History of 28 East Main Street, Walla Walla, WA
Legal Description (approximate):
rectangle: 31 feet along Main St. by 120 feet along First St., the east part of lot I, Block 13 of the original plat of the City of Walla Walla.
Title and Occupant History:
November 22, 1862–William H. and Elizabeth A. Patten sold the east part (23 feet by 120 feet) of lot I, Block 13 to Dorsey S. Baker for $1200. (Deed Book D, Page 88; hereinafter 0/88)
This is the Dorsey S. Baker who founded the Baker Boyer Bank. He first opened a business in Walla Walla in 1859.
February 23, 1866–the City of Walla Walla sold the western most part (12 ‘feet by 120 feet) of lot I in Block 13 to Dorsey S. Baker for $5. (KlI8)
March 5, 1866–the City of Walla Walla sold part of lot I in Block 13 (18 feet by 120 feet) and lots I & 2 in Block 6 to Harry Howard and H. J. Cady, “”copartners under the firm title name and style of Howard and Cady,” for $25. (E/387)
Harry Howard ran a Saloon on the north side of Main S10 between Mill Creek and Second S1, �It burned in the October 18, 1875 fire, a loss of $2,000.
July 5, 1867–Plan of Walla Walla City filed and recorded in Plat Book A on page I. (Office of Walla Walla County Auditor)
January 7, 1868–Henry Howard and H. J. Cady “and our wives Gelinda Howard and Julia Ann Cady” sold part {18 feet by 120 feet} of lot I in Block 13 to Emily Lasater for $700. (E/591)
December 2, 1873–Emily and James H. Lasater, wife and husband, sold 18 feet by’ 120 feet of lot’ I in Block 13 to Eliza J. Lee for $1500. (L/98)
July 28, 1874–Dorsey S. and Elizabeth H. Baker, husband and wife, sold 23 feet by 120 feet of lot I in Block 13 to William Stephens for $1500. (V/359)
October 26, 1877–Eliza J. and Thomas Lee, wife and husband, sold the 18 feet by 120 feet of lot I to Thomas W. Estes for $1500. (P/25)
June 7, 1878–1: W. and Louisa J. Estes sold the above property to William Stephens for $1600. (0/49)
William Stephens was a pioneer merchant who ran Dorsey S. Baker’s store, which was located where Baker Boyer Bank is today. He later opened his own store on the north side of Main Street between First and Second Streets. He suffered $5,000 worth of damage in the 1875 fire that burned the wooden buildings on the north side of Main St.
May 7 and May 14, 1883–William Stephens sold: first. 23 and 1/6 feet by 120 feet of lot I for $4500 and second, 18 and 5/6 feet by 120 feet of lot I in Block 13 for $4000 to J. E. Bingham. (28/577 and 28/576)
October 11, 1888–John E. Bingham and Rose M. Bingham sold the east part (42 feet by 120 feet) of lot I to William Sayer for $8500. (41/272)
June 26; 1890–William Sayer leased lithe following described property now being under construction” to Basil Dunstan: �One (I) story brick building on Lot (I), Block (II) [sic] Situated on South West corner of First and East Main Streets. Being 29 feet more or less on Main and 120 feet on First Street.� This was a two-year lease for $140 per month “provided said building is completed by the Tenth (10th) day of August 1890.� (46/245)
Basil Dunstan is listed in the 1892 city directory as the proprietor of the Regulator Store located at 6 Main (the numbering system was later changed to the East and West system) between 1st and 2nd.
Construction of the Building: on p. 151 of R. Bennett’s Walla Walla: Portrait of a Western Town, 1804-1899, a 1890 photograph shows the building under construction. Despite the wording of the lease above, it shows a two-story brick building being built. The Walla Walla County Assessor’s listing of 1915 as the year built is just a guess.
January 17,1895–William and Ada E. Sayer, husband and wife, sold 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I and other property to A. R. Burford for $10,000. (56/314)
May 27, 1897–A. R. and Ella Burford quit claim deeded the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I and other properties to the First National Bank of Walla Walla. (54/153)
1898–the city directory lists W. A Ferguson as a merchant and proprietor of the Bee Hive (in the 1893-94 directory, he was listed as a clerk with Smith & Fitzgerald, located at 6 Main) The Bee Hive Store continued to be listed in the city directories up to 1977.
