The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-07
TIE HISTORY OF SPRAGUE.
How 1t Was Named and How IL BE.
came Railroad Headquarters.
Spokane Spokesman.

spokane spokesman.
"Sprague was named by Pat Wallace"
said ex-senator Fairweather last night.
He owned a presumption claim adjoin-
ing the railroad section. He owned a
little store. the only building then on the
original townsite of Sprague. This was
In 1850. The town was named in honor
OF Gen. John w. Sprague, then general
manager of the Northern Pacific.
'Ir 1881 the government was seeking a
convenient point on the Northern Pacific
TO get supplies to Camp Spokane, and
found at that time that Sprague was the
most convenient point. The first building
built by the Northern Pacific west of the
Rocky mountains and this side OF the
Cascades was the old warehouse that
burned today.
After the track had been built past
Sprague. in the summer Of 1881, when the
company began to get from $50 10 200
miles OF track. II was found necessary 20
have some machine shops. The round
house and the few tools they had at
Ainsworth was entirely inadequate. An
order came from Gen. Sprague to myself
to look M a suitable location for division
shops After consulting the best engi-
neering talent we had in the country. /
concluded with the experience / had had,
that the shops should be located at Spo-
kane While visiting Spokane a. VI. Can
non and J. J. Browne offered 10 donate
all the power that was required TO operate
the machine shops: also fifteen acres OF
ground about where the Auditorium now
stands and forty acres bordering on the
river favored this proposition, and
was inclined To accept II. and so reported.
in this was Joined by II. NJ mccartney.
then division engineer and acting chief
engineer. After making this recomnen-
datton. I found that the town Of Cheney,
named after BENJAMIN T. Cheney, who
died a few DAYS ego IN london. was COM
netting. and wcs backed by Mr.. Cheney
Tho town of Surague was also backed by
Gen. SpraCue. and oil my efforts 10 Sc
cure tho shors Tor Spokane were unaVah-
ing I then went uD 10 Pend dOretllo
lake 70 meet Cen. Ad7a Anderson. He
srent 2 day here a day Fl Cheney. anf
half q dav ~ Surarue. The general had
M confidence I'm Spokane said That che
new had 10 victor sunplv, and We :topoed
~ tho eUrirg that now supplies Porak 8
brewery IN Sprarue. After partaking or
TIE water ne said, Here Is the place Tor
he shops TIE had figured the distance
between s. Paul and Puget sound. and
thought SpraEtle was the hest place Tor
a freight division lie gave orders 20
have the shops built there
II stin insisted that that was not
yIare 20 build the shors and that would
not proceed unless bad orders from the
president The general SAID v cry wen.
,.o.t VIII pet them few weeks after
wards 7 received orders from President
Willard TO 20 on and construct those
shcrs. ard also a division headquartsrs.
2 had the plan for headquarters build
ing costing about $1,000. and when Tire
,srosfdent rar0e out submitted these 20
rlr, Tse said. 'YoDr plan Is no good:
VIII send Won an architect from New
YORK A headquarters was constructed
AZ an exrense q aront s5o.o00. ard that
vas aiso burned today.
~ vii say for Mr. Wizard that after
the. fourdatiCr5 we're uut iE for the shops.
in November ISL. he personally inspect
ID the ground With myself. and admitted
that q mistake had been made. but II
a much as the plan had been perfected,
ard the material vas on the ground Tor