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VELOPMENT AND INDUSTRIAL EDITIONSECTION THREEOld Military Block HouseHistoric Building Is Viewed By dreds of People MonthlyHun-Centralia Meat Company . Ignores the Beef Trust(By Frank Drake, ‘Jr.) •A fovv people of. Central la, too few i are afraid, arc dsoply 'concern e; about the danger of. tho old .Block ,sep- which. Elands on the banks: of the Chehalls river about a miit west of the corporate limits,. falling into the river. Tho • liank is’ being eaten away year by year under mi lithe struct tire, until now it stands on the brink of a perpendicular river bank 20 feet above the water. Whatever is bo ins to be done must be done (illicitly or the. only place of ipecla! interest possessed by Ceulra-1 in and not common to other cities, the thins thaL creates a lasting impression upon all who. see it, will pass forever from us. Two plans have been advocated; one is to move tho building 50 feet 'north; the other is to put .In a jetty and turn the river a way from its present course. The -For in or is the least expensive, anil is likely tlie one that will be ado[ited. The building is private property and of course consent of tlie owner must first be obtained before y 111 lug can be done.There are from 200 to 500 people yjsiting the Block' House every week during the summer months, many of whom are tourists, as it is loculeil about a ([uurter of n mile from the Pacific Highway and if theree klml of a sign on the road telling the tourisLs where to turn off the Highway to see it, it would be viewed by tlinnsands; as it is, all ihose who drive in to see it cause the people wliu live on tho property more or less worry Tor Fear the gates he left op on. So no encouragement is given to callers; but of course they are nlwaj’s welcome.Most of those who visit the. Block House come on Sunday in uijLoinu-iles, while picnic parties are there lore or less during the week, coming from Centralia and the suiTound-ng country.Like any other place of interest, the Block House has its share of initials, writing, .etc.- Soine religious minded person has seen fit to write the 'following inscription: Jesusdied to save sinners. Many names well writ ten, showing that the people are educated who visit there. One of Lhe most popular, girls-in Ceu-tralia has her full name-written on tbe side of the Block TToitse, hut as i written tod high to have been written by a girl of her size, and as it is written .with chalk, an article not usually carried by girls, it is supposed that it was .written by un admirer; however, the girl was undoubtedly not far away watching the performance. The name of John N. Stevens, Elkton, S. t)„ and of Mrs. Will Couch, Stonington, Colorado, show that .people from some distance visit this old historical structure. The name of John A. Church, C Troop,. 2nd U. S. Cavalry, appears on the south side of the building. It is written high up here tho rain can not strike. It was scratched in at first but recently some one has retraced It with a lead pencil, go It. now stands out. It is loo had that the soldier did not fix the date as it was written long.ago and woufd add to the interest of the place. 51 o undoubtedly belonged to some of the earliest troops that reached this part of the country. He was a member of only one of many troops that passed this point, however, us it was on the old military road from Vancouver to Fort Slcilacoom.The military road ran between the Tiorst housB and the- Block House; tho government had a ferry at this point and the north end of the cable was anchored to a post near the Block House. The post still stands. It is ahout 8 feet high and 2 feel In diameter, while the marks made by the wire raldc around it are still visible. On (he south bank the cable was anchored to a tree. Fro in'the south the ferry could fie reached'easily as the bank sloped gradually to the water’s edge; not so on the north side where the Block House stands, as a cut had to be made fn order to reach the ferry. This cut still remains anil la used by tlie stock bn (he old liorst farm as the only means of reaching their watering place’.Part of the cable is now used in holding the Block .House from falling apart. Among the famous, soldiers who.havo visited this plach are tho names of Grant; 'Sheridan, shoreman and Custer, as this:was the onlyLocal Pbm Built Up Big Business Despite Powerful Competition:noiut where, a ferry wus run;on the CheiiaUa river, . ■ . - . . .; Tlie Blockhouse was built about 50-feet north of the. -CliehalEs and about 50 feet west of Die Skookum-•ihuck rivers—in other worilB at their: junction,. -One cuii hardly believe it now. as the Skookumchuck 1b fully a quarter of a mile