The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-12-26
some EARLY DAY HISTORY
THE BUSTING TOWN OF 1883
was the Scene Of Great Activity in Those
Days-HSd Twenty-si1 saloons People
Vanished and No Questions Asked
ReveFies Of an Old settler.

AeAA tnVO SAAAabtfc mODu IcccntAy
and gave the Press the following
"reminiscences Of the early days, when
men kept their own counsel and had
very little to say. The interview
will prove interesting to those who
were here at the time spoken OF, as
we'll as to the later arrivals:
In the year 1883, the first news of
the Pritchard finds in the Occur d.
Alene country became noised abroad
The only settlers near Fort Sherman
at that time were Robert Cocheran,
old man Miner, the Tuners and
Carroll, down on the Spokane river /;
John Clinton, and W. II. Mclaughlin,
on the little prairie; Oscar Garfield,
and the Mabrey family by the Can
field butte; the hickey and Hagar
families out by Hayden lake; Tony
Tubbs on his ranch where che sawmill
now stands; and John Costello and
John Fernsn out by Fernan lake.
The site of the city Of Occur d.
Aiene was quite heavily timbered,
except a small field just above the
depot, where the water tank is
situated, where some one had en-
deavored to clear of about three
acres and raise wheat. The rest Of
the site was woods.
In the summer of 1888, the gold
excitement came, aud people began
TO pass the fort enroute for the mines.
Tony Tubbs stai1ed his ranch out into
town lots. and King 4 Monaghan,
who were post traders at the fort, got
the wood contract from the Quarter
masters department, hired Colville
Indians to cut the timber from of
Tfhe town site and proceeded to stake
that out also.
There we're two steamers built in
Occur d'Alene that winter, the
Occur d'Alene by Portland parties
under the direction of Captain
Sanburn, and the General Sherman
by c. B. King and James Monaghan,
Captain Sorenson doing the work.
People came into the country from
everywhere. and in every conceivable
way and shape: some on the quarter
deck OF a buckipR cayuse, some on
foot dragging improvised sleds or
tobogan, and some on the regular
stage. A large number Of people
would go right through the little
nucleus OF the city then beginning,
head up aud eyes in the distance,
never dreaming that they were tread
ing the spot where would rise in a
very short time the Athens Of the
Pacific slope.
Buildings began to rise, the build
ers obtaining their lumber from the
sawmill at the garrison: Tedford
Bleaudmer had general merchandise
store; Reiniger from Rathdrum put
up his branch brewery; the proto.
nlasm of the Inn was moved from the
reservation to its present site; Clafiin
& Evans, had saloon on the corner
opposite George Ford's called the
Fashion," Fatty Carroll a dance
house over by the mill. and Tony
Tubbs, his Hotel d'Landing.
Other people were around picking up
dry goods boxes and the like. using
the boards thus obtained to begin
their future residence. In the mean
time tents were galore. At one
time in that winter of 1884, there
were 20 saloons in the town of
Occur d'Alene.
On the 2nd day Of April, 1854, the
steamer Occur d'Alene made its
first trip. 1t had been out prospect
ing day or two before, but ON the
and made its first trip, and the in
habitants all left with 1t. There was
no one left in town that summer, ex-
cept Tony Tubhs, James Russell,
A. L. Davis. Vim Wells, at the hotel,
Matt and John Miller and Tom
Graney's family. Some others might
come into the town for a few days,
but their stay was short,
In the winter of lss4-5 Isaac S.
Daily made the boundaries Of a school
district, got the consent Of John
Fernan, VIM. Bistle and w. H. Nc,
Laughlin, to act as trustees, presented
the same to the honorable board Of
county commissioners, obtained
favorable action thereon and taught
the first term of school in Occur a.
Alene.
In 1885 a U. S. land office was
established in the town, and move
was made towards establishing the
county seat here, Bragaw, then
recorder, tacitly agreed to move the
records over to Occur d'Alene, but
r Louis Lee got hold OF the matter and
a grand symposium was inaueurated