Harrington News

Sunday evening at 7 p.m., the Harrington United Methodist Church sponsored this year's annual community Thanksgiving service. Randy Behrens of the Harrington United Methodist Church opened the evening service with a welcome and the Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. This was followed by "Come Ye Thankful People Come". Tony Hamilton of the Community Church led in the Responsive Reading and the Lord's Prayer. An offering was taken for needs of local people. Unable to attend, Jo Gooley had volunteered to represent the Catholic Church, but Ron Mielke stood in for her and read Psalm 23. The congregation sang "We Gather Together" with nearly 50 in attendance and Linda Mielke played the piano. Cynthia Wuts, pastor of the United Methodist Church, provided the New Testament lesson from Phil. 4:11-15, a Thanksgiving Meditation. Some of her expressed thoughts included that we need to be content with what we have, whether much or little; we don't take time for others because our lives are already too full with the world; we need to find things we are thankful for even in times of loss; and God is our Provider. The concluding hymn was "Sent Forth By God's Blessing". Cynthia pronounced the final prayer and blessing on the congregation and invited the group to join in the social room for finger foods, veggies and dip, or sweet treats with orange sherbet punch. Pastor Jim Beattie of the Harrington Church of the Nazarene was unable to be present since he had taken his family to Disneyland in California.

Odessa-Harrington Booster Club

The OH Booster Club is in its final stages of gathering orders for California Navel oranges of 20 lbs for $25 and Rio Star grapefruit of 20 lbs for $25. The final date to place an order is Dec 5. Kelli Tanke may be reached at 721-1796.

Harrington Public Library

Thursday, Nov. 21, Deputy Librarian Marge Womach attended the rural libraries meeting in Ritzville for an Information Technology (IT) academy program which was the second in a series of training provided. Vivienne Schultz attended the first meeting which was held in Wilbur two weeks ago. The rural librarians are attempting to qualify their libraries as participants in helping students of all ages to achieve industry recognized skills and certifications on the latest technologies. It is projected that IT employment over the next four years will rise by 5.8 million jobs and 51% of all IT jobs will be software related, creating 75,000 new businesses.

Hotels in Harrington: Part 2

"A New Hotel. If the plans now in view do not fall through Harrington will have the finest hotel in the county this fall, slight mention of which was made in last week's Citizen. A stock company is being organized to put up a brick hotel on the corner of Third and Sherlock streets, opposite the office of the Harrington Milling Company. A number of the leading business men of the town and also a number of the farmers have taken stock, (and by the way, it isn't in every country that the farmers can furnish a large part of the money with which to build a $12,000 hotel). As has been said the building will be of brick, there will be 20 rooms on the second floor, all well lighted, ventilated and commodious, also a bath room while the first floor will be occupied by the kitchen, dining room, store room, office, etc, and the whole building will be fitted throughout with all modern conveniences and improvements, nothing being spared to make it an attractive and comfortable house..." (excerpt Citizen: 8-02-1901)

In the foregoing paragraph, the "stock company" that was organized to put up the brick hotel was the Harrington Improvement Company, which was incorporated in August 1901 with a capital stock of $20,000, shares valued at $1 per share. The organizing members of this company were A.L. Smalley, Horace Haynes, T.W. Newland, M. E. Setters and A.G. Mitchum. In January 1906 they held a meeting at the Harrington Opera House where the stockholders expressed much satisfaction with the management of the hotel, and stated "stock seems to have a bullish tone". From the announcement of the preparation for a new hotel until their meeting in 1906, there is little evidence of their involvement in the hotel. A.R. Saunders, a noted Spokane architect, drew up the plans for the Lincoln Hotel, and work had been begun immediately. By the end of September, it was announced that steam heat and electricity would be a definite part of the design and the contract for its building was to be completed by the first of January.

