History of 111 Newell Street, Walla Walla, WA

 

Legal Description

Beginning at a point in the Northerly line of Newell Street in the City of Walla Walla, which point is 99.76 feet Easterly, measured along said Northerly line of Newell Street, from the Southwesterly corner of Block 28 of Roberts’ Addition to the City of Walla Walla, as per plat thereof recorded in Volume A of Plats at Page 21, records of Walla Walla County, and running thence North 60 degrees 10′ East, along said Northerly line of Newell Street, 50 feet; Thence North 29 degrees 50′ West, 120 feet; Thence South 60 degrees 10′ West 50 feet; Thence South 29 degrees 50′ East 120 feet TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. Situated in the County of Walla Walla, State of Washington.

Title and Occupant History

Washington Territory was created in 1853. In 1854, the new territorial legislature created Walla Walla County, which stretched from the crest of the Cascade Mountains to the crest of the Rocky Mountains in the present states of Washington, Idaho and Montana. In 1855, Isaac Stevens, governor of Washington Territory, held a council on the banks of Mill Creek at the present site of

Walla Walla with representatives of regional Indian tribes to purchase land from them. The Yakamas, Cayuses and Walla Wallas were dissatisfied with the treaties and the intrusion by whites into their lands before the treaties’ ratification, and war followed. Missionaries, former French-Canadian employees of the Hudson Bay Company trading post at Wallula, and soldiers at the military Fort Walla Walla were the primary European occupants of the area prior to 1859, when the treaties were finally ratified and the land was opened for settlement. The transfer of ownership occurred by virtue of a treaty signed on June 9, 1855 in Walla Walla and ratified on March 8, 1859 by President James Buchanan, in which all of the land in the Walla Walla area was acquired from the Cayuse and Walla Walla Indian tribes.

The town of Walla Walla was originally laid out by County Surveyor Hamet Hubbard Case in 1859, prior to its formal incorporation as a city in 1862, as a one-quarter mile square with its eastern side centered on the point where Main Street crossed Mill Creek (at roughly the point where it does now). The original plat was lost, probably in the fire of 1865. Thus, the earliest plat on file is one made by W. W. Johnson, City Surveyor, in July 1865 that claims to have made corrections to Case’s survey. Johnson’s survey was made the official plat of the City of Walla Walla on September 25, 1866, filed and recorded July 5, 1867.

To this original area additional parcels were annexed from time to time, usually bearing the name of the landowner of record at the time the additions were made. 111 Newell is located in Block 28 of Roberts Addition, named for A.B. Roberts, who came to Walla Walla from Portland in 1859 and claimed a large section of land south of Main St., where among things, he raised fruit trees, having brought the first grafted fruit trees with him and established a nursery business. Roberts’ daughter-in-law, Amy A. Roberts, was also involved in the early real estate frenzy.

6 Jan 1871 – Warranty Deed, Alvin B. Roberts and Martha E. Roberts, his wife, Grantors, Amy A. Roberts, Grantee, in consideration of $500. This deed conveyed a section of Block 28, including the land where the subject home is now located.

24 Apr 1871 – Warranty Deed, Alvin B. Roberts and Martha E. Roberts, his wife, Grantors, Amy A. Roberts, Grantee. This deed was made for the purpose of correcting the description in the previous deed dated 6 January 1871, and like that deed, conveyed a section of Block 28, including the land where the subject home is now located.

19 Jul 1871 – Warranty Deed, Amy A. Roberts and E.G. Roberts, her husband, Grantors, Lewis McMorris, Grantee, in consideration of $900. This deed conveyed a section of Block 28, including the land where the subject home is now located.

29 Aug 1880 – Warranty Deed Against Grantors (a form of mortgage), Amy A. Roberts and E.G. Roberts, her husband, Grantors, Lewis McMorris, Grantee, in consideration of $300. This deed conveyed a section of Block 28, including the land where the subject home is now located.

Lewis McMorris was born in Ohio in 1831 and in 1852 he accompanied a bachelor neighbor west, with teams of oxen, to southern Oregon and California to mine for gold. In 1855, McMorris fought in the Battle of Walla Walla and in 1856, assisted in the building of the old Fort Walla Walla. He is credited with promoting the early development of the city of Walla Walla.

