The story of James Monaghan

FORT SPOKANE - James Monaghan was an early pioneer of eastern Washington and one who paved the way for many other pioneers that followed him. He is mentioned in the history of Lincoln County on the county's web site, although most of his accomplishments were outside of the county.

He was born in Ireland in 1840 and went to New York when he was 16 years old. Two years later he came to Washington territory via the isthmus of Panama [The other alternatives would have been overland via the Oregon Trail or by ship around the horn of South America].

This was just five years after the territory was split off from the Oregon Territory. His first job was to operate a ferry on the Deschutes River. A year later he was working on the first steamer on the Columbia River above the Celilio Falls.

1858 was a very unsettled year for eastern Washington. In the spring, the Yakama Indians defeated Col. Steptoe at a battle near Rosalia. The U.S. was not going to allow this defeat to go unanswered, so in the fall the US sent a much better equipped force under Col. Wright to brutally subjugate the Indians.

At the time most of the population north of the Snake River was located at Pinkneyville outside of Fort Colville and was engaged in gold prospecting in the area. Supplies were delivered via mule trails from Walla Walla over the Walla Walla Colville Road. In 1860 the Army wanted to upgrade the road into a "military road".

Monaghan was asked to operate a ferry at Winding Ford on the Spokane River to ease the crossing. This is about three miles upstream of the present Long Lake Dam in Spokane County. He operated the ferry for five years. In 1865 he partnered with a Mr. Nixon and got permission from the Territorial government to operate a toll bridge at the same location.

This bridge became known as the LaPray bridge after it was sold to Joseph LaPray. This bridge operated until 1915 when it was inundated by the rising water behind Long Lake Dam.

In 1871 he went to Chewelah and bought some land which he farmed. This land was platted in 1884 as part of the Chewelah town site. He also bought an interest in a trading post there. Always the entrepreneur he followed the army to Colville, Chelan and Fort Spokane to operate stores in or near their posts. He became the postmaster of Fort Spokane between 1882 and 1885. Monaghan had contracts to deliver mail from Colville to Spokane Bridge (near the I-90 weigh station at the Idaho border) and from there to Colfax.

He again expanded his attention to Lake Coeur d'Alene and built a steamer there to take gold miners to the Cataldo Mission. He laid out the city on the lake in 1884 and owned much of the land.

Monaghan saw the potential in the falls on the Spokane River and signed the original city charter of Spokane in 1891 and again invested in much of its land.

He was involved in a staggering number of ventures during his lifetime including:

one of the original owners of the Cariboo Gold Mines in British Columbia.

president of the Spokane Cab & Transfer Company.

president of the Spokane Savings Bank.

director of the Union Trust company.

director of the Traders National Bank.

director of the First National Bank.

founder of Spokane Falls and Northern Railroad.

founded the St. Vincent de Paul Society in 1889, the year of Spokane's Great Fire.

In 1898 he was partners in the purchase of the Granite Building in Spokane.

his son John was one of the first 18 students at Gonzaga and then the first appointee to the Naval Academy from Washington State and was killed in Samoan Civil war in 1899. A monument to him still stands in downtown Spokane.

Monaghan died in 1916 as Spokane Jim.