Bancroft Works Collections – Page 5 of 7

Historic Churches of Washington

When the first American immigrants to Puget Sound arrived in 1845 at the head of Budd Inlet, they found the Methodist Mission at American Lake, near Nisqually, abandoned. The Catholics, however, still held their ground among the natives and H. B. Co.’s servants; and there was the mission church of St Francis Xavier at Cowlitz farm, and what was claimed, for preemption purposes, to be a chapel, on Whidbey Island. At Vancouver in 1840 the church of St James, begun the year previous, was completed, by which the Catholic Church subsequently endeavored to hold the town site of Vancouver, and … Read more

Growth of Washington Territory, Constitution Ratified

From 1880 to 1888 the progress made in Washington was phenomenal, and was felt in every direction in commerce, manufacture, banks, corporations, schools, growth of towns, improved styles of building, construction of railroads, mining, agriculture, and society. New towns had sprung up among the firs and cedars, the Puget Sound country, and out of the treeless prairies almost in a night; and hitherto unimportant villages had become cities with corporate governments, grand hotels, churches, colleges, and opera-houses. The board of trade of Tacoma in 1886 declared that “the commercial independence of Washington territory accompanying the completion of the direct line … Read more

Governor Stevens, Washington Legislature, Building a New State

Isaac Ingalls Stevens, the man who had been sent to organize the government of Washington, was one fitted by nature and education to impress himself upon the history of the country in a remarkable degree. He was born at Andover, Massachusetts, and educated in the military school of West Point, from which he graduated, in 1839, with the highest honors. He had charge for a few years of fortifications on the New England coast. He had been on the staff of General Scott in Mexico, and for four years previous to his appointment as governor of Washington had been an … Read more

Gold Discoveries and Town Making in Washington State

I have related in Oregon II how Colonel Wright was left in command of the department of Oregon when General Harney was invited to Washington upon a pretence of being needed to testify in the Oregon and Washington Indian war debt claims, in order to pacify the British minister and Governor Douglas by removing him from proximity to the San Juan island boundary-war ground; and also that General Scott recommended merging the military department of Oregon in that of the Pacific, with headquarters in San Francisco. In the latter part of 1860 this idea was carried out, and General E. … Read more

Gallatin County, Montana 1870-1888

Gallatin County, containing 10,000 square miles, was divided between the two valleys of the Gallatin and Yellowstone Rivers, and the Belt and Snowy ranges of mountains. The three forks of the Missouri met within its boundaries, making a remarkable and beautiful combination of river and meadow scenery with bench land and mountains. The basin formed by the Gallatin Valley, from the earliest settlement of eastern Montana, has been a favorite resort for home seekers with agricultural tastes. From its lesser altitude it is more generally productive than the country to the west, and became more thickly settled, having a population … Read more

Formation of Montana State Government

As this chapter is to deal with the formation of the state government of Montana, let us go back to 1884, in January of which year a constitutional convention was held at Helena, an act having been passed by the thirteenth session of the Montana legislature authorizing an election for delegates to be held in November 1883. The election took place, and the convention met, forming a constitution subject to acceptance or rejection by the qualified electors at the biennial election of 1884. The voting on adoption was light, the total vote being 7,197 less than the total for delegate … Read more

Fish and Fish Products of Washington

One of the great natural resources of western Washington which has been turned to account is the fish product, although as yet imperfectly understood or developed. The whale fishery is prosecuted only by the Indians of Cape Flattery and the gulf of Georgia. Among the species taken on the coast are the sperm whale, California gray, right whale, and sulphur-bottom. Up the strait of Fuca and in the gulf of Georgia humpbacks are numerous. Formerly the Indians took more whales than now, their attention being at present turned to seal hunting. With only their canoes and rude appliances the Makahs … Read more

First Settlements of Washington State

Attitude of The Hudson’s Bay Company-Michael T. Simmons and Associates Proceed Northward-Settle At Budd Inlet-Puget Sound-Highlands-Tumwater-Bush Prairie-Chambers Prairie -Neah Bay – Marriages and Births-The Indians Pronounce Against The White Man-Effect of California Gold Discovery -The Timber Trade-Towns Laid Oct-Whidbey Island Settled- Occupation of the Coast Country

First Senators and Representatives of Washington

These are the names of the first state senators, with their counties: Adams, Franklin, and Okanagan County, F. H. Luce Asotin and Garfield County, C. G. Austin Chehalis County, C. T. Wooding Clallam County, Jefferson, and San Juan, Henry Landes Clarke County, L. B. Clough Columbia County, H. H. Wolfe Cowlitz County, C. E. Forsythe Douglas and Yakima County, J. M. Snow Island and Skagit County, Thomas Paine King County, W. D. Wood, J. H. Jones, 0. D. Gilfoil, John R. Kinnear, W. V. Rinehart Kitsap and Mason County, W. H. Kneeland Kittitas County, E. T. Wilson Klickitat and Skamania … Read more

Farming in Washington

The total amount of land surveyed in Washington down to June was 15,959,17 out of the 44,796,160 acres constituting the area of the state. For many years the fortunate combination of soil and climate in eastern Washington, whereby all the cereals can be produced in the greatest abundance and of the highest excellence, was not understood. The first settlers in the Walla Walla Valley went there to raise cattle on the nutritious bunch grass, which gave their stock so round an appearance with such glossy hides and gold crusade carried thither merchants and settlers of another sort, arid it war … Read more

