Mukilteo, Washington - The City Of "Firsts" - Scene Of Indian Treaty - M. H (part 5 of 14)

Triple Convention Held

Fusion between the democrats, populist and free silver forces took place in September, after a triple and joint convention which lasted for two days and two nights. The ticket nominated by the populists in July resigned in a body and a new ticket was named representative of the three parties, the populists sacrificing their candidate for sheriff to promote harmony. James Hamilton Lewis was one of the most picturesque figures of this campaign. Lewis rose from the ranks and was at one time a stevedore, working on the docks at Seattle. It was there that his studious politeness won for him the soubriquet of "Dude" Lewis, which followed him throughout his career as a term of ridicule on account of his always neat and fastidious appearance, long after the rather flattering origin of the title had been forgotten. He studied law at Seattle and was a leader of the bar of the Northwest, being called as counsel in some of the most noted criminal trials of the time. He was at this time the fusion candidate for congress. Elected in 1896 and defeated in 1898, he returned to the East and was at one time a United States Senator from Illinois and a powerful figure in the democratic politics of that state. He was a very polished and forceful orator and his eloquence did much to inspire the fusionists of Snohomish with zeal and confidence during this campaign. It was a spectacular campaign throughout and the following account of Mr. Lewis' reception at Snohomish, as told by the Eye, is characteristic of the political enthusiasm of that year. The account reads: "James Hamilton Lewis is speaking at Odd Fellows Hall to the largest audience yet addressed at this place. Great enthusiasm is manifested. A procession headed by the Haller Band and consisting of the old soldiers, sixteen ladies dressed in white and one dressed in yellow, escorted by sixteen gentlemen with white sashes and one with a yellow sash, and citizens, met the Colonel at the depot and escorted him to the hall where he was introduced as the most popular man in Washington."

Bryan Carries Washington

The state of Washington gave Bryan a majority of 12,000 and the entire fusion ticket was elected; Lewis and Rogers running far ahead. In Snohomish County the fusion ticket was elected by majorities averaging nearly one thousand. Bryan's majority was 904, and the republicans carried but nine precincts; these were two precincts in Everett, two in Snohomish, and Fernwood, Lowell, Marsh, Pilchuck

Office Republican Fusion

Bryan, a station on the Seattle, Lakeshore and Eastern Railroad, near the north line of the county was a new precinct created just prior to this election.

Sketch Of H. G. York

H. G. York had been a candidate a number of times, but without success until 1896. He was born in Maine, on December 12, 1840. He lived on a farm in the Pine Tree State until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he enlisted as a young man of twenty-one, and was twice promoted for bravery on the field of battle. He went to California in 1865 and came to Snohomish County in 1871. He was prominent in Grand Army circles and was commander of the Post at Snohomish for a number of years. He had one of the best farms on the river.

Upon his election he determined not to be under obligations to any financial concern and he succeeded in securing a bond of $103,000, signed by farmers throughout the county and not containing the signature of any bank or bank official. He is still an honored resident of Snohomish County. The fusionists had complete control of the state government, including the legislature, and Snohomish County was recognized by them in the appointment of John W. Gunn as state commissioner of statistics, while Edward Skaggs was elected minute clerk of the state senate.

One of the sensations of 1896-1897 was the demand of H. A. Porter and W. T. Schuyler, justices of the peace, and T. J. Holland and Ed Hennessey, constables, of Everett, for back salaries amounting to $5,805.13. The claim was based upon a law which provided that these officers should receive salaries, not fees, in cities of over 5,000 population, and a city census taken in January, 1895, when the population of Everett was given as 7,000. The commissioners ordered a census taken and this was completed in May, 1897, showing that Everett had 4,780 inhabitants. Prior to this time Judge Reid had decided in favor of the officials. County attorney made no move to appeal but asked that warrants be issued as per the court decision. These were refused by the auditor and the grand jury, with J. H. Irvine, foreman, urged the commissioners to employ special counsel to carry the case'to the higher courts and this was done. Gov. LL. K. Church was also employed to sue the Puget Sound National Bank for the balance of $13,000 still due the county.

A Supreme Court decision rendered in July, 1898, granted the Everett justices and constables the salaries claimed, the judgment amounting to $6,549.27.

Graft Charges Made

The year 1897 was marred by continual strife between county officers. Charges of graft were brought before the grand jury and forty-six witnesses were examined, while Fairweather, a Tacoma expert, was employed to investigate the books of the county. It was complained that county road and bridge work had been purposely loaded with heavy overhead expense, that commissioners were interested in contracts and that they had paid to themselves illegal amounts for mileage and expense. The spikes on one plank road were counted and found to be 6,013 pounds short of the amount called for by the contract. Charges were made that Commissioner Friar had profitted largely through sub-contracts to the lumber mill in which he was interested. Frauds on the Ebey Slough contract were unearthed, but action was barred by the statute of limitations. The grand jury found itself unable to extract evidence from unwilling witnesses and reported dolefully that the half had not been told, but that the people were helpless and that there was no way in which official carelessness, or worse, could be punished "unless you see them put the money in their pockets."" As a part of this official quarrel, the board had J. J. Sheehan, ex-surveyor, indicted for making a false report regarding a road survey, and Sheehan charged the board with taking the work of inspection out of his hands for fraudulent purposes. He also sued the county for back salary and in November, 1897, secured judgment for $1,775. In January, 1898, the board reduced the county clerk's force to one deputy, but the following July the force was increased to three, "until such time as he shall catch up with his work." Clark declared these orders were actuated by personal spite.

Republicans Come Back

These charges of graft and the unseemly bickering served to weaken the hold of the fusionists upon county politics, although they were not responsible for the acts of their predecessors. The defeat of their hero, William Jennings Bryan, and the improved business conditions of 1897 and 1898 also served to weaken the fusion cause, nationally, and while there was complete fusion of populists, democrats and silver republicans in Snohomish County in 1898, the campaign lacked the enthusiasm of 1896 and the results were disappointing from the fusion standpoint. The conventions of these parties were held on the same day and a fusion ticket agreed upon, but not without a good deal of divisive strife, so that while there was fusion there was not entire harmony. On this ticket the democrats had the offices of D. W. Currie, sheriff ; T. E. Headlee, auditor; R. E. Friars, superintendent; E. E. Johnston, representative. The populists were James Brady and W. G. Douglas, commissioners; J. H. Naylor, attorney; B. C. Majors, surveyor, and H. G. York, treasurer. The silver republicans were represented by C. P. Clark, assessor; George Bakeman, coroner, and C. L. Clemens, representative. The republicans put up a strong ticket and fought with their backs to the wall, but with the encouragement of having the national administration and the Federal patronage behind them. A tax amendment to the state constitution and also an amendment granting equal suffrage were voted on at the 1898 election, both losing in Snohomish County. The returns were as follows:

Election Summary, 1898

Thus when the smoke of battle had cleared away it was found that the republicans had gained control of the board of commissioners and held such major offices as sheriff, clerk, attorney and assessor. Birney, defeated by two votes, prepared to contest the election with Majors, but desisted when a recount of Marysville, on which he counted for a favorable change, proved the first figures to be correct. The new precinct of Norden, on the South Fork of the Stillaguamish, was established at this election, on petition of Ole Erickson and others. Following the election Stanwood voters petitioned the Legislature to annex Stanwood and Florence townships to Skagit County, charging that Snohomish County discriminated against that section of the county as to roads and that access to Mount Vernon was much easier. There were many signers to this petition but like the three previous attempts, it was unavailing.

Minor Events Of 1899

Minor incidents of this period of county seat and political excitement, from 1895 to 1899, included the refusal of the commissioners to accept a flag donated by the American Protective Association; the sending of E. C. Ferguson, F. J. Call and H. B. Cooley to the state immigration conference, which met at Everett, in February, 1896, and the holding of primaries to select delegates to that conference. The county officers of the conference were E. C. Ferguson, chairman; W. G. Douglas, Stanwood, vice president; E. C. Majors, Everett, secretary; and Steven Saunders, Marysville, treasurer. In 1899, when reelected treasurer, H. G. York abandoned the policy of securing farmer bondsmen and secured bonds through an indemnity company. The county debt, which was $368,103 in 1896, increased to $404,837 in 1897, and to $435,346 in 1898. The amount of the tax levy created much dissatisfaction, one newspaper complaining that it had reached 334% mills, and adding "O masters, lords and rulers of this land, where is this thing going to stop?" These cries were heeded, for in December, 1899, the commissioners reduced the county levy from 22 to 18 mills. Two men, well known in county politics died during this period. One was P. A. Peterson, of Florence, who did good service as a commissioner in 1884, and who died in December, 1895; the other was George C. Ruff, former auditor, who died, after a lingering illness, in August, 1897, and who was buried with honors by the G. A. R., of which he was a member.

Modern Political History

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS - CAMPAIGN OF 1900 - ELECTION RESULTS, 1900 - BROWNELI URGED FOR CONGRESS - CONVENTIONS OF 1902 - 1902 ELECTION RESULTS - ROOSEVELT CAMPAIGN, 1904 - DENNY-BLACK CONTEST - ELECTION RETURNS, 1904 - LISTLESS CAMPAIGN OF 1906 - REPUBLICANS WIN IN 1908 - ROAD BOND ISSUE FAILS - EXCITING SNOHOMISH ELECTION - GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS, 1908 - EVERETT TOPS BELLINGHAM - BLACK CARRIES COUNTY - RESULTS IN 1910 - PROGRESSIVES WIN IN 1912 - $1,500,000 ROAD BONDS BIG ISSUE - VOTE IN 1912 - COUNTY VOTES DRY - REFERENDUM RESULTS - PROGRESSIVES WIN AGAIN - HARTLEY TO LEGISLATURE - ROAD BONDS BEATEN - ELECTION RESULTS, 1914 - ROAD BONDS CARRY IN 1915 - BATTLE WITH I. W. W. - HUGHES CARRIES COUNTY - SUMMARY OF 1916 VOTE- - PROHIBITION APPROVED - 1918 ELECTION RESULTS - FARMER-LABOR VOTE HEAVY - HARDING CARRIES COUNT Y - DEATH OF C. W. GORHAM - RECALL ELECTION - 1922 ELECTION SUMMARY - HARTLEY FOR GOVERNOR - HOT PRIMARY FIGHT - ELECTION RESULTS, 1924 - HARTLEY TRIUMPHANT.

