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INTRODUCTION TO ELMER CITY
Elmer City was originally plated on a portion of Elmer Seaton's homestead purchased by W. H. Starkey from Mrs. Seaton in the fall of 1933, after Mr. Seaton's death. At the time of the sale, mr. Starkey made a verbal agreement with Mrs. Seaton to which he faithfully adhered -- that insofar as possible the town would be developed as a normal residential community suitable for family life.
ELMER CITY FORMERLY ELMERTON
Elmer City is located two miles north of Coulee Dam. It was originally called Elmerton, but in 1939 was renamed Elmer City. It was platted in 1933-1934; a well was drilled; lots were laid out and sold; and water lines were laid. These were usually frozen during the winter, necessitating hauling water in milk or garbage cans from the spring in Koontzville which is about a mile farther north. New water systems were laid later on. electricity was not brought in until 1935 when a line was built north from M.W.A.K., contractors for the base of the dam. The Nespelem Valley electric Co-op was formed in 1944 or 1945 and took over the electric service.
The Bill beery house on Front Street, on the property now owned by Samuel Rey, was the first house in town. It was built on skids, as were most of the first houses, and was moved in from Coulee Dam in October, 1934. At that time Dewey Paisley was building his home now occupied by LeeRoy Minkes. Andy Graham came about the same time. Royal Rohland, who graded the streets, Wm. Belou, and Clayton Walker came a little later.
The first store in the entire area in 1933 was the Trading Post. It was on wheels and was given much publicity as the "Biggest Little Store by a Damsite". It was owned by E. A. Betz and Wm. Rosholt of Almira and was first located near where the Green Hut stood. Later it was moved to Grand Coulee. When John Michaud started running the store at Thanksgiving in 1934, it was moved to Elmerton.
In 1935 Michaud had lumber hauled in from North of Spokane for his new store building. His was the first business in town except for Starkey's Real Estate Office. The new store was built on the southwest corner of Williams and Seaton Streets. Starkey's office was across the street to the north and had living quarters in the back of the building. The night before the store was opened Mr. Michaud hired an orchestra and gave a big dance in the empty store building. A big crowd attended. After it was over, Mr. Michaud and several other men spent the rest of the night moving in his equipment and stock from the little Trading Post. He was ready for business in the new Trading Post the next morning, much to the surprise of the residents of the town.
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The winter of 1935 was so cold that the river froze over.
At first school was a problem. The children had to be taken care of by the Nespelem District. Members of the community thought it too hard on the younger children to travel this distance and decided to do something about it. They gave entertainments, had basket socials, and donated labor to build a two-room building in 1935 for the four lower grades. The upper grades still attended at Nespelem. The lumber for the school was purchased from M.W.A.K. at quite a savings. In 1936 and 1937 they added two more rooms with the social room below. The School House thus became the social center of the town. In 1942 the part of the Nespelem School District which is south of Belvedere was consolidated with the Coulee Dam Schools. The upper grades then attended in Coulee Dam and the lower grades continued to attend here until 1949 when the school was closed. Mrs. Elmer (Eunice) Seaton and Miss Mary Lou Wayman, who is now Mrs. Jack Stuart of Elk, Washington, were the first teachers.
In 1935 J. M. Koontz bought about 100 acres of Indian Land from Wilson Joe. The Indian land was opened for sale for just one year. Wilson Joe and Antoine Francis were drowned when attempting to string a telephone cable for the Indian Agency across the Columbia River at about the point where the Standard Oil plant now stands.
Mr. Koontz's first subdivision was in 1937 -- The Elmerton East Shore Tracts -- which were west of the highway along the river. Four other subdivisions were added to it later. L. M. Kinder built the first house in the Koontz Additions. It was located on the lot just west of Bill Ford's private drive. It was moved out a number of years ago. Mr. Kinder developed and ran a golf course near his home for two or three years. The first business house in the Koontz Addition was the garage and service station owned by W. J. Bennett. It was on the southeast corner of Third and River Drive.
