Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-06-16
A citizen FOR
THIRTY YEARS
Z. w. SANDER, PIONEER Oh
KOOTENAI COUNTY, TELLS
or EARLY DAYS.
One shack in Occur d'AIene When
He Came In 1880.

VI TUG AMhHo hMGNGhuIILr C0MlphHyt HEbb
set foot on what is now this beauti-
full city, then a great city Of only
one cabin. Mr.. Sahder has of course
seen marvellous change in this city
and the surrounding country and
when caught in a reminiscent mood
today he told a very interesting mar
rative Of the early days to a repre-.
sentative Of the Press.
Starts Fort Idaho.
Mr.. Sander left California in the
fall OF 1879 and came to Portland,
then went Up the Snake river TO
Almota. theme by wagon to Colfax.
and then to Pennington. The next
summer he ard others went to Spo-
kane and were Immediately struck
with that town and the SURF ,unding
country II they had not already
filed on hones'eads they would have
taken up land in what is now the
city OF Spokane and they greatly re-
GREETED at that time, that they had
not seen tTaL section nrst.
Arrives I'm Occur d'Alenc.
In going by wagon from Farming
ton to Spokane ineir party saw but
one house along the entire route
and that was at Spokane Bridge. Mr..
Sander came from his homestead to
what Is now Coedr d'Alene with one
dollar and forty cents In his pocket
and he rema ned here untll fall.
when he returned to his homestead
and remained until the spring Of
1881. when be returned and became
associated In the merchandise bust
ness with Gscrge b. Wonnacott,
about mile below the fort grounds.
Shortly after this Kootenai county
was organized and Mr.. Wonnacott
was elected auditor and recorder and
carried all the books for over a
year In one Of his pockets.
Buys Rd'hdFum TOwnsite.
The Northern Pacific railr rad was
about to come into Rathdrum, then
called Westwood, and because of this
Mr.. Sander and his partner, Mr..
Wonnacott. decided to locate there
and when they moved Wonnacott
moved the county seat with him.
They were in business in that town
for several years and NJ. d. Wright,
who was then in the wood and tie
business at that place, offered to sell
him the townsite OF Rathdrum, which
ne owned, for $4,000, but Mr. Sand
or refused because he did not want
1t and on account OF lack OF money.
Gold had been discovered at Murray
previous to this and Mr.. Sander flg-
ured that Rathdrum would be the
starting point OF the miners for that
section and as result would boom,
80 he reconsidered his refusal to buy
the townsIte and with Doctor Weaver
OF that place purchased IL. In six
weeks he sold lots and property to
the value OF $4,000. A number Of
his friends advised him to hold the
lots until spring. as then they would
be worth a great deal more, but he
told them that he was satisfied with
what he was making ON his sales and
that some one else could receive the
money. from the raise in prices in
the spring. When spring came. which
was the spring Of 1884, the bottom
fell out Of everything, so to speak,
and property was barely worth If
teen cents on the dollar and times
were 50 dun that Mr.. Sander decid-
ed to move to this town again.
which he did.
Business was so quiet that nearly
all the merchants had closed their
stores and moved away. in fact Mr.
Sander said that quite frequently he
INDUCED In a nap ON the counter
He would also so fishing and II he
saw a customer going towards the
store, he would hail him and tell
him that he would be there at once.
After waiting on the customer he
would resume his fishing.
Had Faith In Occur d'Alene.
Mr.. Sander was nevertheless of
the opinion that bright future was
in store for Occur d'AIene and stuck
to the almost vacated town until
times began to boom again and ev-
erything was prosperous until the
panic OF 1Ss2-SS.
In 1855 MIR, Wonnacott who was
still a county oiicer moved back to
the town and Joined in business with
him. He suggested that Occur d.
Alene again become the county seat
but other officers had been elected
and they refused to consider the sug-
gestion and as a result 1t was retain
ed at Rathdrum. In 1883 Mr.. San
der though republican was appoint
ed BY President Cleveland the first