History of 1606 Evergreen Street, Walla Walla, WA

Legal Description (abbreviated):

N. 104.71 feet of W. 91.42 feet of lot 2 in Block 5 of Ennis Annex to the City of Walla Walla.

Title and Occupant History:

September 11, 1882–William and Abigal Matzger, husband and wife, sold 72 & 70/100ths acres, more or less, of land in Section 21, Township 7 North of Range 36 East of the Willamette Meridian, including the property in the legal description, to Eisso Muntinga Aeils and John Gerhard Muntinga for $3000. The only encumbrance on the property being a right of way for a ditch across the land for the purpose of conducting water to a flour mill granted to H. P. Isaacs, his heirs and assigns. (Deed Book Z, Page 624, hereinafter Z/624)

The 1880 and 1881-2 directories of the area list William Matzger as the postmaster of Dayton, Washington Territory, with a residence there. Frank Gilbert’s Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory (Portland, Oregon: A. G. Walling, 1882, appendix p. 52) lists William Matzger as born in Prussia in 1819 and coming to U. S. in 1839, Oregon in 1847, Walla Walla in 1863, and Columbia County in 1871.

Eisso M. Aeils is listed in the 1883-4 city directory as the owner and operator of E. M. Aeils & Co., groceries and provisions, at No. 302 Main St. The 1881-1892 directories list his residence at the northwest corner of 5th and Main; in 1893-4 he is listed as residing near the east city limits [Division St.]. The last listing in the city directories for E. M. Aeils is in 1902 (there is a 1904 directory but no 1903 directory) and it lists E. M. Aeils & C9. (Eisso M. Aeils & John G. Muntinga), groceries, 302-308 W. Main;” it lists J. G. Muntinga’s residence as 127 W. Poplar and E. M. Aeil’s residence as 1/2 mile east of the city limits [Division St.] .

Henry. P. Isaacs started several flour mills in eastern Washington, in Idaho, and in Oregon (1858 Ft. Colville, 1862 Walla Walla, 1864 Boise, 1865 Middleton, Idaho, 1883 Prescott, and 1898 Wasco, Oregon). W. D. Lyman referred to him as lithe foremost miller on the Pacific coast” in his History of Walla Walla County. (W. H. Lever, 1901, p. 313). His mill in Walla Walla was located within a few blocks of the property in the legal description (see R. A. Bennet’s Walla Walla: Portrait of a Western Town, 1804-1899, pp. 145-146 and maps in Whitman College Archives).

Construction of the House: While the Walla Walla County Assessor’s records list 1890 as the year built, the current owner of the house, Douglas E. Crawford, whose grandfather, John C. Douglas, purchased the house in 1908, remembers his grandfather’s assertion that it was built in the early 1890’s and that there was a connection to a Mr. E. M. Aeils. This, together with E. M. Aeils being first listed as living near the east city limits in 1893, indicates a construction date of 1892 or 1893. The 1903 plat of Ennis Annex shows the house protruding into Blue 51. John C. Douglas remembered it being  moved to the present location.

August 4, 1896–An Agreement was made between E. M. and Cornelia Aeils, husband and wife, and John and Josie P. Muntinga, husband and wife, parties of the first part, and the Walla Walla Water’ Co, a corporation, party of the second part, to settle a controversy over the water rights in the 72 plus acres (ZJ624) in 21-7-36. The parties of the first part relinquished water rights and the right to have water pipes, flumes, aquaducts, races and drains over, across, and under said lands; in return the parties of the first part could use water, not to exceed one cubic feet per second, for irrigation. (63/130)

January 26, 1903-E. M. and Cornelia Aeils and John G. and Josie P. Muntinga sold the aforementioned land (now described as 72 & 96/IOOths acres, more or less. in 21-7-36) to the Walla Walla Meat Co., a corporation, for $17.000. (86/292)

The 1904 city directory lists Christopher Ennis, president (res. 315 Alder), ‘T. J. Ennis, secretary (boards 315 Alder), and Wm. Henry, vice-president and manager (res. 401 N. 3rd) of the Walla Walla Meat Co., Wholesale & Retail Meats & Uvestock, 9 Main.

November 30, 1903- The Walla Walla Meat Co., a corporation. filed a plat for the Ennis Annex to the City of Walla Walla. (Plat Book C, Page 31, Walla Walla County Auditor’s Office, Walla Walla County Courthouse Christopher Ennis, president of the corporation, is described in W. D. Lyman’s History of Walla Walla County, State of Washington. (W. H. Lever, 1901, pp. 303-4) as a pioneer of 1870 and immigrant from Ireland who was elected president of the Walla Walla Meat Co., in 1895 and owned 4-5,000 acres of land.

December 15, 1903–The Walla Walla Meat Co. made an Agreement for Deed with Antonia Tachi, et. al., for lots 1 and 2 in Block S and all of Block 4 in the Ennis Annex to the City of Walla Walla for $4100; $2000 to be paid immediately and $2100 by January 1, 1905 (without interest). (90/434)

January 5, 1905–The Walla Walla Meat Co., a corp., deeded to Antonia Tachi and Angelo Dalia lots 1& 2 in Block S and all Block 4 for $4100. (96/378) Neither of the grantees are listed in the city directories for 1904 or 1905; Joseph and Antonia Tachi are listed as Walla Walla County taxpayers in the 1908 directory.

March 3, 1905–the City of Walla Walla, a municipal corp., quit claimed and conveyed all water rights in Ennis Annex to the Walla Walla Meat Co., a corp., for $1 “and other valuable consideration.” (97/367)

June 1, 1908–Joseph and Antonia Tachi, husband and wife. Angelo and Maria Dalia, husband and wife, sold lots 1 & 2 in Block S, with their portion of water rights and use of the irrigation ditch to J. C. Douglas for $3000. (III/I)

The 1905-1908 city directories do not list J. C. Douglas; the 1909-10 directory lists John C. Douglas as a. farmer with a home at 1606 Evergreen. The 1911-12 directory lists him with a wife. Annie M. and as a clerk at Hanger & Thompson with a residence at 1606 Evergreen. In 1914 he is listed as a salesman for the A. M. Jensen co., and from 1915-1932 he is listed as a clerk at Gardner & Co. All listings include 1606 Evergreen as his residence.

June 23, 1917–J. C. Douglas took out building permit #2444 to have a barn built at 1606 Evergreen by builder Huntington at a cost of $250. (Walla Walla Building Permit Book 1913-17, p. 106. Whitman College Archives)

October 10, 1929–Certificate of Water Right was filed noting the right of J. C. Douglas of Blue & Evergreen Sts. to use waters of Mill Creek for purpose of irrigation. Not to exceed .027 second feet from April I to July I, .020 sec. ft. July 1 to Oct. 1, and .040 sec. ft. from Oct. 1 to April 1 for irrigation of 2.0 acres of land, lots 1 & 2 in Block 5 Ennis Annex. (Deed #181940)

July 29, 1932– John C. Douglas deeded lots 1 & 2 in Block 5 to Anna M. Douglas, his wife, for the consideration “of the natural love and affection of the party of the first part toward the party of the second part.” (#209980, see also Affidavit of May 8, 1946 by Anna M. Douglas, widow of John C. Douglas, deceased (September 23, 1932), regarding deeding of lots 1 & 2. (#292823)

May 14, 1946–Harry W. Douglas, Helen J. Crawford, and Lois M. Baer, the sole remaining heirs of John C; Douglas, deceased, quit claimed and conveyed all interest in lots I & 2 to Anna M. Douglas, a widow, in consideration “of the natural love and affection of the grantors for the grantee, and $10.00.” (#292961)

September 23, 1960–Anna M. Douglas sold the North 104.71 feet of the West 146.42 feet of lot 2 in Block 5 Ennis Annex to C. E. and Helen J. Crawford, husband and wife, for $10 “and other valuable consideration. (#424120)

The 1961 city directory lists Cecil E. Crawford as a salesman for Wilton Shoe Store with a residence at 1606 Evergreen.

July 26, 1978–Cecil E. and Helen J. Crawford deeded the property above to Douglas E. Crawford, reserving unto the Grantors a life estate in the afore described real property until the death of both of the Grantors, in consideration of “Love and Affection.” (#7806605)

August 16, 1983-Cecll E. and Helen J. Crawford made a Quit claim deed to Douglas E. and Geraldine l. Crawford, husband and wife, to remove the life estate clause from the above transaction. (#8305938)

Prepared by Michael W. Smith, 2/96