________________________
________________________
162 (continued)
DOWNS
This village is one of the newest in Lincoln county. It is on the Great Northern railroad, fourteen miles west of Harrington, fifteen miles east of Odessa, and twenty-eight miles southwest of Davenport, the county seat. Although Downs was not established until early in 1902, it has gained a population of 200 people and has outstripped many of its older rivals. Its buildings are all new and substantial, and visitors to Downs are favorably impressed with its appearance. The remarkable growth of the town and the many public improvements which one sees here are the direct result of concerted action on the part of the citizens and all business men generally. It would be hard to find in the length and breadth of the Inland Empire a town of 200 inhabitants in which the business men are more energetic or more keenly alive to the interests of their home community.
In the summer of 1901 where now stands the town of Downs was the ranch of H. S. Amon. This land consisted of a sage-brush tract and scab rock was very much in evidence. A person journeying through this part of the country on the Great Northern train at that time would hardly predict that inside of a year a flourishing town would there make its appearance. But such was the case. It was during the trouble between the Great Northern officials and the Yarwood brothers, at Mohler, that it was decided by the railroad authorities to find a new location for side trackage and the
________________________
163
possible site for a new town. H. S. Anion quickly grasped the opportunities and offered the officials all the land needed for extra improvements free of charge, provided they would build their tracks at the present location of Downs. This was quickly done by the railroad company; side-tracks were extended and the station was named "Downs" in honor of the late assistant general superintendent, P. I. Downs, who with his only son, was killed near Nyack, Montana, in a railway wreck in August, 1901. Downs was platted January 14, 1902, by Howard S. Amon.
After the company had decided to establish the new station a town was quickly built. The first building erected was the Great Northern warehouse. Immediately after George Easson, one of the leading merchants 1 if Mohler, erected a store building at Downs and opened a general stock of merchandise, later selling the business to O'Connor & Sherman. A postoffice was established and George Easson was made postmaster. D. W. Dahl built a hotel building and was Downs' first landlord. The next business house was the Ivy saloon, conducted by Lee Watson. S. Page and J. Salvay built the first residences and they were soon followed by several others. The depot was completed in December, 1902. Other business enterprises that were soon started in the new town were one of the largest hardware stores in Lincoln county, by H. L.Amon, a restaurant by George Ingalls, and a blacksmith shop by M. Gallagher. The town was still very young when Mr. Amon sold the remaining townsite land to John O'Connor. The latter at once began a system of improvements. He established a lumber yard in the village that would be a credit to a large city, later selling it to Hansen Brothers. Mr. O'Connor and D. Sherman purchased George Easson's stock at Downs and Mohler, and erected a substantial store building, consolidating the two stores at Downs. Another addition to the town when it was in its infancy was a drug store by Dr. Freer.
For some time Mohler, two and one-half miles above Downs, was an important rival of the new town. But Downs had the backing of the railroad company. In the spring of 1903 the sidetracks at Mohler were taken up and the town which had incurred the enmity of the railroad capitulated. Some of the business houses and most of the business men came to Downs. During the autumn of 1902 there was organized what was known as the Downs Business Men's Association, an organization which has brought about practically all the improvements that have made the municipality the progressive city that it is. The officers selected to guide the operations of the association were Dr. F.N. Freer, president; T. O. Ramsland. secretary; and T. D. Slosson, treasurer. This organization is still in existence and doing everything in its power to advance the interest of the town. Among other things this business men's association accomplished during 1902 was the establishment and editing of the Downs Dispatch, the building of sidewalks throughout the town, and the bringing to Downs of a number of business enterprises. The succeeding year witnessed many more improvements. A system of water works was put in by John O'Conner, the townsite owner, at a cost of $8,000. The citizens desired a suitable school house and public funds not being available, three of Downs' energetic citizens, S. Page, D. C. Hansen and Frank Couples, erected a handsome building at a cost of $4,100, and took chances of being reimbursed later. To the credit of the voters be it said, that when the matter of voting bonds to pay for this building came to an issue, there was not one dissenting vote against issuing bonds to the amount of $3250, all that could at that period be legally voted. The school now has an enrollment of 78, and two teachers are employed. A local telephone exchange was established in April, 1903, and three separate barb wire telephone lines penetrate the country surrounding Downs. The Bank of Downs was another institution established in
________________________
164
the spring of 1903, through the efforts of the Business Men's Association. Total improvements for the year footed up $38,000. A Methodist Church is now being built at a cost of $1,700. There is a lodge of the M. W. A. and a brass band of seventeen pieces.
EDWALL
The first settler in the country of which the town of Edwall is the center was Peter Edwall, who came to the then uninhabitated country in 1881. He took up a ranch near the present site of the town that bears his name and engaged in farming. Sometime after Mr. Edwall settled here Mr. William Spence, of Medical Lake, homesteaded the land upon which was afterward built the town. This land was purchased by Mr. Edwall in 1887.
When the Great Northern Railway built through central Lincoln county the right of way crossed Mr. Edwall's land. Forty acres of this land he platted into a townsite which he named Edwall. The county records show that this filing of the plat was made May 19, 1892. The railroad erected a water tank and other buildings at the station. Friday night, December 7, 1893, occurred a disastrous wreck on the line of the Great Northern Railway at Edwall. Train No. 16 was standing at the water tank. Train No. 15, expecting a clear track, came along from the east and dashed into the standing train. Engineer Joseph Shinski and Fireman Wallace were instantly killed. When one hundred yards away Shinski saw the train standing in his way and whistled for "down brakes." It was too late. The two engines piled up and were thrown twenty feet from the track. Two oil cars were immediately behind the tender of No. 15. The oil caught fire and the wreck was soon in flames. Shinski's body was found under the wreck. The fire immediately surrounding him was extinguished and the body recovered, the upper part having been burned beyond recognition. Wallace's body was not scorched by the flames. The oil tanks burst and the fire consumed five cars.
Eye witnesses of this terrible accident say that when the oil cars took fire a terrible explosion followed, the flames shooting up nearly 200 feet. The blaze appeared to spread out over the sky, and for a few moments it appeared that the entire town was about to be enveloped by the consuming flames. Fortunately they spent themselves before reaching the ground. It was a lurid sight and resulted in the destruction of railroad property probably to exceed $50,000.
To the credit of the people in the Edwall country be it said the first building erected on the townsite was a church. A number of farmers had in 1893 settled in the vicinity, and these people raised money and erected a place of worship — a church of the Methodist (South) persuasion. The same year the first store building was built by a gentleman named Enlow, from Medical Lake. Owing to lack of funds Mr. Enlow did not complete this building, but disposed of his interest to Mr. Edwall. The latter finished the structure and the following year Messrs. Gill and Moffatt opened the first store in this building. This firm was the only business house in Edwall until the following year, when Lemly & Randall erected a building and engaged in the saloon business. In 1897 the second mercantile house was starred by Thomas Campbell. He came from Medical Lake with a stock of goods. Commencing with this year Edwall began to grow and its expansion since has been of a substantial nature. Today it is a town of about 275 inhabitants. It has a number of general merchandise stores, warehouses, bank, a newspaper, and many other business establishments. The Methodist (South), German Methodist, Catholic and Baptist churches have organizations, the three first named having church buildings. Fraternal organizations are represented by the Masons and the Woodmen of the World. Fifty scholars are enrolled in the public schools,
________________________
165
which employ two teachers. Edwall is on the main line of the Great Northern Railway, twenty miles east of Harrington, eighteen miles from Davenport and seventeen miles from Sprague.
Most of the land in the vicinity of Edwall is devoted to wheat raising. It is a volcanic ash and contains great strength and richness. It is in these fields that the great amounts of wheat are produced, the yield running from twenty to forty bushels to the acre. Many of those now farming here came into the country with little or nothing, and today these are the men of affluence. The whole of the country around the town is in a progressive condition, and the farm houses are among the best in the state. Among the prominent business houses are the Bank of Edwall, of which Mr. Frank Carpenter is cashier; the mercantile house of Gill & Company, doing an excellent business and the largest establishment of its kind in the town; the feed mill and creamery of S. P. Hay, which does an excellent business in the farming country thereabout; a hardware and implement house, a blacksmith and tonsorial artist and other enterprises, as well as a first-class hotel conducted by Butler Brothers.
MOSCOW
When the Great Northern Railroad Company built its line through Lincoln county in 1892, what were called "stations" were established at regular intervals along the line. At first these consisted generally of a sign-board upon which was painted the name of the station. One of these was Moscow, a few miles west of the other signboard called Edwall. In the summer of 1894 Moscow fell heir to something in the nature of a boom, principally through the efforts of Mr. Wells. A postoffice was established and Mr. Thomas Denson was made the government official there.
And yet this postoffice was destined to be of temporary benefit only. Owing to some difficulty between Postmaster Denson and the train postal clerks the office was discontinued. So near as the facts can be ascertained the trains were oftentimes irregular; the postmaster was not always on hand, and occasionally the mail pouch was thrown off either above or below the platform, where on several occasions it was permitted to remain over night. Thus the mail clerks and postmaster acquired the habit of reporting each other to departmental headquarters, until the officials finally tired of the constant friction and ordered the office discontinued. However, another office was subsequently established.
It was not until the autumn of 1898 that a townsite of Moscow was platted by Mr. N. S. Long. Settlers in the vicinity desired to make this place their shipping point and a small village made its appearance. December 4. 1903, the Lincoln County Times said:
"The townsite of Moscow was purchased a short time ago by F. W. Anderson, of Davenport, from John O'Connor, of Downs. The little city has taken on new life and promises to share the prosperity being enjoyed by the various towns throughout the county. A neat four-room school house has been erected; a new depot has been promised. The old school building will be remodeled and utilized as a church. A state bank will be started and a lumber yard, a hardware store and other enterprises will be added to the business portion of the town. What is now the main street of Moscow is to be abandoned to mercantile establishments and occupied by warehouses. Hereafter the main business street will run north and south, just west of the business center of the town."The population of Moscow is about 175.
________________________
________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment