Aunt Kate tells of the Cleveland Panic of 1893

We are experiencing an economic crisis these days, but this is nothing similar to the Cleveland Panic of 1893. Settlers used parched wheat, rye or barley for coffee, vegetables were scarce, fruit was obtained by a trip of several days to a fruit ranch; times were tough as Aunt Kate tells the story. Read on.

Grant County history

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 continue the story of Hartline, by Kathryn (Kay) Evans, recorded May 9, 1978 and the letter written by her grandmother, Aunt Kate, in 1940:

"When Coulee City died down because of the other railroad, we went back to the ranch, got it all fenced in and more land broken out. Those were lonely years, I would not see another woman for weeks at a time, for most of my neighbors had small children like myself and most were related, so when the women did go visiting, it was to see their own relatives.

"In 1893, came the Cleveland Panic. Wheat was so low in price, no one had money. Most ranchers used parched wheat, rye or barley for coffee. We had meat and bread, but vegetables were scarce for grasshoppers cleaned up what garden stuff we tried to raise.

"Fruit was to be had only by a three- or four-day trip to some fruit ranch on the Columbia. I bought enough peaches and plums one year to can 18 half-gallon jars one fall from Charles Hill, Jim Hill's brother, who peddled fruit. We would open a jar when we had company and use what was left. How careful I was of it. The little local stores carried only staples, such as sugar, tea, coffee, etc.; a few dry goods, mostly overalls and such.

"One year wheat sold for 16 and 18 cents per bushel way below the cost of production. Bob and some neighbors went over to the Coast to work in logging camps. Uncle George Roberts stayed with us.

"That year literary societies were going on in Hartline and our own school districts. George took us to attend them. I surely enjoyed them and always took part in the debates in which many important questions were settled.

"I think we could profit by such discussions these days. I read everything I could get hold of. I borrowed every book in the neighborhood and during those years, I memorized many poems. When I was a youngster in Ohio I had memorized every poem in the McGuffey's Readers, among which was Patrick Henry's 'Give me Liberty or Give me Death' speech.

"When my oldest was about 5 and a half, I was left alone with three children. I went back to Ohio for about a year and a half, but came back to Washington and taught school for two years. We had to stay very closely on that homestead, for land was getting scarce and meddlesome people were watching new homesteaders closely.

"Several times we caught someone sneaking around the house and stable when coming back after having been away for a few days. When we would come in sight of the house, the spy would sneak away through the sagebrush.

"The land commissioner, John R. Lewis told me that one fellow had been to his office complaining that I would go away and leave the children at home on the homestead and that I had no right to prove up just by leaving the kids there. Lewis told the fellow that I was the head of a family and that I could stay away as much as I wished so long as my family was there. I have always been grateful for the good neighbors we had.

"I forgot to mention that in the fall after coming back from Ohio, we built a little house in Hartline, while teaching there, in which we lived for two years until I filed on a second homestead. Afterward the girls batched in the little brown house as it got to be called while attending school during the winter months. Otto Schultz built a little shack on the same lot in which he lived and batched while he attended school. He and the girls used to borrow various and sundry groceries forth and back like some housewives.

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 CBH on Friday, April 21, 1950:

Three garden clubs to meet Thursday

Trees, shrubs and lawns will be discussed next Thursday when the Cascade Valley Garden Club entertains members of the Ephrata and Peninsula Garden clubs at a potluck luncheon at the home of Mrs. W.E. Richards. Called for 1 o'clock, members plan an all afternoon program.

Check-up for CAP plane

The L-4 Piper Cub, on loan from the air forces to the Moses Lake Civil Air Patrol, was taken off the line this week for a 100 hour check at the air force base. This plane, taken from war surplus stock, flew only five hours in 1949. In its six weeks here, the 100 operational hours have piled up so fast, that a second plane may be requested for local CAP operations.

Wilson Creek area 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 the J.G. Kirchner family:

Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Kirchner arrived in Wilson Creek before the town was platted. Johannas George Kirchner was born June 23, 1870 in Illinois and moved with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kirchner, to a farm a short distance east of Douglas, Washington.

Mrs. Kirchner was born Edith Mary Hayden at Moscow, Idaho, February 4, 1878. She moved with her parents to east of Sprague, residing there a short time before continuing on to Badger Mountain, southeast of Waterville in 1889.

The couple were married January 2, 1896 at Douglas, where they resided on a farm until 1901 when they and their two sons, Otto R., born April 9, 1897 and Alfa E., born February 11, 1901, moved to Wilson Creek, where Mr. Kirchner better known as Joe, built a house in the then unplatted town.

The original building, later added too, was a single story four room house. A 12-foot deep cistern was excavated under the kitchen floor with walls and floor of rock and waterproofed. In early days when the cistern wasn't used for water storage it became a hiding place for Mrs. Kirchner and children when wondering groups of Indians would come through the community.

The house was torn down in recent years, but undoubtedly the rocked cistern still remains. An outdoor cellar was used to store the produce from a large garden to the west adjoining the home lot.

A daughter was born August 23, 1907 to Mr. and Mrs. Kirchner and christened in the Presbyterian Church Edith Gertrude. Incidentally Mrs. Kirchner and Edith joined the church in 1914.  Edith maintains her membership in the church although not taking an active part. In order to celebrate her birth, her older brother, Otto, went down town and bought the largest watermelon he could find for the occasion.

Joe Kirchner operated the Blue Front Bar, later changed to Blue Front Saloon, in partnership with his brother, Rudolph (Bill) until prohibition left them without customers and merchandise. In later years he worked at odd jobs and as a member of the Great Northern section crew for several years. He served as town marshal for a short lime.