  attention  to  many  lines  of  work  and  activity. 
Mr.  Johnson  was  born  in  Sweden  December  31, 
1844,  the  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Knudson) 
Johnson,  who  have  passed  their  entire  lives  in  the 
old  country.  Mr.  Johnson  had  few  educational  ad- 
vantages as  a  boy,  but  his  native  qualities  have 
stood  him  well  in  hand.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years  he  left  Sweden  for  the  United  States,  landing 
in  New  York  May  16,  1868.  He  went  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  worked  a  short  time  in  a  tannery,  then 
went  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he  worked  on  a 
rravel  train  for  the  construction  department  of  the 
Union  Pacific.  He  remained  at  this  work  for  some 
time  and  was  present  at  Ogden,  Utah,  when  the 
golden  spike  was  driven  in  commemoration  of  the 
completion  of  the  first  transcontinental  railroad  in 
America.  Mr.  Johnson  returned  to  Omaha,  then 
went  to  Iowa  and  worked  at  hauling  ties  for  a  time ; 
later  he  moved  to  Missouri  and  did  railroad  work. 
This  he  relinquished  for  farming  in  Kansas,  where 
he  resided  until  1876.  There  grasshoppers  and 
cinch  bugs  ruined  his  crops,  and  he  sold  out  his 
farm  and  stock,  coming  to  the  Puget  sound  country 
via  San  Francisco.  He  worked  seventy-six  days 
at  $1  per  day,  but  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  the  very 


LIXUS    ABBOTT 


GEORGE  HOFFMAN 


BENGT    JOHNSON 


CUARI,i:S    ALS  IRANI.) 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


first  money  he  made  in  this  part  of  the  country. 
^Ir.  Johnson  then  went  to  Stanwood  and  worked 
at  diking  for  Mr.  Hancock.  In  company  with  two 
other  men  he  built  four  hundred  rods  of  dike.  He 
also  diked  the  town  of  Stanwood,  accomplishing  the 
work  in  six  months.  He  pre-empted  his  present 
place  in  the  fall  of  1877,  built  a  cab'in,  diked  the  ad- 
joining place  and  lived  in  his  cabin  until  1880 ;  then 
put  up  a  dwelling  near  where  his  present  house 
stands,  and  where  he  has  cleared  and  diked  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres.  Litigation  with  the 
Puget  Sound  Mill  Company  lasted  three  years  and 
cost  Mr.  Johnson  $750,  but  he  had  the  satisfaction 
of  winning  and  keeping  his  place.  It  seems  that  the 
company  proved  up  on  the  place  on  which  he  had 
lived  and  upon  certain  allegations  received  the  pat- 
ent. Mr.  Johnson  carried  the  case  up  and  ultimate- 
ly the  decision  of  the  land  office  was  reversed.  The 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  Mr.  Johnson's 
bottom  land  are  all  under  cultivation  and  are  very 
fertile.  He  has  sowed  two  hundred  acres  of  higher 
land  to  timothy  and  clover  and  uses  it  for  pasture, 
and  he  has  yet  another  hill  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  which  is  not  sown.  At  present  Mr. 
Johnson  has  eighty  head  of  good  cattle.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics.  One  of  his  ventures  in  the 
early  eighties  was  a  partnership  with  William  and 
Jefferson  Sill  and  Mr.  Forsyth  in  the  butcher  and 
meat  business  at  Stanwood.  The  firm  fattened  two 
hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle  and  three  hundred 
and  fifty  hogs  and  Mr.  Johnson  went  to  Seattle  to 
sell  them.  On  his  return  trip  the  steamer  Jose- 
phine blew  up  and  killed  ten  men,  also  breaking  one 
of  Air.  Johnson's  legs.  He  was  laid  up  for  five 
weeks,  then  sold  out  to  his  partners.  Mr.  Johnson 
has  been  in  other  accidents  and  has  had  some  nar- 
row escapes.  When  he  was  running  on  the  gravel 
train  on  the  Union  Pacific,  a  wreck  mixed  up  twen- 
ty-four carloads  of  telegraph  poles  and  killed  ten 
men,  Mr.  Johnson  having  a  narrow  escape.  When 
he  was  working  in  the  Pennsylvania  tannery  he  was 
nearly  drowned  in  one  of  the  tanning  tanks.  Since 
coming  to  the  sound  country  he  narrowly  escaped 
drowning  in  the  Skagit  river,  being  unable  to  swim, 
and  only  by  chance  getting  a  foothold  on  the  bottom 
sufficient  to  permit  him  to  crawl  to  shore.  Mr. 
Johnson  has  never  married.  He  is  well  esteemed 
in  the  community,  a  man  possessing  sterling  char- 
acteristics, but  one  who,  in  his  daily  intercourse  with 
his  associates,  is  unpretentious  and  straightforward. 
The  degree  of  prosperity  that  has  come  to  him  is 
the  direct  result  of  perseverance,  of  honest  endeavor 
and  of  square  dealing  with  his  fellow-citizens. 


CHARLES  ALSTRAND,  farmer,  stock  raiser 
and  dairyman,  living  a  short  di'stance  northeast  of 
Belleville,  after  a  few  years  of  hard  work  and 
struggle  with  nature,  is  now  well  on  the  road  to 


prosperity  and  is  already  enjoying  a  competence. 
During  the  past  few  years  he  has  labored  well,  and 
now  the  results  of  his  efforts  are  taking  material 
form  and  bringing  substantial  returns.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  born  July  8,  18G7,  the  son  of  Knute 
Benson  Alstrarid,  a  farmer  of  the  old  country,  who 
died  in  1875.  Mrs.  Johanna  (Martinsen) 
Knutsen,  the  mother  of  the  young  man  of  whom 
this  is  written,  was  born  in  Sweden,  but  came  to 
this  country  in  1898,  when  seventy  years  old,  and 
made  her  home  with  her  son  Charles  until  her 
death  last  fall.  She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children, 
two  of  whom  are  now  dead.  Besides  Charles  the 
living  are  Johan  and  Alexander,  in  the  old  country; 
John  and  Mrs.  Bettie  Hughes,  southwest  of  Seattle; 
Mrs.  Christina  Holmberg,  in  Kansas;  Mrs.  Jose- 
phine Alstrander,  in  Seattle ;  and  Mrs.  Bena  Swan- 
son,  in  Skagit  county.  Qiarles  Alstrand  grew  to 
manhood  on  the  farm  in  Sweden,  attending  school 
in  the  winter  and  herding  sheep  in  the  summer,  un- 
til fifteen  years  old,  when  he  started  for  himself. 
He  first  hired  out  to  a  widow  by  the  year,  then  did 
blacksmithing  for  awhile.  When  nineteen  he  de- 
cided to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  new  world,  so  came 
to  the  United  States  with  his  older  sisters,  Bettie 
and  Christina,  and  located  at  Osage  City,  Kansas, 
where  for  two  years  he  found  employment  in  the 
mines.  He  then  came  to  Washington  and  worked 
on  a  White  river  hop  farm  south  of  Seattle  for  a 
time,  then  for  seven  years  rented  land  in  that  sec- 
tion. In  1897  he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  with 
his  brother  John  bought  the  place  where  he  now 
lives,  eighty  acres,  of  which  only  three  acres  were 
cleared  at  the  time  of  the  purchase.  All  the  other 
improvements  on  the  place  have  been  made  by  the 
brothers.  Charles  borrowed  money  and  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  present  dairy  business  by  buying 
one  cow,  also  worked  in  shingle  bolt  camps  at  in- 
tervals to  obtain  money  with  which  to  make  im- 
provements on  the  farm  and  to  buy  calves.  During 
the  first  year  his  residence  here  began,  his  aged 
mother  came  over  from  Sweden  and  became  his 
housekeeper.  She  died  September  IG,  1905,  aged 
seventy-seven  years.  Little  by  little  the  stock  has 
been  increased  and  improvements  made  until  early 
in  1905  Charles  Alstrand  was  in  a  position  to  buy 
his  brother's  interest  in  the  farm,  and  he  has  since 
been  sole  owner.  He  raises  hay  and  oats  princi- 
pally, but  keeps  thirty  head  of  shorthorn  and  Dur- 
ham cattle,  also  forty  head  of  Poland  China  and 
Berkshire  hogs.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but 
consistently  refuses  office,  recently  declining  to 
serve  as  road  overseer.  Mr.  Alstrand  is  a  thrifty, 
hard  worker,  progressive,  strong  willed  and  deter- 
mined to  attain  a  position  of  independence.  He  has 
a  nice  house,  good  barns  and  is  now  approaching 
the  full  realization  of  the  hopes  of  the  past,  the 
goal  of  his  ambitions.  Pie  is  persevering  and  in 
all  things  honorable,  and  must  ever  command  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellows. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


EUPHRONEOUS  E.  WATKINSON,  who 
lives  four  miles  south  of  Bow,  is  one  of  the  agricul- 
turists of  that  section  who  are  making  a  success 
of  diversified  farming.  He  was  born  in  Linn 
county,  Oregon,  the  son  of  Robert  Watkinson,  who 
crossed  the  continent  to  Oregon  in  pioneer  days, 
and  later  contributed  to  the  development  of  commu- 
nities in  that  state  and  Washington.  On  coming 
to  this  commonwealth,  the  elder  Watkinson  located 
in  Mason  county.  A  somewhat  fuller  sketch  of  his 
career  and  that  of  his  worthy  helpmeet  will  be 
found  in  connection  with  the  biography  of  another 
son,  Melbourn  Watkinson,  which  precedes  this  bio- 
graph. 

Euphronious  E.  Watkinson,  of  this  review,  was 
brought  by  his  parents  to  Mason  county,  Washing- 
ton, in  1869,  when  al>out  four  years  old,  and  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  there  established. 
When  he  was  sixteen,  in  1880,  his  parents  removed 
to  Skagit  county  and  he  accompanied  them  here, 
though  for  two  years  previous  he  had  been  earning 
his  own  living.  After  locating  in  Skagit  county,  he 
followed  logging  and  other  work  in  the  woods  un- 
til the  year  1900,  when  he  decided  to  engage  in 
farming.  He  had  previously  purchased  a  place  of 
ten  acres,  all  in  timber,  and  had  cleared  and  other- 
wise prepared  it  for  cultivation,  but  he  preferred  to 
locate  on  the  old  home  of  his  parents  in  the  vicinity 
of  Bow,  and  the  parental  place  has  been  the  scene 
of  his  operations  since. 

In  1900  Mr.  Watkinson  married  Miss  Lena 
Lonsdale,  a  native  of  Fergus  Falls,  Minnesota.  Ole 
Lonsdale,  her  father,  who  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
born  July  28,  1846,  came  to  the  United  States  in 
early  manhood  and  engaged  in  farming  in  Minne- 
sota, but  in  1888  came  to  Washington  and  is  now 
living  at  Edison.  Mrs.  Mary  (Christianson)  Lons- 
dale, mother  of  Mrs.  Watkinson,  was  born  in  Nor- 
way in  1845,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1868 
and  lived  for  a  time  with  her  brother  in  Minnesota 
ibefore  marrying  Mr.  Lonsdale.  She  passed  away 
ii;  18S7,  the  mother  of  nine  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Watkinson  is  fourth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watkinson  are 
the  parents  of  three  children :  Georgie  May,  born 
September  26.  1901;  Walter,  March  15,  1903,  and 
Herbert  M.,  January  IS,  1905.  In  fraternal  circles 
Mr.  Watkinson  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  in  politics  a 
Democrat.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farming,  in- 
cluding stock  raising,  and  nnw  has  nine  head  of 
cattle,  horses  sufficient  to  culti\ate  the  place  to  ad- 
vantage, and  other  live  stock.  l\lr.  Watkinson  is  a 
man  strong  in  character  and  cajKiljle  of  hard  work, 
and  his  success  is  the  le-ilini.iti-  r<  -ult  of  his  earnest 
endeavor  and  good  business  aliilitx'. 


WILLIAM  J.  BROWN,  retired  farmer  at  Bow, 
is  one  of  the  pioneer  men  of  Skagit  county,  who  is 
intimately  connected  with  the  opening  up  of  the 
country.     He   probably  knows  as.  much  about  the 


topography  of  Skagit  county  from  actual  experi- 
ence as  any  other  man  now  resident  here.  Before 
he  came  to  this  country  Mr.  Brown  had  been 
through  experiences  in  the  world  which  do  not 
usually  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  average  man.  Mr. 
Brown  was  born  at  the  Bow  in  London,  England, 
October  15,  1850,  the  son  of  William  M.  Brown, 
who  was  born  in  1815,  became  a  civil  engineer  in 
the  employ  of  the  British  government,  and  who  is 
still  living.  Mrs.  Louisa  (Wisbey)  Brown,  also  a 
native  of  London,  born  in  1817,  of  Irish  extraction, 
is   also   still  living. 

William  J.  Brown,  of  this  review,  left  home 
when  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  hav- 
ing bought  him  a  commission  on  board  a  man-of- 
war  sailing  from  Plymouth.  During  his  service  on 
the  seas  he  visited  Aladeira,  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  Angle  Point  at  the  southerly  extremity  of 
India,  Singapore  and  Penang.  From  the  latter 
point  he  went  to  the  Nicobar  islands,  near  the  Phil- 
ippines, thence  to  Hong  Kong  and  back  to  Bombay. 
He  was  in  the  Red  sea  at  the  time  of  the  war  be- 
tween Abyssinia  and  Great  Britain,  and  was  one  of 
the  expedition  against  King  Theodore  under  Lord 
Napier.  Another  trip  was  made  through  the 
straits  of  Malacca  and  up  to  Yokohama,  crossing 
from  Japan  to  Victoria,  British  Columbia.  At  the 
last  named  place  Mr.  Brown  severed  his  connection 
with  the  (Hk-iu's  na\v,  then  he  came  to  Utsalady 
and  comnuiiccil  In  tally  lumber  for  shipping,  re- 
maining at  that  work  for  aljout  two  )'ears.  He  then 
came  to  Fidalgo  island  and  bought  160  acres  of 
land  on  Similk  bay,  which  he  later  sold,  in  the  fall 
of  1871.  Mr.  r.rdwn  then  came  to  Samish  island 
and  located  on  tlu-  place  where  he  now  resides. 
During  these  years  lie  w  as  also  engaged  in  sailing, 
running  a  sloop,  the  "True  I'.lue,"  on  the  waters  of 
the  sound.  After  two  years  of  this  traffic  lie  sold 
the  vessel  to  John  J.  Conner,  one  of  the  founders 
of  La  Conner.  Between  his  trips  on  the  slixjp  Mr. 
Brown  had  been  careful  not  to  allow  his  rights 
ashore  to  lapse.  Since  leaving  the  shipping  busi- 
ness, he  has  done  much  cruising  on  timber  lands, 
eighty  per  cent,  of  the  timber  locations  between 
Samish  and  the  Prairie  having  been  made  by  him. 
He  has  also  been  deputy  county  surveyor  and  in 
this  capacity  surveyed  the  first  road  between  Edi- 
son and  Lake  Samish  and  between  the  county  line 
and  Wickersham.  During  his  lumber  cruising  days 
Mr.  Brown  located  the  first  claim  for  Patrick  Mc- 
Coy, was  in  charge  of  the  holdings  of  W.  H.  Miller 
of  Wisconsin,  and  did  all  the  location  work  for 
Clothier  &  English.  Mr.  Brown  is  also  the  founder 
of  Bow,  named  by  him  and  platted  on  his  land  in 
lecent  years.     Its  history  is  given  elsewhere. 

In  1872  Mr.  Brown  married  Miss  Jennie  Tahati, 
who  is  now  the  mother  of  seven  children :  Mrs. 
Kate  Lonsdale,  living  near  Bow ;  William,  Minnie, 
Joseph,  Louisa,  Jennie  and  Mary.  In  politics  Mr. 
Brown  is  a  Republican.     He  is  the  owner  of  two 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


hundred  and  ten  acres  of  land,  including  a  large 
proportion  of  the  town  site  of  Bow.  Mr.  Brown 
is  now  devoting  most  of  his  time  to  his  orchard  of 
four  hundred  trees  and  his  seventy  stands  of  bees. 
He  is  one  of  the  old-timers  in  the  county,  a  man  of 
force  of  character  and  respected  by  all. 


WILLIAM  A.  DAWSON,  a  pioneer  of  1877, 
has  participated  in  the  development  and  progress 
of  Skagit  county,  beginning  his  individual  opera- 
tions in  the  days  that  preceded  the  removal  of  the 
famous  Skagit  river  log  jam,  over  which  as  a  young 
man  he  made  his  first  crossing  of  the  Skagit.  Mr. 
Dawson  was  born  in  Gordon  county,  Georgia,  June 
2,  1859,  the  son  of  Ratliffe  Boone  Dawson,  named 
after  the  famous  old  pioneer  of  Kentucky,  Daniel 
Boone,  who  was  a  cousin  of  his  mother.  The  elder 
Dawson  was  a  farmer  in  his  early  days,  but  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  Confederacy  during  the 
Civil  War  and  served  through  the  great  conflict 
with  the  Third  Georgia  Volunteers,  closing  his 
army  career  under  Lee  at  Appomattox,  and  return- 
ing to  his  Georgia  farm  after  the  surrender.  In 
1877  he  came  to  Washington  and  he  remamed  here 
for  eight  years,  ultimately  going  back  to  Georgia, 
where  he  still  resides.  Airs.  Mary  (Terrell)  Daw- 
son, mother  of  our  subject,  is  one  of  the  old  Talt 
Terrell  family,  well  known  in  Georgia,  and  is  still 
living,  the  mother  of  nine  children,  of  whom  Will- 
iam A.  is  the  oldest.  William  lived  at  home  until 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  coming  to  Wash- 
ington with  his  parents,  but  declining  to  return  with 
them.  They  had  bought  two  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  here,  and  after  they  had  sold  out  he 
determined  to  remain.  He  bought  an  acre  of  ground 
a  half  mile  west  of  Bow,  on  which  he  is  still  living, 
and  from  which,  as  a  center,  he  conducts  his  log- 
ging operations.  Soon  after  his  parents  returned 
to  Georgia,  Mr.  Dawson  commenced  logging,  and 
during  two  later  years  he  conducted  logging  opera- 
tions in  a  camp  of  his  own  near  Edison.  He  has 
followed  logging  ever  since,  his  yearly  output  some- 
times reaching  as  high  as  three  million  feet. 

In  1884  Mr.  Dawson  married  Miss  Jennie 
Walker,  a  native  of  Canada  and  the  daughter  of 
Andrew  P.  W'alker,  who  was  of  Scotch  birth,  and 
all  of  whose  brothers  became  officers  of  the  British 
army.  Mr.  Walker  was  but  a  lad  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Canada.  He  grew  up  there,  but  spent 
some  time  in  Minnesota,  and  ultimatelv  came  to 
Washington,  where  he  died  in  1884.  Mrs.  Eliza  J. 
(Bingham)  Walker,  mother  of  Mrs.  Dawson,  is  a 
native  of  Canada,  and  at  present  is  residing  in  Ana- 
cortes,  having  since  the  demise  of  her  first  hus- 
band married  B.  C.  Ranous  of  that  citv.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dawson  have  five  children:  D.' Rav.  Rex- 
ford  P.,  Maxwell  B.,  Ruby  E.  and  Ralph  F.  Mr. 
Dawson  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  he  and  Mrs.  Dawson  belonging  also  to  the 


Pioneer  Association.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
He  is  a  man  respected  in  the  neighborhood  and  rec- 
ognized by  his  business  associates  as  one  who  has 
business  ability  and  business  integrity.  During  a 
residence  in  Skagit  county  of  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  he  has  applied  his  energies  almost  ex- 
clusively to  the  development  of  the  one  industry  in 
which  he  is  now  engaged.  He  has  demonstrated 
his  ability  not  only  to  master  the  details  of  his 
business,  but  so  to  manage  it  that  it  will  yield  its 
largest  returns.  His  name  must  ever  be  linked  with 
those  of  the  pioneers  of  this  section  who  found  it  a 
primeval  forest  and  have  converted  it  into  a  habit- 
able region,  with  its  homes,  farms,  towns,  cities  and 
innumerable  industries. 


JOHN  L.  DALE,  postmaster  of  Edison,  canie 
to  Skagit  county  several  years  after  his  parents, 
being  attracted  West  by  the  possibilities  of  the 
country  as  represented  to  him  by  his  father.  He 
has  prospered  since  coming  and  to-day  is  not  sorry 
that  he  joined  his  fortunes  with  those  of  the  Skagit 
county  pioneers.  Mr.  Dale  was  born  in  Venango 
county,  Pennsylvania,  September  7,  18.54,  the  son 
of  John  L.  Dale,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in 
1814,  an  attorney  at  law,  who  practiced  his  profes- 
sion for  twenty  years  in  River  Falls,  Wisconsin,, 
then  moved  to  Tennessee.  The  elder  Dale  came 
in  the  centennial  year  to  Edison,  where  he  died  in 
1878.  He  saw  long  service  in  the  Civil  War,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  discharge  was  a  second  lieutenant 
m  the  Thirtieth  Wisconsin.  Mrs.  Massey  (Jordan) 
Dale,  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state,  born  in  1833, 
shared  the  fortunes  of  her  husband  until  his  death. 
She  passed  away  in  Skagit  county  on  Independence 
day  of  1887,  leaving  five  children,  of  whom  John  L. 
is  third.  Mr.  Dale  attended  the  schools  of  Wiscon- 
sin and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  in  that  state 
until  twenty  years  old,  then  accompanied  his  parents 
to  Tennessee,  where  he  leased  land  and  operated 
farms  for  twelve  years.  He  remained  in  that  south- 
ern state  when  his  parents  moved  ^to  Washington, 
but  ten  years  later  he  followed  them.  For  four 
years  after  his  arrival  here  he  worked  in  different 
places  in  the  vicinity  of  Edison,  and  in  1890  he 
bouglit  land  which  he  sold  to  advantage  in  1900. 
He  then  purchased  the  house  and  lot  in  Edison 
where  he  now  resides.  July  16,  1897,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  postmastership  of  Edison,  a  position 
which  he  still  holds  at  this  writing.  He  was  chosen 
county  commissioner  in  the  fall  of  1893  and  served 
four  years,  all  of  the  time  as  chairman  of  the  board. 

December  38,  1875,  Mr.  Dale  married  Miss  Lucy 
J.  Brown,  a  native  of  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  a 
daughter  of  Aquila  Brown,  a  prominent  citizen,  at 
one  time  sherifif  of  Davidson  County,  Tennessee,  for 
eight  years.  He  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty.  Mrs.  Martha  J.  Brown,  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Dale,  was  a    native    of  Tennessee    and    was 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


reared  and  married  there.  Slie  died  in  Nashville 
in  1884,  leaving  six  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Dale 
is  third.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dale:  Annie  L.,  Robert  I.,  Jennie  C,  John  L., 
Jr.,  and  Edna  M.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Dale  is 
an  Odd  Fellow  and  Mrs.  Dale  and  her  oldest  daugh- 
ter are  Rebekahs.  In  political  faith  Mr.  Dale  is  a 
Republican.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  influ- 
ential citizens  of  Edison,  a  man  of  energy,  whose 
attainments  are  the  results  of  earnest  endeavor,  as- 
siduously continued,  and  in  no  degree  of  fortuity. 


WILLIAM  GILMORE.  To  the  man_  whose 
life  work  it  is  now  our  task  to  treat  of  in  brief  out- 
line, it  was  not  given  to  move  in  those  larger  affairs 
of  life  which  call  forth  elements  of  greatness,  if 
such  exist,  but  pioneer  conditions  in  Skagit  county 
furnished  abundant  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of 
one  element  of  greatness,  and  by  universal  consent 
a  very  essential  element,  namely:  self-abnegation, 
with  its  necessarv  concomitant,  an  enlightened  phi- 
lanthropy. This  splendid  quality  William  Gilmore 
possessed  in  a  high  degree  and  its  exercise  in  the 
days  when  the  struggle  for  existence  was  to  most 
people  a  hard  one  rendered  many  of  the  pioneers 
his  debtor  for  numerous  and  much  needed  benefac- 
tions. He  undoubtedly  stands  out  as  one  of  the 
most  prominent  figures  in  the  early  days  of  Skagit 
county.  His  faith  in  the  future  of  that  section  never 
wavered,  hence  he  feared  not  to  forge  ahead  boldly 
in  industrial  and  commercial  ventures  and  he  was 
always  in  the  forefront  of  the  progressive  move- 
ments of  his  day.  Later  developments  have  justified 
his  faith.  His  ventures  proved  as  successful  as  he 
anticipated  and  as  a  reward  for  his  strenuous  and 
prolonged  endeavor  he  acquired  for  himself  and  his 
descendants  a  splendid  fortune,  not  a  dollar  of 
which  came  to  him  by  other  than  legitimate  means. 
He  bequeathed  to  his  progeny  the  noblest  heritage 
that  it  is  possible  for  any  man  to  leave  behind,  the 
memory  of  a  life  well  spent,  a  work  well  done,  a 
name  untarnished. 

Mr.  Gilmore,  like  many  other  forceful  men  in  the 
development  of  American  communities,  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  Emerald  isle,  born  in  18-10,  and  his  edu- 
cational training  was  acquired  in  the  excellent 
public  schools  of  that  land.  In  early  manhood  he 
decided  to  seek  his  fortune  in  America,  and  in  1870 
emigrated  to  the  United  States.  His  first  home  in 
the  new  world  was  in  Lucas  County,  Iowa,  where 
he  farmed  continuously  for  six  years,  thereupon 
embarking  in  the  mercantile  business,  to  which  he 
devoted  himself  assiduously  and  uninterruptedly 
until  1882,  when  he  sold  out  and  changed  his  place 
of  residence,  coming  to  Edison,  Washington.  Short- 
ly after  his  arrival  he  purchased  the  merchandise 
stock  of  Captain  A.  J.  Edwards,  the  pioneer  mer- 
chant of  the  little  town,  and  indeed  the  only  mer- 
chant who  had  established  himself  there  up  to  that 


time.  This  business  he  carried  on  successfully  for 
many  years.  In  many  other  ways  also  he  took  a 
leading  part  in  the  transformation  of  the  struggling 
little  town  into  a  thriving  business  center  and  in  the 
development  of  all  the  country  tributary  to  it.  The 
magnitude  of  his  agricultural  operations  may  be 
estimated  from  the  fact  that  at  the  time  of  his  death 
April  4,  1900,  he  was  one  of  the  largest  land- 
owners and  one  of  the  heaviest  taxpayers  in  all 
Skagit  county,  where  so  many  wealthy  men  dwell. 
And  though  this  wealth  was  acquired  by  his  own  un- 
aided effort,  the  struggle  for  its  possession  did  not 
warp  any  of  the  finer  sentiments  in  the  man,  nor 
had  it  any  tendency  to  develop  miserly  qualities  in 
him,  as  such  a  struggle  so  often  does  in  smaller 
men.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  always  remarkably 
generous  with  his  means  and  no  worthy  cause  ap- 
pealed to  him  in  vain.  It  frequently  happens  that 
a  community  fails  to  recognize  its  debt  of  gratitude 
to  great,  public-spirited  men  until  death  has 
claimed  them,  but  fortunately  this  was  not  so  in 
Mr.  Gilmore's  case.  It  was  given  to  him  to  enjoy 
the  appreciation  and  honor  of  his  fellow-citizens 
while  he  was  yet  among  them,  the  best  reward  that 
it  is  in  their  power  to  give  for  a  life  replete  with 
unselfish  and  kindly  deeds. 

In  1870,  before  leaving  Ireland  for  the  new 
world,  Mr.  Gilmore  married  Mary  McCullough, 
also  a  native  of  the  "Little  Green  Isle,"  born  at 
Grey  Abbey,  County  Down,  in  1814.  She  accom- 
panied him  across  the  waters  and  made  his  path 
in  the  new  continent  a  pleasant  one,  sharing  in  his 
successes  and  burdens  up  to  January  10,  1883,  when 
she  succumbed  to  a  short  illness  and  was  buried  in 
the  cemetery  at  Edison.  They  became  the  parents 
of  five  children,  two  of  whom  are  still  living,  Will- 
iam N.  and  John  A. 

Later  in  life  Mr.  Gilmore  remarried,  from  which 
union  one  child  was  bom,  Hugh  J.,  who  now  re- 
sides in  Olympia.  Though  active  in  so  many  other 
lines.  Mr.  Gilmore  never  manifested  political  am- 
bition, but  during  a  period  of  residence  at  Olympia 
he  served  on  the  city  council  there. 

William  N.  Gilmore,  eldest  son  of  William  Gil- 
more of  this  article,  was  born  in  Lucas  County, 
Iowa,  February  10,  1873.  Upon  completing  his  ele- 
mentary education,  which  he  did  in  the  public 
schools  of  Edison,  Washington,  he  attended  the  col- 
lege at  Olympia  for  a  year.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  became  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store,  and  as  soon 
as  he  attained  his  majority  the  elder  Gilmore  re- 
warded the  faithfulness  and  aptitude  for  business 
which  he  had  displayed  by  making  him  a  partner 
in  the  establishment.  To  his  strict  adherence  to 
sound  business  principles  and  careful  study  of  the 
requirements  of  his  patrons,  the  reputation  of  the 
house  is  in  no  small  measure  due.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  industry,  integrity  and  ambition,  a  worthy 
son  of  his  worthy  sire,  destined,  if  indications  are 
to  be  trusted,  to  win  for  himself  a  splendid  success 


WILLIAM  GILMORE 


r 


PATRICK    McCOY 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


in  the  commercial  world.  His  land  holdings  con- 
sist of  a  half  interest  in  an  eleven  hundred-acre 
farm,  of  which  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  are  in 
cultivation. 

In  his  home  town,  Edison,  in  1S99,  Mr.  Gilmore 
married  Minerva  Butler,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
where  she  received  a  careful  and  thorough  educa- 
tion. Her  parents  were  Anurew  and  Rebecca 
(Moore)  Butler,  both  natives  of  the  Keystone 
state,  the  former  of  whom,  a  lumberman,  was  killed 
while  she  was  yet  a  child,  the  latter  of  whom  died 
in  Edison.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gilmore  have  two  chil- 
dren, Reba  J.,  born  July  2,  1901,  and  Helen  W., 
December  24,  1904.  The  family  are  regular  attend- 
ants of  the  Congregational  church,  and  m  politics 
Mr.  Gilmore  is  a  loyal  Republican,  while  his  frater- 
nal affiliations  are  with  the  Masonic  order. 

John  A.  Gilmore,  another  of  the  sons  of  the  sub- 
ject hereof,  is  likewise  a  native  of  Lucas  County, 
iowa,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  March  21,  1877. 
His  common  school  education,  acquired  in  Edison, 
was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  Olympia  high 
school  and  another  in  the  state  university  at  Seattle, 
and  that  he  might  be  still  better  titted  for  a  business 
career  he  spent  a  twelvemonth  in  the  Acme  Busi- 
ness college,  which  is  likewise  located  in  the  Queen 
city.  Upon  returning  to  Edison  he  entered  his 
father's  mercantile  house,  and  in  1898  he,  too,  be- 
came a  partner.  After  his  father's  demise  the  firm 
name  was  changed  to  Gilmore  Brothers  &  Com- 
pany. An  upright,  energetic  and  ambitious  young 
man,  he  is  contributing  his  full  share  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  establishment,  at  the  same  time  taking 
the  first  steps  in  a  career  which  gives  promise  of 
much  to  be  realized  in  the  future.  Like  his  older 
brother,  he  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  in  re- 
ligion a  Congregationalist.  His  marriage  was  sol- 
emnized in  Bayview  October  31,  1900,  when  Mary 
McKenna,  daughter  of  the  well-known  W.  J.  Mc- 
Kenna,  became  his  wife.  Mrs.  Gilmore  is  a  native 
of  Eureka,  California,  born  in  1878,  but  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Bayview  and  Ana- 
cortes.  She  and  Mr.  Gilmore  are  parents  of  two 
children,  both  born  in  Edison,  J.  Wayne,  September 
29,  1901,  and  Constance  M.,  July  20,  1903. 


PATRICK  McCOY  of  Edison,  one  of  the  most 
widely  known  lumbermen  of  the  Northwest,  was 
born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  April  24,  1854,  the  son  of 
Walter  and  Ann  (Burk)  McCoy,  both  natives  of 
Ireland.  The  father  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  Canada.  The  youngest 
of  a  family  of  ten  children,  Patrick  McCoy  attended 
the  common  schools,  diligently  making  use  of  every 
opportunity  to  secure  an  education.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  years  he  began  work  in  the  woods,  follow- 
ing it  till  1878.  After  working  on  a  farm  for  a 
time  he  went  to  the  woods  of  Michigan,  and  two 
years  later  to  Butte,  Montana,  still  engaged  in  lum- 


bering. After  stopping  at  Wood  river,  Idaho,  a 
few  months,  he  went  to  Seattle  in  1882,  thence  to 
Stanwood,  and  that  fall  filed  on  a  timber  claim  and 
a  homestead  near  Edison.  The  ne.xt  fall  he  and 
F.  E.  Gilkey  became  proprietors  of  a  hotel,  which 
they  owned  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
Mr.  McCoy  returned  to  his  former  occupation. 
After  logging  in  the  McAlroy,  now  known  as  Blan- 
chard  slough,  two  years,  he  moved  his  camp  to  the 
Samish  river,  in  1887,  remaining  there  for  the  next 
six  years.  In  1893,  however,  he  located  on  the 
Nooksack  river,  in  Whatcom  county,  but  two  years 
later  he  again  made  Skagit  county  his  home.  He 
was  employed  by  the  Atlas  Lumber  Company  from 
that  time  until  1898,  then  resumed  work  on  the 
Samish  river,  and  since  that  time  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Edison.  In  1902  he  put  in  between  six  and 
seven  miles  of  standard  gauge  railroad  for  logging 
purposes,  which  was  thoroughly  equipped  with  roll- 
ing stock,  etc.  He  is  a  very  large  operator  in  tim- 
ber, among  the  largest  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

Mr.  AlcCoy  was  married  in  Edison,  January  20, 
1889,  to  Gertrude  Butler,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
born  June  3,  1867.  After  completing  her  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  her  native  state,  she  came  with 
her  mother  to  Washington  in  1887,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  after  her  arrival  she  was  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful and  popular  teachers  of  Skagit  county.  Her 
parents  were  Andrew  and  Rebecca  (Moore)  Butler, 
both  born  in  Pennsylvania.  Her  father,  a  well- 
known  lumberman,  was  killed  when  she  was  a  small 
child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCoy  have  the  following 
children:  Annie,  born  in  Skagit  county  April  28 
1890;  Edna,  in  Edison,  February  17,  1892,  and 
Wade,  also  a  native  of  Edison,  the  date  of  his 
birth  being  July  8,  1894.  Mr.  McCoy  is  a  member 
of  the  Catholic  church,  and  in  politics  is  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  was 
elected  representative  of  Skagit  county  in  1902  and 
served  two  years,  and  for  four  years  he  was  post- 
master of  Edison,  during  Cleveland's  second  admin- 
istration. Mr.  McCoy  is  a  man  of  splendid  business 
abilities.  He  is  a  recognized  authority  on  all  mat- 
ters relating  to  the  lumber  industry,  to  which  he 
has  devoted  the  best  energies  of  his^life.  The  large 
measure  of  success  attending  his  labors  has  come 
as  a  reward  for  years  of  unremitting  toil.  Few 
men  in  the  county  can  claim  so  large  a  circle  of  ad- 
miring friends  as  can  he,  for  his  frank,  manly  bear- 
ing and  sterling  character  attract  all  who  are  thrown 
in  contact  with  him,  either  in  business  or  society. 


THOMAS  CAIN,  one  of  the  wealthy  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  Edison,  Washington,  was  born 
November  15,  1847,  in  Port  Calborn,  Canada.  IVxs 
father,  John  Cain,  a  native  of  Ireland  and  by  occu- 
pation a  shoemaker  and  farmer,  was  brought  by  his 
parents  to  New  York  state  at  the  age  of  eight  years, 
becoming  a  pioneer  of  Erie  county.     He  died  there 


764 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


at  the  age  of  ninety-eight.  Mrs.  Bridget  (Quinn) 
Cain,  the  mother,  also  born  in  Ireland,  died  in  Can- 
ada in  1862.  She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children. 
After  receiving  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Canada,  Thomas  Cain,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  went 
to  work  in  the  lumber  camps  of  Michigan,  \\-]ierc 
he  remained  ten  years.  In  1873  he  located  in  Colo- 
rado, but  soon  moved  to  Texas  to  accept  a  position 
with  the  Baltimore  Bridge  Company,  engaged  in 
constructing  railroad  bridges.  One  year  later  he 
migrated  to  Wisconsin  and  took  charge  of  a  logging 
camp.  In  1876  he  came  thence  to  Washin.gton.  He 
was  in  Tacoma  a  few  months,  then  came  to  Seattle 
and  for  two  years  managed  a  logging  camp  at  Port 
Ludlnw.  iiwned  bv  Arthur  Phiney,  who  at  that  time 
jiail  iIk-  iiKist  extensive  lumber  business  in  the  state. 
At  Mr.  Phiney 's  death  Mr.  Cain  was  appointed  one 
of  the  administrators  of  the  estate,  which  was  closed 
up  in  eight  months.  He  then  assumed  the  manage- 
ment of  a  logging  camp  on  Whidby  island,  owned 
by  Edward  Oliver,  but  three  months  later  he  broke 
the  bone  in  his  hip  and  for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half 
afterward  he  was  disabled.  He  entered  the  custom 
service  at  Port  Townsend  under  A.  W.  Bash,  in 
1881,  and  continued  there  until  the  spring  of  ISS-t, 
when  he  resigned,  and  entered  into  partnership  with 
Messrs.  Churchill,  lioyce  &  Sweeny,  to  put  in  the 
second  store  in  the  town  of  Edison.  Later  he  built 
the  first  hotel,  which  he  owned  and  operated  seven- 
teen years.  During  this  time  he  purchased  five  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres  of  land  near  the  town,  all 
heavily  timljered,  and  he  now  has  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  of  it  cleared  and  in  cultivation, 
the  cost  of  clearing  a  part  of  it  being  $100  an  acre. 
Recently  he  has  let  a  contract  for  clearing  the  trees 
and  stumps  from  one  hundred  acres  of  his  timber 
tract.  He  gives  special  attention  to  raising  cattle, 
keeping  some  fine  Durhams. 

In  Edison,  in  1891,  Mr.  Cain  married  Miss  Eliza 
M.  Dufify,  who  was  born  in  Canada  in  1863,  the 
daughter  of  James  Duffy,  a  native  of  Ireland.  Her 
father  is  a  well-known  pioneer,  now  residing-  in  the 
province  of  Ontario.  Her  mother.  Mrs.  ;\Iary 
(Kelly)  Duffy,  was  born  in  Canada  and  died  there 
in  1888.  Mrs.  Cain  received  a  thorough  education 
in  her  native  country,  graduating  "from  Brandford 
imiversity,  and  for  a  number  of  years  she  was  one 
of  the  most  popular  and  successful  teachers  of  Ska- 
git and  Whatcom  counties.  Two  children  have 
come  into  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cain,  Arthur 
T-.  born  in  Edison  February  34,  1896,  and  Eugene, 
born  in  Edison  December  16,  1899.  Mr.  Cain  is 
prominent  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  and 
he  and  his  family  attend  the  Catholic  church.  He 
adheres  loyally  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party,  always  attending  county  and  state  conven- 
tions and  giving  his  influence  to  every  movement 
that  he  considers  promotive  of  good  government. 
For  many  years  he  has  been  importuned  to  accept 
office,  but  has  refused,  contenting  himself  with  ef- 


forts to  fill  posts  of  trust  in  private  life.  He  was, 
however,  postmaster  of  Edison  irom  1889  to  1893, 
under  appointment  by  Harrison.  Unselfish  devo- 
tion to  the  interests  of  county,  state  and  nation  is 
one  of  the  marked  characteristics  of  this  all-round 
man,  who  holds  the  unbounded  confidence  of  all 
who  have  had  the  privilege  of  association  with  him. 
His  genial,  social  disposition,  combined  with  strict 
integrity  and  high  ideals,  has  given  him  an  honored 
position  in  the  community. 


DANIEL  SULLIVAN.  Prominent  among  the 
agriculturists  who  have  amassed  great  wealth  in  the 
fertile  lands  of  the  Northwest,  stands  the  one  whose 
name  initiates  this  article,  a  well-known  resident  of 
Edison,  Washington.  He  was  born  in  New  Bruns- 
wick, December  30,  1841,  the  son  of  Daniel  and 
Mary  Sullivan,  both  natives  of  Ireland.  Having 
completed  his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
province  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  Daniel  Sifllivan  be- 
gan working  in  logging  camps,  following  that  for 
the  ensuing  eleven  years.  In  1869  he  removed  to 
California,  and  he  was  employed  in  the  lumber 
business  in  the  Golden  state  for  more  than  two- 
years,  but  in  January,  1872,  he  located  in  Washing- 
ton, taking  a  pre-emption  on  Samish  flats  and  be- 
coming one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  that  sec- 
tion. He  raised  his  first  grain  in  1876.  Two  years 
previous,  in  187-1,  he  filed  on  a  tract  two  miles  east 
of  his  original  claim,  under  the  homestead  act. 
Sixty  acres  of  the  homestead  were  in  marsh  lands; 
the  rest  covered  with  brush  and  trees.  He  now  has 
seven  hundred  acres  on  Samish  flats,  all  in  a  splen- 
did state  of  cultivation ;  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  Olympia  marsh,  in  cultivation ;  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  farm  land  and  three  hun- 
dred and. forty  acres  of  timber,  on  Jarman  prairie, 
and  another  timber  tract  comprising  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres. 

Mr.  Sulli\-an  was  married  in  Seattle  in  1883  to 
Ellen  Daily,  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  born- 
February  33.  18.")3.  Her  parents,  Timothy  and 
Mary  (RIade)  Daily,  were  born  and  married  in  Ire- 
land, but  were  among  the  early  settlers  in  New 
Brunswick.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sullivan  are  parents  of 
the  following  children,  all  natives  of  Skagit  county, 
namely:  Mary  M.  E.,  born  July  21,  1883,  now  at 
home;  Nellie' F.  M.,  February '28,  1885,  the  wife 
of  I.  Fredricks,  of  Clear  Lake;  Katie  T.,  January 
28,  1887;  Amelia  V.  L.,  died  Tune  27,  1905;  Mag- 
gie M.  L.,  May  26,  1890;  John  A.,  January  26, 
1895,  died  July 'lO,  1895.  Mr.  Sullivan  is  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  Catholic  church.  In  political 
matters  he  is  a  firm  believer  in  Democratic  prin- 
ciples, but  has  never  desired  for  himself  any  politi- 
cal prominence.  His  splendid  business  abilities  are 
apparent  in  the  wise  and  careful  way  in  which  he 
manages  his  vast  holdings,  comprising  nearly  nine- 
teen hundred  acres  in  Skagit  county,  one  thousand' 


THOMAS    CAIN 


EDWARD  W.  McTAGGART 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


769 


of  which  are  in  cultivation.  Although  occupied  with 
the  multiplicity  of  details  incident  to  the  ownership 
of  such  an  estate,  he  yet  finds  time  to  watch  care- 
fully over  the  welfare  of  county  and  state  and  freely 
gives  of  his  time  and  wealth  to  the  advancement 
of  any  enterprise  which  will  redound  to  the  public 
good.  It  is  not  possible  to  estimate  the  advantages 
that  accrue  to  the  community  and  the  common- 
wealth because  of  the  activities  of  such  men  as 
Daniel  Sullivan.  Like  so  many  Ainerican  citizens 
who  have  sprung  from  Celtic  ancestry,  he  possesses 
in  a  marked  degree  the  power  of  organization,  of 
systematizing  his  eiiforts  for  the  accomplishing  a 
given  purpose.  During  the  thirty-four  years  of  his 
residence  in  Skagit  county  he  has  perhaps  accom- 
plished more  in  the  development  of  its  agricultural 
resources  than  anv  other  one  individual,  and  these 
results  have  followed  the  formation  oi  defiiiite 
plans  and  the  painstaking  execution  thereof.  The 
development  of  the  homestead  of  18T4  into  the  vast 
estate  of  1905  is  an  attainment  that  evincrs  in. li  sui- 
table courage,  keen  foresight  and  superinr  t\((-mi\e 
ability.  Of  the  pioneers  of  the  early  sc\^'ntu■^  in 
Skagit  county,  no  one  is  more  worthy  of  the  pro- 
found respect  and  admiration  of  his  fellow-citizens ; 
no  one  is  better  entitled  to  prommence  in  the  pages 
of  the  county's  history,  than  is  Daniel  Sullivan  of 
Edison. 


NICHOLS  SHUMAKER,  a  prosperous  farmer 
residing  near  Bow,  one-half  mile  southwest  of  Edi- 
son, was  born  October  7,  1851,  in  Germany,  the 
native  land  of  his  parents,  Henry  and  Catharine 
(Sonntaeg)  Shumaker.  His  father,  born  in  1807, 
was  a  shoemaker;  he  died  in  Germany  in  1901, 
where  the  mother's  death  also  occurred.  Having 
acquired  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Germany,  Nichols  Shumaker  was  apprenticed  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  to  learn  his  father's  trade,  which 
he  followed  a  number  of  years.  A  longing  to  try 
his  fortune  in  the  United  States,  whither  so  many 
of  his  countrymen  had  journeyed,  at  lenglh  seized 
him  and  in  1872  he  sailed  for  the  new  world.  He 
located  in  Chicago,  found  employment  in  a  soap 
factory  owned  by  James  Kirk,  and  remained  there 
two  years.  Afterwards  he  farmed  nearly  a  year 
and  a  half  in  Iowa,  returning  then  to  Illinois.  In 
1878  he  came  to  La  Conner,  and  he  worked  for  J. 
S.  Conner  until  the  summer  of  1880,  when  he  filed 
on  a  homestead  on  Samish  flats,  becoming  one  of 
the  finst  men  to  dike  land  in  that  vicinity.  He 
worked  two  years  before  he  had  the  land  in'  condi- 
tion to  raise  crops.     This  place  is  still  his  home. 

Mr.  Shumaker  was  married  in  \\'hatcom,  March 
8.  1885,  to  Catharine  Denis,  born  in  Minnesota,  Oc- 
tober 19,  1864.  Her  father,  Claude  Denis,  was  born 
in  France  in  1833  and  emigrated  to  Minnesota  in 
1863.  Ten  years  later  he  took  ud  his  residence  in 
Whatcom,   finding    employment   in   the   coal   mines 


there,  but  after  three  years'  experience  as  a  collier 
he  moved  to  La  Conner  and  rented  a  farm  from 
J.  S.  Conner  for  one  year.  He  then  leased  a  place 
of  the  Puget  Sound  Mill  Company,  upon  which  he 
lived  three  years.  In  1881  he  returned  to  What- 
com, where  he  later  proved  up  on  a  homestead.  In 
1886  he  came  to  the  Samish  fiats  and  bought  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  re- 
sided till  his  death,  January  25,  1893.  Elizabeth 
(Bessner)  Denis,  mother  of  Mrs.  Shumaker,  was 
born  and  married  in  Germany,  but  died  in  Wash- 
ington in  1898,  her  demise  occurring  at  Edison. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shumaker  have  the  following  chil- 
dren, all  born  in  Edison :  Alice,  December  26, 
1S8G,  Louisa,  October  13,  1888;  Bertha,  Decem- 
ber 10,  1890;  William.  February  13,  1894.  Mr. 
Shumaker  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Catho- 
lic church  and  he  is  a  well-known  Republican.  He 
has  been  deeply  interested  in  educational  matters, 
and  has  cheerfully  given  his  time  and  influence  to 
advancing  them,  having  served  as  school  director 
for  the  past  eleven  years,  and  being  now  chairman 
of  the  high  school  board.  He  owns  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  all  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation ; 
keeps  a  large  number  of  thoroughbred  cattle,  and  is 
surrounded  on  every  hand  by  evidence  of  the  pros- 
perity that  his  years  of  arduous  toil  so  richly  merit. 
He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial,  public- 
spirited  citizens  of  the  town  and  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  who  come  in  contact  with 
him. 


EDWARD  McTAGGART.  Probably  no  man 
in  Skagit  county  has  been  more  actively  connected 
.with  the  development  of  the  community  which 
claimed  him  as  a  citizen  than  has  the  gentleman 
whose  -name  initiates  this  article,  with  that  of  Edi- 
son and  the  Samish  country,  to  which  he  came  in 
1870.  At  the  time  of  his  advent  into  that  section 
the  Samish  flats  were  a  wilderness,  with  but  one  or 
two  settlers  for  miles  around,  no  roads  nor  trails, 
and  the  dugout  and  canoe  the  only  means  of  in- 
gress and  egress.  The  land  was  boggy  and  subject 
to  overflow  and  covered  with  almost  impenetrable 
forests  of  mammoth  trees  and  underbrush.  Here' 
he  took  up  land  and  begun  the  fight  against  wilder- 
ness and  flood ;  and  with  that  broad  grasp  of  pos- 
sibilities which  is  peculiarly  characteristic  of  the 
man,  and  that  progressive  public-spiritedness  which 
has  ever  marked  his  course  in  life,  he  soon  begun 
casting  about  to  see  what  could  be  accomplished  in 
the  way  of  development  and  progress.  He  it  was 
who  deeded  the  land  for  the  first  store  to  Captain 
A.  J.  Edwards,  as  an  inducement  to  him  to  bring 
in  a  stock  of  goods,  in  1883,  and  one  year  later  he 
was  instrumental  in  getting  William  Gilmore  to 
come  to  Edison  and  buy  the  Edwards  stock;  and 
it  was  at  his  place  the  meeting  was  held  by  the  set- 
tlers on  March  26,  1876,  for  the  securing  of  a  post- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


office  and  he  was  selected  to  fill  the  position  of 
postmaster.  The  name  Edison,  adopted  as  the 
name  of  the  postoffice,  was  of  nis  suggesting,  and 
he  appointed  Swen  Johnson  as  mail  carrier  in  June, 
being  personally  responsible  for  his  conduct  until 
official  action  could  be  taken  by  the  postoffice  de- 
partment. He  went  before  tlie  county  commission- 
ers in  the  early  eighties  and  urged  upon  them  the 
dire  needs  of  his  community  for  a  bridge  across 
the  south  branch  of  the  Samish  river,  pledging  to 
raise  half  of  the  expense  of  building  the  bridge 
among  the  settlers,  and  standing  personally  respon- 
sible for  the  sum.  He  had  been  instrumental  in 
having  a  bridge  built  across  the  north  branch  of  the 
Samish  by  the  settlers  prior  to  this,  and  had  taken 
the  lead  in  digging  a  ditch  along  the  south  side  of 
the  main  Samish  river  and  constructing  an  elevated 
footpath  in  the  shape  of  a  dirt  dike  thrown  up  for 
a  half  mile  or  so,  with  two  small  bridges  across  the 
salt  water  sloughs  which  it  intersected,  thus  afford- 
ing a  means  of  connection  between  that  community 
and  Samish  island,  where  the  Seattle  steamers 
landed.  Between  the  years  1870-78  Mr.  McTag- 
gart  practiced  in  the  United  States  land  office  at 
Olympfa,  during  which  time  he  secured  to  the  set- 
tlers of  the  Samish  and  other  parts  of  Skagit  county 
their  title  to  lands.  Since  1879  he  has  held  the  posi- 
tion of  state  lumber  inspector  for  the  district  in 
which  he  has  resided,  having  received  his  appoint- 
ment first  from  Governor  Elisha  P.  Ferry,  for  dis- 
trict No.  9,  composed  of  Whatcom  county,  and  on 
the  construction  of  district  No.  1,  by  the  legisla- 
ture in  1881,  which  comprised  the  counties  of 
Island,  Whatcom,  Skagit  and  Snohomish,  Governor 
Newell  appointed  him  as  inspector  of  that  enlarged 
territory.  Since  that  time  he  has  successively  been 
appointed  to  the  same  position  by  Governors  Squire, 
Semple,  Acting  Governor  Laughton  and  Governor 
McGraw.  He  is  now  living  tlie  life  of  a  retired 
gentleman,  in  the  city  of  Bellingham,  respected  and 
honored  by  all,  and  loved  and  esteemed  as  a  friend 
and  brother  by  the  old-time  citizens  of  Edison  and 
community,  where  he  is  still  interested  largely,  and 
to  which  he  makes  regular  visits  to  look  after  his 
interests  and  talk  over  old  times  with  his  former 
neighbors. 

Mr.  McTaggart  comes  of  good  old  Scotch  stock 
and  himself  is  a  native  of  Argyllshire,  born  in  1833. 
At  the  age  of  six  years  he  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  his  parents,  Edward  and  Mary 
(McGeachy)  McTaggart,  who  settled  in  Virginia 
in  1839,  and  engaged  in  farming.  Here  young  Mc- 
Taggart was  reared  and  educated,  dividing  his  time 
between  the  farm  and  school  until  twenty-six  years 
of  age,  when  he  turned  his  face  toward  the  Pacific 
coast,  traveling  to  San  Francisco  via  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama.  He  turned  his  attention  to  mining, 
and  for  five  years  wooed  fortune  in  the  gold  fields 
of  California,  then  he  returned  to  his  former  home 
and    entered     the     mercantile    business     with    his 


brother  Archibald.  Four  years  of  this  business  suf- 
ficed, then  he  again  sought  the  genial  clime  of  the 
Pacific  coast  country,  purchasing  a  farm  near  Los 
Angeles,  where  he  continued  to  live  one  year.  Then 
after  a  visit  home  he  came  on  up  the  coast  to  Olym- 
pia,  then  to  Seattle,  and  in  October  of  1870  he  first 
landed  on  the  Samish  flats,  in  what  was  then  What- 
com county. 

In  1878  Mr.  McTaggart  and  Miss  Mary  L. 
Judson,  daughter  of  Holden  A.  Judson,  of  Lynden, 
Whatcom  county,  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs. 
McTjiggart's  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  as  was 
also  the  mother,  Mrs.  Phoebe  N.  (Goodell  )  Judson. 
Her  parents  crossed  the  plains  in  a  very  early  day 
and  settled  at  Olympia,  where  the  husband  engaged 
in  farming  and  later  in  the  mercantile  business. 
Still  later  he  came  to  Whatcom  county,  and 
in  1877  he  laid  out  the  town  of  Lynden, 
of  which  he  was  the  pioneer  merchant.  He  passed 
away  in  1890.  Mrs.  Judson  shared  with  her  hus- 
band all  of  his  pioneer  experiences,  gaining  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  first  white  woman  to  settle 
north  of  the  town  of  Bellingham.  She  still  lives 
at  Lynden.  Mrs.  McTaggart  was  born  in  Olympia 
in  1861  and  received  her  education  in  the  capitol 
city.  She  taught  school  in  Whatcom  county  for  a 
time  prior  to  her  marriage.  She  departed  this  life 
in  1894,  leaving  two  children,  Edward  L.  and  May 
E.,  born  in  Edison,  the  latter  of  whom  died  in  Feb- 
ruary,  1905. 

Politically  Mr.  McTaggart  is  a  staunch  Repub- 
lican. In  1873  he  served  his  district  as  a  member 
of  the  board  of  county  commissioners,  of  which  he 
was  the  chairman.  He  served  as  member  of  the 
school  board  at  Edison  and  furnished  the  lumber 
and  personally  assisted  in  the  erection  of  the  first 
school-house  in  district  No.  7,  after  having  secured 
a  grant  of  land  from  the  government  for  the  site. 
Broad-minded,  energetic  and  liberal  to  a  fault,  Mr. 
McTaggart  has  left  his  impress  on  the  Edison  com- 
munity in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  never  be  ef- 
faced, and  has  made  a  place  for  himself  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people  by  his  many  acts  of  unselfish- 
ness that  will  last  indefinitely. 


NATHANIEL  McCULLOUGH,  whose  farm 
is  about  two  miles  southwest  of  Edison,  is  one  of 
the  prosperous  and  well-to-do  agriculturi^sts  of  Ska- 
git county,  owning  a  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  all  of  which  is  under  cultivation  and 
admirably  adapted  for  raising  oats.  Mr.  McCul- 
lough  is  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland,  born 
March  21,  1852,  the  seventh  of  the  eight  children  of 
Nathaniel  and  Jane  (Beck)  McCulIough,  both  of 
whom  passed  their  entire  lives  as  farmers  of  the 
Emerald  isle.  The  elder  McCulIough  died  when 
his  son  was  but  a  lad  and  the  latter  remained  on 
the  farm  with  his  mother  until  he  was  nineteen 
years  of  age,  receiving  a  common  school  education. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


771 


He  then  emigrated,  and,  in  the  fall  of  1871,  settled 
in  Lucas  County,  Iowa,  as  a  farmer,  and  continued 
there  until  1890.  In  1883  he  made  a  trip  to  Skagit 
County,  Washington,  and  his  permanent  settling 
here  is  the  result  of  that  visit  seven  years  before. 
Air.  McCulIough  bought  his  present  place  on  the 
Samish  flats  and  later  added  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  more,  secured  by  purchase,  to  his  original 
tract. 

In  1876,  in  Lucas  County,  Iowa,  Mr.  McCul- 
Iough married  Miss  Amy  Young,  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Sarah  (Graham)  Young,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  settled  in  Lucas 
County,  Iowa,  in  the  pioneer  days  of  1856.  They 
have  both  died  within  a  comparatively  few  years. 
Mrs.  McCulIough  was  born  in  the  Keystone  state 
in  1854,  and  received  her  education  in  Iowa,  marry- 
ing when  twenty-two  years  of  age.  To  this  union 
have  been  born  three  children :  James,  in  1877 ; 
Charles,  November  20,  1879.  and  Ivy,  May  20, 
1884.  The  family  attends  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  in  politics  Mr.  McCulIough  is  a  Republican. 
The  principal  crop  raised  on  the  McCulIough  farm 
is  oats,  the  land  being  of  excellent  quality  for  that 
crop.  He  also  raises  considerable  live  stock,  keep- 
ing at  present  fifty  head  of  cattle  and  fifteen  horses. 
Mr.  McCulIough  is  not  onlv  prosperous  as  a  farmer 
and  business  man,  but  stands  high  in  the  esteem  of 
his  fellow-citizens.  Though  he  is  a  newcomer,  as 
compared  with  some  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Ska- 
git county,  he  has  gained  for  himself  a  reputation 
for  energy  and  thrift,  has  proved  himself  a  man 
of  integrity  and  fair  dealing,  and  has  enrolled  him- 
self with  the  substantial  men  of  the  community 
whose  influence  weighs  for  higher  standards,  good 
citizenship,  right  government  and  material  prog- 
ress. 


MELBOURN  WATKIXSON  is  one  of  the  old- 
time  men  of  Skagit  county  and  has  done  his  share 
toward  developing  the  resources  of  the  country. 
His  life,  like  that  of  his  father,  has  been  the  life  of 
the  pioneer  farmer  and  timber  man.  Mr.  Watkin- 
son  was  born  in  Linn  County,  Oregon,  May  3, 1857, 
the  son  of  Robert  Watkinson,  a  native  of  Manches- 
ter, England,  who  came  to  the  United  States  and 
was  a  school  teacher  in  New  Orleans,  in  Ohio  and 
in  Indiana.  In  1852  he  crossed  the  plains  by  ox 
team  and  settled  in  Linn  County,  Oregon,  taking 
up  a  homestead  and  teaching  school.  He  also  spent 
two  years  in  California,  but  returned  to  his  Oregon 
home,  and  in  1869  came  to  Washington  and  settled 
on  Hood's  canal  in  Mason  county.  Two  years  he 
passed  as  a  merchant,  and  then  took  up  a  pre-emp- 
tion and  lived  on  it  for  ten  years.  He  visited  for 
one  year  in  his  old  haunts  in  Canada  and  died  in 
Skagit  county  in  1902.  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Beeler) 
Watkinson,  now  living  in  Skagit  county,  was  born 
in  Missouri,  but  crossed  the  plains  with  her  father 


in  1852  and  was  married  in  Oregon,  becoming  the 
mother  of  ten .  children,  of  whom  Melbourn  is  the 
oldest.  Melbourn  Watkinson  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Oregon  and  Washington,  and 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  commenced  to  do  for  himself, 
working  with  Qiris  Johnson  for  four  years  in  a 
logging  camp.  He  afterwards  engaged  in  logging 
in  his  own  interests  and  then  cruised  timber  for  a 
year  from  Hood's  canal  to  Quiniault,  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  traversing  the  Olympic  range  of  mountains. 
In  1880  he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  for  a  year 
worked  for  Joe  Miller  in  a  logging  camp.  Then,  in 
company  with  his  brother-in-law  and  six  other  men, 
he  formed  a  plan  to  take  up  land  and  follow  log- 
ging. This  arrangement  was  successful  and  con- 
tinued for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  In- 
bought  his  present  home  place  of  one  hundred  and 
forty-two  acres,  a  little  over  two  miles  south  of  Edi- 
son. It  was  then  in  its  raw  state,  but  Mr.  Watkin- 
son has  diked  and  cleared  the  entire  tract  and 
erected  a  fine  eight-room  house  and  large  barn. 

In  1882  Mr.  Watkinson  married  Miss  Ada  G. 
Gilkey,  daughter  of  Franklin  and  Eliza  (Bowen) 
Gilkey,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  later  farmers  in 
Kansas,  and  Washingtonians  since  1875.  Mr. 
Gilkey,  who  was  born  in  1840,  is  living  in 
Snohomish  county,  but  Mrs.  Gilkey  died  here 
in  1898.  Mrs.  Watkinson  was  also  a  native 
of  the  Keystone  state,  born  in  1865,  but  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  Kansas  and  Washington. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watkinson  have  been  born  ten 
children:  Melville  E.,  living  at  home;  Cora  M., 
who  died  in  1904;  Arthur  P.,  Nellie  F.,  Ida,  Alice, 
Nora,  Myrtle,  Blanch  and  Frankie.  In  politics  Mr. 
Watkinson  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  farming  but  sixty 
acres  now ;  the  place  is  well  stocked  with  horses 
and  cattle.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  Skagit's 
citizens  of  sterling  worth  and  integrity  and  is  a  man 
respected  by  all. 


CLExMENT  CULVER,  one  of  the  successful 
farmers  of  the  Edison  section  of  Skagit  county,  re- 
siding two  miles  and  a  half  south  of  town,  was 
born  in  Michigan  in  1851,  the  second  of  the  eleven 
children  of  Lyman  and  Mary  (Closson)  Culver. 
The  elder  Culver,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  was 
for  years  a  farmer  in  Michigan  and  Iowa,  but  came 
to  Washington  in  1885  and  has  since  died  here. 
Mrs.  Culver  was  also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state. 
Our  subject  received  his  education  in  Iowa,  whither 
he  was  taken  when  a  child  by  his  parents.  In  1867 
the  family  went  to  Kansas.  When  young  Culver 
was  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  joined  a  surveying 
party  in  Oklahoma,  but  later  he  engaged  in  farming 
in  Neosha  County,  Kansas,  where  he  resided  con- 
tinuously until  1875.  In  that  year  he  went  to  the 
mines  of  Cherokee  County,  Kansas,  and  he  stayed 
there  two  years,  then  going  to  farming  near  Chau- 
tauqua,  in   the   same   state.      In   1888   he   came  to 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Washington.  The  first  summer  of  his  residence 
here  he  ran  a  threshing  machine  for.  Mr.  Dawson 
on  the  Samish  flats,  then  he  rented  the  Ed  Ames 
place  and  farmed  it  two  years.  For  the  ensuing 
four  years  he  was  lessee  of  the  McCullough  place, 
and  subsequently  he  moved  onto  the  Conner  farm, 
which  he  operated  for  six  years.  During  his  ten- 
ancy of  this  place  he  purchased  sixty-eight  acres 
of  it.  After  the  termination  of  his  lease  he  added 
forty  acres  more  to  his  holdings,  and  upon  the 
splendid  farm  thus  secured  he  has  ever  since  lived, 
successfully  and  profitably  cultivating  the  whole. 

In  Neosha,  Kansas,  in  18^4,  Mr.  Culver  mar- 
ried Honor  Eller,  daughter  of  Henry  EUer,  a  native 
of  Indiana,  who  became  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Kan- 
sas, later,  however,  moving  to  Colorado,  where  he 
now  resides.  Mrs.  Culver  was  born  in  the  Hoosier 
state  in  1856,  but  attended  school  in  Kansas.  Four 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Culver,  of 
whom  the  living  are  Delbert  E.,  now  in  Oregon ; 
Alfred  and  Leo.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Culver 
is  a  prominent  Odd  Fellow.  He  is  a  past  grand 
in  the  order  and  was  a  member  of  the  grand  lodge 
that  met  in  Spokane  in  1894  and  Seattle  in  1900. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Though  like  most 
of  the  farmers  in  his  part  ni  Sls,r;it  ci unity,  he  gives 
most  of  his  attention  to  ccnal  priKhiction,  he  does 
not  neglect  live  stock,  but  kcejis  eighteen  head  of 
cattle  and  a  number  of  horses.  He  is  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  a  man  in  whom  people  repose  confi- 
dence because  of  his  integrity  and  worth.  The 
success  that  has  attended  his  efiforts  under  the  many 
difficulties  that  have  beset  his  paths  during  the 
seventeen  years  of  residence  in  Skagit  county,  is 
abundant  evidence  of  the  possession  of  those  sterling 
qualities  of  diaracter  so  characteristic  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  any  communitv.  He  is  justly 
entitled  to  enrollment  with  the  progressive  men  of 
Skagit  county. 

PETER  DENIS,  one  of  the  prosperous  farm- 
ers of  the  Edison  part  of  Skagit  county,  in  which  he 
has  lived  continuously  since  boyhnod,  was  born  in 
France,  June  17,  18G0,  the  son  of  Clamk-  and  Eliza- 
beth (Ressner)  Denis.  The  fatlicr,  a  veteran  of 
the  Crimean  War,  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1863  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Minnesota.  Nine 
years  later  he  came  to  Washington,  located  in 
Walla  Walla  and  opened  a  harness  shop  there, 
which  he  ran  for  a  twelvemonth.  Coming  then  to 
Whatcom,  he  spent  four  years  in  the  coal  mines 
near  that  city.  His  next  occupation  was  farming 
near  La  Conner,  but  eventually  he  returned  to 
Whatcom  and  took  a  homestead  in  the  vicinity,  on 
which  he  spent  a  half  decade.  At  a  later  date  he 
became  once  more  a  resident  of  Skagit  county,  but 
he  was  again  in  Whatcom  when  death  claimed  him, 
January  25,  1893.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Denis,  the 
mother  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Luxemburg, 
Germanv. 


The  school  opportunities  enjoyed  by  Peter  Denis 
were  curtailed  by  the  removal  of  his  father  when 
he  was  a  lad  of  thirteen  to  Whatcom.  The  next 
year  he  entered  the  Seaborne  mines  and  for  two 
years  thereafter  he  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being 
the  youngest  operative  employed  in  them.  When  his 
father  rented  the  J.  S.  Conner  farm  he  moved  with 
him  onto  it,  deserting  the  mines.  After  becoming 
of  age  he  took  a  pre-emption,  but  for  the  next  half 
decade  he  devoted  most  of  his  time  to  laboring  for 
others  in  the  vicinities  of  La  Conner  and  Whatcom. 
Eventually  he  came  to  the  Samish  flats,  where  he 
worked  for  awhile  for  his  father,  finally,  in  1889, 
renting  his  farm  from  him.  This  he  operated  for 
three  years,  thereupon  leasing  the  Gilmore  place, 
upon  which  he  has  ever  since  resided,  though  he 
has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  of  his 
own,  which  he  purchased  originally  from  the  state, 
it  having  been  school  land. 

In  1890  Mr.  Denis  married  Miss  Mary  Thein, 
daughter  of  Peter  Thein,  a  native  of  Luxemburg, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  the  early  fifties 
and  settled  in  Minnesota.  He  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade.  Mrs.  Cathron  (Felton)  Tliein,  the 
mother,  was  also  a  native  of  Luxemburg.  Mrs. 
Denis  was  born  in  Minnesota  November  17,  1871, 
and  received  her  education  in  that  state.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Denis  have  four  children:  Thomas  P.,  born 
November  27,  1890  ;  Eugene  C,  July  5,  1894  ;  Marie, 
December  8,  1896,  and  Leona,  May  3,  19(13,  all  in 
Skagit  county.  The  members  of  the  family  are 
adherents  of  the  Catholic  faith  and  in  politics  Mr. 
Denis  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  served  as  dike  com- 
missioner and  road  supervisor.  He  now  owns  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  half  of  which  is 
cultivated,  and  has  twenty-five  head  of  cattle,  as 
well  as  draught  and  road  horses.  Mr.  Denis  is  an 
open-hearted  gentleman,  successful  in  business,  rich 
in  the  esteem  of  his  neighbors  and  ever  contribut- 
ing his  full  share  to  the  developing  of  the  re- 
sources of  Skagit  county. 


JOHN  W.  MARTIN,  whose  farm  is  about 
three  miles  southwest  of  Edison,  devotes  much  of 
his  attention  to  the  industry  of  raising  oats,  and  in 
this  line  of  activity  has  achieved  a  high  degree  of 
success.  He  is  a  native  of  Tennessee,  born  in 
Blount  county,  April  4,  1856,  the  eleventh  of  twelve 
children  of  Moses  and  Celia  (Carr)  Martin.  The 
elder  Martin  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  but 
moved  to  Tennessee  when  a  lad  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  years  there.  Mrs.  Martin  was  a 
native  of  Tennessee.  John  W.  Martin  received  his 
early  education  in  his  native  state,  in  the  common 
schools  and  the  college  at  Marysville,  but  when 
nineteen  he  left  home  for  Illinois  to  work  at  farm- 
ing. He,  however,  afterward  put  in  several  win- 
ters in  school,  supplementing  his  formerly  acquired 
scholarship.     After  a  few  years  in  Illinois  he  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


turned  to  his  Tennessee  home  and  operated  his 
father's  farm  there  until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age, 
at  which  time  his  attention  was  called  to  the  re- 
sources of  Washington,  and  in  1888  he  came  to 
Skagit  county.  He  leased  land  on  the  Samisli  at 
first,  but  a  little  later  purchased  eights  acres  of 
Samish  land,  cleared  it  and  placed  it  cntiiel\  nmler 
cultivation.  He,  however,  rents  the  place  un  which 
he  now  lives,  though  he  still  has  land  of  his  own. 

In  1888,  in  Louden  County,  Tennessee,  Mr. 
Martin  married  Miss  Letcia  Kerr,  daughter  of 
James  C.  and  Harriet  (Newell)  Kerr,  natives  of 
Tennessee,  where  the  father  ii  still  living.  Mrs 
Martin  was  born  there  in  1863  and  received  her 
education  in  the  schools  of  her  native  state.  To 
this  union  have  been  born  eleven  children :  Celia 
(deceased),  Ora,  Clinton,  Rosa,  Gracie  (, deceased). 
Ruby,  Everett.  Mary  E.,  Iva  and  Ida,  twins,  and 
Lida  J.  The  family  are  attendants  of  the  Metho- 
dist church.  Mr.  Alartin  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a 
past  grand  in  the  order.  In  politics  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  owns  sixty-five  acres  of  land,  and 
though  he  makes  a  specialty  of  oat  raising  keeps 
considerable  live  stock,  having  at  the  present  time 
twenty-four  head  of  cattle  and  nine  horses.  In  his 
early  years  in  Skagit  county  he  taught  school  at 
both  Mount  Baker  and  Edison.  He  is  a  thorough- 
going farmer,  a  man  of  attainments  and  highly  re- 
spected by  the  members  of  the  community,  where 
his  influence  is  always  exerted  for  the  betterment 
of  general  conditions  and  for  the  elevation  of  the 
standard    of   citizenship. 


EUGEN  DANIELS,  a  farmer,  residing  four 
miles  southwest  of  Edison,  came  to  Washington 
with  his  parents  in  1883,  and  has  ever  since  resided 
in  Skagit  county,  where  he  enjoys  the  respect  of  a 
wide  circle  of  acquaintances.  He  was  born  in 
Crawford  County.  Iowa,  September  17,  1864.  the 
fifth  of  eleven  children  of  John  R.  and  Lennra 
(Lupton)  Daniels.  The  elder  Daniels,  who  was  a 
native  of  Ohio,  went  to  Iowa  in  the  early  days, 
married  in  that  state  and  followed  farming  there 
until  1867,  when  he  moved  to  Brown  County,  Kan- 
sas. He  later  returned  to  Iowa  and  farmed  in 
Crawford  and  Howard  counties  until  1.S83,  when 
he  came  to  Washington,  settling  first  on  La  Conner 
flats,  but  moving  after  two  years  to  the  Samish 
flats,  where  he  died  in  188.')'  Mrs.  Daniels,  the 
mother,  was  a  native  of  Illinois,  but  when  two 
years  of  age  removed  with  her  parents  to  Iowa  and 
acquired  her  education  there.  Her  children  are 
James  N.,  a  carpenter;  Alice  L.,  William  A.,  Josiah 
H.,  Eugen.  Charles  (deceased),  Ellis  Q.,  Mrs.  Rosa 
Stump,  wife  of  a  farmer  near  Edison;  Marion  and 
Mahlon,  twins,  and  Mrs.  Eva  Streeter.  wife  of  a 
farmer  on  the  Samish  flats.  Eugen  Daniels  was 
educated  in  the  Kansas  schools,  being  only  three 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  left   Iowa   for  the 


first  time.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until  after 
they  came  to  Washington,  but  eventually  purchased 
the  farm  that  is  now  his  and  began  making  a  home 
for  himself  and  family.  The  forty  acres  constitut- 
ing his  place  were  bought  in  1893.  They  were  then 
covered  with  timber  and  brush ;  but  he  has  cleared 
and  brought  under  cultivation  every  acre  of  his 
land.  A  small  orchard  upon  it  forms  the  begin- 
ning of  a  venture  in  the  direction  of  horticulture. 

In  1898,  at  Mount  Vernon,  Washington,  Mr. 
Daniels  married  Miss  Margaret  Duren,  daughter 
of  Marion  and  Emalie  (Allen)  Duren.  The  father, 
a  school  teacher  by  profession,  served  during  the 
Civil  War  in  the  Southern  army.  He  and  Mrs. 
Duren  are  still  living  in  Arkansas,  of  which  state 
Mrs.  Daniels  is  a  native,  and  in  which  state  she 
received  her  education.  One  child  has  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniels,  namely.  Raymond  V.  In 
politics  Mr.  Daniels  is  a  Republican.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  in  his  neighborhood,  as  a  hard  working, 
industrious  man,  successful  in  his  business  and  ef- 
ficient in  promoting  the  general  progress.  His 
mental  and  moral  traits  are  such  as  will  make  him 
a  man  of  influence  and  one  who  will  be  found 
always  on  the  right  side  of  questions  that  have  to 
do  with  the  forward  march  of  county,  state  or  na- 
tion. 


NICHOLAS  BESSNER,  engaged  in  farming 
three  miles  south  of  Edison,  is  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  agriculturists  of  that  section,  a  man  of 
energy  and  application,  popular  in  the  community 
because  of  his  innate  good  qualities.  He  was  born 
in  Mansfield,  Ohio,  December  17,  1859,  the  son  of 
John  Bessner,  who  was  born  in  Germany  Novem- 
ber 5,  1829,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1857, 
settling  in  the  Buckeye  state.  In  1860  he  (John 
Bessner)  moved  to  Minnesota,  and  for  the  next 
fifteen  years  he  farmed  there,  but  on  coming  to 
Washington  in  1875  he  engaged  in  mining  in  what 
is  now  Bellingham.  After  spending  two  years  at 
that,  he  moved  to  La  Conner.  He  was  there  a  year, 
ihen  leased  the  Williamson  place,  three  miles  north, 
remaining  upon  it  for  the  next  three  years.  In  the 
spring  of  1882  he  bought  land  on  the~  Skagit  delta, 
which  was  the  scene  of  his  farming  operations  un- 
til February  12,  1905,  when  he  died.  His  wife, 
Mary  (Berenger)  Bessner,  was  likewise  a  native 
of  Germany,  born  November  25,  1837.  She  died 
in  Skagit  county  April  4,  1904,  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  of  whom  the  subject  hereof  is  the 
oldest. 

Nicholas  Bessner,  of  this  article,  secured  his 
educational  training  in  Minnesota.  Coming  west  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  he  worked  in  the  mines  of 
Washington  for  a  time,  then  found  employment  in 
the  vicinity  of  La  Conner  for  four  or  five  years. 
In  1885  he  moved  to  Samish  flats  and  for  the  next 
four  vears   was   engaged   in   farming    leased    land 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


there.  He  purchased  his  present  fine  farm  in  1890, 
and  to  its  cultivation  and  improvement  he  has  ever 
since  devoted  himself  with  assiduity  and  success. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1890,  on  the  Samish 
flats,  Mr.  Bessner  married  Mrs.  Mary  Hoffman, 
daughter  of  Mathias  Hazer,  a  German  by  birth  and 
a  pioneer  farmer  of  Iowa,  in  which  state  he  died. 
Her  mother,  Mrs.  Marie  (Nausbaum)  Hazer,  was 
also  a  native  of  Germany,  and  she,  too,  sleeps  in 
Iowa.  Mrs.  Bessner  was  born  in  Jackson  County, 
Iowa,  December  29,  1859,  and  received  her  educa- 
tion in  that  state,  remaining  until  1883,  when  she 
came  to  Washington.  She  and  Mr.  Bessner  have 
two  children,  both  born  in  Skagit  county:  William, 
born  April  27,  1891,  and  Viola,  born  June  11,  1894. 
in  fraternal  affiliation  Mr.  Bessner  is  a  member  of 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World ;  in  church  mem- 
bership a  Catholic,  and  politically  a  Democrat.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  board  of  county  commission- 
ers for  the  term  1902-1.  Mr.  Bessner's  home  p'ace 
contains  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  all  under  cul- 
tivation, and  he  also  owns  sixty  acres  on  the  Skagit 
river.  His  chief  crops  are  oats  and  hay.  He  takes 
special  pride  in  his  horses,  of  which  he  has  thir- 
teen head,  four  of  them  thoroughbred  animals 
brought  from  Portland,  Oregon.  Mr.  Bessner  has 
made  an  unqualified  success  of  farming  hi  Skagit 
county.  The  qualities  of  his  mind  and  heart  rec- 
ommend him  to  all  with  whom 'he  comes  in  contact, 
for  he  is  a  genial,  whole-hearted  man  and  public- 
spirited  citizen. 


JAMES  T.  SQUIRES.  Among  the  younger 
farmers  who  are  making  a  success  of  the  business 
in  the  Samish  country  is  James  T.  Squires,  a  man 
of  ability  and  education  and  one  who  enjoys  in 
abundant  measure  the  esteem  and  regard  of  his 
fellows.  Though  compelled  by  opposing  circum- 
stances to  abandon  the  professional  career  he  laid 
out  for  himself  in  boyhood,  he  is  yet  making  his 
mark  in  the  world  as  a  man-  of  ability  and  force 
of  character.  He  is  a  native  of  Smith  County, 
Tennessee,  born  August  9,  1867,  the  son  of  James 
M.  and  Amelia  (Jones)  Squires.  His  father,  a 
man  of  unusual  ability  and  force,  was  very  ambitious 
to  become  a  physician,  so  much  so  that  he  attempted 
to  fit  himself  for  the  medical  profession  by  study- 
ing at  odd  moments  while  plowing.  He  was  ruined 
financially  by  the  exigencies  of  the  war,  but  was 
rapidly  regaining  his  lost  fortunes  when  death  over- 
took him,  December  24,  1875.  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  who  was  a  native  of  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
died  on  the  3d  of  July  of  the  year  just  mentioned, 
so  young  James  T.  found  himself  orphaned  and  adritt 
at  the  tender  age  of  eight.  For  six  years  he  re- 
mained around  the  old  place,  then  an  uncle,  a  prac- 
ticing physician,  took  charge  of  him,  giving  him 
support  and  an  opportunity  to  attend  school.  This 
uncle,  John  L.  Jones,  intended  giving  his  nephew 


a  professional  education ;  circumstances  prevented, 
but  to  this  day  Mr.  Squires  accords  him  filial  rev- 
erence. At  the  age  of  nineteen  young  Squires  was 
a  common  work  hand  on  a  Mississippi  plantation, 
but  he  soon  became  foreman,  and  he  passed  two 
years  in  that  capacity.  He  then  went  to  Napa 
County,  California,  and  worked  in  vineyards  and 
wine  cellars  for  a  year,  thereupon  moving  to  British 
Columbia,  but  in  1891  he  came  to  Edison,  a  town 
in  which  he  had  neither  friends  nor  acquaintances, 
arriving  with  just  thirty-five  cents  in  his  pocket 
and  with  no  reserve  bank  account  anywhere.  Going 
to  work  on  a  farm,  he  spent  the  ensuing  year  and 
a  half  as  a  laborer,  then  he  leased  forty  acres  of 
land  and  began  cultivating  the  soil  on  his  own  ac- 
count. He  worked  this  land  from  1895  to  1903.  In 
1898  he  leased  two  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  of 
school  land  and  went  into  the  business  of  raising 
oats,  for  this  purpose  diking  eighty  acres  of  the 
marsh  land  included  in  the  tract,  and,  like  most  other 
oat  raisers,  he  is  now  rapidly  accumulating  a  com- 
petence. A  believer  in  diversified  agriculture,  he  is 
giving  some  attention  to  live  stock,  keeping  at  the 
present  time  twenty  head  of  graded  cattle,  eleven 
head  of  work  horses,  eight  head  of  fancy  South- 
down sheep,  etc.  He  also  owns  a  share  in  the  im- 
ported stallion  Duke  of  Illinois. 

November  20,  1895,  Mr.  Squires  married  Miss 
Theodosia  E.  Giles,  daughter  of  T.  J.  Russell  Giles, 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  who  came  to  Skagit  county 
in  1891,  and  is  now  living  at  Rosario.  Mrs.  Squires' 
mother,  Martha  (Best)  Giles,  also  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, is  likewise  living.  To  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Squires  three  children  have  been  born,  namely, 
Theodora,  James  T.,  Jr.,  and  Mary  Gladys.  Mr. 
Squires  is  a  member  of  the  La  Conner  Camp  of 
Woodmen  of  the  World  and  with  his  wife  affiliates 
with  the  Fraternal  Union  of  America.  He  belongs 
to  the  Democratic  party,  which  in  1898  honored  him 
by  making  him  its  candidate  for  county  .treasurer. 
In  religion  the  family  are  Congregationalists.  Mr. 
Squires  is  one  of  the  popular  men  of  his  commu- 
nity, energetic,  refined,  well  informed  on  all  topics, 
progressive  and  ambitious. 


WTLLIAM  WOOD,  engaged  in  farming  a  mile 
and  a  half  south  of  Fravel,  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Skagit  county,  having  come  here  in  1867,  and 
it  is  noteworthy  that  he  has  not  since  been  farther 
away  from  his  original  homestead  than  Olympia. 
In  his  early  days  he  was  a  prospector  and  on  one 
occasion  nearly  met  death  with  four  others  while 
on  a  trip  up  the  south  fork  of  the  Nooksack.  The 
men  started  out  with  their  provisions  on  their  backs 
and  camped  the  first  night  at  Whatcom  lake.  From 
the  lake  they  journeyed  on,  making  but  a  single 
mile  the  first  day  owing  to  the  thickness  of  the 
brush  and  the  steepness  of  the  mountain.  That 
night  they  camped  without  water  and  were  with- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


775 


out  it  until  the  middle  of  the  followino:  afternoon, 
when  they  had  to  take  their  choice  of  bear-tainted 
pools  or  nothing.  The  sufferings  of  the  men  were 
intense,  and  i\Ir.  Wood  says  he  then  came  nearer 
death  than  at  any  other  time  in  all  his  pioneer  ex- 
periences. Mr.  Wood  was  born  in  Liberty,  Maine, 
January  27,  1839,  the  second  of  five  children  of 
Phineas  and  Mary  (French)  Wood,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  state.  They  were 
of  a  sturdy,  patriotic  stock.  Mr.  Wood's  grand- 
father left  Admiral  Cockburn's  fleet  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  to  espouse  the  cause  of  liberty. 

At  fourteen  years  of  age  William  Wood  of  this 
article  left  home  and  came  to  San  Francisco  via 
Cape  Horn.  He  remained  there  but  a  year,  how- 
ever, then  returned  to  New  York,  via  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  but  in  1859  he  was  once  more  in  San 
Francisco.  He  remained  a  year  there,  then  came 
on  to  Whatcom  and  made  that  place  his  home  until 
1867,  when  he  came  to  Skagit  county.  During  the 
time  spent  in  Whatcom  he  followed  fishing  in  the 
summers  and  working  at  different  callings  in  the 
winters.  On  one  hunting  trip  he  saw  a  herd  of 
twenty-seven  deer,  so  plentiful  was  game  in  those 
early  days.  Mr.  Wood  left  Whatcom  direct  for  the 
country  where  Edison  now  is,  accompanied  by  Ben 
Samson,  Captain  John  Warner  and  Watson  liodge, 
none  of  whom  is  now  living.  The  four  squatted  on 
land  near  each  other,  and  there  Mr.  Wood  has  since 
resided.    He  had  to  wait  four  years  for  a  surveyor. 

In  1863  Mr.  Wood  married  Mary  Wood,  and 
they  have  had  fourteen  children,  eight  of  whom 
are  living :  Mrs.  Annie  Smith  of  Fravel ;  Lucy,  in 
Whatcom;  John,  in  Alaska;  Andrew,  at  Gray's 
Harbor ;  Ella,  at  Whatcom ;  and  James,  Thomas 
and  Fannie,  at  home.  One  daughter,  Mrs.  Nettie 
Crane,  died  at  New  Westminster,  B.  C,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1905.  In  politics  Mr.  Wood  is  a  Democrat, 
but  aside  from  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace  on 
Fidalgo  island  and  as  road  supervisor,  he  has  never 
held  any  office  of  a  political  nature.  He  has  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  all  but  twenty 
of  which  are  cleared  and  devoted  principally  to 
raising  hay  and  oats.  In  live  stock  he  has  six  head 
of  horses,  fourteen  head  of  cattle,  a  number  of  hogs, 
etc.  He  is  one  of  the  old-time  citizens  of  Skagit 
county  and  has  seen  the  country  pass  from  a  state 
of  absolute  wildness  to  its  present  condition  of 
prosperous  settlement,  himself  keeping  fully  abreast 
of  all  this  progress.  He  enjoys  the  esteem  of  pio- 
neers and  later  comers  alike. 


ALFRED  J.  LAWSON  is  one  of  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  the  Fravel  region  of  Skagit 
county,  his  place  being  but  half  a  mile  from  the 
town.  _  Here,  by  energy  and  business  ability,  he 
has  within  a  few  years  accumulated  a  small  fortune 
and  he  still  continues  to  increase  his  substance.  Mr. 
Lawson  was  born  in  Henry  County,  Illinois,  Feb- 


ruary 19,  1862,  the  seventh  of  the  ten  children  of 
Charles  and  Annie  C.  (Wiren)  Lawson,  natives  of 
Sweden,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  early 
life  and  became  prosperous  farmers  in  Illinois.  The 
elder  Lawson  came  to  Washington  six  years  ago 
and  is  living  in  Seattle,  where  four  of  his  daughters 
reside.  He  also  has  a  son  at  La  Conner.  Alfred  J. 
Lawson  remained  at  home  in  Illinois  until  his  mar- 
riage, then  rented  a  farm  for  two  years.  On  com- 
ing to  Washington  he  spent  a  few  months  in  Seat- 
tle, then  bought  seventy-five  acres  of  timber  land, 
a  portion  of  which  he  cleared  during  the  five  years 
of  his  residence  upon  it.  He  came  to  La  Conner 
in  1895  and  leased  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land,  two  hundred  and  forty  of  which  were  under 
cultivation.  He  continued  there  until  January  1, 
190-1,  then  bought  the  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
acres  where  he  now  lives,  all  of  which  is  in  culti- 
vation, his  specialty  being  hay  and  oats. 

In  ISSS  Mr.  Lawson  married  Miss  Emily  Peter- 
son, a  native  of  Illinois,  daughter  of  John  and  Mar- 
garet (Johnson)  Peterson,  who  were  born  in  Swe- 
den, but  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in  Moline, 
Illinois,  where  Mr.  Peterson  operated  a  wagon  shop 
until  his  death  in  1871.  Mrs.  Lawson  is  the  young- 
est of  five  living  children,  her  four  brothers  being 
now  residents  of  Seattle.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawson 
have  six  children:  Minnie  M.,  Ruth  M.  A.,  George 
B.,  Maurice  W.,  David  J.  and  Willard  A.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Lawson  is  a  Prohibitionist.  He  is  serving 
at  present  as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  The 
family  are  adherents  of  the  Methodist  faith,  of 
which  church  Mrs.  Lawson  is  a  member  of  the  aid 
society.  While  putting  his  greatest  efforts  in  the 
direction  of  raising  hay  and  oats,  Mr.  Lawson  has 
considerable  live  stock,  which  includes  ten  head  of 
horses,  four  of  which  are  of  Hambletoman  stock 
and  the  remainder  largely  Percherons.  Mr.  Law- 
son  is  a  man  of  energy  and  force  of  character,  high- 
ly respected  by  all  who  know  him,  of  recognized  in- 
tegrity, successful  in  business  and  a  commanding 
figure  in  his  community. 


GEORGE  ECKENBERGER,  whose  farm  is  a 
mile  and  a  quarter  east  of  Samish,  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  on  Samish  island,  and  lias  experienced 
all  the  vicissitudes  which  come  to  the  pioneer  in  the 
timbered  countrv.  He  was  born  in  Posev  Countv, 
Ohio.  December  23,  1843,  the  third  of  the  six  chil- 
dren of  Leonard  and  Henrietta  Eckenberger.  The 
father  died  when  the  son  was  voung  during  the 
cholera  epidemic,  and  the  mother  subsequently  mar- 
ried Captain  Yocham  of  the  union  army.  She  lived 
until  1900.  Mr.  Eckenberger  of  this  article  left 
his  home  in  1860  and  went  to  Alabama  to  follow 
steamboating.  When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  he 
came  north,  enlisted  in  the  Thirtieth  Ohio  under 
Captain  Riley  and  served  with  that  command  at  the 
second  battle   of   Bull   Run   and   in   other  engage- 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


nients.  He  was  at  home  on  sick  leave  when  the 
war  closed,  but  soon  after  went  to  Indiana,  and 
at  Evansville,  in  that  state,  he  worked  twelve  years 
at  masonry.  He  then  crossed  the  continent  by  rail 
to  San  Francisco  and  came  thence  to  Seattle,  dur- 
ing his  two  years'  residence  in  which  city  he  made 
a  trip  to  Saniish  island  and  took  up  the  land  on 
which  he  now  lives.  Mrs.  Eckenberger  was  the 
first  white  woman  on  the  island,  and  preceded  the 
second  one  by  seven  years.  She  held  the  place  at 
intervals  while  he  was  in  Seattle,  and  at  one  time 
passed  eighteen  months  without  once  looking  upon 
the  face  of  a  white  woman.  The  claim  was  under 
heavy  timber,  and  thousands  of  feet  of  good  mer- 
chantable trees  had  to  be  destroyed  to  make  way 
for  the  clearing  and  the  crops.  The  third  year 
that  they  lived  here  a  forest  fire  swept  the  island, 
leaving  them  with  only  a  sack  of  flour  and  a  couple 
of  blankets,  and  things  looked  so  discouraging  that 
Mr.  Eckcnbergcr  then  off^ered  to  sell  his  place,  for 
$300,  but  could  not  find  a  purchaser.  Hard  times 
were  experienced  until  the  boom  commenced  in 
1881-2,  then  Mr.  Eckenberger's  knowledge  of  the 
country  stood  him  in  good  stead  in  locating  settlers. 
Until  recent  years  he  has  held  all  his  original  land, 
but  now  has^sold  all  but  sixty  acres.  This  remnant 
he  devotes  to  cattle  raising,  dairying,  hay  and 
fruit,  seven  acres  of  it  being  in  orchard  of  first 
quality. 

In  Evansville,  Indiana,  June  5,  ISi;,"),  Mr.  Eck- 
enberger  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Garis,  who  was 
born  July  4,  1812,  daughter  of  Bonjamin  and  Alice 
(Hayes)  Garis,  of  whom  little  record  exists  to-day. 
Mrs.  Eckcnberger  had  two  brothers  in  the  union 
army.  She  and  Mr.  Eckenberger  are  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  five  are  living:  Fred  C, 
Mrs.  Lucy  Rhodes,  Mrs.  Martha  Hopley,  George 
and  John.  Mr.  Eckenberger  is  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, interested  in  matters  of  public  concern,  as  a 
good  citizen  should  be,  but  not  an  office  seeker.  He 
has,  however,  served  as  road  supervisor  and  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board.  Though  he  has  passed 
through  the  extremes  of  hard  times,  he  has  always 
rallied  and  is  now  in  good  financial  circumstances. 
He  is  respected  in  his  community  as  a  man  of  many 
sterling  cjualitics  of  character. 


GEORGE  DEAN,  a  shipwright  by  trade,  for 
many  years  postmaster  at  Saniish,  one  of  the  early 
comers  to  Samish  island,  has  made  a  success  in 
business,  though  at  times  he  has  had  trymg  experi- 
ences. He  was  born  in  Banffshire,  Scotland,  Jan- 
uary 15,  1850,  the  fourth  of  the  ten  children  of  Will- 
iam and  Catherine  (Horn)  Dean,  both  of  whom 
lived  and  died  in  the  old  country.  When  a  lad  of 
fourteen  years  George  Dean  left  home  to  serve  a 
five  years'  apprenticeship  to  the  trade  of  shipwright- 
ing.  On  receiving  his  papers  he  worked  at  Aber- 
deen,  Dundee   and   Glasgow,   Scotland,   and    New- 


castle, England,  each  time  changing  location  on  ac- 
courit  of  labor  troubles.  In  1875  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  landing  in  New  York,  and  started 
on  a  tour  of  the  country,  which  was  finished  at 
Seattle  in  the  fall  of  1875,  Mr.  Dean  arriving  there 
on  the  first  iron  steamer  which  entered  that  port. 
The  city  boasted  of  but  two  hotels  then,  the  Occi- 
dental and  the  New  England. 

After  looking  over  Seattle  for  two  weeks,  Mr. 
Dean  came  to  Samish,  where  a  brother  was  keeping 
store  and  postoffice  at  the  steamboat  landing.  Sam- 
ish was  then  the  chief  distributing  point  for  the 
whole  valley  back  as  far  as  Warner's  prairie,  but 
there  was  but  one  white  family  on  the  Samish  flats. 
Mail  came  by  the  steamer  "J.  B.  Libby"  once  a 
week  and  the  steamer  "Dispatch"  from  Port  Town- 
send  also  stopped  once  in  seven  days.  It  was  not 
an  unusual  sight  to  see  a  band  of  one  hundred 
Samish  Indians  about  the  store  and  postoflfice,  and 
Mr.  Dean  soon  became  able  to  converse  with  them. 
Much  of  the  water  front  around  Edison  had  been 
taken  up,  but  no  one  lived  there  until  about  1880, 
when  settlement  began  in  earnest.  Soon  after  his 
arrival  Mr.  Dean  built  a  saw-mill,  using  wind  as 
motive  power,  and  with  lumber  turned  out  from 
that  mill  he  built  a  schooner  which  he  sailed  for 
nine  years;  then  he  built  the  steamer  "Mary  Pur- 
ley"  and  operated  that  for  three  and  a  half  years, 
eventually  selling  out.  Ou  the  death  of  his  brother 
Mr.  Dean  took  charge  of  the  property.  A  difficulty 
arose  with  the  shipowners  and  none  would  stop  at 
his  wharf  or  warehouse  except  the  independent 
boats,  but  he  did  business  with  these  for  two  years. 
He  continued  to  be  postmaster  until  1897,  when  he 
went  to  Unalaska  to  build  river  boats,  in  company 
with  J.  F.  T.  Mitchell  of  Seattle,  for  the  Boston  & 
Alaska  Trading  Company.  On  his  return  Mr.  Dean 
worked  out  the  details  of  a  new  fishing  device  which 
combines  the  qualities  of  the  purse  seine  with  those 
of  the  pile  trap,  and  is  adapted  for  work  in  either 
deep  or  shallow  water.  The  device  has  been  pat- 
ented, and  the  authorities  consider  it  the  most  val- 
uable thing  of  the  kind  developed  in  this  state  for 
a  decade  and  a  half.  Mr.  Dean  has  never  married. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  man  of  en- 
ergy, wide  awake,  thorough  in  business  and  posses- 
sing traits  of  personal  character  that  win  for  him 
the  confidence  of  his  associates  and  the  respect  of 
all  whom  he  meets. 


CHARLES  W.  HODGE,  farmer  of  Samish,  is 
a  native  of  the  Puget  sound  country  and  one  of  the 
large  poultrvmen  of  Skagit  countv.  He  was  born 
in'Bellingham,  October  22,  1868,'  the  fifth  of  the 
nine  children  of  Watson  and  Jennie  Hodge.  The 
elder  Hodge,  a  native  of  Burlington,  Connecticut; 
started  for  the  Pacific  coast  when  a  young  maa 
Fie  came  around  the  Horn  and  was  shipwrecked  on 
the   coast   of   Panama   some   three   hundred  miles 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


777 


from  a  shipping  point.  In  company  with  another 
man  he  purchased  a  horse  for  the  transportation  of 
their  belongings,  but  the  partner  stole  the  horse 
and  Mr.  Hodge's  boots  as  well,  forcing  the  unlucky 
traveler  to  cover  the  remaining  distance  in  his  sock 
feet.  That  was  not  the  only  unpleasant  experience 
of  this  eventful  trip,  for  at  one  place  Mr.  Hodge 
was  arrested  as  a  suspicious  person  by  the  Mexicans 
and  held  for  a  month.  Eventually,  however,  he 
arrived  safely  in  California,  but  was  soon  drawn 
into  the  gold  excitement  at  Cariboo,  British  Colum- 
bia, where  he  spent  six  years,  doing  well.  He  then 
came  over  to  Bellingham  and  engaged  in  business 
there,  later,  however,  moving  to  Edison  and  pre- 
empting one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which 
he  held  for  six  years,  and  upon  which  the  town  was 
built.  On  selling  out  he  went  to  Samish  island 
and  took  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres,  which  is  now 
held  by  his  heirs.     He  died  in  1905. 

Charles  W.  Hodge  attended  school  until  he  was 
fourteen  years  of  age,  then  went  to  work  in  a  log- 
ging camp  in  the  vicinity  of  Edison.  He  followed 
logging  at  various  points  along  the  sound  for  twen- 
ty-two years  and  ten  years  ago  took  up  farming. 

In  1895  Mr.  Hodge  married  Miss  Alice  Hansen, 
•daughter  of  William  and  Jennie  Hansen.  The 
father  was  born  in  Norway,  but  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1853  and  soon  after  took  up  his  residence 
in  the  Pacific  Northwest.  He  lived  in  Skagit  county 
until  1898,  farming  on  the  Samish  river,  and  is  now 
a  resident  of  Tacoma.  Mrs.  Hansen,  a  native  of 
B.-itish  Columbia,  was  the  mother  of  fourteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Mrs.  Hodge  is  the  tenth.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hodge  have  six  children :  Herbert  E.,  W, 
Douglass,  Lydia  M.,  Ivan  Roosevelt,  Stanley  W. 
and  Glenn  L.  In  politics  Mr.  Hodge  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  has  been  road  supervisor  of  his  district, 
but  aside  from  that  has  not  held  any  public  office. 
Most  of  his  land  is  devoted  to  the  poultry  busi- 
ness, his  yards  containing  at  present  a  magnificent 
and  numerous  flock  of  Brown  Leghorns.  He  is 
also  well  provided  with  horses  and  cattle  of  the 
best  grades  for  the  operation  of  the  farm.  Mr. 
Hodge  is  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  his 
community ;  a  wide-awake,  active  man,  who  enjoys 
the  esteem  of  all  who  know  him,  and  ever  shows 
himself  an  aggressive  influence  in  the  progress  of 
its  people  and  its  industries. 


FRITZ  JOHNSON,  a  farmer,  stock  raiser  and 
dairyman  just  outside  of  Belleville,  though  born  in 
Sweden  in  1869,  is  in  reality  a  pioneer  of  western 
Skagit  county.  He  is  the  son  of  John  S.  and  Han- 
nah (Carlson)  Johnson,  neither  of  whom  ever  left 
their  native  country,  and  both  of  whom  have  passed 
away.  They  were  parents  of  five  children:  Mrs. 
Lena  Olson,  wife  of  S.  P.  Olson  of  Brown's 
slough ;  Fritz,  Gust,  Annie  and  Carl,  the  last  three 
•of  whom  live  in  Seattle.      L'p  to  the  time  he  was 


fourteen  years  of  age  young  Johnson  attended  the 
schools  of  Sweden.  He  then  started  out  for  him- 
self, coming  to  the  United  States,  and  in  1883  set- 
tled on  the  north  fork  of  the  Skagit  river,  going  to 
work  on  the  farms  of  that  section,  among  them  that 
of  Peter  Oleson  on  Brown's  slough.  Mr.  Johnson 
remained  in  that  part  of  the  county  for  fifteen  years 
and  saw  its  development  from  a  few  little  tracts  on 
which  some  were  doing  such  farming  as  could  be 
done  between  stumps,  to  a  country  with  large  areas 
of  cultivated  land  which  form  one  of  the  best  agri- 
cultural districts  in  the  Pacific  Northwest.  In  those 
days  there  were  no  roads,  the  river  was  the  high- 
way and  canoes  the  means  of  transportation.  Since 
then  fine  highways  have  been  built  and  gasoline 
launches  have  come  to  ply  the  waters  of  the  river 
and  sound.  The  man  of  the  early  eighties  who 
made  his  shack  with  axe  and  saw,  now  directs  his 
agricultural  operations  from  a  modern  and  princely 
home.  In  1S99  Fritz  Johnson  and  Ole  Johnson 
leased  the  W.  E.  Schricker  farm  near  Burlington 
and  together  they  worked  it  for  the  next  three 
years.  At  that  time  Fritz  Johnson  and  his  nephew, 
Albert  Olson,  bought  their  present  place  of  ninety- 
seven  acres  on  the  outskirts  of  Belleville,  which  they 
have  converted  into  a  splendid  farm.  It  was  for- 
merly the  property  of  W.  E.  Harbert.  In  frater- 
nal affiliation  Mr.  Johnson  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  in 
church  membership  a  Lutheran,  and  in  politics  a 
Republican.  While  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Olson 
raise  large  quantities  of  oats  and  hay,  their  live 
stock  business  is  considerable.  They  take  especial 
pride  in  their  graded  stock,  which  consists  of  short- 
horn cattle,  Berkshire  and  Poland  Chma  hogs. 
Their  facilities  for  conducting  an  up-to-date  dairy 
business  are  excellent,  and  in  this  they  are  meeting 
with  splendid  success.  The  house  and  barns  on  the 
place  are  large  and  of  modern  construction.  Mr. 
Johnson  is  a  genial  man,  one  of  good  sense,  ener- 
getic and  thrifty.  Since  coming  to  Skagit  county 
lie  has  supplemented  his  education  acquired  in  Swe- 
den by  a  course  in  the  normal  school  at  Lynden, 
Whatcom  county,  and  by  diligent  reading  he  has 
ever  since  kept  well  abreast  of  the  times.  His  intel- 
lectual attainments,  coupled  with  his  excellent  per- 
sonal traits  of  character,  make  of  him  a  man  of  in- 
fluence and  win  for  him  the  confidence  of  his  asso- 
ciates in  business  and  social  life. 


WILLIAM  J.  McKENNA.  A  veteran  of  more 
than  six  decades,  almost  all  of  which  were  passed 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  a  pioneer  of  the  pioneers,  and 
a  man  of  great  activity  always,  the  subject  of  this 
review  has  stamped  his  impress  upon  the  historj' 
of  more  than  one  of  our  Western  communities,  ex- 
erting his  influence  always  on  the  side  of  progress, 
ever  taking  a  leading  part  in  the  ushering  in  of 
better  conditions.  In  mercantile  life,  as  a  real  estate 
dealer,  in  the  service  of  the  public  and  in  all  his 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


relations  with  his  fellow-men,  he  has  maintained  a 
high  reputation  for  integrity  and  uprightness,  and 
now,  in  the  early  evening  of  his  life,  he  has  the 
satisfaction  of  realizing  that  the  ideals  of  his  youth 
have  been  kept  unsullied.  He  also  has  the  further 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  in  the  great  industrial 
development  he  has  witnessed  he  himself  has  borne 
no  sluggard's  part,  but  that  on  the  contrary  he  has 
been  in  some  measure  a  leader  in  pushing  on  the 
work. 

The  father  of  our  subjejct,  William  McKenna. 
was  a  native  of  Belfast,  Ireland,  but  some  time  in 
the  thirties  he  sailed  to  far-away  Australia,  and  it 
was  there  that  William  J.  was  born,  the  date  of  his 
birth  being  1843.  The  family  came  to  California  a 
few  years  later,  and  in  1849  the  elder  McKenna  en- 
tered the  federal  service  in  Benicia,  that  state,  as 
master  mechanic.  He  had  learned  the  trade  of  a 
carpenter  in  his  native  land.  Our  subject  received 
an  unsually  good  education,  taking  the  course  of- 
fered by  the  public  schools  of  the  Golden  state  and 
one  in  the  university  at  Eureka,  also  one  in  the  cele- 
brated Heald's  business  college  of  San  Francisco. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-six  he  began  clerking  in  a 
general  store  in  Eureka,  and  after  two  years  had 
been  spent  in  that  occupation,  he  went  to  Hoopa, 
Humboldt  county,  to  assume  charge  of  a  mercan- 
tile establishment  for  Greenbaum  &  Chapman.  He 
managed  their  business  at  that  point  successfully 
for  a  period  of  two  years,  then  was  promoted  to 
the  charge  of  their  wholesale  trade  at  Areata,  Hum- 
boldt county,  where  two  years  more  were  spent. 
Mr.  McKenna  then  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  Areata  on  his  own  account,  going  into  part- 
nership with  a  man  named  Harpst  for  that  purpose, 
but  he  soon  after  sold  out  to  his  partner  and  re- 
tired from  that  line  of  business  for  a  time.  In  1874 
he  was  elected  to  the  county  clerkship  of  Humboldt 
county,  an  office  which  at  that  time  carried  with  it 
the  duties  of  auditor,  clerk  of  supervisors  and  clerk 
of  the  court,  but  so  efficient  was  his  discharge  of 
them  all  that  he  was  twice  elected  by  the  people  and 
kept  in  the  office  until  he  was  ready  to  leave  the 
country.  In  1880  he  was  drawn  to  Washington 
by  the  excitement  over  mining  in  the  Ruby  Creek 
district.  Upon  arriving  in  Skagit  county  he  opened 
the  second  store  in  the  now  thriving  town  of  Mount 
Vernon,  and  he  continued  in  business  there  a  couple 
of  years,  going  thence  to  Bay  View,  where  in  com- 
pany with  W.  A.  Jennings,  a  wholesale  merchant 
of  Seattle,  he  embarked  in  another  mercantile  ven- 
ture. This,  however,  unfortunately  failed,  owing 
to  the  failure  of  the  Seattle  house  with  which  Mr. 
Jennings  was  connected. 

In  1884  Mr.  McKenna  was  nominated  on  the 
Republican  ticket  for  the  office  of  county  assessor. 
and  so  completely  had  he  won  the  confidence  of 
the  people  in  the  few  years  of  his  residence  in  the 
country  that  he  was  easily  elected.  He  served 
with   efficiency    and   in    1886   the   electors  signified 


their  satisfaction  with  his  administration  of  the 
office  by  giving  him  a  second  term.  This  completed, 
he  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  with  T.  B. 
Elliott.  One  of  the  most  noteworthy  things  accom- 
plished by  the  firm  was  the  foundation  and  promo- 
tion of  the  town  of  Bay  View,  a  splendid  monument 
to  their  enterprise,  but  the  story  of  its  inception 
and  growth  is  told  elsewhere  in  these  pages.  In 
1890,  during  the  boom  days  at  Anacortes,  he  moved 
to  that  city,  and  being  possessed  of  good  judgment, 
plenty  of  experience  and  a  sharp  eye  for  opportuni- 
ties, he  naturally  did  well  during  the  two  years  of 
his  operations  there.  His  residence  in  the  town  of 
Bay  View  was  renewed  in  1900,  in  which  year  he 
was  appointed  United  States  census  enumerator  for 
that  part  of  Skagit  county.  He  has  been  in  the 
service  of  the  government  almost  ever  since,  becom- 
ing postmaster  soon  after  the  work  on  his  census 
returns  was  completed.  He  is  also  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  (that  hne  in  which  he  has  been 
so  well  qualified  by  long  experience  to  succeed),  the 
stock  of  the  former  postmaster  having  been  pur- 
chased by  him.  He  devotes  his  spare  time  to  look- 
ing after  his  property  interests  in  the  town,  and 
more  especially  at  present  to  the  improvement  of  a 
sixteen-acre  tract  near  by,  for  he  is  still  ambitious 
to  do  his  full  share  toward  the  subjugation  and  im- 
provement of  the  section  in  which  he  makes  his 
home. 

In  1872,  while  in  Humboldt  County,  California, 
Mr.  McKenna  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Campton, 
whose  father,  a  physician,  had  crossed  the  plains 
from  Wisconsin  in  1855.  She  was  born  in  the 
Badger  state  in  1844,  but  acquired  her  education  in 
the  public  schools- of  California  and  in  the  univer- 
sity at  Eureka.  She  and  Mr.  McKenna  have  had 
five  children,  namely:  William  A.,  a  resident  of 
Mount  Vernon,  who  owns  a  logging  camp  on  Fidal- 
go  island;  Mrs.  Louise  Risbell,  a  resident  of  Mount 
Vernon;  Mrs.  May  Gilmore,  wife  of  a  merchant 
of  Edison ;  Puget,  living  at  home,  and  Margery, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years.  Mr.  McKenna 
has  been  a  loyal  Republican  during  all  the  years  of 
that  party's  existence,  and  takes  not  a  little  pride 
in  the  fact  that  his  first  vote  helped  to  swell  Abra- 
ham Lincoln's  majority.  For  forty  years  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  splendid  Odd  Fellows'  fra- 
ternity, which  has  frequently  honored  him  with  a 
seat  in  one  of  its  chairs  and  in  which  he  is  a  past 
grand.  In  politics,  in  fraternal  relations  and  in  all 
the  associations  of  private  and  business  life  he  has 
invariably  proved  himself  a  loyal,  "true  blue"  man, 
and  he  has  the  full  confidence  and  respect  of  every 
community  in  which  he  has  lived. 


OTTO  KLINGENMAIER,  a  well-known  citizen 
of  the  Bay  View  district  of  Skagit  county,  is  one 
of  the  members  of  a  highly  esteemed  family  of  pio- 
neers which  came  from  Nebraska  to  Washington  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1875  and  settled  near  Bay  View  a  few  years  later. 
The  father,  John  Klingenmaier,  was  a  native  of 
Wittenberg,  Germany,  and  in  tne  old  country  fol- 
lowed farming  until  his  emigration  from  Europe  to 
the  United  States.  He  was  married  while  still  a 
resident  of  Germany,  his  wife,  Mrs.  Anna  Klingen- 
maier, becoming  one  of  Skagit's  earliest  pioneer 
women.  Reaching  America,  the  husband  settled  in 
Pennsylvania.  Two  years  later  he  removed  to 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  and  there  followed  dairying 
with  fair  success.  Thence  he  came  direct  to  Puget 
sound,  obtaining  employment  here  in  the  ncv.'Iy 
opened  coal  mines  at  Newcastle,  King  county.  His 
family  joined  him  at  Newcastle  the  following  year, 
and  a  year  and  a  half  later  he  abandoned  mining 
for  the  heatlhier,  pleasanter  occupation  of  farming. 
At  that  time  what  is  now  Skagit  county  contained 
only  a  few  hundred  people,  being  in  a  frontier  con- 
dition. With  commendable  courage  and  energy, 
however,  he  filed  on  a  homestead  a  half  mile  north 
of  the  present  town  of  Bay  View,  and  later  on  a 
pre-emption  claim  adjoining  the  town  site.  This 
last  claim  he  took  in  1877  and  for  the  next  twenty 
years,  or  until  his  death,  followed  farming  and  log- 
ging with  substantial  results.  He  came  into  that 
region  as  one  of  its  earliest  pioneers  and  to  him 
and  his  family  Skagit's  future  generations  will  owe 
a  heavy  debt  for  the  part  they  have  taken  in  laying 
the  foundations  for  the  broader  civilization  that  is 
following  in  their  wake. 

Otto  Klingenmaier  received  the  rudiments  of 
his  education  in  Skagit  county,  but,  as  is  the  lot  of 
the  young  pioneer,  his  opportunities  have  been  lim- 
ited, though  he  has  made  the  most  of  them.  His 
attention  has  been  chiefly  occupied  by  logging  and 
farming  operations,  principally  the  former.  In  this 
work,  however,  Mr.  Klingenmaier  has  attained  suc- 
cess and  is  especially  favorably  known  among  the 
lumbermen  of  his  section.  f3ne  brother,  Henry, 
who  came  to  Skagit  as  a  lad  of  nine,  lives  near  Bay 
View,  engaged  in  farming,  while  three  sisters  have 
found  homes  elsewhere.  Mrs.  Anna  Butters  and 
Miss  Bertha  Klingenmaier  reside  at  Clear  Lake, 
Skagit  county,  the  latter  with  the  former;  the  re- 
maining sister.  Miss  Victoria  Klingenmaier,  lives 
in  Tacoma.  The  family  reputation  for  integrity, 
industry  and  ability  to  perform  whatever  work  they 
undertake,  is  still  zealously  maintained  by  the 
younger  generation.  One  hundred  and  ten  acres 
constitute  the  family  estate  near  Bay  View,  which 
is  counted  a  valuable  holding. 


JOHN  PURCELL,  for  thirty-five  years  past 
identified  with  the  development  of  Puget  sound  and 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century  one  of  tlie  well-known 
citizens  of  Skagit  county,  is  well  worthy  of  a  place 
among  these  biographical  records.  His' career  as  a 
lumberman  on  the  sound  covers  a  period  of  thirty 
years,  with  the  exception  of  five  spent  in  British 
Columbia,  he  having  retired  five  years  ago  to  the 


more  peaceful  pursuit  of  farming,  his  place  lying 
just  south  of  Bay  View.  A  native  of  New  Bruns- 
wick, born  in  1844,  John  Purcell  comes  of  Irish 
parentage,  the  son  of  pioneers  of  the  Gulf  province. 
William  and  Catherine  ( Burke j  Purcell  came  to 
New  Brunswick  when  young  people,  where  the  hus- 
band followed  the  carpenter's  trade  until  his  death 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  Mrs.  Purcell,  also  de- 
ceased, was  the  mother  of  twelve  children.  John 
passed  his  youth  attending  school  and  working  with 
his  father,  leaving  home  at  the  age  of  twenty  to 
seek  his  fortune.  Going  to  Wisconsin,  he  first  spent 
six  years  with  a  lumber  firm,  then  went  across  the 
plains  to  Colorado.  The  same  fall  he  pushed  on 
across  the  Rockies  and  later  across  the  snowy  Cas- 
cades to  the  territory  of  Washington,  reaching  here 
late  in  1870.  Here  he  worked  at  Utsalady  two 
years,  then  crossed  the  sound  to  Hood's  canal  and 
was  there  engaged  in  logging  until  1875.  The  next 
five  years  he  spent  at  pile  driving  in  Seattle,  during 
its  transformation  from  a  town  into  a  little  city. 
At  the  close  of  that  period  he  came  north  to  what 
is  now  Skagit  county  and  in  the  Skagit  valley  spent 
the  first  four  years  of  his  residence  in  that  section 
in  the  logging  industry.  From  there  he  went  on 
the  Samish,  then  alternated  for  several  years  be- 
tween that  river  and  Skagit,  finally  taking  a  pre- 
emption claim  in  1891.  A  year  later  he  left  that, 
residing  at  various  points  in  the  county  until  1896, 
when  he  accepted  the  position  of  foreman  of  the 
Hastings  Mill  Company's  camp  in  British  Colum- 
bia, with  which  he  remained  five  years.  Upon  reach- 
ing the  end  of  this  engagement,  Mr.  Purcell,  wea- 
ried with  the  hard  life  which  is  the  logger's  lot, 
returned  to  the  beautiful  Swinomish  flats  and 
bought  his  present  place  of  thirty-two  acres,  lying 
a  mile  south  of  Bay  View,  which  he  has  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  improvement. 

At  Seattle,  in  1875,  Mr.  Purcell  and  Miss  Alice 
McGroaty  were  united  in  marriage.  Her  father, 
Patrick  McGroaty,  was  born  in  Ireland  and  by 
trade  was  a  shoemaker.  He  settled  in  Wisconsin  in 
an  early  day  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War 
gallantly  joined  the  boys  in  blue  and  upon  a  South- 
ern battlefield  nobly  sacrificed  himself  upon  the 
altar  of  his  adopted  country.  His  widow,  Mrs. 
Catherine  (Rock)  Lloyd,  is  still  living,  residing 
with  her  husband  near  Fir,  Washington.  Mrs. 
Purcell  was  born  in  Wisconsin  in  1858,  receiving 
her  educational  instruction  within  the  borders  of 
the  Badger  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Purcell  are  the 
parents  of  four  children :  Mrs.  Eliza  Tholstrup  of 
Wenatchee ;  Mrs.  Catherine  Tholstrup  of  Seattle; 
Edward  W.,  and  Leonard  J.  The  family  are  adher- 
ents of  the  Catholic  faith.  Politically  Mr.  Purcell 
is  a  Democrat.  His  well  stocked,  neatly  improved 
farm  bears  the  same  marks  of  thoroughness  and 
industry  which  brought  him  success  in  the  lumber 
business,  and  his  personality  has  won  him  a  host 
of  warm  friends. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


EDWARD  CRUMRINE,  a  young  man  of 
Skagit  county  birth,  has  already  assured  success 
for  himself  in  the  management  of  a  farm,  and  he 
enjoys  a  reputation  for  executive  ability  of  a  high 
order.  He  was  born  in  1880,  the  son  of  Thomas 
and  Minnie  (Kalso)  Crumrine.  The  elder  Crum- 
rine  was  born  of  Irish  and  Dutch  descent  in  Indi- 
ana, and  after  a  few  years  in  South  Dakota  came 
to  Washington,  in  1875,  locating  at  Blaine,  in 
Whatcom  county,  in  1878,  and  later  coming  to  the 
Ray  View  country.  Mrs.  Crumrine  was  born  in 
Wisconsin  in  1863,  receiving  her  early  education 
in  that  state  and  coming  to  Washington  with  her 
parents  when  fifteen  years  old.  The  younger  Crum- 
rine received  his  education  in  the  Skagit  county 
schools  and  has  been  at  home  all  his  life,  in  late 
years  operating  his  mother's  farm,  a  mile  and  a 
half  south  of  Bay  View,  and  in  the  neighborhood 
of  his  mother's  people,  the  well-known  Kalso  fam- 
ily, sketches  of  whom  appear  also  in  this  volume. 

In  April  of  1905  at  Bay  View  Mr.  Crumrine 
married  Miss  Anna  Jergenson,  daughter  of  James 
and  Mary  A.  (Sorenson)  Jergenson,  natives  of 
Denmark,  who  came  to  Washington  in  1896.  Mr. 
Jergenson  was  a  tailor  by  trade  and  followed  tailor- 
ing at  Bay  View  until  his  death  in  1900.  Mrs.  Jer- 
genson is  still  living  at  Bay  View.  Mrs.  Crumrme 
was  born  in  Wisconsin  in  1883  and  received  her 
education  before  coming  to  this  state.  She  was 
twenty-three  years  of  age  when  married.  The 
Crumrine  farm  consists  of  fifty-seven  acres,  all  of 
which  are  under  cultivation.  The  live  stock  main- 
tained is  for  the  use  of  the  family,  consisting  of 
four  head  of  cattle  and  five  horses.  The  Crum- 
rines  attend  the  Methodist  church.  In  fraternal 
circles  Mr.  Crumrine  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  is  now 
serving  a  term  as  noble  grand  of  Bay  View  lodge. 
No.  138.  His  mother  is  an  ardent  member  of  the 
Daughters  of  Rebekah  and  a  woman  much  esteemed 
in  Odd  Fellow  circles  as  well  as  by  the  citizens  of 
Bay  View  generally.  The  Crumrine  place  is  one 
of  the  pleasant  ones  near  Bay  View  and  in  its  man- 
agement Edward  Crumrine  is  showing  all  the  fac- 
ulties essential  to  success  on  a  modern  farm. 


EDGAR  A.  SISSON,  proprietor  of  the  Fair- 
view  farm  near  Padilla,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Skagit  county  who  has  done  as  much  as  any  other 
man  to  develop  the  resources  of  his  section  of  the 
state.  He  has  lieen  active  in  the  life  of  the  com- 
munity since  1873,  when  he  was  one  of  the  men 
who  inaugurated  the  plan  of  reclaiming  lands  from 
the  tide  water.  Mr.  Sisson  was  born  in  Lackawanna 
County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1849,  the  son  of  Arnold 
C.  Sisson,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  later  a  mer- 
chant and  farmer  of  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Isabel 
(Green)  Sisson,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  the  Keystone  state  and  is  now  living  at  Factory- 
ville.     She  is  the  mother  of  three  children.     Edgar 


A.  Sisson  received  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  prepared  for  college  in  the  academic 
department  of  the  University  of  Lewisburg,  now 
Bucknell  University,  and  took  a  course  in  Cornell 
University  at  Ithaca,  New  York.  For  two  years 
following  his  college  course  Mr.  Sisson  engaged  in 
market  gardening  in  company  with  his  father.  He 
then  came  West  and  in  the  fall  of  1873  joined 
forces  with  A.  G.  Tillinghast  and  R.  E.  Whitney 
in  the  work  of  reclaiming  and  improving  tide  lands, 
diking  in  some  five  hundred  acres,  which  were  put 
under  cultivation.  But  they  did  not  realize  crops 
of  any  great  consequence  until  1876,  and  in  that 
year  the  three  men  dissolved  partnership.  Of  this 
tract  Mr.  Sisson  pre-empted  forty-nine  acres,  Mr. 
Whitney  one  hundred  and  seventy-four  and  Mr. 
Tillinghast  one  hundred  and  seventy-one,  the 
balance  of  the  five  hundred  acres  being  pur- 
chased. 

In  1876  Mr.  Sisson  married  Miss  Ida  Learner, 
daughter  of  David  Leamer,  a  Pennsylvania  farmer 
of  Holland  Dutch  descent,  who  died  in  Iowa,  where 
he  had  farmed  a  number  of  years  previous  to  his 
death.  Mrs.  Eliza  J.  (Campbell)  Leamer,  mother 
of  Mrs.  Sisson,  was  born  in  Ireland  of  Scotch 
parentage  in  1818  and  died  in  the  Sisson  home  in 
1901  full  of  good  works  and  beloved  by  all.  Mrs. 
Leamer  was  a  woman  of  exceptional  culture  and 
tenderest  sympathies,  and  in  the  early  days  of  the 
settlements  in  Skagit  county  performed  many  deeds 
of  kindness  and  self-sacrifice  for  the  less  fortunate. 
She  was  ever  ready  to  lend  her  assistance  to  the 
needy  and  often  took  her  boat  and  crossed  the  wa- 
ters to  give  succor  to  the  distressed.  Mrs.  Sisson 
was  born  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  1857,  and  obtained 
her  early  education  in  that  state.  On  coming  to 
the  coast  country  she  attended  the  Seattle  high 
school  and  took  a  course  in  a  convent  at  Salem, 
Oregon.  She  commenced  teaching  school  when 
fifteen  years  of  age,  her  first  school  being  at  Pleas- 
ant Ridge,  in  Skagit  county.  Later  she  became  the 
first  woman  teacher  in  the  La  Conner  schools.  She 
also  taught  at  the  town  of  Stanwood,  Snohomish 
county.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sisson :  Mrs.  Pearl  Wilson,  who  is  living  on 
t!ie  Samish  flats,  near  Edison ;  Mrs.  Nettie  E. 
Wright,  living  in  La  Conner,  and  Grant  C.  Sisson. 
Mr.  Sisson  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and 
in  politics  is  an  active  Republican.  The  land  at 
Fairview  farm  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  all  of  which  is  in  a  state  of  high  cultivation. 
Mr.  Sisson  is  not  only  one  of  the  successful  men  of 
Skagit  county,  but  also  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
most  public-spirited  of  citizens.  He  and  the  mem- 
bers of  his  household  have  played  a  very  important 
part  in  the  work  of  developing  the  wooded  and  wa- 
tered wilderness  of  Skagit  county  into  a  place  of 
smiling  farms  and  happy  homes,  which  stand  to- 
day as  monuments  to  the  courage,  industry  and 
thrift  of  the  sturdy  pioneers. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


781 


THOMAS  H.  TAIT,  residing  near  Padilla,  in 
one  of  the  richest  farming  sections  of  the  state,  is 
to  be  tnily  ranked  as  an  industrious,  persevering, 
capable  agriculturist,  for  within  a  coi^paratively 
few  years  he  has  wrested  a  goodly  competence 
from  the  soil  and  become  the  owner  of  a  large  and 
valuable  tract  of  its  broad,  fertile  acres.  Such 
thrift  is  worthy  of  the  Scottish  blood  that  flows 
within  his  veins  and  of  the  substantial  qualities 
which  he  inherits  from  his  Pennsylvania-Dutch  an- 
cestry on  the  maternal  side.  Born  April  25,  1866, 
at  Joliet,  Illinois,  he  is  the  fourth  child  in  the  fam- 
ily of  Thomas  and  Katherine  (Shutts)  Tait,  the 
former  born  in  Scotland,  the  latter  in  New  York 
state.  When  the  elder  Tait  was  but  nine  years  old, 
however,  his  parents  brought  him  to  the  United 
States,  settling  in  Illinois,  where  he  followed  farm- 
ing until  his  death.  His  wife  is  still  living  near 
Joliet,  at  an  advanced  age ;  she  is  the  mother  of 
eight  children.  In  the  common  schools  of  his  na- 
tive state  young  Tait  received  his  educational  train- 
ing, remaining  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-two. 
Then  he  set  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  life,  going 
at  a  bound  to  where  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  wash 
the  shores  of  California.  The  Golden  state  could 
not  hold  him,  however,  for  that  fall,  the  fall  of 
1888,  he  came  north  to  Whatcom,  and  after  a  short 
stay  there  entered  the  precincts  of  the  section  which 
was  to  become  his  permanent  home.  On  the  Swi- 
nomish  flats  he  entered  the  employ  of  Peter  Dow- 
ney, for  whom  he  worked  steadily  nine  years,  gain- 
ing a  most  profitable  experience,  forming  friend- 
ships and  accumulating  enough  to  obtain  a  start 
for  himself.  Thus  equipped,  in  1897,  he  rented  a 
place  on  the  flats,  operated  it  two  years,  then  bought 
ninety-seven  acres.  This  tract  he  is  rapidly  devel- 
oping into  a  fine  farm  and  in  the  meanwhile  is  leas- 
ing another  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  acres 
from  Mr.  Downey,  upon  which  he  makes  his  home 
and  has  lived  since  1900.  He  owns  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  on  the  flats  and  sixty  acres  on 
Fidalgo  island. 

Elsie  Layton,  a  daughter  of  Olaf  and  Anna 
(Johnson)  Osland,  natives  of  Norway,  became  the 
wife  of  Thomas  H.  Tait  in  1903,  the  marriage  tak- 
ing place  in  Seattle.  Olaf  Osland  came  to  Michigan 
direct  from  Norway  in  1879.  engaging  in  the  pur- 
suit of  his  trade,  carpentering.  From  Michigan  he 
shortly  went  to  Chicago,  thence  to  Minneapolis, 
from  there  down  into  Wisconsin,  then  to  Montana, 
and  from  Montana  removed  to  Anacortes,  Wash- 
ington, in  1890.  He  is  at  p.esent  residing  at 
Brighton  Beach,  near  Seattle.  Mrs.  Osland  is  also 
living,  now  in  her  fifty-fourth  year.  Mrs.  Tait  was 
born  in  1873,  November  14th,  in  Norway,  but  re- 
ceived her  education  and  rearing  in  the  United 
States.  After  leaving  school  she  learned  the  milli- 
ner's trade  and  followed  it  six  months  before  her 
marriage  in  1891  to  Frederick  Layton.    Three  chil- 


dren came  of  this  union.  Hazel,  Harold  and  Freda, 
the  second  of  whom  is  dead. 

In  politics  Mr.  Tait  is  an  active  Republican  and 
known  as  a  liberal  believer  as,  first  of  all,  an  advo- 
cate of  good  government.  Most  of  his  large  farm 
is  under  cultivation  and  producing  the  usual  heavy 
crops  of  oats  and  hay  characteristic  of  the  Swinom- 
ish  country,  besides  being  well  stocked  with  horses 
and  cattle.  He  is  a  wide-awake  farmer  of  high 
abilities  and  endowed  with  those  substantial,  ster- 
ling qualities  which  invariably  bring  success  and 
esteem. 


DAVID  F'ULK,  an  early  pioneer  of  two  states 
and  the  scion  of  two  well-known  pioneer  families 
of  the  Ohio  valley,  is  prominently  identified  with 
the  history  of  Skagit  county,  both  as  a  pioneer  and 
as  a  latter-day  citizen,  progressive  and  active  in  its 
affairs.  He  has  won  his  success  out  of  the  soil  and 
his  position  amodg  his  fellows  by  reason  of  his 
strong  individuality.  Born  in  Noble  County,  In- 
diana, in  1843,  Mr.  Fulk  is  a  son  of  Adam  Fulk,  a 
descendant  of  the  Virginians  who  filed  through  the 
passes  of  the  Alleghanies  in  the  early  part  of  the 
last  century  and  peopled  the  great  Ohio  valley 
after  George  Rogers  Clark  had  blazed  the  path  with 
colonial  militia.  The  mother,  Eliza  (Bonar)  Fulk, 
was  also  of  frontier  stock,  born  in  the  Ohio  coun- 
try. She  passed  away  in  1901,  while  residing  in 
Skagit  county,  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  of 
whom  David  is  the  second  child.  After  attending 
the  Indiana  schools  and  working  at  home  on  the 
farm,  David  Fulk,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  com- 
menced farming  for  himself,  leasing  land  for  eight 
years  in  the  Hoosier  state.  During  the  centennial 
year,  when  so  many  were  attracted  by  the  prospects 
of  Washington  territory,  Mr.  Fulk  joined  the  pro- 
cession of  immigrants  to  the  sound  country  and  lo- 
cated a  homestead  on  Fidalgo  island.  There  he  re- 
mained seven  years,  clearing  a  large  portion  of  his 
holdings  and  incidentally  becoming  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  methods  of  farming  the  famous  flat 
lands  across  the  bay  on  the  mainland.  Then  he 
came  to  the  flats  and  rented  the  Purdy  pbce  five 
years,  going  at  the  end  of  that  period  across  the 
mountains  to  the  Palouse  for  a  change.  Upon  his 
return  a  year  later,  he  rented  the  0"Loughlin  farm 
for  three  years,  thence  farming  along  the  Skagit. 
At  present  he  is  ooerating  the  Kalso  place,  half  a 
mile  west  of  Padilla,  one  of  the  highly  improvect 
farms  on  the  flats,  and  one  demanding  the  closest 
attention  and  keenest  abilities  on  the  part  of  him 
who  would,  be  most  successful  and  maintain  its 
high  standard. 

While  still  a  resident  of  Indiana,  in  1875,  Mr. 
Fulk  and  Miss  Frances  Bonham,  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Bonham,  were  united  by  the  bonds  of  mat- 
rimony. Samuel  Bonham,  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
died  during  the  infancy  of  his  daughter.     She  was 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


born  in  1855,  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  where 
her  education  and  rearing  were  obtained.  To  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fulk  eight  children  have 
been  born,  whose  names  follow :  Mrs.  Alice  Har- 
rold,  residing  in  the  Palouse  region  of  Washington ; 
Mrs.  Delia  Jost,  living  near  Fredonia,  Skagit 
county;  Mrs.  Minnie  Neil,  living  near  Mount  Ver- 
non, and  Adam,  George,  Pearl,  Nettie  and  Puget, 
ai  home  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Fulk  is  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  in  politi- 
cal affairs  is  active  as  a  Democrat.  His  farm  and 
live  stock  bespeak  his  capability  and  thrift  in  those 
lines  of  activity,  and  all  his  life  he  has  been  a  close 
student  of  agricultural  matters.  He  is  accorded  a 
leading  position  in  his  community  and  is  respected 
and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him  for  his  many 
sterling  qualities  as  well  as  his  business  abilities. 


ROBERT  WOODBURN.  The  thrifty  and 
successful  farmer  of  the  Padilla  country  whose  life 
history  forms  the  theme  of  this  article  is  one  of  the 
many  men  who,  by  the  exercise  of  economy,  energy 
and  good  business  judgment  and  the  skilful  utiliza- 
tion of  the  enormous  resources  of  Skagit  county, 
have  won  their  way  from  comparative  poverty  to 
independence  and  affluence,  at  the  same  time  con- 
tributing their  share  to  the  general  progress.  Born 
in  Ireland  in  1860,  Mr.  Woodburn  has  in  his  veins 
the  blood  of  the  sturdv  Scotch  race,  known  and 
honored  throughout  the  world,  and  the  warm,  gen- 
erous, impulsive  Irish  race,  of  which  it  is  said  that 
it  has  fought  successfully  everybody's  battles  except 
its  own.  His  father,  William  Woodburn,  though 
also  a  native  of  Ireland,  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and 
his  mother,  Mary  (Montgomery)  Woodburn,  was 
in  the  fullest  sense  a  daughter  of  the  Emerald  isle. 
When  the  elder  Woodburn  emigrated  to  the  new 
world,  he  tried  his  fortune  first  in  Canada,  but 
eventually  moved  to  New  York  state,  where  he  now 
lives,  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Lockport. 

In  the  excellent  public  schools  of  Canada  Mr. 
Woodburn,  of  this  article,  received  his  educational 
discipline,  having  completed  which  he  embarked  in 
the  lumber  business  in  the  Lake  Huron  district. 
Four  or  five  years  were  spent  at  that,  then,  in  188-1, 
he  decided  to  seek  a  larger  and  more  promising 
field  of  activity,  so  crossed  the  continent  to  Skagit 
county.  For  three  and  a  half  years  after  his  arri- 
val he  worked  continuously  for  R.  E.  Whitney,  but 
he  was  not  the  kind  of  man  to  remain  indefinitely  in 
the  service  of  another,  and  as  soon  as  opportunity 
presented  itself  he  began  building  a  home  for  him- 
self. He  took  a  pre-emption  claim  at  Fredonia  and 
for  the  ensuing  three  years  lived  upon  it,  giving 
the  major  portion  of  his  time,  however,  to  the  im- 
provement of  an  eighty-acre  tract  he  had  bought  on 
Olympia  marsh.  The  marsh  farm  he  still  owns, 
but  since  1894  his  home  has  been  on  land  a  mile 
west  of   Padilla,   which    he   and  his   father-in-law, 


John  Ball,  that  year  purchased.  The  home  place 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres,  all 
cleared  and  much  of  it  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. It  is  supplied  with  a  large,  convenient  barn 
and  other  outbuildings,  as  well  as  all  the  necessary 
implements  for  the  convenient  and  economical  han- 
dling of  its  products.  The  dwelling  house  is  a 
large,  modern  and  up-to-date  one,  erected  in  1904. 

In  Skagit  County,  Washington,  in  1887,  Mr. 
Woodburn  married  Miss  Globe  E.,  daughter  of 
John  and  Eleanor  (Massey)  Ball,  natives  of  Ohio 
and  England  respectively,  to  whom  more  extended 
reference  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mrs. 
Woodburn  was  born  in  California  in  1868,  but  came 
to  Skagit  county  when  a  mere  child  and  received 
her  public  school  training  there,  though  her  educa- 
tion was  completed  by  a  course  in  the  Victoria, 
British  Columbia,  high  school.  She  and  Mr. 
Woodburn  are  parents  of  two  children.  Ruby  M., 
born  in  1890,  and  R.  E.  (so  named  after  his  father's 
first  employer  in  the  West,  R.  E.  Whitney),  born 
in  1892.  In  politics  Mr.  Woodburn  is  a  Republican 
and  in  fraternal  affiliation  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  While  achieving, 
through  his  inherent  force  of  character  and  his  abil- 
ity to  perceive  and  grasp  opportunities,  a  highly 
enviable  industrial  success,  he  has  also  won  for  him- 
self a  reputation  as  a  man  of  sterling  integrity  and 
one  who  stands  "four-square  to  every  breeze." 


OTTO  W.  KILANDER  is  one  of  Skagit 
county's  progressive  citizens  who  is  devoting  his 
energies  and  skill  to  the  production  of  cabbage  seed 
with  which  to  supply  less  favored  sections  of  the 
world,  and  in  this  high  class  industry  has  won  a 
goodly  success.  He  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  in 
1859,  the  son  of  Christian  and  Kajsa  M.  (Johnson) 
Kilander,  both  of  whom  passed  away  in  their  native 
land,  where  the  husband  was  a  successful  farmer. 
Otto  W.,  of  this  sketch,  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Sweden.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 
became  an  orphan,  and  during  the  next  two  years 
worked  at  various  places  in  the  neighborhood  of  his 
old  home.  In  1881  he  bade  farewell  to  the  land  of 
his  nativity  and  sought  the  great  republic  across 
the  seas.  He  first  settled  in  Wisconsin,  but  directly 
went  to  Michigan  and  entered  the  mines  in  which 
he  worked  four  years.  At  the  close  of  this  period 
he  visited  the  old  country,  remaining  there  five 
years.  But  the  attractions  of  the  new  world  proved 
too  strong  for  him  to  resist  and  again  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic,  this  time  pushing  westward  via  Michi- 
gan to  Puget  sound,  where  he  entered  the  fishing 
industry.  One  year  later,  1890,  he  joined  George 
Johnson  as  a  partner  in  producing  cabbage  seed. 
They  bought  four  acres  on  the  flats  of  western 
Skagit  county  and  raised  two  crops  as  partners. 
Tlien  Mr.  Kilander  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner 
and  rented  land  by  himself,  always  continuing  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


raise  seed,  however.  Ultimately  he  purchased  the 
thirteen-acre  tract  two  miles  west  of  Padilla,  which 
has  since  been  his  home  and  the  field  of  his  horti- 
cultural operations. 

During  his  residence  in  Sweden  in  ISSo,  Mr. 
Kilander  and  Miss  Emma  C.  Johnson,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Carlina  (Johnson)  Johnson,  were  mar- 
ried. Her  father  still  resides  in  Europe,  but  her 
mother  died  when  iMrs.  Kilander  was  five  years  of 
age.  Mrs.  Kilander  received  her  education  in  Swe- 
den and  there  passed  the  first  twenty-eight  years  of 
her  life.  To  her  union  with  Mr.  Kilander  five 
children  have  been  born:  Hugo  C,  in  1886;  Eitel 
A.,  in  1888,  both  born  in  Sweden ;  Thyra,  in  1893  ; 
Fritz,  in  1894,  who  died  in  nine  months,  and  Elvira 
E.,  in  1897,  born  in  Skagit  county.  Mr.  Kilander 
and  his  family  are  attendants  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  fraternally 
is  affiliated  with  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Aside  from  his 
home  and  farm,  he  owns  two  houses  and  lots  in 
Anacortes  and  sufficient  stock  to  engage  all  the 
time  he  can  devote  to  them.  His  seed  farm,  though 
not  as  large  as  an  oat  farm  might  be,  is  ample  for 
the  successful  prosecution  of  his  specialty  in  hor- 
ticulture, and  he  has  won  commendable  success  as 
a  grower  of  fine  seeds.  Success  in  business  and 
esteem  and  respect  socially  are  his,  and  justly,  too. 


BLOOMINGTON  R.  SUMNER,  a  man  whose 
life  on  land  and  sea  has  been  full  of  of  the  most  in- 
teresting events,  was  born  November  30,  1845,  af 
Winter  Harbor,  Hancock  County,  Maine,  the  son 
of  William  W.  Sumner,  a  carpenter.  Like  his  an- 
cestors for  si.x  generations,  the  father  was  born  on 
Battery  March  street,  Boston,  the  date  of  his  birth 
being  December  12,  1815.  His  death  occurred  at 
Wilton,  Maine,  in  April,  1867.  The  maternal  an- 
cestor was  Philena  (Leland)  Sumner,  born  in 
Eden,  Maine,  in  October,  1823.  She  died  in  Au- 
gust, 1891,  after  having  been  a  devoted  mother  to 
her  eleven  children,  of  whom  the  living  are  as  fol- 
lows: Benjamin  F.,  William  W.  and  Philander 
A.,  residing  at  Winter  Harbor,  Maine;  Charles  P., 
of  Elliott,  Iowa ;  Mrs.  Lizzie  M.  Hodgkins,  of  Pas- 
adena, California;  Bloomington  R. ;  Mrs.  Annette 
Chappel,  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  Early  giv- 
ing evidence  of  a  love  for  life  on  the  ocean,  Mr. 
Sumner's  first  trip,  made  when  he  was  fourteen, 
was  a  fishing  cruise  to  the  gulf  of  St.  Lawrence 
and  Chaleu  bay.  He  then  attended  school  for  six 
months.  In  March,  1860,  he  shipped  on  the  gov- 
ernment transport  "Emma  Fairbush,"  sailing  from 
Rockport,  Alaine,  to  Fort  Monroe  in  Hampton 
Roads.  Detained  six  weeks  at  this  fort,  the  vessel 
proceeded  thence  to  Yorktown  and  Shipping  Point, 
and  was  then  ordered  back  to  Baltimore,  where  it 
was  loaded  with  mules  and  potatoes  for  Whitehouse 
Landing.  Having  returned  to  Baltimore  after  mak- 
ing the  trip,  the  owners  of  the  ship  gave  up  their  | 


government  charter,  took  a  cargo  of  oak  lumber  to 
Bath,  Maine,  from  which  point  they  went  to  Rock- 
land, and  obtained  a  charter  to  carry  coal  to  New- 
Haven,  Connecticut.  Leaving  the  vessel  when  it 
reached  Rondout,  New  York,  Mr.  Sumner  boarded 
the  "Horace  E.  Bell,"  chartered  to  load  coal  at 
Delaware  City  for  Salem,  Massachusetts,  and  after- 
ward captured  as  a  b'ockade  runner.  He  again  en- 
tered school  after  returning  to  Winter  Harbor.  En- 
listing three  diflierent  times  before  he  was  of  age, 
he  was  each  time  denied  parental  consent,  but  on 
January  3,  1861,  he  became  a  member  of  the  crew 
of  the  ship  Sacramento,  of  the  North  Atlantic 
squadron,  stationed  at  Fort  Fisher.  There  he  saw 
his  first  naval  battle,  later  being  an  active  partici- 
pant in  the  engagements  at  Jordan's  Landing,  Har- 
rison's Landing,  Charlestown  and  Port  Royal.  Dis- 
charged in  Boston,  January  4,  1864,  he  still  fol- 
lowed the  sea,  employed  in  the  trade  of  the  West 
Indies  for  two  years.  He  then  took  up  the  car- 
penter trade,  only  to  be  mastered  by  his  old  pas- 
sion for  the  ocean,  some  four  years  later.  Visiting 
the  ports  of  Africa,  the  Mediterranean  sea  and  all 
the  maritime  nations  of  Europe,  he  held  every  posi- 
tion from  that  of  cook  to  that  of  captain.  July  4, 
187G,  he  abandoned  the  life  of  a  sailor,  went  to 
Newport,  Rhode  Island,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  for  several  years,  and  thence  to  Boston,  there 
being  employed  by  the  New  England  Piano  Com- 
pany for  ten  years.  Coming  to  Avon  in  1893,  he 
purchased  his  present  place  of  two  acres,  cleared  it, 
and  built  his  house. 

Mr.  Sumner  was  united  in  marriage  to  Leila  E. 
Flagg,  March  6,  1879.  Her  father,  Josia  Flagg, 
was  born  in  England  in  1811,  and  died  in  Avon 
March  8,  1893.  Her  mother  was  Janette  (Mc- 
Caren)  Flagg,  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  born 
June  25,  1819.  Her  death  occurred  May  27,  1903. 
Mrs.  Sumner  has  one  brother,  A.  E.  Flagg,  of  Seat- 
tle, and  two  sisters,  Mrs.  Emma  Daggett,  of  Seat- 
tle, and  Mrs.  Janette  Daggett,  of  Port  Kells,  Brit- 
ish Columbia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sumner  have  four 
children,  Aubrey,  at  Anacortes,  Lelia  G.,  Amy  D., 
and  Carleton  B.,  at  home.  Mr.  Sumner  is  prom- 
inent in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  member"  of  the 
American  Order  of  United  Workmen  of  Boston; 
of  the  Avon  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  D.  A. 
Russell  Grand  Army  Post,  Washington  lodge  num- 
ber two.  Mrs.  Sumner  takes  an  active  part  in  the 
Olive  Branch  Lodge  of  Avon.  She  is  the  able 
president  of  the  Women's  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  in  the  work  of  which  both  she  and  her  hus- 
band are  deeply  interested.  An  active  Republican 
for  many  years,  Mr.  Sumner  held  the  office  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  eight  years,  and  that  of  coroner, 
for  five  years.  He  is  now  a  notary  public.  Educa- 
tional matters  have  always  claimed  his  most  earnest 
attention,  and  during-  his  ten  years  of  service  on  the 
school  board  he  has  had  the  pleasure  of  having  at 
least    some    of   his    progressive    ideas   carried   out. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


He  and  his  family  attend  the  Baptist  church,  con- 
tributing liberally  to  its  support.  Broadened  by  a 
lifetime  of  travel,  a  keen  observer  of  the  countries 
he  has  visited  and  the  people  he  has  met,  Mr.  Sum- 
ner is  recognized  throughout  the  community  as  a 
man  of  unusual  intelligence,  whose  earnest,  upright 
character  renders  him  a  man  of  influence. 


THOMAS  P.  WILKINS,  one  of  North  Avon's 
prosperous  farmers  was  born  February  24,  1839,  in 
Wales,  the  birthplace  also  of  his  parents,  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Reese)  Wilkins.  Losing  his  mother  at 
the  age  of  four,  Thomas  Wilkins  enjoyed  but  few 
educational  advantages,  acquiring  his  training  in 
the  larger  school  of  experience.  Child  labor  had 
not  been  abolished  in  that  country,  so  at  the  age  of 
twelve  he  entered  a  rolling  mill  in  his  native  coun- 
try, learning  all  the  departments  of  the  work  during 
the  sixteen  years  he  spent  there.  In  1866,  after 
having  mined  four  years,  he  came  to  the  United 
States  to  seek  his  fortune,  finding  employment  in 
the  mines  at  Alleghany,  Pennsylvania.  Remaining 
four  years,  he  moved  to  Iowa,  thence  to  Seattle  in 
1872.  Commercial  street  had  only  a  few  buildings 
en  it  then,  and  had  any  one  foretold  the  city's  pres- 
ent greatness  he  would  have  been  considered  an 
idle  dreamer,  indeed.  The  railroad  did  not  reach 
the  town  for  years  after  that  date.  Taking  up  a 
homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  what 
was  then  Whatcom  county,  his  wife,  a  woman  of 
rare  courage  and  self  reliance,  remained  upon  it 
while  he  was  engaged  in  mining.  Tlie  journey  from 
Mount  Vernon  to  the  ranch  occupied  the  time  from 
Saturday  morning  till  noon  of  the  following  day, 
In  1879  he  gave  up  mining,  taking  up  his  residence 
on  the  homestead  and  clearing  off  twenty-five  acres 
in  the  twelve  years  he  lived  there.  Having  sold  it 
he  purchased  his  present  farm,  forty  acres  of  timber 
land,  of  which  he  has  sold  thirty  acres.  His  fine 
six  room  house,  with  its  neat  and  convenient  ap- 
pointments, tells  its  own  story  of  successful  en- 
deavor. Two  years  after  coming  to  Avon  he  built 
a  hotel,  owning  it  for  ten  years,  during  a  part  of 
which  time  it  was  rented. 

Mr.  Wilkins  was  married  in  1859  to  Jane 
Thomas,  born  in  Wales  in  December,  1835,  the 
daughter  of  John  Thomas,  also  a  native  of  Wales. 
Nine  children  have  blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilkins,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and 
one,  James,  the  eldest,  born  in  1859,  died  in  1877, 
at  the  age  of  sighteen.  The  other  children  are  as 
follows:  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Tingley,  born  in  1863; 
Mrs.  Adeline  Gage,  born  in  1865;  Susan  A.,  born 
in  1873 ;  Mrs.  Hannah  Ford,  of  Seattle,  born  in 
1874;  Helen,  born  in  1877.  Mr.  Wilkins  is  a 
popular  member  of  the  Knights  of  Phythias.  He  is 
a  loyal  Democrat,  aiding  the  party  in  every  possi- 
ble way.  In  religious  belief  he  and  his  family  ad- 
here to  the  Episcopalian  faith.     A  man  of  industry 


and  activity,  he  is  meeting  with  success  in  his  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  devoting  his  time  principally  to 
dairying,  which  he  believes  to  be  an  especially  pro- 
fitable branch  of  farming,  and  one  to  which  this 
state  is  peculiarly  adapted.  He  is  justly  considered 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  progressive  citizens 
of  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 


WILLIAM  MEINS,  living  west  of  Prairie,  is 
one  of  the  men  who  have  made  a  marked  success 
of  farming  in  Skagit  county,  to  which  he  came  when 
roads  were  few  and  everything  was  in  a  primitive 
condition.  He  was  born  near  Bremen  in  Germany, 
August  11,  1862,  the  son  of  William  and  Sophia 
(Semreng)  Meins,  farmers  of  that  country  who 
died  there  many  years  ago,  leaving  four  children, 
of  whom  the  subject  hereof  is  third.  As  a  lad  Mr. 
Meins  obtained  a  common  school  education  in  the 
eld  country  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  started  in  life 
for  himself,  serving  three  years  for  his  board  in 
order  to  learn  the  shoemaking  trade.  He  then 
worked  for  wages  for  several  years  and  had  a  shop 
of  his  own  when  he  left  Germany  for  the  United 
States  in  1882,  landing  at  Baltimore.  From  that 
city  he  came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  six  months,  going  thence  to  Hennepin 
county,  Minnesota.  He  remained  there  two  years 
farming,  then  migrated  to  Washington.  After  a 
short  stay  in  Tacoma  he  came  to  Skagit  county  and 
took  up  a  hotnestead  all  in  timber  at  Hamilton,  to 
which  point,  with  pack  on  his  back,  he  walked  from 
Mount  Vernon  over  a  road  in  name  only.  At  one 
place  when  undecided  as  to  whether  he  was  really 
en  the  road  he  assured  himself  by  finding  a  news- 
paper wrapper  dropped  bv  one  who  had  gone  along 
ahead  of  him  carrying  the  mail.  Mr.  Meins  at  once 
set  out  to  make  a  home  for  himself  and  passed 
eighteen  years  there,  clearing  the  land  and  erecting 
house  and  barn.  In  his  later  years  on  the  place,  he 
accumulated  enough  to  buy  the  eighty  acres  on 
which  he  is  now  living,  though  he  still  retains  his 
original  farm.  In  1904  Mr.  Meins  made  a  trip  to 
his  native  land,  stopping  en  route  at  the  Louisiana 
Purchase  Exposition  and  in  various  places  in  Eng- 
land. 

October  15,  1890,  Mr.  Meins  married  Miss 
Sophia  Bolhorst,  whose  birthplace  was  near  that  of 
her  husband.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Wilhelm  and 
.Sophia  (Hespenheide)  Bolhorst,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  when  their  daughter  was  a  child  and 
settled  in  Ohio,  later  going  to  Minnesota,  where 
the  father  is  still  living,  and  where  Mrs.  Meins  re- 
ceived her  education  and  grew  to  womanhood.  She 
is  a  woman  of  more  than  ordinary  business  instinct 
and  capacity,  and  her  husband  accords  her  a  large 
share  of  the  credit  for  the  success  they  together 
have  achieved.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meins  have  three 
children,  Edward  W.,  Charles  L.  and  Harry  J.  Mr. 
Meins   is   a   member   of   the   Pioneers'   Association 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


and  in  politics  a  Republican.  He  has  served  on  the 
school  board  as  well  as  having  been  six  years  road 
supervisor.  In  church  affiiliations  he  and  his  family 
are  Lutherans.  When  Air.  Aleins  came  here  he  had 
but  two  hundred  dollars ;  his  accumulations  since 
include,  besides  his  farm  lands  already  mentioned, 
which  are  extensive  and  valuable,  some  city  property 
in  Ballard  said  to  be  worth  a  goodly  sum.  A  be- 
liever in  diversified  farming,  he  raises  a  great  var- 
iety of  crops,  and  keeps,  besides  other  livestock, 
about  twenty-five  head  of  graded  cattle.  Mr.  Meins 
is  personally  popular  and  deservedly  so,  being  a 
man  of  energy  and  forceful  character,  as  well  as  a 
kindly  neighbor  and  worthy  citizen. 


SMITH  O.  ALLEN,  one  of  Prairie's  thrifty 
and  industrious  farmers,  was  born  in  Mondovi,  Buf- 
falo county.  Wisconsin,  July  5,  1864,  the  son  of 
Dutee  B.  and  Annis  W.  (Gleason)  Allen,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Greenfields,  New  York.  The 
father,  born  October  30,  1823,  was  a  teacher  in  his 
early  manhood,  but  later  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  March  10, 
1878,  was  a  farmer.  The  mother,  born  February 
7,  1831,  was  at  one  time  a  pupil  of  her  husband. 
Her  death  occurred  December  23,  1904.  She  was 
the  mother  of  eight  children,  of  whom  all  except 
the  two  oldest  are  living.  His  father  having  died 
when  he  was  twelve  years  old.  Smith  O.  Allen  left 
home  at  that  time,  assuming  self  support  thus  earlv 
in  life.  He  farmed  and  worked  in  the  woods  till 
1880,  then  went  to  Dakota,  soon  returning,  how- 
ever, to  Wisconsin.  In  1883  he  was  employed  on  a 
railroad  in  Nebraska.  He  located  next  m  Akron, 
Colorado,  where  he  dug  the  first  well  in  the  town. 
Going  thence  to  Denver  he  worked  on  the  Oregon 
Short  Line  railroad  for  a  while,  then  after  brief 
residences  in  Anaconda,  and  Helena,  Montana,  went 
to  Dakota.  He  returned  thence  a  little  later  to  his 
native  state  for  a  visit,  but  in  1888,  was  once  more 
a  resident  of  the  large  interior  territory,  which  soon 
after  was  carved  into  two  splendid  states.  Desiring, 
however,  to  investigate  for  himself  the  resources 
of  the  great  Northwest,  he  soon  went  to  Seattle ; 
thence  to  Samish  Island,  thence  to  Prairie.  In  1890 
he  took  a  pre-emption  east  of  where  he  now  resides, 
consisting  of  forty  acres  which  he  afterward  sold ; 
and  later  he  purchased  the  eighty  acre  farm  that  he 
now  owns.  He  has  made  this  his  home  for  the  past 
seven  years,  though  at  the  same  time  he  has  been 
engaged  to  some  extent  in  logging  and  contracting. 
He  has  thirty-five  acres  cleared,  and  in  excellent 
shape  and  gives  special  attention  to  dairying,  keep- 
ing always  a  fine  herd  of  cattle.  He  also  raises 
oats,  hay  and  vegetables.  Though  experiencing 
during  his  lifetime  some  financial  disappointments 
and  trials,  he  is  now  enjoying  the  prosperity  that  his 
untiring  energy   so  richly  merits. 

Mr.   Allen    and   Flora   Warner   were   united   in 


marriage  October  16,  1889.  She  was  bom  in  Edi- 
son, Washington,  March  9,  1873,  the  daughter  of 
Captain  John  M.  and  Ellen  Warner.  Her  father, 
born  in  England  in  1828,  was  brought  by  his  par- 
ents to  Michigan  in  infancy,  and  became  one  of 
the  famous  "Forty-Niners"  of  California.  He  went 
to  the  Fraser  river  district  during  the  excitement 
there,  thus  becoming  a  resident  of  the  Northwest. 
After  several  years  of  service  in  the  employ  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  he  became  the  pioneer 
settler  of  the  prairie  that  bears  his  name.  He  died 
in  Sedro-Woolley  in  1903.  The  mother  was  born 
at  Yale,  British  Columbia,  in  1845,  and  died  in 
June.  1890,  leaving  eleven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  still  alive.  Five  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Airs.  Allen,  namely:  Ralph  W.,  July  16, 
1890;  Burton  T..  June  17,  1892,  died  November 
15,  1904;  Arnold  E.,  November  13,  1893;  Annis 
v..  August  17,  1896;  Dutee  S.,  March  17,  1898. 
Mr.  Allen  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  and  the  Maccabees,  and  in  politics  an 
active  Republican.  He  has  held  the  oifice  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  two  terms.  A  man  of  upright 
character,  he  enjoys  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
his  associates,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  his  part  of  Skagit  county. 


CHARLES  F.  TREAT,  the  popular  merchant 
and  postmaster  of  Fir,  Washington,  the  direct  de- 
scendant of  an  illustrious  family  of  business  men, 
soldiers  and  statesmen,  with  a  genealogy  tracing 
back  to  the  fifteenth  century,  was  born  in  Bridge- 
port, Connecticut,  October  7,  1849.  His  father, 
Benjamin  Treat,  a  prominent  contractor  and 
builder,  died  in  1853.  One  member  of  the  family, 
Robert  Treat,  was  one  of  the  ablest  men  that  ever 
filled  the  governor's  chair  of  Connecticut.  An- 
other, a  naturalist,  bequeathed  a  fine  collection  of 
butterflies  and  a  large  number  of  books  to  Har- 
vard university.  Still  other  representatives  of  the 
family  maintained  its  dignity  in  colonial  and  revo- 
lutionary times.  Treat's  island  and  Treat's  sugar 
refinery  in  Maine  are  holdings  of  the  family.  The 
maternal  ancestor.  Julia  A.  (Anderson)  Treat,  born 
near  Belfast,  Maine,  died  in  Oakland,  Cd-lifornia, 
in  1904.  She  was  the  mother  of  three  sons,  only 
one  of  whom,  Charles  F.,  is  living.  Mr.  Treat 
grew  to  manhood  in  the  city  of  his  birth,  leaving 
it  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  to  locate  in  Boston, 
where  he  entered  a  wholesale  dry  goods  house. 
Later  he  removed  to  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  engag- 
ing in  the  coal  business,  until  he  came  West  in 
1889  and  located  in  Ballard,  Washington.  There 
he  opened  the  real  estate  firm  of  Harrison,  Treat 
&  Company.  In  1892  Mr.  Treat  incorporated  at 
Seattle  the  wholesale  and  retail  firm  of  Harrison, 
Treat  &  Co.,  a  glass,  bar  and  billiard  supply  house, 
now  known  as  the  A.  H.  Harrison  Company.  In 
1897,  when  this  country  was  thrilled  by  news  of  the 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


wonderful  deposits  of  gold  found  in  Alaska,  he 
decided  to  seek  his  fortune  there,  being  a  passen- 
ger on  the  eleventh  boat  that  entered  Dawson,  which 
at  that  time  had  only  two  log  cabins.  During  the 
famine  of  1897  he  was  chairman  of  the  meeting 
that  sent  the  surplus  men  out  of  camp  to  prevent 
starvation.  He  had  intended  to  locate  at  Circle 
City,  where  he  had  property,  but  hearing  of  the 
strike  then  in  progress  there,  he  changed  his  plans, 
remaining  at  Dawson.  There  he  opened  the  first 
brokerage  office  on  the  Yukon  river,  drawing  up 
contracts  and  agreements,  and  handling  the  prop- 
erty of  Treat,  Crawford  &  Depreau.  In  the  fall  of 
1897  he  came  out  on  the  ice,  returning  the  follow- 
ing summer  to  remain  four  years  longer.  He  was 
owner  and  operator  of  thirty-two  mining  claims  at 
cne  time,  meeting  with  wonderful  success  at  first, 
but  later  suffering  some  reverses  of  fortune.  He 
witnessed  the  marvelous  growth  of  Dawson,  which 
was  a  city  of  twenty  thousand  inhabitants  at  the 
time  he  returned  to  the  United  States  in  1902.  Pur- 
chasing his  present  business  upon  his  return,  he  in- 
creased the  capital  stock  several  times  over,  now 
owning  one  of  the  substantial  business  houses  of 
South  Skagit,  handling  hay,  grain  and  fish.  The 
firm  of  Chlopeck  of  Seattle,  one  of  the  largest  in 
the  city,  is  one  of  his  fish  customers.  He  is  also 
postmaster  of  Fir.  Mr.  Treat  is  an  enthusiastic 
member  of  the  Order  of  Elks  of  Seattle.  Politically 
he  loyally  adheres  to  Republican  principles,  having 
always  been  actively  identified  with  the  party.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Ballard  he  was  the  first  mayor 
of  the  town,  elected  to  succeed  himself  at  the  ex- 
piration of  his  first  term.  Thoroughly  conversant 
with  every  detail  in  connection  with  his  large  and 
increasing  business,  to  which  he  gives  the  most 
careful  attention,  he  yet  finds  time  to  indulge  in  his 
favorite  diversions,  hunting  and  fishing.  Possessed 
of  rare  business  qualifications,  Mr.  Treat  unites 
with  them  a  genial  disposition  that  makes  a  per- 
sonal friend  of  all  who  come  in  contact  with  him, 
either  in  a  business  or  social  way. 


GEORGE  H.  MANN,  the  well-known  member 
of  the  firm  of  Mann  &  Wallon,  hotel  proprietors  at 
Fir,  Washington,  was  born  near  Lewiston,  Maine, 
January  28,  1871,  the  son  of  Orin  and  Rebecca 
(Huntington)  Mann,  both  natives  of  Maine,  where 
the  father,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  fami- 
lies, followed  farming  till  the  time  of  his  death  in 
1899.  The  mother  is  now  living  at  Edwards,  Wash- 
ington. Having  spent  his  early  life  on  the  farm 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  common'  schools, 
in  1891  Mr.  Mann  came  to  Fir,  where  his  uncle, 
Charles  H.  Mann,  the  pioneer  merchant  of  Fir, 
was  engaged  in  handling  general  merchandise.  To 
this  uncle  belongs  the  honor  of  founding  Fir,  which 
was  then  known  as  "Mann's  Landing,"  he  having 
established   a  trading  post  among  the   Indians   on 


the  west  side  of  the  south  fork  of  the  Skagit  river, 
when  there  were  but  few  white  settlers  in  the  lo- 
cality. His  death  occurred  December  15,  1899,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-si.x  years.  Employed  as  a  clerk  in 
his  uncle's  store  for  three  years,  George  Mann  be- 
came familiar  with  the  business,  and  later  formed  a 
partnership  with  Axel  Anderson,  owning  a  store 
in  connection  with  the  postofifice  for  some  two 
years,  after  which  they  sold  out.  Later  he  was  pro- 
prietor of  a  meat  market  for  several  years.  He 
then  decided  to  engage  in  farming,  leased  a  large 
ranch  of  his  uncle  and  devoted  his  entire  attention 
to  that  work,  having  charge  also  of  his  own  ranch, 
situated  east  of  town.  In  1903  he  traded  his  prop- 
erty for  his  interest  in  the  hotel,  he  and  Mr.  Wal- 
lon forming  a  partnership,  which  has  been  a  very 
successful  one.  His  brothers  and  sisters  are  as 
follows:  Laura,  Roger,  Richmond,  Main,  Frank 
and  Bert,  residing  near  Fir;  Lulu  Toop  of  Ballard. 
Mr.  Mann  was  married  July  22,  1898,  to  Helena 
Swanson,  who  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1871,  and 
came  to  the  United  States  when  but  eight  years 
of  age.  Her  father,  August  Swanson,  is  now  living 
on  the  J.  L.  Downs  place  west  of  Fir.  Three  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mann:  Hat- 
tie,  Lottie  and  Walter.  Mr.  Mann  is  a  strong  Re- 
publican, actively  engaged  in  furthering  the  inter- 
ests of  his  party.  Believing  this  to  be  the  finest 
country  he  has  ever  been  privileged  to  see,  he  is 
enthusiastic  over  the  almost  unlimited  opportunities 
for  success.  He  has  seen  many  fields  of  grain  run- 
ning one  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  to  the  acre, 
some  as  high  as  one  hundred  and  eighty  bushels ; 
also  hay  fields  yielding  from  four  to  five  tons  per 
acre.  His  own  prosperity  certainly  justifies  him 
in  believing  that  the  young  man  of  steady  and  in- 
dustrious habits  may  here  find  an  opening  that  can 
be  duplicated  in  but  few  places  in  the  world. 


ALFRED  POLSON.  Among  the  young  farm- 
ers of  Skagit  county  who  have  won  for  themselves 
an  enviable  position  in  the  community  is  Alfred 
Poison,  the  well-known  manager  of  the  Poison 
ranch,  situated  eight  and  one-half  miles  southwest 
of  Mount  Vernon,  on  the  Skagit  delta.  His  father, 
Olof  Poison,  a  native  of  Hasslof,  Halland's  Lane, 
Sweden,  born  March  23,  1833,  came  to  the  United 
States  October  26,  1868,  locating  near  Ottumwa, 
Iowa.  Removing  in  1871  to  what  was  then  What- 
com county,  he  took  up  a  homestead  on  Brown's 
slough  and  transformed  it  into  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  Northwest.  Later  he  retired  from 
active  work  on  the  farm,  taking  up  his  residence 
in  La  Conner,  of  which  city  he  was  mayor  for 
three  terms.  Always  an  active  Republican,  he  at- 
tended the  conventions,  lending  his  influence  to 
every  measure  that  would  advance  his  party's  in- 
terests. He  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  church  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 


OLOF    POLSON 


MRS.  OLOF   POLSON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


cccurred  May  30,  1903.  He  was  married  in  Munk- 
agardden,  Sweden,  June  7,  1853,  to  Gunhilda  Nel- 
son, a  native  of  Sweden,  born  September  35,  1832, 
and  now  living  at  La  Conner. 

Tlie  family  having  removed  to  Skagit  county 
when  he  was  but  a  year  old,  Alfred  Poison  spent  his 
early  years  on  the  farm  acquiring  a  practical  knowl- 
edge of  the  work  and  at  the  same  time  a  good  com- 
mon school  education.  Early  giving  evidence  of 
unusual  business  talent,  he  was  placed  by  his  father 
in  charge  of  the  entire  farm  when  the  older  Mr. 
Poison  moved  to  La  Conner.  One  year  later,  on 
October  1,  189G,  he  entered  the  hardware  business 
with  his  brother,  John,  in  La  Conner.  The  firm 
name  chosen  was  "The  Poison-Wilton  Hardware 
Company."  Another  brother.  Perry,  who  was  in 
the  wholesale  hardware  business  in  Seattle,  also  had 
an  interest  in  the  enterprise.  At  the  end  of  a  year 
and  a  half  our  subject  returned  to  the  farm  at  his 
father's  request,  assuming  the  management  of  it, 
that  the  elder  Poison  might  be  free  to  retire  again 
to  his  town  residence  in  La  Conner,  which  he  had 
left  to  oversee  the  ranch  during  his  son's  absence. 
This  estate,  comprising  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
live  acres,  splendidly  equipped  with  houses,  barns 
and  warehouses,  which  in  the  distance  give  it  the 
appearance  of  being  a  village  in  itself,  has  never 
been  divided.  Upon  the  death  of  its  owner  it  was 
not  probated,  the  heirs  forming  a  stock  company, 
each  holding  an  equal  number  of  shares,  and  the 
mother  retaining  her  interests  in  her  own  posses- 
sion while  she  lives.  Mr.  Poison's  brothers  and 
sisters  are  as  follows:  Perry,  president  of  the 
wholesale  hardware  and  implement  company,  of 
Seattle ;  Nels,  a  farmer  in  Skagit  county ;  Mrs. 
Pauline  Nelson  of  La  Conner;  Mrs.  Christine  Bell 
and  Mrs.  Josephine  Calkins,  residents  of  Skagit 
county ;  William  L.,  assayer  and  chemist,  at  Ketch- 
ikan, Alaska. 

Mr.  Poison  was  married  December  6.  1899,  to 
Cora  E.  Hayton,  who  was  born  in  1880,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  and  Sarah  E.  (Sanders)  Hayton. 
Her  father,  a  distinguished  pioneer  of  Skagit 
county,  and  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  is  still  liv- 
ing, but  her  mother  died  November  21,  1896.  Mrs. 
Poison  has  one  sister,  Mrs.  Laura  Hemingway,  and 
six  brothers,  Jacob.  Thomas,  Henry,  George,  James 
and  William.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poison 
are  Edna  May,  born  May  6,  1901;  Florence  E., 
born  June  9,  i903,  and  Genevieve  C,  born  July  1, 
1905.  Mr.  Poison  is  affiliated  with  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen  and  Woodmen  of  the 
World  and  is  an  influential  member  of  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  church,  while  his  wife  is  a  Baptist,  active 
in  the  work  of  her  denomination.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  school  board  and  being  an  earnest  advocate 
always  of  the  policy  of  supplying  the  best  educa- 
tional advantages  is  now  advocating  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  school  building  and  the  employment  of 
an  additional  teacher  in  his  district.     A  loyal  sup- 


porter of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  he 
is  active  in  its  councils  and  a  frequent  attendant  of 
its  county  conventions. 

Mr.  Poison  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  which 
he  farms  in  connection  with  the  family  estate.  In 
addition  to  his  own  farming  operations  he  is  breed- 
ing Ho' steins  for  dairy  and  beef  purposes.  Pie  is 
the  owner  at  present  of  eighty  head  of  cattle.  He 
has  his  own  separator  and  sells  the  cream  product 
of  the  herd  to  the  Pleasant  Ridge  Creamery  Com- 
pany, in  which  he  is  a  stockholder.  He  is  also  in- 
terested in  the  rearing  of  fine  English  Shire  horses. 
The  conditions  under  which  Mr.  Poison  operates 
illustrate  how  farm  life  may  be  made  easy  and  de- 
lightful in  Skagit  county.  He  has  every  facility 
for  shipping  his  grain  and  other  products  to  the 
markets  of  the  sound,  as  steamers  of  a  hundred 
tons  burden  or  even  larger  come  up  Brown's  slough 
to  his  very  doorstep.  He  has  a  gasoline  launch 
anchored  at  his  landing,  making  it  pos^^ible  for  him 
to  make  convenient  trips  by  water  as  often  as  he 
pleases  to  Mount  Vernon,  La  Conner  and  oiher 
points  on  the  river,  sloughs  and  sound.  With  rural 
free  delivery,  telephone  connections  with  neighbo-- 
ing  towns  and  cities  and  every  modern  convenience 
for  lightening  the  work  indoors  and  out,  he  and  his 
family  live  an  almost  ideal  rural  life.  They  have 
the  splendid  satisfaction  also  of  realizing  that  most 
of  the  advantages  they  enjoy  came  as  a  reward  of 
their  own  labor  and  planning,  and  that  the  public 
institutions  which  add  to  their  comforts  have  al- 
ways received  from  them  a  generous  encourage- 
ment and  support. 


J.A.MES  B.  HAYTON.  a  prosperous  young 
farmer  and  stockman,  residing  seven  miles  south- 
west of  Mount  Vernon,  was  born  in  Skagit  county 
on  the  place  where  he  now  lives,  February  8,  1877. 
His  father,  Thomas  Hayton,  a  retired  farmer,  born 
in  Kentucky,  June  23,  1833,  is  a  well-known  pioneer 
of  Skagit  county,  having  come  here  in  1876.  since 
which  time  he  has  been  prominently  identified  with 
the  county  and  state.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
constitutional  convention  when  the  territory  of 
Washington  became  a  state.  He  was  in  active 
service  throughout  the  Civil  War,  enlisting  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  he  experienced  the  horrors  of  Libby 
prison.  Tlie  mother,  Sarah  E.  (Sanders),  was 
born  in  what  is  now  West  Virginia  in  1834  and  died 
in  Skagit  county  November  21,  1896.  She  was  the 
mother  of  fourteen  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
living,  as  follows :  Jacob,  in  Oregon ;  Thomas  R., 
a  merchant  in  Mount  Vernon;  Henry,  in  British 
Columbia  ;  George,  in  Kitsap  County,  Washington  ; 
Mrs.  Laura  Hemingway  of  Fir;  William  of  Skagit 
county,  and  Mrs.  Cora  Poison  of  Skagit  county. 
Born  on  the  old  home  place  one  year  after  the  fam- 
ily had  moved  there,  James  B.  Hayton  completed 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


his  eriucation  in  the  high  school  and  then  took  up 
farming  under  the  supervision  of  his  father. 
Adapted  to  the  work  and  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  detail  upon  which  success  in  such  a  large  meas- 
ure depends,  he  was  soon  able  to  relieve  his  father 
of  the  management  of  the  farm.  Three  years  ago 
he  and  his  brother-in-law  leased  the  father's  place 
of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  for  a  period  of 
three  years.  In  1903  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  now  farming  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  all,  the  majority  of  which  is  in  oats. 
The  maximum  yield  of  oats  per  acre  on  his  farm 
has  been  one  hundred  and  sixty  bushels  to  the  acre, 
the  average  about  one  hundred  bushels.  Hay  yields 
from  four  to  five  tons  per  acre.  His  place  is  well 
stocked,  having  on  it  about  seventy-five  head  of 
Durham  cattle  and  horses  of  the  best  breed. 

Mr.  Hayton  was  married  December  25,  1901,  to 
Maud  M.  Good,  born  in  Washington  January  4, 
1883.  Her  parents,  Edward  and  Mary  (Forbes) 
Good,  are  well-known  pioneers  of  this  county.  Mrs. 
Hayton  has  two  brothers,  William  and  Edward. 
One  child,  Evelyn,  has  made  happy  the  home  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayton.  Mr.  Hayton  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Yeomen  fraternity  at  Mount  Ver- 
non. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
In  political  belief  he  is  a  strong  Republican,  loy- 
ally supporting  the  party  in  every  possible  way. 
Earnest  and  industrious,  possessed  of  youth,  health 
and  ambition,  it  is  safe  to  predict  for  him  a  still 
larger  measure  of  success  in  the  business  to  which 
he  is  devoting  his  best  energies. 


ALEX  JOHNSON  is  one  of  the  farmers  of  Fir 
who  believe  in  carr_ving  on  diversified  agriculture, 
and  the  sixty-acre  place  he  is  master  of  is  the  result 
of  his  ideas  on  the  best  manner  of  operating  a 
small  farm.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  native  of  Norway, 
where  he  was  born  on  May  17,  1866,  the  son  of 
Leonard  and  Bertha  (Erickson)  Johnson.  The 
parents  passed  their  entire  lives  in  the  old  country, 
the  former  dying  in  1893  at  the  age  of  fifty-three 
and  the  latter  in  1891  at  the  age  of  forty-seven. 
There  were  three  children  of  the  union  besides  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  George,  Hans  and  Mrs. 
Kate  White.  Alex  Johnson  attended  school  until 
fifteen  years  of  age,  then  worked  on  a  salary  until 
1886,  when  he  came  to  the  LTnited  States.  He  first 
went  to  Michigan  and  remained  there  four  years, 
being  employed  in  lumber  camps  and  mills.  Com- 
ing to  Washington  in  1890,  he  located  in  King 
county  and  worked  in  a  saw-mill  at  Ballard  for 
seven  years.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Skagit 
county  since  1897. 

In  that  year  Mr.  Johnson  married  at  Seattle 
Miss  Alary  Johnson,  the  only  daughter  of  Ole 
Johnson,  who  came  to  this  country  from  Norway 
and  settled  in  Skagit  county  twenty-six  years  ago, 
where  he  still  resides.     Mrs.  Alex  Johnson's  mother 


died  while  her  daughter  was  an  infant,  and  she  v/as 
brought  to  this  country  by  her  father  in  1879  at  the 
age  of  nine,  and  lived  in  Seattle  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs-.  Johnson:  Louise,  Olga,  Leonard,  Alfred  and 
Carl.  In  politics  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  Republican  and 
m  church  affiliation  a  Lutheran.  Mr.  Johnson  owns 
the  farm  which  he  operates.  It  is  entirely  cleared 
and  devoted  to  general  farming.  The  main  features 
of  the  products  of  the  place  are  oats  and  cattle, 
though  a  little  of  everything  demanded  by  the  mar- 
kets is  raised.  Six  head  of  cows  are  milked  and  eight 
head  of  young  cattle  range  the  pastures.  Most  of 
the  land  is  in  oats.  The  Johnson  home  is  a  pleasant 
one,  filled  with  interest  in  the  children,  about  whose 
education  much  of  the  planning  in  the  home  circle 
centers. 


ANDREW  N.  CROGSTAD,  the  owner  of  a 
splendid  ranch  situated  one  and  one-half  miles 
southwest  of  Fir,  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  the 
state  of  Trondhgem,  June  27,  1852.  His  father. 
Nils  Andrews,  immigrated  from  Norway  to  the 
United  States  in  1880  and  is  now  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Minnesota.  The  mother,  Carrie  L.  (Lewis) 
Andrews,  died  in  1880.  Mr.  Crogstad  attended 
the  common  schools  of  his  country,  completing  his 
education  by  a  course  in  the  agricultural  schools,  af- 
ter which  he  took  up  the  trade  of  ship  building, 
working  in  the  iron  department  until  in  1872,  he 
sought  the  larger  opportunities  afforded  by  the 
United  States,  locating  in  Wisconsin.  Employed  by 
a  sawmill  company  at  Red  Cedar  Falls,  he  there  re- 
mained for  three  years,  following  which  he  spent 
the  same  length  of  time  at  another  town.  Skagit 
county  became  his  home  in  1877,  and  the  next  year 
he  leased  Captain  Loveland's  ranch  on  the  Skagit 
river  for  three  years.  A  government  survey  near 
Wenatchee,  on  the  Columbia  river,  and  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Priest  Rapids  occupied  his  time  and  at- 
tention for  a  while.  He  then  removed  to  Seattle, 
where  he  worked  in  a  foundry  for  several  months, 
returning  at  length  to  Skagitt  county.  After  log- 
ging 'near  Mill  Town  a  short  time  he  bought  his 
present  place  in  1889,  of  Jacob  Hoyton,  together 
with  a  forty  acre  tract  off  another  place,  thai  had 
been  only  partially  diked  and  cleared,  but  is  now  in 
an  excellent  state  of  cultivation.  He  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  a  large  part  of  which  he  de- 
votes to  hay  and  oats,  the  remainder  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  fruits,  of  which  he  has  a  great  variety,  cher- 
ries, pears,  apples,  plums  and  berries.  His  ranch 
is  stocked  with  thoroughbred  short  horn  cattle  that 
give  evidence  of  careful  attention.  Last  year  he  and 
his  neighbors  formed  a  stock  company  for  the  pur- 
chase of  an  English  shire  stallion,  that  they  might 
be  able  to  breed  superior  horses.  Mr.  Crogstad  has 
a  brother,  Louis  Nelson  Crogstad,  and  a  sister,  Mrs. 
Jennie  G.  Long,  both  residing  in  Minnesota. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


793 


In  Seattle,  March  8,  1889„Mr.  Crogstad  was  mar- 
ried to  Wilhelmina  Janssen,  a  native  of  Germany, 
born  June  36,  1864.  Her  father,  P.  N.  Janssen, 
born  on  the  line  near  Denmark,  immigrated  to  the 
United  States,  locating  on  White  river,  near  Seattle, 
in  1873,  where  he  died  in  January,  1899.  Her  moth- 
er, long  since  deceased,  was  Wilhelmina  Christine 
Janssen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crogstad  have  the  following 
children:  Carrie  Elvina,  attending  school  at  Ever- 
ett, having  completed  the  eighth  grade  at  home; 
Maurice  N.,  Lottie,  Clara  and  Louis.  Mr.  Crog- 
stad is  an  active  member  of  the  American  Order  of 
United  Workmen.  Though  not  identified  with  any 
church  organization,  he  contributes  liberally  to  the 
support  of  all.  As  a  member  of  the  school  board  he 
is  an  earnest  advocate  of  modern  methods,  believing 
that  the  educational  advantages  are  a  vital  force 
in  the  development  and  progress  of  our  civilization. 
In  political  belief  he  is  a  Republican,  reserving, 
however,  the  right  to  vote  an  independent  ticket 
when  he  deems  best.  An  earnest,  intelligent,  pro- 
gressive citizen,  possessed  of  sterling  character,  he 
is  one  of  the  substantial  members  of  the  community, 
enjoying  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all. 


LEWIS  P.  HEMINGWAY,  a  successful  farm- 
er and  stockman  residing  one  and  one-fourth  miles 
west  of  Fir,  is  a  native  of  Maine,  born  April  2-3, 
1863,  in  Rumford,  Oxford  county.  His  father.  Col- 
man  Hemingway,  born  in  Maine,  the  home  of  his 
ancestors  for  several  generations,  was  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  in  the  Twelfth  Maine  Volunteer  regi- 
ment. Having  suffered  severely  from  the  effects  of 
exposure  during  his  service  in  the  army,  he  was  the 
recipient  of  a  pension  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
1904,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  Tlie  mother,  Orpha 
G.  (Pinkham)  Hemingway,  was  born  in  Penob- 
scot county,  Maine,  and  died  in  1903,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one.  Mr.  Hemingway  grew  to  manhood  on 
his  father's  farm,  acquiring  a  practical  knowledge 
of  the  work  which  has  occupied  his  attention  these 
later  years.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  moved  to  La- 
moure  county.  North  Dakota,  there  engaging  in 
farming  for  two  years,  after  which  he  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Seattle  Cereal  Company.  Later 
he  dealt  in  feed  and  grain,  spending  two  years  buy- 
ing oats  in  Skagit  county,  which  section  impressed 
him  at  the  time  as  being  an  especially  favored  lo- 
cality for  agricultural  pursuits.  Having  made  a 
trip  to  Maine  in  1890,  he  came  to  this  county  two 
years  later,  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  James  Hay- 
ton,  leasing  the  old  Thomas  Hayton  ranch  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  for  a  period  of  three  years. 
They  have  now  divided  the  ranch,  each  farming 
separately.  Mr.  Hemingway  has  recently  purchased 
forty  acres  of  the  Cobb  ranch,  erecting  a  fine  new 
house  on  it  which  he  is  now  occupving.  He  has 
four  brothers,  Myron,  Charles,  Frank  and  Willis, 
the    last-named    following   the    carpenter    trade    in 


Scdro-Woolley.      His   only   sister,    Maydelle    Neal, 
lives  in  Maine. 

Mr.  Hemingway  was  married  August  525,  1898,  to 
Laura  M.  Hayton,  born  in  Cass  county,  Missouri, 
tile  daughter  of  Thomas  Hayton,  a  well  known  pio- 
neer of  Skagit  county,  born  in  Kentucky  June  23, 
1833.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1876,  and  still 
makes  it  his  home.  Mrs.  Hemingway's  mother  was 
Sarah  E.  (Sanders)  Hayton,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
born  in  1834 ;  her  death  occurred  November  2,  1896. 
The  fifth  child  of  a  family  of  eight,  Mrs.  Heming- 
way has  brothers  and  sisters  as  follows :  Jacob,  in 
Oregon ;  Thomas  R.,  a  merchant  in  Mount  Vernon ; 
Henry,  in  British  Columbia ;  George,  in  Kitsap 
county;  James  B.  and  William,  Skagit  county,  and 
Cora,  the  wife  of  AJfred  Poison.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hemingway  have  one  child,  Edith,  born  September 
7,  1900,  and  twins,  born  Aug.  23,  1905,  Harold  and 
Hazel.  Mr.  Hemingway  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  the  Foresters  of 
America,  at  Seattle.  He  is  actively  identified  with 
the  Republican  party.  Thoroughly  familiar  with 
every  branch  of  farming,  he  is  one  of  the  successful 
ranchers  in  this  section,  farming  two  hundred  acres, 
one  hundred  and  thirty-five  of  which  are  in  oats,  the 
remainder  in  hay  and  pasture.  Realizing  that  diver- 
sified farming  is  the  demand  of  the  hour,  he  devotes 
much  time  to  stock,  owning  forty  head  of  cattle  and 
twelve  horses.  Much  of  the  land  in  this  vicinity 
will  average  thirty-five  sacks  of  oats,  of  three  bush- 
els each,  and  three  and  one-half  tons  of  hay,  per 
acre.  Farm  hands  receive  good  wages,  from  thirty 
to  thirty-five  dollars  per  month  with  board  being  the 
usual  compensation,  thus  making  it  easy  for  an  in- 
dustrious poor  man  to  gain  a  footing.  Industrious, 
ambitious,  and  a  man  of  integrity,  Air.  Hemingway 
is  a  highly  respected  citizen,  enjoying  the  confidence 
of  the  entire  community. 


CFIRISTOPHER  OLSEN  is  one  of  the  pros- 
perous and  reliable  farmers  of  the  Fir  district,  his 
farm  being  located  about  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of 
town.  Here  he  conducts  a  successful  dairy  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Olsen  was  born  in  Norway  in  1853,  the 
son  of  Oie  Christopherson,  who  is  still  living  in  the 
old  country,  and  Mrs.  Gunie  (Nelson)  Christopher- 
son,  who  died  five  years  ago  in  Norway,  the  mother 
of  nine  children,  eight  living,  as  follows :  Birta, 
Christopher,  Nels,  Martin,  Ole,  Ivar,  John  and  Gun- 
der.  Christopher  Olson  attended  the  schools  of 
Norway  until  sixteen  years  of  age  and  after  leav- 
ing school  entered  the  fisheries  of  Norway  and  con- 
tinued in  that  line  until  his  departure  for  the  United 
.States  in  1881.  He  stopped  for  a  year  in  Michigan 
and  then  came  on  to  Skagit  county  in  1883.  He 
went  to  work  at  once  in  the  logging  camps  and  con- 
tinued at  that  work  for  a  full  decade  when  he 
bought  his  present  place  and  has  lived  on  it  ever 
since. 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


At  Milltown,  in  1889,  Mr.  Olsen  married  Miss 
Lizzie  Larson,  daughter  of  Lars  and  Mary  Larsoa 
natives  of  Norway,  who  never  left  their  native 
shores  and  fjords.  Mrs.  Olsen  received  her  educa- 
tion in  the  old  country  and  came  to  the  United 
States  m  ISSG  and  worked  at  dressmaking  at  Fir 
until  her  marriage.  Mrs.  Olson  died  in  1902,  leav- 
ing two  children:  Minnie,  born  in  1890.  and  Ole, 
born  in  1893.  In  politics  Mr.  Olson  is  a  Republican 
and  in  church  alSliations  a  Lutheran.  His  farm  con- 
sists of  forty  acres,  all  under  cultivation,  and  he  has 
a  nice  eight-room  house.  In  his  dairy  department 
Mr.  Olson  milks  twelve  cows,  but  he  has  in  addi- 
tion fourteen  head  of  stock  cattle,  as  well  as  some 
sheep  and  a  few  hogs  and  horses  sufficient  to  carry 
on  the  farm  work.  He  also  owns  ten  acres  of  land 
at  Fir.  Mr.  Olson  is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers 
of  the  Fir  country,  sensible  in  his  views  of  men  and 
things  and  reliable  in  all  things.  He  enjoys  the  es- 
teem and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. 


LEWIS  JOHNSON,  deceased,  was  one  of  the 
men  who  started  in  business  in  Sagit  county  when 
there  was  little  except  the  wilderness  to  attract ;  but 
before  his  death  he  had  made  a  place  for  himself 
and  family  which  will  not  be  obliterated  in  the  years 
to  come.  Mr.  Johnson,  during  his  life  in  Skagit 
county,  was  a  respected  and  honored  citizen  of  the 
community  south  of  Fir,  having  his  home  on  Long 
Island.  He  was  born  in  Norway  January  20,  1849, 
the  son  of  Christian  and  Ingelberg  Johnson,  who 
passed  their  lives  in  that  country  and  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  children :  Berta,  Andrew,  John,  Tena 
and  Lewis.  Until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  Lewis 
Johnson  attended  school  and  then  for  a  period  of 
eight  years  worked  at  the  trade  of  carpenter.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  i873  and  for  six  years 
lived  in  Michigan,  where  he  engaged  in  logging 
and  lumbering.  On  coming  to  Washington  Mr. 
Johnson  located  in  Snohomish  county  and  took  a 
homestead  near  Marysville ;  but  at  the  end  of  two 
years  moved  to  Skagit  county  and  rented  a  place  on 
Brown's  slough,  where  he  lived  for  three  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  moved  on  his  present  place, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death  and  where  his  widow 
still  resides. 

January  5,  1881,  Mr.  Johnson,  at  Seattle,  married 
Miss  Berta  Johnson,  born  in  the  old  country,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Brotten)  Bransted,  na- 
tives of  Norway,  who  passed  their  entire  lives  there, 
the  father  being  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  Mrs.  John- 
son was  one  of  five  children,  the  others  being  Eliza- 
beth, Ande,  Ivar  and  Rande.  She  was  born  July 
27,  18-16,  and  grew  up  at  home,  attending  school ; 
she  stayed  at  home  with  her  parents  until  in  1873 
she  came  to  the  United  States,  went  to  Michigan 
and  passed  two  years  at  domestic  work.  Six  more 
years  were  spent  thus  in  Chicago,  San  Francisco 


and  Seattle,  prior  to  her  marriage.  Three  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson — Anna, 
Mamie,  Moone  and  Julia,  of  whom  Mamie  only  is 
living.  Mr.  Johnson  was  a  Republican  in  politics. 
The  family  are  Lutherans  in  church  affiliations.  The 
home  farm,  which  is  operated  by  Mrs.  Johnson 
since  the  death  of  her  husband,  consists  of  130  acres, 
fifty  of  which  are  tillable.  Mr.  Johnson  is  remem- 
bered in  the  community  as  a  thrifty,  hard  working, 
honorable  man,  and  one  in  whom  his  fellows  placed 
the  highest  confidence.  His  life  in  Skagit  county 
was  that  of  the  pioneer.  His  share  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  section  was  an  important  one  and  his 
name  must  ever  be  inseparably  linked  with  those  of 
the  sturdy  characters  who  wrought  the  wonderful 
changes  that  have  marked  the  last  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. 


LEWIS  LARSON,  a  farmer  and  dairyman  a 
mile  and  a  half  south  of  Fir,  is  one  of  the  successful 
agriculturists  and  stock  men  of  the  southwestern 
part  of  Skagit  county,  who  have  accumulated  valu- 
able property  interests.  Mr.  Larson  is  a  native  of 
Norway,  born  Dec.  26,  1859,  the  son  of  Lars  Levek, 
a  farmer  who  lived  and  died  in  the  old  country  and 
put  in  the  regular  term  of  army  service  demanded 
of  the  young  men.  The  mother  was  Marat  Norvek, 
who  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  have  died,  the 
living  being  Christian,  Aldre,  Dorde  and  Lewis. 
Lewis  Larson  attended  school  until  he  was  fifteen 
vears  of  age ;  then  commenced  to  work  for  his 
brother  but  made  his  home  with  his  mother  until  he 
was  twenty.  He  chartered  a  fishing  boat  and  oper- 
ated that  for  two  years  prior  to  coming  to  the  Unit- 
ed States  in  1882.  On  reaching  this  country  he 
stayed  for  a  time  in  Michigan,  but  came  to  Skagit 
county  in  the  fall,  locating  at  LTtsalady,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years  at  saw  mill  work.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  worked  in  King  county  mills,  returned 
to  Skagit  county  in  189G  and  located  on  his  present 
place,  where  he  has  resided  since. 

In  1903,  on  Christmas  Day,  at  Mount  Vernon, 
Mr.  Larson  married  Mrs.  Eldre  Schrondahl,  widow 
of  Andrew  Schrondahl  of  Fir.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Christopher  Vike,  a  native  of  Norway.  There 
were  five  children  in  the  Vike  family,  and  those  liv- 
ing are :  John,  Mrs.  E.  Bransted,  Mrs.  Larson  and 
Gunder.  Mrs.  Larson  was  born  in  Michigan  in 
1858,  and  obtained  her  education  there,  residing  at 
home  until  her  marriage.  Mr.  Schrondahl  was 
drowned  in  the  Skagit  river  in  1889.  Mr.  Larson  is 
a  Republican  in  politics  and  in  church  affiliations  a 
Lutheran.  He  owns  forty  acres,  all  under  cultiva- 
tion and  well  tilled,  in  his  home  place ;  and  has  also 
160  acres  of  valuable  timber  land  in  Oregon.  In 
his  dairy  barn  Mr.  Larson  keeps  eleven  cows,  but 
he  also  has  thirty-five  head  of  other  cattle,  as  well 
as  sheep  and  hogs.  Mr.  Larson's  farm  is  in  its 
present  fine  shape  solely  through  the  efTorts  of  its 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


owner,  for  he  cleared  it  himself  and  built  his  own 
dike.  Mr.  Larson  is  very  popular  in  the  commun- 
ity ;  he  is  a  man  of  energy  and  industry  and  keeps 
abreast  of  the  times.  For  almost  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury he  has  been  an  active  participant  in  the  work  of 
developing  the  industrial  resources  of  this  section, 
and  during  this  long  period  of  activity  has  won  for 
himself  a  reputation  in  which  any  citizen  may  well 
take  commendable  pride. 


LAFAYETTE  S.  STEVENS  is  one  of  the  men 
who  have  unbounded  faith  in  Skagit  county  as  a 
mining  district,  and  his  experience  as  a  prospector 
should  enable  him  to  recognize  a  good  mining  coun- 
try when  he  travels  over  it.  He  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois August  22,  1847,  the  son  of  Alfred  and  Esther 
(Kellogg)  Stevens,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The 
elder  Stevens  early  in  life  owned  320  acres  of  the 
site  where  Chicago  now  stands,  but  left  it  for  Ra- 
cine, Wisconsin.  He  died  in  Illinois  in  1874.  In 
early  life  Mrs.  Steven?  was  a  school  teacher,  but  she 
relinquished  the  profession  when  she  married.  She 
died  in  Wisconsin  in  1892,  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren. Young  Stevens  lived  at  home  and  attended 
school  until  he  was  nineteen,  then  farmed  in  Illinois 
for  a  time,  whence  in  1870  he  went  to  California. 
He  put  in  one  year  ranching  at  Chico,  then  went  to 
Nevada  and  took  up  the  life  of  a  prospector,  and 
during  the  two  and  ojie-half  years  he  was  in 
that  state  he  located  a  number  of  good  paying  claims 
that  cleaned  up  well.  In  1873  he  came  to  the  Skagit 
river,  and  for  the  ensuing  fifteen  years  he  prospect- 
ed up  and  down  the  entire  valley,  discovering  man\ 
indications  of  minerals.  It  was  the  successful  opera- 
tion of  placers  on  Ruby  creek,  by  Mr.  Stevens,  in 
conjunction  with  Otto  Clement,  Cliarles  Von  Pres- 
sentin  and  John  Rowley,  which  caused  the  Ruby 
creek  excitement  some  years  ago.  The  story  of  the 
yield  of  twenty-five  cents  to  the  pan  attracted  many 
to  the  diggings.  In  1878  Mr.  Stevens  located  the 
coal  mines  of  Cokedale,  northeast  of  Sedro-Wool- 
ley,  and  he  still  believes  that  the  Skagit  coal  is  rich- 
est in  carbon  of  any  coal  in  the  United  States.  Mr. 
Stevens  at  the  present  time  has  four  claims  on  Table 
Mountain  which  are  supposed  to  be  valuable,  as  the 
ore  assays  $16  to  the  ton,  appearing  principally  as 
gold  quartz.  This  Table  Mountain  property  is  in 
well  defined  ledges,  cased  with  slate  and  greenstone, 
a  formation  which  in  Mr.  Stevens'  mind  insures  per- 
manency of  the  deposits.  He  has  planned  to  carry 
on  the  development  of  this  property  at  once.  Mr. 
Stevens  has  put  in  more  years  in  the  Skagit  county 
mountains  than  any  other  prospector  and  he  has 
great  confidence  in  their  future  as  a  mining  region. 
In  1898  Mr.  Stevens  left  prospecting  In  Skagit  "tem- 
porarily and  went  to  the  Dawson  fields,  where  he 
spent  two  years,  prospecting  and  mining,  being  one 
of  a  company  of  seven  men  who,  as  employees,  took 
out  $50,000  from  a  single  claim.     On  his  return  to 


Skagit  county  he  located  in  Clear  Lake  and  opened 
the  hotel  which  he  still  conducts.  At  one  time  Mr. 
Stevens  owned  320  acres  of  farm  land  near  Bur- 
lington, of  which  100  were  cleared.  At  the  opening 
of  one  spring  during  that  period  he  selected  twenty 
acres  and  planted  garden  seed  on  contract  at  an 
agreed  price  of  one  dollar  per  pound  for  the  prod- 
uct; but,  unfortunately,  the  first  big  spring  freshet 
for  fifteen  years  came  down  the  Skagit  valley  that 
season  and  swept  away  all  of  his  planting. 

Mrs.  Stevens,  who  formerly  was  Miss  Florence 
Drown,  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin  who  came  to  Skagit 
county  and,  December  2,  1888,  was  married  to  Mr. 
Stevens  at  Burlington.  Of  this  union  there  have 
been  five  children,  of  whom  a  daughter,  Esther,  is 
dead.  The  living  are :  Fred,  Laura,  Mabel  and 
Ralph.  Mr.  Stevens  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
While  fortune  has  been  against  him  in  the  matter 
of  winning  financial  success,  he  is  very  hopeful  that 
his  mining  properties  will  soon  begin  rewarding  him 
for  all  his  labor  and  faith  and  at  any  rate  he  enjoys 
the  satisfaction  of  having  contributed  much  to  the 
mining  development  of  the  country. 


GEORGE  W.  PHELPS  is  a  product  of  the  de- 
velopment period  of  the  country  west  of  the  plains 
and  prairies  of  the  United  States,  and  like  most  of 
the  men  born  in  the  west  in  the  days  when  the  land 
was  being  turned  from  wild  nature  to  the  uses  of 
mankind,  is  a  self-made  man.  He  was  born  at  St. 
George,  Utah,  August  22,  18G3.  His  father,  John 
Phelps,  a  native  of  Ohio,  followed  the  stream  of 
gold  seekers  to  California  in  the  fifties,  whence 
sometime  during  the  decade  following  he  went  to 
Utah,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1874.  He 
used  to  relate  an  incident  which  illustrates  the  feel- 
ing entertained  by  the  Indians  toward  the  whites  in 
the  days  when  the  country  was  being  settled.  Mr. 
Phelps  prepared  some  flour  for  cooking  and  hap- 
pened to  find  that  it  had  been  well  doctored  with 
strychnine.  A  supposedly  friendly  redskin  was  dis- 
covered later  who  confessed  that  he  had  added  the 
strychnine  to  the  flour,  but  blandly  assured  Mr. 
Phelps  that  he  had  no  ill  feeling  against  him,  al- 
leging that  he  simply  was  experimenting  to  see  if 
strychnine  would  kill  Mrs.  Phelps,  the  mother  of 
George,  whose  maiden  name  was  Phoebe  M.  Dart, 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  but  raised  in  Bridge- 
port, Connecticut.  Of  her  three  children,  only  the 
subject  of  this  writing  still  lives.  George  Phelps 
lived  with  his  parents  until  1875,  when  he  was  at- 
tracted to  the  Snake  river  country  of  Idaho,  where 
he  lived  with  a  bachelor  for  more  than  a  twelve- 
month. The  year  1877  found  him  in  California, 
where  he  passed  a  year,  and  at  a  later  date  he  en- 
gaged in  caring  for  stage  horses  in  Nevada.  He 
continued  in  that  country  until  1886,  when  he  went 
to  Idaho  for  his  mother  and  took  her  to  the  Skagit 
valley,  settling  at  Clear  Lake.     The  years  between 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


3  894  and  1903  he  passed  in  British  Columbia,  em- 
ployed in  various  lines  of  work,  but  since  then  he 
has  lived  on  the  shores  of  Clear  Lake,  successfully 
conducting  the  business  of  a  dairy  farmer. 

In  October,  1896,  while  living  at  Clinton,  Brit- 
ish Columbia,  Mr.  Phelps  married  Miss  Mary  J. 
Kennedy,  daughter  of  Donald  Kennedy,  the  latter 
a  native  of  Scotland  who  had  been  brought  to  Can- 
ada by  his  parents  while  an  infant.  He  learned  the 
blacksmith  trade  when  a  young  man  in  Canada.  Mr. 
Kennedy  was  in  Michigan  for  a  time.  On  coming 
to  Puget  Sound  he  located  at  Arlington  in  the  hotel 
business,  later  going  to  British  Columbia,  where  he 
died  in  1902.  Mrs.  Kennedy,  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Phelps,  who  is  also  of  Canadian  birth,  still  lives, 
now  a  resident  of  Cariboo,  British  Columbia.  Mrs. 
Phelps  was  born  in  Ontario  in  1871,  and  remained 
with  her  parents  until  two  years  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage, when  she  secured  employment  away  from 
home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phelps  have  no  children.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Socialist,  though  at  one  period  of  his 
life  he  was  a  Republican.  Mr.  Phelps  has  ninety-five 
acres  of  land  bordering  on  Clear  Lake,  milks  six- 
teen cows  and  has  a  number  of  young  cattle.  In  his 
young  days  Mr.  Phelps  was  so  situated  that  he  had 
no  opportunity  to  secure  an  education,  but  in  later 
years  he  pursued  studies  by  himself  and  has_  picked 
up  a  great  fund  of  information  along  scientific  and 
sociorogical  lines.  In  Skagit  county  he  has  served 
as  school  director  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  school 
matters,  believing  the  public  schools  to  be  funda- 
mental to  the  be'st  American  citizenship.  He  also 
has  been  road  supervisor  at  Clear  Lake.  He  has 
been  compelled  to  do  much  work  reclaiming  his 
land,  but  now  has  a  portion  of  it  in  shape  for  culti- 
vation. Straightforward  in  all  business  transac- 
tions, he  holds,  for  this  and  other  worthy  traits  of 
character,  the  respect  of  his  fellows. 


GEORGE  W.  DUNN,  though  a  resident  of 
Skagit  county  but  a  short  time,  already  has  won  a 
reputation  for  himself  in  the  community  near  Clear 
Lake  as  an  energetic  and  progressive  man.  His 
ancestry  and  his  own  previous  career  were  of  sub- 
stantial character.  He  was  born  in  Licking  county, 
Ohio,  of  the  sturdy  stock  of  Virginians  who  poured 
through  Pittsburg  and  settled  in  the  Ohio  basin  in 
the  years  following  the  Revolution.  His  father, 
born  at  Charlestown,  Virginia,  in  1803,  first  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  a  carder.  When  twenty-one  years 
old  he  took  up  pioneer  farm  life  in  Ohio,  where  he 
died  in  1877.  Mrs.  Mary  A.  (Evans)  Dtinn,  moth- 
er of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  state 
and  remained  there  all  her  life,  living  with  her  par- 
ents until  she  married.  She  was  the  mother  of  six- 
teen children,  of  whom  seven  are  living:  Caroline, 
Alfred,  James  W.,  Rebecca,  Milligan,  George  W., 
and  Leonard  B.  George  W.  was  born  May  26, 
1846.  He  remained  at  home  until  the  outbreak  of 
the  war,  then  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 


Thirty-fifth  Ohio  Volunteers.  He  was  captured  by 
the  Confederates  July  3,  1864,  and  languished  at 
Andersonville,  Charleston  and  Florence  for  five 
months  and  seven  days  thereafter,  but  was  given 
his  parole  in  December,  1864,  and  received  his  dis- 
charge in  January  of  the  following  year.  He  at 
once  commenced  planning  his  future  under  the 
Union  to  be  reconstructed,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1865-6  went  to  Missouri,  thence  in  the  spring  to 
Kansas,  where  he  remained  three  years.  He  then 
went  back  to  Missouri  and  operated  a  farm  in  that 
state  for  eight  years,  after  which  he  returned  to 
Ohio,  and  passed  nine  more  years  in  farming,  then 
spending  an  additional  two  years  in  the  same  pur- 
suit in  Indiana.  Mr.  Dunn  thereupon  took  up  his 
abode  in  Nebraska,  where  he  resided  from  1885  to 
the  last  days  of  1904,  engaged  in  the  sheep  and  cat- 
tle industry,  a  line  in  which  he  was  quite  successful. 
On  coming  to  Skagit  county  he  bought  a  tract  of 
land  on  the  Skagit  river  for  $4,500,  upon  which  are 
three  million  feet  of  merchantable  timber.  He  has 
cleared  eight  acres  and  erected  a  handsome  house 
and  ample  barns,  and  expects  to  pass  the  remainder 
of  his  days  here. 

Mr.  Dunn,  in  1868,  while  in  Missouri,  married 
Miss  Mary  Deffenbaugh,  daughter  of  John  Deffen- 
baugh,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  who  had  moved 
west  and  engaged  in  farming.  Mrs.  Dunn's  mother, 
a  native  of  Indiana,  gave  to  the  world  ten  children, 
two  of  whom  have  died.  The  living  are  George  W., 
Mathias  A.,  Carrie  L.,  Nettie  M.,  Roily  O.,  Leslie 
E.,  Charles  A.  and  I\Irs.  Dunn.  George  W.  Dunn 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  fraternal  connec- 
tion a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
and  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Methodist  church.  As  a  man 
and  citizen  his  standing  in  the  community  in  which 
he  lives  is  a  highlv  enviable  one. 


XAVER  BARTL  is  one  of  the  very  earliest  set- 
tlers in  Skagit  county,  commencing  his  residence 
when  there  were  only  seven  white  men  living  on 
the  river  and  when  it  was  necessary  to  go  to  Whid- 
by  Island  to  get  a  day's  work.  He  built  the  first 
house  in  Mount  Vernon,  and  recalls  that  while  liv- 
ing in  this  house  at  one  time  he  was  out  of  bread 
for  days  because  the  river  was  frozen  and  he  could 
not  go  to  the  island.  He  has  lived  to  see  wondrous 
changes  in  the  Skagit  valley.  Mr.  Bartl  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1846,  the  son  of  Franz  Bartl,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
when  thirty  years  of  age,  settling  first  in  Wiscon- 
sin, then  in  Missouri,  and  coming  to  Skagit  county 
in  1872.  The  father  located  at  Mount  Vernon  and 
operated  a  farm  until  his  death  in  1889.  The  moth- 
er died  in  Germany  when  Xaver  was  six  years  old. 
Of  this  union  two  sons  survive,  Frank  Bartl  and 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  both  of  whom  reside  in 
Skagit  county.  After  continuing  with  his  father 
until  eighteen  young  Bartl  commenced  the  life  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


a  farmer  on  his  own  account  in  Missouri  in  1864. 
Three  years  were  spent  in  Missouri  and  one  in  Illi- 
nois, then  Mr.  Bartl  located  on  Whidby  Island, 
Washington,  where  one  year  later  he  moved  to 
Mount  Vernon.  He  chose  the  land  which  has  since 
been  converted  into  the  fair  grounds  and  lived 
there  until  1SS4,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  farm 
north  of  Clear  Lake. 

Xaver  Bartl  in  1865,  while  a  resident  of  Mis- 
souri, married  Miss  Mary  Bozarth,  daughter  of  Ir- 
vin  and  Elizabeth  (Rice)  Bozarth,  who  were  natives 
of  Missouri.  ]\Irs.  Bozarth  died  in  her  native  state, 
but  her  husband  lived  to  come  to  Whidby  Island, 
where  he  died  thirty-five  years  ago.  Mrs.  Bartl 
was  born  in  Holt  county,  Missouri,  in  1847,  and  af- 
ter her  mother's  death  lived  with  her  grandfather 
until  her  marriage.  She  is  the  mother  of  twelve 
children,  eight  of  whom  are  living,  namely,  Jacob, 
James,  Frances,  Eliza  Jane,  Viola,  Lavanchie, 
Phoebe  and  David.  The  deceased  are :  William, 
David,  accidentally  shot,  iMargaret  and  Dora.  Mr. 
Bartl's  home  place  consists  of  fifty-five  acres,  and 
he  also  has  a  farm  of  155  acres  west  of  Clear  Lake. 
His  live  stock  numbers  twelve  cows,  four  horses, 
sixty  sheep  and  a  number  of  hogs.  Mr.  Bartl  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics  and  in  religion  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  church.  While  his  life  has  been  an 
active  one,  with  many  vicissitudes  in  the  earlier 
days,  he  is  now  in  a  position  to  enjoy  the  comforts 
M-hich  his  activity  has  brought  to  his  later  and 
fuller  vears. 


R.  H.  PUTNAM,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War 
and  an  honored  pioneer  of  Skagit  county,  residing 
a  little  over  a  mile  by  the  wagon  road  from  Clear 
Lake,  was  born  in  Essex  countv.  New  York,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1846.  His  father,  Daniel  P.  Putnam,  a  na- 
tive of  Newberry,  in  the  Connecticut  valley,  born  in 
1807,  spent  most  of  his  life  in  New  York,  engaged 
in  carpenter  work,  and  he  passed  away  in  that  state 
a  number  of  years  ago.  The  mother  of  our  subject, 
Mary  (Sheldon)  Putnam,  was  a  native  of  Essex 
■county.  New  York,  where  her  forbears  settled  be- 
fore the  Revolutionary  War,  and  she  used  to  re- 
peat stories  told  her  by  her  parents  of  the  stirring 
events  which  took  place  in  the  Lake  Champlain  dis- 
trict during  that  struggle.  The  family  had  their 
stock  killed  and  sustained  other  losses  on  account  of 
the  depredations  of  the  British  soldiers.  R.  H.  Put- 
nam, of  this  article,  after  completing  his  education 
in  the  common  schools,  began  working  on  the 
neighboring  farms,  and  continued  to  be  employed 
thus  until  he  reached  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  Ninety-firstNew  York,  for  service 
in  the  Civil  War.  the  great  fratricidal  struggle 
was  nearing  its  close  at  the  time,  but  he  did  what 
he  could  in  the  final  conflicts,  though  he  was  unfor- 
tunately too  sick  to  participate  in  the  battle  of  Pet- 
ersburg, although  within  hearing  of  the  guns. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Putnam  moved,  in  the  fall  of 


1865,  to  Missouri,  and  clerked  in  a  store  there  un- 
til 1866,  but  inasmuch  as  he  did  not  have  good 
health  there,  he  returned  the  next  year  to  the  Em- 
pire state.  There  he  worked  with  his  father  at  the 
carpenter's  trade  until  the  spring  of  1868,  when  he 
moved  to  Minnesota,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
thereafter  he  was  employed  at  farm  work  in  various 
parts  of  that  state,  also  in  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas 
and  California.  Finally,  in  1876,  he  came  to  Puget 
sound  and  located  on  the  Skagit  river  near  Bur- 
lington, where  his  home  was  until  1880.  After  par- 
ticipating in  the  Ruby  creek  rush,  he  went  east  of 
the  mountains.  He  farmed  in  the  Wenatchee  val- 
ley and  in  Moses  coulee  for  a  time,  but  in  1883  re- 
turned to  the  Sound  and  located  on  his  present  place 
near  Clear  Lake.  Here  he  has  a  farm  of  130  acres, 
of  which  about  eighty  acres  are  hill  land,  the  re- 
mainder bottom  land  of  excellent  quality.  About 
thirty-five  acres  have  been  cleared  and  put  in  culti- 
vation, from  a  part  of  which  the  stumps  have  been 
removed.  Although  Mr.  Putnam  has  an  excellent 
orchard,  he  has  given  most  of  his  attention  to  stock 
raising  and  dairying,  keeping  until  recently  quite  a 
herd  of  milch  cows,  but  he  is  now  selling  out  with 
intent  very  soon  to  try  the  effect  of  a  southern  cli- 
mate upon  his  health.  Mr.  Putnam  has  never  mar- 
ried, but  his  sister  keeps  house  for  him  in  their 
pleasant  home  near  the  banks  of  Clear  Lake. 


JOHN  R.  SMITH,  one  of  the  respected  citizens 
and  successful  dairy  farmers  of  the  Clear  Lake  re- 
gion of  Skagit  county,  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia, 
August  28,  1858,  the  son  of  Robert  W.  Smith.  The 
elder  Smith  left  Nova  Scotia  for  New  Brunswick 
in  1865  and  continued  there  as  a  farmer  until  1886, 
after  which  he  passed  two  years  in  Maine.  He 
crossed  the  continent  in  1888,  settlmg  in  La  Con- 
ner, and  he  was  a  successful  restaurant  keeper  there 
and  in  Fairhaven  until  his  death  in  1891.  Mrs. 
Sarah  L.  (Br|swster)  Smith,  a  native  of  New 
Brunswick,  died  in  1902  at  the  home  of  her  son, 
John  R.  Smith,  leaving  six  other  children.  John  R. 
attended  school  until  twelve  years  old  and  then 
worked  on  the  parental  farm  until  twenty-two,  at 
that  time  securing  emplovment  with  a  neighboring 
farmer.  Later  he  bought  a  farm  of  his  own.  After 
successfully  operating  it  for  three  years,  he  sold  out, 
and  came  to  La  Conner,  Skagit  county,  arriving  in 
1888.  Here  he  bought  a  forty-acre  farm  and  con- 
ducted it  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
entered  the  dairy  business  at  Sedro-Woolley.  In 
1895  he  went  to  Fredonia,  the  followmg  year  mov- 
ing to  a  place  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Clear  Lake, 
where  he  has  ever  since  resided. 

June  28,  1882,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Mary  E. 
Downing,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Eliza  (Fitzger- 
ald) Downing,  who  lived  the  life  of  New  Bruns- 
wick farmers  until  recent  years,  closing  their  labors 
only  with  death.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  been 
born  six  children,  of  whom  Annie,  Percy  D.,  Jen- 


798 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


nie  and  Thomas  C.  are  living.  The  Smith  home  is 
a  pleasant  one,  and  its  maintenance,  and  the  prepa- 
ration of  his  children  for  the  duties  of  life,  are  Mr. 
Smith's  chief  care.  He  owns  nearly  170  acres  of 
rich  bottom  land,  ample  for  the  support  of  his  cat- 
tle and  for  the  general  farming  he  does.  His  dairy 
herd  numbers  twenty-eight  cows  and  twenty  head 
of  young  cattle,  and  while  he  devotes  most  of  his 
attention  to  these,  he  also  keeps  other  live  stock, 
horses  and  hogs.  Mr.  Smith  has  made  two  trips 
out  of  the  state  since  his  arrival  within  its  borders 
in  1888.  September  8,  1894,  he  left  on  a  reconnois- 
sance  of  the  Alberta  country  for  a  satisfactory 
homestead  location,  and  he  had  a  pleasant  trip  of 
twenty-one  days,  pleasant  except  for  one  memor- 
able snow  storm.  He  failed,  however,  to  discover 
anything  more  promising  than  the  prospects  which 
Skagit  county  offered.  January  19,  1897,  he  started 
on  a  gold  hunting  expedition  to  Alaska,  and  he  re- 
mained in  the  far  north  until  the  ensuing  June,  en- 
gaged for  the  most  part  in  work  on  the  White  Pass 
wagon  road.  This  trip  was  a  profitable  one  finan- 
cially, but  nowhere  has  Mr.  Smith  found  opportuni- 
ties better  than  in  Skagit  county,  where  he  is  doing 
well  and  expects  to  continue  doing  well.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican.  As  a  man  and 
citizen  his  standing  in  the  community  is  a  highly 
enviable  one,  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
neighbors  being  his  in  abundant  measure. 


WILLIAjNI  T.  RAINS,  a  stockman  whose  ranch 
is  three  miles  northwest  of  Clear  Lake,  has  spent 
fifty  years  of  ups  and  downs  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
He  has  experienced  the  trials  and  fortunes  of  the 
gold  hunters  of  California,  Idaho  and  British  Co- 
lumbia ;  has  cultivated  the  rich  farming  land  and  cut 
the  heavy  timber  of  the  Willamette  valley  in  Ore- 
gon, and  of  the  Skagit  country  in  Washington ;  has 
seen  his  logs  go  into  the  mills  and  come  out  as  lum- 
ber, and  at  other  times  has  placed  his  logs  in  booms 
only  to  see  them  lost  by  freshet  and  flood ;  has 
farmed  in  the  arid  country  of  the  Yakima  valley 
and  in  the  moisture  of  the  Puget  Sound  district. 
With  all  these  experiences,  Mr.  Rains  is  a  hale, 
hearty,  strong  souled  man  who  has  the  esteem  of  all 
who  know  him,  a  man  not  soured  by  misfortune. 
He  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1836,  the  son  of  Thomas 
Rains,  a  Tennesseean,  born  in  1799,  who  lived  the 
life  of  a  farmer  in  Tennessee,  Missouri  and  Illinois 
until  his  death  in  1852.  The  mother,  Matilda 
(Boyd)  Rains,  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  passing  away 
while  residing  with  her  son  on  the  sunset  slope  of 
the  continent.  Of  her  nine  children,  but  four  are 
living. 

William  T.  Rains,  of  this  article,  lived  with  his 
parents  until  eighteen.  Six  years  after  the  argo- 
nauts of  '49  uncovered  the  riches  of  California  he 
commenced  to  look  for  fortune  in  the  mountains  of 
the  Pacific  coast.  During  the  four  vears  from  1854 
to  1859  he  mined  in  California;   from  1859  to  1863 


he  was  on  the  Willamette  farming  the  rich  soil  of 
that  valley,  but  the  hidden  secrets  of  the  mountains 
attracted  him  and  he  went  to  Florence,  Idaho,  in 
the  days  of  the  first  gold  excitement  in  that  terri- 
tory; a  year  later  he  went  to  Warrens  in  the  same 
district  and  remained  there  until  he  found  a  good 
quartz  prospect  which  he  sold  in  18G8  ;  then  he  left 
the  countr}',  which  has  since  seen  the  Buffalo  Hump 
and  Thunder  Mountain  excitements,  returned  to 
the  Willamette  and  ran  a  sawmill  for  three  years. 
Idaho  still  called  him,  and  in  1871  he  went  to  a 
ranch  on  the  Salmon  river,  a  year  later  going  to 
Warrens  and  still  later  to  a  farm  on  Camas  prairie, 
where  he  remained  until  coming  to  the  Pugef 
Sound  country,  in  1874.  Here  he  turned  logger, 
but  for  six  months  in  1878  he  tried  the  mines  of 
British  Columbia.  He  followed  farming  near  Ta- 
coma,  again  near  North  Yakima  and  once  more  in 
the  Snoqualmie  valley,  before  he  settled  down  near 
Clear  Lake  in  1904.     Here  he  is  still  residing. 

In  1868  Mr.  Rains  married  Miss  Vina  Frances 
Boyd,  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  M.  Boyd,  a  Methodist 
clergyman  of  Oregon,  and  Lavina  (Goodrich) 
Boyd.  Mrs.  Rains  was  born  in  the  famous  Grand 
Ronde  valley  of  northeastern  Oregon  while  her  par- 
ents were  crossing  the  divide  from  the  plains  to 
the  coast.  Her  life  until  marriage  was  passed  in  the 
home  of  her  parents.  She  is  the  mother  of  twelve 
children,  of  whom  Thomas,  Ida,  Joseph,  Mary, 
Martha  and  Hannah  still  are  living.  Mr.  Rains 
owns  his  home  place  of  sixty-five  acres  three  miles 
northwest  of  Clear  Lake,  and  upon  it  he  has  sixty 
head  of  sheep,  twenty-six  head  of  cattle,  numerous 
hogs  and  other  livestock,  but  keeps  only  as  many 
horses  as  are  necessary  for  the  farm  work.  In  poli- 
tics he  takes  little  part,  preferring  to  use  his  energy 
developing  his  holdings.  His  neighbors  know  him 
as  a  man  of  wide  information,  doubtless  obtained  by 
his  extended  travels,  and  as  a  man  possessing  many 
commendable  traits  of  character. 


ALEXANDER  K.  SMITH  is  a  raiser  of  vege- 
tables for  market,  his  ranch  being  on  the  northeast 
outskirts  of  Clear  Lake.  He  was  born  in  Scotland 
in  March,  1835,  and  during  his  long  life  has  had  an 
active,  varied  and  useful  career.  His  father  was 
David  Smith,  whose  life  spanned  the  period  from 
the  days  when  the  American  Revolution  was  in  its 
throes  to  those  when  the  nation  was  deep  in  the  war 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  David  Smith 
was  a  fisherman  and  died  in  his  native  Scotland  in 
1864.  Alexander's  mother,  Mrs.  Christina  (Clark) 
Smith,  passed  away  in  Scotland  full  of  honor  and 
years.  Alexander  Smith  lived  with  his  parents  in 
the  old  home  until  he  was  twenty-two,  obtaining  an 
education  and  becoming  skillful  in  the  carpenter's 
trade.  LTntil  1857  he  worked  at  the  bench  in  Lon- 
don, Dundee  and  Edinburgh  and  then  came  to  the 
provinces  of  Canada,  whence  at  a  later  date  he 
crossed  the  St.  Lawrence  to  New  York.     Learning 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


799 


of  the  great  country  across  the  Rockies,  he  fol- 
lowed the  tide  of  immigration  to  the  Pacific  and 
reached  San  Francisco  via  the  Panama  route  in 
1858.  He  spent  some  time  mining  in  Shasta  Coun- 
ty, California,  then  dropped  back  to  the  valley  of 
the  Sacramento  for  several  months'  stay.  He  re- 
turned at  length  to  San  Francisco  and  worked  at 
liis  trade  there  until  the  spring  of  1861,  when  he 
went  to  the  Fraser  river  country  in  British  Colum- 
bia during  the  days  of  the  mining  excitement.  Here 
for  several  years,  he  combined  mining  with  carpen- 
ter work,  but  eventually  went  to  the  San  Jose  coun- 
try, California.  In  1886  he  came  to  the  Skagit  and 
located  at  Clear  Lake,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home,  engaged  in  farming  and  in  carpenter  work 
as  demand  has  come  for  his  services. 

In  1867,  while  a  resident  of  Santa  Qara  County, 
California,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Mary  Calahan, 
and  the  fruit  of  their  union  was  two  children, 
Charles  and  Mrs.  Qiristina  Bartl.  Mr.  Smith  is  the 
owner  of  ninety  acres  of  land  and  divides  his  time 
between  operating  so  much  of  it  as  is  cleared  and 
working  at  his  trade.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republi- 
can. His  judgment  on  political  matters  is  consid- 
ered good,  and  he  is  well  esteemed  by  his  friends 
and  associates  as  a  substantial  member  of  the  com- 
munity. 


THOMAS  EDGAR  TURNER  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  the  Clear  Lake  section  of  Skagit 
county,  where,  from  the  wilderness,  he  has  carved 
out  a  modern  American  farm,  and  now  is  reaping 
the  reward  of  his  hard  work,  his  frugality  and  his 
early  hardships.  ]\Ir.  Turner  is  a  native  of  In- 
diana but  was  taken  when  very  young  by  his  parents 
to  Missouri,  where  his  father  and  mother  still  live. 
The  elder  Turner  was  a  cabinet  maker  until  he 
took  to  farming  after  he  moved  to  Missouri.  Mrs. 
Catherine  A.  (Crum)  Turner,  the  mother,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania.  Her  mother  dying  when  she  was 
young,  she  spent  much  of  her  time  in  early  life 
working  for  others.  She  is  the  mother  of  seven 
children,  two  of  whom  died  when  in  infancy.  The 
living  are:  Francis  A.,  born  in  1861 ;  Thomas  E., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  born  in  1863 ;  Flora  B., 
born  in  1869 ;  Harney  W.,  born  in  1873,  and  Emma 
C,  born  in  1876.  After  attending  the  common 
schools  in  Missouri,  Thomas  E.  Turner  continued 
to  live  with  his  parents  until  nineteen,  when  he  left 
home  and  spent  a  year  on  a  farm  in  Iowa.  In  1883 
he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  April  29,  1884,  took 
land  on  Clear  Lake,  but  kept  at  work  in  various 
logging  camps  for  five  years.  It  is  interesting  in 
these  days  of  easy  and  quick  transportation  to  hear 
Mr.  Turner  recite  incidents  of  those  early  times. 
He  tells  a  story  of  a  lamp  chimney,  which  is  very 
entertaining.  Mr.  Turner  had  been  to  Alount  Ver- 
non with  a  companion  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  everyday 
supplies  for  their  cabin  and  when  crossing  the 
Nookachamp  river  on  their  return  they  nearly  cap- 


sized the  craft  and  a  much  needed  lamp  chimney 
and  some  dishes  were  broken.  The  Turner  cabin 
was  dark  at  supper  that  night.  The  next  day  an- 
other trip  to  I\Iount  Vernon  was  made,  and  dur- 
ing the  home  coming  there  was  no  mishap,  but  be- 
fore the  lamp  was  lighted  the  chimney  rolled  off 
the  table,  fell  to  the  floor  and  was  broken.  That 
night  supper  was  eaten  by  the  light  of  a  flannel 
wick  saturated  with  bacon  fat.  Fifty-five  miles 
were  traveled  before  the  troublesome  lamp  was 
fitted  with  a  chimney.  Ferrying  across  the  Nooka- 
champ river  in  those  days  was  a  hazardous  under- 
taking; the  Indians  were  expert  oarsmen,  but  not 
at  all  times  was  there  an  Indian  on  hand  when  the 
white  man  wanted  to  cross.  Mr.  Turner  also  re- 
calls many  troublous  experiences  he  had  with  bear 
during  the  days  when  he  was  a  pioneer  hog  raiser 
in  the  wilderness.  Bruin  took  many  a  porker  from 
his  band,  but  Mr.  Turner  retaliated  by  causing  an 
appreciable  decrease  in  the  bear  census,  developing 
in  consequence  into  one  of  the  most  famous  bear 
hunters  of  the  valley. 

Mr.  Turner  has  two  sons  and  one  daughter: 
Charles  E.,  John  L.  and  Daisy  Belle.  The  home 
farm,  on  the  flats  southeast  of  Gear  Lake,  consists 
of  forty  acres,  of  which  ten  are  in  cultivation. 
Dairying  is  one  of  his  chief  industries,  although 
he  is  engaged  quite  extensively  in  the  poultry  busi- 
ness. He  sells  a  great  deal  of  butter.  In  his  day 
he  has  practiced  the  strictest  frugality  and  economy, 
but  now  congratulates  himself  that  he  is  in  good 
circumstances,  as  the  result  of  self-denial  in  the 
days  when  there  was  little  fat  in  the  land.  In  the 
political  field  Mr.  Turner  is  a  Republican.  Recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity, he  holds  the  respect  of  all,  as  one  who  has 
been  an  active  factor  in  the  development  and  prog- 
ress of  the  section. 


ALEXANDER  B.  AIELVILLE,  whose  ranch 
is  a  mile  and  a  half  southeast  of  Clear  Lake,  is  one 
of  the  young  men  of  that  section  of  the  country 
who  believe  in  diversified  farming.  He  was  born 
in  Canada,  October  1,  1865,  and  came  to  \\^sh- 
ington  in  1888.  His  father,  Alexander  Melville, 
came  from  Glasgow,  Scotland  when  a  mere  lad  and 
grew  up  in  Ontario,  Canada.  On  reaching  man- 
hood, the  elder  Melville  entered  the  hotel  business. 
He  came  to  Tower  City,  North  Dakota,  ui  1881, 
but  lived  only  six  weeks  after  he  had  crossed  the 
boundary  line.  Mrs.  IMelville,  the  mother  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  Miss  Grace  Brown,  also 
a  native  of  the  land  of  the  heather.  She  came  to 
Canada  when  very  young  and  lived  to  a  ripe  age, 
passing  away  in  Seattle  in  May,  1905.  She  was 
the  mother  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  are  living, 
William,  Elizabeth,  Alexander,  Lily,  Mary,  John, 
Bella,  Maggie,  Grace  and  James.  Before  leaving 
home  Alexander  had  been  the  support  of  his  mother 
and  the  family  and  two  years  after  his  arrival  in 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Washington  he  brought  them  west.  He  lived  sev- 
eral years  in  Olympia,  working  at  masonry,  and 
was  in  Tenino  one  year  commencing  with  1894.  He 
had  early  learned  to  run  an  engine,  an  accomplish- 
ment which  stood  him  in  good  stead  at  Tenino,  for 
he  was  engineer  in  different  mills  while  there.  He 
then  spent  two  years  as  fireman  on  a  steamboat  at 
Gray's  Harbor,  receiving  U.  S.  chief  engineer's 
license  of  lakes,  bays  and  sound,  then,  in  1897,  he 
came  to  Clear  Lake  and  went  to  work  as  chief  en- 
gineer for  the  Clear  Lake  Lumber  Company,  the 
largest  inland  saw-mill  finn  in  Washington,  using 
in  its  work  eleven  engines  and  eleven  boilers.  This 
position  he  held  until  1902.  He  had  bought  his 
present  place  in  the  spring  of  1898  and  has  lived 
there  since  retiring  from  the  mill  business.  Tlie 
home  place  consists  of  eighty  acres  of  excellent  land, 
a  considerable  portion  of  which  is  now  devoted  to 
the  pasturing  of  his  forty  head  of  cattle,  but  the 
acreage  that  has  been  stumped  and  plowed  is  truly 
surprising,  and  speaks  volumes  for  the  industry  and 
ambition  of  Mr.  Melville.  His  capacity  for  hard 
work  is  marvelous. 

While  living  in  Olympia,  Mr.  Melville  married 
Miss  Mamie  Justice,  the  daughter  of  John  Justice, 
who  was  born  on  an  Indiana  farm,  and  is  now  re- 
siding at  Toppenish,  Yakima  county,  this  state. 
She  and  Mr.  Melville  are  parents  of  two  children, 
Maudie  and  Alexander.  In  politics  Mr.  Melville  is 
a  Republican,  in  church  membership  a  Baptist.  A 
thrifty,  progressive  man,  he  is  sure  to  wm  a  marked 
success  by  taking  advantage  of  the  excellent  op- 
portunities afforded  to  the  worthy  in  the  sound 
country.  He  is  one  of  the  most  promising  young 
men  in  his  neighborhood,  and  none  stands  higher 
than  he  in  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  neigh- 
bors. 


JOHN  G.  RIEMER,  a  successful  farmer  liv- 
ing three  miles  S(juth  of  Qear  Lake,  was  born  in 
Germany,  January  ■-'0,  1852,  the  son  of  John  G.  and 
Dora  Elizabeth  (Kerger)  Riemer.  The  father  died 
in  Germany,  where  the  mother  was  still  living  at 
last  .accounts.  They  had  six  chiklrcn,  Gottlieb, 
Paulina,  John  G.,  Carl  Fred  Williams,  Carl  Henry, 
and  Juliaetta.  Until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age 
John  Riemer  lived  at  home,  then  he  served  the  usual 
term  in  the  German  army,  returning  at  its  expira- 
tion to  the  parental  roof,  where  he  lived  until  1879, 
then  coming  to  the  United  States.  For  several 
years  he  worked  at  various  occupations  in  different 
parts  of  the  country,  coming  to  Skagit  county  in 
1886,  when  he  located  on  land  he  has  since  devel- 
oped into  a  home.  The  property  in  its  natural  state 
presented  many  difficulties.  Mr.  Riemer  not  only 
was  confronted  with  great  obstacles  at  home,  but 
had  to  devise  ways  and  means  of  getting  in  and 
out  of  his  place  from  and  to  the  regular  highways. 
He  solved  this  problem  by  building  a  road  of 
puncheons   which   has   stood   the  test  of  time  and 


gives  promise  of  supporting  travel  for  many  years 
to  come. 

Mr.  Riemer,  in  1898,  married  Mrs.  Frank  Bros- 
seau,  whose  maiden  name  was  Miss  Annie  Moll. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Bar- 
inger)  Mill,  natives  of  Germany,  who  came  to  New 
York  and  engaged  in  farm  work.  Mr.  Moll  died 
in  1898,  but  his  wife  lives  with  a  daughter  in  the 
Empire  state.  She  is  the  mother  of  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  are  living  in  New  Yo/k  except  Michael 
and  Mrs.  Riemer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Riemer  have  no 
children,  but  Ralph  Brosseau,  Mrs.  Riemer's  son  by 
a  former  husband,  lives  with  them.  In  politics  Mr. 
Riemer  is  a  Republican,  in  fraternal  circles  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  in  church  affiliations  a  Lutheran.  His 
dairy  herd  consists  of  twenty  milch  cows  and  eleven 
head  of  young  cattle,  the  head  of  the  herd  being  a 
thoroughbred  Durham  bull.  Mr.  Riemer  also  raises 
hogs,  but  dairying  is  his  chief  industry.  In  addi- 
tion to  operating  his  farm,  he  has  assisted  in  dig- 
ging a  canal  between  Beaver  and  Clear  lakes  and 
at  times  has  packed  goods  to  Clear  lake,  thence 
forwarding  by  canal  to  the  Beaver  lake  settlement. 
His  life  has  been  one  of  hard  work,  but  he  looks 
back  with  pardonable  pride  on  what  his  own  energy 
and  his  own  hands  have  accomplished  in  the  past 
few  years. 


JAMES  H.  FELLOWS  has  passed  all  his  lift 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  having  been  born  in  San 
Francisco,  May  20,  1864.  George  W.  Fellows,  his 
father,  a  native  of  the  New  Hampshire  hills,  went 
to  California  during  the  gold  excitement  of  the 
early  'fifties  and  later  embarked  in  the  dairy  busi- 
ness in  San  Francisco,  selling  his  milk  to  custom 
trade.  He  came  to  Skagit  county  in  1885  and  set- 
tled on  a  homestead,  the  land  adjoining  that  of  his 
son's  present  farm.  Mrs.  Katherine  (Hayes)  Fel- 
lows, the  mother  of  our  subject,  died  thirty-three 
years  ago  in  San  Francisco.  She  was  a  native  of 
Boston,  and  the  mother  of  five  children,  Mrs.  Nellie 
A.  Swift,  Mrs.  Helena  Evans,  Thomas  J,,  James  H. 
and  George  W.  •  James  H.  Fellows,  of  this  article, 
lived  with  his  parents  in  San  Francisco  until  twelve 
years  old ;  then  went  to  Merced  county  and  made 
his  home  with  J.  Upton  until  1879.  The  two  years 
which  followed  were  passed  in  the  employ  of  sheep 
raisers  and  in  working  on  a  ranch ;  then  he  came 
north  to  Oregon  and  commenced  to  learn  the  trade 
of  carriage  painting,  but  on  his  father's  settlement 
in  Skagit  county,  lie  determined  to  join  him  here. 
For  several  years  he  worked  with  and  for  the  elder 
Fellows  and  in  1893  purchased  of  linn  twenty  acres 
of  land.  Four  years  later  he  went  to  Alaska,  where 
he  remained  three  years,  but  returning  to  Skagit 
county  in  1901,  he  has  ever  since  made  it  his  home, 
operating  a  dairv  farm  southeast  of  Clear  Lake. 

In  1893  Mr.  Fellows  married  Miss  ]\Iartha  Buck 
at  Mount  Vernon,  a  daughter  of  Franklin  Buck,  a 
pioneer  of  the  Skagit  valley,  a  sketch  of  whose  life 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


appears  elsewhere  in  this  vokime.  Mrs.  Fellows  is 
one  of  ten  children:  Mrs.  Emma  Payne,  Mrs. 
Sarah  Omrch,  Joseph,  Charles  F.,  Mamie,  Dora, 
Henry  and  Edward  Buck.  Her  sister,  Elizabeth 
Buck,  died  two  years  ago.  Mrs.  Fellows  is  a  native 
of  Skagit  county,  and  received  her  education  here, 
remaining  at  the  Buck  home  until  her  marriage. 
She  and  Mr.  Fellows  have  had  two  children,  Alice, 
at  home,  and  Elizabeth  H.,  deceased.  In  politics 
Mr.  Fellows  is  an  independent  Democrat  and  in 
fraternal  connections  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  Mrs.  Fellows  is  a 
communicant  of  the  Catholic  church.  The  Fellows 
farm  now  consists  of  sixty  acres,  a  portion  of  which 
is  cleared  and  under  cultivation,  the  dairy  upon  it 
numbers  ten  milch  cows  and  eight  head  of  young 
cattle.  Mr.  Fellows  also  raises  other  livestock  and 
keeps  enough  horses  for  the  work  about  the  place. 
He  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  community. 


JOHN  B.  LACHAPELLE,  hotel  keeper  at  Big 
Lake,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  citizens 
of  this  rapidly  developing  section  of  Skagit  county, 
in  which  he  settled  late  in  1899.  Mr.  Lachapelle  is 
a  native  of  Montreal,  Quebec,  born  August  27, 
1869.  His  father,  John  B.  Lachapelle,  also  a  native 
of  Montreal,  was  a  successful  horse  dealer  until  his 
retirement  a  few  months  ago  at  the  advanced  age 
of  seventy-five  years.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Julia  (Le- 
barge)  Lachapelle,  is  still  living  in  the  metropolis 
of  Lower  Canada,  having  attained  the  traditional 
three  score  years  and  ten.  Until  he  was  fourteen 
years  of  age  young  Lachapelle  attended  school  and 
made  his  home  with  his  parents,  but  at  that  age  he 
set  out  for  himself,  going  to  the  woods  of  Michigan, 
where  he  passed  five  years  employed  in  saw-mills 
or  turning  his  hand  to  any  kind  of  work  which  was 
available.  Then  followed  a  period  of  a  number  of 
years  in  the  timber  belt  of  Wisconsin,  working  in 
different  capacities,  until  in  1899  he  came  to  Skagit 
county  and  engaged  in  business  in  Big  Lake,  where 
he  has  ever  since  resided,  being  now  a  popular  hotel 
man  of  the  place.  Mr.  Lachapelle  owns  a  forty 
acre  tract  Just  outside  of  town  and  has  erected  a 
fine  cottage  there  in  which  he  makes  his  home. 

In  1903  at  Vancouver  Mr.  Lachapelle  married 
Miss  Nora  Anderson,  the  only  child  of  Andrew  X. 
Anderson,  a  native  of  Michigan  who  is  now  living 
at  Big  Lake.  Mrs.  Lachapelle  was  born  in  Michi- 
gan and  lived  with  her  parents  up  to  the  time  of 
her  marriage.  In  politics  Mr.  Lachapelle  is  a  Demo- 
crat ;  in  lodge  affiliation,  a  member  of  the  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles  and  of  the  Catholic  Order  of  For- 
esters; in  religion,  a  Catholic.  Mr.  Lachapelle  has 
been  uniformly  and  progressively  successful  in  all 
his  business  enterprises,  now  owning  his  hotel  busi- 
ness, with  fixtures  and  furnishings,  a  forty-acre 
tract  with  elegant  two  thousand  dollar  cottage  on 
the  outskirts  of  town,  another  cottage  which  he 
leases,   and    property   in    Seattle.      Mr.   Lachapelle 


stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  the  people  of  Big  Lake 
and  vicinity,  being  recognized  as  one  of  the  ener- 
getic and  reliable  citizens  of  that  place. 


JAMES  LOUGH,  who  a  few  months  ago  went 
into  the  dairy  business,  purchasing  a  fine  piece  of 
property  a  mile  north  of  Big  Lake,  has  spent  all 
the  rest  of  his  life  since  coming  to  Skagit  county  in 
the  timber  and  lumber  industry.  He  was  bom  in 
Canada,  April  8,  1863,  the  son  of  Alexander  Lough, 
a  Canadian  mechanic  born  in  1831,  now  living  in 
Michigan.  The  mother,  nee  Mary  Wall,  born  in 
Ireland  in  1833,  is  also  living  in  Michigan.  James 
Lough  is  one  of  twelve  children,  the  others  being 
Samuel,  John,  William,  Hattie,  Albert,  Susan, 
Alexander,  Mary,  George,  Robert  and  Emma.  Mr. 
Lough  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  came  to 
Skagit  county  in  1889,  when  Mount  Vernon,  the 
only  town  on  the  Skagit  river,  was  a  small  village. 
He  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  feature  of 
work  in  the  timber  and  found  ready  employment. 

In  1888  in  Michigan  Mr.  Lough  married  Miss 
Ella  McKay,  daughter  of  Neal  McKay,  a  Canadian 
farmer,  born  in  1836,  who  eventually  moved  to 
Michigan,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
Mrs.  Lough's  mother,  Mrs.  Anna  (McGregor) 
McKay,  born  in  Canada  in  1831  to  Scotch  parents, 
is  now  living  in  Alpina,  Michigan,  the  mother  of 
nine  children,  James,  Duncan,  Alexander,  Anna 
(deceased),  Christina,  Isabelle,  Ella,  Kate  and 
Emma.  Mrs.  Lough  was  born  in  Canada  in  1869' 
and  lived  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage  to  Mr. 
Lough.  Of  this  union  four  children  have  been 
born,  James  Arthur,  Lester  Dimcan,  Katie  Leona 
and  Norman  Alexander.  In  politics  Mr.  Lough  is 
a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  in  church  membership 
is  a  Presbyterian.  Tlie  farm  purchased  by  Mr. 
Lough  in  1905  for  his  home  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  acres,  thirty  of  which  have  been 
cleared  and  prepared  for  the  establishment  of  a 
dairy  farm.  It  is  located  a  mile  north  of  Big  Lake, 
in  a  section  of  country  admirably  adapted  for  dairy 
purposes.  Mr.  Lough  started  his  dairy  with  but 
five  cows  and  five  young  cattle,  and  purposes  to 
develop  his  place  as  rapidly  as  possble,  planning 
ultimately  to  increase  his  stock  and  broaden  his 
work.  He  is  also  giving  some  attention  to  poultry, 
having  started  with  thirty  selected  fowl.  Mr. 
Lough  has  been  successful  as  a  woodsman  and  has 
well  developed  those  qualities  which  are  certain  to 
bring  good  results  in  the  dairy  and  poultry  farming 
lines.  He  is  a  man  much  respected  by  those  with 
whom  he  has  worked  or  has  had  business  connec- 
tions. 


KENNETH  MacLEOD  is  one  of  the  enter- 
prising and  successful  farmers  of  the  Conway  sec- 
tion of  Skagit  county,  having  a  large  and  productive 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


farm  well  stocked  in  every  way.  His  home  is  two 
miles  southeast  oi  town  and  it  is  one  of  the  fine 
places  of  that  part  of  the  county.  Mr.  MacLeod 
was  born  in  Canada  July  1,  1862,  the  son  of  Ken- 
neth R.  MacLeod,  a  native  of  Scotland  who  emi- 
grated to  Canada  with  his  parents  and  passed  his 
entire  life  there,  -until  he  came  to  Skagit  county  in 

1902.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Martha  (Morrison)  Mac- 
Leod, is  a  native  of  Canada  and  received  her  edu- 
cation there.  She  is  still  living,  at  Conway,  the 
mother  of  eight  children :  Mrs.  Maggie  Young, 
Merdock,  Kenneth,  Roderick,  Annie,  Mrs.  Mary 
Finch.  Allan  and  Katherine.  Kenneth  MacLeod 
attended  school  in  Canada  until  he  was  fifteen  years 
of  age.  His  years  as  a  young  man  were  passed  in 
earning  a  livelihood  at  whatever  presented  itself ; 
in  1885  he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  worked  for 
Richard  Holyoke  for  eight  years  and  eight  months. 
He  then  bought  a  place  near  the  Holyoke  farm  and 
lived  there  until  1901,  when  he  sold  out  and  pur- 
chased the  farm  on  which  he  has  since  resided. 

Early  in  the  year  189G  Mr.  MacLeod  married 
Miss  Maggie  M.  Finch,  daughter  of  Linus  and 
Annie  (McPherson)  Finch,  both  of  whom  are  now 
dead.  Mrs.  MacLeod  has  one  sister,  Mrs.  Ida  Mc- 
Bain,  and  a  brother,  George.  She  was  born  March 
20,  1876,  educated  in  the  Canadian  schools,  taking 
a  high  school  course,  and  lived  with  her  parents 
until  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MacLeod  have  two 
children:     Linus,  born  in  1898,  and   Ida,  born  in 

1903.  In  politics  Mr.  MacLeod  is  a  Republican,  in 
lodge  affiliations  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  and  in  church  relations  a  Metho- 
dist. The  MacLeod  farm  consists  of  one  hundred 
and  eleven  acres,  eighty-five  of  which  are  bottom 
land  of  great  fertility.  Fifteen  cows  constitute  the 
dairy  herd,  while  fourteen  head  of  other  cattle  and 
thirty  hogs  constitute  the  remainder  of  the  farm's 
livestock,  except  horses  and  a  carriage  pony.  Mr. 
MacLeod  is  well  satisfied  with  his  fortunes  since 
coming  to  Skagit  county,  and  has  made  a  success 
through  his  energy,  thrift  and  shrewd  management 
of  his  afifairs.  He  is  highly  esteemed  in  the  neigh- 
borhood and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
men  of  the  community. 


NILS  DONALDSON,  farmer  and  dairyman  a 
mile  and  a  half  northwest  of  Milltown,  is  one  of 
the  men  of  Scandinavian  birth  who  have  made  a 
financial  success  since  coming  to  Skagit  county. 
He  operates  a  farm,  and  his  place  of  about  ninety 
acres  is  one  of  the  fine  agricultural  properties  in 
his  section.  Mr.  Donaldson  was  born  in  Norway 
April  2,  1853.  the  son  of  Donald  and  Gura  John- 
son, natives  also  of  Norway,  who  are  spending  the 
evening  of  their  lives  with  their  children  in  Skagit 
county,  the  father  with  Nils  and  the  mother  with 
a  daughter  at  Fir.  They  are  the  parents  of  six 
children:  John,  Brit,  Nils,  Christian,  Louis  and 
Johanna,  the  two  last  named  being  residents  of  Fir. 


Nils  Donaldson  attended  the  schools  of  Norway 
until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  and  remained  in 
the  old  country  until  1879,  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  located  in  Michigan,  where  he 
worked  in  an  iron  foundry  for  two  years.  He  then 
came  to  Skagit  county  and  worked  in  logging  camps 
for  six  years.  In  1886  he  went  back  to  Norway  for 
the  purpose  of  bringing  his  parents  to  Skagit  county 
and  he  also  brought  with  him  his  future  wife.  On 
his  return  Mr.  Donaldson  located  on  his  present 
place  and  has  lived  there  ever  since.  The  land  was 
raw,  with  no  improvements,  not  even  a  dike. 

At  Seattle  July  3,  1887,  Mr.  Donaldson  married 
Miss  Anna  Erickson,  daughter  of  Erick  Erickson, 
a  Norwegian  farmer  who  lived  and  died  in  the  old 
country.  The  mother  was  Marit  Alingson  before 
marriage.  She  is  still  living  in  Norway,  the  mother 
of  six  children:  Aling,  Sigfrid  and  Tvlagnus,  who 
live  in  Norway ;  Erick,  now  a  resident  of  Grays 
Harbor,  Washington ;  Ole,  residing  at  Fir,  this 
county ;  and  Mrs.  Donaldson.  She  was  born  May 
28,  1857,  and  attended  school  until  sixteen  years  of 
age.  She  then  worked  out  until  coming  to  this 
country,  making  the  trip  with  her  future  husband 
and  his  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donaldson  have 
two  living  children :  Gena,  born  August  25,  1888, 
and  Mabel,  born  November  30,  1896.  A  son, 
named  for  his  father,  was  born  in  1894,  but  has 
died.  In  politics  Mr.  Donaldson  is  a  Republican 
and  in  church  affiliations  a  Lutheran.  He  has  a 
farm  of  eighty-six  acres,  sixty-seven  of  which  are 
under  dike.  His  dairy  herd  numbers  twelve  cows, 
while  he  also  has  nine  head  of  beef  cattle  and  horses 
of  sufficient  number  to  work  the  farm.  Mr.  Donald- 
son is  one  of  the  prosperous  men  of  his  community, 
reliable  and  well  esteemed  by  his  associates.  For 
twenty-five  years  he  has  assisted  ably  in  the  devel- 
opment of  Skagit  county  and  is  now  aiding  ef- 
fectively in  the  progress  of  its  people  and  their 
industries. 

Later. 

Nils  Donaldson  died  October  22,  1905,  after  an 
illness  lasting  three  months.  Since  his  death  the 
home  farm  has  been  sold  and  Mrs.  Donaldson  has 
purchased  an  improved  eight-acre  place  at  Fir, 
where  she  and  her  daughters  are  now  residing. 


JOHN  ABRAHAMSON,  living  one  mile  north- 
west of  McMurray,  is  of  the  type  of  agriculturists 
who  have  made  a  success  of  land  life  after  having 
followed  the  sea  for  an  extended  period.  His  farm 
home  is  one  of  the  pleasant  places  of  the  Mc- 
Murray section  and  the  few  years  he  has  passed 
there  have  shown  many  improvements.  Mr.  Abra- 
hamson  is  a  native  of  Norway,  having  been  born  in 
the  land  of  the  fjords  February  8,  1863,  the  son  of 
Abraham  and  Grata  (Jorgenson)  Johanson,  farm- 
ers who  died  in  the  old  country  more  than  a  decade 
ago.  Of  their  seven  children  four  are  dead.  The 
living  are  John,  Jacob  and  Albert.     Young  Abra- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


803 


hamson  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  sixteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  determined  to  follow  the  sea 
for  a  livelihood.  This  he  did  for  a  period  of  eleven 
years,  until  in  1890  he  decided  to  land  in  the  United 
States  and  continue  his  life  as  an  American.  For 
the  first  five  years  of  his  life  on  the  Pacific  coast  Mr. 
Abrahamson  was  employed  on  various  vessels  run- 
ning in  and  out  of  Seattle,  but  in  1895  he  came  to 
McMurray  and  bought  seventy  acres  of  land,  ten 
of  which  are  now  cleared  and  the  remainder  in 
slashing. 

In  1895  in  Seattle  Mr.  Abrahamson  married 
Miss  Agnes  Londahl.  Mrs.  Abrahamson  was  born 
March  13,  1862,  and  lived  with  her  parents  until 
1889,  when  she  went  to  Minnesota.  After  remain- 
ing there  a  year  she  came  to  Seattle,  where  she  was 
employed  until  her  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Abra- 
hamson have  three  children.  Alma,  George  and 
Oscar.  In  politics  Mr.  Abrahamson  is  a  Republican 
and  has  served  as  road  supervisor  in  Skagit  county 
for  five  years.  Tlie  live  stock  on  the  home  place 
consists  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs.  Since  becoming 
a  farmer  Mr.  Abrahamson  has  demonstrated  his 
good  business  ability ;  has  been  successful  as  an 
agriculturist  and  has  proven  a  welcome  addition  to 
the  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  McMurray.  Both  he 
and  Mrs.  Abrahamson  are  highly  respected  by  a 
large  circle  of  friends. 


HON.  BIRDSEY  D.  MINKLER,  the  first 
postmaster  of  Birdsview,  the  man  m  whose  honor 
that  town  is  named,  the  mill  man  of  Minkler  and 
the  merchant  of  Lyman,  was  one  of  the  first  of  the 
pioneers  on  the  upper  Skagit  river.  For  nearly 
thirty  years  he  has  been  an  active  and  important 
personage  in  the  development  of  the  county.  He 
was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin,  October  9,  1849, 
the  son  of  Cyrl  and  Mary  Ann  (Thradel)  Minkler. 
The  father  was  a  farmer,  born  in  New  York  state, 
who  came  to  Wisconsin  two  years  before  the  birth 
of  his  son.  In  1852  he  started  across  the  plains  for 
California,  but  was  seized  with  the  cholera  and  died 
on  the  Platte  river.  A  part  of  his  family  was  with 
him,  but  Birdsey  and  two  brothers  had  been  left  in 
Wisconsin  with  the  grandparents,  and  under  their 
charge  he  grew  to  manhood,  attended  the  common 
schools,  worked  on  the  farm  at  home  and  took  a 
two  year  course  in  the  Lawrence  university  at  Ap- 
pleton,  Wisconsin.  In  1871,  he  went  to  Kansas, 
and  two  years  later  to  California,  where  for  a  short 
time  he  was  employed  in  the  lumbering  business. 
He  came  to  Port  Madison  on  Puget  sound  in  1874 ; 
in  1876  moved  to  Seattle  and  in  1877  came  thence 
up  the  Skagit  river  and  took  pre-emption  and  tim- 
ber claims  at  Birdsview.  His  faithful  wife  braved 
the  dangers  and  endured  the  hardships  with  him, 
becoming  the  first  white  woman  in  that  part  of  the 
country.  Qiarles  von  Pressentin  and  August  Kim- 
rich  were  the  only  neighbors.  By  the  first  settlers 
he  was  called  Bird  and  when  the  town  was  estab- 


lished and  he  was  made  its  first  postmaster,  it  was 
called  Birdsview  in  his  honor.  Soon  after  coming 
to  the  county  he  built  a  saw-mill  and  he  was  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  until  1886,  when  he  sold  the 
mill,  moved  to  Lyman,  built  another  mill  and  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business.  He  has  sold  the 
mill  business  at  Lyman  to  his  son  and  son-in-law, 
but  continues  in  the  mercantile  business.  The  town 
of  Minkler,  two  miles  west  of  Lyman,  where  he 
built  a  mill  in  1897,  was  named  in  honor  of  Mr. 
i\I inkier.  He  secured  the  postoffice  for  this  town 
and  his  son  John  is  postmaster.  The  two  have  a 
store  there.  Mr.  Minkler  is  president  of  the  Lyman 
Lumber  &  Shingle  Company  at  Minkler.  In  the 
early  days  on  the  river  the  only  travel  was  by  canoe ; 
later  the  settlers  blazed  trails  through  the  dense 
forests  and  these  trails  finally  were  broadened  into 
passable  highways,  but  he  had  lived  ten  years  in 
the  valley  before  there  were  wagon  roads. 

