ESTABLISHMENT OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
We have given in the last chapter of Part II the story of County division. By act of the Territorial Legislature on November 11, 1875, a line was drawn from Snake River south to a point on the Touchet two miles above Waitsburg; thence south six miles, then east six miles, then south to the state line. All west of that line continued to be Walla Walla County, and that east to the Snake River was included in the new County of Columbia.
By the act, Dayton was the county seat until the next general election, when the seat was to be permanently located by popular vote.
Eliel Oliver, Frank G. Frary, and George T. Pollard were named first commissioners to organize the county. In pursuance of their functions, they met on November 25th and became duly qualified to act. Mr. Frary became chairman of the board and D. C. Guernsey was appointed clerk. Precincts were established as follows: Independent, with polls at Dayton; Patit with polls at schoolhouse near A. Walker's residence; Tucanon, at Platter schoolhouse; Calloway, at Central schoolhouse; Pataha, J. M. Pomeroy's residence; Asotin, usual voting place; Touchet, Washington schoolhouse.
The election occurred on December 21, 1875, and as a result the first officers in Columbia County were duly elected as follows: County commissioners, E. McDonnell, Joseph Harris, H. B. Bateman; Sheriff, S. L. Gilbreath; auditor, A. J. Cain; treasurer, D. C. Guernsey; assessor, R. F. Walker; probate judge, William Ayers and R. F. Sturdevant had a tie of 283 votes each; school superintendent, T. S. Leonard; surveyor, William Ewing; coroner, W. W. Day. The Board of Commissioners met on January 1, 1876, and organized by the election of Mr. Harris as chairman.
Taking up the tie in the office of probate judge, the position was declared vacant, and at the next meeting R. F. Sturdevant was appointed.
Mr. Ewing not qualifying for surveyor, the vacancy was filled by appointment of Charles Truax.
Thus Columbia County was launched upon its career. The chief settlements at that time were on the Touchet, and Dayton was not far from the center of that region. But the county included a great area to the north and east, and though as yet sparsely settled, it was obvious that upon the Tucanon, Pataha, Alpowa and Asotin, and upon the vast plateau between the Blue Mountains and Snake River there would ere long be a large population which would be so remote from Dayton as to make it an inconvenient seat of government.
In fact, hardly had the new officers become installed before there arose the inevitable county-seat fight. It would seem as though the contest would have assumed, even then, the form of a demand for a new county rather than for the location of the seat. Such, however, was not the case, and Marengo on the Tucanon, the historic spot of the home of our active old friend, Louis Raboin (Maringouin, "mosquito," in the French) became a rival of the Touchet metropolis for official headquarters. In the election which took place on November 7, 1876, Dayton received 418 votes and Marengo 300. The latter vote pretty nearly represented at that time the population in the eastern two-thirds of the county, and the result of the election laid the foundation of the speedy demand for another county division.