History of 121 East Main Street, Walla Walla, WA

Legal Description:

Begin at a point in the northwesterly line of Main St.. which point is a distance of 75 feet measured along said northwesterly line of Main St. from it point of intersection with the southwesterly line of Spokane 51.; thence S. 37 degrees 7 minutes W., along said northwesterly line of Main St., a distance of 25 feet; thence N. 52 degrees 53 minutes W., a distance of 124.5 feet to a point in the southerly line of the alley in Block I of Cain’s Addition to the City of Walla Walla (as said southerly line of said alley is established by City Ordinance No. A-1338); thence N. 37 degrees 7 minutes E., along southerly line of said alley, a distance of 25 feet; thence S. 52 degrees 53 minutes E., a distance of 124.5 feet to the point of beginning.

 Title and Occupant History:

May 3, 1862–A. J. Cain and Emma R. Cain sold’-lnts 7, 8, 9 & 10 in Block I of Cain’s Addition to Way, Bush & Co. for $500. (Deed Book B, Page 354; hereinafter B/354)

July 24. 1867–H. Way, through his attorney, H. J.Cady, sold several lots (including the north 1/2 of lot 8 and lots I, 2, 3, 9 & 10–all in Block I, Cain’s Addition) to T J. Swezea, Jr. (E/488)

May 26, 1870-C. S. & N. J. Bush, husband and wife, and T J. Sweazie [sic] sold lot 9 and the east 1/2 of lot 8 in Block I of Cain’s Addition (approx. 90 feet by 120 feet) to John Dovell for $200. (G/240)

Historic Sketches of Walla Walla. Whitman. Columbia and Garfield Counties. Washington Territory by Frank T Gilbert (Portland: A. G. Walling. 1882), p. 42, lists John Dovell as a manufacturer of doors, sashes and furniture who owned 160 acres of land and who came to Walla Walla County in 1861.

January 30, 1875–John & Margaret Dovell, husband and wife, sold an undivided one-half interest in the easterly one-half of lot 8, and one-half of lots 9 & 10 “including the planing mill with all it machines, tools, boilers, engine and appurtenances” to Norman F. Butler and Charles Moore for $2000. (M/102)

1876–Panoramic View of Walla Walla shows a planing mill on the N.W. corner of Spokane and Main Sts. (Whitman College Archives and Walla Walla: Portrait of a Western Town by Robert A. Bennett, Walla Walla: Pioneer Press, 1980, pp. 91-92}

February 19, 1878–Christopher H. Armstrong sold all his interest in lots I, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 & 10 in Block I of Cain’s Addition to Charles 8. Bush. (P/422)

May 2, 1878–Norman F. Butler and Rebecca Butler sold a one-fourth interest in lots 9 & 10, and in the east one-half of lot 8, all in Block I of caln’e Addition and including a lone-fourth interest in all appurtenances and machinery of the “plaininq [sic] mill and furniture works” to John Hay and Curtis M. Johnson for $3000. (P/588)

November 7, 1878–John G. Hay, a bachelor, sold one-half of his undivided one-fourth interest in lots 9 & 10 and the east one-half of lot 8, including the machinery and furniture works to Curtis M. Johnson for $1500. {Q/456}

November 21, 1879–John and Margaret Dovell sold a one-fourth interest in lots 9 & 10 and the east one-half of lot 8 to W. Charles Bardsley for $4000. (S/228)

January 2, 1880–Charles and Julia A. Moore, husband and wife, sold one�fourth of the east one-half of lot 8 and lots 9 & 10, “includinq one fourth interest in the planning [sic] mill and its appurtenances as it was when sold by John Dovill [sic] and wife to Chas. Moore ,” for $1000. (8/367)

The city directory for 1880, p. 78, has an advertisement for J. Dovell & Co. Planing Mill and Furniture Works that lists J. Dovell, Jas. 8. Cochran, C. M. Johnson and W. C. Bardsley as proprietors; in the 1881-82 directory the advertisement lists J. Dovell, C. M. Johnson and W. C. Bardsley; and in the 1883-84 directory the advertisement lists J. Dovell, J. R. Addison and W. C. Bardsley at 117 to 129 E. Main St.

The 1889 and 1892 directories list J. Dovell & Co. at 19 & 21 E. Main.

August 19, 1881–Curtis W. and Emma Johnson, husband and wife, sold one�fourth of lots 9 & 10 and of the east one-half of lot 8, together with the furniture works to Henry Marlin. (W/197)

March 23, 1882–Henry and Emily J. Marlin. husband and wife. sold one�fourth of lots 9 & 10 and of the east one-half of lot 8 in a deed lito convey the undivided one fourth of the above described premises and of the works known as the J. Dovell & Co. plaining [sic] mill, furniture, etc. Also the stock of furniture now on hand in the warehouse on said premises, dry shed, lumber, etc.-etc.- and all matter and things pertaining to said described premises” to J. R. Addison for $7000. (Y/155)

February 5, 1884–John and Margaret Dovell sold 75 feet by 120 feet in Block I of Cain’s Addition, “Being the easterly one-half of the real estate occupied by J. Dovell & Co. on said Main St.” to W. Chas. Bardsley & J. R. Addison for $8000. (33/538)

December 6, 1884–J. R. Addison and Emma Addison sold a one-half interest in the above described 75 feet by 120 feet in Block I of Cain’s Addition to William Chas. Bardsley for $5000. (33/612)

March 10, I888–W. Chas. and Kate M. Bardsley, husband and wife, sold 30 feet by 120 feet of lot 9 in Block I to Alexander J. Anderson, Sr. for $1000.

Alexander J. Anderson was the first president of Whitman College. He came to Walla Walla in 1882 after serving as president of the University of Washington.

October to December, 1889–the heirs of Louisa Anderson, lately deceased, quit claim deeded their interests in several tracts of property, including 75 feet by 120 feet of lots 8 & 9 in Block I of Cain’s Addition to Alexander J. Anderson, Sr. (45/79, 45/158, 45/185, 45/220)

May 4, 1899–Sheriff’s Deed filed detailing execution of the sale of property at public auction arising from an action by the Baker Boyer Bank, plaintiff, against Alexander J. Anderson, Sr., Francis Phelps, and C. A. Leighton. The Baker Boyer Bank was the high bidder at $2000 for the property in the legal description. (71/4)

January I, 1901–The Baker Boyer National Bank sold the property to C. A Mott for $850. (76/544, see also 741174) C. A. Mott owned the Walla Walla Candy Company, which he founded in 1892.

From 1902 to 1916–Louis Youdovitch and partners are listed in Polk’s city directories as dealers in Junk and Second Hand Goods. And after that the Epstein Bros. ran a similar business there until 1920.

August 1920–Up-To-The-Times Magazine ran a notice on p. 2185: “The store occupied by the company [Youdovitch & Co., pioneer junk dealers, and of late by Epstein Bros.] for 21 years at 121 East Main has been torn down.”

June 20, 1921–building permit #3340 was issued to C. A. Mott for a new building on E. Main. The builder was L. F. Kline and the cost was $4000. (Building Permit Book 1914-1926, Whitman Archives)

July 23, 1925–Charles A. Mott sold the property to B. E. Mott. (Deed #150900)

From 1926-27, Polk’s city directory lists Lee L. Collier, Welding at 121 E. Main.

February 27, 1930–B. E. and Annie R. Mott, husband and wife, deeded a one�half interest in the property plus other property to C. H. Mott. (#184719)

From 1929 to 1932, Polk’s city directories list the Walla Walla Welding Works at 121 E. Main.

From 1933 to 1937, Polk’s city directories list Nalder’s Engine and Machine Shop at 121 E. Main.

June 9, 1937-C. H. Mott, a widower, and B. E. and Annie R. Mott, husband and wife, sold the property to Earney C. Mills for “ten dollars and other good and valuable consideration.” (#228318)

July 13, 1939–Mary M. Mills deeded her interest in the property to Earney C. Mills, her husband, “_otherwise known as Earnest C. Mills. II (#243336)

August 8, 1968–Virginia M. Hunter as executrix, and James B. Mock, executor of will of Earnest C. Mills, sold the property to the Walla Walla Canvas & Draper Co., Inc. for $25,000. (#496429)

Polk’s city directories list the Walla Walla Draper Co. as occuping the building from 1939 to 1968 and the Walla Walla Canvas and Draper Co. in 1969 and 1970.

November 24, 1970–The Walla Walla Canvas & Draper Co., Inc. (C. W. Tennent, president, and Margaret Tennent, secretary) sold the property to Howard E. Hume and Ellen M. Hume. (#530089)

From 1971-1977, Hume’s Office Systems Equipment Co. occupied the �building.

February 24, 1978–Howard E. and Ellen M. Hume, husband and wife, sold the property to William P. Pontarolo and Joan Rose Pontarolo. (#9205754)

From 1978 to the present, Pontarolo’s Supply & Equipment Company has occupied the building.

 

 prepared by Michael W. Smith. 2/95