Fourth of July celebrated with gusto in early 1900s

New immigrants to the United States and to the Big Bend Country of Eastern Washington celebrated the Fourth of July in style. Read on.

The Grant County Historical Society has compiled several volumes of Grant County history. The books are available for purchase at the Historical Society Museum gift shop in Ephrata.

I bought the series in 2009 and secured permission to relay some of the history through this column.

Memories of Grant County, compiled from taped interviews by the Grant County Historical Society.

Today we finish the story of Coulee City, by Alfred Twining recorded July 30, 1975:

Speaking about Fourth of July the homesteaders used to come in along about 1901, 1902 and 1903 ?an immigrant train would come in almost every day from Spokane and then the homesteaders would decorate with flags and bunting and every?thing else and the whole family would be loaded on the wagon coming in for the celebration.

And they had firecrackers all over town, trash and papers and things strung all over. Hogs and cattle and sheep and chickens and everything running loose around town and they could have had a fire, but didn't seem to ever have one. One kid one time slipped up behind me and lit a firecracker and dropped it down my shirt collar. I turned around and he was gone and I don't know who he was.

The difference in location, between the town of Coulee City and McIntee, was very little. McIntee was right up by the springs. I remember seeing his cabin, but it was burned down later. But it was sitting, ?you have been to the rodeo grounds I supvpose, and the cabin set south and a little bit east of the grand stand.

The railroad built on into Adrian in 1903 and 1904. There was quite a boom. There were seven saloons in Coulee City at that time. They started to build toward Waterville from Coulee City. Water?ville thought they'd be on a railroad at that time. Several grades were built up the hill, but they were never completed. They never completed that rail?road, but finally the Great Northern built down along Crab Creek to Wilson Creek.

Dan Paul used to sell beef to my brother-in-law, Billy Smith. He was head cowboy and used to drive cattle from Coulee City to the Cascades where they had the Great Northern camp. He'd sell the cattle and bring the money back by horseback, all in gold, mostly.

Tom Cook used to work for Dan Paul. Dan Paul was quite a character. He never drank very much, but when he did he was gone for a week or two. He told me one time, "I got in a poker game in Spokane. I kept losing and losing and losing. So darn it, I thought I'd just buy a pot. So I made $800. And they called me and beat me."

Colonel Box came in about 1906, 1907 or 1908. He homesteaded up on top of the hill on the, road to Mold. His daughter, Alzina, was one of my first girl friends. She finally lived in Ephrata. She was married to Roy Craig.

E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins:

From the Columbia Basin Herald on July 16, 1953:

Jack Black, who started as Soda Jerk, rejoins Fultz as pharmacist

Jack Black, who began work as a soda jerk at Fultz Rexall Drug Store when he was 15, has rejoined the Fultz staff as a licensed pharmacist. He is now 24 and a recent graduate of the George Washington University School of Pharmacy in Washington, D.C.

Black came to Moses Lake with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Black, when he was 4 years old and entered the first grade at the old Mae School. He was graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1947, standing second in his class of 28.

He enlisted in the Army on graduation and served 18 months, being discharged in November 1948 as a corporal. He spent two and a half years studying pharmacy at Washington State College.

In October 1948 he was married to Anna May Munck of Baltimore, who he had met while stationed with the Army at the Aberdeen, Md., proving grounds.

Mrs. Black's father died in 1951 and the couple went east, Black transferring to George Washington University for his final two years of pharmacy training. He worked part time at a professional pharmacy in the national capital while going to school there.

The new pharmacist first began work for the Fultz organization in 1944 when the story was located five doors west of its present quarters. He helped the story more to its present corner at Broadway and Alder and will help it move next month to the Third and Ash corner in the new shopping center. Except for while he was in the Army and in school in Washington, Black had worked summers and vacations at the Fultz store.

Wilson Creek history

The Rev. David H. Crawford compiled and published a history of families in and surrounding Wilson Creek titled, "Family Memories of Wilson Creek Area." The book was printed in 1978, which was the 75th anniversary of the town. David's son, John Crawford, has given permission for those memories to be a part of this column.

