The sign claims that the "
first schoolhouse in the inland empire" was built near this spot in Chewelah. This may be true, but it is more likely that it was the first school in Stevens County.
Built in
1868 by Thomas Brown, the “
father of Chewelah”, it would definitely be one of the earliest schools, if not the earliest. Note that the sign indicates that the school was built in
1886. This is almost certainly an error, as Thomas Brown, with his wife and family settled in Chewelah in 1859 and were soon followed by other settlers.
Thomas Brown, the “father of Chewelah,” and his wife, Jane Mowatt Brown (d. 1900), had set forth from the Selkirk Settlement (also called the Red River Colony) near present Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1854, headed for California. However, he liked the looks of the Colville Valley and decided to settle there, first at Addy, then in 1859 at what eventually became Chewelah. They were soon joined by several more families. Originally, Thomas Brown handled the few pieces of mail coming to and from Chewelah. The Chewelah post office opened on March 10, 1879, with James O’Neill as postmaster.
The first school, taught by Brown’s daughter, met in his home. A schoolhouse, possibly the first in Stevens County, was built at Chewelah in 1868. In 1910 Civil War veteran Colonel David P. Jenkins (b. 1823) donated a portion of his land for a high school which bore his name.
From History Link