History of 230 East Main Street, Walla Walla, WA

Legal Description (abbreviated):

Tract at S. W. corner of Main & Palouse Streets in N.W. quarter of S.E. quarter of 20-7-36, measuring 39′  along Main by 103.55 along Palouse by 12.11′  by 100′.

Title and Occupant History:

October 18. 1867 –Sheriff’s Deed recognized the sale at auction of Cain’s Addition (With some blocks and lots excepted) to Dorsey S. Baker for $2800. This arose from the case of D. S. Baker, plaintiff, versus A. J. Cain and E. R. Cain, defendants. (Deed Book E, Page 564, hereinafter E/564) This is the Dorsey S. Baker who founded the Baker-Boyer Bank and who began doing business in Walla Walla in 1859.

October 17, 1871–Andrew J. Cain and Emma R. Cain relinquished all claim and rights to the property involved in the case cited above for the consideration of $1. (H/572)

January 29, 1885–John R. and Sarah E. Boyer, husband and wife, quit claimed and conveyed any interest in the above property to Dorsey S. Baker for the consideration of $1. (611114) This is the John R. Baker who was Dorsey 8. Bakers partner in the Baker-Boyer Bank.

July 8. 1901–Miles C. Moore. Henry Clay Baker. and Walla Walla Willie Baker, executors of the will of Dorsey S. Baker, deceased, sold the S.W. corner lot of 69′ along E. Main by 80¹ along Palouse St. to The Baker Loan & Investment Co., a corporation, for the consideration of $10. (79/139)

June 14, 1902–The Baker Loan & Investment Co. sold the S.W. corner lot of 39′ along Main by 80′ along Palouse 81. to Charles A. Matt for $1500. (83/124)  Charles A Matt is listed in the 1902 city directory as the owner of the Mott Candy Co. located at 55 E. Main. In the 1905 directory he is listed as a provider of furnished rooms at 224 E. Main, with his home at the same address.

Construction of the Building: From the lack of listings in 1904 and the 1905 city directory listings of J. R. Hagerson, grocer, at 228 and C. A. Matt, furnished rooms, at 224, it seems clear that the building was constructed in 1904 or 1905, probably 1904. The fact that Mr. Matt purchased the property in 1902 for $1500 and sold it to Mr. Anderson in 1910 for $12,000 supports this conclusion. The county assessor’s guess as to year built is 1930.

What is confusing about the building as seen today is that the facade is the same for the 39′ and 30′ along Main Street of two different lots. These two lots were not owned by the same person until December 20, 1943 when Frank LeRoux purchased the 30′ by 100′ lot from C. M. Macleod (the Macleod family had owned the lot since 1910.)

Another mystery is when the lots became 100′ deep. Sometime between 1920 and 1927 the description of the lots changes. This mystery bears on the question of construction, since today’s corner building is 100 feet long and in 1904 it could only be 80 feet long. It probably was remodelled, certainly the Walla Walla Hotel building and the building on the 30¹ x 100′ lot show signs of being lengthed to the south.

Building Permits pertaining to 228 E. Main: (from the Whitman College Archives, which contain building permit books for Walla Walla for 1907-1913, 1914-1917, 1918-1926, 1926-1935, and 1936-1939–all of which I looked through)

February 11, 1910–C. A. Matt applied for permit #701 for a remodel of his store at Main & Palouse by builder J. H. Carmaichel costing $200. (p. 88) April 25, 1912–A. R Anderson applied for permit #1266 for repairing the Midway at the corner of Main & Palouse costing $90. (p. 158)

August 19, 1939–Mrs. Agnes Matthews applied for permit #9244 to remodel 228 E. Main by contractor Claude Epley costing $760. (p. 64)

Building Permits at 222 E. Main:

April I, 1916–Mcleod & Potter applied for permit #2140 to remodel the front of a building at Main & Palouse by builder W. H. Morrison costing $10. (p. 74)

July 25, 1916–R. C. McLeod applied for permit $2236 to construct a brick and iron store building at 222 E. Main for $1500. (p. 82)

July I, 1929–N. C. McLeod applied- for permit #5491 for the construction of an addition to 222 E. Main by Taylor & Gross costing $2500.

May 1,1906-C. A. Mott leased the “Room and basement known as No. 228 & 85 Main Street” to J. F. Tiderington for two years, from May 1, 1906 to May 1, 1908 for the rent of $41 per month. (107/422)

February 19, 1910–Charles A. and Margaret R. Mott of No. Yakima sold the 39′ by 80′ lot to Andy P. Anderson for $12,000. (121/316)

May 10, 1920–Andy P. Anderson, a bachelor, sold the above property to Randolph O. Matthews for $12,000. (Deed #108761)

June 23, 1927 –Probate was filed for the will of Randolph O. Matthews, who died on June 17, 1927. All his property, including the property listed in the legal description, was left to his wife, Agnes Matthews. (Superior Court case number SC/20335)

September 27, 1928–E. C. Mills quit claim deeded all interest in the property in the legal description to his wife, Agnes Matthews Mills, for $1 “and other valuable considerations.” (#174650)

March 3, 1939–Agnes Matthews leased the ground floor of the Midway Building on the corner of Main and Palouse Streets known as 224 and 228 E. Main, to Francis M. LeRoux for five years beginning on April 1, 1939 for $110 per month and an option to renew for five years on the same terms. (#240362)

Mr. LeRoux had previously run The Cabin, located near the east end of the present Whitman College Student Center on Boyer Ave., as a restaurant and “hangout” for Whitman students, which he opened not long after his graduation from the college in 1931. The Midway became the new “hangout” for Whitman students.

September 13, 1941–Agnes Matthews assigned the lease of the premises commonly known as “The Midway” to Miriam Edwards LeRoux for $1 “and other good and valuable considerations.” (#260948)

September 13, 1941–Agnes Matthews. a widow. sold the property in the legal description to Miriam Edwards LeRoux, whose husband is Francis LeRoux for $10 “and other good and valuable considerations.” (#260922, see also option to purchase of July 25, 1941, #259760)

November 6, 1972–Francis M. and Kathleen LeRoux, husband and wife,

Frank LeRoux, Margaret Lynn Donaldson, Michele Frances LeRoux Stephens, land Frank LeRoux, lnc., a Washington corporation, sold several tracts of land, including the property in the legal description, to Olympic Properties (a partnership of Jerry M. and Diana J. Look, husband and wife, J. Keith and Shirley M. Willson, husband and wife, Richard H. and Erma Burdorff, husband and wife, and James M. Browder) for the listed consideration of $10. (#8503216)

June 30, 1983–0Iympic Properties, a partnership, assigned and transferred the real estate contract above to Martha Ann Warren for $250,000. (#8503253, see also 138/1429)

May 15, 1985–Martha Ann Warren, a divorced woman, sold the property in the legal description to James D. and Kathleen M. Gardner, husband and wife, for $95,000. (#8503217)

April I, 1994–Kathleen M. Dale, formerly Kathleen M. Gardner, sold the property to Philip R. and Paula Jolene Smith, husband and wife. (#9403929)

Businesses in the Building (from the city directories):

1905: J. R. Hagerson, Grocer is listed at 228 E. Main; C. A. Matt, Furnished Rooms is listed at 224 E. Main. Neither is listed in 1904 at these addresses.

1906: no directory.

1907: J. F. Tiderington, Grocer is listed at 228. 1908: L. A. Dietz, Grocer is listed at 228.

1909-10: Frank McAlpine, Confections is listed at 226; The Square Deal Grocery is listed at 228.

1910-11: C. A. Jones, Confections is listed at 228.

1911-12: Martin, Batchelder & Patrick, Confections is listed at 226.

1912-14: Patrick& Matthews, Confections is listed at 226.

1915-17: The Midway Confectionery is listed at 224.

1918-24: Randolph Matthews, Confections is listed variously at 224 & 226.

1925-26: The Midway Cafe (Randolph Matthews) is listed at 226.

1926-27: The Midway Confectionery (Randolph Matthews) is listed at 226.

1928: no directory.

1929-30: The Midway, drugs is listed at 224.

1931-33:, The Midway Sales Co., radios, and The Midway Drug Co. are listed at 226.

1934: no directory.

1935: The Midway, confectionery & restaurant, and The Midway Drug Co. are listed at 226. /936: no directory. 1937: listed as vacant. 1938: no directory.

1939-48: The Red Star Grocery, groceries and meat, is listed at 228. 1949-52: Red Star Grocery& Market, Red Star Pharmacy and Frank LeRoux, Inc are listed at 228.

1953-72: Thrifty Drug, Inc., and Frank LeRoux, Inc., are listed at 228., 1973-76: Olympic Drug is listed at 228.

1977-78: Olympic Drug is listed at 228; Huntington Office Supply is listed at 232.

1979-82: Music Tree, Inc., is listed at 228; Huntington Office Supply is listed at 232.

1983-92: The Wooden Goose is listed at 230 E. Main.

 

prepared by Michael W. Smith. 8/95