In 1943, the 35 or 40 acres which comprised the Coulee Dam Co-op Tracts lying to the north of the original townsite were bought by J. M. Koontz. Water was pumped from the river for irrigation and the town supplied water for household use. Many nice homes have been built there. Many fruit trees as well as shade trees were planted. When the Third Powerhouse construction started, water could no longer be pumped from the river for irrigation so the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation drilled a well for the irrigation water.
Early mail service to Elmerton was by Star Route from Almira or Nespelem. Many residents picked up their mail in Coulee Dam after the west side post office was built. This building now houses the Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union.
The town felt the need for a post office but the Post Office Department refused to grant an office until the name of the town was changed. Elmerton was similar to Elberton, Washington, which already had a post office, and
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confusion would result. The name of elmer City was chosen and the post office was opened June 19, 1939. It was on the northeast corner of River Drive and Third. After the completion of the new highway it was moved to the Tillman Store Building which was also moved to its present location. A new post office building was built on Front Street and went into service in November, 1968. The present postmistress is Rosalie Scallon who took office on January 2, 1976. She is the daughter of Bill and Betty Beery, the first ones to move a house into Elmerton.
On April 4, 1947, Elmer City became an incorporated town including the original platt, the Koontz Additions and the Coulee Dam Acre Tracts. The first mayor was Albert Kelso. Council members were: John Michaud, Evelyn Keaton, Boyd Hanna, Ralph Sanders and M. W. Wendorf. Alfred M. Link was secretary and Eva Ford was Treasurer. Later the offices of secretary and treasurer were combined. With the coming of incorporation, came many improvements such as blacktop streets, better street lighting and a town marshall. The Schoolhouse became the City Hall after it was no longer needed for a school.
One of the serious problems of the early days was the danger of fire. A volunteer fire department had been formed by 1937 or 1938. In the fall of 1945 the present fire district was formed, and a truck was purchased in 1948. The District is on a volunteer basis, but the fire hazards have been greatly reduced by the improvement in the construction of houses and better heating systems. enforcing the law of not burning weeds and rubbish during the summer has also helped to cut down the number of fires.
Up until the early 1960s the fire truck was housed in the basement of the City Hall. Then a new fire house was started on the property formerly occupied by the Trading Post. It has been growing as needed. This summer it is again being enlarged to house our newest truck which is an Army 4x4 with a 130 gallon tank and pump. It will be used for grass fires, as it can be driven off the roads. The other two fire trucks we have are a 1960 Dodge and a 1956 G.M.C. A pole for a second siren was set in June 1973 in the north part of town on land donated by Flora Brim, so that all volunteers could hear the sirens. Since that summer the fire calls are made into the Federal Guard office in Coulee Dam by telephone and they sound the sirens. The fire department pays the telephone company for this 24 hour service, for it takes a special telephone line to the sirens.
The main money making project of the fire department has long been its famous Pancake Suppers. They outgrew our City Hall and have been held for some time at the Coulee Dam City Hall. Don't miss them!!
Telephone service in the early construction days was by a farmer line owned by J. M. Koontz, and extended as far north as Koontzville. Only a very few people had telephones until the Pacific Northwest Bell Company built
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their lines in 1948. The first lines were 10 party lines. Later on, private and 2-party and 4-party lines were available.
The Elmer City Commercial Club which was formed March 3, 1944, was a rebirth of a similar group which had functioned earlier. Mr. J. W. roeschlaub was elected first president, Mrs. W. I. Mason, vice president, and Eva Ford, secretary-treasurer. A Board of governors was also elected. This Club was very active up to the fall of 1955. It was a source of community social life as well as civic improvements such as street markers, regular garbage disposal, county roads and the imcorporation of the town. They sponsored the Boy Scout troop. About 100 maple trees were planted along Third, Seaton, and Williams Streets. A very few of these trees remain in 1976, but many of the ones made available for residents at low cost are making good shade now. The annual Christmas parties and the Easter Egg Hunts were sponsored by the group besides a number of dances. Funds were donated to the Apple Blossom Festival Princesses for a number of years.
