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An illustrated history of Spokane county, Washington
"The pioneers, who have so long occupied the vanguard of civilization and who have been, all the time, on the skirmish or picket line in this march of progress, have completed their work as far as this continent is concerned.
The past, present and future are inseparable. The present is the fruit of the past and the seed of the future. It is an evidence of magnanimity of character to appreciate what past generations have bequeathed to us. To fail to acknowledge our obligation to the brave souls who lived to make the world better, and into whose labors we ha\c entered, is gross ingratitude.
Among our most sacred duties is the endeavor to present in historical form the dar- ing deeds, mighty struggles, heroic efforts and untold sacrifices of the pioneers of our country. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the noble pioneers of Spokane county. They came with hearts prepared for perils and privations. They saw the country in its virgin state, and the stupendous works of nature as they came from the hands of God. To conquer the wilderness and the Indian, whom they found in almost all his native wild- ness, and make for themselves homes, and prepare the way for others, was the great task they undertook to do. "They came, they saw, they conquered." The study of the records of the past prompts us to say "There were giants in those days," and as we contemplate upon their heroic deeds they excite our profound admiration. We would deem it a sin to fail to accord due recognition to the women, in whose unrecorded deeds we find the strongest evidences of courageous souls, ability of character, and unfailing devotion to God and duty. Without their courage, patience and fortitude, the Washington state and Spokane county of to-day would be impossible. The traveler of to-day, enjoying the luxuries of a palace car and speeding across the continent in four days, can hardly realize what it meant when it took six months, amid discomforts untold, to cover the same distance.
As we observe the waving grain, the trees laden with delicious fruit, and as we hear the hum of factories, the roar of blasting causing great upheavals, and as we view the busy market places, we can hardly imagine the conditions three decades ago. but we should bear in mind that the faithful ox team blazed the way for the palace car. and the axe of the frontiersman that felled the first trees to build the first log cabin prepared the way for the present palatial homes. The pioneers laid the foundations for the present civilization.
They prepared the way for the thousands that have followed. Through their daring and enterprise there was ushered in a new era, which has brought joy and prosperity to many. It is our duty to call them blessed, and strive to perpetuate their memories by transmitting to future generations a record of their heroic deeds. This is what we desire and aim to do through this volume, wherein, according to our means and opportunity, we present the important events in the history of the county, — the beginning, development, and present condition of things. We have conscientiously avoided indulging in eulogistic references, especially to the living, because we do not believe that to be the province of the historian. We have endeavored to be thoroughly impartial in the amount of space given. The inequality in this respect is to be ascribed to the willingness or unwillingness of people to give the necessary information. Some people act as if they had a patent on their knowledge, on which they put a high price. To those who have cheerfully aided us by giving, orally or by letters, facts and information of importance, we desire to express our sincere gratitude. They are too numerous to mention by name. We have taken great pains to examine all the papers available. The perusal of the files of the Spokane Times, and the Northwest Tribune, through the courtesy of F. H. Cook and G. F. Schorr, was of great value to us. We desire also to acknowledge our special indebtedness to the managers of the Spokesman-Review and the Chronicle, for access to their flies, without which this compilation would be impossible. In the specials of those papers we have found a great amount of historical material. Indeed, they contain quite a complete record of events and of the progress of the county and city. We have also found the city directories especially useful, and have availed ourselves of the result of the investigations made by their compilers. The literature prepared by the Chamber of Commerce and that compiled by the city clerk, Colonel L. F. Boyd, have been utilized. We are under special obligation to the officers and committee of the Spokane Society of Pioneers. The committee listened patiently for many hours, on seven different evenings, to the reading of the manuscript and gave many suggestions that have added greatly to the value of the book.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I.
Early History of Washington, or the Oregon Question 1
CHAPTER II.
Pioneer Missionaries 4
CHAPTER III.
Other Explorers and Writers 8
CHAPTER IV.
Whitman Mission at Wai-il-at-pu 10
CHAPTER V.
The Spokanes 12
CHAPTER VI.
First Missionaries to the Spokanes 17
CHAPTER VII.
Missionary Work Among the Spokanes 20
CHAPTER VIII.
The Genesis of American History in Washington 28
CHAPTER IX.
Settlement of Eastern Washington 30
CHAPTER X.
Indian Wars 31
CHAPTER XI.
The Inland Empire 38
CHAPTER XII.
Spokane Country 41
CHAPTER XIII.
Spokane County 44
CHAPTER XIV.
Spokane City — From First White Settlers to 1880 47
CHAPTER XV.
Spokane City, Continued — 1880 to 1893 55
CHAPTER XVI.
Spokane City, Continued — 1890 to 1900 64
CHAPTER XVII.
City Government 77
CHAPTER XVIII.
Spokane as a Commercial Center 98
CHAPTER XIX.
Spokane County Public Schools 118
CHAPTER XX.
The Public Schools of Spokane 126
CHAPTER XXI.
History of the Catholic Church
Introductory. - Missions of the Catholic Church in America.
Part 1.— The Catholic Church in Its Spiritual Work
Part 2. — The Catholic Church in Her Educational Work
Part 3. — Charitable Institutions 135
CHAPTER XXII.
History of the Protestant Churches is Spokane County 155
CHAPTER XXIII.
Other Religious and Moral Organizations of the County 182
CHAPTER XXIV.
Women's Organizations 191
CHAPTER XXV.
The Spokane Press 201
CHAPTER XXVI.
Fraternal Organizations 208
CHAPTER XXVII.
Trades Unions and Labor Organizations 240
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Philanthropic and Other Organizations 244
CHAPTER XXIX.
Miscellaneous Organizations and Institutions 247
CHAPTER XXX.
Towns and Settlements 268
CHAPTER XXXI.
Political History of Spokane County 289
CHAPTER XXXII.
Pioneer Reminiscences 292
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A brief sketch or resume of the "Oregon question" seems appropriate in a history of any section of the territory included in that discussion. Dr. Barrows calls it the "struggle for possession." No question has ever arisen, perhaps, that came so near precipitating a war between Great Britain and the United States without the actual conflict of arms. It was a question that included all points of international diplomacy and negotiation between the United States and Great Britain regarding title to the Northwest country, and pertained especially to the territory now included in the state of Washington, for the country north of the Columbia river was what Great Britain especially coveted.
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