Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-06-12
THE STORY OF THE
OLD COLUMBIA HALL
CONTINUED from page l.;

town of Olympia had become so niue
imbued with the idea of progress thu.
the town council ordered a survey Of
street lines and the setting OF marks
at all street corners. The chairman
of the board of county commissioners
was authorized to borrow $1,000 for
two years at not more than one and
one-half per cent interest per month.
A town ordinance was passed re-
straining cattle from running at large
on the streets. except mich cows.
Main street was paved with corduroy
up to Fourth. In 1870 the federal
census showed Olympia with a pop
ulation of 1908, while Seattle had
only 1142.
In settling the cost of construction
of Columbia hall. the contractors haH
a claim of a balance of $906 unpaid
A committee consisting of George
Blankenship, Ben Harmed and J. r
Wood and c. Ethridge, local mechan.
les, was appointed to effect a settle
ment. In December, 1869, George A.
Barnes began the construction of thc
first brick building in Olympia, on
Main street, between Third and
Fourth. to be used as bank. Dur
ing this year the fire company ex-
perienced some difficulty in collecting
subscriptions obtained the year be-
fore toward the cost of erecting CO.
lumbia hall. During this year the
town council consisted of G. A.
Barnes, Frank Henry, S. w. Percival
Robert Frost and John M. Murphy as
trustees. Mr.. Henry was president
Mr.. Percival treasurer, and Richard
Lane was elected clerk. The public
school opened that fall with IS pu-
pills. Jacob Hoover was principal
and Miss Mary O'Neill was assistant
| In 1869 the following officers Of
Thurston county were elected on the
Republican ticket: councilman, j.
Scammons, representatives, l.. A.
Treen and w. Peck; county commits
sioners, G. A. Barnes, c. Crosman, sr.
and s. Hodgson; sheriff, William Bill
lings; treasurer, M. Bettman; audi
tor, A. A. Phillips; probate Judge. D.
r. Bigelow; school superintendent
D. R. Bigelow; surveyor, F. W..
Brown: coroner. G. Wood On the
Democratic ticket those who ran
were: Councilman, Jason Fry; rep
resentatives, Levi Shelton, M. z.
Goodell; commissioners. A. J. Cham
bers, A. S. Yantis, II. e. Griffin sher-
if, D. T. Drewry; treasurer, ]. H.
Munson; auditor, Peterield Turpin;
probate judge, c. p. Judson; school
superintendent, r. Lane: surveyor.
Frank Henry; coroner. William Yea
ger.
| In 1870, when the western railroad
building stirred the people all over
Puget Sound, and when the intentions
OF the Northern Pacific company were
supposed to be in favor of making
Olympia their western terminus, a
local committee headed by Colonel
E. p Ferry, then U. S. surveyor gem
eral, was authorized to treat with
representatives of the company. I'M
portant meetings in connection with
this committee were held in Column
bia hall.
One of the latest public uses of the
hall was in October, 1889, when the
newly elected state officers were CIV
en- a reception within it's walls. The
proclamation of President Harrison
admitting the territory of Washing
ton to statehood was signed on Oc-
who had been elected on the second
day of that month, were all in Olym-
pia with their families, and they
were rendered public reception in
Columbia hall by the enthusiastic cit
liens of the capital city as starter"
for the new state government. The
OCCdSlUH WdS general movement or
the citizens regardless of political
affiliations. Governor Elisha p. Fer
ry, Lieutenant Governor Charles f.
Laughton, State Auditor T. NJ. Reed.
Secretary of State Allen Weir, State
Treasurer A. A. Lindsey, Attorney
General w. c. Jones, State Superin-
tendent r. B. Bryan, State Land Com
missioner VIM. T. Forrest, and the
newly elected Judges of the Supreme
Court, T. ]. Anders, r. o. Dunbar,
John P. Hoyt, Elmon Scott and Theo-
dore l.. Stiles, with their wives and
families, were lined up to be con-
graduated and assured of the good |
wishes of the throng of visitors tina. |
made the structure seem like bee |
hive.
Thus are the memories and asso-