May 16, 1900–William and Ada E. Sayer quit claim deeded all rights and interests in the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I to the First National Bank of Walla Walla. (74/155)
May 18, 1900–The First National Bank of Walla Walla sold the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I to M. B. Dwelley and B. F. Simpson for $14,500. (74/19)
February 7, 1901–Sarah F Simpson granted and conveyed all rights in the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I to B. F. Simpson out of “love and affection.” (77/96)
March 17, 1912–Dwelly and Simpson are recorded as taking out a building permit for remodeling the Bee Hive Building. The builder was Chas. Moore and the amount listed was $1000. (Book 1907-1913, p. 152, in the Whitman College Archives) The March 1912 edition of the Up-To-The-Times Magazine, published by the Bulletin Co., noted that the Bee Hive Building was to be remodeled and enlarged, pp. 4978-9.
October 15, 1915–Bernard F. and Sarah F. Simpson, husband and wife, sold an undivided one-half of the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I to W. A. Ferguson, William T. Allen and W. R. Allen for “$10 and other good and valuable considerations.� (136/280)
The 1911 city directory list W. A Ferguson as the president of the Bee Hive Store, William T. Allen as the treasurer, and W. R. Allen as the secretary
October 10, 1927–W. A. and Maude H. Ferguson, husband and wife, sold an undivided one-sixth interest in the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot 1 to W. R. Allen and W. T. Allen. (Deed #168184, see also #168144)
November 30, 1927–the City of Walla Walla, a Municipal Corporation, by W. E. McCroskey, Mayor, corrected an error in the record dated March 5, 1866 (KiI8) and listed the ownership of the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I in Block 13 of the original City of Walla Walla as: Lizzie Dwelley, widow of Melzar B. Dwelley, a one-half undivided interest; William T. Allen an undivided one-fourth interest; and Walter R. Allen an undivided one fourth interest. (#169334)
May 28, 1931–A. E. and Henrietta Allen, husband and wife, quit claim deeded their interest in the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I to Lou .Allen, (#192947, see also #2I1B31)
The 1935 city directory list Lou Allen as the vice-president and assistant manager of the Bee Hive Store.
November 28, 1933–Lizzie Dwelley’s will is probated, leaving the undivided one-half interest in the 31 feet by 120 feet of lot I to her executrix, and daughter, Verna Dwelley Jones. (Superior Court, case #22980)
June 26, 1946–A. Lou Allen, a single person, Rita Allen Barton and Charles S. Barton, husband and wife, Iva M. Allen, a widow, Henrietta Allen and A. E. Allen, husband and wife, and A. Lou Allen and Rita Allen, as executrices of the estate of Walter R. Allen, deceased, sold an undivided one-half interest in the 30 feet 2 inches by 120 feet of lot I in Block 13 to W. L. Garrison. (#294973, see also #294974, #294975 and #294972 which lists a sale price of $21,000)
December 30, 1950–Verna Dwelley Jones, a widow, deeded the undivided one-half interest in the lot I property to her daughter, Elizabeth Jones Phillips, out of “love and affection.” (#340459)
September 15, 1977–Elizabeth Jones Phillips sold the one-half interest to her husband, Merlin Phillips, for $32,500. (#568755)
September 23, 1977–Merlin Phillips sold the one-half interest to First Federal Savings and Loan Association for $32,500. (#568980)
November 3, 1977 –W. Lloyd Garrison quit claim deeded his one-half interest to Multnomah School of the Bible as a gift. (#570302)
The 1978, 1979 and 1980 city directories list. Buy Line, Inc., a want ad newspaper, at 28 E. Main.
1978–Multnomah School of the Bible sold its one-half interest to First Federal Savings and Loan Assn. for $32,500. (#7801306)
The 1981 city directory lists 28 E. Main as vacant.
The city directories for 1982-1994 list Woodmasters, furniture and gifts, at 28 E. Main.
March 1, 1994–First Savings Bank of Washington sold the property to William Halfacre, Annabelle Halfacre, Mary Kathryn Halfacre and Rodger L Jeska, Jr. (#9403931)
prepared by Michael W. Smith, 2/95
