Stagecoach

Information on the stagecoach lines from Spokane Falls to Colville is very sparse.

Acknowledgments are extended to Tornado Creek Publications, Eastern Washington State Historical Society, the Stevens County Historical Society and the University of Washington, Also our Thanks to the Wells Fargo Co. of a century ago as well as including today.We have endeavored to thank and credit each contributing organization. Due to the vast array of sources from books purchased and borrowed from the Spokane Library as well as the Museum of Arts and Culture it is entirely possible we perhaps overlooked a contributor. Consequently I wish to restate, the sole purpose of our website, as a 501 non-profit organization, is for research and education.

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This is the first proof of the existance of a stagecoach line from Spokane Falls, north to Colville and beyond. There are at least three photos of stagecoaches mentioned and pictured in the Bamonte book, "Spokane Inland Northwest" by Tornado Creek Publications.

This stagecoach is prepared to pull away from the barn, loaded with passengers.

This highly detailed map was presented to CDPHS by Jackie Franks. Valley WA. It gives combined detailed Stagecoach routes as well as Old Railroad s and of all things, the retrun route of famed Lewis & Clark expedition

Bill Sebright took this panoramic photo because in all the years he lived in this near the trestle he had never seen train crossing HWY 395 just a mile or so south of Loon Lake, WA. That’s what Bill saw, here's what your Webmaster sees. Rather than a paved Highway, I see only a wagon road, a trail the Indians broke a couple centuries ago. Now a stagecoach line travels the Cottonwood Road as it wends its way north from Deer Park, Clayton or actually where they would be located a couple decades from now, up past Loon Lake, Springdale Valley, and north to where the fur traders have encampments and forts. Directly to the left of the trail was a stagecoach station. Railroads came through in 1889 and eventually put the stagecoaches out of business. On the right hand side of the trestle homesteads popped up, the old Gettman farm and the ranch owned by the Higgins family who still reside in Clayton. If you look closely just past the Higgins you will see a road disappearing over the rise. A mile or more & you drop down into 'The little green valley where Darrel & Elsie Gibson built a log home and raised their kids until they were grown and married. That’s what I see, and it is beautiful!

This is a Cottonwood Trail Stagecoach map from the book "Carl Oman Remembers by Carl Oman and Ida Mae Culler." This map is by far the best and most concise available. Our thanks to Janet Thomas of the Stevens County Historical Society for locating this source.

Although Felix Warren traveled primarily south to Colfax & points beyond, he occasionally headed elsewhere. Here he heads north on Monroe Street with the Spokesman Review building in the background towards more rugged country, Dragoon Creek at the confluance of the Little Spokane River on the Cottonwood Road to Deer Park, Clayton, Loon Lake and beyond to Colville.

Stage coach driver Felix Warren and Chief White Bird meet in Spokane Washington. These two date way back & are good friends..

The same painting as the photo below. Compliments of Mrs. Jackie Franks, wife of the late Ernie Franks of Springdale.

This painting of the Loon Lake stage station by Carolann Stroyen is courtesy of Jackie Franks, President of the Valley Historical Society. It is impossible to thank her enough.

This is the growing metropolis of Spokane Falls with a population in this time period of 20,000. The Wells Fargo depot (Station) was located on Main Street. Designation #100. .

Here, after a long search, is an actual photo of the stagecoach station located just south of the Loon Lake railroad trestle. On the west side of the Cottonwood Road a little over half way between Clayton and Loon Lake. It was built in the 1880's. The building recently was disassembled and reassembled in a new location by a couple families dedicated to the preservation of our past.. It is now a sight to behold!

It has been approximately 5 years since Skip Chilberg removed this log structure from the field between Clayton and Loon Lake. Mr. Doug Gintz and his son Matt acquired, re-assembled and restored the old stage station into the "Coach House" on the grounds of the Raspberry Ridge Retreat. Buildings such as this on the grounds of their business are rented to groups large & small. Dinners are prepared an d served in each restored structure.

Doug Gintz and Mary Clouse enjoy the nearly completed interior. Doug estimates another two weeks and the rooms will be finished. Parties have already been held and the guests were enthralled.

The stagecoach must have just pulled up. Everyone's outside greeting the weary travelers to the old Loon Lake Stagecoach Station. Those miners, prospective settlers and a few ladies will be tromping in here soon. Riding an open stage must have been dusty, tiring, and uncomfortable. A cup of coffee and a hearty meal will be welcomed by all the passengers.

This photograph leaves no doubt as to the existance of the stagecoach line. Courtesy of Tornado Creek Publications.

This photo was taken recently of a barn that is rumored to be a Deer Park "roadhouse." "government forage station," "stage barn." There is some disagreement as to the authenticity of this building being associated with a pre-1890 stage line.

Here is a very short history of Catherine Baker Truman. She was born in 1931 on a remote farm two miles west of the subject. Her father, Dave Baker, was born and raised in Williams Valley & her mother at Loon Lake. Catherine graduated from Deer Park High School in early June 1949 as Valedictorion of her class. During her college years at Whitworth she met and married Cliff Truman. They spent their entire lives together as missionairies in South America and are now retired in Florida.

The Black Mariah Stagecoach 1887. A romantic name. Dark Wind.

Parts in this article mention stagecoach activity preceeding the completion of the Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad so their presence was a certainty.

These two pages were extracted from the railroad exploits of Mr. Daniel Corbin. I believe nowadays he would be referred to as an entrepreneur. Perhaps "go getter" would suffice.

Felix Warren was a stage coach driver for Wells Fargo. He was stationed out of Spokane Falls, Washington Territory. Our only wish is that he packed a camera rather than a shotgun.

It is with a certain assurance that the enchantment with the stagecoach did not extend into Stevens County, Washington. This photo is the only offical photo sent from any of our sister societies or other Washington historical organizations I have contacted had to share. There are a few short written comments about stage coach lines but very few actual photos such as those shown above. I did see mention of a stage coach run between Colville and Tiger and on to Metaline and Metaline Falls. Other than that very little has been written. So if this subject is of interest, stay tuned. The blood hounds are busy sniffing for more data.

Please note this is not an actual photo of a Stagecoach at the Loon Lake Stage stop. It is only a marriage of two photos like as in trick photography by the Webmaster.

Spokane Falls Washington Territory notice located on Main Street. To date we do not have a photo of the stage depot.

Hillyard was undoubtedly the first stop of the stagecoach, about 6 miles north east of downtown Spokane Falls. The next stop was in what is now Mead, then on to Dragoon Creek where there was the stage station shown in the first photograph in the left hand column above.

So from Spokane Falls, Washington Territory to the furthest confines of Stevens county both freight. Wagons and stagecoaches made their daily arduous journey to the furthest confines of Stevens County. The coaches were loaded to the hilt with passengers and frieght. Wells Fargo made it pay.

This dear lady, Bonnie Van Slyke, owns the photo she is holding. Her grand daughter fashioned the frame from a window sash board of this very log building pictured. Bonnie has spent her entire 92 years in the clayton-Deer Park community. She lived, as a young woman, with her family in this very same stage house, not being aware that it had been a stage station.

Originally this was a sleeping loft. It is now a balcony for relaxation. The condition of the logs is astonishing and the Gintz family are master craftsman.

The back of the Loon Lake, Washington, stagecoach station with a cook house and a covered wagon.

The view from the veranda of the Coach House. The new home of this historic structure is a sight to behold. This entire episode was guided by the hand of God. Our CDPHS is so grateful for the privilege of being able to tour the grounds and enjoy the restorations.