Miss  Hannah  Chisholm  and  Mr.  Minkler  were 
married  in  1873,  and  they  have  eight  children: 
Maud,  John,  Garfield,  Birdsey,  Mattie,  Edith  and 
Ethel, — twins,  and  Elmer.  Mr.  Minkler  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  a  Mason. 
Throughout  his  residence  in  Skagit  county  he  has 
been  a  man  upon  whom  the  Republican  party  al- 
ways relies.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  state 
legislature  in  the  winter  of  1889-90,  served  two 
terms  in  the  'eighties  as  county  commissioner, 
and  has  been  delegate  to  most  of  the  county  and 
state  conventions.  He  is  considered  one  of  the  best 
business  men  in  the  county,  conservative,  farseeing 
and  shrewd,  and  personally  he  is  unusually  popular. 
His  name  must  ever  be  honorably  associated  with 
those  of  the  sturdy  characters  who,  with  unfalter- 
ing courage  and  determination,  have  for  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century  battled  with  nature  in  her 
swamp  and  forest  strongholds,  bringing  order  out 
of  chaos,  making  fertile  the  waste  places,  and 
changing  the  crooked  trails  into  broad  avenues  that 
now  front  the  homes  and  institutions  of  civilization, 
pass  through  picturesque  villages  and  towns,  and 
lead  to  the  populous  centers  of  commerce,  industry 
and  erudition.  To  such  men  as  Mr.  Minkler  the 
Northwest  must  ever  owe  an  honest  debt  of  grati- 
tude. 


HENRY  HURSHMAN,  merchant  of  Lyman, 
who  has  made  a  marked  success  of  his  business  dur- 
the  fifteen  years  he  has  been  in  Skagit  county,  re- 
calls the  time  when  there  was  not  population 
enough  up  the  river  to  warrant  a  mercantile  ven- 
ture of  any  kind.  He  was  born  in  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, April  13,  1863,  the  son  of  Charles  Hurshman, 
a  German  who  came  to  America  from  the  old  coun- 
try and  engaged  in  the  meat  business.  The  elder 
Hurshman,  during  the  Civil  war,  had  a  contract 
with  the  government  to  furnish  meat  to  the  soldiers 
at  Camp  Butler,  Springfield.  He  still  is  living  at 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven.    Of  his  mother 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


Henry  Hurshman  remembers  but  little,  for  she  died 
when  he  was  a  small  boy,  and  the  remarriage  of 
his  father,  coupled  with  the  boy's  going  to  live  with 
one  John  Lutz,  obliterated  from  his  memory  much 
that  he  knew  of  her.  He  was  the  youngest  of  five 
children,  the  living  now  being  widely  scattered.  He 
rem.ained  eight  years  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Lutz,  at- 
tending school  and  working  on  a  farm.  At  eighteen 
he  commenced  railroading,  his  first  work  being  as 
fireman  running  out  of  Springfield.  Mr.  Hursh- 
man was  an  ambitious  youth,  and  during  the  seven 
years  he  was  in  railroad  work  he  attended  the  night 
classes  of  a  business  college,  ultimately  completing 
a  regular  course.  He  came  west  in  1889  and  after 
stopping  a  short  time  in  Seattle,  moved  to  Skagit 
county  the  same  year,  settled  at  Hamilton,  and  took 
a  contract  for  clearing  a  part  of  the  site  of  the  pro- 
jected town.  The  roads  were  bad  and  he  endured 
many  hardships  on  the  trip  in,  carrying  his  blankets 
on  his  back  and  in  places  wading  knee  deep  through 
mud  and  water.  While  working  on  this  contract 
at  Hamilton  he  took  up  two  claims  near  the  town- 
site  and  began  improving  them.  Later  he  sold 
these  and  opened  a  confectionery  store  at  Hamilton 
and  then  a  general  merchandise  establishment  at 
Lyman,  but  he  still 'claims  Hamilton  as  his  place  of 
residence  and  votes  there.  He  has,  however,  sold 
some  of  his  interests  in  the  latter  town  in  recent 
years.  He  owns  the  business  and  building  at  Ly- 
man and  still  holds  the  building  he  occupied  when 
in  Hamilton.  He  believes  in  Skagit  county  and  its 
great  resources  and  thinks  there  is  no  better  place 
anywhere  in  the  world  for  a  man  of  moderate 
means  who  is  capable  of  taking  advantage  of  the 
opportunities  offered.  In  politics  he  is  an  active, 
enthusiastic  Republican. 


MRS.  MARY  MARTIN,  in  the  years  that  she 
has  operated  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Ly- 
man, has  demonstrated  that  a  woman  is  competent 
to  manage  an  agricultural  industry  and  earn  the 
respect  of  the  business  community.  Mrs.  Martin 
is  a  native  of  Belgium,  having  been  born  there  May 
13,  1854,  the  daughter  of  Joseph  Paradise,  who 
died  when  his  daughter  was  twelve  years  of  age. 
Of  her  mother,  she  recalls  nothing,  having  been 
reared  by  a  brother.  Mrs.  Martin  is  one  of  five 
children,  the  others  being  Joel,  Alexander,  John 
and  Felice.  After  her  father's  death,  the  girl  lived 
with  a  brother  until  she  came  to  the  United  States 
and  Chicago  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  She  re- 
mained in  Chicago  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  period  she  came  to  Skagit  county  and  set- 
tled at  Hamilton  for  two  years ;  but  has  lived  on 
the  present  place  for  a  score  of  years. 

In  1876  she  was  married  to  Clement  J.  Martin, 
from  whom  she  has  been  separated  for  three  years. 
In  the  separation  Mrs.  Martin  retained  the  farm 
and  Mr.  Martin  the  stock,  the  members  of  the  fam- 
ily making  their  home  with  their  mother.    Mr.  Mar- 


tin has  since  remarried  and  is  living  in  Alberta, 
Canada.  Mrs.  Martin  has  had  seven  children,  one 
of  whom  is  dead.  The  living  are  Frank,  Jennie, 
Jule  W.,  Josephine,  Maggie  and  Sylvia.  In  politics 
Mrs.  Martin's  sons  are  Republicans.  Frank  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  The  family  at- 
tends the  Catholic  church.  The  farm  consists  of 
115  acres  of  land,  20  of  which  are  cleared,  the  re- 
mainder being  in  pasture.  Mrs.  Martin  has  distinct 
recollection  of  the  early  days  on  this  place,  of  the 
clearing  made  with  o.xen,  of  the  lack  of  roads  and 
of  the  entire  absence  of  facilities  of  the  modem 
kind.  She  is  an  energetic  woman,  full  of  resources 
and  of  business  capacity  not  uncommon  in  women 
of  foreign  birth.  She  is  honored  by  her  sons  and 
daughters  and  respected  and  admired  by  the  entire 
community. 


_  ALEXANDER  ROSS,  a  farmer,  stockman  and 
raiser  of  registered  short  horns  three  miles  west  of 
Lyman,  was  attracted  to  Skagit  county  through  an 
early  connection  in  San  Francisco  with  David  Bat- 
ey,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  upper  Skagit  valley. 
Though  in  those  pioneer  days  he  acquired  interests 
here,  he  did  not  make  Skagit  county  his  home  until 
1893.  He  was  born  in  Ross  shire,  Scotland,  in 
1853,  the  third  of  seven  sons  of  Alexander  and 
Tinne  Ross,  Scottish  farming  people,  now  dead. 
But  three  children  remain :  Donald  in  Ross  shire, 
David,  near  Sedro-Woolley,  and  Alexander.  As  a 
boy  young  Ross  passed  the  life  of  a  Scottish  farni' 
lad  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  was  apprenticed 
to  the  trade  of  carpenter.  At  twenty,  having  served 
his  term,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  in  May, 
1872,  was  at  the  carpenter's  bench  in  San  Francisco. 
In  connection  with  his  work  he  went  to  the  Ha- 
waiian Islands  and  helped  erect  mills  for  Claus 
Spreckels,  then  sugar  king.  For  twenty  years  Mr. 
Ross  alternated  between  San  Francisco  and  Hono- 
lulu and  the  other  islands  of  the  Pacific  group,  but 
in  1892  he  came  to  La  Conner  and  on  the  advice  of 
his  old  friend,  Mr.  Batey,  took  up  his  present  place, 
then  all  in  timber.  Leaving  his  brother  in  charge 
of  his  Skagit  county  interests,  he  has  made  frequent 
trips  to  San  Francisco.  On  one  occasion  he  im- 
ported from  California  five  head  of  registered  short- 
horns, the  first  thoroughbreds  of  that  breed  to  be 
brought  here.  They  cost  considerable  money,  but 
the  venture  has  proved  highly  successful  and  he 
has  imported  a  number  of  registered  bulls,  the  en- 
tire series  of  importation  resulting  in  a  very  choice 
collection  of  cattle.  He  has  also  imported  some 
Percheron  mares  for  the  purpose  of  raising  draft 
horses.  Mr.  Ross  is  the  owner  of  140  acres  of 
land,  and  has  recently  sold  200  acres,  retaining  pas- 
ture rights  on  the  latter  tract.  In  fraternal  circles 
he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  past  grand;  in  politics 
he  is  a  Republican  and  has  represented  his  section 
in  the  county  conventions.  Mr.  Ross  is  a  man  of 
considerable  means,  thoroughly  reliable  and  re- 
spected in  his  community. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


PETER  W.  TRUMAN,  a  farmer  and  dairy- 
man, living  a  short  distance  east  of  Lyman,  has 
demonstrated  what  a  man  with  only  $300  to  start 
with  can  do  in  comparatively  few  years,  in  Skagit 
county.  By  energy,  thrifty  and  constant  application 
to  his  work,  he  has  accumulated  considerable  prop- 
erty and  now  is  considered  well  to  do  in  his  com- 
munity. He  was  born  in  Cheshire,  England,  Janu- 
ary 2(5,  1864,  the  oldest  of  the  seven  children  of 
James  S.  and  Jane  (Wright)  Trueman.  As  a  lad 
he  worked  in  a  cotton  factory  four  years,  then  at 
the  age  of  twelve  he  went  to  work  in  a  stone  quarry. 
In  1883,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Belleville,  On- 
tario, and  there  he  worked  for  the  railroads  a  few 
years,  later  engaging  in  farming.  Early  in  the  year 
1888,  he  came  to  Seattle,  Washington,  but  eventu- 
ally selecting  Skagit  county  for  his  future  home,  he 
went  up  the  Skagit  river  and  took  land  twenty  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  Baker  river.  There  were  only 
two  white  women  there  at  the  time,  and  settlers 
were  few.  Four  years  later,  having  proved  up  on  his 
place,  he  came  down  to  Lyman  and  commenced 
work  in  a  logging  camp,  four  miles  below  the  town. 
After  being  thus  engaged  for  three  years,  he  mar- 
ried, moved  to  Lyman,  and  began  work  in  a  shingle 
bolt  camp.  In  1898  he  purchased  land  in  the  vicin- 
ity and  a  year  later  built  the  house  upon  it,  in  which 
he  now  lives.  He  afterward  bought  the  place  ad- 
joining his  original  Lyman  property  on  the  south, 
and  he  has  since  gradually  drifted  into  cattle  rais- 
ing and  dairying  on  his  pleasant  farm  of  eighty- 
eight  acres.  A  firm  believer  in  selected  stock,  he 
keeps  a  fine  Jersey  bull  at  the  head  of  his  herd, 
while  his  hogs  are  splendid  Berkshires,  and  all  his 
livestock  is  the  best  obtainable.  He  also  has  a  fine 
young  orchard. 

In  189.?  Mr.  Trueman  married  Mrs.  Emma  Ries, 
widow  of  Nicholas  Ries,  who  bore  to  her  first  hus- 
band four  children.  Clara,  Josie,  Ernest  and  Albert. 
The  Trueman  children  are  three,  namely,  Fred, 
Ruth  and  Jean  H.  Mr.  Trueman  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  while  the  family  are  adherents  of  the 
Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republcan,  ac- 
tive in  primaries,  caucuses,  and  assemblies,  having 
missed  only  one  of  the  county  conventions  of  his 
party  in  eight  years.  He  has  been  justice  of  the 
peace  four  terms :  is  clerk  of  the  school  board,  and 
was  an  active  and  potent  factor  in  the  organization 
of  the  Hamilton  high  school  district.  The  True- 
man  family  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  highly 
respected  in  the  community. 


AUGUST  W.  SCHAFER,  manager  and  cash- 
ier of  the  Bank  of  Hamilton,  is  one  of  the  men  who 
have  a  firm  belief  in  the  future  of  eastern  Skagit 
county  and  in  the  speedy  development  of  the  re- 
sources of  the  country  tributary  to  Hamilton;  and 
Mr.  Schafer's  career  in  the  banking  business  at  this 
point  substantiates  his  willingness  to  abide  by  that 


belief.  He  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  in 
1875,  the  son  of  August  Schafer,  one  of  the 
prominent  educators  of  the  Badger  state.  The 
elder  Schafer  was  born  in  Germany,  but  came  tc^ 
the  LTnited  States  when  a  young  man.  He  soon  be- 
gan his  career  as  a  teacher,  first  serving  in  the 
country  schools  and  later  in  the  city  schools.  He 
served  as  principal  of  several  of  the  schools  in  Mil- 
waukee, also  was  an  instructor  in  the  business  col- 
lege there.  He  died  in  1898  at  the  age  of  fifty-two 
years.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Dorothy  (Gabel)  Schafer, 
is  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  of  German  descent,  and 
is  now  living  with  her  son  at  Hamilton.  Young 
Schafer  in  his  boyhood  days  attended  the  common 
schools  and  later  took  a  course  in  the  cr.llege  at 
Mount  Calvary,  Wisconsin,  supplementing  it  with  a 
course  in  a  business  college.  He  then  became  clerk 
in  a  drug  store  in  Milwaukee  and  continued  so  em- 
ployed for  two  and  a  half  years,  leaving  to  enter  the 
office  of  a  large  manufacturing  establishment  in  that 
city.  In  1893,  the  year  of  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition,  he  went  to  Chicago  and  filled  a  clerical 
position  in  the  offices  of  the  Pullman  Palace  Car 
Company.  A  year  later  he  came  west  to  Hamilton, 
Washington,  where  he  had  acquaintances,  and  his 
visit  resulted  in  his  accepting  a  position  as  clerk 
in  the  bank  of  I.  E.  Shraugher  &  Company.  In 
1896,  on  the  election  of  Mr.  Shraugher  as  county  at- 
torney and  his  removal  to  Mount  Vernon,  the  man- 
agement of  the  bank  was  left  in  Mr.  Schafer's 
hands.  A  year  later  the  institution  went  out  of 
business,  liquidating  all  indebtedness,  the  entire 
work  of  settlement  devolving  on  Mr.  Schafer. 
Called  back  to  Wisconsin  by  the  sickness  and  death 
of  his  father  in  1899,  Mr.  Schafer  filled  out  the  un- 
expired term  of  his  father  as  an  instructor  there 
and  settled  up  the  business  of  the  estate.  Upon  re- 
turning to  the  West  he  took  an  active  interest  in 
forming  the  bank  known  as  that  of  J.  Yungbluth  & 
Company,  acquiring  an  interest  in  the  institution 
and  becoming  its  manager  and  cashier. 

In  1899,  Miss  Cora  Bemis,  a  native  of  Michigan 
and  the  daughter  of  Charles  E.  Bemis,  a  shingle 
manufacturer,  became  the  bride  of  Mr.  Schafer,  and 
to  their  union  two  children  have  been  born,  Dor- 
othy, April  17,  1900,  and  A.  Donald,  in  November, 
1901.  In  fraternal  affiliation,  Mr.  Schafer  is  a 
member  of  the  Foresters  and  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men.  His  public  spirit  and  the  position  he  oc- 
cupies among  his  neighbors  are  clearly  evidenced 
by  the  fact  that  he  has  served  as  city  clerk,  council- 
man and  mayor ;  member  of  the  school  board  and 
its  chairman.  At  present  he  is  clerk  of  the  board  of 
the  union  high  school  district.  With  J.  H.  Smith 
and  James  Cochrane  he  has  helped  to  push  the  high 
school  proposition  to  the  front  and  he  is  still  main- 
taining his  position  as  a  champion  of  the  project. 
He  believes  that  the  resources  of  the  Hamilton  dis- 
itrict,  outside  of  its  known  extensive  mines,  are  am- 
ple to  maintain  and  increase  the  business  of  the 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


town.  Mr.  Schafer  is  one  of  the  highly  respected, 
successful  and  influential  citizens  of  Hamilton  and 
the  upper  Skagit  country. 


GEORGE  A.  HENSON,  the  popular  mayor  of 
Hamilton,  is  one  of  the  "Native  Sons  of  Califor- 
nia," bom  July  25,  185G,  in  the  placer  diggings  at 
the  historic  "old  Sutter's  mill,"  where  his  father 
was  mining  at  the  time.  He  is,  however,  as  proud 
of  the  state  of  his  adoption  as  he  is  of  the  place  of 
his  birth.  His  father,  William  T.  Henson,  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  of  German  descent,  but  his  for- 
bears had  lived  in  the  Blue  Grass  state  for  several 
generations.  He  was  one  of  those  brave  men  who 
crossed  the  plains  in  1849.  He  returned  later  to 
Kentucky  for  a  wife,  but  soon  was  in  California 
again,  and  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  days  In  the  Gold- 
en state,  passing  out  of  life  there  in  1898,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-four.  Mrs.  Mary  (Allen)  Henson, 
the  mother  of  George  A.,  a  native  of  North  Caro- 
lina, of  French  descent,  passed  away  in  1884. 
George  A.  Henson  was  born  and  raised  at  Auburn, 
Placer  county,  California,  the  heart  of  the  country 
which  produced  the  gold  excitement  of  '49.  He 
was  educated  at  Placerville,  known  in  the  old  gold- 
seeking  days  as  Hangtown,  and  was  reared  in  the 
atmosphere  of  mines  and  mining,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  years  of  his  life  between  seventeen  and 
twenty-two,  when  he  learned  the  trade  of  machinist 
in  the  Union  Iron  Works  in  San  Francisco.  After 
this  he  had  charge  of  the  mine  machinery  in  El  Do- 
rado for  a  time,  then  he  went  to  the  big  Mayflower 
mine  in  Placer  county,  where  he  remained  in  charge 
of  the  pumps  and  machinery  until  1889.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  Skagit  county  as  machinist  for  the 
Skagit-Cumberland  Coal  Company  of  San  Francis- 
co, which  was  operating  coal  mines  near  Hamilton. 
by  Mr.  Henson,  who  is  now  superintendent  of  the 
The  machinery  was  brought  by  boat  and  installed 
mining  operations  of  the  company  in  this  county. 

In  1894  Mr.  Henson  married  Mrs.  Delia  Par- 
burry,  a  native  of  Amador  county,  California,  but  of 
German  descent.  Her  maiden  name  was  Ludekin. 
To  this  union  has  been  born  one  son,  George  A. 
Henson,  Jr.  Of  Mr.  Henson's  father's  family  there 
remain  Miss  Mary  Henson  ;  Mrs.  Louise  Thompson, 
wife  of  an  attorney  of  Portland,  Oregon ;  and  three 
brothers,  William,  Charles  and  Henry,  living  in 
California.  By  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Henson  had 
three  children,  Louis,  Callie  and  Claude.  Mrs.  Hen- 
son, who  is  one  of  the  most  popular  women  of 
Northwestern  Washington,  in  1905  received  an  ap- 
pointment as  one  of  the  hostesses  of  the  Washing- 
ton State  building  at  the  Lewis  &  Clark  Exposition. 
In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Henson  is  an  Odd  Fellow, 
his  membership  being  in  a  California  lodge ;  in  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat.  He  was  elected  county  com- 
missioner in  1902  for  the  long  term,  overcoming 
by  his  personal  popularity  a  large  normal  Republi- 
can majority.    He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 


Citizens'  Bank  of  Anacortes,  in  which  enterprise  he 
was  associated  with  W.  T.  Odlin  and  Dr.  M.  B. 
Mattice  of  Sedro-Woolley,  but  he  has  had  little  to 
do  with  its  management,  which  is  left  largely  to 
Mr.  Odlin,  though  he  furnished  much  of  the  capital 
upon  which  the  bank  started  business.  Mr.  Hen- 
son is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Skagit 
county,  and  one  who  has  contributed  much  to  its 
progress. 


JAMES  J.  CONNER,  coal  operator  and  owner 
of  coal  and  iron  lands  in  the  Skagit  valley,  is  one  of 
the  oldest  settlers  in  Skagit  county,  and  has  done 
much  to  develop  the  resources  of  the  territory.  He 
feels  that  the  opportunities  are  by  no  means  ex- 
hausted by  the  great  influx  of  people  who  have  come 
here  since  he  did,  but  believes  that  the  resources  of 
Skagit  have  been  only  touched  as  yet.  Mr.  Con- 
ner is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  1842,  the  son  of 
John  O'Conner,  also  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1843  and  began 
railroading.  He  was  with  the  Philadelphia  & 
Reading  road  for  thirty-five  years,  with  headquar- 
ters at  Conner's,  near  Schuylkill,  which  was  named 
for  his  father.  Mrs.  Nora  (Shanahan)  O'Conner, 
the  mother,  has  long  been  dead.  James  J.  Conner 
was  but  a  year  old  when  his  parents  came  to  this 
country,  and  he  was  left  at  home  with  his  grand- 
mother for  three  years,  coming  with  her  to  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1846.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Schuylkill 
Haven,  Pennsylvania,  and  received  his  education 
there.  At  sixteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  railroad- 
ing, and  followed  that  until  in  1863  General  Lee's 
army  began  its  invasion  of  Pennsylvania.  A  year 
before  young  Conner  had  tried  to  enlist  but  was  re- 
jected. He  did  manage  to  get  in  a  short-enlistment 
term  in  Maryland,  but  had  not  had  enough  of  fight- 
ing, and  was  about  to  enter  the  navy,  when  deterred 
by  his  uncle.  Instead,  he  went  to  Colorado,  and  a 
year  later  was  in  the  Third  Colorado,  fighting  In- 
dians, under  Colonel  Sivington.  The  expedition 
was  against  the  Sioux,  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes, 
about  780  of  whom  were  killed  before  the  close  of 
the  trouble.  Mr.  Conner  then  engaged  in  mining 
until  1868,  when  he  passed  west  along  the  line  of 
the  LTnion  Pacific  into  Utah,  doing  a  merchandise 
business.  Later  he  went  into  the  hotel  business  and 
served  the  first  meal  in  the  station  at  Ogden  on 
Christmas  Day,  1869,  feeding  over  300  persons,  it 
being  a  grand  Christmas  dinner,  the  favor  of  the 
railroad  company.  In  1870  Mr.  Conner  canje  to 
the  Puget  Sound  country,  reaching  La  Conner  in 
February.  His  cousin,  J.  S.  Conner,  was  there  at 
the  time,  having  purchased  a  trading  post  and  put 
in  the  first  real  stock  of  goods.  Mr.  Conner  took 
up  160  acres  of  land  as  a  preemption,  and  in  1873 
laid  out  the  town  of  La  Conner,  selecting  the  name 
in  honor  of  his  cousin's  wife,  Mrs.  (Louise)  A. 
Conner.  A  year  later  Mr.  Conner  erected  the  first 
hotel  in  the  place,  and  it  was  also  the  first  hotel  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


807 


what  has  since  become  Skagit  county.  Between 
1874  and  1877  Mr.  Conner  ran  a  trading  vessel  on 
the  sound,  and  entered  into  partnership  with  John 
Campbell,  the  first  man  on  Skagit  river  to  stay 
there  with  a  stock  of  goods.  A  man  named  Barker 
had  opened  a  store  about  one  mile  above  where 
Skagit  City  now  stands,  but  had  been  killed  by  the 
Indians.  This  store  was  later  removed  to  the  site 
of  Skagit  City,  on  Mr.  McAlpin's  land.  They  gave 
the  name  to  the  settlement.  Mr.  Conner  soon  Jaought 
out  Mr.  Campbell's  interest  and  in  turn  was  bought 
out  by  Daniel  Gage  in  1876.  During  these  years 
Mr.  Conner  kept  hotel  at  La  Conner  and  managed 
his  trading  vessel.  He  also  became  interested  in 
the  coal  mines  near  where  Hamilton  now  stands,  and 
in  1875  took  up  homestead  and  mineral  claims  there. 
He  grubstaked  the  men  who  discovered  the  Ruby 
Creek  mines  in  1878-9 — Charles  von  Pressentin, 
Frank  Kohn,  Frank  Scott  and  two  others  whose 
names  have  escaped  Mr.  Conner's  memory.  He 
remained  in  active  management  of  the  La  Conner 
hotel  business  until  1879,  when  he  removed  to 
where  Hamilton  now  is  to  look  after  his  coal  in- 
terests. These  deposits  were  the  first  bituminous 
coal  to  be  discovered  in  the  Puget  Sound  country, 
the  exact  date  of  their  discovery  being  in  1873, 
whereas  the  Wilkinson  mines  near  Tacoma  and 
Carbonado  were  discovered  a  few  months  later.  The 
first  shipments  of  Mr.  Conner's  coal  were  made  in 
1880  consisting  of  about  100  tons  to  down  the  river 
points,  transportation  being  by  canoes,  three  tons  to 
a  canoe.  On  tests  it  showed  up  excellent  as  black- 
smiths' coal,  and  has  since  proved  to  be  satisfactory 
for  this  class  of  work.  For  three  days  in  1881  it 
was  used  in  the  Seattle  gas  furnaces  and  proved 
reasonably  satisfactory  for  the  manufacture  of  il- 
luminating gas.  In  1887-8  Patrick  McKay  of  San 
Francisco,  through  his  agent,  F.  J.  Hoswell,  leased 
Mr.  Conner's  mines,  and  at  a  later  time  made  an  at- 
tempt to  obtain  permanent  possession  of  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Skagit-Cumberland  Coal  Company.  ]\Ir. 
Conner  resisted  these  attempts  and  threw  the  mines 
into  court,  and  the  result  was  a  prolonged  litigation 
and  the  closing  of  the  mines.  An  adjustment  has 
been  reached,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  deposits 
will  be  reopened  shortly.  There  are  about  3,000 
acres  of  coal  land  here,  the  Skagit-Cumberland  peo- 
ple having  about  870  acres  and  the  Conner  associa- 
tion about  3,100  acres.  At  one  time  the  iron  hold- 
ings could  have  been  sold  to  a  Michigan  company 
to  good  advantage  and  the  coal  output  could  have 
been  contracted  to  the  Union  Pacific,  but  for  the 
litigation.  Mr.  Conner  sent  3,000  pounds  of  his 
iron-ore  to  the  Chicago  Exposition  in  1893,  which 
Prof.  Qierry  submitted  to  a  working  test  and  pro- 
nounced to  be  superior  for  the  manufacture  of  steel 
to  all  other  deposits  in  the  United  States,  save  one. 
Mr.  Conner  shipped  400  tons  of  his  ore  to  Irondale 
in  1902,  and  in  May  of  1905  sent  specimens  weigh- 
ing 2,850   pounds   to  the  exposition  at  Portland. 


The  deposits  are  in  two  grades  of  both  coal  and 
iron,  and  now  that  litigation  has  been  settled,  the 
property  awaits  development  and  the  influx  of  some 
capital. 

In  1887  at  Coupeville  Mr.  Conner  married  Miss 
Annin  M.  Kinith,  a  native  of  Portland,  Oregon, 
daughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Caner)  Kinith. 
Through  her  mother,  Mrs.  Conner  is  a  member  of 
the  Carter  family,  which  at  one  time  owned  a  large 
portion  of  the  land  on  which  the  metropolis  of  Ore- 
gon now  stands.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conner  have  six 
children :  Preston  J.,  Ernest  J.,  Mabel  N.,  Cora, 
Charles  and  Bessie.  The  Conner  family  attends 
the  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  Mr.  Conner  is  a 
Republican  and  for  five  years  previous  to  1903  was 
postmaster  at  Hamilton,  receiving  his  appointment 
from  President  McKinley.  He  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  school  board.  In  fraternal  affiliation, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  La  Conner  post  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  His  financial  interests  all 
center  in  the  reopening  of  the  coal  and  iron  mines 
at  Hamilton,  and  he  overlooks  no  opportunity  to 
exploit  their  value,  which  is  generally  considered 
very  great.  No  citizen  of  Skagit  county  probably 
has  been  more  closely  identified  with  its  pioneer  his- 
tory, with  the  development  of  its  resources  and  its 
material  progress,  than  has  James  J.  Conner. 


JOHN  R.  BALDRIDGE,  liquor  dealer  and 
rancher  of  Hamilton,  has  been  in  Skagit  county 
since  1885,  with  the  exception  of  two  years  spent  in 
Alaska  during  the  height  of  the  gold  excitement  in 
the  northland,  where  he  did  well.  On  leaving  Alas- 
ka he  came  back  to  Hamilton  and  he  has  been  in 
active  business  here  ever  since.  Mr.  Baldridge  was 
born  in  Floyd  county,  Kentucky,  in  September  of 
1865.  His  father,  William  Baldridge,  was  also  a 
native  of  the  Blue  Grass  state,  but  came  to  Skagit 
county  in  the  late  eighties  and  is  still  living  at  Ham- 
ilton. The  mother,  Mrs.  Phoebe  J.  (Beverley) 
Baldridge,  a  native  of  Virginia,  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-five  years,  leaving  nine  children,  of  whom  the 
subject  of  this  review  is  the  oldest.  John  R.  Bald- 
ridge's  life  was  spent  on  the  old  Kentucky  farm  and 
in  attendance  on  the  schools  of  his  native  state,  until 
he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  Skagit  county.  The  elder  "Baldridge  took 
up  a  homestead  up  the  river,  which  subsequently 
was  taken  as  a  part  of  the  townsite  of  Hamilton. 
The  town  was  laid  out  in  1889,  at  which  time  it 
boasted  only  of  a  store,  but  the  operations  of  the 
coal  company  contributed  to  the  rapid  development 
of  the  new  town,  and  soon  there  were  1,500  people 
there.  The  senior  Baldridge  disposed  of  much  of 
his  holding  during  the  boom  days,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1890  the  junior  Baldridge  opened  up  a  livery 
business,  which  he  continued  to  manage  for  five 
years.  He  went  to  Skagway,  Alaska,  in  1896,  in 
time  to  participate  in  the  rush  of  a  year  later.  In 
two  years  he  had  cleared  up  what  he  considered 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


sufficient  for  his  plans,  and  he  returned  home  and 
opened  up  the  hquor  business  at  Hamilton,  which 
he  still  conducts. 

In  1897  Mr.  Baldridge  married  Miss  Nellie  Hilt, 
a  native  of  Wisconsin,  daughter  of  E.  W.  Hilt,  a 
large  tanner  of  the  Badger  state,  now  deceased.  In 
fraternal  affiliations  Mr.  Baldridge  is  a  member  of 
the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men ;  in  politics  an  ac- 
tive Republican,  at  present  serving  as  central  com- 
mitteeman. He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  city 
council.  Mr.  Baldridge  has  an  interest  in  consider- 
able town  property,  has  money  on  interest,  and  is, 
to  use  a  western  expression,  "well  fixed."  He  also 
is  interested  in  the  development  of  Hamilton  coal 
and  believes  it  is  the  best  coke  coal  in  the  country, 
though  it  has  not  yet  obtained  the  recognition  it 
surely  will  in  the  future.  Mr.  Baldridge  has  been 
very  successful  in  business,  and  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  prominent  and  substantial  citizens  of 
Hamilton. 


VALENTINE  ADAM,  veteran  of  the  Franco- 
Prussian  War,  left  Germany  soon  after  the  great 
triumph  of  his  country,  in  which  he  participated, 
and  in  1877  came  to  Skagit  county.  He  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  upper  Skagit  valley  and  now  a  well- 
to-do  farmer  and  stock  raiser  living  two  miles  west 
of  Hamilton.  He  was  born  in  Rhenish  Bavaria, 
August  24,  1845,  sixth  of  a  family  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  but  one  besides  himself  survives.  His 
father,  Michael  Adam,  was  forest  overseer  in  his 
native  country,  being  employed  by  several  towns, 
which  league  together  to  protect  the  woods.  The 
mother,  Margaret  (Yost)  Adam,  who  died  in  Ger- 
many at  the  age  of  seventy-seven,  often  has  told 
her  boys  about  the  Napoleonic  wars,  which  she  dis- 
tinctly remembered.  Valentine  Adam  received  an 
education  in  the  German  schools,  then  learned  the 
trade  of  stone  cutter.  After  the  death  of  his  father, 
he  contributed  to  the  support  of  his  mother.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  entered  the  German  infantry, 
and  he  served  his  country  bravely  through  the  war 
with  France.  Coming  to'the  United  States  in  1872, 
he  worked  two  years  as  a  stone  mason  in  New 
York,  spent  a  year  in  Pennsylvania,  then  went  to 
California,  where  he  resided  until  1877,  when  he 
came  to  Hamilton.  He  took  up  the  townsite  of  Ly- 
inan  and  proved  up  on  it,  then  traded  it  to  Henry 
Cooper  for  his  present  place.  This  was  a  wild  coun- 
try in  those  early  days.  There  were  no  roads  and 
all_  clearing  had  to  be  done  by  hand,  there  being 
neither  horses  nor  oxen  in  the  country  until  later. 
The  first  roads  were  built  along  the  river,  but  much 
of  the  time  they  were  impassable  because  of  the 
floods.  Not  until  1885  was  a  road  put  through  to 
Mount  Vernon.  When  Mr.  Adam  settled  near 
Hamilton,  the  chief  white  man  in  the  neighborhood 
was  R.  H.  Williamson,  who  came  from  Puyallup  in 
1872,  to  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  later  established 
a  twenty  acre  hop  farm.     Mr.  Adam  worked  some- 


times for  Mr.  Williamson  and  sometimes  farmed 
for  himself.  He  went  through  the  Indian  scare  of 
1878,  when  300  Yakimas  came  over  the  mountains 
and  urged  the  Indians  of  the  Skagit  valley  to  clear 
that  part  of  the  country  of  all  white  settlers.  There 
was  danger  enough,  but  cool  heads  quieted  the  sav- 
ages. 

In  1885  Mr.  Adam  married  Miss  Margaret 
Bruns,  who  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  April 
12,  1858,  daughter  of  Dietrich  and  Margaret  (Hin- 
kin)  Bruns,  both  Hanoverians.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adam 
have  six  children,  Maggie,  Valentine,  Walter,  Em- 
ma, Ralph  and  Herman.  Mr.  Adam  is  a  member  of 
the  German  Reform  church,  and  his  wife  is  a  Lu- 
theran. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  was  road  supervisor,  and  he  has 
served  on  the  school  board  and  otherwise  manifest- 
ed his  keen  interest  in  the  cause  of  popular  educa- 
tion. He  has  240  acres  of  land,  one  of  the  largest 
farms  in  the  district,  and  gives  much  attention  to 
the  raising  of  cattle  and  hogs,  keeping  always  a  fine 
dairy.  Mr.  Adam  is  one  of  the  highly  respected 
men  of  the  community,  an  intelligent  and  courteous 
gentleman. 

JAMES  COCHRANE,  a  general  farmer  resid- 
ing a  short  distance  east  of  Hamilton,  was  one  of 
the  men  who  arrived  early  in  Skagit  county.  Those 
who  realize  the  great  work  which  he  and  his  asso- 
ciates did  when  they  cut  a  channel  through  the 
mighty  log  jam  at  Mount  Vernon,  consider  them 
the  lasting  benefactors  of  the  hustling  communities 
which  since  have  gathered  along  the  Skagit.  These 
pioneers,  without  capital  and  with  their  own  hands, 
removed  this  historic  dam,  which  a  government 
agent  had  estimated  could  not  be  taken  out  for 
le'ss  than  $100,000.  Mr.  Cochrane,  Donald  Mc- 
Donald, John  Minnick,  Joe  Wilson,  John  Quirk, 
Dan  Hines,  Fritz  Gibbons  and  Dennis  Storrs  un- 
dertook to  free  the  river  of  this  gigantic  obstruc- 
tion, which  had  been  gathering  for  a  hundred  3'ears 
before  the  first  white  man  entered  the  valley.  It 
was  a  tremendous  undertaking,  but  these  strong 
young  men  succeeded,  in  spite  of  the  ridicule  of  the 
settlers,  who  said  it  could  not  be  done.  Mr.  Wilson 
mortgaged  some  lots  in  Seattle  and  purchased  flour 
for  the  men  when  they  commenced  work.  They 
hoped  to  sell  the  logs  for  enough  to  pay  them 
handsomely  for  their  work,  but  in  this  they  were 
disappointed.  The  jam  was  composed  of  big  trees 
which  had  floated  down  the  river  in  high  water  and 
had  become  interlocked  in  a  solid  mass  some  places 
fourteen  feet  high  and  extending  more  than  a  mile 
up  the  stream.  Some  places  trees  a  foot  in  diam- 
eter grew  on  top  of  the  jam.  The  men,  with  their 
saws,  cut  a  channel  150  feet  wide  and  about  a  mile 
long  through  the  jam.  The  obstructions  were  re- 
moved by  the  peavey  and  the  saw,  there  being  no 
donkey  engines  in  those  days.  Mr.  Cochrane  worked 
thirty-two  months  in  this  enterprise  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald just  three  years. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Mr.  Cochrane  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland, 
in  1846,  the  son  of  Francis  Cochrane,  foreman  of  a 
dye  estabHshment  in  Paisle}',  and  later  one  of  the 
first  men  to  go  to  the  diamond  fields  of  South  Af- 
rica. JNIrs.  Catherine  (Campbell)  Cochrane,  the 
mother,  was  a  native  of  Scotland  who  immigrated 
to  the  United  States ;  she  died  at  her  son's  place  on 
the  Skagit  in  1897.  Mr.  Cochrane  as  a  lad  lived  in 
both  Scotland  and  England,  but  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years  started  out  for  himself,  working  on  steamers 
plying  between  Scottish  and  Eng'lish  ports  for  four 
years.  He  then  came  to  the  United  States  during 
the  days  of  the  Civil  War  and  was  on  the  Orient, 
engaged  in  traffic  for  the  North,  when  she  was 
chased  by  a  Southern  privateer.  Mr.  Cochrane 
made  several  trips  between  New  York  and  Liver- 
pool in  the  interests  of  Northern  merchants  during 
the  war.  He  continued  to  follow  the  sea  until  1869, 
traveling  to  South  Africa  in  1867  on  a  vessel  loaded 
with  troops  and  wool.  He  also  was  quartermaster 
on  an  English  vessel  in  the  expedition  to  Abyssinia. 
In  1869  he  landed  in  San  Francisco  and  a  year  later 
came  to  Seattle,  then  only  a  small  place.  He  passed 
some  time  on  Whidby  Island,  but  came  to  Skagit 
county  in  the  winter  of  1871-2,  and  engaged  in  log- 
ging with  J.  F.  Dwelley  of  La  Conner  on  the  flats 
where  now  are  located  some  of  the  richest  farms  in 
the  country.  He  passed  some  time  in  Snohomish 
county  and  it  was  there  that  he  fell  in  with  the  prop- 
osition to  clear  the  Skagit  river  of  its  famous  jam. 
After  that  work  was  completed,  he  went  to  logging 
on  Freshwater  slough,  below  Mount  Vernon,  be- 
coming one  of  the  first  to  put  logs  into  the  Skagit 
river.  He  later  started  a  camp  above  Mount  Ver- 
non and  was  with  Harry  Clothier  when  that  town 
was  started,  helping  build  the  first  structure  there, 
Mr.  Bryson's  dwelling  house-.  Mr.  Cochrane  fol- 
lowed logging  on  the  Skagit  for  nine  years.  At  one 
time  he  took  up  script  land  near  the  city  of  Mount 
\^ernon.  but  later  he  sold  this  and  in  1883  he  located 
his  present  place  as  a  homestead.  L'pon  it  he  has 
ever  since  resided. 

In  1885  Mr.  Cochrane  married  I\Iiss  Mary  J. 
Carey,  a  native  of  Indiana,  daughter  of  Alfred  and 
Dorcas  (Wood)  Carey,  who  came  to  this  county  in 
1875.  having  been  preceded,  by  their  sons,  Aaron, 
Freeman  and  Jesse,  in  1874.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coch- 
rane have  seven  children :  Colin  C,  studying  prac- 
tical engineering  in  electrical  shops  in  Seattle ;  Rob- 
ert C,  Qiarles  A.,  Anna,  Janet,  Dewey  and  Fran- 
ces. Mr.  Cochrane  is  a  member  of  the  Foresters; 
also  of  the  Red  Men,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, active  in  the  work  of  the  party,  attending 
conventions  and  participating  in  their  deliberations. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  many 
years  and  was  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  behalf  of 
the  high  school  for  Hamilton,  also  was  on  the  board 
when  the  school  house  was  built,  lending  his  influ- 
ence toward  making  it  one  of  the  best  equipped 
houses  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  Mr.  Cochrane 
has  a  farm  of  sixty-five  acres  in  his  home  place, 


and  has  twenty-four  acres  of  farm  land  in  addition, 
also  170  acres  of  timber  land  in  Snohomish  county 
and  houses  and  lots  in  Hamilton.  At  one  time  of 
his  life  he  was  interested  in  mining  and  in  the  Ruby 
Creek  excitement  took  the  first  pack  train  into  the 
camp.  He  and  his  partners  were  the  only  ones  to 
develop  their  prospect  openings  to  bedrock ;  mineral 
in  paying  quantities  was  not  uncovered,  and  hence 
the  venture  proved  a  failure.  Mr.  Cochrane  then 
went  to  the  Fraser  river  gold  fields,  where  he  spent 
one  year  operating  a  tug  boat.  He  has  ever  been 
an  aggressive  character,  and  is  one  of  the  staunch 
pioneers  to  whom  the  present  residents  of  Skagit 
county  ^re  greatly  indebted.  Without  such  men 
to  "biaze  the  trails"  and  surmount  the  prodigious 
obstacles  placed  in  the  way  of  progress  by  the 
forces  of  nature  and  the  savage  aborigine,  condi- 
tions in  the  Northwest  would  not  be  what  they  are 
today,  and  the  boundaries  of  civilization  could 
never  be  extended  with  the  rapidity  characteristic 
of  the  last  quarter  of  a  century. 


GEORGE  W.  PATTERSON,  stock  and  dairy 
farmer  across  the  Skagit  five  miles  southwest  of 
Hamilton,  is  one  of  the  later  comers  to  Skagit  coun- 
ty who  brings  with  him  a  great  fund  of  experience 
gleaned  in  the  turmoil  of  a  long  life  of  activity.  He 
is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in  Edgar  county,  Febru- 
ary 22,  1839,  the  son  of  Jonathan  Patterson,  who 
crossed  the  plains  in  18-16  with  California  as  his 
destination,  but  the  hand  of  death  touched  him  as 
he  reached  the  crest  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas,  leaving 
the  family  in  a  most  distressing  position.  Though 
he  was  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  forefathers  came 
originally  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky.  William, 
his  oldest  son,  was  but  fourteen  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  demise.  The  family  was  not  well  pro- 
visioned, and  its  members  had  to  be  put  on  allow- 
ance for  many  days  before  relief  reached  them.  At 
the  time  their  company  gained  the  summit  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  the  celebrated  Donner 
party  was  at  their  foot,  ready  to  begin  the  ascent^ 
The  misfortunes  of  this  ill-starred  company  are  well 
known  to  readers  of  California  history,  who  will  re- 
member that  its  members  were  reduced  to  the  most 
terrible  extremity,  being  compelled  to  devour  the 
bodies  of  their  deceased  companions  before  succor 
reached  them.  A  number  of  our  subject's  cousins 
were  in  the  rescuing  expedition  and  one  of  the  un- 
fortunate survivors  was  sheltered  at  his  family  home 
for  some  time.  During  this  period  of  California 
histor)',  some  of  the  Indians  were  hostile,  but  the 
misfortunes  of  immigrants  arose  out  of  the  rigors 
of  mountain  travel  in  winter,  not  from  the  ravages 
of  Indians.  Mrs.  Christina  (Foster)  Patterson, 
mother  of  George  W.,  was  a  native  of  Missouri. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband  en  route  to  Califor- 
nia, she  was  placed  in  a  very  trying  position  as  the 
head  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  but  the  latter 
helped  in  every  way  they  could  and  the  family  was 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


kept  tog;ether  as  long  as  possible.  Mrs.  Patterson 
died  in  1895  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

George  W.  Patterson,  of  this  article,  was  about 
seven  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death. 
California  afforded  no  schools  in  the  'forties,  and 
the  lad  had  to  do  without  educational  advantages, 
but  he  made  the  best  of  the  situation,  and  as  the 
years  passed  worked  with  a  will  in  the  mines  and 
at  stock  raising.  When  old  enough  to  exercise  his 
rights  as  an  American  citizen,  he  moved  to  Oregon, 
took  a  homestead  and  a  pre-emption  claim,  and 
commenced  farming  and  stock  raismg  on  his  own 
account.  In  the  early  'sixties  he  went  to  the  Boise 
basin  in  Idaho  and  mined  there  for  a  time,  eventu- 
ally, however,  returning  to  Oregon,  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming  and  freighting  for  thirty  years.  He 
had  a  farm  near  The  Dalles,  and  assisted  in  build- 
ing the  Canyon  City  road.  Coming  eventually  to 
Skagit  county,  he  located  first  at  Avon  and  later 
higher  up  the  river,  buying  his  present  place  in 
1900.  He  has  an  excellent  farm,  well  improved,  and 
with  evidences  of  the  thrift  and  good  management 
of  its  owner  visible  on  every  han<l. 

In  18G8,  at  The  Dalles,' Oregon,  Mr.  Patterson 
married  Miss  Leviaette  Hawn,  a  native  of  Yamhil 
county,  Oregon,  born  December  19,  1849,  daughter 
of  Jacob  and  Harriet  (Pearson)  Hawn,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  in  Germany  in  1804,  the  latter 
in  Newark,  New  Jersey,  in  1818.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Newark  in  1833,  and  later  coming  west, 
started  from  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  for  Oregon,  in 
1842.  Being  diverted  to  Texas,  they  spent  a  year 
in  the  Lone  Star  state,  then  they  set  out  for  Oregon, 
joining  a  wagon  train  of  sixty  teams.  On  settling 
at  Oregon  City,  Mr.  Hawn,  a  millwright  by  trade, 
built  the  first  mill  at  that  point.  Later,  moving  to 
Lafayette,  he  erected  the  first  hotel  in  that  place. 
In  1849  he  went  to  California  during  the  gold  ex- 
citement, and  he  died  there  ten  years  later,  though 
he  was  back  in  Oregon  in  the  meantime  and  he  ancT 
his  two  oldest  brothers  served  as  volunteers  from 
Lafayette  under  Captain  Hembrec  hi  subduing  the 
hostile  Indians,  during  the  uprising  of  1855-6,  and 
were  with  the  captain  when  he  was  killed  and 
scalped  by  the  hostiles.  The  volunteers  were  so 
put  to  it  for  provisions  that  they  had  to  live  on  horse 
meat  for  two  weeks.  Of  Mrs.  Patterson's  brothers 
and  sisters,  the  oldest,  a  girl,  was  born  September 
1,  1835,  at  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin;  Alonzo  P.  Hawn 
was  born  in  Caldwell  County,  Mis.souri,  in  1836; 
Jasper  C,  in  Texas,  Februarv  8,  1840;  Newton 
W.,  in  Missouri,  April  20.  1843;  and  the  rest  in 
Oregon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patterson  have  had  seven 
children:  Mrs.  Henrietta  Harding,  Mrs.  May 
Harris,  Mrs.  Myrtle  Kerns,  Mrs.  Ida  Horsey,  Les- 
ter, Fred  and  Chester,  the  last  mentioned  of  whom 
died  December  13,  1905.  In  politics  Mr.  Patterson 
has  been  a  Democrat,  but  of  late  years  has  voted 
independently.  He  has  given  a  very  large  share 
of  his  attention  to  cattle  raising,  but  recently  has 
sold  a  large  part  of  his  herd  in  preparation  for  re- 


moval to  another  section.  He  is  a  man  highly  re- 
s])ccled  in  the  county,  honored  and  esteemed  by 
the  pioneers  as  well  as  by  the  later  arrivals. 


HENRY  WILD,  a  farmer  three  miles  west  of 
Hamilton,  early  went  up  the  Skagit  river  to  Birds- 
view  and  with  his  wife  endured  the  hardships  and 
experienced  the  loneliness  of  the  pioneer.  He  was 
born  at  Unadilla,  Otsego  county.  New  York,  April 
](),  1838,  the  son  of  Lewis  Wild,  a  farmer,  who 
died  when  his  son  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  The 
father  of  the  elder  Wild  served  in  the  War  of  1812. 
He  was  of  English  descent.  Mrs.  Lucretia  (Kid- 
ney) Wild,  a  native  of  New  York,  died  in  La 
Crosse,  Wisconsin,  in  1890,  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren, only  one  of  whom  was  younger,  than  Henry. 
Between  the  ages  of  ten  and  fourteen  young  Wild 
worked  in  a  cotton  factory,  but  on  the  death  of  his 
father  he  started  out  for  himself,  gomg  first  to 
Oiiio  for  a  year  and  then  to  Iowa.  He  remained  in 
the  latter  state  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War, 
when  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Thirtieth  Iowa  In- 
fantry, and  he  served  until  the  close  of  hostilities. 
Though  Mr.  Wild's  command  saw  much  of  the 
hard  fighting  in  the  South,  participating  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  operations  around  At- 
lanta, closing  with  the  march  to  the  sea,  he  was 
neither  wounded  nor  captured,  but  the  exposures 
and  hardships  greatly  undermined  his  constitution. 
He  returned  to  Iowa  for  a  short  time  and  then  went 
back  to  New  York  for  two  years.  Mr.  Wild  then 
decided  to  go  to  Minnesota  and  located  on  a  farm 
in  Wabaska  county,  continuing  for  ten  years.  His 
next  move  was  to  Dakota,  where,  in  Spink  county, 
he  took  up  land  and  lived  until  1888,  when  he  came 
to  the  Puget  Sound  country.  He  passed  one  year 
in  Seattle,  then  came  to  Skagit  county,  taking  up 
land  on  the  upper  river  near  Birdsview.  There  he 
cleared  off  some  of  the  timber  and  made  a  home 
for  himself  and  wife.  Neighbors  were  few  and 
Mrs.  Wild's  nearest  woman  friend  was  the  Indian 
wife  of  a  pioneer,  but  the  dusky  lady  proved  excel- 
lent company  during  the  times  when  Mr.  Wild  was 
forced  to  be  absent  from  home  a  week  at  a  time. 
In  1900  Mr.  Wild  sold  out  his  Birdsview  land  and 
moved  to  Hamilton.  Recently  he  has  taken  up  his 
abode  at  Richmond  Beach,  in  King  county,  where 
he  has  a  nice  little  farm  of  ten  acres. 

In  1867  while  living  in  New  York,  Mr.  Wild 
married  Miss  Anna  M.  Coziear,  born  In  1848,  the 
daughter  of  Azias  and  IMelissa  (White)  Coziear, 
New  Yorkers  of  English  and  Irish  descent.  Mrs. 
Wild  has  one  sister,  Mary  E.  Coziear.  Mr.  and 
Airs.  Wild  have  no  children,  but  have  an  adopted 
son,  Ernest  L.  Wild.  Mr.  Wild  in  politics  is  a 
Democrat  and  has  served  as  road  supervisor.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
Sedro-Woolley  post.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wild  were 
among  the  highly  respected  people  of  the  Skagit 
valley,  and  are  rapidly  winning  for  themselves  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


place  in  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  people  of 
Richmond  Beach,  where  they  now  dwell. 


DAVID  RUSSELL,  stock  raiser  and  farmer 
near  Birdsview  and  postmaster  of  the  town,  is  one 
of  the  men  who  have  within  fifteen  years  demon- 
strated what  can  be  accomplished  in  Skagit  county. 
Mr.  Russell  was  born  in  Jackson  county,  Ohio, 
December  28,  18.51,  the  son  of  William  Russell,  a 
native  of  New  Orleans,  who  became  a  farmer  of 
Jackson  county,  Wisconsin,  in  the  pioneer  days  of 
"that  state.  Mrs.  Margaret  (Hildebrand)  Russell, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  of  Dutch  descent,  died  in  1870, 
the  mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
hereof  is  third  in  order  of  birth.  David  Russell  was 
raised  on  the  farm  in  Wisconsin  and  attended  the 
common  schools  there,  leaving  home  to  do  for  him- 
self at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  His  first  work 
was  in  the  pineries  of  Wisconsin,  which  work  he 
continued  until  1885,  when  he  went  to  Nebraska 
and  became  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Scott's  Bluff 
county.  The  oldest  son  of  Mr.  Russell  was  the 
first  white  child  born  in  that  county.  Mr.  Russell 
raised  stock  and  continued  farming  for  five  years, 
but  in  August  of  1891  came  west  and  he  settled  in 
Skagit  county  in  February  of  the  year  following 
on  a  ranch  in  the  vicinity  of  Birdsview.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Henry 
Thompson  for  bridge  building  and  the  two  secured 
the  contract  for  constructing  seventeen  bridges  in 
the  county.  In  connection  with  this  contract  work 
they  operated  a  sawmill  which  turned  out  the  lum- 
ber and  timber  requisite  for  their  bridge  building 
operations.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russell  have  both  taken 
timber  claims,  which  have  proven  of  great  value, 
and  Mr.  Russell  has  also  purchased  land  in  various 
parts  of  the  county.  He  has  been  road  supervisor 
for  three  years,  in  charge  of  the  road  between  Ly- 
man and  the  Baker  river.  Mr.  Russell  was  made 
]iostmaster  at  Birdsview  in  April  of  1905. 

In  1884  at  Fort  Sidney.  Nebraska,  Mr.  Russell 
married  Miss  Maggie  Conner,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
born  in  1861,  who  was  brought  to  this  country  by 
her  mother  when  but  six  years  of  age.  She  is  sec- 
ond of  the  five  children  of  James  and  Nora  (Ford) 
Conner,  the  latter  of  whom  is  still  living  in  Wiscon- 
sin. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russell  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren, the  names  of  whom  with  their  respective  dates 
of  birth  are :  James  R.,  December  23,  1885  ;  Joshua, 
June  14,  1890;  Fred,  April  30,  1893;  Carl,  March 
1,  1894;  Gertrude,  Julv  22.  189G;  Lawrence,  Au- 
gust 17,  1900.  Mr.  Russell  is  a  member  of  the 
Foresters  and  in  politics  a  Democrat,  active,  influ- 
ential and  usually  a  delegate  to  county  conventions. 
Mrs.  Russell  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Mr.  Russell  has  now  in  his  dairy  nine  cows,  whose 
cream  products  he  .separates  at  home  and  ships  to 
Seattle.  He  still  owns  several  tracts  of  good  land 
in  the  county.    At  present  he  is  engaged  part  of  the 


time  in  timber  cruising  and  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness, combining  these  lines  with  the  operation  of 
his  farm.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  progres- 
sive, wide-aw'ake  and  forceful  men  of  the  county. 


AUGUST  KEMMERICH,  a  farmer  and  stock 
laiser  five  miles  east  of  Hamilton,  is  one  of  the 
men  who  came  into  the  up-river  section  of  the 
Skagit  valley  when  settlers  were  few  and  the  for- 
ests high  and  deep.  He  now  looks  back  with  pleas- 
ure on  the  long  years  of  hard  work,  for  the  con- 
trast between  his  land  as  he  first  saw  it  and  his 
prosperous  farm  of  today  is  very  great.  Mr.  Kem- 
merich  was  born  in  Germany  February  14,  1845,  the 
son  of  John  and  Christina  (Rembold)  Kemmerich. 
August,  the  oldest  of  their  five  children,  worked  on 
the  farm  and  attended  school  when  a  boy.  His 
first  work  away  from  home  was  in  the  coal  mines 
at  Essen,  the  home  of  the  famous  Krupp  iron 
works.  There  he  learned  of  advantages  offered  for 
work  in  the  United  States,  and  he  determined  to 
try  his  fortune  here,  coming  in  1869  and  locating 
at  Bredwood,  Illinois,  in  the  coal  mines  of  that  vi- 
cinity. After  a  time  Mr.  Kemmerich  went  to  Iowa 
and  tried  farming,  but  grasshoppers  and  hail  took 
his  crops  and  in  187G  he  removed  to  Port  Madison, 
Washington,  and  engaged  in  lumbering.  Coming 
to  Birdsview  in  February,  1878,  he  took  up  his  pres- 
ent farm.  A  few  months  previous  B.  D.  M inkier 
had  come  to  Birdsview  from  Port  Madison  ;  when 
Mr.  Kemmerich  came  he  was  accompanied  by  Mr. 
Grandy.  and  the  trio  made  a  comfortable  commun- 
ity in  the  woods,  with  claims  adjoining.  The  land 
was  covered  with  large  timber.  No  roads  or  trails 
led  to  it  and  supplies  had  to  be  brought  in  canoe.- 
from  Mount  Vernon.  Some  trading  was  done, 
however,  at  Ball's  store  in  Sterling  and  later  Otto 
Clement  put  in  a  store  at  Lvman.  During  the  pe- 
riod of  the  Indian  scare  following  threats  against 
the  early  settlers  up  the  river,  they  crossed  over  and 
took  refuge  in  Minkler's  mill.  It  was  eighteen 
years  after  they  had  settled  there  that  these  three 
men  could  get  down  the  river  with  wagons  and 
then  the  route  could  hardly  be  called  a  road.  For 
three  years  Mr.  Kemmerich  paid  an  annual  tax  of 
$20  for  road  building  and  also  put  in  considerable 
work  on  them  himself.  In  sharp  contra.st  are  the 
fine  graveled  roads  in  that  district  now.  Mr.  Kem- 
merich's  policy  in  the  early  days  was  not  to  work 
out  for  others  but  to  put  in  all  his  time  improving 
his  own  land.  He  had  hard  work  and  underwent 
many  hardships,  but  he  felt  that  work  done  on  his 
own  place,  in  the  long  run,  would  prove  the  best. 

In  1884  Mr.  Kemmerich  went  to  Chicago  and 
married  Miss  Barbara  Hommerding,  a  native  of 
that  city,  who  died  in  1903,  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren :  Mary,  Joseph,  Anna,  John,  Katie,  Julius, 
Laura,  Mark  and  Alphonse.  The  family  are  Cath- 
olics, and  in  politics  Mr.  Kemmerich  is  a  Demo- 
crat.    He  has  served  as   road  supervisor  and  as 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


member  of  the  school  board  .being  an  advocate  of 
good  schools  and  willing  to  pay  liberally  for  their 
support.  His  farm  consists  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  acres,  all  well  improved,  with  a  good 
orchard  thereon.  His  dairy  herd  consists  of  seven 
cows,  whose  milk  is  separated  at  home  and  the 
cream  marketed  at  Burlington.  Mr.  Kemmerich  is 
a  prosperous  farmer,  wide-awake  and  a  hard  work- 
er, a  man  who  is  highly  esteemed  by  all  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact. 


WILSON  M.  ALDRIDGE,  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  at  Baker,  has,  dur- 
ing the  past  five  years,  been  closely  identified  with 
the  progress  of  that  place  and  the  upper  Skagit  val- 
ley generally.  In  these  days  of  prosperity  and  rap- 
id settlement,  when  changes  for  the  better  are  be- 
ing rapidly  wrought  in  all  sections  of  Puget  sound, 
the  possession  by  any  community  of  men  of  broad 
views  and  aggressive  energy  is  a  matter  for  con- 
gratulation. The  subject  of  this  review,  whose 
position  in  the  community  is  self-evident,  is  of 
Southern  birth,  born  at  Granada,  Mississippi,  No- 
vember 28,  1859,  to  the  union  of  Wilson  M.  and 
Susan  (Wiggins)  Aldridge.  The  elder  Aldridge, 
a  merchant  and  mill  owner,  was  a  native  of  Ala- 
bama, whose  forbears  were  also  Southerners,  for 
many  generations.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  War 
he  was  in  business  at  Duck  Hill.  Mississippi,  and 
had  amassed  a  fortune  approximating  $50,000, 
which  he  subsequently  lost  through  misfortune  and 
rendering  aid  to  the  families  of  Confederate  sol- 
diers. He  also  incurred  a  heavy  debt,  of  which, 
however,  before  his  death  he  paid  the  last  dollar. 
Mrs.  Aldridge,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Mississippi,  a  member  of  families  who  had  been 
long  engaged  in  the  tobacco  industry  in  Virginia 
and  South  Carolina;  she  died  during  the  cholera 
scourge  of  1865. 

At  the  age  of  ten  Wilson  M.,  Jr.,  was  taken 
by  his  father  to  Arkansas,  and  there  attended 
school,  finishing  with  a  course  in  a  business  col- 
lege at  Memphis,  Tennessee.  His  first  business 
connection  was  with  Louis  Rollage  &  Company,  of 
Forest  City,  Arkansas,  with  whom  he  remained  ten 
years,  becoming  toward  the  last  the  firm's  confiden- 
tial man.  In  1885  he  came  west,  stopping  for  short 
periods  in  New  York,  California  and  Oregon,  be- 
fore reaching  Spokane.  There  he  spent  a  year  in 
the  cloak  department  of  J.  Kellner's  establishment, 
though  just  previous  to  this  he  was  employed  for 
a  time  as  timekeeper  for  the  Northern  Pacific  in 
the  construction  of  its  Coeur  d'Alene  branch.  While 
in  Spokane  he  was  attracted  by  the  gold  excite- 
ment at  Chloride,  whither  he  went,  only  to  enter 
the  employ  of  W.  J.  Shelton  at  that  'place  and 
Hope,  Idaho,  the  mines  being  a  failure.  In  1891, 
he  went  to  Douglas  county,  took  a  homestead  claim 
and  at  the  same  time  commenced  work  for  E.  D. 
Nash  in  his  store  at  Waterville.    A  year  later  Mr. 


Aldridge  and  W.  E.  Stevens  opened  a  store  of 
their  own  at  Wenatchee,  during  the  construction  of 
the  Great  Northern  railroad,  but  later  they  sold 
out  and  the  former  returned  to  the  service  of  Mr. 
Nash  at  Waterville.  Five  years  later  he  resigned 
to  enter  business  for  himself  at  Trinidad,  Wash- 
ington, and  in  1900,  seeking  a  better  field,  he  re- 
moved the  establishment  to  Baker,  Skagit  county, 
where  most  encouraging  success  has  crowned  his 
eii'orts,  keeping  pace  with  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
community.  From  observation  and  experience  he 
believes  that  this  section  of  the  state  offers  excep- 
tional opportunities  to  men  of  energy  and  will,  so 
rich  are  the  numerous   resources. 

Although  Mr.  Aldridge  takes  a  deep  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  public  welfare,  and  in 
Waterville  was  quite  active  in  public  life  without 
holding  office,  he  is  a  member  of  no  political  or- 
ganization. The  condition  of  his  business  interests 
is  indicative  of  the  ability  and  force  of  the  man. 
The  fine  southern  courtesy  and  fervor,  which  are 
his  by  right  of  inheritance  and  by  training,  blend- 
ing with  the  vigorous,  ambitious  spirit  of  the  north, 
have  created  characteristics  at  once  discernible  to 
all  and  winning  to  all. 


FRANKLIN  J.  SPRINGSTEEN,  hotel  man 
of  Baker,  has  lived  in  Skagit  county  only  three 
years,  but  already  has  acquired  a  reputation  for 
business  ability  and  attention  to  commercial  de- 
tails, and  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  loyal  citizens 
of  the  county.  Mr.  Springsteen  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, May  20,  1868,  the  son  of  Oiarles  and  Flora 
J.  (Bassett)  Springsteen,  both  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  father  was  born  in  1838,  lived  in  the 
Keystone  state  until  1873,  then  moved  to  Wisconsin, 
where  he  resided  sixteen  years,  then  came  to  Lewis 
county,  Washington,  where  he  since  has  been  in 
the  lumber  business.  Mrs.  Springsteen,  the  mother, 
lived  with  her  parents  until  marriage  and  still  is 
living,  the  mother  of  the  following  children :  Jen- 
nie, Charles  F.,  Myra,  Leslie,  Franklin  J.  and  Mil- 
ton, the  last  named  having  died  in  recent  years. 
Franklin  J.  Springsteen  attended  school  in  Wiscon- 
sin and  after  completing  his  education  remained 
with  his  parents  until  thirty  years  old.  When  the 
family  went  to  Lewis  county  he  entered  the  milling 
business  there  and  continued  in  that  line  of  employ- 
ment until  five  and  a  half  years  ago,  when  he  moved 
to  Snohomish  county.  He  came  to  Baker,  Skagit 
county,  in  1902  and  for  two  years  thereafter  man- 
aged the  Baker  River  Lumber  Company's  mill, 
leaving  it  to  enter  the  hotel  business.  In  August, 
1904,  the  liotel  he  was  in  burned  and  he  rented  and 
moved  into  the  building  he  now  occupies. 

In  1898  at  Chehalis,  Lewis  county,  Washington, 
Mr.  Springsteen  married  Miss  Anna  Bernier, 
whose  parents  were  both  natives  of  the  state  of 
Washington,  her  father,  Peter  Bernier,  having  been 
born  in  Lewis  county  in  18-17,  where  he  has  passed 


JAMES   V.   VAN   HORN 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


815 


all  his  life  as  a  farmer,  and  Mrs.  Eliza  (Marlin) 
Bernier,  the  mother,  having  been  born  in  Walla 
Walla  county,  in  1855.  Her  parents  at  one  time 
owned  the  land  on  which  the  city  of  Walla  Walla 
now  stands.  They  died  while  Mrs.  Bernier  was 
quite  young.  The  latter  received  her  education  in 
a  convent  and  was  married  soon  after  leaving  her 
studies.  Her  brothers  and  sisters  are  as  follows: 
Helen,  Moses,  Lewis  and  Edwin  (both  deceased), 
and  Winifred.  Mrs.  Springsteen  was  born  in 
Lewis  county  in  1876,  and  received  her  education 
there,  remaining  with  her  parents  until  her  mar- 
riage. One  child,  Donald  W.,  has  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Springsteen.  In  politics  Mr.  Springsteen 
is  a  Republican,  in  lodge  connection  a  Woodman 
of  the  World  and  in  church  membership  a  Catholic. 
He  is  establishing  another  hotel  in  the  new  town 
of  Cement  City,  where  the  cement  works  are  being 
erected. 

He  believes  in  and  practices  what  he  conceives 
to  be  the  "square  deal"  in  all  the  relations  of  life, 
and  enjoys  the  standing  in  his  community  which  is 
the  natural  outcome  of  a  straightforward  course. 


JAMES  V.  VAN  HORN,  merchant,  real  estate 
owner,  mill  man  and  postmaster  of  Van  Horn,  has 
done  much  in  developing  the  northwestern  counties 
of  the  state  of  Washington,  and  as  a  slight  token 
of  the  honor  due  him  for  the  great  services  he  has 
done  this  section,  two  towns  have  been  named  for 
him,  or  at  his  suggestion,  Van  Horn  in  Skagit 
county  and  Hartford  in  Snohomish  county.  In 
both  of  these  places  as  well  as  in  many  others  Mr. 
Van  Horn  has  left  the  imprint  of  his  character  and 
energy.  He  has  been  an  agtive  factor  in  every  place 
in  which  he  has  resided.  He  was  bom  in  Jones 
county,  Iowa,  September  14,  1854,  the  son  of  James 
P.  Van  Horn,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who,  after 
marriage,  removed  to  the  Hawkeye  state  and  lived 
the  life  of  a  farmer  until  1866,  when  he  went  to 
Nebraska.  In  1885  he  went  to  Dakota  and  farmed 
until  he  passed  away  in  1902.  Mrs.  Mary  (Raver) 
Van  Horn,  the  mother  of  the  pioneer  of  whom  this 
is  written,  also  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state, 
received  her  education  there  and  rem.ained  until 
lier  marriage,  after  which  she  followed  the  fortunes 
of  her  husband,  dying  in  1874,  when  James  V.  was 
twenty  years  old.  She  left  nine  children :  George, 
now  deceased ;  William  A.,  Isaiah,  James  V.,  Cas- 
sandra, Ames  (deceased),  Valdora,  Jefferson  D.  and 
Milo,  now  deceased.  James  attended  school  until 
seventeen  years  old,  then  bravely  started  for  him- 
self. He  first  went  to  Nebraska  and  worked  at 
farming  until  1875,  then  continued  farming  in  Da- 
kota until  1892.  He  was  ever  alert  for  any  oppor- 
tunities which  nature  or  the  development  of  a  new 
country  might  offer.  When  he  left  Dakota  he  came 
to  Snohomish  county,  Washington,  and  saw  the 
possibilities  in  the  shingle  and  mercantile  business 
in   the   new   town,    which    afterwards    was   named 


Hartford,  at  his  suggestion.  He  entered  these  lines 
of  business,  and  was  the  first  postmaster,  a  pioneer 
representative  of  the  United  States  government  in 
this  new  community.  All  parties  recog:iized  that 
no  better  man  could  be  secured  for  the  postofiice 
and  he  retained  the  position  for  ten  years  under  Re- 
publican and  Democratic  administrations.  Again 
on  the  lookout  for  good  town  locations  he  came  to 
Skagit  county  and  went  into^  the  shingle  mill  bus- 
iness on  a  more  extensive  scale.  He  started  shingle 
mills  and  a  settlement  sprang  into  existence,  which 
was  called  Horn,  but  which  was  changed  to  Van 
Horn  by  the  postoffice  department  in  recognition 
of  his  services.  He  was  again  made  postmaster. 
The  postoffice  receipts  at  the_  new  office  of  Van 
Horn  were  $4  the  first  quarter.  His  first  quarter's 
receipts  when  he  was  made  postmaster  at  Hartford 
were  $3.75.  At  the  new  town  in  Skagit  county  Mr. 
Van  Horn's  energy,  foresight  and  executive  ability 
have  been  of  as  great  value  to  the  new  community 
as  they  were  at  Hartford.  He  is  interested  in  shin- 
gle mills  at  both  places  and  also  has  a  sawmill. 

In  1879  in  Dakota  Mr.  Van  Horn  married  Miss 
Catherine  Lyons,  who  was  born  in  Wisconsin  De- 
cember 25,  1859.  On  the  death  of  her  father  when 
she  was  a  little  girl,  she  was  taken  into  the  home 
of  Captain  W.  D.  Lucas,  a  retired  officer  of  the 
United  States  army,  then  residing  in  Dakota.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Van  Horn  have  two  children:  Ray  G.  and 
Cassie  Louisa.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Van  Horn 
is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Or- 
der of  Elks  and  of  the  Concatenated  Order  of  Hoo 
Hoos.  His  business  holdings  include  two  shingle 
mills,  a  sawmill,  store  and  stock  and  a  hotel.  The 
shingle  mills  have  a  daily  capacity  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  shingles  and  the  sawmill 
twenty  thousand  feet.  He  also  owns  three  thou- 
sand acres  of  excellent  timber  land,  sixteen  valuable 
lots  in  the  resident  district  of  Seattle  and  two  fine 
lots  in  the  business  part  of  Everett.  Mr.  Van  Horn 
is  a  man  wide  awake  to  possibilities,  energetic  in 
all  that  he  undertakes,  quick  to  see  a  point  of  busi- 
ness vantage,  and  a  man  who  stands  high  among  his 
fellows. 


ROBERT  FRANEY,  farmer  and  market  gar- 
dener, a  mile  and  a  half  southeast  of  Van  Horn,  is 
one  of  the  successful  men  of  the  Skagit  valley  and 
has  a  firm  conviction  that  the  Skagit  country  is  one 
of  the  very  best  in  the  world  for  a  man  with  pluck 
and  abilitv.  He  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  October 
5,  1849.  the  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary  (Butler)  Fra- 
ney.  The  elder  Franey  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
but  came  to  this  country  early  in  life  and  settled 
in  Nova  Scotia.  Mrs.  Franey  was  a  native  of  Nova 
Scotia,  born  in  Halifax.  Eleven  children  were  the 
fruit  of  their  union,  namely:  Martin,  John  (de- 
ceased), Mary,  James,  Robert,  Agnes  (deceased), 
David,  Cassie,  Edward,  William  and  Albert.  Rob- 
ert Franey  remained  at  home,  attending  school  and' 


816 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


helping  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, to  learn  the  photographer's  art.  He  re- 
mained there  only  a  year,  however.  In  1872  he 
was  back  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  he  put  in  the  suc- 
ceeding four  years  at  work  in  the  woods  there,  then 
went  to  Windsor,  and  operated  a  hotel  for  a  year, 
thereupon  coming  to  Seattle.  He  worked  in  the 
woods  and  in  the  lumber  business  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Oueen  City,  until  1885,  when  he  came  to  Skagit 
county.  Here  he  was  employed  in  the  camps  along 
the  river  until  1893,  though  he  took  his  present 
place  as  early  as  1887,  with  intent  to  settle  ulti- 
mately upon  it.  No  roads  were  in  existence  and 
what  supplies  were  needed  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try had  to  be  poled  in  canoes  up  the  river.  Deer 
and  fish  were  plentiful  in  those  days  and  formed  a 
considerable  part  of  the  food  eaten.  Mr.  Franey 
has  lived  on  the  place  since  ]893,  clearing  thirty  of 
the  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  his  original 
tract,  and  raising  vegetables  as  his  principal  crop, 
though  he  now  keeps  six  head  of  cattle  and  two 
horses.  In  politics  Mr.  Franey  is  a  Republican  and 
in  church  connections  a  Catholic.  As  he  looks  back 
over  the  years  since  he  first  came  to  Skagit  county, 
Mr.  Franey  feels  that  it  is  the  best  thing  he  ever 
did  when  he  made  up  his  mind  to  become  a  Skagit 
county  farmer.  He  is  prosperous,  well  liked  by  his 
fellows  and  a  man  who  stands  high  in  the  esteem 
of  the  people  at  Van  Horn. 


JOHN  L.  BOWEN,  postmaster,  merchant, 
millman  and  prominent  citizen  of  Sauk,  came  to 
Skagit  county  recently  but  has  already  by  his  busi- 
ness qualities  put  himself  in  the  van  of  progress  in 
liis  home  community.  That  Mr.  Bowen  Is  not  a  man 
easily  discouraged  is  shown  by  the  will  with  which 
he  set  to  work  to  recoup  himself  from  losses  during 
the  financial  distress  of  the  early  nineties.  Mr. 
Bowen  was  born  in  Virginia,  November  5,  1859, 
the  son  of  Lorenzo  D.  Bowen,  a  merchant  and 
farmer  of  the  Old  Dominion.  During  the  Civil 
War  the  elder  Bowen  was  in  the  commissary  de- 
partment of  Lee's  army.  He  passed  all  his  life  in 
Virginia.  Mrs.  Sarah  F.  (Hopper)  Bowen  was 
likewise  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion.  Both  are 
now  dead,  leaving  six  children:  John  L.,  Ella, 
William,  Herbert  W.,  Emmett  and  Elizabeth.  John 
L.  Bowen  remained  with  his  parents  until  nineteen, 
receiving  a  common  school  education,  then  left  for 
Fort  Benton,  Montana.  There  he  remained  two 
years  as  clerk  in  a  general  store.  He  then  removed 
to  Alberta,  Canada,  and  remained  for  ten  years  as 
manager  for  a  large  mercantile  firm,  receiving  a 
handsome  salary  and  commission  on  the  business 
transacted.  He  went  to  Everett,  Washington,  in 
1891,  and  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  but 
a  year  later  resumed  the  mercantile  trade  and  fol- 
lowed it  eleven  years.  Mr.  Bowen  had  spent  some 
time   in   Dawson,    directly   after   leaving   Alberta, 


working  for  a  mercantile  house.  He  made  money 
but  later  lost  it  in  real  estate  business  in  the  early 
days  of  the  boom  at  Everett.  He  purchased  lots- 
and  made  the  first  payment  on  them,  when  competi- 
tion and  the  general  slump  in  values  caused  severe 
losses.  In  1903  Mr.  Bowen  came  to  Sauk  and 
bought  the  store  of  H.  E.  Hutchins.  He  joined. 
with  Henry  W.  Sullivan,  J.  E.  Sullivan,  Ralph  Sul- 
livan, H.  j.  Sullivan  and  C.  W.  Miley  in  building 
the  Sullivan  Shingle  Mill  of  Sauk,  and  the  store  be- 
came a  part  of  the  property  of  the  corporation.  Mr. 
Bowen  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company 
and  the  manager  of  the  store.  The  capacity  of  the- 
mill  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  per 
day. 

In  1883  while  living  in  Alberta  Mr.  Bowen  mar- 
ried Miss  Winifred  Thompson  at  Calgary.  She  was 
born  November  7,  1865,  in  Quebec,  the  daughter  of 
Abram  Thompson,  a  bookbinder  of  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, who  came  to  Quebec  and  married  Miss  Caro- 
line De  Tacey,  a  native  of  Paris,  France.  Mrs. 
Bowen's  parents  have  been  dead  for  many  years. 
She  lived  with  them  until  her  marriage.  Mr.  and' 
Mrs.  Bowen  have  five  children:  Frank,  Conrad, 
Winifred,  Olive  and  Stanfield.  Mr.  Bowen  has  a 
number  of  lodge  affiliations,  being  a  past  master  of 
the  Masonic  lodge  and  a  member  of  the  Order  of 
the  Eastern  Star,  a  past  grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows, 
a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  of  the 
National  Union.  In  church  membership  he  is  an 
Episcopalian,  in  politics  a  Republican.  Mr.  Bowen 
still  owns  property  in  Everett,  consisting  of  three 
lots  and  an  eleven-room  house.  The  present  busi- 
ness is  prosperous  and  Mr.  Bowen's  energy  and 
long  experience  in  mercantile  pursuits  have  contrib- 
uted to  building  it  up.  As  a  citizen  he  is  highly  es- 
teemed, and  as  a  man  is  honored  and  respected  by 
all. 


ALBERT  VON  PRESSENTIN,  hotel  proprie- 
tor and  store  keeper  at  Rockport,  is  one  of  the  men 
who  were  pioneers  in  the  upper  Skagit  and  who 
have  seen  the  country  fill  up  with  settlers  and  devel- 
op into  its  now  attractive  and  bustling  condition. 
He  was  born  in  Germany,  June  13,  1858,  the  son  of 
Bernard  von  Pressentin,  a  civil  engineer  of  repute 
in  the  old  country,  one  of  the  constructors  of  the 
water  works  at  Calcutta,  India,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1870  and  settled  in  Ohio,  conduct- 
ing a  general  merchandise  store  until  his  death  in 
1892.  Mrs.  von  Pressentin,  also  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, was  in  maiden  life.  Miss  Amelia  Brown.  She 
received  her  education  in  a  seminary  and,  after 
completing  it,  remained  at  home  until  her  marriage. 
She  is  still  living  in  Ohio,  nearly  eighty  years  of 
age,  the  mother  of  six  children :  Court,  Charles, 
Bernard,  Otto,  Albert  and  Agnes,  the  last  named 
being  still  in  Germany.  Albert  von  Pressentin  lived 
with  his  parents  until  twelve  years  of  age,  then 
went  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  where  he  took  a  three 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


year  general  course  of  study  in  the  St.  James  school. 
He  then  went  to  Manistee,  Michigan,  and  worked 
in  a  saw  mill  and  as  log  scaler  until  1878,  when  he 
removed  to  Muskegon  and  took  charge  of  a  saw- 
mill for  four  years.     Mr.  von  Pressentin  spent  the 
year    1882    in    Gadsden,    Alabama,    where    he    had 
charge  of  a  mill,  returning  then  to  Michigan.     In 
1884  he  came  to  Skagit  county  and  located  at  Ham- 
ilton, remaining  there  and  at   Birdsview   for   four 
years,  thereupon  going  to  Sauk,  where  he  conduct- 
ed a  general  merchandise  business  for  five  years,  j 
He  has  been  at  Rockport  for  the  past  twelve  years 
in  the  hotel  and  mercantile  business.     During  his 
life  up  the  river  Mr.  von  Pressentin  has  made  and 
lost  much  money.    He  burned  out  at  Sauk  and  esti- 
mates his  losses  at  more  than  $10,000.     His  store  j 
there  had  been  built  of  lumber  taken  up  the  river  | 
from  Birdsview  in  canoes  by  Indians  who  charged  I 
roundly  for  their  work.    That  was  the  first  store  at  i 
Sauk.      His   hotel    at   Rockport    is   a   twenty-room 
building  valued  at  $5,500  and   his   store   is  worth 
$5,000.     ]\Ir.  von   Pressentin  estimates  his  annual 
business   at   about  $25,000,   the   largest   mercantile  j 
commodity    being   groceries.      In"  addition    to   this  ! 
property  be  owns  a  large  farm  near  Rockport  and  j 
three  hundred  acres  of  fine  timber  land,  considered 
very  valuable. 

In  188-1,  at  Muskegon,  Michigan,  Mr.  von  Pres- 
sentin married  ]\Iiss  Christina  Koehler,  daughter  of 
Christian  and  Dora  T.    (Ceigler)    Koehler,  natives 
of  Germany  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1852  ( 
and  were  pioneer  farmers  of  the  Peninsula  state.  [ 
Mrs.  Koehler  is  still  living  there,  the  mother  of  six 
other   children:     August,   Christian,    Hunts,   John, 
Frederick  and  Dora.    I\Irs.  von  Pressentin  was  born  ! 
in  Michigan,  June  21,  1867,  and  lived  with  her  par- 
ents, attending  school,  until  her  marriage.    Mr.  and  j 
Mrs.    von    Pressentin   have    six   children :     Agnes, 
William,  Edward,  Walter,  Olga  and  Bert.     In  poll-  \ 
tics  Mr.  von  Pressentin  is  a  Republican.    At  present  j 
he  is  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace.     In  fraternal  i 
affiliations  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pyth-  j 
ias  and  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 
In  spite  of  large  losses  Mr.  von  Pressentin  has  been 
very  successful  and  he  ranks  among  the  leading  and  j 
influential  citizens  of  Rockport. 


THOMAS  F.  PORTER,  a  farmer  three  miles 
east  of  Sauk  and  across  the  river,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  the  upper  Skagit  valley,  has  lived  on  his 
present  place  nearly  twenty  years.  He  is  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  bom  June  iO,  1852.  His  parents, 
Robert  and  Mary  Porter,  were  born  in  Ireland, 
came  to  the  Ignited  States  directly  after  their  mar- 
riage in  the  Emerald  Isle  and  settled  in  the  Kev- 
stone  state,  where  Mrs.  Porter  is  still  living.  They 
had  nine  children,  of  whom  the  living  are:  Robert, 
Ann,  Thomas,  Mary  A.,  Ellen  E..  Margaret  and 
Joseph,  all  in  Pennsylvania.  Thomas  F.  Porter  re- 
ceived his  education   in  the   schools  of  his  native 


state,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  left  home  to  face  the 
world.  Between  1867  and  1875  he  worked  at  va- 
rious occupations  in  his  native  state,  principally 
lumbering  and  carpentering.  Two  years  were  then 
spent  in  the  woods  of  Wisconsin  when,  in  1877,  Mr, 
Porter  came  to  Oregon.  After  remaining  there  a 
short  time,  he  came  on  to  King  county,  Washing- 
ton, where  he  secured  work  as  constructor  of  rail- 
way trestles.  He  continued  at  this  work  until  1884^ 
when  he  came  to  Skagit  county.  He  took  up  his 
present  place  in  1887.  His  first  visit  to  the  place 
was  made  by  canoe,  the  only  means  of  transporta- 
tion until  many  years  later.  The  return  from  his 
wedding  with  his  bride  was  made  in  that  species  of 
craft.  Mr.  Porter,  since  locating  near  Sauk,  has 
done  considerable  logging  and  lumbering,  in  addi- 
tion to  clearing  his  place  and  bringing  it  to  its  pres- 
ent status  as  a  farm. 

In  1891,  at  Lyman,  Mr.  Porter  married  Miss 
Mima  S.  Kerr,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Catherine 
( Getty)  Kerr,  natives  of  Ireland  and  Canada,  re- 
spectively, who  passed  all  their  married  lives  in 
Canada.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children, 
in  order  as  follows :  Thomas,  Elizabeth,  Henry, 
.•\ndrew,  Isabel,  Sarah,  Margaret,  Alexander,  Mary, 
John  and  Robert.  Mrs.  Porter  also  has  a  half  sis- 
ter Ellen.  Mrs.  Porter  was  born  in  Canada  Decem- 
ber 29,  1863,  and  lived  with  a  sister  after  the  death 
of  her  parents  until  coming  to  Skagit  county,  in 
18.89,  to  live  with  her  brother,  near  Marble  Mount. 
She  remained  with  him  until  her  marriage.  She 
passed  away  March  24,  1904,  leaving  six  children: 
Robert  H.,  William  A.,  Bessie  E.,  Lillian  V.,  Theo- 
dore F.  and  Mima  S.  The  Porter  farm  consists  of 
160  acres  of  land,  of  which  fifteen  are  cleared.  In 
politics  Mr.  Porter  is  a  Republican,  in  fraternal  con- 
nection a  Knight  of  Pythias.  He  is  a  school  direct- 
or at  the  present  time,  taking  a  deep  interest  in  the 
school  and  the  education  of  his  children.  Aside 
from  a  general  farming  business,  Mr.  Porter  is  in 
live  stock  raising  to  a  certain  extent,  having  at  pres- 
ent twelve  head  of  good  cattle.  He  is  a  hard  work- 
er, a  man  respected  by  the  community.  Since  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Porter  he  has  had  the  care  of  his 
children,  and  he  takes  a  deep  interest  in  their  wel- 
fare. His  commendable  traits  of  character  and  the 
active  part  he  has  taken  in  the  development  and 
general  advancement  of  this  section  entitle  him  to 
special  mention  in  the  history  of  his  home  county. 


PETER  LARSEN,  a  farmer,  three  miles  south- 
west of  Sauk  postoflice,  during  the  sixteen  years  of 
his  residence  in  Skagit  county,  has  had  many  of  the 
trying  experiences  incident  to  settlement  in  a  new 
country,  without  roads,  without  markets,  and  with- 
out modern  facilities  for  transforming  the  wilder- 
ness by  which  he  was  originally  surrounded  into  a 
valuable  producing  farm,  and  for  the  building  of  a 
commodious  and  comfortable  home.  He  was  bom 
in   Denmark  December  17,  1853,  the  son  of  Lars 


SKAGIT    COUNTY 


and  Mary  (Larsen)  Nissen.  Lars  Nissen  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade;  he  and  his  wife  never  left  Den- 
mark. Peter  I^rscn  received  his  education  in  the 
old  country,  and  lived  with  his  parents  until  the  age 
of  twenty-five.  He  learned  the  blacksmith  trade 
from  his  father  and  for  three  or  four  years  before 
coming  to  the  United  States  ran  a  shop  of  his  own. 
■On  coming  to  this  country  in.  1882,  he  located  in 
New  Jersey,  where  he  was  engaged  in  blacksmith- 
ing  for  a  year  and  a  half,  then  went  to  Pullman,  II- 
hnois,  and  passed  four  years  in  the  big  car  shops  at 
that  place.  In  1888  he  came  to  Tacoma,  where  he 
worked  in  a  blacksmith  shop  for  a  year,  but  in  1889, 
on  account  of  his  health,  Mr.  Larsen  decided  to  get 
■into  the  country,  so  he  came  to  Skagit  county,  and 
located  on  his  present  place.  For  a  while  he  worked 
out  to  obtain  a  livelihood,  putting  in  his  spare  time 
only  on  his  own  place  in  fitting  it  for  cultivation. 
This  period  of  his  life  was  a  hard  one,  but  the  re- 
ward came  surely  if  slowly. 

In  1879  Mr.  Larsen  married  Miss  Christina 
Hansen,  daughter  of  Hans  and  Elsie  Nelson,  na- 
tives of  Denmark,  who  spent  all  their  lives  there. 
Mrs.  Larsen  was  born  in  the  old  country,  June  18, 
1859,  and  lived  at  home  until  marriage,  receiving 
her  education  there.  Nine  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larsen,  two  of  whom,  Hans  and 
Mary,  are  dead.  The  living  are  Hans  L.,  Louis, 
Morris,  Elmer,  Harry,  Nels  and  Peter.  In  church 
relations  the  Larsens  are  Lutherans;  in  politics  Mr. 
Larsen  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  been  road  super- 
visor and  has  served  twelve  years  on  the  school 
board,  thereby  manifesting  his  willingness  to  con- 
tribute his  share  toward  the  public  good.  He  has 
seventy-five  acres  of  land,  fifteen  of  which  are  now 
cleared.  In  live  stock  he  has  thirteen  head  of  cat- 
tle, five  horses,  etc.  A  fine  house  is  on  the  place, 
which  in  every  way  is  in  sharp  contrast  to  the  w-il- 
derness  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larsen  found  there 
when  they  came,  for  there  were  no  roads ;  they  built 
the  house  entirely  by  hand.  One  of  the  keynotes  of 
Mr.  Larsen's  character  is  his  firm  belief  in  the  effica- 
cy of  education,  which  his  long  service  as  a  member 
of  the  school  board  attests.  He  further  is  desirous  of 
giving  his  sons  a  collegiate  education.  Mr.  Larsen 
is  one  of  the  sterling  citizens  of  Skagit  county  and 
a  leader  in  the  upper  section  of  the  valley. 


EUGENE  BELOIT,  residing  two  and  a  half 
miles  northeast  of  Sauk,  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers up  the  river  in  the  Sauk  section  of  Skagit 
county.  It  is  related  that  in  the  early  days  the  In- 
dians resident  in  that  part  of  the  country  had  many 
dogs,  and  that  the  animals  were  a  great  source  of 
worry  and  aggravation  to  the  settlers.  Mr.  Beloit 
and  another  man  are  credited  with  having  taken  ad- 
vantage of  the  absence  of  the  Indians  in  the  hop 
fields  to  rid  the  community  of  the  annoying  ani- 
mals, and  fortunately  the  incident  passed  without 
any  complications  with  the  red  men.     Mr.   Beloit 


was  born  in  Michigan,  February  19,  1844,  the  son 
of  Joseph  M.  Beloit,  a  native  of  New  York,  who 
became  architect  and  millwright  and  moved  to  St. 
Joseph  county,  Michigan,  as  a  young  man,  dying 
there  thirty  years  ago.  His  wife  was  Mary  Elmore, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  died  in  Chicago  more 
than  a  score  of  years  ago,  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren:  Elmer,  Hollis,  Laura,  Eugene,  James  M., 
Jarvis  J.  and  Florence,  the  last  three  being  now 
dead.  Eugene  Beloit  lived  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  attending  the  com- 
mon schools.  Later  he  went  to  Pennsylvania  and 
worked  in  various  lines,  eventually  learning  the 
trade  of  millwright,  after  which  he  worked  in  the 
sawmills  of  the  Keystone  state.  In  1873  he  went 
to  Michigan,  and  for  ten  years  thereafter  he  con- 
tinued at  his  trade  in  the  mills,  but  in  1883  he  came 
to  Skagit  county,  Washington,  and  located  on  a 
farm  below  Sauk.  After  five  years  he  removed  to 
the  place  he  now  owns  and  where  he  has  ever  since 
lived. 

In  1902  Mr.  Beloit  married  Miss  Mary  Hanson, 
who  had  obtained  a  legal  separation  from  her  for- 
mer husband,  Jolin  Erickson,  of  Chicago.  Mrs.  Be- 
loit was  born  in  1853,  in  Sweden,  the  daughter  of 
Christ  and  Christina  Hanson,  who  never  left  their 
native  land.  She  has  two  brothers,  Christ  and  An- 
drew. Mrs.  Beloit  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1883  when  thirty  years  of  age,  and  lived  in  Chicago 
until  she  came  west  and  married  Mr.  Beloit.  She 
died  in  the  Sedro-Woolley  hospital  January  15, 
1903,  leaving  six  children :  Andrew,  John  and  Caro- 
lina, by  her  first  husband,  and  Phillida,  Millard  and 
Eva,  who  are  also  the  children  of,  Mr.  Beloit.  In 
fraternal  circles  Mr.  Beloit  is  a  Mason,  in  politics 
an  Independent  and  a  great  admirer  of  President 
Roosevelt.  The  Beloit  farm  consists  of  seventy-two 
acres,  ten  of  which  are  cleared.  Mr.  Beloit  enjoys 
the  reputation  of  being  a  man  who  stands  by  his 
obligations  and  in  whose  word  confidence  may  be 
placed.  Though  not  having  had  many  school  advan- 
tages, he  is  an  omnivorous  reader  and  one  of  the 
best  informed  men  in  the  upper  valley.  For  twenty- 
two  years  he  has  shared  in  the  prosperity  and  ad- 
versity of  the  people  of  the  Skagit  country,  aided 
in  the  development  and  progress  of  the  section,  and 
identified  himself  with  those  who  have  made  its 
history,  thus  earning  for  himself  an  honorable  place 
in  these  pages. 


PAUL  VON  PRESSENTIN,  merchant  and 
postmaster  at  Marblemount,  although  not  a  native 
son  of  Skagit  county,  was  only  an  infant  when  he 
commenced  to  live  here,  and  is  thus  in  the  fullest 
sense,  a  product  of  Skagit  county  institutions  and 
civilization.  He  was  born  in  Manistee,  Michigan, 
February  11,  1874,  the  son  of  Qiarles  von  Pressen- 
tin,  a  native  of  Berlin.  Germany,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  settling  in  New 
York  and  later  becoming  bookkeeper  and  clerk  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


sawmills  and  stores  of  Wisconsin  and  Michigan. 
He  came  to  Skagit  county  and  settled  at  Birdsview 
in  1877  and  has  resided  there  ever  since,  serving  as 
probate  judge  and  county  commissioner  at  different 
times.  Mrs.  Wilhelmina  (May)  von  Pressentin,  the 
mother,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  near  Berlin, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents 
when  a  young  lady.  She  was  the  first  white  woman 
on  the  Skagit  river  above  Mount  Vernon,  and  in 
the  early  days  suffered  many  hardships,  clothes  be- 
ing scanty  and  shoes  often  missing,  while  she  was 
subjected  to  frequent  annoyances  by  the  Indians. 
She  is  the  mother  of  six  children :  Bernard,  Paul, 
Otto  K.,  Frank,  Hans  and  Charles.  Paul  von  Pres- 
sentin received  his  education  in  the  school  at  Birds- 
view,  and  remained  with  his  parents  until  twenty- 
four  years  of  age.  He  then  started  in  business  for 
himself,  buying  the  store  of  Charles  Simpson  at 
Marblemount,  which  he  has  since  conducted  with 
marked  success. 

October  17,  1898,  at  Seattle,  Mr.  von  Pressentin 
married  Miss  Bertha  Kunde,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Frederika  (Pufahl)  Kunde,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. Her  father  died  near  Rockport  in  1896 ;  but 
her  mother  is  still  living  at  Marblemount.  She  has 
four  children,  Mrs.  Von  Pressentin,  and  Otto,  Aug- 
ust and  Reinhart  Kunde.  Mrs.  Von  Pressentin  was 
born  in  Germany,  but  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Tacoma.  She  resided  until  marriage  with  her  par- 
ents. She  and  Mr.  Von  Pressentin  have  four  chil- 
dren: Dorothy,  Laura,  Wilhelmina  and  Alice.  In 
politics  Mr.  Von  Pressentin  is  a  Republican.  At 
present  he  is  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace,  also 
school  director  and  clerk  of  the  board,  and  postmas- 
ter. Aside  from  his  store,  he  owns  several  acres  of 
land  and  a  number  of  head  of  stock  cattle,  and  he 
has  one  of  the  fine  residences  of  Marblemount.  He 
is  a  reliable  young  man,  prominent  in  all  the  affairs 
of  the  community,  successful  in  business  and  beyond 
question  one  of  Skagit's  rising  citizens. 


BULLER  BROTHERS  is  the  name  and  style 
under  which  a  large  bolt  cutting  and  lumber  indus- 
try is  being  carried  on  at  Marblemount.  The  trio 
compose  the  firm,  Carl  P.,  Wade  H.  and  Richard 
H.  L.,  are  all  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  children  of 
Henry  and  Matilda  F.  (Qark)  Buller,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  the  Keystone  state.  The  elder 
Buller  enlisted  with  the  Pennsylvania  volunteers  in 
the  Civil  War,  serving  as  a  private  for  three  years. 
He  died  in  Seattle  in  1 903.  The  mother  of  the  Bul- 
ler boys  is  a  remarkable  woman  and  one  of  strong 
personality,  much  of  her  life  being  spent  in  the  ac- 
tive management  of  business.  She  is  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  Thomas  Clark,  who  came  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts shore  in  the   Mayflower.     Until  marriage 


she  lived  with  her  parents  in  Philadelphia  and 
taught  school  for  five  years,  having  obtained  a  first 
grade  certificate  entitling  her  to  be  called  a  "pro- 
fessor," rather  than  teacher.  She  came  up  the  Skagit 
river  with  her  sons  in  1889,  established  the  first  hen 
tel  at  Marblemount  and  continued  to  manage  it  for 
three  years.  She  moved  to  the  place  where  her  sons 
now  live  in  1893,  after  passing  two  years  in  Seattle. 
Three  years  were  spent  on  the  home  place, 
then  she  went  to  Burlington  and  conducted  a  hotel 
for  part  of  a  year,  ultimately  taking  up  her  resi- 
dence in  Seattle,  where  she  still  lives.  In  1899,  ac- 
companied by  her  sons,  Carl  and  Richard,  she  went 
to  Alaska,  and  she  passed  two  years  at  Nome. 
Though  a  resident  of  Seattle,  she  frequently  visits 
her  sons  at  Marblemount  and  mentally  contrasts 
transportation  facilities  of  the  present  day  with 
those  when  she  made  her  first  trip  up  the  Skagit, 
coming  by  boat  to  Sauk  and  by  canoe  the  remainder 
of  the  distance  to  Marblemount.  Mrs.  Clark-Bul- 
ler  is  the  author  of  "Road  House  Tales,"  a  compila- 
tion of  stories  she  heard  in  the  days  when  she  was 
keeping  hotel,  also  is  a  lecturer  on  Socialism,  Men- 
tal Science  and  Theosophy.  In  her  early  days  up 
the  Skagit  she  held  a  private  school,  at  which  her 
younger  sons  were  educated  and  which  was  also  at- 
tended by  a  number  of  Indians  living  in  the  vicinity 
of  Marblemount. 

The  lives  of  the  three  brothers  have  been  so  in- 
timately associated  with  that  of  their  mother  that  a 
review  of  her  life  is  almost  a  review  of  the  lives  of 
her  sons.  Wade  and  Richard  Buller  were  the  two 
first  white  boys  on  the  upper  Skagit,  and  all  three 
brothers  later  became  experts  in  the  open  life  of 
the  early  days  in  and  around  Marblemount.  For 
three  years  they  followed  canoeing  as  an  occupa- 
tion. They  have  prospected  in  the  Ruby  Creek  dis- 
trict and  all  through  the  upper  Cascade  mountains, 
also  have  done  a  great  deal  of  trapping,  the  woods 
being  full  of  all  kinds  of  game  and  the  waters 
abounding  in  fish  in  the  early  days.  The  boys  are 
second  cousins  of  Sir  Redvers  Buller  of  .South  Af- 
rican fame.  They  own  800  acres  of  land,  forty  of 
which  are  cleared  and  the  rest  in  valuable  timber 
which  they  are  converting  in  their  mill  to  commer- 
cial uses.  Wade  and  Richard  Buller  attended  the 
Seattle  Seminary  for  four  years,  the  former  gradu- 
ating from  the  institution.  The  influence  of  the 
mentality  of  the  mother  is  seen  in  the  intellectual 
life  of  the  sons.  Poltically  they  are  all  three  Social- 
ists, and  in  church  matters  are  not  bound  by  creed 
or  the  formalities  of  denominational  organization, 
leaning  rather  toward  "free  thinking."  They  are 
ambitious  in  business  and  hard  workers,  successful 
in  their  management  and  prominent  in  the  town. 
They  make  their  homes  together,  as  none  has  mar- 
ried. 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


BIOGRAPHY 


(^^C^c. 


£y*'4^'i«= 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


EMORY  C.  FERGUSON  is  the  grand  old  man 
of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  the  proprietor  of  its  town 
site  at  one  time,  its  ma_vor,  a  member  of  its  coun- 
cil, its  representative  in  the  territorial  legislature 
and  one  of  its  citizens  who  have  been  honored  by 
election  to  county  offices.  Mr.  Ferguson  was  born 
in  Westchester  county,  New  York,  March  5,  1833, 
the  fourth  of  seven  children  of  Samual  S.  and 
Maria  (Haight)  Ferguson,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  the  Empire  state.  The  elder  Ferguson's 
father  and  grand  father  were  also  natives  of  the 
Empire  state,  one  of  the  old-time  families  in  the 
country  between  the  Hudson  and  the  Connecticut 
state  line  which  was  famous  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary times  as  "the  neutral  ground,"  in  which 
J.  Fenimore  Cooper  laid  many  of  the  incidents  con- 
nected with  the  exploits  of  Harvey  Birch  in  his 
novel,  "The  Spy."  Emory  C.  Ferguson  received 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  Westchester  county, 
and  at  si.xteen  years  of  age  started  to  learn  the  trade 
of  carpenter.  He  remained  with  his  first  employer 
for  two  years  and  completed  a  four  years'  appren- 
ticeship with  a  second  man.  After  working  at  his 
trade  as  journeyman  for  one  year,  young  Ferguson 
sailed  from  New  York  for  San  Francisco,  via  the 
Panama  route,  reaching  his  destination  in  May  of 
1851.  His  first  two  years  in  the  Golden  state  were 
occupied  in  mining.  Mr.  Ferguson  then  opened  a 
store  in  the  Greenwood  valley,  (gen.  mdse.)  con- 
tinuing there  in  that  business  until  near  the  close 
of  1856.  At  that  time  he  built  a  saw  mill,  operat- 
ing the  venture  until  the  Eraser  river  mining  ex- 
citement attracted  his  attention  to  the  Canadian 
gold  fields.  In  common  with  many  other  Califor- 
nians  Mr.  Ferguson  drifted  to  the  northland  and  in 
July  of  1858  found  himself  at  Whatcom.  In  com- 
pany with  a  number  of  other  gold  seekers  he  out- 
fitted a  canoe  and  went  up  the  Eraser,  but  returned 
to  Whatcom  that  fall,  later  going  to  Steilacoom  and 
passing  the  winter  working  at  his  trade.  In  1860 
Mr.  Ferguson  took  a  pack  train  loaded  with  mer- 
chandise into  British  Columbia  and  returned  to 
Snohomish.  He  had  previously  been  on  the  site  of 
the  present  town  of  Snohomish,  then  a  part  of 
Island  county.  In  18G0  he  took  a  squatter's  right 
to  the  land,  as  it  was  unsurveyed.  A  number  of 
the  settlers  raised  a  fund  of  $500  and  paid  for  sur- 


veying this  part  of  the  county,  in  addition  to  (Gov.) 
survey.  As  soon  as  possible  Mr.  Ferguson  filed 
a  preemption  claim  to  the  land  where  Snohomish 
now  is,  the  papers  being  filed  in  February  of  that 
year.  The  property  consisted  of  160  acres.  Mr. 
Ferguson  commenced  to  clear  the  land  at  once,  and 
in  1872  had  a  portion  of  his  holding  surveyed  and 
platted  as  a  town  site.  In  1867  he  opened  a  store 
here  for  trade  with  the  Indians  and  the  early  set- 
tlers, continuing  in  the  mercantile  business  until 
1884,  when  he  sold  out.  During  these  intervening 
years  Mr.  Ferguson  operated  a  logging  camp,  re- 
moving the  timber  from  the  present  site  of  the 
town.  In  his  later  years  Mr.  Ferguson  has  been 
in  the  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  business. 

In  1868,  near  Olympia,  Mr.  Ferguson  married 
Miss  Lucetta  G.  Morgan,  daughter  of  Hiram  D. 
and  Mary  Morgan.  Mr.  Morgan  is  a  native  of  the 
Buckeye  state  who  crossed  the  plains  by  ox  team 
to  Olympia  in  1852,  and  is  now  living  in  Snohomish. 
Mrs.  Morgan  died  in  this  city.  Mrs.  Ferguson  was 
born  in  Iowa.  She  came  to  Washington  when  quite 
young  and  received  her  education  in  the  schools  at 
Olympia.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferguson  have  been 
born  four  children  :  Mrs.  Sylvia  Lenfest,  now  liv- 
ing in  Snohomish;  Ethel,  who  died  when  quite 
young;  Iva,  now  in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State 
NichoUs  at  the  state  capitol,  and  Emory  Cecil,  who 
is  living  at  home.  In  politics  Mr.  Ferguson  is  a 
Republican,  and  he  has  been  prominent  in  the  pub- 
lic affairs  of  his  home  city  and  county.  In  1884 
Mr.  Ferguson  was  selected  and  appointed  the  terri- 
torial commissioner  for  the  world's  exposition  at 
New  Orleans  for  the  Terr,  of  Washington,  and 
after  his  return  turned  his  attention  to  farming.  He 
was  called  to  public  life  by  the  legislature  in  1861, 
which  named  him  as  one  of  the  county  commis- 
sioners when  Snohomish  was  erected  out  of  Island 
county.  At  the  first  election  of  the  new  county  Mr. 
Ferguson  was  chosen  auditor  and  has  served  in 
that  capacity  for  several  years.  He  was  also  pro- 
bate judge  for  a  number  of  years  and  has  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace.  Seven  terms  he  served  in  the 
territorial  legislature  and  during  one  session  was 
speaker  of  the  house.  To  return  to  the  part  he  has 
played  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  Mr. 
Ferguson  was  the  first  postmaster,  serving  a  num- 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


ber  of  years  from  the  date  of  his  appointment  in 
March  of  1863.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  city 
council,  serving  as  its  president  and  becoming  acting 
mayor.  He  has  also  been  mayor  of  the  city  for 
several  terms.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Ferguson 
is  a  Mason,  and  in  religious  affiliations  attends  the 
Congregational  church.  In  addition  to  his  business 
in  town  he  operates  thirty  acres  of  cultivated  land. 
From  the  time  of  his  opening  the  first  store,  oper- 
ating his  first  logging  camp  and  running  his  first 
saw  mill  in  Snohomish  to  the  present  time,  Mr.  Fer- 
guson has  been  an  influential  factor  in  Snohomish. 


CHARLES  S.  LA  FORGE,  lumberman  of 
Snohomish  and  mayor  of  that  city,  is  one  of  the 
energetic  business  men  of  the  county  and,  though 
he  has  been  a  resident  here  but  a  comparatively 
short  time,  has  made  himself  a  place  of  prominence, 
commanding  the  highest  respect  of  the  entire  com- 
munity because  of  his  many  admirable  qualities. 
Mr.  La  Forge  was  born  in  Rockford,  Illinois,  early 
in  the  year  18G-1,  the  son  of  Cornelius  and  Grace 
(Taylor)  La  Forge.  The  elder  La  Forge  was  a 
native  of  Staten  Island,  New  York,  who  went  to 
Illinois  when  a  young  man  and  followed  the  trade 
of  plasterer  there  for  a  time.  Mrs.  La  Forge  was 
a  native  of  Vermont.  Charles  S.  La  Forge  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Rockford, 
Illinois.  He  then  completed  a  course  in  the  busi- 
ness college  of  his  native  town,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty  entered  the  employ  of  a  retail  lumber  com- 
pany in  his  home  town  as  one  of  the  yard  men. 
Four  years  later  he  was  promoted  to  the  position 
of  bookkeeper  for  the  establishment,  which  position 
he  held  for  four  years.  In  1892  the  firm  was  in- 
corporated and  Mr.  La  Forge  secured  a  quarter 
interest  in  the  business,  which  then  became  known 
as  the  Woodruff  &  Maguire  Company,  Mr.  La 
Forge  becoming  secretary.  In  1894  the  company 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  lumber  business  in  Wis- 
consin and  opened  a  manufacturing  plant  at  Rhine- 
lander.  Three  years  later  the  company  built  a 
manufacturing  plant  at  Three  Lakes,  Wisconsin,  at 
the  same  time  incorporating  in  the  Badger  state 
under  the  name  of  the  Woodruff  &  Maguire  Lum- 
ber Company.  In  1899  the  company  acquired  a  two- 
thirds  interest  in  the  plant  of  Parker  Bros,  at  Big 
Lake,  Skagit  county,  Washington,  and  a  year  later 
Mr.  La  Forge  came  to  Washington  to  assist  in  the 
management  of  the  Skagit  county  plant,  which  has 
been  entirely  in  the  hands  of  J.  D.  Day.  Three 
years  later  the  Woodruff  &  Maguire  Company's 
interests  were  purchased  by  Wickson  &  Bronson, 
formerly  of  Rhinelander,  Wisconsin.  Mr.  La  Forge 
moved  to  Everett,  but  in  1903  when  the  Woodruff 
&  Maguire  Company  purchased  the  Sterling  Mill 
Company  and  all  of  its  interests  in  Snohomish  coun- 
ty, Mr.  La  Forge  was  called  to  the  management. 


He  removed  his  family  to  Snohomish  and  has  ever 
since  made  this  city  his  home.  The  Snohomish  in- 
terests of  the  old  company  are  known  under  the 
name  of  the  Three  Lakes  Lumber  Company.  Mr. 
La  Forge  sold  his  interest  in  both  companies  in 
190.5  and  became  the  manager  of  the  Cascade  Lum- 
ber &  Shingle  Company  of  Snohomish,  the  saw  mill 
of  which  has  a  daily  capacity  of  100,000  feet  and 
the  shingle  mill  of  150.000  shingles  per  day. 

In  1883  at  Rockford,  Illinois,  Mr.  La  Forge 
married  Miss  Maud  E.  Barnes,  who  died  five  years 
later,  leaving  no  issue.  Mr.  La  Forge  was  married 
the  second  time  at  Janesville,  Wisconsin,  to  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Simmons.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  La  Forge  have 
three  children,  Florence,  Harry  and  Ruth.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  La  Forge  is  a  Republican.  He  was  elected 
mayor  of  Snohomish  in  December  of  1904.  In 
church  circles  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Methodist 
church.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  Mason  and  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Mr. 
La  Forge's  career  has  been  very  successful,  one  of 
progress  during  the  different  stages  of  the  lumber 
business  to  a  position  of  prominence  in  the  trade  iu 
two  states  of  the  union.  His  career  is  the  best  com- 
mentary on  the  character  of  the  man. 


JOHN  F.  STRETCH,  one  of  the  board  of  cnun- 
ty  commissioners  and  a  resident  of  the  city  of 
Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  man  of  broad  and  liberal  views  and  of  ex- 
perience with  men  and  measures.  Coming  here  in 
1883  Mr.  Stretch  has  been  a  participant  in  the  up- 
building of  the  county  and  has  borne  his  share  of 
the  rough  work  of  the  early  days.  He  was  born 
in  Wayne  county,  New  York,  in  1852,  the  son  of 
Joseph  and  Caroline  (Snyder)  Stretch,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  the  Empire  state.  Joseph 
Stretch  removed  his  family  to  Coldwater,  Michigan, 
in  1854,  and  became  superintendent  of  bridge  con- 
struction for  the  Lake  Shore  railroad.  He  is  still 
living  there,  but  Mrs.  Stretch  is  dead.  John  F. 
Stretch  has  one  sister,  Mrs.  Grace  Jacobs,  wife  of 
the  traveling  auditor  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  railway  company.  Young  Stretch  received 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  Coldwater  and  be- 
gan life  as  clerk  in  a  store.  Several  years  later  he 
engaged  in  the  hotel  business  at  Greenville,  Michi- 
gan, but  in  1880  went  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  where 
he  followed  mining  for  three  )ears.  He  came  to 
Snohomish  county  three  years  later  and  took  up 
land  on  which  the  town  of  Monroe  now  stands. 
The  settlement  was  small  and  no  one  entertained 
the  idea  that  there  would  some  day  be  a  hustling 
town  on  the  spot.  \lr.  Stretch  did  work  at  logging 
for  two  years.  In  1889  he  went  to  Wallace,  now 
Startup,  and  opened  a  store  and  hotel,  continuing 
for  three  years.  In  the  interim  the  Great  Northern 
railway  had  been   pushing  itself  into  the  country 


CHARLI-:S    S.    LA    FORGE 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


and  its  appearance  at  Monroe  with  a  station  on 
Mr.  Stretch's  land  determined  him  to  return  and 
oversee  the  development  of  matters  at  Monroe.  As 
the  result  of  investigation  he  sold  his  interest  at 
Wallace  and  with  John  \'an  Asdlen  as  partner 
platted  the  town  of  Tie  City.  The  railway  station 
was  Wales  and  the  postoffice  Park  Place,  but  the 
latter  was  soon  changed  to  Monroe.  Mr.  Stretch 
prevailed  upon  the  railway  authorities  to  change 
the  name  of  its  station  so  that  the  names  of  the 
place  might  be  uniform.  Mr.  Stretch  engaged  in 
the  hotel  and  real  estate  business  at  Monroe  for  a 
number  of  years  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  active 
real  estate  men  of  the  county.  In  1900  he  was 
■elected  county  commissioner  for  the  term  of  two 
years  and  reelected  for  the  long  term  of  four  years. 
It  was  the  second  time  in  the  history  of  the  county 
that  a  commissioner  had  been  reelected,  and  while 
the  reelection  was  a  matter  of  pride  and  congratula- 
tion to  Mr.  Stretch,  the  fact  of  reelection  was  not 
viewed  by  him  with  so  much  satisfaction  as  the 
emphatic  endorsement  given  him  for  his  stand  in 
favor  of  good  roads  and  the  policies  he  had  advo- 
cated during  his  first  term.  During  his  first  term 
he  had  adopted  a  progressive  policy  and  favored 
the  establishment  of  county  trunk  roads  leading 
from  Everett  to  Granite  Falls,  Arlington,  Snoho- 
mish, Monroe,  Skykomish  A'alley  and  otlirr  princi- 
pal centers.  Main  bridges  were  rebuilt  and  large 
expense  incurred  for  public  improvements.  There 
was  much  protest  on  the  part  of  the  parsimonious 
taxpayers,  but  in  the  end  the  policies  of  Mr.  Stretch 
have  been  shown  to  be  beneficial. 

In  1876  at  Saginaw,  Michigan,  Air.  Stretch  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  Hagen,  a  native  of  Canada  and 
daughter  of  Charles  Hagen,  later  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  Peninsula  state.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stretch 
have  been  born  four  children :  Robert,  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Monroe  and  an  employe  of  Bruhn  &  Henry; 
Bert,  Jack  and  Claude.  In  politics  Mr.  Stretch  is 
a  Republican  and  active  in  the  councils  of  his  party. 
At  the  time  Populism  was  rampant  in  Snoh(imish 
county  Mr.  Stretch  was  one  of  two  Republican 
candidates  elected,  both  being  chosen  justice  of  the 
peace.  He  is  a  member  of  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  and  of 
the  F.  O.  E.  Mr.  Stretch  is  a  man  who  firmly  be- 
lieves in  the  future  of  Snohomish  county.  When 
he  reached  the  city  of  Snohomish  there  were  but 
three  teams  in  the  city.  He  drove  the  first  team 
through  between  Snohomish  and  Monroe,  traffic 
theretofore  having  been  carried  up  the  river  by 
Indian  freighters  with  canoes.  He  predicts  that 
the  chief  industries  of  the  county  in  the  future  will 
be  farming,  raising  of  garden  produce  and  dairy- 
ing. Mr.  Stretch  is  one  of  the  active  men  of  the 
county,  thoroughly  understands  its  necessities  and 
has  high  hopes  for  its  future. 


ARTHUR  M.  BLACKMAN,  postmaster  of 
Snohomish,  and  a  pioneer  of  the  county  from  the 
days  of  1885,  has  had  a  long  career  as  a  merchant 
in  his  home  town  and  is  one  of  the  influential  men 
of  the  county.  He  was  born  in  Penobscot  county, 
Maine,  in  18G1,  the  son  of  George  V.  and  Frances 
(Eddy)  Blackman.  The  elder  Blackman  sprang 
from  an  old-line  Dutch  pioneer  family  of  the  Pine 
Tree  state,  and  followed  the  lumber  business  in 
Maine  until  he  took  up  the  same  line  in  Michigan, 
and  later  came  to  Snohomish  county.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Blackman  are  living  in  Snohomish.  They 
have  a  daughter  here,  Mrs.  Nina  I.  Bakeman. 
Arthur  M.  Blackman  left  Maine  with  his  parents 
for  Michigan  when  he  was  but  eight  years  of  age. 
The  family  resided  in  Bay  City  for  four  years  and 
then  went  to  Oakland,  California.  In  the  last 
named  city  the  subject  of  this  biography  obtained 
the  larger  part  of  his  education  and  grew  to  man- 
hood's estate.  He  had  worked  in  a  hardware  store 
for  four  years  before  coming  to  Snohomish  in  1888, 
and  soon  after  his  arrival  here  he  entered  the  em- 
play  of  Blackman  Bros.,  in  their  general  store.  He 
remained  there  two  years  and  in  1887  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business  on  his  own  account.  His 
business  was  the  largest  in  the  city  and  he  was 
prosperous  until  the  financial  distress  of  1891:  forced 
him  to  the  wall  by  reason  of  his  extension  of  credit 
to  men  who  were  unable  to  meet  their  obligations 
with  him.  He  was  doing  a  tremendous  business 
in  both  the  retail  and  wholesale  line  and  he  gave 
extensive  credits,  a  fact  which  caused  his  financial 
downfall.  Mr.  Blackman,  however,  managed  all 
his  own  liabilities,  but  the  effort  cost  him  his  en- 
tire competence.  Two  years  later  he  was  appoint- 
ed postmaster  in  a  contest  in  which  men  of  more 
than  ordinary  influence  and  capability  were  candi- 
dates. He  has  since  been  reappointed  and  without 
opposition,  a  fact  which  indicates  that  his  services 
as  postmaster  are  giving  his  people  complete  satis- 
faction. 

In  1887  in  Seattle  Mr.  Blackman  married  Miss 
Adeliza  Elwell,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza  A. 
(Crosby)  Elwell,  pioneers  in  Snohomish  county 
in  the  early  seventies.  Mrs.  Blackman  is  a  native  of 
Maine.  In  politics  Mr.  Blackman  is  a  Republican 
and  active  in  the  councils  of  that  party  organiza- 
tion. In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  of  the  Elks.  Mrs.  Blackman  is  a 
consistent  member  of  the  First  Church  of  Christ, 
Scientist,  of  Snohomish.  Mr.  Blackman  is  a  man 
who  stands  well  in  the  community,  a  man  of  strict 
integrity  and  honor,  popular  with  the  public  and 
individually  of  genial  disposition. 


HON.  CHARLES  W.  GORHAM,  though  pass- 
ing the  greater  part  of  his  time  at  Olympia  where 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


his  appointment  and  work  as  state  printer  calls 
him,  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Shohomish. 
As  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Snohomish  County 
Tribune  and  Index  Miner,  he  is  prominent  in  all 
local  affairs.  On  locating  in  Snohomish,  twelve 
years  ago,  he  at  once  became  an  influential  factor 
in  local  matters  and  this  influence  has  extended 
from  local  to  state  affairs. 

Mr.  Gorham  was  born  in  New  York  city  in 
1865,  the  only  child  of  I.  S.  C.  and  Mary  E.  (Craft) 
Gorham.  The  elder  Gorham  is  a  direct  descendant 
of  Miles  Standish  of  Plymouth  colony  fame,  the 
initial  "S."  being  for  the  family  name  of  the  fam- 
ous old  knight  of  colonial  fame. 

In  middle  life  Mr.  Gorham  removed  to  Wa- 
verly,  Iowa,  where  he  followed  his  trade  as  a 
painter;  he  afterwards  went  to  South  Dakota  and 
farmed  until  his  removal  to  the  coast.  I.  S.  C. 
Gorham  was  engaged  in  fruit  raising  near  San 
Jose,  California,  until  1904;  he  then  returned  to 
Morganhill,  where  his  death  occurred  May  15, 
1906.  Mrs.  Gorham  is  a  native  of  New  York,  of 
Huguenot  stock.  Charles  W.  Gorham  received  his 
education  in  Cornell  College,  Iowa,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1893.  Soon  after  receiving  his 
diploma  he  came  to  Snohomish,  and  in  1893  pur- 
chased the  Tribune,  continuing  its  policy  as  a  Re- 
publican paper  though  altering  its  publication  from 
a  tri-weekly  to  a  weekly.  His  activity  and  energy 
soon  attracted  attention  and  he  speedily  became 
recognized  as  a  substantial  factor  in  municipal  and 
county  affairs.  He  was  chosen  police  judge  and 
has  also  served  as  justice  of  the  peace.  In  1900 
Mr.  Gorham  was  elected  representative  in  the  state 
legislature,  and  soon  after  taking  his  seat  appeared 
as  the  champion  of  good  roads  legislation  which 
had  as  its  essence  a  uniform  system  to  be  applied 
throughout  the  entire  state.  He  became  the  author 
of  the  measure  of  that  session  which  became  a  law, 
but  which  was  declared  by  the  courts  to  be  technic- 
ally unconstitutional.  By  the  subsequent  session 
the  distinctive  features  of  the  Gorham  bill  were  re- 
enacted.  During  his  career  in  the  legislature  Mr. 
Gorham  was  recognized  as  the  leading  authority 
on  road  law  matters.  In  just  recognition  of  his 
services  to  the  party,  Mr.  Gorham  was  made  assist- 
ant clerk  of  the  house  of  representatives  at  the 
last  session  of  the  legislature,  and  soon  after  ad- 
journment was  appointed  to  the  responsible  posi- 
tion of  state  printer,  receiving  his  commission  on 
the  8th  of  April,  1905,  since  which  date  he  has 
passed  the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  the  state 
capital. 

On  June  6,  1901,  Mr.  Gorham  married  Miss 
Elsie  E.  West,  a  native  of  Illinois  and  the  daughter 
of  M.  J.  and  M.  E.  (Waggoner)  West.  Mr.  West 
is  interested  in  the  Leaf  River  Bank,  at  Leaf  River, 
Illinois,  of  which  institution  his  son,  H.  S.,  is 
cashier.     Two  children,  Harlan  W.  and  Helen  M., 


have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gorham.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Gorham  is  a  Republican,  active  and  influ- 
ential in  city,  county  and  state.  In  fraternal  cir- 
cles he  is  a  Mason,  being  a  Knight  Templar;  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  The  Gorhams  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In 
addition  to  his  newspaper  interests,  Mr.  Gorham 
is  a  stockholder  in  the  large  mill  now  in  process  of 
building  at  Snohomish  by  the  Cascade  Lumber  & 
Shingle  Company,  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of 
the  kind  in  the  county  and  which  is  to  be  fully 
equipped  with  modern  machinery.  He  has  re- 
cently built  a  fine,  handsome  residence — one  of  the 
most  attractive  places  in  the  city.  As  a  newspaper 
man  Mr.  Gorham  ranks  with  the  leaders  of  thought 
and  public  opinion  in  the  state,  having  served  as 
president  of  the  State  Press  Association  and  as  its 
delegate  to  the  national  association  which  met  at 
St.  Louis  during  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposi- 
tion. In  business  Mr.  Gorham  has  shown  commer- 
cial ability  of  a  high  order,  while  in  politics  he  has 
exhibited  executive  and  legislative  faculties  quickly 
recognized.  He  is  a  man  of  energy  and  tact,  well 
poised  and  commanding  in  influence  and  esteem. 


JOHN  F.  RHOADES,  deputy  in  the  county 
treasurer's  office,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Snoho- 
mish county,  having  come  to  Florence  more  than 
twenty-seven  years  ago,  since  which  time  there  has 
been  a  great  transformation  in  all  pans  of  the 
county  along  lines  of  population,  development  and 
commercial  activity.  Mr.  Rhoades  is  favorably 
known  all  over  the  county  and  has  a  large  list  of 
acquaintances  in  all  sections  of  the  community  be- 
tween King  county  and  the  international  boundary. 
Mr.  Rhoades  was  born  in  Genesee  county.  New 
York,  in  the  summer  of  1856,  the  son  of  John  and 
Alice  (Brown)  Rhoades.  The  Rhoades  family  is 
now  and  has  been  for  several  generations  well 
known  to  the  people  of  the  Holland  Purchase  in 
western  New  York,  and  may  be  traced  back  to  set- 
tlers from  England  in  the  colonial  days  when  the 
white  men  were  treating  with  the  Indians  led  by 
Red  Jacket  and  Cornplanter.  John  Rhoades  was 
a  well  known  physician  of  the  Holland  Purchase 
section  and  a  veteran  of  both  the  Mexican  and 
Civil  Wars.  Of  the  members  of  the  present  gen- 
eration of  the  family  in  direct  line  there  is  but  one 
other  representative  than  the  subject  of  this  bi- 
ography, Frank  M.  Rhoades.  In  186-t  the  elder 
Rhoades  removed  to  California,  traveling  via  the 
isthmian  route,  and  settled  in  Sonoma  county, 
where  he  practiced  his  profession  for  nine  years, 
later  removing  to  Red  Bluffs  in  Tehnma  county. 
In  the  schools  of  California  John  F.  Rhoades  re- 
ceived his  education,  attending  until  seventeen 
^■ears   of  age  when   he   learned   the  glove   makers' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


831 


trade  at  Red  Bluffs.  He  followed  that  occupation 
for  five  years.  In  1878  the  family  removed  to 
Florence,  Snohomish  county,  Washington,  near 
which  settlement  the  elder  Rhoades  took  up  a 
homestead.  The  country  was  sparsely  settled  and 
the  work  of  clearing  a  home  amid  the  giant  trees 
was  a  laborious  task.  Much  of  it  fell  to  the  lot  of 
young  Rhoades.  After  three  years'  work  clearing 
the  land,  John  F.  Rhoades  left  the  farm  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  J.  H.  Irvine  in  a  general  store 
at  Stanwood.  He  remained  there  for  two  years  and 
was  in  the  employ  of  D.  O.  Pearson  in  1883,  when 
the  death  of  Dr.  Rhoades  recalled  the  son  to  the 
farm.  In  1889  Mr.  Rhoades  was  elected  county 
assessor  on  the  Republican  ticket  and  re-elected  on 
the  expiration  of  his  term.  Between  terms  he  re- 
moved to  Snohomish,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
In  1893  he  opened  an  alislract  office  in  that  city, 
which  he  conducted  until  called  m  1900  to  a  deputy- 
ship  in  the  ofiice  of  County  Treasurer  Charles 
Lawry.  Mr.  Rhoades  served  under  Mr.  Lawry  for 
two  terms  and  was  reappointed  by  W.  R.  Booth 
when  the  latter  succeeded  to  the  office  in  Januarv, 
1905. 

In  1892  Mr.  Rhoades  married  Miss  Lennie  A. 
Fenderson,  a  native  of  Maine  and  the  daughter  of 
Horace  and  Susan  (Pineo)  Fenderson,  also  natives 
of  the  Pine  Tree  state,  and  of  Scotch  and  French 
extraction,  respectively.  Mr.  Fenderson  was  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  War.  At  the  close  of  that  con- 
flict he  removed  to  Wisconsin.  Remaining  of  the 
family,  besides  Mrs.  Rhoades  is  her  brother,  Orin 
Fenderson,  a  resident  Snohomish ;  and  three  sisters, 
]\Irs.  J.  E.  Esper,  of  Lowell ;  Mrs.  R.  E.  Wood,  of 
Seattle,  and  Mrs.  R.  Granger,  of  Wisconsin.  Mrs. 
Rhoades  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of 
Wisconsin,  being  a  graduate  of  the  state  normal 
school  at  Oshkosh.  She  followed  the  calling  of  a 
leacher  in  Wisconsin  before  coming  to  Washing- 
ton and  was  one  of  the  early  teachers  in  the  Snoho- 
mish schools.  In  1889  she  was  chosen  one  of  three 
enrolling  clerks  of  the  house  of  representatives  in 
the  first  legislature  of  the  new  state  of  Washing- 
ton, filling  the  unaccustomed  position  with  fidelity 
and  marked  executive  ability.  Mrs.  Rhoades  is  a 
lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  qualities  which  are 
impressed  upon  the  guests  received  in  her  home. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rhoades  has  been  born  one  child, 
Earle  D.,  born  December  26,  1893.  In  politics  Mr. 
Rhoades  is  a  Republican  and  of  the  stamp  which 
endorses  the  energetic  measures  of  President 
Roosevelt.  He  was  one  of  the  nine  delegates  from 
Snohomish  county  who  sat  in  the  first  state  con- 
vention of  the  party  held  at  Walla  Walla  after  the 
admission  of  Washington  to  statehood.  Mr. 
Rhoades  believes  in  the  advancement  of  education 
for  the  masses  and  the  broadening  of  the  lines  of 
progress  toward  civic  attainment-,  and  is  an  ardent 
advocate   of   good    roads   measures.      In    fraternal 


circles  he  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  of  the  Knights  of  the 
Maccabees,  of  the  Fraternal  Aid  and  of  the  Order 
of  Washington,  in  all  of  which  organizations  he 
has  filled  important  offices.  Mrs.  Rhoades  is  an 
active  member  of  the  ladies'  auxiliary  bodies  of 
these  societies.  The  Rhoades  home  is  one  of  the 
pleasantest  and  most  attractive  in  the  city  of  Snoho- 
mish, ruled  over  by  culture,  hospitality  and  the 
spirit  of  sincerity. 


WILLIAM  HARRISON  WARD,  police  judge 
of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  county  and  is  a  man  whose  influence  has  been 
felt  from  the  time  that  he  took  up  a  soldier's  home- 
stead a  short  distance  south  of  the  present  city,  in 
the  days  when  the  embyro  settlement  was  known 
by  the  name  of  Cadyville.  Mr.  Ward  is  a  native 
of  New  York,  born  the  28th  day  of  November,  of 
1840,  the  second  of  four  children  of  Chauncev  H. 
and  Margaret  (Hufstater)  Ward.  The  elder  Ward 
was  born  in  Massachusetts,  but  after  becoming  a 
mechanic  he  moved  to  the  Empire  state,  coming 
still  further  west  to  Chicago  in  1853.  Mrs.  Ward 
was  born  in  New  York  of  German  parentage  and 
received  her  education  in  that  state.  She  died  in 
Illinois.  William  H.  Ward  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  New  York  schools  and  after  the  removal 
of  his  parents  to  Ottawa,  Illinois,  attended  the  high 
school  in  that  city.  He  says,  however,  that  the  best 
part  of  his  education  was  gained  in  a  printing  office, 
which  he  entered  when  seventeen  years  of  age  and 
where  he  served  three  years.  This  was  at  Ottawa, 
Illinois,  where  he  also  became  noted  as  a  vocal  and 
instrumental  musician.  It  is  among  Mr.  Ward's 
pleasant  recollections  that  he  vi'as  a  member  of  a 
band  which  played  at  the  debates  between  Douglas 
and  Lincoln  in  the  great  campaign  of  1858  and 
listened  to  the  forensic  duel  of  the  "Little  Giant" 
and  "Old  Abe."  At  a  later  time  Mr.  \\':n>\  trav- 
eled extensively  throughout  the  niiiMlc  west  with 
a  concert  band.  At  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  he  enlisted 
as  a  member  of  a  regimental  band  for  a  three-year 
term  in  the  Civil  War,  but  fifteen  months  later  by 
act  of  congress  was  mustered  out  and  discharged 
at  Harrison's  Landing,  Virginia,  in  1862.  Mr. 
Ward  returned  to  his  Illinois  home  for  a  short  tmie 
when  he  went  to  Watertown,  New  York,  and 
learned  the  trade  of  carriage  ironer.  He  remained 
there  for  a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  engaged  as 
member  of  a  circus  band,  with  which  organization 
he  played  for  one  season.  He  passed  the  following 
winter  in  Albany,  New  York,  and  then  returned  to 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  at  blacksmithing.  In 
1871  Mr.  Ward  came  to  Snohomish,  then  but  a 
hamlet  under  the  name  of  Cadyville.  He  took  up  a 
soldier's  homestead  two  miles  south  of  the  settle- 
ment and   at   the   same   time   rented   an   adjoining 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


piece  of  land,  which  he  worked  for  two  years.  In 
the  spring  of  18'('4  Mr.  Ward  opened  the  first 
blacksmith  shop  in  the  town  and  remained  at  his 
forge  until  ]89!i,  having  sold  his  homestead  after 
proving  up. 

In  1866  in  Chicago  Mr.  Ward  married  Miss 
Mary  A.  Carroll,  daughter  of  Peter  Carroll,  a  na- 
tive of  Ireland  who  came  to  the  United  States  and 
became  a  mechanic  in  New  York  state.  Mrs.  Ward 
was  born  in  Rome,  Oneida  county,  in  the  central 
part  of  the  Empire  state,  in  1844.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ward  has  been  born  two  children  :  Frank  C, 
who  died  when  an  infant,  and  Mrs.  Lillian  C.  James, 
who  is  now  a  resident  of  Everett.  In  fraternal  cir- 
cles Mr.  Ward  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows, 
being  a  Past  Grand,  Master  of  the  State,  and  was 
the  first  Noble  Grand  of  the  Snohomish,  and  also 
one  of  the  Rebekahs,  as  is  also  Mrs.  Ward,  who  is 
Past  \'oble  Grand  and  also  Past  Grand  President. 
Mr.  Ward  is  also  a  Mason,  a  past  master  and  mem- 
ber of  the  blue  lodge,  and  of  the  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star.  In  politics  Mr.  Ward  is  a  Republi- 
can, having  served  out  an  unexpired  term  as  county 
auditor,  having  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  now 
police  judge  since  1902.  In  the  summer  of  1903 
Judge  Ward  took  a  trip  to  Alaska  for  the  purpose 
of  a  pleasure  trip  and,  incidentally,  to  satisfy  his 
curiosity  about  that  country  of  the  North. 

Mr.  Ward  has  ever  been  interested  in  the  bet- 
terment of  his  community  and  his  influence  on  the 
musical  tastes  of  the  people  of  Snohomish  has 
been  very  marked.  His  early  training  in  this  line 
has  made  him  of  great  value  to  the  community  and 
he  has  always  been  ready  to  lend  his  knowledge 
for  any  occasion.  Mr.  Ward  is  a  popular  citizen  of 
Snohomish,  a  sterling  character  and  one  whose  in- 
fluence is  always  in  the  direction  of  liberality  and 
broadness  of  view. 


ELMER  LENFEST,  C.  E..  county  surveyor, 
with  headquarters  at  Snohomish,  which  is  also  his 
home,  has  for  the  past  eighteen  years  been  closely 
identified  with  the  interests  of  this  section,  espe- 
cially in  a  business  and  political  way,  his  period  of 
residence  being  practically  co-eval  with  the  period 
of  the  county's  greatest  development.  He  has 
been  active  and  able  in  the  pursuit  of  his  profession, 
one  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the  rapidly  grow- 
ing community,  and  has  attained  to  an  enviable 
position. 

The  Lenfest  family  originally  came  to  America 
with  General  Lafayette  at  the  time  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  from  the  Island  of  Guernsey  in  the 
English  Channel.  Its  members  fought  through 
that  memorable  struggle  under  the  great  French 
patriot,  and  afterward  settled  in  the  new  republic. 
Eugene  Lenfest,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  Waldo  county,  Maine,  and  after 


living  at  various  points  on  the  American  frontier 
finally  settled  in  Snohomish  in  1889,  following  ag- 
ricultural pursuits.  He  now  resides  in  Snohomish. 
He  is  seventy  years  of  age,  but  still  hale  and  hearty. 
Mary  M.  (Blackrnan)  Lenfest,  the  mother  of  El- 
mer Lenfest,  was  also  born  in  Maine  and  is  still 
living.  She  is  a  sister  of  the  Blackman  brothers 
of  Snohomish,  among  the  most  widely  known  of  the 
county's  pioneer  lumbermen.  Biographical  sketches 
of  them  appear  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  born  at  Bradley,. 
Maine,  September  10,  1864,  and  grew  to  man- 
hood's estate  in  that  far  northern  commonwealth. 
He  worked  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  public 
schools  until  he  was  fitted  to  pursue  higher  educa- 
tional work,  then  entered  the  University  of  Maine_ 
from  which  he  received  his  decree  of  civil  engi- 
neer. At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  commenced  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  locating  first  in  Minne- 
sota, where  he  was  employed  in  a  general  survey- 
ing office.  Thence  with  the  beginning  of  railroad 
construction  in  Montana  he  came  to  that  territory 
and  joined  the  corps  in  charge  of  the  building  of 
the  Montana  Central.  Upon  the  completion  of  that 
line  he  pushed  still  further  westward  toward  the 
Pacific,  coming  direct  to  Snohomish  county  and  at 
once  opening  an  office  in  Snohomish  City.  This 
was  in  1888.  At  that  time  he  was  associated  with 
H.  P.  Niles,  now  assistant  state  land  commissioner 
of  Washington,  in  the  establishment  of  this  office. 
In  1890  Mr.  Lenfest  was  elected  county  surveyor 
on  the  Republican  ticket  and  served  two  years  in 
that  public  capacity,  retiring  to  engage  in  general 
work  by  himself.  He  pursued  his  profession  suc- 
cessfully and  almost  continuously  until  January, 
1905,  when,  having  been  re-elected  surveyor  of 
Snohomish  county,  he  again  entered  the  public 
service.  The  only  interruption  of  his  private  prac- 
tice was  in  1896,  when  he  accepted  the  principalship 
of  the  Emerson  public  school  at  Snohomish  tempo- 
rarilv.  The  fire  system  of  roads  which  now  net- 
works the  county  was  scarcely  begun  when  Mr. 
Lenfest  took  up  his  residence  here  and  the  general 
condition  of  the  region  was  wild  and  undeveloped. 
Perhaps  few  can  appreciate  these  great  changes  so 
thoroughly  as  members  of  his  profession  which  has 
for  its  very  object  the  bringing  of  order  out  of 
chaos  and  the  outlining  of  schemes  for  systematic 
growth   and  development  of  a  region's   resources.. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  Sylvia  M.  Ferguson  to 
Mr.  Lenfest  was  solemnized  at  Snohomish  in  No- 
vember. 1891,  She  was  born  in  that  city  in  1870, 
when  it  was  yet  a  mere  trading  post,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  E.  C.  Ferguson,  the  county's  distin- 
guished pioneer.  A  comprehensive  biographical 
sketch  of  the  Ferguson  family  appears  on  another 
page  of  these  records.  One  child  has  blessed  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lenfest,  Norman  F.,  bora* 
July  7,  1893,  in  Snohomish. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Fraternally,  Mr.  Lenfest  is  affiliated  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Foresters.  As  a  Republican  he  has  been  for  years 
one  of  the  influential  members  in  his  party's  local 
councils.  Besides  filling  his  present  office,  he  has 
served  the  city  of  Snohomish  as  its  engineer,  and 
from  the  government  he  holds  a  commission  as  a 
United  States  mineral  surveyor.  His  private  prac- 
tice, large  and  varied,  has  led  him  into  government 
work  of  different  kinds,  railroad  construction,  road 
building,  mining  operations  and  other  special  lines, 
thus  giving  him  a  rounded  experience  of  immense 
value.  As  an  official  he  has  served  and  is  serving 
faithfully  and  efficiently  the  people's  interests,  as  a 
citizen  he  has  never  been  found  lacking  in  public 
spirit  of  the  right  kind,  and  he  is  respected  and 
esteemed  by  all  with  whom  he  is  associated,  for 
his  sterling,  stable  qualities  of  character. 


ROBERT  HUGHES,  retired  farmer  and 
logger,  living  in  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  county  for  whom  it  is  indebted  to  England. 
He  was  born  in  Warwickshire  late  in  1835,  the  fifth 
of  the  nine  children  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Brom- 
ley) Hughes,  who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  Eng- 
land. The  father  was  a  laboring  man.  Mrs. 
Hughes  lived  to  the  remarkable  age  of  ninety-seven. 
Robert  Hughes  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  school 
only  until  he  was  thirteen  years  old.  He  then  be- 
gan to  work  and  was  hired  out  to  do  teaming  and 
farm  work.  When  twenty-four  years  of  age  he 
entered  the  marine  artillery  of  the  government 
service  and  during  the  four  years  of  his  service 
visited  many  ports  and  many  countries  of  the  globe 
In  1864,  having  then  been  two  years  on  the  Pacific 
stations,  Mr.  Hughes  left  the  service  at  Victoria 
and  crossed  the  straits  in  a  canoe  on  May  1st  of  that 
year  to  Port  Angeles.  He  went  from  there  to  Port 
Gamble,  but  after  a  time  was  taken  sick  in  a  log- 
ging camp  and  returned  to  town.  Upon  recovery 
Mr.  Hughes  came  to  Snohomish  county,  locating 
at  Loyal  and  working  in  a  logging  camp.  In  the 
summer  of  1864  he  was  logging  on  Eby's  slough. 
In  the  fall  of  the  following  year  Mr.  Hughes  went 
up  the  Snoqualmie  valley  and  took  up  a  squatter's 
right  to  160  acres  of  land.  He  remained  there  but 
a  short  time,  finally  abandoning  his  claim  and  tak- 
ing up  another  place  on  the  Snohomish.  Here  he 
worked  durmg  the  summer  time  and  passed  the 
winters  in  improving  his  land.  He  added  to  these 
holdings  by  purchase,  but  sold  out  and  in  1867 
preempted  160  acres  adjoining  the  present  site  of 
the  city  of  Snohomish.  Here  he  remained  for  thir- 
teen years  and  then  traded  half  of  his  land  for  400 
acres  on  Eby's  slough,  where  he  had  worked  in 
previous  years.  He  lived  on  his  slough  farm  for 
four  years  before  selling  out;  then  he  returned  to 
Snohomish.      Soon   after   his   arrival    Mr.   Hughes 


purchased  twenty  acres  of  lowland  near  town  and 
resided  there  for  fifteen  years.  This  property  he 
sold  in  1902  and  purchased  his  present  place. 

In  1869  at  Salem,  Oregon,  Mr.  Hughes  mar- 
ried Miss  McDonald.  No  children  have  been  born 
to  this  union.  Mr.  Hughes  is  a  communicant  of  the 
English  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and 
has  served  as  road  supervisor,  especially  in  the 
early  days  of  the  settlement.  Mr.  Hnglies  is  one 
of  the  find  old  gentlemen  of  a  school  of  life  which 
is  fast  passmg  away.  He  is  highly  respected  in 
the  community,  a  man  of  many  attainments  and  a 
character  of  much  charm. 


CLARK  FERGUSON,  a  successful  farmer  liv- 
ing at  Snohomish,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county 
for  four  decades  and  has  plaj'ed  a  large  part  in  the 
development  of  the  resources  of  the  county.  He  was 
born  in  Putnam  county,  New  York,  October  13, 
1835,  the  fifth  of  seven  children  of  Samuel  S.  and 
Alaria  (Clark)  Ferguson,  both  of  whom  have  been 
dead  for  many  years.  The  elder  Ferguson  was  a  far- 
mer and  paper  maker  by  occupation.  Clark  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  New  York 
and  at  twenty  years  of  age  went  to  California,  via 
the  Panama  route,  and  passed  two  years  at  mining. 
He  later  opened  a  store  in  Eldorado  county.  The 
year  1857  he  passed  at  his  old  home  in  New  York, 
but  in  the  spring  of  1858  Mr.  Ferguson  went  to 
Kansas  and  took  up  a  preemption  claim  in  Brown 
county,  remaining  there  for  about  two  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1860  Mr.  Ferguson  visited  the  Pike's 
Peak  country,  Colorado,  but  returned  shortly  to 
Leavenworth.  In  November  of  that  year,  in  com- 
pany with  others,  Mr.  Ferguson  was  employed  by 
a  firm  who  engaged  to  furnish  beef  cattle  and  other 
supplies  to  Fort  Laramie,  Wyoming.  The  caval- 
cade had  proceeded  as  far  as  the  Platte  valley  in 
northern  Nebraska  when  it  was  overtaken  by  a  ter- 
rific snow  storm  which  destroyed  nearly  600  head 
of  cattle,  only  four  yoke  of  oxen  surviving  the  ter- 
rible exposure  to  the  elements.  The  men  of  the 
company  returned  to  Leavenworth  in  January  of 
1863  and  Mr.  Ferguson  entered  the  employ  of  the 
government  at  Fort  Leavenworth  as  a  teamster  and 
general  utility  man  about  the  post.  He  remained 
with  the  government  about  a  year,  coming  west  to 
Idaho  and  passing  one  summer  in  the  Boise  Basin. 
It  was  in  September,  1865,  that  Mr.  Ferguson 
came  to  Snohomish  county.  On  his  arrival  here 
he  allied  himself  with  his  brother,  E.  C.  Ferguson, 
working  in  the  store  and  looking  after  the  logging 
camp.  Subsequently  Mr.  Ferguson  commenced 
farming  for  himself,  on  his  retirement  from  his 
brother,  receiving  280  acres  of  land.  He  remained 
a  farmer  until  1903,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved 
to  town.  In  the  early  days  Mr.  Ferguson  estab- 
lished a  milk  route,  being  the  first  man  in  that  line 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


of  business  in  the  city,  and  for  twenty-one  years 
his  milk  wagon  never  failed  to  make  its  daily 
rounds. 

In  Seattle  Mr.  Ferguson  married  Mrs.  Martha 
E.  Breen,  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Brown,  one  of  the 
venturesome  spirits  of  the  middle  west  who  started 
to  cross  the  plains  in  1852,  but  died  before  reaching 
the  Pacific  slope.  Mrs.  Ferguson  was  born  in 
Arkansas,  but  received  her  education  in  the  schools 
of  Oregon,  where  she  was  taken  after  the  death  of 
her  father.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferguson  have  been 
born  four  children :  Samuel  Y.,  who  died  when 
eleven  years  old;  Eleanor  C,  who  is  living  in 
Snohomish ;  Grover  F.,  who  died  at  seven  years, 
and  Carl  W.,  who  is  living  with  his  parents.  In 
politics  Mr.  Ferguson  is  a  Democrat  and  was  one 
of  the  county  commissioners  in  the  early  days  of 
the  county.  At  the  time  of  election  he  was  the 
only  Democrat  on  the  ticket  who  was  elected.  The 
Ferguson  home  farm  now  consists  of  fifteen  acres 
of  cultivated  land.  Mr.  Ferguson  also  owns  con- 
siderable city  property.  Though  not  playing  so 
prominent  a  part  in  the  early  days  of  the  city  of 
Snohomish  as  did  his  brother,  Mr.  Ferguson  is 
still  one  of  the  men  who  left  his  imprint  on  the 
early  business  life  of  the  city  and  the  adjoining 
country.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  character  and 
attainments,  highly  respected  by  the  entire  com- 
munitv. 


OLIVER  McLEAN,  carpenter  and  building 
contractor  by  trade,  at  present  writing  street  com- 
missioner of  the  city  of  Snoliomish,  is  one  of  the 
men  who  early  cast  in  their  fortunes  with  those  of 
this  county.  He  still  believes  that  his  choice  was 
not  the  result  of  mis-chance.  Since  1886  he  has 
been  in  the  county  and  by  his  fellows  in  the  com- 
munity is  recognized  as  a  citizen  who  has  given  of 
his  strength  and  vitality  to  the  development  of  the 
resources  of  this  part  of  the  Evergreen  state.  Mr. 
McLean  was  born  on  Prince  Edward's  Island,  Gulf 
of  St.  Lawrence,  in  July,  1855,  the  older  of  the 
two  children  of  Howatt  and  Pamelia  (Howatt) 
McLean.  The  elder  McLean  operated  a  saw  mill 
and  grist  mill  in  his  native  town.  When  Oliver 
McLean  was  less  than  three  years  of  age  a  falling 
tree  killed  the  father,  but  the  mother  is  still  living 
on  Prince  Edward's  Island.  Mr.  McLean  attended 
the  schools  of  his  native  island  until  at  twelve  years 
of  age  he  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources  for  a 
livelihood.  For  six  years  he  worked  in  the  vicinity 
of  his  home,  then  went  to  Wisconsin,  at  first  work- 
ing on  a  farm  and  later  learning  the  trade  of  car- 
penter, which  he  followed  for  two  years.  In  1875 
Mr.  McLean  went  to  North  Dakota  and  took  up  a 
homestead  near  Grand  Forks,  remaining  there 
farming  until  in  188'2  he  decided  to  come  to  Wash- 


ington. He  chose  Snohomish  county,  and  for  two 
years  after  his  arrival  he  worked  at  lumbering  in 
the  woods.  He  then  operated  vapor  and  electric 
baths  for  some  years,  giving  treatments  of  various 
kinds  to  his  patrons.  In  1890  when  gold  was  dis- 
covered in  the  Monte  Cristo  mining  district,  Mr. 
McLean  became  one  of  the  first  to  commence  oper- 
ations there.  He  located  several  promising  claims 
and  put  in  some  time  developing  them,  sending  his 
product  to  the  Everett  smelter.  Mr.  McLean  still 
owns  properties  in  the  Monte  Cristo  district  from 
which  he  derives  some  revenue.  In  1899  he  re- 
turned to  Snohomish  and  entered  upon  a  contract- 
ing and  building  business.  He  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  street  commissioner  in  190J:  and  still 
holds  that  office. 

In  1888  at  Snohomish  Mr.  McLean  married 
Miss  May  English,  a  native  of  Canada.  One  child, 
Pamelia,  was  born  to  this  union,  but  she  died  in 
1904  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years.  In  politics  Mr. 
McLean  is  not  very  active,  preferring  to  be  known 
as  a  nonpartisan.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Mr.  Mc- 
Lean considers  Snohomish  county  one  of  the  choice 
places  of  the  earth  for  a  man  of  moderate  means 
to  make  his  home.  He  has  done  the  advance  work 
of  a  pioneer  here  and  has  participated  in  the  steps 
taken  to  advance  the  community.  He  is  a  con- 
servative man,  conscientious  in  his  dealings  with 
men  and  the  public. 


URSINUS  K.  LOOSE.— Possessing  the  ge- 
nius for  organizing  and  carrying  to  a  successful 
issue  great  undertakings,  the  almost  prophetic 
foresight  which  characterizes  the  innate  captain  of 
industry,  unerring  judgment  in  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial lines,  marked  executive  ability  and  a  rare 
faculty  for  giving  attention  to  the  details  of  inter- 
ests numerous  and  divergent,  Ursinus  K.  Loose 
has  achieved  a  degree  of  success  in  the  world  of 
industry  and  finance  sm-passed  by  few  if  any  in  all 
the  commonwealth  of  Washington.  Though  his  in- 
terests and  undertakings  arc  widely  scattered  over 
the  state,  Snohomish  county  has  benefited  most 
from  his  operations,  for  it  is  there  that  his  home 
has  been  for  many  years  and  it  was  in  the  de- 
velopment and  utilization  of  the  resources  of  that 
section  that  most  of  his  fortune  has  been  amassed. 
Mr.  Loose  was  not  reared  in  the  lap  of  luxury,  had 
no  advantages  superior  to  those  enjoyed  by  most 
of  his  schoolmates  and  the  friends  of  his  boyhood; 
his  success  has  been  due  to  inherent  ability  and 
persistent  effort;  furthermore  it  has  been  achieved 
without  sacrifice  of  the  esteem  and  confidence  of 
associates  or  neighbors,  without  the  development 
of  those  deplorable  characteristics  that  distinguish 
"money  madness." 


MR     \.\l)    MRS.   DAVID   F.    SEXTON   AND   THEIR   HOME, 
XF.AR   SNOHOMISH,   WASHINGTON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Mr.  Loose  was  born  in  Sugargrove,  Fairfield 
county,  Ohio,  in  1859.  His  father,  Nathaniel  H. 
Loose,  D.  D.,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  had  gone 
to  that  state  in  early  life  and  had  graduated  from 
Heidelberg  University,  becoming  a  clergyman  of 
the  German  Reformed  church.  He  is  still  preach- 
ing in  Ohio.  Our  subject's  mother.  Alma  T. 
(Kroh)  Loose,  has  also  been  spared  to  her  hus- 
band and  family  to  this  date.  Ursinus  K.  enjoyed 
the  advantages  of  the  common  schools  of  his  na- 
tive gtate  and  the  Shelby  high  school,  and  immedi- 
ately on  graduating  from  the  latter  entered  the 
First  National  bank  of  Shelby  as  bookkeeper.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  became  assistant  cashier  in 
the  same  institution,  gaining  the  distinction  of  be- 
ing the  youngest  person  to  carry  the  responsibili- 
ties of  tiiat  position  in  the  state.  In  1878  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  cashier  and  bookkeeper  in  a 
large  mercantile  establishment  in  Bellevue,  Ohio,  a 
situation  which  he  retained  for  one  year,  leaving  it 
at  the  expiration  of  that  period  to  become  clerk  in 
the  National  Exchange  Bank  of  Tiffin.  In  1883 
he  went  to  Toledo  where  he  was  placed -in  charge 
of  the  books  of  the  Toledo  and  Detroit  branches  of 
the  Producers'  Marble  Company,  of  Rutland,  Ver- 
mont, a  corporation  of  which  the  head  was  Hon. 
Redfield  Proctor,  later  governor  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state.  After  performing  the  duties  of 
that  position  for  several  months,  he  became  for 
four  years  head  teller  of  the  First  National  bank  of 
Toledo.  He  then  went  to  Hartington,  Nebraska, 
to  become  cashier  and  part  owner  of  the  Cedar 
County  bank  of  that  city.  His  next  move  was  to 
Snohomish,  Washington,  where  he  became  cashier 
of  the  Snohomish  National  bank.  At  the  time  of 
the  organization  of  this  institution,  Mr.  Loose  and 
his  associates  also  organized  the  Adams  County 
bank,  of  Ritzville,  of  which  be  came  vice  president. 
In  lOOl  this  bank  was  reorganized  as  the  First 
National  bank  of  Ritzville,  and  the  same  office  is 
now  occupied  by  Mr.  Loose  in  the  new  concern.  He 
continued  to  act  as  cashier  in  the  Snohomish  bank 
until  its  dissolution  upon  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat  to  Everett  in  1897,  then  opened  a  private  bank- 
ing house  in  Snohomish,  which  he  still  conducts. 
He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Prosser  State  bank, 
of  Prosser,  Benton  county,  Washington,  and  in  the 
American  National  bank  of  Everett. 

In  189G  Mr.  Loose  became  interested  in  a 
wholesale  lumber  business  at  Snohomish  and  since 
that  time  his  logging  and  lumbering  operations 
liave  been  very  widely  extended,  his  varied  interests 
in  that  line  including  at  present  the  Sultan  Railroad 
■&  Timber  Company,  of  which  he  is  president,  and 
the  Sultan  Logging  Company,  of  which  he  is  vice- 
president  and  treasurer.  It  would  seem  that  all 
these  varied  business  enterprises  must  tax  Mr. 
Loose's  time  and  abilities  to  the  fullest,  but  he  is 
also  president  and  general  manager  of  the  Columbia 


Canal  Company,  which  operates  at  Wallula,  and 
vice-president  of  the  Index  Mining  Company; 
furthermore  he  finds  time  and  energy  to  devote  to 
advancing  the  cause  of  education,  in  which  he  is 
deeply  interested,  serving  as  trustee  of  Puget 
Sound  Academy,  at  Snohomish,  and  Whitworth 
College  at  Tacoma,  nor  does  he  neglect  social  or 
religious  duties,  being  at  the  present  time  an  active 
Mason  and  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church. 
How  he  manages  to  accomplish  all  this  must  re- 
main a  mystery  to  men  less  gifted  with  herculean 
powers  of  accomplishment. 

In  Toledo,  Ohio,  in  1885,  Mr.  Loose  married 
Miss  Ada  Hayes,  daughter  of  Henry  J.  and  Emily 
(Taylor)  Hayes,  the  former  a  very  early  pioneer 
of  the  city  on  the  Maumee  and  for  years  a  promi- 
nent wholesale  hay  and  grain  dealer,  the  latter  a 
daughter  of  the  sunny  South.  Mrs.  Loose  was 
born  and  raised  in  Toledo.  She  died  in  Snohomish 
county  in  1903,  leaving  one  daughter,  Julia,  a  na- 
tive of  Hartington,  Nebraska.  A  son  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Loose,  whose  name  was  Ralph  H.,  died  in 
infancy.  In  1905,  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  Mr. 
Loose  again  married,  the  lady  being  Miss  Charlotte 
Sawyer  Tilden,  daughter  of  Jared  H.  and  Catherine 
E.  (Hedge)  Tilden,  old-time  residents  of  the 
Queen  City  of  the  Lakes.  Mrs.  Loose's  ancestors 
have  resided  in  Buffalo  since  its  first  founding  in 
1810,  having  assisted  in  quelling  the  Indian  troubles 
in  1812. 


DAVID  F.  SEXTON.— Among  the  honored 
and  influential  pioneer  citizens  of  Snohomish 
county  who  took  an  active  part  in  laying  firm  and 
broad  the  foundation  upon  which  the  common- 
wealth of  Washington  was  erected  must  ever  be 
included  the  man  whose  name  forms  the  title  of 
this  biographical  record.  The  pioneer  spirit  has 
run  strong  and  deep  in  his  family  for  many  genera- 
tions, leaving  its  impress  upon  the  frontier  history 
of  this  country  from  the  memorable  flood  of  immi- 
gration which  swept  across  the  Alleghanies  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  to  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Sexton  family  upon  Puget  sound  a 
hundred  years  later. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  Ohio,  April  1,  1838,  the  descendant- 
of  one  of  the  Buckeye  state's  earliest  white  fami- 
lies. Joseph  Sexton,  the  father,  was  born  in  Ohio 
in  the  year  1808,  and  was  reared  there.  He  learned 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  spending  seven  years  as  an 
apprentice.  In  Ohio  he  was  married  and  there 
farmed  and  worked  at  his  trade  until  1842,  when  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Jasper  county,  Indiana, 
That  section  was  then  new,  neighbors  being  few 
and  far  between,  but  it  gave  rich  promise.  Mr. 
Sexton  bought  a  tract  of  government  land,  built  a 
home  and  there  resided,  farming  and  following  his 
old  trade,   until  about  the   year   1855.     From  that 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


time  on  his  life  was  mostly  spent  in  the  religious 
work  undertaken  by  his  talented  wife,  he  accom- 
panying her  and  assisting.  In  1870  the  family  re- 
moved still  further  westward,  this  time  to  Wilson 
county,  Kansas.  In  that  county  his  death  occurred 
at  Fredonia,  October  21,  1878.  David  F.  Sexton's 
mother,  who  passed  away  in  Seattle  December  15, 
1894,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five  years,  was 
a  distinguished  woman.  Rev.  Lydia  Sexton,  or 
"Mother  Sexton"  as  she  was  familiarly  and  affec- 
tionately known  throughout  the  United  States,  was 
bom  April  12,  1799,  in  Sussex  county,  now  Rock- 
port,  New  Jersey,  and  preached  for  nearly  fifty 
years  of  her  long,  useful  life.  She  was  a  cousin  of 
Bishop  Matthew  Simpson,  and  a  granddaughter  of 
Marquis  Anthony  Cozot,  the  name  being  later  cor- 
rupted to  Casad.  This  nobleman  took  possession 
of  a  grant  of  land  along  the  lower  Mississippi  early 
in  the  eighteenth  century,  founding  an  American 
branch  of  his  family  whose  members  are  scattered 
throughout  the  different  states.  He  abandoned  his 
grant  upon  the  sale  of  Louisiana  in  1803  and  died 
in  New  Jersey,  leaving  nine  children,  among  whom 
was  Rev.  Thomas  Casad,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  the 
father  of  Lydia  Casad.  In  1814  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  left  an  orphan,  this  intrepid  girl  went  to 
Ohio,  then  called  "Hios,""  and  in  that  far  off  north- 
western outpost  of  civilization  grew  to  woman- 
hood, learning  the  glove-making  and  tailoring 
trades.  When  quite  a  young  woman  she  was  mar- 
ried to  Isaac  Cox,  who  died  shortly  afterward,  and 
in  1824  she  was  again  married,  this  time  to  Joseph 
Moore.  Her  second  husband  lived  only  a  short 
time,  however.  September  12,  1829,  she  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Joseph  Sexton  at  Jacksonborough, 
Ohio,  with  whom  she  lived  nearly  fifty  years,  or 
until  his  death.  In  1834  this  good  woman,  after 
a  life  of  doubt,  affiliated  with  the  United  Brethren 
church,  being  baptized  in  the  Miami  river  at  Day- 
ton, Ohio.  Shortly  afterward  She  was  moved  to 
commence  preaching  the  gospel,  but  owing  to  the 
opposition  of  her  family,  deterred  action  several 
years.  From  the  first  her  success  was  notable.  In 
1851  Josiah  Turrell,  presiding  elder  at  the  quarterly 
Illinois  conference,  gave  her  a  license  to  preach. 
Her  forte  was  revival  work,  and  her  converts  dur- 
ing the  twenty  or  thirty  years  following  her  regular 
initiation  into  the  work  undoubtedly  numbered 
many  thousands.  L'pon  the  family's  removal  to 
Kansas  she  at  once  became  prominent  in  that  com- 
monwealth and  was  shortly  appointed  chaplain  of 
the  state  penitentiary  by  Governor  Harvey.  At  that 
time  she  was  seventy  years  of  age,  and  her  kind, 
motherly  and  sympatiietic  tenderness  awoke  in 
many  a  criminal's  breast  the  love  he  bore  for  his 
own  mother.  In  1870  she  went  as  a  delegate  to  the 
national  prison  congress  at  Cincinnati,  and  was  the 
only  woman  who  addressed  that  distinguished  body. 
A  year  or  two  later,  when   Kansas  was   suffering 


great  distress  owing  to  successive  crop  failures. 
Mother  Sexton  traveled  throughout  the  east  in 
their  behalf,  meeting  with  a  wonderful  success  in 
this  noble  mission.  At  one  time  she  secured  a 
whole  carload  of  flour  for  her  stricken  people.  In 
1889  Mother  Sexton  came  to  Seattle  to  reside  with 
her  son  Joseph  Z.  Sexton.  She  preached  frequently 
and  journeyed  considerable  until  1892,  when  fail- 
ing eyesight  compelled  her  to  abandon  further  ac- 
tive work.  The  last  year  of  her  life  she  was  en- 
tirely blind,  but  still  possessed  unusual  control  of 
her  faculties.  Although  she  passed  to  her  reward 
in  the  kingdom  many  years  ago  her  unconquerable 
spirit  and  influence  for  the  uplifting  of  mankind 
still  live  in  a  multitude  of  hearts  and  her  name  will 
be  enscrolled  among  those  of  America's  prominent 
religious  teachers.  At  the  time  of  her  demise  she 
was  the  oldest  woman  preacher  in  the  United 
States.  In  passing  it  might  be  noted  that  her 
brother  Abner,  and  her  maternal  ancestors,  the 
Tingleys,  fought  in  America's  early  wars,  the 
former  in  the  War  of  1812  and  the  latter  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Only  one  member  of  her  fam- 
ily survives  her,  David  F.,  of  Snohomish,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  article. 

As  a  boy,  David  F.  Sexton  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Jasper  county,  Indiana,  and  thus 
acquired  his  elementary  education.  Desiring  to  se- 
cure a  more  liberal  education,  after  reaching  man- 
hood's estate,  he  took  a  course  in  the  normal  school' 
at  Burnettsville,  Indiana,  and  also  for  a  time  at- 
tended Hartsville  L^niversity,  at  Hartsville.  Indi- 
ana. While  pursuing  his  higher  studies  and  for  a 
number  of  years  afterward  he  engaged  in  teaching 
in  the  Hoosier  state  and  was  recognized  as  a  suc- 
cessful member  of  his  profession.  He  also  taught 
several  terms  after  he  became  a  resident  of  Kan- 
sas. In  1870  Mr.  Sexton  and  his  wife  took  up  their 
abode  in  Wilson  county,  Kansas,  then  a  frontier 
community,  and  there  he  engaged  in  farming. 
However,  the  climate  did  not  agree  with  his  failing 
health,  so  he  abandoned  with  reluctance  his  beauti- 
ful prairie  home  for  one  further  west  among  the 
mountains  and  forests  that  he  hoped  would  prove  a 
permanent  abiding  place.  On  May  13,  1878,  having 
sold  the  place,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sexton  with  their 
mule  team,  and  accompanied  by  John  M.  Robbins, 
now  a  resident  of  Marysville,  started  for  Puget 
sound.  The  journey  proved  a  happy  one,  terminat- 
ing October  7th,  by  the  party's  arrival  at  the  shores 
of  the  sound.  The  ague  and  fever  which  had  com- 
menced to  undermine  Mr.  Sexton's  health  were  ef- 
fectually checked  and  he  determined  to  locate  in  the 
valley  of  the  Snohomish,  at  that  time  sparsely  s'et- 
tled  and  for  the  most  part  in  its  virgin  state.  He 
purchased,  in  February,  1879,  the  claim  on  the 
Pilchuck  river,  just  northeast  of  the  present  city  of 
Snohomish,  and  upon  it  the  Sexton  home  has  since 
remained.     At  that  time  the  tract  was  a  dense  for- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


est,  but  with  returning  health  Mr.  Sexton  attacked 
the  wilderness  with  a  perseverance  and  a  zeal  that 
soon  brought  their  rewards.  During  the  first  few 
years  of  his  residence  in  the  county  he  did  consid- 
erable freighting  for  his  neighbors,  logging  camps 
and  the  old  Morgan  mill,  there  being  at  that  time 
only  two  other  teams  of  horses  in  Snohomish.  All 
the  logging  was  done  with  oxen.  Snohomish  City 
in  1879  had  barely  a  hundred  inhabitants  and  re- 
ceived its  mail  two  or  three  times  a  week  by  the 
steamer  Fanny  Lake  of  Seattle.  Of  public  build- 
ings, only  the  Presbyterian  church  and  a  school- 
house  had  then  been  erected.  Court  was  held  in  the 
old  Eagle  Hotel. 

With  their  fellow  pioneers  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sexton 
endured  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  the  times,  but 
faced  them  cheerfully  and  to-day  express  no  re- 
grets. Of  his  two  hundred-acre  ranch  in  the  beau- 
tiful Pilchuck  valley,  Mr.  Sexton  has  now  sixty- 
five  acres  under  cultivation.  Along  with  general 
farming,  he  pays  especial  attention  to  dairying  and 
fruit  raising,  his  dairy  herd  being  a  choice  collec- 
tion of  Jerseys.  One  ten-acre  tract  of  this  place  is 
devoted  exclusively  to  blackberries  and  raspber- 
ries, good  crops  of  which  are  annually  produced. 

On  November  19,  1867,  Miss  Orra  J.  Downing 
became  the  bride  of  Mr.  Sexton,  both  at  that  time 
being  residents  of  Indiana.  Mrs.  Sexton  was  born 
in  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana,  August  30,  1842, 
of  pioneer  American  stock.  Her  parents,  John  H. 
and  Sarah  (Knight)  Downing,  were  among  the 
earliest  pioneers  of  Tippecanoe  county,  having  set- 
tled there  after  journeying  from  Ohio  in  the  year 
of  their  marriage,  1829.  They  lived  on  the  old 
homestead  for  more  than  half  a  century,  Mrs. 
Downing's  death  occurring  there  in  1885,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six,  and  Mr.  Downing's  death  in 
1888,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Both  lived  to  en- 
joy the  fruits  of  their  labors  and  the  respect  of  their 
large  circle  of  neighbors  and  friends. 

Because  of  his  broad  public  spirit  and  interest 
taken  in  fruit  culture,  Mr.  Sexton  has  been  hon- 
ored by  election  to  the  presidency  of  the  Snohomish 
County  Horticultural  Society,  a  position  he  still 
occupies.  He  is  also  an  active  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  by  virtue  of  having 
served  in  the  i:^>."ith  Regiment  of  Indiana  \'olunteers 
during  the  Civil  War.  In  consequence  of  ill  health 
he  did  not  remain  long  in  the  army,  however.  He 
is  also  connected  with  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  fraternity. 
Although  not  aspiring  to  political  office,  he  wields 
a  strong  influence  in  his  party,  the  Republican,  and 
has  consistently  supported  it  since  he  cast  his  first 
ballot  in  18G0  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  has  been 
identified  with  the  Snohomish  Methodist  church 
since  since  its  organization,  and  during  the  entire 
life  of  the  society  has  served  on  its  board  of 
trustees.  Mr.  Sexton  and  his  wife  have  contributed 
their  share  to  the  upbuilding  of  Snohomish  county. 


and  are  to-day  respected  and  esteemed  by  neigh- 
bors, friends  and  acquaintances  for  their  sterling 
personal  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  and  for  what 
they  have  done  toward  the  advancement  of  the 
community. 


WILSON  M.  SNYDER,  cashier  of  the  First 
National  bank  of  Snohomish,  and  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  that  well  known  financial  institution  seven- 
teen years  ago,  may  justly  be  classed  as  among  the 
men  who  have  been  more  than  ordinarily  influential 
in  promoting  the  development  of  his  home  city 
and  county.  His  position  in  the  business  world  for 
so  many  years  has  afforded  him  opportunity  and 
power,  and  one  of  the  true  measurements  of  the 
man  is  found  in  the  fact  that  he  has  improved  the 
former  privilege  and  used  the  latter  with  commend- 
able discretion. 

Of  illustrious  pioneer  American  ancestry,  whose 
oldest  branches  reach  back  on  the  paternal  side  to 
the  German  and  on  the  maternal  to  the  Scotch  and 
English  peoples.  Wilson  M.  Snyder  was  born  at 
Galena,  Illinois,  May  7,  1853,  the  son  of  William  H. 
and  Lucretia  H.  (McLean)  Snyder.  The  elder 
Snyder,  a  banker  also,  was  a  native  of  Utica,  New 
York,  born  in  1814.  His  great  grandfather  fought 
in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  while  his  mother 
was  a  member  of  the  Dodge  family,  of  Boston,  who 
came  among  the  early  colonists  and  served  in  the 
Indian  and  Revolutionary  Wars.  William  H.  went 
to  Illinois  in  1838,  as  a  pioneer  settler.  There  he 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  later  entering 
the  field  of  banking  and  finally  in  1865  reorgan- 
ized the  institution  as  the  Merchants'  National  bank 
of  Galena.  Lucretia  McLean  Snyder  was  born  in 
.Alexandria,  Virginia,  a  descendant  of  colonial  Old 
Dominion  stock,  slaveholders.  The  Battle  of  Bull 
Run  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  was  fought 
on  the  estate  of  her  uncle,  Wilmer  McLean,  and  in 
his  home  at  Appomattox  Courthouse  the  treaty  of 
peace  was  signed  by  Generals  Grant  and  Lee  in 
1865.  Mrs.  Snyder  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  is 
still  living  in  Galena  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
bank  established  by  her  husband.  Of  the  three 
children  in  the  family,  there  are  two  daughters, 
Mrs.  Fannie  Merrick  and  Miss  Alice  L.  Snyder, 
and  one  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

He  grew  to  manhood  in  Galena,  there  complet- 
ing his  English  education.  Immediately  his  parents 
sent  him  to  Germany  to  finish  his  studies,  especially, 
however,  to  acquire  the  German  language.  After 
a  two  years'  stay  in  Europe  he  returned  home  and 
in  1874  entered  his  father's  banking  house.  Four- 
teen vears  elapsed  before  he  severed  connections 
with  that  institution,  but  so  glowing  was  the  busi- 
ness prospect  of  the  Pacific  coast  that  in  1888  the 
young  banker  decided  his  opportunity  had  arrived. 
Coming  to  the  thriving  little  town  of  Snohomish 
City  in  May  of  that  year,  he  was  so  favorably  im- 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


pressed  that  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  private 
bank  of  J.  Furth  &  Company  there  and  at  once 
entered  into  the  life  around  him.  In  July  follow- 
ing, to  meet  the  growing  demand  of  the  public,  this 
firm  was  dissolved  and  in  its  stead  the  First  Na- 
tional bank  of  Snohomish  was  organized  with  Mr. 
Snyder  as  its  cashier,  a  position  he  has  held  unin- 
terruptedly since.  During  the  transition  period  of 
the  city's  growth — from  a  town  into  a  city — Mr. 
Snyder  took  an  active  part,  serving  as  a  member  of 
the  first  council  upon  incorporation,  ami  later,  when 
Everett  wrested  the  county  seat  fnun  Simln  miish 
after  a  memorable  struggle  of  several  years'  dura- 
tion, he  was  again  prominent  in  his  home  city's  be- 
half. The  hard  times  dangerously  strained  the 
business  life  of  the  entire  county,  and  it  is  a  sig- 
nificant fact,  reflecting  special  credit  upon  the  abil- 
ity and  faith  of  the  First  National,  that  it  weath- 
ered the  storm  safely,  among  the  few  banks  in  this 
section  that  did.  Those  were  tr\in,L;  times  that  testcil 
the  mettle  and  the  capacity  of  men  in  all  ranks  of  life, 
yet  probably  upon  no  class  was  the  pressure  so 
great  as  upon  those  who  handled  the  cash  and  the 
credit  of  business  men  generally,  the  bankers. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  Nettie  Henry  to  Mr. 
Snyder  took  place  in  1883  at  Mineral  Point,  Wis- 
consin, she  being  the  daughter  of  William  T. 
Henry,  prior  to  his  death  a  prominent  banker  and 
mine  owner  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Emma  (McHugh) 
Henry  survived  him  and  is  now  a  resident  of 
Snohomish.  Mrs.  Snyder  is  a  native  of  Mineral 
Point  and  was  there  reared  and  educated.  Henry 
M.,  the  elder  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snyder's  children, 
is  attending  the  state  university  at  Seattle,  and  dur- 
ing vacation  periods  learning  the  banking  business 
under  his  father.  The  younger  son,  W.  McLean, 
resides  at  home  and  is  a  pupil  in  the  Snohomish 
public  schools.  The  family  religious  faith  is  that  of 
the  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Snyder,  while  a  believer 
in  Republican  principles  and  policies,  is  liberal  in 
his  political  views,  and  when  he  has  accepted  pref- 
erment at  the  hands  of  his  fellow  citizens,  the  spirit 
of  good  citizenship  rather  than  the  vanity  of  party 
has  ruled  him.  For  several  years  he  has  filled  the 
office  of  city  treasurer. 

In  closing  this  brief  review,  it  is  not  inappropri- 
ate to  make  mention  of  a  curious  document  in  Mr. 
Snyder's  possession,  a  business  paper  of  special 
interest  to  the  people  of  Puget  sound.  This  is  a 
contract,  handed  down  to  Mr.  Snyder  through  his 
maternal  ancestors,  bearing  date  of  December  28, 
1754,  calling  for  the  manufacture  of  a  specified 
number  of  shingles  to  be  paid  for  in  tobacco,  at  that 
time  legal  tender  in  "Virginia.  The  ancient  paper  is 
well  preserved  and,  mounted  in  a  substantial  frame 
hung  on  the  wall  at  the  bank,  is  an  object  of  more 
than  passing  attention.  Descended  from  a  line  of 
eminent  business  men,  patriotic  citizens,  firm  in 
their  faith  and  progressive  in  spirit,  pioneers  also, 


Mr.  Snyder  himself  is  not  lacking  in  these  quali- 
ties of  mind  and  heart,  so  characteristic  of  genu- 
inely successful  men. 


GILBERT  D.  HORTON,  proprietor  of  a  sta- 
tionery, book,  art  and  wall  paper  establishment  at 
Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  Puget 
sound  country  and  of  this  part  of  Snohomish 
county  in  particular.  Having  come  here  in  1888, 
Mr.  Horton  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
transformation  which  has  taken  place  since  he  first 
set  foot  on  the  shores  of  the  Snohomish  river.  He 
was  born  in  Waterford,  Oakland  county,  Michigan, 
in  the  early  days  of  1853.  His  father,'  William  D. 
Horton,  was  born  in  New  York  of  an  old  family, 
his  grandfather  having  fought  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  Mr.  Horton  went  to  Michigan  in  the  pioneer 
days  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Snohomish.  Mrs 
Catherine  L.  (Birdsall),  also  a  native  of  New 
Vork,  likewise  is  descended  from  one  of  the  old 
families  of  the  Empire  state,  her  ancestors  at  one 
time  having  owned  considerable  property  on  Long 
Island.  Mrs.  Horton  still  survives,  the  mother  of 
five  children :  Almerian,  Gilbert,  Harvey,  Alvan 
and  a-  child  who  died  in  infancy.  Gilbert  D.  Hor- 
ton grew  to  manhood  at  Ausable,  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Huron,  and  in  the  land  of  the  pine  woods  of 
the  peninsula.  His  attendance  at  school  was  lim- 
ited but  he  has  acquired  a  great  fund  of  knowledge 
and  has  assimilated  everything  which  has  come  un- 
der his  observant  eye.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
went  to  Alpena,  where  he  learned  the  art  of  photog- 
raphy. After  mastering  the  details  of  his  profes- 
sion, Mr.  Horton  returned  to  Ausable  and  opened 
a  gallery  of  his  own,  which  he  operated  for  two 
years,  leaving  to  go  'into  the  woods  and  engage  in 
chopping  and  logging.  In  1877  he  came  to  the 
Pacific  coast  and  located  at  Astoria,  Oregon,  where 
he  at  once  opened  a  photograph  gallery.  At  a  later 
time  Mr.  Horton  went  to  the  Lewis  river  country 
and  finally  crossed  the  mountains  into  eastern 
Washington,  where  he  engaged  in  a  log  drive  for 
the  Northern  Pacific  from  the  eastern  slopes  of  the 
Cascades  through  the  entire  Yakima  valley  to  the 
Snake  river.  This  was  during  the  construction  days 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  and  the  drive  is  said  to  have 
been  the  largest  in  the  history  of  lumbering  in  the 
Lhiited  States.  Mr.  Horton  then  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Oregon  Railroad  &  Navigation  Com- 
pany in  the  Meacham  Creek  canyon,  leaving  that 
work,  however,  to  open  a  photograph  gallery  in 
Pendleton,  Oregon.  He  sold  out  this' establishment 
and  went  to  Michigan  to  visit  his  old  home.  On 
his  return  the  Northern  Pacific  had  been  built 
through  to  the  sound,  and  thither  Mr.  Horton  went. 
He  built  a  floating  photograph  gallery  and  for  sev- 
eral years  followed  the  enterprise  of  traveling  about 
the  sound  and  engaging  in  professional  work. 
When  he  sold  his  outfit  he  came  to  Snohomish  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


841 


in  company  with  his  brother,  Harvey  W.  Horton, 
establislied  the  mercantile  enterprise  which  he  is 
now  conducting.  In  1899  Mr.  Horton  bought  the 
interest  of  his  brother,  who  had  gone  to  the  Klon- 
dike. 

In  May  of  1889  at  Snohomish  Mr.  Horton  mar- 
ried Miss  Maggie  Leigh  Hufl,  a  native  of  Kansas. 
Two  daughters  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Horton :  Cora,  who  is  chief  clerk  in  her  father's 
store,  and  Ella,  who  is  attending  school.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Horton  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  Mr.  Hor- 
ton has  very  distinct  recollections  of  the  early  days 
of  Snohomish,  when  there  were  no  roads  and  the 
river  was  the  only  avenue  of  communication  or 
transportation,  when  the  lumberjack,  fresh  from 
payday  or  a  drive  on  the  river,  was  wont  to  make 
things  lively  in  the  little  town.  While  now  retired 
from  the  business  of  photographer,  Mr.  Horton  re- 
tains his  characteristic  love  of  art,  and  of  photo- 
graphic art  in  particular.  He  is  a  man  of  delicately 
poised  temperament  and  an  authority  regarding 
artistic  matters. 


CHARLES  L.  LAWRY,  cashier  of  the  Mon- 
roe State  bank,  is  a  pioneer  of  the  county.  Well 
acquainted  with  all  the  resources  of  the  valley,  an 
authority  on  questions  of  finance,  he  naturally  is  a 
man  whose  opinions  are  sought  and  heeded.  His 
beautiful  home,  embracing  forty-five  acres  of  valu- 
able land,  lies  a  half  mile  north  of  the  corporate 
limits  of  the  city  of  Snohomish.  Born  in  Bangor, 
Maine,  February  15,  1858,  he  is  the  son  of  Parker 
and  Thursa  (Powers)  Lawry,  who  had  two  chil- 
dren, Charles  L.  and  Theresa  B.,  the  latter  de- 
ceased. The  father  was  a  sailor  who,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  became  the  captain  of  a  vessel.  He 
followed  the  high  seas  all  his  life  and  visited  every 
corner  of  the  globe.  His  wife  died  when  her  son, 
the  subject  of  this  review,  was  six  months  old. 
Charles  firmly  refused  to  listen  to  the  alluring  tales 
of  a  life  at  sea  and  wisely  took  advantage  of  the 
common  schools  of  the  state,  attended  high  school, 
and  took  a  commercial  course  in  a  business  col- 
lege. He  decided  that  the  Pacific  coast  must  have 
opportunities  for  young  men,  so  crossed  the  conti- 
nent when  he  was  twenty  and  remained  a  short  time 
in  San  Francisco.  On  a  pleasant  spring  day  in  May, 
1878,  he  reached  Snohomish,  a  village  of  less  than 
200  white  people,  with  numerous  Indians  in  the 
vicinity.  First  he  worked  in  the  lumber  camps ;  in 
1879  and  1880  he  hunted  for  gold  in  the  diggmgs 
of  the  Cassiar  placer  district;  then  returned  to 
Snohomish  county  and  again  found  work  in  the 
woods.  From  1884  to  1888  he  ran  an  express  and 
drayage  line  in  Snohomish  and  farmed  on  a  limited 
scale,  seeking  legitimate  opportunity  where  he 
could.    During  these  years  he  was  becoming  popu- 


lar in  Snohomish  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the 
county,  so  much  so  that  the  Republicans  decided  he 
would  add  strength  to  their  county  ticket,  and  gave 
him  the  nomination  for  county  treasurer.  He  was 
elected  and  reelected  in  1890  and  1892.  His  friends 
wished  him  to  accept  other  positions  but  he  refused 
during  the  next  six  years  to  take  political  office. 
He  was  devoting  his  energies  at  this  time  to  various 
pursuits,  including  mining  and  farming;  also  oper- 
ating a  gents"  furnishing  store  in  Snohomish.  In 
June,  1898,  he  went  to  Klondyke  and  for  a  year 
mined  with  fair  success.  In  1900  he  was  again  in- 
duced to  accept  a  nomination  for  county  treasurer. 
His  previous  record  had  been  so  clean  and  his  man- 
agement of  the  county  business  so  capable  that  he 
was  elected  easily  and  reelected  in  1902.  He  showed 
himself  a  financier  of  considerable  ability  and  to- 
wards the  end  of  his  term  assisted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Monroe  State  bank,  becoming  its  cash- 
ier, a  position  for  which  his  long  experience  in  the 
treasurer's  office  had  eminently  fitted  him. 

Mr.  Lawry  and  Miss  Zellah  Getchell  were  mar- 
ried February  11,  1882.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Mar- 
tin and  Olif  Getchell,  both  natives  of  ]\Iaine,  now  re- 
siding in  Lowell,  Washington.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawry 
have  two  children,  Charles  A.  and  Ethel  B.  Mr. 
Lawry  is  a  popular  and  prominent  member  of  two 
orders,  the  Masonic  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
One  of  the  most  honored  and  highly  esteemed  citi- 
zens of  the  county.  He  is  quite  unassuming,  a  true 
pioneer  of  the  \\'est,  who  has  seen  his  own  county 
grow  and  prosper  and  who  has  materially  assisted 
in  this  growth  and  prosperity. 


TAMLIX  EL\\"ELL,  retail  lumberman  of  Sno- 
homish, is  one  of  the  men  who  have  had  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  lumber  industry  on  both  sides 
of  the  American  continent.  His  first  introduction 
to  the  business  came  as  a  lad  in  the  pine  trees  of  his 
native  Maine  and  there  has  hardly  been  a  day  since 
early  boyhood  when  he  has  not  been  in  close  contact 
with  either  standing  timber  or  the  manufactured 
product.  Mr.  Elwell  was  one  of  the  trail  finders 
in  the  early  days  of  the  timber  business  ui  Snohom- 
ish county  and  an  unimpeachable  authority  on  facts 
regarding  the  forests  of  the  western  slopes  of  the 
Cascades.  He  was  born  in  Northfield.  ^Vashmg- 
ton  county,  Maine,  in  the  first  days  of  1839,  the  son 
of  John  and  Eliza  (Crosby)  Elwell,  natives  of  the 
Pine  Tree  state  in  the  second  decade  of  the  last 
century.  The  elder  Elwell  was  a  logger  and  lum- 
berman all  his  life.  He  came  to  the  Pugct  sound 
forests  in  1858  and  returned  to  his  native  state  after 
a  year  and  a  half  of  life  here.  He  remained  in 
J.Iaine  until  1872,  when  he  came  to  Snohonu'sh 
county  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.  Mrs. 
Elwell  also  died  in  Snohomish.  Tamlin  Elwell, 
after    receiving    his    education,    became    associated 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


witli  his  father  in  the  logging  business.  In  1858  he 
accompanied  the  elder  Elwell  to  the  Puget  sound 
countr}'  and  returned  to  his  native  state,  beconing 
a  partner  with  his  father  upon  attaining  his  ma- 
jority. Upon  his  marriage  in  1863  yonng  Elwell 
decided  to  return  to  Washington  and  the  ijrc&ts  of 
Snohomish.  He  sold  out  his  interests  in  Maine  to 
his  father  and  crossed  the  continent  again.  His 
first  work  here  was  as  logging  contractor  for  the 
Puget  Sound  Mill  Company  at  Port  Gamble.  Those 
were  the  days  when  there  were  no  tug  boats  on  the 
waters  of  the  sound  to  haul  rafts  or  boomed  logs 
to  their  destination,  but  Mr.  Elwell  successfully 
carried  out  his  contract  within  eighteen  months. 
He  then  returned  again  to  his  native  state  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  a  lumber  company,  becoming 
master  driver  on  the  river,  which  position  he  held 
until  in  1875  he  came  once  more  to  Snohomish 
county,  this  time  to  make  his  home  permanently 
on  the  Pacific  slope.  Mr.  Elwell's  first  venture  was 
the  purchase  of  a  small  piece  of  land  up  the  .Sno- 
homish river.  He  erected  a  house,  placed  the  land 
under  cultivation,  set  out  an  orchard  and  thtn  re- 
turned to  the  logging  business.  In  the  spiing  of 
the  Centennial  year  he  commenced  to  log  off  the 
land  on  which  a  part  of  the  present  town  of  Mon- 
roe stands.  After  two  years  of  logging  operations 
near  Monroe  Mr.  Elwell  purchased  the  bisiness 
of  Ross  Bros.,  who  were  engaged  with  teams  at 
different  points  along  the  river  placing  the  logs  into 
rafts  preparatory  to  towing  by  tug  to  different 
mills.  For  five  years  Mr.  Elwell  carried  on  this 
business,  selling  out  in  1882  to  establish  a  logging 
camp  on  the  Pilchuck  in  partnership  with  Henry  F. 
Jackson.  The  partners  continued  operations  on  the 
Pilchuck  for  three  years  and  then  moved  to  the 
Squamish  harbor  near  Port  Gamble,  where  they 
carried  on  logging  business  for  three  years.  Mukil- 
teo  was  the  next  scene  of  the  operations  of  Mr. 
Elwell  and  his  partner.  In  1889  Mr.  Elwell  bought 
out  Mr.  Jackson  and  at  once  commenced  logging 
operations  on  Lake  Washington,  near  Seattle, 
where  he  removed  the  logs  from  500  acres  of  the 
Puget  Sound  Mill  Company's  land.  During  this 
period  Mr.  Elwell  operated  three  camps  and  was 
recognized  as  having  one  of  the  most  extensive 
logging  ventures  in  the  state.  He  sold  a  half  in- 
terest in  his  logging  business  to  Elmer  Stinson, 
with  whom  he  continued  in  business  until  his  re- 
tirement from  the  logging  industry  in  1895.  Dur- 
ing the  years  following  1884  Mr.  Elwell  had  taken 
a  deep  interest  in  the  breeding  of  horses  and  had 
opened  a  stable  for  breeding  purposes.  It  was  he 
who  brought  the  first  buggy  to  this  part  of  the 
county.  He  commenced  to  raise  fine  horses  and  in 
1888  by  reason  of  money  he  had  loaned  to  a  livery- 
man was  compelled  to  engage  for  a  time  in  the 
livery  business,  in  connection  with  which  he  car- 
ried nut  his  plan  of  producing  fine  horse  flesh.     In 


fact,  Mr.  Elwell  has  always  been  a  lover  of  good 
horses  and  has  produced  some  of  the  finest  animals 
seen  in  the  Pacific  northwest.  The  most  of  his 
horses  have  descended  from  a  Hambletonian  ani- 
mal whose  qualities  as  a  dam  of  speedy  get  have  not 
been  surpassed  in  Snohomish  county.  Among  the 
record  horses  raised  by  Mr.  Elwell  are:  Mary  L., 
2:22;  Snohomish  Boy,  2:15;  Montana  Boy,  3:30; 
Stanwood  Boy,  2  :18 ;  as  well  as  a  number  of  others 
in  the  3 :30  class,  among  which  is  Central  Hood, 
sold  a  year  ago  for  $300.  The  pride  of  Mr.  El- 
well's stable  at  the  present  time  is  Prince  B.,  with 
a  record  of  2  :28,  one  of  the  finest  driving  horses  in 
the  country. 

In  18(i2,  while  living  in  Maine,  Mr.  Elwell  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  A.  Watts,  daughter  of  Greenleaf 
and  Ruth  (Marston)  Watts,  natives  of  the  Pine 
Tree  state,  who  passed  their  lives  entirely  within 
its  borders.  Mrs.  Elwell  was  born  in  1839  and  re- 
ceived her  education  in  Maine.  She  had  been  teach- 
ing school  for  five  years  when  married.  She  has 
vocal  attainments  of  a  high  order,  and  is  one  of 
the  cultured  women  of  Snohomish.  To.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Elwell  have  been  born  nine  children :  Mrs. 
Delia  H.  Deering,  now  a  resident  of  Alaska ;  Alice, 
who  died  during  young  womanhood  in  California, 
Mrs.  Bertha  Grossman,  wife  of  a  Snohomish  mer- 
chant; Mrs.  Ruth  Allen,  a  resident  of  Whatcom 
during  her  husband's  stay  in  Alaska ;  William  T., 
living  in  Seattle ;  an  insurance  man  with  offices  in 
the  Alaska  building;  Mrs.  Susie  M.  Woodman,  a 
resident  of  British  Columbia;  Sherman,  who  died 
when  a  mere  lad ;  Sherman,  now  living  at  home, 
and  Arthur,  a  resident  of  Tacoma.  In  politics  Mr. 
Elwell  is  a  Republican.  In  fraternal  affiliations  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the 
uniform  rank  of  that  order,  and  also  of  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen  and  the  Degree  of 
Honor.  Among  the  property  holdings  of  Mr.  El- 
well are  the  120  acres  comprising  the  T.  Elwell 
addition  to  the  city  of  Everett,  other  lots  in  that 
city  and  some  properties  in  Snohomish.  Mr.  El- 
well's life  has  been  one  of  unusual  activity,  but  he 
has  been  successful  in  all  his  business  engagements. 
The  character  and  attainments  of  this  pioneer  arc 
best  reflected  in  a  simple  recital  and  narrative  of 
the  events  of  his  life. 


DR.  CHARLES  MILTON  BUCHANAN, 
though  a  physician  by  profession,  is  also  the  super- 
intendent of  the  Tulalip  Indian  schools,  the  acting 
United  States  Indian  Agent  in  charge  of  the  reser- 
vations of  the  Tulalip  agency,  a  special  bonded  dis- 
bursing agent  of  the  LTnited  States  Government, 
and  is  also  the  physician  to  the  Tulalip  Indian 
Training  School,  this  last  being  a  boarding  school 
maintained  by  the  Government  at  the  Tulalip 
agency.  Dr.  Buchanan  was  born  in  the  historic  old 
colonial  town  of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  on  the  11th 


BIOGR.\PHICAL 


843 


day  of  October,  in  the  year  1868.  Close  by  the 
place  of  his  birth  stands  the  famous  house  where 
Washington  and  Braddock  had  their  famous  con- 
ference, in  1755,  preliminary  to  the  disastrous  cam- 
paign against  Fort  Du  Ouesne.  Equally  close  by 
was  the  house  where  Ellsworth  was  shot  early  in 
the  Civil  War.  In  the  time  of  his  birth  the  Doctor 
is,  in  a  sense,  the  child  of  the  renaissance,  being 
born  when  the  Civil  War  was  becoming  a  matter  of 
history.  His  father,  J.  Milton  Buchanan,  came  of 
well-known  Virginian  stock  of  strong  Southern 
sympathies.  His  mother,  Frances  Eldred,  came  of 
well-known  Northern  stock  whose  sympathies  were 
strongly  Northern ;  the  Eldreds  came  to  Maryland 
■originally  from  Massachusetts  though  many  of  the 
family  are  scattered  in  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut, 
and  New  York.  Frances  Eldred  was  a  great-niece 
of  Peter  Cooper,  the  famous  millionaire  philanthro- 
pist who  founded  Cooper  Institute  in  New  York 
City  and  so  richly  endowed  it.  The  early  boyhood 
of  Dr.  Buchanan  was  spent  and  his  education  be- 
gun in  the  old  town  of  Alexandria.  It  was  here 
that  his  religious  training  began  in  the  famous  old 
•Christ  Church  built  by  George  Washington  in  1773. 
The  old  church  yet  contains  the  pew  of  the  illus- 
trious Washington,  and  two  marble,  memorial, 
mural  tablets,  one  on  each  side  of  the  chancel,  to  the 
memories,  respectively,  of  two  famous  vestrymen 
•of  the  historic  old  church — namely,  George  Wash- 
ington and  Robert  E.  Lee.  Patriotism  and  gen- 
tility dwell  in  the  very  atmosphere  of  the  old  church, 
and  it  is  singular  to  note,  in  passing,  that  its  every 
brick  was  brought  from  England,  as  was  not  un- 
usual in  those  days. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  educa- 
tion through  the  various  and  usual  channels,  pri- 
vate tuition,  public  school,  high  school,  .private 
school,  tutor,  university,  all  but  the  earliest  portion 
being  received  in  Washington,  D.  C,  to  which  city 
he  removed  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of  ten 
years. 

Prior  to  pursujng  the  study  of  medicine  and 
surgery,  the  Doctor  gave  his  serious  thought  to 
chemical  research  and  practice,  having  been  lab- 
oratory instructor  in  chemistry  in  the  Washington 
City  high  school  and  later  a  chemist  in  the  U.  S. 
Patent  Office  chemical  laboratory,  and  later  still 
the  consulting  chemist  of  the  Wortman  Manifold 
Company,  all  of  Washington,  D.  C.  Subsequent  to 
this  he  became  engaged  in  teaching  chemistrv  and 
mineralogy  in  the  Central  High  School,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  at  which  time  he  was  editor-in-chief  of 
the  High  School  Review,  a  magazine  devoted  to 
the  interests  of  the  five  high  schools  of  Wash- 
ington City.  He  was  graduated  in  medicine  May 
13,  1890.  from  the  National  University  of  Wash- 
ington City,  now  the  George  Washington  Univer- 
sity of  the  same  city.  In  1891  he  was  placed  in 
'Charge  of  the  department  of   Physical   Science   of 


the  Capitol  Hill  High  School  of  Washington  City, 
and  was  also  elected  to  the  major  chairs  of  chemis- 
try, toxicology,  and  metallurgy  in  the  medical  and 
dental  departments  of  his  alma  mater,  having  pre- 
viously served  her  as  prosector  of  anatomy.  In 
October,  1894,  Dr.  Edwin  Buchanan  resigned  as 
physician,  after  nearly  six  years  of  service,  to  the 
Tulalip  Indian  Agency,  and  established  himself  in 
practice  in  his  profession  in  Seattle,  where  he  died 
in  October,  1895.  He  was  succeeded  at  Tulalip 
by  his  nephew.  Dr.  Charles  Milton  Buchanan,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  in  October,  1894. 

From  November  1,  1894,  to  July  1,  1901,  Dr. 
Charles  Milton  Buchanan  served  the  Government 
continuously  at  Tulalip  as  agency  physician  and 
surgeon.  He  was  promoted  to  his  present  position 
in  charge  of  Tulalip,  July  1,  1901.  He  is  therefore 
in  his  twelfth  year  of  continuous  service  at  Tulalip 
at  the  present  writing,  1906.  It  is  entirely  during 
his  incumbency  and  under  his  superintendency  that 
the  present  Government  institution  at  Tulalip  has 
been  erected  and  developed. 

Both  of  Doctor  Buchanan's  parents  have  de- 
ceased. His  brother  and  sisters  are  as  follows : 
Dr.  Robert  Edward  Buchanan,  Mrs.  Ella  Kemp 
Buchanan  Jones,  and  Miss  Katherine  Elizabeth 
Buchanan,  all  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and  Mrs. 
Grace  Eldred  Milburn  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 

On  June  30,  1893,  at  Epiphany  Church,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  Doctor  Buchanan  was  married  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Randolph  McKim  to  Miss  Anne  Re- 
becca IMeade  Randolph  Lea  of  Richmond,  Virginia, 
but  then  residing  in  Washington  City.  Mrs!^  Bu- 
chanan was  born  in  Richmond,  Va.,  of  the  stock 
from  which  sprang  the  Lees  or  Leas,  the  Meades 
including  Bishop  Meade,  and  the  famous  old  John 
Randolph  of  Roanoke.  Mrs.  Buchanan's  father 
was  William  Gabriel  Randolph  Lea,  and  her  mother 
was  Miss  Louise  Longstreet  Nash,  a  sister  of  the 
dashing  Confederate  cavalryman.  Major  Joseph 
Van  Holt  Nash  who  served  through  the  War  as 
adjutant  on  the  staff  of  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart. 
Mrs.  Buchanan  had  no  sisters  and  has  but  two 
brothers  living — Howard  Fairfax  Lea,  an  attorney 
of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  Robert  Edward  Lea, 
who  is  interested  in  the  publishing  business  in  Den^ 
ver,  Colorado. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Buchanan  have  but  one  child,  a 
daughter.  Louise  Eldred,  born  in  Washington  City 
August  31,  1894,  who  is  at  present  a  student  in 
Annie  Wright  Seminary  in  Tacoma,  Washington. 

In  politics  Doctor  Buchanan  has  always  cast  the 
Republican  ticket.  His  fraternal  affiliations  are 
limited  to  the  Masonic  and  the  Pythian  orders.  He 
sustains  membership  in  and  relation  with  many 
scientific,  learned,  and  professional  associations. 


JOSEPH  E.  GETCHELL  is  one  of  the  oldest 
pioneers  of  Snohomish,  having  first  come  here  in 


844 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


1864.  Earlier  by  only  fifteen  years  had  been  the 
historic  rush  of  the  excited  people  of  the  Atlantic 
coast  and  middle  west  to  the  golden  prospects  of 
California.  Earlier  by  scarcely  more  than  a  decade 
had  been  the  formation  of  any  government  in  what 
is  now  the  state  of  Washington.  Mr.  Getchell 
antedates  in  his  life  in  Snoholnish  county  most 
other  living  men  now  within  her  borders.  He  was 
born  in  Maine  in  June  of  1843,  the  son  of  G.  S. 
and  Taphene  (Longfellow)  Getchell,  natives  of  the 
Pine  Tree  state  in  which  they  passed  their  entire 
lives  as  farmer  folk  and  lumbering  people.  The 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  biography,  Joseph 
Getchell,  was  a  native  of  Scarboro  and  served  in 
the  continental  army  in  its  war  with  the  mother 
country.  The  grandson  obtained  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Maine  and  remained  at  home  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority,  assisting  his  father 
on  the  old  Pine  Tree  state  farm.  On  the  20th  day 
of  Jime,  1864,  young  Getchell  bade  farewell  to  his 
friends  and  relatives  and  started  for  the  Pacific 
coast,  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  The  voyage  was 
without  particular  incident  and  he  remained  in  San 
Francisco,  then  the  mecca  of  all  Atlantic  coast 
travelers,  but  a  short  time  before  coming  to  the 
Puget  Sound  country.  He  was  directed  here  be- 
cause of  the  presence  of  a  brother  located  where 
Lowell  now  stands.  The  first  few  years  which  fol- 
lowed his  advent  on  the  coast  were  passed  at  lum- 
bering and  logging  in  the  woods  of  Snohomish 
county.  The  five  years  intervening  between  1873 
and  1877  were  spent  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  but  in 
the  year  last  named  Mr.  Getchell  again  faced  west- 
ward. On  his  arrival  he  located  at  Snohomish, 
then  a  hamlet  of  but  few  houses,  and  again  engaged 
in  lumbering,  adding  also  the  business  of  freight- 
ing, in  which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  day. 
He  has  seen  the  entire  Puget  Sound  country  de- 
velop from  a  wooded  wilderness  to  its  present  con- 
dition of  a  rich  farming  and  commercial  country. 
He  has  done  his  share  of  pioneer  work,  has  taken 
his  portion  of  pioneer  hardship  and  privation  and 
has  faced  his  allotment  of  obstacles. 

While  on  his  trip  to  the  East  in  1877  Mr.  Get- 
chell married  Miss  Pherlissa  Smith,  a  native  of 
Maine,  the  daughter  of  Wilbur  and  Ursula  (Foss) 
Smith,  farmers  of  that  state.  Mrs.  Getchell  ac- 
companied her  husband  on  his  return  to  the  Puget 
Sound  country  and  has  been  one  of  the  pioneer 
women  in  the  winning  of  the  woods  of  Snohomish 
county  to  the  uses  of  the  white  race.  In  politics 
Mr.  Getchell  is  a  Republican  and  has  always  been 
active  in  his  party,  though  not  an  office  seeker.  In 
fraternal  circles  he  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees.  He  owns  a  commodious 
house  in  the  business  section  of  the  town,  which 
has  grown  up  around  his  original  location.  He  is 
widely  known,  reliable  in  business  and  the  recipient 
of  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  people  of  the 
city. 


DOCTOR  A.  C.  FOLSOM  (deceased)  was  the 
first  practitioner  in  Snohomish  county  to  devote 
himself  entirely  to  his  profession,  and  no  record  of 
this  county  would  be  complete  without  presenting  a 
sketch  of  the  life  and  attainments  of  this  remark- 
able pioneer  physician  and  embodying  a  tribute  to 
the  deep  interest  he  displayed  in  laehalf  of  his  fel- 
low men  in  the  early  days  of  the  settlement.  The 
life  record  of  Dr.  Folsom  in  its  details  does  not 
exist  in  the  Pacific  northwest,  and  the  facts  ob- 
tainable about  the  career  of  the  physician  are  for 
the  most  part  from  the  recollection  of  his  fellow 
pioneer,  Eldridge  Morse,  Snohomish  county's  first 
practising  attorney.  Dr.  Folsom  obtained  his  early 
education  at  Phillips-Exeter  Academy,  the  famous 
training  school  in  New  Hampshire,  and  then  studied 
at  Harvard  university,  in  those  days  known  as 
Harvard  college.  During  his  student  days  at  the 
Cambridge  institution  the  young  man  came  in  con- 
tact with  Professor  Louis  Agassiz,  the  famous 
Swiss  naturalist,  and  the  bent  of  young  Folsom's 
mind  was  by  him  turned  into  the  channels  of  scien- 
tific research.  This  was  in  the  early  days  of  the 
connection  of  the  great  scientist  with  Harvard  and 
his  zeal  and  interest  in  solving  problems  was  in- 
fectious with  his  students.  In  no  instance  was  a 
greater  stimulus  given  than  to  the  mind  of  young 
Folsom,  with  the  result  that  he  made  great  strides 
along  all  lines  of  science,  though  especially  with 
reference  to  the  problems  confronting  a  physician. 
Soon  after  graduating  from  Harvard  school  of 
medicine  Dr.  Folsom  received  an  appointment  as 
surgeon  in  the  United  States  army  and  reported  to 
Robert  E.  Lee,  then  an  army  engineer  with  head- 
quarters at  New  Orleans  in  the  closing  days  of  the 
Mexican  War.  A  little  later  Dr.  Folsom  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Pacific  coast  and  saw  seven  years 
service  in  the  army  in  California  and  Arizona.  Re- 
signing his  commission  he  returned  to  the  Atlantic 
coast  and  pursued  post  graduate  studies  in  medicine 
at  his  old  alma  mater,  receiving  at  the  conclusion 
of  his  work  the  "diploma  ad  eundem,"  the  highest 
honors  conferred  by  the  great  Cambridge  institu- 
tion and  indicative  of  having  completed  with  honor 
and  attainment  no  less  than  three  courses  of  medical 
investigation  and  research.  Dr.  Folsom  then  passed 
some  time  in  Europe,  traveling  extensively  in  Ger- 
many and  other  parts  of  the  continent.  On  his 
return  he  practiced  his  profession  for  a  time  in 
Wisconsin,  but  ultimately  came  to  California,  the 
scene  of  his  former  labors  as  army  surgeon.  For 
a  number  of  years  he  was  connected  with  the  gov- 
ernment secret  service,  running  on  the  steamers  be- 
tween San  Francisco  and  Panama.  During  the 
Civil  War  Dr.  Folsom  served  with  the  California 
volunteers  as  medical  inspector,  a  line  of  work  for 
which  his  previous  service  in  the  regular  army 
eminently  fitted  him. 

When  in  November,  1872,  Dr.  Folsom  came  to- 
Snohomish  there  was  need  for  an  efficient  physician 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


845 


and  surgeon.  Dr.  H.  A.  Smith,  who  had  a  tide  land 
ranch  near  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish  river,  was 
the  nearest  practitioner  in  the  county,  and  many 
of  the  afflicted  ones  were  accommodated  and  treated 
at  his  ranch.  He  was  recognized  as  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  skill  in  attending  to  the  needs  of 
the  sick.  At  once  Dr.  Folsom's  services  were  in 
demand  and  the  benefit  of  his  entire  fund  of  ex- 
perience and  all  of  his  skillful  training  was  to  be 
had  for  the  asking.  He  was  actuated  more  from  a 
desire  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the  pioneers 
than  to  build  up  a  fortune  for  himself.  Much  of  his 
work  was  for  gratuity,  and  because  of  this  he  is 
remembered  with  keen  thankfulness  by  many  of  the 
old  settlers.  Dr.  Folsom  was  more  than  a  practising 
physician — he  was  a  man  of  thoroughly  trained  and 
cultured  mind,  a  recognized  writer  on  topics  scien- 
tific and  a  literary  man  of  merit.  When  he  might 
have  turned  to  his  financial  benefit  these  stores  of 
information  and  experience,  he  was  lavish  in  be- 
stowing them  upon  his  neighbors  and  fellows  with- 
out stint.  Little  is  recalled  at  this  time  of  the  fam- 
ily of  Dr.  Folsom,  except  that  he  was  a  nephew 
of  Salmon  P.  Chase,  L^nited  States  senator  from 
Ohio,  member  of  Lincoln's  cabinet  and  later  chief 
justice  of  the  L^nited  States  supreme  court.  He 
was  also  relative  of  Captain  Folsom  of  the  regular 
army,  well  known  in  California  and  the  man  for 
whom  Folsom  street  in  San  Francisco  was  named. 
Of  kindly  disposition,  of  keen  intellectual  powers, 
of  remarkable  skill  as  a  physician  and  of  warm 
heart  for  his  fellow  men.  Dr.  Folsom's  figure  looms 
up  in  the  early  history  of  Snohomish  county  as 
that  of  a  man  always  ready  to  give  of  his  benefi- 
cence to  the  needy  and  suffering.  He  died  about 
1884.  as  nearly  as  can  be  recalled,  and  was  buried 
by  the  Masonic  fraternity,  of  which  he  was  a  mem- 
ber. 


JOSEPH  DUBOISE  WOOD,  mechanic,  car- 
penter and  constructor  residing  in  Snohomish,  is 
a  self  made  man  whose  position  in  life  has  been 
reached  by  gradual  ascent  and  after  demonstration 
of  his  ability  to  dispose  of  the  work  laid  upon  him. 
He  was  born  in  the  province  of  Quefjec.  Lower 
Canada,  early  in  1862,  the  eighth  of  the  seventeen 
children  of  Flavian  Duboise  and  Nathalie  (Be- 
lange)  Wood,  natives  of  Quebec  of  French  ancestry 
which  may  be  traced  back  nine  generations.  The 
elder  Wood  was  a  well  known  ship  builder  and 
carpenter  of  the  lower  St.  Lawrence  who  died  in 
1904  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-eight  years, 
having  outlived  his  wife  by  sixteen  years.  To  pro- 
vide for  the  many  children  of  Mr.  Wood  taxed  his 
resources  to  the  utmost  and  as  the  sons  attained 
an  age  where  they  could  add  to  the  income  of  the 
family  they  left  school  and  went  to  work.  In  this 
M-ay  Joseph  D.  Wood  began  to  do  for  himself  when 
but   thirteen    years    of   age,    his    formal    education 


having  been  received  in  the  Catholic  school  at  St. 
Romuald,  Quebec.  Until  1881  young  Wood  was 
occupied  principally  in  the  logging  and  lumber 
business  of  Quebec,  but  at  that  time  he  went  to 
Michigan  where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade 
and  on  the  railroads.  While  loading  logs  one  time 
he  was  severely  injured  and  as  a  result  was  unable 
to  do  any  kind  of  work  for  an  entire  year.  In 
1883  Mr.  Wood  went  to  Wisconsin,  where  he 
worked  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness and  as  railroad  brakeman.  Five  years  later 
he  was  in  Butte,  Montana,  conducting  a  business 
which  he  subsequently  sold  to  accept  a  position  as 
carpenter  and  bridge  builder  for  the  Great  Northern 
railway.  In  1892  he  came  to  Snohomish  and  en- 
gaged in  carpenter  work  and  the  lumber  business. 
In  1898  he  joined  in  the  rush  to  the  Klondike,  with 
Circle  City  as  his  objective  point,  and  the  hardships 
of  the  overland  trail  were  undergone  by  him  in 
common  with  others.  Notwithstanding  his  unpre- 
pared physical  condition,  Air.  Wood  hauled  a  sledge 
loaded  with  700  pounds  of  provisions  over  seventy 
miles  of  glacier  trail,  while  seemingly  stronger 
men  than  he  dropped  by  the  wayside.  This  trip  was 
made  four  times,  resulting  in  handsome  profit  to 
the  adventurer.  Since  his  return  from  Alaska  Mr. 
Wood  has  been  in  business  at  Snohomish. 

In  October  of  1895  Mr.  Wood  married  Miss 
Lizzie  Plante,  a  native  of  Canada,  and  three  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  their  union ;  Joseph  S., 
Alexander  D.  and  Albertha.  In  politics,  Mr.  Wood 
is  aligned  with  the  Socialists ;  in  fraternal  circles 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Ameri- 
ca, in  which  order  he  is  venerable  consul  at  this 
writing;  in  religious  belief  he  is  a  Catholic.  Mr. 
Wood  owns  a  fine  residence  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Snohomish  river,  one  of  the  pleasant  places  in 
that  section  of  the  city.  He  is  a  man  of  force  of 
character,  highly  respected  in  the  community  in 
which  he  lives. 


MYRON  \\\  PACKARD,  now  living  a  retired 
life,  has  been  a  pioneer  merchant  of  Snohomish 
county  and  in  his  business  has  advanced  with  the 
settling  up  of  the  country  from  the  trading  post  of 
the  earlier  days  to  the  pretentious  store  of  the  last 
decade.  Mr.  Packard  is  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence 
county.  New  York,  his  birth  taking  place  on  Christ- 
mas Eve,  of  1830.  He  is  the  second  of  three  chil- 
dren of  Daniel  and  Amanda  (Levings)  Packard, 
natives  of  Vermont  who  removed  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence valley  soon  after  their  marriage.  His  ances- 
tors were  among  the  very  first  settlers  in  Vermont. 
Daniel  Packard  met  death  April  1,  1835,  through 
the  kick  of  a  horse  when  Myron  W.  Packard  was 
but  four  years  old.  Young  Packard  attended 
schools  of  his  native  place  and  remained  at  home 
until,  at  twenty  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  employ 
of  a  merchant  in  Madrid,  New  York,  as  clerk.  After 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


serving  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  the  young 
man  went  to  Pierce  county,  Wisconsin,  in  1853, 
being  one  of  the  pioneers  who  took  up  a  preemp- 
tion'claim  in  the  Badger  state.  In  1863  Mr.  Pack- 
ard enHsted  as  a  private  in  Company  A,  of  the 
Thirtieth  Wisconsin  vohniteers,  and  served  three 
years,  being  mustered  out  as  a  quartermaster  ser- 
geant at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  on  July  5,  186.5.  He 
returned  to  Wisconsin  and  entered  a  general  store 
as  clerk.  In  1870,  after  having  been  a  resident  of 
the  Badger  state  for  a  period  of  seventeen  years, 
save  his  service  as  soldier,  Mr.  Packard  came  to 
the  Puget  Sound  country.  His  first  year  in  this 
region  was  passed  as  a  storekeeper  on  the  White 
river  not  far  from  Seattle.  In  August,  1871,  Mr. 
Packard  came  to  Snohomish  county  and  for  two 
years  was  in  the  grocery  business  in  Snohomish, 
when  he  .sold  out  his  store  and  for  two  years  fol- 
lowed ranching.  In  1875,  in  company  with  D.  B. 
Jackson,  Mr.  Packard  returned  to  the  mercantile 
life,  opening  a  general  store  in  Snohomish,  which 
was  continued  until  in  1879  Mr.  Jackson  acquired 
the  entire  business.  Mr.  Packard  then  returned  to 
Wisconsin,  and  again  entered  the  same  store  which 
he  had  left  in  1870  as  clerk.  He  remained  in  his 
old  state  for  three  years  and  then  once  more  set  out 
for  Washington.  In  June  of  1883  Mr.  Packard 
came  to  Skagit  county  and  passed  three  years  with 
his  son-in-law.  In  September  of  1887  Mr.  Packard 
and  his  son  opened  their  well  known  store  for  gen- 
eral merchandise  which  they  operated  for  thirteen 
3'ears  and  until  the  retirement  of  the  elder 
Packard. 

In  December,  1855,  in  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Packard 
married  Miss  Cynthia  Flint,  daughter  of  Parker 
and  Sarah  A.  Flint,  natives  of  Vermont  and  subse- 
quently residents  of  Wisconsin.  Mrs.  Packard  was 
torn  in  the  Green  Mountain  state,  where  she  also 
received  her  education.  Seven  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Packard,  one  of  whom,  Dan- 
iel D.,  died  while  a  child.  The  living  are  :  Clayton, 
a  resident  of  Everett;  Mrs.  Lorie  M.  Jackson,  liv- 
ing in  Seattle ;  Mynon  L.,  Sarah  A.,  at  home ; 
Charles  F.,  living  in  Copeland,  Idaho,  and  Mrs. 
Nellie  P.  Wetherill  living  in  Bridport,  Vermont. 
In  politics  Mr.  Packard  is  a  Republican.  He  was 
deputy  county  treasurer  in  1873  and  was  elected 
auditor  of  Snohomish  county  in  1873.  He  served 
several  terms  as  probate  judge,  in  the  early  days, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  first  council  of  the  city 
of  Snohomish,  receiving  his  appointment  to  that 
body  at  the  hands  of  the  governor.  Mr.  Packard's 
life  has  been  one  of  conscientious  service  in  public 
life ;  consistency  and  integrity  being  his  distinguish- 
ing characteristics.  He  is  a  man  of  large  public  spirit 
and  is  held  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
and  more  especially  among  his  old  pioneer 
friends,  who  are  more  familiar  with  his  sterling 
qualities. 


WILLIAM  WHITFIELD,  retired  logger  and 
merchant  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  city  and  county  and  a  man  received  in  the  high- 
est degree  of  respect  by  old  and  young  alike.  Mr. 
Withheld  has  had  a  curious  career  and  a  curiously 
active  one,  but  whether  as  sailor,  farm  hand,  public 
official  or  business  man  he  has  commanded  the  at- 
tention of  his  intimates  as  a  man  of  forceful  char- 
acter. He  was  born  in  London,  England,  in  Sep- 
tember of  1846,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Susan  (Mid- 
dleton)  Whitfield.  The  elder  Whitfield  was  a  coop- 
er by  trade,  who  in  middle  life  left  England  for 
New  Zealand,  where  both  he  and  wife  died  in  the 
early  eighties.  Young  Whitfield  attended  the 
English  schools  until  he  was  thirteen,  at  which  age 
he  engaged  in  the  coasting  trade  on  vessels  bound 
out  from  London.  For  si.x  years  Mr.  Whitfield  fol- 
lowed this  kind  of  work,  but  in  1864  he  shipped 
aboard  a  deep  sea  vessel,  sailing  from  Liverpool. 
She  was  the  Knight  Bruce,  bound  for  Victoria,  Van- 
couver Island,  British  Columbia.  The  voyage 
around  the  Horn  was  completed  in  six  months  and 
two  days.  On  the  9th  of  January,  1865,  Mr.  Whit- 
field left  the  vessel  and  on  the  same  day  made  his 
way  across  the  strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca  and  landed 
in  Port  Angeles.  From  there  he  walked  to  Dun- 
geness  and  went  to  work  on  the  farm  of  Alexander 
Rawlings.  Until  April  of  that  year  he  worked  for 
Mr.  Rawlings  and  Henry  Grey,  going  then  to  Port 
Ludlow.  Failing  to  find  work  he  crossed  the  sound 
to  Mukilteo,  where  he  engaged  to  the  logging  camp 
of  McLane  &  Jewett,  remaining  with  that  firm  for 
two  years.  The  years  until  1869  were  passed  in 
different  logging  camps  on  the  Snohomish  river, 
and  in  that  year  Mr.  Whitfield  experienced  a  long- 
ing for  the  sea  and  late  in  the  fall  shipped  as  third 
mate  of  a  vessel  bound  from  Burravid's  Inlet,  Brit- 
ish Columbia,  to  Melbourne,  Australia.  He  was 
eighty-four  days  en  route,  and  soon  after  reaching 
Australia  went  to  Christ  Church  New  Zealand.  He 
remained  in  the  antipodes  for  a  period  of  six  months, 
ultimately  returning  to  the  LTnited  States  at  San 
Francisco,  landing  there  in  the  fall  of  1870.  Mr. 
Whitfield's  next  move  was  to  Evansville,  Indiana, 
where  he  passed  two  years  as  engineer  in  a  flouring 
mill.  In  August  of  i87S  he  was  at  Lowell  on  the 
Snohomish  in  charge  of  E.  D.  Smith's  logging 
camp.  He  continued  there  for  three  years  and  in 
the  fall  of  the  Centennial  year  was  elected  county 
commissioner  of  Snohomish  county  and  removed  to 
the  city  of  Snohomish.  Two  years  later  he  was 
elected  sheriff  and  was  chosen  for  a  second  term. 
Mr.  Whitfield  lived  in  the  city  until  1888,  when  he 
purchased  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  town. 
In  1891  in  company  with  Samuel  Vestal  he  opened 
a  store  in  the  city,  walking  to  and  from  his  work 
and  his  farm  home.  He  continued  thus  until  in 
1904  the  business  was  closed  and  Mr.  Whitfield 
moved  his  family  into  the  city,  where  he  has  since 
resided. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


847 


In  1871  at  Evansville,  Indiana,  Mr.  Whitfield 
married  Miss  Ahvine  Geue.  daughter  of  John  F.  W. 
and  Wilhehnina  Geue,  natives  of  Germany.  Mr. 
Geue  was  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade,  coming  to  the 
United  States  in  1S4S  and  settling  in  Indiana.  In 
187()  he  came  to  Snohomish  county  and  has  since 
made  his  home  here.  Mrs.  Geue  passed  away  in  this 
county  some  years  ago.  ]\Irs.  Whitfield  was  born  in 
Evansville  and  received  her  education  there.  To  her 
have  been  born  five  children :  Mrs.  Susan  Nerdrum, 
living  at  Sedro-Woolley :  Mrs.  Minnie  Nickerman, 
a  resident  of  Bellingham ;  William  Whitfield,  also  of 
Bellingham,  and  Guy  and  George,  who  are  still  at 
the  home  of  their  parents.  In  politics  Mr.  Whit- 
field is  a  Republican,  and  in  addition  to  the  offices 
he  has  held,  as  previously  mentioned,  he  received 
the  appointment  of  tide  land  commissioner  from 
the  late  Governor  Laughton.  In  fraternal  circles 
he  is  a  Mason  and  of  the  royal  arch  degrees.  Mr. 
Whitfield  has  considerable  property  in  the  county, 
consisting  of  timber  land  and  holdings  in  the  city 
of  Everett.  Mr.  Whitfield  is  singularly  popular  in 
his  home  town  with  young  and  old  alike.  He  is  a 
man  of  kindly  disposition,  yet  of  forceful  character. 
He  is  an  interesting  conversationalist  and  draws 
from  a  large  fund  of  personal  experiences  for  the 
entertainment  of  his  friends. 


HIR.A.M  D.  MORGAN  is  one  of  the  few  men  in 
Snohomish  county  from  whom  the  younger  genera- 
tion may  hear  first  handed  the  story  of  experiences 
in  crossing  the  plains  in  the  days  before  the  people 
in  the  nation  at  large  understood  very  much  about 
the  Puget  Sound  country.  In  1853  he  commenced 
his  life  in  the  present  state  of  Washington,  and  he 
has  been  intimately  connected  with  the  progress  and 
development  of  the  territory  and  state  ever  since 
that  October  day  when  he  dismounted  from  his 
horse  at  Olympia  and  went  to  work  finishing  the 
first  legislative  hall  in  the  historic  old  town  by  the 
Tumwater.  i\Ir.  Morgan  modestly  styles  himself 
a  retired  mechanic,  but  his  friends  claim  for  him  the 
title  of  one  of  the  makers  of  the  state  of  Washing- 
ton. Mr.  Morgan  was  born  in  Coshocton  county, 
Ohio,  on  the  first  day  of  October,  1832,  the  fifth  of 
six  children  of  Calvin  and  Nancy  (Craig)  Morgan, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  New  York  state  about 
a  year  after  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence of  the  American  colonies.  The  elder 
Morgan  removed  from  New  York  shortly  after 
marriage  and  became  a  pioneer  of  Ohio  in  the  days 
soon  after  General  George  Rogers  Clark  had  saved 
that  part  of  the  country  to  the  union.  Both  of 
the  parents  of  Hiram  D.  Morgan  passed  away  in 
Ohio.  As  a  lad  young  Morgan  had  few  advantages 
by  way  of  schooling,  but  in  later  years  his  powers 
of  observation  and  grasp  by  intuition  have  stood 
him  well  in  hand,  more  than  counterbalancing  the 
lack  of  formal  educational  training.  When  fifteen 


years  of  age  he  took  up  the  trade  of  carpenter  at 
home  and  followed  it  at  irregular  intervals  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority.  The  trade  of  car- 
penter in  the  pioneer  days  of  Ohio  included  a  knowl- 
edge of  work  along  more  special  lines  than  are 
carried  by  the  craft  in  these  days.  Many  are  the 
spinning  wheels  which  Mr.  Morgan  fashioned  for 
the  housewives  of  the  old  Bucke}^  state  and  many 
are  the  pieces  of  cabinet  work  which  have  come 
from  his  hands. 

In  his  twenty-second  year  Mr.  Morgan  married 
Miss  Ann  M.  Van  Arsdale,  who  passed  away  with- 
in two  years  of  her  wedding,  one  child  blessing  the 
brief  union.  In  1846  Mr.  Morgan  removed  to  Os- 
kaloosa,  Iowa,  and  two  years  later  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  J.  Trout,  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  Trout.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Morgan 
followed  the  trades  of  carpenter  and  cabinet  maker 
in  Iowa.  In  1853  he  determined  to  leave  the  middle 
west  and  cast  in  his  fortunes  in  the  country  then 
attracting  attention  because  of  the  struggle  .going 
on  for  its  possession  after  Dr.  Whitman  had  told  the 
statesmen  at  Washington  that  the  United  States 
could  not  afi^ord  to  lose  Oregon  to  the  British.  Cross- 
ing the  plains  and  the  continental  divide  by  ox  team 
Mr.  Morgan  reached  the  Dalles  on  the  25h  of  Aug- 
ust, 1853.  His  first  days  were  employed  as  car- 
penter in  the  construction  or  finishing  of  sailing 
vessels  and  flat  boats  plying  on  the  Columbia.  When 
the  autumn  season  came  on  he  went  to  Portland, 
from  which  he  took  steamer  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Cowlitz  river  in  Washington,  thence  by  canoe  and 
horseback,  up  river  and  across  land,  reaching  Olym- 
pia on  the  18th  of  October,  1853.  Announcing 
himself  as  a  carpenter,  he  found  that  the  work  of 
building  the  first  legislative  hall  in  Olympia  had  not 
been  completed.  Mr.  Morgan  took  the  contract 
and  completed  the  structure.  He  then  annoimced 
himself  as  a  cabinet  maker  and  soon  had  the  con- 
tract for  making  the  desks  for  the  legislators,  the 
first  articles  of  their  kind  known  in  the  legislature, 
some  of  which  are  still  in  existence  in  the  state  capi- 
tal and  last  winter  did  service  in  the  committee 
rooms  of  the  legislative  bodies.  Mr.  Morgan  also 
did  all  the  fine  interior  finishing  work  in  the  state 
library  and  in  the  old  state  house.  Mr.  Morgan's 
work  in  Olympia  was  interrupted  by  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Indian  war  of  1855-56.  In  the  latter 
year  Governor  Isaac  I.  Stevens  appointed  Mr.  Mor- 
gan head  carpenter  on  the  Squaxon  reseivation, 
in  which  capacity  he  served  until  he  undertook  a 
contract  for  erecting  houses  on  the  reservation.  This 
work  was  followed  by  the  erection  of  thirteen  houses 
on  the  Puyallup  reservation,  the  lumber  used  in  the 
construction  of  which  was  manufactured  from  tim- 
ber growing  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Ta- 
coma.  On  completing  this  latter  contract  Mr.  Mor- 
gan returned  to  Olympia,  then  the  chief  town  of 
the  territory,  remaining  there  until  the  opening  of 
the  vear  1858.    He  then  decided  to  visit  Iowa.    His 


848 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


route  lay  through  Portland  and  San  Francisco.  At 
the  latter  city  he  took  steamer  for  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  whence  he  took  passage  to  New  York, 
arriving  in  Iowa  on  the  20th  of  February.  In  the 
following  spring  Mr.  Morgan  removed  to  Kansas, 
but  remained  in  that  state  only  a  year.  The  Puget 
Sound  country  appealed  to  him  strongly,  and  in 
May  of  1859  Mr.  Morgan  was  once  more  behind 
his  ox  teams  and  traveling  via  Denver  for  Olympia, 
his  family  accompanying  him.  During  the  winter 
of  1859-60  he  cleared  the  ground  where  stood  the 
first  capitol  building,  which  should  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  first  legislative  hall.  Some  months 
followed  at  the  carpenter  trade,  when  Mr.  Morgan 
accepted  the  position  of  agent  at  the  Tulalip  Indian 
reservation.  In  July  of  1863  he  returned  to  Olympia 
and  a  year  later  took  up  a  homestead  on  Mud  Bay, 
an  arm  of  Puget  Sound  some  four  miles  west  of 
Olympia  and  Budd's  Inlet.  Mr.  Morgan  lived  on 
this  place  until  1875,  improving  it  and  putting  it 
under  cultivation.  In  tliat  year  he  passed  six  months 
in  search  of  health  in  California.  On  his  return 
from  San  Francisco  he  brought  with  him  a  stock 
of  goods  and  opened  up  a  grocery  store  at  Olympia, 
which  he  sold  in  the  spring  of  1876  just  before  he 
came  to  Snohomish  county  and  city.  He  reached 
here  in  the  month  of  March,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  in  company  with  E.  C.  Ferguson  he  purchased 
a  small  sawmill.  Mr.  Ferguson  sold  his  intercut  :;rd 
the  mill  soon  passed  into  the  hands  of  .Mr.  .M-  r^;:'.:!'-' 
sons  who  still  operate  it.  Mr.  Morgan  has  lived  in 
retirement  since  turning  the  mill  over  to  his  sons. 

In  politics  Mr.  Morgan  has  been  a  Republican. 
In  Kansas  he  was  postmaster.  Since  coming  to 
Washington  he  has  been  county  commissioner,  pro- 
bate judge  and  justice  of  the  peace.  In  fraternal 
circles  he  is  a  Mason,  the  organizer  of  Centennial 
lodge  of  Snohomish.  He  is  a  communicant  of  the 
Christian  church.  The  children  of  Mr.  Morgan 
who  are  living  are :  Mrs.  Lucetta  Ferguson,  wife 
of  E.  C.  Ferguson ;  Benjamin  H.  and  Alonzo,  pro- 
prietors of  the  Morgan  Bros,  mills  in  Snohomish. 
John,  who  at  one  time  owned  an  interest  in  the 
mill,  has  died,  leaving  a  widow.  Charles  D.,  Lillian 
M.  and  Marshall  B.  died  during  childhood.  Full  of 
years  and  going  gently  down  the  sunset  side  of  the 
mountain  of  life,  Mr.  Morgan  is  a  reminder  of  the 
days  when  it  was  necessary  to  be  a  man  of  sterling 
parts  to  carve  a  commonwealth  out  of  the  forest. 
His  recollection  of  the  early  days  of  the  territory 
are  among  the  pleasantest  of  a  long  life  of  great 
activity  and  abundant  worth. 


HON.  BENJAMIN  H.  MORGAN,  mill  man  of 
Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Washington, 
a  man  who  has  passed  his  adult  life  in  Snohomish 
county  and  who  has  always  been  identified  with  one 
of  the  great  industries  for  which  the  Evergreen 
state  is  famous  the  world  over.    Mr.  Morgan  is  one 


of  the  most  successful  business  men  of  Snohomish 
and  a  man  of  influence  throughout  the  entire  coun- 
ty and  state  as  a  member  of  the  legislature.  Mr. 
Morgan  was  born  in  Olympia  in  1861,  the  son  of 
Hiram  D.  and  Mary  J.  (Trout)  Morgan,  pioneers 
of  Washington  in  the  early  fifties.  The  elder  Mor- 
gan is  one  of  the  prominent  pioneers  of  the  terri- 
tory, a  complete  sketch  of  the  life  of  whom  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Benjamin  H.  Morgan 
received  his  earlier  education  in  the  Olympia 
schools,  finishing  in  Snohomish  county  to  which  he 
came  when  eighteen  years  of  age.  ]\Ir.  Morgan's 
early  days  were  intimately  associated  with  his 
father's  milling  business  and  he  thoroughly  learned 
the  principles  of  lumber  trade  and  lumber  material 
work.  When  twenty-two  years  of  age  Mr.  Morgan 
in  company  with  his  brother,  purchased  the  interest 
of  the  elder  Morgan  in  the  pioneer  mill  of  Snohom- 
ish. Up  tO'  this  time  the  father  and  a  brother  John, 
the  latter  of  whom  had  earlier  acquired  the  interest 
of  E.  C.  Ferguson,  had  operated  the  mill.  On  the 
death  of  John  Morgan,  Benjamin  H.  and  Alonzo 
Morgan  obtained  complete  control  of  the  establish- 
ment and  have  conducted  the  business  to  the  pres- 
ent time  under  the  name  of  Morgan  Bros.  Much  of 
the  timber  near  the  city  found  its  way  to  the  Morgan 
mill.  To  the  original  saw-mill  has  been  added  a 
shingle  mill,  the  capacity  of  the  establishment  now 
being  30,000  feet  of  lumber  and  75,000  shingles  a 
day.  Mr.  Morgan  devotes  his  entire  time  to  the  mill 
business. 

In  1885  at  Snohomish  Mr.  Morgan  married  Miss 
Nettie  Foss,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Almira  (Deer- 
ing)  Foss,  natives  of  Maine  who  came  to  Washing- 
ton in  1875  and  are  still  living  in  Snohomish.  Mrs. 
Morgan  was  born  in  the  Pine  Tree  state  in  1868. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren:  Maud,  in  1886,  and  Benjamin,  in  1889.  In 
politics  Mr.  Morgan  is  an  ardent  and  influential 
Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  city  council 
and  has  been  for  ten  years  in  that  body.  In  the 
campaign  of  1902  Mr.  Morgan  was  elected  to  the 
legislature  and  re-elected  two  years  later.  As  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature  he  has  been  one  of  the  leading 
men  and  during  the  last  session  was  chairman 
of  the  committee  on  commerce  and  manufacture. 
In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Morgan  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  having  taken  the  Royal  Arch 
degrees ;  an  Odd  Fellow,  being  a  past  grand,  mem- 
ber of  the  Encampment  and  of  the  Rebekahs.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 
In  addition  to  the  mill  plant  and  his  share  in  it, 
Mr.  IVIorgan  owns  about  600  acres  of  land,  some  of 
which  are  timber  and  some  logged  ofi^.  Mr.  Mor- 
gan is  a  man  of  attainments  and  force  of  character, 
easily  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  Snohomish. 


ALONZO  W.  MORGAN,  prominent    business 
man  of  Snohomish  and  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


849 


Morgan  Bros.'  mills  in  this  city,  is  one  of  the  in- 
fluential citizens  of  the  county,  a  man  of  integrity, 
of  force  of  character  and  those  qualities  which 
make  for  success  in  any  walk  of  life.  Air.  Morgan 
is  a  native  son  of  Washington,  having  been  born  in 
Olympia  in  September  24,  1863,  the  son  of  Hiram 
D.  and  Mary  (Trout)  Morgan,  pioneers  of  Wash- 
ington in  the  early  territorial  days.  The  elder 
Morgan  is  one  of  the  few  remaining  pioneers  of 
the  first  movements  of  immigration  to  the  Pacific 
northwest.  A  sketch  of  his  remarkable  life  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Alonzo  W.  Morgan  at- 
tended the  schools  of  Olympia  until  he  was  thir- 
teen years  of  age,  his  parents  at  that  time  moving 
to  Snohomish.  It  was  here  that  his  education  was 
completed.  At  eighteen  he  entered  the  service  of 
his  father  in  the  pioneer  saw-mill  in  this  part  of 
the  country.  An  older  brother,  John,  had  purchased 
the  interest  of  his  father's  partner,  E.  C.  Ferguson, 
and  after  John's  death  Alonzo  and  another  brother, 
Benjamin,  assumed  the  entire  business,  the  father 
retiring  from  active  life  at  that  time.  In  the  old 
days  the  mill  was  known  as  that  of  H.  D.  Morgan 
&  Son;  Morgan  Bros.  Company  is  the  name  it  now 
bears.  The  Milling  Company  is  incorporated  and 
$25,000  of  capital  stock  has  been  paid  in.  Benjamin 
Morgan  is  president ;  Alonzo  W.  IMorgan,  secretary 
and  treasurer.  In  1885  the  brothers  added  to  the 
saw  and  shingle  mills  already  existing  a  sash  and 
door  factory,  which  is  still  in  successful  operation 
in  connection  with  the  other  two  branches  of  the 
business.  Mr.  Morgan's  time  is  occupied  with 
milling. 

In  1S91  at  Seattle  I\Ir.  IMorgan  married  Miss 
Agnes  C.  Newhall,  daughter  of  Captain  William 
and  Margaret  (Liddell)  Newhall.  Captain  Newhall 
was  born  in  l\Iaine  and  early  took  to  the  sea,  be- 
coming skipper  of  a  vessel  at  twenty  and  continuing 
the  life  of  a  sailor  for  half  a  century.  He  came 
around  the  Horn  in  1847  and  is  now  living  in  retire- 
ment with  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Mrs.  New- 
hall was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  married  in  South 
America.  She  passed  away  when  Mrs.  Morgan 
was  four  years  old.  Mrs.  Morgan  was  born  in 
Maine,  but  coming  to  the  Pacific  coast  with  her 
father,  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of 
Seattle,  finishing  with  the  State  University  at 
Seattle.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.'  and 
Mrs.  Morgan ;  Kenneth  who  died  in  infancy,  Mil- 
dred, Howard  and  Clififord  A.  In  politics  Mr.  Mor- 
gan is  a  Republican.  In  fraternal  orders  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the  Concatenated 
Order  of  Hoo  Hoos.  ]\Ir.  Morgan's  favorite  form 
of  recreation  is  hunting,  being  an  ardent  admirer 
of  game  fowl  of  all  kinds.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling 
personality,  of  genial  disposition  and  of  much  popu- 
larity. 


FRED  V.  FOSS,  cigar  and  confectionery  mer- 
chant in  Snohomish,  has  had  a  long  and  honorable 
career  in  different  lines  of  business  activity  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  land.  He  has  suffered  reverses, 
endured  hardships  and  undergone  privations,  yet 
he  is  to-day  recovered  financially  and  is  one  of  the 
prosperous  business  men  of  his  home  city.  Mr. 
Foss  was  born  in  Aroostook  county,  Maine,  Jan. 
29,  1845,  the  eldest  of  three  sons  of  Elias  and  Betsy 
(Niles)  Foss.  Christopher  Foss,  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  soldier  of  the  War  of 
1812,  a  man  of  the  hardy  principles  of  New  England 
stock.  Fred  V.  Foss  at  the  age  of  eighteen  entered 
upon  business  for  himself,  farming  and  lumbering 
constituting  his  chief  lines  for  a  number  of  years. 
Until  he  attained  his  majority  he  turned  over  a  part 
of  his  earnings  to  his  father,  but  on  his  arrival  at 
twenty-one  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Leavitt 
Moss  in  operating  a  stage  line  between  Bradley  and 
Bangor,  Maine.  The  firm  also  conducted  a  grocery 
business  in  Bradley.  The  coming  of  the  railroad 
put  the  stage  out  of  business,  but  Mr.  Foss  con- 
tinued the  mercantile  establishment  until  the  com- 
mercial panic  of  1873  put  him  also  out  of  business. 
Mr.' Foss  returned  to  work  in  the  pine  forests  of  his 
home  state,  determined  to  retrieve  his  fortunes. 
He  was  tireless  in  his  efforts  and  honest  in  his 
dealings  with  his  employers,  with  the  result  that  he 
was  successively  advanced  to  positions  of  trust  in 
the  establishment.  In  1889  Mr.  Foss  decided  to 
come  to  Washington  and  at  the  invitation  of  Black- 
man  Bros.,  formerly  saw  and  grist  mill  men  of 
Bradley,  he  accepted  the  position  of  tallyman  in 
their  saw-mill  at  Snohomish.  He  remained  with 
that  firm  for  some  time,  leaving  to  take  a  position 
in  a  grocery  store.  He  was  three  years  with  that 
establishment  and  on  the  completion  of  the  water 
works  of  Snohomish  became  superintendent  and 
treasurer  of  the  new  venture,  which  positions  he 
held  for  two  years.  Mr.  Foss  then  went  to  San 
Francisco  and  passed  seven  months  as  motorman 
on  the  street  railways  of  the  California  metropolis. 
On  his  return  he  entered  mill  work  at  Everett,  ulti- 
mately entering  the  work  of  bridge  construction  for 
the  Great  Northern  railway.  In  1901  he  established 
his  present  business  which  has  been  constantly 
growing  in  volume  and  profit. 

In  1870  while  living  in  Bradley,  Maine,  Mr.  Foss 
married  Miss  Flora  B.  Blackman,  a  native  of  the 
Pine  Tree  state,  who  passed  away  in  this  county 
in  1895.  In  1901  Mr.  Foss  married  Miss  Alice 
Day,  a  native  of  Vermont.  In  politics  Mr.  Foss  is 
a  strong  Republican  and  an  active  worker  in  the 
partv  councils.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  Mr. 
Foss  feels  that  the  days  of  his  reverses  are  passed 
and  that  for  the  remainder  of  life  Fortune  will  deal 
kindly  with  him.  He  is  one  of  the  respected  and 
influential  citizens  of  Snohomish,  whose  determina- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


tion  to  do  has  not  been  broken  by  a  succession  of 
misfortunes. 

In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  since  the  fusion 
movement  drove  him  from  the  Democratic  party. 


CHARLES  HAWKINSON,  until  recently  one 
of  the  successful  merchants  of  Snohomish  engaged 
in  the  cigar  and  confectionery  lines,  now  a  pros- 
perous logger,  has  been  in  Snohomish  county  for 
a  decade  and  a  half,  during  which  time  he  has  stead- 
ily advanced  by  economy  and  energy  from  the  posi- 
tion of  a  laborer  in  the  lumber  business  first  to  the 
proprietorship  of  a  prosperous  commercial  business 
of  his  own  and  then  to  logging  on  his  own  account. 
Mr.  Hawkinson  was  born  in  Sweden  March  23, 
1854,  the  son  of  Hawkin  and  Maria  (Tryls)  Swen- 
son,  farmer  folk,  whose  entire  lives  were  passed  in 
their  native  land.  They  had  ten  children,  of  whom 
Charles  is  the  fifth.  He  attended  the  schools  of 
Sweden  only  during  the  years  of  boyhood,  early  in 
life  being  compelled  by  necessity  to  support  himself. 
He  had  few  educational  advantages  because  of  this 
fact,  but  this  disadvantage  has  been  greatly  offset 
by  his  keen  powers  of  observation  and  ability  to 
learn  the  lessons  of  whatever  experience  he  under- 
went. When  thirty  years  of  age  he  left  Sweden 
and  came  to  the  United  States,  setding  in  Cass 
county.  North  Dakota,  in  1884.  Here  he  engaged 
in  farming  for  five  years,  then  coming  to  the  Puget 
Sound  country  and  taking  up  a  homestead  thirteen 
miles  northeast  of  Snohomish.  He  conducted  farm- 
ing operations  and  engaged  in  lumbering  up  to  1902 
when  he  moved  to  town,  thinking  it  would  be  to  the 
advantage  of  his  children  to  furnish  them  with  bet- 
ter educational  facilities.  He  then  established  the 
confectionery  business  in  which  until  the  fall  of 
1905  he  was  steadily  engaged  with  credit  and  with 
profit.  Upon  selling  out  his  store  he  joined  forces 
with  others  in  purchasing  a  tract  of  timber  land 
near  Tolt  about  ten  million  feet  in  all,  which  they 
are  now  logging.  Their  firm  name  is  the  Novelty 
Logging  Company. 

In  1878  before  leaving  his  native  land  Mr.  Haw- 
kinson married  Miss  Inga  Jensen,  also  a  native  of 
Sweden.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hawkinson  have  been 
born  four  children :  Hilma,  Thekla,  Oscar  and 
Selma,  all  of  whom  are  still  with  their  parents.  In 
politics  Mr.  Hawkinson  is  a  Republican,  though  his 
chief  interest  in  public  affairs  is  along  the  line  of 
improving  educational  standards,  a  cause  in  which 
he  takes  a  deep  interest.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Foresters  of  America  and  of  the 
Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles.  Mr.  Hawkinson  still 
retains  title  to  his  original  homestead,  which,  to- 
gether with  his  city  residence,  constitutes  a  valu- 
able propert}'.  He  is  one  of  the  respected  business 
men  of  Snohomish,  a  man  of  the  highest  character 
and  of  public  spirit. 


CHARLES  F.  MOEHRING,  shoe  dealer  of 
Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  pioneer  shoe  men  of  the 
county,  having  been  connected  with  this  line  of 
mercantile  business  since  coming  here  in  1888.  Mr. 
Moehring  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  first 
exclusive  shoe  house  in  this  city,  which  was  also 
the  first  one  in  the  entire  county.  Mr.  Moehring 
was  born  in  Pekin,  Illinois,  September  11,  1859,  the 
youngest  of  three  children  of  Frederick  C.  and 
Helena  (Helwigs)  Moehring,  natives  of  Germany 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1858.  The  elder 
Moehring  died  when  the  subject  of  this  biography 
was  only  six  weeks  old.  The  son  was  reared  by 
the  mother,  who  was  remarried  to  H.  O.  Often,  by 
whom  she  had  three  children.  She  died  in  Illinois 
in  1900.  Charles  F".  Moehring  received  his  educa- 
tion in  Illinois,  having  the  advantage  of  a  private 
school.  At  fourteen  he  was  learning  the  trade  of 
shoemaker  and  for  several  years  alternated  betweea 
using  the  last  and  clerking  in  stores.  When  he 
became  of  age  he  had  completed  his  education  as 
a  craftsman  and  at  once  opened  a  shoe  shop  on  his 
own  account  in  Pekin,  111.  He  managed  this  busi- 
ness for  three  years,  selling  out  and  becoming  shoe 
salesman  in  a  large  establishment.  In  1888  he  came 
to  Washington  and  at  Snohomish  in  company  with 
a  step  brother  opened  the  first  exclusive  shoe  house 
in  the  city  and  county,  under  the  name  of  Often  & 
Moehring.  This  business  was  continued  until  1893, 
when  Mr.  Otten  withdrew  and  left  the  trade  in  Mr. 
Moehring's  hands.  In  1896  he  established  a  branch 
store  in  Everett,  but  after  six  months  of  experiment 
removed  the  stock  to  his  Snohomish  store. 

In  1882  at  Pekin.  Illinois,  Mr.  Moehring  mar- 
ried Miss  Clara  Fauth,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth (Morgenstern)  Fauth.  Mr.  Fauth  was  a 
Pennsylvanian  by  birth  and  a  descendant  of  the 
old  Dutch  stock  for  which  that  state  is  noted.  He 
was  a  blacksmith  and  miner,  dying  in  1888.  Mrs. 
Fauth  was  born  in  Germany,  coming  to  the  United 
States  when  a  young  lady.  Mrs.  Moehring  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  Jan.  30,  1861.  When  she 
was  four  years  old  her  parents  moved  to  Illinois 
and  located  in  Pekin,  111.,  where  she  received  her 
education.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moehring  have  been 
born  nine  children:  Henry  F.,  who  is  head  clerk 
in  his  father's  store  ;  Frederick  C,  bookkeeper  in  the 
Commercial  bank  of  Snohomish :  Carl  W.,  Walter 
P.,  Julia  H.,  Luther  H.,  Albert  T.,  Ellis  H.,  and 
Esther  E.  In  politics  Mr.  Moehring  is  a  Democrat, 
but  not  an  office  seeker.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  chiu-ch.  In  addition  to  his  shoe  store  Mr. 
Moehring  has  property  interests  in  both  Snohomish 
and  Everett.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  character,  of 
business  ability  of  a  high  order  and  of  citizenship  of 
the  best  kind!  He  is"  highly  respected  both  as  a 
merchant  and  as  a  man. 


CHARLES    H.    BAKEMAN,    furniture   dealer 
and  undertaker  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  thor- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ough  business  men  of  the  city  and  one  of  her  lead- 
ing citizens.  Air.  Bakeman  has  been  intimately 
connected  with  the  business  and  public  affairs  of 
the  city  since  he  came  here  in  1883.  Mr.  Bakeman 
was  bom  in  Marinette  county,  Wisconsin,  in  Octo- 
ber of  1861,  the  son  of  John  and  Louise  (Bartells) 
Bakeman,  natives  of  Germany  who  came  to  the 
United  States  when  young  and  settled  in  the  Badger 
state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bakeman  came  to  Washington 
in  1884  and  are  living  on  a  farm  about  a  mile  east 
of  Snohomish.  Charles  H.  Bakeman  received  his 
formal  education  in  Wisconsin  and  after  leaving 
school  learned  the  trade  of  carriage  maker,  serving 
a  three  years  apprenticeship  at  Green  Bay.  He  then 
spent  some  time  in  the  woods  of  northern  Wis- 
consin and  for  two  years  worked  at  his  trade.  In 
1883  he  came  to  Washington  and  settled  in  Snohom- 
ish. His  first  engagement  was  teaching  school,  after 
which  he  was  employed  in  a  general  merchandise 
store.  In  1885  he  opened  a  furniture  store,  and 
later  added  an  undertaking  department.  He  also 
worked  some  at  his  trade,  turning  out  the  first 
bugg)'  made  in  Snohomish  county,  a  vehicle  which 
is  still  in  use.  In  1893  Mr.  Bakeman's  establish- 
ment was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  reopened  business 
on  a  smaller  scale  and  sold  out  two  years  later  to 
James  Hall,  and  left  the  undertaking  work  in  the 
hands  of  a  brother  while  he  went  into  the  Monte 
Cristo  mining  district.  For  two  years  he  worked 
the  O.  &  B.  mine  and  took  out  considerable  value. 
The  flood  of  1897  tore  away  the  railroad  and  dam- 
aged the  mine  workings  to  a  large  extent,  so  that 
Mr.  Bakeman  retired  once  more  to  Snohomish  and 
assumed  charge  of  the  undertaking  business,  his 
brother  going  to  Alaska. 

In  1890  at  Snohomish  Mr.  Bakeman  married 
Miss  Nine  Bakeman,  daughter  of  George  and  Fran- 
cis (Eddy)  Bakeman,  natives  of  Maine  and  now 
residents  of  Snohomish  where  Mr.  Bakeman  is  a 
contractor.  IMrs.  Bakeman  was  born  in  Bangor  and 
received  her  education  in  that  cit}'  and  in  the  high 
school  at  Oakland,  California.  She  taught  school  in 
California  and  at  Snohomish  prior  to  her  marriage. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bakeman  have  been  born  four 
children :  Inez,  Guy.  Francis  L.  and  Charles  T. 
In  politics  Mr.  Bakeman  is  a  Republican.  He  has 
been  coroner  for  a  number  of  terms,  city  treasurer 
for  one  term  and  for  twelve  years  a  member  of 
the  city  council.  He  has  also  served  as  a  member 
of  the  school  board.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Bake- 
man is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  past  grand  of  that 
order,  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  of  the  Red 
Men  and  of  the  Eagles.  In  addition  to  his  business 
in  Snohomish  Mr.  Bakeman  owns  200  acres  of 
timber  land  and  is  also  engaged  in  breeding  fine 
horses.  He  is  considered  one  of  the  representative 
business  men  of  Snohomish  and  a  man  of  sterling 
character. 


ELHANAN  BLACKM AN.— There  is  no  one 
familiar  with  the  history  of  Snohomish  county  but 
recognizes  the  immense  debt  of  gratitude  that  is 
due  the  Blackman  Brothers  for  their  contributions- 
to  the  art  of  logging  or  will  deny  that  to  them  is 
due  a  large  share  of  the  credit  for  the  fact  that 
the  Sound  country  (as  is  asserted  by  United  States 
government  publications)  leads  the  world  in  the 
perfection  to  which  that  art  has  been  brought. 
Mechanics  by  nature  and  training,  they  have  in- 
vented more  improved  ways  of  doing  things  in  the 
woods  and  studied  out  more  appliances  than  any 
other  firm  in  the  entire  state,  and  it  can  hardly  be 
doubted  that  the  introduction  of  their  logging  car 
in  the  eighties  paved  the  way  for  the  development 
of  logging  railroads.  To  them  also  belongs  the 
honor  of  having  first  introduced  Snohomish  red 
cedar  shingles  into  the  markets  of  the  East,  thereby- 
laying  the  foundation  for  the  splendid  industry 
which  has  sprung  up  since,  bringing  great  wealth 
to  the  entire  Sound  country.  Their  own  milling 
operations,  carried  on  in  spite  of  adversity,  for 
they  have  sufifered  overwhelming  losses  by  fire,  have 
contributed  very  materially  from  an  early  date  to 
the  prosperity  and  progress  of  Snohomish  county. 
The  courage,  devotion  and  business  ability  displayed 
by  this  firm  has  merited  a  better  reward  than  has 
been  meted  out  to  them  from  the  hand  of  fate,  but 
they  can  enjov  the  consciousness  of  having  accom- 
plished a  good  work  in  their  line  of  endeavor  and 
won  the  admiration  and  respect  of  those  with  whom 
they  have  been  associated,  even  though  the  mone- 
tarv  reward  for  such  work  may  have  in  large  meas- 
ure escaped  them. 

Elhanan  Blackman  is  a  native  of  Bradley, 
Maine,  born  in  1844,  the  fourth  of  the  six  children 
of  Adam  and  Mary  (Howard)  Blackman,  both  of 
whom  were  bom  in  the  Pine  Tree  state.  The  par- 
ents both  passed  most  of  their  lives  in  the  common- 
wealth of  their  nativity,  deriving  a  livelihood  from 
agriculture  and  the  lumbering  industry,  but  a  few 
years  before  their  demise  came  to  Snohomish,  the 
scene  of  their  worthy  sons'  operations.  Elhanan 
received  the  customary  common  school  discipline, 
then  worked  on  the  parental  farm  until  1865,  when 
he  and  his  brothers  A.  A.  and  Hyrcanus  embarked 
in  a  general  lumber  manufacturing  business  at 
Bradlev.  After  seven  years  of  successful  endeavor, 
thev  started  for  Washington,  leaving  the  morning 
of  Grant's  second  election.  Our  subject's  first  work- 
in  the  new  state  was  in  a  Port  Gamble  saw-mill, 
but  he  soon  came  to  Lowell,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  logging  and  working  in  the  woods  for  a  twelve- 
month. In  the  spring  of  1875  he  came  to  Snoho- 
mish and  with  his  brothers  opened  a  logging  camp 
on  the  lake  which  bears  their  name.  For  nine  years 
their  operations  were  confined  chiefly  to  that  lake, 
though  in  1883  they  commenced  offerations  at 
Mukilteo,  where  they  had  a  partner  named  W.  W. 


€52 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


Howard,  and  they  were  at  work  there  also  for  four 
years.  Other  camps  operated  by  the  brothers  were 
those  at  Cathcart,  where  they  were  engaged  for 
three  years ;  at  Marysville,  where  they  spent  four 
years,  seUing  out  in  1892  their  outfit  and  a  large 
body  of  timber ;  and  at  Pilchuck,  the  last  mentioned 
camp  being  operated  at  least  part  of  the  time  con- 
comitantly with  that  at  Marysville.  In  1892  the 
brothers  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  state. 

The  Blackmans  built  their  first  mill  in  Snohomish 
in  1884,  including  shingle,  sash  and  door  factory, 
and  continued  to  operate  it  until  1889,  when  it 
burned  down,  entailing  a  loss  of  $150,000.  Nothing 
daxnited  they  soon  after  erected  another  mill  the 
same  as  before.  It  fed  the  flames  two  and  a  half 
years  later,  the  loss  this  time  being  $100,000.  At 
Granite  Falls  in  1892  they  built  a  saw  and  shingle 
mill  which,  three  years  later,  met  the  fate  of  its 
predecessors,  and  the  Blackmans  had  the  mortifica- 
tion of  seeing  $20,000  more  go  up  in  smoke.  With  a 
courage  that  was  truly  remarkable  they  built  a 
fourth  mill  in  1897,  a  large  saw  and  shingle  plant 
at  Everett,  and  this  time  the  fates  were  kinder  for 
thev  were  permitted  to  operate  the  mill  in  peace  for 
four  years,  and  though  it  finally  burned  it  did  not 
do  so  until  it  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  Wheeler 
&  Osgood,  of  Tacoma,  so  the  loss  fell  upon  others. 