The tennis courts on the southeast corner of Williams and Seaton Streets were sponsored by the club. The land was given by Otis Tillman. They were surveyed, leveled off, and the retaining wall poured in the fall of 1949. The courts wee poured in 1950 and 1951 by donated labor. Money was raised by giving dances on the courts, a dinner, private donations and funds from the city. Nets and fencing were given by Coulee Dam when the old tennis courts were torn out at the time that the business section was rebuilt. Ice skating has been popular on the courts during the colder winters. In 1972 Douglas Wright, a local boy, as part of his scout work in Community Service did a great amount of work on the courts. His efforts made them ready for tennis again.
Our highest population was about 1950 when we reached the 596 mark. The contract to repair the "bucket" of the dam by Pacific Bridge brought in many new families.
The high water of 1948 was hard on the residents of the East Shore Tracts along the river. Later these homes were all removed due to the building of the Chief Joseph Dam.
A new well was drilled for the town high enough so there would be no danger of flooding after Chief Joseph Dam was built. The summer of 1975 saw some new water pipe put in the ground.
The announcement of the building of the Third Powerhouse at Grand Coulee Dam in 1966, and the awarding of the first contract in June 1967 brought many new residents into the whole area. Grandview Village Trailer Court was built south of town by A. W. Hart. Since then he has added some business space for a beauty shop and small store. The Michauds built a trailer park across
________________________The tennis courts on the southeast corner of Williams and Seaton Streets were sponsored by the club. The land was given by Otis Tillman. They were surveyed, leveled off, and the retaining wall poured in the fall of 1949. The courts wee poured in 1950 and 1951 by donated labor. Money was raised by giving dances on the courts, a dinner, private donations and funds from the city. Nets and fencing were given by Coulee Dam when the old tennis courts were torn out at the time that the business section was rebuilt. Ice skating has been popular on the courts during the colder winters. In 1972 Douglas Wright, a local boy, as part of his scout work in Community Service did a great amount of work on the courts. His efforts made them ready for tennis again.
Our highest population was about 1950 when we reached the 596 mark. The contract to repair the "bucket" of the dam by Pacific Bridge brought in many new families.
The high water of 1948 was hard on the residents of the East Shore Tracts along the river. Later these homes were all removed due to the building of the Chief Joseph Dam.
A new well was drilled for the town high enough so there would be no danger of flooding after Chief Joseph Dam was built. The summer of 1975 saw some new water pipe put in the ground.
The announcement of the building of the Third Powerhouse at Grand Coulee Dam in 1966, and the awarding of the first contract in June 1967 brought many new residents into the whole area. Grandview Village Trailer Court was built south of town by A. W. Hart. Since then he has added some business space for a beauty shop and small store. The Michauds built a trailer park across
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the canyon in the south part of town. A number of new people bought property and brought in their moblile homes. Quite a number of new homes were built and others are under construction now. Several families remodeled and some added to their homes. Al Kelso in June of 1968 moved his apartments, which were in the "take area" in Coulee Dam, back to Elmer City where they had originally been built by Pacific Bridge.
With the influx of new families to the area Margaret Ford, the mayor's wife, with the help of other women gave a number of coffee hours for the new ladies so taht we might become acquainted. Out of these coffee hours grew the Echos Club which has an open membership of all ladies who live in our area. They became interested in getting drapes and painting the recreation room in City Hall. Work was also done in the kitchen, restrooms and in the old 3-4 grade room. Money making projects such as dinners, rummage sales, Tupperware parties were held to take care of the cost of the paint, etc.