Early Settlers of Washington State

Of the three judicial districts into which Washington is divided, the first comprises the counties of Walla Walla, Whitman, Stevens, Spokane, Columbia, Yakima, Lincoln, Garfield, Kittitas, and Klikitat; the second, Skamania, Clarke, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Thurston, Lewis, Chehalis, and Mason; the third, Pierce, King, Snohomish, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap. Walla Walla County, in 1880 had an area of 1,600 square miles, a population of 6,212, and taxable property to the amount of $2,971,560. New Tacoma N. P. Coast, Feb. 1, 1880. Whitman County was established by setting off the southern portion of Stevens, Nov. 21, 1871. … Read more

Early settlers of Lewiston, Idaho

Ezra Bird, born in Schoharie County, N. Y., in 1839, came to California by sea in 1861, remaining in S. F. one year, when he removed to Idaho and engaged mining, express-carrying, and cattle raising. He was elected sheriff of Nez Percé County in 1873, serving 3 terms. He married Alice Odle in 1873. J. Clindinning, born in St Stephen’s, New Brunswick, in 1831, came to California overland in 1851, with a horse team, in company with H. H. Sloan, arriving at American Valley, Plumas County, in July. He mined in different localities for 3 years, when he settled at … Read more

Early Settlers of Lemhi Valley, Idaho

Alexander Barrack, born in Scotland in 1847, followed his brother to the U. S. in 1869, settling in Lemhi Valley the same year, and erecting a flouring mill in partnership with him in 1872, which property he later owned separately. From him I learn that the annual crop of wheat in the valley was 11,000 bushels. His mill ground 6,000 pounds per diem. Joseph Barrack, born in Scotland in 1844, migrated to the U. S. in 1859, and after two years spent in lumber manufacture in Illinois came to California across the plains with a horse-team, stopping but a few … Read more

Early Settlers of Boise and Boise Valley, Idaho

Calvin F. Bodfish, one of the pioneers of Ada County, was a native of Maine, whence he went to Australia in 1853, and thence to Cal. in 1858. He came to Idaho on the discovery of gold, and was one of the first settlers at Boise City. He was a member of the first Idaho legislature and was appointed assessor of internal revenue for the government. He died suddenly of apoplexy Nov. 7, l865, at the age of 43 years. Boise Statesman, Nov. 11, 1805. H. C. Crane, another physician of Boise City’s early days, was fatally stabbed by a … Read more

Early Settlement of Idaho

The early history of Idaho has already been given in the former volumes of this series; the modern history of Idaho properly begins with the discovery of the Boise mines, in August 1862, previous to which the movement for a new territory met with little favor. In the spring of 1863 there were four county organizations and ten mining towns, containing, with some outside population, about 20,000 inhabitants, all of whom, except a handful, had come from various parts of the Pacific coast and the western states within the two years following Pierce’s discovery of the Clearwater mines. The leader … Read more

Early Residents of Idaho County, Idaho

John Aram, born in Seneca, N. Y., in 1827, came with his brother Joseph to Cal. in 1850 by sea. He resided 5 years in San Jose, and 4 years in Amador County, Cal., after which he removed to Oregon in 1859, and to Grangeville, on Camas prairie, Idaho, in 1864. He married, in 1853, Sarah Barr, born in Wyoming County, N. Y., in 1831. Loyal P. Brown, born in Coos County, N. H., in 1829, came to Cal. by sea in 1849, the schooner Haunt Nut, of the Massasoit Company, bringing them to the Isthmus of Panama. Crossing on … Read more

Early Residents of Helena, Montana

Isaac D. McCutcheon, born in New York in 1840, removed to Mich, with his parents in 1846, and was there educated. He began teaching school at the age of 18 years, and continued to teach for 5 years, after which he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He practised his profession in Charlotte, Michigan, until 1882, when he was appointed secretary of Montana. He resigned in 1883 to return to the practice of the law. F. S. Witherbee, born in Flint, Michigan, in 1860, removed to Louisville, in 1873. He was educated for a physician, graduating … Read more

Early Residents of Great Falls, Montana

Paris Gibson came to Montana in 1879 to engage in sheep raising, and his consequent observations of the country led to his fortunate investment in land at the falls of the Missouri. I have no data concerning his previous life. Hon. H. P. Rolfe was born in Vermont in 1849, and educated there, choosing law for a profession. He came to Montana in 1876, and was for two years supt of public schools in Helena. During 1879 he was managing editor of the Butte Miner. He next removed to Fort Benton, where he practised law, but in 1884 located permanently … Read more

Early Residents of Butte, Montana

Among the prominent citizens of Butte is Dr E. D. Leavitt, a native of New Hampshire. He is a graduate of the Wesleyan University of Middletown, Connecticut, and Harvard Medical College. After passing three years in Colorado, beginning with the Pike’s Peak excitement of 1859, in 1862 he removed to Montana, where he has ever since resided, being now a permanent resident of Butte, and giving his sole attention to his large and increasing practice. In 1888 he was nominated by the republicans as delegate to congress. In 1888 he was elected president of the Medical association of Montana. During … Read more

Early Residents of Benton, Montana

Prominent among the citizens of Benton and Montana is John M. Boardman, a native of Illinois, where he was born on Dec. 2, 1855. He received a commercial training in the great wholesale house of Marshall, Field, & Co., of Chicago, where he held a responsible position for several years. In 1879 he removed to Montana, where he engaged in the cattle business in the vicinity of Fort Benton. In 1885 he merged his stock in the Milner Livestock Co., whose herds are among the largest in the state. As vice-president and manager of this company he has contributed largely … Read more