History of 628 Washington Street, Walla Walla, WA
Legal Description:
Abbreviated: Lot 2 in Block 6 of Reed’s Addition to the City of Walla Walla.
Title and Occupant History:
November 1, 1878– Issac N. and Cynthia J. Reed platted Reed’s Addition to the City of Walla Walla. (Auditor’s Office, Walla Walla County Courthouse, Plat Book A, Pages 55 & 56)
October 11, 1882–1. N. Reed and Cynthia Reed, husband and wife, by J. F. Boyer, their attorney in fact, sold lot 3 in Block I and lots I & 2 in Block 6 of Reed’s Addition to Inez E. Colby for $375. (Deed Book 28, Page 409: hereinafter 28/409)
C. W. Colby, husband of Inez Colby, is listed in the 1883-84 city directory as a clerk at the Stine House, a hotel at the corner of 4th & Main, which is also listed as his residence.
July 10, 1888-Inez E. and C. W. Colby sold lot 3 in Block I and lots I & 2 in Block 6to Charles Henry for $600. (41/43)
The 1889 city directory lists Charles Henry as a dealer in real estate with an office at 14 Main and a residence at 626 S. 2d.
July 23, 1888–Charles and Lydia Henry, husband and wife, sold lots I & 2 in Block 6 to George H. Snell for $400. (41/57)
The 1889 city directory lists George H. Snell as a contractor, plaster and cement, and manufacturer of plaster centerpieces with a residence one block above Howard; the 1902 & 1904 directories list him as a plastering contractor at 615 Washington, residence the same.
November 9, 1904–George H. and Clara J. Snell, husband and wife, sold lot 2 in Block 6 to Adam Minnick for $700. (94/178)
The 1904 & 1905 directories list Adam Minnick as a farmer with a house at 529 Park.
December 7, 1906–Adam and Amanda Minnick, husband and wife, sold lot 2 in Block 6 to Anna M. Shepherd for the listed consideration of $1. (106/419)
The 1905-1908 directories list James W. Shepherd, Anna Shepherd’s husband, as a teacher at the high school with a house at 628 Washington.
Construction of the House: the Walla Walla County Assessor’s records list 1911 as the year built. The sale to Adam Minnick in November 1904 for $700 suggests there was not a house on the property. The listing in the 1905 directory shows a house existing by that date, which indicates that the house was constructed in 1905 (since the directories were most often printed in the spring). It is possible that the recorded sale of December 1906 to Mrs. Shepherd was the warranty deed reflecting an earlier real estate contract between Adam Minnick and his daughter, Anna Minnick Sheppard. The other possibility is that Adam Minnick built the house and then sold, or gave, it to Mrs. Shepherd. Jim Sheppard, Whitman College professor of economics and grandson of James W. Sheppard never heard his father mention the building of the house at 628 Washington. At my request, Laura Minnick Copeland pursued information from both the Minnick and Sheppard family histories but was unable to find any history of the house. She did find out that Adam Minnick moved to California in 1906 and died there in 1907.
May 5, 1908-Anna M. and James W. Shepherd sold lot 2 in Block 6 to William J. McLean for $3100. (114/24)
The 1909-10 city directory lists William J. McLean as a shipping clerk for the John Smith Co., dealers in agricultural implements, wagons, carriages and harness at 39-45 E. Main, with a house at 628 Washington; the 1910-12 directories list him as a farmer at the same address.
September 26, 1911–William J. McLean deeded lot 2 in Block 6 to Allie F. McLean for the consideration of $1 “and other valuable consideration,” �lt being the intention of the grantor to deed all of his interest in said property vested in him by virtue of the Community property laws of the State of Washington, to grantee, and to vest the title to said property in grantee as her separate property.�(128/197)
December 3, 1913–W. J. McLean got building permit #1657 for builder C. Godbold to add to garage at 628 Washington. (Walla Walla Building Permit Book for 1913-17, p. 18, Whitman College Archives)
October 9, 1916–Allie F. and William J. McLean sold lot 2 in Block 6 to Warren M. Walter of Umatilla Co., Oregon, for the listed consideration of $10 “and other good and valuable considerations. (142/167)
Warren M. Walter is not listed in the directories for 1916-18.
October 17, 1916–Warren M. and Anna E. B. Walter, husband and wife, sold lot 2 in Block 6 to V. S. McDonald for $400 “and other good and valuable considerations.” (142/177)
The 1918 directory lists Victor S. McDonald as a farmer residing at 833 E. Alder.