Partisan politics in the new century continued much in the same way that it functioned in fin de siecle days, except that many of the sectional sore spots seemed to be healing, and the vigorous spirit of the young metropolis and county seat for constructive progress and development throughout the surrounding country districts was beginning to be generally appreciated, so that a unified Snohomish County seemed to be arriving at maturity.

Among the significant high lights of the first quarter of the century were: The election of Walter P. Bell of Everett as attorney-general of the state in 1908, a position he held with honor until 1911; the disaster that befell County Attorney W. F. Stringley in May, 1906, when he lost his eyesight in the earthquake and conflagration in San Francisco; the repeated election of Sam H. Nichols of Everett as secretary of state; the introduction of the new primary election law, and the holding of the first primary election in 1908; (at the beginning of the campaign for this primary election an immense public meeting was held in Everett to promote the candidacy of Judge W. W. Black and at which F. H. Brownell provided a complete and comprehensive analysis and explanation of the law); the establishment of the commission form of municipal government in Everett in 1912; the first major selection of Roland H. Hartley for service to the state, when he was elected as a representative to the Legislature in 1914 from the forty-eighth representative district, and, finally, his election at the head of the republican ticket as chief executive of the commonwealth, in 1924.

During the early years of the century the population of the cities and towns and of the county as a whole enjoyed an unbroken and rapid growth; problems of transportation, markets, community welfare and trade relations became more exacting and complex, and the fitness of candidates for county offices enlisted the sincere attention of an ever increasing number of political leaders and voters. In the years succeeding the election of 1900 there appeared a veritable procession of new situations, developments and revelations in the theater of county government,

It is worthy of note that in no important instance did those who were chosen to perform the duties fail to meet each issue as it arose, and each time with uniform success. Indeed, this entire period has been pregnant with difficult and novel phases of administration of county affairs, and it is to the credit of the parties who succeeded in electing one or more men on their tickets to take charge of the business of the county that men of ability were nominated at the partisan conventions or in the primary elections.

The flattened county indebtedness fund in 1901, the "bankers' panic' in 1907, the destruction of the courthouse by incendiary fire in 1909, the building of the new courthouse in 1910-11, the county farm, the difficulties occasioned by the World War, the matchless system of paved highways, the creation of the Port of Everett, the establishment of the vital and inestimable service of a trained county agricultural agent, and many similar problems of business and progress, demanded the thought and action of capable and experienced men, men of vision and courage, and up to the present time the electors of Snohomish County have not failed to produce them at the right time.

Campaign Of 1900

The presidential campaign of 1900 was noteworthy in the State of Washington, and in Snohomish County, in more ways than one. There was no more the threat of the middle-of-the-roaders, the people's party, populists or silver republican bisection of the G. O. P. These exciting diversions had evidently been threshed out in the fervid campaigns of 1894, 1896 and 1898, and the contest again simmered down to the two historic opponents, republican and democrat, and this was notably true in Snohomish County, where the populists in 1900 had no ticket in the field. The campaign on Puget Sound was made unusually noteworthy by William, Jennings Bryan, the great commoner candidate for president in 1896 and 1900, who regaled the people of the Evergreen state at their population centers with memorable examples of his ringing eloquence.

Colonel Bryan, who had but lately won his title in the field with his regiment during the Spanish-American War, practically opened the campaign in Snohomish County when, on April 6, 1900, he addressed a great crowd of people, using the Everett Nail Works as an auditorium. It was probably the largest assemblage of Snohomish County folk Everett had known up to that time, and the multitude was indeed too big satisfactorily to hear the famous orator. He was followed soon after by an opposing national figure, the stirring republican campaigner of Ohio, Ben Butterworth. In addition to these, we had our own Washington spellbinders, including such nationally recognized men as the late Francis W. Cushman, "Abe Lincoln of the West," and James Hamilton Lewis, "Dude," "Habeas Corpus" or "Red Lion" Lewis. In the parlance of a later and more lingual day, it was some campaign.

The democratic party opened the fireworks with an enthusiastic county convention held in Snohomish in May to choose delegates for the state convention. The pioneer, E. C. Ferguson, was chairman, and although no candidates were nominated, plenty of seasoned timber was in attendance and a rousing set of resolutions

At the republican county convention for the nomination of a county ticket, held early in August, there were two or three spirited contests for place on the ticket. In nominating W. M. Ross for county auditor, Mr. Neimeyer declared that Ross "had done more than anyone else to build decent roads in Snohomish County," and the other delegates evidently agreed with him and nominated Ross, with many votes to spare. The two most exciting contests were those for state senator from the thirty-eighth senatorial district and county superintendent of schools. There were but two candidates for the senatorial nomination, but it was easily the most interesting combat of the convention, the contestants being T. B. Sumner of Everett and N. P. Niles of Snohomish, and the official ballot resulted in the nomination of Sumner with 135, to 113 for Niles. There were six candidates for superintendent, and Prof. J. A. Campbell of Granite Falls won the nomination. The convention unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Sam H. Nichols of Everett for secretary of state. Other nominees on the ticket were:

Representatives, C. W. Gorham, Index; Joseph Ferguson, Arlington; judge of superior court, J. C. Denney; clerk, U. L. Collins; sheriff, Peter Zimmerman ; assessor, Al Stevens; treasurer, C. L. Lawry of Snohomish; prosecuting attorney, H. D. Cooley of Everett; surveyor, J. S. Bonney; coroner, George Bakeman; county commissioners, Thomas G. Fleming and J. F. Stretch.

Election Results, 1900

State representatives: Gorham, r., 2,853; Joseph Ferguson, r., 2,791; Joergenson, d., 2,416; Hiatt, d., 2,464 (Gorham and Joseph Ferguson elected).

Brownell Urged For Congress

Although there were the usual local contests within and between the three established parties in the conventions and the election of 1902, the one great am- bition of Snohomish County, and in a lesser degree of the northern neighbors, Skagit and Whatcom, was to have Frank H. Brownell of Everett placed on the republican state ticket as the nominee for Congress from the first district. At the Snohomish County republican convention, held in the Central Opera House, Everett, August 22, Mr. Brownell received the enthusiastic and united endorsement of the convention, and the Snohomish County delegation to the state convention at Tacoma, September 10, headed by S. T. Smith of Marysville as chairman and S. F. Street of Edmonds as secretary, concentrated its energies upon this one ambition.

Governor Henry McBride and his organization were at the same time making a great fight for a plank in the state platform favoring the passage of a law creating a commission to regulate the railroads. It was known that if Brownell would unite with the McBride forces he could be nominated, but Brownell was conscientiously opposed to the commission project and preferred to sacrifice his Congressional aspirations than to support it. Snohomish and Whatcom delegates were likewise opposed to the measure, which, however, was endorsed and supported with a plank in the state platform by a vote of 308% to 262¥.

Wesley L. Jones of Yakima, Francis W. Cushman of Tacoma and Will E. Humphrey of Seattle were placed on the ticket by acclamation as candidates for Congress from the three Washington districts. 'We were euchred out of it!' was the comment of the Snohomish delegation and of the Everett Herald, the latter adding: "The Jones-Cushman-Humphrey combination, which King County brought about, after toying with Snohonush, went through by acclamation when the showdown came."

There was but one noteworthy contest in any of the three county conventions held in Everett in August, 1902, and that was over the nomination for county commussioner on the republican ticket in the first district. S. G. Buell of Arlington was finally nominated over Robert Kinnear of Edgecomb by a vote of 46 to 42. Then the Kinnear supporters found that Mountain Park, 3 votes, should not have heen allowed to vote in the first district, and also claimed that part of the Granite Falls vote did not belong in the first commissioners' district. The three Mountain Park votes were taken from Buell's total, but the Granite Falls vote remained, so Buell won by one majority. |

The Republican, Democratic and Socialist parties put full county tickets in the field. The conventions of the two older parties were rather quiet and undemonstrative, but the socialists had made elaborate preparations for theirs, held in the Montecello Hotel, Monday, August 18, beginning with a big outdoor mass meeting at the corner of Rockefeller and Hewitt the preceding Saturday evening, and closing with another on the evening of August 22. Principal addresses were by Geo. E. Boomer of the national socialist organization and State Labor Commissioner William Blackman. "Silver Dick" Warner interrupted the speakers a number of times, and was challenged to debate in public, but this contest never materialized.

Roosevelt Campaign Of 1904

With Roosevelt and Fairbanks heading the republican national ticket and Alton B. Parker and Henry G. Davis as democratic standard bearers, while Albert E. Mead of Whatcom County headed the republican state ticket for governor and Sam H. Nichols of Everett the popular nominee for secretary of state, the long campaign of 1904 should have been much more lively and colorful than it turned out to be in Northwest Washington. Indeed, it was among the most peaceful and unexciting of national election campaigns held here since statehood, up to that time.

Four rival parties presented almost complete state and county tickets, and all made a brave show of fighting for them - republican, democratic, socialist and prohibition.

Denney-Black Contest

The liveliest contests of the campaign were for the superior judgeship and for county commissioner in the second district. Superior Judge John C. Denney was the republican nominee and he was defeated by Judge W. W. Black, democrat, by 4,244 to 3,576. During the campaign republican opponents of Judge Denney were called "Boxers," and were said to maintain a club of that name, and to make their support of Judge Black effective they were active in both Snohomish and Kitsap Counties, the judicial district. The Everett Herald, after the election, charged that it was a case of treachery within the republican party, that Judge Denney had been traded to strengthen other candidates on the ticket, and that Denney was

At their county convention, held in Everett on July 30, the Democrats strongly advocated laws to create railroad and tax commissions. James Brady of Edmonds was the temporary chairman and keynote orator. One plank in the platform advocated repeal of the new road law and restoration of something like the old state road law.

