________________________
________________________
109
The Home
The first people who lived in the Big Bend managed to construct rather primitive dwellings built of small logs or poles, covered with a sod roof. Rocks were plentiful in the scabland coulees and they were used whenever possible. Some of the early "squatters" dug a hole in a hillside and lived there the first few months. Later, when a better dwelling was built, this dugout became their cellar.
Until the railroad came to Coulee City, lumber was hard to obtain and it had to be hauled from Badger Mountain, near Waterville, or from a mill up the Columbia at the mouth of the Spokane River. Most of the early buildings were of rough sawed lumber and of single box frame construction. This way a minimum of studding could be used. Single boards placed vertically formed the outside walls and batton boards of narrow width were placed over the cracks. Generally the outside was covered with tar paper, and the inside was wall-papered to keep out the wind and dust. There were two common types of roof styles, depending on the funds and ambition of the builder. Most of these early houses consisted of one or two rooms, and if a gable roof was
________________________
110
built, there was an upstairs or loft. Many of these shacks were of a temporary nature because the builder planned a better home when his farm started producing. Unfortunately, that day never came for many people who became discouraged and departed.
Water and fuel were real problems in this practically treeless land. The first settlers located near the natural supplies of water, even though the land was not of the best quality. late comers claimed better farm land, but most often they had to haul their supply of water in barrels. Often times people hand-dug wells which supplied water part of the year. Others built cisterns to catch rain and snow water. It was a lucky homesteader who had a good shallow well. Windmills were built to pump water from these wells.
Willows and other dead wood along the streams were used for fuel, both for cooking and heat, but as the land filled up, this supply did not last too long. The homesteader then used sagebrush that he grubbed out while clearing his land. He hauled it home and piled it up in large stacks for winter use. Sagebrush provided a quick hot fire, but burned rapidly, requiring constant stoking. It was a real credit to the pioneer housewife to prepare a meal on a cook stove using this fuel. 50
After the railroad came to Coulee City, a supply of wood and coal became available at a price. The Twining dry service sold wood for $5.00 per cord and coal at $7.50 per ton in the early 1900's. 51 It also sold ice that had been cut from a pond
____________
50 Interview with Harold Jensen, April, 1968.
51 Interview with Alf and Tom Twining, June, 1968.
________________________
111
and stored in an ice house in the winter. Farmers hauled a supply of fuel home after taking a wagon-load of wheat to town.
An account of the home of one of the homesteaders who arrived after 1900 is presented as follows:
Fifty-eight years ago my parents went from Colorado to Coulee City as newlyweds. They found an abundance of sagebrush, dust, saloons, and opportunity for those who were strong enough to overcome the hardships.The pioneer endured droughts, range fires, insects, wind, and heavy snows. Some gave up and left the land never to return; others lost the fight and were buried in lonely little cemeteries. Some persisted and eventually built prosperous farms and comfortable homes. This is true especially after 1906, with good times and prosperity until 1916. Most of the better homes in the area were built at this time or after the 1940's.
They took a homestead on the east side of the Grand Coulee and built a tar paper shack. With the determination of typical pioneer Americans, they lived there the required five years to claim their land. The years were lean, lonely, and sometimes frightening, because mountain lions came down out of the hills to prowl around and rattlesnakes were an every-day menace.
Water had to be carried from a spring a quarter of a mile from the house. Since my father had to hire out to put food on the table, my mother carried the water. I remember as a little girl that my parents pointed to a place on the opposite shore of the Columbia River, saying that one day there would be a dam across the water, and it would help make a garden in place of sagebrush. 52
The women deserve special mention for their courage and tenacity. Many a pioneer wife was left alone for weeks at a time with small children in a small cabin while her husband worked in the harvest field or on construction of one of the
____________
52 The Seattle Times, July 19, 1960, p. 30.
________________________
112
railroads to earn a little extra money. They nursed their children through accidents, illnesses, and diseases which many times took a heavy toll. Recreation or rest seldom came her way. Life was often a struggle for a bare existence under conditions of lonesome monotony and household drudgery. These women became weather worn and bent with hardship and service to their families. Yet, they raised strong and health children, many of whom have come into the full enjoyment of a prosperous life in the Big Bend, even though their parents did not.
These women were the stronger sex, as testified by the number who have outlived their husbands and even some of their children. An account of one of these Big Bend housewives is given in the Spokesman-Review:
Mary Pitts came to Coulee City in January of 1912, making the trip from Missouri on the train. . . . To her the 480 acres that her husband Carroll Pitts had purchased for $15,000 seemed vast and extensive compared to the farms she had seen in the East. Each ranch operation was larger than she had ever anticipated. But before too long the managing of the great acreage became mostly hers, for her husband delved into the buying and selling of mules and horses. He would leave in the morning expecting to be home at night but it would often be two or three weeks before his return. . . . Mary Pitts taught her sons how to work and Lee began driving eight mules on a plow at the age of 12. Oscar was only 8 and Ira and Van were younger. She was no slouch on the gang plow herself and she could handle the mules as well as a man. . . .
