History of 826 Whitman Street, Walla Walla, WA

Legal Description:

N. 120 feet of lot 2 and S. 40 feet of lot 2 plus E. one �half of lot 9 of Jaycox Addition to the City of Walla Walla.

 Title and Occupant History:

August 14. 1878–John and 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 East for 40 rods to the point of beginning. (Deed Book Q. Page 190; hereinafter Q/190)

December 4. 1878–0scar F. and Jane M. Wilson. husband and wife. sold the above property to A. Reeves Ayres. no price listed. (Q/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 and 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 and Elizabeth A. Snodgrass, husband and wife, sold the property described above to Mary A. Koontz for $3000. (38/489)

September 21, 1887–W. J. and Mary A. Koontz, husband and wife, sold the above property to Alvin Zaring. (38/492)

Alvin Zaring is not listed in Miller’s 1883-84 directory, but is listed in Smith’s Walla Walla City Directory of 1889 and in the Spectator’s Walla Walla City Directory of 1892 as residing at the east end of Whitman St. In Polk’s Walla Walla City & County Directory for 1893-94, he is listed as a farmer residing on Whitman St. at the southeast corner of its intersection with Division St.

April 8. 1895–A Sheriff’s Deed under Foreclosure of Mortgage IistsO. P Jaycox as the highest bidder at a Sheriff’s sale of the A. Zaring tract (20 rods by 40 rods in NE corner of NW quarter of NW quarter of Section 28, Township 7 N, Range 36 EWM) 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, 591237)

April 20, 1897 –the Jaycox Addition to the City of Walla Walla was platted. (Book C of plats, page 8 in Walla Walla County Auditor’s Office)

November 22, 1906-0. P. and Elma Jaycox lot 2 of Jaycox Addition to S. D. Goodell. (105/170)

Sanford D. Goodell is not listed in Polk’s 1893-94 directory but is listed in 1898 as a partner in Goodell & Knight, Printers with a residence near the southwest corner of Whitman & Division. Subsequent directories, beginning in 1900-01, list his residence as 826 Whitman. His printing firm is listed as Goodell f& Meadows in 1907 and as S. D. Goodell & Son in 1908.

Construction of the House: The Walla Walla County Assessor lists the year built as 1901. The panoramic view of Walla Walla in 1889 shows several buildings in the area southwest of the intersection of Whitman & Division Streets. (Robert A. Bennett, Walla Walla: Portrait of a Western Town. 1804�-1899,� pp. 145-146; original in larger format in the Whitman College Archives) The question is whether the buildings are all on what becomes lot I of the Jaycox Addition, or if one is on lot 2. If one of these buildings was the house on lot 2, then the construction could be dated sometime after 1884 (the 1884 panoramic view shows no buildings on the site, Bennett, pp. 127-128) and before 1889.

If the house is dated by the first listing of the Goodells, then the date would be after 1893 and before 1898. The possibility being that an unrecorded real estate contract existed before the formal sale by warranty deed in 1906.

August 30, 1909–S. D. Goodell got a building permit for $500 worth of construction on a dwelling at 826 Whitman 81. 8. D. Goodell was listed as the builder. (1907-1913 Book of Walla Walla Building Permits, page 72, in Whitman College Archives)

March 16, 1916–8anford D. and Lydia A. Goodell, husband and wife, sold the following property to George E. Lambdin: begin SE corner lot 2 of Jaycox Addition, run N on east line of lot 2 forty feet, thence west 54 feet, thence S on west line of lot 2 forty feet, thence E to the point of beginning [So 40′ of lot 2 and E. one half of lot 9, Jaycox Addition]. (136/591)

December 17,� 1929–George E. and Kathern A. Lambdin, husband and wife, transferred the S. 40′ of lot 2 & E. one-half of lot 9, Jaycox Addition, to Daisy B. Goodell. (Deed #188411)

June 17, 1937–Lydia Goodell, a widow, sold N. 120′ of lot 2 Jaycox Addition to Thomas S. and Matie Johnston, husband and wife. (196/251)

Thomas Johnston is not listed in Polk’s city directories for 1937, 1939, or 1941.

September 8, 1937–Charles Goodell and Daisy B. Goodell, husband and wife, sold S. 40′ feet lot 2 & E. 1/2 lot 9 to George E. and Kathern A. Lambdin. (#249648)

August 27, 1940–Thomas and Matie Johnston sold the N. 120′ of lot 2 to Vivian Beatrice Gordon and Earl G. Gordon, husband and wife. (203/148)

Polk’s 1941 city directory lists Earl Gordon as a painter employed at the Veteran’s Administration Facility [hospital].

March 9, 1946–Kathern D. Lambdin, a spinster, and George and Kathern A. Lambdin, husband and wife, sold S. 40′ of lot 2 and E. 1/2 lot 9 to Veva Stamper, a widow. (#290985)

October 29, 1954–Veva Stamper sold S. 40¹ of lot 2 and E. 1/2 lot 9 for $2400 to Clarencae and Evelyn Berney. (#374319)

June 18, 1956–Clarence and Evelyn Berney, husband and wife, sold S. 40¹ lot 2 and E. 1/2 lot 9 to Mervin E. and Donna E. Sheldon, husband and wife. (#461399)

July 6, 1959–Vivian Beatrice Gordon sold the N. 120′ of lot 2 to Ralph L. and Nita M. Carpenter& Donald C. and Ruth R. Roff. (289/548)

Hart’s 1960 Walla Walla Residents and Business Registrations lists Ralph L. Carpenter as the owner and Nita M. Carpenter as the office manager of Lewy Carpenter Realtor and Donald C. Roft as a salesman for the firm.

July 29, 1959–Ralph & Nita Carpenter and Donald & Ruth Roff sold the N. 120¹ of lot 2 to Donn F. Goodhew and Dorothy L. Good hew, husband and wife. (#435773)

July 9, 1973–Dorothy Goodhew (Dennis) was given title to N. 120′ of lot 2. (Will 62626)

January 17. 1989–Dianne E. Mayne, personal representative of the estate of Leona E. Sheldon, deceased, transferred S. 40′ of lot 2 and E. 1/2 of lot 9. Jaycox Addition to Lloyd N. and Dorothy L. Dennis. (#8900459)

 

prepared by Michael W. Smith. 1/95