History of 332 East Poplar Street – Walla Walla, WA

Legal Description

Small’s Amended Plat Tract, Lot 4, Lot 3, less triangle in Southeasterly corner, less streets.

This small plat, originally carved out of Blocks 3 & 4 of Roberts’ Addition to the City of Walla Walla was filed July 6, 1892 as D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4 of Roberts’ Addition.  It is now considered a single block, bounded by South Palouse Street, East Poplar Street, South Park Street and East Birch Street, containing 23 building lots.

Full Legal Description

Beginning at the Southeast corner of Lot 5 in D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 and 4 of Roberts’ Addition to the City of Walla Walla, Washington, according to the official plat thereof recorded in the office of the Auditor of Walla Walla County, Washington, in Book B of Plats at Page 62, and run thence South 60°34’03” West, along the South line of aforesaid Lot 5 a distance of 6.17 feet to the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING for this description; thence North 29°27’57” West, parallel to the East line of said Lot 5 a distance of 183.51 feet to the point in the Southerly line of Poplar Street as said Southerly line was established by deed recorded in Volume 129 of Deeds at Page 1044, of Deed Records of aforesaid Walla Walla County, thence Northeasterly, along said Southerly line, along a curve to the right having a radius of 220.00 feet and a central angle of 8°06’51” said curve being tangent to a line bearing North 62°59’38” East, an arc length of 31.16 feet to a point in a line parallel to and 54.00 feet South measured at right angles, from the North line of the Southwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 20, Township 7 North, Range 36 East of the Willamette Meridian; thence North 89°57’03” East along said parallel line 89.06 feet; thence South 29°10’51” East, 80.19 feet; thence South 12°32’00” East, 59.15 feet, to a point in the South line of Lot 3 of aforesaid Small’s Amended Plat, said point being 111.40 feet S 60°34’03” West, of the Southeast corner of Lot 1 in said Subdivision; thence South 60°34’03” West, along the South line of Lots 3, 4 and 5, a distance of 90.01 feet to THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING.

Title and Occupant History

Washington Territory was created in 1853.  In 1854, the new territorial legislature created Walla Walla County, which stretched from the crest of the Cascade Mountains to the crest of the Rocky Mountains in the present states of Washington, Idaho and Montana.  In 1855, Isaac Stevens, governor of Washington Territory, held a council on the banks of Mill Creek at the present site of Walla Walla with representatives of regional Indian tribes to purchase land from them.  The Yakamas, Cayuses and Walla Wallas were dissatisfied with the treaties and the intrusion by whites into their lands before the treaties’ ratification, and war followed.  Missionaries, former French-Canadian employees of the Hudson Bay Company trading post at Wallula, and soldiers at the military Fort Walla Walla were the primary European occupants of the area prior to 1859, when the treaties were finally ratified and the land was opened for settlement.  The transfer of ownership occurred by virtue of a treaty signed on June 9, 1855 in Walla Walla and ratified on March 8, 1859 by President James Buchanan, in which all of the land in the Walla Walla area was acquired from the Cayuse and Walla Walla Indian tribes.

The town of Walla Walla was originally laid out by County Surveyor Hamet Hubbard Case in 1859, prior to its formal incorporation as a city in 1862, as a one-quarter mile square with its eastern side centered on the point where Main Street crossed Mill Creek (at roughly the point where it does now).  The original plat was lost, probably in the fire of 1865.  Thus, the earliest plat on file is one made by W. W. Johnson, City Surveyor, in July 1865 that claims to have made corrections to Case’s survey.  Johnson’s survey was made the official plat of the City of Walla Walla on September 25, 1866, filed and recorded July 5, 1867.  The City of Walla Walla received a Trustee Town site from the U. S. Government that consisted of 80 acres, issued on July 20, 1869 by the Vancouver, W. T. District Land Office.

The first evidence of non-governmental ownership of this property is a probate estate inventory for Ransom Clark dated May 24, 1859 showing Clark as the owner of this property.

The first person to plat this area was Alvin B. Roberts who came to Walla Walla from Portland, Oregon in 1859 and immediately purchased a claim from Tom Hughs for $250 to land just south of Main Street. He fenced his new property and put up a canvas house, which allowed him to hold it until the government surveyed it in 1860. He had brought some grafted fruit trees from Portland and was able to sell them in 1860 for $1.00 apiece. He realized there was money to be made in fruit trees and so engaged extensively in the nursery business as well as real estate. Roberts Addition was platted by A. B. Roberts and Martha E. Roberts on January 20,1871 (Plat Book A, Page 21, Walla Walla County Auditor’s Office, Walla Walla County Courthouse).

Following a legal action against by Benjamin Sharpstein, plaintiff v. Alvin B. and Martha Roberts and 21 other defendants, A. B. Roberts, Burrell W. Griffin, the Sheriff of Walla Walla County, Washington Territory, gave a Sheriff’s Deed to Oliver P. Lacy on 12/13/1873 for all of Blocks 3 and 4 of Roberts Addition for $540 in gold coin.  Oliver P. Lacy was Assessor for Walla Walla County, W.T.  and was later elected as a State Representative. In  1879, he was a partner in the building of a hotel at 208-12 West Main Street.  He was listed in the 1881-83 as the Grand Representative from the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons of Canada in the United States for Washington Territory.  Oliver Lacy also was a partner in Lacy & Whitman, real estate, insurance, auction and commission merchants on Main Street between 2^nd and 3^rd.

12/13/1873, Deed, B. W. Griffin, Sheriff of Walla Walla County, W.T. for Benjamin Sharpstein, plaintiff v. Alvin B. and Martha Roberts and 21 other defendants, to sell all of Blocks 3 & 4 of Roberts’ Addition to the City of Walla Walla to the highest bidder, Oliver P. Lacy, for $540.  In addition to what is described in the above paragraph, Oliver Lacy also was a partner in Lacy & Whitman, real estate, insurance, auction and commission merchants on Main Street between 2^nd and 3^rd.

5/21/1874, Warranty Deed, Oliver P. and Mary E. Lacy, grantors; William Stephens, grantee, Lots 3 & 4 of A. B. Roberts’ Addition, $1,100.  William Stephens was a capitalist with an office in the Paine Building at 2^nd and Main.  He and his wife held title to considerable property in Walla Walla.

1/4/1875, Warranty Deed, William Stephens, grantor; D. W. Small, A. Small and Ira Small, grantees, Blocks 3 & 4 of A. B. Roberts’ Addition, $1,500.  David W. Small was a major figure in early Walla Walla, having arrived here in 1872 along with his brother Ira.  Two years later they were joined by a third brother, Albert.  D. W. Small is the best remembered as the operator of two opera houses with livery stables on the lower level in downtown Walla Walla. The first Small’s Opera House burned, but, undaunted, he built a second Small’s Opera House. His Second Empire style house at 313 Birch was designed by the town’s first prominent architect, F. P. Allen, in 1878 and cost $12,000. It was considered Walla Walla’s finest house and a local newspaper described it as “the prettiest house in Walla Walla.”  It was later turned 180° and greatly enlarged.  Now known as the Small-Elliott house at 314 East Poplar, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Perhaps the only visible remains of the reconfigured Small house in the much larger Elliott house are three segmented arch windows at the second level.

3/11/1882, Warranty Deed, A. and Annie Small, grantors; Ellen Small, grantee, Lots 3 & 4 of Small’s Amended Plat to A. B. Roberts’ Addition; also a strip of land 50 feet wide and about 480 feet long bounded on the east by Park Street, $1.

9/22/1884, Power of Attorney, Ira Small, appointer to David Small, appointee, for any and all financial dealings involving Lots 3 & 4 of D. W. Small’s Amended Addition of Blocks 3 & 4 of A. B. Roberts’ Addition.

12/10/1886, Warranty Deed, Ira and Alice Small, grantors; Ellen Small, grantee, Lots 3 & 4 including the 50×480 foot strip, $1.

9/6/1892, Warranty Deed, David W. and Ellen Small, grantors; Anna Baker Elliott (formerly Anna Amelia Baker), grantee, Lots 4 through 7 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4 of A. B. Roberts Addition, $5.  Anna Elliott was a daughter of Dorsey Syng Baker and Hannah M. Baker.  Thompson C. Elliott, an early supporter of the Pubic Library and Whitman College, purchased the house and the following year, as described above, had it rotated 180° to face Poplar Street. The much-enlarged D. W. Small house, built on Birch Street, described in the Warranty Deed of 1/4/1875, occupies Lots 6 and 7.

12/8/1893, Sheriff’s Deed, C. C. Gose, Sheriff acting for Frank W. and John G. Paine in favor of the Solicitors Loan & Trust Company v. David W. and Ellen Small and 10 other defendants for Lots 4 through 7 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4 and numerous other parcels of land awarded to the Paine brothers for $9,426.22.

2/14/1895, Indenture, Frank W. and Ida B. Paine and John B. Paine, grantors; The Baker Boyer National Bank of Walla Walla, Washington, grantee, Lots 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4, $5,000.

1/5/1900, Warranty Deed, The Baker Boyer National Bank of Walla Walla, grantor; J. H. Abbott, grantee, Lot 3 and the west half of Lot 2 in D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4, $950.  John H. Abbott, frequently listed as Harry Abbott, was a farmer with residence listed in the 1900-01 Walla Walla City Directory as 332 E. Poplar Street.  He was the son of John F. Abbott who settled in Walla Walla in 1859.  Prof. W. D. Lyman described John H. Abbott as “one of the most successful farmers in Walla Walla County.”

7/27/1912, Indenture, J. H. and Jessie V. Abbott, grantors; George Gradwohl, grantee, Lot 3 and the west half of Lot 2 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4, $10 and other valuable considerations.

7/23/1913, Indenture, George and Lizzie Gradwohl, grantors; Walter J. Kenworthy, grantee, Lot 3 and the west half of Lot 2 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4, $10 and other valuable considerations.  George Gradwohl was a contractor.

12/29/1913, Indenture, Walter J. and Georgia E. Kenworthy, grantors; S. A. and Meddie Ash, grantees, Lot 3 and the west half of Lot 2 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4, $10 and other valuable considerations.  Samuel A. Ash owned and operated a general store and the OK Saloon in Wallula, where he and Mrs. Ash lived in the early years of the 20^th century, and which would explain their considerable land holdings in and around Wallula (see below).

5/17/1915, Indenture, Meddie E. Ash of Seaside, OR, grantor; S. A Ash, grantee, Lot 3 and the west half of Lot 2 in D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & r, $1 and other valuable considerations.

10/16/1916, Indenture, S. A. Ash, unmarried, grantor; S. L. and Charles B. Stebbins and L. R. Lucas, grantees, (same as Indenture of 5/17/1915), $1.

3/25/1918, Indenture, S. L. and Zella Stebbins, L. R. and Dora Lucas and Charles P. Stebbins, a bachelor, grantors; S. A. Ash, grantee, (same as Indenture of 5/17/1915), $1 and other valuable considerations.

1/27/1926, Warranty Deed, S. A. Ash, a widower, grantor; Thomas P. Gose, Jr., Lot 3 and the west half of Lot 2, $10 and other valuable considerations, subject to a mortgage of 7/9/1924 of $1,950 + interest from 1/27/1926.  Thomas P Gose, Jr. was an attorney with Gose & Crowe in the Baker Building.  His residence was listed as “2 mi w city limits.”

2/19/1927, Warranty Deed, Thomas P. Gose, Jr., a single man, grantor; Dr. Arthur A. Campbell, dentist, grantee, (same as Warranty Deed of 1/27/1926), $1 and other valuable considerations.  Dr. Campbell resided at 104 Park Street.

2/19/1927, Warranty Deed, Arthur A. and Ruth M. Campbell, grantors; Leila Alheit Garfield, a married woman, (same as Warranty Deed of 1/27/1926), $1 and other valuable considerations.  Mrs. Garfield resided at 321 Whitman Street.