Many a time Mary watched her four sons turn the broad, black furrows around the fields, and each one with a gang plow and eight mules. . . . In spite of the number of new animals that were handled at the ranch there were few accidents.
One day, however, when Van was unhitching his mules, one gave him a nasty kick on the leg. A bone was broken and a sharp edge protruded through the flesh.
Miles away from any assistance, Mary had to be master of the situation. She called Oscar but he fainted at the sight of his brother's injury. She dragged Oscar into the shade, sent someone for a doctor and then tried to give Van what relief she could.
________________________
113
In spite of all the outdoor work Mary Pitts had to do, she often cooked as many as seven or eight meals a day. Ranch houses were far apart and eating places remote. Men looking for mules to buy were many at the ranch and no one ever left hungry, for she was a provident provider and excellent cook. 53Most of the people in the Big Bend raised 75 per cent of the food needs on the farm. Gardens were planted in the draws where moisture was available. Bugs and weeds were not a problem until the early 1900's. Food was canned and stored for the winter, but any surplus, such as potatoes and eggs, would be taken to town and sold or traded for staples. In hard times it was necessary for the men to work out to buy the things they could not produce. 54
Children often rode horseback five miles to school, and the fortunate ones were able to board in town and attend high school. Everyone seemed happy even though many did not know anything but hard work. Most of their neighbors lived the same way so there was no social class to live up to. 55
Generosity was almost a universal characteristic, as a man might not have much in the way of worldly goods, but he shared with his neighbors in a time of need. Misfortune to one family was regarded as a community affair, and everyone rallied around to help in any way they could.
Isolation made them value human companionship, but someone who was dishonest or could not be trusted soon found himself
____________
53 Spokesman-Review Inland Empire Magazine, October 19, 1958, p. 2.
54 Interview with Mr. and Mrs. Chris Jorgensen, July, 1968.
55 Interview with Fanny Gilbert, July, 1968.
________________________
114
without any friends and, in time, was ostracized completely. People worked hard and played hard. Entertainment was rare, so they made the most of any opportunity.
A dance at a country school was attended by settlers for many miles around and usually lasted all night. The children were bundled in coats and lap robes and left to sleep on school benches. Music was provided by Jews' harps, fiddles, banjos, and accordions. Sometimes refreshments were handy and the dance might result in a lively party, depending on the amount of liquor consumed. 56
Literaries, spell downs, debates, and other forms of recreation were held in the schoolhouse or church. one or both of these buildings served as a sort of community hall. Skating, sledding, and hay rides took place in winter. 57
Christmas and the Fourth of July were the big days of celebration. If possible, the children got new clothing for these events and the family went to town on the Fourth of July for the celebration. This included various races and contests of skill for youngsters. Horse racing was a favorite sport for the oldsters and bets would be placed on the outcome of the race. Dan Paul owned a favorite horse--Whitey--who won many races in Coulee City. Often the race track would be the long main street of town. The program for a typical Fourth of July celebration at Coulee City was outlined in the June 20, 1890 issue of the Coulee City News:
____________
56 Lewis, p. 16.
57 Interview with Tress Davis, July, 1968.
________________________
115
Big celebration planned for the 4th 1890. Mr. McEntee has cleaned up the grove grounds free of charge. . . . A basket dinner will be provided and a free railroad excursion from Spokane Falls. . . . Vocal and instrumental music is planned along with novelty races--wheel barrow, foot, sack, blind fold, pony, mule and greased pig. A prize will be given to the winner of each race. . . . Baseball game with Almira and a good Bowery dance will begin at 3:00 with a ball at night. 58The local town baseball team played an active schedule during the summer months. Attendance was good at the games, which were held on Sunday. Keen competition was found in the many rural communities and sometimes the betting was high on the outcome of a ball game.
In 1916, the community sponsored a fair on September 5. The principal of the school was in charge and the displays were arranged in the school building. 59 The big educational and social event of 1917 was a Chautauqua held from June 12 to June 17. This event was an assembly for educational purposes, combining lectures, music, and other forms of entertainment. 60
One of the most popular forms of entertainment in Coulee City's early days was meeting the train as it came in. The train carried salesmen, visitors, and people who were just passing through, and there was usually something interesting for the townspeople to see.
The people that came to the Big Bend in the early days hoped to better themselves but not at the expense of their neighbors. The region had an appeal of the unknown land beyond,
____________
58 Coulee City News, June 20, 1890, p. 2.
59 Coulee City Dispatch, August 25, 1916, p. 6.
60 Ibid., May 24, 1917, p. 1.
________________________
116
teeming with opportunity. They were willing to risk their all on their ability to create a better home in the wilderness. They had a firm belief in God and in the fundamental principles of government, combined with a firm belief in the dignity and rewards of labor. The idea of looking to the government for support or to luck for prosperity did not originate with them. They were the last of a breed of pioneers that had moved across the American continent, and the Big Bend was the last frontier of settlement. The younger generation living today can learn much regarding respect, discipline, dignity, and human values from these early pioneers.
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment