1959 History of Reardan Territory

This page is part of the 1959 Reardan History booklet that was written by the Washington State History class of 1958-1959.

Chapter 1: History of Reardan Territory

Reardan is located 13 miles east of Davenport, 23 miles west of Spokane by wagon road, 41 miles by rail, and only 2 miles west of the line between Lincoln and Spokane counties. Reardan is surrounded by an extensive area of rich farming country which contributes to its being an eligible trade point. Grain comes into Reardan from a wide area.

The first white people in the Reardan country were fur traders traveling between the Spokane House and the Okanogan Trading Posts. This was from about 1810-1850. They found a country roamed over by deer, wild sheep, goats, and an occasional buffalo. Their main interest was to exploit the country rather than to improve it. Protestant and Jesuit missionaries from the East ministered to their spiritual needs.

When Washington Territory was created from the old Oregon Country in 1853, military expeditions were sent out to find a route for a transcontinental railroad. The Indians rebelled at this invasion so for a few years the majority of whites were military personnel. The first settlers did not remain here long, but abandoned or sold their land to a sturdier type of pioneer settler. This second group of immigrants came from the Midwestern States and the old country.

These settlers, most of them young people, came from Iowa, Minnesota, and especially Wisconsin. From Continental Europe they came to escape from militarism and crowed conditions of Europe or they were filled with the “lust of adventure” to reap a harvest in the land of gold.

They found the land as it is today, but then unfenced and windswept. Countless wild flowers covered the countryside during the long springs, but the hot summers changed the scene into a landscape of gray darkness. Indian trails were the roads of that time. Prairie chickens, rabbits, and fish were plentiful. Fine trees of fir and tamarack yielded then fuel and logs for fences and cabins, They learned the menace of both the rattlesnake and cougar. Almost all of the first homes were one-room log cabins. Later a second room or even a lean-to were added. Rooms for guests were scarce.

These pioneers cleared the soil and harvested by hand, whipping out the full heads of wheat with flails. The mills were always several days journey away. The first settlers went 150 miles to Walla Walla for their supplies, later 60 miles to Colfax, and finally to Deep Creek or Spokane Falls. Great was the excitement when they returned. The route their wagons traveled was Indian trail, military road, stage coach route, and “highway”–all in one.

By farming, cattle raising, and log cutting, these early comers built a busy, thrifty settlement. Some even built houses of lumber instead of logs. The most elaborate house was described as “two stories tall, plastered, and possessing green blinds.”

In 1882, Reardan got its start under the name of Fairweather. It was platted September 23, 1882, by William F. Hooker and John W. Still who were residents of Cheney. Fairweather at this time was practically a town in name only. In its best days, it had a store, a hotel, conducted by M. Olson, and a blacksmith’s shop. One mile north of the present site of Reardan, there was located a post office named “Capps” on the ranch of J. S. Capps. “Capps Place” was on the old Fort Spokane stage road. Upon the completion of the railroad in 1889, Fairweather became a hustling little business point. But at this time in its history, Fairweather lost its name and was replaced with two names. The post office was moved down from Capps, for a while it took this name. On the railroad timetables, however, the station was designated as Reardan, in honor of the Engineer of Construction, C. F. Reardan. Within a short period of time that became the generally accepted name of the town.

Due to the completion of the Central Washington Railroad, the town of Reardan began to grow. The first building erected was a warehouse, 120 x 30 feet in size, put up by the North Pacific Elevator Company. After the railway company had built a depot, Mr. C. A. Pearce became the local agent. During the autumn of 1889, he erected a residence, the first in town.

Soon after there was erected a store by M. Olson. The same year James Brand opened the second store in town. A. W. Childs established himself in the drug business. There also was an implement house owned by A. Lutzhoft.