away4, while the Chchalis rjver ia within 18 Inches of the old building. What changes time has, wrought. ’ Things, have changed since -18:16—yet 'not' so much. This was the first thoroughfare and' at present this point ts.no further from1' the Pacific Highway than the Skookumchuiik is from, its old bed. Then there are the vail-oads that followed tills old military road and they are not more than a mile away from it now, so mankind is following in the same course, only a little faster than it; followed, it in 1856. '. The building must have been built by earcfn’l workmen us every part fits to a “T.” The lower part, which is 7 feet in height and 24 feet square, had no windows, and but a no door. In this part there are S loop liulea, two in each side, each one being four feet from the corners. . Tlie upper part projects out oyer.- the lower story three feet nil a round us ftbPwn' ih the picture, making the upper story 30 by 3d fcit. The upper- story has 3 loop boles in each side and at equal distances apart, making 12 loop holes for The upper story. The roof, which is 10 feet higher in the center than the*upper story eaves at their edge, lias -a 5 0 per cent pitch. A year ago Lhe roof was re-shingled and uhout $ 100 worth of work done on the hull ding in' order to make it firm rind dry. Thera are Tour loop holes in the 'upper floor where it projects out over the lower part. One loop liole on each side of the building that projects, out over the ground. These are sii constructed that if an India*'should have reached the building bo could ha Vo been shot lt;while' crouching bpv side it, or., more probably, whije trying to set fire to it should lie succeed In getting across the open space ound It. One. of the loop holes is ' constructed:.That It . guards the10'r -from above; On examining the building closely one can easily . see that -nothing was left undone that could be done In nmklng.it a place of safety, and that the men who built ft were true pioneers and not amateurs at the business. All told (here are 2-1 loop holes In the fort; This would have been enough for 48 men to have had room to fight the Indians, as one loop hole was an indent for two inoh as one fired while the other loaded.The fort, was built of Iog3 about a foot thick, lie wed, and closely fit. They were cut on the south side of the Chehalis and ferried across. The building was built hundreds of feet from any object so that an enemy would have to cross’an open space In order to . reach it, This ioo yards in the early times was called the dead shot, distance. The Block House was never .attacked, hut If it had been It Is quite likely that a good many red ski.ns would have bit The dust while trying to cross this open space. On close examination of the outside wall one .finds bird ehot and a few buliet holes shot 1 there in target practice but an enemy's bullets never lodged in its logs. Old: Fort .Borsl was quite a live place at one time. As one crossed the ferry going north on the left hand bank stood and still stands the old mansion of Joseph Borst; on theThe cause of the high co'Bt of living has been variously attributed .to the trusts” and to the pro fit: hungry but non-productive - middlemen*.- Un--dou.btedly both of-them have more or less to do;with the high cost of (ho necessities of. life, but In a few. rare Instances local enterprise kiaV robbed tlieEe-agencies of-.their power to rifle the pocketbooke of the people; ■.When a product goes directty from producer;' to consumer,; the .ultimate cost la as low: as it can possibly be made, and this Is the reason why the price of .meat -and; by-products is su r ea s o n a bl o'Tn'. Con tral ia. The. answer is tlie Central ia Meat Company; which doesn't fight, but simply, ignores, the beef trust; -’ The Con tral I a'Meat Company, with el a 11 shop - at 11 9 North' Tower Avenue,' and slaughter house, three miles west'of town, has only.one profit to ke; there Is no extensive, Estate-.are constantly;at work, payments -being, made' to the cashier at . the 'office. Tlie shop Is. so clean It' Is sweet; its very ’ appearance- is Inviting. -■ And Hite; chrefui '-'attention. to sahltatioP* extends ’to. the slaughter house; Cri-tialla. Meat-Company products, are pit re':and. w h o’Icbo mo -. The com pan y makes its own lard and smokes' considerable bacon.'- it is in ho way dependent on ;the “trust.-It was ttie- intention '-at' -first to confine the business ' to Ceh.tralta, bnt t.h e. comuphy''s'succoss, was greater than had been anticipated'and it Is now handling a county-wide trade. The delivery service is perfectly organize:!,-and every department is under the .supervision'or an expert.