Spokane County, Washington - Chapter 9: Settlement of Eastern W.vsil Ington, 1900

As already implied, the country east of the Cascade mountains, in area the larger portion of the territory of Washington, had been without any white settlers, excepting a few here and there, since the Whitman masacre. Therefore it had no part in the initiatory steps toward territorial organization. Up to the 'sixties it had hardly any history except that connected with early explorations, the labors of early missionaries, the Indians and Indian Avars. The first settler in eastern Washington after the missionaries was H. M. Chase. He entered W'alla Walla \alley in 1851. He was soon followed by Lloyd Brooke, and two men named Bam ford and Noble, the latter for a time occu])ying the Whitman mission. Some of them had to lea\e between 1855 and 1858. After the Indians had been thoroughly subjugated through the vigorous campaign of Col. George Wright, the interdict of Major-General Wool against the occupancy of eastern Washington by white people, was rescinded by his successor in command. Gen. N. S. Clarke. Accordingly, the whole country was thrown open to settlement. Soon we find a considerable number of families, farmers and stockmen in the Walla Walla valley, and also along and adjacent to the streams flowing from the Blue mountains, and the development of the Inland Empire became assured. January. 1859. the

Territorial Legislature organized the county of Walla Walla. A small village began to grow around Mill Creek about five miles from the \\liitman mission. Its first name was Steptoeville. then \\'ai-il-at-pu. It was selected a^^ the countv seat, and when the commissioners came together, they gave it the name of Walla AX'alla. In i860 the Salmon river gold discovery gave a wonderful impetus to immigration and settlement north of the Snake ri\'er. By the opening of 1861 the Salmon river mining excitement was at its height. Adventurous mining prospectors flowed in from all directions. It was a veritable rush after gold, but the misfortunes were more numerous than the fortunes. The winter of 1861-62 was a very severe one, and the gold-seekers on their way to the Salmon river and the settlers of eastern \\'ashington suffered great hardships. But the influx of population was stopped but for a short time. In the spring of 1862 the people rushed in like a mighty tide of ocean, twenty thousand strong. With all the misfortunes connected with this almost unparailekd gold excitement it was used of God in usliering a new civilization for it initiated the marvellous development which has taken place in the upper Columbia country. Lewiston. on the confluence of the Snake ri\er and the Clearwater, was laid out early in 1S62. The Territorial Legislature of 1859 created Spokane county, lying north of Snake river to the British line. Its first county seat was Pinkney city, but the name was soon changed to Colville. March 3, 1863. Congress passed an act organizing the territory of Idaho out of the eastern jjart of Washington, including nearly all the mining region. There were at that time in eastern Washington the counties of Walla Walla. Spokane and Klickitat. The increase of population north of the Snake river during the next decade was slow. This region had but few scattered settlers, not counting the U. S. soldiers. The real history of Spokane county does not begfin until the early seventies.