The elusive Cottonwood Trail Stagecoach story is beginning to blossom.
It appears that where ever a road exists today, at one time it was Stagecoach road which in turn followed an Indian trail.
The Dawn breaks. The Article to the left from Steve Greenwood, Wells Fargo History Curator, states that Wells Fargo adopted the California House as their Stage Station, directly across Howard street from the Spokane Stables. Both buildings are shown in these photos by Tony and Suzanne Bamonte photos. Wells Fargo undoubtedly stabled their horses in the Stables and boarded Passingers in class at the California House.
Settlers' guide to homes in the Northwest is a handbook of Spokane Falls Washington. This book was printed to hand to settlers arriving in all modes of transportation, wagon train, stagecoach and trains in an attempt to persuade the weary traveler to cease their quest for their dreams as this was the land of milk & honey. They laid it on pretty thick as you will see in the question and answer section.
Questions and Answers in the Handout Booklet PAGE # 1
Q & A. Page # 3 (Please note the last question, Have you any Indians and are they troublesome?) It's apparent that the authur of this booklet never attended a necktie party down at Hangman Creek conducted by General George Wright where the honored guests were all the tribal Chiefs.
The Wells Fargo Company is interesting, a little bit of a challange to try to figure out. Here is one interpretation by your Web Master. They are a huge company. Their home office building is gigantic. And yet the people still pretty much seem to be geared the way they were in the early days. They are sophisticated, but in a downhome manner. Business like but free and easy on the draw.
RIDERS IN THE SKY
The Waconda Stagecoach Station. The little ghost town is located in Okanogan County just west of Republic, Washington. This extraordinary photograph was taken by & is the compliments of Mr. Monte Dodge. He travels the back roads of the State and seems to have a steady trigger finger judging from the quality of his pictures. Thank you Monte Dodge.
A second shot by Monte Dodge. It is said that only two people occupy this thriving little community and they are decendants of the earliest of town folk. Please note that few of the photos are from the Spokane Falls Cottonwood line although Steptoe is on the southbound Trail & Waconda was a spur line out of Colville as was the Tiger run.
The book written by Katheryne Schoedel Ringo is entitled "The Milltown Buckeye, Washington, and Surrounging Area 1889 - 1912. The Mill and Stagecoach Station as pictured above was run & owned by Pea Vine Charley. This book is courtesy of Eastern Washington University and are the first and only words spoken by and attributed to a stagecoach driver. The following two pages give us an idea as to the famous but ever so elusive COTTONWOOD TRAIL.
Page # 1 of a story written by one of the very men that road and drove a Stagecoach over the Cottonwood Trail, Spokane Falls to Marcus.
Page two of story that involves no second guessing with one exception. That stagecoach pictured is not the coach the author drove.
An artist's conception of the California House with the John Glover Spokane Falls city livery located directly across Howard Street. The California House sat where the Carousel now sits in Riverfront Park. This photo is courtesy of the MAC as well as Discovery. Discovery consists of a group of 5th & 6th grade students dedicated to preserving the history of the region. It should be noted, this is where Wells Fargo's Stage Station was located when they first moved into the vicinity.
This recently discovered actual photo, courtesy of Tony Bamonte of Tornado Publications shows a 4 horse team digging in on a steep grade near Davis Lake in Pend Oreille County. The road is now designated as highway 211, but in the early days referred to as the Sacheen cutoff. The Stagecoach heads north east through the Milltown-Dragoon Cottonwood Trail and on up 28 miles north of Spokane Falls. Then another 10 miles north past Davis Lake on its way to Usk, Cusick, Tiger & on to Metaline Falls just south of the Canadian line. The terrain between Sacheen Lake and Usk was as treacherous a country side as you can see by the way the horses were digging in. Thank you, Tony Bamonte for this live action picture.
This book by Jerome Peltier is perhaps the best source to date on the Cottonwood Trail Stagecoach Line. Tony Bamonte recomended this book.
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This news article from the Spokane Times tells of the arrival of Wells Fargo Stage line to Spokane Falls in the year 1880. This also includes a clue as to the location. The California House. Thanks goes to the Spokane Times as well as Mr. Steve Greenwood, Museum Curator at the Wells Fargo History Museum.
There were seven Stagecoach companies operating out of Spokane Falls, WashingtonTerritory, in 1885. Presumably all out of the stagecoach depot located on Main Street. In that period there was no designation as to east and west.
Q & A in handout book #2
Q & A page # 4
Compliments of 2009 Google Map Data. This is the terrain as of today, as apposed to the very top left hand photo of Stagecoach # 1 taken when the lumber mill and the first Stagecoach Station was in full operation in the late 1800s. It's very unlikely the current property owners are aware of the history surrounding their home.
As this stage pulls away from the station the team is already on the dead run. The goal is to have nothing on this Web page other than The Spokane Falls- Cottonwood trail to the northern reaches of Stevens County. Wells Fargo is doing all they possibly can to secure actual photos for our CDPHS. In the meantime we are doing our best to show how it was to travel by stagecoach in the late 1800s and on into the early 1900s. It had to a real experience. Our sincere thank you to this marvelous organization!
STAGECOACH SCENE 1885 The first stagecoach photo from the Spokane Times of a Spokane stage.
The name Cashup was a nick name for the town Steptoe Butte. This Stage Station, Grocery, Mercantile and Dancehall was owned and operated by Cashup Davis & the name just simply stuck.
This is a most impressive photo of Steptoe Butte. Taken in the early to mid 1850s not long after Col. Steptoe & the Spokanes & Coure D Alenes tangled..
Felix Warren was a vaunted celebrity by the time he was through bouncing around in the driver's seat of those rough riding stages. Dodging outlaws and arrows only made him a bigger legend.
There are many photos and articles shown in Stagecoach 1 and 2 attributed to Felix Warren Pioneer Stage Driver. Here is the appropriate dedication.
The ever elusive photo of the Spokane Fall W.T. Stage coach Station located on Main St. may have just been found. The Bamontes who are very diligent in sticking to the Spokane Locale had this photo in one of their presentations at the MAC Museum. I snapped a fast picture which is blurred. We are pursuing the original and confirmation of locale.
As per the Hodge's family who homesteaded in Williams Valley, "This is said to be the old stagecoach station located on the former Ziegwied place." Janice Ziegwied Purdy was unable to verify this was a stage station, Research is underway.
If only we could say this is a street scene from downtown Spokane Falls, but that's not so. This is the Stage Station at Ashland Oregon. Ashland sits in the midst of the greenest most lush segment of the United States. Far away from the hustle and bustle of big City life but still upscale. Plush rugged forests and near the Pacific ocean.
This is a Wells Fargo Stage Station in 1880. Note the early model stages. Probably designed after the Prairie Scnooner where the Driver sat low. The Stage on the near end dipicts a more recent stage but the driver still low. But if you note the far left the really upscale Stage coach where the driver rides high allowing for far superior visability with the shotgun sitting at his left.
Amanda & E. B. Growden at the Growden Stage Station. Mr. & Mrs. Growden operated this Stage Station at the confluence of Lane and Sherman Creek on the road west between Kettle Falls WA. & Republic. Circa 1900 - 1920?. Comliments of Washington Rural Heritage.
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