Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-01-01
wnArCem corxrr HISTORY.
iron THE POST rsrxLL.oxscrn.l

Territory are gradually disappearing,
and as no Territorial Pioneer Society
has yet been formed, to prepare and
transmit 70 futurity synopsis OF the
| incidents connected with the first set
Elements throughout the Territory. and
as tie time cannot be very far distant
when the last of those who came to the
Territory before the Indian war of
1876 win have passed away, and as
this year is nearly ended and rev
year approaching, the period which
| from time immemorial has witnessed in
ell lands the old people reco1nting tales
and lscends of the past for the amuse-
ment and benefit of the rising genera
ton, round the cheerful blaze of the
evening fire. will you permit me on this
occasion 10 give in your columns brief
sketch OF the first settlement Of What
com county, its progress to the present
time, ard a few ideas relative to it's fu-
| ture prospects.
In September, 1852, Capt. VIM. PattIe,
while engaged IN cutting timber for
piles on the islands Of the San Juan
group, a. der permit from Gov. Dong
las, of Victoria, Vancouver island, Wis
tied Bel!ingham Bay in search of tim
Der suitable for his purpose adjacent to
the water. Iriveling along the beach
| on the east side OF the bay, he sa " some
pieces of coal and sitter close inspection
he found the outcroppings OF a vein of
n n tfxzf l. l.
familiar with the coal trade, and know
! ing the probable vslue of coal mine on
this coast at that time, he resolved to
secure title to it, and for that purpose
no put up notice on what is now
known as Pattle's claim, informing all
persons tina: he had located upon and
claimed said land for csrtain distance
cash way from the notice, and then left
to arrange his business so thst he could
return, and to endeavor to procure some
other persons to return with and locate
beside him. During his absence.Heury
Roeder and X. V. Peabody arrived at
olympia FROM California in 8 arch OF
Site for a saw mill. and hearing of
water power In Bellin2han Bay, they re-
solved to see 1t, which they did, and at
time wheE any practical man would
pronounce II second to none i'll America
tor their purpose, SO far as water power
was concerned. and if the same amount
of water lowed down the stream every
month III the year As flows in December
and January, IL would be second to none
In America for manufacturing purposes,
which will further explain hereafter.
Eiated with the prospect, Messrs Roeder
AMI Peabody made location thereat,
and returned to Olympia to endeavor to
get some m'ilwright TO join them in the
enterprise, and TO take the necessary
steps for the immediate construction
of mill. At Olympia Mr. Brown
agreed to join them. He represented
himself to DO a millwright, AMI the
three entered into Co partnership
Each was To take a donation claim of
l60 acres of land. and each was to have
an equal interest i'll each claim: they
were to bnlId Il saw mill and each was
to contribute an equal SHARE of the ex-
pense. To carry out their plans Mr..
Roeder was 10 proceed TO san Francisco
to procare the machinery for the mill,
provisions, and the necessary ontfit for
new settlement, while Hessrs. Peabody
aud Brown were to return to Beiling-
ham Bay, build a house and commence
getting out the frame for the mill with
whatever help they could obtain, Upon
their arrival mt the Bay they found
Capt. Pattle, who had returned. accom-
panied by Messrs. Morrison and 'fhom-
as, who both located on land adjoining
Pattles. Mr.. Rosder returned to the
Bay from San Francisco on the schoon-
or VIM Allen, with his ouftit, and ac-
companled by Messra. Utter, Hewitt
Brown, Heath, and the writer, wife and
child, which WIS tbs first family that
settled in Whatcom county. The party
arrived on the 18th of May. 1853, ana
found about dozen persons with
Messrs Peabody and Brown, who then
had the frame of the mill well advanced.
Whatcom WAS the name gwen to the
settlement, that being the Indian nams
tor the creek at the mouth Of which it
stands.
The year 1853 was tho driest summer
| and fall on Puget Sound that has ever
been since, and as the summer ad
yanced Whatcpm creek, which in the
winter and spring il gigantic in its
volume was gradually growing less,
which tended to dampen the ardor of
the adventurers. At length, in July,
the mill was advanced SD far as
TO run saw, bat the water Vas Insult
cient to drive the saw through a twenty
foot log. This brought matters to q
stand, and party started to explore
the creek AMI see where it came from.
| They found it proceeded from lake.
which has since been found to be over
| ten mics long, about two miles wide
and very deep. Barometricii measure
ment places it a litt @ more than 800
feet above the level Of tina bay. The
creek which empties at Whatcoai is the
only outlet Of the lake. IL il only about
%. miles from end to end in straight
line. but following tho course of the
creek is nearly four.
The hanks Of the creek at the mouth
of the lake are 80 that dam could cas-
lily be built so ~ to raise ths lake from
1 to feet. and with q gateway properly
regulated sufficient surplus water
could be collected To run mill all the
! year round. The return and report of
the exp~ring party somewhat revived
the spirits of the settlement. and while
IL WAS decided To have n proper dun
erected AS soon as circumstances would
permit, the temporary remedy WAS
adopted of slightly deepening the creek
at the mouth of tue lake, and lowering
the surface Of the lake little at time.
This VAS but popr maks-shift, and as
the propriesors had not the funds To
meet their oblig .tions, much dissatis-
faction existed among the men. in ad-
dition To- which discnrd began to exis:
between the proorietors. which il the
prelude to disaster in every business en-
terprise.
As cannot follow the hi,tory of
every settler and every enterprise in
newspaper article, may here SAY. that
AS business inve stlnsut the mill proved
u failure, and VAS burned down in 1889.
In the meantime Capt. Pattle had
been making strenuous exertions to get
his coal mine developed. aud succeeded
IN getting company orpsniz-d in San
Francisco, consisting of Msssrs. Bran
nan, Meriturn and Others. to open the
coal mines. III. company leased the
three claims of PSttle, Morrison and
Thomss, for certain number Of wears.
with the privilege of extending. for
which they were TO pay ,ch claimant
tairty dollars per moath, and ROYALTY
on all the c ,al that WAS marketed.
| In the fall of 1853 an expedition ar
rived to op.n the min.s. under charge
of Captain Howard. we'll known suhss
qnentiy on the Seund As special officer
of the Revenue Department. The Nor
-.