The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-05-14
HISTORICAL SKETCH
A BRIEF HISTORY OF KITTITAS
Circumstances Which Led Up to
Organization of Kittitas
County.
FACTS REGARDING EARLY FORMATION
". II. Peterson, Once County Supt. and Auditor
Gives Interesting and Reliable Data
Good Reading for All.

When the legislature to which Mr..
Shoudy had been elected, met, there
was scarcely any active opposition to
the division. The only apparent inter-
est the mother county took was to see
that her interests were pro perly pro-
! tected. There was no ground to fight
the division on this line, as Mr.Shoudy's
bill for division was perfectly fair to
her in all its details. That session of
the legislature is known as the "county
making session." More counties were
created by it than by any other session
in the history of the territory or state.
The act creating the county was a
special act, and among other things
provided for board of county commits
sioners and vested in them the power
to appoint all the county officers, who
should hold their Offices until their sue
cessors were elected at the next general
election. 1t also provided that G. u.
Cooke, S. T. Packwood and r. n. Can
aday should constitute said board.
/
Two members of the board being
democratic and one republican, sub
ected Mr.. Shoudy TO no little criticism
from some of his fellow republicans.
Many thought that he should have
at least appointed the one republican
commissioner of tho old county who
lived in the new county, and not "leg-
islated him out of Office" But the
official acts of the board silenced all
clamor, and on completion of their
terms they stepped down and out with
credit to themselves and the county
they so faithfully served. Three better
men could not have been found in the
county. The board met and organized
and elected county officers on the 18th
of December, 1888. There was a long
list of candidates for the county offices,
mostly for sheriff and auditor. The
board held an informal meeting in the
forenoon behind closed doors and in
short time agreed on a full list of
county officers. lunched that day at
the Valley hotel, which stood diagon-
ally across the street from Shoudy's
store. After lunch G.. Z. Cooke took
me aside and told me to remain at the
hotel 80 that | could be found as the
board would meet shortly after noon,
formally organize and elect me as
county auditor. 1t met as agreed in
the afternoon and very courteously
elected II. N. Canaday, the republican
member as it's chairman. / was then
elected auditor and notified to come be-
fore the board for instructions. After
agreeing upon the amount OF my bond
they took recess to give me time to
prepare it. | went to the Office of Dan
iel Gaby and asked him to prepare my
bond and oath of Office while | was
hunting my bondsmen. He soon had
the papers prepared in his characters
stic style of hieroglyphics. | then
went before the board which promptly
approved the bond and at once pro-
ceeded to elect the other county officers.
The following is list of the appoint
ees in full:
Probate Judge-W. A. Bull.
Sheriff.. G. Goodwin.
Auditor-W. II. Peterson.
Treasurer-Thomas johnson.
Suryeyor-John II. Wallace.
Supt. of Schools-Irene CHAMBERLAIN.
Coroner-M. V, Amen.
Sheep Com E. w. Lyen.
After all the appointments had been
made, one of the members of the board
said. GLOW are they divided politically"
When the count was made it was found
that only three of them were demo-
Gratis while all the rest were republi-
cans.
This organization meeting of the
hoard was held in the Office OF the Sc
attle and Walla Walla Trail and Wag-
on road company, over the store OF
Walter A. Bull, on the corner south OF
where c. L. Collins clothing store re-
Gently stood. Howard G. Walters the
secretary of the company told the
= board that the newly appointed officers
/ could Jointly use his office until more
] suitable ones could be secured. Shortly
!. afterwards the board rented small
y one story, frame building where
49, coirar bloc, now stands or near 1t