James Monoghan

DRAFT--This page is a draft. It is incomplete, not proof read and may contain research notes

This really should be reduced to a more concise presentation, but it is good for "primary source" material and to get the appreciation of the man.

From the Spokesman-Review January 10, 1914:

IN COUNTY SINCE 1860, REGISTERS

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James Monoghan Believed to Hold City Record for Continuous Residence

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James Monaghan, aged 74 years, a resident of Spokane county since 1860 and of the state since 1858 registered yesterday afternoon at the city clerk's office. Mr. Monoghan is believed to hold the record in the city of the longest continuous resident of Spokane county.

"This county was known as Spokane when I came here, but later was merged with Stevens county." said Mr. Monoghan. "A later legislature cut off the present Spokane county from Stevens and it has since held that name. For some years after coming to Spokane I operated a ferry at what is known as Lapray's Bridge, about 25 miles below the city. In 1865 I built the bridge and operated it as a toll structure for some years, finally selling it to Lapray, whose name the bridge took in later years." Mr. Monoghan appears hale and active and enjoys telling of the pioneer days.

With Mr. Monoghan yesterday was Edward O'Shea Sr. who has lived in the state 41 years and in the county 12 years. Mr. O'Shea came to Washington in 1872 as a member of the guartermaster's department of the Twenty-first United States infantry. After serving 20 years in the military service he was discharged in 1882 and later located in Spokane.

The Lincoln County History page also mentions him:

In 1861 William Newman, after whom Newman’s Lake was named, came to the present site of Sprague. Here he became proprietor of a station for travelers and government express animals. At that early period Mr. Newman’s nearest neighbors were a lone settler at the mouth of the Palouse River, and Mr. James Monoghan. The latter came to this country in 1860 and established a ferry on the newly completed military road where it crossed the Spokane River, some twenty miles below the falls. Mr. Monoghan subsequently had charge of what was known as the LaPray bridge.

These references need a little clarification especially was to which county the locations were at the time.

Some Eastern Washington Counties

Year	County formation
1853	Washington Territory was established with the east part of the state north of the Columbia River known as Clark County.
1854	Most of eastern Washington was known as Walla Walla county.
1858	Shoshone county was carved out of Walla Walla County north of the Snake River and South of the Columbia River.
1860	Shoshone County was renamed Spokane County.
1863	Eastern boundary of Washington Territory established. Stevens County was established north of the Columbia River,
1864	Spokane County was merged into Stevens County.
1871	Whitman carved out of southern portion of Stevens County.
1879	Spokane County was again split from Stevens County with the Spokane River being most of the the boundary, except for a step up to include all of the Spokane Falls to the Idaho border in Spokane County.
1883	Douglas and Lincoln Counties carved out of Spokane County. Adams and Franklin Counties carved out of Whitman County.

from his obituary on Find-A-Grave:

Early pioneer. Developer. In early years had moved with his wife, Margaret, to the town of Chewelah, Washington, which he helped found. James purchased land there from the Indians and began farming and opened a trading post. He was involved in numerous ventures in Walla Walla, Washington, Couer d'Alene, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington. He helped to organize the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad and installed the water works and electric system in the growing town of Couer d'Alene, Idaho. He founded the St. Vincent de Paul Society in 1889, the year of Spokane's horrendous Great Fire, helping hundreds of hungry and homeless. James and Margaret were blessed with six children: John, Mary, Ella, James, Agnes, and Charles. Margaret died on April 22, 1895, at age 42, leaving him with four children under the age of 10. Son Ensign John Monaghan (Navy) was killed in action on April 1, 1899, in an ambush at the First Battle of Vailele, Samoa. A statue of this son was presented to James as a gift by the people of Spokane on October 25, 1906, reflecting the high regard in which they held James and his son, Ensign John Monaghan, who the first appointee to the US Naval Academy from the state of Washington. This statue still stands to this day in downtown Spokane.

