Haskellc
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
CHARLES FREDERICK BEALS HASKELL,
DECEASED. The death of the gentleman whose name initiates this article,
left to mourn his loss, at Wenatchee, Chelan county, a widow, Mrs. Nettie
L. Haskell, one son, Daniel C., now a student at the Washington Agricultural
College at Pullman, and an aged aunt, Flavilla Beals. Mr. Haskell
was born at Washington, D. C., December 29, 1856 and grew to manhood in
eastern United States. In 1880, he graduated from the Department
of Engineering of the University of Vermont. He was engaged on the
Michigan Central railroad that year and did some heavy work. Later
he was with several Pennsylvania railroads as civil engineer and in 1884
accepted a position with the Burlington and Cedar Rapids railroad.
He was construction engineer for the St. Paul and Northern Pacific in 1885
and the following year did location work in Minnesota. After this
he was constantly engaged with the western roads, especially with the Great
Northern. We then see him in irrigation work near Wenatchee also
in business there and in 1894, he was associated on the government work
of improving the Columbia. On May 20, 1895, he was passing from one
boat to another in a small skiff which was caught in a whirlpool and went
down with all on board.
Probably the most important engineering work
done by Mr. Haskell was the discovery of Stevens pass in the Cascades,
through which the Great Northern railroad crosses the Cascades. In
the summer of 1890, he was sent to explore Nason creek, a branch of the
Wenatchee river, to its source. Accompanied by Mr. W. F. C. Whyte
and a single packer, he worked his way up the valley, which evidently had
never been penetrated, and finally discovered the gap through the range
which he named Stevens pass. It was subsequently found to be the
best pass and was chosen for the route of that transcontinental line.
Mr. Haskell was chosen a member of the American
Society of Civil Engineers on October 7, 1891.
Mr. and Mrs. Haskell were united in marriage,
January 13, 1881, at Vernon, Vermont. She accompanied him in his
journeys west and now dwells in Wenatchee. She was born in Dummerston,
Vermont, on March 1, 1860, being the daughter of Dan Kendall, who died
August 20, 1885. Mrs. Haskell's mother Lucretia J. (Severance) Kendall,
was a native of Massachusetts and a descendant of a New England family.
She died on January 26, 1902. Mrs. Haskell was reared and educated
in Vermont and Massachusetts, passing through district and select schools
successfully. Then she spent three term in the Power's Institute,
after which she matriculated at the Northfield Seminary, in Massachusetts,
but was obliged to forego graduation on account of ill health. She
spent sometime in teaching, both before studing in the seminary and since.
Mrs. Haskell has two brothers and five sisters.
Mr. Haskell left three brothers, Arthur, Frank
and Walter, and one sister, Minnie M. Campbell. Mrs. Haskell is a
member of the Baptist church in Wenatchee and her husband was deacon of
that organization. He was also prominent in Masonic circles.
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