kremins.html

The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., August 10, 1907, page 1
"Klickitat Intelligence"

KLICKITAT REMINISCENCES. - Mr. Thomas J. Whitcomb, of Lyle, in concluding his recent account in the Agri., of the family's trip across the plains to the Pacific coast, says: When we moved to Lyle in 1879, it was known as Klickitat Landing, and the office was kept by a man by the name of Wiltmoor, near the present Lyle Landing. There was only four families in the Lyle country, J.O. Lyle, M.P. Gillian, and J.J. Snyder. J.O. Lyle being the oldest settler, coming to Lyle in 1865. He was postmaster for several years. He is still living in this county. When we came here if we wanted to go to Goldendale we would have to hire an Indian guide as there was only three houses between Lyle and Goldendale. No Centerville. Only a few houses in Goldendale. All we had was pack horses, trails,--and poor one at that. The mail was carried on the O.S.N. Co. boats, now the O.R.N. Ry. We paid $5 to The Dalles, and as high as $20 per ton for freight, and had to ford the Klickitat River or boat it around the mouth. The first bridge was built by M.P. Gillian in 1880 or 1881. The first store at Lyle was started in 1881 or 1882 by Caples. Then secondly by J.S. Clark. Then J.O. Lyle started one on the west side of the river in the Balfour section, where the post office was kept. The pioneers of Lyle had a hard time as they did not have much cash and would lose a lot of stock as they could not ship in hay as they can nowadays. The boats would not carry it to any landing the way the boats do now, and the charges were so much that most of them could not buy the hay as it cost $20 or $30 per ton and the freight. In 1884 and 1885 the country around Lyle began to settle up and things began to look like home; and the O.R. & N. built up their road, and the Regulator Line came on and cut off fare and freight, so we could ship in our supplies. About the year 1886, Mrs. M. Irene Hinrell and M.P. Gillian started stores and the post office moved on the hill; and in 1894 or 1895, M.J. Elkins started his store in the town of Lyle and the office was moved back to Lyle and the town commenced to grow. It may be a town some day, as it now has two stores, two hotels, post office and several other houses of business, and a good many families residing in the town. There is a big change since 1879 when the writer came to Lyle. The Lyle country is settling up fast and will someday be a large town. That will be when the railroad company gets ready to start a town; and will be when the company gets the road finished. So we will wait and see what changes come in the next 10 or 15 years.