Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1921-12-09
EARLY HISTORY OF
WHITMAN COUNTY
b. +. Manning of ColfaX Complies In
teresting Data Regarding the Pio-
neer Days of This Section

The following interesting paper
was read by b. f. Manring at the
banquet held in Colfax last week to
celebrate the 50th birthday of Whit
man county:
Stevens county, as originally
bounded, comprised about one-third
of the whole territory of Washing
ton. It's southern boundary was the
Snake river, the Columbia river was
its western boundary to a point
about where it turned south around
the north side of the Big Bend, and
from there the line ran north to the
British line, then followed the Brit
ish line east to the northeast corner
of the territory and then south on
the Washington-Idaho boundary to
the Snake river. 1t contained three
Indian reservations and, approx
mately $500 Indians. Colville was
the county seat, situated about 100
miles north of Colfax, on a straight
line, and about 40 miles from the
mouth of the Snake river. 1t was
an unwieldy county for administra-
ton There were no telegraph or
telephone lines within its borders,
and the only means of travel was by
wagon or on horseback, and from
its borders in any direction it was
necessary to cross one or more rivers
in reaching it.
When settlement began in the
southern part of Stevens county ur-
gent necessity arose for a division,
and before the meeting Of the terri
torial legislature in the fall of 1871
the matter was given a good deal of
discussion among settlers in this part
About a dom men met one day at
the residence of II. S Hollingsworth,
not far from the present residence of
Claude Hollingsworth, for the pur-
pose of outlining the boundaries OF
a new county and to agree upon
lature for the various county offices.
This meeting was informal, No
record of the proceedings or of the
men who attended it was kept eX-
cept, very probably, the notes setting
out the boundaries of the proposed
county and the names Of the men to
be recommended as officers. To Mr..
Anderson Cox, grandfather of Mr..
Arthur Cox, who is present tonight,
was given the task of seeing that a
bill creating the new county was pre-
sented to the legislature. Such bill
was introduced and passed by the
house and council, and was approved
by Governor Edward S. Solomon on
the 29th day of November, 1871, just
so years ago today.
l have secured a copy of this act
of the legislature through the kind
ness of Mr.. W. NJ. Duncan a pioneer
of Whitman county, a past county
auditor and county treasurer and
now deputy in the office of the
State Land Commissioner, at Olym-
pia and this / desire to read before
proceeding further
LEGISLATIVE BILL
AN ACT
TO ORGANIZE THE COUNTY
OF WHITMAN
Be 1t Enacted by the Legislative AS
sembly of the Territory of
Washington:
Section l, That all that portion
of the Territory of Washington in
cluded within the following limits be
and the same is hereby organized in
to county known as the County of
Whitman. Viz: commencing on
point on Snake river where the line
dividing Idaho and Washington ter
ritories strikes said river, thence
down mid-channel of said river to
its mouth; thence mid mid-channel
of the Columbia river TO White
Bluffs; thence in a northeasterly
course to where the fifth standard
parallel crosses Lougenbeal creek;
thence east along said parallel to the
dividing line between Idaho and
Washington territories; thence south
along said fifth standard parallel as
established. the line from White
Bluffs shall be in a northeasterly
course TO the south end of Big Lake;
thence in an easterly course to Stone
House, near Rock Lake thence east
to the dividing line between Idaho
and Washington territories; thence
south along said line to the place Of
beginning.
Section 2 That G. D. WILDER,
VIM. H. Rexford and Henry S Bur
lingame are hereby appointed a
board of county commissioners;
urer; John Denny is hereby appoint