7/15/1946, Quit Claim Deed, Leila Alheit Garfield and Harry S. Garfield, grantors; John Alheit, grantee, (same as Warranty Deed of 1/27/1926), $1.

7/16/1946, Warranty Deed, John and Belle L. Alheit, grantors; Carl A. Gregory, a widower, grantee, (same as Warranty Deed of 1/27/1926), $10.  Carl Gregory was Chief of the Walla Walla Fire Department and resided at same.

7/18/1946, Warranty Deed, Carl A. Gregory, a widower, grantor; A. A. and Ruth Campbell, grantees, (same as Warranty Deed of 1/27/1926), $10 and other valuable considerations.  By this time the Campbells had moved from 104 to 364 South Park Street.

11/5/1947, Quit Claim Deed, Mary, Thompson, Dorothy and Anna Elliott and Barbara Davies, heirs to Thompson C. Elliott, deceased, grantors; The Baker Boyer National Bank under the Last Will & Testament of Anna Baker Elliott, deceased, Lots 4-7 and a portion of Lot 8 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4 of Roberts’ Addition, $10.  (Reference Warranty Deed of 9/6/1892.)

11/5/1947, Warranty Deed Against Grantor; The Baker Boyer National Bank as Trustee of the Last Will and Testament of Anna Baker Elliott, deceased, grantor; Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantees, Lot 4, $10.  Barbara Baker Campbell was a granddaughter of Dorsey Syng Baker.

5/5/1948, Quit Claim Deed, Baker Boyer National Bank, grantor; Thompson B. Elliott as Administrator of the Last Will & Testament of Mary E. Elliott, deceased, grantee, (same as Quit Claim Deed of 11/5/1947), $10 and other valuable considerations.

3/18/1949, Warranty Deed, A. A. and Ruth M. Campbell, grantors; Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantees, one-half interest in all of Lot 3 and the Westerly 18’2” of Lot 2, $10 and other valuable considerations.

1/5/1950, Quit Claim Deed, Arthur A. and Ruth M. Campbell, grantors; Thomas M. Campbell, grantee, Lot 3 and the Easterly 18’2” of Lot 2 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4 of Roberts’ Addition, $10.  Thomas M. and his wife, Barbara B. Campbell were the son and daughter-in-law of Dr. Arthur and Ruth Campbell.

1/17/1951, Quit Claim Deed, Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantors; A. A. and Ruth M. Campbell, grantees, an undivided half interest in all of Lot 3 and that part of Lot 2 [comprising] 18’2” east of the Westerly line of Lot 3 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat, $10 and other valuable considerations.

5/5/1954, Warranty Deed, Dorothy A. Elliott, a single woman, grantor; Arthur A. and Ruth M. Campbell and Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantees, Lot 4 and the 15 Easterly feet of Lot 5 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat, $15.

12/24/1954, Warranty Deed, Arthur A. and Ruth M. Campbell, grantors; Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantees, an undivided 1/4^th interest in Lot 3 and the westerly 18’2” strip along the Westerly line of Lot 2 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat, for love and affection and $1.

2/14/1955, Warranty Deed, Arthur A. and Ruth M. Campbell, grantors; Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantees, all of Lot 3 and the Westerly 18’2” of Lot 2.  Also the 15 Easterly feet of Lot 5, all of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat, for love and affection and $1.

7/22/1968, Statutory Warranty Deed, Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantors; The City of Walla Walla, a municipal corporation, grantee, (same as Warranty Deed of 2/14/1955), $10 and other valuable considerations.

10/9/1968, Statutory Warranty Deed, The City of Walla Walla, a municipal corporation, grantor; Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantees, (same as Warranty Deed of 2/14/1955), $10 and other valuable considerations.