On the Saturday preceding election day the Republican County Central Committee estimated that Judge Denney would carry Snohomish County by from 1,000 to 1,500 and Kitsap by 800 to 1,000, and that A. H. B. Jordan would win by at least 1,200.

Mr. Jordan was elected county commissioner from the second district all right, defeating his nearest competitor, J. N. Scott, dem., by a vote of 4,528 to 2,540, a majority of 1,988, much greater than his committee had promised. But Judge Black's majority over Judge Denney in Snohomish County was 668 in a strong republican district, Roosevelt carrying the county with 6,025 votes, to 1,405 for Parker and Davis, 592 for the socialists and 252 for the prohibition candidate for president.

Election Returns, 1904

Everett boasted its largest registration of voters for this election. The total registration in the city during the first five years of the new century was: 1900, 2,230; 1901, 1,939; 1902, 1,882; 1903, 3,147; 1904, 3,882. The results in Snohomish County were in part as follows:

Listless Campaign Of 1906

Being an "off year," 1906 did not provide much political excitement, although three congressmen and four state Supreme Court justices were reelected and a full county ticket was carried to the polls. The Democrats contented themselves with a playful heckling campaign, but their candidate for assessor, Carl Clemans, came out with a daring pamphlet in which he proposed introducing an adaptation of Henry George's single tax theory, in case of his election as assessor. This aroused some spirited discussion, but the campaign right up to the day of polling

A. H. B. Jordan, rep., was elected commissioner second district, polling 3,907, and John Anderson, rep., third district, with total of 3,512.

Republicans Win In 1908

Roosevelt having carried the State of Washington in 1904 with a plurality of 73,442 votes, his total being 101,540, Parker 28,098, Debs 10,023, Swallow (prohibition) 3,229, the republicans romped through the 1908 campaign confident that Taft would duplicate the Roosevelt triumph. Taft carried the state and nation easily, but not overwhelmingly as did Teddy.

There was one Snohomish County fatality in this campaign. F. B. Hawes, prohibition candidate for the Legislature in the forty-eighth district, died in the

There was not much of a partisan contest, the republicans having matters more or less all their own way. The democrats attempted to center their county ticket fight against George Deering, republican candidate for sheriff, and C. L. Lawry, republican candidate for county treasurer, but both were elected.

Road Bond Issue Fails

The chief county issue was the proposition to bond the county for $500,000 to provide for the construction of new county highways. It was claimed by proponents of the bonds that Everett, which would have to bear about one-third the cost, would receive less direct benefit than either Snohomish, Arlington or Stanwood, which towns were understood to be opposing the project on the ground that Everett would get most of the benefit from the expenditure. To win, bonds had to receive a 60 per cent vote, and the result was defeat. The last figures published by the Everett Herald, which did not include the 578 votes of the fourth ward, Everett - four full days were required to count the votes in this ward - were: For bonds, 3,497; against, 3,504.

Exciting Snohomish Election

The Snohomish city election, November 10, 1908, was hailed as the hottest in the history of that pioneer town. There was but one ticket in the field, called '""Non-Partisan," but it carried two complete sets of radically opposite candidates - the one endorsing, the other denouncing the then city administration. Mayor Lamprey was defeated for reelection by Edgar Wright by four votes majority, but a majority of the councilmen elected were known to favor the incumbent administration.

General Election Results, 1908 Everett Tops Bellingham

Returns from the federal census reached the city in time to spread a glow of gratification and good cheer over the political campaign of 1910, for it installed Everett as the fourth city of Washington, a position held by Bellingham for many preceding years. The census gave Everett 24,814, and Bellingham 24,298.

Although the local option wet and dry issue confronted the voters of Everett for the first time, the campaign was good humored and not at all acrimonious. It was said that the wets were in the lead until the shingle weavers and lumbermen came to the polls from their work to vote, and the drys claimed that the mill hands carried the day for them, for Everett voted against the saloons - dry 2,208, wet 1,933. This election was held on November 8, 1910.

Although Snohomish County, as usual, was overwhelmingly republican, it turned from the straight and narrow to give one of its most respected and distinguished sons a hearty vote of confidence: Judge W. W. Black of Everett, democratic nominee for Congress from the second district, received 3,492 votes, while his republican opponent, Congressman Will E. Humphrey of Seattle, received 3,183.

Tom C. Fleming, republican candidate for county commissioner in the second district, was the target for lively attack throughout the campaign by critics of his former service as county commissioner, 1900-1903, but he stuck to his guns and was elected with a majority of 444. The total vote was: Fleming, 3,916; Headlee, dem., 3,472.

With these minor exceptions, the campaign of 1910 aroused very little general interest, and the total vote of the county was extremely light and unrepresentative numerically.

There were three complete tickets for the five places on the State Supreme Court, republican, socialist and independent non-partisan judiciary, and the five republican candidates carried the county by large pluralities; they were: Mack F. Gose (four years), Geo. E. Morris, Frank H. Rudkin, Emmett N. Parker and Mark A. Fullerton. E. J. Brown, later mayor of Seattle, received 1,683 votes on the socialist ticket.

Progressives Win In 1912

There were many interesting issues in the political campaign of 1912, when the Roosevelt progressive republicans carried with them the strength of the original party of Lincoln, and the regular republican party headed by Wm. H. Taft carried only two small states, the democrats electing Woodrow Wilson, New Jersey governor and school master, while Ernest Lister, democrat, defeated Governor M. E. Hay, republican, for the governorship of this state.

Snohomish County proved strongly progressive republican, the vote on the presidential tickets being as follows: Republican (Taft) 3,041, democrats (Wilson) 3,905, socialists (Debs) 3,995, prohibitionists (Chafin) 1,134, progressive (Roosevelt) 7,648.

On congressman from the first district, the progressives were also favored, although Congressman Will E. Humphrey was elected. The Snohomish vote was: Will E. Humphrey, rep., 4,187; C. G. Heifner, dem., 4,790; Gilbert, soc., 4,026; Dan Landon, prog. rep., 6,451.

The county voted against the proposed amendment extending the terms of certain county officers, 3,551 for, 4,136 against. The amendment providing for recall of officers, 6,607 for, 1,552 against. On the provision for the initiative and referendum, 6,441 for, 1,419 against.

The most absorbing county issue before the voters was the great plan to issue bonds for the construction of a systematic, modern and permanent establishment of paved roads, on a plan which the county commissioners had thoroughly worked out, contemplating the completion of fifteen highways, a total mileage of 124% miles. Twenty-year 414 per cent bonds were proposed, a total of $1,500,000. The roads were to be restricted to a maximum grade of 5 per cent, to be graded 24 feet wide, with cement pavement 8 feet wide, supplemented with hard rolled gravel 4 feet on either side of the pavement. The roads were to be built under the supervision of the county commissioners, acting with an advisory board of ten appointed by the County Road Improvement Association and representing ten Snohomish County towns.

Vote In 1912

The official returns: Jacob A. Falconer, progressive candidate for congressman at large, polled the second highest vote of any contesting candidate, 8,342, defeating W. J. Bryan, dem., 6,958, Giles 4,079, Wakenknecht 4,059, Frost 3,373, Dewey 3,260, Connor 2,999, White 2,960 and Thompson 898. Mrs. Lizzie Jones, republican candidate for superintendent of schools, polled the highest vote, 9,115, defeating Mary McNamara, socialist, 5,008.

County Votes Dry

All the usual political issues and personalities in the campaign of 1914 were submerged by the white-hot vitality of the state-wide prohibition project, known as Initiative Measure No. 3. Both the wets and the drys had fully prepared themselves for this revolutionary contest, and it was difficult to arouse any interest in any other subject during this unique campaign. Both sides at the conclusion of the campaign felt confident of victory, but the wets were mistaken - Snohomish County voted dry 11,171, wet 8,792, a dry majority of 2,379.

It was a fierce and memorable struggle in the City of Everett, and the drys won by a majority of only 105 - drys 4,222, wets 4,117. In the county, 60 out of 77 precincts first reporting showed a dry majority. The wets carried few of the large precincts, although the results in all were uniformly close. For instance, the wets carried Edmonds 139 to 136, Stanwood 137 to 123, Lowell 168 to 120, and Allen 127 to 74. The drys carried Arlington by 352 to 204, Marysville 308 to 187, Mukilteo 139 to 123, Snohomish and South Snohomish by 710 to 581, Sultan City 118 to 98, Hartford 196 to 112, Armstrong 197 to 117, Monroe 346 to 237, Silvana 212 to 112, Granite Falls 151 to 106, and Tulalip 73 to 18.

Referendum Results

Snohomish County results on other state initiative and referendum measures were: To abolish private employment:agencies, for 10,766, against 6,443; first aid in workmen's compensation, for 10,100, against 6,869; "blue sky" law, for 9,207, against 6,857; teachers' pensions, for 2,/24, against 14,199; alien land ownership, for 3,203, against 11,206; Quincy project, for 7,835, against 8,770; eight-hour day law, for 8,945, against 9,468; to abolish State Inspection Bureau, for 7,839, against 8,020; to work state convicts on roads, for 6,264, against 10,192; to establish township organization, for 5,037, against 7,789. (Township organization was adopted in Whatcom and Spokane counties. )

The elaborate and thoroughly planned trunk line county road system for which the voters were asked to authorize bonds of $1,500,000, 41% per cent, 20-year, was defeated by a vote of 9,444 against to 8,423 for.

Progressives Win Again

Judge W. W. Black of Everett, democratic nominee for United States senator against Senator Wesley L. Jones, republican, carried Snohomish County with 5,646, against 4,852 for Jones, but the progressive candidate, Ole Hanson, polled the highest vote, 5,666, while the socialist, Barth, received 3,351.

Ed. M. Hawes of Everett, after printing 35,000 of the 88,000 official ballots for this election in Snohomish County, discovered a vital error in the use of the word "and" instead of "the" in the title of the prohibition amendment which would have invalidated the election on that issue; the Anti-Saloon League demanded correction at Olympia, and Secretary of State I. M. Howell had all the hundreds of thousands of ballots then printed destroyed, and correct ballots printed, just two days before election day, November 3.

Hartley To Legislature

Roland H. Hartley, now governor, was elected to the State Legislature on the republican ticket, but his running mate, James H. Hogan, was defeated by Thomas N. Swale, progressive. Charles Fickel led the republican ticket, as candidate for clerk, and Miss Mae Weatherbee, who was elected auditor, led the progressives. Donald McRae, progressive, was elected sheriff over J. H. Smith, republican, and O. T. Webb, republican, defeated Harry L. Jones, progressive, for attorney.

Road Bonds Beaten

There was more grief over the defeat of the trunk line highway bonds than anything else. The towns generally were for it, the rural districts opposed. Following the election, the Everett Herald compiled a statement from the county treasurer's records showing that in the twenty years including 1914 Everett taxpayers had paid into the county road and bridge fund and the permanent highway fund a total of $484,056.29, yet in all that time the only direct aid received by Everett from these funds was $6,000 used to pay for macadamizing a short stretch of road on Ebey Island. Although the city paid one-third the cost of all county bridges, it had to pay all the cost of building the main bridge spanning the Snohomish River in the city, the chief gateway to the county seat, at a cost of more than $80,000. It seems that an effective opposition to the bonding project was to denounce it as an Everett promotion scheme, instead of a splendid county development project.

Election Results In 1914 Road Bonds Carry

In 1915 the Snohomish County Good Roads Association prepared a more thoroughly representative bonding proposition, contemplating the paving of 139.6 miles of main line highway serving all possible settled districts and towns, and proposing a bond issue of $1,813,800. At the special bond election held on December 28, 1915, the bonding proposition carried by a vote of 7,619 for the bonds to 3,249

Battle With I. W. W.

The historic campaign of 1916, in the midst of, but before we became participants in the World War and in which the Wilson slogan was "He kept us out of war," culminated in Everett's greatest tragedy, a pitched battle between I. W. W. invaders on the steamer Verona and officers and citizens on the dock to prevent the landing of the vessel. This took place two days before presidential election day, that is, on Sunday afternoon, November 5, 1916, when two Everett men and five I.W.W. members or associates were killed and thirty I. W. W. men wounded, as well as a number of citizens, including Sheriff Donald McRae, who received four bullet wounds in the legs.

Up to this time the political campaign had been dragging along rather peacefully, although Everett was undergoing all the unpleasantness of a big strike of shingle weavers, which started May 1, 1916, and which, for the sake of industrial peace, was called off by the International Shingle Weavers Union of America November 9, 1916, this action being a direct result of the tragedy with which the shingle weavers' union and strike management were in no way connected. To a large extent this episode hampered the usual enthusiastic windup of the campaign,

The total Snohomish County vote was 20,732, and was carried by the republican candidate for president, Charles Evans Hughes, by a plurality of 217, over Woodrow Wilson, democrat. Here are some of the results:

One of the surprises to many throughout the state was the election of Governor Ernest Lister, democrat, who had been given no time for a state-wide campaign, being a substitute candidate replacing W. W. Black at the head of the ticket, defeating former Governor Henry McBride, republican, who until the returns reached him was absolutely sure he couldn't be beaten. Superior Judge Black was the democratic nominee for governor, but the Supreme Court ruled that he could not accept while serving as a judge on the bench.

At Seattle on November 1, Governor McBride issued a final statement in which he declared in part: "At the very lowest and most conservative estimate the plurality I will receive can not fall below 30,000. The probabilities are that my plurality will reach 50,000." But Lister was elected. The vote of Snohomish County was: McBride, rep., 8,080; Lister, dem., 9,040; Bradford 69, Gellerman 201, Katterfield 2,616, Riordan 32.

All the seven referendum measures, the two initiative propositions and the proposed state constitutional amendment were given an overwhelming negative vote - more than two to one in each case. Referendum No. 6, to prohibit picketing during labor troubles, received the highest affirmative vote, for 4,958, against 9,740.

Summary Of 1916 Vote Prohibition Approved

The epochal drive of our doughboys, marines and airmen on the western front in Europe took all the snap and interest out of the off-biennium political campaign in Snohomish County, during that storied November of 1918. The election was held November 5, just six days prior to the signing of the Armistice, at a crucial period of the advance of our boys into enemy fastnesses.

There was but one personal campaign of general interest: Joseph A. Sloan, democrat and Anacortes shipbuilder, was waging a vigorous newspaper and stumping campaign as the democratic candidate for congressman from the second district, opposing Congressman Lindley H. Hadley, republican. There were also two referendum propositions, one proposing a constitutional convention for revision of the constitution, the other, No. 10, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of liquor in the state. The former was rejected, but prohibition was adopted by the state at this election.

On the eve of election day Chairman Edward Mills of the Republican County Central Committee issued a statement declaring that that party had not been so thoroughly united for a number of years past, the progressives and regulars were working together heartily, and a sweeping victory in this county and throughout the country was certain.

Not more than half the qualified voters went to the polls, and the total vote was only 9,338, as compared with 20,732 cast in 1916. The constitutional convention referendum received 2,476, against 2,464. Referendum No. 10, for 4,060, against 2237 :

Farmer-Labor Vote Heavy

Judge W. W. Black, a resident of Snohomish County nearly thirty years, was the democratic nominee for governor in 1920, and his vigorous campaign was observed with sympathetic interest by all his fellow citizens in the home county, and when he appeared finally at a mass meeting in Everett on the evening of November 1 he was accorded an ovation.

Robert Bridges, Farmer-Labor candidate for governor and one of the founders of Seattle's Port District harbor development, was a picturesque figure on the rostrum during the campaign.

One of the principal state issues was known as Referendum No. 1, which proposed a six-year plan of state trunk line highway construction without increasing taxation, by appropriating automobile license fees.

Representatives, 48th District (2): Rogers, republican, 6,717; Spencer, republican, 6,667; Morgan, farmer-labor, 4,159; Ferrell, farmer-labor, 4,159.

Representatives, 49th District (2): Colwell, republican, 4,388; Wm. Whitfield, republican, 4,423; Wrage, farmer-labor, 3,269; Fortson, farmer-labor, 3,228.

The formidable strength of the farmer-labor party vote was a surprise to many, but not to observing politicians who had marked the progress of the campaign, headed in this state by the veteran progressive candidate for governor, the late Robert Bridges, a picturesque campaigner who in the Bryan campaign of 1896, as candidate for state land commissioner, had stumped the state afoot and horseback. As a campaigner he was classed with J. Hamilton Lewis and Francis W. Cushman.

Death Of C. W. Gorham

While the State Legislature was in session at Olympia in 1919, Representative Charles W. Gorham of Snohomish, former editor and publisher of the Snohomish Sun (name changed to Tribune) and former official state printer, suffered a stroke of paralysis that rendered his right side powerless. He was removed to his home in Snohomish, where he died early in the following year. His colleague in the House from the forty-ninth district, Charles Wesley Anguish, late in 1919 removed from Snohomish to Everett, and has since removed to Los Angeles, Calif., where he still resides.

This left two vacancies, no representation from Representative District No. 49, and as a special session of the State Legislature was to be called in 1920 to provide an adequate general school levy, a special election was held in Representative District 49 on March 17, 1920, at which Anna K. Colwell, democrat, and E. H. Lincoln, democrat, were elected to succeed Gorham and Anguish as State Representatives for the unexpired term. A total of 1,813 votes were cast at this special election, with results as follows:

Recall Election

Silver Lake, Centerville Precinct, seems to have the only Snohomish County record of a recall election. It was held on May 20, 1922, on petition for the recall of Ida McKanna, justice of the peace, and the lady jurist was successfully ousted from office by a vote of 104 in favor of recall, and only twenty against. The objections to Mrs. McKanna's judicial methods were several, among them the charge that in the many booze cases tried in her court there were nearly always too many witnesses, making these trials very expensive.

General election November 7, 1922: Total vote, 16,258; 136 precincts. For United States Senator: Miles Poindexter, republican, 6,032; C. C. Dill, democrat, 6,399; James A. Duncan, farmer-labor, 2,679; David Burgess, socialistlabor, 37; Frans Bostrom, workers, 17. Dill's plurality, 367.

Representative in Congress, second district: Lindley H. Hadley, republican, 8,483; Fred A. Clise, democrat, 2,298; P. B. Tyler, farmer-labor, 2,864. Hadley's plurality, 5,619.

State Senator, thirty-ninth district: George Murphy, republican, 3,386; Marvin W. Smith, democrat, 1,101; W. J. Fortson, farmer-labor, 1,166; Murphy's plurality, 2,220.

State Representative, forty-eighth district: Mrs. Harry John Miller, republican, 5,008; S. Frank Spencer, republican, 5,311; Ed. C. Warner, democrat, 2,056; Mrs. Agnes Lever, farmer-labor, 1,579; Chas. D. Lewis, farmer-labor, 1,552. Miller and Spencer elected.

State Representative, forty-ninth district: A. L. Willhite, republican, 3,072; R. D. Deselle, republican, 3,527; Ralph C. Cochran, democrat, 1,453; J. E. Wrage, farmer-labor, 1,226; Marie Louise Wenberg, farmer-labor, 1,501. Willhite and Deselle elected.

Hartley For Governor

It is probable that the candidacy of Governor Roland H. Hartley as the republican nominee for governor and the name of Lloyd L. Black on the democratic ticket as the nominee for congress from the second district, both being honored residents of Snohomish County, had more to do with bringing out a record vote at the election in November, 1924, than all the six different candidates for President of the United States, the heads of the tickets representing the republican, democratic, progressive, American, socialist labor and workers party of America organizations.

There were at this time 122 voting precincts in Snohomish County, of which forty were in the City of Everett, each limited to a maximum of 300 voters. 'The total vote polled at the election of 1924 was 22,687.

It was a strenuous and colorful campaign, centering chiefly in the lively contests for the governorship and representative in congress, in both of which the home condidates shaded their competitors, Hartley, republican, by a plurality of 951 over Ben F. Hill, democrat, and Black, democrat, by a plurality of 967 over Congressman L. H. Hadley, republican.