June 27, 1918–V. S. and Bertha McDonald, husband and wife, sold lot 2 in Block 6 to Earl Jefferis, a married man, for $10 “and other valuable considerations.” (144/332)
The 1920 directory lists Earl Jefferis as warehouse manager for the Ed Claussen Furniture Co. with a house at 628 Washington: the 1960 directory lists him as retired at the same address.
January 23, 1964–in a Deed and Seller’s Assignment of Real Estate Contract, W. H. Jefferis and Frances McKinney, each as undivided one-half interests as their separate estates, conveyed and warranted lot 2 in Block 6 to First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Walla Walla and transferred the real estate contract of January 18, 1961 between W. H. Jefferis, as administrator of the estate of Elide J. Jefferis and Frankie Earl Jefferis aka Earl Jefferis, deceased, seller to George K. and Ada L. Forney, husband and wife. Grantee assumes and agrees to the conditions of the contract and the unpaid principal of $5,610.01 [original price was $6,250], interest paid to January 10, 1964. (Deed Book #454505)
The 1964 directory lists George K. Forney as a watchmaker for Lester Berg Jewelers, 16 W. Main, .with a residence at 628 Washington.
May 6, 1965–in a Purchaser’s Assignment of Contract and Deed, George K. and Ada L. Forney conveyed and quit claimed their interest in lot 2 in Block 6 to Harral C. and Shirley A. Higginbotham, husband and wife, and tranferred to the grantees the real estate contract of January 18, 1961 (see above). (#466695)
The 1966-75 directories list Harral C. Higginbotham as the owner of Walla Walla Realty Co. and as the owner of Blue Spruce Court, an apartment house at 636 S. Palouse, which was also his residence.
May 6, 1965–in a Seller1s Assignment of Contract and Deed. George K. and Ada L. Forney conveyed their interests in lot 2 in Block 6 to Harral C. and Shirley A. Higginbotham and transferred and assigned the real estate contract of May 1965 between George K. and Ada L Forney and C. Loren and Juanita Myers, husband and wife. Grantees agreed to fulfill conditions of the contract, including the unpaid principal of $6750 [original price was $7000]. (#466696)
October 7, 1970–in a Relinquishment of Real Estate Contract, Harral C. and Shirley A. Higginbotham attested that C. Loren and Juanita Myers had failed to keep the contract of March 1968 [$7000). (#511354)
The 1966-1970 directories list Loren D. Myers at 628 Washington with no vocation listed.
October 1, 1975–Harral C. and Shirley A. Higginbotham sold lot 2 in Block 6 to Melvin A. and Ursula Erika Noffsinger, husband and wife, for $16,000. (#7801099)
The 1976 directory lists Melvin A. Noffsinger as a correction officer with the Washington State Penitentiary and Ursula Erika Noffsinger as a maid for the Travelodge, both residing at 628 Washington.
January 13, 1978–First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Walla Walla quit claimed all their interest in lot 2 in Block 6 to George K. and Ada L. Forney in fulfillment of the agreement dated January 18, 1961 (see #454505 above).
October 25, 1993–Ursula Thompson Williamson, who acquired title as Ursula Noffsinger, conveyed and quit claimed her interest and title in lot 2 in Block 6 to Mark A. Noffsinger, a single person, in consideration of �love and affection.�
The 1980 and 1981 directories list Melvin A. Noffsinger at 628 Washington; in 1981 there was a dissolution of the marriage. The 1982 directory lists Ursula E. Noffsinger, waitress at Tommy’s at the Airport, at 628 Washington; the 1983 & 1985 directories list Ursula E. Strown, waitress at Tommy’s at the Airport, at 628 Washington. In 1985-87 Mark A. Noffsinger is listed at the address with no vocation given. In 1988, 628 Washington is noted as unlisted; in 1989 and 1990. Donald M. Nelson is listed at the address; and in 1991 and 1992 the resident is given as unlisted.
October 25, 1993–Melvin A. Noffsinger. an unmarried person, and Mark A. Noffsinger, a single person, each having an undivided one-half interest, sold lot 2 in Block 6 to Mark D. and Lyndy Buchanan, husband and wife. for $48,000. (#9311078)
October 3, 1995–Mark D. and Lyndy Buchanan sold lot 2 in Block 6 to Susan Kenaston for $90,000. (#9509577)
prepared by Michael W. Smith, 4/96