12/28/1972, Bargain and Sale Deed, Thomas M. (also known as Thomas Mosgrove) and Barbara B. Campbell, grantors; Clifford D. and Barbara Campbell Kontos, grantees, one-half interest in all of Lot 3 and the 18’2” strip along the Westerly line of Lot 2, for love and affection borne by Grantors to Grantees.  Clifford Kontos, a rancher, established Kontos Winery and it is probable that Barbara “Bambi” Kontos was the daughter of Arthur and Ruth Campbell.  It is interesting to note that in both the 1972 and 73 city directories Clifford Kontos was listed as residing at 332 East Poplar, Apt. 3.  The 1975 directory lists them residing at 926 Alvarado Terrace.

1/23/1973, Bargain and Sale Deed, Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantors; Clifford D. and Barbara Campbell Kontos, grantees, (same as in deed of 12/28/1972), for love and affection borne by Grantors to Grantees.

9/17/1976, Statutory Warranty Deed, Clifford D. and Barbara C. Kontos, grantors; Dr. Eugene F. and Teresa B. Martin, grantees, $10 and other valuable considerations.  Dr. Martin was a dentist who evidently used the house or portion thereof for his dental practice, later moving it to 614 East Alder Street.  The city directory for that year showed four apartments at 322 East Poplar, three rented, one vacant.

12/11/1976, Quit Claim Deed, Thomas M. and Barbara B. Campbell, grantors; Eugene F. and Teresa B. Martin, grantees, no monetary consideration.

4/28/1993, Real Estate Contract, Eugene F. and Teresa B. Martin, of 1019 Home Street, grantors; KRCB Partners of Walla Walla, WA, grantees, “the real property commonly known as 332 E. Poplar Street…the seller will retain…an easement for a wheel chair ramp to service property lying directly to the east of the subject property…along the easterly boundary of the property being purchased…easement shall be no more than five feet in width…” $85,000 less $1,000 for easement retained, less $19,000 down payment, $65,000 being financed.  The acronym KRCB appears to reflect Kelly Cochrane, at the time an optometrist at Valley Vision; Rebecca Cochrane, a counselor at Child & Family Therapy Center housed at 332 East Poplar Street; Christopher Howard, a social worker at Children’s Home Society; and Barbara Bates, listed variably as an oncologist and family therapist.

5/4/2000, Deed and Purchaser’s Assignment of Real Estate Contract, Barbara J. Bates and Christopher C. Howard, grantors; Kelly and Rebecca L. Cochrane, grantees, Beginning at the Southeast corner of Lot 5…thence S. 60°34’03” W, along the South line of…Lot 5, a distance of 6.17 feet to the TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING for this description; thence N 29°27’57” W, parallel to the East line of said Lot 5, a distance of 183.51 feet to a point in the Southerly line of Poplar Street…thence Northeasterly, along said Southerly line, along a curve to the right having a radius of 220.00 feet and a central angle of 8°06’51” said curve being tangent to a line bearing N 62°59’38” E, an arc length of 31.16 feet to a point in a line parallel to and 54.00 feet South measured at right angles, from the North line of the Southwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 20, T7, R 36 E W M; thence N 89°57’03” E, along said parallel line 89.06 feet; thence S 29°10’51” E 80.19 feet; thence S 12°32’00” E, 59.15 feet, to a point in the South line of Lot 3…said point being 111.40 feet S 60°34’03” W, of the Southeast corner of Lot 1 in said Subdivision; thence S 60°34’03” W, along the South line of Lots 3, 4 and 5, a distance of 90.01 feet to the true point of beginning.  Containing 17, 256 square feet.  SUBJECT TO easements, servitudes and roadways of record.

6/1/2001, Deed and Purchaser’s Assignment of Real Estate Contract, KRCB Partners, a partnership, grantor; Kelly and Rebecca L. Cochrane, grantees, $140,000.

