The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-03-18
Born In a
Palace; Dies
In Libby
C0lorful Life Comes
To End in Death
Of w. o. Appelquist.
HELPED DEVELOP WEST
FROM EARLY sos

ulOIe THAN Oh years ago ana SPEND
ing his declining days in a mod
est home in Libby after a long life
that was most unusually interest
ing, colorful and useful was the lot
of W. O. Appelquist, who passed
away at the Libby hospital Mon
day.
Few men have had as interesting
a life as did this honest and courte-
GUS man. His father was a promi-
nent officer in the Danish army
and had been decorated by the Dan
ish king himself. That explains
how Mr. Appelquist happened to
be born in palace. But the pat
tern of his life was woven by HIM
self and the interest and color came
into it because he had the urge to
60 into new lands and be builder.
Mr.. Appelquist came to America
when very young man, and the
early '80s found him employed as
night herder for a pack train
in southern Idaho, in the famous
old Fort Hall country He told
about having seen a town on this
trip, standing out in open semi
desert country, composed of brick
buildings, with three story hotel,
and not living soul in it except
sheep herder, who had large band
of sheep roaming through the build
lngs. The town was part Of
swindle in that some rascal had sold
lots in it to Eastern suckers and had
disappeared with his DOODLE Later
Appelquist packed into Mullan, Ida,
from the old mission at the head
waters of the Occur d'Alene river.
He was responsible for the build
ing of the first steamboat on Occur
dAlene Lake, the "Flyer," which
was built in the Johnson shipyards
Johnson once offered the yards to
Appelquist for $4,000 but he re-
fused to buy. When the railroad
built through it paid Johnson $780,
900 for the shipyard.
Mr. Appelquist was prospecting
in the Occur d'Alenes when the
Bunker Hill-Sullivan was discov-
cred. He was we'll acquainted with
Callahan Of the Interstate-Callahan
mine and once held an option on
that property. Like many men who
came to the Northwest in those
early days, he went from camp to
camp searching for wealth and ex-
element He was in the Nelson,
B. c., country in the mining ex-
element of the COS; was also at
Fernie and in and around Fl Nc
Loud. He was interested in a
coal property in central Alberta,
and was also well acquainted with
the Brule country west of Edmon-
ton.
At one time he was interested in
fishing venture at Aberdeen,
Wash, his company having a can
merry in Alaska
1t was about 1884 that he first
appeared in the Occur d'Alene sec
ton and he was once heard to re-
mark that he was mighty glad he
had come west SO early because
he had been able to see the de-
velopment of a new country and
had even then seen wild buffalo
roaming on the prairies.
He was well acquainted with
mining men and other leaders and
builders of the Spokane area and
with Spokane history. He called
himself the father of development
in the fertile Spokane valley, hav-
ing started the first irrigation dis
trict there. He could have cleaned
up great fortune from this ven
ture but his honesty prevented. AT
first he obtained the assistance OF
Well-known New York capitalist
This man was ready to put in q
great deal of money but he want
ed to build the development on q
swindling basis. His plan was tc
advertise it extensively to Eastern
people,3.se the land at price al
which they could not pay out, and
when they failed to pay, kick them
out and sell to another. Mr. Appel
quist would have nothing to dc
with that scheme. He was builder
and wanted to sell the land at 9
price where the purchaser coulc
easily make good, thereby develop
ing homes and building up new
country. This honesty probably
cost Mr.. Appelquist fortune bu
he made it up in other venture,
and at one time was quite wealthy
But like many of the fortunes o
those days, they seemed often II
60 as easily as they were made ane
he died poor man.
Following out his bent for mining
development, Mr.. Appelquist came
to Libby in 1927 to develop place
property on Cherry creek but moth
ing ever came of that venture. III
had lived here since that time. Hi
wife died here in January, 1923
Mr.. Appelquist is survived by
brother, Frederick of Aahus, Den
mark, and by a sister-in-law, Mrs
Caroline Ross, of Portland, Ore. HI
had not heard from the brothe
since the Nazis occupied that coun
try. He became a citizen of til
United States in Spokane in 1877
Mr.. Appelquist made many friend
in Libby and was known as ma