History of 328 West Main Street, Walla Walla, WA
Legal Description. (abbreviated):
Westerly 50 feet of lot 6 in Block 5 original City of Walla Walla plat.
Title and Occupant History:
January 20. 1870–the City of Walla Walla sold lot 6 in Block 5 to Edward Sheil for $100. (Deed Book G, page 34; hereinafter F/34)
Edward Sheil was a physician and surgeon who also owned a half interest in a sash and door factory and planing mi\l (southwest corner of Alder & Colville streets) from 1863-67.
October I. 1874–Edward Sheil transferred many tracts of land, including lot 6 in Block 5, to his trustee, H. Parker. (L/614, see also N/466)
December 26, 1874–H. Parker, trustee of Edward Sheil, transferred many tracts of land. including lot 6, to E. Sheil. (M/465, see also M/467)
April 18. 1876–Sheriff’s Deed recorded the sale on January 2, 1875 of lot 6 in Block 5 to John Lougas (also misrecorded as Lucas) for $300. This sale resulted out a Superior Court action of Joseph Petrain, plaintiff, against Edward Sheil, defendant. (P/565, see also P/568 and 107/292)
March 27, 1909–L. J. and Jennie Shell, husband and wife, and Louise Louga. a spinster. (Louise Louga and Jennie Shell were daughters of John Louga, who died May 25, 1898. Probate case #2956, Deed file #159259) sold the westerly 50 feet of lot 6 in Block 5 to Charles Acherman and Alfred Bachtold .. (118/183)
Bachtold and Achermann were wholesale liquor dealers who started business in 1897. In the Up-To-Ihe-Times� Magazine of December 1912, on p. 5462, it said that after 15 years in business they “are practically the only wholesale liquor dealers doing business in the I nland Empire country between Portland and Spokane.
June 23, 1909–Alfred and Mary Bachtold, husband and wife. made a Party Wall agreement with Lee W. Roberts, a bachelor, so the Bachtolds can erect “a brick building with concrete basement upon” the westerly 50 feet of lot 6. (117/58
September I, 1909–A. Bachtold got a building permit to construct a two story brick building at 6th and Main. Bailey and Lambert were listed as the builders and $19,000 as the cost. (1907-13 Building permit book page 74, Whitman Archives)
February 2, 1910–agreement between Northwestern Corporation and D. W. Dobbins of Walla Walla for Dobbins to lease area on lower floor of the building occupied by the Northwestern Corp.(owners of the Walla Walla Valley Traction. Co.) at corner of 6th and Main for 5 years at $15/month. (117/436)
May and July, 1910–series of documents involving lease of the new building. (122/133; 121/518) See also December 1909 issue of Up-To-The�Times Magazine, p. 2395. Story on “Big Traction Mergerll tells how Northwestern Corp. will operate electric power, electric cars, gas and other industries.
December 31, 1910–Agreement wherein Alfred and Mary Bachtold leased the new two story building to the Walla Walla Railway Company for 10 year at $275/month for the first 5 years and $325/month for the second 5 years. (129/336
1910-1920–the city directories list the Walla Walla Valley Railway Company as having offices at W. Main northeast corner of N. 6th. The street address listed is 322 W. Main.
January 15, 1920–a Sheriff1s sale of the property to Levi Ankeny for #21,164.85 resulted out of the case of Levi Ankeny v. Mary Bachtold, individually and as executrix of will of Alfred Bachtold, et. al. (#114263)
Levi Ankeny organized the First National Bank of Walla Walla in 1878. He later started banks in Pendleton and Baker City, Oregon, and in Waitsburg and Dayton. He was elected a United States Senator of the State of Washington in 1903 and served a six-year term. (W. D. Lyman, Lyman1s History of Old Walla Walla County, V. II, Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1918, pp. 16-19.
1923-present–city directories list the Snyder-Crecelius Paper Company at 328 W. Main. The 1921-22 directory lists the company at 1\1 S. First.
December 13, 1926–John D. Ankeny, executor of the will of Levi Ankeny, sold the property to Don W. Snyder and A. C. Crecelius for $20,000. (#162767)
City directories show Don W. Snyder was a partner in the Nichols� Snyder Paper Co. from 1912-1918, which was listed as the Snyder- Crecelius Paper Co. in the 1920 directory. The October 1918 issue of Up-To-The-Times Magazine has an announcement in the “Business News & Comment” section, p. 8720: “The Nichols-Snyder Paper Co., Walla Walla, will hereafter be known as the Snyder-Crecelius Paper Co., A. C. Crecelius of the Clark & Crecelius Stationery Co., buying out the interest of Mr. Nichols.” A. C. Crecelius was listed as a partner in Clark & Crecelius, books, stationery and office supplies in the 1918 directory. The directories indicate that Snyder was a partner until 1939 (the Whitman Archives do not have a 1940 directory). He is listed as retired in 1960.
December 23, 1964–Albert C. Crecelius sold the property to Paul and Evelyn M. Troeh, husband and wife, for $50,000. ‘(#534597)
Paul Traeh is listed as a partner in Snyder-Crecelius in the 1946 directory (the Whitman Archives do not have directories for 1942-44) and as manager-partner in the 1960s and 70s. He is listed as retired in 1975.
February 19, 1980–Paul R. and Evelyn Troeh sold the property to William P. Medlar, Jr. and Betty Medlar, husband and wife, for $70,000. (#8301385)
Hart’s city directory for 1981 lists William Medlar as the manager of Snyder-Crecelius and Betty Medlar as bookkeeper for Dr. Davis.
February 29, 1988–William P. Medlar, Jr. and Betty C. Medlar sold the property to the Snyder-Crecelius Paper Co., Inc., a Washington corporation, for $85,000. (#8801252)
prepared by Michael W. Smith, 2/95