The  Blackman  Brothers  have  also  branched  out 
into  other  lines.  In  1881  they  opened  a  general 
store  in  Snohomish  which  was  placed  under  the 
supervision  of  H.  Blackman ;  in  1891  they  pur- 
chased as  a  speculation  thirty  acres  of  land  under 
ditch  at  Wenatchee,  to  which  six  acres  have  since 
been  added ;  this  land  they  held  without  ever  going 
to  see  it  or  ever  having  seen  it  in  the  first  place 
until  1901,  when  they  recognized  its  value  as  fruit 
land  and  converted  it  into  an  orchard.  It  is  now 
in  charge  of  a  manager  and  one  of  the  owners 
makes  a  visit  to  it  spring  and  fall  to  look  after  it. 
The  brothers  are  also  interested  in  the  Bonito  Min- 
ing Company  at  Slate  creek,  Whatcom  county, 
owners  of  a  free  gold  proposition  to  which  they  are 
giving  much  attention.  The  company  has  twenty- 
three  claims,  developed  by  1,550  feet  of  working 
tunnels  besides  the  underground  working  tunnels, 
and  supplied  with  a  tcn-stainp  mill.  To  date  the 
mine  has  produced  ovrr  s  I  on, (inn  Since  1903  Mr. 
Blackman  has  prospcclc'l  c  iisi(lrral)ly  in  the  Cas- 
cades, one  result  of  his  explorations  being  the  loca- 
tion in  the  Sultan  basin,  of  the  Shamrock  and  ib; 
extensions,  in  which  the  three  brothers  and  William 
Brown  of  Snohomish  are  all  interested  and  which 
they  all  consider  a  very  valuable  property-  The 
brothers  also  own  considerable  realty  in  Everett. 
They  have  achieved  a  success  in  the  industrial  world 
such  as  comparatively  few  men  have  the  ability  to 
win,  starting  with  nothing,  and  fighting  their  wav 
step  by  step,  conquering  in  spite  of  losses  which 
would  utterly  crush  men  of  ordinary  pluck,  so  con- 


ducting their  enterprises  at  all  times  as  to  retain 
the  highest  respect  and  good  will  of  those  with 
whom  they  have  been  associated  and  to  confer  the 
greatest  possible  benefit  upon  the  community  and 
county.  None  has  a  more  exalted  place  than  they 
in  the  esteem  of  the  people  of  Snohomish  and  ad- 
joining counties. 

In  1868  Mr.  Blackman  married  Miss  Frances 
Osgood,  oldest  of  the  six  children  of  Joseph  and 
Mary  (Archey)  Osgood,  natives  of  Maine  and 
Missouri  respectively.  Mrs.  Blackman  was  born 
in  Buffalo,  New  York,  while  her  parents  were  en 
route  from  Missouri  to  Maine,  and  she  acquired 
her  education  and  spent  her  life  until  her  mar- 
riage in  the  last  mentioned  state.  She  and  Mr. 
Blackman  are  parents  of  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Edith 
Morris,  wife  of  the  cashier  of  the  Oregon  Savings 
Bank  of  Portland.  In  fraternal  affiliations,  Mrs. 
Blackman  is  identified  with  the  Order  of  the  East- 
ern Star,  while  Mr.  Blackman  is  a  Mason;  in  pnli- 
tics  he  is  a  Democrat,  in  religious  belief  a  Christian 
Scientist. 


HYRCANUS  BLACKMAN  is  a  member  of  the 
celebrated  firm  of  Blackman  Brothers,  which  has 
been  so  frequently  referred  to  in  these  pages  and 
whose  extensive  and  praiseworthy  operations  have 
been  briefly  narrated  in  the  article  under  the  head 
of  Elhanan  Blackman.  It  is  fitting,  however,  that 
brief  mention  be  made  of  Hyrcanus  Blackman  per- 
sonally. Fie  was  born  in  Bradley,  Maine,  Janu- 
ary 4,  1847,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  state  and  in  Westbrook  Seminary,  also  took 
a  full  course  in  and  received  a  diploma  from  the 
Charles  F.  Wells  Business  College,  at  New  Haven, 
Connecticut.  His  first  occupation  was  teaching  but 
after  spending  a  term  as  head  of  the  school  room  he 
concluded  that  practical  pedagogy  was  not  the  pro- 
fession for  him.  No  doubt  the  larger  opportunities 
and  greater  possibilities  of  a  business  career  at- 
tracted him  and  the  promptings  of  a  restless  ambi- 
tion made  the  limitations  of  the  school  room  irk- 
some; at  any  rate  he  soon  joined  his  brothers  in 
the  lumber  manufacturing  business  and  he  has  been 
associated  with  them  continuously  since  exce]it  for 
a  hiicf  pcrin.l  after  first  coming  to  Snohomish 
coiiniy  wlitii  he  worked  for  E.  D.  Smith  at  Lowell. 

(^hir  sulijict  has,  perhaps,  given  more  attention 
to  politics  than  either  of  his  brothers,  discharging 
with  credit  to  himself  the  duties  of  several  respon- 
sible offices.  When  the  city  of  Snohomish  was  in- 
corporated he  was  the  choice  of  the  people  for  their 
first  mayor.  He  was  a  member  of  the  territorial 
legislature  in  1878  and  had  the  honor  to  serve  as 
delegate  to  the  Democratic  National  Convention 
which  nominated  Parker  for  the  presidency. 

In  ]\Iay,  1869,  Mr.  Blackman  married  Ella  E., 
daughter  of  Cyrus  and  Phoebe  A.  (Foss)  Knapp. 
Her  parents  spent  most  of  their  lives  in  Maine  but 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


853 


they  went  to  California  in  1854  and  spent  the  en- 
suing six  years  in  the  Golden  state;  both  are  now 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blackman  have  two  chil- 
dren, Clifford  A.,  born  October  19,  1884,  now  a 
student  in  Puget  Sound  Academy,  and  Eunice  L., 
born  May  17,  1887.  In  fraternal  affiliations  Mr. 
Blackman  is  a  Mason,  having  joined  Centennial 
Lodge  No.  35,  of  Snohomish,  as  a  charter  member, 
and  he  is  also  a  charter  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias. 


ALANSON  A.  BLACKMAN,  of  the  firm  of 
Blackman  Brothers,  Inc.,  has  been  associated  with 
his  brothers,  Elhanan  and  Hyrcanus,  throughout 
practically  the  whole  of  his  business  career,  and  the 
doings  and  fortunes  of  that  well  known  firm  have 
received  extended  attention  elsewhere.  Mr.  Black- 
man  was  born  in  Bradley,  Maine,  May  26,  1840. 
He  received  the  advantages  of  a  common  school  and 
academy  training,  then  started  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, a  line  which  has  demanded  a  large  share  of 
his  time  and-  energies  ever  since.  He  is  the  patentee 
of  the  Blackman  logging  truck,  heretofore  referred 
to,  and  he  and  his  brother,  Elhanan,  are  the  in- 
ventors of  the  Mitchell  Clipper  Shingle  Machine. 
Although  an  enthusiastic  Democrat,  Mr.  Blackman 
has  never  accepted  office,  preferring  to  give  his 
whole  mind  to  his  busines  and  to  inventing  better 
methods  and  appliances  for  carrying  it  on  success- 
fully. Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  his  name  being  on  the  charter  of  Centennial 
Lodge  No.  25.  In  November,  1866,  he  married  Miss 
Eliza  J.,  daughter  of  Willard  and  Triphena  Howard, 
well  known  residents  of  the  Pine  Tree  state. 


GEORGE  W.  KIRK,  scenic  and  portrait  pho- 
tographer of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  well  known 
citizens  of  that  city  and  a  man  who  probably  knows 
as  much  about  the  landscapes  of  Snohomish  county 
as  any  other  one  individual  within  its  borders.  Mr. 
Kirk  was  born  at  Port  Deposit,  Maryland,  in'  Sep- 
tember of  1848  of  Scotch-English  and  Welsh-Eng- 
lish parentage.  His  father,  William  Kirk,  was  the 
son  of  Elisha  Kirk,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Roger  Kirk,  well 
known  in  the  colonial  days  of  Maryland.  Mrs. 
Jane  (Williams)  Kirk  was  also  a  native  of  Cecil 
county,  Maryland.  George  W.  Kirk  grew  up  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  attended  the  common  schools 
until  fitted  to  enter  the  West  Nottingham  academy. 
Upon  leaving  that  institution  he  came  west  as  far 
as  Iowa,  where,  at  Pulaski,  Davis  county,  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business  for  four  years,  return- 
ing to  Maryland  to  care  for  his  father  in  his  old 
age.  While  here  his  attention  was  drawn  to  pho- 
tography and  he  commenced  to  learn  the  art,  com- 
pleting his  preparation  with  William  Chase,  a  noted 
scenic  photographic  artist  of  Baltimore.  Mr.  Kirk 
then  went  to  Huntington,  West  Virginia,  where  he 


followed  his  calling  for  thirteen  years.  In  1888 
he  came  to  Chehalis,  Lewis  county,  Washington, 
and  engaged  in  growing  fruit.  He  later  removed 
to  Puyallup  and  for  two  years  engaged  with  un- 
usual success  in  producing  small  fruits.  In  1891 
from  one  and  a  half  acres,  Mr.  Kirk  marketed 
8,321  pounds  of  raspberries,  receiving  $840  there- 
for, while  disposing  of  $200  worth  of  plants  grown 
that  year  on  the  same  tract.  Mr.  Kirk  had  still 
held  his  farm  at  Chehalis  and  in  the  fall  of  1891 
returned  to  that  place.  Five  years  later  he  re- 
sumed, to  some  extent,  the  photographic  profession, 
and  in  1898  came  to  Everett  and  purchased  a  gal- 
lery. This  he  continued  to  manage  for  four  years, 
closing  out  to  come  to  Snohomish. 

February  6,  1876,  in  Chester  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Mr.  Kirk  married  Miss  Eliza  J.  Pennypacker, 
first  cousin  of  Governor  Samuel  Pennypacker  and 
daughter  of  Washmgton  and  Eliza  (Wright)  Pen- 
nypacker, both  of  whom  came  of  the  old  Holland 
stock  for  which  Pennsylvania  is  noted.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kirk  three  children  have  been  born: 
Thomas  Leston,  Sherman  E.,  who  is  employed  at 
Williams'  saw-mill  near  Monroe,  and  a  daughter 
who  died  in  infancy.  In  politics  Mr.  Kirk  is  a 
Republican  and  active  in  the  caucuses,  conventions 
and  councils  of  his  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  His  church 
affiliations  are  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  society 
and  have  been  for  thirty-three  years,  in  which  or- 
ganization he  is  holding  official  position.  Since 
coming  to  Snohomish,  Mr.  Kirk  has  engaged  also 
in  fruit  growing  to  a  degree,  he  having  a  predilec- 
tion toward  fruit  culture  just  as  much  as  he  has 
for  nature  and  the  camera.  Mr.  Kirk  is  highly 
esteemed,  is  prosperous  in  business  and  a  man  of 
influence  in  his  home  town  and  surrounding  com- 
munity. On  October  9,  1905,  Mr.  Kirk  took  up  a 
homestead  near  Darrington,  to  which  he  will  soon 
remove,  his  health  having  been  impaired  by  a  para- 
lytic stroke  some  years  ago,  which  has  recently 
been  causing  him  trouble  again.  The  Snohomish 
business  will  be  continued  by  the  son  Thomas  Les- 
ton, who  is  also  a  photographer  of  ability. 


LOT  WILBUR.— In  a  work  of  this  character 
special  attention  is  always  paid  to  the  pioneer,  the 
man  who  came  to  the  country  while  it  was  yet  in 
its  wilderness  state,  had  the  perception  to  appre- 
ciate its  undeveloped  resources  and  the  persistency 
to  "stay  with  it"  until  he  had  demonstrated  its 
worth  to  the  world  in  general  and,  with  the  help 
of  later  comers,  forever  won  it  from  the  domain 
of  savagery  to  that  of  civilization  and  liberal  en- 
lightenment. But  among  pioneer  peoples  as  else- 
where there  are  always  men  who  are  distinguished 
above  their  fellows  on  account  of  the  special  abund- 
ance of  their  contributions  to  progress,  the  large- 
ness of  the  mold  in  which  they  are  cast,  the  magni- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


tude  of  their  success.  Entitled  to  not  a  little  of 
this  special  distinction  even  among  a  distinguished 
and  honored  class  is  Lot  Wilbur,  the  pioneer  drug- 
gist of  Snohomish  county,  the  victor  in  a  long,  hard 
battle  with  opposing  forces  in  the  industrial  and 
commercial  world.  Fortune  seems  to  have  frowned 
upon  him  in  early  life  but  the  buffeting  of  adver- 
sity only  strengthened  him  for  the  struggle  and  he 
has  won  where  the  less  resolute  woulil  have  gone 
down  to  defeat. 

Mr.  Wilbur  was  born  in  Lapeer  Comity,  Michi- 
gan, .\ugust  39,  1846,  the  fourth  of  the  six  children 
of  iMarvin  W.  and  Jane  (Gregory)  Wilbur,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  New  York  state,  but 
passed  the  greater  portion  of  their  lives  in  Michi- 
gan. The  father  settled  in  the  latter  common- 
wealth when  nineteen  years  old,  took  up  the  pur- 
suit of  the  lumber  business  and  followed  that  and 
farming  for  years.  He  and  his  worthy  helpmeet 
have  both  passed  away.  Mr.  Wilbur,  of  this  article, 
acquired  a  common  school  education,  though  he 
had  to  work  hard  all  the  time  he  was  getting  it, 
and  was  in  the  midst  of  a  high  school  course  when 
adverse  circumstances  called  a  peremptory  halt  and 
forced  him  prematurely  into  the  industrial  whirl. 
His  first  employment  was  on  a  farm,  his  wages 
nine  dollars  a  month.  After  having  worked  long 
enough  to  earn  the  mimificent  sum  of  forty-five 
dollars,  he  became  an  employe  in  his  father's  lum- 
ber camp  and  he  was  thus  engaged  for  the  ensuing 
six  years  or  until  his  legal  majority  was  reached, 
whereupon  he  went  to  Minnesota.  His  ambition 
for  professional  life  had  never  left  him  and  he  re- 
solved that  if  he  must  give  himself  to  business  he 
would  at  least  devote  a  portion  of  his  time  to  study, 
so  he  bought  a  drug  store  at  Mantorville,  and  be- 
gan, in  his  own  establishment,  an  effort  to  master 
the  theory  and  practice  of  pharmacy.  For  nine 
years  he  conducted  this  business  successfully,  then 
he  disposed  of  his  interests  and  headed  for  the  far 
West.  His  first  home  in  Washington  was  Olympia, 
where,  for  a  few  months,  he  was  engaged  in  log- 
ging operations  on  his  own  account ;  then  he  worked 
a  month  in  a  drug  store  in  Seattle,  then,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1875,  he  came  to  Snohomish  and  opened  the 
pioneer  drug  store  of  the  county  and  the  only  one 
within  its  bounds  until  Andrew  B.  Klaeboe  estab- 
lished one  at  Stanwood  in  1S8S.  Snohomish  City 
has  been  Mr.  Wilbur's  place  of  residence  continu- 
ously since  his  first  arrival  thirty  years  ago,  but  he 
is  widely  known  throughout  the  sound  country  and 
wherever  his  celebrated  Puget  Sound  remedies  have 
been  advertised.  He  has  spent  much  study  and 
effort  in  perfecting  these,  many  thousands  of  dol- 
lars in  introilucing  them  to  the  public,  and  he  has 
reason  to  believe  that  in  so  doing  he  has  conferred 
a  real  blessing  upon  suffering  humanity. 

In  1808  in  Calhoim  County,  Michigan,  Mr.  Wil- 
bur married  Miss  Jennie  Moore,  whose  parents, 
John  and  Betsy  (Grenell)  Moore,  were  natives  of 


New  York  state  but  became  pioneers  of  Michigan. 
Mrs.  Wilbur  was  born  and  reared  in  the  last  men- 
tioned state,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  IS-IG. 

Mr.  Wilbur  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  fraternities,  and  in  politics  a  Repub- 
lican. Wliile  giving  close  attention  to  business,  as 
every  man  must  who  makes  a  success  of  it,  he  has 
not  neglected  the  social  or  intellectual  sides  of  life, 
nor  has  he  been  derelict  to  his  duties  as  a  citizen. 
On  the  contrary  he  has  been  in  some  measure  a 
leader  in  political  matters,  serving  with  efficiency  as 
county  treasurer  for  two  terms  and  as  probate 
judge  for  one,  while  the  municipal  government  of 
Snohomish  had  the  benefit  of  his  ripe  experience 
and  sound  judgment  during  the  earliest  years  of 
its  corporate  existence. 


TIIOM.VS  PHILIPSEN,  expert  iti  dairy  pro- 
ducts and  at  present  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  Sno- 
homish creamery,  is  one  of  the  men  who  was  quick 
to  see  the  advantages  of  a  specialty  which  had  as 
its  basis  one  of  the  staples  of  the  small  farmer  and 
small  dairy  farmer.  After  three  years  of  experi- 
ence in  farming  in  the  vicinity  of  Snohomish  he 
concluded  that  a  depot  for  dairy  products  would  be 
a  paying  investment,  and  on  putting  his  theory  to 
the  test  found  that  he  was  not  wrong  in  his  esti- 
mate of  the  possibilities.  Mr.  Philipsen  was  born 
in  southern  Denmark,  near  the  line  of  Schleswig- 
Plolstein,  .\pril  (i,  IST'l,  the  son  of  Jerry  and  Cecelia 
(Smith)  Philipsen.  The  father  was  a  musician  and 
dancing  master  of  wide  repute  in  Denmark  and 
was  in  a  position  to  give  his  son  an  education  of 
more  than  usual  advantages  aft'orded  the  young  of 
Jutland.  A  part  of  young  Philipsen's  formal  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  Germany,  where  he  took  a 
business  college  course  and  qualified  himself  for 
details  of  a  commercial  life.  Lie  also  became  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  dairying,  as  that  branch  of 
farm  industry  is  carried  on  in  the  old  country.  Un- 
til 1898,  ]\Ir.  Philipsen  was  connected  with  com- 
mercial farming  and  with  dairying  in  the  old  coun- 
try, but  in  the  year  mentioned  he  came  to  the 
United  States  in  quest  of  openings  for  an  expert 
dairyman.  He  first  settled  in  Ehvood,  Clinton 
County,  Iowa,  and  worked  on  a  dairy  farm.  Soon 
after  he  became  known  and  his  qualities  became 
recognized,  he  was  engaged  as  manager  of  the 
Farmers'  LTnion  Creamery  Company  at  Maquoketa, 
the  county  seat  of  Jackson  county,  .\fter  a  success- 
ful career  in  this  capacity,  Mr.  Philipsen  came  to 
Washington  and  for  a  year  worked  in  connection 
with  the  Monroe  Creamery  Company  at  Monroe, 
Snohomish  county.  One  year  later  he  had  leased 
a  farm  and  was  operating  a  dairy  establishment 
on  his  own  account.  .'\  short  experience  as  a  pro- 
ducer indicated  to  him  that  there  was  lack  of  facil- 
ity for  the  profitable  disposition  of  the  produce  of 
the  average  farmer  of  the  vicinity  engaged  in  dairy- 


X.K'AI'IIK  Al 


.•,Im;mIv  |h..vc(1  ili:i.lc( 
iipnii  il.  lie  is  turn 
;il..)iil   .fiiiO.OOO   aii<l    III 

l.lu.lllCLTH.       Mr.     Hull 


ilii.'iti 


il.iiiplalint,^  (loiil)- 
ilaiiiiff   a   sH-aiiKT 

,i.-nl     .nllrrli,,,,    „f 


IVIT 


l.ililics  of  llu 

licforc    leaving    ln'.    naliv.-    I.iihI    Mk    I 'liiliir^.n 

111.11  ric.l    Miss  Jo.srpillllr    I  :iilllll,   .l.ill|:lil.l    ni    I'.inrJ 

Hiiiiili.  .1  iialivc-  of  l)ciiiiiari<,  1lioii^;li  now  a  tvsi- 
(Iciii  nl  (..iiuany.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  riiilipscii  liavc: 
l.rrn  lioiii  live  cliiMii'ii,  of  whom  i'.incsl  aiui  an 
iiiiiianic.l  iiifani  have  <lic<|,  jcnv,  Imik-sI  ,iii.|  (  iirih- 
tiiia  arc  slill  living;'.  Mr,  I 'liilijcrn  is  |,ro-,|.<M-oiis 
ill  liis  line  of  liiisiiicss,  a  iii;in  ciirrfc'lic  and  with 
f.iciiilics  alert   lo   possihililii-s,   a   .  Iiai  :n  ici  r.lir   cvi- 

dnii    in    liis    lakinj,'   advanlai^'c    of    : drvdopcd 

d.iiiy   siliiatioii   in    Snolioniisli. 

IKI'.I)  .SCIIAI'I'-.K,  liariu'ss  inaniira.  Iiir.-r' and 
.|r;,|,T  ,,f  Snohoniisii,  is  one  of  (lie  men  who  <'anu- 
iiiio  (his  pari  of  (in-  coinilry  in  llic  early  days. 
'I  lionj^di  111!  is  conipaialively  a  yoiinjjf  man,  it  may 
seem  a  little  slarlliiiK  to  tin-  r<:i<|ri  h,  understand 
that  Mr.  Schafer's  inlnxliK  imn  Im  iIic  I'lijrct  .Soinid 
coiintry  came  only  after  In-  li.id  iriififred  across 
llie  crest  of  the  Cascarles  from  ^:llellsl,nr^,^  then 
I  lie  western  terminus  of  the  Northern  Pacific  rail- 
ro.id.  Mr.  Scliafer  was  horn  in  the  far  south  of 
'i.rmaiiy,  on  the  horderland  (,f  the  country  (jf  tlie 
Alps,  in  I'ehruary  of  IHCO,  the  younf,'-est  of  nine 
<liildren  of  John  C.  ami  Dorothy  ( Apjierspach) 
Schafer,  farmer  folk  of  the  southern  part  of  tlie 
l-atherland.  YoiniK'  .Schafer  receive.!  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  liis  native  land  and 
iniirl  i||i.  memhers  of  his  family  to  the 
:.t.iir  ,  1,1  IHHI.  When  (ifteen  years  of  a^e 
Mill-  .ippi.iiliced  lo  the  trade  of  harness 
maker  at  llol^;al<',  I  Imrv  'oiiiilv,  Ohio,  then  the 
home  of  his  pareiils.  I'onr  var,  lal.-r  he  left  jlol- 
^Vitr,  on  the  look.ail  for  a  location  for  himself.  He 
vi  ii<d  diCfereiil  jjarts  of  the  country,  workiii)?  at 
his  trade,  imtil  in  IHHCJ  his  attention  was  called  lo 
the  rapidly  develo(»inf(  resources  of  WaHhin),'ton. 
The  Northern  I'acific  railroad  harl  not  heen  con- 
structed further  west  than  I'"llenslnir(.(  and  at  that 
point  Mr.  Schafer  joined  a  hand  of  travelers  hound 
for  the  sound  on  foot.  He  took  iij)  a  preemption 
<:laini  some  six  miles  from  Snohomish,  and  f(jr  four 
years  alternaterl  helween  farming,',  devekjpint,'  his 
own  holrhuf,'  and  workinfj  for  the  railroarl.  In 
]H!iO   he   accepted   a   position   in   ConieKys   harness 


llnih 

lie     h 


IlK    Ihe    e!,tal.lisl ■lit 

lldlirjcd    the    hnsiliess 
:idvaii(  iiij'.      with     the 


two  rif  whom,  John  .and  lulward,  survive,  Mrs. 
Schafer  pas.sed  away  lal(.'  in  the  year  IH!)H.  In 
Novemher  of  i!)(H  Mr.  .Sch.afer  married  Miss 
luiialic!  Johnson,  a  native  of  Miimesola  and  daiiKli- 
ter  of  natives  of  Sweden  who  :irr?  slill  living  in 
111,-  I'l.ilii,-  sl.il.-.  T..  Ihi,  union  one  child  ll.as  heen 
I... Ill,  ii.iiiMsl  (  |,,i;,.  In  |„,|,i„v  Mr.  .Schafer  is  af^ 
hlial.sl     Willi    III.      1^  |,iiI,Im:,i,     p;,ilv,    IIioukIi    he    is 

not    adivr    111    lis lis.       Ill    li,,lriii;,|    rirrl.-:,    he 

is  a  iim-iiiIm-,  ,,I  ilir  hid.  p.  lid.  1,1  I  II. I.  I  .,1  (  Md  hrh 
lows,  ol    111.'    I'.,i,.s|.is  .,1    Ain.ll.a,  .,1   III.-  VVoor|iii,-|| 

of  Ihe  World  and  of  (he  Anrienl  Order  of  llniled 
Workinen,  in  e;icli  of  which  oiKanizalions  he  in 
active.      Mr.   Seh.-ifcr   is  one  of  the  enerf.;.'lic   hiisi- 

enjoyiiiK  the  .  ..iili.|.ii.  .  ..I  lli.-  .  ..iiiiii.i.  i.-il  p.-opl.; 
of   the   city   ;il|.|    siiii  .hiimIiii}',    roiililiy. 


(il'.OUCIC  M,  (.OCIIkAN,  pn.pM.-lor  .d  I 
Snohomish  Hardware  Company,  is  one  of  Ihe  lea 
ill),'-  merchants  of  ihe  city  and  a  man  of  varied  e 
perieiices  from  the  Atlantic  lo  the  I'arilic.  I 
cam.-  1.1  111.-  I'acific  Northwest  in  IHH.'i  and  h;is  sin 
tli.-il  liiii.-  lii-.-n  actively  en),'aKed  in  coimncn  i;il  pi 


ily, 


siiil-i.  Ml,  (  ochran  was  horn  in  Aroostook  ' 
Maine,  June  m,  IH(i;(,  the  lliird  of  seven  .hil.li.-n 
of  Henry  I',  and  Addie  flseatonj  Co.ln.-in,  ,-d-.o 
natives  of  tile  I'ine  Tree  slate.  The  elder  (  orhLin 
is  of  Irish  extraction.  The  Kiealer  part  of  his  lifo 
has  heen  passed  in  the  inercanlile  hiisiness,  hut  he 
was  a  pioneer  miner  in  California  to  which  Htate 
lie  came  first  hy  the  isthmu.'i  route  in  IH.'Ja,  and 
ajfain  in  IH(;;t.  He  is  now  livinjf  in  TaconKi.  Mrs. 
C'ochran  jirior  to  her  marriage  was  a  school  teacher 
in  her  native  state,  Ccor).;e  M.  ('ocliran  received 
his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  and  later 
took  a  course  at  H'lnllon  Academy,  When  fifteen 
years  of  a^e  he  entered  a  druj,'  store  in  Hoiilloii 
for  the  purposes  of  Ktudyiii«  the  profession  of  driiK- 
^dst  and  learnin^f  ^a-neral  hiisiness  principles.  Hiir- 
hiii  the  last  year  of  the  four  whi<:h  he  passerl  in 
this  store,  he  fillerl  the  position  of  prescription  clerk. 
Tn  \HH2  went  to  IJosloii  and  attended  the  Massaclni- 
setts  CnUcfii:  of  rhannacy,  also  at  llic  name  time 
serving  as  prescription  clerk  in  the  store  in  which 
he  worked.  In  IHH;i  he  came  to  Kllisf)ort,  Idalu*, 
where  he  remained  hut  four  months,  ultimately  set- 
lliiiK  ill  Montesano,  Chehalis  C'oiinly,  Wasliinj^'lon, 
wliere  in  crjinpany  with  IC.  A.  Lancaster  he  en- 
f(a((ed  in  the  hardware  hiisiness  for  two  years.  At 
the  end   of   that  period    Mr.   Lancaster  died,  and 


856 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


his  interest  in  the  establishment  was  acquired  by 
Mr.  Cochran's  brother.  In  1898  the  business  was 
removed  to  Snohomish,  and  established  as  the  Sno- 
homish Hardware  Company,  the  brother  being  in 
charge,  as  Mr.  Cochran  had  received  appointment 
as  deputy  county  treasurer  in  Chehalis  county  in 
the  previous  year.  The  deputyship  continued  until 
1901,  in  which  year  Mr.  Cochran  came  to  Sno- 
homish and  took  charge  of  the  business.  In  the 
same  year  C.  N.  Wilson  purchased  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Cochran's  brother,  the  new  firm  continuing 
the  business  as  the  Snohomish  Hardware  Company, 
under  which  style  the  establishment  is  now  known, 
though  in  1904  Mr.  Cochran  acquired  Mr.  Wilson's 
interest  and  is  now  sole  owner  of  the  store. 

At  Montesano,  in  1887,  Mr.  Cochran  married 
Miss  Laura  Campbell,  daughter  of  Angus  and  Mag- 
gie (Singleton)  Campbell,  natives  of  Illinois.  The 
father  died  when  Mrs.  Cochran  was  a  child,  but 
the  mother  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  Chehalis 
county.  Mrs.  Cochran  was  born  in  Mount  Ster- 
ling, Illinois,  and  received  her  education  there.  She 
passed  away  in  1894,  leaving  two  children:  Alta, 
and  Ralph  C.,  now  in  the  high  school  at  Snohomish. 
In  1897  Mr.  Cochran  married  Miss  Retta  Baker, 
daughter  of  William  and  Amanda  (Young)  Baker, 
natives  of  Kentucky  who  came  to  Washington  in 
the  'seventies.  The  father  is  still  living  at  the 
home  of  his  daughter.  Mrs.  Cochran  is  a  native 
of  Illinois,  but  came  with  her  parents  to  this  state 
when  a  child.  She  received  her  education  in  the 
common  and  high  school  and  also  in  the  State 
Normal  school  at  Ellensburg.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cochran  two  children  have  been  born,  Lyall  W. 
and  Neil  M.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Cochran  is 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  of  the  Encampment,  also  of  the  Rebekahs, 
and  he  has  held  the  chair  of  noble  grand  in  its  sub- 
ordinate lodges.  Mrs.  Cochran  is  also  a  Rebekah 
and  a  past  grand  of  that  auxiliary  order.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Cochran  is  affiliated  with  the  Democratic 
party.  Though  one  of  the  comparatively  new  men 
in  Snohomish  business  life  Mr.  Cochran  has  already 
made  for  himself  a  place  high  in  the  esteem  of  the 
business  people  and  the  public  of  the  city. 


CHARLES  E.  SPRAU.  one  of  the  proprietors 
of  the  Penobscot  Hotel,  the  leading  hostelry  of 
Snohomish,  is  among  the  hustling  citizens  of  that 
city,  a  well  known  hotel  man  of  the  county,  and  a 
popular  citizen.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  in  the  closing 
days  of  1865,  December  20th,  the  son  of  Jacob  and 
Julia  (Burgdoerfer)  Sprau,  natives  of  the  Buck- 
eye state  and  of  German  ancestry.  Two  years  after 
the  birth  of  the  subject  of  this  biography  the  Sprau 
family  removed  from  Ohio  and  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Michigan,  where  Charles  E.  Sprau  received  his 
education,  together  with  his  brothers  and  sisters, 
Jesse   M.,   Roy   A.,   Arthur   B.,  Effie,    Nina    and 


Ethelyn.  The  young  man  remained  at  home,  as- 
sisting his  father  on  the  farm,  until  he  was  twenty- 
four,  at  that  age  coming  to  the  Puget  sound  coun- 
try- and  engaging  in  work  in  the  saw  mills  for  three 
years.  In  1894  Mr.  Sprau  returned  to  his  old  home 
in  the  Peninsula  state  for  a  few  months  and  then 
set  his  face  once  more  toward  the  Pacific  coast.  He 
came  to  California  and  for  two  years  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  Kern  County  Land  Company  at 
Bakersfield.  In  1896  he  was  once  more  in  Snoho- 
mish county,  working  in  the  mills  and  at  various 
occupations,  at  which  he  continued  for  three  years. 
In  1899  he  opened  a  cigar  and  confectionery  store 
in  this  city,  which  he  conducted  with  good  success 
for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  which  period  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  C.  Gosch  and  leased  the  Penob- 
scot, the  leading  hotel  of  the  city.  The  house  has 
been  popular  with  the  traveling  public,  and  under 
the  energetic  management  of  its  present  proprietors 
has  steadily  grown  in  the  esteem  of  its  patrons. 
Mr.  Sprau  is  popular  with  all  classes  of  the  travel- 
ing and  home  public  and  largely  because  of  this  fact 
the  business  enjoys  a  liberal  patronage  of  local  and 
transient  guests.  In  politics  Mr.  Sprau  is  a  Re- 
publican ;  in  fraternal  affiliations,  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the  Foresters  of  America. 
He  is  a  man  of  liberal  views,  endowed  with  exec- 
utive ability,  unquestionably  lending  his  influence 
toward  the  betterment  of  every  condition  bearing 
on  his  home  city  and  the  state  in  general. 


T.  VENZEL  URBAN,  one  of  the  leading  mer- 
chant tailors  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  within  fifteen 
years  has  established  a  lucrative  business  in  the 
manufacture  of  men's  wearing  apparel  and  at  the 
present  time  enjoys  a  large  list  of  patrons  who 
place  every  confidence  in  his  skill.  Mr.  Urban  was 
born  in  Bohemia  in  the  autumn  of  1861,  the  son  of 
Joseph  Urban,  who  became  a  widower  shortly  after 
the  birth  of  the  subject  of  this  biography.  The 
elder  Urban  was  born  in  1807  and  during  his  long 
life,  which  continued  until  1888,  was  a  farmer  ex- 
cept when  called  to  positions  in  the  public  service, 
where  he  was  held  in  high  esteem  because  of  his 
marked  ability.  The  other  children  of  the  elder 
Urban  are:  Joseph,  born  March  21,  1859;  Frank, 
born  in  1857 ;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Frank  Audel,  born 
1864 — all  living  in  Bohemia. 

T.  Venzel  Urban  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  country,  but  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  left  school  and  home  and  went  to 
Vienna,  Austria,  where  he  began  his  apprentice- 
ship in  the  tailor  trade.  He  passed  five  years  in  the 
Austrian  capital,  during  one  of  which  was  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account.  Returning  to  Bohemia, 
Mr.  Urban  passed  two  years  there  and  in  1881  he 
came  to  the  LTnited  States,  settling  in  New  Prague, 
Minnesota,  where  he  worked  in  a  tailor  shop  for 
three  months.     He  then  removed  to  Rice  county, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


in  southern  Minnesota,  and  followed  farming  for 
six  years.  A  short  time  was  then  spent  in  New 
Prague,  after  which  he  went  to  Duluth,  on  Lake 
Superior,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  more 
than  a  year.  In  1889  he  came  to  the  Puget  sound 
country,  and  after  spending  a  few  months  at  his 
trade  in  Seattle,  located  in  Snohomish,  where  he 
has  ever  since  resided.  For  a  time  after  coming 
here  Mr.  Urban  was  an  employe  of  a  tailoring  es- 
tablishment, but  he  had  not  been  here  a  year  when 
he  purchased  the  interests  of  his  employer  and  he 
has  since  managed  the  business  himself,  establish- 
ing an  excellent  reputation  as  a  practical,  thorough 
tradesman  and  energetic  business  man. 

In  Letcher,  South  Dakota,  November  21,  1892, 
Mr.  Urban  married  Miss  Annie  Merleen,  who, 
though  a  native  of  Texas,  was  a  daughter  of  parents 
who  were  natives  of  Bohemia.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mer- 
leen are  now  living  in  Minnesota.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Urban  have  been  born  four  children :  Mary,  Frank, 
Lawrence  and  Charles.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr. 
Urban  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  of  the  Foresters,  while  Mrs.  Urban  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Royal  Neighbors  of  America.  Mr. 
Urban  is  regarded  with  favor  by  the  citizens  of 
Snohomish,  not  only  on  account  of  his  sterling 
qualities  as  a  tradesman  and  business  man,  but  also 
because  of  his  personal  characteristics  of  affability, 
honor  and  integritv. 


HON.  WOODBURY  B.  SINCLAIR  (de- 
ceased) was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Snohomish  city 
and  county  and  a  man  widely  known  and  highly 
respected  throughout  the  entire  Puget  sound  region. 
His  career  in  this  county  was  of  such  prominence 
and  his  contributions  to  the  development  of  Sno- 
homish county  were  so  many  and  of  such  effect  that 
no  history  of  the  county  would  be  complete  without 
adequate  reference  to  him.  Mr.  Sinclair  was  born 
in  Kenduskeag,  Maine,  August  5,  182G,  attended 
the  common  schools  and  the  high  school  of  his  na- 
tive town,  and  after  completing  his  schooling 
learned  the  trade  of  cooper.  In  1851,  when  twenty- 
five  years  of  age.  Woodbury  Sinclair  was  attracted 
to  California  by  the  glowing  reports  which  followed 
the  discovery  of  gold.  In  1855  he  came  to  Puget 
sound  and  in  company  with  others  built  a  saw  mill 
at  Seabeck,  Kitsap  county, — the  first  in  that  section 
of  the  sound  country.  In  1864  he  came  to  Cady- 
ville,  now  included  in  Snohomish,  and  opened  a 
trading  post  for  the  exchange  of  supplies  for  the 
furs  and  cranberries  of  the  Indians.  Trade  was  in 
a  very  crude  condition  and  often  Mr.  Sinclair  re- 
ceived from  the  settlers  home-made  shingles,  or 
"shakes,"  which  in  turn  he  forwarded  to  Victoria, 
where  they  were  exchanged  for  merchandise  and 
supplies.    From  Mr.  Cady,  who  had  given  his  name 


to  the  early  settlement,  Mr.  Sinclair  purchased  a  re- 
linquishment to  160  acres  where  the  city  of  Sno- 
homish is  now  situated.  The  name  of  the  town  was 
then  changed  and  Mr.  Sinclair  platted  his  land  into 
lots.  In  company  with  Mr.  Clendenning,  Mr.  Sin- 
clair built  the  steamer  "Tappy,"  the  first  steam  craft 
to  ply  the  waters  of  the  Snohomish  river.  Traffic, 
by  means  of  the  boat,  between  Snohomish  and  other 
ports,  soon  became  so  extensive  that  additional 
carrying  facilities  were  required,  and  the  steamer 
"Chehalis"  was  purchased  in  Portland.  Much  diffi- 
culty was  experienced  in  bringing  the  boat  from 
the  Oregon  metropolis  because  no  pilot  could  be 
found  who  understood  navigating  the  course,  espe- 
cially that  portion  of  it  commencing  with  the  Strait 
of  Fuca.  This  difficulty,  however,  was  eventually 
overcome  and  the  boat  put  in  commission.  From 
1866  to  1870  Mr.  Sinclair  served  in  the  territorial 
legislature.  He  was  appointed  custom  house  in- 
spector under  Selycious  Garfield  and  continued  in 
that  office  until  his  death  in  1872.  His  body  was 
the  first  to  be  interred  in  the  Snohomish  cemetery, 
which  is  located  on  a  part  of  the  160  acres  which  he 
had  secured  from  Mr.  Cady.  Mr.  Sinclair  was  the 
first  Mason  in  Snohomish.  He  always  labored  un- 
selfishly for  the  upbuilding  and  for  the  progress  of 
the  town  and  the  surrounding  country.  He  was 
the  possessor  not  only  of  rare  and  enviable  qualities 
of  mind  and  heart,  but  also  of  a  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  men  and  affairs.  In  business  mat- 
ters his  judgment  was  rarely  at  fault  and  present 
prosperous  conditions  are  but  a  fulfilment  of  his 
early  prophecies. 


GEORGE  W.  SHAW,  agent  at  Snohomish  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  Express  Company,  and  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Shaw  &  Hodgins,  dealers  in 
school  supplies,  stationery,  wall  paper  and  general 
notions,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  city,  in  which 
he  has  been  a  business  factor  since  1888.  Mr. 
Shaw  was  born  in  the  Canadian  gulf  province  of 
New  Brunswick,  January  23d,  1862,  being  the  son 
of  Alexander  and  Elsie  (Giberson)  Shaw,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  New  Brunswick.  The  elder 
Shaw  was  of  Scotch  descent,  springing  from  one 
of  the  old  families  of  the  province.  He  was  engaged 
at  milling  and  lumbering  for  many  years  in  the 
East,  being  a  large  operator  at  Hartland  and  Car- 
lisle until  fire  destroyed  his  establishment  in  1893, 
when  he  came  to  Snohomish  to  make  his  home  with 
his  son.  Mrs.  Shaw  also  came  from  one  of  the  old 
families  of  New  Brunswick  of  Scotch  and  Eng- 
lish extraction.  She  is  the  mother  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  living  are:  George  W.,  Maria, 
Clara,  Mary,  Ruth,  Colby,  Donald  and  Lee.  Mrs. 
Shaw  makes  her  home  with  the  subject  of  this 
biography.  From  his  earliest  days  George  W. 
Shaw  was  connected  with  his  father's  business  in- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


terests.  When  but  a  lad  he  was  bookkeeper  for  the 
elder  Shaw  in  his  lumbering  and  milling  business 
and  as  he  became  older  was  his  father's  general 
assistant.  They  operated  the  mill  in  the  summer 
and  carried  on  a  logging  business  during  the  win- 
ter months.  In  1886  Mr.  Shaw  came  to  the  Puget 
sound  country  and  for  two  years  worked  in  a  saw 
mill  at  Seattle.  He  came  to  Snohomish  in  1888  and 
opened  a  music  store,  later  establishing  his  present 
business.  In  sharp  contrast  is  the  Snohomish  of 
to-day  with  what  it  was  when  Mr.  Shaw  iirst  saw  it. 
Rather  than  take  the  longer  route  by  the  river  from 
Marysville,  Mr.  Shaw  walked  over  the  trail.  The 
river  provided  the  only  means  for  transportation 
and  no  such  thoroughfare  as  Front  street,  now  the 
principal  business  street  of  the  city,  was  thought 
of.  In  recent  years  it  has  been  a  matter  of  regret 
with  Mr.  Shaw  that  he  did  not  at  once  take  up 
lumbering,  but  to  his  eyes  at  that  time  the  methods 
in  vogue  were  so  diflferent  from  what  he  had  known 
and  the  means  seemed  so  primitive  that  he  decided 
that  there  was  a  better  field  for  himself  than  en- 
gaging in  that  industry.  He  had  been  carefully 
trained  to  the  business  and  thoroughly  understood 
it,  and  had  he  then  not  been  turned  aside  by  condi- 
tions as  he  viewed  them  at  that  time,  he  would  have 
undoubtedly  been  one  of  the  factors  in  the  lumber 
industry  of  Snohomish  county. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  1890,  in  Seattle,  Mr.  Shaw 
married  Miss  Louise  M.  Noble,  daughter  of 
Issacher  and  Caroline  (Thomas)  Noble,  natives  of 
New  Brunswick.  Mr.  Noble  was  a  blacksmith  by 
profession,  a  man  of  high  principles  and  respected 
because  of  the  nobility  of  his  impulses  and  his  deeds. 
He  passed  away  in  1872.  Four  of  his  six  children 
are  living:  Edwin,  William,  Mrs.  Shaw  and  Ida. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shaw  one  son  has  been  born — 
Varian  R. — who  first  saw  the  light  on  New  Year's 
Day,  1892.  In  politics  Mr.  Shaw  is  a  Republican. 
In  addition  to  the  Snohomish  store,  Shaw  &  Hodg- 
ins  have  a  store  of  similar  stock  at  Everett.  Mrs. 
Shaw  is  the  proprietor  of  a  millinery  store  at  Sno- 
homish and  is  recognized  as  an  active  business 
woman  of  exceptional  ability.  Mr.  Shaw  is  one  of 
the  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  Snohomish 
and  a  man  of  most  excellent  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart,  preeminently  of  solid  business  capacity. 


ARTHUR  C.  KNIGHT,  proprietor  of  the 
racket  store  at  Snohomish,  a  place  where  is  kept 
a  general  line  of  men's  and  women's  furnishings 
and  notions,  is  a  man  who  has  seen  the  city,  a  spot 
in  the  wilderness  alongside  of  the  river,  pointed 
out  in  the  days  agone  as  a  stopping  place  for  canoes 
and  other  river  craft,  grow  into  the  city  of  Snoho- 
mish, as  she  is  known  to-day.  It  was  in  XoNcmber 
of  1885  that  Mr.  Knight  first  saw  StiMliniiiisli,  then 
a  hamlet  and  with  no  promise  of  grow  th  to  ils  pres- 


ent importance.  At  that  time  Mr.  Knight  preferred 
lumbering  in  the  woods  near  Port  Gamble  to  re- 
maining in  the  settlement.  Mr.  Knight  was  born 
in  Monson,  Maine,  April  11,  1863,  the  fourth  of 
seven  children  of  Amos  and  Lois  (Hall)  Knight, 
both  of  whom  sprang  from  old-time  families  of  the 
Pine  Tree  state.  The  elder  Knight  was  born  in 
Oxford  county  in  1827  and  became  a  man  active  in 
public  afifairs  and  a  selectman  of  the  town  of  Mon- 
son. Of  his  seven  children  Arthur  is  the  fourth, 
the  three  others  living  being:  Peleg  W.,  Dora  M., 
and  Lois  H.  Arthur  C.  Knight  grew  to  manhood 
in  his  native  town  and  attended  the  schools  there, 
but  when  twenty  years  of  age  entered  the  employ 
of  a  general  merchandise  establishment,  where  he 
remained  for  three  years.  He  came  to  Snohomish 
in  1885  and  became  clerk  in  a  general  store.  A 
year  later  Mr.  Knight  was  at  work  in  the  wood? 
near  Port  Gamble.  A  few  months  later  he  oper- 
ated a  dairy,  but  returned  to  Snohomish  in  1887, 
engaging  in  logging  and  lumbering.  The  latter 
half  of  the  year  1889  found  him  in  the  meat  and 
butcher  business.  He  then  entered  lumbering  and 
remained  in  that  line  of  business  activity  until  in 
1898  he  went  to  Alaska  in  the  column  of  gold  seek- 
ers who  filed  over  the  passes  into  the  Klondike 
country,  ultimately  making  his  way  to  the  sands  of 
Nome's  seashore.  In  the  fall  of  1900,  having  been 
absent  from  Snohomish  two  and  a  half  years,  he 
returned  and  for  the  three  years  following  reen- 
tered the  lumbering  business.  Early  in  1903  he 
purchased  the  business  of  Frank  Moody  and  has 
since  conducted  it  along  lines  of  success  from  both 
a  business  and  personal  viewpoint.  In  fraternal 
circles  Mr.  Knight  is  a  member  of  the  Foresters  of 
America  and  of  the  Brotherhood  of  American  Yeo- 
men. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr.  Knight 
is  one  of  the  men  who  has  seen  many  changes  in 
life  since  he  first  saw  Snohomish,  but  has  invariably 
kept  abreast  of  the  business  and  social  growtli  of  the 
community.  He  is  a  thorough  gentleman,  courteous 
to  all  and  popular  with  his  fellows,  while  enjoying 
as  a  member  of  the  comnninity  a  position  high  in 
the  esteem  of  all. 


BENJAMIN  THOMAS,  now  farming  three 
miles  south  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  but  in 
former  years  a  contractor  and  builder,  is  one  of  the 
men  who  have  seen  much  of  business  in  widely 
separated  parts  of  the  globe.  Carpenter,  contrac- 
tor and  farmer  are  the  three  words  which  indicate 
his  life's  work,  and  in  each  of  the  trinity  of  branches 
of  industry  he  has  been  successful.  Mr.  Thomas 
was  born  in  southern  Wales  in  1867,  the  fifth  of 
six  children  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Jones) 
Thomas,  both  of  whom  are  descended  from  Welsh 
families  which  date  back  to  the  days  even  beyond 
the  Tudors.     Both  the  father  and  the  mother  are 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


still  living,  residents  of  Wales,  the  parents  of  six 
children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living :  Thomas, 
John,  Benjamin  and  Mary,  the  last  named  being  in 
South  Africa.  Until  nineteen  years  of  age  Ben- 
jamin Thomas  led  the  life  of  the  usual  lad  of  South 
Wales,  attending  the  common  schools  and  learning 
from  his  father  the  arts  and  business  methods  of 
the  carpenter  and  contractor.  After  leaving  the 
land  of  "soft  Llewellyn's  lay,"  Mr.  Thomas  lo- 
cated in  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  worked  at 
the  carpenter's  bench  for  some  months,  ultimately 
going  to  San  Francisco.  Fifteen  months  later  he 
was  in  Seattle,  working  at  carpentering  and  con- 
tracting. In  1891  he  came  to  Snohomish  county 
and  bought  some  land,  following  his  trade  of  car- 
pentering also.  Then  the  unusual  happened  to  Mr. 
Thomas.  He  started  on  a  trip  to  his  old  home  in 
Wales,  fully  expecting  that  he  was  starting  on  a 
mere  vacation  which  had  as  its  chief  points  the 
World's  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago  and  the 
land  of  his  birth.  He  did  not  return,  however,  until 
he  had  made  a  circle  of  half  the  circumference  of 
the  globe.  Fate  willed  that  Mr.  Thomas  was  to  go 
to  South  Africa  during  the  Boer-English  war  and 
engage  in  contracting.  He  was  in  the  chief  cities 
of  the  country — Pretoria,  Cape  Town  and  other 
centers — engaged  in  engineering  and  construction 
work,  rather  than  as  a  belligerent.  The  trip  was 
successful  financially,  and  after  returning  to  his 
native  land  with  his  family,  Mr.  Thomas  again  set 
his  face  toward  the  slopes  of  the  Puget  sound  coun- 
try. In  1900  he  was  in  Everett  engaged  in  con- 
tracting, being  in  charge  of  the  erection  of  some  of 
the  chief  buildings  of  that  city,  notably  the  Amer- 
ican National  bank  building  and  the  Colby  block. 
In  1904  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  forty 
acres  and  is  now  engaged  in  farming  eight  acres, 
devoted  to  fruit  raising,  and  attending  to  a  general 
contracting  work. 

In  1891  at  Snohomish  Mr.  Thomas  married  Miss 
Gwen  Morgan,  daughter  of  Morgan  and  Hannah 
(Williams)  Morgan,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of 
^^'ales.  Morgan  Morgan  has  for  a  number  of 
years  been  a  resident  of  Snohomish  county  and  is 
now  a  retired  farmer  of  the  vicinity  of  Snohomish. 
Of  recent  years  Mr.  Thomas  has  been  engaged  in 
real  estate  speculation  in  Everett  property,  dealing 
in  improved  city  lots  and  also  property  which  is  in 
demand.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  have  been  born 
six  children :  T.  Edwin,  M.  Glyn,  David  Tyssil 
(deceased),  W.  Ellis,  Myfanny  and  E.  H.  Llew- 
ellyn. In  politics  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  Republican  and 
in  fraternal  circles  a  member  of  the  Elks.  He  is  a 
man  of  wideawake  nature,  quick  to  see  an  oppor- 
tunity, endowed  with  the  happy  gift  which  impels  a 
man  to  take  chances  and  at  the  same  time  to  weigh 
carefully  the  possibilities  of  conservative  specula- 
tion. Mr.  Thomas  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 
of  Snohomish  county,  respected  highly  by  his  asso- 


ciates  and   recognized  as   a   man   of   force   in   the 
moulding  of  the  community's  future. 


MORGAN  MORGAN,  SR.,  is  one  of  the  few 
citizens  of  Snohomish  county  who  trace  their  an- 
cestry back  to  the  Welsh  Tudors,  whose  descendants 
furnish  some  of  the  best  citizens  of  whom  the 
American  republic  may  boast.  He  has  been  a 
resident  of  this  county  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century  and  is  numbered  among  the  prosperous 
farmers  of  the  Puget  sound  country.  Mr.  Morgan 
was  born  in  Swansea,  Wales,  in  1839,  the  fifth  of 
the  nine  children  of  William  and  Mary  (Griffith) 
Morgan,  both  of  whom  were  of  pure  Welsh  blood. 
At  Swansea  Mr.  Morgan  received  his  education. 
He  remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  reaching 
the  age  of  twenty-seven,  when  he  engaged  in  agri- 
culture for  himself.  From  that  time  until  1885  he 
led  the  life  of  a  prosperous  Welsh  farmer,  but  in 
the  year  named,  in  company  with  two  sons,  Charles 
and  Morgan,  he  decided  to  come  to  America  and 
take  advantage  of  the  land  laws  which  made  pos- 
sible the  acquisition  of  land  for  all  three  in  the 
vast  domain  along  the  Pacific  coast.  After  a  short 
stay  in  New  York  the  trio  came  to  Seattle  and  ulti- 
mately to  the  forest  country  of  Snohomish,  where 
the  elder  Morgan  purchased  160  acres  of  land.  Mr. 
Morgan  had  left  wife  and  family,  save  the  two  sons 
accompanying  him,  in  the  old  country.  Two  months 
after  his  arrival  on  the  Pacific  coast  he  received 
word  of  the  death  of  his  wife,  and  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible afterward  he  sent  for  the  remainder  of  the 
family,  all  of  whom  are  now  in-  this  country.  Mr. 
Morgan  has  prospered  in  the  new  land  and  has 
been  living  in  peaceful  retirement  for  the  past  five 
years. 

In  Wales  Mr.  Morgan  married  Miss  Hannah 
Williams,  and  to  their  union  were  born  the  follow- 
ing children :  William,  Morgan,  Charles,  Thomas, 
Mrs.  Gwen  Thomas,  David,  Mrs.  Mary  Watkins, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Watkins  and  Jane.  In  politics  Mr. 
Morgan  is  a  Republican,  and  that  he  is  a  man  of 
public  spirit  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  in  the 
past  consented  to  serve  as  a  school  director  in  his 
district.  In  his  later  years  he  has  divided  his 
worldly  goods  among  his  children  and  has  been  liv- 
ing in  retirement  from  the  activities  of  business  life, 
a  fine  old  gentleman  of  the  class  of  foreign-born 
people  which  most  easily  assimilates  the  best  in 
American  life.  Mr.  Morgan  has  returned  to  the 
land  of  his  nativity  but  once  since  coming  to  the 
United  States.  He  desired  to  see  the  pageantry 
connected  with  King  Edward's  coronation  and  so 
took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  see  his  native 
land  once  more.  He  came  back  to  Snohomish 
county  better  satisfied  with  America  and  with  his 
adopted  country  than  ever  before.  Mr.  Morgan  is 
one  of  the  grand  men  of  character  in  Snohomish 
county  and  one  of  those  who  believe  thoroughly  in 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


the  possibilities  yet  latent  in  Snohomish,  a  man  of 
ripe  and  rare  experience,  with  a  large  fund  of 
knowledge  gained  by  close  observation  and  study  of 
men  and  events. 


JAMES  W.  HALL,  president  of  the  Snohom- 
ish Chamber  of  Commerce,  is  one  of  the  leading 
business  spirits  of  the  city  and  a  man  whose  varied 
interests  bring  him  into  close  contact  with  the  com- 
munity. He  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Snohomish 
Furniture  Company,  manager  of  the  Postal  Tele- 
graph Company,  resident  agent  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  one  of  the  chief  pro- 
moters of  the  projected  Snohomish  Valley  railway. 
Mr.  Hall  is  a  native  of  California,  his  birth  taking 
place  at  San  Francisco  on  November  27,  1860.  His 
parents,  George  E.  and  Mary  E.  (Fowzer)  Hall, 
were  natives  of  Maine  and  Louisiana,  respectively, 
who  came  to  California  in  1850  by  the  Nicaraugua 
route.  The  elder  Hall  was  a  shoe  merchant  in  San 
Francisco.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  lieute- 
nant in  the  First  California  infantry  and  at  the  close 
of  his  service  was  mustered  out  at  Fort  Boise. 
James  W.  Hall  attended  the  schools  of  San  Fran- 
cisco up  to  the  time  he  became  fourteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  learned  telegraphy.  The  daily  use  of 
electricity  by  Mr.  Hall  and  his  desire  to  learn  more 
about  the  subtle  energy,  directed  his  attention  to 
other  uses  of  the  commodity.  He  assisted  in  dem- 
onstrating at  San  Francisco  and  Oakland  the  first 
practical  uses  of  electricity  for  public  lighting  pur- 
poses ;  also  assisted  in  demonstrating  the  use  of  the 
telephone  in  Sacramento.  In  1882  Mr.  Hall  came 
to  Seattle  and  for  a  year  and  a  half  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  Puget  Sound  Telegraph  Company. 
He  then  returned  to  San  Francisco  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  was  connected  with  the  Central  and 
Southern  Pacific  railroads.  In  1889  Mr.  Hall  re- 
turned to  Washington  and  for  six  years  was  with 
the  Postal  people  at  Shelton.  He  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  Snohomish  as  local  manager  and  soon 
after  reaching  here  he  established  his  furniture 
business. 

In  San  Francisco  in  1883  Mr.  Hall  married  Miss 
Lucia  K.  Denayer,  who  died  during  her  husband's 
residence  at  Shelton.  Three  children  were  born 
to  this  union,  of  whom  one  only.  Miss  Lucia  E. 
Hall,  survives.  At  Seattle  in  1903  Mr.  Hall  was 
again  married,  his  bride  being  Miss  Edith  Raisbeck, 
a  native  of  New  York,  whose  parents  came  from 
Germany  and  are  now  residents  of  Seattle.  To  this 
union  two  children  have  been  born,  Phyllis  Lurana 
and  Mary  Edythe.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Hall  is 
a  member  of  the  Masons,  in  which  he  has  the  chap- 
ter degrees,  of  the  Modern  Woodmen,  of  the  For- 
esters of  America,  of  the  Eagles,  of  the  Royal 
Neighbors,  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  the  Wood- 
men of  the  World  and  of  the  Order  of  Telegraph- 
ers, in  each  of  which  organizations  he  is  active.     In 


politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  a  student  of  all 
important  local  and  national  questions.  Mr.  Hall 
is  a  man  of  much  public  spirit  and  of  action  in  all 
that  he  undertakes,  with  the  social  qualities  which 
surround  a  man  with  friends  in  all  walks  of  life. 


THEODORE  JUTZIK,  farmer  and  market 
gardener,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Snohomish, 
furnishes  in  his  career  since  coming  to  the  United 
States  an  illustration  of  the  rapid  strides  possible 
to  a  man  who  applies  himself  with  energy  to  his 
work  and  makes  the  most  of  his  opportunities.  Mr. 
Jutzik  was  born  in  Germany  July  19,  1863,  the  son 
of  Martin  and  Mariana  Jutzik,  farmer  folk  of  the 
Fatherland.  Orphaned  when  a  lad,  young  Jutzik 
obtained  a  limited  education  because  he  was  so  early 
thrown  on  his  own  resources.  He  learned  black- 
smithing  as  a  youth,  which  stood  him  in  good  stead 
later  in  life.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
found  himself  in  Chicago,  newly  arrived  from  Ham- 
burg and  with  a  cash  capital  of  three  cents.  The 
pledging  of  his  watch  enabled  him  to  obtain  food 
and  lodging  until  he  secured  employment.  Three 
months  of  work  on  a  railroad  increased  Mr.  Jut- 
zik's  capital  to  $75,  and  with  this  start  he  went  to 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he  secured  employment 
at  his  trade  of  blacksmith,  and  he  continued  at  the 
forge  for  a  number  of  months  afterward.  He  then 
obtained  work  as  riveter  in  the  construction  of  the 
long  bridge  over  the  Missouri  at  Omaha.  In  1883 
Mr.  Jutzik  came  to  Lewiston,  Idaho,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  short  time  before  going  to  work  at 
riveting  on  the  O.  R.  &  N.  bridge  over  the  Snake 
river  at  Riparia.  When  this  work  was  completed 
Mr.  Jutzik  came  to  Seattle  and  purchased  a  res- 
taurant in  the  management  of  which  he  passed  a 
year  and  a  half.  After  a  short  period  of  work  in  a 
boiler  shop  in  Seattle,  he  came  to  Snohomish  in 
1885  and  engaged  in  farming.  Five  years  later  he 
bought  his  present  place  and  he  has  since  lived 
there.  Mr.  Jutzik  has  only  eleven  acres  of  land,  but 
the  soil  is  very  fertile,  with  a  productiveness  suf- 
ficient to  engage  one  man's  attention  to  care  for  the 
intensified  growths  it  puts  forth.  The  farm  has 
an  orchard  in  bearing  and  the  fruit  output  is  consid- 
erable. The  market  gardening  is  the  chief  feature 
during  the  spring  and  summer  months.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Jutzik  is  a  Republican  and  in  fraternal 
circles  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Hermann.  Mr. 
Jutzik  is  highly  respected  in  the  community  and 
stands  well  among  his  business  associates. 


H.  A.  JULSON,  residing  three  and  a  half  miles 
north  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  energetic  agricul- 
turists of  the  county  and  a  young  man  of  high 
repute  in  the  community.  He  was  born  in  La- 
Crosse  county,  Wisconsin,  in  January  of  1864,  the 
son  of  Syvert  and  Lena   (Strand)   julson,  natives 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


of  Norway,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1853 
and  after  residing  for  a  time  in  the  Badger  state 
became  farmers  in  Monona  county,  Iowa,  in  1871. 
It  was  in  the  latter  state  that  H.  A.  Julson  received 
his  education.  When  not  attending  school  he 
worked  on  his  father's  place  assisting  him.  In  1881 
the  young  man  left  home  and  commenced  to  do  for 
himself,  taking  up  a  preemption  claim  in  Kansas, 
on  which  he  remained  one  year.  He  then  went  to 
Colorado  for  a  year  and  engaged  in  various  lines  of 
work.  Returning  to  Iowa,  Mr.  Julson  remained  but 
a  year  before  coming  to  the  Puget  sound  country. 
He  worked  on  a  farm  near  Stanwood  until  1897, 
when  he  joined  in  the  rush  for  gold  to  the  Klondike. 
He  passed  two  years  at  Dawson  and  then  joined  the 
stampede  to  the  sandy  beach  of  Cape  Nome,  where 
he  remained  until  1904.  Returning  then  to  Sno- 
homish, he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  149 
acres,  partly  improved,  and  having  a  splendid 
orchard.  Mr.  Julson's  brother,  Adolph,  is  asso- 
ciated with  him  and  they  are  finishing  the  work  of 
bringing  the  entire  tract  of  land  under  cultivation. 
In  addition  to  the  brother  named,  Mr.  Julson  has 
three  brothers — Edgar  and  Samuel,  in  Colorado, 
and  Edwin,  in  South  Dakota ;  also  two  sisters, 
Julia,  in  Iowa,  and  Lena,  in  Colorado.  In  politics 
Mr.  Julson  is  a  Democrat ;  in  fraternal  affiliation, 
an  Odd  Fellow.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
energetic  men  of  the  community,  a  man  of  achieve- 
ment in  any  line  of  work  he  undertakes,  popular 
among  his  associates,  industrious  and  conservative. 


JOHN  W.  NELSON,  whose  farm  lies  three 
miles  northwest  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  is  one 
of  the  more  recent  arrivals  in  the  community,  but  in 
the  short  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming  here 
he  has  gained  for  himself  a  reputation  as  a  man 
of  forceful  character  and  resourcefulness.  Mr.  Nel- 
son was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Missouri,  April 
31,  1868,  one  of  the  eight  children  of  Robert  and 
Nancy  (Coleman)  Nelson,  natives  of  Kentucky  who 
went  to  Missouri  in  1816.  The  elder  Nelson  had 
been  a  brickmaker,  but  after  settling  in  Missouri 
became  a  farmer,  though  at  times  he  returned  to 
brick  making.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Sixth 
Missouri  cavalry  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the 
Civil  War.  He  passed  away  in  the  Soldiers'  Home 
at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  in  1890.  Mrs.  Nelson 
is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  with  the  subject 
of  this  biography.  She  is  the  mother  of  the  follow- 
ing children  besides  John  W. :  James  M.,  Thomas 
W.,  Mrs.  Eliza  McGee,  Mrs.  Josephine  Darnell, 
Margaret  Ford  of  Bethany,  Missouri,  and  Mrs. 
Nora  Petty,  the  last  named  being  a  resident  of 
Everett.  Besides  these  our  subject  has  a  half 
brother  and  sister.  John  W.  Nelson  received  his 
education  in  the' schools  of  Bethany,  Missouri,  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two  left  home  to  do  for  him- 
self.    He  followed  various  occupations  in  Missouri 


until  1900,  when  he  left  his  native  state  and  came 
to  the  shores  of  Puget  sound.  For  two  3'ears  he 
worked  at  farming  near  Snohomish,  but  in'  1902  he 
went  to  Montana,  from  which  state  he  returned  two 
years  later  to  Snohomish,  where  he  purchased  his 
present  place.  In  politics  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  Demo- 
crat, though  not  an  aspirant  to  public  office.  He 
is  a  young  man  of  varied  attainments,  popular  in 
the  community  where  he  is  making  his  home  and 
wherever  he  is  known. 


COLBY  J.  SHAW,  president  of  the  Advance 
Shingle  Company,  whose  mill  is  located  five  miles 
south  of  Snohomish  and  a  half  mile  from  Cathcart 
station,  is  one  of  the  progressive  young  business 
men  of  Snohomish  county.  Much  of  his  life  has 
been  passed  in  connection  with  the  lumbering  in- 
dustry, with  all  the  details  of  which  he  is  thoroughly 
familiar.  Mr.  Shaw  was  born  in  Carlton  county, 
province  of  New  Brunswick,  January  4,  1875,  the 
son  of  Alexander  and  Elsie  (Giberson)  Shaw.  The 
elder  Shaw  was  a  lumberman  and  a  farmer  in  his 
home  province.  He  came  to  Snohomish  in  1893 
and  died  seven  years  later.  Mrs.  Shaw  is  still  liv- 
ing and  is  now  a  resident  of  Snohomish,  the  mother 
of  eight  children :  George  W.,  Donald  H.,  Lee, 
Colby  J.,  Mrs.  D.  M.  Nevers,  Mrs.  George  O.  Shaw, 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Cooper  and  Mrs.  D.  A.  Ford.  Colby 
J.  Shaw  received  his  education  in  the  New  Bruns- 
wick schools,  and  until  coming  to  Washington' 
was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  lumber  mills 
and  on  the  farm.  After  coming  to  Snohomish  Mr. 
Shaw  engaged  for  a  time  in  draying  and  trans- 
ferring. Since  coming  here  he  has  also  followed 
railroading  to  some  extent  and  has  worked  along 
various  lines.  In  1901  Mr.  Shaw  became  one  of 
the  incorporators  of  the  Advance  Shingle  company, 
of  which  he  is  president.  The  other  officers  of  the 
company  are  J.  E.  Shaw,  vice  president,  and  D.  A. 
Ford,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  mill  has  a 
daily  capacity  of  85,000,  the  most  of  its  output 
being  marketed  in  Nebraska  and  other  eastern 
states.  The  business  is  increasing  and  already  the 
company  is  planning  the  erection  of  an  additional 
mill.  Colby  J.  Shaw  is  the  business  man  of  the 
establishment  and  looks  after  all  matters  of  detail. 
In  politics  he  is  non-partisan.  In  fact  Mr.  Shaw's 
characteristics  are  such  that  he  owes  affiliation  to 
no  party,  sect  or  creed,  claiming  the  right  to  act  in 
any  given  circumstance  as  the  impulses  of  his  judg- 
ment and  integrity  decree.  He  is  a  man  of  ability 
and  honor  and  is  one  of  the  leading  figures  in  the 
business  world  of  Snohomish  county. 


EDGAR  J.  SHAW,  vice  president  of  the  Ad- 
vance Shingle  company,  one  of  the  leading  shingle 
manufacturing  establishments  in  Snohomish  coun- 
ty, has  been  a   factor  in  the  business  life  of  this 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


community  a  comparatively  short  time,  but  in  the 
few  years  in  which  he  has  been  connected  with  the 
shingle  industry  here  he  has  placed  himself  in  a  po- 
sition of  importance  and  respect.  Mr.  Shaw  was 
born  in  Carlton  county,  in  the  gulf  province  of  New 
Brunswick,  in  April  of  1861,  the  son  of  John  F. 
and  Harriet  V.  Shaw.  The  elder  Shaw  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  also  to  some  extent  in  the 
lumbering  business  of  New  Brunswick  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1864.  Mrs.  Shaw  came  to 
Snohomish  county  in  1898  and  is  now  living  with 
her  son,  having  attained  tlie  advanced  age  of  four 
score  years.  Edgar  J-  Shaw  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  his  native  province  and  early 
learned  the  necessity  of  hard  work.  Orphaned  at 
the  age  of  five  years,  he  was  without  the  advice  or 
example  of  a  father.  He  worked  at  farming  and 
at  lumbering  in  his  native  province  until  he  came 
to  Washington,  since  which  time  he  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  fortunes  of  the  corporation  of  which 
he  is  vice  president.  The  company  operates  a  mill 
near  Cathcart,  live  miles  south  of  the  city  of  Snoho- 
mish, which  has  a  daily  capacity  of  85,000  shingles. 
The  major  part  of  the  output  of  the  establishment 
finds  ready  market  in  the  states  of  the  middle  west. 
In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Shaw  is  a  member  of  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World.  In  politics  Mr.  Shaw  is 
a  Republican,  though  not  very  active  in  party  mat- 
ters. He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business  qualifica- 
tions and  enjoys  the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


PETER  BROWN,  a  prominent  stock  man  of 
Snohomish  county,  has  been  the  architect  of  his 
own  fortunes.  Early  thrown  on  his  own  resources 
for  a  livelihood,  his  career  has  been  that  of  a  self- 
made  man.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  about  forty 
miles  southeast  of  Montreal,  in  March  of  1839,  the 
son  of  Charles  and  Aurelie  (Yeryell)  Brown.  The 
father  was  born  in  Ireland,  but  came  to  Canada 
when  a  young  man  and  became  a  school  teacher 
and  farmer.  He  subsequently  removed  his  family 
to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  subsequent  to  the  time  when  his 
son  Peter  commenced  life  on  his  own  account.  It 
is  one  of  the  strange  incidents  of  life  in  this  cos- 
mopolitan country  that  the  son  has  never  been  able 
to  gain  any  information  of  any  member  of  the 
family  since  the  removal  to  Cleveland. 

Being  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  twelve  children, 
Peter  Brown  was  compelled  when  very  young  to 
make  his  own  way.  At  nineteen  he  was  engaged 
in  buying  and  selling  shingles.  He  continued  in 
this  business  for  two  years,  and  it  was  during  this 
period  that  he  lost  track  of  the  remainder  of  his 
family.  Mr.  Brown  lived  in  the  country  contiguous 
to  the  Great  Lakes  for  two  years,  and  in  1865  lo- 
cated in  Grand  Rapids,  Wisconsin,  which  city  was 
then  but  a  small  village.  For  three  years  he  worked 
in  the  woods  of  that  state,  eventually  dropping  his 


connection  with  the  lumber  business  to  engage  in 
farming  and  stock  raising.  Though  he  had  heavy 
investments  at  Grand  Rapids  he  passed  through 
the  season  of  financial  distress  in  the  panic  of  1873 
safely  and  become  one  of  the  most  prominent  stock- 
men in  Wood  county,  Wisconsin.  He  continued  in 
this  line  of  activity  there  until  his  removal  to  Snoho- 
mish county  in  1889,  and  he  still  owns  380  acres  of 
valuable  land  near  Grand  Rapids.  His  Snohomish 
county  property  consists  of  his  residence  in  the 
city  of  Snohomish  and  his  stock  ranch  some  two 
miles  east  of  the  city. 

In  January  of  18T5  Mr.  Brown  married  Miss 
Eglephyre  Briere,  a  native  of  eastern  Canada  and 
daughter  of  Marcel  and  Cclina  (Germain)  Briere. 
Mr.  Briere  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine, 
his  home  being  in  Grand  Rapids,  Wisconsin,  but 
Mrs.  Briere  died  in  1870.  Mrs.  Brown  received 
her  education  in  Canada  and  taught  school  there 
prior  to  her  marriage.  She  and  Mr.  Brown  are 
communicants  of  the  Catholic  church.  They  are 
liighly  respected  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  they 
live  and  among  all  those  in  the  county  with  whom 
they  have  been  associated  either  socially  or  in  busi- 
ness relations. 


GEORGE  BAKEMAN,  liveryman  of  Snoho- 
mish, is  one  of  the  energetic  and  public  spirited 
citizens  of  his  home  city.  He  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  business  there  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  since  1883  and  is  well  known  throughout  the 
county.  Mr.  Bakeman  was  born  in  Wisconsin  on 
the  second  day  of  January,  1859,  the  son  of  John 
and  Louise  (Bartels)  Bakeman,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  the  United  States  in  youth  and 
passed  much  of  their  lives  in  Wisconsin,  but  moved 
to  Washington  in  1885.  They  are  now  residing 
about  a  mile  south  of  Snohomish.  George  Bake- 
man attended  school  in  Wisconsin  until,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  he  went  to  work  as  a  clerk  in  a  general 
store  at  Peshtigo,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  For  a  number  of  subsequent  years  he  worked 
in  various  lines,  in  1883  coming  to  Snohomish.  The 
following  year  he  was  appointed  deputy  postmaster 
of  his  home  city  and  he  served  in  that  capacity  for 
fourteen  months.  Mr.  Bakeman  then  identified 
himself  with  the  logging  business  as  engineer  and 
foreman  in  the  camps,  one  summer  being  in  charge 
of  one  of  Blackman  Brothers'  logging  ventures.  In 
1889  he  purchased  a  farm  near  Monroe  but  sold  out 
two  years  later,  having  purchased  the  undertaking 
establishment  of  his  brother  in  Snohomish.  In 
1897  his  brother  bought  back  the  business  and 
George  Bakeman  went  to  Everett  and  opened  an 
undertaking  establishment  in  that  city.  Eighteen 
months  later  he  disposed  of  the  business  and  went  to 
Alaska,  remaining  in  the  northland'  for  two  years. 
He  returned  to  Snohomish  in  1900  and  for  the  sub- 
sequent five  years  operated  engines  in  various  log- 


GOTTLIEB   ROTH 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ging  camps.  In  April,  1905,  he  opened  a  livery 
business,  to  which  he  has  since  given  his  attention. 
Mr.  Bakeman  was  trained  for  undertaking  in  the 
Eureka  College  of  Embalming  at  San  Francisco 
and  in  the  Champion  College  of  Cincinnati,  holding 
a  diploma  from  each  of  these  institutions. 

In  October,  1886,  Mr.  Bakeman  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Short,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Ellen 
Short,  who  are  among  Snohomish  county's  earliest 
pioneers.  Mr.  Short  was  born  in  Missouri  and 
•crossed  the  plains  to  California  in  the  early  fifties, 
later  coming  to  Washington  where  he  followed  min- 
ing, as  he  had  done  in  California.  He  was  one  of 
the  men  who  helped  cut  the  first  road  through  Cady 
pass.  His  death  occurred  in  this  county  in  1895. 
Mrs.  Bakeman  was  born  in  Snohomish  county, 
Christmas  Day,  1864,  and  received  her  education 
in  the  local  schools.  To  this  union  si.x  children 
have  been  born,  three  of  whom  are  living,  Han- 
nah, Charles  and  Leah,  and  three  deceased,  Archi- 
bald, Robert  and  Mary.  Politically,  Mr.  Bakeman 
is  a  Democrat.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  of  the  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees  and  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  P>om  1896  to  1898  Mr.  Bakeman  served 
as  coroner  and  since  that  time  he  has  served  several 
terms  as  deputy.  He  is  a  wideawake  man,  a  citizen 
of  public  spirit,  interested  in  everything  which  per- 
tains to  the  welfare  of  the  community,  and  suc- 
cessful in  business. 


WILLIAM  BROWN,  chief  of  police  of  Snoho- 
mish, has  been  on  Puget  sound  for  nearly  thirty 
years,  during  much  of  which  time  he  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  lumber  milling  industry  in  various 
capacities.  Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Bradford  coun- 
ty. Pennsylvania,  in  March  of  1850,  the  eighth  of 
the  eleven  children  of  Mason  and  Harriett  (Young) 
Brown.  The  elder  Brown  was  a  Pennsylvanian  of 
Scotch  ancestry.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  died  in 
1884.  Mrs.  Brown  was  born  in  Germany,  but  came 
to  this  country  with  her  parents  when  only  six  years 
of  age.  Soon  after  reaching  America,  and  while 
they  were  not  yet  enroute  to  their  destination  in 
Pennsylvania,  her  parents  died  of  cholera.  Mrs. 
Brown  and  a  brother  were  taken  charge  of  in  a 
Quaker  family.  William  Brown  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  Pennsylvania,  re- 
maining at  home  on  tlie  farm  until  he  was  seven- 
teen. At  that  age  he  entered  the  lumber  woods  of 
the  Keystone  state  and  followed  the  calling  of  log- 
ger and  lumberman  for  nine  years,  coming  in  1877 
to  Washington  territory.  Mr.  Brown  reached  Port 
Townsend  in  May  of  that  year,  but  passed  on  to 
Port  Ludlow,  where  he  spent  the  summer.  The 
following  winter  was  passed  at  mill  work  in  Port 
Aladison.  In  March  he  was  on  Whidby  island,  re- 
maining there  at  work  in  a  logging  camp  until  De- 
cember, when  he  went  to  Port  Discovery  bay,  where 


he  worked  at  logging  and  in  the  lumber  business 
for  a  year  and  a  half.  In  the  fall  of  1880  Mr.  Brown 
came  to  Mukilteo  and  for  three  years  and  a  half 
worked  in  the  logging  camps  of  Blackman,  Howard 
&  Co.  At  the  close  of  this  term  he  removed  to 
Whidby  island  for  a  time,  but  in  1888  he  came  with 
his  family  to  Snohomish.  A  year  later  he  was  ap- 
pointed night  police  officer,  serving  in  that  capacity 
until  in. the  spring  of  1891  he  was  made  marshal 
of  the  city,  which  position  he  held  for  five  years  and 
a  half.  Mining  excitement  at  Monte  Cristo  run- 
ning quite  high  at  this  time,  Mr.  Brown  went  to  the 
diggings  for  two  seasons,  which  were  followed  by 
a  residence  of  a  year  and  a  half  in  Idaho.  In  1900 
Mr.  Brown  returned  to  Snohomish  county  and  for 
two  seasons  was  engaged  in  mining  at  Monte  Cristo, 
returning  in  the  fall  of  1902  to  his  old  position  of 
city  marshal,  in  which  he  gives  the  public  excellent 
satisfaction,  especially  in  ridding  the  town  of  the 
hobo  classes. 

In  1876,  at  Emporium,  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Brown 
married  Miss  Mary  A.  Duell,  daughter  of  Harris 
and  Mary  (Smith)  Duell,  both  natives  of  the  Key- 
stone state,  where  Mr.  Duell  was  a  farmer  and 
lumber  man  in  the  early  days.  Mrs.  Brown  was 
born  at  Driftwood,  Cameron  county,  Pennsylvania, 
in  1859,  and  received  her  education  there.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brown  have  been  born  four  children : 
Alonzo  C,  who  is  a  resident  of  Granite  Falls ;  Mrs. 
Maud  Keifer,  who  is  living  in  West  Seattle ;  Harris, 
a  resident  of  San  Francisco,  and  Cleora,  a  graduate 
of  the  Snohomish  high  school  and  a  young  lady  of 
rare  musical  talent.  She  is  preparing  herself  to 
be  an  instructor  of  vocal  and  instrumental  tech- 
nique. In  politics  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  served  for  a  number  of  years  as  a  deputy  sheriff 
and  also  as  constable.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  of 
the  Order  of  Washington.  The  family  are  at- 
tendants on  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Brown's 
property  consists  of  mining  interests  in  Sultan  Ba- 
sin, and  city  lots.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  very  capable  of- 
ficer of  the  law,  and  as  a  citizen  ranks  high  in  the 
community. 


GOTTLIEB  ROTH  is  among  the  successful 
and  substantial  business  men  of  Snohomish,  a  dealer 
in  liquors  and  the  proprietor  of  a  well-known  es- 
tablishment. He  was  born  in  Dundenheim,  Amt 
Lahr,  Baden,  Germany.  November  15,  1854,  the  son 
of  Daniel  and  Maria 'Ursula  (Wurth)  Roth.  The 
elder  Roth  was  by  calling  a  farmer,  but  in  later 
years  was  a  government  game  warden,  and  city 
field  supervisor,  owned  by  citizens  of  the  town. 
Mrs.  Roth  died  when  Gottlieb  was  only  one  year 
old,  and  of  her  the  son  has  no  recollection.  The 
elder  Roth  survived  until  1891.  Gottlieb  Roth  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  Fatherland  and  worked 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


in  connection  with  his  father  until  twenty-two  years 
of  age  when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  going 
direct  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  in  the  vicinity  of  which 
city  he  worked  for  a  year  and  a  half  as  a  farm  hand. 
He  then  removed  to  Colorado  and  for  the  six  years 
following  1878  rode  the  cattle  ranges  of  the  Cen- 
tennial state.  Mr.  Roth  returned  to  Iowa  in  1882 
and  soon  ofter  opened  a  liquor  store  at  Dexter,  in 
Dallas  county.  The  passage  of  the  prohibition  law 
outlawed  his  business,  and  until  1887  he  passed  his 
time  in  various  occupations,  then  went  to  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming,  in  1887,  and  engaged  in  work  for  Gover- 
nor Warren,  now  Senator  Warren.  He  remained 
in  that  state  for  a  year  only,  going  to  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  worked  as  a  bartender  until  in 
the  closing  months  of  1889  he  came  to  the  Puget 
sound  country  and  located  at  Snohomish,  where  he 
established  his  present  business. 

In  the  summer  of  1891  Mr.  Roth  married  Miss 
Tillie  Koch,  a  native  of  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Roth  have  an  adopted  soft,  Stanley  (Lamb)  Roth, 
born  July  21,  1891,  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
Lamb.  The  mother's  maiden  name  was  Francis 
Koch.  In  politics  Mr.  Roth  is  a  Republican.  In 
fraternal  circles  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  of  the  Fraternal  Order 
of  Eagles,  in  both  of  which  orders  he  is  very  popu- 
lar. As  a  citizen  Mr.  Roth  is  noted  for  his  public 
spirit  and  for  his  support  of  men  and  measures  of 
benefit  to  the  communitv. 


SAMUEL  VESTAL.  Prominent  among  the 
successful  business  men  of  Snohomish  county  and 
esteemed  as  a  man  of  integrity  and  worth,  is  the 
well  known  pioneer  whose  life  history  is  the  theme 
of  this  article.  The  confidence  won  by  years  of  fair 
dealing  and  by  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of 
duties  in  municipal  and  state  offices  found  expres- 
sion in  the  last  election  when  Mr.  Vestal  was  sum- 
moned by  the  franchises  of  the  people  to  the  respon- 
sible position  of  county  auditor,  and  by  his  effi- 
ciency, earnestness,  and  conscientious  care  he  is 
abundantly  justifying  the  confidence  reposed  in  him. 
Like  many  other  men  who  have  contributed  greatly 
in  their  several  lines  to  the  development  of  the  West, 
Mr.  Vestal  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  the  date  of  his 
birth  being  November  IG,  1844.  His  father,  Sam- 
uel, was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1796,  but  was 
only  two  years  old  when  he  was  taken  by  his  par- 
ents to  Ohio,  becoming  a  very  early  pioneer  of  that 
state.  The  mother  of  our' subject,  Edith  (Bal- 
lard) Vestal,  was  likewise  a  pioneer  of  Ohio,  having 
been  taken  there  from  the  commonwealth  of  her 
nativity,  Tennessee,  when  she  was  still  a  baby.  She 
was  born  in  1803  and  died  in  1877,  having  out- 
lived her  husband  a  year. 

Mr.  Vestal,  of  this  article,  remained  on  the  par- 
ental farm  until  nineteen,  attending  the  local  public 
school   during  term  time   and  notwithstanding  the 


fact  that  schools  of  the  Buckeye  state  were  not  then 
what  they  are  to-day,  acquiring  a  very  good  edu- 
cation. Upon  leaving  the  parental  roof  he  taught 
for  a  year,  then  followed  farming  until  1872,  in 
April  of  which  year  he  pushed  out,  as  his  parents 
had  done  before  him,  to  civilization's  borderland. 
Locating  in  Kalama,  Washington,  he  taught  school 
there  till  1876,  but  desiring  an  occupation  of  more 
permanency  and  with  larger  possibilities  than  peda- 
gogy has  in  a  frontier  community,  he  embarked  in 
the  mercantile  business  in  Kalama.  He  continued 
to  be  one  of  the  successful  merchants  of  that  town 
until  May,  1883,  when  he  sold  out,  moved  to  Sno- 
homish and  began  casting  about  for  an  opening 
there.  In  October  following  he  opened  a  general 
merchandise  store  in  the  capital  city  of  Snohomish 
county,  where  his  home  still  is  and  where  he  con- 
tinued business  for  twenty-one  consecutive  years. 
Shortly  after  closing  out  his  mercantile  establish- 
ment he  was,  as  heretofore  stated,  elected  county 
auditor  and  the  duties  of  that  office  are  engaging 
his  attention  at  this  writing.  A  leader  in  public  af- 
fairs as  in  business,  he  has  left  an  indelible  imprint 
upon  county  and  state.  The  honor  and  responsibil- 
ity of  membership  in  the  first  legislature  of  Wash- 
ington, after  her  star  had  been  added  to  the  flag, 
were  his,  and  for  three  years  thereafter  he  served 
as  a  member  of  that  body.  He  has  served  in  the 
municipal  council  of  his  home  city,  and  for  eight 
years  was  a  member  of  the  school  board.  In  polit- 
ical faith  and  allegiance  he  is  a  Republican ;  in  fra- 
ternal connection  a  Mason  and  a  Workman ;  in  re- 
ligion, a  Congregationalist. 

Mr.  Vestal  was  married  in  Portland,  Oregon,  in 
1877,  the  lady  being  Miss  Harriet  Martin.  Her  fa- 
ther, Norman  Martin,  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
who  came  to  America  as  a  carpenter  in  the  employ 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  He  crossed  the 
plains  to  Oregon  in  1843,  settled  in  Washington 
county,  that  state,  and  remained  there  continuously 
until  his  death  in  1880,  participating  in  the  interest- 
ing events  which  constitute  the  early  history  of  Ore- 
gon and  also  in  the  later  development  of  his  home 
county.  Mrs.  Vestal's  mother  Julia  (Bridgefarmer) 
Martin,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a  pioneer  of 
Oregon  of  the  year  1847.  She  passed  away  in  1872. 
Mrs.  Vestal  was  born  in\\'ashington  county,  Ore- 
gon, in  1852.  She  was  educated  in  the  justly  cele- 
brated pioneer  college.  Pacific  Lhiiversity,  at  For- 
est Grove,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  began  teach- 
ing, which  profession  she  followed  at  intervals  for 
several  years.  She  and  Mr.  Vestal  are  parents  of 
the  following  children  :  Lucy,  Norman  C.  and  Web- 
ley  M.,  born  in  Kalama;  Edith,  Viola,  Irving  Bal- 
lard, Marie  and  Julia,  in  Snohomish. 


HANS  JOHNSON,  a  resident  of  South  Sno- 
homish, is  one  of  the  public  spirited  citizens  as  well 
as    properous   business   men   of   his   community,   a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


867 


man  who  stands  well  in  the  estimation  of  his  neigh- 
bors and  whose  support  can  be  depended  on  for  any 
measure  calculated  to  benefit  the  general  good.  Mr. 
Johnson  was  born  on  the  island  of  Bornholm,  Den- 
mark, in  February  of  1856,  second  of  seven  chil- 
dren of  John  P.  and  Maria  Christina  (Peel)  John- 
son, natives  of  Denmark,  where  the  elder  Johnson 
is  still  following  the  occupation  of  a  shoemaker. 
Hans  Johnson  received  his  education  in  the  Danish 
schools,  leaving  his  native  land  for  the  United  States 
when  twenty  years  of  age.  Soon  after  his  arrival 
in  New  York  he  obtained  employment  as  a  farm 
hand  and  for  the  four  subsequent  years  alternated 
between  farming  and  factory  work  in  the  Empire 
state.  In  1880  he  joined  the  stream  of  immigrants 
who  were  then  coming  to  Snohomish  county.  He 
chose  the  settlement  at  Snohomish  as  his  headquar- 
ters and  commenced  the  work  of  every  pioneer, 
clearing  the  timber  from  the  land  that  crops  might 
be  produced.  Seven  years  after  he  came  here  he 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  where  South  Snoho- 
mish has  since  arisen.  Mr.  Johnson's  land  was 
covered  with  giant  trees  and  the  work  of  clearing 
was  a  heavy  task.  Continued  effort  has  trans- 
formed the  place  into  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the 
county,  having  an  orchard  of  unusual  bearing  qual- 
ities and  an  extensive  dairy,  as  well  as  producing 
general  farm  crops. 

Before  leaving  Denmark,  in  February  of  1876, 
Mr.  Johnson  married  Miss  Laura  Larson,  a  native 
of  Denmark,  born  January  4,  1852.  Her  parents 
passed  away  shortly  after  she  had  crossed  the  At- 
lantic. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  been  born 
six  children,  who  bear  the  names  of  Louis,  William, 
Anna,  Frank,  Lottie  and  Myrtle.  In  political  views 
Air.  Johnson  is  broad  and  liberal,  with  a  general 
leaning  toward  the  Republicans.  He  has  served  as 
road  supervisor  for  two  terms  and  is  credited  with 
having  given  the  people  complete  satisfaction.  Mr. 
Johnson  is  deeply  interested  in  educational  matters 
and  is  one  of  the  staunch  supporters  of  the  public 
school  system.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  an  Odd 
Fellow,  a  Rebekah  and  a  member  of  the  American 
Yoemen.  As  a  pioneer  of  the  Snohomish  country 
Mr.  Johnson  was  recognized  as  a  hard  worker  and 
a  man  of  great  energy,  which  reputation  he  retains 
to  the  present  time.  Liberal  in  his  views  of  men 
and  measures,  successful  in  business,  he  is  one  of 
the  influential  residents  of  Snohomish. 


JOHN  FI.  SHADINGER,  dairyman  and  farmer 
of  South  Snohomish,  though  a  resident  of  this  sec- 
tion but  a  few  years,  has  already  won  recognition 
as  a  man  of  energy  and  force.  His  home  was  for- 
merly widely  known  as  the  John  Ford  place,  one 
of  the  modern  and  valuable  estates  in  the  county, 
which,  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Shadinger,  has  lost 
nothing  of  its  fame  as  an  excellent  producer  and  an 
attractive  farmstead.     Mr.  Shadinger  was  born  in 


Indiana  April  1,  1855,  the  son  of  Howard  and 
Mary  A.  (Cox)  Shadinger.  The  father  is  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  of  German  extraction,  while  the  mother 
is  a  native  of  Ohio.  In  the  fall  of  1855,  a  few 
months  after  the  birth  of  the  subject  of  this  biogra- 
phy, the  Shadingers  removed  to  Dakota  county, 
Minnesota,  and  it  was  here  that  John  H.  received 
his  primary  education.  In  later  years  he  took  a 
course  in  the  high  school  in  Northfield.  In  1877  the 
family  removed  from  Dakota  county  to  Sibley  coun- 
ty, where  soon  after  arrival  John  H.  Shadinger 
bought  a  piece  of  land  adjoining  that  of  his  father. 
In  188-1:  the  son  assumed  the  management  of  the 
properties  of  himself  and  father,  the  latter  retiring 
from  active  life  to  reside  at  Glencoe.  In  1898  the 
Sibley  county  farms  were  sold  and  Mr.  Shadinger 
bought  an  eighty-acre  farm  near  Glencoe.  Stories 
of  the  equable  climate  of  Washington  having  reached 
him,  Mr.  Shadinger  decided  to  make  his  escape 
from  the  severe  winters  of  Minnesota,  and  he  came 
to  Snohomish  county  in  1903,  purchasing  his  pres- 
ent farm  soon  after  arrival.  In  the  fall  of  1903 
Mr.  Shadinger's  parents  also  came  to  Washington 
and  they  are  now  residents  of  Snohomish. 

December  11,  1884,  Mr.  Shadinger  married  Miss 
Hattie  E.  Stocking,  a  native  of  McLeod  county, 
Minnesota,  daughter  of  B.  F.  and  Mary  F.  (Buley) 
Stocking.  Mr.  Stocking  was  a  farmer  who  also 
had  a  wide  reputation  in  his  home  country  as  an 
expert  apiarist.  He  and  Mrs.  Stocking  are  now 
residents  of  Snohomish,  having  come  in  the  fall 
of  1903.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shadinger  have  been 
born  five  children :  Gail  B.,  A.  C,  Max  H.,  Greta 
May  and  Mary  Gertrude,  the  last  named  of  whom 
is  now  dead.  In  politics  Mr.  Shadinger  is  a  Re- 
publican, though  not  active  in  the  party  councils ; 
in  fraternal  affiliation  he  is  a  member  of  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen  and  of  the  De- 
gree of  Honor,  and  in  religion  the  family  are  Metho- 
dists. They  and  their  home  are  very  popular,  the 
house  being  a  pleasant,  modern  one,  and  its  in- 
mates people  of  refinement  and  culture.  Mr.  Shad- 
inger has  been  successful  in  all  his  ventures,  and 
is  a  man  of  conservative  judgment  and  of  estab- 
lished ability  and  integrity. 


ABEL  JOHNSON,  farmer,  whose  land  lies  a 
little  to  the  south  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  this  county,  having  come  here  in  1877 
to  make  a  home  for  himself  in  the  deep  forests.  Mr. 
Johnson  was  born  in  Sweden  in  October  of  1844, 
the  second  of  the  four  children  of  John  and  Carrie 
Johnson,  farmer  folk  who  passed  their  entire  lives 
in  the  old  country.  Abel  Johnson  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  Swedish  schools  and  later  in  life  in 
the  schools  of  Minnesota.  He  remained  at  home 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  and  then  passed 
three  years  in  Norway.  In  1869  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in   Minnesota  where  he 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


followed  various  avocations  until  1874.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country,  stopping 
first  at  Port  Townsend  and  later  at  Port  Discovery. 
At  the  latter  place  he  worked  in  a  mill  for  two  years, 
leaving  to  take  up  a  homestead  in  Whatcom  county. 
He  abandoned  the  place  and  in  1876  went  to  Seattle 
and  worked  for  two  years.  He  then  came  to  Snoho- 
mish and  filed  a  preemption  on  the  place  he  has 
since  occupied.  Heavy  timber  constituted  the  chief 
characteristic  of  Mr.  Johnson's  holdings  when  he 
first  took  possession  and  there  are  still  remaining 
some  of  the  giant  cedars  which  measure  sixty-four 
feet  in  circumference.  He  has  cleared  and  placed 
under  cultivation  about  seventy  acres.  It  has  been 
his  method  to  work  for  others  when  possible  to 
leave  his  own  place  without  interfering  with  its 
progress. 

In  1876  in  Seattle  Mr.  Johnson  married  Miss 
Mary  Goregeson,  a  Norwegian  by  birth,  who  came 
alone  to  the  United  States  in  1873.  I'o  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  have  been  born  five  children  :  Charles 
G.,  a  carpenter  by  occupation ;  Lottie  A.,  a  graduate 
of  the  Snohomish  high  school  and  for  three  years 
a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  her  home  city;  Edith, 
a  student  in  the  Snohomish  high  school,  where  she 
is  preparing  herself  for  the  profession  of  teacher ; 
Arthur,  now  a  high  school  student,  and  Olga,  the 
youngest  of  the  family.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr. 
Johnson  is  an  Odd  Fellow  of  the  Encampment  de- 
grees. In  church  affiliations,  he  is  a  Presbyterian, 
being  now  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees.  The 
Johnson  farm  contains  13-1  acres,  a  part  of  which 
is  devoted  to  cattle  raising,  there  being  now  upon 
it  a  herd  of  forty  of  the  Jersey  grades.  Mr.  John- 
son is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  respected  men 
of  the  community,  a  conservative  man  and  a  citi- 
zen of  the  best  type. 


JOHN  W.  SILL,  residing  two  miles  south  of 
Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  well-known  men  in  this 
section  of  the  county,  having  been  a  resident  here 
since  1877.  He  was  born  in  Monroe  county,  Ohio, 
in  December  of  1847,  the  first  of  eleven  children  of 
Michel  and  Susan  (Rake)  Sill.  The  elder  Sill 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  in  early  life  re- 
moved to  Ohio  and  later  to  Iowa.  He  was  a  pioneer 
of  Snohomish  county ;  his  death  occurred  at  Sil- 
vana  in  1900.  John  W.  Sill  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Iowa,  whither  he  went  with  his 
parents  when  but  six  years  old.  He  remained  at 
home  until  twenty  and  then  for  two  years  rented  a 
farm  on  his  own  responsibility.  He  continued  as 
an  Iowa  farmer  until  1877,  when  he  came  to  Snoho- 
mish county  and  leased  a  farm  two  miles  north  of 
Stanwood.  He  lived  on  this  place  for  eight  years, 
in  the  meantime  buying  some  adjoining  land,  in  all, 
residing  there  for  six  months  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century.  Soon  after  coming  to  Stanwood  Mr. 
Sill,  in  company  with  his  brother,  Jasper,  opened 


a  meat  market  in  the  town.  After  two  years  of 
partnership  Mr.  Sill  purchased  the  interest  of  his 
iDrother  and  operated  the  shop  until  1902,  when  he 
sold  the  business. 

The  following  year  he  came  to  Snohomish  and 
bought  his  present  farm  of  115  acres,  which  he 
has  improved  extensively  until  it  is  one  of  the  fine 
upland  farms  of  the  county. 

In  Cedar  county,  Iowa,  Mr.  Sill  married  Miss 
Lucinda  Switzer,  daughter  of  Michel  and  Susan 
Switzer,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  who  passed  the 
greater  part  of  their  lives  in  Iowa,  farming.  Mr. 
Switzer  late  in  life  came  to  Washington,  dying  in 
Stanwood.  Mrs.  Sill  was  born  in  the  Keystone 
state,  but  went  to  Iowa  when  quite  young  and  was 
educated  there.  Three  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sill :  William,  Mrs.  Daisy  McCall, 
a  resident  of  the  vicinity  of  Snohomish,  and  Mrs. 
Bertha  Newcomb,  who  is  living  in  Stanwood.  In 
politics  Mr.  Sill  is  a  Democrat ;  in  fraternal  circles, 
a  Mason.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the 
county,  possessing  sterling  qualities  of  character, 
and  a  highly  enviable  reputation  for  public  spirit 
and  keen  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  community. 


FLOYD  M.  LARIMER  is  one  of  the  native 
sons  of  Snohomish  county  who  is  fast  gaining  a 
reputation  as  a  successful  farmer  of  her  soil.  Mr. 
Larimer  was  associated  with  his  father  up  to  the 
time  of  the  latter's  death,  and  since  that  time  has 
taken  the  management  of  the  home  place,  carrying 
it  on  in  a  manner  which  indicates  that  the  mantle 
of  the  father  has  not  fallen  on  unworthy  shoulders. 
The  father,  William  ^\'ilson  Larimer,  was  born  in 
Wabash  county,  Indiana,  in  1839,  but  when  eight 
years  old  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Iowa.  Rlr. 
Larimer  was  a  farmer  all  his  life,  except  the  three 
years  he  served  in  the  union  army  during  the  Civil 
War.  In  the  spring  of  1861  Mr.  Larimer  enlisted 
in  Company  I  of  the  First  Nebraska  infantry  and 
saw  service  at  Shiloh  and  Fort  Donelson,  and  in 
other  engagements  of  Grant's  army  in  its  task  of 
opening  up  the  Mississippi.  On  being  mustered  out 
at  Omaha,  Mr.  Larimer  returned  to  his  Iowa  farm, 
where  he  remained  until  in  1872  he  came  to  Seat- 
tle and  for  two  years  followed  the  trade  of  carpen- 
ter. In  1871  he  came  to  Snohomish  county  and 
homesteaded  a  piece  of  land,  later  adding  forty 
acres  by  purchase.  Mr.  Larimer  died  in  Seattle  in 
January  1902.  Mrs.  Minnie  (Alerwin)  Larimer  is 
a  native  of  Ohio,  where  she  received  her  education. 
She  taught  school  in  the  Buckeye  state  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  was  teaching  school  in  Iowa  when, 
in  1867.  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Larimer.  Floyd 
M.  Larimer  is  her  only  living  child.  He  was  born 
June  1st,  1880.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the 
Snohomish  schools  and  received  his  farm  trainmg 
under  the  tutelage  of  his  father,  since  whose  death 


GEORGE    WALKER 


J 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


the  young  man  has  successfully  managed  the  es- 
tate.' 

In  June,  1903,  at  Seattle,  Mr.  Larimer  married 
Miss  Pauline  Bound,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mar- 
garet (Hammer)  Bound,  natives  of  Wales  who 
came  to  Washington  in  1888  and  are  now  living 
near  Snohomish.  Mrs.  Larimer  was  born  in  Wales 
in  1883.  She  received  her  education  in  Snohomish. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larimer  have  one  child,  William  J., 
Vi'ho  was  born  on  the  home  farm  in  April  3rd,  1904. 
In  politics  Mr.  Larimer  is  a  Republican.  The  farm 
is  one  of  ihe  fine  places  of  Snohomish  county,  sixty 
ol  its  seventy-five  acres  being  under  cultivation.  The 
buildings  are  large  and  of  modern  construction. 
Cattle  are  the  chief  stock  on  the  place ;  there  are 
twenty  head.  Mr.  Larimer  is  one  of  the  bright 
young  men  of  the  community,  thoroughly  reliable 
and  of  great  promise. 


JACOB  A.  MUDGETT,  until  recently  one  of 
Snohomish  coimty's  prosperous  farmers,  on  land 
two  miles  west  of  Snohomish  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  river  and  on  the  line  of  the  Snohomish  & 
Everett  electric  railway,  was  born  at  Lynn,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  the  summer  of  1867,  the  son  of  Isaac 
and  Ellen  (Little)  Mudgett,  both  of  whom  were 
bom  in  Maine,  members  of  families  that  date  back 
to  colonial  days  and  have  connections  throughout 
New  England  at  the  present  time.  The  elder  Mud- 
gett served  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  War 
and  after  he  came  to  Snohomish  was  one  of  the 
leading  spirits  in  instituting  a  post  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  at  this  place.  May  12,  1883, 
the  Mudgetts  through  the  influence  of  John  Little, 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers,  came  to  Snohomish,  the 
father  taking  a  soldier's  homestead,  in  the  vicinity 
of  that  town.  For  a  time  Mr.  Mudgett  operated  a 
shoe  store  in  the  city,  and  he  was  also  connected 
with  the  shingle  industry,  having  one  of  the  first 
mills  of  that  character  in  the  county.  In  his  later 
years  his  sons  were  associated  with  him  in  busi- 
ness and  on  the  farm.  He  died  in  1893,  but  Mrs. 
Mudgett  survives,  a  resident  of  Tacoma  at  present. 
Jacob  A.  Mudgett  received  his  primary  education 
in  the  old  Bay  State  but,  having  come  to  Snohomish 
when  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  completed  his  studies 
by  a  course  in  the  business  college  there.  He  at 
once  engaged  with  his  father  in  various  lines  of 
activity,  and  since  the  latter's  death  farming  has 
been  his  chief  occupation  until  very  recently,  but 
he  has  sold  his  farm  and  site  on  the  Everett-Sno- 
homish  car  line.  In  the  meantime  he  has  taken  a 
logging  contract. 

In  Whatcom  on  the  23d  of  July,  1897,  Mr.  Mud- 
gett married  Miss  Kittie  Taylor,  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois and  daughter  of  Allan  and  Mary  (Rhoads) 
Taylor.  The  father  was  born  in  Green  County, 
Illinois,  in  1849,  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country 
with   his   family   in   September,   1887,  and   bought 


land  near  Lynden,  where  he  continued  to  farm 
until  March,  1905.  He  then  moved  to  Skagit 
county  and  purchased  a  farm  near  La  Conner, 
where  he  and  the  family  still  reside.  Mrs.  Taylor 
was  born  in  Jersey  County,  Illinois,  in  1853.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mudgett  have  two  children,  Easton  L. 
and  Geneva  E.  Mr.  Mudgett  is  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  the  county,  a  man  of  extensive  acquaint- 
ance, a  farmer  of  ability  and  a  citizen  of  high  stand- 
ing in  the  community.  John  Little,  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of 
Snohomish  county,  having  come  about  1863.  He 
settled  a  mile  southwest  of  where  Snohomish  City 
now  is.  taking  up  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres' 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  with  one  mile  of 
water-  front.  He  was  born  in  Newcastle,  Maine, 
Februarv  5,  1813,  and  died  at  Snohomish,  March 
23,  1889. 


GEORGE  WALKER,  whose  home  lies  two 
miles  west  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the 
venerable  men  of  the  Puget  Sound  country,  hav- 
ing lived  here  continuously  for  over  forty  years. 
Mr.  Walker  was  born  in  Portland,  Maine,  May  23, 
1823,  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  (Veasy) 
Walker,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Pine 
Tree  state  and  of  English  extraction.  The  Ameri- 
can branch  of  the  Walker  family  antedates  the 
American  Revolution  and  its  branches  are  to  be 
found  throughout  New  England  and  the  Atlantic 
states.  When  George  Walker  was  a  lad  he  was 
sent  to  Natick,  Massachusetts,  where  he  received 
a  part  of  his  education,  the  schools  of  his  home 
state  being  primitive.  At  Natick  young  Walker 
lived  with  an  uncle  who  was  proprietor  of  a  paper 
mill,  and  this  business  became  thoroughly  familiar 
to  the  young  man.  He  remained  at  Natick  until 
he  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  then  started 
for  the  gold  diggings  of  California,  traveling 
around  the  Horn.  For  three  years  he  followed 
placer  mining  in  Eldorado  county,  then  he  took 
up  a  claim  on  which  he  made  many  improvements 
and  was  doing  extremely  well  when  he  was  forced 
to  abandon  the  claim  because  of  the  discovery  that 
it  was  a  part  of  an  old  Spanish  grant  and  that  the 
title  was  therefore  defective.  Mr.  Walker  came 
to  Puget  sound  in  1855  and  went  to  work  for  the 
Port  Madison  mill  for  a  time,  later  taking  up  fish- 
ing as  an  occupation.  He  soon  came  to  Snohomish 
county  and  located  on  unsurveyed  land  just  south 
of  the  present  city.  He  later  disposed  of  this  land 
and  in  1861  filed  on  a  homestead.  A  preemption 
subsequently  taken  gave  him  a  total  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  on  some  part  of 
which  Mr.  Walker  has  lived  continuously  for 
more  than  two  score  years.  When  he  came 
to  what  is  now  Snohomish  county  there  were 
only  three  settlers  in  it,  Frank  Dolan,  John 
Cochrane  and  a  sailor  whose  name  has  passed  out 


872 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


of  Mr.  Walker's  memory.  Mr.  Walker  was  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  red  men,  whose  language 
he  spoke  fluently.  Hunting  and  fishing  occupied 
the  greater  part  of  the  time  of  the  Indians,  but  they 
were  also  employed  in  cutting  wharf  timbers  and 
floating  them  down  to  the  sound  for  shipment  in 
sailing  vessels  bound  for  San  Francisco.  The 
whites  generally  were  compelled  to  live  the  same 
manner  as  the  Indians.  For  nearly  a  year  Mr. 
Walker  had  on  potatoes  and  subsisted  almost 
wholly  on  fish  and  game.  With  the  first  crop  of 
potatoes  added  to  the  bill  of  fare,  they  "lived  high," 
to  use  Mr.  Walker's  own  expression.  When  the 
first  court  was  established  at  Seattle,  Mr.  Walker 
was  drawn  on  the  jury.  The  traveler  in  those  days 
had  to  carry  his  own  bedding  and  provisions  and 
the  trip  to  Seattle  was  by  no  means  a  pleasure  jour- 
ney ;  indeed  at  one  time  provisions  ran  so  low  that 
dried  peas  were  the  only  edibles  obtainable.  The 
return  trip  to  Snohomish  was  made  by  canoe  in 
three  days. 

Mr.  Walker  married  one  of  the  women  of  the 
friendly  Pilchuck  tribe,  with  which  he  was  ever  on 
the  most  friendly  terms.  Mrs.  Walker,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Betsy  Dyer,  has  been  an  e.xcel- 
lent  helpmeet  all  through  life,  and  especially  amid 
the  hardships  in  the  pioneer  days  was  of  great  as- 
sistance. Seven  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Walker:  Anson,  Igar,  Leonard,  Hulda, 
Mahala,  Edward  and  Efifie.  The  family  has  re- 
ceived an  excellent  education  and  its  members  are 
among  the  most  highly  respected  in  the  community. 
Mr.  Walker  held  the  office  of  county  treasurer  in 
territorial  days  and  recalls  that  at  one  time  the 
finances  of  the  county  were  represented  by  $7  on 
hand.  Mr.  Walker  has  never  used  eyeglasses,  but 
his  vision  is  as  penetrating  as  that  of  persons  who 
have  seen  not  one-quarter  of  the  years  that  he  has. 
In  recent  years  he  has  lived  a  retired  life,  and  has 
sold  off  much  of  his  farm  land  in  small  tracts,  some 
of  it  bringing  as  high  as  three  hundred  dol- 
lars per  acre.  His  farm  now  contains  about 
fifty  acres,  and  is  a  very  valuable  piece  of 
property,  all  under  cultivation  and  with  an  ex- 
cellent orchard.  In  spite  of  the  vicissitudes  of 
the  early  years  of  the  Snohomish  country,  life 
has  dealt  gently  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker, 
and  the  venerable  man  and  his  faithful  wife,  now 
in  the  evening  of  their  lives,  are  contemplating 
with  pleasure  a  past  replete  with  interesting  ex- 
periences, such  as  can  never  be  repeated  in  the 
lives  of  the  rising  generation.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Walker  are  of  the  few  remaining  landmarks  of  an 
age  when  Puget  sound  was  new  to  the  white  man 
and  to  civilization. 


homish,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Snohomish  county, 
having  come  here  in  1878.  His  life  has  been  a 
busy  one,  and  in  its  span  Mr.  Mallett  has  been  en- 
gaged in  numerous  lines  of  activity.  He  was  born 
in  Lee,  Penobscot  County,  Maine,  in  September  of 
1855,  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Ware)  Mallett, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  state.  The 
elder  Mallett  was  engaged  in  lumbering  and  in 
milling  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  Mrs.  Mallett 
died  in  1890,  the  mother  of  three  children,  Gerish, 
Albert  and  Joseph.  The  elder  Mallett  passed  away 
when  Joseph  Mallett  was  but  four  years  of  age. 
The  lad  received  an  excellent  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  state  and  also  in  the  nor- 
mal school.  He  worked  at  various  occupations  as 
a  youth  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  left  the  rigorous 
climate  of  his  native  state  for  the  Pacific  slope, 
traveling  over  the  Union  Pacific  to  San  Francisco. 
After  a  short  time  in  the  California  capital,  in  1876 
he  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country  and  for  a  year 
worked  in  the  woods  near  Tacoma.  The  follow- 
ing year  was  passed  at  work  in  a  saw-mill  at  Port 
Gamble.  It  was  in  1878  that  he  came  to  Snohomish 
county,  his  first  work  here  being  in  the  logging  and 
lumbering  lines.  After  two  years  of  this  kind  of 
work,  Mr.  Mallett  was  employed  in  the  Cathcart 
Hotel,  where  he  remained  for  a  year,  then  the  sub- 
sequent years  until  1888  were  passed  in  logging  on 
his  own  account.  In  the  year  mentioned  he  opened 
the  Penobscot  Hotel  in  Snohomish,  which  he  con- 
ducted successfully  for  a  period  of  three  years.  In 
1891  Mr.  Mallett  purchased  a  farm  just  north  of 
the  city,  but  soon  sold  it  to  Charles  Lawry,  return- 
ing to  the  city  to  open  a  saloon,  restaurant  and 
opera  house.  He  continued  in  this  line  for  two 
years,  then  having  exchanged  town  property  for 
the  valuable  estate  he  now  occupies  on  Blackman 
lake,  he  removed  to  the  latter  and  he  has  since  re- 
sided on  the  farm. 

In  1883  at  Snohomish  Mr.  Mallett  married  Miss 
Julia  E.  Jones,  a  native  of  Delaware  and  daughter 
of  John  and  Leah  (Jones)  Jones.  Mr.  Jones  died 
when  his  daughter  was  but  a  child.  The  mother  is 
still  living,  a  resident  of  Everett.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mallett  have  been  born  two  children,  Ella  J.  and 
Ruth  C.  In  politics  Mr.  Mallett  is  a  Democrat, 
though  an  admirer  of  President  Roosevelt,  but  he 
is  not  generally  active  in  affairs  political.  Mr.  Mal- 
lett is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  popular  men  of 
the  community,  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by 
those  who  know  him  best. 


JOSEPH   MALLETT,  whose  farm    lies    one 
mile  and  a  half  northward  from  the  city  of  Sno- 


GARMT  DANHOF,  now  one  of  the  progres- 
sive agriculturists  of  Snohomish  county,  was,  only 
a  few  years  ago,  merely  a  part  of  the  military  ma- 
chinery of  the  government  of  Holland.  He  served 
in  the  army  and  by  meritorious  conduct  and  ap- 
proved service  received  promotion  and  then,  un- 
able   longer    to    withstand    the    limitations    of    an 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


oligarchy,  purchased  his  release  from  the  service 
in  order  that  he  might  become  a  free  citizen  of  the 
United  States.  Mr.  Danhof  was  born  at  Nieder- 
land  in  December  of  1872,  one  of  five  children  of 
Garmt  and  Witske  Danhof,  both  of  whom  lived 
and  died  in  Holland.  Young  Danhof  attended  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  place  until  eleven 
years  old  when  he  was  thrown  entirely  upon  his 
own  resources.  For  seven  years  he  worked  at 
farming,  utilizing  spare  moments  in  reading,  and 
in  this  way  acquiring  an  excellent  education.  When 
eighteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  field  artillery 
of  the  army  of  Holland  and  thereafter  for  three 
years  he  served  with  merit,  receiving  promotion  to 
the  mounted  police.  He  had  served  four  and  a 
half  years  in  this  capacity  when  he  determined  to 
leave  Holland,  come  to  the  United  States  and  build 
a  home.  The  military  service  of  his  native  land 
seemed  irksome  to  him,  and  when  the  opportunity 
presented  itself  Mr.  Danhof  purchased  his  release 
from  the  service  by  paying  another  man  $150  to 
serve  out  the  remainder  of  his  six-year  term.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1899  and  settled  in 
Paterson,  New  Jersey,  where  he  remained  two 
months,  leaving  there  to  go  to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich- 
igan. In  the  latter  city  he  was  employed  for  four- 
teen months  in  the  gas  works.  In  1901  he  came 
to  Seattle,  where  for  nearly  a  year  he  was  employed 
by  the  gas  company  in  its  factory.  He  then  came 
to  Snohomish,  and  he  has  since  been  engaged  in 
farming  and  dairying.  His  present  home  lies  one 
mile  south  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  where  he 
leases  a  farm.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  a  fifty-acre 
farm  of  well  improved  land  five  miles  south  of  the 
city. 

Just  prior  to  leaving  Holland,  Mr.  Danhof  mar- 
ried Miss  Maria  Bussema,  daughter  of  Carl  and 
Elizabeth  (Campen)  Bussema,  farmer  folk  of  Hol- 
land. Mr.  Bussema  died  when  Mrs.  Danhof  was 
but  three  months  old.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Danhof 
have  been  born  six  children :  Witske,  Elizabeth, 
Jantje,  Maria,  Garmt  and  Carl.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Danhof  are  members  of  the  Christian  church ;  in 
politics  the  former  is  non-partisan.  He  is  at  pres- 
ent pursuing  diversified  farming,  paying,  however, 
considerable  attention  to  dairying,  possessing  thirty 
head  of  stock.  Success  has  crowned  his  efforts  in 
the  country  of  his  adoption  and  with  it  has  come 
in  abundant  measure  the  kindly  regard  of  neigh- 
bors and  acquaintances. 


CHARLES  L.  HILL,  one  of  the  newcomers  to 
the  ranks  of  Snohomish  county  agriculturists  and 
horticulturists,  is  a  man  of  varied  experiences.  He 
was  born  in  Galesburg,  Knox  County,  Illinois,  in 
September  of  1857,  one  of  the  seven  children  of 
Amos  and  Cordelia  (Arnold)  Hill.  The  elder  Hill 
was  a  native  of  Crawford  County,   Pennsylvania, 


who  went  to  the  Sucker  state  in  the  'forties  and 
was  there  during  the  Mormon  troubles  when  Leader 
Smith  was  killed  and  the  Latter  Day  Saints  were 
driven  out  of  the  state.  Mr.  Hill  invented  a 
wooden  pump  and  was  engaged  in  manufacturing 
pumps  at  Galesburg  until  in  1868  fire  for  the  sec- 
ond time  destroyed  his  factory,  causing  heavy 
losses.  Mr.  Hill  then  went  to  Livingston  County, 
Missouri,  and  for  eight  years  thereafter  was  en- 
gaged in  farming.  In  1886  he  went  to  the  Black 
Hills  and  located  at  Sun  Dance  in  stock  raising. 
He  continued  at  this  business  until  his  death  in 
1893,  caused  by  a  vicious  stallion.  Mrs.  Hill,  a  na- 
tive of  Maine  but  of  French  extraction,  is  living 
with  a  daughter  in  New  Mexico.  Her  children 
are:  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Merrill,  Rapid  City,  South 
Dakota;  Charles  L.,  of  Snohomish;  Mrs.  Carrie 
Hamilton,  of  Everett;  Mrs.  Cora  Moore,  of  Den- 
ver, Colorado  ;  Frank  A.,  postmaster  at  Raton,  New 
Mexico,  and  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish-American 
War,  having  served  as  a  sharpshooter  in  the  First 
Volunteer  cavalry,  familiarly  known  as  Roosevelt's 
Rough  Riders ;  Mrs.  Grace  Brennan,  of  New  Mex- 
ico ;  and  Edna,  a  graduate  of  the  Galesburg  Con- 
servatory of  Music.  Charles  L.  Hill,  aside  from  a 
short  time  passed  in  the  common  schools  of  Gales- 
burg, had  few  opportunities  for  the  acquisition  of 
learning  but  as  the  years  have  passed  by  he  has 
taken  advantage  of  reading  and  intelligent  obser- 
vation to  accumulate  a  vast  fund  of  information 
concerning  men  and  things.  His  boyhood  days 
were  passed  for  the  greater  part  on  a  Missouri 
farm.  In  1882  he  went  to  Rapid  City,  South  Da- 
kota, and  entered  upon  the  life  of  the  cowboy  of 
the  plains.  During  the  twenty-two  years  Mr.  Hill 
rode  the  stock  ranges  of  Dakota  and  Wyoming  he 
had  many  experiences,  becoming  an  expert  with 
the  lariat,  and  in  all  that  pertained  to  the  handling 
of  range  stock.  Of  buffalo  and  antelope  hunting 
he  had  his  share.  He  was  at  the  Pine  Ridge  Indian 
agency  during  the  uprising  of  the  Sioux.  He  came 
to  Snohomish  in  190-1  and  purchased  his  present 
farm,  lying  three-quarters  of  a  mile  north  of  the 
corporation  limits  of  the  city,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  diversified   farming  and   fruit  culture. 

In  November  of  1889,  while  living  in  Wyoming, 
Mr.  Hill  married  Miss  Mattie  Stone,  a  native  of 
Colorado  and  daughter  of  Lew  and  Maggie  Stone, 
Ohioans  who  became  farmers  in  Colorado  South 
Dakota.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  have  been  born 
two  children,  Harvey  L.  and  Inez.  Mr.  Hill  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  while  Mrs.  Hill 
belongs  to  its  auxiliary,  the  Degree  of  Honor  and 
both  are  communicants  in  the  Baptist  church.  In 
politics  Mr.  Hill  is  a  Republican  and  an  ardent  ad- 
mirer of  President  Roosevelt.  He  is  respected  and 
popular  in  his  home  community,  as  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent qualities  of  mind  and  heart. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


WILLIAM  DEERING,  living  two  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  this  county,  having  come  here  in 
1874  when  there  were  only  a  few  white  families 
in  the  territory  now  embraced  within  the  county 
limits.  Mr.  Deering  was  born  in  Aroostook  County, 
Maine,  in  February,  1847,  the  third  of  the  twelve 
children  of  William  and  Sarah  (Sawyer)  Deering, 
who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  the  farming  and 
lumbering  industries  of  the  Pine  Tree  state.  The 
elder  Deering  passed  away  in  1895  and  his  wife 
two  years  later,  each  after  having  attained  the  age 
of  four  score  years.  Of  their  children  five  are  now 
residents  of  Snohomish  county:  George  B.,  Wil- 
liam, Edwin  L.,  Mrs.  Fred  V.  Foss  and  Mrs.  Edith 
Sprague.  William  Deering  received  a  common 
school  education  in  his  native  state.  At  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifteenth 
Maine  infantry  and  served  two  years  in  the  opera- 
tions around  Richmond  and  in  the  early  campaigns 
in  the  South.  Upon  being  mustered  out  Mr.  Deer- 
ing returned  to  his  native  state  and  engaged  in 
work  in  the  woods  until  1868  when  he  removed 
to  Pennsylvania  and  later  to  Wisconsin,  in  both 
states  logging  in  the  lumber  sections.  In  1874  he 
came  to  Washington,  and  he  carried  on  lumbering 
operations  here  until  fifteen  years  ago  when  he  met 
with  an  accident  which  has  crippled  him  for  life. 
He  then  purchased  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  where  he  now  lives,  to  which 
he  has  since  added  thirty  acres  more.  The  im- 
provements were  most  meager  when  Mr.  Deering 
took  possession  of  the  place,  the  chief  feature  being 
a  "shake"  cabin.  Mr.  Deering  now  has  fifteen 
acres  under  plow  and  twenty-five  in  pasture.  He 
devotes  his  attention  to  dairying  and  hog  raising. 
His  twenty  head  of  cattle  are  mostly  Jerseys  and 
his  thirty-three  head  of  hogs  are  of  the  Berkshire 
and  Poland  China  breeds. 

In  1881  Mr.  Deering  married  Miss  Delia  Elwell, 
daughter  of  Tamlin  and  Sarah  (Watson)  Elwell, 
of  whom  mention  is  elsewhere  made  in  this  volume. 
He  was  married  a  second  time  eleven  years  ago, 
his  present  wife  having  been  Miss  Georgianna 
Cram,  a  native  of  Maine  whose  parents  passed 
away  when  she  was  a  child.  By  his  first  marriage 
Mr.  Deering  has  two  children,  Tarn  and  Ulma,  the 
former  of  whom  is  attending  the  Snohomish  high 
school,  the  latter  of  whom  is  at  home.  In  fraternal 
circles  Mr.  Deering  is  a  Mason,  a  charter  member 
of  Snohomish  lodge,  and  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, taking  an  active  part  in  party  affairs.  He 
has  served  one  term  as  coroner.  In  religious  per- 
suasion he  is  a  Baptist.  Mr.  Deering  is  a  man  of 
sterling  manhood,  highly  respected  in  his  commu- 
nity. 


ANDREW  J.  FLORANCE,  though  a  resident 
of  Snohomish  county  but  a  few  years,  has  already 
established  himself  in  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  community  as  a  man  of  sterling  character 
and  attainments.  He  was  born  in  Penetanguishene, 
Simcoe  County,  Ontario,  early  in  1853,  the  fourth 
of  the  sixteen  children,  (eleven  of  whom  are  still 
living),  of  James  and  Jessie  (Wood)  Florance,  The 
elder  Florance  was  born  in  Manchester,  England, 
the  son  of  a  soldier  in  the  British  East  Indian  army 
for  twenty-one  years  who  late  in  life  received  land 
from  the  government  in  recognition  of  his  services. 
He  is  now  a  resident  of  Bellingham,  Whatcom 
county,  and  is  seventy  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Jessie 
Florance  was  born  in  India,  where  she  grew  to 
womanhood.  It  is  related  of  her  that  when  a  child 
she  tamed  a  venomous  snake  which  was  kept  about 
the  Wood  home  as  a  plaything  and  curiosity.  Mrs. 
Florance  is  still  living,  having  attained  the  age  of 
sixty-nine.  Andrew  J.  Florance  was  taken  by  his 
parents  to  Chippewa  County,  Michigan,  when  but 
a  lad.  At  twelve  years  of  age  he  commenced  the 
activities  of  life  as  chore  boy  on  board  the  lake 
steamer,  Antelope,  which  was  sunk  before  he  com- 
pleted his  first  voyage.  For  a  number  of  years 
afterward  he  was  on  the  old  City  of  Owen  Sound. 
During  his  service  on  the  Great  Lakes  he  steadily 
advanced  until  when  he  abandoned  the  work  he 
was  a  second  engineer.  The  seventeen  years  fol- 
lowing his  quitting  of  the  lakes  were  passed  as 
an  engineer  for  the  saw-mill  of  the  Hall-Munson 
Company  of  Bay  Mills  county.  He  left  that  firm 
on  the  first  day  of  December,  1900,  and  came  to 
Washington,  settling  at  Machias,  where,  on  a  pre- 
vious visit,  he  had  purchased  ten  acres  of  land.  He 
has  since  added  five  acres  and  is  devoting  himself 
to  raising  poultry,  garden  produce  and  fruit,  also 
carrying  on  a  small  dairy  establisment.  Mr.  Flor- 
ance still  owns  four  lots  and  a  house  in  Brimley, 
]\Iichigan. 

In  March,  1891,  Mr.  Florance  married  Miss 
Martha  Noble  Bole,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Mar- 
tha (Noble)  Bole.  The  mother  dying  when  Mar- 
tha was  an  infant,  she  was  adopted  by  her  grand- 
parents, John  and  Mary  Noble,  was  raised  by  them 
and  until  her  marriage  was  known  by  the  name 
of  Noble.  The  father  is  still  living,  a  resident  of 
Michigan,  to  which  state  he  removed  from  Simcoe, 
Ontario,  the  birthplace  of  Mrs.  Florance.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Florance  have  one  child,  Dottie  Hester,  born 
October  30,  1896.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Flor- 
ance is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  the  Maccabees,  Mrs.  Florance  being  a  member 
of  the  woman's  auxiliaries  of  those  orders.  In 
politics  Mr.  Florance  is  a  Democrat  and  in  re- 
ligious persuasion  an  Episcopalian.  He  is  one  of 
the  worthy  citizens  of  Snohomish  county,  a  man 
of  genial  qualities  and  worthy  principles. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


875 


THOMAS  N.  RICHARDS,  to  whom  belongs 
the  honor  of  having  been  one  of  the  early  pioneers 
of  the  Sound  country,  resides  two  and  one-half 
miles  southeast  of  Snohomish  on  the  Monroe  road. 
He  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  December  21, 
1847.  His  father,  Thomas  Richards,  was  a  well 
known  merchant  in  England  for  many  years,  and 
ran  a  livery  establishment  in  connection  with  his 
merchandise.  Esther  (Parker)  Richards,  the 
mother,  was  also  of  English  nativity.  Like  most 
young  people,  Thomas  Richards  secured  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools,  and  at  an  early  age 
began  contributing  to  his  own  support.  His  first 
position  was  that  of  toll  gate  keeper  in  Berkshire, 
which  he  held  for  a  year,  and  then  followed  various 
occupations  for  a  time.  Thrilled  by  the  thought 
of  a  life  spent  on  the  sea,  he  went  as  an  appren- 
tice on  a  merchant  sailing  vessel  when  but  a  boy  of 
fourteen,  but  not  finding  it  quite  as  he  had  antici- 
pated, he  returned  to  his  home  the  following  year. 
Two  years  afterward  he  joined  Her  Majesty's  ser- 
vice, and  remained  in  the  ranks  for  six  years,  serv- 
ing four  years  of  that  time  in  India.  To  visit  the 
land  across  the  waters,  rich  in  natural  resources 
and  abounding  in  splendid  openings  for  industrious 
men.  had  long  been  a  cherished  plan,  and  in  18G9. 
finding  himself  in  position  to  carry  it  out,  he  sailed 
for  the  United  States,  crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Pan- 
ama, and  came  to  Washington,  via  San  Francisco. 
Locating  on  Whidby  island,  he  purchased  land 
near  Coupeville,  and  there  he  spent  almost  thirty 
years  of  liis  life,  developing  the  country  and  la}-- 
ing  the  foundation  for  the  civilization  of  today. 
Years  of  toil  brought  their  own  satisfying  reward, 
and  when  in  1899  he  left  his  ranch  and  settled  in 
Snohomish  county,  he  had  the  pleasure  of  leaving 
behind  him  convincing  proof  of  his  ceaseless  toil. 
He  is  still  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  devot- 
ing especial  attention  to  dairying. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Richards  and  Miss  Ruby 
Burce,  of  Maine,  was  celebrated  in  Seattle,  Decem- 
ber 18,  18S0.  Mrs.  Richards  is  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Ada  Burce,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Maine.  Filled  with  patriotism  Mr.  Burce  enlisted 
for  the  Civil  War,  and  served  four  years  in  the 
Ninth  Maine  volunteers.  He  was  stricken  with 
fever  while  before  Richmond  and  died  in  a  short 
time.  The  mother  now  resides  in  Whatcom  county. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards  sixteen  children  have 
been  born,  all  but  two  of  whom  are  still  living. 
Having  been  brought  up  in  the  Episcopal  faith 
Mr.  Richards  naturally  inclines  to  that  denomina- 
tion, while  his  wife  is  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Methodist  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
During  his  long  residence  in  this  state  Mr.  Rich- 
ards has  been  prominently  identified  with  its  his- 
tory, and  has  contributed  materially  to  its  growth 
and  prosperity.  He  is  widely  known,  particularly 
in   the   western   part   of   the    state,    and    is   highly 


esteemed   both   for  his   upright  character  and   his 
splendid  record  as  a  pioneer. 


THOMAS  J.  FINNIGAN,  one  of  the  thrifty 
and  industrious  farmers  of  Snohomish  county,  re- 
sides one  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  Snohom- 
ish, on  his  fine  one-hundred-acre  farm.  He  was 
born  in  Lackawanna  County,  Pennsylvania,  April 
14,  1859,  the  son  of  Patrick'and  Mary  (Galegher) 
Finnigan.  The  father,  leaving  his  native  land,  Ire- 
land, in  early  life,  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  still  lives,  and  for  many  years  worked  in  the 
anthracite  coal  regions.  The  mother  was  born 
there,  and  spent  her  entire  life  within  the  boun- 
daries of  the  state,  dying  in  18C5.  He  being  bereft 
of  a  mother's  fostering  care  when  but  a  child  of 
six,  Thomas  J.  Finnigan's  education  was  sadly  neg- 
lected, a  few  short  months  covering  the  entire 
time  spent  by  him  in  the  school  room.  That 
although  handicapped  by  this  lack  of  training  he 
has  made  a  splendid  success  of  life  is  due  to  his 
keen  powers  of  observation  and  his  insatiable  thirst 
for  knowledge.  At  an  age  when  other  boys  were 
busy  with  their  tops,  marbles  and  balls,  his  childish 
hands  were  toiling  down  in  the  dark,  damp  coal 
mines  of  his  native  state.  He  was  thus  employed 
until  he  had  passed  his  seventeenth  birthday,  and 
so  well  had  he  performed  the  duties  that  fell  to 
his  lot  that  he  had  won  the  approval  of  his  employ- 
ers. Leaving  home  at  that  age  he  found  a  posi- 
tion in  the  coal  mines  of  Indiana,  and  he  worked 
there  for  some  time,  until  he  had  sufficient  funds 
to  start  in  business  for  himself,  then  selecting  Bra- 
zil, Indiana,  as  a  desirable  location,  he  opened  a 
grocery  store  which  he  conducted  for  a  number 
of  years,  his  natural  ability  enabling  him  to  man- 
age the  business  successfully.  In  1889,  he  was 
seized  with  a  desire  to  visit  the  Northwest,  so  dis- 
posed of  his  stock,  and  at  once  set  out  for  Puget 
sound.  Arriving  there  in  due  course  of  time,  he 
went  on  to  New  Castle,  W^ashington,  and  spent 
the  following  three  years  farming.  He  then  de- 
cided to  avail  himself  of  the  privilege  of  home- 
steading  a  claim,  and  in  1892  filed  on  land  on  the 
west  bank  of  Woods  Creek,  where  he  made  his 
home  for  several  years  afterward.  Going  then  to 
the  Monte  Christo  mining  district  he  there  resumed 
his  boyhood  occupation  and  remained  so  employed 
until  1900,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Snohomish 
county,  and  in  1903  he  purchased  the  property  he 
now  owns. 

Mr.  Finnigan  and  Miss  Mary  A.  Lord  were 
married  in  Brazil,  Indiana,  October  16,  1882.  Mrs. 
Finnigan  was  born  in  Indiana  as  were  also  her 
parents,  William  and  Lydia  (Kane)  Lord,  who 
now  resiae  in  Clay  County,  Indiana,  where  the 
father  is  a  well  known  agriculturist.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Finnigan  have  four  children:  Geneva  M.,  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  in  the  schools  of  Monroe,  Washing- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


ton;  Margaret  I.,  Lawrence  L.  and  Gilbert  L.  Mr. 
Finnigan  has  three  sisters  residing  in  his  native 
state.  In  politics  he  is  independent,  identifying 
himself  with  no  political  party,  but  casting  his  bal- 
lot in  each  instance  for  the  man  whom  he  believes 
will  best  serve  the  highest  interests  of  the  people. 
Because  of  his  life  long  regret  that  he  could  not 
have  had  the  benefits  of  a  liberal  education,  Mr. 
Finnigan  has  always  been  deeply  concerned  about 
the  advantages  afforded  his  children,  and  has  been 
instrumental  in  securing  excellent  schools  in  this 
locality.  Both  he  and  his  estitnable  wife  are  held 
in  the  highest  esteem  in  the  coinmunity  in  which 
they  live.  Their  home  is  a  social  center  where 
all  are  made  welcome  and  royally  entertained. 


MITCHEL  LORD,  a  prominent  agriculturist 
residing  three  miles  south  of  Snohomish,  Washing- 
ton, was  born  September  15,  1846,  in  Canada,  sixty 
miles  from  Quebec.  His  ancestors,  escaping  from 
a  vessel  wrecked  on  the  Saint  Lawrence  river, 
found  a  home  in  Canada  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and 
thus  became  identified  with  the  history  of  this  con- 
tinent. Nissett  Lord,  his  father,  was  a  well  known 
farmer  until  his  death  in  1875;  the  mother,  Sera- 
phine  Lord,  died  in  1857.  Naturally  of  a  studious 
turn  of  mind,  Mitchel  Lord  acquired  an  excellent 
practical  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
country,  and  was  thus  well  equipped  for  a  success- 
ful career.  Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
he  crossed  the  border  and  settled  in  New  York. 
After  farming  for  a  year,  he  decided  to  seek  an 
opening  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  so  went  there,  and 
found  temporary  employment  in  the  ship  yards. 
The  following  three  years  were  spent  in  the  lum- 
ber regions  of  Michigan,  whither  he  had  gone  in 
search  of  a  desirable  location.  But  he  was  con- 
vinced that  the  Northwest  afforded  greater  oppor- 
tunities for  advancement  to  young  men  who  were 
willing  to  work,  so  he  left  the  East  in  1870,  going 
over  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  to  San  Francisco, 
and  thence  by  boat  to  Puget  sound.  After  arriv- 
ing at  his  destination  he  spent  several  months  in 
the  lumber  camps  near  Port  Gamble,  and  then  re- 
moved to  Lowell,  Washington,  where  he  remained 
until  1879,  in  which  year  he  purchased  his  first 
real  estate, — eighty  acres  situated  three  miles  south- 
east of  Snohomish.  In  1884,  he  took  as  a  home- 
stead claim,  the  fine  ranch  on  which  he  now  lives. 
As  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  locality,  he  endured 
all  the  hardships  and  dangers  inseparably  con- 
nected with  life  in  a  new,  undeveloped  country, 
toiling  early  and  late  to  clear  his  land  and  fit  it  for 
cultivation,  meanwhile  assisting  in  opening  up 
roads  and  preparing  for  the  civilization  that  was 
to  follow.  To  have  been  one  of  those  brave,  daunt- 
less men  who  labored  so  unselfishly  for  the  good 
of  future  generations,  is  an  honor  of  which  any 
man  might  well  be  proud. 


Mr.  Lord  and  Miss  Kate  Babcock,  a  native  of 
Buchanan  County,  Missouri,  were  mai'ried  in  Se- 
attle, May  12,  1879.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Ben- 
jamin and  Sarah  (Porter)  Babcock,  the  father  a 
native  of  Maine,  the  mother,  of  Missouri.  The 
father,  a  mill  man,  died  in  1873  in  Missouri.  The 
mother,  who  was  afterwards  married  to  J.  A.  Davis,, 
moved  to  Snohomish  County,  Washington,  in  1875, 
and  lived  there  until  her  death  in  1883.  Mrs.  Lord 
came  to  Snohomish  county  with  her  mother  in 
1875,  and  saw  real  pioneer  times,  having  helped 
carry  supplies  in  on  her  back  to  the  ranch  on  the 
west  of  the  marsh,  southwest  of  Snohomish.  Eight 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lord : 
Fred,  Albert  C,  Lottie,  Cecil  B.,  Emery  M.,  Floyd 
E.,  Maude  E.,  and  Nola  M.  One  son,  Emery  M., 
enlisted  in  the  United  States  navy,  and  is  now  on 
the  United  States  flagship,  "Ohio,"  where  he  is 
already  winning  an  enviable  reputation  for  ability 
and  skill.  Mr.  Lord  has  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  Masonic  fraternity  since  1876.  His 
political  beliefs  are  in  accord  with  the  doctrines 
of  the  Republican  party,  to  which  he  has  given 
his  life-long  support.  His  property  holdings  con- 
sist of  two  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  fertile  land, 
of  which  one  hundred  acres  are  in  excellent  cul- 
tivation. While  devoting  his  attention  largely  to 
dairying,  he  also  raises  horses,  sheep  and  hogs  of 
a  superior  quality.  His  beautiful  home,  a  model  of 
architectural  skill,  is  built  on  a  terraced  elevation 
overlooking  the  lovely  valley  of  the  Snohomish 
river,  and  is  by  far  the  most  imposing  residence 
in  the  county.  The  grounds  around  it  are  carefully 
laid  out  and  kept  in  exquisite  order,  evidencing  the 
taste  and  wealth  of  the  owner.  It  is  a  picture  of 
rural  loveliness  that,  once  seen,  can  never  be  for- 
gotten. Surrounded  by  all  these  unmistakable  evi- 
dences of  the  prosperity  that  has  crowned  years  of 
unceasing  toil  he  recalls  the  early  days  of  struggle 
and  is  able  fully  to  appreciate  the  luxury  of  to-day. 
A  man  of  sterling  worth  he  commands  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  the  entire  community. 


ABRAHAM  PEDEN,  to  whom  belongs  the 
unique  distinction  of  being  a  veteran  of  the  Mex- 
ican War  and  also  an  honored  pioneer  of  the 
Northwest,  is  now  residing  on  his  fine  farm  located 
three  miles  southeast  of  Snohomish  on  the  Mon- 
roe road.  He  was  born  in  Ohio,  October  17,  1838. 
His  father,  Joseph  Peden,  was  a  Virginian  by  birth, 
and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  the  milling 
business,  retiring,  however,  some  years  before  his 
death  in  1864.  The  mother,  Margaret  (Burres) 
Peden,  a  native  of  Maryland,  traced  her  ancestry 
back  to  a  distinguished  Scotch  family  that  settled 
on  the  Atlantic  coast  very  soon  after  the  landing 
of  the  Pilgrims.  Her  death  occurred  in  1850. 
After  acquiring  his  education  in  the  common 
schools   of  the    Buckeye    state,    Abraham    Peden 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


found  employment  at  home  until  1847  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  Second  Ohio  Regiment,  Company  C, 
Vohmteer  Infantry  at  the  opening  of  the  Mexican 
war.  During  his  thirteen  months  of  service  he  par- 
ticipated in  many  of  the  leading  battles  of  the  war, 
and  altiiough  only  a  boy  of  nineteen,  distinguished 
himself  as  a  brave  soldier.  Returning  to  his  home 
he  remained  there  several  years,  and  then,  thrilled 
by  the  tales  of  the  fabulous  wealth  abounding  in 
the  gold  districts  of  California,  he  went  thither 
in  1853,  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  Having 
searched  the  golden  sands  of  Eldorado  county  for 
three  years  with  little  success,  he  then  went  to  the 
placer  mines  on  the  -Salmon  river,  and  remained 
thirteen  years,  after  which  he  decided  to  change 
his  occupation.  Determining  to  seek  an  opening 
in  the  vast,  undeveloped  regions  of  the  Xorthwest, 
lie  came  to  Washington  in  isiji),  and  after  working 
a  year  at  various  occupations  purchased  the  prop- 
erty he  now  owns,  and  took  up  agricultural  pur- 
suits. That  he  has  been  very  successful  is  readily 
believed  by  any  one  visiting  his  splendid  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-acre  ranch  on  which  is  built  a 
cozy,  convenient  house,  modern  in  every  respect. 
In  addition  to  this  he  owns  another  farm  one-half 
mile  distant,  consisting  of  forty-three  acres. 

Mr.  Peden  has  been  twice  married.  Miss  Edna 
Martin  of  Ohio  first  becoming  his  wife.  She  was 
drowned  in  Ebey  slough  in  July,  1870,  three  years 
after  their  marriage.  He  and  his  present  wife,  for- 
merly Miss  Madalene  Turner,  were  wedded  in  Sno- 
homish, in  July,  1897.  Mrs.  Peden"s  parents  died 
many  years  ago  in  Sweden,  her  native  land.  Mr. 
Peden  is  a  loyal  worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  but  has,  personally,  no  political  aspira- 
tions. A  broad  minded,  public  spirited  man  he  has 
been  instrumental  in  the  growth  and  development 
of  the  county  throughout  the  long  years  of  his  res- 
idence, cheerfully  giving  of  his  time  and  means 
to  every  public  enterprise. 


WILLIAM  MORGAN,  engaged  in  diversified 
farming  in  the  valley  of  the  Snohomish,  has  for 
more  than  twenty  years  now  been  actively  identi- 
fied with  its  development  with  profit  to  the  com- 
munity as  well  as  to  himself.  A  member  of  the 
well  known  Morgan  family,  he  is  the  eldest  .^on  of 
Morgan  Morgan  Sr.  and  Hannah  (Williams)  Mor- 
gan, a  biographical  sketch  of  whom  appears  else- 
where in  these  pages.  The  elder  Morgan,  whose 
native  country  is  Wales,  came  to  Snohomish  county 
a  year  before  his  son  William  and  is  one  of  the 
honored  citizens  of  the  county  on  account  of  his 
personal  qualities  and  the  zeal  he  has  manifested 
in  forwarding  the  best  interests  of  his  section. 
Mrs.  Morgan,  the  mother,  is  dea^l.  William  Mor- 
gan was  born  in  Cwnillynfell,  Wales,  April  10. 
1865.    There  he  grew  to  manhood  in  the  great  cial 


mining  regions,  attending  the  common  schools,  and 
acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of  mining  and 
agriculture.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one'  he  left  the 
family  homestead  to  make  his  own  way,  first  work- 
ing on  surrounding  farms.  In  1885,  upon  the  de- 
parture of  his  father  and  his  brothers  Morgan  and 
Charles  for  the  United  States  to  found  ?  new 
home,  William  returned  to  look  after  the  family 
and  business  matters,  which  occupied  his  attention 
for  several  months.  Six  months  after  the  departure 
of  his  father,  his  inother  died,  and  as  a  result  of 
this  sad  event  he  hastened  the  closing  up  of  busi- 
ness matters  and  before  the  expiration  of  the  year 
was  en  route  to  the  LTnited  States  with  the  rest  of 
the  family,  to  rejoin  his  father  at  Snohomish.  Near 
there  the  family  located  and  at  once  began  the 
establishment  of  the  new  American  home.  Wil- 
liam and  his  brother,  Mor_gan,  bought  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  semi  wild  land,  paying  fifty  dol- 
lars an  acre.  A  little  later  they  divided  this  place 
and  William  purchased  an  additional  forty  acres, 
to  this  subsequently  adding  another  tract  of  twenty 
acres  given  him  by  his  father.  In  1893  he  and  his 
brother  Morgan  established  a  saw-mill,  but  the 
ownership  quickly  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
younger  brother,  William  returning  to  his  farm. 
Two  years  ago,  in  1904,  he  sold  sixty  acres  for 
six  thousand  dollars,  which  left  him  a  place  of 
eighty-five  acres  to  which  he  is  now  devoting  his 
whole  time  and  skill.  When  he  arrived  in  the  val- 
ley, although  it  contained  a  considerable  popula- 
tion, the  main  portion  of  it  was  still  wild  with  but 
few  if  any  roads  worthy  the  name. 

Miss  Hannah  Daniels,  the  daughter  of  David 
and  Anna  Daniels,  residents  of  Paradise  valley, 
King  county,  became  the  bride  of  Mr.  Morgan  in 
September,  1898.  Her  parents,  also,  are  natives 
of  Wales,  born  during  the  middle  'forties.  They 
came  to  America  in  early  life  and  Mrs.  Morgan 
was  born  in  Wisconsin,  in  1874.  Later  the  family 
removed  to  Kansas,  where  considerable  of  her  edu- 
cation was  received.  Two  children  have  blessed 
the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan:  Ethel,  born 
February  37,  1901;  and  Mabel,  September  4,  1903  ; 
both  upon  the  Snohomish  valley  homestead.  The 
family's  religious  affiliations  are  with  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  Mr.  Morgan  is  an  active  Re- 
publican. He  has  served  his  precinct  as  road  super- 
visor. Of  his  eighty-five  acres,  half  are  rich  bot- 
tom land,  and  all  of  it  is  well  improved  and  sup- 
plied with  comfortable  buildings.  Although  still 
engaged  in  dairying  to  some  extent,  Mr.  Morgan 
disposed  of  his  large  dairy  interests  when  he  sold 
part  of  his  place  in  1904.  At  that  time  he  sold  ten 
cows  for  sixty-five  dollars  each  and  the  remainder 
for  a  sum  but  little  less.  Prosperous  in  his  agri- 
cultural busmess,  and  impelled  by  a  progressive 
spirit  he  has  been  a  force  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
community   and   county,    the   highest    respect   and 


878 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


esteem   of   whose   citizens   he   enjoys   in   abundant 
measure. 


MORGAN  M.  MORGAN.— Among  the  pio- 
neers of  the  great  Snohomish  valley,  men  who  en- 
tered it  during  its  earliest  stages  of  development, 
kept  step  with  the  rapid  march  of  its  wonderful 
progress,  and  who  are  today  active  in  its  business 
and  social  life,  must  be  included  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  review.  The  fact  that  he  belongs 
to  the  well  known  Morgan  family,  being  the  sec- 
ond son  of  Morgan  Morgan,  a  separate  sketch  of 
whom  appears  also  in  this  work,  gives  him  further 
prominence.  Born  in  Wales,  also  the  birthplace 
of  his  father,  February  27,  1867,  he  comes  from 
ancient  Welsh  stock,  his  mother  being  also  of  that 
nationality.  Morgan  Jr.  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
attending  the  schools  of  the  community,  and  as- 
sisting at  home  until  he  reached  the  age  of  eighteen. 
That  year  marked  a  memorable  epoch  in  his  life. 
His  father,  brother  Charles  and  himself,  left  the 
old  home  that  year,  1885,  to  seek  the  richer  oppor- 
tunities and  freer  life  of  western  America,  intend- 
ing to  send  for  the  remaining  members  of  the  fam- 
ily as  soon  as  established.  Coming  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  the  three  located  first  at  Newcastle,  King 
county,  drawn  thither  by  old  acquaintances  at  work 
in  the  mines  there.  In  January,  1886,  they  came 
to  Snohomish  county,  where,  the  following  April, 
they  received  the  sad  news  that  the  devoted  wife 
and  mother  had  passed  away,  an  event  which  only 
hastened  the  departure  of  the  other  children  for 
the  United  States.  Upon  reaching  Snohomish  the 
father  at  once  iought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  deeded  land  and  the  work  of  home-building  was 
begun.  There  were  then  no  roads  worthy  the 
name  and  really  only  very  poor  trails.  Six  years 
later,  Morgan  jr.  took  a  preemption  claim  nearby, 
which  he  added  to  his  share  of  a  quarter  section 
previously  purchased  by  his  brother  William  and 
himself.  In  1893  these  brothers  erected  a  saw-mill 
in  the  vicinity,  the  first  one  thereabouts,  which 
soon  passed  into  the  sole  possession  of  Morgan 
M.  Morgan.  This  plant  he  operated  successfully 
imtil  1901,  when  he  sold  out.  He  had  also  been 
engaged  in  farming,  and  since  that  date  he  has 
been  giving  his  entire  attention  to  his  farming  and 
business  interests,  which  are  of  considerable  mag- 
nitude. 

Mr.  Morgan  and  Miss  Marie  Detering  were 
united  in  marriage  December  3,  1896.  Mrs.  Mor- 
gan is  of  German  descent,  born  in  Germany,  April 
30,  1871,  the  daughter  of  Frederick  and  Henrietta 
(Dickman)  Detering,  both  of  whom  are  now  dead. 
They  came  to  Snohomish  county  in  1879  and  set- 
tled near  Monroe,  among  the  early-  pioneers  of 
that  section,  so  that  Mrs.  Morgan  received  most 
of  her  education  and  rearing  within  the  confines 
of  Snohomish  county.     Three  children  have  been 


bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan :  Kenneth,  Sep- 
tember 33,  1897;  Willard,  May  30,  1900;  and  Gil- 
bert, March  19,  1904.  The  family  belongs  to  the 
Congregational  church.  Politically,  Mr.  Morgan 
is  a  liberal  Republican.  He  has  served  his  pre- 
cinct at  different  times  as  justice  of  the  peace  and 
constable.  His  estate  embraces  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  rich  valley  land,  and  city  property 
in  Everett  and  Monroe,  besides  which  Mrs.  Mor- 
gan possesses  a  fifty-five  acre  farm  near  Monroe. 
Their  home,  three  miles  southwest  of  Snohomish, 
is  prettily  located,  very  comfortable  and  permeated 
by  an  atmosphere  of  hospitality  and  progressive- 
ness.  Mr.  Morgan  is  justly  ranked  among  the 
leading  citizens  of  the  valley,  esteemed  for  his  per- 
sonal qualities  and  respected  by  all. 


WILBERT  F.  EDDY,  living  one  mile  and  a 
half  west  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
this  section  of  the  county,  having  first  come  here 
to  work  in  a  logging  camp  thirty-four  years  ago. 
Though  some  of  the  intervening  years  have  been 
passed  by  him  in  other  sections  of  the  Pacific 
Northwest,  the  greater  portion  of  his  life  since 
coming  to  the  Puget  sound  country  has  been  spent 
in  Snohomish  county.  Mr.  Eddy  was  born  in  Ed- 
dington,  Maine,  August  14,  1847,  the  fourth  of 
six  children  of  Timothy  and  Mary  J.  (Roe)  Eddy, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  state. 
They  were  descended  from  English  stock.  Tim- 
othy Eddy  died  in  his  native  state  in  1878.  Wil- 
bert  F.  Eddy  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  and 
received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. He  remained  with  his  parents  until  six- 
teen years  of  age,  then  enlisted  in  Company  A  of 
the  Thirty-First  Maine  Volunteers ;  and  he  served 
through  the  latter  part  of  the  Civil  War  with  that 
command.  Upon  being  mustered  out  at  Bangor, 
Maine,  he  returned  to  the  farm.  In  1873,  soon 
after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Eddy  came  to  the  Pacific 
Northwest.  He  chose  Snohomish  county  for  his 
place  of  residence  and  for  three  years  worked  in 
a  logging  camp,  where  Mrs.  Eddy  was  also  em- 
ployed as  cook.  Mr.  Eddy  was  noted  in  those  days 
as  one  of  the  most  expert  choppers.  Six  months 
of  the  year  1875  were  passed  in  San  Francisco. 
On  his  return  from  California  Mr.  Eddy  went  to 
Walla  Walla  and  for  four  years  was  engaged  in 
contracting  to  furnish  ties  to  the  Northern  Pacific 
railroad  for  use  in  the  construction  of  its  trans- 
continental line.  He  returned  to  Snohomish 
county  in  1879  and  for  a  number  of  years  fol- 
lowed the  life  of  the  woodsman,  at  times  hiring 
out  to  others  and  at  times  engaging  in  business 
on  his  own  account.  In  1883  he  took  a  homestead 
near  Hartford,  but  four  years  later  he  sold  out 
and  moved  to  Snohomish,  where  he  purchased  a 
number  of  city  lots  and  built  dwellings,  leasing  the 
properties   as    soon   as   they   were    completed.     In 


HENRY  SPURRELL 


JOSEPH   MARTELL 


ULRICK  R.   ERICKSON 


HERMAN    MICHEELS 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1894  he  purchased  his  present  place  of  twelve  acres 
and  he  has  since  devoted  himself  assiduously  to 
its  improvement.  It  is  one  of  the  fine  country 
estates  in  the  county,  modern  and  complete  in  every 
detail.  The  six  room  house  and  the  buildings  have 
been  constructed  with  care,  and  the  place  "is  con- 
sidered a  model  small  American  farm. 

March  19,  1870,  in  Bradley,  Maine,  Mr.  Eddy 
married  Miss  Charlotte  Osgood,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph and  Mary  Osgood,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  the  Pine  Tree  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eddy 
came  across  the  continent  soon  after  their  mar- 
riage. In  fraternal  circles  Mr. "Eddy  is  a  Mason 
and  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army;  in  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  but  does  not  alwavs  consider  him- 
self bound  to  support  candidates  of  his  party.  He 
and  Mrs.  Eddy  are  among  the  honored  pioneers 
of  the  county  and  in  the  years  of  their  residence 
here  have  done  much  to  develop  its  resources,  and 
to  aid  in  its  general  progress.  Thev  are  popular 
and  highly  respected  by  all  who  are  honored  with 
their   acquaintance    or    friendship. 


HENRY  SPURRELL  is  an  early  settler  of 
Snohomish  county  and  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the 
city  of  Snohomish.  When  Mr.  Spurrell  first  came 
to  this  part  of  the  country,  settlers  were  few  and 
hamlets  fewer.  In  the  forty  years  during  which 
Mr.  Spurrell  has  been  active  in  Snohomish  county, 
he  has  seen  the  community  grow  and  has  been 
himself  a  factor  in  creating  that  growth.  He  was 
born  in  England  early  in  the  year  February  2, 
1843,  the  son  of  William  Spurrell,  who  was  born 
near  Portsmouth  and  followed  the  trade  of  barber 
during  his  entire  life.  Henry  Spurrell's  mother 
died  when  he  was  six  years  old,  and  of  her  the  son 
has  little  memory.  His  school  days  were  few,  but 
in  the  course  of  a  long  and  active  fife  he  has  picked 
up  a  large  store  of  information  and  is  one  of  the 
well  posted  citizens  of  the  county.  At  thirteen 
years  of  age  he  commenced  life  in  the  British  Navy. 
During  the  seven  and  a  half  years  he  was  engaged 
m  this  branch  of  Her  Majesty's  service,  young 
Spurrell  visited  nearly  every  portion  of  the  trav- 
eled seas  and  called  at  all  the  ports  of  the  world 
which  were  of  importance.  In  1SG3  while  in  the 
harbor  of  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  Mr.  Spur- 
rell left  the  service  and  at  once  made  his  way  to 
Utsalady  and  for  three  years  worked  in  logging 
camps  on  Camano  Island.  In  186G  Mr.  Spurrell 
came  to  Snohomish  and  passed  the  next  succeed- 
ing two  years  in  J.  Berry's  logging  camp.  During 
this  time  he  purchased  of  an  earlier  settler  hi's 
right  to  a  piece  of  land  comprising  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  and  located  a  half  mile  west  of  the  site 
of  the  present  city  of  Snohomish,  and  filed  a  pre- 
emption. The  land  was  covered  with  heavv  tim- 
ber, but  Mr.  Spurrell  had  cleared  twelve  acres  of 
It  before  selling  it  in  1870.     He  then  went  further 


up  the  river  and  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Spurrell  lived 
here  for  twelve  years  and  cleared  and  put  under 
cultivation  half  of  his  land.  He  leased  the  place 
in  1886  and  removed  with  his  family  to  the  city 
in  order  that  his  children  might  have  the  benefit 
of  a  school  education.  In  the  following  year  he 
opened  a  lumber  yard,  the  first  one  in  the  city  of 
Snohomish,  and  continued  in  the  lumber  business 
for  thirteen  years,  selling  out  in  1900.  Mr.  Spur- 
rell then  bought  the  oldest  furniture  store  in  the 
place  and  has  continued  in  that  business  to  the 
present  time. 

In  Seattle  in  1874  Mr.  Spurrell  married  Miss 
Sarah  Martin,  a  native  of  England  who  had  come 
to  the  Puget  sound  country  to  be  with  a  brother. 
Upon  her  marriage  Mrs.  Spurrell  moved  to  the 
Snohomish  river  country  and  taught  the  first 
school  in  that  section  of  the  county.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Spurrell  have  been  bom  five  children :  Harry 
F.,  now  in  the  shingle  business  at  Monroe;  Amy 
A.,  living  at  home;  William  M.,  at  home;  Mrs. 
Grace  C.  Jones,  wife  of  the  Pacific  Express'  Com- 
pany's agent  at  Everett ;  and  Ivy,  a  student  in  the 
University  at  Seattle.  In  politics  Mr.  Spurrell 
IS  a  Republican.  He  has  served  a  term  in  the  city 
council  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
In  fraternal  circles  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Re- 
bekah,  a  Mason,  a  Maccabee  and  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  The  family 
is  Episcopal  in  its  adherence.  In  addition  to  his 
mercantile  establishment  Mr.  Spurrell  owns  con- 
siderable property  in  Snohomish.  He  is  success- 
ful in  business  and  highly  esteemed  as  a  man  and 
as  a  citizen. 


JOSEPH  MARTELL  is  one  of  the  well  known 
business  men  of  the  city  of  Snohomish,  where  he 
has  a  well  stocked  store  of  paints,  varnishes,  wall 
paper  and  builders'  supplies.  He  also  enjoys  a 
reputation  as  an  artistic  painter  and  decorator, 
having  learned  his  trade  in  the  thorough-going 
system  in  vogue  among  craftsmen  in  England.  Mr. 
Martell  was  born  in  Somerset  Countv,  England 
January  26,  1862,  the  youngest  of  a  family  of 
twelve  children,  six  boys  and  six  girls.  The 'par- 
ents were  Frederick  and  Anne  (Watkins)  Martell, 
lineal  descendants  of  Huguenots  who  fied  from 
France  after  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes 
and  settled  on  English  soil.  The  Martell  genealogy 
can  be  traced  back  to  the  Thirteenth  centurv.  The 
elder  Martell  was  a  hotel  keeper  at  Weston-super- 
Mare,  a  well  known  resort  on  Bristol  channel, 
where  he  conducted  business  successfully  until 
1888  after  which  time  he  retired.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1898  at  Southampton  in  the  home  of  his 
son  where  he  was  visiting.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  died  in  the  fall  of  1890  at  her  home  in, 
England.     Joseph   Martell   received   his  education 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


in  the  grammar  school  of  Weston-super-Mare  and 
by  the  time  he  had  attained  his  majority  he  had 
mastered  the  trade  of  painter  and  decorator.  When 
twenty-one  he  left  England  and  came  to  Halifax, 
Nova  Scotia,  where  he  remained  but  a  short  time. 
He  then  went  to  Andover,  New  Brunswick,  and 
worked  at  farming  for  about  two  years.  Mr.  Mar- 
tell  for  six  years  at  various  times  worked  at  his 
trade  in  Aroostook  County,  Maine.  In  1888  he 
returned  to  England  for  a  four  months'  visit  to 
the  place  of  his  nativity.  On  leaving  England  he 
came  direct  to  Snohomish,  Washington,  where  he 
has  since  resided. 

In  May  of  1889  at  Vancouver,  British  Colum- 
bia, Mr.  Martell  married  Miss  Alice  Clements,  a 
native  of  Devonshire,  England.  Mrs.  Martell  died 
in  1891.  leaving  one  child,  Frederick,  who  is  liv- 
ing with  his  father.  In  September  of  1895  Mr. 
Martell  married  Miss  Alice  McKinley  at  Snohom- 
ish. The  present  Mrs.  Martell  is  a  native  of  Prince 
Edward's  island  in  the  gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  where 
her  father,  a  tailor  by  trade,  passed  away.  Mrs. 
Martell  came  with  her  mother  to  Snohomish  in 
1892.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martell  have  been  born 
three  children :  an  infant,  deceased,  Annie  and  Clif- 
ford. Mr.  Martell  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church,  people  of  the  sterling  qualities 
of  mind  and  heart  which  attract  friends.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Martell  is  a  Republican.  He  takes  a 
livelv  interest  in  questions  of  local  importandfe. 
Mr.  Martell  is-  an  enthusiast  on  the  matter  of  the 
resources  of  Snohomish  county  and  says  that  in 
all  his  travels  he  has  never  seen  a  country  its 
equal  in  the  matter  of  climate,  natural  advantages 
and  present  opportunities. 


HERMAN  MICHEELS.  farmer,  one  mile 
south  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  men  who  has 
been  able  by  dint  of  hard  work  and  economical 
management  of  his  affairs  to  raise  himself  from 
the  position  of  day  laborer  to  the  proprietorship  of 
a  fine  piece  of  farm  property  in  the  vicinty  of  one 
of  the  large  communities  of  the  county.  This  he 
has  done  within  a  very  few  years  and  solely  by 
his  own  endeavor.  Mr.  Micheels  was  bom  in 
Germany  in  the  summer  of  1855,  the  tenth  of  a 
family  of  eleven  children.  Michel  and  Ernestina 
(Zuldorf)  Micheels  were  German  peasant  folk  who 
never  left  their  native  land.  Herman  Micheels  ob- 
tained his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Germany  and  remained  at  home  until  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority.  When  he  was  fifteen  years  of 
age,  owing  to  the  death  of  his  father,  he  shouldered 
the  responsibilty  of  caring  for  his  mother  and  main- 
taining the  home  fireside.  In  1880  Mr.  Micheels 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Wisconsin, 
obtaining  work  with  a  lumber  company  at  Afenom- 
onie.  He  remained  there  eleven  years,  leaving  to 
come  to  Washington.     For  four  years  he  worked 


as  a  laborer  in  the  city,  but  in  1895  he  rented  a 
farm  east  of  town  and  operated  it  for  four  years. 
In  1899  he  purchased  his  present  farm  of  ninety- 
six  acres,  forty  of  which  were  then  under  cultiva- 
tion. Mr.  Micheels  has  cleared  twenty  more  and 
erected  a  fine  house  and  large  barns. 

In  187(1  while  yet  living  in  Germany,  Mr.  Mich- 
eels married  Miss  Ernestine  Hine,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many in  1S5-.'  and  daughter  of  William  and  Louise 
(  Kopnok )  Hine,  who  were  peasant  folk.  Eight 
children  have  been  Ijorn  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Micheels: 
Mrs.  Annie  Deday,  a  resident  of  Granite  Falls ; 
Mrs.  Amelia  Dickson,  living  at  Monroe ;  Albert,  a 
resident  of  Snohomish;  Mrs.  Tilda  Wolf,  of  Mon- 
roe ;  Martha,  William,  Augusta  and  Daisy.  In 
fraternal  circles  Mr.  Micheels  is  a  Modern  Wood- 
man. In  church  affiliations  he  is  a  Lutheran.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  an  active  party 
worker.  He  has  forty-one  head  of  Jersey  stock. 
One  of  Mr.  Micheels'  chief  characteristics  is  ability 
to  work,  another  one  being  ability  to  make  the 
most  of  the  results  of  his  labor.  He  is  one  of  the 
sterling  citizens  of  the  community,  a  man  enjoying 
the  highest  respect  of  its  people. 


ULRICK  R.  ERICKSON,  a  popular  merchant 
tailor  of  Snohomish,  is  one  of  the  men  who  believe 
that  Snohomish  county  is  a  good  place  for  a  young 
man  who  thoroughly  understands  his  business  and 
is  ready  to  apply  himself  to  make  the  most  of  the 
possibilities  lying  before  him.  Mr.  Erickson  came 
to  the  Puget  Sound  country  as  a  journeyman,  and 
he  is  now  the  proprietor  of  a  successful  establish- 
ment. Mr.  Erickson  was  born  in  Sweden  Sept. 
29,  1866,  the  fourth  of  five  children  of  Ulrick  R. 
and  Christina  Erickson.  The  elder  Erickson  was 
a  builder  and  contractor  in  the  old  country,  where 
both  he  and  his  wife  lived  and  died.  Young  Erick- 
son obtained  his  education  in  the  Swedish  schools, 
but  closed  his  formal  educational  training  when 
fourteen  years  of  age  to  become  an  apprentice  to 
the  tailoring  trade.  A  number  of  years  were  passed 
in  an  establishment  in  Stockholm  where  the  young 
man  thoroughly  learned  all  branches  of  his  trade. 
In  1893  he  "decided  to  leave  the  land  of  his  birth 
and  on  the  12th  day  of  July  of  that  year  came  to 
Tacoma.  The  subsequent  six  and  a  half  years 
were  passed  in  work  at  his  trade  in  that  city,  and 
in  1899  he  came  to  the  city  of  Snohomish  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  a  tailoring  establishment.  Three 
years  later  he  purchased  the  entire  interest  of  Wil- 
liam Heintz,  and  since  that  time  has  himself  been 
sole  proprietor  of  one  of  the  most  modern  and  up- 
to-date  establishments  of  its  kind  in  the  entire 
county.  His  excellent  and  high-class  workmanship 
recommends  him,  and  his  business  is  on  the  in- 
crease. 

In  1887,  while  still  living  in  Sweden  Mr.  Erick- 
son married  Miss  Christina  Wickman,  a  native  of 


CHARLES  S.  VAIL 


ACME   BUSINESS   COLLEGE.   EVERK' 
Carolyn    Pack  in,    Conductor 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


885 


Sweden,  whose  parents  are  still  living  in  that  coun- 
try, the  father  being  a  painter  by  occupation.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erickson  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren: Hulda  E.,  Ulrick,  Carl  S.,  Ellen  and  Elsie. 
In  political  views  Mr.  Erickson  is  a  liberal,  being 
bound  by  no  party  ties  which  obligate  him  to  sup- 
port nominees  whom  he  may  deem  unworthy  of 
his  ballot.  His  chief  interest  lies  in  the  direction 
of  the  management  and  the  betterment  of  the  public 
schools.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Foresters  of  America,  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles, 
while  Mrs.  Erickson  is  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Neighbors  of  America.  As  a  business  man,  Mr. 
Erickson  is  enterprising  and  successful.  He  is 
popular  with  all  classes  of  people,  a  man  of  intelli- 
gence and  business  ability,  respected  by  all  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


CHARLIE  S.  VAIL,  whose  home.  Glen  Cot- 
tage, on  the  north  bank  of  the  Snohomish,  is  num- 
bered among  the  picturesque  places  of  Snohomish 
county,  is  one  of  the  representative  young  men  of 
the  community.  He  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  in 
central  New  York,  in  the  fall  of  18G7,  the  son  of 
William  B.  and  Rose  Etta  (Burlingham)  Vail, 
natives  respectively  of  Massachusetts  and  the  Em- 
pire state,  descended  from  colonial  stock  of  Scotch 
and  English  ancestry.  The  elder  Vail  died  in  New 
York  in  190-t ;  the  mother  is  living  with  her  son, 
the  subject  of  this  biography.  Mr.  Vail  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Wayne 
county,  but  at  the  age  of  fourteen  was  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources  for  a  livelihood.  His  first  work 
was  on  the  Erie  canal.  In  1883  he  went  to  Michi- 
gan and  worked  in  the  woods  for  one  season,  but 
he  soon  returned  to  New  York,  and  he  followed 
farming  there  until  1887,  when  he  went  once  more 
to  Michigan  and  engaged  in  hunting  and  trapping. 
For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Vail  moved  about  and 
followed  various  lines  of  activity  at  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan  ;  at  Crystal  Lake,  Illinois,  and  in  different 
parts  of  Wisconsin  and  the  upper  peninsula  of 
Michigan,  finally  reaching  St.  Paul  where  he  en- 
tered the  construction  department  of  the  Great 
Northern  railway,  being  sent  to  Montana.  Most 
of  the  year  1892  he  passed  in  Spokane,  but  that 
fall  he  came  to  Snohomish  county  where  he  es- 
tablished and  is  still  engaged  in  operating  a  salmon 
fishery.  In  1898  Mr.  Vail  enlisted  in  Company 
B  of  the  Independent  Washington  volunteers  and 
served  at  garrison  duty  at  Vancouver  barracks 
during  the  absence  of  the  regulars.  He  is  now  a 
member  of  Company  K  of  the  Second  Washington 
regiment  of  the  National  Guard.  He  has  one  living 
brother,  George  H.  Living  brothers  and  sisters 
of  Mrs.  Rose  Etta  Vail,  Mr.  Vail's  mother,  are: 
William,  Selden  B.,  and  Edna  Jane.  Mrs.  Vail's 
great  grandmother   was   Sarah   Hyde,   one   of   the 


supposed  heirs  of  the  famous  Hyde  estate,  so  long 
in  the  English  chancery  courts.  Mr.  Vail  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  though  not  especially  active, 
and  in  fraternal  affiliation  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  in  which  he  is  a  past  grand,  and  senior  war- 
den of  the  Encampment,  the  Rebekahs,  the  For- 
esters, the  Eagles  and  the  Order  of  Ben  Hur.  He 
is  a  young  man  of  excellent  business  ability,  very 
successful   in  his  chosen  line  of  endeavor. 


THE  ACME  BUSINESS  COLLEGE,  the  old- 
est and  largest  commercial  school  in  Snohomish 
county,  was  established  by  Miss  Carolyne  Patchin 
in  the  fall  of  19(10,  and  since  then  has  been  con- 
tinuously under  her  management. 

Miss  Patchin  is  exceptionally  well  qualified  for 
this  line  of  work,  as  she  has  had  much  experience 
as  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  and  other  cities,  and  has  also  had  an 
extensive  business  practice,  obtained  from  directing 
a  large  stenographic  office  in  Minneapolis,  Min- 
nesota. This  work  brought  her  into  contact  with 
the  foremost  business  and  professional  people  of 
that  city,  particularly  those  connected  with  law  and 
lumber.  The  experience  thus  obtained  by  her  in 
these  lines  of  work  is  of  particular  value  in  her 
present  position,  as  in  Snohomish  county  the  de- 
mand for  stenographers  arises  largely  from  those 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and  in  the  practice 
of  law.  Miss  Patchin  possesses  that  rare,  but  high- 
ly valuable  combination,  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
theory  and  principle,  and  a  working  knowledge 
obtained  from  the  actual  business  field.  The  Com- 
mercial Department  is  under  the  very  efficient  man- 
agement of  Mr.  R.  P.  Wood,  who,  besides  having 
enjoyed  a  liberal  education,  has  had  many  years 
of  high-class  experience  with  important  firms,  both 
in  the  East  and  West,  and  thus  can  bring  the  light 
of  practical  knowledge  to  bear  on  the  intricacies  of 
theory. 

In  business  college  work  it  is  coming  to  be  a 
recognized  axiom,  that  mere  text-book  or  theoreti- 
cal teachers  are  of  little  or  no  value  in  a  field  as 
practical  as  that  of  commercial  education.  The 
success  of  the  Acme  Business  College  is  largely  the 
result  of  a  due  comprehension  of  this  important 
fact.  Practical  teachers  using  the  best  methods, 
and  giving  a  maximum  of  personal  attention  to 
their  students  are  bound  to  succeed,  not  only  from 
their  standpoint,  but  also  from  that  of  the  pupils. 
Nothing  is  left  undone  that  is  possible  for  the 
teachers  to  do  in  trying  to  fit  the  students  to  be 
of  real  help  to  their  employers,  and  not  mere  salary 
drawers. 

The  western  spirit  of  determination  to  succeed 
in  spite  of  all  difficulties  has  always  been  shown 
in  the  management  of  this  school.  From  a  very 
few  pupils  in  1900  it  has  won  its  place  at  the  top, 
and  is  now  a  well-attended,  flourishing  institution. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


At  the  time  of  its  removal  from  the  Greenberg 
block,  owing  to  the  increase  in  number  of  students, 
its  present  quarters  were  re-decorated  and  furn- 
ished throughout,  and  to-day  the  rooms  and  equip- 
ment are  unsurpassed  by  any  other  college  on  the 
Sound.  The  rooms  were  originally  designed  for 
and  used  by  the  Everett  High  school,  and  therefore 
are  especially  adapted  for  school  purposes,  being 
large,  well-lighted  and  airy,  and  commanding  a 
magnificent  view  of  the  Sound.  In  order  to  keep 
fully  abreast  of  the  times,  eight  new  Remington 
typewriters  have  been  recently  added  to  the  type- 
writing department.  At  the  present  time,  the  Acme 
Business  College  is  the  only  school  in  this  territory 
equipped  with  the  latest  models,  thus  giving  to  its 
pupils  a  knowledge  of  the  most  modern  attach- 
ments, and  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  turn  out 
the  finest  work. 

The  Pitmanic  systems  of  shorthand — the  Mun- 
son,  Graham  and  Pitman — are  taught  by  the  prin- 
cipal, who  has  personal  supervision  of  the  Sten- 
ographic Department.  Touch  typewriting  is  taught 
by  a  new  and  original  method,  clearly  set  forth  in 
a  text-book  compiled  and  published  by  Miss 
Patchin,  which  has  met  with  the  most  gratifying 
success,  and  has  been  favorably  commented  on  by 
experts  in  that  line.  Evenness  of  touch  and  beau- 
tiful work  result  from  the  use  of  this  method.  This 
text-book  is  really  a  self-teacher.  Short  courses 
are  not  recommended  as  the  business  world  has  no 
use  for  half-fledged  assistants. 

The  introductory  and  intermediate  instruction 
in  the  Commercial  Department  is  mainly  imparted 
through  the  famous  Sadler-Rowe  Budget  System 
and  allied  text-books,  with  some  important  changes 
suggested  by  business  practice.  The  final  course 
consists  of  thorough  drills  in  the  lumber  business, 
with  the  especial  aim  of  giving  ample  practice  in 
modern  columnar  accounting,  covering  the  technical 
knowledge  of  underweights  and  overweights,  esti- 
mated freights,  etc.  The  book-keeping  instruction 
also  includes  practice  in  all  the  prominent  lines  of 
business. 

It  will  be  understood  from  what  has  been  said 
that  the  desire  of  the  management  of  the  Acme 
Business  College  is  to  be  the  best  school  for  pupils 
who  wish  to  be  the  best.  About  two-thirds  of  the 
stenographers  of  Everett  are  graduates  'of  this  Col- 
lege, and  there  are  many  others  in  Seattle  and 
other  cities.  While,  in  common  with  the  other 
high-class  and  reliable  institutions,  it  has  consist- 
ently taken  the  stand  that  positions  cannot  be  guar- 
anteed to  students,  yet,  owing  to  its  good  reputa- 
tion with  business  men,  it  has  experienced  very 
little  trouble  in  placing  all  its  graduates. 

Both  Miss  Patchin  and  Mr.  Wood  have  been 
for  several  years  Snohomish  county  residents,  and 
are  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  magnificent  future 
before    Everett  and   the   county  at   large.       With 


headquarters  in  Everett,  they  are  in  a  fine  position 
to  cater  to  the  commercial  educational  needs  of  all 
Snohomish  county  people  and  those  to  whom 
Everett  is  easily  accessible.  This  is  the  pioneer 
business  school  in  the  county.  It  has  been  through 
"hard  times"  "like  the  rest  of  us,"  but  is  now  look- 
ing forward  to  the  good  times  in  store  for  the  far 
Northwest. 


WILLIAM  G.  SWALWELL,  president  of  the 
Swalwell  Land  &  Trust  Company,  is  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  city  of  Everett  to  which  site  he 
came  in  1889.  No  man  has  taken  a  more  active  or 
effective  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  city.  The 
wise  system  of  industrial  economics  which  has  been 
brought  to  bear  in  the  development  of  Everett  has 
challenged  uniform  admiration,  for  while  there  has 
been  steady  advancement  along  material  lines  there 
has  been  an  entire  absence  of  that  inflation  of 
values  and  that  erratic  "booming"  without  founda- 
tion which  have  in  the  past  proven  the  death  knell 
to  many  western  localities.  Here,  under  the  guid- 
ance and  co-operation  of  such  men  as  Mr.  Swalwell, 
progress  has  been  made  continuously  and  along 
safe  lines,  and  in  the  healthful  growth  and  advance- 
ment of  the  city,  Mr.  Swalwell  has  been  a  most 
important  factor. 

A  native  of  Canada,  William  G.  Swalwell  was 
born  in  Portage  du  Fort,  on  the  Ottawa  river,  in 
1859.  His  father,  George  Swalwell,  was  born  in 
the  province  of  Ottawa,  and  his  mother  was  a 
native  of  Scotland,  who  was  brought  to  America 
during  her  infancy.  In  1889  George  Swalwell 
removed  with  his  family  to  Washington  and  en- 
gaged in  buying  and  selling  real  estate  on  his  own 
account.  He  built  the  first  Methodist  house  of 
worship  erected  in  Everett  and  was  a  devoted  mem- 
ber of  that  pioneer  society,  serving  it  also  as  an 
ofificer.  He  was  married  in  Canada  to  Isabel  Duff, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  all 
of  whom  are  residents  of  Everett:  William  G., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  Wellington  A.,  secretary 
of  the  Swalwell  Land,  Loan  &  Trust  Company ;  A. 
W.  and  W.  F.,  who  are  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business ;  R.  E.,  who  is  with  the  Swalwell  Paper 
Company;  J.  E.,  who  is  in  the  jewelry  business; 
and  J.  A.,  cashier  of  the  First  National  bank.  The 
father  died  in  June,  1901,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years,  but  Mrs.  Swalwell  is  still  living. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Canada  William  G. 
Swalwell  secured  his  school  training  and  afterward 
engaged  in  general  merchandising  for  nine  years. 
He  had  previously  made  a  visit  to  California  and 
Puget  sound,  in  1887,  and,  believing  that  unusually 
favorable  opportunities  awaited  the  business  man 
of  energy  in  this  section  of  the  country,  he  decided 
to  immigrate.  As  soon  as  he  could  make  arrange- 
ments he  removed  his  family  to  Tacoma,  where  he 
immediately  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business.   A 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


887 


year  later  he  met  Wyatt  J.  Rucker,  also  a  new- 
comer to  the  sound,  and  together  they  decided  to 
come  to  Port  Gardner  bay  and  take  land.  When 
Mr.  Swalwell  came  to  his  homestead  claim  the  land 
was  covered  with  a  growth  of  timber  so  dense  that 
the  trees  on  all  sides  touched  the  little  cabin  which 
he  erected.  Here  his  wife  lived  three  months  be- 
fore she  saw  a  woman,  so  wild  was  the  country  at 
that  time,  but  within  an  incredibly  short  period  a 
great  transformation  was  wrought  in  this  section. 
Mr.  Swalwell  cleared  his  land,  cutting  10.000  rail- 
road ties  from  his  forty-acre  homestead.  He  pur- 
chased the  land  between  his  homestead  and  the 
river  and  in  September,  1891,  platted  it  as  Swal- 
well's  First  Addition  to  the  City  of  Everett,  anti- 
cipating the  Colby-Hoyt  s\aidicate,  and  thus  giving 
the  present  metropolis  its  real  inception,  as  nar- 
rated at  length  in  the  general  chapters  of  this  work. 
A  little  later  he  platted  the  homestead  into  the 
Second  Addition.  He  built  the  McCabe  block  that 
same  fall,  graded  and  planked  Hewitt  avenue  at  a 
cost  of  about  $15,000,  and  erected  the  Swalwell 
block,  a  three-story  pressed  brick  structure,  the 
first  fine  block  in  the  town  and  still  one  of  the  city's 
best  structures.  In  this  latter  block  the  First  Na- 
tional bank  was  located  until  1900. 

In  1893  ]\Ir.  Swalwell  organized  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Everett,  became  its  president,  and 
afterward  acquired  the  stock  of  other?  so  that  he 
was  its  sole  owner.  He  held  this  until  I'.hii.  wlien 
the  bank  was  consolidated  with  the  Everett  Xa- 
tional,  forming  the  present  institution  with  deposits 
in  excess  of  a  million  and  a  quarter  dollars.  ETpon 
this  merger  being  effected,  Mr.  Swalwell  resigned 
as  president,  not  wishing  to  be  hampered  with  the 
arduous  duties,  but  retained  his  directorship  on 
the  board,  which  thus  profits  by  his  wise  counsel 
and  experience.  He  now  devotes  his  time  exclu- 
sively to  the  Swalwell  Land,  Loan  &  Trust  Com- 
pany, which  has  been  incorporated.  The  stock  is  held 
exclusively  by  himself  and  wife.  Mr.  Swalwell  has 
erected  many  frame  and  brick  business  blocks  and 
about  fifty  residences,  his  own  being  built  in  the 
year  1893  on  the  old  homestead  tract.  In  con- 
nection with  other  business  pursuits,  he  is  also 
president  of  the  Mitchell  Land  &  Improvement 
Company,  and  is  among  the  heaviest  realty  holders 
in  the  city. 

Mr.  Swalwell  was  married  in  Canada,  Septem- 
bbr  17,  1884,  to  Miss  Effie  Fowler,  a  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  Hiram  Fowler.  To  this  union  four  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  Herbert  G.,  who  is  attend- 
ing Whitworth  College  at  Tacoma;  Melvin  F., 
Vivien  and  Winifred,  at  home.  Mrs.  Swalwell  is 
a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  whose 
services  the  family  attend.  Mr.  Swalwell  is  one 
of  the  trustees  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation and  of  the  Everett  Public  Library,  and  is  a 
■director  of  the  local  Chamber  of  Commerce.     He 


has  ever  been  prominent  in  the  last  named  organi- 
zation, which  has  done  so  much  to  promote  the 
growth  of  the  city.  In  its  early  days,  Mr.  Swalwell 
served  as  a  member  of  the  city's  first  council  and 
on  its  pioneer  school  board.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  and  fraternally,  is  a  chapter 
Mason  and  affiliated  with  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  Unusual 
and  deserved  success  has  crowned  his  endeavors  in 
the  business  world  and  to-day  he  stands  among  the 
leading  capitalists  of  this  section  of  the  state,  who 
owe  their  advancement  to  their  own  efforts.  His 
labors,  moreover,  have  been  of  marked  value  to 
the  community  in  promoting  growth,  stability  and 
real  progress,  and  as  a  distinguished  and  honored 
citizen  he  is  deserving  of  a  prominent  place  among 
these  annals. 


THOMAS  E.  HEADLEE,  mayor  of  Everett, 
now  serving  his  second  term  as  the  official  head 
of  that  municipality,  is  making  a  record  for  honest, 
wholesome,  business-like  administration  that  is  not 
only  highly  creditable  to  himself  but  worthy  of 
the  progressive  metropolis  on  Port  Gardner  bay. 
A  lawyer  by  profession,  ex-auditor  of  the  county, 
at  present  chief  clerk  and  head  book-keeper  of  the 
Clark-Nickerson  Lumber  Company,  in  touch  with 
both  labor  and  capital,  he  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  his_ 
exalted  position,  a  fact  quite  apparent  to  his  fellow" 
citizens.  Mr.  Headlee  is  a  son  of  E.  Headlee,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  who  came  west  to  Iowa  when  a 
young  man  and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. In  1890  he  removed  to  Snohomish  county 
and  here  resided,  an  esteemed  citizen,  until  his 
death  four  years  later.  Mrs.  Headlee,  the  mother 
of  Thomas  E.,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Harriet 
Humes,  and  is  a  sister  of  Judge  Humes,  ex-mayor 
of  Seattle.  She  was  born  in  Indiana  and  when  a 
little  girl  went  with  her  parents  to  Iowa,  where 
she  was  educated  and  where  her  marriage  took 
place.  The  children  of  this  union,  now  living,  are : 
Francis  M.,  of  Arizona,  one  of  Snohomish  county's 
pioneer  lawyers,  who  preceded  the  rest  of  his  family 
west,  a  man  of  marked  ability,  widely  known  and 
respected :  Alice,  the  wife  of  Charles  T.  Smith, 
Granite  Falls ;  James  W.,  Everett ;  the  subject  of 
this  review ;  Etta,  wife  of  Fred  S.  Anderson,  ex- 
mayor  of  Snohomish ;  and  Elsie,  now  Mrs.  E.  W. 
Mathewson  of  Everett,  also  Sarah,  wife  of  C.  H. 
Lamprey,  of  Snohomish.  George  T.  and  Charles 
W.  are  deceased. 

Thomas  E.  Headlee  was  born  at  W'hat-cheer, 
Iowa,  September  1,  1867.  He  attended  the  public 
school  and  later  a  local  business  college,  meanwhile 
assisting  his  father  on  the  farm.  Until  1890  he 
made  his  home  with  his  parents,  but  in  that  year 
joined  Francis  M.  at  Snohomish,  determined  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  the  great  Northwest.  Entering 
his  brother's  office,  the  young  man  read  law  during 
the  ensuing  three  years  and  in  1893  was  admitted 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


to  the  bar.  Following  his  admittance  the  brothers 
formed  a  partnership  and  for  a  year  practised  to- 
gether in  Snohomish  City.  Then  the  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  took  charge  of  the  Anderson  shingle 
mill  at  Granite  Falls,  one  of  the  pioneer  mills  in 
that  section.  He  had  served  as  deputy  county  audi- 
tor five  months  in  1891,  under  George  C.  Ruft, 
resigning  to  better  pursue  his  studies,  so  that  in 
1896,  when  the  Democratic  party  was  seeking  a 
competent  man  to  nominate  for  auditor,  Mr.  Head- 
lee  was  considered  well  qualified  and  given  the 
place.  He  was  elected  in  1896  and  re-elected  in 
1898,  leaving  behind  a  most  creditable  record  as  a 
public  ofiicer.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his  last 
term,  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Clark-Nicker- 
son  Lumber  Company,  one  of  the  largest  on  the 
sound,  and  has  remained  with  that  corporation  ever 
since.  In  December,  1903,  he  was  again  called  into 
public  service,  this  time  to  serve  as  mayor  of  Ever- 
ett, being  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  A  re- 
election in  190-1  evidenced  the  people's  faith  in  him. 
Mr.  Headlee  and  Miss  May  Foss,  the  daughter 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  Foss,  of  Snohomish,  were 
united  in  marriage  March  23,  1896.  Mrs.  Headlee 
was  born  in  Snohomish,  her  parents  being  early 
pioneers  of  this  county.  A  biographical  review  of 
the  Foss  family  appears  elsewhere  in  these  records. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Headlee's  three  children  are  Audrey, 
aged  nine ;  Thomas  E.,  Jr.,  seven  years  old ;  and 
Fred  F.,  one  year  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Headlee  are 
well  known  in  Everett's  social  circles,  and  in  fra- 
ternal life  Mr.  Headlee  is  identified  with  the  Wood- 
men and  the  Redmen.  Mayor  Headlee  has  for 
many  years  past  contributed  freely  and  ably  to  the 
general  progress  of  his  home  city  and  county,  serv- 
ing faithfully  and  efficiently  as  a  public  official, 
zealously  promoting  the  business  interests  with 
which  he  is  connected,  and  by  his  many  sterling 
personal  qualities  reaching  an  honorable  position 
among  his  fellow  men. 


HENRY  HEWITT,  JR.— Notwithstanding  the 
animus  which  some  men  feel  or  afifect  to  feel  to- 
ward men  of  great  wealth,  there  is,  and  must  al- 
ways be,  a  deep  seated  respect  in  the  breasts  of 
men  in  general  for  the  conspicuously  successful  in 
that  species  of  conflict  in  which  all  must,  perforce, 
engage  and  in  which  so  few  have  the  qualifications 
to  wage  a  wining  warfare.  Courage,  steadfastness 
of  purpose,  heroism  in  meeting  disappointments 
and  discouragements,  marvelous  capacity  for  labor, 
genius  for  details,  splendid  generalship,  broad 
knowledge  of  men  and  things  and  all  but  prophetic 
foresight — who  does  not  admire  these  qualities? 
and  yet  which  of  these  qualities  is  lacking  in  any 
of  the  commanding  geniuses  of  finance?  Certainly 
all  have  been  manifested  in  the  career  of  Henry 
Hewitt,  Jr.,  who  with  no  special  advantages  to  begin 
with  has  climbed  to  the  top  round  of  the  ladder 


of  industrial  success,  at  times  proving  himself  the 
peer  or  even  the  superior  of  some  of  the  best 
known  financiers  of  the  American  Union. 

Mr.  Hewitt  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in 
Lancashire  in  1840,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Proctor)  Hewitt.  His  father,  who  was  born  in 
England  in  1819,  came  to  America  in  1839,  located 
in  Racine,  Wisconsin,  and  engaged  in  contracting. 
Later  he  moved  to  Chicago  and  became  one  of  the 
original  contractors  on  the  Illinois  &  Mississippi 
canal,  whence  the  pursuit  of  his  business  finally 
led  him  to  Kaukauna,  Wisconsin,  which  city  was 
his  headquarters  for  two  decades.  During  all  this 
time  he  was  engaged  in  large  construction  enter- 
prises, among  them  being  the  canal  from  the  Missis- 
sippi river  to  Green  Bay,  a  government  undertak- 
ing of  great  magnitude.  In  later  life  he  removed  to 
Menasha,  Wisconsin,  and  built  the  government  lock 
there.  He  also  became  the  principal  owner  of  two 
banks,  the  First  National  of  Neenah  and  the  First 
National  of  Menasha.  In  the  work  at  Chicago, 
mentioned  above,  he  was  simply  a  subcontractor. 
The  failure  of  the  original  contractors  left  him  with 
many  obligations  and  with  nothing  to  meet  them 
but  his  reserve  resources,  accumulated  in  other' 
ventures,  but  he  honestly  paid  every  dollar  of  this 
indebtedness,  although  it  left  him  penniless.  Such 
were  his  splendid  abilities,  however,  that  he  soon 
recovered  himself  and  at  the  time  of  his  demise  in 
1901  he  was  a  very  wealthy  man.  In  all  his  opera- 
tions he  had  able  assistance  from  his  wife,  our  sub- 
ject's mother,  who  not  only  acted  as  his  secretary 
but  shared  with  him,  in  a  measure,  the  manage- 
ment of  his  extensive  enterprises.  She  too  was 
possessed  of  unusual  abilities  and  rare  good  judg- 
ment in  industrial  matters.  She  was  a  native  of 
England,  born  in  1821,  the  daughter  of  an  exten- 
sive agriculturist  of  that  country. 

Henry  Hewitt,  Jr.,  with  whom  this  article  is  more 
directly  concerned,  was  but  an  infant  when  brought 
by  his  parents  to  America.  After  receiving  the 
usual  public  school  training,  he  spent  a  short  term 
in  Lawrence  university,  at  Appleton,  Wisconsin, 
and  later  he  spent  a  few  months  in  a  Chicago  busi- 
ness college,  but  he  never  completed  a  course  in 
any  institution.  He  began  the  active  duties  of  life 
at  sixteen  as  his  father's  assistant,  learning,  at  that 
early  age,  the  important  lesson  of  how  to  direct 
and  control  men.  Two  years  later  he  had  his  first 
experience  in  the  lumber  business,  his  father  having 
fitted  him  out  with  teams,  etc.,  and  launched  him 
in  the  industry  for  himself  on  Wolf  river,  Wis- 
consin. From  that  day  to  the  present  he  has  been 
interested  in  this  line  of  endeavor  on  a  constantly 
enlarging  scale.  At  the  early  age  of  twenty,  he 
took  a  contract  to  build  a  lock  and  dam  at  Portage 
City,  Wisconsin,  the  consideration  for  his  work 
being  a  grant  of  land  from  the  Fox  River  &  Wis- 
consin  Improvement   Company.       The   contract,  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


large  one,  was  carried  through  with  the  help  of 
his  father  and  the  land  secured,  and-  thus  he  came 
into  possession  of  his  first  realty ;  thus  was  he 
started  in  a  career  of  land  accumulation  which  has 
resulted  in  his  acquiring  thousands  of  acres  in  dif- 
ferent states.  j\Ir.  Hewitt  was  busy  with  his  gov- 
ernment contract  when  the  war  broke  out  so  could 
not  participate  in  person,  but  he  sent  a  substitute, 
and  his  father  having  also  sent  one  for  him  without 
his  knowledge,  he  was  doubly  represented  in  the 
war  for  the  Union.  After  the  close  of  that  struggle 
the  father  and  son  together  started  a  bank,  and  of 
this  institution  the  younger  Hewitt  was  cashier  for 
the  ensuing  fifteen  years.  All  this  time  he  dictated 
the  policy  of  the  bank;  that  his  management  was 
wise,  his  judgment  good,  is  abundantly  evident 
from  the  fact  that  in  the  decade  and  a  half  the 
losses  from  bad  loans  amounted  to  only  three  hun- 
dred dollars  and  this  sum  was  lost  in  a  compromise 
settlement.  Mr.  Hewitt's  energies  were  too  great 
to  find  scope  for  their  activity  in  one  line  of  en- 
deavor, so  he  carried  on  a  lumbering  business  in 
addition  to  his  banking,  and  also  augmented  his 
fortune  by  judicious  speculation;  indeed  it  was  at 
this  time  that  he  scored  one  of  his  greatest  suc- 
cesses. His  father,  fearing  a  panic,  advised  a  sale 
of  their  land  holdings  at  a  sacrifice,  but  he  could 
see  no  grounds  for  apprehension,  so  he  not  only 
held  onto  his  own  lands  but  bought  his  father's 
also.  His  judgment  proved  correct  and  one  of  the 
longest  strides  in  his  pathway  to  phenomenal  suc- 
cess was  made.  After  that  time  he  was  not  asso- 
ciated with  the  elder  Hewitt  except  in  the  bank. 
He  continued  his  land  buying  policy,  securing  forty 
thousand  acres  in  Arkansas,  thirty  thousand  of 
which  he  still  retains,  twelve  hundred  acres  in 
Chautauqua  county,  Kansas,  four  thousand  in  Mi^-- 
souri,  three  or  four  thousand  near  the  iron  mines 
of  Duluth,  and  eight  thousand  in  the  iron  fields  of 
Michigan,  upon  which  are  two  paying  mines  and 
others  in  process  of  development. 

When  Mr.  Hewitt  decided  to  come  west  in  1888 
he  sold  some  $380,000  worth  of  pine  lands  in  Wis- 
consin and  northern  Michigan  that  he  might  have 
plenty  of  capital  to  operate  with.  Visiting  Arizona 
and  Alexico,  he  built  a  smelter  at  Xogales,  on  the 
American  side  of  the  line,  designed  to  reduce  ore 
shipped  across  the  border,  but  a  change  in  the  duty 
on  lead  made  the  plant  unprofitable,  so  he  closed  it 
down  after  having  run  it  a  year,  though  he  still 
owns  it.  He  then  went  to  San  Francisco,  and 
.thence  into  the  red  wood  districts,  where  he  made 
the  discovery  that  the  people  were  using  more 
Puget  sound  fir  than  they  were  of  the  timber  which 
grew  at  their  own  doors.  This  determined  him  to 
come  to  Washingffln.  After  examining  the  Gray's 
harbor  country.  Port  Gamer  bay  and  the  timber 
resources  of  Pierce  county,  he  decided  to  locate  at 
Tacoma,  thinking  that  would  be  the  central  point. 


There  he  associated  himself  with  Col.  C.  W.  Griggs, 
A.  G.  Foster,  the  ex-senator,  and  C.  H.  Jones,  a 
brother-in-law  and  a  lumberman  from  Michigan, 
for  the  purpose  of  buying  vast  estates  from  the 
Northern  Pacific  Company.  They  acquired  eighty 
thousand  acres  of  timber  lands  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tacoma  and  elsewhere  in  the  Sound  country, 
erected  a  large  mill  at  Tacoma  and  began  operations. 
They  now  have  two  mills  with  a  combined  output  of 
500,000  feet  per  day.  x\t  this  time  Mr.  Hewitt  heard 
of  the  timber  resources  of  the  Snohomish  river 
and  came  in  person  to  investigate,  hiring  Indians 
to  take  him  over  the  ground.  The  result  was  the 
purchase  by  him  of  four  hundred  million  feet  of 
timber,  but  his  visit  also  had  a  very  important  inci- 
dental result,  important  not  alone  to  himself  but 
to  the  country  in  general.  While  he  was  opening 
up  the  river  and  arranging  for  a  boom  site  his  at- 
tention was  attracted  by  the  advantages  of  the  land 
upon  which  Everett  now  stands  for  town  building 
purposes ;  he  investigated  it  thoroughly  and  began 
buying  it.  Now  about  this  time  Charles  L.  Colby, 
principal  owner  of  the  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad 
and  interested  with  John  D.  Rockefeller  in  building 
the  Chicago  Terminal  road,  together  with  Angus 
McDougail,  the  celebrated  inventor  and  promoter 
of  the  whaleback  type  of  vessel,  were  on  the  sound, 
looking  for  a  site  for  their  proposed  whaleback- 
building  establishment.  They  had  about  completed 
arrangements  with  the  citizens  of  Anacortes  for 
the  location  of  the  plant'  there,  but  Mr.  Hewitt 
took  advantage  of  an  invitation  to  accompany  them 
on  a  trip  to  Alaska  to  argue  the  advantages  of  his 
newly  discovered  town  site.  On  this  Alaska  trip, 
besides  the  gentlemen  mentioned  were  Henry  C. 
Davis,  private  secretar}'  to  President  Oakes  of  the 
Northern  I^cific  Railroad,  and  John  Plummer. 

Mr.  Hewitt  believes  that  his  presentation  of  the 
wonderful  advantages  of  both  river  and  bay  and 
tile  excellent  wharf  facilities,  etc.,  besides  his  state- 
merits  that  the  public-spirited  owners  of  the  land, 
Messrs.  Rucker,  Swalwell,  Smith  and  others,  would 
give  half  their  holdings  as  a  bonus,  had  much  to  do 
with  their  ultimately  choosing  Everett  as  the  site 
of  their  operations.  The  outcome  was  an  agree- 
ment that  all  should  investigate  the  situation  and  if 
found  as  Mr.  Hewitt  said  that  funds  should  be 
placed  subject  to  his  check  with  which  to  buy  up 
the  site,  establish  mills,  inaugurate  enterprises,  etc. 
He  was  authorized  to  spend  not  to  exceed  $800,000, 
but  in  the  expenditure  of  that  sum  was  left  abso- 
lutely to  his  own  judgment.  He  immediately  made 
a  bargain  with  Rucker,  Friday  and  Swalwell  for 
half  their  holdings,  eight  hundred  acres.  They 
gave  four  hundred  and  Hewitt,  as  agent  for  his 
company,  purchased  about  two  hundred  more.  He 
then  made  a  bargain  with  E.  D.  Smith  for  a  large 
part  of  his  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Lowell,  securing 
altogether    over    six   thousand    acres.      They   then 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


commenced  to  lay  out  the  town,  clearing  off  the 
lands,  building  roads,  etc.  The  Smith  property 
was  secured  under  an  agreement  that  a  paper  mill 
should  be  built,  and  machinery  for  the  mill,  the 
barge  works  and  the  nail  factory  were  all  ordered 
and  brought  around  the  Horn  in  the  Whaleback 
Wetmore.  The  buildings  were  all  up  ready  for  the 
machinery  when  she  arrived  in  port.  He  then  gave 
sites  for  several  shingle  and  saw-mills  and  built 
a  large  mill  of  their  own,  the  Pioneer,  at  a  site 
more  appropriate  for  a  light  house  than  a  saw-mill, 
the  idea  being  to  begin  building  a  bulkhead,  which, 
it  was  expected,  would  eventually  result  in  harbor 
improvements.  A  town  of  six  thousand  people 
immediately  sprang  into  existence,  with  six  banks, 
hotels,  factories,  schools,  churches,  etc.  Sites  for 
all  the  churches  were  donated  by  the  company.  Then 
came  the  panic  of  1893  which  almost  wrecked  the 
enterprise.  As  a  natural  result  of  the  depression 
disputes  arose  among  the  members  of  the  com- 
pany, who  disagreed  as  to  the  best  means  of  stem- 
ming the  adverse  financial  tide.  The  eastern  part- 
ners wanted  to  bond  the  town  for  $1,500,000  with 
which  to  proceed  with  the  work,  and  did  go  so  far 
as  to  print  the  bonds  and  have  them  signed  by  the 
vice-president,  but  Mr.  Hewitt  would  not  agree  to 
this ;  his  plan  was  to  quit  spending  money  and 
simply  hold  onto  what  they  had  until  the  hard 
times  were  over.  The  disputes  eventuated  in  threats 
on  the  part  of  the  eastern  men  of  lawsuits,  bank- 
ruptcy proceedings,  etc.,  and  even  accusations 
against  Mr.  Hewitt  of  having  used  company  funds 
for  his  own  benefit.  He  had  invested  forty-eight 
thousand  dollars  of  his  own  money  in  the  enter- 
prise, together  with  all  his  salary,  and  he  was  still 
indebted  to  the  company  in  the  sum  of  $150,000,  so' 
they  had  a  chance  to  do  him  serious  damage,  if 
they  wished,  by  closing  down  on  him.  He  was, 
however,  fully  equal  to  the  occasion.  Ultimately 
they  called  him  to  New  York  for  a  conference. 
Before  responding  to  their  invitation,  he  organized 
the  Hewitt  Land  Company,  deeded  most  of  his  land 
holdings  to  it,  and  gave  stock  in  the  corporation 
to  his  creditors,  of  whom  he  had  many  in  Tacoma 
and  elsewhere  at  this  time;  then  he  went  to  the 
conference.  After  a  two  weeks'  stay  in  New  York 
he  returned  west  with  all  the  charges  against  him 
withdrawn  and  armed  with  still  greater  powers  of 
management  than  ever  before.  He  had  had  a  long 
conference  with  Rockefeller  which  resulted  at 
length  in  the  assumption  on  the  part  of  that  finan- 
cier and  his  associates  of  all  Mr.  Hewitt's  out- 
standing obligations  in  exchange  for  his  paper  mill 
and  factory  stock.  They  also  gave  him,  in  this 
deal,  some  lands  and  mortgages  and  about  four- 
teen thousand  dollars  in  cash,  stipulating  that  he 
should  remain  in  charge  of  the  work  in  Everett 
and  should  continue  his  two  banks.  He  maintained 
his  mills  and  banks  in  Everett  all  through  the  hard 


time  and  did  what  he  could  for  the  upholding  and 
progress  of  the  town,  but  since  the  return  of  pros- 
perity he  has  closed  out  many  of  his  interests  there, 
not  on  account  of  any  lack  of  faith  in  its  future, 
but  because  of  the  insistent  demands  of  his  other 
undertakings.  He  has  since  purchased  a  billion 
feet  of  timber  on  the  coast  from  British  Columbia 
to  California,  has  paid  every  dollar  he  owed  both 
east  and  west  and  has  the  Hewitt  Land  Company 
in  his  family,  also  owns  the  Hewitt  Investment 
Company  and  other  highly  valuable  holdings,  upon 
which  there  is  not  one  dollar  of  indebtedness.  He 
is  owner  of  a  one-fourth  interest  in  the  St.  Paul, 
Tacoma  Lumber  Company,  which  is  free  from  in- 
debtedness, and  owns  property  worth  more  than 
$7,000,000.  Of  this  company  he  was  treasurer  for 
fifteen  years,  resigning  at  last  because  of  lack  of 
time  to  attend  to  the  duties  of  the  office. 

In  Menasha,  Wisconsin,  about  1870,  Mr.  Hewitt 
married  Miss  Rocena  L.  Jones,  whose  father, 
Daniel,  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  about  1814,  was 
for  years  a  prominent  manufacturer  of  wagon  ma- 
terials. He  is  living  at  present  in  Appleton,  Wis- 
consin. Mrs.  Hewitt's  mother,  Clarissa  L.  (Hib- 
bard)  Jones,  was  born  in  Vermont  about  1820  and 
died  about  1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hewitt  are  parents 
of  five  children,  namely,  William,  now  in  the  lum- 
ber business  in  King  county  and  doing  well ;  John, 
a  very  valuable  assistant  to  his  father  in  his  ex- 
tensive operations ;  Henry,  just  out  of  college,  in- 
terested in  the  saw-mill  of  the  Hewitt-Lee  Lumber 
Company  on  Lake  Washington ;  J\Irs.  Clara  Lee, 
and  Mary,  the  last  mentioned  still  at  home.  The 
family  adhere  to  the  Congregational  church,  and 
in  politics  Mr.  Hewitt  is  a  Republican,  although  of 
the  independent  type.  In  reference  to  his  marvel- 
ous success  in  the  accumulation  of  wealth  it  is  but 
fair  to  add  that  while  the  increase  of  property 
values  has  helped  him  as  it  must  help  every  man 
who  deals  extensively  and  judiciously  in  realty,  he 
has  wi'ii  lii.^  \\a\-  not  by  stock  gambling  or  by  or- 
ganiziii'^-  liu>is  <ir  other  questionable  combinations 
of  capital,  but  essentially  by  carrying  through  legi- 
timate enterprises  on  a  large  scale ;  that  his  suc- 
cess has  therefore  been  the  success  of  the  countries 
in  which  he  has  operated  and  he  is  entitled  to  the 
credit  of  having  been  a  public  benefactor  in  the 
direction  of  contributing  immeasurably  to  indus- 
trial progress.  He  has  been  the  means  of  bringing 
ten  millions  of  dollars  to  the  state  of  Washington. 


"SAMUEL  HENRY  PILES.  Republican,  of 
Seattle,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Livingston  county, 
Kentucky,  December  28,  IS.-iS.  and  was  educated 
at  private  schools  at  Smithland.  in  his  native  state. 
After  being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  started  for  the 
West,  and  in  1882  located  in  the  Territory  of  Wash- 
ington ;  opened  a  law  office  in  Snohomish,  Wash- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ington,  in  1883;  in  1886  moved  for  a  short  time  to 
Spokane,  Washington,  and  later  in  the  same  year 
to  Seattle,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided  and 
practiced  law ;  in  1887-1889  was  assistant  prose- 
cuting attorney  for  the  district  composed  of  King, 
Kitsap,  and  Snohomish  counties ;  in  1888-89  was 
city  attorney  of  Seattle.  These  are  the  only  offices 
that  Mr.  Piles  ever  filled  or  sought  until  his  election 
to  the  United  States  senate.  In  1895  he  was  ap- 
pointed general  counsel  of  the  Oregon  Improve- 
ment Company,  and  when  that  company  was  reor- 
ganized by  the  formation  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Com- 
pany he  was  made  general  counsel  of  the  latter 
company,  holding  this  position  until  his  election  to 
the  senate.  He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  Re- 
publican politics  in  the  territory  and  state  of  Wash- 
ington for  the  past  twenty  years ;  was  elected  Janu- 
ary 28,  1905,  to  the  United  States  senate,  to  suc- 
ceed Hon.  A.  G.  Foster,  and  took  his  seat  March 
4th  following.  His  term  of  office  will  expire 
March  3,  1911." 

Such  is  the  brief  outline  of  Senator  Piles'  career 
preserved  in  the  records  of  the  United  States  sen- 
ate. It  gives  no  hint  of  the  sustained  struggle  by 
which  the  man  fought  his  way  from  obscurity  and 
poverty  to  one  of  the  highest  positions  of  trust 
within  the  grasp  of  the  aspiring  American.  Thor- 
oughly in  love  with  his  profession,  he  stuck  to  the 
law  with  all  diligence  until  he  had  gained  a  place 
in  the  front  rank  among  the  jurists  of  the  state  of 
Washington,  and  until  the  invitation  was  received 
to  come  up  higher.  Eldridge  Morse,  the  man  who 
first  was  wont  to  appear  against  him  in  Snohomish 
county  as  opposing  counsel  in  the  trial  of  causes, 
once  remarked  to  the  writer  that  the  success  of 
"Sammy"  Piles  was  honestly  won  and  richly 
merited. 

Mr.  Piles'  father  and  mother  were  pioneers  of 
the  state  of  Kentucky.  His  father  was  a  slave- 
holder when  the  war  broke  out,  but  did  not  believe 
in  the  institution  of  slavery.  He  inherited  his 
slaves  from  his  parents.  Senator  Piles,  has  two 
brothers  and  two  sisters ;  one  brother,  Hugh,  is  a 
merchant  at  Fulton.  Kentucky ;  the  other.  Matt., 
until  recently  a  resident  of  Olympia,  Washington, 
is  at  present  engaged  in  business  in  .\laska.  One 
sister  is  the  wife  of  W.  Henry  Yandell,  of  Seattle, 
Washington,  and  the  other  of  Judge  John  R.  Winn, 
of  Juneau.  Alaska.  Mr.  Piles  was  married  on 
September  15,  1891,  at  Henderson,  Kentucky,  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Barnard,  whose  father  and  mother 
were  also  pioneers  of  Kentucky.  He  is  the  father  of 
three  children — two  sons  and  a  daughter.  Although 
Senator  Piles  is  deeply  attached  to  Seattle,  where 
his  home  now  is,  he  cherishes  towards  the  city  and 
county  of  Snohomish  feelings  of  positive  and  un- 
swerving affection.  ?iIore  than  twenty-three  years 
ago  he  entered  that  community  and  cast  his  for- 
tunes  with   those   hardy   pioneers,   many  of  whom 


were  to  become  powerful  and  influential  citizens 
of  the  future  state  of  Washington.  Some  of  those 
men  were  at  that  time  struggling  for  day's  wages 
in  logging  camps  in  Snohomish  county.  They  were 
young  boys,  full  of  fun  and  freak,  and  they  be- 
came greatly  attached  to  the  briefless,  penniless 
young  lawyer  who  had  come  to  make  his  home 
among  them.  The  friendships  then  formed  were 
never  to  be  broken ;  and  it  is  perhaps  worth  more 
than  passing  mention  that  among  Mr.  Piles'  warm- 
est and  most  zealous  supporters  in  his  contest  for 
the  senatorship  were  some  of  those  old-time  boys 
from  the  logging  camps,  who,  in  the  meantime,  had 
grown  to  be  strong  and  influential  citizens  of  the 
state.  They  knew  all  about  Sam.  Piles'  early  strug- 
gles; they  remembered  him  when  he  landed,  "flat 
broke,"  at  Stanwood,  and  took  a  job  as  clerk  in 
Jack  Irving's  store  at  $30.00  per  month,  and  they 
recall  with  a  feeling  of  pride  the  fall  of  1883,  when 
the  young  lawyer,  after  having  earned  money 
enough  through  his  clerkship,  moved  to  Snohomish 
and  opened  an  office  there,  in  which  the  furniture 
consisted  of  a  smooth  board  for  a  desk,  a  three- 
legged  stove,  a  chair  and  a  drug-box  presented  by 
Lot.  Wilbur,  pioneer  druggist  of  Snohomish  coun- 
ty, as  a  token  of  goodwill,  from  which  humble  be- 
ginning young  Piles  built  up  the  largest  law  prac- 
tice in  the  county.  Those  who  knew  Sam.  Piles  in 
those  days  do  not  need  to  be  told  now  that  he 
looks  back  most  tenderly  to  his  first  home  in  the 
territory  of  Washington ;  that  he  has  a  feeling  of 
gentle  and  sentimental  attachment  for  the  county 
and  its  people,  to  whom  he  will  always  consider 
himself  greatly  indebted,  and  for  whom  he  has  the 
desire  to  do  all  he  can  in  the  exalted  position  with 
which  the  state  of  Washington  has  honored  him. 
He  has  frequently  been  heard  to  say  in  public 
speeches,  that  he  is  more  indebted  to  the  people  of 
Snohomish  county  for  the  success  which  has  at- 
tended his  efforts  in  life  than  to  any  other  people ; 
for  there,  in  his  early  youth  and  hardest  struggles, 
he  was  aided  and  encouraged  beyond  his  deserts 
by  the  people  of  that  county. 


JOHN  E.  ^IcMAXUS  was  born  in  Philadel- 
phia. Pennsylvania,  July  21,  1850,  a  son  of  John 
McManus,  who  was  also  born  in  the  Keystone 
state  and  who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  his 
people  settling  in  Pennsylvania  about  1780.  John 
McJiIanus,  the  father,  was  a  merchant  and  manu- 
facturer of  prominence  in  his  community ;  for  sev- 
eral years  he  was  largely  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facturer of  leather,  but  also  devoted  considerable 
attention  to  mercantile  pursuits.  He  was  nom- 
inated for  congress  in  the  first  congressional  district 
of  Pennsylvania  (afterwards  represented  by  Hon. 
Samuel  J.  Randall)  by  the  Democratic  party,  but 
declined  to  run  because  of  his  great  admiration  for 
Abraham  Lincoln.    He  had  the  distinguished  honor 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


of  being  one  of  the  hundred  men  chosen  to  guard 
the  person  of  Mr.  Lincohi  at  his  first  inauguration. 
Mr.  McManus,  Sr.,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  A.  Moran,  who  was  Hkewise  born  in  the 
Keystone  state  and  who  was  of  German-Irish  ex^ 
traction,  her  ancestors  having  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1763.  Her  grandfather  was  one  of  the 
soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  who  foughf 
for  American  independence,  and  her  brother,  the 
Hon.  Benjamin  ]\Ioran,  was  for  twenty  years  secre- 
tary of  the  legation  at  London,  while  subsequently 
he  was  appointed  and  served  as  minister  to  Portu- 
gal. He  won  distinction  in  diplomatic  circles  and 
belonged  to  a  family  noted  for  the  number  of  its 
members  who  were  prominent  in  military  and  poli- 
tical life.  To  John  and  Mary  (Moran)  McManus 
were  born  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of 
whom  passed  away  in  childhood,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  John  E.  McManus  of  Seattle,  and  his  two 
sisters,  now  living  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 
The  father  died  in  1875  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years  and  the  mother  at  the  age  of  seventy  years, 
in  1889. 

John  E.  McManus  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Philadelphia,  and  completed  the  high 
school  course  by  graduation  on  the  11th  of  July, 
1867,  when  he  was  16  years  of  age.  He  then 
entered  the  government  printing  office  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  remaining  only  a  short  time  on  account 
of  ill  health,  when  he  engaged  with  a  government 
surveying  corps,  that  he  might  benefit  by  the  out- 
door life.  With  this  corps  he  went  to  Colorado, 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  after  which  he  returned 
to  the  Indian  Territory  and  engaged  in  surveying 
the  Chickasaw  Indian  Reservation,  and  the  section 
that  now  comprises  Oklahoma.  In  1871  he  returned 
to  Philadelphia  and  was  engaged  in  newspaper 
work  for  several  years,  being  successfully  employed 
in  the  offices  of  the  Press,  Times  and  Record ;  dur- 
ing all  of  this  period  Mr.  McManus  was  also  inter- 
ested in  mining  in  Colorado  and  Arizona,  and  has 
maintained  his  interests  in  mining  property  to  the 
present  time.  In  1881  he  returned  to  Colorado,  but 
remained  for  only  a  brief  period  when  he  took  up 
his  abode  in  his  native  city  and  was  engaged  on  the 
staff  of  the  Record  until  1889,  when  he  came  to 
Washington  and  located  at  Tacoma.  There  he  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business  and  also  published 
The  Weekly  Record,  which  was  afterwards  sold 
to  the  Real  Estate  Record  Company  of  Tacoma. 
He  was  also  manager  of  The  Daily  Globe  of  Taco- 
ma for  some  time.  In  1891  Mr.  McManus  went 
to  Everett  and  became  heavily  interested  in  the 
Mitchell  Land  &  Improvement  Company,  which  at 
that  time  controlled  large  property  interests  there. 
While  living  in  Everett  he  was  also  president  of 
the  Bank  of  Everett,  and  established  and  was  the 
principal  owner  of  The  Everett  Herald.  In  1898 
Mr.  McManus  removed  to  Seattle,  where  he  has 


been  engaged  in  the  mining  business  continuously 
ever  since. 

In  1871,  John  E.  McManus  was  appointed 
United  States  Commissioner  for  the  Western  Dis- 
trict of  Arkansas,  and  sat  as  a  committing  magis- 
trate for  the  district  embraced  in  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory. In  1892  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  of 
Washington,  serving  for  four  years  in  the  third 
and  fourth  sessions  of  the  general  assembly,  having 
the  distinction  of  being  the  first  Democratic  sena- 
tor elected  from  Snohomish  county.  He  was  ap- 
pointed in  1895  by  Governor  McGraw,  as  trustee 
for  the  Western  Washington  Hospital  for  the  In- 
sane for  a  period  of  six  years,  but  after  serving  for 
two  years  resigned  in  order  to  accept  the  appoint- 
ment as  United  States  Mineral  Land  Commis- 
sioner for  the  .Idaho  district.  This  appointment 
came  in  May,  1896,  and  he  served  until  the  change 
in  administration. 

In  Philadelphia,  in  January,  1876,  Mr.  Mc- 
Manus was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  Cope  Martin, 
a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Henrietta  S.  (Thomas) 
Martin,  who  were  born  in  Philadelphia  as  was  their 
daughter.  They  belonged  to  old  Quaker  families 
and  the  town  of  Martinsville,  now  a  part  of  the 
city  of  Philadelphia,  was  named  in  honor  of  the 
paternal  ancestor  of  Mrs.  McManus,  whose  family 
was  also  represented  in  the  Colonial  army  during 
the  War  of  the  Revolution.  While  still  residing 
in  his  native  city,  Mr.  McManus  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  School  Control  for  a  term 
of  four  years  and  served  for  two  years,  resigning  in 
1888.  To  him  and  his  wife  have  been  born  three 
children:  John  B.,  who  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
twenty-eight  years  ago  and  is  now  associated  with 
his  father  in  mining  in  old  Mexico;  William  T., 
twenty  years  of  age ;  and  Elizabeth  S.,  who  was 
the  eldest  and  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  McManus  is 
a  member  of  several  scientific  institutions  and  is 
also  a  Mason,  being  a  member  of  St.  John's  Lodge 
No.  9  of  Seattle,  Washington. 


REV.  WILLIAM  G.  JONES.— Prominent 
among  the  earnest  and  enthusiastic  proclaimersof 
the  gospel  message  in  western  Washington  and  no 
less  prominent  in  business  circles  since  the  re- 
sponsibility of  handling  a  vast  estate  has  been 
placed  upon  his  shoulders,  the  learned  and  able 
clergyman  whose  life  record  it  is  here  our  task  to 
outline  is  certainly  deserving  of  rank  among  the 
strong,  efficient,  progressive  men  of  the  state,  the 
men  upon  whom  it  must  depend  for  leadership  in 
the  moral  and  industrial  struggles  through  which 
it  must  surely  pass  in  the  days  that  are  to  come. 
Like  many  others  who  have  attained  some  degree 
of  eminence  among  their  fellows,  Mr.  Jones  is  en- 
tirely a  self-made  man.  The  call  of  the  higher 
things  which  came  to  him  in  boyhood  did  not  go 
unanswered  because  of  his  poverty,  but  he  at  once 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


897 


began  the  struggle  to  make  the  most  of  himself 
in  spite  of  difficulties  and  it  is  probably  safe  to 
assume  that  his  later  life  has  illustrated  to  him 
and  to  those  who  know  him  "the  uses  of  adversity, 
which  like  a  toad,  ugly  and  venomous,  hath  yet  a 
precious  jewel  in  his  head." 

Mr.  Jones  is  a  native  of  east  Tennessee,  born 
March  20,  1864.  His  father,  Hiram  Jones,  a  na- 
tive of  North  Carolina,  born  in  1825,  was  by  occu- 
pation a  farmer,  one  of  the  sturdiest  of  that  hon- 
ored class,  a  man  respected  and  admired  by  those 
who  knew  him  intimately  for  his  strong  Christian 
character  and  his  sterling  virtues.  He  died  in  1898. 
Sarah  (Musgrave)  Jones,  the  mother,  was  likewise 
admired  in  her  circle  of  acquaintances  for  her  un- 
ostentatious piety,  while  the  members  of  her  family 
knew  of  the  unwavering  faith  which  gave  direction 
and  depth  to  the  current  of  her  life.  She  was  born 
in  Tennessee  in  1827  and  died  in  1877.  It  will 
therefore  be  seen  that  William  G.  Jones  began  life 
with  one  valuable  asset,  the  advantage  of  a  good 
heredity.  He  took  his  first  steps  in  tl-re  pursuit  of 
knowledge  in  the  district  school  established  in  his 
neighborhood,  which  he  attended  intermittently  un- 
til seventeen,  going  then  to  Oak  Hill  academy  in 
Virginia.  There  he  prepared  himself  to  enter  the 
teaching  profession,  and  for  one  .vear  he  taught, 
carefully  husbanding  the  resources  accruing  from 
this  work  that  he  might  go  on  with  his  own  educa- 
tion. For  a  short  time  afterward  he  was  a  student 
in  the  Globe  Academy  of  North  Carolina,  then  he 
entered  Wake  Forest  academy  in  the  same  state,  in 
which  he  was  a  student  for  the  ensuing  two  and 
a  half  years.  Inasmuch  as  his  worldly  wealth  at 
the  time  of  his  entrance  into  this  institution  con- 
sisted of  seven  dollars  and  he  was  compelled  to 
work  his  way  through  as  best  he  could,  it  is  not 
greatly  surprising  that  he  was  a  little  in  debt  when 
he  left.  To  earn  money  with  which  to  pay  what 
he  owed  and  get  a  start  he  came  out,  in  February, 
1888,  to  the  territory  of  Washington,  where  he  first 
took  up  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry,  be- 
coming pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  What- 
com. In  September  of  that  same  year,  he  was 
enabled,  through  the  kindly  aid  of  Robert  Knipe, 
of  Seattle,  to  return  east  for  the  further  pursuit 
of  his  studies,  and  by  1890  he  was  a  graduate  of 
Brown  university,  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
But  he  wisely  determined  to  take  a  theological 
course  also  and  at  once  matriculated  in  Newton 
seminary,  from  which  he  received  a  degree  in  1893. 
While  in  the  seminary  he  had  organized  a  Baptist 
congregation  in  Boston,  building  for  them  what  is 
known  as  the  Center  Street  Baptist  church,  and  he 
continued  to  be  pastor  of  this  until  1898.  In  that 
year  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First 
Baptist  church,  of  Everett,  which  he  served  very 
acceptably  until  1903,  then  resigning.  Later  he  be- 
came pastor  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  Immanuel 


Baptist  church,  of  Seattle,  in  which  he  is  still  labor- 
ing with  marked  success.  Another  responsibility, 
one  for  which  his  previous  experience  had  not  so 
well  fitted  him  but  to  which  his  native  talents  are 
proving  abundantly  adequate,  came  to  him  on  the 
demise  of  his  father-in-law.  Dexter  Horton,  of 
Seattle,  who  left  property  worth  many  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars  to  be  cared  for  by  him  and 
the  other  heirs.  Indeed  he  is  now  manager  of  the 
entire  estate,  which,  since  the  demise  of  Mr.  Hor- 
ton, has  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  corporation 
created  for  the  purpose  of  handling  it,  of  which 
corporation  he  is  president. 

In  August,  1890,  Mr.  Jones  married  Miss  Net- 
tie H.  Horton,  daughter  of  Dexter  Horton,  the 
celebrated  banker  of  Seattle,  whose  name  is  familiar 
to  almost  everyone  who  has  ever  lived  in  the  state 
of  Washington.  Born  in  New  York  in  1826,  he 
moved  thence  as  a  young  man  to  Illinois,  whence 
in  1852  he  came  to  Portland,  Oregon,  traveling  by 
team.  In  the  spring  of  1853  he  located  in  Seattle, 
then  a  small  village,  and  during  the  ensuing  year 
he  worked  in  a  saw-mill,  then  he  opened  a  general 
merchandise  store  and  later  he  established  the  pio- 
neer banking  institution  of  the  state,  which  is  still 
doing  business  bearing  his  name.  At  the  time  of 
his  demise  Mr.  Horton  was  more  than  a  million- 
aire, but  he  was  still  richer  in  the  esteem  and  re- 
gard of  the  pioneers  and  later  comers  to  Washing- 
ton than  in  material  wealth,  no  well  known  busi- 
ness man  standing  higher  than  he  in  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  the  people  generally.  In  his  will 
no  one  was  forgotten  who  should  be  remembered 
and  many  charitable  institutions  received  generous 
bequests.  It  is  worthy  of  record  in  this  connection, 
as  illustrating  the  changes  which  have  taken  place 
in  Seattle  since  Mr.  Horton  first  saw  it  that  at  one 
time  he  bought  the  site  of  the  Alaska  building  for 
fifty  dollars  and  the  site  of  the  New  York  block, 
with  a  substantial  frame  building  thereon,  for  a 
thousand  dollars.  Mrs.  Jones  was  born  on  the 
ground  upon  which  the  latter  structure  stands  in 
1863.  She  and  Mr.  Jones  have  had  two  children, 
of  whom  Myrtle,  aged  fourteen,  is  still  living. 

Mr.  Jones  is  said  by  those  who  know  him  inti- 
mately to  be  a  man  of  remarkable  personality,  large- 
hearted,  generous  and  in  all  respects  broad  gauged 
— gigantic  in  heart  and  mind,  and  possessed  in  a 
remarkable  degree  of  that  most  winning  quality,  the 
ability  to  take  a  kindly  interest  in  the  sorrows  and 
trials  of  others.  In  Everett  he  is  remembered  kind- 
ly by  a  host  of  friends,  and  his  visits  to  the  pulpit 
of  the  Baptist  church  of  that  city  always  call  out 
a  large  number  who  are  not  now  in  the  habit  of 
attendinsf  there. 


A.  F.  HEIDE.— Perhaps  one  of  the  most 
highly  accomplished  and  successful  architects  that 
ever  practiced  his  profession  in  Snohomish  county 


898 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


is  A.  F.  Heide,  whose  office  is  now  in  the  Wash- 
ington building  in  Seattle.  He  was  born  in  Alton, 
Illinois,  in  1862,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Hermina 
(Suess)  Heide,  both  natives  of  Germany,  born  in 
the  years  1826  and  1831:  respectively,  and  both 
residents  at  present  of  Alton,  Illinois.  The  father 
came  to  America  upon  reaching  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  and  for  years  afterward  was  in  the  mercantile 
business,  following  it  until  advancing  age  occasioned 
his  retirement. 

The  subject  of  this  article,  who  is  the  third  of 
the  seven  cliildren  of  his  parents,  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  his  native  town,  then,  at  the  early  age  of  seven- 
teen, began  as  an  apprentice  the  study  of  the  pro- 
fession to  which  all  his  later  years  have  been  de- 
voted. Afterward,  in  Chicago,  he  took  instruction 
in  architecture  from  private  teachers  for  four  or 
five  years.  Going  to  Los  Angeles,  California,  in 
1886,  he  spent  three  years  there  in  the  employ  of 
a  firm  of  architects,  filling  the  double  position  of 
foreman  in  the  detail  department  and  superintend- 
ent of  construction,  but  in  1889  he  journeyed  north- 
ward to  Tacoma,  where  the  ensuing  three  years 
were  spent  in  an  office  of  his  own.  During  his  stay 
there  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  superintend  the  architec- 
ture of  the  Tacoma  theatre.  The  intimate  connec- 
tion of  Mr.  Heide  with  Snohoniish  county  began 
in  1892  when  he  moved  to  the  then  rapidly  grow- 
ing town  of  Everett  just  in  time  to  take  a  leading 
part  in  the  building  boom.  He  was  the  Everett 
Improvement  Company's  chosen  architect  for  all 
its  most  difficult  work,  and  the  planning  of  almost 
all  the  large  buildings  in  Everett  erected  at  that 
time  and  since  was  the  labor  of  his  well  trained 
and  original  mind.  His  abilities  gained  a  splendid 
recognition  from  the  great  state  of  Washington, 
which  called  upon  him  to  prepare  the  ])Ians  for  its 
state  buildings  to  be  erected  at  the  St.  Louis  and 
Portland  fairs.  In  the  year  19(i1  Mr.  Heide  be- 
came associated  in  business  with  Emil  de  Neuf,  a 
Seattle  architect,  and  in  the  fall  of  190.5,  he,  too, 
moved  to  Seattle  to  take  up  the  work  with  his 
partner  there.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  the  Queen 
City,  in  which  he  is  achieving  a  splendid  profes- 
sional success,  a  goodly  share  of  the  architectural 
work  arising  out  of  the  city's  rapid  growth  coming 
to  the  office  of  Mr.  Heide  and  his  partner. 

In  1886  Mr.  Heide  married  Agnes  F.  Hauser, 
daughter  of  John  Hauser  of  Godfrey,  Illinois.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Heide  are  parents  of  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living.  The  family  own  a  beautiful  home 
on  Rucker  avenue,  Everett.  In  fraternal  affilia- 
tion, Mr.  Heide  is  a  member  of  the  time-honored 
Masonic  order  and  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  He  is  not  a  little  proud  of  the  fact 
that  his  splendid  professional  success  has  been  won 
hy  fair  and  honorable  means,  that  he  has  conquered 
life  thus  far  with  worthy  weapons,  and  that  while 


winning  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of  an  exacting: 
and  difficult  calling  he  has  also  won  and  retained  a 
high  reputation  for  integrity  and  moral  rectitude. 


ALEXANDER  KEAY.  now  serving  his  second' 
term  as  city  treasurer  of  Everett,  has  been  identi- 
fied conspicuously  with  the  growth  of  Port  Gard- 
ner's metropolis  from  the  fall  of  1891  when  Swal- 
well's  first  addition  was  thrown  open  to  the  army 
of  people  congregated  to  begin  the  work  of  build- 
ing a  great  city.  Mr.  Keay  was  born  at  Blairgourie, 
Perthshire,  Scotland,  February  1.  18G2.  His  father, 
.Mexander  Keay,  a  Highlander,  was  a  native  of 
Perthshire,  also,  who  lived  and  died  in  his  native 
land.  He  was  a  farmer,  one  of  the  prominent  men' 
of  his  section  and  politically  influential  in  the  Lib- 
eral party.  His  death  occurred  in  1889  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three.  Catherine  (Eraser)  Keay,  the  moth- 
er of  Alexander  Keay,  still  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead, is  a  Lowlander,  born  in  1831.  Her  father 
was  a  prominent  farmer  of  his  district  and  to-day 
the  family  owns  a  valuable  estate  of  more  than 
1,000  acres,  considered  an  unusual  holding  in  Scot- 
land. The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  parish  schools  of  Gleushee  and  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  began  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  His  first  work  was  as  shipping  clerk  in  the 
office  of  Kummond  Luke  &  Company,  Dundee, 
whose  employ  he  entered  in  1880.  With  this  firm 
he  remained  four  years,  during  which  he  decided 
to  follow  book-keeping  as  a  profession  and  in  the 
succeeding  years  held  various  positions  in  that 
capacity  in  both  Scotland  and  America.  In  1889  he 
came  to  Canada,  locating  at  Vancouver,  British 
Columbia.  He  visited  Seattle  and  other  points  on 
the  sound,  but  did  not  cross  the  border  until  1890. 
A  year  later,  in  the  fall  of  1891  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  Geddes  &  Hall,  managers  of  the  River- 
side wharf  in  the  budding  city  of  Everett,  and  sub- 
sequently he  himself  leased  the  wharf  from  W.  G. 
Swalwell  and  conducted  a  hay,  grain  and  feed  store 
in  connection  with  it.  So  it  was  that  he  saw  Ever- 
ett's pioneer  days,  witnessing  the  leveling  of  forest 
and  jungle  on  the  beautiful  peninsula  and  the  grad- 
ual building  of  the  present  substantial,  growing  city 
upon  the  site.  Mr.  Keay  became  secretary-treasurer 
of  the  McGhie  Dressed  Beef  Company  in  1900  and 
held  that  position  until  his  election  as  city  treas- 
urer in  the  fall  of  1904.  So  well  did  he  serve  the 
city  that  he  was  again  called  to  the  treasurer's  of- 
fice in  December,  1905,  and  in  that  important 
capacity  is  making  a  record  for  fidelity,  integrity 
and  thoroughness  which  is  winning  for  him  golden 
opinions. 

Miss  Amy  McGhie.  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Sarah  (Snook)  McGhie,  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mr.  Keay  in  1896.  Samuel  McGhie,  a  native  of 
Scotland,  born  in  1828,  is  still  living,  his  home  be- 
ing at  Superior,  Wisconsin.    He  became  one  of  On-- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


tario's  early  pioneers  and  during  his  active  life  was 
engaged  in  farming.  Sarah  Snook  was  born  in 
England  in  1834  and  when  a  child  accompanied 
her  parents  to  Ontario,  where  her  father  followed 
farming.  Mrs.  Keay  was  born  at  Elmwood,  On- 
tario. She  came  with  her  brothers,  Norval  and 
John  McGhie,  to  Everett  in  1893,  they  founding 
the  McGhie  Dressed  Beef  Company,  one  of  the 
large  meat  firms  of  this  section  of  Puget  sound. 
Two  children  have  been  born  to  the  union  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Keay:  .Alexander  Norval,  June,  1897; 
and  William  McGhie,  December,  1905.  Mr.  Keay 
is  affiliated  with  the  B.  P.  O.  E..  K.  of  P.,  W.  O. 
W.  and  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur ;  Mrs.  Keay  belongs 
to  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Keay  is  one  of  the 
influential  men  of  his  party,  the  Republican,  as  he 
is  in  the  public  life  of  the  community  in  which  he 
has  lived  so  many  years.  The  Keay  home  at  the 
corner  of  Norton  avenue  and  Thirty-second  street 
is  among  the  most  inviting,  hospitable  homes  in  the 
city  rendered  the  more  attractive  by  the  sterling 
personal  qualities  of  the  owners  and  hosts. 


HON.  JOHN  C.  DENNEY,  who  recently  re- 
tired from  the  superior  court  bench  of  Snohomish 
county  after  an  aggregate  service  of  ten  years, 
extending  over  a  period  fraught  with  litigation  of 
more  than  ordinary  importance,  Ijears  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  one  of  the  ablest  jurists  in  the  state. 
His  long  judicial  service  has  been  an  honorable  one 
in  every  particular,  marked  by  eminently  fair  deci- 
sions covering  a  wide  range  and  commanding  not 
only  the  approval  of  the  bar  but  winning  him  the 
confidence  of  the  general  public. 

The  founder  of  the  American  branch  of  the 
Denney  family  was  John  Denney,  the  great-grand- 
father of  Judge  Denney.  This  ancestor  came  to 
America  in  colonial  times  and  fought  three  years 
with  the  liberty-loving  colonists  to  throw  off  the 
English  \-oke.  After  the  Revolution  he  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  first  following  his  trade,  that  of  a 
tailor,  then  engaging  extensively  in  the  tannery 
business  and  in  the  manufacture  of  flour.  He  was 
a  man  of  inarked  ability  and  great  energy,  whose 
fitness  for  leadership  was  so  generally  recognized 
that  he  represented  Green  County,  Pennsylvania,  in 
the  legislature  for  eighteen  \ears.  His  son,  also 
named  John,  was  a  successful  farmer  and  stock- 
man. John  Denney  the  third,  father  of  Judge  Den- 
ney, was  born  in  Green  County,  Pennsylvania,  but 
was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Ohio  while  still  in  child- 
hood, the  family  settling  in  Carroll  county.  He 
became  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Delaware  county  and 
pursued  farming,  stockraising  and  other  lines  of 
business  with  great  success  during  his  entire  life. 
In  ISfi.T  he  left  Ohio  for  Iowa,  remained  there  un- 
til 18(>9 ;  he  then  moved  to  Indiana,  where  his  home 
remained  until  his  death  in  1889.  He  was  a  Whig 
in  politics,  and  though  actively  interested  in  public 


affairs,  never  consented  to  be  a  candidate  for  office. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Taylor 
and  was  of  English  birth,  born  in  Manchester  in 
1817.  She  came  with  her  parents  to  America 
when  only  fourteen  years  old,  Troy,  New  York, 
becoming  her  home.  Her  father  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  cotton  and  woolen  goods.  She  was  mar- 
ried to  John  Denney  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio.  Her 
death  occurred  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  in  1903.  The 
father,  John  Denney,  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
seventy-seven. 

John  C.  Denney  was  born  November  18,  1852, 
in  Delaware  County,  Ohio.  He  received  his  early 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  Ohio  and  In- 
diana, later  attended  high  school  and  finished  his 
literary  education  at  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal 
school.  Upon  leaving  that  institution  he  at  once 
began  the  study  of  law  at  Newcastle,  Indiana,  pur- 
suing his  studies  in  the  office  of  a  friend,  until  ad- 
mission to  the  bar  in  1878.  From  Indiana  he  then 
removed  to  Rooks  County,  Kansas,  and  hung  out  his 
shingle  at  Stockton,  which  was  his  home  for  ten 
years.  He  left  a  lucrative,  established  practice  there 
to  seek  the  greater  opportunities  offered  young  men 
by  the  rapidly  developing  Northwest,  locating  in 
July,  1888,  at  Snohomish,  then  the  county  seat. 
The  law  firm  of  Humes,  Headlee  &  Denney  was 
soon  organized,  one  of  the  strongest  in  this  section 
and  one  of  the  leading  firms  on  Puget  sound  in 
those  days.  The  senior  member,  Mr.  Humes,  was 
shortly  called  to  the  bench  of  King  county,  and  in 
March,  1891,  Mr.  Denney  himself  was  appointed 
superior  judge  of  Snohomish  county  by  Governor 
Ferry,  occasioned  by  the  organization  of  a  new 
judicial  district.  In  1892  Judge  Denney  was  elected 
by  his  fellow  citizens  to  serve  a  full  term,  retiring 
with  an  enviable  record  January  1,  1897.  The  fa- 
mous county  seat  contest  between  Everett  and  Sno- 
homish was  waged  in  the  courts  during  this  term 
of  office,  calling  for  an  unusual  nicety  of  judgment 
in  its  adjudication.  The  firm  of  Denney  &  Hulbert, 
the  junior  partner  being  Robert  A.  Hulbert.  prac- 
ticed during  the  next  four  years  or  until  January, 
1901,  when  Judge  Denney  was  again  called  to  the 
Snohomish  county  bench,  over  which  he  presided 
four  years  with  his  usual  satisfaction.  Since  re- 
suming private  life  he  has  been  associated  with 
Judge  Emory,  their  offices  being  in  Everett.  Their 
clientage  is  one  of  the  largest  in  this  section,  be- 
speaking in  strong  terms  the  strength  of  the  firm. 
Judge  Denney  is  also  interested  to  some  extent  in 
the  development  of  the  mineral  resources  of  the 
Cascades. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  Harriet  M.  McNeeley  to 
Judge  Denney  was  solemnized  December  31,  1879, 
at  Stockton,  Kansas.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
the  Buckeye  state,  who  followed  farming  there 
until  his  death.  Her  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Nancv  Lawr\-,  was  also  a  native  of  Ohio.  Mrs. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Denney  was  born  September  20,  1861,  in  Tuskaros 
County,  Ohio.  Three  children  have  blessed  the 
union  of  Judge  and  Mrs.  Denney :  Arthur  A.,  born 
September  21,  1881 ;  Robert  G.,  September  5,  1889; 
and  Charles  G.,  September  IT,  1900.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Denney  are  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  order, 
while  the  Judge  is  also  connected  with  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  the  Maccabees  and  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  Mrs. 
Denney  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  which 
he  attends  and  supports,  and  she  is  identified  promi- 
nently with  the  leading  women's  clubs  of  the  city. 
The  Denney  home  on  Colby  avenue  is  one  of  the 
handsome  residences  of  Everett  and  is  the  social 
center  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances 
drawn  thither  by  the  genial,  broadly  sympathetic 
qualities  and  the  culture  of  its  hospitable  owners. 
The  Judge  is  not  only  one  of  the  foremost  citizens 
of  his  county  and  section  of  the  state  to-day,  hon- 
ored repeatedly  by  one  of  the  most  important  public 
positions  that  a  man  can  hold  and  doing  honor  to 
it,  but  he  is  a  pioneer  lawyer  of  this  region  to  whom 
success  has  come  because  of  integrity,  native  abil- 
ity and  a  love  for  the  profession  of  his  choice. 


HON.  ALBERT  W.  McINTIRE,  ninth  gov- 
ernor of  the  state  of  Colorado,  now  and  for  several 
years  past  a  citizen  of  Washington,  prominently 
identified  with  the  mining  interests  of  the  Cascade 
range,  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  Janu- 
ary 15,  1853,  and  comes  of  distinguished  American 
ancestry.  His  father,  Joseph  Phillips  Mclntire,  was 
of  Scotch  descent  anciently,  while  the  mother,  Isa- 
bella A.  (Wills)  Mclntire,  traced  her  lineage  back 
to  the  ^Vill>  family  of  Cornwall,  England.  The 
first  of  the  Mclntires  to  cross  the  Atlantic  came  to 
this  continent  with  Lord  Baltimore  in  the  seven- 
teenth century  and  assisted  in  the  establishment  of 
the  colony  which  later  became  Maryland.  When 
the  time  came  for  the  little  federation  of  colonies 
to  break  away  from  the  mother  country  and  set 
up  an  independent  government,  the  Mclntires  cast 
their  fortunes  with  the  patriots  and  became  as  zeal- 
ous in  behalf  of  their  own  government  as  they  had 
been  when  subjects  of  England's  kings  and  queens. 
In  Heitman's  Historical  Register  of  Officers  of  the 
Continental  Army,  Thomas  Mclntire,  great-grand- 
father of  Albert  W.  of  this  biography,  is  listed  as 
entering  the  Third  Pennsylvania  Battalion,  January 
8,  1776,  as  an  ensign.  The  same  year  he  was 
wounded,  taken  prisoner,  and  after  being  held 
nearly  a  year,  was  exchanged.  He  immediately 
became  a  lieutenant  in  an  independent  Pennsyl- 
vania company  and  served  as  its  captain  from 
March  8,  1779,  to  his  discharge  in  May,  1782,  Cap- 
tain Thomas  Mclntire  was  repeatedly  commended 
for  his  bravery  and  his  military  successes  against 
the  Wyandots  in  western  Pennsylvania  and  the 
confederated'  savages  in  the  Wyoming  valley  of 
eastern   Pennsylvania,  in  letters  of  Colonel   Brod- 


head,  in  command  at  Fort  Pitt  (site  of  Pittsburg), 
to  General  Washington,  which  are  preserved  in  the 
archives  of  Pennsylvania,  The  great-grandfather 
of  Albert  W.  Mclntire  on  the  maternal  side  of  the 
house,  Joseph  Phillips,  served  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution  successively  as  major,  lieutenant- 
colonel,  and  colonel  of  New  Jersey  Militia  from 
June,  1776,  until  August,  1780.  The  Wills  family 
was  established  in  America  by  James  Wills,  who 
came  over  with  his  five  sons  in  1790  from  Belfast, 
Ireland,  after  retiring  from  business  as  a  linen 
manufacturer.  His  son,  James  Wills,  Jr.,  a  grad- 
uate of  Jefferson  College,  class  of  1805,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  at  the  age  of  thirty-three,  state's 
attorney  of  Allegheny  County  (Pittsburg),  Penn- 
sylvania, was  the  grandfather  of  Albert  W,  Mc- 
lntire. 

Joseph  Phillips  Mclntire  was  born  December 
1,  1820,  at  Bellefonte,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  that 
state  spent  his  entire  life,  which  he  devoted  to 
industrial  pursuits  with  notable  success.  He  early 
entered  the  mining  business  and  was  one  of  the 
prominent  early  coal  operators  in  the  Pittsburg  dis- 
trict. He  died  in  1894  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 
Mrs.  Mclntire,  mother  of  Albert  W.,  was  a  native 
of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  born  May  1,  1818.  She 
attained  to  a  venerable  age,  living  until  February 
8,  1903,  her  death  occurring  while  residing  in  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  with  one  of  her  children.  Brought 
up  in  the  strictest  sect  of  Calvinism,  she  was  never- 
theless broad  and  liberal  in  her  religious  views, 
teaching  her  children  .that  character  and  conduct 
and  service  were  the  safest  passports  to  happiness 
in  this  world  and  the  next.  With  an  unusual  bent 
toward  scientific  reading  and  a  more  thorough  edu- 
cation than  usual  for  women  in  those  days,  she 
was  an  inspiration  and  a  guide  to  her  son's  early 
studies  and  all  his  after  life. 

Thus  richly  cmlnwed,  mentally  and  physically, 
and  carrying  in  his  blood  the  zeal,  originality  and 
fervid  love  for  America's  peculiar  institutions  which 
are  the  heritage  of  every  true  born  American 
youth,  Albert  W,  Mclntire  began  life  very  auspi- 
ciously in  his  home  city.  After  finishing  his  pri- 
mary education  in  the  public  schools  he  prepared 
for  college  at  Newell's  Institute,  in  Pittsburg,  and 
entered  Yale  in  the  fall  of  1869.  Four  years  later, 
with  the  class  of  1873,  he  received  his  degree  of  A. 
B.  and  at  once  entered  the  law  school  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1875,  receiving  the  degree 
of  L,L.B.,  and  the  same  June  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  the  supreme  court  of  Connecticut.  The 
following  November,  having  been  admitted  to  the 
Pennsylvania  bar,  he  commenced  practising  in 
Pittsburg  which  continued  to  be  his  home  until 
December,  1876,  That  year  he  came  west  to  Den- 
ver, Colorado.  Although  the  capital  city  of  a 
brand-new  state,  Denver  in  1876  was  little  more 
than  an  overgrown  stock  town,  bearing  but  slight 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


903 


resemblance  to  the  present  magnificent  metropolis, 
noted  throughout  the  world  for  its  symmetry, 
beauty  and  stability.  Making  Denver  his  head- 
quarters during  the  next  few  years  he  traveled 
extensively,  hunting,  fishing  and  prospecting,  over 
the  then  wild,  dangerous  region  of  western  Colo- 
rado. In  1878  he  became  interested  in  mining  by 
purchase  of  a  fractional  part  of  the  Little  Chief 
mine  on  Fryer  Hill,  Leadville,  then  in  the  initial 
stage  of  its  wonderful  career  as  a  mining  camp. 
He  was  highly  successful  in  this  venture,  the  Lit- 
tle Chief  proving  one  of  the  heavy  dividend  pay- 
ers of  the  earlier  period.  In  this  connection  it  may 
be  mentioned  that  he  took  a  special  course  at  the 
Sheffield  Scientific  School  in  1879-80,  and  has  been 
frequently  engaged  in  mining  since,  chiefly  in  Colo- 
rado and  Mexico. 

In  1880  he  became  a  resident  of  the  San  Luis 
valley  in  the  southern  part  of  Colorado,  there  en- 
gaging on  an  extensive  scale  in  the  stock  business. 
His  ranch  was  situated  near  the  towns  of  La  Jara 
and  Alamosa,  and  contained  the  historic  site  of  the 
stockade  built  by  Lieutenant  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  U. 
S.  A.,  in  1806,  when  he  was  captured  by  Spanish 
troops  and  carried  off  to  Mexico.  In  the  San  Luis 
valley,  though  a  very  young  man,  Mr.  JMcIntire 
was  soon  accorded  a  welcome  by  his  American 
and  Mexican  fellow  citizens,  and  it  was  there  his 
powers  of  leadership  were  first  strongly  manifested. 
As  foreman  of  a  grand  jury  composed  of  Ameri- 
cans, Mormons  and  Mexicans,  the  young  ranchman 
broke  a  long  reign  of  lawlessness  on  the  border  be- 
tween Colorado  and  New  Mexico,  by  securing  the 
indictment  in  1882  of  twenty-six  criminals  of  the 
worst  type.  Because  of  the  peculiar  racial  condi- 
tions existing  at  the  time  in  that  section  of  the 
■state,  the  work  of  this  grand  jury  was  really  a 
notable  one  and  indicated  a  high  degree  of  cour- 
age on  the  part  of  the  jury's  members,  and  had 
the  result  of  making  life  and  property  safe  in  that 
region  ever  afterward.  The  residents  of  Conejos 
county  elected  their  lawyer-ranchman  judge  of  the 
county  court  in  1883  by  a  unanimous  vote,  he  being 
named  for  the  position  by  both  Republican  and 
Democratic  parties  without  opposition  to  his  can- 
didacy, and  at  the  age  of  thirty  he  took  his  place 
on  the  bench.  In  1886.  upon  the  expiration  of  his 
term,  he  refused  re-election  and  formed  a  law  part- 
nership at  Alamosa,  participating  in  the  trial  of  a 
number  of  locally  important  cases. 

The  next  call  to  public  service  came  to  Judge 
Mclntire  in  1889,  when  he  was  appointed  to  ad- 
judicate the  water  rights  of  the  San  Luis  valley, 
consisting  of  four  counties.  His  work  in  this 
connection  showed  such  marked  ability  and  fair- 
ness that  it  won  him  legal  honors.  After  two  years 
of  continuous  hearings  with  more  than  two  thou- 
sand witnesses,  he  prepared  a  decision  affecting 
title  to  water  rights  in  which  there  were  three  hun- 


dred and  seventy-one  separate  decrees,  allotting 
water  to  irrigate  thousands  of  farms,  and  which 
declared  existing  state  statutes  unconstitutional. 
The  state's  most  eminent  lawyers  and  every  other 
special  judge  engaged  in  the  work  differed  from 
Judge  Mclntire  and  the  litigation  was  carried  up 
to  the  highest  courts  at  enormous  expense.  Ten 
years  later  the  supreme  court  sustained  the  original 
decree  of  Judge  Mclntire,  reversing  numerous 
cases  throughout  the  state.  Governor  Routt  in 
1891  appointed  him  judge  of  the  Twelfth  Judicial 
District.  It  is  worth  noting  that  during  his  period 
of  service  on  the  bench  in  only  one  case  was  a  de- 
cision of  his  reversed  by  a  higher  court,  and  in  no 
instance  was  his  interpretation  of  the  constitution 
ever  successfully  questioned.  His  decisions  are 
marked  by  unusual  simplicity  in  reading  correctly 
the  basic  principles  of  constitutional  law,  by  clear- 
ness and  conciseness  in  statement,  and  level-headed 
reasoning.  His  temperament  is  judicial  rather  than 
argumentative  and  to  this  fact  perhaps  must  be 
ascribed  more  than  to  anything  else  his  success  on 
the  bench  and  in  the  executive  positions  he  has 
occupied. 

As  the  campaign  of  1894  approached,  the  Re- 
publicans of  Colorado  turned  to  Judge  Mclntire 
as  their  candidate  for  governor,  despite  the  asser- 
tions of  the  latter  th^t  he  would  not  accept  the 
nomination  if  accorded  him  because  he  preferred 
the  bench  and  his  ranch,  if  he  should  decide  to  con- 
tinue in  public  life  upon  the  conclusion  of  his  term. 
Perhaps  the  reasons  why  the  public's,  call  at  last 
forced  him  to  surrender  to  its  will  are  most  clearly 
set  forth  in  the  following  editorial  mention  which 
appeared  in  the  Denver  Republican  iniiiiciliatcly  fol- 
lowing his  nomination  by  acclamati.m  fnr  '_;rivcrnor 
by  the  Republicans  in  .September.  IS!)  I  :  "The  se- 
lection of  Judge  Mclntire  was  espbaally  well  con- 
sidered. He  is  an  educated,  well-lialanced,  prac- 
tical man  upon  whose  escutcheon  there  is  no  blot. 
His  ability  is  uncjuestioned  and  his  character  above 
reproach.  He  is  not  a  hack  politician  nor  a  crank, 
and  at  this  juncture  such  a  selection  is  especially 
opportune.''  Still  another  press  comment  by  one 
of  the  leading  papers  of  southern  Colorado,  the 
Alamosa  Independent,  printed  after  the  nomination, 
indicates  very  clearly  the  standing  of  the  judge 
among  the  people  with  whom  he  had  been  asso- 
ciated continuously  since  1880.  Speaking  of  Judge 
Mclntire,  the  Independent  says:  "He  is  especially 
qualified  by  reason  of  his  eminent  fitness,  his  educa- 
tion, his  honesty,  his  freedom  from  all  forms  of 
prejudice,  his  Americanism,  his  morality,  his  firm- 
ness which  is  tempered  by  a  kind  and  manly  na- 
ture. And  above  all,  a  character  which  knows  no 
stain.  These  are  attributes  which  mold  and  make 
this  man  and  fit  him  for  the  highest  office  within 
the  gift  of  the  people.'' 

