Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-11-05
EN- SKETCH OF
OLD KOOTENAI
punty Seat Issue From Organ
izatiOn to Date.

ANSA' hoNSu MS store TO Rath-
drum. The country was in a wild
and unsettled state then and to use
the language Of Joseph Brophy, "a
rolling prairie of waving bunch
grass. Mr.. Brophy came to the
county in 1880, and eamped the
first night at where Hauser station
now stands, and when he arose
the next morning, and heard
the guns of Fort Sherman boom
forth their salute to the rising sun.
saw the sun rise in all its glory in
the east, and viewed the grandeur of
the wild scenery about him, to again
use his own language, it was 1.-THE
grandest sight that had ever look
ed upon" Mr.. Brophy came for
the purpose of supplying the North
ern Pacific railroad, which was
then building into the country, with
timber, and was one of those who
participated in bringing the tide of
immigration into the land, assisted
In the development OF the country,
and contributed HIS share toward
organizing the county government
His first visit to Occur d'Alene was
for the purpose of consulting dent
list at Fort Sherman as even the city
of Spokane then could not boast of
a dentist Mr.. Brophy is authority
for the statement that the first jury
that was empaneled to hear case
where all were foreigners, but one.
and he was a cOlored man by the
name of Clayborn Duke and that
the foreman of the jury. Pat Flood,
became lost and it devolved upon the
remainder of the jury to prosecute
a search for him and locate him be-
fore the case could be proceeded
with. William Baslington, generally
known as English Bill" was lead
er in the search and because Flood
wore heavy fur coat mistook
bear for him which was lying tied
underneath the court house, and did
not discover his error until the bear
in its anger had given him number
of hard cuffs that he had occasion
to remember for some time after
ward. Rathdrum was at the time
the most prosperous town in the
state and for five or six years con-
tinued to grow and flourish and it
was this that prompted Wonnacott
to move, and during those frontier
days it was a case of the Office fol-
lowing the officer instead OF the Of
fieer staying where the Office was
originally established. and he carried
the county records with him.
The Rathdrum Boom.
The Northern Pacific road built
into the town in 1888. and about
this time the Occur d'Alene mines
were discovered, and it became an
Quitting and supplying point for
them. In 1884 the town had 1000
inhabitants and boosted of being
larger in this respect by few peo-
pie than the town of Spokane Falls
The county seat continued to remain
at Rathdrum. the county and judicial
business being transacted there, and
no effort was made to remove 1t I'M
til 1885. When the county records
were taken to Rathdrum no oficial
action for the removal of the county
seat from Occur d'Alene, or the
selection Of Rathdrum as the future
county seat was taken by the board
of county commissioners, and 1t was
on the ground that the board had
never legally established the county
seat at Rathdrum that the people
of Occur d'Alene sought its removal
through the board Of county commits
sioners. Although no Official action |
had been taken selecting Rathdrum |
as the county seat, II is stated by |
Nj. D. Wright. then assessor, that 1t |
was agreed between the commission |
ers that Rathdrum was to be the fu-
ture county seat. but no minutes OF |
this agreement were ever made. and |
Judge Norman Buck, in summoning |
the defendant to appear for trial in
the first case tried BY him In the |
county cited him 10 appesr at Rath-
drum. The board Of county COM
misioners at the time consisted Of
II. H. NewhaIl. George B. Wonna-
colt. and John Russell. The two
former we're in favor OF the removal |
of the county seat to Occur d'Alene.
but Russell favored Rathdrum in the
contest. A determined fight was