Lewis McMorris died in 1915 at his home at 365 S. First Street, Walla Walla, property which is located within the portion of Block 28 purchased on 19 July 1871. According to Lyman’s History of Old Walla Walla County, he had never married and lived with his brother, Joseph, and sisters, Mrs. Sarah Funk and Mrs. Emma Craig. It notes that there were also four nephews and one niece: the Funk brothers, who were engaged in merchandising in Walla Walla; the Craig brothers, of Illinois; and Agnes Lillian Purdy, of Portland, Oregon.

An unexplained lien on 111 Newell’s lot was cleared up by a “quiet title” action on 5 June 1923, by the individuals who are then listed as the sellers of the house.

20 Jul 1925 – Warranty Deed, Olney B. Funk and Melvia D. Funk, his wife, Leonard M. Funk and Emmaline Funk, his wife, and William H. Craig and Pauline Craig, his wife, Grantors, Jimmie C. Briley, whose wife is Bercie S. Briley, Grantee, in consideration of $1,075. The Walla Walla city directory of 1926-1927 listed James Briley as an employee of Commercial Service Co. and showed 111 Newell Street as the residence of the Brileys.

15 Aug 1928 – Warranty Deed, Jimmie C. Briley and Bercie S. Briley, his wife, Grantors, Lloyd E. Anderson and Helen Anderson, his wife, Grantees, in consideration of $10.

19 Feb 1935 – Sheriff’s Deed, C.A. Woodward, Sheriff of the County of Walla Walla, State of Washington, by L.W. Harman Deputy, Grantor, The Prudential Insurance Co. of America, Grantee, in an action in Walla Walla County Superior Court by The Prudential Insurance Company of America against Lloyd E. Anderson and Helen Anderson, his wife; Kerr-Gifford and Company, Inc., a corporation; First National Bank of Walla Walla, a corporation, defendants, on 3 November 1933, commanding the Sheriff to sell the property at public auction. The property was sold at the Court House door, at public auction, to the highest bidder for the sum of $3,724.30 on 9 December 1933.

8 Apr 1935 – Warranty Deed, The Prudential Insurance Co. of America, Grantor, Robert Anderson and Ruth Anderson, his wife, Grantees, in consideration of $4,180.75. Robert Anderson was the younger brother of Lloyd Anderson. Lloyd and Helen Anderson continued living at 111 Newell during this period, according to Walla Walla City directories.

27 Dec 1938 – Quit Claim Deed, Robert E. Anderson and Ruth Anderson, his wife, Grantors, Lloyd E. Anderson, whose wife is Helen Anderson, Grantees, in consideration of $10. Lloyd continued living at 111 Newell Street until his death in 1945. Helen remained in the house raising their three boys. After her death in 1957, it appears her heirs rented the house to various tenants, according to Walla Walla City directories.

14 May 1963 – Deed, Gordon Earl Anderson and the Baker-Boyer National Bank of Walla Walla, co-executors of the Estate of Helen Keller Anderson, and Norman Keller Anderson, Gordon Earl Anderson and August Leonard Anderson, Grantors, Raymond W. Biggs and Idalee J. Biggs, his wife, Grantees. Raymond Biggs was a custodial officer at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary and Idalee Biggs was a clerk at Payless Drug.

26 Mar 2002 – Warranty Deed, Idalee J. Biggs, Grantor, Cynthia A. Boen and James Brian Burns, Grantees, in consideration of $10.

9 Jun 2008 – Warranty Deed, James B. Burns and Cynthia A. Boen, husband and wife, Grantors, Martin H. Chakoian and Patricia Chakoian McClure, husband and wife, Grantees, in consideration of $10.

4 Aug 2017 – Statutory Warranty Deed, Martin H. Chakoian and Patricia Chakoian McClure, husband and wife, Grantors, Beth H. Hudson, Grantee.

Construction of Building

City of Walla Walla building permit #4415 was issued to J. C. Briley on 6 August 1925 to construct a house and garage. The house was built by Shreiner and Zier at a cost of $4,500.

Resources

• TitleOne Title & Escrow (formerly Pioneer Title)
• Walla Walla Country Auditor’s online property search
• Walla Walla city directories, various years
• Whitman College archives
• Walla Walla Public Library
• Walla Walla 2020 – various research reports