Judge  Mclntire  was  elected  sixteenth  governor 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


of  Colorado  in  November,  1894,  by  the  largest  ma- 
jority ever  given  a  candidate  in  that  state  for  the 
chief  executive  office,  the  vote  being:  Mclntire, 
93,503 ;  David  H.  Waite,  Populist,  74,894.  By  the 
former's  election  a  reign  of  Populism  in  its  radical 
form  was  ended.  This  campaign  also  marked  the 
entrance  of  women  into  state  politics.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  his  administration.  Governor  Mclntire 
announced  to  the  legislative  leaders  that  they  must 
not  appropriate  an  amount  in  excess  of  the  reve- 
nues of  the  state  unless  they  intended  to  pass  over 
his  veto  and  further,  he  personally  revised  the  es- 
timates made,  cutting  down  their  figures  to  meet 
his  own  views.  The  result  of  this  sensible  policy 
was  that  at  the  close  of  his  term  the  outgoing 
handed  over  to  the  new  administration  a  balance 
of  fifty  thousand  dollars  after  having  met  all  ex- 
ipenses,  a  record  unequalled  in  the  history  of  Colo- 
rado. In  April,  1895,  Governor  Mclntire  was 
called  upon  to  adjust  the  difficulties  arising  from 
the  lynching  of  several  Italians  by  miners  at  Wal- 
senburg,  and  so  creditably  did  he  handle  this  com- 
plication that  he  perhaps  averted  trouble  between 
the  United  States  and  Italy  and  received  the  per- 
sonal thanks  of  the  Italian  minister,  besides  com- 
mendatory mention  in  President  Cleveland's  last 
message.  About  a  year  later  Colorado  was  sud- 
denly thrown  into  an  intense  and  dangerous  ex- 
citement by  reason  of  the  great  Leadville  strike. 
Dynamite  was  used  by  the  strikers  with  appalling 
effect  at  the  Robert  Emmett  and  the  Coronado 
mines  and  a  reign  of  terror  in  the  district  was  in- 
stituted. In  response  to  a  call.  Governor  Mclntire 
ordered  the  militia  to  the  scene,  and  inaugurated 
a.  policy  of  handling  such  situations  that  won  for 
him  golden  opinions  throughout  the  country,  espe- 
cially did  it  fit  the  peculiar  conditions  existing  in 
a  state  where  the  struggle  between  capital  and  labor 
had  been  exceedingly  bitter.  By  supporting  the 
civil  authorities  with  troops,  not  supplanting ;  by 
the  maintenance  of  law  and  order  at  any  cost ;  by 
firmly  setting  his  power  against  the  bull-pen  scheme 
of  controlling  men,  by  refusing  to  allow  the  depor- 
tation of  American  citizens,  and  by  his  tactful,  ju- 
dicious, but  firm  stand  between  the  warring  fac- 
tions, he  finally  forced  a  peaceful  settlement  and 
established  a  peace  between  capital  and  labor  at 
Leadville  which  has  to  this  day  remained  unbroken. 
In  Denver,  he  broke  the  power  of  the  local  ring  of 
politicians,  and  in  fact  throughout  the  entire  period 
of  those  two  years  filled  with  trouble  and  unhappi- 
ness  all  over  the  country,  he  steered  the  ship  of 
state  with  courage,  skill  and  a  conscientious  re- 
gard for  his  obligations  to  the  public,  though  fought 
at  almost  every  turn  by  designing  politicians.  Even 
the  Rocky  Mountain  News,  a  bitter  political  enemy, 
commended  him  highly  for  the  reforms  he  in.sti- 
tuted  in  that  city,  and  the  press  generally  ultimately 
conceded   his   ability   and   absolute    fearlessness    in 


standing  for  what  he  considered  right  and  best. 
His  state  papers  were  universally  commended  by 
the  press  as  models  of  clearness,  conciseness  and 
grasp.  The  dominating  principle  that  appears  to 
have  guided  Governor  Mclntire's  administration, 
as  in  fact  one  of  his  most  noticeable  traits  of  char- 
acter, is  his  deep  seated  judicial  temperament,  not 
weakened  by  an  exaggerated  sense  of  technical  de- 
tails but  founded  upon  a  broad,  practical  love  of 
justice.  Upon  entering  office  in  1895,  he  an- 
nounced that  he  did  not  desire  a  re-election  and 
would  not  accept  a  re-nomination.  To  this  reso- 
lution he  remained  steadfast. 

At  the  close  of  his  administration  in  1897,  find- 
ing his  health  impaired  by  close  confinement  and 
overwork,  the  Governor  sought  its  restoration  by 
his  favorite  remedy,  life  out  of  doors.  He  spent 
the  next  two  years  principally  in  the  mining  re- 
gions of  Colorado,  Arizona,  southern  California 
and  Mexico.  Having  lived  at  high  altitudes  for 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  he  decided  to  try 
sea-level.  New  Haven  and  other  points  on  the  At- 
lantic coast,  and  finally  Cleveland  being  visited. 
For  a  time  Cleveland  promised  so  well  that  he  took 
up  the  practice  of  his  profession  there,  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  Ohio  bar  and  becoming  partner,  for 
a  time,  of  C.  N.  Sheldon,  Esq.,  one  of  the  leading 
personal  injury  lawyers  of  that  state.  After  about 
a  year  of  exacting  work  in  the  preparation  and 
trial  of  cases  with  marked  success  but  with  the  ac- 
companying confinement  and  strain,  a  warning 
collapse  at  the  close  of  a  long  trial  led  to  a  vaca- 
tion in  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  and  Lake  Superior 
region,  and  finally  to  a  migration  to  Washington. 
Puget  sound  appealed  so  strongly  to  him  and 
agreed  with  him  so  well  that  in  December,  1900, 
he  located  in  Everett,  and  that  city  has  since  been 
his  home.  Since  taking  up  his  permanent  residence 
here,  he  has  interested  himself  deeply  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  mineral  resources  of  the  Cascade 
rang,  particularly  in  the  development  of  exten- 
sive copper  lodes  on  Foss  river,  and  has  par- 
ticipated modestly  in  the  general  upbuilding  of 
the  community.  The  Foss  River  Consolidated 
Copper  Company,  of  which  he  is  president  and 
general  manager  and  of  whose  stock  he  owns 
a  controlling  interest,  owns  important  mineral 
property  in  King  county.  As  an  illustration 
of  his  characteristic  progressiveness,  it  is  note- 
worthy that  the  governor  found  leisure  to  spend 
nearly  three  months  of  the  winter  of  1906  in  spe- 
cial study  in  geology  and  mining  at  the  well 
equipped  school  of  mines  of  the  University  of 
Washington.  As  a  member  of  the  Everett  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  Governor  Mclntire  is  on  occa- 
sion an  active  worker,  while  from  his  able  pen 
have  issued  many  valuable  articles  on  the  mineral 
resources  of  the  Cascades  and  occasionally  on 
timely  topics   of   local   importance.      He   is   in   the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


very  prime  of  life,  and  as  a  man  of  thorough  trnin- 
ing,  broad  knowledge  and  sympathies,  extended 
experience  and  eminence  in  pubHc  Hfe,  he  has  b°en 
cordially  welcomed  to  the  shores  of  the  North 
Pacific  and  accorded  a  befitting  position  and  an 
opportunity  to  contribute  to  the  development  of 
Washington  as  he  has  contributed  to  Colorado's 
welfare. 

Governor  Mclntire  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
American  Bar  Association  in  1895.  While  serving 
as  vice  president  and  director  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Alamosa.  Colorado,  in  1892,  he  delivered 
an  address  before  the  State  Bankers'  Association, 
which  was  published  nationally.  He  also  served 
as  receiver  and  editor  of  the  Alamosa  Journal, 
Conejos  county,  for  a  time,  one  of  the  influential 
country  journals  of  the  state  of  Colorado  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  affiliated  with  the  Blue  Lodge,  Royal 
Arch  Chapter,  and  the  Commandery  of  Knights 
Templars  of  Everett,  and  with  the  Mystic  Shrine 
■of  Denver.  His  political  activities  now  are  con- 
fined to  a  quiet  but  discriminating  support  of  the 
party  to  which  he  has  given  life-long  service. 

Albert  Washington  Mclntire  and  Florence, 
daughter  of  William  Sydney  Johnson,  of  New  Ha- 
ven, Connecticut,  were  united  in  marriage,  July 
16,  1873.  To  this  union  two  children  were  born:; 
Joseph  Phillips,  December  1.  1874;  and  Elizabeth 
M.,  who  died  January  15,  1887.  Jo.seph  P.  Mc- 
lntire is  a  resident  of  Colorado,  where  he  is  at 
present  part  owner  and  manager  of  the  old  Mc- 
lntire stock  ranch  near  Alamosa.  Two  sisters  of 
'Governor  Mclntire  are  also  living:  ]Mrs.  J-  L. 
Dillinger,  of  Pittsburg;  and  Mrs.  J.  Dooley,  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  Governor  Mclntire  was  united 
in  marriage  January  26,  1899,  to  Ida  Noves  Beaver, 
M.D.,  of  Denver. 


DR.  IDA  NOYES  McINTIRE  was  born  at 
Providence,  Rhode  Island,  April  28,  1859,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Alfred  and  Lucina  Noyes.  Alfred 
Noyes  came  of  the  noted  Noyes  family,  founded 
in  New  England  in  1634  by  Rev.  James  and  Rev. 
Nicholas  Noyes,  two  brothers,  distinguished  clergy- 
men who  landed  in  Newburyport,  Masiachusetts, 
in  that  year,  coming  over  in  the  ship  Mary  and 
John  from  Wiltshire,  England.  James  Noyes,  the 
progenitor  of  Alfred,  was  among  the  seven  founders 
of  Yale  College.  Both  grandfathers  of  Alfred 
Noyes,  Daniel  Noyes,  of  Pembroke,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  John  Chamberlain,  of  Cavendish,  Ver- 
mont, served  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Dr.  Ida  Noyes  Mclntire  finished  her  primary 
education  in  the  High  school  in  Detroit,  Michigan, 
and  entered  the  University  of  Michigan,  class  of 
'81,  taking  the  Latin-Scientific  course,  intending 
to  prepare  herself  for  journalistic  work.  It  was 
during  this  period  she  became  interested  ni  the 
study  of  medicine.     Her  vacations  were   spent  in 


the  office  of  the  Christian-Herald,  in  Detroit,  get- 
ting a  practical  training  for  journalism.  At  the 
close  of  her  work  in  the  university,  she  engaged 
in  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Detroit,  and 
for  five  years  continued  teaching,  and  studying 
medicine,  having  matriculated  in  Michigan  Med- 
ical College,  located  in  Detroit,  and  being  a  fre- 
quent contributor  to  current  literature.  During 
the  winter  of  1883-4  she  traveled  through  the 
south,  visiting  famous  battlefields  and  other  places 
of  special  interest,  and  also  the  West  Indies  and 
the  Bahama  islands,  writing  sketches  of  travel 
which  appeared  in  the  Michigan  Christian  Herald 
and   the   Michigan   Farmer. 

At  the  close  of  this  period  she  was  married  to 
Mr.  B.  N.  Beaver,  since  deceased,  and  resided  for 
three  years  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  she  became 
associate  editor  of  the  Dayton  Daily  Herald  for 
a  period  of  one  year.  It  was  while  there  that  ihe 
was  elected  state  recording  secretary  of  the  Ohio 
W.  C.  T.  U.,  and  in  connection  with  that  work 
was  sent  to  various  parts  of  the  state  to  deliver 
public  addresses.  She  was  instrumental  in  found- 
ing a  flourishing  home  for  working  women,  seiv- 
ing  as  its  secretary  and  treasurer  for  two  years, 
and  was  one  of  the  three  women  who  foimded  rhe 
"Bethany  Home,"  a  refuge  for  repentant  and  rut- 
cast  women.  She  was  for  one  year  a  student  at 
the  Union  Theological  Seminary  at  Dayton,  Ohio, 
and  carried  oflf  the  highest  marks  in  Greek  and 
Hebrew.  In  the  fall  of  1887  she  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  matron  and  preceptress  at  Midland  College, 
Atchison,  Kansas,  and  completed  the  work  so  suc- 
cessfully that  the  following  June  she  was  unani- 
mously re-elected  at  an  increased  salary  for  the 
ensuing  year.  She  had  determined,  however,  to 
become  a  practising  physician  so  regretfully  sev- 
ered her  connection  with  Midland  College  and  en- 
tered the  Woman's  Hospital  Medical  College  in 
Chicago,  a  department  of  Northwestern  Univetsity, 
of  Evanston,  Illinois,  where  :.hc  received  the  de- 
gree of  M.D.  in  March.  1891.  After  serving  a 
few  months  as  interne  in  the  Woman's  Hospital, 
she  went  west  and  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  Denver,  Colorado.  Here  she  soon  built  up  a 
large  practice  and  the  following  seven  years  were 
filled  with  busy  activities.  In  1894  she  went  to 
New  York  City  for  post  graduate  work  for  which 
she  received  in  due  course  a  diploma  from  the  post 
graduate  school,  having  done  special  work  in  sur- 
gery and  diseases  of  women.  In  1895  she  went 
abroad  for  study  and  travel  in  Europe.  In  the 
early  part  of  that  year  she  was  appointed  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  Board  of  Charities  and  Corrections 
of  Colorado  and  in  this  connection  was  sent  to 
inspect  state  insane  hospitals  in  Ohio  and  Michi- 
gan ;  and  also  a  member  of  the  state  Board  of  Par- 
dons, at  that  time  the  first  and  only  woman  in  the 
world  to  hold  that  position.     She  went  as  a  dele- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


gate  to  the  International  W.  C.  T.  U.  convention 
held  in  London,  June,  1895,  and  to  the  International 
Prison  Congress,  held  in  Paris  the  same  year.  In 
1896-97  she  served  as  president  of  the  medical 
board  of  the  State  Industrial  School  and  was  also 
on  the  staff  of  the  Deaconess  Hospital.  Failing 
health  compelled  her  to  leave  Denver  in  1898  and 
seek  a  lower  altitude.  The  following  year  she'  was 
married  to  Ex-Governor  Mclntire  of  Colorado,  and 
for  nearly  two  years  resided  in  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
but  finding  the  climate  unfriendly,  in  1901,  she 
came  to  Everett,  Washington,  where  she  has  re- 
sided ever  since.  Dr.  Alclntire  has  continued  in 
active  practice  of  medicine  and  in  1905  again  went 
to  Europe  to  travel  and  study  and  a  much  needed 
rest.  For  some  time  she  conducted  a  private  hos- 
pital which  she  built  in  Everett,  but  now  devotes 
her  entire  time  to  taking  care  of  the  practice  her 
skill  has  established.  Dr.  Mclntire  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  diseases  of  women  and  surgery,  and  owing 
to  her  long  residence  in  Colorado,  famous  as  a 
health  resort,  and  also  to  the  fact  that  she  has  trav- 
eled extensively,  she  now  numbers  her  patients  in 
every  quarter  of  the  globe.  She  is  a  woman  of  un- 
usual force  of  character,  highly  gifted,  and  a  close 
student,  to  whom  success  has  come  almost  wholly 
by  reason  of  sheer  merit  and  iron  tenacity  of  pur- 
pose, yet  withal  a  woman  of  the  broadest  views 
and  sympathies,  known  for  her  innumerable  chari- 
ties. Marked  culture,  generous  hospitality  and  a 
democratic  spirit  make  the  Mclntire  home  on 
South  Colby  avenue  a  favorite  gathering  place  for 
friends  and  associates  to  whom  such  privileges  are 
extended  by  Governor  Mclntire  and  his  most 
estimable  wife. 


NICHOLAS  RUDEBECK,  one  nf  the  nmst 
successful  mining  and  real  estate  brnkc  r^  .m  I'lii^et 
sound,  has  been  identified  with  the  niihuililing  of 
Snohomish  county  for  the  past  decade  and  a  half, 
though  during  that  period  his  field  of  operations 
has  by  no  means  been  confined  to  this  particular 
district.  Coming  here  at  a  time  when  the  sound 
country  was  just  entering  upon  its  present  remark- 
able era  of  development,  he  ably  and  zealously 
grasped  the  opportunities  afforded  men  of  his  pe- 
culiar qualifications  and  has  made  the  most  of  them. 

Mr.  Rudebeck  is  of  German  descent  and  was 
born  November  6,  1855,  in  the  state  of  Schleswig- 
Holstein  at  Christianfelt,  Germany,  to  the  union 
of  Claus  Rudebeck  and  Christiana  Klipliff.  The 
father,  too,  was  a  native  of  Schleswig-Holstein,  and 
was  a  starch  manufacturer  of  prominence.  He  was 
born  in  1813  and  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  with- 
out ever  leaving  Germany.  Mrs.  Rudebeck  claimed 
Holland  as  her  birthplace,  the  year  of  her  birth 
being  1817.  In  the  spring  of  1873,  Nicholas  Rude- 
beck, the  subject  of  this  article,  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  great  republic,  locating 


at  Maquoketa,  Iowa,  after  having  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  coun- 
try. He  immediately  engaged  in  railroading  at 
Maquoketa,  following  this  line  of  activity  six  years, 
or  until  1878,  when  he  went  to  Kansas  and  took 
up  farming  in  Rooks  county,  having  taken  a  home- 
stead. He  also  opened  a  general  mercantile  store 
and  real  estate  office  at  Plainville,  meeting  with 
good  success  in  both  lines.  Kansas  was  his  home 
until  the  spring  of  1891.  At  that  time  he  took  up 
his  residence  at  Snohomish,  Washington,  entering 
the  real  estate  business,  to  which  he  has  since  de- 
voted most  of  his  attention.  He  served  as  state 
executive  commissioner  at  the  Trans-Mississippi 
and  International  Exposition  at  Omaha  and  in  1901 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  Washington's 
mining  exhibit  at  the  Pan-American  Exposition  at 
Buffalo.  The  next  year  Mr.  Rudebeck  removed 
to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  opened  offices  for 
the  purpose  of  promoting  the  mining  interests  of 
Snohomish  county.  For  three  years  he  maintained 
these  offices  with  excellent  success,  then  returned 
to  Snohomish  county,  re-opening  his  present  real 
estate  and  mining  offices  in  the  city  of  Everett. 

Mr.  Rudebeck  and  Miss  Rachel  Amelia  Moon 
were  united  in  marriage  in  Rooks  County,  Kansas, 
.A.ugust  IS.  187S.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Thomas 
Moon,  a  native  of  Devonshire,  England,  born  in 
1823.  He  came  to  America  when  only  eleven  years 
old,  taking  up  his  home  in  Guelph,  Canada,  where 
as  a  young  man  he  engaged  in  farming.  Subse- 
quently he  removed  to  New  Jersey,  where  his 
death  occurred  in  1865.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Civil  War,  serving  in  the  Union  army,  and  was 
confined  in  the  famous  Confederate  prison  at  An- 
dersonville  nine  months.  In  all  he  served  three 
years  under  the  colors.  Mrs.  Moon  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Anna  Eliza  Steele  and  was  born 
in  the  Quaker  City,  in  1839,  the  older  of  the  two 
children~of  James'  and  Rachel  (Hight)  Steele, 
Pennsylvanians.  James  Steele  was  a  shipbuilder. 
Mrs.  Rudebeck  was  born  at  Everton,  Canada, 
August,  1861.  Eight  children  have  blessed  the 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rudebeck,  namely:  Anna 
Eliza,  born  June  18,  1879;  Minnie  May,  February 
1,  1883:  Nellie  Viola,  February  13,  1881;  Thomas 
Henrv,  November  6,  1886;  Christiana,  June  6, 
1888 ;  Rachel  Amelia,  May  3,  1890 ;  Florence  Elva, 
March  13,  1893;  Nicholas  Alvin,  July  1,  1894;  all 
are  living.  Mr.  Rudebeck  is  affiliated  with  the 
Lutheran  church,  while  his  wife  is  a  Methodist. 
Politically  he  is  a  lifelong  Republican  who  has 
been  content  to  cast  his  ballot  without  hope  of 
party   reward. 

The  business  interests  of  Mr.  Rudebeck  are 
varied  and  not  confined  to  any  one  section.  He  is 
the  owner  of  one  of  Everett's  fine  business  blocks 
in  which  tract  are  ten  lots,  a  handsome  residence 
on  Summit  avenue,  the  townsite  of  the  celebrated 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


town  of  Monte  Cristo,  the  famous  Sauk  lode  prop- 
erty adjoining  the  O.  &  B.  mine  in  that  camp  and 
a  controlling-  interest  in  the  Nonpareil  group,  join- 
ing the  Sunset  Copper  Company's  claims  on  the 
east.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  that  com- 
pany. Upon  the  Nonpareil  property  he  has  spent 
about  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  date  in  extensive 
development  work.  Recently  he  assisted  in  the  in- 
corporation of  the  Monarch  Realty  &  Investment 
Company,  of  Tacoma,  of  which  he  is  the  general 
manager  at  the  present  time.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  Mr.  Rudebeck  is  among  the  most  aggressive 
and  enthusiastic  business  men  of  this  section  of 
the  state,  filled  with  unfaltering  confidence  in  its 
resources  and  backing  up  his  opinions  in  a  most 
substantial  way.  Others  may  have  blazed  the  path- 
way into  Snohomish  county,  but  to  the  few  pioneer 
business  men  of  the  type  to  which  Mr.  Rudebeck 
belongs  who  have  sought  out  and  promoted  the  de- 
velopment of  the  resources  opened  by  those  hardy 
frontiersmen  are  due  unqualified  praise  and  re- 
spect, a  debt  of  gratitude  by  a  prosperous,  con- 
tented people. 


HARRY  L.  OLDFIELD,  president  and  man- 
ager of  the  Snohomish  County  Abstract  Co.,  with 
offices  at  2925  Wetmore  avenue,  Everett,  has  been 
identified  with  the  city's  commercial  interests  for 
the  past  twelve  years.  During  this  time  he  has 
progressed  step  by  step  to  his  present  position  of 
stability  and  influence  among  his  associates,  mod- 
estly yet  generously  contributing  his  share  toward 
the  upbuilding  of  a  great  county  and  a  great  city. 
Of  English  descent,  he  was  born  in  England  in 
1868,  the  son  of  Charles  and  Susan  (Little)  Old- 
field.  The  senior  Oldfield  was  born  in  1838  and 
during  his  life  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  the 
old  country.  Mrs.  Oldfield,  the  mother  of  Harry 
L.,  a  year  younger  than  her  husband,  survives  him 
and  still  resides  in  England.  The  subject  of  this 
review  was  educated  in  English  private  schools. 
In  1882,  while  still  a  boy,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  new  world  and  located 
first  in  Tennessee.  Thence  he  turned  westward  to 
Missouri,  Colorado  and  Idaho,  following  different 
lines  of  work,  until  eventually  in  1892,  he  reached 
Seattle.  There  he  was  employed  as  a  stenographer, 
in  law  and  railroad  offices  for  two  years,  coming  to 
Everett  in  1894  to  accept  a  position  with  the  Ev- 
erett Land  Company.  This  concern  was  the  orig- 
inal promoter  of  Everett  and  to  be  associated  with 
it  in  a  business  way  meant  to  be  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  early  history  of  the  sturdy  young 
city  springing  up  on  Port  (jardner  bay  in  those 
early  years.  Mr.  Oldfield  later  resigned  to  accept 
work  in  the  general  offices  of  the  Everett  &  Monte 
Cristo  Railroad  Company,  organized  and  operated 
by  the  same  interests  which  launched  Everett  into 
the  world.     In  1899  he  entered  business  for  him- 


self, purchasing  the  abstract  business  of  S.  S.  Gar- 
diner, and  conducting  it  alone  for  a  year.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  associated  himself  with  E.  A. 
Strong  in  purchasing  the  business  of  the  Snohomish 
County  Abstract  Company,  and  under  their  man- 
agement the  new  enterprise  flourished,  and  grew  to 
its  present  large  proportions.  Recently  Mr.  Old- 
field  acquired  his  partner's  interests,  so  that  now 
he  is  sole  owner.  He  has  built  up  a  reputation  for 
reliability  that  is  not  only  a  most  valuable  commer- 
cial asset  of  such  a  profession  but  also  a  source  of 
intense  satisfaction  to  those  who  have  followed  his 
successful   career. 

Mr.  Oldfield  and  Miss  Emma  Melvin  were  united 
in  marriage  at  Everett  in  1897.  She,  too,  is  a  na- 
tive of  England,  and  is  the  daughter  of  W.  T.  and 
Isabelle  (Willis)  Melvin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Melvin 
are  now  residents  of  Everett,  the  former  having 
retired  from  his  life  occupation,  that  of  a  farmer. 
To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oldfield,  two  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  Charles  Willis  in  1903,  and 
Frances  Elizabeth  in  1905,  both  of  whom  are  living. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Oldfield  is  affiliated  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the  Royal  Arcanum ;  Mrs. 
Oldfield  is  prominent  in  city  club  work,  belonging 
to  the  Women's  Book  club,  of  which  she  served 
as  president  two  years.  Politically,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oldfield  are  esteemed 
residents  of  the  community,  while  in  business  cir- 
cles he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  county's  forceful 
men  to  whom  success  has  justly  come. 


JOHN  FINLEY  BENDER  (deceased).  Many 
of  the  Northwest's  early  pioneers  and  leaders  to 
whom  credit  is  due  for  establishing  its  present  sub- 
stantial, prosperous  industries  have  passed  away. 
A  grateful  people  cheerfully  acknowledge  their  in- 
debtedness to  these  pathfinders  and  state  builders; 
the  appreciative,  truth  seeking  historian  will  write 
their  names  and  deeds  upon  imperishable  records; 
but  the  highest  reward  must  come  from  the  bourne 
beyond,  the  true  abiding  place  of  justice  in  all 
things.  The  subject  of  this  biographical  review, 
whose  death  occurred  in  March,  1905,  was  among 
these  pioneer  leaders.  He  was  born  at  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana,  September  4,  1841,  one  of  the  children 
of  David  and  Lydia  (Tanney)  Bender.  David 
Bender  was  a  Pennsylvanian,  and  by  occupation,  a 
farmer  most  of  his  life.  He  was  born  in  1803  and 
died  at  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  in  1881,  being 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Washington  Territory. 
His  wife,  whose  death  occurred  in  Minnesota  in 
1853  at  the  age  of  forty-five,  was  born  in  Balti- 
more, Maryland,  in  1808.  She  was  related  to 
Thomas  Edison,  the  great  inventor,  and  also  to 
Miller  and  Aultman.  John  Finley  Bender  was  edu- 
cated in  the  common  schools  of  Indiana  and  re- 
mained on  the  farm  until  nineteen  years  of  age. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  joined    the 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Union  forces,  enlisting  in  the  fall  of  1861  in  an 
Indiana  regiment.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his 
three  years'  term,  he  re-enlisted  this  time  identify- 
ing himself  with  the  First  Nebraska  Cavalry  and 
with  this  command  remained  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  Throughout  the  long,  bloody  struggle  he 
fought  valiantly  on  many  famous  battlefields,  sacri- 
ficing his  all  that  the  Stars  and  Stripes  might  float 
over  a  united,  invincible  nation,  and  many  a  camp- 
fire  he  entertained  with  stories  of  his  varied  war 
experiences.  After  peace  had  been  declared  and 
the  troops  mustered  out,  he  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock  raising  in  Montana,  Washington  and 
Oregon,  settling  in  the  last  named  state  in  1873 
after  his  removal  from  Montana  Territory.  Thus 
he  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  Pacific 
coast  and  during  the  succeeding  thirty-three  years 
of  his  residence  here  contributed  much  toward  the 
subjugation  of  the  wilderness  and  the  development 
of  its  rich  resources.  In  1890  he  became  interested 
in  mining  in  the  Cascade  and  Olympic  mountains, 
left  the  old  home  in  Oregon  and  located,  in  1891. 
at  Silverton,  Snohomish  county,  a  newly  estab- 
lished camp  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Stillaguamish 
river.  He  was  actively  identified  with  the  promo- 
tion of  thi.s  well  known  district  and  was  among 
the  locators  of  the  now  noted  Bonanza  Queen 
group  of  copper  properties,  which  was  sold  irTigOl 
for  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Mr. 
Bender  made  a  close  and  scientific  study  of  miner- 
alogy, absorbing  his  knowledge  thoroughly,  and  in 
"his  quiet,  unostentatious  way  won  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him  in  either  a  busi- 
ness or  a  social  way.  Mr.  Bender  was  united  in 
marriage  in  1874,  while  residing  in  Oregon,  to 
Mrs.  Charlotte  C.  Anderson,  of  Knappa.  She  had 
a  son  and  a  daughter,  born  to  her  former  mar- 
riage. 

One  child,  William  Emmett.  born  January  19, 
1875,  in  Oregon,  came  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bender.  He  is  now  a  resident  of  Everett, 
one  of  the  city's  well-known  business  men,  and  is 
the  sole  executor  and  principal  heir  of  his  father's 
estate.  Mr.  Bender  is  the  owner  of  many  valuable 
pieces  of  Everett  property  and  possesses  a  beauti- 
ful home  on  North  Rucker  avenue.  October  19, 
1896,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Norene  W.  Colvin, 
at  Knappa,  Oregon.  She  is  a  native  daughter  of 
Oregon,  born  at  Portland  in  1876,  and  in  that  state 
•  was  reared  and  educated.  One  child  has  blessed 
the  marriage,  Roy  Locke  Bender,  a  sturdy  little 
■chap,  the  pride  of  the  household. 

Fraternally,  John  F.  Bender  was  prominent  in 
the  IMasonic  order  and  was  also  affiliated  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  William  Emmett  Bender  is 
a  Woodman  of  the  World.  The  most  valuable  her- 
itage left  by  the  immediate  founder  of  this  family 
to  his  son  and  grandson  is  the  influences  of  a 
.strong,    brave,    honorable    character,    a    wholesome 


life,  and  the  memory  of  one  who  gave  generously 
and  unselfishly  to  the  perpetuation  and  the  upbuild- 
ing of  his  country. 


JOHN  H.  HILTON,  among  the  city  of  Ever- 
ett's foremost  citizens,  has  to  his  credit  a  long  ca- 
reer of  usefulness  and  profit  in  their  broadest 
sense,  so  much  of  which  has  been  lived  on  the 
shores  of  Puget  sound  that  his  name  must  be  per- 
manently engraved  upon  the  historical  records  of 
this  section.  He  is  a  pioneer  among  pioneers,  in- 
timately concerned  in  the  growth  of  Northwestern 
Washington  in  general  and  particularly  identified 
with  the  upbuilding  of  Snohomish  county. 

Of  Colonial  American  and  Scotch  descent,  John 
H.  Hilton  was  born  at  St.  Albans,  Somerset 
County,  Maine,  September  1,  1845,  the  son  of  Na- 
thaniel Hilton,  a  prominent  lumberman  and  land- 
holder of  that  section.  The  elder  Hilton  was  a 
native  of  the  Pine  Tree  state  also,  born  in  1814 
in  Skowhegan  county  to  pioneers  of  that  northern 
commonwealth.  When  a  young  man  he  crossed 
the  border  into  Canada  and  made  a  fortune  lum- 
bering in  the  heavy  forests  of  Nova  Scotia.  While 
so  engaged  he  and  Miss  Jane  Doak  of  that  prov- 
ince were  united  in  marriage.  She  was  born  at 
Mariamache,  Nova  Scotia,  in  1817,  the  daughter 
of  Scotch  parents.  Her  life,  which  terminated  in 
1857,  was  marked  by  a  most  devout  Christian 
spirit,  endearing  her  to  all  with  svhom  she  was  as- 
sociated. Nathaniel  Hilton  passed  away  in  1849, 
while  residing  in  his  native  state.  The  boyhood 
of  John  H.,  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  marked 
by  severe  misfortunes  and  a  hard,  grinding  strug- 
gle for  existence.  Losing  his  father  when  only  four 
years  old  and  his  mother  seven  years  later,  the 
family  scattered  and  being  forced  to  win  his  own 
way,  the  mettle  of  the  lad  was  indeed  tried.  But 
he  proved  equal  to  the  occasion,  thus  demonstrat- 
ing the  inherent  powers  and  qualities  that  later  in 
life  became  so  noticeable.  He  worked  his  way 
through  the  public  schools  and  in  1861,  when  Lin- 
coln's call  for  troops  came,  enlisted  first  in  the 
Fourteenth  Maine  and  later  in  the  Twenty-second 
but  each  time  was  unable  to  get  his  guardian's  con- 
sent to  enter  the  army.  Finally,  in  186.'^,  he  left 
home,  or  rather  Maine,  and  went  by  the  Nicaragua 
route  to  seek  his  fortune  in  California.  After  a 
year  spent  in  the  redwood  forests,  the  indomitable 
youth  came  to  Puget  sound  and  located  on  Whidby 
island.  A  brother,  R.  D.  Hilton,  was  logging  there 
with  oxen  at  the  time  (there  being  no  horses  in 
the  country)  and  John  H.  endeavored  to  secure 
work  with  him  in  the  camp.  He  was  advised  to 
go  to  Port  Gamble  and  secure  employment  in  the 
mills,  being  told  that  he  would  only  be  in  the  way 
in  the  camp.  His  experience  in  the  mills  on  the 
Penobscot  river,  however,  led  him  to  avoid  such 
employment.     For   a   time   he   met  only   with  dis- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


couragement,  no  one  being  inclined  to  be  of  real 
assistance  to  him.  His  strong  nature  then  asserted 
itself  and  he  ceased  to  ask  favors  of  any  one.  A 
little  later  he  entered  the  employ  of  Brown  &  Fos- 
ter, on  Brown's  bay,  just  below  Mukilteo,  one  of 
the  county's  oldest  camps,  and"  soon  became  one 
of  the  most  efficient  woodsmen  in  the  country.  In 
1865  he  went  up  the  Snohomish  river  to  Foster's 
slough,  where  he  heard  the  news  of  Lincoln's  as- 
sassination. In  the  fall  of  18()5  camp  was  moved 
midway  between  Mukilteo  and  Everett  and  there 
lie  celebrated  his  twenty-first  birthday  with  a  for- 
tune of  one  thousand  and  four  hundred  dollars  to 
his  credit.  Shortly  afterward  he  decided  to  go  to 
Frisco  and  made  the  trip  by  canoe,  stage  and 
steamer,  via  Seattle,  Olympia  and  Portland.  For 
.a  year  he  mined  in  Plumas  County,  California,  then 
spent  another  year  in  Sonoma  county  redwood  for- 
ests. The  year  1860  saw  him  stranded  at  Frisco, 
but  undismayed  b\-  his  reverses.  .\t  Pope  &  Tab- 
let's old  dock  he  engaged  passage  on  the  old  bark 
Miland  for  Port  Gamble.  As  soon  as  he  could  he 
made  his  way  back  to  Snohomish  county  and  ob- 
tained work  with  Charlie  McLain  at  his  camp  on 
the  Pilchuck,  for  whom  he  worked  until  early 
spring. 

Then  he  drove  logs  on  the  Pilchuck  river  with 
Alex  Ross,  George  Robinson,  and  a  man  named 
Pullen, — all  expert  loggers.  As  an  incident  of  this 
season  Mr.  Hilton  relates  that  after  breaking  a 
jam  in  the  river,  the  four  mounted  the  tangled 
raft  and  rode  it  to  the  next  jam,  his  three  com- 
panions each  in  their  turn  being  dumped  into  the 
river  for  a  cold  bath,  while  he  escaped.  Finding 
that  the  financial  condition  of  the  camp  was  not 
what  he  had  supposed  it  to  be  Mr.  Hilton  gathered 
together  his  "crowtracks,"  tied  his  belongings  into 
a  bundle  and  went  to  Cadyville.  Here  he  was  en- 
tertained by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  C.  Ferguson  pre- 
paratory to  his  departure  for  Port  Gamble.  After 
purchasing  $100  worth  of  supplies  from  Mr.  Fergu- 
son (which  did  not  include  "silk  stockings,"  paper 
collars  or  kid  gloves)  he  went  to  the  E.  D.  Smith 
camp  near  Port  Gamble,  where  Marysville  is  now 
built.  After  a  season  spent  here  he  located  at 
Lowell.  He  was  successful  in  all  his  ventures  and 
soon  had  one  thousand  dollars  to  his  credit.  With 
a  portion  of  this  he  invested  in  what  afterwards 
became  valuable  tide  lands,  in  Seattle. 

However,  in  1870  he  had  taken  a  pre-emption 
claim  on  Holmes'  Harbor,  which  it  was  at  that 
time  thought  would  be  the  terminus  of  the  North- 
ern Pacific  railroad,  engineers  being  actually  at 
work  on  the  plats.  In  1872  he  took  a  homestead 
on  the  Everett  peninsula,  coming  down  the  river 
in  a  canoe  with  a  frying  pan  and  coffee  pot  as  his 
housekeeping  equipment.  At  that  time  his  only 
neighbor  was  a  man  named  King,  who  was  men- 
tally deranged.     Keen  foresight  was  demonstrated 


in  this  move  on  the  part  of  the  young  pioneer,  for, 
aside  from  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  land  for  tim- 
ber and  agricultural  purposes,  he  believed  it  would 
some  day  be  the  site  of  a  great  city.  In  1890  his 
prediction  was  verified,  for  Henry  Hewitt,  Jr.,  of- 
fered him  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  the 
homestead  and  was  refused.  After  taking  his 
claims  Mr.  Hilton  engaged  in  several  lines  of  ac- 
tivity, one  being  the  establishment  of  a  butcher 
shop  at  Snohomish  in  1875,  which  two  years  later 
developed  into  a  general  merchandise  house.  He 
sold  out  in  1883  to  Comegys  &  Vestal,  well  known 
pioneers.  This  business  he  started  with  merely  a 
credit  line  of  goods  valued  at  one  hundred  and  ten 
dollars  and  during  his  ownership  the  enterprise 
netted  him  twenty  thousand  dollars  approximately. 
A  trip  to  Oakland,  and  San  Francisco  followed, 
then  another  trip  to  Maine,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  the  sound  and  engaged  in  buying  and 
selling  land  and  stock  and  improving  farms.  In 
1890  he  removed  to  Seattle,  built  a  residence  there 
and  made  that  city  his  home  three  years,  since 
which  he  has  resided  in  the  city  of  Everett.  He 
still  retains  the  greater  portion  of  his  old  home- 
stead, deals  extensively  in  real  estate  including  tide 
lands,  and  is  heavily  interested  in  various  other 
enterprises  at  different  points  on  the  sound. 

The  old  "Blue  Eagle"  building,  at  Snohomish, 
one  of  the  county's  noted  pioneer  structures,  was 
the  scene  of  Mr.  Hilton's  wedding,  December  7, 
1873,  the  bride  being  Miss  Susie  Harriet  Elwell. 
Royal  Haskell  performed  the  ceremony  in  the 
presence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  C.  Ferguson,  the 
bride's  parents  and  family  and  brother,  R.  D.  Hil- 
ton, the  oldest  and  most  highly  esteemed  pioneers 
in  this  region.  Miss  Elwell  was  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Eliza  (Crosby)  Elwell,  early  pioneers  of 
Snohomish,  a  sketch  of  whose  lives  will  be  found 
in  that  of  Tamlin  Elwell's  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
Mrs.  Hilton  was  born  in  Northfield,  Maine,  Decem- 
ber 16,  1850.  She  departed  this  life  March  5,  1902, 
leaving  behind  her  the  memory  and  influence  of  a 
devoted,  unselfish  life.  Of  the  five  children  born 
to  this  union  three  are  deceased,  John  H.,  Martie 
E.  and  Claude  H.,  who  died  in  infancy.  One 
daughter,  Mrs.  Lena  Loomis,  resides  in  Denver, 
Colorado,  and  one  son,  Bailey  G.,  is  a  resident  of 
Everett.  Mrs.  Hilton  was  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church,  which  Mr.  Hilton  also  attends.  He 
is  affiliated  with  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  and  the  K.  of  P.. 
and  politically  is  a  lifelong  Republican,  active  but 
not  aspiring.  It  is  given  to  comparatively  few  to 
lead  such  a  full  life  as  has  Mr.  Hilton  and,  more 
especially,  to  have  made  the  most  of  the  rich  op- 
portunities he  so  bravely  sought  in  the  wild,  iso- 
lated Northwest  of  his  time.  His  career  on  Puget 
sound  spans  the  period  of  this  region's  wonderful 
development  from  a  mere  commercial  outpost  of 
the  westermost  west  into  one  of  the  most  progres- 


910 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


sive,  industrious,  goodly  states  in  all  the  union,  and 
in  this  transformation  he  has  taken  an  active  and 
influential  part. 


THE  EVERETT  LIBRARY,  Aliss  Gretchen 
Hathaway,  Librarian.  L"p  to  the  time  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  Everett  library  applied  to  Mr. 
Carnegie  for  a  library  building,  the  library  had 
consisted  of  no  more  than  two  thousand  and  one 
hundred  volumes,  housed  in  a  small  three-room 
building;  now  it  possesses  some  six  thousand  and 
five  hundred  volumes — with  more  to  come — and  is 
at  home  in  its  handsome  new  quarters.  Due  credit 
should  be  given,  however,  to  the  two  thousand  and 
one  hundred  volume  library,  product  of  the  energy 
and  enterprise  of  the  Woman's  Book  club.  Through 
their  efforts  the  library  had  been  started  four  years 
before  with  nine  hundred  volumes,  along  the  most 
approved  library  lines,  was  made  free,  and  main- 
tained by  the  city;  and  thus  was  able  to  expand 
to  its  present  dimensions  without  difficulty  and 
without  radical  changes. 

Mr.  Carnegie  responded  favorably  to  the  appli- 
cation of  the  trustees,  offering  the  city  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars,  subject  to  the  usual  conditions, 
ten  per  cent,  maintenance  fund  and  site.  The  Im- 
provement Company  gave  the  city  two  lots  in  a 
desirable  location  for  this  purpose.  Not  less  than 
four  lots  being  considered  necessary  for  the  build- 
ing to  be  erected,  two  more  lots  were  given  by  the 
Swahvell  Land  Co.  and  the  Union  Trust  Co.  These 
latter  being  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  were,  with 
the  building  and  lot  occupied,  exchanged  for  two 
lots  adjoining  those  given  by  the  Improvement 
Company.  The  city  council  cheerfully  voted  the 
necessary  maintenance  fund. 

On  account  of  various  delays  incident  to  the  se- 
curing of  the  site  and  other  matters,  plans  were 
not  called  for  .until  the  beginning  of  last  year.  The 
firm  of  Heide  &  DeNeuf  furnished  the  plans.  It 
might  be  well  to  own  here,  that  at  this  time,  we 
were  aided  greatly  by  the  advice  and  suggestions 
of  Mr.  Smith  of  the  Seattle  library. 

Plans  were  approved  and  the  contract  let  by 
the  board  in  April,  1904.  Work  was  begun  imme- 
diately and  the  building  pushed  through  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  resulting  in  its  standing  ready  for  oc- 
cupancy on  the  first  of  January,  1905. 

Some  delay  was  again  encountered  in  securing 
the  furnishings,  which  did  not  arrive  until  May 
1st.  In  consequence  of  the  number  of  new  books 
to  be  accessioned,  the  formal  opening  occurred  on 
July  1,  1905.  As  Mr.  Carnegie  allows  his  gift  to 
be  expended,  if  desired,  for  building  and  furnish- 
ings, the  trustees  so  disbursed  the  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars — this  sum  covering  all  the  expenses 
of  building  and   furnishing. 

The  substantial  building,  one  story  and  a  base- 
ment,   is   of   cream-colored   brick.      The   basement 


contains  an  auditorium,  seating  some  three  hun- 
dred people,  a  newspaper  and  periodical  room,  fur- 
nace and  unpacking  rooms,  janitors'  closet,  etc. 
The  room  termed  "auditorium,"  can  be  readily 
turned  into  a  stack  room,  having  a  capacity  of 
fifteen  thousand  volumes.  On  the  main  floor  is  a 
small  vestibule  opening  into  the  delivery  hall,  on 
the  right  of  which — in  the  sunniest  and  most  cheer- 
ful corner  of  the  building — is  the  children's  room. 
On  the  left  and  of  equal  size,  is  the  general  read- 
ing and  reference  room,  back  of  that  a  small  refer- 
ence and  study  room,  and  the  woman's  parlor.  On 
the  right  corresponding  to  these  rooms  are  the  li- 
brarian's office  and  the  work  room,  the  latter  con- 
necting with  the  stack  room.  The  stack  is  that 
termed  radiating — radiating  from  the  delivery  desk 
in  the  rear  of  the  main  hall — in  this  manner  per- 
mitting the  control  of  the  library  by  one  person 
at  the  delivery  desk.  The  stack  room  has  a  ca- 
pacity of  fifteen  thousand  volumes,  and  is  open  to 
the  public  as  are  all  the  shelves.  The  building  is 
so  arranged,  however,  that  the  stack  can  be  closed 
at  any  time,  if  desired.  In  other  rooms  on  the 
main  floor  there  is  capacity  for  six  thousand  vol- 
umes more.  This  can  be  raised  some  thousands  by 
the  addition  of  shelving  for  which  there  is  ample 
room. 

All  wood  work  in  the  building  is  finished  in 
dark  green.  The  walls  and  ceilings  are  in  pale 
shades  of  green  and  apricot.  The  furniture,  in- 
cluding newspaper  and  periodical  racks,  dictionary 
stands,  and  trays,  is  of  heavy  oak,  finished  in  dull 
green;  and  the  stacks  are  steel,  of  the  most  ap- 
proved design,  also  in  the  prevailing  green.  This, 
together  with  the  gilt  of  the  electric  fixtures,  makes 
an  effective  color  scheme  and  is  much  admired. 
The  building  is  heated  by  a  hot-water  plant,  and 
is  well  lighted.  The  six  thousand  and  five  hun- 
dred volumes  comprising  the  liijrary  are  of  a  gen- 
eral character,  more  strength  being  shown  in  liter- 
ature perhaps,  though  considerable  attention  has 
been  given  to  history,  and  to  the  mechanic  arts, 
which  are  in  much  demand  in  this  locality.  There 
is  also  a  complete  subject  and  dictionary  card  cata- 
log of  these  volumes. 

"  Through  the  efforts  of  the  trustees,  and  the 
generosity  of  the  public  as  represented  by  the  gov- 
erning board  of  the  Everett  Hospital,  an  institu- 
tion about  to  become  extinct,  the  library  was  made 
recipient  of  a  gift  of  five  thousand  dollars,  the  pro- 
ceeds of  their  property,  for  the  purchase  of  new 
books.  This  gift,  coming  to  us  in  March  of  this 
year,  was  most  timely  and  most  acceptable,  and 
the  library  has  benefited  accordingly. 

The  librarian,  Miss  Gretchen  1  latliawav,  has  as- 
assistants  Miss  Jessie  Judd  and  Miss  I'jiiily  Sum- 
ner. The  trustees  of  the  institution  are  F.  H. 
Brownell,  president,  Ellen  I.  Thayer,  secretary.  S. 
M.  Kennedy,  Robert  Moody,  and  W.  G.  SwahvelL 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


911 


A  yearly  appropriation  of  $"-?,500  has  been  made  by 
the  city  for  the  proper  conducting  of  the  hbrary. 
It  ranks  sixth  in  size  and  in  the  number  of  vol- 
umes for  circulation  (in  the  state)  and  is  one  of  the 
best  managed  libraries  in  Washington. 


JOHN  SPENCER,  retired,  a  well  known  citi- 
zen of  Everett,  during  his  twenty  years'  residence 
in  Snohomish  county  has  acquired  an  enviable  rep- 
utation as  a  successful,  scientific  agriculturist  of 
unusual  ability,  and  not  only  in  that  line  of  activ- 
ity but  in  others  has  he  won  a  high  position.  He 
was  born  in  Lancashire,  England,  January  13, 
1S32,  the  scion  of  an  ancient  Lancashire  house. 
Hugh  Spencer,  his  father,  was  born  in  Lancashire 
about  the  year  1780.  He  followed  farming  early 
in  life,  but  later  managed  a  coal  company  and  sub- 
sequently engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
W'igan.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Jonson)  Spencer,  the 
mother  of  John  Spencer,  was  also  a  native  of  Lan- 
cashire, born  in  1784;  her  father  was  a  Scottish 
farmer.  At  the  age  of  seven  John  Spencer  went 
to  work  in  the  coal  mines,  receiving  most  of  his 
education  in  the  practical  school  of  experience. 
When  only  fifteen  years  old  he  became  a  regular 
miner  and  followed  this  occupation  in  England  im- 
til  1862,  when  he  bade  adieu  to  the  British  Isles 
and  set  his  face  toward  the  western  continent.  Lo- 
cating near  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  he  at  once 
resumed  mining,  remaining  there  until  1SG6.  Then 
he  removed  to  Monongia,  near  Boone,  Iowa,  five 
miles  from  Booneborough,  where  Mr.  Spencer 
spent  a  year  mining,  from  Iowa  he  then  removed 
to  Point  O'Rocks,  Wyoming,  accepting  a  position 
as  manager  of  the  mines  at  that  point.  This  was 
during  the  construction  of  the  LTnion  Pacific  rail- 
road across  the  continent.  A  year  later  he  took 
up  his  residence  in  Washington  County.  Xeliraska. 
and  engaged  in  farming,  raising  grain  principallv. 
In  Nebraska  Mr.  Spencer  secured  his  first  real  suli- 
stantial  foothold  in  business,  devoting  his  attention 
zealously  to  mastering  the  farming  industry,  tak- 
ing a  leading  part  in  his  community's  public  af- 
fairs and  otherwise  deeply  interesting  himself. 
However,  the  Northwest  appealed  irresistibly  to 
him  because  of  its  fertility  and  its  genial  climate, 
so  in  1886  he  left  the  pla'ins  of  Nebraska  for  the 
forest  covered  valley  of  the  Snohomish,  settling 
in  section  ten,  on  Steamboat  slough.  The  excel- 
lence of  his  farming  methods  and  his  marked  prac- 
ticality at  once  won  success  for  him  in  the  new 
field  of  endeavor.  Since  1886  he  has  been  a  con- 
tinuous resident  of  the  county,  and,  though  still 
owning  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres 
of  valuable  land  near  Everett,  is  at  present  living 
in  that  city. 

Mr.  Spencer  and  Sarah  Ann  Atherton,  the 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Yates)  Atherton, 
were  united  in  marriage  in  England,  December  11, 


1S57.  The  Athertons,  too,  are  natives  of  Lanca- 
shire, the  father  born  in  1808,  the  mother  a  year 
later.  William  Atherton  passed  away  in  1897  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one.  Mrs.  Atherton 
died  young.  Mrs.  Spencer  was  born  in  Lanca- 
shire, May  7,  1838.  She  is  the  mother  of  thirteen 
children,  the  first  two  of  whom  were  bom  in  Eng- 
land. Only  four  of  this  large  family  are  living, 
all  residents  of  Snohomish  county:  John  William, 
born  October  9,  1862;  Mrs.  Mary  Clasby,  July 
30,  1868 ;  Thomas,  February  14,  1877 ;  and  Stephen 
Franklin,  November  23,  1880.  Both  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs. 
Spencer  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church,  and 
among  the  founders  of  the  Marysville  and  Everett 
churches  of  that  denomination.  He  is  affiliated 
with  one  fraternity,  the  Masonic,  being  one  of  rhe 
charter  members  of  Peninsular  lodge,  Everett. 

In  public  life  Mr.  Spencer  took  a  prominent 
part  while  residing  in  Nebraska,  where  he  v\'as  one 
of  the  leaders  in  the  Republican  party.  He  served 
three  terms  as  supervisor  of  Sheridan  township, 
being  chosen  chairman  of  the  board  each  term,  and 
was  township  assessor  five  years.  He  is  now  an 
ardent  Prohibitionist,  though  with  declining  years 
he  has  been  forced  to  take  a  less  active  interest  in 
public  life  as  well  as  in  business  affairs. 


HENRY  O.  SILER,  professional  timber  cruiser 
with  headquarters  at  present  at  Everett,  though  his 
business  in  connection  with  the  big  saw-mill  at  Port 
Blakely,  has  been  connected  with  the  logging  and 
lumber  business  ever  since  he  came  to  Snohomish 
county.  He  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1862, 
the  fourth  of  ten  children  of  Albert  and  Josie 
fChipman)  Siler.  The  elder  Siler  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  Old  North  state  and  lived  there  all  his 
life,  passing  away  in  1904.  Mrs.  Siler  was  born  in 
New  York  but  passed  the  greater  part  of  her  life 
in  North  Carolina.  Henry  O.  Siler  received  liis 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state 
and  remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  nineteen 
years  of  age.  He  then  passed  three  years  in  the 
lumber  business,  leaving  it  to  enter  into  partner- 
ship with  his  father  in  a  general  store  near  Frank- 
lin, in  his  native  state.  This  business  was  con- 
ducted for  three  years.  In  1886  ]\Ir.  Siler  came 
to  Washington  and  settled  on  a  squatter's  right  in 
Cowlitz  county.  Here  he  remained  about  a  )'ear 
when  he  sold  his  right  and  came  to  Snohomish 
county  working  in  the  logging  camps  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Lowell  on  the  Snohomish  river.  In  1889 
he  commenced  logging  on  his  own  account,  b'.it 
soon  located  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Stillaguamish, 
where  he  took  a  squatter's  right  to  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  timber  land.  As  soon  as  the 
land  was  surveyed  Mr.  Siler  filed  a  timber  claim-. 
In  1892  he  also  filed  on  a  homestead,  residing  ori 
that  land  for  five  years.  During  this  period  he 
had  engaged  in  logging  operations  and  continued 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


so  to  do  until  in  1897  he  sold  both  his  timber  and 
homestead  claims  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three  acres  of  land  near  Cicero,  thirty  of 
which  were  cleared.  Mr.  Siler  has  cleared  forty 
acres  in  addition,  having  lived  on  the  place  for 
three  years.  In  1898  he  began  work  which  ulti- 
mately induced  him  to  remove  to  Everett,  where 
he  has  a  home  on  Hoyt  avenue.  Since  that  time 
he  has  been  occupied  in  buying  timber  and  cruis- 
ing for  others.  For  the  last  three  years  he  has  been 
steadily  in  the  employ  of  the  Port  Clakely  Mill 
Company,  the  largest  concern  of  the  kind  in  the 
world.  Mr.  Siler's  especial  duty  is  looking  after 
tlie  timber  interests  of  this  gigantic  establishment. 
In  December,  1891,  at  Oso  Mr.  Siler  married 
Miss  Clara  Aldridge.  daughter  of  William  and 
Maria  (Robinson)  Aldridge.  Mr.  .\ldridge  was 
born  on  a  Tennessee  farm  but  when  a  lad  was 
taken  to  Indiana,  from  which  state  in  later  years 
he  went  to  Kansas.  In  1887  Mr.  .\ldridge  came 
to  Snohomish  cnunty  and  settled  on  the  Stilia- 
guamish  at  (  >s(i.  whure  he  died  in  1903.  Mrs.  .Ald- 
ridge is  a  native  of  Indiana  and  is  now  living  at  Oso. 
Mrs.  Siler  is  a  native  of  the  Hoosier  state,  but  re- 
ceived her  education  in  Kansas.  She  has  three  sisters 
who  are  school  teachers  in  this  state.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Siler  have  been  born  four  children :  Minnie, 
James,  Charles  and  Josie.  In  politics  Mr.  Siler  is  a 
Democrat.  In  fraternal  circles  lie  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  being  a  Mystic  Shriner,  of  the  Elks 
and  of  the  iNIodern  Woodmen  of  .America.  Mr. 
Siler  is  the  owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of  land, 
seventy  of  which  are  under  cultivation,  the  re- 
mainder being  timber  land.  He  is  a  breeder  of 
Hereford  cattle,  having  fifty  head  of  that  kind  of 
beef  creatures.  Mr.  Siler  is  one  of  the  men  in 
whose  judgment  people  place  confidence,  a  man  of 
great  powers  of  observation,  a  gentleman  from 
instinct  and  a  business  man  by  training  and  self- 
education. 


LEROY  PARKER,  of  Lowell,  comes  of  one  of 
Washington's  oldest  families  and  has  himself  been 
a  resident  of  the  Evergreen  state  more  or  less  con- 
tinuously for  fifty-four  \ears,  antedating  the  life 
of  even  the  territory  itself  by  nearl\-  a  year.  No 
less  a  pioneer  in  every  sense  of  the  word  is  his 
estimable  wife  who  was  numbered  among  Seattle's 
population  in  1861,  when  that  city  was  but  a  vil- 
lage, and  who  has  contributed  willingly  and  fully 
her  share  toward  the  winning  of  the  West.  This 
historical  record  would  indeed  be  incomplete  with- 
out this  sketch  of  their  lives,  for  in  addition  to 
being  pioneers  of  this  section  of  Puget  sound,  Mr. 
Parker  is  a  .Snohomish  pioneer  of  '73. 

Leroy  Parker  was  born  in  1811,  while  the  fam- 
ily were  residents  of  Indiana.  His  father,  David 
Parker,  a  millwright  by  trade,  was  a  native  of 
Maine,  born  in  1814.     He  left  the  Pine  Tree  state 


in  1836,  journeying  west  to  Indiana,  which  was 
his  home  until  1851.  Then  he  resided  a  year  in 
Illinois,  farming  there,  until  he  decided  to  join  the 
immigration  just  setting  in  to  Oregon.  To  him,  as 
to  most  people  in  those  days,  that  faraway  land, 
was  fascinating  simply  because  of  the  myster\'  en- 
shrouding it  and  because  of  the  eloquence  it  in- 
spired in  tho.se  who  returned  to  tell  of  its  wonder- 
ful climate,  its  boundless  forests,  its  fertile  valleys 
and  its  magnificent  rivers  and  sounds.  The  dan- 
gers and  hardships  of  the  two  thousand-mile  over- 
land trail  were  not  belittled,  but  what  cared  the 
American,  man  or  woman,  of  that  frontier  age.  for 
what  to  this  generation  seems  like  an  almost  un- 
surmountable  obstacle  ?  The  family  of  David  Par- 
ker joined  the  emigrant  train  that  left  the  Mis- 
sissippi in  the  spring  of  1852  and  in  the  fall,  worn 
and  weary,  their  clothes  threadbare  and  torn,  thirst- 
ing for  pure  water  and  even  hungering,  but  with 
undaunted  spirits  and  a  joy  known  only  to  the 
conquering  frontiersman,  David  Parker,  his  brave 
wife  and  heroic  little  children  reached  the  "Prom- 
ised land,"  settling  in  Clark  county,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  Sandy  river.  The  boy  Leroy  was 
thus  initiated  into  a  life  on  the  Pacific  coast  fron- 
tier, when  yet  a  lad  of  tender  years.  The  Parkers 
engaged  in  farming  and  its  allied  pursuits  as  did 
most  of  the  earliest  settlers,  though  later  the  father 
gave  his  attention  to  milling,  being  well  equipped 
to  follow  that  business.  Subsequently  he  removed 
to  King  county  and  there,  at  the  venerable  age  of 
eighty-five,  the  brave  old  pioneer  passed  to  his 
reward  beyond.  Emeline  (Burgess)  Parker,  his 
wife,  who  shared  with  him  the  long,  hard  frontier 
life,  laid  down  her  burdens  in  1894,  passing  away 
in  King  county,  also.  She  was  a  native  of  Maine. 
Lerov  Parker,  reaching  the  frontier  when  .still 
young  and  finding  no  schools  to  attend,  was  de- 
prived of  further  educational  privileges  for  several 
years,  but  later  attended  school  at  Vancouver.  Upon 
completing  his  education  he  engaged  in  freighting- 
between  Vancouver  and  Lewiston,  Idaho,  then  went 
into  the  mines  of  eastern  Oregon,  after  which  he 
took  up  mill  work.  He  built  a  small  quartz  stamp 
mill  on  the  Snake  river  in  1872  and  1873,  and  in 
the  fall  of  the  latter  year  came  to  Snohomish 
county.  Here  he  first  busied  himself  at  cutting 
shingles  on  Ebey  slough,  then  entered  the  employ 
of  E.  D.  Smith,  the  pioneer  lumberman  of  Lowell. 
In  the  summer  of  18^4  he  removed  to  King  county, 
locating  at  Renton.  and  there  was  employed  in 
building  mills  and  operating  them  for  others  until 
1891.  when  he  returned  to  Snohomish  to  take  up 
his  permanent  abode.  He  settled  at  Lowell,  which 
is  still  his  home.  Until  1893  he  was  employed  in 
saw-mill  work,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted 
himself  exclusively  to  his  trade,  that  of  a  mill- 
wright,  with  great   success. 

]\Iiss  Louisa  D.  Smith,  a  native  of  London,  Eng- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


land,  the  daughter  of  James  Smith,  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Leroy  Parker  in  the  old  Accidental 
Hotel,  at  Seattle  in  1875.  James  Smith,  of  Eng- 
lish ancestry,  was  born  at  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in 
1834.  He  came  to  America  in  1862,  settling  first  in 
Vancouver,  British  Columbia,  which  was  his  home 
two  years.  He  then  crossed  the  sound  to  the 
United  States,  locating  in  the  thrifty  little  town 
of  Seattle,  King  county.  Mr.  Smith  attained  to 
considerable  wealth  by  his  keen  business  ability 
and  foresight  and  for  many  years  was  one  of  the 
managers  of  a  very  large  estate.  At  the  time  he 
came  to  Seattle  the  Indians  were  very  troublesome 
to  the  little  settlement  of  whites  congregated  on 
the  site  of  the  present  great  city  and  many  a  day 
was  spent  in  deadly  fear  of  attacks  by  the  red  men. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  in  passing  that  at  that  time 
the  smaller  pieces  of  silver  currency  were  not  in 
use  in  this  section  of  the  United  States ;  indeed, 
money  of  any  kind  was  scarce.  Mrs.  Deborah 
(Cartwright)  Smith,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Parker, 
was  a  native  of  England,  born  in  1832.  Her  father 
was  a  millwright.  Mrs.  Parker  was  born  in  1838 
and  was  thus  only  four  \ears  old  when  she  came 
to  America  and  a  mere  child  when  brought  to  Pa- 
get sound.  She  remembers  old  Chief  Seattle,  Chief 
Tecumseh,  Princess  .\ngeline  and  other  noted  In- 
dians of  this  section.  Within  the  scope  of  her 
memory  too  was  the  appearance  of  the  Liza  .\nder- 
son,  Elida  and  others  of  the  sound's  first  steamers. 
All  of  the  meat  used  in  those  early  days  by  Seattle's 
inhabitants  was  brought  from  Georgetown  in 
canoes.  Mrs.  Parker  attended  school  in  the  old 
Yesler  courthouse  which  was  a  square  frame  build- 
ing about  twenty-two  by  fourteen  feet  in  size,  which 
was  the  town's  sole  school-house.  The  Denney  and 
Horton  families  were  well  known  to  the  Smiths 
when  they  were  all  engaged  in  pushing  forward 
the  future  metropolis  of  the  sound.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Parker  eight  children  have  been  born,  all  of 
whom  are  living:  Mrs.  Leila  I.  Brown,  Addie  A., 
Frank  H.,  Bert  L.,  Chester  A.,  Howard  J.,  Jean 
C.  and  Vivian  G.  The  family  home  is  a  comfort- 
able one.  occupying  a  sightly  position  overlooking 
the  Snohomish  river  and  valley,  and  in  its  reigns 
the  true  spirit  of  hospitality  and  sincerity  which 
makes  it  so  welcome  a  gathering  place  for  friends 
and  acquaintances.  Mrs.  Parker  is  affiliated  with 
the  Order  of  Pendo.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Parker  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  during  his  whole 
life.  True  pioneers  of  the  West,  and  of  this  sec- 
tion particularly,  they  have  not  only  watched  the 
wonderful  development  of  Washington  from  its 
beginning,  but  have  ])artaken  in  its  upbuilding  to  a 
greater  extent  than  falls  to  the  lot  of  many  and 
are  now  enjoying  the  inevitable  reward,  esteemed 
by  all  with  whom  they  are  associated. 


JOHN  FRANCIS  ANGEVINE.— Among  the- 
highly  successful  and  widely  known  lumbermen  of 
the  Puget  sound  region  upon  whose  activities  the 
prosperity  of  this  rich  section  for  the  most  part 
depends,  is  the  citizen  of  Everett  whose  name  gives 
title  to  this  biographical  sketch.  For  sixteen  years- 
he  has  operated  extensively  up  and  down  the  shores 
of  the  sound  and  may  be  regarded  as  a  pioneer  in. 
Skagit  and  Snohomish  counties  whose  population 
and  development  were  sixteen  years  ago  but  a  small' 
proportion  of  what  they  are  to-day. 

The  subject  of  this  review  comes  from  a  state 
world-famed  for  its  lumbermen,  Maine,  He  was 
born  at  Bath,  February  13,  1858,  the  son  of  Joseph 
and  Margaret  (Eagle)  Angevine.  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Nova  .Scotia,  the  latter,  of  Ireland.  Joseph 
Angevine  was  born  in  1832  and  until  his  retirement 
from  an  active  business  life  was  engaged  in  ship- 
building and  farming.  He  is  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  in  the  Maine  community  which  is  now  his 
home.  A  brother  served  throughout  the  Civil  War 
and  was  wounded  in  that  conflict.  His  mother's 
brother  also  served  through  the  Civil  \N'ar.  Bel- 
fast, Ireland,  is  the  birthplace  of  Margaret  (Eagle) 
Angevine.  She  was  born  in  1841  and  at  the  age 
of  ten  crossed  the  ocean  to  Bath,  Maine.  During 
the  voyage  her  mother  died  and  was  buried  at  sea. 
The  father  followed  his  trade,  that  of  a  blacksmith, 
until  his  death.  .\  maternal  aunt  of  John  F.  .A^nge- 
vine,  her  husband  and  their  six  children  were  mas- 
sacred by  the  Indians  during  the  uprising  in  Min- 
nesota right  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War.  After 
receiving  an  education  in  the  common  schools,  John 
Francis  Angevine  took  up  the  butcher's  trade  and 
was  so  engaged  for  seven  years,  meeting  with  good 
success  in  his  business.  He  came  to  the  Northwest 
in  1889,  first  locating  in  Salem,  Oregon.  After 
spending  a  year  there  he  came  north  to  Puget 
sound,  locating  in  Skagit  county  temporarily.  The 
first  year  he  conducted  a  meat  market  at  Anacortes, 
then  removed  to  the  booming  town  of  Everett,  just 
established  on  the  stump  ridden,  marshy  peninsula 
between  the  Snohomish  river  and  Port  Gardner 
bay.  He  immediately  entered  the  lumber  business 
in  the  growing  little  city  and  was  successful  from 
the  start.  Since  that  date  he  has  maintained  his 
home  in  the  "City  of  Smokestacks,''  utilizing  it  as 
a  base  of  operations  and  contributing  materially  to 
the  upbuilding  of  the  community.  He  has  estab- 
lished camps  at  Sequina  bay,  Clallam  county :  Bay 
View,  Skagit  county ;  Green  Lake,  Snohomish 
county ;  and  on  the  lower  Snoqualmie  river ;  all  of 
which  are  enterprises  of  considerable  size  and  still 
owned  and  managed  by  their  founder.  The  main- 
tenance of  these  camps  means  much  to  the  different 
communities  in  which  they  are  situated  and  to  the 
hundreds  of  mill  employes  who  are  engaged  in 
transforming  the  raw  product  into  lumber,  shingles 
and  lath.     .As  a  pioneer  of  Everett,  Mr.  Angevine 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


can  relate  many  intere  iting  reniiniscenses  of-  those 
early  days  when  one  needed  rubber  boots. or  a  boat 
to  go  from  Riverside  to  Bayside.  The  story  of  why 
Mr.  Angevine  came  west  clearly  exemplifies  the 
truth  of  the  saying  that  "^  single  stone  may  turn 
a,  river."  Immediately  after  marriage  he  went  to 
Boston,  intending  to  buy  lots  and  locate  in  that 
metropolis  of  the  Bay  state.  However,  the  real 
estate  man  with  whom  he  was  dealing,  thinking  he 
had  Mr.  Angevine  safely  in  his  grasp,  raised  the 
price  $200.  This  so  provoked  the  latter  that  on 
seeing  a  large  poster  advertising  "Cut  Rates  to  San 
Francisco, "he  and  his  wife  immediately  decided  to 
come  west  without  having  ever  seriously  considered 
such  plans  before.  Nor  has  Mr.  Angevine  ever  had 
occasion  to  regret  that  quick  decision  which  so  sud- 
denly and  clearly  crystallized  his  opinions  of  the 
east  and  his  desires. 

At  Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  June,  1889,  Miss 
Rachel  Tuttle,  a  native  of  the  Nova  Scotian  penin- 
sula, born  in  1861,  became  the  bride  of  John  Francis 
Angevine.  Her  father,  James  Tuttle,  and  her 
mother,  Ellen  (Cox)  Tuttle,  were  both  born  in  that 
province  of  eastern  Canada,  the  former  in  1815,  the 
latter  in  1822.  James  Tuttle  was  a  farmer  of  sub- 
stantial position ;  he  passed  away  in  1890.  Mrs. 
Tuttle  is  still  living,  residing  with  Mr.  Angevine  in 
Everett,  and  although  far  advanced  in  years  is  hale 
and  hearty  in  the  mellow  sunset  of  life.  One  son, 
Lorin,  born  in  skagit  county,  June,  1891,  is  the 
only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Angevine.  Mrs.  Ange- 
vine is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  is  affiliated  with  the  Ladies  of  the  Maccabees. 
Politically,  Mr.  Angevine  is  a  life-long  Republican. 
His  present  position  of  influence  in  the  community 
has  been  obtained  through  meritorious  endeavors 
in  the  business  world  and  the  recognition  of  his 
obligations  and  responsibilitir-;  as  a  (-iii7en.  As  a 
pioneer  he  underwent  the  \ii  i  — iiiuK  s  common  to 
those  who  pass  through  that  jicii'mI  m  a  commu- 
nity's life  and  as  a  present  day  citizen  he  is  recog- 
nized as  a  force  in  the  local  business  world. 


BERT  JAY  BRUSH,  the  popular,  widely 
known  Everett  photographer  has  established  a  repu- 
tation as  ^n  artist  of  rare  talent  that  niioht  well  be 
the  envy  of  any  member  of  his  prot\-.-iMn  r.n  Piiget 
sound.  Many  of  the  finest  illustration'^  in  this  work 
came  from  his  studio  and  give  ample  testimony  of 
his  skill.  Mr.  Brush  comes  of  a  family  known  for 
its  artistic  abilities,  his  father,  James  A.  Brush, 
being  at  the  present  time  a  successful  photographer 
in  the  city  of  Minneapolis.  The  elder  Brush  was 
born  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  in  1846.  Mrs.  Alice 
(Sprague)  Brush,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this 
biography,  is  also  a  native  of  Detroit,  born  in  1847. 
Her  father,  now  retired  from  active  business  pur- 
suits, was  a  stove  manufacturer  in  the  Peninsula 
state.  The  beautiful  "City  of  the  Straits"  became  the 


birthplace  of  Bert  Jay  Brush  in  1870,  but  as  the 
family  soon  removed  to  Minneapolis,  he  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  northern 
city.  Later  he  attended  business  college,  thus  fit- 
ting himself  thoroughly  for  the  practical  side  of 
life.  Upon  leaving  the  latter  institution  he  went 
on  the  road  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  Douglas  & 
Stewart,  Cedar  Rapids,  manufacturers  of  cereal 
foods,  remaining  so  engaged  for  two  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  entered  his  father's  studio  and 
applied  himself  to  mastering  the  business  he  now 
follows.  After  two  years  of  training  he  opened  a 
studio  in  southern  Rlinnesota,  which  he  conducted 
successfully  three  years,  leaving  there  in  1003  to 
establish  his  present  studio  in  Everett,  deeming  the 
western  field  a  broader  and  more  satisfying  one. 
His  business  has  increased  steadily  from  time  to 
time  in  a  most  gratif_ving  manner,  necessitating  the 
enlargement  of  his  quarters,  and  quite  recently  lead- 
ing him  to  purchase  the  Westfall,  formerly  the  Bart 
&  Caritwell,  studio  at  2801  Wetmore  avenue,  which 
he  now  occupies.  This  purchase  consolidated  two 
of  the  strongest  studios  in  this  section  of  the  sound, 
the  Bart  &  Cantwell  scenic  plates  being  a  noted  col- 
lection. 

Mr.  Brush  and  Miss  Alice  Isabelle  Moore  were 
united  in  marriage  at  Minneapolis  in  1891.  Her 
father,  Theodore  L.  ]\Ioore,  born  in  1850,  and 
formerly  a  car  repairer  by  trade,  is  still  living  in 
Minneapolis;  her  mother,  Sarah  E.  (Jones)  Moore, 
was  born  in  New  York  state  in  1850  and  is  the 
daughter  of  a  farmer.  Mrs.  Brush  is  a  native  of 
Winona,  Minnesota,  born  in  1873,  at  a  time  when 
that  city  was  still  in  its  earliest  days.  Two  children 
have  blessed  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brush: 
Ethel,  born  in  1892,  and  Hazel,  born  two  years 
later,  both  of  whom  are  attending  the  Everett 
schools.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Brush  is  connected  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen,  Woodmen  of  the  World  and 
the  U.  of  F. ;  Mrs.  Brush  is  a  member  of  the  Wom- 
en of  Woodcraft.  In  political  matters,  Mr.  Brush 
has  always  taken  his  stand  with  the  Republican 
partv,  though  he  is  liberal  in  all  his  views.  He  is 
thoroughly  devoted  to  his  work  and  to  him  has 
come  a  deserved  success,  while  his  genial,  sub- 
stantial personal  qualities  have  won  to  him  a  host 
of   loyal,   admiring   friends   and   well-wishers. 


HENRY  FRIDAY.— Few  families  are  as  well 
known  or  as  prominent  in  the  history  of  Everett  as 
the  one  of  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a 
member.  From  the  earliest  beginnings  of  the  city 
more  than  fifteen  years  ago  down  to  the  present 
day  the  Fridays  have  been  actively  interested  in 
promoting  Everett's  welfare  and  growth  and  the 
names  of  Henrv  Friday  and  his  estimable,  talented 
wife,  Mrs.  Electa  Friday,  will  ever  be  linked  with 
the  storv  of  this  community's  progress.  Henry 
Friday  was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  April 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


915 


17,  1859,  of  German  parentage,  the  son  of  Fred  J. 
and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Joost)  Friday.  The  paternal 
ancestor  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1820,  and  immi- 
grated to  America  about  1851,  settling  in  Milwau- 
kee. He  was  a  miller  by  trade  and  erected  a  mill 
in  that  metropolis  which  he  operated  until  1867, 
when  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Hartford,  in  the 
same  state,  and  was  there  actively  engaged  in  busi- 
ness until  his  death  in  1887.  Mrs.  Friday  was  born 
in  Germany  also  in  1823,  the  daughter  of  a  mer- 
chant ;  she  passed  away  in  1902  at  a  ripe  age. 
Henry  Friday  received  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Hartford.  He  further  prepared 
for  a  business  life  by  taking  a  course  in  a  business 
college  at  Milwaukee,  and  after  finishing  there  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  clerk  in  a  general  merchandise 
house  in  that  city.  He  was  nineteen  years  of  age 
at  this  time  and  had  been  reared  on  a  farm.  Soon, 
however,  he  took  up  railroad  work  and  a  little 
later  went  on  thci  road  as  a  traveling  salesman  for 
an  implement  house,  being  so  engaged  for  five 
years.  Owing  to  a  severe  attack  of  inflammatory 
rheumatism  he  finally  resigned  and  went  back  to 
the  old  homestead  near  Hartford  on  which  he  spent 
about  two  years.  In  1893  he  came  west  to  Everett 
and  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  real  estate  and 
building  houses,  several  of  which  he  still  owns  to- 
gether with  many  others  he  has  since  erected.  He 
has  dealt  extensively  in  city  property  since  his 
advent  into  the  community.  In  1896  he  was  elected 
secretary  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  school  dis- 
trict No.  2,  and  until  December,  1902,  filled  this 
responsible  position  continually,  in  itself  the  best 
token  of  his  fidelity  to  the  trust  and  to  his  abilities. 
Mr.  Friday  has  also  served  two  years  as  council- 
man from  the  second  ward,  further  indicating  his 
public  spirit  and  the  position  he  holds  among  his 
fellow  townsmen.  Since  1902  he  has  given  his 
■attention  entirely  to  looking  after  his  private  busi- 
ness interests.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican, 
zealously  devoted  to  his  party's  interests,  and  is  at 
present  serving  as  the  second  ward's  member  of 
the  county  central  committee.  Mrs.  Friday  holds 
an  appointment  as  deputy  sheriff,  made  necessary 
by  reason  of  her  caring  for  certain  classes  of  pa- 
tients at  the  hospital  mentioned  further  along  in 
this  review.  Mr.  Friday  is  prominent  in  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  being  a  Knight  Templar  and 
a  Mystic  Shriner,  besides  belonging  to  the  Eastern 
Star  of  which  his  wife  is  also  a  member;  she  is  also 
affiliated  with  the  Daughters  of  Isis.  He  also  be- 
longs to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  was  the  third  man 
to  sign  the  charter  roll  of  Everett  Lodge  No.  3,  B. 
P.  O.  E.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Friday  are  adherents 
of  the  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Friday  and  Miss  Electa  Rossman,  the 
daughter  of  George  C.  and  Lydia  (Mowry)  Ross- 
man  were  united  in  marriage  in  1884.  Her  father 
was  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  his  sec- 


tion of  the  state,  owning  much  property,  conduct- 
ing a  bank,  operating  mills,  farms,  etc.  He  was 
born  in  1811  in  New  York  state  and  with  his  brother 
became  the  founders  of  Hartford,  Wisconsin,  origi- 
nally called  Rossman's  Mills.  His  father  was  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and  Mrs.  Friday  has 
in  her  possession  many  papers  of  parchment  signed 
by  James  K.  Polk  as  president  when  Wisconsin 
was  a  territory.  George  C.  Rossman  passed  away 
in  1859.  Lydia  Mowry  was  also  a  native  of  New- 
York,  born  in  1836.  She  died  in  1879.  Mrs.  Fri- 
day was  born  at  Hartford  in  1856.  After  obtaining 
a  thorough  education  in  the  public  schools,  the  am- 
bitious young  woman  matriculated  at  Hahnemann 
Medical  College,  Chicago,  from  which  she  received 
her  degree  in  1878.  Two  years  after  her  arrival 
in  Everett,  or  in  1895,  she  was  appointed  by  the 
board  of  lady  managers  of  the  old  Everett  Hospital 
superintendent  and  general  manager  and  while  so 
engaged  established  Everett's  first  training  school 
for  nurses,  graduating  the  first  class  ever  grad- 
uated in  Everett  in  September,  1898.  She  resigned 
her  position  with  the  hospital  in  1900,  and  in  1904 
again  took  charge  of  the  Everett  Hospital  upon 
her  own  responsibility,  conducting  it  with  marked 
success  until  October,  of  that  year,  the  building  at 
that  time  being  sold  to  the  Bethania  High  school 
corporation.  Mrs.  Friday,  however,  immediately 
removed  her  business  into  the  present  commodious, 
modern  quarters  it  now  occupies  on  Hoyt  avenue, 
these  buildings  having  been  erected  and  equipped 
by  herself  especially  for  the  purpose.  There  are 
four  buildings,  the  main  hospital,  the  maternity  hos- 
pital, the  training  school  for  nurses  and  the  home 
of  Mr.  Friday  and  herself.  It  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  best  equipped  private  institutions  on  the  lower 
sound,  and  the  largest  in  Snohomish  county.  Mrs. 
Friday  has  exceptional  executive  ability  and  by  her 
thorough  methods  and  courteous  treatment  has 
placed  her  institution  upon  a  most  substantial  basis. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  property  stands 
upon  the  old  Friday  homestead,  a  claim  taken  by 
Frank  P.  Friday  in  the  later  'eighties  at  the  time 
the  Ruckers  and  Swalwells  settled  on  the  peninsula. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Friday  have  long  since  won  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  the  community  at  large  and 
because  of  their  genial,  unselfish  personal  qualities 
are  blessed  with  innumerable  friends  and  regarded 
as  influential  citizens  of  the  county. 


EARNEST  A.  NICKERSON.  vice-president, 
manager  and  treasurer  of  the  Mukilteo  Lumber 
Company,  operating  the  largest  mill  in  Snohomish 
county  and  inferior  in  size  and  equipment  to  none 
on  Puget  sound,'  may  deservedly  be  classed  as 
among  the  leaders  in  the  development  of  this  sec- 
tion. While  others  have  sought  out  the  country, 
established  civilization  upon  its  borders  and  to  some 


916 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


extent  laid  bare  its  wonderful  resources,  a  no  less 
honorable,  and  highly  beneficial  work  in  pioneer 
industrial  development  has  been  done  by  the  type 
of  men  to  which  he  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
belongs.  The  Nickersons  are  of  Scotch  descent, 
though  by  reason  of  long  residence  in  America, 
fully  entitled  to  be  known  as  Americans.  Thomas 
Nickerson,  the  father  of  Earnest  A.  of  this  review, 
is  a  native  of  Maine,  born  in  1826,  and  is  living  in 
retirement  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  after  a  long 
life  unusually  well  filled  with  broad  activities.  He 
is  one  of  Minnesota's  pioneer  lumbermen  who  arose 
to  a  high  place  among  his  associates  in  that  indus- 
try. His  wife,  Dora  (Nickerson)  Nickerson,  passed 
away  at  Elk  River,  Minnesota,  in  1895.  She,  too, 
was  born  in  Maine  in  1830,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
a  sea  captain. 

Earnest  A.  Nickerson  was  born  in  1868  and  is 
a  native  son  of  the  most  northerly  of  the  great  trio 
of  lumber  states,  Minnesota,  in  which  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  After  finishing  the  public  schools 
he  matriculated  at  the  University  of  Minnesota, 
and  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  '91  received  his 
B.  S.  degree.  Immediately  he  entered  the  lumber 
business  in  Minnesota  and  was  thus  engaged  until 
he  came  to  Puget  sound  in  1900  and,  in  association 
with  Governor  Clough,  of  Minnesota,  built  the 
Clark-Nickerson  mill  at  Everett.  This  plant,  which 
is  still  being  operated,  is  one  of  the  largest  on  the 
sound  and  one  of  Everett's  main  industries.  Two 
years  ago,  however,  Mr.  Nickerson  organized  the 
Mukilteo  Lumber  Company  whose  plant  is  situated 
on  the  sound  five  miles  south  of  Everett.  A  full 
mention  of  this  mammoth  plant  is  made  elsewhere 
in  this  volume,  so  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  re- 
iterate the  details  here.  It  may  be  said  in  passing 
that  this  mill  has  a  capacity  of  200,000  feet  of  lum- 
ber every  ten  hours,  besides  an  enormous  amount  of 
bi-products,  and  employs  a  small  army  of  men,  being 
practically  the  life  of  Mukilteo. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  Minnie  R.  Rexford,  the 
daughter  of  Edwin  W.  and  Alzuma  Rexford,  to 
Mr.  Nickerson  was  solemnized  in  Minnesota  in 
1893.  Mr.  Rexford  and  his  wife  are  Canadians, 
born  in  1837  and  1847  respectively,  and  are  at  pres- 
ent residing  with  their  son-in-law  and  daughter  in 
Everett.  Mrs.  Nickerson  is  a  native  of  Minnesota 
and  was  a  member  of  Mr.  Nickerson's  class  in  the 
University  of  Minnesota.  While  attending  that  in- 
stitution he  became  affiliated  with  the  Delta-Kapa- 
Epsilon  fraternity  and  she  with  the  Kappa-Alpha- 
Theta,  another  Greek  letter  society,  these  being  the 
only  fraternal  orders  with  which  they  are  connected. 
Two  children.  Marjorie  and  Randolph,  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nickerson.  The  family  home 
on  Rucker  avenue  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and 
sightliest  in  the  city  and  no  less  richly  endowed 
with  culture  and  a  warm  hospitality  that  draws  and 
holds  friends. 


Politically,  Mr.  Nickerson  is  a  Republican  and 
always  has  been.  His  broad-guaged  views  in  pub- 
lic and  private  matters,  keen,  thorough  grasp  of 
business  affairs  generally  and  of  the  lumber  indus- 
try in  particular,  and  his  democratic  bearing  com- 
bined with  his  recognized  integrity  make  him  a 
young  man  of  force  in  the  community,  respected  and 
popular  to  a  degree  seldom  accorded  men  occupying- 
his  position  in  life. 


JOHN  E.  STONE,  of  the  firm  of  Westland  & 
Stone,  real  estate,  insurance  and  investment  agents, 
Everett,  among  Snohomish  county's  leading  and 
most  conservative  agencies,  is  a  native  of  Canada,, 
born  in  York  county,  Ontario,  July  17,  1861.  His 
ancestry  is  distinguished  on  both  sides  of  the  house. 
Henry  Stone,  the  father,  was  born  in  the  province 
of  Ontario  in  1821,  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  stock, 
one  of  his  fore-fathers  having  been  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  in  1776.  Mrs.  Edith 
(Brown)  Stone,  mother  of  John  E.,  was  also  bom 
in  Canada.  Her  American  ancestors  originally 
came  over  from  England,  where  the  family  was  an 
eminent  one.  She  is  still  living  in  Canada,  surviv- 
ing her  husband  who  passed  away  in  1900.  After 
finishing  the  public  schools  and  taking  a  course  at 
the  Rockwood  Academy,  in  his  native  county,  John 
E.  Stone  entered  his  father's  office.  The  elder  Stone 
was  at  that  time  and  had  been  for  many  years 
county  clerk.  In  1879  the  young  Canadian  went  to 
Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he  entered  the  offices  of 
the  Michigan  Central  railroad  as  a  telegrapher. 
Later  he  arose  to  the  post  of  train  dispatcher.  Af- 
ter two  and  a  half  years'  service  he  returned  to 
Canada  and  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise 
business  at  Tottenham,  Ontario,  his  old  home.  There 
he  resided  until  1888  in  which  year  he  sold  out  and 
came  west  to  Vancouver.  There  he  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Canadian  Pacific,  as  general  store- 
keeper. However,  before  entering  upon  his  duties 
he  crossed  the  border  into  Washington  Territory 
on  a  visit  to  relatives  in  Snohomish  and  so  pleased 
was  he  with  the  country  and  opportunities  offered 
that  he  determined  to  remain.  During  the  first 
eight  months  of  his  residence  in  this  county  he  was 
with  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  Railroad 
Company  at  Snohomish.  Then  he  resigned  to  be- 
come cashier  of  the  Lumberman's  Bank,  of  Snoho- 
mish. Subsequently  he  resigned  as  cashier  of  this 
institution,  having  acquired  a  considerable  body  of 
land  at  Sultrm  and  there  in  1890,  erected  the  first 
sawmill  or  wood  manufacturing  plant  east  of  Snoho- 
mish. This  was  before  the  Great  Northern  system 
came  through  the  valley.  He  overated  this  saw- 
mill until  the  disastrous  flood  of  1894  destroyed  it 
and  left  him  stranded.  He  then  became  Great  North- 
ern agent  at  Sultan  and  shortly  afterward  was  pro- 
moted to  the  train  dispatcher's  office  at  Leaven- 
worth.    After  serving  in  the  capacity  of  dispatcher 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


for  some  time  he  was  appointed  general  ticket  and 
freight  agent  at  Everett  and  this  position  he  was 
fining  with  marked  capability  at  the  time  of  his  re- 
tirement in  1901  for  the  purpose  of  forming  his 
present  business  partnership  with  A.  J.  Westland. 
In  addition  to  the  large  agency  business  this  firm 
transacts  annually,  Mr.  Stone  has  substantial  per- 
sonal interests  in  realty  on  Puget  sound.  He  is  a 
firm  believer  in  a  future  for  the  sound  and  for 
Everett  whose  greatness  is  but  barely  discerned  to- 
day ;  in  fact  his  whole  career  in  this  section  proves 
his  faith  to  be  steadfast  and  every  year  sees  his 
judgment  verified. 

Mr.  Stone  and  Miss  Jessie  Wingard,  daughter 
of  I.  and  Catharine  (Laverock)  Wingard,  were 
united  in  marriage  at  Tottenham,  Ontario,  Decem- 
ber 27,  1889.  Mrs.  Stone  was  born  in  Morris,  near 
Montreal,  and  finished  her  education  in  the  noted 
Ladies'  Wesleyan  College,  at  Whitby,  Ontario. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  this  union :  Cath- 
erine Laverock,  William  Edward  and  Jessie  Edith. 
The  family  are  Presbyterians. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Stone  is  affiliated  with  the  Ma- 
sons, Odd  Fellows,  Elks  and  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  is  an  active  Democrat,  influential  in 
the  local  councils  of  his  party.  In  1903  he  was  the 
Democratic  nominee  for  mayor  of  Everett,  an  hon- 
orary nomination  in  view  of  the  party  being  in  the 
minority.  As  one  of  the  county's  pioneer  business 
men  he  has  assisted  in  laying  the  foundation  for  the 
community's  present  stability  at  personal  self-sacri- 
fice, and  to-day  is  numbered  among  the  city  of 
Everett's  public-spirited,  aggressive  and  successful 
business  men. 


FREDERICK  K.  BAKER,  of  the  widely  known 
Ferry-Baker  Lumber  Company,  Everett,  one  ot  the 
most  aggressive  and  prosperous  concerns  of  its 
kind  on  the  sound,  naturally  occupies  a  substantial 
position  of  influence  in  the  lumber  trade  of  the 
Northwest.  No  one  of  his  associates  in  the  lumber 
industry  is  more  cognizant  than  he  of  the  unex- 
celled opportunities  offered  by  the  wonderful  forests 
of  this  section  taken  in  connection  with  its  shipping 
and  marketing  facilities,  and  the  success  he  has  at- 
tained since  his  advent  here  is  conclusive  proof  that 
he  has  risen  to  those  opportunities  with  a  rapidity 
and  an  ability  indicative  of  his  power  in  the  business 
world. 

Fleming,  New  York,  is  the  birthplace  of  Freder- 
ick K.  Baker,  the  date  being  1861.  His  father, 
Elijah  P.  r.aker,  a  physician  by  profession,  was  a 
native  of  the  iMiipire  state  also,  born  at  Owasco.  He 
died  in  189;!  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years  after 
a  long,  useful  career  in  the  humanitarian  work  to 
which  he  devoted  his  life.  Elizabeth  (Spingler) 
Baker,  the  mother  of  Frederick  K.  Baker  of  this 
review,   was   born   in   Weedsport,   New   York;   she 


passed  away  in  1862,  while  still  a  young  woman. 
Frederick  K.  received  his  early  education  in  the 
Cayuga  Lake  Academy,  at  Aurora,  New  York,  one 
of  the  leading  institutions  of  its  character  in  that 
section  of  the  country,  and  upon  leaving  it  took 
up  his  first  independent  work  in  life,  that  of  teach- 
ing. When  twenty  years  old  he  went  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  entered  the  Mercantile  National  Bank 
as  a  clerk.  A  year  and  a  half  later  he  resigned  to 
accept  a  position  with  the  Fourth  National  Bank 
of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  in  which  he  eventually 
arose  to  the  assistant  cashiership.  However,  bank- 
ing appealed  to  him  more  strongly  as  a  fine  course 
of  training  than  as  an  occupation  for  one  without 
large  means,  so  in  1888  he  resigned  from  the  Fourth 
National  and  entered  the  lumber  business  at  Me- 
nominee, Michigan,  to  which  industry  he  has  since 
devoted  his  energies.  He  came  to  Everett,  Wash- 
ington, in  1901,  at  that  time  taking  charge  of  the 
Rice  Lumber  Company's  interests,  since  succeeded 
by  Mr.  Baker's  own  company,  of  which  he  is  now 
one  of  the  principal  owners.  He  gives  his  personal 
attention  to  the  management  of  the  large  institu- 
tion, to  which  no  doubt  much  of  its  success  is  due. 

Mr.  Baker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Lynne  Edie,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  in  1886. 
She  is  a  native  of  the  Peninsula  state,  born  at 
Lowell,  to  the  union  of  James  Orton  Edie  and 
Laura  (Gaskill)  Edie,  the  latter  of  whom  passed 
away  in  1883.  Dr.  Edie  is  stiH  residing  in  Grand 
Rapids,  where  he  is  a  practicing  physician.  Three 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker, 
Elizabeth,  Katherine  and  Dorothy,  all  of  whom  re- 
side at  the  family  home  in  Everett. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Baker  is  affiliated  with  the  Ma- 
sonic order  in  which  he  has  taken  all  except  the 
33rd  degree.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Society 
of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  four  of  his  ancestors 
having  fought  in  that  memorable  conflict.  While  a 
resident  of  Menominee  his  keen  public  spirit  and 
characteristic  energy  led  him  to  take  an  active  in- 
terest in  public  affairs,  as  the  result  of  which  he 
was  elected  an  alderman  and  later  president  of  the 
city  council.  In  1898  he  was  nominated  by  his 
party,  the  Republican,  as  state  senator  for  the  Thir- 
tieth district,  and  was  elected,  serving  one  term  in 
the  legislature  of  Michigan.  He  declined  a  re- 
nomination  as  his  business  interests  had  been  re- 
moved to  the  west.  For  six  years  he  was  chairman 
of  the  Republican  county  committee  of  Menominee 
county  and  he  also  served  on  the  state  central  com- 
mittee. He  was  recognized  as  an  able  man  by  his 
party  and  no  doubt  would  have  been  given  still 
higher  honors  by  his  fellow  citizens  had  he  remained 
in  Michigan  longer.  He  is  recognized  in  Snoho- 
mish county  as  no  less  able  a  man  along  whatever 
line  his  activities  lead  him,  and  is  deservedly  popu- 
lar and  esteemed,  the  kind  of  man  who  is  a  distinct 
force  in  his  community. 


918 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


WILLIAM  RUTHERFORD  PRATT,  proprie- 
tor of  Pratt's  Cash  Pharmacy,  one  of  the  oldest 
estabhshed  business,  houses  in  the  city  of  Everett, 
has  won  an  enviable  standing  in  his  profession,  and 
substantial  commercial  success  during  his  fifteen 
years  of  residence  in  Snohomish  county.  He  has 
witnessed  the  entire  growth  of  the  city  of  Everett, 
partaking  personally  in  its  progress,  and  was  for 
years  prior  to  his  removal  to  Port  Gardner  bay, 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  Snohomish 
City. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  comes  of 
Colonial  American  stock  and  was  born  at  Syracuse, 
New  York,  in  1S54.  His  father,  Amasa  Pratt,  was 
born  at  Waddington,  the  same  state,  in  1821,  and 
was  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  patriot  who  attained 
honorable  distinction  in  that  conflict.  Amasa  Pratt 
was  a  farmer  and  followed  that  line  of  activity  with 
success  during  a  long,  useful  life,  which  terminated 
in  1887.  Mrs.  Marintha  (Goodrich)  Pratt,  the 
mother  of  William  R.  of  this  article,  is  a  native  of 
Florence,  New  York,  born  in  1824,  of  pioneer 
American  ancestry  also.  She  resides  with  her  son 
in  Everett.  William  R.  Pratt  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Syracuse,  attending  until  eighteen 
years  of  age.  Upon  finishing  his  school  work,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  C.  W.  Snow  &  Company, 
druggists,  of  Syracuse,  and  in  that  house  acquired 
his  primary  knowledge  of  the  profession  of  phar- 
macy. After  four  years  of  service  with  that  firm 
he  resigned  to  broaden  his  experience  with  other 
houses  and  thus  worked  in  different  parts  of  the 
state.  Eventually  he  became  manager  of  a  drug 
house  in  Jacksonville,  Florida,  remaining  in  that 
store  until  1884,  when  he  returned  to  Syracuse  and 
opened  an  establishment  on  his  own  responsibilty. 
That  city  was  his  home  and  the  scene  of  success- 
ful labors  until  1891,  when  the  call  to  the  Pacific 
Northwest  became  so  strong  that  he  could  not  re- 
sist but  sold  his  business  and  started.  He  located 
at  Snohomish  City,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  well  known  pioneer  druggist.  Lot  Wilbur.  With 
Mr.  Wilbur  he  remained  three  years  or  until  1894, 
when  he  came  to  the  thriving  little  town  of  Everett 
and  assumed  the  management  of  the  Pioneer  Drug 
Store,  owned  by  G.  W.  Swalwell.  A  year  later 
Mr.  Pratt  opened  a  store  of  his  own  at  the  corner 
of  Hewitt  and  Maple  avenues  and  later  removed  to 
his  present  central  location,  1811  Hewitt  avenue, 
corner  of  College  Lane,  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  Mr. 
Pratt  on  resuming  his  own  business  in  1895,  adopt- 
ed the  cash  system  which  was  at  that  time  unique 
in  Everett,  and  so  successful  did  it  prove  that  he 
has  ever  since  retained  it.  He  owns  his  business 
realty. 

Miss  Augusta  Nutting  of  Syracuse  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mr.  Pratt  at  Syracuse,  New  York, 
in  1888.  She  passed  away  in  April,  1897,  leaving 
an  infant  son,  Howard  G.,  who  survived  his  mother 


not  quite  nine  years,  his  untimely  death  occurring 
February  3,  1906.  Mr.  Pratt  was  again  married  in 
1903,  this  time  Miss  Tirza  Randall,  of  Everett,  be- 
coming his  bride.  She  was  born  in  Adams,  New 
York,  m  1855,  of  pioneer  American  parentage,  and 
while  yet  a  little  child  was  left  an  orphan.  Mrs. 
Pratt  has  been  united  with  the  Presbyterian  church 
since  the  second  year  of  its  establishment  here,  and 
participated  in  all  of  its  early  struggles.  Fraternal- 
ly, Mr.  Pratt  is  a  Knight  Templar  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  also  afiiliated  with  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  As 
a  public  spirited  citizen  he  has  always  been  known 
for  his  ardent  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity at  large,  and  in  the  early  days  of  Everett 
frequently  "ran  with  the  machine''  to  help  the  fire 
laddies  get  their  man-hauled  apparatus  to  the  scene 
of  danger  when  the  business  center  of  the  city  was  a 
collection  of  one-story  wooden  shacks.  Correct 
principles,  persistence  in  carrying  out  plans,  cour- 
age strong  enough  to  back  up  his  convictions,  and 
good  executive  ability  explain  his  business  success 
and  the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  fellow 
citizens  as  well  as  by  his  fellow  pharmacists.  In  the 
affairs  of  the  Washington  State  Pharmaceutical  As- 
sociation he  has  long  taken  an  active  interest,  being 
retained  year  after  year  upon  the  Executive  Board, 
and  last  year  occupied  the  chair  of  president  of  the 
association.    He  certainlv  is  an  American. 


JAMES  MERCER  VERNON,  postmaster  of 
Everett,  was  born  on  the  5th  of  June,  1849,  in  Zanes- 
ville,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Eliza  Ann 
(Mercer)  Vernon,  of  whose  five  children  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review  is  the  eldest.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  came  of  an  old  family  that  was 
represented  in  the  American  army  during  the 
Revolutionary  War  by  the  great-grandfather  of 
James  M.  Vernon.  He  was  of  English  descent,  but 
when  the  colonists  attempted  to  throw  off  the  yoke 
of  British  oppression  he  espoused  the  cause  of  in- 
dependence and  fought  for  the  establishment  of  the 
republic.  Samuel  Vernon  was  a  farmer  by  voca- 
tion. He  died  in  1891  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-one  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in 
1870  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years.  She,  too,  was  of 
English  stock  and  belonged  to  a  colonial  American 
family.  Her  children  numbered  five:  Charles, 
Newton,  and  Washington,  deceased;  Elizabeth,  the 
wife  of  J.  W.  Kemp,  a  resident  of  Zanesville,  Ohio; 
and  James  Mercer. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  James  M. 
Vernon  the  life  record  of  one  who  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  in  Snohomish  county  is  presented 
to  our  readers.  He  began  his  education  under  the 
instruction  of  a  private  tutor  and  thus  continued 
his  studies  until  1866,  when  he  matriculated  in  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  L^niversity,  entering  ths  class  of 
1871.     After   leaving  school  he  became  connected 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


919 


with  journalistic  work  and  in  1874-5  was  a  reporter 
on  the  Pittsburg  Gazette,  pubhshed  at  Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania.  Later  he  became  financial  and  com- 
mercial editor  of  the  Pittsburg  Dispatch  acting  in 
that  capacity  from  18T5  to  1877.  In  the  latter  year 
he  become  editor  of  the  Wilmington  Journal,  Ohio, 
and  continued  to  publish  that  paper  with  success 
until  1881.  He  has  ever  been  a  man  deeply  inter- 
ested in  general  progress  and  improvement,  and 
while  connected  with  the  papers  in  the  east  he  put 
forth  every  effort  in  his  power  to  advance  the  wel- 
fare of  the  communities  with  which  he  was  asso- 
ciated. Political  questions  have  always  been  of  the 
deepest  interest  to  him,  as  he  realized  that  upon 
their  rejection  or  adoption  depends  the  weal  or  woe 
of  the  nation.  He  became  a  very  active  and  promi- 
nent worker  in  political  ranks  in  Ohio  and  served 
as  a  member  of  the  state  central  committee  of  the 
Republican  party  in  1882-3.  He  was  also  influ- 
ential and  active  along  other  lines,  and  in  1883-4 
served  as  president  of  the  Southwestern  Ohio  Press 
Association.  From  1884  until  1887  he  was  presi- 
dent and  general  manager  of  the  Commercial  Print- 
ing Company  at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  and  dur- 
ing that  time  was  also  editor-in-chief  of  the  Daily 
Commercial.  From  1887  until  1889  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Chattanooga  Daily 
Times  and  from  1889  until  1891  he  was  the  editor 
of  the  Herald  at  Fort  Payne,  Alabama.  In  1890  he 
was  unanimously  nominated  for  the  office  of  secre- 
tary of  state  of  Alabama.  Late  in  1891,  when  the 
village  of  Everett  was  yet  rising  house  by  house 
out  of  the  wilderness  and  on  the  bayside  were  only 
three  or  four  little  buildings,  Mr.  Vernon  came  to 
the  North  Pacific  coast  as  editor  of  the  Everett 
Times,  one  of  the  city's  pioneer  newspapers.  With 
this  journal's  fortunes  he  was  connected  until  1900, 
publishing  a  paper  creditable  alike  to  its  editor  and 
to  the  city.  It  became  the  champion  of  many  meas- 
ures of  progress,  reform  and  improvement,  and  its 
influence  was  far-reaching  and  beneficial.  Mr.  Ver- 
non was  also  the  vice-president  of  the  Washington 
State  Press  Association  in  1893-4,  and  during  his 
connection  with  this  organization  did  much  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  those  who  are  representatives 
in  Washington  of  the  great  fields  of  journalism.  In 
1894-5  he  was  chairman  of  the  executive  committee 
and  was  then  elected  its  president,  serving  during 
the  year.  1896.  In  1896  he  was  once  more  chosen 
chairman  o-f  the  executive  committee,  serving  until 
1898,  and  again  he  was  elected  chairman  in  1900. 

On  the  14th  of  April.  1875,  the  marriage  of 
James  M.  \'ernon  and  Miss  Helena  Bertha  Tudor 
was  solemnized.  She  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Caroline  (Asher)  Tudor,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state  and  rep- 
resentatives of  old  English  families  descended  from 
the  house  of  Tudor,  long  one  of  the  reigning  houses 
of  Great  Britain.     After  the  familv  was  established 


in  America,  however,  its  members  became  sympa- 
thizers in  the  cause  of  independence  and  fought 
against  the  cross  of  St.  George  when  summoned  to 
do  so.  Two  children  came  to  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Vernon :  Leroy  Tudor,  now  the  Washington 
correspondent  for  the  Chicago  Daily  News ;  and 
James  Mercer,  attending  school  at  present.  On  the 
5th  of  April,  1899,  the  devoted  wife  and  mother 
was  called  to  her  final  rest.  She  was  an  earnest 
Christian  woman  and  rendered  effective  aid  in 
church  work  up  to  the  time  of  her  demise,  and  her 
many  excellent  qualities  occasioned  her  death  to  be 
deeply  regretted  by  all  who  knew  her.  Mr.  Vernon 
was  married  a  second  time,  February  1,  1905,  at 
Everett,  his  bride  being  Miss  J.  Eleanor  Murray,  one 
of  the  city's  highly  esteemed  residents. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Vernon  is  connected  with  the 
B.  P.  O.  E.  and  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  he  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Phi  Gamma  Delta,  a  national  Greek  let- 
ter society.  In  politics  he  has  even  been  an  earnest 
Republican,  unfaltering  in  his  allegiance  to  the  par- 
ty, and  continued  to  refuse  to  become  a  candidate 
for  any  office  until  his  appointment  as  postmaster. 
He  was  made  postmaster  by  President  McKinley 
on  the  3rd  of  June,  1898,  and  was  re-appointed  by 
President  Roosevelt  June  7,  1903,  and  again  in  1906, 
so  that  he  is  now  serving  his  third  term.  Mr.  Ver- 
non takes  an  active  interest  in  the  moral  develop- 
ment of  the  community,  holding  membership  in  the 
Episcopal  church,  in  the  forwarding  of  whose 
growth  he  has  rendered  effective  service.  Socially, 
his  many  genial,  loyal  traits  of  character  combined 
with  the  culture  of  a  college-bred  man  have  lifted 
him  to  a  position  of  prominence  among  his  fellows, 
while  his  word  is  considered  as  good  as  his'  bond. 
His  career  has  been  one  of  honor  and  value  to  the 
communities  in  which  he  has  lived  and  in  turn  he 
has  been  honored  with  the  unqualified  confidence 
and  regard  of  his  intimate  associates. 


ROBERT  A.  HULBERT,  United  States  Com- 
missioner, local  counsel  for  the  Northern  Pacific, 
and  general  practitioner,  has  won  recognition  as 
one  of  the  ablest  members  of  his  profession  in  this 
section  of  the  state,  and  because  of  his  long  resi- 
dence on  the  sound  possesses  an  unusually  wide  ac- 
quaintance. He  is,  in  fact,  a  product  of  western 
Washington,  born,  reared,  educated  on  the  shores 
of  Puget  sound,  and  has  here  attained  whatever  of 
success  has  come  to  him. 

Ansel  and  Lucinda  (Cottle)  Hulbert,  the  par- 
ents of  Robert  A.  Hulbert,  are  both  descended  from 
colonial  American  families.  Ansel  Hulbert  was  born 
near  Toronto,  Canada,  August  16,  1835,  while  his 
parents  were  temporarily  residents  of  that  province, 
enroute  from  Pennsylvania  to  Michigan.  He  grew 
to  maturity  in  the  Peninsula  state,  then  sought  the 
Kansas  frontier,  on  which  he  lived  for  many  years 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


preceding  1860,  and  where  he  was  married  August 
5,  1857.  In  1860  the  young  couple  joined  the  im- 
migration westward  to  the  Pacific  Northwest,  mak- 
ing the  long  journey  with  ox  teams  and  enduring 
the  usual  hardships  of  the  period.  They  settled  first 
at  Portland,  later  came  north  into  Washington  Ter- 
ritory, locating  near  Seattle  when  it  was  still  a 
small  village,  then  removed  to  California,  residing 
temporarily  at  dififerent  points  along  the  coast  until 
about  the  "first  of  October,  1873,  when  Mr.  Hul- 
bert  came  to  Snohomish  county  to  make  a  perma- 
nent home.  He  filed  on  land  near  Snohomish  City, 
then  frequently  called  Cadyville,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  stock  raising  and  lumbering.  He  was  once 
called  to  serve  his  county  as  probate  judge  and  for 
a  time  in  recent  years  served  under  federal  appoint- 
ment as  superintendent  of  the  Washington  Forest 
Reserve.  Since  1897  the  hardy  old  pioneer,  com- 
pelled to  retire  from  active  business  life,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Everett.  Mrs.  Hulbert,  who  was  born 
in  Morgan  county,  Kentucky,  February  19,  1842, 
is  the  daughter  and  grand  daughter  of  Kentuckians. 
The  Cottles  lived  in  the  famous  Licking  river  val- 
ley, near  Mammoth  Cave,  and  she  was  reared  in  an 
atmosphere  of  danger  and  heroism.  Her  parents 
removed  to  the  Kansas  border  when  she  was  but  ten 
years  old,  and  there,  as  a  girl,  she  learned  with 
men  to  face  death  often  and  fearlessly.  The  deadly 
rifle  was  her  plaything  and  often,  very  often,  she 
slept  with  it  under  her  pillow,  ready  for  instant  use 
in  defending  herself  or  those  about  her.  Of  the 
eight  children  of  this  union,  seven  are  living :  Wil- 
liam M.,  Mrs.  Ella  Boswell,  Robert  A.,  Mrs.  Lizzie 
Noland,  and  Charles,  at  Everett ;  Harry,  at  Ana- 
cortes ;  and  Adrian,  in  California.  William  M., 
Charles  and  Harry  are  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, the  first  named  being  one  of  the  largest  opera- 
tors in  the  state. 

Robert  A.  Hulbert  was  born  in  Seattle,  March 
10,  1864.  He  attended  the  public  schools  and,  after 
graduation,  matriculated  at  the  University  of  Wash- 
ington, Seattle,  taking  a  mixed  course.  While  at- 
tending the  university  he  definitely  decided  to  enter 
the  legal  profession,  and  at  once  began  his  prepara- 
tion. At  the  age  of  twenty  he  secured  access  to 
a  first-class  law  library  and  under  the  direction  of 
its  owners  took  up  the  prescribed  courses  of  read- 
ing. During  the  succeeding  few  years  the  young 
law  student  pursued  his  studies  as  regularly  as  pos- 
sible, toward  the  close  placing  himself  under  the  di- 
rect instruction  of  an  able  firm.  In  the  fall  of  1892, 
however,  just  prior  to  applying  for  admittance  to 
the  bar,  Mr.  Hulbert  was  nominated  by  the  Re- 
publicans of  Snohomish  county  for  the  office  of 
county  clerk,  and  after  a  vigorous  campaign  against 
his  Fusionist  opponent,  was  elected.  So  well  did  he 
fill  the  position  that  he  was  re-elected  in  1894.  That 
year,  while  serving  as  county  clerk  and  clerk  of  the 
superior  court,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.    Janu- 


ary 1,  1897,  his  second  term  of  office  having  ex- 
pired, Mr.  Hulbert  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  as  a  partner  of  Hon.  John  C.  Denny.  This 
partnership  was  dissolved  five  years  later  by  election 
of  Mr.  Denny  to  the  superior  court  bench  in  this 
district,  since  which  time  Mr.  Hulbert  has  practiced 
alone.  Besides  having  one  of  the  largest  general 
clienteles  in  this  section  and  in  the  railroad  work 
referred  to,  he  is  counsel  for  many  of  the  leading 
corporations  of  Snohomish  county.  In  addition,  Mr. 
Hulbert  is  associated  with  his  brother  William  M. 
Hulbert  in  the  lumber  business.  Fraternally,  Robert 
A.  Hulbert  is  affiliated  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  B.  P.  O.  E.,  and  is  prominent  in 
the  general  social  life  around  him.  His  home  for 
many  years  has  been  in  the  city  of  Everett,  with 
whose  growth  and  progress  he  has  been  identified 
in  many  important  ways  since  its  beginnings  almost, 
rendering  valuable  service  from  time  to  time  as 
called  upon.  The  older  of  his  children,  Vivian  Hul- 
bert, is  at  present  attending  school  in  Tacoma ;  the 
younger,  Mildred,  is  enrolled  in  the  Everett  schools. 
Devoted  to  and  eminently  successful  in  his  profes- 
sion, a  man  of  diverse  talents  and  strong,  genial 
personality,  Mr.  Hulbert  may  be  classed  among  the 
foremost  men  of  western  Washington's  second  gen- 
eration. 


ALFRED  DENSMORE,  expert  log  scaler  with 
headquarters  in  Room  29,  Wisconsin  block,  Everett, 
and  one  of  this  section's  pioneer  lumbermen,  is  a 
native  of  Hauts  county.  Nova  Scotia,  born  April  11, 
1856.  His  father  and  mother,  Alexander  and  Eliza- 
beth (McCouUough)  Densmore,  were  likewise  na- 
tives of  that  province,  and  the  former  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  He  died  in  1902,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-eight,  but  Mrs.  Densmore  still  lives, 
though  now  full  four  score.  She  is  the  mother  of 
nine  children  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  review  is 
the  fifth  child. 

As  soon  as  Alfred  Densmore  had  acquired  the 
customary  common  school  education  and  assisted 
for  a  few  years  on  his  father's  farm,  he  determined 
to  give  his  attention  to  the  lumber  business,  and  at 
the  early  age  of  nineteen  went  to  Portland,  Maine, 
to  begin  his  career.  He  spent  one  summer  there, 
then  migrated  to  Oscota,  Michigan,  from  which 
point  he  entered  the  woods.  After  logging  in  Michi- 
gan for  seven  years  he  determined  to  accept  Horace 
Greeley's  advice  to  go  west  and  grow  up  with  the 
country  so  he  set  out  for  the  sound,  arriving  in 
Seattle  October  20,  1883.  The  Queen  City  was  his 
headquarters  for  a  few  months  after  which  he  went 
to  Mount  Vernon  to  log  for  Millet  &  McKay  and 
he  operated  in  Skagit  county  for  about  two  years, 
going  thence  to  Lowell  where  he  spent  one  winter. 
His  next  field  of  activity  was  the  Stillaguamish 
river  and  his  next  employer  Jasper  Sill.    He  recalls 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


the  fact  that  on  July  1st  of  the  year  1887  Mr.  Sill's 
crew  put  144,000  feet  of  logs  into  the  water  with  an 
ox  team,  a  record  which  has  probably  never  been 
-beaten  in  the  sound  basin.  After  managing  their 
camp,  which  was  situated  two  miles  above  Silvana, 
for  a  year,  he  left  it  to  take  charge  of  the  camp  of 
William  McGee,  three  miles  above  the  present  town 
of  Arlington.  He  spent  one  summer  in  this  posi- 
tion, then  logged  on  his  own  account  for  three 
years  on  the  same  stream,  after  which  he  started  the 
first  hotel  in  Haller  City.  A  year  later  he  sold  this 
business,  went  to  the  Stillaguamish  and  became  sell- 
ing agent  for  the  different  loggers  on  the  river, 
scaling  and  disposing  of  their  entire  output  for  them 
on  a  contract  basis.  He  gave  his  energies  to  this 
work  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years  prior  to  Sep- 
tember, 1904,  in  which  month  he  established  an  of- 
fice in  Everett.  His  business  now  is  scaling  logs 
for  different  firms  at  so  much  per  thousand  feet, 
and  so  many  are  the  demands  upon  his  time  that 
he  is  rushed  with  work  continually.  He  says  that 
his  work  for  the  year  1905  will  consist  of  the  scal- 
ing of  275  million  feet,  while  the  logs  that  have 
been  scaled  by  him  during  all  the  years  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Snohomish  county  would  aggregate  over 
a  billion  feet,  board  measure. 

Mr.  Densmore  is  a  thrifty,  energetic  man.  Ever 
since  he  left  his  home  a  beardless  youth  of  nineteen 
summers,  perhaps  even  before,  he  has  lived  the 
strenuous  life,  and  being  a  man  of  good  judgment, 
he  has  naturally  achieved  a  success  commensurate 
with  his  efforts.  Once  only  has  he  rela.xed  from 
strenuous  endeavor,  and  this  was  in  1901  when  he 
made  a  three  weeks'  visit  to  his  old  home  in  Canada. 
He  has  accumulated  enough  of  this  world's  wealth 
to  keep  him  in  comfort  the  remainder  of  his  days 
•and  it  is  his  intention  soon  to  retire.  He  is  an  active 
Mason,  being  a  member  of  the  blue  lodge  at  Stan- 
wood  and  the  Shrine  in  Tacoma ;  he  also  belongs 
to  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  in  Everett  and  to  the  Hoo  Hoos. 
In  politics  as  in  all  else  he  is  independent. 


GUY  C.  ALSTON,  was  born  in  Halifax  county. 
North  Carolina,  the  7th  of  February,  1866.  He 
received  his  early  education  in  his  native  state.  In 
1892  he  went  to  Chicago  to  take  a  position  with  the 
"World's  Columbia  Exposition,  which  position  he  re- 
tained throughout  the  world's  fair.  In  1894  he 
took  charge  of  Field  Columbia  Museum  Guards, 
which  position  he  held  for  four  years.  In  1893  Mr. 
Alston  married  Miss  Bertha  Barton  of  Evansville, 
Indiana,  and  they  have  one  child,  John  Francis, 
born  July  28,  1903.  Mrs.  Alston's  parents  were  of 
English  birth,  but  were  brought  to  America  in  in- 
fancy. Her  mother  was  of  poetic  taste,  and  wrote 
many  poems,  a  number  of  which  were  published, 
and  are  still  extant. 

Mr.  Alston's  father,  John  Crowell  Alston ;  grand- 


father, John  Alston;  great-grandfather,  John 
Joseph  Alston,  and  great-great-grandfather,  Gid- 
deon  Alston,  were  all  born  in  Halifax  county,  North 
Carolina,  the  first  one  of  whom  settled  in  North 
Carolina  in  1694. 

Guy  C.  Alston  studied  law  in  Chicago  under 
E.  C.  Westwood,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in 
1901  came  to  the  state  of  Washington,  located  at 
Everett,  Snohomish  county,  and  assumed  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
active  practice  ever  since.  He  is  the  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  law  firm  of  Hathaway  &  Alston. 


WILLIAM  COLUMBUS  COX,  M.  D.  Com- 
ing to  the  city  of  Everett  at  the  time  of  its  incep- 
tion in  1891  with  firm  determination  to  stand  by 
the  newly  projected  metropolis  until  its  future  suc- 
cess should  be  fully  assured,  Dr.  Cox  has  not  only 
followed  the  community's  varying  fortunes  un- 
swervingly, with  profit  to  himself  and  his  fellow 
citizens,  but  he  has  also,  during  those  fifteen  years, 
established  a  reputation  as  a  successful  practitioner. 
He  belongs  to  that  type  of  professional  men  whose 
period  of  close  technical  study  does  not  end  with 
the  bestowal  of  their  degree,  but  who  keep  abreast 
of  the  times  and  seek  constantly  though  conserva- 
tively to  use  the  invaluable  knowledge  brought  to 
light  by  the  latest  discoveries.  His  clientele,  large 
and  thoroughly  representative,  is  the  best  evidence 
of  his  skill. 

Dr.  Cox  was  born  September  20,  1858,  in  Flinty 
Branch,  Mitchell  county,  North  Carolina,  and  is 
the  eldest  son  and  second  child  of  Samuel  W.  and 
Cynthia  (Blalock)  Cox.  The  Cox  family  is  of 
English  and  German  lineage  but  of  old  American 
colonial  stock.  The  father  of  Dr.  Cox  was  born  in 
North  Carolina  also.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  in  the  year  1873  left  the  Atlantic  to  seek  a 
home  in  the  far  west.  He  arrived  that  year  in 
Walla  Walla,  Washington,  and  after  spending  twen- 
ty years  as  a  pioneer  of  this  state  passed  away  in 
1893  at  the  age  of  sixty-six,  having  been  born 
August  2,  1827.  His  wife  was  also  a  native  of 
Mitchell  county.  North  Carolina,  born  December  31, 
1837,  the  daughter  of  a  Southern  farmer  and 
planter.  She  belonged  to  an  old  American  family, 
and  was  of  German  and  English  descent.  Mrs.  Cox 
was  a  sister  of  Dr.  N.  G.  Blalock,  who  has  been  for 
many  years  a  distinguished  physician  of  the  North- 
west, was  graduated  by  the  Jefferson  Medical  Col- 
lege at  Philadelphia  in  the  class  of  1861,  and  for  a 
third  of  a  century  has  been  a  medical  practitioner  at 
Walla  Walla,  prominent  in  his  profession  and  in 
the  general  life  of  his  section  of  the  state.  The 
mother  of  Dr.  Cox  passed  away  in  1867  when  only 
twenty-nine  years  of  age  and  while  the  family  still 
resided  in  North  Carolina,  four  daughters  and  two 
sons  surviving  her :    Addie,  now  the  wife  of  George 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Rasmus,  a  resident  of  Walla  Walla;  William  C. ; 
Mrs.  Huldah,  the  wife  of  S.  S.  Parris,  living  near 
Athena,  Oregon  ;  Nelson  D.,  of  Walla  Walla,  Wash- 
ington ;  Ura,  the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  P.  Price,  of  Nez 
Perce,  Idaho ;  and  Yicta,  who  is  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Yoe,  of  Dayton,  Washington. 

William  Columbus  Co.x  was  a  youth  of  fifteen 
when  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Walla  Walla  in 
1873.  In  that  city  he  continued  his  education  in 
the  public  schools,  pursuing  his  studies  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  then  worked  upon  his  uncle's 
farm  until  1882,  In  the  fall  of  that  year,  having 
determined  to  devote  his  life  to  his  noble  calling, 
he  matriculated  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of 
Philadelphia,  the  alma  mater  of  his  distinguished 
uncle,  from  which  he  was  graduated  on  the  comple- 
tion of  a  thorough  course,  April  2,  1885,  receiving 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  Thus  equipped  for  his  chosen 
profession,  he  returned  to  Walla  Walla,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  connection 
with  his  uncle.  Dr.  Blalock.  This  relation  was  main- 
tained until  April,  1886,  at  which  time  Dr.  Cox  re- 
moved to  Genesee,  Idaho,  where  he  remained  in 
active  practice  five  years.  On  the  6th  of  July,  1891, 
he  came  to  Everett,  opened  an  office  and  in  that 
city  has  since  continued  to  practice  without  inter- 
mission. When  he  arrived,  there  was  in  reality  no 
city  or  even  town  of  Everett,  merely  a  collection  of 
people  awaiting  the  final  survey  and  platting  of  the 
land,  knowing  that  a  great  commercial  center  was 
projected  by  wealthy  and  aggressive  capitalists.  It 
was  not  until  September  of  1891  that  the  first  plat 
was  thrown  open  for  sale  by  W.  G.  Swalwell,  but 
after  that  event  the  boom  broke  with  all  the  in- 
tensity common  to  such  occurrences.  Dr.  Cox  came 
early,  worked  hard  and  skillfully  and  as  a  resuh  has 
won  unusual  success.  Besides  giving  his  attention 
to  a  large  general  practice,  he  is  serving  as  the  lo- 
cal surgeon  for  the  Great  Northern  Railroad  Com- 
pany, the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  and 
the  Everett  Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1888,  Dr.  Cox  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Grace  Jain,  a  native  of  Wis- 
consin and  a  daughter  of  Louis  and  Adelia  Jain,  of 
Genesee,  Idaho.  "She  died  on  the  10th  of  October, 
1891,  after  a  happy  married  life  of  a  little  more 
than  three  years.  The  second  marriage  of  the  Doc- 
tor was  solemnized  November  1,  1894,  his  bride 
being  Harriet  G.  McFarland,  a  native  of  Maine,  and 
the  daughter  of  Captain  Robert  and  Georgia  Berry 
(Harrington)  McFarland,  both  natives  of  Maine 
and  among  Everett's  earliest  pioneers.  Captain  Mc- 
Farland lias  been  a  sea-faring  man  all  his  life  on 
both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts,  has  served  in 
many  prominent  government  positions  of  trust  and 
high  responsibility  at  home  and  abroad  and  is  one 
of  Everett's  distinguished  citizens.  During  the  Civil 
War  he  commanded  vessels  engaged  in  furnishing 
supplies  to  the  Union  navy  and  army  and  narrowly 


escaped  capture  or  death  many  times.  The  home 
of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  is  one  of  the  city's  most  hos- 
pitable homes  and  social  centers. 

Ever  recognized  as  a  leader.  Dr.  Cox  has  been 
elected  to  various  positions  of  public  trust  and  has 
always  been  found  most  loyal  to  his  duty  and  the 
confidence  thus  reposed  in  him.  In  1890  he  was 
chosen  mayor  of  Genesee,  Idaho,  serving  for  one 
year,  and  in  1894  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Everett  council.  The  following  year,  1895,  he  was 
nominated  and  elected  mayor  of  the  city  and  served 
through  the  succeeding  year.  In  1900  he  was  ap- 
pointed a  member  of  the  state  board  of  medical  ex- 
aminers and  acted  in  that  position  for  three  years. 
His  political  support  has  always  been  given  the 
Democratic  party.  Fraternally,  he  is  connected 
with  the  Masons,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Improved  Or- 
der of  Red  Men,  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  and  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows. He  also  holds  membership  with  various  or- 
ganizations tending  to  promote  medical  knowledge 
and  the  efiiciency  of  practitioners.  At  present  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Snohomish  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, and  is  affiliated  with  the  Washington  State 
Medical  Society,  the  American  Medical  Association,, 
the  International  Association  of  Railway  Surgeons 
and  the  American  Academy  of  Railway  Surgeons. 
His  unfailing  courtesy,  genial  nature  and  broad 
sympathies  have  won  for  him  a  goodly  host  of 
friends  and  admirers  and  in  a  profession  where 
merit  alone  is  recognized  as  just  cause  for  promo- 
tion he  has  attained  a  most  worthy  and  honorable 
place.  Professionally  and  socially.  Doctor  Cox 
stands  to-day  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of 
Everett  and  this  section  of  Puget  sound. 


DR.  HENRY  P.  HOWARD,  among  the  suc- 
cessful physicians  of  the  city  of  Everett,  in  fact, 
one  of  the  leaders  of  his  profession  in  Snohomish 
county,  is  a  native  of  Prince  Edward's  Island,  born 
in  1865.  His  father,  John  Howard,  and  his  mother, 
Elizabeth  (Balderson)  Howard,  were  likewise  na- 
tives of  that  well  known  island  province,  both  born 
in  1835  and  descendants  of  pioneer  families.  The 
elder  Howard  followed  farming  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1881.  Mrs.  Howard  survived 
her  husband  until  1895.  Both  the  Howard  and 
Balderson  families  came  to  Prince  Edward's  Island 
when  it  was  sparsely  settled  and  contributed  liber- 
ally to  its  development.  Henry  Pope  Howard,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  attended  the  public  schools 
of  the  island  until  he  was  prepared  to  enter  college. 
He  then  entered  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
from  which  he  received  his  degree  with  the  class  of 
'93.  After  finishing  school  he  came  west  to  the 
Pacific  coast  in  search  of  a  suitable  location  and  at 
that  time  visited  Snohomish  and  other  points  on 
Puget  Sound,  though  he  finally  settled  in  eastern 
Oregon.    There  he  practiced  successfully  five  years^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


or  until  1897,  when  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania 
and  took  a  graduate  course  at  Philadelphia.     Thus, 

more  thoroughly  equipped  than  ever  to  follow  his 
chosen  profession,  Doctor  Howard  came  west  again 
in  1898  and  made  his  permanent  location  in  Everett, 
believing  in  the  future  of  the  little  city  and  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Nor  has  he  been  disappointed, 
as  Snohomish  county  has  taken  truly  wonderful 
strides  in  growth  during  the  past  seven  years.  By 
his  skill  and  careful  attention  to  business  Doctor 
Howard  has  built  up  an  extensive  practice  covermg 
all  portions  of  the  county  and  has  obtained  an  hon- 
orable place  in  his  profession.  His  offices  are  in 
the  Colby  block  on  Hewitt  avenue.  Fraternally, 
Doctor  Howard  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Odd  Fellows.  Politically,  he  has 
always  been  a  Republican. 

The  marriage  of  Doctor  Howard  and  Miss 
Grace  Ross,  of  Prince  Edward's  Island,  was  sol- 
emnized in  1892.  Her  father,  Malcolm  Ross,  a 
Scotchman,  came  to  Canada  with  his  parents  when 
a  child,  upon  reaching  manhood,  he  entered  the 
Baptist  ministry  and  was  following  that  profession 
on  the  island  when  his  death  occurred  in  1895  at 
the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-four.  Mrs.  Ross  was  a 
native  of  Nova  Scotia ;  she  passed  away  in  1887. 
Mrs.  Howard  was  born  on  Prince  Edward's  Island 
and  there  reared  to  womanhood.  Of  the  two  chil- 
dren born  to  the  marriage  of  Doctor  and  Mrs.  How- 
ard, only  one,  Doris,  born  in  1902,  is  living. 


CHARLES  J.  KIRN,  the  successful  young 
fruit  merchant  and  confectioner  of  Everett,  during 
the  four  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  business  in 
the  "City  of  Smokestacks"  has  won  recognition  be- 
cause of  his  keen  capabilities  and  strength  of  char- 
acter. Starting  with  a  small  stand,  he  has  in  this 
period  so  increased  his  business  that  to-day  the 
Kirn  establishment  occupies  two  large  stores  on 
Hewitt  avenue  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city,  at  1614 
and  1723  Hewitt  avenue,  respectively.  The  founder 
of  this  enterprise  was  born  June  10,  1873,  in 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  within  sight  and  sound  of 
the  nation's  greatest  commercial  center.  His  father, 
William  F.  Kirn,  was  born  in  Wittenberg,  Ger- 
many, in  1839,  coming  to  America  when  a  young 
man.  From  New  York  he  went  to  Mmnesota,  at 
the  same  time  changing  his  business,  that  of  con- 
ducting an  oyster  parlor,  for  market  gardening,  in 
which  he  was  quite  successful.  He  came  west  to 
Washington  in  1905,  locating  in  Puyallup,  in  which 
district  he  is  at  present  engaged  in  fruit  raising. 
The  mother  of  Charles  J.  Kirn  is  also  a  German, 
born  in  Wittenberg  in  1811,  and  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Minnie  Gaisberg.  At  the  age  of  seven  she 
was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  her  parents, 
who  first  took  up  their  abode  in  Brooklyn.  The 
Gaisbergs  are  well   known   in   Washington,  D.   C, 


where  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Kirn  was  employed  in  the 
national  capitol  for  twenty-seven  years  previous  to 
his  death.  Charles  J.  Kirn,  of  this  biography,  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Red 
Wing,  Minnesota.  While  attending  school,  with 
characteristic  energy,  he  utilized  all  his  spare  time 
after  school  and  on  Saturdays  helping  his  father, 
thus  acquiring  a  substantial  foundation  of  practical 
knowledge.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  entered  a 
clothing  house,  where  he  remained  five  years,  or 
until  failing  health  compelled  him  to  retire  alto- 
gether from  active  labor.  In  1902  with  his  sister  he 
came  to  Everett  and  opened  a  small  fruit  stand. 
By  courteous  treatment  of  the  trade  and  strict  at- 
tention to  business  the  little  firm  prospered  and  out 
of  it  has  grown  the  largest  establishment  of  its 
kind  in  the  city.  Kirn's  "Palace  of  Sweets"  is 
noted  for  the  quality  and  style  of  its  goods,  the 
artistic  appearance  of  the  store  and  the  excellence 
of  its  service. 

Mr.  Kirn  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Thirteenth 
Minnesota  \'olunteers,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Span- 
ish-American War.  This  regiment  was  sent  to 
Manila  and  participated  in  the  Philippine  cam- 
paigns of  1898  and  1899.  Fraternally  he  is  affili- 
ated with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World ;  he  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Everett  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
Politically,  he  is  an  adherent  of  the  Republican 
party.  For  a  young  man  who  has  had  to  depend 
almost  solely  upon  his  own  efforts,  he  has  won  a 
commendable  success  thus  far  in  life  and  deserves 
to  be  known,  as  he  is,  as  one  of  the  city's  rising 
young  business  men,  straightforward,  capable  and 
aggressive  in  all  he  undertakes. 


HERBERT  DOUGLAS  WESTBROOK  (de- 
ceased).— Upon  the  death  of  him  whose  name 
forms  the  caption  of  this  biographical  review,  as 
the  result  of  sudden  heart  failure  while  rowing  in 
rough  water  ofT  Whidbey  Island,  July  9,  1905,  the 
Everett  Morning  Tribune  said  editorially :  "Ev- 
erett will  miss  Herbert  D.  Westbrook.  Unselfish, 
clean,  frank,  truthful  and  unostentatious,  filled  with 
the  love  of  nature  and  his  fellow  man,  he  was  above 
the  ordinary  mortal."  This  is  a  fitting  prelude  to 
this  necessarily  brief  sketch  of  one  of  Everett's 
pioneer  business  men. 

Herbert  Douglas  Westbrook  was  a  native  of 
Jackson  county,  Iowa,  born  September  30,  1852, 
the  son  of  Robert  and  Louisa  (Baldwin)  West- 
brook. Both  parents  have  passed  away,  the  mother 
when  Herbert  D.  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  the 
father  in  recent  years.  Herbert  D.  received  his 
early  education  in  the  schools  of  his  district,  later 
attending  school  at  Sabula  and  graduating  at 
Saginaw,  Michigan.  Not  being  very  strong,  he 
was  obliged  to  leave  school  at  an  earlier  age  than 
he    desired.      Shortly    afterward    he    took    up    the 


924 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


painter's  and  decorator's  trade,  which  he  followed 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life  with  marked  suc- 
cess. He  commenced  contracting  on  his  own  re- 
sponsibility at  the  age  of  eighteen  while  residmg 
in  Iowa.  Later  he  went  to  Nebraska,  Michigan, 
Colorado  and  other  central  states,  ever  achieving 
success.  He  was  employed  by  the  B.  &  M.  R.  R. 
Co.,  lettering  their  cars,  thus  scattering  the  evi- 
dences of  his  skill  all  over  the  United  States.  In 
1879,  he  went  to  Bay  City,  Michigan,  where  he  was 
employed  in  the  offices  and  yards  of  Seth  McLean 
&  Son,  a  large  lumber  and  salt  establishment.  After 
two  years  with  this  concern,  he  returned  to  his 
former  occupation,  locating  at  Nebraska  City. 
From  that  time  until  1889  he  remained  in  Nebraska, 
then  came  lo  the  Pacific  Northwest,  settling  in 
Seattle.  From  there  he  went  to  Anacortes  during 
the  famous  boom  at  that  place,  investing  to  some 
extent,  but  not  liking  the  prospect,  returned  to  Seat- 
tle. When  the  first  rumors  of  the  founding  of  a 
city  on  Port  Gardner  Bay  reached  the  ears  of  Mr. 
W'estbrook  he  hurried  to  the  spot,  and  among  the 
earliest  pitched  his  tent  and  before  long  had  more 
to  do  than  he  could  well  attend  to.  For  months  he 
was  unable  to  build,  so  hard  was  he  pressed  for 
time.  In  the  fall  of  1891  there  were  hundreds  of 
people  on  the  site  without  houses  or  substantial 
buildings,  and  in  the  spring  following  there  were 
thousands  in  hardly  better  condition.  Little  shacks 
were  erected  as  boarding  houses,  which  now  serve 
as  woodsheds.  Mr.  Westbrook  was  unusually  suc- 
cessful in  his  chosen  occupation,  establishing  a 
reputation  as  a  skilled  workman  which  marked  him 
as  a  thorough  man  in  whatever  he  undertook.  His 
untimely  death  was  mourned  as  a  personal  loss  by 
all  who  knew  him,  for  his  unselfishness,  his  broad 
sympathies  and  his  sincere  integrity  were  the  most 
prominent  qualities  of  the  man.  He  was  a  devoted, 
true  sportsman  and  it  was  while  engaged  in  this 
diversion  that  his  life  was  cut  short.  Mr.  West- 
brook  was  affiliated  with  but  one  fraternal  order, 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  was  a  liberal  in  his  po- 
litical views  and  embraced  no  particular  religious 
creed. 

Miss  Carrie  Brush,  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Lucy  M.  (Parker)  Brush,  became  the  bride  of  Mr. 
Westbrook  May  20,  1879,  while  both  were  residents 
of  Iowa,  the  ceremony  being  performed  at  Lyons. 
John  Brush,  born  at  Cambridge,  Vermont,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1832,  of  colonial  ancestry,  is  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  is  still  a  resident  of  that  state.  Mrs. 
Brush,  born  July  6,  1833,  in  the  Green  Mountain 
state  also,  is  also  living,  the  Brush  home  being  in 
sight  of  the  old  family  homestead.  She  was  a  tail- 
oress  in  the  days  before  machines  came  into  use, 
and  won  high  commendation  for  her  skill.  Mrs. 
Westbrook  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Vermont, 
March  25,  1858.  She  came  to  Everett  with  her 
husband  in  the  early  days  of  its  history,   sharing 


with  him  the  hardships  and  rough  life  of  those  days. 
She  opened  what  is  thought  to  have  been  the  first 
dressmaking  establishment  here,  and  made  the 
gown  worn  by  Everett's  first  high-school  graduate. 
She  still  maintains  this  dressmaking  establishment, 
it  now  being  connected  with  the  Grand  Leader  Dry 
Goods  Company's  large  store.  Her  fine  womanly 
qualities  and  courageous  assumption  of  responsi- 
bilities have  won  for  her  the  golden  opinions  of  a 
host  of  friends  and  acquaintances  and  to  them  her 
present  prosperity  is  most  pleasant.  To  the  union 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Westbrook  two  children  were 
born :  Seth  C,  born  in  Nebraska  City,  November 
19,  1881 ;  and  Lucy  Louisa,  born  July  6,  1891,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Seth  C,  having  completed  his  edu- 
cation in  the  Everett  schools,  has  taken  up  his 
father's  work  with  a  skill  and  an  energy  that  be- 
token a  promising  future  for  him  in  this  line  of 
endeavor  if  he  pursues  it.  Mrs.  Westbrook  is  af- 
filiated with  the  Fraternal  Union  of  America.  The 
W'estbrooks  own  a  comfortable  home  at  3222 
Rockefeller  avenue,  whose  atmosphere  of  hospital- 
ity is  widely  known  to  all  acquainted  with  the  fam- 


PETER  ANDERSEN,  of  the  firm  of  Ander- 
sen Brothers,  shingle  manufacturers,  is  one  of  the 
men  who  succeed  because  of  their  energy  and  their 
ability  to  make  the  most  of  the  possibilities  lying 
before  them.  Within  a  very  few  years  Mr.  An- 
dersen has  established  himself  as  one  of  the  leading 
shingle  manufacturers  of  the  county  of  Snohomish 
and  one  of  its  most  progressive  business  men.  Mr. 
Andersen  was  born  in  Denmark  in  the  summer  of 
1869,  one  of  the  four  children  of  Ludwig  and  Mary 
(Hartvigsen)  Andersen,  also  natives  of  Denmark. 
The  elder  Andersen  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  family  in  1879  and  settled  in  Eureka,  Green- 
wood county,  Kansas,  where  he  became  a  farmer 
and  brick  manufacturer.  Peter  Andersen  received 
his  education  in  the  common  and  high  schools  of 
Kansas  and  early  indicated  a  liking  and  aptitude  for 
mechanical  work  and  study.  In  1898  he  was  at- 
tracted to  the  Pacific  slope  as  a  field  for  his  me- 
chanical skill  and  knowledge.  He  had  been  in  Cali- 
fornia only  a  short  time  when  the  war  with  Spain 
broke  out,  and  he  enlisted  in  the  Eighth  California 
infantry,  expecting  to  see  service  in  the  Philippines, 
but  his  command  was  assigned  to  garrison  duty  at 
Fort  Vancouver,  so  it  was  in  Washington  that  his 
term  of  service  was  passed.  He  received  his  hon- 
orable discharge  in  Alarch  of  1899  and  at  once  re- 
turned to  California,  in  which  state  he  remained 
but  a  short  time,  however.  Before  the  close  of  1899 
he  was  chief  engineer  in  the  mill  of  the  Bucuda 
Lumber  Company  in  Thurston  county,  Washington. 
The  following  year  he  came  to  Everett  and  ac- 
cepted the  master  mechanicship  in  the  Everett 
smelter,  a  position  which  he  continued  to  fill  ac- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


925 


ceptably  for  four  years.  In  the  fall  of  1904  in  com- 
pany with  his  brothers,  Louis  and  Andrew,  Mr. 
Andersen  erected  the  shingle  mill  located  on  the 
Snohomish  river  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Lowell. 
The  mill  is  of  modern  construction  and  is  equipped 
with  the  best  and  most  up-to-date  machinery  ob- 
tainable. It  has  a  capacity  of  50,000  shingles  a 
day  and  gives  employment  to  from  ten  to  fifteen 
men. 

November  38,  1904,  Mr.  Andersen  married  Miss 
Anna  Simm,  a  native  of  Norway,  in  which  country 
her  parents  are  still  living,  the  father  being  en- 
gaged in  farming.  In  politics  Mr.  Andersen  is  a 
Republican.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is  well  known, 
being  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men and  of  the  Order  of  Ben  Hur.  When  Mr. 
Andersen  came  to  Washington  he  had  no  capital  ex- 
cept his  head  and  his  hands,  yet  he  has  won  a 
worthy  success  and  he  believes  that  the  same  oppor- 
tunities are  still  open  to  any  young  man  of  alertness 
and  stamina.  He  is  a  progressive  and  liberal  man, 
favorably  known  to  all  whom  he  has  social  or  busi- 
ness dealings,  and  a  real  contributor  to  the  upbtiild- 
ing  of  Snohomish  county. 


JOSEPH  DAVISON,  to  whom  belongs  the 
distinction  of  having  been  the  pioneer  settler  on  the 
banks  of  Lake  Stevens,  was  born  April  7,  1845,  at 
Oxbury,  Ontario,  which  was  also  the  birthplace  of 
his  parents,  Edward  and  Margaret  (Longkey) 
Davison.  The  father  in  addition  to  farming  spent 
much  time  on  the  Long  Sault  river,  and  was 
drowned  in  its  waters  when  but  thirty  years  old. 
He  took  great  pride  in  recalling  that  his  father  had 
actively  participated  in  the  famous  battle  of  Water- 
loo in  l815,  and  that  he  lived  to  the  remarkable 
age  of  110  years. 

Of  a  family  of  six  children  Joseph  Davison  is 
the  second.  His  father  died  soon  after  he  had 
passed  his  fourth  birthday,  and  he  was  but  seven- 
teen at  the  time  he  began  supporting  himself  by 
working  in  the  woods  of  his  native  country.  In 
1871  he  went  to  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  remaining 
there  several  years,  during  two  of  which  he  was 
employed  by  the  Price  Lumber  Company.  His 
residence  in  Washington  dates  from  1880,  at  which 
time  he  came  to  Snohomish,  then  a  tiny  settlement 
composed  of  a  few  houses,  a  postoffice  and  store. 
He  filed  on  the  160-acre  homestead  on  which  he 
lived  until  recently  in  1885,  and  made  that  his  home 
while  working  in  the  woods.  To  reach  his  home- 
stead he  paddled  up  the  Pilchuck  river  in  a  canoe, 
packed  his  goods  over  a  trail  to  Lake  Stevens,  and 
made  the  rest  of  the  journey  up  the  lake  in  a  dug- 
out. It  was  small  wonder  that  he  was  the  first 
white  man  to  make  a  home  in  this  wilderness,  for 
the  difficuhies  of  reaching  it  were  sufficient  to  dis- 


courage a  less  resolute  and  fearless  homeseeker. 
The  following  year  he  cut  a  road,  and  soon  other 
settlers  were  attracted  to  this  fertile  region.  The 
trip  to  Snohomish  and  return  occupied  an  entire 
day.  Five  years  after  coming  here  he  was  instru- 
mental in  establishing  the  first  school,  and  was  one 
of  its  first  directors.  He  still  retains  his  interest 
in  education,  realizing  how  fundamental  it  is  to  the 
growth  and  progress  of  any  community. 

Mr.  Davison  was  married  in  1866  to  Margaret 
Foubair,  who  died  seven  years  later.  In  1884  he 
was  again  married,  Annie  Dubuque,  of  Minnesota, 
then  becoming  his  wife.  Her  parents  were  pioneer 
settlers  on  the  Pilchuck  river.  She  has  three 
brothers  living  in  Snohomish.  Five  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davison:  Mrs.  Ida 
Russell,  of  Maple  Falls,  Washington;  Joseph  W., 
Leia,  Dora  and  Russell,  all  at  home.  In  politics 
Mr.  Davison  is  independent,  preferring  to  vote  for 
the  man  instead  of  the  party.  He  and  his  family 
are  identified  with  the  Catholic  church.  In  1898  he 
made  a  trip  to  Dawson,  Alaska,  and  he  remained 
nearly  two  years,  during  which  time  the  only  money 
he  made  was  from  the  sale  of  moose,  a  cow  and 
calf,  that  netted  him  $700.  Mr.  Davison  brought 
120  acres  of  his  farm  into  excellent  condition,  and 
before  he  sold  out  was  devoting  the  greater  share 
of  his  time  to  dairying,  making  a  specialty  of  Red 
Poll  cattle.  A  beautiful  home,  built  on  an  eleva- 
tion fronting  the  lake,  testifies  to  his  thoughtful 
consideration  for  the  pleasure  and  happiness  of  his 
family,  and  gave  substantial  token  of  the  success- 
that  had  crowned  his  efforts,  but  on  September  7, 
1905,  he  sold  this  property  and  moved  to  Everett, 
where  he  left  his  family,  going  himself  to  the  Sask- 
atchewan district.  There  he  bought  two  sections  of 
land  and  will  begin  farming  in  the  spring  of  1906. 


HAROLD  W.  ILLMAN,  one  of  the  well 
loiown  stockmen  of  Snohomish  county,  resides  on 
his  fine  ranch,  situated  eight  miles  northeast  of 
Everett,  on  Lake  Stevens.  He  was  born  in  Onon- 
daga county.  New  York,  May  15,  1843.  His 
father,  William  Illman,  a  native  of  England,  immi- 
grated to  New  York,  and  established  the  first  cop- 
per and  steel  engraving  house  in  the  United  States. 
The  original  firm  was  Illman  &  Son,  Oxford 
Street,  London,  S.  V.  D.,  England.  He  is  now  liv- 
ing at  Sultan,  Washington,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety.  He  also  opened  a  branch  house  in  Phila- 
delphia. The  Philadelphia  house,  which  still  exists, 
was  under  his  personal  supervision  until  1884. 
Martha  (Adams)  Illman,  the  maternal  ancestor, 
was  a, native  of  Massachusetts.  Her  death,  at  the 
age  of  forty-two,  occurred  in  1868.  Harold  W.  Ill- 
man  attended  the  schools  of  Pennsylvania  in  his 
boyhood,  but  completed  his  education  in  the 
Georgetown  University,  of  Washington,  D.  C.    He 


936 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


then  mastered  the  art  of  bank  note  engraving,  and 
spent  nearly  seven  years,  with  his  father,  at  this 
employment.  He  subsequently  was  employed  as 
engraver  for  the  Canadian  and  United  States  gov- 
ernments, and  made  his  home  in  various  cities.  In 
1883  he  left  Washington,  D.  C,  coming  to  Seattle 
via  San  Francisco  and  Victoria,  in  the  old  steam- 
ship George  W.  Elder.  Seattle  was  then  boasting 
of  her  4,000  inhabitants.  He  remained  there  but  a 
few  days,  coming  thence  to  Snohomish  and  on  to 
Sultan.'  At  the  latter  point  he  took  up  a  homestead 
of  160  acres,  which  could  be  reached  only  by  a 
thirty-five  mile  trip  up  the  river  in  a  canoe.  Sno- 
homish was  the  nearest  town  where  mail  could  be 
received  and  supplies  purchased.  For  four  years 
the  river  was  the  only  means  of  transportation.  In 
1890.  after  selhng  his  claim,  Mr.  Illman  came  to 
Lake  Stevens  and  built  the  first  saw  mill  on  the 
lake.  He  was  getting  substantially  started  in  this 
enterprise  when  the  financial  depression  of  1893 
paralyzed  business  throughout  the  country,  and 
caused  the  loss  of  this  property  together  with  a 
large  amount  of  lumber  that  he  had  taken  from  a 
several  hundred  tract  of  land  of  which  he  had  be- 
come the  owner  some  years  previous  to  this  time. 
The  farm  was  all  he  saved  from  the  wreck  of  his 
fortune,  and  he  moved  on  it  without  sufficient 
means  to  purchase  even  a  sack  of  flour.  Un- 
daunted, however,  by  his  heavy  losses,  he  set  him- 
self resolutely  to  the  task  of  farming  for  profit. 
Three  years  later  he  branched  out  into  fancy  stock 
raising,  and  is  now  the  possessor  of  some  unusually 
fine  thoroughbred  Jersey  cattle,  among  which  is  to 
be  found  Pet's  Melia  Ann't  King,  a  registered  bull. 
Me  is  also  a  poultry  fancier,  breeding  barred  and 
(vhite  Plymouth  Rocks.  At  the  Yakima  state  fair 
in  1904  his  birds  won  the  first  and  second  prizes. 
Being  naturally  very  fond  of  dogs,  his  kennel  of 
thoroughbred  Collies  is  his  special  pride  and  de- 
light. He  has  recently  purchased  a  dog  bred  from 
the  winner  of  the  first  prize  at  the  Saint  Louis  Fair 
of  1905. 

Mr.  Illman  and  Catharine  A.  Gage  were  united 
in  marriage  August  18,  1864.  Airs.  Illman  is  a  na- 
tive of  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  the  daughter  of  Ste- 
phen and  Margaret  (Briggs)  Gage.  Her  father,  a 
commission  merchant,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire 
May  8,  1806,  and  died  in  1890.  The  mother,  a  na- 
tive of  New  York,  was  born  November  6,  1810 ; 
her  death  occurred  in  1886.  Mrs.  Illman  was  one 
of  the  first  white  women  to  find  a  home  at  Sultan, 
and  she  is  therefore  very  familiar  with  the  trials 
and  deprivations  incident  to  pioneer  life.  Four 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Illman, 
as  follows :  Mrs.  Mabel  Missimer  and  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet Eldridge,  both  of  Everett ;  Grace,  born  Au- 
gust 10,  1868,  died  Julv  10,  1878 ;  Olive,  born  July 
24,  1882,  drowned  in  Lake  Stevens,  July  11,  1894. 
Mr.  Illman  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


having  joined  while  residing  in  Ottawa,  Canada. 
He  IS  a  loyal  Republican,  and  always  takes  an  ac- 
tive part  in  political  matters,  serving  as  county 
commissioner  in  1886.  For  the  convenience  of  his 
community  Mr.  Illman  holds  a  notary  public's  com- 
mission. The  Congregational  church  claims  him 
and  his  wife  as  adherents  to  her  doctrines.  He  and 
his  estimable  wife  are  among  the  most  popular 
members  of  the  community,  and  their  home  is  one 
of  charming  hospitality.  During  the  years  of  his 
residence  here  Mr.  Illman  has  come  to  be  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  county's  influential  citizens,  one 
whose  character  is  above  reproach.  Broadly  in- 
telligent, refined  and  courteous,  he  holds  as  friends 
all  who  are  in  any  way  associated  with  him. 


GILBERT  H.  MALKSON,  a  prosperous  far- 
mer residing  six  miles  east  and  two  north  of  Ev- 
erett, on  Lake  Stevens,  was  born  in  Topsfield, 
Washington  county,  Maine,  September  19,  1853. 
He  is  the  son  of  William  V.  Malkson,  a  native  of 
New  Brunswick,  born  in  1819.  His  parents,  well 
known  pioneers  of  Maine,  cut  the  first  road  leading 
from  the  Saint  John  river  to  that  state.  Marjorie 
(Regan)  Malkson,  the  mother,  was  born  in  New 
Brunswick  in  1824,  and  died  in  1896.  Her  hus- 
band's death  occurred  two  years  later.  By  dili- 
gently improving  the  opportunities  afforded  by  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  state,  Gilbert  H. 
Malkson  acquired  a  good  education  before  he  was 
fourteen  years  old.  He  then  worked  with  his  father 
on  the  farm,  becoming  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  various  departments  of  the  work.  After  pass- 
ing his  twenty-second  birthday  he  went  to  Massa- 
chusetts and  remained  two  years,  then  in  1877  he 
located  in  the  Black  Hills  of  Dakota,  where  he 
mined  and  prospected  for  four  years.  Going  thence 
to  Perry  creek  in  east  Kootenay,  he,  with  seven 
others,  formed  the  Perry  Creek  Mining  Company, 
to  locate  and  develop  placer  ground,  but  the  under- 
taking proved  a  failure,  causing  the  loss  of  all  Mr. 
Malkson  had  been  able  to  accumulate  in  the  previ- 
ous years.  He  went  thence  to  Sand  Point,  Idaho, 
in  1883,  and  there  he  took  the  contract  for  supply- 
ing a  portion  of  the  piles  used  in  constructing  the 
Northern  Pacific  railroad  bridge  over  Lake  Pend 
d'Oreille.  He  also  furnished  ties  for  the  same 
companv,  being  engaged  in  contracting  for  two 
years.  His  fortunes  having  been  thus  retrieved  in 
a  measure,  he  then  returned  to  the  Black  Hills, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  from 
1884  to  1890.  That  region  about  1890  was  visited 
by  a  terrible  drought.  Times  were  very  hard  and 
business  of  all  kinds  suffered,  hence  Mr.  Malkson 
decided  to  remove  to  Los  Angeles,  California. 
After  an  extended  visit  there,  he  brought  his  wife, 
in  the  spring  of  1891,  to  Snohomish,  and  at  once 
embarked  in  the  restaurant  business,  to  which  he 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


devoted  his  energies  for  the  ensuing  six  years. 
During  this  time  he  purcliased  the  farm  he  now 
owns,  employing  men  to  work  on  it  while  he  was 
living  in  town.  Six  years  ago  he  moved  onto  it. 
and  with  the  exception  of  a  nineteen-month's  resi- 
dence in  town,  he  has  made  it  his  home  continu- 
ously since  that  time.  He  has  five  acres  in  fruit, 
and  is  making  a  specialty  of  horticulture.  He  has 
twenty  acres  cleared  and  in  cultivation,  and  thirty 
in  timber. 

Mr.  Malkson  was  married  in  Los  Angeles, 
California,  January  5,  1891,  to  Aftnie  Champion,  a 
native  of  Brenbrook,  Ontario,  who  spent  the  first 
six  3-ears  of  her  life  there,  then  came  to  the  United 
States,  making  her  home  in  turn  in  Indiana,  Dakota 
and  California,  prior  to  her  marriage.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  William  and  Annie  Champion..  The 
father,  a  native  of  England,  is  now  residing  near 
Edmonton,  Alberta;  the  mother  died  in  Los  Ange- 
les, California.  Five  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Malkson:  Earl  G.,  Bennie,  H.,  Maud, 
Bertha  and  Rufus.  Mr.  Malkson  is  independent  in 
political  affairs.  The  cause  of  education  appeals 
strongly  to  him,  and  he  is  one  of  the  most  progres- 
sive members  of  the  local  school  board.  He  is  also 
road  supervisor,  an  enterprising  and  industrious 
farmer,  and  a  loyal,  upright  citizen,  he  holds  the 
esteem  and  respect  of  his  fellow  men. 


JACOB  ROBINET,  one  of  the  well  known 
farmers  residing  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from 
Hartford,  on  the  picturesque  banks  of  Lake  Ste- 
vens, was  born  in  Luxemberg,  Germany,  in  June, 
1857.  His  father,  Anton  Robinet,  also  a  farmer, 
died  in  Germany  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  sixty-si.x. 
The  mother,  Elizabeth  (Grofif)  Robinet,  died  in 
that  country,  which  was  also  the  land  of  her  birth. 
Our  subject  speiit  his  boyhood  on  his  father's  farm 
and  attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
country.  Desiring  to  avail  himself  of  the  greater 
opportunities  that  the  United  States  afiforded  to 
young  men,  he  came  in  1884,  locating  first  at  Iron 
Mountain,  Michigan,  where  he  worked  in  the 
woods  four  years.  His  residence  in  the  state  of 
Washington  dates  from  1888.  After  stopping  two 
weeks  in  Seattle,  he  proceeded  to  Snohomish,  then 
only  a  little  settlement,  and  made  that  his  head- 
quarters while  working  for  Eugene  Smith,  who  at 
that  time  owned  the  most  extensive  lumbering  inter- 
ests of  any  man  in  the  county.  In  order  to  reach 
Lake  Stevens,  where  the  timber  was  being  cleared 
off,  it  was  necessary  to  go  by  way  of  Marysville, 
as  there  was  no  road  from  Machias.  In  1890  Mr. 
Robinet  took  up  the  forty-acre  homestead  on  which 
he  now  lives,  and  at  once  began  preparing  it  for 
culitivation.  As  there  was  no  road  to  the  lake,  and 
only  the  poorest  kind  of  a  trail,  he,  with  the  other 
settlers  in  that  region,  began  very  soon  to  build  a 


highway.  For  several  years  they  averaged  two 
weeks  a  season  in  this  work  of  making  and  im- 
proving the  roads.  In  189-1  he  assisted  in  organiz- 
ing the  first  school  held  here.  During  the  first  few 
years  of  his  residence  Mr.  Robinet  worked  in  the 
woods  in  the  summer,  and  spent  the  winter  season 
in  improving  his  land.  He  now  owns  a  neat,  taste- 
ful home,  and  intends  to  devote  his  entire  time  to 
fruit  raising. 

Mr.  Robinet  and  Miss  Anna  N.  Tinker  were 
united  in  marriage  in  March,  1901.  Mrs.  Robinet, 
a  native  of  Angola,  Steuben  county,  Indiana,  is  a 
daughter  of  distinguished  parents.  Her  father,  Asa 
M.  Tinker,  was  born  in  xA-shtabula  county,  Ohio,  in 
1827,  moved  to  Indiana  in  the  early  days,  and  be- 
came an  horoned  pioneer  of  that  state.  In  later  life 
he  made  his  home  in  Michigan,  and  he  died  in 
Harrison  in  1900.  As  he  held  the  office  of  post- 
master at  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  he  was  exempt 
from  the  service  he  would  so  gladly  have  rendered 
his  country.  He  is  remembered  by  his  acquaint- 
ances as  a  lawyer  of  unusual  ability,  who  at  one 
time  was  prosecuting  attorney  for  five  counties.  He 
retired  from  active  practice  in  the  legal  profession 
with  a  record  of  which  any  man  might  well  be 
proud.  Orcina  W.  (Parish)  Tinker,  the  mother, 
who  now  lives  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Robinet,  is 
also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  born  in  Lorraine 
county  in  1837.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  first 
trustees  of  Oberlin  College.  Possessed  of  remark- 
able mental  endowments,  she  began  teaching  when 
but  fourteen  years  of  age,  this  special  privilege 
having  been  granted  to  her  owing  to  her  father's 
decease  the  previous  year.  Bringing  to  her  work 
not  only  a  trained  intellect,  but  also  a  peculiar  apti- 
tude for  imparting  knowledge  to  others,  she  rapidly 
won  success  in  her  chosen  profession.  She  has  a 
sister  aged  sixty-five,  who  for  the  past  twenty  years 
has  taught  in  the  same  room  in  the  Angola  high 
school  in  Indiana.  Mrs.  Robinet  was  herself  a 
teacher  for  several  years,  and  is  a  lady  of  ability, 
fitted  to  grace  any  position  in  life.  She  and  her 
husband  are  both  identified  with  the  Yeoman  fra- 
ternity, while  in  religious  faith  they  are  Episco- 
palians. Mr.  Robinet  is  a  loyal  member  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  is  known  as  a  thrifty,  industri- 
ous man,  of  upright  character,  and  is  respected  by 
the  entire  community. 


LEWIS  J.  JONES,  one  of  the  younger  element 
of  successful  Snohomish  county  farmers,  resides 
six  miles  east  of  Everett  and  three  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  Snohomish  on  the  rural  mail  delivery  route 
from  Everett.  Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Wales  in 
March,  1878,  the  son  of  John  D.  and  Catherine 
(Davis)  Jones,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  the 
southern  part  of  Wales.  The  elder  Jones  was  a 
miner  and  farmer  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1870 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


and  for  two  years  mined  coal  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
then  went  to  Patagonia,  South  America,  and  re- 
mained there  two  years,  returning  to  Wales  for  the 
ensuing  seven  years.  In  1882  he  was  again  in 
Pennsylvania,  engaged  in  mining.  Two  years  later 
he  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country  and  settled  on 
120  acres  of  land  three  and  a  half  miles  southwest 
of  Snohomish,  on  which  Lewis  J.  Jones  is  now  liv- 
ing. The  elder  Jones  has  since  added  140  acres  to 
his  holdings.  He  makes  his  home  with  his  children 
in  this  county.  Mrs.  Jones  was  the  mother  of  ten 
children,  four  of  whom  died  in  Wales  of  black 
fever.  Lewis  J.  Jones  attended  the  public  schools 
of  King  county,  leaving  when  fifteen  years  old  to 
work  with  his  father  in  the  Blue  Canyon  coal  mines 
of  Whatcom  county.  Two  years  were  passed  in 
this  work,  when  father  and  son  returned  to  the  farm 
in  Snohomish  county.  The  young  man  passed  the 
following  two  years  on  the  ranch  and  then  put  in 
six  months  mining.  In  the  fall  of  1899  he  went  to 
Seattle  and  worked  in  the  shops  of  Moran  Bros., 
operating  a  crane  for  eight  months.  At  Nome  Mr. 
Jones  passed  eighteen  months  at  gold  mining.  In 
1902  in  company  with  his  brother,  Reese,  Mr.  Jones 
took  a  ten-year  lease  of  his  father's  farm,  in  the 
operation  of  which  he  has  since  been  engaged. 

On  the  old  homestead,  in  1903,  Mr.  Jones  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  J.  Morgan,  daughter  of  Reese  and 
Gwen  (Samuel)  Morgan,  natives  of  Wales,  who 
are  now  living  in  Mackay,  King  county.  Mrs. 
Jones  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1882  and  re- 
ceived her  education  in  the  Keystone  state.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jones  one  son  has  been  born,  Reese  J.  In 
fraternal  circles  Mr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias ;  in  religion  he  is  a  Congrega- 
tionalist.  Mr.  Jones  is  carrying  on  diversified  farm- 
ing, but  goes  in  quite  extensively  for  stock  raising, 
having  thirty-one  head  of  cattle,  thirty  sheep  and 
fifteen  hogs,  besides  horses  for  working  the  place. 


PETER  NELSON,  now  engaged  in  farming 
four  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Everett,  is  one 
of  Snohomish  county's  well  known  citizens,  who 
has  been  identified  in  a  business  way  with  the  prog- 
ress of  Puget  sound  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
Born  in  Denmark,  in  1857,  Mr.  Nelson  is  the 
fourth  of  ten  children  of  Neils  and  Catherine  (Jen- 
sen) Nelson,  both  of  whom  lived  and  died  in  Den- 
mark. Peter  received  his  education  in  the  Danish 
schools  and  when  old  enough  learned  the  butcher's 
trade.  At  twenty-two  he  came  to  the  United  States 
and  immediately  settled  on  a  farm  near  Northfield, 
Minnesota.  A  year  later  he  returned  to  his  trade 
in  a  shop  at  Northfield.  In  1883  he  set  his  face 
toward  the  Pacific  coast,  locating  first  in  Seattle, 
where  he  entered  the  shop  of  John  G.  Gardner. 
Mr.  Nelson  continued  in  business  there  for  six 
years,  one  of  which  he  passed  as  proprietor  of  his 


own  shop,  selling  out  his  Seattle  interests  in  1889 
to  go  to  Whatcom.  There  he  conducted  a  shop 
two  years,  selling  out  to  locate  at  Sedro-Woolley, 
where  he  opened  a  shop  and  a  lumber  yard,  the 
yard  being  the  first  established  in  that  town.  Sedro- 
Woolley  was  his  home  until  1893,  when  he  went 
to  the  new  city  of  Everett  to  open  the  Monte  Cnsto 
market,  which  he  conducted  successfully  seven 
years,  or  until  1900.  In  that  year  he  retired  from, 
business  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  upon  his 
present  farm. 

Miss  Annie,  daughter  of  William  Kock,  of  Sil- 
vana,  was  married  to  Mr.  Nelson  at  Everett  in 
1896.  A  sketch  of  her  family  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  Mrs.  Nelson  was  born  at  Silvana  in 
1879,  and  was  reared  and  educated  within  the 
borders  of  the  county.  Three  children  have  been, 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson :  Thomas,  Dorothy 
and  Frederick.  Religiously,  the  family  are  Pres- 
byterians and  in  politics  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  Repub- 
lican. During  his  residence  in  Sedro-Woolley,  he 
served  a  term  as  councilman  of  the  city.  The  home 
farm  consists  of  fifteen  acres,  well  improved  and 
stocked,  in  addition  to  which  he  owns  forty-seven' 
acres  of  land  in  Skagit  county.  Thrifty  and  ener- 
getic, controlled  by  high  principles,  he  commands 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  community. 


JOHN  STECHER,  whose  farm  lies  five  miles 
southeast  of  Everett,  is  one  of  the  successful  farm- 
ers of  this  county  who  cast  his  fortunes  with  those 
of  Snohomish  county  in  the  early  eighties.  He  was 
born  in  Austria  December  11,  1856,  one  of  the 
seven  children  of  Antone  and  Teresa  Stecher,  na- 
tives of  Austria,  who  never  left  that  country.  After 
attending  the  common  schools  at  home,  John' 
Stecher  learned  the  trade  of  a  mason,  and  he  fol- 
lowed that  craft  in  his  native  land  until,  at  twenty- 
three,  he  came  to  the  United  States.  For  a  time 
after  his  arrival  on  the  new  continent  Mr.  Stecher 
followed  his  trade.  In  1880  he  came  to  Grant 
county,  Oregon,  and  the  following  autumn  en- 
gaged in  sheep  ranching.  In  the  spring  of  1884  he 
sold  out  his  interests  in  Oregon  and  came  to  Sno- 
homish county,  purchasing  IGO  acres  of  land  a  half 
mile  south  of  Lowell  and  at  the  same  time  pre- 
empting forty  acres  more.  Here  he  lived  until 
1890,  when  he  bought  his  present  place.  A  little 
later  Mr.  Stecher  rented  a  farm  on  Snohomish 
marsh  and  farmed  there  for  two  years.  The  next 
two  years  found  him  operating  land  leased  from  his 
brother,  Frank,  and  at  the  close  of  that  term  he 
removed  to  his  present  place,  where  he  has  fifty- 
two  acres  of  land  under  cultivation. 

At  Port  Townsend,  in  1885,  Mr.  Stecher  mar- 
ried Miss  Annie  Koch,  daughter  of  John  Koch,  a 
native  of  Germany,  now  a  resident  of  this  county. 
Mrs.   Stecher  was  born  in  Germany  on  Christmas 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


day  of  1864.  She  received  her  education  in  the 
schools  of  the  old  country,  but  came  to  Snohomish 
county  in  1884.  To  this  union  have  been  born  six 
children,  all  natives  of  Snohomish  county :  Frank, 
John  (deceased),  Agnes,  Annie,  Otto  and  Paul. 
In  politics  Mr.  Stecher  is  a  Republican  and  the 
family  belongs  to  the  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Stecher 
is  in  well-to-do  circumstances,  owning  fifty-seven 
acres  of  land,  well  stocked,  chiefly  with  cattle.  He 
is  one  of  the  industrious  men  of  the  county,  and  en- 
joys an  enviable  reputation  both  as  a  citizen  and  as 
an  agriculturalist.  He  has  discharged  the  duties  of 
the  office  of  road  overseer  in  his  district,  but  aside 
from  that  has  aspired  to  or  held  no  political  office. 


EUGENE  D.  SMITH.— Among  the  pioneers 
of  Snohomish  county  who  have  been  forceful  in  its 
industrial  development  from  the  earliest  days  to  the 
present — leaders  in  fact  in  that  development — none, 
perhaps,  is  deserving  of  a  higher  place  than  the 
man  whose  life  history  is  the  theme  of  this  article. 
Coming  to  the  county  when  its  wealth  of  natural 
resources  was  as  yet  untouched,  he  had  the  percep- 
tion and  experience  to  appreciate  the  advantages 
offered,  and  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  being  the 
first  to  engage,  in  a  methodical  and  permanent 
manner,  in  the  logging  business,  giving  inception 
to  the  master  industry  of  the  county,  the  industry 
which  has  cleared  its  farms,  built  its  cities,  sup- 
ported its  people  and  made  it  a  county  of  mills. 
And  it  has  not  been  in  this  alone  that  he  has  con- 
tributed to  the  general  welfare.  In  political  mat- 
ters, also,  he  has  been  a  force,  and  in  the  official 
records  of  the  early  days  his  name  is  of  frequent 
occurrence,  showing  that  the  county  profited,  dur- 
ing the  molding  period  as  well  as  later,  by  his  in- 
terest in  public  matters  and  the  wisdom  of  his 
counsels.  In  later  days,  when  wealth  had  come  to 
him  as  a  reward  of  well  directed  effort,  it  was  al- 
ways bestowed  liberally  upon  enterprises  of  gen- 
eral benefit,  the  Everett  town  building  scheme,  the 
Monte  Cristo  railroad  and  numerous  other  projects 
profiting  by  his  bounty,  some  of  them  to  a  greater 
extent  than  is  generally  supposed.  He  has  cer- 
tainly marched  in  the  foremost  rank  of  the  pro- 
gressive men  of  the  sound  country. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Columbia,  Maine,  April 
30,  1837.  His  father,  John  D.  Smith,  was  likewise 
a  native  of  Maine,  born  in  1802,  and  for  years  was 
a  ship-builder  in  the  Pine  Tree  state,  and  in  Boston, 
Massachusetts.  He  was  one  of  the  best  mechanics 
in  all  that  country,  also  a  prominent  militiaman. 
He  died  in  1845.  Mrs.  Louisa  (Barney)  Smith, 
the  mother  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Loubeck, 
Maine,  and  died  in  Iowa  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight 
years.  She  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  her  father 
was  a  veteran  of  the  War  of  1812.  Both  she  and 
her  husband  were   members  of  prominent  pioneer 


families  of  Washington  county,  Maine.  Left 
fatherless  when  eight  years  old,  the  Mr.  Smith  of 
this  review  was  denied  many  of  the  educational 
advantages  which  other  boys  in  his  part  of  the 
country  enjoyed,  but  being  of  an  adventurous  dis- 
position he  soon  made  up  for  his  iack  of  book  learn- 
ing by  taking  lessons  in  the  school  of  experience. 
At  fourteen  he  went  to  sea,  and  the  ensuing  six 
years  were  spent  as  a  sailor,  mostly  along  the  New 
England  coast,  though  he  made  a  few  trips  to  for- 
eign ports,  and  was  on  the  Mediterranean  at  the 
time  of  the  Crimean  war.  His  last  voyage  was  to 
the  head  of  the  Adriatic  sea.  In  1858,  being  at  that 
time  twenty-one  years  old,  he  came  to  Port  Gamble 
by  way  of  the  isthmus,  arriving  in  September,  hav- 
ing escaped  without  injury  in  a  wreck  on  the 
Panama  road.  From  that  date  until  1862  he 
worked  industriously  in  logging  camps  around  Port 
Gamble,  learning  thoroughly  the  business  in  which 
he  was  afterward  to  become  a  shining  light.  He 
then  went  to  the  Caribou  mines,  but  unfortunately 
for  him  as  it  seemed  at  the  time  and  very  for- 
tunately for  the  development  of  Snohomish  county ,^ 
his  career  there  was  cut  short  by  mountain  fever 
and  he  was  compelled  to  flee  for  his  life  to  Vic- 
toria. In  the  fall  of  1862,  he  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  logging  outfit  of  a  man  named  Otis  Wilson, 
and  together  they  started  to  log  on  Brown's  bay, 
just  north  of  where  Edmonds  now  is.  The  next 
summer  they  came  to  Lowell,  preceding  all  others 
of  their  occupation  to  the  river,  and  they  operated 
there  together  until  1865,  when  Mr.  Smith  sold  to 
his  partner  and  again  turned  his  attention  toward 
mining.  He  went  to  the  Boise  basin,  Bannock 
City  and  other  Idaho  camps,  also  participating  in 
the'  Coeur  D'Alene  rush  of  1865.  His  prospecting 
and  mining  trips  did  not  prove  profitable,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  go  to  work  as  an  employe,  but  after 
laboring"  a  short  time  in  Walla  Walla  came  once 
more  to  Lowell,  and  soon  succeeded  in  making  an- 
other start  in  logging  on  his  own  account.  His  ef- 
forts were  rewarded  by  abundant  success.  At  one 
time  he  had  three  camps  in  active  operation,  em- 
ploying seventy-five  men,  and  indeed  for  a  while 
there  were  150  names  on  his  pay-roll.  He  logged 
extensively  for  years  on  Ebey  slough,  clearing  the 
timber  oft  the  sites  of  Marysville,  Lowell  and  other 
towns  and  putting  many  millions  of  feet  into  the 
water. 

In  1870  Mr.  Smith  built  a  log  chute  two  thou- 
sand feet  long  on  a  hill  at  Lowell,  expending  in  the 
enterprise  about  five  thousand  dollars.  The  same 
year  he  started  a  store  at  Lowell,  the  first  in  the 
town,  and  from  that  on  it  was  his  ambition  to  build 
a  little  city  there.  He  put  in  a  hotel  about  1874, 
and  in  1889  a  saw  mill  costing  sixty  thousand  dol- 
lars, with  a  capacity  of  75.000  feet  of  lumber  per 
diem,  and  machinery  for  the  production  of  lath, 
shingles,  etc.     It  burned  in  1895.     Starting  with  a 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


homestead  and  pre-emption,  both  of  which  he  im- 
proved, clearing,  ditching  and  putting  into  cultiva- 
tion seventy-five  acres,  he  added  to  his  holdings 
as  time  went  on  until  he  was  the  owner  of  five  thou- 
sand acres  of  timber,  stump  and  farming  land,  all 
but  sixteen  hundred  acres  of  it  situated  on  the  Ev- 
erett peninsula,  the  rest  on  Ebey  slough.  When 
Everett  was  founded  he  sold  the  promoters  twelve 
hundred  acres  at  a  reasonable  price  in  order  to 
permit  the  town  building  to  progress,  and  donated 
five  hundred  more  conditioned  upon  the  building  of 
factories,  smelter,  railroads,  etc. 

After  spending  thirty  years  in  the  logging  busi- 
ness, Mr.  Smith  retired  from  it  in  1890,  and  since 
his  mill  burned  down  in  1895  he  has  withdrawn 
from  the  more  strenuous  activities  of  life,  devoting 
himself  to  looking  after  his  property  interests.  For 
these  he  was  once  oiTered  $300,000  by  Henry 
Hewitt,  Jr.,  of  Tacoma,  but  he  has  since  lost  heavily 
by  fire  and  on  account  of  the  hard  times,  though  he 
still  retains  a  fine  home  at  Lowell,  an  interest  in 
the  site  of  that  town  and  some  Everett  property. 
He  also  enjoys  the  consciousness  of  having  accom- 
plished several  worthy  undertakings  in  a  worthy 
manner,  won  a  success  in  the  industrial  world  of 
which  many  more  favored  men  to  begin  with  would 
be  proud,  contributed  immeasurably  to  the  progress 
and  development  of  his  home  county  and  left  an  in- 
delible impress  upon  its  history.  One  of  his  enter- 
prises which  did  not  succeed  financially  was  the 
building,  in  the  early  eighties,  of  a  telegraph  line 
from  Mukilteo  to  Snohomish,  via  Lowell. 

June  5,  1869,  Mr.  Smith  married  Margaret  B. 
Getchell,  a  native  of  Marshfield,  Maine,  born  Jan- 
uary 4,  1840.  Her  father,  George  Stillman  Getchell, 
was  born  in  Machias,  Maine,  to  which  town  his 
family  had  come  from  the  Green  Mountain  state  at 
an  early  day.  He  died  in  Maine  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five.  During  his  lifetime  he  followed  agri- 
culture as  a  business.  Her  mother,  Taphenes 
(Longfellow)  Getchell,  was  likewise  a  native  of 
Machias,  and  came  of  old  colonial  stock.  She  had 
the  distinction  of  being  a  cousin  of  the  noted  Henry 
W.  Longfellow,  so  well  known  in  American  litera- 
ture. She  died  within  five  days  of  the  same  time 
as  her  husband,  aged  eighty-three.  Mrs.  Smith 
lived  in  the  Pine  Tree  state  until  twenty-nine,  then 
started  for  the  West,  via  the  isthmus,  which  she 
crossed  alone,  met  Mr.  Smith  at  San  Francisco  and 
was  married  to  him  theje,  accompanying  him  to  his 
home  in  Snohomish  county.  For  the  first  six 
months  of  her  residence  here  she  had  only  one 
white  neighbor  of  her  own  sex,  a  Mrs.  Dr.  Smith, 
who  lived  on  the  tide  lands  near  Marysville.  There 
were  four  white  women  at  Snohomish,  twelve  miles 
up  the  river.  The  children  of  her  union  with  Mr. 
Smith  are:  Lowell  E.,  born  at  Lowell,  April  5, 
IB??,  now  a  steamboat  man  at  Everett ;  John  D., 
born  May  11,  1878,  a  contractor  living  at  home ; 


Phene  L.,  October  28,  1880,  a  graduate  of  the  state 
university,  now  teaching  German  and  history  in 
the  high  school  at  Snohomish;  Cyrus  W.,  April  11, 
1883,  died  in  babyhood.  Mr.  Smith  has  one  brother, 
George  D.,  in  business  at  Snohomish  and  one,  John, 
a  building  contractor  at  Norwood,  Massachusetts, 
also  one  sister,  Mrs.  Josephine  E.  Friars,  at  Hazel- 
son,  Iowa.  Mrs.  Smith's  brothers  and  sisters  are 
Martin  and  Joseph  in  Snohomish  county ;  Horace, 
Oscar,  Hannah  and  Anna,  in  Maine ;  Antoinette,  in 
New  Hampshire,  and  Laura  in  Missouri. 

In  politics  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican.  He  has 
served  as  county  commissioner  by  appointment 
and  election,  has  been  justice  of  the  peace,  was 
postmaster  at  Lowell  for  twenty-one  years,  served 
on  the  first  provisional  council  of  Everett  and  for 
years  was  either  director  or  clerk  of  the  local  school 
district,  besides  holding  various  other  offices  of 
trust.  In  fraternal  affiliations  he  is  a  Master  Mason 
and  a  Workman.  His  views  on  educational  and  re- 
ligious matters  are  very  liberal,  as  they  are  on  most 
other  things,  and  he  has  never  acknowledged  allegi- 
ance to  anv  creed. 


ALVAH  H.  B.  JORDAN,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  of  Snohomish 
county,  vice-president  of  the  Everett  Pulp  &  Paper 
Company,  and  superintendent  of  its  enormous  mills 
at  Lowell,  occupies  a  position  of  considerable  con- 
sequence to  the  community  at  large  and  one  of 
state  importance.  He  has  not  resided  on  the  Pa- 
cific coast  as  many  years  as  have  a  large  number 
of  his  associates,  but  during  this  period  he  has 
come  into  unusually  close  touch  with  its  business 
activities  and  has  gained  the  highest  confidence  of 
its  people. 

Mr.  Jordan  is  the  son  of  Eben  Jordan,  a  native 
of  Auburn,  Maine,  who  was  for  many  years  a 
prominent  dry  goods  merchant  of  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts. Mrs.  Ellen  E.  (Bedell)  Jordan,  the 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  Pine  Tree  state.  Of  the  two  children 
born  to  this  union,  one  is  a  daughter,  the  other 
Alvah  H.  B.,  whose  birthplace  was  Boston.  He 
was  born  September  23,  1865.  His  education  was 
obtained  in  the  excellent  public  schools  of  that 
noted  center  of  learning.  Upon  his  graduation 
from  high  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  the  young 
man  entered  the  employ  of  Kendall  Barrows  & 
Company,  woolen  importers  of  Boston,  working  in 
their  offices,  but  at  the  end  of  six  years'  service 
with  this  firm,  he  determined  to  learn  the  paper 
business  and  with  that  end  in  view  at  once  accepted 
a  position  with  the  Champlain  Paper  Company, 
Willsborough,  Essex  county.  New  York.  Appli- 
cation and  study,  combined  perhaps  with  a  natural 
aptitude  for  the  business,  brought  its  rich  rewards, 
for  during  the  four  years  he  was  with  this  company 


^^k^-^^^c^^^C 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


935' 


he  mastered  the  details  of  the  industry  so  thor- 
oughly that  he  finally  reached  the  superintendency 
of  the  mills.  In  1891,  however,  he  resigned  as  su- 
perintendent of  the  Champlain  mills  to  assume 
charge  of  the  Clarion  mills  at  Johnsonburg,  Elk 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  with  this  concern,  the 
New  York  &  Pennsylvania  Company,  he  remained 
until  1896.  That  year  marks  his  removal  to  the 
Pacific  Northwest  and  his  entrance  into  the  life  of 
Snohomish  county.  He  came  direct  to  Everett  as 
superintendent  of  the  Everett  Pulp  &  Paper  Com- 
pany's mills,  in  which  capacity  he  is  still  engaged. 
It  is  since  Mr.  Jordan  has  become  identified  with 
this  company,  operating  the  largest  paper  mills  in 
the  Northwest,  that  the  business  has  reached  its 
immense  proportions,  supplying  demands  that 
come  from  all  over  the  country,  especially  from  the 
western  part.  Probably  no  industry  in  the  city  of 
Everett  has  been  operated  as  continuously  as  these 
paper  mills,  and  with  its  hundreds  of  employees 
and  the  no  inconsiderable  amount  of  commerce 
arising  from  the  handling  of  its  products,  the 
Everett  Paper  &  Pulp  Company  is  indeed  an  im- 
portant factor  in  not  only  the  welfare  of  Everett 
but  of  the  whole  county.  More  extended  refer- 
ence to  these  mills  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this 
work. 

Mr.  Jordan  'is  a  Republican,  influential  in  the 
councils  of  his  party,  and  upon  that  ticket  in  1904 
was  elected  county  commissioner  from  the  third 
district.  When  the  board  was  organized,  he  be- 
came its  chairman  and  still  fills  this  responsible 
office.  With  true  public  spirit  he  has  assumed  fur- 
ther public  duties  in  his  community,  being  also 
chairman  of  the  Lowell  board  of  education.  In 
fraternal  circles  he  is  well  known,  holding  mem- 
bership in  the  B.  P.  O.  E.,  Everett  lodge,  and  the 
Masonic  order,  having  attained  the  thirty-second 
degree  in  the  latter.  In  addition  to  his  paper  mill 
interests,  Mr.  Jordan  is  also  a  director  in  the  First 
National  bank  of  Everett.  He  is  one  of  the  real 
leaders  in  the  upbuilding  of  Snohomish  county,  a 
thorough  believer  in  the  great  future  that  awaits 
Puget  sound,  a  man  of  broad  views,  powerful  exec- 
utive abilities  and  withal  possessing  the  confidence 
of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


^  WILLIE  EASTMAN  CHASE,  of  Lowell, 
Washington,  is  prominently  identified  with  what 
perhaps  may  be  regarded  as  Snohomish  county's 
leading  industry,  the  lumber  business,  the  branch 
to  which  he  is  devoting  his  best  abilities  and  ener- 
gies being  the  furnishing  of  raw  material.  For 
twelve  years  he  has  been  thus  engaged  with 
marked  success,  denuding  the  hills  and  bench  lands 
of  their  magnificent  timber  and  materially  contrib- 
uting to  the  development  of  a  new  country  and  to 
the  prosperity  of  its  people.    A  product  of  the  New 


England  states,  born  at  East  Charleston,  Vermont, 
November  5,  1870,  he  comes  from  a  land  of  strong 
men  and  women,  notably  strong  in  every  way,  and 
is  of  good  old  colonial  American  stock.  Charles 
H.  Chase,  the  father,  also  a  native  of  Vermont,  his 
birthplace  being  Charleston,  was  born  in  1842. 
Early  in  life  he  learned  the  mason's  trade  and  at 
one  time  managed  the  hotel  in  Charleston,  but 
most  of  his  life  has  been  spent  in  farming.  He  is 
still  living  near  the  old  homestead.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Chase  served  as  organist  in  the  village 
church,  being  of  a  decidedly  musical  turn.  Mrs. 
Chase,  his  wife,  was  Orissa  Eastman  before  her 
marriage,  the  daughter  of  a  Vermont  farmer,  who 
passed  away  in  his  forty-sixth  year.  She  was  born 
at  Sutton,  in  that  state,  January  23,  1852,  and  is 
also  living.  The  subject  of  this  review  received  his 
educational  instruction  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  state.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  com- 
menced assisting  his  father  on  the  farm,  and  in 
this  way  spent  the  next  three  years  of  his  life,  or 
until  he  arrived  at  legal  age.  With  the  passing 
of  this  milestone,  however,  he  left  the  family  roof 
tree  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  first  enter- 
ing the  grocery  business  nearby.  The  next  year, 
1892,  he  joined  the  army  of  young  Americans 
pushing  into  the  West,  coming  to  Lowell.  The 
great  paper  mills  there  were  then  being  opened 
and  he  at  once  secured  employment  in  them,  re- 
maining in  that  line  of  work  two  years.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  been  casting  about  for  a  better 
opportunity  to  get  ahead,  with  the  result  that  he 
selected  the  logging  business  and  into  this  he 
plunged  with  such  energy  and  determination  that 
he  forged  ahead  rapidly  and  is  to-day  reaping  the 
rewards  of  worthy,  painstaking  efforts  and  in- 
vincible courage  in  overcoming  obstacles  and  dififi- 
culties  that  arise  to  impede  the  progress  of  all  suc- 
cessful men. 

Miss  Alice  M.  Harmon,  a  native  of  Vermont 
also,  descended  from  a  noted  family  of  that  state, 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Willie  E.  Chase  in  1892. 
Her  father,  Stephen  J\I.  Harmon,  was  born  at  Bux- 
ton Centre,  Maine,  April  1,  1844,  and  came  to  Ver- 
mont when  a  young  man.  Although  he  had  just 
been  married,  when  the  call  came  for  volunteers, 
he  nobly  responded,  enlisting  in  Company  K, 
Thirty-fifth  Regiment,  Massachusetts,  January  27, 
1863,  serving  throughout  the  remainder  of  the 
long,  bloody  struggle  and  making  the  memorable 
march  with  Sherman  to  the  sea.  His  regiment  was 
present  at  nineteen  battles  and  participated  actively 
in  seventeen  of  that  number,  engaging  in  some  of 
the  heaviest  fighting  in  the  war.  With  his  com- 
rades Mr.  Harmon  was  mustered  out  August  11, 
1865.  After  the  war  he  returned  to  his  family  in 
Vermont  and  for  several  years  was  employed  as  a 
fireman  on  the  Grand  Trunk  railroad.  Later  he 
engaged  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  carpenter,  and  to 


936 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


building  and  contracting  has  since  devoted  most 
of  his  time.  Roxana  E.  (Stevens)  Harmon,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Chase,  was  born  at  Island  Pond, 
Vermont,  August  (i,  1847,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Susana  Aldrich  Stevens,  one  of  the  most  notable 
personages  in  the  pioneer  history  of  Essex  county, 
\'ermont.  This  distinguished  woman  was  left  a 
w'idow  early  in  life  with  a  family  of  five  children  to 
rear.  With  admirable  courage  she  undertook  the 
management  of  her  farm  and  business  affairs  and 
met  with  unusual  success  in  the  difficult  task 
shifted  to  her  shoulders  by  the  unkindly  turn  of 
fortune.  Three  of  her  sons  enlisted  in  the  Union 
army  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  of  whom  only 
one  came  back.  When  she  passed  away  in  1903 
at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-five,  she  was 
mourned  as  one  of  the  best  loved  and  most  dis- 
tinguished citizens  of  the  community,  a  woman  of 
rare  worth.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harmon  are  still 
living,  residing  at  Island  Pond.  Island  Pond  is  the 
birthplace  of  Mrs.  Chase,  the  date  of  this  event 
being  February  12,  1869.  She  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  her  home  community  and  upon 
finishing  engaged  in  teaching.  Subsequently  she 
devoted  her  attention  to  dressmaking,  being  thus 
occupied  until  her  marriage.  Five  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union,  of  whom  one  is  deceased. 
The  living  are :  Elton  W.,  born  August  14,  1896 ; 
Vernita  I.,  born  April  27,  1900;  Hovvard  E.,  Octo- 
ber 7,  1902;  and  Robert  W.,  February  7,  1904. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chase  are  well  known  in  local 
fraternal  circles,  he  being  afifiliated  with  the  Ma- 
sons, Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  and  she  with  the  Eastern  Star 
'"hapter,  the  Degree  of  Honor  and  the  Women's 
Relief  Corps;  she  is  also  a  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal church.  The  Chase  home  is  one  of  the  finest 
modern  dwellings  in  Lowell,  the  center  of  a  wide 
social  circle,  and  the  gathering  place  of  a  host  of 
loyal  friends  and  genial  acquaintances.  As  one  of 
the  younger  generation  of  pioneers  in  the  work  of 
opening  and  developing  the  resources  of  the  Puget 
sound  country,  a  business  man  of  ability,  and  a 
public  spirited  citizen,  Mr.  Chase  is  justly  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  substantial  and  rising  men  of 
Snohomish  county. 


MARTIN  GETCHELL,  retired  lumberman, 
residing  now  in  the  city  of  Lowell,  has  spent  nearly 
fifty  years  in  the  Puget  sound  region,  and  of  this 
long  period  more  than  forty  years  have  been  passed 
in  Snohomish  county.  Comparatively  few  men  in 
the  county  to-day  possess  such  a  record  as  this, 
coupled  with  which  is  the  additional  record  of  a 
career  of  usefulness  and  integrity. 

Martin  Getchell  is  one  of  Maine's  hardy,  stal- 
wart sons,  a  descendant  of  colonial  American  stock. 
His  father,  George  Stillman  Getchell,  was  bor-n  at 
Machias,  Maine,   September  22,  1803,  and  in  that 


vicinity  engaged  successfully  in  lumbering  and 
farming,  passed  all  the  years  allotted  him,  his 
death  occurring  December  6,  1888.  Mrs.  Taphenes 
(Longfellow)  Getchell,  the  mother  of  Martin  Get- 
chell, was  also  a  native  of  Machias,  born  February 
12,  1805.  Her  father  was  an  American  patriot, 
who  served  throughout  the  War  of  1812.  Mrs. 
Taphenes  Getchell  died  December  1,  1888,  five  days 
before  her  husband  passed  away.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  born  at  Marshfield,  March  15,  1832, 
the  oldest  boy  in  a  family  of  nine  children.  His- 
educational  training  was  such  as  he  could  obtain 
during  a  few  months  each  year  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  fifteen,  when  he  commenced  assisting  his 
father  in  the  woods.  Maine  continued  to  be  his 
home  until  1857,  in  which  year  he  arrived  on  Puget 
sound  after  a  long,  dangerous  trip  from  the  other 
side  of  the  continent.  The  great  forests  of  this  in- 
land sea  had  been  the  principal  attraction,  to  this 
young  lumberman,  and  upon  arrival  in  Jeiiferson 
county  he  at  once  plunged  into  the  logging  industry, 
then  in  its  early  morning  of  development.  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  Eraser  river  rush  of  1858.  His 
stay  lengthened  into  a  six  years'  residence,  during 
a  part  of  which  time  he  logged  in  Snohomish 
county,  helping  to  clear  of  timber  the  townsite  of 
Snohomish,  the  Sinclair  and  Ferguson  lands.  He 
then  returned  to  Maine  for  his  family,  having  de- 
termined to  locate  permanently  in  Washington. 
Upon  his  return,  Mr.  Getchell  came  to  Snohomish 
county  and  located  upon  the  marsh  just  across  the 
river  from  the  spot  where  the  city  of  Lowell  was 
afterward  built.  He  remembers  when  three  houses 
constituted  Snohomish  City  and  transportation  was 
almost  wholly  by  canoes.  At  that  time  there  were 
only  three  large  boats  running  on  the  sound.  He 
erected  the  first  warehouse  in  Snohomish  City, 
building  it  with  rough  logs.  He  also  remembers 
when  160  acres  lying  immediately  north  of  James 
street,  Seattle,  could  be  purchased  for  $500-.  Mr. 
Getchell  applied  himself  industriously  and  skilfully 
to  the  lumber  business  in  Snohomish  county  with 
successful  results  in  the  years  that  followed  his 
settlement.  Through  panic  and  prosperity,  dis- 
heartened by  low  prices  and  encouraged  by  high 
ones,  facing  hardship  and  privation,  he  labored 
ceaselessly  and  uniformly,  ever  contributing  to  the 
material  progress  of  his  county,  until  at  last  ad- 
vancing age  forced  him  to  surrender  the  greater 
part  of  his  business  activities  to  younger  men. 
About  fifteen  years  ago  he  purchased  a  place  at 
Lowell,  and  upon  it  erected  his  present  comfortable 
residence.  He  also  owns  sixty-five  acres  of  rich 
marsh  land  across  the  river  from  the  town. 

Miss  Olive  L.  Ireland  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mr.  Getchell  in  East  Machias,  Maine,  May  6,  1853. 
She  lost  her  parents  by  death  when  but  a  child,  and 
was  reared  by  friends  who  adopted  her.  Skohegan, 
Maine,  is  her  birthplace,  and  December   14,  1832,. 


MR.    AND    MRS.    MARTIN    GETCHELL 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


the  date.  The  family  consisted  of  four  children, 
all  of  whom  except  Mrs.  Getchell  are  now  dead. 
Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Getchell,  namely :  Mrs.  Medora  Porter,  who  lives 
at  Mount  Vernon,  Skagit  county :  Mrs.  Zella  B. 
Lawry,  the  wife  of  a  Monroe  banker,  who  resides 
near  Snohomish,  and  Everett  M.,  a  citizen  of  Ev- 
erett. Two  daughters  are  deceased — Edna  P.  and 
Daisy  T.  Mrs.  Getchell  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  and  is  connected  with  the  De- 
gree of  Honor  and  Rebekah  lodges,  while  Mr. 
Getchell  is  affiliated  with  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  in 
politics  is  a  Republican.  One  of  the  pleasant  events 
in  the  lives  of  this  esteemed  couple  was  the  cele- 
bration, in  May,  1903,  of  their  golden  wedding,  a 
celebration  arranged  by  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Relief  Corps,  Degree  of  Honor  and  Pioneers 
of  Snohomish  County,  unitedly.  It  was  an  elabo- 
rate social  event,  eloquent  in  its  expression  of 
kindly  feelings  of  the  members  of  these  various  or- 
ganizations toward  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Getchell.  The 
presents  bestowed  were  many  and  valuable. 

In  the  past  half  century  Mr.  Getchell  has  wit- 
nessed in  the  Northwest  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able developments  ever  chronicled  in  our  national 
history.  Not  only  has  he  witnessed  it  at  close  range, 
but  he  has  been  privileged  to  participate  actively  in 
it,  to  the  mutual  advantage  of  himself  and  his  fel- 
low citizens. 


TERRESSER  B.  DREW,  residing  in  the  city 
of  Lowell,  is  among  the  pioneer  women  of  Sno- 
homish county  who  have  endured  the  hardships 
incident  to  the  settlement  of  a  new  country  and  are 
therefore  deserving  of  special  mention  in  this  work. 
If  possible,  the  lives  of  these  heroic  frontier  women 
were  lonelier,  more  desolate,  than  those  of  the  men, 
for  the  sphere  of  the  former  is  narrower  and  their 
number  generally  fewer  along  the  border.  Though 
briefer  accounts  appear  concerning  the  lives  of 
pioneer  women  than  of  those  of  the  sterner  sex, 
nevertheless  recognition  of  their  hardihood  and 
sterling  qualities  has  been  fully  as  prompt  and  as 
complete.  The  subject  of  this  review  was  born  in 
Eastport,  Maine.  April  30,  1832,  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Frances  (Chandler)  Lingley,  of  an  old 
American  family,  and  the  latter  of  English  descent. 
The  father  was  born  in  New  York  state,  about  1780, 
a  member  of  a  well-known  colonial  family.  He 
went  to  Maine  when  a  young  man  and  there  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandising,  which  he  pursued 
until  his  death  at  St.  Johns,  New  Brunswick,  in 
1855.  Mrs.  Lingley,  too,  passed  away  at  St.  Johns. 
Terresser  B.  Lingley  grew  to  young  womanhood 
in  Eastport,  Maine,  there  receiving  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  and  otherwise  preparing 
herself  for  life's  stern  duties.  At  Machias,  Maine, 
November  5,  1853,  she  married  Captain  Augustine 
Drew,  who  was  born  at  Marshfield,  Maine,  May  28, 


1829,  and  was  there  reared  and  educated.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  commenced  his  maritime  career, 
soon  rising  to  a  captaincy.  For  twenty-five  years 
he  commanded  vessels  sailing  from  the  port  of 
Machias  to  New  York,  Florida  and  the  West  Indies. 
However,  in  1879  he  retired  from  the  quarter  deck, 
came  to  Snohomish  county  and  took  a  homestead 
near  the  present  city  of  Lowell.  To  the  improve- 
ment and  cultivation  of  this  place  he  devoted  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  passing  away  at  Lowell,  July 
15,  1890.  By  his  sterling,  manly  qualities  and  geni- 
ality. Captain  Drew  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow  pioneers,  in  whose  general  welfare  he 
ever  took  a  deep  and  abiding  interest,  and  his  d'e- 
mise  was  mourned  as  a  distinct  loss  to  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  labored.  Two  years  after  he 
came  West,  Mrs.  Drew  joined  him.  When  she 
came  this  region  was  a  wild,  undeveloped  country, 
with  only  a  semi-weekly  mail  service  by  boat  from 
Seattle.  Lowell  consisted  of  one  store  and  a  soli- 
tary hotel,  both  conducted  and  owned  by  E.  D. 
Smith,  who  was  also  postmaster.  Upon  her  hus- 
band's death,  Mrs.  Drew  and  her  two  sons,  Oscar 
and  Leavitt,  aged  twenty-five  and  seventeen  re- 
spectively, resolutely  continued  to  operate  the  farm 
until  it  was  sold,  the  greater  portion  of  it  being 
purchased  in  1892  at  fifty  dollars  an  acre  by  Everett 
townsite  promoters.  Since  that  time  Mrs.  Drew 
has  been  living  in  retirement  at  her  comfortable 
home  in  Lowell,  passing  her  declining  years  in 
peace  and  plenty,  well  earned  by  a  long,  useful  life. 
She  is  affiliated  with  three  fraternal  orders — the 
Rebekahs,  the  Women  of  Woodcraft  and  the 
Women's  Relief  Corps,  her  brother  William  having 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War.  To  the  mar- 
riage of  Captain  and  Mrs.  Drew  seven  children 
were  born :  Oscar,  who  w^as  killed  accidentally  in 
Alaskan  mines  in  1894;  Sarah,  whose  death  oc- 
curred in  1903 ;  Anna,  living  in  Augusta,  Maine ; 
Emily  and  Nettie,  residing  in  Seattle,  both  married : 
Leavitt,  killed  by  accident  in  Montana,  April  18, 
1905 ;  and  Laura,  married,  whose  home  is  in  San 
Francisco.  Both  sons  were  members  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.  Of  the  Lingley  family,  only  ^Nlrs.  Drew, 
next  to  the  youngest  child,  and  William,  are  still 
living.  Honored  and  esteemed  by  her  neighbors 
and  a  wide  circle  of  loyal  friends,  rich  in  those 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart  which  endear  her  to  all 
and  make  her  life  a  useful,  unselfish  one,  Mrs.  Drew 
is  as  influential  in  her  sphere  as  was  her  estimable 
husband  in  his. 


FRED  SMITH,  whose  fine  farm  lies  two  miles 
east  of  Lowell,  is  one  of  the  self-made  native  sons 
of  the  Puget  sound  country.  Starting  with  noth- 
ing, he  has  now  an  excellent  piece  of  land,  which 
he  is  rapidly  converting  into  a  modern  dairy  farm. 
Mr.  Smith  was  born  at  Port  Discovery  in  1868. 
His  mother  died  when  he  was  very  young,  and  his- 


940 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


father  became  lost  to  him  years  ago.  The  lad  ob- 
tained his  education  in  the  schools  of  Washington. 
When  sixteen  years  of  age  he  came  to  Snohomish 
county  with  a  family  named  Roberts,  with  whom  he 
made  his  home  until  twenty  years  old,  when  he 
started  to  fight  life's  battle  on  his  own  account. 
These  early  days  were  full  of  excitement  and  life 
was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  pioneer  conditions. 
The  Roberts'  goods  and  supplies  were  moved  up 
the  river  in  a  canoe,  thence  into  a  slough  and  finally 
landed  at  the  house  from  a  ditch.  The  stoitk  was 
driven  over  trails  through  the  woods  and  generally 
the  supplies  were  packed  in  on  the  back.  There 
were  then  no  schools,  no  churches,  no  stores,  no 
postoftices.  Mr.  Smith  lived  on  the  place  for  foui 
years,  during  the  greater  part  of  which  the  fanr'n 
lived  nearer  the  town. 

In  the  fall  of  1885  Mr.  Smith  had  his  hardest  ex- 
perience. He  had  gone  to  bed  as  usual,  not  in  the 
least  suspecting  that  before  morning  he  would  be 
roused  to  face  a  strenuous  situation.  At  2  o'clock 
he  w^as  awakened  by  a  commotion  emanating  from 
the  cattle  and  stock.  He  arose  and  found  that  the 
river  had  arisen  to  such  a  height  that  the  whole 
farm  was  flooded  except  a  knoll  on  which  the  stock 
had  taken  refuge.  The  fence  was  torn  down  to 
allow  the  cattle  to  make  their  escape.  Immediately 
the  frightened  animals  stampeded  and  Mr.  Smith 
was  nearly  nni  dnwn.  The  stock  was  finally  rounded 
up  in  the  Inft  of  the  barn,  after  five  hours  of  hard 
work,  often  in  water  up  to  the  armpits.  At  twenty 
years  of  age  Mr.  Smith  engaged  in  work  on  the 
neighboring  ranches  and  in  the  woods.  In  1893  he 
acquired  an  interest  in  seventy-two  acres  of  land 
where  he  now  lives,  the  remainder  at  that  time  being 
owned  by  J.  H.  Mack,  whose  interests  Mr.  Smith 
subsequently  obtained.  The  land  was  all  in  brush, 
but  by  dint  of  hard  work  he  has  since  cle.ared  fifty 
acres  and  paid  off  a  mortgage  of  $1,500.  He  is 
now  devoting  his  attention  mainly  to  dairying,  keep- 
ing twenty-four  head  of  stock  at  the  present  time. 
He  is  breeding  Jerseys,  and  plans  ultimately  to  en- 
gage in  dairying  exclusively. 

"in  September,  1900,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss 
Sarah  Ouimby,  a  native  of  Snohomish  county  and 
daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Mary  Quimby,  old- 
time  residents  of  the  county,  both  of  whom  are  now 
dead.  The  father  was  born  in  Maine  and  followed 
the  sea  for  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have 
been  born  two  children,  Grace  and  Bernard  Ralph. 
In  politics  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican.  He  has  just 
commenced  to  reap  the  results  of  the  former  years 
of  severe  and  ardent  struggle  with  Nature  in  clear- 
ing his  land  and  getting  it  into  shape  for  cultivation, 
and  has  every  prospect  of  still  greater  prosperity  to 
come.  

IVER  JOHNSON,  one  of  the  Snohomish  val- 
ley's prominent  pioneer  dairymen  and  stockraisers. 


residing  two  miles  east  of  Lowell,  to  which  he  came 
years  before  inception  was  given  to  the  present  city 
of  Everett,  is  a  typical  representative  of  the  sturdy 
Norwegian  race,  born  in  the  old  country  in  18-13. 
His  father,  Ole  Klaven,  who  took  his  name  from 
the  old  family  homestead,  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion. He  passed  away  in  Norway  in  1850  at  the 
age  of  forty-five.  His  wife,  Seneva  (Honveken) 
Klaven,  also  a  native  of  Norway,  died  in  1903  at 
the  unusual  age  of  ninety-five.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  the  third  child  of  this  union,  there  being 
three  girls  and  two  boys  in  the  family.  He  worked 
at  home  on  the  farm  until  thirteen  years  old,  then 
commenced  working  on  his  own  responsibility  on 
various  neighboring  farms  and  following  the  sea. 
In  ISGG  he  crossed  the  ocean  to  the  United  States 
and  at  once  entered  the  pineries  of  Wisconsin,  at 
that  time  one  of  the  most  active  lumber  regions  in 
the  W'orld.  Five  years  he  worked  in  the  woods  of 
the  Badger  state,  then  crossed  the  plains  to  the 
present  site  of  Fort  Sill,  Oklahoma.  This  govern- 
ment outpost  had  been  laid  out  only  two  years  pre- 
viously down  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Indian  coun- 
try, and  for  two  years  he  worked  on  the  construc- 
tion of  the  fort.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he  went 
to  Jewell  county,  Kansas,  and  took  a  pre-emption 
claim.  Upon  this  he  proved  up  later  and  there  re- 
sided eleven  years.  In  Kansas  Mr.  Johnson  pros- 
pered, acquiring  three  farms.  During  this  period 
he  made  several  trips  to  the  Pacific  coast,  visiting 
California,  Oregon  and  Washington,  and  as  a  re- 
sult finally  decided  to  locate  on  Puget  sound.  Re- 
turning home,  he  disposed  of  his  land  and  stock  and 
returned  to  the  sound,  landing  at  Mukilteo  in  1887, 
Thence  he  came  up  the  Snohomish  river  by  boat 
and  bought  a  portion  of  his  present  place,  which  at 
that  time  was  in  its  wild  state,  without  house  or 
clearing.  With  courage  and  industry  he  com- 
menced raising  stock,  farming  on  a  small  scale  and 
getting  his  land  into  better  condition,  but  for  many 
years  it  was  slow,  discouraging  work.  Fortunately 
he  had  some  money,  so  that  he  was  not  obliged  to 
work  for  others  to  obtain  a  living,  and  gradually 
he  developed  his  farm.  At  first  he  purchased  all 
supplies  in  Snohomish.  Now  Mr.  Johnson  has  a 
splendid  200-acre  farm,  substantial,  fertile,  and  well 
stocked,  all  indicative  of  the  thrifty  character  of  its 
owner  and  his  skill.  His  stock  herd  consists  of 
about  thirty-five  head. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Caroline 
Alderman,  a  native  of  \\'isconsin,  at  Chicago,  in 
1871.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Walter  and  Gunel 
(Berg)  Alderman,  the  father  of  German  birth,  the 
mother  of  Norwegian  descent.  To  this  marriage 
four  children  have  been  born :  Sarah  and  William, 
'living  at  home ;  Julia,  married ;  and  Freddia,  who 
was  accidentally  drowned  in  the  Snohomish  river 
in  1894,  at  the  age  of  ten. 

Fraternally,   Mr.  Johnson  is  affiliated  with  the 


BIOGR.\PHICAL 


Odd  Fellows,  belonging  to  the  Lowell  lodge.  His 
political  connections  are  with  the  Republican  party, 
with  which  he  has  always  been  identified.  His  love 
for  the  fatherland  has  never  grown  cold  in  all  the 
years  that  he  has  been  absent,  and  in  May,  1906,  he 
leaves  to  attend  the  coronation  ceremonies  incident 
to  the  placing  of  Haakon  VII.,  Norway's  newly 
elected  king,  upon  the  throne.  This  will  of  course 
be  an  event  of  worldwide  importance.  As  a  pio- 
neer of  Snohomish  county,  Mr.  Johnson  has  borne 
his  share  of  hardships  and  now  deserves  to  reap  the 
rewards  that  are  coming  to  him,  in  addition  to 
whicli  he  holds  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow  citizens. 


ISAAC  ASBERY. — Among  the  foremost,  pro- 
gressive business  men  of  Marysville  stands  Isaac 
Asbery,  of  the  well-known  hardware  firm  of  Smith 
&  Asbery.  He  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  born  Febru- 
ary 13,  1852,  in  Park  county.  His  parents,  Will- 
iam and  Margaret  (Richards)  Asbery,  were  born 
in  Kentucky,  the  date  of  the  father's  birth  being 
1815.  The  father  was  a  descendant  of  early  pio- 
neers of  that  state.  He  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Indiana  in  1828,  assisting  in  clearing  up  a  home- 
stead, and  there  his  death  occurred  when  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  sixty-six.  The  mother,  in  her 
eighty-third  year,  is  now  living  in  Indiana.  She  is 
the  mother  of  four  children.  Isaac  Asbery  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
state,  and  meanwhile  picked  up  the  butcher  trade, 
his  father  being  at  that  time  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness. At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  rented  his  father's 
farm  and  operated  it  for  fourteen  years,  or  until 
1884,  when  he  went  to  Coos  county,  Oregon,  and 
farmed  for  several  years.  He  located,  in  the  spring 
of  1888,  at  Olympia,  Washington,  remaining  there 
till  I-'cbruary  of  the  next  year,  when,  having  pur- 
chased twenty  acres  of  land  situated  two  and  one- 
half  miles  north  of  Marysville,  from  James  Come- 
ford  in  the  fall  of  1888,  he  moved  his  family  on  it. 
It  was  then  densely  covered  with  timber  which  he 
cleared  off,  seeding  the  tract  to  grass.  Four  years 
later,  in  1893,  he  moved  to  the  southern  part  of 
California,  making  that  his  home  for  a  year,  at  the 
end  of  that  time  returning  to  Indiana.  He  owned  a 
grocery  and  meat  shop  in  that  state  for  several 
years,  but  in  1898  again  took  up  his  residence  in 
Washington.  After  farming  on  his  ranch  for  two 
seasons,  he  moved  to  Marysville,  he  and  Fred  Smith 
purchasing  the  hardware  business  previously  owned 
by  Edmund  Smith. 

Mr.  Asbery  was  married  in  Park  county,  Indi- 
ana, in  1872,  to  Miss  Josephine  Akers,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Joel  and  Mary  (Angell)  Akers,  both  natives 
of  Virginia.  Her  father  lived  for  some  years  in 
Indiana,  going  from  that  state  to  Kansas  in  1876 ; 
his  home  is  now  at  Pomona,  Kansas.     The  mother 


was  the  descendant  of  a  well  known  famil}'  that 
owned  large  numbers  of  slaves  in  colonial  days. 
Mrs.  Asbery  is  also  a  Virginian,  born  October  11,. 
1852.  She  acquired  an  excellent  education  in  the 
schools  of  her  native  state.  Four  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union :  Sanford  T.,  born  in  Indi- 
ana, now  living  in  Marysville;  Mrs.  Ethel  M.  Wil- 
cox, whose  husband  is  a  well  known  clerk  for 
Metzer  &  Wildes,  of  Everett,  also  born  in  In- 
diana, and  two  children,  twins,  who  died  in 
infancy.  Mr.  Asbery  is  prominent  in  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity ;  he  is  also  a  communicant  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  in  the  position  of  clerk  gives 
to  its  various  interests  the  same  careful  attention 
which  he  bestows  on  his  personal  affairs.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never 
sought  any  political  preferment.  By  serving  his 
patrons  courteously  and  with  due  thought  as  to  their 
needs,  while  adhering  strictly  to  high  principles, 
Air.  Asbery  is  building  up  a  fine  trade,  and  estab- 
lishing an  enviable  reputation  for  the  firm.  As  a 
man  of  unquestioned  business  ability,  his  opinion 
concerning  any  public  enterprise  carries  great 
weight  and  few  residents  of  Marysville  have  con- 
tributed more  largely  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  town 
than  has  this  honored  citizen. 


FREDERICK  SMITH,  of  the  well-known 
hardware  firm  of  Smith  &  Asbery,  of  Marysville,  is 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  practical  business 
men  to  be  found  in  Snohomish  county.  A  native  of 
Yorkshire,  England,  the  date  of  his  birth  was  June 
3,  1865.  His  father,  Edmund  Smith,  was  born  in 
England  in  1817,  and  after  acquiring  a  thorough 
education  was  married  in  that  country.  Immigrat- 
ing to  the  United  States,  he  settled  in  Oskaloosa, 
Iowa,  and  farmed  until  the  spring  of  1883.  He 
then  moved  to  Washington  Territory,  purchasing 
160  acres  of  land  from  Dennis  Brigham,  the  ranch 
comprising  a  portion  of  the  site  of  Everett.  In 
1890  he  sold  this  property  to  Rucker  Brothers,  who 
first  laid  out  the  town  of  Everett.  That  year  he 
opened  a  hardware  store  in  Marysville,  the  first  in 
the  town,  and  was  thus  the  pioneer  in  that  line  of 
business.  Ten  years  later  he  sold  out  to  his  son  and 
Isaac  Asbery,  who  have  continued  the  enterprise 
which  he  had  so  firmly  established.  Locating  in 
Montesano,  Washington,  he  started  a  bakery,  and 
is  now  devoting  his  entire  attention  to  it.  His  wife, 
Jane  (Johnson)  Smith,  is  also  of  English  nativity. 
To  this  union  five  children  were  born,  Frederick 
being  the  oldest.  He  acquired  a  thorough  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Iowa,  whither  his  parents 
had  moved  during  his  childhood.  He  was  eighteen 
when  the  family  found  a  home  in  Washington. 
Working  on  the  ranch  with  his  father  until  he 
reached  his  majority,  he  then  studied  telegraphy, 
his  first  position  being  in  the  office  of  the  Paciffc 


942 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Postal  Telegraph  and  Cable  company  at  Bothell, 
King  county.  So  carefully  and  conscientiously  did 
he  discharge  his  duties  that  the  company  retained 
him  for  a  period  of  nine  years.  After  a  three 
months'  vacation  he  accepted  the  management  of 
the  Sunset  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company  at 
Mount  Vernon,  and  a  year  later  was  transferred  by 
the  company  to  Whatcom.  The  following  year  he 
was  stationed  at  Seattle,  remaining  there  until  1900, 
when  he  and  Mr.  Asbery  formed  a  partnership  and 
purchased  the  hardware  business  of  Mr.  Smith's 
father. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  at  Bothell,  September 
23,  1890,  to  Frances  Felmly,  a  native  of  Missouri, 
born  in  1870.  Her  father,  Andrew  J.  Felmly,  also 
a  Missourian,  born  at  Lathem,  became  a  resident  of 
Washington  in  1883,  and  is  now  living  at  Seattle. 
Mrs.  Smith  received  a  careful  education  in  the 
schools  of  that  city.  She  and  Mr.  Smith  have  one 
child,  Jennie  W.,  born  at  Bothell.  August  1,  1891. 
Politically.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  loyal  Republican,  and  as 
a  member  of  the  city  council  he  has  manifested  his 
public  spirit  by  taking  an  active  interest  in  the  af- 
fairs of  the  town.  In  the  Odd  Fellows'  fraternity 
he  is  a  past  grand.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  prominent 
Rebecca,  is  a  past  grand,  and  has  been  honored  by 
being  chosen  to  represent  the  lodge.  In  addition 
to  his  interest  in  the  hardware  business,  Mr.  Smith 
owns  some  valuable  city  property.  He  is  a  keen, 
alert  business  man.  devoting  his  splendid  talents  to 
his  rapidly  increasing  trade.  His  well  known  in- 
tegrity of  character  and  his  genial  personality  have, 
won  for  him  an  enviable  position  among  his  asso- 
ciates. 


FRANK  L.  BARTLETT,  one  of  Marysville's 
well-known  merchants,  was  born  near  Lone  Rock, 
Wisconsin,  September  2,  18G2.  His  father,  John 
Bartlett,  was  a  native  of  Vermont.  Moving  to 
Wisconsin  in  the  early  days,  he  was  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  of  that  state.  He  later  made  his 
home  at  Lansing,  Minnesota,  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  for  several  years,  then  sold  out, 
continuing,  however,  to  reside  there  till  his  death. 
Martha  Bartlett,  the  mother,  was  born  and  mar- 
ried in  the  state  of  Vermont,  and  was  of  English 
descent ;  she  was  the  mother  of  six  children.  Frank 
L.  Bartlett  spent  his  early  years  in  the  schools  of 
Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  acquiring  a  practical 
education,  of  which  he  was  to  make  such  good  use 
in  after  years.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began 
working  out  on  the  neighboring  farms  and  was  thus 
employed  for  six  years.  In  the  spring  of  1886  he 
went  to  California,  finding  an  opening  in  a  general 
merchandise  store  at  National  City,  where  he 
where  he  worked  as  clerk  for  two  years.  He  later 
returned  to  Minnesota,  but  after  an  eight-months" 
residence  decided  that  California  suited  him  better, 


so  went  to  Los  Angeles,  working  there  the  next 
fourteen  months.  In  1890  he  went  to  Seattle,  to 
investigate  the  conditions  existing  in  the  great 
northwest  country,  and  at  the  end  of  two  months 
thus  spent  came  to  Marysville.  He  at  once  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  clerk  in  the  store  owned  by 
Mark  Swinnerton,  proving  so  valuable  to  his  em- 
ployer that  he  was  retained  for  five  years.  Having 
established  a  reputation  for  energy  and  good  busi- 
ness judgment,  he  was  tendered  the  position  of 
manager  of  the  hardware  establishment  of  Edmund 
Smith,  which  he  accepted,  and  was  thus  employed 
until  the  spring  of  1898,  when  he  purchased  the 
general  merchandise  store  owned  by  Tatham 
Brothers.  To  this  business  he  has  since  devoted 
his  entire  time,  and  has  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
it  grow  year  by  year  under  his  wise  and  careful 
management. 

At  Marysville,  in  1895,  Mr.  Bartlett  and  Mrs. 
Amelia  Fox  were  united  in  marriage.  Her  father, 
George  Shafifer,  was  born  in  Germany.  Coming  to 
the  L'nited  States  in  early  manhood,  he  located  in 
Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits. 
His  death  occurred  in  that  state  many  years  ago. 
Mrs.  Bartlett  was  born  in  Indiana  in  18(J4,  and  there 
received  her  education.  She  was  left  an  orphan  in 
childhood.  Her  first  marriage  was  to  John  Fox, 
of  Indiana,  and  to  this  union  one  child,  Ruth,  was 
born.  Her  husband's  death  occurred  in  Marysville. 
The  following  children  have  been  born,  in  Marys- 
ville, to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartlett :  Rex,  Carl  J.,  Millie 
M.,  Iris  L.,  and  Frank  L.  Mr.  Bartlett  is  a  firm 
believer  in  the  doctrines  of  the  Democratic  party, 
which  he  supports  in  every  possible  way.  He  may 
justly  be  termed  a  self-made  man,  his  career  afford- 
ing an  excellent  illustration  of  what  an  ambitious, 
energetic  young  man  can  accomplish. 


THOMAS  D.  DAVIES,  one  of  the  well  known 
residents  of  Marysville,  residing  three  and  one-half 
miles  northeast  of  town,  on  Kellogg  Marsh,  was 
born  in  South  Wales,  September  10,  18G1.  His 
parents,  David  and  Sarah  (Williams)  Davies,  were 
also  natives  of  Wales.  The  father,  born  in  1815, 
followed  farming  till  his  death,  in  1882.  The 
mother  is  still  living  in  that  country,  at  the  age  of 
eighty.  Thomas  D.  Davies,  one  of  eight  children, 
when  a  mere  boy  of  ten  years,  began  working  in 
a  coal  mine.  Later  he  secured  a  scanty  education 
in  the  common  schools,  again  entering  the  mines 
at  the  age  of  thirteen.  He  was  thus  employed  until, 
in  1881,  he  left  home,  immigrating  to  the  United 
States,  locating  first  in  Colorado,  and  a  year  later 
in  Pennsylvania.  After  mining  in  the  latter  state  a 
year,  he  came  to  Washington  in  August,  1883,  set- 
tling at  Newcastle.  At  the  end  of  his  fourth  year 
of  residence  in  this  state  he  made  a  visit  to  his  na- 
tive country  and  also  England,  returning  to  Wash- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


943 


ington  with  his  bride.  He  stopped  in  Franklin  a 
few  months,  and  then,  in  January,  1889,  proceeded 
to  Marysville,  where  five  years  prior  to  this  he  had 
purchased  eighty  acres,  and  had  also  taken  up  a 
homestead  near  the  town.  Of  the  eighty-acre  tract 
of  land,  sixty  acres  were  in  the  marsh  districts,  all 
heavily  timbered  with  cedar.  It  was  here  in  this 
wilderness  that  he  and  his  brave  young  wife  made 
their  permanent  home.  All  the  supplies  were  packed 
in  for  some  years,  until  a  road  could  be  made  out 
of  the  rude  trail  that  was  the  only  means  of  reaching 
the  ranch.  There  were  only  five  white  women  in  all 
that  region  at  that  early  date,  and  it  was  not  until 
1896  that  settlement  became  general. 

Mr.  Davies  w-as  married  in  1887  to  Ann  Reese, 
torn  in  Wales  in  1864 ;  her  death  occurred  in  1896. 
In  June,  1904,  Mr.  Davies  was  again  married,  his 
Tjride  this  time  being  Hannah  Jensen,  a  native  of 
Denmark.  Her  father,  Rasmus  Jensen,  having 
died,  she  and  her  mother  came  to  the  United  States, 
finding  a  home  in  Minnesota,  where  the  mother 
<iied  some  years  later.  In  his  political  belief  Mr. 
Davies  is  independent.  He  and  his  estimable  wife 
are  identified  with  the  Congregational  church.  The 
subject  of  education  is  one  that  appeals  very 
strongly  to  Mr.  Davies,  and  as  clerk  and  director 
he  has  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  cause  during 
his  long  years  of  service.  He  believes  it  to  be  one 
of  the  most  important  factors  in  our  national 
growth  and  prosperity.  He  is  an  energetic,  pro- 
gressive man,  and  it  was  largely  through  his  in- 
strumentality that  the  rural  free  delivery  and  the 
farmers'  telephone  service  were  secured  for  this 
section.  He,  with  eleven  other  farmers,  built  the 
telephone  line  from  Marysville.  Mr.  Davies  is  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  successful  agriculturists  of 
this  locality.  He  now  has  fifty  acres  of  his  farm  in 
a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  devoting  it  principally  to 
mixed  farming.  His  old  home  having  been  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1904,  he  has  replaced  it  by  a  fine 
ten-room  house,  modern  in  all  its  appointments, 
and  lighted  with  acetylene  gas.  As  a  man  of  in- 
dustry and  correct  principles,  he  holds  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


CHARLES  A.  ANDERSON,  who  resides  near 
Marysville,  Washington,  is  one  of  the  well  known 
farmers  of  this  section.  Born  February  1,  1863,  in 
Sweden,  he  is  the  son  of  Adolph  and  Mary  (An- 
derson) Anderson,  both  of  whom  are  still  living  in 
the  land  of  their  nativity,  the  father  being  seventy- 
five  years  old.  The  boyhood  of  Charles  A.  Ander- 
son did  not  differ  from  that  of  most  of  his  com- 
panions. He  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  left  home  to 
"begin  his  career.  He  worked  on  farms  and  in  the 
"woods  for  some  time,  but,  anxious  to  avail  himself 
of  the  larger  opportunities  to  be  found  in  the  coun- 


try across  the  ocean,  he  finally  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1888,  where  he  first  located  in 
Illinois  on  a  farm.  Going  thence  to  San  Francisco 
he  found  employment  in  the  redwood  camps  of 
Sonoma  county,  remaining  two  years.  He  then 
went  to  Seattle,  and  on  to  Snohomish,  working  for 
a  year  in  the  latter  place.  February  16,  1893,  he 
came  to  Marysville,  arriving  in  time  to  witness  the 
remarkable  snow  fall  of  that  year,  when  the  ground 
on  the  level  was  covered  to  the  depth  of  four  feet. 
The  following  year  he  purchased  twenty  acres,  all 
heavily  timbered,  and  has  made  it  his  permanent 
home  since  that  time.  To  clear  and  get  it  in  shape 
for  cultivation  would  have  seemed  a  discouraging 
task  to  many  men,  but  Mr.  Anderson  belonged  to 
that  class  of  hardy  pioneers  who  found  pleasure  in 
surmounting  difficulties.  He  now  has  his  farm  in 
an  excellent  condition,  devoting  it  principally  to  the 
dairy  industry,  in  which  he  is  very  successful.  He 
markets  the  product  in  Everett. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  189'2  to  Hilda 
Hanson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  came  alone  to 
this  country.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Hans  and 
Johanna  Hanson.  The  mother  died  April  26,  1905 ; 
the  father  still  lives  in  Sweden.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Anderson  one  child  has  been  born,  Agnes,  the  date 
of  her  birth  being  September  11,  1894.  She  died 
May  13,  1903.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Anderson 
adheres  to  Republican  principles,  but  has  never 
taken  an  active  part  in  politics.  He  and  his  wife  are 
prominently  identified  with  the  Lutheran  church.  He 
is  a  practical  and  successful  farmer,  progressive 
in  his  ideas,  whose  undertakings  are  prospered  be- 
cause of  the  careful  attention  which  he  gives  to 
anything  that  claims  his  interest.  As  a  well  in- 
formed and  public-spirited  citizen  he  is  relied  on  to 
further  the  interests  of  town  and  county.  During 
the  twelve  years  of  his  residence  here  he  has  wit- 
nessed great  changes  in  the  surrounding  country, 
and  has  rejoiced  in  the  growth  and  development 
everywhere  apparent.  His  energy,  ambition  and 
strict  integrity  have  won  for  him  the  esteem  of  all 
who  are  associated  with  him  in  either  business  or 
social  relationships. 


OLE  O.  MOSKELAND.— It  is  a  noticeable 
fact  that  many  of  the  successful  agriculturists  of 
Snohomish  country  are  of  foreign  birth,  as  is  the 
one  whose  name  initiates  this  biography.  He  was 
born  in  Norway,  July  7,  1862,  the  son  of  Ole  and 
Anna  (Oleson)  Christianson,  who  are  still  living  in 
the  land  of  their  nativity,  Norway.  The  father 
has  reached  the  age  of  seventy ;  the  mother  is  one 
year  his  senior.  To  this  union  eight  children  have 
been  born,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being  the  sec- 
ond child.  Ole  O.  Moskeland  spent  his  early  \-ears 
at  home,  acquiring  an  education  and  assisting  his 
father  in  the  support  of  the  younger  members  of 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


the  family.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  went  to  sea, 
remaining  on  the  water  the  following  ten  years, 
during  which  he  made  two  trips  to  Norway  from 
the  port  of  New  York  City.  He  then  studied  me- 
chanical engineering  in  New  York,  coming  to 
Washington  in  1890,  when  he  had  completed  the 
course  and  secured  a  license.  After  a  short  stay  in 
Seattle,  he  went  to  La  Conner,  making  his  head- 
quarters there  for  four  years,  during  which  time  he 
worked  in  the  woods  and  on  the  farms  of  that  lo- 
cality. Later,  he  and  a  brother  settled  near  Marys- 
ville,  leasing  a  200-acre  farm  on  Kellogg  Marsh. 
The  land  was  nearly  all  covered  with  timber.  In 
the  next  six  years  they  succeeded  in  clearing  off 
one  hundred  acres.  At  the  expiration  of  the  lease 
Mr.  Moskeland  purchased  sixty-five  acres  of  tim- 
ber land,  Nvhich  he  has  transformed  into  the  fine 
farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  He  has  cleared 
forty  acres  in  the  five  years  since  he  became  owner 
of  the  property,  and  now  has  twelve  acres  in  crops. 
He  devotes  special  attention  to  dairying,  and  is 
already  winning  a  large  measure  of  success  along 
this  line,  possessing  an  excellent  herd  of  cattle. 

Mr.  Moskeland  was  married  April  23,  1898,  to. 
Mrs.  Janette  TurnbuU,  a  native  of  England.  She 
came  to  the  LTnited  States  in  1887  with  her  first 
husband.  Her  parents.  John  and  Mary  Storar,  are 
both  deceased.  Four  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moskeland— John  O.,  Albert  S.,  who 
is  deceased,  Anna  M,,  and  Edward.  Mr.  Moske- 
land is  a  member  of  the  American  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  He  is  a  finii  licliever  in  the  doctrines  of 
the  Republican  iiart\.  altlinngh  he  has  never  cared 
to  take  an  active  part  in  political  matters.  The 
family  are  well  known  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  One  of  the  thrifty  and  industrious  citizens 
of  Marysvilie,  Mr.  Moskeland  is  respected  by  his 
many  acquaintances  and  esteemed  by  his  associates. 


LARS  C.  NILSON  (deceased).— Few  resi- 
dents of  Marysvilie,  Washington,  could  claim  a 
larger  circle  of  sincere  friends  than  this  honored 
pioneer,  whose  death,  occurring  January  23,  1903, 
was  the  occasion  of  profound  sorrow  throughout 
the  entire  community. 

Born  in  Sweden,  November  7,  1855,  to  parents 
also  of  Swedish  nativity,  both  of  whom  are  now 
deceased,  he  received  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  that  country,  later  assisting  his  father  in  the 
work  of  the  farm.  Thereby  he  became  familiar 
with  the  details  of  that  occupation,  and  laid  the 
foundation  for  the  sturdy  manhood  which  was  to 
follow,  while  establishing  those  habits  of  industry 
and  energy  that  were  to  be  the  marked  characteris- 
tics of  the  man.  Many  of  his  countrymen  had  im-. 
migrated  to  the  United  States,  there  finding  larger 
openings  than  were  afforded  in  their  own  country, 
and,  following  their  example,  Mr.  Nilson  came  to 


Washington  in  1887,  arriving  in  Marysvilie,  August 
10th.  That  year  he  took  a  homestead  of  160  acres, 
situated  four  and  one-half  miles  northeast  of  town, 
on  Kellogg  Marsh.  It  was  all  heavily  timbered,  and 
could  be  reached  only  by  a  trail,  thus  necessitating 
the  packing  of  all  supplies.  The  ranch  affording  no- 
adequate  means  of  support  for  his  family  during 
the  first  ten  years,  he  worked  out  wherever  he  could 
find  employment,  and  in  the  meantime  toiled  at  all 
hours  to  clear  his  land.  There  were  only  a  few  set- 
tlers in  this  district  at  that  early  date,  but  others 
came  in  the  course  of  the  next  few  years. 

Mr.  Nilson  was  married  in  1876  to  Nettie  An- 
derson, the  daughter  of  Anders  and  Mary  (Mun- 
son)  Anderson,  both  of  whom  died  in  their  native 
land — Norway.  Bravely  enduring  the  hardships 
and  risking  the  dangers  of  pioneer  life,  Mrs.  Nilson 
stood  by  her  husband's  side,  banishing  the  loneli- 
ness by  her  sweet,  womanly  presence,  and  affording 
the  inspiration  which  only  a  true  wife  can  bestow. 
With  only  three  other  white  women  in  all  that  com- 
munity  at  the  time  when  it  first  became  her  home, 
there  must  often  have  been  hours  during  the  en- 
forced absence  of  her  husband  when  Mrs.  Nilson 
longed  for  the  companionship  of  other  days,  but 
no  complaining  word  escaped  her  lips  as  she  min- 
istered to  the  needs  of  her  family,  preparing  a 
tempting  meal  from  the  all  too  scant  supplies  avail- 
able in  that  wilderness.  Settlement  having  become 
more  general  in  these  last  few  years,  life  had  just 
begun  to  grow  less  strenuous  when  her  life-long 
companion  fell  by  her  side.  With  the  rare  courage 
so  characteristic  of  her  nature,  Mrs.  Nilson  assumed 
the  responsibilities  from  which  a  loving  heart  had 
previously  relieved  her,  and  with  the  aid  of  her  fam- 
ily has  managed  the  farm.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
Mr.  Nilson  had  twelve  acres  under  plow,  twenty- 
five  in  pasture,  and  was  devoting  most  of  his  at- 
tention to  dairying.  Six  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Nilson :  Mrs.  Hilda  Meyers,  of  Marys- 
vilie, whose  husband  is  the  well-known  shoe  mer- 
chant:  Fred,  Ida,  Gusta,  Adolph,  and  Christina. 
Mr.  Nilson  was  a  loyal  Republican,  always  giving 
the  party  his  undivided  support,  although  he  never 
aspired  to  any  political  office.  He  was  a  faithful 
and  devoted  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  in 
which  his  presence  and  support  are  now  sadly 
missed.  A  kind,  thoughtful  husband  and  father, 
a  loyal  and  trusted  friend  and  neighbor,  and  an  en- 
terprising and  public  spirited  citizen,  Mr.  Nilson 
left  behind  him  a  memory  that  will  not  grow  dim 
as  the  years  slip  away. 


PETER  PAULSON,  one  of  the  thrifty,  Indus- 
trious  young  farmers  of  Marysvilie,  Washington,, 
resides  five  miles  north  of  town  on  the  Big  Marsh. 
He  was  born  in  Norway  September  6, 1870.  His  par- 
ents, Paul  and  Tobine  Paulson,  also  natives  of  Nor- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


945- 


way,  are  both  deceased,  the  father  passing  away  in 
1897  at  the  age  of  seventy.  Leaving  home  when  nine- 
teen years  old,  Peter  Paulson  sailed  for  the  United 
States,  convinced  that  here  were  to  be  found  su- 
perior advantages  for  a  young  man  of  steady,  in- 
dustrious habits.  After  stopping  in  Seattle  for  a 
short  time,  he  came  on  to  La  Conner  and  spent  the 
summer  of  1SS9  on  a  farm.  Later  he  located  at 
Marysville  where  he  worked  on  farms  and  in  the 
woods  till  1897,  at  which  time  he  rented  the  Hogan 
farm  on  Kellogg  Marsh  for  a  period  of  five  years. 
So  successfully  did  he  manage  his  affairs  that  the 
year  previous  to  the  expiration  of  the  lease  he  was 
in  a  position  to  purchase  the  180  acres  of  land  that 
now  constitute  his  farm.  There  were  at  that  time 
only  five  acres  of  it  cleared  and  that  was  covered 
with  stumps,  but  he  now  has  twenty  acres  in  culti- 
vation and  eighty  acres  in  condition  to  furnish  pas- 
ture. He  devotes  the  greater  share  of  his  attention 
to  dairying,  keeping  a  fine  herd  of  cattle,  and  he- 
cause  of  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  industry 
and  careful  attention  to  its  many  requirements,  is 
rapidly  winning  success.  Last  year  on  part  of  his 
farm  he  raised  three  crops  of  hay,  a  fact  which 
evidences  the  wonderful  fertdity  of  the  land. 

On  July  4,  1896,  Mr.  Paulson  and  Mary  Larson 
were  united  in  marriage  at  Seattle.  Mrs.  Paulson 
is  also  a  native  of  Norway,  born  January  1,  18G6. 
Immigrating  to  the  United  States,  she  first  made 
her  home  in  Iowa,  coming  to  Marysville  in  1893. 
Her  father,  Lars  Larson,  is  deceased,  but  her 
mother,  Anne  Larson,  lives  in  Norway.  Three 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paulson : 
An  infant,  Paul,  deceased ;  Paul,  Adolph  and  Mil- 
lard. Mr.  Paulson  is  active  in  fraternal  circles,  be- 
ing a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  the  Foresters  of  America.  He  loy- 
ally supports  the  Republican  party,  although  for 
himself  he  has  never  sought  any  political  office.  He 
and  his  family  are  identified  with  the  Lutheran 
church.  Earnest,  ambitious  and  untiring  in  his 
zeal  to  make  a  success  of  life,  he  justly  merits  the 
prosperity  that  he  now  enjoys.  Coming  to  this 
country  in  debt  for  a  part  of  his  fare,  he  is  now  sur- 
rounded by  evidences  of  what  he  has  been  able  to 
accumulate  by  his  own  unaided  efforts,  and  he  has 
good  cause  to  congratulate  himself  on  deciding  to 
make  this  his  home. 


LUDWIG  A.  HOVIK,  a  well-to-do  farmer  re- 
siding five  miles  north  of  Marysville,  on  the  Big 
Marsh,  was  born  in  Norway,  April  8,  185G.  His 
parents,  Andrew  D.  and  Anna  (Andersdatter) 
Hovik,  both  natives  of  Norway,  are  still  living 
there,  the  father  aged  seventy-five,  the  mother,  sev- 
enty-eight. The  second  of  a  family  of  ten  children, 
Ludwig  A.  Hovik  began  early  in  life  to  support 
himself.  His  father  was  a  contractor  and  builder, 
and  as  there  was  little  along  that  line  that  a  boy  of 


thirteen  could  do,  he  hired  out  to  a  farmer  and 
fisherman,  who  in  addition  to  exacting  an  unusual 
amount  of  work,  treated  him  most  cruelly,  and  gave 
him  for  the  first  year's  labor  but  two  pairs  of 
wooden  shoes  and  a  suit  of  clothes.  The  following 
year  he  found  employment  as  a  shepherd.  Return- 
ing home,  he  spent  six  months  fishing  for  his 
father,  after  which  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  two- 
years.  Going  later  to  the  city  of  Bergen,  he  re- 
mained there  thirteen  years,  nine  of  which  were 
spent  in  a  gas  establishment,  he  being  employed  as 
fireman.  The  first  three  years  of  his  residence  there 
he  worked  in  a  brewery.  In  1886  he  left  his  native 
land,  sailing  for  the  L^nited  States  where  so  many  of 
his  countrymen  had  found  homes,  located  at  Red- 
wing, Minnesota,  and  worked  for  a  time  there  on  a 
farm,  afterward  going  to  Kenyon.  There  he  found' 
employment  on  the  railroad.  Having  eventually 
decided  to  visit  the  Northwest,  he  came  to  Stan- 
wood,  Washington,  where  he  remained  two  months, 
going  thence  to  Everett.  He  soon  had  charge  of  a 
crew  of  men  and  was  engaged  in  dyking  for  the 
Everett  Improvement  Company.  So  faithfully  did 
he  discharge  his  duties  that  he  was  retained  for 
four  years.  On  coming  to  that  locality  he  took  up 
a  small  island  embracing  nineteen  acres,  which  he 
later  sold.  The  ensuing  two  years  he  worked  on 
the  docks,  and  assisted  in  building  the  first  and 
only  whaleback  steamship  ever  constructed  in  Ev- 
erett- or  on  the  Pacific  coast.  By  wise  and  careful 
management,  he  was  able  to  purchase  the  eighty- 
acre  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  Very  little 
had  been  done  on  it  in  the  way  of  improvements 
when  he  bought  it,  so  that  its  present  condition  is 
due  solely  to  the  thrift  and  energy  of  the  owner, 
who  now  has  ten  acres  in  cultivation,  and  sixty  in 
pasture.     He  is  especially  interested  in  dairying. 

Mr.  Hovik  was  married  in  Norway  in  1877  to 
Johanna  Johnson,  also  a  native  of  that  country, 
whose  parents  died  there.  She  has  a  brother  liv- 
ing in  Washington.  Nine  children  have  been  born 
to  this  union,  as  follows :  Andrew  and  Mrs.  Inga 
Rowley,  living  at  Marysville ;  Ingolf,  Alfred,  Louis, 
Janie,  Agnes,  Edward  and  Harold.  Mr.  Hovik  is  a 
loyal  Republican.  He  held  the  office  of  road  super- 
visor for  a  time,  but  aside  from  that  has  never  ac- 
cepted any  position  of  trust,  except  membership  on 
the  local  school  board.  By  eight  years  of  service  in 
that  body  he  has  attested  his  interest  in  the  cause  of 
education  and  his  willingness  to  promote  the  same 
to  the  extent  of  his  ability,  even  by  discharging  the 
duties  of  a  salariless  and  usually  thankless  office. 
An  earnest,  conscientious  man,  he  enjoys  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  those  who  know  him,  the  good- 
will of  all.  He  and  his  family  adhere  to  the 
Lutheran  church. 


ISAAC  HARTER.— Among  the  thrifty  and  in- 
dustrious agriculturists  of  Marysville,  Washington^ 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


is  numbered  Isaac  Harter,  who  resides  six  miles 
north  of  town.  He  is  of  English  nativity,  born  in 
Lancashire,  April  6,  1851.  His  parents,  Isaac  and 
Mary  (Greenhalgh)  Harter,  were  also  born  in 
England.  The  father,  born  in  January,  1820,  is 
still  living;  the  mother  died  in  1859.  The  present 
wise  laws  relative  to  child  labor  had  not  been  en- 
acted in  that  country,  hence  at  the  age  of  six  years 
Isaac  Harter  began  to  work  in  the  mines.  It  was 
a  life  full  of  hardships  and  dangers,  but  the  child- 
ish hands  toiled  faithfully  at  their  tasks,  and  the 
boy  soon  became  known  for  his  industry.  Thus 
the  years  slipped  by  and  he  grew  to  manhood  amid 
these  unwholesome  surroundings.  Some  idea  of 
the  existing  conditions  may  be  formed  from  the 
fact  that  at  that  time  the  average  wages  paid  a  man 
was  from  two  shillings  and  six  pence  to  three  shil- 
lings a  day.  On  that  meager  sum  Mr.  Harter  man- 
aged to  support  a  family  for  a  number  of  years, 
while  at  the  same  time  adding  yearly  to  the  fund 
which  was  to  purchase  transportation  to  the  United 
States.  To  reach  this  favored  country  with  its 
abundant  opportunities  and  its  rich  reward  for 
earnest  toil  was  a  cherished  hope  that  was  realized 
in  September,  1881,  when  he  and  his  family  found 
a  home  in  Iowa.  After  mining  in  Lucas  county  for 
five  years,  he  immigrated  to  Tacoma,  Washington, 
and  remained  there  three  months.  On  December 
11,  1886,  he  filed  on  the  IGO-acre  claim  on  which  he 
now  resides.  The  nearest  trail  was  three  miles 
away,  and  Marysville,  where  the  store  and  postoffice 
were  located,  was  six  miles  away.  So  dense  was  the 
forest  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  objects  but  a 
rod  away,  and  in  order  to  reach  the  school  house 
his  children  were  obliged  to  make  their  way  through 
the  brush  two  miles.  The  first  dwelling  place,  a 
rude  cabin,  is  still  standing.  He  had  an  income  of 
ten  dollars  per  month  from  property  in  Iowa,  and 
this,  with  what  he  could  earn  from  doing  odd  jobs, 
constituted  his  entire  means  of  support  during  those 
first  years  while  he  was  clearing  his  land  and  get- 
ting it  in  condition  to  cultivate.  He  now  has  four- 
teen acres  in  crops,  and  fifty  in  pasture.  He  de- 
votes much  attention  to  dairying.  Recalling  the 
early  years  so  full  of  hardships  and  the  limitations 
necessitated  by  small  means,  he  is  able  to  appre- 
ciate to  the  fullest  extent  the  prosperity  that  now 
crowns  his  efforts.  His  present  home  is  finished  in 
cedar  which  he  himself  spHt  and  carried  out  of  the 
woods. 

Mr.  Harter  was  married  in  England  March  33, 
1873,  to  Jane  Marsden.  Her  parents,  David  and 
Helen  Marsden,  are  deceased.  Her  other  relatives 
are  living  in  England,  her  native  country,  where 
she  was  born  in  Fabruary,  1847.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Harter  have  four  children :  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Bryan, 
of  Marysville;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Kennedy,  of  Stim- 
son's  Crossing;  John  and  Herbert,  at  home.  Mr. 
Harter  is  independent  in  political  matters,  and  now 


holds  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  In  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Spiritualist.  Since  locating  here  he 
has  been  away  from  home  but  one  winter,  which 
was  spent  in  the  Black  Diamond  mine  near  Seattle. 
Two  years  ago  he  went  to  Bellingham  for  a  short 
time,  that  being  the  longest  trip  he  has  taken  in 
the  last  nineteen  years.  His  success  as  an  agricul- 
turist is  due  to  the  fact  that  he  has  given  his  farm 
such  careful  personal  attention,  instead  of  delegat- 
ing the  responsibility  to  others.  He  is  recognized 
as  a  man  of  energy  and  thrift,  and  holds  the  respect 
of  his  fellow  citizens. 


ARTHUR  M.  WESTOVER,  the  well  known 
agriculturist  residing  six  miles  north  of  Marysville, 
on  the  Big  Marsh,  is  a  native  of  Dalhousie,  Nova 
Scotia.  He  was  born  in  May,  18G3,  the  son  of 
Daniel  and  Lucy  (Silver)  Westover,  who  were  also 
born  in  that  country.  The  father,  born  in  1833, 
followed  farming  and  shipbuilding  till  his  death  in 
1871.  The  mother  is  now  living  in  Seattle,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three.  Arthur  M.  Westover,  one  of 
a  family  of  eight  children,  acquired  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  New  Brunswick,  whither  his  par- 
ents had  moved  when  he  was  seven  years  old.  Later 
he  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged prior  to  coming  West.  Leaving  home  when 
nineteen  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Chicago,  and  re- 
mained there  seven  years.  In  1888  he  came  to 
Seattle  and  made  that  his  home  for  some  time. 
While  living  there  with  his  mother,  he  took  up  the 
homestead  claim  on  which  he  now  lives.  All  the 
supplies  used  by  himself  and  the  few  other  settlers 
in  that  region  were  brought  from  Marysville.  A 
boat  running  to  Seattle  made  tri-weekly  trips  at 
that  time.  The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  the  year 
after  he  came.  There  was  then  no  trail  extending 
to  his  land,  the  nearest  one  being  a  mile  aawy.  To- 
day three  railroads  run  within  three  miles  of  his 
farm,  and  another  will  doubtless  soon  be  con- 
structed. He  avers  that  the  sweetest  music  that 
ever  greeted  his  ears  was  the  whistle  of  the  first 
Northern  Pacific  engine  that  passed  his  ranch.  Of 
the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  constituting  his 
original  claim,  he  now  has  thirty-five  in  excellent 
cultivation,  and  twenty  in  pasture,  and  devotes  his 
attention  to  diversified  farming,  believing  that  to 
be  the  most  satisfactory.  He  has  a  large  herd  of 
cattle,  and  the  usual  number  of  other  domestic  ani- 
mals found  on  a  well  managed  farm ;  also  has  a 
splendid  modern  home,  with  hot  and  cold  water, 
and  lighted  with  acetylene  gas. 

Mr.  Westover  was  married  in  1895  to  Maud 
Avery,  a  native  of  Michigan,  whom  he  met  while 
living  in  Chicago.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Delbert 
and  Celinda  Avery,  well  known  pioneers  of  Mich- 
igan, the  latter  of  whom  is  still  living.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Westover  have  one  child,  Delbert  D.,  aged 
seven  years.    Mr.  Westover  loyally  adheres  to  Re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


publican  doctrines,  but  has  never  had  any  desire  to 
tc  prominent  in  political  matters.  He  and  his  fam- 
ily attend  the  Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  thought- 
ful, intelligent  man,  and  is  justly  considered  one  of 
the  most  influential  members  of  the  community. 
The  respect  and  honor  so  freely  accorded  him  by 
liis  fellow  citizens  is  a  tribute  to  his  many  sterling 
qualities. 


LOUIS  AXDERSOX,  residing  a  mile  and  a 
Iialf  southwest  of  Edgecomb  and  six  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  Marysville,  is  among  the  well  known 
pioneer  farmers  of  that  section  of  Snohomish 
county,  having  hved  there  for  nineteen  years.  He  is 
•one  of  Sweden's  native  sons,  born  April  2G,  IS.S-I, 
the  fifth  child  of  Anders  Swanson  and  Mary  (Mun- 
son)  Swanson.  The  father,  a  stonemason  by  trade, 
was  born  in  Sweden  in  1815,  descended  from  one 
of  the  oldest  families  in  the  country,  and  passed 
away  in  1900  after  a  useful  life.  The  mother  died 
in  1896  at  the  age  of  si.xty-nine,  after  rearing  a 
iamily  of  seven  children,  four  boys  and  three  girls. 
The  subject  of  this  review  attended  school  and 
-worked  with  his  father  on  the  farm  until  twenty- 
tliree  years  old.  His  brother.  Peter,  had  come  to 
the  United  States  some  time  before  this,  and  in  ]87'8 
Louis  Anderson  and  Paul  Poison  crossed  the  ocean 
to  join  their  relatives  in  the  Pacific  Northwest. 
The  Poisons,  originally  from  Loholm,  Sweden,  are 
among  the  oldest  and  most  honored  pioneers  of 
Skagit  county,  and  with  this  family  Mr.  Anderson 
was  well  acquainted  in  the  old  country.  He  went 
to  work  at  general  labor  for  the  first  two  years  of 
his  residence  in  Washington,  then  a  sparsely  settled 
territory,  after  which  he  went  to  the  cascades  of  the 
Columbia,  Oregon,  and  managed  a  stone  quarry  for 
•the  government  during  the  construction  of  the 
Cascade  locks.  At  times  he  had  sevent}--five  men 
tmder  him.  After  seven  years  of  this  responsible 
Avork,  or  in  18ST,  Mr.  Anderson  resigned  to  en- 
gage in  farming  on  Kellogg  Marsh,  Snohomish 
county,  buying  150  acres  for  this  purpose.  The 
country  was  then  wild  and  trails  prevailed  instead 
of  roads.  All  supplies  had  to  be  packed  in  to  the 
community  by  horse  or  on  one's  back,  so  rough 
was  it  at  that  time.  Four  years  later  he  sold  the 
place  for  which  he  had  paid  $750  at  an  advance  of 
nearly  $6,000,  or  for  $6,-500,  though  he  had  spent 
much  time  and  money  on  it.  With  the  proceeds  Mr. 
Anderson  invested  in  his  present  place,  which  then 
■consisted  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  of  which 
■only  three  were  cleared.  Since  that  time  he  has 
sold  forty  acres,  but  still  has  left  one  of  the  finest 
marsh  farms  in  the  community,  and  is  constantly 
improving  it.  Mr.  Anderson  keeps  a  small,  select 
licrd  of  dairy  cows. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Anderson  and  Matilda 
Swenson,  the  daughter  of  -  Swen  Pehrson,  was 
solemnized    at     Seattle    November    4,    1887,    and 


marked  the  close  of  a  romance  which  had  begun 
years  before  in  Sweden,  Mrs.  Anderson  crossing 
the  ocean  to  join  him.  Mr.  Pehrson  is  still  living 
in  Sweden,  aged  eighty-seven  years.  The  mother 
died  when  Mrs.  Anderson  was  but  seven  years  old. 
After  passing  through  the  vicissitudes  and  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life  to  the  rewards  that  followed, 
Mrs.  Anderson  was  called  to  the  future  life  April 
22,  1905,  mourned  as  a  personal  loss  by  all  who 
knew  her.  To  this  marriage  five  children  were 
born,  all  of  whom  are  living:  William,  Anton, 
Bettie,  Lottie  and  Lawrence.  The  family  are  af- 
filiated with  the  Lutheran  church.  Politically,  Mr. 
Anderson  is  a  Republican,  and  attends  the  caucuses 
and  conventions  of  his  party  regularly.  He  is  a 
director  of  his  school  district,  on  whose  board  he 
has  served  seven  years,  and  is  an  ardent  advocata 
of  good  roads,  clean,  honest  government  and  other 
public  measures  that  will  benefit  the  country.  He 
is  one  of  the  forceful  citizens  of  his  community  and 
countv. 


WILLIAM  H.  WESTO\'ER.  operating  and 
owning  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  fertile  sec- 
tion lying  between  Edgecomb  and  Marysville,  Sno- 
homish county,  is  one  of  the  original  pioneers  of  the 
Big  Marsh  to  which  he  came  in  1884.  Since  that 
date  he  has  devoted  his  best  abilities  and  energies 
to  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  this  portion 
of  the  sound  country  with  not  only  substantial 
financial  results  but -also  with  credit  to  his  public 
spirit  and  unselfish  endeavors  to  promote  the  gen- 
eral good. 

Of  German  descent  on  the  paternal  and  English 
on  the  maternal  side,  William  H.  Westover  was 
born  on  the  Nova  Scotian  peninsula,  Canada,  April 
15,  1855,  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Lucy  (Silver) 
Westover.  The  elder  Westover,  who  followed 
shipbuilding  and  farming,  was  also  a  native  of 
Canada,  born  in  1823.  His  grandfather  came  to  the 
United  States  from  Germany  during  the  eighteenth 
century  and  served  with  the  American  patriots  in 
the  Revolutionary  War.  After  that  conflict  the. 
family  settled  in  Canada.  Daniel  Westover  passed 
away  in  1871.  Mrs.  Westover,  the  mother  of  Will- 
iam H.,  is  living  in  Seattle  in  her  eighty-fourth 
year.  Of  six  boys  and  two  girls  constituting  her 
family,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  second  in  age. 
He  worked  with  his  father  and  attended  school  in 
Nova  Scotia  until  twenty-one  years  old,  at  that  age 
taking  up  life's  responsibilities  alone.  He  was  first 
employed  seven  years  in  the  great  saw  mills  at  St. 
Johns,  New  Brunswick,  at  the  conclusion  of  which 
service  he  went  to  Wisconsin.  Three  years  passed 
in  the  pineries  of  that  state.  In  188-t  Mr.  Westover 
determined  to  come  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  ac- 
cordingly made  his  way  across  the  continent  to 
Seattle.  Thence  he  came  direct  by  boat  (there 
were  then  no  railroads)  to  Marysville,  a  little  trad- 


948 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


ing  village  near  the  mouth  of  the  Snohomish  river 
at  that  time,  and  in  company  with  other  hardy 
spirits — Seymour  Shoultez,  Charles  Murph)^,  John 
W' .  Dalgleish  and  one  or  two  others — blazed  a  trail 
through  the  Big  Marsh,  buried  deeply  in  the  forest 
north  of  Marysville.  There  all  took  land.  These 
men  were  truly  pioneers  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
dauntless  in  their  courage,  optimistic  in  their  hopes, 
and  willing  in  the  sacrifices  they  made  toward  the 
development  of  the  county.  For  many  years  Mr. 
Westover  was  obliged  to  work  out  for  others  to 
obtain  a  start,  but  gradually  his  clearing  grew,  the 
water  was  drained  and  considerable  produce  re- 
warded his  annual  toil.  During  the  second  year  of 
his  residence,  Blackman  Brothers  established  a  log- 
ging camp  between  his  place  and  Marysville,  and 
.  for  them  lie  worked  a  short  time.  He  also  spent  a 
period  in  the  coal  mines  at  New  Castle,  King 
county,  l)ut  ]iractically  since  then  he  has  devoted  his 
entire  energies  to  his  place  with  substantial  results. 
His  land  is  of  the  very  best  quality,  consisting  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty-two  acres,  of  which  eighty 
are  cleared  (an  unusually  large  amount  for  this 
region),  \\hicli  raises  a  fine  grade  of  oats  and  hay. 
He  also  maintains  a  dairy  herd  and  considerable 
other  stock.  Mr.  Westover  has  served  as  a  school 
director  of  his  district,  and  assisted  in  building  the 
first  schoolhouse  erected  in  the  community,  cedar 
"shakes"  being  used  in  its  construction.  Politically, 
he  is  a  Republican. 

In  1893  Mrs.  Celinda  Avery,  a  native  of  Mich- 
igan, who  came  with  her  parents  to  Washington  in 
1892,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Westover. 
Her  mother  still  resides  with  her  on  the  farm.  Mrs. 
Westover  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Westover  are  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  them  and  honored  as  pioneers  of  the  commu- 
nity of  which  they  form  so  substantial  a  part. 


PETER  GRAVELLE,  for  the  past  thirty  years 
a  resident  of  Mukilteo,  and  among  the  earliest  pio- 
neers of  Snohomish  county,  is  of  French  Canadian 
descent,  a  race  that  has  produced  frontiersmen  so 
lavishly,  and  that  for  courage  and  ability  to  make 
its  way  in  a  new  country  has  probably  no  superior. 
History's  pages  are  filled  with  records  of  their 
valiant  deeds  and  daring  explorations  into  wild 
regions  and  in  the  far  west  they  have  generally 
laid  the  foundations  of  white  settlement,  largely  due 
to  their  connection  with  the  old  fur  companies.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Canada  February 
17,  1830,  and  is  the  son  of  Charles  Gravelle,  who 
died  in  1894,  and  Jennie  (Rabbeau)  Gravelle,  also 
dead.  Peter  Gravelle  was  denied  the  privilege  of 
attending  school,  but  by  reason  of  extensive  read- 
ing and  careful  observation  he  is  nevertheless  an 
educated  man  and  speaks  English,  French  and  three 
or  four  Indian  languages  fluently.  He  left  home 
early,  roved  far  and  wide  throughout  the  great  un- 


settled western  country,  eventually  reaching  Puget 
sound,  and  followed  varied  lines  of  activity  to  make 
a  living.  His  first  visit  to  Snohomish  county  was 
in  ISGT,  when  he  made  a  short  stay  at  the  little  post 
of  Mukilteo,  founded  only  a  few  years  previously 
by  Frost  &  Fowler.  However,  Mr.  Gravelle  did 
not  decide  to  settle  permanently  in  Snohomish 
county  until  ten  years  later,  or  in  1877.  Then  he 
took  up  his  residence  at  Mukilteo,  which  has  since 
been  his  home.  As  he  was  one  of  the  first  white 
men  to  make  permanent  settlement  at  that  point  and 
has  remained  steadfastly  by  the  town  so  many  years, 
he  is  entitled  to  be  called  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
place.  He  built  a  house,  set  out  fruit  trees,  planted 
garden  and  conducted  a  large  trade  with  the  In- 
dians for  many  years,  also  hunting  and  fishing  ex- 
tensively all  along  the  shore.  Quite  well  he  re- 
members when  the  only  communication  between 
this  point  and  the  outside  world  was  through  boats 
from  \'ictoria,  and  often  not  more  than  one  trip  a 
year  was  made  directly  between  that  city  and  Aluk- 
ilteo.  Mr.  Gravelle  was  united  in  marriage  to  a 
native  woman,  who  passed  away  several  years  ago. 
He  assisted  in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  present 
prosperous,  progressive  Snohomish  county,  endur- 
ing hardships  and  contributing  the  better  part  of  his 
life  til  the  cause  of  civilization  and  for  these  serv- 
ices to  mankind  he  is  deserving  of  substantial  recog- 
nition in  this  history  and  his  name  is  justly  enrolled 
among  the  honored,  esteemed  pioneers  of  this  sec- 
tion. 


JAjMES  BRADY. — Among  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Edmonds,  Washington,  is  numbered  the 
one  whose  name  gives  caption  to  this  biography, 
James  Brady,  the  popular  mayor  of  the  town,  who 
succeeded  himself  at  the  last  election.  He  needs  nO' 
introduction  to  the  readers  of  this  history,  as  by 
reason  of  his  long  and  successful  career  as  a  pro- 
fessor and  superintendent  of  schools  in  the  various 
towns  and  cities  of  Washington  his  name  has  be- 
come widely  known.  Born  in  Rio,  Columbia 
county,  Wisconsin,  September  7,  1857,  he  is  the  son 
of  John  and  Rosa  (Nuggent)  Brady,  who  were 
both  natives  of  county  Cavan,  Ireland.  The  father 
spent  his  life  as  a  farmer ;  the  mother,  in  caring  for 
her  husband  and  family.  James  Brady  early  in  life 
gave  evidence  of  a  studious  nature  and  after  acquir- 
ing a  rudimentary  education  in  the  common  schools,, 
completed  his  education  by  a  course  in  the  Wiscon- 
sin State  University,  being  gra'duated  in  the  class 
of  1882.  Going  to  Minnesota  he  there  took  up  the 
profession  which  was  to  claim  so  many  years  of  his 
life.  Natural  aptitude  and  thorough  training  hav- 
ing fitted  him  for  this  calling,  he  very  soon  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  older  educators  of  the 
state,  and  became  known  as  one  of  the  talented 
young  men  of  Houston  county.  For  two  years, 
prior  to  coming  West,  he  held  the  office  of  county 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


949 


superintendent  there,  and  established  for  himself 
an  enviable  reputation.  In  1888  he  made  his  first 
visit  to  the  coast,  locating  in  Seattle,  then  enjoying 
its  first  boom.  Deciding  to  embark  in  the  real  es- 
tate business,  Mr.  Brady  opened  an  office  there, 
which  he  paid  a  man  $100  to  vacate,  but,  convinced 
after  a  year's  experience  that  his  former  profession 
yielded  a  greater  amount  of  satisfaction,  he  re- 
turned to  it,  and  spent  a  number  of  years  in  King 
and  Kitsap  counties.  Later  he  accepted  the  prin- 
cipalship  of  the  schools  of  Edmonds,  a  position 
which  he  retained  for  seven  years.  During  this 
time  he  spent  his  leisure  hours  in  the  study  of  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  has  never  followed 
it  as  a  profession.  While  residing  in  Edmonds  he 
was  actively  identified  with  the  municipal  life  of  the 
city,  serving  one  year  as  city  clerk,  and  the  ensuing 
year  as  city  attorney.  Elected  a  principal  of  the 
Everett  schools,  he  removed  thence  and  made  that 
city  his  home  for  two  years,  when  he  resigned  that 
he  might  engage  in  business  in  Edmonds,  forming 
a  partnership  with  his  brother,  he  opened  a  shingle 
mill  of  sixty  thousand  capacity  in  1901,  and  since 
that  time  has  devoted  his  attention  almost  exclu- 
sively to  building  up  the  enterprise,  meeting  with 
gratifying  success. 

The  marriage  of  JMr.  Brady  and  j\Iiss  Mar- 
guerite Zenncr  took  place  in  1888.  They  came  West 
on  their  wedding  trip,  finding  a  home  on  the  beauti- 
ful shores  of  Puget  sound.  Mrs.  Brady  is  the 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary  Zenner,  both  of  whom 
are  deceased.  Her  father  was  for  many  years  a 
Avell  known  farmer  in  the  state  of  her  nativity — 
Minnesota. 

Mr.  Brady  is  prominent  in  the  councils  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  has  always  sought  most 
earnestly  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  the  party.     In 

1900  he  was  prevailed  on  to  be  a  candidate  for  the 
ofiice  of  secretary  of  state  under  Rogers.  That  he 
was  defeated  was  a  matter  of  profund  regret  not 
only  in  the  ranks  of  his  own  party,  but  among  a 
large  number  of  voters  in  the  other  parties  who 
recognized  his  special  fitness  for  that  position.     In 

1901  he  became  mayor  of  Edmonds,  and  so  faith- 
fully and  ably  did  he  discharge  the  duties  devolving 
on  him  that  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  was  re- 
elected. Fraternally  he  is' identified  with  the  Ma- 
sons and  the  Ancient  Order  of  L^nited  Workmen. 
As  a  broad-minded,  public-spirited  citizen,  Mr. 
Brady  has  ointributed  materially  to  the  welfare  of 
the  city  which  now  claims  him  as  one  of  her  hon- 
ored residents. 


JAMES  W.  CURRIE,  a  widely  known  lum- 
berman of  Washington,  now  residing  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  north  of  Edmonds,  \\'ashington,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Canada,  born  in  Northumberland  county, 
New  Brunswick,  July  25,  1836.     He  is  the  son  of 


Hugh  and  ^lary  (Walsh)  Currie,  both  of  whom 
died  many  years  ago.  The  father  was  born  in 
Glasgow,  Scotland ;  the  mother,  in  New  Brunswick. 
Of  a  family  of  eleven  children,  James  W.  is  the 
fourth,  and  is  now  the  oldest  surviving  member. 
He  has  a  brother  living  in  Shelton,  Washington. 
\'ery  meager  were  the  educational  advantages  with- 
in the  reach  of  Mr.  Currie,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
leave  school  when  he  had  but  barely  mastered  the 
alphabet.  His  subsequent  career  illustrates  the  fact 
so  frequently  noted  that  the  stern  struggle  with  ad- 
verse circumstances  in  early  life  often  develops  the 
strongest  characters  and  insures  the  largest  meas- 
ure of  success  in  mature  years.  Leaving  home  at 
the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  engaged  in  logging  till 
he  left  his  native  country  in  1860,  and  located  in 
Alaine.  There  he  followed  the  same  line  of  activity 
for  some  time,  going  thence  to  Michigan,  where  he 
accepted  the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  ex- 
tensive logging  interests  ow-ned  by  Whitney  & 
Remick,  of  Detroit.  Being  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  details  of  the  business,  he  discharged  his 
duties  in  such  a  satisfactory  manner  that  he  was 
retained  for  thirteen  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
the  work  in  that  location  was  completed.  After  log- 
ging for  himself  for  a  few  years  he  decided  to  in- 
vestigate the  lumber  regions  of  the  northwest,  and 
came  to  W'ashington  in  1875,  making  the  trip  via 
San  Francisco.  Seattle  had  not  then  a  foot  of  side- 
walk, and  gave  no  promise  of  the  marvelous  growth 
which  recent  years  have  witnessed.  He  remained 
there  six  months,  and  then  returned  to  Michigan, 
where  he  resided  until  1883.  Again  seeking  a  lo- 
cation in  Washington,  he,  in  partnership  with  An- 
derson, White  and  McDonald,  formed  the  Satsop 
Railroad  Company,  which  was  the  first  company  in 
the  state  to  introduce  logging  by  horse  power.  He 
was  elected  manager  of  the  company,  retaining  this 
position  until  at  the  end  of  two  years'  work  in  Shel- 
ton, Washington,  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  partners. 
His  residence  in  Edmonds  dates  from  this  time, 
1888,  when  he  first  settled  here,  pursuing  his  former 
occupation,  lumbering,  and  also  milling.  For  two 
years  he  was  superintendent  for  the  well-known 
firm  of  Masher  &  McDonald.  He  continued  in  the 
business  for  several  years  after  severing  his  con- 
nection wuth  that  firm,  but  in  later  years  disposed 
of  his  mill  and  logging  outfits. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Currie  and  Miss  Matilda 
Teabo  occurred  in  1865.  Mrs.  Currie,  a  native  of 
Detroit,  Michigan,  is  of  French  descent.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Currie  have  one  child,  Charles,  born  in  Febru- 
ary, 1885.  Fraternally.  Mr.  Currie  is  well  known, 
holding  membership  in  the  Ancient  Order  of  LTnited 
Workmen,  and  the  Hoo  Hoos  lodge.  The  Demo- 
cratic party  claims  him  as  a  loyal  supporter,  al- 
though he  has  never  cared  to  participate  actively  in 
political  matters,  nor  to  accept  any  official  honor. 
He  and  his  family  are  prominent  members  of  the 


950 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Catholic  church.  Mr.  Currie's  splendid  business 
abilities  have  won  for  him  a  large  measure  of  pros- 
perity which  he  is  well  fitted  to  enjoy.  By  his  fel- 
low citizens  he  is  justly  considered  one  of  the 
strong,  influential  members  of  the  community. 


CHARLES  P.  PETERSON.— It  is  a  fact  fre- 
quently observed,  that  many  of  the  successful  men 
of  this  country,  in  all  walks  of  life,  claini  some  for- 
eign country  as  their  birthplace.  Such  is  true  of 
Charles  P.  Peterson,  whose  biography  we  are 
pleaded  to  give  a  place  in  this  history.  He  was 
born  in  Sweden,  February  9,  18G0,  to  the  union  of 
Gust  P.  and  Carolina  (Erickson)  Peterson,  who 
still  reside  in  the  fatherland.  The  father  was  born 
in  1849,  the  mother  in  1850.  Of  their  three  chil- 
dren Charles  P.  is  the  eldest.  His  two  sisters  reside 
in  their  native  land.  Like  most  young  men  of  that 
period,  young  Peterson  acquired  his  education  in 
the  common  schools,  and  spent  his  vacations  on  his 
father's  farm,  becoming  practically  familiar  with 
the  diversified  work,  and  laying  the  foundation  for 
the  sturdy  manhood  that  was  to  follow.  The  land 
across  the  ocean  with  its  wonderful  opportunities 
for  winning  fame  and  fortune  became  the  home  of 
Mr.  Peterson  when  he  had  reached  his  twenty- 
fourth  year.  He  spent  the  first  year  and  a  half  in 
Steuben  county.  New  York,  near  Buflalo,  working 
on  a  farm.  Going  thence  to  Muskegon,  Michigan, 
he  worked  in  the  mills  for  three  years,  carefully 
hoarding  his  wages  until  he  had  sufficient  to  pur- 
chase transportation  to  Washington,  which  had 
been  the  goal  of  his  ambition  from  the  time  he 
severed  home  ties  and  sailed  for  New  York.  He 
reached  Seattle  on  a  memorable  day  for  the  States, 
it  being  the  time  when  her  history  as  a  state  had  its 
beginning.  Coming  on  to  Edmonds,  he  proceeded 
at  once  to  find  employment  in  the  woods  and  mills 
of  that  locality,  impelled  by  the  longing  to  be  able 
to  make  a  home  for  the  brave  young  wife  whom  he 
had  left  in  Michigan.  Toiling  earlv  and  late  he 
accomnlished  his  purpose,  and  during  the  years  that 
bavo  intervened  has  h^d  the  satisfaction  of  reaping 
the  fruits  of  his  years  of  strenuous  labor.  In  1897 
he  became  identified  with  the  firm  of  Johnson,  John- 
son &  Anderson,  in  the  manufacture  of  shingles, 
purchasing  an  interest  in  the  business  which  was 
conducted  by  a  stock  company.  In  1903.  it  was  in- 
corporated under  the  name  of  the  Edmonds'  Shingle 
Company,  officered  as  follows :  Charles  P.  Peter- 
son, president ;  C.  Johnson,  treasurer ;  Chris  Ander- 
son, trustee :  C.  Erxston,  secretary.  This  mill  has 
a  daily  capacity  of  50,000.  Few  firms  in  this  part 
of  the  state  are  doing  a  more  extensive  business 
than  is  this  one,  which  rests  on  a  splendid  financial 
basis.  That  its  present  standing  is  largely  due  to 
Mr.  Peterson's  zeal  and  careful  supervision,  is  a 
fact  that  his  native  modesty  might  render  him  un- 


willing to  acknowledge,  but  one,  nevertheless,  that 
others  readily  grant. 

Mr.  Peterson  and  Miss  Mary  Johnson  were 
united  in  marriage,  July  5,  1886.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Peterson  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood  in 
the  old  country  in  homes  separated  by  less  than 
seven  miles,  and  never  had  known  of  each  others' 
existence  until  they  met  in  Michigan,  where  they 
were  married.  Mrs.  Peterson's  mother  still  lives 
in  Sweden ;  the  father  is  deceased.  Three  children, 
have  been  born  to  the  Peterson's,  Walter  E.,  Olga, 
and  Gladys  A.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  Peterson 
is  well  known,  being  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Foresters  of  America.  His  political  be- 
liefs are  embodied  in  the  principles  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  which  claims  his  loyal  support,  and  his- 
unwearied  efforts.  During  nine  years  of  continued 
service  on  the  city  council  of  Edmonds,  Mr.  Peter- 
son has  won  for  himself  the  distinction  of  being  one 
of  the  most  enterprising  and  progressive  citizens 
of  that  thrifty  little  city  and  has  materially  con- 
tributed to  the  general  welfare  of  the  entire  com- 
munity. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  are  influ- 
ential in  church  circles,  the  former  being  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church :  the  latter,  of  the  Metho- 
dist. A  keen,  practical  business  man,  a  loyal,  ener- 
getic citizen,  a  kind  husband,  father  and  friend, 
Mr.  Peterson  is  worthy  of  the  confidence  reposed  in 
him  bv  his  fellow  men. 


F.  H.  DARLING,  editor  and  one  of  the  owners 
of  the  Edmonds  Review,  published  weekly  at  that 
thrifty  business  center  of  southern  Snohomish  coun- 
ty, was  born  in  New  York  state  September  8,  1854, 
of  New  England  stock.  His  father.  Elijah  Darling, 
a  chemist  by  profession,  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, the  son  of  Scotch  parents.  He  died  in  that 
state  in  185G.  The  mother  of  F.  H.  Darling,  Mrs. 
Nancy  E.  (Stiles)  Darling,  was  born  in  New  York 
state  in  1824,  and  there  obtained  a  thorough  edu- 
cation. In  185G  she  crossed  the  continent  to  the 
new  state  of  California,  becoming  one  of  its  early 
white  women  pioneers  and  among  the  earliest 
teachers  in  the  gold  fields.  There  she  was  later 
united  in  marriage  to  E.  B.  Cooper.  In  1861  they 
removed  to  Nevada,  where  she  taught  in  the  Aurora 
schools  and  of  that  city  her  husband  served  for 
some  time  as  mayor.  Mrs.  Cooper,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-two,  well  preserved  and  en- 
joying the  many  blessings  that  come  of  a  long  life, 
well  spent,  is  now  living  at  Alameda,  California. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  San  Francisco 
after  which  he  matriculated  in  the  University  of 
California,  class  of  '7G.  When  twenty  years  of  age, 
having  completed  his  preparation,  he  engaged  in 
teaching,  a  profession  which  he  pursued  with 
marked  success  in  different  portions  of  the  state 
during  the  next  ten  years.     As  rapidly  as  possible 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


he  secured  the  higher  state  diplomas  for  excellence 
in  teaching,  until  he  finally  possessed  the  highest 
recognition  the  state  could  give.  In  1881  Mr.  Darl- 
ing entered  the  Customs  service,  being  appointed 
as  chief  inspector  at  Port  Costa,  a  position  which 
he  filled  for  five  years.  San  Francisco  then  be- 
came his  home  for  three  years,  or  until  1888  when 
he  came  north  to  Washington  Territory,  locating  at 
Edmonds.  A  year  later  he  was  appointed  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  education  in  which  capacity  he 
served  two  years.  For  fully  twenty-five  years  past 
he  has  been  connected  in  various  way  with  news- 
paper work,  for  a  time  writing  for  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Chronicle.  Thus,  it  was  only  natural  that  he 
should  have  entered  newspaper  work  at  Edmonds, 
when  the  opportunity  was  presented  and  he  was 
urged  to  take  it  up  by  those  who  recognized  his 
talents.  The  Review  had  been  established  August 
1,  1904,  by  Richard  Bushell  Jr.,  a  minister's  son, 
but  after  conducting  it  six  months,  or  until  Janu- 
ary 1,  1905,  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Darling  and  Mrs. 
T.  M.  B.  Hanna.  Mr.  Darling  immediately  as- 
sumed charge  of  the  editorial  department  while  she 
assumed  the  business  management,  and  together  they 
are  issuing  one  of  the  brightest,  ablest  weeklies  on 
the  sound.  Edmonds  is  fortunate  in  possessing  the 
Review,  and  it  is  unquestionably  a  strong  factor  in 
promoting  the  development  of  the  community.  Mrs. 
Hanna  is  ably  demonstrating  a  business  woman's 
ability  in  a  line  of  endeavor  not  often  occupied  by 
women.  Talented,  public-spirited  and  progressive, 
Mr.  Darling  is  a  man  of  recognized  influence  among 
his  fellows  as  also  one  of  Edmonds'  pioneers. 


ALLEN  M.  YOST,  who  is  numbered  among  the 
most  successful  and  progressive  business  men  of 
Edmonds,  Washington,  was  born  January  19,  185G, 
in  Northampton  county,  Pennsylvania.  His  parents, 
Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Dechler)  Yost,  also  born  in 
his  native  state,  were  of  German  descent,  and  be- 
queathed to  him  the  thrift,  energy,  and  indomitable 
will  that  have  played  so  important  a  part  in  his 
career,  enabling  him  to  overcome  every  barrier.  The 
father  was  a  well  known  builder  and  contractor ; 
the  mother,  a  typical  German  wife  and  mother,  de- 
voted to  her  family  and  friends.  Both  are  deceased. 
They  were  the  parents  of  two  sons,  Allen  M.  and 
James  W..  the  latter  now  a  resident  of  Everett. 
After  acquiring  an  education  in  the  schools  of  Penn- 
sylvania, Allen  M.  Yost  learned  his  father's  trade, 
following  it  for  a  number  of  years  during  which  he 
accumulated  a  bank  account  amounting  to  $6,000. 
Deciding  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits,  he  went 
to  Kansas,  purchased  a  farm,  and  for  two  years 
bent  every  energy  to  the  work  in  hand.  He  found, 
however,  as  so  many  others  have,  that  the  best  laid 
plans  sometimes  fail  to  materialize.  The  first  year 
of  his  residence  there  his  growing  crops  which  gave 
evidence  of  such  careful  attention,  were  utterlv  de- 


stroyed by  the  devastating  hail  storms  that  some- 
times visit  that  state.  The  following  spring  he 
went  through  the  same  round  of  preparation  for  an 
abundant  harvest,  undismayed  by  his  former  ex- 
perience. For  a  time  all  went  well,  and  that  he 
would  retrieve  the  losses  of  the  previous  year 
seemed  almost  an  assured  fact.  But  again  he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment.  Over  the  waving  corn 
and  grain  fields  swept  the  hot,  desolating  winds, 
replacing  the  verdant  freshness  with  dry,  withered 
stalks  that  told,  at  a  glance,  of  another  year's  wasted 
labor.  To  realize  that  the  carefully  hoarded  earn- 
ings of  years  have  been  entirely  swept  away  through 
no  fault  of  his  own,  is  a  supreme  test  of  any  man's 
character.  Unlike  many,  however,  who,  under 
these  circumstances,  succumb  to  disappointment  and 
spend  the  remainder  of  life  simply  drifting,  Mr. 
Yost  was  but  nerved  to  greater  effort,  assured  that 
sooner  or  later  the  tide  must  turn.  Resolved  to 
seek  an  opening  in  the  northwest,  he  came  to  Ed- 
monds in  1890,  and  resumed  his  former  trade.  Two 
years  later  he  began  contracting  for  timber  and 
shingle  bolts  in  that  locality,  and  having  again  made 
a  start  in  business,  the  future  assumed  a  brighter 
outlook.  In  1894  he  rented  a  mill  located  in  the 
woods,  and  after  operating  it  for  a  few  months  was 
in  position  to  purchase  and  move  it  to  the  water 
front.  He  still  owns  this  property,  but  is  now  plan- 
ning to  soon  tear  down  the  mill  and  erect  a  larger 
one  that  will  accommodate  his  ever  increasing  trade. 
Since  embarking  in  the  lumber  business  in  this  state 
he  has  been  visited  by  fire  but  once,  when  a  kiln 
within  ten  feet  of  the  mill  burned.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  a  bucket  brigade  was  the  only 
means  of  protecting  the  mill,  with  the  timely  aid 
of  his  friends  he  succeeded  in  saving  the  building. 

Mr.  Yost  was  married  in  Pennsylvania  in  1875, 
before  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty,  his  bride 
being  Miss  Amanda  C.  Roth,  also  of  Pennsylvania. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  John  Roth,  who  died  many 
years  ago.  Her  mother,  formerly  Miss  Hinkle,  died 
in  1900,  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Both  parents  were 
of  German  ancestry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yost's  nine 
children,  all  residents  of  Edmonds,  are  as  follows : 
Daniel  M.,  Joseph  S.,  John  E.,  Carrie  Estelle,  Elsie, 
Jacob,  Edward,  George,  and  Samuel.  The  sons 
all  assist  the  father  in  the  mill,  and  share  in  its 
earnings.  In  political  persuasion  he  is  a  Socialist, 
believing  that  the  hour  has  come  for  a  more  just 
and  equitable  distribution  of  property  and  labor, 
and  being  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  he  takes 
a  deep  interest  in  the  questions  of  the  day,  throwing 
the  weight  of  his  influence  and  personality  on  the 
side  which  he  deems  right.  He  has  served  one 
term  as  mayor  of  Edmonds,  and  has  several  times 
been  a  member  of  the  city  council.  Educational 
matters  have  also  claimed  his  attention,  and  as  a 
school  director  he  has  been  of  practical  assistance 
in  securing  good  advantages  for  the  youth  of  the 


952 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


community.  He  is  identified  with  the  Ancient  Order 
of  American  Workmen,  and  is  known  as  one  of  the 
strong  men  of  that  fraternity.  A  man  of  wealth 
and  influence,  broad  minded  and  public  spirited,  he 
holds  an  honored  position  among  his  fellow  citizens. 


LOUIS  P.  ARP.  Among  the  sturdy  pioneers 
of  Edmonds,  Washington,  who  have  been  permit- 
ted to  witness  the  growth  of  this  busy,  energetic 
town,  is  numbered  the  one  whose  name  initiates 
this  biography.  Born  in  Denmark,  September  2, 
1865,  he  is  the  son  of  William  and  Sophie  (Chris- 
tianson)  Arp.  He  was  but  thirteen  when  he  crossed 
the  water  and  found  a  home  in  Omaha,  Nebraska. 
His  father's  death  occurred  in  Denmark,  in  1903, 
after  he  had  passed  his  seventy-second  birthda)-. 
The  mother,  aged  sixty-eight,  still  makes  her  home 
there.  Louis  P.  Arp  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Nebraska,  making  the  most  of  the  limited 
opportunities  afforded  him.  The  fourth  of  a  family 
of  thirteen  children,  he  assumed  life's  responsibili- 
ties at  an  early  age,  being  only  thirteen  years  old 
when  he  found  a  home  with  his  uncle  and  began 
working  in  a  clothing  store.  Several  years  later 
he  took  up  railroading,  on  the  Burlington  system, 
and  so  valuable  an  employee  did  he  prove  himself 
to  be  that  he  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  bridge 
foreman,  remaining  with  the  company  for  five  years. 
He  then  decided  to  follow  the  advice  of  Horace 
Greeley,  "Go  west,  young  man,"  and  at  once  started 
for  Seattle,  Washington.  After  a  brief  stay  there 
he  came  to  Edmonds,  arriving  here  March,  18S8. 
Two  houses  and  a  store  comprised  the  town  at  that 
remote  date,  and  the  only  team  in  town  was  a  yoke 
of  oxen  owned  by  G.  Brackett.  In  the  following 
May  Mr.  Arp  took  up  a  homestead  three  miles 
northeast  of  the  present  site  of  the  town.  It  was 
all  densely  covered  with  timber,  and  to  a  less  reso- 
lute and  energetic  settler  the  task  of  clearing  and 
getting  it  in  condition  for  cultivation  would  have 
seemed  a  formidable  one,  but  Mr.  Arp  had  been  so 
favorably  impressed  with  the  climate  that  he  was 
willing  to  endure  hardships  and  privations.  With 
rare  insight  he  predicted  the  rapid  growth  that 
would  take  place  when  the  advantages  of  this  lo- 
cality became  more  generally  known,  and  has  lived 
to  see  his  judgment  vindicated.  For  the  first  two 
years  he  spent  a  part  of  his  time  in  the  employ  of 
the  Puget  sound  and  Grays'  Harbor  railroad,  as 
bridge  builder, — working  his  claim  during  the  win- 
ter months.  Thus  year  by  year  he  toiled  on,  and 
now  has  a  fine  piece  of  property  which  he  rents, 
while  he  and  his  family  reside  in  town.  For  a 
number  of  years  prior  to  leaving  the  ranch  he  cut 
and  hauled  shingle  bolts.  In  1900  he  purchased  an 
acre  of  land  in  town,  moving  his  family  hither  in 
hopes  that  a  change  and  the  freedom  from  the 
manifold  duties  of  farm  life  would  prove  beneficial 


to  his  wife's  health  which  had  been  gradually  fail- 
ing. Here  he  has  a  cosy  home,  surrounded  by  a 
fine  little  orchard.  Very  soon  after  coming  to  town 
he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Western  Shingle 
Company,  and  for  four  years  prior  to  February, 
1905,  was  engineer  of  their  plant.  At  that  time 
he  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  purchasing  an  in- 
terest in  the  mill  which  now  has  a  daily  capacity  of 
120,000. 

In  April,  1897,  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Arp  and 
Miss  Maud  Depeu  was  celebrated.  Mrs.  Arp,  a 
native  of  Hart,  Michigan,  came  west  with  her  par- 
ents, H.  W.  and  Nellie  (Black)  Depeu,  who  now 
reside  in  Okanogan  county,  Washington.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Arp  have  two  children,  Alpha  and  Neva.  Mr. 
Arp  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge.  Number  90,  of  Edmonds,  and  almost  every 
year  since  1895  has  been  honored  by  being  elected 
as  a  delegate  to  the  Grand  Lodge.  Both  he  and 
his  estimable  wife  are  identified  with  the  Rebekahs. 
In  political  belief  he  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Republican  party,  always  taking  an  active  part  in 
its  councils,  and  advancing  the  cause  in  every  hon- 
orable way.  He  is  now  serving  his  second  term 
as  city  councilman,  and  had  previously  held  the  po- 
sition of  road  supervisor  for  three  years.  This 
latter  work  claimed  him  as  a  voluntary  toiler  in  the 
early  days  when  he  assisted  in  opening  up  the  first 
roads  in  this  locality.  The  first  school  was  also 
established  largely  through  his  influence.  Thus, 
from  the  time  he  first  came  to  this  part  of  the 
county  to  the  present  date  he  has  been  constantly 
contributing  to  the  growth  and  welfare  of  the  town, 
and  has  therefore  won  for  himself  the  abiding  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  all  who  have  been  in  any  way 
associated  with  him.  Although  not  a  memlaer  of 
the  Congregational  church  which  claims  Mrs.  Arp 
as  a  devoted  worker,  Mr.  Arp  contributes  liberally 
to  the  support  of  its  various  departments. 


HIRAM  H.  BURLESON,  a  well  known  agri- 
culturalist residing  four  miles  east  of  Edmonds, 
Washington,  is  one  of  her  honored  pioneers.  He 
was  born  in  Potter  county,  Pennsylvania,  October 
3,  1855.  His  father,  Chester  Burleson,  a  native  of 
New  York,  born  in  1818,  was  the  direct  descendant 
of 'Revolutionary  stock.  His  death  occurred  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1899.  Laura  (Kyle)  Burleson,  the 
maternal  ancestor,  born  in  1835,  was  also  a  Penn- 
sylvanian.  She  died  September  6,  1892,  after  a  life 
of  devotion  to  husband  and  children.  Hiram  H. 
Burleson  is  the  second  of  a  family  of  ten.  He  has 
two  sisters  residing  in  Washington.  As  a  boy  he 
attended  the  common  schools,  there  acquiring  his 
education.  Possessed  of  unusual  strength  and  abili- 
ty for  one  of  his  years,  he  drove  oxen  on  his  father's 
farm  before  he  was  twelve  years  old.  Having 
attained  his   majority  he   started  out   for   himself, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


renting  farms  and  also  working  in  the  woods  when 
opportunities  presented  themselves.  Influenced  by 
the  reports  of  the  wonderful  fertility  of  Washing- 
ton soil,  and  the  manifold  natural  advantages  of  the 
state,  he  decided  to  investigate  the  country,  and  in 
March,  1887,  went  to  Seattle.  A  few  months  later 
he  came  to  Edmonds,  and  located  the  homestead 
he  still  owns.  The  four  rude  dwellings  which  then 
comprised  the  town  were  occupied  by  the  fi|Ve 
families  that  had  braved  the  wilderness  to  find  a 
home  in  the  west.  In  a  few  months  he  built  a  tiny 
cabin  on  his  claim  and  hither  over  a  rough  trail 
he  brought  his  family  to  the  little  home  that  awaited 
their  coming.  The  necessary  supplies  he  packed  on 
his  back.  Almost  three  years  elapsed  before  a  road 
reached  his  land,  and  that  the  occasion  might  be 
duly  celebrated,  the  family  indulged  in  the  luxury 
of  a  cook  stove.  He  was  obliged  to  seek  employ- 
ment in  the  lumber  camps  during  the  first  years 
of  his  residence  that  his  family  might  be  provided 
w'ith  the  needful  food  and  clothes,  and  many  a  time 
during  his  enforced  absence  the  brave  wife  herself 
packed  in  supplies.  For  her  there  must  have  been 
many  lonely  hours  when  she  longed  for  the  com- 
panionship of  other  days,  but  she,  too,  was  in- 
spired by  the  noble  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  and  no 
complaining  word  fell  from  her  lips.  Her  nearest 
neighbor  lived  two  miles  away,  and  the  calls  ex- 
changed between  them  were  few  and  far  between, 
for  both  led  strenuous  lives  that  left  little  time  for 
social  intercourse.  To  clear  of?  the  heavy  timber 
that  covered  his  land  required  years  of  toil.  After 
disposing  of  a  portion  of  the  claim,  he  now  owns 
fifty  acres,  ten  of  which  are  in  cultivation.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  berries,  and  cultivates 
such  fine  varieties  that  the  demand  far  exceeds  the 
supply.  The  proposed  interurban  railroad  will 
cross  the  corner  of  his  land,  and  when  completed 
will  add  greatly  to  his  comfort. 

Mr.  Burleson  was  married  September  21,  1882, 
to  Miss  Delia  Bartholomew,  who  is  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  Her  parents,  Ira  and  Julia  (Chand- 
ler) Bartholomew,  both  born  in  New  York,  are 
now  living  in  Edmonds,  the  father  in  his  eighty- 
fifth  year ;  the  mother,  in  her  seventieth.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Burleson  have  four  children  as  follows :  Ed- 
ward W.,  Grace,  Lillian  and  Harriette.  The  son, 
a  young  man  of  much  promise,  has  just  fitted  him- 
self to  take  up  a  university  course.  Although  a 
loyal  Democrat,  Mr.  Burleson  has  never  taken  an 
active  part  in  political  matters,  and  has  never  cared 
to  hold  office.  The  subject  of  education  has  always 
"been  one  of  deep  interest  to  him,  and  he,  with  three 
neighbors,  secured  for  this  community  its  first  edu- 
cational advantages.  He  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent members  of  the  Free  Methodist  church,  always 
found  in  his  place  at  the  public  services.  His  pro- 
fession and  daily  life  being  in  harmony,  he  com- 
mands the  unbounded  confidence  of  his  many  ac- 


quaintances. Surrounded  by  the  many  comforts 
and  luxuries  that  are  theirs  to-day,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Burleson  recall  those  early  years  so  full  of  the 
deprivations  incident  to  pioneer  life,  and  by  reason 
of  the  contrast  are  able  to  appreciate  the  changed  con- 
ditions that  years  of  arduous  labor  have  wrought. 


SAMUEL  HOLMES,  whose  identification  with 
the  history  of  Edmonds,  Washington,  dates  from 
the  year  1887,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
pioneers  of  the  county.  He  is  a  native  of  Marshall 
county,  Illinois,  born  June  25,  1853.  His  paternal 
ancestor,  Samuel  Holmes,  was  born  in  1818,  and 
was  of  English  descent.  Settling  in  Illinois  in  early 
life,  he  became  one  of  the  well  known  lawyers  of 
that  state.  His  death  occurred  December  13,  1902. 
Sarah  (White)  Holmes,  the  mother,  was  born  on 
Albemarle  sound,  Currituck  county.  North  Carolina, 
in  1830.  When  but  a  child  of  five  years  she  was 
brought  by  her  parents  to  Illinois,  the  journey  being 
made  with  a  team.  She  died  in  1865,  leaving  four 
children  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  wise  and  devoted 
mother.  Samuel  Holmes  acquired  his  rudimentary 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state,  sup- 
plementing this  by  a  course  at  the  private  college 
at  Henry,  Illinois.  He  then  attended  Law's  Vet- 
erinary College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  at 
the  early  age  of  seventeen.  Although  so  young  in 
years  he  at  once  began  practicing,  and  for  several 
years  also  had  charge  of  his  father's  livery  barn. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  left  the  old  home, 
going  to  Harrison  county,  Iowa,  and  there  follow- 
ing his  profession.  In  1877  he  embarked  in  the 
butcher  business  as  a  side  line,  a  step  that  proved 
unwise,  and  before  the  expiration  of  the  year  he 
found  himself  financially  embarrassed.  Closing  out 
his  interests  there  he  moved  to  Woodbine  in  1878, 
and  with  a  capital  of  thirty-four  dollars  invested  in 
a  meat  shop,  he  made  his  second  business  venture. 
Profiting  by  his  former  experience  he  gradually 
increased  his  stock  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
was  conducting  a  general  market  business,  buying 
and  shipping  stock  often  by  the  train  load.  So 
closely  did  he  apply  himself  to  the  ever  increasing 
demands  of  his  business  that  in  1886  his  health 
gave  way,  and  a  change  of  occupation  was  impera- 
tive. He  sold  out  all  his  interests  and  at  once 
started  for  the  Pacific  coast,  believing  that  an  entire 
change  of  climate  would  hasten  his  recovery.  After 
visiting  Portland,  Oregon,  for  a  few  weeks,  he 
went  to  Seattle,  thence  to  Tacoma,  remaining  in 
each  city  but  a  short  time.  Coming  on  to  Ed- 
monds he  found  a  home  with  the  hospitable  Mr. 
George  Brackett,  who  kindly  offered  to  share  his 
tiny  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holmes  until  they 
were  able  to  locate  a  claim  and  build  a  cabin  for 
themselves.  By  January  11,  of  the  following  year. 
Mr.  Holmes  had  so  far  recovered  his  health  that 
he  moved  on  his  homestead,  which  was  all  in  heavy 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


timber,  and  in  a  few  days  erected  a  cabin,  a  tent 
serving  as  a  shelter  until  this  was  completed.  The 
first  night  spent  on  the  claim  was  one  long  to  be 
remembered.  Wearied  by  the  journey  over  the 
rough  trail,  in  spite  of  cold  and  discomfort,  Mr. 
Holmes  and  wife  had  just  fallen  asleep  when  they 
were  surprised  from  their  dreams  by  the  approach 
of  an  immense  cougar  which  came  seeking  shelter 
from  the  fierce  snow  storm  raging  in  the  forest. 
Convinced  that  his  welcome  was  exceedingly  doubt- 
ful he  retired  speedily,  and  never  repeated  liis  call. 
Year  by  year  the  forest  has  given  way  to  the  in- 
vincible energy  of  this  hardy  pioneer,  and  he  now 
has  eighteen  acres  under  plow,  and  an  additional 
forty  acres  in  pasture.  He  is  largely  interested  in 
dairying,  has  a  fine  herd  of  thoroughbred  Jersey 
cattle,  and  operates  the  Deer  Ridge  Creamery.  He 
also  breeds  Durock-Jersey  hogs,  and  is  recognized 
as  an  authority  on  matters  relating  to  stock  in  gen- 
eral. 

Mr.  Holmes  was  married  in  188.5  to  Miss  Anna 
E.  Towne,  a  native  of  Minnesota.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Salem  Towne,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut. 
When  she  was  but  a  child  he  moved  his  family 
to  Iowa  and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
Eliza  Towne,  the  mother,  was  born  in  Ireland, 
although  her  parents  were  of  Scotch  descent.  She 
was  a  physician,  and  for  many  years  practiced  her 
profession,  meeting  with  gratifying  success.  She 
died  in  Bandero,  Texas,  in  1889,  while  there  on  a 
visit.  Mrs.  Holmes  enjoyed  the  best  of  educational 
advantages,  having  been  graduated  with  honor  from 
Tabor  College,  Iowa.  She  is  also  a  gifted  musi- 
cian, and  previous  to  her  marriage  had  a  large 
class  of  students.  Four  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  IMrs.  Holmes,  as  follows:  J\Irs.  Mae 
Pearl  Sweet,  whose  husband  is  now  holding  a  claim 
in  Prosser,  Washington,  but  soon  to  return  to  Ed- 
monds ;  Guy  S.,  Anna,  and  Fred.  Inheriting  from 
both  parents  many  admirable  gifts  of  mind  and 
heart,  it  is  a  family  of  whom  any  father  and  mother 
might  well  be  proud.  Fraternally  Mr.  Holmes  is 
identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge.  Number  405, 
at  Woodbine,  Iowa.  His  political  beliefs  are  in 
harmony  with  the  Democratic  platform,  and  he  is 
one  of  the  most  active  workers  in  the  ranks  of  his 
party.  He  has  twice  held  the  office  of  deputy  as- 
sessor. Mr.  Holmes  is  planning,  in  the  near  future, 
to  desert  the  present  cosy  comfortable  home  and 
erect  an  elegant  new  residence  near  the  new  inter- 
urban  line  that  runs  only  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
his  house.  The  situation  is  one  of  remarkable 
beauty,  being  on  the  divide  between  the  sound  and 
Lake  Washington,  and  commanding  a  view  of  both. 
In  addition  to  meeting  the  manifold  demands  made 
on  his  time  by  his  extensive  farm,  dairy  and  stock 
interests,  Mr.  Holmes  has  practiced  his  profession 
ever  since  stock  was  brought  into  this  locality,  and 
his    reputation    as    a    skillful    practitioner    has    ex- 


tended far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  home  coun- 
ty. Few  men  in  the  county  have  a  wider  circle  of 
acquaintance  than  has  Mr.  Holmes,  and  that  he  is 
held  in  the  highest  esteem  is  a  guarantee  of  his. 
upright,  manly  character. 


CHRIS  WILSTED,  a  successful  horticulturist 
residing  one  and  one-fourth  miles  north  of  Ed- 
monds, Washington,  was  born  in  Denmark,  April 
28,  1856.  He  is  the  son  of  Christ  N.  and  Margaret 
Wilsted,  who  spent  their  lives  in  their  native  land, 
Denmark.  The  father,  a  butcher  and  farmer,  died 
in  1894,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  The  mother's 
death  occurred  in  1899,  when  she  was  in  her  eighty- 
third  year.  There  were  nine  children  in  the  family, 
Chris  being  the  sixth  child.  Two  brothers,  Nels 
Sorsensen  and  Nels  Fisker,  live  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington. A  sister  is  residing  in  South  America.  Chris 
Wilsted  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  a  common  school 
education,  and  remained  at  home  till  he  had  passed 
his  twentieth  birthday.  He  then  determined  to^ 
cross  the  ocean  and  find  a  home  in  the  United  States 
where  the  possibilities  for  making  a  fortune  were 
far  greater  than  in  the  fatherland.  Reaching  the 
land  of  promise,  he  settled  first  in  Minnesota,  and 
worked  on  farms  for  four  years,  during  which  he 
made  a  careful  study  of  the  new  conditions  sur- 
rounding him,  and  acquired  a  greater  familiarity 
with  the  English  language.  He  then  went  to  Oma- 
ha, Nebraska,  there  engaging  in  teaming  for  sev- 
eral years.  Having  for  sometime  been  desirous  of 
locating  in  California,  he  went  thither  in  1884,  but 
found  it  far  below  his  expectations,  and  after  a 
two-months'  stay,  started  for  Washington.  Ar- 
riving in  Seattle  he  worked  there  a  few  weeks, 
coming  thence  to  Edmonds,  which  was  then  prac- 
tically a  wilderness.  Only  three  families  had  set- 
tled here  then,  and  boats  touched  the  landing  only 
when  they  carried  passengers  who  wished  to  stop. 
After  he  had  travelled  over  a  great  deal  of  terri- 
tory in  the  vain  search  for  a  satisfactory  location 
and  spent  the  $200  that  was  the  sum  of  his  capital, 
he  returned  to  Edmonds  and  worked  out  for  a  year. 
He  then  located  a  claim  on  which  he  resided  until 
in  1891  he  sold  all  but  twenty  acres  of  it,  retaining 
the  latter  as  a  home.  In  1898  he  leased  the  proper- 
ty where  he  now  lives,  and  has  devoted  his  entire 
attention  to  raising  fruit  and  vegetables.  He  has 
a  fine  eight-acre  orchard,  and  by  a  careful  and  thor- 
ough study  of  the  requirements  of  the  various  fruits, 
he  is  able  to  produce  superior  qualities  of  the  same 
that  command  the  highest  market  price. 

Chris  Wilsted  and  Miss  Anna  Anderson  were 
united  in  marriage  in  1885.  Mrs.  Wilsted,  a  na- 
tive of  Denmark,  came  to  the  United  States  on  the 
same  vessel  that  carried  her  future  husband.  Eight 
children  have  been  born  to  this  union,  Andrew, 
Chris  N.,  Fred,  Theodore,  Holgar,  Anna,  Elsa  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Otto.  The  family  is  yet  an  unbroken  one,  as  all 
the  children  are  at  home.  In  political  matters  Mr. 
Wilsted  occupies  an  independent  position,  casting 
his  ballot  in  each  instance  for  the  man  whom  he 
deems  most  capable  of  filling  the  office,  irrespective 
of  the  party  by  whom  he  is  nominated.  He  is 
deeply  interested  in  educational  movements,  and 
it  was  largely  on  account  of  his  tireless  energy  and 
enthusiasm  that  the  first  school  was  established  in 
the  locality  where  he  took  up  his  first  claim.  Sur- 
rounded to-day  by  all  the  modern  comforts  and  con- 
veniences of  life,  Mr.  Wilsted  recalls  those  early 
years  when  he  packed  all  his  supplies  in  on  his 
back,  making  a  trail  as  he  went.  Throughout  all 
the  trying  experiences  of  those  pioneer  days,  one 
friend,  Mr.  G.  Brackett,  stood  by  his  side,  render- 
ing invaluable  assistance.  It  is  but  fitting  that  such 
a  man  as  Mr.  Wilsted  should  be  held  in  the  highest 
respect  by  his  friends  and  neighbors,  who  have  wit- 
nessed his  mastery  over  adverse  circumstances,  and 
who  now  rejoice  in  his  present  prosperity. 


RICHARD  L.  OAKE,  manager  of  the  Western 
Shingle  Company  at  Edmonds,  Washington,  was 
born  in  Jackson  county,  Iowa,  November  6,  1867. 
He  is  the  son  of  W.  Royal  and  Mary  (Barrick) 
Oake,  both  natives  of  England,  who  are  spending 
their  declining  years  in  Iowa,  where  the  father  set- 
tled in  early  life.  He  recently  celebrated  his  sixty- 
third  birthday;  his  wife  is  two  years  his  junior.  Of 
their  six  children,  four  are  living,  Richard  L.,  being 
their  first  born.  As  a  boy  he  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  state,  evincing  such  a 
fondness  for  study  that  he  later  entered  the  high 
school,  and  completed  the  course  at  the  age  of 
fourteen.  Having  decided  very  early  in  life  to  take 
up  railroading,  he  at  that  age  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  as  call  boy,  and 
although  so  young,  won  rapid  promotion  because 
of  his  faithfulness  and  ability.  Six  years  later  when 
he  gave  up  the  road  he  was  occupying  the  position 
as  fireman.  Returning  home,  he  remained  there  a 
year,  and  then  started  for  the  west.  In  1887  he 
came  to  Washington  for  the  first  time,  locating  in 
Castle  Rock,  where  he  found  employment  as  a 
sawyer  in  a  shingle  mill.  He  retained  this  position 
until  1897  when  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortune 
in  the  gold  fields  of  Alaska.  The  hidden  treasures 
eluded  his  eager  search,  so  after  prospecting  for  a 
time  he  secured  a  position  on  the  Yukon  and  White 
Pass  railroad,  which,  however,  he  soon  gave  up, 
and  came  to  Edmonds.  Three  months  later  he  pur- 
chased an  interest  in  a  mill  located  on  the  Willapa 
river,  in  Pacific  county,  and  for  three  years  devoted 
his  attention  exclusively  to  milling.  Selling  out  his 
interest  at  the  end  of  that  time,  he  moved  to  Sum- 
mit, Chehalis  county,  and  made  that  his  home  for 
a  year.     During  this  time  he  biiilt  a  mill  near  Cash- 


mere, forming  a  partnership  with  F.  W.  Smith 
and  Mr.  Gates  of  Ballard.  The  business  was  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  name  of  Fred  W.  Smith  & 
Company.  On  returning  a  second  time  to  Ed- 
monds, Mr.  Oake  bought  an  interest  in  the  Western 
Shingle  Company,  of  which  he  became  secretary 
and  manager.  The  company  is  now  incorporated, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $10.5(10,  the  par  value  of  the 
shares  being  $100.  The  president  is  C.  M.  Johnson, 
a  well  known  resident  of  the  town.  This  firm  owns 
one  of  the  largest  plants  of  its  kind  in  this  locality, 
having  a  daily  capacity  of  125,000. 

Mr.  Oake  was  married  in  January,  1893,  to  Miss 
Marie  Erben,  of  Iowa.  Her  parents,  William  and 
Sophie  Erben,  still  live  in  her  native  state.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Oake  have  two  children,  Raymond,  born 
November  25,  1893,  and  Hazel,  born  March  25, 
1895.  Mr.  Oake  is  an  influential  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Politically,  he  ad- 
heres to  the  doctrines  of  the  Republican  party,  but 
has  never  had  any  desire  to  hold  office.  He  and 
his  family  attend  the  Congregational  church.  Mr. 
Oake  is  fulfilling  the  bright  promises  of  his  boy- 
hood, for  although  still  a  young  man,  he  displays 
remarkable  business  acumen,  and  is  rapidly  win- 
ning an  enviable  success  in  the  business  to  which 
he  is  devoting  the  best  energies  of  his  life.  His 
upright  principles  and  sterling  worth  are  apparent 
to  all  who  are  associated  with  him.  and  command 
lasting  respect. 


ALBERT  E.  HILL.  Among  the  thriving  in- 
dustries of  Edmonds,  Washington,  is  that  conducted 
by  Albert  Hill,  the  well  known  florist,  whose  biogra- 
phy we  are  pleaseil  to  give  a  place  in  this  history. 
He  was  born  in  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  September 
6,  1850.  He  is  the  adopted  son  of  James  and  Mary 
Hill,  w'ho  were  both  natives  of  England.  The  for- 
mer, born  in  Herefordshire,  immigrated  to  Illinois, 
and  later,  founded  the  town  of  Hillsdale,  where  for 
many  years  he  was  a  prominent  merchant.  He  and 
his  wife  died  many  years  ago.  Albert  Hill  secured 
an  excellent  education  in  the  schools  of  Blooming- 
ton,  Illinois,  and  after  completing  his  high  school 
course  followed  his  natural  bent  which  lay  along 
mechanical  lines.  While  still  a  boy  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Chicago  &  .Alton  railroad,  and  having 
mastered  the  machinist  trade,  became  an  engineer. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  accepted  a  position 
on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  Saint  Paul  road,  oc- 
cupying the  right  hand  side  of  the  cab  until  1894, 
when  he  gave  up  a  passenger  run  to  locate  in  the 
west.  He  retired  from  the  road  with  a  reputation 
of  which  any  man  might- justly  be  proud.  Having 
invested  his  salary  in  Chicago  real  estate  while 
railroading,  he  had  accumulated  valuable  property. 
Locating  in  Seattle,  Washington,  on  coming  west, 
he  engaged  in  the  wood  and  coal  business  for  ten 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


months,  when  he  was  offered  a  price  far  in  advance 
of  that  which  he  had  paid,  and  considered  it  the 
part  of  wisdom  to  sell.  He  then  embarked  in  the 
real  estate  business,  handling  city  property  in 
Everett  and  Edmonds,  and  also  some  farm  lands 
in  the  adjacent  localities.  He  met  with  flattering 
success,  but  notwithstanding  this  fact  he  closed  out 
his  business  in  1904,  that  he  might  locate  perma- 
nently in  Edmonds.  In  deciding  "on  his  future  line 
of  activity,  it  occurred  to  him  that  here  was  a  fine 
opening  for  a  greenhouse  and  conservatory,  and 
he  at  once  proceeded  to  investigate  the  conditions. 
He  was  soon  convinced  of  the  feasibility  of  the 
project  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  months  had  es- 
tablished himself  in  business.  He  has  8,000  square 
feet  under  glass  at  the  present  time,  and  will  con- 
tinue to  add  more  as  his  trade  increases.  In  the 
near  future  he  will  also  raise  hot  house  vegetables 
for  which  there  is  an  ever  increasing  demand.  He 
already  has  what  is  pronounced  the  largest  business 
of  the  kind  in  the  county,  and  that  under  his  skill- 
ful management  it  will  rapidly  increase  in  the  next 
few  years  is  an  assured  fact. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hill  and  Miss  Sarah  J. 
Clapp  occurred  in  1871.  Mrs.  Hill,  who  was  born 
in  her  husband's  native  city,  is  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Elizabeth  Clapp,  both  natives  of  Ohio. 
They  are  now  spending  their  declining  years  with 
this  loved  daughter.  The  father  is  in  his  eighty- 
fourth  year ;  the  mother,  in  her  seventy-ninth.  In 
political  belief  Mr.  Hill  is  independent,  allying  him- 
self with  no  particular  party.  Although  frequently 
asked  to  allow  his  name  to  come  before  the  public 
as  a  candidate,  he  persistently  refuses  to  even  con- 
sider the  matter.  He  and  his  wife  are  Spiritualists. 
Not  only  is  Mr.  Hill  a  man  of  unquestioned  busi- 
ness ability,  but  he  also  possesses  a  pleasing  per- 
sonality that  insures  goodwill  and  renders  him  popu- 
lar among  his  fellow  men.  In  the  promotion  of 
every  public  enterprise  his  influence  is  always 
sought,  and  his  judgment  is  relied  on  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  all  public  measures.  He  thus  contrib- 
utes materially  to  the  welfare  of  the  town,  and  is 
known  as  one  of  her  strong,  influential  men. 


OLE  C.  SORENSEN,  a  prosperous  and  well 
known  business  man  of  Edmonds,  Washington,  was 
born  in  Norway,  March  8,  1863,  to  the  union  of 
Erik  and  Maren  (Hansen)  Sorensen.  The  father 
was  a  skillful  blacksmith  in  his  native  country  till 
his  death  in  1890,  the  mother  still  lives  there  in  her 
seventy-first  year.  Of  her  nine  children  three  have 
found  a  home  in  the  United  States.  The  second- 
child,  Ole  C.  Sorensen,  received  a  careful  and  thor- 
ough education  in  the  common  and  military  schools 
of  Norway.  He  remained  at  home  till  twenty 
years  of  age,  then,  having  decided  to  seek  his  for- 
tune in  America,  he  left  the  fatherland  with  bright 
dreams  of  the  success  that  awaited  him  across  the 


waters.  He  spent  the  first  six  years  in  Minnesota, 
working  at  whatever  he  found  to  do.  Learning  of 
the  opportunities  offered  to  industrious  young  men 
in  the  undeveloped  lands  of  the  northwest,  he  went 
to  Seattle  where  he  worked  for  a  few  months,  and 
then  came  on  to  the  present  site  of  Edmonds.  Here 
he  found  employment  at  his  trade,  blacksmithing, 
in  the  various  logging  camps  of  the  vicinity.  By 
carefully  hoarding  his  earnings  he  was  able  in  a 
few  years  to  open  a  shop  for  himself  which  en- 
gaged his  attention  for  the  following  nine  years.  In 
1900  he  invested  in  a  sawmill  at  Richmond  Beach, 
but  soon  disposed  of  it  and  built  the  shingle  mill 
he  now  owns  at  Echo  Lake,  three  miles  from  Ed- 
monds. This  plant  has  a  daily  capacity  of  65,000. 
Inheriting  the  thrift  and  industry  so  characteristic 
of  the  Norwegian  people,  Mr.  Sorensen  has  met 
with  well  deserved  prosperity  since  settling  in  Ed- 
monds, owning  now,  besides  his  business  interests, 
a  beautiful  residence  in  town. 

Mr.  Sorensen  was  married  in  1887  to  Miss  Anna 
M.  Thoreson,  also  a  native  of  Norway.  She  came 
to  Minnesota  with  her  parents,  Thore  and  Maria 
Thoreson.  Mrs.  Sorensen  is  a  devoted  mother  to 
their  three  children,  Ralph  H.,  Otto  N.,  and  Edna 
Marie.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Sorensen  is  identified  with 
the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  He  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of  no  po- 
litical party,  believing  that  he  best  discharges  the 
responsibilities  of  American  citizenship  when  he 
votes  for  the  most  capable  man  irrespective  of  his 
party  affiliations.  Although  deeply  interested  in 
the  municipal  welfare  of  the  town,  he  persistently 
refuses  to  hold  office.  When  elected  a  member  of 
the  city  council  by  those  who  knew  his  worth  and 
intelligence,  he  at  once  tendered  his  resignation.  A 
keen,  practical  business  man ;  a  loyal  and  intelligent 
citizen ;  and  withal  a  gentleman  of  modest  and  re- 
tiring nature,  Mr.  Sorensen  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem  by  the  entire  community.  He  represents  a 
class  of  foreigners  whom  America  is  delighted  to 
welcome  to  her  shores,  knowing  that  they  will  con- 
tribute to  her  advancement,  and  perpetuate  her  pe- 
culiar institutions. 


CAPTAIN  WILLIAM  H.  HAMLIN,  retired, 
is  among  the  prominent  and  honored  pioneer  citi- 
zens of  Snohomish  county  and  of  his  home  city, 
Edmonds,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  founders.  His 
life  has  been  filled  with  beneficent  activity,  devoted 
to  the  promotion  of  shipping  interests  and  the  de- 
velopment of  the  communitv  of  which  he  has  been 
a  resident  so  many  years.  Born  in  New  York  state, 
September  20,  1828,  of  good  American  descent  on 
both  paternal  and  maternal  sides  of  the  house,  the 
subject  of  this  review  is  the  fifth  child  of  ten  that 
blessed  the  marriage  of  Romanta  and  Almira 
(Burnaham)  Hamlin.  The  father  was  also  a  native 
of  the  Empire  state,  whose  forefathers  settled  in 


:APT.    WILLIAM    H.    HAMLIN 


GEORGE    BRACKETT 


JOHN    M.    ROBBINS 


CHARLES  HARRIMAN 


BIOGIL\PHICAL 


Massachusetts  about  1758,  and  who  himself  was 
born  in  1800.  He  was  a  farmer  and  lumberman  by 
occupation  and  was  engaged  in  the  Michigan 
pineries  when  his  death  occurred  in  1844.  Almira 
Burnaham-Hamlin  was  born  in  New  York  state, 
and  was  there  married ;  her  death  occurred  in  Michi- 
gan, twenty-seven  days  before  that  of  her  husband. 
William  H.  Hamlin  received  his  common  school 
education  in  the  states  of  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. When  fifteen  years  old  he  went  to  Michi- 
gan with  his  father.  Only  a  year  later  fever  laid 
its  grip  upon  the  family  as  the  result  of  which  both 
the  father  and  mother  died.  The  children  there- 
upon returned  to  New  York  relatives,  and  thence 
William  H.  went  to  Pennsylvania.  For  two  years 
he  was  in  a  delicate  state  of  health.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  entered  the  grocery  of  his  brother-in- 
law,  conducted  it  six  months,  then  engaged  in 
operating  a  boat  on  the  extension  of  the  Erie  canal. 
Six  months  later  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in 
another  boat  and  for  a  year  hauled  pig  iron,  coal 
and  lime  rock  with  good  financial  success.  He  then 
purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner,  sold  the  boat 
and  went  to  Meadeville,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  passenger  boat.  Of 
this  canal  boat  he  was  captain  for  seven  years,  carry- 
ing passengers  from  Erie  to  the  Ohio  river.  Fol- 
lowing this  venture  Captain  Hamlin  built  a  boat  at 
Beaver  Falls  for  use  on  the  Illinois  canal,  took  it 
down  the  Ohio  river  to  its  destination,  and  op- 
erated it  until  1861.  That  winter  he  went  to  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  thence  came  back  to  ]\Iason  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  grain  buying,  still  re- 
taining his  steamboat  interests  on  the  Illinois  and 
Mississippi  rivers.  Mason  county  remained  his 
home  until  1876,  during  which  he  followed  con- 
tinuously grain  buying  and  shipping.  In  the  fall  of 
that  year  he  came  west  to  W^ashington  Territory, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  Seattle.  The  next  spring 
he  bought  a  small  boat  for  use  in  carrying  on  a 
general  jobbing  business  on  Lake  Washington,  and 
was  thus  occupied  three  years.  Following  this  he 
brought  his  boat  to  the  sound,  lengthened  the  hull 
and  commenced  running  between  Port  Madison  and 
Seattle,  also  doing  considerable  towing.  Those  were 
days  when  the  shipping  of  Puget  sound  was  in  its 
infancy  and  greater  contrast  can  hardly  be  imagined 
than  to  compare  the  little  vessels  of  that  period 
with  the  present  monarchs  of  the  sea,  the  Minne- 
sota and  Dakota ;  yet  they  paved  the  way  for  the 
present  fleet  of  modern  boats.  After  seven  years 
of  activity  on  the  sound,  Captain  Hamlin  retired 
to  a  pre-emption  claim,  now  a  part  of  the  Edmonds 
town  site,  upon  which  he  had  filed  about  1881,  and 
there  he  has  since  resided.  There  were  fifty-two 
and  a  half  acres  in  this  claim  and  in  addition  to 
that  tract  he  purchased  an  adjoining  tract  of  sev- 
enty-nine acres,  and  later  another  piece  of  forty 
acres.     Of  this  place  he  has  sold  one  hundred  and 


six  and  one  half  acres  to  a  Seattle  syndicate  for 
$21,300.  He  now  has  thirteen  acres  left  and  there 
makes  his  home. 

Captain  Hamlin  and  Emily  Driggs,  of  Port- 
land, New  York,  were  united  in  marriage  in  1849. 
Of  this  union  there  is  one  child  living,  James  W. 
Hamlin,  a  well-known  vessel  captain  of  Seattle, 
who  was  born  in  1856.  He  is  one  of  the  widely 
acquainted  sea-faring  men  of  Puget  sound,  upon 
which  he  has  operated  boats  for  many  years.  Cap- 
tain Hamlin  was  again  married  at  Seattle  in  1880, 
his  bride  being  Mrs.  Marie  Zindars,  the  widow  of 
Harry  Zindars,  both  of  whom  were  among  Seat- 
tle's earliest  pioneers.  Two  children  were  born  to 
the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zindars,  Edward  and 
Emily.  Edward,  who  bears  his  stepfather's  name, 
is  now  one  of  the  Queen  City's  business  men,  while 
his  sister,  who  died  at  Seattle  in  1898,  was  the  wife 
of  William  Lentz.  Mrs.  Hamlin  passed  away  in 
1900. 

Politically,  Captain  Hamlin  is  a  Republican,  and 
that  he  is  highly  regarded  by  his  fellow  citizens 
who  know  him  best,  men  of  all  parties,  is  evidenced 
by  the  fact  that  he  was  elected  second  mayor  of 
Edmonds,  and  by  the  further  fact  that  he  has  served 
on  the  council  nearly  continuously  since  the  city's 
organization.  Fraternally,  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow 
and  a  Mason  of  high  degree,  being  a  Knight  Tem- 
plar. Captain  Hamlin  has  reached  a  position  in 
life  which  is  attained  by  comparatively  few,  and 
now  in  his  declining  years  after  a  long,  useful  life 
of  varied  attainments,  he  enjoys  the  crowning  bless- 
ing of  possessing  the  confidence,  respect  and  good 
will  of  his  fellow  men  and  women. 


GEORGE  BRACKETT  of  Edmonds,  is  the 
founder  of  that  thrifty  little  municipality,  one  of  its 
leading  business  men  and  an  esteemed  pioneer  citi- 
zen of  Snohomish  county  of  which  he  has  been  a 
resident  since  1876.  He  comes  of  both  Yankee 
and  Canadian  stock,  being  the  son  of  Daniel  and 
Mary  (Connell)  Brackett,  and  was  born  in  lower 
Canada  early  in  the  summer  of  1842.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  Portland,  Maine,  of  American 
descent,  and  by  occupation  was  a  lumberman 
throughout  his  life.  Most  of  it  was  spent  in  the 
Pine  Tree  state,  but  for  a  time  he  resided  in  the 
valley  of  the  Restigouche,  Canada,  and  the  later 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  the  woods  of  Wis- 
consin, where  his  death  occurred  in  1885.  Mrs. 
Brackett  was  a  native  of  New  Brunswick.  She 
survived  her  husband  only  two  years,  passing  away 
in  Wisconsin  also,  the  mother  of  twenty  children. 
Of  these  six  are  living:  William,  Jane,  George, 
Mary,  Abraham  and  Ellen ;  the  deceased  are : 
James,  Nancy,  Daniel,  Solomon,  Johanna,  Elijah, 
Thomas,  Josiah,  Eliza  and  John,  Jennie,  Daven- 
port  and   two  who   died   in   infancy.     George,   the 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


subject  of  this  review,  lived  at  home  with  his  par- 
ents until  nineteen  years  old,  having  very  little  op- 
portunity to  obtain  the  thorough  education  he  de- 
sired. (Jn  leaving  home,  he  went  to  Maine,  entered 
the  woods,  and  followed  lumbering  for  four  years, 
or  until  1865,  when  he  removed  to  Wisconsin,  the 
vast  forests  of  that  state  first  beginning  to  attract 
general  attention  at  that  time.  The  next  four  years 
he  spent  in  the  Badger  state,  engaged  principally  in 
managing  camps.  In  1SG9  he  came  to  the  North- 
west to  exploit  the  vast  timber  resources  of  Puget 
sound,  locating  first  at  Seattle.  At  that  time  the 
present  metropolis  was  a  town  of  about  one  thou- 
sand people  and  boasted  a  single  small  brick  build- 
ing. Since  that  time  Mr.  Brackett  has  been  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  lumber  business  of  this 
part  of  the  country  and  with  its  progress  in  general, 
though  some  four  years  ago  he  retired  from  many 
of  his  former  lines  of  activity. 

It  was  in  1876  that  he  bought  147  acres  of  land 
at  the  site  of  Edmonds,  and  commenced  logging 
thereon,  with  a  view  to  transforming  the  tract  into 
a  farm  later.  Several  years  elapsed  before  the  de- 
mand came  for  a  business  center  at  this  favored 
point  along  the  shore,  but  it  came,  and  in  response 
Mr.  Brackett  platted  the  town  of  Edmonds.  He 
also  erected  the  first  mill  in  the  town,  building  it 
in  1889.  After  operating  it  for  three  years  he 
leased  it,  and  three  months  later  the  plant  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  entailing  upon  its  owner  a  loss  of 
many  thousands  of  dollars.  At  every  stage  in  the 
town's  development  its  founder  has  been  at  the 
front,  working  with  tireless  energy  and  marked 
skill  for  the  advancement  of  the  community,  as  will 
be  seen  by  referring  to  the  history  of  Edmonds 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Of  his  original  holdings, 
Mr.  Brackett  has  now  disposed  of  all  but  a  twenty- 
acre  tract  and  various  smaller  parcels  of  land. 
Upon  his  twenty  acres,  highly  improved  with 
orchards,  gardens  and  a  commodious  dwelling,  and 
commanding  a  magnificent  view  of  Admiralty  In- 
let and  its  environs,  he  is  now  living,  managing  his 
property  interests  and  farming  on  a  small  scale. 
His  hospitable  home  reflects  the  congenial  tastes 
and  sterling  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  of  its 
owner  and  host,  drawing  around  him  a  wide  circle 
of  friends  and  well  wishers. 


JOHN  M.  ROBBINS,  an  honored  pioneer  of 
Snohomish  county,  who  came  here  in  1878,  is  now 
residing  near  Marysville,  three  and  one-half  miles 
northeast  of  town,  on  Kellogg  Marsh.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  Indiana,  born  May  27,  1857,  the  son  of 
Richard  and  Jane  (Larimer)  Robbins.  His  father, 
born  in  Ohio  in  August,  1833,  is  now  a  resident  of 
Marvsville.  The  mother  was  a  Pennsylvanian  by 
liirth.  John  M.  Robbins  is  the  second  of  a  family 
of  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living.    Dili- 


gently improving  the  opportunities  afforded  by  the 
common  schools,  he  acquired  an  excellent  education 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  life  for  himself. 
The  family  having  moved  to  Kansas  by  team, 
where  they  settled  in  Wilson  county,  he  spent  the 
following  winter  at  home,  attending  school.  In 
May,  1878,  he  started  for  Puget  sound,  in  com- 
pany with  D.  F.  Sexton.  The  trip,  made  with  a 
mule  team,  lasted  five  months.  The  Bannock  In- 
dians were  then  on  the  war  path,  so  that  it  was  a 
journey  fraught  with  danger,  but  fortunately  they 
did  not  encounter  the  savages.  Mr.  Robbins  was 
employed  the  first  winter  in  sawing  cord  wood  and 
in  working  in  a  saw  mill.  The  next  spring  he  pre- 
empted 120  acres  on  the  Skykomish  river,  near 
where  Monroe  is  now  located,  which  he  sold  some 
years  later  at  the  time  he  decided  to  move  to  Cali- 
fornia. After  some  two  years'  residence  in  Yolo 
county  he  returned  to  Washington,  in  1882,  accom- 
panied by  a  brother.  They  worked  in  the  woods 
that  winter,  and  in  the  spring  leased  a  farm  for  two 
years.  In  March,  1887,  he  filed  on  the  eighty-acre 
farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  Not  an  ax  had 
touched  this  splendid  growth  of  forest;  no  whistle 
save  that  of  a  steamboat  had  penetrated  the  vast 
solitude.  Roads  were  unknown  luxuries.  Mail 
reached  the  little  settlement  of  Marysville  but  once 
a  week.  Mr.  Robbins  now  has  forty  acres  cleared 
and  in  cultivation,  and  after  long  years  of  toil  and 
privation  is  enjoying  the  prosperity  that  has 
crowned  his  later  years. 

February  11,  1886,  Mr.  Robbins  and  Addie 
Allen  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Robbins  was 
born  in  Texas  in  September,  1856.  To  her  belongs 
the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first  white  woman 
to  find  a  home  on  Kellogg  Marsh.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  1890.  In  June,  1893,  Mr.  Robbins  was 
married  to  Lennie  Teeple,  a  native  of  Canada,  who 
came  with  her  father  to  this  county  fifteen  years 
ago.  He  has  two  children,  Jessie  and  Alice,  born 
to  his  first  union.  Although  a  loyal  member  of  the 
Republican  party,  he  has  never  had  any  political 
aspirations.  As  a  broad-minded,  intelligent  man, 
and  an  active  and  energetic  citizen,  to  this  worthy 
pioneer  is  accorded  the  respect  and  admiration  of 
the  eritire  community.  In  February,  1906,  Mr. 
Robbins  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the  county 
farm  near  Monroe,  to  which  he  has  moved,  leasing 
his  farm  near  Marysville  to  his  brother  Herbert. 


CHARLES  F.  HARRIMAN,  who  resides  two 
miles  south  of  Monroe,  Washington,  is  numbered 
among  the  prominent  agriculturists  of  the  Tualco 
valley.  His  father,  Charles  Harriman,  born  in 
Maine,  September  27,  1829,  to  the  union  of 
Joab  and  Jeanette  (Hedge)  Harriman,  was  the 
direct  descendent  of  a  distinguished  New  Eng- 
land   family.      On    leaving    his    home    in    Maine, 


CHARLES  F.  HANSON 


MRS.  CHARLES  F.  HANSON 


PE'l'IOIt  lirNliKUSON 


MRS.  PETER  OI'NDERSON 


HORACE  A.  GREGORY 


MRS.  HORACE  A.  GREGORY 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


the  elder  Charles  Harriman  went  to  the  woods 
of  northern  Minnesota  and  engaged  in  lumber- 
ing there  for  a  year  and  a  half.  Learning  of  the 
wonderful  fortunes  that  had  been  made  in  the  gold 
iields  of  California,  he  crossed  the  intervening 
states  in  1852,  and  located  there,  fondly  anticipating 
the  glittering  gold  that  was  soon  to  be  his.  After 
eleven  years  of  prospecting  and  mining,  with  varied 
success,  he  concluded  to  abandon  the  pursuit,  and 
Jiaving  carefully  considered  the  advantages  of  many 
localities,  finally  decided  to  seek  a  home  in  the 
Northwest.  He  reached  Puget  sound  in  June, 
1864,  and  in  November  of  that  year  took  up  a  pre- 
emption claim  of  160  acres  in  Tualco  valley,  also  a 
homestead  adjoining  this,  using  later  his  timber 
right.  He  thus  acquired  a  large  amount  of  land, 
and  became  one  of  the  most  distinguished  pioneers 
of  this  region.  He  was  prominent  in  the  political 
life  of  that  day ;  was  honored  by  being  elected 
county  commissioner  several  years,  and  a  member 
of  the  territorial  legislature  in  1873  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  He  also  held  many  precinct  offices, 
discharging  his  duties  with  uniform  faithfulness 
and  ability.  His  death  in  the  spring  of  190.5  occa- 
sioned profound  sorrow  throughout  the  country, 
as  his  many  sterling  \4rtues  had  endeared  him  to 
all.  His  wife,  Elizabeth  Harriman,  passed  away  in 
1899.  Charles  F.  Harriman,  the  son,  was  born  in 
the  beautiful  valley  of  Tualco,  May  16,  1868.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Snohomish  county,  meanwhile  assisting  his  father 
on  the  farm,  and  later  working  in  the  woods  for  a 
time.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  he  inherited  the 
fine  farm  where  he  resides,  and  is  now  devoting  his 
entire  attention  to  general  farming  and  dairying. 
He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  detail  of  the 
■work,  and  is  known  as  an  energetic,  wide-awake 
farmer,  one  who  keeps  in  touch  with  the  current 
thought  and  investigation  along  that  line.  Two 
brothers,  Caspar  and  Horace,  reside  near  by,  while 
three  sisters  are  also  living  in  the  county ;  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Hyde,  Mrs.  Emma  Creshiel,  and  Mrs.  Ella 
Tucker. 

Mr.  Harriman  was  married  December  23,  1893, 
to  Adeline  Jimicum,  a  native  of  the  Pacific  coast, 
born  in  1875.  The  seven  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Harriman  were  as  follows:  An  infant  (de- 
ceased), Ray,  Agnes  (deceased),  June,  Ardy,  Lena 
and  Herman.  Mr.  Harriman  is  influential  in  the 
ranks  of  the  Democratic  party,  serving  its  interests 
in  every  possible  way.  He  is  a  typical  Westerner, 
keen,  practical,  energetic  in  his  business  affairs, 
frank,  generous  and  hospitable  in  his  social  inter- 
course with  his  fellow  men. 


PETER  GUNDERSON.— Among  the  men 
who  have  steadily  worked  their  way  from  poverty 
to  affluence  in  Snohomish  county,  coming  within 
its  bounds  in  pioneer  days  and  toiling  steadily  with 


brain  and  brawn  in  an  effort  to  subdue  the  land  and 
render  its  riches  available  to  man,  the  worthy  pio- 
neer, Peter  Gunderson,  is  deserving  of  a  prominent 
place.  Not  ambitious  for  political  preferment  or 
personal  aggrandizement,  he  belongs  to  the  honest 
toiling  class,  who  are  the  real  strength  and  the 
proudest  boast  of  any  community.  Coming  to  the 
Stanwood  country  in  the  middle  'seventies  when 
land  of  good  quality  could  be  had  for  from  ten  to 
fifteen  dollars  per  acre,  he  has  seen  the  same  lands 
advance  until  they  are  now  worth  fifteen  times  that 
sum.  He  has  had  his  full  share  of  profit  from  this 
advance,  and  is  entitled  to  a  full  share  of  the  credit 
for  helping  to  bring  it  about  through  his  contribu- 
tions to  the  general  progress. 

Mr.  Gunderson  was  born  in  Norway,  August 
2C,  1846,  the  son  of  Gudman  Gunderson,  who  also 
was  a  native  of  Norway,  born  June  15,  1814,  but 
who  came  to  America  with  his  family  in  1866.  He. 
lived  in  Minnesota  a  year,  then  went  to  South  Da- 
kota, where  he  farmed  until  his  demise  in  1888. 
Our  subject's  mother,  Johanna  (Peterson)  Gunder- 
son, was  born  in  Norway  June  29,  1815,  and  died  in 
South  Dakota  in  1895.  ' 

The  Mr.  Gunderson  of  this  article  lived  with 
his  parents  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-two, 
then,  in  1868.  worked  for  farmers.  He  was  thus 
employed  and  in  farming  on  his  own  account  in 
South  Dakota  until  1876,  in  which  year  he  came  to 
Snohomish  county.  Purchasing  eighty  acres  of  the 
place  of  which  he  is  proprietor,  three  miles  north 
of  Stanwood,  he  began  in  good  earnest  the  strug- 
gle for  a  competency.  The  land  had  been  partly 
diked  and  he  completed  the  process  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. To  his  original  property  sixty  acres  more 
have  been  added,  and  the  whole  have  been  cleared, 
diked  and  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
While  Mr.  Gunderson  gives  most  of  his  attention 
to  hay  and  oat  raising,  frequently  harvesting  one 
hundred  bushels  to  the  acre  on  the  average  of  the 
latter  crop,  he  is  a  believer  in  diversified  farming 
and  keeps  fifteen  dairy  cows  besides  other  cattle, 
fifty  head  of  sheep  and  a  few  hogs  and  horses.  He 
has  every  reason  to  be,  and  is,  well  satisfied  with 
the  Stillaguamish  country.  His  appreciation  of 
its  worth  was,  he  says,  heightened  by  a  three-month 
visit  to  his  old  home  land,  which  he  made  some 
eight  years  ago.  While  it  is  true  that  such  men  as 
he  would  get  along  well  wherever  their  lot  might 
be  cast,  it  is  also  true  that  he  owes  to  the  resources 
of  the  Stanwood  country,  as  well  as  to  his  own 
energy  and  good  judgment,  the  fact  that  he  is  the 
owner  of  140  aCres  of  bottom  land  worth  over  two 
hundred  dollars  per  acre.  He  has  in  addition  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  on  Eby  Island,  in  the  3900- 
acre  tract  now  being  dyked  that  it  may  be  put  in 
cultivation ;  also  some  lots  in  Everett,  and  a  dwell- 
ing in  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  ^;q)ects  to  make  his 
home. 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


In  the  state  of  Minnesota  in  1868  Mr.  Gunder- 
son  married  Miss  Betsy  Larsen,  daughter  of  Linus 
Larsen,  a  native  of  Norway,  who  eventually  came 
to  Minnesota  and  passed  away  there  some  ten  years 
ago.  Her  mother  was  also  a  native  of  Norway, 
and  she  also  died  in  Minnesota.  Mrs.  Gunderson 
was  born  on  Independence  Day,  1846.  She  and 
:Mr.  Gunderson  had  the  following  children,  namely : 
Julia  C.  Lund,  now  dead;  Mrs.  Paulina  B.  Brant, 
Henry,  Bertram,  Mrs.  Josephine  M.  Dahlgren, 
Mrs.  Marie  Holte,  Marta  Ovenell,  Elmer,  Emma, 
George  and  Ella  E.,  living.  The  family  belongs  to 
the  Lutheran  church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Gunder- 
son is  a  Republican. 


HORACE  A.  GREGORY,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Granite  Falls,  Washington,  was 
born  in  Steuben  County,  New  York,  August  16, 
1841.  His  father,  Horace  G.  Gregory,  was  a  native 
of  Delaware  County,  New  York,  born  in  1805. 
Coming  to  Illinois  in  1847  he  farmed  for  eight 
years,  then  went  to  Iowa,  remaining  till  1869,  at 
which  time  he  located  in  Rock  county,  Minnesota, 
and  he  made  that  his  home  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  died  in  1871.  Sarah  (Vernold)  Gregory, 
the  mother,  was  also  a  New  Yorker,  the  date  of  her 
birth  being  1809.  Her  death  occurred  in  Iowa  in 
J 887.  She  was  the  mother  of  nine  children,  eight 
of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  and  six  of  whom  still 
live.  Horace  A.  Gregory  was  the  sixth  child.  He 
has  two  brothers  living  in  Washington,  J.  C.  Greg- 
ory, of  Newport,  and  E.  S.  Gregory,  of  Everett.  Mr. 
Gregory  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 
schools.  He  moved  with  his  parents  to  Illinois  be- 
fore there  was  a  railroad  in  the  state.  When  he  paid 
his  first  visit  to  Chicago  that  city  had  a  population 
of  3,000,  and  had  yet  to  build  its  first  dock.  When 
the  family  migrated  to  Iowa,  he  went  thither  also, 
and  he  was  residing  there  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Civil  War.  He  was  one  of  five  brothers  who  re- 
sponded to  the  call  of  their  country,  enlisting  in 
July,  1861,  in  Company  B.,  Seventh  Iowa  Infantry, 
but  one  brother  died  before  being  mustered  into  serv- 
ice. Mr.  Gregory's  first  engagement  was  at  Bel- 
mont. He  was  twice  wounded  during  the  battle, 
and  was  held  a  prisoner  for  seven  days  during 
which  time  his  wounds  were  not  even  bathed.  As 
a  result  of  his  injuries  he  was  mustered  out  in  1863, 
but  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  perform  garrison  duty 
he  reenlisted  as  sergeant  in  Company  E,  Forty- 
Seventh  Iowa  Volunteers,  and  he  served  from  that 
time  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment. 
He  still  carries  Southern  lead  in  his  shoulder.  Going, 
after  leaving  the  army,  to  Rock  County,  Minnesota, 
which  at  that  time  had  but  five  families  residing 
within  its  boundaries,  he  lived  there  five  years,  and 


at  Louverne  learned  the  printer's  trade.  In  Octobeiv 
1874,  he  started  for  Seattle,  Washington,  going  by 
way  of  San  Francisco  and  Victoria,  British  Colum- 
bia, the  trip  lasting  three  weeks.  He  proceeded  at 
once  to  Snohomish,  then  composed  of  seven  houses,, 
a  store,  hotel  and  saloon.  The  nearest  mill  was  at 
LTtslady.  He  located  a  homestead  three  miles  nortli 
of  town,  to  which  he  was  obliged  to  build  a  road, 
but  the  next  few  years  were  spent  mostly  in  work- 
ing out  at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do,  while  he  was 
holding  his  claim.  He  moved  up  the  Snoqualmie 
river  in  1887,  and  a  year  later  settled  at  Hartford, 
purchasing  land  near  the  latter  town.  He  made  that 
his  home  for  twelve  years,  coming  thence  to  Granite 
Falls,  his  present  home.  He  assisted  in  building  the 
first  school  house  in  the  town  in  1893.  Since  set- 
tling here  he  has  not  been  engaged  in  the  strenuous 
activities  of  life. 

Mr.  Gregory  was  married  in  1864  to  Mary  J. 
Fleenor,  of  Indiana,  who  was  born  May  31,  1847, 
the  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Sarah  (Calor)  Flee- 
nor. Her  father,  born  in  Virginia  June  17,  1811,. 
was  a  well  known  pioneer  of  both  Iowa  and  Indiana. 
He  died  in  1896.  His  father,  a  slave  holder  in  the 
South,  was  driven  to  seek  a  home  in  Indiana  on  ac- 
count of  his  Republican  views.  The  Civil  War  cost 
him  the  lives  of  two  sons.  The  mother  was  a  Vir- 
ginian, born  September  6,  1815.  After  a  lifetime  of 
devotion  to  husband  and  family  she  died  July  27, 
1886.  She  was  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  Mrs. 
Gregory  being  the  fifth,  and  the  oldest  of  those  now 
living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gregory  have  two  children. 
Grant  and  Frank,  who  are  both  married  and  living 
with  their  families  at  home.  They  own  and  operate 
a  bolt  camp,  and  also  manage  the  ranch,  having  all 
things  in  common.  That  the  home  and  all  the  busi- 
ness affairs  are  conducted  in  a  perfectly  satisfactory 
and  harmonious  manner  is  a  delicate  tribute  to  the 
character  of  the  various  members  of  the  family 
whose  tact  and  consideration  for  each  other  make 
possible  such  a  happy  arrangement.  Mr.  Gregory  is 
a  member  of  the  William  Hall  Post,  Number  107, 
of  the  Grand  Army,  and  is  also  identified  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  is  a  loyal  and  enthusiastic 
Republican,  always  taking  an  active  part  in  political 
affairs.  In  1870  he  was  one  of  the  three  commis- 
sioners who  organized  Rock  County,  ]Minnesota.  He 
was  elected  chairman  of  the  board  of  commission- 
ers, also  was  clerk  of  the  district  court.  He  also 
held  this  latter  position  in  Snohomish  county,  being 
elected  clerk  of  the  first  district  court  that  convened 
in  1876,  with  Judge  Lewis  in  the  chair.  He  re- 
tained this  position  five  years.  The  ofiice  of  county 
auditor  was  his  in  1882,  but  after  holding  it  one  year 
he  resigned.  During  his  long  residence  in  Snoho- 
mish County  he  has  been  forceful  in  promoting  its 
growth  and  development,  contributing  largely  to  its 


HENRY    MENZEL 


,iE()R(..I':    MKXZEL 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


967 


prosperity.  He  set  up  and  helped  print  the  first 
paper  in  the  county,  The  Northern  Star,  of  which 
Eldridge  Morse  was  the  editor.  He  has  witnessed 
many  hard  times  in  the  early  days,  but  considers 
that  1876  was  the  most  trying  period  known  to  the 
Northwest,  surpassing  even  the  panic  of  1893.  Mr. 
Gregory's  one  diversion  in  the  last  fifteen  years  has 
been  bear  hunting,  in  which  he  has  had  remarkable 
success,  but  he  is  now  debarred  from  this  sport  be- 
cause of  paralysis.  He  laughingly  challenges  any 
man  in  the  county  to  count  bear  scalps  with  him, 
having  thirty-five  to  his  credit.  Throughout  his 
long,  busy,  eventful  life  his  one  controlling  principle 
has  been  the  Golden  Rule,  and  the  hosts  of  friends 
he  has  made  in  these  years  all  gladly  bear  witness 
that  he  has  adherred  closely  to  its  lofty  teachings. 


CHARLES  F.  HANSON,  whose  farm  lies  two 
miles  in  a  northerly  direction  from  Stanwood,  is 
one  of  the  large  farm  operators  of  Snohomish 
county,  and  has  been  eminently  successful  since 
coming  here,  nearly  twenty  years  ago.  Energy, 
tact  and  business  judgment  are  the  qualities  which 
have  been  prominent  among  the  characteristics  of 
Mr.  Hanson.  He  was  born  in  Portland,  Maine,  in 
the  summer  of  1862,  the'second  of  the  ten  children 
of  James  M.  and  Emeline  (Whitney)  Hanson. 
The  elder  Hanson  followed  farming  all  his  life, 
with  the  exception  of  the  time  he  passed  as  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Civil  War  and  a  few  months  in  the 
mercantile  business  just  previous  to  his  death. 
Until  1886  he  lived  in  the  Pine  Tree  state,  save 
three  years  of  service  in  the  Union  army  as  a  pri- 
vate of  the  Twenty-Fifth  Maine  infantry.  In  the 
year  named  he  came  to  Snohomish  county  and 
leased  the  place  which  is  now  owned  by  his  son, 
Charles.  He  operated  this  farm  until  1899,  when 
He  sold  out  his  stock  and  moved  to  Redlands,  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business. 
He  was  attacked  by  pneumonia  and  died  in  1900. 
Mrs.  Hanson,  also  a  native  of  Elaine,  died  in  1903 
while  residing  with  her  son  George,  near  Mount 
Vernon.  The  children  of  this  union  surviving 
are:  George,  Charles,  Eliza,  Emma,  Frank  and 
Mary. 

Charles  F.  Hanson  attended  the  common  schools 
of  his  native  state  until  he  reached  the  age  of  six- 
teen, but  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  For  the  subsequent  four 
years  he  worked  at  farming.  He  came  to  Snoho- 
mish county  in  1887  and  for  three  years  operated 
large  farms  near  Florence,  under  lease,  making 
oats  his  principal  crop  and  raising  as  many  as  7,000 
sacks  per  year.  In  1890  he  removed  to  his  present 
place  near  Stanwood,  and  leased  a  farm  of  330 
acres,    later    purchasing    160    acres    north    of    his 


present  home.    He  Operates  both  places,  480  acres 
in  all. 

In  1897  at  Stanwood  Mr.  Hanson  married  Miss 
Grace  Fowler,  a  native  of  Sonoma  county,  Cali- 
fornia, born  April  8,  1872,  the  daughter  of  White- 
head and  Emeline  (Peckenpaugh)  Fowler.  Mr. 
Fowler  was  born  on  Long  Island,  New  York,  in 
1S33,  and  was  a  harness  maker  by  trade.  He  went 
to  California  in  1852,  remaining  there  for  forty 
years.  Coming  to  Snohomish  county  in  1892,  he 
resided  near  Port  Susan  until  his  death,  in  the  late 
autumn  of  1902.  Mrs.  Fowler  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois in  1841,  and  accompanied  her  parents  to  So- 
noma county,  California,  in  1853,  remaining  with 
them  until  her  marriage.  She  is  now  a  resident  of 
Bellingham,  Whatcom  county,  making  her  home 
with  a  daughter.  Her  six  children,  all  living,  are: 
Alice,  Warren,  Laura,  Ellen,  Grace  and  Charles. 
Mrs.  Hanson  received  her  education  in  California 
and  lived  with  her  parents  until  marriage.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hanson  have  been  born  two  children : 
Donald,  December  11,  1899,  and  Audrey,  May  20, 
1902.  In  politics  Mr.  Hanson  is  a  Republican ;  in 
lodge  circles  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
L^nited  Workmen  and  the  Fraternal  Union  of 
America.  The  family  is  affiliated  with  the  Metho- 
dist church.  Mr.  Hanson's  farm  of  160  acres,  the 
land  which  he  owns,  is  improved  bottom  land  and 
diked.  It  is  said  to  be  worth  not  less  than  $200  an 
acre.  Aside  from  his  extensive  business  as  grower 
of  oats  and  other  farm  products,  Mr.  Hanson  is 
deeply  engaged  in  the  dairy  and  live  stock  business, 
having  forty-two  head  in  his  dairy  herd,  forty  head 
of  stock  cattle,  twenty  head  of  horses  and  colts  and 
thirty-five  head  of  hogs.  He  owns  a  J.  I.  Case 
threshing  machine  and  also  a  baler.  He  is  one  of 
the  substantial  business  men  of  the  community,  re- 
spected for  his  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  and 
honored  as  the  possessor  of  a  sterling  manhood. 


HON.  O.  B.  IVERSON,  now  of  Olympia, 
Washington,  formerly  of  Stanwood,  and  among 
that  section's  notable  pioneer  leaders  to  whom 
Snohomish  county  will  ever  owe  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude for  public  services,  is  a  native  of  Norway. 
He  was  born  September  14,  1845,  on  an  estate 
known  as  Borsheim,  Ulvik  Hardanger.  In  1857  his 
parents  immigrated  to  Big  Canoe,  Winneshiek 
county,  Iowa,  the  lad  of  twelve  accompanying  them 
to  the  new  home  selected  across  the  sea.  The  next 
few  years  he  spent  as  did  most  boys  of  his  age  and 
circumstances,  rapidly  acquiring  a  knowledge  of 
and  a  love  for  America's  peculiar  institutions,  and 
laying  firm  the  foundations  for  his  future  useful- 
ness. The  month  of  September,  1862,  witnessed 
his  enlistment  in  Company  D,  Sixth  Iowa  Cavalry, 
for  a  term  of  three  years,  or  until  the  end  of  the 
war.     To  the  intense  disgust  of  this  regiment,  it 


968 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


was  sent  to  protect  the  Dakota  and  Montana  fron- 
tiers from  Indian  ravages,  remaining  on  such  duty 
until  mustered  out  in  September,  1865. 

Returning  to  his  home  on  the  Big  Canoe,  Iowa, 
Mr.  Iverson  resumed  the  pursuits  of  peace  with  as 
much  ardor  and  faithfuhiess  as  he  had  displayed  in 
taking  up  the  sword  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Union  and  the  protection  of  the  frontier  settle- 
ments. Not  only  did  he  labor  with  renewed  ear- 
nestness and  optimism  as  a  single  unit  of  the  re- 
public for  which  he  had  fought  and  sacrificed  so 
generously,  but  he  became  a  leader  of  acknowl- 
edged force  and  fervent  patriotism  among  his  fel- 
lows. 

After  marriage  in  1866,  he  settled  upon  a  farm 
which  he  purchased  in  Iowa.  His  first  crop  was 
destroyed  by  a  hailstorm,  leaving  him  nearly 
bankrupt,  but  with  characteristic  fortitude  and  per- 
severance, he  packed  his  few  belongings  and  with 
a  yoke  of  steers  to  haul  them,  set  out  for  the  north- 
ern frontier.  At  the  end  of  a  three  hundred-mile 
journey  across  the  plains  he  took  as  a  homestead 
land  upon  which  East  Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota, 
now  stands.  He  assisted  in  organizing  Minnehaha 
county  in  1869,  and  was  elected  to  and  served  in 
the  territorial  legislature  during  the  years  1869-70. 
He  also  served  as  the  first  treasurer  and  probate 
judge  of  Minnehaha  county  and  was  appointed 
clerk  of  the  United  States  District  court.  While 
residing  in  Sioux  Falls,  Mr.  Iverson  opened  a 
farm,  built  and  operated  a  saw  mill,  burned  lime, 
practiced  law,  surveyed  government  land,  held 
court  and  collected  taxes,  in  addition  to  his  more 
ambitious  public  services,  thus  demonstrating  his 
intense  energy,  varied  abilities  and  undoubted  ca- 
pacity for  leadership.  He  was  appointed  commis- 
sioner of  immigration  in  the  year  187-i  and  as  such 
made  a  trip  to  Europe,  visiting  his  old  home.  It 
was  on  this  trip  that  he  found  Peter  Leque  and  in- 
duced him  to  come  to  Dakota,  whence  he  later  re- 
moved to  Stanwood.  The  year  1874  was  a  grass- 
hopper year,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  many  others, 
Mr.  Iverson's  confidence  in  Dakota  was  so  seriously 
shaken  by  the  disaster  that  he  decided  to  once  again 
go  in  quest  of  a  more  congenial  home.  Puget  sound 
attracted  his  attention  so  strongly  that  in  January, 
1875,  he  started  for  the  Pacific,  reaching  Olympia, 
March  10th. 

Writing  recently  in  the  Washington  Posten  re- 
garding conditions  obtaining  on  the  sound  at  that 
period,  Mr.  Iverson  gives  some  interesting  and 
graphic  information.  Indeed,  he  is  a  writer  of 
ability  whose  articles  have  attracted  wide  notice 
and  upon  which  the  editors  of  this  history  have 
drawn  generously  for  information  concerning  the 
settlement  and  growth  of  Snohomish  county. 
"When  I  first  saw  the  enchanting  shores  of  Puget 
sound,"  writes  Mr.  Iverson,  "Seattle  was  a  saw- 
dust village   with  about   5,000    inhabitants.     The 


whole  merchandise  of  the  town  did  not  equal  the 
stock  of  two  of  its  houses  to-day.  Tocamo  was  un- 
born. Steilacoom,  which  has  not  been  subject  to 
change,  was  a  place  of  importance.  Whatcom  and 
Fairhaven  were  diagrams  on  the  map  and  a  mem- 
ory. Olympia  was  the  capital  and  not  much  else. 
Snohomish  county  had  perhaps  a  little  more  than 
500  inhabitants.  Everett's  inhabitants  were  Ned 
Cromer  and  his  telegraph  instruments.  The  only 
reliable  transportation  between  Seattle  and  Belling- 
ham  Bay  was  by  dugout,  run  by  squaw  power. 
Time  required  for  the  trip,  about  a  week.  Sno- 
homish county  had  less  than  twenty  miles  of  wagon 
road  and  perhaps  ten  wagons.  The  only  reliable 
transportation  facilities  the  pioneer  had  were  his 
own  broad  back,  unless  perchance  he  owned  a 
canoe  and  a  squaw.  Few  of  the  Norse  pioneers 
were  owners  of  the  last  named  class  of  transporta- 
tion. In  fact,  when  speaking  of  our  early  Norse 
settlers  mention  of  that  method  might  altogether 
have  been  left  out  of  account.  But  they  had  the 
backbone.  *  *  *  Those  who  believe  that  the 
pioneer  is,  and  must  be,  as  a  result  of  the  strenuous 
life  he  leads,  a  pure  and  simple  materialist,  are  in 
error.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  generally  an  idealist 
of  the  purest  type.  He  loves  his  surroundings,  his 
work  and  his  friends  with  an  intensity  little  under- 
stood within  the  precincts_  of  alleged  civilization. 
He  will  risk  his  comfort  and  even  risk  his  life  for 
a  friend ;  yes,  even  for  a  stranger ;  v^^ith  less  hesita- 
tion than  a  city  man  would  lend  his  friend  a  dollar. 
The  pioneer  is  hospitable,  honorable,  energetic,  en- 
terprising and  public-spirited.  He  is  a  hero  and  a 
gentleman." 

Again,  Mr.  Iverson  writes :  "Soon  after  my 
arrival  I  joined  a  surveying  party  and  landed  at 
Genterville  (now  Stanwood).  With  this  survey  I 
went  over  the  greater  portion  of  the  Stillaguamish 
valley.  The  country  looked  good  to  me.  I  advised 
a  number  of  my  friends  to  come  and  take  land — 
which  they  did.  The  advice  was  good  (I  could 
always  advise  others  better  than  myself)."  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  Mr.  Iverson  is  credited  with  being 
the  chief  leader  in  the  movement  of  Scandinavians 
toward  this  select  section  of  Snohomish  county 
which  followed  the  survey.  Certain  it  is  that  he 
induced  scores  to  locate  there  and  was  unusually 
active  in  bringing  the  Stillaguamish  valley  into 
public  notice.  Together  with  N.  P.  Leque,  Nils 
Eide  and  A.  Danielson,  Mr.  Iverson  bought  the 
island  now  known  as  Leque's  Island,  diked  it  and 
opened  farms,  which  are  notable  monuments  to  the 
foresight,  zeal  and  courage  of  those  men.  In  1876- 
77,  Mr.  Iverson  and  E.  C.  Ferguson  represented 
Snohomish  county  in  the  territorial  legislature. 
As  a  delegate,  the  former  attended  many  territorial 
conventions  in  those  early  years,  when  Washing- 
ton's political  parties  were  "in  the  bornin',"  and 
mould  was  being  given  to  the  commonwealth's  fu- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ture  career.  Olympia  became  his  home  in  1883, 
and  there  ht  followed  business  pursuits  success- 
fully until  his  removal  to  Whatcom  in  1884,  where 
he  engaged  in  surveying  and  engineer  work  for  the 
government,  railroads  and  the  general  public.  He 
pursued  his  profession  as  a  citizen  of  Whatcom  un- 
til 18;tl,  then  took  up  his  abode  in  Seattle.  During 
the  years  1892  and  1893  he  served  as  draughts- 
man in  the  United  States  Surveyor  General's  office 
at  Olympia,  and  in  1894  and  'l895  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Queen  City  Mining  Company,  llie 
following  two  years  he  passed  at  the  old  St'anwood 
home  in  taking  a  much-needed  rest.  Again,  in 
1899,  Mr.  Iverson  entered  the  Surveyor  General's 
office  at  Olympia  as  a  draughtsman,  and  this  re- 
sponsible position  he  still  holds.  He  is  identified 
with  George  H.  Thomas  Post  No.  5,  of  which  he 
is  commander. 

In  March,  186G,  :\Iaria  Danielson  became  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Iverson.  To  this  union  fourteen  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  of  whom  seven  are  living: 
Bertha,  wife  of  the  late  Peter  Leque  of  Stanwood ; 
Frank,  Edward,  Ida,  Anna,  Martha  and  Ella.  The 
family  home  is  at  Olympia,  and  there,  as  in  bygone 
years  at  Sioux  Falls,  Stanwood,  Whatcom  and 
Seattle,  the  gallant  Norse  veteran,  faithful  official 
and  pioneer  leader  is  to-day  accorded  the  befitting 
position  to  which  he  has  attained  by  manlv  effort 
and  by  reason  of  his  rich  endowments  of  heart  and 
mind. 


TRUITT  K.  ROBE,  of  the  well  known  Robe, 
Menzell  Lumber  Company  of  Granite  Falls,  was 
born  in  Cass  County,  Missouri,  January  16,  1869. 
His  father,  William  R.  Robe,  was  a  native  of 
Adams  County,  Ohio,  the  date  of  his  birth  being 
1827.  Responding  to  the  call  of  his  country,  he  ac- 
tively participated  in  the  Civil  War,  and  while  serv- 
ing in  Missouri  became  convinced  that  it  would  be  a 
desirable  state  in  which  to  live.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  therefore  moved  his  family  there.  Nine 
years'  experience  with  grasshoppers,  drought  and 
hail  storms  with  which  the  agriculturist  in  "that  lo- 
cality has  to  contend,  caused  him  to  return  to  the 
Buckeye  state,  where  he  made  his  home  until  the  ill 
health  of  his  wife  necessitated  a  change  of  climate. 
Coming  to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1886,  he  settled  in 
Auburn.  Washington.  The  mild,  genial  climate 
having  effected  a  complete  cure,  he  decided  to  re- 
main in  the  state.  He  moved  to  Granite  Falls  in 
1893,  where  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  still  re- 
siding. She,  too,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  for- 
merly Miss  Mary  J.  Bowen.  She  is  a  descendant  of  a 
well  known  Revolutionary  family. 

Truitt  K.  Robe  might  justly  be  proud  of  his  an- 
cestry. The  Robe  family,  originally  from  Scotland, 
settled  in  Massachusetts  in  the  early  days,  and  was 


prominently  identified  with  the  famous  Boston  Tea 
Party.  Two  members  of  the  family  were  Revolu- 
tionary heroes.  Soon  after  the  close  of  that  war, 
the  family  divided,  one  branch  locating  in  Mary- 
land, the  other,  of  which  Truitt  Robe  is  a  direct  de- 
scendant, in  West  Virginia.  As  so  frequently  hap- 
pens, the  two  branches  failed  to  keep  in  close  touch, 
and  in  the  lapse  of  years  became  lost  to  each  other! 
The  best  known  member  of  the  Maryland  branch  is 
Major  Robe  of  Fort  Vancouver.  During  the  con- 
struction of  the  Monte  Cristo  railroad  Truitt  Robe 
met  the  Major's  son  who  was  the  civil  engineer  in 
charge  of  the  work.  They  soon  discovered  their 
relationship,  being  led  to  compare  notes  and  trace  it 
on  account  of  the  close  family  resemblance  existing 
between  them,  a  resemblance  which  was  so  pro- 
nounced that  strangers  noticed  and  commented  on 
it.  This  is  remarkable  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the 
two  branches  of  the  family  had  been  separate  for 
more  than  one  hundred  years.  Mr.  Robe's  great- 
grandfather was  at  one  time  a  wealthy  Virginia 
slave  owner.  He  was  a  man  of  great  strength  of 
character,  and  when  he  realized  the  injustice  of  the 
existing  system  voluntarily  freed  his  slaves  number- 
ing nearly  one  hundred,  although  he  knew  his  action 
would  render  him  bankrupt.  His  son,  William,  re- 
surveyed  several  counties  in  Southern  Ohio  pre- 
viously held  by  old  colonial  estates,  and  in  this  way 
acquired  many  small  tracts  of  land.  While  en- 
gaged in  this  work  he  was  also  actively  interested 
in  the  underground  railroad  system  by  which  large 
numbers  of  runaway  slaves  were  conveyed  to  Can- 
ada, and  thus  given  their  freedom.  Immediately 
after  the  Civil  War  he  turned  over  all  his  small 
land  holding  to  the  freed  slaves.  Among  the  earn- 
est, faithful  women  who  have  spent  years  in  study- 
ing the  problem  of  educating  the  negro,  will  ever  be 
numbered  Mary  M.  Robe,  an  aunt  of  Truitt  Robe. 
She  was  at  one  time  principal  of  the  academv  at 
North  Liberty,  Ohio,  but  resigned  this  position  to 
found  the  Camp  Nelson  school  for  negroes  located 
near  Lexington,  Kentucky.  For  twenty  years  she 
devoted  her  rare  gifts  of  mind  and  heart  to  this 
work,  delegating  her  responsibilities  to  others  onlv 
three  years  ago,  after  she  had  passed  her  sixty- 
fourth  birthday. 

Having  acquired  his  elementary  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Ohio,  Truitt  Robe  completed  his 
training  in  the  North  Liberty  Academy.  He  was 
seventeen  years  of  age  when  his  parents  became 
residents  of  Auburn,  Washington,  and  at  this  time 
young  Robe  was  teaching  in  the  public  schools  of 
Manchester,  Ohio.  His  first  position  in  this  state 
was  in  a  store  owned  by  M.  H.  Conners.  After  he 
had  clerked  in  the  store  a  few  months  his  father 
rented  a  hop  farm,  and  the  son  gave  up  his  position 
to  assist  in  the  care  of  it.    After  remaining  at  home 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


till  1889  he  and  a  brother,  A.  Campbell  Robe,  to- 
gether with  E.  M.  Stevens  went  to  Marysville,  and 
embarked    in  the  shingle    business.     Nine    months 
later  the  Robe  brothers  sold  their  interest  to  the 
other  partner.  Truitt  then  contracted  for  the  Seattle 
and  International  railroad  for  a  time.    In  the  spring 
of  1891  he  entered  the  employ  of  Mark  Swinnerton, 
of  Marysville,  and  so  satisfactorily  did  he  serve  his 
employer  that  in  the  fall  of  that  year  he  was  given 
charge  of  the  branch  house  then  opened  at  Granite 
Falls.     This  was  the  first  store  built  in  the  town. 
During    the     summer   he    located    a   homestead    in 
what  is  now  known  as  the  town  of  Robe.    Later  he 
sold  his  claim,  but    he  continued    to    manage    the 
store  until  it  changed  hands  in  1892.     He  had  pre- 
viously purchased  forty  acres  of  land  and  platted 
the  original  town-site  of  Granite  Falls.     Mr.  Robe 
also  secured  a  claim  just  east  of  town,  owning  it  for 
five  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  opened  a  grocery 
store.    A  year  and  a  half  later,  having  disposed  of 
this  business,  he  with  C.  P.  Last  and  W.  H.  Hard- 
ing built  a  saw-mill  in  the  town.    After  operating  it 
a  few  months,  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  partners, 
and  built  a  mill  for  himself.  In  a  short  time  his  old 
firm  went  out  of  business,  and  he  purchased  their 
machinery.     In  moving  it  to  his  mill  he  met  with  a 
serious  accident  that  made  him  an  invalid  for  a  year, 
and  caused   him  to  take   his   present  partner,   Mr. 
Menzell,  into  the  business.    Prosperity  has  crowned 
their  united  efforts,  the  firm  now  having  net  assets 
amountnig  to  $65,000.  A  saw-mill  and  planing  mill, 
together  with  30,000,000  feet  of  timber  constitute 
the  holdings.    The  firm  is  now  about  to  have  a  rail- 
road built  to  the  mill,  expecting  in  the  near  future  to 
extend  it  across  the  divide  to  the  Sultan  Basin,  and 
thus  open  up  a  valuable  timber  and  mining  district. 
Two  donkey  engines  are  required  to  handle  the  ex- 
tensive logging  business  carried  on  in   connection 
with  the  mills.    Prior  to  the  coming  of  Mr.  Robe  to 
this  locality  in  1890,  no  timber  had  been  cut  in  the 
triangle  formed  bv  the  Pilchuck  and  the  south  fork 
of  the  Stillaguamish  rivers,  between  Arlington  and 
Machias.    To  him  belongs  the  distinction  of  having 
built  the  first  house  constructed  with  sawed  lumber 
in  the  town  of  Granite  Falls. 

Mr.  Robe  and  Miss  Ella  D.  Turner  were  united 
in  marriage  November  25,  1891.  Mrs.  Robe  is 
herself  a  pioneer  of  the  Northwest,  having  driven 
across  the  plains  from  Kansas  to  Walla  Walla  in 
1880,  when  her  parents  found  a  home  in  Washing- 
ton. Two  vears  later  the  family  moved  by  wagon 
to  Seattle.  She  is  the  daughter  of  William  M.  and 
Martha  E.  (Hendren)  Turner,  distinguished  pion- 
eers of  Granite  Falls,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robe  have 
two  children,  Mildren  A.,  born  November  12,  1895, 
and  Doris  M.,  May  28,  1897.    Mr.  Robe  is  a  loyal 


supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  is  a  member  ot 
the  central  committee,  being  a  delegate  from  this 
precinct,  but  has  never  sought  political  preferment. 
His  family  attend  the  Congregational  church.  A 
man  of  broad  intelligence  and  splendid  business 
capabilities,  Mr.  Robe,  although  still  a  young  man, 
has  achieved  a  measure  of  success  which  is  the  envy 
of  many  an  older  man.  He  is  already  one  of  the 
influential  men  of  the  community,  holding  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  who  are  in  any  way  asso- 
ciated with  him. 


HENRY  MENZEL,  vice  president  and  assist- 
ant manager  of  the  Robe-Menzel  Lumber  Com- 
pany Inc.,  Granite  Falls,  has  been  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  milling  interests  of  Snohomish  county 
for  several  years  past.  Not  only  is  he  a  leading 
business  man  to-day  but  he  is  a  pioneer  of  the  sec- 
tion in  whose  development  he  is  playing  so  import- 
ant a  part.  Bom  in  Hanover,  Germany,  ]\Iarch  31, 
1869,  he  is  the  son  of  George  and  Lena  (Dorman) 
Menzel,  also  natives  of  Germany.  George  Menzel 
was  born  in  1831,  followed  railroad  work  in  Ger- 
many and  there  passed  away  in  1879,  his  death  re- 
sulting from  lockjaw  brought  on  by  a  broken  leg. 
At, the  time  of  his  decease  he  was  roadmaster.  Mrs. 
Menzel.  the  mother,  was  born  in  1839;  she  died  in 
1874.  From  the  age  of  six  until  he  was  fourteen, 
Henry,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  attended  school, 
then  secured  employment  as  a  farm  hand.  This  kind 
of  work  occupied  him  until  he  was  sixteen,  when  he 
joined  his  brother  George  in  the  United  States,  hav- 
ing meanwhile  assisted  the  latter  to  get  away.  Henry 
landed  in  New  York  City  September  1-i,  1885,  with 
a  railroad  ticket  for  Minneapolis  and  with  but  ten 
cents  in  his  pocket,  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land, 
hundreds  of  miles  from  his  nearest  relative  or 
friend.  From  many  viewpoints  the  outlook  was 
not  a  happy  one,  but  the  young  emigrant  appreciated 
the  richness  of  the  boundless  opportunities  around 
him  and  with  characteristic  energy  reached  out  to 
grasp  them.  Upon  his  arrivel  in  Minnesota,  he  en- 
gaged in  farming,  being  thus  employed  there  two 
years.  In  1887,  he  again  turned  westward,  reaching 
Tacoma,  Washington,  October  15th,  with  an  empty 
pocketbook,  but  filled  with  confidence  and  hope  of 
better  things  before  him  in  the  great  Northwest.  Nor 
was  he  to  be  disappointed.  At  Tacoma  he  spent  the 
first  year  in  the  employ  of  the  Tacoma  Mill  Com- 
pany.' Then  he  visited  Stockton,  California,  farm- 
ing'and  driving  a  delivery  team  during  his  stay  in 
the  Golden  state.  He  finally  returned  Northward  to 
Washington  in  December  1893,  and  immediately 
proceeded  to  the  Pilchuck  valley  which  he  had  visit- 
ed previous  to  his  California  trip  and  in  which  he- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


971 


had  filed  on  a  claim.  In  the  same  vicinity  as  that  of 
his  abandoned  claim,  he  took  another  and  at  once 
began  the  work  of  developing  it  into  a  farm.  Five 
years  were  spent  in  this  arduous  task,  during  which, 
he  experienced  all  the  obstacles  and  difficulties  and 
hardships  that  have  fallen  to  tlie  lot  of  the  Puget 
sound  pioneer,  at  last  proving  up  on  the  place.  He 
then  accepted  employment  as  foreman  in  the  bolt 
camp  of  Theurer  &  Hembridge,  and  a  little  later  left 
that  firm  to  go  with  Shaffer  Brothers.  From  1898 
to  1901  he  was  thus  employed,  gaining  an  experience 
that  soon  proved  invaluable  to  him,  for  in  1901  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Truitt  K.  Robe,  also  of 
Granite  Falls.  This  firm  erected  a  small  mill  on  the 
Pilchuck.  a  mile  Southeast  of  town  and  acquired 
nearby  timber  lands.  Success  almost  immediately 
crowned  their  endeavors  and  soon  thev  were  com'- 
pelled  to  increase  the  capacity  of  their'  plant.  One 
miprovement  has  followed  another  until  at  present 
this  mill  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  in  the  county 
and  manufactures  nearly  everything  in  the  lumber 
line,  even  scroll  work  and  other  fine  wood  products. 
The  company  does  its  own  logging,  which  gives  it 
an  immense  advantage  over  other  concerns^not  so 
situated.  This  mill  and  related  propertv  stands  as 
a  monument  to  the  untiring  energv,  progress  and 
busmess  abilities  of  Messrs.  Robe  and  Menzel,  for 
virtually  the)-  commenced  at  the  extreme  foot  of  the 
ladder  and  in  less  than  half  a  decade  have  built  up 
one  of  the  most  substantial  enterprises  in  this  section 
of  the  state,  a  business  whose  influence  is  marked  in 
the  community  at  large. 

Mr.  Menzel  was  married  January  13,  1895,  on 
the  Pilchuck,  to  Miss  :\Iaria  Carpenter,  the  daughter 
of  Ira  and  Samantha  Arabella  (Holden)  Carpenter, 
the  former  a  native  of  New  York  state,  the  latter  of 
Tennessee.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter  crossed  the 
plains  by  wagon  from  Missouri  to  Washington  in 
1880.  The  mother  died  September  1,  1893.  Mr. 
Carpenter  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventv-six  up- 
on the  old  place  in  the  Pilchuck  vallev.  Mrs.  Men- 
zel was  born  August  5,  1876,  and  crossed  the  plains 
with  her  parents.  After  her  mother's  death  she  as- 
sumed the  cares  of  the  household  and  continued  to 
look  after  them  until  called  to  a  home  of  her  own, 
obtaining  meanwhile  a  good  education.  She  is  the 
youngest  in  a  family  of  four  children.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Menzel  three  children  have  been  born :  Walter 
H..  Inez  E.  and  Josephine  C.  Mr.  Menzel  has  ac- 
quired a  five-acre  tract  just  outside  of  the  corporate 
limits  of  Granite  Falls  and  upon  this  sightly  place 
will  soon  erect  a  handsome  residence. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Menzel  is  affiliated  with  the 
Code  of  Honor,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Women  of  Woodcraft  fraternity.  His  political  views 
are  Socialistic,  though  of  a  broad,  liberal  spirit. 
In   fact  Mr.  Menzel  is  of  that  porgressive.  broad 


minded  type  of  German  Americans  whose  integrity 
persistency  and  thrift  are  so  noticeable  and  so  val- 
uable a  contribution  to  our  national  growth. 


GEORGE  MENZEL,  of  the  well  known  Robe- 
Menzel  Lumber  Company,  Granite  Falls,  one  of  the 
most  progressive  firms  operating  in  the  county,  is 
not  only  active  in  the  business  life  of  the  commun- 
ity in  which  he  resides,  but  he  is  also  among  its  real 
pioneers.     He   invaded   the   upper   Pilchuck  valley 
nearly  two  decades  ago  while  it  was  the  domain  of 
the  trapper,  barely  penetrated  as  yet  by  the  daring 
homesteader  or  logger  and  with  a  zeal  and  a  cour- 
age worthy  of  the  rewards  which  they  have  brought 
has  labored  long  and  earnestly  in  the  development 
of  that  rich  region.     Of  German  nativity  and  an- 
cestry he  was  born  in  Springe,  March  11,"  186G,  the 
son  of  George  and  Lena  (Dorman)   Menzel.     The 
elder  Alenzel  was  a  railroad  contractor  and  road- 
master  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  old  country, 
his  death  occurring  in  1879,  after  a  long,  useful  ca- 
leer.     Mrs.  Menzel  was  born  in  1839;  she  passed 
away  in  187-1:.    George  Menzel  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  land,  working  out  at  night  in 
order  to  do  so,  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.   He 
then  was  compelled  to  leave  school  entirely  and  so 
engaged  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  neighborhood.     In 
1884,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  determined  to  seek 
a  new  home  across  the  ocean  and  accordingly  came 
to  the  United   States,  eventually  reaching  Minne- 
apolis with  only  two  dollars  in  his  pocket.    His  first 
employment  here  was  on  Minnesota  Jarms,  though 
in  1885  he  acquired  160  acres  and  commenced  its 
cultivation,  at  the  same  time  assisting  in  supporting 
himself  by  working  on  railroad  construction  work. 
After  two  years  thus  spent  he  worked  for  a  time 
in  the  harvest  fields  of  North  Dakota,  then  came 
over  the  Northern  Pacific  to  the  Cascade  mountains 
and  entered  the  construction  department,  helping  to 
build  the  main  line  to  the  sound.    He  arrived  in  Ta- 
coma   in  January,   1887,   immediately  entering  the 
saw-mill  of  Hanson  &  Company.    Tliis  was  his  first 
experience   in  the  lumber  business.     Nine  months 
later,  in  September,  1887,  he  came  to  Snohomish  and 
thence  up  the  Pilchuck  river  twenty  miles,  where  he 
filed  on  a  claim.  His  nearest  neighbor  was  tw^o  miles 
away.    Roads  there  were  none  and  in  his  communi- 
ty not  even  trails.     However,  he  and  a  few  neigh- 
bors built  a  trail  a  mile  long,  connecting  with  an- 
other which  led  to  Snohomish.     These  hardy  fron- 
tiersmen paid  a  cent  and  a  half  a  pound  to  have  sup- 
plies hauled  by  horses  fifteen  miles  and  then  packed 
the  stuff  in  on  their  backs,  a  most  arduous  task. 
Once  Mr.  Menzel  packed  in,  with  the  assistance  of 
another  man,  a  No.  8  cook  stove,  a  back-breaking 


572 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


load,  but  a  necessary  one  if  they  would  enjoy  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  of  such  an  accessory  to 
their  rude  cabins.  For  four  months  Mr.  Menzel  did 
not  have  a  potato  to  eat,  so  scarce  was  that  vege- 
table, and  the  land  was  not  in  condition  to  cultivate. 
He  engaged  in  trapping  for  beaver,  otter  and  mink, 
selling  the  furs  for  what  he  could  get,  and  mean- 
while doing  all  he  could  toward  clearing  the  land. 
In  the  summer  of  1888  he  went  to  Tacoma  and  with 
the  proceeds  of  several  months'  hard  work  for  the 
Tacoma  Mill  Company  purchased  supplies  with 
which  to  spend  the  winter  on  his  claim.  Unfor- 
tunately, in  burning  off  the  land,  the  fire  caught  his 
cabin  and  destroyed  it  and  the  greater  portion  of  all 
he  had,  even  his  clothing  and  tools.  This  was  a  se- 
vere blow,  but  undaunted  he  again  returned  to  Ta- 
coma and  earned  money  with  which  to  replace  the 
lost  supplies  and  goods.  In  1880  he  purchased  two 
sheep,  a  cow  and  two  steers,  which  were  thought  to 
be  a  considerable  number  of  stock  to  bring  up  the 
Pilchuck.  Mr.  Menzel  devoted  himself  tirelessly  to 
his  ranch  until  1897,  cutting  shingle  bolts  now  and 
then  to  replenish  his  low  funds,  but  in  1897  he  com- 
menced to  team  considerably  for  others  in  addition 
to  farming,  continuing  in  this  way  until  1903.  In 
those  early  years  he  served  the  district  as  road  su- 
pervisor and  as  school  director,  helping  to  build  the 
first  school-house  in  Granite  Falls,  donating  his 
labor.  He  also  assisted  in  putting  up  the  school- 
house  in  the  district  formed  on  the  Pilchuck.  He 
and  his  borthers,  Henry  and  William,  built  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  road  and  donated  it  to  the  county.  In 
1902  Mr.  Menzel  commenced  to  take  the  shingle 
bolts  off  eighty  acres  of  his  land  and  was  occupied 
two  years  in  this  undertaking,  a  fact  hardly  credible 
to  those  unacquainted  with  Puget  sound.  Truitt  K. 
Robe,  Henry  and  George  Menzel  united  in  1904  in 
organizing  the  Robe-Menzel  Lumber  Company, 
which  operates  a  fine,  modern  plant  southeast  of 
Granite  Falls  and  logs  off  its  own  lands.  A  railroad 
spur  is  now  being  built  to  reach  this  mill.  Mr.  Men- 
zel united  with  the  Congregational  church  at  Maple 
Hill  in  1894,  but  has  since  withdrawn  from  member- 
ship in  it.  Politically,  he  is  an  active,  ardent  Social- 
ist, thoroughly  devoted  to  their  principles,  having 
joined  that  party  in  1899.  He  has  served  as  county 
committeeman,  secretary  of  the  local  committee,  and 
delegate  to  four  state  conventions.  In  1902  he  was 
nominated  on  the  Socialist  ticket  for  county  com- 
missioner from  his  district.  He  is  one  of  the  public 
spirited  citizens  of  his  community,  ever  ready  to  lend 
a  hand  to  any  worthy  enterprise,  never  shirking  his 
responsibilities,  and  commandng  the  utmost  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  The  old  home- 
stead he  retains,  which  alone  is  a  monument  to  his 
energy,  faithfulness,  courage  and  resistless  de- 
termination to  accomplish  whatever  he  undertakes. 


PETER  LEQUE  (deceased).— The  closing 
days  of  November  of  the  year  1905  were  ren- 
dered gloomy  all  over  the  county  of  Snoho- 
mish, in  particular  and  the  sound  country  in 
general  by  •  the  accidental  death  of  the  well 
known  Peter  Leque,  of  Stanwood,  who  by  dili- 
gence in  business,  faithfulness  in  the  discharge 
of  public  trusts,  efficiency  in  everything  he  un- 
dertook, unquestioned  integrity  and  inborn  gen- 
tlemanliness,  had  always  held  a  prominent  place  in 
the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 
Born  in  Norway,  January  2,  18G4,  he  had  in  him  all 
the  strong  qualities  for  which  the  sturdy  Norse 
race  is  noted,  while  residence  in  the  United  States 
since  boyhood  gave  him  a  knowledge  of  American 
institutions  and  American  ideas  which  is  impos- 
sible to  many  of  his  countrymen.  The  less  favored 
Norwegians  therefore  looked  upon  him  as  a  leader 
and  friend,  reposing  the  utmost  confidence  in  his 
judgment,  knowing  always  that  from  him  they  were 
sure  of  what  Roosevelt  calls  a  "square  deal."'  His 
American  neighbors  respected  him  no  less  highly, 
confided  in  him  no  less  implicitly.  Only  a  few  days 
before  his  death,  the  editor  of  the  county  paper 
established  in  his  home  town  told  the  writer  that 
Peter  Leque  might  have  almost  any  office  in  the 
gift  of  this  state  that  he  would  signify  a  desire  for. 

When  nine  years  old,  Mr.  Leque  came  to  Da- 
kota and  two  years  later  he  established  a  residence 
in  the  Puget  sound  country.  Having  completed 
his  common  school  training  in  Snohomish  county, 
he  attended  the  territorial  university  at  Seattle  and 
Union  academy  in  Olympia,  leaving  the  latter  in- 
stitution at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He  had  given  some 
attention  to  surveying  in  the  higher  schools  and 
shortly  after  leaving  them  he  took  up  that  line  of 
work  with  O.  B.  Iverson,  United  States  deputy 
survryor.  l*'nr  the  ensuing  two  years  he  was  in 
cliargc  (if  field  work  on  government  surveys,  but  on 
reaching  his  majority  he  took  a  claim  on  tlie  Nook- 
sack  river,  where  Lawrence  now  is.  Having  made 
final  proof  three  years  later,  he  bought  a  farm  near 
Stanwood  and  engaged  energetically  in  its  subjuga- 
tion and  cultivation.  The  ensuing  year  (1888)  he 
was  elected  county  surveyor,  for  he  had  never  aban- 
doned entirely  the  practice  of  liis  profession.  This 
was  his  first  county  office,  but  from  that  time  on 
public  affairs  claimed  a  considerable  share  of  his 
attention.  In  1892  he  was  the  choice  of  the  people 
for  assessor.  His  labors  in  the  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  that  office  were  truly  herculean,  for  he 
took  upon  himself  the  task  of  making  plats  of  all 
the  land  in  the  county  and  substituting  the  present 
scientific  method  of  assessing  for  the  old,  unsci- 
entific and  unsatisfactory  one.  Perhaps  this  was 
his  most  noteworthy  contribution  to  the  good  of 
Snohomish  county.  In  1894  he  was  elected  auditor 
and  two  years  later  he  received  the  unanimous 
nomination  of  the  Republican  party  for  the   same 


^^"^^OCj^^^/ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


office,  but,  like  the  rest  of  his  party,  went  down  in 
the  fusion  landslide  of  that  year,  not,  however, 
without  the  satisfaction  of  having  received  a  larger 
vote  than  any  other  man  on  his  ticket. 

The  duties  of  his  various  county  offices  had  re- 
quired the  presence  of  Mr.  Leque  in  Snohomish, 
but  upon  his  retirement  from  the  auditorship  he 
moved  back  to  Stanwood  and  engaged  in  opening 
up  and  developing  farms.  One  place  on  Camano 
island  and  several  around  Stanwood  benefited 
greatly  by  his  operations,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  comfortably  located  on  a  farm  of  140 
acres,  all  diked  and  in  cultivation,  on  the  river  just 
out  of  Stanwood.  Air.  Leque  was  president  of  the 
Stanwood  Hardware  Company,  which  was  organ- 
ized by  him  in  1903,  and  vice-president  of  the  Bank 
of  Stanwood,  of  which,  also,  he  was  an  organizer. 
A  life  of  strenuous  endeavor  and  a  rare  ability  to 
see  and  to  seize  opportunities  as  they  presented 
themselves  enabled  Mr.  Leque  to  achieve  an  envi- 
able financial  success,  but  the  best  heritage  he  leaves 
behind  is  the  record  of  a  useful  life,  of  public  trusts 
executed  with  faithfulness,  and  of  an  unsullied 
reputation. 

In  1886  Mr.  Leque  married  Miss  Bertha,  daugh- 
ter of  O.  B.  Iverson,  a  well  known  pioneer  of  the 
Stillaguamish  country,  now  a  resident  of  Olympia. 


ARTHUR  E.  HALL,  postmaster  of  Stanwood, 
is  a  bright,  energetic  young  man  of  that  city  and 
one  who  knows  the  needs  and  possibilities  of  the 
hustling  town.  He  is  serving  his  second  term  in  the 
postoffice,  his  reappointment  being  an  indication  of 
his  executive  ability  and  integrity.  Mr.  Hall  was 
born  in  Taylorsville,  Illinois,  early  in  the  year  1877, 
the  last  of  the  nine  children  of  Erastus  A.  and  Mary 
J.  (Clark)  Hall.  The  elder  HalL  was  born  in 
Michigan,  in  which  state  his  parents  were  pioneers, 
became  a  mechanic  and  moved  to  Illinois  in  18G4.' 
He  served  six  months  in  the  Civil  War.  Illinois 
was  his  home  until  188-1,  in  which  year  he  removed 
to  Kansas,  and  in  1891  he  came  to  Florence,  mov- 
ing thence  a  year  later  to  Stanwood,  where  he  is 
still  living.  Mrs.  Hall,  though  born  in  Indiana, 
was  educated  in  Michigan  and  grew  up  there.  She 
followed  the  fortunes  of  her  husband  and  died  in 
Stanwood  in  1903. 

Arthur  E.  Hall,  of  this  review,  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Kansas  and  Snohomish 
county.  In  1898  he  opened  a  hay  and  grain  busi- 
ness in  Stanwood  and  operated  it  successfully  for 
a  year  afterward,  then  devoted  the  proceeds  to 
completing  his  education  by  a  business  college 
course  in  Seattle.  One  year  he  passed  as  street- 
car conductor  in  that  city,  then  in  the  fall  of  1900 
he  returned  to  Stanwood  and  received  an  appoint- 
ment   as    postmaster.      President    Roosevelt    reap- 


pointed him  so  he  is  sure  of  having  years  yet  to 
serve. 

In  1904  at  Mount  Vernon,  Skagit  county,  Mr. 
Hall  married  Miss  Freda  E.  Pape,  a  native  of  Kan- 
sas, born  in  1886.  She  received  her  education  at 
Vashon  College,  near  Tacoma.  At  the  time  of  her 
marriage  she  was  only  seventeen  years  of  age.  One 
child  was  born  to  the  union,  Geraldine,  born  at 
Stanwood,  May  4,  1905.  In  politics  Mr.  Hall  is  a 
Republican,  and  in  church  affiliations  the  family 
are  Episcopalian.  He  is  a  young  man  of  ability  and 
integrity,  energetic,  popular  and  respected  by  the 
entire  community. 


DANIEL  O.  PEARSON,  mayor  of  the  city  of 
Stanwood,  and  its  pioneer  merchant,  is  perhaps 
more  justly  entitled  to  be  called  the  founder  of  the 
present  Stanwood  than  any  one  else,  for  he  named 
the  place,  established  its  first  store  and  first  served 
as  its  postmaster.  Born  in  the  great  manufactur- 
ing city  of  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  April,  1846,  he 
is  the  son  of  Daniel  Pearson,  a  native  of  Syracuse, 
New  York.  The  elder  Pearson  was  a  merchant, 
who  left  the  East  for  Puget  sound  in  1864.  He 
became  one  of  Whidbey  Island's  pioneers,  settling 
on  its  west  side,  and  served  sixteen  years  as  keeper 
of  the  old  lighthouse  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
present  Fort  Casey.  He  passed  away  in  1898  at 
the  goodly  age  of  four  score  years.  Mrs.  Susan 
(Brown)  Pearson,  the  mother  of  Daniel  O.,  was  a 
native  of  the  Green  Mountain  state.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1890  in  her  seventy-third  year.  Of  her 
six  children  only  two  survive,  Mrs.  Flora  Engles, 
wife  of  W.  B.  Engles  of  Whidbey  Island,  and 
Mayor  Pearson.  Daniel  O.  Pearson  received  a  lib- 
eral education,  being  graduated  from  the  Lowell 
high  school.  After  his  father  came  West  in  1864, 
he  had  charge  of  his  store  two  years,  then  he  sold 
out  and  followed  his  father  West,  reaching  the 
island  in  December,  1865.  In  the  summer  of  1864 
the  young  man  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army,  joining 
the  Sixth  Massachusetts  and  serving  on  the  Po- 
tomac from  July  7th  to  October  20,  1864.  After 
coming  to  Whidbey  Island,  Mr.  Pearson  followed 
farming  until  1877,  when  he  crossed  over  to  the 
mainland  for  the  purpose  of  opening  a  store.  At 
that  time  there  was  a  settlement  at  Stanwood  con- 
sisting of  a  saloon,  a  postoffice,  a  logging  camp 
bunk  house  and  one  private  dwelling,  the  last  men- 
tioned being  the  property  of  Henry  Oliver,  who 
had  taken  a  homestead  there.  The  postoffice  was 
called  Centerville.  Mr.  Pearson  immediately 
bought  a  small  tract  along  the  river  bank,  estab- 
lished his  store  and  assumed  charge  of  the  post- 
office.  Now  the  name  Centerville  is  a  common  one 
in  all  parts  of  the  country.  Mr.  Pearson  favored 
something  more  original,  so  requested  the  postoffice 


976 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


department  to  change  the  name,  suggesting  Stan- 
wood,  the  maiden  name  of  his  wife.  The  sugges- 
tion was  adopted  and  about  the  first  of  the  year 
1878  the  change  went  into  effect,  meeting  with  gen- 
eral satisfaction.  Mr.  Pearson  served  as  post- 
master until  1893,  when  his  successor  was  ap- 
pointed, the  administration  of  President  Cleveland 
bringing  about  the  change.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  the  old  town  of  Centerville  stood  several 
hundred  yards  down  the  river  from  Mr.  Pearson's 
store.  His  first  trade  was  with  the  farmers  who 
had  crossed  from  the  island  in  1872-3  and  settled 
on  land  in  the  vicinity,  and  with  the  Indians,  then 
quite  numerous.  From  this  small  beginning  Mr. 
Pearson's  business  grew  to  such  proportions  that 
he  held  property  valued  at  $100,000  when  the  panic 
of  1893  came.  When  his  creditors  pressed  him  he 
sought  to  recover  himself  by  selling  a  farm  on  the 
La  Conner  flats  that  he  had  taken  as  a  homestead 
in  previous  years,  but  to  no  avail.  He  became 
practically  bankrupt,  with  everything  in  the  way  of 
obligations  liquidated,  however.  He  continued  in 
business  but  the  profits  were  meagre,  his  estab- 
lishment being  kept  up  almost  entirely  by  an  out- 
side income  until  the  return  of  prosperity.  In  1889 
he  built  his  present  store,  but  this  commodious 
building  has  now  become  inadequate  and  will  soon 
be  retired  in  favor  of  a  handsome  new  structure  on 
Market  street,  the  main  street  of  Stanwood.  Stan- 
wood  was  incorporated  in  1903  and  at  the  special 
election  following  Mr.  Pearson  was  chosen  as  the 
city's  first  mayor. 

Mr.  Pearson  and  Miss  Clara  Stanwood,  of 
Massachusetts,  were  united  in  marriage  on  Whid- 
bey  Island  in  1868,  she  having  crossed  the  conti- 
nent to  become  the  bride  of  the  young  man  who  was 
seeking  his  fortune  along  the  westermost  frontier. 
They  had  known  each  other  from  childhood  in  the 
Old  Bay  state.  She  was  born  in  1818,  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  E.  and  Rachel  (Page)  Stanwood. 
When  a  child  she  lost  her  mother  and  after  the 
latter's  death  lived  with  her  father  until  he  went  to 
California  in  1850,  her  grandmother  then  rearing 
her  to  young  womanhood.  Seven  children  have 
been  born  to  Mayor  and  Mrs.  Pearson,  of  whom 
two  are  dead ;  the  others  are :  Guy,  of  Seattle ; 
Eva;  Fred,  living  in  Tacoma;  D.  Carl,  the  first 
white  child  born  in  Stanwood  after  the  re-christen- 
ing of  the  place,  ex-county  auditor  of  Island  county 
and  editor  of  the  Coupeville  newspaper;  and 
Rachel,  who  lives  at  home.  Mayor  Pearson  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen 
and  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is 
an  active  member  of  the  Republican  party,  and  has 
served  as  county  central  committeeman.  In  1890 
he  was  nominated  without  solicitation  for  repre- 
sentative to  the  legislature,  went  through  the  cam- 
paign without  taking  the  stump  in  his  own  behalf, 
and  was  beaten  by  only  four  votes.     In  addition  to 


his  business  and  realty  interests  in  Stanwood  and 
vicinity,   Mr.   Pearson  has  property  in  Coupeville 

and  Seattle. 


PETER  HAR\'EY,  of  Stanwood,  owner  of 
the  water  power  plant  of  the  town,  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  tiiat  section  of  Snohomish  county  and 
has  participated  in  its  upbuilding,  watching  its 
growth  from  the  days  when  there  were  no  settlers 
in  that  whole  region.  Mr.  Harvey  was  born  in 
Chili,  in  1855,  the  son  of  Johnson  and  Nancy  Har- 
vey, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Chili,  but  the 
father  was  of  English  descent.  When  eleven  years 
of  age,  in  1866,  young  Harvey  started  out  for  him- 
self, working  at  various  things,  and  finally  becom- 
ing steward  on  a  vessel.  At  seventeen  years  of  age 
he  was  in  San  Francisco  and  in  that  year,  1873,  he 
came  to  Snohomish  county  and  went  to  work  in 
logging  camps,  which  line  of  activity  he  followed 
for  seven  years.  No  settlers  were  in  this  part  of 
the  county  when  Mr.  Harvey  first  came.  Messrs. 
Carr  and  Kellogg  had  put  in  a  part  of  a  dike  and 
had  taken  up  land,  which  was  afterward  sold  to 
Mr.  Oliver.  Robert  Freeman,  Mr.  Goodrich  and 
^Ir.  Perkins  had  but  recently  arrived  where  Stan- 
wood now  stands.  When  Mr.  Harvey  became 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  took  up  a  homestead  a 
mile  from  Stanwood  and  proved  up  on  it,  but  later 
sold  it.  At  the  end  of  his  seven  years'  logging  ex- 
perience, Mr.  Harvey  engaged  in  business  for  him- 
self, taking  off  logs  and  selling  them  to  the  mills. 
He  continued  at  this  work  at  intervals  until  1903, 
in  the  meantime  handling  other  lines  of  business 
also.  In  1880  he  rented  "The  Pioneer"  hotel  and 
operated  it  for  the  ensuing  five  years.  It  was  the 
first  hotel  in  Stanwood  and  had  been  erected  by 
Freeman  &  Carlin.  He  also  ran  a  saloon  for  a  time 
in  Seattle,  beginning  in  1903,  and  at  the  same  time 
engaged  in  the  business  in  Stanwood,  but  he  has 
sold  this  out  recently.  One  of  Mr.  Harvey's  busi- 
ness ventures  was  the  acquisition  of  the  water 
power  plant,  which  he  still  owns  and  continues  to 
operate. 

In  November  of  1903  Mr.  Harvey  married  Miss 
Katie  Cherrytree,  a  native  of  Chicago,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Lewis,  born  in  1903.  Aside  from 
his  business  building  in  Stanwood  and  a  block  of 
land  in  connection  therewith,  Mr.  Harvey  owns 
residence  property  in  Seattle.  He  is  well  to  do,  an 
enterprising  man,  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  en- 
joys the  distinction  which  always  goes  with  pio- 
neership  in  the  development  of  a  country. 


IVER  JOHNSON,  a  worthy  son  of  the  land 
which  has  furnished  so  many  progressive  and  force- 
ful men  to  the  Stillaguamish  country,  and  an  hon- 


CM^<^±^lZD 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ored  pioneer  of  Washington,  now  manager  of  the 
Stanwood  Hardware  Company,  Incorporated,  was 
born  in  Norway  in  the  year  1848,  the  son  of  John 
and  Maryet  (Furness)  Hangen,  both  of  whom 
spent  their  Hves  in  that  far-away  northern  land. 
After  acquiring  a  common  school  education  in  the 
local  public  schools  and  under  private  tutors,  Mr. 
Johnson  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  also  taking 
some  lessons  in  industry  and  in  farming  at  the 
parental  home.  It  early  became  his  ambition  to 
seek  the  larger  advantages  offered  by  the  new 
world,  and  to  that  end  he  took  a  few  lessons  in  the 
English  language.  At  the  early  age  of  twenty  he 
landed  in  Dakota,  where  he  farmed  for  seven  years, 
after  which  he  came  to  Washington,  settling  at 
Port  Gamble.  He  worked  there  two  years  and  a 
half,  then  returned  to  Dakota  for  the  lady  of  his 
choice,  with  whom  he  soon  took  up  his  residence 
in  Snohomish  county.  In  the  fall  of  1878  he  se- 
cured some  railroad  land,  and  later  he  filed  a  pre- 
emption claim  to  a  place  near  Silvana,  where  his 
home  was  for  a  number  of  years  afterward.  He 
also  opened  a  store  in  the  town  and  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  President  Hayes  served  as  post- 
master there.  Eventually  selling  his  business  to 
L.  P.  Elvrum,  he  removed  to  Stanwood,  where  for 
five  years  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  D.  O. 
Pearson,  a  position  which  he  resigned  in  1895  to 
become  deputy  auditor  under  Peter  Leque  at  Sno- 
homish. Two  years  later  he  resumed  his  farming 
operations  at  Silvana,  but  these  were  interferred 
with  somewhat  during  and  after  1898  by  his  dis- 
charge of  the  duties  of  county  commissioner,  to 
which  office  he  was  that  year  elected.  He  served 
four  years.  He  became  a  resident  of  Stanwood 
October  1,  1902,  at  that  time  purchasing  an  inter- 
est in  the  Stanwood  Hardware  Company,  of  which 
he  now  has  entire  charge. 

Mr.  Johnson  and  Martha  Hougan  were  united 
in  marriage  in  Dakota  in  1878.  Mrs.  Johnson  died 
four  years  after  her  marriage.  Like  her  parents, 
Benjamin  and  Maria  Hougan,  she  was  a  native  of 
Norway:  the  date  of  her  birth  was  1854.  Her 
father  died  in  Dakota,  but  her  mother  still  resides 
there.  Mr.  Johnson's  second  marriage  occurred  in 
Silvana,  Washington,  the  lady  being  Miss  Maria 
Funk.  She  was  born  in  Denmark  in  1868,  but  hav- 
ing come  to  the  United  States  when  eleven  years 
years  old,  received  most  of  her  education  in  the 
schools  of  Wisconsin.  Her  parents,  Rasmus  and 
Kirsten  (Hanson)  Funk,  were  also  natives  of  Den- 
mark. The  father  is  now  deceased,  but  the  mother 
lives  at  Silvana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  six 
children,  all  of  whom  were  born  in  Snohomish 
county,  namely :  Richard,  February  24,  1889 ; 
Myron.  March  14,  1890;  Isabell,  September  9, 
1893;  Josephine,  August  9,  1898;  Jack,  April  30, 
1900;  Philip,  January  8.  1902.  Mr.  Johnson  at- 
tends the  Lutheran  church,  and  is  an  active  Repub- 


lican, always  advancing  his  party's  interests  by 
every  worthy  means.  His  part  in  the  municipal 
life  of  the  town  of  Stanwood  has  been  one  of  great 
importance,  as  he  was  one  of  the  organizers,  and 
an  enthusiastic  member  of  the  city  council.  Pos- 
sessing the  unbounded  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  is  in  any  way  associated,  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  man 
of  wide  influence.  He  owns  a  fine  eighty-acre  farm, 
sixty  acres  of  which  he  cultivates,  his  two  special- 
ties being  hay  and  stock. 


ANDREW  B.  KLAEBOE.— Exhaustiveness 
in  mastering  the  details  of  his  chosen  profession, 
concentration  of  his  energies,  conscientiousness  and 
care  in  all  that  he  does — these  are  the  qualities 
which  have  made  the  subject  of  this  review  success- 
ful in  business  in  an  unusual  degree,  while  these 
same  qualities,  combined  with  a  cordial,  obliging 
disposition,  have  won  him  an  abiding  place  in  the 
esteem  and  regard  of  the  people  of  the  Stanwood 
country  among  whom  he  has  lived  for  many  years. 
A  native  of  Norway,  land  of  industry  and  thrift, 
he  acquired  his  education  and  learned  his  profession 
with  European  thoroughness  and  he  has  since  de- 
voted himself  to  its  practice  with  assiduity  and  zeal, 
at  the  same  time  so  managing  the  commercial  side 
of  the  profession  as  to  win  a  competency  for  him- 
self. 

Our  subject's  parents,  Ole  and  Ragnhild  Klae- 
boe,  both  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Norway,  where 
Mr.  Klaeboe  enjoyed  the  advantages  not  alone  of 
the  public  schools  but  of  the  college  in  Christiania. 
He  began  the  study  of  drugs  at  fourteen.  In  1884, 
when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-four  years, 
he  migrated  to  America,  the  land  of  promise  to 
Europeans,  and  for  six  months  after  his  arrival  he 
clerked  in  a  drug  store  in  Baldwin,  St.  Croix 
county,  Wisconsin.  His  next  position  was  that  of 
manager  of  the  business  of  the  well  known  Henry 
Thompson  in  Portland,  North  Dakota,  with  whom 
he  remained  a  year,  thereupon  becoming  manager 
for  the  firm  of  Roberts  &  Anderson  in  the  same 
town.  He  remained  with  them  until  1888,  when  a 
desire  for  still  larger  opportunities  impelled  him 
to  the  new  territory  of  Washington,  and  it  was  then 
that  his  residence  in  Stanwood  began,  for  he  had 
soon  started  there  the  pioneer  drug  store  of  the 
place  and  the  second  in  all  Snohomish,  Lot  Wil- 
bur's at  Snohomish  being  the  first.  He  continued 
in  business  in  Stanwood  uninterruptedly  until  1896, 
in  which  year  the  Alaska  fever  seized  him  and  he 
went  to  Juneau  to  establish  the  celebrated  Occi- 
dental Pharmacy,  which  business  he  maintained 
three  years,  or  until  the  great  Yukon  rush  was  over, 
whereupon  he  returned  to  Stanwood,  organized  the 
Klaeboe  Drug  Company,  and  once  more  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  pharmacy  in  that  town.     Besides 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


his  excellent  business  there,  he  has  five  buildings 
in  Stanwood,  which  he  rents,  as  well  as  many  valu- 
able interests  in  other  parts  of  Washington  and  in 
Alaska. 

In  the  state  of  Washington,  in  the  year  1889, 
Mr.  Ivlaeboe  married  Miss  Sarah  Jacobson,  who 
was  born  in  Norway  in  1860,  and  .was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  there,  but  came  thence  to  Wash- 
ington in  1888.  Their  children  are  as  follows : 
Ragna  Marie,  born  March  17,  1890 ;  Olga  Jose- 
phine, August  21,  1893 ;  John,  November  20,  1894, 
and  Sigrid  Amanda,  October  11,  1896,  all  in  Stan- 
wood.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Klaeboe  is  a  Mason  and  a 
Workman ;  in  religious  persuasion  he  is  a  Lutheran, 
and  in  politics  independent,  voting  for  whatever 
party  seems  most  likely  to  reform  abuses.  He  is 
energetic,  wide  awake,  progressive  and  public- 
spirited,  and  none  stands  higher  than  he  in  the 
esteem  and  regard  of  the  people  of  the  Stillaguam- 
ish  valley,  a  people  who  have  known  him  for  years 
and  whose  confidence  in  him  has  never  been  shaken 
through  any  act  of  his.  An  unequivocal  expression 
of  their  faith  in  him  was  given  in  December,  1905, 
when  they  elected  him  mayor  by  a  larger  majority 
than  was  ever  before  given  to  any  candidate  for 
that  office. 

A  word  about  the  European  connections  of  Mr. 
Klaeboe  is  in  place  in  this  brief  article.  Members 
of  the  original  family  are  to  be  found  in  many  dif- 
ferent parts  of  Norway,  Northern  Germany  and 
Denmark,  the  last  mentioned  country  being  the 
original  home  of  the  Klaeboes.  The  Norwegian 
branch  moved  to  Norway  from  Denmark  in  1667. 
A  list  of  all  its  members,  generation  after  genera- 
tion, since  the  sixteenth  century,  is  now  in  the  pos- 
session of  Mr.  Kraeboe.  While  it  includes  force- 
ful men  of  former  times,  the  generation  now  living 
and  the  one  immediately  preceding  it  have  been 
especially  noted  for  the  number  of  brilliant  leaders 
of  thought  they  have  furnished.  Bishop  Anthon 
Christian  Bang,  the  present  bishop  of  the  diocese 
of  Christiania,  and  admittedly  the  foremost  man 
in  the  Lutheran  church  to-day,  is  a  second  cousin 
of  our  subject.  When  he  was  a  little  past  thirty  the 
University  of  Christiania  paid  tribute  to  his  splen- 
did talents  and  accomplishments  by  creating  for 
him  a  chair  of  church  history  and  ancient  lan- 
guages. No  less  noted  is  the  late  John  Klaeboe, 
an  uncle  of  Andrew  B.  of  this  article,  famed  for  his 
brilliant  writings  and  his  accomplishments  as  a 
linguist.  Our  subject's  oldest  brother,  Ivar,  who 
lives  on  the  paternal  estate  in  northern  Norway,  is 
a  farmer  and  proprietor  of  an  extensive  fish  busi- 
ness. He  is  very  widely  known  over  northern  Eu- 
rope, being  a  conspicuous  figure  in  politics  and 
economics.  Another  brother,  H.  B.  Klaeboe,  ranks 
among  the  leading  clergymen  of  Christiania,  while 
another,  Peder  Klaeboe,  a  graduate  of  Christiania 
University,  is  a  professor  in  a  college  in  his  native 


land.  Andrew  B.,  the  youngest  of  the  four  broth- 
ers, is  the  only  member  of  the  family  so  far  who- 
has  decided  to  try  his  fortunes  in  America. 


DANIEL  McEACHERAN,  M.  D.,  like  many 
other  sturdy  and  substantial  citizens  of  the  differ- 
ent communities  of  the  American  republic,  has  in 
his  veins  the  blood  of  the  Scotch  race,  a  race  hon- 
ored throughout  the  world  for  its  stalwart  char- 
acter, thrifty  habits  and  great  ability.  His  father, 
Archibald,  and  his  mother,  Agnes  (Stewart)  Mc- 
Eacheran,  were  both  natives  of  Scotland,  born  in 
1819  and  1827,  respectively.  Both  migrated  to 
Canada  in  early  life,  and  it  was  there  that  they  were 
married.  The  former,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  is 
still  living  on  the  British  side  of  the  line;  the  latter 
died  there  in  1869,  leaving  ten  children,  of  whom 
Daniel  is  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth. 

After  completing  the  courses  oft'ered  in  both  the 
common  and  high  schools  of  his  native  province. 
Dr.  McEacheran  followed  teaching  as  a  profession 
for  a  few  years,  then,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
(he  was  born  June  25,  1860),  he  went  to  Ann 
Arbor,  Michigan,  and  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  state  university  located  there.  In  1886 
he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and 
the  following  fall  he  opened  an  office  at  Mayville, 
North  Dakota,  for  the  practice  of  medicine  and  sur- 
gery. After  spending  two  years  there  he  moved  to 
St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  which  was  the  scene  of  his 
professional  labors  until  1889,  in  which  year  he 
came  to  Stanwood.  Here  he  practiced  uninter- 
ruptedly until  1894,  then  for  three  years  he  was  a 
practitioner  of  the  healing  art  in  Fosston,  Minne- 
sota, but  in  1898  he  once  more  took  up  his  abode  in 
Stanwood,  where  he  has  ever  since  lived. 

In  the  town  of  Stanwood,  in  1892,  Dr.  Mc- 
Eacheran married  Bertha  M.,  daughter  of  the  well 
known  pioneer,  D.  O.  Pearson.  She  died  in  1896, 
leaving  one  child,  Donald,  born  August  27,  1894. 
On  the  29th  of  August,  1903,  Dr.  McEacheran  was 
again  married,  the  lady  being  Mabelle  E.  Hatch, 
daughter  of  Frank  M.  and  Imogine  Hatch,  natives 
of  Maine.  The  father,  a  mechanic,  lived  in  Kan- 
sas for  a  time,  but  came  from  that  state  to  Wash- 
ington'in  1890,  and  died  here  March  14,  1906.  The 
mother  is  still  living,  her  home  at  present  being  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fir.  Skagit  county.  Mrs.  McEach- 
eran is  a  native  of  Osborn,  Kansas,  born  in  1882, 
but  acquired  her  education  in  the  schools  of  Seat- 
tle and  Edmonds.  In  politics  Dr.  McEacheran  is 
a  Republican,  but  his  time  is  so  completely  taken 
up  with  the  duties  of  his  profession  that  he  is  not 
specially  active,  except  to  perform  his  duties  as  a 
good  citizen.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth, 
respected  alike  by  the  other  members  of  his  profes- 
sion and  by  his  fellow  citizens  generally. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


981 


ANDREW  TACKSTROM,  harness  merchant 
of  Stanwood,  has  built  up  a  good  business  in  this 
thriving  town  in  the  decade  and  a  half  he  has  been 
a  resident  here.  He  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1851, 
the  fifth  of  the  nine  children  of  John  H.  and 
Christina  Trackstrom,  both  of  whom  spent  their 
entire  lives  in  their  native  land.  The  father  was  a 
sawyer  by  occupation.  Andrew  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  Sweden,  and  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  w,as  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of 
shoemaker.  He  worked  at  the  bench  for  four  years 
as  a  learner,  then  for  four  more  3'ears  as  a  jour- 
neyman. When  he  attained  his  majority  he  opened 
a  shop  of  his  own  and  he  continued  in  business  there 
until  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1881.  On  ar- 
riving in  this  country  he  put  in  six  months  at  his 
trade  in  Chicago,  but  in  1S8S  went  to  Nebraska  and 
engaged  in  work  on  a  ranch.  He  afterward  fol- 
lowed railroad  work  for  a  couple  of  years  in  Ne- 
braska, then  was  transferred  to  Colorado,  where  he 
remained  for  a  year  and  a  half.  He  then  returned 
to  Nebraska  and  at  Creston  opened  a  shop  and 
operated  it  with  success  for  five  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  period  he  removed  to  Madison  and  opened  a 
shop  there.  After  a  year  and  a  half  he  determined 
to  leave  Nebraska  and  come  to  Washington.  He 
settled  in  Stanwood  and  has  remained  there  ever 
since.  At  first  he  worked  at  making  and  repairing 
shoes,  giving  his  whole  time  to  that,  but  in  1898  he 
opened  a  harness  shop  in  connection  with  the  shoe 
business  and  he  has  since  continued  to  operate  both 
these  lines.  In  1896  Mr.  Tackstrom  was  appointed 
postmaster  by  the  late  President  McKinley,  and  he 
served  for  two  years  thereafter,  resigning  with  the 
intention  of  going  to  Nome,  Alaska,  but  circum- 
stances altered  his  plans  and  he  remained  in  the 
city,  continuing  in  the  shoe  and  harness  business 
up  to  the  present  time. 

In  IsM,  before  leaving  Sweden,  Mr.  Tackstrom 
married  Miss  Hannah  Olson,  daughter  of  Ole  Ole- 
son,  who  lived  and  died  in  the  old  country.  Mrs. 
Tackstrom  was  born  in  1819  and  was  educated  for 
the  profession  of  teacher,  taking  courses  in  the 
common  and  high  schools,  and  finishing  in  the  nor- 
mal school.  She  commenced  teaching  when  nine- 
teen years  of  age  and  taught  for  several  years. 
Mrs.  Tackstrom  died  in  Stanwood  in  1899.  She 
was  the  mother  of  four  children,  two  born  in  Swe- 
den and  two  in  Nebraska.  Hannah,  the  first  born, 
died  when  four  years  old,  while  the  youngest  two, 
Mabel  and  Nellie,  have  died  in  Stanwood.  The 
only  living  child,  Oscar,  who  was  educated  in  Ne- 
braska, went  to  Alaska  in  1900,  and  is  still  there, 
employed  by  a  transportation  company.  In  fra- 
ternal circles  Mr.  Tackstrom  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  He  attends 
the  Mission  church.  In  pohtics  he  is  a  Republican 
and,  elected  by  that  party,  he  is  now  serving  his 
second  term  as  member  of  the  citv  council.    He  is 


one  of  the  prosperous  men  of  the  city,  deservedly 
popular  and  influential. 


BEN  WILLARD,  furniture  dealer  and  under- 
taker at  Stanwood,  is  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the 
commercial  interests  of  his  home  town,  with  an 
enviable  reputation  for  business  ability  and  probity. 
Mr.  Willard  was  born  in  Denmark  in  1851,  the  son 
of  Christ  and  Christina  (Christenson)  Willard. 
The  father  was  an  Englishman  by  birth.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Willard  are  dead,  the  former  passing 
away  just  before  the  son  was  born.  Young  Will- 
ard attended  the  Danish  schools  as  a  lad  and  in 
1871  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Wis- 
consin at  farm  work.  In  1875  he  went  to  Michigan 
and  thereafter  he  followed  lumbering  in  the  woods 
for  about  three  years,  after  which  he  went  to  Chi- 
cago and  worked  two  years  in  a  book  store.  He 
then  returned  to  Michigan  for  a  time,  but  ultimately 
went  to  Iowa,  where  for  five  years  he  took  charge 
of  a  farm  for  a  Lutheran  clergyman.  In  1885  Mr. 
Willard  came  to  Washington  territory  and  settled 
at  Utsalady,  in  the  mills  of  which  town  he  worked 
for  a  couple  of  years,  coming  then  to  Stanwood, 
where  for  five  years  he  worked  as  a  farm  laborer. 
Dairying  attracted  him  and  he  was  engaged  in  that 
line  on  his  own  account  at  Stanwood  for  eight 
years.  He  also  took  charge  of  the  wharf  in  Stan- 
wood ten  years  ago.  In  1890  he  closed  up  his 
dairy  business  and  in  company  with  B.  Lien  en- 
gaged in  the  furniture  business,  an  undertaking  es- 
tablishment being  run  in  connection  therewith.  The 
partnership  continued  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  Mr.  Willard  bought  out  Mr.  Lien,  and  he  has 
since  operated  the  business  alone. 

In  1884  in  Story  county,  Iowa,  Mr.  Willard  mar- 
ried Miss  Margaret  Skorpen,  daughter  of  Sorn  H. 
and  Katherina  Skorpen.  The  mother  died  in  this 
state,  but  the  father,  a  mechanic,  is  still  living  in 
Iowa.  Mrs.  Willard  was  born  in  Norway  and  re- 
ceived her  education  there,  coming  to  Iowa  when 
she  was  twenty  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Will- 
ard have  six  children :  Christine,  born  in  Iowa  in 
1885,  a  graduate  of  the  Whatcom  Normal  School, 
and  a  teacher  by  profession ;  Sophia,  Anna,  Mattie, 
Alf  and  Bennie,  all  of  whom  but  the  first  were  born 
after  the  parents  had  left  Iowa.  In  politics  Mr. 
Willard  is  a  Democrat,  and  he  is  a  Lutheran  in 
church  relations.  Aside  from  his  mercantile  busi- 
ness he  has  an  interest  in  the  telephone  company. 
He  is  an  enterprising  inan,  of  ripe  experience  and 
of  force  of  character,  and  he  is  highly  respected  by 
all  members  of  the  community. 


WILLIAM  CONNERS,  the  popular  proprietor 
of  the  Palace  hotel  in  Stanwood,  of  which  city  he 
is   one   of   the   most    energetic   and    public-spirited; 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


citizens,  was  born  in  Maine,  on  the  2d  of  August, 
1862,  the  second  of  the  five  children  of  John  and 
Phoebe  (Kelley)  Conners.  Of  these  the  former 
was  a  woodsman  by  occupation.  He  came  to  Wash- 
ington territory  in  1862,  and  for  two  years  was  en- 
gaged in  driving  team  at  Port  Gamble,  then  he  re- 
turned to  the  Pine  Tree  state,  from  which,  however, 
he  came  once  more  to  Washington  in  18?5,  once 
more  accepting  employment  at  Port  Gamble.  He 
died  at  the  home  of  his  son,  William,  in  1904.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Maine,  and 
passed  her  entire  life  in  that  state. 

William  Conners,  of  this  article,  attended  the 
local  schools  of  his  native  commonwealth  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  fifteen,  then  yielding  to  his  long- 
ing for  a  life  on  the  ocean  wave,  he  went  to  sea 
and  thereafter  until  1881  he  was  employed  con- 
tinuously on  vessels  plying  between  Atlantic  coast 
ports.  The  same  adventurous  spirit  which  had 
made  him  desire  the  life  of  a  sailor  then  led  him  to 
the  "wild  and  woolly"  West,  and  in  the  fall  of  1881 
he  became  a  resident  of  the  Queen  City  of  Wash- 
ington. Shortly  after  his  arrival  he  accepted  em- 
ployment in  the  woods  of  Snohomish  county,  and 
in  1882  he  established  headquarters  at  Stanwood, 
from  which  point  he  has  operated  almost  continu- 
ously since,  though  for  four  years  from  1897  he 
"was  engaged  in  mining  in  the  Klondyke  region. 
On  his  return  in  1901  he  bought  the  Hotel  Gilpat- 
ric,  in  Stanwood,  which  he  has  since  operated  un- 
der the  name  of  the  Palace  hotel.  It  has  become, 
under  his  skillful,  energetic  management,  one  of 
the  most  popular  stopping  places  of  the  Puget 
sound  country,  the  Stanwood  home  of  most  of  the 
traveling  men  who  make  that  point. 

In  1881  in  the  town  of  Stanwood,  Mr.  Conners 
married  Miss  Martha  Hewitt,  whose  parents,  Will- 
iam and  Susan  (Ellsworth)  Hewitt,  drove  from 
Iowa  to  Washington  in  1881  and  are  now  residents 
of  Idaho.  Mrs.  Conners  was  born  in  Iowa  in  1866 
and  received  her  education  there,  but  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  came  westward,  accompanying  her  parents 
on  the  transcontinental  trip  by  team  just  referred 
to.  She  died  in  Stanwood  in  1896,  leaving  four 
children,  namely  :  Mrs.  Grue  Logan,  now  in  Idaho ; 
Ernest,  Lindy  and  Arthur. 

In  Seattle  in  1902  Mr.  Conners  was  again  mar- 
ried, the  lady  being  Miss  Cora,  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Eliza  (Aubrey)  MiUiorn.  Her  father,  who  in 
■early  life  followed  wheelwrighting  in  Virginia, 
-crossed  the  plains  to  California  in  1849  and  fol- 
lowed mining  in  the  Golden  state  for  a  time,  then 
look  up  a  donation  claim  in  Lane  county,  Oregon, 
on  a  part  of  which  Junction  City  now  stands.  For 
a  number  of  years  afterward  he  worked  at  his  trade 
there,  but  being  now  seventy-seven  years  old,  he 
is  living  in  quiet  retirement  at  Junction  City.  Mrs. 
Conners  was  born  in  Oregon  and  was  educated  in 
the  excellent  public  schools  of  that  state.     In  poli- 


tics Mr.  Conners  is  a  Republican,  but  he  has  never 
manifested  an  ambition  for  personal  preferment  at 
the  hands  of  his  party,  though  he  has  always  taken 
an  interest  in  its  doings  and  welfare  and  watched, 
as  a  good  citizen  should,  over  matters  of  public 
concern. 


FRANCIS  H.  HANCOCK  (deceased)  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Puget  sound,  a  man  of  the 
highest  integrity.  He  was  of  the  old  school  of 
Christian  gentlemen  who  carried  their  principles 
into  their  work  and  who  never  worked  without 
principle.  Though  a  resident  of  Stanwood  at  the 
time  of  his  death  and  a  pioneer  of  this  part  of  the 
state,  Mr.  Hancock  began  life  in  Mrginia.  He  was 
born  on  May  Day  of  1826,  the  son  of  Justice  and 
Harriette  (Smith)  Hancock,  well  known  in  their 
day  and  generatioii.  They  were  the  parents  of  six 
children,  Daniel,  Mary,  Martha,  Samuel,  Allan  and 
Francis.  The  parents  died  when  Francis  was  very 
young.  He  received  his  education  in  his  native 
state  and  lived  there  until  1857,  when,  at  the  age 
of  thirty-one  years,  he  removed  to  Missouri,  where 
he  remained  as  a  farmer  until  coming  to  Whidby 
Island  in  1862.  The  trip  was  made  across  the 
plains  by  ox-team  and  the  Hancock  wagon  was  one 
of  a  train  of  seven  which  banded  together  and  ac- 
complished the  long  and  tedious  journey  between 
May  6th  and  November  11th.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Han- 
cock passed  their  first  winter  in  Crockett's  cabin 
and  took  up  a  homestead  on  the  island  where  they 
lived  a  short  time.  They  then  moved  to  the  Stilla- 
guamish  flats  and  lived  there  until,  in  1892,  Mr. 
Hancock  retired  from  active  business  life  and  re- 
moved to  Stanwood,  where  he  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  days.  When  Mr.  Hancock  settled  on  the 
flats  the  practice  of  diking  the  land  had  not  been 
commenced  there,  but  he  went  to  work  at  once  and 
soon  had  his  entire  holdings  of  160  acres  under 
dike. 

In  1853,  before  leaving  Virginia,  Mr.  Hancock 
married  Miss  Hester  A.  Hewett,  the  ceremony  be- 
ing performed  on  the  27th  of  July.  Mrs.  Han- 
cock's parents  were  Henry  and  Jemima  (Howard) 
Hancock,  native  Virginians  and  parents  of  ten 
children,  three  of  whom,  James,  Ellen  and  Bolin, 
have  passed  away.  The  living  are  Hezekiah,  Mrs. 
Hancock,  Auslum,  Ambrose,  Elizabeth,  Alice  and 
George.  Mrs.  Hancock  was  born  on  the  19th  of 
March,  1834,  and  lived  with  her  parents  until  her 
marriage,  receiving  her  education  in  the  schools  of 
the  Old  Dominion.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hancock 
were  born  nine  children,  three  of  whom  have  died, 
Mary  J.,  Frank,  and  Oden.  The  living  are :  Mrs. 
Annie  Libby,  Mrs.  Martha  Scott,  Samuel  H.,  John 
T.,  Charles  E.,  and  Richard.  In  politics  Mr.  Han- 
cock was  a  Democrat.  He  was  a  Methodist  in 
church  affiliations  and  a  faithful  member,  as  is  also 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


985 


Mrs.  Hancock.  The  home  farm  consists  of  160 
acres  of  bottom  laifd  on  the  Stillaguamish  and  two 
acres  in  Stanwood  with  a  seven- room  cottage. 

Concerning  the  death  of  Mr.  Hancock,  a  pio- 
neer of  the  Pacific  coast  who  settled  here  forty- 
two  years  ago,  the  following  is  appended  from  the 
Stanwood  Tidings  in  its  issue  of  February  5,  1904: 
"It  is  with  feelings  of  the  deepest  regret  that  we 
record  the  passing  away  on  Thursday,  February  4, 
1904,  at  9:50  p.  m.,  of  one  of  Stanwood"s  best 
known  and  honored  citizens,  Mr.  Francis  H.  Han- 
cock, at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  Mr. 
Hancock's  illness  was  comparatively  of  short  dura- 
tion, but  from  the  first  but  little  hope  was  enter- 
tained that  he  would  recover  on  account  of  his 
advanced  age.  For  days  the  Hancock  home  was 
flooded  with  anxious  inquiries  from  friends  and 
neighbors,  but  the  answer  was  always  discouraging, 
and  on  Thursday  evening  he  drew  his  last  breath. 
Death  came  peacefully  to  him  who  had  lived  a  long 
and  beautiful  Christian  life.  Always  jovial  and 
happy,  his  jokes  and  stories  of  his  experiences,  and 
reminiscences  of  early  days  on  the  coast,  made  him 
a  prime  favorite  with  old  and  young  alike.  Francis 
H.  Hancock  was  born  in  Bedford  county,  \'irginia, 
May  1,  ]S'?().  He  came  from  an  old  and  distin- 
guished family  of  that  state,  his  grandfather.  Col- 
onel Samuel  Hancock,  having  fought  with  distinc- 
tion in  the  Revolutionary  War.  On  July  27,  1853, 
he  married  Hester  A.  Hewett,  a  lady  of  excellent 
family,  being  a  direct  descendant  of  Lord  Walden, 
an  luiglish  nobleman,  and  also  a  relative  of  General 
Stonewall  Jackson.  Four  years  after  their  mar- 
riage, ]So7,  they  moved  to  Missouri,  where  they 
lived  for  five  years.  In  the  }-ear  18G5,  jNIr.  Han- 
cock, having  imbibed  the  spirit  of  "Westward,  ho!' 
decided  to  push  further  into  that  wonderland  so 
full  of  rich  promise  to  one  who  possessed  so  en- 
tirely as  he  did  that  unconquerable,  optimistic,  un- 
dying S]Mrit  that  does  things,  and  knows  no  such 
thing  as  defeat,  and  so  on  the  5th  day  of  May  he 
began  that  arduous  journey  across  desert  and  plain, 
mountains  and  streams,  to  the  faraway  'Oregon 
country.'  After  a  long  six  months  of  hardships  in- 
cident to  the  journey  across  the  plains,  following 
trails  and  pdorly  marked  roads  through  a  country 
infested  with  a  treacherous  and  bloodthirsty  race, 
they  finally  landed  at  their  destination,  Whidby  Isl- 
and, on  tile  11th  day  of  November,  IS&i.  Here 
they  resided  for  eight  years,  and  then  they  moved 
to  the  Stillaguamish  flats,  where  they  lived  con- 
tinuously until  1892,  when  they  moved  to  Stan- 
wood, where  they  have  resided  ever  since.  During 
these  years  Mr.  Hancock  gathered  together  a  com- 
fortable fortune  and  during  the  declining  years  of 
his  life  was  able  to  take  life  easy,  and  in  a  com- 
fortable home  in  Stanwood  lived  happily  with  his 
wife  and  granddaughter,  Edna.  He  leaves,  be- 
sides a  wife,  six  children :    Mrs.  Anna  Libby,  Mrs. 


Martha  Scott,  Samuel  Hancock,  John  Hancock, 
Charles  Hancock,  Richard  Hancock,  and  Frank 
Hancock,  all  of  whom  reside  in  and  around  Stan- 
wood, and  who,  together  with  their  families,  were 
present  at  his  bedside  during  his  last  moments. 
The  funeral  services  were  held  in  the  Methodist 
church  at  Stanwood,  Sunday  morning  following 
his  death,  and  were  conducted  by  Rev.  E.  B.  Reese, 
the  pastor." 

Jilrs.  Hancock  passed  away  in  February,  1906, 


REV.  HELGE  M.  TJERNAGEL,  pastor  of 
the  Lutheran  church  at  Stanwood,  is  one  of  the 
forces  for  good  in  the  community,  bringing  to  his 
work  as  clergyman  the  ripe  scholarship  of  a  colle- 
gian and  an  understanding  of  human  nature  ob- 
tained by  contact  with  men  of  the  hustling  busi- 
ness world.  Although  Mr.  Tjernagel  has  been  in 
Stanwood  but  a  comparatively  short  time,  he  had. 
made  for  himself  a  niche  in  the  community  from 
which  emanates  a  quiet  but  none  the  less  effective 
influence  over  his  fellow  men.  Mr.  Tjernagel  was 
born  in  Iowa,  May  23,  1871,  one  of  the  seven  chil- 
dren of  Ole  A.  and  Martha  (Anderson)  Tjernagel,. 
natives  of  Norway,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
early  in  life.  The  elder  Tjernagel  settled  in  Illi- 
nois in  1856  and  remained  there  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  nine  years,  going  then  to  Iowa,  where  he 
is  still  living.  Mrs.  Tjernagel  came  to  Illinois 
when  twelve  years  of  age,  and  passed  her  life  un- 
til marriage  with  her  parents.  One  of  her  daugh- 
ters, Bertha,  died,  and  her  seven  living  children 
are  as  follows :  Lewis  J.,  Peter  G.,  Nehemias, 
Martin  O.,  Gustave  A.,  Helge  M.,  and  Bertha  C, 
the  last  mentioned  bearing  the  name  of  her  de- 
ceased elder  sister.  Helge  M.  Tjernagel,  on  the 
completion  of  the  Iowa  common  school  course,  en- 
tered Luther  college  at  Decorah,  Iowa,  at  the  age 
of  seventeen,  having  in  mind  at  that  time  a  career 
as  a  clergyman.  He  completed  the  course  in  six 
years,  then  taught  school  for  two  years  at  Albert 
Lea,  Minnesota.  In  1899  he  entered  the  Lutheran 
Theological  Seminary  at  Hamlin,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1902.  He  came  to  Stanwood  in 
March  of  that  year  and  took  charge  of  the  church, 
succeeding  Rev.  L.  E.  Foss,  now  of  Everett. 

In  June  of  1904,  Mr.  Tjernagel  married  Miss 
Anna  Brue,  daughter  of  Andrew  J.  and  Helena 
(Berge)  Brue,  natives  of  Norway,  who  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1872  and  six  years  later  re- 
moved from  Minnesota  to  Snohomish  county, 
where  they  have  since  lived.  Mrs.  Tjernagel  was 
born  in  Stanwood  in  1882  and  received  her  early 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  her  native  town, 
later  completing  her  studies  at  the  Pacific  Lutheran 
Academy  at  Tacoma.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tjernagel 
have  one  child,  Olaf  A.,  born  in  Stanwood  on  the 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


7th  of  June,  1905.  In  his  pohtical  views  Mr.  Tjer- 
nagel  is  a  Repubhcan.  Since  assuming  the  work  of 
leader  of  the  Stanwood  Lutheran  church,  Mr. 
Tjernagel  has  impressed  himself  on  the  spiritual 
life  of  the  community  in  general,  proving  himself  a 
strong  man  in  his  work.  His  gifts  of  mind  and 
heart  are  such  that  he  enters  into  the  religious  life 
of  his  home  city  with  a  fervor  and  power  which 
makes  him  one  of  the  strongest  influences  for  good 
that  the  city  has  known.  He  is  beloved  by  the  mem- 
bers of  his  flock  and  is  admired  and  esteemed  by 
those  who  are  not  in  common  with  him  on  relig- 
ious and  denominational  matters — a  man  of  quiet 
aggressiveness,  of  pronounced  views  on  moral 
questions  and  of  broad  culture  and  refinement. 


GARDNER  GOODRICH,  farmer,  stock  raiser, 
dairyman  and  fruit  grower  southeast  of  Stanwood, 
is  one  of  the  grand  pioneer  characters  of  the  entire 
Pacific  Northwest,  a  man  forceful  in  his  dealings 
with  the  Indians  in  the  early  days,  one  with  large 
sympathy  with  the  natives,  but  of  the  sterling  stutf 
from  which  the  men  must  be  made  who  win  the 
wild  for  civilization.  His  life  story  is  that  of  an 
extraordinary  and  remarkable  man,  spanning  as  it 
does  a  continent  in  its  embrace,  and  more  than  the 
average  number  of  years  allotted  to  man.  Mr. 
Goodrich  was  born  in  Canaan,  Maine,  February  38, 
1833.  His  father,  Orin  Goodrich,  was  also  a  native 
of  Canaan  and  died  in  Maine  in  1903  at  the  age  of 
ninety-three  years.  His  father,  Samuel,  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  Mrs.  Lydia  (Thurston)  Goodrich  was  born 
in  Maine,  the  daughter  of  a  Revolutionary  army 
patriot,  and  died  at  seventy-three  years  of  age,  the 
mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom  but  three  are 
living,  Gardner  and  two  brothers  of  his  in  Maine. 
When  but  twelve  years  of  age,  Gardner  Goodrich 
started  out  for  himself,  running  away  from  home 
and  taking  to  work  in  the  woods  up  the  Kennebec 
river.  For  eight  years  he  lived  this  life,  but  in 
1853  he  came  to  California  via  New  York  and  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  walking  across  the  latter.  In 
California  young  Goodrich  commenced  mining  in 
Butte  county,  working  for  $6  and  $7  a  day  on  the 
Feather  river.  He  eventually  started  out  prospect- 
ing for  himself  and  made  plenty  of  money  which, 
like  that  of  many  an  old  fashioned  miner,  went  as 
quickly  as  it  came.  In  1858  Mr.  Goodrich  joined 
in  the  rush  for  the  Fraser  river  diggings,  but  got 
no  further  than  A'ictoria,  where  he  and  his  partner, 
James  Perkins,  found  thousands  anxious  to  get  out 
of  the  country.  The  partners  then  took  the  old 
schooner  Jeanette  for  Utsalady,  arriving  practically 
penniless,  as  were  hundreds  of  others  rushing  oi.it 
from  the  Fraser  country.  Into  the  logging  camps 
they  went  and  soon  Mr.  Goodrich  commenced  log- 


ging on  his  own  account.  In  1864  the  partners 
commenced  logging  operations  about  two  miles 
north  of  where  Stanwood  has  since  grown  up,  and 
at  the  same  time  took  up  squatters'  claims,  by  that 
act  becoming  the  two  original  settlers  on  the  lower 
Stillaguamish  river.  At  about  the  same  time  five 
families  came  in,  John  Silver,  George  Nevils,  Harry 
Marshall,  Willard  Sly  and  Daniel  Marvin,  all  but 
the  last  named  having  native  wives.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  record  that  Mrs.  Marvin,  the  first  white 
woman  in  the  section,  is  still  living  at  Stanwood. 
Untravelable  woods  covered  the  land  and  not  a  trail 
led  through  the  dark  and  tangled  forest.  The  men 
had  to  go  to  Coupeville  for  their  supplies,  making 
one  trip  in  the  spring  and  another  in  the  fall.  At 
times,  owing  to  unfavorable  winds,  they  had  to 
remain  on  the  beach  for  a  week  before  they  could 
cross  the  straits,  and  at  such  times  they  had  to 
depend  on  clams  and  fish  for  their  subsistence. 
Air.  Goodrich  was  fortunate  in  having  $1,500, 
which  had  been  paid  him  for  his  logging  work  and 
lie  was  enabled  to  live  on  that  while  he  cleared  his 
land  and  prepared  it  for  producing  crops.  His  first 
crops  were  vegetables  and  corn,  which  he  furnished 
at  good  prices  to  the  men  in  the  logging  camps. 

Mr.  Goodrich  is  possessed  of  a  memory  which 
has  brought  down  to  the  present  time  much  of  value 
to  the  historian  and  of  interest  to  the  present-day 
resident  of  Snohomish  county.  In  1858  the  over- 
flow from  the  Fraser  river  country,  dropped  a 
number  of  white  prospectors  into  the  valley  of  the 
Stillaguamish  river.  The  arrival  of  the  whites 
roused  the  opposition  of  the  Indians,  and  one  party 
was  fired  on  by  the  natives  and  fled  for  safety 
across  the  Utsalady.  In  was  in  18G1  that  Mr.  Good- 
rich took  to  himself  a  native  wife,  Polly  by  name, 
whose  father  was  a  medicine  man  who  fell  into 
disfavor  with  his  tribe  and  was  murdered  by  them 
in  bed  with  his  wife,  both  being  killed  by  the  same 
shot.  Polly  was  raised  by  a  chief.  She  had  two 
sisters  who  also  married  white  men.  Because  he 
had  taken  to  himself  an  Indian  wife,  the  natives  did 
not  molest  Mr.  Goodrich  and  allowed  him  to  settle 
on  his  land,  his  present  place,  on  which  they  had 
refused  settlement  to  other  whites.  Perhaps  also 
there  was  another  reason,  towit :  that  he  had  settled 
there  and  proposed  to  stay  there,  by  force  if  neces- 
sary. The  spot  had  been  a  red  man's  burial  place, 
and  the  bodies  of  the  dead  remained  in  canoes  placed 
in  trees  above  high  water  mark.  Mr.  Goodrich 
notified  the  Indians  to  remove  their  dead  and  gave 
them  three  days  in  which  to  do  the  work.  They 
told  him  that  he  did  not  dare  touch  the  dead,  and 
the  staunch  old  pioneer  replied  that  it  was  only 
the  living  that  he  had  cause  to  fear.  The  Indians 
declined  to  remove  their  dead  and  the  white  man 
did  it  for  them.  He  got  spruce  logs  and  burned 
the  dried  bodies;  the  others  he  consigned  to  the 
river.    Two  days  were  consumed  in  this  weird  work. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


After  this  had  been  done  three  canoe  loads  of  In- 
dians, thirty  red  men  to  a  canoe,  came  down  the 
river,  and  pay  for  ravaging  the  city  of  their  dead 
was  demanded.  The  answer  of  Mr.  Goodrich  con- 
sisted in  his  going  to  the  house  for  his  gun  and 
knife.  While  he  was  gone  his  native  wife  told  the 
Indians  that  he  was  a  "bad  Boston  man"  and  would 
kill  them  all  if  they  did  not  go  away.  The  ninety 
red  men  were  just  disappearing  around  a  bend  up 
the  river  when  Mr.  Goodrich  arrived  on  the  bank 
with  his  arms,  ready  to  defend  his  title  to  the  land. 
Mrs.  Polly  Goodrich  died  in  October  of  1871  leav- 
ing two  children :  Mrs.  Lydia  Lock,  wife  of  J. 
Lock  of  Bryant,  who  recently  sold  out  his  interests 
in  shingle  mills  for  $90,000;  and  Llewellyn  Good- 
rich, who  lives  at  Florence. 

In  1879  Mr.  Goodrich  married  another  Indian 
Avoman,  a  native  of  the  Skagit  river  country,  named 
Jennie.  She  was  a  reservation  Indian  and  her  mar- 
riage to  Mr.  Goodrich  was  the  signal  for  trouble. 
The  Indian  agent  and  fifteen  armed  red  men  came 
to  the  Goodrich  home  to  return  her  to  her  people. 
Demand  was  made  for  her,  but  her  husband  firmly 
declined.  Mrs.  Goodrich  took  refuge  in  the  house 
and  locked  the  door.  Under  orders  of  the  agent 
the  Indians  made  an  attempt  to  break  open  the 
building,  but  the  stern  pioneer  guarded  the  door. 
He  had  always  stood  for  his  rights  and  the  red  men 
finally  came  to  understand  that  his  orders  were  to 
be  respected,  so  when  he  told  them  to  get  away, 
they  retired.  This  was  the  last  trouble  Mr.  Good- 
rich ever  had  with  the  natives.  His  marriage  to 
the  Indian  girl  was  soon  after  solemnized  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  and  rites  of  the  whites,  silencing  all 
quibbles  on  the  part  of  the  agent.  To  this  union  have 
been  born  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  living, 
all  well  educated :  Orin,  who  has  interests  in  mines 
at  Roosevelt,  Idaho,  and  Mary  and  Ira,  who  are 
living  at  home. 

According  to  Mr.  Goodrich  the  first  house 
erected  on  the  site  of  Stanwood  was  built  in  1877 
by  James  Caldin  and  Robert  Freeman,  and  the  car- 
penters employed  there  had  to  come  down  to  Mr. 
Goodrich's  place  for  their  board.  The  building  was 
used  as  a  saloon.  A  man  named  Folton  had  taken 
tip  the  land  where  old  Centerville  had  stood  across 
the  river  from  Stanwood,  in  the  fall  of  186.5.  John 
Gould  bought  his  right  in  1866  and  kept  powder, 
shot  and  groceries  for  sale.  Two  years  later  he 
sold  out  to  George  Kyle,  and  then  the  name  of  Cen- 
terville was  given  the  place,  the  mail  being  brought 
by  boat  from  Utsalady,  nine  miles  away.  Later 
John  Briggs  bought  Mr.  Kyle's  store  and  farm, 
and  in  turn  sold  it  to  Charles  Anderson,  who  still 
retains  the  farm. 

Mr.  Goodrich  has  continued  to  remain  here  since 
lie  first  located  as  a  squatter.  The  family  has  been 
raised  under  the  best  of  influences.  The  father  was 
director  of  school  district  No.  3  for  twenty  years, 


and  has  always  been  an  influential  factor  for  the 
education  of  the  young  of  the  community.  His  chil- 
dren have  received  the  best  schooling  afforded  and 
are  among  the  most  intelligent  of  the  younger  set 
of  people.  The  young  men  are  exemplary,  using 
neither  tobacco  nor  liquor,  enjoying  the  highest  re- 
spect of  their  fellows.  The  home  farm  has  100 
acres  and  could  be  sold  at  any  time  for  $15,000,  but 
the  old  place  has  so  many  memories  that  Gardner 
Goodrich  will  never  sell  it.  It  supports  one  of  the 
oldest  and  best  orchards  in  the  community,  and  is 
'a  resort  for  excursionists  in  the  summer  time.  In 
his  farm  work  Mr.  Goodrich  raises  hay,  oats  and 
vegetables.  His  dairy  herd  consists  of  seventeen 
cows  and  the  milk  is  separated  at  home  and  taken 
to  a  creamery  in  which  Mr.  Goodrich  owns  an  in- 
terest. In  politics  Mr.  Goodrich  is  a  Republican 
and  has  been  since  the  days  when,  as  he  expresses 
it,  "Buchanan  almost  robbed  the  country."  He  has 
never  been  active  in  politics  only  as  it  became  mixed 
up  in  the  educational  affairs  of  the  community.  Mr. 
Goodrich  is  still  a  man  not  to  be  tampered  with 
with  iiiijiunity  and  the  caller  of  the  present  day  in- 
stincti\ely  feels  a  forceful  something  about  this 
man,  wliich  explains  his  great  power  over  the  In- 
dians in  the  brave  davs  of  old. 


NELS  P.  LEQUE,  a  prosperous  and  influential 
farmer  residing  one-fourth  of  a  mile  south  of  Stan- 
wood, was  born  in  Norway,  in  1848,  his  parents 
being  Peter  and  Sigri  (Reiseter)  Leque,  both  na- 
tives of  Norway.  He  was  the  youngest  of  six  chil- 
dren. After  attending  the  common  schools,  he  com- 
pleted his  education  by  a  course  in  one  of  the  nor- 
mal schools,  of  the  country.  So  diligently  did  he 
apply  himself  that  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  was 
ready  to  and  did  accept  a  position  as  a  teacher.  At 
the  close  of  the  second  year  of  professional  work, 
he  decided  to  immigrate  to  the  United  States,  of 
whose  wonderful  advantages  he  had  so  often  heard, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1868  he  settled  in  Dakota  ter- 
ritory, becoming  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  coun- 
try. He  took  up  a  homestead,  remaining  on  it  for 
seven  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  came  to 
Washington.  After  remaining  on  McNeal's  island 
for  a  few  months,  he  went  to  Henderson's  bay  near 
Steilacoom,  and  worked  in  the  woods,  taking  out 
ship  knees  for  a  time.  Early  in  1876  he  rented  a 
farm  north  of  Stanwood,  and  that  fall  in  company 
with  O.  B.  Iverson,  Nels  Eide  and  A.  Donelson, 
he  purchased  320  acres  on  what  is  now  known  as 
Leque  island,  situated  just  south  of  Stanwood.  The 
partnership  has  since  been  dissolved,  Mr.  Leque 
now  owing  more  than  half  of  the  island  that  bears 
his  name.  He  has  constructed  dikes,  and  now  has 
the  land  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation.  It  was  orig- 
inally filled  with  drift  wood  both  above  and  beneath. 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


the  suriace  as  it  had  been  tide  land,  and  the  task  of 
clearing  and  getting  it  in  its  present  splendid  shape 
was  an  undertaking  that  would  have  seemed  im- 
possible to  a  less  resolute  and  industrious  man.  His 
principal  products  are  oats  and  hay,  but  he  has  a 
fine  dairy  of  forty  head  of  thoroughbred  Holstein 
cattle.  His  residence  is  neat  and  commodious,  and 
like  the  entire  ranch,  gives  evidence  of  thrift  and 
energy. 

Mr.  Leque  was  married  in  Norway  in  1868  to 
Maria  Lindebrake,  the  daughter  of  Gert  and  Mar- 
tha (Hjeltness)  Lindebreake,  both  of  whom  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  Norway.  Mrs.  Leque  was  born 
there  in  1848,  and  received  her  education  in  the 
common  schools.  Three  days  after  their  marriage 
she  and  Mr.  Leque  started  for  the  United  States, 
-^rather  an  extended  wedding  trip  at  that  date.  The 
following  children  have  been  born  to  this  union : 
Mrs.  Sigri  E.  Land,  born  in  Dakota,  April  19.  1869, 
now  livin,^-  in  Island  county;  Alfred,  October  9, 
]s7s.  in  ^\'ashington,  now  also  residing  in  Island 
county;  Annie,  wife  of  Rev.  O.  J.  Ordal,  December 
25,  1882,  in  Washington;  Hannah,  in  1887,  Martin, 
January  1,  1890,  and  Nels,  February  8,  1893.  Mr. 
Leque  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  in  politics  a  Republican.  From  1887 
to  1889  he  served  with  credit  to  himself  as  one  of 
the  board  of  county  commissioners,  and  he  has  ever 
manifested  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  Snoho- 
mish county,  but  being  a  man  of  liberal  learning  and 
a  teacher  he  has  naturally  given  most  attention  to 
the  cause  of  education.  During  his  many  years  of 
service  on  the  school  board  he  has  contributed  not 
a  little  to  the  efficiency  of  the  local  schools.  To  the 
industrial  progress  of  his  section  also  he  has  con- 
tributed his  full  share,  the  work  which  lay  nearest 
his  hand  being  always  done  with  energy  and  thor- 
oughness during  all  the  thirty  years  of  his  resi- 
dence on  Leque  island.  He  and  his  estimable  wife 
have  the  abiding  confidence  and  respect  of  the  en- 
tire community  in  which  they  live  and  their  full 
share  of  the  honor  due  always  to  worthy  pioneers. 


OLE  E.  EIDE.  Among  the  well-to-do  agri- 
culturalists of  Stanw-ood  is  found  the  one  whose 
name  gives  caption  to  this  biography.  He  was  born 
February  7,  1864,  in  Norway,  the  native  land  also 
of  his  parents,  Eric  and  Ingeborg  (Iverson)  Eide, 
both  of  whom  are  deceased,  the  mother's  death  oc- 
curring in  190:3.  The  youngest  of  a  family  of  seven 
children,  Ole  E.  Eide  acquired  his  education  in  the 
common  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  left  home 
to  become  a  sailor.  Immigrating  to  the  United 
States  in  1887,  he  located  in  Washington,  and  was 
employed  in  turn  by  Lon  Larson,  Nels  Ovenell  and 
Peter  Leque.  Later,  after  working  for  a  time  in  a 
logging  camp,  he  leased  his  uncle's  farm  for  three 


years.  At  the  expiration  of  the  lease  he  moved  to 
Bryant  and  invested  in  land,  which  he  farmed  for 
three  years,  then  returning  to  assume  the  man- 
agement of  his  uncle's  farm,  of  which  he  became 
owner  in  1904.  Two  years  previous  he-jhad  pur- 
chased forty-nine  acres  adjoining  this  property.  He 
now  holds  105  acres,  of  which  sixty-nine  are  in  ex- 
cellent cultivation.  His  chief  products  are  oats 
and  hay,  but  he  owns  a  large  dairy,  and  devotes 
much  attention  to  that  branch  of  farming. 

Mr.  Eide  was  married  April  16,  1892,  to  Christa 
Wald,  born  May  24,  1869,  in  Norway,  in  which 
country  she  was  educated.  She  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1890.  The  following  children  have  been 
born  to  this  union,  all  natives  of  Snohomish  county : 
Erick,  January  18,  1893;  Iven,  April  10,  1895; 
Ingeborg,  December  16,  1897;  Anna  O.,  February 
22,  1899  ;  Martha  O.,  January  25,  1901 ;  Christina, 
April  4,  1903.  Mr.  Eide  and  his  family  are  faith- 
ful attendants  at  the  Lutheran  church,  and  Mr.  Eide 
is  a  loyal  Republican.  He  has  been  road  supervisor 
for  two  years.  Known  throughout  the  community 
as  a  thrifty,  industrious  man,  who  has  reached  his 
present  prosperous  condition  by  his  own  unaided 
efforts,  he  holds  the  respect  of  all  who  are  acquainted 
with  him. 


OLE  S.  MATTERAND,  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers  of  the  Stanwood  country,  is,  like  many 
others  who  have  contributed  very  largely  to  the  in- 
dustrial development  of  that  favored  portion  of 
Snohomish  county,  a  native  of  Norway,  born  Julj 
10,  1847,  the  son  of  Syver  and  Karew  (Olsen) 
Matterand.  The  former  died  in  his  Scandanaviau' 
home  in  1896,  but  the  latter  still  lives  there,  thougli 
now  about  eighty-eight  years  old.  She  is  the  mo- 
ther of  twelve  children  of  whom  Ole  S.  is  fourth. 

Our  subject  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion in  his  native  land,  also  learned  blacksmithing 
and  received  many  valuable  lessons  both  in  the  art 
of  farming  and  in  sustained  industry  on  the  par- 
ental farm,  where  he  remained  until  nineteen  years 
old.  LTpon  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  de- 
cided to  follow  the  example  set  him  by  many  of  his 
ambitious  countrymen  and  come  to  the  new  world, 
the  land  of  opportunity  and  plenty.  His  first  per- 
manent abiding  place  in  the  United  States  was  Chi- 
cago and  his  first  employment  was  that  of  a  steve- 
dore, but  he  did  not  remain  at  that  arduous  work 
long  for  in  July  1868,  he  accepted  employment  in 
the  Wisconsin  forests  as  a  logger.  That  fall  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  which  stationed  him  at  Green  Rivera- 
Wyoming.  Taking  up  the  work  of  a  prospector  in 
the  spring  of  1869,  he  went  in  turn  to  Arizona, 
Utah,  Nevada  and  California,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1870  was  devoted  to  carpentering  in  San  Francisco. 
He   came   to   Washington   in   the   spring  of   1871^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


worked  for  a  time  in  a  logging  camp  at  Port  Gam- 
ble, then  returned  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  re- 
mained a  short  time,  going  thence  to  Sacramento 
and  spending  the  winter  of  1873  there,  engaged  in 
boiler  making.  The  ensuing  summer  was  spent  at 
work  in  the  woods  in  California.  In  1875  he  started 
upon  an  extended  trip  through  Europe  lasting  two 
years.  Independence  day,  1877,  found  him  once 
more  in  Seattle,  and  the  next  fall  he  came  to  Stan- 
wood  flats,  took  a  pre-emption  just  across  the  river 
from  Stanwood  and  began  diking  and  clearing  the 
same.  He  has  been  thus  engaged  ever  since,  and  as 
a  reward  for  his  great  labor,  now  has  a  fine  produc- 
tive and  highly  valuable  farm.  At  present  he  is 
cultivating  about  eighty-five  acres.  He  gives  some 
attention  to  the  rearing  of  Durham  cattle,  keeping 
a  herd  of  about  thirty  head  in  his  pastures  always. 
In  Norway,  in  the  year  1876  Mr.  Matterand 
married  Emelis  I.  Gaaken,  who  was  born  in  that 
country  May  IS,  1854,  the  daughter  of  Isaac  and 
OIlie  (Olsen)  Johnson,  both  now  deceased.  She 
acquired  a  common  school  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  her  fatherland,  also  learned  the  trade  of 
a  glove  maker  there,  but  her  industrial  career  was 
cut  short  by  her  marriage  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
two.  The  following  children  have  been  born  to 
this  union,  namely,  Clara,  a  native  of  Norway,  now 
the  matron  in  Dr.  Allen's  hospital ;  Mrs.  Maggie 
C.  Mailer ;  Mrs.  Sophia  G.  Joergensen,  whose  hus- 
band is  the  well  known  bookkeeper  in  the  Union 
store  and  who  is  also  herself  a  bookkeeper ;  Haton 
O.,  at  home;  Simon,  deceased;  Amel,  Peter  M., 
Ruth  and  Aaron,  all  of  whom  but  the  first  two  were 
born  in  Washington.  The  family  adhere  to  the 
Seventh  Day  Adventist  church,  and  Mr.  Matterand 
is  a  loyal  member  of  the  Republican  party.  While 
he  enjoys  the  abundance  which  has  come  to  him  as 
a  reward  for  long  years  of  strenuous  endeavor,  it 
is  also  his  privilege  to  enjoy  that  grander  meed  of 
well  spent  years  the  esteem  and  honor  of  those  who 
have  known  him  since  pioneer  days  and  of  those 
whose  acquaintance  is  of  more  recent  inception. 


REV.  CHRISTIAN  JOERGENSON,  for  many 
3'ears  one  of  the  widely  known  ministers  of  the 
Lutheran  church  in  the  Northwest,  now  resides  on 
his  extensive  farm  near  Stanwood.  He  was  born 
in  Parish  of  Land,  Norway,  in  1847,  the  son  of 
Joergen  and  Bertha  (Swenson)  Peterson,  both  of 
whom  spent  their  entire  lives  in  their  native  coun- 
try, Norway.  Christian  Joergenson  spent  his  boy- 
hood years  in  acquiring  an  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  was  con- 
firmed. Six  years  later  he  crossed  the  ocean  to 
find  a  home  in  the  United  States,  and  after  a  brief 
stay  in  Illinois  went  to  Wisconsin  in  1868,  remain- 
ing one  year.    Going  thence  to  Decorah,  Iowa,  he 


entered  the  Lutheran  college,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  six  years  later.  He  took  his  theological 
course  in  Saint  Louis,  completing  it  in  1878.  Thus 
equipped  for  his  lif«  work,  he  was  sent  by  the 
synod  of  his  church  as  an  assistant  to  the  regular 
pastor  at  Stanwood,  Washington,  who  also  had 
charge  of  the  work  throughout  the  western  part  of 
this  state  and  western  Oregon.  Soon  after,  the 
regular  pastor  being  called  to  a  church  in  Idaho, 
Rev.  Joergenson  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 
The  following  fourteen  years  were  thus  employed 
in  caring  for  the  interests  of  this  wide  field.  Only 
those  who  have  had  experience  in  pioneer  work 
of  this  kind  can  understand  the  arduous  demands 
made  upon  time  and  strength,  and  the  many  trials 
and  hardships  encountered.  Having  taken  a  home- 
stead near  Stanwood  in  the  'eighties,  he  found  re- 
laxation from  the  mental  strain  of  his  profession 
in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture.  Leaving  behind  him 
a  record  for  faithfulness  and  fidelity  to  the  sacred 
work  to  which  he  has  devoted  so  many  years  of 
his  life,  he  has  now  retired  from  the  ministry,  and 
intends  spending  his  remaining  years  in  the  quiet 
walks  of  life. 

Mr.  Joergenson  was  married  in  Dane  county, 
Wisconsin,  September  18,  1878,  to  Christine  Field, 
the  daughter  of  John  Field,  a  well  known  Lutheran 
minister  who  for  many  years  prior  to  his  death  was 
stationed  at  Black  Earth,  Wisconsin.  Mrs.  Joer- 
genson was  born  in  Norway  May  1,  1858,  and  came 
with  her  parents  to  the  United  States  when  but 
two  years  old.  After  receiving  a  common  and  high 
school  education  in  the  schools  of  Wisconsin,  she 
took  a  course  in  the  Lutheran  University  at  De- 
corah, Iowa.  Nine  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Joergenson  as  follows :  Johan,  Gustad, 
Petrine,  Herman,  Hannah,  Maria,  Berthe,  Axel  and 
Adolph.  In  political  belief,  Mr.  Joergenson  is  a 
Populist,  and  loyally  abides  by  his  convictions  at 
whatever  cost.  His  is  the  type  of  manhood  that 
insures  the  stability  and  strength  of  our  govern- 
ment. Naturally  a  leader  of  men,  it  was  largely 
through  his  influence  that  the  Stanwood  Co-opera- 
tive Creamery  Association  was  formed,  of  which 
association  he  was  the  first  president.  He  was  also 
instrumental  in  opening  the  People's  Union  Store 
and  Butcher  Shop  at  Stanwood.  In  1896  he  was 
elected  county  commissioner,  for  a  two  3'ear  term. 
His  holdings  consist  of  a  175-acre  farm  where  he 
resides,  and  320  acres  of  unimproved  land  in  Snoho- 
mish county.  He  is  largely  interested  in  the  dairy 
industry.  JJroadly  intelligent,  possessed  of  the  ster- 
ling qualities  of  mind  and  heart  that  irresistibly 
draw  and  hold  men,  Mr.  Joergenson  is  one  of  the 
most  influential  members  of  the  community. 


HENRY  C.  ANDERSON.    Among  the  sons  of 
the  Northland  who  have  won  distinguished  success 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


in  the  new  world  by  persevering  industry  and  dili- 
gence Henry  C.  Anderson  is  certainly  to  be  as- 
signed a  not  inconspicuous  place,  for  which  with 
simple  weapons  he  has  conquered  life  so  far,  win- 
ning in  the  industrial  sphere  a  success  which  many 
men,  more  favored  by  fortune  to  start  with,  would 
be  proud  to  have  achieved.  Born  in  Norway  in 
1865,  he  was  brought  by  his  mother  to  Wisconsin 
when  he  was  but  a  year  old,  his  father  having  died 
in  the  homeland.  As  soon  as  he  had  acquired  a 
good  common  school  education  he  went  to  work 
on  the  parental  farm  and  he  continued  in  this  em- 
ployment until  1885,  when  he  moved  to  Kansas, 
thence  to  Texas  and  from  that  state  to  Colorado, 
remaining  in  the  different  commonwealths  men- 
tioned for  two  years.  Coming  to  Stanwood  in  1887, 
he  spent  a  couple  of  years  at  work  in  sawmills  and 
on  the  farm  of  N.  P.'Leque,  but  in  the  fall  of  1889 
he  moved  to  Seattle  to  accept  a  clerkship  in  a  com- 
mission house.  He  was  thus  employed  for  a  period 
of  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  returned 
to  Stanwood,  and  took  up  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing and  for  several  years  thereafter  he  was  num- 
bered among  the  thrifty  agriculturalists  of  that  re- 
gion. In  1895,  however,  he  resolved  to  seek  the 
smiles  of  Dame  Fortune  in  the  far  north,  so  moved 
to  Fort  Cudahy,  Alaska,  where  the  ensuing  twelve- 
month was  spent  in  the  employ  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can Transportation  &  Trading  Company.  He  then 
moved  to  the  Klondike  mining  district,  remaining 
until  1897.  The  next  year  early  in  the  spring  on 
the  ice  with  a  dog  team  he  went  in  again,  taking 
with  him  all  the  private  mail  for  the  North  Ameri- 
can Transportation  &  Trading  Company,  and  he 
has  since  made  a  couple  of  trips  in  and  out  of  that 
far  away  mining  district.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  record 
that  his  labors  and  privations  in  Alaska  did  not  go 
imrewarded  as  have  those  of  many  another  fortune 
seeker  there,  but  on  the  contrary  he  was  able 
to  bring  out  a  considerable  sum  of  money 
with  him. 

In  1898  Mr.  Anderson  purchased  his  present 
home  of  four  hundred  acres  near  Stanwood,  and  of 
this  he  has  since  cleared  and  brought  under  the 
plow  about  a  fourth  part.  He  is  giving  attention 
to  the  rearing  of  high  grade  Durham  cattle  for 
beef,  being  the  owner  at  this  writing  of  150  head 
of  these  splendid  animals. 

In  August,  1904,  in  company  with  the  late  Peter 
Leque,  S.  A.  Thompson,  Alfred  Densmore,  W.  C. 
Brokaw,  and  Francis  Girard,  Mr.  Anderson  organ- 
ized the  Bank  of  Stanwood,  of  which  institution  he 
has  ever  since  been  president.  Under  the  capable 
management  of  him  and  his  worthy  associates  it 
has  already  established  an  enviable  reputation  as  one 
of  the  solid  and  progressive  institutions  of  its  kind 
in  the  state.  While  Mr.  Anderson  has  admittedly 
been  fortunate  in  his  Alaska  ventures  his  success 
in  the  world  of  industry  and  finance  is  but  the 


logical  outcome  of  well  laid  plans,  well  directed 
industry  and  unconquerable  persistence,  and  with 
it  has  come  the  respect  always  commanded  by  those 
who  prove  their  worth  in  the  stem  struggle  of 
life. 


ERLEND  LARSON,  whose  farm  is  three  quar- 
ters of  a  mile  southeast  of  Stanwood,  is  one  of  the 
pleasantest  men  to  meet,  genial,  a  hard  worker, 
energetic  and  successful  in  running  his  bachelor 
farm.  He  was  born  in  Norway  in  1858,  the  seventh  • 
of  the  eleven  children  of  Lars  and  Magnhild  (Ras- 
mussen)  Larson,  natives  of  the  land  of  fjords  who 
never  left  there.  Mrs.  Larson  lived  until  1899.  Fr- 
iend Larson  received  his  education  in  the  old  coun- 
try, remaining  there  with  his  parents  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  of  age.  At  that  time  he  left  home 
for  the  sea  and  he  followed  its  fortunes  for  the  en- 
suing seven  years.  In  1886  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  settled  in  Minnesota  and  farmed  there  for  a 
year.  The  subsequent  two  and  a  half  years  were 
passed  in  farming  in  Wisconsin,  but  in  the  spring 
of  1889  he  came  to  Washington  and  for  a  year  after 
his  arrival  he  worked  at  various  occupations  in  and 
around  Gray's  Harbor.  He  then  took  a  contract  for 
putting  in  railroad  culverts  between  Montesano  and 
Aberdeen.  On  completion  of  this  work,  which  Cov- 
ered about  sixteen  miles  of  the  road,  he  went  to 
Seattle  and  remained  until  1893,  when  he  bought 
land  near  Milltown  in  Skagit  county.  He  was  there 
for  ten  years  and  cleared  part  of  his  land,  but  in 
1903  he  moved  onto  his  present  place  of  ten  acres. 
He  is  doing  a  general  farming  business,  living  alone 
on  the  farm  much  of  the  time  with  only  his  stock 
and  his  work  for  companions.  He  has  eleven  head 
of  cattle.  He  says  that  he  does  not  find  it  lone- 
some, as  he  is  constantly  occupied  with  his  business, 
but  he  receives  visitors  with  kindliness  and  welcome. 
While  his  fami  is  not  large  and  he  is  not  ambitious 
to  become  one  of.  the  magnates  in  agricultural  cir- 
cles, he  is  liked  by  all,  popular  and  recognized  as  a 
man  of  energy  and,  sterling  worth.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican  and  in  religion  a  Lutheran. 


JOHN  C.  HANSFN,  farmer  near  Stanwood,  is 
a  Scandinavian-American  citizen  who,  after  becom- 
ing an  expert  in  the  trade  of  cabinet  maker  in  the 
old  country,  late  in  life  turned  his  attention  to  agri- 
culture in  the  new  land  and  has  been  successful  in 
his  more  recent  line  of  activity.  Mr.  Hansen  was 
born  in  Norway  in  1838,  the  son  of  Hans  and 
Seuvana  Johnson.  The  father  lived  and  died  in  the 
old  country,  but  the  mother  came  to  the  United 
States  and  passed  the  closing  years  of  her  life  in 
Minnesota.     Young  Hansen  attended  the  commoa 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


schools  of  Norway  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  cabinet 
maker,  in  learning  which  handicraft  hi  passed  four 
and  a  half  years.  The  next  two  and  a  half  years 
were  spent  at  his  trade  in  the  city  of  Bergen.  In 
1861  he  went  to  Hougeusind  and  for  twenty  years 
operated  a  shop  on  his  own  account.  In  1881  he 
closed  this  out,  came  to  the  United  States  and  com- 
menced farming  in  Grant  county,  Minnesota.  Six 
years  were  passed  there,  then  he  came  to  Washing- 
ton and  preempted  a  piece  of  land  in  Snohomish 
county.  Until  1901  he  lived  on  this  land,  but  in 
that  year  he  sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  place 
of  ten  acres  on  the  outskirts  of  Stanwood,  where  he 
has  since  resided. 

In  1862,  while  living  in  Norway,  JMr.  Hansen 
married  Miss  Helen  S.  Hamilton,  daughter  of  Mr. 
Hermanson,  a  shoemaker  of  Bergen,  where  Mrs. 
Hansen  was  born  in  1837  and  where  she  grew  up 
and  obtained  her  education.  Eleven  children  have 
iDeen  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hansen,  four  of  whom 
are  living :  Hans  H.,  Mrs.  Kittie  Holsey,  of  Snoho- 
mish county ;  John  C.  and  Gilbert.  In  politics  Mr. 
Hansen  is  a  Republican,  and  the  family  is  affiliated 
■with  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Hansen  is  a  popu- 
lar, energetic  man,  enjoying  the  respect  and  confi- 
dence of  the  community. 


GEORGE  T.  OVENELL.  Several  times  in  the 
liistorical  portion  of  this  work  reference  has  been 
made  to  Thomas  Ovenell,  as  a  pioneer  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  Stillaguamish  valley  and  as  one 
prominently  identified  with  the  history  of  Snoho- 
mish county.  The  young  man  whose  life  record  is 
the  theme  of  this  article  is  a  worthy  son  of  that  dis- 
tinguished citizen  and  is  faithfully  carrying  forward 
the  work  which  his  father  so  well  began.  An  edu- 
cated, bright,  progressive  young  man,  he  has  al- 
ready won  for  himself  an  honored  place  in  the  in- 
dustrial life  of  the  community  and  in  the  confidence 
and  regard  of  those  with  whom  he  is  associated 
either  in  business  or  socially.  His  father,  a  native 
of  England,  born  in  1836,  left  his  home  when  twelve 
years  old  and  crossed  the  sea  to  California,  in  which 
state  he  was  engaged  in  mining,  during  the  olden, 
golden  days  of  'forty-nine.  In  1850  he  went  to 
Nova  Scotia,  where  he  remained  a  short  time,  com- 
ing thence  to  Whidby  island,  Washington,  in  1851, 
There  he  took  one  of  the  first  homesteads  ever  lo- 
cated in  that  country,  and  there  he  married  Miss 
Marcia  Kelley,  who  bore  him  two  children.  In 
1874  he  came  to  the  Stanwood  country,  and  iden- 
tified himself  with  the  pioneer  developments  there, 
as  already  stated.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  the  valley  until  1884,  when  he  died 
in  California.  None  of  the  pioneer  men  of  the 
Stillaguamish  was  more  popular  than  he  and  none 


is  remembered  with  greater  feelings  of  kindliness 
at  this  date.  In  1876  he  again  married,  the  lady 
being  Carrie  M.  Crane,  a  native  of  Ohio,  of  the 
truest  American  blood,  for  she  could  trace  her  an- 
cestry back  to  those  who  came  over  in  the  May- 
flower. A  highly  educated  lady,  and  by  profession 
a  school  teacher,  she  became  identified  with  the 
cause  of  education  in  Snohomish  county  during 
its  pioneer  days,  presiding  over  the  Florence  school 
throughout  its  second  term.  She  is  now  a  resident  of 
Seattle. 

Our  subject,  George  T.  Ovenell,  was  born  in 
Stanwood  July  2,  1877.  He  acquired  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  Colorado,  also  in  the 
state  university  located  at  Denver,  and  in  1895  took 
a  special  course  in  bookkeeping  there.  Returning 
to  Stanwood  in  1896,  he  has  since  followed  farm- 
ing in  that  vicinity  continuously,  except  that  he  was 
in  Alaska  a  couple  of  years  during  the  gold  excite- 
ment. The  place  where  he  is  now  living  was  se- 
cured by  his  father  in  October,  1883,  at  which  time 
only  about  a  third  of  it  was  under  cultivation,  the 
rest  having  since  been  cleared  and  subjected  to  the 
plow.  It  consists  of  one  hundred  acres  of  excellent 
land,  well  located,  and  brought  by  judicious  and 
skillful  tillage  to  a  high  degree  of  productivity.  Like 
many  other  up-to-date  farmers  of  the  lower  Stilla- 
guamish, Mr.  Ovenell  is  making  a  specialty  of  dairy- 
ing and  dairy  cattle,  though  not  to  the  exclusion  of 
other  forms  of  agriculture.  His  herd  at  present 
numbers  thirty-five. 

In  the  town  of  Stanwood,  in  October,  1901,  Mr. 
Ovenell  married  Miss  Martha  Gunderson,  a  native 
of  Stanwood,  born  October  26,  1879.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  the  well  known  pioneer  of  the  country, 
Peter  Gunderson.  She  and  Mr.  Ovenell  are  par- 
ents of  two  children,  namely,  Theodore,  born  De- 
cember 31,  1902,  and  Winifred,  February  21,  1904, 
both  in  Stanwood.  In  politics  Mr.  Ovenell  is  a 
Republican,  in  fraternal  affiliations  a  Woodman  of 
the  World  and  a  blue  lodge  Mason.  Mrs.  Ovenell 
adheres  to  the  Lutheran  church. 


ALBERT  S.  HOW^ARD.  The  challenge  whicli 
the  excellent  timber  of  the  Puget  sound  country 
ofifered  to  industry  has  received  many  takers,  not 
the  least  energetic  and  successful  among  whom  is 
the  man  with  whose  life  record  this  article  pur- 
poses to  deal.  A  pioneer  in  the  shingle  industry  of 
the  county  and  among  the  early  sawmill  men  who 
established  themselves  and  their  industry  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  sound,  he  has  continued  for 
many  years  to  contribute  his  share  toward  the  proc- 
ess of  preparing  for  the  uses  of  man  the  stately 
firs  and  cedars  which  characterize  this  part  of  the 
state,  concomitantly  bringing  to  the  country  some 
of  the  wealth  of  other  regions  to  eastward  and 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


withal  adding  his  mite  toward  the  general  develop- 
ment. 

Mr.  Howard  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  De- 
cember 16,  1861.  His  father,  Laffayette  Howard, 
spent  his  entire  life  in  that  state,  passing  away  in 
1902,  and  his  grandfather  w^as  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  of  the  same  commonwealth.  The  mother 
of  our'  subject,  Mary  (Wikle)  Howard,  was  like- 
wise a  daughter  of  North  Carolina  and  a  member 
of  a  worthy  pioneer  family.    She  died  there  in  1904. 

After  acquiring  the  customary  common  school 
education  and  enjoying  the  benefit  of  a  two  year 
course  in  a  high  school,  Mr.  Howard  spent  a  couple 
of  years  in  practical  pedagogy,  after  which  he 
worked  in  a  general  store  for  six  months.  March 
17,  1884,  he  a'dopted  the  slogan  of  "Westward  Ho" 
and  a  little  later  he  reached  Seattle,  where  he  re- 
mained a  short  time.  Going  thence  to  Edison,  Ska- 
git county,  he  took  a  piece  of  land  where  the  town 
of  Bow  now  is,  but  though  he  made  that  his  head- 
quarters for  several  years,  he  did  not  give  his  at- 
tention to  agriculture ;  indeed  he  worked  four  years 
in  taking  out  hemlock  bark.  In  1886  he  built  a 
shingle  mill  on  that  place,  the  first,  as  he  thinks, 
in  Skagit  county.  This  he  operated  one  year.  In 
1887  he  built  a  sawmill  in  the  same  locality,  which 
mill  he  continued  to  operate  until  1896,  feeding  it 
with  logs  which  he  himself  took  from  land  in  the 
vicinity  of  Bow  and  in  other  parts  of  the  county. 
In  1896  he  moved  his  plant  to  Milltown  and  en- 
larged it  materially,  also  opened  a  logging  camp  at 
Sedro-Woolley.  The  mill  was  run  under  the  firm 
name  of  Howard  &  Butler.  In  1899,  Mr.  Howard 
came  to  Stanwood  and  established  there  a  sawmill, 
and  the  operation  of  this  has  engaged  his  energies 
ever  since.  In  1903  he  took  in  D.  G.  Bennie,  and 
the  two  incorporated  under  the  firm  name  of  the 
Stanwood  Lumber  Company,  of  which  Air.  Howard 
is  president  and  manager  and  Mr.  Bennie  secretary 
and  treasurer. 

In  Prairie,  Skagit  county,  in  1888,  Mr.  Howard 
married  Miss  Hattie  F.,  daughter  of  Amariah  and 
Mary  E.  (Heck)  Kalloch.  The  father,  a  native  of 
Maine,  came  to  Washington  in  1883,  settled  at 
Prairie  and  engaged  in  farming  there.  He  died  in 
Seattle  in  1889.  The  mother  was  born  in  Kansas 
and  died  in  that  state.  Kansas  is  also  the  birth- 
place of  Mrs.  Howard,  and  February  19,  1869,  the 
date  of  her  advent  upon  the  stage  of  this  life.  She 
was,  however,  educated  in  San  Francisco,  to  which 
city  she  accompanied  her  parents  while  still  a  small 
girl.  The  children  of  her  union  with  Mr.  Howard 
are  Lela,  Nina,  Frank,  Maud,  Fred,  Ida,  Mabel, 
Helen,  and  an  unnamed  baby.  Mr.  Howard  is  a 
public  spirited  man,  ready  always  to  bear  his  share 
of  the  public  burdens  and  at  present  expressing  his 
interest  in  the  cause  of  education  by  serving  as 
school  clerk.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat;  in  fra- 
ternal affiliation  an  Odd  Fellow.    He  is  a  past  grand 


in  the  order  and  he  and  his  wife  are  both  Rebekahs, 
while  the  latter  is  also  a  member  of  the  Degree  of 
Honor. 


ALONZO  LINCOLN  WILLHITE  is  one  of 
the  self-made  men  of  Snohomish  county.  By 
shrewdness  in  investment  and  by  hard  work  he  has- 
gathered  a  competence  in  the  Puget  sound  coun- 
try. He  was  born  in  Missouri  in  the  early  summer 
of  1865,  the  son  of  Conaway  and  Louisa  Jane 
(Chandler)  Willhite,  natives  of  Tennessee.  The 
elder  Willhite  was  born  in  1826  and  lived  until 
1895,  leading  a  life  of  more  than  the  usual  activity. 
When  nine  years  of  age  he  was  taken  to  Iowa, 
where  he  lived  until  twenty  years  old,  then  he 
enlisted  as  a  private  for  the  Alexican  war  and 
fought  under  General  Winfield  Scott  through  the 
entire  trouble  with  Alexico.  After  the  peace  treaty 
was  signed  Mr.  Willhite  went  to  the  gold  mines 
of  Cahfornia  in  1819.  Naturally  a  speculator,  he 
went  East  and  returned  with  a  large  band  of  cattle, 
which  he  had  driven  across  the  plains,  and  sold 
them  in  California  at  a  good  profit.  In  1853  Mr. 
Willhite  returned  East  and  became  a  farmer  in 
Missouri  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War. 
He  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Lhiion  army  and 
served  throughout  the  war.  On  his  return  he  was 
commissioned  captain  in  the  Seventeenth  Missouri 
militia  and  upon  his  discharge  went  back  to  his 
farm,  remaining  there  until  his  death.  Besides  our 
subject,  the  living  children  of  Mr.  Willhite  are: 
Lillian.  Alta  M.,  Dollie  V.,  Claudius  Grant,  Thomas 
Sherman  and  Clyde  Harrison.  Their  mother  is 
still  living  in  the  old  Missouri  home. 

Alonzo  L.  Willhite,  of  this  article,  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  Alissouri  and  took  courses  in  two- 
of  the  colleges  of  his  native  state  when  a  youth. 
In  after  years  he  returned  and  took  a  business  col- 
lege course  at  Chillicothe.  Leaving  his  parents 
when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  came  West  with 
a  good  record  for  successful  teaching  in  his  native- 
state.  He  arrived  in  Washington  in  1888  and 
spent  his  first  si.x  months  in  Colfax.  Coming  to 
Stanv.ood  in  1889,  he  worked  at  farming  and  in 
logging  camps  in  the  vicinity  of  that  town  until 
Deceniber,  1894,  when  he  returned  to  Missouri  ta 
take  a  course  in  a  business  college  there.  Upon 
completing  this  he  embarked  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness, and  operated  a  store  successfully  until  1896, 
selling  then  to  engage  in  farming.  A  year  was 
thus  spent,  then  he  returned  to  Snohomish  county, 
where  he  had  bought,  previous  to  going  back  to 
Missouri,  a  tract  of  eight  acres  situated  near  Stan- 
wood. To  this  he  added  fifty-five  acres  adjoining 
his  own  land,  secured  by  purchase,  and  to  the  cul- 
tivation of  his  excellent  sixty-three-acre  farm  he 
has  devoted  himself  with  assiduity  ever  since.  He 
has  one  of  the  finest  places  of  its  size  in  the  famed 
Stanwood    country,    well    cultivated    and    prolific. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


with  a  handsomely  furnished  six-room  modern 
house  upon  it.  In  addition  to  his  farming  oper- 
ations, Mr.  Willhite  is  giving  much  attention  to 
handling  real  estate  securities,  in  which  he  has  con- 
siderable money  invested.  The  fact  that  he  has  ac- 
cumulated the  capital  with  which  to  purchase  mort- 
gages is  itself  a  very  high  tribute  to  his  frugality 
and  thrift  as  well  as  his  constructive  ability  as  a 
business  man. 

In  1897,  while  in  Missouri,  Mr.  Willhite  mar- 
ried Miss  Nellie  Moser,  daughter  of  Frederick 
Moser,  who  came  from  Germany,  settled  in  Mis- 
souri and  remained  there  till  his  death  in  187-1. 
The  mother,  Mrs.  Katherina  (Watson)  Moser,  a 
native  of  Canada,  died  in  Springfield,  Missouri,  in 
the  Centemiial  year.  Left  an  orphan  at  an  early 
age,  Mrs.  ^Villhite  lived  with  a  ]\Irs.  Kelly  as  foster 
mother  until  fifteen,  when  she  took  up  her  resi- 
dence in  the  home  of  an  uncle,  with  whom  she  re- 
mained until  her  marriage.  She  is  an  unusually 
well  educated  lady,  having  taken  a  course  in  the 
well  known  Drury  college  in  ^lissouri.  She  and 
her  family  adhere  to  or  are  communicants  in  the 
Christian  church.  Fraternally  Mr.  Willhite  is  an 
active  Mason,  being  secretary  at  present  of  his 
home  lodge :  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  His 
proved  abilities  as  an  agriculturist  and  business 
man  and  his  integrity  and  fairness  in  all  his  deal- 
ings have  won  him  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all 
the  residents  of  his  communitv. 


ANDREW  J.  BRUE— The  citizens  of  any  com- 
munity, state  or  nation,  who  form  its  real  strength, 
its  real  backbone,  are  not  the  professional  classes, 
nor  the  manipulators  of  stocks  and  bonds,  nor  the 
politicians,  nor  the  men  whose  names  are  most  in 
the  public  ear,  but  rather  those  sturdy  toilers,  un- 
known to  fame,  who  apply  brain  and  brawn  vigor- 
ously to  the  making  of  industrial  history,  the  con- 
quest and  appropriation  of  natural  resources,  the 
making  of  two  blades  of  grass  to  grow  where  one 
grew  before.  Such  a  man  is  Andrew  J.  Brue,  who  is 
engaged  in  farming  and  the  dairy  business  a  mile 
north  of  Stanwood.  Like  multitudes  of  others  of 
the  same  worthy  class,  he  is  a  son  of  Norway.  He 
was  born  in  1833,  one  of  the  four  children  of^John 
and  Annie  (Drage)  Brue,  both  of  whom  were  like- 
wise natives  of  the  land  of  fjords  and  died  there 
many  years  ago.  Mr.  Brue  has  two  living  brothers. 
He  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  twenty,  when  he  commenced  life  for  him- 
self as  a  sailor  on  a  trading  vessel  along  the  Nor- 
wegian coast.  After  being  thus  engaged  for  many 
years  he  came,  in  187"3,  to  Uncle  Sam's  domain,  lo- 
cating first  in  Alinnesota,  where  he  worked  at  farm- 
ing and  at  the  carpenter's  bench  for  four  years. 
Coming  then  to  Snohomish  county,  he  operated 
farms  under  leasehold  for  four  vears  longer,  meet- 


ing with  good  success  in  his  ventures,  but  naturally 
he  desired  something  more  permanent  and  to  be  de- 
pended on  than  leased  land,  so  he  purchased,  as 
soon  as  he  saw  his  way  clear  to  do  so,  an  eighty- 
acre  tract  near  Stanwood.  Upon  this  he  has  ever 
since  lived,  though  he  has  sold  twenty  acres  of  his 
original  purchase  and  is  now  farming  only  sixty 
acres.  In  addition  to  his  home  place  Mr.  Brue  is 
the  owner  of  thirty  acres  of  very  desirable  bottom 
land.  He  is  somewhat  interested  in  the  dairy  busi- 
ness, keeping  a  few  head  of  milch  cows  and  owning 
some  stock  in  the  co-operative  creamery  at  Stan- 
wood. He  also  has  an  interest  in  the  co-operative 
store  there.  Since  coming  to  this  country  he  has 
had  occasion  to  use  the  skill  acquired  in  earlier  life 
on  the  decks  of  Norwegian  craft,  for  for  five  years 
he  sailed  the  waters  of  Puget  sound  as  master  of  his 
own  vessel. 

In  his  home  land  of  Norway  in  1868,  Mr.  Brue 
married  Miss  Helen,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Hoer- 
berg  (LTglehus)  Berge,  who  have  long  since  died  in 
their  native  country.  Mrs.  Brue  has  one  brother, 
Ole.  and  two  sisters,  Annie  and  Molena.  She  was 
born  in  1838  and  lived  at  home  in  Norway  until  her 
marriage.  She  and  Mr.  Brue  have  five  living  chil- 
dren, namely,  John,  Thomas,  Elias,  Ole  and  Annie, 
who,  with  their  parents  adhere  to  the  Lutheran 
church.  In  politics  Mr.  Brue  is  a  Republican,  but 
further  than  to  keep  posted  on  matters  at  issue,  local 
and  general,  and  to  vote  intelligently  upon  them, 
takes  little  active  part  in  governmental  affairs, 
though  he  acted  at  one  time  as  deputy  county  as- 
sessor. Though  a  plain  citizen,  he  is  recognized  as 
a  man  of  business  acumen,  and  enjoys  in  abundant 
measure  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  those  who 
know  him  most  intimatelv. 


FRANK  L.  CONNERS  is  a  successful  farm 
operator  in  the  Stanwood  district  of  Snohomish 
county,  owning  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
high  land  of  excellent  agricultural  quality  a  short 
distance  east  of  town  and  also  a  five-acre  plat  just 
outside  the  city  limits,  on  which  he  makes  his 
home.  Mr.  Conners  is  a  native  of  Washington 
County,  Maine,  born  in  1868.  His  father,  John  Con- 
ners, was  also  a  native  of  the  Pine  Tree  state  and 
lived  there  until  1875,  when  he  came  to  the  Puget 
sound  country  and  located  on  the  Stanwood  flats. 
By  occupation  he  was  a  teamster  until  his  retire- 
ment ten  years  ago.  He  died  in  March  of  1904. 
Mrs.  Phoebe  (Kelley)  Conners  was  also  a  native  of 
Washington  County,  Maine,  and  died  in  that  state 
in  1875,.  the  mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  liv- 
ing are  John,  William,  Frank  L.  and  Gertrude. 
Frank  L.  Conners  attended  the  Maine  schools,  but 
after  his  mother's  death,  which  occurred  when  he 
was  seven  years  old,  he  lived  with  an  uncle  until  he 
was  fourteen.     He  then  came  to  Washington  and 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


joined  his  father  at  Stanwood,  living  with  him  until 
1887,  in  which  year  he  married  and  entered  upon  an 
independent  career  as  a  general  farmer,  in  which 
line  of  activity  he  has  been  markedly  successful. 

On  Christmas  day  of  1887  Mr.  Conners  mar- 
ried Miss  Cora  Wheeler,  daughter  of  Frank  Wheel- 
er, a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  wagon-maker  by  trade. 
Mr.  Wheeler  enlisted  in  the  Twelfth  Ohio  Volun- 
teers at  the  first  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  troops 
but  was  discharged  several  months  later  because  of 
disability.  He  died  in  1868.  Mrs.  Margaret 
(Evans)  Wheeler  was  born  in  Ohio.  After  the 
death  of  her  parents,  when  she  was  quite  young,  she 
lived  with  an  aunt  until  her  marriage.  She  is  still 
living  in  Indiana.  Mrs.  Conners  was  born  June  24, 
1867,  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati  and  lived  with  rel- 
atives until  her  marriage.  Four  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conners:  Edna  in  1888; 
Olive  in  1891 ;  Orilla  in  1893,  and  Frankie  in  1898. 
Since  1895  Mr.  Conners  has  served  as  road  super- 
visor of  district  No.  1.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, in  religion  Methodist,  while  Mrs.  Conners  ad- 
heres to  the  Baptist  faith.  Mr.  Conners  has  pros- 
pered in  his  farming  ventures  and  his  home  plot  and 
his  farm  land  are  both  valuable  pieces  of  property. 
He  is  a  man  of  force  of  character  and  of  energy  and 
enjoys  the  respect  of  the  entire  community. 


STEFFEN  FLOE  is  one  of  the  substantial 
Scandinavian-American  farmers  of  the  Stanwood 
section  of  Skagit  county,  also  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  vicinity,  having  come  to  this  county  in  1885. 
He  was  born  in  Norway  August  8,  1831.  one  of  the 
six  children  of  Iver  and  Brita  (Skaar)  Floe,  neither 
of  whom  ever  left  their  native  land.  The  father, 
born  in  1806,  lived  the  life  of  the  Norwegian  farmer 
until  1874,  when  death  claimed  him  ;  the  mother  was 
born  in  1810  and  died  in  1895.  The  living  children 
of  that  union,  aside  from  Steffen,  are  Mrs.  Agnes 
Jacobson  and  Lewis  and  Martha  Floe.  Steffen  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  he  was  fifteen  years 
old,  then  commenced  the  struggle  of  life  on  his  own 
account,  making  his  home  with  those  at  the  old 
farm  for  eight  more  years,  however.  When  twenty- 
three  years  of  age  he  entered  the  Norwegian  army 
and  for  four  years  thereafter  he  served  as  one  of 
the  life  guards'  of  King  Carl  XV.,  the  period  of  this 
service  being  embraced  between  the  years  1855  and 
1859.  Having  in  early  life  learned  something  of 
farming,  on  his  return  from  the  army,  Mr.  Floe 
commenced  again  the  pursuit  of  agriculture  and  he 
continued  therein  until  in  1865  he  left  his  native 
land  on  the  very  day  on  which  President  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  assassinated  by  Wilkes  Booth.  Mr. 
Floe  settled  in  Minnesota,  where  he  remained  at 
farming  for  a  space  of  fifteen  j-ears.  The  subse- 
quent five  years  were  passed  at  farming  in  Iowa ; 
then  in  1885  Mr.  Floe  came  to  Stanwood,  Washing- 


ton. He  purchased  a  small  place  in  Highland  and 
lived  there  for  two  years.  In  1887  he  bought  his 
present  place  of  sixty  acres,  about  a  mile  distant 
from  town  in  a  southeasterly  direction.  The  land 
was  not  cleared  of  its  timber  and  Mr.  Floe  worked 
at  carpentering  for  a  number  of  years  until  he  had 
gained  a  start  in  agriculture.  He  has  now  forty 
acres  cleared,  with  a  ten-room  house  erected  on  the 
premises,  and  is  actively  engaged  in  raising  oats  and 
hay,  operating  a  dairy  and  raising  live  stock. 

Mr.  Floe  has  been  twice  married.  In  1861  he 
was  united  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Brita  Sanvik,  daugh- 
ter of  Tolen  and  Clina  Sanvik,  natives  of  Norway,, 
who  were  the  parents  of  three  children.  Mrs.  Floe 
was  born  in  1841  and  passed  away  in  Minnesota, 
after  becoming  the  mother  of  seven  children,  of 
whom  four  survive :  Iver,  Olina,  Brita  and  Bertha. 
In  1874,  while  still  a  resident  of  Minnesota,  Mr- 
Floe  married  Miss  Laura  Erdahl,  whose  parents,. 
Martin  and  Marie  (Grenfor)  Erdahl,  passed  their 
.entire  lives  in  Norway,  leaving  four  other  children: 
Brita,.  Rasmus,  Marie  and  Elizabeth.  Mrs.  Floe 
came  to  the  United  States  in  February  of  1874,  when 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  making  the  voyage  alone. 
She  went  to  Minnesota  and  was  married  there  in 
the  year  of  her  arrival  in  America.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Floe  have  been  born  eleven  children,  the  sur- 
I  viving  ones  being  Martin,  Mary,  Charles,  Anna, 
Steflfen,  Josephine.  Emma,  Lewis  and  Ida.  In 
politics  Mr.  Floe  is  a  Republican,  while  in  church 
adherence  he  is,  with  his  wife  and  the  members  of 
his  family,  a  Lutheran.  On  his  sixty-acre  farm, 
two-thirds  of  which  is  cleared  and  under  cultivation, 
Mr.  Floe  maintains  fourteen  head  of  dairy  cows,  an 
equal  number  of  stock  cattle,  and  other  live  stock. 
He  enjoys  a  reputation  in  his  home  community  and 
in  other  parts  of  the  county  for  the  highest  integrity 
and  industry. 


CHRIS  HANSEN,  whose  farm  lies  two  miles 
east  of  Cedarhome,  is  one  of  the  successful  men  of 
this  community  and  one  who  enjoys  the  respect  and 
well  wishes  of  his  friends  and  neighbors.  Genial 
and  affable,  he  has  many  friends.  Mr.  Hansen  was^ 
born  in  Denmark  on  the  first  day  of  November, 
1853,  the  second  of  the  four  children  of  Rasmus 
and  Anne  Marie  (Christiansen)  Hansen,  farmer 
folk,  who  passed  their  lives  in  the  Danish  kingdom, 
the  father  dying  thirty  years  ago  and  the  mother 
surviving  until  two  years  ago.  Mr.  Hansen  has  two 
brothers,  Hans  and  George,  and  one  sister,  Mrs. 
Bertha  Moore.  Mr.  Hansen  lived  in  Denmark 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  In  1873  he  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Connecticut, 
where  he  worked  at  farming  for  a  year  and  a  half. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  crossed  the  continent  to 
California  and  he  remained  in  that  state  for  five 
years  afterward,  working  at  various  occupations. 
Coming   to    Snohomish    County,    Washington,    in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1890,  he  purchased  his  present  place.  For  the  first 
few  years  of  his  residence  in  this  country,  Mr.  Han- 
sen made  it  a  custom  to  go  to  Seattle  and  work  for  a 
brother  several  months  each  year.  He  now  has 
half  of  his  place  of  twenty  acres  under  cultivation 
and  is  doing  a  general  farming  business.  In  politics 
Mr.  Hansen  is  a  Republican  ;  in  lodge  circles  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
his  church  affiliations  arc  with  the  Lutherans.  He 
has  never  married,  has  no  one  dependent  upon  him 
and,  as  a  result,  is  not  forced  to  a  life  of  hard 
work  or  of  great  endeavor.  He  is  one  of  the  good 
citizens  of  the  community,  wide  awake  and  abreast 
of  the  times. 


LEVI  LEVISON,  living  two  miles  east  of 
Cedarhome,  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  since 
he  took  it  in  1888  as  a  preemption.  Previous  to  his 
advent  into  Snohomish  county  he  had  been  engaged 
in  farming  in  the  middle  western  states.  Born  in 
Norway  May  15,  1848,  he  is  one  of  the  four 
children  of  Levi  and  Marit  (Gulickson)  Levison. 
The  elder  Levison  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  in  18C9,  and  here  lived 
until  his  death  in  190:^  ;  Mrs.  Levison  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Wisconsin.  The  children  in  the  family  are 
Mrs.  Jennie  Warren,  Gulick,  Mary,  and  Levi  of 
this  review.  He  attended  school  in  Norway  and 
worked  with  his  parents  until  18G9,  when,  having 
attained  his  legal  majority,  he  immigrated  to  the 
American  republic,  settling  eventually  in  the  Badger 
state.  The  first  eighteen  months  he  spent  at  work 
on  farms  in  that  state,  then  he  went  to  Illinois,  where 
he  worked  three  years.  In  1874  he  pushed  west- 
ward to  Nebraska,  traveling  by  team,  and  in  that 
frontier  state  he  operated  farms  during  the  suc- 
ceeding nine  years.  Devastating  cyclones  at  last 
discouraged  him  so  that  he  returned  to  Illinois,  ex- 
pecting to  make  a  visit  there,  but  the  visit  length- 
ened into  a  four  years'  stay,  at  the  end  of  which  he 
removed  to  the  Pacific  Northwest,  taking  up  his  pre- 
emption claim  near  Cedarhome. 

In  1874,  while  living  in  Illinois,  Mr.  Levison  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Turgon  Kittelson,  daugh- 
ter of  Kittel  and  Marie  (Christopherson)  Stabach. 
The  father  was  a  blacksmith  who  came  from  Nor- 
way in  18.50,  when  fifty  3'ears  old,  in  a  sailing  ves- 
sel, seven  weeks  being  consumed  in  the  trans- 
Atlantic  voyage.  He  settled  in  Illinois,  where  his 
death  occurred  two  years  later.  Mrs.  Stabach  sur- 
vived until  1884.  Two  children  besides  Mrs.  Levi- 
son are  living,  namely,  Ingebar  and  Thurston  Kit- 
telson. Mrs.  Levison  was  born  in  Norway  June  4, 
1S3G,  and  came  to  the  L^nited  States  with  her  par- 
ents, living  with  them  until  the  death  of  her  father, 
after  which  she  was  employed  in  various  occupa- 
tions until  her  marriage.  Three  children  have  been 
born  to  the  union.  Kittel,  Tosten  G.  and  Levi,  the 
last  named  of  whom  is  deceased.    In  political  mat- 


ters, Mr.  Levison  takes  his  stand  with  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  has  filled  several  minor  offices,  hav- 
ing been  a  constable  in  Nebraska  and  .road  super- 
visor in  Washington.  The  home  farm  now  con- 
sists of  eighty  acres,  half  the  original  claim,  on 
which  Mr.  Levison  carries  on  a  general  farming 
and  live-stock  business.  One  of  the  substantial  citi- 
zens of  the  community,  he  is  active  in  promoting 
the  development  of  the  rich  region  in  which  he  has 
cast  his  lot. 


PETER  H.  LANGSAV  is  one  of  the  energetic 
and  wide-awake  farmers  of  the  Cedarhome  section 
of  Snohomish  county,  his  farm  lying  one  mile  to  the 
north  of  town.  Here  he  has  been  doing  a  success- 
ful farming,  dairy  and  poultry  business  for  several 
years.  He  was  born  in  Norway  early  in  the  year 
1854,  the  son  of  Hans  and  Christiana  (Neilson) 
Hanson,  both  of  whom  passed  away  in  the  old  coun- 
try about  thirty  years  ago.  Mr.  Hanson  was  a  car- 
penter and  builder  by  trade.  His  other  children 
are  Mrs.  Anna  Nelson,  Hans  E.,  Nels  and  Nellie. 
Peter  H.  Langsav  remained  at  the  old  home  until 
he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  when,  on  the  death  of 
his  parents,  he  commenced  to  work  for  himself  at 
the  trade  of  carpenter.  He  continued  at  this  work 
for  ten  years,  then  came  to  the  United  States,  locat- 
ing in  Portland,  Oregon,  in  1882.  He  remained 
there  for  seven  years,  working  at  the  carpenter 
trade,  but  in  1889  came  to  Snohomish  County, 
Washington,  and  purchased  his  present  farm.  He 
operated  it  for  seven  years,  then  having  determined 
to  try  his  fortune  in  Alaska,  went  to  the  northern 
country,  via  Seattle.  Mr.  Langsav  remained  in 
Alaska  but  four  months,  however,  during  whicli 
time  he  worked  at  his  trade.  On  his  return  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  a  time  in  Seattle,  later  en- 
gaging in  the  hotel  business  at  Ballard.  In  1900  he 
gave  up  running  the  hotel  and  returned  to  his  Ce- 
darhome farm,  where  he  has  since  remained. 

In  1887,  while  living  in  Portland,  Mr.  Langsav 
married  l\Iiss  Betsy  Lunda,  daughter  of  Ingebrit  and 
Marta  (Halvorson)  Lunda,  farmer  folk  of  Norway. 
Her  mother,  who  is  still  living,  has  four  children  be- 
sides Mrs.  Langsav,  Christopher,  Halver,  Carl  and 
Thea.  Mrs.  Langsav  was  born  in  Norway  in  Janu- 
ary, 1856,  and  lived  with  her  parents  until  reaching 
the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  when  she  came  to  the 
United  States  and  thereafter  she  fought  out  the 
industrial  battle  for  herself  until  her  marriage.  In 
politics  Mr.  Langsav  leans  toward  Socialism.  Twen- 
ty of  the  fifty-two  acres  constituting  his  farm  are 
now  cleared  and  under  cultivation.  His  dairy  herd 
consists  of  seven  cows,  and  he  also  has  eight  head 
of  other  neat  cattle. 


WILLIAM  B.  MOORE— It  is,  indeed,  regret- 
able  that  no  modern  Virgil  has  appeared  to  sing  in 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


immortal  verse  of  the  heroic  deeds  and  heroic  suf- 
ferings of  the  people  who  braved  the  dangers  of 
boundless  plain  and  snowy,  forbidding,  misty 
mountain,  traveling  in  caravans,  camping  under  the 
open  canopy  of  heaven  at  night,  fording  streams, 
gxiarding  families  and  property  from  the  onslaughts 
of  predatory  savages,  dreading  much  but  pausing 
for  nothing,  obedient  always  to  that  westward  mov- 
ing impulse  which  has  been  a  controlling  passion 
with  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  The  actors  in  this  epic 
of  the  West  were  men  of  deeds,  not  of  words.  They 
have  left  few  records  of  those  eventful  days  when 
they  were  grouped  into  organized  towns  and  vil- 
lages, but  villages  of  canvas  and  villages  on  wheels, 
villages  whose  sites  were  always  a  little  further 
west  each  day  than  on  the  day  preceding.  They 
have,  however,  written  their  history  all  over  the 
face  of  the  country  itself.  Empires  founded,  wealth 
unearthed,  resources  developed,  civilization's  do- 
main extended,  a  broad  land  subdued,  cities  built, 
homes  established — these  are  the  abiding  monu- 
ments to  the  memory  of  the  men  who  crossed  the 
plains,  and  it  may  be  that  enough  details  of  their 
experience  have  come  down  to  our  day  or  enough 
may  be  gathered  from  those  of  the  argonauts  who 
still  survive  to  furnish  some  romancer  of  the  future 
with  inspiration  and  a  theme. 

A  typical  representative  of  the  class  which  in 
those  days  became  nomads  of  the  desert  that  they 
might  become  builders  of  empires  is  William  B. 
Moore,  to  whom  the  call  of  the  West  came  when  he 
was  less  than  twenty-two.  He  had  earned  a  log 
school-house  education  in  his  Michigan  home  by 
walking  three  miles  to  school,  had  had  four  years' 
experience  in  railroad  work,  starting  in  at  seventy- 
five  cents  a  day  and  increasing  his  stipend  by  dili- 
gent application,  and  had  returned  to  his  birthplace, 
the  great  metropolis  of  theEmpire  state.  While 
there  he  met  a  brother  who  had  just  returned  from 
California,  and  the  stories  told  of  the  wild  free  life 
on  the  sunset  slope  soon  fired  his  adventurous  spirit. 
On  the  10th  of  April  of  the  following  year  he  set 
out  with  horses  for  the  trans-continental  trip.  He 
had  but  two  to  start  with,  but  in  Iowa  he  purchased 
a  third.  In  Ogden,  Utah,  one  of  these  was  stolen 
and  in  Thousand  Spring  Valley  he  lost  another,  so 
he  substituted  oxen  and  pushed  on.  In  Carson 
valley,  Nevada,  one  of  his  oxen  succumbed  and  the 
rest  of  the  trip  was  made  behind  a  pair  of  horses. 
Arriving  in  the  land  of  promise  on  the  20th  of  Au- 
gust he  at  once  began  digging  for  gold,  but  in  De- 
cember following  he  determined  to  rejoin  a  brother 
in  Portland,  who  was  then  in  the  volunteer  service 
against  the  hostile  Indians.  After  remaining  with 
him  till  the  fall  of  185G,  he  went  once  more  to  Cali- 
fornia and  he  spent  the  winter  in  the  Shasta  dis- 
trict, at  work  in  the  mines.  The  summer  of  1858 
found  him  en  route  to  the  Eraser  river  country,  the 
fever  having  seized  him  as  it  did  thousands  of 
others.    The  trip  was  made  by  the  schooner  Osceola 


to  Whatcom;  thence  on  foot  to  the  Eraser  river, 
provisions  being  transported  on  the  backs  of  ponies, 
for  which  a  trail  had  to  be  cut.  Einding  the  pros- 
pects there  discouraging  he  continued  his  journey 
northward  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Caribou  country,  but 
as  provisions  were  getting  low  he  was  compelled  to 
beat  a  retreat  back  to  Eort  Yale.  There  he  accepted 
employment  in  a  saw-mill,  at  eighty  dollars  a  month, 
and  later,  below  that  place,  he  got  out  some  large 
timbers  for  boat  purposes,  at  which  he  made  three 
hundred  dollars  in  five  days.  When  the  cold  weather 
came  in  December  he  joined  a  party  for  a  return  to 
civilization  and  it  was  on  this  outward  trip  that  he 
passed  through  some  of  the  most  trying  of  all  his 
pioneer  experiences.  While  he  and  his  companions 
were  descending  the  river  in  a  canoe,  following  a 
narrow  channel  between  banks  of  ice,  they  came 
upon  an  ice-bound  vessel  deserted.  Eurther  down 
they  came  upon  another  ice-locked  vessel,  in  which 
were  about  three  hundred  persons,  the  passengers 
from  both  vessels,  almost  destitute  of  provisions  and 
about  to  starve.  The  men  in  the  canoe  and  those  in 
the  vessel  soon  concluded  to  strike  out  post  haste  for 
the  nearest  point  at  which  succor  could  be  secured, 
and  for  three  days  they  pushed  on,  enduring  in- 
credible hardships,  struggling  against  Nature's 
barriers  to  progress,  insufficiently  clad  and  without 
food.  Fifty-eight  perished  by  the  wayside,  the  first 
to  succumb  being  the  husband  of  the  one  woman 
who  was  in  the  company.  Assisted  and  favored  in 
every  way  possible  by  the  gallant  miners,  she  made 
the  forty-mile  trip  in  safety. 

Erom  the  Eraser  river  Mr.  Moore  came  to  Vic- 
toria by  the  steamer  Otter,  and  there  he  remained 
a  short  time  engaged  in  getting  out  timber  for  a  saw- 
mill, but  he  soon  was  once  more  on  Puget  sound,  em- 
ployed as  a  logger  by  Captain  Thorndike  of  Port 
Ludlow.  He  was  there  about  a  year,  then,  in  the 
spring  of  1860  began  driving  oxen  in  the  woods  at 
Port  Discovery,  whence  four  months  later  he  went 
to  Utsalady.  'Purchasing  an  outfit  there,  he  em- 
barked in  logging  on  his  own  account  in  Holmes 
harbor,  and  he  was  thus  engaged  till  the  spring  of 
1865,  when  he  became  identified  with  the  Stanwood 
country. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Moore  is  one  of  the  very 
earliest  pioneers  of  the  Stillaguamish  valley,  and 
that  he  was  one  of  the  most  forceful  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  within  one  year  after  his  arrival  he  had 
diked  in  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  tide  marsh 
land.  Eor  more  than  a  decade  he  ran  a  logging 
camp  in  the  vicinity,  getting  out  great  numbers  of 
spars  for  vessels;  indeed,  he  says  that  he  has  sup- 
plied this  class  of  timber  to  every  civilized  nationon 
the  entire  earth.  He  has  the  distinction  of  having 
put  in  the  first  skid  road  in  the  Puget  sound  country, 
in  which  the  skids  were  arranged  across  the  road, 
thus  contributing  much  to  the  ease  with  which 
timber  might  be  gotten  out  of  the  woods. 

While    all   this    logging    was    in   progress,    Mr. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Moore,  with  wonderful  energy,  was  pushing  agri- 
cultural developments  also.  He  invested  in  the  rich 
tide  marsh  of  the  valley  until  he  was  at  one  time 
the  owner  of  five  hundred  and  forty  acres,  much 
of  which  he  cleared,  diked  and  prepared  for  cultiva- 
tion, but  he  has  since  sold  it  ofT  until  he  now  has 
only  eighty  acres  of  the  original  place.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  general  farming,  but  makes  a  specialty  of 
high-grade  cattle  and  horses. 

Of  the  family  to  which  Mr.  Moore  belongs  it 
Tnay  be  said  that  his  father,  James  Moore,  was  born 
in  Diiblin,  Ireland,  about  the  year  1800,  came  over 
to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  while  a  youth  and  spent 
a  year  there,  then  going  to  New  York,  where  he  em- 
barked in  the  general  merchandise  business  and 
where  he  married.  In  1834  he  went  to  Detroit, 
Michigan,  by  steamer,  the  trip  lasting  three  weeks. 
He  located  on  government  land  some  eight  or  nine 
miles  from  the  city  of  Detroit  and  three  miles  from 
his  nearest  neighbor,  and  the  remainder  of  his  days 
were  passed  there.  His  death  occurred  in  1871. 
Alice  (Marsh)  Moore,  mother  of  our  subject,  was 
l)orn  in  England  about  1800,  and  was  educated 
there,  but  came  to  New  York  as  a  young  woman. 
She  died  August  13,  1872.  Mr.  Moore  is  himself  a 
native  of  the  Empire  state,  born  April  10,  1833. 

On  the  13th  of  August,  1872,  Mr.  Moore  mar- 
ried Miss  Lavinia,  daughter  of  George  and  Agnes 
(Eaton)  Gage,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
north  of  Ireland,  and  both  of  whom  died  in  Skagit 
City,  Washington,  to  which  they  had  come  in  1871. 
Mr.  Gage  had  spent  much  of  his  life  in  Canada,  en- 
gaged in  farming.  Mrs.  Moore  was  born  in  the 
Dominion,  October  7,  1843,  and  was  educated  in  the 
excellent  public  schools  there  established.  She  and 
Mr.  Moore  are  parents  of  the  following  children : 
Lillie  M.,  born  June  13,  1873,  now  Mrs.  James 
Keenan  ;  George,  February  22,  187.5  ;  William  T.  B., 
October  7,  1877  ;  Anna  Alice,  July  22,  1879,  now 
wife  of  Ed.  McKean,  and  Mary  J.,'AIarch  10,  1881, 
-now  Mrs.  Joseph  Ford.  In  fraternal  affiliation  Mr. 
Moore  is  a  Mason ;  in  politics  a  Republican.  He 
had  the  honor  of  serving  as  county  commissioner  for 
two  years  from  18()6,  thus  leaving  his  impress  upon 
the  early  political  history  of  his  section.  A  typical 
pioneer,  he  has,  well  developed,  all  the  best  char- 
acteristics of  that  honored  class,  self-reliance,  in- 
dustry, resourcefulness  and  a  great  versatility  of 
talent.  He  has,  from  the  earliest  days,  been  one 
of  the  progressive  forces  of  his  community  and  de- 
serves rank  among  the  men  who  have  been  promi- 
nent in  making  Snohomish  countv  what  it  is. 


PETER  OLSEX.  dairy  farmer,  a  mile  and  a 
half  north  of  Cedarhome.  has  made  a  name  for  him- 
self in  the  community  as  an  energetic  man  of  con- 
siderable independence  of  thought  and  freedom  of 
action.     Mr.  Olsen  is  a  native  of  Denmark,  born  in 


1851.  His  parents  were  Ole  and  Metta  (Carlsen) 
Nelsen,  both  of  whom  died  when  he  was  an  infant. 
The  father  was  a  weaver  by  occupation.  Three 
other  sons  of  Mr.  Melson  are  living,  Carl,  Hans  and 
Xels.  .After  the  death  of  his  parents  Peter  Olsen 
was  cared  for  by  an  uncle  until  he  had  attained  the 
age  of  fourteen,  then  he  left  his  foster  father's  home 
for  Copenhagen,  where  he  worked  as  a  laborer  until 
he  was  twenty-five.  He  then  shipped  as  a  sailor 
and  followed  the  sea  for  three  years.  In  1882  he 
came  to  the  I'nited  States,  locating  in  New  Jersey. 
After  three  years  of  work  in  that  state,  Mr.  Olsen 
went  to  Nebraska,  where  he  remained  until  1887. 
During  these  years  he  had  been  working  for  others, 
but  on  coming  to  Snohomish  county  in  1888  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  and  at  once  commenced  to 
operate  it.  In  1897  he  caught  the  fever  for  Alaskan 
gold  and  passed  the  subsequent  three  years  in  the 
far  North,  returning  in  1900.  His  e.xperiences  in 
the  North  were  not  fascinating  or  very  remuner- 
ative. At  the  time  Mr.  Olsen  purchased  his  place 
only  seven  of  the  eighty  acres  had  been  cleared,  but 
now  he  has  si.xteen  under  cultivation,  and  much  of 
the  remainder  in  condition  to  furnish  pasture  for  his 
stock. 

In  1883,  in  New  York,  Mr.  Olsen  married  Miss 
Christiana  Olsen,  like  himself  a  native  of  Denmark, 
the  daughter  of  John  Olsen.  The  year  of  her  birth 
is  1856.  .She  remained  with  her  parents  in  the  old 
country  until  coming  to  the  United  States  in  1882. 
In  political  views  Mr.  Olsen  is  a  Socialist ;  in  frat- 
ernal connection  a  member  of  the  Danish  Brother- 
hood. Mr.  Olsen  at  present  has  ten  head  of  dairy 
cows  and  six  head  of  stock  cattle. 


ANDREW  B.  MICKELSON,  a  farmer  two 
and  a  half  miles  north  of  Cedarhome,  is  one  of  the 
interesting  characters  of  this  section  of  Snohomish 
county.  He  has  lived  on  his  homestead,  taken  up  in 
1881,  leading  the  life  of  a  bachelor  and  observing 
the  aiifairs  of  the  great  world  outside  with  very  little 
excitement.  Mr.  Mickelson  comes  of  a  family  of 
long  life,  and  though  himself  past  the  half-century 
mark  of  existence  is  hale  and  hearty.  He  was  born 
in  Norway  December  6,  1849,  the  youngest  of  six 
children  of  Mickel  and  Anne  (Davidson)  Hansen. 
The  father  was  born  in  1807  and  was  still  living 
when,  five  years  ago,  his  Puget  sound  son  last  heard 
from  him.  His  father,  the  grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  lived  to  the  remarkable  age  of 
ninety-nine  years.  Mrs.  Hansen,  born  in  1806,  was 
also  living  when  her  son  received  his  last  communi- 
cation from  his  native  land.  The  children  of  this  re- 
markable couple,  in  addition  to  Andrew,  are  Lars, 
Corinne,  Hans,  Peter  and  Annie.  Mr.  Mickelson 
attended  school  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age, 
though  he  says  that  the  school  was  a  poor  one,  and 
he  merely  obtained  the  rudiments  of  an  education. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Until  he  was  twenty-nine  he  led  a  rather  desultory 
life,  working  at  odd  jobs  and  doing  the  best  he 
could.  In  1878  he  came  to  this  country,  and  after 
passing  three  years  in  Minnesota  as  a  farmhand, 
came  to  the  Puget  sound  country.  He  spent  three 
years  in  Seattle  at  work  of  all  kinds ;  then,  in  1884, 
came  to  Snohomish  county  and  located  on  his  pres- 
ent place,  selecting  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  as  a 
homestead.  When  Mr.  Mickelson  first  came  to  the 
vicinity  of  Cedarhome  the  forest  was  in  its  virgin 
state  and  means  of  communication  and  transporta- 
tion were  few.  He  brought  his  supplies  and  house 
furnishings  part  way  by  boat,  then  came  some  dis- 
tance with  pony  and  sled  and  finished  the  journey, 
carrying  his  belongings  on  his  back.  He  com- 
menced the  work  of  clearing  the  place  at  once,  but 
has  been  in  no  hurry  to  strip  the  ground  of  its 
wealth  of  timber.  Eight  acres  have  thus  far  suf- 
ficed for  his  wants,  for  he  leads  the  simple  life  and 
enjoys  the  solitudes  of  the  woods.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican.  He  milks  two  cows  and  has  three 
stock  cattle,  along  with  forty  head  of  sheep.  He 
is  an  agreeable  man,  well  liked  by  those  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact,  satisfied  to  live  his  life  in  his 
own  way  without  striving  after  ideals  and  formal- 
ities concerning  which  many  people  vie  with  each 
other. 


