REV. CUSHING EELLS
The "St. Paul of the Northwest." Missionary to the Indians, 1838-47. Afterward teacher and preacher, and founder of Whitman College.
Perhaps most rapid in growth of all the orders in Walla Walla has been the Elks. The Walla Walla lodge of Elks No. 287 was organized August 10, 1894, with fifteen members. The first member to fill the place of Exalted Ruler was Judge W. H. Upton, known for many years as one of the most scholarly, intellectual and capable of the lawyers and jurists of the Inland Empire. His death in 1906 was a great loss, deeply deplored by many circles, not alone in fraternity organizations, in which he was conspicuous, but in all lines of social and professional life. After a slow growth of a number of years the fraternity took on swift development and at the date of this publication the membership exceeds six hundred. The lodge possesses one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, dedicated with a series of appropriate ceremonies and entertainments on May 23, 24, and 25, 1913. The Elks have led many movements for public betterment, as the municipal Christmas trees, park benefits and other benefits, Red Cross campaigns, and other endeavors of philanthropic and patriotic service. One of the recent enterprises of the lodge was the establishment in 1916 of Kooskooskie Park on Mill Creek, fourteen miles above Walla Walla. There in the beautiful shade along the flashing crystal waters of our creek (Pashki the stream ought to be called), the Elks and their friends are wont to disport themselves at intervals in the hot season, as their four-footed prototypes their "totem" of prehistoric times, were accustomed to do. The present Exalted Ruler is C. S. Walters. There is regular publication called The Lariat, issued every new moon by the secretary, Fred S. Hull.
Of what may be called the great standard fraternities the next to be noted is the Knights of Pythias. It is an interesting historical fact that Walla Walla was the first location of a lodge of that order on the Pacific Coast north of San Francisco. That pioneer lodge was known as Ivanhoe Lodge No. 1. Its early records are not available, but it continued in existence till 1882, in which year it surrendered its charter and went out of existence, to be succeeded by Columbia Lodge No. 8, instituted on October 23d of that year. Of the new lodge the first Past Chancellor was S. A. Deckard, and Chancellor Commander W. N. Gedders. The lodge has been maintained with vigor and success to the present date.
Of what may be considered the more specialized and limited organizations there have been and are a number: The Young Men's Institute and Knights of Columbus, Catholic organizations; Woodmen of the World, Modern Woodmen of America, Royal Arcanum, Women of Woodcraft, and National Union, insurance fraternities; and of more miscellaneous character the United Artisans, the Pioneers of the Pacific, the Degree of Honor, Ancient Order of Hibernians, American Yeomen, the Foresters of America, the Rathbone Sisters, Ladies of the Maccabees, Ancient Order United Workmen, Loyal Order of Moose, Improved Order of Red Men, Degree of Pocahontas, Good Templars, Sons of Hermann, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and Order of Washington.
Here as elsewhere throughout our country, and worthy here as everywhere of profound respect, is a post of the Grand Army of the Republic. This was chartered March 12, 1881, and the names appearing upon the charter are these: John H. Smith, J. F. McLean, P. B. Johnson, J. M. Coolidge, R. P. Reynolds, Abram Ellis, James Howe, J. A. Neill, O. F. Wilson, H. O. Simonds, Samuel Nulph, Charles Heim, Isaac Chilberg, A. D. Rockafellow, William Leislie, F. F. Adams, F. B. Morse, R. M. Comstock, and Ambrose Oldaker. The first commander of the post, known as Abraham Lincoln Post, No. 4, G. A. R., was John H. Smith. In April, 1886, the A. Lincoln Relief Corps, No. 5, was established, with twenty-five charter members, Mrs. Jane Erickson being president. Fittingly included with the two previously named posts are the United Spanish War Veterans and the Sons of Veterans.
There are found in Walla Walla also, of more recent date, the Park Association, one of the most important and influential of all in the beautification and sanitation of the city, the Gun Club, Isaac Walton Club, Golf Club, Anti-Tuberculosis League, and several Reading and Art clubs which have played important parts in ministering to the recreation, the health, the intellectual life, and the artistic taste of the people of Walla Walla and the region adjoining. It is to be regretted that the limitations of space forbid including here the many interesting details of these various organizations.
The Walla Walla Commercial Club occupies so commanding a place in the business life of this entire region and has such connections with similar organizations throughout the entire Northwest and even in the nation at large as to be worthy of a history of its own.