Hot Primary Fight

Even the primary election of September 9 was hotly contested, especially the republican nominations. There were five candidates for the State Senator nomination, thirty-eighth district, Joseph A. St. Peter winning, as follows: St. Peter 2,229, Homer T. Fowler 1,922, Geo. W. Adamson 1,141, Joseph H. Smith 1,058, Robert B. Miller 983.

The total vote registered for the primary election was 22,053, or 634 less than the total vote polled at the November election. The total polled by all parties at the primary, September 9, was 14,032.

In the democratic primary 722 votes were polled, and a full state and county ticket nominated. Edward T. Mathes of Bellingham received the high vote for governor, 255; Ben F. Hill of Walla Walla, who won the nomination, and Walter J. Robinson, each received 138, E. F. Blaine 109, Hartley and French each one. For congress, second district, Lloyd L. Black 516, James Cleveland Longstreet 98. There were seven candidates for the nomination for county treasurer, and

J. R. McKay was nominated, likewise by the republicans, and was elected without opposition, with a vote of 12,863, the highest polled by any candidate at the 1924 election. There were four candidates for commissioner in the second district, and the democrats endorsed Thomas C. Fleming.

The farmer-labor party polled 807 votes at the primary election, with a full state ticket up. There were seven candidates for governor, but J. R. Oman received 702 votes. W. J. Fortson was favored for congress over W. J. Bryan, but no candidate was nominated. Instead, Mr. Forston was nominated for representative from the forty-ninth district, and Floyd J. Haynes from the fortyeighth.

In the non-partisan Superior Court judicial primary, Ralph C. Bell was nominated for position No. 1 with 7,885 votes, and Guy C. Alston was nominated for position No. 2 with 7,963 votes.

Election Results, 1924

The results on the Presidential tickets were: Republican, 10,484; progressive, 8,929; democrat, 1,548; American party, 428; socialist labor, 51; workers party of America, 31.

Governor: Roland H. Hartley, republican, 9,417; Ben F. Hill, democrat, 8,466; J. R. Oman, farmer-labor, 2,190; David Burgess, socialist-labor, 33; Emil Hermann, socialist, 139; Wm. A. Gilmore, state, 90.

Representatives, forty-eighth district (two elected): Mrs. Harry John Miller, republican, 7,418; E. J. Templeton, republican, 8,063; Floyd J. Haynes, farmerlabor, 1,607.

Hwartley Triumphant

The general election of 1924 proved to be unique in Snohomish County political history, not only in the election of one of her distinguished citizens to the highest office in the commonwealth, but also in the practical unanimity with which the electors of the county participated in the memorable and highly interesting campaign right down to the polls. When the returns of this noteworthy election were finally canvassed and analyzed, it was found that just eighty-six and one-third per cent of the registered voters of Snohomish County had indicated their preferences in the ballot boxes, a record of active citizenship that it was claimed had

The outstanding feature, however, was the triumphant campaign of Hon. Roland H. Hartley and his election as Governor of Washington. The people of Everett and Snohomish county knew Colonel Hartley; they understood his qualities, his frankness and independence ; he had served them as mayor of the vigorous young City of Smokestacks, and as a member of the State Legislature; his position upon any proposition had never been in doubt; people were either for or against him because of his outspoken opinions and conclusions. He was no diplomat, and while many of his fellow citizens in Snohomish County consistently voted against him as a candidate for governor, all respected and appreciated him as a Sincere, active citizen with ideas and ideals.

It was Snohomish County's first taste of major distinction in politics, although she had tried in vain to send one of her able sons to congress, and many wished to celebrate the event with a general assembly reception and the splendors of oratory. It seems that both Governor-elect Hartley and his equally practical campaign manager and neighbor, Joseph Irving of Everett, did not care much for that sort of display, so the big jollification meeting did not materialize. Instead, however, Mr. Irving provided a state-wide banquet at the Cascade Club, attended by sixty-five Hartley enthusiasts from most of the counties in the state, at least two representing each county. It was a real "love feast,' as the politicians say, and many of the leading campaigners of the commonwealth participated and added their wit and joy to the rosy spirit of the occasion. Colonel Hartley himself was of course the inspiring figure at the banquet board, at which the genial and happy host, Joseph Irving, performed the duties of toastmaster.

A few days later the King County Young Men's Republican Club, taking over for the occasion the functions of the Seattle Kind Words Club, in codperation with the Young Men's Republican Club of Everett and Snohomish County, provided a greater and more general celebration of the victory in a Hartley dinner eventuated in Seattle, in which many Snohomish County citizens participated.

Everett Lodge No. 479, B. P. O. E., of which Colonel Hartley was and still is a member, could not realize its desire to celebrate Brother Hartley's triumph immediately after the November election, the elaborate new home being then under construction, but when the splendid new Elks Home was finally dedicated and thrown open for public inspection, on Washington's Birthday, February 22, 1925, Governor Roland H. Hartley was there, the most distinguished participant and speaker, and this happy event, after all, served to afford opportunity for the expressions of gratification and confidence of his fellow citizens over his election.

Chapter Vi County Government, 1900-1926

The decade beginning in 1890 and ending with 1899 witnessed the highest ambitions and hopes of Snohomish County, and particularly of the new City of Everett, and yet the major portion of that brilliant and memorable period saw the disastrous back-swell of the Eastern panic of 1893 blighting the constructive programs of the entire Western coast, an unprecedented era of unemployment and heroic sacrifice and suffering, and the county government stepping into the breach to ease the suffering by projecting and carrying on work on roads and bridges, encouraging further development of the public schools, and straining every resource to help tide over the most discouraging times in the history of Snohomish County. This lowest ebb of human sacrifice and unwonted activities persisted from the latter part of 1893 until the late months of 1897, when evidences of revival toward normal conditions began to manifest themselves, spurred forward early the following year by the stampede to the Klondike gold fields in Alaska.

During the last half of the decade the county government found it necessary to initiate and complete a number of road and bridge projects which were really emergency relief measures, designed not only to improve the transportation facilities of resident farmers and to open new settlement districts, but mainly to soften and make endurable a dire economic situation, and at the same time to buoy up the hopes, ambition and courage of the builders of the community centers and cities.

Naturally most of these projects were hurriedly planned, and the cost of some of them may have been a little greater than would have been the case if more deliberate and leisurely preparation had been permissible. That is why the financial condition of Snohomish county at the beginning of 1900 was at a low ebb, its credit strained to the limit, its county warrants sadly discounted, and a great proportion of its property owners unable or unwilling to pay their taxes over a span of five years. Most of these tax delinquencies, which were relatively uniform in proportion throughout the Puget Sound country, were due to the utter inability of the taxpayers to raise the cash required. There were, however, large and valuable land and townsite areas and establishments owned by real estate con- cerns and speculators who found this stressful period ideal for the acquisition of valuable properties at rock-bottom prices, so long as they had the cash, which proved a temptation to buy other properties with money which should have gone to the county treasurer, allowing their then present holdings to stand delinquent on the tax rolls.

To the solution of this problem the Legislature in biennial session in 1899 addressed itself with commendable zeal, framing and passing a law that added a penalty of fifteen per cent for delinquency in the payment of real estate taxes. In a newspaper interview published in May, 1900, Deputy County Treasurer M. F. Shea enthusiastically commends this statute as most effective and desirable, not only greatly stimulating the sale of tax delinquency certificates, but at the same time effecting a much higher percentage of payment of taxes at the time they were due. Under the law, tax certificates of delinquency of 1896 or prior years expired December 1, 1900, when the county instituted foreclosure proceedings, conducted at small cost to the county by the prosecuting attorney, and thus from the proceeds of the sale of the delinquent properties the county treasury received considerable sums of cash in taxes, interest and penalties covering those desolate years.

Better Times Arrive

Toward the close of 1900 and the beginning of the year 1901, business had noticeably revived, times were infinitely better, many new business and industrial projects as well as greatly improved farm activities gave employment to large numbers of men, and taxes were being paid into the county treasury in unprecedented volume.

The Board of County Commissioners, headed by the astute and alert first settler of the county, E. C. Ferguson, concluded it was high time, now that there was some money on hand and more coming in all the time, to pay some attention to, the county's makeshift punitive shack. After visiting and critically inspecting that rickety relic of the boom days a number of times, Chairman Ferguson frankly and publicly declared that the county jail "is not a fit place even for beasts," and announced that one of the first and most humanitarian duties of the new board would be to provide a more humane detention home for the derelicts of society. All the members of the board felt the same way, and the board at once proceeded to act accordingly, first deciding upon a suitable site for the jail structure.

New Jail Erected

This favored site was objectionable to many property owners, being in the heart of the central residential section, and they protested to the board. William Howarth came forward with a generous solution of the difficulty; he offered to buy suitable lots on Rockefeller Avenue, and in addition to pay $500 for sewer connections in the old jail. This. settled all arguments, and by June 1, 1901, the board had awarded the contract to furnish the project with steel cages and cells to the Pauley Jail Company for $7,937.

Two weeks later George A. Weber was awarded the contract to erect and complete the new jail building, his bid of $19,995, being the lowest received. But there was formidable opposition to the whole project, and within a week after the awarding of the contract to Weber, the Everett Improvement Company applied to the Superior Court for an injunction to suspend work on the project until a formal hearing of their objections could be had. The company declared that the finances of the county and the need for a new jail did not warrant such large expenditure; its complaint declared that the total debt of the county was now $385,593, the law permitting indebtedness of only $305,987, leaving a total excess debt of $79,606. The county commissioners stood pat in opposing this action. "The board will fight this or any other restraining order," declared Commissioner J. F. Stretch. He charged that this action was actuated entirely by local property interests, and claimed that the county's finances and assets were amply sufficient to take care of this needed improvement. He was at the same time quoted as threatening that, if the jail project be enjoined and prevented, all county improvement work will be stopped. 'We will, in such event, be compelled to tear down or remove the old shack jail and put up a new frame building instead," he declared.

Superior Judge Denny, however, took the whole matter calmly under advisement, and in the third week of July, 1901, decreed that the injunction could not be granted. The work of the contractor proceeded without further interruption, and in due time the new fireproof, sanitary, permanent county jail became a handsome reality. The total cost, including furnishings complete, was approximately $30,000.