■The company's- business’* has expanded amazingly in the four years ft has .'been established,’how being one of„the largest in 'Lewis County. Four .men own the company, Messrs. S.-A.. Reeves, F. SI Mills , G, G.Or lit ml in Moat Company.1 s Shop .wide organization to keep up. • Tho company buys its stock, does-its own slaughtering; in fact take a the beef from the hoof and puls it at your bank iloor.- Its organization Is highly e fH cien t u ii d; ecu no liij c u 1 •; i u • o p era J Lion. . . .; . - .Nor do'the peopf e_of-{;E-'htrulid prtt-Tonize this:‘shop merely1 liccaao -it is not' In the l‘riist;*’'notl 1 ly a1 ong way. ■ They .- patronize IJ,: because they get.better mcat':for'leas'-liioriey; heeanke-lt Hays them .to (lo-so.'The company's hig .shop compares favorably with any-the “trust • can slifnv, being large, cleaii, sanitary and thoroughly; equipped,■ with large cold storage vaults and storage rooms. .Three or four meat cutlersPierce aiid:: CJliaii'TfOevlin. Mr. Mills is president, Mr...-Pierce vice president, ami Mr. Reeves secretary, treasurer and manager. Mr. Reeves was formerly cm ployed, by Iloss Brothers and knows thcViiient business thoroughly.- The success of the company is 1argely dim to .Tils ability. T11 s associates ;arc n 11 wolI known Lewis County residents^, being engaged in farming.'. .The Centralia .Meat; ;..Oonir pany... is owned nnd controlled by local men.’ it;i3‘ striotly a homo concern, and- I (..sells, home; prod nets, nothing put the best wltlv prices always as low as-they lean- be hiudev. Continued growth and - prosperity for the concern is fin:absolutely safe prediction; if deserves it.right first was the Block House, thou the store and warehouse and . then the hotel; The store lias been taken down and-the hotel moved1 to ■ Ceii-tralia and used as a private dwelling but the two old buildings still stand —Hie old Borst home and the-.Block House.When visiting the Block'House q'ric will see an old ox. yoke- lying -There that Is an historical relic and .’also a plow', used by-Joseph Borst, which should be preserved by the Stale His-;, toricai Society, as thc'rc is • probably not another one As old’ .ln' the.jstate and as gigantic in structftro;-.: The beam is 12 feet long;, the mould board 4 feet; while it plowed a 24-Inch furrow,'. The handles, aro rotted off but otherwise it Is in good condition. Tho Central I a Commercial Clnli should -have had it in their rooms lung ago. Without a question it can be obtained from the Borst heirs, as 1r Is now setting beside the road slowly decaying.The .only marks, off.historical significance that appear, on the Block House are the . following words:Historic Old' lUock House,“Fort Borst, May 1.856,’’ signifying tho datolL was built. While the settlers built this Tort io preserve, their lives Troiii The. Indian who did hot hot come, they were not 'free from sorrow. As one leaves the old fort traveling nprth .he will .notice-on Up't left hand side of the road, abnfu a quart hr''..of ii milo from it^ a small grave yard: in which there arc several tombstones,, .monuments and uu-nlarked !;grayei»j. One montimcnt showsthlit-, dehth ciitered the Borst honie anrt took four children and an adopted .Tlangh ter In less ^than a score, of years bp sides D. Borst and Jennie, When-: ith’e writer Rooked at (he gravcR In t|i|s. little gra^'feyard ho saw that’ the ’ G. A. R. .fjlld been there and over-the grave of D. Borst stood a small, fiagtand another ovor aiiotlior grave, and upon the tomb-sfoiic of;the second was wi^tten, “W. H. Kin lea id, 1st Ten n. Mexican War.” These silent tongues tell the kind of men who made up the bravo little group about the fort and what would have happened had they been attacked by the Indians. -'Many graves aro unmarked, while -sunken holes tell the story'oC others. ^ At tho. west end of one of the unmarked sunken holes stands a rose bush blooming and sending out Its sweet fragrance to tho world, having been‘planted by some loving hand, which may now be still and whose grave may Itself be unmarked.In the center, of -the graveyard, among the graves:marked .and' un-niarkcd,- half; hidden with vines and liushes stands a dark gray monu-inbiit in keeping,with-all its surroundings upon which is written: Joseph Borst. Born In ‘Schaiinrie County, New York, October 15,1821. Died Octoiier- 29, 1885,”. .Tluis peacefully lies the.builder of the. Blook House, tlie pionoer of tho communlty, f.lic 'ono to.whom all looked-for-counsel in time of trouble sad protection iii-time-of danger,
Newspaper Details
Centralia Daily Chronicle Examiner
Centralia, Washington, US
Wed, Aug 26, 1914
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Timberland R.
WA, USA 02 May 2025
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