History of 1224 Alvarado Terrace, Walla Walla, WA
Property Description: abbreviated
Block 21, Lot 4 of Green’s Park Addition, City of Walla Walla, Book C of plats on page 28; parcel #36-07-21-51-2104.
Title History:
Walla Walla was originally laid out by surveyor H.H. Chase in 1859, even before its formal incorporation as a city in 1862, as a one-quarter mile square oriented N-S, E-W and with its eastern side centered on the point where Main Street crossed Mill Creek (at roughly the point where it does now). To this original area, additional parcels were annexed from time to time, usually with the name of the land owner of record at the time the additions were made.
John Haley acquired a large tract of bare land containing this property from the United States Government during the term of President Andrew Johnson by Patent dated July 15, 1865. Haley sold the same lands, together with another parcel, less 26.81 acres of the original parcel, to William O. Green on October 7, 1867 for the sum of $1500. Green died in 1878. On December 30, 1895. Green’s surviving children and their spouses, Clarinda J. and Hugh Roland Smith, Anne B. and W. H. Barnett, Philandra Green and Mary O. Green (daughter Fannie had died) quitclaim deeded this land to their mother, Mary Frances Green for the consideration of $1.
On July 23, 1903, Mary Frances Green recorded the original plat of Green’s Park Addition to the City of Walla Walla designating the subject property as Lot 4, Block 21. In 1908 Mary F. Green transferred all her property to the Green Investment Company, of which she was president until 1912. Her residence was at 925 Isaacs Avenue starting in 1908. She apparently transferred the subject property by an unrecorded contract to Geneva Ware. There is no record of this transaction at the title company nor in any of the Auditor’s Office indexes. However, Mrs. Ware took out building permit #2 on October 18, 1907 for $1775 for a one and a half story frame house to be built by W. R. Shalker. In the 1908 city directory Francis Ware, Neva Ware and Ralph Ware are listed as living at 707 Lincoln, presumably while the house on Alvarado Terrace was being built. Geneva Ware died on November 13, 1909 and within three weeks two of her children followed her in death. Neva (Geneva) was an 18 year old student at Whitman College at the time of her death on November 29, 1909. Eugene L. Ware died the prior day at age four. Besides her husband Mrs. Ware was survived by one son, Ralph, age 16, who subsequently lived in Eugene, Or and Clarkston, Wa. Her husband the Rev. Francis A. Ware, an evangelist, was the agent for her estate. He was listed in the city directory as living at this address in 1910 (and in Spokane during probate proceedings). From Mrs. Ware’s probate records she died without a will. The Green Investment Company was about to foreclose on her property and the taxes had not been paid since 1905. Her debts also included $700 to Mr. George Woodward of Adams, OR “for doctor bills and funeral expenses.” On May 4, 1912 George B. Woodward was the only bidder when the house sold at auction for $2550. After expenses were paid $60.26 remained. No record could be found that Mr. Woodward ever lived in this house.
In 1917 John C. Brown purchased the property from Mr. Woodward. He was a widower and a farmer who lived in the house in 1918. In 1919 Mary H. Siebert purchased the property (for “$1”) but her home is listed as 112 Merriam Street. Her husband was Victor Siebert of Osterman and Siebert, architects.
Mrs. Siebert sold the property less than one month later to Elva S. Griffiths for “$1.” Her husband was Daniel J. Griffiths, the manager of Davis Optical Company in 1923-24. In 1929-39 he was a salesman for A.D. Rogers. In 1930-31 he was president of Griffiths and Holloway (Punch Storage Garage). He quitclaimed his interest in this property to his wife in 1934 and died in 1935. In 1937 Elva continued to live on the property with her children, Genevieve ( a teacher who had graduated from Whitman in 1937), Keith and Phillip (students). Genevieve Griffiths Baker visited the house in 2000 from her present home in LaConner, WA. By 1953 Elva was “a mender” at the Walla Walla Public Library. She was a self-employed music teacher from 1958 until her death in 1966. Her son, Keith, sold this property for her estate in July 1966 to Dale and Marlene Jacobsen for $6250. They apparently never lived here but sold it to Leland and Sylvia Ballard in November 1966 for $16,000. The Ballards lived at this address from 1966 to 1972. Dr. Ballard was a dentist. He sold this property to Jack W. and Janice Robison in 1972. Jack worked as a well driller for Pat Jungman. Janice worked at Baker Boyer Bank. They paid $23,500. In 1976 they sold to Earl and JoAnne Fleck who paid $29,500. Earl was a professor at Whitman College and JoAnne was a costume designer. Earl lived there until he sold to John J. Rada, a single person, in 1986. He paid $65,000. Rada sold “for debt assumption only” ($64,849.32) in 1989 to Gary and Anna Willard. Gary worked for the US Corps of Engineers. They sold to Chris and Maquita Drabek, Charles and Jane Drabek in 1999 for $148,900.
Construction of the House
According to the Assessor’s Office this house was built in 1906. The house is shown on the amendments to 1905 Sanborn Fire Map, but is not on the microfilm of the original. Therefore no conclusion on age of the house is possible from that source. However, the record of building permit #2 issued to Mrs. Ware on October 18,1907 is the key to the age of this house. The house was almost certainly completed during 1908.
Mary E. Meeker Walla Walla 2020 Research Service PO Box 1222, Walla Walla WA 99362 December, 2000
