History of 516 South Division Street, Walla Walla, WA
Legal Description: supplied by owner
Lot 7 of Jaycox Addition to the City of Walla Walla pius 571 x 10′ rectangle adjacent to NW corner of lot 7.
Title and Occupant History:
August 14, 1878–John & Viretta Bryant, husband and wife, sold the following land to Jane M. Wilson for $500: commence at NE corner of NW quarter of NW quarter of Section 28, Township 7 N. of Range 36 East of the Willamette Meridian. running South for 20 rods (330′), then West for 40 rods, then North for 20 rods, then E. 40 rods to the point of beginning. (Deed Book 0, Page 190. hereinafter 0/190)
December 4. 1878–0scar F. & Jane M. Wilson. husband and wife. sold the above property to A. Reeves Ayres, price not. listed . (0/533)
A. Reeves Ayres is listed in Miller’s. 1883-84 Eastern Washington Directory as clerk of the 1st District Court.
September 8, 1879–A. Reeves & Elvada G. Ayres, husband and wife, sold the above property to Nelson Snodgrass for $800. (R/542)
Nelson Snodgrass is listed in Miller’s 1883�-84 directory as a carpenter.
June 3, 1885– Nelson& Elizabeth A. Snodgrass, husband and wife, sold the property described above to Mary A. Koontz for $3000. (38/489)
September 21, 1887–W. J.& . Mary A. Koontz, husband and wife, sold the above property to Alvin Zaring. (38/492)
R. L. Polk’s Walla Walla City & County Directory for 1893-94 lists Alvin Zaring as a farmer residing at Whitman St. the southeast corner of Division St. In the Spectator’s 1892 Walla Walla City Directory he is listed as residing at the east end of Whitman.
August 22. 1892–A. Zaring, et. al., sold the following tract to O. P. Jaycox for $1085.50: “a tract fronting 120′ on Division St. and 197� deep out of the S.E. corner of the A. Zaring tract of land” [later lot 6 of the Jaycox’ Addition to the City of Walla Walla]. (51/256)
December 26. 1892–0. P.& Elma Jaycox, husband and wife. sold the above property ‘to A. Zaring for $\085.50. (5\/417)
December 30, 1892–A. Zaring, et. al., sold the land described below to Elma Jaycox for $1085: “Being a frontage of 120 feet on the west side of Division St. by a depth of 197 feet” [later lot 7 of the Jaycox Addition to the City of Walla Walla]. (511415)
R. L. Polk’s directory for 1893-94 lists Ozsias P. Jaycox as the owner of O. R Jaycox & Co. residing on the west side of Division, two lots south of Whitman. His company is listed in the business section under crockery & glassware. In 1898, Polk’s directory calls his business a department store, calling it the “Chicago Store, located between 2nd & 3rd on Main St. In 1918 Polk’s directory lists O. P. Jaycox as a partner in the firm of Payne & Jaycox which sold clothing, shoes and men’s furnishings and was located in the Jaycox Building on the N.W. corner of the intersection of W. Alder St. and S. 2nd. No Jaycox is listed in the directories prior to 1893.
Construction of the House: the Walla Walla County Assessor records the year built as 1896. The panoramic views taken of Walla Walla in 1884 and 1889 show no house on the lot. The 1889 view shows the Zaring house at the corner of Whitman and Division. (Robert A. Bennett, Walla Walla: portrait of a Western Town. 1804-1899, pp. 127-128, 145-146; originals in larger format in Whitman College Archives) The purchase price paid by Jaycox to Zaring in December, 1892, and the copyright date of 1893 on the directory for 1893~94, seem to indicate a construction date of 1893 .
April 8, 1895– O. P. Jaycox was the highest bidder, $3990.83, in the Sheriffs sale of the A. Zaring tract (20 rods x 40 rods in N.E. corner of N.W. 1/4 of N.W. 1/4 of Section 28, Township 7 N., Range 36 E.W.M.) which resulted from the action of Harry Krutz, plaintiff, against A. Zaring, et. al. The sale’ was confirmed by the Superior Court on June 15, 1895. (74/518, see also 59/237)
November 17, 1919– Oszias P. & Elma Jaycox, husband and wife, sold lots 6 & 7 plus the 57′ x 10� parcel in the Jaycox Addition to James A. &. Lydia Yeend, husband and wife, for an undisclosed amount. (Deed #103574)
James A. Yeend is listed in Polk’s 1921-22 city directory as a farmer residing at 516 S. Division.
March 2, 1928–James A. & Lydia Yeend quit claim deeded lots 6 & 7 plus the 57′ x 10� parcel to Edith M. Yeend and Esther A. Yeend. (#170719)
December 14, 1931–Ernest F. Yeend, Frank S. Yeend, Flora E. Yeend, Olive
Yeend Wolfe and Frederic Yeend, heirs of Edith M. Yeend (their sister) deeded a 5/12ths interest in lots 6 & 7 plus the 57′ x 10′ parcel to Esther A. Yeend. (#196306)
June 28, 1941– Flora E. Yeend, a spinster, and Esther A. Horton, formerly Esther. A. Yeend, sold lots 6& 7 plus the 57′ x 10′ parcel to William & Laura Chandler, husband and wife, for $2000. (#259614)
Polk’s 1946 city directory lists William Chandler as an electrician employed by Homer V. Noland, electrical contractor.
August 19, 1949–William & Laura Chandler sold lot 7 plus the 57′ x 10′ parcel to Roby G. & Callie I. Garland for an undisclosed amount. (245/100)
No occupation is listed for R. G. Garland in Polk’s 1951-52 directory.
June 16, 1951–R. G.& Callie Garland sold lot 7 plus the 57′ x 10′ parcel to Carl H. & Helen M. Christiansen, husband and wife, for “$10 and other valuable considerations.” (#346589)
Carl H. Christensen is listed in Polk’s 1953 directory as a civil engineer with the Army Engineers.
August 30, 1989–Helen M. Christensen sold the above property to David & Patrice Hughes for $92,000. (#8905534)
Hart�s 1990 Walla Walla Residents & Business Registrations lists David Hughes as an employee of Kennewick General Hospital; Hart’s 1992 directory lists Patrice Hughes as an employee of Walla Walla General Hospital.
August 29, 1994–David & Patrice Hughes sold the property in the legal description to Leigh Austin. (#9410108)
prepared by Michael W. Smith. 1/95
