Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/208



188 HENRY L. TALKINGTON

boat farther up the stream, as the desire was to get as near the mines as possible and select a point for debarkation, hoping to make the forks of the Clearwater, which were about 40 miles from the new El Dorado.

"Failing in this and not finding a suitable landing spot, we returned to one we had passed and landed the passengers and freight. Slater put up his tent and opened a store, which we called Slaterville.

FOUNDING OF LEWISTON.

"It was soon seen that the Clearwater was not practicable for navigation, and that its junction with the Snake river was the logical location for a town to supply the mines in the inland country. The steamboat "Tenino," a new and more powerful boat than the "Colonel Wright," came up on the second trip and landed its cargo at the place above mentioned. There were on board, among others, the following persons, who agreed upon a name for the new town: George E. Cole, Vic Trevitt, manager of Ladd & Company's store, John Silcott,

Carr, Doctor Buker, Tom Beall, Captain Ains-

worth, Captain E. W. Baughman, Colonel Lyle and Lawrence Coe, the last three being owners in the transportation com- pany. The names Lewisville and Lewistown were suggested but finally they agreed on the present name, Lewiston.

"But the site selected was on an Indian reservation and per- mission would have to be obtained before any settlement could be made. The services of Colonel Craig, who had a Nez Perce woman for a wife and who lived a few miles away, and Doctor Newell, who also had a Nez Perce wife, were enlisted to obtain the desired lease, so a temporary lease was obtained and the town begun.

"At first it was a city of tents, and its population often reached 7,000 or 8,000, but of so shifting and transient a nature that it is hard to strike an average. However, as time went on permanent buildings were gradually erected, among the first being the old Luna House, a famous hotel of those days, which