THE LEGACY OF YESTERYEAR

The Legacy of Yesteryear is the second book written by Marilyn Magney Newkirk and was published in the fall of 2008 by Raymond Schafer Art and Publishing.

Marilyn was curious to know why so many foreign people from Europe, and other parts of America were so willing to leave family, friends, along with familiar sites and sounds and relocate to an obscure part of the Pacific Northwest that was known as Washington Territory. Much of the land the pioneers were crossing was considered to be "uncharted territory" or was said to be "unfit" for anyone other than the Native American Indians who freely roamed this vast pacific wilderness.

In her book, Mrs. Newkirk traces historical events that began as early as 1810 when a Canadian firm, the North West Company, established the first of several trading posts that operated along the Little Spokane River in Washington Territory.

It took the author two years of research to learn who some of these folks were and why they dared to cross the Atlantic Ocean from such countries as Germany, Scandinavian, Ireland and Italy to seek out an existence in a foreign land.

Some of the folks who came had such names as Casberg, Doyen, Westby, Olson, Critzer, Pruffer, Kelly, Leuthold, & Losh, They came by train and covered wagon, horse back and a few walked their way across America. Some were explorers, some family men, others business men seeking to make a big bug and a big name for themselves.

In the Legacy of Yesteryear, Marilyn describes in great detail what this enormous wilderness looked like. She shares stories about the dangers the pioneers encountered, what elements they were exposed to, what their experiences were with the Native American Indians, and why they chose to settle in such places as Wild Rose Prairie, Deer Park, Loon Lake, Clayton, and Williams Valley.

Readers will gain knowledge about how churches were established by Circuit Riders, and who some of the railroad magnets were that changed the way early settlers traveled. Readers will become acquainted with the Arcadia Apple Orchard that became the largest commercial orchard under one management in the world, and learn about the lumber industry and how one tree could build an entire home for a homesteading family. The Legacy of Yesteryear tells the story of The Washington Brick and Lime Company and how it became one of largest supplies of terra cotta in the northwest. Marilyn shares the history of the Homestead and Railroad Acts of 1862 and the important role it played in developing the Pacific Northwest.

During her research, Marilyn Newkirk was able to located more than 100 old photographs of South Stevens and North Spokane County. These wonderful photo’s, along with some that have never been seen before are located throughout the book.



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