ESTABLISHMENT OF ASOTIN COUNTY
Such may be said to have been the beginnings of what became Asotin County. As easily seen, it possessed a unity of its own and within a year of the setting apart of Garfield from Columbia, agitation for similar action for Asotin arose. As the reader will recall from the chapter on Garfield County, Assotin City was a candidate for county-seat of that county. Outrun by Pomeroy in that race, the next logical step was a new county. The first active movement looking to the new county concentrated at Theon. Mr. Welch, as related, had ambitions for that point both as the business and official head of the new county. As a result of a mass meeting at Theon, Jackson O'Keefe of Assotin City was delegated to visit the Territorial Legislature in the session of 1883 in the interest of a bill for the erection of a new county. There seems to have been little organized opposition. The minutes of the house show that there was some discussion over the name. Some advocated the name of Lincoln, and in fact the bill first passed in that form. The council on October 18th passed an amendment to use the name of Asotin, and two days later passed the amended bill. On October 27, 1883, the governor, W. A. Newell, signed the bill, and Asotin (spelled with one s) became the fourth of the group produced by the fission of Old Walla Walla.
We find some interesting records and comments on this notable event in the Asotin Spirit. This pioneer paper of the place, it should be noted, had been moved to Asotin from Pataha, where it had been known as the Pataha Spirit. The first number was on Friday, October 25, 1883. The publishers were J. H. Ginder & Co.
In commenting on this notable event the Spirit notes the fact that it is left to the judgment of the appointed commissioners to choose the temporary seat as between Assotin City and Asotin, and that it can be moved at the next general election by a two-thirds vote of the county. The Spirit continues: "Early Wednesday morning a crowd assembled at Mr. Schank's new store building and the flag was brought out. As the national emblem was run up the pole three hearty cheers for Asotin County went up from the hearts as well as the throats of the assembly. And now that the efforts of this people have been crowned with success, so far as division and temporary location of county seat are concerned, we should not allow ourselves to be lulled into a masterly inactivity and deceive ourselves with the idea that nothing more is to be done, for as sure as we do what we have done will be undone."
As a matter of historical reference, it is well to preserve the legislative act of the territory establishing the county:
An act to create and organize the County of Asotin:
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Washington: That all that portion of Garfield County situated within Washington Territory, and included within the following limits, be, and the same shall be constituted and known as the County of Asotin, viz.: Commencing at a point in the channel of Snake River on the township line between ranges forty-four (44) and forty-five (45); thence running south to the northwest corner of section thirty (30), township eleven (11) north, range forty-five (45), east of the Willamette meridian; thence west six (6) miles; south one (1) mile; west two (2) miles; south one (1) mile; west one (1) mile, to the northwest corner of section three (3), in township ten (10) north, of range forty-three (43), east of the Willamette meridian; thence south eighteen (18) miles; thence west three (3) miles; thence south to the Oregon line; thence east on said line to the midchannel of Snake River; thence down Snake River to the place of beginning.
ASOTIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE
