The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-01-19

were enjoying Its bounty. 1t may,
however, in Justice be said that the
fertility and value of the sage brush
lands were not then even suspected.
Notwithstanding this attitude one
after another came. They began to
bring their families, and nothing has
SO strong an influence for civilization.
FIRST Government.
The first attempt at local organiza-
ton was by an act OF the territorial
Legislature, approved January %,
1868, which created Ferguson county.
It's somewhat indefinite boundaries
embraced all of the territory lying
north of the summit of the Simcoe
m ountains, bounded on the Yves. by
the summit Of the Cascade noun
tains, the counties OF Wa!la walla
and Spokane on the east and tho We
natchee river on the north. This
county never having been organized,
Yakima county was created by the
act of January IS, 1865, and William
Parker, prominent in the early days
and for whom Parker Bottom was
named, James H. Wilbur, at the time
Indian agent, and Charles "A. Splawn,
an extensive stock raiser, were dos
ignated as county commissioners The
county embraced all of the present
territory of the county of Yakima
the county of Kittitas, ind all Of
that part of Benton county not !e-
tached from Klickitat county when
the former was organized. Thus be-
gan the first local exercise of civil
authority in Yakima county The
county seat was first located ut rhc
home of County Auditor Nii,iam
Wright in the Mckee valley. Subs
euently, in the absence of g. court
house the county business was trans
acted at the home of f. VI. Th""p,
also in that valley, although sessi ous
OF the commissioners appear u have
been held in the log school house
near by. Upon the removal of Thorp
to Kittitas valley early in 1858 1t ap-
pears that the county business was
transferred to the home of Charles P.
Cooke, in the Mckee valley. AS no
official authority is found for these
several changes we must assume that
this flexibility arose out of the law of
necessity However. in 1870, a vote
was taken for a relocation. The cam
didates for the honor were Selah,
Flint's store, Kittitas valley and Yak
ina City, the latter said to have mada
the race under the name of Mount
Ottawa" Since the early settlers ap-
pear to have no remembrance of such
a place it may be that this is only
fiction. The burning of the Yakima
county records on March 31st, 1888,
destroyed evidence from which veri-
fication might be had. The result
was in favor Of Yakima City. No
dissatisfaction having been recorded
the name by which it was known at
the election therefore be considered
as of slight consequence.
Old Townsite.
The original townsite of Yakima
City was plated by George w. Good
win about 1869. subsequently the
Barker brothers came and plated
Barker's addition, and shortly after,
or about the same time, the Schanno
brothers plated Schanno's townsite
of Yakima City. The Bankers built
a Touring mill, still being run, and
each townsite proprietor engaged in
the business of general merchandise
business but a short time. Much later
Sebastian LAUDER plated an addition
adjoining the Schanno townsite
which he named Lauber's addition,
but each was bent upon the develop
ment of his own property. That riv-
alries should have arisen betweei
townste proprietors was perhaps to
be expected. That they did arise and
become extremely tense is what actu-
ally resulted This became an inn
portant element in the shaping of
subsequent events.
Railroad Surveys.
While the act Incorporating the
Northern Pacific Railroad company
was passed in 1864 it was not until
1870, or perhaps a little earlier, that
surveys were made through the Yak
ma valley with a view to crossing
the Cascade mountains to Puget
Sound. The anticipation of the con-
struction of this road brought many
people into the country who would
not otherwise have come. No doubt
1t was at least in part this inducement
which led to the coming of those
who established the town. But those
who based their hopes upon the
building of the railroad, many times
promised, were doomed to long de-
lays. Its advent, so often discussed
became an object of alternate hone
and disappointment. In the mean
time the odd sections of the public
domain had been withdrawn fir m
settlement and the railroad company,
having no title, was unable TO give
any binding assurance to intending
purchasers when, If ever, it would
be in a position to sell and give title
1t did give such recognition by ten
tative acknowledgment of the rights
of claimants as 1t could, which, 7 be
lieVe were subsequently carried out
in good faith. And so it was that the
people became impatient of delay.
Many were willing to forfeit tho Ia dds
outright for failure to comply with
the terms of the grant. Others Were
quite willing that the lands should
go to the company but they did not
think 1t just that they should be with
held through so many years awaiting
that which at the time seemed prob
lematical. 1t hampered development,
and while the people wanted trans
portation facilities they could drive
their products to market on foot, and
many felt that growth was retarded
greatly by Withholding one-half d
the public lands from settlement and
Improvement.
Tedious Delay.
1t was this long delay which led
| 10y.
railroad grant. 1t had it's inception III
| this VnlleX Ii WAS the final nth,l :