The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-06-13

1859. to be found in the office of Colonel
J. Kennedy Stout.
We find that the territorial legislature
of 1855 passed on January 18th IAN act 10
create and organize the county of Spo-
kane" and-being evidently in granting
mood that day-the limits were placed st
Snake river and the 46th parallel of lat
itude on the south, the summit of the
Rockies-then the boundary of the ter
ritory-on the east, the 49th parallel on
the north, and the Columbia on the west
The county seat was vaguely located
ION the land claim of Angus Mcleod"
The commissioners appointed were Rob
ert Douglas, John owen and William
McCreany. The sheriff was a composite
of the shamrock and thistle, by name
Patrick Mckenzie, and the auditor bore
the patriotic and exceedingly euphon
ious cognomen of Lafayette Alexander.
Whether their duties were arduous or
not the records are silent, but year later
new board of commissioners was APP
pointed also a new sheriff, while our
Scotch-Irish friend continued to serve his
country. but in the position of auditor
instead of sheriff. The office of judge of
probate was created with Thomas Ster-
usger as first incumbent, while the first
justice Of the peace was Pilkey, proph
etically surnamed Solomon.
This Legislature also, as we notice. en-
gagged in the very commendable act of
Incorporating six divisions of the Sons
of Temperance" generously dissolved
certain calling matrimonial bonds, alas!
and-leaving US in narrowing and ever
| torial library"
The next record is the unexplained and
apparently inexplicable repetition by the
! legislature of 1860 of AN act to create
and organize the county of Spokane" de-
! filming a new set of officials, including a
/ treasurer r. X. Rogers, and coroner
| F. Wolf 1t is suggested by Colonel
| Stout that-owing to the scarcity of pop
ulation, and the dignified deliberateness
with which events transpired in those
days of cayuse transit-the first organiza-
| ton failed to stick" or was never heard
| of in Spokane county.
In 1864 this twice established structure
was swept out of existence. like child's
| card house, and annexed to the already
continental proportions of Stevens coun-
ty, with the county seat at Colville.
In 1875 the county seat of Stevens coun-
! ty was temporarily removed to the town
of Spokane Falls until an election could
be held
On October 3d. 1879, the territorial legis-
lature, still sufficiently lavish, organized
| the present area of Spokane, Douglas and
| Lincoln counties into the county of Spo-
kane, which was reduced to its present
limits by the cutting off of the others
November "a 1883
All these changes indicate a period of
rapid settlement The days of the abor-
igines, the explorers, the fur traders and
the missionaries, which we have glanced
| at in brief panorama, were merging into
| those of the agricuturist the miner, the
| tradesman and the scholar, with the sol
der on the stage during the brief inter
val between acts. The restoration OF
peace which followed the campaign Of
Colonel Wright ushered in period of lie
velopment, especially in the mining indus
try, such as the world had never seen.
OF these exciting times wrote Lieu
tenant John Mullan in 1868: 1T has beer
only during the last three years that san.
guine expectations have existed of min
eral wealth to any great extent being
found east of the Cascade mountains, cl
even in the northern part of the Rocky
mountains proper. AS soon as the Fra
discovered, and the question of route by
which to reach them in the shortest time
and cheapest means was discussed, WI
found the eastern portion of Washing
ton territory ramified by hundreds of gol(
seekers in quest of this new Eldora 10
This was in 1855. Gold was soon after
discovered in the Wenatchee, Nachess
Okinogan, Similikameen and Clark!
Fork, and worked till the Indians drov,
the miners from the country. In the sue
ceeding year Captain Pierce, with bold
ness and judgment worthy every com
mendation, explored the Bitter Roo
mountains, and the discovery of the Me-
Perez gold mines was the result. TIL,
wanderings of the miners in this region
southwark led to the Salmon river dis
coveries. But the gold miner, who is th'
most restless of mortals, did not res
content until he had crossed the Snak,
river and discovered the Powder 1--WE
mines, and not even then content, h
opened up the Grande Ronde, Boise an.
Burnt river mines, in east Oregon, ant
eated at his success, returns to hi
friends in west Oregon, taking the hea,
Of John Days river in his route, only +,
discover the richest quartz leads to b
found outside of California.
His companions on Frazier river hea,,
of this new gold field, and they too, mus
visit it, taking on their route the moutl
of Clarkes Fork and Spokane rivers, onl.
there to discover gold which has sine
. been taken out by the pound"
The transcontinental railroad was al
assured fact. The era of increasing pro
duction, of new markets, rising value
: and townsite speculations was coming in
Our infant commonwealth was recovering
J from its Juvenile disorders. and enterln