Taxpayers League

In June, 1901, Daniel Currie issued a call for the formation of a taxpayers' league, and at the preliminary meeting held in Everett the last week of that month at which permanent organization was initiated by the selection of an Organization Committee, composed of J. T. McChesney, W. J. Agnew, J. E. Bell, U. K. Loose, L. Wilbur, Bruhn & Henry, H. C. Comegys and James Brady.

At first the commissioners regarded this taxpayers' league activity as a movement aimed against their policy of taxation or the methods of valuation and assessment, but this the leaders of the league quickly disavowed, claiming to have for their paramount purpose the consideration of prospective county expenditures. In March, 1901, the commissioners had planned soon to restore to normal the depleted County Indebtedness Fund by issuing refunding bonds to the amount of $140,000, confident that the bonds would sell at par at four and one-half per cent interest, taking up Indebtedness Fund warrants then outstanding, and which were drawing eight per cent interest. The board was in doubt whether the league was inspired by opposition to such a bond issue, displeasure over the new county jail project, or the more vital function of the board, taxation. In April, the railroad companies had finally effected a settlement with the county for their delinquent taxes, on the basis of the 1900 assessment, with interest on delinquent taxes. Thus the County Treasurer received $75,000 in cash from the Great Northern Railway Company and a somewhat less amount in cash from the Seattle & International Railway.

At the June sessions of the board a number of disputed tax cases were satisfactorily settled. In almost every instance the protesting taxpayers claimed that the valuations and assessments were too high during the hard years from 1895 to 1900, and the board, whose members were themselves taxpayers and familiar with most of the properties involved, were able to effect a just settlement, largely by compromise modifications.

By July the commissioners returned to their original intention of the preceding March, to issue funding bonds in order to take up outstanding Indebtedness Fund warrants drawing eight per cent interest, and at the meeting of July 3, 1901, it developed that Indebtedness Fund warrants totaling $155,000 were then outstanding against that fund, with only $5,500 on hand to meet them. The three commissioners, Thomas C. Fleming, Iver Johnson and John F. Stretch, united in resolutions initiating the bonds project and called for bids for the sale of the bonds to be opened August 7. None of the bids at that time was satisfactory, and new bids were called for and considered September 23. The best bid offered was from W. M. Harris & Company of New York; they were to be ten-year and twenty-year bonds, interest five per cent.or less. Harris and Company's net bid was $151,620 and accrued interest, bonds five per cent interest. This bid made possible a saving of three per cent interest on $150,000, or $4,500 annually.

Taxation Problems

In August, 1901, the Snohomish County Taxpayers' League complained relative to the policy and methods of valuation and assessment for purposes of taxation. Upon invitation of the board the League appeared before the commissioners, then sitting as a board of equalization and explained their attitude and objections more fully.

To these representations the commissioners replied in writing, showing, it was claimed, that the assessed valuation of properties in Snohomish County was decidedly moderate, if not, indeed, very low. In Everett, for instance, from whence came much of the objecting, the commissioners submitted the following valuations of the current year, involving well known properties, the commissioners regarding these half dozen examples as representative, sound and moderate:

Everett Paper Company plant and properties......... $107,000 Puget Sound Reduction Company, smelter.......... 71,000 Everett Railway and Light Company............... 54,000 Everett Water Company ............cc ccc ceeeeees 42,000 Telephone Company cccicses oe bel ac deka tendon Goes 15,000 cisto ote! pncc sh nat iee oes aweds dak Suws 12,400

The Taxpayers' League promptly again disavowed its chief concern about taxation, but declared its members were sensitive in the matter of county expenditures. Edward Staggs, permanent secretary of the League, was quoted in a newspaper interview as declaring that the chief purpose of the League was to promote reduction of expenditures not absolutely necessary, with a view to reducing the tax levy, which now amounted to approximately five per cent of the total property valuation in Snohomish County, and was the highest in the state.

In the following month, September 17, 1901, the total assessed valuation of Snohomish County real and personal taxable property had been ascertained and equalized, as follows:

New Road Law Approved

Earlier in the same month the County Commissioners, Everett Chamber of Commerce Members' Council and others met in joint session in Fourteenth Street Fire Engine Hall, to consider the newly adopted state road law, which was comprehensively explained in detail to the meeting by Charles W. Gorham of Snohomish. It was stated that Snohomish County had in the last ten years expended $375,000 on the construction and maintenance of county highways; that to supervise the work in the eighty-seven districts of the county had cost $10,875, and yet there was little worthy of mention to show for it.

The joint meeting was heartily in favor of the new measure, and a committee composed of J. A. Coleman, T. A. Garrigues and C. W. Gorham was appointed to explain, introduce and work for the new law.

Interest Rates Lowered

Returns from all parts of the county in the payment of the last half of the taxes levied for the preceding year were already coming in before the end of October, 1901; the county's credit was steadily improving in sympathy with its increasing prosperity and stability, so that before November the interest rate on Snohomish County warrants was reduced from 8 to 6 per cent. It is interesting to recall, in these later days of officially stimulated hunting and fishing, with the stocking of lakes and streams everywhere with game fish and of game birds in the woods and on the prairies, that in October, 1901, the county commissioners declared the office of game warden vacant.

In 1904 Snohomish County cooperated heartily and materially with the state in establishing and maintaining impressive exhibits in the Washington State building at the St. Louis World's Fair, and did fully as much for the great Pacific coast fair, the Lewis and Clark Exposition at Portland in 1905, for which Elmer E. Johnston of Everett was selected as executive commissioner for the State of Washington.

Wagon roads, however, formed the principal concern of the county government, the modern plans and methods of road building being initiated by the county board of 1901, Chairman Thos. C. Fleming of Lowell, John F. Stretch of Monroe and Iver Johnson. S. G. Buell succeeded Mr. Johnson in 1903, and in January, 1905, Mr. Fieming was succeeded by A. H. B. Jordan. These were in turn succeeded in the brief span of busy years that followed by C. H. Quast of Marysville, John C. Falconer of Monroe and John McCulloch of Snohomish, and they all proved to be admirably fitted for the job, with the result that Snohomish County has been exceptionally well governed and its business affairs capably and wisely handled amid ever-changing conditions.

At the beginning of 1907 all county affairs were humming along merrily and constructively, but the ides of September brought the sudden clamp of the clearing house certificates on the vaults of the cash in the banks. This, however, was not to continue over a long and dismal period, like the crash of 1893; it was an effective method of tiding over a sharp crisis in the finances of the country without forcing the banks to close for good. In fact, the banks soon resumed specie payment, and no depositor lost a cent.

Courthouse Enlarged

By January, 1908, much of the human activity of the Puget Sound country had again restored itself to nearly normal, and the newly formed Board of County Commissioners resolved at the January session to immediately arrange to supply a long felt want - more room in which to transact the county's growing business. It was planned to build a large annex of two stories adjoining the courthouse on the north, and before the end of February ground was being cleared for the new building. :

Brick was decided upon as the principal building material. The rooms on the first floor were to be set apart for the departments of the county assessor and the county engineer; the second floor for the Superior Court room and judges' chambers. Robert McAdam was awarded the contract to construct the building, which according to the contract was to be completed ready for occupancy by August 1, 1908, at a total cost of $18,000 for construction.

Seattle Exposition

In June, 1908, the board showed its attitude toward the Seattle project to eventuate the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in the summer of 1909, by deciding upon a tax levy up to the maximum permitted under the state enabling act, one-half mill, which would bring a total of $12,395 to pay the expense of having Snohomish County properly represented at that historic exposition. This action was generally applauded. .

Snohomish County suffered serious losses in the year 1909, which to a large extent dampened the gratification of the people of the county over the outstanding attractiveness and success of its large booth of exhibits at the A.-Y.-P. Exposition. at that time enjoying maximum attendance. The material loss was the destruction of the old county courthouse in Everett by a fire thought to have been of incendiary origin, started in the afternoon of August 2, 1909. The personal loss was the death about the same time of the aged and honored county auditor, Capt. J. T. Sherfey, a veteran of the Civil War, and a familiar figure on the streets and at the county's capitol. The commissioners appointed P. T. Lee to serve as auditor during the unexpired term, after which Mr. Lee served two terms by election in that position. |

Courthouse Burns

There were several fires during the afternoon and night of August 2, the total loss being afterwards estimated at $185,000. The inception of the fire which destroyed the old courthouse building was in the Iles & Newman carriage and wheel. factory, a large frame building at the northwest corner of Wetrhore and Pacific Avenues, directly across the street from the courthouse. This building and property was owned by Aalbu Bros. and the building was a total loss. The sparks and heat from this seething blaze soon ignited the roof of the courthouse, which was soon a mass of flames and beyond the control of the fire department. When the fire had finished its work, the charred, jagged, wobbly brick walls of the old courthouse remained standing, with nothing left in their once proud interior but heaps of smoking ruin, the small county vault and the county safe. This building was completed in 1897 at a cost, to the people of Everett, of $30,000 - the gift of Everett to the county at the conclusion of the memorable county seat fight.

New Annex Saved

The firemen, however, succeeded in saving the new annex, completed late in the preceding year, and this a few days later became the official home of the county government, into which several departments were at once crowded. The county engineer was provided with quarters in the old Scandia Bank building, but nearly all the other principal departments were jammed into the annex.

The county clerk was given the apartment vacated by the engineer, the treasurer shared quarters with the assessor, the auditor opened for business in the quarters of Judge Sheller, justice of the peace, and Superior Judge W. W. Black held court in the modest audience chamber of the superintendent of schools - all in the new annex building, which is now occupied by the justice, assessor, game warden, superintendent of schools, engineer and district and county deputy horticultural inspectors.

Chief Records Safe

After the debris of the fire had sufficiently cooled it was found that the courthouse vaults still retained unsullied the principal records of the county, although it was announced that all the stenographic records of the Superior Court, in the form of completed transcripts covering the preceding six months, had been destroyed.

