The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-08-26
COLONEL WALLACE AND THE
WALLACE TOWNSHIP.

The unknown author of the reminis
cences of early days in the Coeul
dAlene district, now running in tn,
Press-Tmes. in his effort to do JUS
tice TO Colonel w. r. Wallace. founder
OF this city and for whom it is named
does a great injustice, probably unin-
tentionally, to a large number Of pio-
neer residents of this city both living
and dead, a considerable number of
whom still call this city their home.
In his "reminiscences published last
Sunday the writer reviews the Jump
ing OF the Wallace townsite in 1883
and quotes fron Il letter written by
Colonel Wallace in which ne empha-
sizes the wrong to which he had been
subjected by the Jumpers" and says:
but after 1 have proven my prophecy
OF years ago, they would rob me of ali
have" To this the writer of remin-
iscences adds: And they did The
jumpers held their lots" his further
comments implying that the citizens
of this city have been derelict in their
duty in not erecting a memorial in
honor Of the memory OF Colonel Wal
lace.
Now let us look into the real facts,
and in doing so the Miner viii not
say a word designed to reflect upon
the character or conduct of Colonel
Wallace. However it regards the good
name of those early day citizens quite
as important as that of the colonel and
il is for that reason that we under
take to remove the odium cast upon
them by one who presumes to write
the history of this city. Colonel Wal
lace filed Sioux half-breed script upon
eighty acres which constituted the
original townsite of Wallace. In or /
der to promote the sale of lots and the /
building of a town in this natural and |
advantageous location, he organized .
the Wallace Townsite company, which
included ID. c. Corbin. who built the
narrow gauge railroad: Richard Lock
ey of Helena, and e. ID. Carter who
had established a sawmin here and
had built the Carter house. Colonel
Wallace advertised the fact that he
had a patent for the land and all lots
sold were protected by warranty
deeds guaranteeing title based upon
United States patent This was an
advantage that no other town in the
district possessed. with the result that
higher prices We're paid for lots in {
'rder to secure an absolute title Col "
mel Wallace's right and title to the b
and was never questioned until the d
publication of a brief dispatch in a q
spokane paper to the effect that D.
and contest in eastern Montana had II
zen decided against the holder of a
'iouX half-breed script There was "a
othing in the paper to Indicate that ii
he circumstances regarding the filing 81
{ the script in Montana were the 80
anne as those under which Colonel he
Wallace had filed here. However. the he
lere fact the decision was adverse to te
he script suggested the idea to two w
? three enteIprising citizens that if TO
lie location under a Sioux half-breed OF
'ript filing was no good in Montana. of
must likewise be no good here. and ed
ey thereupon located the southeast ar
rner Of Sixth and Cedar street With Ma
at as a starter practically every WI
tizen of Wallace became a Jumper" th
ID before morning every unoccupied ste
in the townsite was located. with lea
~ few exceptions. the citizens To- bel
ted lots either for the purpose of ke'
otecting their own property or that he'
the townsite company. believing we
At Colonel Wallace would be able tina
show in due time that his title was bre
-fect- However as may readily be I
m. the situation presented a very gre
ious problem and one that must be wai
elSly solved in order TO remove the Of
nd that had suddenly appeared up tina
the title to all property use
he citizens took hold Of the mat tive
in an orderly and business like thol
nner mass meeting was called decl
committee appointed to draft poir
es governing the location of lots nro,