Following is a short glimpse of the men of the Harrington Improvement Company. Albert Mitchum was born July 15, 1861 in California, and came to the Harrington area in 1881. He married Martha E. Hannum in 1883 in CA. He filed for a homestead on May 8, 1883. He and Mattie appeared on the 1885 Lincoln Co. census. He operated a mercantile store, was councilman and mayor. The Mitchums had two daughters. Albert died in 1941. Abram L. Smalley was born in 1861 in Michigan. He filed for a homestead on Dec 4, 1889 on Lake Creek. By 1900 he was located in Harrington where he was manager of the Harrington Milling Co. In 1903 he moved to Sprague and assumed the presidency of the J.F. Green bank. Smalley was unmarried and was killed by a train at Sprague in 1925. Thomas Woodson Newland was born in 1868 in Missouri, son of Joseph W. and Agnes Newland. He first located in Lamona. Newland Bros (Tom, Joe and Price) were operating a hardware store in 1898 in Harrington. T.W. Newland went to the Philippines in 1908 and moved to Spokane in 1909. He died May 28, 1918 in Spokane. M.F. Setters was born in 1870 in Missouri. He began practicing medicine in Harrington in 1898 and continued through 1903. He married and he and his wife had two daughters while living in Harrington. He moved to Spokane in 1903 and suffered injuries in a car accident that same year. Horace Haynes was born in 1854 in Michigan. He moved to California in 1874 and was married to Emma Wilkinson in 1878. In 1883 they came to Washington Territory where he farmed. He filed for a homestead in 1884 and was also a Lincoln Co. Commissioner. Horace Haynes also owned the mortuary business which he sold to J.E. Turner in 1903. Six sons and one daughter were born to the Haynes, the daughter failed to thrive. Haynes moved to CA in 1905 but made many trips back to Harrington. He died Feb 22, 1939 in California from apoplexy.

The Hotel Lincoln was opened in January of 1902, a two-story brick structure, a first class hotel. It was advertised to have "forty well ventilated sleeping rooms, baths, a sample room, a very spacious dining room and a large office." Mr T.T. Danilson was the first landlord and he conducted an excellent business, and from its inception, apartments were also available within the hotel. The close proximity to the railroad was good for business but had its shortcomings as well. "Prop. Danilson of the Lincoln has been obliged to lock the doors of the hotel at midnight, owing to the number of tramps that have been around town of late. An electric bell has been placed at the side door, and will be answered at any hour of the night." (Citizen: 2-28-1902)

Offices were also available in this grand hotel: Lincoln County Land Company of Harrington, Washington with S.W. Frasier as manager; Dr. Ingalls, the Portland eye specialist; and J.R. Burrill and Co., contractors & builders, office in Hotel Lincoln Annex (the contractor that built the Harrington Opera House) as well as traveling salesmen who functioned from their hotel rooms.

Information on some of the other "players" from the 1902 Harrington census: S.W. Frasier was 48, born in Indiana, with wife, and filed as a real estate agent; T. T. Danilson was 56, born New York and had a wife, two daughters, 26 and 20, and a son, 17. His occupation was hotel keeper. Following the Danilson family on the census were two cooks from Japan, assumed to be in the employ of the Hotel Lincoln. Y. O'Connor, age 30 and Thomas McCarty, age 25.

In less than two years, modifications were being made in the hotel. "The dining room of the Hotel Lincoln is being divided into two parts by an artistic folding screen partition. One part will be reserved for traveling men, transient guests of the hotel, etc., and will be provided with a special waiter. Meals will be served here for 50 cents. The remainder of the dining room will be for the general trade and meals will be served here for 25 cents. A competent cook is in charge and a good meal is assured all patrons in either dining room." (Citizen: 9-04-1903) These changes were followed with this ad: "The Hotel Lincoln. S. A. Cusick, Prop. The Most Modern and Best Managed Hotel between Spokane and Seattle. Is there a good hotel in town is one of the first questions a stranger will ask on entering a town? Answering this question on behalf of Harrington we answer yes. Hotel Lincoln is first class in every particular and furnished with all modern conveniences. There are nicely furnished rooms for the accommodation of forty-five guests while the dining room with seating capacity of 100 guests is furnished with the best the market affords, which is served in the neatest possible manner. The hotel passed under new management on Nov 17, 1903 and Miss S.A. Cusick is now the genial hostess. No pains are spared to make life pleasant for the commercial trader and the use of baths, four sample rooms, books, paper, etc., are at their disposal. There is no question but hotels like the Lincoln advertise a town as much as any other business enterprise and Harrington may well feel proud to have such a popular place located with us." (Citizen: 1-22-1904)

Following is one of the few mentions of the "stock holders" for the Hotel Lincoln. "Miss S.A. Cusick, who has run the Hotel Lincoln for the past six months, notified the stock holders last Monday that she would no longer continue the lease of the same. Froman Bros of Downs are considering taking charge of it." (Citizen: 5-27-1904)

