James Allen Perkins came to the area in 1870, when he was 29 years old. He and Thomas Smith traveled from Waitsburg to set up a sawmill at the suggestion of Anderson Cox, who speculated that the valley along the South Fork of the Palouse might make a fine location for a new settlement. They proceeded to build a log cabin with timber hauled from Walla Walla. Both Smith and Perkins staked out property. The two men split the valley, Perkins taking the northern part. He purchased a pre-emption on 160 acres at $2.50/acre. The line separating the two parcels ran east to west and later became Last Street.

Where & When
Open Saturdays + Sundays 10am – 2pm, may be rented for special events
623 N Perkins Avenue Colfax, WA 99111
Contact
(509) 397-2555