Lyman's History of old Walla Walla County, Vol. 1 / Embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties

by William Denison Lyman

Most of the names now borne by the different sections of the Asotin lands are those of the first settler in each tract. The easternmost of the ridges is known as "Montgomery Ridge," from B. C. Montgomery, who, with Samuel and William Galloway, John Galloway, James T. Maness, and John Bushnell, was the first to locate there. Among other prominent settlers still living are George Sauer, George and William Appleford, the Stones and McMillans, W. J. Boggan, and C. A. Hollenbeck. The next ridge westward was known as "Weisenfels Ridge," from J. A. Weisenfels. On this ridge also located the Mathenys and the Flocks. One of the marked characters there was J. N. Boggan.

The largest expansion of the prairie is Anatone Flat. Various explanations are given of this fine sounding name, some rather far-fetched and fantastic, as the one that one of the earliest settlers pronounced "any town" with rather a Hibernian accent, from which his neighbors whimsically constructed the name. Mr. Baumeister understands it to be the name of the Indian wife of one of the settlers. Another gives it as the name of a pretty Indian girl who lived there in early times. Mr. A. J. Crowe gives as his opinion that Anatone is the Nez Percé word for cold or clear spring and thinks that it refers to the spring of very cold, pure water which makes its way directly through the Town of Anatone.

We will not undertake to give a complete enumeration of the early settlers on Anatone Prairie. Most of them came in 1877-8-9. Several families there locating have been represented by members prominent in the official, business, or educational life of the county. In the natural progress of events a number have transfered their homes to the Town of Asotin. Among those early residents and families we note the names of Charles Isecke (the pioneer merchant of Anatone), Pinkham, Shumaker, Woods, Robison, Sangster, McIntosh, Tuttle, Puffer, Carter, Dodson, Farrish, Perciful, Forgey, Whiton, Trescott, Welch, West, Skinner, Wormell, Romaine, and various others.

The "Ayers Ridge" was first settled by Ben Ayers. The "Meyers Ridge" was first settled by Charles Meyers.

The "Cloverland Flat" had for its first settler and builder of the first house Brad Hodges. J. D. Swain, coming in 1878, built the second cabin. Mr. Swain is now living in Asotin. He had a varied and typically pioneer career. Born in New Hampshire he went first to California, thence to Oregon, where he lived ten years on French Prairie near Salem, then settled on the Patit near Dayton in 1874, from which place he went to Cloverland in 1878. He was chosen county commissioner of Garfield County in 1882, and resigned on the movement for the erection of the new county of Asotin, and of that he became one of the first commissioners. Like several others of his vicinity he lived in three counties, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin, without changing his residence.

Among the other prominent early settlers of Cloverland Flat we find the names of Petty, Wamsley, Fine, Walter, Sergeant, Philips, Johnson, Morrow, Barkly, Trent and Heltorf.

A special point of interest is connected with D. T. Welch, for the reason of his determined effort to locate the county seat at Theon, on Anatone Prairie. He had a sightly place and saw a city in his mind's eye growing up there. The old-timers did not always realize that the chief city of any given area must inevitably seek easy and cheap transportation facilities, either navigable water or railroads. No town on the Flats could compete with one on the river.

One of the most interesting of the old-time achievements was that of William Farrish, who still lives in Asotin and who gave the author his own personal account of it. In 1878 he conveyed a portable sawmill from Asotin to the timber line just beyond Anatone. There was no graded road up the long ridge and he was compelled to push and pull the huge weight right up the rough ridge by "hitching up all the oxen and horses in the country"—as he expressed it—and propelling the mill by sheer power. It was a great task and at several places the mill came very near getting away and starting down hill. But muscle and brain and perseverance triumphed, and the mill reached its destination.

The mill was located just at a exciting time for the settlers. In 1877 the great "Joseph" war of the Nez Percés had occurred. Up to that time there had been friendly relations between the whites and Indians. The old-timers relate many interesting stories of the general good will manifested by the Indians on Anatone. Mrs. Merchant of Asotin, to whom we are indebted for one of the most interesting of our special contributions, a daughter of the Clemans family, relates how, as a little girl, she was accustomed to be on a most friendly footing with the many Indians who would pass through Anatone on their immigrations from river to berry patches and hunting grounds. When the flame of war suddenly burst forth in '77 over the ownership of Wallowa, a good many of the Asotin branch of the Nez Percés joined the hostiles. The followers of Timothy and Lawyer, true to their traditional friendship for the whites, stood steadfastly by their old policy. Although the hostile Nez Percés did not cross to the west side of the Snake River, the settlers expected them. Some abandoned their homes. The house of Jerry Maguire was transformed into a fort, and the settlers on the creek gathered there for defense. But 1877 passed, the expected savage foray did not materialize, and the settlers resumed their locations. Then in 1878 came the even more savage Bannock war. The scene of it was far distant, but the settlers again became fearful of attack by fragments of unfriendly natives roaming around in the Blue Mountains and Wallowa. It was just at that time of trepidation that Mr. Farrish dragged his mill to the timber line. It arrived opportunely. The first work for it was to cut lumber for a stockade for defense against Indian attack. The structure was laid out somewhat less than a mile west of Anatone on the land of John Carter. Fortunately it was not needed, but it has historic interest.

Another of the important settlements was Peola, on the high land between the waters of the Alpowa and the Asotin. It belongs rather to Garfield than to Asotin, but extends into both counties. It is a fertile region, of essentially the same soil, climate, and conditions as the Anatone and other flats. F. G. Morrison and John B. Dick were among the leading pioneers of that region.