Today we begin the story of Adam Benjamin Hirschel, by Howard Hirschel:

Adam Benjamin Hirschel, who signed his name A. B. and was called Ben by all who knew him, was a seven-year-old boy when he came to Wilson Creek in 1901 with his father's family on the immigrant train.

He was born April 12, 1884, at Jackson, Minne?sota, where he lived until coming to Wilson Creek.

His father was Adam Hirschel, his mother Emma M. (Helmke) Herschel. His brothers were Harry H.C. and Elmer E. His sisters were Rosa M.D., Clara M., and Ida E.

Ben grew up on a farm eight miles north of Wilson Creek to see it change from virgin sagebrush to a cultivated farm. There were no buildings and water had to be hauled from neighboring sources until a well was dug. It was quite shallow and was dug by hand.

The well had been located by witching. It was located about a quarter mile from the building site, so another was tried near the buildings without success. Eventually, the well failed and was replaced in the year 1917 by a well 218 feet deep located near the farm buildings. It supplied sufficient water for as many as 60 head of livestock along with domestic water.

Ben saw the farm develop. The first building was more of a barn than a house for it sheltered all their possessions and themselves for a short time, until a house could be built. The first home was lived in until 1916, when the present house was constructed. The farm buildings were built from time to time.

When the Hirschels first came west, they were able to establish a good family orchard and a good garden, however the dry years destroyed the orchard.

Ben went to school at the Timm School, which was District No. 72 of Douglas County. It became Dis?trict 20 when Douglas County was divided and the eastern portion becameá Grant County.

While a young man, Ben supplemented his education with correspondence courses from the Wenatchee Busi?ness College.

Ben, along with his brothers, Harry and Elmer, formed a partnership known as Heischel Brothers, whereby they pooled their resources in a farming venture. The partnership was a loosely drawn entity, but it served the purpose of manpower and equipment. Each partner owned his own personal and real property, except for equipment such as a 20-foot Harrington combined harvester which was pulled by 32 head of horses and mules. This machine did not have a motor and was operated by ground power furnished by its large wheels.

They raised their own livestock and eventually replaced their horses with mules that were better able to stand the hot and dry work.

The first tractor that was purchased by Ben and Harry was called a 2-ton Holt. It could replace an eight horse or mule team. Soon the 2 ton was re?placed by a 30 gas Caterpillar in 1930. The mules were sold and tractor farming came into its own.

Elmer kept his mules for a while but, soon replaced them with a T-20 International.

Ben was a hard worker and possessed the ability to recognize a good opportunity. He had faith in the country even in bad times. He no doubt would have become a wealthy man if his health hadn't failed and if he had so desired.

He contracted pneumonia a short time after he had assisted Doctor Gregg of Coulee City in an operation carried out in the Tom O'Neal home. John O'Neal, the son of Tom, accidentally shot himself in the hand while cleaning his shotgun necessitating an amputation.

Ben administered the anesthetic under the direction of Doctor Gregg. Upon comple?tion of the operation, Ben felt the need of fresh air as the ether fumes had affected him. He went out?side without a coat. It had been quite warm in the house. The combination of the ether and cold air is thought to have caused the pneumonia.

Ben recovered and kept on with the farm opera?tion, however, it seemed that his resistance weak?ened and more bouts with pneumonia affected his heart.

As his condition became worse, he would go to a warmer climate in the winter. Cold weather had an adverse effect on him. He first tried the Kenne?wick-Pasco area where his sister, Rosa and family lived. However, it would get too cold, so he traveled to Southern California. He was taken the first year by his father and nephew, Marvin Knopp.

Ben probably owned the first motor home in the area. It was built of plywood on a model T Ford chassis which was constructed at the home ranch with his brother, Harry, in charge of the project.

This unit was eventually replaced by a 1929 Buick car and a trailer. Ben was accompanied by his father, Adam, until the year 1937 when his father passed away in Lewiston, Idaho.