Remember When?

OVER 100 YEARS AGO

Not finding anything of interest in old newspaper files this week, I dug up some old history of the Thompson Falls area in the pioneer days.

PETE McCLINCHY

June 9, 1882 – Weeksville Items – Fred Smith and Pete McClinchy, Thompson Falls, paid our city a visit and reports business lively at the falls. Mr. McClinchy is an old resident of Montana, and Missoula County.

February 1, 1884 – A party composed of Messers P.M. McClinchy, John Russell, J.W. Lee, John Sharp and G.G. Smith have received permission to build a toll road from Thompson Falls to the summit of the Coeur d’Alene, and thence into the Pritchard creek mines in Idaho. Russell and McClinchy were in town last Saturday, working in the interest of their route, which is certainly the shortest yet measured into the mines. They cross Clark’s Fork at Thompson River, and follow up Prospect Creek to a low divide, thence down on the Idaho and to Pritchard Creek, which is in the vicinity and down to the mines, which so far are mostly on Pritchard Creek, making the trip in the short distance of but 25 miles. The trip over the road has been made by pedestrians in twelve hours. Messrs McClinchy & Co. propose to run sleighs into Pritchard creek by the 10th of February.

February 8, 1884 – This large ad was run in the Missoulian – Go to the new mines by way of Thompson Falls Trail. Sleighs will run into the mines on and after the 10th day of February 1884. A good and easy grade already open for pedestrians. Distance between mines and railroad only 25 miles. Leave the cars at Stevens Mill, necessary supplies at P. McClinchy’s.

Pete was noted in the history of Thompson Falls in 1884. According to a story John Willis wrote, Pete had a ranch where the town now is located.

In another story written about William Doyle, it was noted that Peter McClinchy built the first log cabin on the site of Thompson Falls. “They used to be a happy-go-lucky lot around here, their money came easy and it went easy.”

The Frontier Index, April 12, 1884 – Three years ago today, Peter McClinchy, an old west coaster of 20 years’ wandering, returned to the site of the present town of Thompson Falls, which locality he had visited 14 years previous, when he was one of the Cedar Creek stampeders, and with an eye to the future outcome of the place, he staked a quarter section of land, fenced the same, established a trading post and began raising everything from potatoes to watermelons.

Isabelle Mathers Anderson wrote in October 29, 1922, about the year 1884 – Pete had a conscript (concession) on all the land west of the first street. (west from the corner of the Black Bear tavern). He and his cousin Pat Harrison built a long log house about 50 feet long and about 150 from the high railroad bank. It was used for a saloon and general use for these men who established a ferry and a toll gate some miles south of Thompson. Jack Kegan was the ferryman. The ferry was on a cable across the river and had a side wheel that was turned to keep the ferry moving. The charge was 25 cents for a person; $1 for horse and rider; wagon and team more. Pete owned the boat; he supervised the man who operated the wheel.

He had his land in hay, a circus company wanted to rent the ground, but it had to be cut by hand. It rained often. Pete got very wet, he did not take care of himself and was taken with pneumonia. He died before the circus came. His friends had two wakes. His cousin, Pat Harris/Harrison, fell heir to all of Pete’s property.

Pete was a tall, thin middle-aged man from Ireland who never married. He lived with his cousin Pat Harrison who was also from Ireland and who was also single. Pat owned a ranch west of town past the site of the present courthouse.

WILLIAM McEVERS SR.

When Bill and his family arrived in Thompson Falls in 1887, Bill Potter was running a sawmill. William obtained a job later with him as a night boiler, stoking the fires in steam boilers that ran the sawmill. The mill was located north of the Northern Pacific tracks across from the David Thompson monument.

He had a saloon up Thompson River after buying out Joe Chapplier. His whiskey came in 54-gallon oak barrels. He then put the whiskey into 12 oz. bottles for sale. Bill also kept a good grade of whiskey and it cost him $3.50 per gallon delivered. Blackberry wine was popular then and came in 10-gallon kegs. It sold for the same price as the whiskey.

Over the bar two drinks of whiskey or blackberry wine cost you two bits. One drink cost you 15 cents.

William McEvers, one of the Thompson boys employed on the Kirby drive, had a close call the other day. He missed his footing on a rock and fell into the icy waters of the Clark’s Fork River near Tuscor. He was descending for the third time when rescued. Mr. Thomas, hearing the splash, hurried to the rescue and as McEvers was about to sink for the last time succeeded in passing him one end of his pole and pulled him out.