But along with those essential industries to which the country was naturally adapted, there went of necessity some mercantile and manufacturing enterprises. Later on the professional classes became interrelated to all the others. While the region covered by our four counties is not naturally a manufacturing country, yet from the first there have been those whose tastes and interests have lead them to mechanical pursuits. In a growing community where the foundation products are those of the soil and yet where the building arts are in constant demand there must necessarily be some manufacturing. Most of the enterprises of that nature in this section have been connected either with building materials or with agricultural implements. Saw-mills came in almost with the dawn of civilized life. Hence we are not surprised to find that the first pioneer in Walla Walla, Dr. Marcus Whitman, built a sawmill. That mill was on Mill Creek, apparently nearly where the present Shemwell place is located. As is not known to many there was a small saw-mill on the grounds of the United States Fort. The flume ran nearly along the present course of Main Street and the mill was on the northern edge of the military reservation opposite Jesse Drumheller's residence. Doubtless it was those mills which gave our beautiful creek its unfortunate name, in place of the more attractive native name of Pasca or Pashki, "sunflower."
The Statesman of December 13, 1861, notices the building of a saw-mill on the Coppei by Anderson Cox, one of the foremost of the early citizens of Walla Walla, who also had large interests in and around Waitsburg. Another prominent old-timer, W. H. Babcock, is reported in the issue of June 2, 1865, as having purchased a saw-mill on the Walla Walla. One of the earliest sawmills, built at the close of 1862, was on Mill Creek in Asotin. There were various little mills in the timber land of the Blue Mountains. In the '80s Dr. N. G. Blalock and a little later Dr. D. S. Baker inaugurated the business of fluming from the mountains to Walla Walla. In the case of the former this was a calamitous business venture, but the latter with his usual sound judgment made a great success of the enterprise.
The most extensive lumbering business of Walla Walla in the earlier days was that still known by the corporate name of the Whitehouse-Crawford Co. This company was founded in 1880 by Messrs. Cooper and Smuck. In 1888 G. W. Whitehouse and D. J. Crimmins became chief owners, though Mr. Cooper retained his connection with the business. In 1905 J. M. Crawford acquired the business, being joined by his brother J. T. Crawford, in 1909. The business has become very extensive, having numerous branches, with the general name Tum-a-Lum Lumbering Co. There have been established in more recent years the Walla Walla Lumber Co., the Oregon Lumber Co., and the Bridal Veil Lumber Co., all doing large lines of business.
A large amount of capital has been invested in the manufacturing of agricultural machinery. The most extensive establishment in these lines in Walla Walla was the Hunt Threshing Factory founded in 1888 by Gilbert Hunt and Christopher Ennis, who purchased the machine shop of Byron Jackson, which became the property of Mr. Hunt in 1891. The special output of the factory was the "Pride of Washington Separator," but subsequently iron work and belting and wind mills and other lines were added. Owing to financial difficulties precipitated by the hard times beginning in 1907 this great establishment, which employed from seventy-five to a hundred men, was obliged to close its doors.
For a number of years the northwestern branch of the Holt Harvester Works, of which Benjamin Holt was manager, was located in Walla Walla. It conducted an immense business, particularly in the "side-hill" harvester and in tractors. The main northern house is now located in Spokane, while the Walla Walla branch is managed by E. L. Smith and Co.
Among the other manufacturing enterprises worthy of larger notice than our space permits may be named the Brown-Lewis Corporation, the Ringhoffer Brothers Saddle-tree Factory, the Webber Tannery, the Washington Weeder Works, the Walla Walla Iron Works, and the Cox-Bailey Manufacturing Co., now succeeded by separate enterprises of the two partners. From a historical point of view the iron foundry conducted by J. L. Roberts during the decade of the '90s was one of the most conspicuous industries. The foundry business was later conducted by the Hunt Company.
It will give a view of the distribution of business houses and industries to insert here the tabulation of these on file in the Commercial Club office.
TRADES, PROFESSIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS CALLINGS
| Accountants (public) | 4 |
| Apartment houses | 8 |
| Architects | 3 |
| Banks | 5 |
| Bakeries | 6 |
| Barber shops | 20 |
| Bowling alleys | 2 |
| Blacksmith shops | 10 |
| Bottling works | 2 |
| Coal and wood yards | 7 |
| Contractors and builders (all kinds) | 33 |
| Dentists | 20 |
| Doctors—a—physicians and surgeons | 27 |
| b—Osteopaths | 6 |
| c—Chiropractors | 3 |
| Dressmakers and fitters | 24 |
| Electricians | 5 |
| Electric light plants | 1 |
| Garages | 14 |
| Gas plants | 1 |
| Hospitals and sanatoriums | 3 |
| Hotels | 4 |
| Lawyers | 24 |
| Liveries—a—horse | 3 |
| b—Auto | 3 |
| Machine shops | 5 |
| Moving picture theaters | 4 |
| Newspapers | 4 |
| Painter and paper hangers | 4 |
| Plumbing shops | 4 |
| Pool and billiard halls | 6 |
| Photograph galleries | 4 |
| Printing offices | 4 |
| Real estate dealers | 31 |
| Restaurants | 22 |
| Rooming houses | |
| Shoe repair shops | 6 |
| Tailor shops | 12 |
| Tin shops | 3 |
| Undertakers | 3 |
| Veterinarians | 4 |