NILS  O.  EKSTRAN,  whose  dairy  farm  lies  one 
mile  north  of  Cedarhome,  is  one  of  the  successful 
farmers  of  the  Cedarhome  section  of  Snohomish 
county.  His  dairy  business  is  flourishing  and  he  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial  business  men 
of  the  community.  Mr.  Ekstran  was  bom  in  Swe- 
den in  l§5'i,  the  son  of  Ole  and  Nellie  (Nelson) 
Ekstran.  In  his  early  life  the  elder  Ekstran  was  in 
the  Swedish  army  for  seven  years,  but  later  in  life 
he  became  a  farmer,  and  he  is  still  thus  engaged  in 
the  old  country.  Mrs.  Ekstran  died  in  Sweden  in 
1899,  leaving  five  children,  namely:  Nels  O.,  Par- 
melia.  John,  who  is  living  in  Brooklyn:  Nellie  and 
Mary.  Nils  O.  Ekstran  attended  the  Swedish 
schools  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  made 
his  home  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-five. 
He  worked  out  for  farmers  in  his  home  land  until 
1881,  then  came  to  the  United  States  and  located 
in  Minnesota,  where  for  two  years  he  was  engaged 
as  a  farmhand.  He  came  to  Washington  in  1883 
and,  after  passing  three  months  in  Seattle,  settled 
in  .Skagit  county,  where  he  worked  out  for  a  year, 
then  renting  a  place  for  three  years.  This  venture 
was  entirely  successful,  but  Mr.  Ekstran  decided  to 
cast  his  fortunes  in  with  Snohomish  county,  so 
came  to  Stanwood  in  1888.  A  year  as  farm  employe 
was  followed  bv  another  as  operator  of  a  leased 
farm,  then,  in  1890,  he  purchased  of  John  Anderson 
his  pleasant  place  of  forty  acres.  He  at  once  com- 
menced to  clear  the  land  of  its  timber  and  now  has 
'twenty  acres  under  cultivation,  with  the  remainder 


in  condition  for  pasture.  Soon  after  obtaining  oc- 
cupancy of  this  land,  Mr.  Ekstran  erected  his  mod- 
ern seven-room  house,  in  which  he  has  since  made 
his  home. 

In  1889,  at  Seattle,  Mr.  Ekstran  married  Miss 
Hannah  Swanson,  daughter  of  Ben  and  Cecelia  (Ol- 
son) Swanson,  natives  of  Sweden  and  parents  of  six 
children — Swan,  Bertha,  Hannah,  Olaf,  Lena  and 
August.  Mrs.  Ekstran  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1866 
and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  twenty 
years  of  age,  coming  directly  to  Skagit  county, 
where  she  had  friends.  For  three  and  a  half  years 
before  becoming  the  bride  of  Mr.  Ekstran  she  sup- 
ported herself  by  her  own  exertions.  Six  children; 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ekstran :  Hattie, 
Nellie,  Ruth,  Edna,  Herbert  and  Hazel.  In  his 
political  relations  Mr.  Ekstran  had  allied  himself 
with  the  Populists  up  to  1904,  but  since  that  time 
he  has  been  impressed  with  the  policies  of  President 
Roosevelt  and  is  now  a  firm  supporter  of  that  ex- 
ecutive. In  lodge  affiliations  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  also  is  in  the  Swedish 
Methodist  Episcopal  Insurance  Association.  The 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  In 
addition  to  his  home  farm,  Mr.  Ekstran  leases  twen- 
ty-three acres  of  bottom  land  along  the  Stillaguam- 
ish  river.  Mr.  Ekstran  has  been  very  successful 
since  branching  out  for  himself,  his  energy  and 
thrift  accomplishing  much  toward  establishing  him 
as  one  of  the  forceful  factors  of  the  business  com- 
munity. 


WESLEY  J.  FENLASON,  one  of  the  well 
known  pioneers  of  Snohomish  county,  now  residing 
at  Florence,  was  born  in  Crawford,  Maine,  Novem- 
ber 6,  1837.  His  parents,  William  and  Betsey 
(Seavey)  Fenalson,  were  also  natives  of  Maine. 
The  father  died  in  1860,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight; 
the  mother,  in  1859,  aged  sixty-six.  The  youngest 
of  a  family  of  ten  children,  Wesley  J.  Fenlason,  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools,  leaving 
home  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He  went  to  Lincoln,. 
Maine,  and  worked  on  a  farm  for  four  years,  until 
on  account  of  his  father's  failing  health  he  was 
needed  at  home.  After  the  death  of  his  father  he 
continued  to  farm  for  several  years,  and  then  de- 
cided to  find  an  opening  in  the  Northwest.  Leaving- 
the  East  in  1868  he  at  length  located  on  Port  Susan, 
and  in  1875  wrote  to  his  wife,  who  had  remained 
in  Maine  to  sell  the  farm  and  join  him.  After  en- 
gaging in  the  logging  business  for  nine  years,  he 
then  took  full  charge  of  a  logging  camp  on  the 
Stillaguamish  river,  owned  by  James  Long.  Hav- 
ing sold  his  property  on  Port  Susan,,  he  invested  irt 
the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides,  whither  he 
moved  his  family.  A  part  of  the  land  was  covered 
with  stumps,  the  balance  was  in  timber  and  tide 
land.  At  the  close  of  six  years  spent  in  the  logging- 
camp,  he  began  work  on  the  farm,  and  now  has  one 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  an  excellent  state  of 
cultivation  and  sixty-eight  unimproved.  His  prin- 
cipal crops  are  hay  and  oats.  He  is  extensively  in- 
terested in  dairying,  having  a  fine  herd  of  fifty-five 
milch  cows,  Jersey  and  Holstein,  crossed.  He  also 
has  a  large  number  of  fine  hogs,  Chester  White  and 
Berkshire.  Prior  to  1898  he  made  his  home  on  the 
bottom  lands  of  his  farm,  he  having  built  his  house, 
barns  and  warehouse  there.  The  river  devastated 
these  low  lands,  destroying  his  orchard  and  render- 
ing it  necessary  for  him  to  tear  down  his  buildings 
and  rebuild  on  the  hill  beyond.  That  involved  great 
labor  and  expense,  but  he  cheerfully  met  the  dis- 
aster, and  is  now  enjoying  a  large  measure  of  pros- 
perity. 

In  185G,  Mr.  Fenlason  and  Mary  A.  Munson 
were  united  in  the  bonds  of  wedlock.  Mrs.  Fen- 
lason was  born  in  1838,  the  daughter  of  Jonathan 
and  Margaret  (Tinker)  Munson,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Maine.  Her  father  died  in  1887, 
aged  eighty-five ;  the  mother,  several  years  previous, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Gladly  sharing  the  toils 
and  privations  incident  to  the  life  of  the  early  set- 
tlers in  the  desolate  wilds  of  the  Northwest,  Mrs. 
Fenlason  made  happy  the  little  home  by  her  sun- 
shiny presence  and  manifold  charms.  When  re- 
verses came  her  undaunted  faith  banished  their 
gloom.  A  devoted  wife  and  mother,  a  kind,  sympath- 
etic neighbor  and  friend,  her  death  in  November, 
1904,  threw  a  shadow  over  the  entire  community. 
The  following  children  were  born  to  this  happy 
union :  Mrs.  Ella  A.  Rowell,  of  Ellensburg,  Wash- 
ington ;  David  A.,  of  California ;  Vine,  at  home ; 
Mrs.  Ida  M.  Hanson,  who  with  her  husband  lives  at 
the  old  home ;  Mrs.  Emma  Harrison,  of  Seattle ; 
Mrs.  Lilla  B.  Holcomb,  of  Florence.  Two  others, 
twins,  died  in  early  infancy.  Mr.  Fenlason  is  a 
prominent  Mason.  In  politics  he  is  independent, 
casting  his  ballot  in  each  instance  for  the  man,  and, 
as  for  himself,  never  aspiring  to  any  political  office. 
The  ]\[ethodist  church  claims  him  as  a  loyal  mem- 
ber. A  thoughtful,  earnest  man,  broadened  by  the 
experiences  that  have  befallen  him.  Mr.  Fenlason  is 
an  influential  citizen,  honored  and  respected  by  his 
fellow  men. 


LOUIS  I.  FLO.  whose  career  is  a  splendid  il- 
htstration  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  a  young- 
man  possessed  of  energy,  ambition,  and  sound  busi- 
ness principles,  was  born  in  Norway  October  1, 
184 7-,  the  son  of  Ivar  and  Bertha  CErasmusson) 
Stevenson.  The  parents,  both  natives  of  Norway, 
are  deceased,  the  father  having  died  many  years 
ago,  the  mother,  in  1895,  at  the  age  of  ninety.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  this  union,  Louis  I.  Flo  being 
the  youngest.  Like  many  of  the  successful  men  of 
all  times,  he  became  self-supporting  when  a  mere 
boy,  and  thus  early  developed  the  sturdy  elements 
of  character  that  were  to  play  such  an  important 


part  in  his  after  life.  Taking  up  the  work  that  first 
presented  itself,  he  farmed  for  five  years,  acquiring 
his  education  by  diligent  use  of  the  opportunities  af- 
forded by  the  common  schools.  Though  his  father 
had  for  years  been  a  successful  farmer  in  Flo,  Nor- 
way, it  was  not  long  before  Louis  decided  to  fit  him- 
self for  some  other  occupation.'  Choosing  the  car- 
penter trade,  he  at  once  applied  himself  to  master- 
ing its  details,  and  he  followed  that  work  for  six 
years.  Naturally  fond  of  the  water  and  a  life  of  ad- 
venture, he  then  went  to  sea,  making  long  voyages  to 
distant  countries,  and  sailing  almost  around  the 
world  during  the  eight  years  thus  spent.  It  was  a 
wonderful  experience  for  a  young  man  of  an  observ- 
ing turn  of  mind,  and  influenced  his  whole  subse- 
quent life.  Returning  to  Norway,  he  was  forced  to 
serve  two  years  in  the  army,  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  that  country.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time 
he  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Minnesota. 
Undaunted  by  the  fact  that  he  had  barely  ten  dollars 
in  his  pocket,  he  soon  found  employment  in  the  lum- 
bering camps  of  the  neighlxiring  state,  Wisconsin, 
near  Menominee,  and  remained  three  years.  Going 
thence  to  Faribault  County,  Minnesota,  he  farmed 
two  years,  and  then  invested  in  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land.  Two  years  later  he  purchased 
another  tract,  comprising  eighty  acres.  He  was  thus 
engaged  for  the  following  twenty-eight  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  disposed  of  his  property  and 
came  to  Florence,  Washington.  Prior  to  taking  up 
his  permanent  residence  here,  he  made  an  extended 
tour  through  Idaho,  Utah.  Montana  and  Washing- 
ton in  search  of  a  desirable  location.  The  result  of 
his  careful  study  of  the  conditions  found  in  these 
several  states  was  that  he  bought  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  in  Florence,  Washington,  which  he  con- 
sidered possessed  advantages  afforded  by  no  other 
section  that  he  had  visited.  He  now  has  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  this  farm  in  an  excellent  state  of  cul- 
tivation, the  balance  is  in  valuable  timber.  His 
principal  products  are  hay  and  oats.  He  also  has  a 
fine  dairy,  to  which  he  devotes  careful  attention. 

Mr.  Flo  was  married  September  1,  1S78,  to 
Sarah  Hansen,  a  native  of  Minnesota.  Her  parents, 
Andrew  and  Martha  (Cjos)  Hansen,  both  born  in 
Norway,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1860  on  their 
wedding  journey  and  established  a  home  in  Min-. 
nesota.  The  father  died  in  1900 ;  the  mother  is  now 
living  with  her  son,  Doctor  Otto  Hausen,  a  welF 
known  physician  of  Forest  City,  Iowa.  Thirteen 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flo,  as 
follows :  Mamie,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Mamie,  sec- 
ond, died  in  1900,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years; 
Mrs.  Betsey  Peterson,  of  Faribault  County,  Min- 
nesota ;  Ivar,  l).irn  August  9,  1884;  Andrew,- March, 
23,  issc;  .Manila,  in  1887;  Sarah,  in  1889;  Laura, 
in  is;t]  :  Martha,  in  1893;  Rasmus  died  in  infancy; 
Ruth,  Stephen  and  Mina.  Mr.  Flo  is  a  loyal  member 
of  the  Rejuiblican  party  and  he  and  his  family  at- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


tend  the  Lutheran  church.  To  visit  Mr.  Flo's  splen- 
did farm,  thoroughly  equipped  with  all  the  modern 
appliances  for  successful  work,  an  estate  easily 
worth  $20,000,  remembering  that  the  sum  of  his  cap- 
ital was  at  one  time  a  paltry  ten  dollars,  is  to  be  im- 
pressed with  his  remarkable  energy  and  skillful 
management.  His  upright  character,  sterling  worth 
and  extensive  property  holdings  render  him  a  man 
of  great  influence  in  the  community. 


LARS  P.  HANSON,  one  of  the  influential  citi- 
zens of  Florence,  Washington,  residing  one-half 
mile  west  and  an  equal  distance  south  of  town,  was 
born  in  Norway  July  22.  1865.  His  father,  Paul 
Hanson,  also  a  native  of  Norway,  immigrated  tc 
the  United  States  in  IST^.  He  became  a  resident  of 
A\'ashington  twenty-four  years  ago.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  Florence  in,  1900.  Mary  (Snakweik) 
Hanson,  the  mother,  also  a  native  of  Norway,  died 
at  Florence  in  1901,  the  mother  of  four  children. 
One  son.  Hans,  was  killed  in  Michigan  in  1883.  and 
a  daughter,  Elizabeth,  died  at  Florence  in  1894. 
Few  educational  advantages  were  possible  to  Lars 
Hanson,  who  was  engaged  in  helping  his  father 
clear  a  place  for  a  home  in  the  dense  forests  at  the 
age  when  he,  if  conditions  were  otherwise,  would 
have  been  in  school.  Of  a  bright,  inquiring  turn 
of  mind,  however,  he  in  later  life  made  good  the  loss 
of  early  training,  and  received  his  preparation  for 
life's  duties  in  rhe  wider  school  of  experience.  His 
parents  having  moved  to  Washington,  he  found  em- 
ployment in  the  woods,  after  working  for  some  time 
on  the  farm  owned  by  James  Long.  In  1897  he  pur- 
chased seventy-seven  acres  of  land  near  Florence, 
which  he  farmed,  together  with  two  other  pieces  of 
property  up  the  river  for  a  period.  During  the  fol- 
lowing years  he  frequently  invested  in  real  estate, 
which  he  in  turn  sold.  In  July,  1904,  he  became  the 
owner  of  the  one  hundred  and  forty-acre  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides. 

Mr.  Hanson  and  Lena  Wald  were  united  in  mar- 
riage November  25,  1894.  Mrs.  Hanson  was  born 
in  Norway,  and  came  West  with  her  sister,  now 
the  wife  of  Ole  Eide,  of  Stanwood,  Washington. 
Her  father  is  still  living  in  her  native  country ;  the 
mother  died  before  her  daughters  left  home.  Five 
children  have  gladdened  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hanson :  Inga,  Hannah,  Peter.  Edwin  and  Oscar. 
Mr.  Hanson  is  a  thorough  believer  in  Republican 
principles.  Among  the  minor  positions  he  has  held 
is  the  office  of  road  supervisor.  He  and  his  family 
attend  the  Lutheran  church,  to  which  he  contributes 
liberally.  He  has  a  splendid  farm,  all  under  culti- 
vation, the  principal  products  being  oats  and  hay. 
He  is  also  interested  in  dairying,  has  a  large  herd 
of  fine  cattle,  and  by  careful  attention  to  details  re- 
alizes a  substantial  income  from  this  source  alone. 
His  beautiful  twelve-room  house,  modern  in  all  its 


appointments,  is  the  finest  home  to  be  found  in  this 
entire  locality,  and  reflects  the  owner's  taste  as  well 
as  his  care  for  the  happiness  of  his  wife  and  family. 
A  man  of  strict  integrity  and  excellent  business  abil- 
ity, Mr.  Hanson  enjoys  the  confidence  of  all  his  ac- 
quaintances. 


JOHN  B.  LEE,  one  of  Stanwood's  thrifty,  pros- 
perous agriculturists,  was  born  in  Ottertail  County, 
Minnesota,  March  13,  18G9.  His  father.  Berg  O. 
Lee,  a  native  of  Norway,  came  to  the  United  States 
in  early  life  and  was  a  resident  of  Wisconsin  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  He  answered  his 
adopted  country's  call  for  volunteers,  and  enlisted 
in  the  Fifteenth  Wisconsin  regiment.  He  and  his 
wife.  Olena  (Kraushaus)  Lee,  also  of  Norwegian 
birth,  are  now  living  with  the  son  whose  name 
forms  the  caption  for  this  article.  The  father  is 
seventy-two  years  of  age ;  the  mother  ten  years 
younger.  John  B.  Lee  spent  his  boyhood  on  the 
farm  in  Minnesota,  acquiring  an  education  and  also 
a  practical  knowledge  of  farming.  In  1887  he  came 
West  to  Tacoma,  Washington,  remaining  four  years, 
during  which  he  was  employed  by  the  Northern 
F'acific  railroad  as  boiler-maker.  Leaving  there  in 
the  early  nineties,  when  the  hard  times  began  to  be 
felt  in  all  lines  of  trade,  he  located  in  Norman, 
Washington,  and  leased  a  farm  for  a  period  of  eight 
years.  For  about  six  months  out  of  the  year  the 
roads  were  impassable,  thus  making  the  work  very 
difficult  and  unsatisfactory.  At  the  expiration  of 
the  lease  in  1895  he  went  to  Alaska,  and  was  quite 
successful,  at  one  time  purchasing  the  claims  on 
Eldorado  Creek  owned  by  "Klondike"  Anderson. 
He  resided  in  that  country  till  1898,  returning  with 
sufficient  means  to  buy  the  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three-acre  farm  on  which  he  now  lives.  Twenty- 
five  acres  of  this  land  had  been  cleared.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  made  another  trip  to  the  gold  fields 
of  Alaska,  remaining  five  years.  He  has  since  de- 
voted his  entire  time  to  the  cultivation  of  his  farm, 
has  now  forty  acres  under  cultivation,  devoted  to 
diversified  farming  and  dairying.  He  owns  a  fine 
herd  of  Jersey  cattle. 

Mr.  Lee  was  married  July  1,  1899,  to  Lillian 
DeVoe,  a  native  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  Her  parents, 
both  deceased,  were  of  French  nativity.  Mr.  Lee  is 
a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Brotherhood  of  America. 
Although  never  taking  an  active  part  in  political 
matters,  he  is  a  loyal  supporter  of  Republicanism. 
The  energy,  ambition  and  upright  business  prin- 
ciples that  have  won  for  him  his  present  financial 
success,  have  also  secured  the  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  his  fellow  citizens. 


PETER  NESS,  Whose  comfortable  estate  lies 
one  mile  southeast  of  Florence,  is  one  of  the  well- 


AIR.  AXl.  MRS,  LARS  I'.  11ANS(.N  ANI.  RhSIDE 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1003 


known  farmers  of  this  part  c(f  the  county.  He  was 
born  in  Norway  September  27,  1846,  the  son  of 
John  and  Ingobar  (I5arosdatter)  Peterson,  both  of 
whom  spent  their  Hves  in  Norway,  their  native  land. 
Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  twelve,  Peter  Ness 
foimtl  employment  as  a  herder  of  cattle  in  the  sum- 
mer months,  and  in  the  woods  during  the  winter. 
He  was  cruelly  treated  by  his  employer,  and  allowed 
very  few  educational  advantages,  hence  he  deter- 
mined to  seek  another  opening.  Finding  employ- 
ment in  a  flour  mill,  where  his  diligent  efforts  to 
please  were  appreciated,  he  remained  seven  years. 
For  a  number  of  years  following  he  was  engaged  in 
fishing,  but  knowing  that  the  United  States  offered 
great  inducements  to  thrifty,  energetic  young  men, 
he  immigrated  in  1882,  locating  first  in  Minneap- 
olis, Minnesota,  where  he  worked  in  a  lumber  yard 
six  months.  He,  in  company  with  three  others,  left 
for  Seattle  that  year.  His  acquaintances  tried  in 
every  way  to  discourage  him,  prophesying  dire  mis- 
fortune if  he  located  in  the  "wild  and  woolly 
west,"  the  only  inhabitants  of  which,  according  to 
their  belief,  were  thieves  and  robbers.  Disregard- 
ing their  well-meant  but  mistaken  counsel,  he  lo- 
cated at  Stanwood,  Washington,  after  a  two 
weeks  stay  in  Seattle.  A  few  months  later  he  re- 
moved to  Pilchuck,  Snohomish  county,  and  took 
a  homestead  there,  which  he  held  for  the  next 
four  years.  While  a  resident  of  Stanwood  he  and 
C.  Oleson,  now  in  Norway,  built  the  first  piledriver 
in  the  town,  and  drove  the  piles  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  boom  and  wharf  built  here. 
He  took  contracts  for  this  kind  of  work  for  the 
next  three  years,  then  sold  out  and  returned  to 
his  native  country  in  1888.  Eight  months  later 
he  brought  his  bride  to  Stanwood,  and  soon  pur- 
chased fifty-five  acres,  all  densely  covered  with 
the  finest  kind  of  cedar  timber,  which  at  that  time 
was  of  no  use  save  to  build  the  rude  houses  and 
barns,  there  being  no  market  for  it.  Clearing  a 
small  plot  of  ground,  he  erected  a  cabin  and  at  once 
began  the  arduous  undertaking  of  clearing  the 
land.  He  now  has  thirty-five  acres  in  cultivation, 
devoting  it  almost  entirely  to  dairv'ing. 

In  1888  Mr.  Ness  married  Karan  Martha  Oldstat- 
ter  Dybwad,  who  gladly  shared  with  him  the  toils 
and  privations  of  those  early  pioneer  days.  Her  par- 
ents have  never  visited  America.  In  political  belief 
Mr.  Ness  adheres  strictly  to  Republican  doctrines, 
but  he  has  never  cared  to  participate  actively  in  po- 
litical affairs.  He  and  his  worthy  wife  attend  the 
Lutheran  church.  During  his  extended  residence 
here  Mr.  Ness  has  been  permitted  to  witness  mar- 
velous changes  in  the  surrounding  country,  and  has 
rejoiced  to  see  the  "wilderness  blossom  as  the 
rose"  under  the  skillful  management  of  pioneers 
like  himself,  who  believed  in  the  glorious  future  of 
this    wonderful    Northwest. 


HALVOR  P.  HUSBY.  Among  the  hardy  pio- 
neers of  Snohomish  county  whose  brave  endur- 
ance of  the  manifold  hardships  and  dangers  of 
those  early  days  has  made  possible  the  splendid 
growth  and  development  of  today  is  found  Halvor 
P.  Husby,  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  April.  1859, 
His  parents,  Peter  and  Magnild  Husby,  still  live 
in  Norway,  the  land  of  their  birth.  Mr.  Husbv  is 
the  fifth  of  a  family  of  eleven  children.  He  spent 
the  first  twenty-two  years  of  his  life  on  his  father's 
farm,  acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  work 
which  has  claimed  so  large  a  share  of  his  atten- 
tion. He  then  decided  to  seek  an  opening  in  the 
United  States,  and  sailed  in  1881.  Locating  in 
Stoclcton,  California,  he  remained  a  year  and  a 
half,  coming  thence  to  Stanwood,  Washington,  in 
the  fall  of  1882.  .'\fter  farming  and  working  in 
the  woods  for  a  time  he  took  up  a  homestead  con- 
sisting of  160  acres,  a  mile  west  of  Norman,  on 
which  he  now  resides,  ./^t  that  date,  1885,  it  was  all 
densely  covered  with  timber.  There  were  no  roads, 
the  only  means  of  bringing  supplies  from  Stan- 
wood being  by  canoe,  and  mail  reached  him  but 
once  a  week.  Two  cows  that  he  brought  with 
him  when  he  settled  on  the  claim  were  nearly 
lost  "before  reaching  their  destination.  Several 
years  elapsed  before  wagon  roads  were  con- 
structed. Year  by  year  he  has  been  engaged  in 
clearing  his  land,  and  now  has  twenty-five  acres  in 
meadow,  and  thirty-five  in  pasture.  He  is  exten- 
sively interested  in  dairying,  has  thirty  head  of 
graded  stock,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Stanwood 
Co-operative  Creamery  Company. 

Mr.  Husby  was  married  in  1884  to  Annie  Hal- 
seth,  a  native  of  Norway,  who  in  childhood  came 
with  her  parents  to  the  United  States.  They  set- 
tled first  in  Dakota,  but  later  became  residents  of 
Silvana,  Washington.  She  having  been  a  lad\' 
of  remarkable  strength  and  sweetness  of  character, 
Mrs.  Husby's  death  in  18fll  was  the  occasion  of 
especially  profound  sorrow  in  the  community.  She 
was  the  mother  of  three  children,  Gunder,  Peter 
and  a  baby  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Husby  is 
a  member  of  no  political  party,  preferring  to  vote 
for  the  man  whom  he  deems  best  fitted  to  fill  the 
office.  He  is  one  of  the  prosperous  and  influential 
citizens  of  the  region,  possessing  the  good  will 
and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  is  associated. 


SIGWARD  J.  EDSBERG,  whose  farm  of  eighty- 
acres  lies  on  the  Highland  road  to  Silvana  east  of 
Stanwood,  has  been  very  successful  in  his  opera- 
tions since  coming  to  Snohomish  county  a  decade 
and  a  half  ago.  He  has  cleared  two  farms  in  the 
forest,  now  operates  a  dairy  and  is  in  excellent 
circumstances.  Mr.  Edsberg  was  born  in  Nor- 
way September  22,  1864,  the  oldest  of  the  s''x 
children    of    Johnnes    and    Caroline    (Martenson) 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


Edsberg,  natives  of  the  land  of  fjords,  who  are 
still  living  in  the  country  of  their  nativity.  Sig- 
ward  J.  Edsberg  remained  at  home  with  his  par- 
ents until  his  marriage  in  1885.  He  then,  after 
having  passed  another  year  in  Norway,  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  bride  to  make  a  home. 
Their  first  stop  was  in  Minnesota,  where  he  worked 
at  farming  for  two  years,  following  which  he  came 
to  the  Puget  sound  country  and  passed  two  years 
in  Seattle,  doing  contract  work  in  clearing  land. 
Mr.  Edsberg  then  came  to  Snohomish  county  and 
preempted  forty  acres  of  timber  land  near  Bry- 
ant, later  homesteading  160  additional  acres,  on 
which  he  remained  seven  years,  clearing  it  for  crop 
and  pasture.  On  selling  out  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  timbered  land,  where  he  now  lives.  Of 
this  tract  he  has  cleared  twenty-six  acres  and  on 
it  is  carrying  on  a  dairy  business,  with  eight  cows 
at  present  constituting  his  herd.  The  farm  is  a 
model  one  of  its  kind,  comfortable,  convenient  and 
well  equipped. 

In  1885  Mr.  Edsberg  married  Miss  Olivia  Mar- 
tenson,  a  native  of  Norway  and  the  daughter  of 
Martin  and  Sigurd  Martenson.  The  father  died 
some  five  years  ago,  but  the  mother  is  still  living 
in  Norway.  Mrs.  Edsberg  has  three  brothers  in 
Minnesota,  one  a  merchant,  the  other  two  farmers. 
She  also  has  a  brother  and  two  sisters  in  Seattle. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edsberg  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  living  at  home:  Julius,  Mar- 
cus, Sophia,  Carl,  Olga  and  Sigurd.  In  politics 
Mr.  Edsberg  is  a  Republican,  not  especially  am- 
bitious to  hold  public  office,  preferring  his  home 
life  and  home  effort.  The  family  adheres  to  the 
Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Edsberg  is  one  of  the  con- 
servative men  of  the  community,  with  plenty  of 
energy  and  ability  to  do  hard  work.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  by  all  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  busi- 
ness men  of  the  northwestern  part  of  Snohomish 
county,  and  one  who  has  been  prominent  in  its 
development  from  a  wilderness. 


ANDREW  FJERLIE,  whose  farm  lies  two  and 
a  quarter  miles  west  of  Norman  and  adjoining  the 
railway,  has  been  in  Snohomish  county  but  little 
over  a  decade,  yet  he  has  firmly  established  himself 
in  business  and  is  one  of  the  hustling  men  of  the 
community.  Mr.  Fjerlie  was  born  in  Norway 
March  30,  1872,  the  second  of  four  children  of 
Halvor  and  Bereth  (Bruseth)  Fjerlie,  natives  of 
Norway,  who  passed  away  twenty  years  or  more 
a,go.  Andrew  Fjerlie  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
early  in  life  learned  to  work.  In  spite  of  having 
heavy  duties  to  attend  to  he  gained  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  Norwegian  schools,  which  education 
he  has  supplemented  by  extensive  reading  and  ob- 
servation. Farming  occupied  his  attention  until 
he  left  Norway  for  this  country.     He  had  friends 


in  Snohomish  county  and  through  them  he  learned 
of  the  natural  advantages  of  the  Puget  sound 
country.  Coming  direct  to  Stanwood,  he  at  once 
took  a  contract  for  cutting  shingle  bolts  and  for 
four  years  thereafter  he  continued  in  this  general 
line  of  activity,  though  frequently  varying  his  work 
by  entering  the  employ  of  loggers.  In  1897  Mr. 
Fjerlie  took  a  contract  for  cutting  cottonwood  for 
the  paper  mill  in  Everett.  He  continued  at  this 
work  two  years,  doing  fairly  well  financially,  and 
on  the  completion  of  this  contract  with  a  brother 
he  bought  the  forty-acre  tract  where  he  has  since 
lived.  Since  occupying  the  place  Mr.  Fjerlie  has 
cleared  and  slashed  twenty  acres  and  erected  an 
eight-room  house  and  outbuildings.  At  present 
he  is  carrying  on  dairy  farming  operations,  keeping 
ten  head  of  cows.  The  brother  still  retains  his 
interest  in  the  land,  but  devotes  himself  to  the 
carpenter's  trade. 

In  January.  1903,  Mr.  Fjerlie  married  Miss  Mary 
Jamne,  a  native  of  Norway,  who  crossed  the  At- 
lantic alone  and  after  passing  two  years  in  Wis- 
consin came  to  Washington.  Her  father  ,died 
seventeen  years  ago  in  the  old  country ;  her  mother 
is  still  Hving  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fjerlie  have 
one  child,  Ole  Harold,  who  was  born  in  Silvana  in 
December  of  1904.  In  politics  Mr.  Fjerlie  is  an 
independent,  bound  by  no  party  ties;  in  church  ad- 
herence the  family  is  Lutheran.  Mr.  Fjerlie  is  con- 
servative in  nature,  quiet  and  unassuming,  but 
markedly  intelligent  and  a  student  of  men  and 
conditions,  highly  respected  in  the  community  for 
his  sterling  qualities  of  character. 


REV.  PETER  ISBERG  was  born  in  Norway, 
not  far  from  the  celebrated  tourist  rendezvous, 
Odde,  in  the  district  of  Hardanger,  on  the  22d  of 
June,  1850.  His  place  of  birth  was  on  the  "gaard" 
or  farm,  Isberg,  on  the  shores  of  the  Hardanger 
Fjord,  so  replete  with  grand  natural  scenery.  In 
the  spring  of  the  year  1867  he  begged  his  grand- 
father, with  whom  he  made  his  home,  to  let  him 
do  as  a  great  many  of  the  young  people  of  his  age 
did,  find  a  passage  to  "The  Land  of  the  Free  and 
the  Home  of  the  Brave."  He  succeeded  in  his 
suit  and  eventually  boarded  the  sailship  "Helvetia" 
at  Bergen,  in  the  first  part  of  April.  After  seven 
weeks  and  four  days  of  tossing  about  on  the  At- 
lantic he  finallv  landed  in  Quebec.  His  next  des- 
tination was  Chickasaw  county,  Iowa,  where  an 
uncle,  Ole  Bulken,  had  settled  before,  and  by  rail 
and  steamer  the  delightful  trip  was  soon  made. 
From  this  time  on  working  for  farmers  was  the 
not  unpleasant  occupation  of  Mr.  Isberg  until  the 
fall  of  the  vear  1869,  when  he  entered  the  Lutheran 
college  at  Decorah,  Iowa.  After  being  five  years 
at  this  college  he  was  sent  to  a  German  theological 
seminary  at  Springfield,  Illinois.     Thence  he  went 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1005 


to  Madison,  Wisconsin,  to  attend  a  Norwegian 
Lutheran  seminary.  In  September,  1878,  he  was 
-ordained  a  minister  of  the'  gospel  at  the  Lutheran 
church  at  La  Crosse,  Wisconsin.  He  took  up  his 
first  work  at  Alpena,  Michigan,  from  which  point 
he  was  called  to  Perry,  Wisconsin,  in  1881,  and  he 
remained  there  until  the  spring  of  1888,  when  he 
resigned  his  position  in  the  church  in  order  to  en- 
gage in  farming  in  Fillmore  county,  Minnesota. 
But  at  this  time  the  Puget  sound  country  was 
booming  and  ]\lr.  Isberg,  having  been  born  on  a 
sound  or  fjord,  what  was  more  natural  than  for  him 
to  go  to  another  such  place  and  try  to  make  a  home 
on  its  shores?  Therefore  in  the  spring  in  1889, 
with  two  companions  from  Rushford,  Minnesota, 
he  set  out  for  Seattle,  Washington.  He  bought 
some  lots  in  that  city  and  was  engaged  in  build- 
ing houses  on  the  property  when  one  day  he  met 
in  town  his  old  schoolmate,  Rev.  Chr.  Joergensen, 
who  invited  him  to  visit  him  at  his  home  near  Thorn- 
wood.  Soon  after  he  took  the  steamer  "Henry 
Bailey,"  commanded  by  Captain  Denny,  for  Stan- 
wood,  and  in  due  time  reached  the  town  and  the 
fertile  flats  that  surround  it.  He  was  so  pleased 
that  only  for  short  periods  has  he  been  a\»ay  from 
it  since,  his  occupation  there  being  mostly  build- 
ing houses,  boats,  scows,  etc.,  which  trade  he  still 
follows.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  Puget  sound 
country,  its  people,  its  prospects,  its  climate  and 
its  ability  to  produce  not  only  a  good  living  for 
all  but  as  high  a  civilization  as  this  or  any  other 
countrv  on  the  face  of  the  earth  can  boast. 


OLE  O.  FJARLIE.  one  of  the  Stanwood  coun- 
try's progressive  farmers,  of  Norwegian  descent, 
has  attained  to  an  enviable  position  in  the  com- 
munity by  reason  of  his  desire  to  give  everybody 
a  square  deal,  and  his  thrift.  He  was  born  in 
Norway  in  September,  1872,  the  son  of  Ole  Fjarlie, 
a  farmer.  The  elder  Fjarlie  died  in  1884  at  the  age 
of  sixty-six ;  his  wife  survives  him,  still  living  in 
the  old  country  in  her  sixty-ninth  year.  Of  the  six 
children  in  the  family  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is 
the  youngest.  Very  early  in  life,  while  yet  only 
fourteen  years  of  age,  Ole  O.  was  obliged  to  con- 
tribute to  the  family's  support,  remaining  at  home, 
however,  until  he  was  eighteen  years  old.  At  that 
time  he  came  to  the  United  States,  locating  first 
at  Utsalady,  where  he  obtained  employment  in  a 
sawmill.  A  few  months  later  he  engaged  in  farm 
work,  then  for  two  years  and  a  half  he  cut  shingle 
bolts  by  contract.  His  next  step  in  business  was 
to  take  a  homestead  in  Chehalis  county,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  Coming  then  north  to  Nor- 
man, he  began  logging  on  the  place  he  now  owns. 
About  this  time  a  falling  tree  destroyed  his  en- 
gine, seriously  crippling  him  in  a  financial  way,  but, 
with  that  natural  honesty  which  characterizes  the 


man,  he  at  once  disposed  of  his  homestead  to  pay 
his  debts  and  started  all  over  again.  He  and  his 
brother  in  1897  bought  100  acres  of  timber  land,  on 
which,  however,  five  acres  had  been  cleared,  and 
immediately  began  its  improvement.  Now  twenty 
acres  of  it  are  under  the  plow  and  twenty  more  in 
pasture,  the  farm  being  devoted  principally  to  dairy- 
ing. A  fine  barn,  41  by  72  feet  in  size,  with  a  wing 
28  by  14  feet,  has  been  erected,  also  a  thirteen- 
room  modern  dwelling,  making  the  place  a  com- 
fortable one  indeed.  Thirty-five  head  of  cattle  con- 
stitute the  herd  kept  on  the  ranch.  Politically  Mr. 
Fjarlie  is  a  believer  in  the  principles  of  the  People's 
party  as  originally  laid  down.  He  is  a  man  of 
energy  and  force  and  is  highly  esteemed  in  the 
community. 


EMIL  GUNDERSON,  of  the  lower  Stilla- 
guamish  valley,  is  one  of  those  far-sighted  men  who 
have  recognized  the  special  fitness  of  Puget  sound 
for  intensive  agriculture  and  its  branches  and  he 
has  accordingly  devoted  his  energies  and  skill  to 
the  dairy  and  poultry  business.  For  this  purpose 
he  utilizes  twenty  acres,  lying  near  the  Norman 
settlement.  Born  in  Carver  County,  Minnesota,  in 
November,  1861,  he  is  the  son  of  Norwegian  par- 
ents, pioneers  of  that  state.  His  father,  Ostend 
Gunderson,  came  to  the  United  States  when  a 
young  rnan  and  gave  up  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  to  the  development  of  the  new  country,  dying 
at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-four ;  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Wallie  (Anderson)  Gunderson,  still  survives. 
Emil,  second  oldest  of  five  children,  as  a  lad  at- 
tended the  public  schools  and  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age  worked  on  his  father's  farm,  then  took 
a  course  at  the  Augsburg  seminary,  Minneapolis. 
Two  courses  of  study  in  the  high  school  followed, 
upon  the  conclusion  of  which  young  Gunderson 
chose  medicine  as  his  profession ;  but  he  had  pur- 
sued its  study  only  a  short  time  when  ill  health 
overtook  him,  compelling  his  retirement  from 
school  to  a  vigorous  life  in  the  open  air.  So 
turning  to  agriculture  as  the  most  pleasing  field,  he 
commenced  farming  in  central  Minnesota  and  be- 
came so  interested  that  for  sixteen  years  he  fol- 
lowed that  occupation  in  Ottertail  county,  during 
ten  of  which  he  was  with  his  parents.  In  1900, 
however,  he  sold  his  Minnesota  interests  and  came. 
to  the  Pacific  slope  to  establish  a  new  home,  settling 
at  Norman  on  his  present  place.  The  land  is  of  the 
heaviest  character  of  cedar  bottom,  especially 
adapted  to  intensive  farming,  and  regarding  it  Mr. 
Gunderson  says  it  is  worth  eight  times  as  much 
as  the  land  he  formerly  worked  in  the  east.  Both 
his  dairy  and  poultry  stock  are  high  grade  and  his 
product  of  the  same  class. 

Miss  Mary  Knutson,  a  native  of  Minnesota,  be- 
came the  bride  of  Mr.  Gunderson  May  18,  1888. 
Her  parents,  Torgor  and  Mary  Knutson,  were  born 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


in  Norway ;  the  former  is  now  dead,  the  latter  re- 
sides in  bttertail  County,  Minnesota.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gunderson  have  four  children,  Ella,  Theodore. 
Amanda  and  Julia.  In  politics  Mr.  Gunderson  is 
an  unswerving  Republican,  who  was  prominent 
in  his  party  in  Minnesota  and  is  active  here.  He 
served  his  community  as  justice  of  the  peace  and 
county  assessor  while  residing  in  Ottertail  county, 
making  a  highly  creditable  record  in  each  of  these 
offices.  Wherever  he  has  lived  he  has  been  as- 
corded  a  position  among  the  leaders  of  the  com- 
munity because  of  his  ability,  discretion  and  ag- 
gressiveness in  whatever  he  undertakes,  qualities 
which  are  still  to  be  contributed  to  the  upbuilding 
of  Snohomish  county  as  they  have  been  so  gener- 
ously during  the  past  five  years. 


OLE  NAAS,  one  of  the  Stanwood  country's 
prosperous  oat  growers  and  dairymen,  has  been 
a  resident  of  that  section  for  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  now  and  has  been  connected  with  its  de- 
velopment into  one  of  the  most  celebrated  farming 
districts  in  the  northwest.  He  was  born  in  Nor- 
w.iy  April  16,  1852,  to  the  union  of  Lars  and  Helen 
(Johnson)  Naas,  the  former  of  whom  during  his 
life  was  a  well-to-do  farmer  of  the  old  country. 
He  passed  away  thirty  years  ago.  Mrs.  Naas,  the 
mother  of  Ole  Naas,  died  in  Norway  in  189(5.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  received  an  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  country  and  thereafter 
remained  at  home  with  his  father  on  the  farm  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  In  1876  he  joined  his 
countrymen  setting  out  to  make  new  homes  across 
the  sea  in  the  United  States  and  eventually  settled 
in  Union  County,  Dakota,  and  engaged  in  farming 
on  his  own  account.  That  was  his  home  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  resided  in  different  places 
until  the  fall  of  1880,  when  he  was  attracted  to  the 
Stanwood  flats  by  the  writings  of  his  countryman, 
C.  E.  Joergenson.  An  investigation  pleased  him 
and  he  immediately  filed  on  a  piece  of  land  near 
where  the  town  of  Florence  was  afterward  built. 
The  whole  region,  aside  from  the  salt  marshes,  was 
at  that  time  covered  by  a  heavy  growth  of  timber, 
a  typical  Washington  jungle  that  could  hardly  be 
penetrated.  Mr.  Naas  cleared  eight  acres  of  his 
place  in  the  two  years  he  lived  there,  then  sold  and 
bought  twenty-five  acres  of  James  Perkins,  the 
old  pioneer  of  the  Stillaguamish.  This  tract  was 
also  a  dense  forest  and  for  it  Mr.  Naas  paid  thirty 
dollars  an  acre.  He  cleared  a  portion  of  it,  built  a 
substantial  house  and  made  it  his  home  five  years, 
then  sold  it  also  to  purchase  thirty-five  acres 
on  the  flats.  This  place  he  has  cleared  of  tim- 
ber and  brush,  improved  with  substantial  buildings 
and  drained,  making  it  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the 
community.  Since  Mr.  Naas  has  made  it  his  home 
he  has  purchased  the  old  Annie  Gunderson  farm  on 


the  river  for  his  sons.  Besides  raising  oats  and 
hay  he  maintains  a  dairy  herd  of  twenty-five  select 
cows. 

Mr.  Naas  was  married  in  South  Dakota,  in  1880,. 
to  Miss  Mary  Helseth,  the  daughter  of  Gunder  and 
Karen  Helseth.  Gunder  Helseth  was  one  of  Stan- 
wood's  early  pioneers,  having  come  there  from 
LInion  County,  South  Dakota,  in  1880.  His  resi- 
dence in  Dakota  dated  from  1870,  when  he  came 
to  the  L^nited  States  from  his  native  country,  Nor- 
way. His  death  occurred  in  Snohomish  county. 
Mrs.  Helseth  was  also  born  in  Norway;  she  is- 
still  living,  residing  at  present  near  Norman  on  the 
Stillaguamish.  Mrs.  Naas  was  born  in  Norway  in 
1859  and  received  her  education  there  and  in  the 
schools  of  South  Dakota.  She  was  married  when 
twenty-one.  To  this  union  six  children  have  been 
born,  all  at  Stanwood,  and  all  still  living.  Gunder, 
born  in  Union  County,  South  Dakota,  in  1881 ; 
Helen,  in  1883;  Obert,  in  1886;  Malie,  in  1888; 
Elmer,  in  1890:  and  Alfred,  in  1898.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Norwegian  Lutheran  Synod 
church ;  politically  Mr.  Naas  is  a  Republican.  In 
all  he  owns  seventy-five  acres  of  valuable  farming 
land  at  the  delta  of  the  Stillaguamish,  which  he  is 
farming  to  the  best  profit ;  indeed,  he  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  his  district. 
By  his  industry  and  good  management  he  has  at- 
tained a  competency  in  material  wealth,  while  his 
integrity  and  square  dealing  have  won  him  the  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  his  neighbors  and  associates. 


FRED  JENNY,  farmer  and  mill  man  of  Cedar- 
home,  Snohomish  county,  is  one  of  the  active  and 
successful  business  man  of  the  community.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  Snohomish  county  since  he  was 
sixteen  years  old  and  has  made  an  excellent  place 
for  himself  in  the  commercial  life  of  his  home  town. 
He  was  born  in  Minnesota,  January  28,  1860,  the 
son  of  Jacob  and  Matilda  (Rhodes)  Jenny.  The 
elder  Jenny  was  a  native  of  Switzerland,  a  black- 
smith by  trade,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1844  and  located  at  Herman,  Missouri,  where  he 
followed  his  trade  for  six  years.  In  1850  he 
crossed  the  plains  by  ox-team  to  California,  oc- 
cupying six  months  en  route,  and  he  put  in  six 
years  mining  there.  He  then  returned  to  the  east 
and  located  in  Minnesota,  where  he  lived  until 
coming  to  Washington  in  1877.  He  had  a  very 
distinct  recollection  of  the  Minnesota  massacre  of 
1863.  On  his  arrival  in  the  Puget  souixl  country 
Mr.  Jenny  rented  land  on  the  Samish  flats  and  later 
took  up  a  homestead  near  Ferndale,  where  he  died 
in  1885.  Mrs.  Jenny  was  born  in  Prussia,  but  came 
to  Minnesota  when  young.  Her  father,  a  pioneer 
of  Minnesota,  is  dead  now,  as  is  also  her  mother, 
though  the  latter  reached  the  remarkable  age  of" 
ninety-eight  years,  dying  only  very  recently. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


loor 


Fred  Jenny  received  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  state  and  on  coming  to 
Washington  commenced  to  work  in  the  logging 
camps,  later  entering  the  mills.  In  1889,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother-in-law,  he  built  a  saw-mill 
at  Florence,  the  first  one  in  that  town,  and  he 
operated  it  until  189(5,  when  he  sold  out.  Prior 
to  this  he  had  taken  up  a  preemption  and  a  home- 
stead near  Florence.  These  he  has  since  sold.  For 
the  past  two  years  Mr.  Jenny  has  been  foreman  of 
the  Crescent  Lumber  Company  of  Cedarhome. 

In  1890  at  Florence  Mr.  Jenny  married  Miss 
Jenny  B.  Haven,  daughter  of  George  W.  Haven,  a 
native  of  New  York,  who  settled  in  Michigan  in  the 
early  days,  later  becoming  a  pioneer  of  Nebraska 
and  coming  to  Washington  in  1885.  He  is  still 
living  in  Snohomish  county.  Mrs.  Jenny  was  born 
in  Nebraska,  but  received  her  education  in  Michi- 
gan. She  and  Mr.  Jenny  are  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren :  Isabel,  Clyde,  Walter,  Rufus,  Ollie,  Evaline, 
Edna,  Frank  and  an  unnamed  baby.  In  fraternal 
circles  Mr.  Jenny  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of 
the  World,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen.  While  with  the 
Republicans  in  politics  on  general  lines,  Mr.  Jenny 
scans  the  qualifications  of  candidates  before  cast- 
ing his  ballot  and  in  all  local  elections  votes  for  the 
man.  He  has  forty  acres  of  land  under  cultivation, 
but  devotes  the  most  of  his  attention  to  his  duties 
in  the  mill.  He  is  a  man  of  energy,  conscientious- 
ness and  thoroughness  in  his  understanding  of 
everything  relating  to  saw-milling  and  the  manu- 
facture of  shingles. 


GUSTAF  NICKLASON,  merchant,  mill  man 
and  postmaster  of  Cedarhome,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Snohomish  county  for  nearly  thirty  years  and 
in  that  time  has  accumulated  a  competence.  He  is 
possessed  of  a  fine  quality  of  executive  ability, 
which,  coupled  with  his  business  foresight  and  ca- 
pacity, has  enabled  him  to  forge  to  the  front  in 
the  affairs  of  his  community.  Mr.  Nicklason  was 
born  in  the  southern  part  of  Sweden  April  10,  18.51, 
the  son  of  Nicholas  and  Christina  Peterson,  agri- 
culturists of  Sweden,  who  never  left  their  native 
land.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of 
whom  the  living  besides  Gustaf  are  Peter  J.,  Carl 
and  Anders.  A  sister,  Sophia,  is  dead.  Mr.  Nick- 
lason attended  school  and  made  his  home  with  his 
parents  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  going 
at  that  time  to  Germany,  where  he  passed  two 
years  on  a  farm.  During  this  period  his  atten- 
tion was  called  to  the  LTnited  States  as  a  field  for 
a  young  man  and  he  determined  to  come  here,  but 
spent  six  months  at  his  old  home  before  crossing 
the  Atlantic.  In  1872  he  found  himself  in  New 
York,  where  he  lingered  for  a  short  time  before 
going  to  St.  Louis.     In  the  Missouri  metropolis  he 


obtained  employment  in  a  brick-yard,  and  at  that 
work  he  remained  for  five  years.  In  1877  he  came 
to  La  Conner,  Skagit  county,  where  he  passed  the 
following  seven  years  at  farming.  The  next  five 
years  were  spent  on  the  Stanwood  flats  operating  a 
farm.  In  1889  Mr.  Nicklason  came  to  Cedarhome 
and  opened  a  general  store,  and  eight  years  ago,  in 
company  with  Carl  Walters,  he  built  a  mill  at  this 
place  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  shingles. 
The  enterprise  proved  successful  and  two  years 
years  ago  a  saw-mill  was  added  to  the  property, 
which  now  has  a  capacity  of  80,000  shingles  and 
10,000  feet  of  lumber.  It  has  been  in  operation 
constantly,  the  demand  for  its  products  being  steady 
and  in  good  quantity. 

In  1878  Mr.  Nicklason  married  Miss  Christina 
Hanson,  daughter  of  William  and  Elsa  Hanson, 
farmer  folk  who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  Sweden, 
leaving  five  children  surviving  them :  Hannah, 
Inga,  Christina,  Elsa  and  Nels.  Mrs.  Nicklason 
was  born  in  1850,  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1875  alone,  and  worked  in  Omaha,  Nebraska,  until 
her  marriage.  Seven  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nicklason:  Conrad,  August,  Mrs. 
Minnie  Nelson,  Victor,  Ethel,  Emily  and  Almeda, 
the  last  three  named  being  dead.  In  politics  Mr. 
Nicklason  is  a  Republican ;  in  secret  society  affilia- 
tions a  member  of  the  Concatenated  Order  of  Hoo 
Hoos.  In  addition  to  his  store  at  Cedarhome  he 
has  a  four-fifths  interest  in  a  store  at  Milltown.  His 
real  estate  holdings  consist  of  twenty-six  acres  in 
his  home  place,  with  a  large,  commodious  ten-room 
house ;  a  fifty-acre  farm  on  Brown's  slough,  and  his 
interest  in  fiOO  acres  of  timber  land  owned  by  the 
milling  partnership.  Mr.  Nicklason  has  had  his 
triumphs  and  reverses  but  is  now  on  the  advan- 
cing wave  of  prosperity.  He  is  one  of  the  most  in- 
fluential men  of  the  Cedarhome  community,  an 
energetic  and  intelligent  worker  in  whose  judgment 
and  motives  the  people  place  the  highest  confi- 
dence. 


DAVID  T.  MUNSON,  one  of  the  honored  pio- 
neers of  Washington,  now  residing  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  west  of  Florence,  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Maine,  July  27,  1828.  His  parents,  Jona- 
than and  Margaret  (Tinker)  Munson,  were  both 
born  in  Maine.  The  father  died  in  1887,  the  mother 
some  years  previous  at  the  age  of  seventy-five. 
The  third  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  David  T. 
Munson  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  beginning  life  for  himself  at  the 
age  of  twenty  with  pluck,  energy  and'  a 
Puritan  ancestry  as  the  sum  of  his  capital. 
He  worked  in  the  woods  until  1860,  at 
which  time  he  went  to  San  Francisco  via  Panama 
and  in  a  few  days  started  for  Puget  sound.  Lo- 
cating at  Port  (iJamble,  he  followed  logging  for 
thirty  years  in  the  adjacent  country.     In  1888  he 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


purchased  the  farm  he  now  owns,  making  it  his 
home  since  that  time.  Although  all  heavily  tim- 
bered at  that  early  date,  he  now  has  it  in  an  excel- 
lent state  of  cultivation  and  is  devoting  it  largely  to 
dairying.  He  has  also  a  fine  little  orchard  and 
raises  the  various  fruits  that  thrive  best  in  this 
climate.  When  he  came  to  this  part  of  the  state 
in  1871  there  were  only  five  settlers  on  the  entire 
Stillaguamish  river.  These  were  brave,  hopeful 
men  like  himself,  who  believed  in  the  future  of  this 
great  wilderness  and  had  the  patience  to  toil  on 
year  after  year  until  their  dreams  were  at  least  in 
a  measure  realized.  The  only  means  of  traversing 
the  river  were  the  rude  canoes  of  the  Siwash  In- 
dians.    Mail  reached  them  about  once  a  week. 

Mr.  Munson  was  married  in  1858  to  Martha  A. 
Robinson,  born  in  Maine  in  1839.  Coming  to  the 
west  soon  after  their  marriage,  Mrs.  Munson 
gladly  shared  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  pio- 
neer life.  Her  death  occurred  March  31,  1905, 
and  was  an  occasion  of  profound  sorrow  through- 
out the  community  of  which  she  had  been  for  so 
many  years  a  loved  and  honored  member.  Her 
parents,  Robert  and  Nancy  (Fox)  Robinson,  were 
both  born  in  Maine.  Two  children  were  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Munson,  Mrs.  Anna  McNamara  of 
Green  Lake,  Washington,  and  Mrs.  Ida  Barron, 
now  living  at  home.  Mr.  Munson  is  prominent  in 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  Although  a  lifelong  Re- 
publican, he  has  never  desired  political  preferment, 
but  has  loyally  served  his  party  in  the  quiet  walks 
of  life.  The  respect  and  honor  accorded  to  Mr. 
Munson  is  but  a  fitting  tribute  to  his  upright,  manly 
character,  which  has  borne  the  test  of  these  many 
years,   fraught   with  peculiarly  trying  experiences. 


ale:xander  Robertson.    Among  the 

prominent  citizens  of  Florence,  Washington,  i-s 
the  man  whose  name  gives  caption  to  this  review. 
He  was  born  in  Ontario  July  29,  1843,  the  son  of 
Alexander  and  Matilda  (Simons)  Robertson.  His 
father,  a  native  of  Scotland,  born  in  Paisley  in  1795. 
was  a  merchant  and  farmer  who  settled  in  Canada 
in  1823.  During  the  rebellion  of  1837-8  he  was  a 
captain  of  cavalry  troops,  making  for  himself  an 
enviable  record  as  a  brave  and  fearless  commander. 
His  death  occurred  in  January,  1855.  The  mother 
of  English  and  German  extraction,  was  born  in 
Canada  in  1807  and  died  in  August,  1855,  leaving 
the  memory  of  a  noble  life.  She  was  the  mother 
of  thirteen  children.  Enjoying  the  advantages  of 
excellent  home  training,  Alexander  Robertson  spent 
his  boyhood  at  home  and  acquired  a  common  school 
education.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to  Michi- 
gan, and  he  remained  there  until  the  Civil  War 
broke  out;  then,  in  the  full  flush  of  early  man- 
hood, fired  with  patriotic  zeal  for  his  adopted  coun- 
try in  her  hour  of  need,  he  enlisted  in  Company 


E,  Nineteenth  United  States  infantry,  under  Cap- 
tain V.  Hart.  The  following  five  years  were  full 
of  active  service,  he  having  been  in  the  battles  of 
Pittsburg  Landing,  Chickamauga,  Murfreesboro, 
and  many  less  fan:ous  engagements.  At  the  battle 
of  Peach  Tree  Creek  he  was  severely  wounded, 
being  shot  through  the  neck.  Poorly  nourished  by 
the  insufficient  rations  provided  by  the  govern- 
ment, he  was  stricken  with  that  terrible  disease, 
scurvy,  which  left  him  almost  blind.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  in  1867  and  returned  to 
Ontario,  where  he  attended  school  at  Hamilton  for 
two  years.  He  then  accepted  a  position  as  teacher 
in  the  school  for  the  blind  in  Dunderne  Castle, 
Hamilton.  On  leaving  Ontario  he  located  at  Fort 
Smith,  Arkansas,  being  there  employed  as  in- 
structor in  English  in  the  school  established  by  the 
Lutheran  church.  The  succeeding  year  he  taught 
in  the  public  schools,  resigning  at  the  end  of  that 
time  to  accept  a  position  in  the  United  States  mail 
service  from  Fort  Smith,  which  he  retained  four 
and  a  half  years.  In  187G  he  migrated  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  he  spent  the  next  three  years  in  farming 
and  teaching;  but  in  1879,  having  decided  to  find 
a  home  in  the  northwest,  he  came  to  the  sound, 
stopping  at  Steilacoom,  Washington,  to  attend  a 
teachers'  examination  held  there.  Immediately  af- 
terward he  made  the  trip  from  Seattle  to  Port 
Susan  by  foot.  To  him  belongs  the  distinction  of 
having  been  the  first  male  teacher  in  the  schools 
of  Florence.  That  was  in  1880.  His  work  there 
proved  to  be  his  last  in  the  profession  to  which  he 
had  devoted  so  many  years  of  his  life.  Pre-emi- 
nently successful  in  this  noble  calling,  he  left  behind 
him  a  record  of  which  any  man  might  well  feel 
proud.  When  he  first  taught  in  Snohomish  county, 
the  Florence  district  comprised  the  territory  lying 
between  the  Skagit  county  line  on  the  north  and 
the  Tulalip  Indian  reservation,  and  extended  from 
the  sound  to  the  summit  of  the  Cascades,  the  en- 
tire width  of  the  county,  save  a  small  district  in  the 
vicinity  of  Stanwood.  The  enrollment  was  seven- 
teen, the  average  attendance  sixteen.  The  entire 
number  of  school  children  in  the  district  within  a 
radius  of  five  miles  was  but  twenty,  of  whom  only 
four  were  white  children;  there  were  two  Indians, 
and  the  balance  were  half-breeds. 

After  retiring  from  professional  life  Mr.  Rob- 
ertson followed  various  pursuits  until  187fi,  at 
which  time  he  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace 
at  Port  Susan,  an  ofifice  he  has  filled  since  that  time 
with  but  one  year's  vacation.  He  was  appointed 
deputy  assessor  in  1889,  serving  four  years.  In  the 
fall  of  1889  he  was  returned  as  first  county  repre- 
sentative of  Snohomish  county  under  state  laws. 
He  disposed  of  land  he  had  settled  at  Port  Susan 
at  the  expiration  of  his  term  as  deputy  assessor  and 
moved  to  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  He  ac- 
quired this  property,  consisting  of  forty-six  acres, 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1009 


in  December,  181)2,  and  now  has  fifteen  acres  un- 
der cultivation.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  breeding 
draft  horses,  principally  Percheron  stock,  ^nd  also 
owns  a  fine  thoroughbred  Hambletonian-,  ,  He  is 
identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Elks,  being 
prominent  in  both  fraternities.  In  political  persua- 
sion he  has  always  been  a  loyal  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  A  man  of  wide  experience  and 
observation,  possessed  of  keen  mental  abilities  and 
a  charming  personality,  Mr.  Robertson  is  one  of 
the  most  popular  and  influential  citizens  of  Flor- 
ence. 


IVER  FURNESS,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers 
of  .Snohomish  county,  now  resides  one-half  mile 
southwest  of  Norman,  Washington.  He  was  bom 
in  Norway,  August  23,  1834,  his  parents  being 
John  and  Marret  (Sater)  Furness.  The  father, 
born  in  1808,  was  a  farmer  and  civil  engineer  in 
his  native  country,  Norway,  till  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1868.  The  mother,  also  born  in  1808,  died 
in  Norway  in  1896.  Iver  Furness  enjoyed  unusual 
educational  advantages,  taking  a  course  in  an  agri- 
cutural  college  in  addition  to  a  common  school 
training.  He  then  entered  the  military  service  of 
his  country,  which  required  that  those  drafted  must 
remain  in  the  country,  though  the  actual  service 
consisted  of  ninety  days  the  first  year  and  sixty 
days  each  succeeding  year  for  five  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  this  time  he  was  placed  on  the  re- 
serve list  for  five  years.  Having  learned  the  trade 
of  a  blacksmith  in  his  boyhood,  he  followed  it  for 
a  number  of  years.  In  1869  he  emigrated  to  South 
Dakota  and  began  work  at  his  trade.  Eventually 
accepting  the  position  of  blacksmith  on  the  Crow 
Creek  Indian  reservation,  he  spent  the  ensuing  five 
years  in  the  employ  of  the  government.  He  left 
the  agency  in  October,  1876,  coming  direct  to  his 
present  location,  Norman,  Washington.  He  was  the 
second  man  to  settle  at  this  point  on  the  Stilla- 
guamish  river,  and  at  that  time  his  nearest  neigh- 
bor, Severt  Breckhus,  was  five  miles  away.  Unable 
to  use  a  canoe  to  carry  his  supplies  up  the  river  on 
account  of  the  log  jams  that  blockaded  the  river,  he 
was  forced  to  pack  them  on  his  back  from  Stan- 
wood.  He  pre-empted  130  acres  where  he  now  re- 
sides, bringing  his  family  here  as  soon  as  he  had 
built  a  house.  Of  the  hardships  and  privations  of 
those  early  days  in  the  vast  wilderness  only  those 
who  have  had  a  similar  experience  can  have  any 
definite  idea.  It  was  six  years  before  the  loggers 
came  to  this  section.  Mr.  Furness  now  has  eighty 
acres  cleared  and  in  cultivation  and  is  devoting  his 
time  principally  to  dairying,  having  a  fine  herd  of 
cattle.  He  also  has  an  excellent  orchard  and  is 
very  successful  in  raising  fruit. 

Mr.  Furness  was  married  July  8,  1858,  to  Mar- 
ret  Veken.  born  in  Norwav,  May  12.  1837.  Her 
parents,  Erick  and  leldre  (Rolf shore)  Veken,  died 


in  their  native  land,  Norway,  several  years  ago. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Furness  have  one  son,  John,  born  in 
Norway,  July  9,  1860,  now  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  Everett,  operating  the  creamery, 
cold  storage  and  ice  plant  of  that  city.  He  has 
been  thus  employed  for  the  past  twelve  years.  Mr. 
Furness  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and 
liberally  supports  its  various  Ijenevolences.  Al- 
though for  many  years  a  loyal  advocate  of  Republi- 
can principles,  he  has  never  cared  to  take  an  active 
part  in  political  matters.  He  is  now  surrounded 
by  evidences  of  the  prosperity  that  has  rewarded 
his  years  of  arduous  toil  and  is  able  to  appreciate 
the  conveniences  and  luxuries  which  civilization 
has  brought  to  his  door.  To  the  brave,  hardy  pio- 
neers like  himself  the  rising  generation  owes  a 
debt  of  gratitude  which  can  never  be  fully  paid. 
Mr.  Furness  is  a  man  whose  life  and  character 
command  the  respect  and  admiration  of  all  who 
are  associated  with  him. 


ANDREW  CUTHBERT,  a  prosperous  farmer 
residing  three-quarters  of  a  mile  east  of  Norman, 
one  of  Snohomish  county's  earliest  pioneers,  was 
bom  in  Montrose,  Scotland,  April  19,  1851.  His 
parents,  David  and  Elizabeth  (Walker)  Cuthbert, 
also  natives  of  Scotland,  immigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1875,  settling  in  Washington.  Six  years 
later  they  returned  to  Ontario,  where  they  had 
previously  resided,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives  there.  Nine  children  were  born  to  this  union,- 
the  youngest  being  Andrew,  of  this  article. '  He 
remained  at  home  till  sixteen  years  of  age,  then 
became  a  sailor.  Four  years  later  he  gave  up 
the  sea  and,  having  spent  a  month  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  he,  with  a  bfother  whom  he  met 
there,  made  a  visit  to  their  parents  in  Ontario. 
Learning  that  another  brother  had  found  a  home 
in  Washington,  Mr.  Cuthbert  came  west  in  October, 
1871,  joining  him  at  what  is  now  Stanwood.  This 
brother  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  on  the  Stilla- 
guamish  river.  After  farming  with  him  a  year 
Mr.  Cuthbert  worked  in  the  woods  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  February,  1885,  he  purchased 
the  land  on  which  he  now  resides,  at  that  time 
densely  covered  with  timber.  Prior  to  this  he  had 
sold  the  claim  that  he  took  up  on  coming  to  this 
locality.  There  were  no  roads,  and  only  a  rough 
trail  which  oxen  could  follow.  The  Indians  fur- 
nished the  only  meat  the  settlers  had  for  many 
months.  Mr.  Cuthbert  was  the  owner  of  the  first 
mowing  machine  brought  into  the  Stillaguamish 
river  valley,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  keep  a 
horse.  He  was  employed  on  the  government  land 
survey  in  1872  and  could  have  had  his  choice  of  any 
land  on  the  river,  but  property  now  worth  from 
$100  to  $200  per  acre  was  then  deemed  worthless 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


and  any  man  who  considered  the  advisibihty  of  tak- 
ing it  lip  was  pronounced  mentally  unbalanced. 

Mr.  Cuthbert's  marriage  took  place  in  1884. 
Seven  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cuthbert,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Alice  Sutter  of  Sauk, 
Skagit  county;  Mrs.  Ellen  Clifford  of  South  Da- 
kota, Fred,  John,  Mary,  William  and  James.  Mr. 
Cuthbert  is  independent  in  politics,  voting  for  the 
man  and  not  the  party.  He  has  his  fine  twenty-five- 
acre  farm  all  cleared  and  in  cultivation.  Dairying 
claims  a  large  share  of  his  attention.  Soon  after 
locating  here  he  set  out  an  excellent  orchard,  in- 
tending to  devote  some  of  his  time  to  fruit  raising, 
but  the  river  has  completely  destroyed  it.  He  is  a 
thrifty,  energetic  man,  whose  careful  management 
and  good  judgment  have  secured  for  him  his 
present  financial  independence. 


ANDERS  ESTBY,  whose  home  is  one-fourth 
mile  east  of  Norman,  has  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  development  of  this  region  for  the  past 
twenty  years.  He  was  born  in  Norway  September 
2'.),  1835,  the  son  of  Bernil  and  Carrie  (Johnson) 
Tngebortson,  both  natives  of  the  land  of  the  Norse. 
The  father,  born  September  19,  1801,  resided  in 
that  country  till  he  was  eighty-one  years  old,  then 
immigrated  to  Minnesota,  his  home  at  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1891.  The  mother  spent  her  entire  life 
in  the  land  of  her  nativity.  Leaving  home  at  the 
age  of  nineteen,  Anders  Estby  worked  on  neighbor- 
ing farms  for  six  years,  then  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  Having  decided  to  seek  his  fortune  in 
the  United  States,  he  crossed  the  ocean  in  1866,  lo- 
cating in  Wisconsin.  A  year  later  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Goodhue  County,  Minnesota,  moving 
thence  to  Ottertail  county  two  years  later.  After 
farming  there  for  seventeen  years  he  went  to  Ta- 
coma,  Washington,  on  a  visit  to  a  married  daugh- 
ter living  in  that  town,  and  was  so  favorably  im- 
pressed with  the  country  that  he  and  his  family 
made  that  city  their  home  in  1886.  The  following 
year  he  came  to  Stanwood  and  purchased  ninety- 
seven  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  has  resided  since 
that  time.  There  were  only  ten  acres  of  it  cleared 
at  the  time  he  moved  on  it.  It  was  impossible  to 
reach  it  by  wagon,  the  river  being  the  only  means 
of  bringing  supplies  from  Stanwood.  A  small 
school-house  had  been  built  one-half  mile  away ; 
churches  were  unknown  at  that  early  date.  The 
Great  Northern  railroad  has  since  been  constructed 
through  his  farm. 

Mr.  Estby  and  Oliva  Miller  were  united  in  the 
bonds  of  marriage  in  November,  1864.  Mrs.  Estby 
was  born  in  Christiania,  Norway,  and  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Christian  and  Bertha  (Ryerson)  Miller,  both 
of  whom  died  in  their  native  country,  Norway. 
Five  children  gladdened  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Estby,  as  follows:     Mrs.  Carrie  Nelson  of  Minne- 


apolis, Minnesota;  Burnett,  now  in  Alaska;  Carl, 
a  college  graduate,  now  in  the  employ  of  the  gov- 
ernment as  a  civil  engineer,  with  headquarters  at 
Everett;  Mrs.  Patrina  DeSousa  of  Norman,  Wash- 
ington, and  Mary,  who  was  recently  graduated  as 
a  chemist  from  the  state  college  at  Pullman.  Mr. 
Estby  is  a  loyal  Republican,  although  he  has  never 
cared  to  participate  actively  in  political  affairs.  He 
and  his  family  attend  the  Lutheran  Free  church. 
Sharing  with  his  children  the  prosperity  which  has 
attended  his  well-directed  efforts,  Mr.  Estby  has 
retained  but  six  acres  of  his  farm  for  his  own  use, 
and  here,  surrounded  by  the  conveniences  and  lux- 
uries made  possible  by  the  advancing  civilization, 
he  and  his  estimable  wife  recall  the  early  days, 
fraught  with  so  many  trials  and  hardships,  rejoicing 
that  they  contributed  their  full  share  of  toil  to  the 
reclamation  of  this  vast  northwestern  country. 
Broadly  intelligent,  possessed  of  sterling  qualities  of 
character  and  charming  courtesy,  Mr.  Estby  is  a  cit- 
izen whom   Norman  is  proud  to  claim. 


LUDWTG  O.  STUBB  of  Norman  is  one  of 
the  leading  and  prosperous  citizens  of  Snohomish 
county,  one  who  has  been  markedly  successful  in  all 
his  business  affairs.  As  a  pioneer  of  Puget  sound 
he  has  done  much  to  develop  the  natural  resources 
of  the  country,  assisting  in  transforming  the  heavily 
timbered  areas  into  a  district  noted  for  its  fine 
agricultural  lands.  Mr.  Stubb  is  essentially  a  self- 
made  man,  having  by  his  self-reliance  and  native 
ability  placed  himself  in  his  present  position  in  the 
community.  He  was  born  in  Norway,  the  oldest  of 
the  six  children  of  Ole  A.  and  Gunneld  Stubb.  The 
elder  Stubb  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  Michigan  in  1865  and  brought  his  family  there 
one  year  later.  After  a  residence  of  three  years  in 
the  Peninsula  state  he  joined  the  throng  of  home- 
seekers  which  was  then  opening  up  the  Dakotas 
and  lived  there  for  a  number  of  years,  finally  com- 
ing to  Kitsap  County,  Washington,  where  he  still 
lives  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
Mrs.  Stubb  passed  away  in  1876  while  living  in  Da- 
kota. Ludwig  O.  Stubb  grew  up  on  the  Dakota 
farm  and  attended  school  in  Union  county  until 
twentv  years  of  age,  when  he  commenced  farming 
on  his  own  account.  From  the  very  first  the  young 
man  has  been  successful  in  all  his  undertakings, 
indicating  the  aggressiveness  of  his  nature  and 
the  accuracy  of  his  commercial  instincts.  In  1880 
Mr.  Stubb  moved  to  Washington  and  passed  a 
year  and  a  half  in  Kitsap  county.  The  Stillagiiam- 
ish  valley  was  being  opened  up  for  settlement  and 
development  at  that  time,  and  on  looking  the 
ground  over  Mr.  Stubb  decided  to  cast  in  his  for- 
time  with  northwestern  Snohomish  county.  Soon 
after  reaching  here  he  purchased  140  acres  of  dense 
timber  land  for  farming  purposes  and  engaged  ex- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


tensively  in  the  logging  business  on  the  Stilla- 
guamish,  waiting  until  the  valley  should  become 
more  settled  before  commencing  active  farming 
operations.  After  nine  years  of  logging  Mr.  Stubb 
sold  out  and  went  to  work  on  his  own  place,  and 
now  has  eighty  acres  cleared  and  devoted  for  the 
most  part  to  dairying,  with  seventy  head  of  stock 
on  the  place.  When  Mr.  Stubb  commenced  to 
work  his  place  there  were  no  draft  horses  in  the 
country  and,  aside  from  those  in  the  logging  camps, 
there  was  but  one  yoke  of  oxen,  that  of  Iver  Fur- 
ness.  The  river  was  the  highway  of  traffic  and 
commerce  in  those  early  days.  Mr.  Stubb  worked 
with  patience  and  foresight  and  has  converted  his 
timber  tract  into  one  of  the  fine  farming  estates  of 
the  Stillaguamish  valley.  In  addition  to  his  farm 
work  he  is  deeply  interested  in  the  zinc  deposits 
in  the  vicinity  of  Jorden  in  this  county,  being  presi- 
dent of  the  Washington  Zinc  Company,  incorpo- 
rated, which  owns  large  deposits  and  now  has  sev- 
eral thousand  tons  of  ore  ready  for  the  mill.  Under 
Mr.  Stubb"s  administration  the  company  has  done 
much  development  work  and  is  about  to  erect  a  mill. 
To  this  work  of  mining  and  the  development  of  the 
company's  resources  he  has  brought  the  same  busi- 
ness judgment  and  executive  abilitv  which  have  al- 
ready placed  him  in  the  front  rank  as  a  successful 
agriculturist. 

In  1S7S  Mr.  Stubb  married  Miss  Mary  Ander- 
son, a  native  of  Norway,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents  and  settled  in  Dakota  when 
but  a  child.  Her  father  and  mother  came  to  Stan- 
wood,  where  the  former's  death  occurred ;  the 
mother  still  survives.  Mrs.  Stubb's  sister  Cather- 
ine is  the  principal  of  the  Stanwood  school  and  her 
brother  Andrew  is  manager  of  the  co-operative 
creamery  at  Stanwood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stubb  have 
eleven  children :  Sampson,  the  first  born,  being 
now  on  a  prospecting  tour  in  Siberia;  Otto,  pursu- 
ing a  course  in  the  Washington  State  college  at 
Pullman ;  Antone.  Elias,  Walter,  Helena,  Ernest, 
Mabel,  Louis  and  Victor.  In  politics  Mr.  Stubb  is 
a  Republican,  but  he  has  never  aspired  to  public 
office,  though  he  has  consented  to  serve  his  com- 
munity as  a  member  of  the  school  board  and  as 
road  supervisor.  Pleasant  and  cordial,  but  able, 
alert  and  active  in  all  his  transactions,  he  possesses 
the  rare  combination  of  mental  characteristics  which 
everywhere  make  for  business  success,  while  his 
career  as  a  pioneer  indicates  that  he  is  endowed 
with  the  substantial  qualities  of  courage  and  per- 
-severance  so  necessary  to  him  who  would  follow 
the  frontier  and  develop  new  states. 


IVER  BOTTEN.  Among  the  promising 
young  sons  of  Norway  who  have  come  to  the  new 
and  rapidly  growing  state  of  Washington  to  grow 
up  with  the  country  and  contribute  their  mite  to- 


ward the  general  progress,  at  the  same  time  work- 
ing out  for  themselves  the  highest  destiny  pos- 
sible to  them,  not  the  least  promising  is  the  worthy 
merchant  whose  life  record  is  the  theme  of  this 
article.  He  is  the  fourth  of  the  eight  children  of 
Einer  and  Marie  (Snakvik)  Botten,  agricultur- 
ists of  the  land  of  fjords,  which  is  still  their  home. 
The  date  of  his  birth  is  September  13,  1872.  Re- 
maining in  the  old  home  land  until  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age,  he  received  there  his  educational  train- 
ing ;  but  a  stirring  ambition  for  larger  and  better 
things  than  were  within  his  grasp  in  Europe  early 
sprang  up  within  him,  so  as  soon  as  circumstances 
would  permit  he  sailed  for  the  shores  of  .\merica. 
He  paused  not  in  his  journeying  until  he  reached 
Stanwood.  Being  desirous  of  fitting  himself  for 
something  more  remunerative  and  with  a  larger 
future  to  it  than  manual  labor,  he  gave  his  sum- 
mers and  a  f)ortion  of  the  money  earned  by  hard 
work  in  shingle  bolt  camps  during  the  winter 
months  to  the  pursuit  of  higher  learning  and  in 
1897  he  completed  his  training  for  life's  battle  by  a 
course  in  a  business  college  in  Seattle.  He  there- 
upon returned  to  Florence  and,  in  company  with 
his  brother  Peder,  opened  a  general  merchandise 
store  there,  which  the  brothers  together  maintained 
for  a  year  and  a  half,  meeting  with  excellent  suc- 
cess in  their  venture.  They  then  bought  out 
Haugen  &  Company  of  Silvana,  moved  their  stock 
from  Florence,  consolidated  it  with  that  purchased 
and  opened  on  a  large  scale.  Since  that  date  they 
have  given  themselves  assiduously  and  uninter- 
ruptedly to  building  up,  maintaining  and  increasing 
their  large  trade.  Mr.  Botten  served  as  assistant 
postmaster  under  Iver  Johnson  for  two  or  three 
years,  and  so  satisfactory  was  his  work  to  the  de- 
partment that  on  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Johnson  in 
the  spring  of  1903  he  was  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  the  office  in  place  of  his  quondam  employer.  The 
date  of  his  commission  is  April  16,  1903,  and  he  is 
still  postmaster  at  this  date. 

June  14,  1899,  in  Silvana,  Washington,  Mr.  Bot- 
ten married  Miss  Clara  Prestlien.  Her  father. 
Nels,  was  a  native  of  Norway,  but  came  to  Minne- 
sota as  a  young  man,  moving  thence  to  Norman, 
Snohomish  county,  some  twenty  years  ago.  where 
he  died  on  his  own  farm.  Mrs.  Botten's  mother, 
Sarah  (Forgerson)  Prestlien,  is  likewise  a  native 
of  Norway  and  is  now  living  near  Norman.  Mrs. 
Botten  was  born  in  Minnesota,  June  23,  1879.  but 
acquired  her  education  in  the  public  school  at  Nor- 
man. She  and  Mr.  Botten  are  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children.  Sylvia  N.,  born  in  Silvana,  April 
22,  1900  ;  Einar  N.,  in  the  same  town  June  36,  1902  ; 
Carl  A.,  likewise  born  in  Silvana,  January  2, 
1904,  and  Esther  J.,  January  11.  1906.  In  politics 
Mr.  Botten  is  a  Republican  and  in  religion  a  Free 
Lutheran.  He  is  quite  active  in  the  local  church, 
being    secretary    of    the    organization,    while    Mrs. 


1012 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


Botten  has  contributed  by  her  personal  efforts  to 
the  efficiency  of  the  Sunday  school.  A  public-spir- 
ited citizen,  willing  to  lend  a  hand  to  any  organiza- 
tion which  has  for  its  object  the  general  good,  Mr. 
Botten  is  in  some  measure  a  leader  in  his  com- 
munity, and  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the 
people  with  whom  he  commingles  in  the  affairs 
of  life  is  his  at  all  times. 


RASMUS  KNUTSON,  one  of  the  well-known 
pioneers  of  Silvana,  Washington,  came  to  this  lo- 
cality in  1879.  and  has  been  identified  with  its  varied 
interests  since  that  date.  He  was  born  in  Norway, 
April  10,  1851,  the  son  of  Knut  and  Martha  (Carl- 
son) Knutson,  both  of  whom  were  also  of  Nor- 
wegian nativity.  The  father,  a  farmer,  died  in 
1867  at  the  age  of  sixty-three ;  the  mother  in  1854, 
aged  forty-seven.  Rasmus  Knutson  is  the  youngest 
of  a  family  of  six  children.  Acquiring  his  education 
in  the  early  years  of  his  life,  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  began  working  for  himself.  After  farming  for 
a  number  of  years  he  decided  to  sail  for  the  United 
States  and  in  1879  came  direct  to  Washington, 
where  he  had  a  brother  who  had  come  the  previous 
year.  He  took  up  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  all 
heavily  timbered,  at  once  beginning  the  task  of  clear- 
ing a  spot  for  a  cabin.  The  nearest  postoffice  and 
supply  station  was  Stanwood,  a  distance  of  twelve 
miles.  To  bring  the  necessary  supplies  by  boat  was 
a  laborious  undertaking,  as,  on  account  of  the  im- 
mense log  jams  in  the  river,  it  was  necessary  to 
unload  the  boat  and  supplies  and  carry  them  over 
the  obstructions  three  times  in  the  course  of  the 
trip.  Only  a  few  settlers  had  braved  the  dangers 
and  trials  of  pioneer  life  in  this  section  at  that  time, 
and  often  these  grew  disheartened  and  returned  to 
civilization.  Settlement  did  not  become  general 
till  the  railroad  was  begun  some  twelve  years  later. 
The  first  wagons  used  were  rude  home-made  af- 
fairs, the  wheels  cut  from  large  fir  logs  and  the 
frame  and  the  axles  all  made  by  hand.  These  were 
drawn  by  oxen,  horses  being  unknown  prior  to  the 
construction  of  the  railroad.  Mr.  Knutson  has  now 
seventy  acres  cleared  and  in  excellent  condition. 
He  is  chiefly  interested  in  dairying  and  owns  a 
fine  herd  of  cows,  besides  young  stock.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1904,  he  rented  his  farm  for  a  year,  taking  his 
family  to  Everett,  where  he  has  property,  and  at 
the  present  time  the  farm  is  in  charge  of  his  sons, 
he  being  engaged  in  improving  his  pleasant  home 
in  Silvana,  to  which  he  moved  from  Everett  last 
fall. 

Mr.  Knutson  and  Lora  Rorstad  were  united  in 
marriage  October  It.  1884.  Mrs.  Kimtson  was 
])orn  in  Norway,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Carrina 
CBjerka)  Anderson,  both  of  whom  are  deceased, 
the  father's  death  occurring  April  23,  1902.  Nine 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knutson : 
Knut.  Clara  M.,  John,  Minnie,  Bertha,  Rolf,  Louis 


and  William,  twins,  and  Nellie.  Tlie  family  at- 
tend the  Lutheran  church,  of  which  Mr.  Knutson 
is  a  member.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Knutson  is  a 
Republican,  but  has  never  cared  to  take  an  active 
part  in  politics.  Possessed  of  energy,  ambition 
and  strict  integrity,  he  is  an  esteemed  citizen  of 
Silvana. 


LARS  r.  CLAUSEN,  the  genial  proprietor  of 
the  llolel  Northern  at  Silvana,  Washington,  was 
born  in  Denmark,  January  15,  18G7,  where 
his  parents  still  live,  his  father  being  a 
shoemaker  by  trade.  He  is  the  oldest  of 
a  family  of  nine  children.  After  completing 
the  seven-year  course  in  the  school  as  required 
by  the  laws  of  that  country  he  engaged  in  farmmg 
for  five  years,  sailing  for  the  United  States  at  the 
end  of  that  time.  Locating  in  Dakota,  he  found 
employment  on  the  railroad  until  1889,  then  went 
to  Tacoma,  Washington.  We  worked  in  a  brick 
yard  for  a  time  there,  then  for  a  while  took  con- 
tracts for  clearing  land.  Going  to  Fairhaven,  Wash- 
ington, he  remained  there  six  months,  after  which 
lie  spent  one  season  in  the  hop  fields  of  Puyallup, 
returning  to  h^airhavcn  to  enter  the  employ  of  the 
Fairhaven  &  .Southern  railroad.  His  diligence  and 
faithfulness  soon  secured, for  him  the  position  of 
section  foreman,  and  he  has  been  thus  engaged  ever 
since,  being  now  in  the  employ  of  the  Great  North- 
ern at  Silvana. 

Mr.  Clausen  married,  October  26,  1898,  Julia 
C.  Moe,  a  native  of  Norway.  Her  father,  O.  M. 
Moe,  who  was  born  in  Norway  October  7,  1848,  is 
a  shoemaker,  and  is  now  following  his  trade  in  Sil- 
vana, having  come  here  in  1898.  The  mother,  Annie 
(Torske)  Moe,  is  also  of  Norwegian  nativity,  the 
date  of  her  birth  being  1855.  She  is  still  living,  as 
are  also  per  parents,  Ncls  and  Randi  Tor.ske.  Mrs. 
Clausen  is  an  only  child.  Three  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clausen,  Maud,  Otto  S.,  and 
Lola  C.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clausen  are  both  members 
of  the  Fraternal  Brotherhood  of  America.  Mr. 
Clausen  adheres  to  Republican  principles  in  national 
issues,  but  prefers  to  vote  an  independent  ticket  in 
county  affairs.  He  owns  a  neat  and  tasteful  home 
in  Silvana,  he  having  purchased  a  lot  and  built  soon 
after  he  settled  in  the  town.  Possessing  the  qual- 
ities necessary  for  successfully  handling  men,  he  is 
deservedly  popular  with  those  whom  he  has  work- 
ing under  him.  He  is  one  of  the  well-known  citizens 
of  the  town,  relied  on  to  further  the  interests  of 
the  public  in  every  possible  way.  By  careful  atten- 
tion to  the  requirements  of  the  traveling  public,  the 
hotel  under  his  supcn'ision  is  acquiring  an  enviable 
reputation. 


OLANUS  and  HANS  OLSON  are  two  of  the 
energetic  men  of  the  Silvana  section  of  Snohomish; 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1013 


county  and  Iiave  each  played  his  part  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Silvana  and  vicinity  from  a  place  of  virgin 
forest.  The  brothers  were  born  in  Norway,  Olan- 
us  in  1848  and  Hans  in  1850,  the  fifth  and  "sixth  of 
the  seven  children  of  Theodore  and  Bowl  (Iverson) 
Olson,  natives  of  Norway.  The  father  came  to 
Astoria,  Oregon,  in  lS'i'7,  to  Stanwood  a  year  later 
and  he  died  there  in  1883,  but  Mrs.  OIsoit  died  in 
the  old  country.  The  boys  received  their  education 
in  their  European  home.  When  Olanus  was  nine- 
teen years  old  he  came  to  the  United  States,  accom- 
panied by  his  brother  and  a  sister,  and  settled  in 
Yankton  County,  South  Dakota,  where  he  took  up 
land  and  farmed  for  ten  years.  In  the  fall  of  1877 
he  came  to  Washington,  stopping  first  at  Stanwood. 
Early  in  1878  he  filed  on  his  present  home  near  Sil- 
vana, then  but  a  part  of  the  virgin  forest.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  clearing  forty  acres,  but,  unfortunately, 
since  1891  thirty  acres  have  been  destroyed  by  rea- 
son of  the  river's  changing  its  course  and  washing 
out  the  land.  In  1881  he  was  joined  by  his  brother 
Hans. 

Hans  Olson  was  born  in  Norway  in  1850  and 
received  his  education  in  the  Norwegian  schools. 
Coming  to  the  United  States  in  18(18,  he  rejoined 
his  brother  in  South  Dakota.  He  came  to  Wash- 
ington in  1881  and  for  three  years  thereafter  worked 
in  various  logging  camps,  then,  in  1884,  he  took  the 
contract  to  carry  the  mail  between  Stanwood  and 
Stillaguamish.  For  three  years  he  did  excellent 
service  in  that  line.  The  brothers  also  ran  a  board- 
ing-house for  freighters  and  themselves  did  freight- 
ing to  the  logging  camps  until  the  railroads  came  in. 
Olanus  also  worked  on  the  construction  of  the  draw- 
bridge over  the  Stillaguamish  at  Silvana.  The 
brothers  are  now  proprietors  of  a  dairy  farm  and 
keep  about  twenty  head  of  cows.  They  are  ener- 
getic, hard  workers,  willing  to  turn  their  hands  to 
any  kind  of  labor,  capable,  honest,  highly  esteemed 
and  respected  in  the  community.  They  have  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  established,  in  1889,  the  first  ferry 
on  the  Stillaguamish  river.  It  was  located  near  the 
place  where  the  Great  Northern  crosses  at  present. 
Thev  operated  it  for  three  years. 


OSCAR  TORSKE— Among  the  men  who  arc 
active  forces  to-day  in  working  out  the  industrial 
development  and  winning  from  primitive  condi- 
tions to  civilization  that  refractory  but  rich  country 
known  as  the  Stillaguamish  valley,  the  subject  of 
this  review  is  to  be  given  an  important  place.  Like 
other  forceful  factors  in  the  winning  of  various 
communities  of  the  West,  he  is  a  son  of  Norway,  in 
which  land  his  parents,  Nels  and  Rande  (Dalsix)e) 
Torske,  were  also  born,  though  they,  too,  are  now 
residents  of  Snohomish  county,  living  with  their 
only  son,  Ocar. 

Our  subject  was  born  September  9,  1870.     He 


received  his  educational  discipline  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  land,  also  learned  the  rope  making  trade, 
working  at  it  with  his  father  at  home.  When  eight- 
een years  old  he  accompanied  the  rest  of  the  fam- 
ily to  the  state  of  Washington,  settling  with  them  in 
the  Stillaguamish  country,  where  he  worked  as  a 
farm  hand  for  several  years,  his  first  employer  being 
Nels  Bruseth,  with  whom  he  remained  a  year.  He 
is  now  in  the  dairy  business  in  the  vicinity  of  Sil- 
vana, keeping  a  fair-sized  herd  of  cattle  on  his  fine 
farm,  which,  though  not  large,  is  all  cultivated, 
yielding  bountifully  under  the  influence  of  thorough 
and  skillful  tillage. 

In  Silvana,  Washington,  in  1892,  Mr.  Torske 
married  Mrs.  Annie  .Sorneson,  daughter  of  Michael 
Thobrason,  a  native  of  Norway.  Mrs.  Torske  is 
likewise  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  180(5,  and  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  her  fatherland.  She 
and  her  present  husband,  Mr.  Torske,  are  parents 
of  the  following  children :  Nellie,  born  August  14, 
1893;  Reinhard,  August  IB,  1895,  and  Morris,  Oc- 
tober 13,  1902,  all  in  Silvana.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Torske  is  a  Republican,  though  of  a  very  inde- 
pendent turn,  and  in  all  local  elections,  where  it  is 
possible  to  know  the  candidates  personally,  he  votes 
for  those  whom  he  considers  in  all  respects  the  best 
qualified. 


SEVERT  G.  BRECKHUS,  a  farmer  living  a 
little  over  a  mile  southeast  of  Silvana,  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  this  section  of  Snohomish  county  and 
has  seen  the  wilderness  converted  into  a  prosperous, 
well-developed  farming  community.  He  was  born 
in  Norway  in  1830,  the  son  of  Gulach  and  Enger 
(Serveson)  Breckhus,  both  of  whom  were  bom, 
raised  and  died  in  the  old  country.  They  were  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  of  who/n  the  subject  hereof  is 
third.  Scvert  G.  Breckhus  received  his  education 
in  the  Norwegian  schools.  He  remained  at  home 
on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  thirty  years  old, 
then  took  up  the  trade  of  the  carpenter  and  worked 
at  it  for  five  years.  In  1863  he  came  to  the  United 
States.  He  worked  at  this  trade  in  Chicago  for 
eleven  years,  coming  then  to  Stanwood,  Snohomish 
county,  in  August  of  1874.  He  left  his  family  in 
town,  came  up  the  river  and  pre-empted  sixty-seven 
acres  of  land,  forest  at  that  time,  but  since  con- 
verted by  the  labor  and  efifort  of  Mr.  Breckhus  into- 
a  finely  cultivated  farm.  He  brought  his  family  up 
in  1875,  and  has  since  lived  there.  Mr.  Breckhus 
has  a  brother,  Jacob  G.,  in  Snohomish  county,  of 
whom  biographical  mention  is  elsewhere  made  in 
this  work. 

In  Qiicago  in  1866  Mr.  Breckhus  married  Miss 
Louise,  daughter  of  Olif  and  Lockers  Scott,  natives 
of  Norway,  who  never  left  their  native  land.  Mrs. 
Breckhus  was  born  in  Norway  in  1841  and  received 
her  education  there,  coming  to  the  United  States  in 
1865.     She  and  Mr.  Breckhus  have  three  children: 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


John,  born  in  Chicago  and  now  living  in  Snohomish 
county;  Enger,  also  a  native  of  the  Illinois  met- 
ropolis and  living  at  home ;  and  Gilbert  O.,  who  is 
at  home  and  in  charge  of  his  father's  farm  and  busi- 
ness affairs. 

The  last  mentioned  was  born  in  Snohomish  coun- 
ty March  5,  1878,  the  first  white  child  born  on  the 
Stillaguamish  river.  He  attended  the  local  schools 
and  when  nineteen  years  of  age  learned  the  trade 
of  butcher,  a  line  which  he  continued  to  follow  for 
four  years.  He  has  also  worked  in  the  woods,  but 
for  the  last  year  has  operated  his  father's  farm.  At 
-Mount  Vernon  in  the  summer  of  190-i  he  married 
Miss  Carrie  Hatte,  daughter  of  Severt  J.  and  Annie 
Hatte,  natives  of  Norway  who,  after  coming  to  the 
United  .States  settled  in  Dakota  but  are  now  living 
near  Norman  in  Snohomish  county.  Mrs.  Breckhus 
was  bom  in  Dakota  in  1879  and  was  educated  in 
Snohomish  county.  The  Breckhuses  are  Repub- 
licans in  politics  and  Lutherans  in  their  church  re- 
lations. The  farm  which  Severt  G.  Breckhus 
slashed  out  of  the  original  forest  is  now  one  of  the 
pleasant  places  of  Snohomish  county.  A  small  orch- 
ard was  early  set  out  and  is  now  in  good  bearing, 
but  attention  is  paid  chiefly  to  the  dairy  department, 
thirty  head  of  fine  cattle  constituting  the  herd.  Mr. 
Breckhus  is  venerated  as  one  of  the  early  pioneers 
of  this  section  whose  life  of  hard  work  and  fealty 
to  principle  are  monuments  to  his  character  in  the 
declining  years  of  his  active  and  busy  life.  The  son 
is  respected  as  a  man  of  energy,  who  is  rapidly  tak- 
ing the  place  of  his  worthy  father  in  the  activities  of 
life  on  the  place  selected  by  the  father  and  de- 
veloped by  his  hands. 


CLOUS  JACKSON,  farmer,  whose  place  lies  a 
mile  and  a  half  east  and  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of 
Silvana,  is  one  of  the  prosperous  men  of  this  part  of 
Snohomish  county  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  on 
the  upper  waters  of  the  Stillaguamish.  He  was 
born  in  Sweden  in  the  summer  of  1844,  the  fourth 
of  the  eight  children  of  Jacob  and  Stena  ( Walgren) 
Jackson,  who  were  natives  of  Sweden  and  lived  and 
died  there.  Clous  Jackson  received  the  education 
afforded  by  the  common  schools  of  the  land  of  his 
nativity,  remaining  at  home  until  he  became  twen- 
ty-one years  of  age.  He  then  engaged  in  farming 
for  himself  until  he  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1873.  His  first  location  in  the  new  country  was  at 
Woodstock,  Connecticut,  where  he  worked  for  two 
years.  The  year  1874  was  spent  in  Indiana  at  rail- 
road work  and  then  he  went  to  Illinois  and  engaged 
in  ditch  work.  He  next  went  to  Michigan,  where 
for  two  years  he  followed  logging.  In  July,  1887, 
Mr.  Jackson  came  to  Washington  and  filed  on  a 
piece  of  land  four  miles  southeast  of  Silvana,  where 
was  then  the  wildest  kind  of  a  wilderness.  He 
cleared  ten  acres,  and  then  sold  out,  and  in  1890 


homesteaded  his  present  place.  He  has  since  added 
one  hundred  and  si.xty  acres  by  purchase 
and  now  has  a  half  section  in  all.  It  has 
been  Mr.  Jackson's  policy  to  sell  the  saw 
timber  off  his  land,  thus  realizing  financially 
and  at  the  same  time  taking  a  step  toward  getting 
the  land  in  shape  for  cultivation.  In  politics  Mr. 
Jackson  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religion  he  adheres 
to  the  Lutheran  church.  He  is  esteemed  by  his 
neighbors  and  those  who  have  business  dealings 
with  him  as  a  man  of  integrity  and  of  business 
acumen,  a  man  capable  of  hard  work  and  not  afraid 
to  apply  his  capacity.  He  has  the  reputation  of 
being  a  shrewd  business  man,  with  eyes  always 
open  to  business  possibilities. 


HULDO  HEVELY,  whose  farm  is  three-quar- 
ters of  a  mile  east  of  Silvana,  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  this  section  of  the  county,  having  secured  his  land 
by  purchase  in  1879,  when  it  was  still  virgin  forest. 
He  has  cleared  his  place  and  is  now  extensively  en- 
gaged in  the  dairy  and  cattle  raising  business,  as 
well  as  in  general  farming.  Mr.  Hevely  was  born 
in  Norway,  the  youngest  of  five  children  of  Ole  and 
Maret  (Salther)  Hevely,  farmer  folk  who  never 
left  their  native  land.  The  father  died  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-five  years,  and  the  mother 
when  Huldo  was  but  a  year  and  a  half  old.  Mr. 
Hevely  attended  the  schools  of  Norway,  remaining 
with  his  father  on  the  old  farm  until  he  was  twen- 
ty-four years  of  age.  In  18()9  he  came  to  the  United 
.States  and  settled  in  Yankton  County,  South  Da- 
kota, taking  up  a  homestead  and  becoming  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  that  county.  After  a  full  decade  in 
Dakota  Mr.  Hevely  sold  out,  came  to  Washington 
and  located  in  .Stanwood.  Almost  immediately  he 
came  to  the  Silvana  country  and  purchased  of  Iver 
Johnson  eighty-five  acres  of  land  which  was  then  in 
brush  and  timber,  but  it  is  all  cleared  now  but  nine 
acres,  and  much  of  it  is  in  meadow.  Then  there  was 
no  road  or  trail  leading  to  the  place ;  now  it  has  ex- 
cellent buildings  and  easy  approaches. 

In  1887,  while  in  Dakota,  Mr.  Hevely  married 
Miss  Ellen  Hogan,  daughter  of  Bengt  and  Beret 
Hogan.  The  father  was  a  Dakota  pioneer  and  died 
there,  but  the  mother  is  still  living,  though  now 
eighty-two  years  old.  Mrs.  Hevely  was  bom  in 
Norway  and  educated  there  and  in  Dakota.  Twelve 
children  have  been  born  to  this  union :  Mrs. 
Martha  Hogan,  wife  of  Deputy  County  Auditor 
John  Hogan,  living  in  Everett ;  Matilda,  a  clerk  in 
Everett ;  Emma,  an  Everett  dressmaker ;  Hulda, 
Bertha,  Martin,  Olena,  Manda,  Edwin,  Edgar,  Leon 
and  Chester.  The  family  attends  the  Lutheran 
church.  In  politics  Mr.  Hevely  is  a  Prohibitionist, 
and,  being  public-spirited  and  interested  in  the  cause 
of  popular  education,  has  served  as  school  director 
for  a  number  of  years.     Eighteen  cows  at  present 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


constittite  the  producing  end  of  the  dairy  of  Mr. 
Hevely  and  he  also  has  thirty-six  head  of  stock 
cattle.  Mr.  Hevely  is  one  of  the  prosperous  and 
progressive  men  of  the  comity,  public-spirited,  intel- 
ligent in  all  his  acts,  one  of  those  who  count  for 
much  in  the  development  of  any  pioneer  community. 


FREDERICK  W.  KOCH  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
oi  the  Silvana  district,  having  settled  here  in  the 
late  seventies.  He  has  since  hewed  for  himself  a 
fine  farm  out  of  the  woods  and  has  been  prosperous 
in  all  his  ventures,  one  of  which  was  in  the  hop  in- 
-dustry,  he  being  the  pioneer  hop  raiser  on  this  river 
front.  He  was  born  in  Erfurt,  Prussia,  in  the  fall 
of  1849,  the  son  of  Frederick  A.  and  Anna  (Eckart) 
Koch,  both  of  whom  lived  and  died  in  Prussia.  Mr. 
Koch  received  his  education  in  the  old  country,  at- 
tending the  high  school  for  a  time.  He  remained 
at  home  until  twenty  years  of  age,  then  came  to 
the  United  -States  and  settled  in  Virginia,  where  he 
taught  school  and  worked  at  fanning  for  a  number 
■of  years.  In  1878  he  came  to  Washington.  He 
stopped  at  Seattle  for  a  short  time,  but,  leaving  his 
wife  with  a  great-aunt  on  Whidby  island,  he  soon 
after  came  to  Stanwood  and  filed  on  a  pre-emption 
claim  up  the  Stillaguamish,  which  he  later  turned 
into  a  homestead,  and  upon  which  he  has  lived  ever 
since.  When  he  came  up  the  river  the  place  was 
■covered  with  forest ;  half  of  it  is  now  in  a  good  state 
of  cultivation,  while  the  remainder  is  more  or  less 
open  forest  and  adapted  to  use  as  pasturage.  In 
July  of  1878  Mr.  Koch  moved  his  family  uport  the 
place  and  five  years  later  he  produced  the  first  crop 
of  hops  raised  on  the  Stillaguamish. 

In  1877,  in  Montgomery  County,  Virginia,  Mr. 
Koch  married  Miss  Lucy  E.  Barnett,  daughter  of 
'Thomas  Barnett,  a  Virginia  farmer  whose  parents 
were  pioneers  of  that  section  of  the  state.  Mrs. 
Koch  was  born  in  the  old  Dominion  in  1848  and  re- 
ceived her  education  in  a  private  school.  She  and 
Air.  Koch  are  parents  of  four  children :  Frederick 
A.,  Mrs.  Annie  R.  Nelson,  living  near  Everett;  Mrs. 
Mary  Roark,  living  at  Silvana,  and  Mrs.  Augusta 
Bursaw,  living  in  Skagit  county.  The  Kochs  are 
Evangelical  Lutherans.  In  politics  Mr.  Koch  is  a 
Democrat,  but  he  habitually  scans  the  list  of 
nominees  to  weigh  the  character  of  the  can- 
didates before  casting  his  ballot.  He  does 
considerable  in  the  way  of  dairying,  keeping 
at  present  fifty  head  of  that  class  of  stock. 
He  is  one  of  the  solid  men  of  the  com- 
munity, industrious,  careful  and  conservative,  a 
prosperous  farmer  and  a  substantial,  influential  citi- 
zen, one  of  the  class  most  needed  in  the  new  state  of 
Washington,  where  brawn  as  well  as  brain  is 
necessary  for  the  development  of  a  rich,  promising, 
Tjut  refractory  country. 


JACOB  G.  BRECKHUS,  dairy  farmer  a  little 
over  a  mile  east  of  Silvana,  is  one  of  the  solid  citi- 
zens of  Snohomish  county  who  seized  upon  a  por- 
tion of  the  primeval  forest  and  converted  it  into  a 
modern  farmstead.  Mr.  Breckhus  was  born  in  Nor- 
way in  the  summer  of  1841,  the  son  of  Gulach  and 
Enger  (Serveson)  Breckhus,  farmer  folk  of  Nor- 
way who  never  left  their  native  land.  As  a  lad, 
young  Breckhus  attended  the  Norwegian  schools. 
He  remained  at  home  until  1870,  then  left  the  land 
of  fjords  and  came  to  the  United  States.  He  first 
settled  in  Chicago  but  soon  after  went  to  Iowa, 
where  he  remained  seven  years.  Coming  to  Wash- 
ington in  1876  he  entered  the  service  of  his  brother, 
Severt  G.  Breckhus,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume,  and  three  years  later  he  filed 
on  the  land  which  he  now  occupies  as  a  farm.  It 
was  then  all  in  woods  and  brush,  but  he  has  it  all 
cleared,  the  greater  part  being  pasture  land.  Mr. 
Breckhus  and  his  brother  have  frequently  inter- 
changed work  since  they  settled  in  the  Silvana  dis- 
trict, each  assisting  the  other  to  mutual  advantage 
whenever  possible. 

In  1868,  while  living  in  Norway,  Mr.  Breckhus 
married  Miss  Gure  Jacobson,  who  died  in  Decorah, 
Iowa,  as  also  did  a  child  newly  born.  Mr.  Breckhus 
has  never  remarried  and  in  reality  makes  his  home 
with  his  brother.  Of  his  original  land  twenty-four 
acres  have  been  lost  to  him  by  the  change  in  the  bed 
of  the  river,  the  current  washing  away  the  soil  and 
depositing  it  elsewhere.  Mr.  Breckhus  has  thirty 
head  of  dairy  cattle  and  devotes  his  attention  chiefly 
to  dairying.  Those  who  know  Mr.  Breckhus  note 
at  once  his  kindly  and  generous  nature.  He  is  in 
comfortable  circumstances,  a  successful  and  pros- 
perous dairyman,  enjoying  the  highest  respect  and 
esteem  of  those  who  know  him. 

Circumstances  greatly  changed  since ;  has  had 
lawsuits  and  financial  losses,  etc. 


MARTIN  J.  FUNK,  one  of  the  prosperous 
dairymen  and  farmers  of  the  Silvana  district  of 
Snohomish  county,  is  recognized  as  an  energetic, 
forceful  man.  He  has  always  been  active  and  hard- 
working. He  was  born  in  Denmark  in  1867,  the  son 
of  Rasmus  Funk,  a  blackksmith  by  trade,  who  died 
years  ago  in  his  native  land.  The  inother,  Mrs. 
Kirsten  (Hansen)  Funk  is  also  a  native  of  Den- 
mark and  the  mother  of  eight  children.  She  is  mak- 
ing her  home  with  Martin  Funk,  who  is  her  fourth 
child.  Our  subject  attended  school  in  Denmark 
until  he  was  eleven  years  of  age,  when  he  was  put 
out  in  charge  of  a  farmer,  with  whom  he  remained 
for  four  and  a  half  years.  In  the  fall  of  1882  he 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Wisconsin, 
and  for  two  and  a  half  years  thereafter  did  tearn 
work  in  connection  with  a  lumber  mill.  In  the 
spring  of  1885  Mr.  Funk  came  to  Washington,  but. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


after  a  stay  of  but  two  months  went  to  California, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years,  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, returning  then  to  the  Evergreen  state.  After 
his  arrival  here  he  first  went  to  work  for  William 
McGee,  but  after  a  short  time  gave  up  logging  for 
farming  and  he  followed  farm  work  for  six  months. 
In  1888  he  took  up  a  pre-emption  near  Arlington, 
at  the  forks  of  the  Stillaguamish,  and  he  lived  there 
for  two  years  and  a  half,  then  followed  logging  for 
eight  years.  In  1899  he  rented  the  Iver  Johnson 
place,  near  Silvana.  where  he  has  since  lived.  In 
the  past  few  years  he  has  taken  up  dairying  and  he 
now  has  twenty-three  head  of  dairy  cattle.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Funk  is  a  Republican,  in  fraternal  affiliation 
a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen 
and  M.  W.  A.,  and  in  church  membership  a  Luther- 
an. Mr.  Funk  is  one  of  the  respected  men  of  the 
Silvana  district,  energetic,  industrious,  level-headed, 
conservative  and  in  prosperous  circumstances. 


HALVOR  THORSEN,  successful  farmer  two 
and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Silvana,  is  a  man  who 
thinks  as  well  as  works  and  is  one  of  the  well-read 
men  of  the  community  on  all  subjects  and  topics. 
He  was  born  in  Norway  in  the  winter  of  1853,  the 
fifth  of  nine  children  of  Gunder  and  Ingre  Thorsen. 
farmer  folk  of  the  old  country.  The  father  passed 
away  in  the  old  country,  but  the  mother  came  to 
Washington  and  died  in  Snohomish  county.  Hal- 
vor  Thorsen  obtained  Jiis  education  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  land  and  commenced  to  work  out  there 
when  fourteen  years  of  age.  This  he  continued  for 
nine  years,  when  he  left  farming  for  railroad  work, 
which  he  followed  in  the  old  country  for  several 
years,  then  taking  up  fishing.  After  three  years  at 
that  calling  he  determined  in  1887  to  come  to  the 
United  States.  Locating  in  Michigan,  he  worked  in 
the  mines  there  for  something  over  a  year,  then  he 
went  to  Colorado  and  engaged  in  mining  in  the  Cen- 
tennial state.  In  the  spring  of  1890  he  went  to 
Alaska,  but  remained  only  a  short  time.  On  his 
coming  to  the  Puget  sound  country,  Mr.  Thorsen 
put  in  two  years  in  a  logging  camp  on  the  Stilla- 
guamish, then  he  purchased  a  settler's  right  to  land, 
and  on  the  property  thus  purchased  and  pre-empted 
he  has  made  his  home  since,  clearing  up  about  twen- 
ty-five acres  of  his  original  purchase  and  adding 
more  land  to  his  holdings. 

In  1890,  in  this  county,  Mr.  Thorsen  married 
Miss  Hannah  Green,  daughter  of  Tonas  Green,  a 
Norwegian  farmer  who  came  to  this  country  and 
passed  away  in  Michigan.  Mrs.  Thorsen  was  born 
in  Norway  in  1875,  but  she  came  to  this  country 
with  her  parents  when  a  girl  and  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  Peninsula  state.  She  and  Mr.  Thor- 
sen have  six  children,  all  born  in  Snohomish  county: 
Carl,  Emma,  Peter,  Mattie,  Agnes  and  Homer.  In 
politics  Mr.  Thorsen  is  a  Socialist,  and  one  of  the 


thinking  men  of  his  party,  well  read  in  all  depart- 
ments of  modern  day  thought.  He  has  one  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  land,  thirty  of  which  are  under 
cultivation,  and  thirty  head  of  cattle,  most  of  them 
being  dairy  animals.  He  also  keeps  a  flock  of  thirty 
sheep,  and  horses  sufficient  for  the  operation  of  the 
farm.  Mr.  Thorsen  is  an  energetic,  conservative 
man,  industrious  and  thriftv. 


JOHN  BRECKHUS  is  one  of  the  younger  of 
the  farmers  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Silvana  and  is 
also  one  of  the  successful  men  of  the  community. 
Without  violence  to  truth,  he  may  be  called  a  prod- 
uct of  Snohomish  county,  as  he  was  only  two  years 
of  age  when  he  came  here  from  Chicago  with  his 
parents.  He  was  born  in  the  metropolis  of  Illinois 
January  11,  1873,  the  son  of  Severt  G.  Breckhus, 
now  one  of  Snohomish  county's  prominent  citizens, 
a  full  biography  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the  Snohomish 
county  schools  and  when  large  enough  to  wield  an 
axe  or  be  of  assistance  to  his  father  in  clearing  the 
home  in  the  forest  country  turned  to  the  work  with 
a  will.  When  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
commenced  to  work  for  farmers  in  the  vicinity, 
clearing  land  and  assisting  in  the  work  of  erecting 
homes  for  others.  He  remained  at  this  kind  of 
pioneer  work  until  1901,  when  he  went  into  business 
for  himself,  taking  out  shingle  bolts.  At  this  ven- 
ture he  was  successful,  and  in  1902  purchased  with 
the  proceeds  his  own  place  of  fifty-one  acres  about 
a  mile  east  of  Silvana,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since 
acquiring  the  property. 

In  the  summer  of  1903,  at  the  home  of  his  father, 
Mr.  Breckhus  married  Miss  Agnes  Tone,  daughter 
of  Theodore  and  Bertha  Tone,  Norwegian  farmer 
folk,  who  are  still  living  in  the  old  country.  Mrs. 
Breckhus  was  bom  in  Norway  and  received  her 
education  in  the  schools  of  that  country,  coming  to 
America  in  1891  when  but  nine  years  of  age.  She 
and  Mr.  Breckhus  have  one  child,  Severt  T.,  who 
was  born  September  5,  1904.  In  church  adherence 
Mr.  Breckhus  is  a  Lutheran,  and  in  politics  a  Re- 
publican. Eighteen  of  his  fifty-one  acres  of  land  are 
under  cultivation  and,  in  addition  to  horses  for  oper- 
ating the  farm,  Mr.  Breckhus  has  seventeen  head  of 
beef  cattle.  Though  he  has  but  recently  commenced 
farming  on  his  own  account,  Mr.  Breckhus  has 
proved  by  his  application  to  work,  his  management 
and  his  business  foresight  that  his  farm  is  destined 
to  be  one  of  the  fine  places  of  Snohomish  county. 
He  is  a  hard  worker,  ever  ready  to  take  advantage 
of  any  opportunity  for  advancement  for  himself. 


JOHN  LANGSJON,  a  dairy  farmer  two  miles 
northwest  of  Silvana,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this 
section  of  Snohomish  county,  having  bought  a  pre- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1017 


cmption  here  in  1887  and  developed  his  place  from 
raw  marsh  land  into  a  fine  farm  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  Mr.  Langsjon  was  born  in  Norway  in 
1853,  the  son  of  Nels  and  Caroline  Langsjon,  who 
have  passed  their  entire  lives  thus  far  in  the  old 
country.  John  remained  with  his  parents  until  he 
had  attained  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  when  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  in  1877  settled  in  Minne- 
sota. He  rented  land  and  farmed  for  ten  years,  sell- 
ing out  at  the  end  of  that  period  and  coming  direct 
to  Stanwood,  Snohomish  county.  He  made  the  trip 
up  the  Stillaguamish  in  a  canoe  and  purchased  the 
pre-emption  right  to  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  which  was  absolutely  unimproved  and  con- 
sisted largely  of  marsh  and  bottom  land.  Mr. 
Langsjon  was  on  his  place,  ditching  and  doing  de- 
velopment work,  for  six  years  before  he  had  a  team 
of  horses,  oxen  being  the  only  work  animals  ob- 
tainable in  this  section  of  the  county  in  those  days. 
He  has  now  thirty  acres  of  land  in  meadow  and  as 
much  more  in  pasture.  His  chief  work  is  along  the 
line  of  dairying  and  stock  raising,  his  live  stock  num- 
bering fifty  head  of  cattle  and  four  horses. 

In  1877,  shortly  before  coming  to  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Langsjon  married  Miss  Johanna  Knut- 
son,  daughter  of  Knut  and  Molina  Knutson,  both  of 
whom  have  passed  away.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Langsjon 
have  eight  children.  Nels,  who  lives  in  Silvana; 
Conrad  J.,  who  lives  at  Arlington ;  Charles,  Minnie, 
John,  Henry,  Cornelius  and  Hannah  L.  A.  In 
politics  IVIr.  Langsjon  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never 
sought  office ;  in  church  adherence  the  family  is 
Lutheran.  Mr.  Langsjon  is  one  of  the  energetic 
farmers  of  the  community,  successful  as  a  farmer 
and  dairyman,  esteemed  by  the  community  and  of 
good  standing  among  his  fellow  men. 


JOHANNES  LANGSJON  is  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful dairymen  of  the  lower  Stillaguamish  valley. 
Coming  to  this  valley  in  1893,  he  has  in  the  time 
which  has  elapsed  since  then  converted  a  tract  of 
alder  bottom  land  into  one  of  the  finest  of  the 
smaller  dairy  fanns  in  the  vicinity  of  Silvana.  He 
was  born  in  Norway  in  1857,  fourth  of  the  five  chil- 
dren of  Nels  and  Caroline  Langsjon,  both  of  whomi 
are  still  residing  in  the  old  country.  Johannes  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty, 
then  immigrated  to  the  United  States,  locating  first 
in  Minnesota,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  In 
1893  he  joined  his  brother  John  at  Silvana.  Upon 
arrival  he  purchased  ten  acres  of  wild  land,  prac- 
tically a  marsh,  which  he  has  reclaimed  by  hard, 
skillful  labor  and  converted  into  his  present  snug, 
valuable  little  estate.  Cultivated  intensively,  it  is 
large  enough  for  one  man  to  handle  with  profit,  and 
in  his  skilled  hands  is  returning  a  comfortable  liv- 
ing. 

Christine  Olson  became  the  bride  of  Mr.  Langs- 


jon in  1883.  Her  parents,  Easton  and  Ingborg  Ol- 
son, came  to  Minnesota  from  Norway  and  in  that 
state  are  living  at  present  at  advanced  ages,  the 
father  having  been  born  in  1826,  the  mother  in  1832. 
Having  come  to  Minnesota  when  only  a  girl  of  ten 
years,  Mrs.  Olson  received  the  greater  part  of  her 
education  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Langsjon  have  three 
children — Caroline,  Edwin  and  Nels,  all  of  whom 
are  living  at  home.  Politically  Mr.  Langsjon  is- 
identified  with  the  Republican  party,  in  which  he  is 
an  active  worker,  and  the  family  are  attendants  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  Thrift,  industry  and  atten- 
tion to  details  are  the  keynotes  to  the  success  of  this 
substantial  husbandman,  while  his  sterling  character 
commands  the  utmost  respect  of  those  around  him. 


LARS  LARSEN  (deceased)  was  one  of  the  well 
known  pioneers  of  the  Silvana  country,  and  his 
widow  is  to-day  operating  with  marked  success  the 
farm  which  he  cut  out  of  the  forest  wilder- 
ness on  South  slough  in  the  seventies.  Since 
the  death  of  Mr.  Larsen,  which  occurred  in 
1893,  Mrs.  Larsen  and  her  daughters  have 
taken  charge  of  the  agricultural  and  dairy 
business  and  have  gained  for  themselves  the 
reputation  of  being  shrewd  managers  of  their  af- 
fairs. Mr.  Larsen  was  born  in  Norway  in  1849,  the 
first  of  three  children  of  Lars  and  Ragnald  Larsen, 
farmer  folk  of  Hardanger,  Norway.  The  mother 
died  early  iij  life ;  the  father  remarried,  and  two  sons 
of  his  second  wife,  Ole  and  Iver,  are  residents  of 
the  vicinity  of  Silvana.  The  elder  Larsen  continued 
to  reside  in  Norway  until  his  death  in  1S89.  The 
subject  of  this  biography  received  a  common-school 
education  in  the  old  country  and  came  to  the  LTnited 
.States  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  settling  in 
Iowa,  but  later  went  to  South  Dakota,  where  he 
lived  a  short  time.  Mr.  Larsen  came  to  Washington 
in  1876  and  worked  in  the  fisheries  along  the  Colum- 
bia river  for  a  number  of  years.  Between  seasons 
he  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country  and  pre-empted 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  a  mile  west  of 
where  Silvana  has  since  grown  up,  to  which  claim 
he  removed  permanently  in  1878.  At  that  time 
settlers  were  few  between  the  Larsen  home  and 
Stanwood,  where  were  the  nearest  store  and  the 
postoflice.  Travel  was  by  canoe  on  the  river,  the 
distance  being  fully  eight  miles. 

In  1885  Mr.  Larsen  married  Miss  Randi  Rors- 
tad.  a  native  of  Sonmor,  Norway,  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Carina  Rorstad,  who  passed  their  entire 
lives  in  the  old  country,  the  mother  dying  many 
years  ago,  the  father  living  until  1901.  Mrs.  Larsen 
commenced  to  make  her  own  way  in  the  world  when 
but  fourteen  years  of  age.  She  obtained  a  good  edu- 
cation and  taught  school  for  three  years  before  leav- 
ing Norway.  On  coming  to  Minnesota  she  con- 
tinued in  school  teaching  two  years,  then  came  to. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Silvana,  where  she  had  a  married  sister.  Mrs.  Lar- 
sen  made  the  trip  from  Stanwood  in  an  Indian  canoe 
as  far  as  Florence,  and  walked  the  five  miles  inter- 
vening between  that  place  and  Silvana  over  the 
roughest  kind  of  trail,  progress  being  impeded  by 
brush  and  fallen  timber.  Seven  years  passed  after 
Mrs.  Larsen  took  up  her  home  on  the  present  ranch 
before  there  were  any  roads  leading  to  it  or  any 
horses  in  use  in  this  country.  At  the  time  of  Mr. 
Larsen's  death  he  had  sold  eighty  acres  of  his  one 
hundred  and  sixty ;  now  fifty  acres  of  the  remainder 
are  under  cultivation  and  devoted  to  dairying.  For 
the  five  years  subsequent  to  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band Mrs.  Larsen  made  butter  and  shipped  it  to 
Seattle  under  circumstances  which  would  have 
daunted  a  less  resolute  woman.  There  were  no 
creameries  in  this  part  of  the  country  in  those  days, 
the  ranch  was  isolated  by  reason  of  the  lack  of  pass- 
able roads,  and  Mrs.  Larsen  had  to  take  her  dairy 
products  by  boat  across  the  slough  which  lay  be- 
tween her  home  and  Silvana.  During  all  these 
years  of  hard  work  and  planning  Mrs.  Larsen  has 
never  forgotten  the  value  of  her  education,  and  she 
has  done  her  best  to  give  her  daughters  good  educa- 
tional advantages.  The  oldest  daughter,  Clara,  is  a 
stenographer  and  also  a  milliner.  The  other  three, 
Lucy,  Ida  and  Annie,  are  living  with  their  mother, 
attending  school.  The  Larsen  ranch  is  one  of  the 
few  farms  in  the  state  of  Washington  which  are 
managed  entirely  by  women.  Mrs.  Larsen  is  a 
woman  of  remarkable  character  and  has  overcome 
obstacles  and  surmounted  difficulties  from  which 
some  men  would  have  shrunk  back,  defying  the  lone- 
liness of  her  situation.  She  is  naturally  proud  of 
her  success,  but  credits  herself  with  having  done  but 
her  simple  duty.  She  has  added  considerable  to  the 
holdings  left  by  her  husband,  including  real  estate 
in  Everett.  Mrs.  Larsen's  monument  is  her  home, 
and  her  stewardship  of  her  husband's  heritage  is 
marked  by  a  zeal  and  a  devotion  rarely  equaled. 


OLE  LARSON,  dairy  farmer  one  mile  west  of 
Silvana.  is  one  of  the  men  who  have  wrested  their 
farms  from  the  grasp  of  swamp  and  forest,  :in  the 
pioneer  work  being  compelled  to  put  up  with  many 
inconveniences  in  order  that  the  future  might  be 
realized.  He  was  born  in  Norway  July  10,  ISGG, 
the  fifth  of  the  nine  children  of  Lars  and  Ingeborg 
(Kollenes)  Larson,  who  were  Norwegian  firmer 
folk.  The  father  died  in  1889,  but  the  mother  is  still 
living,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  in  the  old  country. 
Mr.  Larson  attended  school  and  lived  on  his  father's 
farm  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  188S  in  Wisconsin.  After  passing  two  and  a 
half  years  in'  the  Badger  state  working  as  a  farm 
hand,  Mr.  Larson  came  to  Silvana,  Washington, 
where  his  brother  Lars  was  then  living.     He  spent 


some  time  working  on  farms  for  others,  but  about  a 
year  after  coming  to  Snohomish  county  took  a  pre- 
emption of  one  hundred  and  si.xty  acres  six  miles 
from  Silvana,  on  which  place  he  remained  for 
eleven  years,  developing  it  greatly,  then  he  sold  out. 
He  had  previously  purchased  forty  acres  from  his 
brother,  all  but  two  of  which  were  heavily  timbered. 
In  those  early  days  trails  were  the  only  avenues  of 
communication,  except  the  river,  and  hardships  to 
be  contended  with  were  many,  but  Mr.  Larson  per- 
severed and  now  has  fifty  of  his  fifty-four  acres  of 
land  under  crop  or  in  pasture.  His  farm  is  en- 
tirely devoted  to  dairying,  at  present  his  herd  con- 
sisting of  twenty-two  cattle,  which  he  purposes  to 
increase  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  the  full  capacity 
of  his  farm.  He  has  spent  one  season,  that  of  1899, 
in  Alaska. 

January  24,  1892,  Mr.  Larson  married  Miss 
Alarnet  Stinson,  whose  parents  were  among  the 
earliest  settlers  on  the  Stillaguamish  river,  near 
SiKaiKi.  Mr'^.  I.aisou  is  a  native  of  Norway,  com- 
ing lo  tills  iMi'iitrv  and  this  county  when  six  years 
old,  and  in  tlii>  cnunty  receiving  her  education.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Larson  have  three  children:  Lillian  E., 
Charlotte  I.  and  Nelvin  S.  In  political  matters  Mr. 
Larson  is  a  Republican  of  liberal  views,  and  the  fam- 
ily adheres  to  the  Lutheran  church.  Aifable  and 
genial,  he  is  one  of  the  popular  men  of  the  com- 
munity, successful  as  a  dairyman,  and  recognized  as 
a  man  of  energy  and  business  ability. 


INCEBREGT  STENSON.  farmer,  whose 
place  lies  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Silvana,  is  one 
of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  section  of  Snohomish 
county,  and  he  well  remembers  the  wild  condition 
of  affairs  when  he  started  in  to  make  a  farm  in  the 
forest  of  the  Stillaguamish  valley  in  the  seventies. 
Mr.  Stcnson  is  a  native  of  Norway.  He  was  born 
in  18-1(1,  the  son  of  Jens  and  Mary  Stenson,  farmer 
people  of  their  native  land,  who  passed  away  about 
thirty  years  ago.  Ingebregt  Stenson  attended 
schools  and  grew  up  on  the  old  home  place  remain- 
ing there  until  death  removed  his  parents.  He  then 
came  to  the  United  States  and  direct  to  Snohomish 
county,  where  he  has  since  lived  and  where  he  has 
gathered  a  competence  by  his  thrift  and  energy.  He 
settled  on  his  present  farm  soon  after  reaching  here. 
Canoes  furnished  transportation  to  Stanwood,  seven 
miles  away,  where  was  the  nearest  store  at  which 
provisions  and  supplies  might  be  obtained.  Stan- 
wood was  also  the  nearest  postoffice,  and  it  was  a 
number  of  years  before  the  road  was  cut  through 
between  this  place  and  Stanwood.  In  the  early  days 
of  Mr.  Stinson's  farming  in  this  county  his  market 
was  a  logging  camp,  located  oil  land  which  he  owns, 
and  there  he  disposed  of  such  produce  as  he  raised. 
Fle  has  eighty  acres  of  land  under  cultivation  or  fit 
for  crop,  while  the  remainder  of  his  one  hundred 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


and  sixty  acres  is  largely  pasture.     Mr.  Stenson  is 
engaged  in  dairying  extensively. 

In  1873,  while  living  in  Norway,  Mr.  Stenson 
married  Miss  Carrie  Stenson,  and  has  seven  chil- 
dren :  Mrs.  Maret  Larson,  Mary,  Martha,  Serena, 
John,  Emma  and  Carrie.  In  politics  Mr.  Stenson 
is  a  Republican ;  in  church  affiliations  he  is  a  Luther- 
an. Since  Mr.  Stenson  came  to  the  Stillaguamish 
valley  there  have  been  many  changes.  In  fact,  the 
entire  landscape  has  changed  character  from  a  for- 
est to  a  land  of  smiling  farms  and  growing  fields. 
In  this  transformation  he  has  played  his  part  and 
reaped  his  reward.  He  is  in  unusually  good  circum- 
stances financially,  one  of  the  solid  and  substantial 
business  men  of  the  community,  interested  in  public 
affairs  and  respected  and  honored  by  all  who  know 
him. 


ERICK  O.  ANDERSON,  whose  dairy-  farm  is 
situated  a  quarter  mile  south  of  Silvana,  is  one  of 
the  men  who  have  seen  the  country  develop  from 
dense  forests  to  a  rich  and  influential  farming  com- 
mrnity.  One  of  the  changes  which  he  notes  as  the 
chief  one  to  his  personal  experience  is  the  building 
of  roads  and  the  improvenient  of  transportation  fa- 
cilities. As  he  travels  to-day  from  Stanwood  he  re- 
calls his  first  trip  between  that  place  and  Silvana. 
Then  it  was  the  roughest  kind  of  a  trail  imaginable, 
in  reality  not  deserving  the  dignity  of  the  name. 
Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in  Norway  April  10,  1864, 
the  son  of  Andreas  and  Annie  (Hanson)  Anderson, 
both  natives  of  Norway.  The  elder  Anderson  came 
to  Silvana  about  ten  years  ago,  but  returned  to  the 
old  country  in  1903.  Mrs.  Anderson  is  still  living  at 
Silvana.  Erick  O.  Anderson  left  home  when  he 
was  eighteen  years  of  age  and  came  alone  to  Stan- 
wood.  He  soon  engaged  to  work  near  where  Sil- 
vana now  is  and  which  was  only  beginning  then. 
His  trip  was  on  foot  over  an  almost  indistinguish- 
able trail  and  through  heavy  forest.  For  two  years  he 
worked  and  carried  the  mail  between  Stanwood  and 
Oso.  via  Arlington,  and  he  has  the  distinction  of 
being  the  first  mail  carrier  on  this  route.  He  con- 
tinued to  carry  the  mail  abnut  four  years,  when  the 
coming  of  the  railroad  furnished  a  competition 
which  was  fatal  to  the  man  carrier's  business.  An- 
other distinction  enjoyed  by  Mr.  Anderson  is  the 
fact  of  his  liaving  been  tlie  first  constable  at  Silvana. 
During  these  years  Mr.  Anderson  has  taken  up  a 
timber  claim  and  shortly  after  he  left  the  mail  serv- 
ice he  SI  iM  his  timber  land  and  invested  in  the  eighty- 
acre  trait  wIktc  he  has  since  made  his  home.  It 
was  ]iea\il\-  timbered  and  much  of  it  had  been 
prostrated  liy  wind,  rendering  passage  over  the  land 
almost  impossible.  In  the  fifteen  years  he  has  re- 
sided here.  Mr.  Anderson  has  wrought  great 
changes  and  now  has  fifty  acres  in  crop  or  in  pas- 
ture.   He  formerly  raised  beef  cattle  and  hav,  but  in 


recent  years  has  devoted  himself  largely  to  dairy- 
ing and  has  twenty-five  head  of  cattle. 

Twenty  years  ago  Mr.  Anderson  married  Miss 
Annie  Johnson,  a  native  of  Norway  and  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Carina  Johnson,  who  never  left 
their  native  land.  The  mother  died  when  Mrs.  An- 
derson was  two  years  of  age,  and  she  came  to  this 
country  with  a  sister.  Mr.  Johnson  passed  away  in 
1901.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  have  nine  children: 
Caroline  A.  H.,  Andrew,  John,  Alfred,  Edward, 
Annie,  Louis,  George  and  Clarence.  In  politics  Mr. 
Anderson  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  for  three 
years  road  supervisor  of  his  home  district.  He  at- 
tends the  Lutheran  church.  In  the  summer  of  1904 
Mr.  Anderson  did  contract  work  in  grading  roads 
and  proved  very  successful  at  the  venture.  He  is  a 
man  well  posted  on  all  up-to-date  matters,  widely 
read  and  a  thoroughly  competent  man.  He  has  a 
fine  farm  and  a  valuable  one,  and  he  has  made  it 
from  what  was  once  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle 
of  standing  and  fallen  timber.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a 
man  of  great  energy  and  application,  of  the  timber 
without  which  no  substantial  fortune  can  be  made. 


STYRKER  A.  ERICKSON  (deceased)  was 
one  of  the  very  earliest  settlers  of  the  Silvana  dis- 
trict of  Snohomish  county,  coming  here  when  there 
were  but  three  or  four  others  on  this  part  of  the 
Stillaguamish  river.  In  the  pioneer  days,  when 
communication  between  settlements  was  slow  and 
passage  often  difficult,  Mr.  Erickson  suffered  an 
experience  on  the  bay  while  returning  from  LUsa- 
lady  to  Stanwood  which  nearly  cost  him  his  life  and 
produced  a  lasting  effect  on  his  constitution.  He 
was  rowing  across  when  late  in  the  afternoon  he 
was  overtaken  by  a  storm  of  such  proportions  that 
his  boat  was  swamped.  He  managed  to  keep  his 
hold  on  the  boat  through  the  entire  night,  and  in 
the  morning  was  rescued  by  a  band  of  Indians,  who 
nursed  him  for  two  days  before  he  became  strong 
enough  to  make  the  trip  to  Stanwood.  The  expos- 
ure of  that  terrible  night  so  undermined  an  unusual- 
ly strong  physical  constitution  that  he  never  fully 
recovered.  Mr.  Erickson  was  born  in  Norway  in 
1844  and  passed  his  early  days  on  a  farm  with  his 
parents.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  a  clergyman,  doing  work  about  the  place 
and  driving  horses  in  return  for  board  and  educa- 
tion. After  three  years  of  this  service  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  cooper  and  followed  that  until  1876, 
when  he  came  to  the  LTnited  States.  On  his  arrival 
Mr.  Erickson  visited  the  Centennial  Exposition  at 
Philadelphia  and  made  inquiries  about  locations.  He 
decided  to  go  to  Iowa,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
commenced  to  work  at  his  trade  in  that  state.  He 
remained  there  two  years,  then  came  to  tlie  Pacific 
coast,  settling  at  Astoria,  Oregon,  where  he  engaged 
in  fishing.     Soon  after  reaching  Astoria,  Mr.  Erick- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


son  took  a  trip  to  the  Puget  sound  country  and  lo- 
cated a  claim  on  the  Stillaguamish,  not  far  from 
Silvana.  Later  he  made  a  second  trip  to  the  Stilla- 
guamish  valley  and  located  the  land  on  which 
the  town  of  Silvana  has  since  grown  up.  His  inter- 
ests in  Snohomish  county  eventually  came  to  de- 
mand so  much  of  his  time  and  attention  that  he  left 
Astoria  and  settled  in  this  valley  permanently.  Mrs. 
Erickson,  who  was  born  in  Norway,  her  maiden 
name  being  Bertha  Peterson,  did  not  accompany  her 
husband  when  he  came  to  this  country,  but  arrived 
soon  after  he  had  commenced  to  live  on  the  Stilla- 
guamish.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erickson  have  one  son, 
Peter  R.,  who  is  living  now  in  Seattle.  The  elder 
Erickson  was  a  Mason  and,  upon  his  death,  Novem- 
ber 25,  1904,  the  members  of  that  organization  at 
Everett  attended  the  funeral  ceremonies,  taking 
charge  of  the  arrangements.  Mrs.  Erickson  is  still 
living. 

Peter  R.  Erickson,  only  son  of  Styrker  A.  Erick- 
son, was  born  in  Norway  in  1873  and  reared  there, 
attending  school  and  living  at  home  in  the  old  coun- 
try until  the  family  came  to  Snohomish  county. 
In  1S97  he  left  home,  going  to  Seattle,  where  he 
took  up  stationary  engineering,  a  trade  which  he 
followed  until  the  first  of  the  year  1905.  At  that 
time  he  took  charge  of  a  farm,  one  of  his  father's 
original  properties  in  Snohomish  county,  which  lies 
two  miles  east  of  Silvana  on  Pilchuck  creek.  At 
present  he  is  residing  in  Seattle,  having  recently 
traded  for  a  pleasant  liome  there,  but  he  still  retains 
his  farm.  Mr.  Erickson  in  1892  married  Mrs.  Lucy 
Diamond,  a  native  of  Sarnia,  Ontario,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  ^latilda  (Bartrand)  Dennis. 
When  Mrs.  Erickson  was  eight  years  old  her  par- 
ents removed  to  Alpena,  Michigan,  where  they  lived 
until  they  came  to  the  Puget  sound  country  in  1888. 
They  are  now  residing  at  Monroe,  in  this  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erickson  have  one  child,  Helen,  who 
was  born  March  28,  1903.  In  fraternal  circles  Peter 
R.  Erickson  is  a  modern  Woodman  and  an  Odd 
Fellow ;  in  politics  an  independent.  He  has  no 
church  membership,  but.  like  his  father  before  him, 
follows  the  simple  creed  expressed  in  the  Golden 
Rule.  Highly  respected  and  popular  in  the  com- 
munity, straightforward,  progressive,  he  is  sure  to 
succeed  at  anything  he  undertakes.  The  Erickson 
family  will  ever  be  associated  closely  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  Stillaguamish  valley,  and  especially  with 
that  of  Silvana. 


DELL  ROARK.  of  Silvana,  is  one  of  its  well- 
known,  public-spirited  citizens,  and  in  the  half 
decade  he  has  been  in  business  there  has  been  very 
successful.  He  left  the  work  of  constructing  rail- 
way bridges  in  order  to  make  a  home  for  himself  in 
the  Puget  sound  country,  whose  climate  had  proved 
to  be  very  beneficial  to  the  members  of  his  family. 
Mr.   Roark  was  born  in  Russellville,  Cole  county, 


Missouri,  January  3,  1870,  the  second  of  eleven  chil- 
dren of  William  and  Ellen  (Cole)  Roark.  The 
elder  Roark  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  still  fiving  there, 
now  a  retired  farmer.  The  mother  was  born  in 
Scotland  of  a  wealthy  family,  but  since  coming  to 
the  United  States  has  lost  track  of  her  relatives, 
not  having  heard  from  them  in  years.  Dell  Roark 
received  a  common  school  education  in  Missouri, 
securing  his  start  in  life  when  seventeen  years  of 
age,  his  first  work  being  that  of  a  bridge  builder 
for  the  Missouri  Pacific.  He  was  with  that  com- 
pany for  several  years,  leaving  it  to  accept  a  position 
with  the  Edgemore  Bridge  Company.  Mr.  Roark 
remained  with  this  concern  for  a  year  and  a  half, 
then  returned  to  railway  bridge  construction  work, 
going  to  Colorado,  where  he  was  in  charge  of  bridge 
work  for  the  LTnion  Pacific  and  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  for  some  time.  He  then  returned  to  the 
Missouri  Pacific  and  continued  with  that  company 
until  1897,  when  he  came  to  Seattle  and  took  charge 
of  bridge  work  for  the  Great  Northern,  becoming 
foreman  of  bridge  building  on  the  Cascade  and 
Coast  line  division,  his  particular  work  being  as 
overseer  of  the  raising  of  heavy  Howe  truss  spans 
to  position.  In  ]900  he  resigned  his  position  with 
the  Great  Northern  and  opened  a  liquor  store  in 
Silvana,  which  he  has  conducted  ever  since. 

In  1896  Mr.  Roark  married  Miss  Maggie  Mot- 
ter,  whom  he  met  while  doing  railroad  bridge  work 
at  Garnett,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Roark  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
as  were  also  her  parents.  The  father  died  some  fif- 
teen years  ago ;  the  mother  is  still  living,  a  resident 
of  Garnett,  Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roark  have  one 
child,  Gaude,  born  at  Everett  in  June,  1899.  In 
connection  with  Claude's  birth,  Mr.  Roark  tells  an 
interesting  story  of  how  he  was  raising  a  bridge 
near  Silvana  when  a  train  was  ordered  to  stop  there 
by  the  superintendent  of  the  road,  by  whom  Mr. 
Roark  was  hustled  off  to  Everett  to  greet  his  new- 
born son.  Mrs.  Roark  had  been  in  poor  health  until 
coming  to  the  Puget  sound  country,  but  the  climate 
so  benefited  her  that  Mr.  Roark  decided  to  decline 
an  offer  he  received  to  go  to  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  as 
foreman  of  bridge  construction  there,  and  embarked 
in  his  present  business.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr. 
Roark  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of  the  Frat- 
ernal Brotherhood  of  America,  while  Mrs.  Roark 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  Mr.  Roark 
has  a  host  of  friends  in  Silvana  and  surrounding 
country. 


ROBERT  MAXWELL,  now  a  retired  farmer, 
but  until  the  victim  of  a  paralytic  stroke  early  in 
1905  one  of  the  active  and  energetic  men  of  the 
Trafton  section  of  the  Snohomish  county,  is  one 
of  the  men  who  feel  that  Snohomish  county  is  one 
of  the  best  sections  of  the  entire  world  in  which 
man  may  make  a  living.  The  country  has  been 
good  to  him  -since  he  commenced  operations  here 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


in  1890,  after  having  passed  through  a  great  deal  of 
the  activity  of  life.  Mr.  Maxwell  was  born  in 
Shelby  County,  Ohio,  in  1836,  one  of  the  four  chil- 
dren of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Countz)  jMaxwell. 
The  father  was  a  native  of  \^irginia,  who  became  an 
Ohio  farmer  early  in  life,  but  passed  his  later  years 
in  Indiana.  Mrs.  Maxwell  died  when  Robert  was 
but  six  years  of  age,  and  the  latter  went  to  live  with 
his  grandfather,  in  whose  care  he  remained  until 
188-5.  In  that  year  he  entered  the  employ  of  neigh- 
bors as  a  farm  hand  and  was  engaged  in  that  line 
until  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Company  G  of  the  Eleventh  Indiana  Infantry.  He 
remained  with  that  command  only  three  months, 
then  enlisting  in  Company  B  of  the  Seventy-second 
Indiana  Mounted  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  being  a  part  of  the  time  under 
General  George  H.  Thomas  in  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  and  participating  in  the  battles  of 
Chickamauga,  Chattanooga  and  Lookout  Mountain. 
He  was  also  in  the  engagement  at  Murfreesboro,  in 
the  Atlanta  campaign,  in  \\'ilsi:in's  raid  into  Ala- 
bama and  in  the  chase  after  Jefferson  Davis  in  the 
waning  days  of  the  Confederacy.  At  the  close  of 
the  war  Mr.  Maxwell  returned  to  farm  work  in 
Indiana,  but  in  1873  went  to  Michigan,  where  he  en- 
tered the  lumber  mills  and  remained  for  twelve 
years.  Six  years  at  farming  in  North  Dakota  fol- 
lowed, and  in  1890  Mr.  Maxwell  located  in  Snoho- 
mish county,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  southeast  of 
Trafton  on  the  Arlington  road.  For  eleven  years 
he  was  Trafton's  postmaster.  He  continued  active 
fanning  operations  until  he  suffered  the  paralytic 
stroke  in  190.5,  since  which  time  he  has  been  unable 
to  work.  Much  of  his  stock  and  implements  he  has 
disposed  of  since  that  time. 

In  the  late  fall  of  1858  Mr.  Maxwell  married 
Miss  Mary  Spratt,  daughter  of  Albert  Spratt,  a 
native  of  Michigan,  and  a  blacksmith  by  occupation, 
who  died  many  years  ago.  Mrs.  Maxwell  was  born 
in  1843  and  lived  with  her  parents  up  to  within  a 
year  of  her  marriage,  having  at  that  time  gone  to 
Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maxwell  have  three  chil- 
dren, namely :  Mrs.  Belle  Barr.  Benton  and  Henry 
F.  In  politics  Mr.  Maxwell  is  a  Republican,  and 
fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Edwin  ^I.  Stanton 
post,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Arlington.  The  family  is  affiliated 
with  the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Maxwell  is  a  jovial 
man  and  has  not  lost  the  sunny  disposition  so  fre- 
quently attributed  solely  to  the  young,  even  though 
age  and  affliction  may  be  thought  to  have  been  suf- 
ficient to  dispel  an  optimistic  view  of  men  and 
things.  In  peace  and  war  he  has  lived  a  conquering 
life,  and  he  does  not  propose  now  to  surrender  to 
despondency,  though  affliction  has  come  upon  him. 


ALONZO  W.  SHAFER,  the  accommodating 
postmaster  of  Trafton,  Washington,  a  retired  mill 
man  and  one  who  since  1888  has  been  active  in  the 


master  industry  of  the  Sound  country,  is,  like  many 
others  who  have  assisted  in  the  development  of  the 
western  part  of  Uncle  Sam's  domain,'  a  native  of 
Canada,  born  in  the  province  of  Ontario  August  20, 
ISiS.  His  father,  who  was  also  born  in  Canada,  the 
date  of  his  advent  being  1798,  served  in  the  British 
army  during  the  war  of  1813,  being  in  political  faith 
a  United  Empire  Loyalist.  He  died  in  Alichigan, 
whither  he  had  moved  later  in  life,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Sarah 
(Hood)  Shafer,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1798, 
but  having  been  left  an  orphan  at  the  tender  age  of 
four,  was  taken  charge  of  by  relatives,  who  removed 
her  to  Canada,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood.  She 
died  in  1887,  leaving  eight  sons  and  daughters,  of 
whom  Alonzo  W.,  of  this  article,  is  the  youngest. 
He  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Michigan  in  early 
boyhood  and  there  acquired  a  common  school  edu- 
cation, while  also  assisting  his  father  in  the  work 
of  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  learn- 
ing the  machinist's  trade  and  thereafter,  until  1889, 
he  followed  that  line  of  work  assiduously  and  unin- 
terruptedly, most  of  the  time  in  saw  and  shingle 
mills,  which  he  operated  under  lease.  In  the  year 
mentioned  he  set  out  for  the  grander  forests  of 
western  ^Vashington.  His  objective  point  was  the 
town  of  Whatcom,  whence  he  proceeded  to  Bay 
View,  Skagit  county,  where  he  worked  in  a  mill  for 
a  year.  During  the  Anacortes  boom  he  erected  a  ho- 
tel in  that  town,  which  he  operated  as  long  as  the  ex- 
citement lasted,  then  he  built  a  shingle  mill  at  Fredo- 
nia.  This  he  sold  at  a  later  date,  only  to  erect  an- 
other at  Avon.  For  two  years  he  successfully  ran  the 
latter  mill,  then  he  disposed  of  it  and  went  to  Friday 
Harbor  to  fit  up  a  grist  mill  for  a  man  there.  This 
man  failed  utterly  in  his  payments,  so  Mr.  Shafer 
secured  the  mill  and  ran  it  successfully  for  about  a 
year,  making  good  profits.  He  next  came  Arling- 
ton, where  he  secured  a  grading  contract  from  the 
builders  of  the  Darrington  branch  railroad,  doing 
well  in  this  undertaking  also ;  then  he  bought  three 
acres  where  he  now  lives  and  twenty  acres  a  half 
mile  further  north.  December  10,  190"2,  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Trafton,  an  office  which  he 
still  holds,  and  the  duties  of  which  he  is  discharging 
in  a  manner  creditable  to  himself  and  highly  satis- 
factory to  the  patrons  of  the  postoffice.  He  has  a 
wide  acquaintance  throughout  the  county,  and  his 
upright  character,  manifesting  itself  always  in  his 
various  business  transactions,  has  secured  for  him 
the  confidence  of  all  who  know  him.  In  religion  Mr. 
Shafer  is  a  Methodist ;  in  politics  a  Republican,  in- 
terested in  public  matters,  as  are  all  good  citizens, 
but  not  an  office-seeker.  He  was,  however,  justice 
of  the  peace  in  Michigan  for  a  number  of  years. 

Some  twenty-three  years  ago  Mr.  Shafer  married 
Mrs.  Jennie  Secord,  who,  like  himself,  was  a  native 
of  Canada,  and  to  them  have  been  born  two  children, 
William  .A.  and  Sarah  M.,  both  of  whom  are  living 
at  Avon. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON,  residing  one-fourtli 
of  a  mile  south  of  Trafton,  was  born  in  Crockett 
County,  Tennessee,  October  10,  1859.  His  parents, 
Allan  and  Mary  Jefferson,  both  died  when  he  was 
an  infant,  leaving  a  family  of  five  children,  of  whom 
he  was  the  third.  He  was  taken  by  a  family  named 
Singlton  and  lived  with  them  till  he  was  eighteen, 
acquiring  an  education  in  the  common  schools  and 
at  intervals  working  on  the  farm.  Upon  leaving 
Tennessee  in  1877,  he  went  to  the  Willamette  valley, 
in  Oregon,  where,  after  being  employed  as  a  farm 
harld  for  two  years,  he  rented  a  farm  for  himself.  A 
year  later  he  migrated  to  Dayton,  Washington, 
making  the  trip  with  a  team,  and  there  he  followed 
teaming  as  an  occupation  for  some  time.  Coming 
to  Snohomish  county  eighteen  years  ago,  he 
took  the  homestead  which  now  constitutes  his  farm ; 
the  trip  up  the  river  to  it  being  made  in  an  Indian 
canoe  at  a  cost  of  ten  dollars.  The  nearest  road  was 
at  Silvana,  ten  miles  away,  and  it  goes  without  say- 
ing that  settlers  were  few  in  the  locality;  indeed, 
settlement  did  not  become  at  all  general  until  about 
five  years  later.  The  nearest  store  and  postofifice 
was  at  Florence,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles.  All 
Mr.  Jefferson's  land  being  heavily  timbered,  the  task 
of  clearing  it  and  putting  it  in  condition  to  cultivate 
was  an  arduous  one,  but  he  has  succeeded  in  getting 
twenty  acres  of  it  under  cultivation  and  an  equal 
amount  in  pasture.  He  gives  his  attention  principal- 
ly to  dairying,  though  he  is  a  believer  in  diversified 
far;ning,  and  practices  it  to  a  considerable  extent. 

In  1890  Air.  Jefferson  married  Rachel  Dennies, 
a  native  of  Nebraska,  born  near  Omaha  in  18G9. 
She  received  a  careful  education  in  the  schools  of 
that  state,  and  later  became  one  of  the  well-known 
and  successful  teachers  of  this  locality,  in  which  she 
taught  the  first  term  of  school  ever  held.  Her 
father,  Thomas  Dennies,  having  died  when  she  was 
a  child,  her  mother  afterward  married  Mr.  Lykens, 
now  deceased.  Tlie  mother's  death  occurred  at  her 
daughter's  home  in  189?.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jefferson 
have  four  children,  Frank,  Ethel,  Flossie  and  Nellie. 
Mr.  Jefferson  is  an  influential  member  of  the  Yeo- 
man fraternity,  but  in  politics  allies  himself  to  no 
party,  preferring  to  take  an  independent  stand  in 
all  matters.  For  the  past  six  years  he  has  been  road 
supervisor  of  liis  district.  Some  time  ago  a  very 
fortunate  discovery  was  made,  namely,  that  there 
was  a  large  deposit  of  iron  on  his  farm,  five  distinct 
ledges  running  half  a  mile  through  the  ranch,  and 
covering  from  fifteen  to  twenty  acres  to  a  depth  of 
six  feet.  As  a  result  of  this  discovery  he  has  now 
a  standing  offer  of  $8,000  for  the  entire  property, 
consisting  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres.  That 
his  well-directed  efforts  along  agricultural  lines  have 
inet  with  no  greater  success  is  amply  explained  by 
the  fact  that  all  these  years  he  has  been  endeavoring 
to  farm  the  external  surface  of  a  mine.  He  is  a  man 
of  enviable  standing  in  the  coinmimity.  and  any 
gond    fortune   that   may  come   to   him   through   the 


discovery  of  the  iron  will  give  pleasure  to  neighbors 
and  acquaintances. 


AARON  L.  BLAIR,  prominent  among  the  mert 
who  have  been  instrumental  in  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  Arlington,  and,  indeed,  of  the  entire 
county  of  Snohomish,  stands  Aaron  L.  Blair,  now 
engaged  in  the  real  estate,  insurance  and  loan  busi- 
ness. He  was  born  in  Fountain  County,  Indiana, 
March  30,  1843,  the  son  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Crystle)  Blair.  His  father,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
was  a  farmer  and  shoemaker,  who  in  early  man- 
hood settled  in  Indiana,  residing  there  until  1845 
when  he  moved  to  Des  Moines  county,  Iowa.  Some 
years  later  he  located  in  Wapello  county.  In  1855 
he  went  to  Texas  to  look  at  the  country  and  was 
never  heard  from  afterward.  It  is  believed  that  he 
was  killed  there.  The  mother,  a  Kentuckian  by 
birth,  made  the  trip  to  Indiana  on  horseback  in  the 
earlv  days,  and  was  married  in  that  state.  Her 
death  occurred  in  Iowa  in  1856.  Aaron  L.  Blair  is 
the  youngest  of  a  family  of  seven  children.  After 
receiving  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Iowa,  to 
which  state  the  family  had  moved  while  he  was  a 
child,  he  left  home  at  the  age  of  thirteen  to  work  on 
neighboring  farms.  Although  hut  eighteen  years  old 
when  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he  eulislcd  in  Com- 
pany C,  Seventh  Iowa  Cavalry,  ami  served  three 
vears  and  seven  months,  receiving  his  discharge  at 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  February,  ISfiG.  Returning 
to  Iowa,  he  resumed  farming,  following  it  until  1870 
when  he  moved  to  Pleasant  Hill,  Missouri,  and  was- 
employed  in  building  a  new  railroad  from  Pleasant 
Hill  to  Lawrence,  Kansas.  Two  years  later  he  went 
back  to  Iowa,  locating  in  Davis  county,  and  there 
taking  contracts  to  get  out  ties  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Burlington  and  JMilwaukee  railroad.  At 
the  end  of  six  months  he  again  engaged  in  farming. 
In  1878  he  migrated  to  Neosho  county,  Kansas,  and 
lived  in  that  part  of  the  state  for  two  years.  Going 
thence  in  1880  to  Elk  county,  he  filed  on  a  pre- 
emption daim,  located  four  miles  east  of  Howard, 
which  he  shortly  afterward  sold.  He  then  bought 
1(!0  acres  from  Thomas  Chandler  upon  which  he 
lived  until  1887,  coming  to  Washington  that  year. 
September  20th  marks  the  date  of  his  arrival  at 
Stanwood.  The  following  February,  he  loaded  two 
canoes  with  supplies,  and  came  up  the  Stillaguamish 
river  to  Oso,  but  as  his  wife  feared  to  make  the 
trip  on  account  of  the  various  obstructions  in  the 
river,  the  family  walked  from  Stanwood.  a  distance 
of  thirtv  miles,  the  journey  lasting  three  days.  Their 
home  for  the  first  two  weeks  was  in  the  school  house 
at  Oso.  Mr.  Blair  then  took  the  family  down  the 
river,  and  rented  a  farm  owned  by  William  McPhee 
for  one  year.  Soon  he  filed  on  a  pre-emption  of 
forty  acres  near  the  present  location  of  Arlington, 
and  this  was  his  home  for  eighteen  months.  Uport 
it  he  erected  a  substantial  house  and  barn,  in  the 


JENS    THDMSICN 


MAS  JIOI'-FKRSON 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


meantime  clearing  up  six  acres  of  land  around  which 
he  built  an  eight-rail  fence.  He  also  set  out  an 
orchard  of  fifty  trees.  In  1890  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  bottom  land  southwest  of  Arlington,  and 
that  was  his  home  for  two  years,  during  which  time 
he  cleared  twenty  acres,  built  a  good  house  and  barn, 
and  put  up  fences  to  surround  them.  Haller  City, 
now  known  as  Arlington,  has  claimed  him  a  resi- 
dent since  ]892,  when  he  assumed  charge  of  the  lo- 
cal agency  for  the  Haller  City  Townsite  Company, 
in  whose  employ  he  still  is.  A  meat  shop  was  sorely 
needed  in  the  town,  and  as  there  was  no  one  else  in 
position  to  establish  and  operate  one,  he  did  so  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  until  some  one  was  ready  to  take  the 
business.  Tliat  is  only  one  of  the  manifold  ways  in 
which  he  has  advanced  the  interests  of  the  town, 
often  at  an  expense  to  himself  of  both  time  and 
means. 

Mr.  Blair  was  married  at  Floris,  Davis  county, 
Iowa,  in  ISGl,  to  Miss  Cynthia  A.  Morgan,  born  at 
Pleasant  Grove,  Iowa,  in  November,  1842.  She  re- 
ceived a  careful  education  in  the  schools  of  her  na- 
tive state.  Her  father,  Abraham  Morgan,  was  born 
in  Kentucky.  Coming  to  Washington  territory  in 
isn:?  he  settled  near  Walla  Walla,  and  lived  there 
for  several  years.  His  death  occurred  at  Lyma, 
Kansas.  Mrs.  Blair's  mother  died  while  she  was 
yet  an  infant.  She  and  Mr.  Blair  have  the  follow- 
ing children,  namely:  Mrs.  Cathrine  Clumb,  born 
in  Towa.  now  living  in  Alaska ;  Mrs.  Louisa  Neff, 
born  in  Iowa,  now  of  Everett ;  James  W.,  born  in 
Missouri :  and  Walter  A.,  also  a  native  of  Iowa,  the 
former  now  in  Seattle,  the  latter  in  Arlington ;  May. 
Aaron  and  Calvin,  deceased,  the  first  two  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Kansas,  the  last  of  Iowa.  Mr.  Blair 
i<;  an  active  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, and  in  politics  a  loyal  supporter  of  Repub- 
licanism. Deeply  interested  always  in  political  mat- 
ters, local  and  general,  he  has  been  a  force  to  be 
reckoned  with  in  many  county  campaigns  and  can- 
didates' for  office  have  learned  to  value  highly  his 
support  and  fear  correspondingly  his  opposition. 
But  it  is  not  alone  before  and  during  elections  that 
ATr.  Blair's  public  spirit  has  been  manifested.  One 
of  the  many  ways  in  which  he  has  contributed  to 
the  public  welfare  has  been  by  an  open  and  per- 
sistent advocacy  of  improvements,  especially  in  the 
line  of  roads  and  bridges,  and  he  has  to  his  personal 
credit  the  opening  of  a  road  for  four  miles  out  of 
Arlington,  in  the  earlv  davs  of  that  town,  and  the 
starting  of  the  first  freight  teams,  two  outfits  of 
two  yoke  each  to  the  wagon,  between  Stanwood 
and  the  forks  of  the  Stillaguamish.  It  was  also 
largely  through  his  influence  and  example  that  the 
road  from  Arlington  to  Kent's  Prairie  was  made 
passable.  A  man  of  great  force  of  character,  un- 
usual intelligence  and  persistent  optimism,  he  has 
contributed  not  a  little  to  the  general  progress  in 
many  ways,  and  at  this  date  there  is  probably  no 
other  man  in  Snohomish  countv  more  widely  known. 


more  conversant  with  local  conditions  or  more  wide 
awake   in  watching  over  the  interests  of  his  part 


JENS  THOMSEN,  one  of  the  men  who  have 
been  identified  with  the  agricultural  development  of 
the  region  contiguous  to  Silvana  from  its  pioneer 
days,  and  one  who  is  to  be  credited  with  having 
contributed  not  a  little  toward  that  development,  is 
like  many  another  man  who  has  aided  in  the  con- 
quest of  American  wild  lands,  a  native  of  Germany. 
The  date  of  his  birth  is  July  18,  1832.  He  is  the 
sixth  of  the  nine  children  of  Jens  and  Sanna 
(Carstensen)  Thomsen,  farmer  folk  of  the  Father- 
land, and  acquired  his  education  in  the  excellent 
public  schools  for  which  Germany  is  world-famed. 
Until  thirty-six  years  of  age  he  remained  on  the 
parental  farm,  or  at  least  made  his  home  there, 
though  he  was  occupied  most  of  the  time  after 
reaching  man's  estate  in  working  for  agriculturists 
in  the  vicinity. 

When  at  length  he  left  the  parental  roof  he  did 
so  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  new  land  across  the 
ocean,  the  land  of  promise  to  Europeans.  Locating 
for  a  time  in  Burlington,  Iowa,  he  was  employed  in 
railroad  work  and  in  lumber  yards  there,  but 
moved  to  Illinois  later,  remaining  there  until  after 
the  great  Chicago  fire  of  1871  had  done  its  terrible 
work.  He  returned  to  Iowa,  however,  from  which 
state,  in  1878,  he  migrated  to  the  territory  of 
Washington,  making  Stanwood  his  objective  point. 
Those  were  the  days  of  small  things  in  most  parts 
of  the  .Stillaguamish  valley,  there  being  no  roads, 
and  the  only  way  to  get  in  provisions  being  to  trans- 
port them  in  canoes  and  on  one's  back  over  indis- 
tinct trails  to  the  pioneer  homes  in  the  forest.  But 
nothing  daunted,  Mr.  Thomsen  struck  out  boldly 
into  the  virgin  forest  near  where  Silvana  now  is, 
took  a  claim  and  began  the  battle  with  trees,  turn- 
overs, rubbish  and  stumps.  He  assisted  in  cutting 
the  first  trail  from  his  home  to  Silvana  and,  indeed, 
has  done  his  share  toward  the  general  opening  up 
of  that  country.  It  has  rewarded  his  devotion  to  it 
and  his  faith  in  it  quite  substantially,  for  though  the 
Sound  country  may  show  a  man  a  frowning  face,  it 
seldom  fails  to  smile  eventually  upon  a  persistent 
and  worthy  wooer.  He  now  has  175  acres  of  valu- 
able land,  eicrhtv  of  which  have  been  improved,  is 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business  somewhat  extensively, 
having  a  herd  of  forty  head,  and  is  in  independent 
circumstances.  With  dearly  bought  success  in  his 
business  and  a  prosperity  which  was  long  on  the 
road,  has  come  also  the  respect  always  due  and  al- 
ways willingly  accorded  to  men  who,  defying  diffi- 
cultv,  accomplish  something  worthy,  even  in  a 
humble  way.  Pie  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  strong, 
substantial  citizens  of  the  Silvana  district.  In  pol- 
itics Mr.  Thomsen  is  a  Republican,  in  religion  a 
Lutheran. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


BERNHARD  C.  W.  SCHLOMAN,  the  pros- 
perous, well  known  farmer  living  at  Arlington,  is 
one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the  upper  Stillagua- 
mish  country,  having  come  here  in  1881,  when  the 
river  was  the  only  highway,  and  it  a  badly  obstructed 
one.  Those  were  the  days  when  the  matter  of  get- 
ting provisions  up  river  to  the  settlers  was  the  big- 
gest problem  confronting  the  men  who  were  doing 
the  work  of  turning  the  forests  into  farms.  Mr. 
Schloman  was  born  in  Germany  in  the  summer  of 
1854,  August  19th,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Wilhelm)  Schloman.  The  latter  passed  away  at 
Arlington,  January  31,  1902.  The  father  left  Ger- 
many in  1859,  when  Bcrnhard  was  but  five  years  of 
■age,  and  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Min- 
nesota where  he  worked  at  the  blacksmith  trade. 
Bernhard  Schloman  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Minnesota,  later  attending  the 
normal  school,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  com- 
menced to  teach  school.  He  followed  that  profes- 
sion for  two  years,  then  came  to  the  territory  of 
Washington,  arriving  in  1881.  After  remaining  in 
Seattle  for  a  time,  he  came  up  the  Stillaguamish, 
and  located  on  a  tract  of  1G2  acres,  on  a  part  of 
which  he  has  ever  since  made  his  home.  With  him 
came  his  mother,  the  first  white  woman  to  settle  on 
the  upper  river.  During  the  first  few  years  of  his 
residence  in  this  part  of  the  country,  Mr.  Schloman 
found  it  necessary  to  devote  a  part  of  each  year  to 
working  for  others  in  order  to  get  money  for  sup- 
plying his  house  with  provisions.  The  river  was 
the  only  means  of  egress  and  ingress  to  the  settle- 
ment and  log  jams  were  frequent,  so  that  it  cost 
$10  for  transporting  a  canoe  load  of  goods  from 
Stanwood.  The  first  cows  in  this  section  of  the 
county  were  conveyed  up  the  river  on  a  deck  built 
over  two  canoes  lashed  together.  Stanwood  was  the 
nearest  postoffice  until  1887  when  Stillaguamish, 
now  Silvana,  was  established,  and  in  1890  Arling- 
ton was  made  a  postoffice.  During  these  days  Mr. 
Schloman  was  interested  in  exploring  the  head 
waters  of  the  Stillaguamish  and  in  company  with 
Lord  John  Robinson  penetrated  the  sources  of  the 
river  far  into  the  mountains,  antedating  in  the  ex- 
ploit the  party  of  which  Charles  Burns  was  the 
liead. 

In  1887  while  residing  in  Minnesota,  Mr.  Schlo- 
man married  Miss  Mary  Schwarble,  daughter  of 
Henry  Schwarble,  a  farmer  of  the  Gopher  state. 
Mrs.  Schloman  died  on  the  Stillaguamish  in  1888, 
and  nine  years  later  in  Spokane  Mr.  Schloman 
married  Miss  Emma  Stutz-Pfisterer,  daughter  of 
Conrad  Stutz,  a  tinsmith  by  profession,  who  passed 
away  in  Minnesota.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schloman  have 
one  child,  Reuben  Bernhard,  born  September  G, 
1899.  In  politics  Mr.  Schloman  is  aligned  with  the 
Socialists,  but  he  has  never  sought  political  pre- 
ferment or  public  office,  though  in  the  days  of  the 
old  Schloman  postoffice  on  the  river  he  served  as 
postmaster.     Of  his  hundred-acre  tract  he  has  forty 


acres  under  cultivation,  the  improvements  thereon 
including  a  six-room  house.  He  keeps  at  the  pres- 
ent time  fourteen  head  of  dairy,  and  forty  head  of 
stock  cattle ;  also  raises  poultry,  and  other  live 
stock.  ]\Ir.  Schloman  is  in  prosperous  circum- 
stances, the  proprietor  of  an  excellent  farm  prop- 
erty and  is  respected  by  the  entire  community  in 
which  he  lives,  as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  Stilla- 
guamish, one  of  the  pathfinders  of  the  wilderness, 
and  one  of  the  men  who  have  contributed  materially 
toward  its  subjugation  and  industrial  evolution. 


WILLIAM  FOREST  OLIVER,  M.  D.— Sno- 
homish county  was  blessed  even  during  its  pioneer 
days  by  the  presence  of  a  few  professional  men  of 
superior  ability  and  excellent  training,  conspicuous 
among  whom  was  the  scholarly  physician  whose 
life  record  is  the  theme  of  this  article.  In  the  years 
of  his  residence  in  the  Stillaguamish  valley  Dr. 
Oliver  has  been  much  more  than  a  practitioner  of 
medicine.  Nature  designed  him  for  leadership  and 
this  quality  has  been  employed  by  him  in  promoting 
the  reclamation  and  industrial  development  of  the 
valley  and  in  every  movement  toward  Ijetter  things 
for  his  community  and  county.  Like  most  men  of 
superior  native  endowments  he  had  the  advantage 
of  a  good  heredity.  His  paternal  ancestors,  who 
were  of  Scotch-English  stock,  came  from  England 
to  Virginia  in  1700  and  planted  a  family  tree  which 
became  noted  for  its  wealth  and  influence,  but  more 
especially  for  the  persistency  with  which  it  fought 
the  nation's  battles.  The  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject.  Captain  William  Oliver,  was  one  of  George 
Washington's  trusted  officers  in  the  war  of  the  Rev- 
olution and  had  the  distinction  of  having  partici- 
pated in  the  celebrated  crossing  of  the  Delaware 
and  the  battle  of  Trenton,  fought  December  25, 
1776.  The  father  of  our  subject,  William  L.  Oliver, 
was  first  duty  sergeant  of  Company  H,  First  Indi- 
ana, under  General  Taylor  in  the  war  with  Mexico 
and  captain  of  Company  E,  Thirty-fifth  Illinois  in 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  Certainly  few  can  boast 
a  prouder  military  record  than  he,  and  in  civil  life 
also  he  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  force,  hav- 
ing been  prepared  for  social  leadership  by  a  liberal 
educational  training  in  Franklin  college,  Indiana. 
By  profession  he  was  a  dentist.  He  died  in  Tacoma 
in  1895.  Dr.  Oliver's  mother,  Mary  A.  (Smith) 
Oliver,  a  native  of  Marion  county,  Indiana,  born  in 
1838,  was  of  Prussian  ancestry,  her  forefathers 
having  come  from  that  province  very  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century.  They  settled  first  in  Virginia, 
but  later  a  scion  of  the  family  tree,  the  one  from 
which  she  sprung,  was  planted  in  Kentucky.  She 
died  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five. 

Dr.  Oliver  was  born  in  Bloomfield,  Iowa,  August 
8,  1857.  Having  completed  the  work  of  the  com- 
mon school  near  his  home  in  Montgomery  county, 
Indiana,  he  prepared  himself  for  college  by  a  course 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


of  four  years'  duration  in  Ladoga  Seminary.  In 
September,  1872,  he  matriculated  at  the  University 
of  Illinois,  and  four  years  later  he  graduated  with 
tlie  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Literature.  Three  years 
later  he  was  honored  with  a  medical  degree  from  the 
Medical  College  of  Indiana,  after  graduating  from 
which  institution  he  went  to  Kansas.  Locating  in 
Elk  county,  he  practiced  there  five  years,  but  in  the 
fall  of  1884  the  cause  of  education,  in  which  he  was 
•deeply  interested,  claimed  his  attention  and  he  ac- 
cepted at  the  hands  of  the  electors  the  post  of  coun- 
ty school  superintendent.  For  four  years  he  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  that  office.  In  the  fall  of  1889 
Tie  came  to  Washington  and  upon  his  arrival  he 
filed  forthwith  on  a  pre-emption  eight  miles  north- 
east of  Arlington  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Stilla- 
guamish  river.  He  could  only  secure  a  squatter's 
right  at  the  time,  so  that  it  took  three  years  to  ob- 
tain a  patent,  but  he  lived  on  the  land  the  required 
time,  meanwhile  practicing  medicine  among  the 
settlers  along  the  river,  he  being  the  only  physician 
above  Stanwood  then.  The  land  secured  in  this 
way  he  still  retains.  Upon  making  final  proof  he 
opened  an  office  in  Arlington  where  he  has  ever 
-since  resided  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion, except  about  a  year  during  which  he  traveled 
considerably,  visiting  the  Chicago  fair. 

In  September,  1889,  in  Montreal,  Canada,  Dr. 
Oliver  married  Miss  L-ilian  M.  Best,  of  Litchfield, 
Illinois,  of  which  city  her  father,  Wesley  Best,  was 
one  of  the  founders  and  at  one  time  mayor.  He 
moved  to  Kansas  in  188-1  and  twenty  years  later 
died  in  Howard  City,  that  state.  Her  mother,  Mary 
J.  (Whittington)  Best,  was  of  English  extraction,  a 
member  of  the  well  known  Whittington  family  so 
widely  celebrated  throughout  all  the  British  posses- 
sions. Mrs.  Oliver  is  a  graduate  of  the  Litchfield 
high  school,  also  of  the  Jacksonville  Female  Acad- 
emy, of  Illinois,  and  the  St.  Louis  School  of  Fine 
Arts.  She  is  a  painter  of  no  mean  ability  and  an 
art  teacher  of  note. 

In  political  faith  Dr.  Oliver  is  a  Republican,  in 
fraternal  connection  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  He  was 
reared  in  the  religious  belief  of  the  Baptist  denom- 
ination, but  at  present  is  not  a  member  of  any 
church.  His  property  interests  besides  the  land  on 
the  north  fork  and  realty  in  Arlington,  include  ten 
acres  of  water  front  near  Tacoma,  the  prospective 
value  of  which  is  enormous.  In  all  the  years  of  his 
residence  in  Arlington  he  has  watched  over  its  in- 
terests with  almost  paternal  care  and  is  justly  re- 
garded one  of  the  fathers  of  the  town,  one  of  the 
most  forceful  factors  in  its  past  development,  one 
of  its  leading  citizens  at  this  date.  Even  in  the 
social  life  of  the  town  he  and  his  accomplished,  cul- 
tured  helpmeet   are   very  active  participants. 


men  of  his  home  town  and  a  leader  in  the  promo- 
tion of  all  proposed  enterprises  of  benefit  to  the 
community.  His  career  of  but  little  more  than  a 
decade  in  this  state  has  been  a  highly  creditable  one 
and  his  success  noteworthy  when  it  is  remembered 
that  his  capital  on  reaching  the  sound  consisted  of 
a  good  education  and  an  ambition  to  make  the  best 
use  of  it  and  of  his  inherent  abilities.  He  was  born 
in  Pennsboro,  West  Virginia,  March  18,  1873,  the 
fifth  of  the  ten  children  of  Jeiiferson  and  Angelina 
(Cunningham)  Marsh,  both  of  whom  were  like- 
wise West  Virginians  by  birth  and  members  of  old 
pioneer  families  of  that  state  which  had  come  orig- 
inally from  Maryland.  The  mother  is  still  living 
in  that  commonwealth.  The  father  was  of  English 
extraction,  the  mother  of  Scotch-Irish. 

Calvin  L.  ATarsh,  of  this  review,  acquired  an  un- 
usually thorough  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  natal  community  and  in  a  private  academy  in 
\^'est  Mrginia.  On  reaching  the  age  of  twenty  he 
determined  to  heed  Horace  Greeley's  advice  to 
young  men  and  set  out  for  the  shores  of  the  Pa- 
cific, where  for  a  few  years  he  followed  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching,  his  last  school  being  that  of  Hal- 
ler  City,  now  a  part  of  Arlington.  On  retiring  from 
pedagogical  work,  he  purchased,  in  the  fall  of  1894, 
the  Arlington  Times,  and  to  its  upbuilding,  and  im- 
provement as  a  compiler  of  current  events  and  a 
reflector  of  the  life  of  the  community,  he  has  de- 
voted himself  ever  since  with  assiduity  and  zeal  and 
not  without  success.  He  is  also  United  States  land 
commissioner  and  has  been  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  is  sole  owner  of  the  Times,  which  is  justly  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  very  best  weeklies  in  the  coun- 
ty and  one  of  the  most  influential,  also  owns  a  very 
pleasant  home  in  Arlington. 

In  1894.  just  before  he  assumed  charge  of  the 
newspaper,  Mr.  Marsh  was  married  in  PuUinan, 
\\'est  Virginia,  the  lady  being  Miss  Lora  B.,  daugh- 
ter of  Simon  and  Ardena  (Hall)  McDougal.  She 
was  born  in  West  Virginia,  April  14,  1876,  was 
educated  in  the  public  and  normal  schools  of  her 
native  state  and  at  seventeen  began  teaching.  She 
and  Mr.  Marsh  are  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren, all  born  in  Arlington:  Constance,  Paul,  Lil- 
ian, Rufus  and  Doris.  In  politics  Mr.  Marsh  is  a 
Republican;  in  religion  a  Alethodist,  and  in  frater- 
nal affiliation  a  Workman. 


CALVIN  L.  MARSH,  editor  of  the  Arlington 
Times,  is  one  of  the  aggressive  and  public  spirited 


THOMAS  MORAN,  a  son  of  the  Empire  state 
j  in  whose  veins  flows  the  hot  blood  of  the  Celtic 
race,  an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and  now 
a  progressive  citizen  of  the  town  of  Arlington,  was 
born  m  1847,  the  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary  (Morer- 
to)  Moran,  both  natives  of  Ireland.  The  father  was 
a  stone  mason  by  trade  who  migrated  to  Xew  York 
state  early  in  the  'thirties,  moved  thence  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1855  and  followed  his  trade  in  Madison,  that 
state,  until  1872,  when  death  claimed  him.     Mrs. 


1038 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Moran  was  married  in  Ireland,  accompanied  her 
husband  to  this  country  and  hkewise  died  in  Wis- 
consin. She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  is  seventh. 

Thomas  Moran  was  eagerly  pursuing  his  studies 
in  the  Wisconsin  schools  when  the  war  broke  out, 
then  a  patriotic  spirit  prompted  him  to  enlist,  not- 
withstanding he  was  only  fourteen  years  old,  and 
for  the  ensuing  three  years  he  followed  the  flag  as  a 
member  of  Company  G,  Twenty-ninth  Wisconsin 
Infantry,  discharging  all  his  duties  with  credit  to 
himself  and  making  an  honorable  record,  nor  did 
he  lay  down  his  arms  until  the  last  disloyal  gun  had 
been  silenced.  He  was  mustered  out  of  the  service 
in  Louisiana.  Returning  home  immediately  upon 
receiving  his  discharge,  he  followed  various  occupa- 
tions until  1879,  when  he  began  a  career  of  railroad 
construction  which  eventually  brought  him  to  the 
Pacific  coast.  He  has  been  foreman,  and  superin- 
tendent of  construction  and  has  held  numerous  other 
positions  of  a  similar  character.  The  superintend- 
ency  of  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  from 
Lake  Washington  through  Arlington  to  McMurray 
was  intrusted  to  him,  and  when  the  road  was  com- 
pleted, he  located  at  Arlington,  built  the  first  hotel 
there  and  instituted  the  pioneer  hardware  store,  all 
in  the  fall  of  ISOl.  The  hotel  he  nin  until  ISflC. 
when  he  rented  it  to  another  man  ;  tlu  hardware 
business  he  still  conducts.  But  Mr.  Al'iran  i>  tu, , 
energetic  a  man  to  confine  his  efforts  to  one  line  of 
business  and  can  gauge  too  accurately  the  future 
not  to  perceive  that  land  is  sure  to  be  valuable  in 
the  sound  country,  so  he  has  made  it  a  point  to 
acquire  extensive  realty  holdings  and  to  improve 
the  same  as  far  as  possible.  In  1892  he  took  a  home- 
stead on  the  Pilchuck  and  since  that  date  he  has 
purchased  three  other  ranches,  making  his  holdings 
now  aggregate  five  hundred  acres,  one  hundred  of 
which  are  in  cultivation.  He  is  interested  to  some 
extent  in  the  dairy  business,  keeping  twenty-three 
head  of  cattle  suited  to  that  industry. 

In  the  state  of  Iowa  in  1882,  Mr.  Moran  married 
Miss  Eveline,  daughter  of  Lewis  and  Mary  Sich- 
nian,  both  natives  of  Germany  and  both  now  living 
in  Iowa,  engaged  in  farming.  Mrs.  Moran  was 
born  in  Iowa  in  1861  and  received  her  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  that  state.  She  and  Mr.  Moran 
are  parents  of  three  children,  namely,  Jesse  T., 
Larena  and  Elmore.  In  politics  Mr.  Moran  is  a 
Democrat.  He  carries  into  his  interest  in  public  af- 
fairs something  of  the  same  ardor  which  has  made 
him  successful  in  the  commercial,  agricultural  and 
other  enterprises  he  has  undertaken,  doing  what  he 
can  for  the  amelioration  of  general  conditions.  For 
four  years  commencing  with  1893  he  discharged 
with  faithfulness  and  ability  the  duties  of  county 
commissioner,  and  he  has  given  further  token  of 
his  public  spirit  by  accepting  the  salaryless  and 
too  often  thankless  office  of  school  director.  He  is 
one  of  the  leading  men  of  Arlington,  a  man  of  ag- 


gressive, strong  character  whose  influence  is  al- 
ways on  the  side  of  a  forward  movement,  who  is 
ever  alive  to  the  best  interests  of  community  and 
county.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  the  Rebekahs,  the  Elks,  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  and  the  Concatenated  Order  of  HoO' 
Hoos :  in  religion  he  is  a  Catholic. 


NILS  C.  JOHNSON,  merchant  at  Arlington,  is 
one  of  the  leading  factors  in  the  business  community 
of  the  upper  Stillaguamish  river  settlements,  a  man. 
of  integrity  and  enterprise.  He  was  born  in  Sweden 
January  23,  1859,  the  youngest  of  seven  children  of 
John  and  Ellen  (Person)  Johnson,  who  left  the  old 
country  in  1873  and  took  a  homestead  in  Minne- 
sota, passing  the  remainder  of  their  days  as  farmer 
folk  in  that  state.  Young  Johnson  received  the 
chief  part  of  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Min- 
nesota, remaining  at  home  on  the  farm  until  he  was 
twenty-four  years  of  age.  His  introduction  to  the 
mercantile  business  was  at  Clitherall,  Minnesota, 
where  he  worked  in  a  grocery  store  for  six  months 
at  $20  per  month.  Then  followed  two  years  as  clerk 
in  a  hardware  store  and  one  season  in  a  farm  im- 
[ilement  store.  At  a  subsequent  time  Mr.  Johnson^ 
1  ecame  clerk  in  a  drug  store,  and  immediately  be- 
fnir  eiiniing  to  Washington  he  was  connected  for 
sMine  time  with  a  general  store  at  Battle  Lake.  Mr. 
Johnson  came  to  .Stanwood  in  April  of  1888  and 
shortly  after  ascended  the  river  to  Norman, 
where  he  purchased  an  interest  in  a  general  store 
of  N.  K.  Tvete.  This  partnership  was  successful 
and  the  firm  of  Tvete  &  Johnson  decided  to  open 
a  general  store  further  up  the  river,  so  Mr.  Tvete 
went  to  Seattle,  purchased  the  stock  and  brought 
it  up  the  river  in  a  small  steamer.  The  store  was 
opened  in  May  of  1888,  the  first  in  this  section  of 
the  county.  Mr.  Johnson  sold  out  to  Mr.  Tvete  iiv 
IS.QS;  and  the  following  spring  went  to  Nome,  Alas- 
ka, returning  after  one  summer.  A  year  in  Seattle 
followed,  and  then  another  summer  in  Alaska,  then, 
in  1903.  in  company  with  Gilbert  Wick  he  opened 
the  general  merchandise  store  at  Arlington  which 
ha.*;  since  been  conducted  by  them. 

At  Norman  in  the  summer  of  1888  Mr.  Johnson- 
married  Miss  Elise  Hagen,  daughter  of  Elif  and 
•Sigrud  Hagen,  natives  of  Norway,  who  came  to 
Minnesota  in  1881  and  are  now  living  in  the  Gopher 
state.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  Norway  in  18(59 
and  received  her  education  there  and. in  Minnesota. 
She  and  Mr.  Johnson  are  parents  of  four  children, 
namely :  Edel,  who  died  when  a  babe ;  Sidney,  Ed- 
mond  and  Helen.  In  his  lodge  connections,  Mr. 
Johnson  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
ITnited  Workinen  and  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America :  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  served' 
as  postmaster  at  Arlington  for  two  years  during 
the  earlv  days,  also  at  one  time  as  school  clerk  of 
district  No.  IH.   In  church  membership  he  is  a  Lu- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1029 


theran.  All  his  business  interests  are  in  Arlington, 
where  he  is  recognized  as  an  able  and  enterprising 
business  man  and  a  citizen  of  the  highest  standing. 
The  name  of  Tvete  &  Johnson  will  always  have  a 
place  in  the  annals  of  the  Arlington  country,  and 
in  the  memories  of  the  men  who  were  there  in 
pioneer  days,  but  while  Mr.  Johnson  then  filled  a 
more  conspicuous  place  in  the  community  than  now, 
■owing  to  the  fewness  of  settlers  and  the  newness  of 
<?verything,  he  is  not  less  forceful  at  present  in  the 
commercial  life  of  Arlington. 


JOSEPH  C.  BRITTON,  proprietor  of  one  of 
the  leading  hotels  of  Arlington,  is  a  product  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  with  his  father  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  Stillaguamish  country  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  junction  of  the  two  forks  which  unite  to  form 
the  main  river.  Mr.  Britton  was  born  in  San  Jose. 
California,  December  21,  18T1,  the  son  of  Robert 
iind  Barbara  Britton.  The  elder  Britton  had  a  very 
interesting  career,  which  opened  with  his  coming  to 
the  United  States  from  the  Emerald  Isle  when  but 
eight  years  of  age  to  make  his  home  with  relatives 
in  Pennsylvania.  In  the  Keystone  state  he  lived  for 
a.  number  of  years  and  in  the  meantime  sent  for  his 
mother  who  was  living  in  the  old  country.  He  was 
working  in  a  woollen  mill  when  the  Civil  War  broke 
out  in  1861,  and  enlisted  in  the  First  Pennsylvania 
Infantry,  serving  one  year  in  that  command,  then 
being  transferred  to  the  navy.  In  the  latter  wing 
of  the  forces  of  the  Union  he  served  three  years, 
eleven  months  and  twenty-three  days,  receiving  his 
discharge  in  ISGfi.  Mr.  Britton  then  went  to  Cal- 
ifornia, later  going  to  Salem,  Oregon,  where  he  as- 
sisted in  the  erection  of  the  first  flour  mill  in  the 
Oregon  capital.  In  1870  he  returned  to  California 
and  was  married  there,  remaining  until  1882,  when 
he  came  to  Washington  and  filed  on  a  homestead  a 
mile  and  a  half  below  the  forks  of  the  Stillagua- 
mish. The  country  was  wild,  virgin  forest,  with 
the  river  as  the  only  highway  of  traffic  and  trans- 
portation, and  Mr.  Britton  assisted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  first  trail.  Here  he  lived  until  1885, 
when  he  returned  to  California  for  a  two  years' 
stay.  From  1887  until  his  death  in  the  summer  of 
1902  at  a  Seattle  hospital,  he  was  a  citizen  of  Wash- 
ington, respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Brit- 
ton. a  native  of  Germany,  crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean 
and  the  continent  of  America  to  California  to  join 
a  sister.  While  living  there  she  met  and  married 
Mr.  Britton;  she  is  now  living  in  the  Golden  state. 

Joseph  C.  Britton  received  his  education  in  the 
graded  schools  of  San  Jose,  and  came  to  Snoho- 
mish county  w^hen  but  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  re- 
mained at  home  on  the  farm  until  nineteen  years  of 
age  when  he  went  to  work  as  cook's  helper  in  a 
logging  camp.  Six  months  later  he  was  promoted 
to  be  chief  and  in  this  capacity  was  engaged  in  vari- 
ous camps  until  1901,  when  the  failing  health  of  his 


father  compelled  him  to  assume  the  responsibility 
of  operating  the  homestead.  In  1904  he  filed  on  a 
timber  claim  in  Oregon  and  also  on  a  homestead  in 
Douglas  county,  Washington.  In  May  of  190.5  Mr. 
Britton  opened  the  White  House  hotel  at  Arlington, 
which  he  is  now  managing,  and  has  built  up  a  busi- 
ness second  to  none  in  that  city. 

On  the  first  day  of  July,  1900,  in  Seattle,  Mr. 
Britton  married  Miss  Winifred  B.,  daughter  of  Ira 
and  Sylvia  (Walter)  Preston.  Mr.  Preston  is  a 
native  of  Illinois  and  in  his  early  years  followed  the 
brick  mason's  trade.  He  early  moved  to  Iowa  and 
in  1884  to  Dakota,  where  he  passed  two  years  on  a 
homestead,  then  sold  his  right  and  came  to  Wash- 
ington, locating  at  Florence,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade.  Later  he  returned  to  Iowa,  then  went  to 
Nebraska,  then  returned  to  Florence,  remaining  a 
year  and  a  half,  then  passed  up  the  Stillaguamish 
and  after  some  time  spent  in  a  logging  camp  took 
a  preemption  three  miles  southeast  of  Arlington  on 
the  Big  Bum,  where  he  is  still  living.  Air.  IVeston 
has  the  record  of  being  the  first  man  to  freight 
stock  for  the  pioneer  store  at  Arlington,  bringing 
the  goods  up  the  river  in  a  canoe.  Mrs.  Britton,  a 
native  of  Iowa,  is  a  woman  of  general  culture,  with 
a  special  faculty  for  music,  and  has  taught  the 
musical  art.  Mrs.  Britton  was  born  in  Harrison 
county  in  1881,  but  received  her  education  in  the 
schools  of  Snohomish  county,  attending  the  first 
school  established  at  Arlington  when  that  institu- 
tion was  in  its  beginning  and  there  were  only  five 
white  children  on  the  roll.  She  took  her  first  steps 
in  music  under  her  mother's  direction,  and  followed 
up  the  study  until  she  became  an  accomplished  mu- 
sician and  a  teacher  of  ability.  In  politics,  Mr.  Brit- 
ton is  a  Republican ;  in  fraternal  affiliations  an  Odd 
Fellow,  a  Workman  and  a  Mason,  while  his  worthy 
helpmeet  is  a  member  of  the  auxiliary  orders  and 
an  active  worker  in  them,  frequently  occupying  the 
chairs  and  being  at  present  chaplain  in  the  Daugh- 
ters of  Rebekah.  Mr.  Britton  is  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful citizens  of  Arlington,  public  spirited  and  in 
some  respects  a  leader,  esteemed  and  respected  by 
all  his  neighbors  and  fellow  townspeople. 


JASPER  SILL,  farmer  and  merchant  of  Arling- 
ton and  one  of  the  sterling  representatives  of  the 
honored  pioneer  class,  was  born  in  Monroe  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  in  1848,  the  second  of  eleven  children  of 
Michael  and  Susan  (Rake)  Sill.  The  father  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1819.  and  by  occu- 
pation a  farmer.  He  eventually  moved  to  Ohio  and 
in  1853  migrated  to  Iowa,  from  which  state  he  came 
to  Washington  in  1882.  He  died  here  in  1897.  The 
mother  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state  but 
was  a  resident  of  Ohio  when  she  met  and  married 
Mr.  Sill.     She  died  in  Washington  in  1900. 

Jasper  Sill  remained  with  his  parents  until 
twenty-eight  years  of  age,  receiving  the  advantages 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


of  a  common  school  course,  then  assisting  for  years 
his  father  with  the  farm  work,  though  for  four 
years  previous  to  his  separation  from  the  old  home 
he  operated  farms  on  his  own  account.  In  1872  he 
went  to  northwestern  Kansas,  but  returned,  after  a 
season's  absence,  to  resume  his  farming  in  Iowa. 
Coming  to  Washington  in  1878,  he  located  in  Flor- 
ence in  March  of  that  year,  and  some  four  years 
later  he  filed  on  a  homestead  up  the  river  and  com- 
menced to  clear  the  ground  and  establish  a  fami.  In 
addition  to  this  he  also  carried  on  a  considerable 
business  in  purchasing  stock  and  furnishing  meat  to 
the  various  logging  camps  in  the  vicinity.  In  1883 
he  engaged  in  logging  on  his  own  account  on  the 
Stillaguamish,  and  he  followed  that  occupation  for 
six  years,  proving  up  on  his  homestead  in  the  mean- 
time. He  also  at  one  time  purchased  a  general  mer- 
chandise business  at  Florence,  which  he  operated 
successfully  for  a  year,  then  selling  to  E.  A.  Havley, 
who  is  still  in  charge  of  the  business.  After  dis- 
posing of  his  mercantile  establishment,  Mr.  Sill  re- 
moved to  Stanwood,  and  he  lived  there  the  ensuing 
twelve  months,  thereupon  returning  to  Florence 
where  another  year  was  Spent.  For  the  two  years 
ensuing  he  operated  a  farm  on  Kent's  Prairie,  then 
he  came  to  Arlington,  where,  a  few  years  previous, 
he  had  purchased  the  land  on  which  he  now  lives. 
In  1901  he  built  a  fine  two-story  building  in  Arling- 
ton and  opened  in  it  a  feed  store,  to  which  later  he 
added  an  agricultural  implement  department.  In  the 
latter  line  he  is  still  engaged,  but  the  feed  business 
has  been  discontinued  recently.  His  realty  hold- 
ings besides  property  in  Arlington  include  150 
acres  of  farming  land,  forty  of  which  are  in  culti- 
vation, and  460  acres  of  logged  off  timber  land. 

In  Adair  county,  Iowa,  on  the  8th  of  February, 
1876,  Mr.  Sill  married  Miss  Susie  Devine,  whose 
father  died  when  she  was  very  young.  Her  mother, 
Sarah  (Odonnell)  Devine,  a  native  of  Ireland,  is 
still  living.  Mrs.  Sill  was  born  in  Wisconsin  in 
1854,  but  was  educated  and  passed  the  greater  part 
of  her  life  before  coming  to  Washington  in  Iowa. 
She  and  Mr.  Sill  were  parents  of  five  children,  two 
of  whom,  Mason  E.  and  Forest  C,  have  died.  The 
living  are  Jasper  F.,  Leona  P.  and  Marion  E.  A.  In 
politics  Mr.  Sill  is  a  Democrat,  in  fraternal  afiilia- 
tions  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  A  very  active  and  progressive  man 
in  business,  he  has  accomplished  much  in  an  indus- 
trial way  and  contributed  largely  toward  the  gen- 
eral progress,  but  some  of  his  ventures  have  proved 
unfortunate  and  he  has  lost  a  portion  of  the  reward 
of  his  toil  and  effort,  yet  he  is  no^v  in  comfortable 
circumstances,  notwithstanding,  and  at  the  same 
time  has  the  satisfaction  of  being  rich  in  the  esteem 
of  his  old  pioneer  neighbors  and  the  later  comers 
alike.  He  is  certainly  to  be  classed  among  the  sub- 
stantial and  forceful  men  who  are  taking  a  leading 
part  in  the  business  life  and  agricultural  develop- 
ment of  Arlington  and  vicinity. 


NELS  K.  TVETE,  Arlington's  pioneer  mer- 
chant and  one  of  its  foremost  business  men  to-day, 
has  been  inseparably  identified  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Stillaguamish  valley  for  nearly  twenty 
years  now  and  particularly  with  the  upbuilding  of 
his  home  city.  Those  sturdy  Norse  qualities,  hardi- 
hood, thrift  and  perseverance,  which  have  done  so 
much  toward  the  reclamation  of  Snohomish  and 
Skagit  counties  from  a  tangled  wilderness  of  forest 
and  swamp,  strongly  characterize  the  subject  of  this 
review,  strengthened  by  the  ability  to  see  and  grasp 
an  opportunity. 

Born  in  Norway,  July  10,  1854,  he  is  the  fourth 
child  of  Knut  Knutson  and  Annie  (Iverson)  Knut- 
son,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away,  the  father  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty- four.  As  a  lad,  Nels 
K.  attended  the  common  schools  of  Norway  and 
assisted  at  home  until  he  reached  the  age  of  six- 
teen. He  then  manfully  took  up  his  father's  work, 
that  of  a  sailor,  following  the  sea  until  1873,  when 
he  sought  a  broader  field  for  his  activities  in  the 
United  States  and  here,  too,  he  strengthened  his 
education  by  attending  school  four  terms.  The  Red 
River  valley,  Minnesota,  was  his  first  stopping 
place.  After  a  season  in  that  great  wheat  belt  he 
selected  a  homestead  in  the  state,  upon  which  he 
lived  during  the  next  five  years.  Then  he  rented  it, 
entering  the  store  of  his  brotlier  at  Battle  Lake  as  a 
clerk,  with  whom  he  remained  six  years.  In  the 
spring  of  1887  he  pushed  westward  to  Washington 
Territory,  visited  Stanwood  and  eventually  deter- 
mined to  settle  in  the  valley  of  the  Stillaguamish. 
At  Norman  he  opened  a  general  store,  at  the  same 
time  becoming  its  postmaster,  and  a  year  later,  in 
1888,  in  partnership  with  N.  C.  Johnson,  he  estab- 
lished another  general  store  further  up  the  valley, 
near  the  site  of  Haller  City,  Mr.  Johnson  taking 
charge  of  the  latter  enterprise.  Mr.  Tvete  sold  the 
Norman  store  in  1890,  removing  to  Haller  City  to 
give  the  business  there  closer  attention.  With  the 
rise  of  Arlington  the  store  was  transferred  to  that 
site,  the  year  1895  being  the  date  of  the  removal, 
prosperity  continuing  to  follow  the  enterprise.  Mr. 
Johnson  retired  in  1898,  his  interest  being  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Tvete,  in  whose  name  the  business 
has  since  been  operated.  As  the  pioneer  store,  it 
occupies  a  place  of  honor  among  the  city's  estab- 
lishments, nor  has  it  failed  to  keep  pace  with  the 
more  exacting  standards  that  come  with  a  greater 
development  of  the  community. 

Miss  Gurine  Ellefson.  the  daughter  of  Ellef  EI- 
lefson.  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Tvete  in  June,  1885. 
while  he  was  a  resident  of  Minnesota.  Her  parents, 
who  are  still  living  in  Minnesota,  are  pioneers  of 
that  state,  emigrating  thither  from  Norway.  Mrs. 
Tvete  is  a  native  of  Norway,  born  in  October,  1865, 
and  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of  both 
countries.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  the 
union:  Alfield  S.,  born  in  Minnesota,  March  13. 
1886:  Ella,  born  at  Norman,    October    30,    1889; 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1031 


Nina,  at  Haller  City,  June  36,  1893 ;  and  Norman 
R,  at  Arlington,  August  37,  1904.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Tvete  is  an 
active  Republican  of  liberal  views,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent a  member  of  the  city  council.  In  addition  to 
his  store  interests,  he  owns  225  acres  of  rich  river 
bottom  land,  some  in  cultivation,  and  occupies  as  his 
home  a  highly  improved  tract  of  eight  acres.  Upon 
the  type  of  men  to  which  Mr.  Tvete  belongs,  square- 
dealing,  aggressive  and  industrious,  the  stamp  of 
leadership  is  placed  too  plainly  to  be  overlooked  by 
the  compiler  of  these  biographical  records. 


WILLIAM  H.  FORD,  among  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  Arlington,  Washington,  with  whose  busi- 
ness interests  and  general  progress  he  has  been 
identified  for  more  than  a  dozen  years  now,  though 
in  the  very  prime  of  life,  is  one  of  the  Northwest's 
real  pioneers.  As  such  and  as  a  pioneer  business 
man  of  Snohomish  county,  this  biographical  review 
is  particularly  appropriate  in  this  work.  Born  at 
Springfield,  Slissouri,  April  5,  1861,  he  is  the  son 
of  Nimrod  and  Delphia  Ann  (Patterson)  Ford, 
Tennesseans,  of  the  earliest  white  stock  in  that  part 
of  the  south.  Nimrod  Ford  was  born  in  1830  and 
early  in  life  developed  unusual  business  powers,  be- 
coming first  a  government  contractor  in  stock  and 
produce  lines.  He  removed  to  Missouri  in  1861,  and 
three  years  later  journeyed  by  ox  team  to  Montana, 
at  that  time  receiving  its  first  influx  of  immigra- 
tion. Mr.  Ford  at  once  entered  the  stock  business 
and  had  the  distinction  of  reaching  a  leading  posi- 
tion among  the  cattlemen  of  northern  Montana, 
owning  at  one  time  the  largest  herd  in  that  section. 
His  death  occurred  there  in  1873  ;  his  widow  still 
survives.  Upon  the  bunch  grass  plains  shut  in  by 
Montana's  lofty,  rugged  mountain  ranges,  canopied 
by  that  brilliant  blue  found  only  in  the  higher  alti- 
tudes, held  in  the  grip  of  a  rigorous,  yet  healthy, 
energizing  climate,  the  lad  William  spent  his  boy- 
hood years,  close  to  nature  and  facing  the  hardships 
common  to  all  frontiersmen.  At  seven  years  of  age 
he  joined  the  men  in  the  saddle  and  with  them  rode 
the  ranges  continuously  until  he  arrived  at  the  age 
of  sixteen.  Then,  in  preparation  for  the  more  ex- 
acting responsibilities  of  life,  he  entered  school  in 
Missouri,  spending  four  years  in  college  work,  weak 
eyes  finally  forcing  him  to  return  to  his  hills  and 
plains.  At  once  he  became  a  government  contrac- 
tor, as  had  his  father,  and  for  a  long  period  fur- 
nished beef,  hay  and  wood  to  the  forts  under  com- 
mand of  General  John  R.  Brooks.  At  the  same  time 
he  conducted  a  general  merchandise  store  at  Sun 
river,  selling  out  after  three  years'  experience  and 
entering  the  law  office  of  Governor  Toole  under 
whom  he  studied  two  years.  A  year  of  practice  at 
Sun  River  followed,  after  which,  in  1886,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  general  merchandise  business  at  Cal- 


gary, Northwest  Territory,  Canada.  Success 
crowned  his  six  years  experience  there,  but  he  did 
not  care  to  permanently  leave  the  United  States,  so 
came  to  Everett  and  organized  the  Ford-Townsend 
Hardware  Company.  This  pioneer  concern  did 
business  on  Rucker  avenue  in  1892,  when  the  pres- 
ent city  was  merely  in  its  embryonic  state,  and  later 
occupied  rooms  in  the  Wisconsin  block.  However, 
Mr.  Ford  sold  his  interests  in  1893  and  spent  six 
months  visiting  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago  and 
his  old  home  in  Montana.  In  February,  the  28th 
to  be  exact,  1894,  he  again  found  himself  in  Snoho- 
mish county,  at  Arlington,  where  he  bought  a 
shingle  mill.  This  he  operated  himself  until  1900, 
then  leased  it  and  went  to  Alaska.  Mining  and  the 
hotel  business  at  Dawson,  on  the  Yukon,  occupied 
his  attention  a  year  or  more,  after  which  he  again 
returned  to  Snohomish  county,  arriving  at  Arling- 
ton in  October,  1903.  In  1899  he  had  purchased  a 
particularly  desirable  tract  of  land  on  the  edge  of 
the  town,  half  a  mile  north  of  the  city,  which  he  had 
previously  leased  two  years  and  on  this  farm  he 
permanently  settled  in  1903.  There  are  110  acres 
in  the  tract,  constituting  one  of  the  finest  places  in 
the  community.  Dairying  and  the  breeding  of  Jer- 
sey cattle  receive  the  special  attention  of  its  owner, 
though  his  business  interests  are  not  by  any  means 
confined  to  farming.  The  dairy  herd  at  present 
consists  of  Jerseys  and  Shorthorns. 

Mr.  Ford  and  Miss  Kate  Peek  were  united  in 
marriage  at  Sun  River,  Montana,  May  15,  1883. 
She  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  born  in  1868,  and  in 
the  Peninsula  state  received  her  education.  George 
Peek,  her  father,  as  also  her  mother,  Almira  (Dem- 
mick)  Peek,  were  also  born  in  Michigan.  He  died 
there  many  years  ago  after  a  successful  career  as  a 
farmer;  Rlrs.  Peek  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  her 
native  state.  Of  the  Ford  children  there  are  three: 
Guv  N.,  born  in  Montana,  April  20,  1884;  Ulrich 
S.,"in  Canada,  August  16,  1887;  and  Willie  B..  also 
in  Canada,  August  16,  1889.  Mrs.  Ford  is  an  Epis- 
copalian in  her  church  affiliations,  Mr.  Ford,  a  Con- 
gregationalist.  Fratemallv,  he  is  identified  with 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the  K.  of  P.,  the  Elks,  the  I.  O.  F., 
the  K.  O.  T.  M.,  and  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

Always  a  public-spirited  citizen,  interested  and 
willing  to  bear  his  share  of  responsibility  in  securing 
good  government,  he  is  at  present  serving  his  pre- 
cinct as  justice  of  the  peace,  having  been  elected  on 
the  Republican  ticket.  A  keen,  conservative  busi- 
ness man,  progressive  in  his  ideas  and  aggressive 
in  action,  of  varied  and  thorough  attainments,  and 
possessed  of  social  qualities  which  at  once  call  him 
to  the  front  among  his  fellows,  he  is  a  son  of  the 
west  to  whose  career  his  associates  may  well  point 
with  pride. 


PETER  Fl^NK,  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
of  Arlington,  has  been  very  successful  since  coming 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


to  Snohomish  county  in  1888.  He  is  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  upper  Stillaguamish,  having  taken  a 
homestead  two  miles  south  of  where  Arlington  now 
is  in  the  days  when  the  country  presented  nothing 
to  the  eye  except  heavy  timber.  Mr.  Funk  was 
born  in  Denmark  in  the  early  days  of  18G3,  the  son 
•of  Rasmus  and  Kersten  (Hansen)  Funk,  also  na- 
tives of  Denmark.  The  elder  Funk,  who  was  a 
.blacksmith,  never  left  the  old  country,  but  Mrs. 
Funk  is  now  living  with  a  son  near  Silvana.  Peter 
Funk's  early  boyhood  passed  without  further  inci- 
dent than  his  attendance  at  school  until  he  became 
fourteen  years  of  age.  Then  he  engaged  in  herding 
•cattle  and  doing  farm  work,  still  improving  his  ed- 
ucation whenever  he  had  the  opportunity.  In  1881 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  for  the  first  year 
worked  on  a  farm  in  Brown  county,  Wisconsin,  fol- 
lowing this  with  four  months  at  school.  Mr.  Funk 
then  passed  six  months  at  work  in  a  brick  yard 
near  Green  Bay,  leaving  that  to  commence  what 
proved  to  be  a  four  years'  service  in  a  planing  mill 
in  Lincoln  county.  In  1887  he  came  to  Washing- 
ton. He  remained  for  a  time  in  Seattle  before  com- 
ing to  Stanwood,  though  his  objective  point  was  the 
home  of  a  brother  who  had  preceded  him  from  Den- 
mark and  had  taken  land  on  the  upper  Stillagua- 
mish. Mr.  Funk  commenced  at  once  after  reaching 
the  river  to  work  in  the  logging  camp  of  Mr.  Mc- 
Phee,  but  in  the  fall  of  1888  he  filed  on  a  piece  of 
heavily  timbered  land  two  miles  south  of  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Arlington.  He  lived  on  this  land  for 
a  year  and  a  half,  then  bought  the  homestead  right 
of  his  brother.  On  the  place  thus  secured  he  lived 
for  fifteen  years,  during  which  he  cleared  part  of 
it,  but  selling  out  in  1903,  he  came  to  Arlington  and 
embarked  in  the  hay  and  feed  business,  to  which 
the  following  year  he  added  a  grocery  line,  develop- 
ing one  of  the  large  mercantile  trades  of  Arlington 
from  that  beginning. 

In  1891  at  .\rlington  Mr.  Funk  married  Miss 
Harriet  E.  Bannister,  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
]\Iary  E.  (Robinson)  Bannister,  natives  of  Canada 
who  had  come  to  Snohomish  county  where  they  are 
still  living,  ]\Tr.  Bannister  being  a  fisherman  by  oc- 
cupation. Mrs.  Funk  was  born  in  Michigan  in  1873 
and  received  her  education  there  and  in  Seattle. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Funk,  all  of  whom  are  living,  namely,  Frank,  Gil- 
bert and  Mary.  The  family  adheres  to  the  Lu- 
theran church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Funk  is  a  Re- 
publican, while  in  fraternal  affiliations  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  mercantile  business  Mr.  Funk  owns  a 
ten  acre  tract  adjoining  the  town  and  residence 
property  inside  the  corporation  limits.  He  is  one 
of  the  typical  business  men  of  Arlington,  success- 
ful, energetic  and  progressive,  a  man  of  influence 
in  the  community. 


ALMON  J.  SUTTLES,  for  many  years  a  lum- 
berman in  various  states  in  the  Union,  now  the  gen- 
ial proprietor  of  the  Hotel  Royal  at  Arlington, 
Washington,  was  born  in  Monroe  county,  Michi- 
gan, F"ebruary  14,  1870.  His  parents,  Don  P.  and 
Sarah  (Kinyon)  Suttles,  are  both  deceased.  The 
father,  who  was  born  in  Deleware  county,  New 
York,  in  1831,  migrated  to  Michigan  at  the  close  of 
the  Civil  War,  settling  in  Monroe  county,  and  there 
following  mechanical  pursuits.  His  death  occurred 
at  Evart,  Michigan,  November  30,  1903.  The 
mother,  also  a  native  of  New  York,  was  born  in 
Elmira  in  1830,  and  died  at  Bay  City,  Michigan,  in 
1903.  Almon  J.  Suttles  is  the  youngest  of  a  family 
of  nine  children.  He  spent  the  first  fifteen  years 
of  his  life  at  home,  acquiring  an  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  state,  then  found  em- 
ployment in  the  lumber  camps  for  several  years 
prior  to  1889  at  which  time  he  came  to  Washington 
territory.  He  worked  in  the  woods  at  Woodenville 
Junction  the  first  year  after  his  arrival,  then  went 
to  Sedro,  Skagit  county,  where  he  was  employed 
by  McDonald  &  Chisholm  in  their  lumber  camps 
for  a  year  and  a  half.  Going  thence  to  the  Samish 
river  district  he  worked  for  the  Parker  Lumber 
Company  for  two  j'cars,  and  later,  after  working  in 
a  camp  on  the  Skagit  river  for  one  summer,  he  lo- 
cated at  Arlington,  there  being  in  the  employ  of 
Gifford  &  Kelley  for  a  season.  Going  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  the  spring  of  1893,  he  remained  there  during 
the  summer,  but  in  the  fall  moved  to  Dakota  to 
work  in  the  harvest  fields.  At  the  close  of  the  sea- 
son he  returned  to  his  former  occupation,  logging, 
which  he  still  continued  to  follow  when,  in  1894,  he 
became  a  resident  of  Minnesota.  After  a  brief  stay 
he  moved  again  to  Wisconsin,  where  were  abundant 
opportunities  for  work  in  the  vast  forests.  He 
found,  however,  as  so  many  others  have  found, 
that  there  is  a  charm  about  life  in  the  West,  which, 
when  once  experienced,  can  never  be  wholly  for- 
gotten, hence  in  the  spring  of  1895  he  once  more 
wended  his  way  to  Arlington.  Washington.  He 
logged  on  the  Stillaguamish  river  till  the  fall  of 
189(1.  then  made  another  trip  to  Wisconsin  and 
Michigan,  where  he  worked  in  the  woods  a  couple 
of  seasons,  going  thence  to  the  South  for  a  three 
month's  outing.  "  Returning  to  Arlington  in  1898, 
he  spent  his  time  in  the  woods,  until,  in  October, 
1900,  he  became  proprietor  of  the  Home  Bakery. 
After  operating  this  in  connection  with  a  restaurant 
for  two  vears,"he  leased  the  property  and  for  the 
ensuing  twelve  months  he  was  engaged  as  cook  in 
different  lumber  camps.  He  then  took  a  homestead 
in  Klickitat  county,  proving  up  on  it  in  February, 
190,1,  whereupon,  becoming  once  more  a  resident  of 
Arlington,  he  proceeded  to  tear  down  the  old 
bakery,  erecting  on  its  site  a  neat  two-story  hotel, 
modern  in  its  "appointments,  known  as  the  Hotel 
Roval. 

'Mr.  Suttles  was  married  in  Arlington,  Septeni- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ber  K,  LSSfi.  to  Mrs.  Rosa  AI.  House,  a  native  of 
Canada,  born  near  Ottawa,  and  educated  in  the 
schools  of  her  native  country.  She  walked  to  Ar- 
lington from  Silvana,  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  bx 
trail — a  roup^h  one,  too — in  ISS!).  Her  father.  John 
LaPalm,  was  born  in  France,  but  was  brought  b_\' 
his  parents  to  Canada  when  a  child,  and  there  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  his  death  occurring  when 
his  daughter  was  fourteen  years  old.  Rosa  M. 
(Yandcn)  I.aPalm.  the  mother,  was  also  of  Ca- 
nadian l)irth.  and  died  in  the  land  of  her  nativity. 
Mrs.  Suttles  is  very  proficient  in  the  culinary  art, 
and  is  thus  able  to  render  valuable  assistance  to  her 
husband  in  his  present  enterprise,  which  promises 
to  be  remarkably  successful.  She  is  prominently 
identified  with  the  Baptist  church  and  with  the  Re- 
bekah  lodge.  Mr.  Suttles  is  also  a  Rebekah  and  a 
well  known  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  fraternity. 
In  political  matters  he  gives  his  undivided  support 
to  the  Republican  party,  believing  thoroughly  in  its 
doctrines.  He  is  an  energetic,  enterprising  young 
man,  possessing  qualities  which  will  enable  him  to 
succeed  in  whatever  business  claims  his  attention, 
just  such  a  man  as  is  demanded  by  the  requirements 
of  a  rich  and  promising,  but  as  yet  only  partially 
■developed,  country. 


JOHN  ELLIXGSEX,  the  well  known  lumber- 
man and  mill  owner  residin-  at  Arlington,  Wash- 
ington, was  born  at  AreiKkil.  X^rway,  November 
27,  1875.  His  parents,  Filing  and  Susanna  (Lyder- 
sen)  Fllingscn,  were  also  born  in  Xorway.  The 
father,  familiarly  known  as  Captain  Flliugsen,  fol- 
lowed the  sea  till  his  death  in  IST;  ;  the  mother  is 
now  living  in  Snohomish  county,  whither  she  im- 
migrated some  years  after  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band and  married  a  cousin.  Filing  Fllingsen.  John 
Fllingsen  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  country,  prior  to  1887,  at  wdiich  time 
he  came  with  his  mother  to  the  United  States,  lo- 
cating with  her  in  Wisconsin.  After  attending 
school  there  a  short  time,  he  went,  wdien  sixteen 
years  old,  to  Seattle,  where  he  found  employment 
in  a  store.  Six  months  later  he  was  taken  ill  with 
fever,  and  removed  to  a  hospital,  where  he  was  con- 
fined six  weeks,  or  until  he  w-as  able  to  go  to  his 
mother's  home  on  the  Stillaguamish  river.  Early  in 
ISfin  he  was  employed  by  Oaks  &  Anderson  in  a 
logging  camp,  and  remained  with  them  till  late  in 
the  fall.  He  assisted  his  mother  in  the  w^ork  of  the 
farm  that  winter,  taking  up  the  logging  business 
again,  however,  the  next  season.  In  1894  he  opened 
a  grocery  store  at  Haller,  which  was  his  for  two 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  sold  out  and  re- 
turned to  his  former  occupation.  Purchasing  200 
^cres  of  timber  land  on  the  Stillaguamish,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1809,  he  cut  shingle  bolts  for  a  time,  but  later 
■disposed  of  this  property,  and  in  1901,  he  became  a 
member  of  the   Arlington   Shingle  Company,   with 


which  he  still  continues  to  be  actively  associated. 
His  wide  acquaintance  throughout  the  county  to- 
gether with  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  lumber 
trade,  renders  him  a  valuable  member  of  the  firm. 

Mr.  I'Uingsen  was  married  in  Seattle  in  189(), 
to  Ingebor  Herge,  a  native  of  Iowa,  born  in  1817. 
Her  father,  Colben  H,  Berge,  a  native  of  Norway, 
is  an  honored  pioneer  of  Washington,  now  living  at 
Bryant,  Snohomish  county.  Bertha  (Erdahl) 
Rerge,  the  mother,  is  also  of  Norwegian  nativity. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fllingsen  have  two  children,  both 
born  in  Snohonush  county :  Clarence  F..  Septem- 
ber 8.  1897  ;  and  Myrtle  S.,  September  4,  1899.  Mr. 
Fllingsen  and  his  family  attend  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  is  a  loyal  member  of  the  Republican 
party,  lending  the  strength  of  his  influence  to  fur- 
thering its  interests.  A  keen  and  practical  young 
business  man.  he  has  accumulated  considerable 
property,  owning  in  addition  to  his  interest  in  the 
shingle  mill,  a  neat  home  in  town.  Just  in  the  prime 
of  life,  energetic,  ambitious,  and  possessed  of  those 
traits  of  character  that  insure  success,  he  seems  to 
have  before  him  a  future  of  usefulness  and  influ- 
ence. 


DANIEL  S.  BAKER,  one  of  the  early  pioneers 
of  the  upper  Stillaguamish  river,  has  seen  that  coun- 
try develop  from  the  wilderness  of  the  former  days 
to  the  present  stage  of  settlement  and  civilization. 
(")ne  of  the  first  settlers  on  the  north  fork,  he  has 
done  his  share  of  the  work  of  transforming  a  wil- 
derness of  trees  into  homesteads,  himself  being  in 
the  forefront  of  progressive  forces.  -He  was  born 
in  Maine,  February  2->,  1844,  with  the  blood  in  his 
veins  of  the  hardy  people  who  came  from  England 
soon  after  the  Mayflower  had  landed  amid  Decem- 
ber snows  on  Plymouth  Rock,  His  father,  Nathan 
Baker,  was  born -June  30,  1808,  a  descendant  of  an- 
cestry which  settled  on  the  bleak  New  England 
shores  in  IfiSO  and  helped  make  the  Pine  Tree  state. 
Mrs.  Sarah  (Smith)  Baker,  a  native  of  Maine,  born 
m  1S'20,  was  the  mother  of  six  children,  the  subject 
of  this  biography  being  the  oldest.  After  attending 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  state,  young 
Baker  entered  Hampden  Academy  and  was  pur- 
suing a  collegiate  course  in  Bowdoin  College  at 
P.runswick,  Maine,  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out. 
The  entire  Sophomore  class  enlisted  for  the  Union 
in  the  Twentieth  Alaine  infantry,  J.  L.  Chamberlain, 
president  of  the  college,  being  chosen  lieutenant- 
colonel.  After  two  years  and  ten  months  of  service 
in  that  command  Air.  Baker  was  transferred  to  the 
navy,  and  served  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant  for  the 
remainder  of  the  war.  Resigning  his  commission 
in  ]  80(3  to  accept  a  billet  aboard  a  merchantman,  he 
continued  to  follow  the  sea  for  fifteen  years,  then, 
in  1881.  located  in  Clark  county,  Arkansas,  as  man- 
ager of  a  saw-mill.  Two  years  later  he  came  io 
Washinsfton  and   took   a   homestead  near  Tacoma, 


1034 


SNOHOMISH    COUNTY 


relinquishing  it  in  1886.  In  1884  Mr.  Baker  had 
become  foreman  of  the  hop  yards  of  Ezra  Meeker, 
the  pioneer  of  the  hop  industry  in  this  state,  and 
that  time  the  hop  king  of  Washington.  Two  years 
of  this  service  were  followed  by  Mr.  Baker's  se- 
lection of  Snohomish  county  and  the  Stillaguamish 
valley  as  the  scene  of  his  future  operations.  In  188G 
he  took  a  homestead  some  six  miles  northeast  of  the 
site  of  the  present  town  of  Arlington,  though  at 
that  time  it  was  a  wilderness  accessible  only  by 
canoe  from  Stanwood  and  twenty-five  miles  dis- 
tant by  the  river  route.  Seventy  acres  of  the  land 
Mr.  Baker  then  took  up  have  been  cleared  and  the 
heavy  timber  has  been  removed  from  the  remainder. 
He  resided  on  this  place  until  1901  when  he  leased 
it  and  removed  with  his  family  to  Arlington. 

In  18G7  Mr.  Baker  married  Miss  Melissa  Little- 
field,  who  became  the  mother  of  three  children,  two 
of  whom  are  still  living.  George,  the  youngest, 
died  in  Arlington  in  1902,  twenty-two  years  after 
the  death  of  his  mother.  Mr.  Baker  in  1893  mar- 
ried Miss  Annie  Rowley,  daughter  of  William  and 
Ann  (Morledge)  Rowley,  natives  of  England  who 
immigrated  to  the  United  States  and  died  in  In- 
diana. Mrs.  Baker  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1852  during 
the  residence  in  the  Buckeye  state  of  her  parents. 
She  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of  Ohio 
and  Indiana.  In  lodge  circles  Mr.  Raker  is  affilia- 
ted with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
being  a  charter  member  of  No.  34  at  Kent.  He  is 
also  a  prominent  Mason,  having  joined  that  order 
in  1880,  and  being  a  past  master  now  and  also  at 
present  master  of  the  blue  lodge  at  Arlington.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican.  In  1888  he  was  chosen 
one  of  the  commissioners  of  Snohomish  county  and 
served  for  a  term  of  two  years.  In  1892  he  was 
made  state  appraiser  of  tide  lands  and  for  four  years 
thereafter  he  performed  the  duties  of  that  office. 
When  the  town  of  Arlington  was  incorporated  he 
was  made  a  member  of  the  city  council,  and  he  has 
ever  since  served  the  people  of  his  home  town  in 
that  capacity.  Mr.  Baker  is  the  owner  of  260  acres 
of  farm  land,  100  of  which  are  under  cultivation, 
and  at  present  is  making  a  specialty  of  raising  Dur- 
ham cattle.  He  is  one  of  those  rare  characters  who 
preserve  into  the  afternoon  of  life  something  of  the 
freshness  and  vigor  which  have  always  attached  to 
the  pine  forests  of  his  native  state.  Hale,  hearty 
and  resonant  of  the  pioneer  days,  he  is  also  one 
of  the  wide  awake  men  of  the  present,  active,  alert 
and  closely  in  touch  with  the  life  and  thought  of 
the   dav. 


JOHN  W.  MORRIS,  while  not  one  of  the 
earliest  pioneers  of  Snohomish  county,  is  yet  one  of 
the  men  who  cut  the  heavy  timber  from  the  ground 
on  which  the  main  street  of  Arlington  has  since 
been  built.  A  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  he  had  also 
been  active  in  the  opening  up  of  the  Indian  Terri- 


tory before  coming  to  Washington.  Mr.  Morris 
was  born  in  Kentucky  January  28,  1844,  the  son  of 
William  and  Eva  (Carpenter)  Morris.  The  elder 
Morris  was  born  in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  the  home 
of  the  famous  Breckinridges,  and  in  the  early  days 
of  the  great  conflict  between  the  North  and  the 
South  raised  a  company  of  Union  soldiers  and  be- 
came its  captain.  At  Independence,  Missouri,  in  the 
campaign  against  Price,  he  received  a  wound  from 
the  effects  of  which  he  died.  Mrs.  Morris  was  also 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  after  the  war  removed 
to  Illinois  and  died  there.  John  W.  Morris  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Il- 
linois. When  he  was.  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  Ninety-first  Illinois  Infan- 
try, under  Captain  Hanna  and  served  with  that  com- 
mand until  it  was  mustered  out  in  1864.  Mr.  Mor- 
ris at  once  re-entered  the  service  as  a  member  of 
Company  K,  Twenty-eighth  Illinois,  under  Captain 
John  W.  Stokes,  and  served  in  the  campaign  on 
the  Mexican  Ixirder  against  General  Kirby  Smith 
until  mustered  out  on  the  9th  of  April,  1866.  After 
leaving  the  army  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  one  year,  in  1869  going  to  Ne- 
braska and  a  year  later  to  southern  Kansas.  While 
in  the  latter  state  he  helped  to  lay  out  the  town  of 
Peru  in  Chautauqua  county,  and  participated  ac- 
tively in  the  county  seat  fights  in  Chautauqua  and 
Elk  counties.  Those  were  the  days  when  county 
seats  in  the  middle  west  were  on  wheels  and  easily 
mobile,  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  persons  in 
charge.  In  1874  Mr.  Morris  engaged  in  the  stock 
business,  mostly  in  a  speculative  way,  on  the  lands 
of  the  Cherokee  nation  in  the  Indian  Territory  and 
continued  in  this  line  of  activity  until  1885,  when  he 
opened  a  livery  stable  in  Peru,  Kansas.  This  was 
his  home  until  February,  1890,  when  he  came  to 
Washington.  His  first  work  in  the  new  state  was 
clearing  timber  from  the  site  of  the  main  street  of 
Arlington.  Very  soon  after  this  he  took  a  soldier's 
homestead  on  Jim  creek,  where  he  lived  for  two 
years,  selling  out  then  and  purchasing  his  present 
farm  of  thirty  acres,  twenty  of  which  are  under  cul- 
tivation. This  place  adjoins  Arlington  on  the 
southeast. 

In  1871  at  Peru.  Kansas.  Mr.  Morris  married 
Miss  Louise  Stearns,  daughter  of  Sheldon  A.  and 
Mary  J.  Stearns,  who  came  to  Linn  county  in  the 
Sunflower  state  from  Iowa.  Mr.  Stearns  is  dead, 
but  is  survived  by  Mrs.  Stearns,  now  living  in 
Whatcom  county.  Mrs.  Morris  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania. August,  1854,  and  received  her  education 
in  the  schools  of  Iowa  and  Kansas.  Eight  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris,  namely: 
Ralph,  Claude  W.,  Mrs.  Mae  Murphy,  Arthur  N., 
Mrs.  Katie  lies,  Earl,  Winnie  and  Queenie.  In  pol- 
itics Mr.  Morris  is  aligned  with  the  Socialists,  but 
aside  from  acting  as  deputy  sheriff  in  1892  and 
1893,  has  never  been  an  officeholder.  In  fraternal 
circles  he  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  in  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1035 


latter  order  being  a  past  grand;  also  a  member  of 
E.  M.  Stanton  Post.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  char- 
acter, respected  by  all  in  the  community,  one  of  the 
men  who  leave  their  imprint  on  their  surroundings, 
alive  to  all  the  questions  of  the  hour. 


MATTHEW  .M.  McCAULLEY,  residing  two 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Arlington,  Washington,  on 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  forks  region,  is  a 
pioneer  among  pioneers,  and  is  deserving  of  the 
rich  rewards  he  is  now  reaping  after  years  of  un- 
remitting toil  and  labor.  He  was  born  in  Madison 
county,  Illinois,  June  IS,  1842.  His  father,  James 
McCaulley,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  who  followed 
mechanical  pursuits.  He  eventually  moved  to  Penn- 
sylvania, residing  there  for  a  time  and  then  going 
to  Illinois  of  which  state  he  became  one  of  the  earli- 
est pioneers.  His  death  occurred  there  three  months 
before  the  birth  of  his  son,  Matthew.  Flora  (Fer- 
guson) McCaullc}-.  the  mother,  was  born  and  mar- 
ried in  Pennsylvania. 

Left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  two  years,  Matthew 
M.  ?^IcCaulley  was  taken  by  an  aunt  who  lived  in 
Pennsylvania  and  he  grew  to  manhood  in  that  state, 
receiving  his  education  in  the  common  schools 
there  established.  \\'hen  sixteen  years  old  he  went 
to  Oliio  where  he  lived  for  some  time.  At  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  ^Var,  although  but  a  boy  of  nine- 
teen, he  was  one  of  the  first  to  volunteer,  enlisting 
in  the  ]07th  Illinois  Volunteers.  He  served 
throughout  the  entire  conflict  and  was  mustered  out 
at  ^^'ashington  Cit)-,  in  June,  1865.  Returning  to 
Illinois,  he  spent  a  few  months,  then  decided  to  lo- 
cate in  Iowa,  so  went  to  Des  Moines  where  he  em- 
barked in  the  hotel  business  and  was  thus  engaged 
for  four  years.  In  18G9  he  migrated  to  California. 
After  dealing  in  stock  there  for  two  years  he  again 
took  lip  his  residence  in  Iowa  and  farmed  in  that 
state  for  si.x  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  de- 
cided to  come  to  the  Northwest.  He  reached  Stan- 
wood  in  February,  18T9,  intending  to  take  up  a 
homestead,  but  not  finding  one  to  his  taste  he 
worked  in  a  logging  camp  owned  by  James  Long 
for  the  following  four  years,  and  later  rented  a 
farm  on  Camano  island.  He  filed  on  a  homestead 
two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  the  present  city  of  Ar- 
lington in  May,  1883,  he  being  the  first  man  to  take 
a  claim  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Stillaguamish. 
The  land  was  then  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of 
timber  and  brush,  but  of  the  209  acres  that  he  now 
owns  he  has  115  in  cultivation.  He  is  devoting  the 
greater  share  of  his  attention  to  dairying,  keeping  a 
herd   of  fine  Jersey  cattle, 

Mr.  McCaulley  was  married  on  Camano  island, 
in  October,  188C.  to  Frances  L.  Davis,  a  native  of 
that  island,  born  in  1863  and  educated  in  the  Seattle 
schools.  Her  father,  Reuben  J.  Davis,  who  was  a 
native  of  New  York  state  was  a  mechanic.  Cross- 
ing the  plains  to  California,  he  made  that  his  home 


until  1858,  then  came  to  Washington  as  one  of  its 
very  earliest  pioneer  white  men  and  here  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  among  the  first  white 
men  to  settle  north  -of  Seattle.  Mrs.  McCaulley 
died  in  1891,  mourned  as  a  personal  loss  by  the 
community,  leaving  the  following  children:  Lena 
B.,  born  on  Camano  island,  now  living  in  Snoho- 
mish county ;  James  W.,  Fred  and  Maud,  all  of 
whom  were  born  in  this  county  and  are  living  at 
home.  In  political  belief  Mr.  McCaulley  inclines  to 
Socialism  and  in  lodge  connections  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity;  also  a  member  of  the  G. 
A.  R.  He  is  a  typical  pioneer,  possessed  of  those 
sterling  qualities  of  ambition  and  tireless  energy 
that  are  requisite  in  those  who  would  subdue  the 
forests  and  transfonn  the  wilderness  into  a  garden 
of  beauty  and  fruitfulness.  His  personal  character 
and  life  are  such  as  to  command  the  esteem  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  who  respect  him  not  alone  for  the 
noble  part  he  played  in  rallying  to  the  support  of 
the  flag  during  the  dark  days  of  civil  strife,  but  for 
the  courage  and  devotion  shown  in  the  later  battles 
with  adverse  conditions  in  the  conquest  of  natural 
barriers  to  the  enjoyment  of  nature's  blessings. 


JACKSON  H.  PERSUN,  one  of  the  thrifty  and 
prosperous  farmers  of  Arlington,  Washington,  was 
born  in  Lycoming  county,  Pennsylvania,  March  17, 
1858,  the  son  of  Elias  and  Hannah  (Moyer)  Per- 
sun,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  state.  His 
father,  a  farmer,  sought  the  fertile  lands  of  Wash- 
ington in  1889,  and  died  here  in  February,  1890. 
The  mother,  to  whom  nine  children  have  been  born, 
is  still  living  in  her  native  state,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty. Jackson  Persun  spent  the  first  twenty-one  years 
of  his  life  at  home  on  his  father's  farm,  acquiring 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  became  a  resident  of  Washington  in 
April,  1888,  stopping  first  at  Stanwood.  After 
working  in  the  logging  camp  of  Cummings  &  Jones 
for  two  years,  he  filed  on  a  pre-emption  on  Jim 
creek,  a  tributary  of  the  south  fork  of  the  Stilla- 
guamish river,  in  the  spring  of  1889.  He  made  that 
his  home  for  fourteen  months,  working  meanwhile 
in  lumber  camps.  Moving  to  Arlington  in  1891,  he 
still  followed  the  same  business,  his  wife  going 
with  him  to  the  camp  where  her  skill  as  a  cook  was 
in  great  demand.  Thus  working  together  during 
the  summer  months,  and  when  winter  came  moving- 
to  a  home  in  town  which  they  had  previously  built, 
they  spent  seven  profitable  years,  but  in  1899  he 
al>andoned  the  occupation  that  had  claimed  his  at- 
tention for  so  many  years,  and  went  to  the  gold 
fields  of  Alaska,  where  he  mined  for  eighteen 
months.  Returning  to  Arlington  in  1901  he  pur- 
chased seventy  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  town, 
and  has  since  spent  his  entire  time  in  farming. 

Mr.  Persun  was  married  in  Pennsylvania,  in 
1885,  to   Sarah  E.   Cronkrite,  born  in  New  York 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


state  in  18.i(>.  She  is  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  (I'earson)  Cronkrite.  also  natives  of  New 
York.  The  father  farmed  in  Pennsylvania  for 
many  years  before  his  death ;  the  mother  still  re- 
sides in  that  state.  Mrs.  Persun  received  her  edu- 
cation in  New  York,  and  after  being  graduated 
from  the  high  school,  went  to  Pennsylvania  in  which 
state  she  was  a  successful  teacher  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage. Mr.  and  iXIrs.  I'ersun  have  one  child,  a 
daughter,  R.  Lee,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  January 
29,  1880,  who  is  now  attending  the  high  school  at 
Arlington.  Mr.  Persun  is  identified  with  the  Odd 
Fellows  fraternity,  and  his  wife  is  an  earnest 
worker  in  the  Baptist  church.  In  political  belief 
he  adheres  strictly  to  Republican  principles,  and 
lends  his  influence  to  the  advancement  of  that 
party's  interests.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  dairying, 
and  owns  a  fine  herd  of  Jersey  cattle.  In  addition 
to  his  excellent  farm  he  is  also  interested  in  city 
property  to  quite  an  extent.  He  justly  deserves  the 
title  of  a  self-made  man,  as  his  present  financial 
standing  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  untiring  energy 
and  careful  management,  which  qualities  combined 
with  an  upright  character,  have  made  him  one  of 
the  respected  citizens  of  Arlington. 


J.\COl'.  PETERSON,  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing and  dair^'ing  a  mile  west  of  Arlington,  has  been 
a  resident  of  this  section  of  the  state  for  the  past 
sixteen  years,  during  which  he  has  attained  de- 
served success.  Born  in  Norway  July  13,  1870, 
he  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Guri  (Branstad)  Yolden, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  that  far  northern 
country  also.  The  father  was  a  farmer.  He  passed 
away  in  1898  in  Norway  at  the  age  of  seventy-five. 
The  mother  died  in  1900  at  an  advanced  age  also. 
Of  the  four  children  constituting  the  family  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  is  the  second,  two  being  boys 
and  two  girls.  He  attended  school  and  worked  on 
the  farm  with  his  father  and  with  neighbors  until 
twenty  years  of  age.  From  time  to  time  he  heard 
wonderful  stories  of  the  opportunities  offered  young 
men  by  the  United  States,  and  in  1890  crossed  the 
sea  to  investigate  personally.  After  a  long,  arduous, 
though  interesting,  journey  of  thousands  of  miles 
through  a  strange  country,  the  young  emigrant 
reached  Fir,  Skagit  county,  in  August.  1890,  where 
farhily  friends  resided,  among  them  being  Ole  Bor- 
seth  and  I..  Engen,  who  had  preceded  him  a  year. 
He  immediately  went  to  work  for  Mr.  Engen,  on 
Avhose  farm  he  remained  a  year  and  a  half.  He 
then  took  a  contract  for  ditching  and  draining  a 
large  slough  nearby,  after  the  completion  of  which 
he  cruised  timber  on  the  Pilchuck  river  for  a  time, 
then  engaged  in  fishing  thirteen  months  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Skagit  river.  At  this  time  he  removed  to  the 
Stillaguamish  valley,  settling  at  Silvana  and  there 
assisting  in  opening  the  county  road  between  the 
depot  and  Elverum's  store.     Later  the  young  man 


worked  a  time  for  Air.  Engen  and  spent  several 
months  in  school  perfecting  his  education  before  re- 
turning to  Silvana  to  enter  the  employ  of  S.  Knut- 
son.  One  summer  he  cut  bolts  at  Bryant.  He 
bought  his  present  farm  of  thirty-nine  acres  De- 
cember 22,  1899,  after  having  leased  a  year  near 
Silvana.  Mr.  Peterson's  place  shows  unmistakable 
signs  of  thrift  and  skill  in  the  occupation  he  is  fol- 
lowing and  is  one  of  the  substantial  small  farms 
of  the  valley. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  Gyda  Husby,  daughter  of 
Ole  K.  and  Nettie  Husby,  to  ^Ir.  Peterson  was 
solemnized  May  10,  1902.  The  parents  of  the  bride 
are  natives  of  Norway,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  when  \oung  people,  settling  in  Minnesota. 
They  came  to  Snohomish  county  in  1888  and,  after 
spending  a  time  near  Port  Susan,  came  up  the  Still- 
aguamish to  a  point  near  Arlington  and  engaged 
in  farming.  Roth  are  still  living  and  reside  near  the 
little  city  at  the  forks  of  the  river.  Mrs.  Peterson 
was  born  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota;  March  21, 
1883,  and  received  her  education  in  the  schools  of 
Snohomish  county.  One  child  has  blessed  the  union 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson,  Ole  Johan,  born  August 
20,  1903.  The  family  are  communicants  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  Politically  Mr.  Peterson  is  af- 
filiated with  the  Republican  party,  and  is  one  of  its 
conservative   members. 


THOMAS  JENSEN,  whose  home  lies  about 
two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Silvana,  is  one  of 
the  enterprising  farmers  of  this  part  of  Snohomish 
county,  a  man  of  sterling  character  and  of  active 
public  spirit.  He  was  bom  in  Germany  in  1819, 
the  fourth  of  the  nine  children  of  Lawrence  and 
Christina  Jensen,  farmer  people  of  the  old  countrj-. 
The  father  died  on  the  home  farm,  where 
he  first  saw  the  light.  Thomas  Jensen  at- 
tended the  schools  of  his  native  place  until 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  was  ap- 
prenticed to  the  trade  of  carpenter.  He  served 
three  years,  then  passed  one  year  as  journeyman 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  home,  but  in  1809  he  came  to 
the  L'nited  States,  settling  in  Burlington,  Iowa, 
and  for  several  years  he  alternated  between  Iowa 
and  Louisiana,  working  at  the  bench.  He  also  put 
in  eighteen  months  at  his  trade  in  California.  In 
187  1  he  was  back  again  in  Burlington,  whence  he 
made  a  trip  to  his  old  home  in  Germany.  On  his 
return  he  took  ship  at  New  York  for  San  Francisco, 
via  the  isthmus  of  Panama,  and  he  remained  in  the 
Golden  Gate  city  until  1878,  when  he  made  a  trip 
to  Seattle.  Being  highly  pleased  with  the  Puget 
sound  country,  in  a  short  time  he  returned  and  lo- 
cated on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Snohomish 
county,  up  the  Stillaguamish  river.  He  remained 
here  for  two  years,  putting  the  place  into  shape  for 
agriculture  in  so  far  as  was  possible  in  that  time,  but 
passed  the  winter  of  1880  in  San  Francisco,  work- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ins  =it  'I'S  trade  for  nioiie\-  with  which  to  develop  his 
Snohomish  county  place.  This  poHcy  he  pursued 
I'or  five  years,  and  at  the  present  time  he  has  about 
ninety  acres  cleared  and  under  cultivation,  one  acre 
being  in  orchard  and  small  fruits. 

In  ISSC,  at  San  Francisco,  Mr.  Jensen  married 
Miss  Johanna  Jens,  daughter  of  Joachim  E.  and 
Meta  C.  (Detlefsen)  Jens,  the  former  of  whom  was 
a  dyer  in  Germany,  in  which  country  he  passed 
away  when  Mrs.  Jensen  was  twelve  years  of  age. 
Mrs.  Jens,  though  a  native  of  Germany,  went  to 
Italy  in  later  years  and  died  there.  Airs.  Jensen 
was  born  in  Germany  in  September,  1854,  and  re- 
ceived her  education  there.  Two  daughters  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jensen:  Dora,  in  1887. 
who  has  passed  through  the  county  schools  and  also 
the  school  at  .-Vrlington.  and  Martha,  in  1888,  who 
also  received  her  education  in  the  Snohomish  coun- 
ty schools.  Both  the  daughters  of  Mr.  Jensen  were 
in  the  first  class  to  graduate  from  Island  school, 
Xo.  22.  In  politics  Mr.  Jensen  is  a  Socialist.  Being 
deeply  interested  in  the  cause  of  popular  education, 
he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  He 
owns  •.''»()  acres  of  land,  very  nearly  half  of  which 
is  under  culti\ation.  also  fifty  head  of  cattle,  the 
principal  part  of  which  are  dairy  stock.  Air.  Jensen 
is  M-ell  known  for  his  public  spirit,  and  is  a  man  of 
energy  and  acompHshment.  successful  in  his  under- 
Inkins's. 


SFARRT  EXGRSETH.  farmer,  three  miles 
southeast  of  Sih-ana.  affords  in  his  career  in  this 
state  an  illustration  of  what  may  be  done  by  a  man 
who  is  willing  to  work  in  any  line  of  endeavor  and 
advance  hiinself  to  the  position  of  an  independent 
agriculturist.  The  career  also  illustrates  how  the 
timber  and  logging  industry  of  Snohomish  countv 
has  been  the  means  of  affording  a  start  toward 
ownership  of  property.  Mr.  Engeseth  was  born  in 
Norway  Mav  R.  18fi6,  the  son  of  Andrew  and  Annie 
(Hansen)  Engeseth.  natives  of  Norway.  The 
elder  Engeseth  came  to  Washington  in  1890  and  re- 
mained here  for  eight  years,  then  returned  to  the 
old  countr\-.  where  he  is  still  living.  Mrs.  Engeseth 
has  remained  in  this  country  and  is  making  her 
home  at  .Silvana.  .Severt  Engeseth  remained  at 
home  and  attendcfl  school  until  he  was  twelve  vears 
of  age.  when  he  engaged  in  the  fisheries  as  a  winter 
occupation,  working  on  his  father's  farm  during 
summer.  In  188.'?.  when  seventeen  vears  old.  he 
came  to  Washington,  traveling  from  Norway  alone, 
to  rejoin  an  uncle  at  Silvana.  He  remained  with 
the  uncle  for  three  years,  then,  from  the  vear  188() 
to  the  year  1889.  carried  the  mail  between  Silvana 
and  Stan  wood,  working  at  farming  between  trips. 
In  the  spring  of  1^90  Mr.  Engeseth  turned  to  the 
logging  camns  and  for  seven  years  lived  in  the 
woods  and  followed  the  life  of  a  logger  and  timber- 
jnan.     In  189:   he  went  to  the  Klondike,  where,  in 


the  fourteen  months  of  his  stay,  he  accumulated  a 
handsome  sum.  On  coming  out  from  Alaska  j\ir. 
Engeseth  returned  to  Stanwood,  whence  he  soon 
after  made  a  trip  to  his  old  home  in  Norway,  re- 
maining there  about  eight  months.  Returning  in 
May,  1900,  he  purchased  twenty-two  acres  of  land 
which  forms  part  of  his  present  farm  and  consists 
of  as  fertile  soil  as  is  to  be  found.  Since  that  time 
he  has  made  his  home  on  the  place  and  has  added 
forty  acres  of  timber  land  to  his  holdings. 

October  20,  189S,  while  visiting  his  old  home 
across  the  Atlantic  Mr.  Engeseth  married  Miss 
Sine  Hoidal,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Petrene  (Han- 
sen) Hoidal,  who  are  still  living  in  the  old  country, 
the  father  being  a  seafaring  man.  Mrs.  Engeseth 
was  born  in  the  old  country  June  22.  1868.  and  re- 
ceived her  education  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Engeseth 
have  three  children:  Martin,  born  February  14, 
1900:  Albert,  March  2-.'.  1901;  Petrene,  born'june 
11.  1902,  deceased;  Anskar,  October  1.  1903,  and 
Severt,  June  29,  190.3.  In  fraternal  circles  Air.  En- 
geseth is  a  member  of  the  Alodern  Woodmen  of 
.\merica :  in  church  afifiliations  he  is  a  Lutheran, 
and  in  politics  a  Republican.  He  has  served  as  road 
connnissioner  of  his  district,  but  has  never  been  an 
oiifice-seeker,  and  never  aspired  to  any  of  the  higher 
positions  of  trust  in  county  or  state.  Twenty-five 
acres  of  his  land  is  under  cultivation  and  producing 
excellent  crops.  In  live  stock,  aside  from  horses  for 
operating  the  farm.  Air.  Engeseth  has  twenty-one 
head  of  cattle  of  the  dairy  type.  His  farming  busi- 
ness is  prosperous ;  his  home  is  one  of  the  pleasant- 
est  places  in  the  Silvana  district,  and  his  enjoyment 
of  material  blessings  is  heightened  by  the  possession 
of  a  rejiutation  for  honcstv  and  integritv. 


JOHN  C.  LARSON,  farmer,  three  and  a  half 
miles  from  Silvana  and  equally  distant  from  Ar- 
lington, is  of  the  fibre  of  which  men  must  be  made 
who  win  a  new  country  from  nature  and  adapt  it  to 
the  needs  of  man.  He  has  livefl  on  his  present 
place  since  the  days  when  it  was  covered  with  for- 
est and  has  changed  it  into  a  fertile  farm.  .Ability 
to  work  and  patience  to  accomplish  are  among  Mr. 
Larson's  chief  characteristics.  He  was  born  in 
Norway  February  1.  1847,  the  second  of  the  two 
children  of  Lars  and  Ella  (Setter)  Larson,  natives; 
of  Norway,  born  in  the  early  years  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. Young  Larson  attended  the  common  school 
at  his  home  and  also  the  high  school,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  .going  to  work  for  farmers  in  his 
neighlwrhood.  For  twelve  years  he  continued  at 
farm  work  and  when  twenty-six  years  old  he 
started  to  learn  the  trade  of  carpenter.  Soon  after 
qualifying  himself  for  work  at  the  bench  he  en- 
gaged in  a  shipyard  and  worked  at  ship  carpentry- 
for  two  years.  In  1S8()  Mr.  Larson  determined  to 
come  to  the   L'nited  States,  and  he  reached  Stan- 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


wood  on  the  last  day  of  May  of  that  year.  He  then 
passed  two  months  in  Skagit  county,  but  returned 
to  Snohomish  county,  stopping  for  a  time  in  Sil- 
vaiia.  In  February  of  1888  he  filed  on  the  place 
which  now  constitutes  his  home  farm,  taking  up 
but  thirty-two  acres.  It  was  covered  with  a  growth 
of  cottonwoods,  but  he  has  cleared  and  slashed  the 
entire  tract  and  made  many  improvements  on  the 
land. 

\A^hile  living  in  Norway  Mr.  Larson  in  1881 
married  Miss  Engeborg  Bruseth,  daughter  of  An- 
dres and  Guro  (Setter)  Bruseth,  both  of  whom 
were  born,  lived  and  died  in  their  native  land.  Mrs. 
Larson  was  born  in  1848  and  received  her  educa- 
tion in  the  old  country.  She  passed  a  year  and  a 
half  in  Denmark,  learning  the  principles  of  suc- 
cessful conduct  of  a  creamery  establishment.  She 
came  to  Snohomish  county  with  her  husband  in 
1886  and  died  here  October  21,  1893,  leaving  two 
living  children,  three  others  having  died  in  baby- 
hood. The  living  are  Lars  and  Guro,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  Norway.  In  church  membership  Mr. 
Larson  is  a  Lutheran ;  in  politics  an  adherent  to 
the  People's  party  principles.  Mr.  Larson  raises 
cattle,  keeping,  at  this  writing,  twenty  head  on  his 
home  place.  He  is  one  of  the  fine  men  of  his  com- 
munity, energetic  and  of  the  class  which  makes  for 
the  betterment  of  the  neighborhood  in  which  he 
lives. 


ANDREW  J.  GREEN,  farmer,  two  and  a  half 
miles  west  of  Arlington,  is  one  of  the  public-spirited 
citizens  and  prosperous  men  of  the  Stillaguamish 
valley.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the 
section,  Mrs.  Green  being  among  the  very  first  white 
women  to  make  their  homes  there.  Mr.  Green  was 
born  in  Norway  in  18.57,  the  third  of  seven  children 
of  Johonos  and  Ingeborg  (Anderson)  Green,  also 
natives  of  Norway.  The  elder  Green  came  to  the 
United  States  in  ISSO  and  died  in  Michigan.  An- 
drew J.  Green  attended  the  Norway  schools  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  took  to  the  sea  and  followed  the 
life  of  a  sailor  for  six  years,  during  the  last  two 
of  which  he  held  an  interest  in  the  vessel  in  which 
he  sailed.  -  In  1878  Mr.  Green  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained 
for  six  years.  In  1885  he  came  to  Washington  and 
for  a  time  made  his  headquarters  at  Stillaguamish 
postoffice,  now  Silvana.  engaged  in  farm  work. 
The  following  year  he  filed  on  a  piece  of  wooded 
wilderness  which  he  has  since  converted  into  a  fine 
farm.  When  Mr.  Green  took  his  wife  to  live  on  his 
land  she  was  almost  alone  so  far  as  the  company  of 
white  women  was  concerned.  Mr.  Green  has 
cleared  and  slashed  sixty  of  his  eightv-five  acres  of 
land,  the  remainder  being  still  in  timber.  Hay  and 
grain  form  his  principal  crops,  though  he  also  gives 
considerable  attention  to  cattle  raising,  keeping 
some  thirty-four  head  at  this  date. 


In  1SS3.  while  living  in  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Green 
married  Miss  Guro  Nelson,  daughter  of  Nels  and 
Gi'.ave  Nelson,  both  of  whom  are  still  living  in  Nor- 
way. Mrs.  Green  was  born  in  18-58  and  received 
her  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Norway, 
later  coming  to  the  United  States  and  settling  in 
Wisconsin.  Ten  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Green,  of  whom  one  daughter,  Clara  M., 
died  in  infancy.  The  living  are  Annie  G.,  born  in 
Wisconsin,  and  now  operator  in  the  telephone  office 
at  Arlington ;  Jonas  P.,  born  in  Silvana ;  Nels  N., 
Anton  F.,  Caroline,  Margarette,  Amanda  C,  Albert 
and  Bernard.  A  Lutheran  in  religion,  Mr.  Green  is 
at  present  deacon  in  his  home  church ;  in  politics  he 
is  a  Republican.  Being  a  public-spirited  man,  he 
has  ever  contributed  his  share  toward  the  promo- 
tion of  the  common  weal,  at  one  time  serving  four 
years  in  the  thankless  and  unremunerative  office 
of  school  director  and  for  two  years  serving  as  road 
supervisor.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial,  worthy 
men  of  his  community,  highly  esteemed  by  those 
with  whom  he  is  associated,  energetic  progressive 
and  prosperous. 


JOSEPH  KRAETZ,  one  of  the  men  whose 
abundant  labors  have  contributed  to  the  material 
and  industrial  development  of  Snohomish  county,  is 
a  native  of  Germany,  born  February  5,  1866.  His 
father,  Johan,  and  his  mother,  Cresyen  (Reindl) 
Kraetz,  wej-e  likewise  natives  of  this  land,  and  their 
remains  lie  buried  there.  The  former  was  a  baker 
by  trade.  The  Mr.  Kraetz  of  this  article  attended 
the  excellent  German  schools  from  the  time  he  first 
became  old  enough  until  he  was  thirteen,  then  went 
to  work  in  a  railroad  shop,  where  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  machinist.  After  thoroughly  mastering 
his  craft  and  following  it  as  a  journeyman  for  a 
few  years,  he  put  into  practice  a  determination  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  the  new  world,  and  in  1887  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  the  state  of  Michigan.  Only 
four  months  were  spent  there,  however,  then  he 
caught  the  spirit  of  "Westward,  Ho!"  and  came  to 
.Silvana,  Washington.  Early  in  1888  he  bought 
forty  acres  two  miles  east  of  town,  covered  with 
forest,  surrounded  by  forest  and  without  even  a 
trail  over  which  to  pack  provisions.  To  open  a 
passable  road  and  to  clear  and  seed  the  land  was  the 
iaV>or  of  six  or  seven  years,  but  the  task  was  suc- 
cessfully accomplished  and  the  land  thus  improved 
furnished  Mr.  Kraetz  a  home  until  1895,  when  he 
sold  out.  For  a  couple  of  years  afterward  he 
farmed  a  rented  place  in  the  vicinity,  but  in  the 
spring  of  1898  he  purchased  a  tract  of  eighty  acres 
a  short  distance  southwest  of  Arlington,  unim- 
proved at  the  time,  and  once  more  began  the 
struggle  with  impeding  timber  and  debris.  In  the 
years  which  have  intervened  he  has  cleared  and 
seeded  half  this  land,  giving  token,  by  thus  opening 
two  homes  in  the  heart  of  dense  forests,  of  his  great 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


industry,  earnestness  of  purpose  and  capacity  for 
■hard  work. 

In  the  state  of  Michigan,  in  1893,  Mr.  Kraetz 
married  Miss  Annie  Dous,  whose  father,  Ferdinand, 
is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  by  occupation  a  coal 
miner.  At  present  he  is  superintendent  of  a  large 
mine  in  Michigan,  for  the  owners  of  which  he  has 
worked  for  the  past  thirty-five  years.  Mrs.  Kraetz's 
mother,  Louise  (Schultz)  Dous,  is  likewise  a  native 
of  Germany  and  now  a  resident  of  the  Peninsula 
state.  Born  in  Ohio  in  1875,  Mrs.  Kraetz  grew  to 
young  womanhood  and  was  educated  in  that  state, 
but  moved  to  Michigan  previous  to  her  marriage. 
She  and  Mr.  Kraetz  are  parents  of  the  following 
children,  namely:  Louise,  Louis,  Ernest,  Joseph 
and  Sophia,  all  born  in  Snohomish  county.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Kraetz  is  a  Democrat  and  in  fraternal  af- 
filiations a  Woodman  of  the  World.  He  is  looked 
upon  as  one  of  the  substantial,  strong  men  of  his 
part  of  the  county,  a  man  of  force  and  ability  and 
in  all  respects  worthy  of  esteem  and  confidence. 
Like  most  farmers  in  his  locality  he  is  considerably 
interested  in  dairying,  keeping  twenty  head  of  cattle 
at  this  time. 


OLE  O.  REINSETH,  whose  farm  lies  about 
•equidistant  from  Silvana  and  Arlington,  is  one  of 
the  self-made  men  of  Snohomish  county.  After 
passing  many  years  in  the  logging  camps  of  the 
Stillaguamish  he  purchased  a  tract  of  forest  land 
and  commenced  the  task  of  rearing  himself  a  home 
in  the  midst  of  a  dense,  forest.  Mr.  Reinseth  was 
born  in  Norway  in  the  winter  of  1861,  the  second  of 
■eight  children  of  Ole  and  Bret  (Ulnvund)  Reinseth, 
who  are  still  living  in  the  land  of  the  fjords,  where 
the  father  is  a  sailor  by  occupation.  Ole  O.  Rein- 
seth attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native  land 
as  a  lad  and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty- 
two  years  old.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
18Sfi  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  appeared  on  the 
Skagit  river,  but  soon  after  went  to  work  for  Olson 
&  McFadden  in  their  logging  camp  on  the  Stilla- 
guamish. He  remained  here  fur  three  years,  leav- 
ing to  enter  upon  a  four-year  term  of  service  in  the 
logging  camp  of  O.  B.  Commons.  At  the  comple- 
tion of  this  period  Mr.  Reinseth  passed  six  months 
in  the  English  logging  camp,  leaving  there  to  take  a 
lease  of  the  Iver  Johnson  farm,  near  Silvana,  which 
he  operated  with  success  for  four  years.  In  1894 
Mr.  Reinseth  was  in  a  position  to  undertake  the 
purchase  of  a  tract  of  woodland  with  a  view  to  con- 
verting it  into  farm  land,  and  he  selected  thirty-six 
acres  midway  between  Silvana  and  Arlington.  At 
that  time  not  a  stick  of  timber  had  been  removed 
from  the  heavily  wooded  tract  and  there  was  not  a 
sign  of  an  improvement,  but  three  years  later  Mr. 
Reinseth  had  cleared  a  place  for  his  liouse,  erected 
his  dwelling  and  outbuildings  and  moved  his  family 
thereto.    At  the  present  time  there  are  but  six  acres 


not  under  cultivation,  and  Mr.  Reinseth  has  wrought 
the  transformation  with  his  own  hands  and  his  own 
teams. 

In  1893,  in  Seattle,  Mr.  Reinseth  married  Miss 
Mary  Benson,  daughter  of  Berent  and  Annie  (Ros- 
sevold)  Benson,  natives  of  Norway,  who  are  still 
living  in  the  old  home  across  the  sea.  Mrs.  Rein- 
seth was  born  in  the  old  country  in  18GS  and  re- 
ceived her  education  in  the  schools  there.  In  1890 
she  came  to  the  United  States.  She  passed  some 
time  in  Minnesota,  but  afterward  came  to  Tacoma 
and  still  later  to  Seattle.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reinseth 
iiave  five  living  children:  Bertha  and  Annie,  born 
at  Silvana ;  Oberth,  Sene  and  Rena,  born  on  the 
home  ranch.  Elizabeth,  the  first  child  born  to  them 
on  the  new  ranch,  died  in  infancy,  and  Arthur 
passed  away  December  34,  1904.  In  church  con- 
nections the  Reinseths  are  Lutherans,  and  in  poli- 
tics Mr.  Reinseth  is  a  Republican,  but  aside  from 
serving  two  terms  as  road  supervisor,  he  has  given 
no  time  or  attention  to  office  holding.  He  keeps 
twenty-seven  head  of  dairy  cattle  and  horses  suf- 
ficient for  operating  the  farm.  He  is  one  of  the 
respected  citizens  of  the  community,  a  man  who 
combines  thrift  and  energy  with  business  shrewd- 
ness. 