Other Accomplishments

• in 1860 operated a ferry at "winding ford" for the Walla Walla-Colville Road crossing of the Spokane River about two miles above the present location of the Long Lake dam.
• in 1865 he and Mr. Nixon build a toll bridge at "winding ford." Eventually this becomes known as the LaPray Bridge.
• farmed near Cheweleh in 1871.
• in 1873 while still farming he opened a trading post.
• he had contracts to deliver mail from Colville to Spokane Bridge and from there to Colfax.
• he was involved in numerous ventures in Walla Walla, Washington, Couer d'Alene, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington.
• 1n 1879 he moved to Spokane.
• one of the 15 signatures on the original charter of City of Spokane in 1881.
• He helped to organize the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad.
• he installed the water works and electric system in the growing town of Couer d'Alene, Idaho.
• owned quite a bit of the city of Spokane (a Sinto addition?)
• platted Cheweleh in 1884.
• founded the St. Vincent dePaul Society in Spokane in 1889.
• his wife Margaret died in 1895, leaving him with four children under 10
• In 1898 he was partners in the purchase of the Granite Building in Spokane
• his son John is one of the first 18 students at Gonzaga and then the first appointee to the Naval Academy from Washington State and is killed in Somoan Civil war in 1899,
• in 1899 he made $1,000,000 selling his interest in the Caraboo Mine.
• he died in 1916
• nicknamed Spokane Jim

Biography 1

An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 303

JAMES MONAGHAN, one of the earliest and most prominent settlers of Spokane, was born in county Cavan, Ireland, in 1840, the youngest of four children born to John and Mary Ann (Riley) Monaghan, the mother having been born in the same county and the father in county Monaghan. The father was a stonemason by trade, and both died in our subject's infancy. The latter was reared by his maternal grandparents, and educated in the national schools. At the age of sixteen years he joined, in New York, his brother Robert, who had come to this country when a young man, and graduated in medicine. James was employed as his clerk until 1858, and in that year came to the Pacific coast, by way of the Isthmus, reaching Vancouver in May, of that year. He was first engaged in ferrying on the Des Chutes river, in Oregon, one year; worked on the steamer, Colonel Wright, the first steamer on the upper Columbia river, until in September, 1860; took charge of a ferry on the Spokane river, twenty miles below Spokane; later purchased the ferry, and in 1865 built at that place a bridge, which is still in use. In 1869 Mr. Monaghan went to Walla Walla for a short time, and the following year purchased an interest in a store at Chewelah, Washington, also buying from the Indians a farm on which a part of the town site is now located. He still owns this property, which has become very valuable. In 1873 he removed to Colville, where he was engaged in merchandising until 1879, then went with the United States troops to the mouth of Foster creek, and the following spring to Chelan. During the year of 1880 he took supplies by boat from Colville to the mouth of Foster creek. Mr. Monaghan next came to Fort Spokane, where he engaged in contracting for Government supplies, and also served as postmaster and post-trader of that post from 1882 to 1885. In company with C.B. King he erected the first private boat on Lake Coeur d'Alene, running from Coeur d'Alene to Old Mission during the gold excitement. In 1884 these gentlemen laid out the town site of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, of which our subject still owns a large part; in the following year the latter removed to that place to manage his various enterprises; and in 1887 came to Spokane. In 1889 he erected his present residence, and also owns other city property. He organized and is now president of the Spokane Cab & Transfer Company, president of the Spokane Savings Bank, director of the First National Bank, and was one of the first City Commissioners, but resigned that position in 1892. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party.

Mr. Monaghan was married in 1870, to Margaret McCool, a native of Ireland and a daughter of Robert McCool, who removed to Walla Walla, Washington, in 1859. To this union has been born five children: John Robert, born in Chewelah, Washington, and now a naval cadet at Annapolis, Maryland; Margaret, Ellen, James, and Agnes. The family are members of the Catholic Church.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.

Biography 2

"Spokane and the Spokane Country, Pictorial and Biographical, De Luxe Supplement." Vol. 1. Spokane, Chicago, Philadelphia: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912. p. 31.

Inseparably interwoven with the history of Spokane is the name of James Monaghan, who from the time that he first arrived her in frontier days down to the present time, has left his impress upon the substantial development and upbuilding of the western empire. Today he is a leading factor in financial circles and at different times he has been closely associated with the mining interests and railroad building of the northwest. His birth occurred in Belturbet, Ireland, September 22, 1839, his parents being John and Mary Ann (O'Riley) Monaghan of that place. He was the youngest of three children and was only three years of age when left an orphan. He afterward made his home with his maternal grandparents until seventeen years of age, when the interesting reports which he heard concerning the United States led him to sever home ties and cross the Atlantic to the new world. He took up his residence with his brother, a New York physician, with whom he remained for some time but he heard the call of the west and in 1858 made the trip to the Pacific coast by way of the isthmus of Panama, reaching Vancouver on the Columbia river in May. His financial condition rendered it imperative that he gain immediate employment and he secured a position in connection with the operation of a ferry on the Des Chutes river near The Dalles, Oregon. He was also employed in connection with the sailboats of the Upper Columbia, which in those days controlled the traffic, and he secured a position on the Colonel Wright, which was the first steamboat that sailed on the Columbia from Wallula to Calilo. He was also connected with the operation of a ferry across the Spokane river about twenty-one miles below the present city of Spokane, and finally purchasing it, continued in that business until 1865, when he built the bridge over the river, which is now known as the La Pray bridge, named in honor of Joseph La Pray, who purchased it from Mr. Monaghan. While thus engaged Mr. Monaghan planted the first apple trees in Spokane county. His name is associated with many of the "first events" and his labors have given impetus to various lines of activity which have constituted the foundation upon which the present progress and prosperity of the city and county rests.

Since first coming to Washington Mr. Monaghan has spent practically his entire time in this state. In 1869 he became identified with the business interests of Walla Walla and while living there in 1871, was married. Immediately afterward he removed to what is now Chewelah, in Stevens county, although at the time there was no town and the work of settlement had scarcely been begun in that part of the state. He purchased land from the Indians and conducted a trading business, ultimately founding the town. In 1873 he became a merchant of Colville, then the principal town of northeastern Washington and also secured the government contract for handling mails and furnishing supplies to the troops. His activity later included public service of an important character. He filled the office of county superintendent of schools, county commissioner and justice of the peace, discharging his duties with a promptness and fidelity that won him the commendation of all concerned. He also made arrangements with the quartermaster's department for moving supplies and equipment from Colville down the Columbia river to Foster Creek, now Bridgeport. When the survey of the river was made by Lieutenant Symonds, of the United States army, the name of Monaghan Rapies was given to that portion of the stream near the mouth of the Nespelem river. He made the transfer of the government property and supplies from the army camp at Lake Chelan across the country to the site of Fort Spokane, and finding Walla Walla a more convenient place from which to conduct his business operations he removed his family to that city, which had been the early home of his wife. The frontier post of Spokane was established in 1882 and Mr. Monaghan became the post trader, and at the same time became associated with C. B. King. Both were equally interested; Mr. Monaghan conducted the store at Fort Spokane and Mr. King the store at Fort Sherman, on Lake Coeur d'Alene. In 1883, following the discovery of the mines, he was associated with Mr. King and others in putting on the first steamers on the Coeur d'Alene and also laid out the city of that name. The following year they built the first wagon road from Kingston to the Murray mining camp and also made the original survey for an electric road from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane. Selling his interests to D. C. Corbin and others in 1886, Mr. Monaghan then returned to Spokane, where the family home has since been maintained, although at different times business interests have called him into other districts. He was one of the organizers of the corporation which in 1888 began the building of the Spokane Falls & Northern Railway, having the line surveyed the following year, after which Mr. Monaghan sold his interest to Mr. Corbin. He was also one of the original owners of the Cariboo Gold Mines in British Columbia, personally superintending the work and was president of the company until 1898, when he sold his stock. The financial panic of 1893 caused him severe losses but with indomitable courage and energy he has recovered from these and is today one of the substantial citizens of Spokane, where in financial circles he is well known as a director of the Union Trust company and also of the Traders National Bank.

It was on the 30th of November, 1871, in Walla Walla, that Mr. Monaghan was married to Miss Margaret McCool, a daughter of Robert and Margaret McCool, and a native of Donnamore, County Donegal, Ireland. She was born August 12, 1852, and her death occurred in Spokane, April 22, 1895, her loss being deeply deplored by many friends as well as her immediate family, for her attractive social qualities and kindly spirit had endeared her to all who knew her. Mr. and Mrs. Monaghan were the parents of six children: John Robert, born in Chewelah, March 26, 1873, and who died near Apia, Samoa, April 1, 1899; Margaret Mary, whose birth occurred in Colville, January 31, 1876; Ellen Rosanna, who was born at Fort Spokane, November 12, 1885; James Hugh, who was born in Spokane November 10, 1888; Agnes Isabel, born November 9, 1891, in Spokane; and Charles Francis, who was also born in this city, August 12, 1894.

In the development of Spokane James Monaghan has taken a most active and helpful part and is still alert to the opportunities of promoting the growth and substantial improvement of the city. He was one of the fifteen freeholders who drafted the new charter of Spokane in 1891 and was chosen city commissioner. He came to the west when the Indians were more numerous than the white settlers, when hardships and dangers were the lot of every pioneer but he recognized the opportunities of the new country with its undeveloped resources and taking advantage of these he has steadily advanced in the business world, making a most creditable record in the management of his affairs and in the attainment of success as the years have gone by. At the same time he has been closely associated with the public life of the community in the support of projects and measures for the general good and he stands today as one of those sturdy citizens who have been the builders of the great state of Washington.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in August 2006 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.

Biography 3

Edwards, Rev. Jonathan. "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of Washington." San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900. p. 311.

Is a native of Cavan country, Ireland, born in September, 1839. In 1856 he emigrated to New York City. In May, 1858, he came to Vancouver, Washington, and on September 20, 1860, arrived in Spokane county. He took charge of a ferry where the Laprey bridge now is, and soon became its owner. In 1871 he took a four years' contract to carry the mail from Cowley's Bridge to Colville. In 1873 he went to Colville and, with Louis Fenwick, opened a general merchandise store which they operated until 1879. From 1878 to 1882 he was under contract to carry the United States mail from Colfax to Colville, via Spokane. He lived in Walla Walla for two years, then was for a long time engaged as a trader at the mouth of the Spokane river. In 1884 he went to Coeur d'Alene, and, with C. B. King, became interested in the first steamboat on the lake. They also had a post-trading station at Fort Sherman. Mr. Monaghan sold out in 1886 to C. D. Corbin and came to Spokane where he had large property interests. For many years he took government supply contracts, and he and Mr. King furnished all the ties and timbers and constructed all the bridges on the Spokane Northern. Mr. Monaghan has also been an extensive dealer in Spokane real estate, and is now interested in many mining companies. In 1893 he helped open the Caribou mines, serving for awhile as president and manager of the company. He once ran for the state senate, but was defeated. He was married in Walla Walla, Washington, November 30, 1870, to Miss Margaret McCool, native of Donegal county, Ireland. Their oldest son, John R., won the competitive examination, and was appointed by John L. Wilson to the Naval Academy at Annapolis. He graduated in 1895, served two years on the Olympia in Chinese waters, then returned to the United States and passed his final examination. He was appointed ensign and assigned to the monitor Monadnoc. He was later transferred to the Alert, and took part in the survey work on the Nicaragua canal. He returned to San Francisco, was assigned to the Philadelphia. He participated in the flag raising at Honolulu, served in Central America, and then at Apia, in Samoa, where he was killed by the natives April 1, 1899, along with Lieutenant Lansdale. Thus nobly perished one of whose achievements Spokane is justly proud. The other children of Mr. and Mrs. Monaghan are Margaret, Ellen, James, Charles and Agnes.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in August 2006 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.

Biography 4

Durham, N. N. "Spokane and the Inland Empire; History of the City of Spokane and Spokane County Washington." Vol. 2. S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 7-11.

Inseparably interwoven with the history of Spokane is the name of James Monaghan, who from the time that he first arrived here in frontier days down to the present time, has left his impress upon the substantial development and upbuilding of the western empire. Today he is a leading factor in financial circles and at different times he has been closely associated with the mining interests and railroad building of the northwest. His birth occurred in Belturbet, Ireland, September 22, 1839, his parents being John and Mary Ann (O'Riley) Monaghan of that place. He was the youngest of three children and was only three years of age when left an orphan. He afterward made his home with his maternal grandparents until seventeen years of age, when the interesting reports which he heard concerning the United States led him to sever home ties and cross the Atlantic to the new world. He took up his residence with his brother, a New York physician, with whom he remained for some time but he heard the call of the west and in 1858 made the trip to the Pacific coast by way of the isthmus of Panama, reaching Vancouver on the Columbia river in May. His financial condition rendered it imperative that he gain immediate employment and he secured a position in connection with the operation of a ferry on the Des Chutes river near The Dalles, Oregon. He was also employed in connection with the sailboats of the Upper Columbia, which in those days controlled the traffic, and he secured a position on the Colonel Wright, which was the first steamboat that sailed on the Columbia from Wallula to Calilo. He was also connected with the operation of a ferry across the Spokane river about twenty-one miles below the present city of Spokane, and finally purchasing it, continued in that business until 1865, when he built the bridge over the river, which is now known as the La Pray bridge, named in honor of Joseph La Pray, who purchased it from Mr. Monaghan. While thus engaged Mr. Monaghan planted the first apple trees in Spokane county. His name is associated with many of the “first events” and his labors have given impetus to various lines of activity which have constituted the foundation upon which the present progress and prosperity of the city and county rests.

Since first coming to Washington Mr. Monaghan has spent practically his entire time in this state. In 1869 he became identified with the business interests of Walla Walla and while living there in 1871, was married. Immediately afterward he removed to what is now Chewelah, in Stevens county, although at the time there was no town and the work of settlement had scarcely been begun in that part of the state. He purchased land from the Indians and conducted a trading business, ultimately founding the town. In 1873 he became a merchant of Colville, then the principal town of northeastern Washington and also secured the government contract for handling mails and furnishing supplies to the troops. His activity later included public service of an important character. He filled the office of county superintendent of schools, county commissioner and justice of the peace, discharging his duties with a promptness and fidelity that won him the commendation of all concerned. He also made arrangements with the quartermaster's department for moving supplies and equipment from Colville down the Columbia river to Foster Creek, now Bridgeport. When the survey of the river was made by Lieutenant Symonds, of the United States army, the name of Monaghan Rapids was given to that portion of the stream near the mouth of the Nespelem river. He made the transfer of the government property and supplies from the army camp at Lake Chelan across the country to the site of Fort Spokane, and finding Walla Walla a more convenient place from which to conduct his business operations he removed his family to that city, which had been the early home of his wife. The frontier post of Spokane was established in 1882 and Mr. Monaghan became the post trader, and at the same time became associated with C. B. King. Both were equally interested; Mr. Monaghan conducted the store at Fort Spokane and Mr. King the store at Fort Sherman, on Lake Coeur d'Alene. In 1883, following the discovery of the mines, he was associated with Mr. King and others in putting on the first steamers on the Coeur d'Alene and also laid out the city of that name. The following year they built the first wagon road from Kingston to the Murray mining camp and also made the original survey for an electric road from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane. Selling his interests to D. C. Corbin and others in 1886, Mr. Monaghan then returned to Spokane, where the family home has since been maintained, although at different times business interests have called him into other districts. He was one of the organizers of the corporation which in 1888 began the building of the Spokane Falls & Northern Railway, having the line surveyed the following year, after which Mr. Monaghan sold his interest to Mr. Corbin. He was also one of the original owners of the Cariboo Gold Mines in British Columbia, personally superintending the work and was president of the company until 1898, when he sold his stock. The financial panic of 1893 caused him severe losses but with indomitable courage and energy he has recovered from these and is today one of the substantial citizens of Spokane, where in financial circles he is well known as a director of the Union Trust Company and also of the Traders National Bank.

It was on the 30th of November, 1871, in Walla Walla, that Mr. Monaghan was married to Miss Margaret McCool, a daughter of Robert and Margaret McCool, and a native of Donnamore, County Donegal, Ireland. She was born August 12, 1852, and her death occurred in Spokane, April 22, 1895, her loss being deeply deplored by many friends as well as her immediate family, for her attractive social qualities and kindly spirit had endeared her to all who knew her. Mr. and Mrs. Monaghan were the parents of six children: John Robert, born in Chewelah, March 26, 1873, and who died near Apia, Samoa, April 1, 1899; Margaret Mary, whose birth occurred in Colville, January 31, 1876; Ellen Rosanna, who was born at Fort Spokane, November 12, 1885; James Hugh, who was born in Spokane, November 10, 1888; Agnes Isabel, born November 9, 1891, in Spokane; and Charles Francis, who was also born in this city, August 12, 1894.

In the development of Spokane James Monaghan has taken a most active and helpful part and is still alert to the opportunities of promoting the growth and substantial improvement of the city. He was one of the fifteen freeholders who drafted the new charter of Spokane in 1891 and was chosen city commissioner. He came to the west when the Indians were more numerous than the white settlers, when hardships and dangers were the lot of every pioneer but he recognized the opportunities of the new country with its undeveloped resources and taking advantage of these he has steadily advanced in the business world, making a most creditable record in the management of his affairs and in the attainment of success as the years have gone by. At the same time he has been closely associated with the public life of the community in the support of projects and measures for the general good and he stands today as one of those sturdy citizens who have been the builders of the great state of Washington.

Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in July 2014 by Diane Wright. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.

Biography 5

from https://www.historylink.org/File/9534 on the history of Cheweleh

James Monaghan and Family Another important settler at Chewelah was James Monaghan (1839-1916) also of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene fame, an immigrant from Ireland, who arrived in the Northwest in 1858. Upon his marriage in 1871 to Margaret McCool, he settled at present Chewelah. Today some of Chewelah stands on property once occupied by the Monaghan ranch. In 1873, while continuing to farm at Chewelah, he opened a trading post at Fort Colville and secured the contract to supply the troops. Soon he also held the contract to carry mail between Spokane Bridge and Colville, and later between Colfax and Colville, operating a stage line along the route. He influenced his sister and brother-in-law, Rosanna and Thomas Graham Sr., and their family to emigrate from Ireland in 1878, and his teenaged nephews then worked for him herding cattle and driving the mail stage. Thomas Graham Jr. recalled later:

“It was during our residence at Chewelah that my brothers and I each took our turn in handling Uncle Sam’s mail, as well as operating the farm [Monaghan’s]. In those early days my brother John was the only one of us old enough to be allowed to carry the mails, as a carrier had to be 16 years old before Uncle Sam would entrust him with anything so valuable. However, the good nature of the different postmasters throughout Stevens County kept them from inquiring too closely into the age of the drivers” (Graham, Book One, 87).

A plat map dated March 21 (or 31, the writing is not clear) 1884 shows that Henry F. Ortley and his wife registered a plat of “Chewelah City.” On March 28, 1884, E. J. Webster, L. L. Kaufman and Eugene Miller and their wives recorded a plat of a portion of the town. On August 18, 1884, James Monaghan platted the “Town of Chawelah,” a common spelling at the time, followed by an additional Monaghan plat of the downtown area on November 24, 1900. In 1907 Col. David Jenkins platted the Jenkins Addition, the northern part of town. The Chewelah Independent reported that members of the Oppenheimer family were selling lots in 1908. During the 1880s and 1890s, Chewelah was a point of departure for large cattle drives. Ranchers throughout the valley would round up their cattle to drive to Spokane and then over the Mullan Road or to ship east by railroad from Spokane. A major figure in this enterprise was Spokane cattle baron Daniel M. Drumheller (1840-1925). According to Tom Graham, who rode herd during several of these drives, in 1894 Drumheller and his associates purchased all the beef cattle available in Stevens County, amounting to 1,200 head, for the drive to Spokane.

Several generations of Grahams became major figures in the valley, especially as newspaper publishers in Colville. Monaghan eventually lived in Colville, Walla Walla, and other locations before settling in 1886 in Spokane Falls, where he went on to become wealthy and renowned through railroading and other far-flung interests in the Northwest. However, he got his business start in Chewelah and kept the ranch there for many years, managed by the Graham family or others.

Chewelah’s most honored native son is Monaghan’s oldest child, John Robert Monaghan (1873-1899). He was among the first 18 students at Gonzaga University (then College) in Spokane and went on to become the first Washington resident to graduate from the United States Naval Academy. As an ensign, he was killed in 1899 in Samoa while defending a wounded comrade during an obscure skirmish between Samoans and American troops. One of the principal landmarks in downtown Spokane remains the Monaghan statue that his father erected in his memory in 1906. A crowd of 10,000 witnessed the unveiling on October 25, 1906.

Obituary Reprint

from https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/jan/13/100-years-ago-in-spokane-pioneer-said-to-have-plan/ [file:https://thumb.spokesman.com/5ldpGCLjExNFPi7XTqEJGvEAaKM=/1170x0/smart/media.spokesman.com/photos/2016/01/12/Granite_Block.JPG.jpg | The stately peaked roof of the Granite Block is seen on the southwest corner of Stevens Street and Riverside Avenue around 1900. (Photo courtesy of the Spokane Public Library/ COURTESY PHOTO)]

100 years ago in Spokane: Pioneer said to have planted county’s first apple trees dies at 76 Wed., Jan. 13, 2016

By Jim Kershner
jimkershner@comcast.net

From our archives, 100 years ago

Spokane was mourning the death of James Monaghan, 76, one of the city’s best-loved pioneers.

Monaghan was born in Ireland, immigrated to America at age 17 and came to this region in 1858. He operated a ferry on the Deschutes River near The Dalles and worked on the first steamboats to ply the Columbia.

After that, he operated a ferry on the Spokane River about 21 miles downstream from present-day Spokane. He ran it until 1865, when he built a bridge and sold it to Joseph LaPray. Monaghan is said to have planted the first apple trees in Spokane County.

He went on to establish a trading business in Colville and hold many public offices there. He worked with the U.S. Army in surveying the Columbia River near Bridgeport; one stretch of the river was named Monaghan Rapids.

He operated a post at Fort Spokane, then moved to Spokane in 1886 and was part of the corporation that began building the Spokane Falls & Northern Railway. He made a fortune, but lost it in the Financial Panic of 1893.

He built a second fortune in banking and real estate, helped draft the city’s new charter in 1891 and was chosen city commissioner.

He and his wife, Margaret, had six children, one of whom, John Robert Monaghan, died a hero’s death as a U.S. Navy ensign in Samoa. A statue still stands in Ensign Monaghan’s honor at Monroe Street and Riverside Avenue.