In 1968 our River Park, owned and operated by the Army Corps of Engineers was dismantled to help make way for the hauling and dumping of dirt and rock from the down-river excavation to make way for the Third Powerhouse. This got underway in March of 1969. Asbury Contractors Inc. were to excavate some ten million cubic yards in less than a year. It was accomplished with Kenworth trucks that pulled pairs of Challenge-Cook bottom-dump trailers. Each had a 35 ton capacity and could tote 90 cubic yards of earth and rock. During the summer some trains had three trailers. The men worked in two 10-hour shifts. The bulldozers distributed and smothed the material dumped. Huge dump trucks were used later for the larger rocks. The fill extends several miles down stream from the town of Coulee Dam.
A new boat ramp was built to replace the one in River Park. It is just upriver from the old Barry-Steveson Ferry landing (between Seaton's Grove and Belvedere).
Losing the River Park started the echos to looking for a place for a new park. Through donation of money and labor they were able to buy the land and with the help of REA equipment and men they had a fir tree, conated by Mr. and Mrs. Jim Rice, planted in the triangle area opposite the shopping center. That Christmas it was lighted with more than 200 lights with the City of Elmer City providing the electricity.
In May of 1969, with the aid of Mayor Bill Ford and the U.S.B.R., the town was able to get sod. It was removed from a grassed area south of the dam to make a parking lot for visitors to the pumping plant and top of the dam. It was delivered to us by truck and many people of all ages
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turned out to put it in place. Before nightfall we had the triangle and the old school playground all in grass. Shortly after that Arnet Motteler bought and planted three oak trees in the triangle park. They are growing nicely now.
The "Rice" tree did not live very long and was replaced by another fir, which we believe was winter killed. It was replaced by a blue spruce planted by Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Prior and Mr. and Mrs. Bill ford in memory of their grandson, Dale Holmdahl. Other memorial trees have been planted. Mrs. Flora Brim, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Dunlap, and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Ayers planted two Jack Pines in memory of Mr. and Mrs. William Dunlap who were homesteaders in the area. Mr. and Mrs. Gene Dunlap planted a Ginkgo tree in memory of her father, Charles Brim. Another tree was planted this spring on Arbor Day. Shrubs and bushes have been planted by the city and the 4-H Clubs.
This spring the Eager Beavers 4-H Club planted a large 76 in red petunias on a background of ruffled white petunias, bordered by blue ruffled petunias on three sides. The display was very nice and was located on the northeast corner of the park facing the Texaco Service Station.
This summer the same 4-H Club, with a $200 grant from the Washington State 4-H Foundation, made possible by the Standard Oil Company of California and the town, have made a drinking fountain and steps in the triangle park. Concrete slabs for the picnic tables will soon be poured to complete this project. Weeding is another project which is always with them.
Another park area to the east of City Hall has been leveled and planted to grass. Some shrubs have been planted also. This summer horse shoe pits were added.
The 4-H Clubs a few years ago paneled and painted the north room of the City Hall. It makes a nice meeting room for them and it has been used by others also. Recent improvements in the City Hall have been the remodeling of the room to the west to make a modern office and council room. New lighting, insulation, ceiling and walls, paint, electric heat and a new carpet complete the room. The hallway has also been painted and carpeted. This has been made possible by the CETA Program.
For a long time many of the septic tanks, which replaced the original privies, have been causing trouble. A sewer system has been in the planning stage for quite a number of years. This summer Tony Russell and his crew have been busy laying the main lines of the new sewer system They have worked with the minimum of inconvenience as possible to the residents. The streets have been put back in shape, and there is still some work to be done, but it shouldn't be long before we can get our "hook-ups" ready to empty into the system.
The new Manila Creek Road, which connects Highway 155 a little north of Elmer City with the San Poil Highway No. 21 a little north of Keller Ferry was built in the summer of 1969.
The county road along the river was recently resurfaced. Due to slippage of the road, it has been resurveyed and it will be near the east part of the fill between Pryors and Peter Dan Creek.
At present Irving Seekins is Mayor; Doris Finch is City Clerk, and council members are Robert Carey, Charles Holm, Charles Giese, Jerry Stephens and Dewey Mills.
Presented by Mrs. Alfred Link
of Elmer City, Washington
Summer of 1976
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