Census was taken in 1890 which showed Reardan to have a population of thirty-one. Two new firms were started by Mr. Wickham and J. M. Watten. By the summer of 1891 Reardan was doing wonderful, supporting four general merchandise stores, a drug store, harness shop, furniture store, saloon, two hotels, barber shop, two butcher shops, blacksmith shop, and a boot and shoe store. From then until 1899 there was practically no growth in the town, but considerable growth in the surrounding vicinity. A flouring mill was put up–the Washington Grain and Milling Company. The original capacity was on hundred-twenty-five barrels, but was increased to four-hundred. The Reardan Exchange Bank was arranged by local capital. Despite the fact that the years before 1899 were not very prosperous, it has been said that 1899 was one of the most prosperous years in her history.

In 1901 a petition for incorporation of Reardan was thrown out by the Board of County Commissioners. The failure was caused because of insufficient number of petitions, and indifference of several leading property holders in town.

In June the year of 1902, the population according to the census was three hundred seventy-eight.

Another petition was circulated in 1903 and presented to the Commissioners. It was almost unanimous in favor of incorporation. The petition was signed by seventy-nine voters, and the election was set for April 4. One-hundred-eleven votes were cast–sixty-eight for and thirty-four against. Nine townspeople did not vote. The first officers of the town were Mayor, Mr. Moriarity, Councilmen Tom Stevenson, John Wickham, John Raymer, C. S. Watten, and J. C.. Driscoll; Treasurer Frank Garber; Marshall, L A. Dale; Police Judge, W. D. Barnhard–an Evangelical minister.

During the fall of 1903, the citizens subscribed five thousand dollars to build a wagon road from the falls north of Reardan to the Cedar Canyon Mines in Stevens County.

The population of Reardan has fallen considerably since the year 1905, when the population was approximately nine-hundred. In the year 1911, a General merchandise Store was established by Sherman Bentley. The store was approximately located where the Ranch House now is located. A little while later another store was established along side it by Gus Finrow and his uncle. They both burnt in later years.

In 1902 the electricity came in. The first water system was built of wood, bound up with wire. It was laid in 1910-1911.

The Masonic Lodge was organized in June 14, 1905, and the Odd Fellows a few years before. The other lodges which have been disbanded were the Foresters and Woodmen of the World.

Reardan was fairly healthy, having had only one bad epidemic in 1914, which was the flu of the early century.

The year when things began to go down hill was approximately 1913. This all came about because of a huge block fire. The buildings that were destroyed were as follows: a hotel, barber shop, telephone office, livery stable, laundry house, saloon, and a rooming house. The block in which Frisk’s Grocery, June’s Grill and all the way north to where the old fire house now stands. From then on things fell slowly.

In 1884, the Reardan Elementary School was organized. In 1904, the first high school was built. School terms were then from three to five months and pay was $35 per month and room was with patrons of the school. The high school was built in 1930 on the site of the old grade school. In 1953, it was converted to a secondary building when the new grade school was put in. The Agriculture Building was built in 1939 and enlarged in 1953. In 1958 the town of Reardan voted to build a new gymnasium for $200,000. It is now under construction. The school takes up an area of four city blocks. The administrators of the school are Mr. Glen Wisdom and Mr. Lewis McKay, who are principal and superintendent respectively.

In 1920, a Ford Garage was added to Reardan to take care of the cars. The building still stands across the highway from the bank.

In 1924, Reardan became a Murder’s Haven. This was the time Ray Sperry thought that Dow Lathrom was dating Velma Beeman, who worked for Mrs. Travis–a restaurant owner in town. He was very jealous of Dow Lathrom and Miss Beeman, so he went to the house where Miss Beeman was babysitting and shot her. Miss Beeman was babysitting at the house where Roy Davis now lives. Sperry moved on toward Lathrom’s after killing Velma, where Dow was cutting a friend’s hair. A knock came at the door, Dow answered it and Sperry shot him through the head. The bullet was so forceful, it continued on through his body and came out through his back and hit his father in the stomach. Sperry still wasn’t satisfied and kept going and ended up killing another. This one was Jim Dueber, who he shot at the location east of Frisk’s. Sperry was walking to Bert Hard’s, the undertaker, when the town police caught up with him in the vicinity of the First Presbyterian Church where he shot himself in the head.

Another disastrous fire hit Reardan in 1925. A hotel, two general merchandise stores, and a drugstore burnt. These buildings were located where the Ranch House and part of the fire station are now standing.

Around the year 1927, there were quite a few stores opening. There was a Japanese restaurant where the Post Office is now located. Ray Warren owned a barbershop in the back of what is now Frisk’s. Across from Warren’s Barber Shop was a 76 Gasoline Station and garage owned by the Lang brothers. This building is still standing.

The religious life in Reardan kept pace with the civic. Circuit riding missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, had preaching stops throughout the Northwest. The ministers arrived by horseback. Their stops were at the homes of some families they had followed. Here on Sunday morning, a strictly confessional service would be held. In the evening community services were held in the schoolhouse. The schoolhouse served as town meeting hall, church, playhouse, and dance hall, besides its original purpose.

The Baptist Church was the first organized church in Reardan. In 1882, union Sunday school classes wee held n a one room schoolhouse near the cemetery. The Baptist Church met in the old Colville garage building which was moved back to make room for the new Colville Garage. It was sold to the Methodists. The Lutheran’s first church and present one, was built in 1917. Well remembered ministers are: William Schoeller, John Groschupf, Arthur [Kettner], Karl [Ufer], Edward Wagner, Robert Reitz, and the present Kenneth Daugs. The E.U.B. church was built in 1903. The pastors who have served are: Mr. Able, Mr. Foster, Mr. Meyers, Mr. Buckley, Mr. Backer, and Mr. Weight–the present one. The Presbyterians organized n 1903 and built in 1906. Their ministers have been: Joseph Clayton, Clifford Clayton Saunders, Raymond W. Moody, Roy R. Meyers, Jr., Richard A. Logan, Phillip Wallborn, and Ervin D. Rymes–the present one. St. Michael’s Catholic Church was erected in 1907. It is part of the Church of Immaculate Conception in Davenport. Priests who have served are: Father Druffel, Father Flack, and Father McDonald–the present one. A Jehovah’s Witness group was was started in 1945.

The Centennial Mill was the item in the news when it burned down in the midwinter year of 1950 [January 1952]. They sponsored a baseball team called “Swing Sifties” in honor of one of their products. This mill was located where Mrs. Belle McLain now resides. A few years later Reardan saw another fire, this one being the old Ranch House. Soon, however, a new building was reconstructed to replaced the burned one.

The same year that the Centennial Mill was burned a special train and coach came through Reardan carrying ex-President Harry Truman; his associates, and guards.

The Reardan Memorial Clinic, dedicated June 6, 1950, was paid for by the Community Day profits. A plaque was put up for men who gave their lives in war. They are: Joe E. Mann, Gus Magnuson, Jr., Kenneth Tyler, Jack Zeimantz, Marvin Zwainz, Lewis [Supinger, Arthur Seeger, Frederick] Wollenberg, and Roger Mahrt.

Physicians practicing at the Memorial Clinic have been John J. Driscoll, Jr., Eugene Read, Tom and Ray Pellow, and Dentist Robert Bliss.

Only one person was ever put into the city jail. He was charged with being drunk. In his unnatural state, he began to feel melancholy, and killed himself. His reason for committing suicide by slicing his wrists was unknown. Bloody and dead, the sheriff found him hanging over the edge of the bed.

In the early 1900’s Reardan had a flourishing bakery and you only paid five cents for a loaf of bread. There was also a very prosperous flour mill in the heart of the wheat growing area. People visiting abroad reported seeing sacks of flour from Reardan in several countries.

The first telephone wires were strung along on barbed wire fences. This probably resulted in some peculiar conversations.

Some of the early settlers traveled out here by railroad cars. The husband would rent a boxcar and bring all of the family possessions–furniture, farm equipment and livestock. His wife would follow a week or two later in a “spectator car.”

The people had to take a horse and buggy to Spokane, or you could also take the train to Cheney and then [ride] the trolley car into Spokane.

How do you suppose the people of early Reardan would feel if they saw a Thunderbird buzzing to Spokane?