12/19/2003, Inland Counseling Network, a Washington Non-Profit Corporation aka Walla Walla Mental Health Center, grantor; Dr. Douglas W. and Marcella Alexis Rietz, grantees.   Inland Counseling Network, formerly at 304 Denny Building, appears to have filed for dissolution in 2005.  No listing for it at 332 East Poplar could be found.  However, a search of the Internet reveals Inland Counseling Network on Eastgate Avenue; there is no listing for such a service in the current telephone directory.  Whether or not there was any connection between it and KRCB Partners could not be established.   Interestingly, Dr. Rietz is the third dentist to own this property following Dr. Arthur A. Campbell and Dr. Eugene F. Martin.  While the house is still an apartment, Dr. Rietz’s dental offices are directly next door at 208 South Park Street, a brief legal description of which is Lots 1 and 2 and triangle in the Southeasterly corner of Lot 3 of Small’s Amended Addition.

Construction of Building

The Walla Walla County Assessor’s Office lists a build date of 1900 for 332 East Poplar Street.  On January 5, 1900, farmer John H.  Abbott purchased Lot 3 and the west half of Lot 2 of D. W. Small’s Amended Plat of Blocks 3 & 4 of Roberts’ Addition from the Banker Boyer National Bank.  Thus it would seem plausible that the Assessor’s date is reasonably accurate.  Dates for all deeds and other legal documents listed in this report under Title and Occupant History show the date of filing with the County Auditor’s Office.  However, the Warranty Deed dated 1/5/1900 indicates that the Abbotts purchased this property on May 19, 1899.  That would have allowed them sufficient time to construct the house during the seven remaining months of 1899.

Preserved building permits for Walla Walla do not precede September 1907 so it is not possible to certify a building date based on a building permit.  Thus, a reasonable date for 332 East Poplar Street is 1899.

A building permit was issued to J. H. Abbott on 11/7/1910 “to remodel garage.”  J. F. McLean, a prominent contractor of the time, was listed as performing this work that was estimated to cost $400.  On March 22, 1912, Abbott was issued a permit to “repair dwelling,” estimated to cost $200.  William Mayer was listed as contractor for that job.  In July 1912, the Abbotts sold the house and it became a rooming house or multiple residence following that sale.  Whether or not these two minor projects on the house and garage were related to converting the house is unknown.  $200 would be a very modest amount to convert a single house to four units, even in 1912 currency.  The $400 to remodel the existing garage may well have been sufficient to increase the existing structure for multiple parking.  The 1976 survey map on Page 7 clearly shows an elongated garage with a number of bays that is no longer there.

With one exception, 332 East Poplar Street was not owner-occupied after the Abbotts sold it in 1912.  The exception was during 1972 and 73 when Clifford Kontos, who later purchased the house, occupied Apartment 3.  The house was converted to four apartments and through the 1930s and 40s city directory listings for occupants suggests that most were probably widows.  In 1931-32, Mrs. Mary Goodwin who occupied one of the apartments operated Goodwin Beauty Shop on the premises.  332 East Poplar was not listed as an apartment building until the 1949-50 city directory.  The 1951 city directory refers to 332 as Parkway Apartments.

332 East Poplar Street projects a satisfactory example of Shingle Style architecture while incorporating some decorative aspects of earlier styles.  It has a steeply-pitched side gable roof, fish scale shingles on the second story (siding on the first floor has been replaced and may have originally been shingled), an asymmetrical façade, and its most distinguished feature, the polygonal turreted projection or bay crowned by a conical roof on the right side.  It is difficult to determine what the entrance may have been when built.  It might be that at some point the level of the front yard was raised.  One would expect to see an elevated porch that is not there.  The lathe-turned porch support posts are derivative of Victorian architecture and would not have terminated at ground level (see photograph).

Resources

• InlandTitle & Escrow (formerly Pioneer Title)
• Walla Walla City Directories (various years)
• Sanborn Fire Maps (4/18/1894 and 1905 first edition)
• Whitman Archives, Dana Bronson, via email
• Standard Atlas of Walla Walla County Washington Including a Plat Book of the Villages Cities and Townships of the County, George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1909
• Mountain View Cemetery Records
• accessgenealogy.com
• National Register of Historic Places application for listing Small-Elliott house
• W. D. Lyman, History of Old Walla Walla County, Vol. 1, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, 1918
• Census Records, various years