Next day the Everett Herald described the scene of the fire in these words: "Curious throngs hung about the ruins of the courthouse, the Mehan building and the destroyed stable of Thorsvig & Miley today. About the courthouse they walked where angels should fear to tread, for the hanging walls appear extremely menacing, full of cracks as they are and in instances appearing to be supported merely by a thread of masonry. The weary firemen, ousted from their quarters in Station No. 2 by the damage done the building, were asleep on lawns across the street." And week after week, month after month thereafter these shaky, skeleton walls continued to lend their grim-visaged presence to the urban landscape, while the Board of County Commissioners tried their wits to devise ways and means and to agree upon a plan for a new and permanent courthouse building. The total loss of the courthouse and its furnishings destroyed was estimated at approximately $50,000.

The wide-awake editor of the Snohomish Tribune did not overlook this opportunity to take a long and sarcastic shot at the winner of the old county seat contest of 1894-97. Criticising the Everett Fire Department for trying to subdue the fire in the big wooden building across the street, the Tribune editorially advocated removal of the county seat to Arlington, Monroe or Snohomish, in any one of which cities the county would be assured of better fire protection for its property. Everett people and papers read this bit of sarcasm in a spirit of good humor and without comment in reply, so the old rancor and rivalry were not revived.

New Courthouse Built

Early in 1910 the commissioners finally arrived at a solution of the new courthouse problem. Architect A. F. Heide of Seattle prepared the plans and was engaged as supervising architect; in March advertisements calling for bids were published, and on April 12, 1910, the contract for the erection of the new courthouse, to adjoin and be in common with the annex building, was awarded to Olson

The new building was at that time of the latest approved modern construction, the materials being steel and brick, with a roof of tiling. Some alterations and adaptations of the original plan, however, were found desirable, and the structure was not completed in the time specified in the contract, and was not ready for occupancy until the first meeting of the new Board of County Commissioners, in January, 1911.

Thomas C. Fleming and A. L. Willhite had been elected commissioners in the second and first districts, respectively, at the biennial election the preceding November, and they had much to do with finishing up the courthouse arrangement and furnishing as it is today.

The very first act of the new commissioners, however, was the issuing of county funding bonds to the amount of $100,000, drawing 5 per cent interest, issued January 2, 1911. These bonds were for a term of twenty years, but all were to be redeemable after the first ten years, and the money was devoted to calling in outstanding county warrants then drawing 8 per cent interest. The last of these bonds were called in by the present county treasurer, John R. McKay, in 1925, fourteen years after they were issued.

First Pavements Laid

County road building comprised the major part of the brain work and activities of the Board of County Commissioners and the county engineer, especially from and after 1912. The first hard pavement laid on the county highways was the stretch of vitrified brick connecting Stanwood with East Stanwood, put down in 1913, just one mile. The first experimental mile of concrete pavement was laid in the same locality the following year, 1914, from Stanwood north, and in the same year a mile of concrete from Arlington west, and the first Everett cement pavement on highways, from Broadway and Forty-first Street to Lowell, 1.3 miles.

In the following year, 1915, the good roads enthusiasts, Good Roads Association, city and community progressive organizations of the county supported the county commissioners in the greatest county highway paving project ever conceived and carried to successful culmination in the State of Washington. This was the gigantic county bonding proposition to finance the admirable and complete plans that had been thoroughly worked out for the construction of a systematic establishment of cement-paved county highways.

Road Building Era

At first the immensity of the great project seemed appalling to many taxpayers and property owners throughout the county, and indeed was received with surprise, admiration and skepticism all over the Pacific Coast - the idea of bonding the one county of Snohomish for $1,813,800 at one fell swoop for the purpose of paving a gigantic system of roads. But before the campaign was over the majority of the people were outspokenly advocates of the project, and when the polls were finally closed, at 8 o'clock in the evening of December 28, 1915, it was found the one big problem had brought out a record poll for a special election, a total of 10,868 votes were cast, and the bonds were authorized by 7,619 to 3,249, a majority of 4,370 for the bonds. That was a great occasion for rejoicing on the part of the commissioners who had fathered and planned and sturdily stood pat for the entire project - Commissioners Thomas C. Fleming, C. H. Quast and John C. Falconer. The excellent pavements resulting from this daring project could not now be duplicated for much less than twice $1,800,000. The great project was conceived at just the right time, when costs of labor and material were still at the old pre-war level, and the entire project was practically completed and the highways ready for use before the United States entered the theater of the cataclysmic World War.

County Agent Employed

In 1917, complying with the desires of many of the agricultural leaders and forward-looking farmers, the commissioners entered into coOperative agreement with the Department of Agriculture through the Extension Service of the Washington State College at Pullman, and engaged Chester C. Farr as county agricultural agent. It was some time before the farmers of the county fully understood and appreciated the services of a highly trained and practical man whose thought and time were devoted entirely to their material interests and to the scientific and enlightened study and solution of their perplexing problems, but when they did witness the undeniable, continuous benefits of the service, at the end of the first year, they admitted that the service was practically indispensable. Mr. Farr was later succeeded by W. D. Love as county agent, who served three years, and was succeeded December 1, 1922, by Arnold Z. Smith, the present efficient county agent.

Port Of Everett Created

In 1918 the commissioners wrestled a long time with the difficult problem of creating the Port of Everett, petitioned for by the business men and property owners of Everett, Lowell and vicinity. The first meeting at which the board considered this matter was held on April 8, 1918. A public hearing was called for April 29, 1918. But the Port of Everett was noc born until the special election of July 13, 1918 validated the proposition of a limited area, eliminating the interior centers of the county and electing the first port commissioners. The county commissioners at this time were John C. Falconer, John L. Boyle and C. H. Quast.

After the signing of the World War armistice, November 11, 1918, activities in Snohomish County quickly reverted to the old constructive channels and all but the prices of commodities and manufactures gradually returned to near their normal status. Average prices remained high, and reached their peak in the year 1920. The county government, however, seemed fully aware that this condition of affairs could not long continue, and therefore did not undertake any major construction projects, but rather resolved upon a period of retrenchment and "he reduction of the county's debts.

Census Shows Growth

The federal census of 1920 showed that Snohomish County at that time maintained a population of 67,690, the considerable increase since the census of 1910

According to the Washington State Bureau of Statistics, the actual valuation of Snohomish County in 1922 was $110,197,876. Taxes were low, in comparison with similar large counties in this and other Pacific Coast states, and it was the sense of the people that nowhere, in this state at least, were the taxpayers getting more for their money.

County Roster

In the years 1925 and 1926 the Board of County Commissioners was composed of Thomas C. Fleming, District No. 2, chairman; Peter Henning, District No. 1; W. W. Morgan, District No. 3. The judges of the Superior Court were Guy C. Alston and Ralph C. Bell. The other officers and heads of major departments were: Auditor, John Haugen; sheriff, James McCulloch; clerk, Frank A. Turner ; treasurer, John R. McKay; assessor, W. J. Williams; superintendent of schools, J. A. Jacobson; engineer, Ross D, Alverson; prosecuting attorney, C. T. Roscoe; coroner, Charles H. Fickel. The assessed valuation of the county was $46,278,108 on the tax rolls of 1924, and the number of acres of land assessed, 563,769.66, in 1925.

Road Bonds Refunded

On May 1, 1925, the commissioners succeeded in refunding the remaining road bonds issued in 1916. The original issue of $1,813,800 had then been reduced to $1,050,000, which is the amount of the serial funding bonds, drawing interest at 41% per cent and payable annually from the second to the tenth year, inclusive, in payments of approximately $100,000 a year, the last payment falling due May 1, 1935, and, according to County Treasurer John R. McKay, this is the only outstanding county bonded debt at this time, September 1, 1926. Since the issuance and sale of the mighty road bonds of 1916, the county had paid $763,800 of the principal with interest carrying all the bonds.

Poor Farm Project

One of the large building projects completed in 1925 was the erection and equipment of a fireproof modern building at the County Poor Farm, the cost of the building alone being $99,255.94. This County Poor Farm is really a noteworthy institution. In the year 1925 there were 69 inmates, at the close of the year, while there were accommodations for 100. The average cost of maintenance per inmate daily was 56.5 cents, and there were nine regular employes; the sale of produce from the farm yielded a cash revenue of $3,310.39. The people of Snohomish County have ample reason to be proud of their liberality in this and like philanthropic matters and of the business-like manner in which all county welfare work is conducted by their county government.

County Expenditures

donation purposes in the year 1925, including the fine new building at the county farm, may be considered of sufficient general interest to be included here, as follows:

In the calendar year 1925 the county treasurer was able to redeem with interest county road bonds to the amount of $1,252,940.62, and at the end of the year the total of all bonds outstanding against the county was $2,364,550, and there was still left in the county treasury $390,863.52 in cash.

Courthouse Addition Proposed

With all these more or less complex undertakings conducted from a common center, it is little wonder the Snohomish County courthouse is a hive of industry from 8 a. m. till 5 p. m., at least, a continuous and increasing volume of business, all of which must go through the process of recording, pouring in from all parts of the county daily. Even with the combination of the old annex and the imposing steel and brick structure erected in 1910-11, the commissioners and other officials have found the space all too restricted for the expedition and furtherance of county work, and the board is at this time considering the advisability of building an addition to the main structure, this addition to replace the space required for the present corridor down the center of the present building and approach to the annex, providing more suitable offices convenient to all for the county agent and the prosecuting attorney, at a cost of approximately $40,000, provision for which the board may include in the budget for the year 1927 if it be decided to build the desired addition.

Chapter Vii County Road Building

BEAUTY AND EXCELLENCE OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY ROADS UNSURPASSED - OLD MILITARY ROAD - FIRST ROAD DISTRICT - FIRST ROAD TAX - ROAD DISTRICTS, 1870~HOME RULE A FAILURE - FIRST COUNTY BRIDGE - ROAD PETITIONS - FIRST COUNTY SURVEYOR - FIRST STATE AID - ROAD OF 1883 - KENT'S PRAIRIE ROAD, 1884 - FIRST ROAD BONDS, 1890 - EVERETT BOOSTS GRAVEL ROADS - STILLAGUAMISH BRIDGED - EVERETT-MACHIAS ROAD - BRIDGE TO CAMANO ISLAND - GRAFT CHARGES MADE - MARYSVILLE CUT-OFF URGED - FIRST GRAVEL ROADS - ERA OF PAVED ROADS BEGINS - GOOD ROADS ASSOCIATION - SECOND DEFEAT FOR BONDS - BIG BOND ISSUE PROPOSED - OUTLINE OF PAVING BOND - BOND ISSUE CARRIES - FIRST AUTOMOBILE IN COUNTY - BUSSES REPLACE STREET CARS - ROADS OF 1926 - NEW ROAD PROJECTS - SCENIC HIGHWAY.