PEDER  REINSETH,  farmer  near  Arlington 
is  of  the  thrifty  Scandinavian  born  American  citi- 
zens who  constitute  so  large  a  percentage  of  the 
population  of  Snohomish  county  and  who  have  con- 
tributed so  large  a  share  toward  the  development 
of  the  native  resources  of  the  community.  Mr. 
Reinseth  was  born  in  Norway  February  36,  1873, 
the  son  of  Ole  and  Bret  (Ulnvund)  Reinseth,  who 
are  still  residents  of  Norway,  where  the  father  leads 
the  life  of  a  sailor.  As  a  lad  young  Reinseth  at- 
tended the  schools  of  Norway,  remaining  at  home 
until  nineteen  years  old.  At  that  age,  being  at- 
tracted to  the  United  States  by  reason  of  the  fact 
that  he  had  a  brother  in  this  country,  he  determined 
to  emigrate.  He  joined  his  brother,  Ole  O.  Rein- 
seth, a  biographical  sketch  of  whom  appears  in  this 
work,  in  Snohomish  county  in  1889  and  soon  after 
went  to  work  for  the  Great  Northern  Railway  Com- 
pany. After  passing  some  time  at  railroading,  Mr. 
Reinseth  went  into  the  woods  and  worked  in  a  log- 
ging camp  for  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  term 
he  engaged  in  the  fishing  industry,  continuing 
therein  for  two  years.  Mr.  Reinseth  went  to  Alaska 
in  1899  and  that  was  his  place  of  abode  for  two 
years  more.  On  his  return  to  Snohomish  county  he 
purchased  his  present  place  of  twenty-six  acres, 
covered  with  heavy  timber.  Eight  acres  of  this 
tract  have  been  cleared  and  put  into  cultivation  and 
now  constitute  Mr.  Reinseth's  home  place.  Recent- 
ly he  has  increased  his  holdings  by  the  purchase  of 
twenty  acres  more  adjoining. 

In  1S95,  at  Silvana,  Mr.^  Reinseth  married  Miss 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Minnie  Peterson,  daughter  of  Giinder  and  Giiro 
Peterson,  natives  of  Norway  who  passed  their  en- 
tire lives  in  their  native  land,  dying  there  some 
years  ago.  Mrs.  Peterson  was  born  in  Norway  in 
187:j  and  received  her  education  in  the  Norwegian 
schools,  but  came  to  the  United  States  and  located 
in  the  Puget  sound  country  some  time  previous  to 
her  marriage.  Three  children  have  been  born  to 
]\lr.  aii.l  Airs.  Reinscth.  all  of  whom  are  living: 
nil.  (K-,la  .-nid  (  l!oa.  Tla-  famil\  arc  attendants 
ui»in  the  l.iillicran  cinirch.  and  in  ])c>lilical  faith  .Mr. 
Reinseth  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  hard  worker, 
thrifty,  energetic,  and,  though  a  young  man,  al- 
ready well  on  the  way  to  independence,  financially. 


HANS  THOMSEN,  one  of  the  sturdy  men 
who  have  wrought  the  agricultural  development  of 
Snohomish  county,  clearing  away  the  primeval  for- 
est and  a  maze  of  debris  that  the  land  might  be  pre- 
])areil  fur  tlu-  seed,  is  a  nati\c  of  ( iermanv,  land 
whence  s, ,  many  successful  tillers  of  the  soil  have 
come,  land  of  thrift  and  industry  and  force.  He  is 
the  son  of  ^Mather  and  Katrina  (Jensen)  Thomsen, 
likewise  natives  of  Germany,  who  both  passed  away 
in  their  native  country  after  having  become  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
third.  Mr.  Thoinsen  was  educated  in  the  famous 
German  schools,  but  being  of  an  aiubitious  and  ad- 
venturous turn,  lie  did  not  remain  long  in  his  father- 
land, for  ;it  the  early  age  of  eighteen  he  was  alone 
in  a  strange  lanij.  the  language  of  which  was  un- 
familiar to  him,  but  a  land,  nevertheless,  which  held 
o]i])ortimity  and  plenty  for  those  with  the  eyes  to 
see  and  hands  to  grasp  the  chances  that  should  come 
in  their  way.  He  was  not  entirely  alone,  however, 
for  in  the  Stillaguamish  valley  then  lived  and  still 
lives  an  uncle,  and  to  tis  uncle  he  came.  For  three 
years  he  worked  for  his  relative  and  for  others  in 
the  vicinitv.  then  he  resolved  to  secure  .some  land 
for  himself,  so  in  TSSI  he  availed  himself  of  the 
privik-e  -.  L;enerM„s|\  afforded  by  I'nele  Sam,  and 
]3rc-cniptei|  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  t\vent\-  acres 
four  and  a  hall  miles  west  of  where  Arlington  now 
is.  This  he  afterward  converted  into  .a  homestead. 
Naturally  the  land  was  without  inipro\  enients  of 
any  kind  when  he  came  into  possession  of  it,  and  as 
wild  as  western  \\'asIiington  forest  land  could  1>e, 
but  he  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  as  a  result 
he  now  has  a  large  clearing  and  at  least  half  his 
place  in  cultivation.  The  Thomsen  farm  of  the 
present  day  is  in  striking  contrast,  with  its  com- 
fortable buildings  and  smiling  fields,  to  the  Thom- 
sen place  in  ISS-j.  with  its  debris  and  wonderful 
wealth  of  timber.  Thou.gh  a  .general  farmer,  Mr. 
Thomsen  makes  a  specialty  of  the  dairy  business. 
k'^^ping  at  the  present  time  thirty-five  head  of  ex- 
cellent animals. 

Tn  the  year  1889,  in  Seattle.  Washin.gton,  Mr. 
'J'homsen    married    Miss    Katherine    G.    Tietjen,    a 


native  of  Germany,  whose  parents  still  live  there. 
ISorn  in  1864,  she  grew  up  in  her  European  home, 
acquiring  her  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
the  parish,  but  at  the  age  of  eighteen  she  came  ta 
.\merica.  She  and  .Mr.  I'honisen  are  parents  of  five 
children — .'sena,  i<".ls,a.  Herman,  Tillie  and  William. 
In  fraternal  affiliations  .Mr.  Thomsen  is  a  Workman 
and  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  .Amer- 
ica ;  in  politics  he  is  independent.  l)ut  with  a  strong 
bias  t'lward  Socialism,  Aside  from  serving  two 
terms  on  the  scliool  board,  he  has  never  held  office 
in  the  county,  nor  has  he  sought  to  hold  office,  his 
ambition  Ijeing  rather  for  industrial  than  political 
success.  He  is  a  man  of  ener.gy,  with  an  honorable 
record  to  his  credit,  one  of  tlie  sturdy  men  of  the- 
comuumily  and  respected  as  such. 


JOHN  SCHLOMAN  is  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  the  Silvana  section  of  .Snohomish  county, 
and  though  he  has  not  lived  continuously  in  this 
county  since  he  first  came  in  1  ss  1 ,  he  has  passed 
the  greater  part  of  the  intervening  time  here.  Air. 
.Schloman  tried  eastern  \\'ashington  for  a  time,  but 
came  back  to  the  western  slope  of  the  Cascades  and 
resmued  life  on  the  Stillaguamish.  He  was  iKjrn 
in  Germany  in  1S5 1 ,  but  was  brought  by  his  parents 
to  Alinne.sota  when  but  two  years  old.  His  father, 
Henry  Schloman,  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  but 
on  coming  to  America  became  one  of  the  pioneer 
farmers  of  .Minnesota,  though  during  the  Civil  War 
he  returned  temporarily  to  the  pursuit  of  his  trade. 
The  mother,  Mary  { Wilhelm)  Schloman,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  came  to  Snohomish  county  irom 
Minnesota  after  the  death  of  her  husband  and  died 
here  w  itii  lur  son,  who  was  the  eighth  of  her  nine 
children.  John  Schloman  received  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  Minnesota.  He  remained 
on  the  farm  there  until  1881,  then  came  to  the  terri- 
tory of  \\'ashin.g-ton,  stopping  for  six  months  in 
Seattle.  In  the  spring  of  1882  Mr.  Schloman  came 
to  .Snohoniisli  coniu\  and  filed  a  pre-emption  claim 
to  one  hunilred  and  sixtv  acres  near  where  Silvana 
now  is,  upon  which  he  eventually  proved  up  and 
about  eight  acres  of  which  he  cleared.  Sellin.g  out 
at  the  end  of  four  \ears'  residence  there,  he  moved 
to  the  Palouse  country  of  eastern  Washington, 
where  he  passed  a  year,  then  for  another  year  he 
was  a  resident  of  Spokane,  after  which  he  came 
back  to  Snohotnish  county  and  bought  a  piece  of 
land  near  .Arlington.  After  living  there  for  a  time. 
Mr.  .Schloman  took  a  homestead  near  Darrington, 
but.  on  proving  up.  sold  this  and  came  back  to  Ar- 
lington, where  he  lived  for  the  ensuing  four  or  five 
years.  In  ISdii  he  moved  on  to  his  present  place, 
three  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Arlington  and 
four  and  a  half  southeast  of  Silvana,  establishing 
a  residence  there,  which  continues  vmbroken  to 
this  day. 

At  Arlington,   in    1890,   Mr.   Schloman   married 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Miss  JMeta,  daughter  of  William  and  Rosa  (Flick) 
Spoerhase,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, but  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents 
when  but  two  years  old.  He  attained  the  years  of 
manhood  in  Minnesota,  becoming  a  brick  mason. 
In  18!»1  he  came  to  Washington  and  is  now  livinj;- 
near  Arlington.  Mrs.  Spoerhase,  a  nati\c  nf  i  )iiin, 
is  also  still  living.  Mrs.  Schloman  was  liorn  in  Min- 
nesota September  6,  1873,  and  received  her  educa- 
tion in  that  state,  coming  to  Washington  with  her 
]iarents  when  eighteen  years  old.  She  and  Air. 
Schloman  have  two  children,  Henry  and  Cosima. 
born  November  17,  1891,  and  May  9,  1S9(),  respec- 
tively. In  fraternal  circles  Mr.  ScJiloman  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Ancient  <  Jrck-r  nf  I'nitcd  U'orkmen  and 
in  pi^litics  a  Socialist,  well  infMnnnl  on  the  tenets 
of  the  men  of  that  economical  faith.  He  has  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  devoted  to  gen- 
eral farming,  and  gives  some  attention  to  stock, 
having  at  present  a  herd  of  nine  cattle.  Tliat  Mr. 
Schloman  has  seen  much  of  the  world  and  is  well 
informed  on  all  subjects  is  evident  from  a  casual 
conversation  with  him.  .\n  omniverous  reader,  he 
is  fully  abreast  of  the  times  along  all  lines  of  pro- 
gressive thought,  lie  is  highly  respected  in  his 
community  as  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  more 
than  ordinary  abilit\'. 


WILLI. \M  H.  BUXTEX  (deceased)  was  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  Arlington  countrv,  highlv  re- 
spected by  the  community.  He  came  here  in  iS84, 
when  the  country  was  virgin  forest  which  knew 
neither  axe  nor  settler,  and  when  provisions  had  to 
be  brought  from  Stanwood  by  Indian  canoe  on  the 
river,  the  water  route  Ijeing  the  only  one  known  to 
travel.  Mr.  Bunten  was  born  in  Alexander.  Maine, 
July  .3],  LS29,  the  son  of  Andrew  and  Clare  A. 
(  Ciiase)  Bunten.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, and  after  coming  to  .\morica  became  a  school 
teacl-.er  and  f.irmci-  in  the  Fine  Tree  state.  Mrs. 
Bimten,  a  n;iii\<  .w"  Maim-,  was  a  descendant  of  the 
Mavflower  |)il..;iii!is.  She  ilied  at  Redwood  City, 
California.  William  H.  Bunten  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Maine  and  even  during  his 
boyhood  days  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter. 
Alarried  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  operated 
his  father's  farm  for  several  years  thereafter,  but  in 
18().5  went  to  California,  making  the  trip  around  the 
Horn.  ,\fter  three  years  there,  he  determined  to 
return  to  Maine,  by  vessel.  He  was  shipwrecked 
on  the  Panama  coast  and  had  to  wait  a  month 
before  the  next  steamer  should  touch  at  the  port. 
In  the  interim  he  was  stricken  with  isthmian  fever, 
which  so  changed  his  plans  that  he  returned  to 
California,  and  there  resided  until  his  advent  to 
Puget  sound.  The  fever  caused  the  ])ermanent  loss 
of  his  hearing. 

In  1880.  while  living  in  California,  Mr.  Bunten 
married  Miss  Sophia  Eichholz,  daughter  of  William 


AI.  and  Frederika  (Kolpin)  Eichholz,  natives  of 
German}\  The  father  died  of  typhoid  fever  when 
thirty-two  years  of  age;  his  widow  survived  in  the 
old  country  until  187"2.  Mrs.  Bunten  was  born  in 
Germany  in  185 1  and  received  her  education  there. 
When  fifteen  years  of  age,  she  came  to  Wisconsin, 
whence  she  crossed  the  continent  to  California  in 
1880.  Five  children  were  born  to  this  union: 
Mrs.  Minnie  C.  King,  torn  in  California  in  1881 ; 
Mrs.  Clara  H.  Holing,  born  in  Port  Susan,  Wash- 
ington, in  1883 ;  Bertha,  born  on  the  Snohomish 
county  ranch  in  1886 ;  William  H.,  Jr.,  and  Walter 
M.,  both  of  whom  were  born  on  the  present  home 
ranch.  Mr.  Bunten  was  a  lifelong  Republican  and 
an  earnest  advocate  of  the  principles  of  that  party. 
The  family  are  attendants  of  the  Evangelical 
church.  The  farm  is  operated  by  Mrs.  Bunten  and 
her  sons,  who  are  very  successful  as  agriculturists. 
Mrs.  Bunten  retains  many  memories  of  the  early 
days  up  the  river  and  frequently  contrasts  those 
pioneer  days  with  the  present  ones  on  the  fine  ranch 
well  stocked  with  cattle,  horses  and  sheep.  The 
heritage  left  by  Mr.  Bunten  is  two-fold — a  fine 
ranch  which  he  did  much  to  develop  from  the  dense 
forest,  and  the  memory  of  an  excellent  man  and 
public-spirited  citizen. 


JOACHIM  KROGER,  whose  farm  lies  two 
miles  southwest  of  Arlington,  is  one  of  the  success- 
ful and  respected  German-Americans  of  Snohomish 
county,  where  he  has  resided  for  nearly  twenty 
years.  Mr.  Kroger  is  a  native  of  Germany,' born 
May  32,  1853.  His  parents,  Joachim  and  Annie 
(Dainmon)  Kroger,  were  German  farmer  folk,  who 
passed  their  entire  lives  in  the  old  country.  The 
son  received  his  education  in  the  German  schools 
and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty  years  of 
age.  In  1873  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Minnesota,  where  he  followed  the  life 
of  a  farmer  for  full  fifteen  years.  In  tlie  autumn 
of  1888  he  came  to  the  Puget  Sound  country  and 
filed  on  a  pre-emption  three  miles  southwest  of 
Arlington,  upon  which  he  resided  two  years,  then 
sold  out  and  purchased  his  present  place  of  one 
hundred  acres.  When  Mr.  Kroger  gained  posses- 
sion of  the  land  it  was  covered  with  a  dense  growth 
of  brush  and  big  timber  and  much  of  it  was  low 
land,  which  had  to  be  ditched  before  it  was  suitable 
for  raising  crops.  .At  present,  however,  after  long 
years  of  arduous  eflfort,  he  has  forty  acres  of  it 
under  cultivation  and  is  gradually  clearing  and  fit- 
ting the  rest  of  it  for  crops. 

In  1878,  while  living  in  Minnesota,  Mr.  Kroger 
married  Miss  Minnie  Hoist,  a  native  of  Germany, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents 
when  she  was  seven  years  old.  Clous  ancl  Mary 
Hoist  were  born  in  Germany  but  came  to  Minne- 
sota in  the  pioneer  davs  of  that  state  and  lived  the 
lives   of   farmer   people    until   overtaken   by   death. 


SNOHOMISH   COUNTY 


Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kroger,  but  the  parents  were  bereft  of  them  by 
death  while  they  were  yet  in  infancy.  The  family 
church  is  the  Lutheran.  In  politics  Mr.  Kroger  is 
a  Democrat.  As  a  farmer  he  has  been  very  success- 
ful, but  it  has  been  by  his  own  hard,  patient  efforts 
that  he  has  placed  himself  in  the  position  of  com- 
petence which  he  occupies  today.  In  addition  to 
conducting  a  general  farming  business,  he  raises 
cattle,  his  herd  at  present  numbering  more  than 
thirty  head.  Mr.  Kroger  has  exhibited  farsighted- 
ness in  his  farm  work  and  has  converted  a  tract  of 
land  which  had  been  passed  over  by  less  observant 
people  into  one  of  the  fine  places  of  the  county. 
He  is  highly  respected  by  the  community  in  which 
he  lives  and  enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  substantial  citizens  of  the  Arlington  country. 


KNUT  O.  ROD,  successful  farmer  four  miles 
west  of  Arlington,  has  been  in  the  Puget  sound 
country  for  fifteen  years  and  during  that  time  has 
placed  himself  in  possession  of  a  competence.  Mr. 
Rod  was  born  in  Norway  June  4th,  186-4,  the 
youngest  of  four  children  of  Ove  and  Barbo 
(Breck)  Rod,  fanner  folk  of  Norway.  The  elder 
Rod  is  still  living  in  the  old  country  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-three  years,  but  the  mother 
died  four  years  ago,  aged  eighty-two.  Knut  O. 
Rod  left  home  when  fifteen  years  old  to  do  for  him- 
self. His  first  engagement  was  for  six  months  with 
a  farmer,  and  for  his  services  he  received  a  pair  of 
second-hand  boots  and  $3  in  cash.  These  consti- 
tuted Mr.  Rod's  worldly  possessions  six  months 
after  he  had  embarked  in  business  for  himself.  He 
followed  farming  in  Norway  until  he  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1882  and  settled  in  Story  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  worked  at  farm  labor  for  seven 
years.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  came  to  Wash- 
ington, arriving  in  Seattle  just  previous  to  the  big 
fire  of  1889.  He  worked  in  a  brick  yard  and  at 
Alki  Point  for  about  four  years.  In  the  meantiHlfe, 
however,  he  had  made  a  trip  to  Snohomish  county 
and  in  1890  had  pre-empted  160  acres  of  land  eight 
miles  from  Arlington.  On  leaving  Seattle  he  came 
here  and  he  lived  upon  his  pre-emption  for  about 
ten  years,  then  sold  out  and  bought  the  forty-acre 
tract  where  he  now  lives.  The  land  was  alder  bot- 
tom then ;  now  thirty  acres  of  it  are  cleared  and  in 
crop  and  pasture.  At  one  time  Mr.  Rod  acquired 
by  purchase  160  acres  of  land  near  Granite  Falls, 
but  later  sold  out  to  advantage. 

In  1895  Mr.  Rod  married  Miss  Martha  Thoen,  a 
native  of  Norway,  who  came  to  the  Puget  Sound 
country  alone.  Her  parents  are  dead.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rod  have  three  children,  Annie,  Olga  and 
Myrtle.  In  politics  Mr.  Rod  is  a  Republican  and 
in  church  membership  a  Lutheran.  The  principal 
business  on  Mr.  Rod's  farm  is  dairying,  for  which 
purpose  he  maintains  twenty-two  head  of  cattle. 


Mr.  Rod  is  in  good  financial  circumstances,  his 
position  in  life  now  being  very  different  from  what 
it  was  when  he  received  his  first  wages.  He  is  a 
hard  worker  and  of  the  stuff  of  which  successful 
men  are  made. 


LORENZ  LORENZEN,  living  four  miles  west 
of  Arlington,  is  one  of  the  self  made  men  of  the 
Stillaguamish  valley.  Coming  here  from  the  old 
country  in  1886  with  little  except  his  hands  and  the 
ability  to  use  them  to  good  advantage,  he  has  now 
one  of  the  finest  of  the  small  farms  in  this  section 
of  Snohomish  county.  Mr.  Lorenzen  was  born  in 
Schleswig-Holstein,  Germany,  in  the  spring  of 
1860,  the  third  of  six  children  of  Hans  and  Botilla 
(Jensen)  Lorenzen,  both  of  whom  died  when  Lor- 
enz  was  but  fifteen  years  of  age,  leaving  him  at  that 
age  to  battle  with  the  world.  He  followed  farm 
work  in  Germany  for  several  years,  then  left  broth- 
ers and  sisters  and  came  across  the  Atlantic  to  join 
his  cousin,  Thomas  Jensen,  a  farmer  on  the  Stilla- 
guamish. Mr.  Lorenzen  traveled  by  way  of  Port- 
land to  reach  Snohomish  county.  Soon  after  ar- 
riving here  he  commenced  to  farm,  and  after  two 
years  of  this  occupation  purchased  an  eighty-acre 
tract  of  timber.  He  made  his  home  with  his  cousin, 
and  a  suggestion  of  the  isolated  position  of  his 
holding  may  be  gained  from  the  fact  that  save  for 
Mrs.  Jensen,  Mr.  Lorenzen  did  not  see  a  white 
woman  for  a  year  after  he  had  located  up  the  river. 
Since  settling  on  his  land  Mr.  Lorenzen  has  sold 
forty  acres  and  now  has  thirty-two  of  the  remain- 
ing forty  cleared  and  devoted  to  the  purposes  of  a 
dairy  farm.  He  has  twenty-six  head  of  cattle  and 
does  an  extensive  dairy  business.  As  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  this  section  of  Snohomish  county,  he 
has  many  recollections  of  intensely  interesting  hap- 
penings and  experiences  of  the  early  days  before 
settlers  began  to  pour  into  the  valley.  Mr.  Loren- 
zen during  his  early  days  in  the  Stillaguamish  val- 
ley made  his  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jensen,  but 
since  becoming  proprietor  of  his  own  farm,  has 
lived  upon  it.  In  politics  he  is  independent  and  he 
has  never  soueht  office.  The  reputation  he  has 
won  in  the  community  of  being  a  successful,  thrifty, 
energetic  man  who  thorou<2:hly  understands  the 
dairy  business  is  a  justly  deserved  one;  his  posi- 
tion as  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  valley 
is  assured ;  and  as  one  of  the  county's  hardy  pio- 
neers his  name  will  be  preserved  in  the  history  of 
this  region. 


AUGUST  LAMMERS,  an  honored  pioneer  of 
the  Arlington  country  and  one  of  the  leading  dairy- 
men of  thnt  rer^ion,  was  born  in  Ohio  January  1, 
1855,  fourth  of  the  five  children  of  Frederick  J., 
and  Martha  (Teaman)  Lammers,  both  natives  of 
Germany.     The  elder  Lammers  migrated  to  New 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


York  early  in  life  and  for  a  time  was  a  merchant 
there,  but  in  the  fifties  he  changed  his  residence  to 
Ohio  and  his  business  to  tilling  the  soil,  which 
occupation  he  followed  until  his  death.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  came  to  the  United  States  when 
twenty  years  old,  was  married  in  New  York,  moved 
with  her  husband  to  the  Buckeye  state  and  died 
there. 

August  Lammers,  of  this  review,  remained  un- 
der the  parental  roof  until  sixteen,  acquiring  a 
common  school  education  Snd  assisting  his  father 
on  the  farm,  then  for  three  years  he  was  engaged 
in  railroad  work.  In  1875  he  was  seized  with  an 
ambition  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  West,  so  mi- 
grated to  the  Golden  state,  in  the  metropolis  of 
which  he  drove  team  for  a  period  of  three  years, 
coming  then  to  Ihe  still  more  promising  P'uget 
sound  country.  His  objective  point  was  Stan- 
wood,  whence  he  moved  up  the  Stillaguamish  to  a 
point  three  miles  east  of  Silvana  to  file  on  a  home- 
stead. Needless  to  say  the  place  was  virgin  for- 
est, approachable  only  b)'  canoe,  presenting  diffi- 
culties which  might  try  the  courage  of  the  bravest, 
but  by  working  in  logging  camps  and  at  any  other 
jobs  he  might  happen  to  get  and  employing  his 
spare  time  in  clearing  land,  he  succeeded  in  getting 
sixty  acres  in  shape  for  cultivation.  He  remained 
on  this  farm  until  1903.  In  1903  he  purchased  the 
place  on  which  we  now  find  him,  thirty-four  acres 
a  mile  south  of  Arlington,  to  the  improving  and 
cultivation  of-which  he  has  been  devoting  his  ener- 
gies since  with  the  same  assiduity  and  ambition 
that  characterized  his  earlier  efforts  in  the  county. 
At  present  he  has  six  or  seven  acres  of  this  land 
in  cultivation.  His  entire  land  holdings  aggregate 
115  acres,  seventy  of  which  are  producing  crops, 
and  he  is  engaged'  extensively  in  the  dairy  business, 
a  line  for  which  he  and  his  good  wife  are  especially 
adapted  by  training  and  experience.  They  keep 
thirty-five  head  of  cattle  of  the  Holstein  and  Dur- 
ham breeds,  besides  a  number  of  other  kinds  of 
live  stock. 

On  the  Stillaguamish  river,  in  1891,  ]\Ir.  Lam- 
mers married  Miss  Annie  Holding,  whose  parents 
are  still  living  in  Norway,  where  she  was  born  in 
185G.  After  completing  her  education  and  reach- 
ing young  womanhood,  she  came  to  the  United 
States.  She  has  given  much  attention  to  practical 
dairying,  especially  during  the  early  days  in  Sno- 
homish county,  and  is  considered  an  authority  on 
the  subject.  Mr.  Lammers  is  also  a  dairyman  of 
note  and  his  abilities  in  this  line  were  duly  recog- 
nized by  his  neighbors  in  the  same  line  of  business 
M'ho  elected  him  first  president  of  the  Arlin^non 
Co-operative  Creamery  Company.  In  political  faith 
he  is  a  Democrat,  in  fraternal  affiliations  a  Wood- 
man of  the  World  and  in  church  membership  a 
Lutheran,  as  is  also  Mrs.  Lammers.  Though  inter- 
ested in  political  matters  and  public  afifairs  gener- 
ally to  the  extent  that  good  citizenship  requires  he 


is  not  what  might  be  called  a  politician  and  has 
never  sought  office,  though  he  has  consented  to 
hold  such  minor  offices  as  school  director  and  con- 
stable. His  ambition  impels  him  rather  in  the  di- 
rection of  industrial  achievement,  in  which'  he  has 
certainly  made  a  highly  creditable  record.  He  is 
one  of  the  prominent  men  of  his  community,  pro- 
gressive, active  and  influential  and  possessed  of  a 
leputation  for  integrity  and  square  dealing  untar- 
nished by  any  act  of  his. 


CARL  THOMPSON.— The  development  of  the 
Stillaguamish  valley  has  been  due  in  a  very  large 
measure  to  the  thrifty  sons  of  Norway  who  have 
made  their  homes  there,  not  the  least  progressive, 
industrious  and  forceful  of  whom  is  Carl  Thomp- 
son, whose  excellent  farm  is  situated  a  mile  west 
of  Arlington.  One  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  val- 
ley he  is  also  one  of  its  most  successful  and  hon- 
ored citizens  at  this  date,  and  while  still  a  young 
man  he  is  enjoying  the  rewards  which  the  rich 
country  always  has  for  those  who  prove  themselves 
worthy.  He  was  born  March  19,  1865,  the  son  of 
Casper  and  Ellen  Thompson,  natives  respectively 
of  Norway  and  France,  though  the  former  was  of 
English  extraction.  The  father  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1867,  settled  in  Illinois  and  followed  farm- 
ing there  awhile,  going  thence  to  Minnesota,  of 
which  state  he  was  a  pioneer  settler,  thence  to  South 
Dakota,  where  he  took  a  homestead  and  timber 
claim.  He  is  now  living  near  Arlington,  having 
come  to  the  West  in  1904,  but  his  wife  died  when 
our  subject  was  an  infant. 

After  acquiring  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  Illinois  and  Minnesota,  and  assisting  his 
father  from  the  time  he  left  school  until  he  was 
twenty,  Carl  Thompson  came  out  to  Washington 
territory,  arriving  at  Stanwood  April  21,  1885.  He 
went  to  work  forthwith  in  a  local  logging  camp, 
and  continued  in  the  employ  of  the  same  firm 
for  a  period  of  two  years,  then  going  up  the 
Stillaguamish,  where  the  ensuing  three  years 
were  passed  in  the  camp  of  Henry  Dewey. 
The  ensuing  twelvemonth  was  devoted  to  log- 
ging for  another  employer,  but  in  1891  Mr. 
Thompson  decided  upon  a  change  of  occupation,  so 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  heavily  timbered  land 
a  mile  west  of  Arlington,  or  rather  the  site  of  the 
present  Arlineton,  and  began  the  arduous  task  of 
clearing  up  a  home  in  the  forest.  He  never  paused 
in  his  endeavors  until  every  acre  was  free  from  the 
impedinof  timber;  indeed  he  sought  a  further  field 
for  his  teeming  ambition,  purchasing  of  Peter  Funk 
forty-one  acres  adjoining  his  own  place  which  he 
has  also  cleared  and  put  into  a  fine  state  of  culti- 
vation. He  has  just  added  to  the  value  of  this 
splendid  farm  and  to  the  comfort  of  living  upon  it 
by  erecting  a  modern  twelve-room  house.  It  was 
already  furnished  with  an  excellent  barn  and  other 


SNOHOiMISH  COL'XTY 


outbuildings.  He  is  engaged  in  farming  on  a  some- 
wliat  extensive  scale  for  this  coimtry,  where  the 
difficulty  of  clearing  land  encourages  small  holdings 
and  intensive  cultivation  of  a  small  acreage.  His 
herd  consists  of  one  hundred  head  of  excellent 
dairy  cattle  of  the  Holstein  strain. 

In  18i)l  in  Seattle.  Washin-tnn.  .Mr.  ThomiAson 
married  Miss  Caroline.  (lan<.^lit(.T  of  jnhn  P.  Funk, 
a  native  of  Norway,  and  sister  vi  Martin  and  Peter 
Funk,  (if  wIkhh  hingraphical  mention  has  been 
made  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  She  was  born  in 
Denmark,  but  educated  mostly  in  Wisconsin,  ha\-- 
ing  come  to  this  country  when  still  i|uile  nmh;!-. 
To  her  and  i\lr.  Thompson  have  been  h  irn  Inree 
children,  namely.  Arthur,  Flmer  and  .Myrtle.  In 
politics  .Mr.  Thompson  is  a  Republican,  in  frater- 
nal aftili,-ui(ins  a  \Vorkman  and  in  religion  a  fol- 
lower (if  the  f.-iinous  Alartin  Luther.  Like  most 
iitli'.r  jnililic  spirited  men  he  has  taken  his  turn  in 
str\ing  I  in  tlie  scIkihI  board.  He  is  deservedly  pop- 
ular in  liis  c(iiiiinunit\-  and  held  in  (he  highest  es- 
teem by  all  his  neiglilKirs  wlio  consider  him  a  man 
of  unstained  integrity  and  honor,  worthy  of  the 
fullest  confidence. 


-\XT(  )X  KR.\FTZ 
working  (ienium-Anieri 
tributing  to  the  agricul 
lionn'sh  county.  h,is  to  In 
timl-cred  farms  in  tl 


f  the  thrifty  and  hard 
rican  citizens  who  are  con- 
Itural  adx-ancemcnt  of  Sno- 
lis  credit  the  opening  of  two 
Still;iguaniish  \ai1ev,  on  one 


ot 


i^1( 


at    this 


lui 


ha- 


land    w( 


date.     Porn  in 
for  a  time  the 

public  schools 
famous,  but  cireninsl.uiees  forced  u]ion  him  at  an 
ear'.v  age  the  slru--le  of  life.  His  father.  |ohn 
F.  Kraetz.  a  baker  liy  trade,  died  wlien  our  "sub- 
ject was  still  a  lad,  leaving  the  mother,  Mrs.  Cres- 
/ent  (  keiiidl  )  Kraetz,  with  four  yoimg  children 
ti^  support  and  educate.  She  devoted  her  energies 
zealously  to  the  t.ask  and  had  the  .satisfaction  of 
living  to  see  them  all  in  a  fair  way  to  prosperity 
and  comfort.  \\'lien  .\nton  was  little  more  than 
thirteen  years  old  he  was  ap|)renticed  to  the  baker's 
trade  and  after  two  and  a  half  years  of  scr\-ice  he 
was  turned  out  as  a  competent  craftsman.  He  con- 
tinued to  work  as  a  imn-neymau  in  the  bak-eries  of 
his  native  land  until  July,  ISSS,  then  put  into  prac- 
tice a  resolution  to  tr_\-  his  fortunes  in  the  new  laud 
across  the  ocean,  nor  did  he  pau-e  in  hi^  journexini; 
tmtil  he  had  reached  Tacoma.  W  a-!iiiiL;ion.  After 
a  short  residence  there  he  moxed  lo  Snobouiisli 
county.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  had  purchased 
f  "'tv  acres  of  ]ieavil\-  timbered  land  in  the  up]ie;- 
-Stillaguamish  country,  to  the  clearing  of  whicii  for 
cultivation  he  at  once  addressed  himself  with  assid- 
uity and  determination.  The  need  of  su])plies 
forced  him  to  retiu-n  to  Tacoma  and  the  pursuit  of 
his  trade,  but  three  months  later  he  was  back  at  his 


clearing,  and  on  the  new  fann  thus  wrested  irom 
tl'e  domain  of  the  forest  giants  he  hved  and  pros- 
pered until  l!lO-2.  when  he  sold  it  and  purchased  his 
present  place  of  fifty  acres.  Much  of  it  has  been 
cleared  and  the  remainder  is  in  shape  to  furnish 
e-\cellent  pasture  for  stock.  It  is  well  improved,, 
despite  the  fact  that  so  few  years  have  elapsed  since 
he  acquired  it.  He  carries  on  a  general  farming 
business,  but.  like  man\-  others  in  the  vicinity, 
gixes  eonsidei-alile  attention  lo  Uvc  stock,  keeping- 
tweiitx    head  of  neat  cattle  at  ])resent. 

In'  the  tow.,  ol  Arlm-ton.  in  ls!is.  Mr.  Kraetz. 
married  .Miss  Ro-a  SjioerlLa-e.  a  n.ative  of  .\linne- 
-ota,  whose  iiarenls  were  <  iertnaii  born,  but  came 
lo  the  (loplier  >lale  early  in  lite  and  were  married 
there.  Poth  are  now  residents  of  Arlington.  Mrs. 
Kraetz  was  liorn  January  •?.  18S1,  and  was  educated 
in  the  pulilic  schools  of  Minnesota  and  at  Arling- 
ton. ha\iug  eonie  to  the  latter  place  when  ten  years 
old.  She  and  .Mr.  Kraetz  have  four  children,  name- 
l\  ,  .Mela,  .\nton.  I'.ertha  and  an  infant  son  named 
Max.  In  polities  Mr.  Kraetz  ali,L;n>  him.self  with 
the  Socialists  and  in  fratern:il  iiiembcrsbip  he  is  a 
W(.iodman  of  the  World.  He  has  never  manifested 
any  special  political  ambitions,  or  desire  for  per- 
si  'ual  preferment  of  any  kind,  but  evidently  contents 
himself  with  being  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 
o'  his  community.  He  belongs  to  the  great  army 
of  toilers  who  are  the  real  strength,  the  real  boast 
of  any  countr\.  the  men  w  li<  i  produce  the  wealth 
and  the  men  who  oUL;lit  t  '  recei\-e  a  larger  share 
than  Ihev  do  both  of  the  liK— in-:;  winch  that  wealth. 


I'.R.XF.ST  P<)riL,  farming  near  .\rlington. 
has  passed  a  life  of  unusual  activity  in  ditTerent 
lines  of  \\<irk  and  nin\-  find.-  him-elf  a  Snohomish 
county  agriculturist  in  comfoi'talile  circumstances. 
He  was  born  in  (  iermanv  Decemlx-r  •.'li,  1S.-.',I,  the 
son  of  Ernest  and  Augusta  Pohl.  neither  of  whom 
left  their  native  land  and  both  of  whom  are  now 
dead.  The  elder  Pohl  was  a  teacher  by  profession. 
(  )ur  suliject  attended  the  German  schools  until  he 
was  fourteen  xe.ars  of  age.  then  received  a  billet 
.alioard  shi]i  and  followed  the  sea  for  fifteen  years. 
during  the  la^t  ti\e  of  wlurli  he  was  a  pilot.  Hii 
came  lo  W.Lshni^^ton  in  1  >^s  and  stopped  for  a 
tnue  in  the  I'uyalhip  valley,  then  went  to  the  lower 
t  oinmbia  ri\er  and  worked  on  a  steamer  for  a 
numlier  of  months.  In  the  early  part  of  1S89  Mr. 
Poh!  came  for  the  first  time  to  Snohomish  county 
:in(l  took  ,a  homesiea'l  in  the  Stillagnami.sh  valley. 
The  followiu;^  winter  he  went  to  San  Francisco 
and  enga'^ed  as  cpiartermaster  in  the  employ  of  the 
Facihc  Steamship  Company,  remainmg  with  that 
concern  until  1S!C.'  in  which  year  he  returned  to 
Snolu'iiiisb  county  and  re-entered  upon  his  home- 
stead.     Selling  this   in    lOOd,   he   purchased   eight)^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1045 


acres  of  heavily  timliered  land,  forty  of  which  he 
has  since  cleared  and  put  in  shajie  for  producing 
hay  and   for  grazing. 

In  l.SOi  at  San  Francisco  Air.  Bohl  married 
Miss  Caroline  Reidler.  daughter  of  August  Reidler, 
a  German  farmer  who  never  left  his  native  land. 
Mrs.  Bohl  was  born  in  Germany  in  iMiti.  and  re- 
ceived her  education  in  the  scIukiIs  of  that  land. 
She  came  to  the  United  States  in  18i»l  and  settled 
in  San  Francisco.  Mr.  and  Airs.  Bohl  have  three 
children :  Eliza.  Augusta  and  Lenora.  In  frater- 
nal affiliations  Air.  Bohl  is  a  ^'etmian.  in  politics 
a  Republican,  and  in  church  niciiilicrship  a  Luther- 
.an.  In  his  dairy  and  lixe  stuck-  l)usiness  Air.  Bohl 
maintains  a  herd  of  thirty  .  head,  consisting  of 
Shorthorns  and  Jerseys.  He  has  recently  erected 
a  beautiful  eight-room  house,  a  fine  commodious 
structure  and  a  good  ty])e  of  modern  farm  house, 
with  all  conveniences  anil  iniprovenients  possible  in 
a  rural  community.  Air,  I'ldlil  is  recognized  as  a 
man  of  sterling  parts,  energetic,  thrifty,  conserva- 
tice,  possessed  of  a  great  capacity  for  hard  work, 
and  in  all  respects  the  kind  of  man  that  is  needed 
to  assist  in  subduing  and  developing  a  rugged  coun- 
trv. 


AlAX  EITZENBERGER,  whnse  farm  lies  five 
miles  west  of  .Arlington  and  three  east  of  Silvana, 
same  to  Snohomish  county  in  the  eighties,  with 
scarcely  any  means  but  his  physical  powers  and 
his  wealth  of  determination,  to  do  for  himself.  He 
has  now-  one  of  the  pleasaiitest  farms  in  the  county 
and  is  in  circumstances  which  may  be  rated  as  well 
to  do.  .\lr.  Eilzenl>erger  was  born  in  Germany  De- 
cember 4,  IS'li,  third  of  the  Hvl-  children  of  Joseph 
and  (  )ttlie  (Shorn)  Eitzenberger.  both  of  whom 
lived  and  died  in  the  old  country  where  the  former 
was  a  merchant.  Max  Eitzenberger  attended  ~  the 
German  scIkxiIs  until  he  reached  the  age  of  four- 
teen, then  commenced  an  apprenticesliip  to  the  cab- 
inet-making trade.  After  three  years  he  was  de- 
clared a  competent  tradesman.  He  continued  to 
work  at  cabinet-making  until  ISsi,  when  he  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States.  He  passed  the  first 
summer  in  this  country  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin, 
then  went  to  Chicago  and  obtained  emplo)'n-ient  in 
the  shops  of  the  Pullman  Palace  Car  Company, 
He  had  been  there  but  a  short  time  when  the  strike 
broke  out.  so  he  moved  to  Colorado,  remaining  in 
the  Centennial  state  for  tw^o  years,  after  which  he 
came  to  \\  ashington,  and  went  to  work  in  the 
Northern  Pacific  shops  at  Tacoma.  The  following 
winter  Air.  Eitzenberger  came  to  Snohonii.sh  coun- 
ty and  took  a  homestead  on  the  Stillaguamish  river, 
a  heavily  timbered  tract  with  no  trails  leading  to  it. 
He  commenced  at  once  the  task  of  clearing  his 
land,  living  on  provisions  he  carried  in  on  his  back, 
and  he  now  has  forty  acres  cleared  and  under  cul- 
tivation or  in  pasture. 


In  1S88,  at  Silvana,  Air.  Eitzenberger  married 
Aliss  Wally  Bartl,  daughter  of  Joban  and  Kath- 
arina  (Lidl)  Bartl,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  still  lives  though  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-five  years.  Airs.  Eitzenberger 
was  born  in  1853,  After  being  reared  and  educated 
in  the  schools  of  her  native  land  she  came,  in  1888, 
to  the  United  States,  where  she  married  .soon  after 
her  arrival.  She  and  Air,  Eitzenberger  are  parents 
of  two  children.  Otto  and  Alax,  In  political  faith 
Air.  Eitzenberger  is  with  the  Socialist  party;  in 
religion  a  Catholic. 


SYL\'ESTER  S.  STEX'ENS,  farmer  and  stock- 
man of  Arlington,  has  been  a  resident  of  Sno- 
hon-iish  county  since  1889,  and  in  that  time  he  has 
taken  a  leading  place  in  the  social,  public  and  com- 
mercial life  of  the  community,  Mr.  Stevens  is  a 
native  of  Bradford  county,  Pennsylvania,  born  in 
1849,  the  oldest  of  three  children  of  Philander  and 
Hannah  (Stiles)  Stevens.  The  elder  Stevens, 
though  a  native  of  New  York,  passed  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  as  a  farmer  in  Pennsylvania  and 
Alichigan.  Mrs.  Stevens  w-as  a  native  of  the  Key- 
stone state.  Sylvester  S.  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Pennsylvania  and  Michigan  until,  reach- 
ing the  age  of  eighteen,  he  embarked  in  business 
for  himself,  his  first  venture  being  hauling  logs 
from  the  forests  to  the  mills  of  Alichigan,  This 
work  he  conducted  with  marked  success  for  ten 
years,  during  wdiich  he  also  opened  a  livery  stable 
at  Lake  City  and  operated  a  stage  line  between  that 
place  and  Cadillac,  ultimately  selling  out  to  enter 
the  hotel  and  livery  business  in  the  latter  city. 
While  a  resident  of  Cadillac  Mr,  Stevens  was 
elected  sheriff  of  Wexford  county  and  served  in 
that  and  Missaukee  counties  either  as  sheriff  or 
deputy  for  sixteen  years.  He  came  to  Washington 
in  1888  and  in  August  of  the  following  year  set- 
tled on  land  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Stillaguamish 
which  he  filed  on  as  a  pre-emption.  It  was  heavily 
timbered  when  Mr.  Stevens  took  possession,  but 
he  has  cleared  about  thirty-five  acres  of  it,  and  put 
it  in  condition  for  cultivation.  He  has  an  orchard 
of  600  bearing  fruit  trees.  In  1898  Mr.  Stevens 
opened  a  meat  market  in  Arlington,  the  second  in 
the  town.  He  also  has  a  home  in  Arlington.  Fli.s 
realty  holdings  outside  the  city  consist  of  32G  acres 
of  land,  all  of  which  is  suitable,  when  cleared,  for 
agricultural  purposes  and  forty  acres  of  which  arc 
already  in  a  state  of  cultivation. 

In  i885  while  still  a  resident  of  Michigan  Air. 
Stevens  married  Aliss  Belle,  daughter  of  William 
and  Margaret  (Buell)  Harding,  both  of  whom 
passed  the  closing  years  of  their  lives  in  the  Penin- 
sula state.  The  father,  a  native  of  England,  came 
to  the  United  States  when  a  young  man  and  fol-_ 
lowed  his  trade,  house  painting,  in  Ohio  and  Mich- 
igan until  his  demise.     Mrs.  Stevens  was  born  in 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


1873  and  was  educated  and  grew  to  womanhood  in 
the  commonwealth  of  her  nativity,  where,  also,  she 
was  married.  She  and  Mr.  Stevens  are  parents  of 
three  children,  Sidney,  Valley  and  Everett.  In  pol- 
itics Mr.  Stevens  is  a  Republican,  deeply  interested 
in  affairs  of  public  concern,  but  for  himself  he  has 
never  sought  office  in  this  county,  though  as  before 
stated  he  had  a  long  experience  in  office-holding 
in  Michigan.  He  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial, strong  men  of  his  community,  awake  to 
the  best  interests  of  his  fellow  citizens,  always 
ready  to  do  his  share  toward  the  promotion  of  any 
worthy  enterprise  and  open-handed  in  giving  legiti- 
mate assistance  to  the  just  cause  that  requires  it. 
In  fraternal  affiliation  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow. 


CITRT  J.  MURPHY.— Among  the  honored 
pioneers  of  Snohomish  county  there  are  few  who, 
like  the  subject  of  this  article,  can  claim  the  Pa- 
cific Northwest  as  their  birthplace,  hence  few  who 
can,  in  quite  the  same  degree,  lay  claim  to  its  his- 
tor>'  as  their  heritage,  its  development  as  the  fru- 
ition of  their  parents'  planting  and  their  own.  Born 
in  Monmouth,  Polk  county,  Oregon,  October  3i), 
1858,  the  son  of  sturdy  Kentuckians  who  braved  tb.e 
dangers  of  plain  and  mountain  in  obedience  to  the 
impulse  of  the  race  to  move  westward,  he  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  the  Northwest,  mostly  on  the  out- 
most fringe  of  civilization's  domain,  and  in  all  the 
stern  struggles  with  opposing  natural  forces  he 
has  proved  himself  a  worthy  son  of  his  worthy 
parents.  His  father,  William,  and  his  mother,  Eliz- 
abeth (Roundtree)  Murphy,  moved  from  Kentucky 
to  Washington  by  ox-team,  spending  nearly  two 
years  in  making  the  journey,  as  they  stopped  fre- 
quently en  route.  They  spent  the  first  winter  out 
from  their  native  state,  the  winter  of  '51-'53,  in 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  proceeding  thence  to  Lewis 
county,  this  state,  where  they  arrived  in  1853,  and 
where  the  ensuing  four  years  of  their  life  were 
spent.  Later  they  made  their  home  in  Polk  county, 
Oregon,  where  the  father  died  in  1874,  aged  fifty- 
eight.  He  was  an  American  of  Americans,  his  an- 
cestors having  established  themselves  in  Baltimore 
as  early  as  1638.  The  death  of  the  mother,  who 
was  a  descendant  of  the  Roundtree  family  so  well 
known  in  Kentucky,  occurred  in  1889,  when  she  was 
sixty-eight  years  old. 

Curt  J.  Murphy,  of  this  review,  is  the  eighth  of 
a  family  of  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing in  Oregon.  After  securing  an  excellent  com- 
mon school  education  in  his  native  state,  he  went, 
at  the  age  pf  nineteen,  to  eastern  Washington  and 
for  some  time  he  was  a  cattle  ranger  there.  He 
recalls  the  fact  that  he  was  in  Spokane  in  1877 
when  the  Second  Infantry  was  stationed  at  that 
point  to  defend  the  inhabitants  during  the  Indian 
war,  also  that  he  cut  the  logs  used  in  the  erection 
of  the  first  gristmill  in  that  town.     In  1879  he  left 


the  range  to  accept  a  position  as  civil  engineer  for 
the  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  becoming  a  member 
of  the  party  that  located  the  stampede  tunnel,  1881. 
This  work  brought  him  to  Seattle  in  1883,  at  which 
time  the  Queen  City  boasted  a  population  of  7,000 
persons.  The  same  year  he  came  to  Stanwood, 
whence  he  ascended  the  Stillaguamish  to  the  forks, 
the  site  of  the  present  Arlington,  four  miles  above 
the  tennination  of  the  trail,  and  there  he  took  the 
homestead  which  formed  his  fann  and  place  of  res- 
idence for  the  ensuing  fourteen  years.  This  re- 
gion, indefinitely  referred  to  as  "above  the  jam" 
was  considered  practically  worthless,  as  it  was  com- 
monly believed  that  no  road  would  be  built  to  it 
for  many  years,  perhaps  not  during  the  lifetime  of 
the  settlers  of  that  date.  But,  indifferent  to  the  rid- 
icule heaped  upon  him  and  fully  convinced  that  his 
home  in  the  forest  must  have  a  bright  future,  Mr. 
Murphy  extended  the  trail  and  began  operations 
with  vigor.  He  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  nu- 
merous families  locating  in  the  same  vicinity  dur- 
irig  the  next  few  months  and  he  states  that  during 
the  five  years  ensuing  the  land  for  sixteen  miles 
farther  up  the  river  was  taken.  These  early  years, 
although  full  of  the  trials  and  hardships  incident 
to  pioneer  life,  were  not  specially  unpleasant  or  dis- 
couraging to  Mr.  Murphy,  reared  as  he  was  on  the- 
frontier  and  thoroughly  habituated  to  its  strenu- 
ous features.  It  was  six  years  after  he  located  be- 
fore the  first  wagon  was  brought  that  far  up  the 
river,  and  many  times  it  was  necessarj'  for  him  to 
carry  his  supplies  on  his  back.  Among  other  in- 
teresting experiences  he  recalls  that,  while  on  one 
trip  up  the  river  for  mail,  he  found  on  nearing  his 
cabin  that  water  was  waist  deep  around  it,  having 
risen  to  that  height  in  the  short  space  of  time  while 
he  was  traveling  only  a  few  hundred  feet.  The 
flood  subsided  as  quickly  as  it  came,  after  having 
lasted  only  about  half  an  hour.  He  afterward  as- 
certained that  the  cause  of  the  freshet  was  a  huge 
ice  jam  in  the  river. 

In  1886  Mr.  Murphy  was  elected  the  first  asses- 
sor of  Snohomish  county,  and  the  following  year 
he  took  a  census  which  showed  that  there  were 
3,200  people  within  its  bounds.  It  was  through  his 
influence  that  the  first  political  and  educational 
meetings  were  held  in  his  neighborhood,  and  he  has 
distinct  recollections  of  the  first  school  house,  a 
structure  erected  of  split  cedar  logs  and  floored 
with  lumber  shipped  up  the  river  from  LTtsalady 
to  the  forks,  then  packed  on  mules  a  mile  and  a 
half  to  the  point  where  needed.  The  first  teacher 
in  the  district,  he  says,  was  John  Condit,  a  Monnon, 
and  there  were  fourteen  names  enrolled  on  the  first 
register,  only  two  of  them  white  children.  The 
next  year,  1886,  the  sole  white  pupil  was  a  son  of 
L.  Mose.  In  that  year  logging  became  one  of  the 
occupations  of  the  locality,  three  different  camps 
being  started,  owned  by  William  McGee,  Al.  Mores 
and   Frank   Davis   respectively.     Mr.    Murphy  has- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1047 


vivid  recollections  of  the  severe  flood  of  1892, 
which  destroyed  his  home  and  nearly  all  his  im- 
provements, as  well  as,  in  many  instances,  those  of 
his  neighbors,  inducing  a  local  aggravation  of  the 
depression  which  became  so  widespread  and  all 
pervading  in  1893.  Some  time  ago  our  subject 
disposed  of  his  homestead  and  moved  into  Arling- 
ton, where  he  invested  heavily  in  real  estate,  and 
where  his  talents  and  sound  judginent  are  now 
being  employed  to  good  advantage.  He  is  still  an 
agriculturist^  though  living  and  operating  within 
the  city  limits. 

In  1SS5  Mr.  Murphy  married  Miss  Agnes  Pearl, 
a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  but  practically  a  prod- 
uct of  \\'isconsin,  having  spent  her  girlhood  and 
been  educated  there.  Her  father,  Richard,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  is  now  deceased, 
but  her  mother.  Margaret  (Leonard)  Pearl,  aged 
eighty-six,  a  native  of  Ireland,  is  still  living,  a  resi- 
dent of  Arlington.  Mrs.  Murphy  came  here  alone 
and  made  her  way  in  the  new  state  unassisted  until 
her  marriage.  She  and  Mr.  IMurphy  have  two  chil- 
dren, Margaret  and  Leonard.  Mr.  Murphy  is  a 
respected  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  in  political  faith  a  Republican.  In 
all  the  years  of  his  residence  in  the  county  he  has 
been  a  leader  in  every  movement  of  general  bene- 
fit, manifesting  his  public  spirit  whenever  oppor- 
tunity offered,  and  he  certainly  deserves  rank 
among  the  most  forceful  of  the  pioneers.  He  has 
held  several  offices  besides  those  already  men- 
tioned, among  them  that  of  school  director  for 
eleven  years,  justice  of  the  peace  for  six  years  and 
police  judge  in  Arlington  for  one  year.  The  fam- 
ily are  active  workers  in  the  Christian  church. 


CHARLES  ROTH,  a  prominent  citizen  resid- 
ing four  miles  west  and  two  miles  south  of  Arling- 
ton, Washington,  was  born  June  26,  1867,  in  Al- 
sace Lorraine,  now  a  part  of  the  German  Empire. 
He  belongs  to  a  distinguished  family  tracing  its 
ancestry  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury^  His  father,  Victor  Roth,  was  born  in  1821, 
and  was  one  of  the  foremost  agriculturists  of  his 
native  town,  which  had  been  the  home  of  his  fore- 
fathers for  generations.  His  death  occurred  in 
1871.  Magdaline  (Clor)  Roth,  the  maternal  an- 
cestor, died  in  1887  at  the  age  of  forty-four,  leav- 
ing a  family  of  eight  children.  She  was  twice  mar- 
ried, Charles  Roth  being  an  only  child  by  her  first 
husband.  Mr.  Roth  received  a  liberal  education 
in  St.  Marie's  Catholic  College  at  Belfort,  France, 
and  is  able  to  converse  fluently  in  three  languages, 
English,  French  and  German.  After  completing 
his  collegiate  course  he  held  a  clerkship  for  four 
and  one-half  years  in  the  Societe  Generale.  a  bank- 
ing house  in  France.  Immigrating  to  the  United 
States,  he  located  in  Ohio,  March  10,  1889.  and 
spent  three  years  in  a  business  college.     For  three 


years  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  bookkeeping, 
but  farming,  the  occupation  that  had  claimed  his 
attention  in  early  manhood  held  an  irresistible 
charm  for  him  which  caused  him  to  abandon  all 
other  pursuits.  Coming  to  Washington  in  1891  he 
purchased  115  acres  of  land,  the  farm  on  which  he 
now  resides,  and  has  devoted  his  entire  attention 
to  it  since  that  time.  Only  three  acres  were  cleared 
when  he  became  its  owner.  He  now  has  twelve 
acres  under  plow,  and  eight  in  pasture.  For  some 
years  he  has  given  much  attention  to  dairying,  but 
he  intends  in  the  near  future  to  devote  his  time 
particularly  to  poultry  raising,  an  industry  in  which 
he  has  been  remad.-ably  successful. 

In  189-1  Mr.  Roth  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Josephine  Rapp,  who  was  born  April  8,  1871,  in  his 
native  town,  Isenheim.  Her  parents,  Joseph  and 
Cecilia  (Lamfort)  Rapp,  immigrated  to  Ohio  when 
she  was  but  twelve  years  of  age.  Later,  they  lived 
for  a  time  in  Kansas,  also  in  Tennessee.  In  1901 
they  found  a  home  in  Washington,  settling  on  a 
farm  not  far  from  where  their  daughter  lives.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roth, 
Arthur,  aged  ten,  and  Lucien,  eight.  On  political 
questions  Mr.  Roth  holds  .Socialistic  views,  believ- 
ing that  they  embody  the  highest  form  of  truth 
and  justice.  Having  himself  enjoyed  unusual  edu- 
tional  advantage  he  is  deeply  interested  in  the 
cause,  and  is  an  active  and  influential  member  of 
the  local  school  board.  His  religious  beliefs  are 
summed  up  in  the  Golden  Rule,  to  which  he  strictly 
adheres  in  his  business  dealings.  The  culture  he 
possesses  in  such  a  marked  degree  bespeaks  a  noble 
ancestry,  and  commands  the  respect  and  admiration 
of  a  wide  circle  of  acquaintances. 


MARION  GOODING,  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  of  the  Arlington  country,  was  born  near 
Marietta,  Ohio,  January  12,  1853,  the  son  of  Ben- 
jamin and  Ruth  Anna  (Morris)  Gooding,  also 
natives  of  the  Buckeye  state.  The  father  died 
many  years  ago ;  the  mother,  in  1879,  at  the  age  of 
seventy.  She  was  the  mother  of  seven  children,  of 
whom  Marion,  whose  name  forms  the  caption  of 
this  biography,  was  the  fourth.  He  spent  his  boy- 
hood on  his  father's  farm,  and  thus  acquired  a  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  farming.  His  education  was 
secured  in  the  common  schools  of  the  state  and 
was  very  meagre,  he  being  able  to  attend  only  three 
months  each  year.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went 
to  Kansas,  and  for  three  years  worked  at  whatever 
he  could  find  to  do,  in  the  meantime  making  two 
trips  to  Arkansas.  He  next  located  at  Gold  Hill, 
Colorado,  where  he  mined  and  prospected  for  seven 
years.  After  visiting  in  Kansas  for  a  time,  he  in 
company  with  a  brother,  Harvey,  emigrated  to  east- 
ern Oregon,  and  there  spent  the  winter.  In  the 
spring  of  1882  he  went  to  Seattle,  and  thence  to 
Stanwood.    He  took  up  the  claim  on  which  he  now 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


resides  in  the  sununer  of  1883,  making  the  trip  up 
the  river  with  John  Z.  and  Henry  Jones,  now  of 
Ariington.  On  the  return  journey  Mr.  Gooding 
had  a  narrow  escape,  as  the  canoe  came  in  contact 
with  a  large  snag  in  tlie  river  and  upset.  But  for 
his  presence  of  mind  in  clinging  to  the  canoe  till 
his  mates  could  rescue  him,  he  would  have  been 
drowned.  The  nearest  store  and  postoffice  in  those 
early  times  was  at  Stanwood.  In  bringing  their 
supplies  up  the  river  there  was  one  point  where  a 
log  jam.  extending  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  made  it 
necessary  to  unload  and  carry  them  over  the  ob- 
struction. Aery  frequently,  in  packing  goods  on 
his  back.  ^Ir.  Gooding  was  obliged  to  put  them  on 
logs  which  he  "cooned"  across  the  sloughs.  Mak- 
ing the  trip  up  the  river  at  one  time  during  the 
rainy  season,  when  the  banks  were  all  under  water, 
he  had  the  novel  experience  of  cooking  'a  meal  on 
a  cedar  -tuiii]>.  lii^  stove  also  serving  the  purpose 
of  a  talik'.  I  licsc  are  only  a  few  of  the  trials  and 
hardships  that  this  hardy  pioneer  encountered  in 
those  early  \ears  while  he  was  making  a  home  in 
the  wilderness,  and  preparing  the  way  for  the  com- 
forts and  luxuries  of  to-day.  .  In  tlje  fall  of  188:1 
settlement  in  this  locality  became  quite  genera!. 
The  first  school  house  was  built  three  years  later. 
Mr.  Gooding  has  fifty  acres  in  an  excellent  state  of 
cultivation  and  devotes  it  principally  to  hay  and 
dairying:  he  has  a  fine  herd  of  cattle. 

In  November,  189fi,  ]\Ir.  Gooding  and  Elmira 
Hurd  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Hurd  is  a  na- 
tive of  New  York.  Her  father  died  in  Nebraska 
some  years  ago,  and  since  that  time  her  mother, 
now  aged  seventy-seven,  has  made  her  home  with 
this  daughter.  Mr.  Gooding  is  a  staunch  Repub- 
lican, but  has  never  cared  to  take  an  active  part  in 
political  matters.  He  and  his  family  are  identified 
with  the  Free  Metliodist  church.  Few  of  the  early 
settlers  have  a  more  vidid  recollection  of  pioneer 
days  than  has  Mr.  Gooding.  To  hear  him  relate 
his  experiences  is  both  interesting  and  instructive, 
and  renders  it  much  easier  to  appreciate  the  con- 
ditions that  then  existed  than  to  simply  read  of 
them.  During  his  long  residence  here  he  has  be- 
come well  and  favorably  known,  and  holds  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  the  entire  community 


ROBERT  KINXE.AR.  postmaster  at  Edge- 
comb,  and  member  of  the  firm  of  Kinnear  &  Gray, 
operating  a  shingle  mill  at  that  point  under  the 
name  of  the  Edgecomb  Mill  Company,  is  of  Scotch 
birth  and  descent,  belonging  to  a  distinguished 
Scottish  family.  He  was  born  near  Edinburgh, 
May  21,  1852,'to  the  union  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Bruce)  Kinnear.  The  father,  who  followed  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  during  his  long  life,  was  born 
in  1801,  at  Cupar,  Fife;  he  passed  away  in  1871. 
Elizabeth  Bruce  was  also  a  native  of  Cupar,  born 


in  1806.  She  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Rotert 
Bruce,  Scotland's  famous  king,  a  connection  of 
which  every  Scotch  patriot  would  naturally  feel 
proud,  the  Kinnears  being  no  exception.  Mrs. 
Kinnear  passed  av.^ay  in  ISTo.  Of  seven  children 
born  to  this  union,  the  subject  of  this  review  is  the 
youngest  child.  He  attended  school  until  the  age 
of  fourteen,  when  he  engaged  in  learning  the  black- 
smith trade,  serving  an  a]iprenliccsliip  of  three 
years.  Following;  this  in-  served  another  term  in 
Glasgow,  learning;  the  machinist's  trade,  tlius  thor- 
oughly equipping  himself  fi:)r  mechanical  pursuits. 
Having  heard  stories  of  the  wonderful  republic 
which  lay  across  the  Atlantic,  when  he  reached  his 
majority,  the  young  Scotclnnan  determined  to  cast 
his  lot  with  the  new  country.  He  landed  on  Yankee 
soil  the  day  he  was  twenty-one.  New  York  state 
was  his  home  during  the  ensuing  fourteen  years, 
during  which  he  resided  at  Rochester,  Buffalo, 
Brockport  and  Batavia,  and  followed  the  machin- 
ist's trade,  most  of  the  time  being  with  the  John- 
son Harvester  Cnmpany  at  Lockport  and  Batavia. 
He  came  west  to  Chicago  in  1887  and  a  year  later 
pushed  still  further  westward  to  Seattle,  then  just 
blossoming  into  a  city  of  size.  In  the  Pacific 
Northwest  he  engaged  in  work  for  the  Columbia 
&-  Puget  Sound  Railroad  Compan}-.  as  a  machinist 
in  the  shops  at  Seattle,  but  nine  months  later  left 
his  trade,  came  to  Snohomish  county,  arriving  at 
Snohomish  September  15,  1888,  and  shortly  after- 
ward took  a  homestead  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of 
the  present  town  of  Edgecomb.  That  region  was 
then  in  its  wild  state.  Supplies  were  brought  in 
from  Stanwood  by  canoes  up  the  Stillaguamish 
river  and  then  packed  across  country  on  the  backs 
of  the  few  hardy  pioneers ;  some  supplies  were  also 
brought  in  from  Marysville  by  trail.  Of  five  men 
who  came  to  the  Edgecomb  region  together,  Mr. 
Kinnear  is  the  only  one  still  left  in  the  community. 
When  he  settled  there  he  was  married  and  to  the 
wilderness  he  brought  his  family,  all  sliaring  the 
hardships  and  privations  common  to  the  frontier. 
To  the  clearing  of  his  homestead  Mr.  Kinnear 
immediatley  devoted  his  attention,  being  provided 
with  some  means  fortunately.  He  was  among  the 
first  settlers  on  what  is  known  as  the  "burn,"  sec- 
tion of  the  Stillaguamish.  Stock-raising  early  oc- 
cupied considerable  of  his  attention  :  in  fact,  to  it  he 
devoted  most  of  lii-  activities  until  1903.  He  served 
as  road  super\-is.  ir  inr  three  years  beginning  with 
1892  and  for  seven  \ears  was  deputy  field  asses- 
sor, thus  contributing  much  to  the  upbuilding  of  his 
community  in  a  public  way.  In  1903.  he  and  John 
A.  Grav  bought  the  shingle  mill  which  had  been 
established  by  G.  K.  Hiatt  at  Edgecomb  alxiut  1893, 
and  have  since  operated  it  successfully.  Its  daily 
capacity  is  125,000  shingles.  Mr.  Kinnear  secured 
the  establishment  of  Edgecomb  postofifice  in  1898 
and  ever  since  has  served  as  its  postmaster.  His 
fellow-citizens  have  also  seen  fit  to  support  him  as 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


justice  of  the  peace  during  the  past  four  years,  all 
of  which  public  services  he  has  discharged  with 
fidelity  to  his  trust. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Kinnear  and  I\Iary  Don- 
aldson was  solemnized  at  Rochester,  New  York, 
August  11,  187  T.  Her  parents,  Wiliam  and  Ann 
(Brodie)  Donaldson,  were  natives  of  Scotland. 
The  father  followed  the  stock  business  in  the  old 
country  until  death  in  18-56.  The  mother  came  to 
the  United  States  and  resided  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Kinnear,  until  her  death  in  August,  1904,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven.  Mrs.  Kinnear 
vas  born  in  Perth,  Scotland,  in  1851.  She  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1869,  after  having  received 
her  education  in  the  city  of  Edinburgh.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kinnear  have  had  two  children,  both  of  whom 
passed  away  in  infancy.  Fraternally,  Air.  Kinnear 
is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Arlington 
and  has  been  a  Mason  since  1877.  He  is  a  staunch 
Republican,  chairman  of  his  precinct  committee,  a 
position  he  has  held  for  years,  and  is  an  active 
attendant  at  all  important  caucuses  and  conventions 
of  his  party.  His  property  interests  are  large, 
embracing  the  old  homestead  and  extensive  tracts 
of  timber  land,  in  addition  to  his  valuable  mill  prop- 
erty. Mr.  Kinnear  is  one  of  Snohomish  county's 
industrial  leaders  and  public-spirited  citizens  whose 
biography  is  especially  appropriate  among  these 
history  records  of  this  section  of  Washington. 


^  CARL  W.  OSTRAND,  of  Edgecomb,  is  one  of 
Snohomish  county's  pioneer  citizens  who  is  pursu- 
ing general  farming,  stock-raising  and  dairying 
with  marked  success,  after  having  devoted  long 
years  of  arduous  toil  and  labor  to  the  clearing  up 
of  a  place  in  the  Puget  sound  wilderness.  A  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  he  was  born  February  23,  1860,  to 
the  union  of  Carl  and  Carrie  (Sackris)  Ostrand, 
both  of  whom  were  also  natives  of  that  country. 
The  elder  Ostrand  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He 
was  born  near  Karlmar  and  died  in  1900  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years,  without  having  left  the  old 
country.  The  mother  passed  away  in  1902  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years.  Of  the  four  children 
that  blessed  this  marriage,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  the  second  in  age.  He  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Sweden  and  between  times  herded  sheep 
on  the  range,  all  the  children  being  obliged  to  con- 
tribute to  the  family's  support.  At  the  age  of 
twelve  the  lad  entered  a  tailor's  shop  to  learn  the 
irade  and  there  spent  two  years,  though  he  never 
afterwards  followed  the  trade.  When  fifteen  years 
old  he  commenced  working  for  various  farmers  in 
the  neighborhood  and  thus  spent  the  ensuing  ten 
years.  In  the  meanwhile  his  brother,  John  P.  had 
come  to  America  and  settled  in  Iowa.  So,  in  1885, 
when  Carl  Ostrand  began  to  plan  a  similar  trip  to 
the  land  of  opportunities  across  the  waters,  he  de- 


cided to  join  this  brother.  Upon  arriving  in  Iowa 
that  year,  he  engaged  in  fanning  and  railroading, 
which  he  followed  for  two  and  a  half  years,  then 
set  his  face  toward  the  far  west  and  soon  found 
himself  on  the  Pacific  slope  at  Seattle.  Thence  he 
went  to  Sultan,  on  the  Skykomish  river  and  there 
worked  in  the  mines  a  short  time,  after  which  he 
returned  to  White  river  and  followed  farming  until 
January,  1889.  At  that  time  he  came  north  to  Sno- 
homish county  and  took  as  a  homestead  the  place 
he  now  owns  and  operates,  a  portion  of  which  forms 
part  of  Edgecomb's  town  site.  He  came  to  this  wil- 
derness via  Stanwood  and  Stillaguamish,  now  Sil- 
vana,  employing  Indians  to  canoe  himself  and  sup- 
plies up  the  river  as  far  as  possible.  The  last  stage 
of  the  journey  was  made  afoot,  the  supplies  being 
packed  on  his  back.  During  the  first  two  years  of 
his  settlement  Mr.  Ostrand  was  obliged  to  work 
for  wages  in  order  to  support  himself,  but  at  the 
end  of  that  period  the  railroad  was  b'uilt,  thus  af- 
fording him  an  excellent  market  for  all  he  could 
raise  and  admitting  of  his  devoting  his  entire  time 
to  the  improvement  of  his  homestead.  Now  it  is 
one  of  the  most  productive  farms  in  the  community 
and  under  the  thrifty  management  of  its  owner  is 
making  rapid  strides  in  value  and  yearly  produc- 
tion.   The  place  consists  of  150  acres. 

Mr.  Ostrand  and  Miss  Annie  Carlson  were 
united  in  marriage  at  Seattle  September  9,  1890. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  Carl  August  and  Stina  Car- 
rie Carlson,  both  of  whom  are  residing  in  Sweden 
at  present,  where  also  Mrs.  Ostrand  was  born. 
Mrs.  Ostrand  came  from  Sweden  to  Washington, 
a  quarter  way  around  the  earth,  to  join  the  young 
man  of  her  choice  who  had  preceded  her  to  Amer- 
ica. Two  children  have  blessed  the  union,  Carl 
Edward  and  Selma  Man,-.  The  former  has  won 
distinction  in  the  county's  schools,  having  been 
pronounced  by  the  superintendent  the  best  scholar 
of  his  age  in  the  county  when  he  was  graduated 
from  the  eighth  grade  at  the  age  of  fourteen  a 
short  time  ago.  The  fact  was  published  in  the  local 
press.  Mr.  Ostrand  has  always  given  much  atten- 
tion to  school  work  and  has  served  four  years  on 
the  local  board.  He  has  assisted  in  building  three 
school-houses  since  he  came  to  the  county.  In  fact, 
he  is  known  as  a  public-spirited  citizen  of  broad 
gauge  ideas  and  sympathies  in  all  that  concerns  the 
welfare  of  his  fellow  men.  Politically  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. 


JENS  G.  HELSETH,  a  prosperous  farmer  re- 
siding at  Jorden,  Washington,  ten  miles  southeast 
of  Arlington,  among  the  valley's  earliest  pioneers, 
was  born  in  Norway,  November  14,  1855.  He  is  the 
son  of  Gunder  J.  Helseth,  a  native  of  Norway, 
who  immigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1870,  set- 
tling in  Dakota.  Coming  to  Stanwood  in  1879,  he 
was  here  engaged  in  farming  till  his  death  in  the 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


spring  of  1884.  Margaret  (Olsen)  Helseth,  mother 
of  our  subject,  also  a  native  of  Norway,  is  now- 
living  with  her  son  at  Jorden,  Washington.  Jens 
G.  Helseth  acquired  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  country  prior  to  the  removal  of  the 
family  to  Dakota,  in  which  state  he  also  attended 
school  for  a  time.  He  had  passed  his  tv^enty-sec- 
ond  birthday  shortly  before  he  came  to  Washing- 
ton, to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  great  Northwest. 
He  came  first  to  Tacoma  and  was  there  employed 
by  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad  for  a  few  months. 
Going  thence  to  Astoria  he  followed  fishing  the 
next  two  years,  and  in  August,  1879,  joining  the 
United  States  navy  at  San  Francisco,  he  served 
three  years,  during  which  time  he  sailed  the  Japan 
and  China  seas,  stopping  at  many  of  the  important 
points  on  the  adjacent  coasts  as  a  member  of  the 
U.  S.  S.  Alert's  crew.  It  was  a  wonderful  experi- 
ence for  the  young  man,  materially  broadening  his 
views  of  life. 

Returning  to  Stanwood  in  the  fall  of  1883,  Mr. 
Helseth  purchased  fifty  acres  of  land,  the  present 
site  of  the  Norwegian  church  being  part  of  his 
original  ranch.  The  land  was  unimproved  and  it 
required  five  years  of  arduous  toil  to  get  it  ready 
for  cultivation.  He  sold  this  property  in  1887,  and 
left  the  little  town  which  he  had  assisted  to  estab- 
lish, to  go  up  the  south  fork  of  the  Stillaguamish 
and  take  as  a  homestead  the  place  on  which  he  has 
resided  ever  since.  Thus  he  became  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  in  eastern  Snohomish  county  as 
well  as  in  the  western  part.  Of  the  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  he  owns,  thirty  are  in  a  fine  state 
of  cultivation,  the  balance  being  still  in  heavy 
timber. 

At  Stanwood,  in  1888.  Mr.  Helseth  and  Mar- 
garet Rukke  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Hel- 
seth was  bom  in  Norway  in  1850,  and  there  re- 
ceived her  education.  She  is  very  deft  with  her 
needle,  and  has  won  quite  a  reputation  for  her 
beautiful  fancy  work,  which  is  the  admiration  of 
her  friends  and  acquaintances.  Her  parents,  Peter 
and  Brunnell  Rukke,  were  both  natives  of  Norway 
and  the  father  died  there:  the  mother  is  still  living 
in  the  old  country.  One  child  has  been  bom  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Helseth,  Gunder,  a  native  of  Stanwood, 
who  is  now  serving  in  the  navy  on  board  the  U.  S. 
S.  Supply,  going  to  Guam  Island.  Mr.  Helseth, 
well  known  and  influential  as  a  Republican,  is  now 
central  committeeman  for  his  precinct;  he  has  held 
the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  The  family  ar^ 
affiliated  with  the  Lutheran  church.  During  all 
the  years  of  his  residence  in  the  Stanwood  and 
Jorden  communities  he  has  been  one  of  the  men 
whose  influence  could  be  counted  upon  as  on  the 
side  of  every  worthy  enterprise  and  whatever,  in 
his  opinion,  was  likely  to  promote  the  general  wel- 
fare. Honest,  industrious,  frugal  and  progressive, 
he  has  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him  intimately. 


ERNST  EGGERT,  the  well-known  merchant 
and  shingle  manufacturer  of  Getchell,  Washing- 
ton, one  of  the  most  aggressive  and  successful  bus- 
iness men  in  northern  Snohomish  county,  has 
fought  his  way  to  the  front  through  hardships  and 
disappointments,  overcoming  obstacles  with  a  grim 
perseverance  that  knew  no  defeat,  and  .surmounting 
innumerable  difficulties  with  that  energy  and  abil- 
ity characteristic  of  our  self-made  men.  Of  Ger- 
man descent  and  nativity,  born  in  Pommern  in  No^ 
vember,  1844,  he  brought  to  his  adopted  country 
those  sterling  qualities  of  thoroughness,  fidelity  and 
thrift  so  marked  among  his  countrymen.  His 
father,  whose  name  was  also  Ernst,  was  born  in 
1828,  and  Anna  (Virgin)  Eggert,  the  mother,  the 
same  year.  The  elder  Eggert  passed  away  in 
1866;  Mrs.  Eggert  is  still  living  in  the  old  coun- 
try. The  subject  of  this  review,  the  second  in  a 
family  of  three  children,  secured  his  education  in 
the  pi:blic  schools  of  his  native  land,  after  complet- 
ing which  he  served  a  three-year  apprenticeship 
in  a  blacksmith  shop,  receiving  no  financial  recom- 
pense. He  then  followed  his  trade  uditil  1882,  at 
that  time  commencing  a  two  years'  service  in  the 
regular  anny,  upon  the  conclusion  of  which,  in 
1884,  he  came  to  the  United  States.  Landing  at 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  September  .5th,  he  proceeded 
thence  to  Watertown,  Wisconsin,  and  remained 
there  some  time,  then  spent  six  months  each  in 
Fond  du  Lac  and  Merrill,  of  the  same  state.  On 
March  22,  1888,  Mr.  Eggert  paid  his  first  visit  to 
Seattle.  Two  days  later  he  came  north  to  Marys- 
ville,  then  a  little  settlement  consisting  of  a  post- 
office,  store,  saloon  and  a  few  dwellings.  Follow- 
ing the  trail  five  miles  east  through  the  dense  for- 
est he  reached  the  present  site  of  Getchell  and, 
being  favorably  impressed  with  the  location  and 
prospects,  he  took  up  the  homestead  of  which  he  is 
still  the  owner.  For  a  year  or  two  he  was  obliged 
to  pad<  all  his  supplies  in  on  his  back  from  Marys- 
ville,  there  being  no  road  or  railroads  at  that  time. 
Moving  his  family  onto  the  claim  the  hardy  pioneer 
made  it  his  home  for  two  months,  and  then  went 
to  Marysville  to  work  as  bridge  carpenter  on  the 
old  Seattle  &  Montana  railroad.  Five  months  later 
he  returned  to  the  ranch,  remaining  till  spring, 
when  he  found  employment  in  Seattle  for  a  few 
months  after  the  fire  had  swept  over  that  city.  He 
then  went  to  various  camps  in  Snohomish  county, 
finding  work  at  his  trade,  blacksmithing.  In  1893 
he  opened  a  shop  in  Getchell,  which  he  conducted 
for  the  two  years  ensuing,  then  resuming  work  on 
the  farm.  In  company  with  four  other  men,  he 
built  a  shingle  mill  in  1895,  but  he  had  been  run- 
ning it  only  a  month  when  it  was  destroyed  by 
fire  and  a  short  time  after  this  the  kiln  was  also 
burned.  As  he  had  mortgaged  his  fami  to  secure 
money  to  put  into  the  enterprise,  the  loss  fell  very 
heavily  upon  him,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he 
at  once  rebuilt  the  mill,  and  redoubling  his  efforts. 


BIOGR.-\PHICAL 


he  was  able  in  1905  to  purchase  his  partner's  share 
in  the  business,  and  a  year  later  a  mill  in  Whatcom 
count)'.  To-day  he  owns  in  addition  to  his  mercan- 
tile establishment,  two  mills,  warehouses,  and  3,000 
acres  of  land,  a  part  of  which  is  improved,  the  bal- 
ance in  timber. 

]\Ir.  Eggert  was  married  in  August,  1884,  to 
Augusta  Rohde,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  daugh- 
ter of  Julius  Rohde,  who  is  now  deceased,  as  is 
also  Mrs.  Eggert's  mother.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eggert 
have  seven  children :  Max  W.,  now-  manager  of  his 
father's  store ;  srraduated  from  a  business  college  at 
Seattle ;  Ida,  Anna,  William,  Martha,  Heidwig  and 
Edward.  Although  he  has  but  recently  passed  his 
twentieth  birthday,  the  oldest  son  displays  unusual 
business  ability  and  is  already  able  to  relieve  his 
father  of  a  great  deal  of  responsibility.  Bright, 
energetic,  and  possessed  of  pleasing  personality,  he 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  promising  young 
men  of  the  community,  destined  to  achieve  a  large 
measure  of  success,  and  become  a  man  of  influence 
in  the  years  to  come.  Mr.  Eggert  is  a  member  of 
the  Sons  of  Hermann,  Lodge  No.  7,  also  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics  he  allies 
himself  with  no  party,  preferring  to  vote  inde- 
pendently. His  interest  in  educational  matters  is 
deep  and  abiding,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  fact 
that  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  first  school  in  this 
locality,  and  for  the  past  fourteen  years  has  b'een 
one  of  its  directors.  The  family  attend  the  Lu- 
theran church.  Surrounded  by  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances  who  honor  him  for  his 
manly,  upright  character,  Mr.  Eggert  is  enjoying 
to  the  fullest  the  prosperity  that  has  attended  his 
untiring  efforts. 


PETER  J.  JOHNSON,  Getchell's  pioneer  set- 
tler, at  present  engaged  in  agricultuFal  pursuits  at 
that  point,  is  one  of  Snohomish  county's  pathfind- 
ers, who  led  the  vanguard  of  civilization  into  the 
district  of  which  he  is  still  a  resident.  As  is  true 
of  so  many  of  this  region's  pioneers,  he  is  a  native 
of  the  Scandinavian  peninsula,  born  at  Joark,  Elfs- 
burgs  Lan,  Sweden,  in  April.  1853.  His  father, 
Jonas  Johnson,  a  miller  by  trade,  was  born  in  Swe- 
den in  1809.  He  operated  flouring  mills,  saw  mills 
and  shingle  mills  until  shortly  before  his  death  in 
1893.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary 
Johnson,  and  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six 
years  is  still  living  in  the  old  country.  The  subject 
ox  this  review  attended  the  common  schools  of 
Sweden  and  worked  with  his  father  in  the  mills 
until  twenty-five  years  old,  when  he  was  obliged 
to  seek  another  occupation,  the  work  not  agreeing 
with  his  health.  He  learned  the  wagonmaker's 
tnde  and  followed  it  in  his  native  land  until  1S80. 
Then  he  joined  the  tide  of  immigration  setting  in 
to  the  United  States  and  soon  found  himself  at 
New  Britain,  Connecticut,  working  as  an  iron  moM- 


er,  at  Swift  &  Company's  Malleable  Iron  Works. 
He  was  employed  by  that  concern  six  years,  his 
final  leave  taking  being  due  to  the  inauguration  of 
a  strike.  The  same  year,  1886,  he  came  west  to 
San  Francisco,  spent  a  short  time  there,  then  came 
to  Puget  sound.  Snohomish  county  attracted  him, 
and  with  his  brother  Claes,  on  the  strength  of  in- 
formation furnished  by  a  surveyor  named  Ander- 
son whom  they  met  in  Seattle,  he  came  to  his  pres- 
ent place.  The  trio  made  the  trip  together,  Ander- 
son assisting  in  the  blazing  of  a  trail  into  the  woods 
from  Marysville.  A  squatter  was  holding  down 
one  claim  at  the  desired  spot^  but  for  $110  he  wil- 
lingly transferred  his  claim  to  Mr.  Johnson,  who 
took  it  as  a  homestead.  Practically  no  improve- 
ments had  been  made  on  the  place,  there  were  no 
roads  for  miles  around  and  everything  in  the  way 
of  supplies  had  to  be  packed  on  one's  back 
from  Marj'sville,  itself  a  village  of  four  houses. 
Among  the  things  thus  transported  through  the 
wilds  to  the  little  settlement  by  the  brothers  was  a 
cook  stove,  which  they  brought  in  by  sections.  For 
weeks  at  a  time  they  saw  no  one,  except  perhaps 
straying  Indians.  In  the  spring  of  1887  sufficient 
ground  had  been  cleared  for  die  planting  of  vege- 
tables and  when  the  small  crop  was  gathered  the 
potatoes  were  found  to  have  done  especially  well. 
Mr.  Johnson  devoted  himself  mainly  to  clearing  his 
'and  during  the  next  few  years,  though  much  of 
his  time  was  spent  at  various  odd  jobs  which  he 
secured  and  which  added  welcome  amounts  to  his 
scanty  capital.  With  the  inauguration  of  work  on 
the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  and  Monte 
Cristo  railroads  in  the  vicinity  he  resumed  his  old 
trade  as  a  wagonmaker  and  assisted  in  building 
both  roads.  In  1895,  with  his  brother  C!ae:,  and 
Ernst  Eggert.  the  latter  of  whom  had  joiiied  the 
Johnsons  in  1888,  Mr.  Johnson  of  this  sketch 
formed  a  partnership  and  built  a  shingle  mill  at 
Getchell.  It  was  operated  by  this  firm  until  1902, 
when  by  the  purchase  of  Peter  J.  Johnson's  inter- 
ests, Mr.  Eggert  secured  the  full  ownership  of  the 
concern.  Mr.  Johnson  at  that  time  removed  to 
Seattle  and  erected  a  residence  on  East  Green  Lake 
Boulevard,  which  continued  to  be  his  home  until 
the  summer  of  1905,  w'hen  he  returned  to  his  farm. 
This  place  consists  of  126  acres,  well  improved, 
beautifully  located  and  possessing  a  modern  eight- 
room  dwelling.  Soon  Mr.  Johnson  expects  to  en- 
gage in  the  dairv  business.  He  also  retains  his  Se- 
attle property. 

On  November  30,  1903,  Mr.  Johnson  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Carrie  Gummerson,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1900. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  Gustavus  Vinehart,  who  re- 
sides with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson.  Fraternally,  Mr. 
Johnson  is  affiliated  with  the  K.  O.  T.  M. ;  politi- 
cally, he  is  an  active  Republican,  though  not  strongly 
partisan.  Always  a  public-spirited  citizen,  he  took 
an   active  part   in   the   organization   of  the  local. 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


school  district  and  assisted  in  building  the  school 
house  upon  a  tract  of  land  donated  by  his  brother 
Claes.  This  brother,  who  was  a  true  pioneer  and 
an  esteemed  citizen,  passed  away  in  1895.  One 
other  brother,  John,  resides  on  an  adjoining  ranch 
to  Peter  J.  Johnson.  Mr.  Johnson  well  deserves 
the  rewards  he  is  reaping  after  a  life  of  toil  and 
sacrifice  on  the  Washington  frontier,  and  is  highly 
esteemed  by  his  neighbors  and  associates  as  an  hon- 
est, upright  man,  thrifty  in  business  affairs,  and 
public  spirited  and  progressive  as  a  citizen. 


CALVIN  L.  HASKELL,  a  prominent  resident 
of  Old  Hartford,  Washington,  has  made  this  state 
his  home  for  the  past  thirty-four  years,  having 
moved  with  his  parents  to  Snohomish  when  a  boy 
of  but  twelve  years.  He  was  born  September  IS, 
1859,  in  Mahaska  county,  Iowa.  His  father.  Judge 
Royal  Haskell,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  in 
1834.  After  living  a  few  years  in  Indiana,  he  im- 
migrated to  Iowa,  making  the  trip  with  a  team,  and 
became  one  of  the  well-known  pioneers  of  that 
state.  After  coming  to  Washington  he  held  the 
offices  of  probate  judge  and  justice  of  the  peace  for 
many  years.  He  died  in  Seattle,  July  4,  1889.  Julia 
(Kinsman)  Haskell,  the  mother,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1837,  and  died  in  Snohomish  in 
January,  1886.  Calvin  L.  Haskell  is  the  oldest  of 
a  family  of  six  children,  of  whom  two  brothers, 
Howard  and  Warren,  are  living  at  Monroe,  Wash- 
ington, and  a  sister,  in  Seattle.  His  education  was 
secured  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state 
prior  to  1871,  at  which  time  the  family  moved  to 
Snohomish,  Washington.  Coming  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, via  Portland,  to  Pumphrey's  Landing  on  the 
Columbia  river,  they  there  took  a  stage  to  Olympia 
and  from  that  point  the  remainder  of  tlie  journey 
v.'as  made  by  water.  At  Seattle  they  were  obliged 
to  change  boats  before  proceeding  to  Snohomish, 
and  this  last  part  of  the  trip  occupied  from  six  in 
the  morning  till  nine  in  the  evening.  E.  C.  Fer- 
guson was  at  that  time  the  only  business  man  in 
Snohomish.  There  being  no  hotel,  his  kind-hearted 
wife  invited  the  strangers  to  her  home  and  made 
them  welcome.  In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  the 
father  purchased  a  farm  from  David  Sheridan,  four 
acres  of  which  were  cleared.  It  was  here  that  Cal- 
vin Haskell  grew  to  manhood,  and  acquired  the  hab- 
its of  thrift  and  industry  which  are  still  his  prom- 
inent characteristics.  In  1883  he  took  up  a  home- 
stead on  the  Pilchuck  river  four  miles  from 
Machias,  which  could  then  be  reached  only  by  a 
blazed  trail.  He  and  his  brother  spent  a  month's 
time  with  a  team  in  cutting  a  road  over  which  a 
diav  could  bring  the  household  goods  necessarv 
for  furnishing  a  tiny  home  for  his  bride.  Almost  a 
year  elapsed  before  another  settler  came  to  this  lo- 
cality. Previous  to  this  the  nearest  neighbors  lived 
at  Machias.  While  in  many  respects  a  lonely  life, 
it  was  still  full  of  quiet  content  and  happiness.    Mr. 


Haskell  assisted  in  establishing  the  first  school,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  nineteen 
years,  but  two  years  ago  he  asked  to  be  relieved  of 
the  responsibility  he  had  borne  so  long  and  so  faith- 
fully. As  other  homeseekers  located  there  they  all 
united  their  efforts  in  building  roads,  and  travel 
became  much  less  difficult.  While  making  this  his 
home  he  cleared  thirty-five  acres,  and  put  them  into 
cultivation.  In  1903  he  abandoned  farming,  and 
went  to  Index  where  he  built  a  mill  for  Sylvester 
Smith.  He  then  located  at  Edgecomb,  contracting 
for  some  months.  He  has  recently  been  appointed 
deputy  sheriff,  and  is  discharging  the  duties  of  his 
office  with  characteristic  faithfulness  and  ability. 
In  addition  to  the  old  homestead,  he  owns  valuable 
property  in  Snohomish. 

In  November,  1883,  Mr.  Haskell  and  Mary  Greg- 
ory were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Haskell  was 
born  in  Iowa  in  1862.  Her  parents,  Jasper  and 
Efifie  (Powers)  Gregory,  natives  of  New  York, 
were  pioneer  settlers  on  the  Pilchuck  river,  and 
hence  she  too,  was  raised  on  the  frontier.  During 
her  early  married  life  she  ably  assisted  her  husband 
in  the  arduous  task  of  making  a  home  in  the  wilder- 
ness, banishing  loneliness  by  her  sweet,  womanly 
presence.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  this 
happy  union,  Mrs.  Agnes  Kernan,  of  Snohomish ; 
Marion,  Effie,  Layton  and  Cecil,  all  of  whom  but 
the  oldest  daughter  are  still  under  the  family  roof. 
Air.  Haskell  is  a  member  of  Odd  Fellows  lodge, 
No.  205,  at  Index,  and  also  of  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World,  at  Everett.  An  enthusiastic  Republican,  he 
has  alwaj's  taken  an  active  interest  in  political  mat- 
ters, but  has  never  had  any  desire  to  seek  political 
honors  for  himself.  He  is  a  communicant  in  the 
Baptist  church ;  his  wife,  in  the  Congregational.  He 
is  a  man  whose  sterling  worth  is  at  once  appreciated 
by  all  who  are  thrown  in  contact  with  him  either 
in  business  or  social  relations.  During  the  early  pio- 
neer days  he  was  often  associated  with  the  Indians, 
whose  treachery  is  proverbial,  but  even  they  recog- 
nized his  manly  character,  and  with  but  one  excep- 
tion, proved  true  to  the  trust  he  reposed  in  them. 
He  is  justly  considered  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
influential  citizens  of  the  county,  one  whom  any 
community  might  be  pleased  to  claim. 


CHARLES  F.  McDONALD,  the  well  kmown 
merchant  of  Hartford,  Washington,  was  born  at 
Troy  Corners,  Oakland  County,  Michigan,  Febru- 
ary 13,  1859.  His  father,  John  McDonald,  a  native 
of  Scotland,  came  to  Michigan  in  boyhood,  and  was 
engaged  in  farming  when  the  call  for  volunteers 
came"  in  1861.  He  enlisted  in  the  Thirteenth  Michi- 
gan Infantry,  and  was  killed  on  the  famous  battle- 
field of  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863.  Mary  (Fawl) 
McDonald,  the  mother,  was  also  born  in  Scotland; 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


she  is  now  living  in  Detroit,  Alichigan,  at  the  age  of 
ninety.  Of  her  seven  children,  Charles  F.  is  the 
sixth.  Throughout  boyhood  his  delicate  health  inter- 
fered seriously  with  his  education,  most  of  which 
he  secured  after  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen.  He 
iiad  previously  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  but  did 
not  follow  it  until  some  j-ears  later.  After  working 
on  various  farms  for  several  years,  he  went  to  Da- 
kota, in  1881  and  began  farming  for  himself.  Hail- 
storms having  destroyed  his  crops  two  years  in  suc- 
cession, he  abandoned  the  work,  and  spent  the  next 
three  years  at  his  trade.  Eventually  deciding  to 
seek  a  home  in  the  Northwest,  he  migrated  to  Seat- 
tle in  November,  1887.  He  was  employed  at  his 
trade  there  for  two  years,  then  came  to  Snohomish 
county.  August  17,  1889,  and  purchased  a  ranch 
where  Hartford  is  nt)\v  located.  He  then  returned 
to  Seattle  to  secure  building  materials  for  a  hotel. 
In  adilitidti  to  the  freight  charges  he  was  obliged  to 
])ay  twenty  di illars  to  have  the  train  held  twenty 
minutes  wliile  the  lumber  was  unloaded  on  his  farm. 
The  following  year  he  built  a  store,  and  he  owned 
and  conducted  both  it  and  the  hotel  for  seven  years, 
during  five  years  of  which  he  was  also  post-master. 
Closing  the  hotel  he  moved  the  store  to  Hartford 
Junction,  and  sold  a  half-interest  to  a  partner,  who 
soon  bought  out  the  other  half  of  the  business.  Mr. 
AfcDonald  then  moved  on  his  ranch,  situated  one- 
half  mile  out  of  town,  and  devoted  his  entire  at- 
tention to  farming  for  the  ensuing  five  years.  Later, 
his  old  store  having  been  destroyed  by  fire,  he  re- 
built on  the  same  site  in  1901,  and  has  since  givei 
his  best  efiforts  to  building  up  a  large  trade. 

Mr.  McDonald  was  married  in  Dakota,  August  4, 
18S4,  to  Mary  Curran,  who  died  December  29^1897, 
leaving  a  family  of  four  children.  On  September 
;i(l.  1899,  he  remarried,  Elizabeth  Doming  this  time 
becoming  his  wife.  She  is  a  native  of  Colfax,  Wash-  j 
ington.  Her  parents,  Peter  and  Ida  (Smith)  Dom- 
ing, were  born  in  Wisconsin.  Her  father,  who  now 
lives  near  Machias.  Washington,  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  eastern  part  of  this  state.  The  moth- 
er is  deceased.  Of  Mr.  McDonald's  five  children, 
Eva,  Lilly,  Jennie,  Helen,  Alice  and  Fred,  all  are 
living  except  Jennie,  who  died  in  1884,  aged  four. 
Mr.  McDonald  is  active  in  fraternal  circles,  being  .i 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the 
Yeomen  and  the  Eagles.  In  political  belief  he  ad- 
heres to  Republican  principles,  and  loyally  supports 
the  party,  while  in  religion  he  and  his  family  are 
Congregationalists.  Unfortunately  Mr.  McDonald 
has  had  a  great  amount  of  sickness  in  his  family. 
At  the  time  of  his  first  wife's  death  five  of  his  fam- 
ily were  under  the  doctor's  care,  and  one  child  spent 
an  entire  year  in  the  hospital.  Notwithstanding  the 
great  expense  thus  incurred,  Mr.  McDonald  has 
been  able  by  careful  management  to  meet  his  obliga-  J 


tions  and  to  become  firmly  established  in  the  mer- 
cantile business.  His  upright,  manly  character  has 
won  for  him  the  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens,  who 
recognize  his  sterling  worth. 


OSCAR  SANDMANN,  a  prosperous  farmer  re- 
siding one  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Granite 
Falls,  was  born  February  22,  1860,  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, which  was  also  the  birthplace  of  his  parents, 
Simon  and  Carrie  (Walliser)  Sandmann.  The 
father,  a  charcoal  manufacturer,  died  in  1862,  at  the 
age  of  forty-five.  The  mother,  eight  years  her  hus- 
band's junior,  died  in  1903.  She  was  the  mother  of 
four  children,  three  of  whom  are  still  living  in  Ger- 
many. At  the  early  age  of  seven  Oscar  Sandmann 
began  to  support  himself  by  working  as  chore  boy 
on  a  farm.  By  diligently  improving  his  limited  op- 
portunities he  secured  his  education  in  the  common 
schools.  When  fourteen  years  old  he  entered  a  saw- 
mill for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  business,  spend- 
ing two  years  during  which  he  received  his  board  as 
compensation.  He  served  in  the  German  army  in 
field  artillery  three  years.  Having  become  familiar 
with  the  various  departments  of  the  lumber  busi- 
ness, he  engaged  in  it  till  he  immigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1880.  He  located  at  Eau  Claire,  Wis- 
consin, for  a  year,  and  then  sought  an  opening  in  the 
vast  northwest  with  its  wonderful  resources.  He 
went  first  to  Seattle,  making  the  trip  via  San  Fran- 
cisco. After  a  three-months'  stop  there  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Snohomish,  coming  up  the  river  to  where 
he  now  lives.  Here  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Taking  his  supplies  to 
Machias  on  a  wagon,  he  and  a  Norwegian  friend, 
Ludwig  Sandwig,  who  owned  a  claim  a  mile  south 
of  his.  expected  to  complete  the  journey  with  a 
canoe.  They  loaded  supplies  and  tools  and  hope- 
fully started  on  their  trip,  which  proved  to  be  an 
eventful  one.  Pushing  from  shore  at  one  o'clock  on 
Monday,  August  1,  1883,  they  found  a  log  jam  im- 
peding their  progress  about  every  ten  or  twelve  rods, 
thus  necessitating  the  unloading  of  everything  and 
carrying  supplies  and  canoe  over  these  obstructions. 
They  also  encountered  numberless  sand  bars  where 
they  were  obliged  to  do  the  same  tedious  work  over 
again.  At  eight  o'clock  that  night  they  found  they 
had  only  traversed  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  trip. 
Running  on  a  snag  in  the  swift  current  of  the  river, 
the  canoe  upset.  His  comrade  lost  even  his  shoes 
that  were  in  it.  They  recovered  as  much  as  possible 
of  the  precious  freight,  but  much  of  it  was  lost  and 
a  part  of  what  was  found  was  unfit  for  use.  A  shot 
gun  and  a  saw  were  among  the  missing  tools.  Near- 
ly a  month  later  Mr.  Sandmann  found  the  former 
by  diving  for  it,  but  the  latter  is  still  missing.  Moor- 
ing the  canoe,  they  climbed  up  on  the  bank,  and 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


decided  to  wait  the  coming  of  another  day  before 
continuing  their  pilgrimage.  Undismayed  by  th,: 
Experiences  of  the  previous  day,  they  rose  with  the 
dawn  the  following  morning  and  packed  the  few 
belongings  they  had  rescued,  along  the  bank  of  the 
river  in  relay  trips.  Four  days  after  leaving  Ma- 
chias  they  reached  their  destination.  Mr.  Sandmann 
erected  a  cabin,  and  then  returned  to  Snohomish 
working  in  lumber  camps  while  at  the  same  time 
holding  his  claim.  In  1890  he  took  up  his  perma- 
nent residence  on  it,  beginning  the  arduous  task  of 
clearing  the  land  and  putting  it  in  condition  to  culti- 
vate. Two  At-ars  later  a  lumber  company  from 
Snohomish  built  a  mill  on  his  land.  In  less  than  a 
year  the  enterprise  failed  completely,  thus  occasion- 
ing him  heavy  losses.  A  Granite  Falls  company 
having  built  on  the  same  site  some  two  years  later, 
they  engaged  in  business  for  a  time,  but  soon,  how- 
ever, it  shared  the  fate  of  the  former  company. 
Later,  another  firm  opened  up  the  business  again, 
and  made  a  success  of  it.  In  1001  the  Sobey  Manu- 
facturing Company  purchased  the  mill,  and  still  own 
and  operate  it.  Mr.  Sandmann  has  now  eighty  acres 
in  cultivation,  devoting  it  principally  to  dairying  and 
stock  raising.  He  has  a  fine  herd  of  Durham  cattle. 
A  part  of  his  land  is  leased  to  the  lumber 
company.  He  is  also  largely  interested  in  city  prop- 
erty, owning  besides  his  home  eight  other  houses 
which  he  rents. 

Mr.  Sandmann  was  married  September  19,  1899, 
to  Annie  Rheinhart,  a  native  of  Schulenburg,  Fay- 
ette County,  Texas,  where  Mr.  Sandmann  went  for 
his  wife.  Her  parents,  Andrews  and  Lena  (Becker) 
Rheinhart,  have  been  residents  of  that  town  since 
their  childhood.  Her  parents  were  born  in  Ger- 
many. They  are  farmers  and  stock  raisers.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sandmann  have  two  children,  Oscar  and 
Alvin.  Although  an  active  Republican,  Mr.  Sand- 
mann has  never  entertained  any  political  aspira- 
tions, and  has  persistently  refused  to  allow  his  name 
to  come  before  the  public,  as  a  candidate  for  any 
office.  He  and  his  family  are  identified  with  the 
Catholic  church.  As  a  capable,  energetic  business 
man  he  has  won  a  large  measure  of  success.  He  is 
also  a  public  spirited,  enterprising  citizen,  cheerfully 
contributing  time  and  means  to  the  advancement  of 
any  enterprise  that  will  prove  beneficial  to  the  com- 
munity. It  was  through  his  eft'orts  that  the  co- 
operative store  was  formed  in  Granite  Falls,  and  this 
is  only  an  example  of  his  keen,  practical  judgment. 


WILLIAM  D.  JONES.  Among  the  many  men 
of  foreign  birth  who  have  found  in  the  United  States 
a  home  and  the  prosperity  which  they  sought,  is 
numbered  the  one  whose  name  initiates  this  article. 
He  was  born  in  Wales   Februarv   10,   1872.     Flis 


father,  David  Jones,  the  well  known  hotel  proprie- 
tor of  Hartford,  Washington,  was  born  in  1851. 
Margaret  (Jones)  Jones,  the  mother,  died  in  1884, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-three.  William  D.  Jones  is  the 
oldest  of  seven  children.  His  parents  haviiig  moved 
to  Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  when  he  was  but  five 
years  old,  he  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  that  state.  He  began  working  in  the  coal 
breakers  at  the  age  of  twelve.  Three  years  later  he 
decided  to  find  an  opening  in  the  great  Northwest 
of  which  he  had  so  often  heard  and  came  west,  lo- 
cating first  in  Franklin,  Washington,  where  he  re- 
mained eight  years.  During  the  next  few  years 
he  drifted  from  one  place  to  another,  residing  for  a 
time  in  Wardner,  Idaho,  in  the  early  'nineties.  He 
then  mined  in  turn  in  Alberta,  Montana,  Vancou- 
ver island  and  Colorado.  In  1887  he  determined  to 
find  a  permanent  home  and  establish  himself  in 
business,  and  after  comparing  the  advantages  af- 
forded by  the  various  states  which  he  had  visited  in 
his  travels,  selected  W^ashington.  Subsequent 
events  have  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  his  choice. 
Opening  a  saloon  in  Lochsly,  he  conducted  it  for 
two  years,  then  removed  to  Hartford,  his  present 
home,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Jones  was  married  in  1900  to  Mattie  Wil- 
liams, the  daughter  of  a  prominent  family  in  Ken- 
tucky. She  herself  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  Her 
parents,  Benjamin  and  Ida  Gertrude  (Hall)  Wil- 
liams, were  both  natives  of  Kentucky.  The  father 
died  in  1882.  The  mother,  now  Mrs.  Shackleford, 
is  living  at  Columbia  station,  near  Seattle.  One 
child  has  been  bom  to  Mr.  and  J\lrs.  Jones,  Bernice 
G.,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  August  6,  1901.  Mr. 
Jones  is  very  popular  in  fraternal  circles.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Green  River 
lodge,  No.  33,  of  Franklin,  Washington,  and  of  the 
Redmen ;  also  holds  a  life-membership  in  the  Order 
of  Eagles.  In  politics  he  adheres  to  Republican 
principles,  loyally  supporting  the  party  in  every  way. 
While  he  does  not  seek  political  preferment  for  him- 
self, he  nevertheless  takes  an  active  part  in  cau- 
cuses and  conventions.  He  is  a  young  man  of  good 
judgment  and  practical  business  ability,  destined  ap- 
parently to  become  a  man  of  wealth. 


EDWIN  J.  LANE,  of  Lochsly,  has  been  promi- 
nently identified  with  the  progress  of  Snohomish 
county  for  the  past  fifteen  years  and  is  to-day  one 
of  its  strong  business  men  and  public  spirited  citi- 
zens. Endowed  with  unusual  executive  abilit)', 
backed  by  ceaseless  energy,  he  is  among  the  leaders 
in  the  county's  development,  exploiting  its  rich  re- 
sources in  various  ways  that  demonstrate  his  faith 
in  the  sound  countrw     His  activities  are  not  con- 


DWIN    J.    LANE 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


fined  to  this  county,  but  branch  out  into  other  sec- 
tions of  the  state,  indicating  a  broad  grasp  of  affairs. 
Bom  in  the  latter  part  of  1863,  near  Ottawa, 
Canada,  Mr.  Lane  is  the  youngest  of  five  children 
and  the  only  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Worrell) 
Lane.  The  elder  Lane  was  born  in  the  ancient  city 
of  Quebec  in  the  year  1820,  but  settled  at  Ottawa 
before  the  Canadian  capital  had  developed  into  a 
town  of  any  consequence,  engaging  in  the  mercan- 
tile business.  In  1885  he  left  Ottawa  for  Toronto, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  1890.  Mrs.  Lane,  a 
native  of  Bryson,  Ontario,  passed  away  forty  years 
ago.  Edwin  J.  received  his  early  education  in  the 
common  schools,  at  nine  years  of  age  doing  chores 
for  his  board  while  attending  school.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  the  young  Canadian  came  west  to  Lytton, 
British  Columbia,  where  he  secured  employment  as 
a  bridge  constructor  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  rail- 
way. He  was  later  transferred  to  the  division  along 
the  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  then  returned  to 
Donald,  British  Columbia,  and  ultimately  accepted  a 
position  in  the  bridge  department  of  the  Colorado 
Midland,  going  to  the  Centennial  state  in  1886.  Two 
and  a  half  years  later  he  resigned  to  accept  similar 
employment  with  the  Denver.  Texas  &  Fort  Worth, 
and  at  the  end  of  this  contract  went  to  Leadville. 
There  he  engaged  in  logging  which  interested  him 
so  much  that  he  decided  to  seek  the  greater  oppor- 
tunities this  industry  offered  in  the  forest  covered 
Northwest.  He  reached  Seattle  in  1889,  and  for 
the  time  being  engaged  in  street  improvement  work 
in  company  with  a  partner,  the  firm  being  Lane  & 
Smart.  Some  time  was  also  spent  in  Tacoma,  after 
which  Mr.  Lane  came  north  to  Port  Gardner  in  the 
days  before  the  city  of  Everett  was  built.  Here  he 
did  some  contract  work  for  the  Great  Xorthern 
Railroad  and  acquired  city  property,  one  parcel  of 
which  he  still  occupies  with  his  city  home.  Since 
the  construction  of  the  great  paper  mill  in  Everett 
by  the  Everett  Pulp  &  Paper  Company.  Air.  Lane 
has  furnished  its  raw  material  from  the  forests  of 
Snohomish  county.  He  is  employing  seventy-five 
men  in  his  camp  near  Lochsly,  one  of  the  largest  in 
the  county,  equipped  with  the  most  modern  appli- 
ances for  logging.  There,  also,  he  has  a  farm  em- 
bracing one  thousand  one  hundred  acres,  known  as 
Woodland  Farm,  which  its  owner  is  developing  into 
a  model  Puget  sound  ranch.  He  is  making  a  spe- 
cialty of  fancy  bred  stock,  fruit  growing,  etc.  His 
penchant  for  horses  lies  in  the  direction  of  standard 
bred  trotting  animals,  some  of  his  colts  being  the 
offspring  of  McKinney,  recognized  the  world  over 
as  one  of  the  best  stallions  in  his  class.  He  also  has 
some  of  Zombro's  get.  Of  Holstein  cattle  Mr.  Lane 
possesses  a  choice  bunch,  all  registered.  Four  hun- 
dred pure  bred  I.  O.  C.  hogs  comnlete  the  list  of 
stock   to    be    found    upon    this    well    known    farm. 


Woodland  Farm,  however,  does  not  comprise  all  of 
Mr.  Lane's  agricultural  and  stock  interests  for  he 
has  a  large  interest  in  a  four  hundred-acre  irrigated 
tract,  six  miles  from  Prosser  in  Benton  county.  In 
both  these  farms  he  is  associated  with  A.  J.  Agnew. 
Mr.  Lane  and  Miss  Mary  O'Reilly,  a  native  of 
Canada  also,  were  united  in  marriage  in  1890.  Her 
parents,  Patrick  and  Victoria  (Julia)  O'Reilly,  are 
now  residents  of  Seattle.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lane 
four  children  have  been  born :  Harry,  Mary,  Bea- 
trice and  Catherine.  In  church  membership,  Mr. 
Lane  is  an  Episcopalian  while  his  wife  is  a  com- 
municant in  the  Catholic  church.  Politically,  he  is 
a  Democrat :  fraternally,  a  member  of  the  Woodmen 
of  the  World.  Mr.  Lane  is  one  of  the  substantial 
men  of  the  state,  a  man  of  fine  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart,  a  citizen  of  public  spirit,  and  a  man  of  marked 
executive  ability,  as  is  shown  by  the  success  which 
has  attended  the  varied  lines  of  activity  to  which  he 
has  devoted  himself. 


WILLIAAI  A.  CLARK,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
^lachias,  Washington,  residing  one-half  mile  north- 
east of  town,  was  born  in  Winnebago  County,  Wis- 
consin, December  26,  1853.  His  father,  Silas  P. 
Clark,  was  born  in  \''ermont  June  26,  1824,  settled 
in  AVisconsin  in  early  life  and  made  that  his  home 
for  many  years.  Several  years  after  his  sons  located 
in  Washington,  he  came  hither  also,  and  was  living 
here  at  the"  time  of  his  death,  April  27,  1901.  Eliza- 
beth M.  (Hunt)  Clark,  the  mother,  was  a  native  of 
Mansfield,  Ohio,  born  August  2,  1832.  Her  death 
occurred  December  10,  1900.  Of  her  eight  children 
all  but  one  are  residents  of  IMichigan.  Owing  to  his 
father's  ill  health,  A\'illiam  A.  Clark  began  to  sup- 
port himself  when  but  twelve  years  of  age,  finding 
employment  in  the  woods  and  mills  for  a  time,  and 
later  sailing  on  the  Great  Lakes.  In  1877  he  came 
to  Washington  via  San  Francisco  in  which  city  he 
was  obliged  to  wait  five  days  for  a  boat  to  carry 
him  to  the  sound.  He  remained  nine  days  in  Seat- 
tle, then  proceeded  to  Snohomish,  at  that  time  a 
very  small  town,  and  in  a  week  he  and  his  wife  were 
hired  to  go  to  a  logging  camp  on  the  Pilchuck. 
Loading  all  their  earthly  possessions  in  a  canoe  they 
went  at  once  to  the  camp.  Three  months  later,  hav- 
ing located  the  land  on  which  he  now  lives,  he  gave 
up  his  position  and  settled  on  the  ranch.  In  the  fall 
of  that  year.  1877,  all  the  logging  camps  in  Snoho- 
mish county  abandoned  work,  and  as  a  natural  re- 
sult the  mills  were  also  closed.  When  Mr.  Clark 
took  up  his  residence  here  his  nearest  white  neigh- 
bors were  two  miles  away.  His  entire  housekeep- 
ing outfit  consisted  of  a  cook  stove,  and  even  this 
proved  to  be  a  formidable  burden,  for  the  only  way 
to  reach  his  claim  was  bv  the  river,  which  was  so 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


full  of  log  jams  that  even  a  canoe  could  scarcely  be 
used  with  safety.  Snohomish  was  the  nearst  post 
office  and  base  of  supplies.  The  fare  from  that 
point  to  Seattle  was  then  four  dollars.  As  it  was 
impossible  to  earn  a  dollar,  times  were  very  hard 
for  many  of  the  settlers  who  had  no  ready  money, 
but  fortunately  Mr.  Clark  had  sufficient  means  to 
tide  him  over  the  first  few  months.  As  soon  as  pos- 
sible he  began  clearing  his  land  and  now  has  sixty 
acres  in  cultivation.  He  has  a  large  herd  of  cattle 
and  devotes  a  share  of  his  time  and  attention  to 
dairying. 

Mr.  Clark  was  married  July  18,  1875,  to  Mary 
E.  Mills,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  the  daughter  of 
Harper  and  Elizabeth  (Foote)  Mills.  The  mother 
died  in  Wisconsin ;  the  father  in  South  Dakota.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark. 
Myrtle  and  Opal,  now  at  home,  both  natives  of 
Snohomish  county.  Although  Mr.  Clark  has  been 
for  many  years  a  loyal  Republican,  he  has  never 
had  any  political  aspirations  for  himself.  He  is  a 
practical  and  successful  farmer,  thoroughly  familiar 
with  all  the  departments  of  the  work.  Recognizing 
him  as  a  man  of  integrity  whose  word  is  as  good  as 
his  note,  his  fellow  citizens  accord  him  the  highest 
respect  and  honor. 


IRA  CARPENTER,  the  well  known  and  highly 
esteemed  pioneer  of  Carpenter  creek,  is  not  alone  a 
pioneer  of  this  county,  but  is  among  the  earliest  in 
the  Northwest,  having  come  north  to  Puget  sound 
in  18.54.  His  life  has  been  an  eventful  one  and  his 
experience  in  Oregon  and  Washington  is  coincident 
with  many  of  the  most  important  occurrences  mark 
ing  the  history  of  this  section  of  the  West.  He  was 
liorn  at  Harmony,  Chautauqua  County,  New  York, 
April  18,  1831,  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Mahetta  B. 
(Matteson)  Carpenter,  also  New  Yorkers.  The 
father,  who  was  born  February  19,  1793,  was  a 
farmer  and  lumberman.  He  served  in  the  War  of 
1818.  His  death  occurred  in  New  York  state  in 
1858.  The  mother  was  born  near  Troy,  February 
9,  1797,  and  passed  away  April  9,  1889.  Ira  Car- 
penter was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  New 
York.  He  left  home  when  seventeen  years  old,  go- 
ing to  Wisconsin,  but  after  spending  two  years  there 
he  returned  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  work  on 
the  famous  Erie  canal.  Soon,  however,  he  went  to 
sea,  and  served  as  steward  several  months,  but  final- 
ly disembarked  at  New  Orleans  and  secured  em- 
ployment on  the  old  river  steamer  Magnolia.  Re- 
turning at  length  to  Michigan,  through  which  he 
had  passed  at  an  earlier  date,  he  logged  one  winter, 
then  went  to  Independence,  Missouri,  and  hired  out 
to  Waldo  &  McCoy,  the  men  who  conducted  the 
pony  express  across  the  plains  to  California.     Mr. 


Carpenter  made  one  trip,  replete  with  hardships  but 
rich  in  experiences  of  ad  sorts.  The  journey  occu- 
pied five  months.  Its  western  terminus  was  lone 
valley,  where  Mr.  Carpenter  left  the  outfit  to  go  ta 
work  in  the  mines.  In  the  summer  of  1854  he  went 
to  San  Francisco,  shipped  on  board  the  old  "Ella 
Frances,"  and  shortly  afterward  he  found  himself  at 
Port  Gamble,  then  about  as  isolated  a  place  as  there 
was  among  the  northern  Pacific  ports.  Washington 
Territory  itself  had  been  in  existence  only  a  year. 
After  several  trips  between  San  Francisco  and  Port 
Gamble,  Mr.  Carpenter  was  cast  adrift  with  his- 
mates  on  the  ocean,  helpless  and  in  a  wrecked  con- 
dition. The  craft  drifted  aimlessly  for  one  hundred 
and  five  days  with  its  starving,  thirsty,  poorly  clad 
crew,  before  the  crude  jury  mast  and  temporary 
sail  carried  it  into  the  straits  and  to  Port  Gamble. 
There  the  vessel  was  sold  to  parties  who  repaired 
and  refitted  it  and  took  it  back  to  San  Francisco, 
Mr.  Carpenter  serving  as  one  of  the  crew  down  the 
coast. 

June  5,  1855,  Mr.  Carpenter  enlisted,  under  art 
assumed   name,  at   San   Francisco  in   Company  A, 

regiment  under  Colonel  Wright  and  with  the 

command  came  north  to  Fort  Steilacoom  and  later  to 
Fort  X'ancouver,  whence  he  was  led  by  the  colonel 
through  one  of  the  most  memorable  campaigns  in 
western  Indian  history  the  story  of  which  appears 
in  this  volume.  After  the  war  he  served  as  post 
commissary  awhile;  later  he  clerked  in  Captain 
Jordan's  office  at  The  Dalles,  where,  eventually,  he 
was  appointed  assistant  packmaster  to  the  Mullan 
Expedition,  which  surveyed  the  historic  Mullan  road 
through  Washington,  Idaho  and  Montana.  Arriv- 
ing at  St.  Regis  a"fter  a  difficult,  dangerous  journey, 
Mr.  Carpenter  was  detailed  to  go  up  the  Bitter  Root 
valley  where  he  spent  some  time,  returning  to  Camp 
Jordan  on  the  St.  Regis  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
miles  away,  by  means  of  snowshoes.  Upon  his  ar- 
rival he  found  the  expedition  sorely  in  want  of  sup- 
plies. As  a  result  one  hundred  and  thirteen  of  the 
command  started  for  the  settlements,  hundreds  of 
miles  away,  ninety-nine  walking  to  Colville  and 
fourteen  to  Walla  Walla.  Of  that  last  company  Mr. 
Carpenter  was  the  only  one  to  get  through  without 
serious  injury  from  the  intense  cold.  One  of  the 
others  froze  to  death.  The  trip  was  begun  in  Feb- 
ruary of  the  year  18G0,  in  the  midst  of  a  very  cold, 
stormy  winter  season.  Mr.  Carpenter  and  another 
man  left  the  little  company  in  what  is  now  Idaho, 
intending  to  get  help  at  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mission, 
and  in  fording  the  Coeur  d'Alene  river  the  two 
waded  naked  through  slush  ice  waist  deep,  carrying 
their  clothes  and  other  things  in  their  arms.  .A.fter 
innumerable  narrow  escapes  and  great  hardship 
they  reached  Walla  Walla,  where  Mr.  Carpenter  at 
once  organized  a  pack  train,  at  the  head  of  which 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


he  went  to  the  rehef  of  those  at  Fort  Colville,  mak- 
ing the  trip  in  sixteen  da\'s. 

Mr.  Carpenter  remained  at  Colville  until  the 
middle  of  May,  when,  after  having  failed  to  agree 
with  his  commander,  he  returned  to  Walla  Walla, 
arriving  June  3d.  Immediately  this  intrepid  fron- 
tiersman headed  a  party  bound  for  Missouri.  After 
a  two  month  trip,  uneventful  compared  with  Mr. 
Carpenter's  previous  ones,  the  party  reached  its  des- 
tination, and  soon  Mr.  Carpenter  had  located  in 
Howell  county,  which  was  his  home  thereafter  until 
1883.  He  was  there  married  in  October,  1861,  to 
Miss  Samantha  A.  Holden,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
who  came  to  Missouri  in  1856  with  her  parents, 
Benjamin  and  Mary  A.  (Cook)  Holden.  During 
tlie  Civil  War  General  Price  ruined  Mr.  Carpenter's 
farm,  taking  away  everything  of  value  he  possessed 
except  a  yoke  of  cattle.  Shortly  afterward  he  re- 
moved to  Illinois  temporarily,  returning  to  Howell 
county  in  1866,  whence  in  1883  he  drove  across  the 
plains  to  Rockford,  Spokane  County,  Washington. 
He  tarried  there  eighteen  months,  coming  then  to 
Renton,  King  county.  In  July,  1887,  the  intrepid, 
restless  pioneer  again  sought  isolation,  taking  a 
homestead  on  Carpenter  creek,  Snohomish  county. 
His  nearest  neighbor  at  the  time  was  six  miles  away 
and  the  nearest  road  was  at  Machias,  likewise  six 
miles  distant.  He  worked  all  through  the  summer 
of  1888  to  put  through  a  rough  road  from  Machias, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  brought  his  family  up 
the  creek  to  the  homestead.  This  place  has  since 
been  his  home  and  to  it  he  is  devoting  the  remain- 
der of  his  years  improving  it  and  making  it  as  lucra  • 
tive  and  comfortable  as  possible.  Mrs.  Carpenter, 
after  a  long,  useful  life,  passed  away  September  1, 
1892.  leaving  four  children:  Mrs.  Ellen  Chowning, 
since  deceased;  Curtis,  living  near  his  father;  Na- 
than, a  resident  of  M^achias ;  and  Mrs.  Maria  Men- 
zel.  the  wife  of  the  well  known  Granite  Falls  pio- 
neer mill  owner.  Mr.  Carpenter  mainly  by  his  own 
efforts  organized  the  school  district  in  which  he 
lives,  and  he  served  as  a  member  of  its  board  many 
years.  Politically,  he  is  an  independent  voter.  He 
is  known  as  a  public-spirited  citizen,  interested  in 
every  progressive  movement  in  his  community  and 
state,  and  honored  as  one  of  the  men  who  partici- 
pated in  foundation  laying  in  the  territory. 


York,  was  born  in  Allegany  county,  in  1843.  She 
is  now  living  in  Granite  Falls  with  her  son,  DanieJ 
I.  In  the  common  schools  of  Michigan  Mr.  Car- 
penter received  his  education.  His  father  having 
immigrated  to  the  West  in  1889,  he  followed  in  1892, 
coming  to  Granite  Falls  where  the  elder  Carpenter 
had  taken  up  land  four  and  one-half  miles  east  of 
the  town.  The  railroad  had  not  then  been  built,  and 
there  was  little  promise  of  the  wonderful  progress 
everywhere  apparent  to-day.  Mr.  Carpenter  re- 
mained on  the  farm  and  in  the  woods  until  1901. 
Renting  the  ranch  which  became  his  on  the  death  of 
his  father  in  1897,  he  located  in  town,  and  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Sobey  Mill  Company,  with  whom 
he  still  remains.  He  has  charge  of  the  river  work. 
He  is  prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge.  No.  191,  at  Granite  Falls, 
and  also  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  A 
loyal  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1904,  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Granite  Falls 
entering  upon  his  duties  January  1,  1905,  the  second 
mayor  the  city  had  elected.  He  was  also  a  member 
of  the  first  city  council.  Although  still  a  young 
man.  he  takes  an  active  and  unusually  influential 
part  in  promoting  any  public  enterprise  that  will 
contribute  to  the  growth  and  development  of  this 
section.  In  religious  belief  he  inclines  to  the  Meth- 
odist church,  and  supports  her  various  benevolences. 
That  he  has  discharged  and  will  continue  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  his  office  in  a  manner  worthy 
of  emulation  is  a  matter  of  conviction  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  are  intimately  acquainted  with  him, 
and  who  are  thus  permitted  to  know  the  ability  and 
strength  of  character  partially  concealed  by  his  quiet, 
unassuming  manner. 


DANIEL  I.  CARPENTER,  mayor  of  Granite 
Falls,  was  born  in  Sherman,  Wexford  County, 
Michigan,  March  1,  1874.  Plis  father,  Isaac  N. 
Carpenter,  was  born  in  Chautauqua  County,  New 
York,  in  1837.  He  moved  to  northern  Michigan  in 
1863,  in  which  state  he  lived  twenty-six  years ;  his 
death  occurred  at  Granite  Falls  in  1897.  Anna 
(Clark)  Carpenter,  the  mother,  also  a  native  of  New 


FR.\NK  NILES.  Among  the  well  known  edi- 
tors of  Snohomish  county  is  Frank  Niles,  of  the 
Granite  Falls  Post.  He  was  born  in  Ellsworth,  Min- 
nesota. June  6,  1876.  His  father,  Lucien  B.  Niles, 
bom  in  Maine  in  1837,  went  to  Minnesota  in  early 
manhood,  and  remained  there  till  1886.  engaged  in 
farming,  logging  and  hunting.  During  the  Indian 
troubles  of  the  early  'sixties  he  did  scout  duty  for 
some  time.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Washington 
since  1886,  when  he  migrated  to  Port  Townsend. 
Four  years  later  he  moved  to  Snohomish,  which  was 
I  his  home  until  his  death,  February  3,  1906.  Carrie 
(McKusick)  Niles,  the  mother,  is  also  a  native  of 
Maine,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  1845.  She  is  the 
mother  of  nine  children.  Frank  Niles  acquired  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Port  Townsend  and 
Snohomish.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  learn- 
ing the  printer's  trade,  working  in  the  office  of  the 
Snohomish  Tribune  until  1899.  Going  thence  to 
Index,  he  accepted  a  positon  on  the  Index  Miner, 


1060 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


retaining  it  two  years.  A  year  later  he  established 
the  Silverton  Miner,  in  which  a  few  months  after-, 
ward  E.  R.  Nunamaker  purchased  a  half  interest. 
In  May,  1903,  he  and  Roy  Moore  founded  the  Gran- 
ite Falls  Post.  The  following  June  he  purchased 
the  interest  owned  by  Mr.  Moore,  and  he  was  sole 
proprietor  of  the  paper  until  August,  1904,  when  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Roy  G.  Messner  of  Gran- 
ite Falls,  with  whom  he  is  still  associated.  Having 
bought  out  Mr.  Nunamaker's  interest  in  the  Silver- 
ton  Miner,  he  closed  this  office  in  January,  1904, 
moving  the  plant  to  Granite  Falls.  Mr.  Niles  is 
prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  member  of 
the  Redmen,  at  Everett,  and  an  active  worker  in  the 
Good  Templars  lodge.  In  political  belief  he  loyally 
supports  Republican  doctrines,  but  for  himself  has 
never  sought  political  preferment.  He  is  recognized 
as  a  young  man  of  excellent  habits  and  unquestioned 
business  ability.  He  has  already  established  for  the 
Post  the  reputation  of  being  a  clean,  fearless,  ably 
edited  publication.  That  in  the  years  to  come  it  will 
be  a  still  more  potent  factor  in  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  town  is  firmly  believed  by  those 
who  are  best  acquainted  with  Mr.  Niles  and  his 
capable  partner. 


ROY  G.  MESSNER.  of  the  firm  of  Niles  & 
Messner,  publishers  of  the  Granite  Falls  Post,  one 
of  the  progressive  journals  of  Snohomish  county,  is 
one  of  that  city's  rising  young  men.  He  is  practical- 
ly a  product  of  Granite  Falls,  having  lived  there 
since  he  was  two  years  old,  his  parents  being  among 
the  earliest  pioneers  of  the  region. 

Lewis  A.  Messner,  the  father  of  Roy  G.,  was  born 
in  Wa>me  County,  Ohio,  July  1,  ISS'g,  the  son  of 
Fred  and  Alargaret  Messner,  both  of  whom  were 
also  natives  of  Wayne  County.  Fred  Messner,  a 
farmer  by  vocation,  passed  away  in  1883 ;  his  wife 
died  when  Lewis  A.  was  a  boy.  Lewis  A.  Messner 
lived  on  the  farm  until  he  attained  the  age  of 
eleven,  then  left  home  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world,  going  first  to  Indiana  and  there  entering  the 
farming  and  lumbering  industries.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out,  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  Forty- 
Sixth  Indiana  Volunteers  with  whom  he  served 
throughout  the  long  struggle  until  mustered  out  late 
in  1865,  after  more  than  four  years  of  army  life.  He 
was  first  in  the  Thirteenth  Army  Corps  under  Gen- 
eral Hovey  with  whom  he  served  until  after  the  fall 
of  Vicksburg.  The  regiment  was  then  transferred 
to  the  Nineteenth  Corps  under  Banks.  While  raiding 
the  Texas  border  in  18G4  Mr.  Messner's  division 
was  captured  and  its  members  paroled,  but  they  saw 
some  additional  service  at  the  front  before  peace 
was  declared.  Because  of  physical  disability  brought 
on  by  army  service  Mr.  Messner  now  draws  a  pen- 


sion. After  the  war  he  farmed  in  Iowa,  then  in  1868 
he  went  to  Michigan,  farming  and  lumbering  at 
different  points  in  that  state  until  1888,  when  he 
came  to  Puget  sound.  He  at  once  took  a  pre-emp- 
tion claim  one  mile  west  of  the  site  of  Granite  Falls, 
and  a  little  later  filed  on  a  homestead  two  miles 
east  of  town.  Four  years  ago  he  removed  his  fam- 
ily to  Granite  Falls,  which  is  now  his  home.  He  is  a 
man  of  public  spirit  and  ability,  has  served  his 
city  as  councilman,  and  is  one  of  the  city's  substan- 
tial men.  He  is  a  member  and  one  of  the  organizers 
of  William  Hall  Post  No.  107,  and  is  affiliated 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  Oceana 
County,  Michigan,  in  September,  1867,  Mr.  Messner 
was  united  in  marriage  to  ]\Iiss  Mary  E.  Marsh,  the 
daughter  of  Jerome  and  ]Minerva  (Skinner)  Marsh. 
Mrs.  Messner  was  born  in  Genesee  County,  New 
York,  October  29, 1849,  and  came  to  Michigan  when 
a  girl.  Five  children  came  to  this  union :  Fred, 
George,  Leon,  Roy  G.  and  Cora,  now  Mrs.  Hansen, 
all  of  whom  are  residing  in  the  vicinity  of  Granite 
Falls. 

Roy  G.  was  born  on  a  farm  at  Fruitport,  Muske- 
gon County,  Michigan,  February  7,  1887.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  Granite  Falls  and  at  Snoho- 
mish, where  he  attended  high  school  for  a  time.  He 
learned  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  the  Gran- 
ite Falls  Post,  which  he  entered  as  an  apprentice 
February  8,  1904,  working  for  his  present  partner, 
Frank  Niles.  -In  August  of  that  year  Mr.  Messner 
purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  plant  and  simultan- 
eously his  brother,  George  L.,  purchased  a  half  in- 
terest and  the  enterprise  was  thereafter  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  Messner  Brothers  until  De- 
cember 5,  1904.  From  that  date  until  July  1,  190-5, 
Roy  G.  operated  the  business  alone,  the  partnership 
of  Niles  &  Messner  being  formed  at  that  time.  Suc- 
cess has  crowned  the  efforts  of  the  young  men, 
bringing  to  them  not  only  deserved  financial  remun- 
eration but  also  an  excellent  reputation  among  all 
with  whom  they  transact  business.  Mr.  Messner  is 
independent  in  his  political  views.  Fraternally,  he 
is  affiliated  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and 
the  Women  of  Woodcraft. 


DAVID  A  RITTER,  engaged  in  farming  and 
slockraising  upon  his  eighty-acre  farm  just  south  of 
Granite  Falls,  and  one  of  that  town's  later  pioneers, 
is  a  native  of  the  Peninsula  state,  bom  June  15, 
1865,  in  Cass  County,  one  of  the  finest  sections  of 
that  commonwealth.  His  father,  Henry  L.,  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1820,  of  German 
stock,  but  came  to  Michigan  in  its  pioneer  days  and 
hewed  out  a  home  on  La  Grange  Prairie,  one  of  the 
finest  agricultural  parts  of  the  state.  He  died  in 
1871  upon  the  old  homestead.  The  mother  of  David 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1061 


A.  was  in  maiden  life  Elizabeth  Shorte.  Her  de- 
mise occurred  four  months  before  that  of  her  hus- 
band. Of  the  twelve  children  of  whom  she  became 
the  mother  only  five  are  still  living,  two  sons  and 
three  daughters,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being 
next  to  the  youngest  child  in  the  family.  He  was 
reared  on  the  old  farm,  attended  the  public  schools 
of  the  neighborhood  and  when  a  young  man  en- 
tered the  shops  of  the  Round  Oak  Stove  Company 
at  Dowagiac,  Michigan,  one  of  the  best  known  con- 
cerns of  its  kind  in  the  union.  After  three  years 
thus  spent  he  returned  to  the  farm,  operating  the  old 
homestead  several  years.  Just  previous  to  his  im- 
migration to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1895,  he  worked 
some  time  in  the  stove  shops  at  Dowagiac.  Upon 
his  arrival  on  the  coast  he  came  immediately  to 
Granite  Falls  and  entered  the  shingle  mill  of  Ander- 
son Brothers  with  whom  he  remained  five  years.  A 
year  and  a  half  followed  with  Shafifer  Brothers  near- 
by, then  si.x  months  with  the  Sobey  jNIanufacturing 
Company.  Upon  the  conclusion  of  the  latter  ser- 
vice Mr.  Ritter,  in  November,  1902.  purchased  his 
present  place  just  southeast  of  town  and  moved  to  it. 
Since  then  he  has  been  engaged  in  developing  its  re- 
sources, also  doing  considerable  teaming  for  others. 
Mr.  Ritter  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella 
Ellis,  May  31,  1885,  while  residing  in  ?ilichigan. 
Her  parents.  Peter  and  Anna  (McWilliam)  Ellis, 
came  to  Jklichigan  in  an  early  day,  where  the  father 
followed  agricultural  pursuits.  Mrs.  Ellis  passed 
■away  before  the  marriage  of  her  daughter ;  i\Ir.  Ellis 
resides  with  Mr.  Ritter  at  Granite  Falls.  Mrs. 
Ritter  was  born  in  Sullivan,  New  York,  June  9, 
]S65,  and  therefore  was  twenty  years  old  when 
married.  Death  entered  the  Ritter  home  February 
25,  1904,  and  carried  away  the  faithful  wife  and  de- 
voted mother,  her  loss  being  mourned  as  a  personal 
one  by  all  who  knew  her.  Three  children,  Susie, 
Leroy  and  Floyd,  survive  her.  INIr.  Ritter  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  He  is  one  of  the  community's  substan- 
tial citizens  who  may  be  depended  upon  at  any  and 
all  times  to  deal  squarely  with  all,  to  support  any 
progressive  public  movement  and  in  general  to  con- 
tribute his  share  toward  the  betterment  of  all  around 
him. 


MICHAEL  DIFFLEY,  whose  saw-mill  and  ex- 
tensive logging  cainp  lie  on  the  Pilchuck  river,  two 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Granite  Falls,  Washing- 
ton, is  not  only  numbered  among  the  leading  opera- 
tors of  Snohomish  County  at  the  present  time,  but 
he  has  been  identified  prominently  with  the  lumber 
industry  in  Snohomish  and  Skagit  counties  for 
more  than  twenty  years  past.  Hundreds  of  stump- 
liddcH  acres  scattered  over  this  section  of  the  sound 


bear  witness  to  his  great  energy  in  this  line  of  ac- 
tivity in  which  he  has  attained  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion as  a  business  man  oi  marked  ability,  unusual 
aggressiveness  and  sound  judgment.  In  his  veins 
there  flows  pure  Celtic  blood,  the  inheritance  of  an 
unbroken  chain  of  Celtic  ancestors,  and  in  County- 
Longford,  Ireland,  he  was  born  in  the  year  1868, 
the  son  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Ferrel)  Diffley.  The 
senior  Diffley,  a  farmer  by  occupation  until  his  re- 
tirement from  the  activities  of  business  life,  is  still 
living  in  Ireland  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
eight.  The  mother  is  also  living,  she  being  now 
seventy-two  years  of  age.  Of  the  eight  children 
born  to  this  union,  of  whom  two  are  dead,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biographical  sketch,  is  the  sixth  child. 
His  early  life  was  that  of  most  Irish  lads  raised  on 
the  farm  and  members  of  a  large  family.  Until  he 
was  eleven  years  old  he  assisted  at  home  as  much 
as  possible  and  attended  the  common  schools  of  the 
district,  thus  attaining  what  schooling  he  could. 
Then,  with  his  sister  Mary,  he  left  the  family  roof 
to  seek  a  home  with  his  uncle,  Patrick  Greeley,  who 
lived  in  Wisconsin.  Here,  in  the  United  States, 
Michael  Junior  was  given  further  educational  ad- 
vantages, working  and  attending  school  five  jears 
longer,  and  also  learning  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
In  1885,  thus  equipped,  he  set  out  to  make  his  own 
way,  coming  to  Puget  sound,  Tacoma,  being  his 
first  stopping  place.  From  Tacoma  he  went  north 
to  Whatcom  county  and  immediately  afterwards 
to  Skagit,  being  engaged  during  the  next  few  years 
in  driving  logs  on  the  Skagit  and  Samish  rivers  in 
the  latter  county  and  a  little  later  on  the  Stillagua- 
mish  and  Snohomish  rivers  further  south.  He 
worked  for  Patrick  McCoy,  E.  G.  English  and  Wil- 
liam McKay  at  different  times  while  in  Skagit, 
these  men  being  among  the  foremost  lumbermen  of 
the  time  in  that  section  of  the  sound.  For  many 
years  after  Mr.  Diffley  came  to  this  section  of  the 
state  both  Skagit  and  Snohomish  counties  were 
hardly  more  than  great  logging  camps  with  few 
roads  of  any  kind  and  exceedingly  poor  trails  even 
through  the  wilderness.  When  he  first  saw  the 
Skagit  valley  it  was  as  yet  hardly  touched  by  the 
great  lumbermen  and  it  was  a  difficult  and  a  danger- 
ous undertaking  to  make  a  trip  up  as  far  as  the 
Sauk  river.  He  worked  for  E.  D.  Smith,  Lowell'? 
pioneer  lumberman,  before  the  city  of  Everett  was 
founded  and  remembers  when  there  were  but  three 
houses  on  the  site  of  the  present  city.  To  have  se- 
cured a  claim  on  the  peninsula  would  have  been  an 
easy  matter,  but,  in  company  with  others,  he  little 
dreamed  that  a  metropolis  would  spring  up  so  sud- 
denly on  the  uninviting  spot.  He  took  off  much  of 
the  timber  from  the  site  of  Everett  in  an  early  day. 
Mr.  Diffley  was  engaged  in  rafting  by  contract  at 
.A.nacortes  for  several  years,  making  a  very  satisfy- 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


ing  success  of  it.  In  1895  he  branched  out  in  busi- 
ness for  himself  and  with  headquarters  in  Seattle 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  logging  operations  up 
and  down  the  sound.  Mr.  Diffley  abandoned  log- 
ging temporarily  in  1896  to  go  to  Dawson  City, 
Alaska,  with  a  partner,  Frank  Rupp.  They  became 
two  of  the  earliest  men  in  that  famous  camp.  Upon 
their  trip  inland  from  the  coast,  they  had  to  depend 
upon  game  principally  for  their  subsistence.  Mr. 
Diffley  shortly  afterward  came  south  to  Atland,  on 
Johnstone  Straits,  British  Columbia,  and  there  took 
two  claims,  the  Ohio  and  the  Bonnie  Belle.  First  he 
made  money  in  his  mining  ventures,  but  eventually 
sunk  a  fortune  in  exploiting  the  Ohio  claim.  In  1899 
he  returned  to  his  old  business  in  Snohomish  coun- 
ty, taking  up  lumber  operations  near  Hartford, 
where  he  and  his  brother  Thomas  had  operated 
previously  for  some  time.  In  all  Mr.  Diffley 's  oper- 
ations in  that  vicinity  covered  a  period  of  seven 
years.  He  and  Charles  Seiffert  as  partners  cut  a 
tract  of  approximately  8,600  acres  near  Hartford, 
or  between  that  place  and  Granite  Falls.  Four 
years  ago  Mr.  Diffley  moved  his  camps  up  the  Pil- 
chuck  to  the  Frank  Gregory  place,  the  timber  on 
which  he  had  purchased,  and  there  he  erected  a  saw- 
mill and  established  his  present  business.  He  also 
took  a  contract  to  supply  the  Sobey  Manufacturing- 
Company  with  bolts  and  supplied  both  mills  belong- 
ing to  that  concern  while  they  were  in  operation.  He 
still  furnishes  all  the  bolts  used  by  the  present  mill 
at  Sobey.  Mr.  Diffley's  establishment  bears  a  high 
reputation  as  an  exceedingly  well  managed  one  that 
has  drawn  to  it  as  competent  men  as  can  be  found 
in  the  lumber  industry  on   Puget  sound. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  Kate  Wall  to  Mr.  Diffley 
was  solemnized  at  Everett,  March  14,  1903.  She  is 
a  native  of  Tipperary,  Ireland,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1901.  Her  parents  still  reside  in 
the  old  country.  Two  sons  have  blessed  the  union 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Diffley,  Francis  and  Lawrence. 
The  family  are  connected  with  the  Catholic  church, 
Mr.  Diffley  also  having  membership  in  the  Catholic 
branch  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  TIo  is  also  affiliated  with 
the  Elks.  Politically,  ho  is  an  independent  voter, 
though  normally  an  adherent  of  the  Democratic 
party  whose  conventions  and  assemblies  he  attends 
regularly.  His  party  has  often  sought  to  honor  him, 
but  he  has  persistently  declined  to  allow  the  use  of 
his  name,  the  last  occasion  being  when  offered  the 
nomination  for  sheriiif.  A  lover  of  good  government 
and  a  believer  in  progress  he  is  always  keenly  inter- 
ested in  whatever  pertains  to  the  public's  welfare. 

In  bringing  this  sketch  to  a  close  it  is  interesting 
and  appropriate  to  mention  an  incident  which  clear- 
ly and  forcibly  illustrates  the  character  of  the  man. 
While  attending  the  coronation  ceremonies  connect- 
ed with  the  crowning  of  King  Edward  in  1898,  Mr. 


Diffley  of  course  visited  his  old  home  in  Ireland  for 
the  first  time  since  he  had  left  it  as  a  lad  only  eleven 
years  old.  While  there  he  purchased  the  old  home- 
stead, of  which  the  Diffley s  had  been  simply  tenants 
for  five  generations,  and  presented  it  to  his  aged 
parents,  thus  bringing  an  undreamed-of  joy  into 
their  lives  and  insuring  its  future  possession  to  the 
family,  provided  the  wishes  of  the  donor  are  car- 
ried out.  Mr.  Diffley  considers  this  one  of  the  hap- 
piest acts  of  his  entire  life,  as  well  he  may,  though 
he  but  modestly  refers  to  this  unusual  display  of 
generosity  which  involved  the  expenditure  of  a  large 
sum  of  money.  His  sterling  qualities  of  integrity, 
justice  to  all,  and  broad  sympathies  have  made  him 
deservedly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all  with  whom 
he  is  associated,  while  his  keen  abilities  and  in- 
domitable will  power  make  him  a  prominent  factor 
in  the  local  business  world  and  a  leader  in  the  com- 
munitv. 


JOSEPH  SWARTZ.  founder  and  owner  of  the 
Swartz  shingle  mills  on  Swarts  pond,  three  miles 
southeast  of  Granite  Falls,  is  one  of  the  highly  es- 
teemed and  able  business  men  of  Snohomish  coun- 
ty. He  came  to  eastern  Snohomish  county  as  a 
pioneer  and  has  risen  through  vicissitudes  to  a 
prominent  and  honorable  position  among  his  fellow 
men. 

The  career  of  Joseph  Swartz  is  not  only  one  of 
which  his  family  and  friends  may  well  feel  proud 
but  it  is  one  of  unusual  interest  to  every  American 
and  contains  an  object  lesson  quite  obvious  and  im- 
portant. He  was  born  in  southern  Russia,  Province 
of  Podolsk,  March  15,  1860,  to  one  of  the  leading 
families  in  the  city  of  Bershad,  his  father  having 
been  the  foremost  lawyer  of  the  community.  Sovol 
Swartz,  the  father,  passed  away  in  1905  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  after  a  modest,  unostentatious, 
though  long  and  useful  life.  His  wife,  Zopha  (Ber- 
stenof)  Swartz,  also  a  native  of  Podolsk  province 
and  of  the  same  city,  and  the  daughter  of  a  promi- 
nent business  man,  is  still  living  in  Russia  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two.  Six  children  were  born  to  this 
union  of  whom  Joseph  Swartz  is  the  eldest  son  and 
second  child.  As  befitting  the  family's  positfon,  he 
was  given  a  thorough  education  in  Russia's  public 
schools  and  later  sent  to  the  Shetamer  gymnasium, 
or  college,  by  which  he  was  graduated  when  twenty 
years  old.  He  then  served  six  months  in  the  regu- 
lar army,  being  exempt  because  of  his  university 
education  from  longer  service  as  is  Russian  custom, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  teaching.  At  this  time, 
as  a  result  of  his  broad  education  and  inborn  love  of 
freedom,  he  definitely  decided  to  leave  his  mother 
countrv  and  seek  liberty  and  the  opportunities  and' 
privileges  which  he  thought  belonged  to  him  by  im- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


migrating  to  the  United  States.  He  was  at  that 
time  earning  one  hundred  roubles  a  month,  in  ac- 
tual value  worth  as  much  as  an  equal  number  of 
■dollars  in  the  United  States,  and  held  a  position  in 
Russia  far  above  the  average  young  man.  Still  he 
did  not  hesitate.  With  foresight  characteristic  of 
the  man,  he  realized  that  in  a  new  country  his  fine 
education  would  count  for  nothing  at  the  begin- 
ning and  that  he  would  probably  have  to  commence 
his  new  life  as  a  common  laborer.  So  he  applied 
himself  to  the  study  of  industrial  arts  for  one  year 
in  the  School  Mechanical  Industry  at  Shetemir, 
Province  of  Volinsk,  the  chief  mechanic  being  a 
personal  friend,  learning  the  trade  of  a  machinist. 
Thus  equipped  and  prepared  to  meet  with  formida- 
ble difficulties,  in  1884  he  bade  farewell  to  the  em- 
pire and  sailed  for  the  republic  that  was  to  be  his 
future  home.  From  New  York  harbor  he  went  di- 
rect to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  there  obtained  employ- 
ment in  the  machine  shop  of  Cox  &  Prentice,  with 
whom  he  remained  eighteen  months.  He  then,  with 
his  savings,  went  into  Pauline  County,  Ohio,  and 
purchased  a  timbered  tract  and  to  the  clearing  of 
this  devoted  the  next  three  years  with  unusual  suc- 
cess. At  the  end  of  that  period  he  sold  out  and 
opened  a  boot  and  shoe  store  in  Kansas  City,  Mis- 
■souri,  where  he  prospered.  However,  fire  broke  out 
in  the  block  and  destroyed  his  business,  and  because 
of  the  non-compliance  of  other  firms  in  the  same 
block  with  insurance  regulations,  Mr.  Swartz  was 
compelled  to  sufifer  the  loss  of  his  insurance  money, 
which  was  a  severe  blow  to  him.  With  indomitable 
courage  he  gathered  what  remained  of  his  shattered 
property  and  started  for  the  Northwest,  landing  in 
Seattle  just  after  the  great  fire  had  swept  that  me- 
tropolis and  while  the  stricken  people  were  still  liv- 
ing in  tents  and  shacks  on  the  ruins.  Two  months 
later  Mr.  Swartz  came  to  Snohomish  county  and  in 
June.  1SS0,  tiHik  a  homestead  east  of  Granite  Falls 
at  what  is  knriwn  as  Swartz  lake.  There  he  de- 
voted his  acli\ities  to  clearing  land  and  market  gar- 
dening until  six  years  ago,  when,  with  a  partner  he 
embarked  in  his  present  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Swartz  &  Stacey.  Mr.  Stacev  retired  from 
the  firm  in  190.3,  since  which  time  Mr.  Swartz  has 
been  alone  in  the  conduct  of  his  business.  He  keoc 
the  old  homestead  until  three  years  ago.  The 
Swartz  shingle  mills  are  equipped  with  double  block 
machinery  having  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  shingles  a  day,  and  in  a'l  depart- 
ments employ  from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  men 
ten  months  in  the  year.  The  plant  is  a  modern 
one.  Mr.  Swartz  also  maintains  his  own  lodging: 
camp  on  his  own  property  nearby.  The  mill  site  is 
one  of  the  finest  in  this  section  of  the  county. 

While  a  resident  of  Pauline  Countv,  Ohio,  Mr. 
Swartz   was   joined  by  Miss   Mary  Vinshinkof,  to 


whom  he  had  plighted  his  troth  before  coming  to 
America,  she  crossing  the  ocean  alone  to  become 
his  wife,  the  ceremony  being  performed  in  Septem- 
ber, 1886.  She,  too,  is  a  native  of  Bershad,  born 
August  12,  1869,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Leon  and 
Mucy  Vinshinkof,  both  of  whom  spent  their  entire 
lives  in  Bershad.  Leon  Vinshinkof  was  a  merchant 
who  was  swept  away  in  a  cholera  epidemic  when 
forty-two  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Vinshinkof  is  still 
living,  residing  at  Bershad.  Mrs.  Swartz  received 
a  good  education  in  the  Russian  schools.  With  her 
husband  she  has  shared  the  difficulties  and  hard- 
ships incident  to  the  founding  of  a  new  home  in  a 
strange  country,  but  like  her  husband  believes  the 
reward  has  been  well  worth  the  sacrifice.  Four  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  this  union  :  Leo,  August  15, 
1887;  Elbert,  November  1,  1888;  Florence,  Janu- 
ary 31,  1890 ;  and  Gladys,  October  23,  1896,  all  of 
whom  are  attending  school.  Politically,  Mr.  Swartz 
is  a  student  of  public  affairs  and  since  he  came  to 
America  to  enjoy  freedom,  reserves  to  himself  the 
privilege  to  vote  independently,  attaching  himself 
to  no  political  party.  It  is  his  observation  that 
Americans  all  too  frequently  inherit  party  preju- 
dices and  sooner  or  later  return  to  the  family  fold, 
if  they  should  chance  to  stray  therefrom.  As  an 
American  citizen,  Mr.  Swartz  is  contributing  unre- 
servedly to  the  maintenance  of  good  government  in 
his  adopted  country,  as  a  pioneer  he  has  done  his 
share  toward  the  reclamation  of  the  wilderness  in 
Ohio  and  Washington,  and  as  one  of  the  substan- 
tial and  able  business  men  of  his  community  he  is 
a  prominent  factor  in  its  everyday  life  and  progress ; 
in  short,  he  is  the  kind  of  man  whom  America  wel- 
comes to  her  shores  and  rejoices  to  amalgamate  with 
her  liberty-loving,  progressive  citizenship. 


WILLIAM  M.  TURNER,  an  honored  soldier 
and  pioneer  now  residing  in  Granite  Falls,  Wash- 
ington, one  of  the  original  locators  of  that  city's 
town  site,  was  born  in  Park  County,  Indiana,  Jan- 
uary 22,  1840.  He  is  the  son  of  David  H.  Turner, 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  born  in  Guilford  county 
in  1820.  Going  to  Indiana  in  boyhood  the  elder 
Turner  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  within  its  bounda- 
ries, his  death  occurring  in  1850.  The  mother,  Ze- 
rilda  (Manwaring)  Turner,  was  born  in  Indiana, 
and  died  in  1859,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine.  Of  her 
four  children,  two  are  living,  William  M.  and  Mrs. 
Martha  E.  Hanks,  the  latter  of  whom  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Honolulu.  Like  many  of  the  most  success- 
ful men,  William  M.  Turner  is  self-educated.  At 
the  age  of  twelve  he  was  obliged  to  support  himself 
by  working  in  a  flour  mill,  but  he  diligently  irn- 
proved  all  his  leisure  hours,  thus  securing  a  practi- 


1064 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


cal  and  thorough  training  for  the  active  duties  of 
life.  When  the  call  came  for  volunteers  in  1861,  he 
•was  one  of  the  first  to  respond,  enlisting  in  the 
Ninth  Indiana  Battery,  Light  Artillery,  under  Cap- 
tain N.  S.  Thompson.  His  first  service  was  ren- 
dered at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  During  the  summer 
of  1864  he  was  with  General  Banks  on  his  Red 
River  expedition,  and  for  forty-four  consecutive 
days  was  either  fighting  or  under  the  enemy's  fire. 
That  he  escaped  from  this  terrible  experience  with- 
out even  a  scratch  seems  almost  miraculous.  While 
returning  home  on  the  steamboat  Eclipse,  he  was 
a  victim  of  the  frightful  boiler  explosion  that  oc- 
curred at  Johnsonville,  Tennessee,  in  which  thirty- 
five  out  of  the  seventy-two  members  of  his  company 
on  board  were  killed.  Fortunately  he  .escaped,  but 
with  the  loss  of  an  eye.  He  was  mustered  out  in 
Indianapolis,  March  6,  1865,  and  at  once  began 
farming.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  drove  through  to 
Kansas,  and  took  up  a  claim  in  Woodson  county, 
later  going  to  Cherokee  county,  where  he  farmed 
till  1880.  He  then  resumed  his  travels  across  the 
continent,  stopping  this  time  at  Walla  Walla,  Wash- 
ington. Two  years  later  he  sold  his  property  there 
and  drove  to  Portland,  Oregon.  Going  thence  by 
boat  to  Toledo,  he  then  made  the  remainder  of  the 
journey  to  Seattle  with  his  team.  After  teaming 
two  years  he  went  to  Snohomish  in  1884,  and  hence 
up  the  river  to  Machias.  Later  that  same  spring  he 
located  land  on  the  present  site  of  Granite  Falls, 
but  being  unable  to  reach  it  with  a  wagon,  he  and 
his  family  lived  in  Machias  from  April  until  Aug- 
ust, while  he  was  cutting  a  road  six  miles  in  length 
to  reach  his  claim.  With  the  exception  of  another 
family  that  came  at  the  same  time,  the  nearest 
neighbors  were  at  Hartford.  His  first  cabin,  made 
of  split  cedar  logs,  is  still  standing.  For  some  time 
his  only  occupation  was  making  shingles  by  hand, 
which  he  hauled  to  Snohomish,  there  being  no  store 
or  post-office  nearer  than  tliat  for  six  years. 
Granite  Falls  as  a  town,  came  into  existence  in 
1890.  A  post-office  was  opened  about  that  time  and 
Mark  Swinnerton,  of  Marysville,  erected  the  first 
store,  A  school  had  been  organized  in  1888.  LTntil 
1894  Mr.  Turner  farmed  his  property,  but  at  that 
time  he  platted  it  as  part  of  the  town  site,  and  re- 
tired from  active  labor. 

Mr.  Turner  was  married  March  22 .  1866,  to 
Martha  E.  Hendren,  a  native  of  ^Mercer  County, 
Kentucky,  born  April  10,  1849.  Her  father.  Star- 
ling B.  Hendren,  who  was  born  in  West  Virginia 
in  1808,  served  during  the  Civil  War  in  the  Ninth 
Kentucky  Cavalry.  ■  He  also  had  two  sons,  Andrew 
and  Starling,  in  the  Nineteenth  Kentucky  Infantry. 
His  death  occurred  in  Kentucky  in  1894.  The 
mother,  Mary  (Saunders)  Hendren,  a  Kentuckian 
also,  died  April  4,  1861,  aged  fifty.    Both  Mr.  and 


Mrs.  Hendren  came  of  Virginia  pioneer  families. 
Air.  and  Mrs.  Turner  have  five  children:  Mrs. 
Margaret  Griffin,  of  San  Francisco,  whose  husband 
is  largely  interested  in  Goldfields,  Nevada ;  John  D., 
of  Arlington,  Washington ;  Mrs.  Daisy  Robe,  of 
Granite  Falls;  Edward  R.,  of  Livingston,  Montana; 
and  Walter,  of  Granite  Falls.  Mr.  Turner  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  William  Hall  Post,  No. 
107,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  a  well  known  Repub- 
lican, loyally  serving  his  party's  interests.  He  wa.s 
the  first  election  inspector  in  Granite  Falls,  and  held 
the  office  of  deputy  assessor  for  eight  years.  Mr. 
Turner  claims  the  distinction  of  having  cast  the  first 
ballot  in  the  town.  A  man  of  splendid  business  abil- 
ity and  unquestioned  integrity,  a  hardy  pioneer  of 
undairtited  courage,  he  enjoys  the  unbounded  confi- 
dence of  a  host  of  loyal  friends  and  acquaintances. 


FRED  P.  ANDERSON,  the  well  known  mana- 
ger of  the  Granite  Falls  Co-Operative  Union,  was 
born  in  Dover,  Maine,  January  30,  1865,  the  son  of 
David  and  Sarah  E.  (Hassell)  Anderson,  who  were 
also  natives  of  Maine.  The  father,  born  in  1836. 
went  to  California  in  early  manhood,  and,  having 
made  a  little  fortune,  returned  to  his  native  state  a 
year  later.  His  death  occurred  in  1883.  The 
mother,  aged  seventy- seven,  is  now  living  with  her 

1  son,  Fred  P.,  the  youngest  of  her  five  children.    Mr. 

I  Anderson  attended  the  common  schools,  completing 

I  his  education  by  attending  the  academy  in  his  home 
town  one  term.  Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  eight- 
een, he  came  to  Snohomish,  Washington,  and  spent 
the  first  five  years  of  his  residence  there  at  various 
employments.  He  then  took  up  a  pre-emption 
claim  where  Granite  Falls  is  now  located,  and 
proved  up  on  it  by  commuting  in  1889.  He  re- 
mained on  the  claim  only  a  part  of  the  time  for  the 
next  two  years,  working  in  logging  camps  in  the 
meantime.  In  1891  be  entered  the  employ  of  Mark 
Swinnerton,  who  owned  the  first  store  opened  in 
Granite  Falls,  and  in  the  fall  of  1893  he  and  W.  H. 
Davis  purchased  the  business.     They  were  in  part- 

j  n^rship  until  July,  1894,  at  which  time  Mr.  Ander- 
son became  the  sole  owner  of  the  stock.  During 
the  financial  depression  of  1895  he  lost  this  prop- 
erty, and  also  his  interest  in  a  mill  that  he  had 
acquired  some  years  previous  to  this  time.  Many  a 
man  would  have  been  dismayed  by  this  accumula- 
tion of  reverses,  but  Mr.  Anderson  was  not  the  man 
to  give  up  easily.  Again  taking  up  anything  he 
could  find  to  do,  he  was  able  a  few  years  later  to 
buy  a  piece  of  land  and  make  a  new  start.  Later, 
having  sold  this  farm,  he  went  to  Seattle,  remain- 
ing there,  however,  but  a  few  months.    On  his  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


turn  to  Granite  Falls,  he  accepted  the  management 
of  P.  E.  Parminter's  store,  and  retained  that  posi- 
tion till  the  business  changed  hands  some  eighteen 
months  later.  He  was  then  employed  as  bookkeeper 
by  James  McCuIlough,  of  Machias,  for  six  months. 
After  selling  his  house  in  Granite  Falls,  he  moved 
to  Chelan,  Washington,  only  to.  find  it  less  desirable 
as  a  business  location  than  he  had  expected.  He 
therefore  came  again  to  Granite  Falls  a  few  months 
later,  and  worked  at  carpenter  work  and  in  a  store 
until  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Robe,  jNIenzell 
Lumber  Company.  When  the  Granite  Falls  Co- 
operative Union  was  formed  January  30,  1905,  he 
was  given  the  management  of  it. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  October  2,  1891,  to 
Minnie  L.  Hall,  a  native  of  Michigan,  born  Janu- 
ary 5,  1865.  Mrs.  Anderson  came  West  in  1889 
with  the  family  of  J.  L.  Sneathen.  Her  mother  is 
now  living  with  her;  the  father,  William  Hall,  is 
deceased.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Anderson,  Edith,  in  1892;  Wesley,  in 
1894;  and  Beatrice,  in  1903.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a 
charter  member  and  the  present  consul  of  Granite 
Falls  Camp,  No.  8,355,  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, also  of  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge,  No.  13,  ac 
Snohomish.  In  political  belief  he  adheres  to  Re- 
publican principles,  but  he  has  never  desired  politi- 
cal prominence.  He  is  discharging  the  duties  of  his 
present  position  with  characteristic  faithfulness  and 
ability,  thus  demonstrating  the  good  judginent  of 
those  who  placed  this  responsibility  upon  him.  His 
personal  life  and  character  are  such  as  to  command 
the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  is  associated. 

Note — Mr.  Anderson  passed  away  Wednesday 
morning,  March  28,  1906,  at  Providence  hospital, 
Everett,  as  the  result  of  injuries  sustained  by  the 
premature  expjosion  of  a  blast  at  his  mine  near 
Granite  Falls  on  the  Sth  of  the  month.  The  fune- 
ral was  held  at  his  home  March  30th,  under  the  au- 
spices of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  of 
which  order  he  was  a  prominent  member. 


WILL  HARDING.  Among  the  representa- 
tive business  men  and  pioneers  of  Granite  Falls,  is 
numbered  the  one  whose  name  initiates  this  biogra- 
phy, Will  Harding,  the  well  known  merchant.  He 
was  born  March  18,  1868,  in  Muscatine  County, 
Iowa,  and  is  the  son  of  Abner  and  Caroline  (Rip- 
henburg)  Harding,  both  of  whom  are  natives  of 
New  York.  The  father,  born  in  1833,  settled  in 
Iowa  in  the  early  'sixties.  Responding  to  the  ca'l 
for  volunteers  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he 
enlisted  in  the  Second  Iowa  Cavalry,  and  served 
four  years  and  six  months.  He  is  now  engaged  in 
fanning  in  Michigan,  which  state  became  his  home 


in  1870.  His  wife  was  born  one  mile  from  Niagara 
Falls.  William  Harding  secured  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Michigan.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  went  to  work  in  a  saw-mill,  and  was 
thus  employed  until  he  came  to  Snohomish  in  1890. 
Taking  up  a  pre-emption  claim  three  miles  east  ot 
Granite  Falls,  he  held  it  for  three  years  and  then 
sold  out,  at  which  time  he  filed  on  a  homestead  near 
there,  owning  this  property  five  years.  Snohomish 
was  the  nearest  post-office,  and  the  settlers  took 
turns  in  discharging  the  duties  of  postman  during 
those  early  years.  Soon  after  Mr.  Harding  moved 
here  the  people  of  Granite  Falls  organized  a  stock 
company  and  buillt  a  hall.  The  floors  were  the 
only  part  of  it  made  of  sawed  lumber.  This  ma- 
terial had  been  hauled  from  Getchell,  a  distance  of 
six  miles,  over  a  road  so  rough  that  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  of  lumber  was  a  load  for  a  good  team 
During  the  winter  months  a  pack  train  was  the  only 
means  of  bringing  in  freight,  and  the  cost  was  one 
dollar  per  hundred.  While  still  owning  his  home- 
stead, Mr.  Harding  embarked  in  the  saw-mill  busi- 
ness in  partnership  with  T.  K.  Robe  and  Charles 
Last.  In  the  course  of  a  year  he  purchased  Mr. 
Robe's  interest,  and  later  sold  his  entire  holdings  to 
Mr.  Last.  Having  sold  his  homestead  also,  he 
j  bought  out  the  dry  goods  establishment  formerly 
I  owned  by  J.  S.  Boyd,  and  since  disposing  of  his 
i  milling  interests,  hag  devoted  his  entire  time  to  this 
enterprise.  This  was  the  first  store  of  the  kind 
opened  in  Granite  Falls.  In  recent  years  Mr.  Hard- 
ing has  added  a  line  of  general  merchandise  to  his 
stock.  The  firm  transacts  business  under  the  name 
of  W.  Harding  &  Company,  Mrs.  Harding  being  the 
silent  partner. 

In  1890,  October  19th,  Mr.  Harding  and  Flora 
A.  Hubbard  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Hard- 
ing was  born  in  Ensley,  Michigan,  August  11,  1867. 
Her  parents,  Robert  and  Catherine  A.  (Sneathen) 
Hubbard,  also  pioneers  of  Michigan,  are  now  living 
in  Granite  Falls,  having  come  hither  in  1890.  Mr. 
Harding  was  born  in  Pennsylvania ;  Mrs.  Harding 
in  Ohio,  and  there  married.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hard- 
ing have  one  child,  Clifton  R.,  bom  August  34, 
1891.  Mr.  Harding  is  very  prominent  in  fraternal 
circles,  being  actively  identified  with  the  Foresters 
of  America,  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  The  Republican  party 
claims  him  as  a  loyal  member,  although  he  does  not 
take  an  active  part  in  political  matters  and  has  never 
cared  to  hold  office.  His  religious  beliefs  are  sum- 
med up  in  the  Golden  Rule,  which  he  has  diligently 
practiced  in  his  business  and  social  life.  It  is  this 
strict  adherence  to  lofty  principles,  combined  with 
a  thorough  and  practical  knowledge  of  the  details 
of  his  business,  that  has  established  for  his  firm 
such  an  enviable  reputation  and  won  it  success. 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


JOSEPH  S.  ENAS,  one  of  the  honored  pio- 
neers of  Granite  Falls  residing  one-fourth  mile 
southeast  of  town,  was  born  December  10,  185-i,  in 
the  Azores  islands.  He  is  the  son  of  Ignacio  and 
Maria  (Souza)  Enas,  also  natives  of  these  islands. 
The  father  died  there  in  1862 ;  the  mother,  in  1903, 
at  the  age  of  ninety-two.  Leaving  home  in  1873, 
Joseph  S.  Enas  immigrated  to  the  United  States, 
and  made  his  home  in  Trentoii,  Massachusetts,  for 
a  few  months.  There  he  worked  in  a  brickyard,  at 
the  same  time  employing  all  his  leisure  moments  in 
learning  to  speak  the  English  language.  He  then 
crossed  the  continent,  and  spent  the  following  elev- 
en years  mining  in  Sierra  and  Plumas  Counties, 
California.  His  residence  in  Snohomish  county 
dates  from  1883  when  he  came  hither,  and,  after 
being  employed  in  lumber  camps  for  a  few  months, 
took  up  a  squatter's  claim  where  he  now  lives.  Land 
in  this  locality  had  not  then  been  surveyed.  The 
nearest  road  was  at  Machias,  a  distance  of  ten 
miles,  hence  he  was  obliged  to  pack  in  his  supplies 
on  his  back.  The  next  nine  years,  while  proving  up 
on  his  claim  which  was  nearly  all  covered  with 
heavy  timber,  Mr.  Enas  worked  in  logging  camps. 
Nearly  eight  years  elapsed  before  Granite  Falls 
had  a  store  or  post-office.  About  this  time  the  rail- 
road was  built  through  this  locality,  and  settlement 
became  more  general.  To  Mr.  Enas  belongs  the 
distinction  of  having  been  the  first  settler  to  estab- 
lish a  home  in  this  part  of  the  valley.  His  nearest 
neighbor  lived  four  miles  below  him.  Mr.  Enas 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Union  Hall  of  Gran- 
ite Falls,  which  was  erected  by  a  stock  company. 
One  citizen  donated  an  acre  of  land,  whilst  others 
took  shares  at  a  par  value  of  four  dollars  per  share, 
two  days'  work  constituting  the  purchase  price  of  a 
share  and  the  individual  holdings  being  limited  to 
five  shares.  The  hall,  thirty  by  fifty  feet,  was  built 
of  hewed  timber,  with  the  exception  of  the  floor, 
made  of  sawed  lumber,  the  material  for  the  latter 
having  been  hauled  from  Getchell.  The  side  logs, 
each  fifty  feet  long,  were  raised  by  hand  to  a  height 
of  twelve  feet.  Many  and  diverse  were  the  uses  to 
which  this  building  was  put  in  those  early  days,  it 
being  church,  school-house,  dance  hall  and  public 
meeting  place  all  in  one.  In  the  summer  of  1904  't 
was  sold  by  the  stockholders  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge.  It  is  now  being  used  as  a  primary  class 
room,  the  school  attendance  having  increased  so 
rapidly  that  the  present  accommodations  are  inade- 
quate to  meet  the  requirements.  In  1892  Mr.  Enas 
decided  to  abandon  farming  and  engage  in  the 
shingle  business  at  Granite  Falls,  which  he  did. 
Owing  to  the  general  depression,  which  followed, 
the  price  of  shingles  and  shingle  bolts  reached  so 
low  a  figure  that  there  was  no  margin  of  profit  in 
the    manufacture    of   them   so   Mr.   Enas   resumed 


farming  some  two  years  later.  He  now  has  twenty- 
two  acres  in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  and  an  equal 
number  in  pasture,  the  rest  of  his  eighty-eight  acres 
being  still  unimproved.  He  is  largely  interested  in 
fruit  raising  and  dairying.  Fraternally,  he  affiliates 
with  the  Odd  Fellows,  having  joined  in  California; 
in  politics  he  is  a  loyal  Republcan,  one  who  is  very 
often  sent  as  delegate  to  the  county  conventions. 
His  religious  creed  is  embraced  in  the  Golden  Rule. 
Broadly  intelligent,  and  possessed  of  sterling  quali- 
ties, he  is  one  of  the  influential  citizens  of  Granite 
Falls,  and  holds  the  respect  of  his  fellow  men  in  all 
walks  of  life. 


ULRICH  SCHERRER,  one  of  the  prosperous 
farmers  of  the  upper  Pilchuck  valley,  residing  foui 
miles  southeast  of  Granite  Falls  near  Mensel's  lake, 
is  a  pioneer  of  his  cominunity.  Of  Swiss  birth,  he 
is  endowed  by  nature  with  those  sterling  qualities 
so  necessary  to  him  who  would  invade  a  wilderness 
and  reclaim  it  as  have  so  many  of  his  countrymen 
in  the  far  West.  Born  November  6,  1865,  at  Arbon, 
Thurgau  canton,  he  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Bar- 
bara (Kreis)  Scherrer,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Switzerland.  The  father  came  of  Swiss-German 
stock  and  was  born  in  the  same  canton  in  1834. 
He  farmed  in  his  native  land,  which  he  left  in  1880 
to  settle  in  California,  where  he  resumed  farming. 
His  death  occurred  there  in  1895.  Mrs.  Scherrer 
was  born  in  1831.  She  passed  away  in  1896,  the 
mother  of  twelve  children,  six  boys  and  six  girls. 
Ulrich  Scherrer,  the  seventh  child  and  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  attended  school  from  the  age  of  six 
until  he  was  twelve,  spending  half  a  day  in  the 
school  room  and  the  remaining  half  in  an  embroid- 
ery factory.  The  family  was  large  and  it  was  only 
by  such  assistance  that  the  father  was  able  to  sup- 
port it.  Ulrich  worked  in  this  factory  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  of  age,  then  borrowed  enough  money 
from  an  uncle  to  carry  him  to  the  great  sister  repub- 
lic across  the  Atlantic  of  whose  rich  opportunities 
for  young  men  he  had  read  so  much.  Landing  at 
New  York  City,  he  soon  made  his  way  across  the 
continent  to  San  Francisco,  via  the  Southern  Pa- 
cific railroad  and  shortly  afterward  engaged  in 
farming  in  Sonoma  county.  After  two  years  there 
he  farmed  a  year  and  a  half  in  Sacramento  county, 
spent  a  year  and  a  half  driving  a  milk  wagon  in  San 
Francisco,  then  came  north  to  Washington,  arriving 
in  Tacoma  in  August,  1889.  Two  months  then 
passed  in  a  brickyard  at  that  city,  upon  the  conclu- 
sion of  which,  Mr.  Scherrer  came  still  further  north 
to  Snohomish  county  and  finally  located  a  home- 
stead on  the  upper  Pilchuck,  eighteen  miles  east  of 
Snohomish  City,  the  claim  being  one  abandoned  by 
Henry  Menzel.     There  were  no  roads  into  the  re- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1067 


gion.  only  what  were  commonly  called  trails,  con- 
sisting of  a  line  of  blazed  trees  through  a  dense 
jungle  so  thick  that  traveling  was  difficult.  He  at 
once  commenced  clearing  his  place,  working  out  at 
anything  he  could  find  to  do,  mostly  in  nearby  log- 
ging camps.  Xot  until  six  years  later  was  he  able 
to  confine  his  activities  to  his  place,  so  great  was 
the  task  of  improving  it  and  making  it  self  support- 
ing. Bears  and  other  wild  animals  were  quite  thick 
in  the  vicinty  for  many  years.  In  fact  as  recently 
as  the  fall  of  1905,  Mr.  Scherrer  killed  a  large  black 
bear  by  trapping  him,  bruin  having  destroyed  con- 
siderable stock  on  I\Ir.  Scherrer's  place  and  on  the 
places  of  his  neighbors.  He  now  has  twenty  acres 
cleared  upon  which  he  is  raising  general  farming 
products,  particularly  vegetables,  which  he  sells  to 
surrounding  logging  camps ;  he  also  keeps  a  herd 
of  Jersey  cows  and  a  band  of  sheep.  Mr.  Scherrer 
has  served  his  district  as  road  supervisor  and  in 
other  ways  has  manifested  his  public  spirit.  Politi- 
call}'.  Mr.  Scherrer  is  a  Socialist.  As  a  hardy  pio- 
neer who  has  endured  the  hardships  incident  to  set- 
tlement on  a  frontier  and  as  a  successful  farmer,  he 
has  done  and  is  doing  a  full  share  toward  the  up- 
building of  Snohomish  county  and  is  esteemed  as 
one  of  her  substantial  citizens. 


GEORGE  W.  ANDERSON,  farmer  and 
dairyman  residing  a  mile  northwest  of  Granite 
Falls,  one  of  the  leaders  in  his  community,  bears 
the  distinction  of  being  the  first  settler  in  that  sec- 
tion of  Snohomish  county  in  addition  to  being  an 
early  pioneer  of  both  that  and  Skagit  counties.  As 
is  the  case  with  many  of  Puget  sound's  pioneers,  he 
is  a  native  of  the  old  Pine  Tree  state,  and  was  born 
November  14,  1857,  at  Dover,  the  son  of  David  and 
Sarah  E.  (Hassell)  Anderson.  The  elder  Ander- 
son was  born  in  Maine  also,  in  1828,  of  Scotch  de- 
scent, belonging  to  a  family  which  for  generations 
had  lived  along  the  Atlantic  coast.  When  barely  of 
age  he  joined  the  rush  to  the  newly  discovered  Cali- 
fornia gold  fields,  rounding  the  Horn  in  1849,  among 
the  first  of  Maine's  argonauts.  Upon  his  return 
East  he  engaged  in  farming  and  while  so  occupied 
passed  away  in  1882.  Mrs.  Anderson,  the  mother 
of  George  W.,  is  a  native  of  the  Old  Bay  state,  de- 
scended from  one  of  its  oldest  families,  and  is  at 
present  residing  with  Mr.  Anderson  at  the  ripe  age 
of  seventy-seven.  The  subject  of  this  biography 
attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state  and 
later  the  Foxcroft  Academy.  Until  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age  he  remained  with  his  parents  on  the 
farm,  then  detemined  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  far 
West,  crossing  the  continent  to  Portland  and  the 
Willamette  valley.  In  September,  1878,  he  came 
north  to  LaConner,  Whatcom  county,  and  assisted 


Olaf  Poison  to  harvest  his  crop  on  Brown's  slough. 
Shortly  afterward  Mr.  Anderson  joined  the  army  of 
prospectors  engaged  in  exploiting  the  Ruby  creek 
mines  at  the  head  of  the  Skagit  river,  spending  two 
summers  and  one  winter  there.  He,  Porter  Durley, 
Charles  Bramer,  and  W.  H.  Davis  owned  the 
"Rough  and  Ready"  placer,  at  the  mouth  of  Rubv 
creek,  claimed  to  have  been  the  best  mine  in  the 
diggings.  At  first  the  owners  made  money,  but 
eventually  a  disastrous  washout  of  their  dam,  an 
expensive  one,  swept  away  their  means  and  they 
were  forced  to  sell  out  at  a  sacrifice.  After  spend- 
ing a  winter  in  Seattle,  Mr.  Anderson  worked  a 
short  period  logging  on  Hood's  canal,  being  then 
called  East  on  account  of  the  serious  illness  and 
final  death  of  his  father.  The  next  year  he  re- 
mained in  Maine,  settling  the  affairs  of  the  estate, 
then,  accompanied  by  his  mother,  came  to  Snoho- 
mish City.  Early  in  the  spring  of  1884  he  came  up 
the  Pilchuck  and  filed  on  his  present  place  just  at 
the  edge  of  Granite  Falls,  locating  a  short  time  be- 
fore William  Turner,  the  second  settler,  arrived. 
Mr.  Anderson  experienced  a  hard  time  in  reaching 
his  place,  crawling  on  his  hands  and  knees  through 
the  brush  part  of  the  way.  His  brother-in-law,  W. 
H.  Davis,  also  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  in 
the  vicinity.  Mrs.  Anderson,  the  mother  of  George 
W.,  was  one  of  the  first  white  women  to  settle  in 
the  locality.  The  few  settlers  there  freighted  their 
supplies  part  way  up  the  valley  and  packed  them  in 
on  their  backs  the  remainder  of  the  way.  Having 
located  on  an  old  "burn,"  Mr.  Anderson  was  en- 
abled to  put  in  a  small  crop  the  first  year,  thus  giv- 
ing inception  to  his  farm.  However,  he  was  obliged 
to  work  at  times  in  the  woods  to  secure  sufficient 
money  with  which  to  improve  his  place.  The  early 
pioneers  spent  a  month,  soon  after  locating,  in 
building  a  crude  road  down  the  valley.  Before  he 
proved  up  on  his  homestead,  however,  he  engaged  in 
the  logging  business  one  year  with  Fred  Anderson 
of  Snohomish,  the  firm  sending  their  logs  down 
the  Stillaguamish  river  to  Utsalady.  After  being 
in  the  logging  business  five  years,  Mr.  Anderson 
withdrew  and  with  H.  J.  Andrus  built  a  saw-mill 
near  the  present  town  of  Machias,  which  they  oper- 
ated two  and  a  half  years.  They  then  leased  it  to 
Blackman  Brothers  and  later  sold  it  to  the  latter, 
after  which  Mr.  Anderson  returned  to  his  ranch  to 
which  he  has  since  devoted  his  entire  energies  and 
skill  with  highly  successful  results. 

Mr.  Anderson  and  Miss  Eva  I.  Andrus,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Florace  J.  and  M.  J.  (Parker)  Andrus,  were 
united  in  marriage  December  25,  1887.  She  passed 
away  ^Slarch  3i;.  1903,  after  becoming  the  mother 
of  four  children,  three  of  whom  survive  her:  Jennie, 
Elvie  Fay.  and  David  H.;  Ada  A.  is  deceased.  Miss 
Elizabeth  Twogood,  the  daughter  of  Parley  Two- 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


good,  a  Granite  Falls  pioneer  of  1889,  residing  in 
the  neighborhood,  has  since  been  married  to  Mr. 
Anderson.  She  was  born  in  Michigan,  December 
28.  1875.  Both  her  parents  were  born  in  Michigan 
and  were  pioneers  of  that  state,  in  which  she  her- 
self was  reared  and  educated.  Mrs.  Twogood  is 
deceased.  Mr.  Anderson  is  a  charter  member  of 
Granite  Falls  Camp,  No.  8,355,  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  and  for  several  years  has  been  consul  of 
this  thrifty  camp.  In  politics,  Mr.  Anderson  is  also 
active  as  a  Democrat,  being  chairman  of  his  pre- 
cinct committee.  He  has  several  times  refused  to 
accept  the  nomination  for  county  commissioner  in 
his  district.  He  has  also  served  as  a  member  of  the 
local  school  board,  thus  evidencing  in  still  another 
way  his  interest  in  public  affairs  and  desire  to  as- 
sume his  full  responsibilities  of  citizenship.  His 
land,  two  hundred  acres,  lies  in  one  body  and  is  con- 
sidered a  valuable  tract,  one  of  the  fine  farms  of 
the  community.  Seventeen  cows  constitute  a  select 
dairy  herd  on  this  place,  from  which  he  ships  cream 
to  Snohomish  regularly.  A  wide-awake,  energetic, 
capable  man  of  affairs,  interesting  himself  in  the 
betterment  of  the  entire  section  in  which  he  lives, 
and  its  earliest  pioneer,  he  is  universally  esteemed, 
respected  and  accounted  one  of  the  county's  sub- 
stantial citizens. 


JULIUS  HANSON,  successfully  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  dairying  just  west  of  Granite 
Falls,  is  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  that  section 
of  Snohomish  county.  His  life  has  been  one  of 
more  than  ordinary  interest,  its  scope  of  incidents 
being  spread  over  a  goodly  share  of  the  globe.  He 
was  born  in  Gothenburg,  Sweden,  October  8,  1858. 
to  the  union  of  Carl  and  Sophia  Christina  (Samuel- 
son)  Hanson,  both  natives  of  Sweden  also.  The 
father,  a  seafaring  man,  was  born  July  31,  1831. 
He  was  serving  as  a  captain  when  last  heard  from 
years  ago,  but  whether  he  is  now  dead  or  alive  is 
not  known  to  his  son.  The  mother,  wife  of  Captain 
Hanson,  died  in  1859,  when  Julius  was  only  a  year 
and  a  half  old  so  that  of  her  he  remembers  noth- 
ing. The  lad  attended  the  common  schools  of 
Sweden  until  the  age  of  fourteen,  when,  just  after 
confirmation,  he  joined  his  father  on  the  sea.  Two 
years  later  he  joined  another  ship's  crew  and  dur- 
ing the  next  ten  years  his  whole  life  was  spent  be- 
fore the  mast.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  shipped  on 
an  American  vessel  and  after  voyaging  for  a  year 
reached  the  United  States  at  the  port  of  New  York. 
During  the  following  six  years  he  shipped  from 
New  York  to  various  foreign  ports,  visiting  Eu- 
rope, South  America,  India,  China,  Honolulu  and  the 
Philippine  islands.  While  off  the  Philippine  coast 
his   ship   encountered   a   disastrous   typhoon   which 


wrecked  the  vessel  on  the  coral  reefs  of  Cebu  is- 
land. Little  did  he  then  think  as  he  stood  among  the 
saved  that  some  day  not  far  distant  that  territory 
would  be  under  the  protection  of  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  after  a  war  with  the  Spanish  people.  In 
1883  the  adventurous  sailor  rounded  the  Horn  to 
Frisco  and  there  bade  farewell  to  the  sea,  his  only 
home  for  so  many  years.  After  fifteen  months  mak- 
ing ties  in  the  woods  of  Mendocino  County,  Cali- 
fornia, he  came  to  Snohomish  county  and  engaged 
in  work  for  Blackman  Brothers  in  their  camps  near 
Snohomish  City.  Two  years  later,  in  1885  he  went 
up  the  Pilchuck  river  and  took  a  claim  a  mile  east 
of  the  present  town  of  Granite  Falls,  being  among 
the  first  settlers  in  that  vicinity,  a  few  of  the  others 
being  George  Anderson,  William  Turner  and  W. 
H.  Davis.  Mr.  Hanson  assisted  in  the  building  of 
the  best  roads  and  with  the  others  endured  all  the 
hardships  and  dangers  incident  to  pioneering  in  so 
isolated  a  spot  in  the  heavy  timber.  For  a  long  time 
he  worked  on  his  place  in  the  summer  and  in  log- 
ging camps  during  the  winters.  The  old  homestead 
was  his  home  until  1905,  when  he  sold  it  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  a  little  more  than  a  mile  west 
of  town. 

Mr.  Hanson  and  Miss  Cora  May  Messner  were 
married  July  3,  1892.  She  is  a  native  of  Michigan, 
born  November  21,  1872,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Lewis  A.  and  Mary  E.  (Marsh)  Messner,  pioneers 
of  Granite  Falls,  whose  sketches  appear  fully  else- 
where in  these  records.  Mrs.  Hanson,  herself,  ex- 
perienced pioneer  life  in  Snohomish  county,  com- 
ing here  when  a  young  girl.  Four  sons  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanson,  Hilmer  Lewis,  Vic- 
tor Ernfrid,  Carl  Rudolph,  and  Gustav  Oscar.  Mr. 
Hanson  is  affiliated  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Court  of  Honor,  to  which  latter  order  his  wife  also 
belongs.  Politically,  he  is  an  independent  voter,, 
always  seeking  out  the  best  men,  realizing  that  hon- 
est, competent  officials  count  for  more  than  issues. 
He  is  deeply  interested  in  the  cause  of  education, 
and  assisted  in  organizing  the  pioneer  school  district 
in  his  community  and  in  erecting  the  little  school- 
house,  built  by  donations  of  labor  and  money.  He 
has  also  served  as  road  supervisor  of  his  district. 
Public-spirited,  energetic  and  capable  along  the  dif- 
ferent lines  of  activity  he  pursues,  and  possessing 
confidence  in  the  future  of  his  county,  Mr.  Hanson 
holds  the  esteem  and  respect  of  his  fellow  men  and 
deserves  the  prosperity  that  has  come  to  him  after 
the  hard  struggles  on  a  western  frontier. 


CHRISTIAN  BROWNE,  whose  well  improved 
and  sightly  farm  lies  only  a  mile  east  of  Granite 
Falls,  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  this  section 
of  Snohomish  county.    In  his  quiet  but  forceful  way 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


he  has  for  the  past  seventeen  years  devoted  his  en 
ergies  and  abilities  to  hewing  out  a  home  in  the  erst- 
while forest,  and  at  the  same  time  has  contributed 
to  the  general  progress  and  prosperity  of  his  com- 
munity. Born  in  Liebig,  Germany,  October  22, 
1S4(),  he  comes  of  strictly  Prussian  stock.  His 
father,  Christopher  Browne,  who  passed  away  years 
ago  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  was  the  owner  and 
captain  of  a  canal  boat  along  the  river  Rhine.  Han- 
nah ( W'aspffarleng)  Browne,  the  mother  of  Chris- 
tian, died  previous  to  her  husband's  death  at  the 
age  of  .seventy-nine.  The  subject  of  this  review 
received  a  good  education  in  the  German  schools 
and  when  sixteen  years  of  age  was  apprenticed  to 
the  blacksmith's  trade.  At  the  conclusion  of  his 
three  years'  service,  or  in  1865,  he  entered  the  Ger- 
man army  and  served  during  the  internal  war  be- 
tween the  German  states  preceding  the  formation  of 
the  empire.  In  1870,  after  spending  five  years  at 
his  trade,  the  ex-soldier  re-enlisted,  this  time  enter- 
ing the  army  of  the  empire  at  the  time  of  the  Fran- 
co-Prussian War.  His  enlistment  was  made  in  the 
Sixty-seventh  regiment.  Ninth  Army  Corps,  which 
was  placed  for  frontier  duty  along  the  Danish  bor- 
der for  six  months.  After  the  war,  the  young  vet- 
eran of  two  armies  returned  to  Hamburg  and 
opened  a  general  produce  store,  which  he  operated 
with  fair  success  until  July  8,  1873.  At  that  time 
he  sold  out  and  came  to  the  United  States.  Imme- 
diately proceeding  to  Chicago,  which  city  he  reach- 
ed after  the  great  fire,  he  there  spent  three  years, 
going  east  then  to  Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  entered  the  rolling  mills  and  iron  workb 
at  Columbia.  That  place  was  his  home  until  1883, 
when  he  returned  to  Chicago,  spent  a  year  in  that 
city,  and  then  went  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  re- 
sumed his  old  occupation  in  the  steel  and  iron  mills. 
For  several  years  he  was  thus  engaged  in  Spring- 
field, going  thence  in  1888  to  Washington  Terri- 
tory, in  company  with  Joseph  H.  Klaus.  These 
men,  on  the  day  of  Seattle's  great  fire,  were  on  the 
upper  Pilchuck  river  locating  claims.  Mr.  Klaus 
took  a  homestead  upon  which  he  is  still  living, 
while  Air.  Browne,  for  a  consideration  of  one  hvm- 
drcd  and  seventy-five  dollars  bought  the  relin- 
quishment of  a  man  named  Thompson  to  the  place 
which  is  still  his  home.  The  tract  he  pre-empted 
first,  but  after  living  on  it  two  years,  unsurveyed. 
Mr.  Browne  took  it  as  a  homestead.  The  date  of 
his  actual  settlement  on  this  farm  was  October  12, 
1889.  There  was  but  one  road  into  the  district  and 
that  a  very  poor  one  from  Machias  over  which  Mr. 
Browne  transported  the  few  household  furnishings 
he  brought  with  him.  For  many  >-ears  the  farm 
did  not  return  him  a  living,  compelling  him  to  gee 
out  and  work  for  others  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of 
life.     Now,  however,  he  has  a  large  portion  of  it 


cleared  and  in  cultivation  and  is  reaping  the  re- 
wards of  honest  toil,  patient  perseverance  and  un- 
ceasing energy. 

Mrs.  Lizzie  Beinhauer,  also  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, was  married  to  Mr.  Browne  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1882.  She  was  born  in  the  old  country  June  10, 
18-19,  and  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  broth- 
er Henry  in  1868.  She  was  married  previous  to  her 
union  with  Mr.  Browne.  Four  daughters  and  one 
son  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Browne:  Ber- 
tha, the  oldest,  aged  twenty-four,  now  the  wife  of 
Edward  Fawner;  Hannah,  now  Mrs.  William  Nor- 
ton ;  Katie  and  Emma,  at  home ;  and  John,  also  at 
home.  The  married  children  reside  at  Granite  Falls. 
The  family  are  communicants  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Browne  is  regarded  highly  by  all  who 
know  him,  as  is  also  his  wife,  and  he  is  looked  upon 
as  one  of  the  community's  sterling  men  of  unques- 
tioned integrity  and  stability. 


HENRY  L.  ATWOOD,  whose  thrifty  ranch 
lies  snugly  and  picturesquely  located  among  the 
hills  two  miles  east  of  Granite  Falls  on  Atwood 
creek,  a  branch  of  the  Pilchuck  river,  is  one  of  the 
true  pioneers  of  Snohomish  county.  He  came  to 
this  region  when  it  was  in  its  wild  state,  more  than 
seventeen  years  ago,  and  has  not  only  witnessed  its 
transformation  into  a  prosperous  district  of  farms 
and  towns  and  mines,  but  he  has  in  fact  contributed 
personally  to  this  wonderful  development  of  a  west- 
ern frontier.  Though  born  in  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, in  the  very  heart  of  the  populous  East,  he 
early  sought  the  freer  life  of  the  West  and  like 
many  another  young  man  of  his  time  reached  fur- 
ther and  further  westward,  engaging  in  the  various 
occupations  and  meeting  with  the  common  exper- 
iences incident  to  frontier  life,  until  he  finally  found 
himself  in  Washington  Territory  in  1887,  after  hav- 
ing visited  Colorado  and  the  southwestern  portion 
of  the  L^nited  States.  He  followed  logging  in  Kit- 
sap county  for  a  time,  then  came  northward  and  in 
February,  1889,  by  the  aid  of  a  compass  located  his 
present  ranch,  being  among  the  first  in  this  section. 
His  nearest  neighbors,  and  they  were  miles  away, 
were  Julius  Hansen  down  by  the  Pilchuck,  and  the 
small  settlement  in  the  vicinity  of  William  Turner 
at  what  is  now  Granite  Falls.  Mr.  Atwood  had  to 
build  a  trail  in  order  to  get  to  his  place  and  for  a 
long  time  packed  in  everything  on  his  back,  indicat- 
ing but  one  of  the  trials  of  building  a  home  in  the 
Washington  woods.  More  than  two  and  a  half 
years  elapsed  before  he  was  able  to  file  on  his  land, 
the  survey  not  being  made  previous  to  that.  He 
early  joined  with  his  neighbors  in  building  roads, 
new  trails  in  asking  for  a  new  post-office  at  Granite 
Falls,  and  and  in  other  public  matters  of  vital  in- 


loro 


SNOHOIMISH  COUNTY 


terest  to  the  growth  of  the  community.  Like  many 
others  he  was  compelled  to  work  out  for  a  time  in 
order  to  support  himself,  but  of  late  years  has  given 
his  ranch  his  entire  attention  with  the  result  that  he 
has  cleared  a  large  portion  of  it  and  otherwise  laid 
the  foundation  for  what  will  soon  be  one  of  the 
finest,  prettiest  places  in  this  section  of  the  county. 
Recently  he  has  erected  a  commodious,  comfortable 
(lA\elling  that  adds  to  the  value  and  appearance  of 
I  lie  farm. 

Air.  Atwood  was  united  in  marriage,  Februarv 
2C,  1904,  to  Aland  J.  I'ay,  a  native  of  Hardwick, 
Vermont.  She  i^  ilu'  danglttcr  nf  I'rank  Fay,  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Civil  War,  at  present  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, who  is  descended  from  American  Colonial 
stock.  Her  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Deborah  Brown,  is  also  a  native  of  the  Green  Moun- 
tain state,  and  of  Colonial  stock.  Mrs.  Atwood  was 
educated  and  reared  in  Vermont  and  New  Hamp- 
shire. One  child  has  been  bom  to  this  union  :  Frank 
Fay  Atwood.  born  ]\Iay  11,  1905.  I\Irs.  Atwood  be- 
longs to  the  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Atwood  is  affili- 
ated with  one  fraternity  only,  the  Odd  Fellows.  Both 
he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  esteemed  members  of 
the  community  in  which  they  live  while  he  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  this  section, 
in  addition  to  the  position  he  has  attained  by  reason 
of  his  pioneership  and  the  part  he  has  played  in  the 
growth  of  western  Snohomish  county. 


JOHN  A.  THEURER,  successful  mill  owner  of 
Robe,  is  one  of  the  well  known  men  of  the  Pacific 
Northwest,  having  been  identified  with  the  lumber 
and  milling  business  since  he  came  to  this  state  in 
1889.  He  is  also  well  known  politically,  having 
been  a  member  of  the  house  of  representatives  at 
the  last  session  of  the  state  legislature,  in  which  he 
took  a  prominent  part,  being  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittees on  tide  lands,  state,  school  and  granted 
lands,  mines  and  mining,  printing  and  supplies.  Mr. 
Theurer  was  born  at  White  Lake,  Muskegon  Coun- 
ty, Michigan,  on  New  Year's  Day,  18G3,  one  of  the 
si.x  children  of  John  and  Augusta  (Popkey)  Theu- 
rer, natives  of  Germany.  Mrs.  Theurer  died  in 
1898,  in  her  fifty-sixth  year,  but  ]\Ir.  Theurer,  now 
eighty-two  years  of  age,  is  living  in  Everett,  to 
which  place  he  came  two  years  ago.  John  A.  Theu- 
rer passed  his  early  life  in  Montague,  Muskegon 
County,  Michigan,  where  he  obtained  a  common 
school  and  academic  education.  At  sixteen  years  of 
age  he  entered  the  employ  of  a  shingle  mill,  remain- 
ing with  the  company  until  in  1887  he  left  Michi- 
gan and  went  to  New  Mexico.  He  remained  there 
but  a  short  time,  however,  going  on  to  California, 
where  he  resumed  work  in  a  shingle  mill.     Eight- 


een months  later,  in  1889,  he  came  to  Snohomish' 
County,  Washington,  and  entered  the  employ  ■  of 
Blackman  Brothers,  remaining  with  that  well 
known  lumber  firm  for  the  next  six  months.  He 
then  became  financially  interested  in  the  firm  of  J. 
F.  Webber  &  Company,  builders  of  a  shingle  mill 
at  Cathcart.  After  operating  this  mill  for  some 
time.  Mr.  Theurer  left  it  to  associate  himself  with 
the  lease  of  R.  Hembridge's  mill  at  Granite  Falls. 
For  three  years  this  connection  continued  and  at 
the  close  of  the  lease-term,  J\Ir.  Theurer  came  to 
Robe  and  purchased  a  small  plant.  From  that  be- 
ginning in  the  fall  of  1898  he  has  built  up  his  pres- 
ent establishment,  with  a  saw-mill  of  sixty  thousand 
feet  daily  capacity  and  a  shingle  mill  with  a  capacity 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  per  day.  There 
is  also  a  planing  mill  in  connection,  and  he  owns  as 
well  good  timber  lands,  and  a  logging  railroad 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  in  length. 

In  April.  1901,  ]\Ir.  Theurer  married  Miss  Ella 
Raesch,  a  native  of  Michigan  who  came  to  Wash- 
ington with  her  parents.  Mr.  Raesch  has  passed 
away  but  Airs.  Raesch  is  a  resident  of  Robe.  In 
fraternal  circles  Mr.  Theurer  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks,  and  of  the  Concatenated  Order 
of  Hoo  Hoos.  In  politics  he  is  an  active  Republi- 
can, though  he  was  a  Democrat  prior  to  the  time 
of  the  assassination  of  the  late  President  McKinley. 
Mr.  Theurer  is  a  business  man  of  exceptional  abil- 
ity, a  citizen  of  the  best  attainments  and  principles 
and  an  efficient  public  official.  No  one  has  beea 
more  active  in  the  development  of  the  industrial 
resources  of  the  Northwest,  and  as  an  energetic 
participant  in  its  progress  he  is  well  worthy  of 
prominent  mention  in  these  annals. 


TI-IEES  KACKMAN,  the  well-to-do  pioneer 
farmer  residing  one  mile  south  and  a  mile  west 
of  Bryant,  was  born  in  Germany  March  2,  1SG6. 
His  parents,  Peter  and  Hedwig  (Willers)  Kack- 
man,  were  also  born  in  that  country.  The  father 
came  to  Washington  in  1885,  and  now,  at  the  age 
of  eighty,  is  making  his  home  with  a  daughter, 
Mrs.  Metta  Enselmann,  who  lives  near  Arlington. 
The  mother  died  in  her  native  land  in  1878,  aged 
forty-seven.  Thees  Kackman  is  the  youngest  of  a 
family  of  six  children.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  country,  and  at  the  age 
of  seventeen,  in  company  with  two  sisters,  Katrine 
and  Hedwig,  sailed  for  the  LTnited  States.  They 
located  first  in  Minnesota,  remaining  there  three 
years  on  a  farm.  Deciding  to  find  a  home  in  the 
Northwest,  Mr.  Kackman  then  went  to  Seattle,  and 
thence  to  Stanwood.     He  soon  made  a  trip  up  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


river,  and  a  year  later  took  up  a  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  which  he  now  lives.  It 
is  situated  a  mile  from  the  Stillaguamish,  and  at 
that  early  date  could  be  reached  only  by  that  means, 
there  being  no  roads.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 
places  where  the  trees  had  been  burned  off,  the  land 
was  covered  with  timber.  The  nearest  store  and 
post-office  was  at  what  is  now  known  as  Silvana,  a. 
distance  of  nine  miles  down  the  river.  During  the 
first  few  years  he  brought  all  his  supplies  up  the 
river  in  a  canoe,  and  then  packed  them  on  his  back 
to  the  ranch.  He  later  made  a  trail  over  which  an 
ox  team  could  be  driven,  and  constructed  a  rude 
wagon  with  wheels  sawed  out  of  a  large  fir  tree. 
He  still  has  this  relic  of  those  by-gone  days  in  which 
the  old  adage,  "Necessity  is  the  mother  of  inven- 
tion," was  every  often  proved  true.  With  the  as- 
sistance of  a  neighbor  his  first  cook  stove  was 
brought  to  the  cabin,  fastened  to  a  pole.  While 
holding  his  claim  he  worked  out  a  part  of  the  time 
to  support  his  family.  A  school-house  was  built 
soon  after  he  came  to  this  locality,  and  a  post-office 
and  store  followed  in  the  course  of  the  next  three 
years. 

Mr.  Kackman  was  married  March  31,  1897,  to 
Selma  T.  Frenzel.  a  native  of  Wisconsin.  Her 
parents,  Charles  and  Elwina  T.  (Schultz)  Fren- 
zel, both  of  German  nativity,  died  in  Wisconsin, 
whither  they  immigrated  in  1855.  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs. 
Kackman  have  had  four  children,  Peter  H.,  Otto  L., 
Selma  E.  H.,  and  Henry,  of  whom  all  are  living 
save  the  youngest,  who  died  June  13,  1905,  aged 
seven  months  and  nine  days.  Mr.  Kackman  is  a 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
and  on  political  questions  he  votes  an  independent 
ticket.  Pie  lias  held  the  office  of  road  supervisor 
for  two  years.  He  is  known  as  an  earnest,  indus- 
trious, conscientious  man,  and  is  respected  as  such  bv 
his  fellow  citizens.  Of  his  original  claim  he  now 
has  forty  acres  in  crops  and  pasture,  upon  which  he 
keeps  a  fine  herd  of  cattle,  devoting  much  attention- 
to  dairying.  He  is  also  very  successful  in  raising 
vegetables,  for  which  he  always  finds  a  ready  mar- 
ket. His  thrift  and  good  management  are  apparent 
on  every  side,  and  have  enabled  him  to  attain  his 
present  prosperity. 


SAMUEL  S.  ERDAHL.  one  of  the  honored  | 
pioneers  of  Bryant,  Washington,  residing  one-half 
mile  east  of  town,  was  born  in  Norwav,  June  '27, 
1858.  His  parents,  Samuel  S.  and  Bretha  Erdahl, 
are  living  in  their  native  country,  Norway,  the  fath- 
er aged  eighty-four,  the  mother,  seventy-three.  Of 
their  seven  children  Samuel  S.  is  the  oldest.  After 
receiving  his  elementary  education  in  the  common 


schools,  he  attended  a  military  school  for  three 
years.  He  left  home  May  24,  1S81,  to  avail  himself 
of  the  greater  opportunities  to  be  found  in  the 
United  States  and,  locating  in  Winnebago  County, 
Iowa,  farmed  there  for  some  time,  going  thence  to 
Alinnesota.  The  severe  winters  of  the  latter  state 
did  not  please  him,  so  he  decided  to  try  the  milder 
climate  of  Washington,  and  in  June,  1885,  came  to 
Stanwood.  Later  he  filed  on  the  land  he  now  owns 
and  moved  onto  it.  There  were  but  five  settlers  in 
Bryant  at  that  early  date.  As  it  was  so  far  from 
the  river,  it  was  necessary  to  cut  a  trail,  and  later,  a 
wagon  road  to  Stanwood.  Some  idea  of  the  labor 
involved  m  this  tmdertaking  may  be  had  from  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Erdahl  spent  his  entire  time  for  four 
months  on  it,  and  the  other  settlers  nearly  an  equal 
amount  of  time.  Stanwood  had  the  nearest  post- 
office  and  store.  It  was  eight  years  after  he  came 
before  Mr.  Erdahl  could  get  a  wagon  to  his  house. 
For  the  first  two  years  he  did  not  have  even  a 
yoke  of  oxen,  and  was  thus  obliged  to  do  all  his 
work  by  hand.  When  he  eventually  became  the 
proud  possessor  of  a  cow,  in  order  to  provide  her 
with  food,  he  packed  hay  on  his  back  a  distance  of 
two  miles.  It  was  no  slight  task  to  keep  her  sup- 
plied with  food,  but  the  luxury  of  having  milk  am- 
ply repaid  him  for  his  toil.  Every  foot  of  the  ranch 
was  covered  with  timber  when  he  filed  on  it.  He 
now  has  twenty  acres  in  cultivation,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  in  pasture.  Dairy  interests  occupy 
the  larger  share  of  his  time  and  attention.  His 
thorough  familiarity  with  the  conditions  on  which 
success  depends,  and  his  careful  attention  to  details 
enable  him  to  realize  a  substantial  income  from  this 
industrv  alone. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  Mr.  Erdahl  and  Susan  Bergo 
were  married  in  Iowa.  Mrs.  Erdahl  was  born  in 
Norway  and  came  to  the  L^nited  States  at  the  same 
time  that  Mr.  Erdahl  came.  Her  parents  are  de- 
ceased. Eight  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Erdahl.  two  of  whom,  Breta  and  Harry,  are 
deceased.  The  others  are  Samuel.  Hannah,  Martha. 
Breta,  Harold  and  Annie  S.  Although  a  loyal  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Erdahl  has^ 
never  had  any  desire  to  take  an  active  part  in  politi- 
cal matters.  He  and  his  family  are  identified  with 
the  Lutheran  church.  Possessed  of  the  sterling 
characteristics  that  everywhere  insure  respect  and 
confidence,  Mr.  Erdahl  is  a  citizen  of  whom  Bryant 
is  justly  proud.  During  his  long  residence  here  he 
has  witnessed  wonderful  changes,  and  by  reason  of 
his  vivid  recollections  of  the  early  days  is  able  to 
fully  appreciate  the  modern  improvements  and  con- 
veniences that  all  are  now  privileged  to  enjoy.  In 
a  quiet,  unassuming  way  he  has  contributed  his  full 
share  to  the  growth  and  development  of  this  local- 
itv,  and  his  influence  and  means  can  always  be  re- 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


lied   on   to   advance   any    public    enterprise    which 
promises  to  be  of  benefit  to  the  community. 


CHARLES  D.  HILLIS.  Among  the  young 
men  of  Snohomish  county  who  are  carrying  for- 
ward the  work  so  well  begun  by  the  pioneers  of 
agencies  of  a  continuous  development,  forces  in  ush- 
ering in  the  day  of  larger  things  for  a  very  large 
country,  Charles  D.  Hillis  is  deserving  of  a  place  in 
the  front  rank.  Still  in  the  early  'thirties,  he  has 
already  massed  a  competency  and  with  the  means 
already  acquired  is  pushing  forward  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  greater  things,  the  winning  of  worthier 
victories.  He  belongs  to  the  class  who  form  the 
leal  strength  and  boast  of  any  country,  the  vigorous, 
thrifty  and  fearless  workers  in  the  direction  of 
progress. 

Mr.  Hillis  was  born  in  Elk  County,  Kansas,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1873,  the  son  of  James  F.  Hillis,  a  native 
of  Indiana,  who  in  later  life  became  a  farmer  in 
Kansas  and  continued  to  farm  there  until  his  death 
in  1891.  With  him  our  subject  lived  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  then  he  came  to  Walla  Walla,  arriving 
in  1888.  After  a  short  stay  in  southeastern  Wash- 
ington he  moved  to  Oregon  where  his  home  was  un- 
til 1890,  then  he  came  to  Snohomish  county.  Short- 
ly after  his  arrival  he  took  a  timber  claim  near 
Oso,  which  continued  to  be  his  property  for  four 
years.  In  1897  he  purchased  the  place  at  Cicero 
which  is  now  his  home,  and  to  its  cultivation  and 
improvement  he  gave  himself  with  zeal  and  energy 
until  last  spring  when  he  bought  a  half  interest  in 
a  shingle  mill  at  Trafton  and  since  that  he  has  been 
successfully  operating  the  same  in  conjunction  with 
D.  E.  Servis.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  fifty  thou- 
sand daily.  Mr.  Hillis'  property  interest  include  his 
fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  forty  of 
which  have  been  cleared,  and  improved  by  the  erec- 
tion of  a  neat  little  house  and  other  buildings,  a 
half  interest  in  the  mill  just  mentioned,  a  half  in- 
terest in  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  excellent 
timber  land,  a  house  and  two  lots  and  some  other 
property  in  Everett,  certainly  not  a  bad  showing  for 
a  man  who  began  life  without  anything  a  compara- 
tively few  years  ago. 

The  industrial  success  of  Mr.  Hillis  has  been 
achieved  without  sacrifice  of  any  of  the  principles  of 
right  living  and  fair  dealing  which  form  the  basis 
of  an  honorable  standing  among  his  fellow  citi- 
zens, and  his  position  in  social  circles  and  as  a  man 
among  men  is  no  less  enviable  than  that  occupied 
by  him  in  business.  In  political  faith  he  is  aligned 
with  the  Democratic  party;  in  fraternal  affiliation 
he  is  a  Yeoman,  an  Elk  and  a  Modern  Woodman. 
He  has  three  brothers  and  one  sister,  namely 
James,    John,    Royal    and    Marion,    also    two    half 


brothers,   Benjamin  and   Roy,  and  one   step-sister, 
Lillian  Hostetter. 


STEPHEN  CICERO,  storekeeper,  post-master, 
farmer  and  poultryman  at  the  place  which  bears  his 
name,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  section  of  Sno- 
homish county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cicero  first  came  up 
the  river  in  1889,  bringing  family,  stove,  furniture 
and  provisions  in  a  canoe  and  occupying  two  days 
in  making  the  trip.  For  a  time  Mr.  Cicero  had  a 
hard  time  getting  a  start  in  his  new  place,  but  he 
persevered.  A  suggestion  of  the  inaccessibility  of 
the  place  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  the 
first  road  to  Cicero  was  built  so  late  as  1897.  Mr. 
Cicero  was  born  in  Genesee  County,  Michigan,  De- 
cember 28,  1856,  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Ellen  L. 
(Smith)  Cicero,  the  former  a  native  of  Canada  who 
came  to  Michigan  and  engaged  in  lumbering  for  a 
period  of  years,  ultimately  embarking  in  the  hotel 
business.  Mrs.  Cicero  was  born  in  Genesee  County, 
New  York,  in  1833,  and  died  in  1871.  Stephen  Cic- 
ero lived  at  home  until  his  mother's  death  and  dur- 
ing that  time  secured  what  formal  education  he  has 
been  able  to  obtain.  He  passed  his  years  until  1889 
in  Michigan,  then  came  to  Snohomish  county,  after 
having  stopped  for  a  time  in  Seattle.  He  took  up 
a  pre-emption  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which 
he  held  until  seven  years  ago,  when  he  sold  out  and 
bought  his  present  place  of  twenty  acres  and  his 
store. 

In  1885  Mr.  Cicero  married  Miss  Martha  Gor- 
don, daughter  of  Jesse  and  Matilda  (Ellis)  Gordon. 
Mr.  Gordon  was  a  native  of  Scotland  who  came  to 
the  LInited  States  when  a  child,  and  when  the  Civil 
War  broke  out  enlisted  and  served  four  years  in  the 
Union  army.  Mrs.  Gordon  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born 
in  1849,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
Ohio.  She  was  married  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  The 
couple  are  living  in  King  county  at  present.  Mrs. 
Cicero's  natal  year  was  1866.  She  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Michigan  and  lived  with  her 
parents  until  her  marriage.  Two  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cicero:  Mrs.  Olive  Ryan 
and  Stephen,  the  latter  of  whom  is  dead.  They 
have  an  adopted  son,  Harry.  In  politics  Mr.  Cicero 
is  a  Democrat,  but  has  sought  or  held  no  office,  lo- 
cal or  state,  except  membership  on  the  school  board. 
In  fraternal  circles  he  is  a  Yeoman.  When  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cicero  first  came  to  this  section  of  the 
country  the  post-office  was  at  Trafton,  that  at  Cic- 
ero not  being  established  until  six  years  ago.  In 
1891  the  first  wagon  and  team  of  horses  appeared, 
driven  by  Frank  Kent,  who  occupied  three  days  on 
the  trip  from  Kent's  prairie.  Birds  from  outside 
did  not  come  until  a  year  later,  but  now,  strangely 
enough,  the  meadow  lark  and  robin  are  quite  com- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


mon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cicero  are  well  satisfied  with 
their  venture  and  feel  that  Snohomish  county  has 
been  good  to  them  in  every  way,  the  hard  times  of 
the  early  days  simply  preparing  for  the  later  times 
of  greater  ease  and  affluence. 


RALPH  COLLINGWOOD  (deceased)  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  upper  Stillaguamish  river, 
and  his  life  from  1884  to  the  time  of  his  death  was 
intimately  connected  with  the  development  and  set- 
tlement of  this  part  of  Snohomish  county.  Mrs. 
Collingwood  was  the  first  white  woman  in  this  sec- 
tion and  she  retains  vivid  memories  of  experiences 
of  those  early  days  of  the  reclamation  of  the  forests 
for  human  kind.  Mr.  Colhng^ood  was  born  in 
Plessey,  England,  Decembei  18,  1843,  the  only  son 
of  Roger  and  Isabelle  (Thompson)  Collingwood. 
The  elder  Collingwood,  a  descendant  of  the  admiral 
of  the  same  name  who  is  famous  in  the  annals  of 
the  British  navy,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1850 
and  settled  in  Michigan,  dying  at  Big  Rapids  in 
187G.  His  three  daughters  were  Annie,  deceased ; 
Elizabeth  and  Jennie.  Ralph  Collingwood  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  and 
served  his  adopted  country  faithfully  for  three 
years.  Returning  from  the  war,  he  passed  a  num- 
ber of  years  in  Michigan,  then  went  to  Kansas  and 
later  to  Arkansas.  After  three  years  in  the  latter 
state  he  came  to  Washington  in  1882  and  went  to 
work  in  Port  Blakely.  Coming  to  Snohomish  coun- 
ty two  years  later,  he  located  on  a  timber  claim 
near  Trafton,  but  after  a  few  months  he  removed 
to  a  homestead  three  miles  above  Trafton  which  has 
since  borne  his  name  and  where  Mrs.  Collingwood 
lived  after  her  husband's  death  until  quite  recently. 
Of  this  period  Mr.  Collingwood  wrote  in  a  sketch 
of  the  early  days  on  the  upper  river :  "On  the  first 
day  of  March,  1884,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Collingwood, 
Ed.  Fisher  and  a  Mr.  Parks  pitched  their  tents  at 
the  McEwan  place,  three  miles  up  the  north  fork, 
and  took  possession  of  an  abandoned  bachelor  cab- 
in. They  had  been  taken  up  the  river  in  a  canoe 
by  Siwash  John  Friday  and  his  klootchman,  and  had 
reached  the  place  the  third  day  after  leaving  Stan- 
wood.  That  night  a  heavy  snow  fell  and  the  next 
day  the  men  began  to  cut  a  trail  to  Mr.  Colling- 
wood's  homestead  claim  three  miles  to  the  west- 
ward, which  required  eleven  days.  Then  a  cabin 
was  built,  the  supplies  packed  in.  and  Mrs.  Colling- 
wood. the  first  white  woman  on  the  north  fork,  took 
her  canine  bodyguard,  'Shep,'  and  moved  into  her 
first  forest  home.  Mr.  Parks  located  on  the  D.  S. 
Baker  place,  and  during  the  summer  James  Mc- 
Cullough  took  up  the  claim  that  is  now  occupied 
by  the  river  a  mile  west  of  Cooper's  shingle  mill, 
and   George   Moore  located   the   present  Brazelton 


place   and    relinquished    it   to   that     family   a   year 
later." 

In  1865,  at  Bay  City,  Michigan,  Mr.  Colling- 
wood married  Miss  Jennie  Patterson,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Lome  (Morden)  Patterson.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  New  York  who  in  early  life  was  a. 
sea  captain  but  later  became  a  Michigan  farmer. 
Mrs.  Patterson,  a  native  of  Canada,  died  when  Mrs. 
Collingwood  was  but  a  girl,  the  youngest  of  five 
children  of  whom  only  herself  and  sister  Mary  sur- 
vive ;  the  latter  is  also  a  resident  of  this  county.  Aft- 
er her  mother's  death,  Mrs.  Collingwood  lived  with 
an  uncle  until  her  marriage.  In  politics  Mr.  Colling- 
wood was  a  Republican,  while  in  fraternal  circles 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  He  was 
a  prosperous  man,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
he  owned  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
at  the  Everett  Hospital,  February  5,  1897,  the  home- 
stead of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  free  from  in- 
cumbrance, a  dairy  herd,  twenty-five  neat  cattle, 
and  the  implements  and  other  paraphernalia  of  a 
well  kept,  modern  farm.  Mrs.  Collingwood  has  re- 
cently sold  the  old  homestead  to  Mr.  Cavanaugh. 
She  is  one  of  the  highly  respected  women  of  Sno- 
homish county,  esteemed  by  all  who  know  her,  one 
who  has  experienced  the  vicissitudes  of  pioneer 
days  and  has  done  her  share  toward  replacing  the 
wilderness  with  farms  and  homes. 


JACOB  T.  LOHR.  Among  the  expert  lumber- 
men who  have  been  drawn  hither  by  the  excellent 
timber  of  the  Puget  sound  country  and  who  are 
forces  to-day  in  the  utilization  and  manufacture  of 
that  great,  transcendent  resource,  the  man  with 
whose  life  history  this  article  is  concerned  is  deserv- 
ing of  a  prominent  place.  He  is  thoroughly  appre- 
ciative of  the  timber  wealth  of  the  country,  Imows 
something  about  its  undeveloped  minerals,  believes 
in  its  future  and  has  an  abundance  of  that  kind  of 
faith  which  impels  men  to  go  ahead  and  accomplish 
something.  Fie  hails  from  a  lumber  state,  having 
been  born  in  Wayne  County,  Michigan,  February 
18,  1855,  and  is  one  of  the  four  children  of  Frederick 
and  Augusta  M.  (Adams)  Lohr,  both  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  came  to  the  United  States 
when  fifteen  years  old,  settled  in  Michigan  and 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  there,  dying  in 
1875.  The  mother  came  to  this  country  at  the  early 
age  of  eight,  her  parents  having  died,  and  lived  with 
friends  in  Bufltalo,  New  York,  for  five  years,  later 
going  to  Michigan,  where  she  was  married.  Her 
husband  having  passed  away  as  heretofore  stated, 
she  later  remarried,  and  in  1883  came  to  Lyman, 
Skagit  county,  where  she  continued  to  reside  until 
her  demise  four  years  later. 

Mr.  Lohr  of  this  article  acquired  a  common  edu- 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


cation  in  the  public  schools  of  Michigan,  and  at 
eighteen  went  to  Detroit  to  engage  in  railroad  office 
work,  but  he  soon  left  it  to  embark  in  lumbering  at 
Manistee,  Michigan,  where  for  nine  consecutive 
years  he  followed  log  scaling  and  kindred  occupa- 
tions. During  the  summers  of  1872-3-4,  however, 
he  was  employed  on  a  vessel  on  Lake  Michigan  and 
at  one  time  barely  escaped  drowning,  his  vessel 
having  been  wrecked.  After  becoming  an  expert  in 
the  lumber  business  he  took  up  the  work  of  esti- 
mating and  selling  timber  on  a  commission,  which 
line  he  followed  until  ISH'i,  when  he  came  to  Wash- 
ington. For  the  first  three  years  after  his  arrival 
he  followed  the  same  pursuit  here,  his  central  point 
of  operations  being  Seattle,  but  in  1885  he  built  the 
steamer  Pearl  and  began  running  it  on  the  waters  of 
the  sound  and  Samish  river.  A  twelvemonth  was 
thus  spent,  then  he  took  a  homestead  on  the  Skagit 
river  near  Lyman,  but  the  attractions  of  the  lumber 
business  were  too  great  for  him  and  soon  he  had 
built  a  saw-mill  at  Sterling  and  was  again  busy  in 
the  manufacture  of  lumber.  Fire  terminated  this 
enterprise  a  year  later;  then  Mr.  Lohr  turned  his 
attention  to  prospecting,  becoming  one  of  the  first 
locators  in  the  Silverton  district.  He  gave  special 
attention  to  the  Perry  creek  section,  staking  out 
seven  claims  there,  and  iluring  the  nine  years  be- 
tween 1801  and  i'JOi)  devoting  practically  all  his 
energies  to  explorations  and  the  development  of 
properties  already  acquired.  As  a  result  he  now  owns 
a  controlling  interest  in  all  the  Perry  creek  mines, 
whose  values  consist  of  gold  and  silver,  with  twen- 
ty-five per  cent  copper.  In  1900  he  became  inter- 
ested once  more  in  the  lumber  business.  He  re- 
turned to  Seattle  and  to  the  business  of  buying  and 
selling  timber,  and  the  following  year  erected  a  mill 
of  his  own  at  Ehrlich,  which  he  soon  sold,  coming 
then  to  Cicero.  There  he  has  since  lived,  engaged 
in  a  general  milling  business,  he  being  owner  of  a 
third  interest  in  the  Heath-Morley  Company,  which 
has  a  saw  and  shingle  mill  and  forty  milHon  feet 
of  timber,  half  of  it  cedar. 

February  4.  1900.  Mr.  I^ohr  married  Miss  Marie 
T.  Zibbell,  a  daughter  of  August  Zibbell,  and  a  na- 
tive of  Minnesota,  born  July  13,  1879.  She  came 
to  Colfax,  Washington,  in  1898,  and  to  Seattle  i 
year  later.  She  and  Mr.  Lohr  are  parents  of  two 
children,  Ralph  Major  and  Sidney.  In  politics  Mr. 
Lohr  is  a  Republican,  active,  influential  and  awake 
to  all  matters  of  general  concern,  but  not  ambitious 
personally  for  political  preferment,  though  in  189() 
he  consented  to  become  his  party's  candidate  for  the 
office  of  county  surveyor.  He  is  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative business  men  of  the  county  and  one  of  the 
progressive  forces  in  its  development,  possessed  of 
an  active,  lively  faith  in  its  future  and  especially 
in  the  future  of  the  Perrv  creek  mines. 


CLAL'DE  C.  GRANT,  engaged  in  general 
farming  a  half  mile  northwest  of  Cicero,  is  one  of 
the  successful  agriculturists  of  this  part  of  Snoho- 
mish county  and  during  a  comparatively  few  years 
has  built  up  an  excellent  farm  out  of  the  forest 
lands.  Mr.  Grant  was  born  in  Iowa  January  20, 
1868,  the  son  of  John  and  Angie  (Baxter)  Grant. 
The  elder  Grant  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  farmed 
in  that  state  until  18G7,  when  he  went  to  Iowa.  In 
1870  he  moved  to  Kansas  and  in  1888  came  to 
Snohomish  county,  settling  on  the  Stillaguamish 
and  residing  there  until  his  death  at  Arlington  in 
1899.  Mrs.  Grant  is  still  living,  a  resident  of  Ar- 
lington. Besides  Claude,  she  has  two  other  chil- 
dren, James  and  Nellie.  Claude  C.  Grant  made  his 
home  with  his  parents  until  thirty  years  of  age, 
working  in  logging  camps  for  a  number  of  years 
after  his  arrival  in  Snohomish  county.  For  the 
past  eight  years  he  has  been  operating  his  present 
farm,  doing  a  successful  business  and  building  up. 
an  excellent  property. 

In  April,  1900,  Mr.  Grant  married  ?iliss  Eliza- 
beth Schiller,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Minnie 
(Eicholze)  Schiller,  natives  of  Germany,  and  now 
residents  of  xVrlington.  Mrs.  Grant  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  on  Christmas  day,  1881.  She  re- 
ceived her  education  principally  in  the  schools  of 
Arlington,  coming  to  the  United  States  with  her 
parents  when  she  was  eight  years  of  age.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Grant  have  two  children,  Hazel  and  Audree. 
In  politics  Mr.  Grant  is  aligned  with  the  Republi- 
cans. He  has  180  acres  of  excellent  land,  thirty 
of  which  are  at  present  cleared  and  under  cultiva- 
tion. He  keeps  seven  milch  cows,  also  has  eleven 
head  of  stock  cattle  and  half  a  dozen  horses.  He  is 
improving  his  farm  as  the  years  go  by  and  the 
place  now  presents  a  sharp  contrast  to  what  it  was 
when  he  first  took  hold  of  the  land.  Mr.  Grant  is 
energetic,  thrifty,  intelligent  in  his  work,  a  good 
manager  and  one  of  the  popular  and  influential  men 
of  the  community. 


HUGH  C.  RUTHRUFF,  a  general  farmer  living 
two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Oso,  has  been  in  Sno- 
homish county  since  1888  and  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful since  coming  here.  Mr.  Ruthrufif  was  born 
in  Kansas  on  Christmas  Day.  1866,  the  son  of 
Chester  and  Urina  (Sprague)  Ruthrufif,  who  are 
still  living  in  the  Sunflower  state.  The  elder  Ruth- 
ruff  was  born  in  Michigan  in  1839  and  became  a 
carpenter.  He  went  to  Kansas  when  a  young  man 
and,  with  the  exception  of  the  years  1889-92,  when 
he  was  in  this  state,  has  passed  his  entire  time  since 
attaining  manhood  there.  Mrs.  Ruthruff  is  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  still  lives  in  her  Kansas  home,  the 
mother  of  seven  children  besides  the  subject  of  this 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1075 


biography,  namel)- :  ^Irs.  Nellie  L.  Conover,  Mrs. 
Nettie  M.  Lambert,  Mrs.  Belle  D.  Farrier,  Claude 
D.  Rutbniff,  Mrs.  Gertrude  Walker,  Miss  Lulu 
Ruthruff  and  Clement  Ruthrufif.  Until  he  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age  Hugh  C.  Ruthrufif  lived 
with  his  parents,  obtaining  his  education  in  the  lo- 
cal common  school.  Coming  to  Snohomish  county 
in  1888,  he  located  on  a  place  near  his  present  farm, 
which  he  afterwards  sold  to  advantage,  then  took 
a  timber  claim  on  which  he  proved  up  in  189-1. 
During  this  period  of  his  life  he  worked  a  great 
deal  in  Whatcom  county.  After  disposing  of  his 
timber  claim  in  1899,  Mr.  Ruthruti'  engaged  in  log- 
ging and  other  lines  of  endeavor  for  two  years.  He 
bought  his  present  place  of  100  acres  in  the  fall  of 
1901,  moved  onto  it  in  the  following  spring  and 
has  since  lived  there. 

October  2,  1893,  :\Ir.  Ruthruff  married  IMiss 
Mildred  E.  Richards  at  Whatcom,  daughter  of 
Ephraim  and  Frances  (Childs)  Richards,  both  of 
whom  are  still  living  and  residents  of  Snohomish 
county.  ^Ir.  Richards,  a  native  of  Maine,  and  by 
occupation  a  farmer,  removed  to  California  in  early 
life  and  in  188G  came  to  Snohomish  county.  Mrs. 
Ruthrufif  has  a  brother  and  two  sisters,  Willie  E. 
Richards,  Mrs.  Maud  AIcKinnon  and  Miss  Efifie 
Richards.  iXIrs.  Ruthrutif  was  born  in  1873  and 
lived  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ruthrufif  have  been  born  si.x  children: 
Earl  B.,  Vern  M..  Dwight  C,  Harold  C,  Neil  and 
Beryl  N.  In  politics  IVIr.  Ruthrufif  is  a  Republi- 
can, while  in  fraternal  connection  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  American  Yeomen.  Of  the 
one  hundred  acres  comprising  his  home  farm  sixty 
have  been  slashed  and  are  in  pasture,  while  thirty 
are  completely  under  cultivation.  His  dairy  herd 
consists  of  eight  milch  cows,  and  he  has  ten  head 
of  stock  cattle,  as  well  as  other  live  stock.  Mr. 
Ruthrufif  is  well  satisfied  with  the  opportunities  held 
out  by  Snohomish  county  and  feels  that  he  has 
prospered  since  coming  here ;  further,  expects  that 
all  conditions  in  the  county  will  improve  with  the 
flight  of  time.  He  is  highly  respected  as  a  man  of 
estimable  character,  intelligent,  well  informed  and 
thoroughly  in  touch  with  events  in  the  world  at 
large. 


many  other  successful  men,  Felix  Chartrand  was 
obliged  by  circumstances  to  assume  the  active  duties 
of  life  at  an  early  age,  working  on  a  farm  when  only 
thirteen  years  old.  A  few  years  later  he  began 
work  in  the  woods  on  the  Gatineau  river,  and  he 
was  thus  employed  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
immigrated  to  the  United  States.  He  first  located 
at  Jordan  Falls,  New  York,  but  went  the  follow- 
ing fall  to  Michigan,  where  he  spent  the  next  five 
years  in  the  woods.  .  Still  journeying  westward,  he 
stopped  in  Butte,  Montana,  for  a  time,  whence  he 
came  to  Seattle  in  the  spring  of  1888.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  teaming  there  the  first  summer,  and  in 
the  fall  came  on  to  Stanwood,  went  twenty-five 
miles  up  the  Stillaguamish  river,  and  pre-empted 
IGO  acres.  There  was  at  that  time  only  a  blazed 
trail  reaching  to  Stanwood,  so  supplies  had  to  be 
brought  in  in  canoes  by  the  Indians  at  a  cost  per 
load  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars.  Seven  years 
later,  having  lost  the  pre-emption,  Mr.  Chartrand 
returned  to  the  woods  to  find  employment.  During 
the  past  five  years  he  has  taken  but  one  vacation, 
this  being  when  he  went  to  Idaho.  In  February, 
1901,  he  took  up  his  residence  on  his  farm  located 
one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Oso.  of  which  he  be- 
came owner  six  years  ago,  and  he  has  since  de- 
voted his  attention  to  clearing  the  land  and  getting 
it  in  condition  to  cultivate.  He  has  ten  acres  in 
crops  and  pasture  and  since  acquiring  the  land  has 
erected  comfortable  buildings  besides  earning  $400 
in  wages.  These  improvements  are  a  substantial 
proof  of  his  tireless  energy. 

Mr.  Chartrand  was  married  in  1903  to  Mrs. 
Mary  VanCore,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  born  at  Eau 
Claire.  Her  parents  are  both  living  in  her  na- 
tive state.  She  has  two  children  by  her  former 
husband,  Alfay  and  Cecil,  and  one  child,  Walter, 
has  been  born  to  Mr.  and  jMrs.  Chartrand.  Mr. 
Chartrand  is  identified  with  no  political  party,  al- 
ways preferring  to  vote  for  the  man,  nor  has  he 
ever  cared  to  take  an  active  part  in  political  mat- 
ters. Although  not  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers, 
Mr.  Chartrand  has  been  identified  with  the  various 
interests  of  this  locality  for  a  number  of  years 
now,  and  he  is  numbered  among  the  well  and  fa- 
vorablv  known  citizens. 


FELIX  CHARTRAND.  Among  the  thrifty 
and  industrious  fanners  of  Oso  is  the  man  whose 
name  gives  caption  to  this  biography.  He  was 
born  at  Saint  Lawrence.  Ontario.  December  2-5, 
1861,  the  son  of  John  and  Florence  (Begrau) 
Chartrand.  The  father,  a  farmer,  died  in  Ontario 
in  1878,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight,  but  the  mother, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-seven,  is  still  living  at  Ottawa. 
She   is   the   mother   of    seventeen    children.     Like 


CHARLES  SANDBERG,  who  is  operating 
with  marked  success  a  dairy  farm  situated  one  mile 
north  of  Oso,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  part 
of  Snohomish  county  who  has  created  for  himself 
a  pleasant  home  and  a  valuable  farm  out  of  the 
forest  of  the  upper  Stillaguamish.  He  was  born  in 
Sweden  in  the  summer  of  1857,  the  son  of  Erick 
and  Caroline  (Bostrom)  Johnson^  who  lived  and 
died  in  the  old  countrv,  leaving  five  children  besides 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


Charles.  The  others  are  Carrie,  Erick  and  August 
Sandberg,  Mrs.  Sophia  Nordene  and  Mrs.  Emma 
Sandstrom.  There  is  also  an  adopted  son,  John 
Nelson.  Charles  Sandberg  lived  with  his  parents 
until  the  death  of  the  father  in  1871,  then  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  worked  for  farmers  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  his  home  in  northern  Sweden.  After  three 
years  at  farm  work  young  Sandberg  engaged  to 
work  in  lumber  yards  in  his  native  country  and  re- 
mained in  that  occupation  until  he  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1881.  After  his  arrival  in  the 
new  world,  he  first  settled  at  Cadillac,  Michigan, 
where  he  remained  until  he  came  to  Snohomish 
county,  whither  a  brother  had  preceded  him  to  the 
Stillaguamish  valley.  The  brother  was  drowned 
in  the  river  within  a  few  weeks  of  the  arrival  of 
Charles,  and  the  latter  took  charge  of  the  brother's 
place  and  has  since  operated  it,  with  the  exception 
of  two  years,  1898-99,  which  he  passed  in  Alaska. 
When  Mr.  Sandberg  first  came  up  the  river  there 
were  no  railroads  in  the  country  and  few  trails  and 
provisions  had  to  be  brought  by  canoe.  Mr.  Sand- 
berg was  fortunate  in  having  sufficient  funds  to 
support  him  until  his  farm  could  be  put  into  con- 
dition to  produce  crops.     That  was  in  1891. 

In  1887  at  Seattle  Mr.  Sandberg  married  Miss 
Catherine  Larson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  the 
daughter  of  Lars  and  Mary  (Olson)  Johnson. 
Mrs.  Johnson  never  left  her  native  land,  but  Mr. 
Johnson  came  to  the  United  States  in  1892  and 
died  in  Oso  six  years  later.  Mrs.  Sandberg,  who 
was  born  December  5,  18G5,  came  to  the  United 
States  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  worked 
in  Michigan  until  coming  to  Seattle  a  short  time 
prior  to  her  marriage.  To  her  and  Mr.  Sandberg 
have  been  born  six  children :  Nellie  A.,  Mabel  L., 
Carl  A.  (deceased),  Esther  M.,  Fred  A.  and  Lil- 
lian M.  In  politics  Mr.  Sandberg  is  a  Republican 
and  in  church  membership  a  Lutheran.  Forty  acres 
of  his  160-acre  tract  have  been  cleared  and  are  un- 
der cultivation,  much  of  the  remainder  being  pas- 
ture land,  where  he  grazes  his  twelve  milch  cows 
and  his  stock  cattle.  The  house  is  a  fine  large  one 
■of  nine  rooms,  supplied  with  all  modern  conven- 
iences. Mr.  Sandberg  is  well  satisfied  with  the 
"business  opportunities  of  Snohomish  county,  where 
his  thrift  and  industry  have  placed  him  in  an  inde- 
pendent position.  He  is  a  sterling  man,  well  liked 
in  the  community,  with  much  public  spirit  and  in- 
terest in  all  that  pertains  to  the  state  and  nation. 


JOHN  ILES.  Prominent  among  the  progres- 
sive and  successful  men  of  Snohomish  county,  and 
deserving  of  the  highest  credit  as  a  man  of  force- 
ful character,  executive  ability  and  good  business 
judgment  is  John  lies,  a  prosperous  farmer  living 


at  Oso.  Having  come  to  Snohomish  county  nine- 
teen years  ago  with  only  funds  sufficient  to  support 
his  family  until  he  could  get  a  few  acres  of  a 
timbered  homestead  cleared,  he  has  by  industry, 
thrift  and  good  management,  accumulated  sufficient 
property  so  that  should  his  earning  capacity  be  sud- 
denly destoyed  by  some  accident,  he  could  still  live 
on  the  income  from  his  holdings.  Mr.  lies  was 
born  in  London,  Ontario,  Canada,  December  10, 
1856,  the  son  of  John  and  Eliza  (Menery)  lies,  na- 
tives respectively  of  Ireland  and  Canada.  The 
father  was  engaged  in  farming  in  Michigan  for 
many  years,  and  died  in  that  state  in  1895,  re- 
spected and  honored  by  all  as  a  devout  and  worthy 
man.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  passed 
away  in  Michigan  a  few  months  prior  to  the  time 
of  his  death.  The  other  children  of  this  estimable 
couple  who  are  still  living  are  Christina,  William, 
Sarah,  Samuel,  Levi  L.,  Maggie  and  David,  and 
they  have  two  half-brothers  and  a  half-sister,  name- 
ly, Frank,  Thomas  and  Abigail. 

Until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age  Mr.  lies,  of 
this  artcle,  lived  with  his  parents,  then  he  began 
independently  the  struggle  of  life,  his  first  employ- 
ment being  log  driving  in  Michigan.  As  soon  as 
he  attained  his  majority  he  accepted  a  position  on 
the  police  force  of  Cadillac,  that  state,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  serve  as  such  officer  two  years,  retiring 
eventually  to  accept  a  position  with  a  New  York 
chemist  in  a  wood  alcohol  establishment  in  the 
mountains  of  Tennessee.  He  remained  there  until 
1887,  then  came  to  Washington  and  took  up  his 
present  place.  He  had  funds  sufficient  to  sustain 
himself  and  family  until  his  farm  could  be  made  to 
produce,  hence  he  was  able  to  devote  all  his  time 
and  energy  to  clearing  and  cultivating.  He  has  ac- 
quired new  fields  to  conquer  from  time  to  time  and 
is  still  pushing  ahead,  nor  does  he  expect  to  pause 
in  his  battle  with  timber,  stumps  and  debris  until 
the  last  acre  of  his  extensive  holdings  is  ready  for 
the  plow.  Naturally  alert  and  adapted  to  work  in 
the  woods,  he  has  made  considerable  money  cruis- 
ing timber  and  locating  newcomers  looking  for 
land.  During  the  winter  of  1904-5  he  found 
homes  for  thirty-seven  settlers,  for  which  service 
he  received  a  hundred  dollars  each.  Except  while 
absent  on  a  visit  to  Michigan  in  1903,  Mr.  lies  has 
lived  on  his  present  farm  since  coming  to  Snoho- 
mish county. 

In  the  summer  of  1886  Mr.  lies  married  Miss 
Cora  Woodward,  a  native  of  the  Peninsula  state, 
and  a  daughter  of  Eli  George  and  C^mthia 
(Parker)  Woodward.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
New  York,  who  removed  to  Michigan  in  middle  life 
and  became  a  hotel  keeper  and  liveryman  at  Cadil- 
lac, but  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1899  was  a 
farmer.     Her  mother,  a  native  of  Indiana,  died  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Michigan  in  1883,  leaving  two  children,  Mrs.  lies 
and  Mrs.  Nellie  Larson.  Mrs.  lies  has  two  half- 
brothers,  Gerome  and  Darwin  Woodward,  and 
■one  half-sister,  Mrs.  Ida  Young.  Born  in  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  February  2,  1868,  she  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  ]\Iichigan.  She  was  married 
prior  to  her  union  with  Mr.  lies  and  by  her  former 
marriage  has  one  son,  Clyde.  Mr.  lies  was  also 
married  before,  the  issue  of  his  first  union  being 
one  son,  Theodore,  while  the  children  of  his  pres- 
ent marriage  are  Winnie,  born  December  23,  1890, 
and  Walter  Lee,  born  January  27,  1894.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  lies  is  a  Democrat,  in  fraternal  connection 
a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
in  church  membership  a  Methodist.  He  has  in  his 
home  place  130  acres  of  his  original  homestead,  to 
which  has  been  added  thirty  acres  of  improved  farm 
land  purchased  later,  while  his  other  property  in- 
terests include  a  house  and  two  lots  in  Everett  and 
three  residences  in  Oso.  which  he  rents.  Now  that 
he  finds  himself  in  an  independent  position,  he  plans 
to  remove  shortly  to  the  city  of  Everett  that  his  chil- 
dren may  have  the  benefit  of  better  educational  in- 
stitutions and  enjov  the  other  advantages  of  urban 
life. 


ALFRED  FRENCH,  a  carpenter,  and  one  of 
the  active  and-  forceful  young  men  of  the  county, 
active  along  many  lines  among  which  are  prospect- 
ing, operating  engines  and  farming,  is  a  native  of 
Kennebec  county,  Maine,  born  in  1866.  the  sixth  of 
the  eight  children  of  Addison  and  Sybil  French, 
agriculturists  of  Maine,  which  was  their  native  com- 
monwealth also.  The  elder  French  died  in  1905, 
but  our  subject's  mother  still  lives  in  the  Pine  Tree 
state. 

Alfred  French,  of  this  article,  completed  a  com- 
mon school  course  of  study,  then  set  out,  at  the  age 
of  seventeen,  to  learn  the  jewelry  business,  but  after 
a  time  his  eyes  failed  him  and  he  was  compelled 
to  change  his  occupation.  Endowed  with  a  natural 
aptitude  and  taste  for  mechanical  work,  he  turned 
his  attention  to  carpentering,  following  that  until 
1887,  when  he  went  to  Massachusetts  to  accept  a 
position  in  connection  with  an  asylum.  After 
spending  a  year  there  he  passed  another  twelve- 
month or  so  at  his  home  in  Maine,  then  in  1890 
came  West  and  located  permanently  in  the  Paget 
sound  country.  His  first  employment  was  in 
bridge  construction  for  the  Seattle,  Lake  Shore  & 
Eastern  Railway  Company,  and  while  engaged  in 
that  line  he  became  impressed  with  the  value  of 
Snohomish  county  as  a  place  for  the  development 
of  fine  homes  and  farms,  so  he  soon  took  a  home- 
stead on  the  Boulder  river,  about  seven  miles  east 


of  Oso,  where  he  lived  for  the  ensuing  seven  years. 
During  this  period  he  worked  at  anything  he  could 
get  to  do  at  odd  times  for  subsistence,  giving  his 
major  efforts  to  land  clearing,  but  he  never  wholly 
deserted  his  trade  and  in  time  came  to  make  it  his 
main  reliance  for  a  livelihood  again.  In  1900  he 
was  unfortunately  stricken  with  a  sickness  which 
left  him  incapable  of  work  for  two  years,  but  as 
soon  as  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  he  turned  to 
his  handicraft,  also  to  operating  engines  in  different 
parts  of  the  county  and  to  prospecting  for  iron.  His 
last  contract  is  for  the  building  of  a  school-house  at 
Hazel.  As  a  result  of  his  prospecting  he  is  the 
owner  of  twenty-four  iron  claims,  some  of  them 
very  promising  ones. 

Mr.  French  acknowledges  allegiance  to  no  po- 
litical party,  though  he  takes  the  interest  in  poli- 
tics, local  and  general,  that  every .  good  citizen 
should  and  is  governed  in  casting  the  ballot  as 
much  as  possible  by  the  qualifications  of  the  can- 
didate.i.  He  has  never  married.  An  excellent 
tradesman,  an  energetic  worker,  a  respected  mem- 
ber of  the  community,  a  man  who  is  willing  always 
to  render  a  just  return  for  what  he  gets,  he  belongs 
to  that  great  industrial  class  who  are  the  real 
strength   and  boast  of  any  community. 


WILLIAM  ALDRIDGE  (deceased).  Inas- 
much as  he  was  an  honored  veteran  of  the  civil 
war,  a  well-known  pioneer  of  the  Northwest,  and 
withal  a  man  of  sterling  character,  the  death  of 
William  Aldridge  was  keenly  felt  not  alone  in  his 
own  immediate  neighborhood  but  throughout  the 
county  as  well.  He  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  born 
in  Putnam  county,  August  20,  1844,  the  son  of 
William  and  Mary  A.  (Moore)  Aldridge,  both  of 
whom  were  also  born  in  Indiana.  The  father's 
death  occurred  in  that  state  in  1864;  the  mother's, 
ten  years  later.  William  Aldridge  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state. 
A  boy  of  sixteen  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Eighteenth 
Indiana  volunteers,  he  saw  active  service  during 
the  last  three  years  of  the  civil  war,  engaging  in 
many  of  the  most  important  battles,  in  one  of  which 
he  was  severely  injured,  making  him  a  cripple  for 
life.  Returning  to  Indiana  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
he  farmed  there  until  1878,  when  he  moved  to 
Lyon  County,  Kansas.  Later  he  located  in  Elk 
county,  near  Howard,  residing  for  several  years 
in  that  part  of  the  state.  In  1887  he  came  to  Stan- 
wood,  Washington,  and  took  the  claim  near  Oso 
on  which  his  family  now  live.  He  brought  his  wife 
and  children  in  a  canoe  from  Stanwood,  a  distance 
of  nearly  forty  miles,  the  trip  lasting  two  and  one- 
half  days.  The  nearest  railroad  was  at  Seattle; 
the  nearest  postoffice  and  store  at  Silvana.     Mail 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


reached  this  remote  corner  of  the  state  but  once 
a  month  and  the  cost  of  transporting  supplies  from 
tile  store  to  the  ranch  was  one  dollar  per  hundred 
weight.  Some  faint  idea  of  the  hardships  and 
privations  of  that  early  day  may  be  gained  by  con- 
trasting the  conditions  existing  then  and  now,  but 
the  rising  generation  can  never  fully  appreciate 
what  the  reclamation  of  this  vast  wilderness  cost 
those  brave  pioneer  men  and  women.  The  first 
school  was  not  opened  in  this  locality  until  a  year 
later,  and  then  it  was  but  a  three  months'  term  each 
year  for  the  succeeding  three  years.  The  first 
postoffice,  known  as  Allen,  was  established  in  1890, 
about  the  time  that  settlement  became  general  here. 
A  large  majority  of  the  homeseekers  were  from 
Kansas.  For  many  years  horses  were  unknown, 
oxen  being  used  entirely  for  travel  and  farm  work, 
and  to  Mr.  Aldridge  belongs  the  honor  of  having 
been  the  first  man  in  this  locality  to  own  a  horse. 
The  rudely  constructed  roads  were  almost  impas- 
.sable  in  places,  there  being  at  least  one  such  point 
between  the  ranch  and  .\rlington  where  it  was 
necessary  to  use  a  block  and  rigging  each  time  in 
order  to  get  up  the  hill.  The  family  own  all  of 
the  original  homestead,  consisting  of  one  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  of  which  forty  acres  are  devoted 
to  dairy  interests. 

In  December.  18GG,  Mr.  .\ldridge  and  ^Nlarie 
Robinson  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Aldridgei 
also  a  native  of  Indiana,  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  A.  (Hardesty)  Robinson,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased,  the  father  having  died  in  1887  ; 
the  mother,  who  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty-one, 
in  1904.  Eight  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Aldridge,  as  follows:  Ella  N.,  who  was 
drowned  in  1888;  Mrs.  Clara  Siler,  of  Everett; 
Emma;  'Mrs.  Etta  Higgins,  of  Chelan,  Washing- 
ton; Harley,  Gertrude.  Oliver  and  Oscar.  Three 
of  the  daughters  are  graduates  of  the  state  normal 
and  are  winning  marked  success  as  teachers.  As 
a  pioneer,  Mrs.  Aldridge  expcrienceil  her  full  share 
of  dangers  and  discomforts  while  she  bravely  stood 
by  her  husband's  side,  assisting  him  in  every  possi- 
ble way.  With  only  six  other  white  women  within 
a  radius  of  five  miles  her  life  must  have  been  indeed 
a  lonely  one,  save  for  the  absorbing  attention  which 
she  lavished  upon  husband  and  children.  As  the 
latter  have  grown  to  manhood  and  womanhood 
they  have  appreciated  her  toil  and  care  for  them; 
Mr.  Aldridge  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  in  which  organiza- 
tion his  presence  is  greatly  missed.  He  was  a  re- 
publican, loyally  supporting  the  party  in  every  way 
while  never  seeking  any  political  honors  for  him- 
self. The  family  is  identified  with  the  Methodist 
church.  During  his  long  residence  here  Mr.  Al- 
:dridge  had  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  hia 


many  acquaintances  and  was  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar and  prtiminent  citizens  of  the  countv. 


BERNARD  J.  DUFFY,  of  Fortson,  is  a  whole- 
hearted man  who.  fearing  no  obstacle  in  nature 
and  endowed  with  faith  in  the  future,  selected  a 
place  amid  the  forest  trees  of  Snohomish  county, 
and  after  a  period  of  hardship  consequent  upon  the 
isolation  of  his  selection,  entered  upon  a  period  of 
financial  prosperity  which  has  placed  him  in  the 
forefront  of  present-day  prosperous  farmers  of  Sno- 
homish county.  With  a  small  beginning,  barely 
sufficient  to  enable  him  to  get  his  homestead  under 
way  to  productiveness,  Mr.  Duffy  has  fairly  woii 
his  home  and  his  present  position  in  the  community 
by  individual  effort  and  personal  energy  and  fore- 
thought. He  was  born  in  the  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  in  1868,  the  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Callahan)  Duffy,  natives  of  Ireland,  wdio  came  to 
the  western  continent,  selected  the  queen's  domin- 
ion as  a  home  and  raised  their  children,  passing 
away  between  1871  and  1873.  Bernard  was  one 
of  six  children,  the  others  being  James,  Patrick, 
Mary.  Edward  and  Margaret.  At  the  time  of  the 
death  of  the  parents  the  oldest  sister  was  of  an  age 
which  made  her  capable  of  managing  the  house- 
keeping of  the  family,  and  to  take  care  of  the  estate 
an  administrator  was  appointed.  Under  this  regime 
Bernard  lived  until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age, 
contributing  his  sliare  toward  the  maintenance  of 
the  family;  then  he  started  for  the  West,  stopping 
in  Minnesota  and  Montana,  and  finally,  in  1890, 
locating  on  a  homestead  in  Snohomish  county,  near 
where  Fortson  is  now  laid  out.  In  possession  of 
enough  financial  means  to  subsist  himself  for  three 
years,  Mr.  Duft'y  then  followed  the  plan  of  occupy- 
ing his  summers  in  the  logging  camps  and  the  win- 
ters in  doing  what  work  might  be  done  about  his 
homestead  place,  and  this  system  continued  until 
1898.  With  but  a  little  money  he  w^ent  in  the  year 
mentioned  to  Alaska  to  work  as  a  miner,  and  after 
five  years  he  returned  with  a  goodly  sum  saved 
from  wages  earned  in  the  Dawson  district  of  the, 
Klondike  and  was  thus  in  a  position  to  forge  for- 
ward with  the  improvement  of  the  homestead. 
When  Mr.  Duff'y  first  located  on  his  farm  he  was 
seriously  embarrassed  because  of  the  lack  of  trans- 
portation, but  in  later  years,  especially  since  the 
building  of  the  Darrington  branch  of  the  railroad 
there  has  been  uo  question  about  the  disposition  of 
produce. 

In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  and  in  church  rela- 
lations  a  communicant  of  the  Catholic  church.  His 
farm  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  seventy  of  which  are  cleared  and  under  cul- 
tivation.    His  house,  built  of  split  cedar,  is  eight- 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1079 


een  by  twenty-five  fcer  m  dinu-nsmns.  with  roof  of 
similar  construction,  all  the  hamluvork  of  the 
owner,  and  his  barns  are  of  the  same  material.  A 
small  orchard  is  on  the  place  and  he  keeps  thirty- 
five  head  of  cattle  and  twenty  sheep,  as  well  as 
horses  sufficient  for  hauling-  and  doing  the  farm 
work.  Ultimately  'Sir.  l)utt>  expects  to  have  a 
fine  dairy  farm.  In  the  community  he  is  recog- 
nized as  a  man  of  ability,  of  excellent  disposition 
socially,  and  of  thrift  and  application  in  whatever 
direction  he  elects  to  operate. 


JOHN  A.  C.KMPBELL,  whose  farm  lies  a  mile 
and  a  half  east  of  h'ortson  on  the  county  road,  is 
one  of  the  aggressixe  men  of  the  community  who 
have  taken  advantage  of  every  opportunity  otifered 
and  is  now  enjoying  a  modest  competence.  Air. 
Campbell  had  fe\\'  advantages  in  early  life  an! 
\vhat  he  has  acconiplished  has  been  d. ino  (Uib. 
through  hard,  persevering  wurk.  lie  was  burn 
on  Prince  Edward's  Island,  (mil  of  .^t.  Lawrence, 
in  the  summer  (if  isr.'.'.  ,  me  uf  the  se\  en  sen-  nf 
John  and  Catherine  (  anipbell,  who  were  uf  .^-^cutcli 
ancestry,  natives  <if  that  island.  The  nmther  still 
survives  and  is  living  on  the  old  island  hunieslead. 
(_)f  her  sons,  other  than  the  subject  of  this  bi.iii- 
raphy,  there  are  si.x — Alexander,  .\ngus,  Innnceni, 
Marshall,  Philiii  and  Ste|.hen:  she  has  .me  .laui^h- 
ter,  Mary  Jane.  Cntil  he  became  .if  age,  J<.hn  A. 
Campbell  remained  with  his  parents,  .ibtaining  but. 
a  meagre  schooling.  In  l.'^S?  he  went  tu  Manitoba 
and  passed  two  years  in  railroad  wark,  at  the  end 
of  that  time  coming  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  settling 
at  Astoria,  Oregon,  where  he  spent  two  years  at 
work  in  the  woods  in  connection  with  the  lumber 
liusiness.  He  came  to  Washington  in  ISSd,  pass- 
ing the  first  three  Acars  at  Seattle.  In  b-iiH)  he  came 
to  Snohomish  county  and  took  up  h\-  ]-iresent  place,, 
though  for  two  years  after  coming  here  he  spent 
considerable  time  in  Seattle.  He  then  iii.n-ed  his 
family  here  and  commenced  clearing  his  land.  Mr. 
Campbell's  kn.iwle.lge  i.f  timber  and  railr.  .ad  work 
especially  fitted  him  f.  .r  vari.jus  kin. Is  ..f  \\<:vk  dur- 
ing the  period  when  he  was  putting  his  farm  in 
condition  for  cultivation.  He  worked  in  logging 
camps,  managed  the  .gang  of  men  on  the  right  of 
way  when  the  Darringtim  branch  of  the  railroad 
was  in  process  of  .-.  .n.>tnicti.m,  and  a  few  years 
ago  had  charge  of  similar  work  in  Alontana.  Pie 
made  Arlington  his  home  for  two  years. 

In  1888,  in  Seattle,  INIr.  Campbell  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  O'Connor,  only  child  of  Patrick  and 
.\nna  (McGuire)  O'Connor,  who  passed  their  en- 
tire lives  in  Ireland.  Mrs.  Campbell  was  born 
Ma'rch  17,  1866.  She  came  to  Canada  when  seven- 
teen years   of  age   and   lived   with   an   uncle   until 


she  came  to  Seattle,  shortly  before  her  marriage. 
Five  children  have  been  born  to  Mr,  and  Mrs. 
Campbell — Catherine,  Annie  M.,  Lillie  M.,  John 
F.  and  Margaret.  In  politics  Mr.  Campbell  is  a 
Democrat  and  in  fraternal  circles  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  ..f  United  Workmen.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mr-,  (ampbell  are  comnnmicants  of  the  Cath- 
olic chinch.  Mr.  Campbell  has  erected  on  his  place, 
of  which  twenty  acres  are  under  cultivation,  a  fine' 
log  residence  with  seven  rooms,  one  of  the  interest- 
ing sights  eif  the  region.  He  has  a  herd  of  milch 
cows  and  stock  cattle,'  with  horses  and  hogs  in  cor- 
responding number.  Rated  as  one  of  the  substan- 
tial citizens  of  the  community,  wide  awake,  pro- 
gressi\e  an.l  h.morablc  in  all  his  dealings,  he  is  in-, 
deed  c.mtributing  his  full  share  to  the  upbuilding  of 
the  Puget  soimd  country. 


IRA  HOLLiyOSWORTH,  general  farmer, 
truck  gardener  and  poultryman,  whose  farm  lies 
one  mile  northwest  of  liazel,  is  engaged  in  several 
profitable  industries  and  possesses  a  valuable  prop- 
erty, steadil)-  increasing  in  worth  with  the  passing 
years.  ,\lr.  Ilollingsworth  is  overseer  of  the  farm, 
an  ;iffeeti.)n  of  the  heart,  caused  by  an  injury  re- 
ceixeil  .luring  the  Civil  War,  preventing  him  irom 
undertaking  hard  labor.  Born  April  28,  1838,  in 
Jn. liana,  lie  is  i  me  of  four  sons  of  Ara  and  Susanna 
(llennetl)  1 1.  illingsworth,  the  father  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  the  mother  of  North  Carolina.  Both  long 
ago  passed  away  in  Kansas.  Ira  Hollingsworth  is 
the  only  survivor  of  the  sons,  but  he  has  four  sis- 
ters living — Sarah,  Ruth,  Eliza  and  Deborah.  Until 
he  was  twenty  years  old  young  Hollingsworth  lived 
with  his  parents.  At  that  age  he  began  to  do  for 
himself,  for  six  years  being  in  the  employ  of  farm- 
ers of  his  neighborhood.  He  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-eighth  Indiana  volunteer  in- 
fantry toward  the  close  of  the  war  and  served  as 
a  private  until  mustered  out  in  the  fall  of  1865. 
He  then  returned  home  and  farmed  his  father's 
homestead  until  the  family  removed  to  Howard 
County.  Kansas,  in  187(1.  A  division  of  the  county 
later  placed  Mr.  Hollingsworth's  residence  in  Elk 
county.  Twenty  years  later  he  came  to  Snohomish 
county,  locating  on  a  homestead  on  the  north  fork 
of  the  Stillaguamish,  where  he  has  since  lived.  A 
large  part  of  the  place  has  been  cleared,  and  in  its 
cultivatiim  and  maintenance  Mr.  Hollingsworth's 
son  Henry  is  the  principal  factor.  Mrs.  Hollings- 
worth died  August  28,  1905.  Mr.  Hollingsworth, 
suffering  from  the  effects  of  a  wound  received  from 
a  rock  thrown  by  a  Union  soldier,  is  in  receipt  of  a 
pension  from  the  government,  which  is  of  material 
aid  to  hiin  in  his  declining  years.  ' 

In    1859,    in   the    Hoosier   state.    Mr.   Holling.s-i 


1080 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


worth  married  Miss  Mary  Jane  Jones,  one  of  the 
seven  children  of  James  Marshall  and  Jemima 
(Wilson)  Jones,  natives  of  Kentucky,  who  late  in 
life  removed  to  Kansas  and  there  died.  She  was 
born  in  1840  and  lived  with  her  parents  until  mar- 
ried. Nine  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hollingsworth — Mercy  M.,  William  Henry, 
Newton  C,  Benjamin  F.,  Emma  V.,  Joseph  B., 
George  H.,  Sarah  J.  and  James  M.,  all  living  with 
the  exception  of  Mercy  M.  and  George  H.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Hollingsworth  is  a  Republican.  Members 
of  the  family  are  affiliated  with  the  Christian 
church.  The  Hollingsworth  farm  is  largely  de- 
voted to  raising  garden  truck  and  vegetables,  a 
ready  market  for  which  is  provided  by  the  lumber 
camps  of  the  vicinity.  The  family  is  one  of  the 
highly  respected  ones  of  the  community,  enjoying 
the  confidence  and  good  will  of  all. 


PETRUS  PEARSON,  one  of  the  Hazel  Lum- 
ber Company,  Hazel,  Washington,  is  one  of  the 
active  young  business  men  of  Snohomish  county 
and  has  already  gained  a  commendable  reputation 
for  business  energy  and  executive  ability.  As  are 
so  many  of  this  region's  successful  men,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  Oc- 
tober 17,  1879,  a  son  af  Peter  A.  and  Christina 
Pearson.  The  elder  Pearson  was  born  October  13, 
1817,  and  spent  his  whole  life  in  the  land  of  his 
birth,  dying  in  1884.  Mrs.  Pearson  is  still  living 
in  the  old  country.  One  other  son,  Aaron,  and  a 
daughter,  Jennie,  are  also  still  living.  Young  Pear- 
son received  his  education  in  Sweden,  attending 
both  the  common  and  the  high  schools  as  well  as 
taking  a  course  in  a  business  college,  thus  laying 
an  excellent  foundation  for  his  business  career.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two  he  set  out  into  the  world  to 
seek  his  fortune  and  a  year  later  bade  farewell  to 
his  native  shores,  sailing  for  the  United  States. 
Coming  at  once,  in  1902,  to  Puget  sound,  he  was 
so  pleased  with  the  outlook  offered  young  men  in 
the  Stillaguamish  valley  that  he  purchased  an 
eighty-acre  tract  of  logged-oflf  land  near  Hazel  and 
commenced  improving  it,  at  the  same  time  work- 
ing in  the  surrounding  logging  camps.  A  little 
later  he  attended  the  Pacific  Lutheran  college  at 
Tacoma  eight  months  and  on  his  return  to  the  val- 
ley entered  the  employ  of  McMartin  Bros,  as  book- 
keeper at  their  milling  plant.  In  1901  the  am- 
bitious young  bookkeeper  bought  a  small  interest 
in  the  business  and  upon  its  reorganization  into 
the  Hazel  Lumber  Company  became  its  assistant 
secretary.  He  was  again  promoted  January  6,  1906. 
this  time  to  the  position  of  cashier,  and  to  this  work 
he  is  now  giving  the  best  of  his  ability  and  energy. 


realizing  the  splendid  opportunity  that  has  been  of- 
fered him. 

Miss  Maude  Pendleton,  the  daughter  of  George 
and  Elinor  (Lawrence)  Pendleton,  became  the  bride 
of  Mr.  Pearson  July  8,  1905.  Her  father  was  a 
successful  farmer  during  his  life,  which  was  termi- 
nated while  he  was  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania  many 
years  ago.  Mrs.  Pendleton  survived  him  and  is  at 
present  residing  in  Arlington.  Mrs.  Pearson  was^ 
born  March  16,  1884,  and  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage was  living  at  home.  Mr.  Pearson  is  Repub- 
lican in  his  political  views,  which  are  liberal,  how- 
ever, and  is  manfully  assuming  his  share  of  public 
responsibility,  being  at  the  present  time  director  and 
clerk  of  school  district  No.  90.  His  lodge  affiliations 
are  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  milling  interests,  Mr.  Pearson  still  re- 
tains his  eighty-acre  tract  of  land.  It  is  a  distinct 
pleasure  to  chronicle  in  these  biographical  pages  the 
life  of  a  young  man  so  highly  esteemed  and  so  well 
trained  to  his  work,  one  whose  future  appears  to 
hold  so  much  of  promise. 


JAMES  R.  PIERSON,  a  successful  agricultur- 
ist of  the  Stillaguamish  valley,  residing  a  mile  west 
of  Hazel  on  the  line  of  the  railroad,  has  one  of  the 
most  widely  known  places  in  northern  Snohomish 
county.  It  is  a  landmark  of  the  early  days,  so  promi- 
nent that  it  is  called  the  "Pioneer  Home."  Mr.  Pier- 
son  was  born  in  Missouri  February  1.5,  1866,  the 
son  of  William  and  Catherine  (Macbeth)  Pierson. 
The  elder  Pierson  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  state 
who  went  to  Iowa  when  a  young  man  and  in  1865 
took  up  his  abode  in  Missouri.  Four  years  later  he 
went  to  Kansas,  where  he  lived  until  1888,  then 
immigrating  to  Washington  and  settling  on  the  Stil- 
laguamish river  near  Oso.  There  his  death  occurred 
in  1900.  Mrs.  Pierson  was  a  native  of  Iowa;  her 
death  occurred  in  Kansas.  January  21,  1874.  Two 
daughters,  Sadie  and  Elizabeth,  and  one  son,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  survive  their  parents.  James 
R.  lived  at  home  until  his  marriage,  after  which 
event  his  father  lived  with  him  until  his  death. 

In  1895  Miss  Linnie  E.  Higgins,  daughter  of 
Walter  D.  and  Hettie  (McCormick)  Higgins,  was 
married  to  Mr.  Pierson.  i\Ir.  Higgins  is  a  native  of 
the  Blue  Grass  state,  born  May  25,  1833,  but  when 
quite  young  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Missouri, 
where  the  family  resided  until  its  immigration  to 
Texas  in  1869.  There  Mr.  Higgins  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  which  he  followed  with  success 
in  the  Lone  Star  state  until  1887,  in  that  year  com- 
ing north  to  Washington.  Snohomish  county  ap- 
pealed so  strongly  to  him  that  he  at  once  settled  in 
the  upper  Stillaguamish  valley,  taking  the  place  orr 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


which  Mr.  Pierson  now  resides.  Mr.  Higgins  and 
his  daughter  came  to  this  vicinity  alone  and  for  a 
number  of  years  kept  open  house  with  true  South- 
ern hospitality  for  all  travelers  who  chanced  to  come 
their  way.  He  was  perhaps  the  earliest  of  the  pio- 
neers of  this  vicinity — at  any  rate,  the  most  widely 
known.  His  name  is  perpetuated  in  Mount  Higgins 
and  in  the  Higgins  school  district.  The  farm,  in 
memory  of  its  early  days,  is  still  known  as  the 
"Pioneer  Home,"  and  there  its  founder  is  comfort- 
ably passing  the  remainder  of  the  years  allotted  to 
him. 

Mrs.  Higgins  was  born  in  Missouri,  July  27, 
1832,  and  died  February  8,  1876,  in  Texas.  Of' their 
children,  Sarah.  Alonzo  and  Dennie  are  dead, 
Mary,  John  and  Mrs.  Pierson  living.  The  last 
named  was  born  in  Missouri  March  28,  1872,  and 
lived  at  home  until  her  marriage.  Two  children 
have  blessed  this  union.  Myrtle  and  Dennie.  In  po- 
litical matters  Mr.  Pierson  is  an  ardent  Democrat. 
The  Pierson  homestead  is  well  stocked  with  cattle 
and  horses,  including  a  dairy  herd,  and  of  its  one 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  twenty-two  are  in  a  state 
of  cultivation.  Its  proprietor  is  a  man  of  energy  and 
ability,  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  commu- 
nij;y  and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him.  The  old- 
time  hospitality  which  has  characterized  the  estate 
since  its  establishment  still  holds  sway,  lending  an 
additional  charm  to  the  atmosphere  surrounding  it. 


CHARLES  E.  MOORE,  junior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Montague  &  Moore,  general  merchants  at 
Darrington,  has  risen  from  the  ranks  through  sheer 
merit  to  his  present  position  of  influence  and  af- 
fluence. One  of  Michigan's  sturdy  sons,  he  was 
bom  in  that  state  February  19,  18G1,  to  the  union 
of  George  W.  and  Lovina  P.  (Newbre)  Moore, 
there  being  si.x  children  in  the  family.  The  elder 
Moore  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1823, 
who  there  spent  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  life. 
Then  he  immigrated  to  the  Michigan  frontier  and 
in  the  Peninsula  state  followed  his  trade,  that  of  a 
carpenter,  until  his  death  in  1897.  Mrs.  IMoore  was 
borji  in  the  Empire  state  in  1832  ;  she  is  still  living, 
a  resident  of  Battle  Creek,  Michigan.  Of  her  chil- 
dren, one  is  a  daughter,  Nellie,  and  five  boys,  Ilun, 
Whitehill,  Gainer,  Owen  and  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.  Charles  E.  remained  at  home  until  nineteen 
years  old,  then  went  to  the  Red  River  Valley,  North 
Dakota,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farm  work  for 
his  brother  five  years.  A  short  visit  to  Michigan  fol- 
lowed, after  which  he  crossed  the  continent  to  the 
Pacific  Northwest,  locating  in  Washington  in  1889. 
Here  he  worked  two  years  in  various  logging  camps 
on  the  sound,  then  settled  on  a  claim  on  Deer  creek, 
a  tributary  of  the  Stillaguamish  river.     Two  years 


later  he  left  the  woods  to  form  a  partnership  with  a 
man  named  Carroll  in  conducting  a  hotel,  general 
store  and  the  postofiice  at  Oso,  just  established. 
Eight  years  later,  or  in  1900,  after  a  prosperous 
life,  the  partnership  was  dissolved,  part  of  the  stock 
sold  and  Mr.  Moore  moved  the  balance  to  the  new 
town  of  Darrington,  the  firm  of  Montague  & 
Moore  being  organized  at  that  time.  Until  the  year 
1901,  when  the  railroad  reached  Darrington,  the 
first  train  arriving  May  31st,  all  supplies  had  to  be 
hauled  in  from  Arlington  over  rough  roads.  Since 
Mr.  Moore  came  to  Darrington  he  has  taken  a  prom- 
inent part  in  forwarding  the  interests  of  the  com- 
munity, and  because  of  his  public  spirit,  broad  views 
and  aggressiveness  has  been  a  strong  factor  in  its 
progress.  The  schools  have  received  his  attention 
also,  he  having  been  a  member  of  the  local  school 
board  for  some  time.  In  political  matters  he  is  a 
Republican.  The  business  venture  in  which  he  is  a 
full  partner  is  proving  a  success,  much  of  the  credit 
for  which  is  due  to  ^Ir.  Moore's  keen  business  judg- 
ment and  enterprise. 


JOHN  MONTAGUE,  senior  member  of  the 
mercantile  firm  of  Montague  &  Moore,  leading  busi- 
ness men  of  Darrington,  has  been  a  resident  of  Sno- 
homish county  for  nineteen  years  and  is  among  its 
substantial  citizens.  He  is  essentially  a  self-made 
man,  having  assumed  the  responsibility  of  manhood 
at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  and  accumulated  his 
present  holdings  solely  by  his  own  efifort.  Of  South- 
ern birth,  born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  March  20, 
1850,  he  is  one  of  Paul  Montague's  three  sons.  Paul 
Montague  was  a  native  of  Ireland  who  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1844,  engaged  in  contracting  work 
and  successfully  pursued  it  until  his  death,  sixteen 
years  later  in  New  Jersey.  All  his  sons  survive, 
John,  Nicholas  C.  and  Francis  B.  At  the  age  of 
eleven  John,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  went  to 
live  with  an  uncle,  with  whom  he  remained  three 
years  before  setting  out  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world.  He  went  to  Canada,  worked  there  seven 
years,  then  returned  to  the  states,  locating  for  a 
short  time  in  Michigan  before  coming  to  Washing- 
ton in  1887.  He  reached  the  little  town  of  Florence, 
on  the  Stillaguamish  river,  :\Iay  9,  1888,  and  imme- 
diately engaged  in  logging  at  different  camps. 
About  this  time,  too,  several  months  earlier,  he  filed 
on  a  claim  near  the  site  of  Oso,  being  the  first  man  to 
settle  that  far  up  the  valley.  This  claim  he  made  his 
home  during  the  next  twelve  years,  working  out  sev- 
eral months  each  season  for  others  to  obtain  money 
for  use  in  improving  his  place.  In  1899  he  came  to 
Darrington,  built  the  block  now  used  by  his  store 
and  the  same  year  opened  a  general  merchandise  es- 
tablishment.    Shortly  afterward  he  sold  a  half  in- 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


terest  to  Mr.  Moore  and  the  existing  firm  was 
formed.  In  addition  to  his  mercantile  interests,  Mr. 
Montague  owns  his  old  homestead,  comprising  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  of  which  twenty-five  are 
improved.  The  contrast  between  the  condition  of 
Darrington  when  Mr.  Montague  reached  it  and  its 
present  thrifty  condition  is  as  great  as  is  the  con- 
trast between  the  first  day's  business  and  that  trans- 
acted on  any  day  of  the  present  time ;  both  have  ad- 
vanced wonderfully.  Now  the  town  has  a  railroad, 
business  houses  and  a  rapidl)'  developing  tributary 
country  and  wagon  transportation  or  packing  from 
the  main  line  at  Arlington  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 
INIr.  Montague  has  exhibited  unusual  enterprise  in 
all  his  dealings,  his  business  commanding  the  bulk 
of  the  community's  trade  and  running  up  as  high  as 
{t;-?0,000  last  year.  He  is  one  of  the  established  men 
in  this  section  of  the  country,  popular  and  es- 
teemed. 


JOHN  KNUDSOX,  wood  worker,  carpenter, 
photographer  and  mine  owner  of  Darrington,  is  one 
of  the  successful  business  men  of  this  section  of  Sno- 
homish county.  Much  of  his  time  since  coming  here 
he  has  passed  in  the  mercantile  business.  Easily 
adapting  himself  to  dift'erent  lines  of  work,  obtain- 
ing information  along  any  line  of  investigation  with 
apparent  ease,  he  has  succeeded  in  diverse  occupa- 
tions where  others  have  failed. 

Born  in  Norway  in  1855,  he  is  the  son  of  Knute 
and  Rennie  (Osmenson)  Knudson,  farmer  folk,  who 
are  now  dead.  Besides  John,  seven  of  their  children 
survive — Osmand,  Delia,  George,  Alice,  Stener,  Ed- 
win and  Rennie.  Until  nineteen  years  of  age,  John 
Knudson  made  his  home  with  his  parents.  On  leav- 
ing home  he  came  at  once  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  Iowa,  where  for  six  years  he  pursued 
the  trade  of  a  blacksmith.  Between  the  years  1883 
and  1891  he  lived  in  Nebraska,  where  he  also  fol- 
lowed blacksmith  work  and  farmed  at  different 
times.  He  then  came  to  Washington,  to  Snohomish 
county,  where  he  has  since  resided.  At  first  he  oper- 
ated a  store  and  hotel  at  Darrington,  but  disposed 
of  them  to  engage  in  other  lines.  He  now  has  a 
fully  equipped  wood  working  establishment,  with 
lathes,  scroll  saw  and  other  instruments  of  his  craft, 
and  in  addition  has  a  photograph  gallery.  J\Ir.  Knud- 
son has  also  done  considerable  prospecting,  at  pres- 
ent owning  nine  promising  claims  on  White  House 
and  Jumbo  mountains. 

In  1901  Mr.  Knudson  married  Miss  Emma  Ev- 
ans, who  died  a  year  later,  leaving  no  children.  In 
politics  Mr.  Knudson  is  a  Republican,  while  in 
church  affiliations  he  is  a  Lutheran.  Besides  a  sub- 
stantial home  in  Darrington  and  the  building  in 
which  his  shop  is  located,  he  owns  one  hundred  and 


sixty  acres  of  land,  forty  of  which  have  been  platted 
into  the  town  site  of  Darrington.  Mr.  Knudson  is 
one  of  the  wideawake  citizens  of  the  town,  a  man  of 
excellent  business  judgment,  successful  in  all  that 
he  undertakes  and  a  man  who  commands  the  respect 
of  his  fellow  citizens. 


JOHN  L.  CA^NIPBELL  is  another  of  the  pioneer 
citizens  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  whose  birthplace 
is  Prince  Edward's  Island,  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence. His  farm  lies  six  miles  west  of  Darrington 
on  the  count}-  road.  Mr.  Campbell  was  born  June 
1,  1871,  the  son  of  Ronald  and  Mary  (Dailey) 
Campbell.  The  father  was  born  on  Prince  Edward's 
island  of  Scotch  ancestry  and  lived  there  until  he 
came  to  Washington  in  1902,  since  which  time  he 
has  made  his  home  with  his  son.  Mrs.  Campbell, 
also  a  native  of  the  island,  died  there  in  1871.  John 
L.  Campbell  lived  with  his  parents  until  nearly  nine- 
teen years  old,  coming  to  Seattle  in  1888.  After  a 
few  months  in  that  city,  Mr.  Campbell  went  to  Ore- 
gon and  for  two  years  worked  in  the  woods.  In 
1890  he  came  to  Snohomish  county,  and  being  well 
impressed  located  on  his  present  homestead.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  followed  the  plan  adopted  by  so 
many  men  in  this  new  country  of  working  several 
months  in  the  year  for  others,  emplo\-ing  the  re- 
mainder of  the  year  in  bringing  his  homestead  into 
a  state  of  cultivation.  He  moved  on  to  his  place  per- 
manently in  1902  and  has  since  devoted  his  entire 
energies  and  skill  to  its  improvement. 

Early  in  the  year  1902,  January  10,  Mr.  Camp- 
bell married  ^Nliss  Elizabeth  Creedican,  daughter  of 
Michael  and  Mary  (Clarke)  Creedican.  Mr. 
Creedican  was  born  in  England  to  Irish  parents. 
He  became  a  miner  and  carpenter  and  came  to 
this  country  in  1883,  settling  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  lived  four  years.  He  then  came  to  the 
Puget  sound  countr}'  and  has  been  here  ever  since, 
passing  most  of  his  time  in  King  county.  Mrs. 
Creedican  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1857,  but  went 
to  England  in  early  life  and  married  while  there. 
She  is  still  living,  the  mother  of  eight  children: 
Thomas,  Ann  (deceased),  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Pat- 
lick,  James,  Joseph  and  Margaret.  Elizabeth  was 
born  August  29,  1880,  and  lived  at  home  until 
married.  "  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  has  been 
born  one  child,  a  daughter,  Mary.  In  politics  Mr. 
Campbell  is  a  Republican.  The  family  is  affiliated 
with  the  Catholic  church.  Though  that  portion 
of  ]\Ir.  Campbell's  farm  under  cultivation  is  not 
large,  he  has  it  well  in  hand  and  is  utilizing  all  its 
productive  powers.  He  is  considered  one  of  the 
c.'ipable  men  of  the  community ;  a  man  of  excellent 
character  and  one  in  whom  confidence  is  placed  by 
his  fellows  and  the  community  in  general. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


JOSEPH  CHENIER,  living  five  miles  west  of 
Darrington  on  the  county  road,  is  one  of  the  hus- 
tling agriculturists  of  this  part  of  the  county  and  is 
held  in  high  regard  by  his  neighbors  and  business 
associates.  Mr.  Chenier  was  born  in  Canada  in 
1854,  the  only  son  of  John  B.  and  Mary  (LaSab- 
linier)  Gienier,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Can- 
ada. The  father  died  when  Joseph  was  but  a  year 
old,  but  the  mother  is  now  living  with  her  son  near 
Darrington.  Joseph  Chenier  lived  at  home  until 
Jie  had  attained  the  age  of  fo.urteen,  when  he  went 
to  work  in  the  woods.  In  1880,  leaving  his  family 
behind,  he  removed  to  Massachusetts.  His  work  in 
the  Bay  state  was  connected  with  the  lumber  in- 
dustry and  as  soon  as  he  had  settled  himself  there 
he  sent  for  his  family.  Massachusetts  continued 
to  be  his  abode  until  he  came  to  Snohomish  county 
in  1890  and  located  a  claim  on  the  river  near  Fort- 
son.  Two  years  later  his  family  joined  him.  In 
1904  Mr.  Chenier  sold  out  his  original  location  and 
purchased  his  present  farm.  For  a  period  of  three 
years  since  coming  to  Snohomish  county  Mr. 
Clienier  operated  a  saloon  and  hotel  in  Darrington, 
which  he  still  owns  but  leases. 

In  1873  Mr.  Chenier  married  Miss  Millie  Gren- 
ier,  daughter  of  Otain  and  Zoe  (Tebeau)  Grenier, 
natives  of  Canada.  The  father  died  in  1903;  the 
mother  is  still  living,  making  her  home  with  Mrs. 
Chenier.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chenier  have  been  born 
six  children :  Melina,  Permelia,  Joseph,  Fred,  Dor- 
eneau  and  Eva.  In  politics  Mr.  Chenier  is  not 
aligned  with  any  party,  preferring  to  cast  his  ballot 
for  such  candidates  as  appeal  to  him  without  any 
other  force  than  their  qualifications  for  office.  In 
church  affiliations  he  is  a  Catholic.  Mr.  Chenier's 
farm  comprises  eighty  acres,  fourteen  of  which  are 
under  cultivation.  He  has  nine  head  of  cattle  and 
horses  sufficient  for  carrying  on  the  farm  work. 
He  is  a  man  who  is  skilled  in  wood  lore,  having 
passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  the  forests 
of  the  new  world.  As  a  farmer  he  is  successful 
and  as  a  citizen  he  is  highly  respected. 


EDWIN  MILTON  STEPHENS,— Among 
the  foremost  business  men  of  Monroe,  Washing- 
ton, stands  Edwin  Milton  Stephens,  president  of 
the  State  Bank  of  Monroe,  and  also  of  the  Stephens 
Brothers  Mill  Company.  He  was  born  in  Oregon, 
January  31,  1868.  Hi's  father,  William  Stephens, 
a  native  of  Iowa,  crossed  the  plains  in  1852  with 
his  parents,  Ebenezer  and  Rebecca  Stephens,  with 
ox  teams  and,  reaching  his  destination,  Oakland, 
Douglas  county,  Oregon,  erected  a  flour  mill  there, 
which  he  continued  to  own  and  operate  until  1885, 
v,'hen  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Puget  sound.  The 
mother,  Rosanna  (Ensley)  Stephens,  is  a  native 
of  Wisconsin.  After  acquirin.<r  his  rudimentary 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
state,  Edwin  Milton  Stephens  completed  his  schol- 


astic training  by  a  course  in  a  private  academy  at 
Oakland.  Thus  equipped  for  a  successful  business 
career,  he  left  home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  locat- 
ing in  Marysville,  where  he  owned  an  interest  in  a 
shingle  mill.  A  year  later  he  went  to  Getchell,  and 
v/as  there  engaged  in  the  manufuacture  of  shingles 
for  three  years,  when  he  again  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Marysville,  pursuing  the  same  line  of  ac- 
tivity. Coming  to  Monroe  in  1897  he,  in  partner- 
ship with  his  brother,  Elmer,  built  a  shingle  mill, 
and  together  they  operated  it  until  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1902.  They  then,  in  company  with  two 
other  brothers,  D.  F.  and  L.  L.  Stephens  and  B.  F. 
Bird,  formed  the  firm  of  Stephens  Brothers,  In- 
corporated, and  erected  a  saw  and  shingle  mill  two 
miles  north  of  Monroe.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of 
';  5,000  feet  of  lumber  and  125,000  shingles  daily, 
and  regularly  employs  from  thirty  to  fifty  men. 
March  1,  1904,  Air.  Stephens  assisted  in  organiz- 
ing the  Monroe  State  Bank,  which  has  a  capital  of 
$25,000,  and  is  officered  as  follows:  E.  M.  Steph- 
ens, president ;  C.  L.  Lawry,  cashier ;  A.  J.  Agnew, 
vice-president;  Walter  Wardell,  assistant  cashier. 
Although  so  recently  organized  this  is  already  be- 
coming favorably  known,  and  is  doing  a  large 
amount  of  general  banking  and  foreign  exchange 
business.  That  it  will  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
be  one  of  the  leading  institutions  of  the  kind  in  this 
part  of  the  Northwest  is  the  general  belief  of  those 
who  are  in  position  to  judge  of  its  strength  and 
stability. 

Mr.  Stephens  and  Miss  Ida  M.  Smith  were 
married  May  35.  1890.  Mrs.  Stephens  was  born 
in  Kansas,  and  there  grew  to  womanhood,  acquir- 
ing an  excellent  education  in  the  schools  of  the 
state.  Her  parents,  Henry  H.  and  Anna  Smith, 
were  both  natives  of  Wisconsin.  The  father  was 
for.  many  years  a  successful  agriculturist  there, 
prior  to  the  time  when  he  migrated  to  Kansas.  After 
his  death,  the  mother  came  to  reside  with  her 
daughter  in  Monroe.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephens 
four  children  have  been  born :  LaFayette  D.,  Ger- 
trude, Eliza  N.  and  Lillian.  Fraternally  Mr.  Ste- 
phens affiliates  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Elks. 
In  political  belief  he  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  loyally  strives  to  advance 
its  interests,  while  never  seeking  any  preferment 
for  himself.  His  career  since  coming  to  Monroe 
should  prove  an  incentive  to  other  young  men  of 
energy  and  pluck,  as  he  had  practically  no  means 
at  that  time,  and  has  acquired  his  present  financial 
standing  solely  by  his  own  unceasing  labor,  and  his 
splendid  management.  He  is  demonstrating  day 
by  day  the  wisdom  of  those  who  elected  him  presi- 
dent of  the  bank.  His  keen,  conservative  business 
abilities  render  him  an  able  financier,  while  his  irre- 
proachable personal  character  inspires  a  feeling  of 
security  and  confidence.  He  is  a  liberal  minded, 
public  spirited  citizen,  always  willing  to  throw  the 
weight  of  his  influence  in  favor  of  any  enterprise 


1084 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


that  promises  to  contribute  to  the  public  welfare. 
His  interest,  however,  does  not  stop  there,  as  his 
time  and  means  are  also  cheerfully  given  as  they 
are  needed.  His  position  in  the  business  and  social 
life  of  the  thriving  little  city  of  Monroe  is  one 
of  which  he  has  every  reason  to  feel  proud,  since 
it  is  so  justly  merited. 

Mr.  Stephen's  father,  William,  an  old  Puget 
sound  pioneer,  is  now  a  respected  resident  of 
Marysville.  He  was  born  in  Des  Moines.  Iowa, 
April  27,  1844,  came  to  Oregon  in  18.52,  as  hereto- 
fore stated,  was  educated  in  Wilbur  Academy,  and 
at  twenty-one  became  his  father's  partner  in  a  grist 
mill.  He  was  in  that  line  of  business  sixteen  years, 
then  sold  out  and  farmed  for  half  a  decade.  In 
1887  he  drove  from  Oregon  to  Marysville,  his 
team  being  the  first  to  pass  over  the  road  from  Sno- 
homish to  that  point.  Purchasing  280  acres  of  land, 
he  engaged  energetically  in  the  improvement  of  the 
same  and  now  has  a  fine  farm,  upon  which  he 
raises  high  grade  cattle,  O.  i.  C.  hogs  and  other 
livestock.  Mrs.  Rosanna  (Ensley)  Stephens,  his 
wife,  is  likewise  a  member  of  a  family  that  crossed 
the  plains  to  Oreeon  in  1852.  Her  parents  died  in 
1898. 


WILLIAM  C.  WHITE,  one  of  the  wide-awake, 
prosperous  business  men  of  Monroe,  Washington, 
is  a  native  of  Henry  county,  Illinois,  his  birth  oc- 
curring January  14,  186().  His  father,  Eli  White, 
a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state,  was  for  many  years 
a  well  known  railroad  man,  following  that  line  till 
his  death  in  1899.  The  mother,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Christena  Newburg,  was  born  in 
Sweden,  but  is  spending  her  declining  years  in 
Chicago,  Illinois.  William  C.  White  enjoyed  the 
usual  educational  advantages  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  thirteen,  when  he  was  thrown  on  his  own 
resources  and  obliged  to  begin  life  for  himself. 
F'ossessed  of  unusual  strength  of  character  he  spent 
no  time  in  bewailing  the  fact  that  he  must  now 
start  out  for  himself,  but  at  once  manfully  faced 
the  future,  and  soon  found  employment  in  a 
foundry  in  Kewanee,  Illinois.  Later  he  worked  in 
a  large  bottling  establishment  for  a  time.  In  1882 
he  went  to  Nevada,  where  an  uncle  of  his  resided, 
and  with  him  he  spent  one  year  working  and  at- 
tending school.  This  latter  privilege  was  greatly 
appreciated  by  the  eager,  ambitious  boy,  who  often 
regretted  that  he  could  not  have  had  a  more  liberal 
education.  That  he  utilized  every  moment  of  the 
time  spent  within  the  walls  of  the  school  room  may 
be  safely  inferred.  His  first  business  venture  was 
the  establishment  in  Nevada  of  a  stage  line  carrying 
mail,  express  and  passengers,  and  in  the  operation 
of  this  he  was  emploved  for  several  years.  He  re- 
mained in  Nevada  eighteen  years  in  all.  In  1897 
be  visited  the  Pacific  Northwest  for  the  first  time, 
and   was   so  thoroughly   pleased  with   the   country 


and  the  business  openings  that  he  lost  no  time  ire- 
locating  in  Edmonds,  Washington,  where  he  be- 
came the  proprietor  of  the  City  hotel.  He  owned 
this  property  until  1900,  then  sold  it,  and  moved  to 
Monroe,  where  he  erected  a  large  two-story  build- 
ing, in  which  he  conducts  the  Rainier  bar  and  3l 
bowling  alley. 

Mr.  White  was  married  January  3,  1886,  to  Miss- 
Hannah  Nordstram,  a  native  of  Sweden.  Her  par- 
ents still  reside  in  the  fatherland,  where  her  father 
is  a  prosperous  agriculturist.  Two  children,  Ed- 
ward C.  and  Mable  N.,  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  White.  Mr.  White  is  prominent  in  fraternal 
circles,  holding  membership  in  the  Foresters  of 
America,  and  the  Eagles.  In  political  persuasion, 
he  is  a  loyal  Democrat.  The  party  has  honored 
him  by  electing  him  a  member  of  the  city  council,, 
which  office  he  is  filling  at  the  present  time,  meetings 
its  requirements  and  responsibilities  in  a  very  cred- 
itable manner. 


:  JOHN  A.  VANASDLEN,  the  "father  of  Mon- 
roe," is  a  worthy  descendant  of  a  long  line  of  illus- 
trious Dutch  pioneers  and  heroes  who  were  promi- 
nent in  the  settlement  of  New  Amsterdam,  fought 
in  the  War  of  1812,  and  served  their  country  with 
bravery  in  the  great  national  struggle  of  1861-5. 
The  same  courage  which  inspired  them,  induced 
him  to  come  to  the  far  West  in  the  days  when  the 
Pacific  coast  needed  men  of  endurance  and  patriot- 
ism to  open  her  forests  and  lay  the  foundations  for 
future  commonwealths.  Mr.  Vanasdlen  performed 
more  than  his  share  of  services  of  this  kind  at 
Monroe,  Snohomish  county,  as  well  as  in  other 
communities  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Cum- 
berland county,  Pennsylvania,  October  9,  1861,  the 
son  of  Tagart  and  Katherine  (Beetem)  Vanasdlen, 
both  natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  father  ran 
stage  lines  and  carried  the  mail  in  that  state  when 
railroads  were  few.  He  served  the  union  during 
the  Civil  War  and  died  in  1865.  The  mother  is 
living  at  Himtsdale,  Pennsylvania,  where  another 
son  resides.  The  only  other  child  was  a  daughter, 
Carrie,  now  deceased.  John  A.  Vanasdlen  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state 
until  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  when  he  assumed  for 
himself  the  responsibilities  of  life  and  followed 
mining  and  lumbering  until  1880.  The  longing  for 
travel  which  had  been  a  characteristic  of  some  of 
his  ancestors  induced  him  to  leave  his  native  state, 
and  he  found  employment  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin,  respectively.  In 
Illinois  and  Iowa  he  worked  in  the  coal  mines  for 
two  and  a  half  years.  He  was  in  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota,  in  1883,  his  face  still  turned  westward, 
and  he  went  thence  to  Bismark,  North  Dakota, 
thence  to  Miles  Citv  and  Bozeman,  Montana,  and 
was  in  Helena  and  Butte,  in  the  latter  state,  ahead 
of  the  railroad.     That  same  vear  he  followed  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1085 


setting  sun  until  he  saw  the  waters  of  the  Pacific. 
He  found  employment  in  the  coal  mines  of  King 
county  until  1889,  when  he  came  to  Park  Place, 
Snohomish  county,  and  opened  a  general  merchan- 
dise store.  He  and  John  Stretch  of  Snohomish, 
March  22,  1893,  platted  forty  acres  which  was 
called  Tye  City,  now  Monroe.  Mr.  Vanasdlen 
moved  the  store  building,  stock  of  goods  and  post 
office  a  mile  and  a  quarter  to  the  new  townsite  in 
1893  and  was  made  the  first  postmaster  of  Monroe, 
which  position  he  held  until  the  change  of  adminis- 
tration in  1897  when  J.  E.  Dalloff  became  his  suc- 
cessor. Pie  continued  his  mercantile  business  until 
1901  when  he  disposed  of  his  stock,  and  engaged 
in  cruising  and  locating  timber  lands,  selling  real 
estate  and  in  lumbering.  In  1903  in  company  with 
Nellie  Francis,  he  established  the  Monroe  Furniture 
Company,  the  only  furniture  house  in  Monroe  at 
the  present  time. 

Mr.  Vanasdlen  and  Miss  Annie  Francis  were 
united  in  marriage  November  7,  1891,  at  Snoho- 
mish, where  her  parents  John  and  Elizabeth  Francis 
now  reside.  They  are  natives  of  England  and  came 
to  Snohomish  county  when  Mrs.  Vanasdlen  was  a 
child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vanasdlen  have  si.x  children. 
Myrtle,  Tagart,  John,  Annie,  Clarence  and  Nellie. 
Mr.  Vanasdlen  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  and  of  the  Elks  at  Everett.  In 
politics  he  has  always  been  a  Democrat.  He  is  a 
prosperous,  enterprising  citizen,  the  kind  of  a  man 
that  is  a  great  benefit  to  a  new  settlement,  and  that 
always  leaves  an  impress  indelibly  stamped  upon  the 
community. 


JACOB  M.  SPRAU,  merchant  of  Monroe,  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  the  substantial  German- 
American  type  of  citizen.  He  was  born  in  Ohio 
September  5,  1839.  His  parents,  Henry  and  Eliza- 
beth (Hofman)  Sprau,  came  from  Germany  to  the 
United  States  in  the  'fifties,  settled  in  the  IBuckeye 
state  and  followed  farming,  first  there  and  after 
1867  in  Allegan  county,  Michigan.  They  died  in 
the  latter  state,  in  1888  and  in  1883,  respectively. 
Jacob  M.  Sprau  lived  on  the  Ohio  farm  until  twenty 
years  old,  acquiring  as  good  an  education  as  he 
could  in  the  common  schools  and  then  willingly 
assisting  in  the  work  on  the  place.  When  he  feft 
home  he  performed  the  same  kind  of  service  for 
other  farmers,  first  in  Ohio  and  then  in  Michigan, 
until  1901,  when  he  came  to  Puget  Sound  and 
located  at  Snohomish.  Two  years  later  he  came' 
to  Monroe  and  with  his  youngest  son,  A.  B..  estab- 
lished their  present  prosperous  business  in  tobacco 
and  confectionery'. 

Mr.  Sprau  married  Miss  Julia  M.  Burgderfer, 
October  29,  1862.  in  Ohio,  in  which  state  she  was 
born  and  in  which  state  her  parents  died.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sprau  have  had  the  following  children  of 


whom  the  first  two  have  died :  Lillian,  Frankie, 
Charles,  Jessie,  Effie,  Nina,  Roy,  Arthur,  and 
Ethelyn.  Charles,  the  oldest  living,  is  proprietor 
and  manager  of  the  Penobscott  hotel  at  Snohomish 
where  he  is  doing  a  good  business.  A  sketch  of 
him  will  appear  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mr. 
Sprau  is  a  member  of  the  National  Protective  Le- 
gion and  in  politics  believes  thoroughly  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  conserva- 
tive, discriminating  and  respected  citizen  of  the 
community,  who  is  closely  identified  with  all  public 
measures  looking  to  the  general  advancement  and 
prosperity  of  the  people  and  to  the  attainment  of 
higher  standards  in  public  and  private  life. 


PETER  J.  SUHL,  a  successful  and  substantial 
business  man  of  Monroe,  was  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  on  the  first  day  of  October,  1860,  the  son 
of  Paul  and  Mary  (Schmidt)  Suhl,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1890,  and 
located  and  farmed  in  Iowa  until  the  father's  death 
in  1903.  The  mother  resides  at  Walnut,  Iowa.  She 
has  had  seven  children  as  follows :  Henry,  John, 
Herman,  Peter,  Maggie,  Emma  and  Mary.  Peter 
Suhl  was  given  the  advantages  of  the  schools  of 
Germany  and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  he 
was  twenty  years  old.  He  had  heard  much  of 
America,  the  land  of  liberty,  where  the  government 
had  a  fann  for  every  industrious  man;  so  he  bade 
farewell  to  the  old  home  and  in  1883  arrived  in 
Iowa  where  two  uncles  lived.  He  worked  for 
various  farmers  in  that  state  until  1889  then  farmed 
ten  years  for  himself.  In  1899  he  decided  to  make 
one  more  change,  to  come  this  time  to  the  Pacific 
slope,  of  which  he  had  heard  much.  He  eventually 
located  in  Monroe  and  opened  the  Olympia  Bar 
which  he  conducts  as  a  gentlemen's  resort. 

In  Iowa  on  the  15th  of  December,  1893,  Mr. 
Suhl  married  Miss  Hannah  Colzau,  who  was  horn 
in  the  town  of  Delve,  Holstein,  Germany.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Katherine  Colzau,  Ger- 
mans, who  still  reside  in  the  old  country  where  the 
former  has  followed  steamboating.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Suhl  two  children  have  been  born — Arthur 
and  Mary.  Mr.  Suhl  is  a  member  of  the  Foresters; 
of  America  and  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,, 
while  Mrs.  Suhl  is  a  member  of  the  Maccabees  and 
the  Royal  Neighbors  of  America.  Mr.  Suhl  is  a 
Republican  in  politics  and  a  special  admirer  of  the 
character  and  energ>'  of  President  Roosevelt.  He 
is  a  progressive  citizen,  always  a  friend  of  law  and 
order,  well  liked  by  all  who  meet  him. 


MRS.  JENNIE  M.  SAWYER,  owner  of  much 
valuable  real  estate  in  Monroe,  has  contributed  her 
share  towards  the  welfare  of  the  place.  She  was 
born  in  Vermont  on  the  26th  day  of  May.  1839.  the 
daughter  of  Reuben   and  Betsey    (Smith)    Dodge, 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


natives  of  New  Hampsliire  wlio  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits  all  their  lives.  They  were  descend- 
ants of  English  ancestors  who  settled  on  the  Atlan- 
tic coast  in  colonial  times,  the  genealogy  of  the 
Dodge  family  being  complete  in  its  records  back  to 
the  sixteenth  century  and  published  in  book  form. 
Many  of  the  family  took  part  in  the  war  of  1812. 
Mrs.  Sawyer  was  the  eleventh  of  twelve  children. 
She  received  a  common  school  education  and  re- 
mained with  her  parents  at  Royalton,  Vermont, 
until  her  marriage  to  Samuel  J.  Sawyer,  in  18G0, 
upon  which  Clairemont  became  their  home.  He 
was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  War,  after  the  close  of  which  he  engaged 
in  farming  in  Vennont,  following  that  until  his 
death  in  1878. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sawyer  was  born  one  son, 
Ernest  L.  Sawyer,  born  June  27,  1861,  who  came 
to  Puget  sound  in  1888.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  in  Tacoma  until  1892  when  he 
came  to  Monroe  and  organized  the  Monroe  Land 
Improvement  Company,  after  which  he  became  one 
of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  upbuilding  and  devel- 
opment of  the  town.  For  the  past  five  years  he 
has  been  a  prominent  railroad  promoter  making 
his  headquarters  in  Madrid,  Spain,  and  taking  an 
active  part  in  the  construction  of  the  road  from 
the  capital  city  to  Malaga.  His  mother  succeeded 
to  his  real  estate  holdings,  in  1896,  which  she  ac- 
quired by  the  purchase  of  mortgages  and  much 
of  this  property  she  has  since  sold.  She  is  an 
earnest,  christian  woman,  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist church.  In  fraternal  affiliation  she  is  a  Re- 
bekah.  She  is  intelligent  above  the  average,  gen- 
erous and  popular,  and  has  a  great  deal  of  business 
ability  which  has  stood  her  well  in  hand  in  man- 
aging the  details  of  her  extensive  interests.  She 
is  well  worthy  of  honorable  mention  in  the  annals 
of  Snohomish  county  as  one  who  has  lent  material 
aid  to  the  development  of  its  industries  and  to  its 
general  progress. 


CHARLES  F.  ELWELL  of  Monroe  conducts 
one  of  the  leading  meat  markets  in  Snohomish 
county  and  deals  generally  and  extensively  in  beef 
cattle.'  He  was  born  in  Maine  April  2,  1862,  the 
son  of  John  and  Eliza  (Crosby)  Elwell,  farmers 
of  the  same  state,  who  came  to  Puget  sound  first 
in  1858,  remained  eighteen  months,  returned  to 
Maine,  came  again  to  Snohomish  county  in  1872 
and  remained  until  her  death  in  1887,  and  his  in 
1897.  More  of  the  lives  of  these  honored  pioneers 
is  found  in  a  sketch  of  Tamlin  Elwell  of  Snohomish, 
in  another  portion  of  this  history.  Charles  F.  El- 
well is  truly  a  western  man,  though  born  on  the 
Atlantic  coast.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  .Snohomish  and  was  graduated  from  the 
commercial   course  of  the  Washington  University 


at  Seattle.  He  worked  in  the  woods  and  followed 
lumbering  until  1892,  then  began  raising  thorough- 
bred stock  on  the  Snoqualmie  river  in  King  county 
at  which  he  continued  until  1900  when  he  disposed 
of  his  interests  and  opened  his  present  place  of 
business  at  Monroe. 

In  Snohomish,  on  March  29,  1889,  Mr.  Elwell 
married  Miss  Sophia  Roesell,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Mary  Roesell,  the  former  of  whom,  a  ship- 
builder, died  in  1905 ;  the  latter  is  still  living  in 
Whatcom,  Washington.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elwell  have 
had  three  children,  June,  Earl  and  Celese.  Mr. 
Elwell  is  a  member  of  the  .\ncient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  public  spirited 
in  all  matters  of  general  interest.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Elwell  are  worthy  citizens  of  the  great  state 
of  Washington,  warm  heated,  generous  and  very 
popular.  They  are  well  entitled  to  enrollment  in 
these  chronicles  with  those  who  are  recognized  as 
jjotent  factors  in  the  present-day  civilization  of  this 
section,  and  as  descendants  of  its  earlier  pioneers. 


FRED  O.  FATTISON,  proprietor  of  the  Met- 
ropolitan livery  and  sale  stables  at  Monroe  is  a 
native  of  the  Evergreen  state,  and  a  product  of  the 
great  West.  He  was  born  in  the  Tualco  valley, 
Snohomi.sh  county,  October  29,  1872,  the  son  of 
Rufus  and  Eclesta  (Higgins)  Pattison,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Iowa,  respectively.  They  are 
farmers  who  came  to  Puget  sound  from  Pennsyl- 
vania in  the  spring  of  1872  and  now  reside  one 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Monroe.  Fred  O.  Patti- 
son is  the  second  of  their  five  children,  the  others 
being  Mrs.  Mina  Dunstan ;  Ira,  Goldy  and  Sela. 
Fred  O.  received  a  good  common  school  educa- 
tion in  Snohomish  county  and  assisted  his  father 
at  home  until  he  was  eighteen ;  then  he  farmed  for 
himself  and  followed  dairying  until  September  9, 
1905,  when  he  purchased  his  present  business  from 
James  Wallace. 

Mr.  Pattison  and  Miss  Lulu  Mann  were  mar- 
ried at  Snohomish  October  17,  1894.  Mrs.  Pattison 
is  a  native  of  Michigan,  the  daughter  of  James  W. 
and  Clara  (Strong)  Mann,  both  born  in  Maine, 
new  engaged  in  farming  near  Sultan,  Washington. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pattison  have  been  born  two 
children,  Wilton  Ray  June  28,  1896;  and  Zelma 
Eernice,  December  16,  1898.  Mr.  Pattison  is  one 
of  the  bright  and  energetic  young  business  men  of 
Monroe  and  he  and  Mrs.  Pattison  have  a  wide 
circle  of  friends  and  admirers.  Himself  a  pioneer 
and  the  son  of  pioneers  of  this  section  of  the  North- 
west, Mr.  Pattison  will  always  be  identified  in 
pioneer  history  with  the  men  who  have  overcome 
the  stubborn  obstacles  interposed  by  Nature  in  the 
]iath  of  progress,  and  who  have  brought  about  the 
prosperous  conditions  of  the  present  day. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1087 


BENJAMIN  SYKES,  a  pioneer  of  the  pio- 
neers, and  a  typical  example  of  the  dauntless  and 
hardy  frontier  class  which  has  pushed  out  beyond 
the  boundaries  of  civilization,  subduing  the  forests 
and  conquering  wild  nature  in  her  own  domain, 
is  a  native  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  born  May 
12,  hS-I.S.  His  father,  James  Sykes,  an  Englishman 
by  birth,  was  for  a  few  years  an  iron  worker  in 
Pittsburg,  to  which  city  he  came  from  his  native 
land  in  the  middle  forties,  but  in  later  life  he  en- 
gaged in  agriculture  and  that  was  his  occupation  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Wisconsin 
in  1903.  He  and  two  brothers  settled  in  La  Crosse 
county  about  1850,  when  it  was  a  "howling  wilder- 
ness" and  they  had  to  cut  roads  into  their  places. 
He  served  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Eighth  Wis- 
consin Infantry,  from  1862  until  the  war  was  about 
closed.  Rebecca  (Broadbent)  Sykes,  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  likewise  a  native  of  England,  born 
about  1839,  and  was  married  in  that  land  but  ended 
her  earthly  pilgrimage  in  Wisconsin  about  a  year 
before  her  husband's  death.  She  was  the  mother 
of  eight  children,  of  whom  the  subject  hereof  was 
the  third  in  order  of  birth. 

Having  been  taken  to  Wisconsin  when  about  two 
years  old,  Benjamin  Sykes  grew  up  in  the  midst  of 
pioneer  conditions,  accjuiring  such  educatiim  as  was 
possible  under  the  circumstances  and  a>'-i>tinL;'  nn 
the  parental  homestead  until  twenty-one.  lie  then 
went  to  eastern  Minnesota,  where  he  served  an  ap- 
prenticeship of  three  years  at  the  wagon  maker's 
trade.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  entire  family 
moved  to  western  Minnesota  and  settled  in  the 
heart  of  the  wilderness,  locating  in  Lyons  county, 
near  Marshall.  At  this  time  they  had  to  haul  pro- 
visions with  ox  teams  one  hundred  miles.  \MK-n  on 
the  outward  trip  they  would  pass  just  cnc  li.iuse 
between  their  farms  and  Redwood  Falls.  f(irt\  miles 
distant,  but  notwithstanding  the  loneliness  and  iso- 
lation they  got  along  well.  In  1883.  after  about 
ten  years  of  farming  under  those  conditions,  Mr. 
Sykes  went  to  Marshall,  eight  miles  distant,  and 
engaged  at  his  trade,  carpentering,  remaining 
several  years  afterward.  His  next  move  was  made 
in  July,  1887,  to  Roslyn,  Washington,  where  he 
spent  nearly  a  ^-ear  and  a  half,  then  he  took  a  place 
on  the  head  waters  of  Woods  creek,  at  that  time 
one  of  the  wildest  portions  of  a  wild  state,  settling 
farther  up  the  stream  than  any  other  pioneer.  A 
waeron  could  be  taken  to  within  four  or  live  miles 
of  his  place,  but  provisions  had  to  be  transported 
the  rest  of  the  way  on  the  backs  of  the  men,  and 
it  was  several  years  before  a  wagon  road  was  com- 
j'leted  to  his  home.  During  these  early  days  bears, 
cougars  and  other  wild  animals  were  abundant  and 
destructive  to  livestock.  At  one  time  a  cougar 
entered  Mr.  Sykes'  clearing:  at  another  time  one  of 
these  animals  killed  a  yearling  for  him.  and  many 
times  they  gave  chase  to  cattle,  occasionally  de- 
stroying one  of  the   weaker  animals.     During  his 


residence  on  Woods  creek  the  neighborhood  killed 
five  cougars  in  all  and  numerous  bears  fell  victim 
to  the  rif^e  and  traps  of  Mr.  Sykes,  on  one  occasion 
three  of  them  being  taken  in  a  single  day.  He  also 
did  considerable  hunting  and  trapping  for  fur  bear- 
ing animals,  beaver  mostly,  selling  sometimes  as 
much  as  one  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  furs  in  a 
year. 

Mr.  Sykes  assisted  in  building  the  first  school- 
house  in  that  part  of  the  country,  an  18  by  21  struc- 
ture, all  constructed  from  timber  furnished  b'y  cedar 
trees  except  the  sash  and  doors.  He  had  built  his 
own  dwelling  house  in  the  same  manner  out  of 
materials  taken  from  one  big  tree.  As  Mr.  Sykes 
had  homesteaded  eighty  acres  in  Minnesota  he  could 
only  take  eighty  acres  in  Washington,  but  that  was 
enough,  as  it  took  him  all  the  time  he  resided  on 
Woods  creek  to  free  half  of  it  from  the  impeding 
timber.  In  1903  he  sold  the  unimproved  part  to 
Charles  Faussett,  and  the  improved  part  was  ac- 
quired by  his  son,  Elmer,  who  resides  there  now, 
then  he  moved  into  Monroe  and  turned  his  atten-  ^ 
tian  to  carpenter  work  and  contracting.  He  has  a 
splendid  home  in  Monroe,  well  located. 

In  Minnesota,  April  11,  1871,  Mr.  Sykes  mar- 
ried Nancy  Jane  Van  Buren,  a  native  of  Illinois, 
born  Dec.  18,  18.51.  Her  father,  William,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1832,  but  later  be- 
came a  pioneer  of  eastern  Minnesota,  and  eventqaily 
settled  in  Cle-Elum,  Washington,  where  he  still 
lives.  He  is  a  shoemaker  by  trade  and  is  still  active 
in  this  line.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Sykes,  Lucy 
(Cramp)  Van  Buren,  was  born  in  England  in  1831, 
but  from  her  father  derived  German  blood.  She 
died  in  Roslyn  about  seven  years  ago.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sykes  have  had  the  following  childjen :  Cul-  . 
len,  born  February  16,  1872,  residing  in  Tualco  val- 
ley:  Elmer,  February  19,  1879,  living  on  the  old 
Woods  creek  place;  Nettie  May,  deceased;  Ben- 
jamin. February  13,  1882,  at  home;  also  Cora  Re- 
becca, born  in  1884,  deceased;  and  one  other  girl 
who  died  before  being  named.  Mr.  Sykes  is  an 
active  and  influential  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  as  is  also  his  wife,  and  in  fraternal 
affiliation  is  a  Good  Templar,  but  he  acknowledges 
allegiance  to  no  political  party,  voting  independently 
always.  He  is  one  of  the  sterling  men  of  the  Mon- 
roe country,  possessed  in  a  marked  degree  of  the 
resourcefulness  and  independence  which  are  fostered 
by  the  battle  with  pioneer  conditions,  but  also  rich 
in  those  qualities  which  make  a  man  a  force  for 
order  and  good  government  in  any  comnnniity. 


CAPTAIN  OTIS  C.  McGRAY,  whose  long. 
useful  life  fraught  with  so  many  varied  and  inter- 
esting experiences  is  familiar  to  the  large  majority 
of  the  residents  of  Snohomish  county,  needs  no  ex- 
tended introduction  to  the  readers  of  this  history. 
The  profound  truth  voiced  by  the  philosopher  that 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


"To  have  been  well  born  is  the  greatest  felicity"  is 
strikingly  illustrated  in  the  career  of  Captain  Mc- 
Gray.  Born  January  1,  1839,  to  the  union  of 
William  and  Hannah  (Ratcliff)  McGray,  he  in- 
herited many  of  the  sterling  qualities  of  character 
which  for  centuries  have  distinguished  the  Scottish 
people.  Like  his  ancestors  for  two  generations,  he 
is  a  native  of  Maine.  In  the  early  colonial  days  the 
McGrays  settled  in  this  state  and  also  in  various 
other  localities  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  became 
prominently  active  in  the  thrilling  events  of  subse- 
quent years.  The  family  was  well  represented  in 
the  War  of  1812,  several  members  of  the  family 
having  rendered  valiant  service  in  that  memorable 
struggle. 

Having  completed  his  elementary  training  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  state,  young  Mc- 
Gray took  a  thorough  course  in  the  academy  at 
Freedom,  Maine,  and  was  graduated  with  honor  in 
April,  18()1.  Alden  J.  Blethen,  the  well  known  pro- 
prietor of  the  Seattle  Times,  was  a  schoolmate  of 
his  at  that  time.  Thrilled  with  passionate  zeal  for 
hib  beloved  country,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  re- 
spond to  her  call  in  the  hour  of  extreme  need, 
enlisting  as  a  private  in  the  Fourth  Maine  regiment. 
Company  A,  \'olunteer  Infantry.  He  soon  found 
abundant  op])ortunity  of  fulfilling  his  boyhood 
dream,  that  of  some  time  bravely  defending  his 
country  as  his  illustrious  forefathers  had  done.  Hav- 
ing consecrated  his  services,  his  life  if  need  be,  to 
the  cause  of  truth  and  right,  he  was,  during  the 
suceeding  years  found  always  in  the  forefront  of 
battle.  From  the  first  conflict  at  Bull  Run  to  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg,  he  actively  participated  in  six- 
teen engagements,  his  regiment  being  in  the  third 
army  corps  under  Philip  H.  Kearny,  brigadier-gen- 
eral in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Although 
scarcely  past  his  majority,  Mr.  McGray  soon  dis- 
tinguished himself  as  a  fearless  soldier  and  was 
promoted  to  a  lieutenancy.  Later,  in  recognition  of 
remarkable  bravery  and  skill,  he  was  appointed 
captain  of  Company  A,  the  one  in  which  he  had  en- 
listed as  a  private.  After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg 
he  was  sent  to  Belfast,  Maine,  to  superintend  the 
first  conscript,  and  he  served  as  provost  marshal 
until  isTil  when  he  was  released  from  duty,  retiring 
with  a  military  record  the  memory  of  which  might 
well  bring  pride  to  the  breast  of  any  man. 

Going  to  Wisconsin  after  the  war.  Captain  Mc- 
Gray entered  the  employ  of  the  W.  and  J.  G.  Flint 
Company,  importers  and  wholesale  dealers  in  teas, 
coffees  and  spices,  traveling  as  their  representative 
throughout  the  states  of  Wisconsin,  Minnesota, 
Iowa  and  Michigan.  With  ability  and  faithfulness 
he  devoted  every  energy  to  this  enterprise,  and  gave 
such  excellent  satisfaction  that  he  retained  the  posi- 
tion until  1872,  when  he  was  in  position  to  engage 
in  business  for  himself.  Deciding  on  Forest  City  as 
a  location  he  went  thither  and  opened  a  general  mer- 
chandise store,  which  continued  to  be  his  for  five 


years  during  a  part  of  which  time  he  was  also  post- 
master. In  1877  he  first  visited  the  Pacific  coast, 
going  first  to  San  Francisco,  and  thence  in  the 
steamer  "Dakota"  to  Seattle,  Washington.  He  ar- 
rived in  the  latter  city  June  1,  1877,  and  soon,  ia 
company  with  a  Swede  named  Andy,  went  on  to 
Ebey  slough  where  they  spent  nearly  a  year  cutting 
cordwood  for  the  steamer  "Nellie,"  owed  by  Ben 
Stretch  and  Charley  Low.  Returning  to  Seattle  in 
the  spring  of  1878  he  leased  the  Salmon  Bay  ranch 
of  Doctor  Smith,  and  tilled  the  soil  for  a  time, 
meanwhile  carefully  investigating  the  surrounding 
country.  A  year  later  he  purchased  the  present  site 
of  Latona,  a  suburb  of  Seattle,  for  the  sum  of  $500, 
and  quietly  awaited  the  course  of  events  which,  he 
was  convinced,  would  bring  a  great  advance  in 
real  estate  in  localities  adjacent  to  the  Queen  City. 
In  1881  William  Cochran  and  William  Powell  cut 
the  timber  for  the  Western  Mill  Company,  and  two 
years  later  Captain  McGray  sold  the  tract  to  Rich- 
ard Ward  for  $6,700.  Desiring  to  revisit  California 
and  become  more  familiar  with  the  country,  he  went 
to  Los  Angeles  in  1883,  and  embarked  in  the  real 
estate  business,  remaining  until  1888.  Finding  that 
although  surrounded  by  the  beauties  nature  has  so 
lavishly  bestowed  on  that  favored  region,  he  still 
longed  for  the  strenuous  life  of  the  Northwest,  he 
again  sought  a  home  in  Seattle,  where  for  a  time 
he  busied  himself  in  laying  water  mains  for  the 
city.  In  1889,  just  prior  to  the  time  that  the  city 
was  visited  by  the  terrible  fire,  he  was  appointed 
sanitary  inspector,  an  office  which  he  retained  until 
in  1891  he  resigned  to  accept  an  appointment  as 
bailiff  in  the  equity  department  of  the  Superior 
court,  under  the  Honorable  I.  J.  Litchtenburg. 
After  filling  this  position  with  honor  for  two  years, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  general  contracting,  con- 
structing sewers  within  the  city  limits  for  nearly 
seven  years. 

At  length,  weary  of  the  toil  and  turmoil  of  city 
life,  he  determined  to  find  a  secluded  spot  where  he 
might  have  time  to  enjoy  life,  and  having  satisfied 
himself  that  Cherry  Valley,  Snohomish  county, 
would  exactly  suit  his  taste,  he  came  here  in  1900, 
and  purchased  the  Rocky  Point  ranch  situated  six 
miles  south  of  Monroe.  It  is  a  fine  piece  of  prop- 
erty, embracing  ninety-two  acres,  part  of  which  is 
in  cultivation.  A  large  orchard  forms  a  part  of  the 
farm,  and  to  it  the  Captain  gives  much  time  and 
attention.  He  is  also  known  as  a  breeder  of  su- 
perior horses,  and  is  acquiring  quite  a  reputation 
along  that  line.  For  many  years  he  has  been  promi- 
nent in  the  councils  of  the  Republican  party,  having 
been  several  times  a  delegate  to  the  state,  county 
and  city  conventions,  in  which  assemblies  he  was 
always  accorded  an  honored  position,  and  listened 
to  with  profound  respect.  Indeed,  so  actively  was 
he  engaged  in  political  matters  while  residing  in 
Seattle,  that  he  became  known  as  one  of  her  "war 
horses."    He  has  one  brother,  Frank  McGray,  wha 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


lias  been  boom  master  for  the  Saint  Croix  Boom 
Company  at  Stillwater,  Minnesota,  since  before  the 
Civil  War,  a  fact  that  carries  its  own  guarantee  of 
his  business  ability.  That  he  might  not  be  drafted 
into  service,  the  Captain  placed  on  deposit  $300, 
and  thus  secured  his  exemption.  It  was  rather 
strange  that  among  the  entire  number  of  Union 
soldiers  enrolled,  there  was  but  one  man,  the  Cap- 
tain, who  bore  the  name  of  McGray.  He  is  an  hon- 
ored member  of  the  Stevens  Post,  No.  1,  of  the 
Grand  Army  at  Seattle,  Washington,  also  is 
prominently  identified  with  the  Masonic  lodge. 
No.  105,  at  Prescott,  Wisconsin.  Wise  enough 
to  retire  from  active  business  pursuits  when  but  lit- 
tle past  the  prime  of  life.  Captain  McGray  is  finding 
the  fullest  measure  of  peace  and  contentment  amid 
these  rural  surroundings  where  it  is  possible  to 
get  close  to  the  heart  of  Nature.  A  brave,  battle- 
scarred  war  veteran,  a  shrewd,  practical  business 
man ;  a  loyal  and  patriotic  citizen ;  a  tried  and 
trusted  friend,  he  holds  the  respect  and  honor  of 
liis  entire  circle  of  acquaintances. 


FREDERICK  KNUTSON.  Among  the  pros- 
perous agriculturists  residing  on  the  banks  of  the 
Snoqualmie  river,  few  are  better  known  or  more 
highly  respected  than  he  whose  life  history  forms 
the  theme  of  this  review.  Like  many  of  the  most 
successful  men  now  residing  in  the  Northwest,  he 
claims  Norway  as  the  land  of  his  nativity.  His 
birth  occurred  July  17,  18.5i.  The  father  was  a 
successful  farmer  until  his  death  in  1S7G ;  the 
mother  is  still  living  in  Norway  at  the  ripe  old  age 
of  eighty-five.  Of  her  ten  children,  Frederick  is  the 
fifth.  He  acquired  the  rudiments  of  an  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  home  land,  and  when 
hut  a  lad  of  twelve  years  started  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world.  His  willing  hands  busied  them- 
selves at  various  occupations  in  the  next  few  years, 
farming,  mining  and  railroading  each  in  turn  afford- 
ing him  means  of  support.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  he  migrated  to  Sweden,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  lumbering  for  four  years.  Year  by  year  the  de- 
termination to  find  some  day  a  home  in  the  LTnited 
States  steadily  grew  stronger,  but  it  was  not  until 
1883  that  he  was  in  position  to  carry  out  his  plans. 
Then,  however,  he  severed  the  ties  that  bound  him 
to  his  fatherland,  and  sailed  for  America,  with 
bright  anticipations  of  the  success  and  honor  that 
awaited  him  in  her  hospitable  domain.  He  landed 
in  Castle  Garden,  and  after  the  usual  preliminaries, 
set  out  at  once  for  Chippewa  Falls,  Wisconsin.  His 
first  employment  in  the  new  country  was  on  the 
railroad  then  being  built  between  that  city  and 
Duluth.  He  spent  the  winter  working  in  the  lum- 
t)er  camps  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state,  and 
the  following  summer,  having  returned  to  Chippewn 
Falls,  cleared  some  land  in  that  locality.  Still 
pressing  westward,  he  reached  Saint  Paul  in  1883, 


and  there  purchased  a  ticket  to  Seattle,  Washington, 
making  the  trip  via  San  Francisco,  from  which 
point  he  came  north  in  the  old  steamer  "Dakota." 
For  a  time  he  labored  in  the  lumber  districts,  re- 
turning however  to  Seatle  at  the  breaking  up  of 
the  winter.  Later  he  crossed  Lake  Washington, 
followed  a  rude  trail  into  Cherry  Valley,  and  there 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  which  he  followed 
for  the  ensuing  four  and  one-half  years.  Realizing 
that  his  parents  were  growing  old,  and  would  never 
be  able  even  if  willing  to  visit  him  in  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Knutson  then  returned  to  the  land  of 
his  birth,  remaining  a  year  among  his  relatives  and 
friends.  Again  seeking  at  the  end  of  that  period 
the  home  of  his  adoption  he  very  soon  filed  on  a 
homestead  in  Cherry  Valley,  King  county,  a  few 
miles  from  his  present  location.  He  sold  this  in 
1899,  and  invested  in  the  property  he  now  owns, 
120  acres  of  fine  land,  sixty  of  which  are  cleared 
and  in  excellent  cultivation.  His  splendid  orchard, 
than  which  there  are  few  finer  ones  in  this  part  of 
the  state,  bears  unmistakable  evidence  of  wise  care 
and  thorough  knowledge  of  the  varied  requirements 
of  different  fruits.  He  has  a  beautiful  home  built 
on  an  elevation  conimanding  a  full  view  of  the 
valley  nestling  below.  Mr.  Knutson  is  largely  in- 
terested in  dairying,  and  is  very  familiar  with  the 
entire  subject. 

The  17th  of  November.  1888.  witnessed  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Knutson  and  Miss  Caroline  An- 
derson, of  Sweden.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Olaus 
Anderson,  a  skillful  tailor  well  known  to  the  resi- 
dents of  Redmond.  Washington,  his  home  at  the 
present  time.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knutson  six  chil- 
dren have  been  born:  Fred  O.,  Mamie,  Henry, 
Edwin  E.,  Blanche,  and  Blanda.  Mr.  Knutson  is 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  his  wife  is  an 
influential  Rebekah.  In  politics  he  is  a  loyal  Demo- 
crat, but  he  has  never  cherished  any  political  as- 
pirations. One  of  the  hardy  pioneers  of  this  sec- 
tion who  blazed  the  trail  for  others,  he  has  been 
identified  with  the  growth  of  the  community  for 
many  years,  and  has  been  instrumental  to  a  large 
extent  in  developing  its  resources,  as  well  as  ren- 
dering valuable  assistance  in  building  roads  and 
opening  up  the  country.  His  fellow  citizens  regard 
him  as  one  of  the  strong,  influential  members  of  the 
community. 


FRANKLIN  E.  PHELPS.  The  distinction 
of  having  been  one  of  the  little  company  of  daunt- 
less men  who  first  penetrated  the  wilderness  of 
Snohomish  county,  and  opened  the  way  for  the 
triumphal  march  of  civilization,  is  justly  accorded 
Franklin  E.  Phelps,  one  of  the  worthy  pioneers  of 
Tualco  valley,  Washington.  Inheriting  from  his 
parents,  Samuel  and  Louise  (Lindsey)  Phelps,  the 
inestimable  benefits  of  a  noble  ancestry,  he  entered 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


life  October  37,  1851.  The  Phelps  family,  origi- 
nally from  England,  settled  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
very  soon  after  the  landing  of  the  Mayflower,  and 
was  prominently  identified  with  colonial  history. 
The  mother  was  the  direct  descendant  of  a  well 
known  Revolutionary  family,  honored  throughout 
tiiat  portion  of  the  East  which  was  then  their  home. 
After  a  long,  useful  life,  she  died  September  20, 
1880.  The  father  early  in  life  learned  the  stone 
cutter's  trade,  following  it  successfully  for  fifty 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  lime  he  decided  to  aban- 
don it,  and  spend  the  remainder  of  his  years  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  therefore  located  on  a 
farm  in  his  native  state.  New  York,  and  remained 
there  until  his  death,  June  29,  1900. 

Born  like  both  his  parents  in  the  Empire  state, 
Franklin  E.  Phelps  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Oxford,  his  native  town,  completing  his 
training  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  left  home  at 
that  time,  and  spent  the  next  three  years  on  a  farm, 
that  being  the  occupation  that  first  presented  itself. 
Believing  that  he  could  better  his  condition  by 
going  to  Pennsylvania,  he  went  thither  in  1872, 
and  he  worked  in  the  lumber  camps  of  Ridgeway, 
Elk  county,  until  1875.  Gradually  working  his 
way  westward,  he  was  employed  the  following  year 
in  the  lumber  regions  of  Warsaw,  Wisconsin.  Be- 
ing convinced  that  the  splendid  forests  of  the  North- 
west must  afford  an  unpaialleled  opening  for  the 
lumberman,  he  started  for  the  state  of  Washington 
in  1876,  arriving  in  Snohomish  county  August  9th 
of  that  year.  Here  felling  the  giant  monarchs  of 
the  forest  that  had  sported  with  the  forces  of  na- 
ture for  centuries,  he  found  congenial  toil  and  four 
years  slipped  quickly  by.  He  invested  in  his  first 
real  estate  in  the  county  April  19,  1880.  160  acres 
of  land  in  Tualco  valley,  which  now  forms  half  of 
his  fine  ranch.  The  remaining  half  he  acquired 
as  a  homestead  claim  some  years  later.  In  common 
with  the  other  pioneers,  he  underwent  all  the  trying 
experiences  inseparably  connected  with  life  in  a 
new  country.  In  the  absence  of  roads  all  the  neces- 
sary supplies  were  brought  by  Indians  up  the  Sky- 
komish  river  in  canoes,  and  packed  thence  to  the 
scattered  claims,  on  the  backs  of  the  hardy  settlers. 
It  is  small  wonder  that  the  life  they  lived  while 
wresting  a  living  from  the  unwilling  soil  developed 
a  rugged  strength  of  character  often  wanting  in 
these  modern  days  of  ease  and  luxury.  Year  by 
year  Mr.  Phelps  toiled  on,  working  early  and  late, 
and  today  he  reaps  the  harvest  of  his  arduous  toil, 
beina:  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  valuable  estates 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  entire  county.  It  con- 
sists of  320  acres  of  fertile  land.  150  of  which  are 
in  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation,  and  the  remain- 
der in  fine  pasture  which  he  utilizes  in  maintaining 
his  large  herds  of  cattle.  Crowning  these  broad 
acres,  and  imparting  the  necessary  home-touch 
without  which  the  picture  would  be  incomplete, 
stands   an   imposing   residence,   beautiful    in   archi- 


tectural design.  A  stream  of  water  runs  near  by, 
forming  a  picturesque  addition  to  the  grounds,  and 
supplying  the  family  with  the  finest  varieties  of  fish. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Phelps  and  Miss  Mary  E. 
Foye  was  celebrated  in  Seattle,  September  13,  1880. 
Mrs.  Phelps  was  born  in  Iowa,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  A.  W.  and  Margaretta  (Buffington)  Foye, 
both  natives  of  Maine.  The  father  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Tualco  valley ;  the  mother  died  here  some 
years  ago.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Phelps,  July  20, 
1895,  occasioned  profound  sorrow  to  the  entire 
community  in  which  she  had  spent  so  many  years 
of  her  life  and  made  so  many  warm  friends.  Her 
gifts  of  mind  and  heart  and  her  charming  person- 
ality made  her  everywhere  a  welcome  guest,  a  fit- 
ting companion  for  her  honored  husband.  For  the 
past  twenty-eight  years  Mr.  Phelps  has  been  promi- 
nent in  Masonic  circles,  being  a  member  of  the  Blue 
Lodge,  Chapter,  Commandry  and  Mystic  Shrine. 
He  is  also  identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows'  frater- 
nity. The  Republican  party  claims  him  as  one  of 
its  most  enthusiastic  adherents,  and  has  frequently 
elected  him  to  positions  of  honor.  He  has  twice 
held  the  office  of  countv  commissioner,  from  1895 
to  1897,  and  from  1899  to  1901,  discharging  the 
duties  incumbent  upon  him  in  a  manner  highly  satis- 
factory to  his  constituents.  Perhaps  to  no  one  man 
does  the  valley  of  Tualco  owe  a  greater  debt  of 
gratitude  than  to  this  broad  minded,  public  spirited 
citizen  who  has  cheerfully  contributed  of  his  time 
and  wealth  to  the  promotion  of  every  public  enter- 
prise. He  was  one  of  the  principal  promoters  of 
the  Tualco  Valley  Telephone  Company,  and  is  at 
present  the  largest  stockholder.  But  for  his  timely 
assistance  doubtless  this  and  many  another  projected 
improvement  would  have  failed  of  consummation. 
He  is  also  one  of  the  heavy  stockholders  in  the  State 
Bank  of  Monroe.  Uniting  with  his  remarkable  bus- 
iness capabilities  the  sterling  virtues  that  command 
universal  esteem,  Mr.  Phelps  is  in  every  respect 
worthy  of  the  exalted  position  that  he  holds  in  the 
hearts  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


PETER  PERSON.  Among  the  well  known 
agriculturists  and  dairymen  of  Snohomish  County, 
Washington,  Peter  Person  occupies  an  honored  po- 
sition. Like  so  many  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of 
the  Northwest  he  claims  Sweden  as  his  native  land, 
his  birth  having  occurred  there  April  4,  1846.  He 
is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Elsa  (Person)  Johnson, 
who  were  also  Ixirn  in  that  country.  The  father 
followed  various  occupations  in  early  life,  but  in 
later  years  devoted  his  attention  more  exclusively 
to  agriculture,  in  which  he  was  very  successful.  He 
died  August  17,  1874.  The  mother's  death  oc- 
curred Februar)-  8,  1878.  Peter  Person  acquired 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
land,  remaining  at  home  till  nineteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  started  out  for  himself.     He  was  variously 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


employed  in  the  lumber  camps  and  on  the  farms  of 
his  native  country  for  many  years ;  but  at  length 
deciding  that  the  land  across  the  waters  held  greater 
opportunities  for  an  energetic,  ambitious  man,  he 
made  the  necessary  arrangements,  and  in  1888  came 
to  the  American  continent,  landing  at  Quebec.  He 
then  crossed  the  continent  to  Vancouver,  British 
Columbia  via  the  Canadian  Pacific  railroad,  and 
proceeded  thence  to  Seattle,  Washington,  arriving 
July  31,  1888.  He  spent  the  fall  in  the  lumber 
camps  of  King  county,  and  having  taken  out  his 
naturalization  papers  December  4,  of  that  year,  he 
filed  on  a  homestead  near  Cathcart  Station,  on  the 
Snohomish  river,  which  he  farmed  until  1901,  when 
he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Snohomish  county.  Fur- 
chasing  the  Spurrel  ranch  situated  in  Cherry  valley, 
six  and  one-half  miles  south  of  Monroe,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Snoqualmie  river,  he  took  up  dairying 
on  a  large  scale,  and  he  has  demonstrated  his  ability 
to  make  a  splendid  success  of  the  industry.  His 
fine  ranch  embraces  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  de- 
voted mainly  to  raising  hay  and  potatoes. 

Mr.  Person  was  married  in  Sweden,  December 
5,  1875,  to  Miss  Bertha  Nelson,  also  of  Swedish 
nativity,  the  daughter  of  Nels  and  Golin  (Ander- 
son) Aaronson.  The  father,  a  successful  farmer, 
died  in  1865 ;  the  mother  is  still  living  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-seven.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Person  two  children  have  been  born,  both  natives 
of  Germany.  Of  these,  Nick,  born  December  29, 
1875,  acquired  his  elementary  education  in  his  native 
land,  completing  his  training  in  the  schools  of 
Snohomish  county.  Fond  of  agricultural  pursuits 
he  has  remained  at  home,  working  with  his  father 
on  the  farm,  and  sharing  a  large  part  of  the  re- 
sponsibility. The  daughter.  Insula,  born  January  28, 
1881,  was  married  to  David  E.  Glover,  December 
27,  1904,  and  is  now  residing  in  Monroe.  Mr.  Per- 
son is  a  prominent  man  in  the  ranks  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  has  been  honored  by  being  elected 
to  many  precinct  offices.  A  wide-awake,  practical 
farmer,  he  has  achieved  an  enviable  success,  and  is 
known  throughout  the  community  as  a  man  of  abil- 
ity and  sterling  worth. 


WINSLOW  B.  STEVENS,  now  a  resident  of 
Everett,  is  not  only  among  Snohomish  county's 
early  pioneers  but  he  is  also  among  the  white  men 
who,  nearly  half  a  century  ago,  cast  their  fortunes 
with  those  of  Puget  sound,  and  have  ever  remained 
faithful.  That  their  faith  and  judgment  were  not 
ill  founded  is  becoming  every  day  more  and  more 
apparent.  Born  at  Wellington,  Piscatiquis  County, 
Maine,  December  9,  1837,  the  son  of  Phineas  and 
Abas:ail  (Hamm)  Stevens,  he  comes  of  colonial 
American  stock,  tracing  his  ancestry  back  on  the 
patemal  side  to  the  arrival  of  three  brothers  at 
Plymouth,  Massachusetts  in  1640.  His  grandfather 
fought    three    years    in    the    Revolutionary    war. 


Phineas  Stevens,  born  in  1799  at  Hodgdon,  Maine, 
followed  farming  until  his  death  in  1856.  Mrs. 
Stevens,  also  a  native  of  Maine,  born  in  1811,  came 
of  Hugenot  ancestry.  Her  father,  Thomas  Hamm, 
was  the  third  settler  at  Wellington,  coming  before 
Maine  was  admitted  as  a  state.  She  died  in  August, 
1872.  Winslow  B.  is  the  sixth  of  fourteen  children, 
one  of  them,  Hiram,  now  lesiding  in  Seattle.  After 
a  common  school  education  Winslow  took  an  acad- 
emic course  with  a  view  of  entering  Borden  col- 
lege, but  in  this  ambition  he  failed  for  at  the  tender 
age  of  twelve  he  began  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  He  remained  in  the  state  until  1859,  spend- 
ing the  last  two  years  at  Machias  in  the  lumber 
industry,  then  came  to  Port  Townsend  via  the  Isth- 
mus of  Panama  which  he  crossed  by  rail,  the  trip 
occupying  a  day.  In  all  forty-three  days  were 
consumed  in  the  journey  to  Pugent  sound.  From 
Port  Townsend  he  immediately  went  on  to  Port 
Gamble,  entered  the  mills  July  11th,  and  there  made 
his  home  until  January  1,  1871.  However,  as  early 
as  October.  1863,  he  made  his  first  trip  into  Snoho- 
mish county,  entering  the  employment  of  Smith  & 
Wilson,  loggers  on  the  site  of  Lowell.  Here  Mr. 
Stevens  says  he  felled  with  an  axe  the  first  tree  that 
was  floated  down  the  river  as  a  sawlog  and  person- 
ally had  charge  of  the  first  raft,  taking  it  to  Priest's 
Point.  After  six  months  with  Smith  &  Wilson,  he 
engaged  in  making  ship's  knees  on  the  river  flats, 
turning  out  those  used  in  building  the  S.  S.  Cyrus 
Walker.  In  1866,  be  left  the  Snohomish  to  log  on 
Hood's  canal  for  the  Port  Gamble  Lumber  Com- 
pany, where  he  was  occupied  until  January,  1871. 
At  that  time  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Kalama  to 
take  charge  of  a  crew  constructing  the  first  portion 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  in  Washin.gton.  In  1873 
he  removed  his  family  to  Tumwater  to  enable  his 
children  to  secure  better  school  advantages,  and 
after  the  great  Jay  Cooke  failure  had  suddenly  cut 
short  the  building  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  Mr. 
Stevens  returned  to  Snohomish  county,  arriving  in 
1874.  Since  that  date  he  has  resided  here  contin- 
uously, removing  from  the  old  home  at  Snohomish 
to  Everett  in  1900.  In  1873,  Hat  island,  in  Port 
Gardner  bay,  was  the  scene  of  the  murder  of  the 
county's  oldest  settler,  a  Frenchman,  savs  Mr. 
Stevens.  This  pioneer  had  taken  a  claim  at  Tulalip, 
but  upon  the  creation  of  the  reservation  bearing  that 
name,  had  been  forced  to  move,  which  he  did,  go- 
ing to  the  island.  Mr.  Stevens,  Hugh  Ross  and 
Harry  Spithill  appraised  his  property  at  the  time 
the  estate  affairs  were  settled.  Salem  Wood,  Mr. 
Stevens  remembers  as  being  the  first  settler  in  the 
valley  of  the  Snohomish  as  far  inland  as  Monroe, 
and  John  Cochran  he  says  came  about  the  same 
time.  For  the  past  fifteen  years,  in  a  business  way, 
Mr.  Stevens  has  devoted  himself  entirely  to  timber 
cruising  with  great  success,  and  at  present  does  all 
the  cruising  for  the  H.  O.  Seiffart  Lumber  Com- 
pany, also  being  in  the  service  of  S.  A.  Buck  of 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


Monroe,  the  Sultan  Lumber  Company  and  many 
others.  Hale  and  hearty,  unusually  well  preserved. 
Mr.  Stevens  today  appears  nearer  two  score  and 
ten  years  than  his  three  score  and  ten. 

His  marriage  to  Harriett  M.  Berry,  the  daughter 
of  Adkins  and  Sarah  Berry,  took  place  in  1863,  she 
braving  the  perils  and  hardships  of  a  journey  to  the 
Pacific  alone  in  order  to  join  the  faithful  young 
lover  who  had  won  her  affections  before  leaving 
the  Pine  Tree  state  four  years  previously.  She  is  a 
native  of  Machias,  ]\Iaine,  and  was  reared  on  a 
farm.  Her  mother  was  born  at  St.  Stephens,  New- 
Brunswick.  Of  the  four  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stevens,  the  oldest,  Mrs.  Flora  Floyd,  died  at 
Reno,  Nevada,  in  July,  1905 ;  Winslow  B.  Jr.,  is  at 
present  a  resident  of  Snohomish ;  Jerome  is  dead, 
his  death  having  occurred  in  November,  1882 ;  and 
Nellie  is  married  and  living  in  Seattle.  Although 
Mr.  Stevens  is  a  staunch  Republican  and  has  been 
since  he  began  voting,  he  has  been  content  to  re- 
main in  the  ranks,  never  holding  office.  He  has 
contributed  freely  of  his  energy  and  skill  to  the 
upbuilding  of  the  different  communities  in  which 
he  has  resided,  Snohomish  county  in  particular,  is 
a  pioneer  among  pioneers,  and  in  his  declining 
years  enjoys  the  confidence  and  hearty  good  wishes 
of  his  fellow  men. 


JOSEPH  LINDLEY,  who  resides  two  miles 
south  of  Monroe,  Washington,  is  numbered  among 
the  prosperous  agriculturists  of  that  locality.  Com- 
paratively few  of  the  grown  men  now  living  in  the 
state  of  Washington  can  claim  the  distinction  be- 
longing to  him,  that  of  having  been  born  within  its 
boundaries.  His  birth  occurred  in  Jefferson  county, 
March  19,  1875.  His  father,  John  J.  Lindley,  was 
of  English  nativity.  In  early  life  he  thoroughly 
mastered  the  stonemason's  trade,  and  he  successfully 
followed  that  in  connection  with  farming  until  his 
death  in  Jefferson  county,  in  1887.  The  mother, 
Mary  (James)  Lindley,  was  born  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  hence  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  early 
pioneer  experiences.  After  a  life  of  service  for 
others,  she  died  in  1883.  Joseph  Lindley  attended 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  county,  and  by 
making  the  best  possible  use  of  his  limited  oppor- 
tunities acquired  a  practical  education  in  the  few 
years  he  spent  in  the  school  room.  He  assumed 
life's  responsibilities  at  a  very  early  age,  being  but 
eleven  when  he  left  his  father's  farm  and  started  out 
for  himself.  Utilizing  the  practical  knowledge  he 
had  picked  up  while  working  with  his  father  at 
home,  he  found  employment  on  the  farms  of  that 
region,  and  although  but  a  boy  gave  evidence  of  a 
thrifty,  industrious  nature  which  won  approval  from 
his  elders.  Later,  he  abandoned  farming  and  took 
up  lumbering,  working  in  the  camps  of  Puget  sound. 
By  careful  economy  he  laid  aside  each  year  the 
larger  part  of  his  wages,  and  was  thus  able  in  1899 


to  purchase  the  fine  forty-acre  farm  on  which  he 
now  lives.  He  took  up  dairying,  believing  that  to 
be  the  most  remunerative  branch  of  farming  for  him 
at  least.  His  neat,  comfortable  home  bespeaks  his 
thoughtful  care  for  the  happiness  and  welfare  of 
his  family. 

Mr.  Lindley  and  Miss  Mary  Johnson  were 
united  in  marriage  in  Port  Townsend,  December  8, 
1894.  Mrs.  Lindley  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
daughter  of  Andrew  Johnson,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  pioneers  of  Snohomish  county,  whose 
residence  in  Tualco  valley  dated  from  1860.  Hav- 
ing died  in  1888,  he  was  not  permitted  to  see  the 
greater  transformations  that  have  occurred  in  the 
adjacent  territory  within  the  past  fifteen  years. 
Ellen  (Johnson)  Johnson,  the  mother,  who  was 
born  on  the  Pacific  coast,  is  still  living  in  Tualco 
valley.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lindley  three  children 
have  been  born:  Clarence,  Earl  and  Blanche.  Mr. 
Lindley  is  an  enthusiastic  member  of  the  Foresters 
of  America.  The  principles  of  the  Republican 
party  agree  substantially  with  the  political  beliefs 
of  Mr.  Lindley,  and  he  therefore  gives  to  that  party 
his  undivided  support,  asking  no  reward  in  the  way 
of  personal  preferment.  A  young  man  of  exem- 
plary habits  and  upright  character  who  brings  to 
each  task  in  life  a  resolute  detennination  to  perform 
it  as  perfectly  as  possible,  he  is  destined  to  achieve 
a  still  more  enviable  success  in  the  years  to  come 
than  has  rewarded  his  eft'orts  in  the  past. 


GEORGE  JOHNSON.  Among  those  who 
might  readily  be  pardoned  for  being  proud  of  their 
ancestry  is  numbered  the  one  whose  career  forms 
the  theme  of  this  biographical  review,  George  John- 
son, the  son  of  the  distinguished  pioneer,  Andrew 
Johnson.  The  latter  spent  his  early  life  in  Sweden, 
his  native  land, — but,  having  reached  years  of 
maturity,  decided  to  find  an  opening  in  the  land  of 
promise  that  lay  across  the  waters.  Dissuaded  for 
a  time  from  his  purpose  to  settle  immediately  in  the 
United  States,  he  followed  the  sea  for  ten  years, 
landing  at  many  of  the  principal  ports,  and  acquir- 
ing thereby  an  extended  knowledge  of  the  habits 
and  characteristics  of  the  people  of  other  nations. 
Landing  eventually  at  San  Francisco,  he  proceeded 
to  Puget  sound,  and  there  having  previously  de- 
termined to  abandon  the  sea  found  employment  in 
the  saw-mills  at  Port  Gamble  for  the  following 
year.  In  1860  he  came  to  Snohomish  county,  and 
located  at  the  forks  of  the  Snoqualmie  and  Skyko- 
mish  rivers,  which  later  became  known  as  Johnson's 
Landing.  He  was  a  prominent  factor  in  the  history 
of  that  locality,  and  was  known  widely  as  a  man  of 
sterling  worth.  At  his  death  which  occurred  Jan- 
uary 15,  1888,  his  original  pre-emption  claim  was 
divided  among  his  children.  Llis  wife,  a  native  of 
the  Pacific  coast,  is  now  residing  in  Tualco  valley, 
her  home  for  many  years.    Of  their  seven  children. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1093 


George  Johnson  is  the  second.  He  was  born  in 
Snohomish  county,  July  20,  1807.  After  acquiring 
his  education  in  the  common  schools,  he  farmed 
with  his  father  on  the  homestead,  assuming  much  of 
the  responsibility.  When  the  estate  was  divided  to 
him  fell  the  forty  acres  on  which  he  now  resides, 
situated  two  miles  south  of  Monroe.  This  is  now 
in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  reflects  great 
credit  on  the  owner  who  so  thoroughly  understands 
the  various  phases  of  the  work.  His  dairy  is  one  \ 
of  the  finest  in  the  neighborhood. 

On  March  17.  1897,  Mr.  Johnson  and  Miss  Lil- 
lian Hayes  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Johnson, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  October  23,  1868, 
is  the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Sallie  J.  (Brown) 
Hayes.  The  father  was  born  in  Vermont,  but  later 
found  a  home  in  Pennsylvania  where  he  followed 
his  trade,  shoemaking.  and  also  engaged  in  farming 
to  some  extent.  In  1894  he  severed  the  ties  that 
bound  him  to  the  East  and  accompanied  by  his  fam- 
ily, crossed  the  intervening  states,  locating  on  Puget 
sound.  His  death  occurred  in  Monroe,  six  years 
later.  The  mother  is  now  living  in  Monroe.  Mrs. 
Johnson  is  a  genial  woman,  devoted  to  her  family 
"and  friends.  The  four  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  are  as  follows :  George  Dewey,  born 
April  f),  1898 ;  Mildred  and  ]Miles,  twins,  born  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1900;  Thelma.  May  IS.  1903.  Mr.  John- 
son is  prominent  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican 
party,  giving  it  his  hearty  support,  and  advancing 
its  interests  in  every  possible  way.  He  is  the  worthy 
son  of  his  father,  possessing  the  ambition,  energy 
and  dauntless  courage  of  that  hardy  pioneer.  He 
is  widely  known  throughout  the  county,  enjoying 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  have  the 
pleasure  of  his  acquaintance. 


GRANIS  W.  AUSTIN.  Few  pioneers  of 
Snohomish  county  are  deserving  of  a  more  honored 
position  in  her  history  than  Granis  W.  Austin,  one 
of  the  prosperous  agriculturists  of  ^lonroe,  Wash- 
ington. He  was  born  in  Balton,  Canada,  Decem- 
ber 23,  1834,  to  the  union  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah 
(Peasly)  Austin.  The  father,  a  native  of  Maine, 
was  the  direct  descendant  of  the  Austin  family  of 
colonial  histon,',  the  members  of  which  were  Eng- 
lish Quakers,  who  sought  a  home  in  this  country 
to  escape  persecution.  The  mother  was  born  among 
the  New  Hampshire  hills,  and  there  spent  her  girl- 
hood. Of  her  six  children  Granis  W.  is  the  second. 
Availing  himself  of  the  somewhat  limited  educa- 
tional advantages  afforded  by  the  schools  of  the  lo- 
cality, he  acquired  a  practical  training  which  was 
supplemented  by  careful  study  and  observation  in 
life's  broader  school.  Working  with  his  father  on 
the  farm  till  he  had  passed  his  eighteenth  birthday. 
he  there  became  familiar  with  the  work  that  in 
later  years  has  engaged  his  entire  attention.  When 
lie  was  no  longer  needed  at  home  he  went  to  the 


lumber  regions  of  Wisconsin,  and  made  his  start 
in  life,  remaining  in  the  state  from  1853  to  1859. 
Fairbault  County,  Minnesota,  then  became  his  home 
for  a  year,  which  was  spent  on  a  farm.  Finding 
this  less  satisfactory  than  life  in  the  woods,  he  mi- 
grated to  the  northern  peninsula  of  Michigan  in 
1860,  and  again  engaged  in  lumbering.  Two  years 
later,  finding  himself  in  position  to  carry  out  a  long 
cherished  plan,  that  of  visiting  the  Pacific  coast, 
and  perhaps  locating  there,  he  went  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  settled  in 
Sierra  county,  where  he  was  engaged  in  lumbering 
and  mining  for  seven  years.  Thereupon  returning 
to  Wisconsin,  he  resided  in  that  state  a  couple  of 
years,  then  recrossed  the  continent  to  California 
over  the  L'nion  Pacific  railroad.  Arriving  in  San 
Francisco  he  took  passage  in  the  old  blockade  run- 
ner. "Prince  Albert"  to  Victoria,  and  reached  Sno- 
homish county,  June  10,  1873.  He  soon  took  as  a 
pre-emption  claim  the  land  that  now  con- 
stitutes his  fine  ranch,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  situated  one  mile  south  of  Monroe.  Only 
the  prophetic  eye  could  discern  in  the  dense 
forest  the  smiling  landscape  that  to-day  greets 
the  beholder's  eye ;  and  only  the  dauntless 
pioneer  spirit  that  laughs  at  hardships  and  courts 
Nature  in  her  wildest  moods,  would  ever  have  un- 
dertaken to  effect  the  transformation.  Accompan- 
ied by  his  brave  young  wife  who  was  one  of  the 
first  white  women  to  cross  the  trail  from  Snohomish 
to  Tualco  valley,  he  reached  his  homestead  and 
there,  miles  from  the  nearest  white  settler,  erected 
a  rude  cabin  and  began  the  formidable  task  of 
clearing  the  land.  The  years  that  followed  were 
fraught  with  perils  and  hardships  that  can  only  be 
understood  by  those  who  have  undergone  similar 
experiences,  but  gradually  the  forest  gave  way  to 
Mr.  Austin's  indomitable  energ\',  other  settlers  fol- 
lowed in  his  wake,  and  life  became  less  primitive. 
Miss  Amelia  Wellman,  a  native  of  Joliet,  Illi- 
nois, born  January  3.  1849,  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Austin  November  16,  1865,  the  marriage  taking 
place  in  California.  Mrs.  Austin  is  the  daughter 
of  John  and  Rachel  (Taylor)  Wellman,  who  were 
both  born  in  Pennsylvania.  Her  father,  after  fol- 
lowing the  carpenter  trade  for  many  years  in  the 
East,  "crossed  the  plains  to  California  with  an  ox 
team  in  1849.  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  gold  fields. 
He  returned  to  Illinois  for  his  wife  and  children  in 
1851,  bringing  them  to  their  new  home  via  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama.  Mrs.  Austin  was  then  an  in- 
fant. In  crossing  the  isthmus,  the  men  went  on 
foot  while  the  women  and  children  were  carried  by 
the  natives.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Austin  eight  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  of  whom  only  three  are  now- 
living,  namely  John  P.,  born  in  Wisconsin,  May  25, 
1868";  George,  in  Tualco  valley,  November  16,  1874; 
Ernest,  June  6,  1876.  Mrs.  Austin  is  prominently 
identified  with  the  Good  Templars  and  the  Macca- 
bees, also  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


SNOHOiMISH  COUNTY 


Pew  residents  of  the  county  are  more  enthusiastic 
Republicans  than  is  Mr.  Austin,  who  is  always 
prominent  in  poHtical  matters.  In  territorial  days 
he  held  the  office  of  county  commissioner  and  dis- 
played iiis  characteristic  ability  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties,  his  varied  experiences  with  men  and  af- 
fairs rendering  his  opinion  on  the  various  points  at 
issue  especially  valuable.  After  a  life  of  unceasing 
toil,  Mr.  Austin  is  now  reaping  the  prosperity  he  so 
richly  deserves,  surrounded  by  a  host  of  friends 
and  acquaintances  who  esteem  him  for  his  upright 
character,  and  appreciate  the  part  he  has  played  in 
opening  up  the  great  Northwest. 


THOMAS  SPAULDING,  an  extensive  agricul- 
turist, residing  two  and  one-half  miles  northeast  of 
Monroe,  Washington,  on  Hazel  farm,  was  born  in 
Calais,  Maine,  October  14,  1850.  His  father.  Still- 
man  Spaulding,  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Go- 
ing to  Maine  in  early  Iwyhood  he  there  followed 
farming  and  logging  until  1S()3,  when  he  moved  to 
California,  and  he  made  that  his  home  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  Clara  A.  (Chase)  Spaulding,  the 
mother,  who  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  passed 
away  in  1884.  She  was  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren, Thomas  being  the  eighth.  One  son,  Joseph,  is 
hving  in  Santa  Clara  County,  California,  aged  sev- 
enty-three. Mr.  Spaulding  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Maine  in  his  boyhood,  completing  his 
education  in  California  after  the  family  settled 
there.  The  trip  thither  was  made  in  1863  via  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  to  San  Francisco,  which  at  that 
early  date  had  not  been  reached  by  railroads.  After 
a  brief  residence  in  the  state,  the  elder  Spaulding 
died,  leaving  his  son  to  care  for  the  widowed 
mother.  He  at  once  decided  to  take  up  dairying  and 
was  thus  employed  until  he  removed  to  Seattle  in 
1883.  In  a  short  time  he  located  in  Skagit  county, 
and  for  several  years  he  and  a  brother,  Colan,  fol- 
lowed logging  there  and  at  Port  Susan  in  Snoho- 
mish county.  In  1890  they  purchased  the  land 
which  is  now  known  as  Hazel  Farm,  and  at  once 
began  clearing  off  the  dense  timber  that  covered  it. 
It  is  now  one  of  the  finest  ranches  in  the  county, 
comprising  four  hundred  acres,  one-half  of  which 
is  now  in  cultivation.  The  brother's  death  in  De- 
cember, 190-1,  came  as  a  great  shock  to  all,  he  hav- 
ing passed  away  on  account  of  heart  failure  with- 
out a  moment's  warning. 

Mr.  Spaulding  and  Miss  Nellie  Jakins  were  mar- 
ried in  1887.  Mrs.  Spaulding,  a  native  of  Fairfield 
County,  Maine,  is  the  daughter  of  William  Jakins, 
who  for  many  years  prior  to  his  death  was  light- 
house keeper  at  Point  No  Point,  on  San  Juan.  The 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Robinson,  is  now 
living  with  her  daughter,  Airs.  Spaulding.  The  lat- 
ter is  a  gifted  musician.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding 
have   one  child,   Delia   E.,   aged   nine   years.      j\lr. 


Spaulding  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows' fraternity,  while  his  wife  is  numbered  among 
the  enthusiastic  Rebekahs.  In  political  faith  he  is 
a  Republican,  but  like  many  loyal  members  of  the 
party,  he  prefers  to  have  others  do  the  active  work 
and  hold  the  offices.  His  chief  interest  is  centered  in 
his  splendid  farm,  and  to  it  he  devotes  his  best  en- 
ergies. Believing  that  dairying  is  one  of  the  most 
remunerative  branches  of  farming,  he  is  especially 
intere.'-.ted  in  it,  and  keeps  a  fine  herd  of  forty  cows, 
besides  a  large  number  of  young  cattle.  Mr.  Spaul- 
ding's  land  was  originally  taken  up  by  Salem  Woods, 
deceased,  who  was  the  earliest  settler  in  Snohomish 
County,  Washington.  Although  he  might  justly 
feel  proud  of  the  success  he  has  achieved,  Mr. 
Spaulding  is  known  as  a  quiet,  reticent  man,  whose 
life  and  character  are  such  as  to  command  respect 
and  confidence. 


ANDREW  BENGTSON,  an  energetic  farmer 
residing  two  miles  northeast  of  Monroe,  Washing- 
ton, was  born  October  14,  1853,  in  Christiansalane, 
Sweden,  on  an  island  seven  miles  long  and  three 
and  one-half  miles  wide.  He  is  the  son  of  Bengt- 
son  and  .-Vuna  (Olson)  Anderson,  also  of  Swedish 
nativity.  The  father,  born  in  1821,  is  still  living; 
the  mother  died  in  1891.  Andrew  Bengtson  grew 
to  manhood  in  his  native  country,  acquiring  his  ed- 
ucation there,  but  in  young  manhood  decided  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  the  United  States,  of  the  won- 
derful advantages  of  which  he  had  so  often  heard. 
He  reached  Omaha,  Nebraska.  May  3,  1888,  and 
remained  there  eighteen  months,  engaged  in  laying 
mains  for  a  gas  company,  and  in  the  meantime 
learning  the  English  language  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible. Lured  by  tales  of  the  still  greater  opportuni- 
ties to  be  found  in  the  Northwest,  he  went  to  Seat- 
tle in  December,  1890,  and  at  once  found  employ- 
ment in  a  brick-yard  where  he  worked  every  day 
from  that  time  till  the  Fourth  of  July  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Christmas.  When  he  left  there,  it  was 
with  the  intention  of  securing  a  homestead,  so  he 
came  to  Snohomish  county  and  took  a  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acre  claim  near  Lake  Rose- 
gar.  By  careful  management  he  had  accumu- 
lated sufficient  means  to  purchase  transporta- 
tion for  his  family  who  had  remained  be- 
hind while  he  made  a  home  for  them  in  the  new 
country.  As  the  road  only  extended  as  far  as 
Machias.  the  task  of  getting  his  supplies  and  the 
necessary  furnishings  for  the  little  home  to  his 
claim  was  a  difficult  one  indeed.  After  having  them 
brought  as  far  as  possible  with  horses,  he  was 
obliged  to  pack  them  on  his  back  for  long,  weary 
miles,  but  a  year  later  a  road  was  built  to  his  ranch, 
and  other  improvements  followed.  When  at  length 
he  had  his  family  of  six  once  more  with  him,  he 
found  he  had  but  fifty  cents  in  cash  with  which  to 
face  the  future.     Undismaved,  however,  he  left  his 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


brave  wife  to  care  for  the  little  ones  while  he 
worked  for  the  Machias  Shingle  Company.  During 
the  three  years  thus  spent  he  encountered  many  re- 
verses that  would  have  proved  fatal  to  many  a  man's 
hope  and  courage.  He  first  met  with  a  severe  acci- 
dent that  nearly  cost  him  an  arm.  and  incapacitated 
him  for  work  for  some  time.  When  at  last  he  had 
resumed  his  position,  and  had  a  credit  of 
one  hundred  and  forty  dollars  on  the  com- 
pany's books,  the  firm  failed,  leaving  him  al- 
most destitute,  and  with  no  work  in  view.  Thus 
he  faced  the  hard  times  of  the  nineties.  Cutting 
shingles  at  seventy  cents  a  cord,  wages  to  be  taken 
out  in  trade,  was  the  only  occupation  he  could  find 
for  some  months.  Little  by  little  he  was  able  to 
make  a  clearing  in  the  forest  that  covered  his  claim, 
his  wife  aiding  him  even  in  the  arduous  work  of 
felling  trees  and  cutting  underbrush.  When  they 
had  succeeded  in  clearing  five  acres  and  were  able 
to  keep  a  few  cows,  they  congratulated  themselves 
that  the  worst  was  over.  Many  of  the  settlers  in 
that  neighborhood  who  had  expected  to  become 
rich  in  a  brief  space  of  time  became  discouraged 
and  sold  out  about  that  time.  Mr.  Bengtson  had  no 
thought  of  leaving  until  on  account  of  the  small 
number  of  pupils  the  schools  were  closed.  To  de- 
prive his  children  of  educational  advantages  was 
out  of  the  question,  hence  he,  too,  disposed  of  his 
property,  realizing  two  thousand  five  hundred  dol- 
lars from  the  sale,  a  sum  which  enabled  him  to  pur- 
chase the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides,  and  to  build  liis  neat 
comfortable  home.  Later  he  sold  eighty  acres.  With 
the  exception  of  a  couple  of  acres  this  land  was 
then  covered  with  timber  and  brush,  but  he  now  has 
forty  acres  in  cultivation,  devoted  principally  to 
dairying.  He  has  a  fine  herd  of  cattle  numbering 
twenty-four,  also  several  horses,  and  the  first  pony 
he  e\  cr  owned  in  this  state. 

Mr.  Bengtson  was  married  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-five to  Bengta  Johns,  whose  parents  were  well 
known  fanners  in  the  vicinity  of  his  boyhood  home. 
She  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1854.  Eight  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bengtson,  as  fol- 
lows :  Mrs.  Annie  Walters,  of  Monroe ;  Matilda, 
at  home :  Airs.  Sadie  Tevebar,  of  Monroe ;  Aaron, 
at  home;  Hilda,  Olga,  Emma  and  Lester.  The 
children  who  are  not  at  home  are  all  living  so  near 
that  they  can  make  frequent  visits,  and  thus  the 
family  circle  is  unbroken  on  festive  days.  Mr. 
Bengtson  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never  taken  an 
active  part  in  political  matters,  though  he  has  al- 
ways manifested  a  deep  interest  in  educational  af- 
fairs, and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  first 
school  at  Lake  Rosegar  and  served  as  director  for 
four  yeairs.  Mr.  Bengtson  is  in  the  truest  sense  of 
the  term,  a  self  made  man.  When  a  mere  boy 
scarcely  more  than  eight  years  old,  he  began  work- 
ing out  for  his  board  and  clothes,  and  from  that 
time  till  the  present  he  has  employed  his  time  to 


the    best    possible    advantage,    often    overcoming 
seemingly  insurmountable  obstacles. 


ELMER  E.  ODELL,  a  thrifty  agriculturist  re- 
siding two  miles  north  and  one  east  of  Monroe, 
Washington,  was  born  May  25,  1863,  in  Erie 
County,  Pennsylvania.  His  parents,  John  and 
Laura  A.  (Dibble)  Odell,  were  both  natives  of  New 
York.  The  father  died  in  1864,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
five;  the  mother,  in  July,  1901,  aged  seventy-six. 
Elmer  E.  Odell  acquired  his  educational  training  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  state.  He  was  the  eighth 
of  a  family  of  nine  children,  and  as  means  were 
somewhat  limited  he  began  to  support  himself  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  working  out  for  ten  dollars  a  month 
and  board.  In  1891,  after  farming  for  several  years  in 
his  native  state,  he  crossed  the  continent  to  Seattle, 
and  in  a  short  time  took  up  his  residence  in  Monroe, 
where  he  opened  a  hotel.  Eight  months  later  he 
purchased  a  homesteader's  right  in  King  county, 
situated  between  Inde.x  and  Skykomish,  and  he 
made  that  his  home  for  the  following  seven  years. 
Disposing  of  this  property,  he  then  invested  in  the 
forty-acre  farm  he  now  owns,  a  tract  of  land  so 
densely  timbered  at  that  time  that  it  was  impossible 
to  find  room  on  it  to  turn  a  wagon  around.  Dur- 
ing those  early  years  while  he  was  clearing  the  land 
and  getting  it  in  condition  to  cultivate,  it  was  often 
necessary  for  him  to  work  away  from  home  to  pro- 
vide the  family  with  food  and  clothing.  He  now 
has  a  fine  piece  of  property,  five  acres  under  plow, 
and  twice  that  number  in  pasture,  and  he  intends  in 
the  near  future  to  engage  extensively  in  raising 
hogs,  believing  that  to  be  an  especially  satisfactory 
branch  of  the  livestock  business. 

Mr.  Odell  and  Lucy  N.  Hayes  were  married 
October  27.  1885.  They  were  playmates  in  child- 
hood, having  lived  on  neighboring  fanns  in  Penn- 
sylvania, in  which  state  she  was  born  June  30.  1860. 
Her  father.  Henry  P.  Hayes,  is  deceased ;  the 
mother.  Sally  (Brown)  Hayes,  is  now  living  with 
her  daughter.  Mrs.  Odell.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Odell  have 
seven  children.  Arthur  A..  Hazel  L..  John  H..  Law- 
rence A..  Floyd  E..  Elmer  D..  and  Elizabeth  L.  Mr. 
Odell  holds  membership  in  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  Rebekahs.  Although  a  firm  believer  in 
the  doctrines  of  the  Republican  party,  he  has  never 
actively  participated  in  political  aflfairs.  and  has  no 
desire  for  office.  An  earnest,  energetic  man.  of 
good  habits,  he  is  winning  success  in  the  work  to 
which  he  is  devoting  his  best  energies. 


GEORGE  W.  HAYES,  a  prominent  pioneer 
of  Snohomish  county  now  residing  three  miles 
northeast  of  Monroe,  was  born  in  Erie  County, 
Pennsvlvania.  Februarv  15.  1850.  the  son  of  Henry 
P.  and  Sallie  P.    (Brown)    Hayes,  both  of  whom 


1096 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


were  born  among  the  hills  of  Vermont.  The  father 
spent  his  boyhood  in  Penns^'Ivania,  but  in  later  life 
came  to  Washington,  and  he  died  here  August  16, 
1899,  aged  seventy-four.  The  mother,  now  in  her 
seventy-fifth  year,  is  living  in  Monroe.  George  W. 
Hayes  secured  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Watts- 
b'urg,  Pennsylvania,  and  at  a  very  early  age,  al- 
though handicapped  by  a  severe  injury,  started  out 
for  himself.  After  farming  for  a  time  in  his  native 
state,  he  went  to  Michigan  in  1870,  and  he  spent 
the  ensuing  four  years  in  the  pineries  of  the  state. 
He  then  found  employment  on  the  railroad  at  Ann 
Arbor,  Michigan,  where  he  remained  for  a  year. 
Returning  to  his  old  home  for  a  brief  visit,  he  next 
took  a  trip  to  Illinois,  going  down  as  far  as  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  in  a  skiff.  From  there  he  went  to 
East  Saint  Louis,  where  his  home  was  for  a  few 
months,  but  for  some  time  he  had  been  thinking  of 
locating  in  the  Northwest,  and  in  1887  he  started 
for  Washington.  He  reached  the  present  site  of 
Monroe  October  23d,  of  that  year,  and  took  up  a 
thirty-three  acre  island  near  there  in  the  Skykomish 
river.  He  came  expecting  to  live  only  a  short  time 
as  the  physicians  of  the  East  held  out  no  hopes  of 
his  recover}'  from  the  severe  bronchial  trouble  which 
had  been  steadily  undermining  hjs  health  for  years, 
but  the  change  proved  so  beneficial  that  the  disease 
wholly  disappeared  in  the  succeeding  months,  and 
has  never  returned.  Mr.  Hayes  was  a  passenger 
on  the  first  emigrant  train  ever  put  on  the  North- 
ern Pacific  railroad.  His  supplies  were  purchased 
in  Snohomish,  and  brought  by  canoe  to  his  claim. 
In  settling  on  the  island  the  possibility  of  having 
his  home  swept  away  by  floods  had  been  over- 
looked by  him,  and,  indeed,  all  went  well  for  the 
first  five  years,  but  then,  very  unexpectedly,  the 
water  began  to  rise  at  the  alarming  rate  of  a  foot 
per  hour.  Prompt  action  was  necessary  if  any- 
thing was  to  be  saved,  so  with  the  assistance  of  his 
wife  he  loaded  his  five  hogs,  which  he  could  ill  af- 
ford to  lose,  into  a  canoe,  and  brought  them  to  the 
barn  where  he  transferred  them  to  an  empty  wagon. 
Here  the  family  were  also  obliged  to  seek  refuge 
when  the  water  that  covered  every  foot  of  their 
land,  drove  them  from  the  house.  The  fences  that 
had  been  built  at  such  a  cost  of  both  time  and  labor 
were  all  swept  away,  and  much  other  damage  was 
done.  This  occurred  in  November,  1892,  and  fol- 
lowing as  it  did  the  fires  of  the  preceding  June  that 
had  occasioned  them  heavy  losses,  it  somewhat  dis- 
couraged Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayes,  who  decided  to  go 
East,  but  a  longing  for  their  little  home  on  the  isl- 
and soon  seized  them  and  at  the  end  of  seven 
months  they  returned.  They  resided  there,  until 
1904,  when  they  traded  it  for  the  forty-acre  farm 
known  as  the  "Hillery"  property,  located  in  a  beau- 
tiful, secluded  valley.  In  recent  years  the  buildings 
and  the  farm  itself  had  been  neglected  to  such  an 
extent  that  Mr.  Hayes  has  been  kept  constantly 
busy  in  putting  them  into  good  condition  again.    He 


now  has  twelve  acres  in  cultivation,  and  an  addi- 
tional two  acres  in  orchard.  He  intends  in  the  fu- 
ture to  devote  the  larger  share  of  his  attention  to- 
dairying. 

Mr.  Hayes  was  married  August  12,  1883,  to- 
Addie  Moore,  of  Chautauqua  county,  New  York, 
born  April  4,  1868,  the  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and 
Philinda  (Williams)  Moore.  The  father  died 
many  years  ago;  the  mother  is  now  living  on  the 
old  homestead  in  New  York.  Mrs.  Hayes'  grand- 
father on  the  maternal  side  owned  a  home  in  Chi- 
cago when  it  was  but  a  trading  post,  composed  of 
only  a  few  rude  dwellings.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayes 
have  one  child,  Leila  H.,  born  April  4,  1896.  In 
political  belief  Mr.  Hayes  is  a  Republican,  but 
while  loyally  upholding  the  party  he  has  never 
taken  an  active  part  in  its  campaigns.  He  is  inter- 
ested in  educational  matters,  and  is  one  of  the 
school  directors,  while  in  religious  persuasion,  he 
and  his  family  are  Methodists.  Mr.  Hayes  is  a  man 
of  remarkable  energy  and  perseverance,  and  these 
virtues,  combined  with  an  upright  character,  have 
won  for  him  the  respect  of  all  who  are  acquainted 
with  him.  He  is  rich  in  pioneer  recollections,  and 
to  hear  him  recount  his  experiences  is  to  have  a 
greater  reverence  for  those  brave  men  and  women 
who  left  home  and  friends  to  settle  in  this 
vast  wilderness.  One  amusing  story  which  he  tells 
is  as  follows :  Having  loaded  a  mowing  machine 
in  a  wagon  he  started  for  the  mainland,  and  had 
only  reached  the  middle  of  the  stream  when  a  tug 
broke,  frightening  the  horses,  and  causing  them  to 
break  away.  Thus  he  was  left  to  his  meditations, 
which  possibly  were  not  as  pleasant  as  they  might 
have  been.  Fortunately  his  wife,  who  possessed 
the  true  pioneer  courage,  succeeded  in  rowing  a 
canoe  out  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  but  the  swift 
current  ran  the  canoe  into  the  wagon  and  filled  it 
with  water.  Just  how  she  got  into  the  wagon  and 
thus  escaped  drowning  neither  she  nor  her  husband 
ever  knew.  The  wagon  and  machine  were  eventu- 
ally towed  to  land  by  stretching  a  cable  from  the 
shore,  and  hitching  horses  to  it. 


HENRY  D.  WALTERS.  Among  the  thrifty 
and  industrious  farmers  residing  in  the  vicinity  of 
Monroe,  Washington,  is  found  the  one  whose  name 
forms  the  caption  of  this  biography.  He  was  born 
in  1840,  in  Hanover,  Germany,  the  son  of  Daniel 
and  Hannah  (Rodewalt)  Walters.  Immigrating  to 
the  United  States  with  his  parents  when  only  nine 
years  old,  he  grew  to  manhood  in  Pope  county. 
Illinois.  In  the  full  flush  of  youth  he  answered  the 
call  of  his  adopted  country  when  the  Civil  War 
broke  out,  enlisting  in  Company  A.,  Fiftv-Sixth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  during  four  years  of  active 
service  he  was  found  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight, 
having  participated  in  the  battles  of  Corinth,  Vicks- 
burg.    Champion    Hill,   Lookout    Mountain,    and   a 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


score  of  others  less  familiar  to  the  student  of  his- 
tory. A  special  Providence  seemed  to  protect  him, 
for  although  his  clothes  were  often  pierced  by  bul- 
lets from  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  he  never  sustained 
the  slightest  injury,  and  was  never  captured.  He 
was  mustered  out  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  August 
18,  1865,  and  at  once  engaged  in  farming.  Several 
years  later  he  went  to  Kansas,  and  after  spending 
a  winter  there  came  to  Washington  in  1887.  His 
residence  in  Snohomish  county  dates  from  the  fall 
of  that  year  when  he  came  by  team  from  Seattle. 
The  following  year  he  took  up  IGO  acres  where  he 
new  lives.  Here  in  the  dense  forest  he  built  a  rude 
cabin  for  his  family,  and  he  and  his  eldest  son 
worked  in  the  various  lumber  camps  to  procure  the 
necessary  means  for  purchasing  supplies.  Snoho- 
mish was  the  nearest  town,  and  the  roads  to  it  were 
at  times  almost  impassable.  Xearly  four  years 
elapsed  before  school  advantages  were  secured  for 
this  locality.  In  later  years  ATr.  Walters  sold  a 
part  of  his  farm,  retaining,  however,  forty  acres, 
most  of  which  is  now  in  good  cultivation.  Dairy- 
ing claims  a  large  share  of  his  attention.  He  has 
a  fine  herd  of  Jersey  cattle,  and  understands  how  to 
make  them  yield  the  largest  returns.  He  also  is 
very  successful  in  raising  poultry  and  vegetables. 

Mr.  Walters  was  married  in  December,  1865. 
to  Katherine  Platter,  who  died  in  1875,  leaving 
motherless  a  family  of  four  children.  In  1876  he 
and  Qiristina  Barkmann,  a  native  of  Ludbergen. 
Germany,  born  October  31,  1842,  were  united  in 
marriage.  Mrs.  Walters  found  a  home  in  Ohio  in 
ISGO,  and  later,  in  1869,  became  a  resident  of  Illi- 
nois. Mr.  Walters  has  seven  children,  as  follow's: 
Millie;  George  and  Mrs.  Annie  Pearsall,  married 
and  living  in  Monroe.  Washington;  Fred,  of  Col- 
ville,  Washington;  Julius,  of  Monroe;  Mrs.  Carrie 
Houston,  Leavenworth,  Washington ;  Mrs.  Lillian 
Holly,  of  Tacoma.  !Mr.  Walters  is  an  honored 
member  of  the  Grand  Arm}-,  and  in  political  belief 
he  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Republican  party. 
Unlike  many  men  who  allow  themselves  to  become 
absorbed  in  business  affairs  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
else.  Mr.  Walters,  although  a  keen,  practical  man 
of  affairs,  is  an  earnest  Christian  worker  in  the 
Christian  Apostolic  Union.  His  life  and  character 
are  such  as  to  merit  the  confidence  of  his  fellow 
men. 


FRED  E.  FERGUSON.  Few  residents  of 
Snohomish  county  have  achieved  a  more  enviable 
success  in  life  than  has  he  whose  name  forms  the 
caption  of  this  biography.  He  was  bom  in  Waupa- 
ca. Waupaca  countv,  Wisconsin,  September  12, 
1858.  His  father,  John  R.  Ferguson,  of  Scotch 
descent,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  after  se- 
curing his  education  took  up  farming  in  his  native 
state.  In  the  early  fifties  he  migrated  to  Wisconsin 
with  his  family,  making  that  his  home  until  1861, 


when  he  returned  to  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania,  his 
home  at  the  present  time.  The  mother,  Alvira 
(Gleason)  Ferguson,  a  native  of  Vermont,  traced 
her  ancestry  back  to  the  Emerald  Isle.  She  died 
in  1880,  leaving  behind  her  the  memory  of  a  long 
useful  life,  spent  in  the  service  of  others.  His  an- 
cestors on  both  sides  of  the  family  being  of  dis- 
tinguished colonial  stock,  Fred  E.  Ferguson  natur- 
ally inherited  a  full  share  of  the  energy  and 
dauntless  courage  that  enables  his  forefathers  to 
overcome  seemingly  insurmountable  difficulties  in 
making  a  home  on  the  wild,  desolate  coast  of  the 
Atlantic.  He  acquired  his  rudimentary  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  state.  Leaving 
home  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  took  up  railroading 
in  the  oil  regions  of  Pennsylvania  for  two  years, 
then  he  decided  to  go  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  and 
engage  in  mining.  Four  vears  later,  having  fol- 
lowed his  guiding  star  to  Seattle,  Washington,  he 
completed  his  scholastic  training  by  a  thorough 
course  in  a  business  college  there,  that  he  might  be 
well  equipped  for  a  business  career.  He  then  ac- 
cepted a  position  in  a  grocery  store,  and  for  the 
next  two  years  he  worked  along  this  line,  but  de- 
cided at  the  end  of  that  time  to  seek  another  open- 
ing. Desiring  to  resume  his  former  occupation 
(mining)  he  went  to  Juneau,  Alaska,  in  1885.  Hav- 
ing spent  the  ensuing  six  years  in  the  famous 
Treadwell  mines,  he  then  returned  to  Seattle  and 
purchased  the  Merchants'  Hotel,  which  he  con- 
ducted until  1900,  during  that  time  establishing  a 
splendid  reputation  for  careful  attention  to  the  re- 
quirements of  the  traveling  public.  He  disposed  of 
his  holdintjs  in  the  year  mentioned,  and  coming  to 
the  beautiful  valley  of  Tualco,  became  owner  of  his 
fine  estate  comprising  three  hundrei.  and  sixty 
acres  of  fertile  river  bottom  land  situated  three 
and  one-half  miles  south  of  jMonroe,  Washington. 
Of  this  estate  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  are 
in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  and  are  devoted  to 
diversified  farming,  which  Mr.  Ferguson  considers 
tlie  most  remunerative  for  the  average  agricultur- 
ist. The  neat,  comfortable  home  surrounded  by 
tasteful  grounds  bespeaks  the  owner's  thoughtful 
consideration  for  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  the 
family,  and  the  taste  of  both  husband  and  wife. 
In  addition  to  his  splendid  ranch  Mr.  Ferguson 
also  owns  the  Ferguson  Block  in  Monroe. 

Mr.  Ferguson  and  Mrs.  Eleanor  Fitzmaurice 
were  married  in  Seattle,  March  13,  1901,  Reverend 
John  Damon  performing  the  ceremonv.  Mrs.  Fer- 
guson spent  her  childhood  in  Ireland,  her  native 
land,  coming  to  the  LTnited  States  when  a  girl  of 
fifteen.  She  soon  married  her  first  husband,  Mr. 
Fitzmaurice,  and  settled  in  the  Tualco  vallev  in 
1874,  becoming  the  mother  of  a  family  of  bright, 
happy  children  as  the  years  slipped  away.  In  that 
wild,  lonely  country,  miles  from  the  nearest  set- 
tler, the  brave  girl-wife  encountered  hardships  and 
trials  sufficient  to  tax  the  endurance  of  the  stoutest 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


heart,  but  throughout  all  those  years  no  word  of 
complaint  ever  fell  from  her  lips.  When  in  the 
course  of  time  other  settlers  came  to  this  locality, 
her  little  log  house  overlooking  the  Tualco  valley 
came  to  be  known  as  "Blarney  Castle,"  and  was  the 
center  of  the  social  life  of  that  primitive  period. 
All  the  diversified  amusements  and  entertainments 
of  village  life,  socials,  literary  societies,  debating 
contests  and  spelling  schools  took  place  under  its 
hospitable  roof,  the  graceful,  charming  young 
hostess  being  the  leading  spirit  of  all  these  gather- 
ings. Mrs.  Ferguson  has  thus  an  extensive  ac- 
quaintance throughout  this  locality,  and  is  esteemed 
and  loved  by  all.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferguson  have  one 
adopted  child,  Doris  Vivian.  In  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  Mr.  Ferguson  is  a  prominent 
member,  being  identified  with  the  Queen  City  lodge, 
Number  10,  of  Seattle.  He  is  also  affiliated  with 
the  Elks  of  Everett.  Politically,  he  adheres  to  the 
doctrines  of  the  Republican  party,  and  is  always 
willing  to  advance  the  cause  in  every  possible  way. 
Climbing  the  ladder  of  success  step  by  step  from 
the  lowest  round  he  has  reached  his  present  posi- 
tion by  his  own  untiring  efforts.  His  splendid  busi- 
ness ability  combined  with  his  upright  character 
renders  him  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influ- 
ential men  in  the  county. 


H.  M.  MEREDITH.  Among  the  foremost  citi- 
zens of  Sultan,  Washington,  is  numbered  the  one 
whose  name  gives  caption  to  this  biography,  H. 
Meredith,  the  popular  mayor  of  the  town.  Like 
his  parents,  Bradford  and  Raechel  (Meredith)  Mere- 
dith, who  are  now  deceased,  he  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  July  9,  1840. 
His  grandfather,  William  Meredith,  is  known  to 
have  been  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  that  state. 
H.  Meredith  is  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  seven 
children,  four  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  town,  Litchfield,  and  when  a  mere  lad  of 
thirteen  began  to  support  himself,  remaining  at 
home,  however,  till  he  was  thirteen.  Responding 
to  his  country's  call  for  volunteers  at  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I.. 
Third  Kentucky  Cavalry,  under  Captain  Mercer, 
serving  as  sergeant  for  several  months.  A  year 
later  he  raised  a  cavalry  troup.  Company  G.,  thir- 
ty-five Kentucky  mounted  infantry,  of  which  he 
was  captain  until  he  was  mustered  out  in  January. 
1864.  He  was  actively  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
Murfreesboro.  and  also  in  many  engagements  of 
minor  importance.  Previous  to  this  time  he  had 
been  stationed  at  Fort  Donelson.  He  was  with  the 
command  that  succeeded  in  forcing  General  Bragg 
back  into  Kentucky,  and  thus  relieved  the  situation 
for  the  Union  forces.  Although  only  twenty  years 
old  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment,  Mr.  Meredith 
soon  distinguished  himself  as  a  brave  soldier  and 


a  skilful  leader  of  men,  retiring  from  service  with 
a  record  of  which  he  might  well  be  proud.  Two 
months  after  the  war  closed  he  went  to  Bozeman, 
Montana,  and  later  spent  several  years  mining  and 
prospecting  in  the  vicinity  of  Helena.  Failing  to 
meet  with  success  there,  he  participated  in  the 
White  Pine  excitement  of  '67,  with  similar  dis- 
couraging results.  He  then  started  on  a  prospect- 
ing trip  that  lasted  several  months,  during  which 
he  visited  Los  Angeles  County,  California,  and 
finally  drifted  to  the  Ralston  mines  in  New  Mexico, 
only  to  find  that  they,  too,  held  out  promises  that 
were  never  realized.  A  like  experience  awaited 
him  in  Silver  City,  New  Mexico,  whither  he  soon 
went.  These  years  of  fruitless  search  for  gold, 
though  seemingly  wasted,  afforded  Mr.  Meredith 
an  excellent  opportunity  of  becoming  familiar  with 
the  various  rock  formations.  This  knowledge  that 
lie  had  rapidly  acquired  led  him  later  to  take  up  a 
claim  in  Georgetown,  New  Mexico,  which  had  been 
pronounced  worthless  by  other  prospectors.  Lack- 
ing the  necessary  funds  for  sinking  a  shaft,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  interesting  a  man  in  the  project,  and  a 
partnership  was  formed.  A  ninety  foot  shaft  and 
a  sixteen  foot  crosscut  tunnel  brought  them  to  ore 
running  3,600  ounces  to  the  ton,  the  best  of  which 
netted  $100  per  sack.  A  stamp  mill  was  soon  in- 
stalled, and  within  two  years  Mr.  Meredith  sold 
out  his  interest  for  $160,000  in  cash.  Deciding  to 
abandon  mining  and  invest  his  fortune  in  other 
ways,  he  returned  to  Silver  City  and  opened  the 
Silver  City  National  bank  and  also  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business.  For  five  years,  from  1883  to  1887, 
he  did  a  general  banking  business  there  and  also  in 
Georgetown.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  closed  the 
doors  of  his  banks,  realizing  that  he  must  again 
start  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  Undismayed  by  this 
disaster  which  would  have  proved  the  ruin  of  many 
a  man,  he  borrowed  $200  of  a  friend  and  started 
for  Washington,  fully  determined  to  retrieve  his 
fortune.  He  carried  with  him  a  ten  dollar  bill 
bearing  his  signature  as  president  of  the  bank,  as 
a  souvenir.  Coming  to  Snohomish  county  he  man- 
fully faced  the  new  conditions  that  he  met,  and 
was  soon  employed  by  a  Boston  company  as  repor- 
ter on  the  iron  and  coal  deposits  at  Hamilton.  His 
next  location  was  Seattle,  and  having  realized  on 
an  insurance  policy  that  he  carried  he  was  able  to 
start  a  brickyard.  The  destructive  fire  of  '89  that 
swept  over  the  city  bringing  ruin  to  so  many, 
proved  a  blessing  to  him,  as  it  created  an  increased 
demand  for  his  material.  His  residence  in  Sultan 
dates  from  February,  1890,  when,  having  sold  his 
brickyard  in  Seattle,  he  moved  here,  and  began 
prospecting.  He  and  his  father-in-law,  D.  Bunn, 
built  the  river  boat.  "Minnie  M.,"  operating  it  until 
the  railroad  was  built  in  1892.  Mr.  Meredith  was 
also  interested  in  the  mercantile  house  of  T.  W. 
Cobb  &  Company,  which  failed  soon  after,  leaving 
him    practically    penniless.      Meeting    this    reverse 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


with  characteristic  fortitude  and  courage,  he  at 
once  took  up  real  estate  business,  and  in  1893  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  United  States  Circuit 
Court  Commissioner,  and  postmaster  at  Sukan. 
Unable  to  purchase  the  postoffice  fixtures  valued 
at  sixty  dollars,  he  gave  his  note  for  the  amount, 
and  borrowed  forty  dollars  to  buy  a  small  stock  of 
cigars  and  tobacco  to  sell  in  the  office.  The  en- 
suing years  were  full  of  toil,  and  often  the  early 
morning  hours  found  him  still  at  his  desk  employed 
either  at  his  work  as  commissioner,  notary  public 
or  postmaster.  Year  by  year  his  business  increased, 
until  when  he  sold  out  in  the  summer  of  1905,  he 
could  congratulate  himself  that  he  was  once  more 
free  from  financial  anxiety. 

Mr.  Meredith  was  one  of  the  organizers  as  well 
as  the  first  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Com- 
mercial Trout  Company,  Incorporated,  one  mile 
north  (if  town,  a  home  industrv. 

:\Ir.  Meredith  was  married 'in  December,  ISSO. 
to  Miimie  M.  Bunn,  a  native  of  Colorado.  Her 
father,  who  died  in  Sultan  in  1903,  was  an  honored 
pioneer  both  of  Colorado  and  New  Mexico.  Mr. 
and  Airs,  ^^feredith  have  two  children,  Mrs.  Jose- 
])hine  lM>\\ler  and  Mrs.  Luella  Mayhall.  both  resi- 
dents of  Sultan.  ]\Ir.  Meredith  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Fort  Craig  Post  of  the  Grand  Army  at 
Silver  City,  New  Mexico.  He  is  also  a  Thirty- 
second  Degree  Mason,  holding  his  membership  in 
die  lodge  of  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico.  In  political 
I  ^lief,  he  has  always  heartily  endorsed  Democratic 
p  'inciples,  and  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
cc  unty,  state  and  national  affairs.  While  residing 
in  New  ]\Iexico  he  was  one  of  the  committee  op- 
po  -ng  the  division  of  Grant  county,  and  he  still 
rec  lis  with  pleasure  the  fact  that  his  party  won  on 
the  issue.  That  he  was  unanimously  elected  Sul- 
tan's first  mayor  in  June.  190.5,  is  of  itself  abundant 
proof  of  the  unique  position  he  holds  in  the  hearts 
cif  his  fellow  citizens.  He  was  one  of  the  most  en- 
tlmsiastic  members  of  the  Snohomish  county  ex- 
ecutive committee  for  the  Lewis  and  Clark  Exposi- 
tion, rendering  valuable  assistance  in  planning  to 
have  the  county  fittingly  represented.  Possessed 
of  sterling  qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  the  vicissi- 
tudes incident  to  the  life  of  Mr.  Meredith  have  but 
contributed  to  his  strength  of  character,  and  made 
him  worthy  of  the  honor  so  freely  accorded  him. 
bi'  his  fellow  citizens  of  his  town  and  county. 


JOHN  A.  SWETT.  Among  the  few  business 
and  professional  men  of  Snohomish  county  who 
can  claim  the  distinction  of  having  been  born  within 
its  limits,  is  numbered  John  A.  Swett.  the  enter- 
prising editor  of  the  Sultan  Star.  His  birthplace 
was  Snohomish  City  and  the  date  of  his  birth  Feb- 
ruary 11.  1877,  at  a  time  when  this  town  was  prac- 
tically the  only  one  in  the  county. 

John  H.  and  Martha   (Burham)   Swett,  the  par- 


ents of  the  subject  of  this  biographical  review,  are 
natives  of  Maine,  both  descended  from  Colonial 
stock.  Actor  Swett,  the  father  of  John  H.,  was 
the  son  of  a  patriot  of  the  Revolutionary  period  in 
American  history,  and  was  successively  a  sailor, 
farmer  and  lumberman.  At  but  twenty  years  of 
age  John  H.  Swett,  who  was  born  June  7,  1841, 
in  Washington  county,  came  to  the  Pacific  coast, 
via  Panama,  and  was  engaged  at  various  occupa- 
tions in  the  Golden  State  until  May,  1864.  At  that 
lime  he  came  north,  stopping  at  Portland,  Victoria 
and  finally  reaching  Port  Townsend.  A  period  of 
logging  followed  on  Hood's  Canal  and  the  White 
river  near  Seattle.  In  the  fall  of  1867  he  pur- 
chased a  team  and  commenced  logging  for  himself 
at  Pleasant  Harbor,  continuing  in  business  success- 
fully until  1870,  when  he  visited  his  old  home  in 
Maine.  On  his  return  he  went  to  Hood's  Canal, 
where  he  was  employed  until  March,  1873,  that 
date  marking  his  permanent  settlement  in  Sno- 
homish count}-.  Three  years  later  he  was  compelled 
to  retire  from  the  woods  because  of  a  crushed 
leg.  In  187G  he  was  chosen  county  auditor  and 
served  the  county  with  great  credit  two  full  terms. 
Since  that  time  Mr.  Swett  has  been  engaged  in 
the  transfer  business  at  Snohomish  to  w^hich  he 
brought  the  first  team  of  horses.  He  has  served 
his  city  as  councilman  for  several  terms  and  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  his  co;Ti- 
munity,  well  worthy  of  a  place  among  its  honored 
pioneers.  Airs.  Martha  (Burham)  Swett  is  a 
daughter  of  Captain  George  Burham.  who  served 
as  an  officer  in  the  War  of  1812.  Before  her  mar- 
riage she  taught  school  in  Alaine  several  years. 
She  was  born  in  1843,  and  married  December  5. 
1874,  at  Portland.  Oregon,  having  come  west  alone 
for  the  purpose  of  marrying  the  man  of  her  choice. 
Of  their  two  children,  both  sons,  the  younger  is 
George  B.,  born  October  11,  1883.  now  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Northern  Pacific  at  Snohomish. 

John  A.  Swett,  after  receiving  a  careful  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  his  native  town,  entered  the 
office  of  the  Daily  Sun,  owned  by  Will  AI.  Sawyer, 
to  learn  the  printer's  trade.  Naturally  fond  of 
journalistic  work,  he  desired  to  have  a  practical 
knowledge  of  all  its  details,  and  so  rapidly  did  he 
acquire  this  training  that  he  was  soon  able  to  enter 
the  emplo\  of  the  Seattle  Times  and  the  various 
papers  published  in  Everett.  For  two  years,  just 
prior  to  the  founding  of  the  Sultan  Star,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1905,  he  was  employed  on  the  Monitor  of 
Alonroe,  Washington.  The  Star  is  a  well  written, 
four-page  paper,  which  although  in  its  infancy, 
gives  evidence  of  vigorous  life.  It  is  independent 
in  political  matters,  as  is  also  its  editor,  its  avowed 
ambition  being  to  contribute  to  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  the  town  and  county  in  every  possible 
way.  i\Ir.  Swett  is  identified  with  the  Foresters  of 
America.  Of  the  latter  fraternity  he  is  a  charter 
n;ember  of  the   re-organized  court  at   Sultan,   .ind 


1100 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


holds  the  office  of  financial  secretary.  Mr.  Swett 
possesses  a  genial  personality  and  excellent  busi- 
ness ability  along  his  chosen  line  of  endeavor  and 
is  justly  considered  one  of  the  county's  promising 
young  men. 


CHRIS.  THYGESEN.  The  life  of  this  well 
known  and  esteemed  pioneer  of  Puget  sound,  now 
a  resident  of  the  Skykomish  valley,  afifords  a  splen- 
did and  inspiring  illustration  of  the  power  of  stead- 
fastness of  puroosc  and  force  of  character  in  the 
pursuit  of  material  success.  A  stalwart  integrity, 
an  indomitable  will  and  the  ability  to  grasp  and 
mp.ke  the  most  of  opportunity  are  marked  attri- 
butes of  this  successful  Danish  American. 

Born  in  Veile,  Denmark,  September  16,  1854, 
Chris.  Thygesen  is  the  third  in  a  family  of  eight 
children.  Thyge  Mortensen,  the  father,  who  was 
born  in  1814,  a  descendent  of  an  old  Danish  fam- 
ily, led  a  useful  life,  full  of  activity  and  diversity 
cf  occupation.  He  passed  away  in  1903,  in  his 
native  land,  which  he  had  never  left.  Christine 
Rye  (Jacobsen)  Thygesen,  the  mother,  also  born 
in  1814,  was  a  member  of  an  illustrious  family,  one 
noted  in  the  military  history  of  Denmark.  Gen- 
eral Rye  was  one  of  her  relatives.  She  departed 
this  life  in  1904,  having  survived  her  husband  only 
a  year.  As  a  lad  the  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
the  public  schools  summers  and  worked  out  win- 
ters. He  was  an  apt  pupil  evidently,  for  soon  h.is 
eft'orts  came  under  the  notice  of  a  minister,  Rev. 
Ribe,  who  interested  himself  in  the  struggling  boy. 
finally  securing  for  him  a  free  scholarship  in  the 
high  school.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  the  young  man 
engaged  in  agricultural  work,  following  this  three 
years.  In  the  meantime  he  had  learned  of  tlie 
great  advantages  afforded  young  men  in  the 
United  States,  and  determined  to  avail  himself  of 
them.  1873,  with  the  assistance  of  his  brother,  l.e 
secured  enough  money  to  pay  his  passage  across 
the  ocean,  and  he  v.'orked  his  way  from  New  York 
to  Wisconsin,  whither  so  many  of  his  countrymen 
had  preceded  him.  When  he  reached  his  destina- 
tion he  hadn't  a  cent  and  for  two  days  had  not 
had  a  meal. 

Undaunted,  however,  by  such  an  unpropitions 
entrance  into  American  life,  Mr.  Thygesen  sought 
and  found  work  in  a  dairy,  and  soon  saved  enough 
money  to  repay  his  brother's  loan  and  to  carry  him 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  then  he  started  for  Sacramento, 
California.  He  arrived  without  unusual  incident 
and  went  to  work  on  a  farm  in  the  Sacramento 
valley.  During  the  next  year  and  a  half  he  sa\'ed 
three  hundred  and  sixty  dollars.  On  April  27, 
1877,  he  landed  at  Seattle.  The  Pacific  Northwest 
suited  his  desires,  so  he  took  a  homestead  in  the 
White  river,  eleven  miles  above  Seattle  and  com- 
rricnced  its  improvement.  At  this  time  he  sent 
for  his  betrothed,   who  in   due  time   reached    San 


Francisco  safely,  but  there  became  lost.  Finally  a 
friendly  Danish  policeman  found  her  and  the  young 
woman  who  had  accompanied  her  to  the  United' 
States,  took  them  to  his  own  home  and  advertised' 
for  Mr.  Thygesen,  whom,  fortunately,  he  soon  dis- 
covered. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thygesen  remained  on  tlie 
White  river  ranch  seven  years,  during  part  of 
which  time  they  both  worked  out,  she  cooking  and 
he  doing  whatever  farm  work  he  could  find  to  do^ 
Having  sold  his  place  for  one  thousand  six  hun- 
dred dollars,  he  then  bought  a  farm  in  the  same- 
neighborhood  for  four  thousand  dollars,  and  es- 
tablished the  Valley  Dairy,  selling  the  milk  in  Se- 
attle. At  this  time  he  handled  three  hundred  gal- 
lons a  day,  much  of  which,  however,  he  purchased' 
from  his  neighbors.  But  the  business  proved  too 
exacting  for  his  health,  and  he  returned  to  the 
farm.  In  1888  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at 
White  River  and  the  same  year  opened  a  general 
store  there.  In  1890  he  had  a  three-story  b'uilding„. 
well  stocked,  in  addition  to  his  ranch,  and  his  en- 
tire holdings  were  valued  at  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars. Mr.  Thygesen  that  year  purchased  a  large  saw- 
mill at  Sumas,  Washington  county,  together  with- 
four  hundred  acres  of  timber  land,  having  sold  his- 
King  county  property  for  fourteen  thousand  dol- 
lars. Then  came  the  financial  storm  of  1893,  leav- 
ing him  but  one  thousand  dollars  out  of  the  wreck. 
But  adversity  brought  to  Mr.  Thygesen's  aid  a- 
true  friend  who  had  great  confidence  in  his  busi- 
ness abilities.  The  friend  advised  the  establish- 
ment of  another  store  at  White  River,  offering 
to  back  the  enterprise  with  a  loan  of  three  thousand 
dollars.  Mr.  Thygesen  accepted  the  off^er  and  suc- 
cess crowned  his  endeavors.  After  three  years- 
in  the  store  he  engaged  in  handling  livestock  for 
the  Seattle  market,  following  this  line  of  business- 
six  years.  In  1900  he  decided  to  make  another 
more  determined  eft'ort  to  regain  his  feet  and  ac- 
cordingly came  to  Snohomish  county  with  the  in- 
tention of  again  taking  up  agriculture.  He,  witlv 
his  son  Clement,  and  his  eldest  daughter  Manda, 
journeyed  with  team  across  the  country  to  the 
Skykomish  valley.  The  Wallace  Lumber  Company- 
had  just  begun  extensive  operations  at  Startup  and 
for  that  point  Air.  Thygesen  headed.  The  son  went 
to  work  in  the  mill  at  two  dollars  a  day,  the  daugh- 
ter found  employment  in  the  hotel  at  one  dollar  nr 
day,  while  the  father  secured  an  option  on  a  forty- 
acre  tract  of  land  nearb'y  and  commenced  the  im- 
provement of  it,  at  the  same  time  erecting  a  board- 
ing house  in  town.  Mrs.  Thygesen  shortly  after- 
ward joined  her  husband  and  the  whole  family- 
worked  to  a  definite  end.  At  the  conclusion  of 
two  years'  work,  they  had  saved  two  thousand  dol- 
lars, besides  having  partially  improved  their  land. 
The  next  year  they  operated  two  boarding  houses, 
but  unfortunately  fire  destroyed  one,  causing  a  loss 
of  seven  hundred  dollars.  In  1903  they  sold  the 
remaining  hotel  and  removed  to  the  ranch  situated 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


jtist  a  mile  west  of  Startup.  Now  Mr.  Thygeseti 
lias  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  fifty  of  which  are 
cleared  and  well  improved,  and  is  devoting  much 
of  his  attention  to  dairying,  with  which  he  has 
been  familiar  since  boyhood.  He  has  also  won 
success  at  fruit  growing. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Thygesen  and  Miss  Karen 
Maria  Clemensen,  the  daughter  of  Qemen  and 
Christine  (Magdalene)  Hansen,  was  solemnized  at 
San  Francisco  January  15,  1878.  Her  father  was 
a  government  mail  carrier  in  Denmark  for  twenty- 
four  years.  When  a  young  man  he  served  in  the 
Danish-Prussian  War  in  1848  and  won  distinction 
on  the  field  of  battle.  He  was  presented  by  the 
king  with  two  medals  of  honor,  which  are  now  in 
the  possession  of  Mrs.  Thygesen  and  valued  by 
her  as  such  tokens  should  be.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Han- 
sen came  to  the  United  States  in  1882  to  make  their 
home  with  Mr.  Thygesen.  The  aged  veteran  passed 
away  in  May,  1904,  but  Mrs.  Hansen  survives,  re- 
siding with  her  daughter.  In  Denmark,  Mrs.  Thy- 
gesen was  a  schoolmate  of  her  husband,  when  in- 
ception was  given  to  the  attachment  which  even- 
tually brought  their  lives  together.  Nine  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thygesen:  Chris 
Jr.,  Qement,  Amanda,  Lydia,  Qiristine,  James 
Blaine,  Marie,  Ernest  and  Pearl. 

Mr.  Thygesen  is  a  good  citizen  of  strong  convic- 
tions and  the  ability  and  willingness  to  back  them 
up,  the  kind  of  a  man  that  takes  an  interest  in  ihe 
public  welfare.  For  sixteen  years  he  has  filled  the 
office  of  justice  of  the -peace  in  the  communities 
where  he  has  resided,  and  he  is  still  serving  his 
community  in  that  capacity.  He  was  a  delegate  to 
the  Good  Roads  convention  at  Olympia  in  1894 
and  took  an  active  interest  in  its  sessions.  Ever 
since  he  perceived  the  advantages  of  this  region  he 
has  been  a  substantial  force  in  inducing  emigration 
to  locate  on  Puget  sound  and  while  in  the  White 
River  valley  brought  many  of  his  countrymen  to 
that  section,  being  the  leader  of  the  movement. 
V.'hen  the  Everett  Chamber  of  Commerce  inaugu- 
rated its  advertising  campaign  in  1905,  Mr.  Thy- 
gesen was  selected  to  represent  his  section  of  the 
county  and  contributed  materially  to  the  success  of 
the  enterprise.  He  wrote  an  article  of  marked 
strensth  for  the  benefit  of  homeseekers  which  was 
published  under  the  title  "In  Quest  of  a  Home," 
in  the  Great  Northern  Bulletin  and  which  has  been 
spread  broadcast  over  the  United  States.  A  great 
flood  of  personal  correspondence  followed,  which 
Mr.  Thygesen  has  unshirkingly  cared  for  with  ex- 
cellent results.  Of  the  large  number  who  have 
come  to  the  county  as  the  result  of  his  work,  fully 
twenty  families  are  located  in  the  vicinity  of 
Startup.  It  is  this  phase  of  his  activities  especially 
that  is  winning  for  him  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts 
of  all  who  know  him  and  are  conversant  with  his 
broad  public  spirit.  Politically,  he  is  a  faithful 
member    of   the    Republican    party    and    an    active. 


tireless  worker  in  its  ranks.  While  a  resident  of 
King  county  he  was  at  one  election  his  party's  can- 
didate for  legislative  honors,  but  was  defeated  in 
a   hard  contest. 


HENRY  L.  BALDRIDGE,  the  well  known 
superintendent  of  the  State  Salmon  Hatchery  at 
Sultan,  Washington,  was  born  March  30,  1871,  in 
Kentucky,  which  state  was  also  the  birthplace  of 
his  parents,  William  and  Phoeb'e  J.  (Beverly) 
Baldridge.  The  father,  born  in  Tennessee,  is  now 
living  in  Hamilton,  Washington,  retired ;  the 
mother  died  there  in  1887.  She  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia. Of  a  family  of  nine  children,  Henry  L.  is 
the  third.  After  acquiring  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  state,  he  came  west  in  1886, 
\vith  his  parents  who  May  21st  of  that  year  settled 
in  Hamilton,  Washington,  at  that  time  an  unprom- 
ising wilderness.  For  nine  years  he  worked  in  the 
woods,  gladly  contributing  his  earnings  to  aid  in 
supporting  the  family  during  the  .first  six  years. 
He  then  mined  for  a  short  time,  still  making  his 
home  at  Hamilton  until  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  state  in  1897.  Having  held  the  position  of  as- 
sistant fish  culturist  at  Baker  for  more  than  three 
years  and  demonstrated  his  practical  knowledge  of 
the  work,  he  was  tendered  the  superintendency  of 
the  state  hatchery  when  it  was  established  in  Sul- 
tan September  1,  1900.  He  has  made  a  thorough 
and  exhaustive  study  of  the  entire  subject  of  fish 
culture,  thus  becoming  familiar  with  its  various 
phases,  and  establishing  for  himself  a  reputation 
as  an  authority  on  the  subject. 

Air.  Baldridge  and  Annie  Richardson  were  mar- 
ried July  28,  1898.  Mrs.  Baldridge,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  July  24,  1882,  came  to  Washington  with 
her  parents,  Andrew  and  Eveline  Richardson.  They 
are  now  residing  in  Hamilton  where  the  father  fol- 
lows his  trade  as  a  mechanic  and  carpenter.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Baldridare  have  one  child,  James  L.,  born 
July  12,  1899.  Mr.  Baldridge  is  an  enthusiastic 
member  of  the  Republican  party,  always  taking  an 
active  part  in  political  affairs,  but  never  desiring 
office  for  himself.  A  rising  man  of  excellent  qual- 
ities, thrifty,  industrious  and  energetic,  he  holds 
the  respect  and  good  will  of  the  community. 


NATHAN  BARKER  JONES,  superintendent 
of  the  "Forty-Five"  mine  situated  twenty-four 
miles  from  Sultan,  Washington,  is  one  of  the  most 
widely  known  mining  men  of  the  Northwest.  He 
is  a  native  of  Lvnn,  Massachusetts,  the  date  of  his 
birth  being  August  18,  1867.  His  father,  John 
A.  Jones,  born  in  1827,  also  in  Lynn,  traced  his 
ancestry  to  earliest  American  stock.  He  was  a 
painter' by  trade,  and  died  in  1901.  Lucy  (Kim- 
ball) Joiies,  the  maternal  ancestor,  received  her 
education  in  Maine,  the  state  of  her  nativity.     She 


1102 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


died  in  1881.  at  the  age  of  fifty.  Nathan  Barker 
Jones  acquired  his  education  in  the  common  schools 
prior  to  leaving-  home  at  the  age  of  thirteen  to 
make  his  way  in  the  world.  Going  to  Iowa  he 
went  to  work  for  Gilman  Brothers,  well  known 
cattlemen  of  that  region,  remaining  till  1883,  when 
lie  went  to  western  Texas  and  rode  the  range  for 
two  years.  After  engaging  in  the  stock  business 
till  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  decided  to  take 
up  mining,  and  at  once  went  to  Chihuahua,  old 
Mexico.  Two  years  later,  in  the  spring  of  1893. 
he  came  to  Sultan  Basin,  Washington,  entering  the 
employ  of  the  Monte  Cristo  Developing  company, 
which  was  then  working  the  "Forty-Five"  mine. 
He  was  with  the  company  for  a  year,  mining  and 
running  a  pack  train.  Following  this,  Mr.  Jones 
spent  some  time  with  the  Little  Chief  company. 
and  later  spent  one  summer  packing  from  Sk\- 
komish  to  the  mines  in  that  district.  Dliring  all 
these  years  he  had  been  making  a  careful  study  of 
mining  in  its  various  branches,  and  was  thus  quali- 
fied to  accept  the  position  of  superintendent  of  the 
"Forty-Five"  mine  when  it  was  tendered  him  by 
the  Consolidated  company  in  December,  1895.  The 
mine  was  then  closed,  but  he  was  soon  instrumental 
in  having  it  reopened,  and  from  that  time  till  the 
property  was  bonded  by  the  ]\Iagus  Mining  com- 
pany in  the  summer  of  1901,  lie  had  entire  charge 
of  its  development.  The  previous  year,  when  this 
property  was  acquired  by  the  A.  W.  Pinkham 
estate,  he  was  retained  in  his  former  position.  Ap- 
preciating the  fact  that  he  was  the  right  man  in 
the  right  place  the  present  stockholders  appointed 
him  superintendent  of  construction,  with  complete 
control  of  their  outside  mill,  roads,  etc.  This  mine 
i?  conceded  to  be  the  best  developed  property  in 
the  Sultan  Basin,  and  has  been  an  extensive  ship- 
per, having  furnished  one  hundred  and  two  thou- 
sand dollars  worth  of  ore.  A  good  wagon  road 
connects  it  with  Sultan.  A  force  of  thirty-five 
men  is  employed  to  operate  it,  and  a  still  larger 
number  of  workers  will  be  needed  as  its  develop- 
ment progresses. 

Mr.  Jones  was  married  January  "30,  1898,  to 
Mary  E.  Jones,  born  near  Toronto,  Canada,  Au- 
gust 13.  187(i.  Her  parents,  Alexander  and  Mar- 
garet (Ferguson)  Jones,  are  both  living.  Her 
father  is  a  well  known  railroad  contractor,  farmer 
and  packer.  Mrs.  Jones  received  a  thorough  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Toronto.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jones  have  three  children,  born  in  Sultan,  Lucy 
M.,  born  January  7.  1899:  Evelvn  F.,  June  1. 
1902;  Nathan  P.,  March  15,  1901.  Fraternally. 
Mr.  Jones  is  identified  with  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  He  is  influential  in  the  ranks  of  the 
Republican  party,  but  is  never  found  as  an  office 
seeker.  Since  coming  to  Sultan  he  has  purchased 
an  eighty-acre  farm,  one-half  of  which  is  within 
the  corporate  limits  of  the  town,  and  has  erected 
a  beautiful  home,  modern  in  all  its  appointments. 


The  success  attending  Mr.  Jones  in  his  chosen 
field  of  activity  is  due  to  his  extensive  knowledge 
of  the  mining  industry,  his  keen,  practical  business 
ability,  and  the  push  and  vim  with  which  he  takes 
hold  of  and  carries  on  the  work.  These  character- 
istics are  fully  recognized  in  his  home  community, 
where  he  is  esteemed  for  his  manv  sterling  quali- 
ties as  citizen  and  neighbor  as  well  as  business 
man. 


JOHN  F.  WARNER,  the  well  known  mer- 
chant of  Sultan.  \\'ashington,  was  born  in  Ander- 
son C(iunt\'.  Tniliana.  in  February,  18G1.  Elias 
Warner,  lii>  father,  a  native  of  Virginia,  settled 
in  Indiana  iu  early  life,  and  engaged  in  farming. 
He  died  at  thQ  age  of  fift\'-t\vn,  when  his  son  John 
F.  was  but  eight  days  old.  The  mother,  Selinda 
(Pierce)  Warner,  also  a  \'irginian,  was  born  in 
1S21,  and  died  in  1888.  She  was  the  mother  of 
six  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living  in  the 
East.  John  F.  \\'arncr  enjoyed  unusual  educa- 
tional advantages.  <ui)pleinenting  his  elementary 
training  by  attending  the  Indiana  State  Univer- 
sity. Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  went 
to  Alissfuri  and  taught  there  for  a  short  time,  but 
soon  returned  to  his  native  state  where  he  had  pre- 
viously secured  his  first  experience  in  teaching.  He 
then  decide<l  tn  laki'  u|i  the  study  df  law.  and  en- 
tered the  office  (if  i;.il)iii.M.n  andL.ivett  at  Ander- 
son. In  18S(J  he  completed  the  course  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar.  His  residence  in  Washing- 
ton dates  frotn  the  spring  of  1895,  when  after  a 
four  months'  visit  in  Missouri  he  reached  Sno- 
homish. Later  he  took  up  a  homestead  near  Sky- 
komish,  residing  on  it  a  few  months  and  then  re- 
turning to  Snohomish.  He  had  sought  a  location 
in  the  west  with  the  full  intention  of  practicing 
law,  but  found  on  his  arrival  that  the  prospects 
were  unfavorable,  and  hence  changed  his  plans, 
and  temporarily  resumed  his  fonuer  profession, 
teaching.  He  accepted  the  pusitinn  nf  principal 
of  the  Sultan  schools,  which  then  had  an  attend- 
ance of  eighty  pupils  of  whom  only  two  were  In- 
dians. At  the  close  of  the  second  term  he  re- 
signed, and  having  previously  bought  an  inlercst 
in  the  Sultan  Cash  Store,  he  devuted  !iis  entire 
attention  to  the  business  that  was  conducted  luider 
the  firm  name  of  Hawkes  and  Warner.  A  year 
later  he  purchased  his  partner's  interest,  and  in 
1897  erected  his  present  place  of  business.  By  ad- 
hering to  upright  principles,  while  also  making  a 
careful  study  of  the  needs  and  requirements  of  his 
customers,  Mr.  Warner  has  built  up  a  splendid 
trade,  increasing  his  capital  stock  from  one  thou- 
sand three  hundred  dollars  to  six  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars.  In  1898  he  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  Harris,  opened  a  branch  house  in  Monroe. 
Washington,  known  by  the  firm  name  of  Harris 
and  Warner.  This,  too,  is  doing  a  thriving  busi- 
ness. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Mr.  Warner  and  Miss  Belle  Johnson  of  Galla- 
tin,  Missouri,  were  married  in  1888.  Mrs.  War- 
ner's parents.  William  and  Mary  (Yates)  John- 
son, were  born  in  Mrginia.  The  father  is  still  liv- 
ing in  Missouri;  the  mother  died  in  1888.  Mr.  ami 
Mrs.  Warner  have  one  child,  Ellis  E..  born  March 
18,  1890,  now  attending  the  Snohomish  High 
School.  Mr.  Warner  affiliates  with  the  Democrats, 
but  has  no  desire  to  be  prominent  in  political  cir- 
cles. Knowing  him  to  be  a  man  of  unusual  mental 
attainments  combined  with  rare  practical  ability, 
his  friends  at  one  time  nominated  him  for  the  leg- 
i.slature.  only  to  find  that  he  gracefully  but  tinnly 
refused  to  accept  the  honor.  In  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Spiritualist.  Vespasian  Warner,  the  well 
known  pension  commissioner  at  Washington,  D. 
C,  is  a  first  cousin  of  Mr.  Warner.  Of  the  War- 
ner family  of  which  he  is  a  descendent  there  are 
now  but  three  adult  male  members,  but  as  he  jok- 
ingly says  there  is  little  danger  of  extinction  of  the 
family  name  since  he  has  one  son,  a  brother  in 
Kansas,  three,  and  the  cousin  previously  mentioned, 
seven.  Mr.  Warner  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  tlie  county,  and  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem. 


A.  LOUIS  PETERSON,  the  popular  proprie- 
tor of  the  Sultan  Hotel  at  Sultan,  Washington, 
was  born  in  Amherst,  Wisconsin,  July  1,  1866.  His 
father,  Andrew  Peterson,  was  a  native  of  Sweden. 
Immigrating  to  the  L^nited  States  he  became  one 
of  Wisconsin's  pioneers.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War  having  enlisted  in  the  Forty-Fourth 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  regiment.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  resumed  his  former  occupation,  farming. 
He  died  in  1897  at  the  age  of  sixty.  The  mother. 
Ann  (Peterson)  Peterson,  also  born  in  Swerlen. 
died  in  Wisconsin  in  1874.  A.  Louis  Peterson  has 
a  brother,  Fred  Peterson,  who  lives  in  Sultan,  and 
a  sister  residing  in  Stevens  Point,  Wisconsin.  Mr. 
Peterson  spent  his  boyhood  acquiring  an  education 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  state,  and  working  on 
the  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  decided  to 
seek  his  fortune  in  the  great  northwest,  going  di- 
rect to  Seattle,  Washington,  and  thence  in  a  couple 
of  weeks  to  Bucklev,  where  he  found  employment 
in  a  hotel.  Remaining  but  a  short  time  he  went  to 
Tacoma,  and  soon  to  Murray  island.  A  year  later 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Florence,  Snohomish 
county,  working  there  as  in  the  previous  town?,  at 
whatever  he  could  find  to  do.  In  1890  he  em- 
barked in  the  restaurant  business  at  Whatcom,  and 
devoted  his  attention  to  that  for  the  following 
three  years.  Lured  by  the  tales  of  the  fortunes 
that  others  were  making  in  the  mines  of  British 
Columbia.  !Mr.  Peterson  left  Whatcom  in  1894 
with  a  pack  horse,  riding  along  the  telegraph  trail 
to  the  Omenica  country  in  British  Columljia.  There 
he    resided   two   years,    prospecting   and    trapping. 


meeting  with  only  limited  success.  Going  to  Van- 
couver and  thence  to  the  mines  at  Harrison  lake, 
he  hired  out  for  a  year  during  which  time  he  never 
left  the  camp  even  to  visit  the  neighboring  town. 
At  the  end  of  that  time,  finding  he  had  sufficient 
means  to  take  him  to  the  Klondike  gold  fields,  he 
started  for  Dawson  in  the  spring  of  1899.  He 
reached  Skagway  in  February,  and  in  the  follov,-ing 
n:onth  rode  overland  by  dog  express  to  Dawson. 
Plis  previous  experience  in  the  mines  of  British 
Columbia  was  there  repeated  for  the  first  year,  but 
the  second  brought  better  success.  That  fall  he 
purchased  two  claims  for  seven  hundred  and  fifty- 
dollars,  and  as  soon  as  possible  began  prospecting, 
with  the  gratifying  result  that  before  midvi^inter 
he  had  found  dirt  worth  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  to  the  pan.  After  taking  eight  thousand 
dollars  out  of  the  claims  he  sold  them  and  returned 
tt  Washington,  having  spent  almost  three  years  in 
the  north.  Locating  at  Stanwood,  he  purchased 
an  interest  in  the  Palace  Hotel  which  he  owned 
until  May,  190"2,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to 
Sultan.  The  hotel  he  now  owns  he  bought  Sep- 
teiTiber  3,  of  that  year.  Since  that  time  he  has 
built  an  addition  twenty-eight  by  seventy  feet,  thus 
doubling  the  amount  of  room  in  the  building,  and 
has  now  by  far  the  best  appointed  hotel  in  this  part 
of  the  county.  With  characteristic  energy'  and 
thoroughness  he  has  made  a  practical  study  of 
the  requirements  of  the  traveling  public,  and  by 
catering  to  these  preferences  has  built  up  a  splen- 
did business. 

Mr.  Peterson  was  married  in  November,  1902, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Barker,  a  native  of  California. 
Her  parents  are  deceased.  Air.  Peterson  is  well 
known  in  fraternal  circles,  being  a  member  of  the 
Eagles  of  Snohomish  and  the  Foresters  of  America 
at  Sultan.  In  political  belief  he  adheres  to  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party,  and  is  always 
deeply  interested  in  local  politics.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  influential  members  of  Sultan's  citv  coun- 
cil, and  a  man  whose  judgment  and  ability  are 
recognized  bv  his  fellow  citizens. 


WILLIAM  COOK,  city  treasurer,  a  member 
of  the  city  council,  and  a  prominent  merchant,  of 
Sultan,  Washington,  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, July  -29,  1865.  Daniel  Cook,  his  father,  im- 
migrated to  the  United  States  in  1866,  settling 
in  Calais,  Maine.  In  1883  he  came  to  Snohomish, 
Washington,  and  purchased  a  farm  on  the  Sultan 
river.  He  was  residing  here  when  he  died  April 
27,  1895,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  The  mother, 
Hannah  (Twidle)  Cook,  died  December  21,  1902, 
aged  seventy-six.  She  was  the  mother  of  one 
child,  William.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the 
California  schools,  his  parents  ^having  resided 
there  prior  to  coming  to  Snohomish.     After  com- 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


pleting  his  schooling  he  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Washington,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  painter 
and  paper  hanger,  and  followed  it  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  September,  1875,  he  went  to  Eureka. 
California,  where  he  resided  until  1883  when  he 
moved  to  San  Francisco.  Having  been  a  resident 
01'  Snohomish  county  since  1883,  Mr.  Cook  is  very 
familiar  with  the  conditions  existing  during  thcs'.- 
pioneer  days.  When  he  came  up  the  river  for  the 
first  time  it  was  by  a  trail  on  the  bank.  Supplies 
were  conveyed  to  the  few  settlers  by  canoe,  thus 
gieatly  increasing  the  cost  of  even  the  common  ar- 
ticles of  food.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr. 
Cook  took  up  the  work  of  the  farm,  continuing  to 
be  thus  employed  until  June,  1905,  at  which  time 
he  bought  out  H.  M.  Meredith's  stock  of  general 
merchandise,  at  Sultan,  which  he  is  now  success- 
fully conducting. 

Mr.  Cook  was  married  in  1893,  Bessie  Cole,  a 
native  of  Minneapolis.  Minnesota,  being  his  bride. 
Her  parents,  Brackett  and  Amy  Cole,  moved  to 
California  when  she  was  four  years  old,  and  there 
she  spent  her  girlhood.  In  1889  they  settled  on 
tlie  S;:o!iomish  river,  near  Sultan,  where  they  sti!! 
reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  have  one  child.  Earl 
M.,  born  May  27,  1894.  Mr.  Cook  votes  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket,  and  although  cherishing  no  aspira- 
tions for  office,  takes  an  active  interest  in  political 
matters.  Mr.  Cook  is  known  as  a  man  of  strict 
integrity,  one  who  believes  in  the  practical  appli- 
'Cation  of  the  Golden  Rule  in  every  day  business 
transactions.  In  addition  to  this  he  possesses  a 
courteous  manner  that  at  once  attracts  those  who 
are  thrown  in  contact  with  him.  That  he  will  be 
eminently  successful  in  the  business  in  which  he 
has  recently  embarked  is  a  matter  of  firm  convic- 
tion in  the  minds  of  his  many  acquaintances  and 
friends. 


GEORGE  V.  PEARSALL,  the  proprietor  of 
the  Pioneer  Hotel,  and  the  owner  of  a  store  and 
meat  market,  in  Sultan,  Washington,  was  born  in 
Clinton  County,  Iowa,  June  18,  1860.  His  parents. 
William  R.  and  Sarah  (Names)  Pearsall,  were 
both  born  in  New  York.  The  father  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  in  Iowa,  but  in  later  life  set- 
tled in  Washington,  and  died  in  this  state  in  1903, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four.  The  mother  has  passed 
her  sixty-second  birthday.  Of  a  family  of  four 
children  George  V.  is  the  second.  Like  most  boys 
he  spent  his  boyhood  at  home  acquiring  an  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  he  left  home,  going  to  Texas 
where  he  remained  one  year.  He  has  been  n  resi- 
dent of  Washington  since  1883,  that  being  the  year 
when  he  came  to  Snohomish,  then  only  a  very  small 
town.  He  had  previously  learned  the  carpenter 
trade,  and  was  thus  engaged  for  a  number  of  years 
after  coming  West.     Believing  that  he  could  em- 


ploy his  time  to  better  advantage  along  other  lines 
than  clearing  a  homestead,  he  never  filed  on  any- 
thing but  a  timber  claim,  and  that  he  disposed  of 
many  years  ago.  He  has  the  distinction  of  having 
built  the  first  piece  of  railroad  in  Snohomish 
county,  having  had  the  contract  for  constructing 
two  miles  of  the  Seattle  and  Lake  Shore  &  Eastern 
road  at  Cathcart.  Later  he  contracted  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  Great  Northern  railroad  in  Wash- 
ington and  the  Canadian  Pacific  in  British  Colum- 
bia, spending  in  all  nearly  three  years  in  this  work. 
In  1891  he  started  a  brickyard  in  Snohomish,  which 
he  owned  a  year.  During  the  financial  depression 
of  the  'nineties  he  followed  various  occupations, 
that  he  might  not  be  idle.  He  purchased  a  store 
in  Wallace  in  1891,  owning  it  for  a  year,  when  he 
sold  out  and  invested  in  the  hotel  he  still  conducts 
in  Sultan.  In  recent  years  he  has  added  a  store 
and  meat  market,  managing  them  in  connection 
with  his  other  business. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Pearsall  and  Alice  M. 
Eearse  occurred  June  25,  1890.  Mrs.  Pearsall,  a 
native  of  Nebraska,  is  the  daughter  of  James 
Bearse,  of  Ferndale,  Whatcom  County,  Washing- 
ton, who  until  recently  has  been  engaged  in  the 
drug  business.  He  was  born  in  Wisconsin.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Pearsall  have  four  children,  Ellsworth 
E.,  Ralph  M.,  George  E.,  and  a  baby  not  yet  named. 
Mr.  Pearsall  is  prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  being 
identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Foresters 
of  America.  He  is  independent  in  political  belief, 
and  is  always  deeply  interested  in  political  issues, 
although  he  is  not  an  office  seeker.  As  one  of  Sul- 
tan's most  energetic  and  progressive  citizens  he 
takes  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  city  coun- 
cil of  which  he  is  a  member.  His  influence  is  al- 
ways on  the  side  of  any  movement  that  will  con- 
tribute to  the  growth  and  development  of  the  wel- 
fare of  the  town  or  county.  During  his  long  resi- 
dence in  this  county  he  has  become  well  and  favor- 
ably known  in  business,  political  and  social  circles. 


GILES  L.  WELLINGTON,  of  the  firm  of 
Wellington  &  Baldwin,  livervmen  of  Sultan.  Wash- 
ington, is,  like  his  parents,  Edwin  R.  and  Mary  E. 
(Colburn)  Wellington,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
the  date  of  his  birth  being  May  20,  18(i7.  His 
father,  born  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  followed  car- 
riage building  for  many  years.  Now  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two,  he  is  living  in  San  Dieeo.  Cah'fnr- 
nia.  He  was  a  prominent  soldier  in  the  Civil  War, 
having  served  three  years  and  a  half  in  the  Eighty- 
Third  Pennsylvania  regiment.  The  mother  died 
in  1897  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  Of  her  nine  chil- 
dren Giles  L.  is  the  fifth.  All  are  still  living  with 
the  exception  of  two.  Mr.  Wellington  received  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Iowa,  whither  his  par- 
ents moved  when  he  was  four  years  of  age.    Dur-' 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1105 


ing  the  winter  months  he  worked,  attending  school 
■only  in  the  summer  months.  At  the  early  age  of 
thirteen  he  started  out  for  himself,  and  for  the 
next  few  years  was  variously  employed.  He  at 
length  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  and  after 
spending  two  and  one-half  years  in  this  occupation 
in  Iowa,  moved  to  Nebraska.  In  1889  he  migrated 
to  Deer  Lodge,  Montana,  mining  there  and  at  dif- 
ferent localities  in  the  state  for  several  years.  De- 
siring to  visit  the  Northwest  he  drove  to  the  Yel- 
lowstone Park  in  1899,  and  thence  to  Snohomish. 
Washington,  accompanied  by  his  family.  Two 
years  later  he  returned  to  Montana,  remaining  till 
1903,  when  he  again  found  a  home  in  Washing- 
ton, and  in  November  of  that  year  purchased  an 
interest  in  his  present  business.  While  a  resident 
of  Montana,  he  was  unable  to  accumulate  prop- 
€rty,  owing  to  heavy  debts  incurred  by  sickness, 
but  in  the  last  two  years  he  has  been  very  success- 
ful, and  is  now  enjoying  the  prosperity  his  energy 
and  industry  so  justly  merit. 

Mr.  Wellington  was  married  in  Deer  Lodge. 
Montana,  September  16,  1893,  to  Effie  Christopher- 
son,  who  died  later,  leaving  motherless  one  child, 
TJobert  Efifner.  He  was  again  married  in  1897. 
this  time  to  Mrs.  Margaret  (Crow)  Wellington, 
of  Helena,  Montana.  Mrs.  Wellington  bore  the 
Tnaiden  name  of  Margaret  Crow,  and  was  born  in 
Woodbury  Countv,  Iowa,  March  7.  1874.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  Rev.  Murray  and  Sarah  (English) 
Crow.  Rev.  Crow  is  an  elder  in  the  Baptist  church 
at  Parker's  Prairie,  Minnesota,  and  though  past 
"four  score  years  of  age,  is  still  active.  To  this 
union  one  child  has  been  born,  James  Murray, 
April  3,  1903  ;  there  is  one  other  child.  Florence 
H.,  by  Mrs.  Wellington's  former  marriage.  The 
fraternal  instinct  is  strong  in  Mr.  Wellington,  and 
lie  holds  membership  in  the  following  orders : 
Eagles,  Odd  Fellows,  Modem  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, Sons  of  Veterans,  and  Foresters  of  America. 
In  political  belief  he  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Republican  party,  although  he  does  not  care  to 
take  an  active  part  in  county  and  state  affairs.  He 
is- known  as  a  thorough  business  man,  one  who  at- 
tends personally  to  the  details  of  whatever  line  of 
activity  he  is  pursuing.  He  commands  the  respect 
of  all  who  are  associated  with  him. 


NATHAN  N.  BAXTER,  a  prosperous  agricul- 
turist residing  one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Sul- 
tan. Washington,  was  born  in  Bristol,  Tennessee. 
April  14,  18fi4,  in  the  same  house  in  which  his 
father.  Rev.  Nathan  W.  Baxter,  was  born.  The 
elder  Baxter,  a  former  Baptist  minister,  was  the 
•direct  descendent  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  in 
the  state.  He  died  in  1904,  aged  sixtv-six.  Mary 
(Davault)  Baxter,  the  mother,  is  a  Virginian,  and 
Is  still  living  in  Tennessee,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 


seven.  Nathan  N.  Baxter  is  the  third  child  of  a 
family  numbering  ten.  He  received  his  educa- 
tional training  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state, 
and  remained  at  home  till  he  had  passed  his  ma- 
jority. Going  to  Illinois  he  spent  a  year  farming, 
and  later  resided  for  a  time  in  Texas  and  also  in 
New  Mexico  territory.  In  the  latter  state  he  fol- 
lowed lumbering  for  two  years,  prior  to  his  return 
to  Tennessee,  where  he  fully  intended  to  make  his 
permanent  home.  At  the  end  of  two  years,  how- 
ever, he  again  went  to  the  territory  of  New  Mex- 
ico, but  soon  decided  to  visit  the  Northwest.  He 
reached  Seattle  in  1890,  and  after  a  two-days'  stay 
came  up  to  Sultan,  at  that  time  a  small,  unprom- 
ising town.  He  loaded  his  trunks  on  a  freight 
wagon  at  Snohomish,  and  made  the  remainder  of 
the  journey  on  foot.  Arriving  here  May  1,  1890, 
he  located  a  homestead  six  miles  north  of  Sultan 
which  he  owned  until  1903,  and  on  which  he  re- 
sided for  six  years.  In  1892  he  purchased  a  tract 
of  land,  but  was  unable  to  hold  it  during  the  hard 
times.  For  several  years  he  worked  at  whatever 
he  could  find  to  do,  and  at  one  time  made  a  trip 
to  Atlin,  British  Columbia,  in  the  hope  of  finding 
more  remunerative  employment.  Failing  in  this, 
however,  in  October,  1899,  he  bought  forty  acres 
of  land,  the  farm  he  now  owns,  to  which  in  1903 
he  added  an  adjoining  eighty  acres,  giving  him  at 
present  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  There  was 
little  else  but  timber  and  stumps  on  the  land  at 
that  time,  and  to  make  it  yield  a  living  for  himself 
and  family  was  no  easy  task.  Purchasing  seven 
cows  and  a  hand  separator  for  which  he  gave  his 
note  he  embarked  in  the  dairy  business,  with  the 
satisfactory  result  that  inside  of  the  first  nine 
months  he  was  able  to  take  up  the  note.  The  next 
year  he  increased  his  stock,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  found  himself  entirely  free  from  debt.  Of  his 
farm  twenty  acres  are  stumped  and  in  cultivation, 
and  twenty  acres  are  in  pasture.  He  has  a  select 
herd  of  twelve  dairy  cows. 

Mr.  Baxter  was  married  August  21,  1893,  to 
Inez  E.  Peake,  a  native  of  Oregon,  born  May  24. 
1876.  Her  parents,  Robert  B.  and  Ellen  (Ladd) 
Peake,  were  pioneers  in  that  state,  her  father  hav- 
ing settled  there  shortly  after  the  memorable  gold 
excitement  in  California  in  1849.  Leavenworth, 
Washington,  is  now  their  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Baxter  have  four  children  as  follows:  Mary  El- 
len, bom  December  17,  1894;  Florence  Thelma, 
September  30.  1896;  Ossie  Gladys,  August  8, 
1898;  Nathan  B.,  May  8,  1903.  Mr.  Baxter  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  In  political  matters  he  inclines  to  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  although  at 
times  voting  an  independent  ticket.  His  religious 
beliefs  are  embodied  in  the  Golden  Rule,  which 
he  seeks  to  follow  in  his  intercourse  with  his  fel- 
low men.  He  is  well  known  throughout  the 
county,  and  is  worthy  of  the  respect  he  enjoys. 


1106 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


WILLIAM  H.  ILLMAN.  a  prominent  pioneer 
of  Snohomish  county,  who  has  been  identified  with 
hei  history  since  1881,  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  August  3,  ISGO.  William  Illman. 
the  father,  to  whom  belongs  the  distinction  of  hav- 
ing printed  the  first  postage  stamp  in  the  United 
States,  was  born  in  England  January  1,  1819.  His 
father,  who  was  also  a  printer,  issued  the  first  il- 
lustrated children's  books  in  this  country.  The 
senior  William  Illman  now  resides  with  his  son  in 
Sultan.  ^Martha  (Adams)  Illman,  the  maternal 
ancestor,  was  a  descendent  of  the  John  O.  Adams 
family  of  New  York,  and  was  the  mother  of  eight 
children,  of  which  William  H.  is  sixth  in  order  of 
birth.  She  died  in  18G6,  at  the  age  of  forty-four. 
William  has  two  sisters,  Mrs.  R.  M.  Folsom,  of 
Snohomish,  and  Airs.  Grace  W.  Chase,  of  Sultan, 
and  one  brother,  Harold  W.,  living  at  Lake  Ste- 
vens. After  receiving  a  thorough  education  in  the 
schools  of  Philadelphia,  he  taught  for  four  years 
in  Ontario,  Canada,  meeting  with  a  large  measure 
of  success.  He  then  went  to  Australia,  remaining 
six  months,  when  he  found  he  had  not  the  neces- 
sary funds  for  purchasing  transportation  to  the 
Laiited  States.  He  therefore  worked  his  way  back 
on  a  vessel  returning  to  this  country,  and  on  arriv- 
ing here  at  once  entered  the  employ  of  the  Oregon 
Railroad  and  Navigation  Company  as  foreman. 
While  engaged  in  this  work  he  at  one  time  ex- 
ploded 20,000  pounds  of  powder,  by  far  the  largest 
blast  ever  fired  on  the  road.  A  year  later  he  came 
up  Skykomish  river  and  took  up  the  land  situated 
two  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Sultan  on  which  he 
now  resides.  During  the  winter  of  1883-4,  owing 
to  the  freezing  up  of  the  river  that  was  then  the 
only  means  of  reaching  the  ranch,  Mr.  Illman  was 
destitute  of  all  kinds  of  provisions  save  flour,  and 
dependent  on  a  rather  scant  supply  of  game.  He 
was  fortunate  enough,  however,  to  find  deer  most 
of  the  time,  and  occasionally  something  else  in  the 
way  of  meat  to  vary  his  monotonous  diet.  Later, 
when  he  had  made  quite  a  clearing  in  the  dense 
forest,  and  was  working  up  a  promising  logging 
business,  a  sudden  rise  in  th^':  river  swept  every- 
thing before  it,  leaving  nothing  to  reward  him  for 
his  months  of  toil.  For  the  las.'  ten  years  he  has 
devoted  his  time  almost  exclusive'y  to  fruit  grow- 
ing, and  confidently  hopes  very  soo.n  to  explode  the 
theory  that  peaches  cannot  be  raisevl  in  this  local- 
ity. He  now  has  thirty-five  acres  cleared  and  in 
excellent  cultivation.  He  is  breeding  thorough- 
bred Jersey  cattle,  and  is  already  establishing  a 
reputation  throughout  the  county  as  an  authority 
on  the  subject. 

Mr.  Illman  was  married  in  October,  1889,  to 
Miss  Lucy  Wells  of  Chicago,  who  is  the  daughter 
of  Alpheus  and  Ellen  (Soule)  Wells.  Mrs.  Ill- 
nan  came  west  with  her  parents,  when  they  found 
a  home  in  Cowlitz  County,  Washington,  wliere  her 
father  was   for  some   time   engaged   in   the  manu- 


facture of  shingles.  His  death  occurred  there  In 
1903,  after  he  had  passed  his  seventieth  birthday. 
The  mother,  a  direct  descendent  of  the  famous- 
Union  spy,  Soule,  is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
five.  Six  children  have  teen  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Illman,  William  J.,  Alpheus,  Walter,  Adeline,  Har- 
oM  and  Winston.  Of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  Mr.  Illman  is  a  prominent  member.  He 
identifies  himself  with  no  political  party,  preferring 
to  vote  as  his  judgment  dictates.  At  one  time  he 
was  candidate  for  the  office  of  county  school  super- 
intendent on  the  Populist  ticket,  but  resigned  on 
account  of  fusion,  to  the  great  regret  of  his  many 
friends  and  acquaintances  who  recognized  his  pe- 
culiar fitness  for  the  position.  Few  residents  of 
Sultan  are  more  conversant  with  its  early  history 
than  is  Mr.  Illman,  who  is  on  friendly  terms  with 
"Sultan  John"  and  other  Indians  of  local  celebrity. 
A  broad  minded,  public  spirited  citizen,  possessed 
of  the  manly  character  that  at  all  times  commands 
respect,  he  is  one  of  Sultan's  most  popular  resi- 
dents. 


JAMES  W.  MANN,  one  of  Sultan's  well-to-do ■ 
agriculturists,  residing  one  and  one-half  miles 
southeast  of  town,  was  born  in  Maine,  June  24. 
1854.  His  father,  John  Frank,  also  a  native  of 
that  state,  was  born  in  Penobscot  county,  October 
22,  1832.  He  went  to  Saginaw,  Michigan,  August 
12,  186G,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  until 
1875,  at  which  time  he  moved  on  a  farm  situated 
seventy-five  miles  west  of  Saginaw,  in  Mecosta 
county.  Fork  township.  Later,  after  spending  some 
time  in  California,  he  came  to  Washington,  and 
was  residing  here  on  the  subject's  homestead  at 
the  time  of  his  death  in  1894.  Susan  A.  (Church- 
ill) Mann,  the  mother,  was  born  in  Maine  March 
4,  1836.  Her  marriage  took  place  July  24,  1853, 
in  Maine.  Of  her  seven  children  three  are  now 
living,  James  W.  being  the  eldest.  Her  home  is 
now  in  Sultan.  A  daughter,  Mrs.  Nettie  Marso- 
lais,  is  also  a  resident  of  Sultan.  Frank  is  also 
a  resident  of  Sultan.  Mr.  Mann  acquired  his 
education  in  the  state  of  his  nativity,  and  in  the 
meantime  worked  with  his  father  on  the  river. 
When  the  family  moved  to  Michigan  he  found  em- 
ployment as  foreman  in  the  lumber  camps  remain- 
ing at  home.  Later,  after  farming  and  lumbering 
for  a  few  years  in  Mecosta  he  migrated  to  Sno- 
homish, coming  to  his  present  location  May  8, 
1888.  Here  in  this  desolate  wilderness,  with  an 
inverted  washtub  for  a  table,  the  family  partook  of 
their  first  meal  on  the  ranch.  Their  home,  a  rude 
shake  building,  sixteen  by  sixteen  feet,  was  but 
half  roofed,  as  one  side  and  end  were  built  par- 
tially. There  were  four  feet  of  floor.  The  near- 
est road  was  six  miles  away,  the  only  way  of 
reaching  the  claim  being  by  canoe.  So  dense  was 
the  timber  that  during  the  winter  months   it  was 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


necessary  to  light  lamps  at  three  o'clock  in  the  af- 
ternoon. Snohomish  was  the  nearest  supply  point 
and  postoffice.  Twelve  years  elapsed  before  a 
road  was  built  to  the  ranch.  For  the  first  few  years 
both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mann  worked  away  from  home, 
in  lumber  camps  and  hotels,  leaving  the  children 
in  care  of  Mr.  Mann"s  parents,  who  were  living 
with  them.  Those  were  years  of  arduous  toil,  but 
both  possessed  the  true  pioneer  spirit,  and  had  no 
thought  of  abandoning  their  home  in  the  forest. 
In  1892  the  first  school  district  was  organized,  ]\Ir. 
Mann  being  a  member  of  the  first  board  and  serv- 
ing for  twelve  years,  and  a  lx)ard  shack,  sixteen 
by  eighteen  feet,  built  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  ten  pupils  that  were  enrolled.  The  second  year 
after  settling  here,  the  neighboring  families 
planned  a  little  Fourth  of  July  celebration,  but 
owing  to  the  impossibility  of  procuring  shoes  in 
the  town  for  the  children,  the  Manns  could  not 
attend.  The  many  trials,  hardships  and  depriva- 
ti(3ns  incident  to  those  pioneer  days  can  be  fully 
understood  only  by  those  who  have  had  a  like  ex- 
perience in  Western  life.  Mr.  Mann  now  has  sev- 
enteen acres  of  his  claim  entirely  free  from  stumps. 
and  an  additional  twenty-five  partially  cleared.  He 
devotes  his  attention  principally  to  dairying,  and 
£0  thoroughly  does  he  understand  the  subject  that 
he  secures  a  monthly  income  of  sixty  dollars  from 
his  cows.  He  owns  twenty-eight  head  of  cattle  and 
several  horses. 

Mr.  Mann  was  married  July  -i,  1877,  in  Sheri- 
dan Township,  Mecosta  County,  Minnesota,  to 
Clara  L.  Grove,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
August  21,  1859.  Her  father,  John  D.  Grove,  died 
during  her  infancy ;  her  mother,  who  bore  the  mai- 
den name  of  Mary  C.  Hower,  born  in  Schuylkill 
County,  Pennsylvania,  April  4,  1840,  is  now  living 
in  Michigan.  Three  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mann:  Edward  E.,  April  19,  1880; 
Mrs.  Lulu  Patterson,  of  Monroe,  September  7, 
1878;  a  daughter.  March  1,  1882.  who  died  ten 
days  later.  Mr.  Mann  is  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  the  Foresters  of 
America.  In  political  belief  he  is  independent. 
For  many  years  he  took  a  very  active  part  in  poli- 
tics, although  refusing  to  accept  any  office.  He 
was  road  superintendent  in  the  district  many  years. 
A  man  of  sterling  integrity,  true  to  his  convictions, 
Mr.  Mann  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  fellow  citi- 
zens. 


L.  ROY  JOHNSON,  of  Sultan,  owning  and 
operating  an  extensive  woodworking  plant  a  mile 
south  of  town,  under  the  firm  name  of  the  Creek- 
wood  Manufacturing  Company,  is  one  of  Snohom- 
ish county's  able,  aggressive  young  business  men 
whose  foresight  in  turning  to  new  advantage  a 
portion  of  the  sound's  great  timber  wealth  is  meet- 
ing  with    substantial    reward.      In   addition   to   the 


manufacture  of  lumber  and  shingles,  the  Creek- 
wood  Manufacturing  Company  makes  broomhan- 
dies,  being  probably  the  only  factory  on  the  sound, 
engaged   in  manufacturing  the  latter  article. 

George  William  Johnson,  the  father  of  L.  Roy 
of  this  review,  was  born  at  Adamsville,  Wayne 
County,  Michigan,  February  2,  1832,  and  is  there- 
fore among  the  first  of  the  Peninsula  state's  native 
sons.  His  people  were  Pennsylvania  Dutch.  His 
mother's  name  was  Mary  (Calkins)  Johnson.  As 
a  lad  he  attended  school  in  a  log  schoolhouse  at 
Catville,  Michigan,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen, 
having  lost  his  father  and  being  motherless,  he 
commenced  making  his  own  way  in  the  world  by 
peddling  throughout  the  middle  states.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  went  to  live  with  relatives  in  Barry 
county  and  was  there  married  at  Woodland.  Hast- 
ings then  became  his  home  for  a  short  time  after 
which  he  spent  a  winter  shingle  weaving  at  Bear 
Lake.  During  the  next  few  years  he  lived  at  Mus- 
kegon, working  as  a  millwright,  carpenter  and  con- 
tractor, following  which  he  engaged  in  fishing  on 
Lake  Michigan.  He  removed  his  family  by  open 
boat  to  Grand  Rapids  shortly,  thence  went  to 
Woodland,  where  he  bought  and  for  five  years 
operated  with  success  an  upright  saw-mill  on  Mud 
creek.  He  then  bought  a  water  power  mill  at 
Nashville  on  the  Thornapple  river,  and  in  part- 
nership with  Eli  M.  Mallett  operated  this  and  a 
steam  mill  several  years.  later  adding  a  grist  mill 
to  the  concern.  However,  Johnson  &  Mallett  even- 
tually sold  out  and  established  a  hardware  store  at 
Nashville.  Later,  they  sold  this  also  and  built  an 
excursion  boat  to  run  on  Lake  Michigan,  but  after 
operating  it  a  short  time,  they  went  into  the  hotel 
and  grocery  business  at  Fremont,  Michigan.  From 
Harbor  Springs,  Mr.  Johnson  removed  to  St.  Ig- 
nace  and  established  the  town's  first  furniture 
store,  later  adding  a  crockery  and  grocery  depart- 
ment. He  also  engaged  in  building  houses  and  in 
fact  was  connected  prominently  with  the  activities 
of  his  community  in  every  way  until  July  27,  1889. 
v.hen,  having  disposed  of  his  property  and  inter- 
ests in  Michigan,  he  set  out  to  erect  a  new  home 
in  the  Pacific  Northwest.  Seattle  was  the  family's 
home  until  1892,  when  Mr.  Johnson  went  into  the 
furniture  business  at  Sultan.  While  there  he  com- 
menced testing  Washington's  woods  for  the  manu- 
facture of  chairs,  furniture  generally  and  novel- 
ties, with  gratifying  success.  In  1898  he  acquired 
a  tract  of  forty  acres  across  the  river,  conveniently 
situated  for  the  development  of  a  large  waterpower, 
and  there  erected  the  plant  now  owned  by  his  son, 
in  addition  to  which  he  commenced  the  improve- 
ment of  his  fine  bottom  land  for  farming  purposes. 
In  1905,  still  vigorous  and  aggressive  in  business, 
in  spite  of  his  years,  he  removed  to  Seattle  to  en- 
gage in  contracting,  which  he  is  following  with 
success  at  the  present  time.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
Mason.     Mrs.  Julia   M.     (^Mallett)     Johnson,    his 


1108 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


wife,  the  mother  of  L.  Roy  Johnson,  is  also  a  native 
of  Michigan,  born  in  Barry  county,  June  26,  1835, 
her  people  being  among  the  earhest  pioneers  of 
that  state.  Her  great-great-grandfather  came  to 
America  from  France ;  her  mother  was  of  Scotch 
descent.  For  several  years  previous  to  her  mar- 
riage, which  was  solemnized  February  23,  1853, 
she  taught  school.  The  eldest  of  her  children. 
Elina,  now  deceased,  was  born  at  Hastings,  Michi- 
gan, November  39,  1855 ;  Ion,  the  next  oldest,  now 
working  for  the  Seattle  Electric  Company,  was 
born  at  Muskegon,  September  27,  1857 ;  Josie,  now 
Mrs.  Josie  Meyers,  was  born  at  Woodland,  June 
4,  1861 ;  and  Leon  Roy,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  June  2, 
1876. 

L.  Roy  Johnson  received  most  of  his  education 
at  St.  Ignace,  on  the  beautiful  Straits  of  Mackinac, 
graduating  from  the  High  school  of  that  little  city. 
He  accompanied  his  parents  West  to  Washington, 
reaching  the  territory  just  previous  to  its  admission 
as  a  state  into  the  Union,  and  in  1893  came  to 
Sultan  to  engage  in  business  with  his  father.  Sul- 
tan was  his  home  until  1898,  when  he  joined  his 
father  in  establishing  the  Creekwood  Manufactur- 
ing Companv's  plant,  and  he  has 'since  been  iden- 
tilied  with  the  growth  of  the  industry.  He  has 
fitted  himself  by  close  application  and  study  to  as- 
sume charge  of  the  plant  and  is  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  all  the  details  of  the  work.  Upon  the 
removal  of  his  father  to  Seattle,  he  acquired  en- 
tire possession  of  the  plant  and  business  and  is 
now  preparing  to  resume  operations,  after  a  long 
shutdown,  on  a  more  extensive  scale  than  ever  be- 
fore. He  is  making  a  specialty  of  broomhandles. 
utilizing  alder,  maple  and  spruce  timber,  and  be- 
sides handling  the  American  trade  is  supplying 
the  English  trade  with  his  product.  The  capacity 
of  the  plant  is  sixty  thousand  shingle,  ten  thou- 
sand feet  of  lumber  and  one  thousand  five  hundred 
broomhandles  every  ten  hours.  A  turbine  wheel 
furnishes  sixty-horsepower,  while  fully  three  hun- 
dred horsepower  can  easily  be  developed  from  the 
creek.  Mr.  Johnson  is  also  an  enthusiast  on  the 
subject  of  fruit  raising  in  the  Skykomish  valley 
and  is  setting  out  a  considerable  portion  of  his 
place  to  apples.  A  large  portion  of  the  forty-acre 
tract  is  in  cultivation,  and  sheltered  by  the  foot- 
hills, with  an  abundance  of  wood  and  water,  it  is 
one  of  the  coziest  places  along  the  river.  Mr. 
John.son  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial,  in- 
dustrious and  uprieht  citizens  of  the  community 
in  which  he  has  lived  fourteen  years,  and  is  con- 
sidered one  of  Snohomish  county's  rising  young 
men. 


EUGENE  L.  MORGAN.  Among  the  pro- 
gressive, broad-gauged  men  who  to-day  form  the 
main    pillars    of     Snohomish     county's     citizenship 


must  be  placed  the  well  known  resident  of  the  Sky- 
komish valley  whose  name  gives  title  to  this  bi- 
ographical review.  Upon  his  extensive  place,  pic- 
turesquely situated  on  a  graceful  bend  of  the  river 
two  miles  below  Sultan  and  said  to  be  the  finest 
ranch  in  the  valley,  he  is  engaged^  in  diversified 
agricultural  pursuits,  giving  especial  attention  to 
dairying  and  horticulture. 

Of  Scotch  originally,  the  Morgans  came  to  the 
American  colonies  many  generations  ago,  and  the 
immediate  line  from  which  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  descended  were  pioneers  of  prominence 
in  New  York  and  Michigan.  Leonard  D.  Morgan, 
the  father,  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  born 
at  Utica,  in  1797,  and  by  trade  was  a  carpenter, 
though  he  followed  farming  the  greater  portion  of 
his  long  life.  Immediately  after  his  marriage  in 
1832,  he  and  his  bride  set  out  for  Michigan  terri- 
tory and  located  in  Berrien  county,  among  the  first. 
That  county  was  his  home  most  of  his  life.  When 
the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he  went  to  the  front  as  a 
lieutenant  of  Michigan  infantry,  and  served 
throughout  the  notable  conflict,  winning  a  cap- 
taincy before  being  mustered  out.  Captain  Mor- 
gan attained  to  not  a  little  influence  in  his  commu- 
nity and  became  known  as  a  highly  capable,  public- 
spirited  citizen.  His  death  occurred  in  Minnesota 
in  June,  1895.  Clarinda  (Majors)  Morgan,  the 
mother  of  Eugene  L.,  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
born  in  1815,  and  descended  from  a  colonial  fam- 
ily. She  passed  away  in  1859,  the  mother  of  seven 
children.  The  fourth  child  among  these  is  Eugene 
L.,  who  was  born  upon  the  farm  in  Berrien  County. 
Michigan,  January  21,  1850.  He  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  district  until  1863,  when  he  en- 
tered the  Michigan  Agricultural  College  at  Lans- 
ing, the  state  capital.  The  motherless  lad  pursued 
his  studies  at  the  college  throughout  the  exciting 
years  which  followed  his  entrance  and  was  grad- 
uated therefrom  in  the  year  1867,  possessed  of 
more  than  a  fair  education  and  especially  equipped 
for  the  scientific  pursuit  of  agriculture  in  all  its 
phases.  He  soon  joined  his  father  in  Minnesota 
and  until  1873  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  in 
tliat  region.  The  Western  fever  then  set  his  blood 
afire,  and  with  the  boundless  enthusiasm,  of  youth 
and  all  its  rosy  hopes,  he  joined  the  rush  to  the 
Black  Hills.  He  emerged  from  the  rush,  for- 
tunately, with  undisturbed  equilibrium  and  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  dollars  in  his  pocket,  then 
he  returned  to  Michigan  and  built  a  mill  at  Crooked 
lake  on  the  Flint  &  Pere  Marquette  railroad,  near 
Big  Rapids.  This  he  operated  three  years,  giving 
up  the  enterprise  to  go  on  the  road  for  the  West 
INlichigan  Lumber  Company.  During  the  next  four 
years  he  traveled  in  Kansas,  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
at  the  end  of  that  time  settling  at  Topeka,  Kansas, 
and  marrying.  He  engaged  in  contracting  on  an 
extensive  scale,  among  other  edifices  building  a 
large  portion  of  the   state  hospital   for  the  insane 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


at  Osawatomie,  and  was  otherwise  identified 
prominently  with  the  business  and  social  life  of  the 
city,  which  was  his  home  until  1890.  Some  unfor- 
tunate business  ventures  and  a  natural  desire  to 
push  still  further  westward  at  this  time  caused  his 
removal  to  Snohomish  county,  which  he  reached 
shortly  after  the  admission  of  Washington  as  a 
state.  At  Snohomish  City  he  took  up  his  business 
as  a  contractor  and  during  the  next  few  years  bu'lt 
many  of  the  finest  barns  and  buildings  in  the  Sno- 
homish valley.  He  then  leased  land  and  engaged 
in  stockraising  and  general  farming  to  which  he 
has  since  given  his  entire  attention.  He  purchased 
his  present  place  in  1899.  It  was  formerly  the 
property  of  John  Elwell,  who  took  it  as  a  home- 
stead during  the  earliest  period  of  the  county's  set- 
tlement. But  little  clearing  had  been  done  upon 
it  when  Mr.  Morgan  secured  it  and  there  was  no 
road  to  it.  He  brought  all  his  supplies  across  the 
river  and  in  bringing  over  the  first  load  drowned 
a  team  of  horses.  Practically  unaided  he  has  built 
fully  two  miles  of  road  up  the  south  side  of  the 
river  to  connect  with  the  Sultan  road  and  he  ex- 
pects shortly  to  put  in  a  ferry  at  his  place.  The 
hundred  and  ninety-two  acres  constituting  his  farm 
lie  along  the  stream  in  crescent  form  for  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile,  and  of  the  tract  forty-five  have 
been  cleared  of  the  timber  and  improved  with  a 
commodious  dwelling,  barns  and  other  buildings. 
A  large  orchard  occupies  several  acres  and  this 
year  the  owner  is  setting  out  four  acres  to  berries, 
for  which  the  place  is  especially  well  adapted.  El- 
well creek  flows  through  the  ranch  to  the  Sky- 
komish  river.  All  in  all  it  well  deserves  the  posi- 
tion it  occupies  among  the  finest  places  in  the 
county,  and  will  ever  be  a  substantial  testimony  to 
the  industry,  skill  and  perseverance  of  its  owner 
and  maker. 

At  Topeka,  Kansas,  July  7.  1883,  Miss  Anna 
Morgan,  the  daughter  of  William  and  Frances 
("Burns)  Morgan,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Eu- 
gene L.  Morgan.  Her  familv,  too,  is  of  pure 
American  stock,  the  grandparents  being  Pennsvl- 
vanians.  William  Morgan  was  born  near  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  in  the  year  1813,  the  son  of  early  pio- 
neers of  the  Ohio  vallev.  and  was  married  there  in 
184  7.  Mrs.  Frances  Morgan  was  a  native  of  Cam- 
den, Ohio,  born  in  1820.  Shortly  after  their  mar- 
riaee  thev  removed  to  Illinois,  and  there  resided 
until  1901,  when  thev  came  to  Sultan.  Washing- 
ton. Their  long,  useful  lives  terminated  about  the 
same  time,  the  husband  passing  away  in  Julv,  1902. 
and  his  faithful  helpmeet  the  following  Novem- 
ber. Mrs.  Anna  Morean  was  born  New  Year's 
Day,  1800,  at  Eaton,  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
she  went  to  Kansas.  Later  she  attended  the  Nor- 
mal school  at  Junction  City  and  she  was  engaged 
in  teaching  music  at  the  time  of  her  marriage. 
Four  children  haye  blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Morgan:     Lee,  born  June  3,  1884,  engaged 


in  business  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state;  Rex, 
May  8,  1887,  assisting  his  father  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  ranch ;  Beatrice,  January  27,  1889 ; 
and  Claudia,  October  5,  1891,'  the  latter  two  at- 
tending school  at  Sultan.  The  Morgan  home  is 
a  dispenser  of  true  Western  hospitality  and  cheer, 
and  the  starting  point  for  many  a  gaming  expcdi-. 
tion  into  the  surrounding  forests,  which  still 
abound  with  deer,  birds  and  bears. 

Mr.  Morgan,  while  residing  in  Topeka,  served 
for  several  years  as  its  marshal,  or  chief  of  police, 
and  was  also  a  member  of  its  board  of  aldermen. 
A  loyal  Republican,  he  was  active  and  influential 
in  Kansas  politics  for  years,  a  member  of  the  state 
central  committee  and  its  ,assistant  secretary  for 
some  time.  Fraternally,  he  is  affiliated  with  the 
Modem  Woodmen.  His  has  been  a  life  of  more 
than  usual  activity  and  influence  and  in  his  quiet 
but  intensely  energetic  way  he  has  contributed  and 
is  contributing  materially  to  the  substantial  ad- 
vancement of  Snohomish  county.  A  residence  of 
sixteen  years  within  its  confines  has  not  only  re- 
sulted in  the  acquirement  by  him  of  a  comfortable 
competency  but  also  in  the  establishment  of  an  en- 
viable record  as  a  man  of  integrity,  ability  and 
public  spirit,  deserving  of  a  place  among  Snohom- 
ish county's  representative  pioneer  citizens. 


FRED  S.  BUCK,  president  of  the  Sultan  Log- 
ging Company  and  vice-president  of  the  Sultan 
Railway  &  Timber  Company,  together  constituting 
one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  its  kind  in 
Snohomish  county,  is  ranked  among  the  most  suc- 
cessful young  lumbermen  of  Puget  sound,  and  his 
record  gives  ample  proof  that  he  is  justly  entitled 
to  such  a  place.  He  is  distinctly  a  self  made  man. 
as  that  term  is  commonly  applied,  who  has  gained 
his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  lumber  business  by 
actual  experience  in  every  department  since  boy- 
hood, supplemented  by  naturally  progressive  ideas. 

As  is  true  of  so  many  of  the  Pacific  Northwest's 
lumbermen,  Fred  S.  Buck  is  a  native  of  the  great 
peninsula  of  Michigan.  He  was  born  on  a  Kent 
county  farm,  August  5,  1873,  the  son  of  Eli  S.  and 
Eva  (Jacox)  Buck.  The  elder  Buck,  now  living 
in  retirement  near  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  is 
likewise  a  native  son  of  that  state  to  which  his 
father  came  from  New  York  in  the  early  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century  and  hewed  out  a  farm 
among  the  vast  pineries.  Eli  S.  also  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  during  his  earlier  years,  but 
later  took  up  the  master  industry  of  that  region  and 
operated  extensively  along  the  shores  of  Lake 
Michigan,  attaining  prominence  as  a  business  man. 
When  only  seventeen  years  old  he  responded  to 
his  country's  call  to  arms,  enlisting  in  the  Sixth 
INfichigan  Cavalry  and  serving  until  no  longer 
needed.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  review,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eva  Jacox 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


and  was  born  in  Indiana.  When  a  mere  child  she 
was  brought  to  Michigan  b\-  her  parents  and  there 
married  and  Hved  imtil  her  death  in  1902. 

Fred  S.  Buck  was  educated  in  the  pubhc 
schools  of  Kent  County,  Michigan.  Upon  his  grad- 
uation from  the  High  school  at  Grand  Rapids,  it 
was  but  natural  that  he  should  join  his  father  in 
the  lumber  business,  which  he  did,  going  to  the 
camps  at  Charlevoix.  There  he  remained  until 
1895,  mastering  the  many  details  of  the  industry 
and  taking  his  share  of  hard  knocks  along  with  the 
rest  of  the  men.  Hard  times  caught  the  firm  that 
year,  forcing  a  suspension  of  business  and  even- 
tually the  temporary  abandonment  of  it  by  the 
young  man.  He  saw  an  opening  in  the  dairv  busi- 
ness in  Kent  county  and  soon  established  a  retail 
and  wholesale  trade  of  no  mean  proportions  which 
occupied  his  attention  until  1899.  His  health  failed 
him  at  this  period  as  a  result  of  which  he  deter- 
mined to  seek  it  in  the  balmy  climate  of  the  I'acihc 
Northwest.  A  trip  to  Washington  satisfied  him 
that  he  need  go  no  further  and  so  impressed  was 
he  with  the  opportunities  offered  by  the  lumber 
industry  that  he  forthwith  located  in  Snohomish 
county,  sold  his  dairy  farm  and  bought  a  shingle 
mill  at  Snohomish.  This  plant  he  operated  suc- 
cessfully four  years  at  the  same  time  maintaining 
bolt  and  logging  camps  on  the  Pilchuck  for  three 
years.  So  pronounced  is  the  difference  between 
methods  of  logging  in  Michigan  and  \Vashins:ton 
that  he  was  obliged  to  learn  much  of  the  business 
over  again  and  therefore  moved  slowly  and  con- 
servatively in  his  undertakings  until  his  grasp 
should  have  become  stronger.  Following  his  sale 
of  the  shingle  mill  and  withdrawal  from  operations 
on  the  Pilchuck,  Mr.  Buck  in  1903  organized  the 
companies  of  which  he  is  still  the  active  head. 
Large  tracts  of  timber  were  purchased  between 
Sultan  and  Monroe  and  with  eight  horses  and 
horses  for  yarding  he  commenced  logging.  A 
donkey  engine  was  soon  purchased  for  yard- 
ing purposes,  then  steel  was  laid  and  the 
hauling  was  done  by  locomotives.  The  busi- 
ness grew  rapidly,  demanding  better  equipment, 
and  finally  the  complete,  modern  plant  now 
in  use  was  installed.  Seven  miles  of  track,  extend- 
ing northward  from  the  Great  Northern  line  a  mile 
and  a  half  west  of  Sultan,  are  now  used,  equipped 
with  a  locomotive  and  cars,  in  addition  to  which 
four  donkey  engines  are  used  as  yarders.  The 
camp  is  situated  at  the  railroad  junction.  One 
hundred  men  are  employed  in  all  departments  and 
a  monthly  average  of  two  million  five  hundred 
thousand  feet  of  fir  and  cedar  is  maintained.  As- 
sociated with  Mr.  Buck  in  this  enterprise  is  the 
well  known  capitalist  of  Snohomish,  U.  K.  Loose, 
although  the  active  management  of  the  firm  is 
vested  in  Mr.  Buck,  who  resides  near  the  camps. 

At  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  May  G,  1903,  Miss 
Viola  McCrath,  the  daughter  of  Lyman  and  Eliza 


(Carroll)  McCrath  of  that  city,  and  Mr.  Buck 
were  united  in  marriage.  She  was  born  in  Kent 
county  also,  April  3,  1880,  and  received  her  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  that  community,  residing 
there  until  her  marriage.  Lyman  McCrath,  who 
with  his  wife  is  at  present  residing  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Buck  at  Sultan,  is  one  of  Michigan's  pioneer 
sons,  born  in  a  log  cabin  near  Grand  Rapids  in 
1842.  His  parents  came  to  Michigan  territory 
with  ox  teams  in  a  very  early  day.  Mr.  McCratli 
-.rved  during  the  Civil  War  in  Company  K,  First 
.Michigan  Engineers  and  Mechanics,  and  rose  to  a 
captaincy  before  the  conflict  closed.  After  the 
war  he  engaged  in  building  and  contracting,  his 
trade  being  that  of  a  mason,  and  was  thus  engaged 
for  the  most  part  during  his  residence  in  the  East. 
Airs.  Eliza  McCrath  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1848, 
crossed  the  ocean  when  a  little  child  and  was  only 
ten  \cnrs  of  age  when  Michigan  became  her  home. 
After  completing  her  e<hication  she  took  up  the 
I-irofession  of  teaching  and  followed  it  several  years 
before  her  marriage. 

Fraternally.  Mr.  Buck  is  afliliated  with  the  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Foresters,  and  the  Concatenated  Or- 
der of  Hoo-Hoos,  the  last  named  being  the  lum- 
bermen's fraternity.  Politically,  he  is  identified 
with  the  Republican  party.  As  a  capable,  thor- 
oughlv  trained  Inisiness  man,  possessed  of  marked 
executive  abilitv.  he  is  contributing  generously  to 
the  industrial  development  oi  the  sound  comitry, 
and  as  a  citizen  he  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
county's  strong  men. 


CARL  ARNDT,  one  of  Startup's  prosperous 
citizens,  was  born  in  Prussia,  November  30,  1855. 
His  parents,  Carl  and  Carolina  Arndt,  were  both  of 
German  nativity.  The  father,  born  in  1832,  immi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  early  life,  availing 
himself  of  the  larger  .ippDrtiinities  afforded  by  this 
countrv.  He  was  residing  in  Minnesota  at  the  time 
of  his' death,  in  the  spring  of  1905.  The  mother 
was  born  in  1833,  and  is  still  living.  Of  a  family 
of  seven  children,  Carl  Arndt  is  the  third.  He 
was  thirteen  years  old  when  his  parents  founded  a 
a  home  in  the  LTnited  States,  and  from  that  time 
till  he  reached  his  majority  he  remained  with  them. 
.After  working  for  some  time  in  the  woods  of  Min- 
nesota he  went  to  western  Iowa,  returning  home, 
however,  at  the  end  of  a  year.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  the  work  of  the  farm  for  the  following 
twelve  months,  and  then  secured  a  position  in  a 
brewery  at  Lansing,  Iowa.  Si.x  months  later  he 
gave  up  this  work  to  engage  in  fishing  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  and  was  thus  employed  for  a  year, 
during  which,  through  the  trickery  of  his  partner, 
he  lost  $1,500.  Moving  to  New  Albin,  Iowa,  he 
opened  a  saloon,  owning  it  for  two  years,  when  on 
account  of  the  enforcement  of  Prohibition  measures 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


lie  was  obliged  to  go  out  of  business.  Deciding  to 
locate  in  the  northwest,  he  came  to  Seattle,  working 
in  a  saw-mill  to  earn  sufficient  means  to  bring  his 
family  from  Iowa.  A  year  later  he  sent  for  his 
wife  and  children,  and  on  their  arrival,  settled  on 
the  homestead  he  had  previously  taken  up  as  a 
squatter's  claim.  For  the  first  }car  all  his  sujiplies 
were  brought  over  a  trail  from  Snulmnush  to  Sul- 
tan, and  packed  thence  on  his  hack,  the  trip  iiccu])y- 
ing  a  full  day.  In  1889,  a  year  after  .\lr.  Anidt 
took  lip  his  residence  in  this  locality,  a  store  antl 
post  'iffice  were  opened.  .\s  his  land  was  all  densely 
liPiliered  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  work  out  in 
ilie  wiHids  and  mines  i'lr  several  years  to  support 
liis  family.  (  )f  his  original  Idd  acres  he  now  has 
twenty-five  in  excellent  cultivation,  and  fift}'  more 
in  pasture.  He  has  a  fine  orchard  covering  one  and 
one-half  acres.  The  remainder  nf  his  land  he  de- 
■\'otes  almost  exclusively  to  dairying  and  stock  rais- 
ing. In  1900  he  opened  a  salrum  in  Startup,  leav- 
ing his  family  on  the  ranch  which  is  situated  a  mile 
from  town.  In  a  few  months  his  place  of  business 
^^•as  burned  out.  but  he  soon  opened  the  "Wallace." 
of  which  he  is  still  the  iM-dprietm-. 

Mr.  Arndt  was  married  June  ■?.  1880.  to  Pau- 
lina Raughter.  who  was  huni  in  P>rownsville.  '\l\n- 
nesota.  May  0,  18,">9.  Her  parents.  Jacob  and  Min- 
nie (Hankey)  T'.-uigliter.  were  hnth  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  father  died  ^\-Ilen  she  was  a  year  old: 
the  mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .\rndt  have 
twelve  children.  ;\lrs.  I'.crtha  ("iiddings  and  Mrs. 
:V[innie  Lane,  of  Startup;  William.  Carl  Jr.,  Alfred. 
Dora.  Rosie,  Arthiu-.  Hazel,  Pert.  Laura,  and  Lena. 
^Ir.  Arndt  is  a  memlier  of  the  Ea,gles  of  Everett. 
In  political  belief  he  ailheres  to  Democratic  princi- 
ples and  always  aids  the  party  in  every  possible 
way.  As  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  several 
years  he  has  rendered  the  cause  of  education  valu- 
able service.  He  assisted  in  erectin.g  the  first  school- 
house  in  the  town.  This  primitive  structure,  made 
of  cedar  shakes,  has  been  replaced  liy  a  substantial 
four-room  building,  modern  in  its  equipment.  ]\Ir. 
Arndt  and  his  family  are  identified  with  the  Luth- 
eran church.  In  addition  t^  his  ranch  he  has  ac- 
quired durin.g  his  residence  here  a  large  amount  of 
niinino-  property  tliat  he  is  de\  eli  >]iing.  Surrounded 
1\\  evidences  of  the  prosperit}-  that  is  his  today,  he 
recalls  the  time  when  his  home  was  destroyed  by 
fire  and  he  and  his  family  left  without  even  the 
necessary  amount  of  clothing  to  make  them  com- 
fortable. Previous  to  this,  during  the  financial  de- 
pression of  1893,  he  worked  for  twenty-five  cents 
a  day  to  purchase  a  sack  of  flour.  At  one  time  he 
and  his  family  subsisted  for  six  weeks  on  a  diet  of 
])otatoes  and  salt,  and  even  the  latter  article  was 
procured  on  credit.  Both  he  and  his  wife,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  white  women  to  settle  in  this 
locality,  were  endowed  by  nature  with  the  true 
]iioneer  spirit  that  makes  light  of  seeming  impossi- 
l^ilities  and  knows  no  defeat.    It  is  a  fitting  reward 


that  success  has  attended  their  efforts  in  these  re- 
cent vears. 


father 
to  mil 
pinnee 

Luther  D. 

ois  in  18:i: 
•s  of  that  s 

Gunn 

.  an.l 

hi.   wi 
tive  0 

fe.  Lmeran 
\'ermont, 

c\-    1  L 
celeb 

ding  anniversary 
has  passed  his  nin 

Xi-ve 
etv-rtr 

\ears 
b.  is 

lis    iunior. 
he  ohiest. 

<  )t   t 
He   s 

AMOS  D.  GUNN,  well  known  throughout  the 
county  as  the  founder  of  Index,  Washington,  was 
born  in  Putnam  county,  Illinois,  May  14,  1843.  His 
.  moved  from  Massachusetts 
bec'ime  one  of  the  honored 
lure  they  still  live.  He  and 
iillins)  Gunn  who  is  a  na- 
)iated  their  sixty-fifth  wed- 
■inl)er  14,  1894.  Mr.  Gunn 
•si  birthday;  bis  wife  is  eight 
their  fifteen  children,  Amos 
secured  lii^  ediiration  in  the 
comnuin  schnols  of  his  native  state,  and  remained  at 
home  till  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  when  the  Civil 
War  broke  out.  luilisting  in  Co.  H,  Twentieth 
Illinois  regiment  he  served  a  few  months  and  was 
then  discharged  on  account  of  ill  health.  After  his 
recovery  he  re-enlisted  in  1864,  becoming  a  member 
of  Company  B,  139  Illinois  re.giment.  .\fter  the 
war  he  located  at  Fort  Smith,  Kansas,  and  there 
held  the  office  of  deputy  post  master  a  year.  Having 
decid.ed  to  engage  "in  agricultural  pursuits  he  then 
moved  to  Iowa,  and  was  thus  employed  for  the  en- 
suing nine  years,  during  which  he  also  embarked  in 
the  hardware  business.  The  well  remembered  panic 
of  1873  caused  him  heavy  losses,  which  together 
with  the  nervous  strain  shattered  his  health.  It 
was  at  this  time  that  he  made  his  first  visit  to 
^^"ashino■ton,  and  located  a  claim  where  Oaksdale  is 
now  Iniilt.  He  held  this  property  for  a  .short  time 
only,  as  he  then  returned  to  Kansas,  farming  there 
for  twelve  years.  His  permanent  residence  in  the 
northwest  dates  from  ]\Iarch  24,  ls9(i,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Washington.  A  month  later  he  purchased 
a  squatter's  claim  oh  the  present  site  of  Index,  that 
had  been  taken  up  as  a  homestead  previous  to  that 
time,  but  which  on  account  of  Northern  Pacific 
niilroad  claims  had  again  to  be  filed  on  as  a  placer 
claim.  The  town  ot  Wallace,  situated  twelve  miles 
away,  was  the  nearest  supply  point  at  that  time. 
Two  years  later  ^Ir.  Gunn  platted  his  land  as  the 
townsite  of  Index,  and  thus  became  identified  with 
the  earliest  history  of  the  town.  He  was  appointed 
post  master  in  1891,  when,  largely  through  his  in- 
fluence, the  town  secured  an  office.  For  several 
years  he  brought  the  mail  from  Wallace  on  pack 
horses.  In  1898  the  first  mineral  claims  were  lo- 
cated in  this  district,  and  the  year  following  wit- 
nessed a  rapid  increase  in  the  valuation  of  property. 
Mr.  Gunn  took  advantage  of  this,  disposing  of_  a 
portion  of  his  land  while  the  excitement  was  at  its 
height.  There  are  several  developed  claims  in  this 
region,  several  of  which  are  being  worked  at  the 
present  time,  including  the  Copper  Bell  and  Ethel. 

Mr.  Gunn  and  Perses  E.  Graves  were  united  in 
marriage  in  February,  18GS.     Mrs.  Ginin,  a  native 


1112 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


of  Illinois,  was  known  and  loved  by  a  wide  circle 
of  acquaintances  and  friends.  Her  death  in  1898 
was  a  profound  sorrow  to  the  community.  Of  the 
eleven  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gunn,  the  six 
still  living  are  as  follows:  Mrs.  Nettie  Doolittle, 
and  Mrs.  Stella  Van  Vechten,  of  Index ;  Mrs.  Car- 
rie Hagath,  of  Monte  Cristo;  Mrs.  Lena  Schull. 
of  Seattle;  Luther  C,  a  civil  engineer  in  British 
Columbia ;  Perses,  the  post  mistress  in  Index.  Mr. 
Gunn  is  prominent  in  fraternal  circles,  being  iden- 
tified with  the  Masons,  Elks  and  Redmen.  Politi- 
cally, he  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party,  and 
for  many  years  was  very  active  in  county  afifairs. 
As  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  town,  his 
influence  is  always  sought  in  the  advancement  of 
every  public  enterprise,  and  his  judgment  highly 
valued  by  his  fellow  townsmen.  His  property  hold- 
ings are  extensive,  embracing  a  large  share  of  the 
original  townsite  in  addition  to  his  beautiful  home. 


HENRY  E.  BAITINGER,  of  the  mercantile 
fiim  of  Baitinger  &  Ulrich  of  Index,  Washington, 
is  one  of  the  representative  business  men  of  the 
town.  His  birth  occurred  in  Stearns  county,  Min- 
nesota, September  30,  1871.  John  Baitinger,  his 
father,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  who  immigrated 
with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  in  the  early 
"forties,"  finding  a  home  in  Minnesota.  He  still 
resides  there,  and  after  farming  for  many  years 
has  now,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three,  retired  from 
active  work.  Frederika  (Jaeger)  Baitinger,  the 
mother,  also  born  in  Germany,  recently  passed  her 
sixty-ninth  birthday.  Henry  E.  Baitinger  received 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
state.  He  was  but  fourteen  years  old  when,  from 
choice,  he  began  supporting  himself,  being  em- 
ployed as  clerk  in  a  general  store  in  Paynesville. 
Minnesota,  and  later,  in  Hutchison,  a  town  in  the 
same  state.  Locating  in  Eureka,  South  Dakota, 
eight  years  later,  he  spent  the  following  two  years 
as  manager  of  the  store  owned  by  W.  F.  Krinke. 
and  then  removed  to  Putney,  South  Dakota,  where 
he  engaged  in  general  merchandise  business  for 
himself.  After  three  years'  residence  there  he  dis- 
posed of  his  interests,  and  came  to  Washington, 
opening  a  commission  house  at  Everett,  He  soon 
found,  however,  that  the  town  was  not  of  sufficient 
size  at  that  time  to  make  this  business  successful. 
and  therefore  sold  out  at  the  end  of  nine  months. 
Deciding  that  Index  ofifered  an  excellent  opening 
for  a  wide  awake  business  man,  he  moved  here, 
and  became  owner  of  the  store  previously  belonging 
to  Air.  Rogers.  Thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the 
departments  of  the  enterprise  by  reason  of  his  lone 
years  of  experience,  he  has  built  up  a  splendid 
business,  and  is  now  reaping  the  reward  for  his 
clo.se  attention  to  details  and  his  strict  adherence 
to  uoriHit  principles.  Store  rooms  covering  nearly 
one-fourth  of  a  block  are  required  to  accommodate 


his  large  stock  of  merchandise,  all  of  which  is  care- 
fully selected  and  up  to  date.  Associated  with  him 
in  the  business  is  W.  F.  Ulrich,  also  a  man  of 
practical  ability. 

Mr.  Baitinger  was  married  November  18,  1892^ 
to  Martha  Schultz,  of  Minnesota,  daughter  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  John  Schultz,  natives  of  Germany.  Mrs. 
Baitinger  was  born  November  5,  1872.  Her  parents 
reside  in  Everett,  Washington.  Five  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union,  Hildegard  V.,  Wallace  W.. 
Firman  V.,  Qinton  W.,  and  Bernice  B.  Mr. 
Baitinger  votes  the  Republican  ticket  and  upholds 
the  party  in  every  way,  but  has  never  sought  office 
or  cared  to  devote  his  attention  to  political  matters. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baitinger  are  held  in  the  highest  es- 
teem by  the  entire  community.  The  latter  is  a 
prominent  meiuber  of  the  German  Evangelical 
church.  Although  still  a  young  man,  Mr.  Baitinger 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  the  town,  holding  a  position  of  influ- 
ence among  his  fellow  citizens  that  many  an  older 
man  might  covet. 


CLIFFORD  R.  REDDING.  Among  the  young 
men  of  Index,  Washington,  who  have  achieved  an- 
enviable  success,  stands  the  one  whose  name 
initiates  this  biography,  Clifford  R.  Redding,  the 
well  known  druggist  and  assayer.  He  was  born 
in  Niles,  Michigan,  March  1,  1876.  His  father. 
Frank  M.  Redding,  a  tinner  by  trade,  was  also  a 
native  of  Michigan,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  May 
4,  184(5,  and  his  death  January  19,  1878.  The 
mother.  Elmira  (Robinson)  Redding,  is  a  native  of 
Ov.ensville,  Ohio.  Five  years  after  the  death  of 
her  husband  she  moved  to  Edgar,  Clay  county. 
Nebraska,  and  there  her  son  grew  to  manhood,, 
acquiring  his  education  in  the  schools  of  that  local- 
ity. She  recently  passed  her  sixty-first  birthday, 
leaving  been  born  September  G,  1844.  The  thrift, 
industry  and  manliness  that  characterize  him  today 
were  early  manifested  by  Cliliford  Redding,  who- 
when  a  mere  boy  of  nine  spent  his  vacations  work- 
ing in  stores  and  offices  that  he  might  contribute  to 
the  support  of  his  mother  and  thus  lighten  her  bur- 
dens. All  his  leisure  hours  were  employed  in  study- 
ing chemistry,  and  so  diligently  did  he  improve  the 
time  that  after  being  graduated  from  the  high  school 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  immediately  accepted  the 
position  of  assistant  chemist  at  Omaha,  Nebraska, 
tendered  him  by  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  Three 
years  later  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Omaha  and 
Grant  Smelting  Compan}-  as  chief  chemist,  remain- 
ing one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  resigned. 
Locating  in  Index,  Washington,  in  1898,  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  L.  Bilodeau,  and  opened  an  as- 
say office.  At  the  end  of  a  year  he  purchased  his 
partner's  iriterest  in  the  business,  and  also  the  drug 
store  formerly  owned  by  Isaac  Korn,  both  of  which 
have  engaged  his  attention  since  that  time.     Until 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


a  year  ago  he  had  entire  charge  of  the  assaying 
for  all  the  mining  companies  of  this  district,  in  ad- 
dition to  much  outside  work  for  other  camps.  Mr. 
Redding  also  represents  the  Pacific  Coast  Oregon 
Sampling  Company  of  San  Francisco,  at  the  smel- 
ter at  Everett.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  charter  member 
of  the  Tillicum  Tribe,  Number  68,  of  Redmen  at 
Index,  holding  the  honored  position  of  chief  of  rec- 
ords. He  enjoys  the  confidence  and  goodwill  of  all 
his  associates  in  business  and  social  circles,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  popular  young  men  of  the  town. 


SYLVESTER  SMITH,  the  well  known  lum- 
berman of  the  upper  Skykomish  valley,  operating  the 
large  combination  saw  and  shingle  mill  at  Index 
under  the  name  of  the  Smith  Lumber  Company,  is 
prominently  connected  with  the  master  industry  of 
Snohomish  county.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  near 
St.  Joseph,  Michigan,  March  2,  1860.  Wesley  Smith, 
the  father,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  his  death  in  1877.  Upon  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  he  attempted  to  enlist 
but  was  rejected  by  the  recruit  officers.  Margaret 
(Doolittle)  Smith,  his  wife,  the  mother  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review,  was  a  native  of  New  York; 
she  passed  away  in  Michigan  in  1902. 

Sylvester  Smith  received  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  his  community,  remaining  at  home 
until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he  Ijought  a 
farm  in  Berring  county  and  commenced  farming  on 
his  own  account.  A  year  and  a  half  later,  how- 
ever, he  determined  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  Paci- 
fic Northwest,  so  came  to  Washington,  reaching 
Seattle  in  the  spring  of  1889,  while  this  common- 
wealth was  yet  a  territory.  Shortly  afterward  he 
took  a  pre-emption  claim  in  the  Pilchuck  valley 
near  Machias,  where  he  spent  the  succeeding  two 
years,  following  which  he  engaged  in  logging  on  the 
Stillaguamish  near  Granite  Falls.  Two  years  latei 
he  removed  his  camps  to  Tolt  on  the  Snoqualmic, 
where  he  operated  three  years,  then  he  operated  on 
Frenchy  slough,  a  tributary  of  the  Snohomish  river, 
three  years,  at  the  end  of  this  period  returning  to 
Machias  and  erecting  a  shingle  mill  three  miles 
southeast  of  town.  This  was  in  March,  1901.  This 
plant  contained  a  single  block  hand  machine.  By 
good  management  Mr.  Smith  prospered.  Reaching 
out  for  a  better  location,  he  came  to  Index  in  1903 
and  established  his  present  mills,  acquiring  also  con- 
siderable tributary  timber  land.  The  saw-mill  has 
a  capacity  of  40,000  feet,  the  shingle  mill  a  capacity 
of  30,000  shingle  a  day,  in  addition  to  which  a 
large  quantity  of  dressed  lumber  is  handled.  The 
equipment  is  modern  and  complete,  including  among 
other  things  an  electric  lighting  plant  of  sufficient 
size  to  furnish  the  town  of  Index  with  light.  The 
logging  arrangements  are  also  quite  complete,  two 
donkey  engines  being  in  use  and  the  timber  being 


brought  directly  to  the  mills  by  means  of  cables. 
Between  forty-five  and  fifty  men  are  employed  the 
year  around  in  this  establishment  which  certainly 
makes  a  generous  contribution  to  the  prosperity  of 
Index  and  the  county  generally.  Mr.  Smith  has 
certainly  attained  to  a  business  success  in  which  any 
man  might  well  take  pride. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  Bertha  Rose  Mathews,  the 
daughter  of  James  M.  and  Rose  (VanSky)  Ma- 
thews, to  Mr.  Smith  was  solemnized  September  20, 
1905.  Her  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1850,  coming  of  good  American  stock.  In  1864  he 
went  to  the  war  at  the  tender  age  of  fourteen  as  a 
drummer  boy  for  the  Fifth  Wisconsin  Volunteers 
and  he  participated  in  the  bloody  battle  of  the  Wil- 
derness and  in  other  engagements.  After  the  war 
he  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  in  Minnesota 
until  1890,  when  he  brought  his  family  to  Puget 
sound.  Since  that  time  he  has  lived  in  both  Snoho- 
mish and  King  counties  and  is  at  present  farming 
near  Machias.  Mrs.  Mathews,  who  is  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch  extraction,  was  born  in  the  Badger 
state  in  1859.  Her  people  came  west  to  Wisconsin 
in  1859,  becoming  early  pioneers  of  that  state. 
They  had  come  originally  from  Virginia.  While 
living  on  the  southern  frontier  her  father's  uncles, 
aunts  and  grandmother  were  massacred  by  the 
Cherokees  and  his  mother,  father,  himself  and  a 
young  brother  were  compelled  to  remain  hidden 
three  days  and  nights  in  a  hollow  beach  log  to  es- 
cape a  similar  fate.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  at  Eagle 
Lake,  Minnesota,  March  5,  1877.  She  received  her 
education  in  that  state  and  Washington,  and  later 
took  up  music  teaching,  a  profession  in  which  she 
was  successfully  engaged  till  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage. Fraternally,  Mr.  Smith  is  an  Odd  Fellow, 
belonging  to  the  Encampment  and  also  to  the  Re- 
bekahs,  of  which  latter  order  his  wife  is  also  a 
member.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican  of  liberal 
views.  For  the  past  fifteen  years  or  more  he  has 
taken  an  active  and  substantial  part  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  county  of  which  he  is  now  a  citizen, 
winning  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  classes.  He 
is  essentially  a  self-made  man,  with  the  courage,  re- 
sourcefulness and  strength  which  come  from  fierce 
and  prolonged-  battling  with  opposing  forces. 


O.  O.  ROWLAND,  of  the  McAllister-Rowland 
Copper  Mining  Company,  Incorporated,  owning  and 
operating  half  a  dozen  important  groups  in  the  In- 
dex and  Silver  creek  districts,  including  the  cele- 
brated Ethel  mine  and  mill,  and  also  associated  with 
W.  J.  McAllister  of  this  company  in  the  construc- 
tion of  an  electric  railway  from  Index  to  Mineral 
City,  an  account  of  which  is  given  elsewhere  in  this 
volume,  is  among  Snohomish  county's  most  aggres- 
sive and  far  seeing  business  men.  During  his  short 
residence  here  he  has  entered  into  vast  undertakings; 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


with  a  confidence  and  an  enthusiasm  that  have 
awakened  a  new  interest  in  mining  circles,  and  he 
is  engaged  in  the  actual  execution  of  these  enter- 
prises. 

Born  in  Lane  county,  Oregon,  July  26,  1862, 
Mr.  Rowland  is  one  of  the  Northwest's  native  sons 
and  a  descendant  of  one  of  Oregon's  oldest  fami- 
lies. Lowrey  Benton  Rowland,  the  father,  went  to 
Iowa  from  his  eastern  birthplace  about  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  and  in  1852  joined  the  little 
band  of  immigrants  that  wended  its  uncertain  way 
with  ox  teams  across  the  plains  and  mountain  ranges 
into  the  far-ofif  Willamette  valley,  selecting  as  his 
new  western  home  a  donation  claim  near  Eugene, 
Lane  county.  He  served  successively  as  a  soldier 
in  the  historic  Rogue  River  Indian  War  and  in  the 
Yakima  War  of  1855-6,  and  on  all  occasions  arose 
to  the  responsibilities  and  sacrifices  of  frontier  life. 
A  man  of  broad  abilities,  a  stockman,  farmer,  and 
merchant  in  turn,  he  was  active  in  the  business  and 
social  life  of  his  community  until  advancing  years 
forced  him  into  retirement.  He  is  still  living  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six,  Eugene  being  his  home.  His 
wife,  the  mother  of  O.  O.  Rowland,  came  from  Iowa 
to  Oregon  with  her  parents  in  the  same  train  with 
Mr.  Rowland ;  they  were  married  near  Eugene.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  McCall,  and  is 
still  living  at  the  age  of  sixty. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  reared  in  Mon- 
mouth, Polk  county,  to  which  his  parents  removed 
when  he  was  seven  years  old,  and  there  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  the  Christian 
College,  now  the  Oregon  State  Normal.  He  had 
prepared  himself  to  take  up  surveying  and  civil  en- 
gineering, so  upon  graduation  from  college  in  1881 
iie  readily  obtained  a  position  with  the  O.  R.  &  N. 
R.  R.  Company.  From  that  road  he  went  to  assist 
in  surveying  the  main  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
through  Washington  Territory,  giving  this  work 
three  seasons.  He  then  spent  a  similar  period  with 
the  Southern  Pacific  in  engineering  work  with  head- 
quarters at  Portland,  a  season  with  the  Oregon  Paci- 
fic working  between  Yaquina  Bay  and  Corvallis, 
and  a  year  with  the  Hunt  system  in  southern  Wash- 
ington, at  the  end  of  this  extended  railroad  work 
settling  down  to  a  general  practice  in  Washington. 
Since  1891  he  has  followed  his  profession  in  this 
state  with  headquarters  either  at  Seattle  or  New 
Whatcom  (now  Bcllingham).  However  during 
this  time  he  has  visited  southern  Oregon,  eastern 
Oregon  and  Idaho  as  a  mining  engineer,  thus  fitting 
liimself  for  the  work  he  has  recently  undertaken. 
For  five  years  past  his  headquarters  have  been  in 
the  Alaska  building,  Seattle,  though  at  present  he 
is  established  in  Index.  The  Ethel  shipped  its  first 
carload  of  concentrates  March  13,  1906,  and  is  be- 
ing operated  steadily  by  the  McAllister-Rowland 
Company  as  lessees,  and  the  exploitation  of  the  other 
proj^rties  has  already  been  commenced. 

Mr.  Rowland  and  Miss  Nettie  Darneille  of  Lane 


county,  Oregon,  were  united  in  marriage  June  30, 
1897.  She,  too,  is  a  native  of  Oregon,  born  in  Lane 
county  in  1880,  the  daughter  of  early  pioneers  of 
the  Northwest.  Isaac  Darneille,  her  father,  came 
to  Oregon  with  the  senior  Rowland,  and  is  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  near  Eugene.  Mrs.  Dar- 
neille bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hill,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Judge  Hill,  one  of  Oregon's  earliest 
judges.  She  was  an  infant  when  brought  across 
the  plains.  Her  death  occurred  in  1892.  Mr.  and 
Airs.  Rowland  are  the  parents  of  two  children  :  Jesse 
Emmett,  born  in  the  historic  Florence  mining  basin, 
central  Idaho,  September  8,  1900 ;  and  Edward 
Theodore,  torn  in  Seattle,  October  2,  1903.  The 
family  liome  is  still  maintained  in  Seattle.  Politi- 
cally, Mr.  Rowland  is  a  Republican  of  liberal  views, 
though  in  these  matters  as  in  general  business  af- 
fairs, he  is  broad  minded.  As  one  of  its  native  sons, 
Mr.  Rowland  is  familiar  by  experience  with  the  his- 
tory of  this  section  of  the  Union  during  practically 
the  entire  period  of  its  wonderful  growth,  and  has 
himself  taken  an  active  part  in  its  development.  Mr. 
Rowland  has  been  accorded  a  welcome  into  Snoho- 
mish mining  circles  as  a  man  of  experience,  initiative 
abilities  and  a  business  man  of  energy. 


PHILIP  HINGSTON,  of  Index,  treasurer  and 
general  manager  of  the  New  York-Seattle  Copper 
Mining  Company,  Incorporated,  operating  the  most 
extensively  developed  property  in  the  well  known 
Silver  Creek  mining  district  of  Snohomish  county, 
is  among  the  younger  leaders  in  the  industrial  prog- 
ress of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  has  been  asso- 
ciated with  the  interests  of  the  Silver  creek  district 
for  the  past  five  years,  engaged  continuously  on  the 
New  York-Seattle  mine,  and  in  that  time  he  has 
become  most  favorably  known  in  his  profession  and 
as  a  public  spirited  citizen. 

JNIr.  Kingston  was  born  in  Huron  county,  On- 
tario, April  25,  1874,  the  son  of  Thomas  L.  and 
Sarah  (Cardiff)  Hingston,  both  of  whom  also  were 
born  in  Ontario.  The  elder  Hingston  removed  to 
Manitoba  in  1881,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
that  northwestern  frontier,  and  there  engaging  ex- 
tensively in  wheat  raising  which  business  he  fol- 
lowed until  his  retirement.  At  one  time  his  farm 
consisted  of  960  acres.  He  is  still  living  near 
Winnipeg  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years.  Mrs.  Sarah 
Hingston  is  also  living,  aged  fifty-six.  She  is  the 
mother  of  five  children  of  whom  Philip  is  the  oldest. 
He  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  secured  his  educa- 
tion as  best  he  could  in  a  frontier  school,  situated 
eight  miles  from  his  home  and  in  session  only  four 
months  each  year. 

Four  years  of  this  sort  of  schooling  in  addition 
to  what  he  could  pick  up  in  his  home  constituted 
the  educational  equipment  of  the  young  man  when 
he  entered  a  machine  shop  as  an  apprentice  at  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


1115 


age  of  eighteen.  Two  years  and  a  half  later  he  left 
the  shop  at  Brussels  for  Niagara  Falls,  New  York 
state,  and  after  working  there  a  short  time  he  went 
to  Toledo,  Ohio.  Later  he  entered  the  Westing- 
house  Electrical  Works  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania, 
and  after  spending  two  years  in  the  employ  of  that 
celebrated  firm  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Stan- 
ley Electric  Company  in  Fittsfield,  Massachusetts. 
In  the  meantime,  with  commendable  ambition  and 
perseverance,  he  had  resumed  his  studies  at  night 
school  and  had  supplemented  his  practical  work  in 
the  shops  by  a  thorough  course  in  engineering.  Thus, 
when  he  came  to  Snohomish  county,  in  April,  1900, 
as  one  of  the  owners  and  officers  of  the  New  York- 
Seattle  Company,  he  was  well  fitted  to  undertake 
the  engineering  problems  immediately  presented  to 
him  for  solution.  The  property  consists  of  sixteen 
claims  adjoining  the  Mineral  City  town  site.  At 
that  time  it  was  scarcely  more  than  a  prospect,  sit- 
uated in  an  extremely  rough  country,  and  there  be- 
ing no  roads,  the  task  of  installing  a  plant  was  an 
arduous  one  from  the  beginning,  but  at  present  the 
mine  is  equipped  with  a  small  saw-mill,  a  complete 
compressor  plant  operated  by  waterpower  from 
which  may  be  developed  500  horsepower,  and  the 
various  shops  and  residence  buildings  necessary  to 
the  working  of  such  a  property.  The  company  is 
at  the  present  writing  calling  for  bids  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  200-ton  concentrator  during  the  summer 
of  190G.  A  railroad  is  projected  by  private  capital 
into  the  Silver  Creek  district,  upon  which  road  it 
is  expected  work  will  be  commenced  at  once.  When 
completed  it  will  afford  excellent  shipping  facilities 
to  this  and  other  mines  in  the  vicinity.  The  ore 
bodies  of  the  New  York-Seattle  group  of  claims  are 
large,  lying  in  five  parallel  leads,  and  carrying  chal- 
copyrite  with  some  gold.  In  passing  it  may  be  said 
that  the  owners  of  this  mine  have  steadily  adhered 
to  the  policy  of  development  on  an  extended  scale 
rather  than  to  the  construction  of  expensive  outside 
works,  indicating  a  gratifying  conservatism. 

The  m.arriage  of  Mr.  Kingston  and  Miss  Agnes 
M.  Curtin,  daughter  of  Thomas  H.  Curtin,  was  sol- 
emnized at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  November  16, 
1904.  Her  father  came  of  Colonial  American  stock 
and  w^as  born  in  New  York  state.  He  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  woolen  mills  at  Utica  until  his  death 
in  188G  at  the  age  of  thirty-six.  Mrs.  Curtin,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  E.  Dunn,  was  born 
in  Ireland  in  1853,  was  brought  to  America  when  a 
child  by  her  parents,  and  is  now  living  in  Pittsfield. 
Mrs.  Hingston  was  born  at  Utica,  New  York,  May 
15,  187fi,  but  was  reared  and  educated  principally 
in  the  Old  Bay  state.  Upon  her  graduation  from 
high  school  she  took  up  stenography  as  an  occupa- 
tion and  was  so  engaged  until  her  marriage.  Fra- 
ternally, Mr.  Hingston  is  affiliated  with  the  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Masons,  his  home  Masonic  lodge 
being  the  celebrated  one  at  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts, 
which   has   no  number   and   with    which   many    of 


America's  famous  men  have  been  connected.  Mr. 
Hingston  is  a  successful  young  business  man  of 
increasing  prominence  in  the  community,  command- 
ing the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  associates. 


THOMAS  McINTYRE,  one  of  the  leading 
mine  operators  in  the  Index  district  of  Snohomish 
county,  has  been  prominently  identified  wath  the  de- 
velopment of  that  district  for  many  years  past.  He 
is  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Buckeye  Copper  Com- 
pany, whose  sixteen  claims  lie  five  miles  south  of 
the  town  of  Index  and  within  a  mile  of  the  Skyko- 
mish  river  and  the  Great  Northern  Railway.  For- 
merly this  was  the  Index-Independent  Consolidated 
mine  and  from  it  some  rich  shipments  of  ore  have 
been  made.  In  fact  the  ore  was  awarded  a  bronze 
medal  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition  in  1904,  for  the 
copper  and  silver  contained  in  it.  Copper  glance 
and  bornite  are  the  predominating  copper  deposits. 
Fully  1,500  feet  of  development  w^ork  has  been  done 
and  two  of  the  eight  ledges  have  already  been  cross- 
cut by  tunnel.  Under  the  superintend'ency  of  Mr. 
Mclntyre,  who  is  also  one  of  the  heaviest  stock- 
holders of  the  company,  three  eight  hour  shifts  are 
now  at  work. 

Mr.  Mclntyre  is  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
born  in  the  west  portion  November  9,  1858.  His 
father,  Dennis  J.  Mclntyre,  a  butcher  Hy  trade,  died 
in  1877  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 
The  mother,  Mary  (Woods)  Mclntyre,  was  also  a 
native  of  Ireland.  At  the  early  age  of  sixteen  the 
young  man  left  the  family  roof  tree  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world,  after  having  obtained  a  fair  edu- 
cation. Leaving  his  native  land,  he  crossed  the 
ocean  to  Boston  where  he  secured  employment  in  a 
store.  A  year  later  he  went  to  New  Hampshire  to 
drive  tip  carts  in  grading  roads,  and  thence  accepted 
employment  in  the  great  paper  store  of  Bradner  & 
Smith,  Chicago.  After  a  year  and  a  half  with  that 
firm  he  went  south  to  New  Orleans  and  engaged  in 
steamboating  on  the  Mississippi  river  for  a  year, 
returning  in"  1880  to  Chicago.  From  St.  Paul,  Min- 
nesota, he  shortly  shipped  to  Bismarck,  Dakota,  to 
assist  in  the  construction  of  the  Northern  Pacific 
across  the  continent,  staying  with  this  work  until 
the  great  project  was  completed.  He  was  present 
at  the  driving  of  the  golden  spike  at  Gold  creek, 
Montana,  in  September,  1883,  by  President  Grant, 
Henry  Villiard  and  other  notables.  Mr.  Mclntyre 
then  came  to  Seattle,  going  thence  back  to  Timber- 
line,  Montana,  where  he  had  charge  of  the  tracks 
in  the  coal  mines  for  some  time.  In  1882,  he  had 
joined  the  rush  to  the  mines  at  Cook  City,  being 
among  the  first  to  reach  the  diggings.  From  Tim- 
berline  he  attended  another  mining  excitement,  this 
time  going  to  the  Castle  Mountains.  After  this  trip 
he  returned  to  Washington  Territory  and  worked  as 
foreman  on  the  eastern  end  of  the  projected  Seattle, 


1116 


SNOHOMISH  COUNTY 


Lake  Shore  &  Eastern  railway,  then  held  the  same 
position  on  the  Lewiston  branch  of  the  Northern 
Pacific,  and  following  this  acted  as  foreman  in  the 
construction  of  the  Wallace  branch  of  the  same 
road.  Easton  was  his  home  during  the  next  two 
years.  He  arrived  at  Index  in  July,  1893,  it  being 
then  a  mere  trading  post,  and  this  has  since  been  his 
home  though  he  has  mined  and  followed  railroad 
work  in  various  parts  of  the  Northwest.  In  1894  he 
went  to  British  Columbia  on  a  prospecting  tour  and 
was  gone  two  years.  Again  he  spent  several  years 
in  the  Monte  Cristo  district,  all  of  which  prepared 
him  for  the  important  work  he  has  now  undertaken. 
He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  whole  western 
slope  of  the  Cascades  in  Washington,  having  pros- 
pected, mined,  hunted  and  fished  over  much  of  it 
during  his  long  residence  on  the  Sound.  Of  the  three 
oldest  settlers  at  Index  at  present  he  is  one,  the 
others  being  Amos  D.  Gunn  and  Fred  C.  Doolittle. 

Mr.  Mclntyre  was  united  in  marriage  December 
26,  1893,  to  Miss  Annie  AIcRee,  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, born  March  25,  1864.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  David  McRee,  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and 
one  of  its  planters.  He  was  born  in  1826,  and  passed 
away  in  1893.  He  went  to  Tennessee  as  one  of  its 
earliest  pioneers  and  came  to  Washington  in  1887, 
settling  at  Snohomish.  He  served  during  the  Civil 
War  on  the  southern  side.  Mrs.  McRee  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Levina  McAdoo,  and  was  also  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  her  people  having  been  wealthy 
southern  planters,  of  colonial  stock.  She  passed 
away  when  Mrs.  Mclntyre  was  but  a  year  and  a 
half  of  age.  Mrs.  Mclntyre  was  educated  and 
reared  in  eastern  Tennessee.  Two  of  her  brothers 
came  to  Snohomish  county  with  the  family  and 
were  pioneers  of  Index.  David  McRee  came  to  In- 
dex in  December,  1890,  among  the  first,  and  took  a 
homestead.  He  was  killed  at  the  Index  mine  in 
1897.  Adolphus  McRee  arrived  the  year  after  his 
brother.  He  was  drowned  in  the  Skykomish  river 
in  November,  1897,  while  taking  a  canoe  load  of 
ore  across. 

Mr.  Mclntyre  is  affiliated  with  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  Rebekahs,  his  wife  belonging  to  the  latter,  the 
Red  Men,  and  Knights  of  Columbus.  Politically, 
although  a  believer  in  Democratic  principles,  he  is 
liberal,  and  is  a  supporter  of  President  Roosevelt. 
Both  himself  and  wife  belong  to  the  Catholic  church. 
The  Mclntyre  home  at  Index  is  one  of  the  finest 
residences  in  the  community  and  is  filled  with  an 
atmosphere  of  genuine  western  and  southern  hospi- 
tality. Mr.  Mclntyre  is  accorded  the  position  of 
being  one  of  the  substantial  mining  men  of  the 
county,  a  public  spirited  citizen  and  a  leader  in  his 
community. 


FRED  C.  DOOLITTLE,  one  of  the  influential 
citizens  of  Index,  Washington,  was  born  in  Lynn 
county,  Kansas,  December,  IG,  1868.     His  father, 


Samuel  R.  Doolittle,  born  in  1837,  is  a  native  of 
New  York.  Going  to  Kansas  as  colonel  of  the 
Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry  regiment,  in  the  Civil  War, 
he  became  a  well  known  pioneer  of  that  state.  He 
is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  in  Kansas. 
The  mother,  ]\Iell  (  Thomluson)  Doolittle,  is  a  Mis- 
sourian,  the  place  of  her  birth  being  Warrensburg. 
She  is  the  mother  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  save 
the  second,  Fred  C,  are  residents  of  Kansas.  Mr. 
Doolittle  received  his  early  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  state,  supplementing  this 
training  by  a  course  in  the  State  Agricultural  Col- 
lege. Having  completed  his  education  he  taught  for 
two  years  in  Kansas,  prior  to  coming  west  in  1890. 
He  first  located  in  Snohomish,  Washington,  arriv- 
ing there  on  the  fifth  of  July,  and  remaining  till  his 
marriage  in  the  fall  of  that  year  when  he  came  to 
Index.  He  and  his  bride  took  their  wedding  trip 
on  horseback,  that  being  the  only  way  to  reach  their 
destination.  Only  one  other  family,  that  of  his 
father-in-law,  Amos  D.  Gunn,  had  found  a  home  in 
this  lonely  spot.  The  following  winter  he  spent  in 
running  a  pack  train  to  the  mines,  and  during  the 
next  year  took  up  a  homestead  which  he  later  sold. 
After  working  at  whatever  he  could  find  to  do 
until  1900,  he  took  up  the  draying  and  express 
business,  and  is  still  thus  engaged.  By  careful  in- 
vestment he  has  acquired  300  city  lots,  and  devotes 
a  portion  of  his  time  to  real  estate  dealings. 

Mr.  Doolittle  and  Henrietta  Gunn  were  married 
November  4,  1890.  Mrs.  Doolittle,  a  native  of 
Iowa,  is  the  daughter  of  Amos  D.  and  Perses  E. 
(Graves)  Gunn,  distinguished  pioneers  of  Index, 
a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  history. 
The  father  was  born  in  Putnam  county,  Illinois, 
Mav  14,  1843.  He  is  a  well  known  veteran  of  the 
Civ'il  War,  having  served  in  the  20th  and  139th  Illi- 
nois regiments.  Coming  to  Washington  in  1890, 
he  took  up  the  present  site  of  Index  as  a  squatter's 
claim.  Two  years  later  he  platted  the  town,  and  is 
thus  known  as  the  "father  of  Index."  The  mother, 
also  born  in  Illinois,  died  in  Index  in  1898,  after  a 
long,  useful  life.  Airs.  Doolittle  is  the  eldest  of 
eleven  children,  six  of  whom  are  still  living.  The 
seven  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doolittle  are 
as  follows:  Hazel,  Ruth,  Blanche,  Nell,  Bessie, 
Luther  (deceased),  and  Dorothy.  Mr.  Doolittle  is 
a  popular  member  of  the  ]\Iodern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  the  Redmen.  He  is  prominent  in  the 
councils  of  the  Republican  party ;  held  the  office  of 
deputy  sherifif  for  three  years,  and  is  now  one  of 
the  most  active  members  of  the  Republican  Central 
Committee,  one  whose  loyalty  and  devotion  to  the 
highest  interests  of  the  party  are  unquestioned.  He 
and  his  family  attend  the  Congregational  church. 
By  reason  of  his  long  residence  in  Index  Mr.  Doo- 
little has  a  wide  circle  of  acquaintance,  and  enjoys 
the  unbounded  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who 
have  ever  been  associated  with  him  either  in  busi- 
ness or  social  relations. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


ANDREW  J.  MURPHY,  the  well  known  liquor 
dealer  of  Index,  Washington,  was  born  in  Arena, 
Wisconsin,  January  1,  1864.  His  father.  John 
Murphy,  was  a  native  of  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  the 
date  of  his  birth  being  1856.  When  he  settled  in 
Arena,  Wisconsin,  the  nearest  railroad  was  at  ^lil- 
waukee.  a  distance  of  136  miles.  He  later  found 
a  home  in  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  died  there  in  lS9-i. 
Margaret  (_ Sullivan)  IMurphy,  the  maternal  ances- 
tor, who  was  also  born  in  Lynn,  is  still  living  in 
Sioux  City,  aged  sixty-eight.  Andrew  J.  Murphy  is 
the  third  child  of  a  family  of  seven.  After  at- 
tending the  common  schools  he  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  the  normal  school  at  Madison,  Wisconsin, 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  started  out  for  himself. 
He  was  employed  by  a  stone  contractor  in  Eau 
Claire,  Wisconsin,  for  two  years,  when  he  decided 
to  take  up  railroading.  Going  to  Aberdeen,  South 
Dakota,*  he  secured  a  position  as  fireman  on  the 
Chicago.  ^Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  road,  discharging 
his  dlities  in  such  a  satisfactory  manner  that  at'  the 
end  of  two  years  he  was  promoted  to  the  right  hand 
side  of  the  cab.  Four  years  later  he  resigned  this 
coveted  place,  migrating  to  Washington,  in  the  fall 
of  1889.  After  spending  the  winter  visiting  various 
portions  of  the  Sound  country,  he  settled  in  Fair- 
haven  in  the  spring,  and  opened  a  restaurant  which 
he  owned  for  a  year.  He  then  engaged  in  the  ice 
business  in  Fairliaven,  Sehome  and  Whatcom,  and 
was  at  that  time  the  only  dealer  in  ice  on  Bellingham 
Bay.  Two  years  later  the  old  longing  for  the  road 
took  possession  of  him,  and,  disposing  of  his  busi- 
ness  interests,   he   went   to   Great   Falls,   Montana. 


Entering  the  employ  of  the  Great  Northern  railroad 
as  engineer,  he  was  assigned  to  the  Seattle  e.xtension 
of  the  road,  running  an  engine  on  it  for  nearly 
three  years.  During  the  last  two  years  his  route 
embraced  the  switchback  on  the  Cascades.  Again 
abandoning  the  road,  he  opened  a  hotel  at  Sultan 
which  was  then  enjoying  a  boom,  and  in  the  ensuing 
seven  years  by  wise  investments  acquired  a  large 
amount  of  real  estate  of  which  he  is  still  the  owner. 
Wishing  to  locate  in  Everett  he  sold  his  hotel,  and 
moved  thence,  becoming  the  owner  and  proprietor 
of  the  Fashion  saloon  and  lodging  house.  He  was 
thus  employed  until  July  26,  1905,  at  which  time  he 
sold  out,  fully  intending  to  go  to  Tonopah,  Nevada. 
A  brief  visit  to  Index,  Washington,  having  convinced 
him  that  here  was  an  excellent  opening,  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  the  town,  and  opened  a  saloon.  He 
has  thus  far  had  no  occasion  to  regret  his  decision. 
Mr.  Murphy  was  married  in  November,  1893, 
to  Bertha  ]\Iann,  raised  in  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin, 
born  in  IMuskegon,  Alichigan,  April  14,  1874.  In 
188T  she  moved  to  Snohomish  with  her  parents, 
George  and  Annie  Mann,  pioneers  of  Snohomish 
countV-  Her  father  died  in  November,  1899;  the 
mother  still  lives  in  Sultan.  Mr.  IMurphy  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Eagles,  Aerie  No.  13,  of 
Everett,  Washington,  and  also  of  the  Foresters  of 
America.  In  political  belief,  he  is  independent,  pre- 
ferring to  identify  himself  with  no  political  party. 
The  Catholic  faith  claims  him  as  an  adherent.  He 
is  a  keen,  practical  business  man,  whose 
present  financial  standing  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts. 


AUG   81  1908 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 


Jr-^