In 1905 R.L. Stickney was proprietor shortly for the Hotel Lincoln, but ads in December were touting the Froman Bros in charge. In 1903 and 1904 the Froman Bros were noted as owners of the Golden West Hotel in Downs. During the time that the Froman Bros were proprietors of the Hotel Lincoln, they offered punch cards for 20 meals, but the cost was not ascertained. Fromans were followed by I.V. Fisher in 1908 and H.A. Eastman in 1909, Joseph A. Curzon, prop. 1910. Mr. Curzon was followed by J.A. Dalziel in 1911. "J.A. Dalziel announces the name of his hotel, formerly the Lincoln, has been changed to the Harrington Hotel. Remodeling and repairs are being made. The parlor is being enlarged and Mrs. Dalziel says she trusts women, especially those from the country, will make themselves at home there." (Citizen Reprint: 3-11-1912)

"The five new rooms recently completed and added to the sleeping capacity of the Hotel Harrington have each been occupied ever since being thrown open to the public. They are equipped with hot and cold water." (Citizen: 10-01-1915) "Landlord J.L. Dalziel the past week has varnished the linoleum and in many way metropolitanized the interior of the Hotel Harrington." (Citizen: 12-31-1915)

"Hotel Arrivals. Arrivals at Hotel Harrington for the week ending Wednesday, April 13: H.C. Jason and wife, George H. Howe, D.G. Radkay, C.G. Hayzlett, C. Clark, B.S. Coad, Will Calder, Spokane; H.W. Senno, Wilson Creek; C.E. McMillan. April 14: George H. Howe, L.E. Adair, Ray Funti, Wm. Hill, Spokane; P.L. Hansen and wife, Davenport; D.G. Johnson, J. Newman, C. Koontz, Spokane; B. Haynes, Seattle; P.A. Ehrle, Spokane; Will H. Yarwood, Mohler; Otto Spannagel, C.E Stewart, Spokane. April 15: R.C. Karberg, Spokane; H.C. Leavenworth, Wenatchee; Opal McLean, City; A. L. Meig and daughter, E.A. Goodhue, Spokane; Ed Huffman, Dave Corwin, City; Tony O Kenno, August Hampel Jr, Warden; R. Ceder, E.W. Whitcomb, W.W. Wilson, Davenport; S.O. Daugherty, Glane Johnson, Cheney. April 16: H.H. Sexton, J.W. Smathers, Spokane; H.W. Brindle." (Citizen: 4-21-1916) This would show that 42 persons lodged during that week, but it does not specify the length of anyone's stay, merely "arrivals". A menu from the Harrington Hotel had been located and is preserved at Harrington City Hall.

"Hotel Harrington. 'The Hotel With a Reputation'. Rooms Clean, Neat and Comfortable. Make this hotel your headquarters. R.W. Hines, Proprietor. We Make Special Rates by the Week." (Citizen: 10-05-1917)

“Harrington Hotel Changes Hands. Mr and Mrs J.A. Dalziel Sell Hotel to H.A. Gehrke. H.A. Gehrke of Spokane, who has recently been at Lind, purchased the Harrington Hotel Tuesday of Mr and Mrs J.A. Dalziel, the consideration being close to $20,000. The new owner is an experienced hotel man having operated hotels at St. Joe, Idaho, Potlatch, Idaho, Lind and also in Wisconsin. He has a wife and five children, one of whom is married and living in Potlatch, Idaho. One daughter will enter high school here. He expects to operate the hotel with the aid of his wife and daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Dalziel have owned that property for about ten years and during that time they have built up the institution greatly. Where it was once a place which made traveling men avoid our town, under their direction the direct reverse was brought about and travelers soon began going 50 miles extra to a day's journey in order to put up here for the night. Attention to business has enabled them to prosper and two years ago they took a 15,000 mile auto trip clear to Florida." (Citizen: 7-18-1919)

In 17 years the Hotel Lincoln has had quite a history, that it had fallen into such disrepair that people avoided staying in Harrington, is nearly unthinkable. Perhaps this was Dalziel's incentive for changing the name of the hotel. Part 3 continues next week beginning with a ten-year period of transitions and another need for rejuvenation.