There is one thing concerning which every citizen of Snohomish County has a right to be unqualifiedly proud, and that is the wonderful system of well-nigh perfect roads. Not only are the main arteries of travel paved, but they are well and honestly paved, and even the by-roads are graveled and kept in such excellent condition that they are equal to the best roads afforded by many eastern states. Many of these roads, leading into the mountains, are examples not only of good workmanship but of high engineering skill. They afford the people quick, cheap, marketing facilities and they also afford them rest and pleasure, life-giving breaths of country air and glimpses of the wonders of nature, which are nowhere more beautiful and more varied than in Northwestern Washington. From no part of the county is it more than a two hours' drive from the mountains to the sea. The swift panoramic view which these roads make possible can hardly be surpassed in all the world. Western Washington, ever green and ever beautiful, is spread out before them and it is no wonder that her people love her and are firmly convinced that it is but a short step from Washington to Heaven. From these beautiful drives the eye has but to turn to rest upon stately forests or snow-crowned mountains or a placid sea dotted with green islands. From the roadside there 1s the sound of running waters and, at times, the crash and roar of tumbling waterfalls. The rich valleys are no less pleasing to the eye. In the spring time they are vast bouquets of fruit blossoms and the air is laden with their perfume. In the fall the rich reds and yellows of the ripening fruit lend their charm to the colorful landscape. Even in winter the valleys are carpeted with green and there are flowers. The main highways are so densely populated, so strewn with pretty homes and well-kept lawns, that one has the impression, not of a country road, but of a winding street in some beautiful city suburb. No longer are there two distinct settlements, that on the Snohomish and that on the Stillaguamish, but one county, united in pride and affection and with a common purpose. Verily the cement of the highways has cemented the hearts of the people and has brought their lives as well as their homes into a close communion.

The story of how all this was brought about and of the struggle and the sacrifice and the high, enthusiastic purpose it involved, is one of the most interesting chapters of Snohomish County history. At times the progress must have seemed slow and halting to ardent, impatient spirits, but it is well to reflect that Snohomish County has accomplished more in this direction in the brief three-quarters of a century since its beginning as the home of a white civilization than many nations have accomplished in twice one thousand years.

Old Military Road

It is not a paradox to say that the first road in Snohomish County was a river, for the great streams which have added so much to the wealth of the county afforded the best and the cheapest and the most convenient transportation that the pioneers could possibly have had. At the very first there was no object in and no incentive for penetrating the depths of the vast forest which covered nearly every inch of Snohomish County. There was at that time no place to go which could not be reached much more quickly and easily by water than by land. The first land highway was, therefore, not one built by the settlers for their own convenience, but one attempted by the Federal Government as a military necessity.

While the purpose was not openly avowed, one of the objects in establishing forts in Western Washington was to protect the interests of America against the British. The Northwest boundary was not settled until 1873 by the award of the Emperor of Germany, and in 1855 it was an open and a vexing question. Memorials presented to Congress by the territorial legislature show deep distrust of British motives and that the Hudson's Bay Company, in particular, was very loath to yield an inch to the United States above the north bank of the Columbia River. There was grave danger of Indian outrages and this was, of course, the chief reason for the establishment of forts at Steilacoom and at Bellingham Bay.

But there is reason to believe that the United States wisely anticipated that there might be such friction as showed itself in the dispute for the possession of the San Juan Islands, which almost led to war. The forts being established it was a matter of military necessity that they should be placed in communication with each other for relief or for cooperation in time of hostilities and for the forwarding of supplies in time of peace. The natural and least expensive way of establishing a line of communication was by water; nevertheless it was felt the part of wisdom to open an overland route also, and it is almost obvious that this path through the woods, exposed to attack by hostile Indians, if there were such, throughout its entire length, was planned and adopted because it was not open to naval attack by Great Britain. This military road was a federal project and was planned to extend from Steilacoom to Bellingham Bay, via Olympia and Seattle, but everywhere, as nearly as possible, well back from the water front. Appropriation was made by Congress and work was commenced at both ends of the line simultaneously. Captain Pickett, who became famous for the famous charge at Gettysburg, was in command at Fort Bellingham; he received a share of this appropriation but used it all in building a bridge and in clearing a road from the settlement at Whatcom northwestward to the fort, and did not extend it to the south. From the Steilacoom terminus, however, it was pushed through Thurston, Pierce and King Counties and well into Snohomish. Although a federal project, the territory evidently assumed a share of the responsibility and expense, for the Legislature of 1855 appointed

Clement W. Sumner, L. M. Collins and Henry Weber as commissioners to locate the road from Seattle to Bellingham Bay, their compensation being fixed at $3 per day, to be paid by the counties. It was also declared that this should be a territorial road, to be opened and kept in repair. At no place in Snohomish County was this road more than a narrow pathway slashed through the forest. It crossed the river near Snohomish and, on January 18, 1861, the Legislature granted a permit to E. C. Ferguson and E. T. Cady to establish and maintain a ferry "where the military road from Steilacoom to Bellingham Bay crosses the Snohomish River," and they were given the exclusive franchise for one mile up and down the river, the rates to be fixed by the county commissioners.

Whatever construction there was on this road was done in Snohomish County in 1856. Charles Short, for many years a resident of the county, was one of the men employed in the construction of this road which went north, over the hills to Arlington, via Kent's Prairie. It came down the hill to the south end of what is now Market Street, the main business street of Arlington. Beyond Arlington it followed the ridge down to the Stillaguamish River, which it crossed at about the location of the present railroad bridge and continued north of that river towards the Pilchuck to a point some distance southwest of Bryan where it was abandoned, although the trail blazers went on, almost to the Skagit County line. It is probable that an old Indian trail was followed. Early settlers found puncheons laid by these road makers, in the swampy places, showing that considerable construction was done. It is told, with a chuckle, that the contract called for a "wagon road" and that payment was not to be made until a wagon actually passed over it. An army officer acting as an inspector came by canoe from Steilacoom to the point where the road was to cross the Snohomish, and was shown the wagon on the river bank. He took it for granted that it had been drawn over the road on its own wheels and approved the payment, but in fact it had been knocked down and transported over the trail on the backs of pack mules. This is the first mention of "graft" in connection with Snohomish County roads, and while it was not the last, the county has been remarkably free from this evil. It is said that the road makers found second growth timber where the road crossed what was long known as "the Burn'; the growth showing that this region had been fire-swept at least thirty years previously.

The Government found the road more expensive than expected and there were the usual departmental delays so that the work came to a stop in 1857. The Legislature on January 13, 1858, memorialized Congress to appropriate more funds to complete this road, and the same action was taken in January, 1859. At this time, also, the Legislature passed a law making all military roads, territorial roads, and while this road was never completed, and did not take the same course as the present main highway, it may at least be called the great grandfather of the Pacific Highway in that it was meant to connect the cities of the upper and the lower Sound. In urging Congress to make further appropriations the territorial Legislature, being anxious to obtain the road at Government expense, rather libelled Puget Sound, dwelling upon the difficulties and dangers of navigation, especially in the severe winter season. This road, at its best, was no more than a pack trail and there is no record of its use either for military or civil purposes. With the abandonment of Fort Bellingham, the forces under Captain Pickett having been transferred to San Juan Island, the Government felt that there remained no object for the completion of this road, but the Washington Legislature did not agree with this view, and, in 1861, it again asked Congress to make an added appropriation to complete it, stating that it was necessary for defense against the fierce and hostile Indians.

First Road Districts

The first action of the first board of county commissioners, after organization had been effected, on March 12, 1861, was in relation to county roads. Since that time more than two-thirds of the time of the commissioners has been given to road work and the records of the county are filled with page after page of road petitions and hearings. This first action, taken at the little tavern courthouse at Mukilteo, was to appoint Henry McClurg, George Kelsey and Salem Woods to view a road from Snohomish to Wood's Prairie. The next action, taken the same day, was to "allow" M. H. Frost to "view out" a road from Mukilteo to Snohomish, subject to the viewers' report at a later day. The county was then divided into two road districts. District No. 1, to be called the Mukilteo District and to extend from that point "up as far as Krieschel's Bluff on the Snohomish River." District No. 2 was to embrace all the region "from Krieschel's Bluff on the river to Wood's Prairie and beyond." These districts were annulled at the session of the board on May 5, 1862, and six districts were created, as follows: No. 1 - from Mukilteo to opposite Krieschel's Bluff; No. 2 - from this bluff, thus variously named, to Fiddlers Bluff; No. 3 - from Fiddlers Bluff to the forks of the Snohomish; No. 4 - from Wood's Prairie to "opposite George Kelsey's house ;" No. 5 - from opposite this house down to the center of Pill Chuck Creek; No. 6 - -from the center of Pill Chuck to Fort Ebey.

It may be well to state here that the Pilchuck takes its name from the Chinook jargon words: "Pill" meaning red, and "Chuck" meaning water. It first appears as two words, "Pill Chuck," later the words were joined and it became "Pillchuck," and at present one "1" has been dropped. The name "Ebey" first appears in the records as Eby, in this case a letter having been added by usage. There have been a number of such changes in the nomenclature of the county with the passing years.

Fiddlers Bluff took its name from a logging camp cook named William Jamieson. He was of morose disposition and his only chosen friend was his fiddle. He took a claim and built his shack on the bluff overhanging the Snohomish and travelers on the river frequently heard the wail of his violin, for: while Jamieson was passionately fond of his instrument, he was not an expert fiddler. One day, in a fit of despondency, he shot himself. He was buried in the old Pilchuck Cemetery, and as he came from the State of Missouri, some woodsman lettered the wooden cross which marked his grave with the following inscription: