There were three defining events that
coincided in 1910, to jump start the little town of Bayview. The
Prairie Development Company, out of Spokane, Washington, platted 27
blocks of narrow lots that became the core of Bayview. That was
accomplished in 1910, ergo the starting point of Bayview. At the
same time, C.E. Corbin, who built the Spokane International Railroad
that reached from Spokane, Washington to just past the Canadian
border, built a branch line into Bayview. It was called the Coeur
d'Alene and Pend Oreille Railway. With a railroad, the lime industry
went into a boom period. Of course 1910 was also noted for the great
fire. Most think of the Silver Valley when discussing the fire, but
it's reach was way beyond Shoshone County. Fire in Athol Burned east
sweeping through Belmont and over the backside of Bernard Peak. The
entire Farragut peninsula burned down to Scenic Bay. It swept east
and joined the fire storm. Bayview itself was spared destruction.
The history of Bayview winds it's way
through several eras. Times of Native Americans, Pioneers, Trappers,
and Prospectors. The latter were the impetus for rapid grown starting
in the 1860's. The primary trade route between Portland Oregon and
the gold fields around what is now Helena, Montana, ran through early
Bayview and surrounding lands. Some got off the steamer on the north
end of the lake where they trekked up into the Canadian Gold fields.
Paddle wheel steam boats pushed up the
Columbia River through the rapids to Wallula Washington. From there,
pack trains and rugged wagons trekked to Spokane, where they climbed
the daunting grade up from what is the Hangman Creek Valley, to the
present level of Spokane, proper. From there, overland again to what
was called Pen d'Oreille City, which was just one bay over and about
two miles from what is now Bayview. Pen d'Oreille city only lasted
six years, as the peaceful bay to the north, was more practical for
moorage and shelter. What is now Scenic Bay, started out as many
places did, as Squaw Bay, named for Indian encampments in the area
now the town site. Steamboat travel was here.
From Pen d'Oreille City, the first
steamboat was operated . Built down stream on the Pend Oreille river
at a place called Seneacquoteen, which is across the river from where
LaClede is now. the Mary Moody replaced the motley assortment of
canoes, flatboats and sailing vessels, as the primary carrier of
mail, men and supplies to and up the Clark fork River. The completed
boat, owned by Zenas Moody was named after his wife, Mary and became
the first paddle wheeler on the lake. That was April 30, 1866. Steam
boats were built the hard way back then. The steam boilers and other
hardware were freighted up from Wallula, Washington to the shoreline
of the Pend Oreille River. Timber was cut at that location, whipsawn
to boards then with green lumber, the boats were built. 125 feet
long, 24 foot beam and could carry 85 tons of cargo. Considering that
most ;people are used to modern construction methods, these feats of
inventive genius are hard to imagine in today's world. Green lumber,
not possessing long life, ended the Mary Moody's run and was
dismantled ten years after it was put into service, but by then a few
other such craft had arrived.
A combination of the Mary Moody, which
sailed up to the foot of Cabinet Rapids, where a portage took it
past, to where “The Cabinet” carried on up the riverfrom Heron to
Rock Island near the present Noxon, thence upstream to what is now
Thompson Falls. “The Missoula was lined through the rapids,carrying
on from there to the end of navigable waters which occurred at
Thompson Falls.. The boiler and engine for this steamer was scavenged
from the historical Colonel Wright, which first explored ways to
conquer the Columbia River rapids and sailed past what is now
Lewiston, Idaho, on up the Clearwater River, a prodigious feat,
considering all of the dams and locks now used for the same purpose.
This equipment was carried by 10 mule team wagons from the Columbia
river at White Bluffs. Pend Oreille City was renamed Steamboat
Landing sometime in the 1880's and still bears that name, now a boat
launch at Farragut State Park.
Early settlers arrived in Bayview and
surrounding rural land starting at the turn of the century, with a
homestead by Elmer E. Haddon, wife Ozelia and one child. The Haddon's
late of Nebraska, headed west in 1890. The period between 1890 and
1907 when Haddon was award his deed is a bit hazy, but By the time
they were done, fourteen children were born to this couple, three
after moving to Anacortes, Washington. Understandably Elmer outlived
his wife. This was a timber claim of 160 acres , near where
Merryweather Road intersects with Perimeter in today's Bayview.
Northwest of the town center to be. The great-great-granddaughter of
Elmer, Jessica Haddon, resides here in Bayview. They left in 1907,
census tracts show Elmer returning to Bayview between 1920 and 1930.
He died, back in Skagit County, Washington 1n 1945. Jessica Haddon
lives back in Bayview, after growing up in Western Washington. Her
father, John lives in Ellensburg, Washington. John, the family
historian said, “This is really exciting, revisiting our
great-grandfather's homestead.” We are going to try to visit again
during Bayview Daze, July 3rd/. Many descendants of the early
settlers are still here,but unrecognizable through marital name
changes.
1900 brought John B. Leiberg to the
area where he 0wned 1500 acres between Buttonhook Bay and what is now
Scenic Bay. This comprised of the tip or end of the Farragut
peninsula, Leiberg was a botanist and surveyor who widely traveled
the mountains of the area. A trail that ran from his homestead
through some daunting mountains, behind Bernard Peak (named after his
son Bernard) past the Bunco Ranger station to the headwaters of the
Little North fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, was named after him.
Leiberg became involved in a dispute over a proposed railroad
right-of-way that would run through Leiberg's land. The plan to run a
railroad to Bayview had Prairie Development Company, backed by D.C.
Corbin. Prairie submitted an offer to Leiberg that was signed.
Blackwell offered more (after the fact) and a lawsuit ensued. Leiberg
ended up selling the right of way to the proposed railroad and the
remaining bulk of the land to F.A. Blackwell. Blackwell had his
fingers in a lot of area pies. He built and operated an electric
railroad between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, owned and operated the
lumber mill in spirit Lake and many other ventures. His name resided
on the Blackwell House, long a landmark on Sherman Avenue in Coeur
d'Alene and Blackwell Hill just west of the Yacht Club on Blackwell
Island, where a large RV park now sets.
One example of an extended family, is
Alice Hammond Eaton who still resides in Bayview and works every
Summer at Silverwood in the housekeeping department at the age of 85.
Alice's parents, Clarence Hammond and mother, Pearl Burroughs
Hammond. From that family sprung the Pecks, also still on the
original homestead of their grandparents out on Salee Creek Road and
along Perimeter Road. Neil Peck manages the Water & Sewer
District. Alice's cousin, Bob Peck is still alive and has a sharp
memory. Peck remembers during his childhood, many things about
Bayview. He said, “Back in those days, everyone that lived here
were workers. No summer people had come to bayview yet. Most either
logged, worked for Washington Brick & Lime Co. or the railroad.”
Running a dairy farm on Blackwell
Point, was Jess & Annie Napier Puckett. They too had a large
family, raising eleven children. The early Pucketts and Napiers ran a
dairy on what was the Blackwell Ranch, now all a part of Farragut
State Park. Jess Jr. once owned , a store and fishing guide business.
He was shot to death by a customer who objected to being beaten up.
Ray Puckett, nephew of Jess said,”the customer went home, picked up
his rifle and returned, shooting Jess. The perpetrator got off,
claiming self defense.” “Jess also owned the trailer park now
mostly vacant, behind what is now the Community Center, and purchased
the remaining lots that were unsold from Walter G.Merryweather, one
of the original platters of the town site.
Many families from the early days
homesteaded timber claims. Many of those burned with the 1910 fire
raging through portions of the area. Russells, Blakneys, Burroughs,
Bests, Hammonds, Napiers and the Pucketts, just to name a few. Some
left after losing their timber.
Elijah “Lige” Napier and his wife
Ethel. The Napier family, Puckett's and Burroughs were intertwined as
most of them were either cousins or close friends. Between 1920 and
1925, these were at least some of the families that caused a
population boom in Bayview. Another, is the Hammond family. Jon and
Eva Mae moving to Bayview in the early 1900's. When the town was
platted into lots, they settled in town. The young men of early
Bayview were aggressive suitors. When A.W. Johnson, manager of
Washington Brick and Lime moved into town, his daughter, Alma was
snapped up by Orfie Hammond. Alice Eaton said, “A street in
Bayview, Alma's Court lies just behind Ralph's Internet Cafe.”
The state of Missouri was well
represented by early Bayview Settlers. The Burroughs came west
through Canada and south to Athol, thence to Bayview, by covered
wagon in the late 1800's. Lige Napier's sister Annie, married Jess
Puckett back in Missouri also. It would appear to most strangers,
that everyone residing in Bayview prior to World War 11, were
related. Some truth is in this as there are probably more cousins
living in close proximity to Bayview than anywhere in the western
United States. The rest of the Napiers followed later.
By the late 1800's, mining had started
in the Lakeview area, across Pend Oreille Lake from Bayview. A
gold/Silver rush developed in which Lake view ballooned into a rather
large city Much of that growth originated from Bayview and
surrounding areas. Part of that mining however, was for limestone, a
principal ingredient for cement. Huge deposits of limestone were
found near Lakeview and again in Bayview. Two large companies
consolidated the various claims and started producing lime. The
Portland International Cement Company in Lakeview, and Washington
Brick and Lime, in Bayview. The consolidation of the lime operations
was in 1900. In Bayview, Washington Brick & Lime Company, tore
down the old conical kilns and built there five large draw kilns,
still visible at the Scenic bay Marina. They greatly expanded the
quarries and installed milling equipment. A barrel factory and
crushing plant were built and the industry cranked up to 75 barrels
per day of pure lime.
Originally, lime was shipped to Hope by
boat, then on to it's destinations via the Northern Pacific Railway.
Later in 1910, a railroad was formed by Daniel C. Corbin, called the
Spokane International Railroad. It started in Spokane, Washington,
thence curving northeast through Garwood, and just south of
Silverwood, through what for years was the Corbin Ranch and later
Rickle Ranch on through Sandpoint, Bonner's Ferry, terminating at
Yahk, British Columbia. A Branch line curved off to the east at
Corbin Junction , thence through Belmont, an earlier town and on down
the length of what is now Farragut State Park and into Bayview. With
the steam driven trains coming to Bayview, Lime was freighted
directly to the main line and on into Spokane. Passengers also found
the route handy, as Spokane to Bayview Tourism started. It hasn't
stopped yet. A sturdy dock out into the lake where JD's Marina is now
was the terminus of the spur that actually ran out into the lake.
This was so that barges could load lime from the International
Portland Cement Company across the lake just west of Lakeview. The
Gondola cars would load up six at a time on the barge and then the
railroad cars would be hooked to an Engine, which rolled them off the
barge and onto the permanent tracks. The grade from Bayview was very
steep, so the loaded cars would be taken up the hill six at a time,
then add the other six for a train of 12, which was about all an
engine could haul. The railroad ceased operations in 1939, about one
year after the lime industry closed down. The old right-of way is
still visible along Hudson Bay Road.
Many of the early Bayview residents,
those that came after the first two decades of the 20th
century, will appear in the second segment of Bayview history that
will take you from the teens to the war years.
It needs be be said that without the
complete cooperation of Linda Hackbarth, curator of the Bayview
Historical Society and author of the History of Bayview &
Lakeview, and other early settlements This story would have not been
possible. She allowed us to use her book as well as her web site,
with authorization to utilize any pictures we needed. She is indeed
awesome. Thanks, Linda. To order the complete history of Bayview &
Lakeview, contact linda@bayviewhs.com
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