The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-31
OLD TIMERS HISTORY Of THIS COUNTY

agriculture. Within short time the
log church was found too small to
accommodate the congregation and
larger one was erected one and q
half miles to the eastward. For five
years he held stated services here
and then the natives were left with
out rgular pastor. being supplied
at intervals from other missions.
Established Post q Chelan
In 1877 Col. Merriam was sent to
Lake Chelan with body Of troops
to establish a military post. Follow
ing the building of saw mill prep
arations were continued for the es-
Enlistment of the post which might
have been the most picturesque in
the United States, but the project
was abandoned and the troops moved
away.
Many War Councils Held.
Where the Wenatchee river flows
into the Columbia has been the
council ground in ages past for the
war chiefs of the Chelans, Okano-
gans, Umatillas, Spokanes, Yakimas,
Walla Wallas, Malhems and even
tribes so fas east as the Bannocks
and Nez Perces.
Mr.. Samuel Miller, now deceased,
told me that during the Indian wars
of 1877 and 1878 that he saw as
many as five hundred Indians camp
ed at the mouth of the Wenatchee
river. One day large band of hos
tile Bannocks came up the Columbia
river and struck camp on the Quill
toc-Chien. At the time Chief Moses
held his forces a little further north
on the opposite bank of the Column
bia. Just after dusk he came to this
side with all of his warriors and very
quietly disappeared in the direction
of the enemy's camp. Mr.. Miller had
some curiosity to know about what
was going to happen, so he went
down to reconnoiter a little. He
found the Indians skulking behind
the big boulders south of the pres
ent town of Wenatchee. There were
so many Of them that it looked like
there was an Indian behind every
rock. When Chief Moses saw him
he became greatly enraged and told
him to go home Immediately or he
would kill him. Moses had always
been friendly and this new attitude
towards him was a great surprise.
He returned home with some fear in
his heart. He did not feel perfect
| ly sure that his scalp was safe. There
was no engagement. The Bannocks
slipped away early in the morning.
New Settlers in 1888
1t was not until the year 1883
that the actual settlers began to ar
rive; although in the year 1872 Sam
uel Miller and the Freer Bros. estab-
lished a trading post at the mouth
of the Wenatchee river. They pur-
chased the site of two men by the
name of Ingraham and Mcbride.
These two men had been carrying on
a trade with the Indians for five
years. They were stationed at Rock
Island some time before removing to
the Wenatchee. They began selling
whisky to the Indians, and to eyade
the law had to leave in great haste
First White Woman to Make Home.
Mrs. Arzilla Trip, who passed
away few years ago, was the first
! white woman to make her home in
| Chelan county She came to Wenat-
chez with her husband, Tollman T.
Trip, in 1882. They came into the
country on horseback from Ellens-
burg. She and her young daughter,
Eva, made several such trips before
the roads were graded and in condi-
ton for wagons and teams.
First Public School Building.
The first public school building
was erected just south of where the
Gilchrist hospital now stands. 1t was
built of logs. Charles S. Davis. a son
Of Mrs. George Blair, taught the first
school in the fall of 1885.
First Steamboat in 1887.
Thomas L. Nixon of Tacoma put
the first steamboat, the "City of Ell
lensburg," on the upper Columbia
in the summer of 1887. 1t was a
great event to the settlers along the
river. All who could when they
heard the first whistle, ran down to
the river to get nearer view, greet
ing the new boat with loud huzzas,
waving hats and handkerchiefs.
Building of the Railroad.
The Great Northern was built
through the county in 1892. Rail-
roads are called the great civilizers
of the west. This new road meant
more for the prosperity of the coun-
try than anything that had yet hap
pened. 1t opened up communication
with the outside world, gave us new
markets and brought in many set
tiers.
Bill for Wenatchee County.