After the city's second major fire, this one in 1917, th city fathers decreed that all new construction bust be of "
fireproof" material. The 1917 fire took out this block of buildings, on the east side of North Clark Avenue, between 6th Street and Delaware Avenue. Hence, all the buildings on this block date from 1917-1918 and are built of either brick or concrete.
Mike Walsh was one of the Walsh brothers, Irish Catholics who arrived early to Republic, soon becoming one of the most influential families in the city. They were instrumental in the construction of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, the Republic Power and Light Company, even the Republic State Bank.
Mike Walsh's Republic Meat & Ice Company is site 16 on the Town of Republic
Walking Tour.
Text from the marker follows.
Mike Walsh's Republic Meat & Ice Company 1896
Walsh brothers were [an] influential pioneer family, original store burned 1917 and replaced by the present structure.
Site 16
The Walshes were early residents and were probably members of the large group of Roman Catholic Irish immigrants whose settlement in Republic was encouraged by mine owner Patrick (Patsey) Clark, builder of Spokane's Clark Mansion. For years this group was the most influential faction in the mining camp and the Walsh Brothers were its leaders. (Informal conversations with local residents frequently produce the statement "Yeah, Walshes ran the town.") Joe and Pat Walsh were connected with the Ferry County State Bank, Joe as president, Pat as teller. Mike and another brother operated the Republic Meat and Ice Co. and all of them appear to have had other local business interests. The family was strongly instrumental in the construction of Republic's Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
While the quote above is from WISAARD, (the Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data), pages are not accompanied by a specific URL.