The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-01
THE CITY or VANCOUVER
Capital Of the Columbia River Dis
trict.
The Most Prosperous Year in Its His
tery--Outlsne sf Larger Enter
prises started in 1859.

yAxeoUYER. Clarke Co. Dec. -, 1850.
The rear IsSa has been bTiEss. one for
Vancouver. Before the beginning Of the
year Vancouver meyited the naEne Of q
dead town. thoagh Il had already oegun
to awaken The new motor the between
Portland and Vancouver bad infused new
life into the place and drew the attention
OF the outside world.
The dawn Of the new year saw the hrss
STIR in real estate. which has continually
increased until now six firms are making
"a good thing in this line.
The spring months saw the Michigan
Lumber Co.'S miil begun and the extension
OF the Y. X. 4 Y. r. R., into the heavy
timber belt in the vicinity OF Lewis river.
This mill was completed in August, en-
pIoyes lbs men and cuts from 1906 20 1sls-
Co feet per day. The Y. X a n Z. +.
brings in $4,000 feet daily TO the four
mills now IN operation and 70 the
Columbia, for other mills on tins stream
and lis tributaries. Two sash and door
factories are now running and three brick
yards, OF which only one was running last
year, are crowded with work and shipping
by water TO Hoaquiam, Gray's HarDcr and
other points
Several new firms started last spring in
different lines and are now all doing
good business. while others are awaiting
the completion of new buildings 70 begin.
In the latter part Of June two large fires
visited the city. One burned the old
Jesuit Mission church. the oldest on the
North Pacific coast, standing on the mill
tary reservation. A half hour later
another fire started down town and
burned all night, at o'clock
next morning, twenty-six buildings
were destroyed and several more were
50 badly damaged as 10 be worthless.
These have since been torn away. Most OF
the land in the burnt district has changed
hands since the fire and the new owners
are putting good, substantial brick build
ings in their places. Or account OF the lack of
brick, lime and other building material
the new structures were delayed, and sew
eral that should have been completed now
viii be begun early in the spring. The
largest new structure now completed IS
Judge Williams block. on the corner of
Thiru street with, 100 feet fronting on Main.
Next 10 the Commercial Bank building is a
neat little brick building, belonging 10 w.
w. ProebStei former proprietor OF the Ex-
change hotel, consumed during the big FIRE.
On the east side of Main, next to Slocum's
massive brick block that withstood the
flames, p. q. Healy Is building neat store
room. two-stories high. Below Third street
on Main, Hidden Bros. are building s6a.
90 hotel, five stories high and f00xi00 feet.
DIR. Wall is now completing a nfty-foot
building. on Main street north of Fourth,
making his block solid, with 100 feet front
ing On Main
Sixteen other new brick buildings are al
ready planned. one to be 200 feet front on
Main street: one viii probably be an opera
house. and several viii be built on b street,
one block west OF Main. which has been
graded this fall. The ferry lands at the
foot of this street j. O. Smith viii build
large brick livery stable where the old city
hall stood and on the lot adjoining on
Main street.
Messrs. George 3. MarkIe. OF Portland,
r. 6. Kaufman and s. N. Beard, OF Van
couver, and other capitalists have bought
and plated several additions 10 Vancouver
aud have sold many thousands of dollars
worth OF property.
The Columbia Lard and Improvement
Company. including the leading stockhold-
ers of the Vancouver, Klickitat e Yakima
railroad, the Michigan Lumber Company
and the First National bank. have plated
Vancouver Heights. which they have con-
nected with the city and river by q street
railway. They have put in complete syS-
tenn Of waterworks and cleared all the
streets.
The Commercial bank was organized
January .. lsSl. under the laws of Wash
ington territory, with capital of 500, 600.
The stockholders are principally the mer-
chants and business men OF Vancouver.
The success of this bank during the year
has been greater than ANTICIPATED.
Many other enterprising citizens and new
corners have thoroughly awakened Van
couver and are endeavoring 10 tell the rest
OF the world that Vancouver is 4 city OF
promise.
The entire summer and fan surveying
parties have woven a perfect web Of pros
pective railroad lines through Clarke
county. AL sorts Of rumors are aaoat.
At least seven railroads are planned and
two OF these. it seems sure, will come. the
Seattle & Southern and the Port Townsend
e Southern. as Vancouver is on a direct
line with these cities and Portland and the
raost available place on the Columbia for q
/ bridge A bridge company with . capital
stock 90 50 GO Coz has been incorporated in
Portland to bridge the Columbia at Van
cover.
The Y. X. &Y II. r. Co. win extend
that line s. far as possible next year to-
wards the coal beds IN the Cascades.
Money 70 build eight miles more is now
already paid in The intention Is 20 go on
until The Great Bend wheat country Is
reSchea. in the vicinity OF North Yakima
Other enterprises great and small are
planned for the early String, and every cit
isen seems determined % make Vancouver
city, and the world at large are bearing
from the place I'll. y. ;.